*Note from Nighty: I do not own any of the Justice League characters, any DC characters or planets, or any of the locations I use in this story. I do however own most of the young leaguers, and if you didn't create the character I want permission before anyone writes spinoffs. Thanks and enjoy season 2!*
Young Justice Season 2
Episode 4: Stuck-on-the-Watchtower Blues
"What do you mean, I can't go?!"
Green Lantern looked up from his paperwork for only a moment, scowling up at Halle with narrowed eyes. "You can't go, that's what it means," he said sternly. "And that's final. No one goes to the States until the President gives the O.K. That includes Justice League members, and that definitely includes students like you. So no."
Halle folded her arms and frowned hard. "What if he's really in trouble? He needs my help, I know it."
"Halle, the answer is no," he said, standing up and packing his work into a folder. His briefcase sat beside him on the desk, and Halle got the impression that he was on the way to a League meeting. "I can't make exceptions just so you can go and see an old friend."
"But he might be—" She said desperately, but his glare cut her off. He walked past her to the door and held it open for her. Sighing, she walked out into the hall, tapping her foot as he closed and locked his office door.
"And I don't want any funny business," Lantern said. "I mean it. I think I can trust you, but after what you did at the Fortress, I don't know if that's true."
"You know that I was being controlled," she said indignantly, walking beside him. He stopped and stared at her. "Sen was doing it."
"Halle, I know you." He shook his head, turning her around so that she was facing the door to the Green Rec. "Just stay on the Watchtower, and I promise, I'll find a way to find out about your friend, alright?"
As he walked away, Halle snorted.
"You don't know me," she muttered, opening the door to the Rec and storming inside, closing the door.
Scream was sitting on the small couch with David, and the two were playing chess. David was trying to explain the Castle rule as Halle slammed the door shut behind her.
"Hey Halle," David said, and Scream's head lifted slightly with a small hum.
"Leave me alone," she snapped, sitting on the stool near the counter.
"Halle, what isss the matter?" Scream hissed softly.
"Lantern won't let me go to the planet to look for Daniel," she said angrily, pulling the jar of peanut butter over and sticking her finger into it. David flinched.
"Perhapsss if I ssspeak with him…" Scream began to offer, but Halle shook her head and stuck her finger on her mouth.
David stood up as she went for another dip of peanut butter. "Ah, don't do that."
"Don't do what?" She asked, looking up as she scooped some onto her finger.
"Aaaaahhhh," he moaned, grabbing the peanut butter from her and a spoon. "Please, please don't do that." He moved to the trash can and began to scrape the top layer off of the peanut butter. "Sorry, just… I don't like that."
"Freak," she dismissed him, putting her head on the table.
"Hey, Scream dude," David said, picking up a letter from the stack of mail. "You've got a letter."
"I have mail?" He asked curiously, standing up. "But, who would…"
David tossed him the envelope. "Here. You learned Braille, right? I think that's what it's written in."
"Thank you," he said softly, catching the letter and turning it over in his hands. He was feeling with his fingers along the front as he went to the door and left.
"Scream got his first letter," Halle rolled her eyes. "Bully for him."
"You never get mail," David noted innocently, and she growled. "Hey, what?"
"No one I know likes me enough to send me a letter," she said, standing and moving to the couch. She grabbed Scream's abandoned bowl of popcorn as she flopped onto it.
"We like you enough," David said, ripping open his first letter. "Ach. More money. Grandma sends me money every month."
"And you're complaining because?" She asked, mouth full of popcorn.
"Swallow before you talk," he said. "And I'm complaining because, I can't spend any money here on the Watchtower."
"Save it for something," she said. "Give it to me, I don't care."
"You want it?" David shrugged and tossed it onto her stomach as he passed her. She looked at it in shock for a moment. Fifty dollars. "Take it."
"What?" She said, sitting up and grabbing the money. "Are you serious? You're giving this to me?"
"Yeah," he said. "I don't need it for anything."
"But it's fifty dollars," she said in disbelief. "People don't just give away fifty dollars."
"My grandma did," he shrugged again, looking at his second letter. "Man. Mom wants me to come visit her. Like I want to visit."
Halle was ignoring him, staring at the bill, and he was still going on about his mother as she stood up, put the bowl of popcorn in his lap and left the room.
"Hey," he called after her. "Halle?"
…
Scream was reading the letter when he sat on his bed, finger lightly tracing the raised bumps on the surface of the page.
To whom it may concern,
My name is Doctor Thomas Clanston, and I implore you to look into our new program. I have mastered my research on alien cells and I have the technology and skill to alter those cells and create human appearances from alien ones.
Scream stopped there, pulling his finger off of the page. He listened to his own breathing for only a moment, taking in the sudden feeling as though someone had punched him in the chest.
If you are interested, please contact me at either the following mailing address or the two phone numbers provided. If the latter method is used, please make an appointment with my assistant Lorelai to see me. Thank you so much for your time.
Thomas J. Clanston
Head of Clanston Research at Cadmus International
Scream searched his memory. He had heard of Cadmus before, in class. Thinking over the information he had managed to retain on the subject, he decided that it might be a bad idea to go through with anything about this.
But as he shoved the letter into his desk drawer, he shivered with the knowledge that he was surely tempted to contact this Doctor Clanston. Lying back on his bed, he sighed.
For now, he would wait.
For now.
NEXT: Dependent