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Chapter: 29
"Whatcha doing?" a voice asked. Tori, not stopping in her sketching replied while completely mesmerized in what she was doing,
"Drawing," she said. Tori knew it was Garfield, his curiosity revolving around the dimension travelers never ceasing especially now that more of them have come through. The mission regarding the Mars spacecraft launch had been going on for three hours now. It was almost sundown when the launch was going to initiate and Tori really hoped she, Dick and Jason were wrong about what was going to happen…yet deep down she felt that it really would result in something horrible,
"What are you drawing?" another voice asked from behind her, it was Cassie,
"I dunno," Tori said, "Just sketching,"
"It's really good!" Wonder girl said with a bright smile,
"I try," she replied, "But you can't even tell what it is yet,"
"Doesn't mean it's not good,"
"Where's Jason and Dick?"
"I think Jason growled something about sleeping or something and Dick just left the training rooms," Cassie said,
"And you know that how?" Tori wondered, she knew Jason had not been sleeping well and understood the daytime and evening naps…but not how Cassie knew. She didn't really care, but was just wondering because Jason also did not like the fact that he was here ever since Gar asked him all those questions,
"You asked, I answered," was the reply and Tori rolled her eyes but didn't press,
"Can you draw a cat?" Garfield asked, leaping onto the couch next to her,
"I could definitely try," Tori said, almost laughing when Garfield turned into a green cat and stretched out as if to model for her. Tori moved to turn the page of the sketch book she bought on one of the few escapades she and Dick had been allowed to go on before the Leaguers went off-world when a page slipped loose and fell on the floor,
"I got it!" Cassie said helpfully, moving to leap over the back of the sofa to pick it up,
"No!" Tori cried, leaping up and snatching it herself not before Cassie got a glimpse of it. The drawing was of a Talon. One that had specifically tried to kill her a few nights before Tori had been thrown into the other world. It wasn't William she knew, they had a strange yet useful understanding. It was someone else and she assumed it was the Grandmaster who sent him or her after her,
"Whoa! That looked so cool! Why hide it?"
"Trust me, that is anything but cool," Tori snapped, groaning internally at the hurt look Cassie gave her. Leave it to her to make one of the teammates sad over nothing, especially when they were about to find out one of their teammates had died…probably, maybe…most likely,
"Gar," Tori said, eager to change gears, "Do you want to learn how to do a pullover on the bars?"
"Yeah!" Garfield cried excitedly before bounding off to the training areas,
"sorry for yelling," Tori said to Cassie,
"It's alright, but I still don't see why you're trying to hide good art. It's just a picture isn't it?" Tori sighed as she turned to follow Garfield out of the living room area,
"If only it was," she muttered, hoping Cassie couldn't hear.
"Gar, stop turning into a monkey!" Tori said for the fifth time since they entered the gym area. Gar pouted still as a green monkey hanging from the lowest bar of the uneven bars before turning back into himself,
"But I can do the pullover better as a monkey,"
"Yes, but one day you'll need to do one as yourself,"
"You can't possibly know that,"
"It's a possible scenario,"
"Fine," Garfield said hanging off the bar by his hands. Tori smiled and stepped next to the bar,
"You need to swing and bring your chin to the bar. The rest of you will follow,"
"It doesn't sound hard, how come I keep getting stuck!"
"You get stuck because you don't use your core strength to right yourself,"
"I have core strength!"
"You need to use more of it, and try to use your momentum to help as well,"
"I'll fall off if I kick up any harder!"
"No you won't," Tori said, "You're grip on the bar is tight enough, you'll be fine,"
"Will you spot me one more time?" Gar asked pleadingly,
"You don't need me to but fine," Tori said, moving to stand to his left at the bar, "Go on, kick up," Gar nodded determinedly and kicked upward with his legs while pulling his chin to the bar at the same time. Tori barely touched his back as he went and finished with his arms straight and his hips at the bar,
"I barely did anything!" Tori cried, "Now do it again and by yourself, I know you can do it," Garfield smiled brilliantly before dropping down on the mat ready to go again only M'gahn walked into the training room looking nervous and worried. Tori immediately knew that face. It was the face of bad news,
"H-hi…sorry to interrupt," M'gahn said, twisting her hands that were clasped together in front of her. Tori didn't say anything for a moment,
"How was the mission?" she didn't know why she asked…she knew exactly how it went…horribly,
"It…well…the spacecraft exploded," she replied, "I-I need to speak to Garfield,"
"Take all the time you need," Tori said as Gar followed M'gahn out of the room. She could feel the knot of nerves in her chest twisting. Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow was January tenth and someone had died tonight. Tori took a deep breath before moving to the cave wall of the training room that should really be covered by mats otherwise people would get hurt if they are accidentally tossed into the wall. She felt angry, a familiar emotion since her death and resurrection as a Talon. It had once controlled her…and sometimes it still did.
With a yell she punched the wall, leaving a slight crater and then slammed her back against the wall. Too angry to care that her hand had just broke…it wasn't like she could feel it. She hadn't known Artemis well, but she had been making a difference. She was a good person and she didn't deserve to die. If Nightwing had let them, her, Dick and Jason, come on the mission, her death might have not happened because they knew it was going to happen.
