Chapter Ten Coming To A Head
Dakota's POV
This is so confusing. I'm sort of glad Dani and I don't have this confusing of a family. Yeah we still have a messed up family but not this much. I decide to stay here and watch Dinah and Jena because something isn't right with Skyler. Most of the team leaves to help look for Artemis except Dani, Wally, and Conner.
"So Artemis is an assassin?" Wally asks
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"I saw her, her dad and her sister one night after Apollo was gone. I followed them and saw her dad take down a homeless guy. Her sister hung out in the shadows but Artemis sent an arrow through the guy's head."
"No, she wouldn't do that."
"She did, I saw it with my own eyes."
Since everyone else is distracted with Jena's story I am the only one that notices Skyler start to break off from us. I grab her and hold her as she starts struggling.
"Let go of me."
"No."
She continues to struggle and Conner comes over and holds her too. After some time she passes out and we place her on the couch. We look to Jena and see her sitting on the floor holding her head.
"You okay?" I ask
"What happened?"
"Jena?"
"Yeah. Where am I?"
"What do you remember?"
"I remember seeing my brother's back on the news and heading to the orphanage. That's the last thing I remember."
"Should we call Megan back to see what's wrong?" I ask Conner
"It would make sense but she's really worried about Artemis. Wait for them to get back then see."
We help Jena to the couch and let her sit down. Wally runs to the kitchen and gets a glass of water for her.
Artemis's POV
I figured from the beginning Jena wouldn't trust me so when we had to get back to the cave I knew she would try to ditch me. I'm confident that I can make it to the zeta beam before Apollo can drive back. Then again I wasn't planning on being intercepted by my dad and sister along with some Shadows.
"Artemis, what a surprise. How's the hero life treating you?" Dad asks
"Fine, Dad now if you don't mind I need to get back."
"Oh come on, spend some time with your family. NOW."
The shadows come at me as I jump out of the way. Thankfully there is a forest on either side of me so I run to the left. I try to contact the cave but no one's answering. I pull out my phone and call Apollo.
"Hello?"
"Apollo!"
"Artemis, where are you?"
"Well my dad sorta made a bump in the road. I need a little help please."
"Sure, where are you I'm already on my way."
"Uh about a third of a mile away from the zeta tube. I'm heading towards it so yeah. Just hurry please."
"I have some of the team with me. I'll be there as fast as I can."
"K bye."
I close my phone just as I feel the hilt of a sword be forced into my back knocking me out.
Apollo's POV
"Guys, Artemis just called. Her dad ambushed her, we need to hurry up. She said she's just a third of a mile away from the zeta tube."
Everyone nods as we push the bikes past their limits, trying to get to Artemis sooner. I lead the way towards Artemis pushing my bike as fast as it can go. I never should have listened to Jena.
Conner's POV
Wally and Dani left after Skyler passed out. Dakota watches Skyler sleep while I talk with Jena. She's completely different from when she first came into the Cave.
"So you don't remember anything?" Dakota asks genuinely concerned
"I-I don't think so."
"Do you know her?" I ask gesturing towards Skyler
"N-n wait, maybe. She looks familiar."
"Where from?"
"Okay, don't send me to an asylum for my explanation but she looks like this rare tiger I saw at the zoo."
"When was this?"
"What day is it?"
"Well, uhm, I don't know either. Dakota, do you know today's date?"
"Seriously, you don't know what day today is? November 13th. Man, guys don't remember much do they?"
"You don't have to be so smug about it?"
"Sorry, I have to keep this up with everyone. It's all they know, I'm not always this annoying but I've just gotten used to it."
"Okay so it's November 13th."
"I went to the zoo October 13th and then like a week later is last I remember. Do you think she caused me to lose my memory and act as I supposedly have?"
"I'm a clone of Superman, we have an alien and an Atlantean, and we do missions even the Justice League can't. I think anything can happen."
"So when I say the rare tiger was black with darker stripes you won't consider it crazy or think I'm stupid?"
"I've heard of the extra rare black tiger. I don't judge."
"Guys, you might want to see this."
We turn around to see Dakota standing in front the couch and on the couch where Skyler used to be is a black tiger with clear blue eyes. Wolf decides to walk in at this moment and sees the tiger. He jumps on top only for it to easily throw him off. It sits up and looks around at us. Dakota grabs it and holds on for her life. The tiger jumps off the bed and drags Dakota around. I leave Jena and grab onto the tiger as well as it slows down but continues going.
"Conner, let go."
"No."
"I have an idea and I need you to let go."
I let go of the tiger as Dakota maneuvers herself on its back and sits up. She presses on a spot behind the left ear and the tiger starts slowing down. She scratches its neck and climbs off as it lies down like a domestic cat. Jena walks over next to me and we sit down next to Dakota. Getting a closer look at her I never realized how strong she was. She has a quality that M'gann doesn't even have. Today she just so happens to be wearing a black hoodie and grey cargo pants. Underneath her hoodie she has a dark grey t-shirt.
Apollo's POV
When we were close to our location Wally and Dani showed up. Dani quickly jumped off Wally's back and expertly onto the back of my bike. Wally then ran ahead trying to get to Artemis sooner seeing as he has superspeed. He comes back within minutes and runs alongside my bike.
"I see where a fight took place but I can't find her."
"Dani, take my bike."
"What the hell do you think you're about to do?"
"I'm going to find Artemis. Wally, come here."
