Chapter Three

Green Arrow was still reeling with the fact that this girl, who's name was Artemis and would turn thirteen in another two months, knew the identities of just about every leaguer. In the interrogation room stood Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Green Arrow and J'onn. Green Arrow studied Artemis, her shoulders had slumped slightly under the heavy stares and he could tell she was having doubts about this. To his surprise, she glanced at him with a question in her eyes. Arrow nodded to her encouragingly, the action surprising him. Artemis swallowed her fears and doubts.

"I accept your offer under one condition," said the young girl.

"What condition is that," questioned Batman darkly.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Give me your word Bruce Wayne that if I tell you what I know, you will keep this bargain of a new life and the condition I have."

No one reacted vocally to her use of his real name, but Artemis could tell they were all surprised. Except Arrow, he had heard her list off several league members before the others had arrived. Having all their names was definitely her base of leverage, but she knew it had to be mentioned first. It was meant to be a 'good show of faith' and that knew more than they would have bargained for. It might put her in a hole, but she could get out of any hole.

"Very well," said the Batman.

Wonder Woman went on, "Tell us what it is you want in return for your information."

"I won't say the condition yet," said Artemis, "I'll answer whatever questions you have that won't get someone I care about killed and as long as you keep your promise."

"We will," said Superman.

"Tell us what you know," ordered Batman.

Wonder Woman glared at him for the tone, but would say something to him about it later. Now was not the time.

Artemis leaned back in her chair, "What do you want to know?"

"How about you start with your identity and why you aren't in any system on the globe," Superman suggested.

Artemis squirmed slightly in her seat, "Okay. My name is Artemis Crock, I don't have a middle name. My father is… Sportsmaster and my mother was Huntress. Cheshire, is my older sister Jade. My father wanted us to disappear and that was what we did. He had a friend of his delete us from existence, fingerprints, DNA, eye scans, all of it gone without a trace. According to any and all documentation or scans of any kind, we don't exist."

"How long have you been involved with the shadows," Wonder Woman asked.

"Since I was conceived," answered Artemis with a shrug, "From the moment I could crawl, I was being brought up in the shadows. Jade likes to say we were raised in the darkness of shadows, yet we serve the light. That means we served the… council if you will over the shadows. Different organization that I didn't have clearance for."

"Tell us what you and Cheshire were doing at the facility the previous night," demanded Batman.

Artemis felt a pang of guilt and sorrow at the mention of Cheshire. The wound she felt from her sister leaving her behind was still fresh. Not to mention she felt guilty for saying any of this. While Green Arrow had been right in saying she did not owe the Shadows anything, she still felt like a traitor to everything that she stood for. Or really, what she had been raised in.

"I honestly don't know," answered Artemis, "She wouldn't tell me what she was doing, only that it was important. Something about retrieving some files I think."

"What about your most recent excursion, you were spotted at a Cadmus laboratory," questioned Batman, peaking the interest of Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter.

Artemis stared at Batman for a moment, her lips parted open and her eyes shimmered for a few brief seconds before she composed herself. She visibly swallowed as she remembered her last mission where she was able to learn the identities of every league member and gather a list of their relatives and primary weaknesses. If she gave them the card that still sat in her chest pocket, her only leverage and her only chance to remain in good graces with the League of Shadows would be lost. Never to be within her reach again.

"We have a deal," Batman reminded in a gruff voice, his eyes narrowing bat her.

"Easy Bats," said Arrow, his own eyes narrowing at the dark clothed hero.

Artemis took a breath, "I went to cadmus to gather data."

"On what," asked Wonder Woman.

Artemis looked at the heroine, "On you. All of you… There were rumors that Cadmus had files on every member of the Justice League. My mission was to be a scout more or less to report back if the rumor was true… I-I-I uh, I uh went to cadmus and downloaded any and all files related to your League. I didn't destroy the lab, they were having issues of their own and it exploded when I left, I swear. I only went there with minimal equipment. I returned to my hideout where I went through all the files to learn your identities and known weaknesses."

