MoP
Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue
Chapter 16: Deception, Part 6.
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 get 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 with 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.
Gotham.
September 2, 22:16 EDT.
Artemis was lying on her bed, studying a book on trauma medicine that she'd borrowed from Dr Thompkins, when her cellphone beeped a special tone that she'd set up for Team notifications.
She marked her place and closed her book, then leaned over and snagged the device from the chest of drawers between her bed and her sister's old bed.
Team mission tomorrow night. Report to the Cave for 19:00. Bring a medical kit. BM.
Another night mission… thought Artemis. I guess I'd better get some sleep then.
She placed her phone on top of her book and moved both of them to her book to the chest of drawers, then clicked off her beside lamp and snuggled down to sleep.
Bialya.
September 4, 12:16 EEST.
"Hey, Beautiful… wake up," said a strange voice, breaking through the fog that gripped her mind.
Beautiful, me? Artemis thought. I must be imagining things… With a groan, she opened her eyes, quickly taking the ruined shack around her, the hole in the ceiling and out of the corner of her eye, a red-headed boy wearing a unitard in shades of black and grey. She closed her eyes for a moment and brought a hand to her head as she tried to sit up.
When she opened them again, she was startled to see the red-headed stranger right up in her personal space and her hand instinctively closed on a weapon that she sensed close at hand as she scurried backwards until her back was against the wall.
The red-headed boy was almost as startled by her reaction as she was by him. "Hey, it's okay… it's okay… I won't hurt you," he told her, in at least an attempt at a reassured tone. Then he stands up. "I'm one of the good guys. You know… Kid Flash?"
"Seen Kid Flash on the news," Artemis retorted, sceptically. "He doesn't wear black."
That point seems to surprise him, and he looked down and then back up again, clearly just as confused as she was. "Uh, little unclear on that myself," he admitted after a moment. "What about you? Green Arrow fixation?"
What? Just because I grabbed a bow… thought Artemis, then looked down and tensed in shock at her outfit. "Who put me in this?!"
"Wow, I am not touching that with a ten foot…" commented the alleged Kid Flash. "Uh, so you know how to use that bow?"
"Yeah, my dad taught me…" Artemis replied, then frowned. "Dad, he must've done this! Another of his stupid tests."
"What kind of test?" the boy asked, curiously.
Artemis briefly considered lying, but then decided that truth would tell her more. "He probably wants me to kill you," she told him nonchalantly.
His eyes widened, but any further conversation was delayed by a familiar, approaching sound. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the ruined doorway and out onto the sand, clearing the building mere seconds before the building exploded, catching them in the blast wave and knocking them to the ground.
Three tanks approached them, led by a jeep armed with a machine-gun. "Mat khalee homshee yih raboo!" shouted one of the soldiers in the jeep, likely an officer.
The jeep's gunner turned the mounted gun in their direction and opened fire on them.
Artemis rolled to the side and came up into a kneeling position with her bow – an arrow nocked – aimed at the leading car, then she loosed the arrow, sending it flying towards the car to impact just in front of it, causing it to flip into the air and arc over the two teens' head, then it landed with a bounce several metres away.
Artemis ducked behind a small rock formation, and was just sighting in on the tanks, when she was snatched off the ground. She gasped and glanced questioningly at the other teen.
"Sorry," he said as two explosive shells detonated a little way behind them, then broke into a serious of evasive manoeuvres. "They've got bigger arrows."
"Thanks," she said quietly when he straightened out again.
The red-headed speedster laughed lightly. "Told ya, good guy. Now, uh… not to pry, but… uh… what's your name?" he said with a smile, then paused. "Oh, and what's this about you killing me?"
Artemis didn't reply.
He came to a stop on the far side of a small ravine, using the shade to block them from the afternoon sun, then setting Artemis on her feet before bending over, panting.
She looked at him in an odd combination of irked, disappointed, and confused.
"Sorry, running on empty," he told her, then wiped at his brow as he stood straight again, still breathing heavily. "Don't think I've eaten in a while." He peeled back his glove to expose a small gauntlet and opened a compartment on the inside of his wrist. "Been out here over 24 hours, or my cupboards wouldn't be bare."
