Chapter 8

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And it is the weekend once again! Here's a longer chapter than usual, I really hope you enjoy it!

"Laurel should be here soon." Oliver said as he entered. "Sara, she's your sister, and I'm working with Roy, so can you train her?"

"Sure, until I have to run again. The league still wants me."

"She's here." Artemis said. She showed Oliver the security camera footage from outside. Dinah was standing there, casually leaning against the wall.

"We still don't know why the tranq dart didn't work." Sara commented.

"It probably wasn't filled yet." Roy said, trying to draw away suspicion.

"But it worked for a few seconds." Diggle pointed out.

"Maybe there wasn't enough to put her to sleep for an extended period of time?" Artemis offered.

"I saw Oliver check it as he picked it up, there was enough." Sara said.

"Is it really that big of a deal?" Roy asked. "So she found out what Oliver does in his spare time, she was bound to eventually."

"That's not what we're talking about though, we're talking about the fact that she somehow fought and beat a tranquilizer dart." Diggle said.

"Maybe it was a new variation Oliver was experimenting with, and it didn't turn out right." Artemis suggested.

"It's not like Oliver to do things like that, that's STAR lab's job."

Suddenly Oliver came back into the Arrowcave from where he'd been retrieving Dinah.

"Welcome to team Arrow." Artemis announced.

"I'm happy I finally get to be a part of it." Dinah replied with a smile. "Where do I start?"

"With training." Oliver said. "You are not going to be doing anything until you can not get killed the second you set foot outside in a mask."

"You already have self defence training, at least we can start with that." Sara said, as she walked over to the mats, Dinah following her. As Dinah passed Artemis, Artemis whispered good luck to her as she past. Not for learning, she didn't need to do that for obvious reasons. She needed good luck for hiding the fact that she didn't need training.

"So, what is Laurel's code name going to be?" Artemis asked Oliver.

"Me and Sara actually talked about that earlier." he said. "She had an idea of giving her permission to use her identity, to be able to have fear on the side."

"What will Sara do then? Give it up?" Artemis asked.

"She said she'll figure out another identity." he replied. "I think I honestly shouldn't get involved, it's something between them, but if you think she's wrong to do it, I wanted to tell you so you can speak up now."

Artemis smiled to herself. "I think it's perfect." she told Oliver. First Dinah had used it, then her sister, and now her sister was passing it back to her.

~xXx~xXx~xXx~

"So did you say yes?" Artemis asked as soon as she picked up the phone.

"Yes to what?" Dinah asked, confused.

"Oliver said your sister was going to offer to let you use the Black Canary mantle again."

"Oh yeah, she did offer. I did say yes, even though I think I'm going to contact STAR labs for a device that makes screams sonic."

"Why? You already have the meta human gene."

"But nobody knows that. I'm planning on asking for it, then having you disable it."

"Smart idea. How's training?"

"Sara says I'm advancing faster than the average person, and that is a good thing because I'll be able to go into the field sooner."

"So she has no clue you could rival her in a fight."

"None."

"You haven't even done anything suspicious?"

"Well, I got an odd look when she didn't have to correct my form at all on a few of the basic moves, but she attributed it to the self defense training."

"You have to be more careful Dinah."

"I was fine. No suspicion at all."

"Still, take it easier if she gets any more suspicious, ok?"

"Ok. Has Oliver or Sara said anything to you about me going into the field soon?"

"You do know you're going to have to hold back in the field, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but at least it'll be something."

Suddenly there was a knock on Artemis's door. She peeked out it, and saw Oliver.

"Sorry Dinah, I've got to go, Oliver's here." she said, making sure to be away from the door and quiet. While Oliver wasn't nearly as experienced, he still had good enough hearing to hear what people said on the other side of a door. Then she froze. Wally was here.

"Ok, see you tomorrow." Dinah replied, hanging up.

"Wally." she said as she entered the guest bedroom, where he'd been living.

"Yeah?" he said, looking up.

"I need you to make absolutely no noise, not even a creaking floorboard. Oliver is here and he will hear it."

"Got it." Wally responded with a smile.

Artemis then walked back to the door and opened it, to reveal Oliver. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, I was on the phone." she explained.

"No problem. I was just wondering if you were ok."

Artemis was surprised. Why wouldn't she be ok? "I'm fine. Why?"

"You've been spending more time at home lately, and you seemed to be lost in thought, so I was just making sure everything was ok. It isn't like you to lose focus as much as you have been, and I was concerned it would get in the way of you helping us. I am concerned for your well being too, but with Laurel joining…"

"Yep." Artemis said, understanding what he was saying. "You want to know if there is anything you can do to help me past whatever is bothering me because you don't want Laurel to get hurt when I'm directing you during some mission or patrol."

"I'm concerned about you too Felicity." Oliver told her. "You're my friend."

"I know. And I will make sure to pay more attention now that I know I'm doing this, I promise, Laurel won't get hurt because of it."

Oliver looked relieved. "Thank you. So, what is bothering you?"

Artemis had a half second of panic. What was bothering her? She couldn't just tell him that her speedster boyfriend was back from the dead, she was trying to hide the identities of three of his team members from him, and that she had made Dinah have an opportunity to be on his team. "It's just that I don't want Laurel to be hurt either." she said. She could tell he was still suspicious.

"But it seems to more than that Felicity. You've been like this since that night in the snow, and it got worse after you went to Central City and after Laurel joined. I can understand the part about Laurel joining, and I still don't think you're being truthful with me about the melted snow, but Barry came back with his speed. He even woke the girl, Jessie, up. So what is bothering you, because sometimes you seem like you're secretly holding the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"I promise, I am not holding the world on my shoulders Oliver. You're sweet checking in on me, but I'm fine. There is nothing to worry about."

Oliver didn't look so sure. "If you're sure."

"I am."

They were silent for a second. "I also came to tell we have a lead and may have found their base. We need you to run coms, and Sara said Laurel is ok to come along, using the Black Canary identity." Oliver eventually said.

"Ok, one second." Artemis said. "I'll meet you outside, I need to do something first."

"Ok, don't take long." Oliver warned. "We need to get going as soon as possible."

As soon as Oliver left, Artemis ran back to check on Wally. "I have to leave -"

"I know, I heard everything." Wally told her with a smile. "Oliver likes you." he teased.

"Well, I'm taken." she responded with a grin of her own.

"Be safe, ok?" he asked her. "I don't want you coming home hurt."

"I'll be fine Wally." she replied. "I'm at base behind a computer, remember? I'm safe from the bullets and danger."

"Has your base ever been infiltrated, or entered by someone who wasn't supposed to be there?" Wally asked. Artemis responded with silence. "See? It has hasn't it. So I still get to tell you too be safe."

"Ok." she said, her grin just getting bigger. "I'll be home before two. If I'm not, you can come find me, because then something will actually be wrong."

"I will hold you to that." he said as she stood up to go.

"I'm sure you will."

Tada, the new chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and the storyline that it's covered so far!

Happy Reading,

LeiaKasta