MoP

Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue

Chapter 33: Deception, Part 13.

Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.

A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.

A/N: Thanks to 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.

Gotham City.
December 1, 19:16 EST.

How did I get talked into this? Artemis wondered as she stepped out of Bette's car and followed the older girl up the drive towards the front door of the immense mansion.

"Will you hurry up?" asked Bette as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Bette, why are we even here?" asked Artemis, exasperated. "I barely know this kid, and I'm crashing his birthday?"

"He's a freshman, Artemis," retorted the other blonde. "Knowing him's not the point."

"Then, what is the point?"

"Are you kidding? He's the richest kid in Gotham… aren't you even a little curious?"

Artemis wasn't quite sure how to respond to that and was distracted by the heavy front door being opened by a well-dressed elderly balding man, who coughed to get their attention. "Welcome to Wayne Manor," said the man, a British man called Alfred Pennyworth who according to Dr Thompkins had had an interesting life before he became the Waynes' butler. "Who may I say is…"

"Bette! Artemis!" cried a voice from inside as Pennyworth opened the door wider to reveal the grinning freshman. "I'm glad you came!"

Artemis wasn't entirely sure why but she figured that she might as well run with it, so she followed Bette inside.

"Quite a few of our classmates are here already," Dick continued as he guided them done one of the mansion's corridors until they came to the end. He reached out and opened the door, letting out a wall of sound. "The party's in here."

"Wow…" declared Bette as she took in the buffet and various table games arranged in the vast area.

"Yeah," agreed Artemis. "Your foster father doesn't do anything halfway does he?"

"You have no idea…" Dick agreed with feeling.

"Hey Dick," said another female voice from their right.

"Oh, hey Barb," said Dick. "When you get here?"

Barbara Gordon, the only daughter of the Gotham police commissioner, thought Artemis.

"I've been here a while," replied the redhead. "You've been busy. I fancy a game of foosball… anyone like to join me?"

"I'm game," replied Artemis promptly.

20:00 EST.

"Oh…" said Artemis as she missed the ball. "Get it… get it!"

Barbara grinned and intercepted it before Bette could.

"Goal!" declared one of the spectators seconds later.

"Girl… you're on fire!" declared Artemis as she and Barbara shared a high-five.

"Please…" said Barbara, still grinning broadly. "I always beat him."

"Always?" asked Bette, glancing at her own foosball partner.

Dick made a face and nodded. "She's like… ridiculously good at everything."

"Who wants pizza!" declared a famous voice from the door.

Artemis glanced in that direction and saw that Pennyworth had entered the room carrying a stack of steaming boxes of Giordano's Pizzas with Bruce Wayne himself by his side.

"You ordered pizza?" asked Dick incredulously.

"Of course not," retorted Pennyworth imperiously. "I ordered the boxes… I made the pizzas."

Either's fine by me, decided Artemis as she moved away from the foosball table and joined the queue for the pizzas.

21: 10 EST.

"Anyone up for Spin the Bottle?" suggested Barbara after she finished the last of the pizza.

Most of the party – including Artemis with some reluctance – agreed to the idea, slipped off their shoes and settled into a circle on floor.

Bette placed a bottle in the centre of the circle and then spun it.

The bottle landed on Barbara first, then the birthday boy himself to the cheers and jeers of the group.

Dick was a little startled at first, but then he rose to his feet. "Okay, okay… calm down, I'm fourteen not nine," he said placatingly, then he held out a hand towards his redheaded friend. "Are you ready for what comes next?"

The redheaded nodded and rose, taking his hand as he guided her towards the room's closet with Bette trailing them.

"Five minutes, you two," declared Bette as she opened the door and pushed them inside. "Don't do anything I wouldn't…"

The Vault,
Star City.
December 4, 19:16 PST.

"I've got Black Spider," said Artemis from her post at the computer console. "He's in the Glades… corner of Wood and Elias."

"Looks like the intel was correct," said her mentor. "He's going after Jones."

"Then let's go," declared Artemis.

20:04 PST.

They arrived on the roof of the building opposite Jones' just in time to see the assassin pull the reporter out his daughter's bedroom window.

