Chapter Seven: "Hero"

Minnesota

December 1, 20:34 CDT

"Pleeeeeeaaaaasssssseeeeeeeee?" Suzanne asked, clasping her hands together.

Wally glanced at Artemis. "You are letting her join the Titans."

"That's different." Artemis said. "She's around people who can protect her if something happens."

Suzanne looked genuinely offended.

"You'll be there." Wally pointed out. "I trust you to watch her. When was the last time you were defeated?"

Artemis sighed and put her face in her hands. "Fine." she said after a moment.

"Yes!" Suzanne exclaimed.

"But you have to do exactly what I tell you." Artemis called after her.

Suzanne was already gone.

Artemis sighed. "Kids."

"Hey, remember when we were young and stupid?" Wally asked with a grin, putting his hand on the female's shoulder.

"I was never stupid, that was you." Artemis replied with a grin.

"Hey!" Wally protested. Artemis laughed and got up, kissing the ginger on the cheek before heading to her bedroom to change. She slipped on the form-fitting purple Kevlar body suit. Her black boots, gloves, and cape followed and finally, her horned mask. Very similar to the one she wore as Tigress so long ago.

By the time Artemis emerged from her bedroom, Suzanne was standing in full costume, her scarlet hood laying behind her and her cloak swirling in a non-existant wind.

"Got your bow?" Artemis asked. Suzanne nodded. "Got your arrows? Crossbow?" Suzanne affirmed each one.

"Do you have yours?" she asked. Artemis stopped and turned around. "What?"

"Do you have your crossbow?"

Artemis felt at her side and looked up. "You little devil!" she exclaimed. Suzanne laughed and tossed Artemis her weapon. "It wasn't that hard." She said.

"I resent that." Artemis said.

Suzanne laughed again and held open the door to the basement. "After you."

"Hey!" Wally exclaimed, walking into the room. "How come I don't get treated like that?"

Suzanne smiled and shrugged as Artemis smirked and walked into the basement. "Fine!" Wally called. "Ill just eat all the cake! Wont save any for you two!"

"You do…" Artemis called up. "And I wont make another!"

Suzanne and Wally immediately gave cries of exasperation. Artemis grinned and activated the zeta-tube.

"Recognized, Huntress: 24. Arrowette: B-55."

The two heroes appeared in Huntress's headquarters just outside the metropolis of Minnessota.

Suzanne slipped her hood over her blonde hair and, making sure her bow was secure on her hip, sped off towards the city, Huntress close on her tail.

The two sped down the busy highway, weaving in and out of traffic. Artemis's hair had turned to black. Suzanne didn't know why until Artemis explained she had kept the glamor charm from Zatanna Zatarra on her undercover mission to hide her identity. And it worked, as well as fitting in with the costume.

The two screeched into an alleyway and grappled onto the roof. Huntress squatted on the corner and looked down on the city.

"So what do we do now?" Arrowette asked, putting the grapple arrow back in her quiver.

"We patrol rooftops and take out whoever wants to break the law or treats anyone else like trash." Huntress said. "It can be boring sometimes, but—"

At that moment, a scream resonated from an alleyway three buildings down.

"—adventure always appears."

Arrowette grinned and jumped over the alleyway, rolling on the next rooftop before continuing on to the alley. Huntress grinned and shook her head in disbelief before following.

Arrowette had downed one of the three guys when Huntress arrived. She leapt down and landed on one dude, punching the other in the face. He fell to the ground unconscious.

"Hey!" Arrowette exclaimed. "I had it!"

"Yes," Huntress said, smirking and picking up a purse and handing it to a woman. "But you were taking too long."

The woman thanked Huntress and disappeared into the busy street.

The next ten days were a blur to Suzanne. She trained by day and fought crime with Artemis by night. The city was soon humming with the rumor of a new hero in their midst: Arrowette, the teenaged arrow shooting hero.

Suzanne was happy, but sore and tired. All showed in her training with Artemis.

"Kick harder!" Artemis called.

"Easy for you to say!" Suzanne yelled back, but kicked the dummy hard enough it flew backwards several feet. She was heaving already, the icy cold air burning her lungs. She swallowed several times, trying to wet her mouth, but it was too sore and dry for her to talk much. Her lips were cracked and sore. Yet she suffered through it and kept taking out dummies.

Arrowette shot two stun arrows. They hit the burglars in the chest and they fell flat on their backs. She punched another and he fell as well.

"Not bad." Huntress grinned, landing next to her.

Suzanne beamed.

Point blank arrow to the chest.

Check.

Jam the gun with plastic.

Check.

Relieve the man of his weapons and unbroken nose.

Double check.

Arrowette grinned, handing the purse back to the woman it has been stolen from. She thanked the teenaged hero and ran off.

Suzanne yawned and stretched, wincing at the bruise on her leg. Then at the ones on her arms, ribs, back, and several other places on her body. She rolled out of bed and winced as she slipped on a pair of jeans. She was still slipping on her shirt when Artemis knocked on her door.

"Get up, sleepy!" she called. "It's ten in the morning!"