Tori took a deep breath and slid down the wall to the floor with her hand cradled against her stomach as it healed. It wasn't fair how many good people died so young. How could this happen so suddenly and abruptly…Tori knew that sometimes there were things you just couldn't control and sometimes people don't die and heal and get better, but death still doesn't come easy. It never does and it probably never will,
"I take it Artemis is dead," a voice, Jason, said from the entrance of the cave. He loped over to her and sat down next to her,
"M'gahn had to tell Garfield," Tori muttered,
"This is just messed up. Why did she have to die here too?"
"I don't know. I never knew her, but she fought hard in The Culling. That's what Tim said,"
"I know. But it isn't right," Jason snapped,
"It's really not," Tori agreed,
"What happened to the wall?"
"I punched it,"
"Angry?"
"Yeah,"
"Anxious?"
"Yes,"
"Tomorrow won't be as hard as last year. I promise,"
"Don't make promises you can't keep,"
"Trust me Tori. I should and do know," Tori didn't say anything, just let out a sigh. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Dick hurried in, a certain look in his eye that caused both Jason and Tori to stand,
"What is it?" she asked,
"Fearless leader Nightwing isn't at the wake in the living room,"
"So?" Jason monotoned,
"Superboy said he went to tell Wally that Artemis is dead,"
"Again so?"
"He's not heading for Palo Alto. He's heading for Bludhaven," a momentary pause,
"You put a tracker on yourself?" Jason asked dubiously,
"He is not me. Trust me on that," Dick said, "This guy is more like Batman than I'll ever be and that scares me,"
"I feel sorry for him then," Jason said as Dick started to leave the room,
"I'll get dressed," Tori said,
"Grab my holster will you?" Jason asked as he followed Dick out to the main room where the zeta tubes were. The Team wouldn't stop them, not when they were mourning the loss of a friend and teammate.
They leapt across the warehouses by the docks of Bludhaven. The moon high in the sky and their shadows keeping time to their movements. Tori didn't know why Nightwing would lie to his team and frankly she didn't care. All she could really think about was tomorrow. From what little she could hear from Superboy and Mal talking, it had been a former teammate who killed Artemis. Someone named Kal? Kalu? Tori couldn't hear the last bit as Jason and Dick stepped through the zeta tubes and blocked out the name. All she knew is that this team had been betrayed at one point in time. She now knew why everyone was so on edge about outsiders.
They landed on the last roof closest to the harbor of Bludhaven's edge. It looked out to the forest-y land across the way, and even further with her brilliant vision, Tori could see Gotham, with its back to the rest of the city. She could hear sirens from all corners of the city blaring at once and a lot of water hoses blasting at buildings. How Dick could once live in the city escapes her,
"So this is where you ran off to," Tori muttered,
"I did not run off to here," Dick stated, sounding slightly annoyed,
"Whoa, okay then," Tori said plugging her ears with her fingers, "I'm just saying, it's noisy,"
"Sorry. It's just…this version of me is so secretive and so unlike me! It's getting on my nerves,"
"Not only that but this is a seriously sketchy place to be on the night one of your friends has been murdered," Jason added unhelpfully, "Whatever this guy is in, it is bound to go shitty,"
"Thanks Jason that makes me feel so much better," Dick said with false cheeriness. Jason smirked and gave him and two fingered salute as if to say 'your welcome champ!' Dick rolled his eyes, "Let's just get inside,"
Once inside the dark clichéd warehouse, they silently walked along the catwalks above the main floor in crouches. Dick was the first to spot his double leaning up against the boxes fiddling with his hologram gauntlet. A trill of metal banging against something echoed through the room causing both Tori and Dick to turn and glare at Jason who glared back and pointed below and shook his head 'not me' he mouthed—he had left his helmet at the cave—,
"Wally?" Nightwing called out into the darkness,
"No," an unfamiliar voice said as a tall figure in black armor appeared. He was African American with light blond hair and light grey eyes. Nightwing tensed as if preparing to fight before relaxing,
"Kaldur," he said. Tori stared stunned…why would Nightwing be talking to a guy who just killed his friend? Apparently Dick, who couldn't take just standing there still as a statue any longer muttered,
"Oh that's it," before leaping over the railing and landing on the boxes Nightwing had just been leaning against, "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, ignoring the swish of weapons being unsheathed rang as both Kaldur and Nightwing surged into alertness,
"Conversing with the traitor teammate who murdered one of your friends! What the actual hell is wrong with you! You cannot possibly be my doppelgänger here, this is just insanity,"
"Definitely. I'd expect this from myself, but you? Naw, Goldie you would never do this," Jason stated, as he leaned lazily against the railing of the catwalk,
"What are you doing here?" Nightwing snapped,
"Following you oh fearless leader," Tori said icily. She wasn't going to judge, not until she had all the answers…though she could feel her blood singe by the anger she felt for this Dick Grayson. She curled her hands around the railing so she wouldn't try to touch her blades, "What else would we do when you slink off after your friend was killed by this very man on false pretenses,"
"It's not false pretenses," Nightwing said, "You just don't know all the facts," Tori glanced at Kaldur, analyzing him: his stature, how he stood, his weapons, his armor and his eyes. Danbury had taught her that everyones' eyes held a story. If read right you can know if they will follow through with the kill or chicken out and based on that read you can act before they do. When Tori looked into his eyes, she didn't see a killer. He didn't have the look in them or the attitude. Hmm, Tori thought, curiouser and curiouser. She didn't say anything, just listened and waited,
"Then explain…because I am very close to ripping 'Kaldur's' puny head right off his neck," Jason muttered, "I know exactly what it feels like to die and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially not an old friend," Nightwing opened his mouth to hopefully explain but was cut short by someone else calling out into the warehouse,
"Nightwing?"
