Chapter 17
Thunder echoed off the bay as the predicted storm clouds slowly rolled in from the west. A light rain began to fall, pin pricking the surface of the St. Lawrence Seaway, but remaining mostly unnoticed by the four individuals standing on the rocky shoreline.
Not many things surprised Lawrence Crock anymore. Throughout his career he had witnessed events that defied description, defied explanation. He'd participated in satanic rituals, fought with and alongside man made monsters, been a high ranking member of a shadow group run by an alleged immortal, and had even meet and worked alongside alien beings, but up until now he had never seen a bona fide, honest to god ghost.
He'd fallen hook, line, and sinker at the news of his youngest daughter's death. He had punished himself for not being there for her when she needed it, cursed her naiveté and vowed vengeance on the team she had blindly joined. When he discovered her and her new identity while on the hunt for her killer, he'd even given her pass on Manta's submarine, slightly proud of her for her duplicity. It seemed all that training during her formative years had actually taught her something. However when her idiotic college boyfriend died, he saw a side of his daughter he had never seen before, and it sickened him. At the sight of his youngest offspring sobbing and cry with her friends and the kid's family, Crock shook his head in disgust. Even his ex-wife seemed genuinely devastated by his death.
Chumps he laughed, but at least it was one less hero he had to put up with. One less speedster shuffled of this mortal coil. The new kid running around in the yellow spandex may have fooled most people, but not him. The man Paula Crock hoped so much would marry her daughter was dead and gone, except for the small fact the motherfucker was standing right in front of him now.
Wally West carefully backed away from the hockey masked assassin, keeping himself between Sportsmaster and his daughter while cautiously bending down beside the Artemis, extending his arm to help her to her feet.
"Don't" she snapped knocking the speedster's hand away and proceeded to rise under her own power.
"Are you ok?" Wally asked concerned, but Artemis ignored the question, using the brief respite to wrap her injured arm with the makeshift field kit she kept under her Kevlar.
"I heard you were dead," Sportsmaster smirked under his mask,
"That's what they tell me," the red head replied un-amused.
"So you here to save the day hero, is that what this is?" Lawrence taunted.
"Something like that," Wally replied.
"Who the hell is this?" Falcone demanded to his latest hire, but the assassin ignored his employer directing his attention to the new arrival. Timing had never been the kid's forte.
"Listen up dumbfuck, she pissed off the wrong people and they want her dead. I'm trying to save her freaking life here…."
"By what? crippling her over some fucking job?" Wally said disgusted. "That's your daughter for god's sakes.
"God you amateurs just amaze me sometimes. It's not just about the job; it's about a code, something you don't know shit about. Trust me she follows the same one, your little ex-girlfriend over there has as much blood on her hands as I do. Isn't that right baby girl?"
"Shut up," Tigress hissed, adjusting her mask and drawing her sword.
"I was hired to eliminate her, but I've made a deal for her life, It aint pretty, but she leaves here breathing. If I were you I'd cut bait and run, this aint none of your business."
"Oh I'm making it my business," Wally angrily replied walking sideways, slowly circling the masked assassin.
"Listen to him West," Artemis demanded. "You're only going to get in the way. Go. Now!"
Falcone spit disgusted. A contract had been written and signed. He'd hired one of the best and expected...demanded a return on his investment. "God damnit Crock! I paid you good money. End this!" he ordered.
Despite his bravado, Wally was scared. He'd meant every word he'd said, but deep down he realized he couldn't back it up. He was out of his weight class and knew it. These were two world class assassins, highly trained and deadly, all he was-was someone who could run fast. He wasn't trained, at least not anymore. Wally had heard the stories and knew the risks, but he couldn't leave her, not again.
Crock shrugged his shoulders. "Your funeral kid, except this time it will be your last one." The grip on Sportsmaster's mace loosened, dropping the spiked ball to its full extension on the chain. At the sound of metal on metal Wally made his move
He grabbed Artemis before she could move and safely placed her down thirty yards away before he rushed towards her father.
"So predictable," he chuckled reaching into his storage belt and removing two items. In one swift move he threw the three flash bangs he carried 15 feet in front of him while dropping the canister of liquid nitrogen onto the rain soaked ground. Instantly it mixed with the newly formed puddle and froze while creating an asphyxiating fog around the assassin as well. Wally never saw it coming.
The bright phosphorous bursts blinded him immediately while his feet suddenly lost their footing on the freshly formed ice. For a few brief second he felt the helpless sensation of sliding before Sportsmaster's fist connected with his jaw.
