DISCLAIMER: I'm sorry. I'm not available to come to the phone right now because I'm busy fighting off homicidal fruit. As such, I cannot inform you that I do not own Young Justice. My apologies.

Chapter 27: Dark Heart

"Hello, Raquel" said Artemis.

Raquel started to back up, but remembered Cheshire was still behind her and went to the left instead.

Artemis followed her, but was taking her time. It's not like Raquel had any real place she could run.

"Where are you going, little girl?" said Cheshire. "We just want to talk."

Raquel was not interested in talking. She looked around frantically for anything that could be used as a weapon.

"We heard you got fired" said Artemis. "And that really sucks. But the hero thing is overrated anyways. Trust me. I know."

Raquel backed up into the living room, still looking for something that she could defend herself with.

"So here's the deal" added Cheshire. "We'd like to offer you a job. A chance to get back at the Justice League."

"N-no!" stuttered Raquel. "I'm nothing like you!"

"Really?" said Artemis, advancing. "You aren't the slightest bit angry at the League? At Batman? They blamed everything on you, and it wasn't even your fault. They just need someone to be responsible for it, and you were the most expendable. Doesn't that make you mad? That you're just a scapegoat to them?"

Raquel looked around, desperate for something she could use. She could try the phone, of course, but who could she call? The police? Even if they could get here in time, would they be able to do anything? And, of course, she no longer had her Justice League communicator.

"Come with us" said Cheshire. "It'll be fun."

Raquel dashed to the living room fireplace and tried to grab the metal poker. Cheshire crossed the room with a midair flip and brought her foot down on Raquel's hand. Something cracked and Raquel stumbled backwards, clutching her wrist.

"That wasn't nice" said Cheshire, waving her finger like a preschool teacher.

"Please, Raquel" said Artemis. "We'll work great together."

For one, single moment, Raquel considered it.

Just one.

"You think I'd work with you?" she shouted at Artemis, feeling way braver now that she didn't have anything to lose. "After what you did to Zatanna, to Kid Flash, to Red Arrow, to me? Let's face it, Artemis. You're the one on the wrong path. And I'm not following you. Some of us actually did the hero thing because it was right."

"A pity" said Artemis, unsheathing her knife. "But if that's the way you want to see it, it's fine with me."

She lunged at Raquel, who grabbed a vase off a nearby table and tried to swing it at her. Artemis ducked and knocked the vase away before delivering a kick to Raquel's knees. The girl lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. Artemis gave her a savage kick to the abdomen.

Raquel gasped for breath as Artemis towered over her.

"Bye" said the traitor.

And then she plunged the knife into Raquel's chest.

Yay for explicit character death!

Wow. We're almost at 100 reviews! Awesome!

I also made a second hype poster, plus a mini cover since none of my posters fit of the Image Manager without the title turning into "orst Case Scenar". Link's in my profile. Tell me what you think.

Also feeling like showing the rest of you this quote from a PM I sent to Ultimate Black Ace a few days ago:

"Besides, it's not like I've KILLED any of them. Yet.
I merely shot their plane down, froze KF, set M'gann on fire, threw Roy into a high-voltage barrier, brainwashed Conner, got Rocket fired, psychically tortured Robin and a currently unidentified additional teammate, blew up Kaldur, caused Artemis to go evil, told you half the team died offscreen and you don't even want to know what happened to Zatanna..."

I think that sums up the story so far pretty well.

And to the armies of giant pineapples and armadas of carrots laying siege to my house (best out of context line ever, by the way) I say this:

"EAT C-4!"

*detonates land mines while cackling evilly*