"Wally?" Dick said unintentionally while cocking his head to the side confused,
"Over here," Nightwing called, clearly relieved not to explain. He moved towards the direction of his friend but Tori leapt down in front of him,
"You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself!" she stated just as Wally zoomed over,
"Wait…whoa…dude, why are there two of you?" Dick sighed,
"I'm him from another dimension, that's Jason from that same dimension and that's my cousin Tori from another dimension," he said fast,
"You have a cousin name Tori?" Wally questioned, "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Really? Out of everything that's what you say? This really is Wally West," Jason snapped,
"Are you really Jason?" Wally asked,
"Enough of this! What the hell is going on! Why are you meeting in warehouses, harboring encrypted and password protected communicators and why the hell are you lying to your own team!"
"We're doing it to save the world," an even newer voice stated before a young woman wearing a jacket with the hood up stepped in next to Wally. She reached up and pulled down the hood. The room was completely silent…Tori had seen enough of the case file on the computer back home to know who that was,
"Artemis?" she asked, taking a deep breath as her mind whirled at the possibility that she'd been resurrected so soon and how that was possible and why anyone thought that this was a good idea when there were side-affects from doing that…when there were consequences herded onto that resurrected person's shoulders. Living was wonderful but knowing what dying feels like is something that will keep you awake at night,
"Don't tell me you resurrected her," Jason spat out, his eyes narrowing to slits in anger,
"I never died," Artemis stated calmly,
"What?" Dick cried, jumping down from the crates, Jason joining him,
"This has all been a misunderstanding," Nightwing said, "Kaldur's been on a deep undercover mission for months. He's spying on the Light and trying to figure out what their objective is for the Team and the Justice League…though the Team doesn't know it,"
"Artemis is going to join him…but to do that and to allow Kaldur to have his father's trust she had to die, and die at his hands," Wally said, though he was clearly unhappy about it which was shown through the slight glare he cast at Nightwing,
"My father works for the Light. If I am to get answers I must gain his trust by any means necessary, no matter the sinisterness of those means," Kaldur said,
"Nothing happens the same way twice," Tori muttered to herself, the saying just popping into her head. Jason frowned and looked down at her,
"Did you just quote…"
"Shut up," Tori interrupted, "Why not tell the team?"
"They needed to believe that Kaldur truly betrayed us. It's the only way any of this would be believed by our enemies. I don't like this anymore than you or anyone else, but it must be done,"
"There had to have been another way than straight up lying," Dick snapped, "This will turn you whole team against you and both Artemis and Kaldur…and if what's happening here is anything like what happened in our world, you'll need everyone you can get on your side,"
"What happened on your world?" Wally asked,
"A war that caused me to fight my own brothers for Batman's cowl," Dick growled, "Nearly got Tim and Jason killed…again and made me become Batman for a whole bloody year,"
"Whoa snappy…I was nowhere near death," Jason said, "Plus, I was the one who stabbed Tim with a batarang not you," Tori rolled her eyes, she may not remember what had happened during the Crisis, but she knew how much danger they had all been in from what happened and their fight. She had become Oracle 2 soon after that,
"Guys, not the point or the time to discuss stabbings and near death experiences," Tori stated, snapping her fingers in front of the boys and the now stunned ex teammates and former teammates. Dick took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff,
"We won't interfere or tell anyone of what you are doing. I don't agree with this, I think this is stupid and selfish. This will hurt people and quite possibly kill both of you…but we won't interfere,"
"In other words he's disappointed in you," Jason stated, crossing his arms, "Do what you want. It's not our mess to clean up…but be careful, don't let anyone die for real,"
"Wait—did you really—?" Wally started,
"Bye," Jason snapped before leaping back up to the catwalk and out the window they came in. Dick sent one last glare at his counterpart before following him. Tori sighed,
"Good luck," was all she said…she couldn't think of anything else to say. Tori had no way of knowing the outcome of this event…because this never happened. This world, however similar, was very different afterall. Tori turned and leapt after them,
"Could you please explain to me what the hell just happened?" Wally demanded as soon as the window was closed. Tori rolled her eyes at his extreme confusion before darting off to find Dick and Jason.
A/N: I actually haven't read the Crisis comic or the Battle of the Cowl comic so I didn't exactly go into detail on that. I know what vaguely happens and I don't think Dick would want to go into detail anyway. I will read those comics though, I really want to. Anyway:
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Next chapter on Monday and a Short Story on Wednesday!
