Hope you enjoy this chapter, constructive criticism is always welcomed!
Disclaimer: I own neither Young Justice nor Heroes Of Olympus.
Artemis really wished she hadn't gone on this mission.
Quest, she corrected herself mentally but didn't dare say anything out loud. Even her mortal ass recognized when there's a powerful person (or god or whatever you wanted to call it) in front of her. And these three ladies oozed power, just a glare from the dark-haired woman had them shaking in their shoes.
"I said," the dark-haired woman repeated again, "Court is now in session."
Artemis heard rustling to the left of her and turned to see a group sit down all at once in what looked like a jury box. Artemis looked around and noticed the entire room was set up like a courtroom. There was even a witness stand and a desk for the prosecuting attorney.
The only difference between this courtroom and a regular one was that no one in this room was human.
Well, everyone looked pretty human but with a closer look the bailiff had goat legs and some of the juries had oddly colored skin. But Artemis was trying to focus on the scary goddesses in front of her.
All three women looked pretty similar, they all had porcelain colored skin and shocking blue eyes that reminded her of Jason. The only difference was in their hair color, the woman who spoke first had black hair and the women to her right and left were a redhead and blonde respectively.
Suddenly the redhead disappeared and reappeared at the prosecutor's desk. "May I start with my prosecuting statement, Dike?" she asked the brunette. Dike, which coincidentally rhymed with Nike, was a weird name. But Artemis had already noted that all gods had weird names (excluding the one she was named after).
"Of course, Eunomia." she replied.
"The defendants have been running around the sacred temple of our father all night and destroying his secret tunnels. My suggested punishment-" she paused for dramatic effect, "is death."
"Hold it right there!" Percy yelled, making the jury murmur. "What evidence do you have that we did anything?"
"I don't know, maybe the hundreds of blocked tunnels we left behind us." Wally hissed at Percy.
"Don't worry, I've seen like every episode of Law & Order. I know how to handle this."
Artemis highly doubted that it was pretty obvious that Annabeth was the brains of the relationship.
Eunomia cleared her throat, "Since we're on the topic of evidence: here is exhibit A!" She pulled out a shiny green scale that was the size of her head. "This is a scale from the one and only Python, which they've released to wreak havoc on Dodoni."
"Objection!" M'gann exclaimed.
Dike looked at her with amusement, "And what are you objecting to exactly?"
M'gann's confident voice wavered, "T-the evidence?"
Dike smiled like a mad scientist who just got a new lab rat. "What do you think the final verdict is, sister?"
"Maybe…" Eunomia pretended to think, "Guilty. Cuff 'em bailiff."
"I guess we're not going to be able to reason our way out of this one," Percy said as he pulled out his pen-sword. Artemis personally preferred to fight her way out of things, she wasn't really the reasoning type.
"So how are we going to fight off three goddesses?" M'gann asked.
Wally laughed "We should take hostages or something."
"I don't know about that, bailiff goat-man-"
"Satyr." Percy corrected.
Artemis continued, "And the others don't look like pushovers." She reached for an arrow, preparing for a fight.
Just then, the blonde goddess stood up from her seat next to Dike. "Wait," she said. She didn't yell or even raise her voice, but she was still able to quiet the room. "Are you really going to execute our guest without proper introductions?"
"We know who they are, Eirene." Dike hissed at her.
"But do they know us?" she fires back.
Dike look like she wanted to argue, but gave up. "Fine, do what you want."
Eirene looked back at Artemis and the rest of the group, "Please excuse my sisters' rudeness. They haven't had anyone to punish in a long time." She smiled brightly and Artemis felt like she was meeting Apollo again.
"We are the Horae, goddesses of law and order, daughters of Zeus and Themis. We used to keep order in the mortal world but once they learned how to do that for themselves-"
"More or less!" Dike interjected.
"We were given the task of delivering justice to any mortals or demigods who came upon these ruins."
Eunomia laughed bitterly, "And it's quite a boring job if you haven't guessed."
"Dike acts as Justice, Eunomia as Order, and I," she said motioned to herself, "am Peace." Artemis wasn't too surprised by that considering the aura of tranquility as well as firmness. Like a kindergarten teacher disciplining a bad kid.
"Now, we should let the defendants make their case," Eirene said.
"They've already had their chance!" Eunomia argued.
