Wally gulped, his finger harshly tapping the door bell before he anxiously sped back and forth across the lawn to the door. Although Artemis would soon date him, he couldn't stop his nerves.
The door slammed open, revealing the blonde behind its screen. Artemis looked tired; her eyes were slightly red and watery.
"What, Baywatch?"
"Ah…er…Iwantedtoaskyououtonadate," Wally inched away slowly, stopping several feet away from the archer just incase of another of her famously violent outbursts. A deep, searing blush overcame his face, causing Wally to look downwards.
"I'm not dealing with this!" Artemis yelled, slamming the door and quickly locking it. Hopefully, Wally would not use his phasing abilities to enter…
The speedster's head jetted upwards, the blush instantly fading away from his face as his eyebrows twisted in fury.
"You're mine!" Wally yelled at the door, pounding on it childishly, but Artemis ignored him as she swept back to Klarion's body which was nestled on her couch.
Abra opened Xanadu's mouth shakily, forcing a choked gasp to release itself. Although Klarion's new apprentice or whatever the amateur blonde teenager called herself wasn't as skilled as he was magically, she compensated for her knowledge with sheer, raw power.
Xanadu's body would have died if Abra had not clung onto her spirit, forcing her body to keep moving. Even the simplest breath required too much effort from Abra. Madame Xanadu's body was failing; his decision to kill Klarion's vessel could not be accomplished. Clinging onto Xanadu's spirit severed his ability to fully suppress her; she could regain control temporarily just to allow her body to die.
"Artemis?" Megan's green form enveloped her body, no longer transforming into a strange hybrid of her and the witch-boy.
"Megan," Artemis whispered, shocked that Klarion was not in control. Megan's voice run with weakness and naivety, which was a far cry from Klarion's usual outrageous confidence.
"Where are we? What happened?"
"What do you remember?"
"The team went on a mission…you were blinded?" Megan sat up straighter on the couch, steadying herself upwards with her trembling arms. She almost slooped back down in the couch several times, but wether by sheer will power to remain strong or dumb Martian luck, she sat up straightly.
"Yes…somehow my sight came back."
Megan's eyebrow shot up questioningly: uncharacteristic of the Martian. Even if she no longer possessed accurate memories, suspicion had been implanted in her. Artemis felt the need to reassure her friend and get rid of the nearby woman's body that was just starting to move.
"How?"
"I don't know," Artemis paused, biting her lips, "But today, you came over here for some reason, then that woman over there tried to kill us. Something strange happened and now she's over there against the wall."
Megan tilted her head, studying the fallen woman, "Her mind is turbulent."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't quite know how to say this…it's more of a feeling. I can sense two minds in her. One wants to die while the other is struggling to live...we need to contact the Justice League. Uncle J'onn might know what is wrong with her."
"Do you think she'll be able to speak or is she too weak?"
"Maybe? Artemis, she's dying…wait, why do I sense Wally nearby?" Megan's telepathic detection of Wally made her forget to ask Artemis about the reason behind her question.
"Oh…that…uh," Artemis tried faking a blush, looking away embarassingly.
"Hello Megan," Megan's voice slightly cracked but came out closer to her normal tone than several minutes before. "Wally likes you. Is that why he's here? Or did you contact him about the woman?"
Artemis sighed, silently celebrating that she could fake attraction to Wally despite the sheer outrageousness of the situation. Megan, despite her will to appear as normal and cheery as usual, was too weak. Her body ached, but her mind still suffered from Klarion's control; she could not think rationally right now. Artemis was all too willing to use the Martian and betray her willingly this time to return Klarion.
"Yes, Wally was here to ask me out before the woman came."
"Good for you! At least something good happened tonight. I'll go get him."
"Really? Are you sure you're okay?"
Megan's face beemed, "Why wouldn't I be okay? Everthing is turning out for the better now."
Artemis felt slightly creeped out by Megan, but she wouldn't object. Megan talking to Wally might give her enough time to torture an answer out of the woman on how to bring back Klarion.
