At Star City...
"Uh, thanks for taking me to Star City, Wonder Woman, even though you didn't have to do this." Artemis told the Amazon, feeling nervous to be at her mentor's hometown instead of going to Gotham City with Batman and Nightwing, where her mother was living in before she left to space seven years ago. Wonder Woman smiled down at the blonde and placed her left-hand around the archer's back to have it hold onto Artemis' left-shoulder.
"It was no problem, Artemis. Also, you can call me 'Diana'; there's nobody around to hear or see us." Once they were both out of the 'Out of Order' blue police box, Artemis was finally able to take a good look at her mentor's hometown.
The sound of cars rushing and speeding on the street, along with the calls of sirens from police cars or ambulance, was what caught most of her hearing. The scent of fresh air but a bit of pollution and alcohol smoke caught her scents and filled her lungs. Her light-grey eyes underneath her domino-mask caught sight of the city's bright lights, but they also saw many stars that she had flown through many times for seven years with her team mates. She could also taste the wind blowing against her face and her skin tingled with remembrance of the wind's gentle brush-touch.
If she were her old-self, she would've commented how good it feels to be back on Earth and not have to worry about aliens coming up from behind at any moment. However, despite being in her fifteen year-old body and not having to have age in the least but had gotten a few inches taller, she wasn't who she used to be and could find no words to say how she feels now that she's back.
Her gaze stayed glued to the sky.
'Man, it seems like only yesterday since I last gazed at them when I still lived here... It feels good to see them from afar distance, though it was amazing on being so close to them while flying through space.'
"Artemis?" The archer snapped out from her thoughts about the stars and faced Diana, who now stood fully dressed as Diana Prince, which the blonde took notice of a small compartment within police box they came out of and assumed she gotten a set of clothes from there. The Amazon before her wore a long-sleeve purple dress-shirt, a white-skirt going over her knees and dark-blue dress-shoes with medium-length heels. "Is everything alright?"
In the back of her mind, Artemis didn't feel right about being in Star City but because her mother has apparently moved in with Green Arrow and Black Canary, on account to help take care of her mother while she was gone out into space, she has to push aside her discomfort at the moment and focus on Paula. She also didn't approve the use of her name while wearing her new persona, Tigress, but chose to answer the question than to demand the Princess of Themyscira to call her by her new name, especially when there's nobody around to here them.
"I'm fine," she replied. "…Has anything happened while we were gone, aside the few battles you most likely fought in?"
"Hmm…" Diana thought for something to tell the young-archer something good in order to calm the poor girl's nerves, until she finally thought up something. "You probably may have already guessed this would happen, but Oliver and Dinah finally decided to get married."
Artemis smirked at that news. She and the Team had expected the two to get married while they were gone and finally start a life together.
"Figues that was finally going to happen," she said. "So, how long did they finally made it official?"
"A little over five years ago," the Amazon answered. "They wanted to hold off the wedding for another year, but chose to get married before the baby was born."
That wasn't something the young-archer didn't expect to hear.
"Baby? Dinah was pregnant?"
Diana smiled at the blonde's stunned look on her face, as she guided the fifteen year-old out of the alleyway and lead her to a nearby park. Not a lot of people come out at night, so there won't be much people to gaze in awe at some random woman sitting on a park bench next to a dark-suited stranger, who may or may not be a villain they'll need to worry about.
"Best surprise Oliver ever got. She and Ollie now have two boys, Connor and Robert, with a third child on it's way. They're hoping for this child to be a girl." Diana stared up at the sky, still smiling about her fellow sister-in-arms living the happy life as a wife and mother. "Athena knows we need more heroine in our line of duty, so she may grant them their wish for a daughter."
Artemis let out a soft sigh of relief from Wonder Woman's choice of words, relieved to hear that Dinah isn't going to give up being a hero and, if she's most likely still going as Black Canary, Ollie is still working as Green Arrow… Although, a small part of her felt some jealousy of them having kids of their own and are hoping for their next child to being a girl, as if she no longer matters to Ollie and that she isn't really their niece… Let alone their actual daughter, despite having her mother still around.
"I bet both Roys are happy to have new brothers to tolerate with, with a third sibling on its way… Are they being trained to become archers like their dad, or did they gained Dinah's Screech?"
Diana lightly chuckled at the question, nodding her head.
