Hey guys! Another chapter done! Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites! I don't have much else to say, so read and enjoy! I hope you like it!
The One With The New Self-Defence Coach
The Cave
Central Park, New York
July 14th
"So, how'd the audition go?"
"They'll call me." Dick groaned, sinking into the couch. The others grimaced with him.
"What? They said they'd call you." Megan pointed out in a perplexed tone. "That's a good thing isn't it?"
"Uh no. They'll call me roughly translates into, 'they'll never call me.'" Dick complained, accepting the cup of coffee Megan brought over to him.
"It's like when a guy says 'it's not you.' We all know that it really is you." Artemis clarified. Megan nodded in understanding and sat next to the actor.
"It's okay Dick, you'll get the next one!" She said encouragingly.
"Yeah! There's only so many auditions you can go to before someone finally snaps!" Wally added.
"Shut up!"
"Yeah, come on Wally, Dick's not that bad!" Conner said.
"Thank you!"
"He's worse." Dick through a pillow at him and sunk even lower into the cushions while the others cracked up.
"I hate every single one of you."
Wally and Dick's Apartment
Central Park, New York
July 14th
"Do you think this shirt would look clash with pale skin?" Wally asked, holding up a yellow V-neck that dipped low over his chest.
"Yeah, but Wally, it won't matter what your skin colour is if you show that much cleavage."
"Har har. It's not for my skin bird brain! It's Jinni's!" Dick, who was sitting in the kitchen, rolled his eyes.
"Dude, the girl has pink hair, I don't think the paleness of her skin will be what clashes with that shirt." Wally stuck his tongue out at his best friend.
"Whatever dude. At least I've managed to be in a relationship that lasted longer than a week and a half." Wally shot back.
"Yeah, with Jinni Inx, the punk queen of 'bad luck.' No offence dude, but you could do far better."
"So what if she has pink hair and goes to poetry readings?" Wally defended, trying to think up something that was worse than pink hair. "She's better then Bridgette!" Both boys shuddered at the clingy, self-absorbed girlfriend Dick had a few years ago.
"Still, dude, her hair's pink." Wally sighed and went back into his room to put away the shirt.
Tornado Gym and Fitness Center
Downtown, New York
July 14th
"Who the hell are you?" Conner asked testily. The tall blonde woman was wearing a spandex black bodysuit with a denim jacket over top.
"Dinah Laurel Lance. I'm taking over for Joey as the head self-defence coach. And you are?" She asked smoothly.
"Conner Kent. Personal Trainer and I teach a few self-defence classes a week. What happened to Joey?" Conner demanded in his usual gruff manner.
"He had some… personal issues with his girlfriend, so he had to take some time off. I was called in to take over." She explained. They were in the room they used for wrestling and self-defence. There were mats all over the floors and a few punching bags suspended from the ceiling, as well as diagrams depicting the proper way to pin someone. Conner had come into work that morning expecting to have hour to blow off some steam with the punching bags. Instead he found the blonde woman already in the room, working out on his favorite bag.
"So what? They called you in off the street? Do you even know how to throw a punch?" Conner scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. Dinah flipped her blonde hair out of her face and raised an eyebrow.
"Actually I'm here as a favor to John. And believe me, I know how to hit." John Smith was the owner and head coach at the gym. He came off as an uncaring stiff, but he was really a caring boss, who tried to let his employees solve their own problems.
"Whatever." Conner muttered, moving toward the bag she had been hitting. She glared at him and stepped in front of him.
"I was using that." She told him. He glared back and shrugged.
"Too bad. It's time for the people who know what they're doing to go." He sneered. Dinah rolled her eyes.
"How about this; you pin me, and I'll let you have the bag. I pin you and I get the bag." Conner shrugged and fell into stance.
"Fine by me. Even if you can hit, my size and strength give me all the edge I need."
"Put you fists where your mouth is." She said before sinking into her own stance. Conner growled and charged her. She grabbed his oncoming fist and threw him onto his back. He popped up quickly though and snarled. He charged her again. This time, she had to block a punch and then flip backwards over his head. If he wasn't so angry, he would have been impressed with her agility. She landed in a low crouch and kicked his legs out from underneath him. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his spine. Dinah smiled at him and sauntered up to bag, and re-started her practise. Conner sulked and shuffled out of the room, muttering curses.
