Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

JJ gets the call just as she’s putting the boys to bed. At sixteen, Henry is decidedly ‘too old’ for bedtime stories. Somehow, he continues to find his way into Michael’s bedroom just as JJ cracks open a worn copy of the third Percy Jackson book. 

Being nine, Michael has very few qualms about being read to before bed. Especially when JJ’s the one doing the reading. 

She sends Henry to his room with a kiss on the forehead that he scrubs off immediately and is on her way to join Will in their bedroom to continue their viewing of Real Housewives (of New York City, obviously). 

Her phone rings. Work phone, which is supposed to charge on her bedside table and not follow her around the house. That rule hasn’t been enforced since Reid surfaced in a Mexican jail. 

“Special Agent Jareau,” she answers immediately, hurrying down the hall. 

“JJ.” Immediately, she knows it’s bad. Knows it’s personal. Emily sounds like she did after getting free of Scratch. “Team’s gathering in the conference room ASAP. Come as you are, we’ll be working locally.”

“What happened?” JJ asks. Will has the latest episode queued from their DVR, but when he sees her, he starts gathering up the few personal items of which she doesn’t have duplicates. Wallet, keys, reading glasses all get added to her purse. 

As Emily speaks, she quickly grabs a few shirts from her closet to restock her go bag. “West called me about an hour ago. Lian wasn’t there when Will went to pick her up from soccer practice this evening.” 

JJ’s hand freezes on the sweatshirt she intends to pack next. “Lian? What do you know?” 

“Not much right now. The case is local, so we’ll be supporting West.” We’ll be working the case regardless of jurisdiction. 

No need for pleasantries, Emily hangs up. 

Will is holding her purse out expectantly as she exits the closet. “Where’re y’all headed?” he asks quietly. She accepts the purse and he sticks the spare clothing into a canvas bag. 

“It’s local.” JJ closes her eyes and hugs her partner close. “Keep an eye on the boys,” she whispers.

“Protective custody?” 

She releases him. “Maybe. I love you.”

“Love you, Jayje.”

Δ Δ Δ

From: South Jersey Transportation Authority <[email protected]>
Sent: 2 hours ago
To: Dick Grayson <[email protected]>
CC: Barbara Gordon <[email protected]>
Subject: New Jersey E-ZPass Invoice 09062024

Dear Customer, 

Thank you for using E-ZPass! Your pass was used at 6:32 PM on Friday, September 6, 2024 on Exit 12 of the Atlantic City Expressway. $1.45 was charged to your E-ZPass account. Log in to replenish your account. 

Not you? All disputes to E-ZPass use can be filed here.
Unsubscribe from E-ZPass Notifications here.

Δ Δ Δ

The team minus Dave is already gathered in the conference room. Penelope and Emily are hovering over Pen’s laptop, quietly discussing the sparse traffic camera placements surrounding Fuller Heights Park. Emily is still in her charcoal pantsuit from the day before, but the little bits of cat fur on the cuffs of her jacket indicate that she did go home at some point. 

Their fearless technical analyst was clearly hunkered down for the night in fluffy purple pajama bottoms and one of Derek’s old gray Bureau sweatshirts. Her hair is clipped back, but strands have fallen into her eyes. She doesn’t stop typing to clear her vision. 

Arriving from a date, Tara has a classy emerald top and tight fitting jeans. She’s on the phone in the corner across from the door, probably trying to wheedle the locals into inviting them officially onto the case. 

Luke is in work-out sweats. He’s sitting across the table from Emily and Pen with a legal pad flipped through half the pages. His pen hovers as he prepares to summarize Artemis’ next statement. 

The team’s newest agent, Artemis, has her jaw clenched, fisted hands shoved under her arms. She’s furious. Not scared or angry or confused. Her eyes flash with wrath as JJ closes the door. 

Staring out the window is a figure JJ takes a moment to place. Matted red hair and a scraggly beard framing devastated eyes. His brown jacket is inside out and one of his tennis shoes is untied. He raises a hand in greeting when he sees JJ, unable to lift his mouth out of the deep frown it's in. 

As JJ takes a seat on Artemis’ other side, Dave stomps into the room. He’s in his usual evening attire, comfortable jeans and button up just begging to be loosened after another finger of whiskey. 

“Let’s run it,” he demands. Kai is thirteen now and Dave spends every possible weekend attending his baseball games. No one on this team takes family lightly. Especially not the safety of their children. 

