I am so sorry this is as late as it is. Life kind of got in the way. Anyway here is the final Chapter! I almost broke it down into 2 but I thought that would be unnecessary. Anyway thank you everyone for all your support I really appreciate all of it. I hope you enjoy!


Bruce lead him through the Zeta Tube back to the cave. Dick watched as he pulled his cowl back and glanced down at him. He grinned up trying to bring a smile to his mentors face.

No luck.

He debated breaking the silence first. Thankfully Alfred was the one to do it.

"Shall I get your evening snack ready sirs?"

Bruce frowned, big surprise, turning to Alfred.

"There was an... insident at the cave Alfred."

"How concerting. Shall I give Master Dick a once over then?"

"Please."

His shoulders slumped. He just wanted to eat something and go to bed!

Alfred set up and waited patiently for him to comply. Dick took his seat, prepared but frustrated. Surprising both Dick and Alfred, Bruce sat down silently next to him.

He zoned in and out answering questions when necessary but regardless of blacking out when he'd been hit with the water he was exhausted and was fighting to stay awake.

"Are you ok?"

"Hm?"

"Are you alright? I was...worried...about you," Bruce asked.

Dick stifled a yawn and nodded.

"Are you sure Master Dick?"

"Yeah Alfie, I'm fine."


Alfred finished up the last of his checkup.

"That you are. He is right as rain master Bruce."

Bruce watched as Dick's closed refusing to open and he slumped forward fast asleep. He made eye contact with Alfred and smiled scooping him up into his arms to take him to bed.

"Green Arrow to Batman, Arrow to Batman."

"What do you want Queen?" He growled.

"Now isn't that a pretty picture," Oliver Queen said appearing on the screen.

Bruce shifted Dick so he could better glare back at him.

"Is the sidekick all tuckered out?"

"Drowning does do that to a person."

Oliver grimaced, hopefully feeling guilty for his comment.

"Anyway, I just wanted to check in and uh...well I kind of wanted to talk to the kid actually."

Bruce considered for a minute. Dick was already fast asleep and he didn't want to wake him but Oliver wouldn't call if he didn't have a reason.

Alfred didn't let him make a choice. He'd already started shaking Dick awake.

Bruce plopped a groggy Dick down in the chair in front of the computer, glad he was going to wait to remove his mask, and waited quietly.

"Hm? Where?"

"Robin, Green Arrow would like a word with you."

"Hello," he said unsure what else to do.

"I'm going to be real kid. You know about the situation between myself and my niece I assume?"

Dick looked over at him for instructions. He made the decision early on to keep Dick informed. He didn't want to keep information from him, especially if that information could potentially put him at risk. He nodded at both Dick and Oliver that it was alright to proceed.

"And they said I was too forward keeping Roy as informed."

"Artemis' situation could potentially put Robin and the other team members at risk. If it turns out that she is in fact a double agent he should be aware."

"Fair enough. Speaking of Artemis though I think she's a little shaken up by this whole thing. Unlike Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad she hasn't had the years of experience they have. I do believe this is the first time she's ever truly fought someone out of their league and it's upset her."

"So you want me to go and talk to her about it?"

"Hey kid you're like her, no super powers. I think it would be better coming from you than anyone else on the team. Plus from what she's shared I believe you where there most of the time with her."

Dick nodded. Bruce knew he'd agree. Since the other side kicks started showing up he had started acting as the unofficial ambassador.

"Alright kid, thanks."

Dick clicked the screen off and peeled his mask off. Dark circles were already forming under his eyes. He needed to get him to bed so he could rest.

"Time to get to bed," he said.

Dick nodded. Alfred did not let him leave the cave in his uniform. He was forced to change and sent up to get that much needed rest.

Bruce was left, as per his usual preference, alone to mull everything over. This wasn't a situation he had planned for. He needed to get better. More contingencies.

As if in a state of madness he worked and continued to work until well after Dick had come back to say good morning.


Wally wasn't his usual self. He had seemed fine in the presence of the team but as soon as the zeta tube powered down and they were home he went into himself. Barry was worried.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem-"

"I am."

In the past he would have shrugged it off and waited for Wally to come to him. It hadn't worked then so he wouldn't waste his time with it now.

"Wally."

"I'm-"

"I'm not finished!"

Wally stared at him shocked. The following silence was what he had intended but a small pang of guilt welled up inside him.

"You were fine back there but suddenly now you're all quiet and withdrawn. So let's talk about it. You were kind of kidnapped again. This is the first time since, you know. How are you actually feeling?"

"I'm actually fine. Tired, wanting to go to sleep but fine."

"Not entirely. What's up kid?"

Wally stomped over to the couch and dropped to down. This was going to be a tough one.

"I just want to go to bed Uncle Barry!"

He wasn't yelling at him, he was whining.

"I'll let you go to bed but you gotta give me something."

As if a switch was flipped Wally stopped looking around and whining. He sat up straight and patted the spot next to him. It was quite mature of him actually.

"Ok let's do this," Wally said.

