Artemis

Photo: gerlos (Flickr)

      Artemis and Ares (as they are known when they are working) watch their target closely, yet as inconspicuously as possible. Ares is new to the game and this is the first time he has been granted permission to accompany Artemis on her mission. Ares is an expert in the art of looking casual while something major is happening. Artemis is an expert at waiting to strike without her victim ever knowing who attacked. In reality, Artemis is an expert at all of her attacks but prefers the assignments that allow her to control the entire situation without any room for error. One of her pet peeves is when her orders are to show enough mercy to allow her target to fight back. Ares is allowed to witness this mission because it is simple and straightforward, a show of power but not strength. He is strong and smart enough to do these missions himself, but nobody has made assassination an art form like Artemis. Ares is glad that this mission is so low-key, since he hopes that it will be finished quickly and cleanly so that he and Artemis will have time to themselves since everyone has been on high alert. He would really like to spend some time with her before one of them is sent away on a larger mission. Even though they are having dinner in a restaurant, Artemis only has her mind on the job. She eats and talks the proper amount and in such a way that a person watching and listening would never think that anything was wrong. Ares, however, is disappointed that she will not have a normal conversation with him, but then he realizes that he really is witnessing her transformation into Artemis. Ares begins to understand why it is so important for him to accompany her on at least one mission before they get married, so that he can know what she is capable of since when she is Artemis she is a deadly assassin who will do whatever possible to achieve her goal.

 

      Artemis watches her target enter the restaurant and it becomes a battle arena in her eyes. She knows that the death will be quick, but she also knows how many objects are within her reach that can be used as weapons. She continues to keep up appearances by talking to Ares and eating her food, but she waits until the time to strike has arrived. She forces herself to break out of her focus for a moment so that she can see how Ares is handling the situation and is pleased that he is acting normally but takes note that he seems upset about something. She waits until her target is completely comfortable, gets up to go to the bathroom and as she walks pas him a quick press of a button shoots a very fine poisoned needle  pricks her target and he never notices. Half an hour later Ares and Artemis get up to leave so that they can watch the target die while staying on schedule. Artemis has heard that some assassins collect body parts or clothing from their victims, but she knows that these things are dangerous since they are links between killer and victim so she collects looks. She is not always able to position herself correctly, but to the best of her ability she collects the casual glance of her victim before he knows he will die and then memorizes the look he gives when she is the last person he sees. Just as Rumplestiltskin controls the lives of the people whose name he knows, Artemis controls the deaths of the people whose looks she collects.