Hooo boy, so this is being uploaded at 4AM on a Sunday, or I guess technically Monday? I was visited by the procrastination monster and more or less caught up on sleep for two days before writing this, which is why it's so late. But this installment marks the beginning of a hopefully regular upload schedule, so hooray for that. From now on I'll be posting every Sunday! I'm intending for this story to have at least 40 chapters, so I've got a looong way to go. I try to have every chapter have at least 6000 words, but I usually get a few thousand more than that, depending on how much goes on in each cordoned off section of the story, so it usually takes me a full day's worth of work to write a chapter and go over it. Anywho, see you next time!
HAPPY HARBOUR MALL
August 7, 13:37 EDT
When M'gann had informed me that she had never been to a mall, I had offered to take her as soon as I got the all-clear to resume normal life. She had clapped and thanked me profusely, which had at the time convinced me it would be worth it but now I wasn't so sure. We had made our way across the mall, getting her a cellphone which she had immediately programmed my number into and a handful of various articles of clothing.
Now we were in an Ardene, surrounded by hot pink and fake rhinestones, California Gurls was on it's third repeat and I was ready to stab someone. An overly peppy employee greeted us, going through the usual sale spiel and then we moved towards the bathing suits. Black Canary had suggested we have a beach day tomorrow, and M'gann didn't have anything to wear.
She examined a particularly horrendous number, with fringes a terrible shade of turquoise and animal print. I shook my head, "absolutely not, my mother would kill me if she knew I as much as looked at that."
M'gann dropped her hand, turning to look at me, "is it that bad?"
"I mean that, and she's a snob. I think she might faint if she knew I was shopping in a mall instead of some downtown boutique somewhere."
M'gann laughed and I directed her to much less terrible fashion options. Twenty minutes later we had settled on a yellow two-piece for M'gann, with boy-short bottoms and I had gotten a white one piece with a sweetheart neckline, spaghetti straps and a tiny diamond cut-out that showed my belly button.
For a second, for a second I mulled over the scars littering my back, the reason I never wore anything that showed my torso. My heart jumped up in my throat as I remembered how I had gotten them, scars I hated not because they were ugly but because of what they reminded me of. Of a little girl curled into a ball on a bed that would never really be hers, sobbing and hating how weak she was, how she couldn't fight back.
And then I did one of the breathing exercises Black Canary had shown me and the panic was manageable.
We walked out of the mall with bags of clothes and food we had grabbed from the Chinese place inside. I had made sure to get enough for everyone, and M'gann was tittering about some kind of hair product. By the time I was sitting in a chair on the Bioship, I was fine.
I swung my chair to face her, "so, you're into Superboy right? Like violently into him."
The Bioship jerked, a sure sign I had gotten to her. Her cheeks were on fire, skin she had reverted back to the normal martian green stained with pink. "What do you mean? Superboy and I are just friends, I mean not even really that, he doesn't really talk to me? He kind of just stands there? I mean not that he should talk to me, hello Megan! I'm an idiot and he's ridiculously perfect-" she abruptly cut herself off and I turned my chair back to face the window, a wide grin splitting my face.
"Oh you have it bad."
MOUNT JUSTICE
August 7, 15:49 EDT
M'gann had tugged me with her to go show Dinah her purchases, who was monitoring while Red Tornado was on some mission. Dinah was a good sport, humming appreciatively at the appropriate times and assuring M'gann that yes, florals would look good on her.
I was currently in the middle of describing the swimsuit M'gann had been looking at, Black Canary laughing, "I'm telling you Dinah, it was horrendous. Worse than those outfits that Stephanie girl wanted for our recital last year.
Her nose wrinkled, obviously recalling the leopard-print leotards the dancer had wanted. Blissfully, the head costumer talked her out of it, and we were given simple black dresses. M'gann's ears almost perked up at the mention of a recital, and she turned to me with a soft smile, "do you perform?"
I nodded, "Catwoman more or less insisted that Rob I pick up an art form each, I chose dancing."
Her head cocked to the side, "what did he choose?"
I smirked, "sworn to secrecy on that one, sorry."
"Please," she begged, hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were practically sparkling with curiosity.
"Nope," I replied, popping the p, "that kind of betrayal wouldn't go unpunished, god knows he has enough dirt on me to tell you something way worse."
She pouted, "I could just tug it out of your mind, you know."
