Disclaimer- We do not own Young Justice or any of it's characters. Nor do we own any of the cereal brand names used in this particular chapter.

So here's chapter two! :D We're just sort of going with the flow with this fic as we go, we have a loose outline to go by and that's pretty much it.

P.S. We all know Dick's fifth girlfriend is cereal. I'm just sayin'!

And, of course, all of your reviews are greatly appreciated! :D

o.o.o.o

Written by TheRantDragon, DSBB, Dottoraqn, Alfhild, and IronicVeghead

o.o.o.o

Dick's cackles echoed around the walls of the neat little apartment, and Wally scowled as he finished the last few buttons on his pressed white shirt, sending his friend an unamused glance as he snorted with mirth into a bowl of cereal.

"You can stop laughing now, pal," he said, struggling to knot his tie correctly. Dick at last managed to quell his guffaws from where he sat on the back of Wally's couch, bowl in hand. "And will you stay out of my cereal!?"

"Like you're a better guest when you visit the manor? It was you who ate all of Alfred's lemon bars on your first visit, if I'm remembering correctly," Dick criticized, shoving another spoonful of Count Chocula into his mouth. He picked the box up from the coffee table and poured more in, much to his best friend's chagrin.

"Dude, that was fourteen years ago!" Wally objected hotly, frustratedly trying to untangle his fingers from the poorly tied knot he'd managed to make. He'd never liked ties. Too much hassle.

"Alfred's lemon bars," Dick emphasized, chocolate crumbs spraying from his mouth. "Also you tied that backwards," he noted as he wiped his mouth, inciting a pained groan from Wally. "Is little miss kitty distracting you so much you forgot how to put on your clothes?"

"It isn't the cat that's distracting me, it's this uninvited houseguest that has his feet on the furniture and is eating all my cereal," Wally snapped, losing his cool, yanking the piece of shit plaid tie from around his neck and chucking it over his shoulder where it draped across the TV dejectedly.

"Uninvited my ass," Dick grumbled into his breakfast.

"I give up, Dick. What am I supposed to do? I can't stop thinking about her. I'm not supposed to feel this way about a villain..." Wally sighed, plopping down on the cushions beside him. Dick covered his mouth briefly, suddenly letting out a signature cackle that nearly caused him to spew Count Chocula all over his friend.

"Bro, she's hardly a villain. She breaks into places, and then leaves. Sure, she might get a slap on the wrist from Central PD for breaking and entering, but that's all they can convict her with... or is 'tormenting the illustrious Flash' a federal crime now?"

"Shut up, Dick. You don't have this problem. You and your, what, five girlfriends have it easy. They're all heroes," Wally said, hunching over his now soggy bowl of Oops! All Berries Cap'n Crunch glumly.

Dick counted on his fingers and raised an eyebrow at Wally.

"Um, of the heroic women I've dated, I count four; Kory, Zee, Helena, and Babs. Who do you count as five?" he asked.

Wally shrugged, chewing his food absentmindedly as he answered, "I guesstimated."

Dick shook his head and finished his cereal, walking over to deposit his bowl in the sink. He checked the microwave clock on the way back.

"Not that I didn't enjoy the free cereal and lovely story about how you creamed yourself over Tigress," Dick began calmly, ignoring Wally's flushed, quick denials of having ever mentioned a damn thing about "creaming" himself over her. "I've gotta get back to Gotham. And you'd better get your ass to the lab. This woman hasn't crushed your mood to blow things up, has she?"

Wally snorted. "Hell no! There's science to be done!"

Dick rolled his eyes and walked out the door without another word.

After he was gone, Wally grumbled murderously over his cereal,"I did not mention that part of the story!"

o.o

Wally decided to walk to work, it would give him time to mull his... situation over and decide on the best course of action. As far as advice went, Barry would be the absolute last person he'd want to go to for advice, as the older speedster had never had this problem, as far as Wally knew. Plus, he didn't really feel like dealing with the awkward embarrassment it might conjure.

The young man sighed in frustration, rubbing at his face as he turned the corner of the next block.

Dick's already proven to be next to useless, he thought grumpily. And... I've just taken the wrong turn.

