"Hello M'gann we should hit the beach everyday" M'gann said as she Superboy Robin, Kaldur and DJ all walked on the beach in swim suits. DJ had a white tank top on because he wasn't going swimming since with Adamantium bones, he'd sink right to the bottom.
"But first, a moment of silence for our absent friend" Robin said with sadness in his voice. Wally had to start school today so he wasn't able to have fun at the beach until school was done.
"Poor Wally" M'gann said sadly. But it was soon replaced as the gang began to have fun. They splashed each other when they were in the water, DJ only going in knee high. They played volleyball which M'gann and Superboy won against Robin and DJ while Kaldur was the referee. They claimed that it was because Superboy's spikes were not hit-able.
For lunch they had hotdogs and burgers cooked by M'gann while they joked about how if Wally were here they wouldn't get any.
DJ smiled as he held up a good sized fish that he had caught. While he was doing that, M'gann got ready to take a photo on a camera. He was going to release it because of Kaldur being there.
But in the background Superboy was treading in deeper water. He smiled before he dove under the water. Just before the picture was to be taken, he emerged with a twenty foot Reef Shark that made DJ's fish look like a minnow.
Timeskip/ DJ's pov
We had just finished burying Superboy in the sand when our coms vibrated in our ears.
'Team, this is Batman. I'm requesting that everyone get changed and meet in the mission room' Batman's voice said over our ear coms. Superboy easily stood up and shook all the sand off his body as we all laughed and shielded our faces.
After we entered our rooms and got changed, we made our way to the mission room. There, standing with Green Arrow and Batman was the girl from the rooftop. I could tell from her scent. She was now dressed in green tank top and green pants with a quiver over her back and a bow in her right hand.
"Everyone this is Artemis. She is Green Arrow's apprentice and his niece" Batman said making sure to sent a look my way along with Green Arrow. Aqualad walked up and shook her hand.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Aqualad, the leader of the team" he said as I came up next.
"And this is Razor, my second in command" he said as I shook her hand next while on the other I unsheathed my claws. To the others I was showing off while in reality I was letting her know who I was. Her face flashed a quick fear look, but I gave her a nod that told her 'I'll cover for you.' I knew she wasn't his niece, but they must have a good reason for lying.
"Where is Kid Flash?" Batman asked. I looked over at Robin, who smiled a creepy smile.
"You did tell him the beach party was over... Right?" Aqualad asked as Robin's smirk only grew larger.
"Recognized. Kid Flash B-03" the Zeta-Tube said as Wally came running full speed in his swim trunks and a bunch of beach gear.
"The Wall-man is here and is ready to par-" he was cut off as his foot got caught on something and he tripped.
"-Ty" he finished as the beach ball bouncing towards us.
I smiled and hit the ball back to him with my fist. It bounced off his head as Artemis laughed.
"The Wall-man huh. I love the costume. What exactly are your powers again?" she asked. I look over at her and smile even more.
"It's actually Baywatch, he has all the powers of a lifeguard" I said as she laughed. Wally ignores us as he steps up beside Robin and M'gann.
"Uh, who's this?" he asks Kaldur, gesturing to her.
"Artemis, your new teammate" she says proudly and teasingly.
"Kid Flash. Never heard of you" Wally continues in the same insultingly teasing tone as Artemis. Green Arrow steps up.
"Um, she's my new protogé" he said as Wally's eyes go wide.
"Wha-what happened to your old one?" he questions, clearly worried. But no one can ask further questions as the Zeta-Tubes behind him was put in use.
"Recognize: Speedy; B-0-6"
"Well for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow" Roy states, walking out of the Zeta Tube. He and I share a look of hatred.
"Roy" I said giving him a nod. He nods back. To be honest that's the nicest thing either one of us has ever done to the other. Green Arrow walked in front of us and towards Roy.
"Roy, you look-" "replaceable" Roy said interrupting his former mentor.
"Roy, It's not like that" Green Arrow tries. "You told me you were going solo"
"So why waste time finding a sub?" Roy rhetorically questions angrily. "Can she even use that bow?" he asked. Artemis steps up to defend herself.
"Yes, she can" she says, almost chipper sounding as she gets right in Roy's face.
