THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2016 7:28 AM EST:

It was a sunny, cloudless day in Keystone as families gathered together to share stories and meals, plan post-Thanksgiving shopping, play football in the yard or simply yell at the teams playing on the television screen. Artemis hardly noticed the fair weather from inside the news station.

"How ya holding up, kid?" Don Hainsworth, head of the production crew at the Keystone local news, asked as Artemis refilled her mug and downed her third cup of coffee in as many hours.

How was she doing? She'd been housing two small guests in her stomach for five months. She had a raging appetite and raging hormones. Nothing from her pre-pregnancy closet fit her anymore, she looked like she'd swallowed a small bowling ball, her dead boyfriend was supposedly returning from the dead, and her best friends were dealing with a psychopathic cult leader about to charm his way out of prison.

"I'm just dandy," she said with a smile.

Don saw through the act and smiled sympathetically. "Hang in there. It gets better, from what I understand. My wife's seven months along. This'll be our third kid in five years."

"What on earth are doing working today?" Artemis said. "You should be home with your family. I'm sure your wife and kids would rather you be there than here."

Don laughed. "My kids are still in bed this early and my wife would kill me if I passed up time-and-a-half pay. I'll be home in time for dinner and we'll celebrate Thanksgiving then. Besides, better to be here than spending the day making small talk with my in-laws."

"Linda," a woman's voice spoke into Artemis' earpiece. "We're on again in five."

Artemis sighed. "Back I go."

As Artemis resumed her place at her desk, she scanned through her notes on the upcoming reports. It was the usual humdrum expected of Thanksgiving day: football scores, weather reports, travel conditions, and coverage of the Macy's Parade. Artemis had to push her superiors at the station to let her squeeze in the Blood trial reports. No one wanted such a depressing story covered on a family holiday, but Artemis wasn't going to let it slip through the cracks entirely.

But having already reported on the trial that morning and with no new information, Artemis resolved to put the story in the back of her mind. She managed to do so through the work day, but as she walked down the stairs toward the front of the building that afternoon, Artemis found herself mentally sifting through every scrap of information she'd compiled on Blood thus far. She stood under the covered drop-off at the front of the news station building trying to hail a cab, so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice that someone wanted her attention until he was standing right beside her.

"You're Linda Park, right?" a rasp, male voice asked.

Artemis jumped back in surprise. The man was old, dressed in tan, ragged clothes. He wore an aluminum foil necklace with strange runes drawn in marker, had a tangled beard and a rat's nest of gray hair.

She swallowed and tried to keep the alarm from her voice. "Yes, I'm Linda Park with Keystone News. Do you…watch the station?"

"Enough to know that you're the only reporter around here I can trust with this information. Everyone else would just call me crazy!"

This man certainly had the wardrobe of some of the homeless that wandered Keystone City refusing treatment and muttering about aliens and the apocalypse. Artemis might have thought him the same if not for his eyes. They were sharp, intelligent, one blue and one green. They seemed to look right through Artemis into her very soul.

"If there's a lead you'd like Channel 4 to look into, you're welcome to submit it to our suggestion page through mail or on our site. I can write down the address or the link, if you'd like. I'm sure after the holiday someone would be glad to-"

"No! This is meant for you. Only you. You're the only one who can stop it."

Artemis frowned. "Stop what?"

The man looked around to see that no one was listening and spoke so low Artemis had to strain to hear him. "You're the only one willing to report on Blood. You know what he is. What he's capable of. You must stop him. You must help the white bird fly."

"I'm sorry…what now?"

There was a loud crash in a nearby alley. The man glanced back and muttered a curse. "I have to go. No time to explain further. Go to the place you once called home. There you'll find the answers you seek."

"But wait. How do I-"

"Linda!"

Artemis turned and saw Don coming out the building's rotating door, a piece of paper clutched in his hand. He extended it towards her.

"I'm glad I caught you. We just got a lead on Blood. Jones specifically asked for you to look into it."

