Of Birds, Rich Boys & Superpowered Teens

Chapter 14

A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaaand it's the dreaded exam week! So I maaaaaaaaaaaaaaay be a little late in updating next week? It depends, I guess. Anyways, I hope you'll all be a little bit more patient with me. Of course, I may just surprise myself and actually update on time next time. This announcement is just a precaution haha.
Anyways, on with the chapter!

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Artemis jolted awake, awoken from a restless sleep by another rather vivid nightmare. She groaned tiredly and sat up, careful not to wake the sleeping Martian beside her.

The safehouse, while luxurious, was nowhere near big enough to house nine people, so they all had to squeeze into the four bedrooms available. Artemis had roomed with M'gann, while the three boys slept in another room. The other two bedrooms were occupied by the Wayne brothers.

Seeing as she wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep again and deciding that she was well-rested enough, Artemis got out of the comfy bed, the bed springs creaking softly from under her.

"Artemis?" M'gann stirred in her sleep. Artemis cursed under her breath.

"Sorry, M'gann. Just go back to bed," Artemis tried to tell her friend, but M'gann was already sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"What time is it?" M'gann yawned, stretching like a cat.

Artemis glanced at the blinking red numbers on the digital clock by their bedside. "9.37 in the morning." She glanced at her friend who was still seated on the bed. "I'm going to the kitchen. Wanna come with?"

M'gann smiled brightly at her. "Sure!" She sprung up from the bed into the air and floated behind Artemis to the kitchen.

Walking into the kitchen, her feet softly padding on the cool marble floor, the first thing Artemis saw when she entered the kitchen was the Wayne brothers seated around the small dining table, having a seemingly serious discussion. She furrowed her eyebrows. Weren't they supposed to be resting?

The Waynes seemed to be in the middle of some sort of debate, though it wasn't like their usual loud and messy arguments. They seemed to be discussing something very important, if their solemn expressions and serious tones were anything to go by, but their hushed whispers were too incoherent for Artemis to be able make out their words. Dick was leaning forward in his seat, murmuring urgently to his brothers and making the occasional hand gesture to accompany his words. Jason had his elbows propped up on the table, listening intently to what his elder brother was saying, occasionally tossing in a word or two. Tim was nodding his head, often interjecting and adding on to Dick's words with a few quiet whispers of his own. Damian had his arms crossed and his head cocked to the side, his face turned towards his brothers, clearly contemplative. He shook his head at them once and uttered a few words to them in a low voice, to which both Tim and Dick slowly nodded their heads to, their expressions slightly troubled. Jason spoke up then, clearly giving a suggestion. Tim narrowed his eyebrows contemplatively, muttering under his breath. Damian nodded his head slightly. The brothers continued in this peculiar fashion for a few more minutes, their faces unusually serious and calculating, all traces of levity gone. Their eyes held a steely glint in them and a dangerous edge in their focused gazes. For the first time, Artemis could see the brilliant minds and the sharp wit behind their peculiarity. They were clearly strategizing.

She sighed internally. She was getting really tired of this. How many personalities do these guys have, damn it?! Just stick with one already! It's not that hard! Although, she supposed having an insane psycho sending massive criminal armies to hunt you down is a legitimate reason for that. Still, the unpredictable changes in personalities unnerved her. She wished they'd stop, but she knew that her wish was in vain. The boys were always full of surprises, whether it be good or bad. They'd managed to save them before, so she shouldn't be complaining.