"How many do you know," asked the Martian who had remained silent throughout the questioning.

Artemis glanced st him, "Just about everyone here who has a secret identity. Billionaire playboys, the historian from Themyscira, how about the reporter from Kansas? Or perhaps you'd rather I talk about the forensic speedster? Maybe the detectives in Gateway city? The acrobatic boy or the Atlantean apprentice, the street kid archer. You name it, I know them."

The air in the room chilled slightly. No one would say anything about it now, but they were all thinking about the potential danger this girl possessed with her knowledge of their secret lives. The threat she posed had now risen in their minds.

Artemis leaned forward, "I know all of your secrets and who you keep close to you. My telling you this isn't meant for you to lock me away, but as a show of good faith. Your names are my best weapon at this moment and since I'm stuck on your space station, using it as blackmail won't work out very well."

"Where are the files," asked Superman, "Do you still have them?"

The assassin nodded. Artemis moved her arm and reached into her chest pocket where the card was hidden. It felt heavy and hot in her fingers as she removed it from it's hiding place. Part of her couldn't help, but to regret her decision. The voice of her father was berating her for her weakness, for giving into them so quickly, for turning her back on her parents and sister. Yet deep down Artemis knew it had to be this way.

Jade left her behind, her father would disown her the moment she was no longer beneficial to the cause and her mother… Artemis liked to think her mother would be happy with her choice to leave the Shadows. Artemis remembered the last time she had spoken with her mother through a glass wall and telephone.

I never wanted this for you and Jade, her mother had muttered to herself, but Artemis had heard her anyway. Artemis had been so young at the time, maybe six years old and her sister around the age of eleven or twelve.

"This card has all of your information on it, or what information Cadmus had on you," Artemis told them as she placed it on the table, "I don't know how many copies they have, but once i downloaded the information a virus was placed on the files. It's likely any other copies they might possess will be more difficult to access."

Batman took the card off the table, he briefly inspected it before slipping it into his belt of tools. Artemis remembered hearing a member of the middle circle saying that Batman kept a piece of kryptonite on him at all times. She wondered which one it was and if the Kryptonian could tell it was on his supposed friend and colleague.

"What are the shadows planning, they're gathering allies and supplies," Superman said, his arms folded over his chest.

Artemis inhaled, "I-I can't really say."

"If you can't tell us everything we want to know, the deal's off," Batman informed her, his gaze behind the cowl darkening.

"I said I would tell you everything I knew as long as you kept your word and it wouldn't get someone I care about killed," replied Artemis with a slight frown, "My sister is still involved in this."

The image of Cheshire turning away and leaving her behind floated in Artemis' mind, she swallowed her sorrows. Even though it hurt Artemis, she honestly wasn't surprised that Jade had left her. Jade had tried to leave her behind once before, but had been stopped by her father years ago. Jade fully intended to leave her and her father behind. Artemis knew that she couldn't ever truly rely on her sister, in this family, in this life, it was everyone for themselves. It didn't mean she loved her any less though, just harder to count on and trust.

Artemis looked at the heroes, "I won't let her be killed, I can't tell you without risking her life."

"What can you tell us about it," Superman asked gently, "Any information you can spare."

Artemis frowned, "I-I… I can't."

Batman spoke next, "You agreed to tell us everything we want to know, we want to know what they are planning next in order to prevent any lives being lost."

"It doesn't involve civilians," said Artemis vaguely, "It takes place in a desert, close to Egypt. That's all I can say."

Arrow walked to stand by Artemis. They had talked for the better part of an hour before Arrow had left to speak with Batman, who then called the others. Arrow had convinced Artemis that she could say whatever she wanted and it would be okay, that the shadows would never know. It wasn't enough. The girl was still terrified that the shadows would learn that she spilled their secrets, then they would come for her.

