Author's Note: School sucks. Seriously. Isn't your senior year of high school supposed to be the year you get to take it easy and do the fun stuff? Apparently not. Anyways, in regards to this story. I will be ending No Risk in a probably about 10 chapters and then I will follow up with a part two. And just a heads up, this is the angstiest chapter I have ever written and it is very cathartic for Remy. Thanks to all of you who provided your feedback. And who is excited for September? Only like three more weeks until new episodes! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Rock Bottom

To say that the atmosphere on Red Arrow's jet was tense was possibly the understatement of the century.

After securing a plane to the alps—flown by men personally chosen by the Dark Knight himself—for the prince, Batman had decided to fly back to the states with Remy and Red Arrow so that they could discuss her transgression.

"Well this is awkward," Red Arrow stated from beside Remy. "I'll get drinks."

"You directly disobeyed an order, Roulette," Batman told her, as Red Arrow sauntered off.

"I was just trying to help," Remy explained. "The fact that the Shadows captured Ferdinand was my fault. I don't know about you, but my parents taught me how to clean up my own messes."

Batman glared at her, and Remy shrunk slightly back into her seat.

"Do you have any idea how much damage could have been done tonight?" Batman asked.

"Everything went fine," Remy protested. "I had it all planned out and see? My plan worked."

"It worked because you're unusually lucky," Batman said flatly. "Cheshire could have easily stopped you if one thing hadn't gone right. Then both Red Arrow and the prince would still be in the custody of the Shadows."

"I wasn't going to let that happen," Remy said firmly.

"You might think you're old enough to take these things on by yourself," Batman started. "But you're a seventeen year old girl. You have neither the foresight nor the experience to take on missions by yourself."

Remy's face twisted up in indignation. "You're joking right? I've been working for the Shadows for at least two years before you ever showed up. They don't just take anyone."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "You were nothing but a gun for hire. Had you failed a mission, I doubt they would have kept you around."

"So you're saying the only reason they're keeping me around now is so I can sabotage the League from the inside?"

"Yes."

The biting silence that followed Batman's short answer grated on Remy's ears. She knew he was right—he was Batman for a reason. And he was only echoing the thoughts she'd had throughout her partnership with the Shadows. As she had completed assassinations for them, she had accepted the fact that she might not make it home one night if the Shadows suddenly decided to cut her out.

She had become accustomed to expecting betrayal.

But now, as Batman said these words to her, she couldn't bring herself to admit that she was expendable or useless.

"I've never failed a mission," Remy added, as if that would negate the obvious truth in Batman's words.

"That may be true," Batman said. "But I can't have you compromising my authority in front of my team. Not only does it reflect poorly on me, but it reflects poorly on you as well."

Remy opened her mouth, about to retort, when Red Arrow slid into the seat beside her, drink in hand.

"Don't mind me," he said, waving her off.

Remy sighed and addressed the Dark Knight. "You hired me because I get things done. That's what I did tonight."

"I put you on my team so that you could get a second chance," Batman growled. "But you have repeatedly defied my authority, ignored the offers of help from your teammates—"

Remy groaned, interrupting him. "I can't help it if they're incompetent!"

Remy's hand shot up over her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Batman stopped, about to say something and looked at Remy incredulously. Beside her, Red Arrow drummed his fingers on his plane table, averting his eyes.

"You mean to tell me that the protégés of the Justice League are incompetent?" Batman asked incredulously.

Remy rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You obviously did. Now explain," Batman growled. "I, for one, would like to hear your opinion on the matter."

Remy folded her hands, one of the telltale signs that she was nervous—and she was.

"Obviously Artemis and Robin aren't, but the others are completely fallible. Megan's a glorified telekinetic cheerleader who's afraid of a little fire, Aqualad is a fish out of water, Conner is a dumb brute, and Wally is just plain stupid."

"Oh and I suppose you're perfect?" Red Arrow snorted.

"Stay out of this," Batman said as Remy bit out, "Shut up."

Red Arrow mumbled something under his breath and stood, moving to sit across the aisle from them instead.

"You asked for my opinion," Remy said flatly.

Batman turned his attention back to her. "I'm suspending you from the team. Indefinitely."

Remy practically exploded. "You can't do that!"

Batman held up a hand and counted off on his fingers. "You disobeyed a direct order; you're unable to work with your teammates—"

"You have nothing to back that statement up," Remy snapped. "We did fine at the LexCorp facility."

