Artemis Chapter Ten: Complications

Author's Note: This is the third to last chapter in Artemis!! So sad! I've been working on this story for years. But once I'm done, I'll write in all the deleted scenes that never made it into the story. I had a few of them, such as Artemis sparring with Robin, quality time in the garage with Cyborg, and her first encounter with Silkie. Then it's on to the sequel. I know. I never stop giving. I'm just awesome like that. LOL. But if you wish to get the full experience of this story, read the flashback story for it. "Of Love and Betrayal." I'll try to update that one soon too. And I know Kahmet is a little too proper for an Egyptian street cat. But the real cat I based him on, Kamet, who lives in Sparta's animal shelter, is so "holier than thou", it's funny. Seriously, he stays on a big shelf next to the heater on the wall because he thinks the other cats aren't good enough for him! He likes me though. My friend John, on the other hand? Not so much. Ah, good times at Room For One More. Furthermore, in the comics, Beast Boy could talk to animals. I know he never did it in the show, but bear with me. Also, check out my profile in all it's awesomeness. I have discovered the glory of the online-dollmaker. I guess I went a little overboard, but who cares?

The Fracking Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. TEEN TITANS!!! SO SHUT THE HELL UP LAWYERS! Hehe. Please, somebody take the Coca-Cola away from me. Further more, the following songs DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT belong to me: "Any Way You Want It" and "Don't Stop Believin' ". The totally awesome, fabulous Journey owns them. Not me, comprénde? Also, it goes without saying I don't own YouTube. I mean, c'mon.
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Kahmet cracked open a malachite colored eye. His nap had been interrupted by Artemis' need to sing while she painted. And to rock music nonetheless. He did not mind her singing, but it was so very loud. A cat needs at least eighteen hours of sleep per day, didn't she know that? He wasn't this naturally handsome; he needed his beauty sleep. Hmm. What to do?

He could always leave and explore the rest of the expanse outside Artemis' room. Although, he was still wary of the red-headed alien that roamed the halls. The last time she caught him, she put a bonnet on his head and introduced him to this slimy thing called "Silkie". A pink polka-dotted bonnet, even! The indignity! He could wander into the dark girl's room again, but the last time he had done that, she had nearly flayed him alive. How was I supposed to know that that bird had some personal value to her? It looked tasty to me. He was so close too. There was always the green-skinned one. He was definitely the most interesting out of the five that lived in the Tower. Yes. The green one it is.

Kahmet silently prowled out of the room and into the hallway. I think it was down the hall to the right, and three doors down. He crept quietly down the hall, hiding behind a wall when Starfire floated down the hallway. Pretty soon, he came to Beast Boy's room. Luckily for him, Beast Boy had slept with his door partially open. With flexibility and grace that only a cat could muster, Kahmet slid in to Beast Boy's room. He sniffed the air in distaste. His alley in Cairo had smelled better. His sensitive ears could pick up the scurrying of tiny feet throughout the room.

Mice probably. Or the 'tofu monsters' that the half-robot spoke of. He jumped from the doorway onto a desk coated with empty tofu cartons and sticky comic books. At least this is better than the floor. He jumped from there to a shelf on the wall. He continued this pattern of running and jumping until he came to the top bunk of Beast Boy's bunk bed. Beast Boy was still asleep on the bed, and was snoring loudly. His snoring is louder than Artemis' singing! And definitely not as pleasant. Kahmet plodded over to his head and started nudging it with his paw. Wake up or shut up, please.

Beast Boy stirred. "Get off Silkie," he mumbled. Kahmet's eyes widened. What did he just call me?! Oh, he'll pay for that. He extended one sliver of claw and poked him sharply with it. Beast Boy's eyes opened wide, and he jumped up from his bed, and in the process, hit himself on the ceiling. "What the hell!? Geez, Silkie what did Star-," he trailed off as he noticed who was on the foot of his bed. "Uh, hi Kahmet. Any special reason why you're in my room?" Kahmet meowed in response. I'm bored.

"Uh huh. Any reason you scratched me with your claw?"

You wouldn't stop snoring. That and you called me Silkie, which is a call to arms if I've ever heard one. I am certainly not like that gelatinous mass of slime the redhead calls a pet. He visibly shivered. Disgusting.

