Welcome back everybody, to another chapter of Alchemic Justice!
First, let me start by getting the hype train rolling: We have a trailer for Young Justice Season 3!
Go damn, did SDCC ever deliver when it came to DC Comics this year. So much good stuff. Aquaman, Shazam, and Titans all look fantastic! We got some set photos for WW84. More confirmations that Gail Simone will be continuing her Plastic Man run. It's just great all around. I'm excited to see what's in store. I gotta say though, for the YJ S3 trailer, I liked seeing Brick the most. I don't know why, but I just love this guy now. He deserves a medal for being the best antagonist in that show (and he's barely in it.). Like that damn grin from the trailer was absolutely perfect. He is my guy now.
And with the hype train out of the way, let's continue with some reviews:
rmarcano321: Well, Amazo 2 was always gonna be a shitty follow-up to the literal god that was Amazo. Supergirl will always be nice, and we always need more Bibbo Bibbowski. Seriously, we all need more Bibbowski in our lives. As for your questions, in order:
- Sandman: I loved his tenure as a hero and wanted it back. Damn Marvel for reverting to status quo out of fear. But at least the reversion gave us Keemia... about twenty years later... Salamandra: Nothing's really been done with her since her introduction. I just wanted to try something new with her. Ace: Is one of my favourite characters from the original Justice League show. Perfectly tragic, and a beautifully depressing ending. And the ideas I had for her sprang up since I started planning this sequel (and I've been planning it since "The Once and Future Thing Part 2" from Sandman Unlimited, so that's a long time).
- The only reference to that show so far is Keemia's outfit. Her appearance from that show is now her default civilian guise for Alchemic Justice. Nothing else from that show will be referenced because it is trash. I am sorry, but it's trash.
- Like, special plans for things they'll do? Because that's already a yes...
- Her dad is a hero now, and I wanted a sequel. It was a win-win situation for me.
- This one I don't really know why. It just clicked with me. I suppose before I even began Sandman Unlimited, I wanted the love-interest for my spin on this cliched story (Which... yeah there are a lot of these types of fics now. Granted most are dead fics, but still.) to be Zatanna. On top of that, The Incredible Muffin revealed that Zatanna was the original love interest for Ben 10 Unlimited, and so I decided "hey, I could do that!". Besides, her personality just gelled with Flint's so damn well.
VladImpaler: Well, that's the end goal. I like to think Keemia would appreciate that reaction.
Ronmr: It's magic my guy, it'll always troll the universe. And Keemia just LOVES to do that as well.
HotRodimusMinor: Oi, I am not spoiling the future chapters here.
MajorBrony95: Yeah, he's basically her brother now. Now since you mentioned Raven here, I have the opportunity to say this: My canon Titans team is made up of Nightwing, Tempest, Troia, Speedy, Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven. These characters will not be joining the Young Justice team, with the exception of Speedy, but that's only due to the plot demanding it. I get asked this in PM all the time if I'll add anyone like Raven or Starfire, but the answer is no. They might cameo, but they won't join the team at all.
darthwolf: Oh trust me, Pete will be bringing ALL the big guns for this (all two of them.)
7-Eleventh: Are you referring to the circus episode from the end of Season 1? Because that's still a ways off. I don't even think I'll be adapting that episode either. Strange will not be appearing during the events of "Denial", and neither will Etrigan. Also, are you implying that this team of sorcerers made by Mordo appears during "Denial", or is that it's own episode? Or is that supposed to be a replacement for the episode where the world splits into two halves for adults and kids? It's just really unclear about that whole idea. Also, no that will not be happening in this fic. Mostly because there is no reason for it to happen. I have a plan for what will happen next. Just stick around and see.
Celgress: Trust me, Mephisto isn't going anywhere near it.
Lucian Naruto: Trust me though, if she found out, there would be no saving Clark from her tirade.
Thanks again for all the reviews! I definitely appreciate them all, and I love reading them.
The intro to this chapter will be featuring an Easter Egg from my childhood. And for anyone who grew up with the Discovery Channel, it will hopefully reignite your nostalgia as well.
But now, time for the disclaimer: I own nothing but the original idea for this fic and its prequel. Keemia Marko and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. Young Justice and all related characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros (With an extra surprise from Young Animal). The surprise guest this chapter is owned by Neil Gaiman. The Easter egg is owned by the Discovery Channel. Please support the official releases!
And away we go!
Infinity Island – August 7th, 23:49 ECT
On a peaceful night in the middle of the ocean, one can almost forget their responsibilities. The sounds of the gentle surf crashing into the beach, the smell of the salt on the air, blown by the breeze, the cool of the darkness, only pierced by the faint light of the moon and stars. It would be perfectly peaceful, the ideal location in which one could relax, and forget about their responsibilities.
However, for some individuals, they still had work to do. Infinity Island has long been a home of the League of Shadows, the elite armed guard and assassins employed by the Head of the Demon, Ra's Al Ghul.
This night in particular, several armed men, members of the League of Shadows, had been employed to keep an asset of theirs from falling out of their hands while work was being completed on a project. A project that would give the Shadows some invaluable information and technology.
However, not everyone was pleased with their tasks.
Two guards, in particular, stood to watch over a large balcony overlooking the ocean. Neither was particularly pleased by their assignment, but only one of them was to make his displeasure verbally known.
"Don't you ever get tired of being out here?" he asked his partner with a sigh.
"Inevitably." His partner answered.
"Then why do we do it? Why are we here?"
"I'm not going to give an obvious metaphysical answer to that. The only reason we're here is that we're being paid. Get over it." He answered simply before returning his focus forwards.
"Well, you don't have to be all serious about it." The first huffed, before looking out across the waves. "At least the view's nice."
At that, his partner nodded. "For sure. This makes the whole thing worth it."
After a few minutes, the first seemed to smirk under his mask. "Never gets old, huh?"
"Oh, we are not doing this again."
"What? Come on! You love this song!"
"I know I love that song, just why do we have to do it every single night we have a rotation together?"
"Because it's our thing man!" he explained as though it were obvious. "Besides, we always have fun with it. It makes the time pass by quicker."
"It also gets stuck in my head for hours after."
"Is that really a bad thing?"
A brief silence followed before his partner sighed. "You're not gonna let it go, are you?"
"Nope."
"You're gonna wait here until I actually sing it with you, aren't you?"
"Yep."
Another silence. "Ugh, fine. Start it again." He finally relented.
"Awesome!" the first said in excitement before clearing his throat and looking out over the ocean again. "Never gets old, huh?"
"Nope."
"It kinda makes you wanna…"
"Break into song?"
The first grinned wide under his mask. "Yep!" he said excitedly before clearing his throat and starting to sing. "I love the mountains…"
"I love the clear blue skies…"
"I love big bridges!"
"I love when arrows fly!"
"I love… wait what?" the first asked before two arrows suddenly embedded into their chests. They both blinked in momentary surprise before the second guard smirked.
"I love our body armour." He said as the two broke into a bout of laughter. At least, until the arrows released a surge of electricity that shocked the two into unconsciousness. Once they were down on the ground, a red-haired figure carefully crept around them before continuing on his way through the secluded fortress. Carefully taking out any other guards he found, as well as disabling cameras, Roy Harper was taking every precaution to ensure his mission was a success.
Upstairs, inside a heavily guarded room, there sat a scientist, working herself into a frenzy over a computer table. All around her were various machine components, and numerous computers, which she used to complete the monumental task set before her. On the computer screen in front of her were the schematics and programming behind a special variation of nanobots, based on previous designs she had worked on in the past. These nanobots were intended to be a ground-breaking piece of technology, capable of replication on a molecular level. Unfortunately, the Shadows had taken interest in her work.
"We're losing patience." A deep voice called to her. This was a high ranking lieutenant of the Shadows, a man known only as Sensei. "Complete the project, or forfeit your life."
"I'm completing it as fast as I can." Doctor Roquette said in exasperation. Despite her own passion for nano-robotics, having the League of Shadows breathing death threats down her neck every two seconds made it difficult to keep focused on her work.
