a/n: everyone thank Artemis for the wake up call and speaking her truth.

and i might be projecting a little too much in this chapter... i'm sorry.

and no, i'm not depicting Bruce as a bad father and i never will. he just has a very complicated relationship with Maeve and, honestly, I get it.

if you were raising the daughter of your worst enemy, would you be happy all the damn time knowing she can be exactly like him when she wants to and he can't help her control it because he doesn't know how? because i sure as hell wouldn't be.

he's trying his best, okay?

~Maeve's POV~

Recognized: Domino, B-001

"Batman! We need to-"

"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!"

"We had a traitor!?" I exclaimed, trying to pull Connor away from Kaldur but he didn't budge.

"I sought to protect the Team from-"

"From what!? Knowledge that might've saved our lives?" Artemis spat back and pulled me away to stand next to Dick.

"M'gann almost died! Domino barely had a heartbeat and Robin had to resuscitate her!" Connor yelled and I widened my eyes.

"Hold up... Robin did what because I what!?" I asked and turned to Dick who was looking at everything and everyone but not at me. "I knew something happened!

"Enough." Bruce spoke and narrowed his eyes making all of us stand straight. "With Red Tornado... missing the Team will now be overseen by rotation supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."

"I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys." He says simply, a small smile coming over his features.

Artemis, Wally and I shared a look of disbelief before turning our attention back to Bruce.

"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. That makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us." He spoke and they all nodded, except me.

"The Leaders are keeping secrets from us... how ironic." I called out and Dick reached out to hold my hand tight, a signal for me to stand down.

"Domino..." Bruce warned and I tilted my head. "What are you on about?"

"Oh, you know... how you promised to burn the warehouse, but you didn't." I spat, throwing the metal pipe full of dried blood that I grabbed earlier today. "Guess what? Everything's still there... intact. Felt weird knowing it was my blood covering the floor and not someone else's."

"Domino-"

"I don't know what kind of game you have with him, but keep my past out of it, Batman. You promised."

"You didn't burn it? Or at least have it cleaned!?" Dick exclaimed and turned to me. "Is the-"

"The trapeze is still there... everything is just as it was that day."

"And what were you doing there, Domino?" Bruce asked narrowing his eyes and I did the same.

Last night, I removed the whites of my mask and replaced them with a clear covering since it covers most of my face anyways.

Probably the best idea Dick's had in years since I was getting annoyed whenever they fogged up.

"Should I be scared? I feel like I should be scared." I heard Wally whisper to Dick.

"Not yet. Once he starts yelling or she starts hitting him or laughing like a sociopath, run."

"The building is condemned, Domino." Bruce said and I took a step forward. "No one's touched it since it happened."

"Oh, really? Why don't we test that theory, shall we?" I asked, pulling out the hologram and played the security cameras from the Gotham pier. "Oh, but what do we have here!? In broad daylight too!?"

"Harley, hurry up!"

"It's heavy, Mr. J!"

"I don't care... Ace is gonna get a kick outta this." Joker grinned, opening the door as Harley wheeled in a tub of acid from Ace Chemicals into the warehouse. "Did you find it?"

"I did..." Harley sighed, pulling out parts of a disintegrated white dress. "Puddin', don't you think we're going too far? She's already-"

"Quiet you!" He yelled, pulling out a gun and accidentally shot the camera, ending the footage.

"When was this?" Bruce asked, gripping my arm tight.

"Few hours ago... don't worry, they left immediately after." I replied and pulled out the dress from my belt, shoving it into his chest. "Either you burn it tonight or Gotham burns tomorrow. Your choice, Batman."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me... I've already done it twice and you never noticed it was me."

"When was that!?" Dick called out, trying to pull me back.

"Before I moved in and our last run with the Joker." I waved him off.

"That was you!? But I was with you the entire time!"

"I know how to cover my tracks."

"Domino, that's enough." Bruce warned and I smirked.

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"And who are you again?" I tested and felt everyone take a step backwards. "Because you're neither vengeance or the night, or whatever you call yourself. There's something else, but I can't place my finger on it... wanna give me a hint?"

"Your mentor."

"No... that's not it. Come on, Batsy! It's on the tip of your tongue! You can do it!"

"Domino, I believe that is-"

"Shut it, Kaldur. You don't get a say in this." I spat, shooting him a glare and he took a step back. "Come on, Batman... says who?"

"Dude, how are you so calm?" Wally asked Dick and I fought a smile.

"This happens every few days. Normally, this is after she hits his chest like thirty times... I'm used to it." Dick sighed and I could practically hear the roll of his eyes. "It's tough love... really tough love."

"On his part because he practically has no soul." I butted and narrowed my eyes at Bruce. "Says who?"

"Domino." Bruce warned again, but I didn't budge. "I'm not saying it."

"Fine, then I'm not saying it either." I took the dress back from him and walked off. Dick tried to follow, but Wally and Artemis held him back. "By the way, this is what I was wearing that night... I was five years old!"

"Five years old when what?" Megan asked and Artemis gave me a look to not say anything, but I ignored her.

"When I was dropped in a pit of acid for messing up my performance."

｡ﾟ•┈୨🃏୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"You alright there, monkey?"

"I just wanted him to say it once... just once so I won't be reminded of him." I whimpered, hanging upside down on a trapeze and Artemis sighed closing the door of the gym.

"Say what, Maeve?" She asked as I swung back and forth, landing in front of her with ease. "I kinda missed seeing you do that."

