As much as I hate short chapters, I hate not updating even more. Don't worry, this is only part one of the team's down time week. ^_^
Oh, and Invasion. You see, I never read the comics. I love all of the heroes and I know the stories, but I never read the comics. So when I see Bart Allen, what do I see? (Aside from my childhood. KOVU!) A threat to Wally. Someone who's kind of annoying, faster than Wally, threatens Wally's position in his family, former team, and position as fastest boy alive. How does the fandom not see how much Bart being there hurts Wally? I'll only like Bart when he's not so...obnoxious and Wally likes him. Becuase Wally's kinda MYFAVORITECHARACTEREVER.
Now on to the chapter. ^_^
Oliver Queen was ecstatic. He could barely contain his bubbly smile. He wanted to go jump around and skip in circles and laugh like a mad man. He wanted to give everyone a big hug and professes his love to Batman, just to see his face. He wanted to go give Artemis a noogie just to see what she would do. He wanted to take the ArrowPlane for a joyride across America.
But he was a responsible adult, member of the Justice League, and mentor to three archers.
So instead of going into PartyArrow mode, he went into DaddyArrow mode. Now, most people didn't know about DaddyArrow. Everyone went on and on about how cute DaddyBats was. But did they ever talk about the other cute Daddy Leaguer? No. But one thing was sure—the Arrow Family knew it.
And Roy Harper was getting full blast of DaddyArrow at its peak.
"Are you sure you're okay? You don't feel sick do you? Do you want me to turn the radio on? Are you cold? What do you want for dinner? How does your head feel? Do you want me to call Dinah? She's a great therapist. Do you need a therapist? How do you like the team? How soon do you want to start training? Wait, what am I saying, you need to rest! Don't worry, we're almost home. Your room is only a little bit different than when you left it. Do you want some water? It might help you feel better…"
Roy could only watch amusedly as Ollie rambled on. He thought about stopping him, but in all honestly, he liked DaddyArrow. It was Ollie's weird way of showing how much he truly cared. And that was worth putting up with endless chatter.
Soon, Roy gave up on listening to his foster father and began thinking about the team. Did he like them?
Of course he did.
He was obviously cool with Dick, Wally and Kal. Artemis was pretty much awesome, and he would totally go after her if she wasn't dating one of his best friends. Connor, while slightly broody, seemed to know the perfect moments to throw in a joke, and was really cool. He reminded Roy of a puppy, but he was cool. M'gann was…interesting. She was one of those overly happy people that even though they should be annoying, you can't help but like them. Zatanna was also cool. She had that kick-butt attitude, but she was a tad bit…nicer than Artemis, who was defiantly kick butt. Raquel was pretty cool too, with her fierce attitude. And then there was Wolf. Who didn't love Wolf?
And Roy had gathered all of that from the ten minutes he spent with them before Ollie whisked him off to the Zeta Beams, and then to the waiting ArrowMobile. Hey, he wasn't friends with the protégé of the World's Greatest Detective for nothing.
"Are you even listening to me?" Ollie's voice drew Roy out of his thoughts, and the young archer focused back in on the world. They had arrived at the Queen Manor, sitting in the garage, and the elder man was giving the younger a questioning, doubtful look.
"Of course I was," Roy scoffed, "You said: 'Hey, kiddo, we're home! You excited to be back?" Ollie grinned at the boy, and nodded his approval before unbuckling himself and getting out of the car.
In all honesty, he had no idea what Ollie said. He just guessed what he said based off on how well he knew his mentor and by the current level of his DaddyArrow mode. Roy quickly undid his seatbelt and opened the car door. He casually stepped out, and felt the warm aroma of home seep into him.
Home smelled like Quiver Cleaner and sweat, dusty wood and pledge cleaner, candles and burning wood, bagels and nuetella, cats and litter boxes, dry cleaned clothes and moldy rags, and the never ending smell of freshly baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Home sweet home.
Roy followed his mentor through the halls of the Arrow cave until they reached the elevator that would bring them up to the real home—Queen Manor. The smell difference between the two places was that now you could smell leather in with the mix of home. And it was a beautiful smell.
And even though some of the room colors had changed, and the décor was a little bit different, it was still home. Even though it's been lived in by other people for three years, it still felt like he just left.
"Okay, Roy-Boy. I'm going to go up to your room and try to de-hazard it from when Red was last here. I haven't touched it since he left, but I can still smell it. So you just sit on the couch and watch the news or something. I'll call you when the coast is clear." Ollie grinned at him once more, before turning and winding his way to the manor towards the stairs. "If I'm not back in an hour, come after me!" Ollie shouted, and Roy rolled his eyes and chuckled at the older man. He hadn't changed a bit.
Roy was about to plop down on the couch and catch up on the world, but then his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since that morning, and he could see the bag of bagels taunting him. The hungry boy made his way over to the kitchen counter, and instinctively reached out both arms, one to grab the bagels and one to plug in the toaster, which was right next to them.
But he only grabbed the bagels. Roy felt a sinking feeling flow into his stomach as he was once more reminded of the loss of his limb. True, he wasn't nearly as distraught about it as he was when he first found about it, but he wasn't exactly traught right now.
