Title: Dearest Nightmare
Pairing: KryptonIce (Conner/Cameron or Superboy/Icicle Jr.)
Warnings: minor action violence, kissing
Disclaimer: for public safety, I do not own Young Justice :p
I also have a multi-chapter fic of this pairing called "Walking on Thin Ice."
Chapter 1: The Mercy Show
"What is he worth to you?" Klarion stared back at his cellmate, the ice-meta Cameron, better known under the tired name Icicle Jr. Cameron's name, like his life, was marred by his father.
"I can't stop thinking of him. Ever since they came here..." He paused, his mind too quickly returning to memories of the Krypton clone.
Cameron was pathetic, clinging to the short memories of having met Superboy despite his Terror Twin guise. The ice-meta didn't even expect honesty from his obsession.
"He doesn't love, nor even like you. He lied to you from the first day he was hauled here."
"But I want him and will pay any price."
Icicle Jr. could not be sound-of-mind. Klarion didn't even want to guess what life with Icicle Sr. had been like to warp Cameron so easily if anyone offered him the barest shred of kindness.
"Fine. But I will escape this prison."
"I don't see what I can do. Those shackles prevent you from using magic."
"No, they are draining my magic. I don't have enough to escape, but I can do what you ask."
"I don't see how you can give me Conner..."
Before he could continue, Klarion plummeted his foot into the ice-meta's jaw. "Do we have a deal?"
"Fine. Just give me Conner."
Klarion smiled, baring his teeth as he stared at Cameron. The ice-meta would be perfect. Klarion didn't have enough magic left to use mind control on Conner or truly grant his request, but he could do the next best thing. With Cameron's mind already unstable enough for him to plead to the witch-boy for help, his mind couldn't be strong enough against even the weakest spell.
Cameron would be given visions of the life he wanted with Conner; all Klarion needed was the boy's body to use as a weapon.
"Goodbye, Cameron."
Batman had arrived at Mount Justice, giving sparse responses to Robin and the team other than demanding to see Megan and Conner...alone.
Miss Martian trembled, afraid of the elder hero. Conner stood emotionlessly, almost like he hadn't yet learned the human emotion of fear.
"Icicle Jr. and Klarion have escaped Belle Reve."
Although she knew better than to question Batman, she was irritated. Neither her nor Conner had anything to do with the escape.
"How did they do it?" Conner asked quietly before Megan could say something foolish.
"Video surveillance quickly shut down. No other prisoners escaped."
"Can Klarion still use magic?"
The question hung in the air, not prompting a response from Batman.
"What did the guards say happened? What does this even have to do with us?" Megan calmed her nerves; she could not fear this man.
"Icicle killed between 20 to 30 of them in a frenzy. Entire sections of the prison are now frozen over and unable to be accessed until we call in a specialist. The few surviving guards described Icicle Jr. as detached to the point of being unwilling to listen and respond to them."
"Aren't they locked up?"
"He broke not only his cell door, but also his restraints.
"And so his powers came back..." Conner looked to the ground, thinking back to having been a pseudo-friend to the ice-meta. "This doesn't make sense. He doesn't have a reason to escape without his father."
Megan looked between the two, not knowing what Conner was about to imply about the ice-meta's homelife. Conner looked troubled.
"What did Klarion do during this escape?" Megan broke the silence, still wondering why they were here.
"Nothing. He calmly followed Icicle Jr."
"Like a master following his precious hunting dog," Conner's words clung to the air as if some high truth had been uttered. The clone had never sounded more mature.
"Still, why tell us? What did we do?" Megan felt inept. Conner knew more than her about this situation, which bothered her. Something just seemed wrong. The Martian wanted to shake it off as nerves.
"By the few reports we have, he became obsessed with you."
"Me?" Megan asked, because she at least remembered how Icicle Jr. had wanted Conner's 'sister.'
"No, Conner."
Miss Martian didn't want to appear shocked in front of Batman, so she pursed her lips, before asking, "Why tell us and not the League?"
"This mission won't be known even by your team. Cameron won't harm Conner."
"But he could harm me," Megan glared.
"I doubt he will. You are connected to the event that started his obsession. Also, you're more prepared to take on Klarion."
