Quick note- flashbacks are in Italics. Hope you guys enjoy! Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews as always!
Summary: Artemis Crock, sister to the notorious assassin Cheshire, daughter of the ruthless Sportsmaster and merciless Huntress. She was raised in the League of Shadows, groomed to become the killers like her relatives, but she didn't want that, not really. When the Justice League catches her, the Green Arrow offers her something she can't refuse. A chance at freedom. AU
Chapter Fifteen
Artemis didn't know what to do with herself. There was no greater shame in the Shadows than to showcase any weakness and she had learned that when she was really little. The memory flared to life in her mind, it was vague and hard for her to focus on, but she could feel it happening to her again as she stood in another time.
She was supposed to climb the terrain alone, stopping at the check points where the Shadows were waiting to report her progress. It was after the third check point that Artemis fell to the ground, the barely four year old opened her mouth to scream and cry. The way she had fallen had dislocated her shoulder, the pain was unbearable for her. However, seemingly out of nowhere and in speed that was too quick for an eleven year old, her sister had been right there. Jade pulled her sister into her arms, her hand covering the younger girl's mouth.
"Be quiet, be quiet," Jade said frantically, "If at the next check point they see you crying, they see you in pain… there's no telling the kind of trouble you could be in."
Jade wiped her tears away then, told Artemis to bite down on her shirt before shoving her arm back in place. Artemis didn't scream then, she bit down hard on her shirt as she had been told to do. Then, she climbed the rest of the way, wiping away her tears as she made her way up to the top. By the time she made it, the tears had dried and the only sign of weakness on her was the bruises from her fall.
If Jade hadn't been there, Artemis knew that the next check point she went to would have showed her a cruel lesson. When Jade had cried during her treck up the mountain, she had been six when she fell and broke her ankle. But she climbed anyway, tears and all because she knew that if she didn't, their father wouldn't have been pleased. Their most important lesson was hiding weakness, Jade made sure that Artemis didn't show any at the test. She wished Jade was there with her, to get of the tears and snap her back into reality. But she wasn't here, Artemis was alone with Dinah now.
Artemis stood outside a hospital like room, looking through the observation window at a sleeping Oliver Queen. Roy… Roy was gone. There was no telling where he had been taken or who exactly had taken him until Oliver woke up. For the past three days he had been mostly unconcious waking up once or twice leaving Dinah and Artemis on their own.
Dinah stood beside Artemis, she wrapped one arm around her shoulder to offer some support and to her surprise, Artemis leaned into the embrace. Even though Artemis had grown comfortable with the Queen family, she was still not the most affectionate with them and she didn't seek it out often. The past couple of days had been the exception. Dinah could still see Artemis hunched over Oliver, her eyes shining, cheeks red and face pained.
Pale grey eyes stared at her filled with terror and sorrow. Trembling word leaving her lips. Dinah could only rush over to the girl, never wavering in her facade of strength.
When the League medics gathered Oliver, Dinah had gathered Artemis, just hugging her. Artemis could only get out how sorry she was and that was before she knew about Roy. That hadn't been a fun incident, Artemis had simply stared at her in horror then, her mouth parted as she took in more before a scream left her. It was the worst sound Dinah had ever heard so far, she was certain the noise broke what was left of her heart.
Dinah looked down at the young girl with a regretful expression, her eyes clouded. Artemis hadn't so much as shed a tear since when Dinah found her, it worried Dinah if she was being honest. Of course she didn't like to see Artemis in pain, but she knew holding it back wouldn't be good for either, especially considering how that was the norm in her childhood.
"Artemis," Dinah started hesitantly, "I think we need to talk."
Artemis tensed, "That always leads to trouble."
Dinah breathed out a silent laugh, "You aren't wrong there, but this isn't the worst thing I can discuss. It's about the next steps."
Artemis looked up at Dinah, her brow furrowed, "Next steps for what exactly? On finding Roy?"
