A/N: I know, I've been absent for a month, but school has started back up and college requires a LOT of reading. So, that's been occupying my time. Lest we not forget, Illinois is basically being attacked by snow and ice so we've been dealing with power failure, accidents, and wind chills lower than zero degrees. So please, believe me when I say "I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! Now, before I begin this update, I need to answer a question prosed during the last update.
Question:
I thought Jade was going by Kendall now?
Response:
Jade is going by Kendall, I just forgot to edit the previous chapter before I posted it, so her named turned up as Jade when Wally and Roy were talking. Just as a reminder though:
Wally, Megan, and everyone else in Gotham thinks Jade is Kendall. Roy and Artemis are the only ones who call her Jade, and that is usually when no one else is around. This was first brought up in chapter eight when Artemis moved in with Jade.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Justice or Young Justice: Invasion series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I also do not own the popular fairytale of Cinderella, which was made popular by Brothers Grimm, or the 2004 Warner Bros. film, A Cinderella Story, which was written by Leigh Dunlap. The fairytales simply inspired the concept of the story. However, I do own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters. With that being said, DO NOT RE-PRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAY, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS FANFIC, THEREFORE THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME! Thank you!
"Fight for my Life"
Artemis weakly opened her eyes and groaned in pain as a loud ringing sounded in her ears. As her eyes came into focus, she realized she was inside of a dark room, chained to a column while sitting on her knees. She lifted her head slowly and winced as her head began to throb. She must have been knocked out and brought to her current location.
Suddenly, it all came flooding back to her. Lawrence had found her outside of the diner downtown after Wally left her alone. The mere thought of Wally was enough to bring tears to her eyes. How could he leave her after he promised her he wouldn't? Wally claimed he was sincere, honest, and trustworthy. He had convinced her and told her on numerous occasions that no matter the circumstance, he wouldn't judge her. Yet, he had left her alone and turned his back on her. She had never lied to him about who she was, yet he had proven that he was the exact opposite.
With a self-pitying sigh, Artemis looked up towards the window just in front of her. The full face of the moon was shining brightly in the night sky, illuminating the room in a faint, bluish glow. From what she could tell, there weren't any buildings or bright lights outside. To make matters worse, she couldn't hear any cars or any other familiar noises of the city.
"Where am I?" she wondered aloud as her head hung.
"Why princess," a deep voice came, causing her to jump, "don't you recognize this place?"
Artemis raised her head and tried to look behind her, to no avail. She could hear the heavy footsteps of her father coming closer from behind her. He appeared in front of her and released a low chuckle before crossing his arms over his chest.
"It looks like you're finally awake." He said in amusement. "Welcome home sweet pea."
Artemis's eyes narrowed at his words. "What do you mean welcome home?"
Artemis walked until he was standing in front of the window so she could have a clear view of him. "The old house was a little rusty and out of shape, but the spare key was exactly where I left it."
Lawrence smirked as Artemis's eyes widened. "We're back in Canton." She realized.
"Well, I'll be damned. Your brain has finally put two and two together. So, now that things are starting to make sense to you, why don't you tell me why you left home princess?"
Artemis turned her gaze away from Lawrence and closed her eyes. "Why does it matter? You have me back. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Lawrence growled before striking the teenager hard across her face. Artemis's head snapped violently to the left, but she swallowed her emotions and moved her eyes to rest on her father once more. Lawrence glared at her with hatred in his eyes.
"You had better watch how you speak to me if you know what's good for you. Now answer me. Why did you leave home?"
Artemis bit her tongue to keep from lashing out. She sighed and closed her eyes refusing to answer. This only made Lawrence even angrier. He struck her again, but Artemis maintained her composure in spite of the pain. When he failed to get a reaction, something snapped and Lawrence continued to strike her. A fist collided with her stomach and Artemis gasped in pain before coughing out a mouthful of blood. Satisfied that he'd received some sort of answer, Lawrence stepped away from his daughter and smiled wickedly down upon her. Artemis's tiny frame shook with silent sobs as she managed to use what little strength she had to raise her head.
"How did you find me?" she asked him in a voice she could barely recognize as her own.
Lawrence released a small chuckle before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out her old cell phone. Artemis's eyes widened as he scrolled through the phone and turned the screen around so she could see Wally's name and number.
"In case you forgot, I was the one paying for your cell phone bill. So when you shut it off, I turned it back on and gave your little friend's number to a friend of mine. He managed to track the boy's phone and found the two of you at the diner."
