Mount Justice

August 10th , 15:45

The entire team stood in the Mission Room in a half-circle while I addressed them.

"I'm sure we can all agree that intra-team friction is only fun for a short time, before it gets repetitive and, you know, boring," I said, "Soooo… let's squash the issue of Artemis once and for all. K.F, you're disappointed Speedy isn't on. We get it. Sucks. But Artemis is here to stay. Doesn't matter what Red Arrow thinks about it. Artemis never did anything wrong. True, or not true?"

Kid Flash sighed angrily, "True. You know, except for being a disrespectful and snarky weirdo."

"Yeah, but she can't help that," I said.

Artemis growled, "And she can talk for herself. And she thinks it's not just about K.F over there giving me a pass. It's about whether I give him a pass."

I sighed, "And suppose you don't. What happens then? You gotta cut him some slack if we're going to be Teen Titans together."

"Titans," they all said at once, and then Aqualad stepped up, "But Gojo is right. Kid Flash, for this conversation only, let's keep it respectful. Artemis, please do the same."

She seemed to simmer down at Aqualad's insistence. Natural-born leader right there.

Wally and Artemis walked up to face each other, "Didn't appreciate your hostility," Artemis said.

"Didn't appreciate you making fun of me for coming in the way I did," Wally said. "I just didn't get the message is all."

"Sure," She said, "Fine. Whatever. Sorry."

"Wow," he scoffed, "Fine, fine. Whatever. Sorry, too."

Wally awkwardly offered her his hand, and she looked at it for a moment before shaking it.

"Great!" I yelled, "Now, let's vote on karaoke night! Show of hands everyone!"

I raised my hand. Megan raised hers as well. Robin chuckled and raised his, too.

Artemis raised an eyebrow instead of her hand.

"C'mon!" I said, "Don't you wanna hear what these pipes can do?"

She snorted, "You know what? Fine." Then she turned to Wally with a mocking grin, "What, you scared to sing in public?"

He scoffed, "No." He raised his hand, "You're the one who'll be humiliated when you hear how good I sing."

"Oh, will I?"

"Yeah, you will," he replied with utmost confidence.

Good, so that made five. Against two.

Aqualad grinned slightly and raised a hand, "Team-bonding activities are important." Okay, square.

Superboy shook his head, "I'm not singing."

"Would you at least watch?" Megan pleaded.

His scowl deepened, but then he finally relented with a sigh, "Sure. Fine. Whatever."

Lots of 'fine, whatevers' today.

"Alright," Artemis looked at me, "Can we go now?"

"Go where?" Wally asked.

"Surfing lessons," I said with a grin.

"It's noon in L.A," Megan commented, "We still have a lot of time in the day."

"You're going?" Wally asked, zipping up to her in an instant. Megan grinned in surprise.

"Yes, I am. Why, did you want to come?"

"What? I mean, sure, yeah, definitely! Sounds like fun!" Wally said. "I'd need to go home and grab my swimming gear though. Robin, you wanna come?"

"Can't," Robin said, "Still got some training to do with Bats. I only came here to witness this historical aster of a court-case of the Titans handling our stuff before it blows out of proportion. Like the time with Gojo."

I scowled at him, "Shut up about that already."

Robin barked out a laugh as he headed for the Zeta Tube, "Later, guys."

I turned to Kaldur, "What about you? Surfing lessons?"

"I don't have a secret identity," Kaldur said, "My interacting with the team in civilian attire could put you in danger."

"How about you get a diving suit for next time?" I threw that idea out there, "It just doesn't feel right playing in the water without my favorite water-guy."

Kaldur furrowed his eyebrows, arms folded.

"You're my favorite water-guy," I punched him gently on his chest.

He cracked a disbelieving grin at that and shook his head in amusement. "Some other time, Gojo." He turned to leave.

Superboy was already halfway to his room when I called after him, "What about you, Superboy? Wanna surf?"

He kept walking.

000

Venice Beach

August 10th , 12:45

We decided on a quick metric to decide where 'mastery' lay, and it was thirty uninterrupted seconds riding the board on a wave.

I pretty much got the hang of things instantly, but rather than ruin the fun by winning quickly, I just enjoyed a dunk in the ocean after each failed attempt.

Wally, going all out, managed to beat the challenge in about two hours of trying, which the instructor said was impressive. Artemis came next until we ran out our hours and the surf instructor decided to call it quits for the day.

I laid back first on my rented board, enjoying the sun. My glasses were still on—I made sure to prevent them from getting wet by keeping a layer of Infinity on them at all times.

By happenstance, our group floated over to the same patch of ocean. Miss Martian wearing a one-piece laid flat on her back like me, while Artemis in a two-piece was on her stomach, and Wally, wearing only shorts, was on his knees.

