A/N: We're back folks. Pretty straightforward chapter, when it comes down to it.
Infinity Island, August 7, 23:49 ECT
Soldiers wearing a uniform similar to that of black ops soldiers stood guard over an island fortress. As one patrolled the southern perimeter, an arrow hit his armor, but before he could react, the arrow shocked him into unconsciousness.
Speedy, now wearing a tight black muscle shirt with a red arrow on the chest and his quiver connected to two straps on his back, scaled over the wall, and fired an arrow next to a nearby security camera. A red light in the arrow began to flash, before the light on the camera turned the same color, looping the image in the security room.
He began to move silently through the facility, silently taking down any soldiers who stood in his way. In the fortress, four soldiers stood guard over a blonde woman in a lab coat and glasses working furiously on a computer.
There was a knocking on the door, and one went over to the door. "Who is it?" He asked, when the door exploded, knocking out two of the soldiers. Speedy leapt out of the smoke and hi one soldier across the face with his bow, before catching the punch of another and throwing him on his back, before knocking him out with a strike to the head.
"Dr. Serling Roquette?" Speedy asked the woman, who was hiding underneath her desk.
"Y-yes?" She answered.
"Red Arrow. I'm here to take you out of here." Speedy, or Red Arrow, as he now called himself, said to her.
"Just you? What about Green Arrow? Aren't you his sidekick of whatever?" Roquette asked, and gulped at the glare Red Arrow have her.
"Not anymore. I work solo now." Red Arrow replied, when the klaxon of the alarm sounded throughout the island.
"Looks like they finally noticed I'm here. Time to go." He said as he took an arrow with an explosive tip and loaded it into his bow.
"You might wanna stand back." Roy said, and Serling replied. He fired the arrow, and it blasted a hole in the wall. The Scarlet Archer took another arrow, this one with a rope tied to the end, and fired it at a nearby tree, creating a zipline.
"Alright Doc, let's go."
"Now? Are you serious?" Roquette asked him, and he raised an eyebrow under his mask.
"I'm sorry, do you want me to leave you on an island full of psychotic ninja-hippies?" Red Arrow asked.
"No, but I can't just leave my work behind. The stuff they've had me making…they can do a lot of damage with it." Roquette said.
"I've only got the one free hand, Doc. I know people who can handle it." Red Arrow said, and Roquette sighed, wrapping her arms around him. Roy leapt off and zoomed down the zipline, taking the screaming doctor with him just as more soldiers burst into the room. The duo hit the ground just as the soldiers began to fire, and began to run through the forest.
"Did you bother to think ahead, or are we just making it up as we go along?" Roquette asked as they came to the beach, where a tarp covered something in the water.
"You seriously underestimate me, Doc. If there's one thing Green Arrow taught me, it's to always be prepared." Red Arrow said, ripping away the tarp to reveal a speedboat. They climbed into the boat and took off at the same time the soldiers emerged from the foliage, and Roquette ducked as the men began to fire.
"They're still shooting at us!" She yelled, and Red Arrow smirked as he pressed the touchpad on the boat's dashboard, showing several red dots on the beach.
"Not for long." He said, and pressed a button, causing explosive charges set all along the beach to detonate.
Meanwhile, back at the fortress, a man with a high tech helmet in front of his upper face kneeled in front of an older Japanese man wearing a kimono. "Sensei, despite the intruder managing to rescue Dr. Roquette, she managed to complete the shroud. It is ready for deployment." The man, known as Ojo, said to Sensei, and Sensei grinned at the news.
Happy Harbor, August 08, 09:52 EDT
It was a beautiful, sunny day at Happy Harbor, not a cloud in the sky as most of the team exited the ave onto the beach of Mount Justice. M'gann took in the sun and the sea, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, Megan! We should do this every day!" The group's Martian declared, and Jason turned to Nolan, who was currently slathering himself in sunscreen.
"Think you got enough?"
"Hey man, I'm not an outdoorsy type. I turn red like a tomato almost instantly." Nolan defended.
"Well, maybe you should get out of your armor more. You wouldn't burn so easily if you got a little more sun." Carter teased, as Kaldur walked to the ocean, dipping his feet in and letting out a sigh.
"I did not realize how much I missed the sea. There is truly nothing else like it…" he sighed out, letting his mind drift off to home.
"Do I have to wear this thing?" Laura asked, fidgeting with her bikini. "It's so…impractical. It offers no protection at all. How am I supposed to fight in this?"
"You're not supposed to. Whole point of this is to just relax." Jason explained, and Laura rolled her eyes.
"Whatever…"
"So…what now?" Superboy asked, and Jason gestures to the beach.
"We've got a whole beach to ourselves. We have fun. But first…a moment of silence for our fallen comrades." Jason said, thinking of Wally and Francis.
Roosevelt High School, Manhattan
"Welcome, class, to the first day of junior year. I'm Mister Romita. For the first day, we'll be-" The history teacher stated, droning on as Francis slumped over in his desk.
"Never thought I'd miss Hydra…" He sighed to himself, wishing that he was at the beach (and in the company of a certain Martian). "Wonder how Wally's doing…"
Broome-Infantino High School, Central City
"Kane?"
"Here."
"Kyle?"
"Here."
"Lonsdale?"
"Here."
"Park?"
"Here."
"Taylor?"
"Here."
"Vietti?"
"Here."
"West?" These calls went unanswered, as Wally was currently slumped over his desk asleep. "Wally West?"
"Huzzawhat?" The Speedster said as he sat up, suddenly awake. "Uh, here." He stated, and sighed as the teacher resumed calling role. The others couldn't have been having that good a time, right?
Happy Harbor
Laura was knee deep in the ocean water, eyes scanning the surface, waiting for her target…when Jason burst from the water, splashing her. "Agh!" She exclaimed, splashing him back.