"Who are you?" Wally questions again. both Artemis and Green Arrow looked at him.
"I'm his niece" Artemis says
"She's my niece" Green Arrow says at the same time. This response gets a smirk to grow on Robin's face.
"Another niece?" he questions.
"But she is not your replacement" Kaldur assures, speaking to Roy. I sighed and stepped forwards.
"As much as it pains me to say, I literally think I'm gonna vomit. He's right, we have no limit on archers. And distant attacks are always good to have in a battle plan" I said looking at Roy.
"And even if we did have a limit, you know who'd we pick" Wally said leaning towards Roy. Artemis scoffed.
"Whatever Baywatch. I'm here to stay" she said only to Wally's displeasure. I stepped in front of them and pushed them apart.
"Okay, you know I like a good scrap as much as the next guy. But I'll be the one to move this forwards. Roy, you came to us for a reason?" I asked. Roy nodded and went over to the computer.
"Yes a reason named Dr Serling Roquette" Roy admits, looking at Robin, who tenses immediately at the name. He then smiled and he pulls up the data on his hologlove.
"Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City. Vanished two weeks ago" he states as screens around the whole circle come up.
"Abducted two weeks ago. By the League of Shadows" Roy corrects.
"Whoa. You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?" Robin asks as he, Wally, and M'gann all step up.
"Hard-core" Wally agrees, offering a fist to Robin. Which the Boy Wonder hits on top, then underneath, then on top again.
I rolled my eyes and tried to go through the folders Batman gave me when I first joined in my head. In there was all the info on villains and villain organizations that the League had. But I either couldn't remember or hadn't gotten to the League of Shadows.
"I already rescued her" Roy said walking towards the lined up holo-screens. "Only one problem" he added pulling out a small grey box, which brought up a larger screen in front of the ones Robin put up.
"The Shadows had already coerced her into a weapon" he said glancing at the screen to make sure the data's up.
"Doc calls it the Fog. It's comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators, capable of disintegrating anything in their path- concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But it's true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's theft. The infiltrators eat and story raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen data to the Shadows" he said
"Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting edge science and tech" he finishes.
"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, and power broking" Artemis picks up, decidedly ignoring the angry look from Wally. Wow even she knows more about the Shadows than I do.
"Yeah. Sounds like the Shadows" she added as Wally once again tried to insult her.
"Like you know anything about the Shadows" Wally said only to get a smirk from the new girl. I smiled at that which Wally noticed but said nothing to me.
"Who are you?!" he yelled. Roy ignored the fight and continued.
"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert" he said as Robin's face went to 'oh no'
"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" Robin begins quietly.
"They'll target her" I finishing his thought. I then looked at Roy. "Where is she now?" I asked noticing that he came through the Zeta-Tube alone.
"She's safe. I stashed at her the local high school's computer lab" Roy said. I was shocked at this.
"You left a person with a target on their back unprotected, with only the hope that the Shadows won't find her before you could get backup?" I asked. Roy stepped to me and got in my face.
"I'm not taking advice from a Rookie" he said. I stared him down.
"At least this 'Rookie' knows not to leave the person they're supposed to be protecting alone. Man, no wonder you ain't in the league by now" I said my anger starting to rise. Roy growled and pushed me back. He grabbed an arrow out of his quiver and I unsheathed my claws and growled.
"Enough" Batman said stopping us from brawling right there. Me and Roy took a step back from each other, M'gann pulling me back slightly. Green Arrow walked next to Roy.
"If you believe she is safe. Then let's you and I keep her that way" Green Arrow offers stepping closer to the young man.
"You and I?" Roy questions, sounding both angry and surprised. "Don't you want to take your new protogé?"
Before Green Arrow can say anything, Batman places a hand on his shoulder, stopping the blonde in his tracks. He glances back at the Dark Knight before turning back to Roy.
"You brought this to the Team. It's their mission. Which means it's her's now too" Green Arrow says calmly Roy scoffs.
"Then my job's done" he says walking back towards the Zeta-Tubes.