I shook my head, "you wouldn't though."
"No, no I wouldn't," she sighed. Then she perked up almost immediately, "did you want to learn those blocking techniques still?"
Dinah raised an eyebrow, "blocking techniques?"
M'gann chattered on excitedly, "I was gonna show her how to protect her mind some from telepathy, Martians are taught how since birth, I think it might be why humans are so susceptible to mind control by telepaths."
I gave BC finger guns, "basically she's teaching me occlumency."
Dinah snorted, "you two have fun with that, I have to go see Green Arrow."
"You have to go see GA?" I said, waggling my eyebrows suggestively.
She flicked a pillow at me on her way out, "oh hush."
M'gann tapped my shoulder, and I turned to see her with a wide smile on her face, "you wanna get started?"
MOUNT JUSTICE
August 8, 09:58 EDT
I sighed, breathing in the hot air as we exited the Cave. The sun felt nice on my skin, and the salty smell of the wind was a refreshing change for my nostrils, which were clogged with the smell of Gotham's early morning traffic, the oppressive heat doing nothing for the smell of the city.
M'gann strode ahead of the rest of us, wakeboard clutched in one hand as she stretched her arms out and faced the sea. "Hello Megan! We should hit the beach every day!"
Rob smiled and then his face grew grim, turning his face down into his hand, "first, a moment of silence for our… absent comrade."
M'gann closed her eyes, lowering her head, "poor Wally."
I had to agree, the poor guy was stuck in Keystone High, for his very first day of the new semester. I shook my head, "what kind of hellscape of a school opens so early?"
After a few beats of quiet, Rob lifted his head. "Okay, moment of silence over, let's have fun."
We cheered, and I laid out a blanket to lounge on, basking in the warmth of the sun. Kaldur, in an odd change in demeanor grinned down at me, "the cat doesn't like water?"
I narrowed my eyes, "the cat doesn't believe in being anything less than pleasantly warm until at least noon."
He grinned even wider and suddenly I noticed Dick approaching my feet. Instantly growing suspicious I drew up my legs, but he already had a hold on my ankles, and Kaldur a grip on my wrists. I looked at him sadly, "et tu, Brute?" He simply grinned wickedly and they carried me within flinging distance of the water, swinging me back and forth, "please, please don't-" I was cut off by the sensation of flying through the air, having just enough time to take a deep gulp of air and plug my nose before I hit the ice-cold water.
Bubbles exploded up around me and my eyes screamed in irritation as the saltwater attacked them. I did however notice that they had thrown me in just deep enough for a viable revenge plan. I kicked in a little further, to where it was too dark for them to see me and waited.
My lungs were screaming for air and I was just about to give up and go sulk when I spotted a pale leg enter the waves, and I could just barely hear my name being called above water. I swam quietly forward, and then quickly grabbed Dick's ankle, yanking him down into the water. I resurfaced, gasping for air and laughing at the same time.
The others laughed too and M'gann tilted her head to the side, "what was that?"
I forced a solemn expression on my face, "betrayal."
The rest of the day was ridiculously fun, we swam and fooled around, Rob and I taught them how to grill hot dogs and marshmallows, we played beach volleyball, M'gann and I on a team against whichever boys felt like it and we won, ten to six. We even buried Superboy in a ridiculous mountain of sand. Kaldur was a mother hen, reminding us all to reapply sunblock and M'gann and Superboy seemed to be having a good time, thoroughly enjoying their first time at the beach.
We ended it all sat around a bonfire talking about whatever came to mind. I was in the middle of a story about one of Selina and I's escapades when we were interrupted by Red Tornado, who emerged from the Cave in his usual nonchalant manner. "You're all needed within the Cave, though please do suit up."
We exchanged looks, Kaldur giving RT our affirmation as we tidied up after ourselves. Walking towards my bedroom here, I pondered over what kind of mission could come up so abruptly.
After drying off, and slipping into my suit, I sighed at my hair. The saltwater had done it no good on the manageability front and now it was big and even curlier than usual, falling around my face in shoulders in what could only be described as a poof. I contemplated braiding it for once before shaking my head at myself for caring so much and pulled it up in it's usual high pony.
When I walked into the mission room, everyone was already there, the Team on one side and Red Tornado, Batman, GA and a girl I had never seen before on the other. My curiosity was piqued, to say the least and I strode to my usual place next to Robin.