Δ Δ Δ

🛈 Travel Warning: September 6, 2024 🛈
🛈 Level: GREEN 🛈

All Guardian Group members are advised to stay home for the next forty-eight hours while a potential threat is investigated. Z-04 has been reported missing by B-07 <Tigress> and 21 <Red Arrow, ret.>. The nature of the abduction is currently unknown. Local and federal law enforcement are investigating the civilian angle. B-16 <Oracle> and B-01 <Nightwing> are investigating the professional angle. 

🛈 End Travel Warning 🛈

Δ Δ Δ

JJ likes to think she knows every member of her team well. They spend more time together than with their own families. They share hotel rooms and split Ubers and celebrate birthdays and remember anniversaries. Emily was in JJ’s COVID bubble. Pen is the non-parental emergency contact she lists for any of the kids' activities. Every 5K she runs is with Luke at her side. Whenever she makes an online purchase, Tara is the one who reads off her credit card information. If she and Will ever get married, Dave will be walking her down the aisle. 

That doesn’t even get to the retired members of the team. Hotch, Derek, Elle, Ashley, Alex, Kate, Matt, Spence. All these lives that will forever be a part of her own. 

And yet, JJ couldn’t tell you much about Artemis West. The only family she talks about are Will and Lian. While it’s clear she has a robust social life, she never names any of the friends she goes out with on the weekends, nor mentions what they get up to. 

When the Olympics were on over the summer, she mentioned that she used to do archery when she was younger. Otherwise, JJ could not name a single hobby Artemis enjoys. 

The lack of personalization has never really bothered JJ, but now, so out of her depth as to how to comfort her teammate, she regrets just how much of her friend she doesn’t know. 

Tara quickly ends her phone call and sits beside Luke. Dave takes the seat between JJ and Emily.

Will settles in the unoccupied chair between Penelope and Tara, rubbing his brow as if soothing a headache. 

“Everyone, this is Lian’s dad, Will Harper,” Artemis introduces, words clipped. 

“You were the one who discovered Lian was missing?” Emily confirms. 

He nods, glancing up at the ceiling momentarily. “I wasn’t even late getting there,” he whispers. 

Emily gentles her tone. “Why don’t you tell us what you were doing before you went to pick up Lian?”

Will shoots a look at Artemis who shrugs imperceptibly. “I was answering emails for my security company. I work from home on Fridays because Lee has games and practices.” He lets out a breath. “I wrapped up for the day at 5:00, as usual. Her practice ends at 5:30, so I put away the dishes, switched the laundry, and then drove over. I left the house at 5:15. Fuller Heights is a ten minute drive away, but there’s always a bit of traffic. I parked in the southeast corner of the lot at 5:27.” 

The level of detail is unbelievable. Usually, panic overwrites every meaningful memory surrounding an abduction, even only a few short hours later. The first forty-eight hours are vital for multiple reasons. 

He opens his mouth to continue, but Emily interrupts. “Think about the parking lot when you pulled in. Was there anything that stood out? Any vehicles you didn’t recognize?” 

“No,” Will answers immediately, with absolute certainty. 

“It’s okay to think about it,” JJ soothes. Parents tend to blame themselves for their child’s kidnapping and in certain personalities, that comes through in the denial that they could have noticed something that may have tipped them off to trouble. “If you close your eyes, picture the lot-”

“I memorized all the license plates of the other parents,” he interrupts calmly. “I always do a cursory check. The only vehicles in the lot that don’t belong to anyone on the team were a 2006 gray Subaru Outback, a 2015 red Honda Accord, and a 2006 blue Toyota Tundra. The Outback is a high schooler who smokes pot, the Accord is a woman who walks her dog, and the Tundra is a jogger. I’ve seen all of them before and ran their plates.” 

“You ran their plates?” Dave jots a few notes down on his small pad, but leans forward to listen to the answer to this question.

Will nods gravely. “Lian is my only daughter. I take her safety very seriously.”

“But how?” Dave presses. 

“There aren’t public records on license plates beyond registration information,” Penelope adds. 

“I run a security firm, so I have access to a lot of databases most civilians wouldn’t.”

Artemis adds, “Lian’s grandfather is also Oliver Queen, the CEO.” She continues on like this isn’t the massive bombshell. “Ollie’s received death threats over the years and weathered a few kidnapping attempts. Lian’s gone to K&R training since she was four in case an abductor tries to ransom her.” 

