MoP

Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Neophytes

Chapter 2: Hyena Hunt

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 Jon, 6f5e4d and the Young Justice Writers Group for their help on this chapter.

San Francisco.
July 16, 04:16 PDT.

That's it, thought Zatanna as she strode down the corridor from her bedroom to her living room from where the series of loud bangs had jarred her from fitful, restless sleep.

Her mood wasn't improved when she saw her pet carpenter, Mikey Dowling, working on a half-finished magician's cabinet. "Dammit, Mikey… I'm trying to sleep here!"

"You need this cabinet for next week's show," Mikey replied evenly, then shrugged. "Besides, I'm an artist. I work when the mood strikes me."

"Ekirts reh nwod!" shouted Zatanna, pointed a glowing finger at her.

But nothing happened.

"Sorry, Boss," Mikey quipped. "You know there's no zap that works on me."

"Gnirb em a esav!" Zatanna countered, then raised the object. "Okay, how about a vase to the forehead?!"

"Okay, okay," Mikey said, dropping her hamper, lurched to her feet and ran for the door.

I don't know I keep that big goon around, Zatanna mused as her front door slammed behind the fleeing carpenter. Then she turned to head back her room and paused. Yes, I do… she's the best carpenter I've ever had, and besides I owe her.

06:16 PDT.

Someone is seriously going to die… Zatanna thought to herself as a ringing sound woke her again. But she knew that it was probably important, so she reached for her phone and answered it. "Zatanna here."

"This is Animal Man," said an unfamiliar voice from the phone. "There's a situation over in St Roch, and I need some help."

"What sort of problem?" sighed Zatanna.

"An SRPD patrolman was attacked by were-hyenas last night."

"Okay…" replied the sorceress. "They could be tricky depending on how many of them there are…"

"That's what I'm worried about," agreed the animal mimic. "I checked the Justice League files and there are some old files about a villain that was cursed with that transformation, so I thought I'd call you."

"I'm a little busy right now," Zatanna told him. "But I'll make a couple of calls and get you some help."

"Thanks," said the rookie hero, and hung up.

Hall of Justice.
July 16, 08:16 EDT.

"Thank you for coming so early," said Artemis, as Roy, Eddie Bloomberg, and Khalid Nassour – the League's medical intern and trainee sorcerer – arrived and gathered around her. "There was an incident in St Roch over-night, with the Hawks off-planet, Aboki went over to investigate, but he immediately decided that he couldn't handle it by himself."

"And you chose us to assist," Roy declared.

"And one other," Artemis confirmed as the Zeta Tube spun up again.

"Recognized, Mary Bromfield E-Zero-Eight."

"I'm not too late, am I?" asked the brunette woman, who wore a gold-trimming bandeau top and bike shorts as she stepped out of the booth and moved to join them.

"No, I was just my introduction," Artemis assured her.

Mary looked around the room, then moved to stand between Khalid and Eddy. "I thought Zee would be here?"

"She's busy on personal business and asked not to be disturbed unless it's essential."

The younger woman nodded.

"Last night, SRPD Dispatch received a distress call from Officer Antonio Isabella who was on patrol near St Roch Cemetery, reporting that he'd encountered a pack of feral dogs. By the time back-up arrived, there was no sign of the dogs, but the officer was badly injured."

"Well, no offense but what does that have to do with us?" asked Eddie, yawning. The red-skinned demonic meta wore a black and silver sleeveless leotard. "Surely the St Roch PD can handle it?"

"Normally, they could," Artemis agreed. "But this one is different… the attending physician at SRU Medical Center thought something was odd about the wounds so he took a sample of the salvia in his wounds as a precautionary measure."

"And there was something unusual about them?" Mary asked.

Artemis nodded. "They weren't ordinary dogs. In fact, they weren't dogs at all. The primary DNA in salvia was hyena… and the lab also found secondary traces of human DNA…"

Roy frowned, then walked forwards the console. "Summer Day or Jivan Shi?"

"Who?" echoed Eddie and Khalid.

"Doctor Shi," Artemis replied shortly.

"Doctor Jivan Shi, also known as the Hyena," Roy replied, tapping several keys to bring up a series of mugshots. "A former psychotherapist and super-villain."

"I remember him," Mary observed after a moment. "The original Firestorm had a couple of run-ins with some dealings with both him and his predecessor around the time I was working with the Team. Do you think we're dealing with a new one?"

"Not just one," Artemis reminded her. "Remember, Officer Isabella reported a pack."

Linda swallowed nervously, "That must be why Animal Man wants help."

Artemis nodded. "Khalid, Roy and I will go to SRUMC and see if there have been any developments there," she declared, then turned to Mary. "You've got Beta. I want you and Eddie to link up with Aboki and help him on the hunt for the pack. If we're lucky, they're sleeping at the moment and we can bring them to heel before nightfall."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed the sorceress.

Artemis nodded, then lead the group towards the Zeta Tube. "Recognized, Tigress B-Zero-Seven; Red Devil B-Three-Nine; Mary Bromfield E-Zero-Eight; Khalid Nassour E-Zero-Nine; Arsenal B-Two-Four."

