Hey everyone! I just finished a spitfire oneshot with Geekyartchick that's on my profile. You should definitely check it out!


"How did you know to trust Wally?" Artemis asked as she ate dinner with her mother.

"Well I opened the door and he just went off explaining who he was and why here was there," Paula said, "He proved that he was Kid Flash too, ran up and down the hallway a few times." She smiled.

"How come you didn't tell me when I called?" She frowned.

"Because he told me that you would probably be upset," She gave her daughter a pointed stare, "And he was right. He had hoped you wouldn't even find out,"

"I just don't understand," Artemis sighed, sinking her chin into her palm.

"I do," Paula gave a little laugh, "He likes you," She grinned, leaning forward to catch Artemis's downcast eyes, "And you like him,"

"I do not!" Artemis shot up straight.

"Honey, why are you denying it?" Paula pouted, "He's such a nice boy,"

"I know," Artemis mumbled, her posture slouched again, "But I'm not a nice girl,"

"Artemis, don't you say that about yourself!" Her mother scolded, "Now you may have done some bad things in the past, but you are a good person now," Paula tipped Artemis's chin up to meet her eyes, "And the fact that you think you aren't good enough for him just makes you perfect for him,"

"How? That doesn't make sense," Artemis shook her head with a scowl.

"Yes it does. It means that you appreciate him for how wonderful he is. And that's what everyone deserves," Paula smiled warmly, "Someone who won't take them for granted, who understands just how amazing they are," Her mother's eyes gleamed. Artemis smiled back.

"Thanks Mom. That real-"

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Artemis frowned and dug her phone out of her pocket.

"Hello?"

"Hey Artemis. It's Robin. We've got an urgent mission. Can you be at the Cave in ten?" Robin's voice came through the speaker.

"Yeah, see you there," She responded. Robin hung up. Hmm. No goodbyes; must be important. Artemis bit her lip, glancing at her mom.

"Go," Paula grinned, "Save the world," Artemis tried to hold back the large smile forcing its way onto her lips. She rounded the table to hug her mother.

"I will. See you later," Artemis said before heading to her bedroom to change.

"I love you!" Paula called out.

"I love you too Mom," Artemis replied.


"What's going on?" Artemis asked as she materialized into the debriefing room. She noticed that the only team member not there yet was Kaldur. I guess it's harder to contact someone who doesn't get underwater cell service.

"I will inform the team when everyone has arrived," Batman spoke, standing ominously in the middle of the room.

"You get to come on this mission?" M'gann asked excitedly. Artemis nodded.

"Yeah I've been cleared," She smiled. Wally ran up and threw his hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, but if you accidentally hit me with one of your arrows; I'm telling," He narrowed his eyes. Artemis outwardly smirked, while simultaneously trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach.

"Even if I did hit you, it would be your fault," Artemis crossed her arms.

"Recognized: Aqualad," The computer's neutral voice called out. The team turned on instinct as Kaldur materialized. Robin gave a small wave. Kaldur joined the lineup and the team waited for Batman to speak.

"The League has received a tip on a massive overseas shipping movement of Cobra Venom. The venom is being shipped tonight from a port in South Carolina. Your mission is to sneak onto the cargo ship before it leaves and place tracking devices on all shipping containers with Cobra Venom inside. The League will handle it from there," Batman explained, bringing up geographical and satellite maps of the area, "Do you understand?" The team nodded, "Good, you leave immediately,"

And so they did; taking off in the Bioship within moments.


"Hey Artemis, what are the chances of running into Sportsmaster here?" Robin asked casually, trying to keep the tension down as he mentioned her father.

"Probably pretty good," Artemis pursed her lips in thought, "From what I've gathered he seems to be in charge of the physical dealings of shipping the Cobra Venom,"

"But you can't show yourself like last time!" M'gann panicked.

"I agree, I doubt it would work a second time," Kaldur said.

"Yeah, that was a one-time thing," Artemis waved them off.

"So do you have the trackers Robin?" Wally spoke up.

"Yup," Robin got up, giving a belt attachment full of trackers to everyone.

"Dude, I don't have a belt," Wally frowned. Robin laughed at this.

"What about those cupboards of yours?" Artemis pointed out.

"Cupboards?" Conner asked, looking over.

"Fine," Wally sighed dejectedly; emptying out five snack bars from one of his wrist attachments, "But someone has to hold onto these for me. In case I need them." Connor's eyes rose at the amount of food Wally had managed to stuff in the small compartments.

