A/N: Thank you guys so much for the continuous support and feedback. You guys make my day brighter each time.
A huge 'love you' to all these amazing people:
Angelgirl18647, BerryEbilBunny, Black Bat Girl, Cinomen, GorgeousChaos, Misa3000, MusicLoverBLD, Ninja Bagel, Phantresss212012, Saturngirl16, Zatanna Carrile, ZeroV, billyisabelo, ingrid, littlea16, maewander25, marinelife2299, spitfireforever, star-eye, the royal bookworm of all dork, thestoryreader99, Arrowlover17, BittyCatt, doggybye, kateygirl7, PaaaalomaH, Pen Name Enter Here, PolkadotBunny, PythianPickles, jennelyn12, Amissproduct54, hanjoh1, roseliehale1, AmeliaSkellig, Cst . Reader, Gia2000, shelllabey, Princess Anna of Arendelle, Clara221b, slyterin955, wicked . faith10, youngjusticewriter, Jinxedandhexed, Lyndea, 103lawrencium, Indigo Tides, Markus Wolfe, blacktarget, fiza tiza, randommonkeyz998, JordanAlexis, SB2Lazy, lovepup33, Capw8543, OfficiallyWhelmedSpitfire, squimzie24, Jedi DC of Marvel, Superhero6829, Sparrow'sArrow, laces and shoes, shadeslayerw, Dark fire spirits, MysticMoonGuardian, foxtrot B-12, lil'miss sunshine, BlueJellyFish, IceFire 27, Ngarc345, themadzz123, coconut5639
Didn't edit this one, please tell me if there are any errors (grammar or other) at all!
Chapter 12: Challenge
Artemis didn't have many friends. At least, not ones she spoke to almost every day and knew her middle name. There were acquaintances, childhood friends she hadn't seen in a decade, and of course, estranged sisters although the last option wasn't something she liked to think about often.
It was almost a week before Artemis finally returned to the Cave, having gone offline due to her recent exams. As the computer announced her name, Artemis felt surprisingly anxious and her eyes sought out for the familiar yellow and red she hadn't seen in a week.
The archer wasn't even sure when they had become friends. The thought constantly pestered her and memories of biting words, stolen glances, death, loss and unexpected embraces were often associated even though they unnerved her. Just a year ago, Artemis would've never allowed any of that. They would've had an arrow pointed at their throat and the message received that Artemis didn't care and wouldn't ever care about them.
She had changed, and she didn't mind. Not at all.
The room was empty, and she buried the strange feeling of disappointment and curiosity for why she was even disappointed as she made her way to the kitchen where she found the youngest member of their team flicking through channels aggressively.
Her dark eyebrows rose, but her eyes didn't stray from the screen as she smiled. "Hey, haven't seen you around in a while," Zatanna said.
The archer smiled in return and plopped herself on the seat next to the young magician as she trained her eyes on the TV. "I was busy."
"With what?"
"School. Life. Sleep."
Zatanna glanced at her through the corner of her eyes as she frowned. "Lucky. The team's been quite active recently, you've missed a lot."
"Like what?" Artemis asked, a little surprised as she caught the slight smirk on her friend's face.
"Let's see… M'gann made meatloaf on Tuesday, lasagne on Thursday, cookies on Friday. Conner watched actual TV for once, Kaldur went back to Atlantis, and Wally moped about because a certain someone was AWOL."
Artemis wasn't dense, or stupid. She knew what the young magician was suggesting and she narrowed her eyes at the screen. "Oh, did Robin have exams as well?" She asked, her tone a little too sharp.
Usually, a normal person would have flinched and apologised before making some excuse to leave. But Zatanna wasn't normal.
The young girl laughed, throwing her head back to rest against the couch before she turned fully to face Artemis with a teasing smirk on her face.
"Robin? Really, Artemis. Is that the best you can do?"
The screen had stopped changing, resting on a celebrity reality show that the archer loathed, and Artemis snatched the remote out of Zatanna's hand to continue what she had been doing before.
"Whatever you're thinking, forget it," Artemis scowled, pulling her legs up to cross them beneath her.
Zatanna shrugged, but a light airy laugh escaped her lips. "Forgotten."
The archer kept her eyes on the screen but her attention had been on anything but the channels.
They were friends. Wally had said so.
But then again, when had he started texting her every day, or when had he started greeting her at the zeta-tubes whenever she arrived, or when had he actually wanted to be friends? When had she wanted to be friends with the annoying speedster?
In fact, when had she started looking forward to greeting him at the zeta-tubes, or why had she even spent an extra ten minutes on her hair before she came here?
Artemis hugged her knees to her chest and began hitting her forehead against her knees, ignoring the amused look on Zatanna's face.
"Not a word," the archer said into her knees, knowing the younger girl was grinning even though she hadn't looked up.
Zatanna laughed and Artemis felt a hand pat her back. "It's not impossible," she said, her voice a little lower and thoughtful than it had been before.
