Chapter 1 Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Artemis' PoV

Gotham City was hands down one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Sure you had your druglords, your gangs, and your run of the mill thugs, but Gotham City seemed to be the home to some of the craziest criminals that the world couldn't even begin to comprehend. However, I would meet Joker, the Clowned Prince of Crime, any night rather than the man who kept a bat's eye view over the entire city. Crossing The Dark Knight was practically begging to spend the next few years in Arkham Asylum. Crossing Batman by injuring his partner signed your own death warrant.

Which would beg the question why I was up here, on top of Wayne Enterprises, letting the wind whip my long blond hair against my bare arms, crouching behind the raven haired sidekick. He seemed pathetic as he sat on the roof in front of me, his ankles and wrists tied together behind his back as he balanced only on the balls of his feet. The wind caused him to waver in his precarious position on the edge of the roof. I could see his jaw clench tightly as the muscles in his leg tensed to help stable his balance.

"I trusted you!" The Boy Wonder bellowed at me, his usually calm and light demeanor corrupted by rage and hate. I quickly gagged his screaming tongue, not wanting to alert daddy bats. His eyes narrowed through his domino mask as I walked around in front of him.

"Your mistake, young Robin," my father cackled beside me as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I cocked an arrow in my treasured bow, taking aim through one open eye, raising the tip until it was level with his throat. "Let's end this Artemis before the rest of the Junior Justice League show up." I watched Sportsmaster in my peripherals until he disappeared into Wayne Industries to steal the new nanotechnology. When the door closed my eyes focused completely on Robin who was careful not to struggle as one wrong move could send him over the edge of the skyscraper.

"There's just one more thing I wanted to do," I smirked, placing the arrow back in my quiver and my bow over my shoulder. I knelt down in front of Robin, my smirk widening so much that my eyes showed curiosity and expectation. I reached up, biting my lip I fingered the edges of the black domino mask before ripping it harshly away from the soft skin.

I was rooted to the spot as his eyes met mine. Cold, so cold were the blue eyes that glared back at me, a red ring forming on the skin that had become irritated from the ripping of the fabric. The goosebumps on my skin raised higher than ever as a chill went down my spine, freezing me to the bone. My smirk faltered.

"Richard?" I breathed silently. My friend, my only real friend who I shouldn't have had to worry about betraying. One I had come to rely on, when I knew I was fooling everyone else. I'd never even suspected.

"Artemis?" I turned slowly, uncertainty and disbelief ringing loudly in my ears from the voice of the newcomer. Wally West, team flirt, residential speedster and all around general good guy, stood by the door that led back into the building that Sportsmaster had entered a few minutes before. His face was a mask of confusion as his eyes darted from me, then to Richard. "What are you doing?" His was barely loud enough for me to hear as I jumped up beside Robin on the edge of the roof.

"Souvenir," I frowned, glancing back at the mask in my hand, squeezing it tightly before sliding it into a pocket on my belt. "Make a choice," I ordered, nudging the Boy Wonder over the side of the building.

Though both of our movements were quick, time seemed to stand still, making this the longest three seconds of my life. Pulling out a grappling hook, I aimed at the building behind me and fired. Over my shoulder, Wally crouched and took off toward me, turning into a red and yellow blur. I kicked off hard, the wind whistling in my ears as I flew through the air. I tucked and rolled as I landed on the next roof. Taking off as soon as my feet had touched, I fought the urge to watch what I hoped was the rescue going on behind me.

-

Robin's PoV

"Robin!" Wally screamed, his green eyes meeting mine before running to the edge I had just vacated. I could see him running down the ladder of the fire escape on this side of the building, the metal slowing his progress. Although I knew Wally was fast, I couldn't count on him to be fast enough to find some way to stop my fall.

I pulled a knife from the inside of my gloves and quickly cut through the rope that held my wrists and ankles together. As I swung my arms under my feet, a shadow to my left caught my attention. I immediately raised my arms above my head just as a black kevlar glove circled around my wrists. I grunted in response to my body changing directions so quickly. My savior let go of his grappling hook and we flipped through the air, my landing on the street wobbly. A blur of yellow and red slid gracefully to a stop in front of me, but I barely noticed my best friend.

"What happened? What's wrong with Artemis?" Wally's words came out too fast for anyone who wasn't used to him speaking. I didn't answer as I walked towards my savior, my eyes were trained on the tall figure dressed in all black who'd miraculously saved me in the nick of time.

"You got caught," the Dark Knight scolded his back turned to me as he scanned the tall buildings. "I told you not to trust anyone."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I grumbled, rubbing my chest. Pulling the spare mask from my utility belt, I slid it on quietly. "Batman?" I asked. Even though he didn't turn around, I knew he was listening. I ran my hand through my hair, pulling on the ends as I took a deep breath. "What does this mean, for us?" I asked. Robin's identity revealed meant a short jump to Batman's true identity.

"I don't know," came the honest reply. "We just have to wait."

Closing my eyes, I rubbed my chest that ached with pain from betrayal and the dread of losing the line between Richard Grayson and Robin, The Boy Wonder.