Caged Bird (Book 2: Renegade)

As a Team

"We need to get him back!", Wally suddenly broke the silence.

"What?!", Artemis said enraged and stared at the speedster.

"I agree", Megan said sadly.

Kaldur also nodded.

"You can't be serious?!", Artemis screamed.

"Yes we are, Artemis!", Kaldur argued.

"We messed up big this time", Wally sighed.

How could they? How could they do these things to one of them? Wally asked that himself. How could he treat his friend like you wouldn't even treat an animal. It was unforgivable but they had to try.

"No! I refuse to do anything like that!", Artemis growled at her team.

"Me too!", Conner suddenly spoke up. He hasn't said a word since that day.

"Now you can't be serious, Conner!", Wally screamed angrily, "Can you even imagine what he must have felt back then when he was with us?! How we treated him?! How you treated him?!"

The clone remained silent.

"Conner... Wally is right", Megan started taking his hand into hers. They stopped doing cute stuff for weeks.

"Dick was right, too. We all are guilty and so are you"

"I don't care!", Conner said angrily letting go of her hand.

"Conner, please, don't you see?", Megan started, "The way how you are rejecting Robin... You're acting like your father did..."

Conner froze.

He didn't know what to say.

Didn't know what to think.

Is she right? Am I really becoming like him?

When he thought back to the times he ignored Robin or called him names he knew the answer.

"I'm not like him... I'm worse", he stumbled backwards realizing his horrible actions.

"I...I...", he opened his mouth but couldn't manage to say something, "I think you're right"

Megan hugged him tightly burying her face in his chest.

"What have I done?", he mumbled shocked, "I'm so sorry... I'm sorry..."

"You can tell that Dick in person cause we're getting him back!", Megan said determined while Kaldur gave an encouraging smile towards his team.

"Oh hell no!", Artemis cut in screaming, "I won't apologize to this... to this monster!"

She was almost hysterical but Wally had enough.

"That's it, Artemis. I'm sick and tired of you and your complaining. Dick is a part of our team, assassin or not, like it or not. I...I called him... a fag...

And I'll be damned if I let this shit be the last word I said to him. So either Robin is on our team or I'm out of it!"

Artemis looked at her friend with a blank expression. "Then get out!", she said simply and calmly.

"What is wrong with you?!", Megan shrieked standing just inches away from her, "Why are you so hateful?"

"You know exactly why, Megan, you all know", she said tiredly with a grim look plastered on her face.

"Is it because of your family?", Conner asked her.

She glared ashamed at the floor no need for an answer.

"Artemis look. We. Don't. Care. You are your own person and definitely not like your family", Wally told her.

Kaldur nodded.

"He's right", he spoke, "And besides, It seems that Dick knew all the time about your... family history and he didn't care until... you know"

Artemis looked up in shock letting their words sink in while tears formed in her dull eyes.

"It doesn't matter anymore", she said in tears, "He hates me now anyway. I messed up. I messed up...", she broke down to her knees.

The other teens glanced at each other in shock. They never saw Artemis like that, at her limit.

"Artemis...", Megan kneeled beside her on the floor, "I'm sure he doesn't hate you, we need to find him and apologize for our behavior and maybe he'll forgive us"

"No, he won't..."

"We can't accomplish anything without trying, Artemis", the Atlantean told her and earned a nod from Conner.

"Okay... I think you're right. Let's do this!", Artemis said focused on getting their friend back.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a second", Wally started quickly, "Should we inform Batman since... y'know he's kinda Robin's dad?"

"Something tells me he already knows...", Kaldur mumbled.

"How should we start?", the Martian asked them all.

"First we need to find him, then we'll see...", Conner said.

"Okay! How hard can it be?"

—————————————
Heyyyyyyyyy... Bout that regular update thingyyyyy... how bout I give you two chapters and we'll pretend like nothing happened, alright..?