Die a Hero

by J. B. Fawling

Robin is the Boy Wonder, Batman's protegee, member of the "Junior Justice League" and kickass superhero. Dick Grayson is the adopted son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, brother to four younger siblings, math whiz-kid, community service volunteer and all-around Golden Child. It's everything he ever wanted to be. Too bad he's also a liar, a thief and a secret mercenary-in-training.

45. Chapter 45

CW: Violence, gore, minor character deaths.

AN: Welcome back! When we left off, Dick agreed to come on a job with Slade, some disturbing discoveries were made when Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman went back to Slade's old hideout, and there was quite a bit of fallout from the attempted hostile takeover of the League. But don't worry, I'm sure things are going to get better for everyone (wink). Without further ado, enjoy!

---

Dick Grayson

Blüdhaven

---

"Get into position," Slade orders over the earpiece. I glance through the window into the warehouse decorated as a makeshift ballroom, checking to make sure that the room is empty of guards. Inside it's pitch black. Tarps have been pulled over all the windows, except for the hidden section Slade cut away the first time he came to case it.

My hand runs over the seam of my full-face mask, checking for the fiftieth time that everything is still in place. The night air raises goosebumps along the back of my neck, the only part of my body not covered with body armor or a mask. I pull the back of the mask lower even though it's just going to bunch up again later. My back presses against the stucco, the synthetic Kevlar snagging against the rough surface of the wall.

The second-floor ledge overlooks the harbor. The water looks cold and green and dirty, even this late at night. There's an underwater propulsion scooter tethered to the sea floor and a rebreather at my back. Plan F is to dive for the scooter from the ledge.

Plan R is the same, except I'm supposed to dive from the roof.

I look into the warehouse again.

Moonlight leaks through the window just enough to see a steel support column with interlocking beams running from the imported Columbian hardwood floor to the vaulted ceiling. I pull out my steel buck knife and cut one of the large panes out of the window, making a hole big enough to squeeze through. I tuck the knife back into its pouch and lower the pane to the ground carefully.

Planting one foot on the window ledge, I launch myself towards the column. My hands close around the bars and my feet swing up to find footholds. Climbing the rest of the way up into the rafters is easier than swinging on the monkey bars even without any light to see.

I reach the rafters and hook my arms around the vertical beams. I pick my way carefully along the ceiling, climbing to the spot just to the left of the room's center. I pull myself higher to where the I-beams and the trusses form an x, readjusting my grip so that both hands and feet are braced against the support beams.

I reach down and twist, turning over in midair so that my body is parallel to the ground and my head dangles towards the floor. There's nothing between me and a three-story drop. A grappling gun would make this so much easier… And safer.

Imagine that; everything Slade put me through, it ends with me breaking my neck by slipping off the ceiling supports. An ironic snort escapes before the moment comes hurtling back to me. I'm still hanging upside down high above the ground and I still have a job to do.

I lower my stomach towards the I-beam while sliding backwards so that there are trusses on either side and the corners of the roof slope in on me. I hook my feet around two beams to anchor myself and take a deep breath, shifting the rest of my weight onto my stomach.

Then I pull out the sniper rifle on my back and pull the strap under my arm to secure it. I slide the night vision scope into place and lower my head, staring through the sights at the tiny x-mark scratched into the floor.

"In position," I report. I'm balancing on my stomach and my elbows on an I-beam suspended forty feet in the air in almost total darkness. My feet and the sides of the roof above me are the only things holding me in place.

I missed this.

Being in the air and in complete control of myself. It's been… a very long time since I could even pretend to have that.

Spurts of gunfire break out in the distance. I tighten my grip on the gun and wait. The sounds quickly get closer before being joined by shouting men and barking dogs. The warehouse is suddenly illuminated as an explosion rocks the ground, blasting some unlucky landscaping into dust.

I start counting.

…58…59…60.

Right on time.

A man crashes through the warehouse door, allowing dim light to spill inside the entry. He gasps for air, loading a new magazine into his 10mm pistol. He points a steady hand towards the door; I raise my rifle and aim at his chest.

Eight guards come charging in after him, still firing through the open door. Slade's shot rips through the first one's skull, dropping him to the ground before he has time to scream. Shots two and three hit the second guard in the stomach and forehead. From above, it looks like his internal organs decided to explode.

I focus on keeping the target in my sights. The fury in his face and the dying screams that rip through the warehouse tell me everything I need to know.

Then silence.

Footsteps ring against the imported hardwood. The contractor who installed it is the (very) newly-widowed Helena Reyes, who owns a small but lucrative business that furnishes events for clients with dirty money. The tables, chairs and silverware were provided by Moreno Catering, the owner of which is now short a brother.

"You're a dead man!" the target screams, rage bursting through every word. He flips one of the tables, sending glassware and china shooting into the air as the bulky flower arrangement crashes to the ground. He ducks behind the table and two guards appear at his side.

The knot in my stomach loosens. Slade didn't kill them all.

Yet.

My stomach churns and I tighten my grip on the gun. I have to get through this.

I have to.

My vantage point gives me a perfect view as Slade fires three shots through the table, hitting the guard on the right squarely through the throat. He falls forwards, grabbing at the bullet wound to try to apply pressure but the pool of blood forms around him too quickly.

The last guard doesn't waste any time. He springs out from behind cover and fires machine guns from both hands, driving Slade behind a stack of audio equipment. He doesn't stop firing until he's emptied both magazines, then he grabs another machine gun off the ground where a fallen guard dropped it.

Slade lets out a grunt of pain and the target grins manically, emerging victoriously from behind the fallen table.

"It's over," the guard shouts, "Come take your death like a man."

"Now." Slade orders over the radio. I flip the catch and the laser sight turns on. A bright red dot appears on the target's chest.

"Maxwell!" He shouts in alarm and the guard whirls around. The second he does, Slade fires a headshot dead center, and then we're alone with the target.

The target drops his gun and raises his arms in the air.

Slade emerges from behind the audio equipment and moves towards the target like he has all the time in the world.

He has nine minutes. The guards radio in every ten and Slade jammed the frequency so none of them could call for backup on their walkie-talkies. We're too far away from the main house for anyone to have heard the minor explosions or gunfire, especially with the loud music coming from inside the house.

"Enrique Sánchez. Es un placer conocerlo."

"Métetelo por el culo, puto." The target spits back. I wish I didn't speak Spanish. I really, really, really don't want to think about Slade sticking anything up his… ugh.

"We can do this the easy way, or I can blast a hole in your skull and see if your daughter is any more willing to listen to reason."

"Stay away from my daughter or I swear I will rip your limbs off your body and feed them to you!" Sánchez rages, spit flying from his mouth. I keep the laser sight focused on the center of his chest and he takes the hint not to move.

"Very well. I'll say this simply. You're going to scale back all of your operations in Blüdhaven. Drugs, weapons, money-laundering, embezzlement, all of it. I don't care where you move to, as long as you get out."

Sánchez snorts, shaking his head.

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll kill you and make the same offer to your daughter. If she refuses, I go to her brothers. Then I go to the next in line. And so on until there are none of you Colombian pigs left in this country."

Sánchez levels a glare at Slade that would melt steel, but beneath the rage, he's considering the threat carefully.

"I'm going to need an answer quickly," Slade pulls a remote detonator out of his pocket. A timer counts down from 5:00 in bright red numbers, "The house is rigged to blow. It would be such a shame to interrupt the pre-wedding festivities."

"What?!" I hiss over the comm link. I almost lose my grip on the rifle and the dot shakes. Slade ignores me and my heart starts racing. Watching the guards die was bad enough, even knowing that every one of them was wanted for several counts of aggravated assault and manslaughter. They were armed and prepared to die to protect their boss. But the explosion will kill everyone in the house. Pillai Sánchez, the target's only daughter, is marrying an oncologist from Vietnam with no mob ties or criminal record. Most of the guests here tonight are their friends from medical school or the groom's family.

The target's eyes widen and his posture deflates.

"Stop the timer." He spits, "I'll do it."

Slade presses the button and the numbers are replaced by "Disarmed." He pockets the detonator and nods. I flip the catch again and disable the laser sight.

"Good choice. Any of your runners still working will be dead by Monday," He promises.

Over the comm, he hisses, "Go."

I sling the rifle over my shoulder and pull myself forwards, grabbing onto the I-beams on either side. I silently pull myself up towards the ceiling. I hook my legs around two beams while my hands feel along the ceiling in the darkness. I find the edge of the partially-obscured skylight and push up on the latch. It opens, flooding the warehouse with a stream of moonlight and I move quickly now that my position is visible.

Guards are emerging from the main house now by the time I climb through the hole and clamber onto the roof; they're accompanied by loud profanities and barking dogs. Already, three of my exit points are compromised and the other ones are closing fast. I can't get to the garage entrance, or to Sánchez's chopper. Slade's going to be mad if I ruin the gun (even if it is just a glorified laser pointer). But he'll be madder if I let myself get killed.

Plan R it is.

I take three steps and launch myself off the roof into the harbor.

---

Selina Kyle

The Batcave

---

Selina's footsteps echoed off the Batcave's walls and mixed in with the three voices that were arguing furiously.

"I don't care what their record is, you're not using them!" Wonder Woman snapped.

"What about the team that covered you at the Symposium in Metropolis? They were very good from what I remember." Superman broke in and Batman grunted.

"Agean Security. I've set up a meeting with them tomorrow morning for an emergency consultation."

"What's going on?" Selina asked, looking between Superman and Wonder Woman. They were staring at Batman, matching frowns set into their faces. Selina's stomach curled; whatever was going on, it was nothing good. And given how horrific the last few surprises had been, it seemed like a safe bet to expect the worst.

Again.

"The kids need bodyguards, a team at each of their schools and additional security for the manor. I need a team on each of them at all times. None of them are ever out of sight, we can't leave them vulnerable." Batman informed her without looking up, a furious scowl on his face as he stared at the files spread out on the table between them. Selina blinked.

"Bodyguards?" She repeated, distantly aware that her mouth was practically hanging open. A huff of air escaped her, the laugh somewhere between incredulous and horrified. "Bruce, you can't have teams of trained agents running around the manor."

"That's inconsequential."

"Inconse— what the hell are you talking about? Bruce, where is this coming from?"

Batman stiffened, his shoulders rising defensively. Selina stepped close enough to put a hand on his cheek and quietly but firmly said, "Bruce. What happened?"

"I—" Bruce hesitated, before his shoulders dropped. A tremor ran through his body; Selina would have missed it if her hand still wasn't on his face and that sent a shock of cold water through her body. She had never, ever seen him this shaken, not even after Dick disappeared and he'd locked himself in the Batcave for a week. "I went back to Wilson's hideout."

"Oh." The words hit like a punch in the stomach and Selina couldn't look away from Bruce's face.

"Gordon contacted me, he said that something wasn't adding up about Dick's case. The FBI took everything and then a few weeks after that the CIA commandeered every last scrap of paper they had left. I thought Wilson's hideout might have some answer, but it was just bait. The whole thing was perfectly staged, just waiting for me to find. And to top it off, we're no closer to figuring out what the CIA's involvement is than before. "

Selina hesitated before steeling herself.

"What did you find?"

"This is all my fault. All of it."

"No. Bruce, no. I know how you're feeling right now but you cannot convince yourself that this was your fault. Deathstroke is the only one to blame."

Batman slammed his fist against the table, sending papers flying.

"There's always more!" He roared. "Every single time I think this can't get any fucking worse, there's always more! More ways that I fucked up, that I let that bastard hurt my family!"

"Tell me." Selina said, forcing her voice to stay calm and steady.

"He brought Dick home."

"Home where?"