Not paying attention, he had started following a routine patrol route that, not coincidentally, would eventually lead him to the lab. It was a path he occasionally took on the way to work, just to make sure things were good and quiet; however, he was running late today and hadn't consciously made any plans to swing by this seedy path. The inherent problem he was facing was that this patrol route lead through an area that was fine enough in broad daylight... but was still certainly no place to be distracted, day or night.

Wally tugged at his collar and checked his watch, deciding he really just did not have the time for this or he would be in trouble with Mr. Johnson.

He was about to break out the superspeed and chug it through the area when, as if to prove the point of being a dangerous place to get distracted, he heard someone calling for help a couple of alleyways in front of him. Wally didn't even hesitate; he was a hero after all, and springing into action was what drove him. He sprinted up the sidewalk and skidded to a rough halt at the mouth of the alley the yell had echoed from, and was preparing to act when a figure ran right past him toward the disturbance, inadvertently whipping him in the face with her mane of long blonde hair.

The same light shade of blonde hair as Tigress's. Why was he thinking about that? He shook his head to clear it of the stray thought. He needed to focus.

"Miss, wait! You can't go in there!" he called after her retreating form with authority. But he was just Wally West, a geeky lab rat on his way to blow up some chemicals, not the highly respected Flash. So of course he was ignored, and now he wasn't sure if this woman was a part of the problem or just some dumb civilian that was trying to be a hero but would most likely wind up dead.

If he didn't get his ass in gear and intervene, that was.

It seemed that the blonde had the attacker well in hand; she had him pinned up against the dirty bricks at the back of the alley, hissing in his ear. Wally's eyebrows rose in shock, surprised by this strange woman's apparent prowess and efficiency at handling crooks. He was about to address her when his eyes alighted on the victim.

The victim who was currently pointing a gun at his attacker and, by default, his rescuer.

Shit.

"Whoa there buddy, do you even know how to use that gun?" Wally asked placatingly, voice neutral and even—this wasn't his first time in a situation like this. The victim rounded and pointed the gun at Wally before moving it back to its previous position slowly with shaking hands, his wild eyes never leaving Wally

"He—he's been following me for weeks! The police don't believe me!" his voice came out strangled and distraught. "I've been getting strange notes, things have gone missing, and I've been seeing him everywhere I go!"

"Why don't I call the police, while you take a few steps back and put down the gun?" Wally asked reasonably, beginning to bring one of his hands down in a cautious descent to where his cell phone was stashed in his pocket. "It wouldn't be nice to get your rescuer shot."

"Yes, I would prefer to avoid a trip to the hospital if I could," commented the husky, strangely familiar voice of the wannabe-hero still pinning the attacker down. For a second, Wally could have sworn it belonged to Tigress.

God, I've got to get that woman off my brain!

To the speedster's relief the high-strung man tentatively backed up to the street, lowering his aim to the cracked pavement. Gun no longer pointed at her, the poser seemed strangely relaxed, like she was in her element or something. She wasn't one of his comrades and she didn't hold herself like a cop. People who weren't superheroes shouldn't look that relaxed, as if pinning crazed stalkers was an everyday occurrence that one should be so completely desensitized to.

Well, unless they were from Gotham City, of course.

Unfortunately, Wally couldn't give the rescuer more thought as dispatch picked up. He took a breath to start explaining the situation to the gruff sounding man on the other end, when a sudden movement in his periphery caught his attention.

The attacker that the blonde woman had been so carefully restraining against the wall had seen a momentary chance at freedom, it seemed. He lashed out with his foot with surprising speed and caught the woman's ankle, aiming to trip her backwards. She gave a startled yell, attempting to regain her balance and her hold even as he broke free from her grip... that is until a loud, ear-piercing bang rent the air around them.

Followed by a scream of pain from the woman.

Wally dropped his phone, ignoring the curious shouts from the cop at the other end of the connection as it clattered to the ground. He was upon the hapless victim in a heartbeat, tackling him powerfully, causing his grasp on the gun to loosen so that it skidded a few feet across the ground. It stopped dangerously close to the attacker's boots, and Wally's heart skipped a beat as he drew his eyes up in horror, sure that the man would take both he and the victims lives.

