The Vault

"No, not her. Anyone but her. Of ALL the people I could have been locked up with, it had to be her." He couldn't help but think to himself.

He could have been locked up with Rob: They were best friends and spent a lot of time together already, or Kaldur: He could always talk to Kaldur, their team's voice of reason. He would have much preferred M'gann: Oh man, that would have been perfect, or even Conner: They could've had fun trying to escape...

But no... No, it had to be her... Artemis... Wally looked over at the blonde archer. She was still trying to figure a way out. She had already exhausted her supply of arrows and had only succeeded in making his ears ring from her explosive arsenal.

She had one arrow left, and it was much frailer than the others... But still, she was willing to try it...

"That's not gonna' work..." Wally called out irritably.
She cut her eyes coldly at him. She hated him just as much as he hated her. "Oh, yeah... And what would YOU have me do, Baywatch...? Just give up...?"

"That's a distress frequency arrow, right...?"
Artemis looked surprised. But then again, he was a junior scientist. It would only make sense that he would have the knowledge to deduce such a thing.
"Yeah... What about it?"
"Were locked inside of a triple copper, reinforced vault. Radio waves aren't powerful enough to escape it..."
She opened her mouth to make a smart remark but quickly closed it, realizing he was right.

"So what do we do...?"
"I don't know... Wait for the team to find us..."
"Well, they wouldn't have to find US if YOU hadn't jumped the gun!"
"ME!? No one told you to come after me!"
"Hugo Strange is a maniac and a brilliant one! We were all briefed on what to expect, and then you just run in there, head first, expecting to just drag him off to jail!"
"And again, why did you follow me!? I didn't ask for your help! If you had just stayed behind, then I wouldn't be stuck here with YOU!"

That stung. As if being enclosed with her was some sort of torture. Oh that was it, he was so about to get it. "Now I have to worry about getting you out, too!" He shouted.

"... Wait, what...?" Artemis asked, slightly confused. "Are you actually worried about me...?"
"What, no!" He snaps back, slightly blushing. "It's just... You're the newbie, so it's my duty to save you!"
"Oh, I'm the one who needs saving! You were out after a few seconds! Did you not expect him to use knock out gas?"
"And what about you!?"
"I was caught off guard, but at least I still lasted longer than you!"
"Whatever!"
"Geek!"

The harsh barrage only seemed to help deplete their air supply and strengthen their irritation with one another. Kid flash looked as his electronic display: 3:18 a.m... When they woke up, it had just hit midnight, so they had to have been stuck inside the vault for over 3 hours.

And they probably would have spent the next 3 hours in bitter silence if not for the timely rumbling of Wally's stomach. His high metabolism had many upsides. He was a fast healer and sickness never seemed to last long with him, he was granted inhuman speed that rivaled that of light, and he was able to keep a very slim physique with little to no exercise... But there was always the hunger...Hunger so intense, it could be crippling.

Wally had no intention of experiencing that, so he simply opened a wrist compartment and pulled out a small chocolate bar. As he began unwrapping it, he couldn't help but feel eyes on his back. He turned and was met with the intense stare of the blue-eyed maiden.

"What...?" He asked callously.
"..." She didn't say a word. She refused to ask him for anything. But her stomach was a different story. It rumbled even louder than his. He looked at her smugly as he took a bite of his treat. Artemis' mouth began to water.

"You want one?" He motioned the bar towards her.
"Do you... have vanilla...?"
He grinned a little to himself as he opened another compartment on his wrist and pulled out a white, wrapped bar. "Here." He nonchalantly said as he tossed it to her.

Now Artemis was never one for self control. She was quick to speak her mind to anyone, but at the same time, she never let anyone see her acting impulsively... Except for now. She tore into the bar like a mad beast. Gnashing at the wrapper with her teeth until it was torn to shreds and the delicious treat was in her sight.

Wally couldn't help but laugh as she crammed it into her mouth. She glared at him, but was far too famished to care about his smart little remarks or unfunny jokes. In a matter of seconds, her bar was gone, as was Wally's.

She wiped the remains on her pants and pursed her lips together. "...Thanks..." She mumbled.
"You're welcome, Arty." He chuckled. She hated that. She hated when he called her 'Arty'. All she could imagine was a large, lonely, balding man, when she heard that name. She took it as an insult, but this time, she thought better of her rude remarks and kept quiet.

She was getting hot now. She wasn't sure if it was because she was irritated or because the temperature in the metal prison was going up, but now she was sweating. She removed her mask first, and let what little cool air that remained breeze against her face. She took off her boots and socks and stretched her legs, letting out a slight sigh.

Wally was staring intently, mouth slightly agape. He hated to admit it, but she looked great... She had long blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, and a tight, curvacious body. Her almost spandex like costume didn't help to hide this fact either.

She glanced up and immediately became irritated. "What are you looking at, Baywatch?" She snapped.
"Nothing!" He responded angrily. Man, what a joke. For a split second he was beginning to think she was kinda' cute. Beautiful even, but then she had to go and show her true colors. He turned away, also feeling a little hot under the collar.