Artemis wanted to say something in response to that, but was interrupted by a tall, dark-haired teen dropping out of the sky between them and landing tank, kicking up a veil of dust and sand that blocked her view for a moment. She struggled to make out the figures inside the cloud, and just as it began to clear, she saw the new stranger backhand the first vehicle into the ravine.
Then he turned to face her.
Oh, crap… Artemis thought and instinctively flipped backwards to give herself time and space to prep an arrow and loose it at the new arrival's chest.
The first arrow had no effect, nor did any of the following ones, but she kept trying until she had to pause to roll out of a lunge at her waist.
Enraged further, the boy glanced into the sky and roared. But not for long as the tanks had caught up with them and launched another explosive shell, which landed at his feet and exploded, knocking them both to the ground for a moment.
He was on his feet quicker than she, and to her shock actually moved to block another salvo that had been aimed directly at her, before leaping at the offending vehicle and landing on top of it.
He grabbed hold of the tank's main gun and bent it out of shape. As he moved to deal with the tank's secondaries, its partner opened up with its own machine guns and shot him in the back several times. This only served to enrage him further if possible and he grabbed the tank's commander from his seat, disarmed him and threw him to the sand, then with a roar, he proceeded to do the same with the tank's main gun, before being blown off the top of the ruined vehicle by another tank.
"Whose side is he on?!" Artemis wondered as he attacked the second tank with the same ferocity as the first.
"You wanna stick around and find out?" asked the speedster.
By mutual unspoken agreement, he picked her up and then turned and ran from the battle.
But they didn't get far before stumbling and rolling down the side of a new dune. As they lay stunned on the sand, two drones flew over them, and as they stood, they turned and began to fire at them. "Get down!" yelled the speedster and brought them both of them to the ground as pair of drones blew past them.
As they circled back around for another pass, Artemis nocked an arrow and took aim. This is not going to be an easy shot… she thought. But I have to make it…
(Don't worry, I'm almost there,) said a strange voice in her head, which startled her enough that she missed the shot completely.
"Did you just hear a girl talking in your head?!" Artemis asked her companion, not bothering to hide how rattled she was.
"Girls are always on my mind," he replied with a smirk. "But they're not usually talking."
Eww, gross! Artemis thought. Just when I was starting to like you…
A feminine figure in black with a dark-blue hooded cloak appeared in the air behind the drones and with a clapping motion, drove them together in a fiery blast that silhouetted her as she drifted to the ground in front of them.
"Well, J'onn, the costume looks familiar," noted her companion. "But I'm not sure the new bod screams 'Manhunter'.
Not the time!
"You know my uncle J'onn?" asked the girl, excitedly. "'Hello, Megan'… Of course, you do… you're Kid Flash! Wally! And you're Artemis."
"Wait, wait, wait… Martian Manhunter is your uncle?" asked the speedster, who Artemis was beginning think was Kid Flash, despite the different wardrobe. "Is that how you know my name?"
"Your name is really Wally?" Artemis asked, unimpressed. And how does she know me?
Wally groaned. "Ohh…"
"It's okay," M'gann assured him. "We're teammates… friends… I made you cookies."
You made him cookies? Artemis echoed in her mind, then turned to the red-head and put a hand on her hip. "You know her?"
"No, I swear, Beautiful," he replied. "Never seen her before in my life. At least not that I…"
"You've both lost your memories too," concluded the new arrival with a sigh, then turned to look at a new column of vehicles nearby, heading towards a pillar of smoke. "C'mon, I fill you in as we go. Robin and Superboy need our help."
"Of course," Wally drawled before following the girls. "Robin and Super-what now?"
It didn't take them long to locate the Boy Wonder and after a brief scuffle with some more troops, the group met up at the bottom of a sand canyon.
"KF!" Robin exclaimed as he grasped the speedster's hand in his own. "Man, it is good to see a familiar face."
"Hey Rob… Memory loss?"
"Six months!" cried Robin, outraged or perhaps offended by the loss. "Let's hogtie these creeps and compare notes."
"So, we're a team?" asked Robin sceptically, a moment later.
"The four of us and Superboy," agreed M'gann.
Robin thought for a moment and then fished a torn fragment of black cloth from his belt and unfolded it to reveal a familiar logo. "Then this must be his."
