July 1st 2:00 am 2017 Star City

Return Chapter 1

A tall dark figure stood in the alley between the Star City museum and the apartment building of Artemis Crock. Usually climbing to the eleventh floor on a fire escape wouldn't be a problem for the dark figure but with a dislocated shoulder and a stab wound to the rib cage along with a pooped back into place knee cap climbing the fire escape wouldn't be so easy tonight. But going through the front door diffidently wasn't a possibility, he needed a key, something he didn't have or have the time to copy. Taking a deep painful breath the dark figure started up the long fire escape.

Artemis Crock had just gotten to sleep an hour ago after staying up to finish a large amount of paperwork for work. It had been almost a year since Wally's death and only a month since Artemis was able to get four hours of sleep, and right now she desperately needed it.

Smash

Artemis' eyes immediately flew open, but she didn't get up she wanted to make sure there was something actually going on before she got out of the comfort of her bed. She laid perfectly still listening to the silence of her apartment and the snoring of her dog.

Fifteen minutes later Artemis decided that it was probably just a cat knocking over a garbage can and rolled over to go back to sleep.

Creek

This time Artemis sat up, that sounded exactly like her living room window was being opened. Artemis didn't waste a second in getting out of bed and quietly opening her safe behind a hidden wall panel and getting out her blowpipe and crossbow. Quietly Artemis left her bedroom and hid in the shadows as she walked to her front room. Peeking around the corner Artemis saw a tall figure dressed in all black crawl in through her living room window. Glaring at the person for breaking into her apartment and waking her up at two in the morning Artemis waited until they were in the middle of the living room and looking around before she aimed her crossbow. Right when the person turned around she fired her crossbow hitting the person with an arrow right in the shoulder. The person gritted their teeth and wrapped their hand around the arrow they went to say something but they stopped when Artemis round house kicked them in the chest sending the backwards on top of her coffee table and breaking it.

Artemis pressed her foot into the intruders throat "What the hell do you think you're doing breaking into my house you scumbag" she hissed at them.

The intruder groaned but didn't make any effort at grabbing her ankle "A…. Cant breath" they wheezed out.

Artemis kept her foot on their throat but released some of the pressure "Art… me Di…".

Artemis frowned "What?"

"Dick, it's Dick" the intruder said coughing.

Artemis' eyes widened and she stumbled backwards allowing Dick to breath but he didn't try to move he just laid there taking deep breaths. Shaking her head Artemis stepped towards him again, squatting down Artemis hesitantly reached towards the hood that covered his face. Ripping it off Artemis gasped when her grey eyes meet the beautiful blue eyes she hadn't seen in almost a year.

"Dick" she breathed.

Dick managed a weak grin "Hello 'Mis".

Instatnly her temper flared "I haven't seen or heard anything from you in a year and you break into my apartment saying 'Hello 'Mis' like nothing ever happened. Like you didn't leave when I needed you the most" she yelled at him.

Dick closed his eyes "I know I'm sorry Artemis I really am".

Artemis laughed harshly as she punched him in the chest making him yelp in pain and start coughing again. Artemis' gasped she had never seen Dick make any kind of sound in pain. As she looked at him head to toe she noticed that his face was covered in bruises and scratches, and the clothes he was wearing had holes and tears in them, he looked horrible.

"Dick what happened to you?" Artemis asked truly concerned, her anger at him forgotten for the time being.

Breathing heavily Dick rested his head on the ground where he still lay on top of the broken coffee table "Stab wound to the rib cage, dislocated shoulder, and a popped back into place knee cap, and now an arrow sticking out of my shoulder along with a bruised chest and glass in my back".

"Oh my god Dick" Artemis said moving to help him up. "Which shoulder is dislocated?"

"Right one, same one with an arrow in it. I'm happy to see you haven't lost your touch" Dick said trying to smile but when Artemis touched the stab wound on his left side he hissed in pain. "Stab wound" he hissed out.

Artemis glared at him but compared to her previous glare it was extremely mild "Is there any where I can touch without hurting you?" she asked.

Dick smiled "My left arm is about the only thing but I don't know how far I'll be able to walk".

"Well we need to get you to the bathroom so you're gonna have to suck it up" Artemis said grabbing his arm and helping him sit up. Once his breathing was back to normal Artemis crouched down beside him, wrapping his left arm across her shoulders, and her arm around his waist to help him up "On the count of three okay?"

"Okay" Dick said nodding his head.

"One….. Two….. Three" Artemis said using all her strength to help him up, Dick gritted his teeth as he stood up. Even though she was upset with Dick she truly felt sorry for the now young man standing next to her. She never thought she'd see the boy wonder in so much pain and having to rely on another person. "You alright?" she asked letting him rest a little bit before they made their way to the bathroom where Artemis could help him clean up.

"Gotta get traught don't I" Dick said smiling.

Artemis laughed "I haven't heard that one in a long time. Think you're ready for the walk to the bathroom?"

"I think I'm going to have to be" Dick said smiling.

Artemis smiled "Alright boy wonder let's do this".

