Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any of their original characters.

Chapter 1

I never should've gotten out of bed. That thought was the only thing running through Artemis's head as she stared down the line of the hand gun clutched calmly in her hand at the shadowed figure standing in her living room. The heightened senses she had acquired from her training as an assassin made her a very light sleeper and thus allowed her to hear the slight squeak of the floorboards outside the room as she lay in bed. Instantly alert, she'd grabbed the gun she kept behind the headboard on her side of the bed and crept out of bed. Her movements were silent and the shadows welcomed her like an old friend. She'd been glad they still knew her as she'd become accustomed to walking in the light of day rather than hiding in the shadows of night. It was nothing to her to sneak through her bedroom door and maneuver herself behind the dark figure moving through her living room, gun raised and ready. Simple. Easy. It was clear who had the upper hand here.

At least, that's what she thought…until the shadowed figure spoke.

"Redbrook."

The whispered word slipped easily off the intruder's tongue, the voice young yet holding all the confidence that experience brought. That word. That voice. Even after all these years, Artemis would have known it anywhere.

The young archer's eyes went wide as the blood drained from her face.

"It can't be", she muttered under her breath, gaping at the figure. "They took you away. I saw them."

The intruder snorted.

"Just because they take you, doesn't mean they can hold you."

Artemis shook her head in disbelief, the hand that clutched the gun beginning to shake ever so slightly. "It's not possible." Her gray eyes narrowed in an attempt to see through the shadows that shrouded the figure, needing to see, to confirm what she already knew. "Bex?" The blonde archer could feel the smirk on the intruder's face as they stepped into the light and placed a hand on their cocked hip.

"What's the matter sis", she purred mockingly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Artemis could do nothing but gap at the young woman that now stood before her, her gun dropping limply to her side. She looked so different, so grown up. Not at all the terrified little girl she had seen the Shadows drag away so long ago. That night still haunted her, the screams of her baby sister as she and Jade fought desperately to get to her still rang as clearly in her ears now and they had then.

She was taller, as tall as Artemis now. Her skyscraper legs protruded out of tight black shorts and disappeared into knee-high black boots. Her dark brown curls now had a slightly reddish tint to them as they bounced around her chin, cropped shorter than Artemis remembered. She still had large stormy blue eyes, though they no longer held innocence as they once did. They now were shadowed by experience and all the horrors the world had to offer. Dark lashes curled up to her arched eyebrows and sheathed her eyes. The nose was no longer short and button-like; it now slopped elegantly down her face to her full, red-tinted lips that split into a crooked grin, her teeth a flash of white against her bronze skin.

She wore a black tube top that was more like a band across her chest, small black shorts, and knee-high black boots. A utility belt hung loosely around her waist and she could just see the tops of two guns peeking out from her boots. A black leather whip curled up one arm and a sniper rifle was strapped across her back, within easy reach of her black, fingerless gloved hands.

The last time Artemis saw her, she barely reached her chest in height and her white cotton nightgown ran red with blood. She was young and scared and powerless against the forces that stole her away. She was a victim. The woman who stood before her now was a far cry from that scared little girl.

A relaxed stance hid the tension that ran through her muscles, a smug expression a mask hiding the true expression of its wearer. Behind the confident glint in her eyes was pure steel and though those eyes never left Artemis, she could sense that Bex was hyper aware of everything around her. Where someone else would have seen a heavily armed, cocky teenager, Artemis saw a battle hardened warrior, someone who knew exactly the kind of atrocities human beings were capable of. This was a woman who had been broken and felt the helplessness that came with having your choices and your power stolen from you and fought tooth and nail to take them back. This was a woman who would NEVER be a victim again. Artemis knew because she had been there and clawed her way back herself. She saw that woman every time she looked in the mirror. She had the look of an assassin.

Bex rolled her eyes. "Jeez Arty, I know I've been gone a while, but can you please try not to stare like that. It's not exactly a pretty picture."

