FudoTwin17: Hey, guys!

Cat: Cheery.

FudoTwin17: Yeah. I'm not really upset, so don't worry. My dear writer Batmanfan2400 requested that I write a chapter for this in their story "Together Forever" (seriously, it's good. If you like Dick/Babs, u will love it!) and so I agreed. Now, it turns out that they were also the first one to leave a request, so . . . . here's their request! I don't own Young Justice.

For Every Cut, Every Scar

Artemis didn't know what came over her. She just hurt so much. And after finding out that her mom had begged Batman and Green Arrow to take her in, she was just so angry! It hurt so much . . . .

She knew that it was bad for her. Goodness, she knew it was more than bad for her! But transferring to Gotham Academy with the rich kids, fighting with her sister, her mom, everything-it was just so much to deal with! It hurt.

And sometimes the only way to get rid of that pain-even for just a little while-was to create another pain, one more immediate.

So that's why she started.

But in the mountain? She had never been compelled to ever do it there! No, it was just . . . she . . . it was her safe place. She never needed a moment there. It was her second home, the place that drove all her nightmares away.

But this nightmare didn't go away. It didn't vanish in a puff of smoke. It didn't leave her alone.

No, it remained.

And she could feel her hand clenching the shaft of her arrow much more tightly than she should have. The tip was right against her wrist. Her hand was shaking. She shouldn't have been doing it at the mountain. What if someone caught her? What if someone noticed the scars that she couldn't blame on the superhero gig? What if she-

What if she couldn't stop?

Tears pricked her eyes as she slowly began to draw the tip across her wrist. But the tears went away swiftly with the pain. She let out a small sigh of relief. She didn't know why it was so relieving. It just was. There was an adrenaline rush-just like when she helped people-saved people. It felt so good.

But, before she even moved from her spot on the floor, the worst thing imaginable happened-

The door opened.

And in the doorway of the dimly lit room was none other that Wally West. Artemis was frozen, but Wally hadn't noticed her yet. Not yet. But she knew he would. "Hey, Arty, Megan wants to know-"

And then he was frozen, too.

But as quickly as he was fast, he was kneeling down beside her, hands touching her bloody, dripping wrist fearfully. "Artemis! What happened? Oh, we've got to get some pressure on this, and oh,man,ohmanohmancrap! Arty!" By that time he was talking too fast for her to understand. He picked her up, running her to the kitchen where he grabbed a towel and dashed into the living room area and sat her down gently. He started applying pressure to her wrist, but she could still feel the drain of the cut.

Suddenly, Kaldur and Conner came running in with Megan, who had previously been in the kitchen, hot on their heels. "What happened? I heard Wally yelling." Conner stated.

Artemis shivered, looking anywhere but the worried eyes of her teammates. She was scared. She didn't want to face them. How could she?

But Wally tilted her chin up with one hand, holding it there so he could meet her eyes with big, understanding green ones. "Please?"

Her lip trembled. She wouldn't-couldn't-say it. Not to that face.

"Did you do this?" Wally asked tentatively.

She couldn't speak. If she did, she would start crying. If she did, she would show them that she was weak. She would show them that she couldn't handle the pressure. She wouldn't do that. She nodded.

"You've been doing this to yourself?" Megan asked, her voice breaking. Another nod.

The group seemed shocked. No one moved, all too frozen to move. Not even Wally, but he was the one that Artemis was watching-was worried about. His one hand was still under her chin. The other applying pressure to the cut. The towel was getting bloody. The tension in the air was murkier still.

And it was sliced easily by the computer announcing Robin's entrance.

Artemis's eyes were the only ones that met the boy wonder. His eyes behind the glasses were narrowed and watchful. He surveyed the situation and she could see a softening in his face, his posture. There was something in his stance saying that he wouldn't judge.

"Artemis," Kaldur began slowly, not having noticed Robin's quiet entrance, "we-"

However, he cut himself off when Robin was suddenly in front of himself. The boy wonder knelt down and grasped Wally's wrist. Almost unwillingly, the boy looked at the younger of them. He nodded, sighing, letting Robin take over the hold on the towel. She could feel less blood flowing from her wrist. The pressure had almost numbed it. Artemis let out a small hiss as the boy wonder eased up on the pressure and handed Wally the towel.

The cut stung. It was smeared with dried and fresh blood that was beginning to drip a little. It didn't look very good. Nonetheless, Robin looked up at her with a hand digging under his sweatshirt into his belt. "Eh, not that bad." He said, pulling out gauze and disinfectants. "Doesn't need stitches."

Wally stared at him. "Not that bad?"

"No." Robin replied, beginning to disinfect it before the initial wrapping of the gauze. Artemis flinched. "She could have done worse."

"But this is a problem!" Wally exclaimed, eyes blazing and staring at Robin, who had a very calm look to him. "She hurt herself-"

"Wally," Robin interrupted before Artemis could start hyperventilating, "take deep breaths. She's going to be fine." He turned to Artemis as he began the wrapping. "Are you okay?"