It had taken less than a minute for him to be laying semi-conscious on the ground with one of the most deadly mercenaries on the planet standing over him, preparing to finish the job. At that moment all Wally could see was his mother's heartbroken eyes staring at him from inside his mind, begging him to be careful. He swallowed hard as the villain's mace spun for seconds before launching directly at his skull.
Two feet from its target, the chain wrapped around Tigress sword, causing sparks to fly when she extracted it from her father's hands with a powerful swing of her blade. She finished the move with an angry kick to his groin followed by one to the throat, dropping him instantly.
Tigress grabbed the dazed speedster by his collar, jerking his head up from the ground.
"You need to get the hell out of here now West. I'm not asking, I'm telling."
"I'm not going any…"
Tigress grabbed him by his throat. "You are way out of your league, and you're going to get yourself killed. I've saved your ass once, that's all you get. Now go!" she screamed. Even if Wally had wanted to, it was taking all his effort just to remain conscious, let alone trying to stand. Artemis glanced back over her shoulder, watching as her father rose to her feet.
"Not bad baby girl, but if you hadn't wasted all your time on dumbass over there, you might have finished the job right then and there."
She dropped Wally's head to the ground before getting in a crouched fighting position, sword at the ready.
"Maybe I want to drag it out some Dad, take my time and enjoy the moment."
"Fine. You got a pass on Manta's sub back then, you aint getting another one." Lawrence coldly replied.
Another grenade flew from hands and landed directly five yards in front of her. Tigress abandoned the sword, diving for cover only to find out it was a dummy explosive. That revelation came at a price when Crock plowed into his daughter, driving her into one of the chestnut trees that edged the shoreline. His hands immediately sought out her damaged arm, digging his fingers into the wound his javelin had opened minutes before.
Artemis winced, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a scream, even when his fingers probed deeper into the torn tissue, searching for bone.
She broke his grip and flipped free, but he was on her again in seconds. However this time she was prepared.
Her first strike was the gap between his armor that he had always arrogantly left unprotected since her childhood, believing his reflexes would be able to deflect anything while allowing himself the mobility that leaving that space unguarded offered. Her fist expertly fit the gap and stuck the complex network of nerves of his solar plexus. Before he could recover a roundhouse kick knocked his protective battle mask off his face. Tigress stepped back giving herself more space to operate and prepare her next attack. That blow alone would have dropped most men for the count, but her father never fit into that category. He stared back at her and smiled, traces of blood emanating from this corner of his mouth.
Sportsmaster didn't even try to hide the knives he'd pulled from his ankle sleeves; he wasn't the only one with gaps in their armor. The blades he carried were deadly sharp, and Kevlar could only deflect so much.
Tigress remained on the move, trying to make herself as difficult a target as she possible while simultaneously searching the area for her discarded sword or crossbow. He was playing with her, she knew that. He could hit a moving target at just about any distance, but instead Crock made wild throws causing her to change direction at a seconds notice.
She was so busy watching him on the move while looking around for weapons, that she never saw the remnants of the liquid nitrogen that had managed to ice the ground ahead of her. As her feet lost their traction slipped forward, Artemis realized that had been his plan all along.
She landed awkwardly on her open wound, but this time was unable to muffle her agony. She lay on the ground trying to protect that arm when he father stomped her breast plate repeatedly, knocking the breath out of her time and time again. The last step did the trick and a light cracking sound escaped through the armor. Artemis knew a rib had been broken, she just didn't know how many.
He landed a powerful knee drop on her chest one final time, before ripping the Tiger mask off her face.
"You did good girl baby girl, just not good enough. It's over, time to take your medicine."
"Fuck you!" she screamed as he grabbed her hair and back, flipping her onto her stomach, smashing her face into the mud. She lay helpless on the ground, feeling vulnerable, violated. With all her strength she craned her neck to see his mace spinning in the air. Crock had her legs pinned and she couldn't move as she waited helplessly for the blow to come. Anger and pain streaked through her body, but she refused to beg. He wasn't going to kill her, Artemis knew that, but he was going to live up to his promise. Despite being a morally vacant human being, he rarely lied, especially to her.
Blue eyes met blue eyes, and she swore she saw something behind his, just for a few moments she thought she recognized a tinge of regret, but as quickly as it came it was gone.
"Close your eyes baby girl," he said barely above a whisper, almost a plea, but Artemis refused to give him the satisfaction.
Suddenly the mace was gone followed by her father. Sportsmaster found himself knocked yards away into the dirt, feeling as if he'd been placed in the path of an oncoming train. He immediately knew the cause.
