from me: to fuzzy_paint
after burn
young justice
.g | team (artemis pov) | 925
spoilers/warnings: all aired episodes, speculation for s2
summary: The hand that's clenched in the ground is covered with dirt and blood. Someone is holding it. The sky is still burning with the aftermath of the explosion.
n: pssst, fuzz? I wrote your other prompt too bc lol they were both so good, but it's coming later. ;)
AFTER BURN
The hand that's clenched in the ground is covered with dirt and blood. Someone is holding it. The sky is still burning with the aftermath of the explosion. The invasion is done. Artemis can't tell who's hand is clenching around hers on the ground. Her eyes are closed and she can still feel the flames on her face; can feel it more where her uniform burnt off. Her mask is in pieces somewhere. Tigress is in pieces somewhere; she's done. Artemis is the only thing that remains and her back hurts.
Forcing her eyes open, she looks to her left to see who's her hand like a lifeline.
There are so many people she would like to see, but only one that she needs to see.
Under the soot and blood there's Jade. Her bone white mask is gone too.
Artemis smiles.
Jade blinks at her, smirks, because Jade doesn't smile. Artemis sighs. Sitting up, she look around. She catches a glimpse of red not that far away from her and pushes herself up on bruised arms and legs.
Around her the sounds of others filter in as she makes her way to… it's Red Robin. Tim. Kneeling, she touches her fingers to his pulse point and prays. There's a heartbeat, strong, but now she can tell what she missed before. His breathing is shallow. There's a shift so light in the air she barely notices but know, Jade is behind her.
"Is he alive?"
Artemis nods, "Yes, but we need to get him out of here. We all should get out of here." She looks around, catches glimpses of black and red (Connor), blue (Blue Beetle), yellow and red (Wondergirl), black and yellow (Karen), green (M'gann and Garth), blue and black (Dick), and… there's the yellow and white of the Speedsters. She can hear them waking up. She wants to laughs.
They made it.
A groan comes from behind her and she turns. Kaldur is walking toward her, Red Arrow at his side. She can't tell who's supporting who they both look like they'll keel over if the let the other go.
Her eyes mist over.
They all made it.
Jade moves past her, slow and sure. Artemis can tell she's favouring her left side. She goes straight to Roy and with a hard look to Kaldur that he returns they switch places. Roy and Jade fold into each other. Red and green. Artemis thinks of Lian, smiles. Kaldur moves from them and stumbles a few steps. Artemis pushes herself and grabs an arm, draping it over her shoulder. Kaldur leans into her side.
"Thank you." His words are still coming in slow, stilted, from what M'gann did. He's recovering, but slowly.
She shakes her head, "Don't forget, I'm your right hand gal."
He smiles. "Yes." He looks around, "Everyone?"
"We made it." M'gann?, she calls out mentally, because they really need to get out here. The sky burns bright red and orange above them. Aftermath of what they've had to do. What they've had to sacrifice.
Linking everyone up now, Artemis hears M'gann voice in her head and it's maybe more of a comfort than seeing everyone. Next to her Kaldur flinches. Not a comfort for everyone, not anymore; it makes her heart ache. The Bio Ship is still intact.
"Good," Artemis says out loud as everyone starts to converge. Tim's up. Connor is holding him up. Jaimie and Bart are standing together. They all share slow nods and smiles. Everyone looks at her and Kaldur like strangers. Behind her she hears her sister mutter something rude. She ignores it.
Wally steps up to them. Artemis smiles at him.
"Hey."
"Hey," he whispers back. It looks for a second like he want to lunge for and hug her but he hold himself back and there are things in his eyes she thought she'd never see. She's sure there are things in her eyes he wishes he wasn't seeing too. Dick walks between them and lays a hand on Kaldur's shoulder. Barbara is standing behind him, her eyes hard on Artemis.
She wonders when they all got so old.
Dick's voice cuts through the heavy silence of unspoken words and betrayals. "Come on, everyone, let's go home. League's waiting."
"Yes, let… us go." Kaldur surprises them all by speaking up. In some ways he's still a leader. (Artemis doesn't miss how M'gann filches. Or how Connor's face sets.)
The Bio Ship lands and opens in front of them all like it's just been waiting for the command to take them all home. Dick helps her walk Kaldur up the ramp and lay down. Wally helps Jade with Roy. The others take care of each other.
