Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice. All properties go to DC Comics and Warner Bros. This is strictly for non-profit entertainment.

A/N: Here's my first take on a Young Justice fanfic. I would like to thank ParamoreXO, Harley McCoy, and MistressOfRobins for beta reading! Enjoy this read!

Gotham City

May 15 14:56 EDT

Another day of school will be over at Gotham Academy. Artemis really wanted this day to end. Hours of schoolwork just took a toll on the young archer. She immediately packed her backpack when the teacher scribbled the homework for the day. The teachers at Gotham Academy remind Artemis of "Charlie Brown's" parents whenever he gets in trouble. The school bell rang and Artemis darted towards the door. She stared into the sea of students leaving Gotham City's elite school for the affluent and intelligent. She spotted the numerous cliques the student body had already established. The football jocks wore Letterman jackets and tossed a football around like it's nobody's business. She also recognized the popular kids sporting the latest fashions and technology. The emo kids in dark makeup stood out amongst other coteries as well. Yet, out of all these cliques, she never fit in any one. It's as though she were an outcast.

However, out of the sea of unknown faces she spotted a familiar face. The girl's jet black hair flowed calmly with the light breeze. Her blue eyes gleamed like the moonlight and her smile radiated warmth to whoever talked to her. While speaking to her colleagues, she spotted Artemis and smiled. She excused herself to leave the circle. Wait, is that Zatanna? Artemis thought cautiously but with a hint of curiosity. As she approached the steps to meet Artemis, she waved to get her attention.

"Artemis?" the young lady asked.

It is Zatanna! Both ladies gave each other a welcoming hug.

"Hey Zatanna," Artemis greeted, "I didn't know you're in Gotham City."

"I'm just here for a few days," She replied, "Walk with me?" As the girls strode down the steps, Artemis felt a bit relieved that she was with someone she knew for a change.

"What brings you to Gotham?" Artemis asked.

"I'm actually here with my dad. He's conducting a League investigation with Batman and Commissioner Gordon about a heist done with magic. He wanted to take me along for the ride and I wanted to meet a couple of buddies at Gotham Academy." Zatanna said as they entered the city park a few blocks from the school.

A few meters behind thick brush and trees, a figure was hidden in plain sight of the archer and magician. Lying prone, she was a prowling lion waiting to attack at the right time. Using her mask's scanner, it observed to make a move to attack the girls. This should be easy, she thought boastfully and cracked a smile under her mask.

As they head to an isolated area of the park, Artemis found a bench to sit on. Away from the public, they can have some alone time to catch up. Zatanna spotted her friend resting her head in her hands.

"Something wrong, Artemis?" She asked. Green Arrow's sidekick shook her head.

"I'm just allergic to the trees, okay?" She mumbled. Zatanna wasn't buying the excuse. She suddenly uttered:

"Trulb tuo ruoy terc..." Artemis didn't want to see what happened to Professor Ivo at Belle Reve done to her. She raised her head and looked at Zatanna.

"Okay, okay!" Artemis interrupted.

"That was faster than I thought." The younger girl said confidently, "And it doesn't take a magician to realize that you have something on your mind."

"I remember what you said in New York City about bringing secrets to the light. There are so many things going on. My head is tail-spinning, I swear." She sighed deeply and paused for a few seconds. Zatanna smiled, her concern appearing genuine. Artemis's habit of denying suddenly became ever present again. Ever since their escapade in New York, she respected Zatanna even more but doesn't trust her fully. Yet there's something different about Zatanna that makes her unique. She had been more open and upfront than the team combined.

Suddenly, Artemis spotted something behind the bushes a few meters away. She knew who their stalker was. The cat mask with a large grin and the green kimono were easily discernible beneath the sparse vegetation. Lying prone didn't help with being invisible. She didn't want Zatanna to find out that they were being followed. Zatanna suddenly touched her knee and Artemis immediately looked up with a hint of paranoia. The small hairs on her body resembled porcupine quills.

"Artemis, talk to me. You've got a load on your mind. I get it," She said wholeheartedly. "But...It's not healthy to keep whatever is in your mind for a long time. Denying it isn't going to help at all. All it does is to make you feel numb." Her last cry for concern in New York didn't seem to faze Artemis. But this time around, Artemis was hit hard with Zatanna's remark. She clenched her fist to hold back all the emotions.

"I...I...GET DOWN!" Artemis yelled. A barrage of shurikens darted from behind the brush. Artemis tackled Zatanna to save her from a rain of cold steel. The shurikens lodged into the bench instead of Zatanna's skull. They stood up to figure out who their attacker was, whom Artemis was fully aware of. Zatanna was surprised but still kept her guard up. Artemis reached for her quiver, disappointed when her fingers grasped her hair instead. She had forgotten that she was in her civilian clothes.

"Ugh...I feel naked..." The bow-less archer complained. Zatanna looked in surprise at Artemis's remark. "Not in a fun way." Suddenly, a small ball rolled slowly towards the duo. It lit up like a Christmas tree as it noisily beeped. It was a grenade! They ran away from the explosive and narrowly escaped the impact. However, they felt the fringe of the detonation. The two girls were on the ground, briefly shocked with the sudden occurrence. They slowly stood up and prepared themselves for battle once again. Artemis's vision became very blurry and gray as she saw smoke from the recently created chaos. When her vision normalized, a purple smoke enveloped her. Zatanna uttered the same spell as she had before they left for New York.

"Egnahc sehtolc otni ruo smrofinu."

Their civilian clothes turn into their combat uniforms. Their attacker leaped from her position, unseen against the harsh glare of the sunny sky. The figure cast a shadow so immense, it felt like night as the two girls watched their attacker hover over them. Artemis removed an arrow from her quill and placed it in the middle of her compound bow.

"Lock and load," Artemis said boldly. "Ready to do this, Zatanna?"

"Let's take this creep down to the ground," she replied.

A/N: What do you guys think? Leave a review. Chapter two is on the way. Thank you for reading!