Hello again. Another chapter later. I really enjoyed writing this one, deepening friendships, mild jealously, interesting stuff really. So to be quick I'll thank the lovely people that reviewed last chapter, and encouraged me. Thank you to TheAwesomeOne334, Keepmovingforward2, arrowgirl, j9162, noaverageangel, Vanessa Masters, The Keeper of Worlds, Kamil the Awesome, Irenerb, and IronicVeghead.
Someone did ask about the age difference both Artemis and Wally are the same age this is discussed in Chapter 3 and 4. They are both the same age. Artemis for the sake of this story is born in April making her the older one but because she had no educational records when she was taken in by the Wests she is one grade lower then Wally - although she is trying to catch up so they can be in the same grade.
SeaArrow is a great suggestion I've always seen them as a very plausible pairing, again who knows but I think after writing this chapter Superboy/Artemis friendship is much more likely then a romantic relationship although I see Artemis getting jealous when a new girl moves in on her metaphorical turf.
Thanks to silent reviewers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters.
Chapter 7: Workout
Explaining to your parents that you have just disobeyed not only Flash's orders but Batman's orders was one thing, but having to explain that you temporarily adopted the sixteen week old clone of Superman was completely another. As Wally sat at his kitchen table in his torn uniform, with Superboy and Artemis looking just as worse for wear behind him, he attempted to justify how Supey had ended up at his house.
So Robin, Artemis, Aqualad and me –"
"Robin, Artemis, Aqualad and I," interrupted Mary correcting him.
"Anyways the four of us sneak into Project Cadmus and find Superman's clone. We rescue him. He rescues us. We bond. Sorta. Now we wait and see what Batman decides." His parents shared a skeptical look. "It's all very technical." Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Point is, Wally suggested we take in tall and hunky here till the time period is up." Artemis stated while Superboy grunted, his preferred method of communication, and his parents shared another look.
"You two lead very strange lives. But we're used to it largely." This was one of the many things Wally really loved about his parents. Their complete ability to accept the chaos their children brought into their life – complete with sarcasm.
"Gee thanks mom," said Wally grinning. "I think."
Mary looked over at the frowning black haired teen, "where is he going to sleep?" She wondered aloud.
"He can stay in my room," suggested Artemis grinning.
"No!" All three Wests shouted automatically from their position at the table.
"Well I tried," she said sending Superboy a piteous look. "Hope your lungs can handle the noxious fumes of Wally's room."
"I resent that," snapped Wally crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out at her.
"So do we." She stuck her tongue out for equal measure. The two playfully glaring at each other before the blonde looked away.
Rudy shook his head at his children's antics walking around the table to shake their new guest's hand, "So what's your name son?"
"Superboy."
Mary raised an eyebrow. Obviously missing the fact that Superboy really did only have one name. "We know dear, but what's your name?"
"Superboy."
Wally smirked hooking a thumb at Superboy. "I call him Supey. I think he likes it."
"You're just lucky he doesn't hit you," sighed Artemis. "Is anyone else hungry?"
"Ahhhh yes!" cheered Wally throwing his hands up in the air. "Supey wait till you taste non-pod food. You're going to love it!" Later after many a sandwich Wally had curled himself into his sleeping bag and Superboy was lying on his bed staring with rapt fascination at the ceiling. Guess he doesn't have supervision, thought Wally.
"Think Superman knows I'm here?"
Wally considered this question for a moment, after seeing the hero's reaction at Cadmus he wasn't so sure that the Man of Steel was thrilled with the appearance of a clone. "Uh, yeah sure he knows. Superhearing and vision and all that." Wally rolled over a little disappointed at himself for telling a white lie. "Night, Supes."
The clone blinked for a moment processing the words before replying gruffly, "good night."
"Where is your sister?" asked Superboy slumping further into the seat the next afternoon. Wally had made it his personal mission to educate the clone on the nuances of teen culture and the best way he could think of was to plant the pair of them on the couch in front of the TV since 10 o'clock in the morning. They were only halfway through the movie marathon and the boy seemed to be rejecting treatment.