Artemis and Megan's Apartment
Central Park, New York
July 14th
"So do any of you guys have partners?" Megan asked as Artemis finished packing for her tournament which was in a few hours.
"Uh, Conner and I usually spar together in the self-defence classes he teaches. Dick and Wally are always partners whenever that is required. Roy and I used to be partners for doubles archery if that's what you mean." Artemis said with a perplexed look on her face.
"No, I meant are any of the guys dating someone?"
"Oh. Dick is more of a 'lone wolf.'" She told the new girl adding in air quotes. "His longest relationship lasted three weeks. If Kaldur is seeing anyone, he hasn't told any of us. But I highly doubt it. Conner drives the girls away with his surliness and Wally has a girlfriend named Jinni."
"What's with the face?" Megan asked smiling at the terrible face Artemis made at the name Jinni.
"Ugh, Jinni Inx. She has the world's most annoying hair. And her voice is so grating on the ears!" Artemis explained.
"What's so bad about her hair?" Megan asked curiously.
"Here. I have a photo." She pulled out her phone and brought up the picture Wally had texted everyone. Jinni's bright pink devil horned hair stood out in stark comparison to Wally's dull orange locks. The couple were in a forested area, and both were wearing goofy grins that travelled up to their eyes.
"Oh, um. It's certainly, uh out there." Megan said, handing her back the phone.
"I mean, she's nice enough, but every time I see her, I just want to go at her with some scissors."
"Is that the only reason you don't like her?" She teased. Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Yeah. She may be annoying as hell and Wally can't make up his mind about whether or not he wants to see her, but she's not that bad a person." Megan shook her head as Artemis headed for the door. "Well, I've got targets to shoot, people to intimidate and a trophy to win. See you later!"
"Bye! Good luck!" The door sung shut with a gentle click. Megan sighed and went fishing in her closet for her cutest work out outfit. She was going to get Conner to notice her if it was the last thing she did.
Star Archery Range
New York City
July 14th
"You ready for this Artemis?" Oliver Queen asked. Artemis finished rolling her shoulders and grinned.
"You're my coach. You tell me!" Ollie smiled back at the young woman he had been training for almost ten years.
"I'd say that you could use a few more weeks of training…." He joked. Artemis scowled at him and smacked his arm before picking up her bow.
"Jerk. I'm going to wipe that smirk right off your face."
"Good luck Arty!" He called as her category was announced.
"Don't call me Arty!" She snapped at him before lining up with the other competitors. The judges gave the signal and the girls all released their arrows. The judges went to examine the hits while the spectators cheered.
"Come on Arty! I'm still smirking!" Ollie teased. Most people would find such a comment distracting and disheartening. Artemis however saw this as a challenge and doubled her efforts. The next rounds were fired and by the end of the tournament, Oliver had indeed stopped smirking.
"You were great kid!" He grinned, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Thanks Ollie! So how's Dinah?"
"Miss you kids like crazy! But she just got a new job."
"Really? What's she doing?"
"Teaching a class at some gym." He said flippantly. "What about Roy? He still working at that god awful coffee house?" Artemis made a face.
"Ollie! The Cave is not god awful! Roy's fine. I'm not sure why you won't go talk to him yourself though."
"You know why. When he left, we didn't exactly part on good terms." Oliver said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Artemis scoffed.
"That's because you told him you weren't going to let him leave the mansion."
"And then he went on a rant about respect and up and left me. To go and work for minimum wage at some coffee house." Ollie said bitterly. The female archer laid a gentle hand on her uncle and coach's arm.
"I'm sure if you just went down there and apologized, he'd forgive you." She said encouragingly. He gave her a tired look.
"I'm sure you're right. But for now, their posting scores. Come on, let's see how you did."
The Cave
Central Park, New York
July 14th
"And then, even after I explained the situation to the boys, they still didn't believe me! Can you believe that?" Jinni said as she sipped her coffee, Wally nodded, a fake grin plastered on his face.
