Sorry I didn't specify things in the first chapter. This story is going to be in the timeline of the first season, right after they come out of the 'Failsafe' episode.
A lot of this is not edited, so please help me when it's needed. Also I have a tendency to move from past and present tense. I am sorry for this. Again, I will go through and edit it later, right now I just want the story written down.
I don't own Young Justice, but sometimes I just have stories that I need to get out of my head, and those are mine, so ask before using please.
CH: 2 HALLOWEEN COMES EARLY
The reason that I am dragged out of my peaceful slumber, is not because of the constant beeping that's originating at my left, or because of the itchy blankets laid over me, or even the fact that I can hear lowered voices nearby. It's the feeling of my body being forced down into my bed by too much gravity. You read that right. Gravity. I was woken up because I felt like I was going to be sucked into my mattress. And, now that I was awake, it was starting to make me feel sick.
After a few minutes of trying to re-induce my sleep, I resign myself to the fact that I wasn't going to be falling back asleep, I sigh, which only reminds me of how much my skin had hurt. But to my surprise, I feel normal. Taking another cautious breath, I'm happy to find that the burning is gone. Actually, I feel pretty good.
'I wonder what kind of drugs they put me on,' I think to myself.
After wiggling my fingers and toes to see if I was, actually, fully intact, I dare to open my eyes.
Even with them closed, I could see through my eyelids that all the lights were on, and nobody had had the sense to dim them.
Determined anyway, I open them the barest slit. Quickly, I close them again, my eyes watering at the harsh light.
After squinting, scrunching, and blinking, my eyes enough times for them to adjust, I start to take in the shapes and forms of the things around me.
From what I can tell from my prone position on the bed is that I was indeed in a hospital, but not one that I was familiar with. Instead of white walls, low ceilings and thin walls, everything looks to be made of metal, the ceiling is at least ten feet high, and there are separate beds spaced evenly throughout the room.
I slowly shift my head over to look at the machine on my left. It's a heart monitor, like I suspected. It looks normal enough, but what catches my attention are the people standing a few feet behind it. They look like they are in the middle of a heated debate. I assume they are nurses, but it takes me a moment to think of what kind of hospital would let their staff dress up like characters out of a comic book.
One is very tall and broad, with dark hair and piercing eyes, playing his character of Superman to the fullest. The other is dressed in the full Batman suit, so I'm not able to get off much about him, except that he was slightly shorter than the Superman.
I clear my throat, not only for their attention, but because I catch myself about to laugh, and I don't want to seem rude.
The intense whispering stops, and both comic book characters look up at me. With both of their stern gazes fixed on me at the same time, I'm almost convinced they are real.
Flicking the thoughts away as soon as they come, I give a little smile to the men. It's probably the most my mouth has stretched upwards in the past week. They don't return my efforts.
Right then, I get an idea about where I am.
"Am I at a children's hospital?" I ask, my voice sounding loud in the empty room.
The one dressed like Superman raises an eyebrow.
"I mean, I know you guys take your jobs seriously and everything, but I'm eighteen. You don't have to dress up if I'm the only patient your seeing in here," I say into the room. I swear I can almost hear my voice echoing back, that's how large and empty this room is.
"Why do you think you're in a children's hospital?" Asks the one dressed as Batman. His voice sounds almost exactly like the one in the cartoons that I used to watch with Owen.
I blink at the similarity, but brush past it and try to answer his question without offending their obvious dedication to the job.
"Well, it would have been cool to have guys like you at the other hospital, but I only know of the hospitals for kids who have their nurses dress up to make them happy around Halloween. I think there is one close to where the courthouse is, so my guess is that they brought me here to get help as quick as possible." I say, my voice getting quieter at end as they stare me down.
'They're quite intimidating when they are in character,' I think to myself.
It's Superman's turn to talk, "Miss, you're not at a hospital, and we are not nurses." He says in a no-nonsense tone.
"Are you the doctors then?" I ask, confused.
"No." Says Batman.
