***

Walking into Francisco Ramon's office I had to fight the urge of rolling my eyes at seeing his new girlfriend of the week sitting on his lap. It had come to the point where I had stopped trying to remember their names. 

"Your coffee." I stated placing the still hot cup of coffee on his desk.

"Great. Now finish your report it's due tonight at 5." He replied not bothering to look up at me. The both of us had an odd relationship where in professional terms I shouldn't treat him with so much disrespect no matter how much of a horrible human being he was. But he always allows me to occasionally make less than professional remarks at him.

Refraining from saying anything I stepped out of his office to find a sudden commotion in the lobby. Our secretary was arguing with some woman that I recognized as Iris West-Thawne, Central City's star journalist. 

"How can I help you?" I asked her only out of curiosity. One could only wonder why she seemed so desperate, while the boy beside her seemed incredibly excited and happy. 

"I need to speak with Francisco Ramon." Iris West stated firmly, and it was clear she wasn't planning on taking no for an answer. 

I knew there was no way that Ramon was going to accept having an unscheduled meeting with her, but I wanted to entertain the idea. "If your looking for a story. You aren't going to find one. Not here."

"I'm not here following a story. I'm here for my brother." She continued as she looked over at her sibling. "He was in a coma and..."

"We don't do medical work here." I stated and was about to walk away before she got a hold of my wrist. Looking down at her hand wrapped firmly around my wrist, I simply looked at her and she didn't hesitate to let go.

"Sorry. I just don't know where else to go. I think  he was affected by the Particle Accelerator explosion. He has powers now." She whispered, now seeming a little more defeated. "I don't know what to do."

I didn't know what to do with this new information. Or if Ramon would accept helping them at all. "Alright. Follow me."

"Thank you." Iris said with a sigh of relief as she and her brother filled after me. I didn't bother knocking as I entered Ramon's office where he was receiving a back massage from his new friend.

"What's this?" He asked as he looked at me with irritation. 

"I think that you should listen to what they have to say." I told him firmly, before looking over at the girl standing behind his chair. "You should go."

The girl looked at me is disbelief before turning to Ramon who had a neutral expression.  "Just go, I'll call you later."

We all waited for a moment before the girl left the room. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to tell him, or what I could possibly say that would convince him to help

"This better be good."

"This is Iris West-Thawne and..."

"Wally West." The boy said quickly with the same excited smile on his face. 

"It seems that Wally here is a metahuman." I began trying to seem as confident about this situation as possible, though I had my doubts about what we could do to help the two siblings. 

"So?"

"So, we need your help in controlling and understanding his powers." Iris demanded, not wanting to play along with Ramon's game. 

"What are your powers?" Ramon asked, looking like he could be less interested in anything that Wally could show him. Suddenly Wally's hand began to vibrate at a rapid pace to the point where it was only a blur. Ramon suddenly stood up from his chair moving to the other side of the room in horror. 

"I think I have superspeed." Wally replied with excitement. 

"You think?" My boss replied his voice barely a whisper, and I couldn't understand why he seemed so horrified by Wally's powers. "Crock you know how I feel about speedsters. I want nothing to do with them!"

"I know I've never understood your irrational fear of speedsters. But maybe that's exactly why we should help Wally."

"Continue."

"No one has been able to stop The Rival." I continued, reminding him of the evil speedster that has been causing havoc throughout Central City for the past two months. "Maybe only a speedster can stop another speedster. The Rival needs to be stopped, and we all know the Justice League isn't going to do anything considering that they are at war with each other. Central City needs a hero, and the public knowing that you're the man that helps the city's hero is going to profit you. Or you could do it because for once you want to help someone who's not yourself."

Ramon seemed to consider my words for a moment, and I knew the answer before he did. "Alright. I'll help the kid understand his powers and maybe make him a suit. After that I want no part of this."

"Thank you Mr. Ramon," Wally stated as he took a step forward in an attempt to shake his hand, however Ramon raised his hand making it clear that the kid should keep his distance.

"Be here tomorrow at...." He trailed off, before looking over at me. "at...?"