"That he's my dad. I don't want to be reminded that Joker's my real dad... I want Batman to be that. He says it more to Robin than me... makes me feel like he doesn't want me, y'know?"

"I know the feeling. Jade's the favorite and I'm the-"

"Burden." I finished and we both let out a strained laugh.

"Y'know that Robin is right outside this door, right?"

"I dunno if I wanna see him right now." I shrugged, fumbling with the dress until Artemis ripped it from my hands. "Artemis-"

"The boy literally brought you back to life a few days ago and revealed his identity in front of us to stop you going full Ace. Stop being selfish."

"I'm not being-"

"Listen, Maeve. Kids like us, we grow up without love and thinking that we don't deserve it... but that makes us deserve it more than anyone else. And you? You've lived through literal hell that it's surprising how you're still alive-"

"I'm living out of spite."

"Whatever the reason is, Maeve... There's no one more deserving of it than you. Not Connor and M'gann with whatever they've got going on, not anybody here with their private lives... you." She said and held my shoulders tight. "And if you're too stupid to notice that there's already someone who's more than willing to show you how much you deserve it, then I don't know what to tell you."

"That's the thing, Artemis... I don't deserve it." I pointed out and she rolled her eyes. "I don't even deserve to still be alive, Mousey."

"Whatever Joker told you growing up, messed you up really bad, Maeve." Artemis sighed, letting me go and handed back the dress before opening the door. "Nobody here is more deserving than you, Monkey... whether you want to believe it or not."

"Artemis-"

"She's in there, Robin. Maybe you can talk some more sense into her than I can." She sent me one last glare before pushing Dick inside and locked the door. "And it's staying locked until you realize you're an idiot!"

"I'm not talking about Bruce and I." I told Dick before he had the chance to open his mouth and sat down on a bench.

"Then we won't talk about it." He shrugged, removing his mask and belt and sat next to me. "He's getting closer and more personal."

"I know..."

"You have a plan?"

"None." I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. "I dunno what I'm gonna do, Dick... and that scares me."

"We need a plan, Mae."

"I know where I can get an unregistered gun."

"One that doesn't involve killing the Joker... even though the world would be a better place, Bruce will never allow it." Dick pointed out and reached out to hold my hand. "But he won't get you again, that I can promise."

"Death of a thousand smiles?" I offered and he laughed. "Probably won't kill him, but will scar him more than he is."

"And Ivy?"

"Selina's searching... no luck. But I kinda don't wanna think about it. I've had enough of betrayals for one day."

"Right... so, what's your favorite color?" Dick asked and I looked up at him in slight annoyance. "What!? It's been four years and I still don't know you're favorite color!"

"Blue, what's yours?"

"Green."

"Why green?" I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged.

"Some people say it represents a new beginning... why blue?"

"Heard it means freedom." I said and he nodded, the two of us falling into silence and not looking away from each other.

And because your eyes were the first thing I saw when I woke up in the hospital.

"You're getting that look in your eyes again." Dick whispered and I tilted my head to the side. "The one where everything is confusing and you don't know what to do."

"Why did you bring me back?" I blurted out and he widened his eyes. "And don't lie to me, please."

"Because I didn't want you gone, Mae."

"But why, Dick?"

"Because I believe you and I are way more than just friends... don't know what it is, but I know it's something more."

And it's true.

Mine and Dick's relationship is... weird to explain. We always find a way to balance each other out somehow. He always knows what I'm thinking and I always know what he's about to do before either of us can register what's going on.

For us, it was normal. But the glances Bruce or Selina gave us over the years really confused me.

Until now.

"I'm... I'm not good at this, Dick. I don't know how to-"

"I'm not asking you to, Mae. It's perfectly okay."

"But I think I want to try." I finished and scooted closer to him. "I wanna try to be good at whatever this is. I want to understand this."

"There's no rush. We're not like M'gann and Connor who met one day and dated two months after." He smiled and we both laughed. "We have all the time in the world to try and understand."

"Artemis said that I deserve it more than anyone..."

"And she's right. But I'm not saying it because of your past. I'm saying it because of the person you've become."

"It seems that I have so many things to unlearn." I chuckled and Dick nodded, brushing away a stray hair from my face."

"And I think I know where to start." He smirked and pulled out a lighter from his belt. "I think you know where I'm going with this."

"Dick, arson is illegal."

"When has that stopped you before?"

"Good point... let's go."

｡ﾟ•┈୨🃏୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"Hey, Domino! Look what I found!"

"Careful, my hands are full of gasoline." I called out, jumping from the roof of the warehouse and landed in front of Dick who passed me a note. "Bruce, you son of a gun..."

Let it burn.
I'm sorry I didn't do it earlier.

~Your dad, B.

"You ready?" Dick asked, holding up a lighter and I took it. "After this, Ace is dead for good. All that's left is you."

"Ace will always be inside of me, Robin. But not this version of her." I sighed, pulling out the dress one more time and lit it on fire before throwing it to the trail of gasoline. "That version's gone for good."

"How does it feel?"

"Liberating." I smiled in relief once the flame reached the warehouse and held Dick's hand. "Thank you for doing this with me."

"Anything for you, M." Dick said and I kissed his cheek before I could stop myself. His entire face slowly turned red and I chuckled. "W-what was that for?"

"Just a thank you."

"Oh... I kinda liked it." He grinned and I laughed rolling my eyes.

"You're an idiot, Dick Grayson."

"But I think you like said idiot."

"Sadly, I think I do."