"No I can not!" He gushed with forced enthusiasm. Jinni bobbed her head once and went back to her rant. Roy, who was currently working at the Cave, shot him a look that read 'why are you still with her?' Wally was a little confused on that himself. On the one hand, Jinni could be enormously annoying. Her voice was hard to listen to sometimes and bad luck followed her around like a stray puppy. She didn't get the nickname Jinx for nothing. But on the other hand, she was better than no girlfriend at all... And even with the obnoxious pink hair, she was still quite pretty.
"Hey, you need a refill! I'll get that for you!" Wally said once she paused her speech for air.
"Oh. Thanks." She smiled gratefully and Wally got up and went for the counter.
"You look stimulated." Roy commented as he filled in a crossword.
"Ugh. I feel like someone is sucking out my soul with a broken bendy straw." Wally groaned, leaning on the counter.
"Remind me again why you're still with her?" Roy questioned, eyes never leaving the crossword.
"So that I don't die alone." Wally explained.
"Really? Because every time you guys are in here, I see you looking like you're passing kidney stones. Tell me how dying alone is worse."
"Just get me a tall decaf low-fat Macchiato half and half with caramel on the top and bottom." Roy's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.
"She wants a what?" He hissed angrily. He had never, in all his life of working at the Cave, been asked to make such a ridiculous concoction and he prayed he never had to again. Wally repeated the order and Roy grudgingly made, grumbling obscenities the entire time. When it was finished, Roy roughly pushed the drink into his hand and scowled as he went back to the pink haired girl.
"Thanks Wall-man!" She said happily. "Now as I was say, Seymour asked me to do all of his ridiculous paperwork, even after I told I wouldn't do it for Billy." She continued. Wally couldn't help slapping a hand over his face and slowly dragging it down.
"Oops, look at the time! Sorry babe, I just remembered, Dick needs my help getting ready for his audition tomorrow! I'll call you later!" And with speed very few people realized he possessed, Wally grabbed his jacket and blew out of the coffee shop and into the free and open air. As he ran, Roy's words echoed in his head. Was this torture really better than the possibility of dying alone?
Tornado Gym and Fitness Center
Downtown, New York
July 14th
"Um hello?" Megan asked, poking her head timidly into the room. This was the room where the friendly front desk guy told her that the self-defence classes were held. But instead of seeing the surly male instructor, she may or may not have a crush on, a pretty blonde woman was at the front of the class.
"Hello. Are you here for the self-defence class?" She queried kindly. Megan nodded. "Alright, well find a spot on the mats. We still have a few more minutes before class begins, so why don't you get acquainted with the people around you?" She suggested. Megan turned around, only to find everyone had already paired up and started talking. Her eyes glanced around the room until they landed on a familiar gruff-looking form in the back corner. She waved over to Conner, who surprisingly came over.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, not rudely, but curiously.
"I figured since I was going to be living in the city now, I should learn how to defend myself properly." She said smiling. He nodded. "What about you? Artemis said that you taught a few classes here."
"My spot got absorbed into this one. But Dinah said I could be her 'aid' in the class." He grumbled.
"Alright, I don't think anyone else is coming, so let's get started. Now who knows anything about self-defence?" No one raised their hand. "Alright. Self-defence is not about beating your opponent, it's about keeping yourself and those around you safe. The simplest way to do this is the way you stand. Conner?" Conner grudgingly came to the front and stood next to Dinah, who fell into a protective stance. "Now, see how my body is curved inwards? This protects my chest, and internal organs. My hands are up protecting my face and my knees are bent so I can move quickly. See how when Conner tries to attack, I can easily move out of the way or block his hit?" Conner tried to hit the older woman, but true to her word, she evaded all his strikes. "Alright. Now pair up and take turns practising your form. I'll come around and make sure you're doing it properly." Everyone split off into pairs, but there was an odd number, leaving Megan utterly alone. Conner noticed and came back over.
"You need a partner?" He asked. She beamed and nodded. The rest of the class was excellent, especially for Megan who was paired with Conner every time. The pair even managed to bond a little. By the end, they were both sweaty, but happy. Conner had to leave straight away to meet up with a client, but the red head hung back to talk to Dinah.
"Miss Lance?" She said, stepping up to the teacher once the others had left.
"Please, call me Dinah. Miss Lance makes me sound like a school teacher." Feeling more at ease, Megan smiled.
