Reverse Rebirth Series Book 2 : So I'm A West {COMPLETED}

Chapter 17: Patrolling In Star -

Going to her closet, Artemis began to rummage through her clothes, finding her archer costume. Hearing a low grumble from the bed behind her, she turned her head, and saw Wally stretch, and sit up, rubbing his emerald eyes. She smirked, and said, "Hey Sleeping Beauty, you good now?" Wally replied, yawning, "Yeah, I'm good. I just feel like my legs need a good, long run, that's all." Artemis answered, standing up, and moving over to her husband, "Well I was about to take Speedy for a patrol session in Star. You're more than okay to join us and bring Bart along, if he's up for a bit of action. Besides, I think my protégée may have a thing for yours, just like I do for you." Wally grinned, and said, "Seems like old times, huh? You know, an archer being soft for a speedster? I bet Bart feels the same way though. I'll go ask him, if he wants to go." Artemis replied, "If you guys are able to come, meet us by the north wing Zeta-tube in half an hour. I still have to finish getting ready." "Babe, you don't have to finish anything. You look stunning just as you are, with your blonde hair down like that.", Wally said flirtily. Artemis slipped out of her clothes, then into the green suit, telling her husband, jokingly, "Now you know flirting with me isn't gonna work like you think it will." She pulled the arm sleeves onto her shoulders, then picked up her bow and quiver of trick arrows, stepped to the door, and said, "Come on, Flash..." Immediately, Artemis watched a whirlwind of blueish white electricity fill the room, as Wally dressed in a blink. He stopped, standing in the popular scarlet costume, with his ginger hair flopping over to his left, and the electricity came to be centered just around his form, buzzing around his whole body. His smile was undaunted as he replied, "Ready to run. Bart should be read- oh. I forgot he hurt his ankle when doing that phasing through the wall, and when he tried Barry's 360 degree spin. I probably should patrol Central and Keystone, actually. Don't want Captain Cold to rob someone and turn them into an icicle." Artemis replied, "No worries...it'll give Speedy and I more time to talk about her feelings. I know she isn't very open, but if Green Arrow says I would do good with her, I want to give it a try. She seems really distant. Tell me the truth, was I ever that way?" Wally replied, shrugging his shoulders, "Well...uh yeah, Artie. Maybe a little in the beginning, but once you got adjusted and stood up to Arsenal's clone, who was under the impression that you were the mole, things went well after that. Just Artemis, be careful, okay?" Artemis moved away from the door, and came up to Wally, giving him a kiss on the cheek, and said, "I'll be careful, Baywatch. I promise. Just do your patrol and I'll do mine, then later we can talk with Nightwing and the others." "I love you so much, Artie. Please don't forget that. You rock my world.", Wally replied. Artemis gave a soft glance, then slipped out the door, and headed for the north Zeta-tube. When she arrived, Speedy was already there with her red hood on, and her dark brown eyes pierced with a look that clearly told others to stay far away from her. In Speedy's glove covered hand, was her bow, and a quiver of trick arrows was straddled to both sides of her body, across her shoulders. Artemis came up to the girl, and asked, "Ready to go?" Speedy nodded eagerly, yet with an evil smirk, and replied, "Of course. Anytime I'm able to have fun kicking some idiot's butt, I'm always ready to go." Artemis entered her passcode, and the destination, then stepped through with Speedy, as the Zeta-tube declared, "Recognized: Artemis, B07. Override: Speedy, C05." The two archers arrived on the other side, in Star City, and almost immediately, they found trouble. From her com, Artemis overheard of a bank robbery in progress at the Star City National Bank, and with Speedy, they headed to check out the disaster. Upon arriving, Artemis positioned herself and Speedy atop the bank's roof, out of sight. The dark haired archer asked, "Why are we up here? Shouldn't we be down there? That's where the action is." Artemis turned to Speedy, held her finger to her lips, and whispered in a lower tone, "Stay quiet, Speedy, or we'll ruin any chance we have. They won't expect us from up here. That's rule one, when I'm your mentor." The blonde peeked out from over the roof, pulled out an arrow, shot towards the motorcycles obviously awaiting the criminals, and waited