"No Lawrence keep away from her!"

"That is my daughter in there and I can do whatever the hell I please. Now tell me who is she with!"

With the gun still trained on her husband Paula stood her ground. Her eyes still locked on the familiar intruder.

"His name is Kaldur and she likes him end of story but, you would know that if you ever tried to be any kind of father to her!"

"Keep your damn voice down! I have done everything in my power to ready her for this world…"

"Go screw yourself! You didn't have to hurt her like you did!"

"Pain is necessary fact of life."

"Her father isn't the one that should be breaking her bones and lacerating her flesh you bastard."

"You may think I don't love or care about her but, I do."

"So is that why Jade disappeared? Too much love? You can call your twisted training and lessons anything you want but, we all know your goal is just to turn them to sadist carbon copies of you. Artemis is better then that she is so much fucking better than you."

"How dare you! Jade made her own choices! On her own I might add no one pushed her! All that time and effort spent on her. I spent years embarking all of my knowledge and giving her the very best training, relentlessly honing her skills, giving her the independence needed to functional into today's world all the while preparing her to face off against the likes of the Batman or The League of Assassin's if needed. So when their back is against the wall they know how to survive without having to depend on anyone else but themselves."

"Right because soulless emotionless creatures are always what I always dreamed the girls growing up to be. No love, no hope, or caring only hate and violence. You were no better then The League of Assassin's. Jade could have been happy with Roy but, you couldn't let your daughters have a normal life."

"Roy got himself killed. I did not have anything to do with it."

"Is that why Jade is gone with our grandchild? The one I have only seen once! She doesn't even trust us in the time of her greatest need. What does that say about us Lawrence? We can't even be trusted to weep with our children."

"Listen I didn't come here to argue about the past I came here because there have been reports of a ninja type character going by the name of Cheshire doing mercenary work overseas. I think it is Jade but, I need back up. First things first you said Kaldur correct?"

"Yes."

Paula with her weapon still at the ready had her eyes tear up on her as she stated the answer, she didn't want Lawrence to get involved with Artemis and Kaldur at this point but, to get a lead on her oldest daughter and her granddaughter she would have made a deal with the devil himself. As a matter a fact she may be doing that now anyway. Lawrence pulled out his PDA and typed in Kaldur's name and in seconds information and stats about Kaldur flooded his touch screen.

(Information as it appears to Lawrence on his PDA.)

Name: Kaldur'ahm

D.O.B.: Unknown

Hair color: Black.

Eye color: Brown.

Family: Subject was adopted by the Atlantean royal family with his brother Garth who was also adopted by the royal family. There is no record of subject until that point.

Race: Black or (other), Atlantean

Age: 22

Sex: Male

Powers: Subject can breathe underwater. Subject is known to have mental control over water in his immediate area. Subject can form water into any form to suit any offense or defense need. His body naturally holds and emits and electric current of an unknown voltage. Subject has been trained in hand to hand combat by subjects Aquaman and Batman. Subject also has advanced healing factor and super strength due to his Atlantean D.N.A. structure.

General Information: Subject is known to be the leader of a rotating team of hero's who work for the Justice League. His tattoos are believed to be markings of honor and merit designed by his Atlantean culture as badges of honor which have been done with a special kind of eel ink that is why they glow when he uses his electric current.

Personal Information: Subject has been involved with subject Artemis Crock for the past year and three months.

Lawrence then hit the link that was listed under personal information. He wanted to know just how much information they had amassed on his daughter.

Name: Artemis Lian Crock

D.O.B.: Unknown

Hair color: Blonde

Eye color: Blue

Family: Subject's biological father is unknown. Mother is Paula Crock retired super criminal/hero due to an unknown spinal injury. Subject has a sister, Jade last name unknown. Some data points to Crock while other points to Nguyen which is believed to be mothers last name before marriage. Subject also has niece by the name of Lian Harper and a brother in law by the name of Roy Harper who is now deceased. Both subjects Jade and Lian have disappeared following the death of Roy Harper.

