.

How Far We've Fallen

.x.x.x.x.x.

Season 3, Episode 5

~The YoungJusticeFangirls~

Buffalo, New York

January 21th, 02:00 PM EST

2022

The winter wind stung Jack's cheeks, but he didn't mind. Thumbing through the pages of The Mabinogion, he scanned the highlighted passages one more time, trying to commit them to memory. It would be tough since the language was archaic, but Jack had confidence that his focused reading would allow him to retain most of it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a girl approaching his bench, clothed in a black coat and brown winter boots. Carla's hair was in her signature braid, but she seemed a little more energetic despite the blustery and dreary conditions.

"Did you like it?" she asked immediately, stopping in front of where Jack was sitting.

He nodded, "It was different. But a good different."

She dusted the light, powdery snow off the bench, and sat down next to him. Carla looked at him, pursing her lips as she put her hand to his red cheeks. "How long have you been out here? Your skin is freezing."

Jack shrugged, "I didn't want to be late." He handed the book back to her.

"We can go somewhere if you want," she started.

"No," he waved. "It's fine."

Carla paused, arching a brow. "You sure? There's a cafe a few blocks away that has great hot cocoa..." She held her breath waiting for his answer.

Jack gave her a small smile, teasing, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No." Carla blurted, a tinge of pink spreading on her cheeks.

He cringed internally at his teasing remark. He should have known; Carla wasn't really the type to joke about things like relationships.

"So, um, hot chocolate…" he began, starting with the first thing that came to mind.

"Right!" Carla stood up, straightening her coat. "Follow me."

The pair walked off, out of the park, and towards the heart of the city.

Buffalo, New York

January 21th, 03:00 PM EST

2022

"And then you called me a procrastinator!" Carla laughed, shaking her head.

"And you were too stubborn to admit I was right!" Jack jabbed right back. After spending over an hour at the quaint cafe, the pair finally left after receiving quite a few nasty looks for laughing too loud. Jack hadn't smiled this much since the beginning of the school year and, truth be told, he was happy to see Carla was having fun as well.

"Who are you kidding? I haven't changed much; I'm still too stubborn to admit that!" She scoffed, thinking back to the first time Jack coaxed her into training with him. It seemed like ages ago, long before the events that seemed to drag on for years. Carla's good mood faltered for a moment as Ana's face flashed through her mind. For the last week and a half, she'd done her best to move past the recent events that had plagued the Academy. It wasn't easy by any means. At first, Carla hadn't been able to leave her bedroom at her sleepy home Maine. Her family, still a bit miffed she'd chosen to go to the Academy, was concerned. They'd asked her, every hour on the hour, if there was anything they could do to help. Carla merely told them she'd like time alone

And they did. Emma O'Connell knew that her daughter just needed some time to process, so she convinced her husband, Brian, and her youngest daughter, Aoife, to let her grieve.

It hadn't been easy. Carla missed her dear sister while she was away, but she just didn't want Aoife to see her this sad.

"Are you okay?" Jack grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah… I'm fine," she mumbled, breathing out shakily. "Just...missing my sister, is all."

"Younger sister?" he assumed.

"Yeah. We're pretty close, I guess. I used to read to her all the time before I left for the academy," Carla chuckled wistfully, remembering how Aoife used to beg for another book after they finished one.

Jack was quiet for a moment, studying her face. "Okay, I believe you," he finally lied. He had a few guesses as to what she was dwelling on, but he didn't want to bring it up. The sadness was contagious. It just spread throughout him like a plague.

Trying to distract herself, Carla searched around the square of the quaint little town. "There's a shop down that way," she jerked her head, "That looks like it might sell books. I can try to find some more Celtic myths for you? I mean, if you want them."

"Sure, that sounds great. I enjoyed it," Jack smiled at her, and she began to lead him down the street.

As they walked, chatting sporadically, his blue eyes zeroed in on a shop. The front window was filled with comics and action figures of old heroes. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman— they were all there. An ancient television played black and white cartoons of the Green Lantern. But there was one hero in particular that caught his attention.

"Do you...mind if I catch up to you? I'll only be a second."

