Hit or Miss

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or Young Justice: Invasion.

A/N: Well, here's the sequel to Aim and Accuracy! I'm posting it a lot earlier than I expected to, but I'm obsessed right now with Young Justice after the latest episode, 'Depths'. It completely reinvigorated my spirit for this story. I also have to admit that Nightwing is just about my favourite hero of all time and while I'm nervous to write him, I'm also really looking forward to it.

As far as this story goes, you probably will need to know some of the events that took place in Aim and Accuracy to completely appreciate but I suppose it's not necessary if you want to just dive in. Timeframe wise, you'll have to bear with me, but I promise to incorporate some of season two as this progresses, perhaps sooner or perhaps later. Whether you guys like or not, well, I'm willing to deal with a few misses because I'm so excited for what's in store. Cheers!

Artemis glared down at the practice problem, a scowl marring her bruised and still slightly swollen lower face. Wayne had apologised to her as profusely as he knew how but that hadn't taken the ache away from her nearly shattered jaw…though the kiss Dick and she had shared in the Watchtower's medbay might have done a little to alleviate the pain.

They'd broken apart but only slightly, both breathless, as he'd held her face near his, their foreheads touching. For a second more, the two had just stared at each other before he calmly and quietly informed her that he was 'going to pass out now'.

Then he had and Artemis had grinned, tucked back an errant lock of his messy black hair and made sure he was as stable as was possible while the Watchtower was still in shambles. After that, she'd gone to help the others. M'gann must have noticed the stupid look on her face though, because the older girl raised a knowing brow and had mentally commented, Looks like someone was having an inappropriately good time.

Artemis, helping a dazed Wonder Woman to her feet, had turned to her Martian friend and smirked. And it's not even New Year's.

She sighed, remembering the night, and resumed waging a silent war against the taunting equation. It was now the first day of school following their Thanksgiving break, which Artemis had spent in agonising discomfort with her mother, Oliver, and a very uptight Dinah in Star City. Not usually a big holiday in the Crock household, Dinah had gone all out and the turkey had been a golden-brown thing of sizzling, mouth-watering beauty. All the food had been amazing in fact, like something out of a cooking show, but the tension among the three adults had been palpable.

Goose, who after that night on the Watchtower no one had seen much of, had been noticeably absent from the table, which hadn't helped the situation any. Artemis hoped he was alright. He had been an ass to her but she felt like they had finally been reaching a better place before he'd taken off.

She didn't know for sure what had been up throughout the meal, but the way that Dinah seemed to dance on eggshells around her mother, and the awkward way that Oliver and her mom had refused to really look at each other, plus the extra polite way they addressed one another, led her to some very interesting theories.

She didn't have the heart to rib her mom about it when they'd gotten back to Gotham, but she knew from the comfortable way Oliver and she normally spoke and the lingering looks her mom sometimes gave him- not to mention the change that had come over both of them after that one night he'd slept over and must have carried her up to her bed- that something a little less innocent than her begged off excuse of 'indigestion' was in the making.

While some kids might have been revolted at the idea, Artemis was personally thrilled. Her mother hadn't dated anyone since the accident or her divorce, and she deserved to be happy. In Artemis's estimation, Oliver was a prime candidate in this department. And it's not like G.I. Barbie-Canary was really all that fun these days anyway.

"Careful, you stare any harder and that paper might burst into flames."

Artemis whirled around and couldn't help the goofy looking smile that spread across her face and caused her jaw to ache once more in protest.

"I guess you're right," she called, watching Dick pick up the problem set from Mr. Rebmun's desk, drop off his office pass and then settle into his normal seat beside her, her heart feeling lighter than it had in… well, since their kiss actually. "Conner would start to get jealous."

Dick pulled out his textbook and leaned over to her, ostensibly to check what page they were on, but as he did, he whispered, "I think Supes and Conner have actually reached a good place. I'm sure he'd let a little laser vision slide." He leaned back and opened his textbook, but before attacking the math with his usual gusto, glanced at her and gave what Artemis would almost qualify as a shy smile.

The corners of his lips were still grinning when he turned his eyes back to his paper and began factoring. Without looking at her, he seemed to sense she was still watching him and asked, "So how was your break?"