Beast Boy took offense at that. "Hey! Silkie was my gelatinous mass of slime, so give him some respect furball!"

Kahmet raised a paw, and extended all of his claws. You were saying?

Beast Boy glanced at the claws warily. "Riiight. So where's Artemis? Still in her room?"

Yes. You aren't as amusing as I thought you were, so you might as well take me back there.

Beast Boy slid down the ladder of his bunk bed and got a uniform from the dresser. Kahmet slid down as well and hopped on the bottom bunk. Beast Boy quickly got changed."Alright. Let's go." Kahmet hadn't moved off his bed. "Uh, Kahmet? Didn't you just say you wanted to leave?"

Kahmet primly licked a paw. If you think I'm walking across that floor, you're a complete and utter moron.

Beast Boy sighed and patted his shoulder. "Hop on."

That's more like it. Kahmet leapt to his shoulder and curled around his neck. Ahh, I feel so special.

Beast Boy walked down the halls with Kahmet wrapped around him like an oversized neck-warmer. When he reached Artemis' room, Kahmet jumped off and waited for him to open the door. When he neared the door he stopped. What was that noise? Was she singing?

Oh, she said

Any way you want it

That's the way you need it

Any way you want it

Dude! No way, I love this song! This is going to be a sight to see. With that thought in mind, he opened the door and slid in without her noticing. The smell of paint soon filled his nostrils. Artemis was standing on the far wall, with a green apron on and paintbrush in hand, surrounded by paint cans of all different colors and sizes. The walls, which were once painted with the designs of canyons, now began to take on new life under Artemis' careful hand.

The wall that held all the windows in the room had been painted a light, pale blue with wispy white clouds. Through the clouds, a faint view of a mountain peak was visible. Another wall was of a volcano erupting at night. The lava contrasted sharply with the almost pure black of the sky. The wall next to it pictured an clear waterfall cutting through a mountain. The pink and red flowers by the water's edge contrasted with the pale blue of the water. The final wall was half finished. Artemis was painting cherry blossom trees next to a small stream. The blossoms were gently drifting around the painting, held up by a nonexistent breeze.

But, more interesting than the paintings, was the fact that she was singing while she was painting. And the fact that she was using a second paint brush as a pretend microphone. Oh, this is just too good. I can't believe she hasn't noticed me yet.

She said, Hold on

Hold on, hold on, hold on

Hold on, hold on, hold on

Artemis was actually dancing and singing at the same time. Beast Boy was just leaning against the wall watching her 'perform', while trying not to laugh. It wasn't as though she was a bad singer; she was actually quite good, but the dancing? He shook his head. Not so much. Between that and 'paintbrush air guitar', it was a wonder that Beast Boy had managed to stay quiet. Kahmet jumped off his neck and walked out the door. Oh, forget it. It's worth braving the red head. I definitely can't get any sleep here.

Any way you want it

That's the way you need it

Any way you want it...

Artemis trailed off as the song ended, pulling of her headphones, and shuffling through the songs on her Walkman. "Hmm, what song should I sing next?"

"Sing more Journey! I like Journey." Oh, crap, did I just say that out loud?

"Aah! What are you doing here?!" Artemis jumped backwards and tripped on the tarp she was using to protect the floor. The tarp slid out, leaving the carpet exposed. When she fell backwards, her hands landed in an open tray of bubble-gum pink paint. That action had overturned some of the other cans, sending a multitude of different colored paints across the floor and all over her pants. The can of blue paint which she was holding in the crook of her arm while painting fell out of her hands when she landed. It tipped over, drenching her head and hair in turquoise paint. She withdrew her hands from the tub and wiped them on her apron. Then she dragged them across her face to get the paint off. Some strands of her now blue hair were plastered to her face, giving her a crazed, wild-eyed look. The paint on her hands didn't come off fully, so when she dragged them across her face; she was left with pink streaks.

