Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters.

Of Children and Soldiers

9:45 AM

Location: Hall of Justice

Day: 1

Subject: Robin

Stacey's eyes were flashing with her green colored contacts and expertly applied mascara. She was trying clever and intelligent, but the boy in front of her was unnerving her with his knowing grins and deceivingly casual posture. It's like he was seeing through her act and found it all very, very amusing.

It didn't help that he looked like he's eleven, which means no flirting. And flirting was how Stacey Starkweather gained control of her interviews. She knows how to get a man flustered.

Somehow she doubted the general public would approve of batting her lashes at a boy who barely came up to her shoulder.

"So Robin, do you find it difficult to balance your education with your hero work?" She put on her most serious, concerned face, "Do you find that it takes away from your childhood?" They'd been at this a little while now, warming into the conversation with questions about favorite academic subjects and asking if he followed the Gotham Goliaths baseball season.

Robin shrugged, "Sure. I mean it's a lot of responsibility, but I manage." He cocked his head enough where Stacey could just make out the tip of a whitish scar running down the side of his neck. She eyed it for a moment and filed it away for later. "I wouldn't be allowed to run around otherwise."

"I see." She averted her eyes from his neck and brought them up to his face, "Right. How old are you again?"

Now he smiled in guanine, like it was all a silly game. Maybe for him it was. "…Young enough that I still have a hope of one day being physically able to look Batman in the nose." All of this.

"Eye." She corrected.

"What?"

Stacey smiled sweetly, and gave a slightly patronizing tone, "The phrase is look him in the eye." No little kid was going to play her. She could be serious. She could get a story out of this –a career maker, not just some dumb stunt for the public eye. She could be important.

The boy snorted, "Have you seen how tall he is? I'm optimistic, not delusional."

Stacey frowned.

10:36 AM

Location: Hall of Justice

Day: 1

Subject: Kid Flash

The Kid's hair was an alarming shade of reddish-orange, easily the most vibrant shade of hair color she'd ever seen. The kind of color that got you teased in school. "So, how has super heroing affected your family life?" Stacey wondered if Flash had red hair too. There were a lot of rumors that they two were father and son, which was very likely, just like the rumors about Batman and Robin, among other, less family friendly theories…

"It really hasn't." Stacey watched his eyes and wondered if he was lying. He really had no reason to; this whole segment had to be League approved before shipping out to the general public anyway, so nothing important would get out. It's not like she was a threat.

Stacey leaned forwards a bit and watched with a satisfying gleam as the boy's eyes struggled not to dip towards her suddenly very present cleavage. "Did it ever cause a lot of conflict at home?"

His eyes snapped up and immediately he blurted, "Not anymore."

"Really?" Stacey popped out her bottom lip, "What changed?" This boy –almost a man, really– was something she understood better. "Did your time playing at hero work destroy your relationship with your parents that much? Can you even justify it after that?"

Kid Flash's eyes narrowed and his jaw snapped shut with an audible snap.

"Hey now, who's 'playing'? This is serious work. I mean –we do good, you know? And my superhero stuff didn't destroy anything. Sometimes life just isn't perfect. Sometimes it can get bad." He paused, "Or dangerous."

"You didn't really answer my question." She said pointedly.

He smiled slowly, "Tell me, Miss Starkweather, has your reporting job completely ruined your romantic life and given you a reputation you just can't shake off?"

"This isn't about me, and that's perso…" She trailed off as Kid Flash leaned back into the cushion. She didn't like the way this one smiled either.

11:30 AM

Location: Hall of Justice

Day: 1

Subject: Artemis

"You seem nervous." Stacey commented with a smile, "Don't be."

The girl sitting across from her folded her muscular arms over her chest and raised a single blonde brow. "'Irritated' is the word you are looking for." Her voice came out in a distinctively rough tone. It was unusual. Interesting, even. Stacey didn't like that much at all.

Of course, maybe that was because Stacey Starkweather found that she didn't like Artemis.

"I see." She leaned forwards a bit, aggressive for aggression. "Do you think your negative outlook might encourage the young girls who look up to you to become rebellious and isolated?" She folded her hands in her lap and sat stock straight, "Some would argue that as role models to young people, it's young heroes duties to encourage positive actions and good decision making."

Artemis blinked with the first gift of an expression that didn't scream of hostility, "Look up to me? Since when am I a role model?"

Stacey tried not to grim. Artemis looked almost panicked now. She could do this. She was in control. "I imagine ever since you put on the mask and started crime fighting. Do you have an answer to the question?"

"Yeah." Artemis seemed to have gained some composure, "Most of us are here because we didn't listen to someone who told us, 'no'."

Stacey shifted and pursed her lips, "Well, yes, but never giving up is –"

"I didn't mean it that way. I mean we're here because we broke rules, laws, and heads. We did –do– things that other teenagers can't or won't do."

"I see. You make it sound like you're the villains."

"Some believed Batman wasn't the good guy when he first appeared on the scene. Sometimes the line is clear, sometimes not."

Stacey was taken aback, "Do you believe you're heroes then?"

"Yeah. Yeah. We're heroes. I signed up for this and I'm going to see it through."

"That seems very admirable."

Artemis stood quietly, tall and strong and looked her in the eye. The gaze was uncomfortable. "But you're questions aren't."

And she walked away.

So maybe it wasn't THAT long, but I figure these will go three interviews for the sets, some of her meandering, and then out government type's deal as well.

Feel free to drop off some feedback. 'Cause I love it.

-KydChyme