The archer stole a glance towards her friend, before looking back at the mounted television screen.
Spanish soap opera.
News broadcast.
Cartoons.
Artemis sighed and tossed the remote back onto Zatanna's lap with a flick of her wrist. "It's not possible either," she mumbled into her knees.
The young magician raised an eyebrow and turned off the TV as she turned to face the blonde. "Why?"
Why. Why? Why?
Artemis' eyes widened. "I- you- I don't know. Just because! I'm not having this conversation with you."
Zatanna snorted. "Because you don't trust me," she stated, although it sounded more like a question and the light-hearted glow in her eyes had disappeared.
The archer's head snapped upwards and she turned to look at the girl with narrowed grey eyes. "What are you saying?"
The black-haired magician sighed. "We've had girls' night outs before, Artemis. I thought you trusted me enough." Zatanna stared at her friend- her closest friend in her new home, and surprisingly the most familiar thing to her at the moment. She knew Artemis had a past. Someone who was so difficult and ready to shut people had to have a past, but Zatanna thought she had breached those walls. She had thought she was part of the team now- a new family.
Guess not.
Artemis watched as the young girl's usually bright sapphire eyes dulled into a dark blue, and she suddenly felt guilty. She had been selfish- too selfish to forget that though Zatanna wasn't much younger than her, she was still too young to have lost someone so close to her. Artemis had lost someone and she had been alone, but Zatanna shouldn't be. No one should be alone.
The blonde sighed. "I'm not good… with this," she gestured between them. Wally had said so as well. Artemis… talking about feelings? His words echoed in her mind.
"But, I know you're not a stranger to me. And it's not that I don't trust you."
Zatanna's eyes snapped towards her, and the archer exhaled. "Believe me, if I didn't trust you. One of us wouldn't be here, right now."
Probably me, Artemis thought. If she hadn't trusted the young girl beside her, Artemis would have probably left the team. She knew she had her own secrets and the team wouldn't trust her. Not even Wally would be on her side.
As Zatanna was about to smile and give the archer a huge hug, she froze and watched in confusion as Artemis' usual cool attitude snapped as her grey eyes rounded and her lips parted into a horrified expression.
"Artemis?" Zatanna questioned, a little scared at the sudden mood change. In the magician's mind, she would've associated the archer's expression with the sound of shattering glass.
However, in Artemis' mind, all she could think about was why. Why did Wally's name always pop up into her thoughts? Why?
She inhaled sharply and her stunned, wide grey eyes snapped to Zatanna's abruptly.
"Shit."
"What? What is it?" Zatanna asked urgently.
Artemis rested her face into her knees again as she breathed in and out deeply. Wally was just a friend, and no matter how adorable he could be whenever he greeted her at the zeta-tubes like a little lost puppy with flushed cheeks, or no matter how close he had gotten to her in the past month, Artemis knew it was temporary. It had to be. No one ever stays.
"I'll get over it. It's nothing," Artemis waved her hand dismissively, but Zatanna refused to let it go.
"Is this about Wal-"
"-No! Don't. It's stupid, and as I said before, it'll never happen."
Zatanna shook her head, wanting to pity her friend but she knew Artemis hated that. Instead, she laughed and turned the TV on and started browsing through the channels again.
It was a moment before Artemis realised how quiet the Cave was. "Where are the others?"
The TV had stopped on a news channel, and the face of Queen Bee smiled coyly from the screen. Zatanna gestured to it. "Qurac."
Artemis looked up at her with her eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you here?"
"It's overseas."
The archer scoffed. "No, really?"
Zatanna's lips twitched, but her gaze fell to her lap as she played with the remote in her lap. "I was never allowed overseas without…" she trailed, and the blonde looked at her friend suddenly as her voice diminished.
"Adult supervision?" Artemis supplied, bumping her shoulder lightly onto Zatanna's.
The young girl turned to smile at her and nodded.
Artemis gave a small one in return. "I heard you and Robin, you know. I know it's… different. But hopefully, it's been a good different so far."
Zatanna laughed although her voice sounded a little choked. "It's been great. You're right… It's just different. Thank you, Artemis."
Artemis changed the channel back to the Spanish soap opera even though it wasn't a language she was particularly strong in. She bumped her shoulders against Zatanna's again, and grinned at her.
"Hey, what are friends for?"
The next time Artemis saw Wally again after her little girl talk with Zatanna was only a couple days later, and even though she knew he would be there, she still took a step back in surprise when he blurred in front of her and Robin.
"I found a picture of you on the internet," he said in lieu of a greeting and Artemis raised an eyebrow at him.
"Let's see."
The corner of Wally's lip lifted momentarily, but it was gone once he whipped out his mobile phone and entered in his PIN number, before flashing the screen at them.
When the archer finally understood what was going on, she scowled whilst the Boy Wonder cracked up beside her.