"Recognize: Speedy-"
"That's Red Arrow, B06. Update" Roy corrects. The Zeta-Tube beeps, recognizing the update before transporting him away. I sighed and turned to Kaldur who sighed in frustration as well.
"Sorry, sometimes my anger can still get the better of me. Even with Canary's training" I said. Kaldur nodded and put a hand on my shoulder silently telling me it was alright.
Happy Harbor high-school
Me, M'gann and Superboy stood outside Happy Harbor high-school. Inside the computer room was Dr Serling Roquette, Aqualad and Artemis. And finally on the outside of the door was Robin and Kid Flash standing guard.
"Miss Martian, link us up. We do not want the Shadows intercepting our comms when they come" Aqualad said through the comms. I felt the usual pain in my head as M'gann linked us.
'Everyone online?' she asked in my head.
'Oh man this is weird' Artemis said as I chuckled still walking the perimeter. She'll get used to it.
'And distracting' Dr Roquette said cutting in. 'Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen think in my head ' she said.
'Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?' Kid asked.
'Pot, kettle' Artemis offers. 'Have you met?' she asked. Kid Flash get immediately defensive.
'Hey. Hey, I do not need attitude from the Newbie, who drove Red Arrow off the Team' he said. I sighed in annoyance and rubbed my head.
'Will the two of you just screw and get it over with?' I asked. I could feel both of them blush in my head.
'Seriously' Dr Roquette said agreeing with me. 'Fate of the world is at stake here. Just go into the closet and get all the sexual frustration out' she said. I laughed out loud at that. So much I had to lean against the side of the building for support.
'H-how about I just help Superboy, Razor and Miss Martian patrol the perimeter? ' she offered.
'Good idea' Aqualad said agreeing with her.
'You might cut her some slack. It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo" Robin points out. I felt Kid start to pout.
'Yeah, well not giving her the satisfaction' he said probably unaware he was still on the mental link.
'You know, I can still hear you! ' Artemis said as I seen her exit the building through the door next to Miss Martian.
'I couldn't get the Justice League' Roquette grumbles to herself. Well kinda.
'The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon' Aqualad said. 'Can you track it? '
'Firstly, my utility fog is not a weapon' she quickly defends. 'It's science, brilliant science. And of course I can track it, but I'd have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'assassinate me' written in neon'
'We will protect you' he promised. After a few seconds of silence he spoke up again. 'Stay on alert, Dr Roquette has started ' he said.
timeskip
I was on the one side of the school when I heard a sound on the other side. A twig snap. I quickly ran there with claws ready as Superboy met me there behind Artemis and M'gann via jumping.
I signaled for him to go right and I went left. We did a quick scan but nothing was there. However I smelled the scent of a raccoon, so that's probably what made the noise
'Hmm those boys' a sly voice said in our heads. I tuned and seen Artemis looking at us back and forth with an 'oh yeah' look. Meanwhile Miss Martian was looking at her with a shocked look.
'They can here you, you know. We all can' M'gann reminded. Artemis looked at her before looking back at us.
'Oh I know' she said. Me and Superboy just had a blank expression on our faces. He shook my head and went to continued walking, but Aqualad spoke up.
'Miss Martian, Dr Roquette has located the Fog. Reconfigure the bio ship so that Superboy and Robin can pursue' he said. M'gann put her hand up and the bio ship uncloaked and landed as Robin ran out of the school. He and Superboy ran in and the ship took off. Maybe now I can get some quiet so I can trac-
'You embarrassed Superboy ' M'gann said almost instantly when Superboy and Robin were out of mental range. or maybe not.
'Cough' I said noticing that she didn't say my name.
'Oh Razor! Superboy and Razor' she said quickly. Suddenly a deer ran past me, almost taking me out. I can't do this. I should've seen that thing coming a mile away.
'Hey Aqualad. I think it may be best if I get cut from the mental link. I can't track anyone in the woods if I'm listening to everyone' I said. I didn't like the idea of cutting the mental link but I can't think or track. Especially if girl talk is going on.
'Very well. But maintain radio contact and check in every five minutes' he ordered. I heard Dr Roquette sigh through the link before it was cut.
'Pfft, lucky guy' was the last thing I heard before my head went silent. I smiled and continued my walk.