"Robert gained her powers, but yes, both of them are being trained in the art of archery. However, Connor's going as the Second Speedy. No doubt, Oliver will pass down the title of Green Arrow down to his eldest son, should anything ever happens to him."
Artemis bit down a scoff to that last part.
'Which is very doubtful, considering you decided to cast a Freeze-Age Spell to avoid dying from old age.' Her heart constrict from the information, angered that the League would decide to become so selfish as to give them all a terrible curse that none should ever obtain. 'And because we'll only be able to grow a certain height until our bodies eventually stop when we can no longer under go any more changes, we'll appear as if we're young, college students.' At afar distance, she could see two random people taking a stroll through the park, with the female carrying her infant child as the male keeping a protective arm over her shoulders, no doubt in case someone tries to make a jump on them and is able to protect his wife from harm. A soft smile slowly graced her face. '…Well, at least Wally and I, along with Kaldur, Conner and M'gann, will still appear as adults and none will bother any of us if we have our own children.'
Diana, taking notice to where the blonde-archer appears to be staring at, gently nudged her side with her-own elbow to regain the teen's attention.
"Something you like caught your attention?"
Artemis narrowed her eyes a bit at the Amazon for disturbing her train of thought, but knows she's trying to make friendly conversation with her and get to know her some more. Watching the small-family leaving the park, while keeping deep visual for signs of danger that could harm the family at any moment before they turned a corner of a building, the blonde
"…Just thinking of a possible future." Without drawing any more attention from Wonder Woman, she placed her left-hand on the corner of her suit, fingers lightly resting over her stomach. The wind rustled against them, still alerting the two of Winter's cold and giving the archer an excuse to part ways with her… Chaperone. She sat up from her seat. "I should get going," she said. "It be best if I get the reunion started sooner or later, than have Green Arrow and Black Canary find me as if I'm a new villain whose come to Star City to wreck havoc."
Diana stood up beside her.
"I already informed Black Canary of you and the Team's return from space," she said. "She's expecting the both of us to meet them at Queen's Manor, and are sending a driver to come pick us up from the park."
In the back of her mind, Artemis isn't thrilled of Diana's words of action; she despises anything that reminds her of the status life she's born in that she had no party in, gaining unwanted attention from those who don't view her as either a person of wealth or struggling third class citizen, and hates being in a vehicle with someone she doesn't want to interact without anyone from the Team to be with her.
She doesn't want to lose her temper on Wonder Woman when she's only telling to help her out, but she isn't ready for a panic attack to kick in and give away possible assumptions of the Team being unwell. She needs to be alone and get away from the Amazon, before the symptoms began to come out.
"Sorry, Diana, but I'm going to head there on my own." She started heading for the shady-part of the park to her left, only for Diana to gently but firmly grab for her hand.
"What is wrong, Niece?" Artemis lightly gasped from the title the adult called her by, feeling anger in her heart and stomach wanting to regurgitate whatever food or water is left inside of it. She isn't allowed to call her as if they were kin, no one except her actual sister, Roy, the Team or her fellow sisters-in-arms from their allied planets.
She yanked her hand free from it's capture and slowly head for shadows of the trees.
"I just want to be alone for a moment," she muttered. "I'll meet up with you when you get there." As the shadows covered her, she closed her eyes and the wind begin to lightly pick up around her.
"Artemis, wait-!" As Diana reached for her, fog-like most suddenly appeared and surrounded the archer. When her hand reached out through the fog, the Amazon found herself alone when it slowly evaporated and Artemis gone.
Around that time, a limo pulled up and honked lightly to alert the adult for its passengers to get in. Diana worried for the archer, but told herself that she has to put her trust and faith into the gods that Artemis will be at Queen Manor when she gets there. As she made her way to the limo to take her to Queen Manor, she didn't notice a swift blur going on ahead of her towards the same direction, with the wind trailing after her as if it were it's shadow.
At Queen Manor...
"Now, Robert!" A Five year-old boy with thick-blonde hair, light-tan skin and bluish-grey eyes, charged at the practice dummy in front of him and went through the steps on what to do if an adult tries to grab him. He steps on a foot, kick the other foot to force the person to fall and ran to his mother.
"Mom, this is getting boring." The toddler whined, not in any case impressed on the process of his training. "I done this a thousand times already, why can't you or Dad teach me something cooler to do?"
Dinah Queen expected this to happen, which isn't much of a shock considering her son gets bored very easily if doing the same thing over and over again.
