Disclaimer: I own the computer I typed this drabble on. I do not own the places or people I wrote about.

Note: This takes place in the aftermath of "Homefront."

Warning: My writing style has changed and improved through the course of this drabble series, so the earlier chapters are not as good as the later ones.


Empowered


After the Red Tornado family scare, Robin approached Artemis and challenged her to a spar. Her immediate reaction: choking on her bottle of water, was a result of her shock and disbelief. Seriously, were all forms of liquid H2O plotting to kill her today? Her younger teammate remained unfazed, clapping her back sympathetically as she coughed and sputtered, but Artemis just didn't understand why he was asking her.

She was by no means the best at hand-to-hand or the toughest fighter on the Team, and in the Cave, Robin had built himself a reputation of training alone or only fighting with the best.

In her moment of hesitation, he cleared his throat and asked, "Traught? Or not?"

Like a combination to a lock, his words settled into the crevices of her mind. And suddenly, she understood.

They sparred once a week at first. After the Team tracked down Red Tornado and destroyed T. O. Morrow's android, they started training together on a triweekly basis. The frequency of their spars increased until it got to the point that the first thing they would do when they Zeta-beamed into the Cave was make a beeline for the training room. If they didn't have an immediate assignment or team meeting to attend, they would spar for at least 45 minutes.

At the end of each furious bout of hand-to-hand combat, the Dark Knight's squire and his archer teammate would wear matching sheens of sweat and endorphin-charged grins. Wordlessly, the two would part to hit the showers and then returned to heroics as usual.

They were perfectly suited to be partners because they shared a common goal: to be extraordinary in a group of super-humans. To make up for their ordinariness with speed, agility, sagacity, and persistence.

They knew what it was like to be powerless.


A.N. As always, review if you want more!