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Parallels	By : sirensoundwave Category: DC Verse Cartoons > Young Justice Views: 3226 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Plot and anything you don't recognize, mine. Everything else (Young Justice or any characters licensed by DC) belongs to their respective creators/writers/artists. Just know I make no profit off of this and shut up about it...m'kay?

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
Hey. This chapter explains what the teens and other mages are doing when the previous chapter took place. We also see how Epsilon came to be...and Artemis isn't gonna like it one bit. This chapter was hard to name so I compromised. You’ll see what I mean as you read. Linkin Park’s Leave Out All The Rest beat out Nickleback’s If Today Was You Last Day to be the title.
Plot and anything you don't recognize, mine. Everything else belongs to their respective creators/writers/artists. There are too many to list. Just know I make no profit off of this and shut up about it...m'kay?
Chapter 23
Leave out All the Rest
After my dreaming
I woke with this fear
What am I leaving
When I'm done here?
So if you're asking me
I want you to know
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest
Don't be afraid
I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made
I'm strong on the surface
Not all the way through
I've never been perfect
But neither have you
“So...Your mother is really Poison Ivy...” Megan tried to break the silence. They’d all pretty much been staring at each other since the adults and four of the Mages left for the Watchtower. Virgo had remained with Zatara, Green Arrow waiting by her side. Epsilon was running around with Wolf and Sphere. Sagittarius had taken Artemis aside. So that left only Pisces to actually talk to the teens.
“Welcome to the club as they say.” Kaldur sighed. “Though as I understand it, your mother is not truly evil.”
“No. I believe the others explained that we are on no side, that our job is to make sure things continued on and yours to decide the way the world is. I became what I am because I wanted my son to live the life denied him so long ago.” She smiled sadly.
“What does that mean?” Raquel asked.
“I used to live in what is now Wales more than a thousand years ago but... I died, was murdered by my father because I was different. I really don’t want to talk about it right now.” Robin looked away. “I’ve had those same abilities since I was little in this life but I was so afraid of what might happen if anyone found out I sorta suppressed them to the point where I doubted the were even real. Kinda an echo of the past I guess.”
“So...we all have powers now? I mean, we’ve all gotten new or stronger ones since all this started with Dr. Fate right?” Zatanna looked around at her team mates. “My spells pack way more of a punch since I found the dagger. I Was even able to knock Nabu around inside KSK.”
“ I now have a name for those surges of power I have fought to keep at bay. I inherited my mother’s Inner Torrent and understand it is not to be feared. I just need to learn how to control it properly.” Kaldur nodded. “Suppressing emotions only doubles the force with which they struggle to be free.”
“I’m starting to think that I was supposed to end up like this. When I accepted that the belt was apart of me and didn’t make me a freak, my attacks did get stronger and I learned I might be able to do other things too.” Raquel took hold of his hand and smiled sheepishly. “I tried to teleport once. Got stuck in a ventilation shaft and was too embarrassed to try again. Or tell anyone.”
“Sometimes I have dreams that come true. I thought it was a fluke at first then Sagittarius showed up and I realized that strange nightmare was a vision of what could have been if I went with Superman at the beginning of the year when he invited me to train. I saw this too but...I was scared to tell anyone. How could I be sure it wasn’t more CADMUS programing that Manhunter missed? My telekinesis is extending beyond field around my body that mimics real Kryptionian strength. If I really try, I can sorta levitate. What if Superman thought it made me even more dangerous?” Superboy’s admission was met with shock.
“I knew.” Megan smiled at him. “I think our connection has strengthened my abilities too and our dreams started to bleed together. I’ve noticed I can maintain the mental link up over greater distances. Sometimes to get out of class for emergencies, I’ve been able to shift into a male teacher or student. I haven’t really tested it beyond that though, I was scared too. ”
“As best I can tell, I have precognition limited to a few hours in the future at most and the power to affect chance. Some others I think but I need help to master them.” Robin added.
“So we all have something new. What about Artemis?” Raquel asked
What about her indeed.
Across the room, the two archers were talking as they watched Epsilon run around.
"Does Epsilon remind you of anyone?" Sagittarius asked. “Look closely.”
She stared hard at the rambunctious child...no...wait.
"He looks like my sister..." She thought aloud.
"Because he is, technically, her."
"What did you do to her?!" She whipped around, a look of anger on her face.
"We made a deal. If you must be angry at someone, blame Sportsmaster; he did allow me to reveal myself to her sooner than I expected to. Let me show you."
