It's nice to be back to this story after so long. I love writing for CJWO, and I'd left it neglected for too long, but inevitably as I write for one of my fics, I get flooded with ideas for the other. Hopefully, at least for a little while, I can balance the two stories and alternate updates, but we'll see. It would certainly be easier than going months without touching one story and then having to catch myself up on what was going on and relearning my writing style.

I've posted a new poll on my profile; another thing I haven't done in a long time. Please take a look at it if you like. It's nothing very serious, just a bit of idle curiosity on my part.

Given the catastrophic disgrace that has been my government's recent actions regarding Ukraine, it's more important than ever for ordinary individuals like you and me to help them out however we can. If you haven't donated yet, please do so. There are plenty of reputable charities doing good and vital work in Ukraine. If you have already donated, thank you, and please continue to do so as often as you can afford.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 16

Hall of Justice, Washington D.C.

July 4, 13:47

Washington, D.C. was brutal in the summer, but Robin found that today, of all days, he didn't mind. For one, he would have swum naked in Gotham River to get here today, and for another, he was still chilly after the fight with Mister Freeze earlier. From what Wally and Roy had texted him, he wasn't alone in that. The detective side of him was already tying itself into knots over so many ice themed villains attacking on the same day, but the larger part of him was busy going moon-eyed with excitement over where he was. After literal years of waiting, of training, he was finally about to set foot in the Hall of Justice. On the other side of a reflecting pool from them, the iconic building gleamed in the afternoon sun. In a few minutes, he would get to step inside for the first time.

Only one thing cast a pall on this perfect day. It was a minor thing, in the grand scheme, but he couldn't help but feel its sting all the sharper for how brilliant everything else was.

"You're sure Marauder didn't just get the days mixed up?" He asked. Next to him, Batman let out a tiny huff, which was his version of an exasperated sigh.

"I already told you, Black contacted me. He said he was taking Harry off the physical plane for some sort of special training they can only perform once a year. I'm sure he would have been there to congratulate you if he could."

"He should have been here with us," Robin muttered under his breath. Not so quietly Batman didn't hear him, though. He could sense his mentor's eyes narrow.

"That was not my decision. Marauder works with us, but ultimately he is Black's responsibility."

Robin snorted. "That's bull, B. He deserves this just as much as the rest of us."

Batman did the closest thing he ever did to shrugging, which involved an almost microscopic tilt of his head and a blink-and-you'd-miss-it smile. "Perhaps. But for now, you are here. You earned this. Focus on that and be patient. Marauder will join the rest of you soon enough."

It wasn't much, but it was more than he'd expected. Batman might try to put on the visage of a grim, stoic warrior of the shadows, but he knew better. Deep down, the brooding man agreed with him. He just knew it. Besides, he was right. As much as he wished Harry could have been standing here with him, he would not let his absence mar this day. The day.

"Alright, I hear you." He sighed and let his indignation at Harry being slighted fade into the background. Not that hard, given what he was about to do. "The others had better hurry up, though. Air conditioning sounds pretty good about now."

"Patience," Batman chided.

"Who's she?" he shot back and got another flickered smile in answer. Obviously, Batman was in a good mood. A really good mood. He mentally readjusted the levels of mischief he could get away with in the immediate future upward.

It didn't take long for the others to arrive. Ollie and Roy were first, then Aquaman and Kaldur. Naturally, Wally and Barry arrived last, a fact he vowed to bring up later, just when Wally's head got a little over-inflated. A lesser prankster might have rubbed it in right away, but what was the point of that? He was already moaning about it. No, better to save such ammunition for when he had nothing immediately on hand.

"It's hard to believe this is finally happening," he whispered as they walked up the steps of the Hall. It felt strange to walk so brazenly in front of dozens of flashing cameras, and in broad daylight no less, but he supposed that was just part of the deal. The Justice League couldn't hide in the shadows like they did in Gotham. Old circus instincts took over, and he gave a cheeky wave to some of the prettier reporters before Batman grunted his disapproval. It was only a grunt, though. He was in a really good mood.