"Dick missed Stephanie's recital. He was being tortured the entire day and all I saw was him safe and sound in bed. Wilson was here."

"Here? You mean… in the manor?"

"Yes."

"Wilson was in the manor?!"

"He wasn't bluffing." Bruce forced the words out through clenched teeth, rage burning in his eyes. "He hurt him, Selina. He's been… I can't… he's been so far ahead for so long. He… here."

Selina accepted the photos and her stomach revolted the second she had. It was sheer force of will that stopped her from vomiting on the cave floor. Wonder Woman reached out a strong hand to steady her, and Selina looked at the Amazon.

"I know. It's not easy to look at." Selina had never heard as much venom in Wonder Woman's voice, not even when she, Superman and Black Canary had accused her of being the mole. Selina wanted to be sick, she wanted to put on her claws and rip Wilson apart for what he'd done, but she couldn't. Bruce needed her right now and that was more important.

"This is what he did to him when nothing he did could leave a mark. He's had Dick for three months! For all we know, he's been torturing him day and night and we can't find him! I am doing everything I can to find him but Wilson knows EXACTLY HOW TO HIDE. And even if we ever do find him… Wilson's had his claws in him for years. He might… we can't be sure that…" Bruce's hands shook and his gaze moved back to the Batcomputer screens. The same screens that had been reviewing security footage of every single one of Renegade's appearances for three months. "You didn't see him that night. He knew how far ahead… Dick knew that I didn't know a thing. He gave up."

"It's Dick." Selina said. "He's the most stubborn person I've ever met. He's not going to give up."

"He already has."

"No." Selina snapped. "He hasn't."

"This is all my fault. I never should have let him be Robin."

"Bruce." Selina said sharply. "That wasn't your choice and you know it. Dick snuck out and went looking for Zucco on his own."

But Bruce wasn't listening, he was too caught up in his own head. And the pictures he was still staring at like it would kill him if looked away for even a second.

"I should've… I should've—"

"Should've what? Sent him back to the orphanage? Let them throw him back into juvie?! You saved each other. You gave him a home and the two of you built a family, it is not your fault that Wilson took it away from him. Do you understand that? You did the very best that you could; just the fact that Dick fought so hard for so many years to keep it hidden shows how much this family means to him. He knew this would happen if you ever found out. Dick did everything he could to keep Wilson from taking him away."

Bruce didn't move, but Superman frowned and nodded his head. Selina took that as a cue to keep going.

"And all the fighting and the tension, you know why it happened now. Dick was terrified that you would find out because he KNEW that meant he would lose it all. He knows how much you care about him. He does. Because no matter how bad things got, you never abandoned him. Yes, we could have handled some things better. But it wasn't just your decision to keep our relationship secret from him. I should have explained everything to him before Wilson had a chance to use it all against us. I didn't, and I take responsibility for that. But you cannot forget that this is only happening because of Wilson. He is a monster and we going to find Dick and bring him home."

Selina reached for the pictures, gently tugging them away. Bruce let them go and she tilted his chin up so that he could look her in the eyes.

"This doesn't change anything." Selina said carefully. "There's nothing you found here that you didn't already know."

"How can you say that?!"

"Because it's true. And yes. The pictures… that makes it worse. But it doesn't change anything and you know it. You need to breathe. This is not the time to make rash decisions."

Wonder Woman stepped forward and Selina moved back to give her space.

"Bruce, I know that you're scared but Selina is right. You can't have security running around the manor."

"I can't leave the kids undefended."

"Of course not. But I have a better idea."

A look passed between Bruce and Diana that Selina had no idea how to interpret.

"She'd be happy to do it. Besides, I hear she's been talking about leaving home and seeing the world."

Bruce's hands curled into fists and he looked down at the table before letting out a sharp exhale.

"Okay." He said. Diana put a hand on his shoulder. Bruce didn't speak; his gaze was fixed on the pictures in front of him and as desperately as Selina wanted to force him to put it down, Bruce was too stubborn for that to have any hope of working. Instead, she turned to Clark, who looked more worn-down and exhausted than she'd ever seen him.

She couldn't imagine what he was feeling right now. Superman had all the power in the world; it wasn't often he felt as helpless as the rest of them mere mortals. Selina had no idea what to possibly say to him, so instead she asked, "Are you staying for dinner?"

"I can't. I need to get back to New York for the closing session." Superman said.

Right. Selina let out a breath. The special session at the UN. The one to rule on Superman's fate for inadvertently putting the entire planet in the path of complete annihilation.

"It wasn't your fault."

Superman gave her a pained smile.

"I appreciate your support, Selina. But this… I might not have been the one in control, but I still did it. Bruce, call me if you need anything."

"I need to go as well. The League is in disarray and we're still in the process of vetting the new members. And we still need to plan the funeral." Wonder Woman bowed her head solemnly and Superman's jaw tightened. Selina winced, squeezing Bruce's hand. "I'll go make arrangements back home. She'll be happy to do it, I know she will."

"Thank you." Bruce said.

Wonder Woman hesitated before placing her hands on Selina's arms. "I owe you an apology, Selina. I should not have jumped to conclusions about you. I am so sorry."

"Don't apologize." Selina frowned. "You were looking out for Dick, and the three of you were the only ones that realized something was wrong."

Wonder Woman nodded, her face softening as tears welled up in her eyes. Something passed between them as Diana squeezed her arms once.

"Take care of him." Diana whispered.

"Of course."

As the Amazon departed, Bruce dropped his head in his hands and let out a long, shaky breath. He was barely holding himself together by a thread and it broke Selina's heart to see it.

"Let's go upstairs." Selina said gently, taking Bruce's hand and squeezing softly. "I'm sure the kids are hungry."

---

Dick Grayson

New York City

---

My hair is finally dry by the time Slade parks the car in the empty garage underneath the building and turns off the engine. I get out and the second my shoes touch the concrete, I feel dizzy. And not just because the water in the harbor was absolutely disgusting and it'll be a miracle if I don't contract some gross disease.

It's been ten days since Slade handcuffed me to the seat before driving to the middle of nowhere as a test. Nine days since I passed Slade's test. Eight days of Slade treating me like an actual human being after ninety days of being locked up and isolated and driven insane from the loneliness and the boredom and the guilt.

And now I'm carrying a duffel bag of clothes and an even bigger gear bag on my shoulder and following Slade to the elevator. He murdered eight people right in front of me, maybe more during his escape, threatened to blow up an entire houseful of innocent bystanders, and blackmailed the head of a literal mob at gunpoint. And I helped him do all of it.

I should feel sick. At the very least I should be horrified. And I am. I think I am. But… every single person in that warehouse had a rap sheet long enough for twenty-five to life. Every single one of them hurt innocent people. They were all bad people.

Slade killed them but… they all knew the risks of what they did. And if Sánchez keeps his word, mob activity in Blüdhaven is about to drop in a big way. That'll make life safer for everyone and fewer civilians in harm's way is a good thing. It is.

My stomach churns violently and I almost drop the duffel bag. Slade looks down sharply, the look in his eye a little too knowing.

"How are you doing?" Slade asks. A chill runs down my spine and the parts of my brain scrambling to rationalize the things I did tonight grind to a halt. There's nothing innocent in the question. I can't lie to him. Slade knows I'm not fine; I've seen him cataloguing every single move I've made since he dragged me out of the harbor and threw me a towel. He'll know if I'm lying to him.

But I can't tell the truth either. If I tell him that there's a single strand of self-control holding me together, that I CANNOT stop to actually acknowledge the answer, well… no. I've given up so much to get here, I am not losing it all now.

I inhale slowly; somewhere my brain catalogues that I can't feel my toes and my heart is pounding in my chest too fast to make deep breaths possible and I know Slade asked me a question but I can't move my tongue or open my mouth and—

Slade's hand lands on my shoulder. The touch is firm and his palm is a warm weight on my arm.

"Breathe." Slade says calmly. "You're done. You did your job exactly right. You did a good job, and you're done for now. Just breathe."

Tears are leaking from my eyes by the time I nod, but Slade doesn't say anything. He doesn't move his hand either and that shouldn't help. It really shouldn't. But it does.

By the time the elevator stops and the doors open, my heartbeat has gone back to something survivable. By the time Slade opens the door to the armory, I've wiped my eyes and I feel like I can actually breathe.

Slade dumps his gear bag and starts unloading weapons for cleaning. I somehow managed to hold onto the rifle during my swim in the harbor and water leaks out when I set it on the table. I get to work cleaning it and pretty soon I'm lost in the motions.

Slade sat down at some point and the two of us work in silence for a while.

"Can I have the-"

Slade passes me the bottle of cleaning solvent without me needing to finish the quesiton.

"Thanks."

I've done these motions so many times now I barely think about it. Slide open the barrel, drag the cloth through, wipe it down, clean it, put it back together and pick up the next one. It's kind of relaxing?

As much as I hate guns, this part really isn't so bad. It's the one thing I can do right now without worrying that I'll mess it up. Even with Slade watching me without even trying to pretend he isn't.

"At the risk of triggering another panic," Slade begins and my back tenses as a reflex. "It's been a long week so I'd prefer to skip the physical examination if it's not necessary. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." I answer immediately.

"Any injuries?"

"No."

"No stray gunshot wounds you've been hiding?"

"No!"

"Stomach ache? Swallow any contaminated water while you were on your swim?"

"No. I feel fine, Slade, I promise."

"Good. Then before I forget, here." Slade holds out a thick envelope. I set down the disassembled pistol I'm working on and reach my hand out slowly.

"What is it?"

"For Sánchez."

"What?"

"Just open it."

Keeping one eyebrow raised in confusion, I tear the envelope open. Inside, there's a stack of cash. The envelope falls out of my hand and whacks against the table; it's at least five hundred dollars in cash.

"Uh… Slade? What is this?"

Slade raises an eyebrow, looking incredibly unimpressed.

"It's a pile of cash, what does it look like?"

Instead of rising to the bait, I stare at the stack of money like it's going to burst into flames at any second.

"Why did you give me this?"

"It's your cut."

"My what?"

Slade raises his eyebrows at me, his eye crinkling in amusement. "You didn't think I wouldn't pay you for your work, did you?"

"Uh…" I blink slowly, glancing around the armory to look at the security cameras and electronic locks on the door. Just because they're not against me right now doesn't mean they can't be with the push of a single button. "That is definitely what I thought."

Slade snorts. "Well, you've earned it."

The genuine praise brings a warm feeling to my chest. But then I remember the gunshots and the blood splatters and all the people who never made it out of the warehouse.

"I don't want it."

"By all means, you don't have to take it," Slade shrugs. He doesn't make any move to take the envelope back, and I look down at it again.

This is physical proof of what I did in the warehouse, of what I saw and what I didn't try to stop. People are dead and I could have stopped it. But I didn't. Just looking at the envelope makes my stomach churn.

But… what Slade said is still true. It doesn't matter how; I earned this money.

"What do I even do with this?" I ask slowly.

"Buy things."

"Where am I supposed to do that?"

Slade crosses his arms and raises a pointed eyebrow.

"I hate to point out the obvious but we are in Manhattan…"

My head snaps up.

"What?!"

Slade raises both eyebrows and dips his chin a little, making me feel like a complete idiot but I still ask, "I can go outside?"

He inclines his head slowly in response.

My heartbeat is pounding in my ears and the sudden blood rush makes me feel giddy, and a little dizzy. I try to stop myself from grinning like an idiot, but I'm just too excited.

Outside! To the real world!

"Is there a catch?"

"This may shock you, but there's not. Enjoy yourself, be back here before nine."

