Coming to school now, it's a week until summer vacation and that means that on top of her passing all her finals, she has to protect Dick Grayson without letting him know who she is or what she's trying to do, while also accomplishing her goal of trying to figure out who Robin is because she hasn't forgotten that he very well might be attending her school. She also has to be his friend too, because she feels guilty about not being able to do anything, but she can't let him know that. Ugghh…since when did life get so complicated?
But maybe finding Robin will help keep Dick's mind off of his home troubles. Probably, but hey, it's worth a shot. She sets out to finding him. Her morning finals done, she now has one final after lunch and then two finals tomorrow and she's done. Her week is very short, unlike most students at this school. She inwardly glows in that fact because somehow it helps her to feel in a small way superior over the other students in the school who look down on her for being a charity case/Wayne Foundation Scholarship Participant. Take that! Ha!
She doesn't have to look long and hard for her friend who is sitting by himself without his characteristic smirk plastered on his face. While she doesn't exactly miss that somewhat infuriatingly and oddly familiar smile of his, she does wish that he would stop sulking. She'll have to fix that.
"Hey, Dick." She says, as she walks up to him and plops her tray of food in front of his.
He looks up, startled and his hand stills from pushing his food around, "Hey, Artemis."
She looks at him, "How are things going?"
He shrugs, "Good. I suppose."
"Well, I was thinking that I'd help get your mind off what happened by going over strategies to figure out who my friend is, you know from that secret club?"
She inwardly cheers when a small spark of intrigue enters those blue eyes. She doesn't think she's ever seen eyes so blue and the fact that they have some mischief in them should make her groan in annoyance, but it doesn't. It makes her feel brighter, however she quickly decides to say something. It's been weighing on her chest since everything went down. "I'm sorry about what happened."
He frowns, tilting his head, almost like he's considering something before his expression changes and he just gives an impish smile, "It's okay, Artemis, it's not your fault."
This boy wouldn't be saying that if he knew what she did as part of her extracurricular activities, "How's Mr. Wayne?"
"I think he said you can call him Bruce, and it's been in the papers, he's going to live, just has to stay in bed." There's an odd inflection to his voice that she doesn't quite understand, but oh well, it's probably a rich thing.
"Well, that's good, and the papers aren't always reliable. I mean the tabloids are saying that he's dead."
Dick grimaces, "Yeah, but then they also tried to say that he could be Batman, too, so how reliable are they anyways?"
She vaguely remembers reading that article. Her mother had brought it to her for a laugh. She's met Batman and reading that brought a laugh to her and after she explained to her mother how impossible this possibility was and what Batman was really like her mother really laughed. Of course, her mother knew it wasn't likely, she only brought it to her to poke fun at it. Her mother is oddly into all those tabloids, and while Artemis isn't, her mother still shares all the ones that have references to the league in them. There was one about Martian Manhunter being Superman, as a secret identity, not that that made any sense, but hey, those people have never gotten money for being actual journalists, so what the hell? Big Foot could be Green Arrow for all they're concerned. Some people just eat those ridiculous tales up.
"Yeah, I remember reading that one, my mom and I had a laugh."
An odd smirk comes on Dick's face, but she just shrugs it off, happy to finally see him smile. She thought it was going to take much more work.
"So, how is it living with Wonder Woman?"
Dick groans, "Bruce is complaining because she won't let him out of her sight. Although it is funny to watch."
"Well, I can imagine she feels guilty about not doing anything."
"Yeah, she does, but Bruce doesn't blame her so…"
"I'd imagine it not being that simple."
"I suppose…" Pausing for a second, "How do you want to go about this?"
"About what?"
"You know about finding your secret club friend." He wiggles his eyebrows and laughs.
"Oh, umm…right. Well, I was thinking that I'd tell you what he looks like and we'd both keep an eye out for students that fit that description and then you'd give your ideas to me."
"Sounds easy enough, so what does this kid look like?"
Somehow hearing the word kid come from him sounds wrong. He's a kid himself. Letting it go for now, she starts explaining that this kid is small with black hair and darkish skin.
"Okay, so what color are his eyes?"