Race: Mixed, Oriental, White (other), Human

Age: 20

Sex: Female

Powers: Subject has unbelievable marksmanship with bow and arrow weapon systems. Has an array of trick arrows. Subject has shown experience with a wide array of weapon systems. The combat training which the subject has shown has been deemed military grade leading us to believe she has been trained by someone else besides Green Arrow which cannot be proven as of yet. Subject is also an Olympic level athlete.

General Information: Little is known about subjects early years. It seems that Artemis has no relationship with her biological father. It is only known that subject was using the vigilante identity of Tigress when she was approached by subject Green Arrow. For reasons unknown subject Green Arrow approached subject Artemis with an offer to train her. It is believed that because of subject's use of major force as Tigress. Subject then received training from subject Green Arrow. After the death of subject Roy Harper subject Artemis was placed on the team with subjects Night-wing, Superboy, Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Kaldur'ahm. Subject's vigilante tendencies tapered off after joining the team.

Personal Information: Subject is now involved with subject Kaldur'ahm and his team and has been for some time now. During that time subject has shown stability and growth as an individual. Tendencies to go above and beyond the law have ceased. Subject is confirmed to be in a romantic relationship with subject Kaldur'ahm. The two subjects have been involved or an estimated year at this time.

Along with the information on the Kaldur and Artemis were several videos of them. Many of them working with the team to take down this criminal or the next but, some of them were private footage. The two of them at a café eating lunch. Holding hands on the way home. A stolen kiss here and there. One thing he noticed about the videos mainly the personal footage. Was that Artemis was smiling, really smiling after all he had seen enough fake ones to know. He couldn't believe it, she actually looked happy. He has known some of Artemis's boyfriends and as far as he could recall she never smiled like that for any of them. He looked at some more of the footage and saw how Artemis blushed when he would open a door for her or pull out her chair for her then seat her before himself. Then how she would reach for his hand. Now she has held hands with her other boyfriends in the past but, what was so special about it was that she never initiated it. Simple quirks in her behavior told him all he needed to know. She cared for this kid, deeply too.

"Does this Kaldur kid treat her nice Paula?"

"More so then I have ever seen anyone else treat her."

"Is she is happy?"

Paula finally lowered her weapon when she answered his question.

"Yes. Very."

"How do you know he won't break her heart?"

"I have been around them and I have to tell you, what they have is what most just read about in love stories. I wish I could take whatever they have and bottle it. When they sit next to each other you should see how he puts his body around her like an alpha male protecting his mate from any and all harm. The way her eyes light up when she sees him or how her ears twitch when he says her name. Lawrence they love each other I just don't know if they know it yet."

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

"I need someone that I know to have my back. Someone I can count on. If this Cheshire really is Jade then she may be in some deep shit. I need baby girl.

"She just can't drop ever thing and jet hop across the world. She has duties and reasonability's here in Gotham not to mention the team."

"Gotham has enough heroes in tights Paula. You got Batman and Robin, Batgirl, and now you even have that guy in the red hood jumping around rooftops. In order to bring Jade home I need her."

With that he walked over to her and stared into her eyes. To Paula he was still as dashing as he looked all those years ago when she first met him. To him she always managed to leave him speechless even after her accident that left her in that chair to him she was beautiful. He started to lend his head closer and closer to hers. She was unflinching as he closed the distance. The moments seemed like hours. Then he dropped a disposable cell phone in her hand.

"It only has one number in it. I will let myself out."

Then he was gone. A few hours later the alarm clock that was sitting next to Kaldur and Artemis started to ring and vibrate. Artemis had set it to wake them up in plenty of time to make role call at the Watchtower. Even though they sleep like babies through the night neither one of them really wanted to get up. Artemis opened her lazy eyes and saw her lover. She kissed him on the nose.

"Wake up sleepyhead."

Kaldur pulled himself from his slumber with his first sight of the day being his beloved Artemis. He smiled at her.

"Good morning my lionfish."

"Morning stingray.

Artemis kissed his nose again. Then his cheek after that she kissed his lips.

"Artemis my breath must be atrocious."

"I don't care."

She kissed him again then again and on the third time lingered there. Their lips just touching each other. She raised her hand to his cheek and ran her hand up and down the side of his face. Kaldur ran his fingertips over the outer part of still naked thigh coming to rest on her hip. She slowly pulled her lips away to speak.

"I wish we could stay like this forever. How 'bout you?