"Nine?" I repeat, trying not to sound too crushed. That's only two hours from now! I know two hours is still a lot of time but I really thought… when he said there wasn't a catch… I should have known better.

Slade clearly sees the disappointment on my face and I brace myself for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it'll be a snide comment about me being unappreciative and I'll lose all of—

"Nine pm." Slade corrects. "You have the whole day. And that curfew is only because we have an early flight tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" My stomach clenches. "Is it… is it another mission?"

"Have you ever been to Nanda Parbat?"

Oh. Oh shit.

"Don't worry about that now. Enjoy yourself. You've earned it."

With that, Slade heads out of the room, leaving me alone in the armory. I go through the rest of the motions on autopilot, finishing up the rest of the cleaning and maintenance before heading for the elevator. I make it to the ninth floor before I realize I left the envelope with the cash back in the armory.

For a second, I consider just leaving it there. It's bloody money. I don't want it.

But I do.

And if I'm that careless with it, Slade will never give me anything else.

The armory is unlocked when I get back, and the envelope full of cash is sitting on the table next to a bottle of cleaning solvent and a stack of clean rags, exactly where I left it. I don't know which of those things surprises me the most. I'm still not used to having unlocked doors.

Instead of letting myself spend another second on that train of thought, I grab the money and head upstairs to my apartment.

It's almost seven in the morning and I've been up all night. Before that, I was running on about five hours of sleep. I should go to bed; Slade promised this offer doesn't have a time limit. But then I look at my bed, then at the blue sky outside the window, and there's no way in hell that I can wait another second.

I grab my blue hoodie from the dresser, throw on a pair of sneakers and carefully pull a few twenties out of the envelope.

Sixty bucks isn't a lot of money. Not compared to the rest of the pile of cash stuffed inside the bursting envelope, not compared to the amount of money that Slade actually made on that job, and definitely not when compared to the limitless expense account Bruce set up for me.

But I have sixty dollars in non-sequential, non-traceable, cold hard cash. I can use it to buy anything I want and no one will ever know who bought it or where the money came from.

My heart is pounding as I stick the money in the pocket of my sweater along with my iPod and then head out the door of my apartment. The hallway leading to the elevator has never felt longer, and when I push the button to call the elevator, my heart skips a beat when the button lights up.

It feels like forever before the bell dings and the doors slowly slide open, and my pulse skyrockets when I step inside. This can't be real. It has to be a trick somehow. There's no way Slade meant it, at any second now, alarms are going to go off and the building is going to go into lockdown and Slade will laugh that it was all just another test and I failed, that he can't believe I was stupid enough to believe he would ever trust me enough to let me do this.

My hand hovers over the button for the first floor.

If it's a trap… I don't know what I'm going to do.

My finger hits the number "one" and somehow, the button lights up. Then the doors close and the elevator moves and I can't breathe. Is this real?

The elevator keeps moving until suddenly, it stops. The doors open with a ding, and then I'm staring out into a beautiful lobby with marble floors and dark wooden paneling along the walls and modern décor, complete with plush armchairs and fancy light fixtures.

But the best part? Floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a set of double doors that lead out to the street. My heart is in my throat, one foot after the other echoing along the floors. There's only a few feet left before I'm outside, and there's still no sign of Slade.

I push the door open with shaking hands, and there's nothing that stops it from swinging open smoothly.

And just like that, I'm outside.

I'm outside.

A sob rises in my chest and I force it back down. All around me is sunshine. Fresh air. No mission, no black and orange uniform, no weaponry, no Slade. Just me, a hoodie, and sixty bucks in cash.

The building I just came out of is made out of white brick, and it's enormous. It's way bigger than it seems from the inside, or maybe I just haven't seen as much of it as I thought. There's also an identical tall white building across from it and that just raises even more questions about how Slade got an empty apartment building all to himself. But that's a question for another time. I take a second to note that the one I just came out of is the one without a Citibank, just in case I forget on the way back.

Hmm. Banks have cameras. True, the manhunt for me is probably wearing down or else Slade wouldn't have let me outside, but it's better not to risk it. I turn and walk the other way, heading north.

It's a beautiful day out. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and the buildings surrounding me are mostly six or seven stories tall so it's really easy to see it. But the best part? There are people, real people just walking around outside and minding their own business as they go about their lives. Nobody looks twice at me. Nobody even looks at me at all.

I let my feet carry me down the sidewalks, just taking it all in. People. Cars. The outdoors. Freedom.

After months of isolation and being trapped inside, I can go anywhere I want. I can do anything I want. I can buy myself clothes that Slade didn't pick out for me, I can get myself new gear just because I want it, I can get… I could get a laptop.

Slade handed me a stack of cash and said I earned it. He didn't give me any restrictions, didn't say there was anything off limits. He wouldn't stop me if I came back with some new tech.

Tech that would let me contact my family.

I freeze.

Slade isn't stupid. This is as much a test as it is another privilege, the ultimate privilege. If I try anything, anything, I'll never see the light of day again.

I can't let myself forget that… this isn't freedom. This is step three.

Get Slade to let me outside, no matter what it takes. A shiver runs down my spine. Suddenly, the fresh air doesn't feel so refreshing. It just feels cold. A chill runs all the way through me and when it's gone, I just feel sick.

I want to go back. I want to turn around and go right back to the building where Slade is waiting, go back to being a prisoner locked up inside the same walls day after day. At least that way I wouldn't have to pretend that everything is okay. Or that anything is okay.

Focus.

I pull in a deep breath and force myself to hold it for a few seconds.

I'm outside. I have money. Slade trusts me enough to let me go out on my own. Even with the fact that he's definitely watching every single move I make, that's huge.

It's taken me months to get here, I can't waste this chance now that I have it. I can't let myself get distracted.

---

Bruce Wayne

Wayne Manor

---

"Miss Cassandra, I must insist that you eat your dinner." Alfred said while attempting to feed her a bite from the untouched plate in front of her. The other kids had finished eating, but they were all watching Cassie with matching frowns on their faces.

"C'mon Cass, just a bite." Jason encouraged, miming putting a fork in his mouth.

Cassie just shook her head while a tight scowl on her face.

"What's going on?" Bruce asked,

"It appears Miss Cassandra is on a hunger strike."

"What?!" Selina gasped, looking stricken.

"How long has it been seen she's eaten?" Bruce asked, already moving forward to take the fork from Alfred.

"She said she wasn't hungry this morning. I thought she ate with the other kids."

"She didn't." Tim chimed in, and Stephanie nodded. They both looked scared; Bruce forced himself to take a breath. Seeing the adults panic would only worry them more. Even if Bruce was scared shitless that his six -year-old was trying to starve herself.

"Did she have anything at dinner yesterday?" Selina murmured to Alfred, and panic shot through him when Alfred answered she'd had a few bites but not nearly enough.

"Cassie, please, you need to eat." Bruce held the fork closer to her mouth, but the six-year-old clenched her jaw and turned away.

"Do you want something else?" Selina asked, a helpless look on her face. "Sweetheart, just tell us what you want and you can have it."

Cassie's lip trembled and she bit down, squeezing her eyes shut while blood welled up under her teeth.

"Cassie!" Bruce shouted, grabbing his daughter and pulling her close while his hand flew to her jaw. "Don't bite yourself!"

The six-year-old had gone still in his arms, completely freezing in place. At Bruce's words, she opened her mouth to release her lip, but her eyes stayed locked on Tim.

No. Not on Tim. On the chair he was sitting in, the one that had been Dick's for the last four years.

Bruce froze, his heart missing a beat entirely. All around them, the rest of the family was watching in horror as blood dribbled down Cassie's chin, her little body shaking as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying with all her might to force the emotion off her face.

A wave of pure nausea poured over Bruce like a bucket of ice water being dumped over his head. The pieces all crashed into place suddenly; refusing food, staying silent, forcing herself not to cry… it was exactly how she'd acted after Shiva had taken him away from Cain.

"Cassie." He breathed, chest aching with guilt at how stupid he'd been, how unbelievably idiotic and obtuse and… "It's okay. You can tell me what's wrong. It's okay."

Cassie shook her head vigorously, still not opening her eyes.

Stephanie suddenly burst into tears.

"Stephanie, what's wrong?" Bruce asked. Stephanie's arms were wrapped tightly around herself, and her face was twisted in pain.

"I don't want to go!" She wailed before the dam broke and she started bawling hysterically. Selina pulled Cassie into her arms and the next instant Bruce was out of his chair and wrapping his arms around Stephanie. She threw herself at him, tears and snot staining his suit.

"Go where?"

"I don't wanna go back with my dad!" She sobbed. "I wanna stay here. I know you don't want me but I don't want to go and I don't want to leave Timmy and Jay and Cassie and—"

"Of course I want you here." Bruce said, hugging her even tighter. The words felt like a punch in the gut. "Stephanie, what are you talking about?"

"But you said we were only here as a distraction!"

In that moment, Bruce felt like the worst father in the entire universe.

"Stephanie, I… no. No, no, no, I… no. Listen to me. You are not going anywhere."

"But Deathstroke tricked you into taking us." Stephanie wailed. "You don't even want us!"

"No. He may have put you all in my path, but I made the decision to take each of you in. And adopting you all was the best decision I have ever made. You're not going anywhere, Stephanie. I love you and I want you here. With me."

"You promise?" Stephanie sniffed.

"I promise. I know that the last few months have been very difficult and I… I haven't made it any easier. I know you all miss Dick, and that you're worried about him. I am too."

"We both are." Selina said softly, stroking Cassie's hair as tears rolled down her face.

"I promise you, I am doing everything I can to find him. So is the League. We are going to find him and bring him home safe."

"You promise?" Jason asked.

"I promise." Bruce swore.

"What about all that stuff you said?"

"I messed up. I never should have doubted him. He needed me, and I failed him. Just like I failed all of you. What happened to Dick is not your fault; there is nothing any of you could have done. Cassie, I know you're scared and you miss Dick. But it is not your fault. You are good just the way you are and following Cain's rules isn't going to bring Dick back. Okay?"

Cassie sniffed and nodded before burying her face in Selina's neck.

"I know you all miss him. I miss him too. But we are going to find him. And while we do, there's something I need from all of you."

"What?" Tim asked.

"We need to keep going. None of us can stop living our lives because we miss him, okay?"

"But—" Tim protested.

"Dick needs a home to come back to." Selina said gently. Tim blinked, Stephanie wrapped her arms around herself, and Jason stared at the ground. "Do you think we can all do that?"

---

Dick Grayson

Nanda Parbat

---

"We've received clearance to land. Beginning our descent, expect wheels on the ground in fifteen minutes," the pilot informs Slade over the intercom. The main cabin of the private jet is closed off from the cockpit, but judging by the accent, the pilot is one of Ra's men. Plus, I haven't seen the kind of private jet Slade would hire for himself, but this one is really fancy. Nowhere near as fancy as Wayne One, but it's pretty easy to imagine Ra's holding court from inside this plane anytime he needed to fly somewhere.

Slade still hasn't told me anything about the point of this meeting, but if I didn't know better, I'd say we're headed to a job interview. What else could it be? Slade promised he wouldn't send me in to any actual jobs blind, and besides, Ra's literally sent his own private jet to pick us up.

Put all of that together and it's not much of a jump to guess that Ra's wants something.

"We're almost there. Get ready." Slade passes me the bags with my uniform and all my gear. After I pull my uniform on, I glance inside the gear bag and my stomach sinks when I see that he packed my entire arsenal; everything from the freshly polished set of throwing knives and the smoke grenades to the fully charged electric bo staff.

"Am I going to need all that?" My voice trembles a little, but Slade doesn't call me out for being nervous.

