"Alright you guys remember how this works?" Nightwing eagerly asked his team of young heroes. They all stood around him in the mission room of Mount Justice.
"Teambuilding? You think we really need it?" Chris asked crossing his arms. Nightwing nodded. "Yes. It's been a while. Trust, communication, teamwork. It's what makes this team work."
"Well I think it's a great idea." Jai said sincerely standing amongst the team. Damian rolled his eyes, his Robin hood pulled back, leaving only his domino mask, yet the scowl on his face was still very apparent.
"Great. Why does he have to be here?" Damian grumbled. "Because I'm a part of this team." Jai said flatly. Everyone else seemed to back up seeing what was about to unfold.
"Guys…" Nightwing tried to step in. "Tt...you wish." Damian said in a low voice and looking away from him.
"What, Wayne? You know I never understood what exactly your problem is with me. But what I do understand is that you're a stuck-up little shit." Jai replied as Damian angrily rolled up his sleeve. Rachel rolled her eyes and Miguel pinched the bridge of his nose backing away slowly.
"Guys stop it!" Chris yelled sticking his hands up. "Do I really have to be here, Dick?" Irey asked. "Yes, Iris. Of course, you do." Nightwing said. He was trying hard to keep calm as Damian was charging at Jai, delivering a powerful shove.
"I'm not even a part of the team anymore…" Irey mumbled. "What?" "Que?" Rachel and Miguel looked her confused. "Irey, of course, you're still apart of the team." Colin chimed in. Before Nightwing could replied he rushed in to grab Damian swinging fist. The two had not separated, causing a bit of chaos. Damian stepped back, freeing his arm from Nightwing, letting out a tempered sigh. Dick thought the ordeal was over and that's when Jai decided to go in for the hit. With a grunt, Damian sputtered backward gripping his jaw.
"Jai! What the hell?" Irey yelled moving inward toward the action, but Damian had already thrown another punch. "Woah!" Chris shouted using his super strength to help Dick pull Damian back. Irey went for her brother as the rest stood back.
"Unhand me, Kent" Damian growled but he was too strong. Once the two were pulled apart Damian stalked off in the opposite direction. Jai forcefully shook his sister's grip from his arm and he zetaed off. Leaving Nightwing with Irey, Chris, Colin, Miguel, and Rachel.
"Real effective team building," Rachel said sarcastically and Miguel chuckled
/Flashback -3 years ago/
"Oh yeah, this will be super effective." Irey giggled looking around at the team, all geared in their respective uniforms in the back of Mount Justice on the wide beach.
"Look, I know this seems elementary, but we have two new team members. Welcoming Abuse and Bunker is an important step we need to take. If we want to succeed in our missions, trust and teamwork come first. Alright, so the activity is called Minefield." Damian raised his eyebrow curiously. Across the beach, there are batarangs and birdarangs.
"It's simple, birdarangs go boom and batarangs don't. You'll all partner up and one will be blindfolded. The other must communicate them to collect as many batarangs as they can, whichever team gets the most, wins." Nightwing instructed. "Win what?" Damian asked crossing his arms. "You'll just have to find out," Dick said slyly. "Now pair up."
Irey sat on the floor of her bedroom at home, flipping through an old spiral notebook. The West/Crock home was peaceful and quiet with everyone in their respective rooms for the night. Including Wally in the guest room which was only partially awkward. Irey wore a pair of Superman pajama pants, she swore she only wore ironically as the Saturday night drew close to nearly midnight. Despite the impending AM she didn't seem to be slowing down her work. The pages of the notebook were torn and charred and barely staying in place, and yet she carefully flipped the pages scanning each one intently. To her left she had another notebook, this one new, and she was filling the blank pages with newly transcribed notes from the old notebook. Her eyes strained to make out the writing and decipher pictures and diagrams.
Her bedroom door flew open quickly with a sharp force and she immediately slammed the old notebook shut. Her reaction would have been seamless, and the intruder might not have noticed it if she still had her speed. But Damian Wayne definitely noticed. Irey looked at him, cocking her head to the side, "Dami? What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.
"I was in the neighborhood. What is that?" He asked, pointing to the materials around her on the floor. Iris closed the other notebook and condensed everything into a small pile. "Uh, well, just some research for a project," she said pushing it off to the side. Damian sat on the floor in front of her, looking a little skeptical. "What project?" He inquired. Irey sighed. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Depends, what's going on here?" He pressed further. Irey took a breath looking him in the eye. "Well...I've been trying to do some research and looking into some way I can get my speed back. My resources are obviously limited but I was at my grandma's house the other day and I found this." Irey held up the old notebook.
"It's the notes my dad used when he was trying to recreate Barry's original lab experiment." Damian took the notebook into his own hands examining the first few pages. "You do realize the experiment calls for getting struck by lightning, right?" Damian asked.
"Yes, but if I have to wait for a thunderstorm I will," Irey said boldly. "It's not whether you'll be able to find the lightning, it's the getting hit with it that's a bit concerning…." Irey sighed pulled her knees up to her chest.
"Damian. Speed has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Without it, I'm sure I know who I am." Damian gave her a stern look. "Don't be stupid, West." Irey shot him an annoyed look.
"I'm serious. That's not something you should be messing-" Damian tried reasoning but Iris interrupted. "and once I have my speed back I'm going back and kicking Zoom's ass, kill him if I have too with whatever he's planning." She muttered fiddling with the notebooks at her side.