"I wish I knew where to start in that arena," Dinah replied regretfully.
"The Bat can help," Artemis said facing forward, "As the top detective in the league and probably the world, he'll be able to get a better read on where Roy might have been taken. Luthor might be Superman's villain, but I'm sure Batman could catch him."
Dinah nodded, "I hope so. Anyway, the next steps I was referring to are about you."
Artemis tensed again, "What about me?"
"Oliver and I planned to give you that costume either at Christmas or the end of Hannukah, but since you have it now and… both our guys down, you and I will be watching over Star City in their absence," Dinah explained.
Artemis pulled as soon as Dinah had finished speaking, as if she had been shocked or pulled away from the older woman. As Dinah looked down at the preteen, she searched for any traces of anger, disappointment or fear on her face, to get a read on how she was feeling. When Dinah and Oliver talked about bringing Artemis into it, they had a great plan to convince her that she could do it, that they wanted her to do it and more. Oliver was certain that Artemis would go for it, but Dinah feared that it would be too much to ask. After all, Artemis was still torn about the fact that she was still far from her family and not following the life she had been raised in.
In truth Dinah believed that leaving Artemis in the middle or neutral would have been best, let Artemis come to them on their own. Dinah knew that wasn't what the League had in mind. It was pretty much set up that Artemis would be apart of the Arrow team and follow Roy as sidekick before becoming her own hero. The problem was Dinah didn't want to force that on Artemis since she had already been in one life that forced to be what she didn't want.
"I should tell you no," Artemis answered, "That it goes against everything my family stands for. I can only imagine how disappointed they'd be... But I should tell you yes, because it means I've made a different path for me."
Dinah nodded once, "If you don't feel ready, I won't force you into it. Given the circumstances, it is something to think about."
Artemis looked away, her blonde fly aways shifted over, "And Roy? He goes missing and suddenly I'm in his place. Just imagine how that would look. He'd think we're replacing him."
"Roy knew that we were going to offer you the chance to be a sidekick with him," Dinah explained. "And I know if he saw you out there, he'd be proud."
Artemis looked back at Dinah, her expression more pained than worried, "And Jade? What if she recognizes me out there? When Roy doesn't check in and she sees me, some girl out there, she's bound to figure out what happened. Not that I care if she knows, but I remember the agreement I made with the Bat of Gotham."
Dinah had been aware of the growing relationship between Roy and Artemis' sister, but she wasn't sure just how deep that went. Based on what Artemis was saying, it meant that they were closer than she had originally thought. Anyone knowing of Artemis' true identity was out of the question, so Dinah knew that she was going to have to make sure that Jade didn't get closer enough to her. Keeping Artemis hidden from all the Shadows was the most important part about letting Artemis officially join the League. For a moment it made Dinah think of Artemis escape lessons with Batman every so often.
However her mind was brought back to the idea of Jade. So long as Artemis didn't get caught without her mask, she would be fine. Not to mention Artemis knew how to hide her fighting style that Jade wouldn't recognize, but even still. It was something Dinah would definitely have to keep an eye on, but for now it wasn't as pressing as everything else that was going on.
"I'll handle that," Dinah said thoughtfully, "In the meantime, does that mean yes?"
Artemis didn't speak, she turned her gaze back to the observation window. The older woman watched as Artemis stared Oliver for a long while, just watching him as he lay there with the same mournful expression. Slowly, Artemis lifted one hand and pressed her palm against the window, Dinah could just barely make out the determined look on the girl's face from the reflection in the window. Then she turned her head to look at Dinah and just nodded.
Dinah nodded as well, "Alright then, we need to get moving."
Artemis frowned, "Where are we going?"
"Patrol," was all Dinah said as she started walking away.
Artemis took one last glance at Oliver before jogging to catch up with Dinah.
