Why have I started two new stories in two days when I haven't updated my other ones? Beats me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.

Disclaimer part two: This entire story will have some religious/sac-religious undertones to it. If you'll find that offensive, please be warned!

NEW ORLEANS
July 27, 21:41 CDT

"Out."

Venus blinked slowly, breaking her distant gaze through the smoke curling out of her mouth and instead focusing on the man speaking to her. It was the owner of the pub she was in, and he was scowling at her with his arms crossed over his chest. She smiled at him charmingly, pretending she hadn't heard.

"Sorry?" she replied, taking another drag of her cigarette and exhaling slowly. Her pronunciation was affected by a mild British accent. The man's frown deepened at the girl's attempt at faux-innocence.

He had only just noticed her, but she seemed to have been in the bar for quite some time. He'd hoped to not have had to kick her out, but he'd been shooting her looks for the past fifteen minutes and she hadn't seemed to notice.

Either that, or she'd been ignoring him.

"I said, out." He pointed firmly at her, then at the door to underline his statement. She raised an eyebrow. "Beyond the fact that you don't look nearly old enough to be in here in the first place," he continued. "This is a no-smoking establishment." The girl looked at her cigarette in amusement, seemingly unbothered by his annoyance. She inhaled smoke again, just to watch his nostrils flare at the blatant display of disrespect.

"I didn't know there was a minimum age to enter the building," she replied coolly.

The man rolled his eyes. He had seen this type before. Rebellious kids trying to be cool and show off for their friends constantly came into his bar because they only carded people when they tried to order alcohol. This girl fit the part perfectly.

Everything from the way she looked and dressed - she was wearing an oversized singlet like a dress, with fishnet stockings and heeled boots underneath, and was wearing way too much makeup - to the way she acted, too cocky for her own good, pointed to "troublemaker."

The man scowled at the half-drunk glass of scotch in front of the teenager, wondering how she'd managed to get it. None of his employees would have fallen for a fake ID - this girl looked sixteen, despite her provocative appearance. "Who served that to you?"

"Your bartender," Venus replied, picking up the glass and taking a slow sip of the drink. Her eyes flickered over to the woman mixing a drink across the room, amused. The owner groaned, and Venus added, "But don't blame her. I'm very convincing." The man sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. She was way more arrogant than most kids who came in here.

"Look, kid, you don't really want me to call your parents, do you?" He usually threatened parents first, cops second. Getting police involved got messy easily, and sometimes ended up with an unwelcome investigation of his own pub. Most times the teenagers were scared enough of getting grounded that they'd leave on their own. But this girl just smiled darkly, like she knew something he didn't.

"Actually, I'd love it if you called my father."

The owner shook his head in disgust, opening his mouth to respond. But before he could say a word, she was speaking again.

"I mean, you don't really mind that I'm here, do you?" She looked up at the owner, locking eyes with him. He snorted derisively.

"Ye –" Halfway through the word, the man forgot what he was going to say. He blinked, dazed.

The girl's eyes, the same color as the mahogany of the table she was sitting at, were smudged with eyeliner and mascara. She narrowed them slightly, keeping her gaze locked with his. There was something deep and alluring about her eyes, so entrancing that he began to lose his train of thought. What had he been upset about, again?

"Um…" Venus smiled, patiently waiting for his response. "No…" he replied slowly, confused.

Something streaked across the floor, and the owner snapped out of his daze as he stared in shock at the small, black cat that landed on the girl's lap. He glared at the teenager; his irritation renewed. Why the hell was there a cat in his bar? The girl was scowling at the animal as well, but not in disgust - more so in annoyance.

"That's it. Out." Venus groaned in irritation, scooping up the kitten up with one hand and placing it on her shoulder. The animal rearranged itself, meowing indignantly at being manhandled.

"Grimalkin, you ruin everything," she scolded the kitten. She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the owner again. "I –" Before she could finish her sentence, her attention was drawn elsewhere. She stared beyond the bar owner's shoulder, her lips forming into a small, secretive smile. "Never mind," she said, dropping some money on the table. "I got what I came for. I'm leaving."

Venus stepped out of the bar, the sounds of instrumental music and laughter echoing through the cobbled streets of New Orleans. She stubbed her smoldering cigarette out in an ashtray just outside the building as she followed the old man who had caught her attention.

