ALRIGHT. Long chapter in repayment for missing my update time last Saturday. (In my defense, it was my birthday so I took...the...week...off...oops) Hopefully you all can forgive me for it.

A big thank you to all who gave me feedback and such.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize blah blah blah don't sue me DC I'm not worth it.

Chapter 4: Trials

Athalia sat on one of the beds, her bag at her feet, and J'onn sat on a chair, facing her. He had a tablet in his hands, clearly ready to take note of her answers. Athalia rubbed her hands together nervously. It wasn't fight-or-flight humming through her skin. It was nerves. Anticipation. She didn't know what to expect.

"What is your full name?" he asked.

Athalia almost laughed at the simplicity of it. First things first.

"Athalia Feivel, daughter of Yana. That's my formal title."

Given name, father's name, daughter or son of mother's name. It was how it worked. It was a mouthful, but it was custom.

Athalia missed her parents. Thinking about them felt like a piece of ice was lodged into her chest. But she cast the thought aside. She could prod at it later.

His fingers tapped on the pad.

"How old are you?"

Another innocent enough question. Athalia hadn't thought about her age in a while, even lost track of the number while on Earth. Even more by then. She remembered how old she was between major events. But when she was in the dark, time didn't make any sense anymore. Now, she didn't know. She really didn't.

She was born 26 days after the summer solstice on her world. But that didn't tell her how old she was exactly.

"I am 31, I think," Athalia said slowly. "I don't know the exact number."

She was young, in the scope of how long she could live. Members of her race could live for hundreds of years. She highly doubted that she would reach that kind of age. Reaching past 30 was an accomplishment. One year at a time.

J'onn nodded.

"I wasn't expecting an exact date. But, where are you from, if I may ask?"

Athalia remembered how she didn't answer Hawkgirl when she asked a similar question, how defensiveness had leaked into her voice. He must have thought she wouldn't answer him now. She really didn't want to answer, if she was being honest with herself. But there was no way they were going to let her get away with only saying that she was an alien, her race and planet of origin unknown to them.

"M-," Athalia started, the word cutting off.

She flinched, her throat working around the word. Her home. It was once so beautiful. She didn't know what it looked like now.

Athalia forced nonchalance into her demeanor. It felt very fake, even to her.

"Mnemosia. It is about sixty light-years from Earth. Something like that."

J'onn's face twitched, as if he was raising an eyebrow.

"I know of that planet."

She nodded, not surprised. The people of Mnemosia and Mars were in contact with each other for centuries, until the Martian race was wiped out. But that happened centuries before Athalia was born. She was very surprised to find that there indeed was a Martian still alive when she came to Earth.

"There are two races, aren't there? One with increased mental strength and one with increased physical strength."

It was both reassuring and not that J'onn seemed to know about her world. He knew about the two races: the beings of fire, Itirohids, and the beings of stone, Avlohids. Both of them were good, in their own ways. At least, Athalia used to believe that.

"Right. And I belong to the first one. The Itirohids."

Athalia had hoped that these kinds of questions would stop, but he didn't show any sign of stopping.

"Why did you leave?" J'onn asked. "Surely you had a reason."

The importance of that question was lost to Athalia.

Why she left her home. How she left. She knew the answers to that. They were carved into her skin, burned like brands against her mind. A series of events over several years that ended with her alone and miles north of Metropolis.

"Things were getting rough," Athalia said, shrugging, "Civil war was about to break out. So I called in a few favors and left as soon as I could."

It wasn't a lie, technically. Half-truths, a mix of fact and fiction.

J'onn stared at her for a moment, red-orange eyes seeming to bore a hole through her. Athalia was sure he was going to press. She wasn't sure how she would be able to answer if he did.

J'onn didn't inquire further. In fact, he seemed almost sorrowful.

The questioning continued on a different vein, to her immense relief. Her occupations (artist, waitress), non-existent (technically) criminal record, how long she had been on Earth (less than three years). Eventually, J'onn stood, setting the tablet on a nearby counter, signaling that the questioning was over.

Athalia was relieved to hear it.

J'onn hadn't kicked her off of the Watchtower, so she had to assume she passed that test. All that seemed to serve was for them to get a file on who she was and for Athalia to realize that her lying abilities hadn't waned through the years in the slightest.

Athalia drummed her fingers on her arm as she waited for something else to happen. J'onn was fiddling with something.

