Just watched the last episode of Young Justice, "Before the Dawn"...Oh. My. Gosh. I...I really didn't have any words for this. I can't believe what happened...and now they are putting the show on another hiatus?! Grrrr...anyway...I really wanted to write a fan fiction about this. Probably going to be a two shot. Pt. 1 is from Beast Boy's perspective.
I glared at Aqualad coldly. When I was eight, I had thought the Atlantian was so cool. I mean, he was a dude with gills and webbed hands and feet, how much cooler can you get?! Then, I got my powers...At first, I thought the team would just think of me as some kind of freak. I didn't exactly get my powers naturally. But Wally and Kaldur were both really cool about it. Kaldur made sure that I felt welcome on the team...and then, he went and betrayed the team. But, that was okay. Everyone makes mistakes, right? And...and everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, don't they? Besides, things got really hard for Aqualad back then. We were all hoping that someday we could break through to him and bring him back to our side. Then, he killed Artemis. At that point, I stopped waiting for Aqualad to come home. He killed my sister's...well, Artemis was like a sister to M'gann...so technically, he killed my sister! Our teammate! Artemis didn't deserve to go out like that, killed by an old ally. He hurt us all. As far as I was concerned, the fish boy was out of doubts, out of second chances, out of our lives. Of course, my hatred was nothing compared to my sister's. As soon as we rounded the corner, M'gann screamed, "Traitor!" Her eyes glowed green, and I could feel the psychic energy coming off of her in waves.
Aqualad cried out in pain, his eyes growing wide with shock. I kept glaring at him. Megan just stood there for a few minutes, in a battle ready stance. Of course, in her mind, she was in a battle. Against herself, against a friend. After five minutes, I started to get a little antsy. Megan doesn't really pay attention to anything else when she's in someone else's mind. Or rather, she can't. I would have to defend her if someone came. I could, but I preferred to have my sister fighting by my side. Suddenly, the glow faded, and Megan's eyes were warm and brown again. "No," she whispered. I turned and looked at her. M'gann sank to her knees, staring desolately at the enemy in front of her, who was also collapsed on his knees. He looked like...well, he looked empty. I cringed for a moment as I thought of what M'gann might have done to his mind...only for a moment. I shook my sister's shoulder.
"M'gann? M'gann!" She didn't answer me. Next thing I knew, that weird woman in the black and orange, *She Tigger? Tigger-ess? ...Oh, right, Tigress.* I recalled absentmindedly. Not that it mattered.
"Kaldur," she rasped in concern. Funny, I didn't think that villains showed concern for each other. *Maybe they're together?* I mused. Tigress locked eyes with Megan, and there seemed to be some sort of unspoken connection between them. *What the heck?* I thought. There was no time to wonder, though. I couldn't let my sister sink any further. I growled deep in my chest and lunged at the villainous pair, morphing into a tiger. Tigress didn't flinch, she simply threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared. "I'll take mine, and you take yours," she called as she left. "And consider yourself lucky, Boy." I shuddered slightly at the way she said 'boy.' It reminded me of Artemis, how she used to call me Boy as a nickname. *Villains don't give nicknames,* I told myself, shaking my head of stupid thoughts. *Well...Joker called Nightwing Bird boy, but that was antagonistic.* I continued. I jumped and turned back into myself. I crouched for a minute, making sure there were no more threats. Once I was sure we were clear, I turned back to my sister, who was still holding this eerie staring contest with the space in front of her. I wondered if she had been looking at Aqualad in the first place.
"M'gann, snap out of it. You did good, you smoke Aqualad! But the others still need our help!" I pleaded with my sister. There was no reply. I knelt in front of my Martian sister and grabbed her face in my hands, staring into her eyes. I couldn't communicate with anyone else, but after the other powers came, we found that I could communicate mentally with Megan. Part of the blood brother-sister thing. (M'gann, please!...The team needs you...I need you. Sis, you have to snap out of this...this-whatever it is!) I didn't want to admit it-and I wouldn't have to anyone else-but I was scared. I was in some strange ship, not really knowing how long I had been there, and now my sister-who was the strongest person that I had ever known-was catatonic. I didn't know where the team was, and I had never felt so alone since my mom died. I let all this wash over my sister, hoping it would snap her out of the trance.
I felt her mind start to stir. (Ugh...G-Gar? Where-What's going on?) M'gann's brow furrowed slightly.
I smiled back at her, relieved that she was at least partly aware. (We're on the Partner's ship. We have to go. Now. Do you know where the others are?) I asked.
(The others...I...I think so. Yes, they're close,) Megan replied weakly. I stood up and Megan just floated off the ground, her toes just inches from skimming. I tried to get Megan to talk about what had happened back with Kaldur, but she shut down again. She was only aware enough to float behind me and tell me where to go. Well...she didn't tell me so much as show me. As we drew closer to where the ship was docked, I could hear fighting, but it was muffled. I shifted into a gorilla and raced down the hallway. The door was shut.
(Megs, think you can open the door? Megs? Megan...M'gann! Enough with the silent brooding, already!) I growled. Still no response. (Can you at least put the mental link back-Oh.) I felt the other consciousnesses touching my head all of the sudden. Megan retreated from their mental touch, almost cringed away. Only I could hear her. (Can you get us in there?)
(Wh-Me?...H-how?) Megan blinked rapidly in confusion.
