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December 16th , 2014.

Palo Alto, California.

"Anything?"

"Nothing."

Artemis threw her hands in the air, pulling her hair in frustration.

"Come on! It's so unfair. Why, of all people, did this crap happen to Batman? I'm sure we could've located any other member of the League by now!" she groaned.

When a answer wasn't given she let go of her hair, turning her attention to her boyfriend.

The last month hadn't been good to Wally. He hadn't eaten enough and was banned by Flash to go running.

So, they were researching. When they had the time. They had to make school a priority, though it wasn't exactly easy. Artemis had even got M'gann to look up the questions to an upcoming philosophy test so Artemis could focus on looking for clues on Batman's whereabouts.

"You okay? Perhaps we should take a break, we've been at it for hours." she stood up, walking over to Wally, arms crossed. He blinked, and looked at her.

"Yeah, I like the sound of that." he closed his laptop. "Before I go crazy anyway."

"Babe, don't." she folded her arms around him, given him a hug. "We will find Batman, and we will help Robin."

"You sound just like Superman." Wally muttered.

"Because that is the truth! Yeah, we haven't really figured anything. But look at it this way – we know what we don't know!"

He gave her a blank look. "... come again, what?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "The League has looked in every prison, in every country. We know that Batman isn't in any of them."

"And that helps us because.."

"Because having ruled all the logical possibilities out, we can now start looking at the less logical. Like, I don't know, maybe ask for help?"

"Ask who for help? In case you haven't noticed, every hero on Earth are in some way involved in this! Some more than others, but they all know it – heck, even the civilians know it! Last week I saw a group of kids in the park, yelling about how they had to find Batman!" he laughed, shaking his head. "And they had about as much success as we've had."

Artemis smirked, leaning on the desk.

"I was think more along the lines of a family favour."

oOo

December 20h , 2014.
Los Angeles, California.

"Well well well, what do we have here? And so close to Christmas too. Have I been good this year?"

Wally could hardly keep his eyes in his head. It had been surreal for Artemis to suggest it. And it just got soo much weirder.

In front of him was Cheshire, aka Jade Nguyen, aka Artemis sister.

In normal clothes, eating food at a restaurant downtown LA.

It was too weird for the speedster, who could only stare at the black haired woman in front of him.

"What's the matter with him?" Cheshire asked, eyeing Wally with poorly contained amusement. Her eyes drifted back to her sister. "Actually, scratch that. Why are you here sister?" she said, looking back at Artemis. Both ex-heroes were out of uniform, obviously. Artemis and Wally shared a quick look, before Artemis stepped forward and sitting down in front of her sister.

"We need to know some things about what's going on in Gotham. And since you are the only one I know who is a bad-guy, your name was the first one to pop into my head." Artemis smiled slightly.

"And I kinda hoped you could do us this favour, since both the League and the Team decided to stop hunting you down for the crimes you committed while you were a member of the League of Shadows"

Jade leaned back, eyeing her sister with amusement shining in her eyes.

"Problems tracking down the Batman, should that by any case be your question? Or is it possibly maybe a question of how you can enter Gotham without Bane finding out?"

"Is that possibly?" asked Wally. Jade merely looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Not to my knowledge, no. So how to find Batman?"

Artemis and Wally looked at each other briefly, before nodding. "Yeah, that is our question. Do you know anything about it?"

"Oh, one does hear things. It came as quite a shock through the underworld when the rumours started flowing. Bane taking down Batman, his city and the entire Justice League." Jade shook her head, clearly amused. "That sure was a day to remember."

"And did the underworld by any chance discuss where Bane hid Batman?" asked Artemis, frowning at the obvious pleasure her sister took from this.

Jade waved her hand. "No no dear sister. But don't be disappointed, no one but Bane and his little group of terrorists knows this.. and their employers of course."

Wally stepped forward, leaning over the table, staring directly into Jade's eyes.

"What do you mean 'employers'? Aren't Bane the one doing this? Are you telling us, that he works for somebody?!" he asked lowly, the warning clear in his voice.

Jade gave him a look, then shrugged.

"I guess it can't hurt telling you. But what is the fun in that? But here, let me give you a hint." she leaned forward, staring into her sisters eyes.

"They move in silence, no one can predict their moves.
They do what they see fit, and answers to none.
They've been around longer than most.
Doing what needs to be done." she whispered, a smile forming as she saw the realization wake in Artemis' eyes and the look of disbelief washing over her face.

Wally looked annoyed, standing up. "Why can't you give a straight answer to a simple question?"

Jade looked mock hurt. "But I just did, speed boy. The brains behind the little operation in Gotham is the work of my former employer. I just wanted to give you a little brain teaser, and it looks like it did its job." Jade padded Artemis cheek slightly, before standing up.

"Now sister, before you asks; no, I don't know where they took him. I may've been a member, but that doesn't mean that they just told me everything. And apparently this is a plan that has been in the making for some time. That is one of the reasons I left the Shadows. Gotham's time has come. I didn't want to sign up for a suicidal mission and that is what Bane and his men have done. The city is going to die. And I'm afraid there isn't much you can do to stop it." with a nod she disappeared.

Artemis stood up, grabbed Wally's hand, and quickly lead him out of the small restaurant.

"Artemis, what she said.." Wally said lowly, as Artemis pulled him down the street. She gave him a look over her shoulder.

