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Artemis Crock was a lot of things. Stubborn, headstrong, mean in a hot way, caring and generous, all rolled into one blond bombshell. She cared a lot about the people around her and it was obvious in everything she did. The bigger ways were obvious. Only someone who cared would become a hero, but only those who loved the people around them would always be on time. As someone eternally late, it was Wally’s favorite habit of hers.
But Artemis was running late. By nearly an hour. For a mission briefing.
Wally had a bad feeling.
He could see his fear reflected on the faces of the rest of the Team as well. To others it might not look like much but Wally could see the tightness in Kaldur’s eyes, the tension in Conner’s shoulders, the nervous fidgeting in M’gann’s hands, the sound of furious typing from Dick and his gauntlet keyboard. Even with Batman, there was a strange stillness in his features.
The only reason that Wally wasn’t burning through the floor with anxiety was the fact that Barry was there, having taken a shift at their den mother for a few days while Red Tornado helped the Lanterns with an off-world mission. It also helped that it was only the seven of them, the rest of the Team already out on their missions for the day.
Barry rested a hand on Wally’s shoulder. “It’s fine, kiddo. Everyone is late sometimes.”
“I know.” Wally crossed his arms. “Something just feels weird. It’s Artemis. She would’ve texted me at least if she was running late.”
“Maybe she’s just late getting out of school.” M’gann said hesitantly.
Wally shot a glance at Dick, who just shook his head. “Gotham Academy got out on time.” He pressed a few buttons on his keyboard and brought up the zeta logs. “And she didn’t zeta anywhere.”
“Are we sure that she didn’t stop by her apartment?” Kaldur asked.
Dick shook his head. “Not unless she somehow managed to evade four different cameras while doing it.”
Conner frowned. “You have cameras on her apartment?”
“Hey, not my fault she lives across the street from one of the biggest banks in Gotham.” Dick said with a shrug. “I just work with what I’m given.”
“Quiet.” Batman said. “Robin, check Artemis’s tracker again.”
“Which one?” Dick asked. “All of her equipment ones are still offline from being in storage.”
“Check the boot tracker.” Batman said.
“Boot tracker?” Wally asked. “You have a tracker in her boots?”
“All of you have trackers in your boots. Except Kaldur, obviously.” Dick corrected. “Comes in handy usually. Except for right now. Her boot tracker is also offline, B.”
“That should be impossible.” Batman said.
“Not unless she wasn’t wearing it yet. She might still be in her school uniform.” Dick pointed out. “It would explain why her comm is down too.”
“Where is she then?” Wally said, fear creeping into his voice.
Dick shrugged with a worried expression. “I have no idea.”
Suddenly there was a loud beep and Artemis’s comm flared to life on the screen.
Batman went into action immediately. “Artemis, report.”
“Right family, wrong member.” A distinctly not-Artemis voice said.
A bolt of terror struck Wally and he swallowed hard. “Sportsmaster.”
“Ding ding ding.” The man drawled. “I have a little present for you guys. Think of it as a reminder that while Artemis is on the side of the angels for now, she hasn’t always been.”
There was a ding and Dick looked up from her wrist computer. “He sent a video.”
“Open it.” Batman commanded and Dick complied, pulling the video up on the big screen.
The video feed was staticy but clear enough that Wally could easily see the room it showed. In the far corner, there was a table with a first aid kit and a long, jagged knife. It looked sharp and gleaming even in the dim light of the video and it made Wally’s stomach clench.
Then there was Artemis. She was laid out on the ground of a small room, still in her school uniform. She looked pale. Wally’s chest tightened in fear. Artemis pushed herself up with a groan. She rubbed at her eyes before taking in the room for herself. Wally knew Artemis’s facial expressions like he knew the feeling of the wind whipping his face and for just a second, pure fear was etched onto Artemis’s face before being replaced with the more familiar rage.
“Seriously Dad?” She shouted. She pushed herself to stand, using the wall to help hold her up. “You kidnapped me? What am I, thirteen?”
“He kidnapped her at thirteen?” M’gann asked softly.