"Yes!" gasped M'gann, taking it from him. "Did you see him?"
"I think we did!" exclaimed Artemis.
"Feral Boy?" asked the red-head. "Some team-mate… he attacked us."
"He didn't know who we are…" Artemis countered. "I don't know who we are!"
"I remember Batman ordering radio silence," declared Robin. "Our team must work for him."
"How do you know we don't work for my mentor?" asked the red-headed speedster with a smirk, tapping the logo on his chest for emphasis, then stopped short when it turned to the bright yellow and red suit that Artemis had seen on television.
Well, that confirms that, thought Artemis. He is Kid Flash…
"Whoa," exclaimed Kid Flash, then tapped the logo several more times, cycling the changes. "This is so cool."
I wonder… Artemis thought and tapped her own logo, noting Robin doing the same, with no result in either case. "We look ridiculous," she snapped, then rounded on Kid Flash who was still playing with his own stealth suit. "Quit touching yourself!"
Wally repeated the action again, causing Artemis to make a sound of annoyance. "We need our memories back."
M'gann rubbed her hands together nervously, then brought them to her head as her eyes began to glow white.
Seconds later, the boys and Artemis were surprised to find themselves in a blank space with small chunks of memories playing on floating windows around them.
"I brought you into my mind to share what I remember so far… but I need your help," M'gann told them as she materialised inside the space. "Together our broken memories can form a whole if you open your minds to mine."
"You wanna paw through our private thoughts?" asked Artemis, not liking that idea… or even the thought of that idea at all.
M'gann raises her hands in defence. "I don't wish to intrude but…"
"You need to hack our minds to figure out what happened to us," finished Robin for her, then snapped his fingers. "Got it, go."
"My brain's all yours," said Kid Flash in a flirting tone. "Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you."
"Or underwhelm you," retorted Robin. "Hey, why isn't anyone just whelmed?"
Artemis turned to the other girl, then when she heard someone approaching and was surprised to see Kid Flash looking at her with a soft, comforting smile, and even more surprised when he reached out for her hand.
"Last six months only, and only what you need," Artemis told M'gann, then glanced back at Wally for a moment.
M'gann nodded, and then ethereal hands spread out from her own and connect her to the others' heads.
The memory clips quickly became more uniform and finally coalesced into a single image:
"The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert," said Batman, then indicated a holo-map floating beside him. "Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin."
Artemis, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Superboy stand before him.
"Find out what happened at that site. What landed there?" Batman hit his remote again, changing the screen to show Queen Bee. "Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee and not a member of the League's UN charter. All communications are subject to interception." The holo-image changes back to the map. "Maintain radio silence at all times. You will land in Qurac, on Bialya's border… two klicks from the hot-zone…"
The image shifts to a night-time desert scene, Superboy is unloading a large machine from Bio-Ship. "All clear."
"The Bialyans control the site," Artemis reported as she and Robin observed their camp.
"Set up here," Kaldur told Superboy, who immediately dropped the device he was carrying on his back and activating it with the press of a single button.
"We'll be up and running in no time." Robin says as he types away at the keyboard on the machine.
"Jackpot!" Wally exclaimed from behind the Boy Wonder, standing up from his slight crouch. "This site's lousy with Zeta Beam radiation."
Robin looking to the speedster. "Detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent."
"I'll check it out in camouflage mode."
"Good idea, go," Kaldur told her.
"Careful," Superboy added immediately.
"And maintain telepathic contact."
"I will, Aqualad."
"Aqualad!" All four shout as they finally remember their leader.
"Where is he?!" asked Robin. "What happened next?!"
"I don't know," admitted M'gann in a worried tone. "That's the last thing I… we… remember."
Kid and Artemis looked down at their clasped hands, then both of them pulled away.
"Ugh…" Wally grumbled, moving his hand to rub the back of his neck, then looking up and away. "I… uh… we landed twenty-four hours ago. If Kaldur's been wandering the desert that long… well, that's not good for a guy with gills."
"Now that I know to look for him…" Robin grumbled, instantly pulling up his holo-glove. "He's close, but he's not moving."
"Tula, vis ol may," Aqualad murmured, his face scrunching up in pain as Artemis looked him over. "Aga pa, olsey."
