A/N: This chapter has the first bit of action in it and I hope you all enjoy it. I'm trying to update as often as I can but I have this story and another one to do so please be patient with me.

Warnings: Slight language and a fist fight.

(Pointless) Disclaimer: If you recognize them then I don't own them, if not their mine.

Chapter 8: The Altercation

Friday, October 29th

Lunch was almost over at St. Bartleby's school for young adults and Artemis and Rose were enjoying a quite meal at their usual table chatting about noting in particular when a shout cut through their conversation.

"Hey Allen!" Came the voice from across the cafeteria.

"Joy." Rose muttered under her breath, not needing to turn around to recognize the voice of Lillian Henshaw. Since the two girls had met in September they hadn't warmed up to each other in the slightest. If fact it was safe to say they hated each other. Lillian arrived behind Rose and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey I'm talking to you Allen!" she said loudly. Rose removed the hand from her shoulder and turned around.

"Yes Lillian?" she said her voice even and controlled.

"I heard you were spreading rumors about me." Lillian said.

"Well then you obviously don't have a very reliable source of information because I've never spread any rumors." Rose replied.

"Oh really? So you didn't call me any easy whore that all the guys in the school have slept with?" Lillian said putting her hands on her hips and giving Rose a disbelieving look.

"No," Rose said. "I didn't. Look Lillian, it's obvious I don't like you and that you don't like me but I don't think you're an "easy whore" as you put it, nor do I think you've slept with all the guys in the school." Lillian advanced on Rose so she was leaning over the sitting girl.

"You're a dirty liar Allen. I know you were talking about me behind my back so just admit it." She growled out between clenched teeth. Rose then stood decreasing the height difference between her and the taller girl significantly.

"If I ever had anything to say to you Lillian, good or bad I would say it to your face without hesitation." Rose said retaining her calm demeanor. Lillian rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah right. You couldn't do that, you're a little chicken shit." Lillian mocked. By this point Artemis had silently made his way around the table to stand at an angle to Rose so he could see her eyes. They were currently a blue so dark they were almost black. While her eyes said she was extremely angry, her body language suggested she was completely calm. Knowing where this was going to lead, Artemis took a few steps back from Rose pulled out his phone and set it to record as Rose began to speak in a level voice.

"You want to know what I think of you Lillian? Fine. I think you're a superficial, rich, snob, and that you only care about your looks and the looks of those around you. I also think that your IQ is lower than my dog's."

"Did you just call me shallow and stupid?" Lillian asked in shock.

"In short, yes I did." Rose responded. "You said I couldn't tell you my opinion of you, so I did." Rose picked up her bag and made to leave but Lillian blocked her path.

"That's it Allen, I'm gonna kick your ass!" She proclaimed. Rose sighed and dropped her bag.

"You don't want to do this Lillian." Rose warned. "It won't end well."

"No Allen, you're wrong. I do want to do this." Lillian sneered.

"I don't want to fight you Lillian. Just let me leave." Rose reiterated closing her eyes and clenching her fists.

"I knew it; you just want to leave because you're a coward." Lillian then turned to give a gloating smile to two of her friend standing off to the side, and it was because of this that she didn't notice Rose shift her position into what Artemis identified as a defensive stance.

Turning back to Rose, Lillian took a step forward and threw her left fist forward toward Rose's face. Artemis knew Rose could easily sidestep the punch and was shocked when Lillian's fist connected solidly with the right side of Rose's chin and lower lip. Artemis knew Rose let Lillian hit her but he didn't know why. Lillian then raised her right fist and moved to deliver a second blow to Rose's face but Rose easily saw it coming. Moments before Lillian made contact again Rose's left forearm shot up and blocked the hit with ease. It was at this time that Artemis understood Rose's motives for letting Lillian hit her. She wanted to establish that Lillian is the one who started the fight so she doesn't get in trouble for defending herself. Artemis realized.

Moments after the punch was blocked Rose sent her right hand forward and into Lillian's shoulder knocking the other girl off balance. Rose quick followed by launching her left fist forward into Lillian's stomach making the blonde double over in pain, but Rose wasn't done yet. Her right fist slammed into the left side Lillian's face with much more force than Lillian hit Rose with. Lillian then raised her right fist and made a wayward swing at Rose who ducked under the arm easily. Then as quick as a viper Rose came up from her duck taking her left open hand and shoving the thumb into a spot on the front right side of Lillian's neck that Artemis knew was the Radial Nerve. This blow caused Lillian to lose all feeling and control of her right arm. In the same movement Rose followed with her right fist hitting the left side of Lillian's jaw rolling the Radial Nerve and causing the entire right side of Lillian's body to experience temporary paralysis and sending her crashing to the ground obtaining further injury. The entire fight from Lillian's first (and only) hit to Rose's last blow was about twenty seconds and Artemis had captured every moment of it on his phone.

Rose looked down on the girl in front of her with a sad expression as two of Lillian's friends helped her to her feet. As Artemis looked at the two combatants it was obvious who the victor was. Lillian was clutching her left hand to her chest, bent over and wheezing slightly as she tried to regain her breath; a very large bruise was beginning to appear on the left side of her face, and she had several small cuts from her fall to the floor. Rose however was in a significantly better condition but was still damaged with a sizable bruise forming on the right side of her jaw by her chin and her lip was bleeding profusely. Other than that though Rose seemed unharmed as she stood in the center of the ring of student who had gathered to watch the fight.

"I'm sorry I had to do that Lillian," Rose said fixing her uniform. "But I did warn you." Lillian opened her mouth to reply but a female teacher with grey hair and wire rimmed glasses pushed her way through to the middle of the circle. It was Professor O'Grady, Rose and Artemis' English teacher.

