I do not own X-men or Young Justice
*Star City: August 6, 10:00*
"I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you, Laura" said Black Canary.
I'm sorry, if I'm interrupting anything" said Laura, but Canary quickly assured her it wasn't the case.
"I've actually been wanting to talk with you."
Laura raised an eyebrow, curious as to what the heroine could want to speak with her about. For a brief moment she wonders if Canary knew the true reason for her asking to meet. But Laura quickly banishes the idea as she hadn't told anyone, nor left any physical or digital evidence of such.
"I wanted to ask how you've been adjusting" Black Canary explained.
"Adjusting?" Laura asked, referring to why Canary cared, rather than the actual meaning of the word.
"I know…the League knows about your situation. Though I doubt any of us really understands."
This wasn't what Laura had expected. When she reached out to Canary, she had planned on the woman wanting to discuss her training, or problems she experienced in the field. In such a scenario, she had planned to forcibly extract the information needed to access the Justice League's full database.
Laura hadn't planned on Canary being concerned for her wellbeing. Despite her training, Canary managed to once again pickup on the girl's body language.
"Laura, I want you to know I'm here" Canary said gently. "I know things can feel overwhelming. Spend time with the Team, your friends. It can be a good outlet, and if you ever find you need to talk, I promise I'll listen. And I won't tell anyone, not even Batman."
And just like that Laura abandoned her plan to interrogate Black Canary. It was funny, she had chosen Canary because she was the most easily approachable member of the League. Ironically it was that very trait that had allowed her to unknowingly foil Laura's plan.
*Mount Justice: August 8, 09:58*
Strangely Laura found herself following Black Canary's advice. Choosing to accept M'gann's invitation to join her and the rest of their teammates in having a beach day.
"Hello, Megan" the Martian said cheerfully. "We should hit the beach every day."
"First a moment of silence for our absent comrade" Robin said dramatically.
"Poor Wally."
Laura personally didn't mind Kid Flash's absence. It was peaceful without being forced to listen to the speedster's annoying displays of showboating.
They spent the day swimming and playing in the ocean. Laura discovered she liked grilled hotdogs, was good at volleyball, and learned just how relaxing laying in the sand could be.
It was strange what a good day at the beach can do for even the most hard-shelled people, but Laura could honestly say it was the most fun she had ever had in her life. True it wasn't a difficult feat, but it was the principle of the matter.
But as with all things, their beach day came to an end. And that late afternoon, just as the sun was setting the Team was gathered in full mission gear for their latest assignment from Batman. Joining them was Green Arrow and at his side was a new face, though Laura recognized her scent from the arrow Robin had retrieved from the Amazo mission.
The newcomer was a blonde haired teenage girl, looking to be about 15 by Laura's estimate. She wore a midriff-baring costume in various shades of green, consisting of a mask extending from her hairline to her cheekbones, a sleeveless top with a stylized arrow tip symbol on the front, fingerless gloves, pants, black kneepads, and black combat boots. In addition to the bow and quiver full of arrows she had strapped to her back, she also wore a black utility belt, that most likely carried a number of tools.
No one gets the chance to ask about the new girl as suddenly the computer announces a new arrival.
"Recognized Kid Flash, B03" and in a flash of light their missing speedster appeared in the cave carrying beach equipment
"The Wall-man is here!" Wally cheered, running into the cave. In his haste he ends up tripping over his beach umbrella, causing him to fall flat on his face, leaving his beach ball to bounce past an unamused Batman.
"Wall-man, huh?" the new girl smirked. "I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?"
"Uh, who's this?" Wally asked. The question on all their minds.
"Artemis, your new teammate" the new girl introduced.
"Kid Flash, never heard of you."
"She's my new protégé" said Green Arrow, placing a hand on Artemis' shoulder.
"What happened to your old one?" Wally asked, just as the computer announced another visitor.
"Recognized Speedy, B07" and in entered Green Arrow's former sidekick.
"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me, Red Arrow."
Abandoning his Speedy persona, Red Arrow's uniform was predominately black with a red chest and collar, with his quiver attached to his back with two gray shoulder straps connected across his chest.