JJ feels vaguely sick at the idea of a four year old being walked through how to bite to leave a mark and scratch to collect DNA. 

“The point is, there was nothing at the scene that immediately tipped me off. Most of the kids were laying in the grass or drinking juice pouches that one of the parents brought. The coach was talking to another dad. I didn’t immediately see Lee, but she’s a free spirit." His voice breaks a little at this. He continues slower. "There’s a jungle gym nearby that she’s played at after practice a few times.”

JJ can picture it too. The thud of the car door as Will steps onto the cracked asphalt, scanning the small gathering of children before casting his gaze further to the playset. 

“I arrived at the playground at 5:31 after checking again that she wasn’t with the team. There was a mother pushing her screaming two year old on a swing, but otherwise the area was empty.”

There’s a knock on the conference room door. Will startles slightly, angling his body to check who’s there without turning fully. 

A pair of local officers with visitor’s badges hanging around their necks stand outside. 

“Let’s pause for a moment,” Emily states. “Will, if you could write down the names of any of the parents or coaches you know.”

He nods. “Artemis, do you have-”

“I can email Garcia the personnel files,” she agrees. 

JJ gets the overwhelming feeling that this will be unlike any kidnapping she’s ever investigated.

Δ Δ Δ

BatCave Remote Terminal accessing… … … 


↳ Batman Inc.
↳ League
  ↳ previous
  ↳ 21
    ↳ Emergency Contacts
    ↳ Status
    ↳ Medical Records
    ↳ Training Records
    ↳ Mission Reports
    ↳ People of Interest
      ↳ al Guhl, Ra’s <Demonhead> //access file
      ↳ Brickwell, Daniel <Brick> //access-file
      ↳ Luthor, Lex <Luthor> //access-file
      ↳ Nguyen, Jade <Cheshire> //access-file
  ↳ 22
  ↳ 23
  ↳ 24
  ↳ 25
  ↳ load more
↳ Team
  ↳ previous
  ↳ B-06
  ↳ B-07
    ↳ Emergency Contacts
    ↳ Status
    ↳ Medical Records
    ↳ Training Records
    ↳ Mission Reports
    ↳ People of Interest 
      ↳ Crock, Lawrence <Sportsmaster> //access-file
      ↳ Markov, Brion <Geo-Force> //access-file
      ↳ Milton Hyde, David <Black Manta> //access-file
      ↳ Nguyen, Jade <Cheshire> //access-file
      ↳ Wilson, Slade <Deathstroke> //access-file
  ↳ B-08
  ↳ B-09
  ↳ B-10
  ↳ load more
↳ Outsiders
↳ load more

Δ Δ Δ

JJ watches over Pen’s shoulders as she pulls up document after document of information on every adult associated with the children on Lian’s soccer team. 

Lacey Ardath, returning coach of the Oak Hill Elementary School team. Rashid Darwish, father of Fatima and bringer of snacks. Francesca Perez, mother of Camilo and carpool coordinator. Aisha White, mother of twins Jasmine and Frankie. Don Leffort, estranged father of Kayla, who has never once attended a game. 

“We also have teachers, the PTO, and most parents and adult siblings of her classmates,” Artemis offers. 

The thing is, JJ likes Artemis. She was a breath of fresh air on the team after all the Operation Gold Star baggage. She’s sarcastic, but never aims it at someone already down. She’s exceedingly competent with firearms and hand-to-hand combat. While she sometimes prefers to lead with her fists, she’s become proficient at talking down unsubs when the situation calls for it. 

Her danger sense is well honed, but she’s never come off as paranoid. Until now. 

Will is talking with the locals in Dave’s office while, down in the bullpen, Tara and Luke start sifting through files of registered sex offenders living around the park, Lian’s school, and Artemis’ home. 

“Who are Lian’s family members in the area?” Emily asks as she reenters the conference room, having set Dave to the task of getting any cases they might be assigned redirected to another team. 

Their newest agent shakes her head. “Just Will and I. Will’s- brothers and her paternal grandparents are all based in Star City. My mom is in Gotham. Jade, her mom, travels a lot for work, usually internationally.”

It’s easy to forget that Artemis is Lian’s aunt, not mother. She’s been raising her niece for so long, it’s obvious that the line has forever been blurred. A relationship more like Jessica and Jack than Kate and Meg. 

