Author's Note: No author's note today. Does anyone actually read them anyways? Just curious… And now it is an author's note. Anyways, beginning of the chapter is kinda lame… I'm having some writer's block… Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.

Chapter Seventeen: Members

"Today is the third and final trial," Sensei explained. "If you successfully complete the last test you will be admitted into the League of Shadows as full members. We will begin the membership ceremony immediately following the trial or we will burn your corpses."

Remy's face soured as she shared a look with Artemis.

Unperturbed, Sensei continued. "The outcome depends on you. I will leave this room and Cheshire will administer the final test." Sensei started towards the door, stopping as Artemis jumped to her feet.

"Cheshire!" Artemis snapped. "She's never administered the third trial. Black Widow always—"

"Black Widow could not be found this morning," Sensei said blankly. "We can assume she has either left of her own volition, thereby interfering with the sanctity of these trials and as such she will be hunted down, or she is already dead by her own stupidity."

Remy's eyes widened slightly at the Sensei's words. Harsh much?

"Cheshire has so graciously agreed to step in to administer the final test," Sensei explained, turning away from them. "Seat yourself Artemis. I would think you of all people would understand the importance of preparing yourself for the next test."

A flash of light entered the room as Sensei opened the door to the outside. Remy could see the slender outline of Cheshire's body as she passed by Sensei, closing the door behind her.

"Welcome to your final test ladies," Cheshire said, her voice low and melodic as she grinned. "This trial is designed to test your mental fortitude. If you're smart enough to pass, good for you." She looked down her nose at the both of us. "I assume that you're both smart enough to realize what happens by now if you fail?"

The girls nodded in unison and Cheshire smiled. "Good. Then let's begin. I'll ask you a question and if you answer correctly, you pass. You only need three correct answers to pass. For every wrong answer, I take this knife—" she pulled out a long, sharp silver blade from her waistband and held it up—"and I leave my mark on you. Any more than seven marks and you fail. Understood?"

Remy sighed, rolling her eyes. The Shadows had a serious fetish for pain and suffering.

"I will alternate the questions between the both of you," Cheshire explained. "I ask that while I am quizzing one of you, that the other remain silent. On that note, Remy you'll be fielding the first question. Roll up your sleeves and show me your wrists."

Remy looked up and obliged, reaching her arm towards Cheshire. The woman grabbed her arm and held the blade above the skin. When she looked Remy in the eye, Remy noted a mischievous glint.

"No legs have I to dance, no lungs have I to breathe, no life have I to live or die, and yet I do all three. What am I?"

Remy almost laughed out loud. She'd heard this riddle a million times before; it was practically ancient. "I am fire."

That was… strangely simple, Remy thought to herself as Cheshire slid the knife away and released Remy's arm with a smirk.

"One to Remy," she said, taking Artemis' arm. "Artemis, what always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?"

"A river," Artemis answered, without missing a beat.

"Wonderful," Cheshire said condescendingly. "You've both gotten one correct which means you're both two steps closer to becoming a Shadow."

Cheshire turned slightly to reach into her back pocket before pulling out a bottle of clear liquid. She slowly unscrewed the cap to the bottle and dipped the tip of the blade.

"What is that?" Artemis demanded.

"Anthrax," Cheshire murmured, closing up the bottle. She grinned at the girls. "This way, if you get a wrong answer you'll be feeling it the rest of the day. Too much and you'll die of course, but a little poison never hurt anybody."

Remy, frankly, couldn't bring herself to be surprised at this.

"Now, Remy, question number two," Cheshire said. "What relation would your father's sister's sister-in-law be to you?"

"Seriously?" Artemis snorted.

"Silence," Cheshire hissed.

Remy rolled her eyes, answering easily. "Your mother."

Cheshire nodded approvingly before moving on to Artemis. "There is a seven-letter word in the English language that contains ten words without rearranging any of its letters. What is the word?"

Artemis rolled her eyes, huffing. "You give her one of the easiest questions known to man and I get this? That's totally fair."

Quickly, Cheshire sliced the blade across Artemis' wrist. The blonde hissed yanking her arm back. "What was that for?" she demanded.

"Shall I count that as your answer?" Cheshire asked callously.

Artemis shook her head vigorously and seemed to consider the question.

"She does have a point," Remy shrugged.

Cheshire reached over and yanked Remy's arm to her, sliding the blade across her arm slowly. Remy growled, glaring daggers at Cheshire as her arm started to bleed.

"In here, I decide what's fair," Cheshire snapped. "Stay quiet. Artemis, what's your answer?"

"I'm thinking," she said irritably. "There are thousands of words in the English language."

Cheshire waited a few more seconds. "Time's up. The answer is 'therein.'" That being said, Cheshire sliced across Artemis' wrist once more.

Artemis groaned, grabbing her wrist, alternating her glares between Remy and Cheshire. "Totally not rigged."

And for once, Remy had to agree with her. Cheshire hadn't specifically told Remy that she was going to play favorites but she had hinted at it.

"Remy, final question providing you answer correctly," Cheshire addressed her, gripping the knife loosely in her hand as though she weren't really going to use it. "You can see nothing else, when you look in my face, I will look you in the eye, and I will never lie. What am I?"

Remy's face took on a blank look as she considered the question. And what answering the question would mean. She would finally be a Shadow. A real Shadow. Dangerous and deadly.

