The Team, along with Lunaris, moved Dr. Roquette to a secluded port area near a boat rental house. Lunaris had insisted they avoid taking her back to the mountain or any densely populated area to prevent collateral damage and avoid leading the Shadows to their base. As they set up, Toneri perched himself on the roof, playing with a chakra rod. The rod shifted its shape, morphing into simple forms like a sphere and a cube, then into more complex shapes such as an intricate lattice and a twisted helix.
Inside a large building by the port, Dr. Roquette worked diligently on the virus to disable the fog. Artemis paced behind her, exchanging glares with Kid Flash, their mutual animosity palpable. A voice snapped at them through the mental link.
'Stop it, you two,' Aqualad ordered.
'What!?' they exclaimed in unison.
'I can hear you glaring.' Aqualad shook his head lightly and glanced at Lunaris, who was high atop a building. "Miss Martian, stay in camouflage mode and make a wide perimeter sweep," he said out loud.
Seconds later, something dark and fast shot out red web-like strands at him, lifting him into the trees. He struggled briefly before being thrown into the side of a white van, denting its metal door. Knocked unconscious by a strong elbow to the back of his head from a white-haired man with a hooked right hand, Aqualad was down. Cheshire emerged from the shadows, flanked by Black Spider and Hook.
"The Martian could return any second, and I'm not keen on evening the odds. We end Roquette. Now."
On the other side of the port, Shiva communicated with Cheshire. "Target on site," she said. In front of her and a few other League of Shadows members stood Lunaris, his bo staff resting on his shoulder and a bored expression on his face.
"Ready for round two?" Shiva asked, her eyes glinting with challenge.
"I see you've brought help this time," Lunaris replied, glancing at the Shadows. "You'll need it."
Shiva scoffed. "You can handle this much, can't you?" She gestured to the Shadows, who rushed at Lunaris with an array of weapons.
The first Shadow swung a katana at Lunaris' neck. He sidestepped effortlessly, his bo staff spinning to disarm the attacker with a quick, precise strike to the wrist. The katana clattered to the ground as Lunaris moved fluidly to his next opponent, dodging a barrage of thrown shurikens and kunai. Each projectile missed by inches, as if he knew their trajectory beforehand.
Lunaris' thoughts were calm and analytical. 'These warriors... they are skilled, but their techniques are sloppy compared to the shinobi back home. Like genins.'
A Shadow wielding nunchaku attempted to land a few strikes, but Lunaris parried each blow with his staff, his movements a blur. He delivered a series of rapid jabs to the Shadow's torso, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling to the ground. Another Shadow lunged with a spear, but Lunaris twirled his staff, deflecting the thrust and sweeping the Shadow's legs out from under him.
'Their attacks are predictable,' Lunaris thought, dispatching another opponent with a well-placed strike to the temple. 'They rely too much on brute force.'
In a matter of moments, the Shadows lay incapacitated around him. Lunaris looked at Shiva. "Is this all you have to offer? What a disappointment."
Shiva smirked, pulling out a syringe filled with a blue liquid. Lunaris watched with interest as she injected the closest Shadow, who began to convulse violently. The transformation was rapid; the man's muscles bulged grotesquely, his skin taking on a darker hue.
"Hoo, what's that now?" Lunaris asked, intrigued.
"Kobra-venom," Shiva replied, a sinister smile on her lips.
'Isn't that the mission they went on to investigate while I was trapped in the void? So this is what it does?' Lunaris mused.
The transformed Shadow, now a hulking monster, charged at Lunaris. He met the monster's punch with his chakra bo staff, creating a small shockwave. Lunaris held his ground, observing the creature's strength and speed. 'Stronger than Blockbuster, but not by much,' he noted.
Shiva watched intently, her eyes analyzing every move Lunaris made. 'She's observing how I fight,' he realized.
The monster swung wildly, but Lunaris danced around its attacks, his bo staff striking precise points on its body. Each hit was calculated to disrupt its movements. With a powerful palm strike, he sent the monster barreling through several buildings at the docks.
Using Shunshin, Lunaris appeared within the monster's guard before it could react. He struck its tenketsu points with the precision of a master. The monster convulsed, its body momentarily paralyzed.
"Pityful," Lunaris said, his voice laced with disdain. "She sacrificed your humanity just to test a theory of hers."
The monster roared and attacked again, but Lunaris was ready. A massive pressure emanated from him, freezing the creature in place. In his right palm, a white ball of energy formed and rotated at extreme speeds, small rotating blades of wind swirling around it with a shrill noise.
"Fūton: Rasenshuriken," he muttered.
He slammed the Rasenshuriken into the monster, launching it across the ocean. The jutsu exploded into a gigantic sphere of white energy, the winds generating massive waves. The monster was shredded down to the atomic level, its final screams echoing across the docks.