"Because, Sweetie, we've been over this: We agreed that you'll learn a new technique or a new training method, when your father or I believe you're ready to move on." In the back of her head, she knows Robert is going to start throwing a tantrum very soon, as he pouted up at her and stomped his foot on the ground.
"But I wanna learn a new technique, now!" His voice rose a bit and if he keeps it up, Dinah knew he's going to let out his Screech.
"Don't take that tone with me, young man." In a stern voice, tapping her foot on the ground and giving the boy a look that says 'behave, or you're going to be in big trouble', Robert immediately stopped his childish antics and stayed quiet to hear what his mother's going to tell him next. "Good. Now, Robert, you promised your father and I to listen what we have to say with your training. Remember? -She held up her right-pinkie in the air- We even double pinkie promised each other on the deal. Are you going to break your promise, all because you wanna move ahead on your training and ignore are orders when we're only looking out for your safety?"
Tears shined in Robert's eyes, now feeling incredibly guilty of his selfishness and foolish desires to break his promise to his parents. Dinah hated being the bad guy every time she makes her kids upset, but knows she has to do her job as a parent to properly raise them to become responsible adults in the future. Kneeling down to get son's level and opening her arms, Robert dashed into her embrace, crying against her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her neck, mindful of the four month-old bump of her stomach containing his new sibling.
"I'm sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to break my promise," he sobbed. "I just wanna be strong, like you and Dad. I only want to go out to stop crime with you guys, so I can help save people from getting hurt from the bad guys."
Dinah smiled at her son's apology, and very touched of his wanting to help his parents stop the bad guys. Despite being far too young to grasp the understanding of the danger the outside world of their home is, he's shown to have a great heart that belongs to a true hero, reminding a lot of... Dick.
Her heart slammed against her chest from the thought of a member of the Team she volunteered to being their trainer and part-time den mother, who she views as not just a nephew, but also as one of her own children. She still, to this very day and very much the rest of her life, feels guilty and angry with herself and the League for sending teenagers, children, into space to take care of a mess they made by Vandal Savage's orders. When Diana called her of the Team finally came back and it's bringing Artemis over, she couldn't stop counting the seconds that went by waiting for one of her charges to come home.
Ollie doesn't even know about the Team's return, having to attend to a charity ball in order to continue his civilian persona as Oliver Queen. Meanwhile, both Roys are out on patrol as Red Arrow and Arsenal, and Jade... Well, she's off doing some undercover work at the UK, leaving Dinah and Paula the only candidates to watch over the three kids, with Paula entertaining her granddaughter and Connor while Dinah trains Robert.
~Ding dong!~
The doorbell echoed throughout the manor, at this time of hour before dinner even started... She knew immediately, that it was them. She pulled away from her son, smiling gently at her child who appears confused from the doorbell.
"We'll discuss about teaching you a new move next time in your training, alright?" She offered, reaching for his right-hand to lead them out of their gym. "For now, let's get you washed up for dinner. Also, I want you to be at your best behavior tonight; we're having very special guests accompanying us."
Curiosity took over and Robert started to get excited whenever they get special guests over, meaning someone from the League or the current Team is coming over to see him, his brother and niece.
"Really? Who, Mama?" As they reached the front door, Dinah got back down to her son's height, her joy clearly visible in her kind gaze.
"You remember the stories your father, brothers and I told you, Connor and Lian about the original Team? The ones who went to outer space, to clear our names because a bad guy put the blame on us?" Robert nodded his head. "...Well... Your Aunt Diana called me earlier and told me some amazing news, that she's coming over to bring someone who's going to make your Aunt Paula very happy."
It took a moment for the toddler to try and piece it together on his own, then his eyes grew large with excitement.
"It's one of the Team, isn't it Mama?!" He began to jump up and down, as Dinah got back to get full height. "Which one, Mama? Which one is Auntie Diana bringing over?"
Diana lightly chuckled.
"You'll see, Robbie." Opening the door, she found Diana standing before her, wearing civilian clothing and appears... Concerned, and worried? "Diana! It's nice of you to finally drop in." She moved aside to let the Princess of Themyscira into her home and, after closing the door, embraced her sister-in-arms.
"I wouldn't miss this moment for anything, Dinah." Diana then turned her attention to a certain person hugging her legs, seeing it being Robert. "And how is one of my little warriors doing, Robbie?"