She wasn't even sure if she wanted to answer. Wasn't sure what she wanted at all. Hero or villain? Good or bad?

"My reflection," Remy answered, zoning out as Cheshire questioned Artemis. Because, really, she had to answer no matter what.

As Artemis answered the next two riddles correctly, Remy realized that she was more confused than ever. She was a double agent for the JLA and for the League of Shadows.

She just wasn't sure which side was the one she'd chosen.

"Step forward, Roulette," Ra's al Ghul instructed.

Remy did as she was told, walking to the center of the room to join Ra's al Ghul, leaving her spot from beside Cheshire. The members of the Shadows closed the circle where Remy had left it. From behind Ra's, Sensei nodded to the man beside him holding the basket of candles. He passed the basket around until each member in the circle had an unlit candle, just as they had done for Artemis.

Remy knew what was coming next. The blood stains from the woman Artemis had beheaded were still fresh on the floor.

Ra's turned to Sportsmaster. "Bring in the prisoner."

Sportsmaster turned, breaking the circle once more and sauntered towards the door, gesturing for the guards to bring the prisoner in.

Remy watched as the man was dragged in, his ankles and wrists bound in metal chains. The man was small and feeble; they had no doubt been starving him to death.

As the man was brought to his knees in front of Remy, an axe was thrust into her hands by Sportsmaster.

The man on the floor looked up in fright at Remy and at Ra's, pleading for his life in Hindi. Remy gripped the axe, staring at Ra's, waiting for her instructions.

"Remy Vanderbilt, you have completed the trials successfully, proving to us all that you are worthy of being an agent of the Shadows. Now, you must prove to us how strong you desire is to bring justice to this world."

The man on the floor had started crying by now, blubbering in his native tongue. Ra's continued as if the man weren't even there. "This man has cheated and stolen. He is a thief and a liar. Will you bring him to justice?"

"I will," Remy answered.

"Then do it," Ra's nodded, stepping to the side.

Remy swallowed, her throat tight as she raised the axe. The man was sobbing, his chest heaving and his breathing uneven.

This is wrong, her conscience told her. But Remy knew this was necessary. Which is why she forced her eyes open as she swung the axe and beheaded the man, why she looked into his eyes and watched as the life was taken from him.

Because she would remember him, and she would no doubt remember this day for years to come, no matter which side she chose in the end.

"From this day forward, you shall be known and feared as Roulette," Ra's explained, forcing Remy to look away as he took her axe and replaced it with a lit candle.

Looking around, she noticed the other members of the Shadows had lit their own candles. "You are now an agent of the Shadows. You are now apart of something greater than any one man or woman. You represent sacrifice. By joining this circle you have consented to being the weapon of this League's hand. None must come before us. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Do you, Roulette, agree to uphold the ideals of this sacred institution even if it should mean your death?"

"Yes," Remy answered. The candle in her hand seemed to flicker as she answered, her voice hollow.

"Do you, Roulette, agree to further the goals of this sacred institution as if they were your own?"

"Yes."

"And do you, Roulette, agree to dedicate your entire being to shining the Light into every corner of this darkened world?"

Remy swallowed. "Yes."

Ra's al Ghul smirked. "Then, we welcome you to our circle, Roulette."

The congregated members of the League of Shadows, which now included Artemis parted, breaking the circle surrounding the two of them, allowing Ra's the room to step back in. As if on cue, each member that was holding a candle blew out the light, leaving Remy with the only lit candle.

As Artemis scooted over to make room for Remy, Remy stepped into line.

"This ritual is hereby adjourned," Ra's announced.

Remy blew out her candle.

Remy and Artemis sat together in a companionable silence in a newly designated hut. They had been given their own quarters now that they were officially members.

Artemis was the first to break the silence. "I'll tell you everything."

Remy shook her head, looking down at the newly sewn up cuts on both of their arms. A reminder of their final test. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"You're probably right," Artemis said quietly, glancing at their packed bags just a few feet away from them.

There was silence again as Remy merely nodded.

"How can we face them?" Artemis asked.

Remy knew that she meant the team. And she would've loved to have pretended that she wouldn't care what they would think if they ever found out, but that would be a lie.

She would care very much.

Maybe because she was simply a perfectionist and hadn't wanted to disappoint anyone. But logically, Remy knew that they would never find out. Not until they had been betrayed and sucked dry of all their secrets, courtesy of Remy and Artemis.

"It doesn't matter either," Remy lied. "We've done terrible things and we need to live with that."

"Yeah," Artemis whispered, glancing at their packed bags on the floor.

Remy realized then that she should probably get used to having Artemis around. She was the only other person going through the same things, just as Batman had said. She didn't have to like her, but she needed to trust her.

After all, she couldn't even trust herself anymore.

Remy stood up first. "I've had enough of this place to last a lifetime."

"You're telling me," Artemis blew out a sigh.

As they shouldered their bags, a knock sounded on the door. Remy and Artemis shared a glance before Artemis trekked over to the door and opened it.

Cheshire stood there, smirking.

"There's one more thing you have to do before you leave."

Remy and Artemis stared down at their left wrists, the numbers 11-22-11 now permanently imprinted on their skin.

It was customary for new members to have this day burned into their skin. The day they took their first step towards greatness. The day that would live on in their memories until the day they died.

To Remy, it was just physical proof that she was a monster.