"Roy" said a surprised Green Arrow. "You look…"
"Replaceable" Red Arrow said bitterly.
"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo."
"So why waste time finding a sub? Can she even use that bow?"
"Yes she can" said Artemis, getting in Red Arrow's face.
"She is not your replacement" Aqualad spoke up. "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" said Wally.
"Whatever Baywatch" said Artemis, rolling her eyes. "I'm here to stay."
Wanting to avoid further conflict, Aqualad asked Red Arrow, why he had come to the Cave.
"Dr. Serling Roquette" said the crimson clad archer.
Robin immediately pulled up information on the doctor, displaying it on the Cave's monitors. Roquette was a leading expert in Nano-technology, who had gone missing two weeks ago.
"She was abducted by the League of Shadows" said Red Arrow.
Robin and Wally were awed as they believed Red Arrow had come to them about wanting help in rescuing the doctor. Laura thought it to be an understandable assumption given the Shadows were comprised of some of the world's deadliest assassins. In her time with the Facility, they had sent her out on several missions against the Shadows. Many times it was only her healing factor that kept her from being the one left in a body bag.
"I already rescued her" said Red Arrow. "Only problem the Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon."
Removing a small device from his belt, Red transmitted a new image to the monitors, resembling a robotic bug.
"Doc calls it the Fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path; concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But that's not all, in addition to the destruction, the infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows. Proving them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and technology."
"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking" Artemis rattled off. "Yeah sounds like the Shadows."
"Like you know anything about the Shadows" Wally scoffed, earning a knowing smirk from Artemis. "Who are you?!"
"I'm his niece/she's my niece" Artemis and Green Arrow said together.
"Another niece" Robin smirked.
"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert" Red Arrow continued, getting them all back on task.
"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" Robin started.
"They'll target her. Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."
And just like that Laura's opinion of Red Arrow nosedived. That was a horrible place to set up a defense. And Red Arrow didn't appreciate it when she said as much.
"Oh, and what do you know about assassination?" Red Arrow challenged.
"Plenty" Laura said coldly. "You left her alone in a public building that can be easily accessed. Without any form of communication. This means the assassin has a window of opportunity to strike without fear of enemy reinforcements. In an addition schools in particular are designed to allow easy navigation between rooms, meaning there are no winding pathways in which a target can use to try and escape from sight, during a chase. The local high school was built during a time of lower safety standards, meaning there are few exits, making it simple for a small team to post watchmen in the event she tries to flee the building."
"Alright, I get it!" the red clad archer snapped. "Look, Roquette's safe enough for now."
"Then let's you and I keep her that way" said Green Arrow, hoping to defuse the tension.
"You and I?" Red Arrow sneered. "Don't you want to take your new protégé?"
Green Arrow wanted to console his former partner, but Batman stopped him, silently reminding him that he had to consider his new one.
"You brought this to the Team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too."
"Then my job's done."
Red Arrow scoffed at the idea of Artemis' involvement, and took his leave.
*Happy Harbor: August 8, 21:59*
After Wally had changed into more appropriate attire, the Team took up positions at Happy Harbor High School. Miss Martian and Superboy were positioned outside, while the rest of the Team was left to guard Dr. Roquette.
"Miss Martian, link us up" Aqualad ordered. "We do not want the Shadows intercepting our com."
Miss Martian reached out with her powers creating the communications link between the Team members and Roquette. "Everyone online?"
"This is weird" Artemis commented, getting her first taste of telepathic communication.
"And distracting" Roquette complained. "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?"
"Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?" Kid Flash asked sarcastically.
"Pot, Kettle. Have you met?" Artemis quipped.
"Hey. Hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the team."
"That is so not on me."
"Fate of the world at stake!" Roquette interjected.
"How about I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter" said Artemis, leaving the room.
"Idiot" said X-23, glaring at Kid Flash.
"What do you want traitor" KF fired back. "You're just as bad as her. You had no right cutting into Red Arrow like that."