"We didn't even let them elaborate on their objection." Eirene looked at M'gann, "So what was it about the evidence you wanted to talk about?"
"Um…" M'gann was obviously at a lost for words, so Artemis decided that she would try to help. In the past Artemis didn't really like M'gann, Zatanna said it was because she stole the man she never really had, but Artemis likes to say it's because they have such contrasting personalities. Whatever the real reason is, it doesn't matter at the moment.
Artemis knew that Eirene was giving them an opening but she couldn't think of anyway the scale would help them with their case. How did she even get it? When the Python was hit with her sharpest arrow it bounced off it without leaving a-
Instantly, it made sense.
"The scale!" she said it out loud without knowing, "How'd you get it?"
"Excuse me." the redheaded goddess glared at her.
"I mean," Artemis watched her words carefully. She hadn't forgotten that with a snap of her fingers, Harmonia sent her twenty feet into the air. "When I used my arrow there wasn't anything close to a scratch on it."
The jury began to murmur while Dike tried to call for order in the court. It was already obvious the Eunomia had become flustered and taken by surprise. Artemis looked up at Eirene like she was looking for her approval and got a wink that said the goddess thought she did well.
"Well… I… fine! I made the scale myself!" There was a collective gasp from the jury. "But that doesn't mean that they didn't let the Python loose."
Wally gave Artemis a pat on the back, M'gann smiled at her, and Percy just muttered that this was exactly like Law & Order. Artemis was feeling pretty smug about herself when Dike struck her gavel against the bench.
"Considering this…" she began.
"Misdemeanor." Eirene finished.
"Yes… misdemeanor." Dike sounded like it physically pained her to talk. "We'll have to adjourn court for today to reconsider the prosecution's statement against the defendant."
Artemis could feel the tension ease in the air as the jury clapped for them, showing how impressed they were. Something told her that this was the first time anyone had delayed a session against the goddesses of law and order.
Her friends (and Wally) were surrounding her with praise when Eirene came up to them. "Well done mortal." she assumed that in this case mortal was a compliment. "And now for your reward."
Percy stepped in, "Lady Eirene your help was all the reward we need." Artemis didn't want to tell him that she would really prefer to receive whatever gift she was offering.
"No, you must take it." The blonde goddess held out her hand and a scepter appeared in it. Artemis examined it as it was handed to her, it was taller than she was and made of wood. I was tipped with an orb that was covered with leaves from an olive tree. "This will help you with the next part of your journey."
Artemis raised her brow in confusion but Eirene had already turned towards Percy. "I hope our shrines will be the next to be built at your camp." She winked at him and walked away.
"Um, guys," Wally called out to Percy and Artemis. "The door isn't opening." M'gann and Wally were already trying to push it open.
"Let me try." Percy pushed the door as hard as he could but it didn't budge. "Maybe we can ask Lady Eirene-" but when they looked back towards the courtroom everyone was gone.
Wally groaned in frustration. "So we're stuck here until the next court session."
"Wait," Artemis looked down at Eirene's scepter. She said it would help them, Artemis didn't know how but she would try anyway. "Let me try." Everyone moved away from the door as she approached it. All Artemis could do is wave the scepter in the door's general direction like it was a wand.
"No offense Arty, but I don't think magic is your forte." Wally laughed and M'gann elbowed him to be quiet.
"No, wait. It's working." Percy brought their attention back to the door as it slowly opened.
Wally was speechless for the first time in a while when the door open fully. "Wow.. h-how did you do that?"
"It wasn't me it was the scepter," Artemis said with a smile. Wally tried to grab it from her but it moved away from her touch like magnetics with the same poles.
"Just let me look at it!" he yelled.
"I'm not doing it!" she yelled back. "It's the scepter!"
"I guess it's only for you, Artemis." M'gann laughed, "Let's go, we've already wasted enough time."
"M'gann's right, I think with all that's happened we forgot that we're here to find Apollo's key," Percy said.
"Maybe that's why she gave us her scepter," Wally exclaimed, "So we could find the key."
"How's it supposed to do that?" Artemis asked. The scepter moved as if to answer her question.
"Woah!" Artemis tried to keep it in place but it continued to pull her out the door.
Percy raised his brow, "I think it wants us to follow it."
