Hello! A LOT of you were quick to read and review yesterday's chapter.
I'd like to thank Jedi Ani Unduli, BlueBird722, Mikado X Goddess, polarbear1355, batman-defeats-all, Angel of Mysteries, and MyLittleAngelxxx for submitting reviews and/or sending in OC's. Sadly, I nearly have enough OC's. I can only accept TWO more villains. First two people to send one in gets to be in.
Here's what I have so far:
Villains: Stake
Blast
Lilac
Midnight Prowler
Shadow
MockingJay
Black Rose
Heroes: Sin
Jeta
Halfte
Insight
Night Bird
Shadow Tamer
Mystery
Gentil
Morph
P.S. If anything of this is wrong, you MUST private message me to let me know (or leave it in this chapter's review).
Italics= thoughts, "telepathic communication"/ "radio communication", time stamps, flashbacks
Bold= exaggerated words
This is the Buried Secrets version of Performance.
Warning: Characters are most likely OOC, and profanity is used at certain points in the story.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Justice. Last I checked, I wasn't the happiest person in the world.
Bruges
December 22, 20:23 CET
"Great job out there, Dawn," Artemis congratulated the Martian.
She merely smiled in response before turning her attention to Superboy's abs.
Artemis rolled her eyes. You would've thought that it'd get old, considering how he frequently ripped his shirt off in rage.
Robin, or "Dan Danger", had nearly scared her and the rest of the crowd to death when he began to plummet down from the trapeze. Luckily, "Dean Danger" (Superboy) threw a barrel that lifted him high enough for Dawn to grab him. He had been not feeling well, and was certainly off his game.
"You okay, Dan?" She turned to the thirteen year old.
He waved her off, "I'll manage."
Before they could continue the conversation, Dane Danger (aka the asshole who still acted like a, well, asshole) nudged Robin.
"Was your slot until you missed that performance in Paris," the ringmaster was saying to two angry acrobats.
"Carlo was sick!" one protested, "He's better now!"
"Plus," 'Carlo' added, "those 'Dangers' are a sham! They say they are brothers and sisters. They don't even look alike!"
Jack Haly just brushed them off, "Eh. You just don't like the competition."
"Sorry," M'gann apologized to them.
Upon introducing themselves to the ringmaster, M'gann had accidentally referred to themselves as brothers and sisters. Personally, it didn't matter to Artemis. It was sweet that she considered the Team her family.
Artemis continued to watch as a man in a suit confronted Haly on thefts occurring while the circus was in town.
"If I prove you are responsible, I will shut you down," he threatened.
Robin visibly winced.
Robin seems to care an awful lot about this circus.
The agent walked over to them, "Faraday, Interpol. New act?"
"Yup," Robin faked a smile, "Just joined the tour."
He nodded, "Probably clears you. But don't get too comfortable. Haly's going down for this."
Robin narrowed his eyes and frowned as Faraday walked away.
"If Interpol's already on this, why are we bothering?" Superboy questioned.
"Because," Robin seemed a bit pissed off, "Batman says so. Why? You got something better to do?"
Superboy shut up at that point.
"How do we know the thieves will hit here?" Artemis asked as she examined the building with her binoculars.
"There are more obvious targets," Red Arrow agreed with her.
Asshole agrees with me? Shocking…
"And Faraday will have them covered," Robin wiped his forehead, "But I've analyzed the tech already stolen, and the pattern suggests that this is the place."
"How are you feeling?" M'gann asked in concern. You'd have to be pretty blind not to see that Robin wasn't the perfect picture of "whelmed".
"Lousy, actually." Robin confessed, "But I'll manage."
There was brief silence before Superboy reported spotting the thief in the north east quadrant.
"Now we know why Carlo missed his performance," Superboy growled.
"It could be Carlo, it could be his brother. Keep an open mind." Robin instructed.
Everybody else dropped down in front of the warehouse.
