Author's note:
Guest: I know you said "not to be rude", but it still sort of felt that way. I do understand how you could be upset with the two not recognizing each other, but remember that the homecoming dance was a masquerade theme, therefore they were all wearing masks. Wally's hair is also slicked back which, as it does most people, made his red hair darker. Another thing, neither have seen each other all dressed up like this. At Dick's party, it was casual without masks and with the timeline of how I'm following season 1, that party has not occurred yet.
Wally calling himself Barry Allen was just a joke, and sure Artemis knows who that is, but she hasn't necessarily "met" this version of Wally. I'm not discrediting Artemis in any way, she's one of my favorite characters aside from Dick. I am sorry the chapter had upset you, but a lot of thought went into writing that chapter since I was on the fence about it. I did my best and was meticulous to keep the two of them from recognizing each other. But, as it upset you, I'll do better to shine more light on Artemis. I'm glad you think Sylvia and Wally are cute! and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
Sylvia Wayne "Wildcat"
Mt. Justice
October 16th, 2010
Batman's camera sensor units activated and gave the Cave live feed of the Green Lanterns flying out to meet the Alien Invaders. We all stood in front of the holocomputer, watching as the ship tracked closer and closer to earth.
"Attention." John Stewart spoke clearly as he faced the massive space ship with Hal Jordan. "You have entered the boundaries of Earth space. Disengage all weapons and engines. This is your final warning." He finished. One of the red bulbs on the ship began to charge and glow. It broke right through the two Lantern's shields. I watched to two disintegrate before feeling Wally slip his hand into mine.
"Code red. Full offensive deploy." I heard my father say as the cameras showed Martian Manhunter, Captains Marvel and Atom, and Superman deploying out of the Batplane's cargo bay. They flew off to attack, but the bulb charged up again, immediately destroying the four Leaguers like they were nothing. I had felt calm until they were gone, my heart had now picked up as I watched Batman maneuver away from the disintegration rays. My eyes went wide as the Batplane was destroyed with Batman in a pod, trying to get away. There were hundreds of smaller alien ships deploying from the mothership. One flew right up to Batman's pod, and fire. In that moment, the sounds of the Cave roared in my ears. The sounds of my own heartbeat and breathing along with everyone else's, Red Tornado's machinery whirring about, Wolf huffing and Sphere humming. I tried my best to keep a straight face as the cave received an incoming transition.
"Tornado, did you-" Zatara said as I looked around, noticing that the majority were calm. But Dick and M'gann were agitated. For some reason that I couldn't put my finger on, the three of us slipped back into mission mode, the tension released.
"Yes, Zatara, we saw. Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures." Red Tornado replied to Zatara, who was in the Watchtower at the moment.
"Affirmative. See you in the field." Zatara said before shutting off the transmission. Ret 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." Tornado made it very clear that this wasn't going to be just another day in the Justice League. Everyone shared a brief look before our leader replied.
"We stand ready." Aqualad affirmed, I stood a little taller, knowing that even if it did fall to us, we would not fail, or at least fall protecting people. As Red Tornado left, Robin pulled up all of the news footage so we would monitor the action to determine when we should step in. On GBS, the first footage we received was Central City. People were screaming as Wally's aunt Iris reported.
"This is Iris West-Allen reporting live. The extraterrestrials have brought their relentless global attack to Central City." The second she finished, alien fire destroyed the arch and took out the people behind her. She cowered slightly, but tried to keep reporting. Just before a ship could take her out, a blur of red swiped her away and the sound of one of Zatara's spells rang through the air as the camera man disappeared as well. The new scene was on a rooftop as the Flash brought Iris up.
"You should both be safe here. At least for now." Zatara trailed off as Iris refused to take her eyes off of the Flash.
"Thank you-" She almost said Barry, but she paused. "-Flash… And Zatara." She looked back at the magician as the Flash sped away and Zatara flew off on a disc of his own magic.
"Denny, you okay?" She checked as the cameraman's thumbs up came into the view of the camera. "As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to hold the line-" She stopped as she saw Flash and Zatara try and save some people on the roof of a burning building, but the Aliens fired, the entire rooftop going up into smoke, Flash and Zatara included. "No." You could hear the defeat in her voice as she reached out to the plume of ash.
"Iris! Iris, get out of there!" GBS report Cat Grant screamed as a ship flew up, the camera feed cutting out. "I'm sorry, we're experiencing technical difficulties from our Central City feed.
We take you now to a devastated Taipei, where another League contingent is having a bit more luck." Cat slowly gains a moderately normal voice as the camera changes to Taipei. the second it does, we see both Hawkman and Hawkwoman disintegrated. On a rooftop, we can see a small duo of Black Canary and Green Arrow fighting off ships before being hit with a beam as well. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Hawks.