"We need to contact the League."

oOo

December 20th , 2014.
Mount Justice

"Recognized: Artemis B07, Kid Flash B03."

The two ex-heroes had barely stepped out of the zeta tube before they were all but overrun by the members of the Team staying in the Mountain.

"Artemis!" M'gann hugged her, and then Wally. "It's been forever!"

The two newcomers smiled at the happiness apparent showing on the others faces.

"Yeah.. we've been, busy I guess." Wally said, smile disappearing. The brief happiness disappeared from M'gann's and the others face. Zatanna stepped forward, hugging

Artemis and nodding to Wally. "Do you have any news?" she asked, worry in her voice.

"We do. And we need the League to here it."

"I'll call them." Conner said, turning around, going back to the control room.

M'gaan looked worried. "Good news?"

Artemis shrugged. "That's.. debatable." she answered, as Wally looked down.

The older Leaguers entered the cave a few minutes later, and joined the Team in the mission room.

"What's the news?" asked Superman, looking at the two ex-heroes.

"Have you discovered something?"

"Yeah. We have, and it isn't good news." Wally looked at Artemis.

"You better tell them."

Artemis stepped forward, facing Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. Behind them the Team. Her mentors and friends. She took a deep breath.

"Four days ago I began trying to locate my sister, in order to ask her about Gotham and Batman and whether she knew anything about it or not. A few hours ago I succeeded. Wally and I travelled to LA, to confront her about her knowledge on the matter ." Artemis eyes grew cold.

"And while she couldn't – or wouldn't, I really don't know – tell us about Batman's whereabouts, she did tell us one thing." She took a deep breath.

"The League of Shadows is behind the operation in Gotham."

The Team and League looked shocked at this revelation.

"But, wouldn't Robin have informed us of such? Surely he would've known?" Wonder Woman stated, confusing on her face.

"The signal was cut short." Flash reminded her. "He probably knew it, but simply forgot to inform us before it was too late."

"And what difference does it make?" asked Conner, crossing his arms in front of his chest, anger in his voice.

Superman looked at Artemis. "Please Artemis, continue your story."

"There's not much else to tell. Jade isn't working for the Shadows anymore and she claimed not to have been involved with the plan when she were." Artemis ran a hand over her face, before looking Superman in the eyes.

"She did however say one thing. That this isn't just a mission for the League of Shadows. It's a suicidal mission. Meaning they will blow up Gotham and all the citizens."

"Oh no." whispered M'gann, voicing the horror on the others face.

"But why? I still don't understand what the Shadows got against Gotham." said Cassie, confusing in her voice. Wonder Woman stepped up beside her protegé.

"The fight between Gotham and the league of Shadows is many years old. It's been almost twelve years since they last tried to take down the City." the older Leaguer informed her protegé and the other team members.

"And what happened back then?" asked Garfield, standing beside M'gann, holding her hand.

"Batman happened. It wasn't long after he'd started out in Gotham, and still he managed to take down the Shadows. Gotham was spared. But it seems now that they've been living on borrowed time." Superman explained.

"The League hired Bane to take out Batman, their only weakness so they could have a free go a Gotham without him." Conner summed up, frowning in distaste. "But why then wait that long? "

"After Batman defeated then the first time they had to regroup and form a new plan. They lost a lot of their prime fighters because of their dedication to their 'cause'. And then the Justice League entered the stage, which I believe didn't exactly help the Shadow's further plans for Gotham. So, they waited."

"That's why Bane is involved in this. He had the raw power to take Batman." Zatanna supplied.

"Even so, Bane shouldn't have been able to defeat Batman. They've fought against each other many times before, with Batman always winning. Even Robin have beaten Bane a couple of times." reminded Wally.

There was silence for a moment before Green Lantern spoke up. "That is true. But none of us have seen Batman in over a year. We know nothing of what state he was in. And you informed us, that Robin had told you that Batman had been under a lot of pressure in Gotham. I think most of us thought that he meant that crime in Gotham had indeed gone so bad that it had started to wear out Batman. But what if it wasn't the psychical pressure Robin spoke of?"

Superman looked at Green Lantern with concerned eyes. "Are you suggesting that the League of Shadows had somehow managed to put under Batman under such an amount of psychological pressure that it gave Bane a chance to beat him?"

"Seems that way. Do you have another idea?"

"That is disturbing news." Manhunter spoke up, stepping forward.

"Since we know the League of Shadows doesn't mind killing themselves off for their causes. There is no negotiating with these people. We now have to operate under the fact that the bomb in Gotham isn't just a bomb with a control, but a time bomb. The League of Shadows have a date for the destruction of Gotham."

In the Dark Knight Rises, it was more Batmans arrogance in face of a stronger enemy that brought him down. In the YJ universe he isn't out of the game for 8 years like in DKR, so I had to be a little creative.
In DKR Bane do torment his mind, so I believe it to be plausible that the Shadows have been toying with him in the months leading up to the take over. Much like in the Court of the Owls (if you've read that).

These last few weeks have been quite the emotionally roller-coaster. The fact that Cartoon Network plans on cancelling Young Justice is just so wrong in so many ways. And I can't even help with raising the viewing statistics, since I don't live in US.
That is pretty sucky.

Hopefully a new chapter in another few weeks. Stay awesome.