Artemis was completely tense as she watched the opening door. Her body had subconsciously shifted into a crouching position, not really sure what to expect to happen next. Robin was equally tense next to her, his eyes narrowed.

As the door was opened further, they could see a thick, bare arm gripping the knob. That ruled out it being the Joker. His arms weren't that big. It didn't make either of them any less wary though.

With how slow whoever the person at the door was being, Artemis almost considered going over and yanking it open the rest of the way herself, but with what had happened earlier, she wasn't going to risk it.

They only had to wait several more moments before the door swung open fully and the person finally stumbled in. Upon seeing him, Artemis's eyes grew a bit.

It was the man who had tried to restrain her back at the alley. The blond archer hadn't gotten a good view of his face back then, but if the bandages wrapped tightly around his knee and the thick gauze all around his nose weren't indications enough that it was the same person, she didn't know what would be. He had dark lines under his eyes and his eyes were a little watery. Seems she had succeeded in breaking his nose after all. He hobbled in on a makeshift crutch. She must have caused some damage to his knee as well.

When the man's gaze trailed to Artemis, he sneered darkly at her. "There you are," he muttered in disgust and began making his way to her.

Artemis glared right back at him just as fiercely. She stayed crouched on the ground. It would be easier to take his legs out from that position and bending down would be difficult for him, providing her another advantage.

"Keep his attention," Robin spoke so faintly that Artemis wasn't completely certain he'd actually spoken. She quickly shifted her eyes to glance at him. He was sitting up a little straighter and he was still tense, but his eyes remained locked on the brute heading towards them. The blond quickly snapped her gaze back to him as well.

"You think you're real tough, don't ya," the man stated, rather than questioned, in a hateful tone. He was half-way to them now, his movements slowed because of the dependence on the crutch. "Let's just see how tough," he growled out, forcing himself to move quicker.

The young archer discretely glanced once more at Robin and then slowly stood to draw the man's attention to her. She trusted her teammate had some sort of plan. "Try me," she told him, hardening her glare. She usually wouldn't taunt her enemies, especially in this kind of situation, but it was necessary for the moment.

"Mouthy brat!" the brute snarled as he finally reached her. With speed that Artemis wasn't expecting, he thrust his arms out and grabbed her throat, slamming her into the wall behind her and allowing the crutch to clatter to the ground. "You'll regret that," he spat out bitterly and pushed her harder into the wall and applied more pressure to her throat to cut off the oxygen supply.

Artemis gagged and choked a bit from the pressure, her hands already around his and working on pulling them off of her. She cracked her eyes open, gritted her teeth, and gave the guy the best glower she could manage in that position. He looked back at her with absolute disgust and squeezed harder.

Artemis was preparing to give him a good, hard kick to the gut before the lack of air made her black out when Robin suddenly appeared in her line of vision. He struck the brute with his left hand swiftly and heavily on the inside of the collar bone, a pressure point. The blond watched the man's eyes widen and then droop closed, his hands releasing her neck at last. He fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

The young archer stood unsteadily on her feet, choking and gasping to get oxygen flowing through her body again. She felt a little lightheaded, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't pass out now.

"You okay?" Robin asked gently, taking a few seconds to make sure that the thug wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

"Y-Yeah," Artemis managed to choke out hoarsely. It hurt her a bit to talk. And, unfortunately, she figured she would have marks on her neck for a while.

"Let's get out of here then," he stated firmly and turned toward the door. Artemis nodded and stepped around the man to follow the acrobat. He was moving more steadily now; she figured it must be the burst of adrenaline from taking down the thug and prospect of escape. She could feel it coursing through her as well.

Once they reached the door, Robin stopped and took a few moments to listen for any movement and inspect for traps. Artemis listened and was on edge too. Once they deemed it safe enough, they exited the room.

Outside of the room, they noticed the broken pieces of some contraption scattered about. Judging by the wires and other parts, Artemis figured that's what must have been used to electrify the door.

Scanning the area, they noticed the only way out was concrete steps leading up. There were no other doors or rooms aside from the one they had been in. Robin looked back at her, a silent agreement passing between them, and they headed for the stairs, keeping their footsteps light and silent.