"Of course we should follow the magical moving staff," Wally said sarcastically.
"Won't be the weirdest thing we've done," M'gann replied.
-(Line Break)-
"So where are we going, exactly?" Wally asked after about an hour of walking.
"If I knew the answer to that," Artemis hissed, "Don't you think I would've told you?" The white tiles of the courtroom had long disappeared and they were now walking down the familiar dirt tunnel again.
Suddenly the scepter stopped moving, Artemis let go of it and it hovered in the air. "I guess we're here," she said.
"Well, what's here?" Wally asked. The group looked around for something that stood out, but there was nothing but rocks and mud.
"I think we should dig." The heroes gave Percy a weird look, "The head of the scepter is pointing towards the ground so I think that whatever we're here to find is where it's pointing."
The heroes considered it and they all agreed that it was the best thing any of them was coming up with. "You wouldn't happen to have a shovel in that quiver?" Wally joked. Artemis ignored him and got to work.
It probably would have taken a lot less than half an hour if Wally just helped a little more. M'gann was telepathically moving dirt while Percy used his pen-sword as a shovel. Eventually, his sword hit a something that wasn't dirt and made a loud thump.
Wally wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead. "Looks like we hit something." He reached into the hole they dug and pulled out a wooden box.
Artemis looked over the speedster's shoulder as he opened the box. Whatever was in it shone so brightly that the light from it leaked from the holes in the box. Wally opened the box slowly and the contents of it surprised everyone.
"Is this supposed to be the key?" Wally asked as she pulled the sharp object out of the box. It stopped glowing as soon as it was in the palm of his hand.
Artemis took it from him. "No, I think it's an arrowhead." The arrowhead was obviously from ancient times but it was made with shiny bronze that made it look like it was made yesterday.
"Maybe the arrowhead is the key?" M'gann suggested.
Percy shrugged, "Who knows, it's Apollo we're talking about."
Before anyone else could add their two cents a low rumble was felt throughout the tunnel.
"Oh no, it's back again." Wally groaned. He handed Artemis the box. "You should protect the arrowhead, in case it's important." Artemis actually listen to Wally for once and put the arrowhead back in the box for now.
"Don't worry guys." M'gann said, "If the Python comes I'll just crush it with a bunch of rocks to buy us more time."
The rumbling increased and the walls shook as the snake made it's appearance through the tunnel they just came from.
"If you're going to crush it, M'gann now's a good time," Percy said as he took his sword out in preparation for battle.
M'gann's eyes glowed green and the earth trembled a little more as stalactites fell from the tunnel's ceiling. The first one missed and so did the second and the third. Artemis suddenly realized that M'gann wasn't missing, but the snake was dodging. It was a terrifying realization, knowing that this mindless monster could learn from its mistakes and actually think for itself. M'gann was also visibly shaken by the idea too.
"I don't think that's going to work this time," Percy muttered.
"Kid Flash," M'gann said in a tone of urgency, "I need you to do the same thing you did last time while I try to make an avalanche big enough to keep it down for a while." Wally adjusted his goggles then sprung into action. Artemis looked at M'gann and doubted that she could move anything big at the moment. I wasn't like she got tired of moving things with her mind, it's just that she looked physically exhausted.
"I'll help too," Percy said. Before getting a response from anyone he sprung into action. "Hey! Big, green, and ugly! Look over here!" The Python took its eyes off of Wally and looked at Percy, it aimed its tail at him, but Percy easily dodged it. Sometimes Percy actually lives up to how dangerous Batman makes him out to be.
"Artemis! I need you to..." M'gann was already hovering in the air. She was hesitating in her words like she was trying to figure out what she should tell her. "Stay with the arrowhead."
Artemis knew what busy worked sounded like and guarding the arrowhead was just that. Artemis was actually a little glad that they didn't give her a huge part this time around. Secretly, she'd been feeling a little useless since her last attempt at shooting the Python. It just confused her how easily the arrow bounced off the snake's skin. Annabeth told them that Apollo killed the Python using an arrow, so what was so different about her arrows?
Probably that they aren't godly arrows or something stupid like that. Artemis thought to herself.
Suddenly, it dawned on her. It was because they weren't godly arrows. She thought back to Reyna's golden sword, arrowhead shined just a little brighter than that. It only made sense that this arrowhead was Apollo's, maybe even the same one that he killed the serpent with before.
