Chapter Four: Betrayal

The Sportsmaster was looking at her expectantly now, sly and knowing with his machine gun wrapped firmly in his hand. Time slowed for the second time that day, seconds becoming days and minutes stretching lazily into moths-years-decades, each strain of time longer and more distorted than the last. Artemis could feel the blood began to pump into her ears and her cheeks felt warm and wet underneath her dark green mask. Anxiety began to ripple through her body like a surging wave, and for a split second she felt as though she just might drown in the emotion. Her vision was blurry, emphasizing the terrible feeling, but she quickly found her head. It wasn't an ocean of her feelings that was rising to drown her; it was the slick and salty tide of tears beginning to build up in the edges of her eyes. Which was ridiculous and feeble. Those words weren't supposed to describe her. She was strong. She was brave. She was a…traitor.

"A-Artemis?" Megan's voice asked, surprised and hesitant, breaking the young archer from her thoughts, "What 's he talking about?" she questioned, lowering a little in the air as a gesture of peace and mild understanding. Artemis shook her dizzying head, steadying herself. She had to focus, she needed to think.

The rest of the team seemed to second Megan's question, the Atlantian with a mere nod and Superboy with a hardened gaze of set anger.

"Yes, Artemis," came Jade's voice, and then Artemis felt her sister's eyes flash wit amusement, "What is Daddy talking about?"Artemis tensed.

"'Daddy?'" Megan gasped with horror as understanding pierced her mask of innocence and trust. The Martian's gaze touched Artemis briefly but was then flung at Sportsmaster. Kaldur cleared his throat, causing Artemis to divert her attention away from the unfolding scene of chaos.

Artemis turned to face her team, her body rigid.

"Sportsmaster is my father." She said quietly. The team exchanged surprised looks, all looking unsure of what to do, but not weak and Artemis swallowed and went on, "Cheshire is my half-sister."

Megan's feet hit the floor as she stood by Kaldur and Superboy, a few feet away from Artemis. On the other side, Sportsmaster and Cheshire were standing atop a rather tall pile of Venom crates, looking down at her demandingly. Kaldur was the first to say anything as understanding blew through him.

"What will you do, Artemis? You could still be part of the team. Family does not change who you can be." he said, thinking of his own father.

Artemis took a deep breath, exchanging a look with Sportsmaster.

"I could." She replied to Kaldur, lowering her bow and eyeing the team longingly. Then she threw another look at her dad before stepping over the group of teens. She hung her head and stood over by Megan. Her father glared down at her questioningly, and she returned it with a look of her own-crossing her arms as she stood by her team.

The room was once again still as the two sides sized the other up, until Artemis spoke.

"I'm sorry, Megan." She whispered to the green skinned girl next to her in a hushed tone.

"We can't help who we're related to." The Martian replied telepathically in a warm and accepting tone. Sure, she had twelve other sisters back home, but it was easier to talk with Artemis. Okay, "easier" wasn't the word. Perhaps "natural" was a better descriptive.

"Not for that-for this." Artemis corrected, and before the young orange haired teen could react, Artemis had an arrow in hand, and she was uncapping it. Just as the sickeningly sweet smell of the green gas started to waft from the opening in the arrow, Artemis shoved it into the Martian's face. Megan's eyes fluttered briefly and her hand shot out in a feeble attempt to defend herself-but then her eyes rolled back into her head and she crumpled to the floor.

Artemis looked up to catch a glint of minimal approval in her father's eye, and his giant finger finally pulled down on the trigger, sending a thick red laser into Superboy's chest, causing the boy's face to swell into rage before the Boy of Steel run at the man in blind rage. Cheshire smiled deviously and pulled out her blow darts that were laced with every kind of toxin she could muster up. Superboy roared as he charged, a red laser blasting away at his chest, but Artemis wasn't really paying attention. She was focused on Kaldur, who was approaching her, water bearers and tattoos glowing with electricity and power. Before she knew it, her bow was drawn and her eyes were calculating just how much velocity and trajectory she would need to send an arrow flying into his chest. She blinked rapidly as an image of Robin, small and vulnerable with an arrow in his chest , flashed into her mind like an unwanted house guest. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably inside of her, and her aim wavered a little.

"Why?" Kaldur asked, his watery maces out but not being held threateningly, but ready to defend their owner at any time.