Artemis stood up, shocked at the paint sliding off her pants in sheets. "M-my carpeting, my paints, my pants, MY HAIR!!!" She glared at Beast Boy. He backed away slowly, awaiting another outburst. Rather, though, Artemis' vision strayed to the wall she had been painting. Beast Boy followed her gaze and visibly blanched. There was a thin, but long, black stripe smeared across the river in her painting. The stripe was still wet, and was dripping down her painstakingly painted landscape. Beast Boy suddenly became very, very still. Oh, please let not her not see it, please let not her not see it, please let not her not see it... Damn. She saw it. "Beast Boy," she said calmly. Much too calmly. "Do you see what I see? I think- I think that's black paint. On the river I painted. The blue river I painted. Are rivers black, Beast Boy?" He was silent, too afraid to speak. "Welll..." she said. "Are they?!?"

"Ummmm," he stammered. "Maybe, if they're like, really dirty?" he answered hopefully.

Her eyes narrowed. "That was definitely the wrong answer." He could see black flames gathering around her hands, burning the paint that had covered them clean off. Is she going to burn- something? Beast Boy gulped. Orsomeone. But she wouldn't- His thoughts were answered when Artemis launched a fireball at his head. It missed- barely. "Beast Boy," she shrieked, "I am going to KILL you!" She kicked over the now empty paint cans and started running after him.

Beast Boy screamed in a rather unflattering falsetto, and ran from the room. Raven cautiously peeked out from her doorway as he teared past her. A black fireball quickly followed, brushing his shoulder, creating a small flame. Beast Boy blew on it frantically while still running. He screamed again and turned the corner, disappearing from sight. "Hmm, barely two days and she already has him running for his life. She beat my record," she observed dryly. Artemis followed not a minute later.

"Did Beast Boy come through here!?" she asked her. Raven wasn't fully listening to what she said, nor did she notice that she was dripping paint. She was too busy staring at Artemis' hair. Her, normally black, hair, which was completely, utterly covered in blue paint. She's dripping. She is actually dripping paint on the floor. Her face was a mix of pink and turquoise, giving her an abstract zebra-striped effect. "Artemis, have you seen your hair?" Raven asked slowly. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Some paint got on it."

Raven chuckled at Artemis' failure to comprehend exactly how badly Beast Boy had messed up her hair. "Some? Here, you need to see the extent of the damage." Raven walked into her room and produced a small mirror. Artemis held it to her face cautiously, and dropped it in shock, breaking the mirror in two. With a scream, she turned and ran towards the bathroom, all thoughts of torturing Beast Boy forgotten. "Hey Artemis! When all else fails, throw the grass stain out the window!" Raven shook her head and chuckled as she walked back into her room. I should volunteer for security camera duty more often. I have a feeling I'm missing some things.

Beast Boy ran into his room and locked the door. He cleared off the desk, chair, and any other large furniture objects, and piled them against his door. He hadn't seen Artemis that angry yet, and he didn't really want to see any more. He huddled behind an efficient, if not childish, pillow fort, and waited. The minutes turned to hours, and pretty soon, he figured it was safe to leave. He shouldn't stay in the Tower though. Definitely not with all the power saws and drills in the garage. He didn't really do anything serious, but he had inadvertently messed up her hair. And Beast Boy knew from personal experience that if anyone threatened a girl's hair, that someone was brought down quickly and brutally.

I think it's safe to leave now. He pulled off all the furniture that was piled against his door, and slid out into the hallway, and started to run. When he rounded a corner, he ran straight into Cyborg. "Ow," he muttered, as his body hit Cyborg's with a large, metallic clank.

"Geez, what are you running for!?" Cyborg asked. He thought about it for a minute. "Oh man, what did you do now? Does this have anything to do with why Artemis is in the bathroom completely covered in paint?"

"Dude, I didn't mean to do that!" Beast Boy yelled. "Oh, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm SO DEAD! She's gonna kill me!" He started shaking Cyborg back and forth. "Do. You. Understand? She. Is. Going. To. KILL ME!! I. Am. Going. To. DIE!"

Cyborg pried Beast Boy's arms off of him. "Whoa, easy now. Slow down." said Cyborg. "Start from the beginning..."

Beast Boy explained everything that happened, from Kahmet walking into his room, to him being chased by Artemis through the halls.

Cyborg thumped Beast Boy on the back and laughed. "Only you, man. Only you. I mean, think about it: You threw a water balloon filled with motor oil at Starfire's head-"

"I was aiming for you, and you know it," interjected Beast Boy.

