Shadow of the Mind

By Sapphire

Author's Note: This is based off of a nightmare I had awhile ago. It starts off in the first victim's POV. Then we switch to the bad guy's POV, then to the Martian Manhunter and Batman. Enjoy!

I guess it all started when I was driving home from piano class one night. I don't remember what radio station I was listening to, but it was playing this really nice, pleasant song. My car's heater was broken, and it was snowing outside. I should have felt cold, but something made me not notice it at all. The music was slow and soothing, and I felt very relaxed and comfortable. I noticed that I was driving down a totally new road I'd never seen before. Yet, I watched in amazement as I made a turn into a subdivision and pulled into someone's driveway. I remember getting out of the car and going into the house.

I wish I could remember what happened after that.

The next thing I remember is walking back out of the house, along with some other people I didn't know. I went to my car; key in hand, about to unlock it, when I noticed how cold I felt. I looked around, and it had stopped snowing, and there was just melting slush everywhere. Yet I felt so cold I had to lean on my car for a second. I looked back at the stranger's house. It's warm in there; I have to go back in there, just for a few seconds… No, wait, what am I thinking?! I don't even know whose house that is, and besides, I'm lost! How the hell did I get here, anyway? I have to- Another wave of cold hit me, and it hurt. Not totally aware of what I was doing, I turned around and went back to the stranger's house.

I let myself in through the garage, vaguely wondering how I knew where everything was, and how I'd even found this house in the first place. I slowed down, wanting to go back to my car, to go home. But then another wave of cold hit me, and I desperately kept going. That's when I noticed another girl walking beside me. She was blonde, and walking with her back so straight, it didn't even seem natural.

I felt another cold wave hit me, and I clutched my chest, my body curling into a fetal position. It hurt! Why won't it stop… I managed to lean on the wall and make a few more steps, noticing that the other girl hadn't noticed me at all, she just kept going, and had stopped at a hallway. I caught up with her and saw a man. He was wearing glasses, and he had these piercing blue eyes. He stared straight into my eyes, a knowing smile on his lips.

"Ah, come in. Can't leave, can you, girls?"

The other girl nodded, then leaned on the wall, looking fatigued as he stared at her. He opened the door and walked in. The other girl practically dragged herself in, collapsing on a couch just inside the fireplace-lit room. That's when another cold wave hit me, and it was worse than all the others. It felt like it was radiating through my entire body, weakening me. My knees buckled, and I collapsed in the doorway.

I couldn't move, and I just lay there, wondering why neither of the two even noticed my helpless position. I heard footsteps and glanced up. A lady in a red business suit walked into the room, stepped right over me, and continued into the room. As her voice and the strange man's voices conversed, I lay there, sprawled out on the floor, slowly blacking out.

When I woke up, I was sitting, propped up in the corner of the fireplace-lit room. I tried to get up, to run away, but I couldn't move, although I wasn't tied up at all. It was like I was pinned down by an invisible wall, or something. The other girl was in the other corner. The man was sitting at his desk near the fire, watching us. The other girl slowly raised her head and spoke.

"Can I ask you a question?"

The man replied in a casual tone,

"I suppose so."

"Why are you doing this to us?!"

The man smiled calmly, then looked at me, into my eyes again.

"I want to see what I'm capable of, and to do that, I need to explore your minds. It seems I have already been able to control the body warmth and rational thought of my subjects. Now, I want to see what else I can control. Rest assured, young ladies, I am not a sexual predator. Your bodies will remain pure, all I want is to enter your minds, to explore the sensations the human brain produces."

He looked into my eyes again, and I felt another cold wave. It hurt so much I gasped, my limbs convulsing as I fell completely to the floor, rolling into a fetal position. But this cold wave didn't stop. My breath hitched as I kept convulsing, my head snapping back and hitting the wall once. Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I shut them in pain. The cold felt like it was radiating from my heart, slicing outwards through my skin. I couldn't have screamed even if I'd wanted to, because it hurt so much just to breathe.