Third person view
Unknown to DJ, he was being watched from the bushes. A masked figured watched him as he rounded the corner and for a second he faced her. But she was a pro at hiding in the shadows.
She watched as he put a finger to his ear.
"Five minute check. Everything is well on the west end" he said before continuing his patrol around the school. The female assassin smiled before pressing the small portable radio jammer and put it in her back pocket. She now had five minutes.
Razor stopped walking as he heard a rustle in the woods away from the school. He sniffed the air and smelt another human near him. It smelled familiar, but at the same time different.
Slowly, he crept towards the bushes and looked around at the same time. He got to a small clearing and sniffed the air again. He then smiled.
He jumped and rolled to the left just as a figure came down and brought her foot down on the spot he just was.
"Guys I got!... Static" DJ said realizing that this assassin had jammed his radio and he was too far away from Miss Martian and Artemis. He was on his own. He faced his attacker and got a good look at her.
She wore a dark green kimono dress that stopped at her knees where her black boots began. At her sides were twin sais, and over her face was a mask that looked like something out of a Chinese festival. It was in the shape of cat's face with red stripes on the cheeks and forehead. Her hair was black in colour and had a wild style as it stopped in the middle of her back. She had a very lean but also very muscular figure.
"Sorry to interrupt. But I need to see Dr Roquette about something" she said in a sarcastic tone. DJ stood from his crouched position and cracked his neck to both sides. She hadn't drawn her blades so he kept his claws sheathed. One thing that Black Canary always put in his head was fight fair.
"Sorry but Dr Roquette isn't taking any walk-ins today. Please return home, call and make an appointment" Razor said as the assassin charged. She swung her right fist at him only to have it blocked by Razor's forearm.
Razor punched her in the side of her gut before grabbing her right shoulder and throwing her against a tree. She breathed heavily and smiled under her mask, even though it was like being hit by a sledgehammer.
"Not bad" she said unsheathing her right Sai. "But how are you with blades?" she said spinning the blade in her hand. She took notice that he didn't have any on him. However Razor smiled and only confused her.
"You know, you'd be surprised" he said keeping his arms at his sides and slowly unsheathed his claws. Cheshire's eyes widened as she recognized the claws.
"So you're that new 'Razor' guy. I've heard about you" she said as the two circled, neither one wanting to make the first move. Razor nodded and watched her move. She made so little sound when she walked, almost like a cat.
"Yeah" he said simply before realizing something. "You know, it's rude for you to know my name and me not know yours" he said as he stopped circling and stared. She did the same.
"Cheshire" she said before charging. Normally she'd wait for him to make the first move, but she had a time limit on this job. She swung her Sai at his neck, but he leaned out of reach and kicked her in the gut once again.
"So don't take this the wrong way. But have we met? You smell familiar" he asked after dodging swings for a few minutes. Cheshire smiled under her mask and twirled her Sai.
"How can I not take that the wrong way?" she said unsheathing her other Sai. Razor punched in her direction, but she grabbed his wrist and twirled up his arm until she drove her weapon into his jugular. He smiled and tried to pull it out, only to cough up blood and fall back.
'Poison' he thought falling back against a tree. Poison quickly affected his healing powers, shutting them down for a few minutes. He still wouldn't die but any wound that would normally kill someone, it would feel like he was. Nevertheless, he tried to get up only to fall back.
"Huh, got a Sai in your throat and you're still trying to take me down" Cheshire said impressed as she sheathed her other Sai. She'd pick the other one up after he was dead. She then disappeared into the trees as silently as she appeared.
Aqualad looked at the clock and seen that it had been six minutes since Razor's last checked in. He pressed his earpiece only to hear static.
'Artemis, M'gann. Where is Razor? ' he questioned worriedly. If Razor knew about the static, he would've gone to M'gann and got her to link him back up.
Outside Artemis and M'gann looked around only to find that he wasn't anywhere near them. They were about to do a walk around when Aqualad interrupted them again.
'Hang on. Kid, do you copy?' he said only to hear nothing through the mental link. It wasn't like Kid Flash to not... Well talk.
'Something is wrong' he added looking at the door, only to see it was open slightly and a Shuriken was flying at Dr Roquette.