Arrow had been surprised with how much Artemis had shared with him, he didn't know how much of it was true, but he had a feeling she told him no lie. Artemis had been more stunned the hero with how much she had revealed to him.

"They can't get to you here," Arrow told her firmly, "Once we finish here, you'll have the Justice League in front of you. They will never get your hands on you again."

Artemis shook her head, "That's not true. You won't be able to protect me from them forever. They'll find me, they'll know I betrayed them and send me to re-education."

"We will protect you at all costs Artemis," said Wonder Woman, "but you must be honest with us, tell us what we need to know."

Artemis bit her lip hard, she tasted metal on her tongue. Though she was never one to give into fear, she remembered her one session in re-education. After Jade had pulled a stunt, their father brought them to re-education for a day. Artemis had been trained to withstand all physical torture as a child, even some psychological torture tactics as well. However what she had witnessed there would break her. It would have broken Jade as well, that was the real reason she stayed. Because if she was found, she would be sent to re-education for a term instead of a day.

"I'm afraid of them, they are downright terrifying people who know how to hurt you in every way you fear," Artemis said matter of factly.

Batman had made a mental note of how she said this. That she didn't sound like a scared child, rather like any other person who was merely stating a fact. As if she were saying the sky is blue. As if it wasn't very serious, but still true.

"If you can give us what we want, we can return the favor to you, but you have to tell us everything we need to know," Batman said simply.

Artemis stared at the Gotham knight, "If you can give me my condition, if you can guarantee you will do me this favor, I won't hold anything back."

None of the heroes knew what she was going to ask of them, they weren't certain that they could keep it either. The only one who knew what Artemis wanted was Arrow. She had told him before he left to gather the others what she wanted more than anything else.

"What is your condition," asked Superman.

Artemis glanced at Green Arrow quickly. She chided herself for looking for his approval or wanting his support at all, but he was the only one she was beginning to trust. He was believable, he offered her something she couldn't ignore. Arrow would be the one to help her, he would be the one to aid her through this. He had to.

The green hero nodded slightly to her. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, he was pleased and surprised to see that he had gained the girl's trust. If only a small bit. He had gained her trust and he would be sure to make good use of that, for her.

"I want to see my mother."

It was not uncommon for Sportsmaster to break something when he was angered. Jade knew this well, her father was never in control of his emotions unless he had to be. When she returned from the fight with the Trinity without Artemis, she came straight to his office and interrupted his meeting.

On any other day, he would have screamed at her for having the audacity to disrupt his meeting. However he didn't today because she said four words that sent dread into his chest where his heart should be.

Baby girl is gone.

Hours had passed, several painstaking hours had gone by with no sign of the young assassin. Jade had come to inform her father of the potential loss and he responded by sending some agents to search the area for his missing child. There was nothing. The building was left in ruins, covered in layers and layers of ash and cinder.

Jade remembered leaving Artemis, she remembered turning away from her collapsed sister. She didn't plan to leave her. She meant to go around. Going through the debris and fire was not an option, she had to find another way to her sister. Yet before she could get back around, explosions went off around the faculty and Jade was thrown into the forest. She knew she probably had a concussion and broke her arm, but that hadn't mattered. The facility was on fire, the three heroes out of sight and her sister nowhere to be found.

"It's been fourteen hours and they haven't found anything," growled Sportsmaster as he picked up his mug.

He gripped it tightly in his hand. Even though his face was hidden behind a hockey mask, Jade could just barely make out his grey eyes that were ablaze with anger. The mug shattered in his palm seconds later causing Jade to grimace behind her own mask. Her closed hand behind her back burned.

Jade had returned to the sight with the agents and dug around, hoping and praying that she wouldn't find Artemis' dead body. That either she would find her sister unconscious or Artemis would walk up to them, covered in ashes and maybe a couple burns. The fires had been put out by the firefighters and the police were digging around. All that was left was debris and ashes.

