(Yes, two in one day. Even though I'm really sick.)
Chapter 7-

Rome, Italy
1:47 CET December 19

Artemis's communicator buzzed. What was Бэтмен calling this early in the morning for? She picked it up and, making sure Wally was asleep, slipped out onto the roof.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Artemis," Batman's voice had a melancholy tone to it, and Artemis knew it was bad. "Your mother was abducted by Cheshire and the League of Shadows."

Artemis just stared at the screen for a moment. She started to cry.

"Don't worry." Бэтмен said. "The Justice League is heading to save her, but it'll take a while."

"Worry?!" Artemis half whispered, half exclaimed. "Worry? My mothers been abducted by the Shadows who are probably trying to get at me! Why should I not worry?!"

Бэтмен touched his comm. "I've got to go, Black Canary is on line two."

"You can't shove me off like this!" Artemis yelled into the communicator. Black Canary's face replaced that of the Dark Knight's.

"Artemis, I'm sorry for what happened." Canary began.

"It's all my fault," Artemis said, beginning to cry. "It's my fault I wasn't there to help her. It's my fault I joined this stupid Junior Justice League to play with other kids my age instead of staying Главная with her. It's my fault. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"No, it's not." Canary said. 

"Yes it is!" Artemis exclaimed.

"Your mother is in Venice. Ты might be able to rescue her if Ты tell the Team your secret." Canary said.

"Are Ты crazy?!" Artemis exclaimed. "Tell them my secret?! Can Ты imagine what-"

"What secret?" a voice asked.

Artemis slammed the communicator closed and whirled around. It was Wally, standing there with his arms folded across his chest.

"Nothing." Artemis сказал(-а) in a rush.

Wally rolled his eyes and sat down Далее to her. "I'm not leaving until Ты tell me."

Artemis started to get up, but Wally grabbed her wrist. "And neither are you."

Artemis would've protested under normal conditions, but she couldn't under these. She sat back down.

"It's nothing." she said. "We all have secrets."

Wally bit his lip, but pressed on his inquiring look. "Didn't sound like nothing." he said. He wiped a tear off her cheek. "Doesnt look like nothing."

"My moms been kidnapped, okay?" Artemis burst out.

"Artemis, I, I-"

"Shut it, Baywatch."

Wally could tell she didn't mean it, but complied anyway. Artemis survived for a few minutes, trying not to Показать weakness, but she finally snapped. She started crying furiously. Wally sat there awkwardly. He finally slipped a hand around her shoulders. Before he had finished the movement, she was crying into his shoulder. He put his other arm around her and held her close.

"It'll be okay." he whispered.

"No it won't!" Artemis said, her head not leaving his shoulder.

"Why was your mom abducted anyway?"

Artemis hesitated, but she couldn't hold it back any more. She had to tell someone.

"I- I- I used to work for somebody else in this costume." she said.

"So?" Wally said.

"The somebody else I used to work for," Artemis сказал(-а) after a moments hesitation. "was the League of Shadows."

She waited. She waited for Wally to stand up and scream at her. She waited for him to explode in her face about how he was right from the beginning, and she was the mole, and on and on.

What he did Далее shocked them both.

"I kinda figured." he said.

"You- Ты what?" Artemis asked.

"A brand new hero and Ты know the League of Shadows. Ты couldn't possibly have learned all your talent from GA in that short a time. Ты never speak about your past. I wouldve figured out eventually." Wally said.

"Is that why Ты were always so mad at me and always fighting?" Artemis asked.

"Mad? No, I was never mad at you. And I don't know why we fight."

Artemis tightened her grip on him. "But how can Ты ever trust me now?" she asked.

"Because, Ты don't work for the Shadows anymore." Wally said, lifting her face up to look into her eyes. "And that takes a сердце of Courage to do something like leave the Shadows."

"But Wally-"

He cut her off by Поцелуи her quickly on the lips. She looked in shock at him. "Just hush, Arty."

"Baywatch." she taunted back, though both knew they didn't mean it.

Wally wiped her tears off. "Don't worry. First thing tomorrow, we set out to save your mom." he said. 

Artemis gave him a look of gratitude and stood up. She walked toward the door. Halfway there she stopped and looked back.

"Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone please?"

"Sure, Artemis."

Artemis walked back inside. Wally sat on the roof for a moment, thinking of what had just occurred, then joined Artemis.