"If only someone gave Arrow that piece of advice beforehand," she muttered before jumping down too.
"Caught red-handed!" Robin laughed, "Red-faced too, I'll bet!"
"Acrobatics won't get you out of this," Artemis narrowed her eyes.
If they wrapped this all up, there was a possibility that she could be home in time for her first Christmas Eve with Mom and Alice.
Then, to their surprise, the thief blew fire. Frickin' balls of fire.
"Move!" Red Arrow cried out.
He aimed at the thief, only to spot crates stamped with the words "LIVE AMO"
"The crates are filled with live amo!" Red Arrow warned.
Artemis could only stare in shock for one moment before scrambling away.
"Hurry the hell up!" Red Arrow growled at her over his shoulder.
"Me!" she yelled back indignantly, "You're in my way!"
They were just barely into a little shelter that Robin had found when the warehouse blew around them.
Superboy's strength especially came in handy when he pushed the debris off of them.
Fire was everywhere, and if she wasn't afraid of it then, she certainly was now.
"That guy is so DEAD!" Superboy raged.
"Superboy, no!" Robin shouted after him, with a limp M'gann resting on his shoulder.
Oh, right. Martians have a weakness against fire.
"You need to get her out." Robin told the angry Kryptonian.
"He's getting away!" He cried out.
Wow. He's such a great boyfriend. Where does the Team keep finding these assholes, anyway?
Then the fury faded from his eyes. "Right."
As Superboy ran off with M'gann in his arms, Robin attempted to send Artemis and Red Arrow after the thief. He collapsed on the floor, panting heavily.
Right now, Artemis could tell you, that the Boy Wonder wasn't exactly looking wonderful at the moment.
"Because he matters more than you," Artemis sarcastically commented as she grabbed his arm.
"You're still of your gig, Pal," Red Arrow added, putting Robin's arm around his shoulder.
Despite the fire, the warehouse crumbling and burning around them, and the obvious concern for
M'gann and Robin, all Artemis could think about was his Royal Asshole-ness.
"Advanced weapons tech has been stolen from manufacturing planets all throughout Europe," Robin brought up a map, and red marks appeared.
"Each theft coincides with tour stops made by the Haly Circus. Batman's sending us undercover to catch the thieves."
"This clown car have room for one more?" Red Arrow asked as he came up from behind Robin. He was smiling rather pleasantly.
Artemis scowled at him. He was such a faker. She had first hand experience of that.
"Uh," Robin hesitated, "We've got this covered."
Red Arrow's smile quickly faded as he leaned in to say something to Robin.
M'gann seemed uninterested, but Artemis saw Conner keenly listening in. Probably using his super hearing. Artemis made a note to maybe try to ask Conner about it later.
Knowing, Roy, though, it probably (most likely) had to do with the mole on the Team. Honestly, that boy was obsessed with finding and exposing this "mole".
"There is no mole!" Artemis wanted to shout at him. Did he seriously believe something that her father had said?
Instead, Artemis had settled for a snarky comment. "Yay. Red Arrow's going back home for the holidays."
Hey, did you expect Artemis to just pass up the chance to mock him? Especially after he revealed his true colors?
Red Arrow scowled at her, obviously irritated beyond belief.
That had to have been the most satisfying part.
Bruges
December 23, 08:23 CET
"So two thieves, right? The fire breather and one of the acrobats." Artemis asked. They were back in their sleeping car in the train.
"Dressed in identical clothes." M'gann added. She was back into her human form again, and it certainly felt weird looking at her that way.
"Maybe not just two," Robin suggested, "The Paris and Madrid surveillance shows that the thief or thieves have the talent of extreme strength and the ability to tight rope walk."
"So the strongman and the clown too," Roy frowned, "If the whole circus is involved, Haly himself may be the mastermind."
"You don't know that!" Robin defended.
"But it would explain Haly's lies about the bed check," M'gann agreed with Roy.
