Chapter Six
"Ladies and gentlemen we've reached our destination. The doors will open momentarily once the train has come to a full stop. When exiting the car, remember to mind the gap and of course thank you for traveling with Amtrack. Welcome to Central City"
The arrival announcement echoed through the train cars and woke Artemis from a restless sleep. It had been a fourteen hour trip with minimal stops, but in all honesty the archer wouldn't have minded if it had taken longer. Nervous wasn't the correct word, perhaps anxious best described how she felt. If six months ago someone had told her she'd be free of the Shadows and sitting in a train depot in Missouri she would have considered them certifiable, and yet as she gathered her bags and carry-on, here she stood.
Artemis shook herself from her reverie and stepped off the train platform, walking towards the information kiosk. Overhead a large electronic marquee hung from the ceiling, welcoming all incoming visitors to their fair city.
Welcome to Central City, Home of the Flash
The font of the lettering was a large bold yellow, and seconds after the title appeared, the words raced off the display followed by a familiar lightning bolt and speed contrail that chased after the letters. Seconds later the message would reset and marquee would begin its welcome again. It was corny, but in a good natured mid-western way.
God they love their heroes Artemis smiled, moving past the marquee and locating the direction of the car rental kiosk.
She couldn't blame them, the legacy of the Flash and the men behind the masks had watched over and protected the sister cities of Central and Keystone for decades. When it came to devotion, Midwestern's pledged allegiance to the Kansas Jayhawks, the St Louis Cardinals, the Kansas City Chiefs, but towering above that list were their heroes; speedsters all. In cities like Gotham and Metropolis where it seemed new vigilantes popped up every week it was commonplace, but in Missouri there were only two; and that's all they ever wanted. Midwesterners loved their Flashes and they weren't afraid to show it.
Despite access to Roy's no limits credit card, Artemis sought out the cheapest car rental and motel she could find. The Super 8 was located on the outskirts of the city near the airport, not exactly the best part of town, but she'd stayed in worse, much worse.
Soon after, she checked into her room, leaving her stay in the city open ended at the front desk; there was not telling how long or how short this trip might last. A map was tacked onto the moldy paneling of the motel room, and she highlighted key points of interest that she should investigate; the Allen's home in Central, the West's home in Keystone, the university Wally taught, even particular restaurants he'd taken her to as a teen provided they still stood. If she'd learned anything from her visit to Gotham it was that change was inevitable, she wondered if that held true for the speedster as well. A lot can happen in ten years, she knew that better than most.
Artemis slept the rest of the day, anticipating a very long night. She would scout out the West's and Allen's residences sometime the following day, provided they even lived in their old homes anymore. She'd do it mostly for nostalgia sake. Those families had meant something to her once; they had taken in a relative stranger and made her one of their own. Wally's dad had taught her how to drive a stick shift, his mother how not to burn a roast, Barry would take her along to crime scenes showing her the intricacies of what CSI did and why, basic intro to being a detective 101. Even Iris taught her something important; how to put up with and love a speedster, lessons that Paula never could.
Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, any and all holidays the archer could count on an invites from Mary and Rudy for get-togethers and celebrations. West/Allen/Garrick parties were always full of laughter, love and lots and lots of food.
Thoughts of warm summer nights, the aroma of burgers on the grill, the twinkle of fireflies in the yard, she still cherished those memories. They treated her like family, hoping one day she might actually become one. There was a time Artemis believed that could be true, until the Shadows came into her life.
She'd have to be careful, those families had all loved and lost someone special in their lives and breaking their hearts again was not on the agenda.
Finding Wally's home would be a little more difficult. By accident or on purpose he'd covered his tracks well. Her initial cursory searches had come up empty, but finding people is what she did. The real issue was if she should.
Walking up to his front door after all these years and ringing the bell saying I'm back was not an option. It wasn't about a building or structure, it was about principal. His home was where he'd started a new life with a woman he loved; it's where he'd raised his kids. It was his fortress of solitude, his haven from costumes and villains, his place just to be a dad and she had no right trespassing on that space.
