Alright, alright! Relax! Here's the next chapter. I hope this story is living up to your expectations.

"Guys, something is wrong!" M'gann's voice floated into their heads.

"What's going on?" Wally asked. He was groggy from his nap, but the thought of lunch was too tempting to keep him in bed.

"Artemis never came back!" Megan exclaimed. "I looked for her at the cabin, and then I thought maybe she went to the pool without me, so I checked there. But she wasn't there, and now we're at the cafeteria and she's not here either!"

Wally felt his stomach sink. If the way things around here were going were any indication, Artemis could be in danger.

"Can you reach her?" Wally asked.

"No, I've been trying. She's either out of reach or unconscious."

"We have to find her! Why did you let her go alone?"

"You try to tell Artemis what to do!" Megan said indignantly.

"We have free hour after lunch, Wally. We'll look for her." Dick said.

Wally was not calmed by that, though. He still felt that Artemis was in great danger. And what if they couldn't find her alive? Would she end up in a vat of wax? Or burned alive? Any number of terrible things could happen to her.

"Who ever is doing this is becoming bolder by the hour. Abducting someone during the day takes skill." Kaldur said.

"Or an excuse. Would you stop a counselor that was taking someone to the infirmary?"

"You think it's a counselor?" Raquel asked. "That seems a little...unlikely."

"I don't know, it makes sense." Zatanna said. "And it may just be someone with a counselor's shirt. Or it might even be...one of the campers."

"Now that is unlikely. They'd have to be a very strong teenager to take down a counselor, and the disturbing nature of the crimes suggests psychosis." Dick said.

"Nothing about this thing is normal." Raquel said. "We need to find her by tonight."

"Campers, please listen up!" Sam once more was speaking into his megaphone.

"That thing is so annoying." Zatanna's counselor said.

"It has been determined that the finger found earlier today was an elaborate fake pulled by the missing camper. She is believed to have run away afterwards and has made her way home."

"Wow, now that is a weak lie."

"Well, it seems to be working." Kaldur answered Dick.

"It doesn't matter. Tonight we sneak out to look for Artemis. I am not finding her tomorrow as a victim of some sicko's joke." Wally said vehemently. Normally, Dick would have teased his friend about have a crush on the archer, but he could tell that Wally was beyond worried.

"Also, please remember to stay inside tonight, not that you would break curfew anyways. There is a summer storm coming in and the rain will fall all night. We'd hate for you to catch a cold!" Sam said.

Artemis woke in total blackness. She tried to move her hands, but she couldn't. At first she thought she was tied up. Then a cold realization set in that she was paralyzed. Whatever had been in the dart that pierced her arm must have held a paralytic toxin.

"Oh, great. I'm starting to sound like Wally." Artemis grumbled. "And now I'm talking to myself." She tried to move once more, and found that her left index finger could move. Then she heard a noise. "Who's there? I know you're there!" She felt fear building in her chest. Then she felt a familiar pain in her arm. "Son of a..."

It was finally dark outside, and thankfully no one else had gone missing in the camp. Somehow, Sam had managed to convince everyone that the camp was safe. The whole team, minus Artemis, had gathered by the amphitheater.

The rain had started a few hours ago and had turned into a full blown thunderstorm. The rain was cold, and even with several layers of clothing and waterproof raincoats Zatanna, Raquel and Wally were cold. Connor, Kaldur, and Megan were unaffected by the temperature though, due to their physiology.

"Everyone split up. M'gann, are we linked?" Kaldur asked.

"Yes. We're ready to go." Megan confirmed. "Artemis should be able to join if she's conscious, too."

"Split up and spread out. Keep in contact every five minutes. If you fail to check in, we will assume something has happened to you." Kaldur said. Usually he wouldn't advocate the team splitting up, but they had a lot of ground to cover if they wanted to find Artemis before the sun came up.

Wally started walking. He went towards the wooded area as the rest of the team went towards their assigned areas. After five minutes, everyone checked in. The thunder was booming, the wind was picking up, and the rain came down in sheets. Wally shivered. Even his higher body temperature wasn't protecting him from the chill.

Artemis was cold. And awake. And pissed. She opened her eyes, and had to fight the urge to close them again against the rain that pounded into her face. She could feel that the paralytic was pretty strong in her system, and the pounding in her head was making everything seem fuzzy. Suddenly, she felt someone stroke her cheek.

"No one's coming for you." A voice said. It was a man's voice. A very strange voice, one that was most likely warped using some kind of voice-changer. "No one is coming for you, and you are going to die here. Alone."

"Where am I?"

"Somewhere you won't be found until I want you to be found. Which isn't for a few hours."

"You'd b-be s-s-surprised h-how persistent m-my f-f-friends can b-be." She said through her chattering teeth. She was starting to shiver violently.