Artemis' heart went out to the girl as she screamed in terror.

"You were warned, Mr. Jones," said the web-slinging assassin. "No one likes a crusading reporter."

"Please, please…" begged Jones. "… not in front of my daughter."

"No, I'm sorry," replied Black Spider in the same taunting monotone as before. "You know how it is… I'm on a deadline, and so are you!" Then he released his line, sending the helpless reporter plummeting towards the ground.

Artemis instantly drew a foam arrow and loosed it, timing it exactly right to break his fall, but not imprison him, then joined Green Arrow in his attack on Black Spider himself, but not before glancing up to check on Jones' daughter.

"I got nothing against you archers," said the agile assassin as he easily dodged their attacks and then cast a web-line in their direction. "I don't suppose you'd let me finish off Jones, and then go about my web-slinging way?"

"Not a chance," declared Green Arrow as the other man swung towards them, tackling her mentor to the ground. Artemis knocked Black Spider away, but the assassin was too quick for her and he was back on his feet before she could cuff him.

"Good girl," said the other archer from behind her as Artemis shot several explosive arrows at the fleeing assassin. "You, uh… take the lead on this one."

Artemis didn't reply but selected a freeze arrow and used it to break Black Spider's web-line, sending him crashing down onto the roof with a grunt. Not daring to give him another opening, she shot a net arrow at him as he was moving to stand, knocking him back down again.

"Bonus points for poetic justice," said Green Arrow as he stood and moved to join her.

"Did you see the look on his face?" asked Artemis jubilantly as they walked up to the nearest Zeta-Tube, an old blue phone booth, still riding high on the moment. "Okay, he was wearing a mask...but did you see the look on his mask?"

Her mentor turned to look at her, a frown visible even behind his domino mask and hood.

"Right… calming down," Artemis declared with a sigh as she entered the booth. "See you next week?"

"You bet," agreed her mentor.

Something about his manner dented Artemis' mood even more, but she silently pulled the door between them and teleported away without comment.

Gotham.
23:48 EST.

"You should have seen the look on that little girl's face…" finished Artemis as she sat cross-legged on her living room's sofa. "She was so grateful that her dad was… safe."

"This life suits you, Artemis," said her mother as Artemis took a sip of her tea and then lowered her cup onto its saucer. "Most mothers would be horrified, but for me it's a relief. You don't know how nervous I was when Arrow and Batman...first confronted me about your activities."

"Confronted us," insisted Artemis with a modest smile. "They figured out I saved Kid Flash and confronted us."

"Not initially," corrected her mother. "I'm your mother. They talked to me first."

"What?!" exclaimed Artemis. "What did they say! What did you say?!"

"I was afraid you were in trouble," replied her mother. "While I was in jail for my crimes as Huntress, I lost one daughter… I couldn't bear to lose another, so I begged them to keep you on the straight and narrow."

"You begged?!" said Artemis, furiously surging to her feet to loom over her mother. "I was some sort of pity case?!"

"No…" replied her mother. "You're taking this all wrong."

Not trusting herself to stay in her current mood, Artemis walked away, ignoring her mother's exhortations. I'm sure Dr Thompkins won't turn me away… she thought as she slammed their front door behind her.

December 5, 17:02 EST.

"Okay, so maybe I wasn't brought in because I impressed them…" said Artemis to herself as she crouched on a fire escape eyeing the out-of-order phone booth that could take her to the Cave. She rose, flipped over the railing and dropped down to street level. "I've spent the last four months doing nothing but… I've got nothing to prove," she declared confidently as she strode into the Zeta-Tube. "I'm one of a kind."

"Recognized Artemis-B-Zero-Seven," confirmed the Computer, then activated the Zeta-Beam.

Mount Justice.
17:04 EST.

"Artemis… just in time!" declared Green Arrow as the blonde archer stepped out into the Mission Room. "Look who's agreed to join the Team?!"

"Finally!" exclaimed Wally, flinging his arms wide in joy.

"Sure…" drawled Artemis, striking a pose with one hand on her hip and the other palm raised. "The Team has needed a real archer."