"Yeah, of course. I'll see you in a bit," Carla said cautiously, watching him hurry into the Comic shop. She bit her lip, puzzled at his sudden change in behavior, then turned towards the book shop.

Gotham

January 21th, 02:00 PM EST

2022

Avi grunted, trying to steady his work with his pinky The intricate wiring made his project delicate and missing his other hand made the task even more difficult.

"Would you like some help?" Travis called from across the room, picking up on his frustration.

Avi studied the robotic arm he was creating, grinding his teeth together. Ana's nightmare flashed through his mind.

"You're a liability. How are we supposed to save anyone else when we're always saving you?" Gezie had sneered. Sure, it may have been a dream fabricated by Ana, but dream Gezie still had a point. Avi was useless without his arm and leg. He was useless without any powers.

And, again, Travis had to save him. Save his project. Because he was useless without his limbs.

"No," Avi snapped, his hand shaking from his emotions.

Travis put down his screwdriver. "C-Come on. It'll be much easier if I help you hold it—"

"I said no." Avi scoffed.

Robin looked up from the thigh of Avi's robotic leg. "Dude, just let him help. Sooner we finish your robotic limbs, the sooner you can get back to missions with the team."

"I don't need help. I've been a mechanic for as long as I can remember. If I can't do this, then what good am I?" Avi clenched his jaw, finally getting the wire in place.

Robin chuckled lowly, "I don't think I've ever seen you this determined. You've been working non-stop since you got here. Did someone light a fire under your ass?"

"Yeah. Ana did," he murmured, tightening a screw on the ring finger. After his break began, Avi immediately enlisted Robin and Travis to help assemble his new limbs. Travis and Catori, being orphans, didn't have anywhere to go, and neither did Avi. Robin took them in with open arms, allowing Avi to take over his living room to start his project. The mechanic hadn't slept more than three hours since coming to his apartment.

At the mention of Ana's name, Travis cringed. It was hard to forget what she made him see. It was even harder to forget what he did. Travis couldn't imagine himself capable of murder. He was a medic, first and foremost, but it still didn't absolve the fact that he killed his mother.

Robin cleared his throat uncomfortably, watching the boys' expressions. "I figured that's what it was…"

"S-School starts again in a few days," Travis said. "I don't know if we'll be able to finish before then, Avi."

"We will," he responded casually. They had to. It was the only way he could force himself to go back there.

"You guys can take a break. I know we've been working nonstop."

Robin's eyes darted between Avi's composed expression and Travis' concerned one.

"Right. I'll go get us some lunch. Want to come, Travis?"

"S-Sure.I, uh, I'll see you in a bit."

The pair grabbed their jackets from the closet by the door, giving the mechanic one uneasy glance before they left, but Avi never looked up.

Buffalo, New York

January 21th, 03:30 PM EST

2022

Captain Canuck was his name, and although he was well known to most of Canada, Jack knew practically nothing of him. Sure, he knew the stories and tall tales that everyone else did, but he never knew him.

"You sure like Captain Canuck, kid. This is all I have of him," the shop owner chuckled, surveying the massive spread of comics, shirts, and memorabilia that littered the corner of his store.

"Trust me, this is amazing. I can't thank you enough," Jack murmured, thumbing through a newspaper article.

"Captain Canuck killed by former sidekick Blue Fox!" the headline screamed in all caps.

Jack assumed he was dead, but never before had he learned the true origins of Canuck's death. He only heard whispers of rumors around Luthor's facility.

"Was the Captain a hero of yours or something?" the owner asked mildly, organizing a stack of magazines.

"Something like that. He means a lot to me," Jack sighed, staring at a photo of him in the paper. The chiseled jaw, stern brown eyes, and sandy blonde hair matched him perfectly. Jack stuffed the paper into his coat pocket while the owner turned away. He was certain Captain Canuck had to be him. This had to be his father.

Taking a stack of magazines up to the desk, Jack's pulse was racing. He held the answers to his past in his hands, now all that was left was to get the confirmation from Luthor. Then, maybe he could find his mother.

"Twenty?" the man arched a brow as he rang it up. "Well, if you ever need any more reading to do, don't be afraid to stop in!"

Jack gave him a nod of thanks before hurrying out the door. He spent way more time than he wanted to in there, but it was necessary. He shouldered the thick bag of comics and magazines, long strides carrying him to the front door of the book shop.