There was a sudden pounding on the steel door behind her, catching the interest of the two guards who were there to keep her working. One turned to open the door before it suddenly flew off of its hinges, sending the guard crashing to the ground. Roy Harper rushed inside before using his bow for a flurry of strikes that incapacitated the other guard, knocking him out with one well-placed uppercut.
Roquette looked at the archer in surprise, before a brief elated hope went through her at a potential rescue. "Dr. Roquette?" Roy presumed before making his way over to her side.
"Tell me you're the advance guy." She said hopefully, not wanting her only chance of rescue to be a lone archer.
"The only guy." Roy corrected, dashing her hopes quickly.
"You couldn't bring back up?" she asked incredulously. "What, were there budget cuts?" she continued to berate him before the sound of alarm bells rang throughout the building indicating that their cover was blown. A squad of armed guards made their way up to the sequestered makeshift laboratory, as Roy used an explosive arrow to create an exit for himself and the doctor.
Roquette coughed at the sudden billowing dust clouds from the explosion, while Roy simply fixed her a look of disinterest. "Now-or-never time, Doc."
"We can't leave this!" Roquette said seriously, looking at a large silver canister on the floor in front of her.
"Look, I take it, or I take you!" Roy pushed as Roquette sighed.
"Right, take me." She asked, removing her glasses as Roy fired an arrow out through the now open wall. A rope attached to the arrow provided them with a zip-line to safety as Roquette latched on to Roy's shoulders.
"Hang on," he ordered before taking off down the zip-line with her as guards started pouring into the room. Seeing their targets fleeing, the guards opened fire on the two as they quickly slid down the rope and into the jungle below. Once they landed, Roy pushed her onwards to the beach where he had stashed a speedboat away from prying eyes.
Roquette climbed in as Roy cast off from the shore, numerous guards still hot on their heels. "So what do you call this? The Arrow Boat?" she asked with a smirk as Roy climbed into the driver's seat before forcing her to duck to avoid oncoming fire.
"I call it a rental. Now get down!" he said before starting the boat and activating a detonator. Immediately, the several dozen explosives he had stashed all around the beach and jungle were armed before detonating at once. The massive explosion more than took care of the enemy fire as Roy sped the boat out into the ocean. "I think we're in the clear."
"Great, leaves only one problem." Roquette nodded with a frown. Back in the laboratory, Sensei looked at the machine expectantly as another scientist, named Professor Ojo inspected the device.
"Well?" Sensei asked.
"She finished. We're good to go." Ojo confirmed, as their newest project, known as 'The Fog', was completed.
Mount Justice – August 8th, 09:58 EDT
With the summer heat at its full capacity, Happy Harbour's reputation as a beach town paradise was now readily apparent. All around at the various beaches that littered the coastline, numerous people were enjoying the sun and the surf, at least, those without work and school were.
This included the various members of the team, as Tim, Kaldur, Megan, Ashley, and Conner all arrived at the beach right outside Mount Justice. Each was clad in swimsuits, and each was ready to enjoy some much-deserved rest and relaxation.
"Hello, Megan. We should hit the beach every day!" Megan said in excitement as she clutched a boogie board under her arms, while the others set up blankets and umbrellas.
Tim nodded in agreement before pretending to become sombre. "First, a moment of silence for our absent comrades."
"Barry, Keemia… those poor kids." Megan nodded while Conner simply shrugged.
"Hey, Keemia's got a spare today so she'll be here long before three." He pointed out. "Besides, we'd be gone too if Batman completed our school applications on time."
"He's got a point." Ashley nodded. "Keemia can at least make it later. But Barry…."
Central City – August 8th, 09:00 CDT
Barry grimaced as he sat down at a desk at the back of the classroom. Of all the days to have to go to school, this was the one he wanted to be there the least. It was a beach day for the team. He was missing all the fun being stuck at school. The volleyball, the sand, Megan in her bathing suit.
His thoughts were interrupted as the bell rang before the teacher made his way into the classroom. "Welcome class, to the first day of sophomore year." The teacher greeted in a voice uncannily similar to Ben Stein.
Barry only groaned before slouching down in his seat. This was gonna be a long day…
Miami – August 8th, 10:26 EDT
"Alright guys, gather round if you expect to hear any and all of the great war stories from this summer," Keemia smirked as she met up with her three friends. Unlike Barry, she was much more at ease with being at school. Granted, while she didn't necessarily want to miss out on the fun, she would at least be there before Barry. 'The team only has to stop at four. I'll be there in plenty of time.' She thought to herself as she met up with her friends.
The first was a rather short girl, a shy brunette with her hair tied back into two short ponytails, and a face covered in freckles. She wore long blue jeans and a baggy pink sweater overtop a plain white t-shirt. This was Cupcake.
The second was a tall black boy, his hair in short dreads, with two earrings in the shapes of black stars; one for each ear. He wore a black leather jacket over top of a grey t-shirt that featured a green alien, paired with grey slacks. This was River.
Finally, the last of her friends was by far the most outwardly bizarre. She was between River and Cupcake for height, with short white hair that turned pink on the ends. She had a long coat on, that shimmered almost like a rainbow, with a fur-trimmed collar. Her coat was also covered in what appeared to be leopard-like spots. She topped off her outfit with a black skirt and a white t-shirt with the images of the Beatles on it. This was Loma Shade, formerly Megan Boyer, alias Shade the Changing Girl.
"I've already told mine. The spotlight is all yours." Loma smiled as River gave a nod.
"Yeah, nothing too interesting from poor old Shade the Changing Girl. Now, tell us what Djinn has been up to." She implored her. River and Cupcake had known Shade before Keemia had met any of them, so they were well aware of the alien from planet Meta's secret identity as a superhero. Keemia met Shade through the Dark Division, and then met River and Cupcake when it was discovered they all attended the same high school.
Naturally, the two were found to be trustworthy enough to know Keemia's secret identity as well. 'Well, it starts with joining a team of young superheroes."
"Whoa! You mean you're on the Titans?!" River said excitedly before Keemia urged him to quiet down.
"No, not the Titans. It's a different team. A black-ops group made by the Justice League." Keemia explained.
"Black ops? Aren't you a little young for that?" Cupcake asked with a frown.
"Age is only a number." Keemia retorted as Cupcake scoffed.
"And dead is only a state of matter." She countered as the four made their way into art. "By the way, does anyone know who our art teacher is this year?"
"I have no clue." River admitted. "He's spent a lot of time in Greece though, so he knows a lot about classic art."
"He may be good, but I'll still miss Mr. Jimenez," Keemia sighed. "I hope his new job works out for him."
"Mr. Jimenez always wanted to make comic books." River nodded.
"It's nice to be able to live your dreams." Shade agreed.
"When you're not taking over a Hollywood starlet to do it." Keemia laughed.
"Former Hollywood starlet. Big difference." Shade corrected. Any further conversation between the friends was halted as the door to the classroom opened and the principal stepped inside.
"Good morning class, I trust everyone is excited to be back for another year of high school?" the principal greeted. Naturally, the class gave the expected response of grumbling. The principal chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Yes, yes, I know. But don't worry, it'll be done before you know it. Now, I have a special introduction to make to you today. Allow me to introduce your new art teacher. He comes all the way from Greece, and we're hoping that he'll find it in him to stay here for the foreseeable future. Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Olethros Walker, your new art teacher."
The class politely clapped for him as he entered, however, Keemia simply looked at the teacher in shock. As soon as he had entered, she was reminded of something that occurred almost a year prior. His long red hair tied back into a ponytail, his close-shaven beard, the grungy flannel shirt, the paint-stained and torn jeans. The only difference from back then was the black art apron he wore, and the old worn hiker's boots on his feet. But there was no mistaking it.
This man had given her the hammer she used to fight Steppenwolf during Darkseid's last attempted invasion.
"Hey, Keems. You okay?" River asked, noting his friend's shock at seeing the teacher.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She nodded hastily. "I just think that guy helped me during an alien invasion is all." She grimaced.
