Chapter 2: Bonds

Gotham City, January 1 2013, 16:26 EST

The Agents of CRIME all fidgeted as they sat in their black amphibious aircraft which they had nicknamed the Gull. They'd never been so nervous. It was their first time off that blasted island for god knows how long and they could not wait to step foot back on their home soil of Gotham.

I wonder if Mom's still there? Has she moved on? Found a new partner? Is she on her own?

Cody, or as he had to call himself on the field, Agent Cypher couldn't help but sigh as he shifted his behind in the pilot's seat.

He couldn't help it. It was the first time in three years since he'd worn jeans and it wasn't even good denim. He also didn't like the dark baggy green hooded sweater he was wearing, but as Deathstroke said, agents couldn't be choosers.

They were all wearing casual clothes to blend in with the civilian population with their stealth suits underneath. It was a good thing too because right now it was almost freezing outside.

"Nervous Codes?" Tommy, aka, Tomcat muttered from the co-pilot's seat.

"Just Thinking" Cypher sighed heavily as he looked down to his controls.

"About your mom huh?" Tomcat's eyes softened behind his yellow lensed cat's-eye goggles. There was only one reason his roommate would sigh like that, and that was whenever he was homesick.

The young cat burglar couldn't fault him. He too couldn't help the small twinge in his chest as he looked down upon the dark city below. Three years since his stupid dad had shipped him off to the Tartarus facility, all because of one foolish prank that had gone wrong.

I'll show him.

The young cat's fingers clenched over his controls as he glanced behind the pilot's seats to where the other agents sat.

Brutus and Franky, aka Agents Beast and Friday#13, were busy muttering to one another as the latter tried helping the former settle the rather snugly fitting snow jacket over his body. With his massive size, it was always tricky for Beast to find clothes that fit him, a fact which frustrated him to no end. It was a good thing the Tartarus facility made most of their uniform's custom built to their sizes.

Beside the pair, Bella (or as she now called herself Agent Nightshade) and Agent Ducky were busy gushing over the city skyline. Neither could wait to set foot on home soil, for they, unlike many of their other teammates were here of their own volition. Their parents, Poison Ivy and Penguin, often came to visit the Tartarus facility, showering them with gifts and attention, much to the envy and irritation of the other residents.

Speaking of the last two agents.

Hmm…wonder what Boss lady and Right-hand-hottie are talking about now?

Tomcat smirked at the back of the plane where Mina (Agent Siren) and Esme (Agent Beauty) both sat murmuring in grim whispers.

"But why kill Red Queen? I mean I get that they're mortal enemies, but Swift's the Batman's protégé-" Beauty grunted as she finished tying her long dark hair in a high ponytail. "and Batman never kills his enemies."

"I don't know" Siren narrowed her red and black eyes as she fingered her slender inhibitor collar around her neck, an old habit she fell upon when thinking hard "From what I read on the case notes, I get the feeling that something pushed her over the edge. Something big went down in that locked room that was dashed off the recordings. Also, there have been reports that the Swift's behaviour has changed dramatically over the past few days in the field."

"Changed how?" Beauty frowned as her leader quickly pulled up some holographic footage from her seat. From his spot on the other side of the plane, Tomcat could see the vague black and purple shape move across the holographic screen.

"Her fighting style has become more destructive, and half the goons she's taken down have all ended up in the hospital almost half dead."

"You're right. This isn't the Bat's style of fighting" Beauty bit her lip, wincing as she caught sight of the girl wonder all but snapping both the arms of a man three times her size with two quick twists. "She's not even bothering to hold back her strength. She's just beating the shit out of them."

"Isn't that what we do on a daily basis?" Siren quirked a pale brow, but Beauty shook her head.

"No. We're taught to fight rough and dirty, but this is different. It's like she doesn't even see what she's doing to her victims."

The Hispanic-beauty glanced up from her screen, but Tomcat quickly turned before she could spot him eavesdropping. He shivered as he processed what he had heard in his head.

The Girl Wonder, protégé of the Batman, a hero famed for his discipline and self-control, had gone feral?

No…no there's got to be a reason behind this. There's no way a perfectly sane, composed "hero" just cracks and turns into a vicious psycho killer. Something else is going on I'm sure of it...but what?

There was a loud beep, and all the Agents looked down to the arms of their chairs.

"Message from Slade" Ducky pouted grumpily as they all settled back in their seats.

"On screen" Siren grunted, and at once Beauty pulled up the holographic feed so that the orange and black mask of Slade Wilson, Aka Deathstroke blared before their eyes.

"Agents. You are now approaching the first drop zone. Have your first squad ready to deploy their lines in ten minutes."

"Yes, sir. Friday, Beast." Siren barked, and at once Friday and Beast both stood to their feet and made their way to the back of the plane.

"Remember, this is a simple reconnaissance mission. Observe and report only. Keep your heads down and most importantly avoid the Batman and Robin. The last thing you need is the Dynamic Duo tracking you down back to HQ."

"Uh, Slade-I-I mean Deathstroke sir." Nightshade gulped sheepishly as the one good eye of the mercenary turned upon her "What should we do if we find Swift?"

"I wouldn't worry about that right now." Deathstroke snorted sardonically "Swift is a master of stealth. The chances of you encountering her on your first mission are very slim. However, should you spot her, keep your distance and observe from the shadows. She's much tougher than she looks and unlike Batman is not afraid to fight dirty. You kids wouldn't stand a chance against her at your current level of training."

The Agents all gulped.

It was common knowledge that their mentor had disdain for the Bat and his proteges, despite their many clashes. However, Siren could sense from his tones that the mercenary seemed to have a certain begrudging respect for the young girl wonder.

Then again, Siren snorted to herself; the girl had managed to kill one of the deadliest supervillains in the world…

She nodded dutifully, as she listened to the last of Deathstroke's instructions before the communications link shut down.

"Alright, you heard the man." She grunted as she stood to her feet and settled her plain grimy red sweater over her thick jeans and a pair of shades over her red eyes. "Let's get this show on the road. Alpha squad you're up first."