She was startled when he spoke up again, almost forgetting that he was in the room with her.

"I will also carry out the health evaluation, but we can have Diana here if it will make you more comfortable."

Athalia nodded. That seemed logical.

"I would like her to be here," she agreed.

While Athalia was practically certain J'onn wasn't going to take advantage of her, she felt better with the idea of another woman being in the room. She didn't know what her health evaluation would be like.

J'onn's eyes glowed suddenly. It took a moment for Athalia to remember that he was telepathically summoning her.

Athalia envied him a bit, being able to use his telepathic powers to connect with others. She couldn't link with him, or with anyone else, despite her mind's constant yearning for it. She had the buzzing and she was suddenly very conscious of it.

Diana entered a minute later, greeting the two of them.

"Shall we get this started?" Diana asked.

J'onn asked her questions (more questions!) on her medical history. Some of the ailments he asked about she recognized, but some she didn't. She just answered 'no' to them and hoped for the best.

They weighed her and measured her height: five feet, four inches, and underweight.

Admittedly, Athalia wasn't in peak physical condition. She didn't need the tests to tell her that. While she was often on her feet, she had a poor diet, on the cusp of going hungry. Thin, but not quite bony, not quite gaunt. She knew what gaunt looked like on her.

Her kind were generally healthy. Their bodies were weaker to injury, more easily broken, less easily fixed. The other race was more robust, possessing physical strength.

They took a vial of blood for tests. She wasn't sure what they were testing for, but she let J'onn poke her with a needle. J'onn was gentle taking her blood, taping a cotton ball to in the inside of her elbow to stop the bleeding.

They checked for anything that would hinder her ability in battle: her heart, lungs, sight, and hearing.

All of those must have been passible because no one spoke up to tell her otherwise.

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Diana said jovially when it was all over.

That was one way to put it. In response, Athalia yawned, the force of it shaking her a little.

"Sorry, that was rude of me," she apologized.

Diana patted her shoulder empathetically. "You've had a rough day. I wouldn't blame you for being tired."

J'onn added, "The physical portion of your evaluation will wait until tomorrow."

Athalia smiled at both of them in gratitude.

"Thank you. I would probably fall asleep halfway through it. Wouldn't be very dignified," she sighed.

A beat of silence followed.

"J'onn will show you to your room," Diana said. Her voice offered no room for argument as she glanced smugly at the Martian.

Athalia didn't care who would show her where she was going to sleep. As long as she got to sleep on a mattress somewhere private.

Bidding Diana farewell, Athalia dutifully followed J'onn out.

She had to pick up her pace, since his stride was twice as long as hers even when he seemed to deliberately slow down so she could keep up.

They moved in silence, neither of them striking a conversation.

An elevator ride down to the 32nd floor and finally, he stopped in front of a door.

"Your room."

He pressed a button near the doorframe and the door opened. She stepped in, looking around.

The room was nicer than anything she had seen in a long time. There was a bed covered in white linen, adjacent to it a little table with a lamp. An armoire sat in the left corner. A desk with chair was pushed against the right wall. There was a door to the left, which she assumed led to the bathroom. Everything was either white or metallic silver or grey.

It looked spotless, un-lived in.

She walked further into the room while J'onn stayed in the doorway.

Something caught her eye: a large window, looking out to the stars.

"That's some view," she breathed.

It should have concerned her that there was only a wall of metal and glass between her and the vacuum of space, but it didn't. After years of living in the city where starlight was rare, now the stars were right there.

"Indeed. A benefit of living in a space station," J'onn paused for a moment and said, "I will leave you here. Get some rest."

Athalia turned around, just as he was beginning to leave.

"Wait, J'onn?" she called out.

He stopped, looking back at her.

"Yes?"

Athalia shifted where she stood, her nerve disappearing as quickly as it came.

"I never really thanked you," she said.

He tilted his head. "For what?"

Athalia wasn't sure if he was playing dumb or if he honestly didn't know that he had done something worth her gratitude.

It didn't really matter, so she continued, "For saving my life. And—and for offering this opportunity to me. It's ah—I'm just really thankful."

She stopped the words 'I owe you' from escaping. She did owe him. She owed him her life and she was bound by honor to her world to pay him back. But she didn't want to say it out loud. How could she?

"You're welcome," he said, smiling ever so slightly.

Athalia returned that smile and nodded.

"Good night, J'onn."

