MoP
Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue
Chapter 2: Deception, Part 2.
Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.
A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.
A/N: Thanks to Dragon97, 6f5e4d and the members of the Caer Azkaban group for their help on this chapter.
A/N: I decided to take a little break from Rebellion so that I can close out Phantoms and get at least an idea what the plans for Targets are before continuing, but rather than go on a full hiatus I decided to go back and spend some time with one of my favourite Team members. I will be continuing with Deception until I catch up Rebellion, then I may alternate chapters or post full versions from each perspective depending on what fits the episode in question and where my muse goes up to at least Auld Acquaintance and potentially into some original Year One content.
Mount Justice.
August 8, 19:57 EDT.
"Recognized, Speedy B-Zero-Six."
"Well for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore," snapped the red-head, walking out of the Zeta Tube. "Call me Red Arrow."
Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash tensed.
"Roy, you look…" began Green Arrow.
"Replaceable," Red Arrow growled, cutting off her mentor as he crossed the training ring on the way to the Zeta Tube, he scanned the crowd, passing over his friends, Miss Martian and Superboy before zeroing in on her.
"It's not like that," insisted Green Arrow. Artemis wasn't entirely convinced, and she doubted Red Arrow was either. "You told me you were going solo."
"So, why waste time finding a sub?" asked Roy angrily. "Can she even use that bow?"
Artemis thought it was about time to speak for herself and stepped forward until she was in the taller boy's personal face. "Yes, she can," she retorted in a chippy tone.
"Who are you?" demanded Kid Flash.
"I'm his niece.. she's my niece," chorused Artemis and her mentor in near stereo.
"Another niece?" asked Robin, with a knowingly tone that suggested he wasn't entirely buying it.
"But she is not your replacement," Kaldur assured his friend, stepping towards him and pulling his attention to him. "We have always wanted you on the Team, and we have no quota on archers."
From his left Wally pipes up, cheery once more. "And if we did," said Kid Flash. "You know who we'd pick."
Artemis bristled a little inside. That ungrateful little… she thought as she stepped forward again. "Whatever, Baywatch… I'm here to stay."
To her surprise, Red Arrow seemed to give in at this point as he turned to walk away.
As he passed Aqualad, the Atlantean spoke, causing him to pause. "You came to us for a reason."
"Yeah, a reason named Dr Serling Roquette," Roy admitted, then glanced at Robin, with the rest of the group including the three adults turning with him.
Robin grinned and activated his holo-glove. "Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City…" he began as several holo-screens popped into life showing the doctor and information on her work. "… who vanished two weeks ago."
"Who was abducted two weeks ago…" Roy clarified then half-turned in Robin's direction. "… by the League of Shadows."
Robin's joy shows through on his face. "Whoa," said Robin, clearly excited. "You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?"
He, Kid Flash and Miss Martian step further in the circle. "Hard-core," agreed the speedster, and shared a fist-bump with Robin.
"I already rescued her," said Red Arrow tersely, then walked towards the bank of holo-screens. "Only one problem…" He pulled out a small grey remote which brought up a larger screen in front of the others. "The Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon…" He glanced up for a moment, then faced them again. "Doc calls it 'the Fog'… it's made up of millions of microscopic robots – nanotech infiltrators – 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 story raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen data to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defence, cutting edge science and tech."
"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, and power broking," observed Artemis without thinking. "Yeah… sounds like the Shadows."
"Like you know anything about the Shadows," Wally scoffed with a smirk.
You have no idea what I know, Baywatch, thought Artemis as she smiled tauntingly at him.
The speedster's smirk faded, and a hint of confusion flitted across his face for a moment. "Who are you?!"
"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert," reported Red Arrow, apparently unphased by their byplay.
"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" whispered Robin
"They'll target her," finished Red Arrow. "Right now, she's off the grid… I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."
"You left her alone?" asked Green Arrow incredulously, as a photo of Happy Harbor High School joined the holo-collage.