"I can take them. I'll just make a new pocket in my skirt," M'gann offered helpfully. Wally nodded, carefully stacking his precious food on the table in front of him for M'gann to get when she wasn't busy.

"So what's the plan?" Connor spoke up again, looking to Aqualad.

"It will be best if we all split up. But I am not sure how we can distinguish which containers have venom in them or not," Kaldur said.

"I know how." Artemis quipped, relived to be able to tell the team everything she knew, "Cobra Venom has been given a logo that the Shadows use to recognize their product, disguising it as some company's property. M'gann where can I draw something out?" She asked. M'gann concentrated and a screen came down from the ceiling beside her driver's seat, "Thanks," Artemis said walking over to it.

"You can just use your finger, she can recognize the heat from your skin," M'gann explained. Artemis nodded, beginning to draw.

"It looks like… this. And any containers with venom in it should have this painted somewhere on the outside," Artemis stepped back so everyone could get a view. The logo was just a large C with some abstract snake fangs, following the simplistic style of most company logos.

"We're going to be landing now." M'gann announced. Artemis took the cue and went back to her seat.

The Bioship landed on an unused dock, behind the view of a building. The team got out and worked their way to the boat through the maze of shipping containers on the dock.

"Link established. Can everyone hear me?" M'gann's voice floated into Artemis's head.

"Affirmative," "Yeah," "Hn," "You know it," "Yes"

"The Cobra Venom should already be loaded onto the ship," Robin informed everyone.

"My x-ray vision isn't picking up anything," Superboy thought.

"No one's there?" Artemis thought back, confused. Even if it's just a regular shipment there should still be someone there…

"Yeah, I don't see anyone," Superboy said. The team had made their way to the edge of the dock, though a bit spread apart.

"Should we cross to the boat?" M'gann asked.

"Yes, but everyone should be on their guard. The situation is unusual," Aqualad warned.

Everyone on the team started making their way across in their own way. How am I going to get across? Artemis looked around. She could zip line, but that left the possibility of someone finding the anchor she'll leave behind. I could sneak across using the bridge…But that seems much too obvious. Artemis continued contemplating; but before she could decide she found herself in someone's arms.

Someone's warm arms.

"Hang on tight Beautiful," Wally whispered in her ear as he swept her up and continued running. Artemis did as he told, wrapping her arms around his neck and turning her head into his shoulder to block the wind, and his view of her blush.

Kid Flash ran right off the edge of the dock; launching himself and Artemis to the deck of the ship. There's no way this landing is going to go well. Artemis thought mid-flight.

The two crashed onto the deck, rolling a bit after they landed. I was right. But I guess it was quicker than my way. Artemis thought, picking herself up off the floor as Wally did the same. She nodded to him briefly before taking off in search of the venom logo. Deciding that the landing nullified any reason to thank him for getting her over here, but the fact that he did nullified any justification for insults.

"Is everyone on board?" Aqualad sent out. A chorus of Yes's was thought back in return. "Okay, let's begin the search,"

Artemis kept an arrow nocked as she went slinking through the tunnels of shipping containers. Strange, I would have thought finding the right containers would be easy. There should be lots of them. She mused.

CRASH!

"Cobra Venom goons just jumped out of a container and attacked!" Robin spoke in warning. Artemis's head whipped around in paranoia.

"On my way," Superboy said. Artemis heard the thud of his landings as he jumped over to the ruckus Robin was making. Artemis started running through the roads the stacks of containers made. I have no idea how to find them! She thought. The sounds are echoing everywhere! Artemis growled out loud; continuing to run.

CRASH!

"More enemies here!" Aqualad said.

Artemis slung her bow onto her back and started climbing to the top of the stacks, gritting her teeth at the rough metal scratching her hands. I need to help! She thought. Artemis looked around once she reached the top. There!

The archer took her bow back into her hands, ready to shoot, as she started running across the top of the containers to the nearest crashes and shifting boxes. Reaching her destination, Artemis found Aqualad and Kid Flash fighting a group of pumped up losers. She nocked an arrow and joined in.

The fight was decently easy. Kaldur took on a few at a time with his strength and electrocution while she and Wally took on the others using speed and cunning. The team communicated as they battled.

"I believe this is an ambush," Aqualad thought.

"No kidding. Did anyone else NOT see any Cobra Venom?" Robin asked.

"I didn't. Where did the League get this tip?" Kid Flash thought.

"I know that the logo is right. It's something that I've seen used," Artemis added.