"I know what you mean," Wally said. "I'm a little overwhelmed."

He wanted to gripe about the general lack of whelm in people today, but it just wouldn't have been the same without Harry there to twitch and moan about all the foul, perverse things he did to the English language. Besides, as they passed through the entryway doors and he saw the towering bronze statues of the founding Justice Leaguers, he sort of agreed with the speedster. "Overwhelmed" was a good way to put it.

The Hall was much as he'd expected. Big. Bright. Filled with marble and glass and technology that would have made most sci-fi characters jealous. The husks of the Apalaxians lined one hall; mementos of the crisis that had brought the League together. He could still remember the day the aliens had invaded. The whole circus had gathered around old man Haley's big TV to watch the footage of the costumed heroes, half of whom had been little more than urban myths back then, do battle with living golems of metal and wood. At the time, he hadn't understood how serious it had all been, or why all the adults had been tense and quiet. To his childish mind, it had all seemed like the greatest Saturday morning cartoon of all time (though it had actually been late on a Wednesday for them in Prague). Theexcitement of the memory was bittersweet. That had been the last time they'd all watched TV around Pop Haley's set. Just a few months later, his parents had died, and his life had changed forever.

'Changed into this,' he told himself. He wouldn't trade his parents for anything, but at the same time, he wouldn't give up his life with Bruce, his life as Robin, for anything either. Standing here, next to his friends, in the place where his greatest heroes worked to protect the world, he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be. As they walked towards the library, he only wished Harry could have been with them as well.

Then the door to the library slid open, and he saw Harry sitting on a couch, reading a book, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. He was in full Marauder get-up, including the spells to protect his identity. Behind him, Sirius looked up and grinned innocently.

"Oh, fancy seeing you lot here." Butter wouldn't have melted in his mouth. "I heard there was some big to do and thought we'd drop by and say hello."

Harry just waved lazily. He didn't even look up from his book.

All the adults froze. Green Arrow's jaw hung open, Aquaman's eyes could have passed for dinner plates, and the Flash was glancing back and forth between the two wizards so fast his head blurred. The Martian Manhunter had frozen mid stride. Batman's mouth thinned to a pale line, and Robin could practically smell his good cheer evaporating. That was a shame, but he honestly couldn't think of anything better to spend such valuable currency on than this.

"Hahahaha!" he cackled. "Nice one, dude."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry had never had to try so hard to hide a grin. Then again, he'd never reaped such hilarious results from such a low effort prank before. The various heroes and their protégés gaped at him and Sirius as if they'd just appeared naked in a burst of confetti. Even Batman's mask of grim indifference threatened to crack under the strain. Only Robin, after a moment of wide-eyed shock, managed a coherent reaction. Naturally, because the boy was a gremlin of the highest order, that reaction took the form of slightly insane laughter.

"Black," Batman said after a moment. "Marauder. You were not invited here today."

Something about the way he said it made Harry think he wasn't quite as surprised to see them as the others, but he didn't give it much thought. Trying to figure out what Bruce knew and how he knew it was a quick path to a paranoid breakdown. On top of being a spymaster with no sense of privacy, the man was a world-class bullshitter. Maybe he'd guessed they'd pull something like this. Maybe he was just buffing up his omniscient act. Maybe both.

'And maybe I've spent too much time with him if I'm over analyzing a tone of voice this much,' he mused.

"How did you two even get in here?" Green Arrow demanded. "We don't exactly have a revolving door."

"Kid, it's probably safe to assume I can get myself into and out of anywhere you'd care to name," Sirius said lazily. "As for why we're here, that's simple. Marauder here-" he clapped Harry on the shoulder "-is going to be joining in on whatever initiation thingy you've got planned. Because there's no reason he shouldn't be allowed to be here, and because I'm me and I'm not really asking, you're all going to be okay with that. Sound good?"

Harry sighed and closed his copy of Dune. Sirius' diplomatic skills were… well, they were probably a right sight better than his own, but that wasn't a metric to be proud of. "Sorry about him. He forgets his manners sometimes. I think dementia is finally setting in. Just smile and nod and give him a biscuit when he shuts up. We want to reinforce that behavior. And if he starts sniffing things, give him a good whack before he lifts his leg."

