Everybody Lies a "Young Justice" fic.

A series of one shots focusing on various members of the Team and what happened to them that brought them to where they are now, focusing on one central theme: lying. It will be part of the fic, though it may not be the central aspect of it at times. Inspired by the song "Everybody Lies" by Jason Walker

Chapter One: Conner
Words:1, 379

"We do what we have to when we fall in love."

His hands are shaking again and he clenches them, trying to will them to stop. It unnerves him to know that talking about his past relationship with M'gann still garners a reaction from him. He was fine during his talk with Alanna; getting it out completely in the open without any fears of it leaking back to anyone else that he knew was a comfort he hadn't known he'd been craving, at least until she mentioned it. Because explaining to everyone else the reasons for breaking it off with M'gann, especially after they'd come clean about their skeletons in the closet, was too difficult.

No one else would understand.

They'd been together for a while, but it wasn't long enough for Conner. It probably was never going to be long enough for him. Alanna had made a valid point: M'gann was a shape shifter and he barely aged so why couldn't it work between them? The answer was so simple that it couldn't be explained like everyone wanted. It's not like Conner wanted to break up with her, not after all it took for them to get together: he had to almost lose her to realize that he cared deeply for her.

He loved her.

Still loves her. He shakes his head as he takes a deep breath, staring at his wall and trying not to let his anger claw its way to the surface. No one gets it but it's because he loves M'gann that he had to break up with her. If he had stayed with her, Conner knows that he would have broken her in some way, would have hurt her. Which was why he broke it off; the pain of breaking up would pale in comparison to what he would have done later.

Because no else one can know.

Conner knows that Lex freaking Luthor knows. Because Lex knows everything about him. That thought enrages him and the only reason he hasn't run off to the dark side is because finally, finally Superman has given him the time of day. He isn't lost anymore, isn't tempted to run to Lex's side because Superman brushed him off. Superman has acknowledged him as a brother and that has made so much of a difference in the world.

There's a knock on his door and Conner stands, the bed squeaking from the movement and he turns as Clark lets himself in the room. His brother fills up the small space in the bedroom he's been given by Ma and Pa Kent. It still amazes Conner that Clark's family adopted him as their own, but he's grateful and relieved. They don't realize how much they've done for him by that simple act.

"Hey, you ready?" Clark asks with a smile as he tucks away his unnecessary glasses. His smile turns to a frown as he notes the look on Conner's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. Let's go." Conner shakes his head and makes to move out of the room, but Clark places a firm hand on his shoulder and levels him with a look that says he doesn't believe Conner and the half-kryptonian lets out a defeated sigh and sinks back onto the bed, Clark following his movements and they're both surprised that the tiny bed can hold their combined weights.

"Alright, what's up?" He prods gently. "Did something happen on Rann? Mission was a success, wasn't it?" He continues to talk, watching Conner for any sort of reaction. "I heard that Miss Martian gave Beast Boy a souvenir and that she helped interrogate that Krolotean that her uncle couldn't crack." That part is dropped casually and the reaction is instant.

The muscles in Conner's body tenses and he clenches his fists again as he stares at the ground, his whole body coiled and full of negative emotions. He begins to shake from the attempt and Clark reaches out to steady him, but Conner shakes his head. The half-kryptonian sits straight and takes a deep breath, exhaling it slowly before he runs a hand through his hair and bends over again, resuming his perusal of the floor.

Clark stays silent and lets the quiet fall over them as he waits patiently for Conner to find his words. Obviously, the topic at hand is Miss Martian; it usually is whenever he finds the boy troubled and in a mood. Clark is one of the few, if one of the only, to know why Conner broke it off with Miss Martian and the kryptonian is touched by that trust.

"I talked about the break up." Conner finally says.

"Oh? The break up or the reason behind it?"

"Just the break up. No one knows yet." He replies rather tensely. "I'm worried for her." He admits after a few heartbeats.

"You always are. It's natural. She's your teammate and you were involved once." Clark reasons, watching as Conner stands and begins to pace before his brother, which is a task itself given Clark's bulk and the size of the room.

"Not worried for her safety…I'm worried about everyone else's." He corrects, clenching and unclenching his fists.

A frown appears on Clark's face and he leans forward, folding his hands together as he watches his brother pace. "Elaborate, please."

"She..M'gann….she used to hate using her powers to read peoples' minds. She'd only do it when necessary and to gain information. Five years ago or so, she used her powers to mind wipe one of our enemies. I don't think she knew that we knew, and I don't think the others know, just me." Conner swallows and pauses in his pacing. "She mind wiped a Krolotean. Two of them, without any thought or any remorse whatsoever."

"And the worry is…?" He prompts.

Conner grits his teeth. "She's blurring her own lines too much. Every time I'm around her and she does that, or it feels like she's going to do seomthing that crosses the line, something in me kicks in. You think that our speculation was right?"

"That you might have a secondary purpose? It may be. But why it pertains to M'gann of all people I won't know."

They've had this talk before, multiple times. If Red Arrow, the clone, had a secondary purpose, then maybe so did Conner. Maybe he wasn't just supposed to defeat Superman if he ever decided to go rouge. The genomorphs themselves might have instilled a secondary function in him without him realizing. Maybe that was why he was so volatile towards mind readers.

"Clark, I still love her." Conner admits softly and his blue eyes are filled with such pain because he knows, they both know, that his love for her will cause someone pain one day. Conner may have lied about it t everyone's faces, claiming that he doesn't feel anything for her, but he still loves her. It's just that he's buried it down so deep that he has to remind himself of that fact.

"And that's why you broke up with her." He reminds him.

Because Conner's baser primal instincts seemed to kick in whenever M'gann attempted to mind wipe someone. Instincts that were dangerous because he focused only on his objective; he would use pure force and strength to achieve his goals. And if his secondary function had something to do with telepaths, then M'gann would always be in trouble around Conner. Especially with Conner's newly discovered powers, powers that no one but he and Clark knew about.

"Alright, I'm..I'm good." Conner nods his head and offers Clark a hesitant smile. "I'm ready to practice."

Clark smiles assuredly, and stands, clapping Conner on the back. "I'll drop it casually to J'onn. I'm sure he hasn't missed this either, but it'd be better if he wasn't the only one fearing about M'gann. Now, where were we on your telekinetic abilities…?"

The problem with M'gann will continue to plague Conner's thoughts. It never goes away. But her broke up with her because he loves her, because for the now, it will protect her against him and he will do whatever it takes to protect her. Even if it hurts him, he will protect her. Because when you're in love, lying to protect someone is a small price to pay for what the truth might cause.

Note: In Comic!Canon, Superboy does develop telekinetic powers and stuff because he was, for lack of better word, manufactured with them. I thought I might as well use it here and throw in the genomorphs as the explanation. The are an alien race that we haven't seen in a while, after all.

Next Chapter: Nightwing.

Please review!
.chary