"Oh my God…" Artemis whispered as realization slowly hit her. "Dave…"
"That's right princess. He went to check the signal and he found you. You ran out of the diner and he gave me a buzz to let me know that he'd found you and your precious speedster."
"Why are you doing this?" Artemis demanded. "What do you want with me?"
"You're going to pay for leaving me." He snarled. "Jade got lucky but you…you are no exception. You're going to wish you were never born."
Lawrence walked away, his laughter echoing off the walls of the darkened room. Artemis could hear a door slam in the distance followed by the starting of a car engine. The headlights shone through the window in front of her for a few seconds before disappearing. Artemis blinked a few tears free as the pain of her injuries began to settle in.
"I'm going to die here." She said in realization as her tears continued to fall.
Jade bit her bottom lip nervously as she sat in the passenger's seat of Roy's car. The two of them had just dropped Lian of at the Harper's place and were heading to the West family home. The radio was turned up to full blast to try and drown out the tension in the car, but as far as Roy could tell, it wasn't working. He twisted the nob to turn the music down before sparing a glance at his distraught girlfriend.
"Jade, everything is going to be alright." He said, trying his best to reassure her.
"Everything won't be alright." Jade said with a heavy sigh as she turned her head to look at him. It pained Roy to see her in such a way. Jade always did her best to keep her emotions at bay, especially when it came down to showing sadness. Seeing her in such a state unnerved him.
"Roy, my dad has to be the one who took Artemis. I can't believe I allowed this to happen. I told her she would be safe."
"Don't blame yourself for this." Roy said placing a hand on her knee. "We're going to find her Jade, I promise."
The raven-haired beauty sighed and nodded her head. They rode in silence for another five minutes before Roy pulled up in the driveway of the West family home. They could see a light on upstairs in the house, letting them know that someone was awake at this late hour. Roy cut the engine off and the two of them found each other's hands before walking up the front porch steps. Jade took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. They stood in silence for about thirty seconds and still, no one had come to the door. Jade released a frustrated sigh before ringing the doorbell another time. Finally they could see the stairwell light turn on through the front door window. Mary West appeared on the steps, coming down in her bathrobe, her hair a disheveled mess. Somehow, her hands managed to find the chain and lock of the front door.
"Roy, do you have any idea what time it is?" she said scolding her son's best friend. "It is a school night for heaven's sake. I'm sure that whatever you have to tell Wally can wait until tomorrow morning."
"Mrs. West, we're really sorry for intruding, but we have to see your son right now." Jade said, trying her best to remain polite.
Mary raised an eyebrow, prepared to question the woman, but the look of fear on Jade's face led her to comply. She pushed the door open further and stepped aside before motioning for them to come inside. She led them into the living room and turned the light on.
"Have a seat." Mary spoke as Roy and Jade walked over to take a seat on the tan loveseat. "I'm going to head upstairs and see if Wally's awake."
Mary disappeared up the stairs and Jade and Roy were left in the living room with nothing but the ceiling light and the humming of a fish tank's motor to comfort them. Jade looked up as the sound of sock covered feet shuffling across the hardwood floor could be heard. Roy looked up just as Wally stepped through the doorway, his face showing no signs of sleep. Mary was right behind him, her arms folded over her chest.
"Roy, Kendall, what are you guys doing here so late?" he asked, his voice surprised. "It's going on midnight."
"Wally, we really need your help." Jade said, her voice sounding desperate.
Wally raised an eyebrow before casually leaning against the doorframe. "What's going on?"
"Have you seen Artemis?" Roy asked straightforwardly. Wally's eyes narrowed at the question.
"Yeah…we went to the diner downtown to hang out for a bit and…things didn't go so well."
"What do you mean?" Jade asked.
Wally sighed before rubbing the back of his head. "Look Kendall…your sister and I were eating and some older guy showed up claiming he had slept with her. I didn't know what to make of the situation so I left, but she followed after me. She told me…a lot of things that I just wasn't prepared to hear."
"What kind of things?" Jade asked as her eyes narrowed.
"She told me about your dad and how he…"
"Oh my God." Jade said, embarrassed that Wally now knew the truth. "She told you about the abuse."
Wally nodded. "I don't know how to deal with the situation. I mean…I really like your sister and I even learned that she is the archer that I've been dying to meet for months but…how could I not freak out when she told me all of that stuff? I mean, she laid it all on the table. Then again, I was accusing her of being some kind of prostitute."