Emily and JJ both lock onto the reference to Jade. Too many cases have followed a mother seperated from her child as she forces her way back into their life. 

“Do you know where Jade is right now?” 

Artemis slumps a little in her seat. “She’s overseas. I- called her before I called you. I know it’s cliche, but she would never do this. She’s- Jade’s a little fucked up and she thinks that she’s a bad influence on Lian. I spend half the time trying to convince her to visit Lee at all. Unless she thought Lian was in danger, she wouldn’t take her. And she definitely would have looped me in.” 

“What would convince Jade that Lian’s in danger?” 

Surprisingly unbothered by the implication of mistrust, Artemis answers frankly. “Jade’s made a lot of enemies.”

“Do you have files on them too?” Penelope asks. 

Artemis hesitates for a moment. “No.”

Δ Δ Δ

Initializing whereswaldo.exe

Enter Subjects…

al Guhl, Ra’s <Demonhead>; Brickwell, Daniel <Brick>; Crock, Lawrence <Sportsmaster>; Luthor, Lex <Luthor>; Markov, Brion <Geo-Force>; Milton Hyde, David <Black Manta>; Nguyen, Jade <Cheshire>; Wilson, Slade <Deathstroke>

Δ Δ Δ

Dave wheels in a whiteboard and tapes a printed photo of Lian’s face in the top left corner. 

Quickly, JJ scrawls the known timeline from Will’s account and the statement the coach gave to the police about practice ending ten minutes early. Then, she makes a list of possible motives with a sinking stomach. 

Access to Oliver Queen’s wealth. Revenge against Jade Nguyen. Leverage over Will Harper and Bowhunter Security. Distracting Artemis West and the BAU team. 

They also can’t rule out a stranger abduction. Though rare, Lian was in a public park and relatively unsupervised. As much as Artemis and Will both insist that Lian would never go anywhere with an unknown adult, they can’t guarantee it. 

With the possible motives come lists of names. Rival business firms, threats to Bowhunter’s security contracts, unsubs who have gotten a little too interested in the BAU. The only blank is where Jade’s enemies would go. Artemis says she doesn’t know who they are. 

JJ’s certain she does. “What exactly does Jade do for work?” she presses. 

Artemis glances out the door where Will went to speak with the locals. “She’s an independent contractor,” she says finally. 

That could mean a lot of things. She could consult on interior design of international offices. She could be an assassin. “In what field?” 

“Depends.” Artemis sighs. “If I thought this were connected to Jade’s job, I would share more information. The less you know about her, the safer for everyone.” She crosses her arms. “I want to get my niece back. Can we please focus on that?” 

“We are,” Emily assures. “You know how this works, West. Familial abductions are the most likely. If everything you say is true—that Lian wouldn’t go with a stranger without kicking up a huge fuss, that there are very few avenues by which to stalk her, and that it was no one in your immediate family—then we have to go out another degree of separation. Colleagues of yourself, Will, and Jade. Anyone who Lian even vaguely knows or who vaguely knows of Lian.” Emily gives her a long look and Artemis reluctantly nods her understanding. It's well hidden, but Artemis is clearly being pulled in every possible direction at the moment. The professional air of working a case warring with the frantic need to search for her child.

It’s quiet for a moment. JJ subtly glances around the room. Penelope has her head down but her eyes don’t move as they would if she were reading text on her screen. Emily and Dave turn to each other and silently confer about where to start knocking names off their list. 

The locals hover uncomfortably in the doorway, ill fitting suits and puffed out chests. Will stands between them. He catches Artemis’ eyes then pats his upper right arm with a hand in the shape of a circle. Subtly, Artemis shakes her head. 

JJ remembers, distantly, the military call sign for Call Leader. A flat left hand patting on the upper right arm. 

“We need to start with family, right?” Artemis asks, teeth clicking together. 

Emily hesitates then nods. “It’s standard procedure.” 

“Then let’s get started.”

Δ Δ Δ

Δ Δ Δ

Penelope returns to her office to start cracking through the other names on the list and Dave goes with the locals to coordinate an Amber alert. Luke and Tara continue checking alibis of the disgustingly lengthy list of sex offenders in the area. It’s almost 9:30 PM though. The city is turning in for bed. Less witnesses around, meaning more chance for Lian to slip further away. 