The class went smoothly enough. Mr. Walker had decided to forgo any serious projects until at least the next class, just so that they could get a decent idea of his curriculum, as well as so he could explain everything he had seen and attempted himself. Most of the class seemed thrilled at the prospect of sculpting, as Mr. Walker had proposed the idea of carving actual marble. Should he get the tools necessary of course.
Most of the rest of the day was saved for sketching and so the remaining time passed in silence. Except for Keemia. Her thoughts continued to wander back to Mr. Walker, and the fact that he had saved her life with that hammer the year prior. On top of that, the sight of him brought more thoughts to her head.
Thoughts of ancient beings… which immediately translated to her page. What had started as a nondescript portrait became a patchwork of shattered glass, intermittently interrupted by colourful fish and leaves.
By the time the class had ended, she had filled the entire page with a vast assortment of colours. She hadn't even noticed her friends packing up until River nudged her. Reluctantly she followed suit to leave with them before Mr. Walker cleared his throat behind them. "Ms. Marko, a word please."
She gave River and the others slight nod as the three reluctantly left before she turned to face her new teacher. "Yes, Mr. Walker?"
He seemed to stare at her for a moment before grinning. "I trust you've been fine since the invasion?"
"So it was you!" Keemia said in realization, pointing at him accusingly. "What was that… that thing you gave me anyway? I've never seen anything like it. Nothing in the House of Mystery can even explain where it might have come from!" she raved in shock before he raised a hand to calm her down.
"That hammer is mine. And now, it is also yours." He shrugged. "You may call it whenever you need it."
"What do you mean I can call it?" she asked.
"It's like I said. You need only ask for destruction." He chuckled. "Oh, and by the way, that was an excellent portrait of my sister you drew today."
"Your… sister?" she asked before pulling out her sketchbook. Mr. Walker took it and opened to the page she had just recently finished.
"Yep. I know you've never met her, but there she is." He nodded. "I know it doesn't make much sense now, but I have a need for you to wield that hammer. But also for you to be responsible with it. I believe that you will be responsible. It has a heavy burden upon it. Not just to destroy, but also to create…" he trailed off, looking out the window. "My nephew was tasked with a similar burden once, heaped on by his own father. I only hope that you yourself can carry that one with the same talent."
"But what is this responsibility?" she asked.
He smirked a little before shrugging. "Figure that out for yourself kid." He chuckled before the bell rang again and Keemia reluctantly left the classroom.
Mount Justice – August 8th, 02:41 EDT
"Alright, get ready for this one!" Tim grinned before leaping into the air and spiking the volleyball back down to the beach on the other side of the net, where Megan quickly dove to meet it on the ground, setting it up for Conner to spike it back.
Since there were five present, Ashley opted to sit out the game, instead of watching as the other four went neck and neck in score. Finally, the ball dropped before Kaldur could reach it, causing the Atlantean to sigh.
"All tied up then I guess." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his head before picking the ball up.
"Ready to throw in the towel?" Conner taunted.
"Okay, now it's personal," Kaldur smirked.
"Then what was it before?" Keemia asked, arriving on the beach in her two-piece purple swimsuit. "Because I can't imagine it was a friendly game beforehand either." She joked.
"Gotta love those final class spares, eh Keemia?" Tim smirked.
"Gotta love your school being closed for repairs after battling Amazo 2, eh Tim?" she fired back before putting on her sunglasses and taking a seat next to Ashley. "Alright, let's get this show on the road!"
"Don't you want to play?" Megan asked.
"Nah, you guys got a good game going here." Keemia shrugged. "But, after Kal and Tim inevitably lose, we can do a 3v3: boys vs girls."
"Sounds good to me." Conner nodded before Kaldur served the ball for the last set of their game.
"So, how was school?" Ashley asked, looking to Keemia curiously.
"Eh, not too bad. Easy enough." She mused. "I think my art teacher might be some super powerful magical being though."
"Should we alert the League then?" Ashley asked in worry.
"Nah. He's just an artist." She laughed. "What about you?"
"Oh, Mrs. Waller homeschooled me. She'll be integrating me for grade 12 next year, but for now, I've got nothing but free time."
"Awesome! That means more time to hang out, without worrying about school getting in the way." She grinned before holding out her hand. "Evig em na deci eeffoc!" she cast before receiving a glass of iced coffee.
She looked at Ashley for a moment before shaking her glass. "Want one?"
"Recognized: Kid Flash B-03." The automated voice of the teleporter said as Keemia, now in her costume alongside her other teammates, looked to Aqualad curiously. "Think he remembered the time-change?" she asked curiously, since it was now closer to five o'clock, while Barry was coming from Central City, where it was just now turning to three.
Sure enough, the light from the teleporter died down to reveal Barry in his swim trunks, clutching several items in his arms. These included a beach ball and umbrella, a drink cooler, and multiple towels. "Barry is here!" he grinned before running up to the others, not noticing them in their costumes. "Now, let's get this party start—" he began before tripping over the umbrella and tumbling along the floor, sending all of the items he was carrying scattering all around the base.
"Yeah, that figures," Keemia smirked.
"…ted?" Barry finished looking around to see the rest of the team suited up, alongside Red Tornado, Batman, and Green Arrow. There was also a new figure among them. She was a blonde, with her hair tied back in a long ponytail, in addition to a green costume that bared her midriff. She was also armed with a quiver on her back and a bow in her hand.
"Oh hi." The new girl greeted with a smirk. "I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?"
"Motormouth, insatiable libido, and a lack of a filter," Keemia smirked before the two girls fist-bumped.
"Uh, who's this?" Barry asked, standing up and moving between Aqualad and Robin.
"Artemis. Your new teammate." The blonde greeted.
"Kid Flash. Never heard of you." Barry replied.
"She's my new protégé" Green Arrow explained, his tone being rather hurried, but still holding pride.
"What happened to your old one?" Barry asked.
"I think we remember when he stormed out of the Hall of Justice and then blew us off after fighting Brick." Keemia offered before the teleporter activated again.
"Recognized: Speedy B-08." It recited before the former protégé of Green Arrow appeared in the cave, a rather displeased look on his face. "And for another thing, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow."
"Roy, you look—" Green Arrow started before being cut off.
"Replaceable," Roy said snidely.
"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo." Ollie sighed.
"So why waste time finding a sub?" Roy asked. "Can she even use that bow?"
"Yes, she can," Artemis interjected, staring Roy down with a scowl.
"Who are you?" Barry asked again, as Green Arrow and Artemis answered at the same time.
"She's my/I'm his niece!"
"Another niece?" Tim smirked before Keemia elbowed him.
"But she is not your replacement," Kaldur said, approaching Roy alongside Keemia. "We have always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota on archers."
"And if we did, you know who we'd pick." Barry cut in before Keemia elbowed him as well.
"Besides, we can't let a reckless red-head be out on the streets alone. There's no telling what he'd get up to." Keemia said, glaring at Roy as he levelled the same glare back at her. After a few seconds though, the two friends broke into a close hug. "How've you been Roy?"
"Wish I could say better, Keems. I really do." Roy admitted before Artemis stepped forwards again.
"Besides Baywatch, I'm here to stay." She said triumphantly before Kaldur addressed Roy.
"You came to us for a reason." He said knowingly as Roy nodded, letting go of Keemia.
"Yeah, a reason called Dr. Serling Roquette," Roy confirmed as Tim's eyes widened in recognition.
"Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert." Tim nodded before calling up his holoscreen as numerous larger screens appeared all around the team, showing the Dr.'s credentials. "Based out of Royal University in Star City, disappeared two weeks ago."
"Abducted two weeks ago," Roy corrected. "By the League of Shadows."
"Whoa! You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?!" Robin asked with a grin as Barry high-fived him.
"Hard-core!" the speedster said excitedly.
"I already rescued her," Roy said before walking over to the large holoscreens before adding his own. "Only one problem. The Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon." He said before uploading info about the weapon, showing small nanobots that looked similar to mites. "Doc calls it the Fog. Comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nanotech infiltrators."
"It's made for subterfuge then?" Ace asked.