Artemis took the paper and read it carefully. It was a faxed copy of a note written hastily on lined paper like school children used. It took Artemis a minute to decipher the scrawl. Runaways joining Cult of B in Gotham. Friends among. A phone number followed.

"Are you sure this isn't some kind of prank?"

Don shrugged. "Jones said he trusts the source."

"Did he say who the source is?"

"No. Just said for you to call that number. Arrange a meeting. Jones already booked your flight and everything." Val handed her a folder with a ticket and schedule inside.

"What?" Artemis asked, staring at the folder in disbelief. "Jones expects me to drop whatever I'm doing and go to Gotham tonight? It's a holiday. The airports will be hell! Just driving there will be hell!"

"He's got a driver coming to pick you up at your place at 7:00," Val explained. "It's on the schedule."

Artemis checked the folder. It was indeed. She tried not to sound too angry when she spoke. "And it didn't occur to the boss that I might have plans tonight?"

"Well, with you working today, and the rest of your family in Korea…"

Artemis inwardly cursed. She'd forgotten her own stupid backstory. Unlike Artemis, 'Linda' didn't have siblings and her parents lived in South Korea where her father was originally from. There was no way Artemis could explain Jade, Roy, and Lian without giving herself away. She couldn't pretend they were friends coming over for the holiday. Artemis hadn't socialized much in her time in Keystone, instead throwing herself into her work to forget her troubles. She hoped her sister and brother-in-law had planned on Zetaing in. If they'd spent time and money traveling to Keystone, Jade would be pissed at Artemis' sudden change of plans.

For a moment Artemis considered going back inside and returning the folder to her jackass of a boss herself, but then she remembered what the strange old man had said minutes earlier. Go to the place you once called home. There you'll find the answers you seek.

Now she had a ticket with her name on it to Gotham. Artemis had too much experience with the mystical and magical to call it coincidence. Besides, she was the one that had pushed to cover the Blood story. If she didn't take it, who would?

And maybe, Artemis thought. Just maybe more than her job was calling her home. Her last visit to her hometown had gone wrong in every way. Her mother hadn't called or contacted Artemis since their falling out. Would her mother ever forgive her? Artemis' hand rested on her swollen abdomen. Maybe, for the babies' sakes. Surely Paula would want to be part of her grandchildren's lives? For their sakes, Artemis at least had to try.

She sighed. "Alright. I guess I should get home and pack. Have a good evening with your family, Don. Drive safe."

"You bet, Linda. Have a safe flight!"

As predicted, Jade wasn't thrilled when Artemis called her with the news about her sudden trip.

"That boss of yours sounds like a first class asshole," Jade said.

"Can't argue with that." Artemis had the phone wedged between her shoulder and ear as she packed her luggage. Her ride would be arriving in half an hour or less to take her to the airport.

"Well, here's an idea," Jade said. "Roy and I can Zeta over to Gotham and join you there. We'll put off celebrating until tomorrow. I could call Mom-"

"No." Artemis couldn't hide the hurt in her voice. "I…I told you what went down the last time I went to see her. You and Roy can go if you like, but…Maybe I can go the day after. Or something…"

"Artemis," Jade said, in the softer, gentler tone she usually reserved for her daughter. "Don't be stubborn. Mom was just hurt and lashed out. If she can forgive me for all the crap I've put her through…You didn't see how heartbroken she was when we thought you'd died. She won't want to lose you again or miss out on the twins' lives. Come with us."

"I'll…promise to think about it," Artemis said. "I've got to leave in just a minute. I'll text you the address of the hotel and let you know when my flight lands."

The flight from Keystone to Gotham took less than hour, but after a full day of work, Artemis felt exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to go to her hotel and sleep, but she was here on business and the night was young.

