A/N: I don't want to call this a filler chapter, but it doesn't advance the plot, so... this is just a chapter on people struggling and trying to help each other through it. Next chapter will have some more young justice elements and a meet up of two familiar faces from the show. Stay safe guys!

Summary: Artemis Crock, sister to the notorious assassin Cheshire, daughter of the ruthless Sportsmaster and merciless Huntress. She was raised in the League of Shadows, groomed to become the killers like her relatives, but she didn't want that, not really. When the Justice League catches her, the Green Arrow offers her something she can't refuse. A chance at freedom. AU

Chapter Sixteen

Dick had been enjoying his night off, well technically he didn't like when he didn't have patrol or get the chance to fight off some bad guys, but tonight he was content. Mostly because of the friend who was currently collapsed on his bed while he was sitting in his desk chair. It was nearly 2 am on a Wednesday night, but neither intended on going to sleep just yet and they would just be a little exhausted at school tomorrow. It had been weeks since Roy's disappearance and the introduction of Artemis on Green Arrow's team.

Artemis was in her element fighting criminals, it had been a bit of a shock how much she had taken to it. Though Bruce suspected that the loss of Roy had propelled her to div further into the sidekick role, as a way to honor him. Dick didn't deny that, he thought it made sense, however he knew there was a bit more than that. Especially with her appearance tonight. She was still dressed in her sidekick attire, her blonde hair was ashy since she had yet to wash out the smoke from the mission tonight. Aside from that and a couple of bruises, she was physically unharmed, but Dick knew better.

They hadn't been friends longs and rarely saw each other outside of league business, with the exception of video calls. However Dick liked to think he was good at getting reads on people, even someone as closed off as Artemis liked to present herself. Lying on her back, staring at the ceiling with what he could tell was a distant look, he knew mentally something was going on in her head that wasn't very pleasant. She had snuck in through the window, hadn't said a word to him and that was okay with Dick, he could talk enough for the both of them or she would speak when she wanted to. He glanced at his computer to see the report from Green Arrow on tonight's mission with some notes on Artemis' progress and such. Technically it wasn't for his eyes, but he was practicing his hacking skills like Bruce told him, so he couldn't really be in trouble for it.

"At least the crime fighting is going well," Dick said after a bit of silence, "Batman's lessons paying off?"

Artemis nodded, "I really didn't think he could teach me anything, but he proved me wrong."

Dick tilted his head up, at least she answered him, "You going to tell me what's on your mind or you going to hide it in wraps?"

"You mean keep it under wraps," Artemis remarked dryly, "And I didn't feel like going back to the manor just yet- huh, manor. Never thought that'd be a place where I would stay."

Dick wore a faint grin, "Weird say that you live in a manor now."

Artemis sighed, "Considering I usually lived in a one bedroom apartment or a compound with pasty walls, saying I live in a manor is a little more than bizarre."

"Perhaps, but I know you didn't break into my manor to talk about where we live," Dick pointed out, he leaned forward as he continued, "So, spill the beans. Why did you stop by?"

"It's weird with Roy not being there, I'm not used to it and I don't want to be used to it either," Artemis said softly.

Dick glanced away then. He had known Roy for awhile, when he heard the news that he was missing, he couldn't control his anger and sorrow at the news. Batman threatened to sideline him if he did't get himself together which Dick had to admit was more than fair. It had just been too much of a shock. Sometimes he forgot that this, what he did, was not a game and came with all kinds of consequences. Loss was one of them.

"Yeah, I imagine that's tough," Dick told her.

For the first time since her arrival, she looked at him, "You knew him longer and better, it must be worse."

Dick shrugged his shoulders, "I wouldn't say I know him better. Plus, you're used to seeing him everyday, the adjustment is different. You lost someone like a brother."

At those words Artemis sat up, not quickly or sharply, but it was a little jarring to Dick. He wondered what was going on her mind, what she was doing here and what she hoped to gain from this visit. In all honesty, he couldn't figure out why she had come at all. They weren't the type to talk about all their deep feelings in the late hours, though Dick did recall what he told her just before Roy had been taken away from them. Maybe she just wanted to check on him, to make sure he was still here because the only other league friend close to her age was gone. The silence seemed to get thicker and Dick was uncertain of where to go from here. Roy's loss was affecting her more than she would say, likely more than she could admit.

"I guess so," Artemis said climbing off the bed, she looked at him sadly, "I'll see you next joint training session."

"Wait, Artemis," Dick called, but she was already out the window and lost to the night.