"Wally," Megan opened the door smiling, but she ignored the raised fists of Wally as he lowered them to his sides.
"What...oh Megan...what are you doing here, beautiful?" Wally's body relaxed, cooly shifting back into his easy-going demeanor.
"Wally, some woman attacked Artemis and me. We need to contact the Justice League. My telepathy isn't working right now, so I can't contact Uncle J'onn. You'll have to go. Unless you have a communicator on you."
"No I don't..."
"I don't either. I don't think Artemis has one, but you can use your super-speed."
"I guess," Wally paused, trying to make sense of the situation.
"So go now," Megan smiled even wider before slamming the door on the speedster.
"Tell me how to bring Klarion back!" Artemis hissed, slamming the woman''s body against the wall. She heard several of the woman's bones crack, but that didn't stop Artemis from kicking her in the stomach.
"Wah...wa..."
"Tell me!"
"Ahhh...," the woman's voiced whimpered, before her head rose forward, staring directly into Artemis' eyes challengingly, "I can't barely speak, child, and you have to hit me?"
"Just answer me," Artemis twisted Xanadu's arm, but the possessed woman still maintained her defiant gaze despite the slight twitching of her body.
"I'll answer you," the woman purred, before breaking out into a hacking cough, "But you'll have to heal me."
"I'm not that stupid."
"Sure, but what other option do you have?"
"You need to live. You can't keep living if I do this!" Artemis stepped a few inches away, before raising her legs into a swift kick against the side of Xanadu's face. The sound of Xanadu's teeth chipping only made Artemis grin wider.
"Stupid little girl. Why does Klarion-"
Before Abra could continue, the lingering will of Madame Xanadu reclaimed her body, "I don't have much time. When Abra returns, you need to knock him out. None of that theatre-style kicking. It will help me control my body lo-"
"Er...," Abra began awkwardly, pushing the will of Xanadu back into remission, "You wanted me to help you?"
Artemis smirked, "I don't think I'll choose that option anymore."
"It's the only option you'll get."
"Klarion was right to abandon a spinless parasite like you."
"What?"
Artemis lunged at Abra, pressing Xanadu's body closer against the wall. She started flinging punches at Xanadu's head, bludgeoning it without regard to whether the woman lived or died.
"Thankyou," Xanadu's voice slithered out before her body finally collapsed to the ground for the last time.
"I contacted Batman and Robin. They were the closest to Artemis' house."
"That's so good, Wally," Megan said while she slightly twirled to the side of the door.
"Yeah...so..." Once again, Wally felt unnerved by Megan.
"Ohhh...do you hear that noise? Let's go check it out."
"'Check it out'? What? Like some Scooby Doo mystery? Jinkies, Velma."
Megan wrapped her arm around Wally's chest, sending chills through the speedster. His usual accelerated heartbeat abruptly slowed down. "It'll be fun. With that big, bad villain all gone, us three can have a good time."
Wally, struggling in the Martian's hold, didn't retort or question her. Allowing her to guide him into the house to Artemis would mean he could escape the crazy Martian...and have another chance at wooing his blonde.
"I know Artemis will just love to see you."
Artemis paced around the living room, only faintly hearing Wally and Megan speaking outside. The Martian had waited by the door for who knows how long while Artemis had been questioning the woman...
If knocking out the woman caused whoever was controlling her to lose power...maybe I can do the same thing with Megan. I just need to try sensing if he's still there...then everything can go back to normal...
The blonde hated braving unpredicatable situations; only with Klarion guiding her had she been able to try learning the unknown realm of magic. He stabilized her much like her father had before him. Artemis' father had trained her in a variety of martial arts, molding his daughter into becoming a deadly warrior and cunning actor; that training had allowed her to face the world without fear. Lawrence Crock had defined the world into easily manageable pieces for his daughter. Kill this...steal that...Everything was pre-planned. As much as she hated her father, Artemis realized that Klarion gave her the same security.
