AN: Here it is, the last chapter I had pre-written. From now on, updates may take a little (or a lot) longer, but remember if you ever get tired of waiting, just send me a pm, and I'll try harder to get the chapter out sooner! Thank you Irenerb, Player Zero, and The Guest Girl for your kind reviews! And don't worry GG, Rob and Art will make appearances in the next chapters ;)
Chapter 7~ Get Out Alive
He was going to have to leave her behind.
The idea transformed the speedster's heart into lead.
"I'm out of patience," Count announced.
Kid Flash closed his eyes, running plan after plan through his mind. He didn't want to leave his teammate, but he knew that in his current condition, there was no way he could manage to get both himself and Artemis out. But alone, he could escape, find the League, then come back and save Artemis. Now if only he could get out alive.
"Ok. I surrender." Wally announced. He came around the corner, holding his hands on top of his head. Slowly, he started to advance towards the two villains.
Fourteen steps away, thirteen… twelve… Wally counted down in his head, …eleven… ten! The speedster shot forward.
Grodd started to raise the massive gun he was toting, but Wally dropped into a slide, grabbing the weapon's muzzle before the oversized monkey could squeeze the trigger. He slid between the beast's legs, bringing the firearm with him, causing the gorilla to flip over onto its back.
Wally sprung to his feet as he heard gorilla hit the floor with a thud that shook the ground. The speedster took off, turning left before Count Vertigo could catch him in his vertigo wave. Wally ran down one last hallway before encountering a large set of double doors. Praying that they didn't lead to another one of Poison Ivy's gardens from hell, the speedster shoved them open.
It was dark, but the frigid air and the strangely sweet smell of decaying leaves told the hero that he was out of the building, entering the swamp that surrounded it. Wally let out a sigh and a triumphant laugh. He could make out the tree line only a hundred yards away. Just as Wally took off, the deafening sound of gunfire split the air.
The speedster stumbled forward, rolling a few times before he sprung back to his feet. He took off, his eyes fixed on the forest ahead. Wally could hear the bullets as he ran. They were close; whistling past his head, slamming into the mud and water that surrounded him.
"You idiot! Stop shooting!" Count Vertigo snapped at Grodd. The ape lowered his weapon with a grunt.
"Did you forget, we need the speedster alive for the next part of our plan to fall into place." The Count snarled.
The gorilla growled, but holstered his firearm. He let out a roar into the night.
Wally heard the gorilla's cry, but it was far away, merely a faded echo of defeat.
Wally laughed in relief as he sped through the forest. He let out a whoop of joy, pumping his left fist into the air. A searing pain struck his shoulder, causing the speedster to gasp aloud. Wally stumbled to a halt, bracing himself against a tree.
"What was…?" He lifted his right hand, reaching over to touch the back of his left shoulder. There was a sharp jab of pain where his fingers brushed the skin, causing the speedster's knees to buckle. Wally pulled his hand away, noticing that his fingers were covered in a warm liquid.
Blood? Kid Flash thought, confused. He thought back to when the first gunshots had gone off, when he stumbled. One of the first bullets must've struck him.
Wally shivered. The movement triggered a wave of pain that surged through the speedster's body. He clenched his jaw, waiting for the pain to ebb. The numbing agent from Poison Ivy's garden plus the adrenaline from the fight were beginning to wear off.
I just have to make it to the next town, get some help, Wally thought. But the nearest city could be ten or a hundred miles away. He realized grimly.
Just keep going. You escaped, now you just have to put off dying for a little while longer. The hero gritted his teeth, forcing himself forward.
He walked in a zigzag pattern, using the trees for support. His pace was agonizingly slow. The cold made the hero to shiver, pain radiating throughout his body. It felt like there was a knife lodged in his shoulder, and every time he moved, the blade felt like it was twisting further into his flesh. Wally couldn't see; the loss of his sight was either from the darkness of the night or the blood loss causing his vision to go fuzzy. Wally reached forward blindly for another tree, but all his fingers touched was air. He stumbled forward, collapsing onto the ground. The earth beneath him was unusually flat and hard-packed. And it was rumbling.
Wally heard a familiar sound, a dull roar, but his befuddled mind couldn't place it. He turned his head to the side. White light pierced the hero's eyes, causing him to wince.
This can't be it… can't be… Wally thought, defeated. The light was growing larger.
Or was it just getting closer? And why were there two?
Wally heard a screech, a slam, and footsteps approach him.
"Kid? Hey, Kid!" Wally felt a hand roll him over. He squinted up, trying to force his vision into focus. He could make out the blurry face of a man, with dark hair and big, square glasses.
"C'mon, lets get you some help." Kid Flash felt one arm slide under the crook of his knees while the other arm supported his back. Claws of pain tore into Wally's shoulder as he was lifted up, but the speedster was in no shape to protest. There was a creak as a door opened, and the hero was gently lowered onto something soft and dusty. He then heard a soft beep, and the man started talking.
"I found him, tell his uncle as soon as you can… yeah, pretty bad shape, but breathing. Get a med team assembled at the Watchtower."
There was a rumble the engine of the truck roared to life. The man got into the drivers seat, turning back to face the battered hero.
"Just hold on Wally, hold on…"