I mentally face-palmed. (Density shift!) I yelled.
(Oh...r-r-right. I-I can do that... I can still do that.) M'gann replied in a daze. I shook my head at my sister. She was really starting to freak me out. The rest of it was all a blur as we fought. I vaguely took in the fact that everyone was out cold save for Batgirl. Megan was collapsed on the floor. Next thing I knew, we were loading our fallen teammates onto the bio-ship. I carried M'gann over to a chair and sat her down in it. The bio-ship shifted the chair so that she was reclined slightly. Nightwing did a head count, making sure everyone was on the ship. L'gonn made his way over to my sister and started pervishly stroking her hair. I never could get used to him dating my sister. Once we were sure everyone was on board, we waited for Blue to somehow get away from Black Beetle. He was our distraction while getting everyone else on the ship. Suddenly, sea water started pouring into the haul. Impulse tried to go after Blue Beetle, but was knocked down by a crashing wave. I picked him up so he wasn't laying face down in the water. Batgirl told Nightwing we needed to leave.
"What about Blue?!" I yelled.
Barbara glared at me, hands on her hips. She always treated me like I was stupid. "We can't do anything for him if we drown, or get crushed by the pressure!" She yelled back. I looked down. *Well, then...* I didn't know what her problem was, but someday...someday I would make Batgirl laugh. *Not likely,* I told myself. Nightwing detached from the Reach's ship-as I learned they were called-and started to make our escape. Slowly, everyone started to wake up. We saw Jaime get ejected from the Reach's ship. We thought that the mission was a success...but he didn't move. L'gonn immediately volunteered to go after him. They were always close, even thought Lagoon Boy thought Jaime was a little strange. I sat with my sister, waiting for her to start talking. She just stared out the window of the ship, watching the ocean pass us by. (M'gann...wake up...okay, technically, you are awake, but you know what I mean. I don't know what happened, but...Megan, please.) I didn't know what I could say to fix my sister's mind. When Lagoon Boy came back, with the unconscious Blue Beetle, he strutted over and wrapped his arms around my sister. *Sickness,* I inwardly vomited.
"Hey there, Angle Fish. Thanks for coming for me," L'gonn whispered in her ear. He kissed my sister's cheek, hoping that would get him some attention. Honestly, I kind of hoped so too. At least then my sister would be talking...or, heck even moving! But she didn't respond. I had a feeling it was because they were the wrong arms...the wrong lips. M'gann hadn't talked about it since it first happened, but Conner dumping her devastated her. She seemed so sad all the time. Even with L'gonn, she still wasn't completely herself, but under the circumstances, it was close as I was going to get until I could figure out how to get Conner to date her again. Nightwing asked Megan-oops, we're on a mission-'Miss Martian' to take the helm. Megs was still unresponsive, however, so I covered for her.
"Uh... I think she's still basking in the victory of taking down Aqualad. It was epic, you should have been there!...Okay, actually, it didn't look like much, but I'm sure it was very cool in their minds," I laughed half-hearted. I saw Conner's jaw clench and the tendons in his neck grow taught. I could tell there was something going on...I never did figure out why he dumped my sister, who-in my mind-is the most beautiful, smart, funny and kind girl that a guy could ever have, in the first place. At first, I refused to talk to him. After all, sibling loyalty. He broke M'gann's heart. But, after a while, I missed the big guy. Conner was like a big brother to me. I remembered tentatively asking my sister if I was allowed to be friend's with Superboy, crossing my fingers that she would say yes. Megan smiled sadly and told me I could. Conner never would tell me why they broke up though. All he said was, "Maybe when you're older, Gar." I don't know what he thought he was protecting me from.
We got back to the temporary base for Young Justice-the finished and tricked out basement of the Hall of Justice. Megan refused to move from the chair. I nudged L'gonn with a pleading look and for whatever reason, he chose not to be a jerk for once. I gently took Megan's hand in my own and pulled her up. She followed me out of the ship. It was a brother-sister thing. M'gann floated off of the ground and I lead her to an empty room. "M'gann? Just...stay here, okay? I'm going to bring someone who can fix this," I told her quietly. I knew she wouldn't go anywhere though. M'gann was too lost in her own mind to fine her way out of the chair. I felt this sudden anguish wash over me, and I gasped in shock. (Megan?) I whimpered.
(No one can fix this, Garfield,) Megan whispered coldly. No, cold was the wrong word...it was more...numb. There wasn't any real emotion behind it. I backed out of the room in fear. I had to find Conner. He was my only hope.
"Conner? Con? Hey, as anyone seen-Superboy!" I saw the unmistakable back of the clone walking out of the main room of the Hall's underground. Con turned around and smiled a little. Hey, it was a smile for him.
"What is it, Gar? Where's M'gann?" Superboy said her name carefully. Like he wasn't sure if saying it would burn his tongue or not.
I bit my lips, trying to keep them from quivering. "She-I...Look, I know that you're mad at her. I know-I know that you aren't a couple anymore, and I probably shouldn't ask you. But Lagoon Boy tried to get her back, and it didn't work! I need you to help her...Something's wrong, I don't know what, she-she won't tell me...and-Conner, I'm scared," I glared at the ground, hating how weak and pathetic I sounded. Like a kid.
I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Superboy leaning down to be eye level with me. "Where is she?" he asked softly.