Title: Alice the Tiger
Song: "Corner" by Blue
Rating:
T
Genre:
Romance, Angst, Friendship
Fandom:
Young Justice: Invasion
Couple:
Artemis/Cameron, Article Jr., Frostbite, CamArt
Inspiration:

Note: I am so, so sorry. (spoiler) also I added some Cameron Pov


"feel me in the corner
beside your mouth"


Waking up after sleep is a beautiful feeling. For the first time since she boarded the sub, or before she and Jade went to Master, Artemis woke and her eyes were clear and her mind was thin with thought. It felt wonderful. Exhilarating. For the first time in a long time she felt at peace with war and herself.

Curling beneath the blanket and burying her face in the pillow she looks out to the sink across the bed and the mirror above it. It's perfect, unbroken and unscratched unlike hers. Cameron had no trouble looking at himself in the mirror. He accepts who he is wholeheartedly and expected everyone around him to do the same, lest he ignored them.

She has a sudden feeling of something wrong and yesterday (a few hours ago? a few days ago?) crashes down on her like a wave beating against the shoreline. Relentless.

Artemis stands in front of the mirror and ties her hair back into a braid and presses her lips into a thin line. When she places her mask back onto her face she's whole again, ready to fight as Tigress, ready to claim her rights to rule back.

For a moment—the briefest—in the mirror, to her own eyes, her blonde locks shift to a dark coloring, her eyes flare black, her skin dies pale against the fluorescent light. She doesn't have time to dwell on it, though. She has work to do.


"feel me in the inside of the faintest trace of sound"


Living on the bad side is more than cunning and knowledge, its shows of strength. Grand gestures and paying homages like the days of old, like the most primal of animals, in the deepest impulses of human nature, it's a trait residing in the dominate to put down lower ranks—commonly still used in mafia families and jail capos, but criminal submarines? Please. Was this any different from a cell of mafia inmates?

With these thoughts in mind, Artemis faces the two troopers that saw her falter, the ones who mocked her, called her weak, question her place on being here.

They attack head-on, there's no calculation behind their assault. Artemis gets low under their guard and delivers a punishing kick to the place where their armor is weak at their solar plexus. Twisting around the other, she lunges, curling her legs around his shoulders and bringing him down easily. She stands between them as they slowly peel themselves off the floor towards her.

Arms circle under hers and one trooper swings forward, landing a blow directly across her face. She screams in outrage. By now people are filtering into the halls watching—those who have been to jail before know this dance, and say nothing—and faceless troopers trade bets. She finds Cameron in the crowd while ducking a punch and she can hear the words in her head.

Sportsmaster and Huntress's daughter. Cheshire's sister.

By association, she's good. By reputation, she's the best.

The two fall at her feet and she stands over them victorious. Cameron's smiling at her from the sidelines looking proud.


"it's fire under water
breathing while you drown"


"Glad you're feeling better." Cameron says and nudges his shoulder against hers. Artemis smiles and nudges back.

There's a comforting silence around them as they work today and Artemis is grateful for it.

"So, about what—" Cameron shuffles his feet in a not-so-discreet manner and Artemis tenses up at the thought of having this conversation now. Or ever. Mainly now. Well, not now because she was trying to free her mind and become one with Kaldur's subconscious with M'gann. M'gann, of course, was long gone on the brain train.

"Cam," Artemis lets the warning seep into her words, and Cameron blinks unamused with her fascia. "That boyfriend I told you about? Still there."

"But not here—" Cameron trails off and looks into her eyes, and winces. "Sorry."

"Oh my god,"

"Look—what I'm trying to say is—I don't—"

Of course, the alarm for an intruder on a submarine would sound right about now, and Cameron voices his opinion on the universe's tireless Screw Over Cameron campaign loudly. Until, of—freaking—course, Jade finds the right room off the bat.

Her sister's just that good.


"feel me in the saturation
when the sun burns out"


Cameron parries against Jade's attack, icing her wrists into shackles; he lunges back up in a fight stance. "Please tell me that the comm is down." He looks to M'gann, calm and cool despite the panic in his voice. Artemis gets low and readies to launch herself at her sister. The cut on her shoulder stings like a mother, but she'll settle for a swift kick to the gut if she has to.

"It is," M'gann says tartly and the withered video camera falls to the ground.

"Good," he says and then to Jade. "Calm down!" and in the same motion, M'gann twists her wrist carelessly, she draws Jade and Sportsmaster together so their heads collide and tosses them back against the wall. Pinning them there like flies to masking tape.


"'cause I am the one inside you
and I am the one (inside your veins)
I am the one inside you
over and over I'm here again"


Artemis's hair is gold like a fairytale, a symbol of something long past and they never got to have because they weren't just kids. They were never just kids. It's shorter now, but lovely and hanging loose around her shoulders and Cameron just wanted to card his fingers through it.