"Who knows?" snorted Wally waving off the clone's comment. "Probably working out. She does that. Shh, this is the best part of the movie it's totally cliché but the effects are amazing." He was so engrossed he completely missed his new friend standing up and going towards the basement door where Artemis's workout jam was emanating from.
Exercise. On the weekend. Yuck.
"Mama let that boy play some rock n'roll," sang Artemis attacking her punching bag in rapid succession. "Jazz is much too crazy, he can play it when he's old. He's too young for Blues, he's still inside his first pair of shoes. He's just a baby."
"What are you doing?" asked Superboy squinting at her as she whipped around startled.
"Well unlike Wonder Blurs and Superboys I'm human so I have to train."
"Train?"
"I'm not 'super,'" she emphasized. "I can't jump buildings in a single bound or run faster then the speed of sound." Her cheeks flushed embarrassed as she slipped back into song uttering the words in time with a guitar riff. He still appraised her curiously and the awkwardness increased exponentially. "Err, what's your weight I'll spot you," she offered gesturing to the bench hoping to fill the awkward silence.
"I don't know."
"Okay…probably no good anyways since the heaviest one I have is a hundred pounds. If you can't tell Wally is a bit of a wimp."
"I've noticed." She let loose a strained chuckle and Superboy just stood there stoic as ever. Awkward.
"Well you need to do something otherwise your brain will melt if you hang out with the Wall-man much longer." He really was a rather attractive specimen of male prowess and bulk. Way cute too, and Wally had been a little aloof lately. It might be fun to tease her adopted brother a bit. "I have an idea to help you work up a sweat." She grinned pulling the collar of his torn solar suit towards her and whispering in his ear.
"Where's your guest Wally?" asked his mother tersely tapping her foot as she trudged through his garbage – napkins, pizza boxes, etc. he had tossed on the floor. "I've met pigs with better table manners, honestly, you have superspeed can't you put some of this in the garbage can."
"On commercials," stated Wally automatically straining to see around her frame.
"Wallace Rudolph West you will not spend one more minute in front of this infernal device. There happens to be a big wide world out there and your friend looks like he had a building dropped on top of him –"
"Actually…"
The glare his mother gave him was colder than liquid nitrogen. "You will take him to the mall and buy him some proper clothes."
"But mom!"
"Not buts," said Mary arms crossed and lips set in a grim line. "Just go outside. Maybe this will help. Someone slipped it through our mail slot today."
She handed her son a small card, which Wally opened with mounting dread. "It says for expenses." He said with a monotone.
"Well that settles it. You are going to go buy clothes for Superboy." Wally slumped further into the chair as he stared at the Batman insignia beneath the message and the Visa card in his hand. "NOW, Wally."
"Alright, alright. I'm going. I'm going." He zipped up grumbling. Now he just needed to find the model. He remembered Superboy asking where Artemis was vaguely so maybe he was in the basement with her. Although he squashed the shiver of nervousness that prickled along his spine at the thought of those two being alone together.
Reaching the basement landing he only managed to utter, "Hey Artemis have you seen…" Before he was greeted with one of the most traumatizing, horrifying sights he had ever witnessed, and he'd found a sandwich last week under his bed that was from era of Grade 2. It was so terrifying his mind went catatonic and stopped functioning for a full minute and a half as he watched his sister, rigid as a board, be moved up and down by the brooding, could snap a human in half, clone.
The sound that emanating from Wally's mouth when he saw Superboy bench pressing Artemis who was balanced preciously in his hands was unintelligible – at least until he managed to articulate words.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" He uttered frantically actually horrified that he was moments away from watching something irreversible happen to Artemis. They'd already proven Supey did not know his own strengths or skills sets. Exhibit A through infinity Cadmus.
"Lifting," was the blunt response he received from the mini-Superman. Wally's hands pulled at his hair in damnable frustration.
