A/N: Okay guys, this is my first story, and its a young justice AU. I'd like to mention that the ages here are a bit different then from the show, for everything to make sense, and there are some comic book elements that are added in there :) Dick, Barbara and Artemis are all 17 and attend Gotham. Conner is also 17, M'gann is 16, and they both attend happy harbour, a high school just outside Gotham city. Tim is 15, and also goes to Gotham. I really hope you like, and review and comment :D
CHAPTER 1
Richard Grayson was just leaving Gotham Academy when his cell phone buzzed in his uniform pocket. He slid the phone into his hand, and checked the contact. Babs. He groaned inwardly, and mentally changed course, slowing his pace as he did. He'd forgotten they had been planning to meet- Artemis had something she wanted to talk about, and M'gann needed some people to test out her new cookie recipe on. Richard- Dick- had had mathletes practice after school, and had forgotten about the meet-up. It wasn't that he didn't like seeing his friends, or anything. He just wasn't really feelin' the aster.
As he walked, Dick tried to remember when he had gained so many friends. Not that three was really a lot or anything, but he was used to being alone most of the time. Ofcourse, he and Barbara Gordon- Babs- had been close for as far back as he could remember, but she qualified more as his sister then his friend. The other two; M'gann and Artemis, were newer acquaintances, but he supposed they counted as friends.
It was about a year ago that Dick had met M'gann, and had been compelled to start acting socially. A work colleague of his fathers- a diplomat from some unpronounceably European city- had recently come into custody of his niece, who had stowed away on his private jet last time he had visited. He hadn't initially recognised her name (or those of her parents), but he had admired her spunk and drive, and reasoned that there was a fair chance they were related. M'gann was ecstatic in her new life in America, a country of which she had always dreamed. In her hometown, the stony treatment and even abuse she received because of her lower social standing led her to have quite a miserable childhood. She found hope and solace in the American sit-coms her TV broadcast, even picking up the language over the years, so much so that Dick could only distinguish a slight accent when she was thoroughly frazzled. When she heard a wealthy and distant uncle J'onn was visiting from the US, she knew it was her chance to get out.
Though she was happy with her new life, she wasn't the most socially adjusted individual. She had managed, through good looks, perkiness and flexibility, to make her new schools cheerleading team, and had also found a deeply loving boyfriend (who actually happened to be best friends with Dicks younger brother-small world, eh?) but she still lacked a real connection with most other kids.
This is where Dick and Babs came in. They weren't "most other kids". Bruce- Dicks father- knew this of course, and when he introduced the three, M'gann found the connection she has lacked with the other school kids.
Dick liked M'gann. She was happy and bubbly and the sweetest person he had ever met. It gave him comfort to know that she still managed to be so lovely after an unpleasant past, and on her entering their small friend group, he realised how much he had needed somebody other than Barbara to talk to sometimes.
He scanned his phone again for new messages, as well as the time, and vaguely wondered what Artemis wanted to discuss. He pursed his lips when he realised he was going to have to take a bus to avoid being late (and consequently yelled at). As he boarded, and deposited his fare, the teen mused over whether you could find anyone so startlingly opposite of M'gann Morse than Artemis Crock.
Artemis was blunt bordering on rude, and a stone cold bitch. That's probably why, at the start of the school year, Barbara had taken such a shining to her. She has only been part of the group for 4 months, but it already felt like she was a long-time member, and she had even taken Dick into her confidence far enough to admit how she had gotten into Gotham Academy. She wasn't exactly of the same socio-economic class as most of the kids who went to Gotham cities most expensive and prestigious high school, her and her mum getting by solely on a scanty disability pension.
When she was a small girl, 9 years old, her mother was arrested and sentenced to 6 years in prison. Within a few days of the arrest her older sister Jade was gone, her parting words alluding to how she couldn't live with her dad. Artemis' father was also a criminal, and though Artemis didn't offer any details on that period of her life, Dick gathered that it wasn't her happiest time. Through the abusive and neglectful childhood years, there was perhaps only one thing that kept her going: Archery. And with archery came Oliver Queen. Oliver was a private I investigating the crime surrounding her family, as by this point Jade had also started her own shady way of making ends meet. He tried to help her, offered social workers and counselling sessions, but all this fell into un-wanting hands. That is, until he enrolled her in archery.
She hadn't wanted to go, at first. She had bad memories, what with her father teaching her how to use a bow and arrow when she was younger. Oliver had promised he would stop pestering her about counselling if she went, because as well as being a talented archer himself, he thought the interaction with kids her own age, as well as the use of her aggression in the positive outlet of sports, would be good for her. As it happened, she had taken to the sport like a drowning man to air. Dick couldn't get many words from her about the experience, but the look in her eyes as she mentioned her first positive encounter with archery, well… it made him feel slightly uncomfortable, since he had never felt that strongly about anything. Not even mathletes. To get on with the story, Artemis had quickly excelled at the sport, and was found good enough to compete at various levels. Oliver Queen came to the events, and even drove her to and from practice when he was free, acting more like a dad then her own father ever had. That summer, Artemis had competed at a prestigious nationwide competition, which Oliver attended with his wealthy business colleague and friend, Bruce Wayne.
And that's how Artemis came to be at Gotham. By this point in her life, her mum had finally gotten out of prison, and her dad had promptly left, without a backwards glance. She had been suspended form her school for setting a group of lockers on fire, and was planning on getting a fulltime job when the letter had come. Her mother wept and insisted she attend, and, well… the next four months were history.
Richard pressed a button to signal his stop was the next, and pushed off the bus. After a few blocks he stopped in-front of a smallish brick building, spray painted teal and with a black metal 'book antiqua' sign proclaiming it to be "Mount Justice". He adjusted his collar and opened the door.