A/N: We finally have some action in this chapter, along with a look at Artemis's flirty side :) Just so everyone knows, there will be hints of Superboy/M'gann b/c it's canon.

Thanks again to all those who have taken a moment of their time to leave me feedback! I do really appreciate all your kind words and encouragement :) Please keep them coming, I so look forward to them (and they are quite the encouragement to update faster too)!

Important Note: Just so everyone else knows, a reader of mine reviewed this chapter telling me that episode 10, "Targets" is now on youtube. I just watched it and wanted to say my story didn't completely follow it since Wally didn't actually interact with Red Arrow in the ep, but, even though it didn't really derail my story, I went back to chapter one anyway and fixed that in a way I found adequate. No need to go back and look, it doesn't change the base relationship between Artemis and Wally for this story, it just explains why things didn't stay good between Art and KF like she thought they would after Byalia WITHOUT saying it was b/c Wally worked with RA on the last mission (as I initially thought he would). On the plus side, the time stamps lined up with ep 10 at least since the ep takes place between September 4th and 7th :) Also, Superboy was given the name Conner by Megan in this ep so I will now refer to him as such at times.

Disclaimer: "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

Rated T for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

Italics mean thoughts

"Italics within quotes" mean telepathy

Never assume the obvious is true . . .

Tangled Web

Chapter 3: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Gotham Academy

September 16, 09:52 EDT

There it was again.

Artemis swiftly turned to look behind her, her pleated skirt swishing along her thighs with the sudden movement. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though. The other students who were milling about, making good use of their passing period, simply walked around her still form. Her intense eyes roamed the hallway, taking in everything. She was positive someone had been watching her intently but a moment ago, and it wasn't the first time either. That feeling had been creeping over her several times a day since she started at Gotham Academy. It didn't feel threatening, but it was invasive all the same and she'd just about had it. She hated to admit it, but whoever was spying on her was good. They had to be, seeing as they'd avoided being caught by her for almost three weeks now.

Artemis glanced around the thinning hallway one more time before she continued toward her locker. The person observing her was definitely good, but she was better. After all, moving through shadows and disappearing without a trace was something she'd been trained to do since she could remember.

And her father had made sure she was a fast learner.

She excelled in everything he taught her. She had to, the consequences she'd suffer if she didn't were severe. As soon as she was old enough to walk he'd started her lessons, and if she was anything less than exceptional by the time he was finished . . . well, she could recall a few instances when she was in so much pain she actually prayed for death. Harsh and cruel though his methods were, they certainly provided the motivation necessary to master the skills and philosophies he'd been feeding her since the cradle. And when she'd gotten older and began to defy him, regardless of the consequences she would suffer, that was when he found out how special she really was . . .

Artemis shook her head, her long ponytail gently swinging as she did, in an attempt to rid those thoughts from her mind. She didn't need that kind of distraction. When she reached her locker, she frowned at the ugly orange flyer taped to it. According to the lettering, Gotham Academy's Homecoming was only a couple weeks away and students were encouraged to buy their tickets early, for both the football game against Gotham Central, and the dance. Artemis laid her fingers on the tacky paper and curled them into a fist, the flyer crumpling beneath them. She didn't have time for such nonsense, nor could she afford it anyway.

"Not into the whole school spirit thing, huh?"

Artemis turned to her left and her deep sapphire eyes fell on a head of tidy, milk chocolate hair, eyes that looked like melted butterscotch, and a warm smile. The young man in front of her had introduced himself as Evan Wingate on her third day, after a group of girls had made some malicious comments about her backpack not being designer. He'd actually apologized for his fellow students' behavior, which Artemis couldn't help but find classy, and had invited her to sit with him and some of his friends at lunch. He hadn't been the only nice guy, but he did seem to be the most genuine. He was living proof that being wealthy didn't automatically make a person completely self-centered and shallow.

"Can't say that I am," Artemis replied.

"Yeah I kind of got that impression already, but your mistreatment of the Homecoming flyer was the nail on the coffin," he laughed. "It's too bad though, I have a feeling you'd look great in semi-formal wear and I know someone who'd love to go with you."

Artemis couldn't help but smile at his words. It felt nice to be treated like a normal teenage girl once in a while, instead of the fine tuned weapon her father had spent years molding her to be. She figured she owed herself this guilty pleasure once in a while.