"Justice. Not vengeance." Damian said and Irey almost laughed "starting to sound like Batman." she mused. "Well, he pounded it into my head until I stopped believing that vengeance and justice were the same thing…."
"I remember. We were younger and you would do that pouty thing you do and you'd have to mumble it over and over so you wouldn't kill anyone." Irey giggled. "I was different then. But I learned he was right and killing Zoom, won't solve anything."
"What are you doing here?" Irey asked suddenly remembering the Wayne had just walked into her room unannounced. "Oh. I was just...your mom let me in." Irey gave him an odd look.
"So... you only came over because my mom let you in?" she raised an eyebrow. Damian sighed. "I came to see how you were doing. It's been what? 3 weeks? You still seem...off."
There was then an angry knocking at Irey's door. "Iris shut up, I'm doing homework." Came Jai's voice. Irey sighed and stood up opening the door. "Deal with it, Turtle." Irey crossed her arms. Jai rolled his eyes
"You know, I'm not the only turtle here anymore". Irey's eyes went wide. "
Hey!" Damian stood up from his place on the floor. "What is he doing here?" Jai asked surprised. "Turtle? Really, West? Real mature." Damian stood beside Irey in the doorframe and she wasn't quite sure what to do.
"Are you kidding me? She's the one wh-"
"What's going on here?" Wally had emerged from his room upon hearing the commotion. Obviously, it had woken him up "Damian?" he asked, also surprised by his presence.
"Mr. West." Damian nodded. "What-What is going on?" Wally asked again. "Well, where do I begin? Iris is being loud and obnoxious as usual but now with the added Wayne demon child" Jai began.
"Okay shut up Jai! You're the one that has his panties all in a twist" Irey added using all her registrants to not shove her brother. "Okay. Okay no. it's midnight. Stop this...nonsense." Wally said yawning.
"I should go," Damian said pushing past the group. He headed down the stairs quickly before Irey could say anything. Once they heard the front door close Wally looked at Irey "what was he doing here?" he asked suspiciously.
"He just showed up, we were just talking," she said defensively. "With the door closed?" Jai half teased, half said only in an attempt to Irey in trouble.
"What?" Wally was now even more confused. "It's not like that Jai and you know it!" Irey raised her voice and Jai rolled his eyes walking the short distance back to his room and slamming the door. Irey let out an overly irritated groan and slammed her own door in response, leaving Wally wondering what the hell just happened.
The "new" dad walked back down the hall almost in a tired daze. He walked past the former guest room he was currently calling his own, and straight to Artemis' door. He gave a light two knocks before entering. Artemis laid in bed on top of the covers with a book. Her hair pulled out of her eyes in a messy bun, and in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She peered up at him curiously.
"I almost got up, sounded like you had that handled." she almost laughed. Wally chuckled. "Barely. Damian Wayne. What's the deal with Damian Wayne?" He asked. Artemis shook her head
"Trust me...you do not have to worry about that kid…". She set her book down, inviting Wally to sit with her on the bed with a soft pat on the dark comforter. He sat and ran his fingers through his ginger hair.
"How do you do it?" He asked simply looking at the wall. "Two. two kids. All by yourself, I mean." Artemis sighed putting her book down. "Patience. Practice. I remember when I didn't know it was going to be kids, plural...the thought of one kid freaked me out enough…"
/Flashback 16 years ago/
"Twins. Dick. Fucking twins?" A pregnant Artemis paced up and down the foyer of the Wayne manor. She looked absolutely drained. Her hair was lazily put in a ponytail and soaked over from the rainstorm currently looming over Gotham City. Her swollen stomach poked out of a dark sweater showing her to be no more than four months pregnant.
"Artemis. Stop. It's 3am. What are you talking about?" Dick grabbed her shoulders, looking tired. His one night off was interrupted by Artemis suddenly at the door.
"I went to the doctor's today, Dick. They told me I am having twins. Twins. Like two humans. Two of them. Two babies, Dick. And it took just until now for me to get it. What the hell am I gonna do?!" Tears welled up in Artemis' eyes. Dick looked at her seeing the sorrow and instantly knew that this wasn't just about having twins. He pulled her into a tight hug and let her cry it out.
After a while, he took her hand and led her up the stairs to his room and tucked her into his bed and laid beside her. "Wally would be so excited" Artemis breathed out after a moment of silence. Dick nodded. "He would. He'd be scared shitless, but twins? What are the odds?" He mused. "One in a hundred." she replied back and Dick smirked. "You'll have help. You're going to be fine."
Taking a deep breathe Artemis finally agreed. "I'm going to be fine."
/Present Day/
"I'm going to be fine…. that's what I had to keep telling myself. One day at a time." Artemis said nostalgically. "And that's how I still do it." Wally nodded laying back on the bed alongside her.
"I just broke up a little dispute...No biggie" Wally said grinning. "Yeah?" Artemis laughed and he chuckled. "
"I overheard. They'll get over it."
"So, this kind of thing happens all the time?" Wally asked curiously looking over at Artemis.
"Sometimes. You've seen them, they're usually pretty well behaved, but they know how to push each other's buttons and be little assholes." Artemis said her eyes growing heavy, letting out a yawn.
"Do you think that they'll-" Wally glanced once again at Artemis to see her eyes closed. "Artemis?" Wally whispered. He smirked, she had completely dozed off, and suddenly the idea of sleeping sounded extraordinarily appealing. 'I'll get up in a second', Wally told himself. But soon his eyes felt as though they weighed a few hundred pounds and was out like a light.