When she finally made her move it would have to be out in the open. Not at his home, not at his work, but somewhere he'd have space to breathe and process her return. Where it went from there would be anyone's guess. No matter what she'd need to lead with her head not her heart, and that was a problem.
The realist in her didn't understand why she was going to so much time in effort for what was essentially a high school crush. The rational explanation was she had red in her ledger and it was time to balance it out, that the sole purpose of reconnecting with him was about debt and obligation. She owed him that. He had a life to lead and so did she. It was about closure and nothing more. Unfortunately her heart knew better.
He was first and only person she'd ever been in love with. He was special. They were special together. She just needed to see him one last time, to explain why she did it and to tell him how sorry she was. Even after all these years, after all the things she'd seen and done, in a small hidden place deep inside her, Wally still meant something to her, but sadly after he'd discover the truth, she was sure there was no way he could feel the same.
Whoever said Time heals all wounds was completely full of shit.
xxx
Her alarm went off around eight that evening as she rose from the musty smelling bed. She slammed her hand down on the snooze bar nearly shattering the clock. Artemis walked into the dank bathroom to shower and clear her thoughts in preparation for the mission; it was easier to think of it like that. The shower was nowhere near as luxurious as Roy's but it still did the trick, washing away the cobwebs and easing the stress running through her body. She stepped out, wrapping herself in the towel and going back to the room for her bag. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped, staring quizzically at the image. In the reflection stood a young vibrant teenager with her ridiculously long hair tied in a ponytail, domineering and cocksure wearing a midriff baring emerald uniform with attitude to match. She was so arrogant back then, and yet so innocent.
As the image faded, all she saw were the scars. She was easily in the best shape of her life, but thinking back to that teenager in the mirror made her old and broken, reminding her once again how unkind the years had been. Superficial things like self-image were unimportant when you never knew if this day would be your last, but still even with her newfound freedom, the tortuous memories of all the atrocities that had been forced upon her over the years made her stomach burn. Those scars ran deep and she doubted they would ever completely heal.
She pulled on the form fitting body suit, adjusting it here and there to make sure its material covered her exposed skin thoroughly, confident that its layers of insulation would successfully mask her thermal signature. The sensory technology Wally had designed years ago for his goggles had surely evolved and been incorporated into both his and Bart's uniform by now, it had too much strategic advantage not to, and she didn't need to run the risk of being discovered until the time was right and she was ready to face him.
After much deliberation the archer decided the first phase of her mission should be simple reconnaissance, but dealing with superheroes was rarely simple. She'd not been around meta-humans for years, speedsters' even longer. Artemis would need to know more about her target, and that would take a boots on the ground approach. There were too many variables. Had he gotten faster, did he own any new abilities? Those were details she couldn't get from some news article or blogger post. Information like that, if it even existed, would only be stored in a heavily encrypted Justice League database, something that even on her best day she'd never get access to.
As much as she wanted to see his face again, to talk to him without the masks, the bottom line is she needed to see him in his element, as the Flash. The first step would be determining patrol patterns. Artemis doubted the existence of any type of master schedule. Wally had a job and children, Bart had school, even for the fastest men alive, neither probably had much time to spare. Logically in absence of some earth shattering event, the speedsters would likely patrol alone, knowing that if back up was ever needed, it would arrive in a flash…literally. At their top speeds both sister cities could be entirely canvased in a little over a half hour, easily a job for one speedster. It was time to test theory. The trick would be figuring out which one.
xxx
One of the issues a person gets used to when living in the mid-west is to never, under any circumstances. ever trust the weatherman. This night was a prime example of why. The official forecast for the Central City area was mostly cloudy with a ten percent chance of precipitation, so as Artemis stood atop the Central City Power and Light building, soaked to the bone, lightning striking all around, she decided to take that lesson to heart the next time she tuned into to the Weather Channel.
