Well, Marching Band season is over, and I cried buckets, even if I'm not even a senior. Our drum major did too, but I think he has an excuse. But I finally finished this chapter.

Also, on the last chap, I stupidly asked whether this story should Traught or Spitfire, after I had made Arty and Dick be the main characters-sorter-thing. I swear, it's like stupidity is as bad as my allergies (which, btw, are horrible).

So, at our last contest, I managed to spot a sign in the crowd that said, "We Own Nothing But Plot." And then I was plowed down by the flute section. Thanks a bunch, disclaimers.

Insincerely,

~LJ

Coulrophobia - the fear of clowns.

"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."

I move protectively in front of Artemis, causing the Joker to grin like he just won the jackpot – showing off a mouthful of horrible, grotesque teeth from behind his blood-red lips. "Oh, Robin, always the gentleman, aren't you?" he chuckles. I say nothing in return.

In my peripheral vision, I can see Kid Flash trying to stand up, wincing from where Artemis had bashed him with Red Arrow's bow. The older member himself has yet to appear, but now is definitely not the time to worry about him; I honestly believe that he deserved a good rock-in-the-head for firing before I had given the word.

"Oh, my dear girl," the man coos, snapping my attention back to him, "they must have you so confused! Befriending you and then attacking you – how cruel! Do you not see that Robin has you wrapped around his finger?"

I feel her eyes dart to the back of my head quickly, but before I can reassure her, the Joker speaks again. "But dear, I would never do that to you! I understand you!" There's a pause as the clown lets her soak this in, and continues moments later. "They locked me up as well. Asylums, insane houses, and cuckoo farms! I know what it's like to long for freedom from the padded cells and the straight jackets, and just when my dream has come true, they shove me back in. I understand what you've been through," he sympathizes, gesturing his hands for effect. His gaze travels to me, triumphant.

"Artemis, don't listen to him," I whisper, never breaking eye contact with the Joker, "He's just trying to win you over. He was thrown in an asylum for prisoners, not like you." I drum my fingers along my thigh, just to check, and – to my relief – she does the same.

Unfortunately, the clown also sees this. His grin widens. "So you've taken a liking to the Bird Boy!" Then, faster than I can register, there's a small pocketknife in my shoulder.

I grunt and fall, blood already starting to seep out of the wound. I hit the cement, but I'm not down for long as KF grabs me and hauls me to safety. I struggle; I can't leave Artemis out there at the mercy of the Joker's words, or his knives, and I can't fail this mission because I can't disappoint Batman and my friends are just leaving her and won't put me down and-

I hear a sickening thunk. I'm able to twist around enough to see my remaining three teammates arrive, and the Joker lying facedown on the ground. With a start, I realize that my blond copycat isn't there and I begin to panic. Had she fled again? Could I catch her if she had?

There's a tap on my good shoulder, and I find Artemis' blurry face looking at me with curiosity. 'Miss Martian!' Aqualad calls in everyone's heads, 'We have to go! I believe the knife had been poisoned!'

Poisoned?

I know it must be true as my vision darkens and I begin to lose consciousness. The last thing I hear is psychotic, hysterical laughter, but the warmth of Artemis' fingertips on my shoulder drowns even that out. And then the lights go out like someone had flipped a switch.

I glance at the girl curiously. She sits, staring at nothing, and seems to be in another world, while the rest of the team is asleep in their chairs. What is she doing? I vaguely wonder, before recalling that she is certifiably psychotic. I roll my eyes and look away, but my gaze keeps going back to her.

The glowing red "Surgery" sign glares into my mind, scarring my brain with its image. I scowl. It's all her fault. She just had to be a damsel is distress, so Batsy would just have to send us on another mission just to find her, and Robin would just have to be a damn hero again.

I turn to heatedly glare into the back of her head, only to have her staring back. I flinch in her gaze, feeling the blood rush to me face. Sighing, the blond stands to her full height and stretches. She then pads silently down the hall and disappears around the corner, just as the sign's light is turned off and a doctor walks out, taking off his gloves. Miss Martian blinks, sits up, and shakes SB, whom she'd been sleeping on.

When we were all awake, the doctor begins by clearing his throat. "It seems that Robin will make a full recovery very soon," he declares, and I can literally feel Miss M's relief in the back of my mind. "We were able to stabilize him, and rid his blood of the toxin. It was a hard procedure, as there were more toxins that there should have been on the knife. He should be fine after resting for at least a week."

Miss M lets out the breath that we were all holding as the doctor retreats, hugging Superboy. I turn to zip away to inform the Batman of his protégé's condition, only to make it to the corner before I ram straight into someone. There's a dull thud as I stumble backwards; it must have been the other person falling.