Artemis and Will sit on one side of the circular table, JJ and Emily take the other side. 

The pair are unlike a typical set of terrified parents. Not just because JJ knows what Artemis is capable of in the field. They remain calm, simmering anger held back while they try to work the case. They refuse to acknowledge that they are the case. 

“Let’s start with family that Lian’s familiar with,” Emily suggests.

The in-laws share a look before Artemis answers. “It’s Jade, Ollie and Dinah, Will’s brothers, and my mom.” She shifts slightly in her seat, angling away from the windows. “None of them live in Virginia, but I have some friends driving my mom down so that she can stay at our house while we work.” Partially under the table, she finger spells the word no to Will. He nods in understanding. 

“Ollie and Dinah are just waiting for the QI jet to get an approved flight plan, then they’ll be heading here,” Will adds. “Jim is going to stay in Star.”

“Roy?” 

Will sighs. “Not sure. He was in Qurac last I spoke with him.” 

Artemis curses under her breath. “So was Jade. I swear to Wonder Woman, if they’re working together again.” 

JJ decides to file that information for later. “Lian’s grandparents all seem to care a lot about her,” she says neutrally. “I noticed that you and Ollie have different last names. Is he your biological father?”

Will shakes his head. “I’m adopted.” Before JJ can probe that further, Will turns to Artemis. “You don’t think your dad…” 

She shakes her head. “No. He’s fucked up, but he takes family seriously. I told you about how he was when I- needed workers comp.” 

This is perhaps the first time JJ’s heard Artemis speak about her father. It surprises her that the words are vaguely nice.

“Would he know Lian’s routine?” Emily asks. 

The pair stews on this for a moment. “No,” Artemis decides. “Even if he tried to stalk her, he’d be blocked.” 

“How?” 

“I have a friend in Gotham who teaches courses on cyber security and online safety. She’s locked down any available information about Lian.”

“Lian’s not even in her yearbook,” Will adds. “We don’t have any social media to post about her on, nor would we. Her birth records are in another state and all her doctor's visits, immunizations, and dental appointments are done in Star City. Aside from school enrollment, she doesn’t exist in Virginia.” 

That’s… too much, JJ decides. She loves her sons, she loves them endlessly and irrationally. And she has enemies. She’s been abducted and tortured because of her work. Not once has she thought to erase her sons’ lives from public scrutiny. To eliminate a pressure point that could be used to exploit her. 

“Are you able to contact your father?” Emily asks. It’s too soon to jump to conclusions, but a man who prizes family being cut off from a granddaughter is a reasonable lead to follow. 

“Maybe,” Artemis admits. “I’d need to- check something first.”

Δ Δ Δ

From: Venture Security <[email protected]>
Sent: 20 minutes ago
To: Lana Holmes <[email protected]>
Subject: Venture Security Patch Update Available

Dear Customer,

Our records indicate that the software of your Venture Security Camera installed at your residence is out of date. Out of date software can result in lapses in recording, poorer recording quality, and missed security concerns. Please update with the attached software at your earliest convenience.

Thank you,
Andrea @ Venture Security

Attached: <<20240912-softwarepatch.cs>>
  ‣ Download <<20240906-softwarepatch.cs>>? YES NO
    ↳ Trust New Download?  YES NO
      ↳ Initializing… <<thirdeye.exe>>

Δ Δ Δ

Luke and Tara trudge up from the bullpen with no leads from the sex offenders a few minutes later. It’s decided that, while the city sleeps, JJ and Luke will canvas the park where Lian was abducted. They discuss the case tnhe drive over, but neither makes a connection meaningful enough to call the team. Mostly, they stew in the worry of a part of their family being taken. 

JJ sighs as she steps out into the parking lot. She clicks on her flashlight a moment after Luke. 

Her teammate is a tracker by nature, used to working off the smallest knowledge available to find the people he’s changed with locating. 

JJ, on the other hand, is a social investigator. She knows people—how they interact, how they react. Between the two of them, they should be able to figure out how Lian was taken out of the park with no one the wiser. 

Luke motions to a camera on the backdoor of a nearby house. JJ nods, texting the address to Penelope. Sometimes, homeowners and security companies will comply with law enforcement requests to view recorded footage. Sometimes, Pen takes things into her own hands. 

