"He's gone. You can come back in, guys."

Wally and Kaldur reentered the room. "What are we going to tell the team?" Wally asked.

The computerized voice announced the arrival of Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis.

"The universe just hates me today," Ruby muttered. She looked at the boys. "You two get to tell them. I'm going to go check on Robin."

"Tell them what?!" Wally asked.

"The truth."

Wally turned back around and saw Artemis standing there, arms crossed, tapping her foot.
"The truth about what, Wally? And why does Robin need checking on?"

He laughed nervously. "Well, it's kind of my fault..."

Ruby heard Artemis from the hallway. She was exceedingly glad that Wally and Kaldur were handling it. In this situation she was more scared of the team than she was of Batman. A single angry adult she could handle. But three angry teenagers? Two of which had superpowers? There was just no way that would end well.
She sat down in the chair that Batman had recently vacated and waited for the team to come find her.
As it turned out, they didn't have to.

"How dare you hurt him?!" M'gann's mental scream of rage made Ruby wince and cover her ears. Robin stirred on the bed.

"M'gann," Ruby growled, "Either cut Robin out of the link right now or shut up!"

"Why should I?"

"Because he's sleeping! Or he was, until you started shouting in our heads. I think you made my ears bleed."

There was a pause and Robin's half awake thoughts vanished from their minds. Since the shouting had stopped he drifted back to sleep.

"Thank you, Megan. The more sleep he gets the sooner he'll be back to full strength."

"You're welcome. But why did you hurt him?"

"Oh M'gann. I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't want this. It kills me to see him in pain like this. Especially since I know exactly how it feels. I had now way of knowing this would exactly would you have wanted me to do? Never let anyone touch me? I can't live like that. Could you?"

"Well... No."

"The marking is only supposed to happen with one... Particular person. I didn't think that person could be Robin."

"She is right, M'gann." Aqualad's voice cut in. "Even I did not consider it a possibility."

Superboy was shocked. "You mean you knew about all this? And you didn't tell us?"

"He's an Atlantean," Ruby told them. "Solaria is a sister country to Atlantis and the two nations have always been on good terms with each other. I felt safe telling him who I am. And I absolutely refused to let him tell anyone else. Batman knew as well, but he's the only surface dweller I told. I didn't even tell Kaldur's mentor."

"You didn't tell me everything," Aqualad reminded her. "I was informed that you were just another member of the court. Not that you're the Princess Regalia."

"It's not exactly something I like to advertise. Not when I can help it. I have enough problems without letting people know that I'm the rebel princess. Besides, I never did like court."

Artemis sighed over the link. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"For the same reasons you didn't tell me about being Sportsmaster's daughter until you had to. I was scared. Scared of what you would say and do if you found out. Scared I would lose my home. Scared you wouldn't want me as a friend anymore."

"We will always want to be your friends." Kaldur's voice was reassuring. "And you will always be ours."

"Yeah, Rubes," Wally told her, "You heard Robin earlier. This whole mermaid thing is totally awesome."

Artemis asked the question on everyone's minds. "Can we see him?"

Ruby hesitated. "Not right now. You might wake him. Later, I promise. In the meantime... Maybe I could show you my tail?"

"We would be honored," said M'gann.