"It's a nice view, huh monkey?"

"It is." I whispered, looking out into the ocean from the tower we were at. "Thanks for doing this, Artemis..."

"I know I'm not Wally's favorite person right now... but it is nice to have you back." Dick smiled softly. "She actually missed you."

"It's nice to be back. I didn't realize how much I'd been missing it... which is pretty much exactly what Wally's afraid of." Artemis sighed. "He's worried the rush that comes with the mask will get its hooks in... and I won't give it up until my dying day."

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Y'know sometimes I thought about giving it up one day." I admitted, holding out the crowbar and swung it around. "But I'm in too deep to give it up right now."

"You seriously see yourself hanging up the mask?" Artemis smirked and I shrugged.

"I think so... I mean, Bart says there's a kid in my future, so I have to give it up at some point."

"I dunno, Mae... I still see you kicking ass while pregnant and having Dick over there suffering heart attacks."

"Imagine Mae in the second trimester with the hormones and fighting someone like Bane. That's gonna be the thing that sends me to my grave." Dick rolled his eyes a pressed a light kiss to my temple. "We're up... I have LG with a temper tantrum because I won't let him join his girl in the skies."

"But we need coverage in the water." I pointed out.

"Try telling him that. In fact, please tell him that!"

"Hey, LG! You've got two strikes with me today. One more and you're out... stay in the water where we need you because not all of us have gills!" I scolded and Artemis started laughing. "You seem to forget that Nightwing's not the only leader of this Team."

"Sorry, Domino..." La'gann grumbled.

"Keep the temper tantrums to a minimum, please. We already have enough of those with the Kryptonian who has anger issues and this psychopath who wants to set something on fire already."

｡ﾟ•┈୨🃏୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"There's no static on a psychic link!"

"Remind me to remind LG of what it means to be in this covert Team before I lose my mind!" I yelled.

"Company!" Artemis said and pointed at the beach where Manta's troops were emerging from. She shot a line to the other side of the landing platform and slid down.

"Hang on." Dick smirked as I climbed on his back and we both slid down after her. "Superboy, we need cover fire down here!"

"On my way! Bioship's reconfigured for manual flight."

"We're on the wrong side of this wall." Artemis pointed out and gestured to the spaceship in front of us.

"Yeah, well considering there's like thirty troopers on the other side shooting nonstop, what choice do we have!?"  I exclaimed, peeking over the wall and ducked when they started shooting again. "FUCK!"

"The troopers' helmets... designed to enhance vision underwater, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

Artemis just smiled and shot an arrow, creating a cloud of smoke.

"See?"

"Smart girl." I smiled and jumped the barrier just as Tim called. "Dude, terrible timing!"

"Sorry! But I found out what the A.K stands for... it's the Arkham Knight. Ring any bells?"

"None, baby brother. And who the hell calls themselves the Arkham Knight? That's just triggering and embarrassing!"

"Watch your six!" Dick yelled and I turned to shoot the trooper headed my way with the static gun. "Robin found out who's-"

"Says something about an Arkham Knight. That ring any bells to you?"

"Nope. Probably a petty thug trying to join the big leagues."

"Dude, he's saying he misses his mom." Tim laughed and I rolled my eyes, sliding under a trooper and shocked him. "The new one literally reads: 'My mom tried to save me, you didn't.'"

"Can't relate. My mother was abused and suffers from Stockholm Syndrome." I smirked. "Anything else?"

"I think that's all for now. And that there's a Scarecrow threat Katie's working on. This town's going to hell ever since Bruce left."

"It was bound to happen. Tell Alfred to send out the robot suit and the holograms. He'll know what to do with it."

"Roger that, boss. Have fun."

"Thanks, baby wing." I smiled and hung up, turning to the goons with my head tilted. "Now... where were we?"

"Kaldur, don't do this!" I heard Artemis yell.

"Artemis, Domino, watch out!" Dick yelled, taking a hit from Kaldur.

I pulled out the crowbar and immediately swung, hitting Kaldur across the face.

"Just like when we were kids, huh?" I sneered and he smirked, forming a scepter with water. "I always was the better fighter out of the five of us."

"Nice crowbar... following in your father's footsteps?"

"Wanna say that again, fish face?" I asked and blocked the hit from the scepter as it turned into a mallet.

Kaldur tried to swing again but I ducked and used the curved end to hook his leg and make him fall on his back. I immediately stepped on his chest and pointed the static gun at this temple.

"You seem to forget, I carry the element of surprise." He said and managed to lightly stab me on the leg. I let out a scream and fell on my side as Dick immediately ran up to me.

"How bad is it?" He whispered.