"I told you to keep an open mind!" Robin shouted angrily at M'gann. He stormed off, slamming the train car's door loudly.
"Hello, Meghan!" she slapped her forehead, "I'll read Haly's mind."
Roy looked weary, "I'm not so sure we can trust you to do that without tipping him off."
"Or maybe you don't trust her, period." Superboy cut in, stalking forward to confront Red Arrow. "I heard you talking to Robin back at the Cave. You're only here to spy on the three of us."
"Is that true?" Artemis demanded.
"There's a mole on this team. And good reasons to suspect all three of you," Roy brushed Superboy off and ignored Artemis, " Both Artemis and Miss Martian have already been caught in lies. You could be programmed by Cadmus without even knowing."
"You seriously came all this way to check up on us 'possible moles'?" Artemis yelled. But she already knew the answer. He bothered to spend time with her just to see whether she was the mole.
"Or maybe I take your head off without even trying." Superboy growled over her.
Gee, nice comeback, Supey. I can really see what M'gann finds in you.
"Woah," M'gann put a hand on Superboy's shoulder to calm him down, "Let's all take a time out here, before we do something we regret."
"Speak for yourself." Superboy huffed as he furiously left the room, with M'gann in the tow.
As the door slammed for the second time, Artemis turned to him.
Do not yell at him. All that does is bring up more hurt feelings.
Artemis folded her arms, "Should've guessed that that's the real reason you're here."
Roy frowned," There's a-"
"Mole on this team. Yeah, we already heard you, Roy." Artemis finished crossly. "None of us are perfect."
Roy scowled, "That's hardly relevant to the conversation!"
"We've all made mistakes, including you! Especially you, in fact. The point is, we'd all give our lives for this team. So try to keep an open mind." Artemis headed towards the door.
She hesitated for a moment, pondering whether she should stay. But one look back at Roy was all she needed to lightly close the door behind her.
Bruges
December 23, 09:14 CET
"Dan?" Artemis reached out for Robin's shoulder, "Are you feeling better?"
After she had left a probably steaming Roy, Artemis decided to hunt down Robin. It took a long time, but she finally managed to find him in front of a hall of posters with the circus's old acts.
"The Flying Graysons," Artemis read aloud. That name struck a chord somewhere in her mind.
"Yeah," Robin muttered in a somewhat dejected manner.
"Dick Grayson!" Artemis snapped her fingers. That weird kid who snapped a picture with her on her first day at Gotham!
"What?" Robin seemed startled by her sudden outbursts.
Artemis turned her attention to the poster, "Nothing."
The poster was under retired acts. Keyword "retired", as in, no more.
Poor Dick. I never realized how messed up his life is. He must have been orphaned at such a young age.
At last, she turned towards him, "I'm starting to get cold. Wanna head inside?"
"Sure," Robin sighed, casting one last glance at the posters.
"Hey," Artemis said suddenly, putting her arm over his shoulders, "Once we're done with this mission, you'll be able to relax and feel the aster."
Robin smiled slightly at her attempt to cheer him up, "Somehow it just seems strange when you say it."
"Need help?"
Artemis turned, expecting to see Ray, the roustabout. Imagine her surprise when a stoical Roy was there instead.
Artemis wrinkled her nose, "Oh. No thanks. Wouldn't want you to touch the luggage of a suspected traitor."
"Wait." Artemis put her hand to her chin, "Unless you're trying to find something that would discriminate me in my bags."
He gritted his teeth, " I'm trying to be nice."
"Well," Artemis snapped as she hoisted herself into the train, "You're obviously failing, aren't you?"
"You look better," Artemis commented to Robin.
Robin smiled, his eyes gleaming, "I feel better."
He turned to the now bedridden M'gann. "I'm sorry, Dawn. Hope you didn't catch it from me."
"I feel so silly," M'gann groaned, "Who knew that a Martian could be vulnerable to a human virus?"