The girl was taller than me, and clearly older as well. The mask made guessing hard but I'd put her anywhere between Wally and Kaldur's age. She was darkly tanned, with bright blonde hair. Clothed in green gear with GA's symbol emblazoned on her chest and a bow and quiver strapped to her back, it didn't take a genius to figure out she was Green Arrow's new protégé.
The thought stung, like the final nail in some proverbial coffin. Roy was never coming back, he'd never be Speedy again, we'd never spar for fun or watch rom-coms for the sole purpose of criticizing them again, he'd never be our Roy again. And damn if that didn't hurt.
The girl seemed almost nervous. Not the usual, bite-your-fingernails, sweaty palms nervous mind you. It was a kind of anxiety I knew too well, where you steel your face and become overly defensive in a desperate attempt not to let anyone know you give a shit. It was the kind of behaviour that came about out of necessity, not nature, and if I was curious before now I was invested. Just who the hell was this girl?
GA stepped forward, gesturing to her, "I'd like you all to meet Artemis."
I decided to be friendly, it wasn't this girls fault that Roy was a fucking asshole so I grinned, stepping towards her in a measured step that indicated interest but still gave her space. "Nice to meet you, Artemis is a cool name, y'know what with the…" I lamely made a bow-drawing motion.
She tilted her head slightly, eyes roving across my face like she was trying to analyze me. She stepped forward as well, though still maintaining space, "thanks. Can't take credit though, it's my actual name."
I blinked, "I can't tell if that's the best kind of bluff I've ever heard of or really stupid."
She shrugged, "more original than Catgirl."
My eyes narrowed, the sentence was another calculated move, a test to see how far she could go with me and how I reacted. I maintained total irreverence, "what can I say? It was the first thing that gone thrown out, has sentimental value."
She seemed almost pleased by my response and it disconcerted me that I didn't know why, or if she was faking it to confuse me.
The rest of the Team greeted her, and M'gann did so with the same sort of enthusiasm she did everything, practically bouncing up and down. Green Arrow smiled, hands on his hips, "she'll be your new teammate, I hope you'll all be very welcoming."
I grinned, "cool, it'll be nice to have another girl in this sea of testosterone."
We chatted almost absently, and when Wally made his grand entrance, it was nearly impossible not to laugh. In beach shorts with a towel around his shoulders and a line of sunblock down his nose, he looked ridiculous.
"Star… ted?" he finished lamely.
We all turned to reveal Artemis, who was smirking, "Wall-man huh? I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?"
He got up off the floor turning to Kaldur, "uh, who's this?"
"Artemis," she said, "your new teammate." Her tone was almost haughty, and it threw me for yet another loop. She didn't seem to be stuck up or overly full of herself, but she talked like this.
"Kid Flash, never heard of you."
GA spoke this time, coming forward to lay a hand on Artemis' shoulder, "um, she's my new protégé."
Wally looked surprised, "w-well what happened to your old one?"
Glados spoke, announcing an arrival from the Zeta tubes, "recognized, Speedy B-07."
Roy strode in, chest puffed out and shoulders thrown back. He paused in the entrance of the tube, "well for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow."
I crossed my arms, gentle waves of irritation and pain roiling in my gut. I sighed, "just like you to make a dramatic entrance, Roy. You know, if you really wanted to distance yourself you could have skipped over the 'insert colour here' plus arrow naming convention."
His lip curled a little, "like you can say anything, Catgirl."
I threw my hands up in the air, "why is everyone ragging on my name today!"
GA stepped forward, "Roy, you look-"
Roy cut him off, "replaceable."
"It's not like that, you told me you were going solo."
"So why waste time finding a sub?" Roy asked, "can she even use that bow?"
Artemis stepped forward, almost getting in Roy's face, "yes. She can."
"Who are you?" Wally exclaimed.
GA and Artemis spoke at the same time,
"I'm his niece,"
"She's my niece."
Rob chortled, "another niece?"
"But she is not your replacement," Kaldur assured, "we have always wanted you on the Team. And we have no quota on archers."
"And if we did," Wally interjected, "you know who we'd pick."
I raised an eyebrow, "do we?"
Wally turned to me, "what do you mean?"
"I mean," I said as I took a step closer to Roy, "this one's been a bit of an asshole lately and I'm having a really hard time wanting him for a teammate. If you don't remember how he referred to the Team?"