The power company's headquarters held no intrinsic value as a target for organized crime; however the same could not be said for the building located three blocks over, the Federal Gold Reserve of Missouri. The facility was protected by the latest Wayne Tech state of the art security system, 24 hour armed guard patrols, and high end 1080p cameras on every corner; basically the most secure facility in Missouri or Kansas.
Artemis had no intention of attempting to infiltrate the building despite liking the idea of the challenge, but robbing the gold reserve was not what this night was about, it was getting his attention.
The small vibration generator attached to her arrow landed smoothly on the glass surface of the third story window, a feat even Green Arrow would be impressed by when the fierce storm blowing all around it was factored in. She let fly two more arrows that landed perfectly on target before packing up her gear and moving behind the large heating and air unit to add additional interference if someone was searching out a thermal footprint. She sat down on the asphalt covered rooftop and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the rain hammering against the metal HVAC unit, concentrating on the echoes of thunder that stretched forever in all directions. She was ready. Artemis took out the remote from her bag and flipped the switch; all that was left to do now was sit and wait.
Moments later the facility was a frenzy of motion, external lights kicking on, the wail of internal alarms emanating from all directions, armed guards with trained dogs shining lights up the exterior of the building. The small motors had created just enough vibration to trigger the automated response. The archer took out her field glasses, brushing her long rain-soaked hair away from the lenses and observed the activity.
It's wasn't the first time she'd triggered an alarm just to flush out a target, just the first time for a meta-human. A loud thunderclap briefly stole her attention, and when she turned back towards the Reserve she saw him, and despite her training and preparation, seeing the familiar crimson suit took her breath away.
She struggled to see through the rain streaked lenses as the tempest around her grew stronger, but there was no mistaking the hero. The wail of oncoming police cruisers resonated in the distance as the Flash skidded to a halt in front of the group of guards searching the grounds. They pointed to the building façade close to where the archer's arrows had struck. Moments later the Flash's skin began to glimmer and suddenly he shot up the side of the building like a bolt of lightning, recovering the mechanism and bringing it back down for all to investigate.
Artemis crouched down closer to the unit as the speedster held the arrow up to the flood lights to examine it closely. His head cocked curiously as he inspected it, as if some spark of recognition triggered in his mind. He handed the arrow off to one of the guard and began scanning the cityscape. After a few more seconds of discussion, the guards stepped back a few yards just as the speedster exploded into motion, making tight circles around the complex and adjoining buildings. He got no closer than the street below, but the archer still drew herself into a tighter ball praying she wouldn't be discovered.
Moments later he appeared back in front of the facility just as the police arrived on the scene. The storm began to subside for just the briefest of moments, and through the binoculars the archer finally got her first good look at the hero, it only lasted for a moment, but that was all she needed.
Wally looked so different in the scarlet suit. It had been slightly modified from the one she remembered but still unmistakable. Becoming the Flash was something he'd always dreamed, to take the mantle one day, but only upon Barry's retirement, not his death; he wouldn't have wanted it like this.
In some ways Barry was closer to Wally then his own father. It was nothing against Rudy, he was a wonderful husband and terrific dad, but it was just difficult sometimes for him to understand what it was like to live between the seconds. Barry may have taught Wally what it was like to be a hero, but Rudy was the one who taught him to be man and Wally loved him for that.
Watching his uncle, the hero he'd worshipped his whole life die in front of him most have been agonizing. Losing his wife the same way was beyond words. After a few more minutes of talking with the authorities, the Flash burst into motion, leaving the scene and resuming his patrol. Throughout the next few hours from her vantage point on the rooftop Artemis would see the electric contrails streak by the building; observing, protecting. Around three a.m. after his last sweep around the facility, Artemis gathered her bags and scaled down the building. The night had been draining, on her, emotionally more so than physically, but she'd seen what she needed to see. Making contact with him in costume, with his mind ablaze and his adrenaline rushing was the wrong approach; she knew now what she had to do. It was now on to phase two.
xxx
The muffled sneezes from the kitchen caused Barbara Gordon to stir. She rolled over, checked the display on the clock, and yawned loudly. She hadn't planned on waking up for another two hours, but she also hadn't planned on sleeping alone this night either. He was trying to be quiet she could tell, but his mood and demeanor had been so gloomy lately that Barbara thought she'd better check on him. The last thing she needed was for her fiancé to be bleeding out all over her kitchen while she tried to catch up on the last of her beauty sleep.
