"I need you to train Jason Todd." Were the words that slipped from Bruce Wayne's lips. The one condition to reopen Titan's Tower. Sure, at that time Artemisia and Dick agreed with no hesitation, wishing nothing more than offering all four teenagers a roof and proper training. A team ( this term had only popped into Artemisia's mind, for Dick was still struggling with the word ).
But the kid was a wreck. Especially when he got to his head that Batman had shoved him aside. His mood wasn't usually bright, it was a known fact, but getting that dark idea of Bruce only made it worse. And it mirrored in everyone else ( when they were around him ) and his violent training.
The perfect example occurred at noon, back in the training room. Artemisia stood before Jason, glare sharp like daggers. The boy had gotten on her nerves all morning, this was her opportunity to get payback. But he was also in a bad mood and the fight became too personal. Dick had begun to mumble warnings, keeping them both on edge.
However, Dick would not relieve either from stress. Only winning this fight could. Loud smacks sounded on the large area as they fought for dominance. Artemisia was precise and quick. Jason was strong and sharp. The fight felt like an eternity. They danced around, utilizing all spaces. Sweat ran down their skins, irritating them further.
Artemisia shook her head, redirecting a tear of sweat that trekked to her eye. Jason took that split second to aim anywhere. Her neck. The only open space she had allowed. She had had no time to react. It was off-limits.
A third staff interrupted the sparring session. It whacked against the air around Artemisia's ear. She recoiled in fear, letting out a small shriek. She turned to Dick, ready to yell at him for almost cracking her neck. But when she did, the situation before her became clear. Her head snapped towards the younger boy. "You little shit!"
"Artemisia─"
"No, Dick, let her. The fight was getting boring anyway." Dick's arm kept them separated. Jason smirked down at her from his safe position. It only made Artemisia angrier. This fight was far from over. The boy took a step closer. "I want you to give me everything you've got. Use your powers, go on. I'll still beat your ass."
Dick's arm was slapped out of the way. "Keep dreaming, bird boy," Artemisia hissed, getting into position to summon every last drop she could muster. Hands extended to both sides, legs at shoulders' width, and eyes staring at the sparkling lights, ready to absorb their energy. But the lights remained lights, and no fire caressed her skin.
She was empty. How could that be? Even on the most isolated nights, the fire would appear when she allowed it to. Now, it was nothing but a saddening memory.
She tried a second time, pushing her willpower. Again, nothing. She attempted a third, cursing whatever entity granted her powers. But the aura of fire did not even appear to punish her. Artemisia strangled an anguished cry. What would she do now? There would be no more backup plan. Only one life to waste.
Tears flooded her eyes. She was absolutely frustrated. But that slight blur did not blind her from an upcoming attack. Jason had gotten tired of waiting. He chose the wrong move. Artemisia grabbed his staff mid-air, pulling it from his grasp and tossing it away, allowing it to clank as loud as it could to prove a point. "Just wait a goddamn second! Something's not right!"
"What's wrong, Temi?" Rachel jumped on her feet, face contorted in an inner battle of whether she should walk closer or leave her space.
Artemisia took a step away from them all, anticipating their need to comfort her. "My powers. They're not working. I think I screwed them up." She cast a glance around the room of worried faces. Her eyes landed on Dianna. "Can that happen?"
"I- I don't know," the girl spat quickly, intimidated by her desperate gaze.
Dick rushed to her side, ignoring her body language asking to be left alone. He stocked her arm. "Maybe you're just stressed. You should take a break."
"Yeah. I should clear my head. I need some time to think." Artemisia pulled her arm away and rushed out of the room before anyone argued with her. She did not want to hear any other opinion about her condition. Only she could understand what that void felt like. This was not stress.
And that time turned into hours. Artemisia had locked herself in her room. She did not lunch, nor had her mid-day coffee, or dinner. The sun in her window had fully set. She knew that eventually, she'd have to get out, eat something and face the team. She tried to push it as far as she could.
Her stomach rumbled with hunger and her head spun from being in bed for so long. Still, she strutted out of her room and straight into the kitchen. She tried to be quiet. No one should be around after dinner. They all go back to their rooms by then.
But, of course, they would not do so that night. All five of them, including a grumpy Jason, waited sitting around the counter. An empty seat faced them all. So, they wanted to talk. Artemisia silently obeyed their wordless request. Garfield stood up and seconds later, a plate was placed before her. She murmured thanks.
Before she could dive into the food, Dianna spoke quickly, almost afraid she'd run away. "After you left the training room, I started researching." Artemisia looked up, then down at her food, taking a bite. "When you fought Trigon, and I came back, our souls were divided. Torn apart, actually. That essence might have died when our energies were split."
"So they're lost forever?" The fork dropped from her hand, landing on her food quietly. She glanced over the table with a depressed feeling. Was it really all lost? It felt like the ultimate sacrifice to save the world.