The alleyway was dark and cold as snow fell from the heavens above. Alongside a grimy brick wall, a drunken homeless man looked up from where he had taken shelter at the foot of a closed back door.

A woman was walking towards him, slender and petite with a head of long snowy white hair. She wore a thick and very tattered woollen trench coat over her black and purple catsuit, yet she walked with too much grace to be a mere woman of the streets.

Indeed, the shivering, cold, scantily clad prostitutes on the corner of the alleyway all shifted uncomfortably as the woman walked by them.

They did not throw a snide comment, nor any words at all as they usually would have done with any trespasser on their turf.

For this was not one of their fellow sisters of the night.

The homeless drunk gulped as the figure passed him by and he caught a glimpse of the face behind the high turned up collar.

She couldn't have been any older than sixteen, with a fine-featured pale face and disturbingly sharp yellow-orange eyes that put him instantly in mind of a bird of prey. He shivered as she spared him a glance, the fiery orbs scrutinising him for a split second before turning away.

There was a soft rustle, and tinkle and the homeless drunk looked down into the tin cup he used for collecting.

"Th-thanks" he shivered, though not from the cold. The cold he was used to. What he wasn't used to was receiving money, stained with blood.

It was then he noticed the tips of the girl's fingers peeking out from the long-oversized sleeves of her coat.

They were slender, with sharp claw-like nails from which something red stained her pale flesh.

The homeless man opened his mouth to speak but shut it hastily as the strange girl narrowed her eyes at him.

Then suddenly he sneezed as a small snowflake accidentally was sucked in through his red nose.

"'Scuse me" he grumbled, scrubbing at his face. But, even as he looked back up to face the strange girl, all he saw was the dark empty alleyway.

Kaldur'ahm of Atlantis, aka Aqualad, stared at the Bioship' empty seat in front of him in the bioship, his pale green eyes seeing but unseeing.

Around him, seven of the original team members sat, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, Artemis, Miss Martian and Zatanna. All of them were silent as they stared out over the vast expanse of Gotham City through their windows, none of them able to look at one another or even open their mouths to speak.

They could not believe what they had just heard.

It was all too surreal. It was unthinkable.

She should be sitting there. Aqualad mind kept yelling at him despairingly.

She should be sitting there in front of him memorising the mission parameters with Dick. She should be rolling her eyes at Wally for something stupid he said, or laughing with Artemis and M'gann, or catching a small power nap to refuel her energy.

But most importantly, and above all else, Christine Hallows, Aka the Swift, should've been there with them…with him.

He had been worried when she and Dick had not turned up to the New Years party. It hadn't been the first time that the two birds had missed out on an important event, however, the rest of the team had always had a warning. Christine herself, always was sure to call Kaldur if something came up, apologizing profusely to her boyfriend whenever she got the chance.

The Atlantean never held it against her. Being the Batman's protégé's was gruelling work, even by the Justice League's standards, and it seemed as if the Triumphant Trio's caseload had all but doubled in the past few months.

Then in addition to the growing work, the Batman's family had gained a new member. Kaldur did not know all the details, though he understood life had been tense in Wayne Manor for the past few months.

Jason Todd, a young street kid from the Narrows. Stubborn, headstrong and hot-headed, this new addition to the Bat-Family had proven to be a challenge, especially for Dick Grayson.

Kaldur did not doubt that under the gruff exterior the boy was decent and good at heart. However, he couldn't help but worry about the boy's temper, especially around Dick, who in turn seemed to hold a similar grudge against him.

It didn't help the Boy Wonder's animosity towards the newcomer when Christine had taken a shine to him.

Then again, Kaldur wasn't surprised. Beneath the cold, calculating and introverted mask, his girlfriend had a warm heart. She might grumble and roll her eyes, but she'd never turn away a stray in need of a home.

So, what had happened? What had happened in the past twenty-four hours that had turned one of the most loving, giving, supportive people he knew into a cold-blooded killer?

He shut his eyes as he let himself be washed into a memory of Boxing Day morning.

Her soft curves pressed against his as she rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing the small battle scars and tattoos that marred his dark bare chest. He smiled as he stroked his fingers through her snowy white hair, kissing the bridge of her nose tenderly as she looked up at him through weary eyes.

"You're troubled" Kaldur murmured into her crown.

"Just tired" Christine mumbled as she ghosted her mouth over the gills on his neck "My boyfriend kept me up all night."

"Did he now?" Kaldur chuckled softly, pulling her closer into his embrace, his ears pricking as she sighed heavily against his lips.

"Did you argue with Dick again?" he frowned down at her.

"Yes and no." She grumbled with a small scowl "He hasn't said anything, but I can tell he's mad at me."

"How come?"

"I passed Jason under the mistletoe at the Manor yesterday. Don't worry!" she quickly added with a small grin when she saw her boyfriend's eyes narrow "It was just a peck on the cheek. You should've seen his face, ha! He went and washed his whole head straight afterwards to scrub off the girl germs."

"Good" Kaldur pouted down upon her irritably "because if he didn't, I would have had to punish him severely when I saw him next."

"Kal, he's just a kid" Christine giggled pressing her lips against his briefly. "Kissing him is like kissing a brother, like Conner, Roy or Wally-"

"And Dick?" Kaldur finished quietly, and her yellow eyes suddenly turned sombre.

"I honestly don't know what's wrong with him. I've told him Jason being there doesn't change anything between us. He's still my partner, still my bro. But no matter what I say…"

She trailed off and shook her head. Kaldur's eyes softened as she rested her head back on his shoulder. He hated seeing her look so gloomy, especially in his arms.

"Sorry," she mumbled against his skin "I'm completely ruining the mood with this kind of talk, aren't I?"

"Not at all, agápi." He kissed her forehead gently as he reached up to lace his fingers in hers over his chest "This is a big change for you and your family, there's bound to be some growing pains. I'm sure everything will be alright soon."

"I wish that were so" she sighed again gripping his hand tight as he kissed her knuckles one by one.

