Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to own all of the DC comic books just to read them, I can't own any of their characters. believe me, you'd be seeing a lot more finished stories if that were the case. Got addicted to Manga first. =/
Wow, loved the reactions to what I did to Roy! Thankfully, I'm gonna give him a happy ending. Or at least an ending (Hey, I like this guy). Artemis' future will remain uncertain because I really don't think I need to get into it. Some characters need more closure than others. For those who didn't catch the references, well, I'll share a few now and the rest later. Artemis' original villainess name was Tigress, and Roy became Arsenal after Speedy and before Red Arrow. he was known for having more than just arrows then.
Main one is the almost direct Dick/Batman quote I loved so much. It was between Jason/Red Hood and him. D: hate to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend. J: she's not my- D: *hits J* back story, not interested. XD miss the big and little D's dynamics. Always need one of the two to lighten the mood.
Anywho, I'm rambling. More rambling later. Story now!
Without Me
Ch. 19 – Found Out
"I am not going to calm down!" Zatara shouted at Superman for the fifth time. "My daughter's out there with that boy doing who knows what! I only brought her here because Flash said he was safe! He's anything but safe!"
"Calm down. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for this."
"I AM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN!"
Superman wanted very much to calm the man down, but even he was taken back at finding the cave completely devoid of life when they returned that night. He had arrived to cover the night shift like before just a few minutes after Zatara and Wonder Woman had started panicking. Robin and Zatanna were not in the mountain. The two teenagers without any supervision decided to leave for unknown reasons.
The mountain was starting to fill itself with Leaguers recovering from the latest crisis soon after Superman arrived. Black Canary brought a slightly injured Green Arrow with her for medical treatment just after they finished clearing Star of Icicle Jr. and his ice bomb. Hal joined them shortly after, informing them of how Flash was handling the frozen victims (rubbing the ice off of them and returning body heat to their numb forms as safely as he could). Aquaman and Martian Manhunter were busy with organizing the cleanup, helping the rest of the Leaguers return the world to normal. About twenty Belle Reve escapees were now in custody again, along with about four hundred thugs the police carted off to regular prisons. Over all, a successful fix to what would have been another disaster for them.
Course no one had heard nor seen Batman, but that wasn't surprising. The man was neck deep in a case in Gotham, and the League was always second to his home town.
Superman was seriously considering calling the man. Robin took Zatanna out of the mountain (how they weren't sure) and hadn't returned. Hal was currently looking through the security feed, starting from where Diana and Zatara had taken off. It seemed like Robin was handling the situation rather well at first, even managed to calm the girl down after her father's departure. It wasn't until the credits rolled on their movie they acted up.
Somehow the kid knew about the computer access from the coffee table in there and started it up. Dick quickly used the cave's systems (how had he gained access?) to enhance the images on the TV screen. Then a second alarm went off in the system. Instantly the kid looked conflicted. He had held his head for a moment, mentally thinking something over. He became fidgety, grounded his teeth, and looked ready to launch into action at a moment's notice.
"What's wrong?" Zatanna had asked, her face beginning to cloud over in worry as she watched her new friend.
The boy had looked at her and tried to smile, but it was clear it wasn't for himself. "Two local events, nothing the League will look into until way later. They're just too busy for them. And we're stuck here, sitting on our hands."
The girl peaked over his shoulder for a moment to see what was on the screens, then he stood up to pace, running his hands through his hair. They could tell he was anxious and wanted to do something, but held back. Zatanna nodded to herself. "You want to go out."
"I hate staying home!" The boy's frustration was familiar. It reminded them all very much of times when they were condemned to stay put instead of going out to fight. "I promised them I would, but I also promised to uphold justice no matter what! How can I just…"
The boy's pause made them think. He wasn't about to just run off for any reason. Not knowing what was going on out there for the past few days probably stopped him from acting like this before. It was Zatanna who made the choice for him.
"So, wanna go on a date?"
He jerked to look at her in surprise. "What?"
"I'm asking if you want to go out with me and have some fun." Her sneaky smile confirmed it was more her idea than his.
The boy took a deep breath before responding. He was trying to be responsible. "We told them we'd stay and be good."
"No, you told them we'd be here when they got back." She gave him a knowing smile.
It was that smile that did it. "I need my gear. Think you can—"
"Sserd su rof elttab!" With a flash both kids were in costume, including Robin's belt, gloves and boots stored away in Batman's room (safest room in the cave). But one thing was missing.
"You forgot my mask."