"Calm down Wally. It's just exercising. I was the heaviest thing around, he's just doing reps." Artemis clearly did not understand the mini heart attack he was experiencing as he watched her body move up and down by big, burly and handsome – three words he did not want anywhere near Artemis. Did she not understand how much she meant to him?
On a purely platonic level of course. He reasoned mentally.
But just watching Supey's hands grips her at her shoulders and waist was making him incredibly uncomfortable and his mouth uncomfortably dry.
"We'll get him a bookcase or something!" gesticulated Wally frantically. "Put the sister down." He enunciated using his hand to make a sit action as if the clone was a dog. Superboy placed Artemis back on the ground and Wally was quick to run across the room and superspeed himself between them.
"Okay look my sister is officially crazy – OW!" he yelped as Artemis punched him but he continued on. "We do not follow any of her harebrained ideas. Especially ones that involve you touching her, got it?"
"So you two are like that?" said Superboy cocking his head to the side.
Wally did a double take befuddled was the clone actually suggesting… "What! No! Just, look!" He buried his face in his hands utterly devastated with how terrible this explanation was going. He already knew he was blushing and the tops of his ears were burning. "You know what," he said calming down. "Just forget it. I'm supposed to take you shopping. Come on." He turned around beginning to trudge up the stairs when he caught out of the corner of his eye Artemis using her finger to beckon Superboy over.
"Remember that thing I taught you how to do," she grinned holding her fist out towards him. Superboy looked perplexed but mimicked her action bumping their knuckles together.
"Please tell me you two did not just fist bump behind me like bros?" groaned Wally. Artemis laughed grinning and the clone just grunted.
"I don't get it."
"I give up! I'm going to use this unlimited Visa to buy food, screw you two."
"I don't like wearing your father's clothes," stated Superboy plucking at the plaid shirt.
"Doesn't thrill me either, but the solar suit had to go. Not exactly the latest fashion." Wally stopped in front of Urban Outfitters dramatically. "Besides Dude, that's what we're here to fix."
"Just don't come back with Wally's fashion sense."
"Don't you have someone else to annoy?" asked Wally. "This is a place for men. No woman may enter here."
"You're kidding right," snorted Artemis. "Touch dramatic there Shakespeare. Don't worry I got better things to do then watch you ladies shop."
"What is she talking about?" asked Superboy as Artemis strutted away.
"That dude is a question that not even I can answer."
"All questions have answers," responded Superboy as they wandered into the store.
"Then you seriously need to meet girls. They are way complicated and deep which is just slang for why they hit, ignore or insult you for absolutely no reason."
"Like Artemis does to you?"
"No that's sibling affection."
"I don't get it." Wally shrugged. Superboy didn't have to understand the situation. Sometimes even he didn't understand it.
"Come on we're not here to gab. We're to shop. Let's get you some clothes and book it. The food court, this Visa card, and I have a rather enjoyable date lined up."
"You're dating a food court?"
"No."
"You're dating the Visa card?"
"Is Artemis feeding you information or something? Is there a hidden mic somewhere?" Wally asked incredulously placing his hands on his hips.
"I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. Look Supey just shop till you drop, okay?" Superboy shrugged beginning to rifle through the racks, bored, at least until he spotted a familiar logo. Then it only took a matter of moments for him to find a couple of pairs of jeans and grab the entire rack of shirts.
"Honestly," huffed Wally trying to reason with the clone as the purchase was rung up. "Don't you want a little variety? I mean you picked a whole rack of the exact same black t-shirt with–" But their conversation was interrupted with a massive crash and Wally looked out of the store window to see a security guard flung halfway down the hall. Oh crap! I left my costume at home.
"Supes, we need to go," he egged on pushing the bulky boy towards the door before, in an act of self-preservation grabbing a pair of bandanas off a sales rack. "We'll take these to go and be back for the rest." He supplied sending a cheesy smile to the saleslady. Yup. She totally digs me.
"What's going on?"