"Unless you're already spoken for, of course," Evan went on. Artemis blinked, unsure of what he was talking about, so he elaborated. "You know, that guy I saw you with a couple days ago? The one who walked you to school?"

Artemis's smile instantly disappeared and her cheeks flared a light pink when she realized he was talking about Wally. If he only knew how wrong he was! They weren't even really friends, never mind something more.

"No, no, that was just -" she paused, "a friend," she decide on, even if it wasn't one hundred percent true. It wasn't completely untrue either. "From out of town," she added as an afterthought, which was entirely true since Wally actually lived in Central City, a whole time zone away.

He tried to hide the relief her words caused him to feel, but it was easy for Artemis – someone who'd been trained to notice the finer details – to spot it as it filter across his face.

"Good to know. Anyway," Evan continued, "Homecoming's still a month away so just think about it. I think we'd have a good time."

The warning bell rang. With a parting smile the boy headed for his next class. Artemis watched him go before she scanned the hallway one more time, the feeling of someone's eyes on her still present. She'd let it go for today, but, come Monday, it was on.

x x x

Happy Harbor

September 16, 18:00 EDT

"Somebody please explain to me again why we're here," Artemis asked, the tone in her voice clearly demonstrating her disinterest as she crossed her arms over her chest.

The team, dressed in civilian clothing, was standing next to a booth, one of the many that lined the harbor during the Fall Festival. Artemis was really glad she'd wised up and started storing some regular clothes at the base. Otherwise, she would have had to spend the evening in her Gotham Academy uniform, and 8 hours or so a day in that outfit was more than enough for her. Wally turned away from the counter of the booth, a giant container of chili cheese fries in his hands.

"Because, Megan came all the way to our planet to help our team, the least we can do is help her experience what life is like on Earth," Wally explained as he shoveled a handful of food into his mouth.

Artemis shot him a look of disdain. "How is being forced to watch you stuff your face an 'Earth experience'?"

Wally glowered at his teammate. "We'll get to the fun stuff in a minute. I just need to carbo-load real quick. Trust me; you wouldn't like hanging out with me when I'm hungry."

"As opposed to how much I like hanging out with you now," she grumbled as the group began to head further into the fair.

"Like you had anything better to do," Wally countered around a mouth full of fries, chili and cheese smeared on his lips.

Tromping around a carnival was not how Artemis planned on spending her Friday, but she couldn't say she had something better planned. Really, if she'd gone straight home after school today, instead of heading to Mount Justice as Megan had requested the day before after practice, she was most likely going to sit in front of the tv at her apartment and tune up her bow. It would have been a worthwhile way to spend her evening, sure, but even she had to admit it wouldn't have been very entertaining. Although watching Wally pig out wasn't entertaining either, it was disgusting.

"Alright, fine, since this is for Megan," Artemis turned to the Martian, "what would you like to do?"

"Um . . ." Megan's gentle eyes roamed over the rides and games scattered across the harbor.

She'd seen Earth carnivals on tv, but she'd never dreamed she'd get to attend one! There were so many things she wanted to try; she didn't know where to start. Her eyes finally stopped on an open structure, where people were driving little cars around recklessly.

"How about that?" Megan asked as she pointed at the attraction behind her friend.

Artemis turned to look. "The bumper cars?"

"All. Right. Megan!" Wally spoke up as he finished off his fries. "Great pick, bumper cars rock!"

The group headed for the structure and waited for the current round to end.

Megan watched the tiny cars intently for a minute before asking, "So, what's the objective of this ride?"

"To crash into stuff," Robin supplied, his dark sunglasses hiding the excitement in his eyes. At the look on her face he added, "It's fun though, trust me."

Superboy cracked a smile. "Sounds like a blast."

As soon as their turn came, the boys rushed through the gate and quickly selected their cars, while the girls followed at a more sedated pace. Once their round started, pandemonium ensued. Wally and Robin made it a point to specifically chase each other, while Superboy simply smashed into everything he could. Kaldur seemed more interested in seeing how many cars he could avoid, and Megan quickly found herself stuck in a corner. As Artemis rammed into Wally from behind – which pushed him into Robin – she realized she was actually glad to be here with the rest of the team.

x x x

"That was great!" Megan cried as the gang exited the Tilt-a-Whirl an hour later.