Dick took a deep breath as Artemis guided him towards her bedroom where her master bathroom was and where she could clean him up. Dick gritted his teeth as they walked down the hall, he focused on his breathing trying to ignore the pain everywhere in his body.

"You doin alright there boy wonder?" Artemis asked as they neared her bedroom.

"What do you think?" he hissed through gritted teeth.

Artemis smirked as they entered her bedroom where Norman her dog still lay on the bed snoring. Shaking her head she guided Dick to the bathroom "Some guard dog he is" she mumbled.

Dick snorted as they entered the bathroom, Artemis helped him sit on the toilet and lean him against the wall to make sure he didn't fall over. His eyes were shut and he was breathing really hard now, he even had beads of sweet on his forehead. "Don't pass out, I really don't want to explain this to the paramedics" Artemis said.

"I know how to avoid blacking out 'Mis" Dick said with his eyes still closed.

"I'm sure you do" Artemis mumbled as she bent down to dig out her first aid kit.

"We're gonna have to cut your sweatshirt and shirt off in order to look at the stab wound and how far the arrow went into your shoulder" Artemis said setting the first aid kit on the counter.

"Alright, you have something I can bit down on when you do all this stuff, I don't think your neighbors will be too happy about being woken up by my screaming" Dick said smiling at her.

Artemis smiled "Yeah I can get a towel for you to bite on".

Artemis pulled out the scissors and stepped in front of him grabbing the sweat shirt she quickly and gently cut the now dirty and bloody sweatshirt off of him. Of course the black shirt underneath was extremely tight fitting showing off his very toned body. "It doesn't look like there's a lot of glass in your back" she said as she began cutting the shirt off.

"Sure as hell doesn't fell like that" Dick muttered.

Artemis pulled the shirt off gasping at the sight of his chest. The arrow was barely lodged into his shoulder but she knew there'd be a lot of bleeding when she had to pull it out. He had a pretty nasty bruise forming where she had kicked him, and the stab wound on his side looked like it was a couple days old. He had bandages wrapped around it but blood was seeping through it. He also had a lot of tiny scratches and cuts all over his chest. There were only a couple of large pieces of glass on his back but they weren't in very deep.

"What the hell did you get yourself into Dick?" Artemis asked getting wash clothes out of her cupboard.

"I was doing an undercover mission not far from here, things went bad really fast. You were the closest person so I came here. Plus I really didn't want to listen to Bruce and Alfred if I showed up at the cave like this" Dick said smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah so instead of calling me you break into my apartment giving me a heart attack" Artemis said getting the wash cloth wet and washing off his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't have enough time to make a copy of your doors key" Dick said trying to be apologetic.

Artemis looked at him in shock "You were going to make a copy of door key".

"I didn't want to call you I knew you'd turn me down which I completely understand but I needed your help you were the only one I could call. I'm not exactly on the best speaking terms with Bruce right now" Dick said looking at the shower behind her with a hard look on his face.

Artemis frowned "What do you mean?"

"It's not something I'm comfortable talking about right now 'Mis" Dick said.

Artemis nodded her head and continued washing off his chest, letting him sit in his own thoughts. "Which first, stab wound or arrow?" Artemis asked.

"Arrow first" Dick said.

"Alright" Artemis said handing him the towel to bite down on, once Dick had the towel in his mouth and his hand gripped the counter Artemis grabbed the arrow "One three. One…. Two….Three" Artemis said pulling the arrow out as fast as she could. Dick's eyes closed, his scream was muffled by the towel. Artemis quickly poured the antiseptic onto the wound making Dick grip the counter so hard he broke the corner off. "You're paying for that" Artemis said as she cleaned the wound "You aren't going to need stitches for this one" she said as she wrapped it up.

Artemis pulled the towel out of his mouth, and setting her hand on his cheek "You alright boy wonder?"

Dick nodded his head "Never better".

Artemis laughed "Alright time for the stab wound" she said handing him the towel again. Artemis un wrapped the wound to see an at least five inch deep stab wound that would diffidently need stitches and some serious cleaning. Twenty minutes later and much swearing and strangled cries of pain later Artemis successfully had the stab wound stitched up and cleaned.

"I could really use a drink right now" Dick said after everything was done and over with.

"Believe me so could I" Artemis said leaning against the counter "But unfortunately I haven't kept alcohol in the house in three months. And your still underage so it's not happening wonder boy".

"You do realize that I'm twenty years old right that nickname doesn't quite work so well anymore" Dick said.

"Oh but it always will" Artemis said smiling "You can sleep in my room tonight, I've got a guest bed but I'm too tired to help you to it. but don't think I'll forget about yelling at you in the morning" Artemis said as she moved to help him up.

Dick smiled wrapping his arm across her shoulder "I wouldn't dream of it 'Mis".

Artemis helped him into her bed where Norman still lay snoring "Try and get some sleep boy wonder" Artemis said as she left the room.

"Thank you Artemis" Dick said quietly as she closed the door.

Artemis sighed leaning against the door it sure as hell has been a crazy night.