Chapter 3: Unrest

After a day like that, M'gann was surprised that she and Conner still had appetites for dinner. All the same, they'd managed to account for a good amount of food on the table, and her teammate didn't seem to mind that some of it was colored differently then what was on Earth. Then again, after having nothing but granola and water for the last few days, she was inclined to think he was just as desperate for something new as she was.

"You look satisfied." She commented as she led him away from the table. Once again, her mother had waved off her efforts to help, instead telling her to see Conner to the bedroom and get some sleep herself.

"It was a lot better then ship rations." He replied, echoing her own thoughts. "And we survived one day on Mars, so yeah. I'm happy enough," even though she knew he'd be far more relieved once they were back on a planet that wasn't full of telepaths. "By the way," he continued, glancing back at the kitchen as they moved through the house. "I saw that everyone on Mars,"

"Looks human?" She finished the thought, and allowed herself a brief smile over his surprised nod. She hadn't lost that knack for guessing what his questions would be. "We're a shape shifting race. Sometimes the…Other shape you've seen is common, but having thumbs and more human like limbs can be useful. We've been using that form a lot more often, ever since J'onn's activities on Earth became more well known. I guess…You could think of it as a sort of homage and respect."

"And not just you being an Earth fan girl?" Maybe she couldn't predict his questions quite as well as she thought, M'gann decided once her cheeks colored at that question. At least there wasn't any malice behind it, and he dropped it quickly enough as they entered the guest room. The sleeping chamber was a quiet little space with the lights dimmed. Just an oval of a room with a few beds scooped into the walls, and a bit of cloth thrown over the floor to keep it from looking completely like a cave.

"I hope this is okay," she began, when Conner waved the concern off.

"I can sleep in closets and shower stalls; this is fine." To prove it, he walked over and put a hand on the bed sill, before sitting down at the edge and ducking his head in. "Don't worry about me."

"R-right." M'gann moved towards another empty cot that looked comfortable enough. Her own room, she knew, was just a few rooms away …But she wasn't certain about going back to a place that belonged to a girl from five years ago. She could hear Conner shifting around, finding a comfortable spot to rest in. It helped fill up some of the quiet, but she found herself speaking anyway. "By the way, I'm…Sorry about all the complications."

A pause, and then Conner muttered, "It's nothing. We finished the first half of the mission; now we just need to figure out how to get h-home again." She could hear that pause over the word 'home,' and even though their mental link was still quiet, M'gann found she didn't need it to tell what he was thinking; if that had been the right word to use, since they were with her family now.

M'gann tried to solve it by giving a soft "Of course. We'll figure it out." Which seemed to be enough for him, as a few minutes later she could hear his breathing ease up. Her own eyes drifted shut as she listened to him, while M'gann lay back against her own space of wall, half sitting and half reclining as her thoughts began to slow down.

Red, hurtful…But she can fix it.

Their foreheads brush together, and M'gann reminds herself to be gentle as she holds his head in her hands, opening her eyes to look into his.

His eyes cut into hers, full of rage as his hands suddenly slam into her shoulders. He shoves her away, while her confusion buzzes through their link.

GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT! His voice echoes in her mind and deafens any thoughts she tries to send to him, as she tries to curl away from it. She feels a hot anger start to spark in her chest while her eyes sting, and the words wrench themselves out of her throat.

"I didn't-!"

M'gann's eyes opened with a jolt, right as she whispered "I didn't do anything wrong." Something about the words felt heavy and unwieldy on her tongue, and she tried to push the memory of them and that dream out of her head. She could feel her neck growing stiff from where she'd been leaning against the rock wall, and eased herself up and away from it.

Sleep wasn't going to come easily to her after that, she knew. So instead, M'gann found herself sitting on her bed, stretching out her thoughts into the rest of the house. Not speaking with anyone, but just listening; hearing her mother speaking with her siblings, a few buzzes of stray thought on where to go to market tomorrow, how studies were progressing…Voices that she'd almost forgotten about, but were a comfort now.

There was a faint, gentle nudge at the edge of her mind, which M'gann picked up on long before she heard the footsteps. L'aonn paused outside the doorway, casting a shadow inside the faintly lit room. No knocking, just waiting for a mental answer and invitation from her instead.

