A/N: This fic is the baby that inspired some of my other works such as Dancing Lights and Ice-Packs & Chicken Soup. It just took much longer to get rolling properly, and updates on this story may be slower than my usual update pace because I intend to spend more time proof-reading (or attempting to) and planning the story out. Before we start, here is some relevant logistics-y background info:

Ages: I will be outlining their ages for each chapter (at least in the beginning of this fic) so that you guys can have more context. I might stop once they're older and it doesn't affect story details as much. Based on the wikis Cameron seems to be 2 years older than Artemis, but I made him closer to 1 year or 1 1/2 years older for the sake writing their interactions as children easier.

Ages: Artemis is 9, Cameron is 10, & Jade is 14.

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, just my own ideas.

Meeting

Fall, 6 Years Before Team Year 1

They first met at a clearing at some unholy hour of the night, in one of Gotham's more decrepit parks. It was a meet set up by their parents to take care of some other side business, because that's what life was like when you were a child of a criminal: Everything was always a front for something else.

At this point in time, Joar Mahkent, known by his nom de guerre as Icicle, was a well established villain, having gone toe to toe with several other criminals and prominent superheroes. On the other hand, while Sportsmaster had been relatively dormant in recent years, word had spread fast about the botched job that landed the mighty Huntress in a wheelchair and behind bars. Rather than leave the life with his tail tucked between his legs, "Crusher" had made it clear to the criminal underworld that he meant business and was looking to climb the ranks.

The two men were ambitious and hardened by years of crime, eroded moral compasses, personal tragedy, and their own egos. For them, the idea that their children were going to be in "The Life" was less an idea and more a reality. It was only inevitable that their kids would meet, one way or another, so why not facilitate it themselves?

Sportsmaster stood off on one side of the clearing, his typical combat outfit replaced with a baseball cap and hoodie to shield him from the chill of the fall breeze. Tufts of his blond hair, their color dulled by age, peeked out from under his cap, signalling a need for a haircut. Beside him were two younger girls: One a teen, with an unruly black pony-tail and a mean glare that pierced the darkness of the night. The other was a younger girl, clearly a pre-teen, with a long blonde pony-tail and distinctive green sweater that stood in contrast to the dark clothing everyone else wore. Like the older girl, she was clearly trying to project confidence, but unlike her, her body language was a dead giveaway to how uneasy she felt.

They stood in the clearing alone for a few moments, before a large man came into view from the other side of the clearing. He sported greying sideburns and a goatee, and a nasty smile swept across his face as he saw his acquaintance.

"Lawrence. Nice night for a stroll," he boomed, his voice carrying across the open night.

"Well Joar, always a nice time to explore these fine public facilities," the blonde man sneered right back.

"I see you brought the girlies today," Joar said, gesturing towards the two girls standing off to the side.

"They need to learn the trade. It's about time they start getting their ears wet."

If either men saw the elder girl roll her eyes and scoff in disgust, they didn't acknowledge it. Neither men cared much for pouting children.

"Couldn't agree more. That's why I brought my own little runt." He turned towards the treeline and yelled for someone to come forward. "Boy, get over here!"

A scrawny, abnormally pale boy scurried into sight. Despite the cold, he was only wearing a t-shirt. He moved quickly but awkwardly, as if his limbs were a bit too long for his body, not stopping until he was right next to his father. He flashed a smile to the two girls across from him, but the glare he got from the dark-haired teen wiped it right off his face.

"Before we get into introductions, Lawrence, you got the package?" Joar asked.

"Yep," he answered, retrieved a small pouch from his hoodie pockets. "You have mine?"

"Right as rain," Joar answered, pulling a tiny cardboard box out of his pocket.

The two men moved forward and exchanged packages, passing along a few insults about wrinkle lines and lost fights in the process. Once they were satisfied with their packages and sated their machismo banter, they returned to their respective offspring.

Lawrence gestured to his daughters. "Alright kiddos, introduce yourselves. Don't just stand here looking like gnomes."

Now there was an obvious scoff from the eldest girl, and she merely folded her arms across her chest, choosing to glare at the back of her father's head instead of follow his instructions. She was not making any attempt to hide her displeasure at being here.

The younger girl took the initiative, taking a step forward and straightening her back to project confidence. "I'm Artemis," she said, and then elbowed her sister.

"Jade," the raven-haired girl spat out. If looks could kill, there would be two bullet holes in the back of her father's head.

Joar shoved his son forward a bit too roughly, causing him to almost trip and fall on his face.

"My name is Cameron. You can call me Cam," he eked out, an uncertain smile flickering on his face.

"Isn't that a girls name?" snickered Jade, taking a break from her death-glare to look at Cameron with teasing hostility. It wiped the smile right back off his face.

