At 18 pages single spaced, this is is the longest chapter yet and written in the shortest amount of time (24 hours. Amazing what a single day off work let's you do). It's also my personal favorite chapter so far as things finally take off and the different parts of the story start to come together. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I think I'm all caught up now from the lack of updates the last few weeks and I'll aim to have another chapter up next week (though I can't make any promises, but I really will try). For those wondering where Artemis has been, I think you'll be satisfied with this chapter. I hope so, anyway. Bonus points to anyone who takes the time to figure out what the spells say. Without further ado, here's chapter 7.
Saturday November 19, 2016 11:50 AM EST
A bitter cold wind danced across Keystone City swinging past swinging doors and waltzing into people's homes uninvited. Artemis slammed the door in the snowy weather's face and collapsed into the nearest chair upon entering her apartment.
The long morning shift at work left her mind buzzing with information and caffeine. 'Linda' might have to go on maternity leave sooner than she planned, she thought. All day the newsroom had been a mix of nervous energy regarding Sebastian Blood's approaching trial, the rise in missing youths and cult activity that couldn't be a coincidence, and Lex Luthor's response to the increasingly vocal anti-alien organizations. Artemis feared all the stress couldn't be good for the babies.
"Brucely!" Artemis called. A bark from further back in the apartment answered her. Artemis frowned. The jingle of her dog's collar confirmed his presence in the kitchen, but it wasn't like Brucely not to come when called. She sighed and forced herself to her feet, slowly making her way toward her pet.
"Brucely, where are you?" she called again. "Come here."
Artemis froze at finding the refrigerator door ajar, its placement along the left wall concealing who or whatever stood behind it.
"Brucely…?" Artemis asked, cautiously edging her way toward the fridge, at the same time reaching for the emergency communicator in her back pocket that Dick had left her upon his last visit. Her dog was smart, but Artemis doubted he'd learned to open the refrigerator door by himself.
The pit bull gave a friendly bark and emerged from behind the fridge, smiling and wagging his tail. Artemis took a deep, steadying breath and relaxed, but it did her little good as what she saw next forced the air from her lungs and paralyzed every inch of her body.
"Hey, babe. I hope you and the twins weren't craving ice cream because we're sort of out…"
She was hearing things. Seeing things. The stress of work had finally driven her crazy. Or the hormones had. Or both.
Because Artemis couldn't be hearing that voice. Seeing that shock of red hair, that smile, those eyes. His eyes.
"Wally?"
His name was barely a whisper on her lips, a ghost of a sound. A ghost like him. What else could he be?
But then why did he feel so real in her arms as he rushed to embrace her, keeping her from falling to the ground in her shock. Did a memory have a scent this strong? A warmth this solid? A laugh this clear? How was it she could taste the salt from her tears on his lips as she kissed him again and again, repeating his name?
"Artemis."
No poem had ever sounded so beautiful as Wally West speaking her name. A name she didn't use much anymore. A voice she never thought she'd never hear again.
"I'm dreaming, aren't I? Please don't tell me I'm dreaming," she begged, her fingers tightening around his forearms as she buried her head in his chest, hearing his heartbeat, the sound that used to lull her to sleep. It was loud and strong, just as she remembered. So much louder than the faint thumps of their unborn children's she'd heard for the first time through a stethoscope just a few weeks before, that she'd longed for him to hear as well. "Please, God, don't let this be a dream."
"Artemis," Wally said, gently pushing her back enough to press his forehead to hers. "Babe…"
No. Artemis knew that tone. That tone that signaled he was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear. "This is a dream, isn't it? And you're going to tell me I have to wake up."
Wally shook his head. "It's not that simple. I wish I could explain. There's so much I want to say you, but I can't stay long. I don't have the energy."
"No. No! Don't leave. Not again. I miss you so much. I love you. I don't know how to do this without you. Please, Wally-"
Wally silenced her with a deep kiss that was too short-lived.
"Artemis, honey, listen to me, please," Wally said. "It's important. Soon. I'm going to try to come back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, you have to stay strong for me. For our babies. This isn't a dream. It's a vision."
"Vision?" Artemis shook her head in confusion.
"I wish I had time to explain…" Wally glanced over his shoulder at the clock hanging on the north wall. It read five minutes till midnight. "Before I go, I have something to ask you. Something I never got to…"
Wally reached into his pocket and pressed a small, cool object into her hands. Artemis opened her palm and found a simple, but beautiful emerald ring in silver. Engraved into the band, a single word read 'Souvenir.'