"Okay, people, listen up," said Green Arrow, trying to get back to business. He strode over to the middle of the training ring and pulled a holo-keyboard and several screens. "The Dynamic Duo's on a case in Gotham, but Batman gave me a heads-up. Sportsmaster was spotted coming through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport."

"In full costume?" asked Zatanna. "Nervy."

"In street clothes," corrected Green Arrow. "Facial recognition software picked up the ID. Find out what he's up to."

"All of us?" asked Conner, sounding a little peeved. "Seems like overkill for a shadow job."

"Perhaps a small squad…" suggested Red Tornado. "Miss Martian's camouflage abilities seem ideal."

"I thought the sidekicks… sorry, ex-sidekicks could suit-up on this," suggested Green Arrow. "Aqualad, Kid Flash, Red Arrow…"

"Good," said Conner, folding his arms across his chest. "Stakeouts make me crazy."

"We could use the night off," agreed M'gann.

"I want in," said Artemis abruptly. "With M'gann and Robin out… no one has logged more hours than me piloting Bio-Ship."

"Artemis… are you sure?" asked Green Arrow, worry tinging his words.

"Absolutely," declared Artemis firmly.

Point Judith Harbor.
17:16 EST.

Wally turned back to face her as Bio-Ship ascended away into the air. "Uh, this could wind up being one of those things that sounds better in my head than out loud but you are a real archer," he began, then paused to regroup as Artemis frowned at him. "No, I mean, I'm jazzed about Red Arrow. We go way back, you know? But you, you've made your own place on the team. You have nothing to prove… Not to me, okay?"

Artemis pondered his statement for a moment, a suspicious part of her doubted his sincerity, but another part of her wanted… needed… him to be telling the truth. "Okay."

The speedster turned his chair forward again.

"And Wally…" she added, pausing until he turned to look at her again. "It sounded fine out loud."

Orleans Parish.
December 5, 21:27 CST.

"Target's heading north," said Red Arrow as her ran down to the hill to his jet-ski. "Pursue but maintain a discreet distance. And that goes double for you, Artemis… Sportsmaster has proven adept at spotting Martian camouflage when in motion."

Artemis frowned as the other archer sped up the river in pursuit, occasionally spotting Wally and his motorcycle on the cliff road or slight ripple in the water from Kaldur's pursuit.

Moments later, Sportsmaster crossed under a bridge and then pulled into a small inlet.

"He's stopped," reported Red Arrow, coming to a stop himself. "Hold your positions, I'm moving in for a closer look."

Ignoring the instruction, Artemis left Bio-Ship and by the time that Red Arrow had reached the shore, she was able to follow him. She had just ducked behind a tree when she heard a familiar and unwelcome voice behind her. "Hey sis."

Artemis whirled around, and after a moment spotted Jade perched on a branch just above her head. "Long time, no reveal who you really are to all your friends…"

Artemis scowled but didn't acknowledge the dig as her sister flipped down from her branch, weapons raised to attack. She fired an arrow, but missed, then caught the sword on her bow's riser and shot a side-kick into Jade's belly.

"Nice," conceded her sister with a grunt. "Did Canary teach you that?"

Artemis' only response was to raise her bow again, an arrow nocked ready.

"Bet you run out of arrows before I run out of sword," proposed Jade, raising her weapon into a guard position. "Unless you plan on breaking out the pointy ones to use against your own sister?"

She's not wrong, Artemis thought, and lowered her weapon slightly "And why shouldn't I?!" she retorted. "You are working with Sportsmaster!"

"Not my choice," Jade snarled as she lowered her own weapon. "Not my call."

"Then whose call is it?" demanded Artemis, raising her bow again.

"Sorry…" replied her sister, not sounded even remotely contrite, as she shifted into a combat stance. "Just because I know your secrets, doesn't mean I tell you mine."

Before Artemis could continue her interrogation, an arrow struck Jade, knocking her against a tree and pinning her in place with a net. "Why, Arrow…" said her sister, seemingly unperturbed by this development. "If you wanted another date, you only had to ask."