"No it's not!" he protested

"Wow, you even sound like a girl," she taunted.

"I do NOT!" he responded, his face crimson. Lawrence let out a hearty guffaw at this, patting Jade on the back, and she moved away from his touch immediately. If it bothered him, he didn't show it in the slightest. Across from them, Joar yanked his son back, and Cameron shrunk at the contact, but it did not move to free himself from his father. "Get it together boy, you're embarrassing yourself and you haven't even been here for ten minutes."

"Ahh he'll get used to it," chuckled Lawrence, before gesturing vaguely towards all the kids. "The three of you will be getting to know each other."

"What does that mean?" Jade asked.

"Means, little girl, that Joar and I have made some mutual acquaintances, and seeing as how we'll be working together a lot more often, you little kids are gonna do the same."

"Master the tools and tricks of the trade," Joar added, shaking Cameron around by his shoulder in what he probably thought was a "playful" way. It looked more like someone shaking a rag doll violently.

Lawrence grinned mercilessly at the sight. "My girls are gonna wipe the floor with your punk boy."

At that, Jade did smile.

…

As it would turn out, only two of them would get to know each other. Jade ran away only a few weeks after their original introduction, leaving Artemis alone with her father.

Cameron wasn't sure how someone could be mean enough to leave their little sister behind, but he wasn't shedding tears over it. Jade was mean and she made a habit to go above and beyond in beating his ass during all of their combat sessions. She was also ruthless with her verbal taunts, before, during, and after their training, her words sometimes hurting more than her fists. Not that their dads cared either way.

He was however, annoyed with how her absence was starting to affect Artemis. The girl was small, but someone had clearly taught her how to fight. The minute Jade left, it was like someone lit a fire under her and she threw herself into her training with renewed vigor. There was extra force and precision with every punch and kick she sent his way during training.

For a little girl, she was deceptively strong, and he was getting the bruises to prove it.

Before, they used to at least make some small talk when they were left alone together. When their parents and Jade weren't watching, sometimes they'd even let each other know where the nastiest of the old bruises hadn't healed yet, so they could avoid compounding the damage. Small mercies like that made their mandatory training much more tolerable.

Not anymore. Now she was hunting for those weak spots.

No, Cameron thought as he nursed a particularly ugly patch of bruises across his ribs, this is not gonna work at all.

…

He thought he'd found a solution in the woods outside Gotham one day, when their fathers had dropped them off and told them to work on their weapons training. They'd been dropped off right after dusk with two backpacks of basic emergency supplies, which meant they could expect to be here until dawn.

For Artemis, that meant hours of target practice with all sorts of weapons: Bow staffs, knives, shurikens, and a longbow. For Cameron, that meant working on his ice powers.

"You are the weapon boy, don't you ever forget," his father had told at him, pride in his voice. It made Cameron uneasy. Weapons hurt people, and he didn't like to hurt people. No, he'd always preferred to help people. He liked to watch those medical dramas that ran late at night and imagine that he was a Doctor or Nurse, helping someone who was hurting.

He'd learned the hard way not to verbalize those feelings in front of his father. Still, it bothered him to see Artemis clearly hurting, even if she didn't want to admit it. At the ripe old age of 10, Cameron was no stranger to loneliness, so he recognized it when he saw it. Which is why he figured maybe he could help her feel better.

"Do you want to be friends?" he asked her abruptly, munching on his half eaten PB&J sandwich.

"What?" Artemis asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He wasn't sure why she was confused. He'd spoken very clearly and there was no one else around for him to be talking to.

"Friends. Do you want to be friends? I-" he paused, looking embarrassed for a second. "I don't really have any friends at school. All the kids think I'm a weirdo."

Her response was harsh. "That's pathetic."

She felt a pang of guilt by the way he flinched at her words, and then remembered that it was a common insult she'd heard his father say. One of many common insults she heard hurled towards the boy any time he did not live up to his father's arbitrary standards.

"I'm sorry, that was mean. I didn't mean it like that," she offered, her voice showing some genuine contrition.

"That's ok." He swallowed another bite, before cautiously looking back at Artemis. "But seriously? We could be great friends."

She frowned in response. "Dad says friends make you weak, and I think he's right." Jade was my friend she thought bitterly. "We can't afford to be weak Cameron, so don't waste your breath."

She didn't wait for him to choke down the chunk of PB&J going down his throat, instead returning to the archery practice his absurd question had interrupted. Picking up her bow, she notched another arrow and was barely finished aiming when she heard Cameron start to talk again. "But why-"

"No. No Friends," she interrupted with a growl. Her fingers released the arrow, and she felt comfort in the sound of the metal arrowhead embedding right into wood.

Bulls Eye.

A/N: And it begins. Leave your thoughts! Feedback is food for authors :)