"I'm getting stronger, Auntie Diana!" The five year-old exclaimed, beaming up with pride and joy of his progress. "I gonna learn new moves, even use my Screech!" Dinah didn't have the hearts to remind him of their deal, or the talk they just had moments ago and let him have his moment. He than try to look behind the Amazon, looking for the second person he was told to be with him. "Who with you, Auntie Diana? Mama said you bring special friend for dinner."
Diana and Dinah shared a look Keith each other, the mother silently asking about Artemis and the Princess of Themyscira looking uncertain and a bit scared.
Just before any of the two women could say anything, a yell from the living room caught their attention.
"Dinah! An intruder!"
The two girls immediately ran for the living room, Robert running up behind them to offer assistance in his mother's place, and found a bit of a startling sight before them: They see Paula, pinned up against the wall, and another female adult/teen, wearing a suit with the opposite colors of a tiger and keeping Paula pinned on the wall. At the couch, six year-old Lian is keeping her barely three year-old uncle next to her, holding an arrow to use as her main weapon in case the stranger comes for the both of them.
...Well, so much for the happy reunion between mother and daughter, both Diana and Dinah thought would transpire.
Before either of them even made a move for them, Artemis pulled away from her mother and backflipped in the other side of the coffee table, folding her arms over her chest and appears a bit bored.
"Despite you're walking again, your skills had obviously weakened." She stated, her eyes underneath the domino mask keeping a firm lock on her mother in case she tries to do anything funny. "But then, having a reputation as Huntress, you tend to having the simple life the moment you got out from prison."
Paula narrowed her dark-grey eyes of the stranger before her, though a small part of her felt like she knew her but doesn't know why.
"How do you know of my past?" She questioned, before turning her gaze over to Diana and Dinah. "Do you know who she is?"
Artemis let out a deep sigh, then slowly walked back to her mother, who got into her stance to prepare for another attack she'll be ready for this time. When they stood face to face, Paula being a few inches taller than the blonde, did she finally get an answer for her question.
"In this family, it's every girl for herself."
Paula knows those words very well; Jade said those exact words, as her own code of survival when her mother went to jail and both she and-... She gasped at the horrific memory of her past, giving her a small glimmer of hope that she prayed would be the very day that finally came. With not much for words, she raised both her hands to remove the domino mask from the blonde's face and when she sees a pair of matching eyes of her own staring right back, her mind instantly sent out a praising to God for granting her wish*.
"...Artemis?" A sad smile spread on the blonde's face, eyes flashing love and joy to the mother she missed for so long.
"Hey, Mom." Paula let tears to fall and pulled her youngest child towards her, giving her the biggest hug she ever gained from her own mother.
"Artemis... My baby girl...!" She sobbed against her shoulder, rocking her back and forth as they remained standing. Watching the two girls embracing each other, Diana and Dinah allowed their own tears to fall at the joyous reunion between mother and daughter.
Lian, completely confused, slowly set the arrow back in it's hiding spot and got off the couch, still keeping a hold on Connor in case he runs off on his own and gets lost. Robert, also uncertain on what just happened, tugged on his the sleeve of his mother's sweater.
"Mama, what's going on?" He pointed a finger at Artemis, who turned her attention on the five year-old blonde. "Who's she?"
Dinah, wiping away the tears and kneeling down to her son, with a smile on her face, answered his question with a question.
"Sweetie, which of the Team did you always said was your favorite and who you wanted to meet the most?"
The answer is very easy. Since his dad is an archer and two of his big brothers are archers, themselves, his favorite hero from the original Team is the only female archer that pretends to be his cousin.
"Artemis, Mama." He still wasn't getting it, but is close to understanding what's going on.
"Alright, Robbie, now tell me what your Auntie Paula just call that stranger over there."
He turned his head to stare where his mother is pointing towards the two women still embracing each other, his 'Auntie Paula' still crying but doesn't look sad at all and the blonde silently comforting the sobbing woman. His five year-old brain took it's time wracking itself to answer the his mom's question. When a name instantly popped up to what his aunt called the blonde stranger by, his eyes widen and his heart skipped in beats. Excitement ran through his body and, without any thoughts of the consequences, ran up to the two women and wrapped his arms around the blonde-archer's legs.
"Auntie sis! My Auntie sis, Arty!" The blonde-archer, stunned from the title this toddler just called her by, stared up at the other two women in questioning.
"Ollie and I told the kids about you and the Team, that he immediately concluded that you're his big sister and aunt, even when we tried explaining to him that you're just his aunt and pretended to being Ollie's niece. He thinks a cousin is another meaning for siblings."