"-You put blonde hair dye in Raven's shampoo-"

"Aw man, that was stupid. And it so was not worth those scars I got from when she threw me out of the window."

"-and now you bust in on Artemis singing, ruined her carpeting along with her clothes, her painting, which I can only imagine she's been working tirelessly on; and painted her hair blue?! How do you always end up pissing off every girl who can kick your ass?"

Beast Boy slapped his forehead. "Luck. My, sheer, utter, dumb luck."

Cyborg grimaced. "Well, Artemis is still in the bathroom washing out her hair. You can make a run for the arcade and I'll call you when it's safe to come back."

"You're a good friend Cy. So, can I drive the T-Car to the arcade?" he asked hopefully.

"Not a chance in hell."

"Man!"

Beast Boy walked out the front door and looked up in the direction of the bathroom window. He winced. I hope she forgives me. I really don't want to die a teenager. With that cheery thought, he turned into a hawk and flew to the arcade.

Beast Boy stayed at the arcade for hours. Cyborg never called, so he assumed that Artemis was still furious with him. He returned his attention to the screen of the game he was playing. I might as well leave now and take my chances with Artemis. You can only play a video game so many times. Or maybe that karaoke place is still open. Beast Boy walked out of the arcade and took a deep breath of the evening air. Maybe this is what I need. A nice long-

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"-walk. So, can I go?" The person speaking was a certain blonde-haired schoolgirl, dying for her mother to give her permission to go outside.

Her mother looked up skeptically at her adoptive daughter. "Did you do all your homework, Dawn?"

Dawn sighed, exhaling deeply through her nostrils. "Yes, mom," she replied dully.

Her mother looked up skeptically from her book. "Even your Geometry? Because your last test grade wasn't that good..."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mom. Can I go now? I'll be back by nine." She tapped her foot impatiently at the door. Her coat was already on, her fingers twitching anxiously on the doorknob.

Dawn's mother looked up at her from the couch. "Have fun, honey."

"Yes! Finally!" Without a goodbye, Dawn bolted out the door and down the street. She quickly slowed to a walk. At the curb to cross the street, Dawn noticed that same homeless man that had been frequenting the area near her house was there. She thought he was sort of odd, what with his short, platinum blonde hair, and eye-patch. Regardless, she dug into her pocket for a quarter and handed it off to the man. He took it silently and gave her a curt nod in response. The light on the street sign gave her the go-ahead to cross, so she did so. After about ten minutes of walking, she arrived at her favorite spot: the park. She had found herself strangely drawn to the fountain in the heart of the park, and it was there that she walked to now.

She sat down quietly at the edge of the fountain and started dipping her fingers in the water and trailed them around. Her shoes tapped the marble tile on the ground aimlessly. It was peaceful for a few moments, until she closed her eyes. Almost immediately, strange flashes of light and sound played in her mind, coupled with a pounding headache. Her eyes snapped open and she rubbed her throbbing forehead. The strange flashes had been becoming more frequent, ever since that Titan Beast Boy had followed her for a few days.

He was completely insane! His ideas were ridiculous; he actually insisted she used to fight crime with him, and that she could control the earth! But some guy named Slade had made her evil, and she was turned to stone trying to fight him. Right. Somehow though, he said, she was freed from the stone and as a result, lost her memory. I bet he has a wing in Bellevue named after him. She could not remember her past regardless; she had just been found roaming the streets one day, in a weird suit, with complete and total amnesia. Even so, she doubted she was ever 'Terra'. She was just Dawn deKnight, your average ordinary teenager. Right? That's what she had told him, so it had to be true. Unless I'm lying to myself. But I wouldn't do that, would I?

"Having problems?"

Dawn's head whipped around at the sudden voice. It was the homeless man she had given the quarter to. His blonde hair was gleaming brightly in the moonlight, much like Dawn's own. Dawn's brow furrowed in concentration. His voice had seemed so familiar...

"Well?"

Dawn realized she had not answered the man. "Sorta, I guess. I just don't feel all there, y'know?" Why is the weird homeless guy talking to me?

The man nodded. "I see. I don't see why you should be having problems though."