"More than that," Roy said grimly. "They're capable of disintegrating anything in their path: concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But its true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system, and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defence, cutting-edge science, and tech."
"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking," Artemis frowned. "Yeah, sounds like the Shadows."
"Like you know anything about the Shadows." Barry scoffed, only for Artemis to smirk at him in response. Barry saw her smirk before scowling. "Who are you?!"
"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert," Roy added.
"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" Robin said before Roy nodded in confirmation.
"They'll target her." The archer said before continuing. "Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her in the local high school's computer lab."
"You left her alone?!" Green Arrow said incredulously.
"She's safe enough for now," Roy said, dismissing his worry.
"Then let's you and I keep her that way." Oliver nodded.
"You and I? Don't you want to take your new protégé?" Roy scoffed. Before Ollie could say anything to counter that, Batman put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
Green Arrow seemed reluctant before finally sighing. "You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too." He said, before gesturing to Artemis.
"Then my job's done." Roy nodded before heading off towards the teleporter. However, he was stopped by Keemia grabbing his arm.
"Hey Roy, take the stick out would you? Don't want it to get in the way of your fancy flips." She smirked as the red-headed archer smirked back in return, before going to the teleporter.
"Recognized: Speedy B-08." The teleporter recited again.
"That's Red Arrow B-08! Update." Roy scowled before teleporting away again.
Happy Harbour – August 8th, 21:59 EDT
Nestled in the woods just outside of town, Happy Harbour High School was an impressively big facility for such a small town. However, since it was also the closest school for several of the surrounding smaller towns, it made sense that it could fit so many students.
Right now though, the school was empty. Perched on the roof, Miss Martian stood with Djinn and Superboy as they kept an overhead view of the surrounding area. Inside meanwhile, Kaldur had taken Robin, Ace, Artemis, and Kid Flash to keep a closer view on the doctor. Kaldur peered through the window of the computer lab door carefully before nodding.
"Alright Miss Martian, Ace. Link us up. We do not want the Shadows intercepting our comm." He ordered telepathically before the two immediately set to work opening the link.
"Everyone online?" M'Gann asked as Artemis shuddered slightly at the feeling.
"Ugh, this is weird." The archer grimaced, sitting on a desk right next to Roquette.
"And distracting." The scientist replied with a clear scowl. "Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?!" she grimaced, holding her head almost painfully.
"Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?" Barry asked, while absent-mindedly eating an energy bar.
"Pot, kettle. Have you met?" Artemis asked, gesturing between Roquette and Kid Flash.
"Hey, hey! I do not need an attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the team." Barry retorted.
"That is so not on me!" Artemis fired back as Roquette almost screamed out in exasperation.
"Fate of the world at stake!" she seethed to the two squabbling heroes.
"She started it." Barry scoffed.
"Ace, would you mind cuffing Barry upside the head for me?" Keemia asked the telepath before the small girl did as she was asked. "Thank you," Keemia said with a smirk as Barry was left rubbing his head with a childish frown.
"How 'bout I just help Miss Martian, Djinn, and Superboy patrol the perimeter?" Artemis asked before leaving the room as Kaldur gave a stern nod
"Good idea." The Atlantean said as Robin looked to Kid Flash with a frown.
"You might cut her some slack. It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo 2." Tim pointed out.
"What? No! That was Speedy's, I mean Red Arrow's arrow, right?" Barry asked.
"Not so much." Tim shrugged while Barry huffed childishly.
"Well, still not giving her the satisfaction."
"You know, I can still hear you!" Artemis pointed out with a scowl as she made her way to the others.
Barry's eyes widened at that before giving a cry of exasperation. Roquette meanwhile rubbed her temples painfully. "I couldn't get the Justice League." She groaned before Keemia got an idea.
"Ace, make a second link inside this first one." She recommended.
"Okay… but who should be in it?" Ace asked, unsure.
"Just you, me, Aqualad, Miss M, and Roquette." She said before Ace made the second link. Immediately Roquette sighed in relief at having Barry and Artemis' squabbling silenced.
"There you go Doc! The perfect silent work environment." Keemia grinned as Kaldur made his way over to Roquette.
"The virus won't be of much use unless we can find the weapon." He pointed out. "Can you track it?"
"My utility fog is not a weapon! It's science, brilliant science." Roquette corrected. "And of course I can track it, I'd just have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'ASSASSINATE ME' written in neon!" the scientist said, furiously typing before looking off to the side with a sigh.
"Well you're a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Keemia sighed before Kaldur put a reassuring hand on Roquette's shoulder.
"We will protect you." He assured her before Roquette typed a command in the keyboard.
"Tracking the Fog now." She nodded before activating the tracking program and pinpointing the Fog arriving in Philadelphia en route to S.T.A.R. Labs.
Philadelphia - August 8th, 21:57 EDT
Unfortunately for Roquette and the team, the program that allowed for them to tack the Fog also allowed for them to be tracked using the same wavelength. Professor Ojo took notice of this from his seat on the landing airplane before opening communications to Sensei and giving the old master the coordinates of the wayward scientist.
"Roquette has surfaced to track us, but that link's a two-way street." The scientist smirked, before looking over the coordinates.
"Who do we have near Happy Harbour, Rhode Island?" Sensei asked before Ojo set to work sending one of their agents.
Back at the high school, Superboy was finishing his patrol around the far side of the building, before a sudden rustling in the bushes caught his attention. His head turned sharply as he watched the surrounding underbrush from beyond the chain link fence of the schoolyard. After examining it carefully with his enhanced vision, he leapt up to the roof before running over it and landing behind the girls, who were watching the front doors.
"Find anything Superboy?" Djinn asked as the clone shook his head.
"Just a raccoon." He shrugged before walking off to patrol on their right flank.
The three watched him leave, as a coy smirk tugged at Artemis' lips. "Mmm, that boy." She thought with a flirtatious tone. Conner shot her an uncomfortable look before continuing on his way.
"He can hear you! We can all hear you!" M'Gann admonished her.
"Oh, I know." The archer smirked before looking to Djinn. "Am I wrong though?"
"Ew, boys." She mock gagged before shaking her head. "He lives in my house, and he's practically like a brother to me. So yeah, I'd say you're wrong by my counts."
Before Artemis could respond, Kaldur suddenly contacted Megan. "Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the Fog. Reconfigure the Bioship so that Robin, Ace, and Superboy can pursue."
"Guess that's the end of the separate link then. Hopefully, Roquette got some work done." Keemia nodded as Megan brought the Bioship around.
"Ready," Megan said as Robin, Ace, and Superboy ran off into the ship before it took off towards Philadelphia. Once it was gone, the three girls made their way back towards the door, unaware of the figure watching them from the bushes.
"You embarrassed Superboy!" M'Gann said, looking at Artemis with a frown.
"Didn't hear him say that." Artemis shrugged.
"Must you challenge everyone?" M'Gann sighed.
"Where I come from, that's how you survive." Artemis countered.
"Oh, so you're from Detroit?" Keemia smirked. All three girls were too caught up in their conversation to notice the figure leaping from a nearby tree and over the fence behind them before it entered the school undetected.
With Robin and Ace having left the room where Roquette was, Kid Flash moved out into the hallway to continue his watch, while Kaldur stayed with the scientist. He finished the last of his energy bar, carefully eying the hallways before noticing a shadow making its way down one of the adjacent corridors. He immediately pursued, speeding through the halls before seeing the figure enter into where the pool was.
Barry smirked to himself before speeding in, oblivious to the numerous marbles laid out on the floor until it was too late. Running at his speed, he had no opportunity to avoid them and slipped onto the floor with a resounding thud. He barely had time to take stock of his surroundings before a boot collided with his face, knocking him out. The figure then kicked Barry's unconscious form into the pool before leaving to go find Roquette.
With the sudden silence around her, Roquette returned to her work with vigour, rapidly typing out lines of code to counterattack the Fog, and engage shutdown commands remotely. However, she was so focused that she didn't notice the door to the room creak open slightly.