He left without another word, the door hissing closed behind him.

Exhaling, Athalia set her bag on the bed. For a moment, she wondered why her stuff wasn't searched, but then she realized. Superman had X-ray vision, didn't he?

Not like she could've planned that far ahead.

She toed off her shoes, wincing when her bare feet touched the cold floor. But it was better than dirty and ragged carpet.

"Stars," she breathed.

For the umpteenth time that day, all of the energy seemed to drain out of her. She sat down on the mattress and leaned on her arms.

Hopefully it was the end of the excitement of the day.

The day before had been a normal day. Work, sleep, repeat. But today, she fought off supervillains and was recruited into a group of superheroes. Nothing like she had ever done before.

Her mind wandered to her new colleagues. With the exception of Green Lantern and Batman, who was absent for her introduction to the League, they were all…kind to her. At least cordial.

They treated her like a new friend, like an equal. Not like someone to be feared, not like a strange novelty or a new pet.

If it was all an act, it wasn't obvious to her yet. She hoped she wasn't being played for a fool.

She ran a hand over the bedspread. The fabric was high quality, expensive. None of it was obviously luxurious, but it was comfortable and…nice.

Yet another thing she would have to get used to.

While she had lived in her apartment in Metropolis for two, almost three, years, Athalia never allowed herself to make it a home. She was going through the motions: sleep, eat, work, repeat. She didn't have the urge to decorate or accumulate any frivolous possessions.

She didn't need to hide here. Not entirely, anyway. Her identity, her abilities; those could be shown off as much as she wanted. Her history would remain secret, carefully guarded.

If this was to be her room, a permanent home, that meant she could make it her own. It was her chance to do something for herself. She could imagine it.

Candles. One of the things she missed from home was the abundance of candles. The little flames. The light they gave off. The smell of smoke when they were blown out. They were reminders of the good times and celebrations. She could put a few on the desk.

Add a decorative rug and some soft blankets. Hang up a few of her better drawings.

Athalia knew she was getting ahead of herself. She wasn't a permanent member, not even a permanent 'trainee'. At this point, she was a visitor, a guest. And that meant that she was temporary.

But she was used to being in uncertain positions. It was just how her life was becoming the past few years.

Exhaling, her hands went up to unpin and unravel her scarf. Her hands froze mid-motion, her heart clenching in her chest as a thought appeared in her mind.

"They wouldn't spy on me while I'm undressing, right?"

While they didn't fully trust her yet, they wouldn't violate her privacy like that. They seemed to value letting their fellow members have their secrets.

At least, she really hoped that was the case.

Paranoia had her gathering a set of pajamas and her toiletries, shuffling to the bathroom. It felt safer.

The bathroom, like the main room, was pristine. And also much larger than her old bathroom. Sink, toilet, bathtub and shower, mirror. Top of the line.

Athalia brushed her teeth and changed into pajamas, both of which felt very normal in this abnormal setting.

She felt very vulnerable walking from the bathroom to her bed. Bare-footed, wearing a set of ratty pajamas. She almost expected someone to burst into the room.

The mattress was silent as she pulled back the covers and sat down, not even the ghost of a creak from the bedframe. It was the twice the width of the mattress in her old apartment, maybe a little longer. And ridiculously comfortable. She didn't know mattresses could be that comfortable.

The entire room was clean, practically sterile.

There wasn't the smell of flowers and freshly-baked bread. Not the smell of sweat and illness. Not even the smell of mold and smoke.

It smelled like cleaning supplies, faintly sharp.

She clicked off the light. It wasn't totally dark: pale, barely-there light spilling from the window into the room. It was then she took off her headscarf, balling it up and setting it on the bedside table.

Sinking further into the sheets, Athalia stared at the ceiling. The ceiling stared back.

It was so quiet. Who would have thought that she would miss her upstairs neighbors making noise above her head at night?

Huffing, she turned to her side, back facing the window.

There was no way she was going to sleep. It was too quiet, this was an unfamiliar place, she had much to think on. She wasn't going to fall—

She sat up with a choked gasp, a dream still echoing in her ears. She could almost see the yellow light a hairsbreadth from her face. She had failed. She watched people die and she couldn't do anything about it. And Sinestro had turned on her and she couldn't defend herself. She was helpless and numb, the power that normally ran under her skin gone. She had awoken just before he could cut her down.

The humming was back and the fear remained, finding a different reason.

