Hello readers! Welcome to part one of a little series I've been working on since I first had the idea for FoF: Side Stories. Consider this my love letter to the various incarnations DC has taken over the years. This first installment features Justice League Animated/Unlimited, which was the greatest source of inspiration for Fight or Flight and also responsible for a great deal of entertainment in my formative years and into my present-day adulthood. If you are unfamiliar with the series, you shouldn't be too lost, as I tried my best to make it as entertaining as possible without needing to know the nuances of every episode of the series.

If spoilers are a concern, there are major ones for the JLA/U series, so something to keep in mind if that pertains to you.

This chapter was a monster to write, considering I've literally been working on it since June of 2020. It's gone through countless rewrites in that time, scenes added and removed for the sake of coherency. Above all else, this one was so much fun and I hope you enjoy!

"I'm sure it will work this time."

"Bill, you were sure the last two times."

"Well, then I am absolutely certain it will work this time. If it doesn't, I'll eat my lab coat."

"… Don't make bets you can't win."

"Shut up, Mateo."

Deep in the heart of a space station lazily circling the globe, two scientists (Dr. William "Bill" Rhodes and Dr. Mateo Castilla) were in the process of testing their crown jewel after months of diligent work. It was a ridiculously complicated device, about the size of a garbage can lid and sitting innocuously on the floor, with three prongs rising out of the top. Wires and tubes jutted out of the device, attaching to multiple computers that all had different programs running simultaneously. Text scrolled by at a rapid pace, displaying readings that the common man had no hope of ever understanding.

The device's purpose was simple, the hub on the floor would project a holographic image that would display a live image from a different universe. Considering how many times the League had dealt with alternate universes (either going to or getting visited by inhabitants), Dr. Rhodes had come up with the plan to catalogue as many of these universes as they could. Hopefully with a large database, they could easily tell friend from foe, or a whole slew of information that could prove helpful in a multitude of ways, like advancements in science and technology.

They just had to get it working first.

"It's time." Bill said solemnly as he took up a position near the switch. "An alert has already been sent out for everyone to be on standby in case of potential power surges. We don't want to panic the masses."

Mateo nodded and took up his own designated position. On Bill's count, they both flipped their respective switches and the machine whirred into life. It took a few moments for it to power up, a light emanating from the very center of the device gradually glowing brighter and brighter. A small burst of sparks exploded out of one of the connectors, making both scientists flinch backwards.

The whirring became higher and higher pitched, the light growing ever in strength, until it seemed like there was a star exploding in the center of the room, neither scientist able to bear looking directly at it.

It was clear that something had gone horribly awry.

A much larger shower of sparks sent Mateo retreating under the tables, as he crept towards the panic button to summon some kind of help, preferably from one of the more tech-minded heroes like Atom or Mr. Terrific. After hearing two unnatural thuds, he popped his head out to see that the light had finally died down. Blinking the spots out of his eyes, he searched for his friend. "Bill?"

"Uh... Mateo?"

"Yeah?"

Bill was standing stock still, staring down at the floor next to his beloved invention. "I think we messed up."

Splayed out face down on the ground were two costumed females, one blonde in a green uniform, and the other armored and bearing a very obvious pair of wings on her back.

Mateo paled and swallowed heavily.

This was the last time he ever helped Bill on a personal project.

H

Despite what one may assume, Ski'Lira Hol had only lost awareness for thirty seconds. One moment, she and Artemis were back to back as they fended off a swarm of androids courtesy of Dr. Ivo, the next she was lying face down on an unfamiliar surface. A quick sniff confirmed not only that Artemis was still in close proximity, but the sterile air set her nerves even further on edge.

Snapping her eyes open, she leapt to her feet and took a protective stance over the still-prone Artemis. The only two other occupants in the room were two older men, one with a bushy (and visibly unkempt) mustache and the other half-crouched under a table. As snatched up her mace from where it had fallen on the floor, Hawkgirl nudged Artemis with a foot in an attempt to rouse her.

Letting out a low sound, Artemis leveraged herself up onto her hands and knees. To her credit, the moment she realized Hawkgirl was in an aggressive stance, she executed a neat roll, drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed it straight at the mustached man from where she was crouched on the ground.

"Tell us who you are and why you have taken us." Hawkgirl growled, lips curled up into a feral snarl. "Now!"

The scientist jumped and immediately started to stammer out something about a 'machine' and an 'unforeseen complication'. His panic didn't do anything to assuage her ire, but it did give his companion time to move out from under the table, press an unseen button, and shout "Code Alpha Zeta!"

The lights in the room immediately started to flash red, as an alarm rang out, causing Ski'Lira to flinch and close her eyes. The doors of the lab started to slide shut, but the two scientists managed to scurry through them just as it completely closed during their moment of distraction.

"What the hell is happening?" Artemis asked as she clambered to her feet, shaking her head a little to rid it off the last of the fogginess she'd been temporarily plagued with.

Hawkgirl quietly cursed herself for not reacting in time, but the sudden change in lighting and the piercing noise had created an uncomfortable feedback loop through her senses. Opening her eyes, Ski'Lira blew out a harsh breath to recenter herself quickly. "I don't know, but I plan to find out."

Her initial plan was to check the computers, but apparently whatever contingency had just been activated also turned off every piece of machinery in the room.

So instead she went with the back-up plan.

Stalking over to the door, she let out a war cry and slammed her mace as hard as she could into it. The inferior metal caved immediately, leaving a near perfect imprint of her weapon on its surface. Four more hits later, she had carved a hole big enough for them to fold themselves through.

"Not gonna lie…That was both awesome and super scary." Artemis muttered as she ducked through the hole after Hawkgirl, still on the alert and ready to fire an arrow at the first person that looked at them funny.

Hawkgirl didn't respond, mostly because her attention was locked on a very clear problem.

"What?" Artemis asked, but then she saw it too.