Dick tried to reach towards her and do exactly what she tried to avoid. Rachel held him back by the wrist. He sat down and fidgeted with his hands. "They could be damaged. And we need to heal them."
"It might sound simple but it's not," Dianna snapped towards the man, delivering a glare. She swiftly turned to Artemisia, trying to appear put together. "We would contact another essence, ask for help and maybe it can cure yours."
"That sounds simple to me." Artemisia shrugged. Summoning anything seemed simple in movies and stories, so why wouldn't it be in real life? Especially if they weren't contacting the spiritual world, where unpredictable beings lived.
Dianna jumped to the edge of her seat, bringing herself closer to the woman. "Sounds," she remarked. "If your essence is dead, we could meet trouble. The essence would be confused as to why it was called for, and things could go very wrong very fast. We don't know much about them. No one does."
"What could happen?"
"Possession," Dick chimed suggestively.
Artemisia paused and thought about it, going back to her only source of summonings. If the victim's friends knew who to contact or how to do it, they could be exorcised. Worst case scenario, she dies. Dick met her haze with wondering eyes. "Reversible?"
Dianna gasped in surprise. Was her willingness worrying? If they were in her position, they would not hesitate, either. "We don't know," the girl responded above a whisper.
Their hesitation took her back, made her question her immediate choice. Was it too abrupt? Should they try something else first? Had there been an easier option they would have mentioned it before. Why present a choice if they were against it? And giving up her powers would not happen. Was that their goal, make her give it all up? Shaking away that thought, she continued to press for more information. "Is it beneficial in any way?"
"Don't─" Dick fell right on her trap. They preferred she had nothing over facing the unknown. But she'd rather face a thousand tragedies than lose that sense of safety the entity provided. Artemisia scoffed in disbelief at them. They really thought they could outsmart her but she saw this coming from miles away.
"You would, theoretically, get their powers," Dianna admitted, not daring to meet her gaze. That was what Artemisia wanted. To have her powers back. Hell, if they provided new abilities, they were more than welcome into her body. "But this unknown creature could hurt you."
"What do we need to do?"
Disappointment passed over their faces. Artemisia could only ignore them. This was her life, she would choose as she felt needed. And those powers gave her a sense of comfort. They had to be back. She wished to feel engulfed by the warmth once more, feel the aura of fire tickle her skin, watch the energy flow all around her. She had not realized its absence until that morning. And since then it had felt oh-so lonely.
"A séance," Dianna sighed, giving in to her strong wishes. "Tonight."
The ritual was unlike anything seen in those scary movies. Artemisia felt a bit terrified about it. Four candles settled near her extremities ( one on each arm, and the same with the legs ). Each candle had a different color, representing the essence of the world. Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Blue, sand, crimson, pale. All were to be called.
She gulped at the sight. Yet, she still stood by her choice. This had to be done. Following prior instructions, she settled between the unlit candles, taking a deep breath. Her fists clenched by her sides, keeping her hands from trembling. She felt so exposed laying in the middle of the room, body open towards the ceiling. Who wouldn't, right?
Dianna, who had seemed to become an expert overnight, kneeled by her side, adjusting the candles so they for perfectly. They could not afford any mistakes. A firm hand pulled her fingers apart, forcing relaxation. "I'm gonna need you to start chanting, now. You'll feel yourself starting to float away. Don't be scared of it. Trust the process." A few more touches and the girl pulled away, motioning to close her eyes. Artemisia obeyed. "Good luck."
Inside her mind, those five words she'd learned repeated all over. She fought her hardest to not allow any other word to interrupt the motto. As time passed, it became easier. The phrase flowed through her mind like water, washing over her every sense.
A strange buzzing began to swallow everything else. Those faint conversations turned into memories, but then, those were lost, too. It was only her and those words. They were one, united by some ulterior force. Instants following, Artemisia Robin was nothing.
Dianna had been watching as every muscle in her friend's body relaxed. Her face went limp, and the girl turned to the team, determined to make this work. "She's ready. Can you sense it?" She took a deep breath and opened her mind. Artemisia's kind energy filled the room like never before.
Garfield tried to follow her actions, glancing around the room with hope. "Yeah. I think."
The rest of the group shrugged. They were not as open-minded. Dianna shook her head, ignoring their skepticism. "Okay, let's start with the ritual, then." With eyes closed, she allowed her hand to dance over a candle, and with a swift move, all four fires lit in unison, sparkling different colors.
A gasp filled the quiet room. Dianna turned towards Dick with a raised eyebrow, annoyed. What could make him interrupt the séance? He knew this had to be perfect. "Dianna! What did you do?" The man held back a yell, face contorting with anger and repression.
"What?"
A vein popped on Dick's forehead, threatening to explode at any moment. His hands clenched over his lap, containing so much more emotions. It only made Dianna more confused. "You have her powers! You put her in danger!"