Jack cracked open the door, a bell at the top jingling. His brown eyes zeroed in on a pile of books scattered haphazardly across the wooden floor. As he bent down to pick them up, he saw a pair of brown boots and a cane through the crack of the bookshelf. And then, a gunshot. Jack barely missed a bullet to the head, pressing himself against the floor. He rolled to the left to avoid another shot.

"Look out!"

A vine ripped through the wooden floor, knocking the gun out of the hands of his assailant.

Jack took the chance to kick his bag of books underneath a desk, sprinting past the shelves. He knocked into someone and they both fell to the floor.

"Get up," Carla hissed, grabbing his arm. A bolt from a plasma gun blasted a hole in the wall.

"What's going on?" Jack hissed, ducking behind another shelf.

"Ambush. I've been using cloaking spells from Zatanna the past ten minutes or so. You ruined it with your entrance," she grumbled, peering through the shelf. "Leon's the only one who showed his face so far. There may be more."

Jack gritted his teeth at the sound of Leon's name. "I want a few words with him. We have unfinished business from the airfield."

"I don't care what business you have with him," Carla snapped. "You need to keep a level head and—"

"Heroes," Leon called from a few shelves away. "My time is precious. Hiding is only delaying the inevitable."

Carla raised a single finger to her lips and pulled a viscous liquid from her black winter coat.

"For the love of— please, don't set this bookshop on fire," Jack hissed to her.

"I'm not!" Carla mouthed, then jerked her hand across her throat, signaling the end of their conversation. She could hear a creak on the floorboards. Leon quickly turned the corner, appearing in their aisle, and she threw the flask onto the ground. Thick, purple smoke poured out of it, and she could hear Leon coughing violently.

"Move, Arsenault!"

Carla grabbed his hand and the two sprinted towards the back where a fire exit was waiting for them. She wasted no time barreling through the door, out into a snow-covered alleyway.

Jack hesitated as Carla kept running, glancing back towards the shop. His books were still in there, a pathway to learning who his parents really were. Records of the Captain were practically expunged from the internet, and the newspapers could lead him to his past. But, more importantly, Leon was in there. And he had a chance to tip the scales in his team's favor by taking him out.

"Jack? What do you think you're doing?" Carla snapped, notching he wasn't behind her.

"Stay here!" He commanded, heading back into the building.

He ignored her protests, blinking at the filmy and dark atmosphere Carla's potion had created. He could barely see anything, but he caught a flash of light a few feet away and ducked to avoid another plasma blast.

"I thought you ran away," Leon scoffed, swinging the gun at Jack's head.

The boy leaned back, letting it pass. "I have unfinished business." He retaliated with a punch that Leon blocked with his plasma shield. He grunted, pushing his weight forward. Leon gritted his teeth, digging his heels into the ground to stop the teen.

"I don't recall doing much to you…" Leon hissed, struggling to hold his own against Jack's pure strength.

"You almost killed my teammate. That's doing plenty!" Jack snarled, pulling back. Leon stumbled back from the sudden removal of the force, and as Jack slammed a punch into the shield, he rocketed back into the wall.

"You attacked Carla. You work with Luthor—"

"So do you," Leon ducked, narrowly avoiding a punch that splintered the wall where his head once was.

Jack's brown eyes narrowed, and he halted his attack, breathing heavily. "Hardly."

"Luthor's going to be pleased to hear that. I suppose I should have known. If you had any loyalty to him, you would have let me kill the witch," Leon scoffed, his amber eyes boring into the boy.

"She is a druidess, and no one touches Carla," Jack seethed, his fists balling up again. "What is Luthor going to do? Kill me? He's put billions into me; he's not one to throw money away carelessly."

"You're right. He's not. But I am," Leon, pulled a pistol from his belt firing a shot towards Jack. The teen ducked to avoid one that was hurtling towards his head, but the next one sliced his side.

Jack immediately lunged forward, slamming a roundhouse kick into Leon's chest. The man went sailing into a bookshelf, the entire structure toppling over. Then, he began to sprint for the door.