This wasn't her room. This wasn't her bed. It was warm and dark and quiet—way, way too quiet—and she didn't know where she was.

Then she remembered: the fight, the recruitment.

She wasn't in Metropolis anymore. She was in a space station. No noisy neighbors, no bustling street, no freezing apartment. Just six superpowered beings and the silence of space.

She flicked on the lamp and light flooded the room. Her room. Her clean and quiet room. It was almost unsettling how quiet it was.

"Good morning to me," she murmured, pushing the covers back. She didn't even know what time it was. She just assumed it was morning.

Her muscles protested when she swung her legs to hang off the edge of the bed, the frantic run across town the day before coming back to haunt her. Athalia swore under her breath. If the very act of sitting up was causing her discomfort, she was in trouble.

Taking in a few deep breaths, Athalia rolled her shoulders, feeling muscles shift and pop. She pressed her hands against her lower back, arching. She rubbed her legs carefully, massaging the stiffness from her thighs and calves and arches.

She was in so much trouble. She didn't know what to expect. If whatever the League had planned for her included a footrace or a fistfight, she was doomed.

It took her an embarrassingly long time for her to look and feel like a functional person. She chose pants and a loosely fit shirt to wear and took extra care to tightly pin her headscarf in anticipation for…whatever the Justice League planned for her.

Her stomach gurgled softly, the emptiness making itself known.

"That's right. I haven't eaten in a while," she muttered as she walked out the door.

She stopped as soon as the door closed behind her. No going back now. She was greeted by an empty hallway. If she went left, she would reach the elevator. If she went right, she would go…somewhere else?

How was she supposed to find anything? All she knew was where the hangar and the medical bay were and, even then, she didn't know on what floor either of those things were.

She started left, grumbling to herself.

"First day and I'm going to be wandering around looking for the kitchen like a complete idiot."

A few more steps down the hall towards the elevator. Maybe she could find another League member and ask them where she was supposed to go.

But a prickling on her neck made her freeze. Despite the voice that told her that there couldn't possibly be any danger, a trill of fear passed through her, twitching in her fingers.

She couldn't hear anyone approaching, then who—?

Athalia turned on her heel to see Batman standing, staring, several feet away from her on the other end of the hallway. He was so quiet that she wasn't able to hear him enter.

Neither of them moved for several seconds, sizing each other up. Taking the initiative, Athalia stepped closer to him. Close enough for him to get the message that she wasn't afraid of him. Intimidated, sure. But not afraid.

"Batman," she started, "I'm—."

"I know who you are," he cut her off.

Athalia blinked, startled by his brusqueness.

Athalia shifted from one foot to the other, unsure. She was able to find words when she was yelled at by Green Lantern, but now she couldn't think of anything intelligent to say. He was unreadable, stare piercing.

Finally rousing her courage, she spoke up, "I—I'm sorry for attacking you yesterday."

"Stars, what kind of apology was that?"

"Blasting me through a window?" he growled.

Of course he wouldn't take it well. But she did feel almost justified in what she had done.

Athalia returned, "You swooped down like an evil spirit. How was I supposed to know that you weren't going to hurt me?"

He said nothing, his expression unchanging. She wasn't sure if this was how a conversation with the Batman usually went, but hey, he wasn't yelling at her. So it was a small victory.

Athalia opened her mouth to make a more coherent apology, but her stomach decided to make an embarrassingly audible sound. She blushed while Batman made no reaction.

"I—uh—don't know where I'm supposed to go to eat. Didn't get a full tour of the Watchtower," she explained sheepishly.

"36th floor on the left side," came the short instructions.

"Thank you," she nodded and turned away toward the elevator.

He was still behind her. She could feel his eyes on her back. The feeling suddenly stopped and she turned around. The hallway was empty and silent once again.

Athalia sighed and shook her head.

"That's going to get real old, real quick," she breathed.

Athalia followed Batman's instructions. It turned out that the kitchen was 4 floors below her room.

She was alone for maybe five seconds before a red blur streaked into the room.

"Hey, Athalia! Finally, you're awake!" came the greeting.

Athalia tilted her head in confusion.

"Hello, Flash. What do you mean, 'finally'?" she asked slowly.

Flash looked contemplative for a moment, tapping a finger against his chin.

"Well, you did sleep for ten hours."

Athalia started, eyes widening.

"What? Ten hours?"