"You can come in," M'gann said aloud, turning to fully face him as she also sent a trickle of encouragement over to him. She kept her thoughts open, inviting, and was rewarded by him nodding and stepping over the threshold.

"Were you dreaming?" L'aonn asked as he moved up next to her bed.

"Not over anything I want to dwell on," she replied "and I don't think I was asleep for long. Talking with you sounds better, anyway."

"You speak a lot more." He touched his fingers to his throat to show what he meant.

"It's a habit from Earth," M'gann heard Conner stirring a little from his section of the room, and shifted her words over from her mouth to staying in her thoughts. "Telepathy isn't how most people talk, there. It's been a while since I've even had someone knock through a mind link, instead of on a door."

"How do you manage?" L'aonn's thoughts were drenched with disbelief as he sat down beside her.

"It took some getting used to, but after a while you adjust to knocking on doors, or…Sometimes not understanding people as well as you used to." Conner had subsided, and she fought to keep her eyes from going over to him, instead focusing on her brother.

He was watching her, curious from the way his head was slightly tilted. "You sound a little more mature, compared to the last time I saw you. Earth must be teaching you a lot; pretty soon I won't be able to call you little sister any more."

"Well, I ended up with a little sibling of my own, back on Earth." M'gann didn't bother hiding her grin once that revelation finally got L'aonn to lose that stern look in favor of a bewildered one. "So I'm starting to learn all about the joys and frustrations when it comes to being a responsible and protective older sibling." She made a face as she continued. "L'aonn, if I ever did half of what Gar manages, I apologize. But…I hope I did more then half of everything else he does."

In response, L'aonn ruffled her hair enough to get a soft laugh out of her.

"Sis, you're one of a kind. I doubt he could ever make me groan or laugh as much as you do." She missed seeing that spark in his eyes; while his smile looked a little thin, there was a clear joy showing up in his eyes as the red lightened a little, and lost some of that harsh glare. That, at least, hadn't changed in the time she was gone, and M'gann was glad that she could still pick out the spark in his eyes. "Still, I'd like to hear more about this new little brother."

And for the next hour, she told him. About how they met in Qurac, the blood transfusion and what came out of it, Marie Logan's death…He never knew her like she did, but he still lowered his eyes at that. In a little while she had him laughing again through their link as M'gann told him about how her catch phrase got Garfield experimenting with one of his own.

"I thought Conner was going to break a new doorway when Gar was in his 'here comes Garfield' phase. Lucky he settled on 'noted' instead." As she pressed that mental image of Conner sulking in the hallways and actively avoiding a child half his size, M'gann found herself glancing over at where he was resting.

"What's going on between you two?" She couldn't shrug L'aonn's question out of her mind, even though she wanted to. "There's a weird cloud in your head whenever you focus on him; kind of grey and heavy. Did he…Hurt you?" Those last thoughts began to coil up like fists, and she rushed to ease them out.

"No! Well…Not entirely." M'gann sighed, and let her memories flow a little more easily. "It's probably easier to show you." Or at least show him part of it. Strange as it felt, a large part of her didn't want to give up those quiet moments between them to someone else.

"He's…Been important to me, for a long time. Ever since I arrived on Earth and joined the team, actually." She let a bolt of warmth pass between them, sweet and slightly painful with how it settled in her chest. "We're…Not together any more, though."

To her relief, L'aonn didn't follow that train of thought any further…Even though he must have felt some of that emotion pushing its way out of her head and drifting between them. Instead, he simply glanced over at Conner, and then back at her, eyes narrowed and thoughtful.

"Oh, right…That reminds me, there was a reason I cam to see you. Here." L'aonn dug something out of the pocket in his shirt, and pressed it into her hands. Blinking, M'gann brought it up to better look at it…But it was the smell, slightly sweet, with a clear, cleansing sharpness to it that gave her the details.

"H'alas?" She blinked up at him in surprise, and saw that gentle light was back in his eyes. "It's been forever since I had any…"

"It's probably not the same as all that Earth food you've been eating…But I figured you might still have a taste for it." She could only nod at that, staring at the treat in her hand. Maybe it wasn't the same as baked desserts or the fruit on Earth…But she found her mouth starting to water anyway.