"Alright, looks like someone's getting the hang of it!" Carter said, engaged in a splash battle of his own with M'gann. 'Man, Francis would totally kill to be here right now.' Carter couldn't help but think, as Superboy plunged in with a massive cannonball. As he surfaced, Kaldur smirked, his tattoos beginning to glow. Contrary to what the others assumed, the waterbearers were not necessary for him to manipulate water. Rather, they were there to help compensate for how his water sorcery skills had decayed since coming to the surface last year. Perhaps that's why they were all surprised to see him commanding a large wave crash down on them...
Manhattan
Francis frowned as he opened his locker, struggling to keep a hold of his textbooks. "Gah…dammit…they don't even use all these…" He cursed to himself, when another boy slammed into him, causing him to drop his books on the ground.
"Watch it, Barton!" The bully called back, and Francis couldn't help but sigh. As he bent over to pick up his books, the teenage archer couldn't help but miss Cadmus. At least there he was allowed to punch things…
Central City
Wally walked over to the water fountain, turning it on and bending over to get a drink. However, the water sprayed all over him, before shutting off abruptly. To add to the humiliation, the water had completely drenched a certain part of his pants, and Kid Flash couldn't help but groan.
Happy Harbor
The hot dogs sizzled on the grill, Robin taking one in a skewer and placing it in a bun. "Alright, order up!" He called me our, handing Laura one. The others were all sitting around, eating hot dogs as well.
"Man, good thing Wally isn't here. He'd have already eaten half of them!" M'gann joked, and Carter shrugged.
"Eh, more for us."
Manhattan
It was Francis's turn in the lunch line, and the lunch lady slipped down what Francis could only assume was some kind of…meat? Soup? He didn't really know what the 'food' was. Was it…moving?
Happy Harbor, 18:16 EDT
"Recognize: Trickshot, B02; Kid Flash, B-06." The Computer announced as the Zeta Tubes deposited Francis and Wally. Both were dressed in swim trunks, and Wally had a variety of equipment with him, such as a beach umbrella and a beach ball.
"Alright, the Wallman's here!" Wally greeted as he came out of the tube. "Let's get this party star-" before he could finish, he stumbled over his feet and fell flat on his feet, sending his stuff flying. "-ted." He sighed out, and Francis winced.
"Rough day too?" He asked, but before Wally could respond, they heard someone clearing their throat, looking to see the team gathered in costume, with Batman, Green Arrow, and Captain America. "Oh. So…beach day's over?"
"Beach day's over." Cap confirmed.
"So, Wallman, huh?" A new voice stated, and the two looked to see someone they had never seen before standing next to Green Arrow. She appeared to be a teenage girl of mixed ethnicity wearing a green top that exposed her midriff with an arrow in the middle, pants with black pads and black boots, and a mask that covered her face up from her cheekbones, yet left her long blonde hair to be exposed in a ponytail. She carried a bow at her hip, and a quiver full of arrows at her side. "So what's your superpower?"
"…uh, hi." Francis greeted, as Wally got off the ground.
"1. Shut up. 2. Who the hell is this chick?" He asked.
"Name's Artemis. Looks like we'll be working together." The girl introduced, and Green Arrow stepped forward.
"Artemis here is my new protege. Figured I might as well introduce you all." The hooded archer stated, and Wally frowned.
"What happened to the old one?"
"Recognize: Speedy B-04."
"Well for starters, the old one doesn't go by Speedy anymore." A familiar voice said, and the others all turned to see Roy emerging from the Zeta Tube in his new costume. "Name's Red Arrow now."
"Roy!" GA greeted, stepping forward. "You look-"
"Replaceable?" The former sidekick finished, casting a glare at Artemis.
"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo!"
"So why waste time finding a replacement? It's barely been a month, and you slapped a pair of tights on the first angsty teenager you saw. Can she even use that bow?"
"Oh trust me, she can." Artemis shot back, causing Wally to scowl.
"Who even are you?"
"I'm his/she's my niece." Artemis and Green Arrow responded perhaps a little too fast, causing Red Arrow to narrow his eyes.
"Another niece? Cool." Scarlet Spider spoke up, and Aqualad stepped up to Roy.
"She is not your replacement. We have no quota on archers."
"And if we did, you know who we'd pick." Wally spoke up, and Francis crossed his arms.
"Standing right here, y'know. Besides, League's got two archers. Can't see why we can't."
"Dude, you know what I mean! We don't need three."
"And you don't have three. Already told you that I'm not interested in joining your little after school club." Red Arrow stated.
"But you came here for a reason, right?" Robin asked, and Roy nodded.
"Yeah, I did. Does the name Sterling Roquette ring any bells?" Red Arrow asked, and Iron Knight pulled up the holographic keypad.
"Yeah, a roboticist who specializes in nanotech. Went missing from Star City about two weeks ago." The Stark explained as an image of the doctor appeared before him.
"Abducted two weeks ago, you mean." Red Arrow corrected. "By the League of Shadows."
He finished, causing just about everyone's eyes to widen.
"The who?" Superboy asked.
"Group of ninja assassins, been around for forever." Robin explained. "So, you need our help rescuing her from the Shadows?"
"Already done it. Got some intel where the Shadows were keeping her, and pulled her out yesterday. But not before she finished what they had her working on." The ginger archer explained, holding up a device and uploading some of the doctor's work. "See, the reason Roquette was abducted in the first place was so she could create something the Shadows called 'the Fog.'"
"Well that's ominous…" Scarlet Spider stated.
"The way she explained it, the Fog is a swarm comprised of microscopic nanobots that are designed to consume anything in their path. But their true purpose is to assimilate and process data." Roy explained, causing Nolan's eyes to widen under his helmet.
"Oh shit…"
"What? Why is that bad?" Miss Martian asked.
"WIth something like that, the Shadows could have access to any database they wanted. Wouldn't even have to hack in. Just set the Fog loose and have it eat the building the server's in."
"And we all know the Shadows don't care about a little collateral damage." Robin finished, noticing Laura tense up a little out of the corner of his eye. "What now?"
"Roquette says she has a way to shut down the Fog using a virus, but she needs time to do it." Roy explained.
