Hi,this is my first story here.I'm open to criticism,even if it's very harsh.Please,if you see a mistake or something you want to point out PM me or leave a review,i'll be more than happy to correct it or use any advice on future stories and chapters.But before we start i want to ask you something:Should Artemis have romantic feelings or sisterly feelings towards Robin?I'll change the ending of this chapter according to that.She will still have romantic feelings towards Dickie,though(in future chapters).And there might be minor changes to the canon TV show,but things are pretty much the same.Now,for the cliche disclaimer:
I don't own the characters,DC does.
Uhhh...Happy reading...i guess..?
It was a surprisingly sunny day in Gotham,the usually gloomy city.Artemis was looking into a mirror in distaste,her Gotham Academy uniform's skirt was just too short.She tugged at it while glaring at the mirror as if she was trying to develop heat vision.
Artemis's P.O.V
"Artemis,you're going to be late for school!" i groaned."Coming,mom!" it was going to be my second day at Gotham Academy.From my experiences on the first day,i wasn't looking forward to it.I grudgingly walked down the stairs.
"You look amazing,Artemis." mom said with tears in her eyes."I'm glad you're going to Gotham Academy." she whispered.I went and hugged her."You're a big girl now..." "I'm never gonna leave you,mom." i told her.She smiled."Go and make me proud,Artie." i couldn't help but smile back."See you later,mom" i told her before going out the door.
I caught a bus there and saw that creepy freshmanfrom yesterday talking to Bette.I silently neared them,to see what they were talking about.
"Hey Bette,have you seen Babs?" i got a good look at him.He was short,had raven hair and blue eyes.Like,blue eyes.They had to be contacts.How could that gorgeous color be natural?I was dragged back to reality when i heard Bette's reply."Oh,hey Dick.I think commish got a day off or something." she said.So,Bette knew this guy?
The raven turned to look at me."Hi," he gave me a charming smile. "Dick Grayson" he said,extending his hand for a handshake.I didn't take it."You're the freshman that took a picture of me yesterday." i said,albeit a little rudely.He didn't seem fazed at all and his smile-grin?- didn't waver as he said "Well,i was just being friendly to the new girl." he stopped. "People here don't treat scholarship students students very well." he said as his smile/grin dropped.He looked so young,how was he a freshman?
"Are you a scholarship student too-wait.How did you know that i'm a scholarship student?" i asked.His grin returned,reminding me of a certain Boy Wonder.I briefly wondered if my teammate and fellow Gothamite went to this school too,but i stopped the thought there.There was no way that the little ninja was a snob.But if he did go here...There was no doubt he would find out about my messed up family.That is,if he didn't already know...
"You listening?" the freshm-Dick's voice dragged me back to reality.He had one eyebrow raised and an amused grin on his face.I could feel heat rushing to my face.Had i zoned out?
"Sorry,didn't get much sleep last night." i said.It was true,i couldn't sleep thinking about Red Tornado's siblings or how he turned against us.And Robin almost drowning because of me..."Get traught or get dead" he had said.
"Oh wow,spacey today,are we?Well,i didn't get that much sleep either." he said,his eyes filled with understanding.I noticed faint purple rings under his eyes.What would a snob lose sleep over? "You didn't answer my question." i said. "Actually,i did-you were spacing out." he said,a knowing smirk on his face. "Well,i'll leave you two be" Bette said,winking at me as she walked away.No-Bette wasn't thinking what i think she was,was she?I inwardly groaned.
He must've noticed my distress so he spoke up."I know you're still waiting for an answer so..No,i'm not a scholarship student and i might just know the person giving out the scholarships." he grinned,and i got the hint.He was waiting for me to figure out what his connection to Bruce Wayne was,and god-did this kid ever stop grinning?
I thought about it.Dick Grayson..."You're Bruce Wayne's ward!" so he was that Dick Grayson,the circus kid...there wasn't a Gothamite that didn't know about him.He was surprisingly down to earth,i expected him to be more..uh..snobby,i guess."And the winner of our contest is...Artemis Crock!" he said.Grinning.Not much of a surprise there."I'd introduce myself yesterday,but an emergency came up..." he said,sounding genuinely sad that he didn't get to meet me sooner.Yeah,yesterday Poison Ivy had attacked Gotham square,it took Batman and Robin until late afternoon to apprehend her.That sounded really fun but sadly,i couldn't go because it would be suspicious for me to appear in Gotham,especially without Green Arrow.The bell rung.
"Follow me!" he said cheerily."I have to go to class." i angrily said.I wasn't skipping class to go make out in the bathroom or something.Why did i think he was different?His guardian is the biggest playboy in history for crying out loud!He looked at me with wide,blue eyes.
And proceeded to laugh.Loudly.What was this shrimp thinking?"Geez Arty,who do you take me for,a jock?" he looked honestly offended for a second there,before he snickered."We have first class together,silly." he continued giggling.Very femininely,might i add."Wait,how do we have a class together?You look twelve." i said. "Thirteen,actually.I skipped two classes and i take many of the advanced lessons." he said,smiling.I was really off on my first assumption,though.This...this nerd was probably a mathlete.
"C'mon,we better go,Mr. Brown doesn't tolerate being late." he said and we ran.He knew the place very well,we used a shortcut and arrived on time.
Surprisingly,the kid was top of the class in almost all of the lessons i have with him,which is almost all of them.The teachers thought we made the perfect working partners,and he was going to tutor me on math.I guess i better get used to him because there's no escaping him...Well,on the plus side,he is,admittedly,a pretty fun guy to be around and not a snob in any way.I have no idea why he isn't popular,he's got the good looks and the rich daddy,maybe he isn't snobby enough?