"It will be. You'll see."

But it wasn't alright.

Kaldur sighed as he opened his eyes and stared at her empty seat before him.

He didn't care what Dick's report said. Christine Hallows was not a murderer. And when he found her, and he would find her by hell or high water, then the real culprit would be brought in to justice, and she would return home to the people who loved her.

She had to.

Kaldur's fist clenched over his knees as he shut his eyes tight and prayed to all the gods.

Please, Christine…Please be alright.

The Bowery (Gotham City), January 1 2013, 19:41 EST

"God it's freezing" Tomcat shuddered as he and Ducky both snuck in through the back door in an alleyway. "Thank god your dad let us hide out here. I thought I made his way onto his hitlist the last time we met."

"Yeah well, as long as you don't steal his umbrella again I'm sure he'll forgive you." Ducky rolled her eyes as they shut the door behind them and entered what appeared to be a corridor of a large set of kitchens.

"I told you it was just a joke. Besides, it's the Penguin's umbrella! The Penguin's umbrella! Ahh…" Tomcat sighed as the warm, hearty smell wafted into his nostrils. "Damn, something smells good."

"Oy! Keep your sticky paws off" Ducky swatted his gloved hand away from a hot slice of pie that was quickly shut into an electric dumbwaiter.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Cobblepot, what a pleasant surprise!" a distinctly French voice drawled, and Ducky quickly turned around, a bright beam spreading all over her pink cheeks.

"Mister Grus!" she squealed rushing up to the man. He was tall, thin and bald with a bad combover and looked remarkably like an old crane in his grey suit and stiff bow-tie. He bristled, blushing scarlet as the young girl bowled into him.

"It's been AGES! How are you?"

"I'm very well thank you Mademoiselle" Grus replied stiffly, his long beaky nose twitching with discomfort as she let him go. "Your father is expecting you and your friend upstairs at his table."

"His table?" Tomcat hissed into Ducky's ear as they were led away down the corridor, amber eyes suddenly filled with dread. "I thought we were only hiding out here in the back rooms."

"Oh yeah, because I'm going to come all this way to Gotham city for the first time in three years and completely ignore my Daddy?" Ducky rolled her eyes, elbowing him hard in the ribs "Man up Tom. The weaker you appear in front of him the more likely he's going to eat you for breakfast."

Tomcat sighed as they were led out of the corridor and into an elevator which took them up to the fifth floor.

With a small ding, the doors opened, and both young agents blinked as they followed Mister Grus into a vast space.

The Iceberg Lounge truly did live up to its name and reputation. It was huge, almost like an old-fashioned hotel ballroom, except that this lounge had a giant iceberg floating in the large pool in the centre on which a very smooth jazz band accompanied a beautiful woman as she sang rather smooth and sexy renditions of various Christmas carols and New Year's tunes. The sound was loud enough to travel to the top this iceberg where a platform raised high above.

It was to this platform they were approaching from a catwalk, blinking as the flashing strobe lights bounced eerily off the walls from down below.

But none of that seemed to deter the round shadow that sat alone at a circular table, flanked by two huge goons with guns.

"And there's my favourite little Duckling!" the shadow exclaimed happily with a raspy voice as it hopped off the tall-backed chair.

"Daddy!" Ducky smiled as she ran up to hug her father.

Tomcat gulped as he finally saw the Penguin's full form. He was short, very short, and round, with a receding hairline of thin black hair, flecked with grey. He wore a monocle in one eye, which was made of the broken end of a bottle. He wore(surprise-surprise) a tailored black and white penguin suit under a thick fur-lined black jacket, and carried an umbrella, the handle of which was shaped like a gaudy black and gold penguin.

Yes, Oswald Cobblepot was indeed a sight to behold.

"Now let me have a look at you" He smiled a toothy, slightly menacing smile as he pulled away from his daughter's embrace and held her out at arm's length to look her over.

How the hell these two are related I will never know.

Tomcat shivered as he looked over Ducky's taller bouncier stature, blonde curly pigtails and sweet smiling face. The only traits she did share with the Gotham Rogue were her dark blue eyes and beaky nose.

The young cat burglar stiffened as suddenly the Penguin turned on him with narrowed eyes.

"And you brought the cat-brat with you too" the rogue sneered, pudgy hand clasping tight over his umbrella. "Maybe I can get some shooting practice tonight as well-"

"Don't worry Daddy" Ducky quickly put a placating hand on her father's shoulder. "Tommy promised to be on his best behaviour. I'm sure he won't try to steal your umbrella again."

"No sir, I won't. I promise." Tomcat spluttered as the Penguin hobbled over to stand in front of him.

Even though he was a head taller than the rogue, the young thief couldn't help but shudder as a smoke ring was blown from a hot cigar in his face.

"Hmm…you better, not you little punk, or else you'll be swimming with the fishes." the Penguin growled, smirking as the boy before him shivered and nodded vigorously.

Satisfied, he turned back to his daughter with a menacing but affectionate leer as he looped her arm in a gentlemanly fashion and led her back to his table.

"Now come, tell Daddy what you've been up to sweetheart. I want to hear everything. I hear your shooting is getting better and better."

"It is" Ducky sighed as she took a seat pulled up for her beside her father as she started to prattle away.

Tomcat meanwhile decided to stand behind her seat, eyes and ears pricking at their surroundings.

Everything seemed normal, granted the Penguin's thugs were cracking their knuckles threateningly at him every time he looked them over. He looked up at the iceberg lounge's glass ceiling; eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a small shadow against the black night outside.

"Duck" he nudged Ducky warily, not taking his eyes off the ceiling.

"What?" she snapped but was quickly silenced by her father who promptly followed Tomcat's gaze.

"Ah…" The Penguin's lip curled angrily as the shadow slipped out of sight "Looks like we've got another visitor."

"Is it Batman?" Tomcat gulped. If Deathstroke knew that they'd been spotted, he'd have their heads.

"Probably" Ducky bit her lip however neither she nor her father seemed too perturbed. "Don't worry, we aren't doing anything illegal. All he'll see is me visiting during the holidays. I hardly think he'll chuck us in Arkham for that."