Oceanside, California

January 22nd, 02:30 PM EST

2022

Daisy Polaris let out a sigh as she heard her son scream for what seemed like the hundredth time today. She set the pot she was washing down on the countertop, shaking her hands out over the sink.

"Roman?" she called, walking down the hall of their one-story home. She gingerly touched a melted doorknob, cracked open the door to his room, her eyes roamed over the mess of his bedroom.

"Yeah?" he grumbled, staring at a book, mangled and burnt with acid.

Daisy bit her lip, then swooped in, bending over and putting it back on his bookshelf.

"Thanks," he grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

She tried to smile at him. "It'll get better. You're strong. You always push through."

Roman's eyes flicked back to the book, then to his burnt clothes, doorknob, papers, laptop, and pencils. Nothing was untouched from his power anymore.

"It's getting worse. Before, I could hold things for a few seconds. Now, everything just...burns."

"Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Maybe you're meant to help people—"

Roman looked to her hopelessly. Daisy stopped mid-sentence, her stomach flipping. She hadn't seen that look since Douglas died in the nitroglycerin accident.

"Have faith, Roman. You have a good heart. You were just...dealt a shit hand." Daisy disliked cursing, but she could sense her son's pain. She couldn't sugar coat what his abilities had become.

He stayed quiet. Daisy didn't sense any anger or joy. It was like static. Nothing.

"Tell you what. Try and finish straightening up your room, and we can head down to the pier. I'll buy you that ice cream you like. My treat," she suggested, arching a brow at him.

Roman took a deep breath, appearing as if he was seriously considering turning down her offer. Daisy understood. What comfort was ice cream when you had a monstrous ability that kills?

Then, surprisingly, he nodded. "Yeah, mom. I'd like that."

"Good," she ruffled his red hair gently. "Hurry up. I want sweets."

She padded down the hall, leaving Roman to stare at his mess. He didn't know how he would straighten up his room, but he did know one thing: he wanted ice cream.

Buffalo, New York

January 21th, 03:30 PM EST

2022

He stumbled outside the bookshop, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side.

"Jack!" Carla shouted frantically, her gaze zeroing in on the bloodstain on his side. "That was the stupidest thing you could have done! We literally could have run away, and what did you do? You went back!"

"I'm not one for running away. You should know that," he scoffed, rolling his eyes at her scolding. "We have to move, though. I kinda have a bullet wound."

Carla pulled him through the back alleyways, trying to put some distance between the pair and Leon. "I thought you were immune to bullets?"

"Not high caliber ones. Leon was prepared for dealing with me. I'm just lucky I dodge the one meant for my head," Jack grunted.

Carla began rummaging around in her pockets for potions, hoping to find one that would slow the blood loss. Usually, she didn't carry around healing potions due to Travis' presence and skills. Her lips twisted into a frown as she became increasingly worried that she didn't have one.

"Here! It's...tiny, but it'll have to work," Carla pulled a skinny, yellow vial from one of her coat pockets. Swiping some snow off the alleyway concrete, she pulled Jack down next to her. He pulled up his shirt, showing his throbbing, bloody bullet wound.

Carla undid the stopper, pouring the contents onto his wound. Jack hissed as steam poured off his skin. Glancing at the wound, it was inflamed and pink, but the bleeding was stopped.

"You're going to be in a bit of pain...But, you'll live, Arsenault," Carla gave him a soft smile, pocketing the empty vial.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," the corners of Jack's lips turned upwards.

She blinked in surprise; the sudden sappy compliment was unexpected. Jack wasn't the type of person to say sentimental things. He wasn't a man of words, making his comment all the more...surprising. Returning his compliment with a teasing grin, Carla said, "I don't know what you'd do either."

Jack let out a chuckle, then fell silent. His brown eyes fixed on hers, and suddenly, he sat up. Leaning forward, he slowly leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

The world kindly turned off as his hand caressed her cheek. There was nothing in Carla's mind the moment his lips touched hers. It was like her brain was speechless for once. He pulled away way too fast, and she was at a loss for words.

"I-I'm sorry, we're teammates. I shouldn't have done that," Jack muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"That was perfect," Carla whispered. Despite, the awe and...confusing feelings she had, Jack still had a point. "We can't tell the team."

