Hello everyone.
Sorry it's been a while. This is for Dick Grayson's birthday in the comics (21st March). You will have to read to figure out what will happen today.
Sorry for OOCness, spelling and grammar mistakes and I don't own anything.
In my mind Robin is turning 14 as this is set around the first year after season 1.
This is sort of Artemis' point of view.
Barbra is in training to be Batgirl so she knows about the team.
Warning: mentions of abuse. Bullying.
No offense to any rich people intended.
Anyway hope you enjoy.
Robyn out.
Happy Birthday (We'll Laugh About This Some Day)
It started with Richard 'Dick' Grayson. The weird kid in her year that was two years younger. He was a mathlete and genius (not that she would ever tell him that), they weren't friends but they knew of each others existence, acquaintances she guessed would be the best term to describe their friendship. Though she had always felt a weird urge to protect the little brat, like a big sister to a little brother.
According to Bette, her only true friend here at Gotham Academy it was Grayson's birthday tonight and to celebrate his foster father the famous Bruce Wayne was having a party for the upper class and other selected guests. Unfortunately she was one of these selected guests as she was only in Gotham Academy because of the Wayne Foundation.
The usual upside to these dreadful parties was Bette's presence but this time she was being dragged away for a family emergency which was why she was in this situation in the first place.
Artemis could only spend so much time with the snobbish brats that inhabited the school so as soon as the lunch bell had rung she had disappeared outside round the back of the school to get some fresh air and peace.
When she arrived she found that she wasn't the only one with the idea. Grayson and his only friend at GA, Barbra Gordon, were perched on a bench that over time had been covered in graffiti by rebellious, but still rich, teenagers.
They seemed to be having a very animated whispered conversation. Hands were waving and pointed looks were being exchanged. Need for fresh air forgotten, Artemis sneaked forward and hid behind a nearby bin. Her curiosity had taken over and she was leaning forward straining to hear what they were saying.
"... I know Bruce cares, I understand that he had a reputation to uphold but does he really need my birthday as an excuse to maintain it. Especially as the guests are all rich snobs who only care about money. It doesn't help that you're leaving me alone." Dick whined frustrated.
"You know I'm sorry but I can't make it but at least Artemis will be going as well." Barbra tried to reason with the upset birthday boy.
Artemis leaned even closer curious about what Grayson would say about her.
"No offense to her but she's not going to be any help. Rich snobs rip people like her to shreds." Grayson snorted.
"You mean people like you, people who are given charity." Barbra smirked.
"That's not the same. I know how to deal with the gossip and all the rumours they spread. She's still not very used to surviving those as-"
"Dick!"
"Absolute idiots. That is definitely what I was going to say. Completely. 100%."
A comfortable silence descended, but before Artemis could decide whether to be insulted or not Barbra broke the silence.
"How's the team? Are you ever going to tell them?"
"Babs! You know we're not supposed to talk about our...extracurricular activities in public."
"Hypocrite!" Barbra scoffed.
"Hey! I'm not that bad." Grayson protested.
The pair were about to continue their conversation when they heard a crash. They turned around in sync to see the bin nearest the bench on its side on the ground.
"See Babs, someone was listening in. What if you had given everything away?" Grayson shifted nervously tugging on his school uniform.
"Chill, there's no one here." Barbra replied before shivering, a cool breeze had appeared in the afternoon air. "Let's go back inside, it's cold out here."
With that final statement the pair went back into the warmth of the school building.
A few metres away Artemis lay on her side deep breathing around a corner. She had leaned forward to much knocking the bin over and only just managed to roll over before the pair had looked behind them to find the source of the crash.
Artemis lay there for the rest of lunch trying figure out what Barbra had meant by extracurricular activities.
Later thst night at the party Artemis unconsciously tugged on her knee high silver dress, hating its restriction and lack of pockets. The only thing she was grateful for was the flat shoes.
She hated how she was being forced to go to this stupid party full of rich snobs especially with the curious conversation from lunch time. With a long drawn out sigh she moved forward to the edge of the party. Leaning slightly against a wall next to an arched doorway.
Artemis didn't like the fact she was alone at the stupid party. She had already heard people gossiping and commenting on her dress and shoes and lack of make up and the old classic of her charity case status.
The only reason she was here was because her mom had forced her to go, with the reasoning that Grayson was her classmate and she should wish him a happy birthday.
Her plan was to stay on the outskirts of the party talk when needed and then disappear as soon as she could.
She quickly scanned the room to see if she was safe for now. Rich snob there, less rich more snob over there and oh, the Drakes. Artemis found the oldest Drakes annoying especially as they kept insulting her but their little boy Tim was just adorable. She knew that Dick sometimes babysat for them when they went away as they loved right next door.