I wore a pair of shorts and an open shirt—it wouldn't get wet, so I saw no reason not to wear one. It had a nice pattern after all.

"You're throwing, aren't you?" Artemis asked. She was looking at me.

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked her with a grin.

"I saw you surf for twenty-nine seconds like five times before you ended up losing your balance," she grinned, "Just say you wanna dance in front of the team."

"Dance?" Wally asked, "What do you mean? Are you guys betting or something?"

"Yeah," I said, "Whoever doesn't learn how to surf in time has to dance in front of the team to some boyband choreography."

Wally laughed, "And you wanna dance in front of us all?"

"No I don't," I said, "I'm working very hard to win."

Megan started paddling away towards a wave, "I think I'll give it one last go," she said with a grin, "Watch out, Sa-chan!"

"Try not to hurt yourself," I called after her lazily.

"Man, I love that girl," Wally said dreamily. Artemis raised an eyebrow at him. I chuckled. "I'm serious," he groused.

"If you are," I told him, "You should probably tell her."

"I've gotta wear her down, first," he said, "Make her into me, you know?"

"If she's not that into you right now," Artemis said, "Then that won't change just because you keep flirting, you know?"

"Oh please, what—"

"Arty's right," I said, "But hey, she might change her mind if you tell her outright, you know. That's how we do it back home. There's a saying that a girl won't really fall in love with you until she knows that you love her first."

"So, what," Artemis said, "You guys just give cold love confessions to girls and start relationships that way?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I said, "There's an initial courtship process first before things become official. Very communicative, though. You should try it, Wally."

Wally sighed, "You know, I didn't tell Artemis my name yet, Gojo. So what you did right there? Not cool."

I winced, "Damn, forgot. I mean, we're on the same team, though."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, "What's your name anyway, Artemis? Unless you don't wanna share?"

"Artemis Crock," I said, giving her a wide grin, "At least that's what it said in the drawing in your bedroom."

"You were in her bedroom?" Wally asked, shocked.

"Don't just say it like that!" Artemis replied hotly, "He was just… helping me out with something. No big deal at all."

I turned my head to show her my grin, "Was just helping her take out the trash is all. Even saw her parents."

"Gojo, shut up," she said, her tone serious. She turned to Wally, "I don't care what you think about me, but I'm not letting rumors get spread about me, specially not from this asshole," she gestured at me.

Darnit, maybe the joke had gone on for too long. "It was actually just hero work," I admitted to Wally, "Artemis got caught up on her way home. Batman sent me to get her unstuck. That's all," then I grinned, "And in return, I got Sportsmaster jailed again!"

Wally's eyes widened at me, "Why are you telling us this just now?"

I blinked at him. "Does Kaldur… not know? Batman certainly does—oh, right. All that got mixed up because afterwards, Batman benched me for… reasons—just ask Kaldur. Anyway, that was the situation. Right, Arty?"

"Right," Artemis said, "And don't call me Arty!"

"When'd he see your bedroom and your parents?" Wally asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'll kill you, Wally," Artemis replied.

"Hey! I thought he was serious!" Wally defended hotly.

"I'd believe her if I were you," I said.

"Because you think she's an assassin?" Wally asked.

"No, because she's strong," I said. "Well, relatively, of course. But yeah. She's good."

"Speaking of that whole assassin story," Wally said.

"Nope, don't wanna," I said.

"Finally grew up?" Wally said.

"Yep," I said.

"Not sure why you even thought it was funny," Wally said, "You've got a weird sense of humor, man. You really should work on that before you piss off the wrong guy."

I chuckled, "I wish somebody would try me."

"Okay, Mr. Strongest," Wally said with a tired and mocking voice.

"Megan's catching a wave," Artemis said. Right in the distance, I saw her paddling up to catch the wave, riding it with admirable balance. Way too admirable, in fact. I raised my glasses and saw it—her telekinesis, wrapping around her, correcting her mistakes. Hah! Megan, you're really eager to see me dance, huh?

We cheered as she completed the thirty seconds with ease and then some, until she finally let go of her telekinesis and promptly fell after ten seconds.

"Ouch," I chuckled. "Anyway, Wally, if you ever do want to confess to Megan, my advice is to make it classy. She's a classy girl. Kinda retro for some reason. I think she might be into stuff from the 90s." I couldn't believe that stuff was considered old school now. The nineties had been most of my childhood.

"Yeah," Wally said suspiciously, "I've… noticed. Hold on, are you giving me real advice right now?"

"Yeah," I said, "Why?"

"I thought you liked Megan."

I chuckled, "Course I do. She's a friend. And besides, I'd make a horrible boyfriend to anyone. You can have her if she'll take you."

I honestly hoped for it, too. It could end up putting a rather emphatic end to my own dumb feelings.