"As much as I hate secrets, agreed. It's for the best," he grimaced, pushing himself up into a standing position. Carla followed. "Let's keep moving—"

He was cut off by the druidess quickly pecking him on the lips.

"Don't get a big head, Arsenault. Now, let's go."

The Academy

January 23rd, 09:00 AM EST

2022

"Here we are."

"Back in hell already?" Avi grumbled under his breath, voice shaking slightly from the nerves. This was it. This was his chance to prove he was a hero. A true hero, not some stupid kid that hid behind his friends while playing with bolts and wires.

"You going to be okay?" Robin looked back from the driver's seat, his ancient Saturn idling by the gates of the Academy. His inky black hair was now a soft strawberry blond, and his blue eyes were a light hazel. Contacts and a wig were necessary. Robin wasn't looking to go back to being Luthor's prisoner.

"I'll be fine. It's whether these bad boys," Avi patted his cybernetic leg. "Hold up or not."

"W-We should get going. We can run more diagnostics after we settle in," Travis murmured. The initial tests on Avi's tech were a success, but it still needed more work to get all the fine-tuning down.

"I agree," he nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Thank you, Dick. For everything."

Robin shot him a glance, "Don't use that name! But you're welcome. Thank you for freeing me." His gaze softened, and he got out of the car, opening Avi's door. The teen took a shaky breath, then grunted, pushing himself forward onto the concrete.

"It's very...technical. I have to actually think about it, and it's weird. I don't like it," he grumbled.

"I-It won't be automatic for a-a bit. You have to get used to it," Travis responded, hopping out of the car. He nodded to Robin, "Yes, thank you. Y-You've been so kind. Giving Cat and I a home...when we don't have one."

"Anytime, buddy—"

He was surprised by a sudden, but gentle hug the boy gave him. Robin hesitantly hugged him back.

"If you ever need anything," he started, breaking apart to look the teen dead in the eyes. "Be it help on an assignment, or someone is trying to kill you, don't ever hesitate. Call me. Okay?"

Avi chuckled softly. "The point of cybernetic limbs was so I wouldn't need help anymore."

"Now that's just unrealistic," Robin scoffed before heading back to his car. "I gotta go before anyone recognizes me. I don't really want to go back to being a hostage."

"T-Take care, Robin!" Travis called, and with the rev of his engine, he was flying down the drive of the Academy. He sighed after a few seconds. "I-It was nice, having somewhere to live without Luthor breathing down my back."

"I know, " Avi answered. He grabbed his suitcase from the pavement, then turned towards the school.

The Academy

January 23rd, 10:00 AM EST

2022

"Julia!"

Her fight or flight instincts kicked in as she registered an object flying at her. Jumping into her combat stance, Julia quickly registered that it was not, in fact, a projectile or enemy. It was Raven. Sprinting towards her at what seemed like seventy miles an hour.

He tackled her, hugging her tightly.

"I missed you."

She was struck speechless for a moment, then hugged him back. "You should have told me to brace for impact. But I missed you too."

"What? No hug like that for me?" Gezie snickered from the couch.

"Gez! How…" he bit his lip. "Never mind. You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. I appreciate the concern. I'm doing alright. It was nice to see my family again. I missed my parents a lot more than I thought I did."

"I'm glad," Raven said, slightly relieved.

There was a pause of awkward silence in the dorm. Raven knew they were simply making small talk, ignoring the entire string of events that had started their break in the first place, but he really didn't want to be the one to bring up Ana.

"I'm...Going to go put my things away. Raven, want me to take your suitcase to your room?" Julia asked.

"No, no. It's fine. In fact, I should probably do that," he laughed, thankful the silence was gone. "I'll come with you." He grabbed his suitcase quickly, then headed down the hallway towards his room.

"You coming, Gezie?" Julia shouldered her duffel bag.

She shrugged, "Maybe in a little. I like the quiet."

Julia nodded, then left for her room.

Gezie took a deep breath, leaning her head against the back of the couch. She had been so relaxed over the break, and now she was certain this school was giving her anxiety. Her blue eyes cracked open, sliding towards her suitcase.