"Not too deep, but just enough to sell it." I groaned and looked up to see Kaldur, switching his weapon to a sword and stabbed Artemis on the side. "ARTEMIS!"

"I've got her!" Dick yelled and held Artemis as she discreetly took the pill to slow down her heartbeat.

I took the opportunity to stand and nodded at Kaldur. As soon as I was on my feet he sent a wave, knocking me back down and away from Dick and Artemis.

"Move out. The mission is a failure."

"I'll kill you for this, Kaldur! I swear on my grave that you'll pay for this!" I screamed before being picked up by Connor, watching as he left with the remaining troops.

"I... I don't hear her heartbeat." Connor said with wide eyes.

"She's dead..." Dick mumbled after trying to 'resuscitate' Artemis and looked up at me. "I'm so sorry."

"I'll kill him for this... I swear I'll kill him for this." I choked back a sob and hid my face on Connor's neck.

This whole shitshow better work.

｡ﾟ•┈୨🃏୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"Y'know those times when we used to fly around Wonderland without a care in the world?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss those times." I admitted, leaning back against a crate. "I miss when we weren't-"

"Like Batman?" Dick asked and I nodded. "I tried so hard to run away from it... turns out I wasn't running fast enough."

"The Team's gonna hate us after this, Dick."

"You want an out? Because I'll give you-"

"I'm already in too deep... I might as well see it through." I shrugged, pulling out a picture of me and Artemis from when we were kids and handed it to Dick. "She's been my rock ever since I could remember."

"It's weird seeing you without the white hair." He smiled. "Can't believe you were a brunette."

"A swim in Ace Chemicals will do that to you... Jade took that after she kidnapped me for a week while her dad was working with Joker while he was still doing drug deals and whatever. It was one of the best weeks of my life. Who would've thought I'd be taking a swim just a few weeks later."

"She'll be alright, Mae." Dick promised and handed me back the picture just as a door opened. "Wally?"

"No." Kaldur said, making his presence known. "How is the leg, Maeve?" 

"I'll live. Sorry I called you fish face." I waved it off and hugged him.

"And I'm sorry I compared you to Joker."

"Woah, you compared her to her dad? Not cool, man." Wally smirked, walking in hand in hand with Artemis and I immediately ran up to her. "The twisted sisters are back, yet again!"

"I'll be okay, Monkey. I promise." She whispered as the boys turned to have their own conversation. "I'm gonna miss you though."

"You were out and we dragged you back... I should've-"

"You have to stop sacrificing yourself every waking moment, Maeve. Think about Dick, and Tim, and everyone you'll leave behind if you keep putting yourself in the line of fire like that." She scolded and I looked down at my boots. "If you could've seen him, you'd know why I did it, Mae... He looked so helpless and there was nothing Wall and I could do to console him. This isn't like the Failsafe or the attack on the Cave or Louisiana or Arkham. This was something else entirely. None of us have ever seen him cry like that, not even when Jason died."

"I get that, Mouse. But I can't just do nothing while you're out putting your life at risk." I defended.

"It's what big sisters do. You remember how Jade used to protect both of us as kids... I think it's my turn."

"But who protects you?"

"You'll get your chance, but it's not gonna be this one." She smiled and hugged me again. "Keep climbing trees, monkey. And I'll see you soon."

"Here... wear this." Dick sighed, handing a necklace to Artemis.

"Dude, why are you giving bling to my dead girlfriend?" Wally asked with raised eyebrows.

"Glamour charm. Courtesy of Zatanna. Physio-morphic spell, I think... She said it backwards."

"Wow, you look exactly the same."

"To the four of us, and only to the four of us. But to anyone else, you're an entirely different person."

"The impressive trick is how you got something so specific from Zatanna without revealing who or what it was for." Artemis said and I sheepishly shrugged.

"She owes me from the times I saved her ass before she joined the League... and the time she stayed with us in the Manor when she didn't want to stay in the Cave." I grinned.

"It's time." Kaldur sadly said and Artemis pulled me into one last hug.

"Check up on Wall for me, please? And Mom and Jade?" She begged and I nodded.

"As long as you come back home." I cried.

"Stay close to your bird, okay? He made a promise to me that he'll keep you safe and take care of you more than he already has." Artemis sobbed and slowly pulled away to wipe my tears and her own.

"Stay close to Kaldur. He'll keep you safe." I sighed and turned to Dick and Kaldur so her and Wally could say their goodbyes. "You keep my sister safe, Kaldur. Or else those empty threats won't be empty anymore."

"You okay?" Dick asked and I shook my head. "The hard part's over, Mae."

"It'll only get worse from here."