Artemis, it was M'gann talking to her telepathically. I need you to take the arrowhead and-
Shoot it at the snake, I know. Artemis was unscrewing the head of one of her arrows and replacing it with Apollo's. It fit surprisingly well.
Try to be as discreet as possible, M'gann was back in her head. This needs to be a perfect shot.
Roger that. The voice in her head disappeared and she notched her new arrow. She looked at the snake, whose head was moving wildly as it tried to follow Percy and Wally's movement. M'gann still hovered in the same spot trying to muster enough strength to cause an avalanche. Artemis breathed in deeply and looked at the snake, its eye was the perfect target. She only had one shot so she better make it good.
Artemis let the arrow fly.
And it hit its mark.
The arrow plunged straight into the Python's eye. It screeched and panicked as the arrow seemed to sink deeper into its eye. Artemis's teammates moved away from the snake as it thrashed its head against the ceiling of the tunnel until cracks began to appear in it. One last good thump made the ceiling crumble on the Python. It laid still under the rocks for a moment before turning into dust.
"Nice job, Artemis!" M'gann said as she landed back on the ground. The martian gave her a big congratulatory hug.
Percy smiled at her, "Congratulations you killed your first monster." he gave her a pat on the back. To be honest she would have preferred a hug from him instead of M'gann.
"That's not as good as I could have done but, whatever."
"Shut up, Kid Stupid."
"Love you too, Artie."
"Look," M'gann said pointing up. None of them had noticed that the Python broke through to the surface.
Artemis grabbed the scepter then M'gann flew them all up there telekinetically and they all basked in the sunlight of the rising sun.
The beautiful moment was ruined by Percy's exclamation. "Guys, what about the key?"
Wally groaned, "Please don't tell me we have to go back down there."
"You scared, Kid Stupid?"
"No, I'm just-" The staff suddenly moved out of Artemis's hand and flew towards Percy.
"Woah, what's going on?" he said as the scepter began to poke at his pockets. "What does it want?"
"What's in your pockets, Percy?" M'gann asked.
Percy emptied his pockets and all that were in them was a few drachmas, his pen-sword, and the fang he cut off the Python earlier.
Wally picked up the Python's fang from Percy, it was only as long as his hand and about the thickness of an index finger at the tip and slowly got wider. "This would make a cool souvenir," Wally exclaimed. The scepter was now following him when he moved around with the fang.
M'gann looked at Percy. "You don't think…"
"The fang must be the key." As if to back up Percy's answer, the scepter glowed brightly then poofed away.
"The staff has spoken!" Percy said as he took away the fang from Wally. "Sorry about your souvenir, man."
Artemis raised a brow. "Do you really think that could be a key to anything?"
"It looks like it could fit in the keyhole at Delphi. Plus it doesn't hurt to try right!" There was a moment of silence then everyone agreed with Percy because, again, no one had any better answers that didn't involve going back underground.
M'gann sighed, "Let's go to the ship and head back to Delphi."
Wally yawned, "We should set the Bio-Ship on autopilot so we can all take a nap." M'gann silently agreed as they started walking back up towards the Bio-Ship.
Before she could catch up with her friends Percy touched her shoulder. "What you did back there, it was really cool."
She stared into his sea green eyes and suppressed a blush. "Thanks, it's what anyone of you would've done."
He smiled at her but she could see the seriousness in his eyes. "What's your relationship with your parents like, Artemis?"
Artemis's stomach did somersaults. "I know them well enough," she said quickly, "Live with my mom, dad's been out of the picture for awhile. You know how it is." Usually, she added the last part to make people feel bad for her and stop asking questions, but something told her that Percy did know what it was like.
"Yeah, I do." he said slowly.
When they were making their way to the ship, it was Artemis's turn to ask a question. "Why do you ask? About my parents, I mean."
"Just wanted to know why you're so much like your namesake."
"Artemis, like the goddess? Have you met her before?"
"I've met with her a handful of time but I feel like I only had one real conversation with her. A couple years back, I was around your age and…" he looked at Artemis. "It's kind of a long story."
By now the two were approaching the Bio-Ship, where Wally and M'gann were waiting at the entrance. She glanced at them, then back at Percy.
"Tell me about it."
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