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well, let's see. You have no recollection of your past. I suppose that's a problem. But you were lucky enough to be taken in by a wealthy woman, who sends you to a fancy private school in the richest district in town? Things always work out for the best for you, don't they, Terra? You don't care what happens to those around you, do you?"

What the heck?! "Who told you that!? Why do you know so much about me? Who the heck are you? And my name isn't Terra!"

"Right. You're Dawn now, aren't you? Pathetic child. Did you think you stood a chance against me? Did you really think that you could kill me? You had power in your grasp, and you rejected it. So like your sister. I have no use for either of you now." He sighed, faking sadness. "What a pity."

What sister!? I don't have a sister! Dawn started to back away from the man. "Get away from me you freak! I don't know what's wrong with you, but just get away!"

He moved one step closer. "Or what, Terra? You'll throw a rock at me? You can't even do that anymore, can you?"

Dawn backed away even further. "Who are you?!" What does he want! I just want to go home!

The man pulled a gun from his pocket. Dawn froze. Holy crap, he's got a gun! "Who ar-" The man squeezed the trigger. Instead of a bullet, a miniscule dart buried itself into Dawn's skin, sending its payload of tranquilizer into her veins. She dropped soundlessly to the ground, lying in a curled mass on the marble.

"I'm Slade, Dawn. I thought we'd met." Slade dug further into his pocket and pulled out a thin metal circle, turning it so that it caught the moonlight. "By the way," he laughed, flicking the coin back at her, making it bounce off of her forehead. "Thanks for the quarter."

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Beast Boy aimlessly kicked a stone around the sidewalk as he walked to the karaoke café. He could always turn into a hawk or dog to get there quicker, but he didn't go on walks often and he wanted to savor the feeling. After a few minutes of walking, he reached the Dark Moon Café. The name implied that it was one of the gothic cafés Raven frequented, but, in reality, it was one of the best karaoke places this side of Jump City. He checked the sign on the door: Amateur Karaoke Contest. Perfect. He scanned the roster of names to see if there was a blank spot in the competition. The last spot on the list belonged to one Delilah Moon. Darn. Well, I can order one of those mocha frappe macchiato things and watch the other people compete. He pushed open the small door and stepped inside.

The tiny bell fixed to the door tinkled as he walked inside. The café itself was the size of your basic Starbucks, however most of the right side was devoted to a raised platform, DJ booth, and a karaoke machine. A fake fireplace was installed to add ambiance to the café side of the restaurant. Normally, the DJ played classic rock and maybe some jazz, but on Fridays the karaoke part of the café was open for anyone to sing. They also had contests with a cash prize for the lucky winner.

He ordered his coffee and looked around. Being a Friday night, all of the tables were completely filled, save for one. He sat down and started to drink his coffee. He listened to the many competitors sing their hearts out to various karaoke classics like "Hit Me Baby One More Time", and "Bohemian Rhapsody." As three girls finished an interesting rendition of "Since U Been Gone", he finally received the inevitable interruption: "Excuse me, you're sitting in my seat." Beast Boy sighed. It was good while it lasted. He got up to give the person their seat, but when he turned around, there was no one there. What the?

"Oh, look who it is. It took me forever to get that paint out of my hair. I hope you're happy."

You've got to be kidding me! Beast Boy turned around slowly. Artemis was sitting in the chair across from him. She was in normal clothes for a change: A green, long-sleeved V-neck and black jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a thick braid, and she was wearing chunky silver earrings. She had a steaming coffee mug in one hand, and a small fireball in the other. She was tossing the fireball up and down. "You know, in Greek mythology, someone surprised the Goddess Artemis when she was doing something. She turned the man into a deer and had her hunting dogs tear him into pieces. That's a pretty hard act to top. Granted, I can't turn you into a deer, but I'm sure I can think of something."

Beast Boy gulped, his eyes following the fireball's every move. "U-uh, y-you know if you did turn me into a deer, I could just change back."

Artemis smiled, and the fireball disappeared. She leaned over the table. "And do you know that I'm joking?"

Beast Boy put a hand over his hammering heart. "Well you could have told me that!"

"Now how much fun would that be?"

