I don't own any of this stuff. Though I will try to stay as close to the original characters aired on the show, I should note that any other characters taken from DC comics will be used freely and not necessarily like their characters in the comics, especially personality wise, but powers, abilities, and sometimes appearance and back story may be used. Enjoy!
New York City, Now
The night waned and the sky began to slowly flicker into dawn. A weeklong search was culminating into a final all-night showdown. The team was beaten and wounded, tired and sore. Finally, the night seemed to be coming to an end, for here they were again, standing toe-to-toe -the archer and the cat.
Robin and Kid Flash had been wounded and Superboy was trying to dig out a trapped Aqualad. Even Miss Martian had been detained. So it came down to just Artemis and her prey, Cheshire.
Was it all planned out this way? Maybe it was, because Cheshire had stopped and removed her mask to reveal a proud smirk… and because Artemis' hand reached back to grab a single hand made arrow hidden deep in her quiver. The tip was as sharp as knives.
A simple rule rang in her ears as she loaded the bow faster than her sister could pull out a single weapon -kill or be killed.
"Now, now, Artemis. What would mother say?" The words were dangerous and slipped into Artemis' ears like venom.
Her hand shook for a moment, but she held her ground. Cheshire leaned in closer until the top of the arrow grazed her chin before whispering her next words.
"And wouldn't father be proud..."
Through all the training and strain, one rule had been etched into Artemis' mind -kill or be killed. Tonight she had known what was coming; she had planned for this face off. But as she stared at her sister's face, the same face that she had looked up to for years... she failed her own test. She lowered her bow and turned her head.
"Get out, you won't get another chance." She forced out of clenched teeth. She couldn't be a killer like her father.
Artemis sheathed her bow and turned around only to stop in her tracks. Kid Flash stood on the edge of the roof watching her. Cheshire's laughter echoed away into the distance.
"You let her go? You let her go! How could you?" He blurted out, the anger evident in his voice. His hand still covered his bleeding leg wound. He could barely walk, let alone run. There was no telling when he would be able to do that again.
"Wally! What are you doing here?" It was all she could manage out.
"I'm here trying to catch a criminal we've been after all night, all weak! A criminal that you just let go!"
"You don't understand." Artemis turned away from him. She was tired and beaten, both emotionally and physically. The last thing she needed was this. Besides, he was fun loving Wally, he would get over it. Wouldn't he?
"Whatever, I understand." He turned away and muttered. "I knew I never should have trusted you."
Artemis stopped in her tracks. An unseen arrow seemed to pierce her as she turned back to see his hard guarded face. There was only a moment of silence between them before the others started to show up, but it was a moment that lasted hours.
"What happened? I thought you had her, Artemis." Aqualad looked at his comrades, searching for answers.
"So did I." Kid Flash added, his words thick and condescending.
"Then she got away?" Superboy asked.
"Yeah, with some help. Artemis let her go." Kid Flash finally let out, his gaze still trained on her.
The rooftop became silent. No one needed to question him; he wasn't known for lies and the tone of his voice meant business. So Artemis stood there as they stared at her, some worried while others stood angry. This wasn't the first time she had slipped up in that past couple weeks and now she had broken their trust. That was something she knew she hated more than anything.
"This is your third insurrection in the past week. We're beginning to worry about you." Black Canary leaned forward in her chair. "I realize tracking down Cheshire must be difficult for you but-"
"I'm fine... I just slipped up. That's all, okay?" Artemis folded her arms and leaned further back into her chair.
"You're not on your own anymore... Artemis, you have family who care about you. You can open up and trust." Canary said softly. Their eyes met and Artemis knew she was sincere, but quickly broke the gaze anyway. She stood up.
"Even if that were true... I don't deserve that privilege." She walked toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To get some fresh air." Artemis closed the door behind her, soon exiting the facility altogether.
More chapters to come, Thanks for reading and I'm sorry if any characters from the show seemed out of character. Your reviews are welcomed!