"Recognized: Robin, B01," the monotone female voice of the computer announced.

Megan squealed. "Okay guys! Everyone get in position!"

"This is gonna be so great," Artemis whispered excitedly.

Wally stood in the middle of the living room, watching his friends crouch down behind furniture. "Still say this is a bad idea," he repeated for what felt-to him-like the hundredth time.

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "It'll be fine, Kid. He can't be that bad."

As a close friend of the Bat family, Wally was certain of one thing. They did not appreciate surprises, no matter how well intentioned. He cringed a little as he remembered the birthday debacle of '03. "You have no idea how bad they can be, Zatanna. Just trust me on this, Rob doesn't do well with-"

"Wally, hurry and hide! He's almost in here," Megan whisper-shouted at the speedster. She used her telekinesis to turn off the lights while Wally zoomed behind the couch. Just as everyone quieted down, Robin was walking into the room, too engrossed into his conversation to notice that the lights were off.

". . . I still don't understand why you had me come down here, Bats. I know that we don't have a mission coming up, so- . . . What do you mean, 'Something came up?' What could possibly come up that is so important that you send me out of the house on my-"

"SURPRISE!" The team shouted as they popped out.

"Whoawhoawhoa, Robcalmdownit'sus!" Wally yelled rapidly, jumping over the couch and tackling Robin to the ground in one fluid motion. In his shock, the Boy Wonder had dropped into a fighting stance, bird-a-rangs in each hand. Knowing Robin like he did, Wally had a sneaking suspicion that they were the kind that exploded.

"I-I don't understand. Did we do something wrong?" M'gann naively asked, pressing a finger worriedly to the side of her lips as she was wont to do when confused or worried.

Artemis huffed. "Seriously, you crazy bird! It's just a surprise party, not an ambush. I know that you're the Bat's kid and all, but c'mon." As irritated as she sounded, the archer's expression was more amused than anything. She couldn't really blame Robin. After all, she probably would have had a similar reaction.

The red headed speedster pushed himself up so that he was sitting next to Robin, instead of pinning him down. "I told you guys that he hates surprises," Wally said smugly. He had earned all 'I told you so' rights, hadn't he? As Robin's best friend, they should have accepted his word as gospel truth.

Kaldur stepped forward, hands held up in a placating gesture. "Apologies, my young friend. We meant only to celebrate the day of your birth. If we have overstepped some boundary-"

Robin shook his head quickly. "No, no. Kaldur, you guys misunderstand. It's great that you guys did this, really! I'm just not really a fan of surprises, you know?" He smiled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed for overreacting like he did.

The Atlantian smiled with relief and understanding. "In that case, a Happy Birthday, Robin." Now that the tension was diffused, the others grinned. The girls rushed forward, gushing over the birthday boy and hugging him. Zatanna even pecked him on the cheek after hugging him. He blushed a little, though clearly enjoyed the affection.

Conner settled for resting his hand on top of the boy's head, offering a small smile, and a low, "Happy Birthday Robin." Wally, of course pulled his best friend into a head lock and rubbed his knuckles along his head quickly.

"Geez, Walls! You're gonna gimme a speedster noogie on my birthday?" Robin complained jovially. He readjusted his hair, returning it to his ideal level of messiness-though no one really noticed much of a difference besides him.

Megan clapped her hands excitedly. "Everyone's here except-"

"Recognized: Speedy, B06." Robin did a 180 as he heard the computer announce his other favorite red head.

"No way. Who-?" Robin turned to his teammates, wondering who could have possibly convinced Roy to come to the Cave.

Artemis sighed, her arms crossed. "Well, he's still not my ideal company, but you seem to like him, so I got GA to help me- Oof!" The blonde archer was cut off by the birthday boy crashing into her, arms wrapping tightly around her waist.

"Thank you!" Robin said giddily before running off to the zeta entrance.

The team followed, though at a slower pace, and watched the youngest of their team fling himself at Red Arrow. Roy chuckled as he caught him, not even stumbling under the scrawny teen's added weight. "Yeah, I'm happy to see you too, kid."

Robin pulled back, shifting so he was riding on the archer's back. "I can't believe you came!"

"Right, like I'm going to let you celebrate turning 14 without me," he replied sarcastically. "So, you got some cake for this little monkey boy or what?"

"Right in here," Megan answered cheerily. The next couple of hours were spent with cake and other snack foods, banter and jokes made at the expense of Wally's bottomless stomach. It was only interrupted by a phone call to Roy's cell. Everyone stopped to watch him look at the caller ID and answer it.