X chose to ignore the 'traitor' comment, as how could she betray someone she had never met. This brought an embarrassed blush to KF's face as the girl's thoughts were projected across the mind link.
"I merely pointed out a flaw in Red Arrow's judgment. I am in no way responsible for how he chose to react."
"What flaw? All we've got is what you decided to string together!" the speedster challenged.
Once again X-23 ran through all the reasons why leaving the doctor alone at the high school was a bad idea. Problem was while she explained Roquette and the rest of the Team were given a detailed mental illustration as Laura imagined several ways an assassin could've easily killed Roquette.
"That idiot!" the doctor panicked. "Why are we still here!"
X-23 gave a tired look to the doctor, as she was growing frustrated with having to explain everything.
"Two reasons the first being that by now the League of Shadows has surely tracked you to Happy Harbor, making open movement risky. The second reason is that you still need to finish your work."
Emphasizing the word, Roquette got X's message and went back to programing the means to stop the Fog.
"I think I like you" came Artemis' voice over the mental link.
"Figures the two attitude girls would get along" said Kid Flash.
"You might want to cut her some slack" said Robin, referring to Artemis. "It was her arrow that saved your butt with Amazo."
"What? No, that was Speedy's…I mean Red Arrow's arrow, right?"
"Not so much" the Boy Wonder smirked.
"Artemis' scent was on the arrow" X-23 confirmed.
"Well, I'm still not giving her the satisfaction" Kid Flash said stubbornly.
"You know I can still hear you" came Artemis' voice over the link.
KF grabbed his head in frustration. As useful as the mind link was, it came with the tradeoff of lack of privacy.
"The virus won't be much use if we cannot find the weapon" said Aqualad. "Can you track it."
"My Utility Fog is not a weapon" Roquette argued, obviously proud of her work. "It's science, brilliant science. And of course I can track it, but I'd have to go online. Might as well put up a big neon sign that says 'Assassinate Me' on it."
Placing a comforting hand on the doctor's shoulder, Aqualad assured her that the Team would protect her.
"Tracking the Fog now."
Outside Superboy was walking the perimeter of the school when suddenly he heard something moving in the bushes. But when he checked he couldn't find any signs of enemy presence. Deciding to check the other side, he jumped up to the roof and made his way to the front entrance where Miss Martian and Artemis were standing guard.
"Mm…that boy" came Artemis's voice, as she was checking out Superboy. Not caring that her thoughts were being transmitted.
Superboy looked back at the archer with a blank expression before leaving to check out the rest of the area.
"He can hear you" said Miss Martian, sounding jealous. "We can all hear you."
"Oh, I know."
"Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the Fog" said Aqualad. "Reconfigure the bioship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue."
Reaching out with her powers, M'gann had the bioship lower down from the sky into the courtyard, where Robin and Superboy rushed on board.
"You embarrassed Superboy" Miss Martian told Artemis, once the bioship took off.
"Didn't hear him say that" Artemis smirked.
"Must you challenge everyone?"
"Where I come from, that's how you survive."
So distracted by their argument, they both failed to notice a shadowy figure leap over the fence, and head straight into the school.
Kid Flash had been reassigned to guard outside the computer lab door. Suddenly he noticed a shadow move across the floor. Deciding to investigate he speeded after what he assumed to be an assassin. He followed the shadow to the school pool, where he ended up tripping over a trail marbles scattered across the floor. Landing flat on his back, Kid didn't have time to right himself before someone stomped on his head, knocking him out, before kicking him into the pool to drown.
Aqualad and X-23 stood watch over Roquette, as the doctor continued to program her virus. Suddenly X picked up a new scent coming from the hallway.
"They're here" she alerted them, just as a shuriken came flying into the room aimed at the doctor's head, until X caught the blade in her bare hand, allowing her healing factor to repair the damage.
Roquette screamed, as Aqualad tackled her to ground, as another six throwing stars sailed in, taking a few in the arm for his trouble.
"Hmm. That had to hurt" said the assassin, walking into the room.