He skipped right to the main event and removed his top and mask, struggling a little bit to get the tight material from over his head. Artemis had her back turned but looked over her shoulder as his grunting persisted. "What are you-?" Her sentence trailed off right there.

As stated before, his metabolism granted him a very slim physique, allowing all of his muscles to show in great definition. She couldn't help but stare at his chest and abs as they fought with his uniform that now clung to his sweat.

Finally, and ungracefully, he managed to defeat his 'foe' and was met with a cool breeze on his body. It felt good, but was interrupted when he again felt eyes staring at him. He looked over and noticed Artemis was now gawking at him, slightly red in the face.

Unlike Artemis, he enjoyed the attention. He craved it, so it was only natural that he would attempt to prolong it. "You like what you see, or somethin'...?" He asks with a cheesy grin.

The question quickly snapped her out of her daze. "No!" She scoffed. "Why would I?" She remarked as she returned to her sour mood. "Whatever you say, Arty..."

"Idiot..." She murmured as she rolled up her pant legs. And he was staring at her again. He couldn't help it. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, she was... mildly attractive... Maybe a little cute... In the right light, she could even pass as hot...

Hot, aw man, now he was getting hot all over again... It was starting to feel like a desert... Like Biyalia...

Biyalia, he had almost forgotten. They hadn't really spoken since then, and it was probably for the best. Things had gotten really weird on that mission. But one thing had happened that made him chuckle to himself. He did so loud enough for her to hear, provoking her to pry.

"What's so funny...?" She asks, genuinely curious.
"Nothing, Arty. You wouldn't find it funny." He laughs.
"Try me." She said with a slight smile.
"Ok... Ninja Girlfriend..." He said with a wide grin.
"HEY!" She snapped. "I had amnesia. And besides, you were the one who kept calling me beautiful." A smile now formed on her lips.
"Well, you weren't that bad looking when you were nice..." He said slightly sad.

The two fell silent.
"Wally, why do you hate me so much...?"
"... I don't hate you..."
"But you don't like me either...." She said looking down. "You think I 'took Red Arrow's spot' on the team..."
"Well you kinda' did..."
"I've pulled my own weight since I got here and I've helped you out more times than I can count!"
"Oh yeah, 3 is such a big number!" Wally snapped. "And if I remember correctly, I saved you from being blown up by tanks! I carried you to safety in an artillery range!"

She remembered that all too well. She remembered his strong arms carrying her to safety and how the desert sun, setting behind his head, made him look almost angelic, despite the fact that he was dressed in all black. And in that moment, she realized that had she and Wally met under different circumstances, they would've been great friends... And maybe even a little bit more.

"You're right, you did..." She chuckles.
"Say what...? You're agreeing with me...? No snappy comment? No defensive insult?"
"No... Just a thank you..."

Ok, now he was confused. This was completely unlike her. She was never nice, and she was never one to give up a fight. That's probably why he liked her... Wait, no he didn't like her. She was too much of a spitfire... Hmm... That word seemed so familiar to him, but he couldn't place where he had heard it.

When Wally finally came out of his thoughts, he noticed Artemis was taking off her top.

"WHOA, ARTY! What are you doing!?"
"Calm down, I've got a shirt on under this..." She says with a raised eyebrow. A short white-beater, that exposed even more of her mid-drift that her uniform, lay underneath. She folded the top up and layed back on it.

"Might as well get comfortable... We may be here for awhile..."
Wally was skeptical, but he knew that all the oxygen would be lower than the carbon dioxide they were breathing out. He folded his top up and layed down on it too.

Artemis looked over and grinned a little. "Are you scared I'm gonna' bite?" She asked.
"No..." He said as he quickly moved next to her.

And there they were, side by side, looking up at the metallic roofing of their prison, imagining the clouds and the sun that were probably out by now. The peaceful thought was interrupted by Wally's calculations. He couldn't help but wonder how much oxygen was left inside the vault. It was large. Large enough to house an entire army.

But they had tried frantically to escape. They had set fire and made explosions and they had been inside it for well over 3 hours. After a few more moments, Wally's eyes widened.

They had burned up most of their air. Only another 20 minutes probably remained. That's why they were getting hot. The lack of air was putting a strain on their bodies. He wanted to warn her, he wanted to say something, but there was no telling how far away their team was. Would doing so only decrease their remaining time?

"Wally...?"
He looked over, intent on telling her to remain quiet, but the look in her eyes pleaded for him to hear her.
"Yeah..."
"We probably don't have much air left..."
He stared at her, slightly amazed.
"I wanna' ask you something...?"

"If we had met like we did in Biyalia... Where would we be now...?"
He paused, unsure of how to answer that question. He didn't trust her. He didn't think she was the type to open up so quickly... But the sincerity of her eyes was reassuring.
"Well..." He sighed. "I don't know about you... But I'd probably be treating you like M'gann..."
"Thought so..." She chuckled.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" He tried to sit up but was pushed back down.