As they walked through the middle of the fair, they came across a giant tent lined with rows of game booths. Hanging from the top of a dart game, were several stuffed panda bears.

Megan pointed at one of the bears and exclaimed, "Oh, that's so cute!"

Wally immediately zoomed to her side. "Leave it to me, Megalicious. I'll win you one in no time."

He sprinted to the booth and purchased five darts for a dollar. He threw all five without managing to pop a single balloon. He dug into his pant pocket and withdrew another dollar. Five tries later, he was out of singles and Megan was still without the plushy.

He turned back to his friends sheepishly and asked, "Uh, anybody got a dollar?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Move," she ordered as she pushed him aside.

She dropped a dollar on the counter and the proprietor handed her five darts.

"Watch and learn," she instructed as she took aim.

She fired off all five darts rapidly, popping a balloon with each one. The man behind the counter pulled out a stool and removed one overly stuffed panda from the top of the booth.

"Here you are young lady," he said as he handed it over to Artemis.

Without a word she passed it on to Megan.

"Artemis, are you sure?" the alien asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"Just take it."

"Okay, I will. Thanks!" Megan exclaimed, hugging the stuffed animal tightly.

"Beginners luck," Wally grumbled, as the group continued on.

Superboy stopped to try his hand at a game that required the player to throw a baseball at a stack of three steel bottles. Upon impact, the bottles shattered violently from the force of his throw.

Robin let out a laugh. "Way to go, Supey."

At the owner's angry look, Kadlur said, "I suggest we move on."

"I thought it was a good throw," Megan told Superboy as they exited the game tent.

"Thanks," he smiled. Her cheeks colored red in response and she glanced away in an attempt to hide it.

Shortly after they left the game section, a God-awful screeching accompanied by music suddenly filled the air. It was coming from the next tent.

"Man, someone should put that cat out of its misery," Robin commented, his nose crinkled in distaste, as the gang walked in.

Not far from where they stood at the entrance, a small stage was set up and a young woman – who was apparently tone deaf – was singing off key at the top of her lungs. Superboy attempted to protect his sensitive ears by covering them with his enormous palms.

"Dude, can she not hear how bad she sounds?" Wally complained.

"It is a rather unpleasant sound," Kaldur commented.

"Is anyone allowed to sing?" Megan suddenly asked.

"Well, yeah," Wally replied. "It's karaoke. Amateurs go on stage and sing in front of an audience."

"Really? How fun!" Megan exclaimed and started heading for the stage.

The others followed behind, sitting at a table near the front. First chance she got, Megan rushed up on stage to take a turn. Artemis cringed as her teammate began to pelt out the words to a Hannah Montana song.

"We really need to cancel the Disney channel back at headquarters," she moaned.

After Megan's turn, Robin actually took a shot at it, shocking everyone by picking a song by Jesse McCartney. More shocking still was how well he sung it. At Megan's insistence, Superboy went next.

"Dude, I got the perfect song for you!" Wally exclaimed and zoomed up the stage to pick one from the machine.

A fast 80s retro sound started up and as soon as the words began to show on the screen, Superboy followed along in a monotone voice.

"She works hard for the money, so hard for it honey. She works hard for the money so you'd better treat her right," he spoke rather than sang.

Wally and Robin burst out laughing and even Artemis cracked a smile. Her smile widened when Superboy chucked the microphone at Wally and beamed him in the head before he walked back off the stage and reclaimed his seat.

Wally rubbed the side of his head and scooped the microphone off the floor. He suddenly turned to Artemis and held it out to her. "You're turn."

She eyed him critically. "No way. I don't sing."

"Don't or can't?" Wally asked challengingly. When Artemis didn't respond he continued, "Yeah I figured as much. If your voice is half as bad as your attitude I can't imagine how terrible you sound-ouch!"

Wally put his hand to his head where Artemis had smacked him. She ripped the microphone out of his other one and marched up the stage steps. If he wanted a show she'd give him one! She never backed down from a challenge. Once on stage, she quickly sifted through the list of available songs, looking for something that was originally sung in a lower key. With a slightly husky voice, it wouldn't be in her favor to pick a song sung by someone with a high pitched voice.