Barry took the seat next to him. He waited patiently. It wouldn't need very much prompting now.

"I'm actually ok. That wasn't a lie. I mean yeah there were a few flashbacks and a few moments of panic but I'm not still caught up in it like last time. I'm actually ok."

"But?"

"But as I was sitting there stuck in that metal I realised that everything was going to come back to that. I kept thinking is this happening again and is this as bad as that time."

"How did you calm down?"

"Once or twice I thought Uncle Barry is coming but I also realised, on the way home, that it wasn't how I was going to grow. I can't rely on you to come zipping in whenever I'm in trouble. I want to be able to save myself."

He leaned over grabbing him into a tight hug. "You are growing Kid. I'm proud of you."

"This thing is going to hang over my head forever isn't it?"

Barry nodded letting him go.

"How can I get over it?"

"We all remember our first big scare. You've already moved on, now you remember. Because the first big scare is also the first big lesson. We learn so it doesn't happen again."

Wally smiled. Barry wanted to pull him into another hug but wasn't sure if it would be welcome. To his pleasant surprise Wally initiated the hug and then jumped up to his feet.

"I am finally going to bed."

"Ok Kid."

"Night Uncle B."

"G'night Wally."


After Dick had gone to bed Bruce spent some of that time he was planning to keep the team safe talking with Oliver. He had been serious about wanting Artemis to speak with Dick. They set the times up. Artemis would meet up with them while out on a patrol the next night. Everything had been set in place and Dick had been informed.

It didn't stop Bruce from being irritated while they waited at the rendezvous point.

Dick had been excited at the aspect of speaking with Artemis. He was hoping that maybe she'd open up to him. He already knew everything about her but it would still be nice hearing it from her.

"She's coming right?"

"Yes Robin," Bruce said.

He laughed. He couldn't help himself. It always amused him to hear Bruce exasperated. He was annoying him with his pestering him but rather than snapping, like he'd do to anyone else, he just humours him. He and Alfred were probably the only 2 that were every privileged enough to see the softer side of him.

On cue Artemis and Green Arrow stepped out from behind a wall.

If had been him and Batman they would have melted out from the shadows but who was judging.

"Let's leave the kids to play shall we Bats?"

No one was impressed with that statement. Green Arrow, Oliver, caught on.

Dick knew the identities of a good portion of the league. Bruce shared any identities of the members who had openly shared theirs with him. He always said that if they trusted Bruce with their identities that he should be able to trust them to protect Dick if anything ever happened. He was always instructed to go to one of them if something happened. Much like how a parent teaches their child to go to their neighbours for safety.

However most of those same people don't know his identity. Bruce has his own warped sense of trust and loyalty. But Dick was one of the few he'd let in.

Bruce dragged Oliver away so Artemis and Dick could talk.

Out of danger he had the time to think his responses through. He didn't need to keep worrying about how they were going to get out, "just deal and get the mission done" wasn't going to help her.

"How did you get used to it?"

He was a little relieved she broke the silence. It would be easier if she told him what she needed to hear.

"I was specifically trained for this. Batman prepared me."

"That doesn't help."

He knew that. It wasn't her fault that she hadn't gone through the same training. She knew how to fight, she knew how to kill and she knew how to break into places but she did not know how to fight against someone with super powers. Assassins were rarely sent after super heroes. He wasn't entirely sure what to tell her with the limited knowledge he's supposed to have of her.

"See the thing about the whole sidekick stint is that we had to prove to our mentors that we were able to do it in the first place. We were made very aware of the risks, all of them, and we were tested until our mentors felt we were ready. I'm not sure how to help you here Artemis. I'm not even sure Green Arrow is the right one to help you with this but I can tell you 1 thing; Being without super powers doesn't hold us back, it makes us better. We have to work harder and fight harder than any of them will ever have to just to keep up. We are stronger in our own ways."

She didn't look as convinced as he was hoping. Frankly he felt that she, M'gann and Conner could all use some further training. They were all untrained and unprepared. He would speak to Bruce about it later.

Artemis only asked a few more questions. He could tell by her body language that she was not completely satisfied with their conversation but he wasn't sure what else he could say. He told her as much about his training as he felt Bruce would be comfortable with and hinted that he knew she wasn't related to Oliver. Just enough she knew he was suspicious but not enough to make her suspicious.

He didn't know what her next steps were but he suspected she would have to make some real decisions. It's hard when you realise that you could be swatted like a fly at any moment. That is the moment she'll have to make the real decision about whether this is something she wants or not.


Artemis returned to Oliver's side. He was a full disclosure kind of mentor but he hadn't prepared her nearly enough. He kept making the mistake of thinking that she already knew everything. Or she kept making the mistake of making him think she knew everything. The fact is that she had thought she knew everything.

All she ever wanted was to be different. She didn't want to follow in her families footsteps. All it had ever done was tear her family apart. She wanted to be more than their legacy.


And that is the end. I really hope you guys liked it. I know it went a little too far into the story but for me I really thought there was so much more to explore. Anyway thank you again for everything and I really appreciate all the support.