Jade liked to think that she knew everything about everyone everywhere, but as the days ticked on with no word from Roy, she realized there were some things she didn't know. Though she was still angry with him for his lie about Artemis, their last meetings had mostly surrounded the preteen. It gave Jade the opportunity to get a glimpse at the happy life her sister now had, it gave Jade hope that her sister had a real shot at being free. However as she stood waiting in the original spot she would often meet Roy, she knew he wasn't going to show.
Two weeks had gone by and the Green Arrow sidekick hadn't made a single appearance. The Green Arrow made one appearance, though he was a little worse for wear. Something had happened all those days ago, something bad. Jade feared that Roy was gone, that he had been killed out there. Not to mention last night her sources confirmed that the sidekick had been taken, but no idea if he was still alive. With every piece of her, Jade hoped he was still alive. Who was going to look out for Artemis now?
Of course Jade knew that Roy trusted the Arrow and Canary, but Jade certainly didn't. It took every bit of her willpower not to go straight to the Queen manor and take her sister away, but she stopped herself. The last thing Artemis needed now was to be uprooted from her new life. Besides, Jade didn't have much of a plan to hide Artemis from her father who had been keeping an annoyingly close eye on her as of late.
In the months since Artemis' demise Jade had taken up the heir status of both the Shadows and Assassins and hadn't messed it up. She had grown tremendously in her fighting skills and leadership capabilities had improved. Every mission she went on, she accomplished with flying colors. It had been bizarre for her father to see, but he just attributed it to the loss of his youngest. Jade continued to be the top dog in the Shadows, even after she found out Artemis was alive.
A recent memory hit her of when she spotted the newest sidekick with the Canary, a young girl dressed in green with her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. While Jade knew Artemis' movements better than anyone else, when she watched this sidekick move, she had paused uncertain that it was actually her sister. Of course there was no one else it could have been, but still. Artemis was hiding herself well. Jade tried not to let it hurt as much as it did. However now Jade was the one keeping the secret, that she knew her little sister was alive.
Keeping it from the Shadows or Assassins wouldn't be that hard, after all it wasn't like she planned to talk to anyone about it. The only one who would be an issue was Talia. For ages she had known that Artemis was alive, all because of that stupid pit, but with that, meant her egging Jade on. Jade didn't want to die, ever, but she would trade her life in a heartbeat if it meant that Artemis never had to go near the older girl again.
Talia had a more brutal upbringing than the Crock sisters, she passed on her lessons more to Artemis and had never gone easy on her. Jade could still recall one day when Talia had been training them, how she was going to teach them obedience. For everything they did wrong, the other suffered a consequence. If Artemis failed to do her sequence correctly, Talia would hurt Jade and vice versa.
At one point, Talia had gone too far. Artemis hadn't really made a mistake, she had done everything fine, but struggled with doing exactly as she was told when it went against her more emotional desire. That was typical of a child. So, Talia told her to stand in her spot and not move while she beat up her older sister. As soon as it started, Artemis had raced forward, only for Talia to shove her away. It wasn't until Jade told Artemis to stop, that the younger girl did.
"Stop it," Artemis shrieked, in fear and anger.
Talia didn't stop though, she punched and kicked Jade with just about everything she had. It was true that Talia didn't really hold back when she was training the girls, but this was something much stronger than her usual fighting style. This was her at full capacity. Jade could fight well, while better at offense, she knew how to defend herself.
Every other punch that Jade dodged, two more hit her. Jade moved out of the way, narrowly missing Talia coming down on top of her and spotted something she wished she hadn't. Her little sister moving towards her, trying to get in front of Talia with red rimmed eyes and trembling lips. If Artemis gets caught in this, Talia would land her little sister in the hospital.
"Artemis, no," Jade forced the words out, "Do not move."
Talia kicked Jade down, the thirteen year old barely had a chance to get back on her feet as she heard a barely covered up sob from Artemis. She spotted her sister move forward again, Jade felt panic in her chest. Artemis was showing weakness and going to get herself hurt, Jade had to get her to stop before she made the situation worse.