Robin was in danger of turning blue if he didn't stop laughing and breathe soon. Even Batman, who always took joy in Sirius' suffering, allowed himself a microscopic smile. The rest of the adults finally unfroze, and then everyone tried to talk at once. Sirius rolled his eyes and moved to talk to them semi-privately, leaving Harry and the other sidekicks to stare at each other in awkward silence. After an uncomfortable ten seconds, Green Arrow's partner, who was called Speedy for reasons Harry had never been able to fathom, stalked forward.

"So, you're really the mysterious Marauder?" He demanded.

Harry stood up and offered a hand. "I'm Harry Potter, and the decrepit mutt with no manners is Sirius. I'm his student. And Batman's student. And sometimes Zatara's, too. Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you. Robin, Kaldur, and the ginger stomach with legs have all met me before."

"Indeed," Kaldur confirmed as he joined them in the room. "It is good to see you again, my friend. I hear you have had quite a few adventures since we spoke."

Speedy looked between them and then glanced back at Robin. Something unspoken passed between the two, something Harry didn't catch, but it must have been positive because the tension left the archer's face and he took Harry's outstretched hand. "In that case, it's good to meet you. I'm Speedy. A… mutual friend mentioned you, but- well, I wasn't sure how much they were exaggerating. Did you really go up against the Joker on your first night on patrol?"

Harry winced at the memory. "Yeah, that really sucked. Not my best moment, getting kidnapped on day one."

Speedy chuckled and waved his comment away. "Don't worry about it. At least you got yourself free the same night. I went in solo and got kidnapped just a few months in and it was 3 months before GA rescued me. If I can come back from a mistake like that, I'm sure you'll be fine." He looked Harry up and down curiously. "So, what else was true? Are you really a wizard?"

"At your service," he said, as grandly as he could. He bowed and sent a shower of sparks from his fingertips. Nothing would ever beat Hagrid bashing down a door in the middle of the North Sea and announcing he, Harry, was not "just Harry", but he could make a game try at second place.

Kid Flash snorted loudly. "Yeah, sure you are. And I'm the king of-"

"Langlock." Harry waggled a finger, and the yellow-clad speedster broke off into incomprehensible gagging. His eyes went wide, and he pawed at his mouth. Harry sympathized a little (having your tongue stuck to your palette was disconcerting at first) but not enough to undo the jinx. Robin actually fell over from laughing so hard at the sight.

"Wow," Speedy said with a smirk. "You actually got Kid Mouth to shut up. You really can do magic."

Wally glared at him and made a series of very rapid, not to mention vulgar, gestures, but his silent rant was interrupted when Sirius and the others returned from their hushed conversation. From the triumphant glint in his godfather's eye, and browbeaten looks in everyone else's, Harry guessed the argument had gone his way.

"Alright boys, playtime's over." He snapped, and Wally's voice returned mid-curse. "I'm glad to see you're all getting along, because Marauder and I will be joining you."

Speedy looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but apparently thought better of it, because all he said was, "Fine by me. Let's get going. This tour was cool, but I've been waiting to see the real thing for long enough."

There was silence at that. A very long, very loud silence, full of furtive glances by the adults and genuine confusion amongst Harry and the other protégés. Green Arrow grimaced, and the grin fell from Speedy's face.

Kid Flash broke the silence with the obvious question. "Umm, dude, what do you mean by the real thing? We're here. Hall of Justice and all that. Pretty sure this is the real thing."

"You're kidding, right?" Speedy looked from him to Robin and then to Kaldur and Harry. "Seriously? None of you know?"

"Know what?" Harry asked, a little sharply. He had the uncomfortable feeling he was about to find out another secret the adults in his life had conveniently kept from him, and it brought back memories of the summer before Fifth Year, and of the Order's refusal to read him into any of their plans. His fists clenched. If anyone, anyone at all, had bothered to tell him about the prophecy, the steps they'd taken to guard it, or the literal soul fragment Voldemort had left in his head, he and Sirius would probably be home right now. Their real home. The one with the friends he'd probably never see again. The one he'd lost, exhausted Dumbledore and Snape and the others hadn't wanted to share!