Wally stood motionless, green eyes literally blazing with energy, angry, determined.
"No," Artemis whispered.
Sportsmaster was arrogant, but not stupid. The situation had changed. He couldn't play anymore, couldn't savor the moment. He had to end the speedster and take care of his daughter. Every moment he left her unguarded was an opportunity for her to recover and begin a new attack. He wasn't concerned about the red head, he was a nuisance. The real threat was lying on the ground to his left, trying to breathe through cracked ribs. Crock reached back for his weapons preparing to down the speedster a second time when he discovered all were missing. That's when he realized he'd made a mistake.
Everything was gone; knives, pistols, throwing stars, collapsible crossbow, even the tranquilizer darts he kept hidden in his boots, all taken from him. He'd never felt a thing.
Across from him Wally stood holding one of the oriental throwing knives, examining it closely, lifting the weapon towards the escaping moonlight, watching the beams dance off the blade.
The speedster s face grew grim as he stared back at Lawrence Crock.
"What you gonna do kid? Those things take skill, precision, practice. You aint got none of that. Put 'em down before you hurt yourself. You aint no killer, everyone knows that."
Wally sneered. "Things change."
The blade moved at blinding speed as it left the Wally's hands. Crock instantly knew from the trajectory was off by inches, possibly a foot. Suddenly that realization held no meaning. The knife was never aimed at him. It was aimed at the spot where the speedster arrived. Wally caught the blade in motion directly behind Sportsmaster before thrusting it into his thigh, shattering his femur.
Crock screamed in pain, dropping to his knees when Kid Flash appeared directly in front of him, slamming his torso into the ground.
Wally West was muscular, but still carried a runner's build. On his best day a direct shot from the red head would barely faze the assassin, but when those blows came at the hundreds, all Crock could do was lay there as he absorbed a pummeling like he had never felt before. Eyes, cheek bones, jaw, teeth; all were targets. Nothing remained untouched or undamaged.
Crock's eyes began to swell shut, a loud ringing blasting through his ears as the beating continued. Wally stopped the assault momentarily and grabbed fistful of blonde hair, pulling Sportsmaster's chin to his chest.
His green eyes glowed. "If you ever hurt her again, even look at her, I...will…end…you."
With one last assault, Wally hauled back and delivered his final strike at Lawrence Crock, knocking the last bits of awareness out of him.
With his adversary no longer conscious, Wally winced, shaking his hands as his knuckles and screamed in pain.
"What in the hell is his jaw made off?" he groaned, expecting to see Artemis still on the ground a few yards back, but was shocked as she stood over him, long sword in hand.
"Get of the way," Tigress demanded.
"What are you doing?" Wally asked unbelievingly.
"What does it look like genius? I'm gonna kill him," she replied exasperated, "and then I'm going to slash that cowardly fuck's throat over there," she smiled evilly at the crime boss.
"No!" Wally demanded. "You can't do this"
"Why? You threatened the same thing like a minute ago."
"I was trying to scare him Artemis!"
"You don't scare anyone unless you're willing to actually do it. That's always been the difference between me and you. Now get out of the way West."
"Artemis don't do this." he pleaded. "Don't be like him."
"I am like him!" she growled." I've always been, you were just too naive to see it."
"That not true and you know it!" Wally angrily replied.
"Oh what? Did amnesia boy finally remember something?"
"No," he said sternly, "but someone did."
"Who?" she smirked.
The speedster pulled the torn journal pages from his hip pocket. "Wally West did."
Artemis looked at the crumpled paper and burst into cold laughter. "Your fucking diary?" she laughed. "Your grand insight into me is that stupid thing Canary made us do years ago? That is so fucking pathetic West, it really is."
"Wally," he corrected. "My name is Wally."
"Whatever," she sniggered. "It's time for you to run away now Wally, that's always been what you were best at."
"Not this time Artemis."
"Tigress," she demanded.
"Artemis," he defied.
"I don't have time for this shit," she angrily spit, shoving past him sword in hand
She approached her unconscious father before Wally grasp stopped her. Artemis paused looking at the freckled hand gently but firmly holding her wrist, putting himself between she and her father.
"If you want to keep it, I'd let go."
Wally ignored the threat. "I know why you're doing this, what drove you to this," he swallowed hard, his eyes beginning to burn. "It's my fault and I'm so damn sorry Artemis, I really am."
Tigress rolled her eyes, turning suddenly to look at him, twisting his wrist dislodging his grip.
"You are so fucking arrogant, you always have been. Do you really think this is all about you? This is about them!" she screamed pointing up to the stars. "All of those self-righteous sons of bitches in that Watchtower and their bullshit agendas. All your fucking heroes," she placed in air quotes.
