Wally's POV
I took Artemis' hand and held it closer to mine. "Finally, a দিন off from the team." I ব্যক্ত smiling at her. "I know! That last mission was crazy!" I smiled at her. "So what do আপনি 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 আপনি want me to come?" I asked. She looked at me. "If আপনি want to." I nodded. "Do আপনি really think I'd leave my girlfri-um I mean..." Artemis laughed. "So আপনি think of me as your girlfriend?" I blushed. "Only if আপনি 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 পরবর্তি 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 আপনি the truth." I pulled Artemis outside of the apartment and picked her up. "What are আপনি 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 আপনি up. আপনি can trust me again that I will not hate আপনি if আপনি tell me the truth. I'd rather find out from আপনি 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 আরো 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 আপনি 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 আপনি so worried?" Artemis shrugged. "Maybe because I'm scared he'll take আপনি 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 আপনি as well."
I took Artemis' hand and held it closer to mine. "Finally, a দিন off from the team." I ব্যক্ত smiling at her. "I know! That last mission was crazy!" I smiled at her. "So what do আপনি 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 আপনি want me to come?" I asked. She looked at me. "If আপনি want to." I nodded. "Do আপনি really think I'd leave my girlfri-um I mean..." Artemis laughed. "So আপনি think of me as your girlfriend?" I blushed. "Only if আপনি 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 পরবর্তি 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 আপনি the truth." I pulled Artemis outside of the apartment and picked her up. "What are আপনি 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 আপনি up. আপনি can trust me again that I will not hate আপনি if আপনি tell me the truth. I'd rather find out from আপনি 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 আরো 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 আপনি 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 আপনি so worried?" Artemis shrugged. "Maybe because I'm scared he'll take আপনি 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 আপনি as well."