Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.
"Recognized: Robin, B-01," the announcement blared over the Cave's speakers. An exhausted Robin stumbled into the cave. Artemis, being the only one to hear Robin's arrival, walked sleepily into the room from the infirmary.
"Robin? What are y-wait, what time is it?" she asked groggily.
"Around five," Robin replied with a sense of dread. He had a feeling about where the conversation is heading.
Artemis's eyes widened in realization, all feelings of sleepiness forgotten. "You went on patrol, didn't you? Why didn't you wake me?" she hissed angrily.
"You were injured and recovering."
"And you've gone days without sleeping. What the hell, Robin, why didn't you just ask for help?" she was practically shouting, having forgotten about the sleeping members of the Team. Her concern for her teammate was triggering her anger.
The rest of the team, awakened by the racket, made their way into the zeta tube room.
"What's going on?" questioned Kaldur.
"Robin! You're finally-oh my god," Wally interrupted himself as he caught sight of his best friend. "You look terrible."
Robin felt a sudden rush of vertigo and swayed heavily to the side. Leaning a hand on the wall of the zeta tube to steady himself, he tried to get rid of the pounding in his head. Keep it together, Grayson, he reprimanded himself. Artemis rushed forward to help the Team's youngest member. The rest of the team stood in shocked silence as they took in the bloody bandage on his thigh that was ineffective in stopping the blood that trickled down his bare leg. They noticed the paleness in his face and the way his masked eyes were slitted with fatigue.
"What happened to you? Let us help," said M'gann. She too rushed forward and grabbed his arm to help him to the infirmary, but when doing so, her hand grazed his bad side, causing Robin to gasp in pain. M'gann began sprouting her apologies, her worry causing her to ramble. Artemis frowned at Robin's reaction, then gently pulled off his uniform shirt to reveal a second bloody bandage. Robin felt too weak to resist.
"Oh my god," repeated Wally, echoing the minds of the other Team members.
"I'm fine. They're bullet wounds," Robin explained. He didn't want to look weak in front of his teammates, and he definitely didn't need them preventing him from getting to the bottom of the case of the missing men.
"You're fine, my eye," snorted the team's archer.
"Please, let us help you, Robin," M'gann repeated. Her eyes were wide with fear.
Zatanna shoved her way to the front of the group. "Allow me. Sserd sih seirujni!"
The soiled bandages fell away and two new lengths of linen appeared and wrapped themselves around the bloody scrapes.
"Oh man. You really need to get some sleep," advised Wally. His joking persona was replaced by one of a caring brother.
"Yes. I believe a good rest would benefit you the most. As with the rest of us," stated Kaldur in his calming manner. Connor grunted in agreement.
"I have casework," mumbled Robin.
"Oh please. Let me handle that," huffed Artemis. She was annoyed at the stubborn boy and at herself for letting him run himself ragged. Before he could disagree, Zatanna grabbed his wrist and led him to his quarters. The team watched as his weak struggles did nothing to stop the determined girl, their amusement combined with concern.
Robin made his disagreement very clear as Zatanna dragged him to his room and unceremoniously shoved him onto his bed.
"Artemis can handle it. She's a trained assassin," she finally said, interrupting his protests. Then, before Robin could speak again, she leaned forward and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips, successfully silencing any further protests. She leaned back with a smirk, and seeing that there still was objection in his eyes, she quickly whispered a command. "Peels!"
"No fair," mumbled Robin, before unconsciousness finally overtook him.
"Robin! Robin?!"
"Huh?" mumbled Robin drowsily. Glancing at his clock, he could tell that he hadn't slept for long. He realized the voice was coming from his communicator.
"This is Batgirl. I require help. There is-" static interrupted her message.
"Batgirl? Barbara!" Robin shouted. Ignoring his exhaustion, he leapt out of his bed and dashed into the Cave's mission briefing room.
"What's going on in Gotham?" he demanded. His fear for his friend and his city was stimulating his emotions. The other members of the Team were present and intently gazing at the holographic computer screen.
"Uh, maybe you should look," responded Artemis. "I was conducting investigations about the missing men in Gotham when the city became encased with this black energy.
Robin looked at the satellite footage of Gotham that Artemis pulled up. A figure stood at the top of a skyscraper at the center of the city. He was clad in medieval black armor. A devilish helmet covered his head. Only instead of eyes and a mouth at the openings of the helmet, there was gaping darkness. The figure underneath fear-imposing helmet appeared to be a sentient shadow, a literal entity of darkness. He raised his hands to the air. Two columns of black energy shot out of his hands and encased the city in a dome of opaque blackness. I've never seen this lowlife before, thought Robin. Is he related to the missing people?
"Tell the approaching military to stand down. We don't know what that he iscapable of or if his energy can block their guns. I don't want their fire to demolish the city," ordered Robin as he analyzed the situation.
"Already done," Artemis replied.
"We'll approach via Bio-Ship. The black energy seems to block all zeta tube activity," continued Robin.
"We?!" asked Kid Flash. "No. You need to rest. And Artemis too. Please."
"I'm going," Robin's tone booked for no argument. "It's my city. My fight. And I have friends in there who may are in danger."
"Hey! If he's going, then I am too. Gotham is my city just as much as it is his," Artemis objected.
"Robin, Artemis, please stay. I-we are worried about you guys," said Zatanna.
"I need to be there with you guys," replied Robin. He would never abandon his teammates. Artemis echoed his sentiment.
"Friends, please. If both of you go, the Team will have to divide their attention in order to watch over the two of you," reasoned Kaldur, attempting to sway the two vigilantes by appealing to their sense of loyalty and concern for their comrades. His argument had no effect on the two stubborn heroes.
"Watch over us? Please, don't make me laugh," snorted Artemis. She followed Robin to the hangar. Sighing, the rest of the team followed as well.