Sportsmaster’s voice erupted over the video feed. “You were in my custody so it didn’t count as kidnapping, baby girl.”
Artemis rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“It’s good to know you remember last time though.” Sportsmaster continued. “because all the regular rules apply.”
Artemis stiffened. “No way.”
“Sorry girlie.” Sportsmaster said. “You may have chosen to be a goody two shoes but I raised you to be better than that. I think you need to be reminded of that.”
“Too bad.” Artemis snarled. “You can’t make me.”
Sportsmaster tutted and Wally wanted nothing more than to reach through the screen and tear him to shreds. He cut a glance at Dick and Batman, both furiously typing. They wore twin expressions of concentration but Dick broke his expression up with a glance at Wally. Dick tried for a comforting nod but it fell short as he glanced back down. “However Sportsmaster is sending this, it's highly encrypted. We’re breaking through the firewalls to try and track her but it's taking time. All I can tell right now is that it’s a live feed, so if we can track it, we can track her.”
“Just find her.” Wally’s voice broke on the last word and Barry pulled him against his side. Wally hadn’t even realized he was shaking until he was pressed against his uncle’s side.
“I won’t!” Artemis shouted on screen. She was shaking too, either in fear or anger, as she paced around the small room. At some point her hair had fallen from it’s tight ponytail and was loose behind her, puffed out like a lion's mane.
“Those heroes of yours have spoiled you, Artemis.” Sportsmaster said. “Remember your roots, little girl and say the rules of our little game. Now.”
Artemis let out a shuddering breath and pressed her palms into her eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out again, much steadier than before. She lowered her hands. Her face was carefully blank. “One hour. I can use any weapons I can find. Any injuries I get, I deal with.” She took another deep breath. “It’s kill or be killed. The doors will only be unlocked when one of us is dead.”
There was a sharp inhale from everyone in the Cave but Sportsmaster’s voice cut through. “Good job. Time starts now.”
Part of the wall in the little room lifted and out sauntered a goon that Wally recognized as a League of Shadow member that worked closely with Sportsmaster. The man had a nasty grin and looked at Artemis like she was a piece of meat.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty little bird.” He cooed at her. “It’s a shame you’re about to die.”
Artemis didn’t bother with a response. She charged forward and landed a hard punch on the man before she darted to the side and snatched the knife off the table. Wally knew that she never used a knife when working with them but the way that she wielded it told of years of familiarity.
She folded into a fighting stance and let the goon charge at her. She flipped out of the way with a move that would make Black Canary proud. Using the handle of the knife, she knocked against the man’s temple, causing him to stumble backwards.
“Come on, come on.” Dick muttered. “We’re so close to figuring out where this video is being taken.”
There was a brief flare of hope in Wally’s chest. Maybe they would find her before anything could happen. Maybe they had a chance.
The hope was dashed to pieces by the sight of the goon finally getting a hand on Artemis. Artemis was fast but not fast enough to stop the man from grabbing her arm and using her own momentum to throw her against the wall.
Artemis hit the wall with a crack loud enough to be heard over the video feed. She slumped down motionless for just a moment, just long enough that Wally’s heart stopped in his chest, a scream choking him before she pushed herself to standing again. She was swaying on her feet but held her own and shot the goon a glare. “You’re going to need to try harder than that.”
“I can do that.” He swung hard and Artemis dodged but not quick enough again. He grabbed her wrist and tore the knife out of her hand.
“No.” Wally whispered. M’gann grabbed his shoulder and helped keep him steady.
There was desperation on Artemis’s face when she threw herself at him. The man wasn’t expecting it and fell to the floor with her on top of him. She pinned him down with her knee on his throat.
“I got it!” Dick surged up. He pulled the tracker up next to the video on the monitor. “They’re in Chicago!”
“I’m going!” Wally ran towards the zeta tube and was punching the code in when several screams echoed through the cave.
His head snapped up to the video. Artemis still had the man pinned but somehow the goon had pulled the knife back and plunged it deep into her thigh.
Wally screamed as Artemis tugged the knife out of her own body and plunged it into the man's throat. He gurgled on his own blood for half a second before his eyes went glassy.