Completely ignoring the problem she'd been stuck on the last ten minutes- Dick would help her with it anyway when he got to it on his own- she propped her elbow on the desk and leaned her head on her hand, not even pretending to not watch him now. "Interesting," she answered vaguely, enjoying the way he was forced to look up from his work and try to read her face. "How was yours?" She wanted to add that it felt like it'd been forever since they'd last seen each other, but she didn't want to sound like one of those girls- plus, this was Dick.

He hesitated a moment then replied carefully, "Once Alfred finally insisted that Bruce stay out of the kitchen, all the food came out completely traught."

"But…?"

"You know how Wally and his uncle are close with Bruce and me?" She nodded. "Well, they came over for our Thanksgiving."

"So? I mean, unless that meant that Bruce and you spent the entire meal warring with them to get enough to eat. Did it turn into a Massacre of the Little Drumstick or was it more of a long, drawn out campaign like a Battle of the Bulging Belts?"

He snorted. "No, they'd just come from their Thanksgiving lunch and Wally's uncle told us that his wife was making them dinner as they ate with us."

Artemis laughed, imagining the speedsters tucking into three giant turkeys and still not being satisfied. But then she saw that Dick wasn't smiling back anymore and asked, "Well what then?" He didn't respond immediately and a sinking feeling came over her. "Wait, don't tell me. Did Wally somehow find out?"

Dick sighed wearily. "I'm not sure, but he was definitely weird around me. Weirder than he's ever been."

Mr. Rebmun came up to them at that moment and looked over Dick's progress. "Very nice to see you back, Mr. Grayson. When we didn't see you this morning, I'd feared you'd come down with that terrible virus," he paused and then added somewhat dryly, "again."

Dick gave an apologetic grin. "I think I've finally approached the limit of the number of days I can be out as my antibody count approaches infinity. What do you think, sir?"

Mr. Rebmun chuckled. "It's good to see you used the week off to get another year ahead of my class. I hope you don't become ill again or I may have nothing left to teach you."

"Thank you, sir," Dick beamed. "Truthfully I just had to give the office my doctor's note. There was a line in there and it took a while."

As Mr. Rebmun shuffled off to Edward's raised hand waving around like it'd been stung, Artemis whispered, "And how is Dr. Thompkins?"

Dick smirked, "She wasn't pleased with Bruce's internal bleeding after his...fortunate fall, but otherwise she's good." He nodded, as though picturing the gruff woman. "She threatened to tie me to a bed the next time I'm injured when she found out about the shot. Oh, and she says hi by the way."

Artemis pretended to look over the hopeless problem once more before she glanced at him and said off-handedly "The bed-tying thing has some merit."

Dick blushed, his face flushing the colour of his Robin costume.

She ducked her head, immediately worried that she'd embarrassed him but then she heard Dick mutter sheepishly, "May-haps."

When the bell rang and the other students launched out of their seats like bazookas toward the door, Dick used the scramble as a pretext to bump into her, and his hand brushed fleetingly against her own, his fingers squeezing her palm for the briefest of instances as his eyes remained locked ahead of them.

After school, Barbara, Dick, and Artemis piled into Wayne's limo and Alfred took them back to the Manor where Barbara and she had a training session scheduled.

"You and Dick sure looked…close today," Barbara lightly commented, a little too lightly, breaking the silence that had fallen heavily between them as soon as Dick had gone up to his room to change out of his Gotham Academy uniform.

Artemis finished lacing her tennis shoes and pulled a hunter green t-shirt over her sports bra. "We are close," she supplied at length.

Barbara pursed her lips. She looked every bit the part of the gymnast she was in her form fitting yellow and black tank and black tights, her muscles strong and lean and her posture graceful as a swan even as she bent down to lace her own shoes. But the frown that marred her face was reminding Artemis of the last time she'd seen their burgeoning bat-girl in that same outfit and the anger that had been directed at her then. Unlike before however, Red bit back the tirade seemingly on the tip of her tongue and gave Artemis a tight smile and forced nod before proceeding out of the small changing room in the Batcave.