St Roch.
07:32 CDT.

"Can I help?" asked the receptionist as Artemis and her two partners walked into the lobby of the university's emergency room.

"My name is Tigress," Artemis replied. "My team and I have been asked to assist with the attack on Officer Isabella?"

The woman checked her computer. "Detective Grabs is with him right now, he said that you could go through as soon as you arrived."

The trio turned towards the double doors into the treatment area, but before they could start moving the screams began.

"Tigress to Watchtower! Priority Red… possible major incident St Roch University Emergency Room!"

"Received," confirmed Black Lightning. "Notifying SRPD and mobilising additional resources."

"Standby, I'm going in!" Tigress yelled. "Arsenal, you've got point… Khalid, stay behind us!"

Both men nodded and seconds later the trio burst through the door into a chaotic scene where a tall, muscular blond man – who Artemis recognised immediately from Justice League files as Detective Andrews Grebs – was bleeding heavily from several wounds was grappling with another man who'd transformed into a hyena-headed creature as a panicked crowd of doctors, nurses and patients milled around them trying to

"Detective, we've got this!" Tigress yelled. "Break off!"

The were-hyena turned violently at her shout, twisting hard and throwing the detective clear, then lunging towards them almost in a single motion.

But Roy was his match, and a blast from his arm laser caught the man in the chest, knocking him backwards to slam into a cluster of carts that collapsed onto him, briefly pinning him to the ground.

"Is he?" asked the detective as he staggered to his feet.

"He looked pretty tough," Roy replied casually. "He's probably just had the wind knocked out of him."

Artemis looked from Roy to Khalid. "Can you check him? We'll cover you."

He nodded and moved towards the entrapped man, then extended a hand. "'Iizhar Alsiha," he murmured, then after a moment he nodded. "He will be fine. In fact I believe I can remove his curse while he is unconscious."

"Do it," said Artemis.

"Aldabe Yatahawal 'Iilaa 'Iinsan!" he chanted, his outstretched hand glowed green, with the same light enveloped the fallen man.

After a moment, the man's face slowly began to change, becoming human again within seconds as the heavy fur covering his body dissolved and his bones returned to their normal shape.

"Yashfi," added Khalid. "He may have some residual pain, but I believe that there will be no further incidents."

"Thank you…" said the detective but trailed off.

"Khalid Nassour, Detective," Khalid supplied. "I am studying magic under Zatanna Zatara and medicine at Cornell."

"Well, I'm glad of your help, Mr Nassour," said Detective Grabs as he extended a hand to shake, then paused, noticing the blood on it. "Sorry, I…"

"A little blood does not bother me, Detective," Khalid assured him, then reached out and grasped the detective's hand in his own. "Yashfi… 'Iizalat Allaena!"

The detective gasped as green light enveloped him, then faded, taking his wounds with it. "Will I?"

"No," Khalid assured him. "My second spell burned out the curse before it could take hold."

"Can you do the same for the others?"

"I believe so."

"Tigress to Watchtower…"

"Go ahead."

"Stand down Priority Red, situation is contained."

"Understood."

19:16 CDT.

"Where are they?!" growled a stocky, brown-haired man as he raked a hand through his normally neat slicked-back brown hair and scowled at the large map on the wall of the St Roch Major Crimes bullpen. "We've searched everywhere!"

"We're doing everything we can, Lieutenant," Detective Grebs pointed out. "We don't even know that they're still in St Roch."

Tigress nodded. "If Thirteen was here she might have been able to track them down magically, but…"

The lieutenant whirled towards her. "Can't you get her here?"

Artemis shook her head. "She's off-world with Javelin Squad investigating reports of a hostile wind elemental on Rann."

Khalid cleared his throat. "I have been considering the situation for the last few hours, and while Thirteen's urban magic would probably have been able to do so more easily, I believe it may still be possible to locate them magically."

"How?" Artemis asked.

"I believe that the reason that we haven't been able to locate them is that they are somehow hiding themselves with magic."

"That tracks."

"But in stripping the curse from their victims, I believe I have a 'sniff' of it as it were…" Khalid declared. "And may be able to locate their 'magical scent'… but I've never actually cast a locator spell before, and it's a little outside my usual area of expertise so I can't be certain i will be successful."

"Have a go," Artemis said. "If it doesn't work then we'll be no worse of than we are now."

"Agreed," growled Lieutenant Doucetta. "Do it."

"As you wish," Khalid agreed. "Tahdid Mawqie Wakr Aldabaei!"

Seconds later, a green dot flared near the centre of the map.

"Look's like you were right…" Detective Grebs declared. "They're at the cemetery!"

Artemis scanned the map. "My other squads can get back there fastest," she observed. "I'll redeploy them to check it out."

Lieutenant Doucetta paused, then nodded. "I'll have my people set up a perimeter."

"Good idea," Artemis agreed. "Tigress to Arsenal."

"Go ahead, Boss."

"It looks like the pack is hiding their den with magic, but we think they're hiding somewhere in the cemetery. Alpha and Beta will meet you there, but you can get there before us."

"On our way."

