Chapter 21:

Robin entered the batcave via zeta-beam and noticed that Batman was still looking through files, cowl down

"What are you doing?"

"Boring stuff that doesn't concern you"

"That's not really an answer"

"It's the one that i'm giving you"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, did you want something?"

"Artemis and Conner figured out my identity"

Dick could almost feel the temperature drop

"And how did they figure that out?"

"Superboy heard me say that my parents died when I was 8 and Artemis had been doing research about my life and she noticed that Superboy seemed down, which is unusual for him, and when she asked why, he explained our very brief converstaion and she managed to put all the info together"

"She's a pretty good detective"

The temperature was slowly going back up

"And when did you mention that your parents died when you were 8"

Temperature dropping

"Wally dragged me away from the team to ask me why I watched the video Deadshot showed to the whole of Gotham and close outer cities, we argued a little bit and the team heard me mention Wally's kidnapping from 3 years ago, Kaldur did the math and was concerned that I had seen my best friend 3 quarters dead and being in pain when I was 9, I muttered extremely quietly that I my parents died and I was first beaten when I was 8, but Conner heard me"

"Why did you say that?"

"I didn't realize I said it out loud!"

"But why did you think that?"

"I just don't want to be treated like a kid, I can handle everything they can, I can handle more than they can!"

"That's not really an answer"

"It's the one i'm giving you"

"Listen Dick, the others know that you can handle it, I think they feel the need to protect you because your like their little brother"

"Or they just think i'm not old enough to take it"

"I doubt they think that, your the most experienced fighter and hacker in the group, you started crime fighting when you were 9, you've been in more pain than most people have to deal with in a lifetime and you still manage to be happy and just go on with life like none of it ever happened, the others all look up to you despite your size"

Dick laughed

"Thanks that almost makes me feel better...Anyway I wanted to know if i could tell Miss Martian and Aqualad my identity, since everyone else knows"

"Sure"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, if everyone else knows it's only fair, but not until morning"

"Why not?"

"You need to rest"

"I'm not tired"

"Tell that to me when you no longer need crutches"

Dick sighed "Fine, Goodnight Bruce"

"Night Dick"