Magic buzzed at his fingertips, and he had to reel it in hastily before he set something, or someone, on fire. Sirius gave him a look, but he ignored him in favor of Speedy. At least the archer seemed willing to answer questions.

"The Hall isn't the League's HQ. It hasn't been for years. It's just a front to distract attention away from the real HQ. They've got a satellite in orbit called the Watchtower." He scowled at the Leaguers as if daring them to deny it. None of them did.

"Seriously!/Are you kidding me?" Robin and Kid Flash yelled together. Harry just shot a dirty look at Sirius, who met his gaze without flinching.

'What?' Sirius spoke into his mind. 'This is day one. Did you expect them to read you into one of the most closely guarded secrets on Earth right away?'

That was an annoyingly good point, but it also wasn't what Harry was upset about. 'It's not about this Watchtower. It's about you and the rest of them treating us like kids. If you're going to bring us into this, then do it. Don't try to coddle us!'

As if to prove his point, J'onn spoke up. "Do not discount the privilege you have been afforded. Access to the Hall, to its facilities, is no small thing."

"Today was supposed to be my first step, our first step, into joining the League!" Speedy yelled. "Not some glorified play date. That's what you said!"

He jabbed a finger at Green Arrow, and the older archer looked at Batman.

"He has a point, you know. They've earned a place here."

Batman's typical glare intensified. Harry knew that expression, and apparently so did Green Arrow. He sighed and turned back to Speedy.

"I'm sorry." Speedy scoffed, but he pushed on anyway. "Look, just be patient. You've waited a long time for this. What's a little more?"

Speedy looked ready to chew through nails. "You think this is about me being impatient? This is about trust. If you don't trust me enough to even be honest with me, what the hell am I still doing here?"

Behind his mask, Green Arrow's eyes went wide, and his face paled. "Roy, don't do this. We're partners."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Speedy sneered. "Guess I was wrong."

In front of everyone, he yanked the feathered hat off his head and threw it to the floor between him and his mentor. His former mentor, Harry thought. The whole room stared in mute shock at the discarded hat, except for Green Arrow. He just looked at his erstwhile protégé, apparently too stunned to react. Harry didn't even think the man was breathing. He couldn't blame him. He'd only met Speedy a few minutes before, but he'd never in a million years have guessed his fellow young hero would go this far. From the poleaxed expressions on Wally, Kaldur, and Dick's faces, none of them had seen it coming either. He certainly wasn't happy about the League's reluctance to share, but to up and quit over it? To walk away from his mentor? He tried to think what it would take for him to walk away from Sirius and came up blank.

Speedy turned away from the adults and faced the rest of them. "Well," he challenged, "Are you coming or not?"

None of them moved. The seconds marched by slowly as they all stared at him silently, too shocked to speak. He stared, or glared, back until at last he turned away with one last scoff.

"Figures. Have fun with your play date." Then he was gone, leaving the rest of them to gawk at the doors he'd just left through.

Awk! Awk! Awk!

Before anyone could speak, a loud alarm cut through the silence and the massive computer screen at the end of the room flashed blue before it cut to an image of Superman. The Man of Steel looked serious, and everyone latched to the sudden call as a welcome distraction from what had just happened.

"Justice League, this is Superman. A fire has broken out at Project Cadmus here in D.C. Fire crews report there are multiple lab techs and scientists still in the building."

Batman moved to the computer and pulled up the news footage. It showed a boxy, two story concrete building with a company name emblazoned on the side. It looked much like every other multi-use rental space Harry had seen, save for the obvious fire. Smoke and flames billowed from the second-story windows on one end of the building, and multiple fire engines were already working to contain the blaze.

"Cadmus has been on my radar for some time," Batman said. "Their funding traces back to a shell company I suspect Lex Luthor had a hand in setting up. If we can get inside, I should-"

Awk! Awk! Awk!