"Because people get hurt if I don't" Artemis hissed, her mother's face flashing into her mind and banishing Robin into far darker recesses that would come to her in the middle of the night. Her mother had stood on two legs, once. Years ago, her mother had been able to walk. But then Artemis had gotten weak. She had told her dear father 'No'. And her mother ended up in the hospital. Her legs had been a warning-and her father wasn't a big fan of second chances. One more time, and her mother wouldn't need a hospital any more.

"People get hurt if you do." Kaldur shot back, his eyes blazing. Artemis eyed him with a sad look.

"I know." She replied solemnly, and she released the arrow, sending it flying into the air. However, before it sank into its intended target, it was broken by a solid blow by Aqualad's mace. The Atlantian growled and launched himself at Artemis, his maces fixed securely in his hands. She dodged out of the way just as the one in his right hand blasted against the floor. He stood up, looking around for the blonde-his eyes widening a bit as he ducked all the way to the ground to avoid an arrow that sailed just over his head and sinking into a nearby wall.

The Atlantian stood up, and then aimed one of his water bearers at Artemis, and a surge of powerful water tore at her, dousing her, soaking her all the way down to her bones and pushing her down to the floor. She was on her knees with her arms supporting her, coughing and disoriented from the blast of water. Kaldur sheathed his bearers, and then knelt down to touch the trail of water that lead to the coughing teen, sending electricity to pulse through the water. The electricity hit her hard, and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to hit the floor in a hard and unforgiving way.

Kaldur cocked his head at Artemis's still figure and his eyes widened. He always seemed to forget that not everyone on his team was more than human, aside from Robin and Artemis, and he ran to kneel down by the girl, his webbed fingers about to probe her neck for a pulse.

Just as his skin made contact, Artemis whirled into a sitting position with an arrow hidden in her hand. The movement surprised Aqualad, causing him to pause while he processed the latest turn of envents-but the quick stop was just enough time to land the arrow in his shoulder.

Suddenly the Atlantian felt lightheaded, and the world swirled in his eyes. He felt dizzy and unbalanced, and he slumped to the ground, the world darkening.

"Cheshire's jellyfish toxins…highly concentrated." Artemis explained guiltily, her voice barely penetrating the fog in Kaldur's mind.

"I'm so sorry, Kaldur." She told him, and then his world faded to black.

Artemis stood up, her body still tingling from the electricity that had coerced through her, searing her skin. The room was a different kind of silent now. Not the silence forced by tension, but that of emptiness. She turned to see Cheshire already piling Kaldur and Megan into a pile, and her father had Superboy draped over his arm like a rag doll.

"Kryptonite powder in the darts mixed with toxin." Cheshire explained, coming to stand by Artemis, answering to how the nearly indestructible boy was lying limply on the floor as her father tossed him to the ground beside his teammates. Artemis shrugged, her stomach empty.

"I didn't think you could do it." Jade said after the momentary pause and Sportsmaster approached his daughter and her half-sister.

"Cheshire," the man growled from behind his mask, "Go unload the rest of the shipment while me and Artemis load up the Justice Brats." He ordered, and Cheshire shrugged, melting away into the shadows.

Sportmaster nodded, turning towards Artemis.

"Heko me get 'em into their cages. Bird Boy's gone, which means we lose the Gotham market, but I'm still sure other's will pay to have Aqualad, Superboy, or Miss Martian-not to mention Kid Flash-where is he?" He father began, then realized the speedster was not among the fallen heroes.

Artemis felt her heart quicken.

"He went to go drop off a sample a few minutes ago-he should be back any second." She answered. How could she have forgotten Wally?

"Then I guess you'll be waiting for him." Sportsmaster said, smiling.

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Author's Mailbag:

Rowanfall: That would have been sooooo AWKWARD! 0.o Love the enthusiasm, by the way! It's nice to see and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

GrayAreas: Thanks! That's an amazing compliment!

Stargazer128: Sorry about Robin…And I'm really glad you didn't explode! And thanks! I love virtual brownies! :D

Scarlet mist: I hope your pillow survived. And thanks for forgiving me! I'm going through a cliffie phase right now. :D

KaliAnn: Thanks! Man, this took forever! And thanks for noticing the character development.

Sam: You've put some thought into this! And thanks!

Tony: Love the face! ^_^

Celadon Catamount: Nothing is scarier than an angry Batman…that may be fun to write one day. Hmm, good idea with the Kryptonite arrow.

Kiwisilence: Thanks! And, that last part surprised me, to be honest! LOL! And by the way…is your name like the bird kiwi or the fruit? Sorry, I've just been wondering… :D