She was used to getting at maximum six hours of sleep a night. How messed up was her sense of time that she was able to sleep ten hours straight?

Her panic must have been apparent since Flash waved his hand, dismissive. "No big deal, you didn't miss much."

That wasn't very reassuring.

"What did I miss?" Athalia asked.

"A few robberies and a forest fire. No big deal."

The offhandedness of the comment took her aback. That was 'no big deal?' Were they so confident in their abilities?

"Was anyone injured?" she asked.

"Nah, everyone's fine. It takes more than a little fire or some small-time criminals to take out a Justice League member." He puffed out his chest, obviously proud about that fact.

Right. Of course.

"You hungry?"

Athalia blinked at the sudden change in subject. "I am. Haven't had a proper meal in a while."

"What're you having?"

She shrugged.

"Probably some tea and oatmeal, like I always do."

Flash looked at her like she just personally insulted him.

"Aw, come on! That's not a breakfast, not for a superhero!" Flash whined.

Athalia lifted an eyebrow. "What does a superhero have for breakfast?" she asked, humoring him.

"Something with substance! Protein! Some caffeine! Like an iced mocha!" he said, gesturing at the coffeemaker.

"Oh boy."

"Is there tea?" Athalia asked, "I prefer that over coffee."

It was Flash's turn to look startled, as if the thought of someone not liking coffee had been unthinkable until that moment.

"There should be. Somewhere."

He rummaged through the cupboards at superspeed, coming back with a small box.

"See! Uh…black tea. That's good, right?"

Athalia took it from him with a smile. "It's perfect. Thank you."

Flash clapped his hands, an idea forming in his eyes.

"What do you want to eat? You know what? I'll surprise you," he said, his words running together.

He was hunched over the stove before Athalia could open her mouth to protest.

"Flash, you don't have to—"

Flash cut her off, "Nah, nah, you sit down and make yourself comfortable."

"At least let me boil some water for my tea," Athalia insisted.

"I got it!"

Another second later and a pot was on the stove.

"O-okay," Athalia breathed.

Since it was clear Flash wasn't going to let her do anything, Athalia sat down, accepting her fate. He was going to make her first meal on the Watchtower and there was nothing she could do about it.

Of course, this was going to be a one-time thing. She wasn't an invalid and her cooking abilities, well, she liked to think they were okay. She lived 3 years alone and not once did she accidentally poison herself.

But watching someone cook for her…

It brought a pang of longing, memories, useless nostalgia she had tried to stifle for several years. But Flash was kind for doing this for her.

Despite his superspeed, it took him a few minutes to finish what he was doing.

Flash set a plate in front of her with flourish. There were green and grey lumps in the eggs, along with something that looked like melted cheese.

At least it smelled good.

"Some famous Flash eggs, complete with onions, cheese, and mushrooms," Flash declared.

She smiled gratefully, seeing the nervously hopeful expression on Flash's face. Just a kid.

"Thank you, Flash. I'm sure it'll taste delicious."

After the water boiled, Athalia intercepted Flash's attempt to make her tea.

"Ah, ah. I am making my own tea," she said.

If there was one thing she never let anyone do, it was to make her tea for her. Not back on Mnemosia, not on Earth. It was a familiar ritual: teabag in the mug, pour in the water, wait for the tea to steep.

Flash watched as she poured three spoonsful of sugar into the brewed mug.

He exhaled in a laugh, "You really like your tea sweet."

She shrugged after she sat back down at the table.

"I'm sure your iced mocha has that much sugar and more."

He gestured at her with his fork. "Point."

Letting the tea cool, she started on the eggs.

Flash nudged her, clearly looking for some sort of sign that he did something good. "Better than just oatmeal and tea, right?"

Athalia nodded. They were actually really good.

"Yes. Thank you, Flash."

He was already halfway through his serving, which was originally three-times the size of her own. She guessed it had something to do with his abilities. He was like a small animal, expending energy quickly and needing constant replenishment.

Flash spoke up around a mouthful, "You like Earth's food?"

Athalia laughed, scooping up a bit of egg. He really was a kid, if not a kid at heart.

"From what I've had, yeah."

"You mean you haven't tried a lot of stuff?" Flash asked, "Chinese? Thai? Mexican? Italian? Ethiopian?"

She recognized what he was listing. Kinds of food

"I've heard of some of those. Only had Chinese."