The same figure hat attacked Barry then threw a shuriken through the door, which sped towards the scientist. Kaldur did notice, however, and dove in the way, the blade embedding itself into his shoulder as she commotion alerted Doctor Roquette.
"Doctor, get down!" he ordered before standing quickly as the would-be assassin threw several more shurikens, each ending up embedded in Kaldur's left arm.
"Hm, that had to hurt." The assassin taunted in a sultry voice, before running into the room with two Sais drawn and ready.
"Atlantean skin is quite dense," Kaldur said, drawing his water bearers to counter the assassin's attack, while Roquette took cover under the desk. His water bearers immediately formed into blades as he parried the assassin, matching her blow for blow.
"And my shuriken are quite poisoned." She taunted again, attempting a low strike, only for Kaldur to easily block her before kicking her away. She nimbly dove over a table, landing on her feet gracefully.
"At least you're a creative assassin," Keemia smirked, as she appeared from the doorway before holding a hand out. "Cirtcele eguled!" she cast, before firing numerous bolts of electricity that the assassin barely dodged, before attempting to stab Keemia with her Sais. Luckily, Keemia was able to block the attacks with her staff, however, it forced her into a defensive stance.
"M'Gann, Kid, Artemis! We are under attack in the computer lab!" Kaldur called out telepathically before moving to assist Keemia.
"On our way!" Artemis answered, drawing and notching an arrow in her bow as she sped to help them, with M'Gann close behind. However, the Martian girl soon broke off, instead heading towards the pool. When she entered, she found Barry's unconscious body floating in the water. She quickly lifted him out with her telepathy before immediately starting CPR to save him.
Back in the lab, the assassin was met with Aqualad and Djinn attacking her from both sides. It was only her own intense training with her weapons that kept her out of harms' way as she battled the two heroes. As Kaldur attempted to parry her blows, Keemia would strike from behind. When she wrapped her legs around Keemia's waist to flip her, Kaldur was quick to respond by attempting to strike at her pressure points.
She growled under her mask before hurling one of her Sai at Doctor Roquette. "Oh no you don't: Reev ffo esruoc!" Keemia said hastily as the Sai instead embedded itself into the bulletin board next to the scientist's face.
"Almost." The assassin grimaced before leaping to her feet as she drew a kunai to replace her missing Sai. "Poison slowin' you down?" she asked, before once again clashing blades with Kaldur.
"Jellyfish toxin. I'm largely immune." He countered. However, with their blades locked, he was left open as she head-butted him, knocking him down on the ground.
"Largely." The assassin scoffed, preparing her Sai before it was suddenly shot out of her hand by an arrow as Artemis dove into the room. The archer notched another arrow, her eye trained dangerously on the assassin.
"Don't. Move." She said threateningly, before advancing.
"Heh, this gig's getting interesting." The assassin laughed before Kaldur rose again. She then took stock as, with Aqualad on his feet again, she was surrounded by three heroes. She drew a collapsible sword from her belt, using it to deflect to the volley of arrows that Artemis sent her way, before rolling to the side to dodge magical chains that Keemia attempted to throw at her.
"Damn it. I hate when they don't hold still." The sorceress grimaced before hastily blocking the assassin's sword with a hastily conjured barrier. However, she didn't have to hold it long, as Kid Flash and Miss Martian rushed into the room soon after.
"Maybe a little too interesting…" the assassin relented before throwing down a flashbang as Barry dove for her. Unfortunately, he was too late, and he only caught smoke. He rolled through and latched on to Artemis by accident instead. He let go quickly, backing off before looking at the few wisps of smoke left behind.
"Gone." He scowled as Roquette looked at Kaldur incredulously.
"She's getting away! You're letting her get away!" she yelled before Barry rounded on Artemis.
"This is all your fault! You were on perimeter!" he accused. "How'd that Shadow get in?"
The archer only narrowed her eyes in response as Megan approached the two. "That's not really fair." The Martian said. "I was outside too."
"Outside being distracted by her!" he said, jerking a thumb to Artemis before his gaze softened. "Besides, I can't be mad at you." He said before thinking in his head; "Besides, you gave me mouth-to-mouth."
"We heard that!" Everyone answered at once as Barry flinched.
"Dang it!" he cried out before his collar was grasped roughly by Keemia.
"How about me Kid? Or did you forget I was outside?" she said with a death glare as she rounded on the speedster. "That's a great way to build trust with your teammates, accusing them of sabotaging our missions. Would you do that to Ace?"
"What?! Of course not! She's proved herself a member—" he tried to defend before being cut off again.
"Then let Artemis prove herself, and stop acting like a toddler!" she yelled back, causing the speedster to deflate as Megan approached Artemis.
"I didn't do half as well in my first battle, and I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long." She said kindly before Kaldur called their attention.
"Focus everyone. The Shadows will be back." He reminded them.
"And they clearly mean business if they sent Cheshire after us." Keemia grimaced, as Kaldur looked at her with interest.
"You know of this assassin?" he asked.
"Not much, unfortunately. All I know is she's a world-class assassin and a top operative in the Shadows. Only outclassed by Deathstroke, Sportsmaster, and Deadshot." She said with a sigh.
"Then we'll have to be on our guard." Aqualad nodded before receiving a call from Robin over their comm links.
"Robin to Aqualad, we're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadows' next target; S.T.A.R. Labs." Robin said as the Bioship flew towards the laboratory, hoping to beat the Shadows there. However, just as it arrived, the ruins of the lab crumbled to the ground in shambles. "We're too late…" he breathed in shock. "It's destroyed, totally destroyed. The Fog decimated it."
"Oh, crap." Keemia grimaced.
"This is bad," Robin said as Superboy and Ace continued to stare at the ruined building in disbelief. "S.T.A.R. Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy." He said with a frown, before looking to his teammates in the ship. "What's our next move?" he asked Aqualad.
Aqualad turned to Roquette with a stern stare. "Re-scan for that Fog. Find it." He said before looking to his teammates around him. "We're moving the Doctor."
Within the span of ten minutes, the team was able to have the doctor packed up and moved to a boat launch across town, located just a few blocks from the harbour district. Inside the boat launch, Roquette typed away while being watched by Kid Flash, Artemis, and Djinn.
Barry insisted on giving Artemis a suspicious glare every chance he got, while Artemis would respond in kind with her own glare whenever she noticed. Keemia watched the two with disdain before rolling her eyes.
"Come on guys, we're all grown-ups here. If you really want to make out, get a room like normal people do." She said snidely as the two immediately jumped back before looking away, blushes adorning their faces. Roquette shot Keemia an appreciative nod, while Keemia only smirked in response, leaning back in her chair at the now defused tension.
"We're all set up here Aqualad. Roquette is back to work and we have our perimeter locked down." Keemia said telepathically. Outside, Aqualad nodded from where he was watching the boat launch behind a tree.
"Good." He nodded before crouching down and looking behind him. "Miss Martian, stay in camouflage mode and make a wide perimeter sweep." He ordered out loud, unaware of the figure watching him from above.
Suddenly, a line of sticky red webbing shot from the tree before pulling Aqualad into the branches. The figure in the branches launched a flurry of blows at the Atlantean before kicking him out of the tree and into a nearby van. Kaldur fell to the ground before looking up and seeing a figure in a black and purple spider-themed outfit leap out of the tree before landing in front of him.
He stood up slowly as another figure attacked from behind. This one had a large metallic hook replacing his right arm, and stood well above six feet tall. His green shirt was torn open to reveal tightly wrapped bandages underneath, and his hair was an ivory white.
As Kaldur flew forwards, he would be met with a shorter woman with auburn hair. The bottom half of her face was covered like a ninja, and she was adorned with blades. She kicked him multiple times before his head was suddenly grabbed by another woman. This one was seven feet tall, and covered in muscle, with long flowing red hair and a dark-green uniform reminiscent of the Furies from Apokolips.
Once she caught Kaldur, she immediately threw him into the pavement where he fell unconscious. Taking a moment to admire their handiwork, the four agents of the Shadows watched as Cheshire reappeared before them.
