Part 22: Playing Dress Up
Beautiful Dreamer walked halfway down the stairs to the basement before she noticed that the reflective floor was not the floor, but rather a half foot of water. Aquaman headed straight in. Green Arrow followed after he maneuvered around Beautiful Dreamer. "You coming," the green clad hero looked up at the blonde stranded on the steps.
"Sure." She placed a hand on his shoulder and used him as leverage to jump from the steps to a ledge that ran the length of the basement. "What?" she shrugged. "You two have boots."
Aquaman smiled as Green Arrow raised an eyebrow. Then he tilted his head indicating that they should look further in the room. There wasn't much but the boiler room was connected in the middle behind the stair case and along the far were two rooms for laundry and storage. They split up. Because it was the only room that Beautiful Dreamer could reach from her height, she took the laundry room. Aquaman took the storage room and Green Arrow checked on the utilities.
"Well isn't the prince of thieves just taking his merry old time?" Beautiful Dreamer commented as Aquaman appeared from his search. "How long does it take to look at a water heater and a furnace?"
As Aquaman shrugged, the Green Arrow appeared, but his entrance was not noticed by Aquaman as Beautiful Dreamer's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out. Or at least that was what Aquaman thought as he caught her. He didn't bother checking with Green Arrow; he took her upstairs out of the dank basement.
Beautiful Dreamer's mind had exploded in a stream of color. She felt like she was high, drunk, and stressed out all at once. The colors eventually became spaces, scenes and pictures moving at incredible speeds. She saw Black Canary kissing Green Arrow, Cyborg being thrown into a wall, Clark and Artemis yelling at each other and then she saw herself in the lobby with a red headed woman who pulled back her hand and held her pink necklace.
When Beautiful Dreamer opened her eyes, she blinked several times to orientate herself and discern between the dream—vision?—and reality. "There's a woman coming. A teleporter. She's after my necklace."
"She's after your necklace?" Green Arrow asked skeptical and confused.
Beautiful Dreamer could tell that Green Arrow wasn't going to believe her. She turned to Aquaman and put a hand on either side of her face. "I need you to believe me."
"What else did you see?" Aquaman was confused, but he focused on Beautiful Dreamer.
She took a deep breath. "Artemis arguing with Clark." Both guys nodded. "Cyborg being throwing into a wall." They tilted their heads and then nodded. "And you, Lockley, kissing Canary."
Looking at Green Arrow, Aquaman nodded. He got to his feet and walked over to his friend. "Shouldn't we at least check this out?"
Green Arrow knew that neither he nor Aquaman could move fast enough to take on a teleporter without superior numbers and a decent plan. "Boy Scout," he called into his headpiece. "Boy scout? Watchtower?"
"That dip in the basement must have shorted out the coms," Aquaman inferred.
"Stay here with her," Green Arrow said to him. "I'll go get Clark." He ran up the stairs and found the tensely silent pair in the second floor corridor. "Clark, you're needed in the lobby."
Artemis raised her brow. "Saved by the receptionist."
"Artemis, Boy Scout, I lost contact with Cyborg and Canary isn't answering my call," Watchtower explained.
Glancing at Artemis, Clark realized they were the only ones with contact to Watchtower. "I'll go help Aquaman and Dreamer."
"We'll head up in search of Cyborg and Canary." They both nodded in agreement for the first time and headed their separate ways.
The set up of the building allowed for two internal stairwells. "Take the northeast stair; I'll go southwest. We'll meet midway fourth floor." They each headed their own way.
Picking herself up Black Canary knew that Cyborg was well ahead of her on his way down. She hadn't expected that he would have noticed or sent someone back to get her.
Oliver was walking up the stairwell and smiled when he saw her. "We've been looking for you and Cyborg." He came to her instead of turning and heading back down. "Artemis said to meet with her on the fourth," he explained.
Together they walked back up the flight. Black Canary glared at the step that had caught her stiletto heel. "Why were you looking for me—us?"
"You weren't answering Watchtower." He smiled at her.
Black Canary's hand went to her ear then she realized. "It fell out when I…" She decided to avoid her clumsy tendency. "When we ran."
