Holding Out

Plot:There are women heroes, but the oldest members of the league won't allow them to join their ranks. Most members are upset by this, but don't say much. When Green Arrow and Batman find Artemis saving Kid Flash and Robin, they devise a plot to show the elder members what it really means to be a Hero.

Most Ships:Spitfire, Robin – Batgirl, Supermartian, WonderBat (That's what I call it) Canon JL couples mostly.

Chapter 1

"Prologue"

"So, Artemis, Zatanna should be here any a minute with your potions. Let's go over your stats again." Green Arrow leaned forward on his knees and looked at the girl before him. She looked so small in Dinah's clothes, hair sticking to her skull, heavy with water from the shower. She pulled her feet under her and repeated the words for the umpteenth time that hour.

"My name is Apollo. I'm Green Arrow's nephew and he's been training me for a while. When Roy quit, I was more than qualified to replace him on the team and grabbed the opportunity. My skills are agility, archery and hand-to-hand combat."

"Perfect." Arrow smiled and put a hand over the girl's. "I'm proud of you Artemis; it takes a lot to sign up for something like this." The girl's skin was cold beneath his and he felt a pang in his chest.

"They killed my mom. I need to take them down Arrow." She looked at him, eyes sad, angry and just…broken. He couldn't stand it for much longer. It was a look he had seen one to many times, the look of someone who had just lost their entire world.

"And you'll get that opportunity.." Ollie was cut off by the sound of three raps at his door. He patted the girl's hand and watched as Batman, clad in his uniform, pulled open the door and let a tiny girl pass through the archway. "Looks like your solution is here, Artemis."

The girl was at an average size for a 15 year old. Her waist was pulled in the right spot and her hips jutted out the right amount. She wore a female magician's suit, her long jacket hanging around her legs, giving her a professional look. In her arms she carried a briefcase.

"This has to be quick; Dad's expecting me back at the club." She set the briefcase on the coffee table in front of the blonde archers. Sitting down on a couch next to the table, Zatanna flipped open the latches and revealed what was inside; About 30 vials of purple liquid held in the foam casing.

Artemis leaned forward and grabbed a vial, feeling it in her hand. The liquid inside was very slick, not a drop sticking to the side of the test tube.

"Now," Zatanna started. "Each of these vials will last you for 24 hours and they will completely switch your gender. Now, here's a sample that will last about 6 hours." She handed Artemis a smaller vial.

"Can I drink it now?" The raven-haired girl nodded with a smile and Artemis rose from the couch and walked towards the bathroom, but Zatanna stopped her. "Just a warning, you're probably not gonna fit in those clothes when you shift." She smiled.

Batman had relaxed a bit and was now sitting on Oliver's couch with Zatanna as they waited for Artemis to emerge from the bathroom. Bruce was slightly nervous about the entire ordeal. He wanted to help with this; let the girl avenge her parents, but he was nervous about letting her join the team. If the elders found out about this, then he would be removed from the Justice League roster.

They were old fashioned, the old justice league members were in charge of the modern one. If anything, the chain of command was a show of respect for the older members, and even though Bruce paid for most of what transpired in the league, he wasn't in charge. Sure he had the entire system wired to bid his doing, but the power system itself couldn't be hacked.

Bruce looked up and as Ollie resurfaced from the hallway, Batman's face returned to it's cold features once again. Ollie stepped aside and held a hand out towards the hall.

"Ladies and Bat, meet my nephew, Apollo." An older teen walked forward. He was slightly shorter than Oliver, but still tall in his own right. His olive-toned skin accented nicely with the golden, swept forward locks peeking out from his green mask.

"Wow." Zatanna rose from the couch and walked around the blonde boy before her. His body was lean, but muscular as necessary for an archer. She stopped in front of him and ran her hand along his jaw. "I did a pretty good job. You look hot Arty."

"Thanks Zee." The boy laughed, his hand shooting to his mouth and his eyes widened. "Okay…that's weird."

Zatanna chuckled and gave the boy a quick hug. "Kick ass Arty." She started walking towards the door to leave."Oh, and when you finally have to pee while you're like that, text me," She called over her shoulder. The young magician winked and walked out the door.

Artemis' face bleached and then flushed. "Thank. You. Zee." She turned around and headed for her temporary room in the penthouse.