The blonde archer gave herself a mental shake, tucking the gun in the waistband of her pants at the small of her back. She then crossed her arms over her chest like a shield, her face falling into an expressionless mask.

"That's the understatement of the year", she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "You've been gone for eleven years, Bex. Jade and I thought you were dead. Now you show up here, essentially coming back from the dead, and expect me to be totally indifferent? Well news flash, I'm not. My little sister just came back from the dead and I'd like to know what the hell happened to her. So tell me, Bex. Where the fuck were you?"

The young girl smirked.

"Oh, you know", she said waving her hand flippantly as she strolled over to the couch and plopped down. "Here and there. There more than here to clarify."

Artemis simply glared stonily at her in response.

Bex sighed and dropped the smug look, replacing it with one far too weary for such a young face. She leaned forward, her hands dangling off her knees.

"Ok look, I know I've been gone a while and I know you want answers and I promise I will give them to you, but for now there's really something else we need to discuss. This isn't exactly a social call."

Artemis took in her sister's tense posture and serious expression and nodded, leaning back against the kitchen table behind her. "So talk. What's up?"

Bex hesitated a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. She opened her mouth to begin when a loud yawn echoed down the short hallway beside Artemis and a sleepy voice called, "Artemis, babe, where are you? I just woke up and you were gone."

Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Wally stumbled out the hallway and into the small area between the kitchen and living room where he proceeded to wrap his arms affectionately around the blonde archer's waist, completely unaware of the solemn teen sitting only feet away. He nuzzled her neck warmly and shot her his famous crooked grin. "Come back to bed, Arty. What are you doing up anyway?"

Artemis sighed and shook her head, torn between kissing him or slapping him. Slapping him seemed to be the more appropriate option seeing as her little sister sat only five feet away.

"Ow", he cried with a laugh, rubbing his shoulder half in amusement and half in actual physical pain. "What was that for?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Take a good look around, Baywatch", she said slowly, falling back on the old nickname. "You seemed to have gotten denser with age."

Wally rolled his eyes. "I'm only 20, Arty. I wouldn't exactly call that age. And besides", he slid his arm back around her waist and yanked her against him with a smirk, "it's hard to notice anything else when you're around, babe."

She sighed and smiled affectionately up at him, finding his cheesiness endearing.

"You know as much fun as it is watching you two make goo goo eyes at each other, we really need to get down to business. You know, while I'm still young."

The two heroes jumped apart startled into awareness once again. Artemis fought down a blush as Wally whipped around wide eyed and gaped at the young woman that sat on his couch. His shocked gaze immediately turned suspicious and he tensed, ready to run should the need arise. "Who are you", he asked cautiously, shifting ever so subtly in front of Artemis who simply rolled her eyes in response, "and what are you doing here?"

Bex sighed in irritation and said, "We don't have time for explanations. Much as I hate to admit it, I need your help. I'm in way over my head."

Artemis quickly shifted back into business mode as she pulled away from Wally. She walked into the living room and sat down next to her sister. "What is it, Bex? What's happened?"

She sighed heavily and rubbed a hand down her face before looking up and piercing her sister with a look of true fear. "Artemis, HE'S back. And he's come to finish what he started. Starting with me."

Artemis's eyes widened and fear washed through her.

Yep. Definitely should've stayed in bed.

Hey, y'all! Guess who's back! I know it's been quite a while since I've updated or posted anything, but college is a bitch and free time is just plain nonexistent. Plus the writers block that can come with the stress can be ridiculous, but I won't bore y'all with the details. I'm back and that's what matters. :) I will say, there may not be very many new chapters coming for the time being, as I've decided to go back and give some of my first ones a bit of a facelift. I mean, are you really a writer if you never go back and look at some of your old stuff and cringe. XD Anyway, here is the newly revamped first chapter of The Assassin's Daughter. Please review! Y'all know I love to hear from you. :) And keep in mind I've been out of the game for a while, so please be gentle! Until next time!

~SAA~