Sell you a Bridge chapter 203

March 19th 2016 Gotham City 8:00 PM EDT

Artemis  had to be dragged away from Lian, albeit she put up a quiet resistance.  Paula's fond smile never left her daughter, but when we finally got out  of the room she pulled me into a tight hug. "It's good to see you too  Morgan, I'm sorry I didn't greet you. You look good. Thank you so much  for looking out for her." She chuckled sadly. "Just another thing I owe  Marie. Raising such a good boy. I really don't think I can ever pay her  back for the support she gave me after Artemis...for the support she  gave me."

Her smile was brittle as she corrected herself,  clearly not ready to discuss the time we were missing. Artemis cleared  her throat, effectively changing the subject. "Anyway mom, what the hell  happened when we were gone. Jade has a kid? Whose name is Harper? You  mentioned someone named Roy? Is that her father? What the fuck?" She  clearly had no idea where to start with the questions, and Paula looked  almost as amused as I felt.

The woman stared fondly at her  youngest daughter until she was done ranting before she answered.  "Lot's of things happened. Yes, Jade has a daughter, obviously, Roy  Harper is her father, and he's...complicated. Roy was a member of the  League, or at least their subsidiary team. He went by Red Arrow. He was  secretly a mole planted in their ranks by an organization of  supervillains called The Light, an organization that the Shadows are a  part of. They cloned the original Roy and replaced him with an unknowing  sleeper, Lian's father."

I groaned, rubbing my temples.  "Of course they did. I didn't miss this kind of nonsense when we were  gone. Say what you want about the OZ but at least the place was  predictable. So I take it that all got defused and that's when you guys  got away? Did he like...break free of his programming because of Jade  and Lian or something?" It sounded stupid, but heroes were always  pulling that love conquers all shit. Not that I couldn't understand it. I  bet I could break some limits for Zee if I needed to. Hell Dreamer and I  were still getting started but I would probably move mountains for her  too.

Paula gave a rueful laugh. "I wish. No. He didn't get  deprogrammed until after he was triggered. In the wake of the Amazon  War he took advantage of the chaos to brainwash the whole League under  orders from the Light. The Team was able to spring them eventually, with  a little help from your cousin Kit actually. She vanished a bit after  that, but she and her boyfriend, some guy calling himself Kid Devil,  jumped in to help and free the League alongside them before  disappearing."

My eyes widened in shock. That was the  first I'd heard of Kit since we got back. I'd been afraid to dig into  her whereabouts because I was scared she might be dead before I could  ask though she held up her hands. "No I don't know where she is. No one  does. She seemed...distressed, by your disappearances, at least based on  what Roy said. Anyway after Roy's brain was scrubbed for implanted  memories we were worried about him being hunted by the Light, and Jade  and I decided to leave the Shadows to say with him. Lian came a long a  few years later."

I made an annoyed sound. "I don't much  like these Light guys. If this is the same cabal that's working with The  Reach their asses are rapidly ascending my to kick list. Who is in this  group anyway. I know Luthor, Savage, and Ra's Al Ghul, but it's  supposed to be pretty big time. They must have some legit power players  in there too. Anyone I know?" I wanted to be aware of potential threats  and asses that might need kicking.

She nodded. "Based on  what I heard of your adventures before leaving from my daughter I know  at least one. Klarion the Witch Boy is among their number." She paused.  "Well, as much as Klarion is among anyone's number I suppose. He isn't  exactly the picture of stability. But I remember Artemis telling me  about your run in with him at Fate's tour during our time on the island  together. I'm not sure if he remembers you, but be careful if so.  Klarion is a deeply unpleasant being, and he isn't someone whose  attention you want. Even during my days as Tigress he was to be feared."

Her  voice had taken on a sort of analytical stoicism I was guessing had to  do with her days as a cape. Still I took the warning in the spirit it  was offered and nodded. I'd steer clear of Klarion if I could, and if  not...well my second brand of Soulless was making progress. I was  expecting great things from my newest summons, and I was going to sick  them on anyone I thought might be a threat to me or mine. I made a  mental note to talk to Gojo about the Void. His powers might give him  some insight.

Klarion had been...terrifying. I remembered  his aura, the pure primal disdain for the laws of reality, the darkness  and the malice. Klarion was a very small representation of a very large  force that was incredibly on the nose with it's avatar. He really was  basically a kid that liked pulling the wings off of flies, just turned  up to eleven. The kind of casual immorality that people unlearn as they  grow older, mixed with a complete lack of concern for consequences. My  trigger finger twitched. I wish I could try shooting him again with my  evolved holiday gun. I was guessing he wouldn't shrug off another few  rounds so easily.