"That." Wally pointed at the bleach blonde twins who were assaulting mall staff. Hoisting the security guard off the floor a girl, apparently named Tuppence, proceeded to throw away the "litter." "Supes we need to–"
"Don't give me orders," grumbled Superboy running and catching the security guard as he was tossed off the second floor. Wally rolled his eyes speeding after the clone.
"That works too. Here put this on." He said handing over a red bandana.
"Why?"
Wally sighed dramatically, "Because until Bats makes his decision about our team I'd rather not create another Cadmus-style incident – at least not one we can be blamed for!"
Superboy obliged pulling on the makeshift mask, "who are those two?"
"No idea."
Artemis had just been trying to enjoy a smoothie. That was all she had been trying to do when the Terror Twins, as they so called themselves, had sauntered into the food court leaving a trail of chaos in their wake.
"Hey Tommy!" Tuppence yelled. "We got us some real company common'!" God, Artemis hated the twins. They probably didn't even remember her, they all had been so young, but the southern teens had a tendency to run their mouths and unfortunately had the brawn to back them up.
"Well if company's common' we should set the table," smirked the brother as he shoved an elderly man against a post making it nearly impossible for Artemis to get a clean shot.
"Hostages?"
"Hostages." The day just kept getting better and better thought Artemis. First, her crazy brother. Now crazy twins. Tommy turned to address the cowering crowd of bystanders. "If I could have your attention. Y'all are now officially hostages of Tommy Terror and Tuppence Terror - The Terror Twins."
"I'm sure they're so feeling the honor." Wally commented while charging into Tommy. Artemis was relieved to note that the redhead had the forethought to put a bandanna on both himself and Superboy as she slipped on her own pair of sunglasses and pulled out her collapsible crossbow from her ankle. Her relief was short-lived as she watched Superboy and Wally get their butts metaphorically handed to them. Well to be fair Wally was just agitating the criminals as he tended to do.
Artemis shook her head running for the escalator, "hopeless. Utterly."
"Supey!" Wally yelled as Tuppence threw him with a crash below.
"Reckon your focused on the wrong hero, hero." Tommy taunted attempted to deliver a blow to his back, which he dodged easily before tossing the bulky boy over the railing.
"Big mistake pissant!" Threatened Tuppence hurling herself towards Wally.
"The railing you moron!" she yelled pointing towards the cement barricade running alongside the edge of the second level. Wally appeared to see her frantic gesturing as he hoisted himself over and hung there causing the bleach blonde to propel herself over the edge and with the help of all powerful gravity plummet below.
"That's "Kid Pissant" to you, sister." Wally said smugly. "And seriously, what part of "I'm way faster than you" aren't you getting here?" He said as he dropped to the floor below where Superboy was receiving a beating from Tommy at least until she pinned him to the wall with her arrows.
"How?" gaped Artemis crossbow drawn as she stepped in front of her brother, "I went to go buy a smoothie and you two wrecked the mall! THE MALL!"
"It wasn't our fault," snapped Wally, voice muffled by the handkerchief, picking himself up and pointing at the Terror Twins. "They started it."
"You're unbelievable. A certifiable walking disaster they should just call you Kid Tornado." She dodged the male twin as he landed between them creating a huge crater. Artemis had put on her sunglasses as a way to disguise herself but he could, unfortunately, tell they were affecting her periphery vision as she barely managed to doge the second twin who came running towards.
"Move Artemis!" he yelled grabbing her and carrying her a safe distance away. "If you can't see. Don't fight."
"I can see you just fine," hissed Artemis under her breath as she craned her neck. "We have to get outside. It's too dangerous for the civilians."
"And guess who is one."
"Don't start this again."
"What's this?" smirked Tuppence advancing towards them. "A lover's spat." Wally sputtered something indignant and stupid but Artemis was more concerned that Tommy was already pulling the arrows out of his shirt.
"You might want to watch out," said Artemis.
"Oh yeah," challenged the girl nearly coming nose to nose with her, "why's that?" The words had barely left her lips before Superboy had slammed into her and forced the pair of them through the opposing wall leaving a gaping hole in their wake as the skirmish moved outside.