"Since diamonds were never really your thing…"
Artemis couldn't breathe again. She was starting to wonder if someone had slipped some serious drugs into those brownies left in the break room at the office…
"'Souvenir' means a remembrance," Wally said, carefully folding her fingers over the ring. "Remember this, Artemis, when you're back on the other side. Remember. Tell Megan that we're running out of time. Can you do that for me?" There was more urgency in Wally's tone than Artemis had ever heard. She could only nod.
Wally placed his hand on her stomach, gazing at her rounded belly with a sad, soft smile.
"The four of us will be together. I promise. I love you, Artemis. And I'm sorry. For everything."
He gave her one last lingering kiss before the world around them faded away.
Artemis woke to a knocking on her apartment door. She forced herself to sit up in bed, a task that grew increasingly difficult as her bulging stomach grew in size. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten to her bedroom. Perhaps she'd stumbled in, as she sometimes did after a long day, on a sort of autopilot.
Before she could piece together the fragments of her dream, the knocking became more insistent. She stumbled toward the door, some part of her taking note that it was half past noon.
With the life she'd lived, nothing much surprised Artemis anymore, but she was caught off guard by the person waiting on the other side of the door.
"Jade?"
"So what do you know," the former assassin said, inviting herself into her younger sister's entryway and cradling a giggling Lian in her arms. "You really did up and move to this dump of a city. Is this really where you plan to raise your kids?"
Artemis pressed her fingers to her forehead. As if her lack of sleep weren't giving her enough of a headache.
"This coming from the woman who carries her daughter around on her back during missions into top secret criminal facilities?" Artemis said, shutting the door and making her way to the couch.
"Well then, if you disapprove of my methods you can watch your niece here for me while Roy and I run a few…errands. See, it's our anniversary today and nothing fires up the old romance like a trip down Memory Lane…"
"Stop! The last thing I need is a mental image of you and Harper doing...whatever it is you do. And if you haven't noticed," Artemis said gesturing toward her stomach, "I'm not exactly fit to run after a toddler."
"My little angel's no trouble," Jade said.
Artemis raised an eyebrow, watching as the tiny redhead squirmed out of her mother's arms. As if to prove her aunt's point, Lian proceeded to wobble across the floor and attempt to scale the open pantry shelves like a ladder.
"Thanks for telling us, by the way," Jade said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she scooped her daughter back up. "Roy and I were so happy when your pal Nightwing stopped by to give us the news we were going to be an aunt and uncle. Did you really plan on going through this alone?"
"Your hypocrisy knows no bounds, does it, sis? Wally and I got a phone call at 2 in the morning that you'd had a healthy baby girl in the mountains of Nepal."
"I told you, I was following a lead on finding the 'real Roy.' Who knew a little mountain climbing would induce early labor?"
Artemis shook her head. "I've heard your excuses for cutting Roy out of your life back then. I'd say I understand what your reasons were, except you have a nasty habit of severing your ties. It's hard for me to feel sympathetic when, unlike you, I don't have a choice in whether or not my babies' father is involved in their lives."
Jade knew her sister's fiery words could spark an argument between them if she let them. Maybe Artemis was counting on that. Maybe she wanted to uncork all that bottled anger, fueled by grief and raging hormones, on her older sister. If so, Artemis would find herself disappointed.
Jade assumed the calm, collected composure that once made her an expert Shadow. "That's exactly why I came. I know exactly how difficult it is to try and bring a child into this world alone."
"I'm not alone," Artemis said. "I have my friends."
"And you have your family."
"What family?" Artemis asked, her expression bitter. "A father that only cares that his associate's son apparently killed me without his blessing? A mother that says she can't deal with me breaking her heart again, so she cuts me out of her life? A sister that shows up on my doorstep-"
"To tell you that she loves you and is here for you."
For several moments, Lian's coos and babbles were the only sounds that filled the room. Finally, Artemis recovered her ability to speak. "Wow. You really have changed. What happened to 'every girl for herself'?"
Jade tucked a stray hair behind her daughter's ear, gazing at Lian with a tenderness few would ever believe the former killer capable of. "I learned that I didn't want my little girl growing up by that same principle. I want her to be strong, but she shouldn't have to survive on that strength the way that we did. I want her to have the life we didn't: a stable home, a mother and father she knows love her more than anything. Before Lian, I was selfish. Just living for myself. Even marrying Roy was selfish, in a way. But it's not about me anymore."