Wally was good at moving. It’s what he did best. But in that moment he was frozen. Artemis whimpered in pain but kept moving, even as Wally just watched on in horror. Not at her, never at her but at the sight in general. She stood on unsteady legs and grabbed at the first aid kit. She held it against her chest and limped for the door that opened behind her.
“Always good to see you, Dad.” She groaned, disappearing from the room.
“Wally, go!” Dick shouted and Wally stumbled back into motion. He punched in the code and let the zeta take him away.
He emerged from the Chicago zeta and took off running. The coordinates that Dick sent him weren’t far and he got there quickly.
The building itself was just an empty warehouse on the far side of town and it took less than fifteen seconds for Wally to find out that the only thing in the building was the man’s dead body. He refused to look at it.
Wally paused and pressed his comm. “Rob, you gotta help me out. She’s not here anymore.”
“Whatever Sportsmaster did to her tracker is still active. I don’t have an updated reading for her location.” Robin said. There was the faint sound of clicking before he spoke again. “But that leg wound she got looked bad enough that it might leave a trail. Your infrared should be able to pick up on it.”
The mere idea of it was enough to make Wally whimper softly but he pulled his goggles down. The worst part of it was that Dick was right. There was the faintest of trails along the ground, still warm from Artemis’s body heat.
Wally followed the trail as fast as he could but the trail stopped and started sporadically, as if Artemis was stitching it up as she moved.
The trail ended with a sizable puddle at the start of an alleyway that looked like it would belong in Gotham. Huddled behind a pile of trash cans, was a heat signature that Wally would recognize in every reality.
Wally pushed his goggles up and turned his comm to mute before walking carefully down the alley. “Artemis.” He breathed when he finally caught sight of her.
Artemis’s head snapped up and Wally nearly melted into the ground in relief. She looked like a wreck, with blood splattered all across her body and her injured leg stretched out in front of her, no longer bleeding but the fact that she was there and still alive at all was enough for Wally.
“Hey.” He said softly and crept forward. He knelt down in front of her, reaching out to cradle her face in his hands. The look in her eyes was hazy and Wally was willing to bet good money that she had a concussion but in that moment, all Wally could do was press his forehead to hers. “You’re alright baby. I’ve got you.”
She let out a shuddering breath. “How did you find me?”
“Sportsmaster was essentially live streaming that whole thing to us.” Wally whispered. “Rob used the video feed to triangulate your location and I followed your heat signature from there.”
“By heat signature you mean blood trail.” Artemis sighed and turned her head to the side with a wince. “So the entire Team just watched me kill a man. Great. Can’t wait to get kicked out.”
“Kicked out?” Wally asked. He reached out and turned her face back to his. “No one is going to kick you out for this Artemis. Never. You did what you had to do. No one will be angry.”
She scoffed. “As if. There must have been a way to get out of that without killing him. I just panicked.”
“Artemis, I promise you that no one is angry.” Wally said softly. He pushed her hair out of her face. “And if any one is, they’ll have to go through me.”
“I don’t need you to protect me.”
“I know.” He said. “That’s why I’m offering.”
“God you’re a sap.” She said but she gave him a weak smile.
Wally smiled back. “I know. I’m a sap that’s just happy you’re alive.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m good at getting out of those.” Artemis said. “I’ve done it enough.”
As always, Wally’s mouth worked faster than his brain. “How many times has he made you do that?”
She shook her head and winced at the motion. “Please don’t make me say.”
“I won’t. I won’t.” Wally promised. “Let’s just get you home, alright? Get your leg and head looked at.”
“My leg is fine.” Artemis said.
Wally gave her a look that would make his aunt proud. “You stitched it up yourself up in an alleyway with supplies given to you by your deranged super villain father.”
Artemis grumbled something about her stitches being straight but Wally just ignored it in favor of picking her up in a bridal carry as gently as he could. She still gasped in pain and Wally whispered apologies into her hair.
“Okay we have two options.” Wally said, straightening up. “I can run us to the zeta and it will be nice and quick but it might jarr your leg or I can walk us back but it will take time.”