Artemis was slammed into the brick wall, all the air forced out of her lungs as she slipped onto the ground. Her head began to spin and nausea washed over like waves on a shore, but she had to keep herself together. For Oliver, Dinah and most importantly for Roy. A groan/ cry was ripped from her throat as her attacker kicked her down. Anger and misery rushed through her chest, she had to get herself together, she had to get out of here, she had to fight back. She had to do something.

"Enough, that's enough!"

Artemis hissed as she pushed her face down against the concrete floor. That was Oliver. Training hadn't ramped up exactly, but Artemis had been pushing herself harder and told all her trainers in the league to push her as well. Most of them were hesitant to do so, but others were willing to go a bit harder if they thought it would help her be more prepared. With Roy's disappearance, every leaguer was both more overprotective and demanding of their mentees. Even with the pushes, there was always a chance their sidekick would be the next one lost and it was their job to ensure that their mentee would be prepared.

"I can handle this," Artemis said through gritted teeth as she forced herself to stand.

"It didn't look like it from where I was sitting," Oliver said sternly.

The Green Arrow had been pushing Artemis to be more prepared in escaping difficult spots, but otherwise he had remained how he usually was with her when it came to training. Watching Artemis just now showed him that tonight she was off her game. It marked the one month anniversary since Roy had been taken and her joining the fight on his team.

This was also the first week that Oliver had made an appearance as Green Arrow since then, though it would continue to be minimal until he was finished locating Roy. The search was expanding, he was following the trails left behind and would get his kid back. However even with his dedication to finding Roy, he couldn't neglect the other child in his care who was not doing so well.

"I would have recovered," Artemis argued clutching her side.

Bruce kept an impassive face as he replied, "Your reflexes are lagging, your quick movements are your main and sometimes only advantage. Especially against bigger and stronger opponents."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "I know. Let's go again."

Oliver shook his head, "You've had enough for the night."

"No, I'm not done," Artemis replied sharply.

"If she wants to continue, I see no problem with pushing through his wall," Bruce commented before Oliver could disagree, "However if you think it will cause more harm than good, then we can continue another time."

Artemis clenched her hands into fists, "We keep going. I need to get through this."

"Artemis, killing yourself in training won't bring Roy back," Oliver said exasperated.

"Neither will obsessing over every dead end lead," Artemis shot back, her eyes burning.

Bruce released a sigh, "Both of you need to cool off before you say something you regret. Artemis, Robin is about to go on patrol, why don't you join him? Oliver, we have some league business to attend."

Oliver was prepared to argue and just take Artemis home, but the thirteen year old was already out the door to get Robin. The green crusader shook his head in defeat, he was at a loss on what to do about Artemis. Nothing had been the same since Roy, which made perfect sense and he couldn't fault anyone for that, but he wasn't sure what he could do to help Artemis. All she wanted to do was fight in the streets, fight him or Dinah and lock herself away. There was more to this than just Roy being missing, but he had no idea how to approach it or what he could do.

Bruce studied his friend with a raised brow, trying to get a gage on what the man was thinking and what he intended to do. While Bruce liked to see the future of the league dedicated and fully involved, but he preferred it to be clear and in the right mind. Artemis was not in it for anything other than guilt over what happened to Roy. After all this time she was working herself up to join the league, Roy's leaving had been both a push forward and large step back.

"I'm at a loss," Oliver said as he took a seat on the bench by the weights.

Bruce nodded, "It's obvious you are out of your element."

Oliver scoffed, "Thanks for that."

"I'm honest," Bruce replied, he glanced in the direction Artemis left in, "She likely needs more time to deal with the loss of Roy, same to you."

"I can't stop looking for him," Oliver said in shock.

"Likely you constantly searching for him is driving Artemis down, she's trying to accept that he's gone and you won't let it go," Bruce replied, his tone flat.

Oliver stood from his seat, "Roy could still be alive! I cannot and will not give up on him Bruce, I can't do that and you can't ask me to. It'd be no different as me telling you to stop searching for Robin if he was gone or telling Flash not to search for KF. We have to keep looking."

"I never said I was going to tell you to stop," Bruce told him simply, "Only that it could be a reason why Artemis is more irritated by the matter."

Olived took a breath. He supposed that made sense. If Artemis was really trying to move on, his constant bringing it up and coming up with nothing, but dead ends was causing more damage than anything. Hope that would build only to come crashing down could be a real killer. He knew he wouldn't stop looking and he couldn't hide the search from Artemis, that just seemed wrong. It seemed that if he was going to help Artemis, he was going to have to find a way to get her to believe that Roy could be found again. That pushing herself down wasn't going to help him. When she returned from patrol with Robin, he would talk to her about all this. Maybe all she needed was someone to yell at and get it all off her chest.