"What's going on here?" Professor O'Grady demanded as she took in the scene before her. Artemis prepared to interject when it became necessary.

"You two," she said point two the boy and girl who were helping Lillian stay on her feet. "Take Henshaw up to the nurse, and have her wait there until the Dean sends for her. And you Allen," She said turning to Rose. "You're coming with me." It was here that Artemis stepped forward.

"Excuse me Professor, I should inform you that I witnessed the entire altercation and I recorded it on my cell phone." He then held up his phone to emphasize his point. Moments after he finished speaking the bell ending lunch sounded.

"Very well, both of you gather your belongings. Let's go. The rest of you get to class!" She said shouting the last part. The on looking students scattered like cockroaches when a light bulb turns on. Artemis and Rose quickly grabbed their messenger bags and followed Professor O'Grady out of the cafeteria towards the Dean's office, while Lillian was practically carried towards the nurse's office moaning and groaning.

"Please," Rose muttered disbelievingly to Artemis as she rolled her eyes. "She's acting like I knocked her unconscious."

"Lillian is known for her love of being over dramatic and making a scene." Artemis replied quietly.

"I would have thought she was known for having such a big head with absolutely nothing in it." Rose said her smirk turning into a wince.

"Really? Nothing? Not even air?" Artemis asked jokingly referring to the many times Rose had sworn up and down that Lillian's head was full of nothing but air. The two students were now found themselves being led into the administration office by Professor O'Grady who was oblivious of the quite conversation taking place behind her.

"Nope, nothing." Rose replied trying not to laugh as she knew Artemis was trying to get her to.

"Well there must be something in there, because I distinctly remember hearing a rattling sound when you hit her." Artemis said.

"Maybe it was her brain." Rose suggested fighting a smile.

"Well it's certainly small enough to be missed at first glance…with a microscope." Artemis added. At this point Rose made a spluttering sound as she tried her hardest not to laugh out loud and Artemis smiled at his success. Suddenly Professor O'Grady turned around glaring at the two, pointing at a row of chairs against the wall. Rose and Artemis had been too busy talking to realize that they had arrived outside the Dean's office door.

"Sit." She instructed. When Artemis and Rose obeyed she walked over to the school's secretary's desk and began speaking with the woman there. Rose then turned to Artemis.

"Will you quit trying to make me smile?" She asked exasperated. "It hurts." She said reaching up to touch her bruised jaw and split lip gingerly and wincing.

"Ah, so you do feel pain." Artemis mused. "After the way you took that hit I wasn't completely sure you were human." Rose let out a quiet laugh and made an attempt to smile but winced again.

'Will you stop that?" She asked jokingly giving his shoulder a light shove.

"I'm sooo very sorry my Rose, will you ever forgive me for the horrible act of trying to make you smile?" He asked with a mock bow while remaining in his seat. He could almost hear her roll her eyes.

"I'll consider it." She replied. Artemis straitened back up and took one of Rose's hands and held it to his chest.

"Thank you My Lady. I promise I will do whatever I must to make it up to you My Lady." He said mockingly. When he let go of her hand he noticed that her lip still hadn't stopped bleeding. He reached into his blazer pocket and removed a handkerchief with AFII monogrammed on the corner.

"Here." He said as he gently raised the cloth to her lip.

"Thanks Arty." She said reaching up and placing her hand over his to take the cloth. When she did the contact of her hand on his sent an electric tingle shooting up Artemis' arm and filling his entire body. He quickly removed his hand and looked away. Rose must have experienced the same thing because she looked away as well. What was that? Artemis thought. It wasn't unpleasant but it was…I don't know how to describe it. Like being back inside that metal suit on the pylons all those years ago. He then looked over at Rose who had a look on her face that said she was thinking as well.

Any further musings by the teens were interrupted when Professor O'Grady walked back to Artemis and Rose and stood in front of them.

"Dean Roberts is in a meeting right now so you two will have to wait here until he calls you in." She said. She then walked out of the office. After a minute Artemis turned to look at Rose.

"By the way, what you did was ingenious." He told her with a smile.

"Well of course! Everything I do is ingenious," she said jokingly making Artemis let out a chuckle. "But which moment are you referring to exactly?"

"I was referring to letting Lillian hit you first so it proved that your actions were purely defensive, along with trying to diffuse the situation verbally in front of numerous witnesses. Both actions prove you're not the one at fault." Artemis replied.

"Oh that. You see Arty I don't enjoy fighting and hurting others, but I will defend myself." She then gave him a look from the corner of her eye. "I guess you could say that I don't start fights I end them."

"That's extremely cliché." Artemis told her with a roll of his eyes. Rose attempted to smile and winced yet again.

"Oh I know its cliché. In fact that's why I used it. But being cliché doesn't make it any less true." She pointed out. Artemis nodded then remembered something.

"How have you been sleeping? Have there been any nightmares?" He asked the concern evident in his voice as he referred to the small blue vial he had given her.

"Great actually." She replied moving the cloth on her lip slightly. "I took whatever it was you gave me and I haven't had a nightmare since."

"Excellent." Artemis said with a smile. He was about to continue when the door across from them opened and a man and a woman walked out. Then a deep voice called from inside the office.

"Ms. Allen, Mr. Fowl, you may come in now." So Artemis and Rose stood and made their way into Dean Roberts' office.

A/N: So what do you guys think? There were a few parts I was iffy about so I would really appreciate if you guys left me a review to tell me what you think. I wanted to let you know that being in a fight-whether you're the one being hit or the one doing the hitting-hurts if you don't know what you're doing. So that's why Lillian (this is her first fight) is worse off than Rose (Remember the Martial arts?). And to my dear friend Van-the bored impatient (Who I know will be reading this) this update is for you! Hahahaha! XD