"—you're secretive—" Batman counted off another finger.

"So are you!" Remy sputtered.

"—and your loyalties are questionable at best," Batman finished.

Remy grabbed at her in a frustrated gesture. "I am a goddamn double agent! What do you expect me to do?"

Batman stayed silent for a moment and shook his head. "Your very response to this issue is proving my point. You're not mature enough to handle such a delicate position."

Remy opened her mouth to retort but Batman held up a hand stopping her. "Did you even consider the repercussions of your little plan tonight?"

Remy raised an eyebrow. "I executed perfectly. What other repercussions could there possibly be? The prince is safe."

"And you also left a fellow Shadows member in the debris of an explosion that you caused," Batman said darkly. "I know for a fact that you didn't send word ahead to Cheshire."

"How do you—"

"How exactly were you planning on talking your way out of the fact that you helped two of their high profile prisoners escape? And that you left Cheshire in a flaming pile of rubble and assaulted their entire security staff?"

Remy hadn't thought of that. "Well I—"

She shut her mouth as realization dawned on her.

In her quest for personal glory, she had completely ignored how the Shadows would factor into her plan. What it would look like from their side.

How could I have been so stupid?

"Now you see the dilemma," Batman pointed at her. "Whether you realize it or not, tonight, you chose your side. And now you have to live with that."

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Remy's inner voice repeated over and over again.

"I can't believe this." Remy whispered, so quietly that she was sure only she could hear it. "I—I failed?"

"I hope this will serve as a lesson to you, Roulette. There is a reason that you're on the Young Justice team. You do not know everything and it would do you some good if you remember that from now on."

Failed.

Remy heard Batman's words in echoing in her mind, reaffirming her inner monologue. Remy couldn't remember the last time she had failed. Failure wasn't even in her vocabulary.

Hot tears of embarrassment started to make their way down Remy's face.

"Bats, I think you're being a little har—" Red Arrow's voice, unusually kind, cut through her haze of thoughts.

"This doesn't concern you, Red Arrow," Batman said firmly as he sat there, watching Remy. "You should have plenty of time to mull these things over during your suspension."

Failed.

Remy got up abruptly, unable to take Batman's stoic expression. He was mocking her and she knew it. She hurried to the back of the plane and locked the restroom door behind her.

Remy had never felt so ashamed.

Batman insisted that they stop off at Mount Justice before returning to Star City. So that Remy could clear out her locker and so that Batman could change her active status in the computer at the Mountain.

Remy was convinced it was so that he could humiliate her in front of the team. It was right around five pm when they arrived—right when the team would be finishing up their first hour of training. They were probably on snack break right now.

"Recognized: Batman 02, Red Arrow B06, Roulette B08," the computer rang out, announcing their arrival to the entire mountain.

Within seconds, Wally had appeared at Remy's side.

"He-ey Remy," he grinned, throwing an arm around Remy's shoulders, "and company."

Remy pushed him away and ignored his curious stare as she stormed off towards the girl's locker room.

"What's with her?" Wally asked, his voice confused.

Glancing behind her, she watched as Batman slipped off with a simple, "I'll explain what's going on in the mission briefing later."

"What's with him?" Wally asked.

Red Arrow caught Remy's eye as Wally repeated his question as to what was going on. Remy turned around and pushed the locker room door open, knowing that Wally wouldn't dare to follow her.

Remy simply couldn't believe the events of the last twelve hours. There was no possible way it could get any worse.

Of all the things… Remy couldn't believe she'd actually cried. In front of Batman, no less. And the world's biggest jackass, Red Arrow.

Crying was a sign of weakness, and Remy had never allowed herself to be weak. She, frankly, couldn't even remember the last time that she had cried. She certainly couldn't remember the last time she had failed at something that wasn't completely trivial like chemistry.

She fingered the handle on her locker door and glanced at the plaque engraved with 'Roulette' on it. She yanked the door open and pulled out her gym duffle, beginning the laborious task of putting all of her things away.

For once in her life, Remy had been wrong.

So wrong and so stupid. How could she have thought that she could play both sides of the field and walk out unscathed? Only an idiot would think that she could play both the Justice League and the League of Shadows.

Now, as Batman had said, she was going to have to pay the price.