The assassin wore a dark green kimono with a single torn sleeve, along with a few smaller rips, telling a story of a lifetime of deadly battles. Black knee high boots, and the most startling thing about her was the white grinning cat's head mask on her face, decorated with red stripes, that covered her entire face revealing leaving only room for her long black hair to flow behind her.
"Atlantean skin is quite dense" said Aqualad, configuring his water bearers into swords.
"And my shuriken are quite poisoned" the assassin replied. Using her quick reflexes, the assassin brought up a pair of sai, just in time to block X's claws. "Well aren't you an interesting one."
X not being one for banter, responded with another swing of her claws, forcing the assassin to back off as they broke through her weapons. "Protect the doctor."
"A girl with blades coming out of her hands and an impressive healing ability" the assassin mused, noting the hand Laura had used to catch her shuriken had stopped bleeding. "You must be X-23. The Shadows have been meaning to catch up with you."
Drawing a collapsible sword from within her kimono, the assassin charged forward and X didn't hesitate to meet her.
"M'gann, Kid, Artemis, we are under attack in the computer lab" Aqualad called over the mind link.
"On our way" Artemis replied, as she and Miss Martian raced into the building.
As they neared the lab, Miss Martian froze as she realized Kid Flash hadn't responded. She only grew more worried once she realized she couldn't hear his thoughts any longer. Breaking off from Artemis, M'gann took off for the last place she was able to sense Kid's presence.
"Kid" she gasped, once she saw KF lying face down in the pool.
Using her powers, she telekinetically lifted Kid Flash out of the water, gently placing him on the tile floor. "Don't worry, Wally."
Pressing her hands against his chest, Miss Martian started delivering CPR growing more frightened with each passing second. It wasn't until after the fourth time Miss Martian pulled her head back, that Kid started coughing up pool water, finally breathing on his own again.
The sound of clashing metal filled the room as the two deadly women fought, each searching for the perfect opening. Making a swing for X's head, the clawed girl ducked under the blade a made to stab at the masked assassin's gut. The Shadow brought her kicked her leg out, hitting X in the shoulder, throwing off her arm, as the assassin used her as a push off to flip into the air, landing on the opposite side of the room in a fighting stance.
X stood her ground, forming a shield between the Assassin, Aqualad and Roquette, not wanting to risk giving the masked Shadow an opening to go after her target. Suddenly without warning, the Shadow struck out with her sword, knocking an arrow out of the air.
"Don't move" Artemis warned, as she entered the room, arrow already nocked.
"This gig's getting interesting" said the assassin, as Aqualad felt it now safe to join the fight. "Maybe a little too interesting."
Throwing down a smoke bomb, the assassin vanished just as Kid Flash and Miss Martian arrived.
"What happened, where's the Shadow?" Kid demanded.
"She escaped" said X-23, the smoke had been designed to cover her scent.
"This is all your fault!" the speedster blamed Artemis. "You were on perimeter!"
"That's not fair" said Miss Martian. "I was outside, too."
"Outside being distracted by her" Kid Flash argued weakly."Besides I can't be mad at you" "You gave me mouth-to-mouth."
"We heard that!" everyone replied, much to Kid's frustration.
"I didn't do half as well during my first battle" Miss Martian told Artemis. "And I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long."
Artemis just stared as she was stunned by the sudden display of acceptance by M'gann.
"Focus everyone" said Aqualad, calling the team to attention. "The Shadows will be back."
"Our location has been compromised" said X-23. "We need to relocate."
"Agreed. Everyone prepare to…" Aqualad paused as they received an incoming transmission or the coms.
"Robin to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadow's next target, Star Labs. We're too late. It's destroyed, the Fog decimated it. This is bad, Star Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy. What's our next move?"
"Rescan for the Fog" Aqualad replied, looking to the doctor.
Relocated to a small office building on the docks, Artemis and Kid Flash watched over Roquette in silence, shooting each other dirty looks.
"Stop it, both of you" Aqualad's voice came over the mind link.
"What?" they asked.