They were in space.

The two teens moved closer to the massive windows, where they could make out several space stations floating around in the empty space, in relative proximity to the one on which they were currently located.

"Is… Is that Earth?" Artemis whispered, horrified as she recognized the familiar outline of continents wreathed in wispy cloud.

"It appears to be so. But we cannot assume anything." Hawkgirl said solemnly. "We should move. I have no doubt our escape has gone unnoticed."

"Well, at least you've got that right, stranger." There was the sound of two guns cocking. "Now why don't you put down those weapons of yours and turn around real slow."

Hawkgirl tilted her head just enough that she could see Artemis' face. She nodded her head ever so slightly.

With her nonverbal permission, Artemis lowered her bow as Hawkgirl dropped her mace down to her side. The two girls smoothly and nonchalantly turned to face whomever had found them.

A white cowboy hat was perched on his head, with a vibrantly red bandanna tied around the lower half of his face. But the main concern was the gleaming silver six shooters currently aimed at them.

"There we go, now just drop your weapons on floor all easy like." He drawled, aim unwavering.

A metallic clanking from further down the hallway heralded the arrival of another man, this one in some kind of golden medieval armor and a scarlet tabard.

"Are these the villains we have been warned of?" The knight asked, brandishing a sword that absolutely reeked of magic.

"Seems so." The cowboy replied, still not taking his eyes off of them. "Are you going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

And that's when Artemis dropped a smoke bomb at her feet, cloaking their side of the hallway in an opaque grey cloud.

That earned a laugh from the cowboy along with a jubilant, "Hard way it is!"

H

"We will speak of this defeat to no one." Hawkgirl snapped harshly at her friend, nose wrinkled with distaste and mouth turned up into an unhappy snarl. "No one."

"How were we supposed to know that masked guy had… giant… powers. I mean, when he picked you up and threw you at that gold suit guy with the weird shiny glasses and he-"

"No one includes us. We are not talking about it."

Artemis gave her first smile since they'd shown up here. "You are such a sore loser."

Letting out a huff, Ski'Lira crossed her arms, her ire growing as her bare fingers dug into the cloth of her undershirt, harshly reminded that her gauntlets had been confiscated. All of their weapons had been taken, Artemis' bow, remaining arrows, and her utility belt. Hawkgirl's mace was obviously gone, and the gauntlets had been taken as a precaution, as there was no doubt she could do just as much damage with those razor sharp clawed monstrosities. Even the knives she had perpetually hidden in her boots had been removed.

After their crushing defeat at the hands of the brightly dressed menagerie (as what had started out as a two on two fight had gone rapidly downhill when their attackers' backup had arrived, adding in three more combatants on the opposing side), they had been thrown into some kind of interrogation room, all four walls solid steel. In the center of the room was a singular table and two chairs, with a small, nondescript black camera blinking at them from the corner, like a large, particularly unpleasant spider.

Artemis had taken one of the chairs, while Hawkgirl opted to lean against the wall. She didn't want to have to deal with molding her wings around that uncomfortable metal trap.

Honestly, Ski'Lira expected their captors to leave them in their perceived solitude for a longer span of time, but to her surprise, a mere fifteen minutes after their incarceration the nearly invisible door slid open. Pulling her face into a neutral expression, she stood up from her slouch, ready to face down their interrogator.

Her spine immediately stiffened, and she saw the visible parts of Artemis' face pale as an all too familiar silhouette was framed in the doorway.

If Batman was surprised by their reactions, he didn't show it, nor did he drop any kind of gesture of recognition. Instead, he strode in, and stood across from them, signature scowl in place. "We don't know how exactly you managed to infiltrate the Watchtower, but it's only a matter of time until we do. It'll be more beneficial for the both of us if you tell us yourselves. Now."

"The Watchtower? But this isn't-"

Hawkgirl silenced her friend by putting a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. It was a silent plea for her to keep quiet, and to remind her status as her superior.

A second examination of the Dark Knight revealed some key differences in appearance that she had missed. The black fabric that made up his cape, gloves, boots, and accents was a slightly shinier material, and thinner to boot. The patches of thicker armor that usually adorned his knees and torso were missing. The ears of his signature cowl were longer, and didn't have the slight inward curve.

Whoever (or whatever) this was, it certainly wasn't their mentor.

Giving a subtle sniff, she confirmed that the person in front of her was definitely real, just as the others who attacked them had been. His scent was even the same, that strange mix of petrichor, metal, and cave damp that could only belong to Batman.

Or… a Batman.

With that thought, all of the pieces clicked together, just as Batman grew impatient.

"Well?" His attention was focused on Artemis, no doubt since she'd just proven she was more likely to speak up and reveal information to him.

Clearing her throat, she gave her friend's shoulder a final squeeze before releasing it. "I can assure you that however we managed to end up here, it was an accident we were not involved in."

"I don't believe you." He answered succinctly, eyes narrowing slightly. "You're telling me that a Thanagarian and… her accomplice… managed to sneak into a highly secured facility in Earth orbit on accident?"

"I've given you my answer." She added with a head tilt. "Do with it what you will."

This point in the interrogation was crucial, as Batman's reaction to her being deliberately obstinate would dictate her next action. Her primary worry was if he became openly violent.

Batman stared her down for one beat, then two. "Assuming I believe you, it still doesn't explain what a Thanagarian is doing on Earth, considering all of your people retreated after the invasion failed."

All of her thoughts temporarily screeched to a halt. "What?" She instantly regretted the slip, forcing her face back to its standard neutrality. Her friend, on the other hand, was not so restrained.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Artemis stood up from her chair, sending it shrieking harshly across the floor. "Only three Thanagarians have ever-"

"Stop," Hawkgirl swiftly interrupted. "Something isn't as it seems here."

"Please tell me we aren't stuck in some kind of simulation?"