Then it stopped, and my body relaxed, exhausted, on the floor. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of what I had just experienced, when I faintly heard the other girl scream. I wondered what she was feeling; it sounded worse than what I'd just felt. I felt like crying as I glanced into the warm fireplace. The other girl's words rang in my ears, "Why are you doing this to us?!' I felt like repeating her question as I gazed sadly back at the man. I didn't want to make eye contact again, since that's what started the last wave, but I felt compelled to do so, and I just couldn't look away. But this time, his eyes held a comforting look. It felt soothing, comforting, and warm. I felt warm and relaxed, like I'd felt in my car. I leaned back, feeling limp but comfortable. He was right, it was nowhere near sexual pleasure; it felt more like a relaxing warm bubble bath, warm and soothing. How is he doing this?

His voice spoke loud and clear in my mind, as I stared at his unmoving lips in fear.

"You want to know how? Well, allow me to tell you."

Dr. ?'s POV:

Both the dark-haired girl and the blonde girl stared at me, helpless and scared. I was looking deep into the dark-haired girl's mind, almost overwhelmed by the fear she felt. The question hit me loud and clear. Well, I suppose I owe them an explanation, at the very least, since I'd entered their minds and lured them to my house with my new mental powers. Turning away from them, I looked into the fireplace, reflecting and preparing to share my darkest memory.

Flashback:

All my life, I've been fascinated with the human brain. I had a degree in the studies of human behavior, but I couldn't hold a steady job because my experiments always seemed a bit too controversially forceful for government standards. One night, my team and I were developing a new weapon. Weapons weren't really in my line of classification, but I was the only one who knew how to fix it. It was a state-of-the-art force field generator. When fired, it was supposed to create an electromagnetic barrier around the target, thus effectively trapping them.

I knew one of my coworkers was an escaped convict, but I didn't know the severity of his crime until our roof came crashing down, revealing the entire Justice League flying through. My coworker yelled to me, "Shoot it! Shoot it at them!! What are you waiting for?!"

I'd only seen these heroes on the news before, and they didn't seem like they'd really get caught in a weapon like this, but it seemed to work when I fired it. I was surprised as I watched them struggle to get out. My coworkers had already fled, but if I ran, I'd drop the weapon, and the Justice League would be free to tackle me, or whatever they did to people who fired at them.

Out of the corner of eye, I noticed the Martian Manhunter phase out of the trap and fly straight at me. His eyes glowed yellow as he ordered me to drop the weapon. I was so fascinated with his powers that I forgot all about the weapon.

That's when he entered my mind.

Once again, he yelled, telepathically this time, for me to drop the weapon. I let go of it, but it was still active. "TURN IT OFF!", he ordered, straight into my mind. I looked into his eyes, wondering how he could do that. He'd just forced me to drop the weapon, just by looking at me! If I had a mind like that, I could control people, too!

"I… I want to be like you!"

"Shut up, Doctor, and turn off your weapon."

I could feel his presence in my mind. The great Martian Manhunter had wrapped his mind around mine, controlling my body. If he could do that, maybe humans can, too! Imitating him, ignoring my convulsing body, I reached out with my own mind, shakily trying to grab onto his mind. He seemed so surprised, he loosened his grip on me.

"I want to be like YOU!"

I don't know how it happened, but I somehow managed to grapple with his mind, somehow reaching into it and understanding his telepathic powers. He was so surprised; his mental barriers couldn't stop me. I heard myself scream in pain, followed by his own yell as he tried to push me away. The mental bond between us exploded, and I screamed, thoughts rushing madly through my mind. A bright flash hit me, and I blacked out.

I woke up in a guarded medical room in the jail. They said I'd been attacked by the Martian Manhunter, and blacked out from the stress, but I knew better. I felt different. I felt like I didn't have to stay here if I didn't want to. I remembered reaching out with my mind. If my mind was somehow equal to the great Martian Manhunter, then reaching into normal human minds should be easy, right?