Artemis flung her leg over him and placed her hands in his chest. She sat back allowing him to see her clearly. She was stunning. Her hair seemed to glow from the lights above and her lips shimmered, despite the fact that they were probably chapped now... But it was her eyes that really got to him.

They were blue, like many other blondes... But she had an oriental look to them. She never wore mascara, but her eye lashes made it seem as if they were outlined in the dark make-up.

Wally stared at her, not sure how to react. His face matched his mentor's uniform now: Bright and Red. She lowered her face down into his and pressed her forehead against his.

"Don't you wish we would have met that way...?" She asked with her eyes closed.
Wally didn't respond... But his body began to. Before he realized it, he was leaning up, inching his lips closer to hers. She raised her hands behind his neck and pulled him in slightly. Just before they touched, they both stopped and slowly opened their eyes.

He stared into her. Not just at her body, but into her eyes. Into the portal of her very soul. He saw who she really was behind her tough and defensive exterior. He saw a woman who just wanted to make a difference... Someone with his same goal.

She looked into his eyes and felt things she knew she shouldn't feel, especially for him. He was nothing like the guys she claimed were her type. But he was passionate. He was determined. He was like her in that instance. Two kindred spirits forced to see their similarities.

She couldn't help but scoff at the idea.
"So... You wanna' make out...?" He snickered.
"... In your dreams..." She laughed as she slowly got up. But as she stood to her feet, she found herself falling back down. She was dizzy and light-headed. The air was running out even faster than they had expected.

Wally was feeling it now, too. He looked at her as she grasped her throat and felt something for her that he had only felt once before: A desire to protect her. He stumbled to one of the walls with her arrow in hand.

"What are you doing...?" She choked out.
"... I wish I was entirely sure..." He panted. Wally winced up, already knowing what would happen next. He pressed his hand against the wall and began to vibrate. He moved his body as fast as he could. His intentions was to move his molecules, but he was failing as usual. Blood was now dripping from his nose. He covered it with one hand and looked over at her as she stared intently, her last moments quickly fading.

"I don't have a choice!" He thought to himself. "I've got to do it! There's no other way!" He started up again. This time his head began to throb and his eyes began to sting. His body was aching from the act and he was feeling as if he was ripping himself apart... But then he felt it... His hand felt like it was going through some thick jello.

He looked up, still cupping his bleeding nose to see his arm now engulfed by the wall. He reached out and grabbed the arrow and continued to vibrate. The pain he was feeling was intense, but as he began to progress further and further through the walls, he felt it slowly subsiding. Now he was getting dizzy and nauseous. This was far too much for him. He was inexperienced, he couldn't do it. But just as that doubt began to fill his mind, he found himself falling. He had made it through and was now tumbling down the side of the vault onto cold concrete.

He looked up to see 'Gotham Shipyard' plastered on the vessels all around him. HIS TEAM WAS CLOSE! He gasped for air as he grabbed the arrow with his blood covered hand and smashed the head into the ground. It let out a loud screech like a wounded owl, and though it caused his ears great pain, he knew it would do the trick.

In a matter of moments, he heard the all-too-familiar buzzing of the bio ship. He found himself fighting off unconsciousness as his team landed.

"He's bleeding!" He heard M'gann yell. "Get him inside, Ronin!" Kaldur commended.
"No!" He shouted so loud that it even surprised him. "Artemis is in there! Get her out!" He said as he fell onto the ground. The blood loss had gotten to him. He was fading quick. The last sight he saw was Conner launching at the metal vault with his trademark battle-cry.

*****************************************

Wally awoke several hours later, back at Mount Justice. He looked around, confused as to how he had gotten there, but it all came back quickly. "Arty!" He shouted.

"Baywatch... Do you have to be so loud...?" She mumbled. He sat up in his bed but hunched over from dizziness. He scanned the room for the source of the sound and quickly found her. There she was, right across from him in a similar bed.

"You're ok..." He said as if amazed.
"Yeah... Conner broke me out right after you disappeared... Did you faze through the wall...?" She asked groggily.
"... Kinda'..." He said with a slight smile. He wanted to look up, but was still too light headed from the blood loss. A bag of A+ plasma was draining into his arm as testament to his ordeal.

"Kaldur said you could've killed yourself doing that..."
"... Well, we would have died anyway... I didn't have a choice..."
"Thank you..."
Wally wanted to make a smart remark. He wanted to gloat that she had thanked him twice in one day, but he was still too tired to fight with her.

"No problem... Ninja Girlfriend..." He smirked.
"Idiot..." She said as she rolled her eyes.
He slowly leaned back and rested his head on the pillow.

His bed was arched up just enough so that he could see her, peacefully falling asleep. She wrinkled her nose as if telling him not to stare... Even now she was fighting.

"What a spitfire..." He thought to himself.
He suddenly remembered the words of Doctor Fate.
Wally gazed upon her as if confused for a second and then smiled. "Guess I finally found you..." He said gently.
"...Whatever, Baywatch..." She mumbled with a smile.