Wally maneuvers himself close to the bike as I jump on him. He speeds forward to where he saw the damage. I get off quickly and look around for any ideas. Some material is snagged on a branch and I see it's exactly what Artemis was wearing earlier. I run through the destruction to the direction I think she went. Wally quickly catches up to me but I send him back because I've heard he compromises everything. I continue forward but quickly hear someone talking so I climb up the nearest tree.
"Artemis, you haven't been a very good girl lately."
Artemis is almost foaming at the mouth and I fear she's been drugged. I know she sees me. I saw her eyes lead up to me and that means my position has been compromised. I quickly swing from one tree to another until I'm certain they can't see me. I listen for a little as I pull my cross bow out of a hidden compartment from under my hoodie. I aim at a guy that's a little closer to me and shoot as he goes down. All of my arrows are laced with a tranquilizer that could keep an elephant down for a day. It won't kill any one though. Then I'm on the move again. I move deeper into the woods this time as they shoot around in the trees. Another nice thing with hoodies is I can have Kevlar underneath and no one would ever realize that I'm wearing any protection. One bullet comes a little close but I manage to dodge out of the way.
The gunfire comes to a stop as they turn their attention back to Artemis. I move around to right above her as I watch her dad come and smack her in the face. She's still pretty out of it but she's coming to a bit better now. I aim and shoot another guy then move again as they run to their fallen comrade. Artemis looks right up at me and I can see now that she's playing. She's not actually drugged then. A plan is drawn silently between us in two seconds and I start setting it into action. I shoot a guy farther away as I drop a knife down the trunk of the tree for Artemis. She catches it and starts slicing away and the rope. I move around a little bit more while I wait for them to turn their attention back to Artemis.
"Artemis, what the hell is going on right now?"
Foam drops out of her mouth as she rolls her eyes into the back of her head and drops her head onto the trunk. I call the rest of the team as they rush in and start taking out some of the shadows. I jump down from the tree right onto Sportsmaster. I pull a small tablet out of my pocket that I had specifically made for a time like this. I pop it in his mouth as the affects start almost automatically. He starts foaming at the mouth and falls to the ground. Everyone stops fighting as Jade comes running out of the trees.
"What did you do to him?"
"Nothing."
"Of course you did something to him."
"No, I gave him a pill that just didn't react like a sugar pill. You are going to take him to the hospital and say he overdosed on something and leave us alone. Got it."
She looks at Artemis as she walks up to me. She calls off the Shadows as Hook grabs Sportsmaster and puts him in one of their hidden trucks. Before the fight can really begin it's already done.
"You okay?" I ask Artemis
"Apollo, you've been shot!"
"No I haven't."
"Yeah you have, if that hole is anything to go by."
"Just hop on my bike and I'll show you something when we get back to the Cave."
"You need medical attention. You can't drive."
"Just follow me somewhere away from everyone then."
"Why? Don't you feel the pain?"
"Come here."
She follows me deeper into the woods and once I'm happy I slowly take off my hoodie and show her all the hidden things that I have underneath. Right now I have on one of my red Orphanage hoodies but underneath I have a t-shirt and under that a layer of Kevlar that I spray painted green a while ago. I also have on two criss crossing belts holding all my little toys. Everyone asks the same question though. Why do I have all of this when I'm not even on mission?
Who knows what might happen? Especially when you've lived on the streets for so long. I take off my t-shirt and show her the Kevlar and how I'm not actually hurt.
"And there also isn't any blood."
"True but still, don't scare me like that again."
"Come on, we should get going."
We head back to where everyone else is as I'm adjusting my hoodie. Everyone looks at us but say nothing. We all take our own ways home but I get on my bike and Artemis gets on the back.
Once back at the Cave we see Wolf knocked out, a black tiger on a chair like a domestic cat, Conner and Dakota passed out on the couch. Conner has his arm around Dakota and Jena is sitting on the arm of the chair stroking the tiger. Well something obviously happened but no one wants to ask.
"Jena, what happened?"
"APOLLO!" She comes and tackles me to the ground with a huge hug which takes five minutes for her to get off me from. I stand up and help her up as she looks around at everyone.
"Jena, again I ask, what happened?"
"Well, Skyler was the reason I was supposedly acting the way I was. I'm still who you left not what you saw before. Sky has some magical problems I'm guessing."
"Hey, Zee could help her with that." Robin yells out.
"What happened to Wolf?"
"Oh uhm well, when he came out Sky was a tiger and he attacked her. She threw him off her so easily he hit the wall and he's just been laying there."
"How long has that been?"
"About an hour-ish."
"Okay, he should be fine."
"Is Artemis okay?" Conner asks as he slowly wakes up.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Dakota wake up, everyone's safe."
"Dani?"
"Yeah?"
"Ugh."
"Thanks for the love sis'."
We all split up and head to our rooms except some who stay in the rec room. The last thing I remember hearing before my head hit my pillow was Canary being recognized.
A/N: Ha. Finally got this chapter done and the next as well because I couldn't figure out this chapter. Really hatin' writer's block but I'm back in full swing. Just in time for me to leave you all again. I got the book Divergent and I plan on reading that on my way to NY. Putting up next chapter very shortly because Gemini has just gotten to reading this and finished it only to beg me to type more. Ghost is being really slow in getting up the next chapter of My New Family but eventually I should get it out of her.
-Leo