"No. While we're here, we're under al Ghul's hospitality. But in my experience, it's always better to be prepared."

"Right." I swallow, trying to get rid of the dryness in my throat. It doesn't help at all.

"When we get inside, follow closely behind me and don't let anything distract you. You will not be allowed into the actual meeting, but Ra's has arranged for one of his men to guide you around."

Just like when Ra's arranged the trial by Onyx when his scary assassin almost killed me?

"Is this another life-or-death combat ambush?"

"No. But stay vigilant; the League of Shadows does not enjoy being left in the dark. For everyone you see watching you, assume there are another dozen eyes behind them."

"Sounds fun." I try for cheerful and miss completely.

"Keep your radio on at all times. Do not contact me unless it's an emergency, but if it is an emergency, do whatever is necessary to protect yourself. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

It feels like only a few seconds pass by the time the plane lands, we taxi to a stop, and the pilot informs us that we've arrived and there's a waiting party prepared to receive us. Slade stands up, puts on his mask, and then I'm scrambling to follow Deathstroke onto the runway of the League of Shadows compound. The waiting party turns out to be a trio dressed in dark brown robes that signify their status as servants.

I wonder how their health insurance is. Does Ra's provide his minions with benefits? They must at least have dental, right? Would Slade get mad at me for convincing the League of Shadows' servants to unionize? Probably.

The waiting party completely ignores me as they bow to Deathstroke.

"The others have already arrived," the tallest man says. "They're eager for you to join them."

"I'm sure they are." Slade drawls. And then all three of them head deeper into the complex with Slade easily keeping pace. I scramble behind them, trying to follow Slade at the appropriate distance and not draw attention to myself and also keep myself from staring at every single person we pass.

The League of Shadows' headquarters is absolutely huge and it's also full of people. And every single person we pass stops to stare at me; it's like that night at the Iceberg Lounge except somehow, it's worse. I haven't seen anyone but Slade in months, and for a lot of those months, it was just me on my own.

And yeah, I got to walk around Manhattan for a while yesterday, which did help, but that was New York. I could paint myself blue and walks around on fifteen-foot stilts and nobody would even look at me. This is a complex filled to the brim with assassins who would snap my neck in an instant if they ever found out who I really am.

My legs are shaking by the time we enter a dimly-lit antechamber and the servants gesture towards the doorway before leaving the way we came in.

"Wait here," Slade says.

"Yes sir." I answer stiffly just in case anyone is listening.

Slade nods at me once and then disappears through the door. The second Slade is gone, I drop my head and sigh.

"I mean, what else am I going to do?" I mutter, crossing my arms as an ominous whooshing sound sends a chill through the room.

Why are all the secret hideouts and evil lairs so creepy?

There are no real chairs in this weird antechamber, so I sit down cross-legged on a bamboo mat. My back protests, but a little pain never hurt anyone. Okay, that's not true, but this is "stiffness after a ten-hour flight" sore, not "went three rounds with Clayface and lost" sore.

I hear soft, barely perceptible footsteps before a mocking voice rings out of the darkness.

"Are you lost, little boy? You're an awfully long way from home."

I look up to see Cheshire's mask grinning down at me and for a second, all I can do is stare.

"Cheshire." Her name falls out of my mouth as my brain stalls. The world has a pretty sick sense of humor; the first person besides Slade that I'll talk to in months just so happens to be Artemis' older sister.

"How flattering." Cheshire laughs, turning the words into a mockery. "I see my reputation precedes me."

She doesn't look like Artemis. She doesn't sound like Artemis. She doesn't hold herself like Artemis. But staring up at the assassin, Artemis is all I can see. Jade's eyes flick around the room, taking in every detail as she assesses the situation and it's EXACTLY the same way Artemis does.

And then I lock onto her mask and the only thing I register is Artemis' eyes.

My stomach contracts, nausea and guilt and grief rising in my stomach until I think I'm going to be sick. Ra's did this on purpose. I know he did. He knows who I am, he must have wanted a chance to rub it in that he still has leverage over me.

Cheshire laughs again, tilting her head as she stares down at me derisively.

"There's no need to be so scared. I'm not here to hurt you." She purrs. "Although I admit, I'm disappointed. I expected more from Deathstroke's famed apprentice."

My mouth is so dry I think my tongue might snap in half and my heart is pounding against my ribcage like Harley's sledgehammer.

"How is…" I start, but the words die in my throat. Not just because I'm scared to know, but because Slade's words ring out in my head. For every set of eyes I see, assume there's another dozen waiting where I can't.

"What was that? Cat got your tongue?" Cheshire teases mockingly, but as much as she loves tormenting an easy target, she's not actually here to hurt me. My head snaps to the doorway, looking for any sign of eavesdroppers or secret viewing ports. In an antechamber like this, it's almost guaranteed that there's places built in for easy spying.

She crouches down, pressing a finger under my chin to tilt my head up. I jump at the touch and her eyes narrow into a sneer. Her fingers are warm against my skin and the touch is so, so soft. Some part of my brain knows this is supposed to be threatening, but the only thing I can think about it how different it feels than Slade grabbing me or putting a firm hand on my shoulder. Even when it's not cruel, Slade's touch is ALWAYS controlling.

"Well, go on. Spit it out."

"There's people watching?"

"Not this time. It's just you… and me."

"They wouldn't just leave me alone."

"The Demon Head's orders," Cheshire says loftily, dragging her thumb across my cheek. I shiver at the touch and I physically have to stop myself from leaning into it. There are so many things I miss since Slade… over the last few months, but it's been killing me to be alone. I miss people so badly that my chest locks up just thinking about it. I miss Bruce messing up my hair and Alfred's firm hugs and my siblings sprawling on top of me on the couch and even Cassie accidentally strangling me when I give her piggyback rides. And I miss my friends just as much. I miss sparring practice and the team's tradition of coming up with weird new rules for sparring sessions and always being in fist-bumping distance of Wally and falling asleep on top of my teammates after a long mission and Artemis whacking me in the arm anytime I annoy her. And now Cheshire's face is right up in mine and Artemis' eyes are staring straight into me and I can't breathe. "He wants to see how well you do on your own. There's no one to hear you scream."

Okay, that one was just corny, but at least it confirms that this whole clusterfuck is courtesy of Ra's. I take a deep breath and ball my hands into fists. I can do this. Slade would've told me if anything happened to her, just like he told me about… Red Tornado. She's fine. But it'll feel better to know for sure.

I look up at Jade and force myself not to flinch when I look into her eyes.

"How's Artemis?"

Cheshire jerks back, blinking in shock before she slams me against the wall, a sai at my throat and cold fury pouring off her in waves. It takes me a second of panic to figure out what that means, before I remember that she'd have no idea why I care.

"If you or your boss think you can get to me through her, you're sorely mistaken."

"Is she okay?" I ask again. My heart is racing and it has nothing to do with the weapon digging into my neck.

"What does it matter to you?" Jade's voice is frosty. I flinch.

"She's my friend." I swallow the lump in my throat. "I sit next to her in calc. Or… I did."

The sai at my throat doesn't move. I hesitate, before deciding to jump in. It's not like I have anything to lose by saying it.

"She told me about you. In case you were wondering. Sl—Deathstroke didn't say anything about either of you."

"She told you, the rich little brat she sat next to in math class, that her sister was an assassin?" Jade asks dubiously.

"I told you. She's my friend."

"Well, isn't that sweet? And how did it feel when you found out who she really was?" Jade pauses, and I can hear the mocking grin on her face. "Of course, if you don't know, you're in for quite a messy reunion someday."

I could rise to the bait, but instead I shrug. "Honestly, it was pretty low on my list of priorities. And, I mean, it's not much of a secret, she uses her real name in the field."

Jade snorts, and I count making her laugh as a win. I glance down at my uniform and an ironic grin pulls itself onto my face. "Plus, you know, I had some bigger things to worry about."

"I'm sure you did."

It's hard to tell under the mask, but Jade looks… well it's hard to say exactly, but the expression "curiosity killed the cat" comes to mind. Especially when she asks, "What else did she say about me?"

"That you're not the sentimental type. I feel like that's an understatement." I offer with a grin. Jade relaxes a tiny bit and I try again now that she knows why I'm asking. "Is Artemis okay?"

"Oh, she's fine. She's even got herself a boyfriend now. One of her little superpals."

"What?"

Jade snorts.

"You are out of the loop. She's been dating the Flash brat for months."

"Oh. Wow."

This should NOT be the first thought in my head but I CALLED THAT.

"You know, you're not at all what I was expecting."

"Well what were you expecting me to be?"

"Broken." Jade says simply. I tense up, but she's already moving on. "It's clear you're not exactly the emotionless zombie everyone thinks you are. So tell me, why the freeze up?"

"What do you mean why? I haven't seen anyone but Deathstroke in months, I wasn't expecting the first person I get to talk to would look exactly like one of my best friends."

"We don't look that much alike."

I raise an eyebrow at her.

"When was the last time you looked in a mirror?" I retort. A few seconds later, I realize that Jade still has me pinned to the wall with a sai digging into the neck of my uniform. It's a bad angle to try to get out from, but not impossible. In one motion, I slam the wrist holding the blade out of the way while locking one leg under her knee, the other around her waist, and use my other hand to push myself off the wall as hard as I can.

The momentum sends us both spinning to the ground, and I land on top of her, one of my throwing knives pointing at her chest. She went easy on me though, so I make sure that my knee lands on the ground instead of on her diaphragm.

Jade pushes me off immediately, then stands up and brushes herself off.

"That's more like it." She says approvingly, pulling off her mask and clipping it to the belt at her waist. I climb to my feet, brushing off the dirt and other gross cave floor debris. I hold out my hand to introduce myself.

"I'm Dick."

"Oh, I know." Jade takes it and squeezes harder than necessary. I return the grip and she smirks at me. I roll my eyes.

"I've been to your mom's apartment, Jade. I know as much about you as you know about me."

Jade stares at me for a second, then shrugs.

"Fair enough."

"So, what's the plan? You want to just hang out here until they're done or is Ra's actually making you give me the whole tour?"

"They'll be in there for a while. They like to hear themselves talk." Cheshire says loftily, a hint of a sneer in her voice. I snort. Cheshire's eyes snap onto me and the ghost of a smile appears on her face. "I'll show you around. You could use the exercise."

"We've known each other for five minutes and you're already calling me fat? Rude."

Jade rolls her eyes, but there's an actual real smile on her face as she turns and heads down the hallway.

"Keep up or I'll push you in the piranha pit."

"There's a piranha pit?"

---

The tour is… extensive. The League of Shadows' compound is enormous and I'm pretty sure we haven't even covered all of it by the time it gets too dark to see the paths connecting the buildings and servants hurry around to light the flickering torches.

Jade leads me past the small building that smells like spices and fresh bread and my brain stalls. Who knew that assassin HQ had a mess hall?

"If you're hungry, the food is entirely adequate."

"I'm not." I shake my head. It's been a few hours since I ate, but I'm not ready to let my guard down enough to risk being poisoned. "They're still not done yet?"

"I told you, those meetings can get long." Cheshire gestures at my earpiece. "Ask him yourself if you really want to know, but I wouldn't recommend bothering him."

Slade's exact words were, "Do not contact me unless it's an emergency." Somehow, I don't think Slade will accept "I'm bored" as an emergency.

"Hmm."

"Then how about a spar? You could use to blow off some steam."

"This isn't really one of those surprise 'battle-to-the-death' tests Ra's wants me to do, is it?"

"Haven't you already had yours?" Jade asks casually.

"Yeah, and it sucked."

"Oh, don't be a baby. Everyone does it."

"Even you?"

"Of course."