"She's safe enough for now," retorted Red Arrow, a little defensively.
"Then let's… you and I… keep her that way," said Green Arrow, stepping closer.
"You and I?" retorted Red Arrow, sounding both angry and surprised. "Don't you want to take your new protégé?"
Yeah! Artemis thought, then paused. Wait, I'm agreeing with him… or am I?
Batman stepped towards them and placed a hand on her mentor's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "You brought this to the Team," said Green Arrow, more confident now. "It's their mission… which means it's hers now, too."
"Then my job's done," scoffed Red Arrow and headed towards the Zeta-Tubes to leave.
"Recognized, Speedy…" began the computer.
But Red Arrow cut it off, "That's Red Arrow…" he snapped. The computer beeped confirmation. "B-Zero-Six, update!"
The Zeta Tube whirred into life, and he disappeared in a flash of golden light.
Artemis felt someone looking at her, she glanced towards Kid Flash, Robin and Miss Martian, spotted the glare that he was sending her and the confusion on her face and looked away again, eyes narrowed.
Happy Harbor.
August 8, 21:59 EDT
(Is everyone online?)asked Miss Martian in everyone's heads as she opened a psychic link between the Team and Dr Roquette.
(Ohh…) groaned Artemis, sitting down on the scientist's desk to keep from losing her balance. (This is weird.)
(And distracting,)noted Dr Roquette waspishly as she continued to work. (Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough.) The doctor stopped typing and started to gesticulate as if she was speaking aloud. (Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?)
(Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?) asked Kid Flash from his perch on the window ledge, where he was snacking on a granola bar.
(Pot, kettle…) began Artemis. (Have you met?)
(Hey, hey… I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the Team.)
Artemis surged to her feet and pointed at him. (That is so not on me!)
The doctor stopped typing. (Fate of the world at stake…)
(She started it!)
This is getting us nowhere, Artemis thought, then turned towards the door. (How about I just help the others to patrol the perimeter?)
(Good idea,) agreed Aqualad, his tone formal but with a hint of stress.
(You might cut her some slack,)said Robin, then smirked. (It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo.)
(What? No!) exclaimed Kid Flash. (That was Speedy's – I mean, Red Arrow's – arrow… right?)
(Not so much.)
(Well, I'm still not giving her the satisfaction!)
(You know… I can still hear you!) Artemis reminded him as she walked towards the outer door.
(I couldn't get the Justice League…)Roquette grumbled.
(The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon,)Aqualad observed. (Can you track it?)
(My utility fog is not a weapon,)countered Dr Roquette, defensively. (It's science, brilliant science… I can track it, but I'd have to go online Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'assassinate me' written in neon.)
(We will protect you.)
(Tracking the Fog now.)
21:57 EDT
Artemis heard a slight rustling sound in the bushes outside the fence and heading towards the gap in the chain-link – Miss Martian at her back – and crouched, tense and arrow nocked.
Seconds later, Superboy dropped down from the roof and scanned the area. Apparently satisfied, he moved off again.
Relaxing a little, Artemis turned to follow her 'white rabbit' as he walked off, appreciating the view with narrowed eyes. (Mmm...that boy.)
Superboy turned back and his eyes widened in surprise.
(He can hear you,) Miss Martian pointed out, her voice tense. (We can all hear you.)
(Oh, I know,)Artemis replied smoothly, enjoying the byplay.
A psychic call from Aqualad broke the tension for a moment. (Miss Martian, Dr Roquette has located the Fog… Reconfigure Bio-Ship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue.)
Miss Martian raised her right hand to summon the craft and seconds later she de-camouflaged and landed in the small field outside the fence. (Ready.)
Artemis rose to her feet as Robin rushed out of the school building and led Superboy to Bio-Ship, closing the door behind them and taking off in almost a single manoeuvre.