Growing impatient, Wally mock yawned and said, "If you're going to make a fool of yourself then at least do it while we're still young enough to hear clearly."

Ignoring the speedster, Artemis continued her search. A fiendish smile spread across her pink lips as her eyes landed on a particular song.

Perfect, she thought as she selected her song of choice.

Heavy drumming and guitar playing began to pump from the speakers. Artemis spun around to face the crowd and raised the microphone to her lips.

"You can dress me up in diamonds, you can dress me up in dirt," she sang, moving her hips to the music. "You can throw me like a lineman, I like it better when it hurts. Oh, I have waited here for you, don't keep me waiting . . ." A coy smile on her face, Artemis reached her free hand up to her ponytail and ripped the elastic band out of her hair, letting her golden locks flare out. She shook her head back and forth, her silky tendrils swinging wildly as she sang, "You make me wanna LaLa, in the kitchen on the floor. I'll be your French maid, when I meet you at the door. I'll be your alley cat, drink the milk up, I want more. You make me wanna, you make me wanna screeaam . . ." On the last word she ran her fingers through her hair starting at the crown of her head. Then she dragged her hand along her neck and down the front of her body as she dipped her knees seductively.

As she sang the song she danced around to the beat, moving her body provocatively. The looks on her teammates' faces were priceless. The sensual way she moved her body about up on stage came from a lesson taught to her, not by her father, but by her mother. Her mother was quick to teach Artemis the advantages being an attractive female presented her. It could, after all, be the difference between victory and defeat. Generally, men were lustful beings driven by sexual desires and, because of that, a woman with a nice body and a pretty face who knew how to use her assets confidently could very likely get away with murder if she needed to. It was a lesson Artemis regarded highly.

Wally's eyes burned, he hadn't blinked since Artemis took center stage. Her voice was nothing special, average at best, but the way she moved! It was risqué, borderline indecent. And yet, he'd be completely lying if he said he didn't want to see more. The way her hips swayed to the rhythm, the way she swung her luscious hair about, the smoldering look that had entered her already dark eyes, and that brazen smile all combined to create the most tantalizing scene he'd ever seen. It was no secret he prided himself as a bit of a ladies' man, but even he couldn't handle this. He was unprepared for this side of Artemis. Sure he knew she could be something of a flirt from her first mission with the team when she made an open, unabashed comment about Superboy's physique, but he had no idea she could be so . . . sexy. It certainly didn't help that the song she'd picked was an innuendo for rough, unbridled sex. Up there on stage, she seemed much too mature for the fifteen years of age that she was. He'd just assumed Artemis was a tomboy who was unaware of her potential sex appeal.

Clearly he'd thought wrong.

His enjoyment of the show was compromised, however, when the sound of others taking pleasure from it reached his ears. He looked around and noticed he wasn't the only one watching the girl on stage intently. Every other guy seated around the small stage had their eyes glued to the front, and their hollering and whistling was a good indication of their approval. Wally found himself glaring daggers at the audience. A feeling he wasn't accustomed to washed over him, giving new meaning to being "green-eyed." Jealousy was an emotion Wally wasn't well acquainted with. Even when Megan gave her attention to Superboy over him, he only felt mildly annoyed, he didn't feel the intense anger and resentment he was experiencing now.

As soon as the last note was sung, the male population watching broke out in applause. Despite their requests for an encore performance, Artemis ignored them and walked off stage, fixing her hair back into the neat low ponytail she typically wore. As she neared her teammates she tossed the microphone back at Wally, signaling his turn.

He snatched the microphone out of the air and slammed it down on the table, glaring heatedly at the archer. "What the heck was all that? You were just supposed to sing a song, not try out for a future career as an exotic dancer!"

"Excuse me?" Artemis questioned threateningly. He was the one who wanted her to go up there in the first place and now he was going to pick a fight with her over it?

"You heard me! You were supposed to go up there and sing a nice song like Megan!"

"News flash, I'm NOT Megan!" Artemis cried.

Wally opened his mouth to reply, but Kadlur stepped between the two. "That's enough, both of you." The stern tone in his voice was enough to silence the bickering teens.

Over karaoke, the team began to file out of the tent. Artemis gave Wally a dirty look before following the others. As Wally moved to exit the tent, he overheard two young males talking.