Artemis studied the floor, recalling the similar words she herself had said to Dick just a few weeks prior. Her hands instinctively fell across her stomach where she felt a small kick beneath her palm. Knowing that if she started crying she'd have a hard time stopping, Artemis decided to change the subject.
"How did you know where to find me? Roy's connections at the League?"
"Ha." Jade took a seat on the couch beside Artemis, letting Lian sit between them. "Your pals wouldn't give so much as a hint where you went. Not that I needed their help. I'm a master tracker, and it's not like you were hard to find, with your face all over the local news. A haircut and name change aren't fooling anyone, sis. And 'Linda Park'? Could you have picked a tackier alias?"
"None of this was my idea."
"Really? You never seem to be in short supply of bad ones."
The sisters talked for a long time. About Artemis' departure in July and what she'd been doing since then. About how Roy and Jade had decided to give their marriage a second chance, at first for Lian's sake, and also because neither could quite give the other up. The young family had since settled into Star City.
"You missed Lian's first birthday in September," Jade said.
"Sorry."
"Yeah, well, you can make it up to me and her. Like I said, it's Roy's and my second anniversary tonight and I'm in need of a babysitter."
"But I really-"
Jade thrust Lian into Artemis' arms before the younger Crock could protest. "Consider it good practice. After all, you'll have two newborns to look after soon. Compared to that, one toddler ought to be a walk in the park. Much as I've enjoyed catching up, I've got to run. Be a good girl for Aunt Artemis, Lian."
The toddler giggled as her mother kissed her cheek. Jade made to leave, but halted at the doorway at the sound of her sister calling her name.
"Yes, Artemis?"
Artemis settled her niece in her lap, playing with the baby's hair as she spoke. "I was thinking…Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I already said I'd cover the day shift at the station, but maybe that night, if you and Roy don't have plans…"
Jade smiled. "I suppose it's not safe for you to Zeta travel in your condition or I'd have you come to our place. If you think this tiny place of yours can handle three more people…then we'll come."
Artemis nodded. "I would like that."
"I'll be back to get Lian in the morning," Jade said, waving farewell.
"Alright," Artemis said as the door closed behind her sister.
Lian looked from the door to Artemis, pouting in confusion. "Mommy?" she asked.
"Sorry, Lian. Your mom and dad need some…alone time. But Aunty Artemis is more fun, anyway, right?"
Lian giggled as Artemis bounced the baby on her knee.
"Yep," Artemis said. "It's just you and me, kiddo. So what should we do now?"
Lian didn't answer as a shiny object on Artemis' neck captured the toddler's full attention. Tiny hands wrapped around something beneath Artemis' shirt collar and tugged gently.
"What in the…"
Artemis froze, watching as her niece stared at the shiny object in her hands: a silver ring with a green stone attached to simple chain like a necklace.
Remember.
Lian recalled her aunt's attention with a gentle pat on the cheek. Artemis hadn't realized she'd been crying until the sweet little girl tried to wipe away her tears. Artemis smiled, giving her niece a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'm okay, Lian."
"Arty…okay?" she repeated. "No sad?"
Artemis had forgotten just how smart her niece was. Most other babies wouldn't learn to speak in sentences so early, but Lian could do it at 14 months.
"No sad," Artemis promised. "I'm just happy."
"Happy? Cry?"
Intelligent as she was, Lian couldn't yet grasp the connection between joy and tears.
"Happy cry," Artemis said, nodding her head and smiling. "Come on, Lian. We're going to pay a visit to some of your daddy's friends."
"Daddy," Lian said, cheerfully clapping her hands.
Saturday November 19, 2016 12:00 PM MST
"I knew this was a bad idea," Virgil said, his face looking slightly green as Raven teleported the last few members of the group to the rendezvous point a few blocks south of LexCorp's Roswell, New Mexico branch.
"It is…uh…a little cold in there," Tim admitted, getting his bearings as the black portal closed behind the group.
"Yeah, why is that, Rae?" Gar asked, seeming a little less ill from the journey than their companions, though his green coloring might account for that.
"When we teleport, we actually travel through a place called the Shadow Planes," Raven explained. "It's an intermediary realm between the heavens and the lower realms like Earth."
"Is it always so…dark?" Jaime asked.
Raven shook her head. "The Planes can take on different forms, depending on the traveler and the corresponding place on Earth. The Shadow worlds mirror our own. A warm, sunny day in Roswell makes it a cold night on the Planes."
"So since it's noon here, it's midnight there?" Tim asked.
"Exactly."
"Fascinating," Static said. "But don't we have a job to do?"
"Yes," Tim said. "We should get moving."