Roy shook his head, "you don't mean you don't trust me."
I swallowed, "no, I trust you. I'd put my life in your hands any day. What I am is holding a grudge," I gestured to him, "I don't know where the hell the Roy who was like an older brother to me went, but you're not him."
"He's still here, he just learned he doesn't have to be treated like a child and looked down on."
All at once I let every ounce of pain and confusion he ever caused me flood my face, he almost looked surprised, surprised that he had the power to cause me this much heartache. I spoke quietly, "you broke my heart at that dock, you know that don't you?"
For a second, for a just a second he looked torn. And then the mask of bravado and holier-than-thou bullshit slammed over his face. And Wally spoke again, "Ara's ability to hold a grudge aside, you know we'd pick you over her any day."
"Whatever Baywatch," Artemis sneered, "I'm here to stay."
"You came to us for a reason," Kaldur said, switching the subject. Batman was trying to catch my eye, most likely to send a reassuring look but I ignored it and stared at my feet. This was one of those moments, where everything shifts and nothing is ever the same.
"Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette," Roy replied.
Robin's eyes widened as he began to furiously type at his holo-computer, "nano-robotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City!" Her stats began to pop up on the screen in front of us, "vanished two weeks ago!"
"Abducted two weeks ago," Roy corrected, "by the League of Shadows."
"Whoa," Rob said excitedly, "you want us to rescue her from the Shadows?"
"Hardcore!" Wally whispered, bumping fists with Dick.
"I already rescued her," Roy said dismissively, "only one problem. The Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon." Pictures of a long, cylindrical tube made of dark metal appeared on the screen, alongside a gif of a tiny, beetle-esque thing that moved. "Doc calls it The Fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nano-tech infiltrators, capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone." I shuddered at the imagery as Roy continued, "but it's true purpose isn't mere destruction, it's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system, and deliver the stolen data to the Shadows."
I blinked, that kind of power, in anyone's hands would be disastrous, but the Shadows? The Shadows, who terrified even the most powerful informants I had on the other side of the game, who had given Abramo Rospera his scar. Roy kept going, "providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech-"
Artemis cut him off, "perfect for extortion, manipulation, power-broking, yeah. Sounds like the Shadows."
"Like you know anything about the Shadows," Wally scoffed. She simply smirked, her entire expression practically screaming 'oh you'd be surprised.' Wally threw his hands in the air, "who are you?!"
"Roquette's working on a virus to render The Fog inert," Roy interrupted.
"But if the Shadows know she can do that," Rob said slowly.
"They'll target her," Roy affirmed. "Right now she's off the grid, I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."
"You left her alone?" GA accused.
"She's safe enough for now," Roy said defensively.
"Then let's you and I keep her that way," Oliver pleaded.
"You and I?" Roy asked sarcastically, "don't you want to take your new protégé?"
GA took another step forward, but before he could speak Bruce laid a hand on his shoulder and they exchanged a look. Oliver spoke, "you brought this to the Team, it's their mission." He gestured to Artemis, "which means it's hers now too."
Roy scoffed, "then my job's done." He stalked towards the Zetas, correcting the automated voice as he left. He wasn't Speedy anymore, he was Red Arrow. He would never be Speedy again.
HAPPY HARBOUR
August 8, 21:53 EDT
I was crouching in the shadows with Robin and KF, Wally munching happily on a protein bar while Rob and I kept an eye out for threats. Roquette was typing away, and Artemis was sitting on her desk. Suddenly M'gann's voice filled my mind, and the sensation of a mind-link took place. "Everyone online?"
When we had been discussing using a mind link instead of comms, I had tried my best to explain to Artemis what it was;
She looked confused, head tilted and lips pursed. I tried to formulate a decent explanation, "it's like one of those old-school chatrooms in your head. You can tell everyone's there, kind of feel them but not every thought you think is transmitted through it all, if you looked at a poster and noticed it was blue, that wouldn't get thrown in there. You kind of have to think at the link, project your thoughts. Which makes it sound like it's difficult to invade someone's privacy but you project your thoughts all the time."
She nodded, "sounds complicated and unpleasant."
I laughed, "yeah that just about describes it."
Now her voice was filtering through my head, "this is… weird."
"And distracting," Roquette snapped, "coding a distributed algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough, now I have to hear teen think in my skull?"
