Episode 7: Depths
Takes place on March 18 - 20
The episode opens up with a civilian clothed Wally watching the news. The political pundit G. Gordon Godfrey exposits about the imminent launching of a Earth-Mars communication satellite, showing how despite the current invasion, the government and the league are going out of their way to communicate with extraterrestrials. He is not happy.
Neither is Wally, as his scowl can attest. When Artemis comes out, he says as much. It seems that Artemis has been asked back onto the Team for a mission, and Artemis is adamant that a) Wally did the same thing a couple weeks ago and b) they need her. Besides, "You're freaking out over nothing. What could go wrong?"
Cut to Cape Canaveral, March 19th. Nightwing is desperately performing CPR on Artemis's fallen body. "She's dead."
The episode cuts back to earlier in the day. We discover that the team is needed to act as defenders against the launch of the Earth-Mars satellite. Superboy and Miss Martian patrol the skies disguised as Superman and the Martian Manhunter, unwilling to let the heroes' leave of absence go public. This is much to the annoyance of Lagoon Boy, who's patrolling the waters alone. On land Artemis and Nightwing act as a final line of defense.
As they wait, the characters have heart to hearts. Dick and Artemis discuss the former's return to crime-fighting, and how Wally's afraid she'll be unwilling to give it up. Lagoon Boy fumes about being without his girlfriend. Megan gets annoyed at how Connor can't even seem to act civil around him; Superboy retaliates by asking how she could abuse her powers. Megan thinks he's overreacting, until he brings up the fact that when Superboy found out, she tried to alter his mind so he'd forget he'd ever been angry at her.
Then Black Manta's forces attack.
Lagoon Boy and Miss Martian (now in mermaid form) try to hold off the underwater attacks while the troops advance onto the shore. Caught by enemy fire Nightwing and Artemis are stuck on the same side as the space craft; when it prepares to go into an early take-off, they know they have to escape, or get caught in the blast. Eventually they use a flare-arrow to blind the troops, giving them an opening.
The attackers shoot missile after missile at the space-craft, with Superboy and Miss Martian deflecting them as their non-powered friends attack the troops. They're doing well, but there are just too many. In all the confusion, Lagoon Boy gets captured.
Kaldur decides to go into the fight himself. Artemis and Nightwing try to convince him otherwise, but his mind is made up. With the force of water, he rides into battle.
Too late. The rocket takes off.
Not giving up, Kaldur shoots one last missile. With a well aimed shot, Artemis destroys it with her own exploding arrow... prompting Kaldur to attack. Nightwing springs to her defense, but the older Kaldur gets the upper-hand. He disarms Artemis of her bow, so they fight hand-to-hand. He morphs his water from hammers into a sharp blade, and stabs her straight to the stomach. She falls, gasping in pain. Kaldur hisses, "Welcome back."
Aqualad then gives the signal to retreat, for the mission has failed. But then, somehow... the rocket explodes anyway. Nightwing desperately tries to revive Artemis, but it's no use. Her chest is stained with blood, and Superboy can't hear her heart beat. She's dead.
On Black Manta's boat, Kaldur's father congratulates his son on a job well done. Killing a former-team-mate, completing the mission. Kaldur admits he didn't succeed; he hadn't planted the final bomb. Black Manta admitted that he did, to see if Kaldur would take credit for an achievement that was not his own. He did not, and showed he could take failure, and so passed his final test. Black Manta says how proud he is of him.
That's not the end, however. While the Team mourns, Nightwing goes to tell Wally... at least, that's what he says. He's actually waiting in a warehouse. It turns out that Artemis isn't really dead. Her death was faked. But that means...
...Kaldur never actually changed sides.
With Aqualad and Wally watching, Nightwing presents Artemis with a magical necklace. To them, she still looks the same, but to anyone else, she looks and sounds completely different. Artemis and Wally have time for a heartfelt farewell before she leaves with Aqualad to infiltrate the Light...
Notes:
- Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan's love interest and occasional member of the Star Sapphires, makes her Young Justice debut in this episode as a member of Ferris Aircraft's Earth-Mars communication satellite project.
- Lagoon Boy becomes a captive of the Light and their partner.
- Roy Harper I (Speedy) and Bart Allen (Impulse) are mentioned as future responsibilities/recruits of the Team.
