Chapter Nine — Complications

"It's been so long, you've been my sister all along."


The three of them— Arley, Kaldur and M'gann —stood around the outside of Kaldur's childhood home. Kaldur's home was a large stone building, the yellow stones the home was made of had coral and seaweed growing up the sides of it. The home itself looked as if it had been built thousands of years ago; back when Atlantis had been above water and before the Amazons had retreated to a hidden, unplottable island.

"Do you think I could get your father to allow me to go to the mainland, like on a mission?" Arley proposed as she leaned against the brick of Kaldur's childhood home, though her face was mask less she wore her Green Lantern uniform just as Kaldur wore his old Aqualad uniform, "If Dickie and the team captures me they could barter for Megs release."

"Perhaps but for what reason would you go to the surface?" Kaldur reasoned from his spot against a light post.

"And why would Manta trade me for you-no offense," M'gann said; the Martian was floating in the water, her legs every so often kicked out beneath her and her arms moved in front of her. "I mean I destroyed Kaldur's mind, Manta wants me dead. Why would he trade us?"

Arley and Kaldur shared a secretive look; a calico smile curled at the edges of Kaldur's lips. M'gann's thin, red brows raised.

"What?" M'gann chuckled. Arley rolled her head so that she was looking at the Martian and grinned,

"So I don't know why-it's probably Kaldur's fault to be honest—"

"—I had to have more than she saved me from Nightwing as my reason to bring you aboard," Kaldur said; M'gann's molten colored eyes sparked.

"No!" M'gann gasped, a giggled escaped the Martian, "Manta thinks-you two?" M'gann clasped a hand to her mouth so that she could stifle her laughter that bubbled in her throat at the thought of Kaldur and Arley being romantically involved, "Wait until Wally hears!"

Arley— with a groan and half hidden smile—buried her face in her hands.

"Nortz help me if he finds out, he'll never let me live it down." Arley could already imagine it; her and Wally in ten years' time, married and maybe with a kid or two on the way only for Wally to jokingly greet Kaldur at the door of whatever home they'd settled down in by calling him his wife's boyfriend.

"Please," Kaldur said with a large smile and in an offended tone that held no real malice, "I am told anyone would be lucky to be with me."

"Yeah?" Arley joked, "By who? Your mom?"

M'gann let out a loud snorting sound, one Arley hadn't heard since before Conner had broken up with her; the three of them were in what was supposed to be Kaldur's broken psyche, two of them were undercover and one of them was technically a kidnapped hostage that was going to be murdered sooner rather than later and Arley knew they shouldn't be goofing around like they were still teenagers but she couldn't help it.

Kaldur hadn't been around in over a year, Arley had thought Kaldur was lost, and M'gann had thought her to be dead and Kaldur a turncoat; so perhaps it wasn't the best time to laugh but the three of them needed it.

Slowly their laughter died down; Kaldurs smile dimmed and he looked to M'gann.

"We should get back, if we spend too long here than Black Manta will be expecting more progress." M'gann eyed the sandy cobblestone ground beneath her feet.

"Right, of course."

Arley pushed off the wall and her hand rested on M'ganns forearm, the undercover Lantern shot her friend an encouraging smile, M'gann put her other hand over Arley's and met the Lanterns hazel eyes.

"Hey we'll still be linked up out there, okay?" Arley said.

"Right, of course," M'gann nodded.

And with a final squeeze M'gann's eyes glowed and the image that was Atlantis faded around Arley, darkening until the undercover hero was brought back to reality; she was sitting on Kaldur's bed, by his knees. M'gann was on the stool by his head, she had her hand over Kaldur's.

Arley— or rather Morningstar, her alias —turned to face the camera Manta had installed in his sons room.

"He's still not himself," Arley told Deathstroke, who was on the other end of the camera, watching— waiting —for M'gann to put even a toe out of line. Arley caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror— of her dark black hair and hazel eyes —and sighed.

But these days who is?

M'gann set her hand on Kaldur's forehead and the Atlantean remained still and unblinking as he looked on ahead, his eyes were no longer glazed over and there was a light in there that hadn't been before M'gann had started to reconstruct his mind.

