"Hey, I have a brilliant idea! Why doesn't Freeze take a day off, we take a day off and everyone is happy!?"

"I second that motion." Dick grinned, landing next to me. "We're gonna be late."

"No, we won't." I smirked, swinging my metal bat and jumped down from the bridge to land in front of Freeze. "You really need to screw up my day, don't you?"

"It's my-" I cut off Freeze by swinging the bat by his ankles just as Dick threw a few exploding disks at his face, breaking the helmet. "Well, if it isn't the other half of the Wonder Kids!? The Bat sent you two to drag me off to prison. Frankly, I'm underwhelmed."

"Not my problem." I rolled my eyes and swung the bat at his helmet.

"We're kinda in a hurry here!" Dick exclaimed.

"Kids." Freeze says in annoyance. "Always in such a rush."

"Not talking to you." We said in unison, pointing at Bruce who delivered the final blow, finally breaking Freeze's helmet.

"Can we go now? Today's the day!" I whined and Bruce nodded. "Finally!"

"First, ground rules... Especially you, Domino."

"Yeah, I know... don't talk about my father, don't mention my face, keep my identity hidden at all times and don't say anything that might connect me to my father. I already know, Batman." I rolled my eyes and climbed to the backseat of the Batmobile, removing my domino mask. "Anything else I should know?"

"Stay close to Dick or me." Bruce sighed, getting in the driver's seat and turned to me. "It's a big day and I know you're nervous, Maeve. The League knows, but that's it. Our plan is to keep it that way for as long as possible."

"Kinda hard, even after three surgeries to try and reverse what he did to me." I shrugged, gesturing to my permanent smile. "There's no erasing my past, Bruce."

"But it shouldn't affect who you are and you're future."

"Says the king of holding grudges."

｡ﾟ•┈୨🃏୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"Have all five Sidekicks ever been at the same place at the same time?"

"Don't call us Sidekicks," Speedy interrupted, practically growling the first words. "Not after today."

"Sorry." Kid apologized and I snickered. "First time at the Hall. I'm a little overwhelmed."

"You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn't anybody ever just whelmed?" Dick asks as we walk through the doors to come face to face with the statues of the League. "Oh... maybe that's why."

"I'm whelmed." I shrugged and nudged his side.

"You're annoyed, not whelmed."

"Same difference."

"Robin, Domino, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash... welcome." Martian Manhunter said, and I moved to stand behind Dick as we walked into the library. "You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked gallery, and of course our library."

"Make yourselves at home!" Flash grinned and we all sat down, except for Speedy who was looking annoyed.

"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four Ice Villains attacking on the same day... this shouldn't take long." Bruce said and pointed a finger at me. "Remember what we talked about, Domino."

"What, That's it!?" Speedy scoffed and we all turned to him. "You promised a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass."

"It's a first step. You've been granted access few others get." Aquaman spoke calmly.

"Oh really?" He asked, gesturing to the glass upstairs where tourists were taking our pictures. "Who cares what side of the glass we're on?"

"Roy, you just need to be patient." Green Arrow tried to reason.

"This is gonna end badly, isn't it?" I whispered to Dick who nodded. "Where's the popcorn when you need it?"

"What I need is respect!" Roy demanded and turned to us, making me immediately sit up straight. "They're treating us like kids. Worse, like sidekicks! We deserve better than this."

"I was actually supposed to die three years ago, so I'll take what I can get." I called out, ignoring Batman's glare through his mask.

"You're kidding right? Why?! Today was supposed to be the day, step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League."

"Well, sure," Kid Flash speaks up, looking to the rest of us. "But I thought step one was the tour of the HQ."

"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ. I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists... and a pit stop for catching Zeta-beam teleporter-tubes to the real thing, an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower."

"Oh, this is really bad." Dick mumbled and I nodded, not even daring to move a muscle when Roy threw down his hat and walked away.

"Guess they were right about you four... you're not ready." He spat and walked away, leaving all of us in shock.

Our shock didn't last for long, because, a few seconds later, an alarm began blaring and Superman appeared on the computer.

"Superman to Justice League. There has been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus. This may present the perfect opportunity to in-"

"Zatara to Justice League... The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Attan to blot out the Sun. Requesting full League response." Zatara interrupted.

"Five bucks they go to the Sun thing." Dick smirked and I pushed him.

"No Sun, no Earth, stupid."

"No Earth means no school in the fall, Domino."

"Good point, because I haven't even started my summer reading yet."

"All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out." Bruce called out, ending the transmission and we all ran up to them. "Stay put."

"What? Why!?"

"This is a League mission." Aquaman says.

"You're not trained." Flash continued.

"Since when?" Kid scoffed and we all nodded.

"I meant you're not trained to work as a part of this team."

"They'll be other missions when you're ready."

"But for now, stay put." Bruce said, not moving his gaze from me and I turned to hide behind Dick. "I mean it."

After they all left, I grabbed my metal bat and started swinging it around but not really hitting anything and tuned out the conversation.

How can they expect me to move on if they're the ones holding me still? It's just not fair!

Why didn't we leave with Speedy?

"Because you're not good enough. You'll never be good enough, my little Jester." Dad's laugh rung through my ears and I swung the bat even harder.

"I am good enough! You just never-"

"Robin to Domino!" Dick smirked, grabbing the bat and waved his hand in front of my face. "Where'd you go this time?"

"Where'd you think?" I scoffed and he frowned.

"Need to talk about it?"

"The usual words. Nothing new, Robin."

"Wanna help me hack the League's network? It's the same system as the Cave and I promise you won't get caught!"

"What are we searching for?" I sighed and Robin grinned, pulling me to the computers.

"Cadmus." He said just as we started tapping away.

"How are you two doing that?" Kid asked and turned to look at me. "And how'd you get-"

"Little run in with Joker when I started out with the Bats. I don't like talking about it." I mumbled, finally getting access to the Cadmus files. "Alright, let's see here... all it says is that it's a genetics lab in DC."

"But if Batman is suspicious, maybe we should investigate." Dick shrugged, turning to the rest of us.

"He said to stay put, Robin."

"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this!"

"You're gonna get me in huge trouble, Boy Wonder. I take all the blame for whatever it is you drag me into." I pointed out, but still grabbed my bat and swung it over my shoulders.

"Wait? Are we... are you two going to Cadmus?" Kid butted and we both nodded. "Then if you two are going, I'm going!"

"Just like that? We're a team on a mission?" Aqualad added and the three of us grinned.

"We sure didn't come for a play-date."