Things Are Never What They Seem
Young Justice
One shots of sorts
Author's note and disclaimer: I got this idea while sitting on the toilet. That's where I get all my good ideas. I just want to get this out other. If it doesn't pick up, which I'm guessing it won't, I'll probably take it down. Or just let it sit and get covered with dust. I do not own Young Justice.
I should probably mention that this takes place during the second season. And trigger warning for suicide.
Life Now
"Are you positive that you can save her?" Kaldur asked demandingly.
Klarion scoffed as he ran his hand across the back of Tinkle. He rolled his eyes, "Saving her life will be like taking candy from a baby."
Kaldur closed the gap between them, glaring death upon the Lord of Chaos. "Then do it."
"Not without causing some extra chaos." Klarion let Tinkle slip from his arms and sauntered around the girl who lay on the table. He gave Kaldur's friend the once over. She was beautiful, even a demon like him could see that, with long dark hair, and a fairy tale complexion. Klarion knew how powerful the girl was, given the fights that they've had in the past. Although this time, Kaldur was fighting alongside the Dark Side.
"What more chaos can you bring?" The former hero asked.
"So glad you asked." Klarion's sheepish grin made Kaldur's stomach turn. The demon noticed his new found comrade's quick glance towards his friend dying on the table. "I can save your friend, as long as she remains by your side."
"Fletcher is a hero. She always has been." Kaldur defended, "The only reason I am asking you to save her is because she is the only one that tried to save Tula."
Klarion rolled his eyes at the mention of Kaldur's dead crush. "I can give her memories. Memories of always loving you. A love so strong that will make her stay by your side until the die one of you dies."
"Her powers are too strong."
The demon cocked an eyebrow, noting that Kaldur didn't resist to the idea of his friend loving him. "But her weakness is magic, especially my magic."
"I see." Kaldur understood everything at that point. Fletcher's only weakness was magic. He remembered after the first time she got hit, she was down for days after. "Will this hurt her, in any way?"
"It won't hurt her, but it will hurt her team mates." Klarion smiled, "When they see that she is devoted to you as she is to them, they'll stop at nothing to get her back. But your hold on her will be too strong. Even I won't even break it once you enact it."
"I have to enact it, why?"
"Because I said so." Klarion waved his hands over Fletcher's unconscious body making it glow for a second and then turned to Kaldur whose perplexed expression almost made him laugh out loud. "Also if I kissed her, which is gross, then she would fall in love with me and that's someone else that I don't need worshipping the ground I walk on."
"You want me…to kiss her?" Kaldur almost shouted.
"That's my deal, Fish Lad. Kiss her, she lives and loves you. And she fights on our side." Klarion clapped his hands, calling Tinkle back to sleep in his arms. "I'd do it quickly though. Your friend doesn't have much time."
Klarion disappeared into a swirling hole with laughter echoing throughout the room. He left Kaldur towering over Fletcher's body; he cringed at the site of her paling skin, the fever breaking across her forehead, the tremble in her body when a chill ran up her spine. He knew he shouldn't trust the Lord of Chaos with his plan, but Kaldur couldn't let his friend die.
He lifted her upper body off the hard table, cradling her head close to his armor chest. Fletcher's eyes cracked open, revealing blue—pained—eyes under her long eyelashes.
"Kaldur…" Fletcher's voice cracked as she struggled to breathe.
"Everything will be alright, Fletcher. Just close your eyes." Kaldur commanded quietly, smiling down at her warmly with a tender gleam in his brown eyes. Fletcher obliged him, falling behind a curtain of black. The former hero placed his hands on either side of her face and lowered himself until their lips met.
A wave of energy rippled from Fletcher's body and a jolt of electricity traveled through the both of them. Fletcher's injuries and fever disappeared, her eyes popped open. She took a minute to gather her thoughts and surroundings before her eyes locked with Kaldur's.
"Kaldur." Widely smiling, Fletcher wrapped her arms around his neck. Out of happiness that his friend was going to live, Kaldur imitated her action, but around the small of her back.
"I'm relieved. I thought I was going to lose you." Kaldur admitted quietly.
"You can't get rid of me that easily." Fletcher teased.
Kaldur pushed Fletcher back, his hands resting on her shoulders. When she glanced up at him he saw the flecks of hope in her face. She wore the same expression when she was Roy's girlfriend. Crap, Roy. He had forgotten that she and Roy had a nasty break up. On the surface it looked like the falling out didn't bother Fletcher, but the anger showed in her work outs and beating up the bad guys. Her attitude only got worse when she found out that he married Jade a few months after their break up. She was so angry her plants in her apartment simultaneously combusted. Batman was forced to put her on the inactive roster until she had calmed down.
"Tell me. What do you remember?" Kaldur questioned softy.
Fletcher swung her legs over the table, facing him, and chewed on her lower chip as she thought. "I remember…getting in a fight with the League. I got hit with one of Zatana's spells. It's still a little fuzzy."