"Why? What did I ever do to you? What did the Radnels ever do to you?"

"Does it matter? You're going to die, and no one will know who did it...But I have to assume they'll think it was you."

"This is the Wallman, just checking in. Anything?"

"Nothing yet." Kaldur said.

"I can barely see anything." M'gann said. "And she hasn't made contact yet."

"Boy Wonder, checking in."

"You actually refer to yourself as Boy Wonder?" Raquel chimed.

"He does. I've seen him reading his own comics." Zatanna said.

"Focus, guys." Connor said. "I doubt even Superman could see through this."

Wally shivered. The temperature was dropping fast as the wind picked up. If the storm got much worse, he might have to give up.

"No. I will never give up." He said to himself. Though he had never said it out loud, Artemis was far more important to him than his own health.

"W-what do y-you mean, th-they'll think it w-was me?" Artemis managed to say. Her teeth were starting to chatter to much she could barely speak. She tried to move, but her limbs were still unresponsive. She was so cold. The rain was surprisingly cold for summer.

"You'll find out. If the cold doesn't kill you, this will." A blade appeared in front of her face. Artemis's blood ran cold. It was exactly like her most recent nightmare.

"N-no." Artemis noticed she was near the archery range. So close to her greatest asset, and yet unable to get to it. Irony is a bitch sometimes.

"I knew this would get your attention. You have such strange fears. Far more elaborate than the others." The man lowered the blade to her wrist, which Artemis realized was bound. "If this doesn't kill you...the storm will. You're turning blue. I believe you may have hypothermia."

"Wally, please help me. I don't want to die like this."

"Wally, please help me. I don't want to die like this." Wally almost jumped out his skin.

"Artemis? Where are you?" Wally almost shouted mentally.

"Artemis!" M'gann had also been startled, as had everyone else.

"Someone please help me! He's going to kill me!" Artemis was hysterical.

"Where are you?" Kaldur said.

"Somewhere near the archery range!"

"I'm near there!" Wally said. "I'm coming to get you!"

"Wally...hurry..." Artemis said. "It hurts."

"There. Not too deep, almost too shallow. But what do they care? It's your first attempt at killing yourself." He inspected his work. Artemis felt the blood being washed away by the pouring rain. It hurt like hell. The man stroked her face. "Time for the other one."

"Artemis! Beautiful, you need to answer me!" Wally's voice rang out.

"Damn." The man stroked her face once more. "Until next time."

"Artemis, where are you?"

Wally ran as fast as he safely could, maybe even a little faster. He needed to find Artemis. She wasn't answering him anymore.

"Artemis! Beautiful, you need to answer me!" Wally resorted to old-fashioned yelling. "Artemis, where are you?

"W-wally..." Artemis's weak voice came from his right. He turned and ran towards it and nearly tripped over her.

"Artemis! Are you..." He trailed off. She was shirtless, lying there in just a bra and shorts, her wrists tied to the tree she had been propped up against. Her wrist had been slashed. But not very deeply, and in the non-fatal direction. "Oh Artemis." He untied her, then ripped off a piece of his shirt under the poncho he was wearing and wrapped it around the cut.

"W-wally? Wally...I'm s-s-so c-cold." Artemis said. "A-and...he c-c-cut me...I c-couldn't move."

"I know." Wally scooped her up bridal style and looked around. He needed to get her to shelter. He could feel her shivering violently. "I'm here. I got you." He looked around and saw the small hut the archery equipment was in. It would have to do for now.

"Guys, I have Artemis. We're in the archery shed. She needs help." Wally reported as he laid her down in the shed. He ignored the others as he tended to her. He stripped off his poncho and his sweatshirt, leaving only his now torn t-shirt. Artemis's lips were turning blue and so were her fingernails.

"W-wally...I'm c-c-cold." Artemis mumbled. She flexed her now mobile hands tentatively.

"I know. Come here." He pulled her into his arms and held her close to his body so his natural heat could warm her up. "We need to get you warm before hypothermia really sets in."

"W-w-wally...th-thank you." Artemis said. Her chattering teeth still distorted her words, but they were slowing down. "H-he l-left when he heard y-you coming."

"Shh, it's ok." Wally said. Artemis suddenly started to cry. "What's wrong?"

"I-I was so s-scared. I-it was like...like h-he knew that I h-have nightmares about being h-helpless as someone..." She couldn't finish. She felt her arms regaining feeling, and she snuggled closer to Wally. Wally responded by pulling her closer as she sobbed for minute. When she calmed herself once more, Wally checked in with the team.

"Are you almost here?"

"We're still a few minutes away. Is she alright?" Kaldur said.

"Physically? Probably. Mentally? I doubt it."