The couple lamps in the parking lot don’t cover the grassy field where Lian’s team would have practiced. 

Luke points out the flattened circles where the coach put down cones to note the goals. JJ pictures where the parents would have stood, where the players would have flopped down in the grass. 

They work in silence to start, neither wanting to interrupt the process of the other. In tandem, they make their way to the playground. 

Mulch has been freshly kicked up around the edges, but Luke shakes his head when she gestures at it. The footprints are too small, he indicates a small mud stain to the side. Not their unsub. 

The swings sway slightly in the wind, no creaking. She frowns at the baby swing, knowing there’s something off about it, but not yet able to place it. Instead, JJ thinks about the boys climbing on the equipment here. If they’d first go to the steering wheel on the far end or the twisty slide in clear view of the field. 

She’s only met Lian a couple times, but the girl is the definition of audacious. Never afraid to speak her mind. There isn’t a shy bone in her body. She hasn’t heard of caution. 

The top of the monkey bars have smears of dirt on them. When she points this out to Luke, he nods grimly. “Cleat marks,” he says quietly. “Lian was playing here.”

“A parent would keep an eye on her while she was in a dangerous spot.” Her gaze is pulled to the unoccupied swing set.

Luke agrees with a quiet hum. He pretends to climb the bars, mindful of the scant remaining physical evidence. He levers himself up onto the platform, crouching down at an approximation of Lian’s height. JJ walks back toward where she imagines the parents standing around after practice. She can just barely make out the top of Luke’s head. Lian would be even shorter. 

There’s a tic-tac-toe board blocking off part of the ‘tunnel’ below the playset. From where she stands, an abductor would be completely out of view. 

“That’s it,” she calls to Luke. 

He nods in agreement. WIth one last sweep of the playset with his flashlight, he takes a photo of something with his phone, then they set out toward the treeline. 

Δ Δ Δ

Pinging whereswaldo.exe

Subjects…

Z-04

Initializing thirdeye.exe

Enter Subjects…

Z-04

Set parameters…

Feed ▸ Venture Security Model No. 341 Unit No. 002432439

Timestamps ▸ 09-06-2024 00:01 - present

…

…

…

Δ Δ Δ

Luke leads her toward the tree line. His flashlight darts across the grass in precise movements, noting abnormalities JJ could only guess at. 

Instead, she occupies her mind with how an abductor would get Lian across this open field without anyone noticing and without Lian calling for help. 

Her instincts again tell her that this would only happen with someone Lian already knows. A parent or grandparent. 

It strikes her that a lost dog ruse wouldn’t work on Lian simply because the girl is too willing to help. She’d immediately track down another adult to demand that they call animal control or the pound in case the dog had already been picked up. 

“These are Lian’s movements,” Luke informs her quietly. The edge of the small, overgrown collection of trees is only a few yards away. “She’s moving without duress. It looks like she was running.” 

“She wasn’t afraid,” JJ agrees. “She knew who she was going to.” 

Luke shines his light into the tree line. Nothing stands out to JJ, but he sucks in a breath. “She thought she did.” He points to a small sapling that’s been snapped in half. “Someone grabbed her and ran.” He carefully pushes into the brambles. 

JJ follows. “They were waiting for her.” A stack of rocks moved out of the way and the imprint of a three-pronged chair. 

They make it to the other side of the unkempt forest. Tire tracks.

Δ Δ Δ

open: encrypted_line_B-07:B-16; priority:yellow

Δ Δ Δ

Holding her tablet to her chest like a shield, Penelope is speaking quickly when Luke and JJ re-enter the conference room. As expected, Pen’s been frazzled all evening. Every minute that slips by without a lead is another minute closer to Lian disappearing for good. 

On the big screen, different tire treads flash as the software aims to match the tracks they found at the park to a type of vehicle. 

Their technical analyst is the best in the business and she can work through most heart pounding crises. An abduction of a teammate’s child is quite close to her undoing. 

“I’ve checked the financials of all of Oliver Queen’s business associates and the executive suite of the other companies in Queen Industries’ field.” She balances the tablet over the top of a large caffeinated tea. “The only hinky thing I could find is that Bruce Wayne recently dropped from billionaire status to multi-millionaire, but he does that every couple of years because he thinks he should be taxed more.”

“A corporate ransomer would have reached out by now,” Emily agrees. It’s been just over five hours since Lian was last seen. “For now, let’s focus our energies elsewhere."