Once again, Flash looked almost offended. "You're kidding! What kind of life you were living?"

Shame crept up. Her eyes fell to her plate.

"I've struggled with money since I came to Earth. Rent came first, food second."

There wasn't a lot of work for someone who could barely read in English. She never liked reading to begin with, even in her native language. But she learned a little, enough to get by.

"So all you ate was oatmeal and tea?" Flash asked, interrupting her reverie.

"For breakfast, yes. It was what I could afford. Besides, it's simple and quick."

"What about other meals?"

Athalia shrugged. "Sometimes I was allowed to bring home leftovers, when I worked at the diner. When I didn't, usually I managed to scrape together enough food. But sometimes I couldn't."

That was just on Earth. The last few years she spent on Mnemosia were a thousand times worse. Days without food.

Flash looked horrified. "So, you went hungry."

"I went hungry," she echoed.

Flash shook his head. "That sucks."

Athalia didn't respond to that and let a heavy silence settle. She didn't want to think about the times she would be faint with hunger. She didn't want to think about what the League had in store for her later.

She just wanted to eat and hope it stayed down for the rest of the day.

"But, you don't have to worry about that now! We have all the food you could possibly want!"

"Provided I can pass the test. I'll get kicked out if I don't," Athalia grumbled, stabbing a piece of egg with her fork.

She could bend the metal if she wanted to. She really wanted to. The fear and anticipation was making her hands feel shaky.

"Don't worry. You'll do fine," Flash said.

Athalia shook her head, taking a sip from her tea. She wanted to believe him. But she was likely completely out of her depth. She got lucky once. She couldn't get lucky again. It just wasn't possible.

"All heroes start somewhere. You think I was doing all this epic stuff when I first got my powers?" he insisted, nudging her shin with his foot. "Nah, I screwed up a lot. I still screw up sometimes."

He leaned forward, grinning conspiratorially.

"And, between you and me, there's way too much muscle on this team. You'll be fine."

An hour later and Flash led her to a large room with a very high ceiling and padded floors. All of the other League members—even Batman—were there, waiting for the two of them.

"No pressure," Athalia thought.

Superman walked up to her, smiling as if to reassure her. It was a bit reassuring, but not a lot.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"This will be a bit of a team exercise. Wonder Woman will be your partner. And you both will face Flash and Green Lantern in a—eh—sparring match," Superman said.

Athalia blinked, looking over to the Amazon. Diana nodded and smiled at her. They were going to fight together? A mock-fight, sure, but still a fight.

Superman lightly clapped her shoulder and said, "I will referee the match. If you want to stop, just say the word. Good luck."

Athalia nodded, unable to say anything intelligent.

"Thank you. I'll do my best," she said.

Athalia walked over to her teammate. Diana radiated confidence, something that Athalia sorely needed at that moment.

"Diana," she greeted with a shaky smile.

Athalia thought about saying something, maybe telling Diana that she was probably going to do awfully in this battle. That Diana shouldn't have high expectations.

"You take on Flash, I'll take Lantern," Diana murmured, before Athalia could get a word in.

Okay, Diana was calling the shots. That was good for Athalia. She didn't want to be the one making the decisions. She had two goals, straightforward. One, fight against Flash. And two, make sure she doesn't end up on her back, seeing stars, within the first 30 seconds of the fight. The second one seemed to be the most important.

It was time. Her body knew it as well as her mind, a nervous tension running under her skin.

She imagined she needed to do more of the same as yesterday. Deflect, dodge, attack.

And a lot of luck.

Diana and Athalia stood on one side of the room, Flash and Green Lantern on the other, several feet separating the two teams. Superman stood in the middle, Hawkgirl, J'onn, and Batman on the sides, prime viewing for whatever was going to happen.

Most of the attention was on Athalia. She could feel eyes on her. It made sense, since she was the reason this was happening in the first place. This was her time to prove her worth, that she could be a worthwhile addition to the team.

If she messed up, it would be all over.

Green Lantern glared at her like she was something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe. She thought of making an equally disgusted face, but decided that antagonizing him wouldn't help. That was Diana's job.

She looked to Flash, who grinned at her from where he stood.

"Not gonna go easy on you, A."

Her lips quirked up at the nickname, covering her nervousness.

"I'm not expecting you to."

Her strategy: keep him as far physically from her as possible. Her mind just needed to be as fast as his feet. Maybe a little faster. Which was easier said than done.