"Can you believe that blonde chick that was just on stage? Damn she was fine!"

"I know! The way she moved, can you imagine how good she'd be in bed?" the other replied.

"Wish I had the chance to find out."

Ugh, I did NOT just hear those guys talking about wanting to nail Artemis, Wally thought, an anger he didn't know he could posses gripping his very being. He hurried out of the tent before he could act on the violent urge to do them bodily harm.

Shortly after leaving the karaoke tent, the gang happened across an enormous funhouse. They agreed it would be the last attraction of the night before heading inside. Artemis was the last to enter, her slower stride putting a good amount of space between herself and the others. She'd actually been having a good time up until her small argument with Wally. Artemis didn't know who she was more irritated with: Wally for picking a fight when they'd actually been getting along the last few days, or herself for letting him get to her so easily. It felt like for every step forward, they took two back. She didn't understand how he managed to get under her skin so thoroughly on a daily basis. He seemed to be the only one she ever lost her cool with. And why had he been so mad at her for her karaoke performance? True her gyrating had been a bit on the sexual side, but why the heck did he care?

She walked through an empty doorway in the dimly lit maze and found herself in a large, quiet room full of trick mirrors. This room, like so many others that she'd passed through, was devoid of other people. She stopped in front of one that was normal and stared at her refection intently.

What is wrong with me? I shouldn't even be here with the others anyway, and I definitely shouldn't waste time worrying about what Wally thinks.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply in an attempt to center herself. When she reopened them, she immediately saw that her reflection had been joined by another, one whose face was hidden by a Japanese noh mask.

"Jade," Artemis hissed, a hard edge to her voice.

"Tsk, tsk. When the mask is on it's Cheshire. Just because you choose not to use a code name while you're working doesn't mean you shouldn't respect the aliases of others."

Artemis spun around to face the woman, but she wasn't there. Her image was reflected in many mirrors simultaneously, but her physical body remained invisible.

"What are you doing here?" Artemis asked, looking around the room at all the reflections of Jade cautiously.

"Better question: what are you doing here?" Cheshire asked snidely, her voice echoing around the room making it impossible to pinpoint. "You shouldn't be out fooling around with the useless sidekicks when you're supposed to be obtaining information on the Justice League. Unless, of course, you really are working for them now."

Artemis clenched her fist. "You know I'm not."

"Do I? I have to say, Artemis, I have my doubts," Cheshire remarked lazily. "I warned Sportsmaster that, when you take something by force, you spend the rest of your life fighting to keep it, and yet he's sure you're with us now. At least Sensei was smart enough to subject you to a series of tests, starting with you infiltrating this team of sidekicks, to prove your loyalty. Although, so far it seems to be for naught as you have yet to supply us with any relevant information . . ."

"I'm doing my best," Artemis argued. "The Justice League isn't stupid, they know who my father is, so it's not like you can expect them to trust me wholeheartedly."

"Then your best isn't very good, is it?"

"What do you want?" Artemis growled, tired of the assassin.

"Whether you like it or not, you belong to the Shadows. Though your . . . ability, temporary as it is, is of great use to us, you aren't much good if you don't think like we do. So answer this: two children, a boy and a girl, are trapped in different rooms in this building, and this structure is about to catch fire," Cheshire explained casually, the tone of her voice indicating that she had a smile on her face.

Artemis inhaled sharply. She knew where this was going and it wasn't good.

"So, with the limited time you have, who do you save? The boy or the girl?"

"Both," Artemis responded automatically, even though she knew that wasn't the answer Jade was looking for. Just because she had to work for the Shadows didn't mean she had to be heartless like them . . .

Cheshire shook her head. "Wrong. The correct answer is: yourself," she sneered as her image faded from the mirror.

Shortly after she disappeared, a violent tremor shook the room and the sound of shattering glass resounded through the air as every mirror in the room splintered then exploded, causing shards of glass to pour down like sharp raindrops. Artemis ducked down and covered her head with her arms in an attempt to shield herself from the onslaught of glass.

Then she ran.

That bitch! she thought as she raced through the house, suffocating black smoke starting to draft through the building chased by burning flames. Come on, Artemis, think! Where would she stash two children?

Outside the funhouse, the rest of the team stood, waiting for their elusive sixth member.