"Of-" Wally began, but Robin kicked him in the shin, somehow staying in his kneeling position and not affecting Artemis's bandaging, but effectively shutting Wally up.

"I-I-" She paused, taking a deep breath and wishing that the team's gazes weren't on her. "I don't know. I feel horrible. I just . . . I just needed to let it out." She looked at Robin with pleading eyes.

He smiled, tugging at the bandages to make sure they were stable. He stayed in his kneeling position, looking at Artemis with a small smile. "It's okay. But this isn't the way to get stress out."

For some reason, Artemis felt sudden anger flare up inside of her. She knew it wasn't the best way! She knew it wasn't good for her emotionally or physically! But how would Robin know how she felt? Little mister perfect, starting when he was nine and never having a trouble in the world! How was he supposed to know how she felt? How would he know what she went through every day? "How would you know?" Her voice was sharp. She was lashing out. She was already so sorry.

His smile seemed kinder. He didn't immediately reply, though. His hand, instead, went into his pocket and he pulled out a remote. Pushing a button, he waited five seconds before putting it back in. "Okay, we can talk now."

"Talk?" Artemis asked, confused.

"Yeah." Robin replied, shrugging. "Whenever I want something to stay secret, I use a program I created a while ago. It'll create an alternate turn of events, sound, and picture so everything we say is private." He reached up and touched her hand. "But that's not what matters now."

She blinked as the bird stood, ripping off his jacket and throwing it on the loveseat. He slowly rolled up his sleeves. "You asked how I could know. This is how." With his left hand, he slowly rubbed a spot on his inner elbow until-until his skin faded.

No, it was makeup.

Artemis frowned.

Slowly but surely, Robin rubbed the makeup off of a long slash on his inner elbow. It was scarred up, sure, but it looked pretty bad. Suddenly, it dawned on Artemis what the boy wonder was trying to say. "You-"

"Yeah." He stated, leaving his shirt rolled up for all of them to see. "It was a long time ago, when I couldn't handle the stress. I was confused and hurt and I couldn't get through without some kind of stress reliever. At first, I used the adrenaline from stupid stunts and saving people to hold it back, but after some time, it dulled. It just wasn't enough." He started rubbing away the makeup from a smaller scar a bit lower on his arm. "And I found that the rush from cutting was more than enough and only got stronger with time when you were more likely to be found out." He smiled ruefully, rubbing away more and more makeup to show scars, but only scars that he himself created.

Artemis slowly looked up. "What stopped you?" Her voice was quiet, like the gentle ringing of glass.

"I was found out." He knelt back down, grabbing her hand. "Not by Batman or any of the heroes, but by the Joker."

All the heroes in the room paled. "What did you say?" Exclaimed Kaldur in a shocked awe.

"I said the Joker found me out." Robin repeated. "Unlike Batman or the superhero community, he knew the signs. He came from a pretty messed up home and, believe it or not, he did the same thing around his late teens."

"Did-Did he tell Batman?" Artemis asked.

"No. You see, he didn't want Batman to know. And he didn't want me to cut either. So he pretty much got me to quit."

"Wait, the Joker stopped you from hurting yourself?" Wally asked, eyes not on Artemis, but Robin. It was impossible believing that his best friend had hurt himself or that a known villain had helped him stop.

"Yeah, shocking, I know. But the Joker didn't want me hurting myself for his own twisted reasons. Don't try to figure it out. He's insane. Anyway, he helped me see that it's people you have to rely on, not pain and adrenaline." Robin said, looking deep into her stormy eyes. "It doesn't matter how much it hurts. No matter what, there's someone in your life that cares. Don't forget that Artemis."

She nodded, then, ignoring the light pressure in her wrist, she tackled Robin in a bone-crushing hug. It wasn't long before Wally joined. After that, Megan found herself part of it. Conner and Kaldur looked at one another. Of course, they joined as well.

About an hour later, when Batman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary entered the mountain, they found the team there. They were all out cold hugging one another on the floor. Wally was on the far right, Artemis next to him with her head on his shoulder and one of his arms wrapped around her waist. His other hand was on Robin's head that was resting on Wally's chest. Artemis's arms were wrapped around the bird's chest gently. Kaldur had rolled over and was just touching Robin's left leg, which had been draped ceremoniously over him with the other between them. Megan was held in Conner's strong arms, leg touching Kaldur and Robin and arms around Kaldur's elbow. She had her face turned toward Conner, though.

"Should we wake them up?" Green Arrow asked quietly, as if afraid to do the very thing that he was speaking of.

In answer, Batman just turned away, a small smile playing on his lips.

Green Arrow frowned, following Batman.

Black Canary stayed, though, looking at the sweet sight. Her eyes slid over the teenagers. A sigh passed her lips before she turned away from the heart-warming sight.

They were smiling.

Especially Artemis.

FudoTwin17: Okay, kinda short, but I hope it was satisfying. Thanks for the idea, Batmanfan2400! And I hope you liked it! Okay, please, review nicely and leave requests. ^^