"Ready?" Superman asked.

The air in the room immediately tensed, buzzing with anticipation. Or maybe Athalia was just feeling the buzzing under her skin. Her body was raring to fight and shed off this energy.

"Begin!" Superman shouted, immediately moving out of the way.

Diana was off almost instantly, engaging Green Lantern with a ferocity that Athalia hoped would never ever be directed at her.

Flash rushed her, hitting her at an angle, spinning her around.

She blinked, turning back to be greeted by Flash running at her again. Athalia lobbed psychic energy at him, which he sidestepped. He hit her again, this time, he knocking her feet out from under her.

She hit the ground, but immediately got back up.

Athalia didn't want to hit Flash, but if she didn't, she would fail. She needed to show that she was ready for combat. She had to hit him.

Provided that she could actually land a hit. He was so fast, never staying in one spot.

She went on the offensive, stretching out her right hand out. Of course, he sidestepped.

Athalia exhaled through her nose and struck out again, several bursts in quick succession.

He sidestepped them all.

"Damn it," she breathed.

It was frustrating. He told her she wasn't going to fail, but she was going to fail anyway because she couldn't hit him even if she wanted to.

She would exhaust herself before she could get a hit. She wasn't paying any attention to Diana and Green Lantern. Diana seemed to be doing a good job at keeping the man distracted. From the corner of her eye, she could see them fighting, but she kept her attention to Flash. Blink twice and he could be behind her and shoving her to the ground.

He wasn't doing that, but still.

"Gotta be faster, A!" he yelled teasingly.

"You need to stay still," she huffed.

She waved her hand in an arc, hoping that he wouldn't be able to dodge. But he did.

"By the stars, this is impossible. How am I supposed to—oh."

Right. He was following the motion of her hands.

Flash ran at her again, spinning her around.

"Stars! Quit it!" she hissed.

She attacked again: a short blast from her left, followed by her right.

He dodged both of them.

She struck out her right hand again, her wrist twisting. The energy released as an arc, like before. But this time it wasn't obvious to Flash.

He moved to the side, but not far enough, not realizing that the blast was wider. It connected with his body, the force of the psychic blast knocking Flash away and on his back.

"Hey!" he yelped.

He scrambled to his feet again, but she struck again before he could get his footing, flipping him onto his stomach.

Now, she stretched out, wrapping the invisible force around his legs, like it was an extension of her arm and hand. And then flexed, lifting him into the air, letting him dangle upside-down with his head several feet above the ground.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" Flash shouted, flailing.

Feeling a bit mischievous, she lightly swung him around like he was a ragdoll. Flash twisted his body, trying to break her hold. Athalia could feel him straining against his bonds. She figured he could break out if he really tried, but he wasn't really trying.

"Come on! That isn't fair!"

She imagined if this was a real fight, she would have to whack him against something a few times to make sure that he would be subdued for capture. Not let him go.

Flash pled, "Come on, let me down. Please?"

Before she could make a move one way or another, something bright appeared in the corner of her eye.

Athalia turned and deflected a green beam that was heading directly for her head. The force behind it made her stagger back a step.

Green Lantern had managed to force back Diana and turned his full attention to her. Her focus on Flash wavered, now divided between him and the new threat that was Green Lantern.

She let Flash to drop to the ground, forgetting to be gentle about it. She was too busy sending a psychic blast at the flying man. It collided with Lantern's hand, forcing it up. The green beam that was forming around his ring was sent into the ceiling, creating a charred dent in the metal.

Athalia struck out again. He feinted to the side, landing lightly on the ground.

Green Lantern held out the ring on his fist, a huge beam of green spewing out.

Athalia held out her hands, forming a protective shield.

The shock of the impact crept from her fingertips Her shield held as the two energies connected, his attack deflecting like a stream of water hitting a wall.

Athalia strengthened her stance, made sure she was taking measured breaths. Her body was shaking almost imperceptibly from the power surging through, making her skin break out in a thin sweat. She felt the pressure of the onslaught, but she wasn't in danger of blacking out or worse.

Facing Green Lantern, the sensation of the ring's energy felt very familiar. It was like Sinestro's attacks, only more concentrated, more powerful. But the two forces were matched, one flowing over the other.

They were at a standstill, neither one willing to back down. At this point, it wasn't a question of will. Neither of them would back down if they could help it. This was a question of who was the stronger of the two, who would break first.

