Chapter 8
Clark had left the Team to their thoughts. He sensed that they wanted to be alone and decided to leave them at that.
"He's right you know." Robin broke the awkward silence that flooded the room.
"What? You think Superman's right?" Artemis asked incredulously.
"Well, yeah. I don't think we'll be here forever but we could be here for a while. Batman and the others, they won't leave us here forever but we can't waste our lives waiting to be rescued. I've got school. So do the rest of you. We need a sense of normalcy." Robin explained.
"Normalcy? That doesn't exist for us anymore Rob! In case you haven't noticed, we're in an alternate dimension! We should be trying to get home, not trying to make this place home!" Wally wanted to shake him.
"We'll drive ourselves crazy doing that. For once, I think we should leave things to the adults. We know our mentors are looking for us. We know we can trust them to find us. At the same time, we're going to have to try to maintain our own sanity." Robin said. "If we keep waiting this way, we'll always wake up disappointed."
"I fear…I fear that Robin is correct." Aqualad admitted. "We have stayed on this satellite long enough. We must choose a course of action."
"And you think separating in a world we know nothing about is a good idea? Have you lost your mind?" Artemis demanded.
"While I do not like the idea of us separating, I think it will be in our best interest for us to leave this place. We must grow accustomed to this world. There is a chance we could be here for the rest of our lives."
"He's right." M'gann said quietly.
"That being said, com silence will not be an option."
"We need to be a team." Robin agreed.
"A team? We're barely a team now! There are too many secrets!" Superboy cried and pointed to Robin. "We don't even know his name!"
"Or what you really look like." Artemis chimed in.
Robin rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Batman had said only to reveal his secret identity in a state of absolute emergency. Was being transported to an alternate dimension considered an emergency?
"Um…"
"Exactly. Too many secrets. In case you all haven't realized, the only people we can count on are standing in this room and we don't even trust each other." Superboy said. "If this is going to work, that's gotta change."
"No one's in here. We're alone and I think Supey's right, it's time to talk. No more secrets. We stand together." Kid Flash sat down. "Who's going first?" They couldn't look each other in the eye.
"Cheshire's my sister." Artemis blurted.
"Cheshire? The crazy assassin Cheshire? That one?" Wally stuttered out.
"Yeah, that one. I'm sorry I never told you but…I didn't know how to." Artemis clenched her fist.
The team was quiet for a few moments, letting the new information sink in. Finally, M'gann stood up and took Artemis's hand.
"It's okay." She said. "You've never done anything to hurt us. We trust you, Artemis."
"She's right you know. Batman told me about this a long time ago and I've never seen a reason to not trust you." Robin admitted.
"You knew? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Didn't feel the need to. You seemed honest to me." Robin shrugged. "He just wanted me to be on my guard."
Artemis nodded. She couldn't believe the weight that had been lifted off her shoulders. Could she tell them the second part of her secret too?
"And Sportsmaster is my father." She breathed.
"Oh Artemis…" M'gann sighed. "You poor girl."
"I came to the League because I didn't want to be like my sister. I didn't want to be a puppet for my father. I had to get away."
"Understandably."
"I'm a white Martian." M'gann admitted breathlessly. "J'onn isn't my uncle."
"What?" Superboy couldn't believe she had lied to him.
"The people of Mars are rather open in their dislike of minority race. It's turned vicious at times." She whispered.
"And you thought we would be the same way…"
"I did and I'm sorry for lying to you." she cried.
"You did what you believed to be best. We cannot fault you for that." Aqualad agreed.
"My dad hates me. That's why I live with my uncle." Wally said.
"What! How could anyone hate you Wally, you're so wonderful." M'gann cooed.
"Sadly, you're one of the only people who feels that way, babe. He can't stand me."
"You must be so upset about this world's Flash. I'm so sorry." She continued.
"I would say I was made by Cadmus but you already know that." Superboy tried. "I don't really have any secrets."