"Not what I was thinking, no." She gave a slight shake of her head. "Do you remember that contingency gingersnap told our mentor was ridiculous? And our mentor told us it was more likely to happen than we thought?" Keeping the terms vague, she tried her best not to alarm Batman into thinking they were about to turn suddenly hostile.

It only took a moment for the blonde archer to put the pieces together. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Letting out a harsh sigh, she plopped back down in the chair, cradling her head in her hands. "So are you going to do the thing?"

"I believe that would be the next logical course of action." When she turned back to Batman, she didn't miss how one of his hands had drifted towards his utility belt. "I apologize, but I had to make sure that you could at least be partially trusted until I continued with the protocol. Considering you haven't immediately tried to murder us, I think it's relatively safe to proceed."

"Protocol?" His eyes narrowed. "What protocol?"

"The Grey Ghost Protocol, Code: 66605."

Batman met her gaze evenly, or as close as one could get considering the obscuring lenses on both their behalf, before raising a hand to his ear. "J'onn, get in here. I need you to do a mind sweep."

H

The Grey Ghost Protocol was a simple concept of League code, one that the team had been introduced to shortly after Zatanna was officially added to the roster. In the event that one found themselves stranded in another universe that happened to have a Justice League or Justice League-esque team that was non-hostile, they were to invoke the protocol in front of that version of Superman and/or Batman, or their world's equivalent. There was little chance of it actually having to be used, and the odds of it actually working were low.

All of the members of the team were unaware of the exact connotations of the phrase, and it had been carefully selected to be as such. Clark and Bruce had come up with it themselves, each picking a half that was significant to them in some way, a fact that would be most likely constant from one multiverse to the next. The first half, Grey Ghost, was the hero of the movie that Bruce went out to see with his parents at the theater the night of their murder. The second half, 66605, was the zip code for the Kent homestead in Smallville, Kansas.

Once again, there was absolutely no guarantee that it would work.

But if it did, it would hopefully offer the stranded party easier access to allies to get them back home.

H

"I only see truth in their minds, their arrival truly was a mere accident." J'onn began, addressing the rest of the members of the League currently gathered in the war room. "Additionally… They have revealed that they are, in fact, from another universe much like our own."

"Multiverse, great." John Stewart grumbled. "So we're not dealing with another Justice Lords, right?"

"No, we are not. I do not have… many details, but enough that I know that they mean us no harm, nor do they seem to originate from a world with malicious versions of ourselves. At this point, they are merely seeking help in getting home."

"Any updates from the lab techs involved?" Superman asked.

"Dr. Castilla confirmed that their project was the source of the problem, but they're still trying to unravel exactly how." Wonder Woman offered. "Both Atom and Mister Terrific are investigating the matter personally. So far there hasn't been much progress."

"I believe it would be prudent to introduce ourselves, considering the situation." J'onn spoke up again. "Though it may be nothing but a formality, considering the knowledge they already possess."

Crossing his arms, a thoughtful look crossed the Man of Steel's face. "I agree. I have to admit, I have a few questions I want answered."

Nodding his head, the Martian made for the door. "Then I will retrieve them. I shall return shortly."

With J'onn temporarily gone, a tense mood settled over the room. The only two seemingly unaffected were Batman and Shayera, the latter of whom was nursing a mug of coffee in her hands that had her full attention.

"So..." Drawled Flash, spinning around in his chair. "Another Thanagarian, huh? That's exciting, right?"

"Sure." His fellow redhead replied noncommittally, scowling slightly into her cup as she took a swig of the near-scalding liquid. "You could say that."

Flash physically slumped, deflated at being shut down so easily despite his attempt at cheering up the solemn group. He resigned himself to spinning himself around even faster.

Even though they had already seen images of the two interlopers courtesy of the video feed from the interrogation room, seeing them in person was still quite a shock. Overall, it was just... odd. Kind of like seeing a recreation of a famous painting done in slightly wrong colors.

The shorter of the two was clearly young, no older than eighteen at the most, her tanned face rounded with youth and a wary look on her face. No one missed how she kept close to the other, far more intimidating Thanagarian beside her, going so far as to make sure her shoulder kept near constant contact with her bicep.

Ever the force of kindness he was, Superman was the first to willingly step forward and address them directly, offering a warm smile. "Welcome to the Watchtower. I'd like to apologize for the... unpleasant circumstances of your arrival. I hope we can make amends by finding you a way home as fast as we can."

"That'd be nice." The blonde grumbled. "We were kind of in the middle of something when your lab guys yoinked us here." She blew out a frustrated breath. "So, we obviously know who you guys are, but J'onn said we don't have counterparts here, so... I'm Artemis, this is Hawkgirl."

H

Ski'Lira remained silent as she offered an acknowledging tilt of her head at the introduction. She hadn't missed the way the other Thanagarian woman's green eyes were perpetually locked on her, nor the resemblance to her mother. But until it was directly addressed, she was more than fine with ignoring the subject completely.

"I imagine you two have a great deal of questions." Superman continued, ever the mediator. "Just as we have some about you. We could answer a question for a question?"

"That's... fair." Artemis glanced over at Ski'Lira for nonverbal confirmation before agreeing to the terms. "Okay, first of all, this is Justice League Headquarters, right?"

"We are, but we have a second base on Earth called the Hall of Justice. Does anyone have a question they'd like to ask first?"

Naturally, it was Batman who volunteered. "J'onn confirmed you both had history with our... counterparts." He stopped there, letting them fill in the rest of the question themselves.

Without hesitation, Hawkgirl raised a hand (mentally happy at the recent return of her gauntlets, as the clawed points made it seem that much more intimidating) and began pointing at each member in turn. "Clark Kent, John Stewart, J'onn J'onzz, Diana Prince, Barry Allen, Shayera Hol, and Batman."

There was a beat of stunned silence before the Dark Knight spoke, looking almost smug, or at least as smug as he would ever look considering his propensity for neutral expressions. "You don't know my identity?"