Another alarm sounded, and a red priority message flashed across the computer screen before the image split in half. Half stayed on the fire and Superman, while the other half showed a harried-looking Zatara.

"Justice League, this is Zatara. The sorcerer Wotan has stolen the Amulet of Aten."

From behind him, Harry heard Sirius mutter a curse, and he felt his own stomach drop. He didn't know what the Amulet of Aten was, but he'd heard of Wotan before. Sirius had plenty of stories about his various battles with the immortal lich-mage. According to him, Wotan put even Felix Faust to shame on most days. Harry remembered how completely Faust had outclassed him in their brief duel, and how Sirius had said he'd been weaker than normal. He couldn't imagine Faust at the height of his strength, and if Wotan exceeded even that…

"He is performing a ritual to blot out the sun. Requesting full League response."

"Damn bastard," Sirius growled. "I know that amulet. With enough time, Wotan could use it to take full control of the day and night cycle on Earth. And that's just for starters. We need to stop him now."

Batman nodded, and only the months he'd spent training and patrolling with him let Harry catch the slight tension at the corners of his mouth. It was his only reaction to the news that, apparently, the world was about to end. Then again, the Justice League heard that news every other week, so perhaps he was just used to it.

"Very well." He tapped a button on the console. "This is Batman, authorizing a full League response to Wotan. All League members rendezvous with Zatara ASAP. Batman out."

Harry, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash all stepped forward as one when Batman turned around. He couldn't speak for the others, but he was itching for anything to distract from how badly the day had gone all of a sudden. A life or death battle against a deathless horror who was trying to become a god seemed like just the thing.

Batman eyed them for less than a second before giving judgement. "Stay here."

Harry really supposed he should have seen that one coming. Robin and Kid Flash immediately launched into protests, but this time it was Sirius who shut them down.

"Shut up and listen!" He snapped. By some miracle, both of them did just that. It might have been the way the carpet under his feet started to smolder, or the arcane glow that burned behind his eyes. "You're pissed. This sucks. It's not fair. I know. I don't care. Wotan is dangerous enough on his own. With an artifact as powerful as the Amulet of Aten, he's on a whole other level. You're not ready for a fight on this level, and that's final. I'll be going along to help, and if you don't know what that means, then ask Harry. But if I even think I see one of you anywhere near Wotan, I'll teleport the offender back here one body part at a time. And then I'll really lose my temper. Is that clear?"

Robin, Harry, and Kid Flash nodded, but Aqualad wasn't so easily convinced. To Harry's astonishment, he actually shook his head.

"With respect, Mr. Black, I do not take my orders from you."

"But you do take them from me," Aquaman said. There was no censure in his voice, but Kaldur still snapped to attention. "Stand down, Kaldur'ahm. There will be other battles. For today, you are not ready."

Kaldur's "Yes, my king," was devoid of all emotion, but as the Leaguers hurried off, Harry could see a muscle clenched in his jaw. His own fists were clenched so tight his knuckles popped, and the temptation to follow Sirius, consequences be damned, nearly got the better of him. In the end, he just watched, fuming, as they filed one by one through a door marked 'League Members Only'. There was nothing to indicate they were all walking into a battle for the survival of the planet, save a general air of subdued determination. A computerized voice verified each of their identities before they stepped into what was, he had no doubt, a zeta tube. He wasn't even surprised when it identified Sirius as "Doctor Fate, B-00".

A moment later, he, Dick, Wally, and Kaldur were alone in the room, save for Speedy's discarded hat. None of them looked at that. Wally threw himself onto a couch with an angry grunt.

"Well, that sucked," he muttered. Harry couldn't think of a better description of the last few minutes. "I can't believe Speedy just… left."

"He'll come around," Robin said. "He's always been a hothead. I can't blame him. 'Stay here.' As if we're- we're-"

"As if we're children," Harry finished. The words stung. "They're treating us like children. Again."

His thoughts went back to Sirius trying to forbid him from becoming a hero; to Batman trying to conceal the truth of Artemis' identity from Robin and him. All because, despite everything they'd done to prove otherwise, the adults insisted on treating them like kids.