Beast Boy glared at her. "At least you got the paint out. And you're not going to kill me."

"Yes, I got the paint out. Three vinegar rinses and two bottles of shampoo later. And my favorite jeans are ruined." She pouted. "I hope you're happy."

"Hehe. Sorry about that. So, you're not going to kill me?" Artemis nodded. "Nope. My long, long meditative experience in the shower has taught me that there are better things to do to you. Like, perhaps, getting Cyborg to take this afternoon's footage from the security cameras around my room, make it into a video on the computer, and put it on YouTube. Mainly the parts that have you screaming in terror, running around like a madman, and finally making a pillow fort in your room to hide." She smirked. "You'll be pleased to know that in its short, 2-hour life span; it's already been faved 500,592 times."

He slammed his head down on the table. "No! My rep! My poor, manly rep!"

She laughed. "Sorry Beast Boy, but you don't have much of a 'manly' reputation left, considering what other videos Cyborg has of you on his YouTube account." She snickered. "He showed me a video he had taken a few weeks ago, after I got out of the shower, probably to cheer me up. Singing in front of your bedroom mirror is very, um- manly, Beast Boy. Really."

Beast Boy was dismayed, though he tried to save face. "Man! So, um, what are the odds that the rest of the team have seen the video?"

She thought about it. "Hmm, I know Robin and Raven saw it, because Robin helped him edit it, and Raven put in the funniest sound effects and background music. I think 'Ride of the Valkyries' was the theme for when I was chasing you. Although, Starfire," she shuddered, "was otherwise occupied."

He stared at her. "Doing what?" he asked curiously.

"Well, apparently, Raven told her that after I finished making my hair black again I was going to murder you. She, sadly, took that literally."

"Oh, no, she didn't..." What did she do?

"Mm hmm. To 'plead for your life', she wrote a 'traditional Tamaranean folk song', which she then she sang outside the bathroom door when I was washing out my hair. For all of the three and a half hours I was in there." Artemis winced at the memory. "After that, I was afraid of what she would do if I did kill you."

Beast Boy grimaced, and slurped his coffee. "You're kidding me. I think I'd rather be murdered."

"Same here." They both laughed loudly.

"So, your hair is safe, my hair is safe. Are we cool now?"

Artemis smiled mischievously. She put a finger to her chin like she was thinking. "I think so." She held up a finger. " Almost. You need to do something for me though."

Beast Boy stared at her wonderingly. "What could I possibly do for you?"

The DJ interrupted them, silencing the cafe by tapping loudly on the microphone. "Excuse me," he said. "We're ready for our next and last contestant, so if Delilah Moon could please come up to the stage; we can get this thing underway."

Artemis got up and pulled Beast Boy from his seat. "Geez, talk about perfect timing. You're going to help me win a karaoke contest."

"What?!"

"You heard me. I'm registered in the contest. I'm supposed to go right now, actually."

"No you're not! I checked the sign-up sheet. The last spot is some person named Delilah Moon. There wasn't any Artemis."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Beast Boy, who do think Delilah Moon is?"

Beast Boy thought about it for a second. The cogs in his head turned and turned, until they gave up and fell apart. "Ummmm. Some girl named Delilah Moon?"

She shrugged. "You're getting there. Keep going."

What the?!? "Okay then, some guy named Delilah Moon?"

She shook her head. "Also no. You're not very good at guessing, are you? She's me."

Beast Boy stared at her, confused. "But your name is Artemis."

Artemis cleared her throat, and in her best fake mysterious voice said: "I have many names." She laughed and walked off to the karaoke stage. "Come on."

I do not get her. I mean, Raven's easier to understand! Regardless, Beast Boy followed her onto the stage. She already had the microphone in hand, and the DJ was preparing the song on the karaoke machine. "So what're we singing?" he asked, as he stepped onto the stage.

"It's a surprise."

"Oh come on!"

"I'll give you a hint: It's a song any self-respecting Journey fan such as yourself would know."

"Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'?"

"Nope."

"Any Way Y-"

She sighed loudly. "No."

"Oh, come on!"

"Hey, it's starting!" Artemis jumped and grabbed the microphone off of it's stand.

"I still want to know what we're-"

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere...

Oh. Duh! This song! Why didn't I think of that?