Artemis watched her go, guilt beginning to weight on her at the feelings she was nursing for their wonder boy but unable to shut them down for the sake of her new friend. Although, it wasn't as if Dick and she had sat down and actually had a conversation about what might be developing between them. And while she hoped that Dick felt the same, she knew that the history he had with Red was not something that could easily be swept under the rug with a simple kiss and a squeeze of the hand.

Dick joined them as they began stretching on the mat, but when it came time for them to start warming up, Alfred gently but firmly reminded Dick to sit out. He was still recovering from his Halloween injury and the relapse he'd had last week on the Watchtower, and any strenuous activity was likely to put him out again.

Dick groaned but heeded Alfred's orders and went to sit in front of the Cave's enormous computer. Artemis's eyes followed him as he swivelled the sleek black chair a few times before browsing some of the old villain files.

"Shall we begin?" Alfred asked them cheerily, rubbing his hands together in a way that had Artemis thinking they might have actually been safer with Wayne. "As you are aware, Master Bruce is away on WayneCorps business, but he requested that we proceed with this lesson as he feels Miss Gordon's immediate training is of paramount importance."

He had them jog a few laps around the cavernous training area before settling into some basic combat drills. Artemis had never been instructed specifically by Alfred before, even though he'd supervised her occasionally on simulations. She wasn't surprised when they found out that Alfred had a military history in the RAF as a medic.

Blocking Barbara's fists, Artemis called out to the unflappable butler, "So Alfie…oomph! okay, not cool Red… do you and Dr. Thompkins ever talk more than shop while she's here? Sounds like you two…ha! See? That's why you don't jab on that side!... you have a lot in common."

Alfred raised a brow, his expression giving away nothing as she glanced his way. "I do seem to recall Miss Thompkins letting me know how happy she was to see you smiling and getting on so famously with Master Grayson."

Only partially mocking betrayal, Artemis turned to regard Alfred and Barbara used to opening to lay her flat on the mat, the wind knocked cleanly from her lungs.

"Ugh…" Artemis moaned. Barbara gave a tight-lipped grin that got nowhere close to her eyes and offered her a hand up. "You know you're getting payback for that later Alfie."

Alfred's eyes sparkled as he gave a nod and replied, "Indubitably."

"You know who's really getting on famously- emphasis on the famous and the getting around?" Dick shouted from over at the computer, interrupting them all as he clicked on an image, enlarging it so it filled the massive screen.

Barbara, Artemis, and Alfred joined Dick to stare up in various states of disbelief and amusement at the image of Bruce Wayne- cutting an extremely dashing figure in his expensive tailor-made tuxedo- dancing a waltz with a tall, stunningly gorgeous woman with hair the same raven shade as the playboy billionaire's and a regal face that seemed etched from diamond by the… Gods.

"He's dancing with Wonder Woman!" Artemis practically squealed.

"But he's in Paris right now…what's she even doing there?" Dick wondered aloud, a confused wrinkle forming between his brows.

"Maybe she just wanted a vacation and they accidentally ran into each other…" Barbara murmured, a slow smile beginning to melt the frown she'd been carrying since she'd met with them at lunch earlier in the day. "In Paris! How romantic…" she sighed.

Dick stuck his tongue out at her sappy tone but all their conflict forgotten, Artemis smiled at Barbara and grabbed her hands, spinning the redhead around in excited circles before they began to jump a little in their glee.

"There was this one time-" Artemis confided in her enthusiasm.

"Yes?" Barbara prompted eagerly as they continued bouncing, watching as Dick found a news program's segment on the couple and played it.

"Wonder Woman told me that getting Batman's approval was no easy thing. And the way she said it sort of had me thinking that maybe they liked each other or that she liked him or something!"

"It sure looks that way! I've never seen Mr. Wayne smile like that before…" They watched the segment play out with Wayne's smile indeed looking genuine, in a way that Artemis found completely novel. As for the Amazonian Princess, well, she was always beautiful, but the way she was practically glowing in his arms- her midnight gown floating and swirling as they spun around an elegant ballroom complete with crystal chandeliers and golden candelabras, made her almost ethereal.

Dick swivelled his chair and eyed Alfred suspiciously. "Did you know about this?"