"One small problem," Jaime pointed out. "Rachel isn't trained in stealth."
"I can stay here," she offered.
Tim shook his head. "Batman said he wanted all of us to go, so that's what we'll do."
"There's another problem," Static pointed out. "Raven doesn't have stealth tech. You need to wear something that lets you blend in."
"Like this?" Raven snapped her fingers and a whirl of blue smoke rose from the ground around her. When it cleared, she was wearing black leggings, sneakers, a black tunic and a dark-washed jean jacket. She'd pulled her short black hair out of her face with a headband.
"That works," Tim said with a nod of a approval.
The group moved toward the company building and Raven made to follow, but Virgil held her back.
"Try not to get in the way."
The empath narrowed her eyes at the older hero as he rejoined the others, but Raven said nothing, walking a few steps behind the boys. Tim slowed and fell into pace with her and said under his breath, "Don't mind, Static. He had a pretty bad encounter with some aliens called the Reach last summer. Lex Luthor was one of their partners, so missions like this can set him on edge a bit."
Raven answered in an equally quiet tone, a certain rasp to her voice that hinted she was holding anger back. "Any reason he's decided to take that stress out on me?"
"Because you don't get mad. You're the newest now. And you're from off-world. Makes you an easy target."
"But I'm not even an alien," Raven said. "My mother was from Earth. From Gotham."
"No kidding," Tim said. "That's my hometown."
"I know," Raven said. "I mean, Megan told me a little about everyone my first few days here. Maybe you wouldn't mind…telling me what it's like?"
"Gotham?" Tim asked.
Raven nodded.
"Well, let's see. It's a bigger city than Jump, but way smaller than New York. Crime rate used to be pretty high, but of course Batman's kept it under control for several years. With the help of yours truly, the trusty aid. Well, a few aids, actually."
"Nightwing was your predecessor right?" Raven asked.
"Well, one of them," Tim said with a hint of discomfort. "I'm actually the third Robin. The second died before I ever met him."
"Oh," Raven said, unsure how to respond. "I'm sorry. That must be hard sometimes. Hard on the other Bats, too, I'm guessing. You all seem so close. Like a family."
Tim nodded. "We kind of are. He probably wouldn't like me telling you this since you're new, but Batman's actually my adoptive dad, which makes Nightwing like a big brother."
Raven didn't ask what happened to Tim's real parents. She knew most everyone on the Team had complicated family ties and histories. Tim had done Raven the curtesy of not prying into her past, so she'd return the favor.
"But you've got family, too, now," Tim pointed out.
Raven sighed. "Sometimes I wonder. There are moments I feel close to my cousin, but most of the time I just feel like a burden to Zatanna."
"She'll come around," Tim assured. "You're both new to this. But that actually wasn't what I meant. You're part of the Team. That makes you part of our family, which means we've got your back. So whatever it is you're afraid to tell us, I hope you'll trust us with in time."
Raven's expression didn't change, but there was a hint of surprise and mistrust in her purple eyes only someone with Tim's attention to detail would catch.
"Don't worry," Tim said. "I'm not a mindreader like Miss Martian. Just a detective. It's part of the job, as you're about to learn."
The group stopped behind a group of trees, surveying the layout of the building's outer security, which was surprisingly minimal.
"Static, think you can take out that corner camera?" Tim asked.
"On it."
A beam of electricity arched across the air, zapping the security camera on the building's side.
"Beast Boy, see if you can get through that back door and let us in."
"No problem."
Gar transformed into a green salamander and vanished into the grass. His boneless body squeezed beneath the crack in the metal, knobless side door and he emerged inside a small, dark hallway. He scanned along the concrete walls for any sines of motion detectors or cameras. Seeing the coast was clear, he resumed his human form and opened the door, motioning for the rest of the squad to follow.
The five juveniles quietly made their way toward the red dot on Robin's watch, which displayed a map of the building.
"We'll have to head down," Tim said as they came to a flight of stairs that plunged into a lightless black square.
Raven stopped a moment and closed her eyes. "I don't sense anyone down there."
"Infrared's not picking anything up, either," Tim agreed. "Still, proceed with caution."
Evig em a tib fo thgil, Raven thought and an orb of light formed in her hand. Gar transformed into a small owl and perched on Raven's shoulder, peering into the darkness ahead as the other boys let the youngest members lead the way.
"Stop," Tim instructed as they reached the end of the stairs. Gar fluttered his wings and circled the room ahead, changing back into a fourteen year old boy as he rejoined the group.
"Coast is clear, Rob."
