You said yourself, he got out because he was bored and now he's bored again. And wherever he's from, I'm pretty sure he has a TV. Or has read a newspaper. You two are sidekicks to two of the biggest heroes in the Justice League--everyone knows about you.
[And, if it turns out he's worked Sportsmaster, there's even a very slim chance he's heard the name "Artemis Crock" before, which isn't helping her anxiety level.
Artemis can tell Wally is freaking out and when she's calmer she'll feel bad about getting on his case. Right now, though, she's feeling pretty guilty and upset herself. They've all let down their guard and now the one person who could have figured a way out of this mess is missing.
She sees him pulling out his comm and catches him by the wrist.]
[Wally tugs his wrist free.] Calling Power Girl. She knows about me and Robin- like in the future or something, I don't know, but I trust her. She might know where he is.
[He leaves a message when she doesn't pick up but frowns at his comm. She doesn't usually not pick up. Whenever he texted her she always got right back to him.
What if she's missing too? This is just like something the Shade would do. What if he's grabbing people from their world?] I think we should go find the Shade and get some answers.
So, let's get out of the way the fact that we have like zero chance of beating him in a fight. Our plan should probably be to get info, and if he has Rob then also get Rob, and then get out. Right?
[The entire rest of the way to House 28 is spent texting Jaime and wondering if there's any way he can show Artemis Robin's room while still protecting his secret identity. Robin doesn't keep any pictures, or really much of anything that gives his room any personality. Wally can probably get in there and sweep it for identifiers before letting her in.
Yeah. That's all he can do. ...and also lock his own door so she doesn't go in there and see what is very obviously Wally West's room. No reason to make it easier for her to figure out who Robin is.
God, Robin is going to be so mad at him later. Oh well.]
Hold on, let me uh- let me go check for traps. Trip wires and stuff, you know how paranoid he is.
[Wally darts inside before Artemis can even answer, speeds through the room and grabs anything that could possibly identify Dick Grayson, throws it into his own room and locks the door.
Artemis is already on her way up once he finishes. Hopefully she didn't hear that door click.]
It's this one.
[Predictably, there's nothing out of place.] Okay so, you look around and see if you find anything. I got a guy who might be able to track Rob down, so I'm gonna take something over to him and see what he can do. [Wally searches around, grabs a hoodie and rolls it up under his arm.] I'll call you before I do anything about Shade, okay?
[If Wally is acting jumpier than normal, Artemis doesn't really notice. It feels weird being in someone else's house--especially since the military housing makes it look basically just like her own. It's even weirder to be in Robin's room. Robin is... well, private would be putting it way too mildly. Artemis tries not to push him, especially since she really doesn't want him to push her back. It's bad enough that he caught her at the Gotham zeta tube that one time.
So she's not really looking forward to pawing through his stuff. Still, this is an emergency. She'll just have to apologize afterwards.
Assuming she gets the chance.]
Okay, if you think it will help. I'll... be here.
[She looks around Robin's room wondering where she should even start. It's already pretty obvious that nobody broke in and dragged Robin out the window or anything, which was sort of the kind of evidence she was hoping for. Well, maybe the new super-eyes will help...]
... I'll call you if I find anything.
[She gets to work and starts snooping, adding almost as an afterthought] Be careful.
[No smart-ass remarks this time. He watches Artemis pick gingerly, toss back that, 'be careful' like they're not about to do something amazingly dumb (or exactly because they are, whatever) and he nods.] Okay.
[KF takes off out of the house; the structure shudders with the force of his departure and he's gone in just a second.
It's not even thirty minutes later that he's calling Artemis.]
S'me. He didn't find anything. We gotta go with the Shade plan.
[Thirty minutes is plenty of time for Artemis to realize that there's nothing here. Robin's room is as clean and impersonal as a hotel room. The only strange thing is how completely lacking in clues it really is.
It's either the work of a criminal mastermind or a very paranoid Bat.
It's also plenty of time for her to reconsider "the Shade plan" in all its glory. She hasn't come up with anything better, of course, she's just very aware of how easily this plan could get them (and perhaps Robin) killed.
She swears under her breath when Wally breaks the news.]
There's nothing here, either. Have you contacted Shade yet?
I dunno, but I really don't think beating an answer out of him is gonna be possible, not without a plan. And I'm fresh out of plans. [or never had any to begin with but that's just nitpicking]
He says he's retired. He might not've taken Robin; if he says no, then we investigate and make sure, but if he says yes -and c'mon that's not really a stretch for him to do- then we know.
[Artemis catches a glimpse of him outside Robin's window--weirdly relieved that he hasn't also been snatched off the face of the planet--and hastily hangs up her comm to go out and meet him. She gives him a tight-lipped nod when she's outside.
She waits quietly with a tense expression for him to make the call. Even if they're not challenging the Shade directly, she doesn't want to give him the advantage of knowing there's anyone else involved in this terrible plan.]
[Artemis is totally looking over his shoulder. Shade has either kidnapped Robin, the most capable of their team and one of the very few people that Artemis might actually call a friend, or he's about to realize just how annoying Kid Flash really is and come after them. Either way, Artemis is not missing out, even if it means having to get into Wally's personal space to read the comm.
