Young Justice Season 3 - Life Behind the Mask

Episode/Chapter 10 - Dreams

- Nightwing's P.O.V. -
"Good morning, Dick." I could hear Artemis say even though I was only half awake. Then I felt her running her fingers through my hair. I stretched and opened my eyes. She was lying in bed next to me. Man, I love her so much. I wanted to give her a kiss, but she had already gotten out of bed.
"Sweetie, how are you feeling? That was a pretty bad incident the other night." Artemis said as she exited. I rolled out of bed and went through the usual schedule: Shower, brush my teeth, get changed, etcetera, etcetera. Then I headed out of the bedroom where Artemis was already changed.
"Come on, let's go to work." Artemis said as she walked out the front door. I followed right behind her. We headed to the nearest Zeta tube in Palo Alto and we zeta'd to the cave.
________________________
"Okay guys. let's see what missions we have today." I said as I stepped into the cave with Artemis. Everyone was already in the briefing room when we got there, which was kind of odd.
"We have to..." I tried saying, but for some reason, I felt like I was being pushed back and I couldn't say anything. I tried saying something else, but when I did, I felt like I was talking on the inside, but not out...wait a second...no. This can't be happening....how?! Wait... Fear... found out all my fears.... being controlled...Who is it?! This is not good! I can't control my body! Who's in control then?! No!
"Nightwing?" I could hear everyone calling my name and shaking me, but for some reason, I couldn't make my own body say anything to them. Someone has taken control.
"Remember me?" I heard a familiar voice in my head.
"Psimon! What have you done to me?!" I yelled, but I'm the only one who could hear myself.
"Remember what had happened to Blue Beetle two years ago? Yes, well, we also heard that that was one of your fears, so...sit back and enjoy the show!" Psimon replied.
"No!" I yelled. But my body has already started moving and talking on its own....with the help of Psimon.
"Sorry guys. I just had a realization, that's all." I heard my body say.
"Oh, okay. I thought something had happened to you all of a sudden." Impulse said.
"No! Guys! This isn't me! It's Psimon! M'gann! read my mind! Do something!" I tried getting to them.
"Stop it hero. You're yelling is giving me a headache." Psimon told me. Suddenly, my body grabbed my batons.
"No...stop!!" I tried yelling.
"Nightwing?" Blue Beetle asked nervously. I saw that the team, my friends as close as family, were slowly backing away from me. I tried to fight for control over my own body, so I started fighting an invisible Psimon.
"This is confusing." I thought out loud. I finally made my way and gained full control of myself. I fell over and sat panting on the ground in the process.
"Nightwing!" Artemis shouted and ran over to me.
"What happened?!" Robin asked.
"Psimo-" but before I could finish my sentence, Psimon yanked my conscience from my body and I was thrown back down again. Now Psimon had control of my body again.
"Psimon! Don't hurt them!" I yelled.
"No. Psimon says he just doesn't care." Psimon said and laughed as he got my body up off teh ground. As soon as my body was standing, it grabbed my black metal batons and the first Psimon knocked out was Impulse.
"NIGHTWING!" Artemis screamed, and it hurt me to hear her scream at me like that. But Psimon didn't stop there. He used all my abilities and skills and took out all my friends, starting with Impulse, then Mal, then Bumblebee, then Arsenal, then Lagoon Boy, Wonder Girl, Supergirl, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad, until I was left with only three people: Batgirl, Robin, and Artemis.
"No! Robin's like a brother to me! Don't touch ANY of them! Please!" I pleaded.
"Such a shame then." Psimon said and he attempted to hit Batgirl and Robin out, but they fought him. It hurt to watch my body fight my friends, team mates, family. I remembered training with these two and Batman. It hurt to watch Psimon win and watch them both fall on the ground just like everyone else.
"Dick! Stop! What's wrong? I can help! Please let me help you!" Artemis pleaded, "I'm not going to fight you!"
"Good. Makes my job easier." Psimon told me. For once in a very long time, I felt tears stream down my cheeks. Many people know me to not be moved by a whole lot of things, but this was too overwhelming. GAH! I'm LOSING IT!!!!! I can't stay underwhelmed, nor can I stay WHELMED!! This is a disaster. Definitely NOT the aster. Disaster. Heavy on the dis. No! What am I saying?! Artemis!
"Okay, Psimon. We're done here. Leave her. I don't want to hurt her! I love her!" I yelled.
"So? Why should I care?" Psimon asked and he held his arm back ready to strike. I couldn't do anything about it. I could only sit, watch, and yell all I want, but nothing will change.
"NO!!!"
"Psimon!" I yelled. Suddenly, I found myself in bed. I looked to my left and saw Artemis sleeping soundly. Alive. Conscious. It was midnight. I groaned and fell back on my pillow and fell asleep and thought to myself: What kind of dream was that?! Then I heard Artemis turning. I didn't want to wake her, so I laid back down with my back towards her and fell asleep immediately.