"Catch and release, catch and release, over and over again. Do you think it makes any difference? Do you think you made any difference? You saved the world Wally and within months it's the same fucked up cesspools it was before. I didn't leave the League to mourn my poor dead boyfriend; I left it to make a god damn difference, a real one."
"You wasted your life West, wasted all that time running around pulling cats from trees and helping old ladies while your mentors did jack shit, fighting villains," she laughed sarcastically, "sending them to prison, watching the courts overturn conviction after conviction because guess what?...Heroes are one step away from the guys they fight. They're not the law, they've have been. All they do is clog up the system. These fucking bad guys get out and do it all over again. Well not anymore. I'm making a difference West, not you. All your death did was clear my calendar."
"Artemis do you even hear yourself? For everyone one of those guys you kill another one just takes his place,"
"Then I'll kill them too!"
"For how long?" Wally asked
"As long as it takes."
"Or into they kill you." Wally said desperately.
"Yes," she coldly answered matter of fact, unafraid.
"Artemis please listen, just for one minute ok? You think I wasted my life? Fine. But isn't one of the jobs of a hero is to stand guard so these bad guys don't take the chance of crawling out of their holes and doing something. It's a never ending battle, everyone knows that, but Artemis you're becoming one of them. You walked away from this life remember? You didn't want to be like him," he pointed to your father. "Just because you're hunting the bad guys now doesn't make it any more righteous, any more just. This…isn't ...you."
"You don't know shit about me West. What do you think I've done since you've been gone huh? Do you think I just crawled up in a ball and prayed every day to your shrine?" she laughed.
"I fucked, I killed, and I had fun doing it. Is that what you want to hear? I moved on, we all did. Did you think poor little Artemis Crock couldn't survive without her big brave boyfriend. People die West, that's just the way it goes, some when it's their time and some when I decide."
When they first met, Artemis told Wally she wore the mask to protect her identity and keep the ones she loved safe. It made sense to him at the time, but the story Mary West told her son at their kitchen table weaved another tale. The mask allowed her to become another person, gave her the power to make choices and decisions that the Artemis they knew would never do.
Tigress had served her well on Black Manta's sub. The mask had made her convincing, intimidating, invincible; however it opened a door to an aspect of her life she had spent years trying to forget. The Tigress identity she adopted allowed her to explore the darker sides of her subconscious, the one that was molded at young age by a psychopath. Lawrence Crock wanted his daughters to join their family in the deadliest of trades, wanted his children to become the most ruthless killers the Shadows had ever seen. He took pride in their training and torture, seeing only the long term goal of making them the best they could be.
She'd been asked, practically begged, to become that person to serve Kaldur and Nightwing's plan. At first she relished the choice, allowing her to fill the void of a life she hadn't realized she'd missed so much, but towards the end she counted down the days until she could finally become Artemis Crock again, and return to a life and a man that had become her whole world.
Now the mask had become a choice. No one had asked her, no one had tried to coerce her. It was the only path she saw open to her.
Artemis was Wally's partner. I need some distance. I need a change
When she wore the mask she changed, the warm caring person he had held in his arms when they slept weeks ago, the smiling beautiful face he could get lost in, that person wasn't present behind the orange and black mask. It had become a prison, one that Artemis didn't want to leave.
Wally had to make a difficult decision; do the smart thing or do the right thing. She was dangerous and made it more than abundantly clear she wanted him gone, but the blue eyes behind the mask, the ones that smiled at him when they held hands in the park, when they kissed, he thought they called out to his soul, asking-pleading to be free. He was no match for her, with her skills she could take him down at any time or possibly worse, but sometimes love makes you do stupid things.
"Not anymore," he frowned wiping his eyes.
"What did you say?" she laughed, not believing her ears.
"Not anymore Artemis."
In the blink of an eye she found herself fifty feet from her fallen father. The handle of her sword she gripped so tightly suddenly gone, her fingers now digging into the inside of her palms. She searched her armor for her back up weapons, but all she felt was the dampness of alien hands that had violated her battle suit, taking items that didn't belong to him. Immediately she lost sight of the speedster. Tigress heard the rustling of leaves coming from all directions as his speed contrails sliced through the midnight air.
She closed her eyes and her body went limp, tempting the speedster to engage. The sound of footfalls echoed around the wooded shoreline. One landed particularly hard close by and she threw her best Eskrima attack at the spot she expected him to arrive, but only swung into empty space. Tigress screamed with rage when an invisible leg swept her from her behind causing her to lose her footing. At that exact moment she felt Wally's hand resting on the middle of her chest, slamming her down with incredible velocity until she landed on her back onto the wet ground, knocking the breath out of her while aggravating her already painful broken rib.