As they turned to return to the main building, Artemis thought a slight glare flitted across the older girl's face, but she turned away to quickly for her to be sure. And how do I know that Martian body language means the same as a human's anyway… Artemis thought as the two girls took their positions on either side of the gap in the fence.
(You embarrassed Superboy,) Miss Martian claimed, the annoyance in her psychic voice clear as day.
Artemis smiled at her. (I didn't hear him say that.)
Miss Martian turned a little towards her, but still wouldn't meet her eye. (Must you challenge everyone?)she asked bitterly.
(Where I come from, that's how you survive,)Artemis said, hoping that she would drop it.
Clearly the Martian girl was as little partly mollified, as her frown lessened slightly, and she didn't reply.
"M'gann, Kid, Artemis, we are under attack in the computer lab," reported Aqualad over the telepathic link a moment later.
Both girls whirled back towards the school building, storming through the double doors without stopping. (We're on our way,)Artemis assuring him as she drew and nocked an arrow on the run. Just as they were about to pass through the last intersecting hallway between the main entrance and the computer lab, Miss Martian stopped short, and her eyes widened as if in surprise or shock.
Before Artemis had a chance to asked what the problem was she flew off in another direction. Artemis shrugged, then continued towards Aqualad and Dr Serling, entering the lab just in time to see a woman in a cat mask and a short kimono headbutt her team-mate in the face, knocking him to the ground and making him drop his weapons.
"Largely," noted the woman, and raised the sai she carried over her head as if to deliver a fatal blow.
Not on my watch! Artemis thought, then loosed the arrow she had prepared and knocked it from her hand.
"Don't move…" Artemis told her slowly as she readied a new arrow.
The woman clucked, then as Aqualad rose to his feet again, she drew a handle from her belt, which quickly expanded into a short single-edged sword. "This gig's getting interesting."
Artemis stepped closer and released several arrows in quick succession, all of which the assassin easily deflected, cutting several in half.
"Maybe a little too interesting…" said the assassin as Kid Flash and Miss Martian arrived, lining up between them as Artemis loosed another arrow.
The assassin deflected it and dropped a grenade, causing a flash of light and enveloping herself and Artemis in a thick cloud of smoke.
Seconds later, someone blundered into the cloud and collided with Artemis, knocking them both to the ground.
It was Kid Flash. Startled, he immediately stumbled back and looked into the now-empty space that the assassin had occupied moments earlier. "Gone."
"She's getting away! You're letting her get away!" yelled Dr Roquette and glaring at Aqualad as they got to their feet.
"This was all your fault," declared Kid Flash angrily. "You were on the perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in?"
You're not my boss! Artemis thought, her eyes narrowing.
"That's not really fair," claimed Miss Martian calmly, as she joined them. "I was outside too."
"Outside, being distracted by her!" Kid Flash retorted, then shifted to a sweet, almost flirtatious tone. "Besides, I can't be mad at you… (You gave me mouth-to-mouth)."
(We heard that!)snapped Artemis, frustrated at the boy's mercurial mood.
"Dang it!" exclaimed Kid Flash, then turned, dropped his head and walked away.
Miss Martian smiled at Artemis; their previous argument clearly forgotten. "I didn't do half as well in my first battle," she offered, then placing her hand on Artemis' shoulder to comfort her. "And I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long."
Before Artemis could respond to the overture, Aqualad cut in. "Focus, everyone," he insisted. "The Shadows will be back."
The radio beeped. "Robin to Aqualad… We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadows' next target, STAR Labs… We're too late… It's destroyed, totally destroyed."
Even over the radio, Robin's bad mood was obvious. "The Fog decimated it. This is bad. STAR Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hand of the enemy. What's our next move?"
Aqualad glanced at Dr Roquette, who had escaped any harm from the assassin. "Rescan for that Fog… find it," he told her, then returned his attention to the radio. "We're moving the doctor."
Happy Harbor Pier.