"Um…I don't know." She says. She's never seen Robin's entire face. He always keeps it hidden, she knows that his face must be recognizable, but then again everyone's face must be recognizable by that logic. She groans when she hears Dick laugh.
"That description could fit nearly every guy at this school."
"I know…" He doesn't need to know that she has a way of limiting the number of suspects by also looking at grown men in these kid's lives, and seeing how likely they are to be Batman, but something about the way he's laughing is also a bit patronizing. "Well, that's all I've got, so there."
"I could be this super-secret friend."
She shakes her head, "No you couldn't. First off all, I'd already crossed you off my list, and second you're helping me. If you were him, I'd know."
"Oh, really?" He sets to waggling his eyebrows, "Well, in that case then, there's Jimmy Philips, Benjamin Johnson, and Travis Underwood, just to name a few. Those are the boys that I can see right off the top of my head that can fit your description. If only you were able to give me more to go on."
She nods, "Well, I'll look into those names and get back to you, just keep them coming."
He grins, "Sure, Artemis. Are you sure it couldn't be me?"
She frowns, "I think you would know if it were you."
"Really, I thought you said in this club, no one knows who anyone is, so I might be him and not know you're you."
What? It takes her a minute to fully understand what he's saying, "He knows who I am, so again I think you would know if you were him."
"Oh." He seems to deflate at that, "Well, that's too bad because I wanted to be your super-secret friend."
"Right?" She studies him, her eyes flitting down from his slicked black hair, to his blue eyes to his school uniform that in no way subtly reveals how rich he really is, "Well, back to more likely possibilities, I'll look into those names and let you know how they go."
By the time lunch ended they had also managed to gather up ten more names just by looking around the courtyard. After studying for her English final and her French final, both of which are tomorrow, before and after lunch respectively, she sets to work on her computer trying to look up the names.
By the time she gets to the end of her list Henry McAvoy, she's certain that none of them can be Robin. Travis Underwood was the most likely candidate, but after looking into him, she found no plausible reason that he would be Robin and his dad, because that's who best fit the description she can manage of Batman would ever be the caped crusader.
Looking out her window she frowns as she sees the all-too familiar bat-signal in the sky.
"There it is again." Her mother says, rolling up beside her. She sets a cup of hot chocolate on her desk and then Artemis turns to watch her mother take a sip from her own cup.
"Thanks, Mom." She smiles as she watches the signal with her mom.
"You're welcome." Her mother frowns and seems to think of something, "How's Dick? Did you see him today?"
"He's good, he's helping me figure out who Robin is, so it's keeping his mind off things."
"You're a good friend, Artemis."
"I just wish that were true."
"Artemis." Her mom lightly scolds, "There's nothing you could've done. Even Wonder Woman couldn't stop what happened from happening."
"I know, it's just. I'm supposed to be a hero and I couldn't…"
When a hand comes to her shoulder she turns and looks at her mom, "You are a hero. Don't doubt that. You're my hero."
Despite herself, she feels something in her eyes, and when her mom leaves her, she quietly responds, "Thanks, Mom."
She turns back to her computer and frowns at the realization that even the most likely candidates have come up dry. Resting her chin on her fist, she studies the googled photos of all the students that she managed to find. How inconvenient. Back to square one. However, she knew it wasn't going to be this simple.
She's interrupted in her inner-dialogue, when she feels her phone buzzing in her back pocket. She usually has the phone on silent day and night so she puts it in her back pocket so when it rings she can feel it. She quickly pulls it out and frowns at the number, "Dick?" She says when she answers the call.
"Hey, Artemis."
"What's up?"
"I need help with studying for my English final tomorrow, and Babs is grounded, I was wondering if you could help me since we share the same class and both have the final tomorrow."
"It's late, Dick."
"I know, but you can just stay the night here and Alfred will take us to school tomorrow. Will your mom mind?"
She really doesn't want to go, knowing that the final tomorrow will be a breeze and she also wanted to try out some other names that she's sure she can think of given time, but she also knows that it's not such a terrible idea. "One second, let me check." She's about to ask her mom, when she frowns, "How am I going to get over there?"
"Oh, umm…well, Alfred can pick you up."
"Okay, one second…Who's Alfred?"
"The Wayne family butler, although he's more like a grandfather to me and a father to Bruce, but don't tell him that."