Tigress cried out in agony when Wally landed on her stomach straddling her, pinning her arms over her head. This time he was more careful, trying to avoid the sensitive region of her rib cage. Artemis's breathing was shallow when her tear stained eyes rolled up to her forehead and closed.
"Artemis!... Artemis!" Wally screamed in panic, jumping from her waist to her side. He lifted her limp body gently and placed his ear near her mouth praying for the sound of her breath. He grabbed her left wrist and searched for a pulse, finding it weak but steady. Wally blew out his breath in relief when she finally began to mumble.
"God it hurts so much Wally," she wheezed, convincing the speedster her lung had collapsed.
"I'm so sorry Artemis," he said in tears, "I'll get you to a hospital, it's gonna be ok, I promise," he stated anxiously.
She mumbled something unintelligible, and Wally leaned in closer to her mouth trying to understand his fallen girlfriend. "What did you say?" he pleaded.
"You're the one who's going to need the hospital," she smiled as her blade met Wally's abdomen and sliced upwards.
Wally fall back on his knees as Tigress leapt to her feet, smiling in satisfaction.
The speedster struggled to stand when he looked down in horror at the crimson streaks forming on his chest, seconds later his nerves registered the damage and screamed in pain. The wound was mostly superficial, but is drove him to agony just the same. Both of his arms reflexively curled into his chest to protect his wound when Artemis's dagger swiftly rested under his chin, raising it to be even with her cold steel blue eyes.
"Next time you better check everywhere. I warned you, but you just wouldn't listen."
The burning of his skin dominated his focus and that seemed to piss the assassin off even more. With her other gloved hand she brutally grabbed his cheeks and squeezed them for his undivided attention
Wally swallowed hard but still spoke defiant. "Are you going to kill me?"
"I haven't decided," she smiled, making fun of his vulnerability. She twisted the knife ever so slowly, taunting him, teasing him. Wally looked into her mask and saw a stranger with the eyes of someone her cared about so deeply.
She was about to say something when without warning her mask came flying off her face and the blade at her ex-lovers throat had been moved along with her fist to the side of Wally's neck.
He held her hand tight, pushing the blade closer into his own tender flesh.
"Why not cut the carotid artery instead. You friend Deathstroke said it's a much more painful way to die."
Wally stared deeply into her eyes, searching for the girl he hoped still existed. Her hand began to tremble ever so slightly.
"It's harder to do without the mask isn't it?" he whispered.
The assassin's bloodlust began to fade and Artemis carefully withdrew the blade from his neck. She stepped away from the speedster and began walking towards her father. This time Wally never stopped her.
She reached down to the fallen Sportsmaster and zip tied him securely. Artemis wanted him awake when he died, so he would go to his grave knowing exactly who'd sent him there.
She rose and made her way towards the tree line and the main house, the most likely destination Falcone had fled to during the confusion. She stopped for a moment and turned back one final time. Wally stared sadly from across the way, shaking his head, biting his lip in pain.
"Looks like you've chosen the mask over me again haven't you?" He turned back to the shore and before he took off towards the mainland she could hear him say. "Good Luck Tigress, I hope it was worth it."
Xxx
Falcone ran through the woods with all the speed his 62 year old body could muster. He had no light, no familiarity with the terrain and it showed. He hit every limb, stumbled over tree root, but he was determined to make it to the boat dock before those fools on the shore had finished killing each other. He made a mental note to no longer hire local talent and also to contact his accountants to reverse the money transfer to Lawrence Crock before he awoke, provided he ever did. Sportsmaster's daughter ended up being much more dangerous than he ever considered, he wouldn't make that mistake again.
Finally he cleared the woods with the main house and boat dock in sight. The MasterCraft X35 was always fueled and ready, with just two dropped dock ropes from the bay and freedom. The crime boss was a smart enough businessman to keep account numbers and shipping logs hidden in multiple locations in the case he had to move fast, like this one. His foot barely stepped on the creaky wooden dock when the arrow pierced through his calf, severing his Achilles tendon. Falcone dropped immediately grabbing his leg as the crimson liquid oozed out all over his hands.
He felt the vibration of the steel toed combat boots making contact with the wooden planks. A cold hand grabbed his jaw and yanked it back towards her as she looked down at him with dead blue eyes.
"Now where were we?" Tigress grinned.