"So," M'gann asked through the mind link, "Our next move?" Any trace of laughter or jovialness that had taken place in Kaldur's mind was gone. Arley met the alien's eye.

"With that inhibitor blocking the rest of your powers, still no clue."

"Guess we're lucky Deathstroke hasn't pressed a button to block my psychic powers too." M'gann raised a glass of water for Kaldur to drink to the Atlanteans lips, when he was done M'gann passed the glass to Arley.

"We're lucky Deathstroke hasn't pressed a button to blow off your head with the explosives built into the collar." Arley stood and placed the glass on the dresser in the corner of the room.

"Like it matters," M'gann lamented, "Manta's going to kill me as soon as he finds out I've fixed Kaldur's mind."

"Which is why he won't," Kaldur swore, "At least, not until we've figured out an actual plan on how to save your life."

"Worse, comes to worse we'll just have to blow our cover," Arley said heavily through the mind link.

"We can't," Kaldur replied weakly, like he didn't believe what he was saying, like he was only saying it for Dicks sake, "We've just been brought into into the fold—"

"—And how long do you think we can continue to stall Kaldur?" Arley cut him off. Arley and M'gann turned when the door to Kaldur's room swung open; Manta stepped in, the villains shoulders were pushed back and the eyes of his helmet glowed a pulsing red.

Arley straightened her back and clicked her heels together as Manta looked at her. "Sir," she nodded. Manta nodded back before he looked to M'gann,

"My patience has run out Martian, you have twenty four hours. Finish curing my son or die." And with that Manta slammed the door shut behind him. M'gann's shoulder sagged.

"I guess that answers your question," M'gann said through the mind link, "I'm doomed." Arley couldn't put her hand on M'ganns shoulder but the supposedly dead Lantern imagined herself doing so.

"No," Arley promised, "You're not. We'll figure something out, I promise." She wouldn't let M'gann die.

Hours later, with only sixteen or so left to save M'ganns life, Arley found her back pressed against a wall as she, M'gann and Kaldur came up with a plan. It wasn't the best plan— Arley would, with a vacant eyed expression and almost robotic like movements, walk into the control room free M'gann from the collar; they would claim that M'gann had controlled her mind much like the way Psimon did to the people under his thrall. It was risky and Manta was liable to kill her where she stood after she was caught —but it was the only plan they had.

"So we're all agreed?" Arley said with her arms folded over her chest.

"No we're not," M'gann protested, "I don't want the two of you risking exposure for me."

"Instead you expect us to sit back and let you die?" Kaldur shot back as his unblinking eyes stared head. "No. Arley, begin." Kaldur ordered and a thrill ran up Arley's spine; it'd been too long since Kaldur had led her into battle.

Arley felt the splintered piece of her mind snapback and she straightened; Arley rolled her shoulders. Arley turned to the camera Deathstroke was monitoring; "Deathstroke, I've been here going on thirteen hours, I need to stretch my legs and I need coffee."

"Understood," Deathstroke's graveled voice rang out through the room. Arley turned and left; she paused at the mouth Kaldur's bedroom door and looked at the trooper Manta had stationed outside the Atlanteans room.

"Take over," Arley ordered the henchmen in a monotone voice, "I'll be back in five."

Arley, once the door swung shut and the trooper was in the room, walked down the submarines corridor only to pause at the door that lead to the kitchen; a Manta trooper with a full coffee pot in one hand and a mug in the other turned to Arley— to Morningstar—and held up the coffee pot.

"Want some?" The trooper asked, "Fresh pot?" The coffee inside the pot swirled as the trooper swished it around. Arley shook her head.

"No thanks," she said. The henchmen's brows knitted together at her tone but shook his head nonetheless. As the henchmen turned to pour the coffee in his mug Arley continued down the corridor. She had almost gotten to the control room when the submarine's alarms went off and Manta's voice rang out.

"Manta's communications, intruder alert. Reinforcements to my son's room. Now!"

Kriff, Arley thought loudly. Arley stepped into the submarines control room and looked at the last two Manta troopers who had stayed behind, "You two—" the henchmen's heads snapped up, "—Protect Kaldur'ahm. I'll coordinate through here."