Other heroes reported dead or missing include Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman." Cat Grant reported as I looked to another screen that Robin has pulled up of a little town called Smallville, Kansas.
"Red Tornado to cave. I fear I am all that remains of the League-" We hear as Red Tornado flies out only to see the mothership landing, crushing the town beneath it.
"R.T.-" Robin tried to respond to him just as the Android disappeared. We all looked at the four shots of footage
"We are Earth's heroes now." Aqualad said as we realized the entire League was now gone. Superboy knit his eyebrows.
"So what are we waiting for, a theme song?" The Kryptonian sassed as we all turned to him and our leader.
"A strategy. Earth's weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed." Aqualad spoke with a new authority that we've never really heard before, like he was the highest ranking authority now that we were without mentors.
"Checking satellite imagery." Robin pulled up a massive, rotating globe of the planet, red highlighting different locations. "Here's where the aliens are now." He clarified as we all looked about the planet for ideas.
"This one get lost?" Superboy asked, pointing to a red dot in the heart of the northern Atlantic.
"That's Superman's fortress of solitude." Robin identified with a sort of wonder as I saw Superboy's eyebrow raise.
"Superman has a fortress of solitude?" He was surprised that there was something he didn't know.
"Its power source must have attracted the aliens attention, at least enough to send a scout ship to investigate." Robin reasoned, putting things together as he always did.
"Must be some fortress." Superboy snapped as he stepped off in the other direction.
"Connor-" M'gann put a hand on his shoulder as I noticed Robin staring at me, my hand immediately letting go of Wally's/
"No, it's okay. I guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know." Superboy seemed angry, but his face softened. "Uh, you know, now." He added.
"We will target this lone ship." Aqualad strategized.
"Yeah, break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo." Wally pounded his fist into his hand. Artemis beat me to the punch and elbowed Wally in the side.
"Martian and Kryptonian in the house." She half whispered to him. Superboy and M'gann looked at Wally as he stumbled to try and fix what he said.
"Uh," He let out a nervous laugh, "not that all aliens are automatically ugly." Wally commented, Artemis pinching the bridge of her nose as I stepped away, standing next to Robin to the look at the analysis readings he had up.
Outside the Fortress of Solitude
We were all in stealth mode, everyone getting in place. Superboy and I were crouching behind a snowy rock as the rest of us waited for the signal. An invisible Miss Martian willed the radio piece of the ship to detach, the whole thing lurching in the air.
Communications disabled. She reported in the mind link. Propulsion disabled. M'gann said as the ship hit the snow. Artemis fired a foam arrow into the only way in or out of the ship as it tried to fire at her. I didn't know what to do yet until she finally reported.
And ETs are sealed inside. She said as she peaked around the fresh hold in the rock she was hiding behind. Aqualad smashed through the ice, trapping the ship further like a distraction as Wolf swung the cannon away from our leader as Superboy and I leapt aboard the separate the cannon from the ship. Robin and Kid Flash ran in as I moved away from the support beam, standing next to Superboy as he supported the massive piece of weaponry.
Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship. Here, here, and here. Robin told M'gann as she used her telekinesis to break down the support to the cannon. We all watched as the ship tried to fire the beam at Superboy, but Wolf knocked him out of the way, being disintegrated in his place.
Wolf. M'gann said sadly in her mind before looking to Robin.
There was no indication of feedback. I'm sorry. He replied, looking to Superboy.
Can't do anything for him now. Superboy looked down before jumping onto the ship. Let's go. He said simply as he ripped the cannon from the alien ship. The Bioship flew up in camouflage mode, Superboy putting the weapon up to it as the ship morphed to attach.
Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's biomatrix. We'll need to de-camouflage for a few minutes. M'gann said as two new alien ships arrived in the air space.
May not have a few minutes. Robin said, watching the ships as we all stood and looked at Aqualad.
Miss Martian, open fire. Aqualad ordered, but she looked back and shook her head.
Can't. Weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated yet, either. She told him, still working to get the Bioship up and running with the new piece of machinery.
Got you covered. Get inside. I'm almost there. Artemis said as she knocked three arrows into her bow. Once ship exploded as the over crash landed into the snow as she ran. The cannon charged up.
Artemis, behind you! M'gann yelled in the link as Artemis turned to fire another arrow, but just like that, she was gone.
"Artemis!" M'gann screamed at the top of her lungs as we all looked out upon the now empty space where Artemis was standing. It was almost all at once that everything hit me. Artemis was at the forefront, but I froze in place as the deaths of Black Canary and my Dad hit me, rushing through my mind.
"Get inside. All of you." Aqualad ordered as he ran to attack the ship. I couldn't move, my mind unable to decide between rage and fear.