"Do you expect mind control?" Megan couldn't hide her own experiments. Surely Batman knew how she used her abilities on villains. Now wasn't a time to play coy.
Megan sighed, berating herself for ever agreeing to go to Belle Reve. Conner and her would be up against a now psychotic ice-meta and a Lord of Chaos. Batman offered no help nor encouragement, only the command to stop them.
Dizzy and still seeing through his dream world, Cameron gazed towards Conner. His attention was and never could rest on the green Martian beside the clone; she was simply inferior to Superboy.
The Kryptonian stood, smiling yet with a dignified, god-like grace, perhaps beckoning Cameron to make the first move. The ice-meta put one step-forward, his arms slightly parting as if to lunge and grasp the clone in a hug.
Megan, Conner, and even Klarion all stared open-jawed as Cameron's eyes glistened, his mouth breaking into an uncharacteristic grin. The ice-meta beamed with a sickening happiness, but it was unlike anything Megan had ever shown. Cameron's grin was what would have happened if Megan's innocent smile had been force-fed vats of Venom. His mouth, eyes, and overall perkiness didn't suit him; he wore happiness like a mutation.
The two teens and even Klarion watched curiously, almost eagerly awaiting what would happen. All four stood in the woods close to Mount Justice. Megan and Conner hadn't needed to go far, because somehow Klarion's magic had allowed Cameron to sense where the actual Conner was.
"Superboy, I can't read his mind," M'gann spoke instead of telepathically communicating with Conner. She was admitting weakness now, but she didn't believe that the ice-meta would harm them. If anything, her admission of her powers' failure might provoke a response from a perplexed Klarion.
"There is no mind left to read." Klarion said calmly. There was no sneer, no childish joke, and not even a threatening cackle.
M'gann concentrated once again, focusing more intensely on Cameron's mind. The barest sliver of thought could be felt: a dying will. The Martian's telepathy latched on, flooding her own mind with the images being projected in Cameron's head.
The ice-meta swooped right in front of Superboy, but Miss Martian didn't stop him, even though she could see his dream-world.
Dreams were all Icicle Jr. really had. There was no malice in M'gann's thoughts; if anything, she pitied him.
"You mean a lot to me," Conner simply stated, not caring to clarify further. Only in a dream could the clone's words so loving.
Cameron beamed back, nervous about how real this felt. "You too."
Before the criminal could continue, Conner nudged their noses together, before quickly planting his lips on Cameron's.
The ice-meta's body almost defrosted under how overpoweringly real this felt, as if all their previous encounters had felt fake. Conner had claimed him in a kiss. For the first time since before he had became a criminal, Cameron felt peaceful, easing into the sugary kiss.
Conner had been too shocked to respond, glancing back and forth from a quiet, unmoving Megan and a smirking Klarion. Miss Martian's eyes had glazed over into a foggy greyish-white, her mind temporarily pushed into seeing Cameron's dream world…
A world that Klarion had magically created; the witch boy knew the ending of that fairytale. Concentrating with the last of his available magic, the witch boy mouthed a silent chant that created a small dent in his collar.
The dent was enough to let loose his magic as if it were radiation flowing from the ozone's hole. Although Klarion could have gotten rid of his collar back at Belle Reve, there had never been a better opportunity until now. Brutish guards no longer surrounded him; Cameron could be blamed for the entire escape. Now, Megan and Conner were all that could stop him from escaping, but the Martian was too busy watching Cameron's dream-world and Conner was shocked into an immovable silence.
Superboy, the clone of the man of steel, embodied the straight, male-dominated American dream. Klarion had never thought this half-formed plan to escape Belle Reve only required a deluded, possibly now insane ice-meta to kiss the clone into silence.
Neither had he expected what should have been simple mind control spell to change Cameron so completely. Upon kissing the clone, Klarion sensed a transfer of magic flowing into Superboy, connecting the two.
Superboy was now trapped in Cameron's dream world.
All Miss Martian could do was watch, as if Conner's life had become nothing but television fodder for her and the witch boy.
AN: I think this will be a two or three-shot. I found this in a folder of ramblings, fleshed it out and now have this. I'd love if if any of you have guesses to what Conner will do in Cameron's dream world.