He dove in front of her only to have it embed slightly in his chest. Two more came from the door and did the same before Cheshire flipped in with her Sai.
"That has got to hurt" she taunted. Aqualad pulled the Shurikens out of his chest and unsheathed his water-bearers.
"Atlantian skin is quite thick" he said taking a stance. Cheshire just smiled under her mask.
"And my Shurikens are quite poisonous. Just ask your friend outside" she said slashing at his stomach, then dodging under his strike at her head. She then struck towards his arm which he blocks once more and pushes her away. Kicking her in the chest, she flips through the hit, landing silent and confident in a crouch on a computer table.
'M'gann, Artemis, we are under attack in the computer lab. Artemis assist me, M'gann find Kid and then come' Aqualad calls out.
Miss Martian and Artemis stormed through the double doors, Artemis knocking an arrow as she ran towards the computer lab.
'We're on our way. But what about Razor? ' the archer questions as Miss Martian stops short, her eyes going wide. Before flying back to the last intersecting hallway she and Artemis passed.
'Razor has proven before to be quiet hard to kill ' Aqualad assured the archer. Cheshire slashed again at Aqualad, who is keeping the doctor behind his Water-bearers and body. In retaliation, he strikes as her head, which she ducks under and she once again slices at his core, which he jumps back from.
She fakes a high roundhouse and gets both her legs over Aqualad's shoulders and yanks him to the ground with an 'oof.'
Roquette watches the fight like a tennis match.
Cheshire throws her Sai at the bystander, forcing Aqualad to turn his sword into a whip to change the trajectory of the Sai. Though it still lands mere inches from the target's face, it finally got her to move and jump back with a yelp.
"Almost" Cheshire mutters taking out her collapsible sword, as both she and Aqualad stand up. He turns his Water-bearers becoming swords once more.
"Poison slowing you down?" she asks as he strikes with both swords once more. The swords met and the two struggled to over power the other.
"Jellyfish toxin, I'm largely immune" he tells her, getting in her face. She headbutts him and knocked him onto his back.
"Largely" she says in an unimpressed voice. She grips her sword with both hands and raises it over her head, ready for the final strike. Suddenly an blunt arrow hit her hands and knocked the sword out of her hands. She turned to see Artemis standing there with another arrow already loaded, shaking her head no.
Miss Martian's eyes glow red as she raises Kid Flash's unconscious body out of the pool before setting him on the ground.
Cheshire chuckles, hearing Aqualad get back to his feet and bear his swords behind her since she's been watching Artemis step closer to her.
"This gig's getting interesting" she said jumping for her sword and then standing ready for Artemis, who releases the arrows in rapid succession.
However Cheshire slices through them, nearly in half every time.
Miss Martian and Kid Flash, now with a slightly blushing face, enter the door and find Doctor Roquette standing in stunned shock as arrow halves fall at her feet. Artemis pauses upon seeing them, which prompts Cheshire to look as well. Now finding herself outnumbered four to one.
Suddenly Aqualad grabbed the Dr and put her in a bear hug away from the large window that overlooked the woods. The window shattered as a figure came bursting through and landed on a desk.
Cheshire watched as another Sai slid to her foot, this one bloody. She looked up as Razor stood up from his knees and cracked his neck, the hole in said neck still healing.
"Huh" she said out loud. "Maybe a little too interesting" she said grabbing a smoke bomb and in a flash she threw it down at her feet.
Kid Flash jumps through the smoke, hitting nothing and stumbling right into Artemis's arms. Both of them bumping foreheads. They opened their eyes to see that they are so close together, they're practically sharing breaths. Kid stumbles back with his eyes wide as Artemis got up. Kid then looks to the now empty space behind him.
"Gone" he grunts getting to his feet. He noticed that the other Sai was gone as well.
"She's getting away! You're letting her get away!" Roquette yells at Aqualad.
"This was all your fault. You were on the perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in!?" Kid demands of Artemis, who boldly stands before him. But he then turned his attention to Razor, who was now sitting on the desk shaking slightly.