The man, Kent Nelson, was wearing an old but well-fitting suit, and carried a wooden cane with a shiny bronze handle. The cane hung from his hand – elderly though he was, his gait seemed steady enough. Venus trailed the man subtly, staying a good several yards behind him. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had already noticed her, but she didn't quite care.

Grimalkin meowed plaintively from her perch on Venus's shoulder, and the teenager sighed, allowing the kitten to hop down. She sat on the cobblestones, her whiskers twitching.

"Don't get lost," Venus told her pet warningly, keeping her eyes on Kent Nelson. Grimalkin meowed agreeably, streaking off in an inky blur. Venus walked on, pausing when Nelson did so.

The demon watched with a sort of ferocious curiosity as Nelson studied a sign outside of a small fortune-telling shop. From her angle, Venus could just make out the words "Madame Xanadu" and the emblem on an eye. Fortune-teller's shop.

Kent Nelson studied the sign for a moment, his brow furrowed in careful thought. After a moment of deliberation, he withdrew a small pocket watch from inside of his jacket. He opened the watch, gazing at it for a moment before closing it back up and pushing through the door.

Venus took a few steps closer, choosing an inconspicuous place to watch for Nelson's return. Following him into the small shop would've been too risky. She was only waiting for a few moments when Grimalkin appeared again. The kitten strolled up the cobbled path. When she reached Venus's feet, the kitten opened her mouth, depositing the small creature that had been clenched in her jaw at the feet of the demon.

Unimpressed, Venus looked down at the shivering mouse. Once it had recovered from the shock of being almost eaten, the small animal attempted to make a run for it. Grimalkin slapped her paw down, trapping the tiny creature once more, and it let out another round of panicked squeaks into the air.

"Oh, Grim," Venus said with an exasperated sigh. The kitten looked up, wide eyes the picture of innocence as the mouse squealed beneath her paw. "Either let it go or finish it," Venus commanded. "But quit playing with the thing, will ya?" Affronted, Grimalkin lifted her paw, her whiskers twitching in offense. The mouse rolled over and scuttled away, squeaking in relieved terror as it disappeared into the darkness.

A sudden crashing noise drew Venus's attention. The demon spun forward, staring at the shop that Nelson had disappeared into. She sprinted towards the door, flinging it open and staring inside.

Venus made it just in time to see Nelson's cane glowing a bright golden light. She instinctively flung a hand over her eyes to block the glow, scowling against the brightness. When it vanished, she opened her eyes again.

The shop was completely empty. Someone had gotten to Nelson before her.

"No!" Venus cried in fury, spinning around. Her eyes were full of enraged fire, her angelic face contorted into a terrifying scowl. At her angry exclamation, Grimalkin appeared in the windowsill. The cat's eyes were wide, and she spat with anger, arching her back and hissing on Venus's behalf.

The demon took a few deep breaths, struggling to calm herself. After a few moments she sighed, holding her arms out for the kitten. Grimalkin leapt into her masters' arms, and Venus dug her fingers into Grim's fur, stroking the cat thoughtfully.

"Plan B," Venus announced with a scowl. "We're off to Salem."

so that's like a (very) short intro. i starting writing out all of Denial, but then i thought maybe it's best to do like a short introduction instead cuz the chapter was getting to be realllllyyyy long. so...here's a 'lil taste, and chapter two should be out soon-ish (if wifi permits)

also just want to set some things straight about venus/this story:

- i refer to her as both a demon and an angel in this. this is not a mistake - if anyone of you happened to have read the profile for venus in my other story, "iron justice," i've revised her a little. venus is a fallen angel (not archangel as i originally wrote) which equals a demon. her "human-appearing" form is her angel form. if she shows her wings in this "human-like" form, they're the classic white angel wings. the other form that she can assume is her demon form, in which case her wings appeared leathery and bat-like.

- grimalkin is technically a normal cat, but she's also kinda venus's familiar (not quite in the same way teekl is to klarion). the cat itself has no powers, but she keeps venus more stable to earth.

- other notes to be clarified in chap. 2 :)

please please leave a review and let me know what you think of venus! i was hesitant to write her at first, but i kinda fell in love and couldn't help doing it. so...please let me know! i accept any and all feedback, so PLEASE REVIEW!

thank you!