"Indeed," Kaldur said gravely. "I have fought by my king's side many times. I thought he trusted me more than… this."

He swept his hand at the lavish, and very empty, library. Halfway through the gesture, though, he paused. Harry followed his gaze and saw the giant monitor Superman and Zatara had contacted the League on. Kaldur stared at it with a small but intense frown on his face.

"What is Project Cadmus?" He asked. It sounded more like he was talking to himself, but Robin overheard and shrugged.

"I don't know. Batman investigates a lot of stuff. Like a lot."

Harry eyed the monitor himself, and the edges of an idea started to form in his head. A big, dangerous, exciting idea. So big and so dangerous, he was almost scared to poke at it too hard, lest it poke back. But poke he did, because anything was better than sitting and festering in the League's fake headquarters.

"Since he's so busy, he can't get mad at us for looking into something for him, can he?" Harry asked. Dick caught on instantly, and his glum expression morphed into a smile that promised merry chaos for anyone nearby.

"Can't see why he'd mind." Robin scuttled, properly scuttled, over to the computer and began to work his magic. The words 'Access Denied' flashed over the screen in big, red letters, but Dick just snickered.

"Cute." Harry eyed his typing fingers warily as the boy let out a demented cackle. There were times he wondered if anyone appreciated just what Batman had unleashed on the world when he'd trained Dick as Robin.

"What are you doing?" Wally asked, as he finally joined them. "And why do I feel like you shouldn't be able to do it?"

"Eh, it's just the Justice League systems," Robin said with a shrug. "It's a few updates behind the Batcomputer. Aaaaaaand… there we go. Project Cadmus."

Harry looked over the information on the screen. It wasn't much. Cadmus was a genetics lab, supposedly specializing in genetic diseases, but they'd produced few papers of any note in the three years they'd been open. He wasn't sure what had aroused Batman's suspicion, but he'd never known the detective to be wrong about this sort of thing. Certainly not where the likes of Lex Luthor were concerned.

"So… we're going to Cadmus, right?" Wally asked. He was actually vibrating with excitement.

"At this rate, the League is going to keep us all on training wheels until we're 30," Harry said. "They'll never trust us unless we show them we can handle things on our own. Unless you'd rather sit here and browse the library."

"Hey, if you guys are in, I'm totally in. I can't wait to see Batman's face when we solve his case before he gets back." He poked Robin in the side. "Do you think he'll do stern glare number 4 or number 5?"

Robin snorted. "Are you kidding? For this, he'll do judgmental scowl number 8, for sure."

The two of them laughed, but Kaldur was still solemn. Of course, from what little time Harry had spent with him, the Atlantean boy was usually solemn. This seemed like more than that, though.

"Kaldur, you in?" He asked.

"I- Batman told us to stay here. My king told me to stay here." He looked right at Harry. "Are you sure about this?"

Harry didn't hesitate. "I'm sure. We didn't come here for a play date. If they don't want us fighting Wotan, fine." He paused and bit his next words out, bitter though they tasted. "Sirius is… probably right… about that being too much for us right now. And he's definitely not kidding about what he'll do to us if we follow them."

They all shuddered at that. Sirius could be properly frightening when he wanted to be.

"But I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing when there's a case we could be working. We're not helpless, and if they won't acknowledge that, we'll just shove it in their faces until they do."

Kaldur went quiet and contemplative for a few seconds and stared at the feathered cap that lay crumpled on the floor. When he looked back, there was a tiny smile on his face.

"Very well. Let us go show our mentors we can do what they trained us to do. As a team."

Dick and Wally both whooped and cackled with glee. Harry grinned widely. Maybe today wouldn't be such a complete loss after all. If so, it would be the third time disobeying orders had turned out good, and as Batman had drilled into him, three times made a pattern.

That thought sparked another idea. One which, considering Speedy's unceremonious exit, he felt was perfect.

"Well, that's settled. But if we're going to be breaking the rules, there's one other person I need to call."

