Oh God, I'm going to feel so bad after writing this and the aftermath of this exercise.
MOUNT JUSTICE
OCTOBER 16 4:01 EDT
No way. No way. In just a blink of an eye the two Green Lanterns, Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, Superman, and Batman just disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Gone. This wasn't happening.
Zatara appeared on another screen "Tornado, did you…"
"Yes, Zatara, we saw," Okay, doe he even get what's happening "Celestial Offenses have failed," Failed? Seven of the big guns in the Justice League just disappeared! "Initiate all terrestrial measure
Zatara nodded "Affirmative, see you in the field,"
Red Tornado turned to us. "I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you,"
Kaldur nodded "We stand ready,"
I gulped hard and tried to calm down. Oh god. Now was not the time to have a relapse. Just try to calm down Scarlet. Everything is going to be fine. Charlottes at home, watching the news and baking. Jenna is probably down town going ga-ga for the new fashions. Aunt Paula is at home working. And BC and GA are on the field. The League is going to save the day...everything will be fine. Right?
We pulled up screens to all the news channels and we all watched the Leaguers, our mentors, disappear in less then a second. And thats when I saw it. A familiar maple haired girl wearing all pink, getting crushed under rubble. No….Not Jenna. I forced back the tears that were trying not to come out. I felt like freaking out again. Oh God, please don't have a relapse.
Chris put his hand on my shoulder, I'm pretty sure I made it obvious I was flipping my lid
"Red Tornado to cave, I fear I am all that remains of the League, I-"
"RT!" Robin and I yelled, but Tornado was gone. That was it. All of the Leaguers...were gone
"We are Earths heroes now," Aqualad told us after a moment of silent grieving
SB turned to him "What are we waiting for? A theme song?" Now is not the time for attidud.
"A strategy. Earths weapon's have been ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear that a direct attack will not succeed," Aqualad said
"Checking satellite imagery," Robin pulled up a computer on his glove and a 3D globe appeared "Here where the aliens are now,"
"Um, I think that little guys lost," Chris said, pointing towards the arctic
"It's Superman's Fortress of Solitude," Robin exclaimed. Cool.
"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude," Superboy questioned, clearly stunned
"it's powerforce must've attracted the liens attention, or at least to send a scout ship to investigate," Robin explained
"Must be some fortress," Okay Connor, now is not the time to have daddy issues.
"We will target this lone ship," Aqualad ordered
"Yeah!" Kid agreed "Break it down! Build more! Hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo!" Arty smacked him up side the head "Ow!"
"Martian and Kryptonian in the house,"
Kid gave a small smile "Not that all aliens are automatically ugly," This get a face palm
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
OCTOBER 16 6:16
Arty slid down behind one of the rocks
"Communications disabled." M'gann said. Good "Repulsion disabled."
"And ET's are sealed inside." Artemis announced. Good job cuz!
Aqualad, and the rest of us got out of the bioship and onto the ET's ship
"Identifying weapon structural stress points and linked to the ship," Robin said. He pointed to various spots on the ship. "Here, here and here."
Miss Martian quickly used her powers to cut them, and Superboy pulled that out, while a\I cut the wires with my claws.
I saw one of them start to glow but, before I could warn Conner, Wolf jumped in the way and was gone.
"Wolf," Miss Martian said, with her mouth wide open.
Robin looked back his holo-computer. "There was no indication of feedback, I'm sorry."
I tried hard not to cry, Wolf was a part of our team family.
"Can't do anything for him now," Superboy said in his calmest voice, that I never knew he had. He jumped back onto the ship and grabbed the cannon. "Let's go."
"I may need to de-camouflage for a few minutes," Miss Martian explained after her and
Conner detached the cannon and put it on the bioship so it could be connected
"We may not have a few minutes." Chris said
I looked up to see a couple alien ships coming towards us.
"Miss Martian, open fire!" Aqualad ordered.
"Can't," M'gann said while the bioship was attaching itself to the cannon. "Weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new canon, and that's not fully integrated yet either,"
I exchanged looks with Artemis. She nodded.