"Right, one second." She sets the phone down and journeys out of her room. Of course, he would have a butler. Dick sometimes comes off as stereotypical of his type. In retrospect, however, she's not sure why she would have expected any less. She finds her mom in the kitchen, "Mom?"
"Yes, Artemis?"
"Dick just called, said he's having trouble with English and was wondering if I could go over to his place to help him study."
"This late?"
"Yeah, that's what I asked, but he said that I could just stay the night over there and we could both go to school together."
"Oh, well, in separate rooms, I hope."
"Mom," She shakes her head from the thought, "Please, they're rich, I'm sure they'll have at least one guest room."
Her mom nods, "Only because I think that you're doing a good thing."
"Thanks, Mom." She says as she walks back into her room and picks up her phone, "Dick?"
"What'd she say?"
"My mom said that I could." She says. She closes out the search engine of her computer as she stands up and places the phone on her shoulder and uses her head to hold it in place while she grabs a bag from under bed and shoves her uniform and books inside.
"Sweet. Thanks. Alfred and I are leaving now, we'll be there in ten minutes."
"All right, cool." She hangs up the phone and sets it back in her back pocket as she grabs her bag and grabs her tooth brush and other amenities. She even takes her favorite pillow, stuffing it in her bag before zipping it up.
"How are you getting there?"
She turns to see her mom in the doorway, "Oh, umm…well, their butler, Alfred? I think that was his name was, is coming to pick me up."
"Oh, okay, that's good."
She barely has to wait ten minutes before the doorbell rings. She's trying to go over everything in her head to make sure she has everything she'll need for tomorrow and to help Dick study, although, she's not sure what good she'll be able to do him at seven o'clock at night, but hey…she's pulled off more improbable things in her life.
"Hey, Ms. Crock." Dick says.
"Hi, Dick." Her mother's voice carries sympathy and sadness a sad match for Dick's cheeriness.
"How's everything?"
"I daresay, they're quite good, Ms. Crock. Bruce will be in bed all night." An English voice says with an air of authority, Artemis gets the feeling that shouldn't be contradicted. Also, what he said, causes her to involuntarily look out her window, seeing that the bat-signal is still up. Huh, how odd. She wastes no time on that thought, however as she hears her mom's next question.
"Oh…umm… Bru—Mr. Wayne is home, I thought he'd still be in the hospital?"
"Yes, one would think, Ms. Crock."
She can tell that the derision isn't directed to her mother, and when she comes out of her room, she sees Dick light up with a flashy grin and her mother turn to face her, "I guess, I'll see you tomorrow, Artemis."
Nodding, "Bye, Mom."
Walking out of her dingy little two-bedroom apartment she walks with Dick behind who must be Alfred. He's impeccably dressed and looks very out of place in this complex. She wonders how they managed to get up here without any troubles for being, well, as rich as they appear to be.
"Thanks, so much, Artemis. I wish I would have called sooner, but at least we'll get a couple hours of studying in."
Artemis just shrugs, "Well, better late than never, but why call me, surely you have another friend who is better at English." Like say an English butler. If that's not a cliché, then she doesn't know what is. Again, she's not completely surprised.
"Well, I would, but Alfred has his hands full with trying to keep Bruce in bed. Diana's on a mission right now, so he's trying to sneak off to work."
Work? At this hour? Artemis frowns, Bruce Wayne is certainly not like what she imagined. Maybe she shouldn't judge anymore. She doesn't even notice when she gets outside until the butler courteously opens the door to the limo? Seriously? How'd they even manage to get it in this area of the city in one piece. Do these people even know the idea of inconspicuousness? When she quietly thanks the man before climbing into the limo and watching Dick get in after her, she looks around the limo and sees and feels the leather seats and everything else and figures probably not.
Once the car starts she sets her bag down, forgetting she even had it for a moment, and suddenly Dick is talking a mile a minute.
"So, Alfred since our finals start at ten, we don't have to be at school until nine thirty." Dick says.
She narrows her eyes in curiosity and is certain this train of thought is going somewhere, but she's unsure where.
"Yes, Master Dick."
Master Dick? Really? If he's as close to them as Dick told her, then why use such formalities.