"I can hear you glaring" came his reply, as Aqualad remained stationed in the bushes across from the building. "Miss Martian remain cloaked and do a wide perimeter sweep. X will remain at the outermost watch point for now."
A rustling sound catches Aqualad's attention but before he could investigate, he found himself pulled up into the trees. He did his best to fight off his attacker, but the Atlantean quickly found himself thrown clear across the street, crashing painfully into the side of a van, hard enough to leave a sizable dent.
Though dazed, Aqualad quickly climbed to his feet just as his attacker emerged from the trees. Decked out in a full purple spandex suit and spider emblem on his forehead, Aqualad knew he was facing off against the Shadows assassin known as Black Spider.
Suddenly without warning, a man a large muscular white haired man, with a large crane hook for a right hand, dropped down on the Atlantean, knocking him out from behind.
With Aqualad down, the masked assassin stepped out of the shadows.
"The Martian and X-23 could return any second" she said. "And I'm not keen on evening their odds."
"Relax, Cheshire" said Black Spider. "We got them."
Black Spider made the first move bursting through the front door, getting their attention. Kid Flash immediately went on the attack, coming at the assassin with a leg sweep, but Spider easily evaded it, leaping onto the ceiling, countering with his web-shooters.
Kid rolled out of the way, picked up a trash can and threw it at Spider, missing as the assassin dropped down to the floor, and engaged the speedster in an all-out fist fight.
Watching from the sidelines with Roquette, Artemis nocked an arrow, looking for a clean shot on Black Spider. Suddenly a window shatters behind her, alerting her to Hook's presence.
"Don't stop working" Artemis told Roquette, as she opened fire on Hook.
But unbeknownst to them, Cheshire was hiding in the rafters with a crossbow aimed at Roquette. Aqualad rushed into the room, just as Cheshire took her shot. Using his water bearers as a whip, the Atlantean knocked the arrow away, just before it could hit the doctor.
"It's now or never!" Cheshire told her team, as she dived for Roquette.
Aqualad moved to intervene, when Black Spider suddenly grabbed him with his webbing, using it to whip him into Kid Flash, knocking them both into the wall.
Artemis turned her bow to the cat masked assassin but this proved to be a mistake as Hook used the opening to fired his namesake at the archer's head, revealing it to have an extendable chain.
With Cheshire closing in Roquette tried to make a run for it, but she was no match for the far faster assassin, who had her pinned in no time. But just as Cheshire was about to finish Roquette, the doctor's skin suddenly turned green.
"We've been duped!" Cheshire screamed, as the doctor transformed back into Miss Martian.
Telekinetically throwing Cheshire off her, M'gann rose up into the air.
"You'll never find the Dr. Roquette" she told the assassins.
"Never is such a long time" Cheshire replied. "Pursuing target. Keep them busy."
Shaking the daze from her eyes, Artemis noticed Cheshire running off while Black Spider and Hook were keeping Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian busy.
"I'm going after they're leader" she cried out, following after Cheshire. "Take the rest down."
"You are so not the boss of me" Kid Flash complained.
"Just do it!"
A few blocks away at an internet café, X stood guard over the real Dr. Roquette, watching with a keen eye as she went to work programing her virus.
"I've almost got it" Roquette told her.
The faint sound of movement from above had X's sense screaming danger, Roquette had just finished typing when suddenly a smoke grenade rolled into the blanketing it darkness.
It was only X's heightened senses that saved Roquette's life, picking up light shuffling of the ceiling panels, she leapt up towards the ceiling using her claws to tear open the panels, forcing Cheshire to drop down into the open.
"Oh you're good" Cheshire complimented, as the last of her smoke cleared away.
As expected X didn't indulge the assassin's need for banter. Instead she charged forward slashing her claws at Cheshire, who armed with her sais once again blocked the younger girl's blades.
"Sorry, X you won't be breaking these" said Cheshire, "Adamantium, just like your claws. I've been waiting for a chance to try these out."
Robin and Superboy continued to track the Fog, following it to its next target.
"That's a Wayne Tech facility" said Robin. "Theoretically its systems software could be used to hack the..."
"The what?" Superboy pressed.