As M'gann guides them home, Artemis closes her eyes and thinks of all the blood that was split, of how the sky burns red, and will burn red for hours. Of how everything that's been lost and the few things that have been regained. Of the bonds have been remade, of the ones changed forever. She does not want to think of them broken; not now, not yet. There's always hope, isn't there? She feels Jade's familiar hand pull her close, cradling Artemis to her like she used to do when they were little and Artemis would have nightmares. Life times ago. Squeezing her eyes shut, Artemis feels the tears that begin falling silently down her cheeks. Behind her closed eyes she still sees the world burning red.
young justice
.g | team (artemis pov) | 925
spoilers/warnings: all aired episodes, speculation for s2
summary: The hand that's clenched in the ground is covered with dirt and blood. Someone is holding it. The sky is still burning with the aftermath of the explosion.
n: pssst, fuzz? I wrote your other prompt too bc lol they were both so good, but it's coming later. ;)
AFTER BURN
The hand that's clenched in the ground is covered with dirt and blood. Someone is holding it. The sky is still burning with the aftermath of the explosion. The invasion is done. Artemis can't tell who's hand is clenching around hers on the ground. Her eyes are closed and she can still feel the flames on her face; can feel it more where her uniform burnt off. Her mask is in pieces somewhere. Tigress is in pieces somewhere; she's done. Artemis is the only thing that remains and her back hurts.
Forcing her eyes open, she looks to her left to see who's her hand like a lifeline.
There are so many people she would like to see, but only one that she needs to see.
Under the soot and blood there's Jade. Her bone white mask is gone too.
Artemis smiles.
Jade blinks at her, smirks, because Jade doesn't smile. Artemis sighs. Sitting up, she look around. She catches a glimpse of red not that far away from her and pushes herself up on bruised arms and legs.
Around her the sounds of others filter in as she makes her way to… it's Red Robin. Tim. Kneeling, she touches her fingers to his pulse point and prays. There's a heartbeat, strong, but now she can tell what she missed before. His breathing is shallow. There's a shift so light in the air she barely notices but know, Jade is behind her.
"Is he alive?"
Artemis nods, "Yes, but we need to get him out of here. We all should get out of here." She looks around, catches glimpses of black and red (Connor), blue (Blue Beetle), yellow and red (Wondergirl), black and yellow (Karen), green (M'gann and Garth), blue and black (Dick), and… there's the yellow and white of the Speedsters. She can hear them waking up. She wants to laughs.
They made it.
A groan comes from behind her and she turns. Kaldur is walking toward her, Red Arrow at his side. She can't tell who's supporting who they both look like they'll keel over if the let the other go.
Her eyes mist over.
They all made it.
Jade moves past her, slow and sure. Artemis can tell she's favouring her left side. She goes straight to Roy and with a hard look to Kaldur that he returns they switch places. Roy and Jade fold into each other. Red and green. Artemis thinks of Lian, smiles. Kaldur moves from them and stumbles a few steps. Artemis pushes herself and grabs an arm, draping it over her shoulder. Kaldur leans into her side.
"Thank you." His words are still coming in slow, stilted, from what M'gann did. He's recovering, but slowly.
She shakes her head, "Don't forget, I'm your right hand gal."
He smiles. "Yes." He looks around, "Everyone?"
"We made it." M'gann?, she calls out mentally, because they really need to get out here. The sky burns bright red and orange above them. Aftermath of what they've had to do. What they've had to sacrifice.
Linking everyone up now, Artemis hears M'gann voice in her head and it's maybe more of a comfort than seeing everyone. Next to her Kaldur flinches. Not a comfort for everyone, not anymore; it makes her heart ache. The Bio Ship is still intact.
"Good," Artemis says out loud as everyone starts to converge. Tim's up. Connor is holding him up. Jaimie and Bart are standing together. They all share slow nods and smiles. Everyone looks at her and Kaldur like strangers. Behind her she hears her sister mutter something rude. She ignores it.
Wally steps up to them. Artemis smiles at him.
"Hey."
"Hey," he whispers back. It looks for a second like he want to lunge for and hug her but he hold himself back and there are things in his eyes she thought she'd never see. She's sure there are things in her eyes he wishes he wasn't seeing too. Dick walks between them and lays a hand on Kaldur's shoulder. Barbara is standing behind him, her eyes hard on Artemis.
She wonders when they all got so old.
Dick's voice cuts through the heavy silence of unspoken words and betrayals. "Come on, everyone, let's go home. League's waiting."
"Yes, let… us go." Kaldur surprises them all by speaking up. In some ways he's still a leader. (Artemis doesn't miss how M'gann filches. Or how Connor's face sets.)
The Bio Ship lands and opens in front of them all like it's just been waiting for the command to take them all home. Dick helps her walk Kaldur up the ramp and lay down. Wally helps Jade with Roy. The others take care of each other.
As M'gann guides them home, Artemis closes her eyes and thinks of all the blood that was split, of how the sky burns red, and will burn red for hours. Of how everything that's been lost and the few things that have been regained. Of the bonds have been remade, of the ones changed forever. She does not want to think of them broken; not now, not yet. There's always hope, isn't there? She feels Jade's familiar hand pull her close, cradling Artemis to her like she used to do when they were little and Artemis would have nightmares. Life times ago. Squeezing her eyes shut, Artemis feels the tears that begin falling silently down her cheeks. Behind her closed eyes she still sees the world burning red.