"I do not have many either." Finally, all eyes fell on Robin.
"I-"
"It's okay. It's your secret bro. If Batman told you not to tell us then you don't have t-"
"Grayson. My name is Richard Grayson." Robin blurted.
"Wait a second. Richard Grayson? I know a Richard Grayson." Artemis speculated.
"Yeah," Robin reached to his face and pulled off his checkered mask, "we go to school together."
"You…you were that kid. You were the one who took the picture." Artemis gasped. She'd known Robin's secret identity the whole time without even realizing it.
"You're eyes are such a pretty shade of blue." M'gann commented. "You should show them more often."
"I have a really familiar face around Gotham. People would know me right of the back." Robin explained.
"So everything's out in the open now?" Wally asked. "No more secrets?"
"No more secrets. We trust each other and we stand together. Remember, if we do end up separating, absolutely no com silence. M'gann, if you could possible keep us mentally linked-"
"It depends on the distance. Oh I don't want to do this!" M'gann almost sobbed. "What if something happens? What if we can't reach each other in time?"
"It's not as if we're alone. Superman-"
"He just feels obligated because we're children. If we want to get something done, we'll have to do it ourselves." Superboy cut in.
"He is right. And since we can finally leave this satellite, we can finally look into what is going on. This world has a Cadmus as well. We will find a way to fix things." Aqualad said.
"Then all we need to do is find a way to break in."
"We did it once."
"We can do it again"
YJ
"You will not touch anything. You will not make a sound. Do you understand?" Bruce Wayne had wanted nothing less than to leave the child behind on the satellite. Clark wouldn't hear of it. So now he was standing in the foyer of his million-dollar home with a thirteen year old boy. He could hear the glass shattering already.
"I know, Bruce. I won't bother you." Robin sighed.
"I'll have Alfred set up a room for you upstairs. We'll find you some reasonable clothes. Dinner is at six o'clock sharp. Do not be late." Bruce pulled down his cowl. "I mean it."
"I got it the first seven times." Dick snapped back. "What about patrol."
"I patrol alone."
"And if you get into trouble?"
"I won't."
"Good to know." Robin couldn't help but roll his eyes. Even his Batman wasn't so uptight.
"Master Bruce, I see you've returned. And it appears you've brought a young friend." Alfred was surprised to see the brightly colored young man standing next to Bruce.
"Hey Alfred. I guess you don't know me either." Dick waved nonchalantly.
"Oh dear."
"This is Robin-"
"Richard." Dick interrupted.
Bruce glared at him and continued. "…Richard. Due to recent events, he'll be staying with us for a short while. He's promised to behave."
"Or be strangled. Whichever works."
Alfred blinked rapidly. He could tell the boy's stay would be interesting.
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"You know Artemis, you don't have to stay with him all the time." Black Canary said gently.
"I'm not leaving him alone with either of you." They'd moved Roy to Green Arrow's home in Star City.
"He's safe now. No one is going to hurt him." Black Canary attempted to reason.
"Exactly. I won't let anyone get near him." Artemis sat next to him, her bow strung in her lap. Black Canary thought it was possible she'd gotten even more hostile.
Artemis didn't understand why she was acting the way she was. She didn't even like Roy. He was always so mean to her. Nevertheless, the guy was helpless. And in reality, he was her only real ally in the house. They didn't have to like each other, but if this was going to work, they would have to work together.
"I'm not leaving him."
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"So…this is my house. My wife's inside. How about you just you just stay in your space and I stay in mine?" Barry rubbed the back of his head.
"Why don't you just draw a line in the sand? That might be easier." Wally already wanted to go back to the Watch Tower. The others couldn't be having nearly as much trouble as he was.
"Whatever kid. Listen, I don't want to fight with you. You just have to stay here until someone figures out how to get you and your little friends back home. When that's done, we'll be out of each other's hair. That sound good?"
"You have no idea."
