TENEBRIS ~ Young Justice

18 ~ A Confusing Congregation

I let out a grunt as my fingers curled tightly around something soft, and upon tugging at the material to bring it into my line of sight, I quickly realized it was stuck beneath me.

My eyes fluttered open to discover I was no longer in the warehouse, but what looked to be the inside of a barn, judging by the rafters and the pungent aroma of stale hay. My head was spinning, and my sight was still fuzzy around the edges; I couldn't pull a straight thought or remember when I'd left the warehouse. The last thing I remembered was Nightwing arguing with Arsenal--

Roy. 

I gasped, shooting up from the bale of hay I was lying on to fully take in my surroundings. I quickly recognized Blue Beetle, Impulse, and Robin standing together in one corner while Nightwing and Superboy were at the entrance with Mr. Kent. With a groan, I slowly ran a hand through my hair, picking out a stray piece of hay or two before removing the burlap swatch that'd been draped over me. However, as soon as I swung my legs over the edge of the bale, my knees gave out beneath me. 

"Shit," I muttered, using the bale as a crutch to push myself off the ground. 

"Need a hand?" 

My head shot up to meet a smirking Arsenal, and I forced myself to focus on my trembling legs to keep from blurting something stupid.

"I'm fine." Arsenal shrugged, folding his arms over his chest. 

"If you say so. How are you feeling?" 

"I'm fine," I repeated, unsure of what else to say. 

"Can I talk to your for a minute? I've got a few questions," he muttered, jerking his head toward a small ladder beside us that led to the loft above our heads. With a nod, I stepped out of the way to let Arsenal climb first. I waited until he'd disappeared over the edge before beginning my own ascent, though I paused about halfway up to shoot a glance over my shoulder at Nightwing. 

"Come on," Arsenal whispered from above, and I continued climbing. His robotic hand wrapped tightly around my wrist when he reached down to pull me the rest of the way. It felt unsettlingly odd, the cold metal on my skin, but I tried to ignore it as I stepped onto the platform. I let out a tired sigh before looking back out over the barn; a sudden wave of dizziness nearly had me diving right back to the floor below. 

The ability to fly made me practically immune to acrophobia, but seeing as I was still woozy from my rest, I unexpectedly staggered forward and nearly threw myself from the loft.  

"Adi!" Arsenal exclaimed, and I was pulled from the edge when he wrapped his arms around me from behind. 

"S-Sorry," I mumbled, holding a hand to my foggy head as Arsenal released me. "I think I'm still waking up." He lowered me onto a stack of bales at the back of the loft, and I sucked in a deep breath as I dug my gloved fingers into my aching temples. Arsenal took a seat beside me, drawing up one of his knees and resting his arm atop it. 

"So, Arsenal--" 

I paused when he scoffed. "Geez, don't you start calling me that, too," he muttered. I frowned, glancing up at him through my bangs. 

"What do you mean? That is your alias, isn't it?" 

"I don't like you calling me that," he clarified, rolling his eyes. "At least, not when we're not on missions." I hummed in response. 

"So, it's okay if I just call you Roy, right?" Arsenal scoffed again. 

"Damn, you've grown dense." He chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile.