A/N: Wow, chapter 1 has had over 400 hits and is already on 20 alert lists and a few favorite lists as well! I'm happy it was so well received :) Thanks so much to everyone who took a moment to review, each and every one is appreciated. I have to say a special thanks to DreamRabbit though for taking the time to write such a thorough, in depth analysis! Thanks so much DrRa :)

Revision 9/30/11: Because Dick is 13, I originally placed him in 8th grade since that would be the grade that matched his age. However, in ep 12, "Homefront" it was stated at the Academy that he's a freshman. So I've since edited this story to reflect that. It's a minor change but a change all the same. Also, I have to say, I was almost spot on with Gotham Academy's uniforms. When I originally wrote this chapter we didn't know what they looked like, but I was close. The few discrepancies have since been corrected.

Disclaimer: "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

Rated T for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

Italics means thoughts

The Truth is rarely pure and never simple . . .

Tangled Web

Chapter 2: Only Human

Mount Justice

September 13, 16:52 EDT

Artemis stomped down the hallway toward the training room in Mount Justice, her navy blue pleated skirt flaring behind her as she went. Her backpack was slung over one shoulder carelessly, her hand gripping the strap. She hated mandatory after school training sessions. Now that she was attending Gotham Academy, she'd never have time to run home and change before teleporting to Mount Justice, meaning she'd have to show up in her school uniform, which was probably the thing she hated most about her new school. A navy blue pleated skirt, a trim fitting white collared dress shirt (that she refused to tuck in), a deep red tie, and white knee highs was not her ensemble of choice, not by a long shot. As the weather got increasingly colder, she'd have to add a navy blue blazer to the mix as well, the Gotham Academy insignia stitched over the left breast pocket.

At least they don't make us wear the sweater vest, she thought bitterly as she pulled her tie loose around her neck and unbuttoned her collar a bit.

She'd only been attending Gotham Academy for two weeks now and she was not a fan. The uniforms were bad enough, but the students weren't much better. Ninety-eight percent of them were there because of who their parents were: prominent individuals with money, lots of money.

Artemis didn't have money.

She lived with her disabled mother in a tiny apartment on the seedier side of town, struggling to make ends meet. Given her father's line of work, his child support checks were nonexistent, not that he'd help them out even if he had a legitimate job, and her mother's disability didn't add up to much. Seeing that her job as a reconnaissance operative/crime fighter didn't pay a dime, and neither did her time spent as Green Arrow's new sidekick of sorts, she'd picked up a part time job teaching self defense in the evenings at the local YMCA. It didn't pay much, and it wasn't easy since she had to work it around everything else going on in her life, but every little bit helped.

She didn't care that the other kids at school had trust funds and were raised with silver spoons in their mouths, but they sure cared. The boys weren't so bad, probably because they liked the way she looked, as shallow as that was, but the girls . . . they were ruthless. Mean and snotty, they rubbed their money in her face whenever they had a chance. Add that to the uniform and the fact that she was positive someone had a watchful eye on her periodically throughout each school day – which was driving her crazy – and she was in hell.

Initially, she refused to go, but her mother had pleaded with her to take advantage of the opportunity and in the end she adhered, but only if she could commute from home rather than live in the dorms on campus. It meant getting up extra early, taking two city buses, and walking half a mile in chunk-heeled penny loafers and knee highs, but it was worth it to stay with her mother. Since her mother agreed to the compromise, she had called the Wayne Foundation the next day and told them she would accept the scholarship, the scholarship she'd never even applied for. She knew the full ride to the prestigious Gotham Academy had to have come from the Justice League, it was the only explanation. The letter she'd received had even stated that she was being granted the scholarship based on her academic achievements, as well as her extracurricular activities. While she did maintain a high GPA, the only extracurricular activity she participated in was the Justice League's black ops team she'd recently joined. She had no idea how the academy, the Justice League, and The Wayne Foundation were connected, she just knew they had to be. There was no other justification for the letter she'd received. Clearly they were trying to help her better her life, give her chances she'd never had before, and create opportunities for her future. Although, she honestly wasn't sure if she'd have a future once everything was said and done.

Of course, she wasn't naïve enough to think their intentions were purely one-sided. She figured it was their way of keeping tabs on her. Surely they had members of the staff spying on her to some extent. Despite everything, she couldn't expect them to fully disregard her parental lineage. Regardless, she appreciated the gesture of "good will" so-to-speak, but it wasn't necessary. Gotham North, the inner city school she'd been attending, was unfortunately notorious for gang violence, substance abuse, and vandalism but it was where she belonged. True her intellectual level was more on par with the material being taught at Gotham Academy, but financially, not to mention socially, she belonged with the riffraff. It wasn't like she didn't spend a good amount of time with disreputable people on a regular basis anyway, considering what she did outside of her new black ops superhero gig . . .

A sudden breeze rushed past her, pulling her skirt and hair forward with it, and she saw Wally, already suited up in his obnoxiously loud costume of red and yellow, screech to a halt up ahead of her. He turned around and gave her a once over, as if he didn't recognize her at first glance. She couldn't blame him considering her getup. He dashed back over to her.

"What are you wearing?" he asked as he continued to eye her apparel. A pleated skirt and knee highs was the last thing he ever expected to see her in, Megan sure, but not Artemis. Although he'd be lying if he said it wasn't working for her, she definitely had the legs for a skirt, not that he'd tell her that.

"A school uniform, what's it look like you moron?" she retorted with a glare, as if daring him to give her a hard time about it.

"Yeah but that's-" Wally stopped himself immediately. No reason to let her know he was familiar with the attire required at Gotham Academy. Although he was surprised she attended that school considering how Robin had neglected to mention it to him. It was, after all, one more piece of information about their ever mysterious new teammate.

"It's what?" Artemis questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Never mind."

With a shake of her head, Artemis replied, "Whatever," and continued on her way.

Wally hurried after the blonde, falling in step with her once he caught up. "So, I take it you're attending a private school then?" he asked.

"Nothing gets past you," Artemis quipped, her voice flat and unimpressed.

The speedster pointedly chose to ignore her jab and instead, in an attempt to garner more information from her, asked, "Rich family?"

"Nope, scholarship. Full ride actually," she replied, which was technically true, even if she hadn't earned it entirely based on her grades or her athleticism as he'd probably assume. It wasn't like she wasn't intelligent and athletic anyway . . .

Wally let out a low whistle, impressed. He might not know Robin's civilian alias, but he had known for awhile that the Boy Wonder attended Gotham Academy, which led to him discovering just how expensive and prestigious it was. Full scholarships weren't easily earned and rarely handed out.

"Nice," he remarked. "You'll have your choice of any college in the future."

"If I even have a future."

It just slipped out. Artemis could have kicked herself. Though the words had been mumbled, Wally clearly caught them. Her words sparked a hint of worry in his bright green orbs.

"What do you mean?" he asked seriously.

"Nothing, just forget it," she replied, her voice laced with the same hollowness it held days before when she'd accused him of not caring if she suddenly disappeared.

Is she kidding? he thought. Who could simply forget a comment like that?

He'd let it go, but forget about it? No way.

"So, full scholarship, huh? How'd you swing that one?" he pushed on.

Artemis shot him a look that pulsated irritation, so before she could speak he held up his hands and said, "Wait, let me guess," he cleared his throat then spoke, in a poor imitation of her voice, "it's none of my business, right?"

"I guess you're not a complete idiot one hundred percent of the time after all," was all she said in return before turning down a different hallway to change for practice in the spare room she'd been assigned at the base.

Wally glared after her for a second before he bolted ahead to the training hall. Robin was already there in uniform with the rest of the team, idly standing around as he waited for Black Canary to arrive. As soon as Wally spotted him, he dragged his friend to the far side of the enormous room.

"Uh, problem?" Robin asked once Kid Flash dropped his arm.

"Dude, what the heck? How long has Artemis been a student at your school?" he asked immediately, his voice as quiet as possible in an attempt to keep Superboy from hearing.

The younger teen eyed his companion, curious as to why Wally cared in the first place. "About two weeks, why?"

"She's been going to school with you for two weeks and you didn't think to tell me?"