"And knowing what she knows, I'm sure the shadows are going to be coming after her." Aqualad finished, and Roy nodded.
"Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her in the nearby high school."
"Oh yeah, because nothing says 'secure' like a public high school." Laura dryly stated, causing Artemis to chuckle.
"She's safe enough for now."
"Then let's you and I keep her that way!" Green Arrow stated. "C'mon, it'll be just like the old days! You and me, alone against the bad guys…"
"Don't you wanna take your new protege?" Roy shot back, his voice dripping with anger. Arrow was about to say something else, when Captain America put his hand on his shoulder, saying nothing but looking at him with that look that somehow always said exactly what you needed to hear, and the Emerald Archer sighed.
"You brought this to the Team, so it's their mission now, which means it's her's now as well."
"Then my job is done here." Roy said, and headed towards the Zeta Tube. He made eye contact with Francis as he walked past, but neither of them said a word to the other as Roy headed to the Zeta Tube.
"Recognize: Speedy-"
"That's Red Arrow. Update B-04." He stated, before vanishing into the Light of the Tube. Wally glared at Artemis again, about to open his mouth…
"Wally, enough." Aqualad stated. "It is not her fault Roy is still pouting."
"Dude, he's not still pouting."
"Looks like it to me." Nolan stated.
"Long as he doesn't throw another tantrum again, he can pout all he wants." Francis stated.
"For now, we let him walk his own path." Kaldur stated. "Now get dressed. Swim trunks are not the best for fighting ninjas.
Happy Harbor High School, 21:42 EDT
The Team had set up shop at Happy Harbor High School, with Trickshot, Superboy, Miss Martian, Scarlet Spider, and Robin patrolling the outside, while the others stood guard over one of the Doctor in one of the computer labs. "Miss Martian, link us up." Aqualad ordered telepathically, and Miss Martian nodded as she established the mindlink.
"Link established."
"Whoa, this mindlink thing is super trippy." Artemis thought, massaging her temples. "And this let's everyone hear what we're thinking?"
"Only surface thoughts that pertain to the mission. I'd never violate you guys' privacy like that." M'gann reassured.
"So crazy…"
"It's called science, Arrowette. Get used to it." Kid Flash taunted, leaning against the wall.
"It's called deodorant, jackass. Get to know it." Artemis short back.
"Ooooh, gonna have to hand this one to Artemis." Robin said from his vantage point over the track. "Plus, Arrowette? Cmon, KF, you can do better than that."
"Yeah well…we don't need her! We've already got plenty of badass archers!"
"Don't drag me into this!" Trickshot thought from his position on the roof.
"I was talking about Red Arrow! He was all set to join up before she showed up and scared him off."
"No he wasn't. He all but told us to piss off when we asked him last time." Scarlet Spider stated as he watched the parking lot.
"Plus, she is right here!" Artemis spoke up, and Sterling let out a sigh of frustration.
"As if doing quantum processing and backside coding wasn't hard enough on a high school computer with less processing power than my watch, now I have to put up with teen speak in my head!" She thought in frustration.
"Lady, do you always complain when people try to help you?" Wally asked.
"Pot, meet kettle." The new girl stated, and headed towards the door."I'm going to go out and help the others patrol outside. Not enough room in here for his big mouth and my sharp, pointy arrows."
"Oh my god yes. One of you, PLEASE get out of here." Iron Knight thought as he looked over Roquette's shoulder, as Artemis exited the room.
"Kid, you might wish to cut her some slack. After all, it was her arrow that saves=d you from the Amazo last week" Kaldur stated, causing KF's eyes to widen.
"No way! That was totally Speedy! I-I mean Red Arrow!"
"Except that his arrows are, yknow, red." X-23 spoke up, and KF folded his arms.
"Yeah, well…I'm still not giving her the satisfaction!"
"You know I can still hear you, right?" Artemis spoke up, and Roquette put her head in her hands.
"I couldn't get the Justice League…" She lamented to herself.
"The virus will be worthless if we can't track the weapon." Aqualad started to say.
"First off, my Fog isn't a weapon. It's science!"
"Science that consumes anything in its way." Iron Knight cut her off. "Look, Doc, I'm sure you've got the best intentions, but I'm a Stark. We know firsthand that the science we create isn't always used for the best purposes." Iron Knight stated, and Roquette sighed.
"…yes, I can track it, but it goes both ways, too. The tracking program only works via an internet connection. If I turn it on, I might as well be renting out a giant neon sign that says 'kill me here!'" Roquette explained, and Aqualad put a hand on her shoulder.
"They will have go through us, first." Aqualad reassured, and she sighed, before typing on the computer.
"Alright, going online…now."
Philadelphia
In a private jet that was preparing to takeoff, Ojo day alone next to the canister that contained the fog, typing on a computer. The jet was about to take off, when Ojo's computer beeped. "Sensei, Roquette has resurfaced and is tracking the fog." He said into his communicator.
"Where is she?" Sensei asked, and Ojo typed some more.
"Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. The local high school." The doctor reported. "Shall I take care of her?"
"No, stay on mission. See who's in the area, and place a bounty on her. One million dollars. Either she comes back with us…or she doesn't come back at all."
Happy Harbor, 23:06 EDT
The team continued to patrol the school, with Trickshot and Scarlet Spider on the roof. "Anything at all?" Miss Martian asked as she floated up next to them, and Trickshot shook his head.
"Nope. No creatures are stirring, not even a mouse." He responded, pacing along the roof.
"I don't mind, though. Nothing like a nice quiet mission after the last one." Scarlet Spider stated from his position on the wall.
"Yknow, Wally said something similar right before the Monqi's attacked." Miss Martian stated, and Scarlet Spider noticed the look Trickshot was giving him, taking the hint even through the face mask and red lenses.
"Yknow, I think I'm gonna go help Superboy and Artemis." The teenage webslinger said as he took the hint, leaving the rooftop to drop down to be next to Superboy and Artemis, leaving the male archer and the Martian alone.
