Hey, look over there! What does that say...I...Don't...Own This...? What is that, some kind of disclaimer?

Dementophobia - the fear of going insane, being insane, those who are not sane, or just plain insanity. For example: "I'm afraid that I'm going insane."

Batman has summoned the team for another mission – the eighth one in two weeks, and two were overnighters. The stress is killing us, but we don't dare say that in front of him – the whole reason this team was made was so that we wouldn't be treated as little kids anymore by our mentors.

Dressed in my McDonald's-colored costume, I speed into the debriefing room, where Batman is standing in front of the team; I'm surprised to see that I'm the last one. Miss Martian, Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, Rocket, and, much to my shock, Red Arrow are all standing in a semicircle, waiting for me to arrive.

"Nice of you to join us, KF," Robin teases, trying unsuccessfully to lighten up the mood. Everyone was too fed up and tired to joke – besides him, that is.

We all looked at him for a long, awkward moment before turning back to Bats. He clears his throat. "I know you all are overworked from the attacks, but it seems that it has all been in vain. Each and every one was a distraction from something bigger – something worse than the Joker's poisonous gas." I smirked at that last part of his sentence immaturely.

Aqualad furrows his brows. "What is it that you mean, Batman?" he asks, confused. In fact, we all are.

"All over the world, children of high potential have been reported missing or kidnapped, the most recent being a young girl of fifteen in the House for Minors with Mental Dysfunctions in Illinois yesterday," the Batman explains. After a brief moment of silence as we all take this information in, Superboy asks, "So…like an insane asylum?"

The league member nods. "To put it in simpler terms, yes. But, the problem is that she fought back against her attacker. In the end, they overpowered her and stole her away and disappeared. Three hours ago, the Justice League was alerted to her location. She seems to be alone. I want you to find her and bring her back here before she falls under the wrong influence."

I snort. "What's so special about this girl, anyways?" I ask, because I know everyone else is wondering the same thing. "You said that only "kids with high potential" were being taken. Why would the bad guys want with a psycho teenager so badly that they would break her out of a fancy-named crazy-house?" Okay, that may have been a little over-the-top, but who cares?

Batman narrows his eyes at me. "This 'psycho teenager,'" he growls, "is extremely lethal and confused. If someone were to get their hands on her, they'll have a very deadly weapon. She was trained to fight until she is the last one standing, and to vanish without a trace. With her destructive nature, she is found easily, but can always slip away if one tiny mistake is made. So far, the asylum in Illinois was able to hold her there the longest."

"And how long is that?" Comes Miss Martian's question.

"Almost six months."

Everyone's eyes widen, except maybe Robin's (but who would really know, with that mask on). "So, why doesn't the league go after her, if she's so important?" says the Boy Wonder.

"The League is busy enough with tracking down the dozens of other missing children, and believe that the team is capable of handling this mission. The coordinates have already been programmed into the bioship. Depart immediately."

We do as we are told.

Duh.

"Nearing position," Miss Martian drones, wiping sleep from her eyes, "Landing in five minutes."

And sure enough, they do. We slip soundlessly around an abandoned amusement park somewhere in Indiana with a partner, but so far there's no sign of the girl. I'm partnered with Aqualad, who has his swords drawn. 'Any luck?' I ask telepathically.

'Not yet,' is Miss Martian's response.

SB's is similar.

Kid Flash and Red Arrow's are disappointing.

Rocket says 'No' also.

Aqualad only shakes his head slightly as an answer, considering he's right next to me.

'Great. For all we know, she might not even be here anymore.' It's very dark and late and we're all drained from the many missions we've been sent on – we won't last much longer. I growl aloud in frustration.

Only something growls back at me.

Aqualad and I freeze, glancing at each other as if making sure that it wasn't just in our heads. Quickly, we scan the perimeter, tense. Several seconds later, a dark cat scrambles from the darkness and across our paths, hissing. Aqualad visibly relaxes, but I don't. The other growl hadn't been the correct pitch for a cat, but my partner wouldn't know that.

An idea pops into my head. I whistle a three-note tune. For a while, nothing happens. 'Robin, what are you doing?' Aqualad questions, butI only hold my arm in front of him, as if he were going to move. I whistle the same tune again.

Another whistle imitates me.

The "echo" came from the direction that the dark cat had fled from, and I take a step in that way.