"Nope. Absolutely not," she mumbled to herself. Gezie forced herself to stay put, trying to focus on her breathing techniques. Over the break, her parents had been insanely supportive of the issues she developed at the Academy. They offered to try and find her a therapist, or enroll her in some meditation classes, but their daughter refused. All Gez wanted was a break. And time off did her good.

But now, she was here, and Ana's last set of files were inside her bag. The last thing she had worked on before her death.

"Damn," she growled, getting up and unzipping her suitcase. She ripped open the files, pouring over them for the first time since she found them hiding in Ana's mattress. Gezie glanced over more reports from the League's proteges' last mission, information on Queen Bee, and… a few reports on a woman named Haru Akiyama?

Gezie paused at the sight of a name she was unfamiliar with, but the woman's portrait on the file seemed to register. How did she know this woman? Why did she look so familiar?

The door to the dorm swung open, and Gezie shoved the files behind a pillow, meeting the gaze of Lediv Awbree.

"You look like you're up to no good," he joked lightly.

Gezie pursed her lips. "Well, same to you."'

There was an awkward silence as the teammates merely stared at each other. Gez began to squirm under his gaze. What if he knew about the files? Or that she thought something was suspicious about him?

"Uh...are you all right?" Lediv arched a brow.

Gezie realized that he was completely joking when he commented about what she was up to. He didn't know anything. She was just paranoid.

The leader let out a sharp, high laugh of nervousness. "Oh, yeah just...fine. This place makes me a bit nervous is all. You know, murders, secrets, life and death situations…"

Lediv pursed his lips in awkwardness, staring and nodding his head in a strained manner. He opened his mouth to cut in, but quickly closed it when she trailed off.

"...Okay. So, I see that break didn't do anything for you—"

"Oh, no! It helped. I got quality time with my parents, a pinch of therapy. Just, I'm a little jumpy," Gezie gave him a small smile, attempting to convince him that she really was fine. And he could just move right along and she could hide those files.

"It must have really done you some good. I don't think I've ever seen you smile in my presence, except for when I'm leaving," Lediv chuckled, running a hand through his messy black hair. Then, he began to approach her.

No, Gezie thought, no, no, no. He was supposed to leave so she could hide those damn files! Her mind was flying, looking for an excuse or a way to divert his attention. On a whim, she adjusted her position on the couch to where she was sitting with her back against the pillow where the files were.

Lediv sat on the opposite end of the couch.

"I, uh, had a lot of time to myself over the last week. A lot of time to think…"

Gezie was barely whispering. Her face betrayed no emotion, but internally it felt like her brain had hit the 'Panic!" button.

"Yeah, thinking is pretty great," she mumbled in response, pretending she was following along.

Lediv prattled on about something or other, mentioning things about how she was an "inspirational person" and "incredibly smart". Gezie wasn't really paying attention; the files underneath her felt as if they were burning.

"And, you know, coming to this school was really hard for me in the beginning. But having you, and seeing you battle your demons like that...It was amazing, Gez," Lediv continued.

She merely nodded at his words, wondering if he'd ever stop talking.

"So, I guess what I'm trying to get at," Lediv scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then directed his molten golden eyes to her. "Is I want to ask you if we could hang out sometime?"

"Uh...Like…" Gezie was caught off guard, completely not expecting the turn of events this took.

"Like, as more than friends," a soft pink blush rose on Lediv's cheeks.

She had no idea how to respond. Was she attracted to Lediv? Yeah, he was handsome...Okay, maybe a little too handsome, but he was a prick! She didn't even consider herself as his friend! But, maybe going on a date would be a chance to gain his trust and learn some sensitive information?

No, Gezie reprimanded herself. She was done pretending to be the detective. Ana was gone anyway, so it wasn't like she had a partner in crime. But, the temptation of having an advantage against Lediv remained…

"A date-date?"

"A date-date," he affirmed.

She took a deep breath, knowing eventually she'd probably regret this.

"Okay. I'm in."

The Academy, Alpha Dorms

January 23rd, 11:00 AM EST

2022

"Impressive work. I see the break has let your creativity blossom."

As David poured over Julia's work, sprawled out on the floor of her room, she bounced a tennis ball on the opposite wall of her room. She was careful not to knock any of the numerous pieces of art down.