I looked into the nurse's eyes and told her to leave me alone. She dropped her clipboard and ran away. I got up and was immediately tackled by the two guards. I looked into their eyes and calmly told them to let me out. I reached out with my mind and surrounded their own, forcing thoughts and commands into them, making them obey me. In unison, they got up and unlocked the door. I followed, wondering if this was really this easy. I was surprised that there were no other guards on duty.

The two guards in front of me wordlessly unlocked the many locks and opened the outside gate, letting me out into the night air. I turned around and looked back into their eyes, withdrawing my thoughts and commands from their minds. They immediately changed. One of them fell over, and the other one looked dizzy and looked at me confused. Noticing my prison uniform as if seeing me for the first time, he pieced everything together and yelled, "Hey, you! Get back in here! Hey, all units! Requesting backup! Escaped prisoner #318! Sound alerts! I need backup!"

I didn't hear any more, as I'd already started running. This jail was only downtown, and I knew exactly where I was. I smiled to myself, silently thanking the Martian Manhunter for attempting to enter my mind and control me. I'd somehow turned the tables and copied some of his telepathic powers, and that's all I needed. Now, I can control whomever I want.

The first thing I need to do is find a new place to live and change my name. After that, I'll need some test subjects to try my new powers on. I need subjects with weak minds, maybe young ones who don't know how to resist a prying telepath. After I understand my new powers and just how much I absorbed, I can rise above the human mental level. I just need time.

End Flashback

"…And that's why you girls are here. I don't wish to do you any serious harm, I just wish to gain more… personal… knowledge on the human brain."

I concluded my explanation to the frightened girls, hoping they'd calmed down enough for me to try to enter their minds again. I walked towards them, reaching into the dark-haired girl's mind. Perhaps I could try to induce fear this time. Humans react so differently to fear, perhaps-

Something black whizzed past my ear, embedding itself into the fireplace with a loud THWANG. "Is that thing… shaped like a bat? Oh, no…"

I turned, seeing Batman standing in the doorway, holding a second Batarang, this one aimed at my eyes. As intimidating as he was, I looked past him into the one green face I hoped I'd never see again, the Martian Manhunter. His now-orange eyes held absolute anger mixed with a second emotion I couldn't quite put my finger on. Perhaps some form of regret? What could the Martial Manhunter possibly have to regret?

He stepped past the surprised Batman, walked around the dazed dark-haired girl, and stood before me, contemplating his words. He closed his eyes before hovering a few inches of the ground and speaking.

"Dr. Carson, in the few years I've been surrounded by humans, I have never encountered one with a mental capacity such as your own. I have never met one who could even begin to resist my thoughts. The human mind is far weaker than a Martian's, so I have taken great care to restrain myself from causing serious mental damage to my enemies. Therefore, when you struggled against my mind, I had to back down, or else it would have driven you into a maddening state of insanity. My act of backing down allowed your mind to copy some of my Martian abilities, a power far too dangerous for a simple human to yield. I only resort to taking a human life if there is absolutely no other option. Can you say the same, Doctor?

It seems that this time, the damage is too great. Look at what you've become, Doctor. Is this what you wanted before you fought me? Would you have considered controlling the freedom of two young females before you absorbed that small piece of my power? The power you copied from my mind has corrupted your brilliant mind. I blame myself for the fact that such a small piece of my mind power can drive a human to such a despicable act."

He stepped forward. I stepped back in fear. "Oh, shit. What's he gonna do to me?" His eyes began to glow what amazing shade of yellow. The thought of absorbing even more power occurred to me. Maybe I could fight back. I'm stronger now, so maybe I could-

I thought no more as I felt my body fall under his control. His mind reached out firmly. I felt trapped, strangled, as he pinned me against the wall, his eyes blazing yellow. His voice remained deathly calm as he spoke in both my ears and mind.

"You wish to become a god, Doctor. I wish to restrain my power. That is the difference between us, and that is why I must eliminate you. You have become a threat to humanity, as have I. I will regret the loss of your brilliant mind, Doctor."