But Jade did find something. Artemis' necklace. The necklace their mother had gotten her when she was born. It was a silver chain with a silver arrow on, the name 'Artemis' engraved on the back in calligraphy. Artemis never took of the necklace. It was always in her person. Seeing the necklace without the wearer sen fear into Jade, fear she didn't know she was capable of feeling. Could Artemis really be… dead? Her sister was only human, she was only a child.

"I found her necklace," said Jade softly, "Her arrow necklace. I found it in the wreckage."

Sportsmaster snapped his head to look at her, "What?"

Even though Sportsmaster hardly paid attention to his children the way a father should, he knew Artemis cherished that necklace. It was the one thing he had allowed her to keep, the one item that was hers, the one item she had that connected her to her mother. Jade held the necklace out to her father. The silver was covered in smeared soot, but it was easy to see it was Artemis' necklace.

If her necklace was here, it meant one of two things. Artemis left it behind as a clue to find her or she was dead. I'll never part with this necklace, not until the day I die. And not even then. I'll never take it off Mom, I promise. Jade wanted to believe that Artemis was alive, but she wasn't sure.

Sportsmaster moved to stand in front of his eldest daughter. He looked at the necklace in her hand, his chest aching in a way he didn't like. That was his daughter's necklace. He knew she would rather die than part with the necklace, he had seen her tear agents apart when they stole it from her. He had been very proud of her that day, how well she fought and how she fought without mercy. To see the necklace alone…. it sent the worst idea into his mind. His youngest daughter, the only true heir to the shadows was lost.

"This is hardly proof that she's gone," Sportsmaster stated, "Wherever she is, we'll find her. I bet those so called heroes took her in for questioning."

Jade clenched her fingers around the necklace, "And If you're wrong?"

"Then we'll kill whoever was the one who took her breath. She's the heir to the shadows, we cannot afford to lose her."

If it had been any other day, she would have made a remark about how she was older one, but today wasn't normal. Artemis had been made the true heir of the shadows after the death of Black Manta's son, Artemis was given the sole inheritance. Jade had been cut out off the inheritance of the shadows due to her lack of progression and unwillingness to give to the cause.

Her re-education had backfired, it only strengthened her resolve to fight against the shadows because she simply didn't want to be tied down. She'd much rather do things her own way. Jade hated herself for this, but she found herself hoping Artemis was dead. After all, if Artemis was truly gone, she would never have to suffer at his hands or anyone else's again. Jade looked away from her father, now or never.

"The police and our agents are looking for traces of dna. If they find hers-"

"They won't, she's alive," Sportsmaster interrupted.

Jade glared at him, "If they find hers, what will we do?"

Sportsmaster inhaled sharply, "We will make those heroes suffer. They will beg for death."

Jade despised her father, but for the first time in years, she felt a flicker of respect for this man. Jade opened her mouth to say something, but halted when the door to Sportsmasters office opened. A man with dark skin and shaved black hair stood there, dressed in all dark metal armor and his helmet not on his person. Black Manta.

"Manta," Sportsmaster greeted curtly, "What do you want?"

"Sportsmaster, Cheshire," said Manta, "I'm here to give you an update on the search. The facility had been empty for the night, a few guards on duty were injured, but otherwise fine and had seen nothing. Alice is…"

No, Jade screamed in her mind as horror washed over her, No! Don't say. Don't you say it!

"There had been one body recovered, it was charred and covered in burns- the DNA they salvaged was a match," Manta said solemnly, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Liar! Artemis isn't gone! She can't be, she-she can't-

Jade couldn't believe her ears, nor could she believe how much her chest began to ache or how tight her stomach felt. Her little sister, dead. The two had never been very close, but Jade and Artemis had their moments of love and support. The two were more devoted to each other than anything else.