"Well, I was thinking that we don't have to get up until eight thirty to make sure that we get ready and leave with enough time to be there on time, even early."
She's sure she can gage where this conversation is going, and finds herself somewhat curious as to the answer.
"What is it you wish to ask, Master Dick?"
Dick groans, "Come on, Alfred, I don't want to ask it."
"I dare say that if you don't then I can't claim to know what it is you are asking for."
"You just want me to ask so you can say 'no.'"
"How can you profess to know the future, Master Dick?"
Dick seems to perk up at this, but there's an air of suspicion in his tone, "So you're saying, you'd say yes."
"If I don't know what you're asking, then I don't know what my answer will be, Sir." Is that a withering tone being passed back through the mirror? Artemis is sure she's heard it, but she's not sure if it was her imagination. The butler's tone is fairly monotone, so it's likely to be her imagination.
"Alfred, come on." Okay, she's sure she saw that look this time, "Uggh…Fine, can Artemis and I stay up later than ten?"
"Well, that's entirely up to you and Young Miss Artemis, Master Dick." She watches as Dick looks at her with a wide grin, and then the butler continues and Dick's expression quickly looks chastised, "But far be it from me to know what two high school students partaking in their last finals need. Such as an appropriate amount of sleep, and as you are well aware, Master Bruce's room is next door to your own, so when he is trying to sleep, your shenanigans may wake him."
"Master Bruce doesn't sleep." She hears Dick mumbles with disdain as he sits back into the leather seat with his arms crossed over his chest. She barely heard it, she's not even sure if she imagined it, but why would her imagination play with her like that?
"Very good, Master Dick." She turns her head, and notices a twinkle in the eyes of the driver. She's starting to see that maybe Dick might have been right about the whole grandfather/father dynamic going on. Alfred is apparently not just a butler.
"Sorry, Artemis." Dick says, looking to her apologetically.
She frowns, "It's okay. We can have other sleepovers where we stay up late and maybe even investigate together."
Dick seems to brighten up at that.
"What, pray tell are the two of you investigating?" Alfred asks.
Dick seems to sit up straighter, and she's not entirely sure what to make of his expression, "Oh, umm…Artemis and I are looking for her super -secret friend. She's in this club and we're trying to figure out who the person is outside of the club."
Okay, she knows for a fact she caught that expression. Damn that butler is subtle. She can tell, though that the man can get a novel across with an expression and a few words. A powerful tale. She's certain that his glare and expressiveness could even give Batman a run for his money. Batman could learn a thing or two from this man.
The man says nothing, however and Artemis feels the car come to a stop. She looks around, and as the door is opened, Dick rushes out and Artemis grabs her bag and rushes out after him just in time to hear Dick mumble an apology her way under a chastising glare from the butler. She's not entirely sure what it was for, but she sends a quiet forgiving glance Dick's way anyways, but the boy has clearly forgotten about it as he's rushing to the…Oh, wow! What is that? That is certainly not a house. She knows what a house is. Two maybe three or even four bedrooms, with a square shape and one or two floors and a roof. Basically four walls and a shingled roof, but that, what she's in front of right now, with its Roman style pillars and three, maybe four story stature, is not a house. It's a mausoleum. It's just the three of them? Seriously?
She slowly manages to walk up the stairs as Dick calls out to her from the door that the butler is holding open. Wow, she didn't even sense him pass by her and yet he's there. Batman can really learn a thing or two from this man. As she walks into the foyer, she can't help but look around in awe of the place.
"Please refrain from sliding on the banisters or swinging from the chandeliers, Young Miss, Young Sir." She just nods her acceptance of the rule, vaguely hearing the butler walk out of the room.
"Artemis, come on. I'll show you where you'll stay for the night." Dick says quickly.
She clutches her bag close to her, about to follow after Dick—
"Alfred!" Oh, wow, that voice sounds angry. She turns and sees the butler, who was almost out of view around a corner, turn. She follows his gaze to see an angered and pale Bruce Wayne storm passed her, "Alfred!"
"Master Bruce, might I suggest you be better behaved when guests are in the house? I shudder to think that these are your manners."
She watches as the man's demeanor clearly changes he puts a hand on the back of his neck and turns slowly around to face her and Dick. Her surprise couldn't be more obvious if it was written on her face, wait scratch that it probably was.