"Actually, how'd she get passed you. I thought you had super scenes?" he questioned but shut up when Razor shot him a 'keep going and I'll kill you look'. He then gestured for Miss Martian to link him back up.
"Her weapons are laced with poison. And while it has no affect to my health, it does slow my healing powers down for a few minutes" he then looked at his shaking hand.
"Even now I don't feel a hundred percent" he said as M'gann hugged his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. Suddenly their earpieces buzzed meaning that Cheshire was far enough away that the jammer was out of range.
"Robin to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia and have located the Shadow's next target, STAR Labs" All they can do is watch as the building crumbles beneath them.
"We're too late" Robin said as his eyes went wide at the efficiency and completeness of it. "It's destroyed, totally destroyed" Even Superboy's eyes went wide with shock.
"The Fog decimated it" Superboy said in shock. They look over the broken remains of the entire lab, everything sharded and cracked.
"This is bad. STAR Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hand of the enemy" Robin said. There's actually a bit of anger starting to show through in his words. He and Superboy share a look.
"What's our next move?" Robin asks Aqualad.
Aqualad went into thought before he looked to the unhurt Doctor Roquette.
"Rescan for that Fog. Find it" then he glances back at the Doctor once more.
"We're moving the doctor."
Aqualad was in the woods outside while Artemis and Kid Flash were next to Dr Roquette. They were both staring daggers at each other.
'Stop it both of you' Aqualad said angrily through the mental link. Both the archer and the speedster were shocked
'What' they both said. Aqualad kept his stern look while looking at the building.
'I can hear you glaring' he said as a motorcycle pulled up in front of him on the road. It was Razor.
"You sure you're okay with me stepping away from this?" Razor asked. The fact that his hands were still shaking and having trouble maintaining a grip did not go unnoticed by his friend.
"Yes. If you cannot fight, then it's better if you assist Superboy and Robin with protecting the Fog's next target" Aqualad paused to type on his wrist hologram.
"Sending you the coordinates" he said as Razor's watch buzzed. He looked at it before smiling.
"Received. Good luck" he said before putting his bike into gear and zooming off through the town. Aqualad's eyes shifted behind him as he heard a rustle. He smiled.
"Miss Martian, stay in camouflage mode and make a wide perimeter sweep" he ordered out loud and gestured with his hand. After a few seconds, Aqualad is snagged by red vines before he could react and brought up into the tree with only a slight cry of shock. There are hits, grunts and leaves fall to the ground below, but the attacker and Aqualad are covered by the foliage.
Until Aqualad is kicked out and slammed hard into the side of a parked van, leaving a dent in the vehicle. He groans as he falls to the concrete. Looking up, he sees the shadow leap out of the trees. As the assassin, Black Spider, lands in a crouch before the Atlantean. Suddenly Aqualad gets hit in the shoulder blades by a man with crane hook for an arm (accurately named Hook). It knocks Aqualad down and out. Cheshire flips beside his fallen body.
"The Martian could return any second. They could also call Razor back and I'm not keen on fighting him again" she tells the men.
"We end Roquette now."
In the single room building, Kid Flash is watching Roquette as she types, still hanging out on top of the computer tower. The doors burst open and from the doorframe, Black Spider flips out.
Kid flips to a similar position, but his left leg out to the side which allows him to stand and pick into a run with ease. Kid went to swipe out Black Spider's feet, but the man lives up to his chosen name, flipping to the ceiling and clinging there before shooting red webbing at Kid Flash.
Kid rolls out of the and towards the narrow cylinder trashcan which he throws at Black Spider to get him to drop back down to the ground. The assassin springs through his crouch, coming in with a cross that Kid Flash easily dodges and counter with a hit to the ribs.
Artemis goes to shoot the assassin when the glass window in the ceiling behind her shatters and Hook drops to the ground.
She changes her aim and shoots at the white haired man, who dodges the shot, and the next three by diving between the pews. Artemis knocks another arrow, while Roquette stops typing and turns to her.
"Don't stop working" she instructs the doctor, before releasing the arrow. Roquette says nothing and turns back to the computer.
From the double windows above the Dr, Cheshire lines up an arrow in a crossbow. She releases it, but a desk is telekinetically put in the way of the shot.