"I do, she doesn't." She jerked a thumb towards Artemis. "Consider it professional courtesy."

If she really wanted to mess with him, she'd mention how their version of him used to babysit her when she was little, or how he'd practically adopted the entirety of the Team as his own little fleet of vigilantes.

The resident scarlet speedster had an uncharacteristic frown on his face, interrupting after trading a confused look with the Green Lantern sitting next to him. "Well, you were almost a hundred percent right, but... I'm not my Uncle Barry."

Until this moment, Hawkgirl had been unaware it was possible for a human and a Thanagarian's brain to undergo a simultaneous Blue Screen crash. Any sarcastic remarks she'd been thinking of adding went right out the window, as Artemis' hand instinctively lashed out, wrapping around her forearm as if attempting to ground herself. Reacting to the archer's distress, one of her wings stretched out and curled slightly around her in a facsimile of a comforting arm thrown around the shoulders.

"What did I say?" Flash pouted, which was such a familiar gesture that it was almost physically painful to see.

When she'd first realized they had landed in a different universe, she expected the lack of recognition from these people that looked like her friends, mentors, and family, but unequivocally weren't.

Ski'Lira was a big girl, she could handle the jade-eyed woman glaring at her with distaste in her eyes, the ever-assuring presence of Superman that had never taken her to the movies or to meet Lois Lane, and a Batman that had never trained her and her friends, or welcomed her into his home.

But this was Wally. The mirror image of one of her kast, one of her best friends, someone she'd been growing up alongside for the past couple of years. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Artemis felt, only offer her presence and step up as the responsible one.

"You said nothing wrong." Ski'Lira's tone was unwavering, a sincerity to it that brought the speedster instant relief. "I apologize if our reaction made it seem that way."

"He, don't worry about it." A wide grin was on Wally's face in an instant, all bad blood chased away in the span of a heartbeat.

"You are Wally West then?"

He shot a finger gun and a wink her way. "One and only!"

His trademark goofy antics seemed to rouse Artemis out of her shocked state, probably more from reflex than anything else. She released her grip on Ski'Lira's arm, but did nothing to move away from the wing hovering around her. "Yeah, that's definitely him."

"You can imagine our confusion, considering that Wallace West is our age in our universe." Ski'Lira explained, purely for his benefit.

If anything, that just seemed to disorient Flash even more, but not for the reasons she was expecting. "Wait, wait, wait. I know you're like, thirteen." He gestured vaguely towards Artemis.

The archer immediately reddened, fingers twitching in a telltale way that usually heralded her reaching for her bow. "I'm fifteen!"

Waving away her indignant outburst, Wally turned back to address Ski'Lira. "Yeah, yeah, but how old are you? Twenty two? Twenty three?"

"Sixteen."

"... What. No. No way. You are obviously lying."

"She's really not." Artemis rolled her eyes. "She's just freakishly tall."

"By your pitiful Earth standards, yes." Ski'Lira returned the eye roll, though the action had no impact considering the presence of her mask. "I haven't even grown my full height yet."

"Oh bullsh-"

"You're really just kids, huh?" Hearing that coming from Wally West was downright strange. Though to be fair, this entire situation was far from normal. "Hey uh, maybe we shouldn't mention to Vigilante and Sir Justin that they beat up a couple of teenagers?"

Ski'Lira growled low under her breath at the reminder of their defeat, and rapidly changed the subject. "I believe we are owed two questions now. Artemis?"

"You go ahead, I'm still trying to comprehend the idea of Wally West as an adult."

"Believe me, he barely qualifies." John Stewart chuckled, earning a wounded expression from his friend at the verbal jab.

Pondering her choices, she decided on the two that sprung to mind first. "Where is Hal Jordan and why was the Thanagarian Invasion significant?"

She wasn't surprised when Stewart provided an answer for the first, after all, he would be the expert. "Hal Jordan's permanently stationed on Oa, has been for years. You know him?"

That relieved her, a little, knowing that he wasn't dead like she'd suspected. "Mmm. He's my uncle." At the shocked look she received, she elaborated. "Not biologically, obviously."

With that mystery solved, that still left her second question, which everyone seemed unwilling to answer. There were a great deal of meaningful looks and shifts of posture.

It was finally Batman, practical as ever, who took the initiative where his colleagues were reluctant to do so. "The Thanagarians invaded Earth in an attempt to conquer and destroy it. They were intending to construct a hyperspace bypass as part of a super weapon to bring an end to the war with the Gordanian Empire. It failed, Thanagar fell."

Shayera couldn't meet anyone's eyes, jaw set and her hands clenched tightly around her mug.

All Ski'Lira offered was a simple, "Hm," before thinking of her next question.

"Are you... okay?" Adult Wally asked with a frown.

It was then that she realized she wasn't being stared at for being an oddity, or a Thanagarian now, she was being stared at because they expected some kind of emotional distress. "Yes? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you were just told that your home planet was destroyed and your people are an endangered species?" Wonder Woman pointed out. "You don't have to feel ashamed for being distraught over it."

There seemed to be some kind of massive disconnect here, and Ski'Lira beseechingly looked to Artemis for help. "What are they talking about?"

At this point, Artemis was well used to this kind of situation and knew exactly how to handle it. "Cultural differences, HG."

"Ah, alright. Any more questions for us?"

"No, hang on." Stewart physically stood up from his seat. "You're telling me you don't care about Thanagar being destroyed? Last I checked your people were fanatically loyal. For the most part." He added on after glancing over at Shayera, who was going increasingly tense.

"They're not my people." Ski'Lira snapped, temper ignited in a second, a growl tinging her words that did not go unnoticed. Seeing the shift to attention from the Leaguers, she forced herself to calm down, returning to a neutral position instead of the more aggressive stance she'd taken. "This is not our universe, thus it was not my planet that was destroyed, nor my people that were so incompetent they fell to the Gordanians. Clearly your Thanagar was weak."