There wasn't an extreme amount of stairs for them to climb thankfully. The two young heroes kept themselves pressed against the wall as they neared the top. Once they reached the door, they stopped and listened for any movement or voices that would indicate someone outside. They heard nothing. Hesitantly, Robin reached up and placed his gloved fingertips on the doorknob. Nothing happened. This door didn't seem to be rigged like the other. That at least was something positive.

Gently, Robin gripped the doorknob fully and softly opened the door a crack, making no sound. He peered through the crack and gazed around the outside surroundings. There were no lights on, so he couldn't make out all of the details, but he could tell there were no people patrolling around and no one standing guard. It was odd, but led him to conclude that the man from earlier wasn't supposed to come down there and likely hadn't told anyone that he'd gone. That was a lucky break for them.

The acrobat quietly opened the door enough so that he and Artemis would be able to slip through. His eyes scanned the area once more before he slid out, keeping himself pressed along the wall. Artemis quickly followed. They glided along until they reached a large crate that provided them some cover.

"What is this place?" Artemis questioned as quietly as possible.

"Factory…looks abandoned though," Robin answered just as quietly. Looking around, he noticed that all of the windows were boarded up, allowing little light to enter. The area they were in was spacious. There were several doors in different places around the room leading to who knew where. More crates of varying sizes were scattered about. Old machinery and tools cluttered other parts of the place.

"Which way is out?" Artemis asked, her eyes taking in the surroundings as well.

"Don't know, we'll have to find one," Robin responded, wiping sweat from his brow. Artemis noticed him starting to shiver again and frowned. The sooner they found a way out, the better.

A door clicking open caused them both to go rigid and crouch down lower behind the crate. They heard footsteps approaching, though not towards them. From their position, they could see the room they'd come from, but it wouldn't be easy for someone to see them. The footsteps were headed towards that room.

After a few seconds, a masked henchman came into their view. Robin and Artemis practically stopped breathing and kept completely still. When the henchman noticed the door ajar, he came to a halt for a moment and then hastily walked into the room. The young heroes knew it was only a matter of time before he discovered they were gone and things got hectic.

Artemis's eyes darted around seeking and escape route. They hadn't been found yet, but they couldn't stay in that spot forever. Eventually they would be seen.

Shouting alerted her that it was too late. She heard the henchman's feet thundering up the steps. "They've escaped!" he yelled loudly before he was even out of the room. Immediately a door was flung open and more people pounded out.

"What do you mean they've escaped!" another man shouted furiously.

"I mean just that! They're gone you idiot!" the henchman yelled back angrily.

"Shut up! Just shut up! We have to find them! Joker will have our heads for this!" a different frantic voice cried out.

While they argued, Robin quickly and cautiously peered around the crate, observed for a couple of seconds, and then hid himself again. He stayed low and motioned for Artemis to come closer to him. She obeyed and lowered herself down next to him.

"Ten of them. Probably have to fight our way out," he informed her, speaking softly. Artemis nodded solemnly. She'd figured they would have to at some point.

"Shut it! All of you! Split up and search every inch of this place! Find them or else!" one of the henchmen commanded. There was some murmuring of agreement and then footsteps moving in different directions.

The crate they were using for cover was fairly close to where the men had been gathered, so the archer and acrobat had very little time until one or more of the henchmen would be over. They silently stood up and pressed their backs into the crate. They would be relying mostly on their hand-to-hand combat skills, so they didn't need to make their presence known right away. Though it seemed the men wanted to take them alive, it was best to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible.

Artemis heard footsteps coming from her side and got ready. There was no way the man would not spot them if he looked, but perhaps she could get him before he realized what happened. Her eyes narrowed and body tensed in anticipation.

As soon as the henchman came into her sight, Artemis acted, grabbing him and jerking him around the crate in a haste motion, clamping her hand over his mouth to stifle any shout or scream. Just as swiftly, Robin struck a pressure point, rendering the man unconscious. Artemis lowered the man noiselessly to the ground and looked at Robin with a victorious smirk. He returned it with one of his own. If they could keep this up, they might be able to get through half of the goons before the rest knew what was going on.

"Hey! Over here!"

Or things could continue to go downhill for them. That surely wouldn't be anything new. The young archer refrained from groaning in frustration as she saw the goon who had spotted them heading their way and heard the others running towards them. She prepared herself for the imminent fight that was about to take place.