Wally took another bite of his protein bar, "lady do you always complain when someone tries to help you?"
"Pot, kettle," Artemis retorted, "have you two met?"
"Hey, hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the Team!"
Artemis jumped to her feet as Roquette gave the universal gesture for 'I give up', "that is so not on me."
"Fate. Of the world. At stake?" Roquette said angrily.
"She started it!" Wally grumbled.
"Wally there is absolutely no reason to act like I five year old," I snarled. "Artemis had nothing to do with Roy choosing to be an asshat. He went solo, he made that choice, now he has to live with it."
"Just because you can't get over a few harsh words-"
I cut him off, "a few harsh words? A few harsh words?"
"I'm sure he didn't mean it like that," Kaldur said in an attempt to mollify me.
"Oh what didn't he mean it like? Because I'm ninety-nine percent sure he more less said I was overreacting!"
"You know what?" Artemis said, walking to the door, "How about I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?"
"I'll go with you," I said as I stalked after her.
"Good idea," Kaldur replied, tone frustrated.
"You might want to cut her some slack," Rob said, "it was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo."
"What? No! That was Speedy's, I mean Red Arrows' arrow… right?"
"Ehh, not so much."
Wally hmphed, "well, still not giving her the satisfaction."
"You know I can still hear you," Artemis called across the link, and I had to suppress a snort of laughter.
"I couldn't get the Justice League," Roquette said bitterly.
"I promise we're usually a million times more professional," I reassured her, "a certain redhead has just decided to act his shoe size."
"The virus won't be of much use is we cannot find the weapon," Kaldur said, "can you track it?"
"My utility fog is not a weapon, it's science, brilliant science. And of course I can track it, but I'd have to online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'assassinate me' written in neon," Roquette snapped.
"Just gonna throw this out there," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "but I'm sure whoever invented the first atomic bomb thought it was brilliant science too. Also, not really my place but I heard there was a store two blocks down selling some modesty, you might want to pick some up on your way home."
"Shut it!" she hissed, anger seeming to seep from her part of the link.
"We will protect you," Kadur reassured, his voice, mind, whatever, warm and comforting.
She mentally sighed, "tracking fog now."
I took a deep breath as we walked through the door into the night, uncoiling my whip and hooking it around something on the roof, I gave Artemis a firm nod, and made for the roof, preferring a high vantage point to keep watch.
There was a reason I hated perimeter patrol, it was monotonous, made me ridiculously paranoid and reminded me of my first year with Bruce and Selina, when I had been forced to stay out of the action. I watched from over head, Superboy walked away from M'gann and Artemis, and Artemis' voice filled my head, full of appreciation. "Mmm, that boy."
I almost fell off the roof, my surprise launching itself across the mind link. There were other reactions similar to mine, but I felt a faint bubble of laughter from Rob upon realizing I almost fell and a distinct sense of 'oh no she didn't' from M'gann. Almost immediately I remembered our conversation from yesterday, and wanted to bury my face in my hands.
It was strange though, the thought, while still filled with genuine admiration for Superboy's ridiculous conventionally-attractiveness, still felt a little calculated. A little like this girl, whoever she was, was still trying to get a feel for who we were and how we ticked.
I was again struck by the familiarity of that kind of action, and I wondered when she had learned to do things like that, lash out and see which way the water settled.
Superboy turned back to look at her, and M'gann's voice rang in my head, "he can hear you, we can all hear you."
A small smirk decorated Artemis' mouth, "oh I know."
"As much as I love having my young ears defiled," I threw out, "maybe we should go back to the task at hand?"
"Agreed," Kaldur spoke, "Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located The Fog. Reconfigure the Bioship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue, Catgirl you go with them."
Sending along a twinge of assent, I dropped back down to the ground, noiselessly hitting the grass. I stalked up beside Artemis, sending her my best, 'I know what you're up to and I won't have it' look. She averted her eyes, rising from her previous crouch.
M'gann called the Bioship down and we ran for it, dashing up the ramp and into the cabin. The familiar smell of it hit me in the face, the air in the cabin practically tasting like distilled M'gann. It was one of the creepier aspects of the Bioship, so linked to M'gann's person that it smelled like her.
I didn't realize I was projecting my thoughts out into the link until Rob agreed with me, "yeah that is a little strange. Kind of creepier that you can track us all by scent though."