"The Martian could return any second, and I'm not keen on evening their odds," Cheshire said seriously, looking at the four agents. Hook, Black Spider, Knockout, and Scandal were all deadly assassins in their own right, but with the sheer number of heroes present, Cheshire didn't want to waste any time. "We end Roquette, now!"
Black Spider rushed in first, bursting through the doors before flipping through the air and landing on the ground in a crouch. Barry was the first to respond, attempting a sweeping kick, while Spider simply leapt to the ceiling and shot a line of his webs at Barry.
The speedster avoided them by rolling out of the way before throwing a nearby trash can at the assassin, however, he easily dodged it before grabbing two knives and moving to engage Barry in hand-to-hand combat.
"Well, at least Eric Needham finally lives up to his namesake." Keemia snarked as Artemis drew an arrow to assist Barry. However, the sound of breaking glass behind her alerted her to Hook, who had leapt through the skylight of the building before rolling to the side to avoid Artemis' barrage of arrows.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here Kay?" a voice called as Scandal and Knockout entered through the front door that Black Spider had opened.
"A couple of young heroes beloved." Knockout answered before ducking to avoid a spell Keemia flung at them. "Oh? A sorceress. I don't believe we've ever fought one of those before."
"Then let's make it memorable, love." Scandal said before the two lunged at Keemia, who rapidly conjured barriers to parry their blows.
"Don't stop working!" Artemis ordered Roquette, before continuing her barrage against Hook, who was hiding behind some benches to plan a counter-attack. Roquette returned to the computer, unaware of the second skylight being opened above her by Cheshire. The assassin smirked under her mask, before drawing a crossbow and aiming at the doctor.
She fired quickly, however, a nearby table suddenly floated in the way, blocking the arrow from reaching the scientist. "Martian's here, it's now or never!" Cheshire called before leaping into the room with her Sais drawn. Black Spider nodded before dodging a kick from Barry and using his webbing to grasp the table, pulling it away from the doctor.
Cheshire landed on the table in front of the scientist, as Artemis attempted to stop the assassin, before being struck by the extendable hook-chain that Hook fired at her. With the heroes otherwise indisposed with their battles, Cheshire leapt after the fleeing Roquette, kicking her to the ground. She twirled her Sais in her fingers, ready to kill the scientist, before Roquette's skin turned green and her head twisted around to smirk at Cheshire.
"We've been duped!" Cheshire yelled, recognizing the imposter immediately as being Miss Martian. The real Roquette as it turned out, had been safely stashed several blocks away from the boat launch in an internet café. Aqualad's stakeout outside had been a rouse the entire time as the Atlantean now stood watch over the scientist once again. He watched through the door to make sure they weren't noticed too soon, before turning back to Roquette.
"I've almost got it." The scientist said eagerly before continuing to work on the virus.
"The next target's a WayneTech facility," Robin said as the Bioship continued its flight through Philadelphia, tracking the Fog. "In theory, its systems software could be used to hack the…"
"The what?" Superboy asked as Ace's brow piqued in curiosity.
"Doesn't matter." Robin dismissed quickly. "What matters is WayneTech operates a 24-hour workforce. We'll never evacuate the building in time!" he said in worry as a van down below soon parked across the street from the facility on top of a parking garage.
Inside the van, Professor Ojo moved into the back before typing the activation commands into his laptop, assigning the Fog to its new target.
"You'll never find Doctor Roquette!" Miss Martian said seriously, shifting back to her normal form as she took to the air.
"Never's such a long time." Cheshire dismissed before running off. "Pursuing target. Keep 'em busy." She ordered as Hook moved to engage Miss Martian, flinging his chain at her with incredible force.
Nearby, Artemis slowly got to her feet, seeing Cheshire running out the door. She was quick to move after her, looking at Barry. "Pursuing their leader. Take the rest down!" she said before running out the door.
Barry used his speed to disarm the knives from Black Spider, before punching the assassin multiple times. However, he rolled his eyes before looking back at Artemis after she spoke. "You are so not the boss of me!"
"Just do it!" the archer yelled before leaving. Barry had little time to rebuke her before Black Spider grabbed him from behind, ready to continue the fight.
As Cheshire ran out, she made a move to the van where they left Aqualad, immediately suspicious. When she got there, she seethed under her mask as she found the Atlantean missing, as she feared he would be. "Oh, I do NOT like being played." She scowled before activating infrared sensors in her mask. She quickly picked up traces of Aqualad's footprints before following the trail down the street.
She hadn't gotten far when Artemis turned the corner around the van, seeing Cheshire's retreating form. The archer was quick to draw an arrow, firing it at Cheshire, only for the skilled assassin to simply swat it out of the air with her Sai.
"I was hoping it'd be you." The assassin said playfully before quickly leaping onto a nearby rooftop, Artemis in hot pursuit. She leapt from rooftop to rooftop, stopping for a moment near a chimney to look back at her pursuer. This easily allowed her to avoid the arrow fired at her, as it instead struck the chimney.
However, that proved to be Artemis' plan as the arrow released a cloud of knock-out gas, which billowed around Cheshire. The assassin coughed before collapsing on the ground as Artemis leapt beside her gracefully. She drew another arrow, carefully watching for any movement. Cheshire proved to have used a dupe of her own, as she made a wide sweeping kick to knock Artemis to the ground.
"Mask has built-in filters." The assassin explained before Artemis attempted to kick her. Cheshire simply caught her foot before pulling her to her feet violently, and putting the girl in a standing armbar, behind her back. "Better luck next time, kid." She smirked before knocking Artemis out with a swift chop to the neck.
In the café below, Aqualad heard the dull thud of Artemis' body hitting the roof above them. "We have company!" he said as Roquette hit one last keystroke.
"Uploading now!" the scientist grinned before turning to Aqualad. "And by the way, you said you'd protect me."
Aqualad didn't have time to answer as a pellet rolled in from the back room, releasing a small cloud of smoke. He drew his water bearers quickly, forming them into blades as Roquette stood up out of her seat in case she had to avoid anything. There was a silence that followed, before Aqualad turned, anticipating the pellet was only a distraction.
He was soon proven correct as one of the ceiling tiles had been opened before three darts were quickly shot into the Atlantean's chest. He stumbled back, shaking his head as his system was soon flooded with neurotoxin, while Cheshire landed nimbly on the ground in front of him.
"Let's test the limit of your jellyfish immunity, shall we?" the assassin quipped before Aqualad quickly moved to intercept her. She easily dodged all of his strikes, which were made without the same accuracy as before as the toxin continued to affect him. Before he could turn to attack again Cheshire simply kicked him across the face, sending him to the floor as he was finally knocked out by a combination of the toxin and fatigue.
"There. Limit tested." She shrugged before drawing her Sai and advancing on Roquette. "Now doctor, time for my appointment." She said as Roquette slowly stepped back in fear from the assassin, while Cheshire pursued in a slow, almost taunting fashion.
The assassin, however, was unaware of the program on the computer that was rapidly being uploaded to Robin's location.
Back over the Philadelphia branch of WayneTech, the Bioship was placed into a hovering position while still under its active camouflage. Robin checked the virus' status briefly before opening the rear exit of the ship, revealing the roof of the parking garage below.
"It's downloading," Robin said before Superboy looked out of the ship to see a nondescript van opening its right-side panel door. A man wearing an advanced cybernetic helmet was seen inside, activating the Fog before preparing to launch it. This was Professor Ojo.
"Don't need it!" Conner said before leaping from the Bioship to attack the Shadows' top scientist.
"Superboy, wait!" Ace yelled after him as she and Robin stopped short of the opening to watch their teammate leaping out. From below, Ojo heard them and immediately looked up to see Superboy's rapid descent from above. The scientist sneered before touching a few buttons on a device he wore on his hip. Immediately, the helmet on his head fired a powerful beam of energy that knocked Superboy out of the air and to the ground below. Satisfied that the threat was taken care of, the professor released the Fog, which immediately beset the WayneTech building.
"No!" Robin yelled defiantly before using his grapple to chase after the Fog as it entered the building. Ace hesitated briefly before using her telekinesis to follow behind Robin.