I knew deep down I wasn't really attached to her. Not in a way that would make sense to anyone else. I was always more of a dine-and-dasher in terms of love. I saw nothing wrong with that. But… a lot of girls in my past definitely did.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

…Artemis seemed like a better choice. She looked like she'd be down for a low-commitment thing. Then again, such a thing was impossible to know until I asked.

"If you're aware of it," Artemis said, "Then you shouldn't just be sitting on it. Guys like you end up dying alone, you know. You really should grow out of that phase."

I raised an eyebrow at her. She seemed… bothered somehow. Bad experiences with low-commitment types, maybe? I definitely did get the impression that she wasn't into the whole dining and dashing thing. "I was always gonna end up dying alone," I said, "and probably with a ton of regrets. People in my line of work never have happy endings. I'll get old and slow one day, and a curse that I could usually take on with my eyes closed and with both hands tied behind my back might end up being the end of me. And that'll be it."

Artemis looked upset by that, but she didn't say anything.

"Dark," Wally said, "Then why do it? Do you actually care about being a hero that much?"

"I care about jujutsu," I said, "And I can only practice it on curses. So of course I'll do the job. My powers are fulfilling enough."

"If you say so," Wally said, clearly not believing a word I said.

He was a quitter, wasn't he? I could already tell he wasn't in this for real.

"I'll swing by every now and then," I said with a grin, "Once you retire and hang up the suit at eighteen."

"I'm not gonna quit," he groused. I shrugged.

"Then look at it from my point of view," I said, "It's about power. Always has been. Power to be free. Power to never be threatened. And if you wanna be a hero, then it's power to make sure the world is however you want it to be. Free of villains or invading aliens, or conservative politicians or whatever it is you don't like."

"Conservative politicians?" Wally asked with a frown, "I'm not touching that."

I shrugged. "You won't get to touch anything that matters with that weak-sauce mentality."

"You were doing so well, Gojo!" Wally groaned.

I wouldn't apologize for this one. "Why don't you tell me why I'm wrong, anyway?"

"Power isn't everything," Wally said. And nothing else.

"I agree," Artemis said.

I looked over at the city of LA's skyline. A pretty view.

I imagined how I could destroy this city in an hour. All it would take was a handful of Purples and a few dozen Reds. I could turn this place into a wreck before any of the Justice League got here, killing tens of thousands in the first few minutes alone.

But I wouldn't. Not for any particular reason—it'd just be a drag, and I saw no point in it. Society worked for me enough as it was. No need to get rid of it just yet.

Someone else definitely would if they could, though. Someone who society didn't work for. And it'd be my job to take care of them at that point. Hammer down the nail that stuck out, or just pry it out and toss it if it was too crooked.

"Power is everyone's business," I said, "But only in control of the very few. Whether or not you two think it's everything, it still dominates your lives."

"I think you need to lighten up a little, Gojo," Artemis said with a slight sulk. "This sort of thinking isn't healthy. It's not… I don't think it's very heroic, you know?"

Maybe she was especially sensitive about that because of her villainous upbringing? "Maybe," I relented, "Sorry for bringing the mood down," I chuckled. "That was rude of me."

Megan was paddling over, and now in earshot. I sat up on my board and faced a sour-looking Wally. "You too, man. I know it's an old story at this point, but," I shrugged, "I really can't help it. Sorry." I said I wouldn't apologize, but… gah.

Why was everyone so damn disappointing? And why did I keep having to apologize for being affronted by their mediocrity?

"Yeah," he said angrily, "I've gotten that at this point."

"Did you guys see that?!" Megan called at us, "I got over thirty seconds, didn't I?"

"Were you that eager to see me dance?" I grinned at her. I reduced my Infinity and tapped my head. She started reading my mind, To the point that you'd cheat?

Her face took on a deep blush. I'll do it honestly if you want.

Nah, I grinned, Honestly, if powers are not allowed, then I should lose by default since my powers are always on. My perception makes controlling my body a lot easier. So I lose.

I closed the telepathic link and paddled away to catch a wave myself, "Alright, time to show you guys how it's done!"

I managed to catch a huge wave, and even managed to surf inside the tube that the wave formed, brushing against the wall of water, enjoying the natural phenomenon immensely.

000

Wally squinted, his gaze fixed on Gojo as he paddled further out into the surf, his movements lazy yet undeniably graceful. It was frustrating, watching him glide away like that—carefree, completely unbothered, like he didn't even have to try. Wally's chest tightened, his thoughts buzzing with irritation.

It must have been some kind of psychic chat. He'd seen Megan's face change, that small flicker in her eyes, like she'd just heard something no one else could, and then that blush! And the way she was sitting there now, perched on her board and watching Gojo, it drove Wally up the wall. She was looking at him with that soft, curious expression, and Wally couldn't help but wonder what Gojo had said to her. The thought gnawed at him, twisting his insides in an uncomfortable knot.