Artemis clenched her jaw. “Run. If my leg hurts at least I’ll stay awake.”
“Okay so you definitely have a concussion.” Wally concluded. “But fair enough I guess. Hold on.”
Artemis wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and gave a determined nod. Wally nodded back, took a deep breath and did what he did best. He ran.
*
Everyone was still in the cave when they got back, standing in a circle around the zeta with worried expressions. Artemis wiggled in Wally’s arms and Wally set her down as gently as he could but kept her arm around his shoulder to support her. She leaned into him gratefully.
“I’m fine.” Artemis said immediately.
“Liar.” Dick said.
“Shut it, Robin.” Artemis snapped.
“We’re just glad you’re back.” Kaldur said gently, resting a hand on Artemis’s shoulder.
Artemis gave him a weak smile. “I am too. It’s always annoying when he does that.”
“Has he done that often?” M’gann asked carefully.
Artemis grimaced. Wally squeezed her side in comfort. “Not as much as he used to.”
“Artemis.” Batman said, voice just slightly closer to Bruce Wayne than Batman. He spoke as if it was an option, instead of a command. “Report.”
Artemis took a deep breath and stood up slightly straighter. “Sportsmaster grabbed me as I was leaving school, about five blocks from Gotham Academy. He drugged me with something that made me pass out before transporting me to Chicago. From there,” Artemis’s voice faltered. “Well. You saw.”
“We did.” Barry said softly. “Are you okay?”
Artemis shrugged. “I mean, yeah. It sounds like it was more traumatizing for you than it was for me.”
“Really?” Conner asked. “You’re not upset at all about any of that?”
“Of course I am.” Artemis snapped. “You think I liked that? You think I like being forced to kill someone because my stupid dad wants to make a point? Get a fucking grip, Conner. All I’m saying is that I’ve done it before. You do it enough times and you get fucking used to it.”
“I didn’t mean-” Conner tried but Artemis spoke over him, her anger flaring higher than it had since she first joined the Team.
“I feel like you guys don’t fucking understand what it means to be raised by a supervillan. I’ve killed people before and today just proved that I’ll probably end up doing it again because my dad is insane! This isn’t even the worst thing he’s done. He used to make me and Jade fight daily until one of us was too injured to continue. He used to fight us himself! I know none of you want to think about it but I used to do a bunch of bad stuff because I have to! I can’t-'' Artemis worked herself up into a fever pitch and Wally couldn’t take it any longer.
“Hey hey hey,” Wally reached out and touched her shoulder. “It’s alright. We get it. No one is doubting how hard your life was or how much your dad mistreated you. We were just scared for you. That’s all.”
Artemis took another deep shaking breath that Wally recognized as her desperately trying to quell her anger. Artemis from before wouldn’t have even tried and Wally couldn’t help the swell of pride in his chest.
Her voice was much more even when she spoke. “Sorry. My dad just brings out the worst in me.”
“I can relate.” Conner said. “I’m sorry too.”
Artemis waved her hand in forgiveness. “Can I go to the medbay now? My head is killing me.”
Batman nodded and the group moved as a unit to the medbay, Wally still supporting Artemis as they walked. Once they got there, he helped set her up on one of the tables and let the adults do their jobs.
Wally watched her as closely as he could get away with as Batman and Barry looked her over. He was right, she had a pretty bad concussion, but the stitches on her leg were as neat and clean as the ones he had seen from any doctor. It was a good skill to have but knowing that Artemis had to practice that skill on herself made him sick to his stomach.
The strangest part was that Artemis did genuinely seem fine. Besides the outburst at Conner, she was behaving just the same as she always did when getting cleaned up after a mission-a little annoyed but overall alright. There were no outward signs of being upset at the situation, no unmanageable anger, no disassociation, nothing. Just Artemis, wincing as Batman shined a light in her eyes.
“The usual concussion protocol.” Batman said, clicking the light off. “I’ll let your mom know to wake you up every two hours, just to make sure.”
Artemis sighed. “My mom isn’t home for the next few days. She’s visiting her sister.”