"Barry!" the two speedsters looked up to see Iris Allen coming down the porch steps. "I didn't think you would ever get back." She leaned up to kiss his cheek. "And who is this cutie?"
"This is Wally. I know it's sudden but he kind of has to stay with us right now. There's some weird stuff going on in the League and well, we all sort of had to take a kid. He's promised to be on his best behavior-"
"Oh stop it, Barry. You're perfectly welcome to stay as long as you need, Wally. You know it's weird, you look exactly like my brother, Rudy. Doesn't he Barry? Doesn't he look just like Rudy?" Iris brushed Wally's bangs down.
"Yeah, imagine that."
"Well how about you boys come on in. Dinner's just about ready. Do you like pasta Wally?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Then come on in and let's eat." She threw and arm around the boys shoulder and led him inside. Wally let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least some things never changed.
YJ
"And this is your room. I know it's not very big but hey, reporter's salary. What are you going to do?" Clark Kent was actually quite excited to have the teen staying with him. It was an adventure.
"You don't have to do this." Conner brooded. Clark frowned at the boy's lets than pleasant demeanor.
"I know you said that you and I don't get along in your world but I want us to at least be friends here, Conner. Do you think we can manage that?" he asked lightly.
"Why bother?"
"Because you'll make yourself miserable if you spend the whole time hating me, where's the fun in that? I know what to do, how about after I get back from work, the two of us go out to eat? I know there's a lot you want to say to your world's Superman but since he isn't here, you can practice on me." Clark suggested. "Does that sound okay to you?"
Conner was taken aback by the suggestion.
"I don't understand. You actually want to spend time with me?" he asked quietly.
"Well of course. That was the whole point of this arrangement. I told you, we Kryptonians have to stick together." Clark smiled broadly. "Better yet, I can take the day off. Why don't we just go now? We'll bypass the traffic this way. Come on." Conner couldn't help but follow.
YJ
"So we stay up here?" M'gann asked. She and J'onn were still in the Watch Tower.
"Yes, it is my job to deploy a manage League missions. You could help me if you like." J'onn replied.
"I would like that very much. Do you think-"
"You're friends are well. They are adjusting to their new surroundings." The older Martian shook his head. She was so worried.
"I know, I just want them to be okay. I realize I worry too much." M'gann agreed sadly.
"It is not a sin to care for the ones you love. You merely wish for them to be safe. It is understandable." J'onn said. "There is not much to do today. We have a very nice library. You mentioned homework earlier?"
"Oh yes! I have so much to do. Thank you uncle!" without thinking, M'gann kissed his cheek and headed off to the library, leaving a stunned J'onn behind
YJ
"So you have traveled to Atlantis before?"
"Yes of course, my king. I once resided there before moving to the surface to be with the Team. Still, I long for the sea." Kaldur answered honestly.
"Of course you do. This is your home. I do not see how you can be away for so long." Aquaman was not used to having children around but Kaldur seemed so mature. He could see that the boy made a fine leader for his team. "I hope to see the best of your abilities Kaldur'ahm. When reach my kingdom, I will see what you are truly made of."
"I will not disappoint you, king." Kaldur bowed his head.
"Good, you do not seem like the type." Aquaman agreed. "I know you will enjoy your stay and I hope we may have many adventures together, Aqualad."
Kaldur did not respond. Out of all the others, he believed himself to be the luckiest. He was not as close to his mentor as the others, more attached by duty than by love. His heart had not broken the way Wally's had nor had he felt the rejection Robin felt. His mentor wanted him around even in this new dimension. Yeah, he was definitely one of the lucky ones.
YJ
AN: OK so you guys totally threw me with all the love last chapter. Over 20 reviews! That's so wild! I'm glad you guys are enjoying. I know this chapter wasn't very action packed but we had to do this one to set up next weeks which will in fact be quite action-y. This chapter was supposed to be all about the team adjusting. Oh, and for those of you who miss Roy, make sure you tune in next week! ;)