"Yeah, I've had a lot of emotions to get out lately," she scoffed, whipping the ball a little harder.

David was silent, studying her paintings. "I can tell by your...extensive use of dark colors here."

"Yellow just doesn't fit," she grumbled.

David knew Julia was having a hard time. Yes, the nightmares that Gezie, Avi, Raven and everyone else experienced were terrifying. But none of them had the horror of Julia's. Being friends, David had been one of the only people she opened up to. Julia didn't want to concern anyone.

When she described her fabricated situation to him, he had gotten chills. And it was very hard to scare David Porter.

Tossing his braided brown hair behind his shoulder, he sat up, staring at his friend.

"Have you gotten sleep without nightmares yet?"

"Hardly. But that's no surprise. It's a challenge to forget about watching your former crush burn your throat with acid until you can't breathe," Julia answered monotonously. "And then see him on missions, in class, where you live…"

"It was fabricated. Just Ana's subconscious manipulating your mind," he reminded her.

She stopped throwing the ball, furrowing her eyebrows. "Maybe so. But it's still possible for that to happen in reality. I don't know how above that Roman is."

David sighed heavily, leaning back against her bed. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, Julia had a point. There was always a possibility.

The Academy, Alpha Dorms

January 23rd, 11:30 AM EST

2022

Avi and Travis walked in to the sound of laughter.

"You're a ninja and you're this uncoordinated?" Gezie laughed incredulously, gesturing to the Jenga pieces that covered the kitchen table.

Travis looked to Avi, "You've got this. Don't let your demons win."

Avi's heart still raced every time he saw Gezella Leclerc. Partially out of love, partially out of nervousness. The fear of Ana's nightmares hadn't quite subsided yet.

"H-Hey guys!" Travis called out. "Mind if we join?"

"Travis!" Raven yelled, grinning. The boy's eyes spotted Avi. "And Avi! Awesome!"

Gezie grinned at the pair, but the grin turned to awe when she realized he was walking.

"You….You're walking…"

"Dude!" Raven stared, speechless. "You made...cybernetic limbs?"

"All break. It's the only thing Travis, Robin, and I worked on," Avi explained, grinning. "It's a little hard to look at, the metal and the wires and the flesh, but now I can come on missions again!"

"You look freaking awesome! Avi the Terminator!" Raven gushed excitedly, circling the mechanic. He tapped the metal. "Can you feel this?"

"No."

"Does it hurt?" Gezie asked timidly.

Avi shrugged, "Yeah, at first. But Robin gave me some painkillers, so I should be okay."

"Lift this up!" Raven yelled from the front room, pointing to the couch. The boy was practically bouncing on his toes.

Avi and Gezie exchanged a glance, but the mechanic gave in. Raven was only 15, after all. Avi would indulge him.

With his cybernetic arm, he lifted the large couch up into the air with ease. Raven grinned, "You're like, a real-life superhero! Like Cyborg!"

Avi had never been called a superhero before. No one considered intelligence or mechanical prowess to be superhero-esque. Everyone at this school called him a sidekick. No one thought he should be going on missions. And he'd always considered himself inferior to heroes for that reason.

Until now.

"I hope you're ready for me to sweep the floor with you guys. I'm going to win Jenga," he declared, confidence radiating off of him.

Gezie nodded, smiling softly. "It's good to have you back. The real you." She walked over to Avi, hugging him tightly.

Boston, Massachusetts

January 22nd, 9:00 AM EST

2022

As Genevieve placed the last cashmere sweater in her suitcase, there was a loud rap at the door. She paused the jazz music playing, and walked towards the door.

Genevieve cracked open the door and was surprised to find Amun Rashid at the door.

"Amun— I mean, Mr. Rashid?"

"Hello, Ms. Laroux. May I come in? It's urgent."

"I was just about to leave for the Academy—"

"It's urgent," he repeated.

Genevieve fell silent, biting her lip in deliberation. On one end, she knew Amun was a loyal follower of Luthor, so it wouldn't make for a pleasant interaction. But, on the other, he was alone. And if things headed...South, she could just teleport to safety.

Genevieve opened the door, "Come on in."

Amun entered, dressed casually in a button-down shirt and jeans. His dark green eyes surveyed her apartment warily. "Tasteful decor."