"This is the place," Tim said, looking around as the group made their way into the tall, spacious lab, mindful not to bump into the tables laden with beakers and bottles as they went.
"But what exactly are we looking for?" Jaime asked.
"Uh…guys." As they crossed into another room, they saw what Static was pointing toward. In the center of the long, narrow basement was a machine that stretched from ceiling to floor. It was shaped like a giant hourglass with orange liquid funneling through the transparent top half into a large steal pot below that hung over a roaring fire.
A light shot out from Robin's watch, scanning the machine.
Tim stared at his watch face as data streamed across the screen. "Whatever it is, it's not from Earth," he said.
I have seen this before, the Scarab said to Jaime. "It's Reach tech," Jaime said aloud.
"Like that stuff they forced on me to develop my powers?" Static said, a dangerous edge to his voice.
"Pretty close."
"Figures Luthor'd hide alien stuff in a place like Roswell," Gar said. "Hiding in plain site."
"He must be looking to enhance and control the Meta-Gene," Tim said.
Static felt a heat spreading through his veins as his skin began to spark. "What are we waiting for?" he said, voice seething with rage. The Reach. Luthor. The League. They'd all tried to control and manipulate Virgil at some point. He wasn't about to sit back and watch Luthor and his friends use innocent people like lab rats. "Let's blow that thing sky high and get out of here."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice along the far wall said. A gray-clad figure emerged from behind the machine, revealing a man with a thin white face like a skull and a clear cranium through which they could see the pink of his brain.
"Psimon," Gar said, a sudden fire in his eyes as he looked on the man that had hurt his sister more than once and who worked for the woman who killed his mother.
"If it isn't the little heroes again. Why am I not surprised?"
"Since when do you work for Luthor?" Tim asked, trying to keep the villain talking as he slowly reached for his electric staff.
"Oh, I don't." Psimon chuckled. "Of course he likes to think he's the one in charge. But Luthor's just another pawn in the game, really. No, I serve a much higher power. Still, I'd never miss an opportunity to manipulate the minds of the masses. It's just too much fun."
Static made to lunge at Psimon, but Jaime held him back.
"Static, stop," Raven hissed. "He's trying to manipulate your feelings. You'll be playing right into his hands."
Psimon's eyes lit up as they fell on the girl. "I'd listen to her, if you were you. After all, she's rather an expert on the subject."
"What?" Jaime said, disbelieving.
"I knew it!" Static said.
"What does he mean, Raven?" Tim asked, remaining levelheaded as he worked through a strategy.
She shook her head, staring at the strange psychic. "I don't know. I've never met him in my life."
Psimon let out a hardy laugh. "She isn't lying. Our princess is far too honest for that."
"Who are you?" Raven asked, a dangerous undertone to her words.
"Let's just say I'm a family friend. I honestly wasn't expecting us to meet so soon, but since you're here…Psimon says-"
"Block him out!" Gar warned just in time for Raven to form a shield around the group. Gag mih, she thought and a red ex formed over the villain's mouth.
Psimon looked annoyed, but undeterred. Silly girl. You can't silence a telepath so easily. Psimon says-
"Well I say 'shut up!'" Jaime said, flying toward Psimon and delivering a swift kick to the side of his white face. "I've got enough voices in my head, already!"
"Static, Gar, back up Blue," Tim ordered. "Raven, help me shut off this machine."
Tim busied himself with hacking into the system's controls while Raven used her powers to encase the machine in darkness, grinding the formula making process to a halt.
Psimon swatted at the boys like flies as Gar and Blue flew around him, Gar shifting into different birds while Static dodged Psimon's mental blasts, shooting jolts of electricity at him from all directions.
"Watch out!" Raven warned as a lab table flew towards Static from behind. She sent the table flying backwards toward the wall, countering Psimon's telekinesis with her own. Distracted by Raven's warning, Static ducked and misdirected one of his lightning bolts, giving Gar and Beetle little time to dodge.
Psimon turned his attention toward the empath. He spoke using his telepathy, the red cross still binding his lips together.
Is that all you've got, Xon-siva? Is that the best Azar could teach you? No wonder Azarath fell so easily. Your father will be so disappointed to learn how little you've progressed. But don't worry. I would never seriously injure Trigon's daughter. You see, I owe my powers entirely to your father, much as you do yours. Why not join me? Accept your fate as the crowning gem. Become the queen of Chaos you were born to be. You could be so powerful. I could help you on that journey, far more than these mere Earthlings ever could.
