Disclaimer: I don't own the Young Justice series!
Title: Bandages and Homicide
Summary: Artemis, fresh to all the team-like things of life after watching her sister escape into the night, contemplates the ways to kill off every single one of her teammates, should she find herself in that position. Oh, and she gets her wounds wrapped. There's that too.
Warnings: Frank discussion of death and blood. Artemis is new and unsure how to do the non-lethal thing.
...
Artemis was just pondering the pros and cons of offing a superhero when they got back to the base, battered and bruised.
She'd hate to make someone have an 'accident', she really would, but most of these lame-brains are in it for the kicks. They need to be weeded out. Artemis isn't playing to play; she's playing to survive.
Kid Flash and Robin are standing close to Aqualad, she noticed, lip curling with distaste. Her father had taught her from a young age that if you were going to do something, you did it loudly. You know what's more amazing then a good leader stiffly leaning against friends? A good leader who's openly bleeding all over the place, yet can still draw his weapon and fight with precision.
Of course, Artemis wasn't leader. Even worse, she was the outcast to a tight pack of wolves. She had no real right to speak her mind on the do's and don't's of leading a team.
To be honest, she's not sure exactly how all of this is going to play out. Had she been with Sportsmaster, he would've told her exactly how it was. If he was going to beat her to death, he'd say "I'm gonna beat you to death." and mean it. These people are far more... secretive.
Right. She took a deep, steadying breath, thankful for the lack of martian mind interference. It's terrifying to know she has to keep every thought in check.
Do it for mom, she reminds herself. Do it so you don't end up in jail. Do it so social services won't come knocking on your apartment door.
(Do it for you.)
The hardest one of them to kill, she guessed, would be the martian. Sure, Robin had years of training under his belt, but M'gann was telepathic. One thought and her 'accident' turns into a murder. It'd have to be some quick, efficient, and unexpected.
Okay. Poison or gas it it, then. She'll see if she can find a special alien kind on the black market.
Robin, as she's said, has ninja skills. He also had Batman. Batman has promised to keep his mouth shut about her, well, everything. You don't tick off Batman.
Robin is an emergencies-only kill. Underground explosion. He won't be able to get out easily, and the proof will be buried.
(Speaking of caves, Sportsmaster once had her navigate through a network of caves with no map and only a small knife to hunt with. She was ten. Looking back on it now, she wonders if that was his attempt to kill her.)
(To be fair, she's 'accidentally' shot him with her bow multiple times, one of which landed him almost in his grave.)
They all begin to scatter throughout the room. Artemis digs her bow into the hard floor and settles on gimping towards the transport. Her job is done. Best to make herself scarce.
Cold fingers wrap around her wrist. "You're injured."
Artemis swings around, eyes narrowed. "So are you." She returns, assuming it's a challenge, but the martian bites her lips and nods.
"We... we clean up together, after every missions. You know, bandage our wounds and all that. Would you mind... want to come with?"
It's her choice, then. Artemis nods. Better than coming home to her mother covered in blood. "Fine."
M'gann starts to pull her, but she yanks her hand away. She's a tool, not a pet. The martian opens her mouth to say something, then snaps it shut.
"This way."
Aqualad, she thought, eyeing him as he dabbed alcohol at the points of injection. Now, Kaldur is easy. Stern, but so trusting. With the added benefit of him being the equivalent to a walking piece of sushi, sans seaweed.
A bonfire, some of her sister' poison darts, and a length of rope. Brutal, but effective.
(She's done worse.)
M'gann grabs a first aid kit- there's a decent amount of them on a shelf, Artemis notices- and directs her to a small half-bed, half-chair. It's a mix of a hospital and a waiting room; it's the infirmary.
"May I?" She pats the box. Artemis tries to find what she's getting out of this, but comes up blank. Maybe it's a martian thing? Do martians even bleed?
"You're hurt too." The words come out before she can stop them.
Even though Artemis remains perfectly still, she's waiting for the hand to connect with the back of her head. The fist to the face. Kick in the gut. Some demeaning comment. Something.
Kid Flash snorts and turned away. The others, busy dabbing this and that, don't even look up.
"Fine." She grunts, like this isn't a way the martian could slip something into her wounds and kill her. Jade told her a story about that once.
Jade, all grown up, hating her guts for not listening and leaving...
No. Focus. Next person.
Superboy is all anger. She eyes him quietly growling to himself. It'd be easy to tip him over the edge. The right words, a lingering touch or two- okay, that's more for her benefit than his destruction- and bam. He flies into a rage that forces a mercy-kill.
That could work. He's still a toddler mentally, after all.
M'gann averted her eyes. Artemis bristled, wondering if she's listening in on her, but then she notices her hand hesitantly hovering between them.
"Your face." She says, as though all will become clear from those words. "It's bruised."
"I know." She raises an eyebrow. It's hard to miss. "So what?"
M'gann waves her hands in a vague notion. "Super identity, and all that." She pushes the first aid kit into her lap.
Artemis lets out a low snort. "I'm not Robin." Robin probably had a family to protect. The last civilians that had messed with her family had been found scattered across the city in chunks. Artemis hadn't been there for the slice 'n dice, but she had ridden along for the disposal.
With that in mind, she hooks her fingers under her cowl and pulls it back, tugging her ponytail to its freedom.
Kid Flash, she thought distractedly, dabbing at a small cut on her cheek, is a matter of timing. He put himself seconds above the grave every time he used his powers. One little trip, and gravity would end him.
He'd probably crack his head, she decided. Or his spine. Or maybe both-
Speaking of Kid Flash, he's currently staring at her.
Artemis lowers her alcohol swab. "What?"
He squinted at her. "I always thought it was just your funky-looking headpiece, but it's not." He said slowly. "Are you Asian?"
"Duh." Lying about her heritage is a moot point. A simple look at her face proved otherwise. "Why?"
He lifted his hands in surrender. "I just thought- blonde and all..."
"I'm half." She grit out.
"Ah."
A discreet glance around the room reveals a newfound trust in their eyes. They still aren't sure of her worth, but they at least know she doesn't have to hide her face.
Artemis discards her notions, for the time. If they're this easily bought, she should be fine.
(Who was she kidding? She didn't have it in her from the start. Too many what-ifs. Besides, killing a hero is a surefire way to end up in a bag in a dark alley somewhere.)
Author's Note: You can't tell me Artemis hasn't planned multiple superhero deaths before. As the child of assassins, it's second nature. =)
-Mandaree1