A/N: set in an AU/possible future of the Young Justice TV series. I do not own anything except the plot; all names, characters, et cetera, belong to DC. Rated T for character death and some minor violence, but no language. Enjoy!

M'gann closed her eyes as if that would make the terrible scene before her vanish like a nightmare. Two opposing forces faced each other across the deck of the freighter: her team, missing two, against a host of armed and armored gunmen. Neither side moved, as if time were frozen; and at the head of the army, a massive human towered over them all and leered down at the four young heroes… and held a struggling Robin by the throat, pressing a gun between his shoulder blades and making sure his teammates could see.

This was no dream; this was real. Reality had become the nightmare; and unbearable guilt threatened to overwhelm her with the thought that it was all her fault. Emotions swirled inside her like a hurricane: fear, dread, hopelessness, worry, and above all that awful guilt—ripping her sanity to pieces and devouring all hope she might have had. She wanted to throw herself into the ocean's abyss and let the water claim her forever, rather than face the horror she knew was in store for her, for all of them.

My friends need me, she thought, holding on to her last shred of sanity. Robin needs me. It's my fault for not stopping him, my fault he was captured… she owed it to him to get him out of this mess, but despair filled her, because she knew she could only hope to fail. I have to try.

"… Anyone have any idea who these goons are?" she heard Artemis say, hearing her as if through a badly tuned radio, distant and meaningless.

"New recruits for the Light, most likely," said Wally, equally distant. M'gann wanted to scream at them, what does it matter? This wasn't a routine mission, a lame recon stunt. Why were they treating it like a game?

Conner reached over to take her hand, trying to calm her through their mental link. She'd thought she was being careful about what she let him see and hear through it, but her control was slipping, and she could tell he'd seen enough to be disturbed by her thoughts. It's going to be okay, Megan. Trust me, we're all taking this seriously. His thoughts left a grim flavor in her mind.

We've never faced anything like this before, she thought, and there's no hope of help from the League or anyone else. It's just us… the hopelessness of these thoughts threatened to crush her under their weight; she felt herself slipping out of awareness, her mind starting to shut down in an attempt to stem the flow of so many negative emotions.

Stay with us, Megan, Conner urged, gripping her hand more tightly and trying to steady her with his own mind. This isn't over, whatever advantages they've got.

She jerked her hand away from his, shutting him out from her mind. He looked at her strangely, confused, concerned and a little hurt; it had been rude to cut the link without warning him, but an idea had taken her by surprise and she didn't want him to know what she was planning. He would try to stop her. But it has to be done. I can't let them kill Robin.

Now Artemis and Wally were exchanging words with the enemy. Once she would have listened, joined in, but she left them to it. It gave her the perfect chance to set her plan in motion—which she had to do quickly, before any shots were fired or blows exchanged instead of words. Cautiously, she reached out with her mind to make contact with the giant who was threatening Robin with his gun. The last thing she wanted to do was share thoughts with this monstrous human, but she had no choice if she wanted to save Robin. If violence broke out between the two parties, her team would be overwhelmed for sure, and if they tried any trickery they would just get him killed faster. This was the only way.

The human had sensed her hovering at the outskirts of his consciousness. She didn't want to scare him; the sight of that gun pressing into Robin's back was making her sick. She wanted to open up a link with her friend, reassure him that he would be all right, but she didn't dare. So she hovered, waiting for the giant human to speak first.

Martian, he growled in a thought-voice that felt like sharp gravel. I know what you are up to, but you will find that my mind is not so easily entered as others'. Or controlled. Your mental trickery won't work, and will only get your friend killed. Slowly, mockingly, he moved his finger to the trigger.

Stop! She thought, hoping to overwhelm him with the strength of the mental command. It worked, barely. I have no mental trickery planned. I wanted to discuss… options… with you. Without the rest of Young Justice knowing.

She felt him laugh inwardly. So, he thought with a little surprise and some satisfaction. You're the mole? Or just a traitor?

Mole? She wondered in the part of her mind closed to him. Dismissing it, she replied, I am no traitor. I'm willing to trade: myself for him. Free Robin, let my friends go, and I'll give myself up.

I see… you are being noble. Silly and unprofitable, but to each their own. It is satisfying to know that the bait worked, at least. Very well, I accept your trade. Now get out of my head.

M'gann withdrew, but as she did she felt a strange shift in their fading connection. What—she started to wonder, but then it was gone, and she was alone with her thoughts.

She turned to look at her teammates; as far as she could tell they had not noticed anything strange. That was good; if they even suspected what she had just agreed to they would ruin everything trying to save her, and then Robin was doomed for sure. It must be done. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she stepped forward.

Suddenly all eyes were on her. The giant human looked down at her with smugness in his eyes, while she could feel—but not see—her teammates' questioning glares scorching her back. The faceless soldiers had their expressions hidden by their dark visors, but every head was turned her way.

She ignored them all, and took another step. Another. And another. The dull rhythm of her footfalls drowned out her thoughts, drowned out the impulse to turn back now, save her own skin; she kept walking, inevitably to stand before the giant.

Without opening a link, she projected a single thought to her teammates behind her: Don't mess this up. Once you can, take Robin and get out of here. With the thought she sent some of the howling maelstrom of her emotions, to make them realize how important this was to her, to quell their need to rescue her. This was her choice. Her sacrifice.

With more courage than she felt, she looked the man squarely in the eyes. "As we agreed," she said for all to hear. He nodded slightly and removed the gun from Robin. She suppressed a sigh of relief; it was working!

But something about the movement of the man's arm as he drew the gun away was wrong; she didn't figure it out until she saw the butt of the gun swinging towards her face. She cried out in alarm and her hands flew up to block it, but she was too slow. The gun slammed into her head, and she crumpled with the force of the giant's strength, unconscious before she hit the ground.