"It thinks to a degree," the teen clarified. "It knew you were around and brought you here but I'm not sure why."
While J'onn took the information in, the teen reorganized her pile of cushions. She was in no hurry and the Martian had a feeling that he would not be leaving any time soon. Still, he had questions.
"How did you find me?" J'onn asked her.
"The world. It brought you here", She answered. She investigated as soon as she knew but had to race against enemies to reach him before they did.
"What enemies? Who are they?" He also wondered. What they wanted with him?
"The world is divided into three types of beings: Citizens, Fighters, and Enemies. Enemies are Monsters, threats, evil, merciless, cruel. They only know two sides: them and us. They are horrible things that want to destroy everyone and everything because it's their nature. They do not have reason and they do not need it," the dark-haired teen explained. "That's who the enemies are."
J'onn could feel the emotions that communicated her responses. It was incredible and terrible at once. "How can this be?"
She did not understand his question but shared his wonder at the horrible truth. "Monsters are always looking for someone to torment. That never changes. Citizens and fighters are targets. Fighters can defend against the enemy. The enemy is everywhere." It sounded like a mantra.
"What about police? People—others to help fight?"
Images of men and women in uniforms floated from J'onn's mind to hers without intending to. "There is no physical distinction among Fighters other than they can fight against the enemy."
From her mind to his, J'onn could see orbs of color within female and male figures. Those with an orange color were fighters; those with a murky blue-brown color were citizens. There was a moment of darkness where J'onn thought he had gone blind but it was gone as soon as it had come. That was the enemy if it had a color.
"Do not look at their face, they will paralyze you and… do terrible things to you." The girl closed herself off from J'onn's mind as she stood up. J'onn also stood, leaving his cup on the nearest table.
Her black eyes glanced up at J'onn then turned towards the door. Unlike humans who only had color within their iris, there was no 'whites of her eyes' only black yet it did not unsettle him. He had stranger physical features.
"I have to go." J'onn could feel her emotions again. She deliberately opened herself to him so he did not have to probe her mind. It was unusual and surprising since J'onn had only come across species that valued keeping to themselves.
This adolescent was preparing herself to fight, much like any member of the League did when they knew the battle they faced was not going to be easy. He could sense a routine behind the preparation stretching far, far back to her younger years. This was not her first fight but what was she going to face?
"I will come with you," J'onn told her as he followed her to the door. He did not feel comfortable staying inside the box-like room.
His hostess did not give him a warning to remain behind or tell him what dangers awaited them. Instead she said, "Stay close."
^*^*^
Gotham docks…
Superman searched through the wreckage with his X-ray vision to no avail. Batman contacted the Watchtower with instructions to send Dr. Fate or Zatana to his location as soon as either was done with their mission.
Flash ran around the docks but returned without any more knowledge of J'onn's whereabouts than when he had been pushed away from the mysterious box, which sat untouched on the ground. J'onn had realized at the last minute the box was dangerous and pushed Flash away. Not about to risk a repeat of whatever happened, the three superheroes left the unburied box where it stood.
"Ok, let's go over it again," Superman began but Flash cut him off.
"How many times do you want to go over it? J'onn is still missing, for all we know he's inside that black box and needs our help!" Flash glared at the black box but he was not the type of person to hold grudges, even against inanimate objects.
J'onn had saved Flash from an unknown fate while Flash, the fastest human alive, did not have time to react and save the Martian. Unlike J'onn who had telepathic abilities, Flash could not have known that one of them would have disappeared. The knowledge did not ease the feeling of wishing he could have done something to change the outcome. He looked up at the star-studded sky in hopes of seeing Dr. Fate or Zatana coming down and helping them to save J'onn.
Superman, sympathetic to his teammate, rested a hand on Flash's shoulder. "We'll get him back," he promised.
Flash believed him. Not only because Superman was the type to keep his word but Flash believed him because he did not believe there was any other way. They had to get J'onn out of the box.
^*^*^
Within the box…
The sidewalks were full of students walking, running, on skateboards—all of them in a hurry to get to class. Finding himself surrounded by others that were not in the league, J'onn felt he needed to appear more human.
Sensing his distress, J'onn's companion put up a barrier to hide him from view. Once J'onn had donned his usual human disguise, no one seemed to have noticed the difference. She like everyone in her world dressed simply: A shirt and shorts or pants and shoes. She glanced at J'onn's wardrobe and but did not ask why he chose to disguise himself. It was not relevant to the moment.
"J'onn, watch out!" J'onn was pulled away from a boy on a bike, racing down the sidewalk without bothering to see who he had almost run over.
J'onn opened his mouth to thank his hostess but realized he did not know her name.
"I'm sorry, I never asked your name," he apologized.
The dark haired girl was momentarily silenced by surprise. "I don't have one," she said with a slight frown. She quickly went through her memories but came up with nothing.
Students were picking up their pace to get to class before the bell rang. The sidewalk and halls were empty.
"Come on," she said to J'onn, the matter of a name quickly forgetten.
J'onn followed his hostess to the gym where students were lining up to climb a rope. J'onn stiffened. The air was tense. Fear came from the students like the torturous slow drip of water from a leaky faucet: is it nothing? Is it something terrible? J'onn had been in the twilight-drenched world for several hours but he was no closer to becoming familiar with his heightened sixth sense that warned him the moment he stepped inside the gym than he was when he was first pulled into the world.
The gym teacher was a burly man with a mean look. He glared at the students and pointed to one to step forward. J'onn sensed his teen savior beside him, tense like a cat ready to spring. He did not even have to glance at her to know! J'onn should have been ready as well but he could not accept that in a place like a school, such a thing would happen.
Then J'onn felt it as he saw it: no remorse, no pity, no thoughts of why or revenge; there was a need to have pain and agony; a need for fear. The gym teacher unleashed a hard backhand at the student, sending him sprawling to the ground. A busted lip and a bleeding nose was only the first of what was to come—or would have if the gym teacher had not been sumo-style punched through the brick wall.
"Everyone scatter!"