"Oh, thank you. I grew up in France, so I wanted it to feel like home. Coffee? Tea"

"No, thank you. This will be brief," he sat down. Genevieve followed, watching him cautiously. "I will make this very simple. Luthor has reason to believe that you are a traitor."

Genevieve's face remained impassive as he spoke. She knew this day would come, but she didn't think it would be so...soon. She'd kept her actions generally secretive. Only the Alpha and Beta teams knew she was aiding them…

Then, it became clear. Lediv. He had sold her out, hadn't he?

"Ms. Laroux?"

"What evidence for this do you have?"

"A video of you aiding the team and testimony from a student."

Genevieve's eyes did not leave Amun's. She couldn't stop the chill that ran down his spine. A testimony was workable. The video was not.

"And what's so wrong about helping the Alpha Team?"

"One of their members aided a terrorist group. They broke into Lex Corp. They've stolen confidential information," Amun stated coldly, a sinister smile growing on his face. "Your time aiding traitors has ended, Genevieve."

She tried to focus on a location. Paris. Belgium. New York. But all she was getting was static.

"Trying to run, Ms. Laroux, is useless," Amun chided, his smile now haughty.

"What did you do to my power?" She snarled, standing up.

Amun stood up as well, straightening out his shirt. "I negated it. Quite a handy power when dealing with superheroes and superpowered children. I have Luthor to thank for my abilities. He took me and made me into something great."

"He experimented on you!"

"No, he created me. And I owe him a life's debt for that."

Amun struck hard and fast. First, a punch to her shoulder, followed by a butterfly kick.

The punch was easy to block, but the kick knocked her off her feet. Genevieve twisted herself into a backflip, landing in a protective crouch. Over in the living room, there was a loud crash of shattering glass, and Mercy Graves rolled into her apartment.

"Nice to know I was well-liked by my colleagues," she grunted, gaze flicking worriedly from Mercy to Rashid. One on One, she might have survived without her powers. But two on one? Genevieve really didn't know how she'd escape.

Rasid didn't give her much time to consider it, throwing a punch towards her left side. Genevieve twisted to the side, grabbing his wrist. She twisted his arm, then swept her leg out, hooking his ankle and pulling. As he toppled forward, Genevieve sprinted towards Mercy, flipped forward, and sprung towards the woman's jaw with her leg outstretched. The hit landed, sending Mercy flying back into the wall.

Genevieve turned towards Rashid. "You think I'll go down without a fight?" She chuckled darkly.

She saw Amun grin viciously and realized Mercy had probably recovered by now. The medic whipped around just in time to see Mercy grab her arm, dig her feet into the ground, and flip her onto the floor.

Genevieve rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding a foot to the face, and sprung onto her feet.

Rashid lifted her dining room chair as Mercy activated her cybernetic canon. Genevieve ducked to avoid a blast, popping up, she came face to face with her kitchen chair.

She landed on the floor. Hard.

"Night, night," Mercy sang, bringing her foot up and stomping on Genevieve's face.

A few moments later, she heard the muffled whir of Mercy's cybernetic arm.

.x.X.x.

Helloooo! 'Tis me! Sorry this took so long, but my semester was incredibly busy. I graduate in 5 months, so you can imagine how hectic it is for me. I've been slowly chipping away at this chapter since August, and that's why it may feel a little choppy. Hope you enjoy, though.

It's really crazy to think I started this story 2 years ago… time goes by really fast.

Anyway, 4 more chapters left of this SYOC. Hope you're ready. Going to be honest, the last 4 chapters are the least planned and organized. So, if they suck, oh well. I am pushing through and finishing it in 2020. I want to start new projects, and let me tell you, writing an SYOC if fucking hard. There's a reason this will be my first and only.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I really loved writing Avi's scene and the first scene with Jack and Carla. I may be a plotty bitch, but I love cute and wholesome interactions.

That's all I got for y'all! Hopefully I can bust out the next four chapters relatively soon!

Hope you enjoyed and please review!

~The Fangirls

Questions:

1. Favorite Scene?

2. Have you noticed any changes/improvements in the writing since the first chapter?

3. Do you think this story took too long to be finished?