Jade knew if she could, she would leave the League and take Artemis with her. She nearly had once, but it ended with her going to re-education (again) and Artemis spending that summer with the League of Assassins. It wasn't bad Jade. I surprisingly enjoyed myself, you wouldn't believe the stuff I learn there. Sportsmaster took a slight step back, as if Manta had physically pushed him back.

"No," Sportsmaster said in anger and disbelief, "No. No. No! That's not her body. Show me the body. It's not hers, it can't be hers."

Jade gripped Artemis's necklace tighter in her hand, the pendant and chain leaving an indent in her palm.

"It is a match," said Manta somberly, "I can bring you both to see her if that will prove it to you, but it's gruesome. Hardly recognizable. The council believed it would be better not to show either of you."

"Show us," demanded Sportsmaster, his voice loud and clipped.

Jade forced herself not to flinch at the tone. Despite it all, Jade was terrified of her father. Though she did her best not to show it and would never admit it to anyone, but her younger sister, she was afraid of him. Manta nodded wordlessly. Jade followed Manta and her father out of the room down the endless halls of the compound. Several agonizing minutes later Jade and Sportsmaster found themselves standing before a glass window.

Through the window they could see the scientist standing around the charred body that had been recovered from the wreckage. Jade jumped back, as if she had been shocked by the sight. Even though she had seen much worse than this, those were all strangers. This was her sister. The figure wasn't recognizable as Artemis, there was too much damage. The only thing that caused Jade to believe that was her sister… was the remains of her once blue mask. Sportmaster struggles not to release a cry of anger as he slammed his fist into the wall. The sound causing the scientists inside to jump.

"They will pay for this," growled Sportsmaster as he pulled his arm back from the giant hole he created, "They will all pay for this."

Without saying anything, Jade turned sharply on her heels. Her father called after her, but she couldn't hear him. At first she was walking fast, then she was jogging and before she knew it, she was sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her. Her baby sister was gone.

"Look Jade, this is your sister," said her mother as she angled the newborn so Jade could see her better. Jade stood on the right side of her mother, her father had a hand on her shoulder as she stared at the newborn.

Jade raced out of the building, her hair whipping around her shoulders. Her heart pounding harder and faster in her chest, each beat aching more than the last.

"I guess she's kind of cute," Jade said indifferently, even though the little pink human before her looked more like an alien, "What are you going to name her?" "That's what we wanted to ask you little girl," said her father as he kneeled besides her, "What should baby girl's name be?"

Along the way, Jade had discarded her Cheshire Cat mask, her weapons were thrown off of her. One by one, she removed her weapons, leaving a trail behind her. She needed to get rid of them so they wouldn't weigh her down, so she could run as fast as the wind.

Jade glanced at her father then back at the baby who had a small crown of blonde hair. The seven year old girl thought for several moments, wondering what name would fit and what name the baby looked like.

"She needs a unique name, something not many people have," Jade decided, hands on her hips.

"Such as," prompted her mother with a weak smile.

Jade knew her mother was exhausted, after all she did just give birth to this baby. The baby girl was maybe an hour old, maybe.

The world spun out of control around Jade. Her mind processed she had tripped only after the fact. A bit shaky, she pushed herself onto her knees, her breathing ragged and shallow. Her chest felt tight, constrained and she felt a sob itching to get out, but she clamped her mouth shut.

"I want her name to be Alice from the book, but I know too many Alice's so that's out," Jade said dejectedly, "I say… Artemis, like the Greek goddess of the hunt."

Her mother's smile widened, "I love it."

"Nice choice little girl," said her father with a slight grin.

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, her breath hitched as she struggled to keep the cries at bay. She did not cry. She would not cry.

Jade nodded in approval then looked into the storm clouds eyes of her sister, "Welcome to the world, Artemis."

For the first time in years, Jade let tears falls from her eyes as the pain of losing the one person she was certain she loved drowned her. Her ragged sobs filled the once quiet forest, each sob filled with pain and anger.

"Artemis!"