"Doesn't matter. What matters is Wayne Tech operates a 24-hour workforce. We'll never evacuate the building in time."
Cheshire kicked X-23 in the chest knocking her back. Instead of stumbling, X moved with the force of the assassin's kick turning into a handspring, releasing the blades in her feet as moved, forcing Cheshire to back off, as they just grazed her mask, chipping it at the chin.
"Just full of surprises aren't you" said Cheshire. "At least now I can see how you survived against League assassins. That is until now."
Cheshire came hard and fast at X-23, making rapid thrusts with her sais, keeping the younger girl on the defensive. X could only rely on fast foot work as she bobbed and weaved around the assassin's blades, searching for a break in her pattern of attack.
But as the fight went on X realized that wasn't going to be a simple task, Cheshire was good, easily more skilled than the Shadows, the Facility had sent her out to eliminate in the past. To make matters worse, she noticed that Cheshire has been moving the fight closer to Roquette, most likely planning to kill her once they were too close for X to stop her.
Deciding there was no other choice, X deliberately took Cheshire next attack, allowing the assassin's sai to pierce through her ribcage, puncturing a lung.
"Guess you're done" said Cheshire, certain she'd won.
This proved to be a mistake as X grabbed a tight hold on the assassin's hand, holding the sai in her chest, refusing to let Cheshire go. Caught off guard, Cheshire failed to react in time when X came at her with her free hand, slashing her claws across her face, leaving deep gashes in her mask.
Releasing her hold on Cheshire, X followed up with a solid kick to the chest, knocking the assassin across the room. Recovering quickly Cheshire watched as X removed her sai from her ribcage, tossing it to the side. Cheshire couldn't believe it as she watched, X's chest wound quickly close up and the girl's breathing returned too normal.
"Now that's just cheating" Cheshire commented.
Hovering over the Wayne Tech parking lot, Robin and Superboy watched for any sign of the Fog, when the Boy Wonder's wrist mounted computer started up.
"It's downloading" said Robin, watching as his computer started receiving Roquette's virus program.
Watching the parking lot, Superboy zeroed in on a dark unmarked van. The side opened up revealing a man wearing a highly advanced tech helmet with one large red eye, covering the entire upper half of his face. And next to him was what Superboy recognized from the mission briefing as the containment unit for the Fog.
"Don't need it" said Superboy, jumping out the back of the bioship, ignoring Robin's protests.
The masked man saw Superboy coming and fired a laser beam from his eye, knocking the Boy of Steel back. Free for the moment, the Shadow opened the container and unleashed the Fog.
"No!" firing his grappling hook, Robin swung down from the bioship and followed the Fog inside the Wayne Tech building.
Ignoring the protests of the very confused security guard, Robin chased the Fog as it raced further into the building. Of course that same guard immediately activated the building's security system, which while enough to handle normal break ins didn't do anything to slow the Fog nor would it stop Robin.
"Wayne Tech Override Archie 4!" Robin cried, deactivating the security gates, allowing him to continue his pursuit.
But the security system cost Robin some time, by the time he caught up to it inside the cafeteria, the Fog was already starting to tear through the building's walls as it collected data from the computers.
"Everyone get out now!" he ordered, and the workers present wasted no time to do just that. Robin wasn't sure what he could do, until he spotted the computerized cash register. "Please be linked to the mainframe" he begged, as he connected his wrist mounted computer to it.
As luck would have it, it was indeed and Roquette's virus quickly spread throughout the network killing the Fog. "Yes! The infiltrators have been outfiltrated."
Back outside in the parking lot, the Shadow could only watch as the Fog turned into harmless red dust, and an angry Superboy stalked towards him. Again he fired his eye beam at the Kryptonian, but this time Superboy was ready. Fighting against the force of the laser, his invulnerable skin held up as he pushed towards the Shadow, using his hand to cover the helmet's eye, causing the laser's power to feedback into the helmet, taking out the Shadow.
X and Cheshire continued to trade blows when suddenly a notification sounded out from Roquette's computer.