"So...we missed you today. How was school?" She asked, and he shrugged.
"Eh, the usual. Somehow still less boring than this. Least I got company." He replied, and back on the ground, Artemis couldn't help but roll her eyes as she overheard the small talk.
"I've been here five minutes and even I think they couldn't be more obvious…" She muttered to herself aloud, and spotted Scarlet Spider crawling on the side of the building. "Hm. Nice ass…" She thought, when Scarlet Spider looked in her direction.
"Uh, flattered as I am, we can still hear you." He said.
"Oh, I know."
"God I'm never having kids…" Roquette thought as she continued to type. "Alright, I've got the fog location. Looks like they're going to…Philadelphia." She stated, and Iron Knight looked up.
"There's a STAR Labs facility there. They could be going after the tech they're developing." He stated, and Kaldur frowned.
"Scarlet Spider, Superboy, Robin. Take the bioship and go with Knight, see if you can thwart the fog there. We will remain here and guard the doctor while she finishes the virus." He instructed.
"You got it, Boss." Robin stated, as Miss Martian instructed the bioship to meet the assigned team at the track. They all arrived and boarded the ship, the vessel cloaking as it took off. However, as the Bioship took off, a figure watched from the nearby bushes. She was a woman that stood at about 5'6, wearing a short green kimono and a white mask that brought to mind the Cheshire Cat. She watched the bioship leave, tapping a communicator in her ear.
"Their heavy hitters just left. We move now." She stated.
Back inside, Kid Flash was standing guard outside the computer lab, when he saw a shadow run across the wall. Narrowing his eyes, he ran over to investigate, seeing the shadow turn another corner. He followed after it, seeing a figure run into the pool room. He ran into the pool room, when his feet got out from under him as he ran over several small, metallic balls. The speedster looked up to see a leather clad leg, but that's all he saw before it kicking him into the pool.
Meanwhile, in the computer lab, Aqualad stood over Roquette, while X-23 stood by the door. "How's the virus coming?" Aqualad asked.
"I should have it in the next 15 minutes or so." Roquette stated, as a panel in the ceiling opened, and X-23 sniffed the air.
"Get down!" She yelled, and Aqualad pushed Roquette down as two shuriken flew out, catching him in the arm. He winced as they dug into his Atlantean skin, as the woman in the mask dropped down.
"Cheshire…" Aqualad growled out, pulling a shuriken out.
"Aw, my reputation precedes me." Cheshire greeted, drawing her sais as Aqualad drew his waterbearers. "Careful, Fishboy. I might be more than you can handle."
"The two of us are more than enough for you." Aqualad stated, and X-23's eyes widened as she sniffed the air.
"She's not alone!" That was all she had time to say before the door flew off the hinges, the female mutant narrowly dodging.
"I told you to wait for my lead." A male voice stated, and the voice's occupant entered. He was a tall man dressed almost completely in black, wearing a cowl that had yellow markings that vaguely resembled Wolverine's, with white wrappings around his arms and hands.
"I saw my shot, and I took it." Cheshire retorted, drawing her sai. "You handle the girl, I'll handle Aqualad."
"As long as I get my cut!" The Man growled out, and glared at X-23, who had dropped into a fighting pose. "Huh, you're new. Don't think I've seen you before."
"I'll be the last thing you see." X-23 growled, popping her claws. The masked man's eyes widened, before he laughed.
"Oh, so that old bastard got himself a replacement, huh? Guess I was too much of a dissapointment." The Man remarked, and held his clenched fists out to his sides. It wasn't a pose that Laura recognized, but it was clear that this was not a man that she should underestimate.
"Are you going to keep talking, or are we going to fight?" She asked, and he grinned as he took a stance.
"Oh I like you." And with that, the two rushed each other. He made a swing that X ducked and retaliated with a slash to his side, but the strange man brought delivered a haymaker , X spun on her heels, popping one of her foot claws to slash him in the stomach, before planting her foot on the ground and tackling him out the door, driving her claws into his shoulders as she slammed him against the lockers. "Oh, right for the kill…" he groaned out, as Laura pulled out her claws.
"Keep pressure on that, and you won't bleed out." She instructed, and he chuckled.
"Man, those claws are no joke. Since you showed me yours…" *SNIKT* Laura felt a stabbing pain in her chest, and she looked down to see two claws made of bone emerging from his hands. "...I'll show you mine." He stated, pulling out his claws and noting how the wounds were already healing. "So, you got his healing factor too, huh? Guess I shouldn't be too surprised his stubborn genes are dominant."
"Who...who are you…" X-23 asked out as her puncture wound rapidly healed, and the man grinned.
"I'm Logan's reckoning, but you...you can call me Daken." And with that, the two charged each other once more, engaging in a furious flurry of claws.
"The Shadows are here! We need backup!" Aqualad said over the link as he parried a strike from Cheshire's sai with his water blades.
Miss Martian floated herself and Trickshot off of the roof, the two running across the school grounds. "How the hell did they get in?!" Trickshot asked aloud as they rounded a corner.
"I don't know! Even with the others gone, we should have still had-"
"Uh, guys? I think I'm drowning…" Wally's voice said through the link, and Trickshot sighed.
"Well, that answers that question…" He sighed out. "Sounds like he's in the pool! Let's go-" Before Trickshot could finish his suggestion, he saw movement out of the corner of his, catching a glint off the moon light…
"Get down!" He yelled, pushing Miss Martian down just as a pair of shuriken flew past where their heads had been a minute before. Trickshot spun around, aiming his bow and firing off an arrow in the direction the shurikens came from, only for the arrow to be deflected with a katana. The wielder was a muscular man wearing grey, chainmail mesh armor, with large grey shoulder pads and a helmet with two red eyes, an additional katana strapped to his back.
"Well well well, look at what the cat dragged in." The man taunted, and Trickshot narrowed his eyes beneath his mask as he aimed an arrow at the man.
"Ravager…"
"The one and only. Didn't realize it was amateur hour around here." Ravager stated as he took note of Trickshot and Miss Martian, taking a step.