XXXXXX
I got out of my last class,which i,surprisingly,didn't share with him.I started walked to my locker to put my stuff in it.The day was finally over.As i closed my locker i saw a group of jocks approach Dick.
Dick's P.O.V
Hanging out with Artemis was fun,even though i wasn't quite her favorite person.Yet.But i know what was bothering her,the thought of Robin knowing about her family...I knew,from the start.I had gotten suspicious of how she and G.A had nervously replied at the same time,with practiced ease.And,unless G.A happened to have a missing niece,she couldn't be his niece.
Later that day Bruce had noticed my confusion and told me about how her mother asked the heroes to look after Artemis etc.I felt sympathetic towards her,i hid my identity from the team too(minus Wally,i had told him years ago when one of the hostages we saved fell off the roof),just in a different way.She hid her relations,not her name.
I was dragged out of my thoughts as i heard the unwelcomed voice of my personal tormenter,Andy Mallory.(1)His parents got rich off of stealing and got arrested.He and his big brother,William Mallory,now hold a personal grudge against the police,Batman,and...Robin.His big brother is a friend of Bruce,so i never told Bruce about Andy bullying me.
"Hey charity case,wont you come and give your dear friend a kiss?" i huffed in annoyance and kept walking.I briefly saw Artemis close her locker before Andy walked in front of me with his herd of mindless jocks trailing behind him."You answer when i talk to you,brat." he growled.Was this supposed to scare me or something?
"What do you want,Andy?" i said in a monotone voice,keeping my face blank and unamused.He smirked and banged my head against the locker.For Robin,this would've been a joke.But i was Dick Grayson right now,and Dick Grayson didn't know how to defend himself.Oh,how i hate being the damsel in distress...
Stars were dancing across my vision and i faintly heard Artemis gasp.Oh no...I didn't want to look vulnerable in front of her.Too late for that now,i thought sarcastically.
And suddenly his lips were on mine,kissing me roughly,his left hand resting on my hip and his right clutching the front of my shirt,i always knew he was...interested...in me but i never thought he'd act on it.My mind was racing.Robin would've kept a cool head,but i wasn't Robin now,i reminded myself.I was Dick Grayson.And i was scared.Scared of what this jerk would do to me.
He bit down on my lower lip and i yelped,he roughly shoved his tounge inside my mouth and i snapped back to reality.I tried to push him away but i was too sloppy thanks to him banging my head against the locker and being deprived of air thanks to the forced kiss.My eyes burned.Why did this creep choose me to be his victim?
He was suddenly pulled away from me and i fell to my knees.My savior had knocked Andy to the ground and Andy glared daggers at-Artemis?"Who do you think you are,blondie?" Andy hissed.She narrowed her eyes at Andy,in the glare that was usually reserved for the worst of the baddies.I shakily got up.
Andy turned to me with a menacing grin."I'll see you around,Dickie." he stumbled to his feet and left with his jock herd.I sighed."Thanks for saving me,Artemis..."
Artemis's P.O.V
"Thanks for saving me,Artemis..." to say that i was furious was an understatement.Dick might be cocky as can be,but no one deserved to be bullied.But what that jock did...it was beyond even bullying.It was humiliation.And the kindhearted Dick Grayson didn't deserve any of it.
"Who was that?" i hissed angrily.I regretted my decision to hiss when Dick flinched.I felt...dare i say...guilty?For making him flinch?Gee,did i become attached to his midget already?
"Andy Mallory.He's been bullying me ever since we met," he absentmindedly touched his lips, "But he's never gone this far before..." his beautiful blue eyes shone glossily."I'm sorry..." he all but whispered.I was stumped."You're sorry?Why?" he looked at the ground. "They're gonna bully you because of me now..." he sounded very guilty.God,why would anyone bully this guy?
Before i knew what i was doing i drew him into a hug.He looked startled for a second before he relaxed."Let them try." i said."If this ever happens again,tell me." i continued.He hugged back.We pulled away after a few seconds.He smiled at me-not a smirk,a genuine smile-it was the brightest one i had ever seen.We walked out together,chatting about math puns.
XXXXXXXX
As i was walking to the zeta tubes that night i thought back to school.That was so out of character for me...Maybe it was because the kid reminded me so much of Robin,and i admit,after last night i felt so much more protective over our youngest.
I suddenly felt that i was not alone.I quickly notched an arrow on my bow and spun around,only to come face to face with..."Robin?!" speak of the devil,or in this case,ninja... "Hey Arty,calm down," he grinned, "Is your cousin's spelling bee O-V-E-R Y-E-T?" he said.I sighed,deflated."I know you K-N-O-W,boy blunder." i had a hunch,what Batman knew,Robin probably knew too.
"I wont tell." he said,a serious look on his face."Why not?" i said,my eyes narrowing.Not in anger,but in confusion.
"It's not my place to tell,and you can't change who you're related to.It's your own choices that define you." he gave me a sweet smile."Besides,i know you'd never betray us,Arty."I felt my heart trying to burst through my chest in joy.The little brother i never had trusted me...I couldn't stop the admittedly dopey smile on my face.I followed him inside to the abandoned-phone-booth-slash-zeta-tube.
(1)Andy and William Mallory are from the episode "The End of the Batman" from the series "The Batman",they're two villains called Wrath and Scorn, the opposite of Batman and Robin that help the criminals.I thought Andy would be perfect for a bully,as he acts jerkish towards Dick in the episode.
I hope you guys liked it,i will continue writing if you did.As i said,this is my first story and i'm very open to criticism and please leave a review answering my question at the start,i'll need to know the answer to continue writing.
PS:I have no idea how to write these intros and outros...