"Which means that there was never any venom here in the first place," M'gann reasoned.

"So what does that make the pl-" Robin's voice was suddenly absent.

"AAUGH!" Superboy's roar filled the air.

"Shit!" Artemis cursed, "I bet it's M'gann!" She yelled to Aqualad and Kid Flash. Each of them wasted no time in starting to head over to the sound of Superboy's angry cries. The boys made their way to the top of the stacks where Artemis already was, following her lead. The archer gasped at what she saw.

Sportsmaster was there, lined up with the rest of the lackeys; and he was holding an unconscious M'gann hostage. A knife to her throat. Artemis immediately aimed an arrow at her father.

"Let her go!" Superboy roared.

"You are in no position to be making demands," Sportsmaster stated calmly, then he looked up at Artemis, "And you should lower your arrow Artemis,"

She did, only because she knew he wouldn't hesitate to hurt M'gann.

"Artemis, how does he know your name?" Aqualad asked. Artemis internally sighed. I appreciate the acting, but I think my cover's blown.

"Come down here girl," Her father growled. Fuck. He definitely knows. She noticed Wally start to twitch, so she brushed his arm with her hand to get his attention.

"Don't do anything rash," She whispered, "He won't hesitate to kill her," Artemis didn't make eye contact with anyone as she made her way down the containers. She lined up with Superboy and Robin.

"I'd had my suspicions about your loyalty," Her father growled, Artemis grit her teeth. How am I going to get out of this? Or better yet, how do I save M'gann?

"This was a set up," Artemis stated. It was kind of a rhetorical question; something to keep him talking long enough that hopefully M'gann would wake up.

"Yes. Once I knew you were betraying me, I realized that I needed a way to get you back into the Shadow's hands," He explained, his grip on M'gann not loosening.

"Why not just wait until I would report to you next?" Artemis asked, honestly confused by his thought process.

"Because I know you," He spat, "If they have your loyalty, they have your life. It's how I raised you!" His voice getting louder, angrier, "You would have fought me to the death. This is simpler," Sportsmaster's voice calmed again. Artemis scowled. I hate that he's right.

"What do you want from me?" The teen growled.

"The shadows want you back," Her father glared, "They are quite upset with your choices,"

"And if I go with you," Artemis started, trying to shake off the eyes of her teammates that she could feel staring into her back, "You'll give her back," She looked at M'gann, still unconscious in his arms. M'gann wouldn't want me to do it. But at least if he has me, I have a chance to survive. The shadows wouldn't waste any time killing M'gann… "Okay. You can have me," Artemis stated, dropping her bow, a plan forming in her head. A really, really stupid plan.

"No!" "We can-" "Artemis!" Her teammates all yelled. They're all too hopeful; they just don't understand that you can't have everything.

Artemis stepped forward slowly, watching the knife that was digging into M'gann's throat.

"Hand's out," Sportsmaster ordered roughly. She obliged, holding her hands out in front of her so that they could be seen, weapon-free. Artemis walked closer, only a few feet away from her father.

She lashed out. Grabbing the handheld crossbow at her side and swinging it up to Sportsmaster's skull in a matter of a second. The goons had made a rush at her when she moved, but stopped when the arrow was pointed at her father's head.

"Let her go. Now." Artemis grit out; her eyes steel. Sportsmaster just laughed. The team was still tensed behind her, ready to jump in given the shot.

"You really think that will work? You pull that trigger and I plunge this knife right into her ghastly green neck," He narrowed his eyes at Artemis, daring her. Damn, I had hoped I wouldn't have to use Plan B. But I don't know what else to do. I hope I'm right…

"Fine," Artemis spat and suddenly swung the crossbow again, this time pointing at her own head, "How about one of your own tactics," Artemis could hear the team shifting around behind her, trying to think up a plan that was better than whatever the hell she was doing. What the hell am I doing anyway?

"What tactics? What good is that gonna do you?" Sportsmaster didn't move.

"The Shadows want me," Artemis started, her voice a bit shaky, "And they want me alive. I don't know why they want me alive, but they do. And you're in charge of retrieving me," Her voice growing stronger when her father's face grew serious. I'm right. Thank God. "So let her go, unharmed, or I pull the trigger on myself,"

"Why all this? I said I would give her back," He asked, eyeing Artemis carefully. Artemis shook her head.