"I picked one up while I was out running errands, a little before we found you." She could hear a little bit more behind his thoughts; surprise that he'd managed to find one, and for a price that wasn't robbing him. "And…" And she knew he'd originally gotten it for himself; he had just as much of a taste for it as she did. "I thought that since it's been five years, you might enjoy having something you like, on your first night back."

She was already nodding, before she could catch herself. "Yes, but…I wouldn't want to cheat you out of something-"

"That I can have anytime as long as I'm on Mars, luck permitting. You should enjoy it." He pushed her hand back, leaving her still holding the treat.

"Split it, maybe?" M'gann offered anyway, and felt a quick flash of confusion as he laughed.

"Like I said, M'gann, you're one of a kind. But fine, we can split it." And at his words, the food trembled a little in her hands before a crack ran right down the middle, and it broke into two mostly even halves.

He still took the smaller half before she could stop him, though. Leaving M'gann to nibble her share with a slightly exasperated, slightly amused feeling before soaking up the tangy flavor on her tongue.

-o-o-o-

Conner wasn't exaggerating when he said the beds would be fine. M'gann was smart enough to keep from calling them 'pods,' which helped when it came to sleeping. By the time Conner opened his eyes, he had the impression that he'd spent a good eight or nine hours asleep. The lighting in the room had gone from dimmed to completely off, and he could make out M'gann standing in the doorway, outlined by the lights from outside it, eyes and head downcast.

It was still different, seeing her with all the color leeched out of her skin. Judging by the way she leaned against the doorway, it didn't seem like she enjoyed it. Her eyes were fixed on her hand, and her expression seemed to fall the longer she looked at her skin. Her other hand rested on her elbow, squeezing at it. Something she only did when she was looking for comfort.

He swallowed a lump before it had the chance to form in his throat. How long had it been since he'd seen her do that? Conner thought about speaking to her. Something to help raise her head-

But a different voice beat him to it.

"I'm guessing you're not enjoying being back home." Turning a little in the bed, he could just pick out the speaker. Another pale Martian in the doorway, resting a hand on M'gann's shoulder. "Or that you're getting much in the way of sleep."

"I like seeing the family," M'gann offered, lifting her eyes just enough to look at L'aonn. "All of you are still sweet, and friendly."

"But?" Conner could also pick that out in M'gann's voice, while her brother remarked on it.

"But…That's not the case everywhere else. I feel like I'm suffocating, sometimes."

"That's a problem with everyone else. NOT you." For a moment Conner wondered if he was listening to himself, with how decisive L'aonn's voice was. "Hey…You want to get some fresh air, for a change? It would fix that suffocating problem." Her brother's lips lifted just enough for it to count as a smile. Difficult to pick out in the dim lighting, but still there.

"Is that really a good idea?" He could pick out the excitement in her voice, even with that question, while L'aonn's smile widened.

"There's no law that says we have to stay indoors all day; just stay in the designated areas." And then he switched over to a definite smirk. "And if we cut across a few blocks while no one's looking…Well, who's going to report what they never see?" His hand left her shoulder, giving her wrist a gentle pull instead. Which seemed to convince M'gann that it was time to start moving. "Besides, there's something that I want to show you."

"…I want to come, too." Conner let the words slip out of his mouth as he pushed himself up off the mattress. Across the room M'gann started, just barely jumping in surprise from hearing his voice. He pushed the blanket aside as he swung his feet out from the alcove, looking up at both of them.

"Conner? Didn't know you were up." She wasn't touching her arm any longer, which he guessed was a good thing; he wasn't feeling that stupid weight in his chest from watching her, at least.

"I've been awake for a bit…" He admitted. "But it's not like there's a lot to do. I'm ready for a change of scenery, if you've got room for one more."

L'aonn glanced back at his sister at that, and M'gann gave a very slight nod. "I don't mind; it won't trip your plans up too much, will it?" L'aonn gave him a measuring look, which Superboy met straight on, until M'gann's sibling finally rolled his shoulders in a shrug and gave a nod.

"No, it shouldn't; three don't move much slower then two. Let's just get going now."