"So what we just sit here and do nothing?" Tomcat scowled only to receive a small sneer from the Penguin who settled back down comfortably in his chair.

"My Ducky is right. Christmas 'as been rather quiet for me so the Bat 'as no excuse to drop in. If you both keep your heads and stay calm, 'e won't bother us."

Tomcat sighed and looked down at the table where Penguin was now eyeing him shrewdly.

"I take it this ain't a social call then?"

"No…Daddy. It isn't" Ducky sighed leaning forwards on the table. "We're here on a mission."

"It's about time" Penguin grunted waspishly "I was wonderin' when they'd finally let you off that blasted Island."

"You and me both" Tomcat muttered under his breath, earning him a glower from both Cobblepot's.

"This is about the Red bitch's murder ain't it?" Penguin muttered in a low voice so that only his daughter and her friend could hear.

Ducky nodded silently, and Penguin leaned back. There was a silence as he took a long drag of his cigar and blew out a smoke ring.

"Hmm…it's a hairy case that is?" he smirked glancing back up towards the glass ceiling "Who'd 'ave thought it ey? The Girl Wonder committing a murder."

"So it's true?" Tomcat and Ducky both exchanged glances "Swift did kill the Red Queen."

"Oh yes." the Penguin's smirk widened as his eyes glinted with malicious pleasure "I just wish I could see the look on that Bat's face. That' bastard's been preachin' law and justice for so long only for his little brat to snap right under his nose. And to top it off, even he cannot find her. HA!"

He barked with laughter before taking a swig of scotch from beside him.

"So has anyone seen her yet? Or do you think she's left, Gotham?" Ducky bit her lip nervously.

"No clue duckling" Penguin coughed as he drained the last of his drink. "But I personally think she might still be hanging about. Rumour has it that the Red Queen has a big base o' operations 'ere under the city, close to the catacombs down in ol' Wonder City. Now that the bitch is dead, I wouldn't put it past the girl wonder to destroy whatever's left of that organization."

"You really think she'd go that far?" Tomcat frowned "the Hand of Eight are a huge group and she's just one sidekick-"

"-A sidekick trained by the Bat himself," Penguin's eyes narrowed dangerously over his pressed fingers "A sidekick who infiltrated what was supposed to be an impenetrable fortress and killed one of my biggest competitors and vanished without a trace?"

Tomcat shut his mouth, and Penguin clucked his tongue and shook his head.

"Kid, you got no idea just how dangerous the bats can be when backed into a corner, and the Girl Wonder, she's the worst." The rogue's face darkened considerably.

"She ain't like Batman and Robin, never 'as been. She's tricky, sly, less talkative and more ruthless. And now she's got a taste for blood; it won't be easy weaning 'er off it, you mark my words."

"Hey. How're you holding up?"

Robin, aka Dick Grayson, looked up from his vantage point. He was crouching on the roof of the iceberg lounge, peering down onto Penguin's meeting.

"Okay. It's a bit cold. Nothing I can't handle" Robin grunted as he turned away from peered down at the smaller figures below.

"Looks like Cobblepot's daughter dropped in for a holiday visit along with Thomas Caterwaul junior. Odd…then again they do go to the same reform school so maybe not-"

"Rob, that's not what I meant" a tall red-haired boy with freckles, green eyes and wearing a black and dark grey speedsters suit pulled his friend up and away from the glass to stand on the concrete section of the roof.

Two years had passed since the team had first formed. Two years in which the two young heroes had both hit the same height, with the boy wonder poised to start overtaking the speedster any day now.

But none of that mattered to Wally West as he put a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Dick, I'm sure Chris is fine. I mean she might be framed for murder and on the run, but she's-"

"She wasn't framed Wally" Robin muttered his voice hollow and his face dark.

"You can't possibly believe the GCPD report?" Kid Flash scowled. He knew the boy, and girl wonder had been going through a rough patch in their partnership, but for Dick to give up on her like this was the worst thing he'd ever seen.

But nothing could've been worse than the next sentence that left his best friend's mouth.

"I don't have to. I know she did-"

"Dick you can't possibly mean that. She's your partner-"

"I saw her kill Red Queen Wally." Robin's voice was soft, yet it seemed to pierce the frigid air like a knife. "I heard the shot. I saw her standing over her mom's body with a crossbow in her hands pointed at her bleeding head!"

"…Dude…" Kid Flash's eyes widened, the green in his irises becoming wet and bright as he watched the Boy Wonder's shoulders begin to shake and his tears stream over his face to mingle with the snowflakes falling on their cold pink cheeks.

"She just stood there and shot her. She didn't even say anything. She just walked up to her and shot her in the face-"

"Dick are you sure it was her?" now Kid Flash's hands were quivering as he tried to keep himself together "It could've been-"

"Who? Wally? It could've been who?!" Robin snapped, glaring up at him through tears "I was by her side the entire time since she put on the cowl last night. Literally! We didn't leave one another's side! Not until Red Queen took me captive, and even then, I never took my eyes off her."

"What do you mean took you captive? Dick, what the hell happened in there?" Kid Flash shook his shoulders hard. "Dude come on. If something happened, you gotta tell us; we can help!"

But Robin just shook his head.

"I-I can't! I already said too much. I already promised Bruce I wouldn't say a word-and the league. KF you can't tell the League anything!"

"But Dick-"

"No Wally! You can't tell anyone! Not the league, not the team. God help me Wally you gotta swear not to say anything to the team. It would crush them." Robin's voice was pleading, and he almost would've been begging on his knees had Kid Flash not been holding him up by the shoulders.

"Dick, you know you're my bro, and I'd do anything for you, but this is beyond serious." Kid Flash gulped down on the large lump forming in his throat. "Whatever she's done, Christine is in grave danger. We've got to find her and find out what really happened and maybe we can fix it. At least tell me how she escaped so I can help you look for her goddammit!"