"I wish I could have a thousand such moments with you."

"I better get up and get ready to go before it gets any later huh."

Artemis got up from the bed and wiggled her bare ass at Kaldur before letting her nightshirt drop and cover her bottom. She walked to the door with a seductive grin on her face while she used her hands to toss her hair. All Kaldur could do was watch her dripping with sex appeal as she walked out of the room. Paula who never went back to sleep that night was in the kitchen sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Morning mom."

"Morning Artemis."

"You need a cup of coffee?"

"No we might get something at the Watchtower."

"Oh, okay."

"You okay mom?"

"Yeah just thinking about something."

"Oh, ok well me and Kaldur have to run."

Kaldur was now dressed and ready and Artemis soon followed.

"You guys take care okay."

"We will mom. See you soon."

"Good bye Ms. Crock."

Now Artemis knew something was off but she didn't have time to dig as deep as she needed to find out what it was that was going on with her mom but, she was sure as hell going to make the time. Back in the apartment Ms. Crock stared out the window. She had a lot on her mind. Finding Jade and little Lian would be great but, did they want to be part of this family that was the question she was afraid to ask. Then there is Artemis and Kaldur to ripe them from each other and put her in such a deadly situation. Damn it. She didn't know what to do. So she just focused on the sun rise

Elsewhere in Japan:

Yoshiro Enterprises was now so very close to being the bright and shining star that the elder Yoshiro wanted to it to be. His power reached far and wide in Japan and he was nearly complete in the terms of his deal with Wayne Industries. Mr. Fox was coming tomorrow representing Wayne International to finalize the deal. He was going to be rich and have power beyond his wildest dreams. Just then his twin daughter and son came into his office.

"Hello father." they both said in unison.

"How are my children today?"

Before they could answer the fire alarm rang through the building. His head of security came in and told them it wasn't a drill. As they all left the main office the rest of the security crew surround the elder Yoshiro. For all his protection it would not matter this day. The first two guards dropped right in front of them. Throwing stars to the throat thrown accurately and deadly. Then appeared the mercenary known as Cheshire. The hall was just the tactical place to attack. That many people running away from an imaginary fire wouldn't know what hit them and when they did realize it would be too late. The next two were dropped with a punch crushing one of the guards wind pipe and the other had his neck snapped as Cheshire preformed a rotating flipped over him. All that was left was the head of security. Cheshire knew that this was going to be fun. Out of all these idiots only he had any real training. Cheshire let several throwing stars go at her target. He was able to block all but one that hit his right hand. He was no fool he knew that this was done because of the side his pistol sat on. What he thought was going to be his saving grace was the fact he had learned to shoot with both hands. He pulled his pistol with his uninjured hand and fired again and again but, Cheshire just danced around the bullets. He unloaded his whole clip and out of sixteen bullets none hit their intended mark. He rolled backwards and on to his feet. He then opened a collapsible baton and charged. Only one out of five strikes landed and it only stunned Cheshire. Cheshire then flipped over his back and land on the other side of him. Then with a stern kick to his knee popped it out of place. He fell still trying to struggle but, the end all ready was here he just didn't know it yet. Cheshire then removed the katana from its sheath and with a flick of the blade cut his throat open. Blood sprayed from his body and hit the roof. Fear is a nasty emotion to have at the end of your life and only a small percent of us don't feel it at the end. The elder Yoshiro was not one of these people. He wet himself, cried, and begged even tried the classic don't kill me and I will double your pay move. It the end the blade still cut through his heart and the air in his lungs faded. There stood Cheshire in front of the twins the odd thing was the twins were unafraid. The son spoke first.

"Now we have the company! Screw Wayne Industries!"

Then the sister spoke next.

"Thank you Cheshire that was quite brilliant. No one will think of us as suspects after we have witnessed our poor dear father murdered so brutally."

"So true sister. Then I had a thought to myself why settle for half when I can have it all."

Then Cheshire brought the sword to his throat.

"Wait, your to kill her Cheshire not me."

"That's the difference between us dear brother I pay more!"

With that the life slowly oozed out of his body and on to the cold hard ground next to his farther.

"Cheshire the funds will be in your account with in the hour. It has been a pleasure working with you."