She opened the top drawer of her dresser, pulled on the Gotham Knights sweatshirt, and made her way towards the kitchen. Barbara understood the stress he'd been under lately, they both had felt it. Balancing a relationship, a job, and crime fighting was next to impossible on a good day, but hiding a secret engagement from the world's greatest detective was another matter entirely. Ideally both of them would have loved a small service, they'd even considered the idea of running off to Vegas for the weekend, but there was no way the adopted son of one of the world's wealthiest men and the daughter of the Police Commissioner of Gotham City would be permitted to wed like that, just as there was no way they'd be able to keep their relationship private much longer.
They both begrudgingly accepted they'd have to come clean eventually and make their engagement public, and unfortunately for them that day was arriving faster than a southbound train. Neither looked forward to the scrutiny, press, and paparazzi that would result from the discovery, but the longer they waited the harder it would be. Richard Grayson: businessman, playboy, serial dater of models worldwide was officially off the market.
In truth those public couplings were all for show, an image carefully crafted long ago by a hero before him, a blueprint and necessary evil to protect his identity and the ones he loved, but Barbara Gordon and Batgirl didn't need his protection.
The two heroes' had been in love with each other before they even knew what love was. They'd practically grown up together, having spent most of their lives training or fighting side by side. They were partners and friends first, but that attraction could only last so long before something had to give. To each other's quiet displeasure they'd dated others, but no one could ever compare. Friends and teammates could see what they refused to, but sometimes in life you have to find that path on your own, and after years of denying those feelings they bit the bullet and came clean. It was the best mistake they'd ever made.
Dick could spend his days with his arm wrapped around any model or aspiring actress his publicist could set up, but by night he was hers. Grayson knew how lucky was, and was almost relieved for the day he could stop pretending to be someone else. Dual identities where tough enough, but the spoiled billionaire model dating douchebag was one he was more than happy to abandon.
Barbara walked into the kitchen to the image of Nightwing sitting at the nook, head tilting downward, gloved hands cupping his coffee deep in thought. He breathed in the steam, not so much for the aroma, but to open up his clogged nasal passages. He hadn't even bothered to take off the mask, he was that tired. The latest venture between Wayne Industries and Queen Consolidated was his baby, and between the hours he put in at the office by day and his nights on the streets of Gotham, he'd finally hit the wall.
She walked behind him, snaking her arms around him and kissing the back of his neck. He felt hot and that was the final straw as far as she was considered.
"You're taking the day off Boy Wonder, period the end. I'm going make you some breakfast, get you in the shower, and you're going to sleep for the next fourteen hours, Wall Street's not going anywhere. I'll call the office before I head into work. So how about you make it easy on both of us ok? Don't make me tie you to the bed, and not in the fun way."
He smiled behind the mask, fully aware that his fiancé was right. Burning the candle at both ends was an understatement, but his current mood had nothing to do with his exhaustion. He hated secrets. He'd been forced to keep them for most of his life. He broke that rule once by sharing his identity with his best friend at the time, and despite the displeasure of the Dark Knight, it ended up being one of the best decisions he'd ever made, but the one he'd been keeping from his fiancé was easily the worst. He'd tried to tell her several times, but was never able to find the words.
Barbara poured herself a cup of coffee and walked down the hall to turn on the shower and steam up the bathroom. She laid out the towel, and brought in the laundry hamper they set aside just for their uniforms, those weren't items exactly designed for a standard washer/dryer.
She heard him say something from down the hall, but the steaming rush of water muffled his statement.
