Wally's POV
I took Artemis' hand and held it closer to mine. "Finally, a giorno off from the team." I detto smiling at her. "I know! That last mission was crazy!" I smiled at her. "So what do te want to do today?" Artemis stared at the ground for a moment. "I have to see my mom. I promised I would help her today." she finally answered. "Do te want me to come?" I asked. She looked at me. "If te want to." I nodded. "Do te really think I'd leave my girlfri-um I mean..." Artemis laughed. "So te think of me as your girlfriend?" I blushed. "Only if te think of me as your boyfriend." She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Then it's settled." I grinned and hugged her. "Well girlfriend, shall we hit your mom's house?" Artemis grinned. "Let's do it, boyfriend."
(At the Crock's Apartment)
"Room 07." I read outloud. "Same as your zeta tube ID." Artemis smiled. "Yup." She inserted a silver key into the lock and twisted. "Mom, I'm-" she stopped. I touched her shoulder. "Artemis?" She ran into the apartment and screamed. I sped after her. "What-" I stopped. Artemis' mom was on the floor. She sank to her knees. "N-no." she whimpered, reaching to trace her mom's face. I sat kneeled successivo to Artemis. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, pulling her close. "I didn't think he would really do it." she whispered. "Who?" I prodded gently. "My dad." I stood up. "Your dad did this?" I exclaimed. Artemis stood up. "Wally, it's complicated. You'd hate me for sure if I told te the truth." I pulled Artemis outside of the apartment and picked her up. "What are te doing?" she asked, slightly alarmed. "Trust me." I whispered, speeding off. Artemis clung tightly to me, and I found myself smiling at that. I skidded to a halt. "Where are we?" she asked as I set her down. "Welcome to Lacuna Beach." I said, extending my arms. "Why are we here?" I hugged Artemis. "You trusted me when I picked te up. te can trust me again that I will not hate te if te tell me the truth. I'd rather find out from te than from someone else." Artemis stared at me and then looked away. "Okay," she sighed. "My father is Sportsmaster and he promised he'd kill my mom if I didn't deliever information to him about the Team." I stared at her, my brain processing what I had just learned. "So he blackmailed you...permenately." I said. Artemis nodded. "He told me I wasn't worth his time anymore, that my sister was più obedient than me. Oh, and while we're at this truth telling, Cheshire is my sister." I nodded slowly. "It's okay Artemis. What matters is that te didn't deliever any information." She shook her head. "But now he will come after you." I rolled my eyes. "Sportsmaster couldn't catch me, Artie. Don't worry. Why are te so worried?" Artemis shrugged. "Maybe because I'm scared he'll take te away from me somehow. Like he did my mom." I hugged her tightly. "Let's call the League. They'll help you." She smiled. "Thanks Wally. And now that it's official, you're a great boyfriend." I smiled and kissed her forehead. "Thanks Artie. The same goes to te as well."
I took Artemis' hand and held it closer to mine. "Finally, a giorno off from the team." I detto smiling at her. "I know! That last mission was crazy!" I smiled at her. "So what do te want to do today?" Artemis stared at the ground for a moment. "I have to see my mom. I promised I would help her today." she finally answered. "Do te want me to come?" I asked. She looked at me. "If te want to." I nodded. "Do te really think I'd leave my girlfri-um I mean..." Artemis laughed. "So te think of me as your girlfriend?" I blushed. "Only if te think of me as your boyfriend." She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Then it's settled." I grinned and hugged her. "Well girlfriend, shall we hit your mom's house?" Artemis grinned. "Let's do it, boyfriend."
(At the Crock's Apartment)
"Room 07." I read outloud. "Same as your zeta tube ID." Artemis smiled. "Yup." She inserted a silver key into the lock and twisted. "Mom, I'm-" she stopped. I touched her shoulder. "Artemis?" She ran into the apartment and screamed. I sped after her. "What-" I stopped. Artemis' mom was on the floor. She sank to her knees. "N-no." she whimpered, reaching to trace her mom's face. I sat kneeled successivo to Artemis. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, pulling her close. "I didn't think he would really do it." she whispered. "Who?" I prodded gently. "My dad." I stood up. "Your dad did this?" I exclaimed. Artemis stood up. "Wally, it's complicated. You'd hate me for sure if I told te the truth." I pulled Artemis outside of the apartment and picked her up. "What are te doing?" she asked, slightly alarmed. "Trust me." I whispered, speeding off. Artemis clung tightly to me, and I found myself smiling at that. I skidded to a halt. "Where are we?" she asked as I set her down. "Welcome to Lacuna Beach." I said, extending my arms. "Why are we here?" I hugged Artemis. "You trusted me when I picked te up. te can trust me again that I will not hate te if te tell me the truth. I'd rather find out from te than from someone else." Artemis stared at me and then looked away. "Okay," she sighed. "My father is Sportsmaster and he promised he'd kill my mom if I didn't deliever information to him about the Team." I stared at her, my brain processing what I had just learned. "So he blackmailed you...permenately." I said. Artemis nodded. "He told me I wasn't worth his time anymore, that my sister was più obedient than me. Oh, and while we're at this truth telling, Cheshire is my sister." I nodded slowly. "It's okay Artemis. What matters is that te didn't deliever any information." She shook her head. "But now he will come after you." I rolled my eyes. "Sportsmaster couldn't catch me, Artie. Don't worry. Why are te so worried?" Artemis shrugged. "Maybe because I'm scared he'll take te away from me somehow. Like he did my mom." I hugged her tightly. "Let's call the League. They'll help you." She smiled. "Thanks Wally. And now that it's official, you're a great boyfriend." I smiled and kissed her forehead. "Thanks Artie. The same goes to te as well."