She refrained from dialing the number of her informant while in the car with the driver her boss had arranged to pick her up from the airport. There was something about the woman Artemis didn't trust. Same with the man that had taken her to Keystone International. Both seemed to watch Artemis in the car mirror as often as they watched the road. Artemis pretended not to notice. She busied herself with the notes in her log book or reading through the schedule in her file.

After checking in at the hotel and trusting her bags to the staff, Artemis headed in the direction of Wayne Corp. She knew which streets to avoid after nightfall and stuck to a well-lit path, but she felt much better upon reaching Batman's usual stomping ground. Even if he wasn't on patrol tonight, the criminals didn't know that.

Using a guest-access code Dick had given her, Artemis entered the Wayne Corp lobby and found her way to an empty office. To be extra safe, she had Barbara, who was on duty at the Watchtower, make sure the line was secure. She dialed the number on the paper. A quiet, female voice answered.

"Hello?" She sounded no older than a teen.

"Hi. This is Linda Park. I'm with Channel 4 News in Keystone. My boss Jason Jones gave me this number in regard to…well, a story I'm working on."

Even with the line secure, Artemis knew better than to take unnecessary risks by dropping Blood's name.

"Yeah," the young girl said. "My name's Cindy. Or Cin. I've got something I need to tell you, but it has to be in person."

Artemis' heart broke for this girl. Despite her resolve, there was a tremor of terror in the girl's voice. "Alright, Cindy. Where and when should we meet?"

"Tomorrow, 5:30 at Gotham Cemetery."

Artemis could tell by how quickly Cindy answered that she'd been planning this meeting for some time. Meeting in the cemetery at night sounded a bit strange, but Artemis had done far weirder things. "I'll be there," she said.

"Good," Cindy said, breathing a sigh of relief. She hung up without another word.

Artemis arranged for someone from the hotel to pick her up. It had a been a very long, very odd day (even by her standards) complete with a psychic homeless man, cryptic leads on a cult leader, and walking the streets of her hometown in the guise of a stranger. It took no time at all to find sleep within her bed.

Artemis woke early the next morning to travel to the nearest Zeta beam. She avoided old hangouts and routes just in case someone from her past life recognized her. It wouldn't do her much good for someone to spot a supposedly-dead girl walking through the city. Though Gotham had once been home, Artemis felt she was more than just playing the part of a stranger. Nothing about the city felt familiar to her now. The last place she had truly called her own was Palo Alto, but without Wally, nothing felt like home.

Jade and Roy Zetaed in a few minutes after Artemis arrived. Lian sat atop her father's shoulders, accidentally kicking Roy in the face as the squirmy baby reached for her aunt.

"Careful, Lian," Jade said taking her daughter into her arms. "We don't want to mess up Daddy's handsome face."

"Haha," Roy said with a roll of his eyes.

"It's so good to see you all," Artemis said giving them both a quick hug and kissing Lian on the cheek.

"Do you have any more leads on Blood?" Roy asked. "Jade mentioned you were here on assignment."

Jade cut Artemis off before she could answer. "Let's not talk about work for now, agreed? Come on. Let's get out of this cold."

The family decided to breakfast at a small diner near the girls' old neighborhood. They settled into a corner booth out of earshot from the other few customers in the diner. At first they chatted about the food and the weather, but once general topics were exhausted, an awkward silence settled between the three adults. Lian was happily absorbed in her coloring book.

Artemis had so much to tell her sister and brother-in-law. About the Team. About Wally. She stirred her coffee, swirling the foam into different patterns. Where should she even begin?

"Have you thought of names?" Jade asked, startling Artemis from her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. No. Not yet. I have a few ideas, but I…I actually wanted to run them by Wally first."

Roy and Jade exchanged a troubled look. Jade started to ask a question, but a woman's voice from behind Artemis interrupted.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Black Friday traffic was an absolute nightmare. The buses are behind and the cab was so slow I finally just got out and walked…oh."