"Babe you got to speak up," she yelled back. Closing the door to the bathroom, she walked back towards the bedroom to pull down the sheets for him.
In the kitchen Dick sighed, gathering the strength to say the words again, dreading the reaction he was surely to receive. He cleared his throat and repeated the statement quietly.
"I said Artemis is alive."
From the next room the response he received was the sound of a porcelain coffee cup shattering on the hardwood floor.
xxx
The archer arrived back at the motel around four a.m. Her mind raced but the rest of her was exhausted. She was used to going on little sleep for days, but being awake for the better part of seventy two hours had finally caught up with her. She couldn't wait to get out of the wet body suit; it was beginning to creep up in all the wrong places. The archer would spoil herself one last time with a hot shower and once her head met the pillow she'd be asleep in minutes.
The parking lot was dark, with only a few flashes streaking across the night sky from the retreating storm. She pulled out her room key and was about to put it into the lock when she glanced up at the small almost invisible piece of clear masking tape she placed on the frame, it had been torn, the door had been opened. There was no housekeeping at this time of night, someone had broken in; someone was following her.
She slipped the dagger out from her boot while pulling the small crossbow from her belt and loading it. Through the curtain covered window she could tell the lights were off inside but that didn't mean anything. Her intruder may be long gone or waiting in wait, either way she wasn't taking any chances. She silently slipped the room key into the lock, but before she could even begin to push the door, it sprang open and powerful hands grabbed her from the darkness, pulling her to the bed. Her bow was knocked from her grip, but she still had the dagger. The intruder had her arms pinned down, his massive weight now resting on top of her. His cologne was a dead giveaway,
"Hey gorgeous, fancy meeting you here."
Artemis let go of the knife, but when his grip eased she pushed him off with all of her strength, throwing the blonde mercenary to the floor.
"God Damnit Zane, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
The hulking man laughed, pulling himself from the floor to the edge of the bed. Artemis reached to the wall and turned on the light, her scowl heavily illuminated by the bedside lamp.
"What are you doing here!" she snarled.
"Calm down gorgeous, I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gone all soft on me."
"Answer the question."
"Relax babe, and don't get all shitty with me. You're the one that stood me up in Spain. I had to walk away from a good paying gig. Del Toro was not happy, it's not exactly the way I wanted to start out my new reputation with this man. I'm just making sure you're ok. If we get a move on maybe that old geezer hasn't found a substitute team yet."
Artemis saw right through him. "Why are you really here Zane?"
The mercenary stared into her cold grey eyes dropping his shoulders a bit. He'd never had a problem with the violence, but lying was a different story, especially to someone he cared about.
"Jade sent me," he replied honestly.
"Of course she did," the archer grumbled, shaking her head and walking away.
"Look babe, she just wanted me to check on you and make sure you didn't do something stupid. She's worried about you."
"I'm fine; I just have…something I need to take care of here."
"Personal or professional?" he asked.
Artemis glared back at him coldly, never giving a response.
"Ok fine," he shrugged, knowing there was no point in prying. "Look I just drove eighteen hours to get to this shithole of a city. Let me help. The sooner we get whatever this is done the sooner we can go find some work that actually comes with a paycheck, one with a lot of zeros behind it."
Artemis walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her head, wearing the only dry long sleeve t-shirt she owned, looking more aggravated than before.
"There is no we Zane, there is no us. That's how it works," she scolded.
"That's not what I meant and you know it. I'm just here to help. Don't get all "Artemis" on me."
"What the hell does that mean?" she asked angrily.
"It means starting some bullshit argument so you don't have to talk about what's really bothering you. I've known you too long gorgeous; this little game doesn't work on me. I'll ask again: personal or professional?"
"Personal," she answered softly, ratcheting down from anger to mild irritation.
"See was that so hard?" he grinned playfully, "So who do we have to kill?"
"Jesus Zane, it's not like that," she said in revulsion
"Then what is it?" he questioned.