"You two are dating?!" exclaimed Artemis, shifting her gaze between the two.

"What?!" exclaimed Red Arrow. "No!"

Is he telling the truth? Artemis wondered. I mean, Jade lies as easily as she breathes…

"Ugh," Jade countered. "Why deny the attraction?"

Okay, that part I could definitely believe… Artemis thought.

"After all, Arrow, you're here," Jade continued, then let out a cry and cut herself loose in a flash. "Really, I'm so fond of you both, I couldn't bear to hurt you…" she continued as she stuck her blade into the ground. "… much."

She leapt toward them, knocking them off their feet and dropping several smoke bombs, enveloping them in thick, grey smoke.

Artemis was out of it for a few moments, but when she came to, she saw that her sister was sitting on top of Red Arrow, kissing him. She gasped in surprise, which drew their attention to her.

"But at least a kiss is still a kiss," said Jade as they broke apart, then she grunted in pain as Wally body-slammed her, knocking her away from Red Arrow.

"And a sai is just a sai," he quipped as he caught the weapon. "And quite the souvenir, by the way."

"Artemis, tracer-arrow on Sportsmaster now!" demanded Red Arrow.

Instinctively, Artemis turned, drawing the correct arrow as she turned and sighting on her father's boat. "Ugh. He's out of range."

Not satisfied, Red Arrow moved her side, another tracer nocked and ready to fly. "Move!"

Artemis obeyed and he took the shot, embedding the tracer in the rear bulkhead. "You're abandoning us?!" she exclaimed as he ran towards the shoreline.

"I'm prioritizing!" he growled as he mounted his jet-ski and took off after Sportsmaster.

"That's gotta sting," observed Jade as she turned back towards her. "He makes the shot you were afraid to even try."

"Aqualad, target has made me so I'll take a dive," said Red Arrow. "He'll think he's clear, you can track him below. We'll be right behind, using the tracer."

A moment later, there was a muffled explosion on the water.

"Artemis, Kid, listen…" said Aqualad. "We have lost Sportsmaster, you need to plant a tracer on Cheshire, then throw the fight and allow her to get away. She may lead us to him."

Artemis paused for a moment to consider the instruction, then turned to towards her sister, who was throwing shuriken at Wally, trying to hit them as he sped around her, keeping from escaping. Spotting her sister's fallen blade, she scooped it up and attacked her. "Leave him alone!" she cried, but was easily disarmed and sent flying.

"Artemis!" yelled Wally and rushed over to her.

"Forget me!" Artemis told him as he hunched over her protectively. "What about…" They turned as one, but she was gone. "Cheshire."

"Did you...?" asked Wally as they rose to their feet.

"Tracer's on her sword," replied Artemis and was a little startled when Wally gripped her by the arms and turned her towards him.

"Brilliant!" Wally exclaimed. "I knew you could... Oh, hey, there's the guys."

They broke apart and Wally headed towards the shoreline to meet Aqualad and Red Arrow.

Artemis drew her bow and fired another tracer arrow at a train as it rushed by, then turned back towards the boys and began to slowly walk towards them.

"So, we threw the fight as ordered," reported Wally. "After Artemis planted the tracer."

"Cheshire is heading north," Artemis added, holding up her phone.

"Sportsmaster was headed south," observed Red Arrow. "Kind of like this mission."

"Maybe he'll double back," suggested Artemis. "Maybe she will."

"Either way they'll rendezvous and we'll find them," said Wally confidently.

"We had better," said Aqualad. "Sportsmaster acquired an attaché case. We need to learn what it contained. If you had stayed aboard Bio-ship..."

"I saw Cheshire sneaking up on him," said Artemis, pointed at Red Arrow.

"Then you radio a warning," insisted the other archer.

"And if she found you by hacking our frequency?" countered Artemis reflexively.

"It is true," admitted Kaldur. "We have come to rely on M'gann's telepathy over our radios."

"Then let's stop looking to place blame and start looking for Cheshire," suggested Wally.

"Here," said Artemis and tossed her phone to Red Arrow, who caught it easily. "Since clearly, I can't be trusted, you track her."

