The Son of Speed (Completed)

Chapter 9:

Suddenly, a voice asked, "Why are you reading Black Velocity's file?" Whipping around and seeing Dick in his mask standing behind her, Artemis put her hands behind her nervously, and said, "Why not? There's nothing wrong with it. It's good to be informed of the Team's super powered villains." Dick replied, moving closer, "Yeah, but Black Velocity's not your villain, Artemis. He's Kid Flash's villain, and he has killed normal people like you and I. Listen, I may not be your boyfriend, but I am a deeply worried friend. What exactly are you getting yourself into? Why are you obsessed with learning about a villain that's not yours? As your teammate, I'm trying to keep you safe, because if I don't, your father may kill me with his and your past. You know being a villain, is a streak that never breaks." Artemis answered, "Dick...I just feel so helpless, you know? Like I know that Black Velocity is good, even though he's killed. I also know that whatever is wrong, has to be brought into point with his mother's death, that he doesn't even remember happening. He told me he escaped to find her, but she's dead. I so desperately want to help him. To make him see that he doesn't have to be what his blood says he is. I mean, look at me! I'm the daughter of two assassins and yet, I got a second chance to be someone I knew was better than where I was destined to be. I know where he's been, and I want to help him, but I can't, if he now hates me for doing what I was asked by Waller. I broke the trust I formed with him, and now I can't face him, without him acting and thinking like I'm some stupid, dumb blonde, who only used him to get higher up at Belle Reve. If I gave him the chance...if I went back...he'd kill me, because of the mistake I made." Dick sighed, then said, "Artemis, look at me. You are not helpless, and what you did was no mistake. His past is something he could control. He may want to change, but you did the right thing, bringing him in. You think I thought Joker would change after he whipped me with that crowbar several times as Robin, and promised every time Batman came to get him, that he'd change? No, because villains don't change. That's why I fight to keep him away. By turning in Black Velocity, you made everywhere that much more safer. All you can do, is be the hero you were made to be, while he is the villain he was made to be. You guys are very different. He chose wrong, but you chose right." Artemis stated, "That's not all, Dick. I...I think I may be in love with him. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but there's a some kind of a spark between us. Before I betrayed him, we met outside of a Zeta-tube, and he picked me up, then swooped me off to an overlooking hilltop, complete with a wicker basket and a blanket. He told me he wanted to thank me, and he told me his real name. Strangely, I can't get the thought out of my head, seeing and hearing him screaming at me, when I turned him in. The only reason he still is who he is, is because of his father. He and I...we almost kissed, and when we almost did, I felt a current of some kind of power coming from him to me, like we were meant to be." The tall Bird replied, "Artemis, I don't know what to say, but you need to decide, if you want to go down this path or not. What you choose, defines who you'll be known as for the rest of your life. Do you want to be known as Artemis, the archer, or Artemis, the hero who fell for a villain? I can't make your decision for you, but you can." Turning on his heel, Dick exited the room, leaving Artemis struggling with what to decide. Finally, the blonde gave a sigh, and said aloud, "Well, at least I can try to go back tomorrow, and apologize. Hopefully he'll listen. Hopefully if I tell him I quit, he'll be fine with me. It was my error, and it's my problem to fix. I need to tell Black Velocity the truth about his mom, and maybe, my feelings for him as well." Closing out of the villain's file, Artemis signed out of duty on the Computer, and exited the Cave, by the Zeta-tube. As it whisked her back to her normal location, the blonde decided she was going to walk the rest of the way, to try to take her mind off so much of the worry plaguing her brain. Slowly walking home, however, it didn't do her any good, nor did it help to clear her mind, but instead brought more questions. What if Black Velocity didn't forgive her? What if she had ruined everything far worse than she thought she had originally? Suddenly, her phone began to ring, and with a quick grab, she whipped out her phone, and saw the number as that of Belle Reve. Picking up the call, Artemis heard, "Is Miss Artemis Crock there?" The blonde answered, "Yes, this is Artemis speaking." From the other end, there was a sigh of relief, and a voice that said, "Miss Crock, Amanda Waller is requesting your presence at Belle Reve. There's been an emergency." Artemis answered, "I'm sorry, but I do not work there anymore. I..." "Miss Crock, you need to come now. Waller is requesting you.", the voice responded urgently, filled with panic. Artemis stated, "Well tell Waller she has horrible morals and..." "The emergency...it's with your past charge, Black Velocity.", the voice desperately replied. Upon hearing the villain's name, Artemis shut off her phone, and turned to run towards Belle Reve, wondering what was wrong. When she arrived, the place was ransacked and looked like a twister had blown through. Several guards were lying on the ground, clutching their chests, and moaning painfully, while others lay dead on the ground. The strange thing was, all of the other known villains, such as the Icicle father and son duo, were still in their cells, confused as heck about what had happened. Artemis went over to a conscious guard, lying on the ground, and asked, kneeling over the man, "What happened here? Where's Waller? Why is this place a mess?" The guard answered, groaning, "It happened so fast... I tried to bring him down, shock him, but nothing worked... He- he was so powerful... He's got Waller. Said if she didn't do as he said, he'd kill us all..." Standing up, Artemis realized it was all up to her. She would have to be the one to track down Black Velocity, and use the trust she hoped still remained, to save the life of Amanda Waller. If she didn't, it could be the end for Belle Reve altogether. It wasn't a choice this time. Artemis knew she was the only one who was in the best condition to do so, and she was the only one who knew Black Velocity well enough to get him to listen. She was going to use her wits, and her trust, to get the villain teen to release and stop his killing spree, before he regretted it forever. Artemis just hoped that she could do it, before time ran out. Leaving the slightly still conscious guard in a safe corner, the blonde stood again, and began to look for Black Velocity.