"Stand down," Raven ordered, trying to sound authoritative despite her exhaustion in keeping the machine locked up and her emotions in check.
Psimon's laugh echoed into her mind. A nice attempt, Princess, but unlike Klarion, I'm not bound to obey your orders. Not if I have contrary commands from someone who outranks you.
And who would that be? Raven asked. Has my father stooped to giving direct orders to a pawn like you?
Psimon glowered at her. Ignorant child! I'll have you know I am your father's right hand!
And I'm his crowning jewel. Or so I've been told. Seems that I outrank you, after all.
Ah, but you presume too much, Princess. Do you think you're Trigon's only child? Only daughter, yes. But Master has conquered hundreds of worlds. While those other heirs might not outrank you individually, their combined authority certainly holds as much weight as yours in directing Trigon's servants.
"Who-"
Before Raven could ask more, a dark force crept over Static, causing him to unleash a wrathful roar.
"Robin!" Gar called. "We could use some help about now!"
"Just one more minute!" Tim called as his portable drive showed the download was almost complete. The entire machine was set to collapse in 54 seconds, at which time they needed to be far away from the fallout.
"We don't have another minute, man!" Jaime said, now busy fending off Static, whose eyes glowed red. "Static's gone loco!"
"Well, snap him out of it!" Tim said.
"Great advice!" Jaime said sarcastically. "Any ideas on how to do that?"
"I'll leave you kids to your fun," Psimon said, walking casually away from the scene. "Until next time, Xon-siva."
Raven tried to send an barrage of glass beakers his way, but they crashed harmlessly against the wall as Psimon teleported away.
"When did he learn to do that?!" Gar asked, dodging another of Static's shots of lightning.
Tim didn't answer, all his focus trained on the decreasing numbers on the screen. 30 seconds.
"Raven, be ready to get us out of here on my mark."
25 seconds.
"Guys, we have to hold hands!" Raven called over the growing hissing and bubbling of the chemicals as the machine began to quake and steam.
"And do what? Sing Kumbaya?!" Gar asked.
"This is no time for your jokes!" Raven yelled.
"I can't get a hold on Static!" Jaime warned.
10 seconds.
"Enough!" Raven turned away from the machine, unable to hold it back, and focused all her energy toward Virgil as she yelled, "Revetahw uoy era, I llet uoy teg tou!"
A haunting laugh echoed in her mind as a shadow flew out of Virgil and slithered like a snake into the darkness.
"Now!" Tim yelled, striking a final blow to the machine with his staff.
Gar and Beetle both grabbed one of Virgil's arms. Raven propelled them towards her with her telekinesis, and Tim and Jaime grabbed hold of her hands just in time for the five to vanish into a circle of black while the glass container burst behind them, dousing the lab in orange chemicals that fizzled and left fire in their wake.
Saturday November 19, 2016 1:30 PM PST
"Well, that was easy," Cassie said as she, Starfire, and Bart watched the police car haul Icicle Jr. away.
"Course it was," Bart said. "It's too bad Rachel had to tag along with the guys instead of us. What were Meg and Cy thinking, letting her sneak into LexCorp right after claiming she wasn't ready for a basic mission?"
"Ooh, someone has a crush," Cassie sing-songed.
Bart didn't answer. He never argued with the others when they teased him about having a crush on Rachel. It was better they not guess Bart's real reasons for wanting to know more about the empath. He actually felt guilty suspecting the girl, but what choice did he have?
Some months ago, Neutron had managed to send Bart a message from the future: things were still bad. Something besides Blue Beetle turning evil was keeping the human race enslaved. If Jaime wasn't the trigger, who or what was? Bart hated judging a young girl he'd just met, but after listening to Victor and Virgil talk, Bart couldn't rule out the possibility that Static might be right. What if Rachel Roth's coming to Earth meant trouble for them all?
"I do not believe our friends were at all happy with the Batman's decision to send Raven," Starfire said in answer to Bart's earlier question. "I suspect they kept silent on the issue because we are subject to the League's authority."
"She'll be fine," Cassie assured. "It's a simple stealth mission. In and out. They'll probably be back at the Tower before we are."
But they were not. And as hour after hour passed without any of the three hearing word from their teammates, even Cassie's optimism began to fade. "Maybe we should contact the League?" Cassie asked.
"Or go look for them ourselves," Bart said. He'd changed out of his Kid Flash costume the instant he'd returned home. Even after all these months, he felt odd playing the role his cousin Wally had held for so many years.
"I could try to contact M'gann," Kory offered. "Perhaps she can at least tell us where our friends are."