Suzanne groaned a response and opened the door, dragging herself downstairs.

"Well I'm glad to see you're happy and awake." Artemis said.

"Yeah." Suzanne replied, shoving pancakes on her plate.

"You know, you've been doing so good recently, I was gonna let you have the day off. Just sit around watching television, playing games..."

"Thanks," Suzanne said.

"...Or go visit the Titans. All depends." Artemis said.

Suzanne hesitated, her fork several inches from her plate. "How about a nice nap and then Titans?" Suzanne asked.

Artemis grinned. "Perfectly fine. The mayor wants me downtown for sme public event. Just to watch over it, so I'll be gone around three."

"I'll probably be at the Cave by then." Suzanne said, taking a large bite out of her pancakes. She reached for her cup and took a long sip.

Artemis grinned.

"Eew! Since when did you even keep coffee?" Suzanne exclaimed, sitting up straight.

Artemis laughed. "Well at least you're awake."

Suzanne frowned. "I'm eating these and going to the Cave now." Suzanne said.

Artemis laughed again.

"Recignized: Arrowette, B-55."

Robin and Tigress looked up. Suzanne walked into the Cave.

"Cissie!" Helena exclaimed, leaping at the girl.

"Hey, Helena!" Cissie replied, hugging the girl back.

"What are you doing here? I thought-"

"Artemis gave me the day off."

"Nice to see you back, Arrowette."

Suzanne raised an eyebrow and checked her sweater and jeans. "Did I accidentally put on my hero outfit?" she asked.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's way too serious for an older brother." Helena said.

The two girls walked off, laughing. Robin sighed. "Girls."

"Hey, Tim!" Bart exclaimed, skidding to a stop in front of Robin. "How's it going little buddy?" he asked, ruffling the Boy Wonder's hair.

"Will you stop?" Robin exclaimed. "And how many times have I told yo not to call me Tim? Besides, I can't risk Suzanne learning any more secrets from the Bat-"

"Cissie's here?" Bart asked.

"Do not." Robin said. "Embarrass me lover boy."

"I resent that!" Bart exclaimed, and sped off again.

"So who else is here?" Suzanne asked.

Me, You, Robin, Bart, Jaimie, Dinah-"

"Whose Dinah?" Suzanne asked.

Helena was dressed in a bright orange shirt and black jeans. It was a surprise no one had figured out who she was yet.

"She's Black Canary's daughter. Telepathic and Telekinetic. Canary Cry of course. She also can shuffle through your memories upon touch." Helena said.

"Ah." Suzanne said. "Interesting. So did Daddy Wayne know you run around at night dressed in tights and fighting crime? Wait... He wasn't Bats, was he?"

Before Helena could reply, Bart sped into the room. "Cissie!"

"Bart?" Suzanne asked as the speedster ran around the room.

"Come here you." Helena said, grabbing the boy, putting him in a headlock, and injecting a fluid into him. Bart collapsed on the couch.

"Alright." Helena said, leaning down. "Spill. Who gave you sugar?"

"The Garricks didn't lock their coffee up." Bart replied, grinning sheepishly. "I wanted to try some."

"Are they still alive?" Suzanne asked, concerned.

"Ah yeah." Bart grinned. "The coffee kicked in about Colorado."

"I'll send them a nice lock for Christmas." Robin said, walking in the room, Dinah and Jaimie following him.

"So what do you wanna play?" Helena asked.

"Not video games." All the boys exclaimed as one.

Suzanne and Helena laughed, Dinah not quite catching the joke.

"What about Truth or Dare?" Suzanne asked.

"Truth or Dare?" Robin asked, taking a bite out of a cookie. "I dunno, Arrowette."

"Cissie." Suzanne said. "First names only… well, except for you, mystery boy. And yeah, it's a fun game."

"Truth or Dare?" Bart asked. "Great! Where are the goggles?"

"The what?" Dinah asked.

"Alright, Bart first since he obviously knows the game so well." Robin said.

"What's the fun in challenging Bart?" Suzanne whispered. "He'll only do what I say without thinking. As usual."

"Gimme a chance." Robin whispered back with a devilish grin. "Bart! I dare you to be quite for a full five minutes."

"Five in a row?" Bart exclaimed.

"What was that? Half a second?" Cissie exclaimed, laughing.

"Okay, fine. I can do this." Bart said, sitting down. Jaimie waited a few seconds before walking over.

"Hey," he said. "Nice hair."

"Thanks! I don't know what I was thinking when I—"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"—shaved it." Bart finished. "Alright, fine. Cheap shot."

Jaimie grinned.

"Who started it?" Bart asked.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me!" Suzanne waved her hand in the air enthusiastically.

"Alright, fine." Bart said. "Truth: What would you do if you were on a mission and you had to ask advice from your mother on which arrow to shoot to save the mission?"

"Which?" Suzanne asked.

"Birth." Robin replied without hesitating.

"Hmm…" Suzanne hummed, thinking. "Truthfully? I would probably ask her opinion, and do the opposite."

Silence.

"Robin," Helena said. "Dare you to take the white out of your goggles."

"No." Robin replied.