I stare at them for a moment. "Then why are you dressed up as superheroes?" I ask.
The two men take a glance at each other before looking back and addressing me.
"Because we are." Says Superman.
I can't help it. A snort of laughter is quickly released as I sit up on my elbows so I can lean against the headboard. "Right," I say.
Both look at me. One of them, as if I have lost my mind, the other, contemplating something far beyond my understanding. The one dressed as Batman closes the few feet between us in a few strides, and comes to stand next to my bed.
I see him glance at my vitals, but then all of his focus is back on me. I feel the hairs on my neck stand up. His stare is unnerving.
"Tell me the last thing you remember before waking up." He says in a, highly convincing, Bat-like voice.
I take in a breath through my nose and break eye contact by rubbing my eyes with my palms. It feels like I have been asleep for hours.
"Uh…" I start, "…I was leaving the courthouse wanting to go home…someone bumped into me and my bag slipped. I remember picking up my stuff, and then putting on the necklace I got from my uncle. Then everything started to hurt, and there was a loud alarm going off somewhere…" I say while looking down at my hands, trying to come up with any more coherent details.
"I'm sorry that's all I can remember." I say to the Batman guy as I glance back up at him.
His facial expression changes from impassive, to a slight frown.
Before he can ask me another question, the one dressed like Superman joins Batman at the side of my bed.
"Why do you think we are in costumes?" He asks.
I give him a dry stare. "Is this some sort of concussion test? You know what, fine. I'll answer your question. Because superheroes only exist in comic books or cartoons. There, you happy? Do I have a concussion or not?" I ask, becoming irritated.
"I'm starting to think you do," says Superman, more to his buddy Batman than to me, but his message is still clear.
Now I'm mad.
"Fine! You want more proof that I don't have a head injury, then I'll give it to you. If I was so badly injured, then how could I not only know your character's names, but also their secret identities?" I say, staring down the Superman die-hard.
He raises his eyebrow again, but hardly seems impressed.
"You know our secret identities." He says with obvious skepticism.
I'm heated now. Who does he think he is? Anyone with a proper childhood knew these guys names, just because I was a girl meant that I didn't!?
"Superman's real name is Kal'El. He's from the planet Krypton that had a red sun. His parents shipped him to earth when his planet was dying, and some farmers picked him up when he crash-landed in their field. They took him in as their own and named him Clark Kent. He works at The Daily Planet as a reporter, and is secretly in love with Louis Lane." I say.
A little smug smile tugs at the corners of my lips as his mind slowly registers what I have said. His eyebrows reach so high that they might fly off his head, and his mouth looks one step away from falling open in shock. I'm silently impressed with his commitment to his acting though.
A small part of me that hasn't stirred in over a week starts to whisper encouragement to the feelings that I have dismissed for a while. Giving in to the want to express myself, I continue to egg on the man in the Superman attire.
"Personally, I think it's crazy that Clark can go undetected as Superman by just a pair of glasses. I mean really, that is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard of. I know he's limited to the fact that he doesn't wear a mask, but Martian Manhunter can change into John Jones, and both Hal Jordan and John Stewart have their rings to hide them. Heck, even Batman here has a mask and lots of money, but everyone knows at least the Original Seven's secret identities. I think something more serious than a concussion would have to erase that kind of long-term memory." I say.
The room is quiet.
The one dressed like Superman is so disturbed that I don't even think he knows that he looks it. The Batman guy hasn't noticeably changed, but I can sense from his stiff posture that he is quite surprised.
I sigh after a few more moments of silence.
"Listen, guys. I have been in and out of hospitals for the past week. Thanks for giving me a memory that I will tell my grandkids about, but I'm so ready to just go home, put on my pajamas, curl up on the couch for a few hours, and then try to go to bed without the aid of sleep medication. So if you could please sign whatever release forms are mandatory, that would be very much appreciated." I say.
For another moment they both don't move. Then, like a flip of a switch, the Batman guy puts two fingers to his ear.
"Flash, I need you in the med-bay now. Bring J'onn with you." He says, followed by a 'beep'.
