[ oh crap oh crap he said the W word and he was about to spill the very secret secret he'd promised not to and almost admitted that he was baking for Wally on top of everything else, ABORT ]
—uh, confirmed I'm terrible at it. Which... is saying a lot... for him.
[ He clears his throat awkwardly, folding his hands behind his head as they walk, trying for an air of nonchalance. It's a lot more chalant than he wants it to be. ]
So I could probably learn a thing or two hundred from you!
Look, I told him everything. [Did you really, Arty?] It's not like I can change anything, so if he can't get over it then it's his problem. I'm going to have fun at the beach.
[She stomps down to the water' s edge, definitely looking like someone having fun at the beach.]
Robin gives her a minute before following her down to the water, keeping a polite few feet of distance. He watches her out of the corner of his eye as he stoops to pick up a worn, pink piece of sea glass, and tosses it back out across the waves.
He keeps his eye on it until it disappears, and then looks back over to her, apology written all over his face. ]
Dates. Apparently that's another thing the Boy Wonder can't do.
[She watches the sea glass plonk into the waves and her shoulders sort of slump with a sigh. Robin's the last person she should be taking this out on--he's at least still trying to be her friend, even after what she did.]
This isn't really a date, Robin. But... thanks. For trying.
[In an embarrassed grumble, she adds] Sorry I freaked out...
You? [She turns and looks at him and... he's still wearing those goofy sunglasses, so it's really hard to stay mad. She scoffs, but not too harshly] Well you're only, like, what, a freshman?
[ Robin looks behind him, seemingly satisfied with the distance between the two of them and the sunbathers down the beach. He sits just above where the waves reach, picking up a small stick and tracing patterns in the sand. ]
If you're with someone, you're supposed to trust them, right? And I have this whole secret identity thing, and... [ He shrugs again. ] Conner and M'gann, they kinda have it easy. They're just... them. But someone who likes me as Robin, or someone who likes me at school — they'd only be seeing half the picture.
[ Zatanna had kissed him, and Barbara had kissed him, and he thinks he likes them both. He’d liked Zatanna an awful lot, before everything had gone so wrong, but now he just feels guilty about that. But either way, Zatanna can never know Dick, and Barbara can never know Robin.
It’s different with Wally. Wally knows him: he can see where Dick and Robin connect, the parts of both of his carefully constructed selves that are real. And when he talks to Wally, he feels like a whole entire person. Like he’s not pretending to be anything for anyone.
Robin feels guilty about liking him, too. ]
There's exactly one person who really gets it, but it'd never, ever happen, so — that's one more secret I'm keeping from someone who thinks they know me. It's not easy, you know? Hiding things from my friends.
[ He thinks she might understand that part, at least. ]
[Artemis sighs heavily and sits down next to him. It never occurred to her that Robin felt that way. He always brushes things off with a laugh and a grin until even the fact that nobody knows his real name just feels like a big joke that everyone gets to be in on.
Who knew that Robin the Boy Wonder would have so much in common with Artemis, the super villain brat.
She's never been a good liar, but sometimes it feels like all she ever does now is lie and lie and lie and she hates it. These are people she's fought and trained beside, people she cares about and they think they care about her, but how can they? They don't even know her.
It's too late now, though. Breaking the team's trust would be worse than if they'd never trusted her at all. Just look at what happened after Louisiana...
Sometimes she wonders... how could it have been any worse if she'd just told them the truth? The actual truth?
Wally would probably still hate her, but at least she wouldn't have to feel like a liar any more.
... she just wouldn't get to feel like a hero any more either.]
Secret identities are... the worst.
[It sounds unbelievably lame, but it's the best she can do. She understands what he's saying all too well, because just the fact that she understands? Yeah, she has to keep that a secret too.]
[ Robin's brows knit, and he's right on the verge of just spilling everything he knows about her, just to tell her it's okay, that it doesn't matter, that it's never mattered and she's proven herself a hundred times over. ]
... You know, I was really glad when you joined the team.
Roy was never on the team. And that's not what I mean.
[ Robin folds his arms behind his head, flopping back down on the warm sand and glancing sideways at her. ]
You know how hard it was being the only person without superpowers? It's like — I've gotta work doubletime just to keep up. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it's rough. So when you showed up... it was cool. I knew you'd get it.