Alfred, who had still been watching the newsfeed, rubbed his chin in contemplation before responding, "I believe Master Wayne may have spoken of the Princess once or twice with a hint of affection."

"Are we talking Selina affection or Talia affection, because…"

Whatever Dick had been about to say was disappointingly cut off by the police band flaring to life. Artemis had learned that the Commissioner was friends with Batman, even though he was unaware of his secret identity as Bruce Wayne, and had made an emergency channel open for just the two of them to communicate.

"It's the Bat-signal!" Dick cried, looking almost relieved that something had interrupted his earlier line of questioning.

"Shh...!" Barbara hushed, craning her head and trying to make out what her father was saying. Alfred saved the day by finding the volume knob and raising it up a few decibels.

"…situation was called in two minutes ago. Again, the witnesses described the cinema as locked down, completely inaccessible. They heard screams and the ticket boy who managed to escape reported seeing a man enter theatre six with what looked to be a scarecrow mask. Do you copy, Batman?"

Artemis had sucked in a breath at the mention of Jonathan, but when Dick shot her a concerned look, she quickly released it and forced herself to calm.

Dick pressed down on the transmission button and lowered his voice slightly as he said, "We copy, Commissioner. This is Robin. We need an address, over?"

"Silverscreen Cinemas on Lakeside Ave. Just got report of a yellow vapour coming from the building. I would suggest all haste and precautions, over?"

Dick's jaw tightened as he must have realised their predicament- no Batman, Red nowhere near ready, himself out of service for the moment, and the team scattered about their private lives.

"Over." He let his finger off the transmission button, effectively ending the conversation and rounded on Artemis. She thought he'd try to talk her out of going before she could even plead her case but he surprised her.

"Use the rebreather mask going in, even if you don't see anything. I'll have the team there as soon as I can but even KF might take a while."

Artemis watched his eyes as a storm thundered through them to be replaced, as in the eye of a tornado, by the calm tranquillity that his presence always brought her when she was scared or anxious.

After an eternity, he finally said, his voice so low and his face so earnest that she thought she caught Barbara and Alfred looking away, "As you know, I'm not equipped to handle something happening to you, so don't let it." He let out a shaky sigh, dropping his gaze. When he looked up again, a little of the usual humour was back in his eyes. "Also, if it's too much, wait for backup or just get out of there. And remember, it's okay to leave Crane to die."

Knowing he was only partially joking- the hatred all of them felt for Jonathan after what he'd done, both to Barbara and to her was still extremely fresh- Artemis bit her lip and nodded. Dick reached out and pulled Artemis down into his arms for a brief hug. He squeezed her tightly, and as they pulled away, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "You got this," he told her, his gaze unwavering.

Barbara spun Artemis around to face her and she was immediately encompassed by a sea of red hair as the younger girl gave her a quick hug and whispered in her ear, "Give him my regards."

Artemis grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

"Come my dear," Alfred said, leading her away from Dick and Barbara and towards the runway chute that led toward the secret waterfall where Artemis had first entered the cave. She remembered the state she'd been in that morning and the cause of it all.

He showed her to a black Kawasaki, parked neatly beside another bike with the familiar bat-insignia and the actual Batmobile. As she ran her fingers admiringly over the highly buffed surface and acquainted herself with its controls, very much like her own League-issued bike back in the Mountain, Alfred cleared his throat. "Do try not to die," he told her.

Artemis grinned at the upright butler. "Do I detect a hint of stiff upperlippedness, and…what's this," she made a show of sniffing around his always-freshly-pressed suit, "Could that possibly be some concern as well, a spot of emotionality acridly wafting about?"

Alfred rolled his eyes at her but the grin around his mouth gave him away. He leaned down and gave her a warm hug. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a wink. "Now hurry along and suit up before that monstrous abomination to the human race hurts anymore people."

"You got it, Jeeves." She was about to run to the changing room and don her costume, probably put it on stealth-mode because she was dealing with Gotham, and Gotham required black, when Alfred put a hand on her shoulder, halting her.

