[So only she and Batman know? There's a club she never thought she'd join. Two years, though? That's way longer than she's known any of them. Two years ago Kid Flash and Robin and Aqualad and Speedy we're just names on the news and she was nobody.]
.... You mean Kid Mouth kept a secret for two years? I'm impressed.
[It's easy to fall back on a cheap jab at Kid Flash. Though she probably doesn't get to do that anymore now that she and Wally are... Wait, is it worse if they're fighting or if they're kind of not right now? Either way, it's a little awkward.]
[... Right? If it is, she's pretty sure it's not her fault this time. Okay, maybe she lost it a little bit, but... Robin's going to be okay. That's the important thing. The rest, she can deal with.]
I mean, it's your secret ID. Do what you want with it.
[You could even be like Artemis and tell everyone your secret ID and hope no one notices.]
[ He actually kind of laughs, so, congrats, Artemis. ]
No. Well— yeah, but—
More like a wakeup call to stop internalizing everything. I've been driving myself crazy keeping secrets and hiding things and trying to take everything on alone. Bottling stuff up. You know?
[ And. About that. He grips his teacup in both hands, taking a deep, steadying breath. She should know. She deserves to know. It isn't fair for him to keep secrets about her, from her. ]
[ He looks up at her, cautious but steady. His heart's pounding. Just get it out, he thinks. The world won't end and the sky won't fall and she won't freak out on him or get angry or leave. And even if she does — it's her right. She deserves to know. ]
I know about your family. I've known for a long time.
[ Robin's stuck here in her house with a broken leg — and now she feels cornered? He puts his hands up, palms out, halfway between a placating and defensive gesture. ]
[He knows about her mom. He knows about Sportsmaster. He knows about Cheshire. Oh god, he knows about her sister.
She feels like she can't breathe. Like maybe she's going to be sick.
He knows.
She pushes off from the table, pacing in agitation. Sure, she's played with the idea of telling someone, and maybe sometimes she's regretted that she went into this carrying such a heavy lie, but she's in too deep now and no one is supposed to know.
The team is finally starting to come back together, they can't find out about this now. She needs them too much. Christ, Wally just started talking to her like a human being again, what's going to happen when he finds out?
She spins around to face him.]
Robin, you can't--you can't tell anyone. Please. You can't.
[ There's a touch of hurt behind his words, like after all they've been through — does she not trust him to keep this secret, too? But no, no, that isn't fair. She's terrified. It's not about him, even if it stings. ]
[She's not sure if that makes it better or worse. On the one hand, he still trusts her and wants to her friend even though he knows who she is. Plus, he hasn't told anyone yet, so maybe he won't now.
[ Or maybe it was selfishness. Even he isn't sure. ]
Look, I know secrets. This one's yours to keep. I just wanted to tell you — all that stuff I said on the beach, about hard work and sacrifice, and about being glad you were on the team? I meant every word of it.
[Artemis remembers that, of course. She remembers everything he said on the beach because so much of it was exactly what she needed to hear. She laughs bitterly.]
... I almost told you. I thought maybe you'd get it.
The fight goes out of Artemis and she bows her head.]
... She's been threatening to tell the team. I thought if I could just--
[What? Shut her up? Take her out? Just get a few minutes alone with the sister she hadn't seen in years and ask her how she could work with Sportsmaster after she'd abandoned Artemis because she couldn't stand to live in the same apartment with him?
Artemis hadn't had a real plan and that was the worst of it. She didn't know what she was going to do when she found Cheshire, she just knew she couldn't let the rest of the team get to her first.
Somewhere in the murky misery and panic there is, however, a sense of relief, of lightness. There was no one she could talk to about this, not Black Canary, not Ollie, and definitely not her mom. But Robin already knows.]
[She really wishes she could just throw up or something now and stop all these words that are coming out of her mouth, but it's like now that the dam has broken she can't hold anything back.]
My mom kicked him out, he's not supposed to... but he was there in my room.
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.... You mean Kid Mouth kept a secret for two years? I'm impressed.
[It's easy to fall back on a cheap jab at Kid Flash. Though she probably doesn't get to do that anymore now that she and Wally are... Wait, is it worse if they're fighting or if they're kind of not right now? Either way, it's a little awkward.]
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[ It's too soon. Thinking about Wally still makes his stomach all churny. ]
Look, Artemis, I don't want anything to be weird between the two of us.