Artemis passed off the microphone to Beast Boy, and he started singing.

Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere...

Artemis and Beast Boy looked at each other, both thinking the same thing: We are so winning this contest. They both took the microphone and sang their hearts out.

A singer in a smoky room

The smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile, you can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on...

Beast Boy got into the song even more, and he started to dance, forgetting the screen and singing the song from memory. When he glanced over his shoulder, he noticed that while Artemis was singing, she wasn't really getting into the song. "Hey," he whispered when there were some brief instrumentals in between the singing, "You might want to loosen up a bit."

"How?" she whispered back.

"I don't know, just like dance or something. Do what I'm doing."

"What, and make a total fool of myself?"

"Hey, you're already on stage. Might as well enjoy it. Oh shoot, gotta sing!"

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlight, people, livin' just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night

Beast Boy glanced back at Artemis. To his delight, she had taken his advice, and was dancing along with the music, and the patrons of the café started to sing along with her.

Workin' hard to get my fill

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice

Just one more time

She smiled as her part of the song ended. "Told ya," he whispered, before singing his verse.

Some will win, some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on..

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlight, people, livin' just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to that feelin'

Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'

Streeeetliiiight peopleee

The cafè burst into cheers as they finished singing. "Well, that was a fantastic performance by Delilah Moon and Beast Boy of the Teen Titans! Let's give them a hand!" yelled the DJ. The audience complied eagerly. "Now we're going to ask that you all sit down and be quiet while our judges review the competition!"

Artemis and Beast Boy stepped off the stage and sat back at their table. "That was fun," said Beast Boy. "I don't usually do karaoke with someone else."

"I've never done that, period."

Beast Boy's mouth fell open. "You've never done karaoke before?!"

"Nope."

"Well then, we've got to get you started! We should come here every weekend, to keep the cafè goers on their toes."

Artemis sipped her coffee. "That'd be nice," she said.

"We'd clean out the cafè, that's for sure."

"I don't know about that. I mean, we were good but-"

"Good?! We kicked ass up there!"

Meanwhile, the DJ was announcing the winner of the karaoke contest. "Alright ladies and gentlemen of the Dark Moon Cafè! We have our winners of this week's Amateur Karaoke Contest!

We are proud to announce- that the recipient of the fifty dollar cash prize, and this marvelous sterling silver trophy- are none other than: Delilah Moon and Beast Boy of the Teen Titans!"

"Dude! Did you hear that? We won!" They both jumped up and received their prizes. Beast Boy snatched the trophy- a white column topped with a sterling silver microphone, and Artemis took the check, folding it and putting it in her pocket. "Haha! We go-ot a trophy, we go-ot a trophy! Go us! Go us!" He started performing a weird dance, while trying to juggle the trophy the two had just won. Artemis grabbed it before it fell and broke. Beast Boy glared at her, and stopped dancing.

"Sorry Beast Boy, but your victory dance? It's really scaring me."

He slumped. "Fine. Be that way." After about a second, he perked up. "So, what now?" He elbowed her hopefully. "The night is young, and the arcade is younger."

Artemis thought about it. She had no money with her; she spent it all on the contest entry fee and the coffee. "I don't know. I was just going to go back to the Tower. Washing your hair for three and a half hours straight kinda takes it out of you."

"Then to the Tower it is!" He pointed to the door. "Farewell citizens!" he shouted in a deep, booming voice. "The Silver-Tongued Rulers of Karaoke are... Awaaayyy!" He ran out of the room, and shut the door dramatically. Artemis waved goodbye at the laughing crowd. "Please forgive him," she said. She shrugged and shook her head sadly. "We forgot to refill his meds. Now look at him." With that, she exited, laughing as she went.

Beast Boy and Artemis set out into the chilly night air, walking aimlessly through the sidewalks. "So Artemis, if that is your real name, how does it feel to win your first karaoke contest?"

Artemis hit his arm playfully. "Shut up."

"Seriously, though, is Artemis your real name?"

"Yep. That's my first name."

"Do you have a last name?"

"Not exactly a last name, but my full name is Artemis Delilah Avari. According to my mother, the Elementals didn't really go for last names. Something about being known for your deeds instead of your name, or something. So, in accordance with tradition, I am officially last name-less. What about you?"

