Chapter 2

Mount Justice 10:00 AM

I wake up to the smell of blood and coffee. Unnerving, I know. Groggily blinking my eyes, I blurrily survey my surroundings. My shoulder aches but the throbbing has eased up and I can feel the soft grating of cotton swaps and bandages against skin. The idea of them digging the bullet out churns my stomach which brings me to the smell of the room. Surely the metallic tang in the air is coming from me unless someone else has suffered the ripping of flesh and loss of blood. It's the coffee that's stumping me. Did they perform minor surgery in the kitchen? And if so did they really think now is an appropriate time to drink coffee over my weak pathetic body? Lastly are they going to offer me any?

I squint at the boy standing above me. He glares at me with narrowed eyes and tightly drawn brows. Pure annoyance emanates from him. He waves a cup back and forth beneath my nose.

"Hey kid. Are you going to give me that or just keep teasing me like a dog?" He actually jumps at the sound of my raspy voice, but quickly recovers with an irritated grimace, thrusting the mug in my general direction. Hot coffee sears my skin and I move quickly to rub the fresh burn. Swiping the coffee from him, I study his face suspiciously. I've definitely never met him before but there is something eerily familiar about his features that I just can't put my finger on.

"So what's your name Kid?"

"Damian. And stop calling me kid," he snaps, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the defining of his maturity.

"Sure thing Jr." an actual growl escapes his lips and I have to hold down laughter. "Shortstop?" silent daggers. "How 'bout the littlest Robin?" This catches his attention. Wary eyes gaze at me in obvious but contained curiosity.

"So you do know who I am. I didn't think you would."

"You have a giant R on your chest." He looks down to check whether or not that was a way I could've figured him out.

"Yeah well. Who are you?" The harshness of his voice bothers me but I'm too exhausted to smack some sense into him.

"I'm Jay X. But you can call me Jay" His eyebrows crunch together in either confusion or annoyance. Maybe both.

"That's stupid and not your name." Who the hell is this kid?

"It's not stupid, you probably couldn't even figure out why I go by Jay X, might I remind you that you go by Robin, and of course it's not my real name. Rule number one in this business kid: secret identities are everything." I can't help but feel satisfied at his astounded expression as if no one had said anything like that to him before in his life. Groaning I push myself into a sitting position.

"Are you getting up? You're not supposed to get up. Grayson said that you need to stay resting." Of course he did. Good old Dick, trying to take care of me.

"Well I'm getting up so you better go get him," this elicits another growl. Damian trudges out of the room to go find my old friend. My heart patters excitedly at the memory of talking and laughing, a blonde pony-tail whipping me in the face, emerald eyes twinkling teasingly, Grayson's bright laugh and kind heart, and stormy grey-blue eyes that cut me off at the knees. Those eyes.

"You never could follow orders," I spin around instantly regretting the sharp movement but the pain is nothing compared to the feeling of home at the sound of Dick's voice. Like a natural leader always does, his voice brings a stillness even when he was a short fifteen year old telling me to get whelmed. Too bad I never listen to him.

"You know it. The new suit looks good on you," he laughs and walks over to the cot I'm sitting on. His arms wrap around me and I sigh into the embrace. It's been a long time since I've been hugged. "Hey," I mumble into Nightwing's now filled out figure. Pure muscle.

"We missed you around here, Margo." Squeals echo from out in the hall and both Grayson and I prepare for the green monster that is sure to enter the room. A blur of green skin and red hair smashes into me. The being squishes itself against my face and chatters frantically".

"Oh my god! I heard you were back. It's so good to see you."

"Good to shee you too" I squeak from M'gann's tight cuddle.

"How are you? Were you hurt? Am I hurting you?" M'gann pushes away from me still gripping my shoulders.

"I'm fine M'gann. It's not that bad." Her soft brown eyes sparkle with tears. "Don't cry. I'll be better soon and then I'll get out of your hair," I joke light heartedly.

"Shut up. How long are you staying really?" I don't ever want to leave but I can already hear his voice and even the conversations of my old family won't dull it.

"A while, till my shoulder heals and I figure out my next move."

"Speaking of next moves. Someone is trying to kill you. I'll send Batgirl and Robin out on a reconnaissance mission to find out who's behind it."

"Baby bird or Tim?" Nightwing stifles a laugh quickly recovering from my snark.

"Drake will go. He has more experience and is the official Robin."

"And Damian is what a backup?" Mrs. Martian's eyes widen in shock at the venom dripping from my voice, glancing nervously between me and Dick.

"It's not like that. Damian is uh… a special case. He's here to learn and to be supervised and if Tim chooses he could assume a new mantle soon." It's logical. I trust them. It's not how it feels. Right?

"It sounds a lot like a preliminary replacement to me."

"No you don't understand we have to do this. Damian is Batman's son," M'gann interjects. My jaw drops in disbelief. Batman has a son?!

"Since when? Since when does Batman have a son? That kid is at least ten I've only been gone a year," I ask, trying to wrap my head around the idea of my old Mentor being a father. He makes a great mentor but a father?

"He just found out," Grayson says, "It's only been a few months and he was getting into trouble so we took him in. As Robin he has purpose. You of all people should understand that," he knows why this would bother me so why is he trying to guilt me into accepting it?

"How would I know, I was never Robin." Groaning, I stand up and grasp my shoulder. "I need a walk." With that I shuffle past my friends out into the hallway.

It's a long walk to the hero tributes. Too much thinking. So many have died and we don't talk about because heroes never die right? Batman saved my life. This team saved my life. I would never say that I wish I'd never met them because if I didn't I'd probably be in jail or dead or something but the fact is we're teenagers. Not even all of us have superpowers. There is a reason that my hair is grey and it's not hormones. It was like I aged fifty years that die. It was like I died too.