[ The corner of his mouth quirks up in a fond smile. And maybe this is too much, or it makes what he knows too obvious, but it needs to be said: ]
... I know you get what it means to want this so bad you'll do anything for it. Training til everything hurts, hiding things from everyone you know, explaining crazy bruises to people at school and making excuses when you're out all night and forget to write a history paper. The others — they work hard, too, but it's not the same. They stop fighting crime, they can still lift buses and fly and almost break the sound barrier. They're naturally super.
You and me — we're just normal kids. All we have is what we do. And what you do — Artemis, you've been a hero since the first day you walked in.
[Something catches in Artemis's throat and it takes a minute before she can trust herself to speak.]
That's all I want. To be a hero.
[She hugs her knees tightly. The urge to confess to Robin is so strong, she almost can't resist. He gets it, he gets her, surely he'd understand this too.
But after what he just said, she can't ask him to keep her secrets for her. Assuming he'd even want to...
... And what if word got back to Wally?
Instead she clears her throat.]
Apparently it wasn't good enough for this place, though. Everybody's gotta have a super power.
[ Robin's thrown by the subject change for a moment, but then he laughs, light and easy. It's more solid ground, anyway — he's never considered himself all that great at motivational speeches. ]
Right? Didn't they get the memo that we were getting along just fine without 'em?
[Artemis is relieved by the change in tone--it was getting a little too intense for her.]
Team No Powers, that's us. I'm not sure how being able to see really really far is supposed to help my archery, anyway. I mean, if the target's out of range, it doesn't matter how well I can see it.
[This is a gripe she's held on to for a while and it feels good to get it off her chest.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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That bad? I could teach you. I mean... I don't know how to cook a lot of things, but I'm pretty good.
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[ oh crap oh crap he said the W word and he was about to spill the very secret secret he'd promised not to and almost admitted that he was baking for Wally on top of everything else, ABORT ]
—uh, confirmed I'm terrible at it. Which... is saying a lot... for him.
[ THAT WAS WORSE, ABORT ABORT ABORT ]
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So I could probably learn a thing or two hundred from you!
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Jesus, I'm not going to freak out if you talk about Wally. You guys are best bros, I get it. Whatever.
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[ Appropriately chastised. Robin's shoulders slump a bit, and he glances out over the water so he doesn't have to see her scowling. ]
I'm sorry. I just— I keep almost bringing him up, and then I stop myself, so then I'm extra conscious of it, and it happens even more...
... I know it's a sore spot, that's all.
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Look, I told him everything. [Did you really, Arty?] It's not like I can change anything, so if he can't get over it then it's his problem. I'm going to have fun at the beach.
[She stomps down to the water' s edge, definitely looking like someone having fun at the beach.]
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Robin gives her a minute before following her down to the water, keeping a polite few feet of distance. He watches her out of the corner of his eye as he stoops to pick up a worn, pink piece of sea glass, and tosses it back out across the waves.
He keeps his eye on it until it disappears, and then looks back over to her, apology written all over his face. ]
Dates. Apparently that's another thing the Boy Wonder can't do.
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This isn't really a date, Robin. But... thanks. For trying.
[In an embarrassed grumble, she adds] Sorry I freaked out...
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[ She's done more than enough of that, as far as he's concerned. ]
And I know it's not really a date, but it was kind of fun pretending, anyway. I don't mean— it's not that I'm trying to—
[ Robin shrugs stiffly, just as embarrassed, and stuffs his hands in his pockets. ]
... I've never been on a real one.
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[Hark the wise old sophomore, here.]
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Hah. Good guess. But it's more than just that, you know? It's like—
... nah, you don't wanna hear about all that dumb stuff.
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[Awkward Artemis is awkward.]
It's not like I go out on a ton of dates, either. Kinda busy being a superhero.
[Or trying to be, anyway.]
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[ Robin looks behind him, seemingly satisfied with the distance between the two of them and the sunbathers down the beach. He sits just above where the waves reach, picking up a small stick and tracing patterns in the sand. ]
If you're with someone, you're supposed to trust them, right? And I have this whole secret identity thing, and... [ He shrugs again. ] Conner and M'gann, they kinda have it easy. They're just... them. But someone who likes me as Robin, or someone who likes me at school — they'd only be seeing half the picture.