"Why did you run?" Oliver stood by her as they reached the top of the stair. "Did something happen?"
"It appears Artemis's puppet master has returned." They turned and headed down the hall.
"Master?" Oliver seemed caught between laughter and confusion. "I got the impression she didn't enjoy being toyed with."
"Oh, of course, she doesn't. It's Artemis. She likes to be in control." Dinah smiled then bit her lip. She probably shouldn't have told Oliver about Artemis's issues.
He was curious. "Really?"
"No." Dinah poked Oliver's arm. "You'll get no more information out of me."
"You're on to me," he teased her.
She smiled again. "You have sneaky interrogation techniques."
"And to think I usually just go straight to torture." His voice fell low and he turned toward her while reaching out a hand to stop her progress down the darkened hall.
Dinah stopped and stared at him as he brushed his hand over her shoulder. Dinah put a hand on his shoulder and leaned into him He put his hands on her waist and titled his head down toward her upturned one.
At the final moment he pulled back and sighed, "I'm sorry I can't."
"What?" Dinah's eyebrows came together. "Why not? Why did you start, if—do you have a girlfriend? Because I can take care of her. Is it Lois? I would say that ship has already sailed."
"No, it's not Lois. It's—"
"Hey," Artemis called down the hall. Oliver looked up and raised his hand just in time for the arrow to go through his palm instead of his chest. "Get away from her."
Dinah stepped in between Artemis and Green Arrow as the archer strung another arrow onto her bow. The movements were not the quick of a warrior, but the slow and deliberate of a hunter. Dinah recognized the difference. In Artemis the warrior was angry or came out when the Amazon had no time to think. Instinct took over.
The hunter was the side that appeared when she was wary of an unknown or stronger opponent and wits were necessary. But why would Artemis be wary of Oliver? "Artemis, what is wrong with you?" Black Canary distracted Artemis and for a moment the illusion stopped.
"He's not—" Artemis started by stopped as another voice spoke in her head.
"If you shoot me, she'll take the bullet." Knowing he had a point, Artemis loosened her hold on the bow and placed both the bow and the arrow back in her quiver. "Now, that's better."
"Please, make him shut up." Artemis mentally wished to know one in particular.
Laughter filled her thoughts and Artemis knew that he was reading her mind, which was one of his talents. He could read minds, move things, teleport and form illusions? Though a mental power, illusions were inactive thus not the same category as the Tailor's other powers. The Tailor. Artemis looked at the Oliver dressed assassin. "You mimic powers," she thought.
Part 23: Mixed Signals
Maya was laying on the floor her legs stretched out in front of her. Her head was pounding with strange images that continued to assault her vision at random intervals. She laid her head on AC's shoulder. AC sat on the floor as well propped up against the wall with one leg out stretched.
"She's here," Maya said lifting her head. She stood up; AC got to his feet and stood one step ahead of her, half-covering her. He was placed perfectly so that he could defend her, but she could still see and react for herself.
AC knew that Maya could defend herself, but he was there to help her as well. He blinked and a woman with red pixie hair appeared in front of him. Uncertainty slowed AC's reaction; the red head had enough time to teleport AC across the room.
She reappeared next to Maya, who couldn't focus on the woman enough to force an illusion. The woman disappeared and then Maya felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned but there was nothing behind her.
Irritation rose in Maya as the teleporting woman made it impossible for her to figure out what was going on. "Stop it," she half-growled. And the teleporting torment stopped. After several minutes of silence, Maya went to AC. "Where is she?"
AC looked over her shoulder and indicated the direction with his head. Looking back Maya saw the woman leaning casually against the wall. "Had enough?"
"Who are you?" Maya demanded. "Why do you want what is mine?"
The woman pushed herself from the wall. "How do you know what I am here for?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but Maya could tell that she was surprised.
She disappeared again this time taking Maya with her. They reappeared at the entrance. Maya finally got enough of a feel for her to force an image into the teleporter's head. This time Maya became the disappearing woman.
