This story is based on what would have happened if Sportsmaster loved his girls and trained them without making them hate him? What if he took care of the girls after Paula went away? Would he change a new leaf after realizing the shadows would only hurt his girls? Could he be a better dad? What would that mean for Paula, Jade, Artemis? What would that mean of the league.
Inspiration was in "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure" where Aquaman notices Sportsmaster driving near him and then notices that he is also on a road trip with his wife Tigress (AKA: Huntress) and daughter Artemis.
'….' means thinking
"…." means talking
'words' are Sportsmaster's lessons
Artemis (Nine Year Old) point of view:
I could hear something. It was the faintest of sounds, but when everyone in your house is silent as a mouse even the quietest noise sounds like a stomping elephant. I rolled over to glance at my clock. The numbers read 1:30 AM. I shifted a little more in bed staring at the ceiling, listening. The creak sound came back, and I knew it was the floorboard in the living room the third from the entryway. Mom was in jail and she wouldn't be getting out for a long time. Jade left three days ago and swore to never come back. Dad…dad was out on a job.
The creak sound happened again. 'Jade' I thought getting out of bed 'It has to be Jade who else could it be.' Swinging my short legs onto the floor I rush out of the room and down the stairs. 'Jade's back' I thought, jumping the last step and rushing to the living room, switching on the light. "Jade your ho-" the words died on my lips, my smile vanishing. Jade didn't come home, Jade wasn't standing in the living room. Instead it was a man dressed in black, a bag in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
Suddenly Dad's words came back to mind 'Never give away your position always stay quiet and alert.' The man shifted as a soft "Shit" came from his mouth. He turned to face me, the man standing taller; he was big…but not as big as my dad. My mind was telling me to do something, anything, just move. 'Know your surrounding and use that to your advantage' There were two options. Run to the front door, but with another opening from the living room to the front door he could cut me off and corner me. The other option was to reach one of the two phones in the house, one in the kitchen and the other in the living room, both wireless. The basement and the closets are all reinforced doors. The closest option from the kitchen was the closet.
The man tensed as he noticed my leg twitch. "Kid, whatever your thinking of doing don't. I don't want to hurt you alright, I just want your dad's stuff." He took a step forward and I took one back, feeling myself tense. 'Keep your body loose and agile, always be ready for anything.' I took a deep breath trying to loosen up moving to the balls of my feet. "Come on kid everyone knows your dad's got some good stuff here. So why don't you tell me where it is, and no one has to get hurt, I don't want to hurt a kid." As he got closer I noticed the large knife on his belt. 'Never give up any information, the minute you do, your no longer useful and might as well consider yourself dead.'
Taking a deep breath I ran towards the kitchen. I could hear the man shout a curse his heavy footsteps behind me. I didn't dare looks back 'Always think five moves ahead. Never look back.' I made it to the kitchen; the phone was just in reach. 'Just a few more steps,' I though reaching my arms up. Suddenly I felt a tight grip on my leg, and before I knew it I was falling. I fell hitting my face on the floor unable to catch myself another tug on my leg sent a wave of terror over me. I looked behind me. The man was on the ground having lunged to stop me, his large white hands gripping my ankle in a vice like grip, his face was still covered by his hoodie, but I could feel his anger. "I told you I didn't want to hurt a kid, but that doesn't mean I won't" he growls his other hand disappearing to his belt.
My mind goes blank and before I know it my other leg is kicking his face. He lets go growling as I scramble to get up. The phone is right in front of me, and for a second I have it in my hand before a hand grabs my shoulder and shoves to towards the other end of the room. The phone falls out of my hand as my back make contact with the wall.
The man is standing in front of me, the knife slowly exiting the sheath. 'Never let yourself get backed into a corner.' He takes a step forwards the knife gripped tightly in his hands. 'If you ever do find yourself trapped, then there is only two things left to do.' Everything seems to move slower as the man charges at me, my body shifting into a familiar stance. 'YOU FIGHT, YOU SURVIVE.' Suddenly all I saw was red.