Lawrence glares at him, of course, what else would he think? Cameron was standing beside someone who looks nothing like his daughter and Jade looks skeptical as the masks melt away and they're all lying bare beyond her personas. His skin is normal, fair and white as milk compared to the Nguyen-Crock family with their Caucasian heritage. Miss Martian is staring at him, skin green and eyes like hooded thieves; taking in his disarmed body like a general spotting weakness of the enemy.

Cameron glares at her.

He feels a bubble expand around his mind as words tumble in that he knows Artemis can't hear. The Martian looks strained.

{What are you doing?}

Talkin' to you, Smart One.

{With Artemis. She's dating Kid Flash.}

I know that, Cameron snaps back. Obviously, we were just talking about that.

{Then why don't you back off?} M'gann's eyes narrow and Cameron contemplates mimicking her, but it veto's from his mind and his teeth edge into the flesh of his tongue, hard, harder, never hard enough to draw blood.

Because I miss her. I want to be near her. I want to be with her always. He thinks quickly and all too soon tries to draw them back, but the Martian's hooks sink into the words and follow them back to the source; viciously ripping away at a part of him to see the gushing red truth.

Artemis, Artemis, Artemis—His mind is ringing with her name, so much so it's painful. It's like a feeling of love and every other emotion imaginable choking in his throat. Artemis, my warrior, my best friend, my—Artemis is trust.

Artemis is a traitor! How could she do this to me! ME!? I hate her! I hate her so much! I loathe—I love—HATE!

She's got blonde hair, the prettiest, the bestest, the nicest. It's like corn silk, or rabbit fur, or pedigree. Pedigree animals with the nice, nice fur coats. Want to wrap my fingers through it and pull her close—want to kiss—want to kiss, and kiss.

Want her. Want her, love, love. No too new. Too weird. Like. Yes, like. Strong like. Almost love.

She has Wally. Hide. Hide from Kid Flash—don't care. She cares. She cares. She cares. She cares so much!

Love me, let me love you back.

"Get out." Cameron cuts out verbally and it's like he's screaming out from the shaky whisper. The Martian's pull falls and her eyes are soft, softer than he's ever seen on her and its weird, weirder than seeing her morph from one face to another. The gentleness in her features, the quiet war and silence, it's weird.

He almost ventures to comment when she snaps back into his mind with words that tear even though they're whispered. {You'll destroy everything.}


"far beyond the bruising"


Her sister gives her a long look, gazing into her eyes as if searching for something and nods as if she agrees. "It's Artemis." She says to their father and wraps her arms around her in a sort-of-not hug, her hand grazes over the slash like an apology. Her dad argues and argues and doesn't believe them at all, but Cameron rolls his eyes and Artemis glares and Jade snarls and he has to take into consideration that maybe someone might tell the truth once and awhile.

"We can't stay like this too long . . ." Cameron mutters, scratching at the back of his head irritably and glancing over at M'gann every few seconds. "The troopers will be here soon." Her best friend tenses. "Hey Jade,"

"Hello Junior," Jade says cynically and presses her hand onto her hip.

"We're going to have to fight." Artemis adds, remembering where they are and Cameron steps behind her, like reassurance.

"No problem." Cam cracks his knuckles and ice begins to creep across his skin in anticipation.

"Welcome to the family." Jade says dryly but there's a smile in her voice when she says it and her eyes lock with Artemis, and then she winks. "Ready, little sister?"

Cameron goes for M'gann when the link unravels and Artemis parries against her sister.

Her father barrels through the troopers and Jade twists after him with much more acrobatic finesse—Artemis gives chase as Cameron and M'gann war behind her. "Never go in my head again!" Ice shards explode from the room.


"something underneath"


She lets her father beat her, but not without giving a few bruises and cuts of her own. Throwing nonfatal toxins and blunt weapons, all he does is comment on her shabby work and nearly impales her with a javelin.

Then it was on like Donkey Kong.

She makes moves she knows her father wouldn't expect her to make. She fights dirty, she claws, she tricks, she pushes, and punches, and jumps, and kicks, and swipes until she remembers that he has to win. Blood blossoming against his skin and bruises of puff pink staining his tan arms; she pauses long enough for her father to attack and Daddy Dearest clubs her off side the head hard enough to make her ears ring.

"Damn," he mutters while she's still seeing three equally annoying and stupid fathers standing over her. "What's gotten into you, baby girl? You fight like something possessed."

Then he's running down the hall, taking out five troopers on the way and she has to follow him.


"feel me in the aftermath"


Tangled on the ground merely minutes later, her sister and her dad are home-free with the best of wishes and M'gann is standing over all the unconscious troopers like a warrior queen. Her face is severe, stronger than steel, not-the-girl-from-years-ago. And it makes Artemis feel cold all over with her arms bent under her as she forces herself up onto her elbows and then her hands and then her knees.

M'gann gives her a look that softens with something like regret and it rings through her voice. {Good-bye Artemis}

Make good choices! She calls almost sarcastically through the waning mind-link and hears a giggle in the distances of her mind. Tell Wally—

Tell Wally what?