She makes responsive noises as appropriate. Mostly scoffing because seriously, Wally?]
[Kid Flash starts losing his patience with the Shade and shoulders Artemis away.] Would you stop hovering already? I've got it handled. [no he doesn't]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action
[And, if it turns out he's worked Sportsmaster, there's even a very slim chance he's heard the name "Artemis Crock" before, which isn't helping her anxiety level.
Artemis can tell Wally is freaking out and when she's calmer she'll feel bad about getting on his case. Right now, though, she's feeling pretty guilty and upset herself. They've all let down their guard and now the one person who could have figured a way out of this mess is missing.
She sees him pulling out his comm and catches him by the wrist.]
What are you doing?
action
[He leaves a message when she doesn't pick up but frowns at his comm. She doesn't usually not pick up. Whenever he texted her she always got right back to him.
What if she's missing too? This is just like something the Shade would do. What if he's grabbing people from their world?] I think we should go find the Shade and get some answers.
action
She adjusts her quiver and hopes they're not about to make a big mistake.]
I think you might be right. Do you know where to find him?
action
[Wally folds his arms tight and thinks. He should check on Jamie, too.]
...but I know he likes throw-down superhero versus villain fights. We could try luring him out.
action
action
We've gotta do something.
action
... Okay. But we have to be smart about it. It's not going to help Robin if we both get snatched or whatever.
action
So, let's get out of the way the fact that we have like zero chance of beating him in a fight. Our plan should probably be to get info, and if he has Rob then also get Rob, and then get out. Right?
action
[They are so dead.]
How were you planning to lure him out?
action
[Mega-dead.]
action
Then shrugs with a sigh of resignation. This guy has met Wally, so maybe he'll buy it.]
This is the dumbest thing we've ever done. Okay, do it, but don't say anything about me. Don't let him know you have backup.
[ooc: I'm going to work and won't be back til 10pm EST, so feel free to kick things off with shade without me]
action
Yeah. That's all he can do. ...and also lock his own door so she doesn't go in there and see what is very obviously Wally West's room. No reason to make it easier for her to figure out who Robin is.
God, Robin is going to be so mad at him later. Oh well.]
Hold on, let me uh- let me go check for traps. Trip wires and stuff, you know how paranoid he is.
[Wally darts inside before Artemis can even answer, speeds through the room and grabs anything that could possibly identify Dick Grayson, throws it into his own room and locks the door.
Artemis is already on her way up once he finishes. Hopefully she didn't hear that door click.]
It's this one.
[Predictably, there's nothing out of place.] Okay so, you look around and see if you find anything. I got a guy who might be able to track Rob down, so I'm gonna take something over to him and see what he can do. [Wally searches around, grabs a hoodie and rolls it up under his arm.] I'll call you before I do anything about Shade, okay?
action
So she's not really looking forward to pawing through his stuff. Still, this is an emergency. She'll just have to apologize afterwards.
Assuming she gets the chance.]
Okay, if you think it will help. I'll... be here.
[She looks around Robin's room wondering where she should even start. It's already pretty obvious that nobody broke in and dragged Robin out the window or anything, which was sort of the kind of evidence she was hoping for. Well, maybe the new super-eyes will help...]
... I'll call you if I find anything.
[She gets to work and starts snooping, adding almost as an afterthought] Be careful.
action --> call
[KF takes off out of the house; the structure shudders with the force of his departure and he's gone in just a second.
It's not even thirty minutes later that he's calling Artemis.]
S'me. He didn't find anything. We gotta go with the Shade plan.
action --> call
It's either the work of a criminal mastermind or a very paranoid Bat.
It's also plenty of time for her to reconsider "the Shade plan" in all its glory. She hasn't come up with anything better, of course, she's just very aware of how easily this plan could get them (and perhaps Robin) killed.
She swears under her breath when Wally breaks the news.]
There's nothing here, either. Have you contacted Shade yet?
call
Man I wish Kaldur was here.
...Art, I dunno if we should try to trick him anymore. I mean, it'll just piss him off, right? Maybe we should just outright ask him.
call
[She sighs heavily, sitting on the edge of Robin's bed.]
But why would he just tell us?
call
He says he's retired. He might not've taken Robin; if he says no, then we investigate and make sure, but if he says yes -and c'mon that's not really a stretch for him to do- then we know.
call
[And it's a mark of just how hopeless this is getting that she's willing to admit that.]
Are you coming back here or do I need to get a ride?
call --> action
action
She waits quietly with a tense expression for him to make the call. Even if they're not challenging the Shade directly, she doesn't want to give him the advantage of knowing there's anyone else involved in this terrible plan.]
action
In the bluntest way possible.
Hopefully Artemis is not reading this trainwreck over his shoulder.]
action
She makes responsive noises as appropriate. Mostly scoffing because seriously, Wally?]
action
action
[She bumps him with her own shoulder. Hard.]
He's running circles around you! Quit giving him so much information and get to the point!
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action