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Roy shouted.
"Roy Harper, you watch your tongue in my household." Mary West scolded him. Roy sighed as he tried to get his emotions under control.
"Wally, you have been going on and on to me about how much you liked this archer girl for the past couple of months. You finally find out who she is and what do you do? You run away from her like a coward and she winds up missing!"
Wally froze at Roy's words. "Wait a minute…what do you mean she's missing?"
"Apparently, you are the last one to have seen my sister tonight." Jade spoke, her voice dangerously low. "The two of you went out to that diner, you left her there alone and now, she's gone."
Wally shook his head. "No, you're wrong. Maybe she's out getting some fresh air or something?"
"Wally, my sister was last seen with you five hours ago and no one has heard from or seen her since she left with you this afternoon. If what you're saying about the tiff between the two of you is true, she would have called Dick to let him know what happened, but he hasn't heard from her either. I knew it Roy, my dad does have her."
"Wait a minute…your dad…you're saying that he found her?"
"We don't know for sure, but the possibility is very likely." Roy said with a sigh.
"Oh my God…we have to do something!" Wally exclaimed.
"And just what do you think you're going to be able to do at this hour?" Mary asked. "The police can't officially file a missing person's case until the person has been missing for up to forty-eight hours. So calling them isn't going to do any good."
"Well, we can't just stand around here and do nothing mom. You have no idea what that man has put her through. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he is going to make her pay for leaving him and it's all my fault. I shouldn't have jumped down her throat about the entire situation. I should have stayed behind and listened more carefully. I was a coward who ran away because to tell you the truth, I feel so helpless. I mean, I don't even know where to begin when it comes to this situation. How do you help someone heal after they go through an ordeal like that?"
The room grew silent at the red-head's words. Mary glanced at the three occupants in her living room and frowned. None of them knew how to answer his question. Roy cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"Perhaps we should head to Wayne Manor and talk to Dick Grayson. From what Kendall has told me, he's her best friend. Maybe he's heard from her by now, or maybe he knows something of use?"
"That sounds like a good idea." Jade sighed. "Let's get going."
"I'm coming with you." Wally said taking a step forward.
"Wallace West, it's after midnight." Mary said, her tone disapproving of the suggestion. "Do you have any idea what kind of crazy madmen are lurking in the dark?"
"Mom, please let me go with them. In spite of everything that happened between me and Artemis, I still care about her and I don't want her to get hurt. I have to find her and apologize. I have to know that she's okay."
Mary caught a glimpse of determination in her son's eyes and released a sigh. She placed a hand on her son's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Go and get dressed Wally. Just be sure to check in every hour. I have to know that you are safe. I'll phone the police and let them know what has happened."
Wally smiled at his mother thankfully before turning to Jade and Roy. "I'm going to throw on some clothes and then we can head over to Grayson's."
Artemis's eyes opened slowly as the sound of the front door slamming shut jarred her from her sleep. Her gaze moved to the window in front of her and she gasped at the sight of the sun rising in the distance. She'd managed to live through the night, but how much time did she have left before Lawrence was through with her?
The door to the living area swung open violently, its hinges creaking as the old French doors slammed against the paneled wall. Artemis began to tremble with fear as the sound of heavy footsteps approached her.
"Hello princess, did you sleep well?" Lawrence spoke as he appeared in front of her with a sadistic look in his eyes. He folded his arms over his chest as he looked her over. The punches he'd landed on her last night had turned into painful looking bruises and there was dried blood on her chin from the blood she'd coughed up.
"You should see how pathetic you look right now." He said as his shoulders shook with silent laughter. "You are weak, just like I always knew you were."
"Please, let me go." Artemis croaked as she bowed her head in shame.
"Well princess, I could let you go, but where would the fun be in that? Besides, don't you remember what I said to you and your sister when we first left this backwater town? I am your father and I always know what is best for you."
Artemis's head snapped up as she glared at her father, her blood boiling. "You know what's best for me?" she said in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind? If you were any kind of father, you would show compassion, love and understanding towards Jade and I. Instead, you tortured us with merciless training, you starved us, we worked our fingers to the bone like slaves, and you sold us off to your friends for cheap, filthy, and disgusting sex. You sir, are undeserving of the honor to be called a father. You are underserving to be called a human being!"