Artemis tensed and slowly turned to meet her mother's gaze. Paula had gone silent, confusion and surprise evident by her expression, and maybe a hint of fear. But the anger and disappointment that had haunted Artemis since their last meeting was gone. Artemis felt a small flutter of hope.

"Mom?"

Paula shook her head as if waking from a trance. "Artemis. I'm sorry. I didn't…Jade didn't say…I should just…"

"Mom." Jade stood and gently grasped her mother's hand. "I asked you both to meet us here because this has gone on long enough. I know you aren't angry with Artemis. And Artemis isn't angry with you. Let's leave the past in the past. Forgive and forget, please. We haven't always acted like it, but we're family." She nodded toward Artemis. "And that family is growing. We need each other now more than ever."

"Mom," Artemis said again. She rose to her feet, trembling all the while. "Stay. Please."

That was all it took for mother and daughter to bridge the gap between them. It was hard to tell who started crying first or who cried hardest. Jade waved off the concern of the startled waitress with a gesture towards Artemis. "She's pregnant."

Artemis glared at her sister, then burst out laughing in what probably looked very much like a case of hormone-induced hysteria. She waited until the family returned to Paula's apartment to recount her encounter with Wally. She left out the bit about the homeless man outside the station. Artemis knew her family could only accept so much.

"Artemis," Roy said carefully. "Are you…sure about all this?"

"I'm not crazy."

"I'm not saying you are. But grief has a way of twisting reality. When you hit rock bottom, sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees."

Roy spared the sleeping baby in his arms a guilty glance. Jade placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, then did the same for Artemis.

"I believe you." There was no hint of falsehood or jest in the look Jade gave her sister.

"Mom?" Artemis asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. She didn't want to argue with Paula so soon after reconciling.

Paula smiled. "If you say it happened, I believe you, Artemis."

Artemis smiled in relief.

The family spent the day catching up. Lian walked from adult to adult, enjoying the extra attention she was getting from her aunt and grandmother. Artemis couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed and smiled so much. Before she knew it, the afternoon began to slip into evening.

"I have to go," she said, gathering her things. "I'm meeting with someone about my assignment at 5:00."

"For the Blood case?" Roy asked. "I'll go with you. Let me just grab my coat."

"Thanks, Roy, but you don't have to," Artemis said. "Besides, bringing another person along might spook my informant. She seemed pretty eager to keep whatever she has to tell me under wraps."

"And you don't find that a little suspicious?" Roy asked. "Oliver's kept me in the loop about the League's investigation of Blood. Bad things happen to people who oppose him, Artemis. At least let me follow behind. I'll stick to the shadows, but if you need backup, I'll be there."

Artemis nodded. "Okay. This shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. I guess we'll meet back here after?"

Paula nodded. "We'll be here."

Artemis hugged her mother and said quietly, "I'm sorry. For everything."

"I'm sorry, too," Paula said. "But all that's in the past now. Do be careful, won't you?" Paula tucked a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear.

"I'll be careful, Mom. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The mother and daughter exchanged one more hug and kisses on the cheek before Artemis set off with Roy.

Artemis met with Cindy in the Gotham City cemetery at precisely 5:00 PM. Cindy was a petite, short haired girl with purple highlights in her hair and dark, calculating eyes. She walked with her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather jacket, mud from melted snow collecting on the bottom of her combat boots as she approached.

"Cin?" Artemis asked to be sure.

The teenager nodded. She looked no older than 18 or 19. "No need to ask who you are. I recognize you from TV." Cindy extended a gloved hand. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Park."

Artemis smiled and shook Cindy's hand. "Please, just call me Linda. May I ask why you wanted us to meet here?"

"Dead men don't tell secrets." Cindy gave a wry smile. It was then that Artemis noticed the cut along her lower lip covered in dried blood.

"Are you okay?" Artemis asked pointing to the corner of her own mouth.

Cindy shrugged. "Parts of the city can be a little rough, but I'm fine. It was worth a few bruises to get away from Blood's group."