And frankly, it terrified him to think that he wouldn't be able to shoot another arrow.
Hunger lost, Roy sat down on the plush leather couch and turned on the TV with a click of the remote.
"…there has been no word from any of the families since the so-called Billionaire Wars that took place nearly two weeks ago. Since then, Dick Grayson, Wally West, Artemis Queen, and Roy Harper haven't been seen at any of their schools or elsewhere. So what's really going on with the children of these billionaires? Where have they been? And what do these wars hold for the future? Find out more tonight at ten."
Roy raised an eyebrow. Almost two weeks? That was right around the time he was rescued.
"Hey, Roy, the room's clean. It doesn't smell too bad either. Oh, are they still going on about those Billionaire Wars? I think the media had more fun with that then we did…"
Roy raised an eyebrow at that statement, and Ollie laughed nervously.
"Well, you see what happened was….."
"…and then Red came in and started punching the crap out of Wally and Dick. It was pretty intense. And kinda funny. So the mentors came in and pulled everyone off of each other. I had to be the sobbing hot mess, crying into Ollie's shoulder while he 'scolded' Red. And then once we got out into the hallways, Wally and I pulled a Romeo and Juliet with the whole fighting to get to each other and screaming for each other and all that jazz. The look on the reporters' faces was hysterical. They were totally flipping out! And then when the meeting started, the team went to Cadmus and rescued Roy and Match! It was a total piece of cake! But now that it's all over and Roy went with Ollie and everyone went back home, I invited Red to come stay with me while you're visiting your friends. And he's an Arrow, so you know we'll be safe. Please can he stay Mom? Please?"
Paula Crock laughed at her daughter's ramblings. It was always like this when she came home from missions. She would sit on the couch and excitedly tell her mother everything about the mission. Even if she left out fine details, her excitement told Paula everything she needed to know.
But this time, she didn't just return with an exciting story. She returned with a friend—Red Arrow.
Now in the past, Paula distinctly remembers Artemis griping and moaning about how horrible and arrogant this Red Arrow was. That is until somewhere around December, when she came home from the mission that had to do with circuses, and claimed that maybe the other Arrow might not be as bad as she thought he might be.
And now he was sitting in their living room, asking to spend the week with Artemis.
She might have said no if it were anyone else, but considering what Artemis tells her about him and Jade, she wasn't too worried.
"Alright, alright, calm down. Red Arrow can stay only after I've talked with Green Arrow about him."
"MOOOM." Artemis groaned. Paula waved her off and quickly took hold of the phone she was sitting beside and dialed Ollie's number. Artemis rolled her eyes at her mother and shot Red an exasperated look. Red smirked at the Crocks and raised an eyebrow at her.
You were the one who asked, he silently spoke to her.
She returned the look with a halfhearted glare. I'm being nice to you. She then smirked. Embrace it.
They continued on with their silent conversation, only using facial expressions and mild hand gestures to convey their words.
"Are you two having a mental conversation? I thought you needed the Martian girl for that..." Paula's voice drew them out of their weird Arrow speak thing. Artemis smirked and shook her head.
"No mental conversations, Mom. It's, well..."
"It's an Arrow thing." The two archers spoke their common phrase simultaneously, and then grinned at each other and fisted bumped.
Paula smiled at her daughter and her friend. It was good to see Artemis being social, instead of just hearing about it in one of the blonde's excited tales. "He can stay." she announced, her eyes twinkling at the two. She sound found herself wrapped in a giant hug from her daughter.
"Thank you, Mom!"
Soon, Artemis and Red found themselves waving good bye to Paula and her friend, Nhung. It wasn't until Artemis couldn't see the car containing her mother that she turned around to go back inside.
"You ready for the exquisite tour of the world's crappiest apartment?" Artemis said, dramatically throwing open the door. And so she showed him. The apartment was small and run down, but it was Artemis's home. So Red respected it.
"And finally, my room." Artemis swung open a plain white door to reveal a plain bedroom with two beds next to the window. Artemis plopped down on the bed next to a brightly colored poster. The bed opposite to hers, was identical, except for the Alice in Wonderland poster.
"You can sleep on Jade's old bed. I think it might be the only other sanitary bed in this house." Artemis trailed off, her eyes cast downward.
"You know, I am the ward of a billionaire." Red said, throwing his bag on Chesh- er, Jade's bed. Artemis raised one eyebrow at the red archer, whom simply returned the look with a grin.
"So?"
"So why don't we take my money and make the whole house sanitary. Like, Extreme Home Makeover, apartment addition."
Red let his eyes wander around the shabby room. He would be lying if he said the place didn't need it.
"You would do that...for me?"
"Do we have anything better to do?"
Artemis had a good feeling about this week.
Welp, there you go. Part two to come out soon! :D
OH, and I'm on YouTube now! I've only got a couple of videos up, but I have a feeling I'm going to be posting a LOT more in the future, including one on my Young Justice Invasion feels. ;) So check me out if you want to see the face behind the writer! My name is, of course, Polarbear1355. :D
Fairfarren,
~Polarbear1355
