[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]
All right, all right, fine. [Wally fires of another text -though he doesn't have a lot of hope for it- and rubs his face.] Do you have any flashbang arrows or anything like that?
Flashbang's important. Maybe explosive, too. What do you know about this guy? [Wally taps his comm against his thigh anxiously, compulsively checking for an answer every five seconds.]
[If it sounds suspicious, that's because it is suspicious. Everything Artemis knows about the Shade came from her dad, and that means it is not something she has ever intended to share with Kid Flash.
Then again... she doesn't even remember that much, but if it'll help find Robin...]
He's smart, okay? Not your average evil-doer. If he did go for Robin, then he's probably working with someone else who wanted Robin for some reason. That's it, that's all I know. Because I, uh, watch the news.
The Shade could've done it for any number of reasons. And he could just be lying to screw with me, we'll probably never know if he doesn't answer me back.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Mega-dead.]
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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]
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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?
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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?
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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.
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[She sighs heavily, sitting on the edge of Robin's bed.]
But why would he just tell us?
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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.
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[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?
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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.]
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In the bluntest way possible.
Hopefully Artemis is not reading this trainwreck over his shoulder.]
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She makes responsive noises as appropriate. Mostly scoffing because seriously, Wally?]
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[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!
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Okay, then tell him you're going to meet him somewhere.
[She checks her quiver and bow then turns back to Wally.]
We'll make our point in person.
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[If it sounds suspicious, that's because it is suspicious. Everything Artemis knows about the Shade came from her dad, and that means it is not something she has ever intended to share with Kid Flash.
Then again... she doesn't even remember that much, but if it'll help find Robin...]
He's smart, okay? Not your average evil-doer. If he did go for Robin, then he's probably working with someone else who wanted Robin for some reason. That's it, that's all I know. Because I, uh, watch the news.
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[It might be a better excuse than "I saw a ninja movie" but... not much. Artemis is still a terrible liar.]
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[Kid checks his comm again.]
The Shade could've done it for any number of reasons. And he could just be lying to screw with me, we'll probably never know if he doesn't answer me back.
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