"Aw, but I like your baby blues!" The look Robin gave her was enough to force her to comply. "Fine! Ksam oot."
"Thanks." He grinned when his face was covered. "Now, we're going to need transportation. Mind modifying one of the spare bikes while I hack the systems to let us out of the mountain? We'll Zeta-beam close as we can to the site, then we're on the road."
The two raced to the hangar and within minutes they were on a motorcycle magically modified to fit both of them. Robin tapped a few keys on this wrist computer and the tube activated. "Here we go!"
"How did he manage to hack Bat's system?" Green Arrow asked in bewilderment.
"Doesn't matter," Diana informed them, her eyes narrowing. "He took Zatanna into battle and they haven't returned. We need to find them and—"
"When I find that little bird, I'm gonna—"
Recognized – Robin B01, Recognized – Zatanna B02
The zeta-tube behind them lit up and two teenagers on a motorcycle slowed to a halt just outside of its rays. Everyone turned to the two, unable to finish their last thoughts. The ones in question had returned, neither looking the worse for ware. Zatanna stiffened behind Robin when they saw the Leaguers waiting on them. The boy wonder though didn't seem to notice nor care they were there. His face was entirely still, like the Bat's when he was thinking of something particularly personal.
Superman made it to their side first, quickly followed by Zatara. Both teens climbed off the bike and took off their helmets just as they arrived, the girl cringing a bit under her father's gaze while the boy's unreadable expression didn't look at them. His mind was clearly elsewhere.
"Robin!" Superman started, trying to mimic his parents' disapproving tone. "What were you—"
The man of steel was cut off by a sharp slap. Zatanna called out enraged after Zatara's hand made contact with Robin's cheek. The boy took the blow without a word, his expression not changing in the slightest.
"HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY DAUGHTER OUT LIKE THAT!"
"Dad! It was—"
"I TRUSTED YOU TO BEHAVE WHILE WE WERE AWAY AND YOU TAKE HER OUT INTO THE FIELD! SHE'S STILL IN TRAINING! SHE DOESN'T KNOW A THING ABOUT—"
"Sorry," Robin whispered. He didn't look at the man, but the tone was enough to tell them he meant it.
"—COMBAT SPELLS OR FIGHTING OR STRATEGY!"
"DAD!" Zatanna shouted in her defense. "I was fine! Robin was—"
"AND YOU!" Zatara turned on his daughter, roaring his displeasure and fears. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN? DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES? YOU COULD HAVE DIED OUT THERE! YOU COULD HAVE—"
"Piz ruoy htuom!" In an instant, as if a cartoonist had drawn him, Zatara's mouth became a zipper drawn shut. The shock of the spell and rage on the girl's face was enough to silence the room. "Just listen for once! I was fine! No one laid a hand on me! Robin was the one fighting! It was my idea to go out at all! And the only reason we went out was because of you guys!"
She glared fiercely around the room, her rage and worry finally peaking through. "You all go off and have your adventures but don't think about the people you leave behind! You just think we'll just stay home and be safe! Well I can fight! And I'm going to!"
Green Arrow stepped forward, frustrated but trying to reason this out to the kid. "Look girl, it may have been easy today, but tomorrow—"
"Sportsmaster, Cheshire, Mister Twister," Robin listed off, his jaw tightening, "Tigress and Arsenal. And that was just this afternoon. It wasn't easy. They may not be Luthor or Ra's or the Ice Gang, but they aren't cake walks either."
"Robin," Superman started, "you don't understand—"
"I understand everything." The boy glared up at the man of steel. "I know you're worried and I know you care, but you're going to smother us if you don't let us fight. There's more out there to protect than just bodies and cities."
"Darn straight," Zatanna piped in, glaring her defiance. Her father grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her stubborn stance. "Hey!"
Zatara unzipped his mouth, the zipper lips disappearing within seconds. "You don't know what it's really like out there! I do everything I can to protect you and—"
"I don't want to just be protected!" his daughter argued back. "I want to help!"
"Puh," Green Arrow crossed his arms mockingly behind the two other leaguers, approaching the teens to put in his two bits. "Adrenaline junkie. One victory in the field doesn't make you qualified to—"
He was cut off when Robin threw his fist across his jaw, spinning him to the floor. Somehow the kid slipped around Superman and darted straight at him with that same stony face he arrived with. No, not stone. A cold controlled rage until the moment his fist made contact and exploded
"ROBIN!" several of them shouted in unison. GA looked up to the kid getting grabbed by several leaguers in case the kid tried anything else, but the kid had no intention of making another physical move. He just shook in rage, glaring fiercely at the archer on the floor.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE ROY IN?"