Oliver waited up for Artemis back at his manor, her cup of hot chocolate had gone cold, but he would make her another one when she arrived. He was pleased to learn that she loved the drink, it brought a smile to his face when he thought back to the first time she tried it in this house. It was a regular day in the household, not much was happening, but things were pleasant and Dinah was craving the drink. When she had given some to Artemis to try, the packets were gone by the next day.

He heard the door in the back open that would lead to the kitchen. He turned around in his chair to see her walk in, she had changed out of her attire though and was dressed in just a red shirt and black pants. Oliver knew the red shirt was Roy's, it was took big for her.

"Made some hot chocolate," Oliver said lifting his mug, "I can warm up yours."

"I don't want to talk about it," Artemis said clearly.

Oliver sighed, "I think you need to. Look, I know the loss of Roy has been hard on you, it's been rough on everyone, but killing yourself in training, taking more risks on the streets- it's too much."

Artemis crossed her arms over her chest, "It's not. I'm used to pushing myself like this, I'd been slacking and need to make up for lost time."

"You aren't with the Shadows anymore, that's not how we run things," Oliver said, his tone clipped more than it should have been.

Artemis' eyes lit up in annoyance, "Are you sure about that? Because-" she cut herself off and shook her head.

Oliver frowned, "No, come on and say it. I can take it."

Artemis shook her head, "It doesn't matter, I'm going to bed."

"No, we aren't done," Oliver said standing from his seat.

Artemis kept walking, she had to keep moving so Oliver didn't see how beat up she was. One close look and he would know, she couldn't have that. So she had been pushing herself more than usual, so she had been acting different, it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was doing her best for Roy, she was doing it all for Roy because he was gone and there was a large change he would never come back to them. That was what broke her the most.

Oliver had grabbed her wrist, to stop her from walking any further away from him. When she didn't fight him, he just stood there. Dinah was better at this, she was better at comforting someone when they were in this kind of pain, she knew what to say and what to do about it. He was more of a "let me distract you from the pain" type, not the "let's walk through it" type.

"Artemis, I want to help," Oliver said, he sounded tired and defeated, "But I can't do that if you don't talk to me."

"What do you want me to say," Artemis asked, still not looking at him.

"What you're feeling," Oliver replied.

For several moments, Artemis said nothing. Only silence filled their ears in the dimly lit kitchen in the early hours of the morning. Despite herself, tears slipped down her eyes as she thought of just how she felt. How she was angry that Roy was gone, that she hadn't been there to help, how sad she was that he wasn't here to mock her. Roy was like a brother, could even one day be a brother-in-law and she missed him. She really missed him and wanted him back here with her, safe.

He was gone now, likely not coming back from whatever Luthor had done to him. Her sister was gone, scattered to the wind or loyal to the Shadows more than ever. Her father, a different beast, but even she had to admit that she missed the man he used to be. Then there was her mother who she would never see. It seemed to her that anyone she was with, would vanish. How long before she lost Dinah and Oliver? Was her stay with them really that permanent, she still didn't know.

"We don't have time," Artemis said hoarsely, "How much time before we're all gone? Before you and Dinah leave me? The day that Robin doesn't come back from a mission? We don't have any-any time."

Artemis turned to look at Oliver then, he tried not to show how much her pained expression broke him as he spoke, "We never know how much time we have left. We make the most of it and we do our best to always be there. Dinah and I can't promise we'll be here forever, but we can promise we would move heaven and earth to get to you and Roy."

Artemis bit her lip, she didn't say anything back.

"I know it's hard, believe me I understand. I worry about who's next, when is the last time, but I don't let that control me and I don't use it as a means to power through," Oliver continued quietly. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she met his gaze, "I know I'm not your dad and that you have a family already, but Dinah and I are here for you. We want to be here for you and help you and get you through all of this. We just need you crack that door a little. People always talk about break down walls, we want you to let us in them."

"Why, I'm just your assignment," Artemis argued.

Oliver shook his head, "You and I both know that isn't true. What is really eating at you?"

That seemed to be enough to get Artemis to speak, "I'm scared Oliver. I'm scared of who's next to go and I have to be ready to fight back, to keep pushing. Fear weakness, but I'm so afraid. I don't want to be alone anymore."

Oliver pulled her into his arms and hugged her as tight as he could, "It's okay to be afraid Artemis, but you don't have to face that fear alone. You're never alone, I promise."

And with that, Artemis closed her eyes and let the tears fall freely. She didn't hold back, she just let them pour and the words she had kept buried, poured with them.