"How did you do? I mean, I assume you survived, but…"

"I was seventeen. I lasted four sixteen before Onyx kicked my ass. It's not quite your time, but I still made it two minutes past the kill zone."

"What do you mean my time?"

Jade looks at me like I'm an idiot.

"Are you joking?"

"Yeah, because that would be such a funny joke." I say sarcastically. "Was I being timed?"

Jade looks like she's about to roll her eyes, but instead she just shakes her head.

"The trial by combat is a test for any assassins trying for promotion to full Shadow. Anything under two minutes and Onyx gets to take your head off. Make it past then and you pass. The rest of your time is just for bragging rights."

"So you made it past four minutes? Is that a lot?"

Jade purses her lips, looking annoyed.

"Wilson really didn't tell you any of this?"

I blink up at her.

"I spent months locked up in one of his bases 24/7, does it really surprise you that he doesn't like to share with me?"

Jade frowns.

"Four minutes is… good enough. Not enough to brag about, but I'm hardly one of the ones to just barely scrape by."

"Well… congrats?"

"Thanks." Jade accepts the compliment sarcastically, drawing out the 's' sound for emphasis.

"So, what's the high score? I mean, what's the longest anyone lasted?"

"Those aren't exactly the same thing." She shrugs, holding up two fingers. "There've been exactly two people to beat Onyx in combat. The Demon's Head, of course, and Sensei. Nobody's ever taken her to a draw, but that would be an automatic third place. The longest anyone has ever lasted in combat before their defeat was Lady Shiva, at seven minutes and twenty-seven seconds."

My jaw drops. I'm sure I barely made it past two minutes and it was still one of the longest fights of my life. I can't even imagine how anyone could last that long against that much skill and that many knives.

"That's a long fight."

"Nobody's beaten that time in the last twenty years, but recently someone's come close."

"Who?"

Jade smirks.

"You."

"What?"

"Seven twelve."

"What?!"

"Your time. Was seven twelve."

Seven twelve. Seven minutes and twelve seconds. Lady Shiva—Cassie's mom—set the record twenty years ago and my time was only fifteen seconds shorter? That's… I… what the hell am I supposed to do with that? That's gotta be a mistake. I spent most of the fight trying to run away, that must be it.

"It's funny he didn't tell you any of this. After all, you're the reason the Light is going with Wilson over Kobra."

My jaw drops.

"Well, I'm sure it wasn't the only reason, but you certainly made an impression." Cheshire grins at me before pulling to a stop. "Here we are. Try not to gape, there's usually someone waiting for an open target."

The building she led me into is pretty much a huge gym, complete with an insane array of weapons lining one of the walls, at least fifteen different sections of mats, and every kind of target and range imaginable. There's about thirty people spread out throughout the room engaged in some form of combat or other; some of them are just regular League of Shadows assassins, but there are some other costumed faces.

Black Spider waves at me before the Shadow he's fighting throws him into the mat. There's a few others I recognize, like Hook (he's the guy with a giant hook for a hand) and I'm pretty sure that's Captain Boomerang over in the corner, but luckily there's no sign of Sportsmaster. Or Slade.

Cheshire leads me over to one of the sparring rings and lunges at me pretty much the instant I step onto the mat.

Sparring is exactly what I need right now. I've been so freaked out ever since I got on the plane… actually, no. I've been freaked out ever since Slade offered to let me come on a job while we were camping and it's just been a slow burn ever since.

It just feels so good to move and to hit something without having to worry about getting decapitated or doing something wrong that accidentally pisses Slade off. It's just a friendly sparring session, and Cheshire's actually fighting clean.

Well, mostly clean, there's been a few hair-pulls on both sides, but that barely counts.

At some point, we drew a crowd because there are a lot more people watching the ring than there were when we came in.

Cheshire still hasn't drawn her sais, so as much as I'd like to see how well a bo staff matches up to them, I keep it weapons-free hand-to hand combat. I let her lead me around the ring for a while; but when I get bored and take the offense, she lets out a laugh and says, "About time! Now show me what you can really do."

There's not really a better invitation than that.

She's really fast. And really hard to hit. But Slade is faster and even harder to hit, and it's not long before I have an opening big enough to drop my weight and send her crashing to the ground.

I follow her down, pinning her with the lock Slade taught me by holding me in it until I passed out from the pain. She holds out for five full seconds before tapping out with a growl, and I let go immediately before climbing back to my feet.

…just in time to see the boomerang hurtling towards the back of my head with no warning.

My arm snaps up while I twist myself out of the way, catching the boomerang with one hand. My glove is padded, but even that can't take away from the force behind the throw. I turn around, turning the weapon over in my hands and testing it for give. Captain Boomerang is staring at me slack-jawed, looking stunned. He's not the only one; all around the training room, assassins are exchanging looks, whispering to each other, or just flat-out staring at me.

Except for Jade, who's climbing back to her feet and brushing off her uniform while I deal with my new friend. Maybe that's the real reason Ra's sent her to meet me; she's the only one who's any good at pretending not to be curious about me.

"Incoming." I say dryly. It seems like a waste to snap the boomerang in half, so instead I throw it. Instead of curving, the end embeds itself halfway into the wall just above the Rogue's head. Captain Boomerang gulps, his eyes tracking up slowly until they're practically rolling back in his skull to look at the boomerang that just narrowly avoided skewering him.

"Anyone else?" I demand, glaring around the room. No one wants to be the first to try something, but once one person gets the nerve, it's not much longer before it's a free for all. If I hadn't caught the boomerang…

It's a good thing I caught it.

"Well? Don't get shy now." Cheshire taunts, readjusting her stance behind me so it's clear that she's not going to help anyone if they do make a move. I glance behind me to make sure I'm not imagining it, but no.

I blink.

Befriending Cheshire wasn't on the list of things I thought would happen today, but it could be a lot worse.

"Renegade." A huge man steps forward and he has to have just walked into the room because there's no way I wouldn't have noticed Ubu if he was here the whole time. Ra's hulking personal bodyguard crosses his arms over his chest menacingly. I gulp, glancing at Cheshire to see if she'll still have my back on this one. She shrugs, still daring the other Shadows around us to make a move.

No help there.

I steel myself.

"The Demon's Head wishes to speak to you."

For a second, the world freezes.

Ra's sent Ubu to get me. He wants to talk to me.

Alone.

Fuck.

This is why Slade brought me. So Ra's could have his chance to see me in action, up close and personal.

I look at Ubu again and my stomach twists. I do not want to fight him. For one thing, he's huge. But more importantly, there's nothing that'll take him down short of complete incapacitation or Ra's calling him off. And literally the last thing I want right now is to fail a test this big.

Wait, stop.

I'm thinking about this wrong. I'm not here as a hero. I'm here as Renegade, Deathstroke's apprentice. Slade won't let anyone actually hurt me. Everyone knows it. Even Ra's can't cross that line without Slade approving it, and Slade wouldn't do that to me now.

Maybe three months ago, but now? When he knows I've been working my ass off to earn his trust? If this is a test, it's not going to be that kind of ordeal.

Besides, Ra's wouldn't do anything that backhanded… he likes to be in-your-face about his plans.

So I straighten my spine and nod once at Ubu, who turns and leads me down a new hallway without a word. I don't look back at Cheshire. Even if I want to.

Ubu doesn't say a word as he leads me through the complex, going up flights of stairs and finally reaching the surface, where natural light can actually get in. Ra's' office and quarters are on the top floor, and every step makes my stomach churn harder. Ubu finally stops outside an ornate set of double doors, glaring at me firmly.

"The Great One awaits your presence. I will be waiting to escort you to your quarters when he has finished with you." He says.

"Thanks." I answer dryly, because what else can I possibly say in response. "Wait, quarters?"

Before Ubu can respond, the door opens and Ra's al Ghul stretches out his hands in welcome while giving me a warm smile.

"Ah, Renegade. Thank you for coming." He turns to Ubu and waves a hand dismissively, causing the bodyguard to bow before disappearing down the hallway.

Ra's ushers me inside, and I don't really have any other options but to follow him.

I've never been inside Ra's' personal office before. I know Batman has, but the decorative details were secondary to the mission report. It's a huge space, and it's beautifully decorated, paying homage to… whatever it was they claim the League of Shadows was founded from.

There's a desk with chairs, but Ra's gestures toward the couches arranged in a circle on the far side of the room. I sit on one emerald green couch and the supervillain sits across from me.

"I must admit, this was a turn of events I could never have foreseen. You appear to be doing much better than would be expected for your circumstances, Mr. Grayson."

My face burns and my eyes trace the pattern of the oriental rug, not meeting his gaze. I always hated that Ra's knows our secret identities, but now he knows everything and that's so much worse.

"The two of you have certainly been busy. Tell me, Richard, how did it feel to be on the other side?" Ra's asks curiously, lacing his fingers together while he leans back in his chair.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come now, there's no need for modesty. I'm well aware of your participation in Deathstroke's recent work. Of course, if you'd rather not think about that particular unpleasantness, perhaps you can indulge an old man's curiosity concerning the events of the past few months. How was your time in captivity?"

I freeze. I don't have to answer him. I don't.

"A different question, perhaps? How did this come about? I'm sure the Detective is none too pleased by your recent behavior or choice of company."

I scowl and mutter, "Maybe they should call you the detective."

"Do try not to lash out at one of the only people capable of helping you," Ra's admonishes. My eyes migrate from the rug to the tapestry on the wall that depicts a bloody battle and some kind of severed dragon head.

"You see, when I first heard the news of your disappearance, I thought it was perhaps one of the Detective's more elaborate ploys, but when news of Deathstroke's new apprentice broke…" He sighs dramatically before continuing. "To be quite frank, I thought the worst. Nonetheless to watch you come into my domain, be released from your master's watchful eye, and make yourself at home amongst my Shadows, I find I have no suitable explanation."

Ra's leans backwards, lacing his fingers together in the universal gesture for, "I have all the time in the world." My heart pounds in my chest, pulse rising rapidly.

"The Detective would never put you at risk like this, and none of your League members would dare suggest it. That being said, Deathstroke would never let you out of his sight if he suspected any disloyalty. So that leads me to one fascinating conclusion: you aren't pretending."

At my sides, my hands tremble and I dig my fingernails into my palms to stop them.

"Ah," Ra's says, voice rising with hidden pleasure and less hidden curiosity. "Finally, these questions have answers. What remains is simple; willing or un-willing?"

Willing or unwilling. Am I here because I want to be or because I have to be? Am I here because of what Slade promised me, or because of what Slade threatened me with?

Ra's waits patiently, inspecting my face for every emotion, every face twitch and eye movement. I raise my eyes up so I can meet his gaze.

"He'll kill them." I say and against all odds, my voice is perfectly steady. "If I ever try to leave."

The look on his face is solemn when he nods and gestures at the office around us.

"I see my comment about captivity was more accurate than anticipated. Tell me, Richard, do you understand what's happening right now?"

"I know that you're being creepy as hell. So, your usual self."

"Amusing, but I will take your attempts at humor as confirmation that you have been left in the dark. Ocean Master has been unanimously voted unfit for his position. The search for his replacement has taken much of our attention over the past few months. Well, among other things."

Ra's smirks, the look in his eyes much too knowing.

"You see, the matter of the chips has never quite been settled."

My heart stops. Of course Ra's knows about the chips. He knows everything. But if the rest of the Light doesn't know, then that means Ra's has a reason to keep it secret.

"What chips? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ah, that's right. What would you know about Robin's actions?" Ra's lets the corner of his mouth curl up into a smirk and my stomach twists itself into a knot so tight I can't breathe. "While we're on the subject, I imagine you'd like to know that Gotham has become quite impenetrable. Despite my colleagues' best efforts, Gotham's favorite little bird remains unharmed."