"Um . . . I'm sorry?" Robin offered, unsure of the issue this caused.

"How did she end up in the same school as you?"

"Because Bats arranged for her to be there."

"How are you not more worried about this?" Wally asked exasperatedly. Then a thought dawned on him and he continued, voice incredulous, "Wait, does she know your civilian identity?"

"Don't be ridiculous, you know Batman's rule about that."

"Well why the heck would Batman purposefully put her in school with you when he doesn't want your fellow team members to know your identity?" Wally asked, dumfounded.

"Partly because he thinks she's worthy of the education Gotham Academy has to offer."

Wally raised an eyebrow. "And the other part?"

"So I can keep an eye on her."

"Seriously? He puts her on the team and expects us to trust her but he himself doesn't? That's rich," the Speedster scoffed.

Robin shook his head. "He didn't give me the specifics, but it didn't sound like it was because he didn't trust her exactly . . ."

"Well why else would he tell you to spy on her?"

With a shrug, Robin replied, "Don't know."

"So let me get this straight. You have to keep an eye on her but not let her know who you are?"

"That about sums it up, yeah."

Wally scratched his head in frustration. "Why aren't you freaked out about this?"

"Why should I be?"

"Because, what if Artemis figures out who you are?"

The Boy Wonder dismissed his best friend's words with a wave of his hand. "She won't. She's a sophomore, I'm a freshman. That makes her a grade ahead of me, so we don't have any classes together and our lockers are on different floors. When I do a routine check up on her at lunch and during passing periods I make sure to be stealthy about it. You know, go all ninja and junk," he finished with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, Artemis seems to be part ninja herself the way she slinks around on missions, so if I were you, I-" Wally broke off mid-sentence as he saw the object of their discussion enter the training room decked out in her green battle gear. "Speak of the devil," he grumbled.

Before Artemis could get within hearing distance, Robin asked, "So, why was it crucial for me to have told you she's attending my school?"

"Well because . . . she's always being so secretive about her personal life, I figure every little bit we can find out helps. I mean, we should know who we're forced to work with."

"If you say so, but, if Bats and GA think she's legit, then there's no reason we shouldn't," Robin replied before he moved to join the rest of the team.

Wally let out a defeated groan and followed behind his friend. He still didn't understand why the others weren't more concerned with Artemis's background. For him, it had actually become more than needing to know for the sake of trust. Because she wasn't forthcoming when it came to who she was, finding out more information about the mysterious archer had become a game of sorts. How many puzzle pieces could he find and put in place? How many would it take to develop an understanding of the bigger picture that was his enigmatic teammate Artemis?

x x x

"Alright, that's enough for today. You're dismissed," Black Canary announced to her young students.

As the group of teens moved to leave the training area, Black Canary stopped Wally and Artemis.

"Except you two."

They glanced at each other before giving their attention back to her.

"Why, what'd we do?" Wally asked.

"You two have to continue practicing. Another hour to make up for the one you missed last Saturday due to your spat. Lesson's hand-to-hand combat, NO powers," she stressed.

A snicker was heard from the doorway, and the trio looked over to see Robin with his hands over his mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound. At Black Canary's threatening glare, he hurried out of the room.

She turned back to her two remaining students. "Better get to it, you're not leaving until you've trained an additional hour," she informed. She hit a few buttons on the control panel of the computer to reset the training room before she let herself out.

"Initiate combat training," the feminine PC voice sounded before it began to count down.

"This is so not fair!" Wally complained.

"Quit whining and get in position," Artemis ordered as she took an offensive stance. She wasn't happy about this either, it meant she'd have to forgo dinner to get to work on time, but moaning and groaning wasn't going to change anything.

Wally continued to grumble but moved into a defensive stance anyway. As soon as his feet were planted, Artemis rushed at him. Within seconds he was on his back staring up at the ceiling, unsure of what Artemis had actually done to put him there.

"Fail, Kid Flash," the super computer announced overhead.

He got to his feet and his legs were swept out from under him immediately, sending him to the mat again, and once more the computer proclaimed his failure. With a frustrated growl, he grabbed at her legs, but two quick back flips put her out of range.

Fifteen minutes later, as he picked himself back off the mat for what felt like the hundredth time, Wally said, "You know, if I was allowed to use my super speed there'd be no contest."

"Don't underestimate me, Baywatch!" Artemis growled heatedly. "Having special powers isn't everything. Neither Robin nor I have actual powers but we hold our own with the team."

He swung at her and she easily caught his wrist before she tossed him effortlessly over her shoulder, a touch of a smile gracing her masked face as she heard his backside make contact with the mat yet again behind her. She turned around to face him, hands on her shapely hips.

"Besides, sometimes things happen and powers aren't usable. Then what, hotshot? You rely so heavily on your super speed as it is that, if it's taken out of the equation, you're rendered practically useless. Even my archery skills have limitations. As a target gets closer, it becomes less feasible for me to attack with arrows. That's when knowledge of hand-to-hand methods becomes crucial. If you're smart, you'll actually try to learn something from this lesson instead of just bitching."

"If BC wanted me to learn something, then why didn't she pair me with Robin? I at least like working with him," he retorted.

"Yeah right, you two would just end up goofing off the whole time. The real question is: why am I being punished?" she shot back.

Wally's only response was to attack her again. The sparing match continued on in the same manner for a bit longer, but half way through, things began to turn around. Wally actually started taking Artemis to the mat. At first, he thought she had started to go easy on him, which only made him angrier (he didn't need her pity!), but after a few more take downs he realized she was actually running out of steam. Her attacks were becoming a bit sloppy and unfocused, making it increasingly easier for him to read her next move and counter appropriately.

What's wrong with her? Wally thought as he blocked her punch to his chest and landed a left hook on her shoulder. Her over all movements had slowed considerably, and she no longer seemed to possess the strength needed to take him down.

Artemis didn't have much left in her and she knew why. Between school, her early rising to catch the bus to school, her evening job, and all the time she put into training and assisting on missions, she was stretched thin. She was good, able to handle more than most, but she was still only human. The extra hour of practice was proving to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Gritting her teeth, determined to keep going, she swung at Wally forcefully and fell forward, losing her footing as her vision momentarily blurred. Not expecting her whole body to collide with his, Wally was caught off guard and they tumbled to the mat in a heap, Artemis landing on top.

For a moment, they just laid there, out of breath. Wally looked at the head of blonde hair on his chest and tentatively asked, "Uh . . . are you okay?"

"Y-yeah . . . I'll be fine. Ju . . . just a little tired," Artemis huffed, and rolled off of him.

Wally looked at the clock that hung over the doorway. They were only shy ten minutes of a full hour. He figured it was close enough. "Why don't we call it a day? Our extra hour's pretty much over."

Artemis glanced at the clock and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Wally rose first and, without giving it much thought, held his hand out to help her up. She stared at his offered hand warily for a second before she wrapped her slender fingers around it.

"Thanks," she murmured as he pulled her to her feet.

"Sure," was all he could think to say back.

Once outside the training room they parted ways. Wally didn't get far before Black Canary crossed his path, on her way to check up on them.

"All done?"

"Yep."

She inclined her head at him. "Good. Learn anything new?"

"Considering that I already know Artemis is a pushy, conceited, hard-ass, no," Wally griped.

Dinah shook her head. "Why are you so determined to exclude her from the group? She's proved that the skills she possesses are an asset to this team's objectives and she's been nothing but reliable during missions. Why all the hostility?"

"Because . . ." Wally stated childishly, refusing to make eye contact.

"Because . . . ?" Dinah pressed.

"Because, she took Red Arrow's spot on the team and she's hardly given us any real, solid information about who she is and where she comes from! I don't know how the others do it, but I can't blindly go along with that. All she has to do is be honest with us, but she won't."

Black Canary let out a tired sigh before saying, "First of all, she didn't take anyone's place on the team. Red Arrow is still welcome to join if he wants. It's his decision and it has nothing to do with Artemis's membership, so you need to get over this complex of yours. Second, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. Artemis . . . she's had it rough. You need to cut her some slack. She had to grow up even faster than the rest of you due to unfortunate circumstances that were beyond her control. After everything she's been through, she can't help being a little cynical and standoffish, and you can't blame her for not wanting to talk about a past that's painful." She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder. "Just . . . try to keep that in mind, okay?" she requested.

When her student didn't respond, Dinah removed her hand and continued on her way. Wally stood in the hallway alone, contemplating her words. Finally, he heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his sweat dampened hair. Black Canary had a point, and admitting that was like swallowing the bitterest of medicines. He supposed he could be nicer . . . After all, she had saved his life when she shot that arrow at Amazo, Professor Ivo's android, while it was attempting to crush him in a bear hug. She'd also been right when she said he trusted Robin even though he didn't really know all that much about the younger boy. Plus, she'd stuck by him in Bialya when he was nothing more than a stranger to her. That had to count for something.

Wally decided to sleep on Dinah's words. With no other business at Mount Justice, he headed for the zeta tubes, eager to leave.

Artemis hurried through a shower and changed back into her school uniform. She sat down on the common room couch, intending to rest for only a minute before heading back to Gotham for work. When Wally breezed through on his way to the zeta tubes ten minutes later, she was fast asleep, her legs curled up on the couch beneath her, head laying on the arm rest. He raised an eyebrow at the slumbering archer, surprised she had fallen asleep while sitting there. More surprising still was how . . . sweet she looked. Sitting there asleep in her uniform, legs tucked under her body demurely, he'd never guess she was the snarky girl who bickered with him daily. Not willing to spend any more time thinking about her than he already had, Wally zipped out of the room and into the Central City zeta tube, anxious to get home for dinner.

x x x

Mount Justice

September 14, 7:12 EDT

"Recognized, Kid Flash, B03," the computer announced the next morning as Wally materialized in the zeta tube.

If Black Canary hadn't kept us so long yesterday, I wouldn't have forgotten my stupid backpack, Wally thought as he hurried to his room to retrieve it.

As he rushed by the common room, bag now securely on his back, he glanced at the couch and skidded to a stop immediately. Artemis was in the same spot she had been in when he'd left the night before. She never made it home and she didn't show any signs of rising for school either. Wally bounced from one heel to the other as he debated his next action. Leave her there and head to school, or wake her up? If she didn't get up, she'd be late for school, but that really wasn't his problem . . .

He thought about the discussion he'd had with Dinah the night before. With a relenting sigh he walked over to the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Artemis," he called softly. "Hey, Artemis, get up. You're gonna be late for school," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle shake.

She opened her deep blue eyes groggily but as soon as they landed on his face, a face she wasn't accustomed to seeing first thing in the morning, they widened. She sat up abruptly, startled, and backed away from him as far as the couch would let her.

"Whoa, whoa, cool your jets, will ya? No need to freak out, jeeze," Wally said as he took a step back himself.

"What's going on?" she asked, her eyes darting around the room.

Wally shrugged. "You're at Mount Justice. You fell asleep here on the couch last night after practice. If you don't get movin' you're gonna be late for school."

"Shit!" Artemis cursed as she sprang up from the couch. "How could I have fallen asleep like that?"

Megan suddenly walked in from the kitchen, a frying pan in one hand, a spatula in the other. "I thought I heard voices. Good morning you two!" she chirped pleasantly, a sunny smile on her face.

Artemis turned to her, eyes irritated. "Megan! Why didn't you wake me up?"

Megan's smile faltered at the angry tone of her teammate's voice. "Well, you just looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you . . ." the young Martian trailed off, feeling bad.

Artemis shook her head. "Oh, never mind," she said as she looked around for her own backpack. "I can't believe I missed work last night! My boss is gonna kill me! And Mom's gotta be freaking out that I never made it home-"

"Wait, you have a job, like, other than what we already do for the Justice League?" Wally interrupted her rambling, but she paid him no heed as she collected her bag from the floor by the couch.

"-and if I'm late to school the headmaster's gonna have a field day! He already has it in for me since I'm from the wrong side of town-" Atremis broke off as she tripped in her shoes. "Stupid chunk-heeled shoes!" she cried as she ripped them off in frustration and ran for the zeta tube in her knee highs. "If they want me to go to this God forsaken school then the least they could do is put a zeta tube closer to it!"

Wally scratched his head, perplexed by her behavior. He didn't know what she was going on about anymore, but she seemed pretty high strung over it. It was weird to see her so uncollected. Before he could think better of it, he ran in front of her, forcing her to pause her stumbling gait. "Stop, please, it's painful to watch you rush around so slowly."

Artemis glared at him and shoved him out of her way as she said, "Move, Wally, I don't have time to screw around with you right now!"

As she passed him he grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her heated gaze on him, but before she could start yelling he spoke.

"Look, if you need to get to school that badly I . . . I could, uh, give you a lift."

Artemis raised a questioning eyebrow. "Who are you and what did you do with the real Kid Flash?"

"Do you want my help or not?" he asked, voice sharp, slightly perturbed at her comment. He was trying to be nice to her but she wasn't making it easy.

The archer stared him down for a second before saying, "Fine, but you better get me there on time."

"Man, you're ungrateful . . ." he complained but scooped her up all the same.

At the feel of his fingers firmly gripping the underside of her naked thigh, Artemis tensed slightly, unaccustomed to the skin of that particular area being in contact with someone else's. She threw Wally a withering look.

"What?" he asked, unaware of her discomfort.

"You'd better not even think of putting your hand up my skirt."

"Oh you wish!" Wally cried, trying to ignore the red hue that was beginning to stain his cheeks at the thought she'd unwittingly placed in his head. "Don't make me sick."

Artemis shivered involuntarily. "Don't worry, that thought's just as sickening to me." She slid her arms around his neck, clasping them tightly in preparation for the speed at which they were about to travel.

"Wait, don't you want some break . . . fast?" By the time Megan had finished her sentence, she was standing in the room alone, the flash from the zeta tube down the hall already fading.

x x x

Gotham Academy

September 14, 7:33 EDT

Just outside the wrought iron front gates of Gotham Academy, Wally came to an abrupt stop behind some bushes. There was still about fifteen minutes until the start of first period, more than enough time for Artemis to make a trip to her locker and get to class.

"See? Plenty of time to spare," Wally commented as he placed his teammate on solid ground.

She swayed a bit, a combination of lack of food – she had missed dinner and breakfast after all – and the intense speed they'd been traveling at making her slightly dizzy. She grabbed onto Wally's retreating arm to steady herself.

"Sorry, did my speed take your breath away? It's been known to happen," he teased, a broad smile on his face as he guided her to the path that led through the gates.

Artemis rolled her eyes and released his arm. "Get over yourself." Then, in a voice that actually had a hint of gratitude, she mumbled, "Thank you."

Wally's smile went from teasing to genuine. "No problem."

She started for the gates, but Wally's voice stopped her. Turning around, she caught something in her hands just before it hit her. She looked at the object and realized it was a granola bar, something Wally kept on his person regularly to replenish his energy levels. She cast a questioning look at him.

Wally shrugged. "You know, since you missed breakfast and all."

Artemis couldn't stop the tiny grin that immediately began to form on her lips. It was such a small gesture, but it was probably one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for her. She opened her mouth to reply.

"Artemis!"

She turned towards the gates and saw a young man with perfectly groomed hair the color of rich milk chocolate and warm eyes waving her over. Wally knitted his eyebrows as he eyed the guy by the gate. He couldn't help wondering who the boy was in relation to the blonde. After all, according to Robin, she'd only been attending the academy for about two weeks. Artemis gave a small wave before turning back to Wally.

"I gotta go, but thanks for-" she held up the granola bar, "-and for, well, you know. I owe you one."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you pay me back somehow," he said with a smirk; then he was gone.

Artemis shook her head before she walked towards the gates, unwrapping the snack Wally had supplied her with as she went. This act of consideration still didn't make them friends exactly, but it was definitely a move in the right direction.

To be continued . . .

A/N: I have no idea if the academy has dorms; I just assumed it was like a boarding school. Especially since the letter Artemis received in "Downtime" said the scholarship would cover "tuition and all other expenses" leading me to believe that might mean room and board as well as books etc. So that's that. I'd appreciate any feedback you can give, thanks :)

SakuraJade