My body convulsed as I noticed that his blazing eyes seemed more white than yellow now. I tried to reach out mentally, but it was like being pinned against a wall. I think I was physically screaming by now, as his mind destroyed the precious amount of power I had absorbed from him, then turned to destroy the rest of me. My life flashed before my eyes, but I couldn't decide on a loved one to see for the last time as my world blacked out forever. I fall into the darkness of death, knowing that the regret from the Martian's eyes is now reflected in my own.

Batman's Pont of View

I watched as J'onn kept Dr. Carson's body pinned against the wall for a few moments longer. I'd never watched him kill an enemy using telepathy alone before. For a moment, the thought had occurred to be that I should try to stop him, but I stopped myself. This was personal. Doctor Carson had absorbed some of J'onn's power, and J'onn wanted to make sure that power was never used against humanity. It was personal.

Carson could have never become a functioning member of society, anyway. He was corrupted by the power, and only wanted to control the people around him. If we let him live, he'd only either break out or live his life in misery. I just hoped it wouldn't affect J'onn enough to make him want to quit living near humans again.

I went over to the two girls. The blonde girl was unconscious, but the dark-haired girl had witnessed everything just now. Hoping she wasn't traumatized, I knelt down to her eye-level and put one hand gently on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"…Batman?"

Her voice sounded almost lost before she teared up and threw herself into my arms. We both knew she was too old to be acting like this, but she obviously needed someone to hold on to for a minute. I cautiously returned the embrace, telling her that it was okay now. I hate being hugged…

J'onn's Point of View

I opened my eyes and released Dr. Carson's lifeless body to the ground. My power is so strong on humans; it did not take much effort to destroy his mind completely. As a last bit of respect to his mind and his privacy, I did not read every one of his thoughts. But I did understand why he wanted my power so much. He was simply an Average Joe who was sick of having a boss. He wanted to rise above humanity. To be a god. To get revenge. It was pathetic, in a way.

I suppose my power didn't completely corrupt him, he had considered it a blessing to be able to wield power of what he thought was my level. He had lured these two girls to his house to explore the limits of his new power. He had considered it practice for what he would do to the rest of the world. He had big ambitions, but I could have told him it wouldn't have worked. That small amount probably worked on two or three people at a time, but it would have never worked on a grand scale. Now, if I were to do what he had attempted…

I turned from my dark thoughts to the sight of Batman calming the young dark-haired girl. The girl was sobbing in relief, and Batman's voice was calming. He glanced at me over her shoulder, and the look on his face clearly showed that he did not enjoy being embraced. It was almost comical.

I smiled to myself. The sight of Batman embracing the young victim was a symbol of the true human spirit; the spirit of working together and supporting each other through the challenges that each human faces. Dr. Carson had attempted to destroy that, and I believe my act of murdering him was justified.

I walked over to the unconscious blonde child and picked her up. A quick brush over her mind told me that she was just a bit shaken, but would quickly return to her warm and lively spirit. Batman and I carried the girls out of the room in our arms as Green Lantern extinguished the fireplace, leaving the doctor's cold body leaning against the floor for the police to investigate to their heart's content.

The End

Author's Note:

Wow. I'm surprised this fic ended up so long. It started out as a nightmare, and my POV was right where the "dark-haired girl" was. It ended with me collapsing in the doorway unable to move. The rest of it was so scary. I wanted to write it down, and then I thought I could submit it. But in the dream, it was just me, the other girl, and the bad guy. So I thought of a good fandom to incorporate it into, and I remembered how there really aren't many good Martian Manhunter fics out there.

So I started writing, and inspiration just knocked me down a few times. This is my second fic, and it's a oneshot. I hope you liked it, and weren't scared off by the OCs. I usually dislike fanfics that have original characters, but I make an exception if the OC is a good villain. That's why I only named Dr. Carson, and kept the two girls unnamed.

Please review, I don't care how short it is. Thanks for reading!

-Sapphire