As the energy dissipated, no trace of the monster remained. Lunaris looked towards where Shiva and the rest of the Shadows had been, but they were gone, leaving him alone amidst the wreckage.
With the Team
"Don't move a muscle!" Artemis hissed at the black-haired woman, an arrow trained on her.
"Wow," Cheshire said, turning around. "I am completely at your mercy."
"You..." Artemis breathed out, wide-eyed.
"I suppose now you'll bring me to justice. Let your new friends interrogate me. I wonder if your position is secure enough to survive them learning everything I know."
Defeated, Artemis lowered her bow, watching Cheshire disappear into the shadows. High above, Toneri observed under a camouflage jutsu.
'Oh, I see. So they are related. That's why their life signatures are so similar. Still, to have such a sister playing the villain while she is a hero... that is quite comical.'
As soon as Cheshire disappeared, Kaldur emerged from the internet café with Roquette.
"Artemis, where is the assassin?" he asked.
"She... she got away," she replied, eyes on the ground.
"Woah, from you?" Wally sped towards them. "Big surprise." His voice dripped with sarcasm, but Artemis remained silent. "Notice? We got ours." He motioned to Megan, who held Black Spider and Hook suspended in the air, tightly bound.
"Woah! Souvenir!" Wally exclaimed, picking up Cheshire's mask. "Did you see her face?" Kaldur asked.
"It was dark," Artemis evaded.
"It is fine," Kaldur reassured. "Robin and Superboy neutralized the fog, and Dr. Roquette is safe, thanks in no small part to you. Welcome to the team."
Lunaris materialized beside them, startling Artemis into a surprised yelp. "Dude, you've gotta stop doing that," she said.
"How was your opponent?" Aqualad asked. "We heard the explosion."
"Shiva used some kind of serum to transform one of her minions into a mammoth-like monster, but he's been dealt with," Lunaris replied, his tone sending shivers down their spines.
"Looks like you all handled your opponents well, too. Very good," he added, crossing his arms.
For the first time since joining, Artemis smiled genuinely and walked towards her new teammates, shaking their hands.
"I've always wanted a sister. Here on Earth, I mean. I have twelve back on Mars, but trust me, it's not the same," Megan said.
"I... wouldn't know," Artemis admitted. "But, thanks."
When Wally refused to speak, Kaldur elbowed him. "Ow... yeah, okay, welcome," he said grudgingly, shaking her hand.
Gotham 1:16 a.m.
Artemis appeared out of the zeta tube in an alley disguised as an old telephone booth. After stepping out, she looked to her left, then turned around, pulling out her bow and arrow, ready to fire at the figure in the shadows.
"Step into the light. Now," she ordered.
The person did as she said, stepping out of the shadows. It was Red Arrow. "Nice move. Almost made me believe you are Green Arrow's niece, but we both know that you're not."
Artemis glared at him, but didn't shoot her arrow, lowering her bow instead.
"Still, I'm sure GA and Bats have a reason for lying, so your cover is safe." Red Arrow gave her a cold stare. "But I warn you, do not hurt my friends," he said in a threatening tone before walking out of the alley.
Artemis looked away, thinking and hoping her secret wouldn't come back to harm the team.
Infinity Island
In a dimly lit room, Sensei, the second-in-command of the League of Shadows, sat in a meditative position with his eyes closed, awaiting his orders.
"Report," Light Member 2 commanded.
"Masters," Sensei said calmly, still in a meditative position. "Before Ojo's capture, he transmitted the STAR Labs data you required, but the WayneTech intel still eludes us."
"Once again, the young... heroes... interfered," Light Member 2 said.
"Shiva encountered the variable, who goes by the name Lunaris, and fought with him," Sensei added.
"And how did that go?" Light Member 5 asked.
"In utter defeat," Sensei responded. "Shiva described Lunaris's fighting style as both traditional and unconventional, blending precision strikes with an almost preternatural awareness of his opponents' movements. His approach is more akin to that of a seasoned master than a mere child. He moves with calculated ease, displaying a depth of skill that suggests he has seen countless battles. Shiva noted that he seemed almost bored, as if he wasn't even trying during their confrontations."
"It would seem they have someone competent after all on that team of theirs," Light Member 3 commented.
Sensei continued, "During their confrontation, Lunaris demonstrated a technique.' It generated a massive, rotating sphere of wind energy that shredded his opponent down to the atomic level. Shiva was particularly struck by his composure and efficiency, noting that he never wasted a movement and always seemed one step ahead. Despite the intensity of the battle, he maintained an air of detachment, indicating he was far from his limit."
"Ohh, I can't wait to have a crack at the little twit," a member spoke in a childlike voice.
"Countermeasures will be needed, along with information on him," another member stated.
"We cannot have an unknown player on the board without knowing anything about them now, can we?" added another member.
"It is fortunate, then, that we have an operative on the inside," Light Member 2 concluded, causing Sensei to smile cruelly.