The Fog quickly ate its way through the front entrance before proceeding down the main corridor, with Ace and Robin in hot pursuit. The guard at the front desk saw the commotion of the Fog and looked at it in disbelief. "What in the…" he trailed off before seeing Ace and Robin run past him, after the Fog. "Hey! You can't come in here!" he yelled, grabbing his radio. "Unauthorized entry!" he reported, as alarms started blaring and a large blast door started to descend, attempting to lock off the halls.
"You'd think the guards would know who the heroes are supposed to be." Ace frowned as Robin saw the descending blast door.
"WayneTech override – TD-04!" Robin yelled as the door immediately stopped in its path before retracting. The two heroes rolled under the retracting door before continuing the chase through the building.
Miss Martian used her telepathy to throw several of the nearby desks and chairs at Hook, however, the villain simply crushed them with ease using his titular weapon. Once they were disposed of, he fired his chain at the Martian girl, who easily dodged it. M'Gann knew that they had to hurry and give backup to Aqualad and Artemis if the reputation of Cheshire was anything to go by.
"Kid Flash, Djinn, we need to end this now!" she ordered as Barry smirked lightly.
"It's like you read my mind, beautiful." He nodded before Black Spider fired another web onto the speedster's shoulder. However, Barry had a new plan as he quickly spun his body around at super-sonic speeds, wrapping the webbing around his body and pulling Black Spider towards him.
The assassin was unable to fight with the sudden force and was left helpless once Kid Flash stopped spinning before kicking him in the face with both feet. The villain grunted in pain before crashing through several benches, knocked out.
"Nobody wants to read your mind Barry, not intentionally anyway." Keemia grimaced before dodging another attack from Scandal as she found herself caught between Scandal and Knockout.
"Oh, dear looks like the little sorceress is trapped." Knockout taunted.
"Such a shame, she put up a good fight." Scandal mused before drawing the lamentation blades on her wrists and preparing to attack.
"Tropelet dniheb uoy!" Keemia hastily cast as the assassin leapt at her, only to be caught by her lover and partner instead.
"Where'd she go?" Knockout asked aloud before Keemia reappeared behind her with a smirk behind her mask.
"Tch, nothin' personal kids; Hctirdle tsalb!" she cast, firing a massive beam of crackling blue energy that sent the two women flying through the wall of the boat launch, and across the street, into the woods.
Hook was finally the last assassin left standing, as he fired his retractable chain at Miss Martian again. However, this proved to be the least effective strategy of the night, as M'Gann easily caught it with her telekinesis before throwing it back at the villain to knock him out rather easily.
"Woo-hoo! I got mine!" M'Gann cheered as Keemia shot her a thumbs up.
"Me too. Looks like we're all wrapped up here then." Keemia grinned.
"Great." Barry nodded, panting slightly while he recovered from the intense spinning he just did. Once he caught his breath, he looked at the webbing he was wrapped in before giving a light chuckle. "Uh… little help?"
The Fog quickly ate through the WayneTech building, while the people inside simply looked about in confusion, not at all sure of what was going on. Robin and Ace soon found the halls to be rather crowded as people poured out of the various rooms to see if they could tell what was going on.
"We need to clear the building, fast!" Robin said as Ace nodded.
"I got it." She said before stopping and holding her arms out, as her eyes glowed orange. Almost immediately, everyone within the building immediately started running for the emergency exits, screaming as they went.
"Great, but what exactly did you do?" Robin asked as the two continued to run through the now clear hallway.
"Mass illusion. Tricked them into seeing something that would make them want to leave." Ace shrugged.
"Cool! What are they seeing?"
"Bees." She said simply. "Lots and lots of bees."
With the now empty hallways, the two had no trouble finding a cafeteria with a computer inside. Robin immediately rushed over before plugging his wires into the computer, rapidly typing away on his holoscreen. "Please be connected to the mainframe… please be connected to the mainframe!" he pleaded, as the Fog started devouring the floors overhead.
Roquette continued to stumble back fearfully before Cheshire grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her in close. The doctor gasped in fear, before looking over Cheshire's shoulder at the computer behind them. The assassin couldn't help it but look in curiosity, only to find a message indicating that something had been successfully sent out of the system.
"So you completed the virus?" Cheshire determined, her voice betraying no emotion. "Eliminating the reason for your elimination…" she mused, before idly twirling her Sai in her hand and holding the blade dangerously close to Roquette's face. "… though, not the entertainment value."
Roquette's eyes widened in fear before she suddenly found herself flung to the floor by Cheshire. "Lucky for you my orders are clear. You live to program another day." The assassin said with a scowl before putting her weapons away. "After all, Doctor, the Shadows may find another use for you…" she trailed off, leaving a fearful Roquette as she exited the building.
"God, I hope this works." Ace grimaced, watching the Fog literally devour the building as Robin quickly uploaded the virus into the computer. The computer linked directly to the mainframe, allowing the virus to be quickly spread throughout the whole building. The result was instantaneous, as all over the WayneTech building, the nanobots that made of the Fog short-circuited and summarily exploded, resulting the Fog taking on a brief red hue as they died.
"It worked!" Ace grinned as Robin pumped a fist in triumph.
"Yes! The infiltrators have been outfiltrated!" he said with a laugh as Ace simply stared at him.
"… I'm sorry, what?" she said in confusion.
"That's my new word, what d'you think?" the Boy Wonder asked.
"I think you need to find a new hobby… or another language to destroy?" she offered before the two made their way back outside.
As the Fog died, Ojo watched with a scowl before shaking his head. This really wasn't going to look good to his masters. Fortunately, he didn't have long to think on his failure as Superboy soon stood up before advancing on the scientist. Ojo fired his laser again, however, Superboy was ready this time. The clone blocked the beam with his hand before pressing through it, rapidly gaining ground on the Shadows' agent.
Ojo tried increasing the power, but to no avail, as Superboy reached out and grasped the helmet, crushing the components that gave the laser its power. It sparked from the damage as Ojo fell back against the van, the shock of the damage knocking him out painfully.
Cheshire found her exit from the café easy enough, only for four explosive arrows to land at her feet before sequentially detonating. The resulting blast knocked the mask from her face as she stumbled to the ground, coughing on the smoke without the help of her mask's filters.
Artemis stood just a few feet away, another arrow drawn as she looked down at the assassin with hate-filled eyes. "Don't. Move. A muscle." She ordered as the assassin slowly stood up. She stood with her back to the archer for a moment, before slowly turning to reveal her face.
"Wow," Cheshire smirked, revealing a youthful face that was all too familiar to Artemis. "I am completely at your mercy."
The archer gasped as her eyes widened. "You!"
"I suppose now you bring me to justice, let your new friends interrogate me," Cheshire offered before her smirk widened. "I wonder if your position's secure enough to survive them learning everything I know."
Artemis' gaze hardened as she stared the assassin down. After a minute, she reluctantly set the bow down, regret evident on her face.
Cheshire only shrugged. "Didn't think so. So like the Cheshire cat," she started before dropping several smoke pellets. "I'll just disappear…" she finished before vanishing into the smoke. When it cleared, Cheshire was gone.
Just seconds after she left, Roquette helped Aqualad outside, the leader still breathing heavily as his body fought against the toxins. "Artemis, where's the assassin?" he asked, panting heavily.
"She… she got away." Artemis admitted, just as Kid Flash ran in with Djinn close behind.
"Oh, from you? Big surprise!" he sneered. "Notice, we got ours." He said, before jerking a thumb behind him to where Miss Martian was holding Black Spider and Hook, the two tightly bound in ropes.
"Lay off, Kid Mouth," Djinn said with a glare. "Those guys might be dangerous, but Cheshire is in a league of her own. None of us would have been able to catch her."
Barry rolled his eyes before looking on the ground to see the discarded mask. "Cool! Souvenir!" he grinned before picking the mask up.
"Her mask?" Aqualad asked as he pulled the darts out of his chest. "Did you see her face?" he asked, grunted painfully with each one he removed.
"It was dark," Artemis said, shaking her head.
