Off the Deep End

The Six Year Benchmark

"Beta squad to Cave, the target has disappeared and... well uh, the secretary general wasn't the secretary general."

Artemis blinked, turning to the other hologram she had up, she flicked her commlink as she looked through footage.

"Come again, Beta?"

"Tseng was uh..."

"It appears the secretary general was some kind of... extra-terrestrial," Batgirl filled in for Wonder Girl, "the target has disappeared, we'll return to the cave to debrief. ETA fifteen minutes."

"agreed," Artemis said, frowning as she analysed the footage she'd gotten hold of already. This was... beyond worrying.

She was beginning to wish someone else had stepped up so she didn't have to lead the damn team, it would work better in the long run, but it was too late to change things.

Artemis flicked through the screens, Delta squad came through the zeta beams, Conner and Beast Boy covered in muck. Lagoon boy greeted M'Gann with a kiss and Artemis gave Conner a smile as he walked by. She was about to go talk to him when he announced that he would be hitting the showers. Her eyes followed him out as she sighed.

"Delta, I trust it went well?"

"it was uh-may-zing," Beast boy cut in before M'Gann had a chance to begin a report. As she smiled Robin stepped up to explain. She took it as a sign she didn't need to stick around and greeted her boyfriend. Lagoon boy started prattling about dinner plans.

"all according to plan, Clay Face is on his way to his cell in Arkham as we speak," Robin spoke up.

Artemis nodded, "good, hit the showers and get started on your official mission reports."

"where's beta?" M'Gann asked.

"Batgirl and Wonder girl headed to the United Nations headquarters to help with an attack, they're on their way back now," she said smoothly.

L'Gann smiled, "then I have time to make you some crab cakes, Angelfish."

The two walked off, smiling, and Artemis let her face fall once no one was watching.

She took out her communicator, the one that no one could know about. She flicked the buttons and played with the frequency. She took the zeta tubes to Bludhaven, made sure she wasn't followed, and called the one contact on the communicator.

She needed to talk to Kaldur.

"I'm still pissed about this, by the way," Alex grumbled, glancing between Thalia and Dick.

"thank you for reminding us," Thalia said, "we can have the party another time."

"we pushed it back a month. and then two weeks. now we have to push it back further, come on, it's not gonna happen," Alex shifted and switched hands on the grip in the aircraft's ceiling, slight turbulence shook them.

"If it helps, I don't care," Dick said.

"it does not."

"Alex, please get over it," Slade said, rolling his neck with a pop. He was getting too old for this, "it was a fucking birthday party."

"we didn't have one last year! or the year before."

"exactly," Dick said, "why start now?"

Alex gave him a glare in response.