Artemis's voice echoed loudly off the walls of the empty room. Lawrence smirked as he began to walk in circles around the column. Artemis's eyes narrowed at the sight. It was almost like she was a tiny animal being victimized by a superior species, just waiting to be attacked.
"You sure talk big for someone who isn't in control of this situation. Although I disapprove of your tone, you are absolutely right about my fatherly duties. I never wanted you or your sister. That was your disgrace of a mother's idea. When she abandoned us I had no choice but to raise the two of you."
"You could have left us with a family member or put us into foster care. Why did you keep us if you had no desire to be a parent?"
Lawrence released a low chuckle before crouching down beside her and leaning in close to her ear. "Because my dear, I would have missed out on eight years of fun."
Artemis growled as she began to struggle against her bindings while Lawrence stood to watch her. He began to laugh at the sight of his miserable daughter trying to free herself.
"You can try all you want baby girl. You aren't getting out of those bindings. Since you're going to be stuck here for a while, I figured you could use a little entertainment."
Artemis stopped struggling as the sound of tires rolling over gravel could be heard. She looked up towards the window where the sounds were coming from.
"Ah, right on schedule." Lawrence said with a satisfied smirk on his face. "I hope you don't mind princess, but I invited a friend over. You remember Dave, don't you? Well, he had such a fun time with you the other night and since he did such a good job returning you to me, I told him that you guys could spend some time together getting reacquainted."
"No…" Artemis whispered, her eyes growing wide with fear. "Please, don't."
"Why not princess? I mean, you're stuck in here with no way to get out and your worthless friends have no idea where you are. Even if they do figure out where you've been taken, you won't be alive to greet them."
Artemis jumped as the front door slammed shut. She could hear Dave walking across the floor in his steel-toed boots, the sound growing closer and closer. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped and Artemis could feel him hovering above her. Dave stood behind her silent with a sick look on his face.
"Well Dave, you kept up your end of the bargain." Lawrence spoke as the man crouched down and caressed Artemis's cheek with the back of his hand, causing her to shiver beneath his touch. "Now, it's time I keep up my end of the agreement. Have fun princess."
Lawrence laughed as he left the room, leaving Dave alone with the shaking girl. Artemis squeezed her eyes shut as Dave pulled her sleeve down, revealing a scarred shoulder. He pressed his lips to the healed wound gently and Artemis released a choked up sob.
"Don't worry Artemis." He spoke, liquor hanging off his every word. "I promise, I'll be gentle."
Commissioner Gordon pulled off his hat and scratched his head as he and two of his deputies stood in the living room of the Crock home. The tenant downstairs had given them the same apartment number that Dinah had, so he was positive that this was the home. If not, the various trophies on a shelf above the sofa with Artemis's name on them was a dead giveaway.
"It looks like they aren't home sir." One of the deputies spoke. "Should we check with Artemis's friends and see if she has a part-time job of sorts?"
"Or maybe we should do a background check on Lawrence Crock and find out where he works? Even if he wasn't responsible for the shooting yesterday afternoon, we can still get him on the child abuse claims, can't we?"
Commissioner Gordon sighed, but nodded his head. "Go ahead and make a call to the station so they can begin digging up information on this man. I'll try and get in touch with some of the students I spoke with earlier today in the morning. It is rather late, after all."
Just as they prepared to leave, Commissioner Gordon's cell phone began to ring. He held up a finger to stop his two detectives before answering the call and holding his phone to his ear.
"This is Commissioner Gordon."
The two deputies stood in silence as their boss talked to the person on the other line. Commissioner Gordon's eyes narrowed as he took in the information being relayed to him.
"I'm on my way." He hung up his cell phone quickly before pushing past the two detectives and marching towards the elevator. "We need to get down to the station. Mary West called the station. Her son is apparently friends with Artemis. Apparently, she's been missing since around six this evening and her sister Kendall believes her father is to blame. There isn't a moment to lose."
"Can I get any of you something to drink?" Alfred asked the three new visitors as he walked into the study of Wayne Manor.
"No thank you." Roy spoke up for everyone. "We're too anxious to eat or drink anything. Thank you though."
Alfred bowed. "Master Grayson shall be with you shortly. He is waiting on Master Ahn and Lady Zatara to arrive." Alfred walked out of the room gracefully, leaving the three of them alone.