He shrugged. "What about me?"

"Your name. Like, what is it? Or did your parents name you Beast Boy?"

"Very funny. I am not telling you my real name. You'd laugh at me."

She scoffed. "No I wouldn't."

He nodded profusely "Oh, yes you would."

She rolled her eyes. "Just tell me."

"Bu-"

"Tell me, or I'll have Star sing to you."

Beast Boy looked scandalized. "That's just plain evil! Fine, my real name is", he looked around, "Garfield Mark Logan," he whispered in a quiet voice.

Artemis looked at him. "Garfield? Really?" He nodded. "Okay then. I just have one question: Do you like lasagna?"

He groaned. "That was lame, even by my standards."

"It's an honest question!"

"Right. Sure it is." He heard a noise behind him. He turned around to see a man in a briefcase tear his way past them down the sidewalk. They both moved out of the way in time, but Artemis' left arm was clipped by the man's briefcase. She clutched it suddenly, her face in extreme pain. Beast Boy grabbed her shoulder. "Are you okay? He didn't hit you that hard, did he?"

"No, he didn't."

"Well, let me just look at-"

"No!" Artemis jerked her arm forward, but at the same time Beast Boy grabbed her sleeve and pulled it in the opposite direction, making it slide up her elbow. "Oh my god," he whispered.

Artemis' arm from wrist to elbow was completely blackened, and looked thinner than the rest of her arm. Her skin had a texture resembling stone dappled with acid, creating small holes in her whatever skin she had left. He thought he could even see a sliver of bone near her elbow. The arm looked dead, an empty husk, entirely charred, ashy, and dry. Like she had poured liquid fire across her arm, and this was the end result. He swallowed. Her arm looked grotesque. How did that happen to her? It looks so awful. "Who did this to you?"

"Atalanta. When she betrayed me, Slade told her to kill me. She almost succeeded."

"But that was almost two years ago! Why hasn't your arm healed?"

"I tried to speed up the healing process. But I forgot one of the fundamental rules of healing: The water needs to be clean. I had enough water on me to heal my hands, but after that I ran out. Then I saw this mud puddle-" she trailed off. "I got left with this."

"Can't you heal yourself again?"

"Don't you think I've tried? I waited too long after the attack. Healing is beyond it now. I'm not powerful enough."

"Why not?"

"It takes enough energy to heal minor injuries. Trying now would be trying to undo two years of damage and pain. I'd probably die."

Beast Boy looked down. "I'm, uh, sorry I brought it up. Really, I am."

Artemis smiled slightly. "You don't need to be sorry. Just forget about it, okay? No point in worrying about what cannot be changed." She crossed the street and unlocked her motorcycle. "I'll see you back at the Tower."

"Can I come? I've never ridden in a motorcycle before."

She nodded, even though she wasn't paying full attention to him. "Sure, hop on."

The ride was silent. Beast Boy was furious with himself. How could I have brought that up?! I bet she feels horrible now. I am so stupid!

"We're here." Artemis parked the bike in the garage and stepped off. "Look, Beast Boy. I'm sorry you had to see that. My scars are not the most glamorous things in the world. Just don't bring it up with anyone else. I prefer not to be reminded when I don't have to be."

"Sure thing Artemis. Y'know, we were, like, mopey the whole ride back here. Why don't we watch a movie or something? Lighten the mood a bit."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

"Alright, one movie coming up-" Beast Boy trailed off as he saw the other Titans standing in the doorway. "Guys, check it out! We won a karaoke contest!" He brandished the trophy proudly in the air. "Uh, guys?"

Artemis looked ahead. "What?"

Robin was standing in the doorway. The other Titans were standing behind him, all with sad looks on their faces. Robin held up a videotape. "This was dropped off a few minutes ago. It's for you. From him. It's from Slade." Artemis stared at the tape. Her heart rate increased slightly. What could he want now? "And, Artemis? T-this came with it," he finished hurriedly. "I'm sorry." He pulled out a small lock of blonde hair tied in a plastic bag.

END.

Author's note: Haha, I've added a cliffie and there's nothing you can do about it!

Artemis out.