"I just….I just have something I need to make right."
"Then let me help," he asked
"I don't know if you can."
He stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. Artemis stood stiffly, but didn't push away.
"At least let me try," he replied kindly, leaning in and kissing her. She returned the kiss in kind, unsure if it was out of comfort or habit. Things were complicated enough as it was, She knew he was being genuine, he was a good man who'd done bad things, just like her, and in all honesty she could use the help if for nothing more than logistical purposes, but trying to reach out to Wally with Zane being around made her uncomfortable and she didn't know why. Theirs' was a business relationship only, with some benefits thrown in from time to time, but when she finally faced the speedster, she needed to be alone and not forced explain anyone else's presence but hers.
"Ok, but we do it my way."
"Whatever you say gorgeous, then when we're done it's off to Barcelona, two empty chairs on a beach and enough grilled shrimp and rum to make us puke."
"You're a real a wordsmith Zane," she smiled
"It's part of my charm. You still have that green bikini I like so much?"
She laughed and hit him on the arm. "You never quit do you?"
"It's the only way to stay alive."
xxx
As dawn broke Artemis lay on the bed wide awake, Zane's body draped over hers. After three attempts at foreplay, he'd given up and fallen soundly to sleep leaving Artemis staring at the ceiling and irritable. She didn't blame him for coming; he was just trying to watch out for her. Sure some of his motives were purely selfish, but she was used to that by now and honestly who's weren't?
It was Jade who she was truly angry with. All Artemis had wanted was some privacy. After being basically connected at the hip for the last years; a little space wasn't too much to ask. Cheshire hadn't advertised to the world she was reconnecting with an old lover, she did it privately. Why couldn't she give her sister that same respect? Jade was so sure she would screw it up, lead with her heart and not her head, but even after all their time together sometimes she really didn't understand the archer at all.
Artemis wasn't trying to kick start a relationship long dead, all she wanted was an opportunity to make peace with a man she'd once loved, shake hands, hug, or whatever ex-lovers do and wish each other well, and then it would be time to move on.
Right she convinced herself, ignoring the fact that the thought sounded more like a question.
xxx
In typical Midwestern fashion, the forecast for Friday had called for rain, but as Wally West sat on the secluded park bench outside of the Peck Hall courtyard, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. His midterm exam grades were due Monday, and in classic West fashion he'd waited till the last minute to get started. So instead of doing the smart thing and staying home and catching up on work, somehow he'd been coerced into joining friends for dinner and drinks. Wally didn't get out much anymore, an overloaded schedule and raising two kids can do that, but over the years he'd developed several close friendships with fellow professors and staff, and after many failed attempts and false starts, they'd finally convinced him to join them, and besides if he had to listen to one more lecture from his family that he needed to get out more often he was going to go postal.
His kids spent almost as much time and Grandma and Grandpa West's house as they did their own, with the difference being at Grandma's there were always delicious snacks and cakes, plus they got to stay up late as well, so Iris and Jay spending the night was a win/win for everyone. Wally knew how fortunate he was to have his parents; he'd never have survived Linda's death without them. Raising two incredibly active children would be challenging enough for any couple, but for a single working dad it was nearly impossible. Linda's family helped when they could, but South Korea was a long way from Keystone and aside from Skyping once a month, there was little else they could do from such a distance. Fortunately for Wally his parents were more than up to the task, and the keeping up with two young kids was still much easier than a certain redheaded speedster ever was.
All he had left today was a brief appearance in the Physics Lab to introduce his new teaching assistant for the next semester, then a short Science Department faculty meeting, after that the day was his. Wally decided to enjoy as much of the weather as he could until then, opening his lunch, putting on his headphones, stretching out and letting his mind drift. He ignored the mild jolt from the man sitting on the opposite side of the two sided bench, worried he'd get caught in some conversation that would eat up his afternoon, settling instead into classic REM and closing his eyes.