"Dinah. You're class was excellent! I really enjoyed myself."
"I'm glad to hear it. I trust you'll be coming back next time?"
"Defiantly!"
"I hope you didn't mind working with Conner. He can be a bit grumpy, but I'll make sure you don't get stuck with him next time."
"Oh no! I mean, it's fine. I really enjoyed working with him. He helped me out a lot!" She said happily. To her surprise, Dinah's smile widened even more.
"I'm glad to hear it! Lord knows that boy needs some more female attention in his life." Megan blushed and excused herself. In the changing room, she allowed herself to grin enormously. Maybe, if even Miss Lance could see they had potential, Conner would be able to as well.
Artemis and Megan's Apartment
Central Park New York
July 14th
"Artemis?! Do you have any maple syrup? I need some maple syrup." Dick called, walking into her apartment like he owned it. Artemis, who was sitting on the couch fiddling with something, looked over at him with a sour expression on her face.
"In the fridge." She told him, before turning her back to him. Her sad tone momentarily distracted him from his quest for syrup and he walked over to her. She was whittling a thick piece of wood with an army knife and staring intently at her work.
"Hey, how'd the archery tournament go?" He asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer. She looked up at him with her big sad grey eyes. They were big and sad for about three seconds, until they suddenly became alight with happiness.
"FIRST PLACE!" She cheered loudly, startling him by jumping up quickly. Dick let his smile match hers and he cheered with her, sweeping her up into his arms and spinning her around a few times.
"That's awesome 'Mis! Congratulations!" She nodded happily at his praise and dragged him towards her bedroom.
"Look how shiny it is!" She gushed as she showed him the large trophy she's won.
"I'm proud of you 'Mis!"
"Ollie was proud enough to go buy me a present." Artemis teased. Dick smirked and pecked her on the cheek.
"There. You get the third best present in the world." She rolled her eyes and pushed him playfully.
"Gee thanks. Let me guess what the first two are."
"A kiss on the lips and sex from me obviously." He said continuing to smirk. Artemis whacked the back of his head and walked out of the room. They both sat down on the couch when the heard the door knob start to turn. Quick as a wink, in a very practised movement, Artemis was back to looking depressed and whittling while Dick slung an arm around her shoulder. Wally opened the door a millisecond later and breezed into the apartment.
"It's alright guys, the Wall-Man is back." Both somberly turned to wave a hand in greeting. "Yeesh, who died?"
"Arty had her archery competition today." Dick said. Wally's eyes widened in understanding.
"Oh. And how'd it go?" The pair looked sadly at each other. Dick slowly rose and walked over to Wally.
"I'm not going to lie to you. It didn't go well." Wally nodded and went over to give Artemis a hug.
"I'm sorry, Art. There's always next time."
"You didn't let me finish!" Dick whined. "It didn't go well for the other girls!" Artemis let out another uncharacteristically shrill squeak of excitement and returned Wally's hug.
"You little trolls." Wally complained before joining in on the excitement. When Kaldur walked in, they were still freaking out over the shininess of the trophy, so he was able to immediately join they're happiness. All four managed to sober up for when Megan and Conner came in, though Conner was already knew that when Artemis lost at anything, even board games, (especially board games,) she got angry not sad. Megan on the other hand, fell for it, but was even more excited when she found out the truth. In the end, the six of them ended up breaking open a bottle of wine and seeing who could tell the most outrageous story. They all fell asleep around five in the morning, all cuddled together on the floor, surrounded by blankets. The next morning, Dick was happy to find a variable well of black mail material. Not only was Megan and Conner sleeping with their hands entwined, but Wally had somehow manage to end up with his head on Artemis' stomach while she had her hand wrapped protectively around his neck.
I hope you enjoyed! So for those of you who aren't well versed in the characters of Teen Titans, Janice is Jink, who was a bad guy, then got a crush on Kid Flash and became a good guy. Personally I'm not her biggest fan, so that's why she's Janice. But I'll try not to make her too annoying! Anyways, I hope you liked it and feel free to let me know what you thought in a review or PM. Also if there is a certain paring you would like to see featured in an upcoming chapter, let me know and I will do my best to fit it in! Have a good weekend and I'll see you soon! :D