[ Zatanna had kissed him, and Barbara had kissed him, and he thinks he likes them both. He’d liked Zatanna an awful lot, before everything had gone so wrong, but now he just feels guilty about that. But either way, Zatanna can never know Dick, and Barbara can never know Robin.
It’s different with Wally. Wally knows him: he can see where Dick and Robin connect, the parts of both of his carefully constructed selves that are real. And when he talks to Wally, he feels like a whole entire person. Like he’s not pretending to be anything for anyone.
Robin feels guilty about liking him, too. ]
There's exactly one person who really gets it, but it'd never, ever happen, so — that's one more secret I'm keeping from someone who thinks they know me. It's not easy, you know? Hiding things from my friends.
[ He thinks she might understand that part, at least. ]
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[Artemis sighs heavily and sits down next to him. It never occurred to her that Robin felt that way. He always brushes things off with a laugh and a grin until even the fact that nobody knows his real name just feels like a big joke that everyone gets to be in on.
Who knew that Robin the Boy Wonder would have so much in common with Artemis, the super villain brat.
She's never been a good liar, but sometimes it feels like all she ever does now is lie and lie and lie and she hates it. These are people she's fought and trained beside, people she cares about and they think they care about her, but how can they? They don't even know her.
It's too late now, though. Breaking the team's trust would be worse than if they'd never trusted her at all. Just look at what happened after Louisiana...
Sometimes she wonders... how could it have been any worse if she'd just told them the truth? The actual truth?
Wally would probably still hate her, but at least she wouldn't have to feel like a liar any more.
... she just wouldn't get to feel like a hero any more either.]
Secret identities are... the worst.
[It sounds unbelievably lame, but it's the best she can do. She understands what he's saying all too well, because just the fact that she understands? Yeah, she has to keep that a secret too.]
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[ Robin's brows knit, and he's right on the verge of just spilling everything he knows about her, just to tell her it's okay, that it doesn't matter, that it's never mattered and she's proven herself a hundred times over. ]
... You know, I was really glad when you joined the team.
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Yeah? Well, I guess you needed an archer after Red Arrow left you guys to do his solo act.
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[ Robin folds his arms behind his head, flopping back down on the warm sand and glancing sideways at her. ]
You know how hard it was being the only person without superpowers? It's like — I've gotta work doubletime just to keep up. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it's rough. So when you showed up... it was cool. I knew you'd get it.
[ The corner of his mouth quirks up in a fond smile. And maybe this is too much, or it makes what he knows too obvious, but it needs to be said: ]
... I know you get what it means to want this so bad you'll do anything for it. Training til everything hurts, hiding things from everyone you know, explaining crazy bruises to people at school and making excuses when you're out all night and forget to write a history paper. The others — they work hard, too, but it's not the same. They stop fighting crime, they can still lift buses and fly and almost break the sound barrier. They're naturally super.
You and me — we're just normal kids. All we have is what we do. And what you do — Artemis, you've been a hero since the first day you walked in.
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That's all I want. To be a hero.
[She hugs her knees tightly. The urge to confess to Robin is so strong, she almost can't resist. He gets it, he gets her, surely he'd understand this too.
But after what he just said, she can't ask him to keep her secrets for her. Assuming he'd even want to...
... And what if word got back to Wally?
Instead she clears her throat.]
Apparently it wasn't good enough for this place, though. Everybody's gotta have a super power.
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Right? Didn't they get the memo that we were getting along just fine without 'em?
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Team No Powers, that's us. I'm not sure how being able to see really really far is supposed to help my archery, anyway. I mean, if the target's out of range, it doesn't matter how well I can see it.
[This is a gripe she's held on to for a while and it feels good to get it off her chest.]
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[ Robin pushes himself up from his flopped position in the sand so he's sitting up next to her again. ]
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[She glances over at him and realizes he's still wearing the goofy sunglasses.]
... Wow, I forgot you had those on. Do you want yours back?
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Wow, uh! So did I. Did that make this whole conversation way less intense, or what?
I'll take them back, if you want to trade.
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[She takes off his sunglasses and holds them out to him. Automatically, she turns her face away and looks down the beach so he can change glasses.]
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