Mount Justice,

Happy Harbor, RI

July 15, 8:31 EST

Dick waited, tapping his foot on the deck in the maintenance room, steam from the machines rising around him. He'd been waiting for twenty minutes, and though he knew he was early, he couldn't help but wonder where she was. His watch beeped. It was 8:30 where was she? Suddenly a dark limping figure's shadow appeared through the fog. Dick went on guard, until a mop of blonde hair appeared through the fog. Artemis. She was grimacing, sweat shining on her forehead, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, holding the railing as if it were her lifeline. He hurried towards her immediately, letting her lean on him, as she led them deep into the maintenance room. Finally she stopped and gestured for him to set her down. Gently, he set her down, and crouched next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned. She nodded, closing her eyes', grimacing as she leaned her head back against one of the machines.

"I'm... fine," she panted, the dark bags under her eyes' more pronounced, fatigue filling her eyes'. She panted, not moving her healing leg. He stared at her torn between asking what happened and concern for her. He knew what Batman would say, that he should get the information first, so he did.

"What happened Artemis?" he asked, voice hard. She turned to stare at him, eyes' filled with emotional agony and turmoil.

"I brought us down here, because they inserted a chip in me after I caved when they tortured me, to be able to monitor my conversations. When I broke into Queen Industries, to escape, I used an old subway station tunnel beneath the current subway rail, and discovered that machinery interferes with the signal," she said. He nodded, that explained a lot, why she wouldn't talk with him at Wayne Enterprises, and why she wouldn't tell the League what happened, but why him? Why now?

"What was the serum you injected me with? I know it wasn't a knock out serum so what was it?" he asked, desperate to know the answer to the question that had haunted him since the break in at Wayne Enterprises. Her face grew taught and pale, eyes' filled with horror, glassing over, which did not incite confidence in him. "Artemis what?"

"I need to start from the beginning," she whispered, eyes' wide and haunted. "I need to start from the beginning." He nodded affirmation, causing her to relax slightly. She gulped and began, "After you were rescued, they tortured Wally and me," she whispered, eyes' far away, hair falling in wisps around her face. "They wanted to test our 'foolish heroic loyalty', and see how long it lasted," bitterness entered her voice at those words. "He never caved though," she smiled, "Afterwards, they got angry. Angry they couldn't break us, so they separated us and tortured us separately. It nearly drove me crazy wondering what happened to him, if he was okay. Days passed, I really didn't notice, it was just pain and more pain, and a part of me just... kind of died, to block out the pain," her voice softened, words filling him with a sick horror at how calmly she was talking about it. It was a wonder she was still sane. "Every day though he would come."

"Who would come?" he asked, though he had a pretty good idea who. Anger filled him, his vision turned red with rage, the urge to rip him apart nearly overwhelming him. He took deep breaths and calmed knowing that if he blew up he'd scare Artemis.

"Him," she whispered, curling up into herself further, staring ahead blanking, "He gave me a choice, a choice every day, and I said no everyday. Then he lost it, and brought..." she cut herself off abruptly, her voice filled with hoarse emotion.

"What did he do Artemis?" he asked calmly, seething with rage at Sportsmaster, but trying not to scare her. She gulped, and closed her eyes', when she opened them they were blank of emotion, cold, hard, and unforgiving. This was how she survived, this is how she was still sane, this is how she was able to fight and fulfill the Light's demands. By suppressing her emotions she didn't have to deal with them or their consequences, and therefore was able to keep going forward. She took a gulp, before steeling herself against the on slot of emotions', this wasn't the time to break down, it was only a matter of time before the Light figured out what she was doing, so she needed to make this quick. Her eyes' hardening, she uncurled her body, before turning to face him.

"You know what it doesn't matter," she replied, taking a big breath to calm her anxiety, as Dick's gaze grew incredulous.

"Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter! They tortured you Artemis! You have been an emotional wreck since you got back," he yelled, causing her to flinch slightly, he could've phrased it a bit kinder, and she was a wreck but this wasn't the time for this.

"It. Doesn't. Matter." she said emphasizing each word, staring at him sternly in the eyes', shocking him into silence, "We don't have time for this, and this wasn't what I came here to say." He stared at her for awhile, the tension filling the void of silence so thick you could cut it with a knife, before he nodded, understanding in his eyes'. She couldn't break down now, it was too painful, and too hard to haul herself up onto her two feet from again, she just couldn't deal with this right now, it was too easy to sink into the pit of despair and deteriorate. No, she just had to tough it out, eventually it would get easier to deal with, all things' did, with time.

He nodded in understanding, face grim before asking, "Then what did you come here to say?"

"The Light has a plan to take out the League, and if we don't stop them, they might just actually succeed this time," she said, as he stared at her incredulously.

"And you believed them? They've never succeeded before, unless..." he laughed before his face grew serious as he thought, before turning to her with a horrified sort of realization dawning on his face. There was a reason why Dick was one of the smartest on the team. "The serum," he said hoarsely, "I'm the key to the plan aren't I?' She nodded solemnly. He nodded back slowly, as if thinking and trying to process this fast, but his mind just wouldn't let him. He gulped, slumping against the wall next to her.