"What do we think?" Robin asked the rest of the group after a moment.
"I can't restore his memories in this state," replied M'gann.
"He's in pretty good shape generally," Artemis reported. "But he urgently needs rehydration."
Robin nodded and glanced at M'gann. "Call Bio-Ship."
"She's out of range," countered M'gann, then turned to look at Kid Flash. "You can get him there quickly."
"He's too heavy, and I'm too low on fuel," he replied almost breathlessly. "Right now, I couldn't even carry her." He pointed a thumb at Artemis for emphasis.
Argh! This is getting us nowhere! Artemis thought, then pushed the thought to one side and glared at M'gann. "Why not just levitate him back?"
She lowered Aqualad back down to the sand before she replied. "I can't… I have to find Superboy. Six months ago, he didn't exist… just animal impulse. I'm the only one who can help him."
"Superboy's indestructible… just ask those tanks," countered Kid Flash, as he moved to Artemis' side to support her. "It's Aqualad who needs your help… like now."
M'gann clutched her head in pain. "No!" she shouted and took off. "Superboy's in pain."
"M'gann, wait!"
"We still don't know what erased our memories!" Robin called after her. "It could happen again!"
But she ignored him and was soon lost from sight.
"We need to get ourselves and Aqualad out of here," Robin declared after a moment.
"I think I can cobble to together a litter to put him on," Kid Flash offered. "That'll be easier than carrying him."
"Good idea, KF."
"I'll help you," Artemis offered.
They had been moving for a while, Robin leading the way using the tracker in his holo-glove and the other two dragging their stricken team-mate behind them, when they heard the sound of jeeps approaching.
Robin instinctively turned his head towards the source, then slowed down and pointed to a rock formation before them. "Quick, over there."
Kid Flash and Artemis moved to follow him, and they made it to cover just as the Bialyan troops drove past.
Aqualad groaned but remained insensate. "Tula, dena me ta etah en Atlantis ih ba ohse."
As the boys moved to watch the troops, Artemis pressed her hand to their leader's forehead and nearly cursed. I don't exactly know much about Atlanteans, but if he was human he'd be in critical condition right now! she thought but made only shushing noises. "Kaldur, quiet now."
Robin dropped down beside her a few seconds later. "We can't risk a firefight with Aqualad KO'd like this," he said with a huff.
"It's not just him," Wally agreed with a groan. "I'm way out of juice." he rubs the back of his neck looking to Artemis, hopefully.
"And I'm almost out of arrows," Artemis pointed out in response to his hopeful look, pulling on her mostly empty quiver to prove her point.
Then they notice that Robin is missing.
"Ugh, I forgot how much I hate it when he does the ninja-thing!" Wally groaned, then glanced at Artemis. "Hey, you never said why your dad would want you to…" he ran his thumb across his neck, making a bad sound effect. "... me."
Oh, crap… thought Artemis. How do I… "I got confused by… um… some old movie I saw the other night… about a ninja girl, whose ninja dad ordered her to kill her ninja boyfriend, 'cuz he was from a rival ninja clan."
"So, I'm your 'ninja boyfriend' huh?" Kid teases.
Okay… that's the part that you… oh. It took Artemis a moment to compose herself after that. "Hey, amnesia, remember?" she countered with a glare. "I completely forgot how truly annoying you are."
"Oh, like you're the Goddess of Congeniality!"
"Yeesh! Get a room!" said Robin from behind, catching both of them off-guard.
"Dude, where were you?"
The Boy Wonder smirked. "Breaking radio silence."
Seconds later, Robin's laugh came from in front of the Bialyan soldiers and they take off after the sound and are soon enveloped in smoke from some of his bombs.
"That's our cue," Robin told them. "Move!"
Qurac.
September 5, 02:16 EEST.
When she spotted Bio-Ship, Artemis would have cried in delight if she had had the energy.
Robin had raced ahead and was leaving again with several bottles of water in hand by the time that Artemis and Kid Flash reached the base of the ramp. "All clear."
Thank god, thought Artemis, then grabbed one of the bottles and drained it quickly. "Let's get Kaldur inside."
Kid Flash nodded and helped her to carry the Atlantean inside and on to the platform bed at the ship raised out of the ground as soon as they entered the rear compartment.