The Shadows would be mad, that was for sure. They might excommunicate her. Maybe even kill her. And Artemis would be left alone to deal with being a double agent.

And of course, getting suspended from the team for an indefinite amount of time would definitely free up her schedule.

Of course there was always Black Canary.

Remy sighed as she slammed her locker and zipped her bag shut.

Not even Black Canary would want to help her now, after the way Remy had treated her.

Of course, what was she supposed to do? The only person Remy had ever needed had been Remy, and now that wasn't necessarily true.

The team had accepted her without question. And Remy had almost begun to feel a… fondness... for them. Remy Vanderbilt, a cold-hearted bitch, had actually begun to get used to the idea of her teammates as friends, maybe even equals.

Sure Miss Martian was extremely annoying, but the only crime Megan was guilty of was being too nice. And yet, Remy had ignored the Martian's constant attempts at friendship.

Conner hadn't crossed Remy, and normally, that would have been a fine standard for friendship. Yet Remy still thought of him as some mindless brute that was only good for smashing things.

Kaldur had been nothing but kind to her, had consistently invited Remy to team gatherings, and offered to show her around Happy Harbor when she'd first arrived. Yet, she blatantly ignored Kaldur outside of missions.

And Wally was, well, Wally, and that was explanation enough. Sure he talked incessantly, told bad jokes, and hit on way too many girls, but he was nice. And funny. Remy actually thought he was funny. He'd even helped her understand Chemistry, a subject she had largely given up on.

Then there was Robin, who if Remy was being honest, was a much better fighter than she was. Remy might be able to kill more effectively, but Robin was groomed for the Justice League. He could strike without killing or maiming someone to excessively. Robin had even offered to train with Remy since that day he'd kicked her ass during her evaluation. And yet, Remy scoffed at him.

And with Artemis, she and Remy had gone through hell together and come out alive. They were trapped by their own circumstances, but at least they could say they had each other. Artemis may have been a lot of things, including extremely rude and standoffish—no different than Remy herself—but she understood Remy. And even though Remy had started to treat the blonde archer as she would a real friend, she knew that it was nowhere near what Artemis deserved.

None of them deserved the way she had treated them.

And now, Remy would have no one but herself thanks to Batman.

Just the way I like it, Remy thought sardonically as she exited the locker room.

When Remy exited the locker room, bag in hand, head hung low, she was surprised to find the team waiting for her. Red Arrow stood to the side of the group, carefully watching her for a reaction.

She forced her face to assume its normal expression.

"Dude," Robin whistled. "What did you do to make Batman so angry? He stormed into the control room like—I don't even know!"

Wally nodded, his eyes zooming in on her bag. "Why do you have your stuff?"

Remy shook her head. "I'm suspended from the team, indefinitely."

"What?" Artemis stepped forward.

"You heard me."

"But why?" Miss Martian asked.

"Batman will explain," Remy shrugged. She nodded to Red Arrow. "Can you take me home, Red?"

"Yeah," he nodded, beckoning her over. "Let's just go."

Wally stepped out in front of Remy holding his hands up. "You can't go until you tell us what's going on."

Remy ignored him, sidestepping him only to be stopped by Wally again. "Look it doesn't matter what I have to say. I'm suspended, end of story."

"We would like to hear your side of the story," Aqualad interjected.

"Guys seriously," Remy snapped. "I just need to get out of here. I'll see you when my suspension is up."

"You owe us an explanation," Conner added, folding his arms.

"I don't want to talk about it!" She snapped, her voice sounding slightly hysterical. Taking a deep breath, she tried that again, "I'm sorry, but I just want to go—"

Remy cut off as her cell phone trilled from inside her gym bag. The screen read: Jasmine Springs Wellness Center. "I have to take this," she told the team, flipping open her phone as she turned away. "Hello?"

"R-remy, its Grace, your mother's nurse," a choked sob accompanied the nurse's greeting. "There's been a—an accident."

Remy's body stiffened. "What kind of accident? Is my mom okay?"

"S-she's not," Nurse Grace admitted. "Remy, honey, your mother was in a horrible accident and she—she didn't make it. We need you to get to Gotham as soon as possible the police department would like to—"

Remy didn't even feel the phone slip from her hand. She couldn't hear the worried inquiries of her teammates. She barely registered the sudden appearance of Batman in the room.

Her mother was dead?