That seemed to be the last straw for Shayera, as the porcelain mug in her hands began to creak from increased pressure. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Three things." Holding up the required number of fingers, she started ticking off each point as she listed them. "One, any Thanagarian worth their word wouldn't sanction the genocide of an entire planet just because it happened to be in the way. That's cowardly and inane. Two, on the word of my parents, the Thanagarian High Council declared Earth a lynchpin planet, and thus any sort of invading is taboo. And three, the Gordanians were wiped out four centuries ago in The Great Catastrophic Failed Invasion of Thanagar by the Incompetent and Spineless Gordanian Military." She paused, nose wrinkling slightly. "It... doesn't translate very well into any Terran language, but you get the point."

"Wait." Diana held up a hand. "You said your parents. They live on Earth?"

"As do I, obviously."

"And... who exactly are they?"

"I'll count that as one question since you were clarifying an earlier fact." She acquiesced with a slight tilt of her head. "Shayera and Katar Hol."

Shayera's mug promptly exploded in her hand.

H

The exchange had grown downright awkward after the death of the porcelain mug. Fleeing the room, Shayera had ignored Stewart's calls after her as he followed, both disappearing into the depths of the Watchtower. Superman had done his best to smooth over the situation, offering them both chairs to make the situation more comfortable as the session of questioning was continued.

What had started as an interrogation to prove their validity had spiralled into a mutual curiosity about each other's respective dimensions. Picking up on the shift in intent, Batman had made an exit without a word, offering only nods to the two teens before disappearing.

The lighthearted conversation about the differences in the League roster had been derailed with a single, pertinent question. "So, where is Hawkman?" Ski'Lira asked.

Flash rubbed the back of his neck, giving a faint chuckle of discomfort. "He's uh... Um... How do I explain...?"

"If he's dead, you can just say it. It's not as if he's my father. I have no emotional investment, just interested."

"He is... not dead." J'onn's words were carefully slow. "Though he is not a member of the League."

"He's... well..." Superman also seemed at a loss for words, leaving Wally West to fall back on one of his trademark moves, blurting out the truth.

"He's a crazy stalker who tried to convince Shayera they're reincarnated lovers or something. And he was tricked into working with Shadow Thief."

That was... a lot to unpack, and all she could do was give a slow blink as she tried to comprehend that word vomit.

A slight movement caught her attention as Superman pulled up a holoscreen, displaying an image of a generic looking human male with black hair and light blue eyes. "Look familiar?"

"... Should it?"

"This is Carter Hall." Her answer clearly perplexed Clark, judging by the tilt of his brows.

"The aforementioned crazy stalker?" Wally tacked on for emphasis.

"He looks nothing like my father." Ski'Lira squinted a little. "Actually... He looks more like Captain Marvel."

"He totally does!" Artemis snorted a little with amusement. "Except a nutjob, apparently. Yeesh, explains why Hawklady was so eager to leave after that name drop.

"It's a... sensitive subject, for a number of reasons." Leaning forward in her seat, Diana perched her chin on her folded hands. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about this team of yours. You didn't really go into much detail."

"Well, there's us, obviously." Artemis began. "And our version of Wally, Aqualad's our leader, and Hawkgirl here is second in command. Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian, Zatanna, and Rocket are the others."

"Aqualad." Drawing out the last syllable, Flash was a little perturbed. "Does he happen to be a constantly grumpy blonde with a penchant for harpooning people?"

"Are you referring to Aquaman?" Hawkgirl couldn't even fathom the king of Atlantis being particularly grumpy. She'd seen him angry, of course, but he was rather amicable most of the time. Only towards people he liked, of course. "Aqualad is his chosen protégé. And neither of them are... grumpy."

"Aquaman's super nice." Artemis agreed. "Seriously, every time he visits our base he's like 'Have you been drinking water?' 'Did you all remember to eat today?'."

The two teens laughed together softly, drawing an amused smile from Wonder Woman.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but..." There was a vulnerable catch to J'onn's voice as he spoke up after a long bout of silence, a set to his jaw that certainly hadn't been there before. "Did you say Miss Martian?"

"M'Gann M'orzz." Artemis answered. "She's your counterpart's niece. She's sweet, likes baking and American television. And cardigans. And the color pink."

"And she won't hesitate to telekinetically blast someone into a wall." Hawkgirl added. "She's fierce when she needs to be."

The Martian was silent for a few moments. "... Mars did not succumb to the Imperium in your timeline?"

Catching on quickly, Hawkgirl's mouth tilted slightly downwards in sympathy. Even though she was unaffected by the destruction of another version of her planet, didn't mean others were as emotionless about such drastic changes. "No. From what M'Gann's told us, Mars is a thriving society."

Closing her eyes briefly, Artemis dug her palms into her eyes, inhaling sharply. "This place is so different it's giving me a headache."

A sudden throat clear from Superman drew Ski'Lira back to the current conversation. He too, had a strange expression on his face. Almost... hopeful? "Superboy? Is he...?"

"Genetic clone. We appropriated him from a CADMUS facility after he tried to kill us. And then he saved us from having our genetic material harvested to make more clones. That was a good day."

"She's not being sarcastic. Even though they almost died. Several times."

Despite the chiding look she was receiving from her friend, Hawkgirl was a hundred percent unapologetic.

"What's he like? Superboy, I mean."

Hawkgirl thought for a moment how best to answer. "Quiet, for the most part. Unsure of himself. Has a bit of a temper, but he's working on it."

"That's... that's good."

"It's odd." Wonder Woman said in a thoughtful manner. "Your world seems so different from ours, but some things remain the same. It's remarkable, really."

