Chapter Two- "Second Date"


"YOU PRACTICALLY WENT ON A DATE WITH HIM!!!" Wally yelled.

"That was the mission, Wally." Nightwing said, walking into the room and smirking. "Jealous?"

"What?" Wally sputtered. "No! I just don't think she should be going out with a rich piece of slime!"

Nightwing looked hurt.

"Sorry, dude."

"Was and Is the mission." Batman said as the computer recognized his arrival. "Revenge doesn't know how deep this runs. The assassination attempt on Grant was merely a face put on by the League of Shadows."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Grant seemed fine for a guy that had almost died."

Batman was silent for a moment before continuing.

"We don't yet now what their goal is, but we believe the target is Red Revenge. However, the attempts on Grant's life are still a serious threat. Artemis, you've been assigned to protect him at all costs. Kid Flash will be your backup of you need it, but he will remain invisible at all times."

The two teens nodded.

"Dismissed. As for Alpha Squad..."

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"You realize you're going to tick him off extremely, right?" Nightwing asked as he walked with Batman to the zeta-tubes.

Batman let out a rare smile. "Counting on it."

"Recognized. Batman..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"We try again tomorrow."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Artemis crouched on the building looking down into the crowd, keeping an eye on her target. Grant was evidentally important to something Batman needed or wanted. So she was to keep him alive at all costs.


Sam knew where his shadow was at all times. It wasn't hard to keep an eye on a blonde teenage girl in a green outfit with a bow & arrow in broad daylight, no matter how much she took to the shadows.

Frankly, he considered it a game with Batman. However, Batman assigning him a shadow was extremely annoying.

Sam messed with her head naturally. He would purposely lose himself in the school crowds and totally disappear at random times. He could tell Artemis was getting extremely irritated.


The expression calm before the storm was distinctly and sharply true in this situation. Lunch was as boring as it got. Everyone was quiet and sat motionless eating.

And yet Sam managed to disappear again. Artemis growled in frustration. Batman was going to kill her if anything happened to the boy. Leaving her position, she navigated the rafters trying to find the billionaire.

She nearly fell out of the ceiling when Red Revenge spoke behind her.

"Good job." he said. "I think you've proven Grant has better disappearing abilities than you."

"Hah. Hah." Artemis said un-enthusiastically.

"He knows he has a shadow. He knows she has blonde hair, wears green and carries a crossbow." Revenge said, folding his arms over his chest.

"So Grant can see me. It doesn't matter."

"Does it?" Revenge smirked beneath his mask. "And do you know where Grant is now?"

Artemis frowned. "What's it to you?"

Revenge grinned and saluted sharply before sliding into the shadows.


An hour later, history class was ironically disturbed. The class was studying the rifles used in the Civil War when a shot rang through the glass and landed half an inch from Samuel Grant's foot. He escaped death by the sudden movement to avoid a spitball.

Everyone scattered and in the panic, Artemis lost sight of Grant. Sam was in the closet, changing into his work clothes.

Artemis was about to fire an arrow at the green-clad assassin when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hey, sis." Cheshire said.

Artemis whirled around and fired an arrow. Cheshire deflected it, slicing it in half. The two sides fell to either side of her. Artemis grinned and ducked. Cheshire looked at the two arrow halves that were blinking below her.

She jumped from the rafters as the explosion rained down debris on the screaming students. Artemis turned to look toward the assassin. A blur of black and green swarmed the roof where the assassin was.

Artemis quickly turned her attention to the other green-clad assassin. She dodged knife slices and fired arrows at point blank range from her hip-crossbow. Cheshire somehow dodged them all, careful to avoid exploding arrows.

"Where did Grant go?" Cheshire asked, brandishing her sword.

"You've got bigger problems." a new voice informed her.

Cheshire looked up to see Red Revenge's boot heading towards her face.

She grabbed his foot, but his hand came around and knocked her to the ground.

"You're not my type." Cheshire said, wiping the blood off of her mouth as she stood up. "But perhaps another time...?"

"Don't count on it." Revenge said, dangling cuffs in front of her.

"Don't count on it?" Cheshire asked. Smoke filled the room and Cheshire disappeared.

"A fine job you did!" Revenge growled.

"Likewise!" Artemis retorted. "I see you didn't get your assassin!"

"Did you get yours?"

"That's not the point!"

"You lost sight of Grant! Luckily I got him home safe." Revenge growled.

Artemis tried to walk off, but Revenge put a hand on her shoulder. Artemis knocked it off. "Let me finish my mission."

"Try to." Revenge corrected.

Artemis growled and resisted the urge to punch the Black Hero in the nose.