I don't own YJ!

Freedom was a strange thing, Artemis mused, looking at herself in the mirror. It was the sole thing America preached, the reason her mom's predecessors (ancestors didn't sound quite right; it wasn't that long ago) decided to immigrate here all those years ago. And where did that get Artemis?

She huffed. Paula Nguyen might have just moved to another country, giving up her freedom through villainy.

Artemis practiced a few stares in the mirror. Emotions weren't so easily learned in the Crock family. Her first day of college had to be a success, a step towards a brighter future, none of that heroes and villains dơ bẩn.

She held up a green scrunchie. Her blonde hair fell down longer than her shoulders, rarely even let down. She started tying her hair up into its usual low ponytail, but she strung a strand a bit too tight.

"Ow!" Artemis yelped, shaking her head to get rid of the carefully tight hair.

Freedom. The thought returned to her again like a boomerang. Despite being an American citizen, she hadn't been truly free the early years of her life. Her father… her fists clenched. Sportsmaster had, had pushed her to her limit, every single làm tình day. Her past would forever be shadowed by his constant… abuse.

"Baby girl, you disappoint me. CROCKS do NOT get TIRED. Again, or else…"

The next years… Artemis smiled fleetingly. The next years were some of the best in her life. She'd never thought she'd find comfort in a sweet Martian, a best friend in the Boy Wonder - or Dick Grayson, for that matter - and not the least finding love in the Fastest Boy Alive. The rush of attacking, swooping in to see the dumbfounded looks on goons' faces…

"You're not the only one with a backup bow."

But she was never truly free there either. The first couple months, twisted with solitude and secrets and lies… They came together. They added more people. The Team was her family. And still, the second Robin died, none of them able to save him or stop their breakdowns. Then Tula. Garth quit, Kaldur joined Manta… where did it end? The dizzying paths of even being a part, a pawn in the heroes v. villains game.

So she and Wally quit. Their love was too new, too fresh, for either of them to die anytime soon. They couldn't shoulder the burdens, the deaths, the pain, the lies that came with being a hero anymore. They would face the real world together.

Artemis attempted to put her hair in a ponytail again, then released, relinquished her hold. She was done being trapped. This was a new step.

Shaking her hair out, she grinned cockily. College was a new opportunity, another chance.

She was free.

Yeah, okay, I was working on other things, but then I had to do community service and my mom weasled me into tying my hair tight - which I haven't done in a year - and it didn't feel right. So I wrote this. It's… I dunno. It's my contribution to the less than 500-word drabbles out there. Tell me how you feel about it.

dơ bẩn = sh*t

làm tình = f*cking

Please read and review! (Also, constructive feedback. Please. Just 'cause I'm in middle school doesn't mean I want to be told that my writing's "amazing for my age." I want to be told that maybe my thought processes could use more improvement, maybe I could've worked out the ending a little more and stuff like that)