"Speaking of which, we should probably be getting home soon." Artemis stood up from her chair, stretching her arms above her head and cracking her neck from side to side. "This has been a fun little multiverse jaunt, but I think it's time for us to head back. We did leave our team in the middle of a fight with Ivo. And you know, I don't want to jinx anything, but I don't like five years to have passed in our absence like some weird Narnia situation."

"We'd rather avoid the wardrobe, yes." Hawkgirl agreed.

The adults in the room all traded uneasy looks.

That boded well.

H

"This is, by far and away, one of the dumbest things that's ever happened to us." Waving a forkful of pasta around, Artemis' face was set in a firm scowl. "But at least we're getting fed." She admitted, taking a pointed bite of her meal. "I could go without the staring though. They're superheroes, don't they literally have anything else to do?"

"Apparently not, considering they haven't ceased doing so."

The stares were a little... unnerving. After being given the news that 'No, we don't know how to get you home, in fact, we still aren't sure how it happened in the first place', Superman had directed them towards the mess hall with the promise of a warm meal. The prospect of food was clearly a ploy to direct their attention away from their increasingly complicated situation... and it was working.

Whatever budget this place had (enough for a full civilian staff and multiple satellites) was more than sufficient to provide high quality meals. They'd been provided full plates of pasta and grilled chicken, along with garlic bread. Once they'd sat down, Artemis had wordlessly swapped over half of her chicken in exchange for half of Ski'Lira's pasta.

It had helped mitigate some of the awkwardness that a hero named Mister Terrific had sent out a tower-wide message that they were no longer considered threats, instead unexpected visitors (denoted by their new temporary ID badges pinned to their clothes). At the very least, they didn't have to worry about defending themselves against any more unexpected beat downs.

Not that it was doing anything to curb the obvious whispers and gossip.

"Just be thankful you can't hear what they're saying." Ski'Lira said casually, taking a sip of water.

Pausing, fork halfway to her mouth, Artemis set down the utensil with narrowed eyes. "What? Is it that bad?"

"Nothing, really. Most of them seem to be under the impression I could attack them at any moment. It seems the failed Thanagarian invasion was more serious than we were led to believe."

"What the hell." The archer did a visual sweep of the room. "Do I need to kick anyone's ass? They have no right to talk about you that way."

An amused snort left Ski'Lira's lips before she could stifle it. "No need, Artemis, though the offer is appreciated."

"A word of advice, maybe don't talk about that kind of stuff out loud? At least not where anyone can overhear you." A chair between them was drawn out and flipped backwards, an all too familiar face sitting down and making himself comfortable.

"Green Arrow," Artemis greeted, voice slightly strangled as she mentally readjusted. "Uh... hi."

"Hi to yourself." He gave an acknowledging tip of his hat, one Ski'Lira hadn't seen their own Oliver wear in years. "So, I hear you're my... alternate universe protégé. What's that like?"

"Infuriating, most of the time." She answered immediately, easily slipping into the banter like putting on a well-worn glove.

"Oof, I am offended on my double's behalf." Oliver pressed a hand to his chest.

Artemis turned to Ski'Lira, giving her a look that exuded 'Are you seeing this?'

Giving a slight nod, the Thanagarian answered the silent inquiry aloud. "I agree, he certainly shares the propensity for dramatics."

"Thanks? I'm just going to go ahead and take that as a compliment." Leaning forward, Oliver perched his forearms on the edge of the table. "So, how're you finding the food? Better or worse than you're used to?"

"It's fine." Artemis answered for the both of them.

"Seems like you weren't too happy with the portion sizes."

"The guy behind the counter wouldn't give Hawkgirl extra chicken, even though we asked politely and everything. So rude."

"Huh, really?" That seemed to surprise the older man. "Usually the servers are pretty good about accounting for individual needs, considering how many metas, aliens, and everything in between we've got running around here."

"I suppose Thanagarians are not extended the same courtesy."

Always one for knowing how to lighten up a situation, Oliver changed the subject. "So what kind of stuff do you get at your mess hall? Please tell me you at least have Taco Tuesday."

"We make our own food." Artemis answered. "Usually we take turns, but our friend M'Gann really likes to cook, so she volunteers a lot."

"Hey, knowing how to cook isn't a bad skill. It's a good thing to pick up early. Unless you're just surviving off of ramen and soda, then I might be slightly more judgmental of my alternate self."

"Our mentors wouldn't allow it." Ski'Lira answered. "Apart from Flash, but that's because Kid Flash is a sentient garbage can that can eat anything without negative effects."

"Uh, coming from Miss 'Eat raw steak straight out of the package', that's saying something." Artemis interrupted, pointedly gesturing at her with a fork.

"That was twice. And the first time was an intimidation tactic."

"And the second time?!"

"… I don't have to explain myself to you."

Their back-and-forth was interrupting by chuckling, and they both turned to look at Green Arrow in unison. "Oh, you two are adorable."

Ski'Lira's wings flared behind her. "I am not adorable."

Green Arrow opened his mouth (presumably to refute the point), but he stopped himself and lifted a hand to his ear, to the comm device nestled within it. "Copy that, be there in five minutes." He looked back to them. "Finish up, you're needed in the lab."

H

"We are so, so, so, so, so sorry." One scientist was practically begging, his thick dark hair tousled to high heaven thanks to him perpetually running his nervous hands through it. His companion was equally anxious, but he was fiddling with a pen.

"I never meant for this to happen." The second scientist insisted. "It was a complete and utter accident. So sorry. Because the thing is-"

"You can't reverse it." Hawkgirl finished for them.

The first scientist blinked in surprise. "How did you know that?"

She just gave him a look. It was fairly obvious from the rampant apologies and the body language, as well as the solemn look on Superman's face.

Before the two nervous quantum physicists could continue their rambling (and ultimately pointless) apologies, Ski'Lira's nostrils flared as the room suddenly flooded with the scent of magic. A soft golden light appeared a moment later, taking the distinct form of an ankh. She couldn't help the instinctive stiffening of her wings as the blue and gold clad form of Dr. Fate appeared.