"Ah ah! One more step, and I'm about to make you look a lot more like your dad." Trickshot threatened, and turned to Miss Martian. "Go help Kid. I'll handle him."
"But-"
"It's alright. I can handle this chump." He reassured. She still didn't look sure, but for now she went along and headed off in Kid Flash's direction.
"Don't want your girlfriend seeing what I'm about to do to you? Probably a good-" Before Ravager could finish his taunt, Trickshot let his arrow fly, the armored mercenary barely able to bring his sword up to deflect the arrow. Before he could get another arrow ready, Ravager rushed him,sword at the ready as the two began to fight.
Philadelphia
Robin, Superboy, Scarlet Spider, and Iron Knight who was much to his own joy getting to steer the ship.
"Ah this thing handles really well." He said impressed as they were nearly there.
"Yeah well try to keep yourself calm and...oh no." Robin gasped looking out the window.
The other two looked out the window and gasped the STAR labs building was completely destroyed and the swarm of nanobots was rushing through the air.
"Oh man, that's something else…" Knight stated, before checking his helmet's readout. "Doesn't look like anyone was in there. Talk about small blessings…"
"Do you think they're going back to the guys in charge?" Scarlet Spider asked, pointing to the cloud.
"No the signal of the deployment is to the East they're heading west right towards..oh no! No. No No No No!" Iron Knight said, seeming suddenly a bit panicky.
"What's wrong?" Superboy asked.
"They're going for Stark Industries that's what wrong!" Iron Knight said swinging the ship towards the direction the fog was headed.
"Wait! We can't just let the guys in charge get away." Superboy said.
Iron Knight growled, but the boy of Steel wasn't wrong; "Okay, Superboy Scarlet Spider, you handle the people launching the fog. Robin and I will deal with the actual fog." He said giving them a tracker. They all nodded and Superboy and Scarlet Spider dropped from the ship before it took off after the fog.
"Wouldn't you, and your dad be able to counter anything they could take from Stark Industries?" Robin asked seriously.
"Most things yes, but there's something there that we really don't want anyone else to have access to." Knight said.
"That being?" Robin asked.
"The Stark Dataspine. It's a server farm that hosts our master archive. Designs and plans for everything my dad and I have ever built or designed, armor included, is stored there." He sighed as Robins eyes widened.
"That's pretty dangerous, don't you think it would have been smarter to keep that somewhere only you two and your mom could get to it?" Guardian Angels voice asked in his comm.
"Hey, I don't make the decisions around here!" Nolan said aloud.
"I didn't say anything." Robin said awkwardly as Guardian Angel actually laughed a little.
Happy Harbor High
This fight was a lot more difficult than any other that X-23 had ever faced before. The simple fact was she was not used to people being as skilled as her, and having a healing factor that rivaled one. For every slash she landed, the man known as Daken landed one as well, and neither of them seemed anywhere near slowing down.
"I gotta admit girl, you're pretty good. Giving me a much better workout than the old man did the last time we fought." Daken said, giving her a sarcastic slow clap.
"Well good, glad I don't disappoint." She growled as they measured each other and then he pounced knocking her to the ground and stabbing into her shoulder.
'X-23! Don't worry we're coming to help!' Miss Martians voice said in her head.
'No, do not come help me right now! Go focus on keeping the Doctor safe! Besides trust me you don't want to get involved in this right now.' She thought back seeing the slash marks and blood along the hall they had been fighting in.
"Normally, I'd just gut you here and be done with it, but seeing as you're family and all, I'll ease up. What say you ditch the hero biz and come with me?"
"I say...no thanks!" She managed to get her feet under him and popped her foot claws in his stomach, before launching him off of her and into the other wall.
'Are you sure?' Kid Flash asked.
'Yes, now go!' She thought back as she and Daken rushed each other again.
Back in the computer lab, Aqualad was managing to hold his own against Cheshire, parrying each slash of her sais with his own water blades. "Gotta say, you're not bad. Some real potential here." Cheshire taunted as their blades clashed. However, when Aqualad performed a slash, Cheshire used the opportunity to duck and sweep his legs out from under him, spinning and tossing a shuriken at Roquette. However, Kaldur morphed his sword into a whip, using it to deflect the shuriken. The whip shifted into a mace, one that Cheshire quickly dodged. "What's the matter? Feeling that little bit of seasoning I gave my shuriken?" The assassin asked as the Atlantean rose to his feet.
"Jellyfish toxin. I believe you'll find most Atlanteans to be quite immune."
"Hm. Good to know." Cheshire said, before tossing her sais at Aqualad. Before he could block them, two green arrows knocked them out of the air.
"Don't move!" Artemis threatened from the doorway, aiming an arrow at Cheshire.
"Oh, well this just got a whole lot more interesting…" Cheshire said as she assessed Artemis. Artemis fired two arrows, only for Cheshire to pull out a foldable katana and slice them out of the was about to rush Artemis, when Miss Martian and Kid Flash entered the lab. "Maybe a little too interesting." As Kid Flash rushed her, Cheshire threw down a flash bomb. Kid stumbled through the smoke, recovering right as he was face to face with Artemis.
"Gah!" He exclaimed, jumping back in surprise.
"Bad guys are getting away! Get after them!" Roquette yelled.
"Our first and only priority is your safety. For now, we will have to let them go." Aqualad calmly stated, and Kid Flash glared at Artemis.
"We wouldn't have to let them get away if someone had actually been watching the perimeter." He growled out, and Artemis narrowed her eyes.
"Oh yeah? Tell me, did you have a nice swim?" She growled back, and Aqualad stepped between them.
"That is enough. The blame does not lie on either of you."
"He's right. There was also-" M'gann started to say, when her eyes widened as she remembered something important. "Oh no!"
X-23 panted as she slumped against a locker, slash marks on her chest healing shut. "You're...you're not bad."