While Dinah explains Artemis' given title by her eldest child, Paula turned her attention to her granddaughter and second nephew, her smile never leaving her face.
"Lian, come meet your Aunt Artemis."
A Few Hours Later, Near Midnight...
The reunion for Artemis at Queen Manor was indeed a surprise for her. Despite not having to see her sister, either of the Roys or even Ollie, meeting her niece and seeing her mother no longer in a wheelchair, it truly has made the blonde-archer happy to see something good has happened while she was gone.
What's more? Even knowing they want to hear her story of the journey she and the Team had in space, neither of the female heroines asked her what she didn't want to talk about, much to Artemis' great relief. Besides, she wanted to bond with her niece and nephews/cousins to lighten up the mood and have the young ones view her as family instead of a stranger who broke into their house. Plus, the distraction will help her with the cold feeling with not having the Team, especially Wally, with her for the moment.
After dinner, she took the time to playing with the kids, allowing the three heroines to have a moment to themselves on what their next game plan will be. Diana offered to stay over for a few days to help keep watch over the children in Dinah's place, along to try and bond with the blonde-archer to get her more settled to her new home. Paula chose not to contact Jade, in fear she'll interfere with her eldest-daughter's mission by contacting her, even if it's to tell her that her only sister has finally returned from space.
Dinah, on the other hand, decided to contact both Roys and Ollie of the news, all of which are on their way back home to see their missing archer. During that time, Artemis took the three kids for bed, feeling something is going to happen and didn't want the little ones to be caught within adult conversation, whether it goes good or bad.
"Dinah! Paula!" From outside the children's bedroom door, Artemis heard the voice of her former mentor and, immediately, sorrow spread throughout her entire being. She felt the joy, sadness, fear and shame coming from a presence from downstairs, no doubt it being from Ollie. She also sense the slight joy, concern and guilt from two other beings following with the first presence, which she knew both being the two Roys.
"Auntie Arty?" Lian, after getting along with her long-lost aunt, quietly called out to Artemis, not wanting to wake the two boys up from their bunk beds from the other side of the room. For a six year-old, she seems to be able to read a person, just like both her parents.
Artemis simply smiled down at her niece and gently ran her finger through the girl's red-hair. While doing that, a small draft gently blew against the two and, for some odd reason, Lian could've sworn her aunt's eyes just flashed into a more silver-like color.
"Everything's alright, Lian." Artemis whispered, as the wind caressed the child's face in gentle strokes, luring the redhead to sleep. "Бëթ čsòţă, úиẹï çòգžяš лչäço (Rest in peace, and know God will be here to protect you as you slumber)." Almost instantly, right after her aunt spoke to her, Lian was out like a light and the wind fell silent soon after. The glow in her eyes faded out and at that same time, the door opened from behind… Revealing to being Oliver Queen, still looking the same as he ever was, besides being half a foot taller and outgrew his hair a bit, including having that dopey goatee.
The top of his suit was slightly wrinkled and his tie undone, appears out of breath, most likely from adrenaline coursing through him in the excitement and joy circulating his body. His eyes completely locked dead in her, not wanting what he's seeing is a figment of his imagination.
She silently placed a finger over her lips and slowly made her way out of the children's bedroom, able to avoid making any sounds to awake the kids from their sleep and the moment she's outside and closed the door, did the expected bear hug she saw coming finally happened when Ollie pulled her into said hug.
"You're really back...!" He sobbed in joy, tightening his grip as if afraid she was going to vanish at any moment.
"Sheesh, Ollie, no need to squeeze the life out of her." A voice, sounding partly annoyed but more out of humor, Artemis immediately recognized to being Red Arrow, the second Roy Harper.
"Seriously, old man, you're gonna suffocate her to death before any of us could even get the chance to greet her back home." The second voice, its tone exactly how Roy talked in but only a few pitch higher, told the blonde-archer it being the original Speedy, the real Roy Harper.
Turning her head to see behind Ollie's back, saw the two redheads she expected to see: The older-Roy wore a dark-grey jacket with black patterns for the shoulders and elbows, black-pants that hugs his legs and black thin boots. While other Roy has a dark-red jacket, having the exact black patterns on his shoulders and elbows, similar pants and smaller pair of boots like older-Roy. Yep, it was pretty clear neither took the time to change out of their suits from patrol and are still wearing them over their jackets.