"Martian's here. It's now or never" she commands Hook and Black Spider, ditching the Crossbow.
Kid Flash runs at Black Spider, but the acrobatic assassin executes a sudden spin which places him under Kid Flash and able to kick him in the stomach and away with both feet. Finding his footing with ease, he shoots red webbing at the desk blocking Roquette.
Artemis has another arrow ready to be shot at Hook, but when she sees Cheshire drop down before Roquette. Her momentary loss of concentration is rewarded by a hook to the face. The hook returns to Hook's hand while Cheshire looms over the fallen Roquette.
She twirls her Sai, finding her expert hold and ready to stab her target in the back. Suddenly the doctor's skin turns green and her head turns 180 degrees to look right at Cheshire. Miss Martian smiles as realization washes over the assassin.
"We've been duped!" she calls out, both angrily and to alert both men working with her. Suddenly Aqualad came through the door and swiped at Cheshire with his water-bearers as swords. She flipped away, dodging them before growling silently. She did not like being played.
DJ's pov
I entered the coffee shop as Dr Roquette was working on the computer. So far so good. We were still in mental range for M'gann and far enough away that it would take a few minutes for the assassins to find us.
"I've almost got it" Dr Roquette said. Alright. Hopefully once she creates the virus, the reason for her assassination would be void.
'Razor be advised. The assassin, Cheshire is on her way. Artemis is pursuing, but we are still dealing with the other two' Aqualad said through the mental link. I sighed and cracked my neck. Or maybe not.
After another minute or two the back door opened and a smoke bomb rolled in and I immediately put myself in between the Doc and the cloud. But I couldn't smell anyone behind it.
I then heard the slight creaking of the vents above me with my advanced hearing. It was quiet, but I could hear it. I smiled and turned to the Dr.
"You know how tall that girl was?" I asked following the little creaks. Dr Roquette looked at me like I was crazy, probably because she couldn't hear them. But she shrugged before typing again.
"I don't know under six feet" she answered in her usual tone. I nodded before unsheathing my claws and jumping up onto a counter. I sliced through the roof with one swipe and into the vent a second time, making a eight foot section of the vent fall next to the counter I was standing on.
I raised a foot and stomped on the middle of the piece, crushing it. But before I did a figure rolled out. Cheshire stood up and looked for the Dr. She seen her, but I was in between them.
"I was hoping you didn't really leave" she said in a flirtatious tone. I gave her a confused look. Was this chick really hitting on me while she was trying to kill someone.
She unsheathed her one Sai as I flexed my hands. She charged with a yell and jumped in the air, her Sais going for the kill. I blocked them with my claws and forced her back.
She threw her Sai at Dr Roquette, but I put my hand in front of her and blocked it. The Sai went through the palm of my hand. I groaned, but kept standing.
"Gotta do better" I said as I heard her snarled under her mask. She sheathed her other sai and unsheathed her sword. She charged as the sword and claws clashed together. I had to use the side of my claws to avoid cutting through the sword and into her hand. We did this a few times before she finally caught me off guard.
She slashed me from my cheek across my nose and my eye with her sword, effectively cutting my mask in half and making it fall off my face. For a moment Cheshire paused her attack.
"Hmm he's cute and can fight" she said to herself, but I heard it. She went to continue with the attack until Dr Roquette threw her hands up in the air and cheered.
"Virus complete!" she yelled as I turned around to face her. Yeah, I know unprofessional. Cheshire took that opportunity and kicked me in the balls hard before giving me an uppercut with a chair. The hit sent me back onto a table. Nothing was broken, but suddenly pain shot through my entire body.
"Oh no, not now" I said quietly. However my body didn't stop. So now it was just the hope that my hunch was right.
"So you've finished the virus" she states. "Eliminating the reason for your elimination" she said still standing away from the Dr.
"But not the entertainment value" she added drawing near the Dr. Finally I felt the pain start to die down.
I made sure to groan as I got to a sitting position. Cheshire turned and must've put it together that I would be back into fighting shape soon. She then turned back to the Dr and held up the pointy end of her Sai.
"Lucky for you, my orders are clear. You live to program another day. After all doctor, the Shadows may find another use for you" she said before running out the door.