—That I love him. There's something weird and wrong and just so, so sugary about her voice that it sounds fake. Like a dead lie coating her tongue, tipped in poison. It's not right, it's not. But Wally is at home, loving and waiting just for her; while she's out having adventures and staying up late in Cameron's room.

And M'gann hears it.


"when you learn the world has teeth"


She's reporting to Black Manta and Cam's hand is pressing against her lower back where her spine connected to the support beam on the lower deck. As she's reporting and trying not to cringe in pain, Black Manta's eyes wander down to the exchange and a little frown pulls at the corners of his mouth, but he smoothed it away, nodding. "I am pleased that she finished her work on Kaldur'ahm. Tigress, walk with me."

Cameron steps a little closer. She nods and bats his hand away before following him down the long corridor.

"I see you have been having some trouble lately." He says as if he had been scanning the security cameras like a hunter watches deer prance through the forest in pheasant season. "Nothing too bad I hope?"

"Sea-sickness," she says almost regretfully and masks her embarrassment thinly. "Kaldur'ahm informed me we would be at sea for long periods of time. I guess I am still adjusting since my last exhibition."

Black Manta nods because mermen and humans do take to being at sea differently, and they are superior here. "How long have you known my son?" he asks.

Artemis answers diligently with the lies her and Kaldur crafted together. "Not long, give or take a few years."

"I see," Black Manta locks his hands behind his back as he strolls along, it's casual and nervous. "May I make a personal query?"

"Of course."

"What is—and not to sound crude—what is the exact nature of your relationship to my son?" Artemis nearly trips that question catches her off-guard, she wants to laugh, then a quick glance into Black Manta's eyes and she knows he's serious. "I only ask this because of the increasing affection growing between you and Icicle Junior." He says coldly.

Artemis feels a mad flush creeping over her face with the words growing affection, and fights the smile curling at her mouth and she doesn't know why. Maybe it's the fact that Black Manta actually cares enough to ask and not go flying off the handle or simply ignore it. His son is not a pawn—scratch that, Kaldur is a pawn, but not just a pawn. He's his son. And he cares.

But if he knew the truth, he would care very little for Kaldur at all.

"We're comrades. Nothing more."

"I see, and Kaldur knows this?"

"Yes, sir, we both agreed. Why do you ask?"

"He has been watching you quite keenly since he awoke, you and Junior."

She spins a lie. "I suspect he wants to protect me. He tells be to be wary of Junior so often—"

"And I suspect you should. Nothing good can come from a traitor."

Artemis's body tenses. "Traitor, sir?"

"He fed information to a girl on a heist in the Belle Reve break-out some years ago. He even helped two undercover inmates escape. I am afraid I will never understand those outside the Light, no sense of honor."

For the first time ever, Artemis wanted nothing more than to kick Black Manta in the teeth.

"What did they do him as punishment?" she asks before she could stop herself and Black Manta glances back at her, brow raised on his forehead and impassionate as he tells her all he knows.


"'cause I am the one inside you"


Cameron's in his room, pale and warm in his human skin, bathed in a gentle blue glow from the sub-lights and rubbing the back of his neck when she walks in. "Hey," he calls cautiously and looks almost embarrassed from his forwardness from before. What was he thinking? Putting his hand on Artemis's back like that. Like nothing happened. But it felt like nothing happened. She ignored it. It felt right.

Her eyes are dark, blacker than black in her eye sockets, more so without the mask. Her expression is pained and she walks into the room with every step like an apology.

"Artemis?" She moves closer until her toes are touching his. Her hand reaches out, sliding past his cheek into his hair to the back of his neck to the collar of his shirt. Except, he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Damnit!

His heart thuds against his chest, racing with things to say—excuses, stories, anything! Anything but the truth because Artemis can't know this and everything will be okay—okay enough, okay for now—if she just doesn't—

Her hands fall across the smooth skin of his back to the puckered red scars lingering across the snow white skin. Knives, brass-knuckles, guns. His armor could protect him from everything.

He diverts his eyes downward when she gasps, looking at their feet; her bi-fabric shoes and his bare white feet. It's the parlor of his skin that makes it look worse. Every bruise and cut looks worse when you're so pale—practically blue. He wants to tell her that. Explain, but he knows if he speaks now, the moments gone. And a part of him, a part that still resent her for leaving him, wants her to see the ugly remains of what he endured.

It's unkind. But as his old man used to say, "the world has teeth" and he knows the bites deal lessons more so than not.

Her arms circle around him and his head butts against her stomach as she hovers over him, hands gripping at his shoulders and warm tears sliding across his skin. Her diaphragm shakes, and he wraps his arms around her. Listening to her lungs contract.

"I'm sorry Cam—I'm so, so sorry."

It's all he wanted.


This took forever to write! I apologize. I was reading so much. And writing in everything else.

So, I'm reading As I Lay Dying for my AP English class and I was think about how we don't really think in complete sentences. If you want an explanation for Cameron's mind-word babble. And I know I'm villanizing M'gann a bit but you can't tell me after that grievous last season that you can't see her doing that in that situation.

Review if you still love me,

~QueenVamp