"I was so close!" The Boy Wonder sobbed. "I-I could have stopped it, b-but I didn't-"
"Shut up!" Wally –who hadn't said a word since they got back–looked about ready to snap. "You have no fucking idea what your talking about!"
"I'm your best friend-" BlackCanary wiped Robin's runny nose.
"Shut up!" The redhead held his ears. "... please, just- ...stop."
BlackCanary bit her lip. "Roy, how do you feel about this?"
"About what I just saw?!" He yelled. "That fucking bastard hurts my-"
"Don't talk about him like that!" Wally screamed. "You don't know him! He only did that because mom left. He's a good person," Wally's voice soffened into a quite plee. "-he just... doesn't do good things..." He looked down.
"Wally, he hurt you, he isn't good-"
"He's my father!" The pure rage in his voice, matching that of Roy's.
"But he-" Roy huffs, unable to compose a sentence. "Err!" Every one was quite for a long while.
"She didn't even come back for me." Wally whimpered, looking at the floor. He took an unsteady breath. "She just... left."
Robin blinked, and gripped his friend's arm. "Who?"
"She j-just left... like I didn't matter..." Wally whispered, not acknowledging The Boy Wonder. "Just left me to take care of him... why?" He looked at BlackCanary with pleading eyes. "Why?!" He shook his head. "Didn't she care about me?"
"...You're talking about your mother right?" Kaldur asked, head down. Wally sniffed in an answer. "You should just do what he says. Then he won't be mad. No one will have a reason to be angry at you..."
"Just do what he says?..." The group flinched at how low his voice was. "So... Kal..." Wally hissed. "I should die, because I'm a fag?"
The Atlantian's eyes widened. "N-no, that's no what I meant-"
"Or was it that I should kill my self, because he prefers that over killing me himself. Not as fun, but at least he wouldn't go to jail for murdering me? Is that that what you meant? Hum?" Kaldur frowned at Wally's hysterics.
"No, my friend," The blonde's voice was steady, trying desperately to soothe the teen. "What I mean is, do what your told, do not disappoint..." His voice softened. "-be perfect, and no one will hate you-"
"Well that's easy for you to say," Artemis snapped. "You're perfect."
"Because I have to be!" He yelled back in a tone fiercer than usual calm, thoughtful one. Then he blinked as if coming out of a trance. "... I-I'm sorry, I did not mean for such an outburst. I apologize..." Kaldur hung his head.
"What? Too good to argue with us?" The blonde archer hissed.
"Yeah," Zantanna folded her arms over her chest. "Too good?"
"No I-"
"Leave him alone you little flat-chested, wannabe, bitch!" Roy yelled back.
BlackCanary touched Zatara's hand as he gritted his teeth. "Okay, let's all calm down." The team, sighed, brushed their fingers through their hair, and tried to calm themselves. BlackCanary sighed. "We'll go in a circle, everyone will get a chance to talk. No one will interrupt. Aright?" The team murmured in agreement. "Kaldur, let's start with you."
The blonde's lip quivered. "I- all I meant was that you should do every thing in you power to be perfect, so you don't get hurt again." His voice a little whiny, but worried and maybe frantic. "Please, my friend, if pains me to see you hurt in such a way. All I meant was," Kaldur gulped, he regained his usual monotone, and sat up a little, as if he had a change of heart. "Stop giving him reasons to do this, and start showing him you exceed his idea of you, which makes him do this." Artemis rolled her eyes, and a moment later, Zantanna scoffed.
"All right, I had enough!" Roy yells, standing up. He pointed a finger at Zantanna. "Its bad enough we have Artemis, who's a bitch,"
"Hey!" The so-called bitch snarled.
"-but why the fuck are you coping her? Huh?!"
Tears welled in Zantanna's eyes. "No-I, I-"
"Huh?!" Roy yelled, not giving her a chance to speak. Kaldur looked at his friend in shock. The blond touched Roy's arm, his eyes pleading for the other to stop. Roy turned back to Zantanna. With one last- "Bitch." he was done. When Kaldur's hand was removed, the red-head's flesh tingled. Not in a bad way, but Roy couldn't place the emotion. Like he wanted to run away, throw up, the walk around with a huge-ass grin. Roy sighed; it was a weird feeling. When he tried too hard to figure it out he just got angry. Most of the time he thought of it might be a bad feeling. When he gets really angry he feels bile churning around in his stomach, which was similar to the empty gyrating in the pit of his stomach now. But he didn't hate Kal. Really, he was the only thing anchoring him to to his life. Leaving him to wonder why he was feeling like this.
"Please, friends. Forgive Roy for his outburst. He was only trying to defend me." Kaldur said.
"Why do you need protecting!?" Artemis nearly screeched. "Why are you so special? You two are so chummy, but here I am with no one to be there for me!" At this Zantanna looked any were else but the archer. It seemed that only Zatara saw her bat away what looked to be a tear yet to fall. "Not that I have a best friend!-" The dark-haired girl's chest heaved. "- So I guess I'm just the bitch if the group no one wants around?!-"
"Shut up!" Rage flaring in the young magician's eyes. "Oh course you have friends! Artemis! I'm your best friend!" She franticly gestured to herself. "But I guess your too stubborn and pig-headed to realize that!" Hot tear spilled from her eyes. "And- and all I try do is be here for you, and be your friend but you make it so hard just complain, and complain! Mostly about how, no one likes, you or is there for you- well no fucking wonder! You mean, and coarse, and the only thing that spills from your crude mouth are insults and repining! But, no matter how observant you are of every one else's tiresome of your constant bickering, you some how, manage to completely overlook the fact that I'm always right beside you, sticking up for you, never pointing out your wrongs.-"
"Then why the fuck do you do it?! If its such an inconvenience?" Artemis spat out the words.
"Because!-" Zantanna stopped, nit saying her first instinct was. Insted, spoke in a calmer, yet sadder tone. "Because I'm your best friend."
"I don't need you pity."
"And you don't have it." The dark haired girl shot back, making Artemis scowl. "All I want is to be happy, and for you to be less angry." The blond didn't say anything so Zantanna continued. "Please..." Nothing.
Artemis just turned her head, not looking her friend in the eye. It wasn't fair. Why was Zantanna ganging up on her? They were friends; friends don't act like this to each other. And why wasn't any one sticking up for her? They were just sitting there, watching. If Wally did this to Robin, every one would be comforting The Boy Wonder and shunning The Scarlet Speedster Jr. Yet, no one moved an inch to help Artemis. And she wasn't going to cry. Not now. Not in front of them. Not in front of Zantanna. She would never see her cry.
"Artemis." Zantanna whispered, nit bothering to whip the tears from her face. "Say something... please."
Every one was silent, waiting for Artemis, the blond archer who never showed efection, toward anyone, to say sorry, and console her best friend. But that's not what they got.
"I have nothing to say to you." Zantanna searched those pale, yet raw blue eyes, hoping to see any sign of apology, but finding none.
Zantanna nodded, but said nothing. Her sholder was met with a warm hand. She looked up at BlackCanary, the older woman telling her it was okay, with only a short smile. Artemis noticed ever one looking at Zantanna with concern, but not even glancing at her. No one cared. No one even cared enough to taunt her, or yell at her. Anything so she wasn't sitting her alone. Good. Who fucking needs them, anyway?
"We are all sleepy, let's go back to the cave and rest. We will continue in the morning." With a snap of fingers and a blast of light, they were back at home-sweat-home. "Eat, sleep, and don't hesitate to come look for me, if you need to talk. I'll be sleeping here tonight." And with that, every one left the room, not looking forward to the days to come. Each person fretting the what will happen when their turn comes.