Robin chuckled and nodded. "Oh, she's going to love this."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Gotham City

July 4, 15:07

"Bored!" Artemis whined into her pillow. She wasn't whining to anyone in particular, except maybe the stupid world for not being exciting enough on this particular afternoon. Of course, given what she spent her nights doing, her threshold for excitement was probably a little abnormal. But she was still bored.

She hated summer. If she ever admitted it out loud, most kids her age probably would have looked at her like she'd just admitted to skinning newborn kittens for fun, but it was the truth. She loved school. For years, it had been her one reliable escape. Crusher hadn't wanted to risk drawing attention, so he'd let her and Jade keep going to school even as he trained them to be assassins. School had been the one place she knew he wouldn't touch her. For a few hours, five days a week, she'd been safe.

More than that, though, she actually enjoyed her classes. Well, most of them. Math could go sit on a landmine. But history? English? Science? It had been so nice to learn something that wasn't about killing people or stealing their shit. Plus, she'd actually made a few friends. Not close friends, of course. She didn't get to have those. But still, they were people her age she would sit with at lunch and they'd have stupid, normal person conversations about movies and music and all the stupid bullshit normal people thought was important. And… she'd enjoyed it. A lot.

But all those kids were either on summer vacation with their stupid, normal people families, or hanging out with their other stupid, normal people friends. And here she was, on a Sunday afternoon, and the Fourth of July no less, vegetating in bed in her tiny apartment with absolutely fuck all to do.

Who was the stupid one again?

On any other day, she could have just asked Green Arrow (she would not call him Ollie if she could help it) for a training exercise, or maybe even a spot on patrol, but today was Speedy's big day and she was on her own. Which she wasn't ticked about. Really. Honestly, she was still amazed Batman had even kept his word about letting her keep in her chosen path. The fact he'd gotten an actual Leaguer, and Green Arrow to boot, to take her on as a protégé, was something she was nowhere near done processing. And training with Green Arrow had been amazing. Hell, even Speedy hadn't been too bad once he'd gotten over himself enough to actually acknowledge she existed.

Ollie (Green Arrow, dammit) had even been so weirdly nice about telling her she wasn't invited to the Hall of Justice with Speedy. It… had actually been kind of touching, having her mentor care about her feelings. She'd barely been his student for a month, but he'd still taken the time to sit down with her and explain why it wasn't a slight against her or her parentage that she wasn't invited to the Hall. As if she would ever in a thousand years be allowed anywhere near the Hall of Justice. As if who her father was just didn't matter! It was insane. But, she couldn't deny, the concern had felt good. Weird and crazy, but also good.

She was still bored stiff and stupid, though.

Brrrr. Brrrr. Brrrr. Brrrr.

The vibration of a phone on her nightstand cut through her haze of lazy self-pity. She snatched it up, checked the name, and almost fell out of bed in surprise. On the screen it said "Princess Leia". Maybe this day wouldn't be a total loss after all. She answered it.

"So you finally remembered how a phone works, did you? It's only been, what? Two freaking weeks."

The English accented voice on the other end sounded supremely unrepentant. "Yes, I'm a terrible friend and a worse person. But I can make it up to you."

"Oh?" She tried to keep the eagerness out of her voice. She failed, and badly, but at least she tried.

"How do you feel about joining the rest of us, violating direct orders, breaking into a sketchy lab, and probably pissing off the whole League?"

Her eyebrows went on an immediate mountaineering expedition. Just a minute earlier, when she'd been pining for something, anything, to do, participating in what sounded a lot like a rogue mission hadn't even been close to the top of her list of ideal activities. Now, though, as the sparks of genuine excitement flared into a fire within her, she couldn't imagine a better way to spend her afternoon.

"Sounds like if you didn't bring me along, I'd have to hunt you down and beat you up," she said. "Give me five minutes to get dressed and meet me on the fire escape." She didn't give him a chance to reply before she hung up, tossed the phone on the bed, and practically hurled herself at her closet.

Along with her new mentor had come a new suit to replace the one she'd ruined on her first night out. Where her first suit had been an ill-fitting Frankenstein-esque combination of stuff she'd stolen from Crusher and cobbled together, this one Green Arrow had let her design from scratch. And damn, did it look good.