"Did he… is he really… did…"

"Speak up, Richard. Hesitation is a luxury you can no longer afford."

My fingernails dig into my palms so hard that it stings even through my gloves. I take a deep breath. Slade could have been lying. He would absolutely lie if he thought it would help control me. But Ra's has no reason to lie to me. And even if he did, Ra's al Ghul is many things but he's not a liar.

"Is he Robin?"

"As I've said, Gotham has become difficult territory to navigate, but… it would seem that your brother has donned the cape."

The words crash into me like a wave and I can't move. Despair rises in my chest, anger and horror and grief crushing my lungs like a vice and I can't breathe either. It's true. Bruce replaced me. He let Jason replace me, or maybe he made him do it.

A near-hysterical laugh bubbles out as soon as I've had the thought.

Of course he didn't make him do it. Jason's been begging Bruce to let him fight crime since pretty much the day he came home. I think about the hours I spent sitting with him, first in the police station and then in the kitchen, just me, him and Alfred drinking fancy hot chocolate and trying to get him to relax a little bit, to accept that things were going to get better, that it wasn't some big trick.

And after all that, all it took for Jason to decide he was home was seeing Batman come out of the secret elevator behind the bookcase. That's what it's always been for him. Sure, having a family, a home and all the money in universe were good bonuses, but Jason has ALWAYS wanted Robin.

And now it's all his.

"A word of advice, if you care to hear it. Do not mistake necessity for something it's not. In any case, I'm sure your master has enough ways to keep you in line without you giving him any additional ammunition."

"Necessity?" I repeat, looking up at Ra's with a glare. He still has that carefully blank look on his face, and I might as well be trapped in New York with Slade playing mind games with me. "He didn't have to do anything. He chose to take something that was NEVER his to take."

The blank look turns pitying, and the pit of my stomach clenches.

"Your master has truly outdone himself."

I flinch and look at the carpet so I don't have to see his face anymore. Ra's is wrong. Batman replaced me; nothing Slade said or did has anything to do with how much that hurts. But he's also right. I know that I'm not the same person I was when this all started—I'm not even the same person I was all those months ago when I stole the chips from the watchtower.

I'm doing what I have to do. I made it to step three, Slade's let me outside on my own. I've made it this far and I'm so close, I can do this. It's all going to be worth it.

"What has he told you about the Light's goals?" Ra's asks suddenly, changing the conversation again. I have absolutely no problem with that.

"He told me you wanted to control the League and take over the world." The words come out terse and short. Ra's looks amused.

"Not all of us have the same goals, Richard. For example, take your own master. What does he stand to gain from joining?"

I think for a second. The look on Ra's face makes it seem like the answer should be glaringly obvious, but I'm drawing a blank. What... what does Slade want? As soon as the thought hits, I feel ridiculous but I've really never thought about this before. What does Slade actually want from the Light? The easy answer is money, but it's not like Slade is strapped for cash; our current hideout is an empty twelve story high-rise in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York City. So if it's not money, there's really only one other thing Slade could want from one of the most powerful and dangerous alliances in the world.

"He wants power." I say carefully, watching the perfectly neutral look on his face as Ra's leans forward, intertwining his fingers together.

"To what end?"

"What?"

"It would be a fair claim to say you know him as well as anyone could ever hope to. Suppose his goal is to gain more power; what does he want to use it for?"

What does Slade want power for? He's never mentioned anything to me about his goals for the future. Other than, you know, training me to be a worthy heir to his career as a contract mercenary.

"I... I don't know."

"Precisely." There's a creepy gleam in his eyes, and it takes me a second to figure out that he's actually speaking to me like an equal. "To align himself with us is to pledge a commitment of his time and resources to our goals."

"You don't trust him."

"Would you?" Ra's counters.

"Why are you telling me this? It's not... I mean, it's not like I know anything more than you do, he doesn't tell me anything."

"Because, unlike your master, your integrity is without question."

My gut clenches.

"If you believe that, you don't know as much as you think you do."

Ra's gives me a look that cuts all the way through me and I have to look away before the nausea takes over. Ra's leans back, but he's still watching every single move I make.

"Returning to the topic at hand, Deathstroke has been among the contenders for Ocean Master's replacement, although his nomination has been controversial."

I force a sneer onto my face even though the only thing I want to do is throw up all over the fancy, probably priceless carpet.

"What, Luthor doesn't want to have to answer to him?"

"Precisely. What's more, he is a dangerous man. And his actions towards you have cast doubts upon his honor."

My heartbeat races.

"Don't pretend you care."

"My colleagues may be indifferent towards your abuse, but I hold my followers to higher standards. And besides, I hold tremendous respect for you, Richard. Deathstroke was correct in seeing your potential, but I find it difficult to trust him when I see what he's turned you into."

"I… I'm not…"

"Robin." Ra's says, and I flinch so hard the chair scoots back. "Did you ever imagine you would be so relieved to spend an hour in my presence?"

"Don't call me that."

There's a long pause before he speaks again.

"As I've said, his nomination was controversial. However, he has emerged as the favored choice. Before he is officially appointed, he will be given a task to complete. At this moment, Savage is explaining exactly what he will be asked to do. The two of you will leave in the morning, and should the objective be completed, Deathstroke will become a full-fledged member of the Light."

"Once he is a member of the Light, I cannot act against him without cause. However, regardless of the outcome of this trial, you may consider the Shadows as a safe haven."

"Why? You just said you couldn't trust Slade."

"You misunderstand me. This offer does not extend to him."

The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and the offer of a way out, any way no matter what it is suddenly feels too tempting to resist. But then reality hits.

"I can't. S—Deathstroke would never let me."

The corners of his mouth curl up into an amused smile.

"Oh, I'm sure he'd have his objections, but I advise you not to factor him into your decision. Not when it comes to this matter, at least. Should you choose to join my cause, that would be more than enough justification to act on your behalf."

Holy shit. Did Ra's just… that is… that's way too much to process. My heart forgets how to beat and the only thing I can think to ask is...

"Does Slade know?"

"That I intended to make you this offer? Or that I'm aware of exactly who you are?"

I swallow.

"Both."

"To my knowledge, no. Nor is he aware that you and I are having this conversation right now. You're welcome to inform him, of course, but I cannot guarantee you safe harbor should you make that choice."

For a second, it sounds too good to be true. Then I remember that it is. Ra's is the leader of a terrorist organization that sends assassins out to do their dirty work.

"So basically I can trade one set of chains for another?" I ask bitterly. Ra's leans forward, locking his fingers together thoughtfully.

"Do you know how it is that I have amassed such a loyal following?" Ra's asks.

"Centuries of experience gaslighting, blackmailing, terrorizing, and subjugating the local population?"

Ra's snorts.

"No, Richard. I protect those who are loyal to me. Should you ever pledge yourself to me, I will guarantee that no harm shall ever befall those you love."

"What, and all I have to do is kill for you?"

"I know that you cannot accept my offer now. But mark my words, Richard. Wilson will make you a killer; you know this as well as I do. And once you have another's blood on your hands, do not forget that the Shadows will always welcome you with open arms."

---

Bumblebee aka Karen Beecher

Happy Harbor

---

"Just go into the weird blue box and shut the door behind you."

Saying it out loud for the fiftieth time didn't make it any less weird. But that was exactly what the Atom had told her. And then written down on the note that Karen was holding in her left hand.

Was this how heroes normally joined the Justice League? Had every superhero on the League once stood where Karen was standing, staring at an out-of-service phone box and trying to build up the courage to go in?

She could do this. She was a hero now. Sure, she didn't really know what she was doing, but she'd already stopped a bunch of robberies, broken up that gun sale down by the harbor and helped that old woman who'd fallen down the stairs. Plus, she'd gotten the attention of the actual Justice League. If she ever wanted to really learn how to be a hero, this was exactly the way to do it.

"You got this, girl. Besides, it'll be fun! And it'll be good to be on a team again," Karen reminded herself. It still stung that she'd had to quit cheerleading after the Incident, but she really had needed the time off to learn to control her new powers. Besides, there was no reason she couldn't try out again next year. And yes, this definitely wasn't how she thought her sophomore year would go, but how many small-town cheerleaders got the chance to be a superhero?

"Just go into the weird blue box and shut the door behind you."

Karen pulled her headgear down, positioning her goggles into place to put the finishing touches on her Bumblebee uniform, and stepped inside the phone box.

"Recognized: Bumblebee, B-13."

Karen blinked as the intense light faded and she saw a trio standing in a huge cavernous room. The girl in front threw out her hands and beamed, "Welcome to the Team!"

Karen's brain stopped for a half second when she realized she recognized all three of them.

"Megan?!" Bumblebee exclaimed, her eyes bulging. "You're—a super hero?"

"Surprise?" Megan smiled, giving a small shrug. Karen stared. Her normally shy, awkward friend looked perfectly at home in her miniskirt, heels and cape standing in the middle of a top-secret superhero cave-base. Next to her, Conner had traded his plain black t-shirt for one with a bright red Superman logo. The boy standing behind him looked identical to Conner in every way, except for the close-shaved asymmetric cut, the studded leather jacket, and the heels that were even taller than Megan's.

Conner gave a little cough.

"Oh right, sorry! Hang on." Megan held up a hand to gesture for Karen to wait, and a second later she… shifted somehow. A band of green formed around her hairline, moving quickly down her body and leaving the skin bright green behind it until Karen was staring at a green version of her friend. Who was apparently not only a superhero, but some kind of shapeshifting… alien?

"Okay, now surprise." Megan offered with a small grin.

Karen blinked in shock before she tilted her head to the side and thought about it for about a half-second. All the (many) weird things about the two of them suddenly clicked perfectly into place.

"You know what? I take it back; this makes total sense. So, am I finally gonna get to learn what's up with your weirdo boyfriend?"

"Good to see you too, Bumblebee." Conner grinned, pulling another boy along who looked exactly like him. "I want you to meet my twin, this is—"

"Flamebird." Conner's brother smiled and winked, holding out his hand for her to shake. Karen's brain shorted out just a little. Conner with a personality and high heels, who knew? "It's great to meet you, I've been looking forward to not being the only new person around here."

It took a few seconds for Karen's brain to reboot.

"Since when do you have a twin?" Karen demanded, looking at Conner and refusing to acknowledge the way Megan was giggling at her. Easy for her to say, she'd had months to get the googly-eyes out of her system.

"It's a recent development." Conner shrugged. Flamebird winked again. Karen felt herself blush, which to be fair, she was staring at two hot superhero boys; she was only human. Karen turned back to Megan, beaming in excitement.

"This is so cool, Meg! I still can't believe Martin was right about—"

"Sorry, Bumblebee, uh—" Megan cut her off, glancing at Conner with a frown. "Can we talk to you for a second?"

Karen's smile faltered, her stomach twisting nervously.

"Seriously? I've been here for all of thirty seconds and I'm already in trouble?"

"You're not in trouble! It's just… hang on." Megan assured her but before Karen could respond, her friends were leading her down a hallway and into a room with huge mirrors and leafy green plants stretching along the walls and two green armchairs in the center. Conner shut the door behind them with a click before nodding at Megan.

"So… the thing is…" Megan started, twisting her hands together anxiously. "Um…"

Karen waited for her to continue, but the sound just trailed off into an awkward silence. Karen glanced around the room, hoping it wouldn't last and trying to distract herself from the growing butterflies in her stomach. Megan opened her mouth after a few seconds, only to let her shoulders slump with a heavy sigh.