The man looked up at the kid in complete confusion, one hand resting on his bruised jaw. "What?"
"Almost four years ago," Robin started, stepping forward despite Superman's grip on his shoulder and Diana's on his arm, "you went to an archery competition! Roy Harper, at fifteen, was the fastest shot you've ever seen! Why didn't you take him in?"
"Robin calm down!" Superman ordered, finding it hard to restrain the kid without breaking his bones.
"What are you talking about?" Frustrated, Green Arrow shoved himself off the ground to tower over the kid. Robin wasn't backing down even the slightest from his glare. "I go to hundreds of archery competitions! Why would one kid at one of them matter?"
"Because that one kid without you turned into Arsenal!" The Leaguers around the boy exchanged glances of concern. Robin's shaking wouldn't stop. It was clear what he learned in these past few hours hurt him, enraged him. "Roy looked up to you! He had nothing! All you had to do was—"
"What kind of nut job would drag a kid into this world?" GA gestured around the cave and the capes within. Robin stopped shouting and stared at him as if horrified by the statements. The man glared down on him, becoming almost as dark and sinister as the Bat. "This isn't a game boy! People get hurt! They die every day fighting this war!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Robin retorted bitterly, his volume lowering with his glare. He wasn't resisting the hands holding him back anymore.
"Well clearly you don't! Or you wouldn't be here in the first place!"
"Oliver!" Black Canary shouted at him, earning the contempt of nearly everyone in the room. Zatara's current fury at the boy for putting his daughter in danger won him over.
"How can you say that!" Hal barked at his friend, anger starting to take control of his face.
"He's just a kid!" Superman piped in. "He doesn't know any better!"
"No kidding!" GA kept going as Robin's face continued to fall. "To him this is all just one big game! Go off, fight bad guys, go home, and eat ice cream! That's all that's in his head or he wouldn't have dragged Zatara's kid along!"
"It was my idea!" Zatanna shouted in Robin's defense. "And we did a really good job!"
"This time." The archer glared up at her, trying to drive his point home. "Next time you won't be so lucky. Next time they'll have guns! Or super powers! Or a bomb! Think you can handle all of that?"
"I have." Robin whispered, barely audible for anyone to hear. Superman and Black Canary (thanks to her training) were the only ones who heard it. They both looked at him and how much his demeanor changed from a few minutes ago. A forced stony face, not unlike Batman's, covered the majority of the pain he felt from Green Arrow's words. The man didn't know what he was doing to the kid.
Since he couldn't hear Robin's statement and Zatanna said nothing because of her newbie fears, GA smirked, thinking he'd proven his point. He certainly had for Zatara. "Didn't think so. Think about that next time you decide to play hero."
"Some hero," Robin muttered a little louder. He glared up to the archer, meeting his eyes easily enough. "You wouldn't even save the life of one fifteen year old boy."
At his statement everyone froze. Knowing the conversation was over, Robin twisted himself out of both Leaguer's hands and started walking towards the living quarters towards his temporary room. He kept his eyes on the floor, fiddling with the latches on his gloves as he walked. They only heard him speak again when he entered the hallway.
"Sorry for ruining your visiting privileges Zee. I make a horrible date."
Before anyone could respond to that, he was far down the hallway and out of their sights.
A/N: Don't you hate it when someone keeps telling you to calm down when you have every reason in the world to be upset? *shakes head*
I felt certain parts of this were too slow, what do you think? I just needed to pass some information in at one point hence the security feed, but I felt like it slowed down the story a little too much. Did love Zatara's reaction though. Very reasonable considering Zatanna's all he has.
Course the part I'm most proud about is Robin decking GA. Best part ever! I've had that planned out when I decided to put Roy in ages ago. We already know some league members are against Robin going out into the field because he's a kid, but no one says it the same way he does. Ollie's pretty harsh here. and Rob brings up a very good point. You're not much of a hero if you aren't willing to help a person in need. One thing I like about batman is how in many cases he's just dealing with someone at the end of their ropes who'll gladly go another direction if they can. And he saves them by giving them that way out. Can't just save people through brute force. Haven't seen much of GA outside of combat so I can't make any judgement calls on him. Dunno if either of them started doing this though before or after they got their first partners. *shrug* anyway, now we have a very upset Robin. That's not going to be easy to fix.
Also, wave goodbye to Zatanna! The magicians have left the building. =D not bashing them, just giving you an FYI.