"How do you feel about Roy?"
Fletcher was about to reply, but then shut her mouth; pressing her lips together. She shook her head, "I don't feel anything for him and why should I? I'm with you."
"How long have we been together?"
"You forgot?" Fletcher smirked, she was teasing him.
"Humor me. I just want to make sure that you do not have a head injury." Kaldur smiled halfheartedly at his new beloved. He was thankful that the Lord of Chaos left her personality in one piece. He liked her honestly and sarcastic wit. She was a lot like Roy in that matter, but a bit more emotional when she was pushed.
She sighed, pretending to be annoyed with his request. "We've been together for a year and half." Fletcher knew that there was a follow up question, she read his mind before he could ask it. "That was after I left The League. They purposely hid the fact that my father was a bad guy."
Kaldur was shocked, "You read my mind?"
"Sorry, I won't do it again. I just really hate playing twenty questions." Fletcher cringed, "Are you mad?"
"No, not at all." He stepped back and held his hand out for her to take. "Are you hungry? You should probably eat something."
Just mentioning the activity of eating made her stomach growl. She avoided his gaze, but Kaldur watched as her face slowly turn red. He chuckled at her twisted expression of embarrassment. Kaldur needed to admit to himself, that Fletcher was a little bit cute when she wasn't stoic. Or resting her face, as she put it.
"Come with me, we'll find you something to eat." For her safety, he didn't want to leave her side. Kaldur knew that if she went walking around his father's ship without him, she would get attack and that could end with everyone getting killed. What he needed to do was to speak with his father and the rest of the crew before turning her loose in the ship.
Fletcher took his hand, slid off the table and as soon as she took her first step her legs caved. Kaldur went down with her, grabbing her shoulders to hold her still. He should have known this was going to happen. It takes a person a while to adept to the deep and dark sea. Being close to death probably didn't help her much either. Kaldur, however, saw this as an opportunity.
"Perhaps you should eat in my room. It'll be quieter and you can rest afterwards." Kaldur helped her to her feet, but they didn't want to stiffen when she needed to walk.
He hooked his arms under Fletcher's legs and held her tight against him as he carried her. When the door opened his team of villains stood waiting. All of them wore the same shocked expression when their boss's son came out carrying a good guy like a princess.
Kaldur shut them down with an intense death glare and a cold tone, "We will talk about this later. Meet me on the deck. Also can one of you grab her some food, a lot of it"
His team didn't say a word as they sauntered by. Fletcher didn't even turn her head to see their mouths hanging open.
"This should be fine for now." Kaldur said as Fletcher used her telekinesis to open his door. "I'll see about finding you a room."
"Or we could just share." Fletcher said winking, he knew she didn't mean it. If she wasn't, Kaldur was going to pretend that she was.
He sat her down on his bed and leaned against the wall across from her. "I wouldn't leave my room either, not until after I speak with my father. Our crew is new and not familiar with your face. They might attack you, thinking that you're a hero to put an end to our operation."
"Let them try." Fletcher held a ball of fire in her hand, a murderous gleam in her dark eyes.
Kaldur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fletcher please. For my sake, don't kill anyone and stay in here until I return. Someone will be here with food for you soon.
He began to walk to the door, but Fletcher stopped him. She had levitated herself to grab him by the wrist. "Kaldur, is everything alright?"
"Are you reading my mind again?"
"No. I don't have to be a telepath to know that something is bothering you." She raised herself to at eye level and caressed both of his cheeks. He didn't expect what came out of her mouth next. When she spoke next it was in Atlantean, something no one spoke on the ship.
"What's wrong Kaldur'ahm?"
He smiled pleasantly, hearing his original language made him feel a little better. "I am just nervous. Our mission didn't go as plan and didn't get the object we were sent out to retrieve. My father isn't the most forgiving person."
"I can take care of him for you, if you want? Maybe revert his mind to a child, that'd be funny to see." Fletcher suggested.
"You don't have to do anything, not for me." Kaldur felt a pang of guilt strike his heart. He already took so much from her.
"You sure? Because I'm liking the image of him sucking his thumb?" Fletcher joked.
Kaldur's frown broke, chuckling at the image and hoped that it wouldn't pop up while he spoke with his father. "I am positive. I just need you to stay in here, so I know that you're safe."
Fletcher leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, "Then I'll be here."
"I hope you have good explanation for your poor performance Kaldur'ahm." His father spoke as soon as he walked onto the bridge.
"Just a poor one, unfortunately. The girl, she is a good friend of mine. I stopped the mission to save her. " Kaldur offered.
"She's a goody two shoes. She's kicked our hides more than once." Tommy Terror threw Fletcher under the bus.
"That is true. But she left the League when she found out that they were withholding information about her father." Kaldur defended.
