Tales From the Cave-Wally and the Magic Lamp

Trapped

Walky extended his hand towards Artemis as they scaled the building on the ladder.  "So, this your first time in the marketplace?"  She chuckled softly as she took his hand, letting him pull her up.  "Is it really that obvious?"  "You took an apple without any intention of paying, and almost got your hand chopped clean off.  Yeah, its pretty obvious.  I thought you said you've lived here for two years."

Artemis sighed as they reached the roof.  "I have.  Just not this part."  She groaned as Wally came to stand beside her.  "Let's just say my adoptive father is...overprotective."  Wally took an extra-long pole.  "He must be."  He pole-vaulted off the roof and onto the next building.  He looked back and gave Artemis a dreamy look.  "You do kinda stand out."

Then he remembered who he was talking to.  "I mean...you don't seem to know how dangerous this place can really be."  As he leaned down to put down a plank so she could walk across, she pole-vaulted over the gap and stuck a perfect landing right behind him.  "I'm a fast learner."

Wally found himself smiling bigger.  "Still resourceful and quick-minded.", he said.  "Its great to see you haven't changed too much since I last saw you."  He wasn't paying attention to his feet going backwards.  He toppled over—before Artemis grabbed him by the hands, a sarcastic but sincere smirk on her face.  "Neither have you, Baywatch."

She yanked him back upright on his feet.  They bumped into one another, grabbing onto each other for support.  They looked into each other's eyes, forest green to grayish blue.  A slight blush crept onto their faces as they separated.  Wally smiled at her as he took her hand.  "C'mon.  This way."
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"Watch your head, there.  Careful."  Artemis stood in the middle of the ransacked room.  "You guys have been staying here?"  Wally led her to the window.  "Yeah.  That way, we don't have to pay rent, and we can come and go as we please."  Artemis sighed.  "I forgot how fun that was.  Living on the edge, no one holding you back, a new adventure around every corner."

Wally took hold of the curtains covering the window.  "Well, its not much, but...it has a great view."  He pulled them back to reveal the splendid view of the royal palace, with it's golden roofs and marble columns, it's jeweled doors and exotic gardens, all so close, you could see, hear and smell everything from where they were.  "Looks pretty amazing, huh?"

Artemis's face fell and her heart sank.  A hundred emotions hit her at once.  She had been so happy when she escaped over the palace walls.  But now, looking at the stunning structure, illuminated by the light of the setting sun, she suddenly felt lonely and homesick.  She missed her pet companion, Sultan the tiger, and she missed her father even more.  Part of her wanted to go home, but she knew it'd be impossible to sneak back in undetected.

"Oh. Yeah.", she muttered, turning around and sitting cross-legged on the firm clay floors. "Its nice." Wally didn't notice, too awestruck by the grand splendor before him. "Man, can you imagine what it'd like to live there? Wear cool clothes, go to killer parties almost every night, be waited on hand and foot by an army of servants and valets?" Artemis scoffed. "Yeah, and everyone tells you what to do and where to go and how to live." She looked up to see Wally staring at her with a confused expression. "Not that I know! Just a...wild guess."

Wally sat criss-cross right next to Artemis, who stared hard at the floor and refused to meet his gaze. "You okay?", he asked in a soft voice. "You seem upset." She sighed as she finally made eye contact with him. "Its my adoptive father. Don't get me wrong, I love him so much, and I'm grateful for everything he's done for me. Its just...lately, he's been trying to force me to get married." "Oh, that's...that's awful.", he said.

"What's worse, he doesn't seem to care whether I like the guy I marry.", she went on. "He's so caught up in the ancient ways, he doesn't seem to care about how I feel about this whole deal." Wally shook his head. "What a jerk." Artemis whipped her head towards him. "No! My new father is the finest man that ever lived! He's kind, loving, attentive, and wants nothing more for me to be secure and happy. He thinks an arranged marriage will do just that."

"Well, I don't think that's fair.", Wally said. "You're the most badass girl I've ever known, Artemis. You don't need any man to take care of you. You should be free to do your own thing, make your own choices, live your own life." Artemis smiled, no sarcasm, no smugness, a true, genuine smile. "Thanks, Wally. I've been waiting a year to hear that." Their eyes locked into each other's gaze, they leaned in closer towards one another, closing their eyes and pursing their lips.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Their intimate moment was ruined by the leader of the royal guards storming into their not-so-secret hideout. Both jumped to their feet. "They're after me!", they cried at the same time. They sharply turned to each other. "They're after you?!" The guards unsheathed their swords and stepped towards the couple with malicious grins.

Artemis flew into a panic. "Oh, no...my father must've sent them here! Wally, I'm so sorry!" He didn't hear her. He was on the window edge, looking downwards and formulating a plan. "Wally?" He held his hand out to her. "Do you trust me?" "What?!" "Do you trust me?" She looked at the guards closing in on them, then back at Wally, unsure of what to do.

"...Yes?", she said as she took his hand. "Then JUMP!" Before she could react, Wally pulled her off her feet and through the window as they leapt out of the building. Artemis screamed as they fell nearly ten stories below. Once they were only a few feet off the ground, they fell onto a dirty old carpet hanging out to dry. It slowed their fall, making them land softer onto the ground.

Wally tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her down an alley, only to crash right into the head guard. "Let's see you try to worm your way outta this one, street rat!", he roared as his partner grabbed Wally tightly. Artemis saw the rest of the Team being held captive by other guards, made weak by fire or Kryptonite, struggling to break free. She pulled on the guard leader's arm. "Let them go!"

"What's this?", he said, flinging her off him like an old rag. "A street mouse?" He led his army in peals of cruel laughter. Artemis got to her feet and stood before them tall. "Release them immediately!" She reached up and threw back her hood to unveil her golden crown. "By order of your Princess!"

The guards stopped laughing and gasped loudly. "Princess Artemis!" They fell to their knees, taking the Team with them. "Princess?", Robin whispered. They exchanged shocked glances and murmurs of amazement. The leader of the guards rose back to his feet. "Your Highness! What are you doing outside the palace?!"

"Did you not hear what I said?!", Artemis snapped at him. "Do as I command! Release them at once!" The leader bowed at the waist. "With all due respect , Your Highness, I'm unable to." "What do you mean, you're unable to?" "I had strict orders to hunt down these thieves and put them under arrest." She grabbed him by the golden chain around his neck and pulled his face towards her so that their eyes were inches apart. "Who do your orders come from? My father?"

The leader shook his head. "No, my lady. My orders come from Vertigo.  It is his word alone that can undo my orders."  Artemis let him go and turned her head away, thinking for a moment.  "Escort me back to the palace.", she then commanded, shedding her brown peasant cloak.  The Team gaped at her silken clothes and golden ornaments hidden underneath.  "I wish to have a little discussion with my father's vizier."

"As you wish, my princess."  The leader pointed to a couple of other guards.  "You two!  Make sure that the Princess is returned to the royal palace unharmed, and tell Vertigo that she wishes for his audience."  The guards bowed and hurried over to stand on either side of Artemis.

They went in one direction, and the rest of the guards went in the other, dragging their prisoners with them.  Wally watched as Artemis threw him a sympathetic look before disappearing into the shadows of the sunset.  Only one thing was on his mind, one thing that he would have never believed had he not seen it with his own eyes.

Artemis is a princess?