"Wally you don't understand…" Robin groaned "She didn't escape…I let her go…I let her get away…with murder…"

"I can't believe it."

"I know."

"I really can't believe it."

"You already said that." Artemis's scowl darkened as she glanced sideways at Zatanna. The two of them were wearing dark tattered civilian clothes, magically summoned by the latter's magic.

Neither Archer nor magician was too bothered by the cold even as they pulled up the hoods of their snow jackets and walked in the shade of a narrow alleyway between two tall grubby buildings.

"Christine just seemed so happy recently." Zatanna continued in a mumble. "School was great. She and Kaldur were great. She nailed her ballet recital, and yeah sure her life at home's been a bit tough lately, but I just…don't understand how she could snap like this."

"Hmm" Artemis hummed grimly, though inwardly she wasn't too surprised.

It was no secret to the team that the Girl Wonder hated her mother with a vengeance. Artemis could not blame her. In addition to the years of neglect, the villainess was also responsible for endangering not only Christine's life but also the lives of many of her loved ones and family.

Artemis herself had almost been a victim of the Red Queen's plots only just this year, and though she had tried not to show it, the debacle had weighed heavily on Christine's mind long after.

If only I'd not been so stupid and followed that robot into that trap.

Artemis exhaled heavily.

"Arty?"

"Hm, yeah?" Artemis blinked, only to see Zatanna frowning concernedly at her from the side. "Sorry, Zee,"

"You're thinking about two months, ago aren't you?" the magician sighed. "It wasn't your fault."

"But it was Zee" Artemis ran a hand over her face "If I had just obeyed orders instead of barging on ahead I wouldn't have been caught. And if I hadn't been caught, Red Queen might not have used me to get to Chris and…" her voice trailed away as she shook her head with a growl.

Zatanna bit her lip as a dark thought crossed over her mind.

"Hey…You don't think something like that might've happened to Dick do you?"

"What do you mean?" Artemis frowned.

"Well…I know this isn't exactly an easy time for him what with Jason and the fighting and everything" Zatanna fiddled with her gloved hands anxiously "But every time he talks about Chris he gets this guilty look in his eyes. What if…what if on New Years Red Queen targeted him, and Chris went in to save him and-"

"And she killed her to rescue him" Artemis finished quietly.

It was no secret to anyone that Christine Hallows was fiercely protective of her team, especially of her partner. Dick was like her brother, her twin in almost everything but DNA.

But something in Artemis's was screaming at her that this wasn't the case. The blonde archer had grown up amongst criminals for much of her early life. She knew the difference between killing to protect and killing in cold blood.

And though she wished dearly in her heart of hearts that her friend had killed someone to save her brother's life nobly, she knew deep down that there was something more sinister afoot.

What she didn't know was that something just as menacing was watching them from above with shrewd red and black eyes.

So the sidekick squad is searching for their friend too. This will make things tricky.

Agent Siren scowled over the telepathic link as she pulled her powerful binocular's from her eyes. Beside her, Agent Beauty shivered under her thick winter coat.

Y-you'd t-th-think they'd be l-less c-c-c-conspicuous

Even in her thoughts, Beauty was freezing her ass off.

Seriously, you grew up in Gotham, and yet you can't stand the cold. Siren rolled her eyes.

H-Hey! N-not everyone can be as c-cold-blooded as you.

Beauty rolled her eyes as she turned around to face two figures hunched over a laptop.

"Yo, Cyph! Got anything from Ducks and Tom?"

Agent Cypher looked up from where he and Agent Nightshade were pouring over various security feed's he'd hacked into from the surrounding area.

"Beta Squad's just wrapping up with Penguin now," Nightshade mumbled, sneezing as a snowflake flew onto her nose. "Damn it!"

"Here, take my scarf." Cypher quickly handed her his dark green scarf from around his neck, blushing to the roots of his dark hair.

"But Cody-I-I mean Cypher, won't you be cold?" Nightshade's cheeks were pink, though whether it was from the cold or something else it was hard to tell.

Siren and Beauty both rolled their eyes as their resident hacker shrugged, still blushing profusely, as he focused his attention back to the screen.

"It's okay. I like the snow, besides you need to keep warm more than I do."

"Thanks" Nightshade mumbled gratefully, wrapping the green scarf around her neck and shivering as she pulled down her beanie tighter over her head. She always hated the winter and being part plant didn't help her predicament as she was always sluggish and sleepier during the colder months of the year.

Even now as she strode over to stand next to the two other girls, she gave a big yawn.

"Come here Bells" Beauty sighed slinging an arm around her shoulder to pull her in closer to her body heat.

"Thanks, Esme"

"Take her into the Gull, get her out of the wind at least," Siren grunted as she got to her feet. "Cypher and I will contact Alpha squad, and we'll figure out something."

The two girls were quick to nod and dash off to take shelter in their stealth craft which had been parked close by on the roof, hidden by the latest in Lex Corps cloaking technology.

As soon as they were out of sight, Siren turned to Cypher, eyebrows raised.

Seriously, you need to grow some balls and ask her out. She said telepathically.

Don't know what you're talking about. Cypher blushed, his fingers flying over the holographic screen as he made to bring up Alpha squad's commlink frequencies and their GPS trackers.

Both were moving very fast through the streets of Gotham. Too fast to be considered normal.

Tap into their feed. Siren ordered Cypher, who nodded at once and opened the link.

"Gamma squad to Alpha Squad what's your status?" Siren snapped waspishly into the open channel which was crackling and sputtering oddly.

"Can't talk. Still running!" Friday panted, and over the other line, they could hear something loud, thudding and crackling.

"Running? From who?!" Cypher shared a worried glance with Siren whose glower darkened angrily.

"Dammit Fri, I thought I told you to keep a low profile! Where's Beast, put him on the line!" she growled.

"Right here! Just dealing with some stupid worms." Beast grunted, and through his commlink, they could hear flesh hitting flesh in sharp, hard thuds.

Should we go and help them? Cypher asked over the link.

No. We can't risk being seen. Siren shook her head just as a loud thud suddenly pounded into their ears.