"Because, I know you. You told me about this kind of idea once: Human Insurance," She quoted him, "Your plan was to run off with both of us and use her to keep me in line. Well you can't have both," Artemis spat angrily, "Give her up, or take me to the Shadows as a corpse," A silence followed as Sportsmaster thought it out.

"Fine," He replied tersely, loosening his grip on M'gann and dropping her to the ground.

"Back away from her," Artemis ordered, Sportsmaster frowned.

"You come closer," He ordered back.

"Uhhhhh," M'gann moaned, starting to wake up. Artemis looked at her for a second, and only a second; but Sportsmaster wasted no time to lunge after her. What ensued could most accurately be called pandemonium.

Artemis automatically tried to shoot Sportsmaster when he lunged at her, but he grabbed her wrist and jerked it out of the way. Superboy ran and got M'gann, carrying her back to safety. The rest of the team rushed forward as well, trying to help Artemis, but Sportsmaster's lackeys joined in. Artemis fought her father, but he wouldn't let go of her wrist. He dragged her backwards, unlatching her quiver as he went. She reached for it as it fell, but couldn't grab an arrow in time. The lackeys were forming a barrier and keeping the team at bay.

"M'gann!" Robin yelled to the Martian as he tried to pass the line of thugs. She was groggy, but conscious. "Can you contact Artemis?"

M'gann didn't respond to him, she didn't even really understand what was going on, but she did as she was told. She concentrated until she found Artemis's mind.

"Artemis? Where are you? What's going on? Are you okay?" She asked quickly.

"M'gann! You're okay! I don't have much time. Tell the League to hide my Mom, immediately! And tell the team that I'm really sorry that this happened, but my choices were going to catch up to me eventually," Artemis responded as she continued to struggle. Her father had handcuffed her behind her back. She winced as he launched her into a helicopter.

"What? I don't understand! Artemis I-"

"And you're probably going to blame yourself later, everyone is. But this is no one's fault but my father. Remember that, okay M'gann?" Artemis thought calmly. Sportsmaster had strapped her into a seat, handcuffing her to the inside wall of the aircraft with a second pair of handcuffs. The propellers started up.

"Why are you talking like this?" M'gann thought to her. Trying to stand up and follow Artemis but a massive headache was limiting her mental capacity. It was taking all her strength to hold onto the link between them. Artemis glared at her father. He looked back.

"I don't want you seeing where we're going," Was all he said. Artemis saw him reach for a baseball bat in the copilot seat.

"Remember M'gann! My mother! She needs to b-"

"Artemis!" M'gann screamed, reaching out with her mind as best she could. Tears were forming in her eyes. "What's going on!" She yelled to her fighting teammates.

"Did you lose her position?" Aqualad asked. M'gann only nodded, tears now falling down her cheeks.
"We can track her on the Bioship. C'mon!" Robin spoke up, heading off in the direction of the Bioship. The rest of the team followed, Superboy picking up M'gann.

"M'gann, can you bring the ship to us?" Aqualad asked. M'gann closed her eyes, concentrating. The Bioship flew over, meeting them halfway. The team gathered on board, Robin immediately heading over to the computer at his seat; typing furiously. Wally followed, hovering behind him.

"He disabled her tracker…" Robin informed everyone, trying to keep his emotions at bay. It was quiet for a bit, the hopelessness seeping in.

"M'gann," Kaldur spoke up quietly, "Did you speak to Artemis?" M'gann nodded, wiping her tears.

"She said that we need to tell the League to hide her mother," She sniffled, "And…and that she's sorry…and that this was going to happen eventually…and…and that it's not our fault…that Sportsmaster is the one to blame…" She spoke between sniffles, "What happened?" M'gann asked, frustrated.

"I need to call the League and tell them what occurred," Kaldur said, walking to the rear of the ship.

"And her mother," Wally spoke up, his voice strained, "Tell them to hide her mother," He said, all without looking up from the glare he had trained on his hands.

"I will," Kaldur confirmed, disappearing to the back.

"Well?" M'gann asked, trying to sound intimidating through her now-raspy voice.

So Robin and Superboy explained to M'gann what had happened while she was unconscious, bringing her tears on once again. Kaldur called the league, informing them, as best he could with a neutral tone. And Wally sat as still as a statue, glaring with unfocused eyes as he replayed everything over and over and over again in his head, trying to understand why he couldn't do anything to help Artemis.


There it is. A dramatic twist! I'll post the next chapter tomorrow if I get 15 reviews from the time I post this and on. If not, I'll post it in two days.

So get reviewing!

-Nexa