They were chatting to Lucius Fox, Bruce Wayne's business manager. She had only met him once but he seemed like a nice guy.
Bruce Wayne himself was trapped in a heard of rich snobs only to be saved by clumsy reporter Clark Kent. She snorted to herself, wasn't it a bit rude to have a reporter at your foster son's birthday. It seemed that maybe Grayson did have a great reason for whining to Barbre earlier at lunch time. She turned back to the wall.
With nothing to distract her Artemis' mind wandered back to the conversation at lunch. What had they meant by extracurricular activities and telling them? Tell who what? The only team she knew he was apart of were the mathletes.
A quite thud drew her out of her thoughts. A quick look around showed that no one else had heard it or at the least were ignoring it.
She shrugged and continued thinking.
Thud! There it was again. She looked around once more trying to find the source this time. Nothing there, nothing over there and even more nothing.
Thud! Where was it coming from? Then a light bulb switched on above her head. The arched doorway. It was coming through there. She was the closest and she could barely hear it so people further away wouldn't have ben able to hear it even if th had cared.
She turned and sneaked into the dark corridor only relaxing when the party was quite a small distance behind. A series of doors led off from the corridor, confusing Artemis on she should enter.
Then she saw it. Golden light Peking out from under a door to her left. She crept up and put her eye to the key whole on the door hoping to discover what was going on.
She didn't like what she saw. Some older boys from a few years above who we tee here with their parents had cleary cornered then dragged Grayson into this room. He was stuck in the corner arms raised to try and protect him from the merciless punches the group of boys were throwing.
To make it worse they kept shouting insults at him.
"You no good gypsy brat!"
"You should've died with your dirty thieving family!"
"Did you cry when they fell you baby?!"
"Oh is the little baby sad?!"
"Rot in hell circus brat!"
"Charity case!"
"Little bas-"
It was at that moment Artemis burst through the door screaming insults at the boys. They jumped at the right of her and swiftly raced from the scene of the crime.
As soon as they were gone she closed the door again and strolled over next to Grays- Dick. She sat down next to him as he gently took his hands away from his face.
His arms, body and legs were beaten black and blue. Tears were running down his face.
"Hey Dick, I'm not going to hurt you." She said as calmly as she could muster with the anger she was feeling towards those boys for beating Dick up on his birthday.
"Thanks Arty." He sniffles and for once she was willing to let the nickname go, just this once.
"You shouldn't let them get to you." As much as the physical bruises hurricane knewknew the verbal ones were worse.
"I don't usually it's just harder around my birthday." Dick replied like he was in a trance, she remembered Bette saying something about a bad past but she was ashamed to say she didn't know the exact details, only that he was in the circus and after his parents died Mr Wayne took him in.
"What happened? I mean - oh sorry you don't have to answer that." Artemis quickly tried to back peddle.
"It's okay. People say it helps talking about it.b When I was six I lived in Haley's International Circus with my parents, aunt, uncle and cousin. We were the Flying Graysons best trapeze artists in the world.A week after my birthday, we were performing in Gotham. It was supposed to be my first show. Haley got threatened by a mob boss but he refused to help him so later that day he came back and sabotaged our wires. During the show the wires snapped and my mum, dad, aunt and cousin fell to their deaths. My uncle was left in a coma for a few years before passing away." He took. a deep breath before continuing.
"I was then sent to Child Protection Services and it was decided that I couldn't stay with the circus. There were no orphanages left so I was sent to Juvenile Detention Hall, kid prison. There I was beaten everyday by both kids and adults. I was still learning English at this point as it wasn't my first language. A few months later Bruce fostered me. Well that's my story." Dick finished his story.
Artemis knew it was bad but that was horrible. Being beaten for months in end when you were six was horrific and something no one should endure. Unfortunately many people did.
"Thank you for telling me." Artemis announced gently.
"It's okay Arty thanks for listening." Dick sat up and moved to the door. "Oh and Artemis I know it was you who overheard Barbra and I at lunch, so not asterous by the way. I have five words for you. We'll laugh about this someday." Dick swiftly left the room cleaning his tears from his face.
Suddenly the dots connected. The team. Telling them. Everything.
"Wait! Get back here you little brat!"
That was how Artemis discovered Robin's Identity. She only realised that she had forgotten to wish him a happy birthday the next day and when his families' death anniversary came around she sat with Wally and Roy helping him through it. He w as after all her little brother no matter how annoying he was.
And finished.
Hope you enjoyed that.
Again sorry if anyone was offended by anything, I really hope not.
Robyn out.