"I may be able to provide some assistance." His voice was low, and smooth, nodding his head in acknowledgement to the higher ranking members of the League. "I responded to your summons as quickly as I could."

"Thank you for coming." Wonder Woman greeted him first, returning the nod as a show of respect.

A slight pressure on her arm made her look towards Artemis, who had moved to stand closer, purposefully maintaining physical contact.

"I am not unfamiliar with the multiverse." Dr. Fate began, directly addressing the two universe-hopping teens. "Sending you home will be a simple matter of locking onto the correct signature and applying the spell."

"Trust us, if anyone can do it, he can." Superman assured them. "He's one of the most powerful magic users we know."

"We're aware." Artemis cleared her throat awkwardly. "We've met."

Giving a small hum, Fate went back to addressing the League. "Inza will be following shortly with the ingredients needed for the ritual. It will be better to do it here rather than ay my tower, considering this was the original point of entry. There is power in that."

"And they won't be transferred to the same... place?" Superman asked.

"Do not worry, I will make certain they are transported directly onto the Earth's surface rather than maintaining position in orbit."

"Alright. Do whatever you need to do."

"Did you just say Inza?" The words spilled out of Ski'Lira's mouth before she could stop herself, interrupting the adults.

Dr. Fate's emotionless helmet turned slowly to face her, the slight tilt showing his consideration of her question. "Yes. My wife. You are familiar?"

"... You're Kent Nelson." Artemis' voice was quiet, but to Ski'Lira it felt like she had shouted it at the top of her lungs. The blonde reached out and grabbed her wrist, already knowing what was about to happen. "Skylar-"

"I need a moment." Ripping her hand from her friends' concerned grasp, she set off at a brisk pace towards the nearest doorway, no clear destination in mind apart from away.

As she departed, her sensitive hearing picked up on Artemis' hasty explanation for her sudden disappearance.

"She'll be back, she just… It's, well… See, our Kent Nelson passed away six months ago. It was... hard... for her."

"… I see. I apologize for causing your friend distress with my presence."

"It's not your fault. But she'll be okay. Um… You might want to send someone after her, just to make sure she doesn't destroy anything. Or punch someone."

H

"John told me I should talk to you."

Ski'Lira was roused of the semi-meditative state she'd slipped into as she stared through the large window, down at the Earth below. She prided herself on being a stalwart and level-headed individual, and she'd been doing her best to be strong in this... crazy situation, especially for Artemis' sake. But it seemed like seeing Dr. Fate, Kent Nelson alive, was one drop in the bucket too many.

Tamping down on the influx of grief had been... difficult. Seeing a version of Nelson again, one who still lived happily with his Inza, had forced her to think about all of the people they'd left behind. She was ashamed to say she'd... spiraled, a bit. Dr. Fate had told them the solution to their problem, but there was no way of knowing exactly what they'd be going back to. It could be mere seconds, minutes, or even years difference between here and there.

She really didn't want to pull a Chronicles of Narnia and come back to a world of ruin, where they and everyone they'd known were long forgotten.

Realizing she was catastrophizing, Skylar had forced herself to focus on the present, on the vision of the Earth and it's ever-changing cloud layer, and the background of brightly shining stars and planets beyond. Her usual method of 'meditation' (namely, finding someone to spar with or locking herself in a training room for a few hours), were obviously unavailable.

But now there was a more important matter at hand, as Shayera Hol moved to stand beside her. "I wasn't going to, but then I got a message that there was a potentially aggressive Thanagarian that needed to be checked on." Her green eyes shifted to look at her. "Are you?"

"I'm always aggressive, I'm a Thanagarian." She answered easily.

That earned her a slight huff of a laugh. "Fair enough."

Seeing that she wasn't about to be left alone anytime soon, Ski'Lira spoke up. "What did your John want you to talk to me about?"

Crossing her arms, Shayera averted her gaze back out towards the window. "A lot of things. Your... Your parents, the other version of me and... Katar." She practically spat the name, unsurprising considering what she'd been told of the human. "How did... How did that possibly happen?"

"From what I understand, the primary distance is that my father is a born Thanagarian, while yours is a human with... boundary issues."

"That's one way of putting it. So your Katar is actually one of us?"

She hummed in agreement. "My parents met on a mission. Her military unit was assigned as backup for a small group of Wingmen, of which my father was a member. They fell in love, bonded, and then had me."

"How'd they end up on Earth, then? I was sent because-" The woman abruptly stopped talking, frowning to herself. "Let's just say less than heroic reasons."

"It was meant to be a simple scouting mission, but Earth proved itself to be a valuable... asset isn't exactly the right word, but it's close. They were assigned permanently to keep an eye on things for Thanagar, joined the Justice League, and the rest is history. When I was nine they moved me from Thanagar to Earth."

"And my counterpart, your mother... What's she like?"

"You're nothing like her, for one." She shot her a smirk, not missing the slight relief in the older woman's eyes. "For one, she would probably have yelled at me a lot more instead of just walking out. And two, she wouldn't be caught dead with John Stewart."

The comment earned her an indignant splutter, and Shayera's eyes narrowed in irritation. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing..." Ski'Lira couldn't help but laugh to herself. "I have nothing against the man. If he's anything like the one I know, then he's a good man. I was trying to lighten the mood."

"How could you possible know about that? You only saw us for what, two minutes?"

"I am highly trained in reading body language... Also, Flash told us after you walked out."

Scoffing, Shayera rolled her eyes. "Of course." She inhaled deeply, letting out a long breath before straightening her spine. "You're... happy? With your family? And... everything?"

"How vague. But yes, I am quite content with my life."

"Good. That's... good." Clearing her throat, she looked away. "Anyway, if you're up to it, I should probably escort you back. I think it's about time we got you back home."