"No need, Star," Jaime said as the double doors to the living room slid back to reveal a tired looking Tim and Gar supporting a limp, but conscious Static while Jaime carried a sleeping Raven on his back.
"Sorry we're late," Static said in a hoarse voice. "Someone could only teleport us as far as a few miles before taking a nap."
"Only after she used all her energy saving your ass," Jaime snapped. "We would have called, but we think Raven's powers might have short circuited the communicators. Tim's data from the lab is still good, though, so mission complete. We grabbed a bus to my hometown El Paso and used the Zeta tube there."
"Saving?" Static repeated. "It was her fault I lost it in the first…the first…" Virgil's voice cracked before he was finished. It was clear he'd lost his voice, probably after yelling for several hours. Tim, Gar, and Jaime knew Raven must be in bad shape to have slept through all Static's ranting.
Tim sighed. "Static thinks Raven's the one who manipulated him into attacking us."
"Even though Psimon was standing right there," Gar added.
"You didn't hear…" Virgil coughed and then continued. "Didn't hear what I heard."
"He also thinks he listened in on Rae and Psycho's telepathic conversation while he was possessed," Jaime explained, moving to set Raven down on the couch.
"I take it Megan, Cy, and Conner are still out?" Tim asked, changing the subject. The others nodded.
Cassie gave her boyfriend a bone-crushing hug. "You had us worried."
"I'll take Rachel to her room," Kory offered, picking the girl up off the couch.
Bart waited until the others cleared out before taking a seat beside Jaime on the sofa.
"Mind filing me in on what happened?"
His friend sighed, but told him about the fight with Psimon in the LexCorp lab, how Virgil had started attacking Blue Beetle and Gar until Raven used a spell to snap him out of it.
"And you don't think there's any chance Static's right?" Bart asked carefully. "You're positive it wasn't Raven making him act that way?"
"What? Why would you even ask that? I thought you liked her."
Bart groaned and placed his head in his hands. "Blue? Can you keep a secret?"
The speedster explained the message he'd received from his future, the conversation he'd overheard between Static and Cyborg, even the weird dream he'd had the night before of a swirling, multicolored vortex.
"Dude," Jaime said. "Heavy stuff. So you've been keeping tabs on Raven the same way you did me last summer. You think she's some kind of threat?"
Bart sighed. "I don't know, Blue. I don't want to jump to conclusions. I mean, I never heard anything about her in my timeline and even if she did do something to cause that hell, that doesn't mean she'll do it this time around."
"And you do like her," Jaime said. "Which complicates things even more."
Bart didn't deny it, which was answer enough for Jaime. "Look, Bart. I won't pretend this is an easy situation, but when aren't things complicated for people like us? And you won't get any answers until you get to know her, anyway."
"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Bart asked, frustrated.
"Well, try harder," Jaime said without sympathy. "Who knows? Maybe you can help change whatever bad you think might be heading Rachel's way. The future can change, right? That's the whole reason you came here. It worked for me."
Bart nodded. "Alright then. So where do I start?"
Saturday November 19, 2016 11:00 PM Taipei, Taiwan
"That was fun," Jade said as she sat on the rooftop of a high rise and gazed out at the city below.
"Speak for yourself," Roy said, rubbing his sore legs as he took a seat beside his wife.
"Not my fault you're out of shape, Red."
"I'm not out of shape!" the hero said. "I just didn't expect us to spend our anniversary roof hopping in Taiwan like a pair of ninjas."
"Oh, but darling," Jade purred, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Doesn't it take you back? This is where it all started for us."
"Yeah. You trying to kill a diplomat and me trying to foil your plans. Real romantic."
Jade chuckled. "Don't pretend the danger wasn't half the fun."
"It was," Roy admitted. "At first. But you know…" He pulled his wife into his lap and pressed his forehead to hers. "We might be a boring married couple now…"
"I am never-"
Roy silenced her with a finger to her lips. "We might be a boring married couple now, but I think what we have now is better than what we had back then. And I still know plenty of ways for us to have fun…"
Jade laughed against his lips as they kissed. "Someone's in a hurry tonight. Why so speedy, darling dear? We have all night."
Roy groaned at the lameness of her joke. "Guess I'm used to Lian interrupting us halfway through. But she's at your sister's tonight, so…"
"So how about we stop talking," Jade said between kisses, "and start having some real fun?"
The two held hands as they crept from the roof to the balcony of their top floor hotel room, a gesture Jade once thought childish and undignified, but she had since learned to treasure the simple act and all the complex meaning behind it.
