The Talon 9

Wally runs off towards the red room as Artemis glances through the window once again.

"Nothing. Damn. If he gets out...I am so screwed."

She turns back and listens but the only sound is the distant hum of the air conditioner. Leaning against the cold metal door Artemis slides to the ground.

*bang bang bang*

Artemis jumps up and spins in the air looking through the window seeing the Talon's face smiling right at her. His eyes seemed to be looking at her soul and filling it with ice. The first door glides open but not without metal scrapping. The screech causes her to place her hands over her ears. The second door screeches open as well as the Talon knocks on the only resistance between keeping the Team and world safe and the one thing that could destroy the world.

"Artemis Lian Crock, offspring of Lawrence "Crusher" Crock and Paula Nguyen aka Huntress. Look me in the eye and tell me you aren't scared."

"No, I won't. I won't let you deceive me. I won't fall into the past."

"You were destined to join and kill. You were trained to kill."

"Shut up. I won't. I won't be like my family. The Team is my family now."

*click*

The door screeches open slowly inwardly as the Talon slowly walks out and looks up into Artemis with a cold calculating gaze.

"You were trained well. Even you can't deny that."

Artemis opens her mouth to speak but her voice catches in her throat.

'I can't scream for help. Why didn't I earlier while he was still a ways away?'

"Shh. I don't want your teammates coming and finding us. Come with me and you will be welcomed with open arms in the Court."

"Quiet." Her voice manages to crack out.

"Ah ah ah. I might be a little crazy but even I can tell you are fighting yourself."

"Wally." Artemis squeaks out.

The Talon grabs her arm and pulls her through the ball farther away from where Wally ran. For a little Artemis doesn't fight back until everything catches up with her. She grabs his wrist and stops using his momentum to spin him back toward the cell.

"WALLY!"

The Talon tries to remove Artemis's hand from his wrist but her adrenaline causes her grip to only tighten. She throws him down the hall way and walks toward him as he stands up. Wally comes speeding in the hallway toward her with a frown plastered on his face. The Talon looks between the archer and speedster. As Wally gets closer Artemis notices the Talon's stance and moves toward him watching as Wally barrels last her glancing her shoulder. He flies past her and into the rock wall. But she can only focus and grabbing the Talon in his second of hesitation. She grabs his wrist, leans her back against the wall and throws him around into the wall then into the cell. She runs in and slams the door shut. She locks it tightly then runs toward the second and closing it. Locking it she runs to the third and slides it shut. The rest of the Team comes running in as Artemis tells Conner to hold the door. Artemis runs to Wally and lifts him out of the little rubble from the wall. He looks up at her and smiles his bright smile flashing his emerald green eyes into her dark blue stormy orbs.

"You did it, Blondie. I knew you could."

He closes his eyes as he slumps into Artemis's shoulder. Kaldur walks over to them as Artemis checks Wally's pulse.

"He'll be fine. He just ran into a wall at top speed."

"Not really." He weakly whispers.

"Shut up, Baywatch."

"Love you too, Babe."

"Wally!"

He just jostles with a breathy laugh. Slowly he slides off her shoulder and leans against the dent in the wall. He closes his shining eyes as Artemis stands leaving him to check on the Talon.

"I was lucky he was still weak. Otherwise I think he would have easily overtaken me."

"In a sense I guess you were lucky. You're stronger than you think."

The Team looks through the tiny glass window into the room to see Dick standing with his face filling the window three doors away. He smiles his bright white smile and looks directly at Artemis. She looks away knowing that he could easily spill everything about her past. He must have an ulterior motive for not saying it. She leaves the Team heading toward the red room and the hallway toward her room there in the Cave. The Team leaves her be noticing the microscopic shake in her hands. Wally opens his eyes watching as her hair sways back and forth getting farther away with every step. Kaldur helps him up as the take a turn down a different hallway toward the med bay.

-later that day-

Wally walks through the wall toward Artemis's room. He knocks lightly on her door and waits a full minute. Which is like an hour for the speedster. He knocks again on her door before he hears a muffled voice.

"Artemis. It's me, Wally."

"Go away, Wally."

"I'm not leaving."

"Please? Wally? Just go?"

"No. I'm coming in whether you want me to or not."

He hears shuffling feet and the click of a manual lock before the door slides open an inch. Wally nudges it open and walks in before closing it and locking it behind him. Looking at Artemis he automatically is locked in her eyes. Her beautiful, red, puffy, stormy eyes.

"Artemis, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Wally." She says while wiping her eyes.

"Obviously it's something."

"What do you want?"

"Well, with how hectic our lives have been the past two months I almost forgot about the Holidays."

"No, Wally."

"Yes, Artemis."

Wally reaches into his front pocket and pulls out a wrapped box. He tenderly hands her the box. She looks at him before pulling the little ribbon, pulling off the beautifully tied bow. She tenderly rips the paper off the box and cracks it open.

"Merry Christmas, Artemis."

A/N: Muahahaha. I'm evil. Yeah I really didn't know what I wanted Wally to give Artemis so I've left it up to you. Well, I wanted to make this a Christmas miracle of me updating and my mom and I are still up so I figured why not. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas or whatever they celebrate. Sorry if I sound rude, I'm just really dumb when it comes to religion. And I'm watching the Mythbusters Megamarathon.

-Leo