Hey!
Okay so at the moment Traught is in the lead! I will give you guys one more chapter to decide, and the next time I update I will announce the winner. Hehehe LOL
As Artemis fled the scene, she couldn't help but admit to herself how appealing Kid Flash's offer was.
No, she thought. Sportsmaster would beat you to a pulp for even considering. Besides, what can the Justice League offer you that the League of Shadows can't?
Artemis hated her conscience.
But, not as much as she hated Lawrence 'Crusher' Crock.
"Where have you been Baby Girl?" He exclaimed angrily as she rendezvoused with him and Cheshire.
"Just kicking Kid Flash's ass." She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about it in the hopes that her dad wouldn't be too hard on her for baling, however unintentional it was.
Sportsmaster's brown eyes narrowed behind his hockey mask, but he let the matter go. "Whatever."
"Uh, Dad?" Cheshire said. "How are we going to tell Ra's we didn't get the case?"
"We're his three best assassins," Lawrence replied, sounding more sure of himself than Artemis felt. "He'll go easy on us."
LINE BREAK
Dick waited impatiently for Artemis to arrive.
Now that he knew she was the Mystery Girl, these project meetings were going to be considerably more awkward.
And the fact that he couldn't do anything while in his civilian ID really grinded his gears. But, eventually, he was sure Artemis would turn to their side.
"Hi Dick," His head snapped up as Artemis entered his room. "Sorry I'm late."
Dick waved the comment away. "No problem Arty."
"Arty?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Dick smiled. "Artemis is exhausting to say, so Arty."
She rolled her eyes and sat cross-legged on the floor to work on their project. Moving to join her, Dick noticed that Artemis' right shoulder seemed to be acting up.
He knew it was because of Wally throwing her across the roof, but he asked about it anyway, wondering how quick she could come up with a cover story.
"What happened to your shoulder?"
Artemis didn't seem alarmed. "Oh nothing really, I just slept on it funny. You know how that happens sometimes?"
Dick nodded. Taking mental notes.
Good actor. Great at hiding emotions such as shock and fear.
And her fake story was even believable.
But she had a liability.
LINE BREAK
The Team gathered in the headquarters at Mount Justice, all in their hero get-ups.
"Okay Team," Aqualad began. "We're taking another strike on Artemis tonight. We're hoping to catch her without too much of a fight. This is strictly a stealth mission."
Wally nodded and pressed the lightning emblem on his chest, changing his suit to stealth-mode and M'Gann shape-shifted in her hooded-cloak.
"So," Superboy said, turning to Robin. "You're the Gothamite. Do you know where she is?"
Robin nodded, opening up a map of Gotham on his holographic screen. "Artemis lives in this place called the Narrows, basically the slums of Gotham. It's a dangerous place, so there shouldn't be too many bystanders in the area."
"Good." Aqualad examined the map and gestured for the Team to move out.
"Recognised, Robin. B01."
When Robin materialised in the 'out of order' telephone-box on the streets of Gotham City, he quickly looked around to make sure no one was around before the rest of the Team arrived. At this time of night, hopefully, if Artemis wasn't with her dad, she should be at home. Sleeping, unable to put up a fight.
The was a bright light from the zeta-tube and KF appeared beside him, looking very unhappy.
"I don't like this Rob," He whispered as Miss Martian came through the tube. "What if she, like, sleeps with a knife or something?"
Robin raised an eyebrow. "I know she's an assassin, but I don't think she's that paranoid." He wanted to add that Artemis had kicked butt without weapons, but Wally was already ticked off as it was, he didn't a reminder of his sore nose.
Superboy and Aqualad came through the zeta-tube, interrupting their conversation.
"Robin," Aqualad said. "Lead the way."
Opening up the map again, he led the other heroes through Gotham to the Narrows.
They walked towards a small apartment block, about three stories. "I think this is it." Robin said as they walked to the back towards the fire escape.
M'Gann flew up to the top floor, her body becoming harder and harder to see as she went into Martian camouflage mode.
She's here, her voice spoke in their heads. Be quiet.
The boys carefully approached the window.
The room on the other-side was a bedroom. Two single beds were positioned on either side of the room; one occupied, one empty. Above the empty bed, a tattered old Alice in Wonderland poster hung on the wall.
A girl was sleeping in the other bed, long blonde hair splayed out across the pillow. She was facing the wall, away from the Team, unaware as they stepped into the apartment.
Robin couldn't help but feel incredibly creepy.
How are we going to get her out without waking her up? Superboy asked.
Wally shrugged. Who said she had to be asleep. And he stepped forward, clapping his hand over Artemis' mouth, using another to restrain her as her eyes snapped open.
Quickly, he said urgently. Hand cuffs!
Though he disapproved of the method, Aqualad smoothly snapped a pair of handcuffs on Artemis's wrists once KF had pulled them behind her back.
Artemis turned around, her eyes narrowing into such a terrifying glare that Miss Martian shrank back.
"Don't scream," Wally warned, before removing his hand, though he stood close in case she tried anything tricky.
"What do you think you're doing?!" She accused. It was strange seeing her without the mask. Her Vietnamese lineage showed through her skin tone and eye colour, though her hair was just like her father's.
Aqualad held up in his hands in a 'we mean you no harm' manner. "We are only here to talk, Artemis."
"You snuck into my house," Her eyes only narrowed further. "Don't think you're going to get away with this."
"Artemis, we can help you." Superboy ignored her, getting straight to the point.
Artemis was silent for a moment. "I don't need your help, Supey."
Robin knelt in front of her. "You have two choices; join the Team, or go to Belle Reve. Because, whether you like it or not, we've captured you now."
Instead of sneering or coming up with a sarcastic comment as Robin expected, she laughed at him. "You haven't captured me, not by a long shot. And you can cart me straight to Belle Reve if you wanna."
"You want to go to prison?" Connor raised an eyebrow.
Artemis shrugged. "The Shadows can't get me in prison, can they."
"So," Wally leapt at the opportunity. "You're scared of the Shadows?"
She laughed again. "Of course not, they can't touch me. But surely you know how they work, they will still hunt me down."
Robin knew she was right. Even if she did want to join the Team, she'd have an entire network of assassins after her head.
Artemis stood up, making the rest of them take a nervous step back. "Go ahead, take me to prison."
Glancing at each other warily, Superboy took Artemis' bound arms and ushered her to the window. She went compliantly… almost too compliantly considering her usual sass.
Be very careful, Superboy, Aqualad warned. Make sure you don't let your guard down. That goes for all of you.
They were half way back to the zeta-tube when Artemis finally made her move.
Taking them all by surprise, she turned around and whipped her leg out, sending Superboy crashing to the floor. She Aqualad advanced on her, she flipped her body backwards in the air, tumbling to the side as she landed and Robin tried to grab her.
Even with her hands tied behind her back, they couldn't catch her.
Artemis stepped back from them, a smug smirk visible on her face. "My namesake is the goddess of the hunt you know, and she can just vanish in the light of the moon. The night is her territory."
With that, she took off back the way she had come. Robin's jaw dropped as she performed a trick that had taken him years to master; she jumped high, tugging her legs into her chest and swinging her cuffed hands in front of her before she landed.
Within seconds, the hand-cuffs were thrown back at them, but Artemis was nowhere to be found.
Hope everyone had a happy Easter!
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