"Same...to you." Daken panted out, a slash mark across his cheek healing as well while he nursed his side. "Oh yeah, that's my spleen knitting back together. I think...I think this is what they call a stalemate." He said, and sniffed the air. "Huh. You got a name, Kid?"
"My friends...call me La-"
"Nah, not that name. I'm talking about the one you got because of him." Daken growled out.
"...X-23."
"Alright then, X-23. I'm gonna be looking forward to round 2." He warned, before using his claws to slice open a window and climb out. The panting Laura almost went after him, when Artemis rounded the corner.
"Alright X, I'm-" Artemis started to say, when she took note of the blood and slash marks that decorated the hallway. "Whoa...are you ok?"
"I will be. I'm just gonna...sit here while my insides put themselves back together." Laura stated, sitting on the ground. "How's the doctor?"
"She's fine. The shadow got away, though." She stated. "Yours get away too?" X-23 sighed.
"Yeah. He was…a bit more than I was expecting. Where are the others?"
"Went to help Trickshot."
Back at the front of the school, Francis was beginning to think he had bitten off more than he could chew. Now, he was no slouch when it came to fighting, considering he had been trained since childhood by two of the greatest SHIELD agents in the history of the organization. But Ravager had a similar lineage, and apparently didn't receive the same lessons of restraint that Trickshot had.
Which was why Ravager had him on the defense, slashing away with his katana. While to the untrained eye it appeared that Ravager was merely flailing his sword about, each slash was targeted and coordinated, aiming for each of the young archer's vital points. Trickshot used his bow to parry each one, before he caught a downward slash with the bow and delivered a kick to Ravager's chest, knocking him back and allowing Trickshot to nock a trick arrow and let it fly. Like before, Ravager slashed the arrow, but the flashbang at the tip went off, stunning Ravager enough to allow Trickshot to draw his batons and rush him. Now, Ravager was forced to go on the defensive, as Trickshot expertly swung his batons.
Trickshot managed to connect a few hits with his batons, for all the good it did against Ravager's armor. Ravager managed to dogdge a swing for his head and drop down, preparing to swing his sword into Trickshot's gut…
Only for an unseen force to stop him on the spot. "What the…?" The mercenary grunted out, before a telekinetic blast from Miss Martian sent him flying back, Kid Flash right behind her. "I know when I'm outgunned. This isn't over…" Ravager grunted out, throwing down a smoke bomb as he vanished into the shadows.
"Are you alright?" Miss Martian asked, and Trickshot nodded.
"Other than a bruised ego, I'm fine. Never shoulda left myself open like that…" He remarked. "How's The Doc?" He asked over the mindlink.
"Shaken, but physically, she is unharmed." Aqualad stayed. "However, our location is compromised, and it is only a matter of time before the Shadows return."
"Wouldn't have been a problem if the new girl knew what she was doing…" Wally thought, and Artemis gripped her bow a little tighter as Kaldur continued.
"The virus is almost complete. Let's move." He instructed.
22:27 EDT
In an abandoned church, Kid Flash, Artemis, and X-23 were standing guard over Doctor Roquette, who was furiously typing away on a computer as Kid Flash and Artemis glared at each other. "Knock it off you two." Aqualad ordered from his spot in the bushes.
"We're not-"
"I can hear you glaring. Now stay sharp. The Shadows could be back at any moment." Aqualad said as he looked around. "Miss Martian, Trickshot, stay in camouflage mode and make a wide perimeter sweep!" He ordered aloud, and resumed his own patrol, only for a sort of red webbing to shoot down from the trees and cover him, pulling him up into the trees. The sounds of grunting rung throughout the air, before Aqualad was launched out of the tree, flying into a parked van. He went to draw his waterbearers, only for a right hook from Ravager to knock him out. The trees rustled, before Black Spider leapt out and landed on the ground as Cheshire and Daken emerged from the shadows.
"The Martian could be back any second, we don't have time to waste." Cheshire stated.
"Just remember, the girl with the claws is mine." Daken stated.
"If you want your cut, focus on the mission, Daken. There's plenty of time for vendettas later." Ravager scolded.
"Whatever you say, Dollar Store Deathstroke. Hey, who knows. Maybe this'll be the job that finally gets daddy to take you seriously." Daken shot back, causing Ravager to clench his fist, only for Cheshire to get between them.
"Keep it in your pants, boys. We've got a job to do." Cheshire scolded.
Back inside the church, Roquette was working on the virus, when Black Spider burst threw the door and flipped onto the ceiling. As Kid Flash leapt off the table he was sitting on, Black Spider fired a blast of webbing that Kid Flash dodged, and Black Spider jumped off the ceiling as Kid Flash threw a trash can at him. As the two began to fight, X-23 and Artemis formed up on the doctor, only for Daken to burst through a burden up window.
"Ready for Round 2?" He challenged as he popped his claws, and X-23's eyes narrowed as she did the same. The two rushed each other, and as they engaged in another savage battle, Artemis aimed her bow. However, between the savage flurry of claws and Kid Flash and Black Spider's battles, she couldn't get a clean shot (no matter how tempting 'accidentally' hitting Wally seemed.) As she waited for her moment, she didn't notice the skylight opening, and Cheshire aimed her crossbow. She let the arrow fly, only for a pew to be telekinetically lifted in front of the arrow.
"Martian's back! Ravager, move in now!" Cheshire ordered, and Ravager burst through the stained glass window. Artemis fired an arrow at him, but hee deflected it, and before she could fire again, Cheshire dropped down. As Cheshire engaged her, Ravager ran towards the furiously typing doctor, preparing to drive his blade through her back...only for her head to spin around as his blade was telekinetically stopped.
"Not again…" He groaned out, as 'Roquette' morphed back into the features of Miss Martian.
"Oh yes, again." She taunted, as she sent him flying out the window. He landed against the van outside, and noticed something missing, namely a certain unconscious atlantean.
"Ah hell…" The mercenary cursed, as he activated his helmet's infrared, seeing footprints leading away. "We've been played! Going in pursuit of target now!" He said over his commlink.