Artemis nodded and cut straight to the point of their meeting. "You have something about Blood I need to know? Why come to me? His trial is set to take place here in Gotham any day. Why not go to the local media?"

"The press in this town are too afraid to cross Blood," Cindy said with a disgust. "Don't get me wrong. I understand why they're scared. I know what could happen to me if…but I had to tell someone. Where I'm from, there are people who fight for what's right, even if it means sticking out their own necks. Not like here. Everyone in this city is in it for themselves."

Artemis studied the girl. Something about her seemed almost familiar. "Where are you originally from, Cindy? If you're not from here, what brought you to Gotham?"

"I'm from Star City," Cindy explained. "I'm part of a center that helps teens in bad situations make it on their own. Awhile ago, some kids from our sister project here in Gotham got mixed up in Blood's cult. A few of them tried to get out once they realized what they'd gotten themselves into but…they disappeared. I came here. Started asking questions, trying to find them, you know. But no one would help. Not the police. Not the press. Not even the people on the street. It was like they'd just vanished without a trace. I figured the only way to get answers was to find them from the inside. I've gone under cover in gangs before. Figured this wouldn't be too different. But…but the things I learned. The things I saw…"

"Cin?!"

Cindy tensed and Artemis looked over her shoulder as a hooded figure made his way toward the pair. Artemis glared at Roy, both alarmed and furious at her brother-in-law's recklessness. So much for sticking to the shadows.

Cindy stared at Roy as he drew closer, eyes widening in recognition. "Roy?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, removing his red hood.

"I already asked her that," Artemis said, exasperated. "Didn't I tell you I had this covered?"

"Wait." Cindy splayed her hands in a 'hold it' motion. "How do you two know each other?"

"She's my sister-in-law," Roy answered before Artemis could stop him.

Cindy looked genuinely surprised. "Whoa, Harper. Didn't figure you for the marrying type."

"Yeah, well," he said with an awkward shrug. "A lot of things have changed the last few years. I'm a father, too. Art-" Artemis nudged Roy in the ribs to keep him from using her real name and making matters worse. "I mean…Aren't you wondering how I know Cin, Linda?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. Nice save there, Roy. "The suspense is killing me."

"Long story short, Cin's friends with Black Canary," Roy explained.

"Is everyone in your circle part of this superhero gig, Harper?" Cindy asked.

"No," Artemis said before Roy could answer. Cindy might be his friend, but Artemis preferred to play her cards close to her chest. "Some of us are just plain old reporters who have deadlines. So Cindy, what were you saying about infiltrating Blood's cult?"

Cindy sighed. "I might as well tell both of you the whole thing. Save me from repeating it to the Arrow and his friends later."

Cindy's story confirmed what Artemis and the Team had suspected. Blood's followers had rigged the jury. Worse, some of the cult actually were jury members. Potential witnesses and their families had been threatened. As for the court of public opinion, G. Godfrey Gordon and his GBS companions were helping to sway that in Blood's favor, too.

"But this thing is bigger than just setting Blood free," Cindy said, her voice quaking. "I saw things…things I can't explain. There are quarters of the church that only Blood's inner circle are meant to access. But one day, I managed to slip past their security by climbing through the air duct. I saw a woman- goes by the name of Mother Mayhem- enter a room. I was able to find the where the vent let out from the room's ceiling. I couldn't see everything, but I'm sure she was alone. She…she took this bowl and she cut her wrist. She mixed the blood with…well, I'm not sure what it was but it looked like some kind of powder. Then she started chanting this weird-ass spell in some foreign language. But the freakiest part is that she spoke to the bowl. She asked it questions. I could tell by how her voice changed. Then she'd wait and…and a voice answered back."

Cindy shivered. "It was like the voice was coming from everywhere and nowhere. It was deep and powerful, but horrible. The most horrible thing I've ever heard. Like…like every nightmare I've ever had morphed into a single sound."