"Gotcha covered!" Arty yelled, before firing a couple arrows at the ships.
"Erif!" Chris yelled, and two ships caught fire and started to spin out of control
"Get inside, we're almost there!" I also yelled. We dashed towards the bioship after we took down the two ships. We where about a yard away when M'gann yelled
"Artemis, Red Riding Hood, behind you!" Before I even had time to react, it felt like everything went in slow motion. Blondie and I turned around and I saw a beam coming straight towards me. Arty shoved me out of the way and in a flash...my cousin was gone.
How do you breath again?
Inhale…
Exhale…
Inhale…
Exhale…
Should I blink? I think you blink
I let out a cry of agony and dropped to my knees.
"No, no, no, no, no!" I rushed forward and was about to dig in the snow
"Get inside, all of you!" I heard Aqualad order
Whoever was holding me, wasn't that strong. I easily broke free of the grip and began to dig furiously. Artemis can't be gone. She cant. She is still alive.
"Scarlet!" Chris yelled
I didn't stop
"Thats it," Chris picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I kicked and cried and scream and clawed, but he wouldnt put me back down.
"M'gann, get us out of here," Aqualad ordered
Miss. M nodded slowly. Chris threw me into my chair and buckled my seatbelt, though I was thrashing and making it extremely hard for him.
About fifteen minutes later, I finally calmed down, though tears were still streaming down my face. My knees were pulled up to my face, covering the tears. Though it was quite obvious I was crying due to the fact that my body was racked with sobs.
M'gann was silently crying while KF was extremely angry, Conner, Robin, and Kaldur had pretty depressed looks on their faces. I didn't know what to do anymore.
After my parents died, I went through a really bad stage of depression, and the only person I let in...was Artemis. She back the support I needed. She was always there for me. I remembered when she blew off practice just to help me study for finals. Or when she was suppose to go to an exclusive concert, but stayed home with me because I was sick and couldn't go. And now, she just gave her life for me.
"Scar...you okay?" I peered over my shoulder and looked at Chris
"Do I look okay?" That came out harsher than I meant for it to be.
"There will be time to mourn later," Aqualad changed to leader mode "Now we have a job to do, defend the Earth and insure Artemis sacrifice was not in vain,"
"Back to the cave?" M'gann asked
"The Hall of Justice," Aqualad answered "The human race must know that there are still heroes to defend them...There is still hope,"
After Superboy, Miss M, and Arcane destroyed the ships, we stepped out of the bioship and was greeted by a General and his soldiers.
"General Wade Ealing, Air Force," The General saluted. Usually, I would find it really cool. But not now.
"Aqualad, Justice League," Kaldur introduced. "We'll help you salvage as many of the canons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours."
I walked through the Hall of Justice, looking at the fallen debris.
"They're really gone..." Robin said, while looking down.
I looked over the broken statues. I can't believe that they're gone. It felt like my parents death, but a hundred times more heavy.
Miss Martian started to sob when she reached Manhunter's broken statue. Suddenly she flew up, and used her powers to lift up the stature, revealing Manhunter.
"Uncle J'onn!" Miss Martian exclaimed. She threw the piece of rock aside and started to fly over to her uncle, when Aqualad ran in her way.
"M'gann, check his mind, make sure he is who he appears to be." Aqualad ordered.
"It's him, he's real, and he's alive!" She exclaimed again.
"But we saw you get disintegrated." I tried not to cry, thinking of all of my family being killed by these damn aliens. "You and Superman! And everyone!"
"Yes," M'gann helped Manhunter stood up. "I remember but I cannot remember how I survived, or how I arrived here."
That means they could all alive! They have to be! I knew it! No way Artemis and the others could die on me!
"Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you," Miss Martian suggested.
"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Okay Chris, that sounds a lil too happy.
"My mind is clouded," Martian Manhunter told us, placing one of his hands on his head. "I feel certain that I had something important to tell you."
"Hello Wally!" KF exclaimed.
