The Beginning Of The End

Chapter 9

The tall dark shadows stretch from one tree too another as the wind rushes past my ears like a gale. I should do this more often, going out of the base. SNAP!!! I skid to a halt but slide into the tree across from where I stop. Oww. I push myself off the tree and rub my head. I can feel a lump on my forehead. Perfect. I always wanted a swollen bruise! Not. A long, cold hand touches my shoulder and I jump.

"Artemis come down from there!"

"Steve? What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing up there?"

I look around. Wow. A tree. How did I get up here?

"I dunno."

Robin appears next to Steve.

"You.................really.........................need....................................to..............................slow...........................down."

I just look at Steve. Steve looks at me.

"Um Robin, you always were right behind me in a race."

"That............was...............before ..............you....................got.................your................power...."

"What? I ran the same as always."

"No............you.................didn't. We....................left................right.............behind................you................It..........took..................one...............hour....................to catch......"

"That was because I know shortcuts."

Come to think of it, Steve does look a little puffed.

"I don't really care what you think right now but I need to go so......yeah," I say.

"Artemis, we are coming with you. Robin seemed to know where you were going the second after you left the room."

"Fine but don't slow me down," I say as I jump down from the tree. This better work. I start to run off into the glowing darkness towards the mess of a town. Steve shouts for me to stop and I do. Where is he?

"Uh Steve? Robin?"

"Coming!"

I wait for a minute for them to catch up.

"NO RUNNING!!!!!"

"OK!" I shout back.

"Where do we go from here?"

"This way. We should be there in a few hours."