While older-Roy kept the same hairstyle and grew the same height as Oliver, younger-Roy's hair is very short, as if he shaved it down, and curved. At least it'll make it easier to tell the two Roys apart, besides the second Roy being a few inches shorter then Artemis but will surely surpass her height in a year or two.
"Well, I have every right to hug her to death." Ollie boasted, keeping an arm over her shoulders and turning than both to face the redheads. "And who you calling old, Son? At least I still look the same age seven years ago, unlike somebody here."
"You mean Dinah?"
Obviously, it was a tease back, but even Artemis knew better than to pull a girl into a conversation when it comes to age. And right now, it seems he's going to be getting a painful lesson when Dinah came up from behind and grabbed the younger ginger by the ear and glared down at him.
"You wanna repeat that, Are?" The name caught Artemis' attention.
"'Are'?" The younger-Roy smirked at her question, still victim to Dinah pulling at his ear.
"It's short for my hero persona, Arsenal, but without the 's' in it and became more of a nickname to tell me and Roy apart." Dinah purposely cleared her throat to regain his attention, adding to another tug on the ear. " I was only kidding, Mom. Really, you don't look any older at all, especially when I woke up from being put to sleep from Cadmus seven years ago."
Satisfied to his word, she let Roy go and allowed him to go to Artemis, who still is in Ollie's grasp and remained in his hold as Roy gave her a welcome home hug.
"It's great to have you back, Arty." She returned the hug, though didn't reply back to his word and nodded in gratitude when they pulled apart. When older-Roy came to embrace her as well, his hug held more reassurance and actual joy than Are's hug did.
"You and the Team have been deeply missed, so much than you don't realize." She smiled sadly to the relief in his words and urged herself to give him an actual hug, sort of like how she would embrace her brothers whenever she had to prove herself they're all right and right here with her after a mission took a turn for the worse. Just the thought of even one of the Team made her heart beat faster and her mind slipping into a near panic mode, telling her she isn't safe here and needs to get back to Wally and the others.
"…It's great to see you, too, Roy." Her voice wavered a bit, though none heard the shifting of her tone with her face buried into his shoulder to block out her nervous response. She looked behind her brother-in-law, hoping to find any trace of Jade after so many years. Roy quickly realized who she's looking for.
"Jade's at the UK, doing some undercover work for the League -he looked uneasy for a moment, before he finished his sentence- which they think has something to do with Sportsmaster."
Her eyes narrowed from the mentioning of her father's villain persona, with a hint of grief that her father still won't give up his evil ways to villainy, even for his own family. Part of her still loves him, because he's her father and all, but she had long ago forsaken him and renounced him as any part of her family. Since the League had recruited her and being trained under the care of Green Arrow, Ollie stepped up in the role of being the father she deserved.
...Then, she and the Team were sent away and seven years later, she found he and Dinah moved on with their lives and have a family of their own. And though they've given her mother and sister a home with them in Star City, she feels very out of place.
Her silence worried the adults in the room.
"Artemis? What's wrong?" Her mother, who came up to join the group, asked her daughter. While the blonde-archer wants to hide within the shadow to avoid concealing her pent up emotions and anxiety, Artemis calmly answered her mother and the others, when seeing the concern looks on their faces.
"...I'm fine," she said. "Just tired. The Team and I had to deal with a battle on one of our allying planets, before we left the Hall of Justice. I think it actually took a lot out of me, than I thought."
Diana immediately came forward, resting one hand on the girl's right-shoulder while laying a hand over her forehead, feeling for any sign of a fever.
"Was there any difficulties from aiding your allies with the attackers? You should've asked for our assistance, if it was too much for you to handle."
The blonde-archer gave the Princess of Themyscira a tired, but angry look. Nevertheless, she answered her question.
"It wasn't the situation on Ṿadákṧutéî that's making me tired. We were all already tired when we arrived on Earth, on account that we haven't slept for days."
Everyone gave her a concern look of worry, Ollie being the most worried for her health. Dinah, being the second to be worried. Paula, while also concerned for her daughter, knew that she's been trained, by her ex-husband, to stay awake and keep fighting for a certain days straight before her body will give out. She has seen the stages that her daughter would go through, while being forced to stay awake from either concussions she gained from working with the League or certain moments of Insomnia setting in, so she knows what condition Artemis is in and when she should worry.