"Sorry, my apologies." He seems to say, "Artemis, it's good to see you again. I take it you're here to help Dick."
Dick nods, "Yeah, Artemis is going to help me with English."
"Thank you." But there's something in Mr. Wayne's tone. She's not comfortable referring to him as Bruce yet, that she's sure was annoyance, but he quickly masks it before she can gage it for sure.
"No problem. Mr. Wayne." She really didn't mean for her voice to reflect her uncertainty, but she's sure that the atmosphere in the room is tense. She wants Dick to show her around the manor, in fact she'd like to get lost in the manor right now.
"Good. Good." The billionaire seems to breathe, and then at Alfred's voice he seems to come back to himself and whirl on the butler, "Study. Now." How can two words, spoken so calmly sound so terrifying.
When Dick calls her to follow him up the stairs she barely glimpses the butler's unfazed expression as he follows the CEO around the corner.
"So, Bruce is doing a lot better than I thought he'd be, considering…"
Dick sighs, "He's really not, but he doesn't like to be bedridden."
"Did I come at a bad time?"
Dick walks into a room with a desk and a bed. It's a plain, but very large room, and shakes his head, "This is where you'll sleep tonight. And no, you didn't. That's a regular occurrence. Alfred will get Bruce back to his room and in bed once they finish arguing."
Artemis thinks there's more to this than she's able to gather right now, but she doesn't want to come off as rudely nosey so she lets it go for now, but internally, she really wants to know what is going on.
"We can study in my room, until it's time to go to bed, though." Dick says and she follows him out of the room. For tonight, no matter her curiosity, she'll help Dick study English and later when she visits some other time, perhaps during the summer she'll indulge her curiosity only the tiniest amount. When she hears incoherent yelling coming up the stairs, she definitely thinks sooner rather than later.
A/N: Okay, so I know my posts are erratic, but I am an author/student on top of this and on top of all that, I still have work and am in the process of moving. It's a rough go, but I haven't forgotten about you all. I hope that if you like my work on here, you'll support me and check out my book, Renatus, on amazon and on Barnes and Noble and Nook. The synopsis will be posted below as always. Alfred is so hard to write. I read some fanfictions on here and can't help but think how easy some authors make it look and then trying to write him myself…ugghh…hopefully I didn't make him seem too OOC? Tell me if I did, please. I love feedback and don't really believe flaming is a thing. Yes, some reviews are ruder than others, but flaming is really just tactless feedback. I need to know what I'm doing wrong so I don't do it anymore. Anyways, it's a joy to write this fic and I'm having fun writing from Artemis's point of view. Good for her for slowly putting the pieces together, right? Where's Diana when you need her? She'd make Bruce heal up without much of a fuss. Poor Alfred, but Bruce always struck me as having a temper, but being really patient at the same time. Maybe it's when things don't go his way that he finds himself losing his cool? I don't know maybe I'm the only one that thinks this. I don't read much comics, mainly watch the shows and cartoons, and whatnot, but I'm not completely blind to the comics, I do own some. Anyways, was this chapter good/bad/somewhere in between? Let me know.
In a future world, divided into just 4 countries, Markus Valentine becomes the new, 18-year-old Emperor of Eurasia, following the death of his father.
Arena fighting is the main sport and a newly rising star is Fane. He believes that arena fighting should be to the death, but the law forbids murder and those found guilty are sentenced to death.
This is the fate of Cornelius Johnston, a man who murdered his fiancée at the behest of his father, and whose life will become inextricably entwined with that of the new Emperor.
When Fane kills another man in the Arena, he is pardoned by Markus, much to the dismay of the crowd. But the new favourite and the young Emperor are soon on a collision course as both men fall in love with the alluring Rosalyn.
But after Fane and Rosalyn marry, Markus becomes jealous. He kills her family and takes her for his own, intent that she will provide him with a son and heir.
Exiled and alone, Fane meets Amaranta and they have two children together. But the memory of what Markus Valentine did still cuts deep and he is determined to exact vengeance on him.
Will a gladiator have his revenge on an Emperor? And will a murderer be pardoned against the laws of the country?