'Cheshire's gone. Doc finished the virus' I said through the mental link before falling back onto my back. First it was just my hands and feet, but now it's my entire body. What the hell's going on.
Dr Roquette came up to me and helped me back to a sitting position.
''Are you alright?" she asked. I smiled as I shakily got to my feet. I looked at her.
"You don't know me too well, but trust me. I've survived worst" I said as we limped out of the shop. I had to make her think that I just hurt my back when I landed on the table, otherwise she might say something to the team. Outside the shop, smoke was just clearing up and Artemis was standing there looking somewhat defeated.
"Where is Cheshire" I asked. She must've seen her on her way out. But Artemis shook her head.
"She... got away" she said. Suddenly a flash of yellow and red came up beside her.
"From you? No way. Notice we got ours" Wally said teasingly as he Miss Martian and Aqualad came up with the other two guys floating above M'gann.
"Her mask" Aqualad said as I looked down. At my feet was Cheshire's mask. I sniffed the air again and my head shot up in realization. Cheshire's scent went towards and then through the door, but it mixed with Artemis's outside. But the thing was that the scents weren't that different. They were sisters.
I'd keep it to myself for now, but I want answers. Wally sped forwards and grabbed the mask for his mission souvenir. Meanwhile Artemis shook her head.
"It was dark, okay!?" she said in a frustrated tone. Aqualad sighed before putting his hand onto her shoulder.
"It is alright. Robin and Superboy neutralized the Fog and Dr. Roquette is safe. Thanks in no small part to you" he said smiling. I got off Roquette and limped over to shake her hand.
"Welcome to the team" I said as Miss Martian came up to her next.
"I always wanted a sister" Miss Martian says sincerely. "Here on Earth, I mean. I have twelve back on Mars, but trust me, it's not the same" she clarifies. Artemis smiled.
"I uh, I wouldn't know" she said. M'gann slapped Wally in the back of the head as he groaned.
"Yeah. Welcome" he says begrudgingly. We all smiled and made our way to the clearing for bio shop pick up.
Mount Justice August 9th
I had just hopped out of the shower and was drying off when someone knocked at the door. Repeatedly. I wrapped the towel around my waist and answered the door. Immediately Artemis walked in not noticing my attire.
"So I just wanted to say thank you for not telling anyone about me not being Green Arrow's niece. And I-" she started finally turning around and seeing me. I smiled and waved slightly.
"You're... You're naked" she said blushing. I nodded and sucked in through my teeth.
"Yeah, that's kinda what one does when he or she showers. I mean, I'm assuming. if I'm doing something wrong..." I said jokingly. She coughed and nodded.
" Uh no, you're good. Okay well I just wanted to say thank you" she said going to leave. I put a hand on the door and kept it closed. She looked at me with a confused and somewhat aroused look.
"Okay, no offense. But this is how a lot of porn starts out" she said in a flirtatious tone. Wow so both sisters are like this. Good to know. I crossed my arms and stepped next to my bed.
"No I actually wanted to talk with you about being the sister of an assassin. One who, just a few hours ago, put all the training from my mentor to the test" I said as she jumped on me, so fast I didn't have time to deflect. I fell backwards and we landed on my bed. She then put a hand over my mouth.
"Shhh you can not tell anyone about that. I mean it" she said pinning me to the bed. I mumbled into her hand to make her take it off me.
"First, you should probably get off me. Before M'gann walks in and gets scarred for life" I said as she climbed off me.
"Second, if I wanted to rat you out for being related to criminals. I'd have done it back at the coffee shop" I said standing up still making sure the towel was tight.
"Now the Dark Knight, I'm sure he knows about this. And I'm sure he and my Guardians have a good reason for lying. But you know, your family doesn't make you who you are. Only you can decide that" I said. She looked conflicted, but nodded.
"Still, I'd like if no one else knew. I'll tell when I'm ready" she said. I nodded as she walked to the door.
"Alright. Um carry on" she said giving me a wave and going to leave.
"That's the plan. Uh by the way, your sister's been hitting on me all night" I said closing the door.
"Wait, what!" she yelled said through the door. But I locked it and got dressed.