"The rest of the team will be here soon." Wally said into her hair. "Everything is going to be alright." He was going to make sure of it. Artemis slowly realized the position she was in, shirtless and clinging to Wally like she'd never let go. Maybe she wouldn't.

"He t-took my shirt. So I w-would get hypothermia." Artemis shuddered. "In case my wr-wrist didn't kill me."

"You're safe now." Wally murmured.

"I would have died if you didn't find me."

"But I did." Wally used one arm to hold her to him still, and the other to reach behind him and fins his still-dry sweatshirt. It was still a little warm. "Here, put this on." Artemis complied. It smelled like him. As soon as she had in on, she pulled him back to her.

"You're warm." Artemis wrapped her arms around him again. Her teeth had finally stopped chattering.

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Wally rubbed circle on her back.

"For being so clingy." She sighed as she tried to hold in her crying. "But...I was just so scared...and then you were there and you chased him away. Even though I'm a bitch to you sometimes."

"That doesn't matter. I have your back." Wally said. "You're my friend. My teammate. And...don't tell anyone I said this...but sometimes I even think you're...beautiful."

"I know." Artemis smiled weakly. "It's hard to miss."

"Wally? It's us! Open the door!" Kaldur said.

Wally carried Artemis back to her cabin after re-dressing Artemis's wrist and wrapping an extra poncho around her. Connor offered, but she was unwilling to let go of Wally. M'gann helped them sneak in, and Artemis laid down on her bed.

"You better leave before my counselor finds you. She's a stickler for the rules." Artemis whispered. "But I wish you could stay. Can I keep your sweatshirt." Wally stroked her hair softly, and hesitantly bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Yes." He turned and left Artemis in bed, knowing that Megan would be there to protect her.

When he got outside, he was greeted by Dick.

"We need to have a little talk with the Radnels. They need to know about this." Wally said.

"Something tells me they won't take kindly to our story." Dick answered as they made their way back their cabin. "You heard them. They won't do anything to endanger their camp."

"Well now we have evidence."

Artemis tossed and turned, trying to sleep. Megan, sensing her distress, linked to Wally.

"Are you awake, Wally?"

"Yeah, can't sleep. Why?" Wally was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling and listening to the snoring of the guy two beds down.

"Artemis can't either. I'm going to link you to her. Just her. I think she needs you."

"Will you be able to hear?"

"No, but the link will cut off when one of you falls asleep."

"Ok." Wally waited for a moment. "Artemis? Can you hear me? Testing one two three."

"You are so weird." Artemis answered. "M'gann, why are we linked?" No answer.

"She's offline. It's just you and me until one of us falls asleep."

"Great. Because that's what I need. Your voice in my head."

"I know. Isn't it great?" Wally laughed. "Can't sleep?"

"No. I'm...never mind."

"You're what?"

"Afraid. To sleep." Artemis pulled her blankets around her. "I don't want to dream tonight."

"I understand that." Wally sighed. "I used to have nightmares about missions. Still do sometimes."

"Why did this happen to me?"

"I can't answer that, Artemis. Crap happens sometimes to people who don't deserve it. But you're not alone. Ever."

"Thanks, Wally."

"Sometimes, I wonder...what I would be like if I wasn't a hero."

"Probably the same way, just not as fast." Artemis rolled over. "A better question is...what would I have been like if I didn't become a hero?"

"Artemis, you aren't your family." Wally said.

"Wally...I've been thinking. I think I know why these people are being killed in these ways." Artemis said hesitantly.

"Really? What?"

"He said...that my fears were much more elaborate than the others."

"So? Wait, what was your fear?" Wally shifted in his bed.

"That...I wouldn't be able to stop a man from killing me. But then everyone thought I did it. It's a nightmare I've been having." Artemis said quickly.

"Wow...That is pretty elaborate. So, what, you think somehow this person has a way of figuring out a person's fears?"

"It makes sense. Burning alive, butchered alive...Those would be pretty common fears, I think."

"Maybe. You know, this isn't exactly good pillow talk." Wally said. "You need to sleep."

"So do you. We still have breakfast at eight." Artemis giggled mentally as Wally groaned.

"You had to remind me."

"So sorry you had to stay up late to find me."

"I would do it again." Wally was suddenly serious. "There was a moment when I thought...I thought that maybe...I wouldn't be able to get to you soon enough."

"But you did, right? I'm here because of you."

"I did save you, didn't I?" Wally said cockily.

"One more thing. Why did you...kiss my forehead?"

"I wanted to."

"Goodnight, Wally."

"Goodnight, Arty."

"Don't call me that." The connection went dead as Artemis finally fell asleep.

Leave a review, my friends.

And sweet dreams tonight.

~orangekangaroo