Before Red Arrow could make a move to do so, Wally walked over to him and snatched it off him, then turned back to her. "Artemis…" he began, then paused uncertain what to say.

Artemis sighed and turned away. "It's fine… I'll follow in Bio-ship."

"Go, Kid," said Kaldur. "Arrow and I will return to the river, and we will all follow as originally planned."

Out of sight, Artemis drew another phone out of her belt pouches and glanced at it. Unlike the first, it showed two tracking signals moving in opposite directions.

New Orleans Docks.
December 5, 22:16 CST.

"An abandoned warehouse, how… predictable," observed Artemis as Sportsmaster docked his boat and entered the building with the attaché case in hand.

She manoeuvred Bio-Ship into dropped onto the roof and dropped down, heading towards the built-in skylight. She glanced around the main area of the warehouse – which seemed to be being used to store old Mardi Gras materials – and didn't see anyone, so opened the skylight and entered.

She had just put an arrow to her bow and was about to start exploring when a tinkling sound echoed around the space as a small object slid across the concrete and pinged against her left boot. She looked down and was only a little surprised to see that it was a tracer.

"Pulled it off my sword about a minute after you put it there," said her sister as she walked out of her hiding place. "Thought you'd want it back, since it goes so nicely with the one someone gave you…"

Artemis glanced back and spotted another tracer attached to her quiver. She plucked it off and examined it for a moment.

"Someone on your team doesn't trust you," taunted Jade, then pulled a tablet from somewhere and showed the screen to Artemis. It was a view from a camera on an adjacent building showing the roller doors leading to the warehouse's loading bay.

Red Arrow was approaching the doors.

That's not exactly a surprise, thought Artemis. We've been butting heads since Day One. Not sure about the others… I think Kaldur's on the fence. Wally… I think he trusts me but…

Her thought was interrupted when she noticed something else on the feed.

Sportsmaster was perched on the edge of their building, an explosive javelin in hand and Red Arrow hadn't noticed him.

Without stopping to think, Artemis swung towards the bay doors and loosed her arrow.

Less than a second later, the explosive arrow hit the roller doors, blowing them outwards and knocking Red Arrow to the ground, but giving him the opportunity to see Sportsmaster as the older man leapt of the roof.

She wasn't sure what happened next as her sister attacked almost immediately, and they exchanged blows for a moment until Artemis tripped and fell on her back.

Jade raised her blade to deliver a death blow, but an arrow from Red Arrow knocked her weapon away. "Arrow to Aqualad," he said. "I've located Cheshire and Sportsmaster. Rendezvous at my coordinates."

"Acknowledged. Sending Kid ahead."

Sportsmaster charged into the warehouse, throwing his javelin at Red Arrow, who barely avoided it.

"So, you're pretty much allergic to radioing a warning," he observed as they were forced back-to-back."

"Artemis to Arrow… look out," quipped Artemis, which prompted an amused snort from her fellow archer.

Artemis flew back into one of the parade floats and went down hard. Winded, she could only watch helplessly as Jade drew a sai from her sash and began to walk towards her, twirling it menacingly, her expression unreadable behind her mask.

But before her sister could get within arms' reach, there was a swoosh of inrushing air and Wally body-slammed into her, knocking her down and leaving her enough momentum to slide halfway across the floor.

"Aqualad and I found the tracer on a caboose, and I don't mean Cheshire's," observed the speedster as he helped her to her feet.

"She must have ditched it," Artemis lied easily.

"Yeah, figured," agreed the redhead, then paused. "Wait, then how did you and Red end up here?"

A flash of red light and a cracking sound from one of the inner offices drew his attention before she could reply and her sister took advantage of this to tackle him to the ground.

Artemis nocked a arrow, but paused, uncertain of her aim.

"I've got this," Wally insisted. "Go!"

Artemis wasn't entirely convinced of that, but she realised that the source of the light and noise – probably magic she guessed, wishing that Zatanna was there to help – was the bigger problem, so she hurried towards the office's door and kicked it open. "Freeze!"