"We're on a codename basis only." Conner finished when it was clear Megan wasn't going to continue. Karen blinked. She must have been missing something because that… really wasn't so bad.

"Uh… okay? I mean, I guess that makes sense. Is that for everyone, or you just don't want the new kids accidentally telling the world Batman's secret identity?"

Megan flinched and Conner frowned.

"I was kidding!"

"I know. Sorry." Megan said quietly, but she didn't loosen her arms from the tight grip she had around her stomach. She sat down in one of the green chairs and after a moment of hesitation, Karen took the other. Conner crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "It's the new team policy. I don't know how much the League or anyone told you, but it…it's a new policy. I know that it's a little awkward and it's unfair but we—"

"Hey, it's fine. I totally get it." Karen held up her hands. "So, I'm supposed to call you guys-"

"We're Superboy and Miss Martian." Conner answered.

"Got it. No problem! Was that everything? 'Cause to be honest, I still feel like I'm missing something." Karen—no, Bumblebee. Bumblebee. Okay, that was definitely going to take some getting used to—Bumblebee asked.

Miss Martian and Superboy looked at each other. Bumblebee gasped when Miss Martian's eyes glowed green, but it was pretty anti-climactic when nothing else happened. Finally, Miss Martian sighed.

"We're not supposed to talk about it… I mean, yet. Aqualad was supposed to go over everything when the whole team gets here, but…" Miss Martian took a deep breath and Bumblebee's heart skipped a beat at the look on her friend's face. This was serious. Like, real superhero business serious. Bumblebee was only sort of kidding about being in trouble after thirty-seconds; she really hadn't been in the hero business long enough to be ready for this. "We didn't use to be… like I said, this is a new policy. But some stuff went badly. I'm not allowed to tell you what, and I'm sorry that I can't. But we're trying to be as careful as can so that we can… so we can keep everyone safe."

"I know it's hard to be the new person and you're going to want to know what people are talking about if it comes up. If that happens, ask me, ask Miss Martian, or ask Aqualad, but please don't try to go digging if we can't tell you." Superboy said seriously.

"Okay. I can do that." Bumblebee settled for something halfway between a nod and a shrug.

"I'm sorry, Bumblebee."

"Girl, you need to stop apologizing!" Bumblebee snapped, holding out her hands to get her friend to take a breath. "I know I'm joining a superhero team. And I get that this is probably gonna be really hard and complicated and I'm just trying not to mess up on my first day. Okay?"

"Thank you." Miss Martian drew in a deep breath, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "We should go back. Artemis just got here and she'll be excited to meet you. Unless you have any other questions?"

"I'm good." Bumblebee promised her friend, trying to sound as encouraging as she could be. "Let's go meet the team!"

Superboy and Miss Martian led her down the long, winding hallway to a big round cavern with a perfect circle laid into the floor. There was a blonde girl dressed in green with a bow slung over her back talking to a redhead in a neon red and yellow outfit.

"Artemis, Kid Flash, this is Bumblebee. Bumblebee, meet Artemis and Kid Flash."

"It's nice to meet you." Artemis smiled brightly. "Miss Martian and Superboy told us a lot about you."

"You too!" Bumblebee grinned back. "Uh, I mean, that it's nice to meet you. I… they didn't… not that they told me a lot about you guys."

"Don't worry about it." Artemis said warmly. "I remember what it's like to be the new kid, I promise we'll go easy on you guys."

"It's bad habit." Kid Flash said. Bumblebee frowned. Before she could say anything, Artemis whacked him in the arm.

"Don't be a jerk."

"We have rules for a reason." Kid Flash snapped back. Artemis shot him a look, mouthing something at him that Bumblebee couldn't catch. Whatever she said, the sidekick deflated and turned apologetically to Bumblebee. "Sorry. I'm just… I'm Kid Flash."

"Bumblebee." She repeated for what felt like the millionth time.

"Welcome to the team." Kid Flash held out his hand and Bumblebee shook it. "I know this is a lot to take in at once, just… do your best and you'll be fine."

"Sure. Yeah." Bumblebee agreed as if she wasn't completely distracted by how strong his grip was. Her dad would love him; he always said a firm handshake was the most important part of making a good first impression. Miss Martian tapped her fingers to her temple, holding up her other hand to let them know she was busy.

"I'm sorry, can you excuse us for a second?"

"Yeah, of course."

Miss Martian and Superboy left the room, leaving Bumblebee with Artemis and Kid Flash.

"So… is today like an orientation day or something?"

"Pretty much." Artemis smiled. "We have a few new members joining today; not counting Flamebird you're the second one here. I think Aqualad is showing him around but they'll be back soon. We'll probably get started once Rocket and Batgirl get here."

"There's a Batgirl?" Bumblebee asked. "That's so cool! Since when?"

"She's pretty new to the job too. Don't worry, you're not the only one who's just starting out." Kid Flash said. Bumblebee blushed.

"I guess it's pretty obvious I'm new to this." She said.

"No, he didn't mean it like that." Artemis assured her. "We got the briefing on all the new members last week."

"Oh. Um, so how long have you guys been… heroes?"

"I'm almost at a full year.

"Four years."

"Wow." Bumblebee stared. "So… you've been doing this—"

"Since I was twelve. Stuff was… pretty different back then."

Bumblebee waited for him to keep going, but Kid Flash just let the silence hang. Artemis looked back and forth between them, but it was clear that he had no intention of continuing. Bumblebee tried to think of a question to ask or something to say but before she could, a new voice broke through the silence.

"And this is the training room. The floor can be used as a multi-surface environment to simulate different combat situations. In team spars, the weight sensors can function as both an analytics platform and a tool to keep score."

Bumblebee turned, and her heart pounded with excitement when she actually recognized the speaker. That was Aqualad! The hero from Atlantis, the mythical underwater city ruled over by Aquaman himself. Next to him was a tall man with red hair, a red and black uniform, and a matching red and black bow. Apparently there were a lot of archers on the team. Aqualad and the Redhead were talking to a guy wearing a green and white uniform who was looking around in awe.

"Perfect timing." Artemis mumbled just loud enough for Bumblebee to overhear. "Bumblebee, these are some more of our teammates. Aqualad is the one in front, he's the team leader. Next to him is Red Arrow, he's joining in a reserved capacity. Behind them is Green Lantern, he's new too. You should go introduce yourself, while I borrow Aqualad for a second."

That seemed like as good an idea as any. Bumblebee tugged on her goggles to make sure they were still in place before crossing the room.

The Green Lantern was standing by the doorway where Aqualad and Red Arrow had left him, and he smiled Bumblebee approached.

"Are you part of the welcome wagon too?" The Green Lantern's smile was friendly but it was clear Bumblebee wasn't the only one with first day nerves.

"No, I'm actually new too." Bumblebee admitted.

"Oh thank god I'm not the only one!" He held out his hand for her to shake. "It's really nice to meet you, I'm Kyle."

"Guess I'm not the only one who missed the no-names memo." Bumblebee said as she shook his hand.

"The what?"

"Apparently we're supposed to use codenames only. I'm Bumblebee."

"I guess you can call me Green Lantern then. Wow, that… that might get confusing, I think there's like, four other lanterns on this planet alone." Kyle shook his head. "Thanks for the heads up, though."

"No problem." Bumblebee answered. "So, what do you do?"

Green Lantern held up his hand, showing off the green ring on his middle finger.

"Magic space ring. I make big green stuff appear and hit bad guys with it. There's some paperwork involved, but that's the gist of it."

"That's cool!" Bumblebee offered. He smiled at her.

"I'm still pretty new to all of this, honestly. Technically, I wasn't even supposed to have the ring but the Lantern Corps gave me a shot and the next thing I know I'm halfway across the galaxy fighting things I can barely comprehend, and apparently, I did something right because they let me keep it. Hal and J—I mean, that other lanterns tracked me down one day and said they had an opportunity I might like. And… here I am."

"Wow." Bumblebee stared, her mouth suddenly dry and her heart pounding faster than she wanted to admit. "So you're like… you've done this stuff. Fought the bad guys and gone to space and saved the world?"

"Kind of? I mean, yeah, once but I had pretty much no idea what was happening to be honest. I don't really know what 'being a Lantern' even means. I'm pretty much hoping that joining a team will help me magically figure it out somehow."

"Cool." Bumblebee repeated.

"What about you?"

"I get small." Bumblebee said. It sounded even stupider out loud. "And I fly. And… shoot lasers."

"That's so cool!" Green Lantern grinned. He pointed to the wings on the back of her costume. "So those really work?"

"Only when I'm, uh, small." Bumblebee blushed. "But yeah. That's pretty much it."

"So cool! How'd you get your powers? Or is it super advanced or weird kooky alien tech?"

"Powers. And it's a long story. But you would not believe how much of a hassle these things can be." Bumblebee joked, pointing at her wings, and Green Lantern laughed.

"I bet! Well, I can't wait to see them in action." He offered, before nodding at the rest of the room. "Have you met everyone else yet?"

"A few of them. I actually already know Miss Martian and Superboy."

"That's so nice." Green Lantern confessed, looking a bit embarrassed. "I have absolutely no idea who any of these people are."

"You should go say hi." Bumblebee said.

"Uh… I'm not… I'm just better with one-on-one. I'll say hi later."

"Sure you will." Bumblebee teased, and Green Lantern rolled his eyes in response. Then she caught sight of Miss Martian re-entering the room, talking to a blonde woman in a leotard, tights, and combat boots and a dark-haired girl dressed like a magician. Miss Martian caught her eye and waved them both over. The blonde woman smiled warmly, but the magician girl pulled her arms around herself even tighter and looked down at the floor. Bumblebee didn't miss the worried look that passed between the other two, but Miss Martian was smiling again before she could say anything.

"I see you've met our new Green Lantern." Miss Martian said, nodding at Kyle. "This is Zatanna and Black Canary."

Magician girl glanced up; Bumblebee knew those bloodshot eyes well enough to know the girl had just been crying. Zatanna tried to smile, but it came out as more of a watery grimace. Black Canary stepped forward, holding out her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Canary said, shaking each of their hands. "I'm the team's primary combat instructor. I hope you're both ready to work."

"Born ready." Green Lantern said.

"What he said." Bumblebee agreed, but there was an uncomfortable tightness growing in the pit of her stomach.

"I love the enthusiasm." Black Canary grinned. "Well, on the behalf of the League, let me be the first to welcome you to the team—"

Black Canary cut off suddenly, her gaze moving to the other side of the room. Bumblebee glanced behind her to see that Aqualad had re-entered the room.

"I'm sorry, I'll be back in a minute."

"Uh, sure." Green Lantern frowned.

"No problem." Bumblebee said.

Black Canary strode over to Aqualad before pulling him and Red Arrow aside. Zatanna looked up at them and offered a hesitant grimace, before heading for the hallway.

Kyle muttered something that sounded like, "What the hell is happening?"

"You okay?" Bumblebee asked the Green Lantern.

"Are you getting really weird vibes from everyone, too?"

Bumblebee looked around, but Black Canary was talking to Aqualad and Red Arrow, and Kid Flash, Artemis, Superboy and Flamebird were huddled on the other side of the room. She tugged Kyle a little closer.

"I was talking to Miss Martian before. Apparently, the team's been around for a while, and something really bad just happened."

"You mean, bad like Superman trying to destroy the entire planet?"

"I have no idea." Bumblebee admitted quietly. "I just know that it's why they're being strict with the codenames. She also said Aqualad was supposed to tell us more later when everyone's here. But taking a wild guess, I think it's something with Zatanna, and probably Kid Flash too."

"I hate being the new kid." Green Lantern muttered.

"Recognized. Rocket, B-11." The automated cave system announced over the speakers.