"It's been uploaded!" the doctor cried, bringing the fight to a pause.
"Eliminating the reason for your elimination" said Cheshire. "Of course, I could always kill you for the entertainment value." X-23 growled, as she took a protective stance in front of the whimpering doctor. "Relax, X, my orders were very clear. The doctor lives to program another day. After all, the Shadows may find another use for her."
After everything, X wasn't about to let Cheshire walk away that easily. Knowing this the assassin threw down a smoke bomb, vanishing just as X moved to attack.
Certain that she had made a clean escape, Cheshire had just turned a corner away from the net café when suddenly four arrows landed by her feet. Caught off guard the arrows detonated knocking off her mask, as the smoke cleared revealing Artemis.
"Don't move a muscle" she ordered, keeping her bow fixed on the assassin.
"Wow. I am completely at your mercy" Cheshire looked up revealing her face to Artemis.
"You" the archer gasped.
"I suppose now you bring me to justice, let your new friends interrogate me. I wonder if your position's secure enough to survive them learning everything I know."
Artemis glared, but ultimately lowered her bow.
"Didn't think so" Cheshire smirked. "So like the Cheshire Cat, I'll just disappear."
And just like that she vanished in a cloud of smoke, as Aqualad, Kid, and Miss Martian arrived, along with an unconscious Black Spider and Hook.
"Artemis what happened?" Aqualad asked.
"The assassin got away" she replied.
"Oh from you? Big surprise" Kid Flash mocked. "Notice, we got ours."
Artemis walked away ignoring the speedster's words, as he noticed Cheshire forgotten mask on the ground. "Cool souvenir."
"Her mask? Did you see her face?" Aqualad asked Artemis.
"No it was dark" Artemis lied, turning away from them.
"It is fine. X has reported the doctor's safety. And Robin and Superboy neutralized the Fog. Thanks in no small part to you." Artemis turned to face them. "Welcome to the Team."
"Oh, a new sister" Miss Martian smiled. Kid Flash continued to show disapproval, until M'gann not so subtly elbowed him in the chest.
"Yeah. Welcome" the speedster said unenthusiastically. Artemis held out her hand, wanting to move on, and after a moment of hesitation Kid Flash accepted it.
*Gotham City: August 9, 01:16*
In a flash of light, Artemis appeared inside an old telephone both in Gotham. As she stepped into the alley, she picked up on someone watching her. She quickly drew and nocked an arrow in one fluid movement as she spun around to face her would be attacker.
"Step into the light" she commanded. To her surprise the one lurking the shadows was none other than, Red Arrow.
"Nice move" he complimented, as she lowered her bow. "Almost made me believe you are Green Arrow's niece. But we both know you're not."
Artemis glared as Red Arrow got in her face.
"Still, I'm sure G.A. and Bats have a reason for lying, so your cover's safe. But let me make one thing clear, do not hurt my friends. Or you'll regret it."
Red Arrow walked away, leaving Artemis with his ultimatum.
*Mount Justice: August 9, 02:00*
There was no question that Laura's claws and healing powers were incredible useful abilities. But when it came to the more specialized jobs having a photographic memory coupled with a sharp mind, made all the difference. Over the course of the mission, Laura had been silently observing Roquette's work, along with the numerous times she'd seen Robin hack into systems, she had just about figured out how to create a hacking program. The rest would require a lot of research.
As she worked, Laura couldn't help but remember her conversation with Black Canary the other day. The heroine had shown genuine concern for her wellbeing. Bringing up feelings of guilt over how she expected she'd react once the League eventually traced the breach back to her.
Then there was the Team. While she didn't know Artemis that well yet, and Wally's attitude could just be annoying. Laura did come to enjoy their company, she had fun spending time with them at the beach and perhaps they were the closest thing she'd ever come to having actual friends.
Even after hearing Cheshire's remark about how she was on the Shadow's radar, Aqualad had accepted it when she told them that she had crossed the assassins before in the past. He had even told Wally to respect Laura's past was her own.
Everything would change if she went forward with this plan. So Laura had to ask herself: what should she do?