"Don't be absurd," replied Professor Ivo, who was supposed to be in Belle Reve. "With what we've created tonight, I could..."

"Why waste such power on her?" said a familiar voice.

Artemis risked a glance to check. Klarion. And the Brain and Mallah are here too. I'm in big trouble.

"Do as she says," said Klarion over the mechanical giggling of the MONQI on Ivo's shoulder. "Freeze."

The group were enveloped in a burst of Klarion's crimson magic and instantly turned into transparent ice sculptures and then collapsed into small piles of ice cubes.

Teleportation spell, Artemis decided, then rushed back out to the main area in time to see Jade and Sportsmaster disappear the same way. Well, that was a bust, she thought ruefully.

Mount Justice.
December 6, 03:21 EST.

"Let me be clear… we failed. Though the Injustice League is in custody, their allies still scheme... and we have learned nothing of their plans."

"Gee, I wonder why," commented Red Arrow sarcastically.

"Hey, who found out Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion and Ivo?!" exclaimed Artemis.

"Yeah, great intel," drawled Red Arrow. "Except Ivo's been in Belle Reve the whole time… and the guards just checked. It's the real, not a robot."

"You know, I'm getting pretty tired of you dumping on her," said Wally, moving to confront his old friend, who said nothing, but held up a small device.

"Her tracer, so?" said Wally. "Cheshire ditched it."

"No," contradicted Red Arrow, motioning to another tracer that Kaldur was holding. "Artemis ditched that to send us on a wild goose chase… She put this one on Cheshire."

"Artemis?" asked Wally, visibly surprised. "Are you that freaked out about Arrow joining the team that you had to prove yourself by bringing down the bad guys solo? Please tell me I'm wrong…"

For a moment, Artemis scrambled for an explanation… any explanation… that she could give without spilling her family secrets. But she came up blank, she offered only a pleading look before sighing and looking down in shame.

"Well, nice going," he snapped. "What you proved is that you're insecure and selfish. Keep the sai." He threw the weapon down at her feet and reached around to pluck the tracer from Red Arrow's hand. "This is the right souvenir for the mission."

"So how will you betray us next time?!" snarled Red Arrow as Wally walked away.

"Enough!" demanded Kaldur, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, a rare hint of anger in his tone. "If making a mistake was a betrayal, we would all be traitors. I must report to Batman. The rest of you, get some sleep."

"You're not who you say you are," hissed Red Arrow as he walked past Artemis on his way to the Zeta-Tubes. "This isn't over, not by a long shot."

Gotham City.
December 6, 03:44 EST.

"Artemis, is everything...?" asked her mother as she entered their apartment.

"Fine, Mom," Artemis assured her as she opened the door to her room. "I just wanna go to bed."

But that would have wait, as her father was lying on Jade's old bed. "Shh," he whispered. "We wouldn't want to upset your mother."

Well, that's one thing we agree on, Artemis thought as she let her door swing closed, then raised her bow, aiming an arrow at his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just curious to hear how your little team took their defeat," he replied as he removed his mask, exposing the smug smile on his face. "Blamed you, didn't they?"

The rare moment of understanding from her normally abusive father caught Artemis off-guard and she relaxed a little, lowering the bow.

"Will they keep you around now that Red Arrow has joined up?" he continued as he rose to his feet. "And what if they learned the truth about the family ties you've worked so hard to hide?"

Stricken at the thought, Artemis abandoned caution and broke eye contact, leaning her head against her sister's old Alice in Wonderland poster. "Would they ever trust you again?"

"Thanks for the pep talk, Dad," said Artemis sarcastically as she turned look him in the face again. "We should have these family reunions more often."

"You tried, baby girl," he admitted. "You can fight Jade, you can fight me..." he paused and raised a finger, poking her in the chest. "But you can't fight who you are." He turned a hand to cup her chin, raising it upwards. "Time to switch sides, Artemis. You'll never be one of them. You belong with us."

He released her and Artemis collapsed a little, head down and eyes closed.

When she opened her eyes again. He was gone.

He's wrong, Artemis told herself firmly. Tonight was a… setback… but I've put too much work into this to let that stop me now.