From the shaded hilltop overlooking the courtyard, Artemis held the binoculars tight, her long blonde hair neatly tucked into her ball cap. As astonished as she'd been when she first saw him in costume that first night in Central, this moment did literally take her breath away.
Artemis thought Dick had changed a lot over the years, but nothing had quite prepared her for this. Wally was several inches taller, that she had expected. She could still make out the runner's build he carried, but much more solid now, more muscular. His unkempt spiky red hair was now cut short, he wore glasses, and the freckles she'd spent lazy weekend afternoons counting had all but faded away. The teenager she'd locked away in her memory was gone, in his place now stood a man. He looked bigger in person than he did in costume, she was unsure if it had to do with her vantage point, the clear weather, or the fact that he was finally still for a few minutes, either way she was impressed, perhaps a little too impressed based on her body language that evidently someone had been reading for a while.
"You're drooling,"
Artemis ignored the comment, no longer shocked or impressed by she sister's sudden appearances from out of nowhere. She directed the field glasses off of Wally for a moment, focusing on the man on the other side of the bench playing with his cell phone.
"Go away Jade."
"Not happening," the brunette replied.
Artemis blew out her breath, glowering at her sister. "I'm so pissed off at you right now. Why in the hell did you send him?" she snapped pointing to the man on the bench opposite the speedster.
"Because I care," Jade replied. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, and that is exactly what's going to happen. How can you not see that?"
"I don't get hurt," Artemis retorted sharply, adjusting the lenses and bringing the red head back into focus.
"Fine. Then maybe I don't want you to hurt him?" Cheshire countered
The archer put down the binoculars and laughed bitterly. "Are you seriously saying that to me? Don't give me that shit. You never liked him."
"I liked him fine Artemis."
"You fucking tried to drown him."
Jade rolled her eyes and groaned. "Are we really going to do this again? With that whole Dr. What's-her-face and that damn high school pool?"
"It's was Roquette," the blonde corrected, "and you almost killed him."
Jade deadpanned. "If I'd wanted to kill him he'd been dead long ago dear sister and you know it. Plus if memory serves you didn't exactly care for him all that much back then either. He just needed to be taught a lesson in humility and manners. Believe it or not I was always quite fond of the ginger."
"Yeah right," the archer dismissed, putting down the glasses and frowning. "Name one thing you liked about him" she asked, assured that would shut her sister up for a while.
"I liked how he loved you. I like how he loved mom. I liked how he wasn't Cameron. I liked how he protected you. I liked the fact he was willing to get his ass kicked if it mean saving his friends. I liked that he was smart. I liked that he wanted to leave the game and go to college. And I like that he was going to take you with him. Satisfied?"
Artemis remained silent, looking away. She hated it when Jade outmaneuvered her, but she knew she wasn't lying, which made things even more complicated.
"I liked Wally and I liked the two of you together, but Artemis that ship has sailed. Roy asked me, hell he begged me to talk you out of doing this, and you and I both know Red doesn't beg. I know you think you need to do this, but it's a terrible idea."
Artemis started off into the distance, contemplating her sister's final words before she came up with the appropriate response.
"You done?"
"Yeah I'm done," Jade sighed, realizing there was no point in discussing it anymore, her sister's mind was made up.
"Good. You can stay or go, it's your choice. I'll contact you when I'm done and we can meet up later to discuss work if you want," the archer spoke matter of fact.
"I'll stay. Someone has to keep you two out of trouble."
"Fine,' Artemis agreed, 'but we do things my way? Understand?"
"Whatever you say dear sister," Jade replied amusingly, using a tone that basically translated into a 'you're going to regret this' with a side order of 'I told you so' thrown in for good measure.
Moments later Zane lumbered up the hillside, ignoring the bickering sisters and handing off the black hat tracker phone to the archer. Artemis took it and checked the settings; assured the cloning process was complete. She now had full access to Wally's iPhone; his emails, pictures, contacts, texts – his life. If she'd been wondering where the line was not to cross, it was now three feet behind her.
A/N. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Always appreciated.