"Ever heard of Rocket?" Bumblebee asked. Green Lantern shook his head.

"Nope."

"Me neither."

Artemis waved them over, and once they'd crossed the room she said, "We're going to head back to the main room to get started. A few more people are supposed to show up, but it'll be good for you guys to have a chance to meet Rocket before we get going."

Rocket turned out to be a girl about Bumblebee's age with spiky black hair wearing coveralls, a partial hood, and a glowing purple belt. She was talking to Black Canary, who pointed at Bumblebee and Green Lantern almost as soon as they entered. Rocket smiled and met them on the far side of the room.

"Hi! I'm Bumblebee, it's nice to meet you!"

"I'm Green Lantern." Green Lantern introduced himself a little awkwardly. Rocket shook both of their hands with a grin.

"You can call me Rocket. Are you both new too?"

"Yup."

"Very new." Bumblebee agreed.

"Gotta admit, I was kind of bummed when the League told me they were putting me on the junior squad. I was hoping I'd get some perks being a sidekick and all."

"You're a sidekick?" Bumblebee asked, intrigued.

"Ever since I convinced Icon to put on a mask and start saving the world." Rocket grinned.

"So cool!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"What about you?" Rocket asked.

"Green Lantern Corps." Kyle said, holding up his ring. "Technically makes me like a space cop or something, I'm still kind of fuzzy on the details."

"Neat. So you've been to space?"

"Oh yeah, all the time. It's definitely one of the perks of the job."

Someone cleared their throat, and Bumblebee looked up to see that the rest of the team had filed into the room. Everyone was standing in a half-circle with Aqualad in front. Red Arrow stood behind him, a hand on his shoulder in support. There was something… intense about the gesture, something that wasn't just a casual touch.

Were they… a thing? And more importantly, was there any way Bumblebee could ask without walking into a super awkward conversation if she was wrong?

Rocket and Green Lantern had gone to join the ring and Bumblebee hurried to follow them.

"Before we get started, I would like to thank you all for coming." Aqualad said quietly, but somehow his voice still carried effortlessly through the room. "As you're all aware, the last few months have been challenging. We have all been through a great deal, and unfortunately, I cannot promise that our difficulties are behind us. However, we are stronger united than we are apart. I hope that you will grant me another chance to lead you despite my failures, and I hope that we can rebuild some of what has been broken."

Bumblebee noticed that Aqualad was staring right at Kid Flash, but Miss Martian flinched anyways. Aqualad sighed, his shoulders dropping.

"My friends, it is good to see you all here. And to our newest members, I apologize for the need for secrecy and I thank you for being here despite it. This team is entering a new era, and as we do so, we will welcome new friends without leaving old friends behind. To begin, I would like to offer our new members a chance to introduce themselves, but as you do, please keep in mind that our new security measures—"

He was cut off by the huge tubes on the back wall whirling to life, a bright yellow glow emanating from them.

"Recognized, Batgirl, B-09."

Batgirl turned out to be a red-haired girl wearing a purple and yellow costume complete with bat ears and a cape. She stepped out of the way of the transporter and paused, turning back to stare expectantly at it.

A second later, the automated voice rang out over the speakers again.

"Recognized. Robin, B-01."

Around them, the entire team froze. Bumblebee was right there with them, staring as Robin—the Robin, the very first sidekick, partner to Batman himself—stepped out of the zeta beam. Bumblebee couldn't help the grin spreading over her face. He looked exactly like the newspaper pictures and the video clips and the documentaries she'd seen, even if he was a little shorter than she would've thought. She'd never seen him in person, but it was impossible not to be a little starstruck. He was the very first kid to be a hero, the one who paved the way for Speedy and Kid Flash and Aqualad and every other sidekick that had followed.

Hell, if it wasn't for Robin, Karen probably wouldn't have been here at all.

"No." Kid Flash broke the silence. "You can't be serious."

Robin flinched.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kid Flash shouted, stepping forward until he was next to Aqualad.

"Kid, enough." Aqualad commanded. Kid Flash whirled on him.

"Seriously?! You're okay with this? You don't have any problem with this?!"

"KF, this isn't the time." Red Arrow frowned, putting a hand on Kid Flash's shoulder.

"Oh, like you get any say in this." Kid Flash snapped, slapping the archer's hand away. Red Arrow's shoulders stiffened, and all around them, the other heroes flinched. Artemis inhaled sharply, locking eyes with Superboy. Bumblebee glanced at Green Lantern and Rocket to see if they had any clue what was happening, but they looked just as lost as she was.

"Kid." Aqualad said sternly.

"Don't you dare." Kid Flash spat.

"Back off! He's ready. We both are." Batgirl shot back.

"Since when do Kid Flash and Robin hate each other?" Rocket hissed to Bumblebee and Green Lantern. Bumblebee shook her head, watching in confusion as everyone quickly began to shouting at each other.

"Do I look like I have any idea what's going on? Don't answer that!" Green Lantern shot back.

"I'm not letting you replace him!" Kid Flash yelled loud enough to shake the floor.

"Replacing him was your idea!" Robin snarled, jabbing a finger against Kid Flash's chest.

"We weren't gonna replace him!" Kid Flash shouted back. "Not for real, not like this!"

Zatanna burst into sobs, and Artemis reached over to pull her into a hug. Bumblebee looked at Rocket in alarm and Rocket shot her back a look that was equally confused.

"I'm not here to replace him!" Robin shouted. "I'm only here to help you guys find him! None of this was supposed to have happened, but you all know that you need me here!"

"And you think he needs you to get yourself killed?!"

"This isn't up to you!" Robin snarled. "Look. I'm here now and that's it. This isn't how it was supposed to go but if it was him, he would do the exact same thing. Don't even try to pretend he wouldn't.

"It's not the same at all!" Miss Martian broke in suddenly.

"You can't be this selfish when everything he did was to keep you safe!" Kid Flash shouted.

"I'M THE ONE BEING SELFISH?!" Robin thundered. "YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW THE WHOLE TIME AND IT'S YOUR FAULT HE-"

"Robin!" Batgirl grabbed Robin before he could throw himself at Kid Flash.

"WELL, WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Kid Flash screamed back.

"HE TRUSTED YOU TO FIX IT—"

"WHAT DID YOU WANT ME TO DO?! PAINT A GODDAMN TARGET ON MY CHEST AND TELL HIM TO SHOOT ME AGAIN?!"

"Why don't we take a tour around the cave?" Superboy interrupted suddenly, stepping in front to shield Bumblebee and the other newbies from the screaming match going on behind him.

"Good idea. I can take everyone." Artemis volunteered.

"Yeah… sounds good…" Rocket said slowly. Bumblebee nodded, attempting something near a smile that came out much closer to a grimace. Artemis gestured for them to follow her and Bumblebee, Rocket and Green Lantern hurried out of the room behind her.

"What the hell was that?" Rocket hissed to Green Lantern. Bumblebee couldn't help but sneak a glance back to see that Miss Martian had joined in, gesturing emphatically next to Kid Flash. The volume gradually faded as Artemis led them deeper and deeper into the cave, finally disappearing when they rounded the corner and entered a combined kitchen and living room area.

Artemis threw herself down onto the couch and let out an exhausted sigh.

"I'm sorry you guys had to see that."

Zatanna curled up on the couch next to her and leaned on her shoulder, tears dripping down her face. Artemis reached an arm around to give her a comforting squeeze before gesturing for Bumblebee, Rocket and Green Lantern to sit. Bumblebee shrugged at the other two before sitting down across from Artemis. Rocket sat on her left and Green Lantern leaned against her chair.

"They are really getting into it." Flamebird reported as he entered the living room, heels clicking against the floor.

"Of course they are." Artemis sighed again. "Miss M staying for the fireworks?"

"Of course she is. It was her idea in the first place." Superboy said, following behind his twin. He grabbed a water bottle off the counter and tossed it to Artemis. She caught it without looking and handed it to Zatanna, who wiped her eyes and took a long drink.

"Are we supposed to be following any of this?" Rocket demanded.

"I would be really impressed if you were." Artemis answered. "Look, I can actually give you the tour, or you can just ask me all about that clusterfuck if you want."

"I thought we weren't supposed to ask." Bumblebee said.

"Yeah, well, we were supposed to keep all the drama under wraps. Rule one of the team; we're supposed to be covert, and we suck at it."

"Are you okay?" Rocket asked Zatanna hesitantly. Zatanna sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"I'm just really, really sick of listening to them fight. Like I get it, but Robin—" Zatanna froze for a second, then exhaled sharply and continued, "He's doing the exact same thing we all did."

"I'm confused, is he… Robin was the first sidekick, right?" Green Lantern asked slowly.

Artemis nodded hesitantly.

"Was he not on the team before…" Green Lantern trailed off and Bumblebee frowned. Miss Martian and Superboy asked her not to go digging, but Artemis was right here offering them anything they wanted to know.

"You don't have to answer if it's a secret but… what happened to the Team? Miss Martian said there was something that went wrong and that's why there's all the new rules and you brought us in, but what was it?"

Artemis frowned.

"We had leaks. Information about the Team and the whole Justice League was being passed to our enemies and… they used it to hurt us."

"Oh."

"That… sucks." Rocket offered.

"Yeah." Artemis agreed bitterly. "Yeah it did."

"Since when do Robin and Kid Flash hate each other?" Bumblebee asked. Artemis hesitated for an uncomfortably long time before answering, "…they don't."

"You sure about that? Because it sure seemed like it."

Artemis and Superboy looked at each other.

"Uh…"

"Um…"

"You go ahead."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Look they don't… there's a lot of personal history. Kid Flash is just scared that he's gonna get hurt."

"But isn't he… I mean, this is dangerous stuff, I get that. But he's Robin, isn't he? The Robin. He's been doing this longer than anyone."

Artemis flinched.

"He is Robin." She agreed slowly.

"That's the problem." Superboy finished for her. Silence fell over the room and none of them knew what to say to break it. Zatanna sniffed suddenly, wiping away a tear with a watery laugh.

"We're not doing a very good job of selling the lifestyle, are we?"

Bumblebee, Rocket and Green Lantern all looked at each other. This was… definitely not at all what Bumblebee thought her first day of superhero training would be like. Not at all.

"Look, I know we're not doing a great job selling the team, but beginnings are always rocky. We all really want this to work." Artemis said suddenly.

"Wait until the first mission before you decide anything." Superboy crossed his arms over his chest.

"Trial by fire?" Rocket asked.

"Something like that." Superboy agreed. A whoosh of air blew through the room, scattering papers and pushing over seat cushions, and when it cleared, Kid Flash was standing there. His eyes were wide and his chest was heaving like he'd just sprinted a marathon. Wait, he was a speedster. He was breathing like he'd just sprinted a hundred marathons and then turned around to do an Ultramarathon.

"Briefing room. Now." He announced.

"What happened?" Artemis asked. Kid Flash took a ragged breath.

"Cold just called. We know where he is."

For a second, the room stood still. Then, Artemis, Zatanna, Superboy and Flamebird were sprinting down the hallway after Kid Flash.

"Should we…" Green Lantern began, but Bumblebee was already shirking down while her wings buzzed to life, zipping down the hallway after her new teammates.

"Come on!" She shouted.

---

AN: Coming up next, the Team has a happy reunion, everything ends well and everyone lives happily ever after. Okay, so maybe that's not exactly how it's going to go... But on the bright side, we are getting close to the end! If you can believe it, there's only ten chapters left!

Thank you so much for reading and following the story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me a review if you liked it, I always love hearing from you guys! If you have any theories about what's going to happen next, please share them! I adore hearing your conspiracy theories!

Thank you again for your support!