Klarion fulfilled her, both treating her as an equal and as a mentor. She had never been meant to become one of the bland, drone-like heroes of the Justice League. The witch boy offererd the darkly alluring alternative to the League that Artemis could fight for.
Megan would have to be cornered away from Wally and whatever League members came to investigate. Artemis had unknowingly bartered Megan's body for her eyesight, but now she full-heartedly embraced her choice.
"Artemis?" Wally called, jetting away from Megan's loosened hold.
"Wally?
"What is going on?" Wally inched closer to her, intimately pressing his mouth close to her ear.
"What do you mean?" Artemis whispered back as she shifted her heard to face Wally eye to eye.
"Something's wrong with Megan. Even if you won't date me, we need to find out whatever this villain did."
"Everything's fine..."
"Wait...where's Megan?" Wally moved away from the archer, speeding around the house, but to no avail. "She was just by us."
"Where's the body?"
"The body?" Wally eyes widened.
"The woman who attacked Megan and I died," Artemis' mind wavered, trying to remember something important, "She also attacked my mom...I don't know if she's okay." For extra effect, Artemis concentrated on the memories of seeing her dying mother, blinking her eyes rapidly as she forcibly created tears. Clinging to the simple desire to see Klarion once again, Artemis cast aside any lingering guilt over her mother.
Wally sighed, resting his had comfortingly on her back, "And now Megan and the body are mysteriously gone?"
"Yes..." Artemis felt the beginnings of a panic attack embrace her, shakily afraid of Klarion's fate. Her mother had died, but then again, who hadn't she seen die before? Artemis had killed dozens with the League of Shadows; all that mattered was if Klarion lived or died.
"Arty, we need to go and contact the League. We're not waiting for them - it's not safe here."
"Thankyou Wally. Sorry you had to see me like this."
"It's fine...er...let's go." Wally looked torn between comforting and making another move on her.
Abra laughed, teleporting a paralyzed Megan away as he fled the oblivious teens. Something was off about the Martian: she had been too eager to seperate from her embracing friends and study Xanadu's body.
The Martian had been right in that in this body, one will wanted to die while the other wanted to live. Xanadu had unknowingly told Artemis a crude yet effective method on how to permanently repress her own will, causing Abra to regain control. The last dying power of Xanadu's will had been enough to restore the barest reserves of his magic.
Klarion was still alive within the Martian's body; Abra could sense his darkened magical aura, but the question remained as to why was Klarion's will remained dormant while Megan's regained control.
"Oh...Abra, Abra. Abra," Klarion voice suddenly resonated from the Martian as Abra's teleportation spell suddenly dropped them off in a forest unknown to the former apprentice. "That was a mean little TRICK!"
The witch boy cast off the spell binding him, stepping up as he forced the Martian into shifting back into his form. "Well, I'll admit that little Miss Christmas colors had me there for a bit, but really, Abra? I couldn't let Artemis deal with seeing me kill you. I actually though you'd come back to me."
"I hate you. I hate ever becoming your apprentice."
"Blah blah blah how original. I'm moved. I'm touched. I'm tearing up."
"Burn in hell."
"Idiot. What is hell compared to the realm of Chaos?"
The sound of Klarion's grating laughter rippled through the air as Abra closed Xanadu's eyes. Even through his magic had slightly came back, teleporting had exhausted it to a point where fighting the witch boy was impossible.
Even in death, the sound of the witch boy's laughter run through his ears as he became lost to darkness.
AN: Sorry for not updating in a while - I temporarily put this off to write some one-shots. Anyway, if you like Young Justice fics with magic-wielding characters see/subscribe to the community "YJ Magic beings" by Epic Mickeygirl.
Okay, important question - I'm thinking that this fic will only have a few more chapters. Should Artemis and Megan/Klarion still try being apart of the team and hiding what happened or should they "run off into the sunset"?