He couldn't shake the idea that Gojo had spoiled something, or at the very least, gotten in his way without even lifting a finger. Possibly even sabotaged him by revealing Wally's crush prematurely.

He tried to shake off the feeling, to focus on anything else, but his eyes drifted back to Megan. She was still watching Gojo, a quiet look on her face, almost thoughtful. Wally clenched his jaw. This was low, even for Gojo. He already had every advantage—the confidence, the powers, the height, the looks, that annoying way of knowing things he shouldn't, that ability to read people effortlessly. And now this?

As he paddled aimlessly in the water, Wally felt the frustration simmer beneath the surface. He'd never let Gojo know just how much this was getting to him, but the thought was already there, lodged in his mind. Gojo had meddled in his life—no, his chance—and that felt like a line crossed.

"I don't know what to make of that guy," Artemis muttered, still lying on her stomach on her board. Wally turned to her with a raised eyebrow while Megan turned to her in concern.

"Did he say something rude again?" she asked.

"Brutal honesty," Artemis shrugged, "He's got a warped sense of hero life. Pretty emo."

"He said I was weak," Wally said, "Again."

Weak-sauce mentality, who the hell did he think he was? What, so being a good hero meant caring more about their superpowers than living a fulfilling life? Was that really what he thought?

"Oh no," Megan looked at Wally in concern, "I'm really sorry, Wally. I'll talk to him."

"No, don't," Wally shook his head, "It's not a big deal." He didn't want Megan of all people to run up to Gojo and give him a talking to. "Ah, I was just overreacting, I think," he lied, "Now that you're here, I'm feeling peachy, babe."

Megan gave a grin at that. But it seemed… more put on. Nothing like the smiles she showed to Gojo.

Had Gojo really told Megan about Wally's own feelings? Right after he'd been so cool about it? Wally had taken Gojo for many things, but he would never have assumed him to be someone that low. Macking on two girls at once and then sabotaging Wally for no reason. This guy was a serious asshole. There was no helping him at all.

"I just feel bad for him, honestly," Artemis said, "I mean, I could tell he wasn't saying it to get a rise out of any of us. Not even the whole 'weak-sauce mentality' thing. To me, he just seemed… disappointed."

Wally frowned. Of course she'd take his side. He stuck up for her after all.

"Knowing where he comes from, it makes sense," Megan said, "He was pretty much his world's Superman. That probably wasn't a very easy burden to carry."

"I can't imagine the pressure," Artemis said. "Sounds depressing, honestly."

"Doesn't excuse him being a dick," Wally muttered, feeling profoundly left out. Megan paddled over to Wally and put a hand on his knee. His eyes widened at the contact and he looked up at Megan's comforting grin.

"You're not weak, Wally," Megan said, "And I know you've had to be patient about him. But he's had to do the same thing as well. Of course, that's not much of a comfort, but… I think we owe him at least that much leeway. Remember the good times at least. He hasn't been all bad, has he?"

Wally sighed, "I mean… no. The worst thing he does is just run his mouth."

Megan smiled, "Right." She took her hand away. "But he means well. And he does care about you. In his own way."

Really? Wally doubted it. There was one easy way to find out, though, if only for himself and not so the other girls could see him for the lying and sabotaging sack of dirt that he was. Wally gathered his courage and asked his question in one breath, "What did he say to you telepathically before he paddled off?"

"Oh, that was a telepathic chat?" Artemis asked, shocked, "Trippy. Haven't gotten used to those yet."

Megan blushed furiously. Oh no. "I… I don't know what to say, really." Wally winced.

"You don't have to say anything," Wally said with a frown. "I get it."

He'd never forgive Gojo for this.

This was low. He couldn't be redeemed.

"You do?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"It's just… I really wanted to see Gojo dance."

"…Huh?"

"That's why I… used my telekinetic abilities to complete the challenge," she said, "Obviously, it didn't get past Gojo. He pretty much sees everything. I guess I… cheated. Sorry." She ducked her head

Wally gaped at her, and then burst out laughing.

Even Artemis chuckled slightly. "Wally wasn't even in on the bet, why are you so sorry?"

"Yeah!" Wally concurred. "So you cheated, whatever!"

"But—but!" Miss Martian spoke up, "He said he would let it slide because he can't turn off his own powers to complete the challenge. So maybe it wasn't cheating?"

In between the following laughter and banter, Wally reserved a tiny corner of his mind for a mental and secret apology to Gojo, and the resolution that maybe he wasn't as terrible as he was desperate to prove to everyone.

And maybe it would be worth asking himself why he hadn't hesitated to assume the worst of Gojo immediately, without being given any evidence to it?

Wally missed it when it was just him, Aqualad, Robin and Speedy. Those days made way more sense.