However, because she's been gone for seven years, Paula main concern was her daughter being able to hide how truly tired she is and/or pushing herself to go past her three days straight limit.
Uncomforted by the stares locked on to her, Artemis decided to use this opportunity to get herself to the bedroom they, no doubt, picked out for her and finally be alone for the rest of the night.
"Is it all right if I go to sleep, now?" She asked, turning to Ollie. "I'm sorry to end this moment, especially since you and the Roys just got back to welcome me back, Ollie, but I really need to sleep before I start to hallucinate."
Clearly, the Robin Hood hero wasn't too happy to send her off to bed; he waited for so long for her and the Team's return, wanting to apologize to her for sending her off into space, even though he was one of those many who voted to not send them into space for their mistakes. But, it was getting late and can clearly see she's exhausted in many levels he, himself, has went through.
'Besides,' he thought to himself. 'She'll be here in the morning. Which means, we'll have the whole day to talk about what happened. Not only that, this will also give the kids the chance to meet their idol.' "Sure," he answered. "You look as if you could use some. Come on."
He began to guide her down the hall, only to have Dinah to grab his arm to stop them.
"Not so fast, Ollie." She told her husband, as Paula came forward and pulled her daughter from his grasp. "Paula, Diana and I will take it from here. You, Roy and Are can go get ready for patrol."
Both Roys snickered at their mother commanding their father to do as he's told, while Ollie gaped at her.
"What? But I-" He started, only to be caught off by Dinah.
"She's not going anywhere, Sweetie." She reminded him, as Paula and Diana started taking the archer to the direction of her bedroom. "She'll still be here when you three get back from patrol, which, by the way, is your turn to patrol. As we all agreed to the schedule. -Her eyes soften to her husband.- Besides, I can tell that you want to tell her something that we all wanted to say to her and the rest of the Team. However, that'll have to wait, once they've rested and start getting used to living on Earth, again."
The Green-Archer thought about what his wife just told him, before he finally come to accept what she's telling him.
"All right, Dinah." He said, admitting defeat. "We'll be back at around four."
The heroine accepted his time of returning home; Roy planned to take Lian and the boys to the Zoo, while Are had some College classes to take and Ollie, himself, has a few business meeting with the board members of Queen Industry.
Which will allow Paula, Diana and Dinah to spend some girl time with the female-archer.
After a meaningful kiss from get husband, along with some slight coaxing by both Roys, both of which had to pull him by his shoulders to go change in the hidden room if Queen Manor, the three women lead Artemis to her bedroom.
"You're going to love this." Dinah stated, as she opened a white-door open and presented the archer her new room.
...She's completely taken back of her new quarter. Back at the house she and her mother lived, the small-size room never bothered her and didn't care how little possessions she had; to get, small means being able to sense and locate Intruders. Also, fewer stuff means less burdens to carry, should she and Paula need to relocate themselves to another location if their living quarters is compromised.
This whole room, it appears to be, in her opinion, thirty times bigger than old room. The dresser was twice the size of her old dresser, and the bed is a Cal King size, instead of the small size she was used to sleeping in. Two doors at the right-side of the room, no doubt, were a bathroom and closet. And, if there anything love the bedroom, itself, both would put her old closet and the single bathroom she and her mother shared to shame.
...She wasn't thrilled in the slightest. Luckily, she's able to conceal her displeasure and put up a false front before the three women.
"It's-... I don't know what to say. -Artemis turned to stare at the three women, keeping her surprise face to an exact level appropriate to make them feel proud.- You didn't have to do this."
Dinah laid a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it with reassurance.
"We wanted to do this," she replied. "You're part of our family, Artemis, blood or not."
Paula stepped up before her daughter, smiling down at her.
"Artemis, while you and the Team were gone, I talked with Dinah and Oliver about something very important... Four years ago, I asked them if they can be your godparents."
Artemis wasn't expecting that to happen, as part of her was hurt and angry that her mother never asked her if she wanted this... Even though she would have approved of the two people Paula chose to being her second pair of guardians.
"Why would you request that? Did you think something bad was going to happen?" She couldn't help but ask, worried for her mother's health and safety.
"It's not that, Artemis." Paula immediately replied, calming her daughter's distress. "However, back then, I was more worried about your father finding our new home and would come for me for leaving Gotham -Her eyes narrowed, anger and fear mixed in her blackish-brown gaze- without his permission."