“You can come spend the night at mine and Iris’s.” Barry offered immediately. “I’m here till Tornado gets back tomorrow, but Iris is well versed in taking care of injured heros. Besides, Wally’s stuff is already there for the weekend and I’m pretty sure if I tried to separate him from you, he’d explode.”
“Dude!”
Artemis glanced at Wally for just a second, laughter in her eyes. He sent her a sheepish smile and she looked back at Barry and gave a small nod.
Barry smiled at her. “Alright. Do you need anything from the Cave or your apartment?”
“Uhhh..” Artemis scrunched her nose in thought. “My toothbrush and a change of clothes I guess. I can just use the ones here.”
“I'll grab those!” M’gann offered and quickly flew off.
“You’re benched for the next week, minimum.” Batman said, ignoring the face Artemis pulled in response. “We can reevaluate after that and see how your leg is healing.”
Wally could see on her face that Artemis knew better than to argue with the Bat. “Fine.”
“Good.” Batman nodded. “With that, you are all off duty for the night. Rest up.”
“What about the mission we were supposed to go on?” Wally asked.
“Already under control.” Batman explained. “Zatanna, Rocket and Batgirl came back while you were retrieving Artemis and opted to cover your mission for the evening as well.”
“Remember to thank them when you get the chance.” Barry advised.
The Team chorused a yes and with a well placed Batglare, the others began to slowly leave the medbay, but not without giving Artemis a look or a hug. M’gann dropped the things that Artemis requested off and gave Artemis a long hug, and Wally watched her return gratefully.
“Ready to go?” He asked when it was just them left in the room.
“Never been more ready.” Artemis lowered herself off the examination table, waving Wally away when he reached out to try and help. “You’re being overprotective.”
Wally snapped his mouth shut against the knee-jerk snap that tried to bubble out of him. They had been dating a year and a half — Wally knew that snapping at Artemis wasn’t going to help anything. He sighed instead and ran his hand through his hair. “Can you blame me, Artemis? That was scary to see. Not because I think you did something wrong!” He quickly amended when he saw the expression on her face. “I just don't like seeing you hurt or scared because it reminds me that no matter how strong we are or how much training we get, we can still get hurt. You can still get hurt.”
Artemis reached out and took his hand. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Wally said. “Just.” He swallowed hard against the tears that were swelling out of him. He had spent so much of the past few hours pushing away his emotions so he could help Artemis and he just couldn’t hold them back any longer. “Can I just hug you?”
“Oh Wally.” She stepped towards him and pressed her hand against his cheek. “Always.”
Wally practically flung himself at her and let her hold him tight. His sobs rattled in his chest and she just ran her fingers through his hair.
“This might be another one of those things I say that sound better in my head, but I think after more than a year of dating you, I’ve got a pretty good sense of what goes on in your head but I just- ” Wally said, pressing his forehead against her collarbone. “I just want you to know that there’s nothing you can tell me or do that would make you stop loving you.”
“You don’t know that.” She said softly, her hand still moving slowly in his hair.
“I do, because I know that you, Artemis Liam Crock, are a good person who has been dealt a bad hand time and time again.” He said. “And you always come out on top and a better person than before.”
“There’s always time for me to turn away from the good side.” She countered quietly. “Maybe one day I’ll just snap and end up a villian, like Jade did.”
“By the rules of probability, that is a possibility but it's a really low one, if you ask me.” Wally said. “I know me saying this once will not make it stick and I don’t expect it to but I guess what I’m saying is that I’ll always be here to remind you. You are a good person and I’ll say it however many times I need to until you believe it.”
Artemis pulled back from the embrace and for just a moment, Wally was scared that she would leave, his love finally too much for her but instead she just looked at him with bright tears in her steel eyes.
“I love you, Wally.” She said thickly. “I love you so much.”
Wally wiped away a tear of his own. “I love you too, ‘Mis. More than anything.”
Artemis kissed him, soft, slow and full of tears.
He kissed her back and marveled at the fact that he could. The thought made him smile so hard that he broke the kiss.
He just chuckled. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed. If anyone deserves it, it’s you.”
She laughed and it felt like the sun was rising after a long night.