"Uh…H.G. Wells?" Robin answered. Then he switched topics, "Look, when did you first feel sick?"
"Just before boarding the train. It came on suddenly. I think it was right after Ray touched me." M'gann's eyes began to flutter lazily.
Robin snapped his fingers, "Same with me. Ray rubbed my head for good luck right before it happened."
Superboy scowled, "Guy must be a walking petri dish."
"Yeah," Robin muttered to himself, "Maybe." With that, he ran out the door.
"Did Robin just get an idea?" Artemis asked the others.
"Probably." Superboy shrugged. "Let's go."
M'gann attempted to get up after them, but Artemis firmly pushed her back down. "Oh no, you don't. Not until you get better."
"Thanks, Artemis," M'gann whispered weakly, the corners of her lips turning upwards slightly.
They came out just in time to hear that Ray had gotten sick with the 24-hour virus.
"We'll check on him," Artemis volunteered. "It's the least we can do." Something about his creepy eyes made her suspicious of him.
"If you insist." Jack responded as "Dane" and "Dean" Danger followed her.
Artemis boldly pushed open the door leading to Ray's car. The room was dark and crowded with shelves and boxes.
"Guess he wasn't that sick," Superboy snorted at the empty bed.
Roy began to investigate the crates, so Artemis did too.
Apparently he had found something from his crate.
She smiled as she found a mask.
Oh, I can so top that, Speedy.
She interrupted them, "Uh, guys?"
They all turned to her.
She held up the mask in perfect likeness to Ray's face, "I found Ray."
Robin's eyes widened, "Split up! Search the whole train!"
Artemis was near the baggage car when Robin radioed in.
"Dane. Dean. Diane. Come in."
Artemis paused, listening diligently.
"We're chasing someone who's stolen Dawn's whole….act. Her whole shtick if you catch my drift."
Wait….. that means that the criminal can now fly. I better get up to the topside!
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Superboy reported, "I've found him. But he's onto me. Exiting the dining car now… He's gone topside!"
Artemis huffed. She wasn't so sure she could make it across through the top, so she was going to have to go back in and then run to the dining car and go back out.
As in she slid back in, she noticed Roy's retreating figure a short distance from her.
Probably keeping a close eye on me to make sure I don't contact the thief and give him a warning.
Artemis ran as fast as she could, hoping to beat Roy to the dining car.
They actually arrived at the ladder at the same time. Though Artemis was sure that he had slowed down on purpose.
"You first?" Roy asked her.
Artemis rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. Cut it out with the gentleman act, and just get up there already."
"Whatever." Roy shrugged and went up the ladder.
Geneva
December 24, 00:37 CET
"We need to lure him out," Robin whispered, "Or at least safely disengage him-"
"RAHHH!" Superboy cried out, charging.
Artemis felt like smacking herself in the forehead. What the hell was she thinking when she was interested in him?
"What's wrong with -" Red Arrow began angrily.
"Wait!" M'gann held him back. "I have an idea."
Robin raised an eyebrow, "Do tell, Miss M."
"Well," she started, "since he took my powers and abilities, wouldn't he have also took on my weaknesses too?"
Artemis nodded, "So we could try to surround him by fire!"
"And the best part is that I won't be affected, because I'm still drained of it!" M'gann smiled, "What do you think?"
Red Arrow frowned, "Big risk to take on a theory."
Robin paused, clearly in thought. "Do it," he said at last, "Go!"
M'gann confidently strode out, "So what do you have against Geneva anyway?"
Parasite licked his lips, "Never liked the food. But the menu keeps improving."
As he pulled her towards him, M'gann batted her eyelashes innocently, "I'm just the appetizer. Remember?"
At the last moment, she ducked under his arm and low kicked him from the ground. "Here's the main course!"
When he got up, Red Arrow shot him with a foam arrow.