Another set of feet does the same, going a step closer.

I repeat, stepping twice.

The other set does the same, and I can just barely make out her figure.

Once more, and I can see her clearly.

She's tall and fit and sort of tan, with grey almond-shaped eyes and blond hair that cascades like a waterfall to her mid-thighs. She's dressed only in a thin blue hospital shirt and darker blue pair of elastic-waist pants that are about as thick as my fingernail. She's wearing no shoes or socks. It's past midnight in the middle of October and she should be freezing, but she doesn't so much as shiver.

I give a small smile, and so does she. I try to figure out if she's playing a game or being serious when she tilts her head to side. That's when I realize that I did the same just before she had, which makes me grin. She also grins, showing off straight white teeth.

'Team,' Aqualad speaks telepathically, 'we have located the girl.'

'Kid Flash and I will be there soon. What's happening?' Red Arrow's infiltrates my head.

'She's…she's mimicking me…' I tell them, studying the girl in front of me. She does the same, but there's intelligence behind her eyes, as if she really is trying to figure out what to make of me, even though she stands in the exact same position.

I whistle again, trying a different, more complicated tune. She gets it right the first time. I try again, with ten different notes instead, but she nails it once more. I step to the right. She steps to her right. And again and again and again. Soon we're going in circles around each other. I grin; she grins. I switch directions on her; she doesn't miss a beat. I whistle a few notes while stepping. So does she, after I've finished the tune.

But then, in mid-step, she freezes and tenses. There's a faint whizzing sound and she vaults into the air. The arrow imbeds itself into the concrete, sending the rock flying. She lands lightly, but snatches up a piece of pavement and chunks it back. There's a sickening thunk as it hits its target and a grunt of pain. Red Arrow's bow falls to the ground from wherever he's hidden.

I hear another sound, something familiar and idiotic. "KF, stop! No!" I cry, but I'm not fast enough. The girl has picked up the bow and smacks my best friend so hard, I swear the bow broke – except that it didn't, because as Kid Flash rolls head over heels backwards, the blond snatches the arrow and notches so quickly that I don't remember her moving.

"Stop!" I say, but she doesn't seem to hear me as she aims and pulls back. So I take a chance. When I could act and attack, I only take a chance that probably won't work.

I whistle the same three-note tune as I had the first time. She perks, listening to see if I'm done. Then she does it back. I smile softly as she turns to face me, lowering the bow. It drops to the ground, clattering as she takes up the same position as me. "There, now. Take it easy. I'm not going to hurt you," I say in a hushed tone, "I promise."

For the first time, she doesn't repeat. Instead, she blinks in confusion and nods slowly, so I continue. "My name is Robin. What's yours?"

"Robin…like a little bird flying around…" the girl says dreamily. But then she snaps to attention. "Father said that names have power, even if you can change them. He said that if someone knows your name, they could always find you. I don't want them to find me. They took me. I didn't want to go. They said I had to, that if I didn't then they would hurt those I love. I don't have anyone left to love. They all hurt me. He hurt me. She accidentally starved me. She left. "

Her eyes don a glazed look, but I ask once again what her name is, because I would be able to find her if she were hurt. "They named me after a goddess. They said I would make them proud and that I was brave just like the goddess. That I was skilled just like her, as they knew I would be. But I didn't make them proud in the end," she says, with bitterness in her voice. "That's when she left. Jade. Jade left me alone with them. She forgot her toothbrush."

I piece the puzzle together, one by one. The archery. The bravery. Named after a goddess, most likely Greek, as they are the most known. "Artemis. Your name is Artemis," I say, but it's a statement more than a question. The girl nods quickly.

Then her eyes flicker to Aqualad, as if just noticing his presence. "You smell like fish."

"Well, it's a good thing I like fried fish, huh?" For a second, I thought that Aqualad had said that, but that doesn't make sense. He hates fried fish. Then I realize that I know that voice.

So I turn in shock and hatred to see the green-haired clown standing on the rooftop of an old, chipping snack bar.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Blunder Boy," the Joker mock-chastises, "You really have to stop being so serious all of the time."

Well, there you go! Haven't decided on the pairing yet, maybe Spitfire, possibly (most likely) Traught. Cause I love those crazy kids (no pun intended).

See you on the flip-flop!

Insincerely,

Le Jokerette