"There! That should do it!" Beast sighed and they heard the slapping of hands. "Two-Face's thugs…still too soft."

"Seriously man, that's the last time we go to one of your contacts" Friday snorted on his end.

"Ahem! Guys, would you mind telling us what the hell's going on before Mins completely blows her stack?" Cypher gulped, somewhat frightened of the scathing snarl of irritation Siren was giving the holographic screen in front of them.

"Beast said he had a contact here in North Gotham." Friday sighed heavily "One of his dad's informants. Only when we went to see this guy he…well…he was dead."

"Dead? What do you mean dead?" Siren's eyes narrowed.

"Well y'know dead. As in deceased, expired, departed, gone, passed away-" Friday smirked, much to everyone's exasperation.

"I know what the word dead means!" Siren snapped angrily, and Cypher flinched in his spot. "I mean how did the bastard die?"

"Don't know. We just found him lying dead on the floor when Two-Face's goons showed up. They thought we were with him so they started shootin' at us."

"Are you safe now?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Brutus snorted.

"Most part? Dude, you completely totalled-wait what was that?" Friday suddenly was alert, then he suddenly whistled under his breath. "Well hello handsome."

"Idiot get over here" Beast snarled.

"Guys! guy's what's going on guys!" Cypher hissed.

North Gotham, January 1 2013, 20:18 EST

"Guys! Yo Friday, Beast. Alpha squad report" Agent Cypher hissed into Agent's Beast and Friday #13's ears.

But neither of them could answer as they slid into the shadows of a doorway, keeping their eyes trained on the figure that had just appeared at the other end of the alleyway.

He was tall, wearing a high-collared hooded jacket and thick pants that fit snugly over his broad chest and body. His skin was pale, and his eyes were a bright blue under his short shock of jet black hair.

"Conner!" a feminine voice called, and both Friday and Beast stiffened as a girl with shoulder-length red hair wearing a muted pink snow jacket, beanie and knits appeared by the boy's side. She was looking very worried as she followed the boy's gaze.

"Sorry." The boy, Conner narrowed his eyes at the alleyway, with a surprising shrewdness. "Thought I heard something."

"Probably just the uh… locals" the red-haired girl shivered as she took in the dark, decrepit cold alleyway. She gave a meaningful look at the boy, whose eyes suddenly turned downcast as he turned gruffly away from the alleyway.

The girl sighed heavily, and Friday couldn't help but notice the sad gleam in her brown eyes and the way her shoulders slumped with absolute sorrow.

She looks so sad…crap.

He and Brutus stiffened as suddenly the girl's head whipped around in their direction. Quickly they turned their backs on the pair of them, pretending to talk in hurried whispers.

"Come on M'gann. She's not here. Let's go" Conner, grunted miserably and the girl, M'gann nodded glumly as she followed him.

As soon as they were out of sight, and hopefully out of earshot, Beast exhaled heavily with relief.

"That was close."

"Too close" Friday agreed, and though he couldn't feel the rush of fear, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about the girl's keen stare. There was something peculiar about the way she'd looked at them, almost as if she'd heard his thoughts.

But no…that couldn't be possible…or could it?

Meanwhile, around the corner, M'gann M'orrz sighed heavily.

"Conner…I know it's tough, but we'll find her."

"No, we won't." Conner Kent grumbled dully, shoving both his hands roughly into his jacket pockets. The cold did not bother him. He just needed something to do with his hands to stop them from twisting and tearing apart this trashcan of a city.

He wasn't the only one. A few feet away walking towards them in the snow was Kaldur'am, half hidden under a long, tattered dark trench coat with a high collar. He was scowling angrily but quickly schooled himself as he caught sight of his teammates.

M'gann wished he wouldn't. Kaldur had an unhealthy habit of bottling up his feelings to the extreme in terrible situations, and often it did more harm than good.

"I take it you both didn't find anything" the Atlantean muttered, and M'gann shook her head.

"Not yet no"

"Have you?" Conner grunted, and Kaldur shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"Nothing concrete. However, I was talking to a few of the ladies on the street corners, and they said they saw a young woman with long white hair walking around a couple of hours ago, but they didn't see the face."

"So she was still here?" Conner looked up, and M'gann's heart almost broke as she caught sight of the hopeful gleam in his deep blue eyes suddenly dim as Kaldur shook his head.

"We cannot be sure. But I hope she was."

"This is bullshit!" Conner growled, fist slamming into the wall beside them, smashing a small crater into the plaster. "We've been searching for hours, and there's still nothing!"

"Conner, stop. You're causing a scene!" M'gann put a hand to stop him, but he just shoved her off angrily.

"Good. At least one of us is!" he rounded on Kaldur, who just stood there as he snarled "Well come on! Your girlfriend was just framed for murder and could be in danger, and you're just standing there, talking to prostitutes all calm and collected as though this is just another mission. Don't you care about what happens to her?"

"Conner enough" M'gann looked worriedly at the Atlantean before them. Though his face was calm, she could see both his neck gills and his nostrils flare ever so slightly as he spoke through gritted teeth:

"Of course I care." His webbed hands clenched into such tight fists that his knuckles had gone chalk white "How…how can you even think I wouldn't? I love her Conner, and I want her home just as much as you do. But how can you expect me to lead the team in this search if I don't keep my head?"

He turned his back on the two of them, breathing heavily as he did his best to steady his breathing.

He looked up to the cloudy snowing sky, teeth clenching as he willed himself to hold back on the yell of frustration bubbling in his gut.

Four hours of searching and so far, nothing had been found. Nothing! She wasn't at the Wayne Manor. She wasn't at the Hallows Manor. She wasn't in any of her favourite spots in the city. All her phones and commlinks were off, and nobody, not even her best friend Freddy had heard a peep out of her since the night before. It was like she'd just vanished off the face of the Earth.

Kaldur was glad that his commlink beeped in his ear because he was afraid he might lash out and lunge at both the super clone and Martian behind him from sheer anger.

"Aqualad here. Batman?"