Good job, West, that's the last mistake you'll ever make!

His morbid thought was proved to be false, however.

The blonde woman, her right shoulder bleeding profusely between her clenched fingers, managed to gather herself long enough to slam her left shoulder into him just has his fingertips brushed along the handle of the gun. She let out a raspy cry of pain at the action, but kept him sandwiched between her and wall.

"I don't think so, asshole," she ground out through gritted teeth, looking like she was in the worst pain imaginable. Wally tried not to focus too much on the crimson rivulets trailing from her bicep and dripping down to the pavement from the tip of her elbow. Instead, he reached for his battered cell phone and was relieved to hear the policeman's voice.

"We've got them incapacitated, but there's been a casualty," Wally wheezed, keeping all of his weight firmly on the spasming, struggling man beneath him. "No one's dead, but there was an accident and a shot was fired on a civilian. She's been hurt pretty bad, send an ambulance!"

o.o

It just seemed so logical for him to follow her into the ambulance; some part of his brain was equating her with someone familiar, and thus it was his job to keep an eye on her... and deal with the fallout from his supervisor. Plus, it wasn't in Wallace West's(or the Flash's) nature to leave an injured denizen alone, even after the danger had passed.

"Just because we bagged a couple of crazies together doesn't mean I'll give you my number," the woman said defensively as one of the medics was cleaning and examining her wound in the back of the ambulance. Luckily the bullet hadn't penetrated directly through her arm, but rather grazed along it. Still, it was deep and bad enough that it would require stitching.

Wally, who was leaning casually against the frame of the stationary vehicle, held up his hands in a placating sort of gesture. He was in no mood to have this girl at his throat for her own mistake; because really, what kind of idiot purposely put themselves in the line of fi—oh, wait.

Well, if I put it that way it makes me sound like a hypocrite, he mused to himself. Let me re-phrase: what sort of non-super powered idiot puts themselves in the line of fi—oh, wait. Dick does that on a daily basis! Dammit!

"Sorry, but the world doesn't revolve around you, Miss Thing," he snapped abruptly, more out of frustration at his own incompetence than anything she'd done—well, minus putting herself in danger like that to begin with. If the citizens of Central were going to start growing balls of steel like this woman had, Wally was going to have to find himself a new gig. "I'm more worried about saving this fine ass from getting chewed out by my supervisor than obtaining your digits."

Ooh, way to be charming, West.

"If your own ass is so important, why did you stop to help?" she growled, eyebrows knitting together. She winced as the medic applied antiseptic to her wound.

"Because, I just can't look away and go about my business while someone is calling for help."

The woman snorted derisively at his confession. "What are you, a superhero?"

Wally's heart nearly stopped at that bold accusation until he realized it was merely a joke, not an indication that she had any clue he was actually the Flash. He breathed a small sigh of relief and responded.

"Like you're any better? Miss Pin-the-guy-with-a-gun-to-the-wall-and-act-apathetic. Do you have a death wish or are you just an adrenaline junkie?" Wally mocked. Seriously, what the hell made this chick tick?

"I'm sick of people who run away from their responsibilities leaving those unable to cope with them in their wake," she muttered. The speedster had the distinct feeling that those words were meant a little more for herself to hear rather than him.

But he'd heard them.

"You'd begrudge Superman for taking vacation on his birthday," he asked, one eyebrow cocked.

"Yeah, I would. Suicide Slum doesn't suddenly become a garden district every three-hundred and sixty-five days."

o.o

This was bad. This was really bad. Artemis needed to get out of this ambulance and away from this crazy ginger. If she was taken to the hospital, Lawrence might find her and turn her over.

Or worse.

"Shit," she swore under her breath, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. She surveyed the wound. With enough bandages, it would heal fine, no stitches required... or at least, that's what she kept telling herself, anyway.

"What'dya say?" the ginger asked, peering at her, trying to get her to meet his gaze.