They resumed kissing the instant their feet touched the ground until Jade pulled back, playing coy with her husband.
"Just give me one minute…"
"Jade."
"To freshen up."
"Jade."
She broke into her signature cat-like smile as the dignified father of her child resorted to childish whining. Reformed villain or not, Jade would always have a mischievous side to her that took a dark delight in torturing Roy ever so slightly.
"One minute," she promised and slipped out of his embrace and into the bathroom. She crouched as though adjusting the boots she wore over her jeans. Jade and Roy weren't the dress and tie sort of couple. Instead of removing the shoe, her hands fastened around her dagger hidden in the heel as she whipped around, pointing the blade in the direction of the shadowed intruder lurking in the open window.
"Show yourself," she warned.
"Now, now, Jade. Is that anyway to greet your former master?"
Jade kept her defensive stance, her eyes narrowing as they adjusted to the dark. "Ra's al Ghul," she said. "You're supposed to be dead."
"Yes, well, sorry to disappoint you." The man stepped into the pool of light pouring in from the city. "You can put your dagger down, Cheshire. I only came to talk."
Jade's grip on the weapon tightened. Ra's al Ghul sighed. "Have it your way."
His long green robes shuffled as the man carefully lowered himself to sit on the window's ledge, wincing as he did. "As you can see, I'm not yet fully recovered from my incident. Thanks to your sister and her friends."
"If you're looking for Artemis, you've come to the wrong place," Jade said without betraying a hint of feeling. "You know very well my sister and I don't have much of a relationship."
"I know that used to be the case," the man said, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "But from what I hear, that's all changed of late. So you really left the Shadows after all. I thought when you took off last time you'd be back before long, but here you are, a respectable wife and mother. What was your daughter's name now…Lian, was it not?"
"If you so much as threaten one hair on my daughter's head," Jade hissed. "If you so much as glance at my family-"
"Relax, child. I've no interest in harming your family. To the contrary, I've a proposal I believe will benefit your loved ones greatly."
Jade said nothing, but it was clear the leader of the League of Shadows had captured her attention.
"I myself know the difficulty of raising a child alone," Ra's continued. "A child needs both parents in his life. Despite our past…difficulties, I don't wish to see your sister's children grow up without their father. The speedster, wasn't it? Tragic just how young he died. But I can change that. I can bring him back, provided you do a certain favor for me."
"Bring the dead back to life?" Jade scoffed. "Don't take me for a fool, Ra's."
"Oh, I know you're no fool, Jade. You need evidence, assurance. I understand. Well, you're looking at it. I'm the living proof that there are means of reversing even death."
Jade remained wary. "Even if it were possible, why would you want to help me or my sister? I left the Shadows and we both know there are only two ways one does that. Unless you're prepared to release me from my oath, I can only assume you plan to kill me. And you died because of my sister's scheme to infiltrate the Light."
"I've lived a long time, Jade. Lifetimes. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that nothing is ever permanent. An enemy can grow to be your closest ally, a best friend your most bitter adversary. The one thing you can count on is family. The Shadows are like family to me," Ra's explained. "Once family, always family. Help me, Jade. One more job, and I promise you'll be free of me forever, if that's what you wish. I also promise your niece and nephew will know their father. Your sister need not suffer separation from her lover any longer."
Jade looked deep into the ancient eyes of the Shadows' leader, searching for any sign of deception. "I'll need to think it over."
"Of course," Ra's said, rising to leave. "Forgive my rudeness. I've intruded on you and your spouse's quality time long enough. Consider your options carefully, Cheshire. Just don't wait too long. We've a limited window of time in which to act."
In a rush of wind, the villain vanished.
A sudden knock on the bathroom door nearly sent Jade hurling her dagger toward the sound before she remembered where she was.
"Jade? It's been way longer than one minute."
Jade forced her voice steady. "Coming!"
She opened the door and kissed Roy full on the mouth before he could ask her questions or note the tension in her shoulders. Jade could be unreadable when she wished, but her husband was the exception to that rule. Thankfully, Roy was too preoccupied with kissing her to notice anything else.
"I love you."
Few things in life frightened Jade, but the power of those three simple words was something that once terrified her to the core of her being. Not anymore.
Jade swallowed her guilt and her pride and said those three thrilling, dangerous words in return. It was more than a declaration of feeling. She was making a promise.
This was her life now. He was her life. Roy and Lian. Jade wouldn't give that up. And she wouldn't have to, if she played her cards right. One more job. One last deception. For her sister. For her family.