Behind his back, both Conner and M'gann exchanged worried looks as they caught sight of the shock on their Team Leader's face.

"I…I see…I-I understand…of course…I will tell the team right away. Of course…yes, Batman, we'll meet you there."

"What is it? what's wrong?" M'gann bit her lip nervously as Kaldur hung up the call.

His face was pale.

"The GCPD has finally finished analysing all the data from the crime scene." He said through trembling lips "So far all the evidence they've found points to Christine, or rather, Swift as the murderer. They're starting to roll out a citywide manhunt for her as we speak. As of right now, the girl wonder is now an officially wanted criminal."

"What?!" Conner and M'gann's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"That's not all." Kaldur's eyes hardened as he focused his gaze on the frozen pavement below his feet "Red Queen's forces are joining the search too, and they've been given orders to kill her on sight. Batman wants us all to meet him at Wonder Tower to change search tactics. It's not too far from here. We should get moving quickly if we are to make it there safely."

Both M'gann and Conner nodded, the latter barely even hearing his team leader's words as images flashed over his mind's eye.

In them, he could see himself horsing around with a shorter girl with long white hair and bright yellow eyes. She smiled up at him as he ruffled her head playfully in passing.

"Conner come on. Don't sulk. We'll be back in a week."

"I'm not sulking" he would pout, and he could almost hear her sigh with fond exasperation as she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

She had been such a constant in his life since the day he'd been awoken from his pod, almost as close as a real sister. The kind of sister he confided everything in. The sister who would hear him out when he was frustrated or tell him off when he did something wrong. The sister who never gave up on him at times he almost gave up on himself.

He could remember as if it were yesterday, the first time she'd hugged him those two years ago. Barely a couple of weeks out of Cadmus and he had never felt any form of physical affection before.

"What are we doing?" he asked unsurely.

"It's called a hug" she broke away to smile warmly up at him.

"A hug?"

"Uh-hmm" she nodded as she squeezed him tighter to her. "Welcome to the family, Superboy."

He shut his eyes. She was always so much smaller than him and yet he still felt so safe and secure, like a little child every time she held him to her in those arms.

He couldn't believe that now those arms might have killed someone. It was just too absurd.

His sister, the girl who had taught him to hug…she, couldn't be a murderer...

...Could she?

Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, narrowed his eyes as he checked out the window. He had been sitting in this abandoned derelict building for over an hour, keeping track of his agents through remote access of their commlinks.

So far, he was impressed with the amount of information they'd so far managed to find, not to mention the fact that no one had found them out yet.

True, Ducky and Tomcat had come close to discovery when that blasted Boy Wonder had tried to peek in through the roof of the Iceberg lounge along with his loudmouth speedster friend.

However, they'd played it cool and flown under the radar.

Hmm. Wonder City. That won't be easy getting in down there.

The mercenary scratched his chin thoughtfully as he mulled over the recording of Beta squad's meeting with the Penguin.

He had been hoping to have the Agents comb through catacombs later when it was safer to move around. There had been rumours that Killer Croc was once again haunting the Gotham underground and no matter how trained his agents may be, Deathstroke knew they wouldn't stand a chance against the misanthropic cannibalistic crocodile man.

However, if Swift were searching for Wonder City, then her trail underground would be fresh. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Agent Siren seemed to think so too because he heard her say through her commlink.

"Alright, Alpha and Beta squad. Meet the rest of Delta and me down in the abandoned subway at East Sheldon Park outside Wonder Tower. It's time we took our search underground."

Deathstroke bristled even as the girl stopped speaking. Even when he couldn't see her face, Mina Poole just had a way of ruffling everyone's feathers. He supposed it was only natural seeing that she took after her father-

He was surprised out of his reverie as his communicator in his ear blipped.

"Deathstroke in. Oh, Waller, what a surprise" he drawled, completely unaware of the shadow that had disappeared from his window.

"There we have it. Wonder Tower. I gotta say you know how to pick a romantic spot for a date"

Batman scowled sidelong as he leapt down through the window of the viewing platform at the top of the tall abandoned Wonder Tower globe. Beside him, landing with just as softly with a catlike grace was a tall, curvaceous woman in a jet black catsuit, a sultry face and orange cats-eye goggles over her eyes.

Selina Kyle, aka the Catwoman, was quick to wrap her bullwhip around her waist as they straightened up, her red lips curling in a seductive smirk as she stalked over towards him.

"Now, tell me. What does the big, strong Bat want from little old me?"

"Now's not the time Selina" he grunted briskly, putting a hand up to stop her from getting too close.

"I know. You look so tense" Catwoman sighed. The bat sometimes didn't know when to appreciate her small talk. Then again, he did look very rattled. She could see his exposed jaw was clenched so tight she was surprised it wasn't cracking from the strain.

He wasn't rattled, he was desperate, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

"I didn't find her if that's what you want to ask," the cat burglar said before the Batman could even open his mouth.

Now it was his turn to sigh heavily.

"I know, but I have an idea of where she might be headed." He grunted as he looked through one of the tower windows down to the ground far below. He could see a small group of people quickly sneaking down into the abandoned subway exit on the eastern side of the surrounding park, but that was hardly suspicious. Sheldon park was a favourite spot for criminals, druggies and homeless people to take shelter in for their less than legal recreational activities.

"Hiding in the Catacombs", Catwoman muttered as she too looked down on the last of the stragglers darting down the subway stairs. "Good luck finding her down there. Last I heard Croc was still on the prowl. He won't take lightly to you traipsing over his turf after last time."

"That's why we need your help." Batman murmured. "You're one of the few people in this city who knows Old Gotham through and through."

"We?" Catwoman quirked a brow. She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.

There was a ding, and both hero and thief turned to the back of the room where an elevator had just opened, and five people stepped in

"Oh great its Kid Justice" Catwoman rolled her eyes as she recognised all the young teenagers. Conner Kent, Wally West, Artemis Crock, Kaldur'ahm, M'gann M'orzz and Zatanna Zatarra. It didn't help her growing ire when the small yellow, red and black shadow of Robin the boy wonder suddenly appeared in the window she'd just been looking at.