Neither man answered; they simply grabbed the weapons that had been resting against their thighs and rushed out of the room leaving Arley alone in the submarine control room. Arley leaned forward and looked at the screen one of the toppers had rushed away from only to see it was a doppler navigation system.

Arley looked at the other screen; the second Manta trooper had been guarding only to see it was the submarine's oxygen levels. Arley looked at every screen, her eyes flickered to all the buttons on the control panels as she scanned for the inhibitor collars release.

"Morningstar to Deathstroke," Deathstroke said into Arley's communicator, "One of Sportsmasters daughters—" Arley's spine straightened at the mention of the Nguyen-Crook sisters, her fingers paused over the control panel, "—The hero one has locked herself inside Kaldur'ahms cabin. The Martian is attempting to save him-she must know that if her patient dies so does she."

"What do you mean dies?" Arley hissed. Arley turned away from the control panel she was looking at and started to scan the one behind it for the button that would release M'gann from the inhibitor collar, "Is Sportsmasters daughter—" Artemis, "—Trying to kill Kaldur'ahm?"

"Yes," Deathstroke said in an almost amused tone of voice, "You better get back there now."

You're wrong, Arley wanted to say, Artemis doesn't kill. Artemis wouldn't cross that line, she doesn't want to become like her father. But she didn't say that to Deathstroke, instead as she continued to look for the inhibitor collar release she said; "On my way."

Arley made her way down the line of screens; her eyes brightened when she saw the large button labeled Collar Control.

"Finally!" Arley hissed as she pressed the button that deactivated the collar; she then turned and ran towards Kaldur's room— towards Artemis —and though Arley didn't feel her mind splinter and the mind link reform Arley still tried to reach out to M'gann.

"Megs the collar's off, you should have all your powers back-Megs!" With a gasp Arley sidestepped a blast that had come from Manta's helmet.

The undercover Lanterns eyes widened at the sight of Jade— Cheshire —twirling her sword as she faced off against Black Manta. The former assassin's hair flowed as she rushed up to Manta, her sword slashing the air as she tried to bring it down on Manta.

Manta blocked and dodged every slice and battled it with heavy hits of his own only for Cheshire to catch the villains hand in her own. Jade's knees buckled as Manta tried to push through her grip; Jade's foot slid up and kicked Manta away.

"Morningstar to my son!" Manta ordered as he caught sight of Arley; Manta slowly got to his feet, his hand braced his weight on the submarine's wall.

"Yes sir!" Arley answered. She unsheathed one of the swords she had strapped to her back and ran at Jade, purposely missing each and every swing, Arley pushed Jade back three steps before she rolled underneath the masked assassins arm.

Arley pushed up and kicked Jade away as she got to her feet; her sword was drawn protectively in front of her as she kneeled in front of Manta.

"Take her," Manta changed his order, "I'm saving my son!" And perhaps— as Manta ran quickly towards Kaldurs room —if he wasn't a villain with the blood of innocence on his hands and world domination playing through his mind at all times of the day, Arley would respect him and his drive to keep Kaldur safe.

"I'm coming for you Manta!" Jade called out. Jade rushed at Arley and Arley— as Jade swung her blade down at her —jumped to the side; Jade swung her sword again and Arley ducked out of the way. Arley raised her sword and shot forward, not to run Jade through but rather match her; their blades let out a loud scratch as they slid against one another.

Jade stepped back, her sword went with her.

Arley stepped forward and Jade sliced at Arley; Arley's head bobbed back but her sword stayed out in front of her. Arley's eyes widened as Jades blade broke hers; the top half of Arley's blade went flying and Jade took the lapse in Arley's concentration as an opening to attack.

Arley flew back through the corridor and landed on her stomach.

"You're fighting for the wrong team," Jade declared as she peered down at Arley from behind her mask. Jade stepped up to Arley with her sword drawn and ready; "So don't take this personally." Jade raised her sword and Arley braced herself— M'gann was safe and Kaldur was healed and one way or another once Manta found out about M'ganns collar she was dead anyway —only for her mind to splinter and for the submarine corridor to fade.

Arley woke up with a gasp on a bench. The others— Jade, Kaldur, M'gann and Artemis —were on a Manhattan street outside of the east ninety-fifth street ice cream shop Sundaes and Cones. The air was a cold as it had been the first time Arley and Artemis had visited the shop.