"He made twenty-seven attempts to harm Paula, all of which were avoided." Dinah continued, sensing the unease feeling of fear off of the ex-con. "After his seventh attempt on taking her life, Paula asked us, should he succeed on killing her before you return, to become your legal guardians-"
"To prevent Dad from ever regaining custody of me." Artemis finished, feeling wrath growing from inside her heart towards her father. "That's why she asked you to become my godparents."
Dinah gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well, that, and Ollie and I were more than happy to have you as our goddaughter. It makes us feel like sharing you as our daughter, with Paula."
An awkward paws of silence went by the four women, which was creeping the blonde-archer and wanted to be alone to contact the others.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm completely drained." She stated, letting out a big yawn and stretching her arms over her head, convincing the three on how tired she is. "I hate to put an end to this reunion, but I think we should hold this up for tomorrow."
"Agreed." Diana replied, letting out a yawn of her own. "We'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow, once we're all rested and the sun is out."
The Princess of Themyscira, after giving Artemis a nod, made her way towards her designated room she has whenever she stays over at Queen Manor. Paula was next to wish her daughter goodnight, by giving her a final hug and planting a big kiss on her forehead.
"Welcome home, Artemis." She whispered, before releasing her youngest daughter from her grip and made her way to her own bedroom.
Dinah, being the last of the group, also gave the girl a big hug. Just like with Paula, the blonde-archer didn't return the embrace. Judging by her mother not in the least upset by the unreturned embrace, guessed she isn't much of a hugger. And so, the heroine didn't take it as an offense, as well.
"It's great to have you all back," she said. "We'll help you, in any way we can, to readjust your lives back on Earth."
After releasing the girl, the mother of two four*, soon-to-be five, with a smile on her face, left the fifteen year-old to her new chambers for her and Ollie's bedroom for some much needed sleep.
The instant all three of the three heroines are gone, Artemis closed the door... Then, with her back up against the door, she collapsed to the floor, a deep sigh of relief escaping.
"Finally," she muttered. "Any longer, and I would've snapped at their interference for not leaving me alone." As she took the moment to breath in the empty atmosphere around her, a tugging feeling from the back of her mind brought her out of her state of calming her racing heart. She instantly sat up. "Almost forgot."
She reached a hand to her face and rested her palm over her eye and right-cheek, right where the claw-marks are marked on her face... Then, when she pulled her clawed-glove, a red-mist like substance came out of her eye.
Right before the archer, a creature appear... A cat, with stripes of a tiger and blood-like eyes*.
The instant the cat came to be, Artemis' clothes changed into a full-black suit. It almost matches like Nightwing's, excluding the red-bird and not wearing any shoes to cover her feet... Both of which, showing signs of stage three burns that, though healed, carries the marks of serious injuries.
Smiling down at the feline, who stretched it's limbs before facing the archer, opened her arms out. The cat, with no hesitation, jumped right into her arms, taking much comfort to the gentle hold and petting from the fifteen year-old.
"Sorry about that, K'Lëâñt." Artemis apologized to the feline, who remained content in her embrace. "I didn't think it would take this long for them to leave us alone, and let you out."
The cat, K'Lëâñt, simply let out a lot meow for a response to her explaining, though didn't seem to hold that much of a grudge to the girl, as she kept on getting stroked by her companion.
"I need to contact the others, but I promise, once it's over, you can go out hunting."
A few minutes later, the petting ceased, and the two are soon in the middle of the bedroom, with Artemis in a lotus position and K'Lëâñt curled up in her lap. As Artemis muttered a few words, both she and the feline began to glow: The archer grew dark-grey stripe markings mixed with swirls of dark-green and silver colors, as the cat's own stripes went golden and it's orange-fur turned red as it's eyes.
[Guys! Are you there?]
She felt a pulse in her mind, signaling her that somebody is making contact with her. Her eyes went black one second before closing, before reopening them and now standing before her Team, with K'Lëâñt resting on her shoulders.
TBC
*: I hope you guys don't mind about the Team and league mentioning of praying and choosing the path as believers of God. As you should already know (from my profile), I believe in God and am Christian. Remember, the Team were gone for so long and, possible guess, some of the league already have some belief in God or have turned to God in hope they will return to them.
*: Remember, Ollie adopted Roy. Since there are two Roys and Oliver is married to Dinah, they both count as her own children.
*: Yep, you're going to be in a surprise with this feline. But, I won't tell you what. So, your just going to have to wait and see.
R&R