"And here I was thinking we were going to have a quiet night. Just the two of us" Catwoman rolled her eyes behind her goggles as she heard a police siren blare loudly from a faraway street. Tonight, really was just not her night.

Wonder City, January 1 2013, 21:01 EST

The figure of a young woman with long white hair strode through the grimy, dark underground streets.

All around her lights flickered in dusty, mould covered boutique windows.

Above her head on top of a rusted metal archway flanked by two powered down robotic sentinels on either side, the words Wonder City blared out at her in bold Olde English font.

"Finally" Christine Hallows narrowed her yellow eyes up at the sign, eyes darting around as she kept watch on the two robotic sentinels. Their metal plating was rusted over, and yet she could see from the scratches on their joints told her that they'd been moving around recently.

She chanced a glance at a nearby poster on an old tram line stop where an illustration of the mechanical automatons was painted under the words "Mechanical Guardians. Keep Wonder City Safe!"

She stiffened as she sniffed the air and saw a dark shadow behind her in the faint reflection of the poster's glass cover.

"Well done Hallows." a raspy voice murmured, the sound strangely distorted and deep.

She turned around.

There standing behind her, in black Kevlar and metal armour with gold decorations was a stocky masculine figure. He had two twin swords on his back and a golden clawed gauntlet on his right arm that matched the claws on his other black-gloved hand. His face was completely covered in a black fitted cowl, the eyes of which were covered by a pair of golden goggles with dark orange lenses and an owl beak embellishment attached just above the nose.

"I take it no one saw you come in?" the figure asked, but Christine's eyes only hardened coldly.

"Not a soul Rushford. Now take me to my family, that's an order."

"As you wish" the figure nodded briskly as he led the young girl beyond the archway.

Their goings were silent, save for the small drip-drip-dripping of water from the leaking sewer pipes above their heads, and the scurry of rats and other creepy crawlies that lived underground.

Eventually, they found themselves in the middle of what appeared to be a large underground four-way pedestrian crossing, complete with traffic lights and tramlines, all of which were in varying states of disrepair. They were quick to stride up to the corner opposite where a faded shop sign read, "Underhill & Davies Books" hung above a dark green doorway.

They entered the shop, Christine coughing as the unsettled dust flew into her face. It was tiny and crammed from floor to ceiling with old dusty books. She couldn't help but shiver in disgust as they made their way towards the back room behind the shop counter, which was covered head to foot in cobwebs and spiders.

If Rushford noticed her discomfort, he did not show it as he led her into the back room and bent down to open a trap door in the wooden floorboards.

"After you" he held open the hatch and Christine wasted no time climbing down the hole and onto a metal ladder. Unlike the room above, the tunnel she descended was incredibly clean and sterile.

"What happened to your hands?" Rushford grunted as he followed her down into the hole.

"the job" Christine grunted.

Rushford nodded without a word, shutting the trapdoor above their heads and plunging them into total darkness.

Christine, however, wasn't too fussed. His cowl had night vision, and she had way better senses in the dark anyway.

It didn't take them long before they finally reached the bottom of the ladder which had opened out onto a long grey tunnel lined with bright artificial lights.

After taking a couple of minutes to adjust herself to the sudden brightness, Christine followed Rushford down the tunnel towards a pair of steel doors at the far end. They were tall and decorative, with a great owl in flight embossed over both sides surrounded by a ring of words.

Beware The Court of Owls that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head

In front of these doors, another man stood, dressed in the same dark owl suit, cowl and gauntlet as Rushford. However, this man was tall and lean, and though he only had one sword, his armour over his Kevlar suit was shinier and more ornate.

"Thank you, Rushford. I'll take it from here. Go back to patrolling the perimeter." the new man said, his voice far smoother than the rasp of Rushford who nodded with a cantankerous grunt.

"Yes, sir."

Christine watched as the stocky man left the way he had come. Once he was safely up the ladder and out of sight, the man before her strode forwards and wrapped his arms around her tight.

"Are you alright? You weren't caught were you?" he murmured into her long white hair as she let herself melt into his embrace.

"I'm fine Papa" Christine reached up to return the hug as her father let her go.

"I'm so sorry it had to come to this" her father murmured as he pulled back to look down at her. "I tried to convince your grandfather to let me do the mission-"

"It wasn't your fault" Christine cut across him firmly "It was bound to happen sometime. I wish Dick hadn't been there to see…" she paused to gulp down on the hard lump in her throat, her yellow eyes burning with tears despite herself

Her father shook his head as he squeezed her tight in his arms again.

"I know sweetheart…I know. But we can't do anything about that now. What's done is done. And we can't turn back."

"I know" she murmured as they broke apart this time both turning to face the door which started opening for them from the inside.

Quickly, Christine pulled out from within the depths of her shabby long coat, a white oval owl mask which she fixed over her face before following her father's footsteps, over the threshold, her white hair melting into the blackness beyond.

And there we have it, Chapter 2 of Young Injustice is finally up and running.

I'm so happy I finally got it out there. I'm enjoying writing the new Agents into the story and I look forward to bringing in more of the original YJ Team and Jason Todd. It'll be interesting writing them in the middle of the five-year time gap between seasons 1 and 2 because there's not much we actually know about how they grew up and matured between the two seasons.

Also getting the chance to explore a little bit of Gotham City has been fun. With places like Wonder City/Tower, the Bowery and North Gotham I'm drawing on my knowledge I have from my research for my Arkham Asylum games fanfiction and kinda blending it into the YJ universe, seeing as we never really get to see much of Gotham in YJ. Even Penguin's appearance is a blend of the classic DCAU incarnation (gotta love a classic) and the Arkhamverse version.

For those of you just tuning in to Young Injustice, I'd highly recommend you read Swift Ascenscion (the remastered edition) if you want more information on Swift/Christine Hallows' Character.

Anyways I hope you guys are enjoying this fanfiction and please leave a review if you'd like to read more.

Your Author,

FuzzyBeta