“We could not be more in tune if an instrument tech had just gotten their hands on us,” Penelope answers in a rush. “I then looked through all the open contracts with Bowhunter Security. Nothing stood out there either. I ran a quick facial recognition on my Sworn Enemies of the BAU database that I whipped up from scratch today and definitely haven’t been maintaining since the At-Cay Adams-Yay, Indsey-Lay Aughn-Vay incident. No one’s appearing in the area.” She sucks in a deep breath. 

“That doesn’t necessarily rule anyone out,” Artemis argues. 

The words are directed at Will who rubs his brow. “I know you don’t think it’s professional, but we need to consider-”

“No,” she interrupts. “No, we would know. We’ve- If it were light or- or shadow related, we would know. We’ve worked too hard to not know.” 

JJ imagines that there is a lot more meaning behind those words than she’s gleaning. Once again, she’s struck with how little she knows about her teammate. 

Luke slides his phone across the desk. It looks like a smear of dirt off the heel of a shoe, but as Luke explains, she sees it. Mud finger painted on the side of the play structure. A grinning smile with cat ears pointing up. 

“The Cheshire cat,” Artemis says quietly as she looks at the photo on Luke’s phone. She shakes her head. “But that doesn’t make sense.”

“Cheshire did escape your custody,” Emily states soothingly. “It may be she’s taunting you.”

“No,” Artemis snaps. “I know-” 

“Cheshire isn’t like that,” Will says quietly. 

JJ frowns hard. She talks about cases to her own Will. Her partner is a detective and even he doesn’t make broad statements about unsubs he hasn’t met. 

“Will,” Artemis says warningly. 

“It’s my ID,” he insists. Will turns back to the team. He studies each of them for a long moment. JJ’s testified before members of Congress and lied to terrorists as they tortured her. Nothing compares to the sharpness of Will’s gaze. “I was the vigilante known as Red Arrow.” 

Δ Δ Δ

Initializing thirdeye.exe

…

…

…

Δ Δ Δ

“Garcia,” Emily says blankly. “Scramble all recording devices in the room. We’ve had some technical difficulties.” 

“On it,” the technical analyst responds, equally quiet. 

JJ, along with her other teammates, turn to Will. “Explain,” Emily instructs. 

The former vigilante keeps it brief. How he met Green Arrow, how he struck out on his own after learning about the Justice League’s intent to keep him from the real deal. How he got in a bad way, met Cheshire, went on some missions with her. How he cleaned himself up after Lian was born. 

He’s careful to keep any hints at all other vigilante’s secret identities out of his story. 

Throughout it, JJ keeps her eyes on Artemis’ face. The woman doesn’t look surprised in the slightest. 

“Cheshire wouldn’t take Lian,” he repeats. 

Artemis was the one in the van with Cheshire when the assassin escaped. Did she…?

“Even the worst of the worst know that vigilante children are off-limits. And Cheshire is far from the worst.” 

The thousands of questions running through JJ’s heads are interrupted by Artemis’ phone ringing. 

Δ Δ Δ

open: encrypted_line_B-07:B-16; priority:RED
  ↳ push call? YES NO

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“I’m at work,” Artemis states in a warning tone. It sets JJ’s teeth on edge. Artemis knew about Will’s past, knew about his relationship with Cheshire. The military sign and the coded words. 

Her child is missing but she prioritizes maintaining Will’s double life over Lian’s safety. 

She frowns at whatever she’s hearing. “I know it wasn’t- I see.” She listens a moment longer, then hangs up without a goodbye. 

“Cheshire is in Qurac right now,” she states flatly. Her anger has been reignited and it simmers close to the surface. “The person in the park—the person that Lian saw wasn’t Cheshire. It has to be someone who knows her MO. Someone from the League.”

JJ suspects she isn't referring to the Justice League here. 

“It’s not a sanctioned mission,” Will argues. “O would know about it.”

“A defector? Someone who-” 

“Why would Lian go with Cheshire?” JJ interrupts. Her heart is pounding with their rapid deductions. There’s something vitally important that she’s missing. Even with Will’s vigilante past, Lian shouldn’t know—shouldn’t trust—an international contract killer. “How would she even recognize that mask?” 

The in-laws share a look. Artemis’s steely eyes flash out at the group, a dare. “Cheshire is Lian’s mom. My sister.”