"How?" he asked.

"Its a mind control serum," she said, and he let out a sigh of defeat, running his hand through his black locks, before laughing.

"This is so not asterous," he said, as she chuckled. She had missed the presence of his little word games, the fact that they were back said a lot about his recovery. Artemis was glad the thirteen year old was recuperating well, the Team needed him, Batman needed him, whether either admitted it or not. "So what? They mind control me to take down Batman? Just saying, that might not work? And why haven't they done it yet?" he asked, turning to face her, the sarcasm draining from his voice with each question.

"They haven't done it, because it has to be activated," she said, the implication of what she said, sinking into him. His eyes' widened before he nodded.

"Thats why you came back," he said. She nodded, he went silent and waited for her to continue.

"They're beginning with Gotham City, as its the least protected, they are releasing a mixture of the three serums we stole to drive the city into chaos. Meanwhile, I am supposed to activate the serum in you, they will control you through a mixture of technology that linked with Klarion's telepathic abilities'..." he cut her off.

"Wait, Klarion is in on this too?" he asked, staring at her as if begging her to say no. She reluctantly nodded. "Great," he said sarcastically, "Why don't we add Vandal Savage on while we're at it," he said relaxing back against the wall, before he stiffened to stare at her again, "He's not... in.. it right?" he asked. She grimaced, as he leaned back banging the back of his head intentionally against the wall. He fell silent, and she continued.

"With the mind control serum in place, they will use you to catch Batman off guard, take him down temporarily, hack into League files from the Bat Cave, and give the list of all the League's weaknesses' to them," she said, as he stared at her in horror.

"They've been busy lately," he whispered still in shock. She grimaced, nodding, before leaning back against the wall, the two heroes' side by side, stuck in a situation that was lose lose currently, and didn't end well for anyone. So either they told the League, Wally would be killed, and the Light would disappear then come back with an even more diabolical plan, or they didn't tell the League, Wally lives, the League is taken down, or third and most unlikely option, they didn't tell the League and they somehow found a way to save the League and Wally. "This situation is so not asterous right now," he said, and she laughed again, as they both laughed themselves' to tears'. It felt good to laugh, even if it was really because they were at that point where they could either wallow in despair or just no give a crap, and they were opting out with choice two.

"We'll figure out a way," she said, though she knew she sounded unconvincing. Dick gave a short humorless laugh.

"Unless you have suddenly developed teleportation powers' to free Wally, then no, I'm not seeing a way out," he said, the frustration almost overwhelming in his voice. Suddenly he cried out in pain, as she hit him.

"Remember what you told me when Red's siblings attacked the cave?" she asked. He stared at her in confusion, before recollection colored his eyes', and he nodded.

"Then keep your cool, and we'll get through this, we have to, or Wally dies, and I am not letting him die, do you understand?" she asked, a look of steel in her eyes'. He nodded. "Good," she said, turning away, that had taken a lot out of her. She said to keep going and not give up hope, but she wasn't seeing a way to get Wally out of this alive and stop the League. Dick and Artemis were quiet for a few minutes, before Dick finally moved and turned towards' her.

"Do you have the activation serum on you?" he asked urgently. She nodded, staring at him with wariness and confusion, why did he care if she had the serum or not?

"Yeah, why?" she asked. He didn't answer, as she grew uneasy at the determined intense look in his eyes'.

"So the serum connects my mind to the system, and through that is linked to Klarion, correct?" he asked. She stared at him with narrowed eyes', what was he going onto? She didn't understand where his train of thought was leading, but the uneasy pit in her stomach said nowhere good.

"Yes.." she hesitated, "but why do you care?" she asked slowly, her eyes' narrowing in on him. He completely ignored her question, nodding at her answer to his question.

"So technically speaking, it would connecting to your mind on a conscious level or to your subconscious?" he asked, frustrating her to the enth degree, why did he want to know?

"Why do you want know? What does it matter?" she burst out frustrated at his lack of response to her questions.

"Just answer the question Artemis," he said, his gaze still intense, she could practically see dots connecting in the murky depths of his cerulean eyes', yet she didn't know what dots were connecting and how.

"Consciously," she replied annoyed, "But again Dick why does it matter? Our goal is to not inject you with the serum, so how it works doesn't exactly matter."

"It does, because if we know how it works', then we know how to counteract it," he said, and she froze in place. Now she knew what he was getting at.

"No," she said fiercely, glaring at him and his idiotic plan that was going to get him killed, "I am the Queen of idiotic, not well thought out plans, and even I'm not that stupid to try that."

"Artemis..." he began with a 'please-understand' tone in his voice, aka pleading with her, before she cut him off with wave of her hand.

"No! No way are you injecting yourself with that."

"I think I can control it..." he said urgently, willing her to understand, but she wasn't having it.

"No you idiot! You think. You think you can control it, what if you can't? What then Dick?" she said, her voice rising with each word in hysteria, taking deep breaths' to calm herself down after. She couldn't lose Dick, not him too, there was already a chance she was going to lose... no, she wouldn't lose, they'd find a way, but not this way.