- Artemis' P.O.V. -
"Artemis! Behind you!" I heard Nightwing yell. I turned around and immediately punched the guy behind me in the face. I was too overwhelmed to notice who it was.
"Too much people...feeling a little overwhelmed..." I muttered under my breath as I ran to Nightwing
"Stay whelmed. We'll make it through this together." Nightwing held my hand and shot me a comforting smile. I smiled and nodded back at him. We ran in opposite directions and fought more bad guys.
"Arty! I'm going to the top floor. He's gotta be up there." Nightwing called as he swung from a rope to the top floor.
"Okay..." I said. Then I turned to Zatanna, "Hey, Zee. Can you link Nightwing and I up for a second?" Zatanna nodded and linked us up.
>> Dick? << I asked.
>> Artemis! << he responded.
>> Be careful. << I said.
>> Hey, uh, Babe. We may or may not get out of this alive. I'm fighting the big guy right now. <<
>> What?! <<
>> I just wanted you to know... I love you... << tears filled my eyes right there, >> and if we do get out of this... and I know this isn't the proper place to do it and everything, but... <<
>> Yes? << I asked waiting for what he was going to say.
>> Will you marry me? << now I just let all my tears cascade down my face. I covered the smile that formed on my face. I smiled and cried right there. In the middle of a fight. >> Arty? <<
>> I'm sorry...yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! I love you too! << I cried and went back to fighting as soon as Zatanna cut the link.
"Did you hear that?" I asked Zatanna, who looked like she was about to start crying.
"Not if you didn't want me too." Zatanna called as she fought another bad guy.
"It's okay." I said as she finished and ran over to me, and she squeezed me as tight as she did on the first day of school.
"OH! Arty! I remember the day when we were just talking about you asking him out! Now you're getting married!" Zatanna squealed as tears ran down her face too. I wiped them off and she hugged me again. Suddenly, the hissing sound from the roof stopped.
"D-did we win?" I heard M'gann ask as she defeated the last bad guy.
"I think we did!" I beamed and I hugged Zatanna and spun around making my way to the door to the roof.
"Whoa, what's got your head in the clouds?" Impulse asked.
"I'll tell you later. Right now, I have to go find someone!" I said happily and ran up the stairs to the top floor. I ran through the door. The sky was clear, full of stars, a full moon, the perfect scene, until I saw something that killed me. Tears streamed down my face. And they weren't happy tears.
"Dick!!!" I screamed. But then I found myself in bed laying next to Dick himself. I immediately wrapped my arms around him and held him tight, not caring whether or not he was awake or asleep. Apparently it was the middle of the night, and he WAS asleep.
"...Artemis?" Dick asked with his back towards me.
"Dick! Oh my gosh... I had the worst dream...no...nightmare..." I squeezed him tighter and I hid my face into his bare shoulder.He rolled over so his face was level with mine.
"What was it?" He asked.
"I...I don't even want to think about it...you..." I cried. He immediately realized what had happened and he started shushing me and hugging me.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Sweetie. It's okay. I'm here. And I'll always be here for you. Okay? I'm here." Dick assured me as I cried on his shoulder, "I actually had a pretty bad dream too...I can't even say what happened either." I looked up at him.
"You too?" I asked, and I hesitated to ask the first question that popped into my head, but I asked anyways, "do you think these dreams are...signs?" Dick stared at me and shut his eyes and closed them tight.
"I really hope not..." Dick muttered. I held his face.
"In my dream...you... proposed to me." I smiled. He stared at me, "telepathically, actually. During a mission before you..." And I didn't even want to finish my sentence.
"Well, then I guess I'm going to have to do it sooner, huh?" Dick smirked. I slapped him playfully.
"Too early, silly!' I giggled, "but then when you do propose...it can't be during a mission, or else what happened will-" and before I could finish my sentence, Dick kissed me. Oh, how that boy knows how to shut me up in the best ways.
"You won't lose me." Dick said.
"Promise?" I looked at him and he smiled.
"Promise."
___________________________________________________________________
Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed it! This was the saddest episode/chapter I've had to write.......so far. Please comment on what you think will happen and what YOU guys think the dreams meant! Get ready for Episode/chapter 11, Gone! Don't forget to Comment and criticize, folks! (and vote while you're at it!) :D