IC CONTACT - MASK OR MENACE

[performance]

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[performance]

Team leader, right here.

[ He jerks a thumb toward his chest. He would look more excited about it, except Kaldur is still a big question mark. That, and he's practically going grey trying to do it here. How does Kaldur do it? ]

Future me sounds pretty stressed out. I dunno, Art, I'm pretty sure I get all tense and serious. He's so surprised when I kid around. And—

[ And then there's the stuff Carrie had told him. That he'd had a falling out with Batman, that his successor was killed... He doesn't know how much of that holds true where Bart's from. He's not sure he wants to know. ]

... Look, it's just a lot. Be careful what you ask.

[real_archer]

... Huh.

[She leans back, taking that in. She wonders what happens that makes Robin so stressed and also...]

I mean, I'm not saying you're a bad leader, because you're totally not. [Get traught or get dead, Artemis would pretty much follow Robin anywhere and she can't believe that him suddenly being uptight would change that.] But... what about Kaldur?

[performance]

I don't know. That's about where he clammed up.

And KF says I can't tie him to a chair and pump him full of truth serum. [ straight-faced, this one. ]

[real_archer]

[Artemis scoffs at that.]

So now we're listening to Wally for tactical advice? You get the truth serum and I'll get the chair.

[performance]

He'd probably vibrate right through it. Apparently that's a thing.

[real_archer]

That's a thing? [Color Artemis impressed.] Can all speedsters do that? Why doesn't Wally do that?

[performance]

You didn't know?

[ Robin winces. Ouch. ]

Flash can. Impulse can. KF, not so much. His top speed's not as high as theirs, either. Please don't mention it.

[real_archer]

What? Why would I mention it? I'm not a total jerk.

[Well... maybe like 75% a jerk, but not enough to go rubbing Wally's face in it like that. Especially not with everything the team has been willing to accept about her.

Yeah, the whole team. It was a busy week.]

[performance]

Which is why I'm telling you now. So it doesn't come up.

[ Only he's allowed to pick on Wally about it. ]

[real_archer]

I wouldn't--okay, fine.

[Fair, as long as Artemis gets to pick on him for everything else.]

So... [And here's the thing she really didn't want to ask. It's been a month, but she's just now remembering so it feels fresh.] Did anything else happen with the Colorado thing?

[performance]

... We're working on tracking them down. It's slow going, but we're making progress.

[ It's probably a disappointing answer, but it's better than nothing. Or worse, that they struck again. ]

[real_archer]

Okay. [Definitely not the answer she was hoping for, but better than the one she was dreading.] You know I'm in if you need me on that. Just give me a target.

[performance]

You know I will.

[real_archer]

Yeah, you'd better. I'm not kidding.

[Look at this face. This is the face of someone who just helped save the Justice League and kicked her dad in the head.

These assholes don't stand a chance.]

[performance]

I know you're not. And I want to help this time.

[real_archer]

What do you mean, help this time? I kind of remember you helping a lot last time.

[performance]

[ I should've been there. ]

... hah. It's not as satisfying if I don't get to rough them up a little, Artemis, you know that.

[real_archer]

The only things I got to rough up were some mechanical droid monsters and Wally. Which really wasn't as satisfying as you might think. You actually got us out of there so yeah, I'd say you helped a lot.

[She shrugs.]

But whatever, it was ages ago, right?

[performance]

... He never told me that.

[real_archer]

Never told you... what?

[Shit. She's only been back a few hours and she's already letting stuff slip? That has to be a record.]

[performance]

... Anything.

[ No one had. So he'd helped track them down in the end — so what? Everything he'd heard, he'd heard from the network. Not Wally and not Artemis. It wasn't something the team went through. Even if he still dreams about it. ]

Doesn't matter. We'll get them. And if anyone gets to rough anyone up, hey, you'll get your chance.

[real_archer]

Yeah, well... I guess I got some distance.

[Only yesterday she didn't even remember what had happened in that arena. Now she can't believe she ever forgot.]

... God, this is all so weird. How did you deal with it when you went away and came back?

[performance]

[ Now she gets it.

They hadn't asked what had happened. Not beyond the mole and the situation with Sportsmaster. So they knew what they needed to know, and not what any of it had meant to him (not the mission at Haly's), and that was— fine. The professional way of doing it. What was a secondhand retelling of their lives, anyway? And how would he begin to explain? ]

There wasn't anything to deal with. I got back, I processed it, and I moved on.

[real_archer]

[Her lips twist into a wry smile.]

Be careful what you ask, right?

[performance]

[ Right back at you. ]

Exactly.