Jade bit her nails nervously as she stared at the flames blazing brightly in the giant stone fireplace. Roy's hand was on her back rubbing it in gentle circles to try and calm her down. Wally sat across from them in one of the living chairs, his hands folded and resting on his knees, as he stared down at the large, decorative green rug beneath them.
This is all my fault…I should have been more understanding. I mean, none of that stuff she told me changes the way I feel about her. Every person has their own dirty secrets and their checkerboard colored past. Maybe if she hadn't thrown the whole thing on me…? No, that still isn't an excuse. I care about her and none of that other stuff should matter. I just wish I had known sooner so that maybe…this wouldn't have happened…
"Wally?" Roy called out to his friends, snapping the track star out of his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking and you need to quit while you're ahead. Feeling guilty isn't going to get you anywhere. Try to remain optimistic."
Wally sighed and nodded once before leaning back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling. The three of them remained in their positions for five minutes until the sound of voices could be heard echoing off the walls just outside the door. The large, oak doors swung open quickly as Dick rushed into the room with Zatanna and Kaldur right on his tail.
"You guys, what are we going to do?" Zatanna cried out as tears ran down her face.
"We can't do anything until we find out what happened." Dick said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, his aviators sliding up just slightly. "Now, what do we know so far?"
"Artemis and I went to this diner downtown as a way to patch things up. We kind of had a tiff after the police questioned as at school and she felt bad. That was around five." Wally spoke from his position in the living seat.
Jade sighed and stood to her feet as she began pacing. "That was the last time I saw Artemis."
"Artemis called me right before she took off with Wally." Dick continued. "I had a date with Zatanna tonight and she was supposed to call me when she got back from dinner with Wally so we could catch up. We talk to each other every night, regardless of what's going on. I never got a call."
Wally shifted in his seat and leaned forward, his face showing both hurt and shame. "A man approached the two of us in the diner and claimed to have slept with her. I got upset and jumped to conclusions before leaving, but she followed after me. She ended up telling me about the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her father before revealing to me that she was the archer. I couldn't handle all of the information at once and I panicked. I took off and left her at the diner."
"You did what?" Dick snapped as he stormed over to the red head. Dick shoved Wally off the chair, causing the teen to fall onto the floor. Wally didn't get back up. He just laid there, his eyes unable to meet Dick's. "I thought you were a jackass before Wally West but this just takes the cake. Your jump to false conclusions about Artemis and she feels the only way she can convince you that she's telling the truth is by divulging her life secret to you, and what do you do? You run off with your tail in between your legs like the sorry jackass you are!"
"Dick, that's enough." Zatanna said, shocked by her boyfriend's sudden outburst.
"No, I'm not finished yet." Dick shouted, his eyes never leaving Wally. "Artemis has been my best friend since we were kids. She kept the same exact secret from me for seven years before she finally told me. I'm not going to lie, I was furious when she told me. I couldn't believe that she was allowing the abuse to continue and I was even more upset over the fact that she refused to go to the police and that she refused to let me help her out. But you want to know something Wally?"
Wally looked up at Dick and sighed shamefully. "What?"
"In spite of everything, I didn't leave her and make her feel worthless and unworthy of being called a human being. That's what friends do. They stand by each other no matter the circumstances and they accept them in spite of all of their flaws. Artemis admired you and considered you to be her friend even before she could put a name and a face with your online profile. She trusted you with secrets and details about her personality just as she trusts all her friends. You did the same for her. She cared about you before she even knew who you were. I specifically remember her saying that you claimed you would never jump to conclusions about anything. You are a two-faced, no good, stuck-up jock with his head so far up his ass that he can't think or consider the thoughts and feelings of another human being!"
The room grew silent as Dick took heavy breaths to try and calm himself. Zatanna made her way across the room and placed a hand on his shoulder. He tensed beneath her touch and she sighed.
"Dick, I know you're angry, but yelling at Wally isn't going to help us find Artemis. I mean, look at the guy. He's obviously guilt ridden over the whole situation."
Dick looked back at the speedster and gasped at the look of sadness in Wally's eyes. He sighed, suddenly feeling bad for his outburst.
"I'm sorry for snapping like that." He apologized as Wally stood to his feet. "It's just that she's my best friend and I care about her so much. She's been hurt enough in her life time and I just wasn't expecting for you to hurt her too."
Wally nodded before looking up at the younger teen. "I'm sorry too."
Dick held out his hand and Wally smiled before taking his hand and shaking it. The two could put aside their differences until Artemis was found.