"Understood, backing you up!" Cheshire stated, throwing down a flashbang. Taking advantage of Artemis and Miss Martian's stunned state, she leapt up and escaped through the window just as Artemis's vision cleared.
"Going after their leader! Take care of her lackeys!" Artemis called out, running after the female assassin.
"You are so not the boss of me!" Kid Flash said as Black Spider caught him in a half nelson.
"Just do it!" The new girl called as she ran out the door.
In a nearby internet cafe, Trickshot stood by the door as Roquette furiously typed away. "How we lookin', Doc?" He asked.
"Almost done! I just need another minute or two!" Roquette called out, and Trickshot spun around and aimed an arrow as the back door opened, only for Aqualad to enter the room.
"Did it work?"
"Yes, but they may have already wisened up to our deception. Be prepared for-" Before the leader could finish his order, Ravager crashed through the window, sword at the ready. He drew a side arm and fired at Roquette, only for Kaldur to form a water shield and block the bullets. An arrow pulled the gun out of Ravager's hand, and he ducked just as Trickshot swung his bow at his head. As the two fought once more, Aqualad stood guard over the doctor.
New York State
As the battle resumed in Happy Harbor, Iron Knight and Robin were pursuing the fog in the Bioship, until they came in view of a large, black tower. "Whoa...is that it?" Robin asked, and Iron Knight nodded.
"Yep. Everything my family's ever designed, including some real nasty stuff we don't want the Shadow's getting." Iron Knight stated, as they flew past the Fog and into the Dataspine. "Activate all defenses. Authorization: NS-3." He said into his helmet, and the grass in front of the Dataspine opened up as turrets emerged. Repulsor rays fired on the Fog, but it didn't seem to do anything, as the fog began making consuming the turret.
"Well, that did nothing!" Robin stated as they landed.
"I'm aware!" Knight responded as they emerged from the ship. "Reserve power to shields, now!" He ordered,as a repulsor shield formed in front of them. This seemed to halt the fog in its tracks. "That should buy us some time, but not much. Scarlet, Superboy, how are things going on your end?"
Philadelphia
"Ever heard the phrase needle in a haystack?" Scarlet Spider stated as he swung through Philadelphia, Superboy on his back. "Like that, but instead of a haystack, it's a city i've never been to with a 180-pound Kryptonian on my back."
"Hey, you're the one who said to get on your back." Superboy pointed out, and checked the device Nolan had given them. "Says here the deployment signal's close, but it's moving."
"Well, that narrows it down." Scarlet Spider sighed out. "That could be anywhere. They could be on a train, or a car, or-" Before the teenage webslinger could go down the list, he noticed a van driving erratically. "Or a van!" He exclaimed, as he swung the two of them over to the van's roof. He was about to flip to the side and check the driver's seat, when his spider sense went off, and a laser blast erupted from the van's inside, sending them flying back. Ojo stopped the van, and typed on the computer some more. Once the screen said 'autopilot enabled', he kicked the van door open, and began blasting them with energy blasts from his helmet.
Happy Harbor
Cheshire ran across the rooftops, nearing the Internet cafe, when an arrow from Artemis impacted a service door in front of her, coughing as the arrow dispensed knockout gas. Artemis approached her as she collapsed, keeping the arrow trained on her…
When Cheshire swept her legs out from under her. "Mask has built in filters. Nice try, though." Cheshire taunted, and before Artemis could recover, Cheshire struck her in the back of the head, knocking her out.
Back in the cafe, Aqualad was about to go and help Trickshot against Ravager, when three blow darts hit him in the back. "Let's test that jellyfish immunity, shall we?" Cheshire taunted as she entered the room, and Aqualad spun around as he swung a water whip at her. His movements were slowed, however, allowing her deliver a strike to his jaw that, combined with the jellyfish toxin, knocking him out. "Now then…" Cheshire purred out as she approached the doctor, drawing her sai. However, before she could complete her mission, the assassin saw the words on the computer.
UPLOAD COMPLETE
Stark Dataspine
Robin and Iron Knight were on the other side of the barrier, watching the Fog begin to push through the shield. "They're starting to get in!" Robin said, drawing his shurikens. Meanwhile, inside his armor, Nolan watched the download bar on the virus get closer and closer to completion.
"Come on…" He muttered as the Fog managed to push through the shield. However, just as it neared them, the upload bar reached completion. "Yes!" He aimed his repulsors at them, and began transmitting a data pulse that carried the virus. Instantly, the fog fell to the ground, lifeless and deactivated.
"Oh man, talk about a close one…" Robin sighed out. "Wonder how the others are doing."
Philadelphia
Scarlet Spider backflipped over a laser blast from Ojo that knocked Superboy back, webbing up his helmet. Superboy charged at him, but Ojo turned his laser up to maximum and unleashed the red beam against the Kryptonian clone. Superboy grit his teeth as he dug his heels in, slowly moving forward, Ojo cranked it up as high as he could, but it didn't do him any good, as Superboy delivered a devastating right hook that dented Ojo's helmet and knocked him out. Scarlet Spider webbed the control console form the fog and smashed it against the road. "And that's how it's done." Scarlet Spider remarked, high fiving Superboy.
Happy Harbor
"Oh, clever girl.." Cheshire stated, and Roquette swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Are you...are you still going to kill me?" The doctor asked, and Cheshire seemed to consider it for a moment.
"The contract called for eliminating you /before/ you uploaded the virus. And I may be an assassin, but I'm no sadist." She stated, putting away her weapon, before turning back to Ravager, who was still fighting Trickshot. "Contracts off!"
"Run if you want. I've got unfinished business with this brat!" Ravager called back as Trickshot parried a sword slash with his bow, and Cheshire shrugged.
"Suit yourself." And with that, Cheshire left the room, leaving Trickshot alone with Ravager. Trickshot glared at her as she left the room, when he spied movement on the floor. As Ravager pushed him against the wall, Trickshot couldn't help but grin to himself.