Wally tapped his foot impatiently. "Dude, where is she?"

Megan looked around, hoping to spot her friend. "We didn't miss her, did we?"

Robin shook his head. "No way, we're right at the exit. We definitely would have seen her come out."

Wally threw his hands up in frustration. "We've been done for ten minutes! Could she be any slo-"

His sentence remained unfinished as they watched the funhouse instantaneously burst into flames from the inside out. Carnival goers began to panic and fled the vicinity of the beloved attraction.

"M'gann! Link us up and search out Artemis's wave length!" Kaldur ordered immediately.

"On it!" she responded and handed her stuffed panda to Conner in order to free up her hands. She closed her eyes and placed her ring and middle fingers to her temples. "Everybody linked up?" she questioned.

"Yes," Kaldur informed. "Have you located Artemis?"

The Martian's already closed eyes squinted shut even tighter as she concentrated on the archer's signal. "Not yet. The heat from the fire is making it hard to locate her. Artemis? Can you hear me?"

Inside the burning inferno, the blonde in question stopped momentarily at the new voice in her head, before she continued her sprint through the building.

"Yeah," she finally responded tearing through another room devoid of either child she was looking for.

"What happened?"

The reply was patchy. "Some . . . Shadows . . ." Megan shook her head, but the reception didn't get any better. ". . . two kids . . . trapped . . ."

The telepathic alien looked at Kaldur apologetically. "I'm sorry, I can't hold onto her signal."

"It is all right," the Atlantean said. "We need to get her out of there along with anyone else. It will be too hot inside to sustain my powers, but I can keep the fire in the doorway under control for a while from the outside." With a glance at Wally, he continued, "Kid, you need to run through that house and find Artemis along with any other civilians."

Wally didn't need to be told twice. He pulled his goggles from his pocket and placed them over his eyes snugly. As soon as Kaldur activated his tattoos and extinguished the blaze blocking the entrance by redirecting water from the harbor, Wally sped through the doorway, nothing but a blur.

The smoke immediately began to penetrate his clothing as he raced from room to room trying to avoid the flames that danced around at random.

"Artemis?" he cried, opting to call for her verbally rather than telepathically since the signal was so shoddy. The sound of wood being consumed by fire was the only noise that met his ears. Not to be deterred, he hurried on, rushing through several rooms in a matter of seconds. "Artemis?" he choked out again, his eyes beginning to water from the sooty air.

He opened his mouth to shout her name again but stopped when he heard a faint reply one room away. He sprinted in the direction of the voice and almost ran into the blonde he'd been searching for. He felt more relieved than he thought he would at the sight of her. Her toned forearms were marred by a few sliver-like cuts that were stained red and she was covered in black smudges, but she looked alright otherwise.

He moved to grab her but she stepped out of his reach. "What are you doing! We have to get out of here! Come on!"

"No, there are children in here!"

That caught Wally off guard. He'd kept an eye out for others during his search for Artemis and had seen no one. As if to prove the archer correct, the sound of desperate cries suddenly reached their ears. Wordlessly, the pair fled the room in the direction of the sound. They followed the frightened voice to a room full of clown mannequins, some of which had begun to melt from the heat that was coming from the fire destroying an adjacent room. Creepy laughter filled the room, the heat-warped speakers causing it to come out distorted. A large box-like cage painted a light blue hung from one corner, a particularly disturbing clown trapped inside. Lying on the floor of the cage in tears was a little girl, no older than six.

"How are we gonna get her down?" Wally asked uncertain. He had no idea how she ended up locked in the cage. When Artemis announced the presence of children, he assumed she meant they were stuck by the fire, not on lockdown. "There isn't enough room for me to build the speed I need to run up the wall!"

Artemis eyed the layout of the room quickly before she broke into a sprint for the cage. Just as she reached the corner she jumped. Her right foot made contact with the wall to the right of the corner, and she immediately pushed up and kicked off simultaneously, repeating the process with her left foot. Her hand reached out and gripped the bottom platform of the cage before she could lose the momentum.

Definitely just as ninja-like as Robin, Wally couldn't help but think as he watched her pull off the stunt.

Using her upper body strength, she pulled herself up until she was standing on the thin ledge that surrounded the outside. She moved for the handle but stopped. It was broken off.