Arley got up off of the bench and stepped closer to Kaldur; Artemis and Jade looked around wildly. Arley looked at the bench she had moved from.

Five years ago on that same freshly painted bench Arley— before she had known about Sportsmaster or Jade and everything else Artemis had once tried to hide from the team —had sworn to Artemis that no matter she would always be in Artemis' corner, that even if the world was against Artemis she would stand true by the archers side.

"How dare you," Artemis said rawly as she glared at M'gann there were tears in the corners of the blondes eyes, "How dare you go into my mind and steal this memory! Arley was your friend too!"

"This isn't your memory Arty," Arley said softly, she stepped away from Kaldur and got closer to Artemis, "It's mine." Arley looked at M'gann who nodded and slowly Kaldur's old Aqualad uniform materialized over his body and the masks— Jade and Artemis's —faded along with Arley's glamor charm.

Arley grabbed Artemis' hand in hers, "I'm alive."

Artemis shook her head but didn't take her hands from Arley's, "No-I buried you."

"Look," M'gann said and the memory of Kaldur and Arley faking her death played; Jade's eyes widened at the sight of Kaldurs sword bending along the curve of Arley's ribs. The memory of Dick wrapping the glamor charm around Arley's neck played after; Arley watched as her dark hair lightened and her skin paled. "Kaldur didn't kill Arley, they faked her death so that she could join his deep cover mission to infiltrate the Light and the Reach."

As the memories faded Artemis, with tears in her eyes looked at Arley.

"You're-you're alive?" Arley's grip on Artemis' hands tightened.

"Yeah," Arley nodded, "So you don't need to kill Kaldur."

The question of why she would even try to kill Kaldur floated through the room, echoing, though it didn't leave Arley's mind. Artemis, with a bashful smile that wobbled at the ends, looked at Arley.

"He killed you," Artemis said, "He killed you and I couldn't let him get away with that. You're my sister; mom was in prison for most of my life and you know how my father treated me and Jade she left—" Jade looked away from both young women, "—But you didn't even know me and yet you trusted me. You loved me even when there wasn't a reason to. Conner told me what you did for me and Wally when Savage took us—" Arley tried not to think about how far she had gone when Vandal Savage and the Light had taken Wally and Artemis four years ago, she tried not to think about what she had done to get them back, "—So how could I not want to go after the person who took you away, who killed you?"

"Oh Arty," Arley murmured, her own tears dotted the corners of her eyes; she threw her arms around Artemis's neck and pulled the girl into a tight, bone crushing hug. Artemis returned the hug just as tightly and when they slowly began to let go of one another Arley turned to Jade with a questioning gaze.

Jade crossed her arms over her chest; a light hearted smirk graced her face.

"I wasn't going to let someone kill my daughter's godmother and get away with it."

Arley's heart soared.

"Godmother?"

"I know you're Jewish and all but still; Red and I talked, we wanted-want," Jade corrected, "You to be Lian's godmother. So I wasn't going to let someone kill you and get away with it nor was I going to let my little sister avenge you alone."

With a grin Arley's arm shot out and grabbed Jade; Arley pulled the former assassin into a tight hug. And when they pulled away Jade smirked at Kaldur.

"You so dodged a bullet fish boy."

Kaldur, who'd been Roy's best man at his and Jade's civil union smirked back at the former assassin.

"We thank you for the cooperation."

Arley looked at M'gann, her arms stilled wrapped around both Nguyen-Crook sisters.

"We should probably get back now, before Manta and his men get Jade and Arty." Arley turned her head and looked at Jade, "Try not to kill me out there?"

With a teasing grin Jade looked at Arley.

"We'll see Greenie, we'll see." And before Arley got to curse Roy or protest the nickname the Manhattan street disappeared and Arley was thrown back into reality; Jade's sword bared down at her and Arley barrel rolled out of the way.

Jades weapon embedded itself into the submarine's flooring. The sound of Manta troopers footsteps could be heard and Arley looked at Jade with a smirk, the mind link was still formed. "How good is your acting?"

"Better than yours," Jade shot back, "I'm sure."

"And one thing Jade?"

"Yeah?"