"Outside enough for you?" mocked Wally gesturing at the hole. "Totally planned that. Effective isn't it."
"Yeah. That's what they'll say on the news effective. I am soooo not taking the blame for this." Artemis shook her head as Wally implicitly picked her up and ran outside with Tommy Terror close behind. It was almost too cliché as they stood there, facing off two versus three in the middle of the parking lot. Of course Wally had to open his big mouth.
"Come and get us, timid twins!"
"Man I want a piece o'you!"
"You 'n me both brother!" Artemis trained her bow angrily at Tuppence, no one threatened Wally but her.
"What's it to you blondie?" snarled the girl.
"Well at least mine's real," she snapped. "Not from a bottle, peroxide head." But the enraged female teen didn't even get to take a step forward before the twins were staring slack jawed at the trio backing away.
"Dang it, Tup! I ain't sure we're ready for them boys yet…"
"Nah, Tom. Definitely a better part o'valor moment."
Wally blinked dumbstruck, "Uh wow…guess we scared 'em off."
"Should we go after them?" asked Superboy.
"No you shouldn't," interrupted Flash with Superman behind him. "And no you didn't."
"Bus-ted." Wally winced. "Hey Flash we were just –"
"Three days, "exclaimed Barry exasperated. "You couldn't stay out of trouble for three days."
"Hey that's not–" sputtered Wally trying to explain.
"Artemis I expected at least better from you."
"Hey!" Artemis was acutely aware that Superman had flown off without sparing a word for Superboy and she gently nudged the boy in the arm offering him a small smile. If nothing else the two were at least becoming good friends.
"Go home. Get a good night's sleep. I'll pick you up first thing in the morning." Flash continued. "Batman's made his decision." That was the last Barry said before zooming off towards the horizon.
"They're still treating us like kids," Artemis groaned ripping off her sunglasses as the boys removed the bandannas around their mouths.
"Think Superman will be there tomorrow?" asked Superboy.
"Uh sure. You know…if there's no emergency somewhere." Wally said though Artemis wasn't so sure she decided not to comment. It wasn't her business to pry. Appearing satisfied Wally wrapped her arm around the clone's shoulders before giving him a playful punch.
000-000-000
"Ow." Uttered Wally delicately balancing his hurt hand watching in horror as Superboy offered his fist to Artemis which she eagerly fist bumped. "Now you two are just doing it on purpose."
"I'll get you some ice when we get home. Whiny." Wally glared, eyes narrowed.
"You better make me something so good I forget I'm angry at you."
"Hey Wally," said Artemis snidely when they were halfway home. "Where are Superboy's new clothes?"
"UGH!"
Wally wasn't quite sure where they were as he looked around the massive cavern surrounding them. As far as he could tell it was the inside of a mountain. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one impressed as the rest of the sidekicks looked around in awe beside him. He gave Artemis a gentle nudge which she returned with a smile.
"This cave, Mount Justice, was the original sanctuary of the Justice League," explained Batman walking before them. "We're calling it into service again. Since you five are so determined to stay together and fight the good fight you'll do it on League terms." Batman ordered as he stood in front of the teenage protégées. Wally could barely resist the urge to roll his eyes. Wasn't that obvious from the beginning that they wanted to fight the good fight? "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions." Wally heard Artemis scoff sarcastically under her breath.
"Sure."
But Robin was the one who voiced their hidden concerns that this was just another way to "babysit them." "Real missions?"
"Yes," said Batman seriously, "but covert."
Flash smiled pointing towards his chest, "the League will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests."
"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter." Aquaman added, "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."
"The six of you will be that team."
"Cool." Robin said. But out of the corner of his eyes Wally saw Artemis's brow furrow.
"Six?"
For anyone wondering the song Artemis was singing was "Mama Let Him Play" by Jerry Doucette.
Please review, comment and critique. :) It really brightens my day.