Black Manta stood from his commander's chair and approached his son. "She left because they lied to her? May I ask what the lie was?"
"Yes. Her name is Fletcher Avalon, the daughter and soul heir to the Avalon Fortune." Everyone's eyes grew wide, but Kaldur continued, not wanting to leave them hanging. "Her mother and sister both died when she was young. I believe you know who her father is."
"I do and I'm thankful that he isn't involved with The Light." Black Manta nodded his head, "But why don't you explain him since you've actually met him."
Kaldur nodded and faced his small group of henchmen. "He is a monster. Once, on an assignment, we were tasked to protect her father. He was being targeted by The Shadows, for good reasons. Fletcher found a secret study in his library and stumbled upon his darkest secrets. He had murdered his wife in front of Fletcher's twin sister, Victoria, and made it look like suicide. Before you ask, I don't know why he killed her. I don't believe Fletcher knows either. If she does then she's made herself forget."
"Dude, that's harsh." Frost Jr. cringed.
"Believe me, it gets worse. A few years after their mother's death, Victoria killed herself. Fletcher found her sister's note the same day she found the study. Victoria apologized, saying that she couldn't live with the guilt anymore."
"Not be insensitive or anything." Tuppins interrupted, "But do you know how her sister died?"
"I do. The Shadows had hired Psimon to fight Fletcher. To keep her, and my old team, occupied he dove into the deepest part of her memory and we all saw it. She had climbed on top of the balcony of Fletcher's room and jumped. Fletcher saw the whole thing. They were ten."
"Jesus." Tuppins and Tommy subconsciously reached for each other.
"Amongst the files, Fletcher also found out that her father was responsible for her powers. He let an unknown company experiment on Fletcher, giving her telepathic, telekinetic abilities, and super strength. According to the file, that money he gained brought his company out of the red and would keep it that way for centuries."
"And her ability to control water, fire and earth? Did they give her those too?" Frost Jr asked angrily.
"I believe she was a born elementalist. Practicing the many forms of martial arts just honed those skills and turned her into a, literal, force of nature." Kaldur replied and then turned towards his father. "The reason why I asked Klarion here was to have him save her. He did much more than that. He has her underneath an unbreakable spell. She believes that she is in love with me and will do anything for me."
One of Black Manta's eyebrows cocked, "Really?"
"Yes. I already questioned her and she believes that we have been together for a year and half. That's when she left the League."
"That's when you joined me and The Light." Black Manta added.
"Yes." Kaldur paused, "I know that I failed you, father. But I believe we also gained power."
"How so?" Black Manta questioned.
"Fletcher is incredibly powerful. She's stronger than most of the Justice League. I've seen her fight against Superman and she barely broke a sweat. I believe, under The Light, she can reach her full potential."
"Interesting thought. I'll run the idea by them during the next meeting. Where is she now?" Black Manta asked.
"Eating about 10,000 calories in Kaldur's room." Tuppins replied.
"Having those powers burn a lot of calories." Kaldur joked.
After his team departed under the orders of not to attack Fletcher, Black Manta grabbed his son by shoulder. "I am proud of you, Kaldur'ahm. You were honest with me and defended yourself even though the possibility of a severe punishment would come after. But I must know something."
Kaldur didn't speak.
"Do you like this girl?"
"I suppose I do. We have fought alongside each other for many years. I trust her. And not because she was the only one that tried to save Tula." Kaldur replied, wanting to reassure his father that his head was in the right place. Not with his heart. Although, he'd be lying if he didn't say that Fletcher caught his eye every once in a while.
"I understand your meaning. I was just double checking that you didn't save her to bring her on board to be a spy."
"I would never do that to you father. I just couldn't watch someone else I care about die." Kaldur's hands rolled into a fist. That part was true. He didn't want to see her die.
"That will be all, Kaldur'ahm. You may go." Black Manta returned to his chair and waited for his son to disappear into his room.
"There is one more thing, father. Her sleeping arrangements."
"Ah. Put her in a room near you. Unless you two want to sleep in the same bed." His father joked.
Kaldur didn't smile or even let a trace of his embarrassment show on his face. "She'll be in the room next to mine and I'll have someone put a lock on it. Just in case Klarion's spell has expires."
When Kaldur returned to his room, he found Fletcher curled up in his bed. The thin comforter wrapped around her ankles and the pillow thrown across the room. He didn't think his meeting ran that long, but he guess the day's event completely wore her out.
Kaldur gave up the idea of them never sharing a bed. After changing out of his armor and collected the pillow from the floor, he crawled in beside her. Sensing something warm, Fletcher wrapped her arms around his torso. He didn't try to push her off or try to wake her. Having her close, the innocence in her face and the warmth of her breath warming his skin put his mind at ease.
Author's note: Damn this is sort of long and I'm not even sorry. So should I continue this story? I think it has an interesting twist to it. Leave a review~!