Pulling a butterfly knife out of her pocket and flipping it open, she turned back to Wally. "It's gonna take me a minute to get her out of here. There's a boy trapped in here somewhere too. You look for him while I work on this," she instructed, turning her attention back to the cage.

"All right, but hurry!"

"No, I thought I'd take my time!" Artemis shouted back as he left the room, the situation clearly not stomping out her sarcastic nature, much to Wally's chagrin. She placed the slim edge of the knife underneath the top hinge and began to pry it out of its socket.

Wally had to pick his way through the burning house to the other side before he happened across the other child. He found the boy sitting on the floor in a room full of spinning white circles with black spirals painted on them for a hypnotic effect. The child was tied to a two by four beam that was beginning to catch fire at the top.

When the boy spotted Wally he cried, "Help me, please! I don't wanna die!"

Wally pulled roughly at the ropes binding the boy but they weren't about to come undone. He eyed the wooden pole critically before addressing the hysteric boy.

"Hey, I'm gonna get you outta here. But you need to do something for me: duck your head as low as you can and close your eyes."

With a whimper the young boy nodded his head and did as Kid Flash instructed. With no other option, Wally took a deep breath and backed into the next room. The doorway of the hypnotic room lined up with the boy's pole and, after garnering as much space as he could, he flew at the beam, praying the minimal padding he regularly wore in the shoulders of his civilian clothes would be enough to protect his bones. His left shoulder collided with the two by four and it splintered under the impact, a loud crack mixing in with the sound of flames devouring the ceiling above. Wally rubbed his sore shoulder as he kicked the weakened spot of the pole. A few swift kicks snapped it in half where the rope surrounded it. Quickly, the red head pulled the boy, ropes and all, over the jagged piece of wood still imprisoning him. His grip tight on the boy, he hurried out of the room as the roof began to collapse in a flaming mess. In record time he made it back to the room he'd left Artemis in. Just as he entered it, his teammate was jumping down from the now open cage, the petrified girl safe in her arms. The pair met in the middle of the room and Artemis didn't hide the relief on her face when she saw him, although if it was directed at him, the fact that he'd succeeded in retrieving the second child, or a little of both, Wally couldn't be sure. He liked to think the third option. Both children free, it was time to go, but there was one small problem . . .

Wally couldn't carry all three of them.

He was strong for his age and his size, but even he couldn't speed through the burning house with two children and a teenager weighing him down. Uncertainty danced in his eyes as he stared at the blonde and she wasn't ignorant to their dilemma.

"Take the kids and go," she instructed without hesitation.

"But-" he started weakly. He couldn't really leave her behind, but he couldn't carry all of them either.

"Just go!" Artemis ordered forcefully. They didn't have time for this. She handed the girl over. "I'll be okay."

As Wally took the young lady in his free arm he locked eyes with Artemis and said, "I'll come back for you."

The blonde rewarded him with a half smile before he bolted from the room. As soon as he was on his way out, she ran as fast as she could for the same exit. The exertion took a quick toll on her body, however, and she quickly found herself staggering instead. She'd been in the building shrouded in thick smoke for so long that breathing had become extremely taxing. The lack of oxygen to the brain began causing black dots to invade her vision, starting in her peripherals before making their way inward. Unable to see clearly anymore, she fell to her hands and knees, body suddenly wracked with a brutal cough. The smoke couldn't kill her, not permanently anyway, but the fire could. Her body twisted in on itself and her blackened cheek made contact with the ash-covered floor as she struggled for air.

As her unfocused eyes drifted shut, her last conscious thought was the hope that Wally didn't risk coming back in for her.

To be continued . . .

A/N: The ball is really starting to roll now. Confused? That's okay if you are. I promise things will be revealed as the story goes. As for Robin singing karaoke to a Jesse McCartney song, well, I couldn't resist seeing how McCartney does his voice and I still can't get over that lol (I think it's cool, just so random). Means he'd certainly have a good singing voice hehe The song that Artemis sung was LaLa by Ashlee Simpson, and the song Superboy spoke was She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summers. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think, especially about the action in the second half. I always feel that action scenes are one of my weaknesses when it comes to writing, so I work really hard on them to make them flow well. Let me know if I succeeded please :)

SakuraJade