Title: Not Really Fair
Summary: '"It's not fair really, is it?" Nightwing whispered finally. "She has a larger memorial up front when she isn't even really dead."' Loosely based on an image released for 'Satisfaction'. Please read/review!
Characters: Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Conner Kent/Superboy, M'gann M'orzz/Miss Martian
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, slight Family
Pairing: Slight SuperMartian, implied big brother!Dick
A/N: NEW EPISODE TOMORROW! :D I can't wait! Especially since a few images have been released! And guess who has a memorial in one of them? Robin. Not Dick. Not Tim. JAYBIRD! *fanbird shriek* So this little one-shot is based on that. I'll probably write something for Timmy, too, but I really wanted to write the original three who are still there. :) Enjoy!
The original members were there alone.
The ones who were still a part of the team, anyways. Wally had flat-out refused to come anywhere near Mount Justice since her death. No one was quite sure if he wanted anything to do with any of them. There was some quiet debate on whether he put all the blame on Kaldur or if he considered Nightwing to be just as guilty. Either way, he wasn't speaking to any of them.
M'gann cried into Conner's shoulder. Artemis was her best friend—her sister, practically. And even if La'gaan could be a jerk, she knew that he had good intentions when it came down to it. He was a good person. He just…got frustrated easily. And now Artemis was dead and La'gaan was captured, most likely dead… She broke down crying again, her fingers closing tightly around the material of Conner's shirt.
Conner held her closely. He knew that if it were solely about Artemis, it would be La'gaan comforting her now, not him. In other situations, he might even be a bit smug that M'gann came to him instead of the Atlantean. But not now. Because Artemis was dead, too. When Artemis had 'died' during training five years ago, it'd be different. The team had been needed by so many people, with the Justice League 'dead'. Practically being Superman…it'd been a distraction. Now, though, things were relatively quiet. No distractions this time around. And he hated it.
"We did everything we could." That was Nightwing. He'd been standing further behind them, quiet the same way he had been since the mission. Even now, his voice was soft. "And we will get La'gaan back."
"And Artemis? You have a plan to bring her back, too?" Conner shouldn't have even thought the words. Saying them aloud was a thousand times worse, but they just slipped out. Guilt crashed over him instantly. Nightwing was already silently blaming himself for what'd happened, and this definitely was not going to help that in any way, shape, or form.
Sure enough, for a second, Nightwing looked like Conner had thrown a brick into his stomach. Then his shoulders fell, a look of resignation filling his face. "No matter how much anyone may wish it, you can't bring back the dead," he said quietly.
"Nightwing—I—"
"You don't have to apologize, Conner." Nightwing stared past the memorial that had been put up for Artemis, pain slipping through the cracks in the attempted mask over his tone. "It's a fact."
'We should let him be alone.' Conner didn't need M'gann's voice in his head to tell him that.
"We'll be outside, all right?" he said. "Just call if you need something." Nightwing nodded, his eyes still slightly unfocused behind his mask.
When his teammates were gone, Nightwing finally moved. He went straight past the memorial for Artemis to the one behind and to the right of hers instead. This one was smaller, a holographic image of a dark-haired boy wearing a brightly-colored uniform and a cocky expression. Not arrogant, but a touch of overconfidence definitely graced his features. Nightwing stared at the memorial long enough that he lost track of the minutes. Eventually, he reached up and touched the boy's shoulder, like his gloved fingers would meet flesh instead of just a hologram.
"It's not fair really, is it?" Nightwing whispered finally. "She has a larger memorial up front when she isn't even really dead."
He was the only one there who knew Artemis was alive, but that didn't mean he wasn't mourning. The original six members of the team were much more of a family than the newer generation was; being the way he was, he would've no doubt mourned simply because the others were, even knowing the truth. But that wasn't why he was so affected by the act that Artemis was dead. It was because of the previous death—the death in the family. Jason…
"Do me a favor, little wing?" Nightwing said softly. "Keep an eye on everyone. I know it's kind of a hard task to ask of anyone who isn't B, but…well, you've got a better shot at it than I do." He glanced at the memorial for Artemis again before looking back at his little brother's. "Thanks, Jaybird," he said quietly, letting his hand drop to his side and leaving to be with the team. After all, they needed him to be there. He was the leader, not to mention one of the three there who knew—or, to the extent of everyone else's knowledge, had known—Artemis the best.
"We'll laugh about this someday," he muttered, pushing his hair back. "Right…" He glanced over his shoulder at the memorial to Jason Todd, the second Robin, and raised his eyebrows. "Maybe you would've, huh, Jay? Let's just hope the others are…willing to laugh it off. Still…if you've got a minute…I know it's supposed to be a big brother's job to look out for the little brother. But…well, our ultimate Big Brother is on the other side of the universe, so…I'm already busy watching everybody else's back, so if you could keep an eye on mine, I'd appreciate it." A small smile crossed Nightwing's face for a moment. "Thanks, little bro."
A/N: …so much longer than I originally intended… Ah well, that's a good thing. :D I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review, and everybody enjoy 'Satisfaction' tomorrow!