Hate

She hated her.

She hated the way she could easily abandon her, how she could slip into the shadows and reappear when she wanted. She hated how confident and abrasive she was. She hated the control that woman had over her, the constant advantage she had. She hated everything about her.

Artemis clutches her bow close. She knew the kinds of places this villain frequented. And tonight, she had a feeling, was the night she'd find her.

She hugs the wall of a dark alleyway and observes the area before her. She's in one of the many seedier districts of Gotham City, the buildings tall and dark, the streets full of young girls without a choice and shady men with dark intentions. Without even trying, she can spot the blinking "W" of Wayne Enterprises. Every so often a car speeds by, either racing to escape the people of the area or the police on their tail. Either way, she doesn't care. They aren't who she's looking for.

She watches closely, periodically switching between checking her back and the streets before her. A small bar is in her direct point of view -The Cat's Tavern - and this is where she expects her hunt to start. The bar is a hole in the wall, its neon sign blinking. The "C" is burnt out, and the "AV" is missing, leaving a shadow of dust behind it. There are no windows. From inside, she can hear a bartender calling out orders, two men arguing over cards, and three drunks who have decided they are the new live band. She cringes when she hears the last one.

"My, my, look who's here." A sickeningly sweet voice calls from behind the blonde.

She scowls, Damn. She had hoped to sneak up on her, and finally have the upper hand. Like this, it was as if she was nothing more than a child again. And, if anything, she needs to prove that she is no longer a child. She whirls around, bow loaded and aimed, ready to end her hunt.

"I've been looking for you." Artemis narrows her eyes and injects as much venom into each word as she can. Despite that, the brunette laughs.

She's tall and lean, dressed in her usual green kimono. Her mask is on, the spots where her eyes should be reflecting Artemis's own appearance: A young girl trying too hard. The teen's scowl deepens, and she knows that when the battle begins, the first thing she'll do is remove that stupid mask. As if sensing this decision, her sister reaches up and touches the red stripe going down the middle, and her other hand pulls out a small sai.

"Really? You've been putting all that trouble in for me?" Cheshire purrs. "If you missed me so much, you could have just called."

Artemis's hand tightens on the bow. "Oh, because you left behind a damn number?" She hisses.

"Ooh, getting testy, aren't we?" The smile in her voice is practically tangible. She chuckles, a cold, humorless sound. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you really did miss me." She visibly tenses, expecting a blow from that snarky comment.

"Well, then it's a good thing for both of us that you do know!"

Artemis is glaring at Cheshire, and at her own determined reflection. Cheshire's mask stares back, giving her that permanent twisted grin. The heroine hates not being able to see her real face.

"Say, why haven't you fired that thing yet?" The villainess interrupts their stare down.

"W-What?"

"Why haven't you shot me? I'm right here. I haven't attacked. I'm at your mercy." She opens her arms wide and holds her hands out, palms up. The sai is still in her hand, her fingers wrapped around it, but in that position it would take her too long to use it effectively. Artemis's arrow would hit before the sai would. Cheshire knows.

Artemis knows.
***
Artemis slinks into her bedroom, surprised to find her mother didn't catch her for once. She doesn't question it, only thanks the powers that be. After that encounter, she isn't up to defending her late night errands against her mother.

Her bow clatters to the ground and she collapses onto her bed, eyes wound tightly shut. She doesn't understand anything that happened and keeps replaying it in her mind.

Her arrow aimed at her sister's heart, her hesitation, and Cheshire's usual disappearance. Cheshire commenting that, in their "Kill or be killed" world, Artemis would be dead. Cheshire taking off her mask and smirking with her knowing eyes. Cheshire saying she'd let her live, if only because they would need her later. More than anything, she remembers her expression in the mask. Her bravado had faltered when Cheshire dared her to shoot, and in the mask she saw herself. When she closed her eyes she saw herself.

She still looked like the child she was the day her sister left. Her hair tied back in a frizzy ponytail, her silver eyes large and afraid. Her eyebrows furrowed. Her hands are still gripping that bow like a lifeline, but she knows she doesn't shoot it. She doesn't dare shoot her big sister.

She groans.

She hates her.

She hates her smart alec responses, her murderous tendencies, her stupid mask. She hates the way her mother always asks about her, if any word had come from her. She hates how she ran away from them. She hates how she is always so cool and unconcerned. She hates that she's forgotten that she has a sister. She hates that she's forgotten she has a mother. She hates how she constantly threatens her new family. She hates that it's because of her her old family is broken.

But more than anything, she hates how much she missed her.
-------------------------
A/N: I wanted to write something about Artemis and her relationship with Cheshire. It can't be easy fighting the woman you grew up with, and knowing that she doesn't care about you anyway. Art might not care about Cheshire either, but let's say this takes place back when she still did.

I hope it's not confusing which "She" it refers to. And I don't hope I've used the word "Hate" enough that it loses all meaning...

Wowzers, awesome work O_O!

redhood321 wrote:Wowzers, awesome work O_O!

Why thank you!