"Before you leave I need you to destroy the control room; like blow it the kriff up for me." The echoes of footsteps were louder than before and Jade smirked at Arley.

"I do love property damage," Jade sang through the mind-link.

Arley jumped to her feet and swung at Jade who abandoned her sword; Jade blocked Arley's hit and threw her leg up only for Arley to block it with the outer part of her right arm. Arley teetered left and the sound of the henchmen's footsteps got louder.

Three henchmen ran into the corridor with the guns drawn and with a mischievous look in Jades' eyes the former assassin kicked Arley into the first of Manta's men, Arley's elbow crushed the front of the henchmen's helmet and as she got up the heel of her foot accidently pressed against the man solar plexus.

Arley lunged at Jade as she threw one of Manta's men head first into the wall. Arley swung at Jade and the former assassin grabbed Arley by the wrist and pulled her forward; Jade sidestepped Arley so that she had run head first into the wall.

As Arley's head spun— and she missed the healing abilities that came with the ring —she heard Jade attack the last henchmen before taking off down the corridor. Arley, with a smirk, rested her head against the wall of the submarine when she heard a loud blast coming from the control room.

The video from the cameras would be gone and everyone would suspect that Jade and Artemis had been the ones to let M'gann out of the inhibitor collar.

"Morningstar," Deathstroke said through the communicator, "Sportsmasters daughters are making a break for the exit, meet me in the docking bay."

Don't call them Sportsmasters daughters; Arley wanted to snap.

"Right, coming," Arley groaned as she pushed herself up. She glared at the scattered henchmen that laid sprawled out across the corridors floor; what she wouldn't give just to lay down for another minute, but as they say there ain't no rest for the wicked.

Arley got to the docking bay just as Deathstroke had pulled out a gun; he had Jade on the ground underneath him and Artemis was in the air with a sword drawn. Deathstroke's gun went flying and Arley lunged at her best friend; the two hit the ground and rolled. Deathstroke looked up and away from Jade as Arley looked back at him,

"I have the blonde!" Arley said. Jade's legs swung up and around Deathstroke's neck; Deathstroke hit the ground as Jade pushed herself up. The masked man pulled out a staff that had a pointed blade at its send and Jade pulled out two sai that had been strapped to her thighs.

"So why did you take the mission?" Artemis asked lowly as she flipped Arley so that she was hovering over the undercover Lantern. Artemis had her hands wrapped around Arley's wrists.

"Cause you wanted out," Arley thought, "You were Dickies first choice and I wasn't going to let him pull you back in-not when you want a normal life."

Artemis' head jerked back, her lips parted and she went to say something only for Deathstroke's voice to drown out whatever Artemis was going to say.

"Stop toying with her and finish it!"

Arley's head jerked forward and flipped them so that once more she was on top. Arley grabbed the sia that had flown from Cheshire's grasp and raised it over her head.

"Megs!" Arley thought.

"Incoming!" The Martian replied. With a wave of her hands Arley and Deathstroke flew through the air; Arley landed on Deathstroke as M'gann kept them against the wall.

"I'll finish him," Jade spat.

"No," M'gann replied, "Sorry but I've been planning my revenge for weeks." M'gann looked at Jade, "Don't push your luke Ches, you're lucky I'm letting you get away."

"Fine," Jade sneered as Artemis handed her a rebreather and wetsuit, "We're gone." When Jade and Artemis had disappeared into the airlock M'gann's eyes trailed over Deathstroke and Arley like a hungry lion.

"Let's see what fun I can have with you too," M'gann practically purred.

"Yes," Deathstroke sneered, "Lets."

And then, next to Arley's head, he dropped three small charged explosives that bounced and rolled; they exploded underneath M'gann's hovering feet. M'gann, with a scream, was blown back and Arley and Deathstroke dropped to the ground.

"M'gann!" Arley snapped as Deathstroke got to his feet, "Get out of here before he captures you again!"

"Right-and sorry."

"Sorry?" With a flash of her eyes and a wave of M'gann's hand Deathstroke was thrown back into Arley and M'gann density shifted through the floor of the submarine leaving Arley— who quickly pushed an huffing Deathstroke off of her —alone in the submarines docking bay.