H

"Is the wacky temporary tattoo really necessary?" Artemis flinched in discomfort as Inza made another pass of cold paint straight onto her stomach.

"I'm afraid so." Inz's grin was slightly mischievous as she finished the sigil on the archer's abdomen before starting to create an identical one on Ski'Lira. "It will tether you two together, to make sure you are not separated during your travel."

"The glyph also serves as a focal point for the spell." Doctor Fate added from where he was flipping through a downright ancient spellbook that looked like it would fall apart if one looked at it wrong. "Consider it a more viable alternative to a static ritual circle."

"If we were using a circle, you'd most likely end up suffocating in space. Not to mention, this is also the best way to mitigate the effect your armor and weapon will have on the incantation. Unless you'd prefer to leave them-"

"I would rather die." Hawkgirl hissed.

"It was merely a suggestion." Inza's tone remained neutral, completely unfazed in the face of a Thanagarian's sudden onset of fury. Said Thanagarian was starting to get an idea of why exactly her version Kent Nelson had been so deeply in love with his wife.

A polite knock on the doorway of the ruined lab they'd appropriated for spellcasting drew attention to a beaming Superman, with Flash and Batman following close behind. "Everything going okay?"

"We are almost ready." The Lord of Order confirmed as he found the page he was looking for, and his wife had finished the last stroke of paint, allowing Hawkgirl to pull the hem of her shirt back down.

"Great!" His smile somehow managed to get even wider. "You two excited to get home finally?"

"Yes." Groaning, Artemis stretched her arms above her head. "Like, no offense to you guys, but I think I've reached my quota of 'weird crap I'm willing to put up with' for the next year. How about you, HG?"

"More than ready to return. Though I am not looking forward to the interrogations we'll be receiving when we do. Something tells me neither or Team nor the League will be letting us out of their sight anytime soon."

Grey eyes widening with horror, Artemis' voice dropped to a near whisper. "I didn't even think about that."

"Well, I have to say, it has been an absolute pleasure meeting two sidekicks from an alternate universe so very much like our own. Very Twilight Zone." Flash quipped. "Before you go, please tell me you have some kind of blackmail I can take full advantage of."

"We have plenty of blackmail on your counterpart." Artemis answered. "Like the time he-"

"That's okay, thank you!" The speedster put his hands up in defeat. "But hey, best of luck to you two, you weird violent little children."

"It was very nice to meet the both of you." Superman added, stepping forward to shake both of their hands in farewell. "And take care of yourselves."

"Thank you, Superman." Hawkgirl said sincerely. "I wish you overwhelming success in your future battles. And I'm sure this will make an excellent story for Ms. Lane."

A chuckle left him at the prospect. "I'm sure she'll be just as baffled as I am."

Hawkgirl turned her attention to the silent dark knight standing near the doorway. "Batman." She acknowledged with a tilt of her head.

"Hawkgirl. Artemis."

For him, that was the equivalent of a heartfelt farewell.

"We are ready to begin." Dr. Fate said, and Inza ushered the two teens to stand closer together in front of the master of magic. "Fair warning, this may be an... unpleasant experience."

"We can handle it." Hawkgirl assured, a grim set to her mouth.

Reaching over, Artemis wrapped her hand around her friends' in a tight grip, using the other to offer a final small wave to the members of the League. Flash was the only one to return it as Fate started the incantation, the room filling with the sharp scent of magic.

There was a sudden change of pressure, the sigils on their abdomens starting to heat up with an uncanny warmth as their hair whipped around their heads. The chanting grew steadily louder and louder, until it was echoing around the room, accompanied with little bursts of light that swirled around them, increasing in intensity.

In the span of a heartbeat, it felt liked their very beings were being compressed, vision going suddenly dark, before all chaos broke loose.

H

A harsh ringing noise clamored around them, accompanied by the shattering of glass and sharp impact.

Groaning, Hawkgirl sat up from where she had fallen the ground, grimacing at the feel of cold tile flooring underneath her palms. "Artemis? Are you okay?"

"Peachy." The archer grumbled, sitting up next to her. "Did it work?"

"We definitely aren't in the Watchtower anymore." In fact, it seemed like they'd portalled directly into a jewelry store, their arrival blowing all the windows outwards and decimating nearly every display case. The source of the ringing was an alarm that had yet to cease screaming at them. "This is going to be difficult to explain."

Standing up, Ski'Lira shook out her wings, ridding them of every bit of broken glass, as Artemis followed suit, swiping similar shards out of her long hair.

"Artemis?" Skylar asked, as her eyes caught on something strange off in the distance.

"Yeah?" Satisfied the last of the glass was gone, the blonde turned to her friend. "What's up?"

"That building... Does that seem strange to you?"

Following where Ski'Lira was pointing, Artemis' mouth parted slightly in surprise. "Uh... Is that a giant T? How is that thing even standing? Must be some kind of wacky architect's passion project or something. Looks pretty dumb, if you ask me."

"Hey now, it's not very nice to insult other people's headquarters!" A young, slight raspy voice chimed in, Hawkgirl internally cursing herself at not having heard anyone approach thanks to the alarm. "Didn't anyone ever teach you bad guys manners?"

"Hawkgirl." Artemis hissed between her teeth as she reached for her bow. "Please tell me this isn't happening."

"I'm afraid so." Hawkgirl muttered back. Apparently the multiverse wasn't quite done with them yet.

"Titans, go!"

Did you really expect me to make a multiverse-based series and not do Teen Titans? Come on, who do you take me for?

Not sure exactly when part two of this will be done, but I definitely already have plans in store. I'd also love to hear suggestions about how all of you think an interaction between our lovely hawk, Artemis, and the Titans would go!

With this, my great over a year-long burden is lifted with the posting of this oneshot. I am free.

Not really, because, you know, I have so many more oneshot ideas to do, plus the main story.

Eh, c'est la vie.