"So can this one," I said, jabbing my finger at Superboy. Free to actually talk inside the cabin, I took great pleasure in being able to use my vocal chords to communicate again.
"Yeah but I don't casually mention it in conversation," Superboy pointed out.
I sat down in my seat, the strange feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong settling over me. Despite it all, this mission didn't seem as quite as cut-and-dry as before.
The Bioship, amazingly fast as per usual, got us to Philadelphia in no time at all. Rob, who was flying the ship, was also tracking The Fog using his holo-computer. I always hated the Bioship in moments like this, nothing to really do except wait.
The sight of a city skyline filled the window, the lights from skyscrapers and apartment complexes glowing over the Delaware. I sat up straighter in my seat, my eyes adjusting to the light, thermal sight leaking into my vision. Rob lifted his wrist, speaking into the comms, "Robin to Aqualad! We're over Philadelphia, we've located the Shadows' next target, STAR Labs."
My jaw dropped slightly as I watched the STAR Labs building crumble in on itself. It resembled an ancient ruin, a stark contrast to the sign left untouched outside it, pristine and vaguely futuristic looking to match the STAR aesthetic.
Rob shook his head a little sadly, "we're too late. It's destroyed, totally destroyed, The Fog decimated it. This is bad, STAR Labs is cutting-edge science and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy." The three of us exchanged a look and Rob sighed, "what's our next move?"
Kaldur's voice was grainy across the comms, and he was clearly speaking to someone else, "re-scan for that Fog, find it. We're moving the Doctor."
The comm line cut out and I ran my hands over my face, digging the heels of my palms into my eyelids until colours bloomed against the black of my vision. Probably not good for the contacts, but hey if they can't take a little jostling then clearly they need some improvements.
We followed Roquette's tracking in camouflage mode, blending in perfectly with the smoggy night sky. I immediately turned in my seat when I heard Rob do the little gasp in the back of his throat he only did when he was surprised and/or nervous. His eyes met mine across the cabin, "the next target is a Wayne Tech facility."
I had to force myself to stay in my seat, what the hell was the League doing attacking Wayne Tech? Either they thought there was something important cooking in Research and Development or someone had an inkling as to who Bruce really was. Rob continued on, the smallest undertone of panic in his voice, "in theory it's system's software could be used to hack-" he cut himself off, looking over at me helplessly.
"The what?" Superboy asked, turning to the two of us.
The Batcave. It ran on practically identical software to the one at Wayne Tech thanks to Lucius, if the Shadows got their hands on that software… Rob turned back to his holo-computer, "doesn't matter. W-what matters is that Wayne Tech operates a twenty-four hour workforce. We'll never evacuate the building in time!"
I launched myself from my chair, tightening my ponytail, "they have their own security protocols, they're not just going to stand there and getting eaten alive by nano-robots. What we have to do is make sure the Shadows never get their hands on that software."
Rob nodded in affirmation, opening the hatch. A progress bar blinked to life above his wrist and he turned to it, "it's downloading!"
Superboy turned to face the open air, a determined expression suddenly overtaking his features, "don't need it!"
"Superboy!" Rob called after him, hand outstretched as if he could yank Supey back as he plummeted towards the ground. I groaned, peering downwards as I watched Superboy get blasted back with a beam of light, which meant one thing and one thing only, Professor Ojo.
I watched in horror as The Fog lifted from the long metal canister Ojo was toting, and with one shared look Rob and I jumped, using the streetlights to chase The Fog into Wayne Tech. We tore down the hall, a security guard yelling at us from behind as we ran. A large metal gate started to lift down from the ceiling, blocking our way. Rob called out a command as we approached, "Wayne Tech override RG4!"
I blinked while we ran and yelled out a command of my own, "Wayne Tech override TL6!" It was a command that would create a pop-up on every screen connected to the network that informed the reader to evacuate the building, useful during lockdowns and fires.
We rolled under the gate as it lifted up above us, the only sound that of our feet hitting the hallway, and then suddenly the building erupted in screams as The Fog tore through it. Rob looked up from his wrist, "the nearest computer is in the cafeteria!"
I nodded, preparing to veer right as we ran. Every Wayne Tech building had the exact same layout, which made our job just the tiniest bit easier. We dashed into the room, a worker in an apron staring out at the carnage in fear and shock. Rob pulled the USB cable from his wrist, connecting it to the computer. She turned to us, speaking in a heavy Philadelphian accent, "what's goin' on? What're you doin'?