"It is fine. Robin and Superboy neutralized the Fog, and Dr. Roquette is safe, thanks in no small part to you." Aqualad said with a nod as Artemis turned around, a hopeful look on her face.
"Yeah, getting a face to the name would have just been extra credit. It's no biggie." Keemia assured her.
Aqualad nodded again, folding his arms with a smile. "Welcome to the team."
"Having you on the team with the other girls, it's like I have a bunch of sisters!" M'Gann said with a smile. "Well, here on Earth I mean. I have twelve back on Mars, but trust me it's not the same."
"I… wouldn't know," Artemis said, shaking her head with a smile. "But thanks."
Barry simply glared at the archer before being elbowed by both M'Gann and Keemia. "Ow!" he groaned before rolling his eyes. "Yeah, welcome." He said half-heartedly. But he at least shook her hand when she offered it.
"Well, it's a start." Keemia sighed. "I can't help but think we forgot something though…" she frowned before a sudden sound of ice expanding was heard behind them. They turned quickly, only for Keemia to see Scandal's lamentation blades inches from her face. However, the assassin was frozen solid inside a block of ice, alongside Knockout.
"Oh yeah. Them." Barry said with a nervous chuckle. "But who…?"
"I believe I can answer that for you." A familiar voice said as Dubbilex stepped out of the darkness towards them. "I apologize if this is a bad time, but I must speak with the Batman immediately. It regards a potential new recruit for your team."
"A new recruit?" Aqualad asked curiously, stepping forwards.
"Yes. In fact, she was the one who helped you just now." He said before another figure stepped out behind him. This girl was far taller than Dubbilex and easily taller than anyone else on the team. Her body was lean but heavily muscled, almost like a boxer, and her skin was a pale grey.
Her hair was pale blue, with purple streaks, and tied back into a long fishtail braid that she hung over her left shoulder. She wore a Blue S.T.A.R. Labs t-shirt, and grey cargo pants. On her right arm, there was a clear band of Polynesian tattoos going from her elbow all the way to her shoulder, with hints of another tattoo on her back just below the base of her neck. Finally, much like Aqualad, she had gills protruding from her neck.
"Hi, I'm Niuhi Lincoln. But you can call me Coldsnap." She smirked, folding her arms.
"Niuhi Lincoln? You mean to tell me that she's the child of King Shark and Killer Frost?" Batman asked Dubbilex seriously, as he looked through the file that the genomorph scientist had handed him.
"Indeed. Through means unknown to both myself and Guardian, CADMUS was able to… acquire her. She had been held in stasis in a tank in sub-level seven. We thought it best to alert you first." Dubbilex said seriously. "The girl was under the jurisdiction of Dr. Desmond, so he clearly knew what the reason for her presence was. He neglected to tell anyone else, however."
"And her age? According to this file, she should only be fourteen months old." Batman frowned as he read through them again.
"She was subjected to a growth acceleration, not unlike the one that Superboy and Galatea faced, at a very young age."
"How young?" the dark knight inquired, dreading the answer.
"Only three weeks old." The scientist said as Batman's scowl deepened. "The girl possesses powers from both of her parent's heritage, but she knows nothing outside of what the G-Gnomes taught her, and that she has discovered herself in the past weeks. She is aware of her parent's identities, and we have explained to her the circumstances as we have determined them to be. The true reason for her presence is still unknown."
"How is she coping?"
"As well as she can. She is confused and frustrated. She needs an outlet; a way outside." Dubbilex said. "I believe this team can provide that for her."
"Her lineage is one deeply rooted in crime," Batman said seriously.
"But the child is spotless as far as her parents' sins are concerned. She can become someone good. She can put their abilities towards the benefit of mankind."
Batman stopped to think for a moment. "She will need training. Lots of training. She needs to know the limits of her powers as well as basic combat before I will allow her to set one foot in the field."
"I understand. And I thank you for your time today." Dubbilex nodded. "For now, I shall take the girl back to the laboratory. We shall await your contact for any further information." He said before walking out of the room, leaving Batman alone with the file.
"You sure you want to go here?" Djinn asked, standing alongside her father as Roquette looked at the open portal in front of her.
"I'm sure. I don't have anything tying me down here, and besides, the Shadows said they'd be back. I'd like to get away from them. As far away as I can." Roquette nodded, clutching her bags and her laptop, ready to enter Flint's homeworld.
"Well, we wish you luck there. I hope your new employer has something interesting for you." Flint smiled. "And if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call us."
"I won't, but don't worry about me. I think this job will work out just fine." She assured them before stepping through. The portal closed behind her soon after as she was left staring up at the large building before her. It appeared almost like a large university, as a brown-haired man in a lab coat walked over to meet her.
"Doctor Serling Roquette, I presume?" he asked, shaking her hand.
"Yes, that's me." She nodded.
"My name's Peter Parker." He greeted before leading her inside. "And welcome to Horizon Labs."
Gotham City – August 9th, 01:16 EDT
In an abandoned alleyway, a bright light suddenly flashed in an abandoned phone booth, as Artemis exited the teleporter from the cave to return home. She had barely stepped out before hearing someone approaching from the far side of the alley. She instinctively drew an arrow, ducking for cover, before aiming at the source of the sound.
"Step into the light!" she said tersely, her eyes narrowing. "Now!"
"Nice move." Roy chuckled before stepping out of the shadows, to where Artemis could see him. Seeing it was only Roy, she lowered her bow, putting the arrow away. "Almost made me believe you are Green Arrow's niece, but we both know you're not." He frowned, stopping just a few feet away from her.
Artemis' glare only intensified as she stared him down. "Still, I'm sure G.A. and Bats have a reason for lying, so your cover's safe." He relented before leaning in dangerously. "But I warn you, do not hurt my friends." He threatened before turning and walking away into the shadows again.
She watched him leave as her bravado left her all at once, and she was left staring at the ground shamefully.
Infinity Island – August 9th, 01:01 ECT
In a small room of the fortress, Sensei sat in a meditative position as seven screens surrounded him. Each one displayed a figure, whose visage was hidden. However, Sensei knew each one of them well. He bowed his head respectfully, awaiting their command.
"Report." One of the figures ordered.
"Masters…" Sensei greeted them. "Before Ojo's capture, he transmitted the S.T.A.R. Labs data you required. But the WayneTech Intel still alludes us."
"Once again, the young heroes interfere…" another figure mused before his voice took on a more amused tone. "So, it's fortunate we have an operative on the inside."
At this, Sensei smirked triumphantly.
Uh oh, a mole! Wonder where this could be going...
Also, boom! New character for the team! Congratulations to everyone who guess that the child of King Shark and Killer Frost would be joining the team. Niuhi is my first official OC for any fic I've written, so this should be fun. From her mom she got the cryokinesis and from her father she got increased strength and durability, accelerated healing, the ability to breathe underwater, and typical Atlantean resistance to pressure and cold. As well as a secret surprise ability which will show up later...
Bet you weren't expecting her to show up here, eh? She won't re-appear for a few more chapters though, but her backstory will be coming with her. There's still plenty of time to guess the canon character joining the team though. They'll be appearing soon too, so look forwards to that.
As for other housekeeping, bet you weren't expecting Cupcake and River to appear were you? I love Shade, The Changing Girl, it's easily my favourite from the Young Animal DC imprint. And since it never really established where it takes place, I figured I could say Miami. Just pretend that they go to a standard public school now instead of an academy with uniforms. And now they're Keemia's friends.
Also, Olethros Walker. It's kinda obvious who he is, especially if you recognize why Olethros is his alias. But yeah, I love Neil Gaiman too.
I always hated how Black Spider in Young Justice was basically discount Spider-Man, so I'm trying to get him back to the proper Eric Needham he has to be.
Also, Roquette gets to go to the Marvel universe. That should be good for her.
But next time, the shit hits the fan (for the first time of many). Up to now, it's been mostly easy for the team. But it's gonna get more dangerous, and the Light will make more active motions. And someone will have to struggle with their own Denial...
As always, be sure to read and review.
Ciao for now!
~WafflesTheApprentice