"Hey Ravager, you might wanna look behind you." Trickshot grunted out, and Ravager scoffed.
"You really think I'm that stupid? I'm gonna enjoy this, you little-" Before he could finish his statement, Ravager heard the sound of water behind him, looking behind him just in time to see Aqualad swinging a water hammer at him, The water weapon connected with his head, shattering the right side of his helmet and knocking him out. Kaldur staggered a little, but Francis caught him.
"Appreciate the save, man. You alright?" The archer asked, and Kaldur weakly nodded.
"Yes. My atlantean physiology is largely immune to undersea toxins, but the amount she used…I fear I will not be of much use..."
"Hey, just rest up. I'm gonna tie up Deathstroke Jr over here, and then we'll go after the others."
Speaking of the others, the Church Group was faring moderately well against the assassins. As Miss Martian had faith that Kid Flash could handle the wannabe Spider-Man, so her attention was on the unknown man with the claws like Laura's. She threw a set of pews at Daken, but he slashed them to splinters with his claws, only to doge a foot-claw enhanced kick from X-23. He performed a handspring to get away from them, only for his communicator to go off.
"The mission failed. Escape if you can." Cheshire's voice said in his ear, and Daken just sighed.
"Well, this was fun and all, but there's no real point in sticking around." He said aloud, and looked X-23 in the eyes. "Word of advice, kid. You put faith in that old man, all he's gonna do is let you down. Get away while you can." Daken stated, before tossing out a smoke bomb. Miss Martian went to go after him, but X-23 held up her hand.
"Don't go after him. He doesn't want us following." She stated, and Miss Martian looked at her.
"But we could-"
"Just trust me on this. A man like that will kill anyone he doesn't want getting close." Miss Martian looked unsure, but the Martian took her friend at her word.
"Uh guys…" KF's voice spoke up, and they looked behind them to see Kid Flash wrapped in red webbing, an unconscious Black Spider next to him.
"How the hell did you end up like this?" Laura asked.
"Well he webbed me, and then I thought 'oh, I can use this to get him close and knock him out', and well…" He trailed off, and X sighed as she popped a claw.
"Hold still." She said, and he gulped.
Meanwhile, Cheshire came out of the cafe. While her masters wouldn't be thrilled with her failure, Cheshire had full confidence that she would be able to make it up. After all, no one had a perfect record, not even her fa-
An arrow impacted the ground next to her, exploding and knocking her mask off. "Don't move!" A familiar voice stated, as Artemis aimed an arrow at her. "One more step, and you're going to find out what it's like to walk with a wounded knee."
"Same old Artemis. Your bark always was worse than your bite." Cheshire stayed, turning around to reveal a woman of Vietnamese descent with stormy gray eyes and long, dark hair. Artemis gasped as she saw her face, but quickly composed herself.
"You really think this changes how this is going down?"
"And how is this going down? You apprehend the big bad assassin, and your teammates are all thrilled. The new girl actually knows what she's doing, hooray!" Cheshire teased, and smirked. "And then I get arrested, and being the high profile Shadow I am, I'm taken to a nearby SHIELD facility, where I tell them everything I know. EVERYthing." She stated, causing Artemis to narrow her eyes. "I'm curious, have you been around your new friends long enough that they'll still trust you when they find out the truth?" She asked, and Artemis glared at her for a second…before she lowered the bow. "That's what I thought." Cheshire began to walk off, before she looked back, a softer smile on her face. "Despite everything, it was good seeing you, Arty. Tell mom I said hello." And with that, Cheshire vanished into the shadows, just as Trickshot burst out the door.
"You ok?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine."
"Where'd Cheshire go?"
"She…She got away. I took a shot at her, but I missed."
"Oh, you let yours get away. What a surprise." Wally's voice stated, and they looked to see a now freed Kid Flash approaching them, the others behind him. "I caught mine, by the way."
"And mine got away too." X-23 spoke up, stepping between them. "I don't know if you noticed, but we went up against some pretty skilled assassins. The fact that we all got out of there alive is a small miracle." She stated as Miss Martian approached Artemis.
"You did great! My first fight was a complete disaster, and I know you couldn't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long." She reassured, putting a hand on Artemis's shoulder as Aqualad limped out, assisted by Roquette.
"I just heard from the away team. Iron Knight and Robin nullified the Fog, and Scarlet Spider and Superboy captured Professor Ojo. The doctor is safe, and we apprehended Ravager and Black Spider. All in all, I'm willing to call this a win, thanks in no small part to Artemis." Aqualad stated, and Trickshot nudged her shoulder.
"In other words, welcome to the Team." He stated, and despite what just happened…Artemis couldn't help but smile.
"Now I have two sisters!" M'gann exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Artemis and Laura. "Well, here on Earth, anyways. Back on Mars, I have 12, but I have ."
"I…wouldn't know. But thanks." Artemis said, and Wally rolled his eyes, before Francis elbowed him.
"Right, yeah. Welcome." He reluctantly stated, and the two shook hands.
Gotham City, 00:45 EDT
Artemis sighed as the Zeta Tube deposited her in the phone booth, exiting into the alleyway. "Talk about a crazy first day…" She muttered out, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Spinning around, she unfolded her bow and aimed the arrow. "Step into the light, now, before I turn you into a pincushion!"
"Well, looks like you really can use that bow. Almost made me believe you were Green Arrow's niece." Red Arrow stages as he stepped out of the shadows, causing Artemis to narrow her eyes, as she lowered her weapon. "We both know you're not, though. Don't get me wrong, as far as lies go, it's not a terrible one. The blonde hair really helps sell it."
"What do you want? To blackmail me?"
"Don't see the point. I don't know why you're lying, but I'm willing to give GA, Cap, and Bats the benefit of the doubt, so you're cover's safe." Red Arrow stated, when he dropped the friendly pretense. "I just came here to warn you: don't hurt my friends, or maintaining your cover's going to be the least of your worries." He growled out, before walking off, leaving Artemis to consider what he had said.
A/N: See ya next time, folks!