He dangled a strip of fabric before her. It was shaped in the form of a bat. "I took the liberty of sewing one of these onto the uniform you kept with us. I hope you won't mind."

Artemis had to swallow the lump of emotion that had caught in her throat. "I love it," she told him.

As he supersped past the shoreline and across the river, Gotham's skyline looming before him, Wally again tried to imagine what had possessed his friend to allow Artemis to go to the crime scene alone. He hadn't stopped running since receiving Rob's call, but it had still taken him over an hour to make the trek from Central City. He wished he could match his Uncle Barry's speed, but he just wasn't there yet. He wondered if he'd ever be as he sped through the darkening streets, newspapers blowing in his wake like confetti.

The rest of the team were taking M'Gann's bioship from Mount Justice, so he hoped they'd been able to arrive before him. He knew his best bud was probably going insane at the moment, not being able to help. He pictured Rob clinging to his bike as Alfred, always cool as a cucumber- Mmm…cucumbers- calmly pried him off with a crossbar and insisted very Britishly that he head back to bed for a spot of tea and some scones, and maybe a few caramel biscuits and some p.b.&j's.

Okay, Wally admitted to himself that he was starting to get hungry. He began to slow down, already nearing the theatre, and popped open his food cache, withdrawing the energy gummies he stored there and devouring them.

He felt considerably better as he came to a halt, took a moment to let the speed energy settle around him, and then surveyed the scene for any sign of the bioship or his friends.

He saw neither. The theatre before him was kind of run-down looking. The neon 'l' in 'Silverscreen Cinemas' was faintly flickering as the other letters hummed to life. The pathetically small lawn in front of the upcoming posters was devastatingly overgrown and beginning to brown dully because the winds of winter were coming, though very slowly it seemed. He saw no movement in or around the building and the lights in the lobby were off.

He hoped it wasn't a horror movie…

Wally? Are you here? M'gann's sweet voice echoed in his head, startling him so bad he vibrated for a moment and felt a little of the gummy energy goo being to come back up.

Glad no one had been around to see, Wally thought back, Yea, where are you guys?

Inside, she began, but before she had even finished her sentence, Wally had dashed into the theatre and zoomed through screens one through seven, doubling back to six when he realised he'd passed them. "But there's no one here," Wally finished for her aloud, surveying the empty chairs, some of which were broken and chipped showing obvious signs of a struggle, the small puddle of blood on the stairs that Wolf was sniffing at, and the worried faces of his teammates. He slowly, far more slowly than a speedster was normally capable of, walked up to the front of the theatre to inspect an arrow that was halfway through the screen.

When he pried it out, he saw that it was a normal barbed arrow, the type that was good for penetrating flesh and muscle- the type that was lethal. Artemis hadn't held her punches with this guy. She's been fighting for her life.

And Wally had been too slow to save her. Again.

He felt the panic and despair he'd encountered in their failed simulation ripple inside him like a tide, coming closer and closer to carrying him out to sea.

He felt the hope that had sparked inside him as they kissed on the Watchtower die like he'd heard M'gann and Artemis's conversation that night all over again-

[Artemis emerging from the hallway that he'd assumed led off to the medbay looking tired but ecstatic in a way that she'd not before she'd left with Conner and Rob. Looks like someone was having an inappropriately good time, M'gann had teased, catching the glow about their archer.

Artemis, her hair beginning to come out of her ponytail and curl around her face in a way that Wally thought made her even prettier, had regaled Miss Martian with the brightest smile he'd ever seen her share. And it's not even New Year's.]

They of course had no idea that he'd focused in, M'gann's telepathic connection fading but not yet having receded out of their minds entirely. In that instant on the Watchtower, he'd wanted to hit something. Even if that something happened to be his best friend, currently out cold on a hospital bed. And then he'd wanted to hit himself for being so jealous, so not himself.

Now this, before they'd had a chance to sort anything out. Before he'd had a chance to tell her that he was ready now when he hadn't been before. It was cruel.

He felt Kaldur's hand on his shoulder. The Atlantean was telling him something, maybe he said they'd find her, or that it was too soon to know.

But Wally knew. He felt it in the eerie quiet all around them and the fear bristling the hairs on the back of his neck.

She was gone.