22:16 EDT
Thanks to Kid Flash's speed, it didn't take them long to relocate and set up at the new location, but this didn't seem to help his mood… if she was honest, she was probably feeling similar.
(Stop it, both of you!)ordered Aqualad from outside.
"What?" echoed the pair.
(I can hear you glaring.)
Artemis might have argued such a ridiculous assertion, but a series of grunts from outside diverted her thought. "They're coming."
"What, how do you…" demanded Kid Flash, but any reply was moot as the doors onto the street burst open and a purple-clad man with bulbous orange lenses on his full-face mask jumped in.
Black Spider, observed Artemis. That's… not great.
Before she could bring up her bow, Kid Flash surged forward and engaged the assassin. She waited for a moment, looking for an opening and was about to fire when the skylight above shattered and a large man – who she easily identified as the unimaginatively-named Hook – dropped towards her.
The big man was more agile than he looked and was able to avoid several of her arrows.
After realising that she couldn't hear any typing, she risked a glance at the doctor, who had – as she suspected – stopped working and turned to watch her. "Don't stop working."
The doctor said nothing and turned back to the computer.
Seconds later, a desk went flying through the air, and the voice of the cat-masked assassin rang out from the windows overhead. "The Martian's here, it's now or never…"
Never, thought Artemis, but her momentary distraction cost her, and Hook managed to nail her in the face with his mechanical hook, knocking her down.
Artemis glanced towards Dr Roquette just in time to see the cat-masked assassin loom over the doctor twirling her dagger, ready to strike.
Then the doctor's skin suddenly turned green… and her head turned completely around to look right at the assassin.
"We've been duped!" declared the woman, a moment later as she discovered their ruse.
"You'll never find Dr Roquette," claimed Miss Martian as she rose into the air, Dr Roquette's white labcoat, navy pants and v-neck tee shifting seamlessly into her own black-and-red bodysuit, and dark blue cape and accessories.
"Never's such a long time," replied the woman, her tone momentarily teasing, but then all business again. "Pursuing target, keep 'em busy."
Hook fired his hook at Miss Martian to prevent her from following, but the woman ran straight past Artemis just as she was getting to her feet. "Pursuing their leader," she declared, glancing around briefly. Both her team-mates were engaged. "Take the rest down."
"You are sooo not the boss of me," snarled Kid Flash.
"Just do it!" she retorted in a similar tone, not losing stride as she hurried after the cat-themed assassin out of the building.
When she reached the street, the woman was nearly a block away and running hard, Artemis nocked an arrow and released it almost in single motion, but the assassin easily knocked it out of the air. "I was hoping it'd be you," she said smugly, then took off again.
What did she mean by that? Artemis wondered as the woman leapt up onto a nearby roof and Artemis followed, cutting her off with a knockout gas arrow.
The cat-masked woman coughed a few times and slipped off the peak of the roof onto a flat area.
Artemis landed in a crouch, then moved closer, bow at the reading, sensing a potential trap.
Which was sprung seconds later as the assassin turned onto her side and swept Artemis' legs out from under her. "Mask has built-in filters."
They exchanged blows for a few moments, but the older woman managed to get the upper hand and disarmed her, pinned her arms behind her arms behind her and then knocked her to the ground… unconscious.
22:22 EDT
Artemis woke to an empty roof with the sounds of fighting in the shop below her, but by the time she made it to the street, it had died down into a low buzz of conversation.
The fight's probably over, she thought slightly darkly, considering the Sandbar Café. I might as well work to my strengths and wait for her to come out so I can get her this time if Aqualad hasn't already.
Sure enough, the assassin came out a moment later and she was able to land four arrows in quick succession on the pavement in front of her, they exploded on cue, enveloping her in smoke and knocking her mask off.
When the smoke cleared, the woman was on her hands and knees, mask-less.