Before I can wonder how a hospital got that kind of technology, an impossibly fast red blur whisks in the room and freezes at the foot of my bed.
"What's up Batsy?" Says the blur, who is wearing a Flash costume.
I blink at him. My brain catches up to what I have just seen, and my mouth falls open without my permission. Before I can start to form any sort of question, a green man floats into the room and lands at the Flash's side. Floats!
"You called?" Says the green man in a monotone voice.
Somewhere in my mind, some of the pieces click together, wanting me to believe that the impossible was happening. But all the other parts of my brain are in fierce denial of what was plainly in front of me. So I did the only thing that made sense. After staring at all the men surrounding my bed for a moment, I sing my legs over the side of it, stand up, and head for the exit.
No one stops me. Once I get close to the sliding door though, I hear a 'whoosh', and then there's a red and white chest blocking my path.
"Hold up little lady, you can't just—" Flash starts to say.
"I don't know where I am or how I got here, so I suggest you get out of my way, Berry, so that I can go find out." I say to the lightning bolt on his chest.
I see his breath catch when I say his name, and guess that he is probably too shocked to do much other than stare, so I take the moment and sidestep around him.
Walking quickly down the hall, I try not to make eye contact with any of the people that I pass. Out of the corner of my eye though, I occasionally see figures in bright costumes pass me by. Some don't notice when I pass, others watch me with curiosity or suspicion for a moment, before they turn and walk away. Another piece of the puzzle slips into place, and I regretfully take a look at my wandering thoughts.
'I can feel the ground beneath me, and hear the hum of an unseen engine. The people look real and are different from one another in every possible way. Although it seems impossible, something in my gut is telling me this isn't a dream,' I think.
Eventually, I come to a massive room filled with different kinds of exotic plants. I even hear birds chirping. I don't look at the plants too long, because behind them is a sight I would have never thought to see in my lifetime.
I walk up to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a shot of fear goes through me when I realize this window is the only thing standing between me and the endless void of space a few inches away.
I force my hand to press against the glass, and stare.
The Earth looks bigger then what I imagined it to be. It's also more brown than green. I watch as clouds drift slowly across its surface, and know, for certain now, that this is too real to be a dream.
I watch the Earth spin for a while before the peace is broken by footsteps. If I knew anything about him, it was that he let me hear him coming, which I was grateful for.
I don't turn as he comes to stand next to me, and when he stops, he is silent.
I break it first. "Where am I?" I ask.
Looking forward, he answers me mildly. "I believe that you came through a wormhole from a parallel universe."
I slowly let my head fall, and press my forehead to the glass.
"What's the date?" I ask.
"The twenty fourth of October." Batman says. His breath fogs up the glass in front of him.
I nod, my forehead rubbing against the cold window. "Did I show up yesterday?"
"Yes." He doesn't look away from the window.
"Well, we know that we're in the same time line then." I say, more to myself, then sigh and continue to watch the world spin below me.
"How much do you know about this world?" Batman asks after another minute of silence goes by.
I finally lift my head to look at him. He does the same.
Staring at the mask that had been behind some of my best memories with Owen, I answer him.
"Back where I'm from, you guys are all a fantasy. First you were comic books, then a cartoon show. Now there are movies and video games about you too. There are so many different versions and companies that have tried it their way, but the names and backgrounds are mostly constant." I say.
"How much do you know." He says again. He doesn't say it, but he wants to know how much I know about him. Secrecy is his main defense, and I can understand his need to assess how much of a threat I could be to them all.
Another sigh.
"Your name is Bruce Wayne. A billionaire who inherited his fortune from his parents when they died when you were a kid. I don't know what happened during the in-between parts of a torn up child, and the man who became a vigilante, but I know you have a batcave hidden under the mansion that you can get to by some secret entrances in your house. I know who Alfred is. I know how you adopted Richard Greyson when his parents died in the circus, and is the first Robin. He goes on to become- "
"Stop." Batman says.