"Oh, gee," I apologize, rubbing the sore spot on my forehead, "I'm sorry! I should really start watching where I'm speeding…" I trail off as I finally open my eyes to actually look at whom I'm rambling to.

Of course, it's none other than the psycho.

Now that I randomly think about it, I don't even remember her name. Diana or something, right? No? Whatever.

She stares blankly at me while I, as if she doesn't speak English. Well, she does have that foreign look to her… I offer her a hand up, seeing as I knocked her down and it would only be polite, but she gazes uncomprehendingly at my palm also. Jeez, did this girl grow up under a rock or something?

"Fine, be that way," I grumble, walking around her, "Live on the floor for all I care."

I hear her snort, and for some reason it made me smirk. Casting one last glance over my shoulder, I speed away. This time I watch out for pedestrians.

The first thing I see when I wake is a pair of grey irises staring back. I flinch, surprised at the proximity, but Artemis senses this and retreats. She grins at me, overjoyed at my awakening, and for the first time she seems focused.

"Robin!" she cries. She clasps her hands together in such a cute way that I have to crack a smile, but it soon disappears when I notice her clothing.

"Uh, Artemis?" I ask, sounding tense and unhappy even to my own ears, "Why haven't you changed clothes?" The blue fabric of her shirt and pants are ripped and tattered, not to mention that her face, arms, and feet were scratched and filthy. "Didn't they give you a change of clothes?"

She nods quickly. "Robin was still in surgery. Robin more hurt. Robin come first," she explains choppily.

I scowl, looking away from her. "Did they at least offer any?"

Once again, she nods. "Tried to force clothes. I wouldn't take." I would ask more, except the look on her face was…pitiful. There's no need to push her anymore than necessary.

Suddenly, the door slides open, revealing an unreadable Batman. His eyes widen by the smallest fraction when he sees Artemis – his version of surprise. "Robin," he begins, but I glance to the blond at my side instead of him. She's completely terrified of my mentor.

She flinches when I squeeze her hand, but after a moment of staring at my face, her eyes harden and she nods grimly. Shrinking as she passed Batman, Artemis exits the room after throwing one last nervous look back at me.

As soon as the door slides back into place, the Dark Knight asks me what had gone on during the mission. "Aqualad can give me the most information, but it is still incomplete," he says.

And so I explain everything, from the cat to the mimicry to the fried fish to the Joker's blade imbedded in my shoulder. My mentor's mood worsens as the story progresses, but I can tell that he tries not to show it so that I won't get upset. While I speak, I begin to realize just how tired I am, and it only gains momentum. Finally, I finish with, "How long was I out, Batman?" and a yawn.

His face doesn't betray any emotion anymore, as he seems to have gained control again. "Only about an hour, Robin, but the surgery itself took four. You need to rest now-" His sentence is cut off by a faraway explosion that shakes the foundation of the mountain and alarms screaming. Growling, he mutters to himself, "What now?" and leaves me alone with the wails of the emergency system and the sleep that overpowers my body, washing me away for the second time in the last twenty-four hours.

I find myself face-to-face with a harlequin, whose cover is a mask of rage and make-up. After the explosion had thrown me off my feet, my ears were attacked mercilessly by the shrieks of the alarms. To make matters worse, the mess of red and black and little white diamonds that cloud my vision assault and leave me confused beyond comprehension.

"So this is the lil' witch that got my puddin' shoved back intah thah slammer!" she snarls, her rough accent scraping my eardrums. "Ya don't look that special tah me." Something hard and powerful slams at full force into the side of my body, tossing me aside like a forgotten rag doll. Pain reverberates through my person, but, unlike its intended effect, it clears my head.

Red tinges my vision as I face my attacker, and the rest is all instinct. All I feel is the hatred, the pain in my side, the anger, and the betrayal from my childhood that still plagues me in my nightmares as I claw and swing and kick. Someone grabs me, someone too strong, too inhumanly strong, and there's a rag over my mouth, stinking a sickly sweet smell. My animal-like scream is too muffled to be heard; too dampened to be noticed by Robin. When the drugs actually slow my brain down to process the scenario, my captor is whisked away by an unseen force, leaving nothing to hold my increasingly limp form.

And then my legs no longer support me, causing the tile floor to rush up to greet me.

And that's where I'll leave you all, so now you can wait forever again! Yay!

In this one, you get to see that Artemis isn't really all that psycho, is she? And you also get her point of view. And Wally's, though none of my reviewers seem to appreciate him enough to care.

So what villain should I include in the next chapter, hm?

(Oh, and before I forget, look up "Healthy Levels of Insanity" on DeviantArt. They aren't a fanfic or anything, but they make me laugh.)

Insincerely,

~Le Jokerette