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[... Right? If it is, she's pretty sure it's not her fault this time. Okay, maybe she lost it a little bit, but... Robin's going to be okay. That's the important thing. The rest, she can deal with.]
I mean, it's your secret ID. Do what you want with it.
[You could even be like Artemis and tell everyone your secret ID and hope no one notices.]
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And the awkward stuff with Wally last night... ninety percent sure that was me. Not you. Just so that's clear.
[ And moving abruptly on... ]
Things have been weird for all of us lately, I know. But I think this... as much as it sucks? It was the wakeup call I needed.
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Was that a wake up call to not fall off the roof? Because any of us could have just told you that.
[See? She's dealing with it.]
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No. Well— yeah, but—
More like a wakeup call to stop internalizing everything. I've been driving myself crazy keeping secrets and hiding things and trying to take everything on alone. Bottling stuff up. You know?
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She stares down at her tea.]
Yeah... I know.
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Look, Artemis... there's something else I've gotta tell you.
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[She's actually hoping he won't. Because if he tells her then he might expect her to tell him hers.]
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[ He looks up at her, cautious but steady. His heart's pounding. Just get it out, he thinks. The world won't end and the sky won't fall and she won't freak out on him or get angry or leave. And even if she does — it's her right. She deserves to know. ]
I know about your family. I've known for a long time.
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Without being aware of moving, she's on her feet, chair knocked over on the kitchen floor.]
How--you know?!
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[ Robin's stuck here in her house with a broken leg — and now she feels cornered? He puts his hands up, palms out, halfway between a placating and defensive gesture. ]
I'm a detective. I can't turn it off.
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She feels like she can't breathe. Like maybe she's going to be sick.
He knows.
She pushes off from the table, pacing in agitation. Sure, she's played with the idea of telling someone, and maybe sometimes she's regretted that she went into this carrying such a heavy lie, but she's in too deep now and no one is supposed to know.
The team is finally starting to come back together, they can't find out about this now. She needs them too much. Christ, Wally just started talking to her like a human being again, what's going to happen when he finds out?
She spins around to face him.]
Robin, you can't--you can't tell anyone. Please. You can't.
[The words come out half-choked, pleading.]
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[ There's a touch of hurt behind his words, like after all they've been through — does she not trust him to keep this secret, too? But no, no, that isn't fair. She's terrified. It's not about him, even if it stings. ]
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... A long time? How long?
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[She's not sure if that makes it better or worse. On the one hand, he still trusts her and wants to her friend even though he knows who she is. Plus, he hasn't told anyone yet, so maybe he won't now.
On the other hand... Robin knew the whole time.]
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[ Or maybe it was selfishness. Even he isn't sure. ]
Look, I know secrets. This one's yours to keep. I just wanted to tell you — all that stuff I said on the beach, about hard work and sacrifice, and about being glad you were on the team? I meant every word of it.
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... I almost told you. I thought maybe you'd get it.
[And... maybe he kind of does?]
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The fight goes out of Artemis and she bows her head.]
... She's been threatening to tell the team. I thought if I could just--
[What? Shut her up? Take her out? Just get a few minutes alone with the sister she hadn't seen in years and ask her how she could work with Sportsmaster after she'd abandoned Artemis because she couldn't stand to live in the same apartment with him?
Artemis hadn't had a real plan and that was the worst of it. She didn't know what she was going to do when she found Cheshire, she just knew she couldn't let the rest of the team get to her first.
Somewhere in the murky misery and panic there is, however, a sense of relief, of lightness. There was no one she could talk to about this, not Black Canary, not Ollie, and definitely not her mom. But Robin already knows.]
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You don't owe me an explanation. I just thought... if you knew there was one person you didn't have to hide it from...
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[She really wishes she could just throw up or something now and stop all these words that are coming out of her mouth, but it's like now that the dam has broken she can't hold anything back.]
My mom kicked him out, he's not supposed to... but he was there in my room.
[She looks up at Robin.]
He wants me to work with him.
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Yeah, right. Did he think that would work?
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I don't know... maybe.
[He's still her dad. She hates him and hates the person he wants her to be even more, but he is still her dad.
He's made her do things she didn't want to do before.]
Probably he was just trying to mess with my head. He does that.
[If so, then mission fucking accomplished.]
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