Work Text:
Previously…
“We will be working on language skills.” Black Canary said.
Robin grinned. The others looked at him questioningly. He shook his head, smirking. They walked down the hallway and turned left, into one of the many meeting rooms at Mount Justice. It had a circular table in the middle, and bookshelves lining the walls. There was one window which looked out onto a field outside.
The chairs were bright blue, and had cup holders on each side, plus a footrest. Black Canary took the largest chair which was facing away from the door. M’gann sat next to her on one side and Wally on the other. Robin sat next to Wally and Kaldur, with Conner next to M’gann, and Artemis between Conner and Kaldur.
“So,” Black Canary began, “Can anyone tell me why languages are useful?”
M’gann raised her hand timidly, and Robin put his hand in the air, lazily.
“M’gann?”
“They can be used to communicate in different ways, to people from different places.” She said. Black Canary smiled at her encouragingly.
“And why might that be useful on a mission?” She asked. This time, it was Robin who answered.
“Because you can talk openly without your enemy knowing what you’re on about, you can communicate with suspects, victims, or bystanders in their own dialect, which means they’re more likely to trust you, and you can understand what others are saying.” He said, slowly, emphasizing the words.
Everyone except for M’gann and Black Canary stared at him, shocked. He shrugged.
“Okay, good point, Robin,” Black Canary said, “I know almost the most languages out of anyone in the League or associated with it,” She frowned at Robin. “I know English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.”
Everyone stared at her, impressed, except Robin, who was polishing a birdarang.
“So how about we all list what languages we know.” She added “Oh, not an actual list,” Black Canary explained, “We’ll just tell each other. M’gann, what languages do you know?”
The Martian blushed.
“I know English, and my first language, Martian. It’s very close to Earth English, only slightly modified.”
“Very good,” Black Canary said. She shot a nervous glance at Robin, who was counting on his fingers and running out of space.
“Conner, how about you?” She asked.
“Just Earth English and I think Cadmus tried to teach me French, but I don’t think they succeeded.”
“Okay.” The older superhero frowned slightly. “Artemis?”
“I know English and Vietnamese fluently, and I’m learning Italian.” Robin looked at her knowingly, and she shivered. It got a bit creepy, Robin knowing everyone’s secret ID.
“Great! What languages do you know, Kaldur?” Black Canary asked.
The Atlantean blushed. “I only know English and Atlantean.” He said. Their ‘den mother’ looked at him kindly.
“That’s ok, there’s always room for improvement.” She said. Robin frowned, and started counting again. She glared at him, and he smirked back, sticking his tongue out. Everyone watched the silent conversation between the two heroes like it was a bomb about to go off. Finally, Black Canary sighed, and Robin went back to counting.
“Wally,-” She was cut off.
“Hey, its Rob’s turn next! You were going round the table!” He yelled indignantly. She just sighed.
“Robin’s going to go last.”
“No fair!”
“Just tell us,” She said, impatiently.
“Okayy,” He whined, “I know English and a bit of French and Spanish.”
“Cool,” Black Canary said, “How much French and Spanish?”
“I don’t mean to brag, but I consider myself pretty fluent,” Wally said cockily. Robin chuckled, and Wally scowled at him.
“Can you give us a demonstration in Spanish?” Black Canary asked. Wally nodded, and spoke.
“Me dicen fluidez España!” (I fluent say Spain) He said. Black Canary smirked, and Robin promptly spoke back.
“No es fluido en español, Wally. Si es así, usted entenderá esto ...” He said. (You are not fluent in Spanish, Wally. If you are, you will understand this...). Black Canary looked at him questioningly, and everybody else just gaped, not understanding anything.
“Te encanta el arquero verde frente a usted!” He said, smirking. (You love the green archer opposite you!) Black Canary sniggered.
Wally just looked confused, and everyone else even more so.
“Erm… sí? He said, confused. (Yes?)
Robin burst out laughing. Black Canary also laughed, smiling at him. Wally turned beetroot red.
“I gather you’re not so fluent in Spanish?” She asked him. He just glared at Robin, and turned back to him.
“Yeah, but I bet he doesn’t know any other languages!” He said, angrily. Robin chuckled, and Black Canary grinned at him.
“С чего начать?” (Where shall I begin?) He asked Black Canary in Russian. She smiled and said,
“Как насчет самого начала” (At the beginning.) She replied. Wally frowned.
“That’s not fair! At least talk to us in something we can understand!” He said. Robin smiled at him.
“So, yeah, that was Russian.” The little bird said. He pulled a notebook from his utility belt and gave it to Artemis.
“Mark one tally per language,” He instructed. She drew a line on the paper.
“Lìngwài, wǒ zhīdào zhōngguó rén.” He said. (Also, I know Chinese.) Everyone stared at him. He rolled his eyes.
“Mandarin Chinese, and Cantonese.” He said. Artemis drew another two lines. M’gann looked at him in awe. There were now three lines.
“Soshite, watashi wa akiraka ni nihongo o hanasu.” He added, “Y, Wally, español!”.
They looked at him again. “And, obviously Japanese and, Wally, Spanish!” Black Canary translated with a sigh. Artemis drew yet another two lines; there were now five.
“What else can you speak?” Conner asked. Robin looked surprised, but told him, thankfully in English.
“Romanian, Tamaran (It’s an alien language) and French.” He said. Another three lines were drawn on the paper. “Also, I speak Romani- He was cut off.
“Ha, you said Romanian already! Cheater!” Wally shouted. Robin rolled his eyes. Black Canary interrupted.
“He said Romani as well as Romanian.” She said.
“What’s the difference?” Wally asked grumpily, only to receive a Batglare from Robin.
“It’s a completely different language!” He hissed. “I hate it when people think that! It’s my first language, so how is it the same?” The last part of his sentence was in Romani. Artemis drew another line. There were now nine lines on the paper. Everyone looked slightly scared by him.
Someone coughed. Robin sighed. It was Batman. He stood in the doorway, watching the ‘training’ session.
“Don’t worry. We know it’s a different thing” Batman said in Romani. “But that’s not your only way of communicating, is it?” He asked.
Robin made a quick series of hand gestures. (I also am fluent in American Sign Language).
“Huh?” Wally asked.
“I did not understand.” Kaldur said. “How is that useful?”
Batman sighed. Robin waved his hands erratically again. Batman smirked.
“He said, ‘I am also fluent in American Sign Language. And it’s useful because if you’re gagged or have to be silent, you can still ‘talk’ by using sign language’ That’s all true, and I know a certain person in this room who could do very well by not talking!” Batman glared at Wally. Robin snickered. Artemis drew another line.
“Erm… Robin… how many languages/dialects can you communicate in?” M’gann asked him. He held his hand for the little notebook, and Artemis passed it over.
“Let’s see…how about eleven?” he said. There was silence. Black Canary coughed.
“That’s why I said I know almost the most languages out of anyone in the League or associated with it. Robin here knows the most.” Black Canary said, disgruntled.
“Dude, you know eleven languages?” Wally said, “That’s epic!”
“It is a great skill,” Kaldur commented.
“Cool!” Artemis added.
“I bet it’s hard to stay in English!” Conner said.
“Meh.” Wally said.
“In fata ta, Wally! Copilul care se presupune că vorbește fluent limba spaniolă!” (In your face, Wally, the kid who supposedly speaks fluent Spanish!”)
Batman chuckled.
“Okay, so now let’s talk about ourselves in our first language.” Black Canary said.