Roy and Artemis exchanged a worried look. "It'll be okay, Cindy," Artemis assured. "I'm going to do everything I can to cover the Blood trial. Roy and our friends will help with the investigation from behind the scenes. We'll find out what happened to your friends. Thank you for telling us."

Cindy nodded.

Roy placed an arm around the younger girl's shoulders in a brotherly manner. "Alright, Cin. I don't like the idea of you wandering the streets alone. Not with what you know. Where are you staying?"

"I was staying at the youth center, but…I haven't gone back since I joined Blood's cult. I thought about it when I fled the church yesterday, but I couldn't risk someone following me or hurting the other kids there."

Roy nodded. "That's smart. You can come back to Star City with my wife and me tomorrow. For tonight, I know a place you can crash. You'll be safer there than anywhere."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Are you thinking of where I think you're thinking?"

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2014 7:30 P.M. EST

Cindy, Roy, and Artemis stood before an imposing iron gate at the end of a long driveway leading to an impressive old mansion.

"Wayne Manner?" Cindy asked when she recovered enough to do more than stare with jaw agape. "How many insanely rich friends do you have, Harper?"

"If we want to stay friends with the Waynes, I suggest we at least call before breaking into their house," Artemis said, hands on her hips.

"Why?" Roy said, entering the access code for visitors. "They have more than enough room. Bruce won't mind."

"But they aren't exactly expecting company," Artemis pointed out.

Roy shrugged. "True, but Bruce and the guys are out on business right now. They won't mind us dropping in."

Artemis sighed and followed Roy through the open gate with Cindy in tow. "If you say so."

Artemis had had the personal misfortune of dropping in on Dick and one of his 'overnight guests' when she and Wally flew in to Gotham one year to surprise him for his birthday. Then there was the ill-timed web chat incident… Come to think of it, Artemis didn't have a particularly good track record when it came to visiting her hero friends in their civilian homes. She wondered how Megan and the Team were doing at the Tower and how Zatanna and her cousin were fairing. Artemis hadn't been to see Ollie and Dinah lately either. She'd have to make an effort to visit more often once work settled down. Maybe she could schedule to fly to Star City and spend a few days with Roy and Jade…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone.

Roy accompanied Cindy into the mansion while Artemis answered her phone.

"The guest rooms are up the stairs and to the left. Pick whichever you want. I'll let the staff know you're here so they aren't freaked out in the morning. Call if you need anything."

Cindy nodded. "Thanks, Roy."

Roy returned to find Artemis staring at her phone, her mouth set in a firm line.

"You look troubled," Roy said, trying not to jump to dark thoughts of something having happened to his wife and daughter.

It wasn't until he spoke that Artemis even noticed his presence. "My boss called," she explained. "He said there's been a development in the Blood trial. They're making an announcement at the courthouse in an hour. I'm meeting our Gotham sister station's crew over there."

"I don't like the sound of that," Roy said. "I'll come with you."

Artemis agreed and they headed toward the courthouse unaware of the moonlight shadows shifting beneath their feet.

A/N I am so sorry for the super long absence from this story. Life has been so busy the last few months (in the best ways, thankfully). I finally had some time during the holiday to wrap this chapter up. I can't say for sure when the next update will come, but I might have time to at least make some good progress on the next chapter this weekend. The next chapter will rewind a little bit and look at Jade, Zatanna, Raven, and other characters. I just didn't want to cram too much into one chapter.

As for Cindy, she's not a particularly important character, but as I was reading the "Runaways" series from Teen Titans, I started thinking about similarities to the troubled kids in the graphic novels and the kids on the CW show Arrow and the influence sort of wove itself into the story. To be clear, Cin is this story is not Sin from the graphic novels, just a character loosely based on her Arrow counterpart. As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated. Thanks to all of you who reviewed, favorited, and followed the story so far. It means so much that you continue to stick with the story. I hope you've all had a wonderful day with your families and are enjoying breaks from school and work. Till next time!