*Flashback. Nearly 3 and a half years ago.*
She’d only been following orders. According to her father, the higher ups wanted the real Harper moved to the more secured facility up north; the same one where Project Kr was being created. What she didn’t know was this particular road was booby trapped. The truck she was driving went over an IED and flipped. Now she was pinned by several tons of metal with only her left arm and head free. She couldn’t feel any pain and that was a bad sign. It meant she couldn’t move even if the vehicle wasn’t there. She could clearly see the pool of red growing though.
Shit.
“Like mother like daughter.” she mumbled.
"I can help you Jade."
She turned her head to the rear of the truck to see the kid she‘d been transporting standing there. The crash must have broken the tube. He was even still wearing that stupid yellow hat. Lucky lil’ bastard.
"Tch. You better run while you can. I'm trapped and too injured for first aid anyhow kid. I'll bleed out in a few minutes."
"Three actually but that's not the point. What would you be willing to do to avenge yourself? Your mother? Artemis?" Roy began to unwrap the bandage on stump where his left hand had been.
"How do you know about them?" If she weren’t in her current position, she would have hit him for trying to intimidate her.
"The same way I know that your loving father sent you on a path he knew was riddled with explosives. He can’t control you anymore Jade and your willfulness can’t be tolerated. Just like he couldn’t tolerate your mother's decision to leave him and go straight. He only had to wait a few more years and biology would have solved his problem with you though.” The teen shrugged. Cheshire’s eyes went wide as she watched the shadows wrap around the gory end of his arm...and produce a hand as good as new that he flexed for a while then knelt beside her.
“What the hell are you? I must be loosing blood and halluc-”
“You don’t have time for that. I am what is known as a Chaos Mage named Sagittarius and can only reveal myself to the dead or dying. You have a choice; to die now or in 3 to 4 years time when your aorta explodes in your chest.”
“...”
“Of course you didn’t know about the disease eating away at your major blood vessels. So I ask you, if today was your last day and tomorrow was too late, would you be willing to make your mark and mend a broken heart?”
“What are you talking about? I’m dying and you’re talking in riddles!” She huffed in annoyance.
“You know it’s never too late to shoot for the stars, no matter who you are Jade. Are you willing to do whatever it takes? I can help you but nothing comes without a price.”
Jade stared at him before thinking about what he said. Tonight had been so confusing, she knew that her father was angry at her but...At any rate, if she dies, there’s no one to look after Artemis. Sure she wasn’t gonna win big sister of the year but she did check on her from time to time to make sure she was mostly okay. The sweet innocent sibling she left behind had died; replaced by a guarded young assassin to be and it was all her fault. She’d left her with that monster because she wanted to save herself. The only reason she came to work for him now was because she’d get to see the blond every once and a while. Even if Artemis didn’t see her.
“What do you want then?”
“Your soul.”
“A deal with the devil huh? Figures. So you get my soul, what do I get?” Not like she was going anywhere, why not find out. So what if he was probably kidding.?So what if it was probably something her oxygen starved brain was making up?
“I’m not kidding Cheshire. You get the chance to save your sister. I will show her away out of this life and give her the means to defend herself in the future. She is more important to the future of this world than you realize. If you say no, I can still protect her but not as well as I could have and she will suffer more than she has to. It’s your choice.” He frowned at her. “If you say yes, you will belong to me, even after your mortal body dies in a few years. When I have a task for you, you will complete it. No matter what.”
“Hnn. You can really help lil’ Alice?”
“Make sure she finds her way out of the rabbit hole? Sure. But if you say yes to me, you won’t remember this deal. Not until you are supposed to die.” He held out his hand and she stared at it warily. “The hands of time aren’t on your side, choose quickly.”
“Fine. What choice do I really have?” She took the outstretched hand and he smiled mischievously at her.
“There’s always a choice, and you’ve made yours. My dear Epsilon.”
Before she could question him, she felt pain shooting through her entire body. She screamed as something in her shifted...and shrank. Then everything went black.
She had no idea the truck had been righted, the mines cleared and a teenage girl that looked exactly like her was now driving it; still carrying “Roy Harper” in his stasis tube, missing arm and all. In the dust left behind, stood two figures cloaked in black, one much shorter than the other. The tallest nodded and the little one caused a dark portal to appear under their feet, swallowing them up.
*end*
“You bastard...you used her!” Artemis screamed, gaining everyone’s attention.
“She got what she wanted. I made sure you got up the courage to runaway and Epsilon kept Sportsmaster busy long enough to loose your trail. I even put you on the league’s radar.” Sagittarius raised a brow. “How exactly did I use her?”