"Come on!" Chris said
"Okay," I told Robin "It's kinda creepy listening to him say it,"
"It is a bit," Robin agreed, I smiled slightly "You smiled, thats good,"
Robin and I followed KF outside
Robin had a hala-graphic map of the cannon in front of the bioship.
"You were right Wallman!" Chris smiled brightly. "It's giving off zeta-beams."
"The same stuff that powers our zeta tubes." Kid added.
"Maybe-" I cut Robin off
"It doesn't disintegrate, it teleports! Artemisis alive!" I exclaimed, relieved to know that she was alive, along with the Leaguers and my family. I think Jenna would've punched me for being so negative,
"That must have been what you wanted to tell us," M'gann said, looking up at her uncle.
I looked up as well and saw a whole army of alien space ships heading towards us. Shitaki mushrooms.
"We're on our way!" Aqualad informed us.
"Negative! We can't win this. Miss Martian camo the bioship, now." Robin said just before the bioship got zapped and disappeared.
"We're falling back!" Chris yelled.
"We're trapped," The General said. Then a door opened revealing the Hall's small library that was destroyed and a zeta-tube.
"Maybe, not." We helped some of the soldiers in, while Aqualad and Arcane stayed with the General and the Martians. "We can all zeta to the cave, if you can grant us computer access to the tubes."
"I can only authorize one at a time," Martian Manhunter said "Over
ride, Martian Manhunter, 07."
Recognized, access granted. The computer announced. Miss Martian, Artemis, Robin, Kid Flash, Arcane, Red Riding Hood
In a flash, I was at the cave with the others...but where was Arcane and Aqualad. After a few moment, I realized we'd lost them
"Our next mission is clear. We believe that the aliens are teleporting their victims," Robin explained.
"And we do!" I said, they were alive. They had to be. I wasn't going to have a relapse of depression. I wasn't
"Then the only reasonable detention facility is here." Robin started to type and a holographic globe appearing before us. "Their mother ship, on top of what use to be a Small Ville. Ring any bells?"
"No," Manhunter shook his head "I'm sorry."
"Superboy, you'll create a distraction." Robin said.
"No!" M'gann argued. "He's offering you as a sacrifice. Aqualad would never do that!"
"You're right. Aqualad would sacrifice himself, a mistake that just cost us our leader." Robin responded back. "Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy."
"Worst case, he's teleported inside," Kid Flash said. "And we set him free along with Artemis, Aqualad, Arcane and everyone!"
Robin nodded and hacked into the satellite systems, so we could a message out to the public.
"And though we know all seems lost, the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope," Miss Martian said.
"Hope survives because the battle is not over, not as long as even one of us is willing to fight." Conner added.
"It doesn't matter how many fall, for new heroes will always rise to carry on," Kid Flash also added.
"Bringing all their resources, their skill, their talent to bear, to defeat the enemy and they shall win." I continued on
Robin stepped forward "The people of Earth will survive this, and we will rebuild and we will thrive. Never doubt and never forget, the Earth, will never surrender!"
Robin got into leader mode "Stay close to J'onn. He looks a little," I used my hand to emphasis 'he could use some help'. Miss M nodded.
"First team deploy!" Robin ordered. Miss Martian and her uncle flew up towards the ship.
"Ready and in position." Miss M informed.
SB gave a small smile before jumping onto the canons
"Careful," Robin warned. "Don't disconnect the power source."
"Now or never," Superboy said.
KF picked up me, dropped me off first, and then Robin. We made it into the ship and hide behind one of the walls.
I peaked over to make sure if it was clear "Way's clear. Go!"
I ran towards a pillar and hid behind it when I heard a ship go by, kinda small ship. I noticed it was Miss Martian and Manhunter, before running off to the core of the ship.
"No, he's gone," M'gann whispered before falling to her knees. Poor M'gann. But Conners still alive!
"It's okay M'gann we'll find him along with Artemis and the other!" I tried assure my friend.