"Artemis, I said don't move," Jade shouted at her.
With enough strength left, Jade ducked around Talia's next attack to get to Artemis. She shoved the younger her away, her push was enough to knock Artemis back at least four feet. Artemis froze in her spot, surprised that Jade would push her away like that. A second later, Jade was forced to the ground by Talia, who was seething in rage.
As Jade collapsed onto the concrete floor, she forced the words out for Artemis, "Stay there!"
Artemis didn't move from her spot as the fight went on, Jade scrambling to protect herself and stay on her feet until Talia knocked her down once again. Moments later, the fight had ended. Talia stalked away, screaming at the two girls and berating them for weakness and mistakes. Their father would would not be pleased by the lack of positive reports on their training. Though Jade had a feeling their father wouldn't be too hard on them, he knew if someone hurt them, he wouldn't be able to stand by unless it was here in training.
Jade could only lie on the ground, every part of her body hurt as she struggled to breathe. Slowly, she managed to turn onto her back and swallowed the whimpers that threatened to escape into the air. A little face twisted in anger came into her vision, for a moment Jade was annoyed. If Artemis just did as she was told, this wouldn't have happened. Yet as Jade watched her little sister's face morph from anger to sorrow, tears pooling in her eyes, did the annoyance leave. Jade swore to protect her, no matter what.
"Stop crying kid, you know that's seen as weakness 'round here," Jade said as she sat up, "We're alright. Wipe the tears."
Jade looked over her shoulder to see Artemis wiping her tears away, but her face returned to it's angry expression. Before Jade could question why she had that look on her face, she got an answer.
"I hate her," Artemis said, her eyes shimmered, "When I'm older, I'll kill her for this."
Jade blinked, "No. You won't. Don't be what they want you to be."
Artemis sniffed, "If it means she, she never hurts you-"
"Let me make something clear," Jade said as she turned around, ignoring her screaming sides, "You're my little sister. And I will die, before you turn into Talia. Understand? Good."
Jade pulled her sister into her arms, then forced herself to stand with the six year old in her arms. They had a long walk home.
Jade released a breath as the memory faded out. It would forever be her job to look out for Artemis, keeping her from the Leagues was a new addition and it was one Jade would succeed at. Perhaps one day she would reveal herself to Artemis or maybe Artemis would reveal herself to her in her own time. Regardless if the day ever came where they could be reunited, Jade wouldn't fail her job. She thought she had months before, but she couldn't again.
Her eyes observed the city in the distance and she just barely could see two figures moving across the buildings. Even though she knew who they were, she put on a pair of glasses and let them zoom in onto the heroes. The older one was a woman dressed in black, the Black Canary, Dinah Queen. The second was a young girl dressed in green with a bow and arrows, Artemis. To both Jade's amusement and annoyance, that was the sidekicks new name. Roy had told her that, but to actually hear it happening ticked her off.
"You would literally put her name out there, it's not a popular name and she could be found out," Jade said, arms crossed over her chest.
Roy shrugged at her, but he wore a gentle smile, "It was her idea."
Jade raised an eyebrow, "And why the hell would you or the others let her do that?"
"It's the only message they would approve her to send to you," Roy told her, he looked out into the distance, "And it works out fine with the theme we have. No one at the Shadows besides you, her father and Talia knew her real name. Only you and your father know her real face. She'll never reveal her face out there and she has a secret identity in place."
"Care to share with the class," Jade replied, her head tilted in slight curiosity.
"Thea Jade Queen," Roy answered, he adjusted his an arrow and rope, "I'll see you later."
Jade smiles at the figures. Learning that the sidekick name was meant for her, knowing that her little sister hadn't forgotten her, well it made her feel better. Ever since she had left Artemis in that fire to go in a different way, Jade hadn't stopped feeling that pain. However, with the news of Artemis wanting to contact her and then her new identity reaching her ears, that pain lessened.