The air crackled with energy.

Suddenly, Athalia's vision blacked-out, fireworks bursting behind her eyelids. It was only for a fraction of a second, pressure peaking and releasing, all sound turning into an intense ringing. The barrier wavered, collapsing against the strength of the ring.

Instinct had her form a barrier—a flimsy one—so the beam didn't impact directly on her. It didn't burn, but it hit her like a truck, carrying her off her feet and sending her flying back several feet.

Athalia slammed hard on her side, breath leaving her in a pained wheeze. At least she was pretty sure it was a wheeze. She couldn't hear over the sound of her ringing ears.

She should have stayed down, or at least told Superman that she couldn't take anymore. But she rolled onto her knees and struggled to stand, trying to ignore the black stars flashing in her vision.

"I have to stand. I have to get up," she thought desperately.

Green light wrapped around her wrists, pinning them to the ground, halting her movements. Her chest tightened in panic.

"No. I won't give up. I won't surrender. Not again," she thought, determination burning through her body.

Maybe Green Lantern thought that he won. But her power was not restricted by her ability to move her hands. She knew that. Moving her hands helped her concentrate, but she didn't need it now.

There was still energy running through her body, a last-ditch effort.

Thinking quickly, she whipped her head up, putting as much force behind the burst of energy as she possibly could. It hit the top part of his body with a loud noise, sending him stumbling and falling on his backside.

Her shackles disappeared as Green Lantern reeled from the hit and lost his concentration. Athalia staggered to her feet, lightheaded. There was the strung-out feeling again, but it was tempered by a feeling of satisfaction. She landed a hit.

The feeling of satisfaction lasted for a brief moment. Lantern stood up again, recovering, looking absolutely murderous.

Athalia clenched her jaw, unsure if she could handle another extended hit. Fatigue weighed on her body. She would try. Of course she would try.

Several things happened at once.

Green Lantern stepped forward. Athalia mirrored his movement, teeth clenching, ready to meet him.

"That's enough!" a voice shouted out. Even Athalia could hear Superman's shout.

Diana grabbed Lantern's ring arm, pulling it back and away.

Someone pinned back Athalia's arms, yanking her around so she wasn't facing her opponent.

A choked gasp escaped her lips.

They held her arms behind her back, forcing her to her knees.

Athalia cried. She cried and plead and begged. Begged for mercy.

Not for herself. But for the shrieking figure in her periphery.

'Don't hurt her. Do what you want to me, for the love of our gods, don't hurt her.'

The near-silent hiss of metal slicing through the air and pain burst down her face.

She wrenched herself from the grip, almost whacking the person—Flash—in the process.

"I got it," she muttered between sticky, copper-tasting lips.

She dabbed her hand over her mouth and inspected it. Sure enough, there was blood dripping from her nose, over her lips and chin.

Before she could ask, a damp rag was pressed into her hand and she immediately placed it against her nose, soaking up the blood.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Flash patted her shoulder. "No problem. You okay?"

She probably looked like a mess. She was dizzy and sore.

"I'm fine. My head hurts a bit, but I'll survive."

Fine was a relative term. She was still standing. She was still breathing. She would survive. Her hands were shaking from adrenaline and fatigue and her head hurt and she could feel bruises forming where she hit the ground, but she would survive.

Athalia could hear Hawkgirl berating Green Lantern in the next room, calling him a pigheaded idiot. She couldn't hear him defending himself.

Athalia felt a grudge settle heavily in her chest. He went too far. While the point of the exercise was to show her ability in battle, it was like he took his anger out on her. But in the end, it was a draw. She was able to defend herself against a Green Lantern.

"What happens now? Do I get the job?" she wondered aloud.

That was the question of the hour. She completed the three tests to the best of her ability. She didn't know if she passed or what was going to happen to her.

Superman put a hand on her shoulder.

"Your combat skills need a lot of work," he said slowly.

Athalia internally deflated. Great. She failed. She was going to get sent back. The faint hope she allowed herself to have was going to be dashed.

Superman squeezed her shoulder and continued, "You need to be trained, before you can go into the field."

Athalia almost collapsed with relief. And fatigue.

But, mostly relief.

...

Hey, hey nice and long chapter!

All feedback is appreciated! Really great motivation for me to get chapters done on time ;)

Big thanks to Purveyor of Words for beta-ing!

Cheers!

~Tiara of Sapphires