Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted any stories in ages. I've been extremely busy with school and sports. I have a lot of stories that are almost done, but I lack the time to finish them. If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer them on here or tumblr (the link is in my bio). I hope you enjoy this little one shot.
I have no ownership of the characters.
She hit the floor with a loud thump, groaning as the mat made contact with the fresh bruise on her back she had received earlier. Her blonde braid dripped with sweat. Her body was painted black and blue with bruises. Cuts littered her limbs and blood smeared across her olive toned skin.
"Again," her father barked. His harsh, demanding voice echoed through the sweltering warehouse.
Artemis wiped the blood off of her split brow and pulled herself to her feet. She quickly corrected her stance and ran at the large man in front of her. The teen didn't even have the chance to land a punch before she was slammed to the ground for what seemed to be the hundredth time that afternoon.
She looked up to see him standing over her, his bored brown eyes looked down upon her like she was a worthless piece of trash.
"It's amazing how you never cease to disappoint me, Baby Girl. You'll never make it out there if you keep messing this up. Your sister would've mastered this maneuver by now." Sportsmaster snarled in a mocking tone.
Artemis spat the blood out of her mouth and glared at her father. His comments had hit a nerve, pushing the seventeen year old to the edge.
"Again," he ordered and returned to his spot. Wordlessly, the furious teen stood up and repositioned herself. Determination rushed through her pounding veins as she charged at Sportsmaster.
Five seconds later there was a fist to her gut that pushed the breath out of her lungs. Artemis crashed to the floor fighting for air. Her fatigued body longed for the break that would never come.
"Again." The cruel man demanded, heeding his gasping daughter no mercy.
Artemis complied and began to push herself off of the ground. Black dots danced across her vision and her shaky arms fought to give in. And it was in that moment of struggle that she realized that she didn't have to follow his command.
"No," she whispered hoarsely, trying her best to mask the fear in her voice.
Sportsmaster gave her an odd, almost patronizing, look and crossed his arms. "What was that Baby Girl? You need to speak clearly when addressing your superiors."
The archer fought the pain that coursed through her body and stood up one last time. Her crippling fear was swiftly replaced with raw, pent-up fury.
"No," she repeated boldly. Her husky voice remained steady and strong, much to her own surprise.
Lawrence gave her no reply. His mouth remained a grim angry line and his crossed arms refused to budge.
"Was that clear enough for you dad?" Artemis hissed, looking him dead in the eye. "I'm done."
Sportsmaster's callous laughter echoed off the bare cinderblock walls. Anger burned in his heartless brown eyes as he punctuated each work with malice. "You're pathetic. I thought one day I would have the honor of calling you my kin, but yet again you just disappoint me."
"Call me a coward, call me a quitter, I don't care. All these years I've been such a fool to sit around hoping you would change. I'd always try to believe that things would get better, but with you it never did. You'd always tell me you'd want more. You'd always tell me that I wasn't good enough. And all this time I've blamed myself for that. But now I've realized it's not me, it's you. It doesn't matter what I do because to you it's never going to be enough. I've put up with your shit for far too long. I'm done." Angry tears burned in her defiant eyes like a raging wildfire. With nothing else to say to her father the archer turned on her heel and walked over to her belongings.
"You're just going to throw away a decade of training? The life you were born to? Your family?" Her father bellowed in her wake.
Artemis yanked her coat off the wall and began to pack her things. Her father made no attempt to stop her. "I'm moving on, not letting go." The blonde corrected and slung her duffel bag over her shoulder.
"I'm taking control of my life. You don't own me or my future." She declared boldly, finding a confidence she didn't even know she possessed. The archer didn't need look back as she snatched her bow and quiver to know her father was glaring at her. She could feel his burning stare bore into her back, but chose to ignore it for once.
"You're making a big mistake. You think you're all grown up Baby Girl, but you're not. When you walk out that door you're going to regret it. I can promise you that. I've offered you a life, a purpose, and a future." Her father was shouting now. His booming voice was amplified by the spacious building. Artemis glanced back and saw veins sticking out of his forehead, but he still remained in that spot with his arms crossed.
Her eyes narrowed and she bit back her fiery temper. "Did it ever cross your mind that I didn't want to be a Shadow?" There was certain bitterness in her steady tone.
"You'll never survive out there on your own." Her father stated harshly, in his normal mocking, condescending tone.
"Good." Artemis turned back around for the last time and opened the door. She looked him in the eye and no longer felt inferior. "I don't want to survive. I want to live."
Artemis slammed the old metal door behind her and dashed through the warm spring night. The warehouse was only three blocks away from her father's apartment. It took the archer four minutes to reach the old front door of her parent's apartment. The dull yellow paint was chipped at the corners and the rusty hinges squealed in protest as she walked inside.
The archer immediately dashed into her bedroom to gather the rest of her things. Freedom was within her grasp and there was no way she was about to let it go.
The old springs of her twin bed squeaked while she piled her few belongings—mostly clothes—into a large duffel bag. Her prized bow and quiver of arrows were packed in tight amidst the clothes underneath the framed picture of her beloved mother. Artemis picked up a thick envelop on her dresser and fought the fresh wave of tears that usually came with thoughts of her late mother.
It was Paula's dying wish that she'd attend Gotham Academy. To this day the blonde can remember when her mother held the crumpled acceptance letter in her hands and forced her to attend the prestigious school. It broke Artemis' heart that her mother wasn't there to see her graduate two weeks earlier.
The thick envelope in her hands was a full-ride scholarship to Stanford University. She had hidden it from her father, knowing the moment he saw it she'd never be allowed to attend college. Earlier that day when she opened the package she full intention to reject the generous offer. After all she already had a future set up for her and she planned to attend Gotham University in the fall. Sportsmaster didn't care what she did as long as she showed up to training. But now, the thick booklet of information provided the archer with an escape, a future. It's crazy how twenty seconds of insane courage could change her perspective.
Artemis returned attention to the faded Polaroid of her mother that peeked out between the zipper of her duffel bag. "I did it mom. I got out," she whispered with a watery smile. "Thank you."
She finished packing her bags and took a final glance around the bedroom. After seventeen long years she would finally have to give a last bittersweet farewell to the tiny room that provided her with a sanctuary and housed her demons.
Artemis quietly stepped out into the night and, for once, felt at peace with herself. She finally felt free, and with that came an overwhelming sense of clarity. There was a new purpose in her steps and no hint of the usual scowl that adorned her features. She marched ambitiously towards the train station were her new future rested on tomorrows horizon.
All she'd ever wanted was to be something, someone, no a mask or her father's puppet. She wanted to shine, not hide. And from now on that's exactly what she was going to do. Artemis Crock saw an opportunity, an escape, and finally took it for once. All it took was a few seconds of insane bravery and an angry rant seventeen years in the making for her to be free.
Today she saved herself. She forged a new path to a brighter, happier future.
Well? What did you think? My writing is a little rusty but I hope it was good enough. If you feel inclined to do so I would love a review. Feedback is how I improve. If you are wondering about any of my other stories and/or series just drop a comment in my inbox here or on tumblr (link in bio) and I would be more than happy to answer it. I am also planning to start a new series where I write short little spitfire AU's for each chapter and I am in need of ideas so if you have any to share they would be more than welcome in any of my inboxes. Thank you so much for reading I hope you have a nice day/night.