"Artemis," he said, silencing her, as he gripped her arms', staring at her in the eyes', "We don't have a choice. If you don't inject me, then the Light will kill Wally and disappear. Then some time down the line, they will come back with an even better plan, and more people will die," he said emphasizing his each point with his voice. On a subconscious level, Artemis knew he was right, but the fear of losing him, the tiny voice in her head that said it wouldn't work, planted enough doubt, that she was allowing her emotions to overcome her logic.

"There has to be another way," she said, her voice growing softer, but she knew there wasn't, if they didn't do this Wally would die, but if they did, and the serum took control of Dick then all was lost. He didn't say anything, but his eyes' said it all, there wasn't. She closed her eyes', grimacing, before opening them again, and staring at him as if in pain. What type of friend was she to do this to him. "If this doesn't work Dick..." she said quietly with intensity.

"It has to," he said, though she saw doubts shining in his eyes'. "Give me the serum Artemis," he said softly. She stared him in the eyes', the struggle apparent in them, she couldn't let him sacrifice himself. Closing her eyes' in pain, she took her locket off from around her neck, before opening her eyes', and handing it to him.

"I'm sorry Dick," she said, before letting go of the locket. He cracked a weak grin at her.

"Cheer up," he said weakly, "As I said, we'll laugh about this someday." She gave a short humorless laugh, shaking her head at him, her gaze solemn and sad. He was making jokes at a time like this, such a Dick and ... such a Dick thing to do. He opened the locket, a tiny needle sticking out from the middle of the locket, bent to the side. He straightened the need, a tiny purple drop pooling at the tip. "This is it," he said. She nodded grimacing, she didn't want to watch this, but she couldn't look away, she had to know he'd be okay. "Now or never," he joked, before stabbing the needle through the thin skin covering his jugular vein in his neck, before pulling it out.

"How do you feel?" she asked, staring at him warily and hopefully. He looked up, cocking his head to the side as if to assess how he felt.

"I feel fi..." he began, before his eyes' blanked out, and he fell to the ground convulsing.

"Dick!" she yelled, frantically, as he began screaming, eyes' scrunched closed in agony, as he gripped his head, curled in a fetal position on the floor. She shook him violently, staring at him in panic, before he fell limp, unmoving. She stared on in horror, was he...dead? No! He couldn't be. Suddenly his eyes' snapped open, causing her to jolt back at the blank expression in them. "Dick?" she asked warily. A un-Dick like grin came across his face, and her heart fell, she had just doomed them all, she was a fool for listening to him.

"Oh hello Artemis," Dick's voice came out, yet it wasn't his voice, his stance, posture, the way he talked was all wrong. This wasn't Dick.

"Klarion," she said with venom in her voice, mixed with resignation. He cackled madly, affirming her suspicions. It hurt to even watch him to see Dick's eyes' so blank, so empty of ... Dick. It was Klarion, that much was obvious, but then again it was Dick's face, Dick's voice, it was Dick, yet Dick himself was - gone.

"Robin isn't here right now," he said, chuckling, "Good job, seems Kid crash isn't going to die today," he cackled a mockingly condescending tone in his voice.

"Where's Dick?" she demanded.

"Oh, Where's Dick?" he mocked, causing her to stare at him in fear, "He here," he said pointing to Dick's head, "But then again it kind of hard to mentally fight off a millennia old Master of Hell, but I'll give him brownie points for trying." She stared at him horror, before he doubled over, crashing to his knees', gripping his head growling, "Will you quiet down in there! You lost, accept it!" Hope sprung in Artemis, Dick was still fighting, there was still hope, before Klarion stop gripping his... or more Dick's head, and stood, all better. "Your friend here is a sore loser," he whined petulantly like a child. "Well, nice seeing you, but I had some havoc to wreak, oh and your father says hi," he said, before running forward and kicking her across the room, where she slammed into the wall. Pain exploded across her still-healing body, as she crashed to ground. Her last sight before falling into unconsciousness was the sight of Dick or more Klarion walking up the stairs' and out of the Maintenance Room. Despair crashed into her as she fell into the darkness, none of the League would know what hit them or that Dick wasn't really... Dick, and it was all her fault, was her last thought as oblivion fell into her.

I know, I know, I am a horrible person and writer for making you wait FIVE MONTHS since my last update. I'm so sorry (ducks thrown spears, running for my life), I'M SORRY MERLIN'S BEARD YOU PEOPLE ARE BLOODTHIRSTY. Sorry, school and life just suck right now, but as I said I WILL NOT abandon this story, I will see it through till the end so never fear. (Ducks bullet shot at him, running from mob with pitchforks) Okay, so since you people are not very... happy shall we say right now, even though I JUST UPDATED! (Ducks thrown orange) AN ORANGE THATS THE BEST YOU"VE GOT! (throws a chair) Maybe antagonizing angry mob is NOT a good idea. ANYWAY, I think I'll go run and hide now, hope you enjoyed this update! Time's a flyin', gotta run, bye, (Ducks tomato).