Into the Unknown

Prologue

Everything happened too fast.

No one could have thought this would happen. How did it happen?

It was just after the Team managed to beat Vandal Savage's plan in taking over the Justice League on New Years. Artemis started dating Wally, Zatanna kissed Robin, Superman was paying more attention to Superboy, and they grew closer than ever before. Everything was great.

Until Artemis.

It was a regular Sunday for the Team. After a very exhausting mission, they decided to hang out at Mt. Justice; Artemis and Wally were arguing about some nonsense, Superboy was watching static with Meghan cuddled up next to him, Aqualad was reading in the couch adjacent to where the two were seated, and Robin, Zatanna, and Rocket were talking in the corner of the room. It was all like any other day.

When it was a quarter to ten, they decided to leave and have a goodnight's rest- since most of them had school the next day- and see each other after school.

Artemis and Robin were the first to leave, and once the Zeta-tube transported them to Gotham, they split ways- not knowing this will be the last they see of each other.

Once Artemis arrived home, she was hit by the sight of blood everywhere, and her father, Sportsmaster, standing above the body of her mother. She screamed, fury washed over her and went to strike, but Sportsmaster was too fast and blocked her fist. They started a dance of deadly sweeps and strikes, on par with each other, until Sportsmaster took out a knife and stabbed Artemis in the stomach. She gasped as her father took out the knife and stabbed her again, but this time in the heart. Blood seeped from the wounds rapidly as the light faded from her eyes, and was left on the floor of her own home, dead.

When news hit of Artemis' death, the Team was devastated. Wally felt his heartbreak as he heard about the brutal death of the love of his life. He didn't speak to anyone for months, only letting Robin get close to him. Robin felt mourned at the loss of his friend, as he saw Artemis mere moments of her death, and how he never was able to say goodbye to her. Zatanna, Meghan, and Raquel were crying since Artemis was their best friend, and it hurt to know she died so terribly. Aqualad felt responsible for what had happened, and no matter what the Team said, he never got rid of the guilt. Superboy went on a rage, mad at himself and the person who did this. Roy wasn't any better, having accepted Artemis as a sister. Chesire was so enraged, that she went on a hunt for the person who killed her sister, but she never came back.

Months went by and the Team wasn't the same, they were more cautious and rarely talked to each other. All of them too wrapped up in their grieving to hang out anymore.

Then Match came along.

Match, Superboy's evil brother clone, went on a rampage in Metropolis, and with Superman on an off-world mission, Superboy went after Match. The two fought swiftly. Each hit they gave was countered with another. Then Match knocked Superboy into the Lex Corp building, landing in Lex Luthor's office. They kept fighting while the building was evacuated, Superboy- during hits- helped civilians out the building, before Match brings him back into the fight. As Lex escaped the building, he pressed a button he had in his jacket and secret compartments filled with Kryptonite opened. Match and Superboy stiffened as they felt pain coursing through their bodies. Then Luthor pressed another button, igniting the bombs inside the building, blowing it up to pieces.

By the time the Team made it to the wreckage, they found no sign of Superboy or Match. M'gann, desperate to see if her boyfriend was okay, levitated the wreckage- trying to find Superboy. Eventually, they found him, but not alive. Both Match and Superboy died in the explosion. M'gann wailed and held Superboy's body close to her and with Artemis' death fresh on their minds, it made her grief even more. Robin and Kid Flash covered their mouths in shock, Aqualad bowed his head in defeat, and Zatanna and Rocket hugged each other with tears streaming down their faces. They don't remember how much time they stayed there- staring at the wreckage with tears streaming down their faces- apparently a lot of time since their mentors came to get them. All of them looking solemn as they took Superboy's body away.