Artemis approached her from behind, another explosive arrow nocked and ready. "Don't move a muscle," she warned as the woman tensed to rise.
She ignored the warning and got to her feet, still with her back to Artemis. "Wow," she murmured, then began to turn her head so that she could look over her shoulder at the archer. "I am completely at your mercy."
Artemis gasped as she recognised a face as familiar to her as her own. "You."
"I suppose now you bring me to justice, let your new friends interrogate me…" suggested her sister, taunting her. "I wonder if your position's secure enough to survive them learning everything I know?"
Artemis paused, considering the question. Then after a moment she lowered her bow.
"I didn't think so," sneered Jade, and started to back up, smoke curling around her. "So, like the Cheshire Cat, I'll just disappear."
And before Artemis could even consider changing her mind, she was… gone.
Seconds later, a clearly winded Aqualad – supported by Dr Roquette – lunged out of the café door. "Artemis, where's the assassin?"
"She, uh… she got away."
Aqualad didn't say anything but…
"Oh, from you?" taunted Kid Flash as appeared a second later. "Oh, big surprise. Notice we got ours."
On cue, Miss Martian drops into view, towing her sister's bound and unconscious lackeys.
Kid Flash looked down and his eyes lightened, a small smile on his face. "Cool," he said, then bent to pick up the discarded cat mask. "Souvenir."
Aqualad separated from the doctor and walked slowly towards the speedster. "Her mask?" he asked, then winced as he started to remove her sister's darts from his chest. "Did you see her… her face?"
"It was dark," Artemis lied, then turned looked towards the bay.
"It is fine," Aqualad assured her. "Robin and Superboy neutralized the Fog, and Dr Roquette is safe… thanks in no small part to you."
She glanced over her shoulder, then turned to face him as Miss Martian landed beside Kid Flash.
"Welcome to the Team."
She favoured him with a small smile in return, then accepted the offer of a handshake.
"I always wanted a sister," Miss Martian adds. "Here on Earth, I mean. I have eleven back on Mars, but trust me, it's not the same."
Eleven? Artemis thought, then chuckled. "I wouldn't know, but thanks."
Miss Martian elbowed Kid Flash in the chest. "Ow," he grumbles, but got no sympathy. "Yeah, uh… welcome."
Well, that was convincing, thought Artemis, but decided to take the comment at face value and offered him her hand.
He hesitated slightly, but eventually took it, acting like it was going to either explode or eat him.
Gotham City.
August 9, 1:16 EDT
"Recognised, Arrowette B-Zero-Seven."
Artemis exited the broken-down phone booth and began to move up the alley to the street, but a moment later, something caught her attention and she stopped, spun slightly and dropped into a crouch, aiming her bow at a shadowy figure. "Step into the light… now."
It was Red Arrow. "Nice move," he scoffed, and walked towards her.
Artemis released her bowstring and rose to meet him.
"Almost made me believe you are Green Arrow's niece," he said bitterly, then stopped. "Though we both know you're not."
Keep it cool, Artemis told herself, but indulged in a glare, which he ignored.
"Still, I'm sure GA and Bats had a reason for lying, so your cover's safe," he told her, then leaning down into her personal space. "But I warn you… do not hurt my friends."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on a heel and stalked away.
Artemis sagged, the stress of the last few hours finally catching up with her.
10:16 EDT.
The first thing that Artemis noticed when she entered the kitchen was the two papers on the table, one was a single folded sheet with her name scrawled on it in her mother's hand, and the other was an official looking envelope. After putting on the kettle for some tea, she sat down at the table and debated the two missives for a moment, before deciding to read her mother's note first.
Artemis,
Are the Team nice? Did your visit to the Cave go well?
I wanted to talk to you before my appointments, but you looked like you needed the sleep, maybe we can talk tonight?
Mum.
That'll be a fun conversation, Artemis thought darkly. Particularly once we get to the part where Jade nearly killed our protectee and I let her get away.She put down the note, then picked up the other envelope and slit it open.