“So my being molested was supposed to happen?” She shouted, clearly outraged. Now everyone was looking at the two of them. “You could have stopped him from...and you didn’t!”
“It could have been worse.”
“Worse?! Just because I didn’t let him get in my pants it’s okay?! You heartless son of a bitch!” A faint glow outlined the angry young woman, glowing brighter with each word she screamed.
“Perhaps I should have told her, then activated her gift after she calmed down...Not my brightest strategy. Dammit.” He muttered as he dodged arrows of white light that seemed to come from her new aura.
“Well that answers your question.” Pisces chuckled as she watched the neutral mage artfully dodge the assault.
“HOLD STILL!” she roared, slashing at him with a spear of the same light. The reason he wanted not to get hit was simple, it would hurt. A lot. Mortal weapons were useless against Mages but these were projections of the will and could damage him.
She’d always been a very strong willed person, all he did was allow her to project it without an amplifier that needed to be recharged or could be lost. Like a lantern ring. This was meant to give her the means to fight for her world should it come down to it and thus had to be able to hurt one of the Mages if necessary.
“Stop being mean!” Epsilon yelled and Artemis found the boy had gotten between the two of them. “Don’t be mean to my master!”
“Ja- Epsilon, move! He let me suffer, he took away your life--”
“No, he didn’t! He made me! I don’t know why you’re mad but he’s so nice to me. He lets me stay up as late as I want and if I’m good we go out for sweets and icecream! I get to do all sorts of cool things! Why are you so mad?” The small boy cocked his head to the side and look up at her with big sad eyes. Why was she mad? Oh yeah, she’d been through hell while her older sister gave up her soul to be this...thing’s puppet. Of course she was pissed.
Then it hit her.
Epsilon doesn’t know either. He doesn’t know that he’s really a grown woman that gave up her soul. To protect her. Her. Jade never abandoned her, not fully. She’d even come back to work for their father just for the chance to see her again. She knew that she’d damned her little sister to the same life she lead and tried to make amends for it. She did not want to die knowing she could have made things right. Even if Artemis never knew it. Now that conversation the night before Santa Prisca and her actions on the island made sense.
*flashback*
The two of them met at top a roof in Star City, hidden behind a toothpaste billboard at 2am. Her criminal family was still under the impression that she was a spy for them within the League. Cheshire had called her there, outside of their father’s orders, but why?
“When I’m gone Artie, promise me you’ll live your life the way you want. No more of this double agent crap.” Cheshire said out of the blue. It had been silent for sometime, only the sounds of the streets below them were audible.
“What are you taking about? With your skills I doubt you’ll be pushing up daisies anytime soon.” Artemis chuckled. The smile faded when she Jade slid her mask up. Her expression was so sad. Artemis had never seen her sister look like that, about to cry. She turned, eyes set in a defiant gaze trying to keep tears for falling.
“Each day you live is not a given right sis. You don’t get to live your life twice cuz there are no second tries. You have a good thing going for you. Don’t fuck it up.”
And then Artemis was standing alone, in her civvies, on a roof. What was that all about?
*End*
“She knows now doesn’t she?” Artemis whispered, unsuccessfully trying to keep her voice from breaking. Her cheeks were tracked with wet streaks before the memory ended. The spear and her aura faded away.
“That she will die soon, yes. I can’t change that, all I could do was make sure she left behind some reasons to be missed. That the good things about her remained in your memories and you didn’t resent her for her choices.”
“That I left out all the rest...you stupid bitch! Why didn’t you just leave?”
“Jade knew she couldn’t be who you are Alice; able stand on your own and tell destiny to kiss your ass .”
She didn’t remember falling to the ground or exactly when the little boy who was and wasn’t her sister wrapped his arms around her. All she knew was she was crying into his thick hair just like she had done so long ago, when the ages were reversed.
Sagittarius has given Jade something too in the deal. The innocence she lost as a child, re-birthing her as Epsilon.
*I am bum...bum...bum...a line break!*
So there you have it. No, calling Artie “Alice” is not a typo. Cheshire isn’t such a bad girl after all. I intend to explain how Virgo was born at some point but not yet. Up next, the world reacts to the on air murders. The League and the Mages realize they must join forces but it’s are far from a calm before the storm. In answer to my compromise, I worked in lyrics and variations of lyrics from Nickelback's If Today Was Your Last Day since I couldn't really decide. Some were a stretch, some really fit.
Stay tuned, Sirensoundwave out.
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Parallels