Artemis turned to her mother. "So, where  are Jade and Roy anyway? If you guys are on the run I doubt they're out  on a mission or anything. Shouldn't they be here lying low?" Admittedly  they probably should, but I don't know if I could have stayed in this  shoe box all the time if I had been them, and Red Arrow was, if  anything, ten times more impatient and dickish than I was. Or rather, he  had been five years ago. I supposed knocking up a contract killer and  going on the run from an evil cabal of archcriminals would change  anyone.

Paula sighed. "They're  supposed to be back tonight, but they're in Tibet. They finally got a  lead on the original Roy after years of searching." She let out a sad  sigh. "Roy has been having an identity crisis for some time now. Jade's  been trying to keep him out of his head. For a while it worked. Their  marriage and dynamic helped keep him grounded. Then Lian came along and  that helped. But the longer it goes on, the more he spirals. He NEEDS to  find the original Roy. We don't know where he is, but our sources in  the Shadows were clear that they kept him on ice. We checked before we  left."

I  winced at that. I couldn't imagine finding out you were a knock off of  someone else and then dealing with that person being missing on top of  it. Feeling like you were living someone else's life, especially when  that very life was created to betray the people you cared most about.  Red Arrow had been kind of an asshat when I met him, but nobody deserves  to have to second guess their own mind. I blew out a breath. "Do you  think this time they might find him? Sounds like the guy is in a shitty  situation to say the least."

She  shrugged. "I don't know. The two of them have never given up hope. Jade  can't let Roy abandon his dream of rescuing his original because he  would break down. I personally remain skeptical, though I would never  say so in front of them. I certainly hope they find the poor boy, but  I'm not particularly confident in their chances. It's been a long time,  and just because he was alive when we left doesn't mean he still is. The  Shadows may be patient in their goals, but they're also abhorrent of  waste. If something isn't useful, they dispose of it."

I  winced at that. I really didn't like the sound of these people. There  was a brief silence where we all let that sink in. Finally, Artemis  decided it was time to bring up the Elephant in the room. "So...we're  back. Safe and sound. We were thinking this would be a good time to get  everyone together. Hana has gotten so big and I know Marie would love to  see you. We could introduce her to Lian. We can invite everybody.  Reggie, Bette, Claire...Jim." Paula's face darkened and I winced at the  oncoming storm, but she seemed to catch it and reel herself back in.

Still,  her eyes weren't friendly. "James Craddock is a not a person I would  choose to associate with. Regardless of the circumstances he took my  youngest daughter on a dangerous mission and let her get sucked into a  hell portal, dragging her boyfriend, a young woman I consider a second  daughter, and one of the most remarkable young men I have ever met along  with her. You may not consider him responsible for what happened to  you, but I do. So while I would be happy to attend a dinner and see my  old friends, I will NOT, be going if Craddock will be there."

Artemis  looked pissed. "That's such bullshit!" She winced at the volume,  glancing toward the room where her niece was sleeping before lowering  her voice to a furious whisper. " Jim didn't force us into that corner,  the Amazons did. We were instrumental in bringing an end to the war.  It's ridiculous to blame him for choices he made himself. And don't give  me that 'he's an adult' shit. We made our own calls and were more than  strong enough to handle the consequences."

Paula's  eyes were ablaze. "I don't care!" She kept her voice low but spat the  words between gritted teeth. "I'm your mother. I don't have to be  reasonable or rational. He took my baby girl away from me, you can make  all the excuses you want, but he went out with you and came back alone.  No matter how old you get or how strong you are you will always be my  daughter." Her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I am glad you're  home, and I am proud of you for what you did, but I have the right to be  angry at someone for the loss of my child, and I choose to blame him."

She  stood up, glaring down at Artemis stubbornly. "You can be angry at me  for it, you can say it's stupid or that you don't understand. I accept  all of that. But you can not tell me who to hate and why. No matter what  you say I feel the way I feel, and I will NEVER forgive him for making  me feel the way I did when he came back and told me you were gone. I  will never get over that. Now I'm tired and I'm going to sleep. I had a  long day. Feel free to wait here for your sister, or leave a note with a  phone number. I am glad you're back Artemis and I love you. I'll see  both of you soon."

With  that, she spun and stalked out of the room and into a bedroom in the  back of the apartment. I looked around the place. Cheap matted carpet, a  coffee table with uneven legs, an old deep style TV. All of it reminded  me of our old place from just a year ago, at least in my time. I  exhaled loudly. "Well. That could have gone better." Then I shrugged.  "Could have gone worse too though. So I guess we wait for your sister  and her baby daddy then? I want to ask them about Kit. In the meantime  how about a game of Jenga?" I gestured to the box under the coffee table  and she rolled her eyes, but pulled it out and started unpacking the  blocks. Then we both settled in to wait.