-o-o-o-

Conner's strides were a near match for L'aonn, both of them moving with a surprising amount of purpose. L'aonn intent on leading her through several blocks towards someplace, and Conner determined not to be left behind. M'gann found herself floating between them, tying the group together. Her eyes kept glancing between them every time they turned a corner, until L'aonn finally slowed as they ducked between a set of buildings, and into a low and short scoop of a tunnel.

What was waiting for them beyond that was just a tiny cup of carved chamber, barely flared out from the tunnel they were ln. But as her eyes ran over it, M'gann started to pick out familiar shapes; that curve of rock that sloped out from the wall and into the ground, that had stood in for a house or a spaceship depending on the mood. Or the sharp slabs sticking up on the other end of the little cavern, for the more risky adventures. Even the soft ground under her feet brought back a wash of memories; how she'd preferred playing on this, because it didn't hurt as much when she took a fall.

"Remember this?" L'aonn's voice was soft, not wanting to break the moment.

"Remember what?" Conner, by contrast, was a little rougher, but he borrowed a cue from both of them and didn't raise his voice. Instead he glanced around as well, his eyes narrowed; not suspicious, but clearly confused.

"This…" M'gann paused next to Conner for a moment, not able to look away from the scenery. "I used this as a playground with my siblings."

M'gann stepped forward and into the cavern in a daze, feeling almost like she was walking on air instead of the gentle sands under foot. "I can't believe this is all still here…" She whispered as she traced her fingers over a sloping bowl of rock. Looking at the tiny half circle opening in the bottom, M'gann had a hard time believing she could ever fit inside it.

"Guess it's not something they care much about developing. I'm kind of glad it's been overlooked, though; there's a lot of good memories here for me."

"The same goes for me…" M'gann paused as she moved through their playground. "I still remember how exasperated you used to be when I asked you to change into Megan's dad."

"Because I didn't want to be a dad. It was good practice with shape shifting, though." L'aonn rested, half standing and half leaning against the rocks as he looked around. "What I really remember is the last few times we went here…After we found out about J'onn being on Earth as a hero."

"Oh…And how I kept asking you to be J'onn?" She could still remember that fierce desire to live out what she'd heard. The few images on the television they'd seen from the news. And how L'aonn had grumbled a little, but had looked satisfied with himself once he gave in and darkened his skin to green.

"It would've been our necks if anyone saw us shifting to green. But…To be honest, I liked that it gave us a chance to break the rules." L'aonn breathed out slowly. "Although I never would have guessed this would convince you to actually DO any of that. I was terrified when you didn't show up back at the house; I thought you'd been found out, or detained, or something, and it was my fault…"

"L'aonn, I'm sorry-" M'gann stopped as L'aonn held up his hand, and gave a gentle, telepathic shush, stilling some of those heavy and guilty feelings trying to knot up in her heart.

"Don't say you're sorry. I meant what I said, that you're doing a lot of good on Earth. And I hope that you'll be able to get back there WITHOUT mother having to throw her weight around, or dad using his tunnel network." He stood up, and crossed over to rest a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. It was larger then she remembered; her brother had been doing some growing as well.

"But…I kind of hope that you'll be able to do some good for us as long as you're here, too. Even if it's just for a few days."

His words took her by surprise, and M'gann started to try and form some sort of reply, which would hopefully be equal parts affirmative and asking what prompted him to say that. But as that 'what' started to roll off her tongue, M'gann heard something else; not from her, or L'aonn, or even Conner. A sort of low, familiar thrum building in her ears, which she hadn't heard in a few days. But recognized quickly enough after a second of staring.

So did Conner, as he turned and yelled at them both "GET DOWN!" M'gann grabbed L'aonn by the arm and threw herself to the ground, right as a furious roar of an explosion shook the buildings and slammed into her bones. Her ears rang as she tried to reshape them, and her vision swam for the first few blinks as she opened her eyes again.

She picked out a dark shape overhead, blocky and sharp against the dust that was starting to chock the air, and a low, ruddy glow that was bathing the walls of the city. Another heartbeat, and she picked out the dark hair and realized that it was Conner, crouched in front of both of them and acting as a shield.