"This is Beta," interjected Mary. "Heading there too."

"We're on our way as well," Artemis told her. "I doubt they'll make a move until sunset."

"Agreed."

19:24 CDT.

"Can you get a better lock on them?" Artemis asked as Detective Grebs' sedan slid to a stop in front of the main gates of the St Roch Cemetery. Roy and Eddie were already standing by the gates waiting, and as she and the two stepped out of the vehicle, Aboki and Mary swept down from the treeline and landed.

Khalid concentrated for a moment, then his hands glowed green for a moment and then faded. "They are definitely within the cemetery somewhere, but I cannot be certain exactly where."

"I still couldn' spot 'em from the air as I flew over, Tigress," reported Aboki.

"Same here," Mary confirmed.

Artemis considered the situation for a moment then turned to Detective Grebs. "How long until your back-up arrives?"

"Hang on, I'll check," said the detective, and pulled out his phone. "Dispatch, this Detective Grebs, badge 1616… I'm on-site at the cemetery, can I get an ETA on my back-up?" He listened for a few moments, then hung up. "Two patrol cars are on the way, SWAT is still gearing up, but they should be here in the next quarter of an hour."

Artemis sighed. "That still gives us nearly half-an-hour until sunset," she pointed out. "We should be able to make that work."

"Agreed."

Artemis turned back to Aboki and Mary, "Can you stay on overwatch until they make a move?"

"Sure."

"Absolument."

Then she shifted her focus to Khalid. "I asked about a containment perimeter spell earlier?"

"I don't believe I will be able to hold them inside the cemetery," Khalid admitted. "But I should be able to set alarms to ensure they cannot slip past our perimeter."

"I take it," Artemis said.

20:10 CDT.

Artemis was walking up the main aisle moving east through the cemetery, when she sensed several bodies moving amongst the tombs and mausoleums around her. "Beta, Gamma, I've got movement near me…"

"On our way," chorused the rest of the group as she reached for her belt with one hand and dropped to her hip with the other.

Seconds later, two large were-hyenas – both males – leapt out from behind a tomb nearby and ran towards her. Her left hand swept around, flinging a bola at one, causing him to fall flat on his face as the other closed the distance just fast enough to slash Artemis' crossbow from her hand before she could fire, but not fast enough to score another hit before she could dodge away.

A third monster appeared on top of a mausoleum, but before she could join the action a crimson burst came from further down the lane and knocked her off her perch with a howl of pain and at almost the same moment, Eddie appeared in a burst of flame a few feet above the second monster, then dropped down, knocking him to the ground with a double-footed kick to the back.

"Good job, boys," said Artemis as she retrieved her crossbow and stowed it, drawing her sword-staff to replace it, then her phone buzzed. "Detective?"

"We just had half-a-dozen of the things try and rush the west gates," Grebs reported. "Two are dead, but we were able to take down the other four without injures that Mr Nassour couldn't fix."

"Good work," said Artemis, then hung up. "Well, we've had a roving group and an attack on the west, that leaves the east…"

"Let's move!" Roy declared and set off at a run.

"Tigress to Gamma," said Artemis as she and Eddie took off after him. "Maintain overwatch but aim for the east gates."

"On my way."

"Compris."

20:16 CDT

As fast they ran though, the battle had already begun by the time they arrived.

The mixed trio heading for the gates themselves seemed like they were the biggest threat. "Kid, cut off those three! Keep them here!"

"On it!" declared the demonic meta-teen and disappeared in a flash of flames.

"I'll back him up!" declared Roy and started to run again.

Artemis didn't follow the two men, but paused and scanned the battlefield.

Aboki tapped his amulet, a glowing purple monkey briefly appeared as he began to dodge between another trio of beasts that were trying to surround him, taking down one before the other two tried to tackle him to the ground, but were almost immediately sent staggering backwards as a glowing purple lion manifested.

Artemis continued to her scan, but her search was aborted when she heard a snarl from her left side and twisted that way, bringing up her sword-staff just in time to block the murderous bite of the massive female that knocked her to the ground.

"Hey, hands off!" cried a voice from above and the snarling were-beast was snatched from over Artemis with a yelp. Artemis twisted to look around and was just in time to see her slam into a nearby tree as Mary flew overheard and then slid into a crouched three-point landing. "Strength of Hercules!"

Artemis pulled a spare bowstring from her belt and lashed the broken parts of her weapon together as the two combatants clashed, slashed and swinging at each other energetically, the few missed strikes smashing deep holes into stone and trees around them until Mary switched tactics and tased the woman.

The Watchtower.
July 17, 13:16 CDT.

"Well, that's that," Artemis concluded as she finished her reported to the rest of the Justice League leadership.

"You did well," Jeff told her. "Only two dead, both of them criminals who volunteered to become Hyenas and only thirty casualties, all of whom will survive is a good result."

"It would have been a lot worse if we hadn't had Khalid or maybe Violet," Artemis countered.

"I've found that you can 'if' yourself to death in this line of work," Dinah observed. "I suggest you get some more sleep instead."

Artemis nodded ruefully, as much as she didn't want to admit it, the older woman was right.