"Just let it go to voicemail, Red, it can't be-" Artemis was silenced by Roy's hand being held up in her face. It was more out of indignation than obedience, but it had the desired effect none the less.

"Right now? . . Okay. Got it." Roy hung up the phone and his mouth turned into a knowing smirk. "Hey, Rob. Come back with me to the zetas. There's something I think you'll want to see."

Curiously, everyone followed after them, wondering what could possibly be coming through the zeta tubes. For the third time that day, the computer announced the arrival of someone via zeta. Only this time, it was a designation that the team didn't recognize.

"Recognized: Nightingale, B09." Everyone watched as a young girl stepped through the light. She wore black converse and jeans and purple sweatshirt under a leather jacket. Her black hair hung in layers around her face, but her eyes were hidden behind black sunglasses. She smiled shyly, hands shoved into her pockets, as everyone stared at her.

"Um…Hi," she offered quietly. Before anyone could comment, Robin was spinning her around, beaming.

"What are you doing here?" He asked happily. "I thought Bats-"

"He changed his mind," Nightingale answered the unspoken question. "Oh, and he wanted me to give you this." She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Robin. His jaw dropped a little as he read the words. She grinned. "Happy Birthday, bro."

That was enough to snap the team out of their quiet spectatorship. "Bro?" Artemis asked incredulously.

"I was not aware that you had any relations besides the Batman," Kaldur said, his voice radiating quiet shock. Surely if Batman had another sidekick, he would have known? Wouldn't his king have told him, if none of the other sidekicks did?

Robin looked from the note, to his apparent sister, to the team. "I- Yeah, she's. . She's sort of one of Batman's pet secrets to keep. She hasn't been in the hero gig as long as I have."

"Not by choice," Nightingale chimed in.

Zatanna didn't say anything, but she felt a strange sense of. . .jealousy looking at the other girl. The girl who knew Robin better than she did. She shook her head, dismissing the thought as ridiculous. How could she be jealous of his sister?

M'ganna smiled, taking a few steps forward. "Well, welcome! We were just having a party for your brother, if you want to-"

"What's in the note?" Conner piped up, cutting off his girlfriend. "Ah, sorry, M'gann. I just heard Robin's heart pick up, and I was wondering what could be so important." He wasn't purposely listening for it, but it had caught his attention.

"Oh, well. . ." Robin reread the note, the paper feeling so heavy in his hands. "It says. . It says something that I've been waiting to hear for a while." After glancing at his sister, Robin took a breath and raised a hand to his sunglasses, removing them in front of everyone. "I'm Dick Grayson. It's nice to finally meet you." His vibrant blue eyes shown in stark contrast to his usual black shades, and everyone was stunned by the sudden revelation.

"They're so. .blue," Megan said quietly.

"And beautiful," Zatanna added, not realizing until it was too late that she said that out loud. Even as she blushed, the sorceress was quick to cover herself. "I mean, they're a blue-tiful, ah I mean a beautiful shade of blue."

Nightingale giggled. "Way to be chalant."

"Abs," Dick chided, though not without a smile of his own.

"Dick and Abs. . You're- Oh, I knew that I recognized you at school! You" Artemis shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Dick.

He held his hands up, chuckling. "Hey, I told you we'd laugh about it someday, right?" Artemis laughed in spite of herself. She had to admit, he got her.

"So, that makes you," she said, pointing to 'Abs'.

"Abigail Grayson," Nightingale finished, removing her own glasses.

Zatanna stared between them, now recalling all the magazine articles she'd seen with the two. "Oh my gosh, you two are the wards of Bruce Wayne! So then, is he-"

"Batman? Duh," Wally cut in. "Geez, took you all long enough to make that connection."

"Wally," Abigail chastised. "Be nice."

Roy smirked. "Don't be too hard on him, Abs. It's not Kid Mouth's fault. He just wants to get back to the cake."

"That is so not the point, Roy!" Wally protested, not denying that he did want to get back to the cake.

Megan smiled, floating into the air above everyone. "Well then, come on! This is still Rob- Dick's birthday party. What better way to celebrate than with his sister joining us?!"

Abigail started backing away from them. "Oh, no I don't want to intrude, I mean- You planned this for Dick, and I'd just be in the way, so I'll just-"

"Stay," Kaldur said gently, offering the young girl a welcoming smile. "We would be honored to have Robin's sister join us. Welcome to the team."