Characters: Artemis Crock, Damian Wayne, and Dick Grayson

Summary: Dick arranges for his girlfriend Artemis and his brother Damian to meet for ice cream with him. Let the clash of the wills begin.

Note: I think Damian is ten in the comics, but let's pretend he has a year of being Robin under his belt.

Rated M for lack of Maturity and general brattiness

From the countless horror stories Dick had told her to the scowl on the eleven-year-old's face, Artemis almost expected mini-Bruce to stab her with his narrowed eyes.

Children already made Artemis uncomfortable and nervous. Thoughts like, "What am I supposed to DO with you, you puny thing?" would course through her mind when she encountered kids, and Damian Wayne's open hostility only made this insecurity worse.

Her hand twitched to reach for Dick, who was standing between her and Damian and giving them both a forced smile of encouragement, but she stopped it and held it to her side. Straightening her posture, she matched Damian glare for glare.

He considered this turtleneck-wearing woman for a moment. Then with a facial "shrug" (raising his eyebrows, slow blinking, a small apathetic frown), he turned his attention towards his brother.

"Grayson, I don't approve of this," he said as if Artemis was absent from the room. "The Crocks are scum unworthy of their affiliation with the League of Shadows. This mannish half-breed is no exception."

Out of Damian's line of sight, Artemis' jaw dropped. Her fifteen-year-old self would have strangled the brat for that. Dick nervously looked from Damian's face to Artemis, tensing to jump in between them in necessary.

Instead of attacking Damian, Artemis merely gave a haughty scoff. "Who is calling who the 'half-breed?'"

She found it ironic that Damian had conveniently forgotten he and Dick also had multi-racial backgrounds.

Attempting to come to her defense, Dick stuttered, "Hey squirt, you shouldn't call a lady…"

Damian ignored Artemis' taunt and Grayson's interruption, reacting with only a slight sneer of annoyance. "In addition, she had relations with your close friend."

Dick blanched at this, took one look at Artemis, and started franticly making neck-cutting hand signals at Damian. "Uh, Dami…"

"A tainted woman is undesirable. I can't imagine what you see in this harlot spawn of trash…"

Something dropped from above his head and pulled roughly against his trachea, cutting him off. He choked as the leather strap of Artemis' messenger back constricted around his throat in a loop.

Dick's eyes widened and he reached for Artemis. "No, Art, don't…"

"Don't worry Dick," she said, her expression calm and unwavering. "I'm just taking the time to teach Damian a valuable lesson he's way overdue for. I won't hurt him." Her boyfriend relaxed at her words.

"Much." she added quietly under her breath and turned her attention back to squirming Damian.

"Just because Dick decided we should get ice cream together does not give you the right to insult me, little boy," she said in a tone so cool it made the hairs on the boys' necks stand up.

"Now because I'm feeling nice, I'm going to give you two options." She held her hand in front of his face, counting on her fingers, "One, you can behave yourself for the rest of our outing, and I'll forget this ever happened. Or two, I can personally ensure you will regret every word that just came out of your bratty mouth."

Damian managed a disdainful "tt" and Artemis tightened her chokehold on him.

"Am I understood?"

Recognizing that this 'harlot spawn of trash' was skilled enough to sneak up behind him and force him into a strangling position he couldn't escape from without his knives (which Grayson had confiscated before they met up with Artemis), Damian relented with barely perceptible nod.

"Good." She removed the strap from his neck and moved to stand in front of them. Then she smiled, bearing white teeth in a grin so bright it was menacing. The boys looked back at her with barely suppressed terror.

"Now let's go get some ice cream," she said, slinging her purse back over her shoulder. "Dick and I got lunch ages ago, and I need some double chunk chocolate."

As she turned and walked away from them, the boys exchanged a look and mentally reminded themselves to never get on the bad side of Artemis Lian Crock.

"Hurry up already! God, for bats you two walk slow."

A.N. Sorry guys! School has kept me busy, so I haven't been writing as much. I hope y'all enjoyed this little number though! I certainly enjoyed writing it.