"M'gann, are you okay?" His voice stayed low and cut through the ringing in her ears. She managed a shaky nod, and then realizing that he was only looking at her out of the corner of his eyes, convinced her lips to move enough for words to come out.

"Y-yeah, I'll be okay. What just-"

"An explosion." L'aonn cut in, pulling himself upright and kneeling beside her. "Close, too; we're lucky we were outside the worst of the blast and shockwave." He guided her up, with a murmured 'on your feet' in her mind.

"About a block down from where we are." Conner turned his attention fully towards the street and pushed himself up when he saw that M'gann was able to stand. Looking between them, M'gann noticed the surprised blink L'aonn was giving her teammate, and couldn't help but smile.

"Super hearing; it's a specialty of his. Can you pick out anything else?" Conner narrowed his eyes, tilting his head for a moment as he listened.

"…No more explosions, but there's something going on. People are shouting…Sounds like there's a fight." Straining her ears, which were finally starting to work normally, M'gann could make out something similar. High pitched sounds that could have been screams or shouts, echoing through the streets. Conner was already moving forward as he spoke, but paused when L'aonn gave a low hiss.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to help. We should be able to-" He stopped short, frowning as he heard something else…And while M'gann's own hearing still felt muffled, she could pick out what sounded a lot like foot falls on stone.

"Both of you, get back." Conner was already turning on his heel and ducking behind one of the sheafs of rock. A heartbeat later, M'gann and L'aonn joined him.

"Keep quiet," He and L'aonn whispered at almost the same time…And paused long enough to blink at the other in confusion. That was when M'gann picked out the gaunt silhouettes of several Martians running by. They carried themselves like members of the guard; confident, assertive, and knowing how to use the pole arm weapons they carried. M'gann fought to keep herself from shrinking back when she saw a low crackle of energy and wavering heat at the edges of those weapons, held well away from the soldiers. Their voices echoed, loud and commanding, off the rock walls.

"Fire in the northern block! Take a detachment to smother the flames. If you have to drop the entire tunnel on it, then so be it; don't let it spread." M'gann swallowed a gasp; but that did explain the ruddy colors staining the walls. She could faintly remember hearing about something like this before; how during the civil war, concoctions of napalm had been created that could soak into and spread across rock…How that was supposed to be a weapon of last resort, too. That food from last night sat ill in her stomach as she looked at the harsh light flickering over the walls, as the voices rose and the soldiers rushed past their section of tunnel.

"Rioting in several branches of the tunnels, too; all whites, and we're getting calls for more detachments to protect the people-" The voices were already fading as they rushed past the hiding spot.

"We're short handed! But…Take five, and sweep through the area. Meet up with the main unit at the edge of the neighborhood. Don't…" She couldn't catch anymore, the voices blending with the footsteps and low rumble of the attacks. Once they'd completely fallen out of earshot, Conner stood back up. His eyes found M'gann's, and there was a decisive light settling into them.

"M'gann, let's go-"

"Back home." L'aonn cut in, frowning at her teammate. Conner shot him a half angry, half confused look, but L'aonn didn't let that slow his speech. "You heard the guard; there's some sort of riot going on, with a bunch of whites at the front of it. If M'gann or I go out there, whose side do you think they'll decide we're on?"

She could remember those glares they received on the street, that tight angry knot of greens that had almost closed around her and Conner before her brothers had arrived. That had been on a calm market day, but this-

Her skin crawled under that coarse weave of fabric, as Conner blinked, and angrily shook his head. "So you want me to stand around and do nothing?"

"I want you to think this through." L'aonn's voice was more even, more measured, but to M'gann's surprise had that same amount of strength…And even anger in his voice. "How are you going to help anyone if we end up under custody, or facing down an angry mob? And it's not as though you blend in either, Kryptonian."

Conner bristled at the name, and before he could say anything else, M'gann stepped forward.

"Please, Superboy." M'gann switched into his field name easily, and that at least got him to turn and look at her. "We'll figure out something to do…But L'aonn is right. We can't come up with a plan here; we need to regroup."

She didn't know she was holding her breath until Superboy's shoulders sagged forward, and he transferred his glare to the ground. His growled "…Okay" was just barely audible, but that was enough for L'aonn to take the lead and guide them away.