"Foam. You think foam can hold me?" Parasite almost seemed disgusted by the archer's "stupidity"
Artemis watched in horror as Red Arrow's bow was yanked from him, and his body brought hovering away from her.
Red Arrow struggled as Parasite continued, "Or stop me from crushing you with a thought."
"No, you and I are going to Geneva. Without powers, the other would only be slowing us down." Red Arrow grabbed his bow.
"Hey." Artemis called, "You're not the only one who brought a back-up bow."
Red Arrow scowled at her. He clearly didn't want her coming.
Well, he could just rot in hell. Artemis was going, and that was final.
"Why the hell are you so stubborn?" he hissed at her.
Luckily, Superboy interrupted him by punching the wall. "My powers are back."
"How?" M'gann stood up. If he got his powers back, that meant that she'd be the only one left behind.
Superboy shrugged, "I guess Kryptonians heal faster than humans or Martians do."
M'gann folded her arms, "Don't even think about leaving me behind."
Red Arrow's expression of horror was priceless.
Artemis dropped down from her position. Seeing her, Parasite shot his laser vision.
That'd be my cue.
She shot the gas arrow and watched as the fire formed around the villain still halfway encased in red foam.
She heard Red Arrow stop struggling and merely looked onwards as he fell onto the ground.
He could afford to fall down a couple of times. God knows his ego needs it.
"So clever," Parasite taunted, "Tricking me into igniting flammable gas. But you forgot Doofus's double dose of invulnerability. Fire. can't. touch. me."
"Unless," M'gann voiced coldly from the side, "You make a meal of my powers, and get my weaknesses as a side dish!"
"No!" Parasite screamed as he collapsed on the ground.
"Aw," M'gann's smile seemed oddly sinister, "Poor baby, was it something you ate?"
Red Arrow seemed to be shaking his head off, still messed up from the drop.
Someone has to be the better person in order for us to move on.
Artemis offered her hand to Red Arrow. Whether he took it as a sign of peace was his choice.
He hesitated, but then began to smile. Surprise number two was that he took Artemis's hand. Artemis, his prime suspect for being the mole.
"Wow," Artemis's lips began to turn upwards, "He daints to touch the hand of a suspected traitor."
As she pulled him up, he stated, "Mind open."
Artemis blinked in shock. Did that mean-?
Red Arrow turned to the approaching Superboy and Miss Martian, "I guess I've never seen you three through the thick of it. Superboy's a hothead, but I know that I'm not the one to talk. You could have each betrayed us, yet you didn't. I'm sorry I doubted everyone."
He paused dramatically for a second.
Artemis could swear that the next sentence had to be one of the greatest things ever to spew out of Roy's mouth.
"There is no mole."
Geneva
December 24, 02:15 CET
"Artemis."
Artemis turned towards Roy, "Yeah?"
He rubbed his neck somewhat sheepishly, "I'm sorry in particular for accusing you time and time again of disloyalty to the Team."
Artemis briefly looked up to the sky. Were pigs flying or something?
Roy cleared his throat, "And you should know….you're not….."
"Not what?" Artemis raised an eyebrow.
"You're pretty good company, replacement." Roy confessed. "I may have started hanging out with you solely to spy on you, but… I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy those patrols or conversations we had."
Artemis smiled as she lightly punched him in the shoulder, "And I guess you're not so bad yourself, Arrow."
"But," Artemis frowned, "Don't think for even a moment that you're going to get off scotch- free for using me."
Roy laughed, "I didn't count on that for even a second."
I skipped a LOT of parts from Performance. If I get any requests or complaints concerning the length of the chapter, I WILL go back and add more through the switch out feature (so it may not alert you if I do). I also rushed through this, so feel free to give me any grammatical corrections.
Roy manages to redeem himself, merely because that's what the episode calls for. It kind of seems unrealistic on my part for Roy and Artemis to make up so fast, but, eh, I'll put a chapter on flashbacks about that later on.
Please give me your comments, opinions, and suggestions!