Merry Christmas to you all! Hope you have a great holidays filled with fun and laughter! This story is dedicated to Writer'sInsanity: Surprise! I'm your Secret Santa! Hope you like it. :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.
Prologue
The little face of a child peered out from the top of the grand stairs. Slowly the small child slipped out of the shadows she was hiding in and silently crept down the staircase. Her stunning, white-blonde hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders, which were wrapped in a fluffy pink dressing gown. She paused at the bottom of the steps to scan the large entrance for any other people.
Being as quiet as a mouse, she tiptoed towards the main living room. A sudden movement from behind flashed across the girl's peripheral vision, but she noticed it too slow to react. Someone attacked her from behind sending her into a fit. The struggling girl was lifted off the ground by strong arms. She spun around in the grip of her attacker to see a young, elegant Vietnamese woman beaming down at her.
The girl giggled. "Don't tickle me mom!" She stared into her mom's beautiful dark eyes and saw the warmth they held. They glowed with pride.
"Happy Birthday, my dear little Artemis." The woman said spinning the child around. The girl giggled joyously again. She let the girl go. "You're all grown up now."
A snort came from the staircase. The pair looked up to see a black-haired girl wearing a black cap at the top with her arms crossed across her chest. A grey knapsack was slung over her shoulder. "Growing up isn't a good thing." She snarled as she walked down the stairs.
Artemis ran to hug her big sister. "Why not Jade?" She asked curiously tilting her blonde head on an angle. Jade would never say it but she had to admit that Arty did look adorable in her pink dressing gown.
Jade smiled and leant down to whisper something in her ear. "Because that's when training starts." She straightened up and ruffled the girl's hair. "I've got to go, disappear like the Cheshire cat, but you….. Enjoy your birthday, ok?" Without waiting for a response she slipped out the large wooden doors.
'Where's Jade going?' She thought. "I hope she comes home soon!"
"That girl!" the woman muttered under her breath. Artemis turned to look at her mom, who just smiled.
Suddenly the door opened. A muscular blonde man walked through holding a large wrapped present. Artemis' eyes light up at the sight. "Daddy!" She smiled but didn't dare hug the man
"Morning Arty." He greeted her yet remained unsmiling. "Where's Jade off to?" He asked as he hung his black leather coat on a hook by the door. Both the woman and the girl shrugged. He narrowed his eyes for a second before walking towards Arty and setting the large present down on the tiled floor. "Now I heard it was your 7th Birthday today, is that true?" He asked. She nodded enthusiastically. "Then I've got a special present for you. Go on, open it."
The girl looked up at her mom then started tearing into the bright pink and purple wrapping paper. It revealed a green quiver full of arrows and a silver case. She pulled one of the arrows out of the quiver, noting the green fetching and the sharp, pointy green heads. Carefully she put it back and opened the silver case. Inside was a green compound bow. She stared at it for a moment before reaching out to touch it. As soon as she grabbed it, her hand molded into the grip perfectly. It felt so natural holding the bow. With her other hand the traced the string and gave it an experimental pull. She was wonderstruck by it.
"Thanks mom, thanks dad! I love it!" She smiled up at them both.
Her dad let a smile creep onto his face. "Glad you like it because training starts today."
Artemis tilted her head again in curiosity. "What are you training me for?" Her eyes lit up for a second. "Are you training me to go in the Olympics? Or to be a hero like Green Arrow and Batman?"
Her dad snarled at the last question. He glared, looming over her, causing Artemis to flinch. "Never speak of the heroes, understand?" Scared by his hostile reaction, she immediately nodded her little head. "They are not what they seem. Never trust them, they're selfish." He brightened up and ruffled the girl's hair. "I wouldn't want my baby doll to get hurt, now would I?"
She looked at her feet as she shuffled them then turned to look up at her dad. She flashed a small smile at him which appeared to satisfy him. Inside though, a nagging feeling tugged at her heart. She ignored this feeling; she had to.
She would always be loyal to her dad and her family.
New chapter tomorrow. A longer chapter, so don't worry. :) Thanks for reading and please review! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and God Bless! And Merry Christmas Writer'sInsanity!