A/N: Once again, I seem to have dropped off the face of the planet with my fanfiction. With all of my writing, actually. But, I'm back! Sort of... anyways, this chapter has been sitting unfinished in my computer for months, so I finished it. It's probably terrible, but it's something.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him."

His bow was drawn; the arrow was on the string, pulled taught, quivering with anticipation. It would be so easy. This was what it meant to be a Shadow; he had to do this.

"Kill him now," Cheshire snarled, and Roy's grip on his bow tightened as his eyes locked with the pitiful, fearful eyes of his victim. The decision was made for him. He moved his arm ever so slightly and released. The arrow buried itself with a dull thunk into the wood of the wall next to the man's head.

Roy turned to glare at Cheshire. "I told you when I signed on that I didn't want any part of this. Stealing, fine. Espionage, no problem. But I am not an assassin."

"You're a coward." Deftly she reached over his shoulder, slid an arrow from his quiver, and with one smooth motion launched it like a javelin into the man's chest. Shock showed on his face; there was a choked-off cry of pain, desperate gasping for breath—then nothing. Roy's glare hardened.

Suddenly he was pinned against the wall, her strong hands gripping his wrists as she pressed her body against him. Roughly she forced her lips onto his in a kiss; he closed his eyes, moaning blissfully— and, much too soon, felt her pull away. She let go of his wrists, and his hands fell to his sides.

"I—I'm sorry," she said, stepping back ever so slightly.

"You shouldn't be," he said, trying to pull her back, but she put a firm hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Not for that," she said. "For this."

There was a shck of ringing metal, and pain, sharp, fiery pain exploded in his stomach. He cried out and collapsed to his knees, hands grasping at his side, from which blood flowed like water. Cheshire stood over him, wiping his blood from her knife. "Tonight was your test. You failed. And the Shadows don't tolerate failure." Through the haze of pain he thought he could hear regret in her voice. Like he could cope with this better if he could think she was only following orders. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached out for her, hand grasping at empty air; he could just see her…

And she was gone, leaving him alone in the dark warehouse, lying in a pool of his own blood.

It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. With every breath he felt like he was being stabbed again, and again, and again. Black fog swirled around the edges of his thoughts, threatening to engulf him; he fought to stay conscious. Gasping in pain, he fumbled clumsily for his cell phone, his hands about as useful as oven mitts; finally, he found it and managed to flip it open. The dark shadows swirled around in dizzying psychedelic patterns, making it impossible for him to see the phone in his hand, and every single breath made him feel as though his stomach was being ripped open from the inside. Barely conscious now, his fingers robotically carried out the last command that had been sent from his brain—he selected the first number he had on speed dial and pressed send.

And then he blacked out.

Artemis was jolted out of her sleep as the cell phone on her nightstand vibrated loudly, rattling obnoxiously against the wood.

Groaning tiredly, she fumbled for it and looked at the screen, squinting as the harsh light glared in her eyes. It took her a moment to make sense of the name on the screen. "Roy Harper…" she muttered, then clarity flooded her brain, and she gasped. Frantically she flipped the phone open and pressed it hard to her ear, exclaiming, "Roy! You idiot, I hope you're calling to explain yourself. Tell me last night was a bluff, tell me you're a double agent, tell me anything, just—" she stopped mid-thought, realizing suddenly that something was wrong. "Roy? A-are you there?"

No answer.

Disappointed, she let her hand fall to her side, dropping the phone. "He must have pocket-dialed me by accident," she said to the empty room. "It's nothing." Disappointment gnawed at her insides, mixed with a tiny flare of pleasure at the thought that her number, at least, was still in his phone. He hadn't betrayed her—them—completely…

I need to talk to him, she realized. But I don't know how to find him. I could start by looking for the Shadows… no, that's a bad idea. Besides, we've got no leads on them. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. She looked down, staring at the phone that was still open on her bed, the screen glowing. The call was still open. "That's weird," she muttered. "I wonder if I could…" she grabbed the phone and scrambled out of bed, hurrying down the hall to Robin's room with the phone clutched in her hand like a lifeline. She kept checking the screen every few seconds to make sure Roy hadn't hung up. If he noticed it and hung up before she could trace the call, she'd lose her chance, maybe forever.

"Robin!" she half-yelled, bursting through his door and dragging him out of bed before he was really awake. "Sorry, but it's important. I need you to trace a phone call right now."

"He's there," Robin said, pointing to a blip on his computer screen while stifling a yawn with his other hand.

Artemis squinted at the screen, and gasped. "I know where that is. Come on!"

"Good luck. I'm going back to bed. Try not to get into too much trouble, okay?"

"Aren't you coming with me? Don't you want to talk to him to?"

"And say what? We're enemies now. I don't have anything to say to him, and he's not going to have anything to say to us."

"I will come with you," Kaldur said from the doorway, making Artemis jump; she hadn't realized he was there. Robin, as usual, was unfazed.

"Great timing, Kaldur. Now that's settled, can I please go to bed?"

"I can't believe you!" Artemis burst out. "Roy's our friend, in case you've forgotten. I at least would have expected you to want to give him a piece of your mind, but no, you—"

Let it go, Artemis, Megan's voice sounded in her head; out of the corner of her eye she saw Kaldur flinch ever so slightly and realized the Martian girl had opened a connection with all of them. If he wants to be stubborn, let him. Someone should be here anyways when Conner and Wally wake up.

So… does that mean you're coming with us? Artemis asked.

Yes. I'll meet you both in the landing bay.

Okay. Hurry! Artemis closed the connection and looked at Kaldur. "What are we waiting for?"

Artemis almost passed out when she first saw him; she had to steady herself against the bio-ship until the moment passed. Then she thought she was going to be sick; her stomach churned with anxiety and panic at the sight of him lying there like that, deathly pale in a puddle of his own blood. "Oh, please, no," she gasped, "don't be dead. Please don't be dead…"

Kaldur knelt solemnly by his friend's side, checking first for breathing and then a pulse. "He is still alive," he said quietly, "But I am not certain he will make it. We need to get him back to the cave."

"Oh, I hope Barry's still there," whimpered Megan, her eyes watery with tears.

"Artemis, Megan, help me with him. We do not have any time to waste."

Again, I apologize for being lame and not updating in forever. But maybe reviews will motivate me to update my other stories... hint hint. Review plz, even though I don't deserve it!