Both Ollie and her mom probably would have preferred something more armored, but she knew how she fought and she knew what she wanted. It hasn't been until after she put it on for the first time that she'd realized it was the first outfit she'd ever owned that had been entirely her choice. Not a hand-me-down from Jade, not a cheap thrift store compromise, and not training gear from Crusher. This was hers. She traced the arrow symbol on her chest and smiled. It was nice to have something that was hers.

Plus, it looked really damn good.

She had just slung her quiver over her shoulder when a flicker of movement from outside her window caught her eye. Harry had arrived, and in full kit, too. Even with that spell in place that made all the details of his appearance fuzzy in her mind, she would swear in open court that he'd somehow gotten even taller. He was also, she noted with a smirk, pointedly facing away from the window. Honestly, for such an utter chaos gremlin, he was adorably proper sometimes. She rapped on the glass to get his attention and slid the pane up.

"Should I be flattered or insulted you made sure you wouldn't get an eyeful?" She asked, just to make him squirm. It worked, much to her delight, and he stammered out what was probably supposed to be an apology, though she wasn't sure what for.

"Oh, get over yourself, princess. You make it so easy sometimes." She climbed out the window and joined him on the fire escape. "Let's go, before I regain my sanity."

He snorted. "Like you ever had any to begin with."

She punched him in the arm. "It takes one to know one. Now make yourself useful and get us to this sketchy lab you were talking about."

"Okay, but fair warning. Apparating can be pretty unpleasant your first time. Don't blame me if you puke." He held out an arm. "Grab on and don't let go."

She eyed the arm with some trepidation, but he shook it encouragingly. After another moment's hesitation, she took hold of his sleeve in a death grip. Then…

Pop!

The fire escape vanished. Her apartment building vanished. Everything went dark. There was an awful feeling of squeezing and shaking, as if she were being forced headfirst through a garden hose while also being launched into space. Blood pounded in her ears. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't scream. The only solid thing left to her was Harry's arm. Everything else was deafening noise and darkness and that terrible airless squeezing. Her eyeballs were being crushed against her skull. The crushing pressure got tighter and tighter with each horrible moment until she was sure she would burst like a rotten tomato.

And then it was over. There was air, there was light, there were sounds other than her own heartbeat. And there was nausea. Her legs gave out instantly, and she fell to her knees, taking huge, desperate gulps of air and trying not to be violently sick.

"Sorry," she heard Harry say over her retching gasps. He didn't sound nearly repentant enough. "I tried to warn you."

"One… of these… days," she wheezed as her stomach started to settle. "Just you… wait."

By some miracle, she kept her lunch down, but only by the slimmest margins. Once she'd gotten herself bag under control, and had temporarily quashed the urge to remove Harry's eyes with a melon baller, she picked herself up and took stock of where she was.

They were on a rooftop outside somewhere. Washington D.C., judging by the giant obelisk she could just make out in the distance. She very carefully did not think about how Harry had just casually teleported the two of them from New Jersey to D.C. in an instant. Instead, she focused on the large burning building across the street. Cadmus, if the sign on the side was any indication. Fire crews were milling around the base of the building trying to douse the flames. At first glance, aside from being on fire, it didn't look like much. Then again, at first glance, neither did she.

"The others should be here soon," Harry said.

"Great. Let's get to work."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

It's finally here. After just over a year, we've reached the timeline of the show. I am incredibly excited to be able to adapt actual canon material at last. Writing original arcs is fun, but the real test of a crossover fic is seeing how the characters I've introduced into this world cause second and third order effects on the established story.

Of course, it also comes with unique challenges. Namely, maintaining originality. That was particularly difficult in this chapter, because I couldn't actually change the events of the show much at all. The League's dishonesty, Speedy's tantrum, and the formation of the Team are pretty inalterable for this story to go where I need it to go. As time goes on, I will diverge from canon more and more, but for this chapter I just couldn't.

If you have any questions, predictions, criticisms, or humorous limericks you'd like to share, please leave a review. Also, don't forget to check out the poll on my profile page.