solemnly. Suddenly, the two robbers dashed out of the bank with bags of cash in hand, went over to their motorcycles, and rode off down the road. Artemis pulled out a small device out of her belt, from around her waist, as Speedy exclaimed, "You're letting them get away! What are you doing, stupid? Checking your Instagram for the latest update from your husband?" Artemis firmly replied, "First, I'm your mentor. Never call me stupid again or I'll have to discuss extra training with Nightwing, and I assure you, you DO NOT want to go there. Second, the arrow I shot at the motorcycles was a tracer arrow, meant to leave a tracker on one of the cycles, if not both. We'll catch up to them, and stop them a few blocks away, using the back way." Speedy's mouth went open, as Artemis directed the younger archer to an old garage, about three buildings down from the bank, pushed a hidden button, revealing two beautiful black motorcycles behind the door. Artemis leapt onto the larger motorcycle, put a small key into the ignition, and the motorcycle sprang to life with a low roar. She pulled on a helmet, that had been on the floor, beside the cycle, and pointed to the other motorcycle, saying, "What are you waiting for? Get on." Speedy did as she was told, and soon, both archers were out on the streets of Star, going the back way, to catch up to the farther criminals. About two minutes after they got on, Artemis and Speedy found themselves ahead of the criminals. Both stopped their motorcycles in the middle of the road, length way, blocking the only escape route. The criminals came riding down the street, unaware of the blockage, until it was too late, and they saw arrows pointed at their bodies. They stopped, as Artemis neared them, her face hot with defense and anger, as she remarked, rather rudely, "Thought you could snag away with that cash, huh, cause Green Arrow's not around? Think again. I dare you to." The robbers' eyes went wide, as the archers came closer, but instead of what they expected, they found themselves pummeled to the ground, not even clear of how it happened. With Artemis sitting atop the first criminal, she pressed her com, and asked, "GA? Yeah, where would the nearest prison be located in Star City? Good. Thanks." Removing her finger from the com, Artemis said, getting face to face with the criminal, "You've got a nice cell awaiting you and your pal, dude. Sorry, not sorry." Speedy looked up, from where she was sitting atop the second robber, her hands pushed on the person's chest. She snarled to him, "You're just lucky I didn't have my real arrows, idiot, or you'd be screwed to a lamppost about now, bleeding and crying to me for mercy." With the cop car sirens coming closer, Artemis grabbed Speedy's arm, and pulled her out of the scene. The cars pulled up, their lights flashing red and blue, and the blonde watched as the cops grabbed the robbers, tossed them into their cars, along with throwing the cash in the back of the vehicles, then drove off. Artemis stepped out, after the cops had left, and said to Speedy, "Nice work, though it could have been done, without the 'screw to a lamppost' thing." Speedy declared, "What? The guy deserved it! He robbed a bank, for pete's sake!" Artemis replied, "I know he deserved it, but our job isn't to kill, it's to stop killers and criminals. If we kill, we are resorting to becoming them, and we don't want that. Speedy, I know you have a bad blood background, but you shouldn't give into the motive of doing what justice you think is deserved. As many times as it hurt me to not do anything, but give to the cops, this job is about being a hero. Trust your gut, but never kill. It's not the answer." Speedy frowned, then replied, "Yeah...alright...fine." Artemis smiled, then ushered the young archer onto their next task, more patrol. When patrol was complete, and good work was done and praised, the blonde came up to the Zeta-tube, and said, "Speedy, I think it would be less demeaning and demanding, if I called you by your real name. I want to not be above you. You're my protégée, and you should be treated as such, by being able to trust me. I promise no one will hear anything from this patrol. My mouth is shut, once we enter the Watchtower." Speedy's eyes grew narrow, the darkness in them a sharp color of spite, until finally, she sighed, and said quietly, "Fine. My name's Thea, okay? Can we go now? Remember you promised to never tell anyone, no matter what." Artemis grew silent, then replied, putting a reassuring hand on her protégée, "I promise no one will know your name."