"How are you gonna get the fluids into him?" Kid Flash asked.
"Normally, I'd add hydration sachets to a couple of bottles but he's still unconscious and I can't wake him," Artemis replied.
"Makes sense," he agreed. "What's the next option?"
"A bag of IV fluids," Artemis told him.
"Have you got any?"
"Maybe…" Artemis said uncertainly, then moved to her kit and started rummaging through it. "Found one!"
"Well, what are you waiting for?!" snapped Kid Flash, when she paused.
"In order to administer it, I need to put in a cannula… I've seen it done as few times, but I've never actually done one!"
"Well, I haven't either!" he retorted, then he saw Artemis slip her phone out of her belt. "Batman ordered radio silence."
"When we were in Bialya," Artemis reminded him. "We're in Qurac now. And I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to risk Kaldur's life."
"Fair point."
Artemis rang a familiar number, and after a moment it was picked up. "Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic," declared a male voice through the tinny speaker.
"Roger, it's Artemis, can you put Dr Thompkins on? It's an emergency."
"Sure, one minute."
As promised a new voice came out of the phone almost immediately. "What is it, Artemis?"
"I've got a teenage boy with acute dehydration," Artemis told her briskly. "He's unconscious, and I can't wake him to get him to drink."
"Okay, you'll need to give him IV saline then," Dr Thompkins concluded almost immediately. "You should have a couple of bags and some cannulars in the bag I gave you?"
"I found them," Artemis confirmed. "But I've never put one in before."
"Well, there's always a first time," the doctor reminded her. "You've seen me do it several times."
"Okay…" sighed Artemis. "Can you talk me through it?"
"Of course," she confirmed. "Can you suspend the IV bag on a stand?"
Artemis was about to say no, but then Bio-Ship grew one from a suitable spot on the deck. "Done."
"Okay, you need to sterilise your hands before you do anything…"
"Is alcohol cleanser okay?"
"It'll do."
Artemis stripped off her gloves, then grabbed the appropriate bottle and rubbed some of the gel over her bare hands. "What's next?"
"Locate a good vein in the lower arm, then apply the tourniquet and recheck the vein."
That took a moment or two, but evidently Artemis was successful. "Ready."
"Then clean the patient's skin over the injection site and let it dry,"said Dr Thompkins. "While you're waiting, remove the cannula from its packaging and remove the needle… Make sure to avoid touching the needle itself."
Artemis followed the instructions and then confirmed the fact.
"Stretch out the skin and insert the needle, bevel upwards at about thirty degrees… then advance the needle until you get flashback into the hub at the back of the cannula…"
After a couple of false starts, Artemis pulled it off. "What's next?"
"Progress the cannula forward slightly, then fix the needle and advance the rest of the cannula into the vein."
"Got it."
"Release the tourniquet, apply pressure to the vein at the tip of the cannula and remove the needle fully," continued the doctor. "Remove the cap from the needle and put this on the end of the cannula. Then release the tourniquet and remove the needle."
"Done," reported Artemis after a moment.
"Secure the cannula with a plaster, then flush it with a syringe. Assuming its patent and there's no swelling, you can hook up the bag."
"Thanks, doc."
"I'm always happy to help, Artemis."
"I'll talk to you soon," Artemis told her as she started to connect up the IV bag. "Bye."
"Bye."
02:32 EEST.
Artemis had just left the two boys to watch Aqualad; and was getting a compress for him when M'gann got back in touch.
(Hey everybody, I've got Superboy.)
Artemis was surprised enough that she stopped what she was doing and looked around. She was pleased to see that Wally looked as stunned as she felt.
(He's back to normal, we're on our way.)
The psychic message must have triggered something in Aqualad as he jolted upright, panting hard and looking to Artemis with wide eyes. (Who are you?) he asked, clearly confused, and still weak enough that she was able to push him back down. (And how did you get inside my head?)
('Hello, Megan!' Aqualad's memories… I knew I forgot something.)
(Aw man, me too,) Wally grumbled. (I didn't get a souvenir for the mission!)
Really? Artemis thought, glaring at him.
(Don't worry,) M'gann assured him. (I've got the souvenir thing covered.)