Rob ignored her, "please be linked to the mainframe, please be linked to the mainframe."
I grabbed the lady's arm, pointing at the door, "what the hell are you waiting for? People like you in movies die!"
She ripped her arm from my grip, running for the door and screaming as she went. I turned to Robin, who was desperately typing away at his screen. I opened my mouth and then shut it, deeming nothing I could possibly say to be of any value.
I was practically biting my nails as pieces of the ceiling fell around us, watching the progress bar on Rob's screen fill up. Suddenly the screen of the computer exploded in red, like a bloodstain made of pixels, and all of my hair started to stand on end as electricity practically hummed through the room. The Fog faded to the same crimson as well, the room quieting as the nano-bots fell to the ground.
"Yes!" Rob hooted, "the infiltrators have been out-filtrated."
I sighed in pure relief, the tension in my muscles unfurling as I flung my arms around his neck, squishing him in a hug. "We did it."
He pulled back, hand resting on my elbow, "yeah, we did." Suddenly his face screwed up in laughter as he started to snicker, "your hair looks absolutely ridiculous."
I caught my reflection in a piece of broken glass, my ponytail ridiculously poofy as if I had just stuck my finger in a socket. I scowled, punching him lightly in the arm, "manners!"
MOUNT JUSTICE
August 8, 23:09 EDT
We started the process of debriefing, a practically redundant procedure where they dragged each of us in one by one to get our first-hand accounts for the record, and then assembled us all in the Mission Room where Bats could yell at us.
I was splayed across an armchair, rather pleased with the surprising lack of injuries I had sustained during this mission. Artemis was a few feet across from me, given that we were the last two to go. I toyed with the idea of cutting straight to the chase, but I decided slow buildup was the way to go with her.
Twirling a piece of my too-frizzy hair around my finger, forming my face into the picture of bored nonchalance, I turned to her. "So that assassin, Cheshire, she got away?"
Artemis crossed her arms, turning her head to the side and slumping further back into her seat, "yeah, what about it?"
I blinked, "I'm not accusing you of anything, just curious." She made a little hmph noise and I sat up, leaning forward in my chair to face her, "look. You're new here, I get it. But at least to me, you don't have anything to prove. Bats and GA saw fit to make you a member of this team, and I trust the both of them with my life. By extension, if they have faith in you, I have faith in you."
She raised an eyebrow, "that seems like a stupid policy, what if they're mistaken?"
I laughed, leaning backwards, "Batman doesn't make mistakes. Not like this. Trust me, he's too damn scared of my mom to let anyone even slightly fishy on a Team where we're expected to have each other's backs, plus he wouldn't risk Rob's life like that either."
Her eyes seemed to fill with interest, "your mom's Catwoman right? The notorious cat burglar?"
I nodded, "she's picked up a slightly more legal gig these days but every so often I'll wake up to a random fancy thing in our apartment that she has no valid explanation for."
"And Batman just lets her get away with it?"
I smirked, "minor crimes, really. And Cat has Batman wrapped around her little finger in more ways than one, if you catch my drift." She wrinkled her nose, and I had to stifle a laugh, "so yes, I have a fabulous kleptomaniac for a mother. Who also happens to be insanely overprotective."
"So is she how you started this whole thing? With her connection to Batman?"
I paused, trying to piece together an answer that gave her exactly the amount of information I wanted to share. Nodding, I spoke slowly, "she had to give me up to my father, when I was little. He ended up dying, and I was bounced around foster homes and lived on the street for a while. Then she found me, adopted me and I begged her to let me be a part of this life. And now here I am."
She nodded, eyes widening as she took in the information. I sighed, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know what it's like, coming from a hard life. I don't know how you had it difficult, but I recognize the signs. Wally might be an ass, and so is Roy, but the rest of us are glad to have you. You don't need to pinprick at us to see how we react or where the line in the sand is. We'll accept you, I promise."
Dinah called my name and I stood, dusting off my legs, "it's nice to meet you Artemis. I really hope we can be friends."
As I walked away, I heard her mutter under her breath, a feat that would have been impossible without my ear pieces, "yeah I hope so too." I felt a small smile bloom across my face, and ducked my head as I entered the little room where Black Canary would interrogate me for a half-hour. This girl was a hell of an enigma, but I loved a challenge.