A Gotham National Bank credit card with her name on it was inside, along with the usual sheaf of paperwork, was a post-it note that was stuck to the card itself.
For expenses.
BM.
Batman, Artemis thought. I guess at least some of the rumours are true then… not that I really doubted them.At that moment, the kettle on the stove began to whistle as Artemis got up to take it off the stove and brew herself a cup of jasmine tea. While she was drinking the tea, she fired off messages to several of her friends at school and got confirmation back that her cousin Sha Shen was available, and Sally, Gwen and Michelle said that they might join them later.
August 9, 20:16 EDT.
Artemis lay her bed with a book open, but her mind was too disturbed over the last twenty-four hours for her to concentrate on it. Instead, her mind returned to the conversation that she'd had with her mother a few minutes earlier. Her mother had been pleased that some of the Team had accepted her, she made the appropriate noises when Artemis talked about the hostility from Kid Flash and Red Arrow, and then the conversation turned to the mission, and her sister…
"I'm telling you, Dad was right about her," Artemis insisted – as much as she hated to support any opinion of his in principle – looking away and closing her eyes so she didn't have to see her mother's expression. "Jade's just like him."
"She's family, Artemis" replied her mother, clearly upset. "You did the right thing letting her go."
To kill some other innocent, to kidnap… to torture… mused Artemis. How is that right?
"The justice system won't turn Jade, only family can do that. But Jade's afraid to open her heart and be part of a family… she doesn't want to take that risk, doesn't want that responsibility. Her mother rolled forward, looking up at Artemis with sorrowful eyes. She reached out and grasped Artemis by the hand, pulling it towards her. Unfortunately, she got that from me."
Artemis started and looked directly at her mother, surprised.
"When you were both little, I abdicated
all responsibility to your father… He wanted to train you, I wanted to walk away. It took this chair…" She dropped Artemis' hand and looked down at herself, then up again. "… Six years in prison and losing my family to teach me these lessons. I hope Jade is a quicker study. If you see her again…"
Artemis waited for more, but apparently her mother wasn't sure what else to say, so once she was sure that Artemis didn't have anything to say in return, she excused herself, then turned and rolled out of the room.
I can understand Mum's feelings,
mused Artemis. Jade is family and she doesn't want to give up on her… But do I have that luxury?At that moment, she sensed someone on the fire-escape outside, looking in at her through her window. Jade? she wondered as she heard a slight metallic clang, then a quiet thud of soft soles on stone. What's she doing here?Quickly slipping her jacket and boots back on, she was out of the window in seconds, reaching the fire-escape just in time to see a green figure bounding across the roof-tops. "Jade!" she yelled, and the figure stopped at the edge of her current building and looked back at her. "Please, I'm not sure why you came, but you have to see that you are following in Dad's footsteps… you know that's not the way…"
"I'm nothing like Dad!" screamed Jade and removed her mask – she must have a spare, noted a part of Artemis' mind – to expose her angry face, for a brief moment, but then it was gone. "Listen, Mouse… you want this cat to change? Why? So, I can join your little 'play group'… Kinda pointless when they're gonna kick you out any minute…"
Artemis had been ready to argue, but this point hit hard, and she stayed silent, thinking hard as her sister continued her diatribe.
"They're never gonna trust you, not unless you tell them the truth… and bring me in," She paused. "I'm betting that you can't bring yourself to do either… Right?"
She's right, curse it! Artemis realised but tried to keep her feelings hidden.
Jade took her silence as her answer. "Didn't think so," she said smugly, then put her mask back on and stepped back, dropping straight down off the ledge.
Artemis stood there for a second, shocked, but then made her way to the ledge and looked down. As she expected… and mostly hoped if she was honest with herself, the alley below was empty. What am I going do you? she asked herself, but the answer was elusive as the last half-a-dozen times she'd asked the same question.