I look back up at him. He doesn't sound angry other than his naturally gruff voice, which surprises me.
"Why?" I ask, "I thought you wanted to know."
"Some of those things haven't happened yet. If you go on to tell me what's in my future, or anybody's future for that matter, it could change the reality how you know it's supposed to turn out to be." He replies.
I give another nod and look out the window again.
"How far into the future do you know?" He asks eventually.
I look back at him.
"Well, it depends on what reality this is, but I have a good guess of which one. Your costumes would look different, and I remember this room in the Watchtower. Do you guys have a secret team of super kids hanging out under a mountain by any chance?" I ask a tad sarcastic.
His scowl deepens, so I take it as a 'yes'.
"Then I know from about now till next year, then there's a five-year gap where I know about some key things, and then about a year after that." I say.
"How do you know about all of this. Even people who know of a TV show don't usually remember the details." Batman states.
I don't mean to, but my mouth gives a little quirk upwards. It's a sad smile though, and it doesn't last very long.
"My little brother was a nut for all things superhero. We would watch the new episodes when they came out on TV, and the first season was on Netflix. About a month ago he got phenomena and my parents had to go out of town for the weekend. He felt too sick to move from the basement, and I was charged with babysitting, so we sat down there for two days and watched all the episodes over again. I couldn't forget some of this stuff if I wanted to," I say with a nostalgic laugh. "…I don't want to." I finish.
He's silent again.
"Are they gone?" he finally asks.
I look back down at the window, not very surprised at his question. I nod once.
"Carbon monoxide poisoning," I say.
He gives a shallow nod in return, and for some unknown reason, his gesture touches me more than any of the hundred others I had received. Tears are suddenly in my eyes, and I try to blink them back as I clear my throat. If Batman notices, he doesn't comment.
"So," I say, "now what? Can you get me home?" I ask.
He stares at me a moment, looking like he's trying to find the correct words to explain, and comes up with "No."
"How come?" I ask, feeling a small part of me getting excited over the fact that I didn't have to go back to my solitary world of depression quite yet. I mentally 'hushed' the thoughts and try not to think of them again, ashamed that I could feel good about leaving behind my home, and the remains of my family.
"The necklace was what transported you from your parallel world, and it was damaged when we found you. I have never seen such technology, and we have little hope of repairing it, if at all soon. I'll have our experts examine it, but it looks like you'll be staying for now," Says Batman.
Emotions that I can't begin to decipher roll through me. Before I can dwell on them more, Batman continues.
"Your bag with your identification came through with you, that's what helped base my theory that you were somehow transported here when you didn't show up in any of my searches. I recommend you keep your name, and I will enroll you in a high school that some of the members of the Team attend. I assume you know all their identities as well?" He asks briskly, giving no time for me to argue against anything he was saying. Not that I could argue with Batman, but I might have tried to possibly voice my concerns.
"…yes." I respond to his question once I realize what it is.
He nods again, "You will be living at the Cave with the Team. You will be expected to train with them, assist in recon missions, and provide any information during times that could prevent fatalities or injuries. That said, you cannot tell them where you are from, or how you know your information." He throws at me.
"Wait, what? Back up! You just said I couldn't tell you anything because it might blow up the universe or something. Now you're saying that I have to help the Team by giving them information, but they can't know how I know about their deepest darkest secrets, or how exactly a mission will turn out!?" I exclaim, my voice rising without thought. "Also, missions!? I can't punch without breaking a bone, I have a solid 8-minute mile if I push myself, and I'm only average at anything that involves a target. I offer nothing to the Team except information, and most of it is personal stuff that won't help for a while. How could I possibly be of any help to a team of superheroes?" I end quietly.
Batman continues to stare at me for a moment, waiting for me to stop ranting I'm guessing.
"Regular people burdened with irregular circumstances can often turn into the best kind of heroes." He says.
I open my mouth to reply, but close it quickly when I realize he's not just trying to give me a pep talk. Sighing, I drop my gaze from his, close my eyes. I give him a nod, and hope that I'm making the right decision.