Robin rushed forward to engage the approaching henchman at the same time Artemis heard men coming around to her side. She jumped out and met the oncoming man with a roundhouse kick to the face, sending him flying, the back of his head smacking painfully into the face of the other thug that had been not too far behind him. They both crashed to the floor, moaning in pain. Artemis didn't stop. She ran forward and delivered a hard right hook to the cheek of the third oncoming man. His head hit the ground and he was unconscious.

A fourth henchman lunged out, aiming a punch at the blond. She ducked out of the way and rammed her elbow into his diaphragm, eliciting a strangled gasp from the guy. His knees buckled and he fell forward, gasping and choking. Artemis gave him a good hit to the back of his head and he was out.

She was about to go around and rejoin Robin when she heard gunshots being fired. The blond felt her chest tighten and whipped around just in time to see the acrobat flip up onto the top of the crate, the bullets following and embedding into the ceiling. Whoever was shooting really couldn't aim well. Robin rolled backwards off of the crate and landed in a crouch near Artemis. She noticed him breathing hard.

"One left but he's got a gun," he panted out quickly. They just really couldn't catch much of a break.

"Come out you brats!" the man yelled, firing a couple of shots through the crate, causing Robin and Artemis to duck down. Robin looked around quickly or anything that would be useful right now. His eyes landed on a nearby unconscious henchman. Staying low to the ground, he moved as quickly as he could and grabbed the henchman's mask off. He then moved back against the crate, Artemis beside him. He signaled for her to stay quiet and then began to listen intently for movement from the thug.

"I'm coming for you! Move and I'll shoot!" the goon shouted and started to come around to them. Robin heard his footsteps and could tell they were coming from the direction closest to him. He silently moved until he was at the corner of the crate.

When the man sounded close, Robin sprung out, staying in a crouch. In a swift motion, he threw the mask like he would one of his birdarangs, sending it flying into the man's face. It hit him right at the top of his nose, between the eyes, causing his head to snap back. In his shock, he released the gun from his grasp and it clattered to the floor. Robin ran forward and landed a spin kick to the man's chest. He sailed through the air for a couple of feet and then landed, knocked out.

"Robin?" Artemis called cautiously, peeking around the crate. She saw him standing alone and came around fully, walking towards him.

"Got him," he answered, turning to her with a small smirk. His breaths were heavier now, Artemis observed. He took a step towards her, but had to stop suddenly as harsh coughs began racking his frame. They made his body shake violently. He had already been out of breath, so the coughs made it even more difficult for him to intake air, causing him to become lightheaded. His knees buckled and he began to collapse.

"Robin!" Artemis yelled in a panic and ran to him. She wasn't far from him, but Robin's knees still hit the floor before she was able to reach him and catch him to stop him from falling the rest of the way. He felt heavy and his body continued to shake badly with the coughs as Artemis attempted to support him. She could only watch with worry as he coughed and gasped.

Artemis couldn't say for sure how long the coughing fit lasted, but she was beginning to panic and wonder if Robin was going to suffocate from lack of oxygen by the time it did finally end. He fell limply into her arms once it was over. Artemis repositioned him so that he was lying on his back across her lap, her right arm supporting his neck and head. His breaths were coming in shallow pants and his eyes were scrunched closed. Beads of sweat covered his forehead and face and his cheeks were flushed a faint pink. The archer could feel the extra heat radiating from him and his body trembling against hers.

"Robin…" Artemis spoke softly. He gave no indication that he'd heard her, only kept panting. She bit her bottom lip a bit in worry. Robin probably couldn't even sit up right now, much less get up and help her find an escape exit. She'd have to carry him if they were to get out right then.

Trying not to jostle him too much, Artemis brought Robin up onto her back. He still didn't respond though. "Hold on Robin, I'll find us a way out," the archer told him, trying to keep her voice calm and confident, though she felt anything but.

Carefully, Artemis stood and began walking towards a door on the other side of the room, doing her best to keep the acrobat steady. It was a little more difficult than she had anticipated. Robin's panting had slowed down, but his breathing was still too erratic for her liking.

The blond archer had just passed another crate when she saw the door she had been heading towards begin to open. She halted, and as quickly and quietly as she could, darted behind the crate. Robin groaned softly at the sudden movements.

"Shh, it's okay," she whispered as she eased him to the ground. Robin shivered at the cold feel of it.

"Well now, what's all the commotion in here," Artemis heard the unmistakable voice of the Joker call out. She cringed. This was the absolute last thing they needed right now. She began racking her brain to come up with anything to help in this situation.