"Grumpy cat," Robin managed to wheeze through his chortling and Wally grinned expectantly, as if waiting for Artemis to burst out laughing too.
This creature, Artemis thought as she gave him a deadpan stare. She had had a girl talk with Zatanna about this… it.
The archer had a permanent scowl on her face as she walked past him to prop herself onto the kitchen counter, and Zatanna's smirk as she watched them from the kitchen faltered when she caught sight of Artemis' murderous glare.
Boys, Zatanna sighed to herself.
Wally frowned at her back, and Robin clapped his shoulder in sympathy. "Man, it sure is hot in here," Robin teased, pulling at his turtleneck.
Artemis non-existent reaction all forgotten, the speedster sidled up to the Boy Wonder in a suave manner. "Would you like me to leave?" He asked in an over-exaggerated low, husky voice.
Conner grunted from the couch, looking a little disturbed and Zatanna chuckled behind still scowling Artemis.
"Yes, and do us all a favour," Artemis stated drily from the counter and Zatanna's laughter grew louder as she threw her head back.
Wally stared at Artemis, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "You just admitted I was hot."
"Hot with fever cause I think you're delusional, Carrot-top," Artemis quipped, but the archer already knew that although the speedster was what you would call 'cute', he wasn't exactly lacking in the muscle area. She hadn't seen him in a couple weeks, and she found her eyes sweeping over his figure involuntarily, from his glaring red sneakers that matched his hair, to the little freckles that dusted his face.
"Did… you just check me out?" Wally asked, wanting to tease her but the tips of his ears were turning red and he hoped she wouldn't notice.
And she didn't. Artemis wanted to bury her face behind her hands, or fall into a hole in the ground and never have to look back up again, except it was too late and he had caught her red-handed. She kept the scowl on her face, hoping her tan skin would hide the warmth she felt slowly pooling on her face. "Yeah. And I was right. Definitely delusional."
The archer didn't want to look at Zatanna's face behind her, nor Robin's next to Wally because she knew that if she did, the blood rushing to her face would double and soon she'd be as red as Wally's hair was.
Instead, she hopped down from the counter and strode towards the couch to plop herself down next to Conner, Wally's frown gone unnoticed behind her.
Superboy grunted in greeting and Artemis nodded ever so slightly. She looked around to spot a certain Martian, knowing Kaldur was still in Atlantis, but she couldn't find any other redheads in the room.
"Where's-"
"Her uncle's," Conner answered easily before she could even finish, and Artemis only nodded again. The genetically engineered, super powered teen was easy to understand for Artemis. He was straightforward and blunt, with no sugar coating or cutting edges. Conner was someone Artemis could easily get along with since there were no questions asked about either of their pasts and frankly, he was normal. Despite his background, Superboy was what Artemis would call normal- or, socially acceptable.
Unlike Wally West who was unpredictable, and a complete idiot most of the time. She glanced at the redhead behind her and found him staring intently at her, his green eyes almost boring a hole into her skull. The blush that had barely simmered down threatened to rise again, and Artemis turned away quickly to the TV screen where there was nothing but static and white noise.
She eyed the remote next to Conner's hand on the armrests of the couch. "Could I…?"
He shrugged, and Artemis took that as a yes as she reached across him for the remote.
When she'd straightened herself again, Wally was sitting on the floor next to her legs between Conner and her, and he grabbed the remote from her hand casually.
"Quick, quick, Artie! We're missing the first half of-"
He changed the channel to some Japanese game show. "This. My all-time favourite show ever."
She tried not to focus on Wally's arm that was draped across her knees as he pulled them into his side, nor the fact that he'd stolen the remote from her. "What did you just call me?"
Slowly, Wally turned around with an innocent expression. "Friends give each other nicknames. Besides, your name is too long."
"Nicknames? Why don't I make one for you too," Artemis said, her eyes narrowing at his guileless beam. "Kid Idiot? Or Stupid? Both just ring to me."
His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her, not at all ruffled by her insults and she could feel his shoulders shaking infinitesimally as he tried not to laugh. "Why not just Wally?"
"Why not just Artemis?"
Wally shook his head. "Because it's too long. Ar-te-mis. That's three syllables and three seconds of my life wasted. I could run to Happy Harbor beach in three seconds."
Artemis crossed her arms. "Come on, even three seconds is a bit of a stretch for you."
He gasped over-dramatically, putting the remote on the coffee table as he held his other hand to his heart. "You calling me a liar?"
The archer smirked. "A big, fat, ugly one."
Wally gaped at her, his eyes wide and unblinking and a thought unwittingly flitted across her mind. Cute.
The speedster gasped after a few moments and was suddenly towering over Artemis, a challenge flashing in his eyes. "Let's prove it."
Artemis barely knew what had happened before the couch disappeared beneath her weight, and she felt an abrupt lurch of motion sickness.
The two vanished from the room, leaving two smirking Tweens and the superpowered clone watching static in their wake.