"Nothing," Artemis scoffed, keeping her eyes averted. All of a sudden, Ginger unfolded himself from his position and tried to climb into the ambulance with her, apparently intent on accompanying her on the journey. She started at the sudden proximity in the cramped space.

"Look," she said, finally meeting his eyes.

Whoa, green.

There followed a strange silence in which they scrutinized each other, and there was a spark of something in his irises... almost like a hint of confused recognition or something. But he blinked and the hold was gone, and she glared at him.

"You're cute. But I'd rather not have you tangled up in my affairs. You know the phrase about curiosity and cats, right?" she asked sweetly, though her gaze was hard. His unwanted curiosity might very well land him an early grave if the damn medics got her name and Lawrence thought the Ginger was close to her.

Ginger paused and looked at her with his head cocked. His eyes widened almost comically, brows shooting up toward his hairline. He stepped back suddenly, almost tripping over the steps of the ambulance and watching, expression dumbfounded, as the paramedics closed the doors in his face.

The ambulance's engine roared to life as it pulled out onto the street. Artemis had only a moment now to execute her plan of action.

Okay, one problem down, one to go.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" she politely asked one of the paramedics. He turned to look at her and was met by her boot to his nose. The force of her kick sent the man ricocheting off the wall and into his partner. The two paramedics crashed into an IV pole and collapsed in a heap. The driver heard the crash and the truck screeched to a grinding halt.

Artemis stumbled as gravity tried to pull her into the pile of paramedics, but recovered her balance. She kicked open the doors and started to run, gritting her teeth and holding her jostled arm, only to end up in a bearhug from that damn Ginger man before she could get any distance in. Choosing to play the Damsel in Distress card, she started to sob hoarsely.

Honestly it wasn't a hard act to play, considering the throbbing of her bicep was just about unbearable at this point.

"I... I just can't do hospitals. My—my mother, she, she's the victim of negligence," she cried out, opting for the truth rather than digging herself any deeper than she already was.

"Please don't make me go in the ambulance," she continued, peaking at the redhead though one eye. He looked at her and nodded, letting her out of his grasp. He walked over to where the three paramedics were investigating the damage to their truck and began to talk to them.

She stopped her alligator tears and watched the negotiations, feeling a little guilty for tricking him. Still, the part about her mother... well, that was nothing but the truth, at least. She could only hear bits of the redhead's speech.

"She doesn't like hospitals. She gets panic attacks, she didn't mean to kick you in the face."

o.o

It took the scientist a few minutes to placate the offended paramedics, and when he turned around, finally free, he was disgruntled to find that the blonde had run off. But for some reason not entirely surprised.

Damn...The redhead mentally cursed as he checked around a few nearby corners. After he was sure that she'd disappeared he continued on his path for work, his eyes peeled for any sign of that long blonde ponytail amongst the crowds of other early morning commuters.

There are a lot of people with blonde hair, Wally reasoned to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets as he thought. It's not uncommon, it's a recessive allele but it's definitely not rare around here. His mind drifted back to the relaxed state the woman had been in during the scuffle. Then again... it's not normal for someone to continue fighting after being shot. Most civilians go right into shock after taking a hit like that.

Wally barely noticed that the light had changed and someone walking past nudged his shoulder to get him moving. He gave a sheepish smile of thanks before stepping onto the crosswalk. That was Tigress, I'm sure of it... Being so relaxed in a hostile situation, the hair, the cat joke... and those eyes. I'd just about put money on it! But Tigress is a villain. So why would she help someone? Villains don't do that...

He wished he was at his desk so that he could slam his forehead onto the surface. The facts were contradicting themselves and he hated it. He didn't understand why everything couldn't just be like the elements he worked with.

Where everything fit into a category and its reactions were predictable. Where everything was laid out before him if he just did a little brainwork.

Then again... Wally grinned as he began applying his knowledge, ignoring the odd stares from passersby as his mind was once again lost from reality. If I apply heroes and villains to the periodic table... I would put superheroes in the gases and the villains in the metals. But that would still mean that there would be people in the metalloids who are both.

The grey area was inevitable. Even science had it.

So maybe it wasn't so far fetched that heroes and villains had it, too.