"Come on out kiddies. I know you're in here. You can't hide forever." His voice sounded playful. He was enjoying this. That made Artemis want to get out of there all the more.

Getting out was easier said than done though. Making a run for it wouldn't end well. And facing him directly would mean leaving Robin alone. She didn't have much of a choice at this point though.

Robin groaned again quietly and shivered harder. Artemis placed her palm on his forehead to try to calm him and frowned. He really was much too warm. She hated having to leave his fever untreated for this long.

"How touching," a sarcastic voice bit through her concentration. Artemis was on her feet in front of Robin in an instant, face to face with the grinning clown. "Little birdy isn't doing too well now is he?" His grin widened.

Artemis snarled at him and made sure she was positioned so that Joker would have to go through her to get near her acrobatic teammate. "You keep things interesting girly. But all fun must come to an end." With that, Joker lunged for her.

The young archer braced herself. Joker made a grab for her. She ducked and landed a solid punch to his stomach. The clown grunted in response and Artemis smirked a bit. The smirk quickly disappeared as the Joker's hand latched onto her wrist and she was roughly spun around and placed into a choke hold, both arms pinned behind her back. She squirmed and thrashed, but that only made Joker painfully tighten his grips. Lightheadedness started to overtake her as it became increasingly difficult to breathe.

"I don't tolerate defiance," Joker whispered tauntingly into her ear. Mustering all of the strength she could at that moment, Artemis smacked the back of her head into Joker's face. His hold loosened, but not near enough for her to attempt escape.

The next thing Artemis knew, she was being slammed down against the floor, her left temple colliding painfully with it. Her arms were still being twisted and pulled behind her back. She felt dizzy and about ready to relieve her stomach of its contents as she gasped and coughed for air.

"You don't listen too well. We'll have to work on that," the crazed clown told her as he pulled her arms back further. The archer gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. If the psycho continued at this rate, something was going to be pulled out of place or broken.

Just when she was certain she couldn't take anymore, Joker eased up, only to toss her into the side of the crate in the next second. Artemis slumped down and fell forward onto her stomach a few inches from Robin. Everything was spinning and she found it hard to concentrate and breathe properly.

"I'll make sure both of you learn." That was Joker's voice wasn't it? It really was hard for her to focus. She managed to slightly crack her eyes open to view Robin's figure in front of her, though it seemed to be going every which way. The blond made an effort to reach towards him, to get his attention, to tell him to get away, but Joker walked over and casually stepped most of his weight on her outstretched hand. That time the archer did cry out. She scrunched her eyes back closed as the world spun even more.

"Ro…bin…" Artemis's voice came out as hardly a whisper as she made one last feeble attempt to get her teammate's attention.

"There'll be time for more fun later girly," Joker laughed out. He delivered a deft kick to Artemis's side. The young archer registered intensified pain but couldn't even make a sound before her consciousness was abruptly taken away.

The Joker laughed louder.

A/N: I know I haven't updated in forever. I'm very thankful to everyone who continued to review, favorite, and alert in my absence. You kept my inspiration and drive going. If you didn't go to my profile and see the note I left back in August, the reason that I have not been able to update in so long is because my husband was in a horrific car accident on July 2nd. He had massive internal injuries and a few times it looked like he might not make it... Thankfully he did, though he's mostly been in the hospital ever since.

My husband was mostly incoherent and unresponsive for the first month and a half he was in the ICU. I really wasn't the most 'sane' person during that time. I couldn't focus to do much. I couldn't really read fanfiction much less write it. I did bring my story with me to try to work on, but I'd write a few words and then just couldn't work anymore...

It was also hard because the last time I had seriously worked on this story and was really into it was the night the accident happened... In fact, I was supposed to go with my husband that night, but I stayed home to work on this because I wanted to have it done for him to read that night. If I had been in the car, I would have been killed instantly. So I just had so many mixed feelings when thinking about this story.

I promised I'd never leave a story unfinished though and I keep my promises. I will never discontinue this story, you have my word on that. My husband is home now, thank goodness, though he still has a very long recovery to go. So I am able to work again.

I can't tell you how often I'll be able to update. There's many things that I have to take care of, but there will be time for me to work on my story. I love writing my stories and never give up on them.

Thank you for sticking with me through this difficult time and I hope you still enjoy my writing. :)