Her mind raced like never before. His words did not make sense. His emotions puzzled her. The only thing she could do was tilt her head like a lost puppy, asking for further explanation. "I don't follow."
"Look at your hand!" Dick finally snapped, his tensed hand pointing towards her calm fingers.
Still confused, Dianna darted her gaze towards her fingers. Then, she understood. She had truly put Artemisia in terrible danger at hands of unknown creatures. The dancing flame mirrored in her watery eyes until the first tear came and splashed into its core. A small hiss sounded when the torch vanished. A second droplet fell from her eye, and Dianna broke the silence with a sob. "What did I do? I'm so sorry. Guys, I didn't─"
"You were possessed, too. You didn't know." Rachel gasped, recognizing the signs of having no control over one's own body. She had witnessed such when Kory had attempted to end her. Hopefully, Dianna would not be in the black woman's shoes this time.
Garfield scooted closer to the panicking group, trying to share his bright view. "But Temi's essence always did good things, right?" He looked at their hopeless faces. "Maybe this is good, too. It could help us."
"I don't care," came Jason's annoying tone from behind them. They turned towards him in unison, glaring at the moody teenager. Even Dianna's worry was swapped with anger. A grin began growing on his face. What could amuse him in this terrible situation? "I know we all wanted her off our shoulders, anyway. Dianna just did the job for us."
"Jason!" Dick howled at the teen. He got no reaction. The boy was too proud to react with the smallest movement.
Dianna felt her skin simmering with all these negative emotions focused on him. Maybe even herself, too ( for she had doomed Artemisia to an unknown destiny ). "Shut it, Todd. You're being no help."
"Good. Didn't offer to─" Jason's grin was dawned by a sudden blackout. His sneer got lost in the silence. Loud breathing could be heard in the still room.
Two moist hands grasped around Dianna's, holding them tightly. One was smooth, the other slightly calloused. They were quivering. Dianna, too. The situation was foreign to everyone. No book could prepare them for chaos. Were they safe? Should they run? Was Artemisia still alive? She took a desperate breath, letting go of one of those frightened hands. A small cry came as a reaction.
She began patting around the floor, finding her way towards Artemisia. The cold tiles grew even colder as she moved forward. Suddenly, she splashed her palm into something liquidy. It jumped over her arms and face. She froze at the slight burn. Please be water. Hesitantly, her hand raised towards her nose, trying to figure out what she'd touched. Mint. Dick's favorite scent. Fuck, the man had not changed the slightest. It was candle wax. Dianna sighed with relief.
She crawled a few feet ahead, blindly searching for her friend. It was her responsibility that the woman was safe. A warm hand suddenly rested on her. Dianna opened her mouth, ready to call out Artemisia's name.
The lights switched back on. But the person before her was not Artemisia. Jason looked at her with wide eyes, retracting his hand and jumping back. Dianna scoffed at his reaction. She shrugged him off and glanced around the floor. Temi's body was nowhere to be found. The melted wax had trailed her body, but nothing filled the center.
Jason pretended not to look, yet his eyes tugged towards the corner, analyzing the ground. Dianna caught his gaze, judging his actions. He turned to her, ready to start yet another argument that bubbled in her chest the need to punch him. But, instead, he leaped back a second time, letting out a funny noise. Funny, for the boy that always hid any 'weakening' emotion.
Dianna glanced over where he had looked. She, too, got startled. Artemisia stared at them, a giant grin plastered on her paling face. She glanced over the group, they were all startled by her appearance. At the sight, she laughed at them. An annoying laugh they have never heard. It was scary.
"It's not funny," Jason snapped, getting to his feet in an instant. His surprise compressed into a frown. He gestured to the group. "They were worried about you."
Dianna glared at the boy one more time before jumping to her feet, hurrying to the woman's side. "Temi! What happened? How do you feel?" She examined her face, arms, any uncovered skin. Artemisia appeared to be in perfect condition. It was only a good scare.
"Same as always." Artemisia waved them off. She seemed more chill about life than ever. "Can we eat something?"
Garfield's worry finally vanished, his usual hungry expression returning to his face. "Hell yeah." He hurried out of the room, heading for the kitchen. Dianna's stomach rumbled at the sight. They were surely in for some amazing treats.
"You sure you're alright?" Dick stepped towards the woman, stretching for her arm and offering soothing strokes. Artemisia closed her eyes at his touch, a blush sneaking onto her face. Now, that's the woman they knew and loved.
She flinched away, embarrassed by the curious eyes. "Yeah. I'm good." She reassured them all. Her hand tangled with Dick's, pulling him ahead. "Come on, I'm starving."
"Wait." Dianna grasped her wrist, keeping her back. Artemisia's smile stammered for a second, only to return brighter as she sent Dick a mocking look ( ridiculing Dianna's concern, that was ). The man smiled at her expression. He was blinded to see her strange actions. Clearing her throat, she continued, "What about your powers?"
The woman shrugged. "We'll try them tomorrow."