I ran through his schedule in my head finding a time that would fit between his meetings and other hobbies. "Three." 

"Three." He repeated. "If you aren't here on time deals off. No go."

Iris and Wally didn't move, seeming slightly in shock from his attitude and lack of manners.

"Go." 

Seeing that he was completely serious they walked out of the office. Once the door closed behind them Ramon stood up and walked over to me in seeming just as confused as the siblings. Maybe it was the fact that he accepted to help for a reason that wasn't going to benefit him. 

"You're out of your mind." My boss began to say in disbelief. "I should fire you. Right now."

"You're not going to." I replied in a bored tone, and as he continued talking my mind began to drift elsewhere. An idea starting to form in my head, one that made be believe that maybe I was going out of my mind. In a split second discussion I walked out of the office and after the siblings ignoring Ramon's protest. 

"Wait." I told the two sibling before they stepped into the elevator. Truth being I didn't know what I was thinking or why I though it was a good idea at all. But there was something about the kid, something special. "Maybe Mr. Ramon can't help you in the way want. But I can."

"How can you help?" Wally asked, a spark of mischief in his eyes. Looking at him I knew that Jade was going to hate me for doing this, but I felt it was something that I needed to do.

"I can't talk about it here." I replied writing down the address to our loft in my notebook and handing Wally the loose sheet of paper. "But if you want to find out, come to this address as six."

***

I hadn't even finished explaining to Jade what I had planned before she immediately gave me a look of disapproval. We had just officially finished her training only two days ago and she was excited and eager to put her fully developed skills to use. My sister has always been extremely stubborn, and I knew from the beginning that this wouldn't be easy. 

"I don't need a partner." Jade replied bitterly.

"I know you don't. But it would make me feel better if you had some back up. Especially when that back up has superspeed." I argued, and regardless of how much she wanted to refuse the help I wasn't going to let her go out there one her own.

Jade shook he head, visibly looking for frustrated by the second. "You trained me. Everything I know comes from you. I can do this on my own."

"Yes, I trained you. But look what happened to me." I continued, knowing that I had to find a way to get through to her.  "And that happened against someone who wasn't a metahuman. Jade you don't have any powers like the people you're going to go up against."

My sister didn't have a chance to reply before there was a knock on the door signaling that Wally was here. 

"We'll continue this conversation later."

"I'm sorry we're late."

"Not the best first impression you could make." I said knowing that Jade would use this as another excuse to refuse having a partner. "But come in."

"Look I'm glad you want to help, we definitely need it," Iris began immediately as she looked around our loft skeptically. "but like my brother asked earlier, what can you do to help us."

Jade stepped closer as she looked over the two siblings seeming unimpressed. I knew she felt that she didn't need any help, but there was only so much she could do. The world was in chaos and so unsafe. If I had it my way she would have nothing to do with the world that I was involved in, but I saw the passion in her eyes. 

"Hi, I'm Wally." He immediately introduced himself, as he extended his hand towards my sister. For a moment I thought she would ignore him, but she hesitantly shook his hand.

"Jade."

"Jade... that's a pretty name." Wally said with a bright smile. 

My sister took her hand back, a passive expression forming on her face. Although she tried to seem indifferent, I noticed a subtle change in her the way she stood. Now I was beginning to wonder if this was a bad idea after all, the last thing I wanted was for Jade and Wally to have a relationship that was more than just a friendship. Anything more would only bring problems. 

"You asked how we could help, " I began feeling the need to shift the conversation back to what was important. "I hope this answers your question."

I pressed my hand against the wall where I knew the handprint scanner was, revealing a glass case that emerged from the wall. The case holding my sister's recently ungraded suit.

"Wait...you're Artemis?" Iris asked me in disbelief. The statement was half true. My real name was Artemis, but I wasn't the masked vigilante of Star City. 

Not anymore at least.

"No. Not anymore." I said quickly still not trusting either off the siblings with my sister's secret. "Ramon can help you understand your powers Wally, but I can help you use them effectively."

"I'm in." He said without a moment of hesitation. 

***