Artemis screamed as she squirmed beneath Dave. She was basically a sitting duck who could do nothing to defend herself against her attacker. Dave let out a cry of ecstasy as he released and Artemis began to cry as he moved himself off of her. Dave smiled in delight before leaning back over her to press his chapped lips to her forehead.
"That was great babe." He said, his voice heavy and clouded. "It was even better than the last time. Hey, I could convince your dad to let you live a little longer if you're up for another round."
"Get away from me." Artemis spoke in a small voice, her bottom lip quivering. Dave smirked before brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes.
"You're so beautiful." He murmured as he leaned in for another kiss.
Artemis began to mentally panic. Not wanting to be assaulted again, she managed to knee Dave in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. Dave doubled over in pain as Artemis kicked him again. Realizing that Artemis was no longer going to comply with his request, Dave reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. Artemis's eyes widened with fear as she tried to free herself again, but her arms still remained tied, preventing her from breaking free.
Dave glared at the teen before striking her hard across the face. Artemis cried out in pain as her vision began swimming with black dots. She tried to free herself by pushing against him, but Dave wasn't going to let her get the best of him again. Without any warning, he plunged the blade into her shoulder. Artemis's vision grew hazy as she screamed out, pain pulsing through her shoulder. She could feel blood streaming down her arm but her body was slowly growing numb as the dark circles in her vision seemed to spread. Dave smiles before dropping the blade and leaning in to capture her lips in another kiss. Artemis was so weak, that she could no longer defend herself. As unconsciousness slowly crept over her, Dave smirked as he leaned in to make her a victim once more.
Dick and the others were huddled over the desk in the study as Jade rambled on about her dad's various hideouts. The conversation is interrupted when the study doors swing open. The room's six occupants looked up and gasped as Bruce Wayne walked into the room, a tired look on his face.
"Dad, you're home." Dick said, surprised to see his adoptive father. "I thought you were going to an overnight conference."
"I left you a voicemail earlier to tell you that the conference was cancelled." Bruce spoke in his usual, cold tone, as he stared at the visitors in his study. "What is going on in here? Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"I am sorry for all of the commotion." Dick apologized as he scratched the back of his head. "It's Artemis. She's gone missing."
Much to Dick's surprise, Bruce's facial expression grew worried. "What do you mean she's gone missing?"
Dick began to explain the events of the day all the way from the shooting to Artemis being at the diner.
"Wait a minute, are you talking about the diner downtown on Fifth Street?" Bruce spoke up suddenly, interrupting the story.
"Yeah." Wally said, straightening his posture. "Why?"
Bruce rubbed his chin in thought. "I was eating dinner there around six this evening with an old college buddy of mine. Now that you mention it, I saw Artemis sitting at the bus stop when Clark and I were leaving. A man with blonde hair started talking to her as I headed for my car. When I turned around she and the man were in a blue Chevrolet Lumina. If I'm correct, it was a '98."
Jade gasped, gaining everyone's attention. "Oh my God…that's my dad's car!"
"Did you see what direction they drove off in?" Zatanna asked, hopefully.
Bruce nodded. "I was driving behind the car for several miles. They turned off on the interstate. They were heading west."
Dick and the others exchanged a glance before looking at Jade. "Kendall, does your dad have a place out west that you know of?"
Jade shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't lived with the guy in three years. When I was staying with him, most of his hangouts were in the Gotham slums. I think he had one hideout in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town, but that's on the south border, not the west."
"Where could he have taken her?" Zatanna wonders.
Dick suddenly gets an idea and walks over to the wall opposite the desk. He pulls a book off of a nearby shelf and a small panel opens on the wall, much to everyone's amazement. A keypad appears and he punches in a code. Suddenly, a projector is lowered from the ceiling and the large picture frame on the wall becomes a television screen. Dick walks back to the desk and pulls open a state map on the computer before zooming in on Gotham.
"If most of Lawrence's hideouts are near Gotham, he couldn't have gone too far."
Suddenly, Jade gasps.
"What is it?" Roy asked, worry in his voice, as he and the others watched her walk over to the projection screen. Jade points at a town whose name is all too familiar to her before looking back at the others.
"I know where he took her."
"Where?" Wally asked, his voice sounding desperate.
"To our hometown, Canton."
A/N: And so ends another chapter. Will the others get to Artemis time? I sure hope so. Leave me a review because that is the only way you're going to find out what happens next. I'll see you next time!