"No, my mind is clearer now. The disintegration beam is exactly that, there is no detention facility, no prisoners to rescue, our mission holds no purpose." Martian Manhunter explained.
No, no, no, no, no, "No!" I screamed "Artemis and Aunt Dinah and Charlotte and everyone else are still alive! The canons are proof!"
"Scar stop!" Robin said "I've been scanning for team and League signals. They aren't here. But our mission still holds purpose: To destroy this mothership."
I nodded slightly and we continued to the core.
"This is the power core, blow this and the whole ship blows," Robin said as he quickly jumped on a platform close to the core, followed by me. I immediately felt gravity start to pull me towards the core. Thankfully I planted myself with my claws
Kid jumped, grabbed Robins hand, and he grabbed mine, which sent us going towards the core. Why'd you have to grab me Robin?
Thankfully, Robin used his grappling hook, and shot it up towards a platform. A droid came at us but the two Martians easily took it down. M'gann unhooked my grappling hook, which sent me and Kid safely down to the core.
As Robin started to unwrap the two utility belts KF looked at him. "You knew? You knew from the beginning why we were really here."
"Four minutes," Robin said "Let's go,"
We ran towards the exit, and then the door closed.
"Perfect," I muttered.
I turned around to see two droids coming towards us
"16 seconds in counting, Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go." Robin ordered
"No! We won't leave you!" Miss M argued.
"That's an order!" Robin exclaimed. "We'll follow as soon as we blow those doors."
Robin looked at the clock. 10..9..8..
We all exchanged looks, before nodding.
Robin threw a birdarang at the droid, before running and then...the timer went off.
MOUNT JUSTICE
OCTOBER 16, 16:21 EDT
My eyes snapped open to reveal that I was in the cave.
Impossible…I died. Along with Artemis, Chris, Kaldur, Conner, Wally, Robin, all of the Leaguers…
"You're all alive!" I slowly sat up to see all of my teammates, alive. Along with RT, Captain Atom, Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Aunt Dinah
"What happened in there?" Batman asked.
"What happened?!" I snapped, which I usually never do to adults "We all died!"
They ignored my comments "The exercise...it went all wrong,"
"Exercise," Robin and I questioned, me a little louder than him
"Try to remember," Batman said "What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter physically linked the eight of you to a virtual reality, you knew this going in. What you didn't know was that is was a train for failure exercise. No matter what you accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still you were aware nothing was real. Including the deaths of the entire Justice League," I couldn't believe this
"That was why you hardly grieved, like when Wolf died. But all that changed when Artemis died. Though M'gann knew it not to be real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was an exercise and her subconscious took control making all of you forget too," No way. No way. No way.
M'gann tried to apologize but I stopped her along with SB
"You're the Justice League! Why didnt you stop this!?"
"We tried but M'gann had a death grip on the scenario, even Artemis who should have awoken, was so convinced she had passed, she slipped into a coma. I knew I had to enter and stop this. But on entering the reality, I forgot my mission. There was too much noise. the deaths of Aqualad, Arcane, and Superboy helped. And Robin, Red Riding Hood, and Kid Flash where silenced. Did I remember my purpose, to shock M'gann out of the exercise before your coma became permanent. My apologizes, I had no idea this would be so dangerous. So damaging,"
M'gann turned around and began to weep.
Finally I couldn't hold it in "You should have prepared for this!" I snapped causing everyone to look at me "I watch my whole family die AGAIN and have a relapse only to find out it's FAKE?! I don't blame M'gann at all! I blameyou!" And with that, I ran out of the cave, tears streaming down my face.
I heard the team calling my name, but as soon as I got to Gotham, I fell against the wall and began to cry and sob harder than I ever had. My parents death had killed me. My friends, my mentors, my families deaths...had now destroyed me.
oH god. I feel so bad for doing this to Scarlet. Next chapter is going to be hard for me to write since everything's gonna get all emotional and stuff. ALSO
WHAT SHOULD SCARS HALLOWEEN COSTUME BE! LEAVE ME COMMENT AND FOLOW AND FAVORITE! BYE!