There was something about Ollie that made his so… aggravating. Maybe it was his sense of humor, or his stupid facial hair, or maybe it was the way he'd somehow convinced Artemis to move across the US and come live with him in Star City.
She was fully aware that she was being unreasonable by hating him. It's not like he was responsible for her mother's death. Still, Artemis hadn't said a word to him the whole trip. Her headphones were practically glued to ears on full blast. She didn't look at him or even acknowledge his presence. After a while, Oliver caught on and stopped his futile attempts at a conversation. He understood her need for space right now.
They had simply used the zeta tubes to travel from Gotham to the west coast in a matter of moments. An expensive looking car picked them up, complete with a chauffeur. As it transferred them to their destination Artemis watched the city she protected every night speed by. She had come to know it better than she knew Gotham. Occasionally, she spotted the Pacific Ocean as it shimmered in the sun but it did little to improve her mood.
Eventually, they pulled away from the city and finally stopped in front of a very large house. Artemis was caught off guard, actually. She knew Ollie was rich but she had no idea he was Bruce Wayne rich.
Hopping out of the car, she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. Before, Artemis had been bound and determined to improve her mother's life by, somehow, earning enough money to buy a house specialized for her mom's wheelchair. She even planned on hiring a maid and cook to ease her mom's workload. But now, she missed her old apartment in Gotham. She'd lived there her whole life and the change only accentuated her loss.
Ollie pulled her bags out of the trunk before the car rolled away and disappeared behind the manor. She cocked an eyebrow. "What? No butler?" she asked, wincing at the touch of venom in her voice. Ollie didn't deserve to be the outlet of her rampant emotions. Now the first words she'd said to him since their agreement about her new residence were spoken with malice.
The older archer didn't seem notice. "Not anymore." He carted her bags up to the manor with a gesture to follow. The door opened before they could make it all the way up the stairs. Dinah stepped onto the porch and placed her hands on her hips. Ollie, unsure of her intentions, gave her a lopsided grin in an attempt to remove the skeptical expression etched into her face. She was unaffected. "Dinah!" he exclaimed. "Did you come over to see me or Artemis?"
"I originally dropped by to talk to you," she admitted, rolling her eyes when Ollie's grin widened. "But, I'd much rather help Artemis get settled." The older woman smiled at Artemis. In reality, Artemis had hoped for some time alone once she arrived but Dinah's motherly atmosphere was enough to keep her from stomping off.
The two girls headed deeper into the house, leaving Ollie muttering about the complexity of a woman's mind.
Artemis was given a complete tour of "Queen Manor" ending with her room. Ollie had already dropped her bags off at the door and had vanished into the depths of the various rooms. Pushing the door open, Artemis found a light blue room with all the necessary furnishings. Her shoulders slumped as the day's stress caught up to her. She wanted nothing more than to fall into the bed and sleep forever but she was still aware of the images that appeared behind her eyelids.
"Do you need anything?" Dinah asked. Her smile evaporated and was quickly replaced with a concerned frown. Artemis shook her head avoiding Dinah's worried eyes. Without missing a beat, Black Canary pulled a scrap of paper from her jeans and found a pen in one of the pockets of her leather jacket. She scribbled down her phone number and placed it onto the desk. "I'll be here as often as I can but if I'm not, just call me. If you need anything at all. Ok?"
When Artemis didn't reply, Dinah left knowing she wanted to be alone. As soon as the door clicked shut, the floodgates opened. The blonde archer found herself curled up on the bed silently sobbing. All the images and thoughts she had tried to suppress attacked her brain at once.
This morning seemed like a lifetime away. She had said goodbye to her mom and left for school but when she returned home she could feel the uneasiness in the air. In their cramped living room was her mother's overturned wheelchair. After that, everything blurred together into simple images and intense emotions. One moment the blood was too red, the next it was too black. Her mom was sprawled across the floor, unmoving and lifeless. The next thing she knew, she was in the cave screaming her head off. Red Tornado was the first one to find her. He was the one who sent Batman out to check the apartment. Kid Flash was next on the scene. In a bizarre turn of events, he had stopped himself mid-snide remark and actually comforted her.
Artemis shook her head, not wanting to go too in detail. There had been enough anguish for one day and she didn't wish to go through it again. Breath, Crock, just breath.
She glanced around her new room. The light had been left off so what little light there was came from the cracks in the blinds. Dinah had nudged the bags into the room before leaving. Artemis crawled over to them and fished out the picture of her mom. It was the only one she had of her.
Half of the photo had been bent back to block out Jade and her father. The visible half showed her mom before her wheelchair and a very young Artemis. They had all been happy back then when their criminal work wasn't a main topic.
Pulling herself to her feet, she placed the picture on her new dresser and opened the blinds. Sunlight flooded the room. From her window, Artemis could see a strip of ocean in between the trees and the sky. Perhaps she could get used to a view like that.
She slowly began to unpack, stopping only to frown at her Gotham Academy uniforms. They hadn't discussed where she'd go to school. Her mother had been so adamant that she go to Gotham Academy. Now, Artemis desperately wanted to keep attending to maintain some part of her old life and continue her mom's dream.
Her sister's Alice in Wonderland poster was the next item to be pulled from its spot in one of her bags and she sticky-tacked it to the wall over the desk. She popped an earbud in one ear and blasted her favorite songs to drown out her own sobbing. Her family had never been well off and she didn't own much. Still, uprooting her whole life and starting somewhere knew took immense effort. After some time, she tucked the last of her things away in the dresser.
Artemis was surprised at how late it was when she finished. Outside her window, the sun hung low in the sky. She slipped out of her room and wandered through the manor, trying to remember the way to the kitchen. Ollie was there cooking something over the stove. The smell of tomato soup reached her nose. At least she'd be eating a normal meal tonight.
Ollie glanced over at her and smiled. "I wanted to make my famous chili but the ingredients disappeared somehow. I suspect Dinah." He chuckled lightly as he dished up three bowls of soup. "I hope you like tomatoes."
Artemis accepted the bowl with a quiet thank you. Dinah joined them and took her own bowl. As Artemis ate, she glanced around, realizing how much she missed a full family meal. While her mother was in jail, the family rarely ate together. Later, it was just her and her mom. She could get used to this even if it was going to be hard.