Clark came down the stairs a moment later and the red head had no choice, but to leave. She wasn't getting paid for this. Petty thievery was more her style.
A clapping appeared in her brain next. "Very good. I wasn't expecting such intelligence from you. I mean the little blonde would have figured it out faster, but we are on the same page or rather were, seeing as we both read minds." He smiled and returned the illusion from Artemis's sight.
"The little socialite seems generally clueless, but she's educated. Even in this country Uni must teach something. Of course, your friend here." He indicated Dinah. "Would have figured this." He swept a hand down his own form. "Long ago if she hadn't let her heart get in the way."
"Don't," Artemis warned.
The Assassin grinned. "But I really did not expect you to put it together. I mean a savage Amazon without formal education or even basic knowledge noticing such a delicate connection. I am beyond impressed by your functioning at such a high ability for so low a being."
Anger sprout in Artemis's chest, but she forced herself to remain still. He had the upper hand. She couldn't keep her mind blank as she tried to decipher what the Assassin wanted. Dinah was within his reach and Artemis wouldn't be able to harm him much.
Still reading her mind the Assassin moved around Black Canary maintaining the illusion outwardly, except for on Artemis. He could feel her apprehension, but she didn't run. It wasn't until he was within arm's length and reached out to her that she moved. Slapping his hand away and turning so that their backs faced the wall as they squared off against each other.
Artemis knew her own limits. She knew if the Assassin was directing all his power on her there was little chance that she would survive. "You can run," the voice mocked her thoughts. She glared at him.
He could hear her every thought. Nothing she did would be a surprise to him. But how much power did he have at his disposal? Maya could sustain an illusion for hours if she had to, but it took a toll on her. The Assassin was throwing an illusion and he was also listening to Artemis's thoughts, which according to Lilith was "a complicated and intense experience." The Assassin had attached his thoughts to her own.
With that much attention attached to controlling his powers he could be overcome. At least he could be, if Artemis could confuse or surprise him. Not that this was likely. Artemis looked over at Dinah who was radiating confused anger, but had yet to determine who was the greater threat to whom. Dinah did not know that she was in more danger than either of them.
Artemis knew she had to do something, but couldn't allow herself to think about it. So she gave herself over to her body, to intuition. One moment of confusion was all she needed and the only thought she had in her head. Somehow she managed to come up with an exactly perfect way to confusion the Assassin and bring Dinah out of her confusion. She came at the Assassin as he expected. He restrained her arms, but did nothing to prevent her from moving her head. She kissed him.
Anger culminated in Dinah. She was confused and angry at Artemis's actions. She'd shot Oliver and then kissed him. Just as Dinah was about to take action against her friend a sharp pain pricked behind her forehead and her vision blurred. When the mist cleared, the scene was played out by Artemis and the Assassin, not Oliver.
Dinah was still lost in the realm of confusion, but the anger had dissipated. She no longer distrusted Artemis for shooting, kissing Oliver. But the distrusted did not completely disappear until, Artemis kneed the Assassin. Dinah had enough breath to laugh as the Assassin telekinetically pushed her into the nearest wall.
"What no new tricks to try?" Artemis smirked at the killer still slightly hunched.
His turn to glare.
"Canary, here, has a fun power." Artemis mocked again. He still kept Dinah pushed against the wall and left Artemis free to hit him again. "Why do you dislike me so much?"
"Du bist in meine weg?" He grunted through his pain.
Artemis was not naïve enough to think that the Assassin couldn't easily kill her. "I'm in your way. If that was the case, you would cast me out of your path and yet you constantly place yourself in my way forcing me to encounter you."
"You could forego your path," he suggested grinning at her, knowing that saying such would be the same as asking her to submit to him.
Artemis did not take the bait. "You're hiding something."
The Assassin chuckled as he had done in her head. "Of course, I am. I wouldn't be much good at my job if I weren't."
Yet Artemis tilted her head searching for something more. She wasn't given a chance to form an opinion. Canary screamed throwing the Assassin into the wall as the real Oliver and Cyborg appeared. The Assassin stood up and grinned. "Perhaps I'll beat you next time, Amazon." He disappeared.