Vigilante Justice - A Young Justice Fanfiction

Chapter 7: A Rooftop Conversation

The speedster remembered reaching for Artemis' quiver, hoping he could stop her before she reached her target, then a blur of blue-black fabric and suddenly—smoke.

After, the resulting chaos was hard to explain.

There was smoke everywhere. It invaded Wally's nose and mouth until he was choking, coughing as he abruptly found himself unable to breathe.

He lost sight of his teammates as gray filled his vision, coating the air with an acrid scent.

Fortunately his eyes were protected by his suit's goggles, so at least they weren't becoming irritated by the writhing smog. His throat, on the other hand, was trying to crawl into his stomach.

Wally felt like he was on the verge of passing out when he remembered the oldest Flash trick in the book: cyclone.

Stumbling blindly to his feet, he waved his arms around his head, channeling all his pent-up energy and annoyance into the rapid motion. Lightning wreathed his limbs as they picked up speed, the smoke finally beginning to clear.

He sucked in a breath of semi-clear air, reeling as it flooded his brain.

"Arty?" He gasped out soon as he was able, glancing around for her green suit in the following haze.

She lay on her side; bow askance, eyes unfocused.

"Artemis!" He flashed to her side, bending low and quickly picking her up off the ground, pressing his ear above her heart.

It was beating a little erratically, but that wasn't abnormal after a smoke-bomb attack.

She laboriously pulled in a breath, turning her head up to him with a dazed look, "You..." Her chest rattled under him and her hands frantically felt every inch of his face, searching it for any sign of injury, "are...an absolute..."

"Idiot, I know." The panic in his chest loosened as she shot him a shaky smile, colour slowly returning to her cheeks. She rested her hand on his cheek, pale knuckles stark against his freckled skin, eyes searching for something he couldn't yet put a name to.

They were only a hairsbreadth apart and it sounded like her heart was beating in his chest, when—

"Ahem," A gruff voice cleared to their right and Wally, in his surprise, dropped her.

He could feel his ears going a brilliant shade of scarlet, "She's fine!"

From her new position on the floor, the archer shot him a death glare. "I hate you."

Kaldur—the one who'd interrupted their little...whatever that was—shuffled, looking anywhere but them, "Are you hurt, Kid Flash?"

Wally shook his head. He still felt a little out of it, but it would take more than a measly bomb to knock him out for the count. "I'll be fine. Where's Miss Martian and Superboy?"

"Here," M'gann slipped out of invisibility, shooting each of them a sheepish smile. "I kind of panicked when he threw the bomb."

"Understandable." Came the Kryptonian's deep burr as he stepped out from the gloom, looking completely unruffled.

Wally didn't know how he did it, but the guy never seemed out of order. Was it the alien heritage?

"Did he hurt you?" Artemis stepped over to her female friend, gently feeling around the other woman's neck for any sign of injury. "He didn't nick you in his escape, right?"

"Not that I could tell," The Martian grabbed the archer's hands, shooting the blonde a grateful smile. "I'm alright, but I'm sorry I couldn't do more for all of you."