"Cat! Come on!" I hear Wally yell, but I didn't do a thing. I watched as Aqualad destroyed the ship, Wally grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the ship, Superboy doing the same thing with M'gann. Soon we were all in our seats and taking off, leaving the place behind us as the deafening silence overwhelmed us all. M'gann was crying as she piloted the Bioship. Robin had his head down, his hands trying to pull at his hair through the white cowl. Wally came over to me as I sat rigid in my seat, unable to unclench my fists as I bit back the anger, my vision becoming blurry as my eyes watered from beneath my cowl.
"Are you…?" He put a hand on my shoulder and the second I felt it, I cried out in anguish, smashing my fists down onto the console in front of me. Wally removed his hand and sat back down, but Aqualad stood up.
"There will be time to mourn later. Now we have a job to do: defend the Earth and ensure Artemis' sacrifice was not in vain." Aqualad's anger showed in his face, the irritation building behind his eyes.
"Back to the cave?" M'gann looked up with heavy eyes.
"The Hall of Justice. The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them.
There is still hope." He said, regaining his cool just as any leader would. I tapped my chest and, the white polar tech disappearing and my black Wildcat costume returning.
Washington D.C.
The Bioship flew up behind three alien ships attacking the U.S. Soldiers. A hatch opened in the bottom and Superboy dropped out, taking out the cannon and bringing down the middle ship as M'gann used the Bioship to vaporize the other two alien ships. Superboy hopped off the ship as the rest of us ran out of the Bioship, the soldiers cheering.
"See? It is Superman. I told you he wouldn't leave us out here alone." One of the soldiers said, looking at Superboy.
"I don't know. He looks kind of young. Where's the Cape?" Another questioned as Superboy turned.
"I'm not Superman." He corrected them.
"I don't know who you are, son, and right now, I don't care. You wear the 'S' and you got the job done." The leader of the troops said.
"I'm not Superman." Superboy looked down.
"Tell that to the enemy. General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force." The Leader introduced himself. Aqualad stepping forward as our leader.
"Aqualad, Justice League. We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible, then we start taking back what is ours." Aqualad turned dark him his tone, returning to the state he was in just after Artemis was killed. We all ended up moving out and getting to the Hall to take refuge, despite it being in ruins. As we entered the main area of the hall, I couldn't help but look up at destroyed statue of my father, turning to face the cracked stone head amongst the rubble.
"They're really gone." Robin said, standing closely next to me, staring at the stone face of our mentor, our father. I put my arm around him, hugging him tightly, only realizing after that I needed it more than he did. We looked over and saw M'gann crying, kneeling before the stone head of her uncle. But she suddenly flew back, using her telekinesis to pull the massive piece of stone away, revealing Martian Manhunter in the flesh.
"Uncle J'onn!" M'gann yelled as she flew to greet him, but Aqualad stood in her way.
"M'Gann, check his mind. Make sure he is whom he appears to be." Aqualad ordered, but she just stared at her uncle.
"It's him. He's real. He's alive." She celebrated, flying to him and embracing him as he stood up.
"But we saw you get disintegrated. You and Superman. And everyone." Superboy questioned the presence of the Leaguer, the last Leaguer.
"Yes, I remember. But I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here." Martian Manhunter looked down at his niece, like she would remind him.
"Maybe you were density shifting, the beam passed right through you." She smiled, excited like a child on Christmas.
"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Robin added, a smile creeping across his face.
"My mind is clouded." Manhunter reached for his head. "I feel certain I had something important to tell you." He closed his eyes, trying to think. From next to me, Wally had an epiphany.
Hello, Wally, come on. Wally said into the link, dragging Robin and I out to the ship Superboy crashed, making Robin scan it with his holocomputer, checking out the readings. I knew it! Look! It's giving off zeta beams, the same stuff that powers our zeta tubes. This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports. Artemis and the others are still alive! He said into the link, hugging me.
Maybe, but- Robin tried to say something but Wally cut him off.
No maybes. They're all alive! Wally celebrated as Robin and I checked the readings. I double checked on my own holocomputer, getting the same thing, but I was starting to things all of the loss was clouding his judgement as well. But incoming ships interrupted the skeptical love fest of thinking our families are still alive somewhere.
We're on our way. Aqualad said in the link as Kid, Rob, and another soldier ducked behind a humvee.
Negative. We can't win this. Miss Martian, camo the Bioship. Robin ordered, but the second he did, the ship was vaporized. We're falling back. Robin said as the rest of us ran back inside. But an explosion behind me went off. I felt the heat as the force sent me flying through the air, somehow sending my straight through the entrance to the hall. I hit the debris with a loud crack, sending everyone into a cringe.
"Cat!" I heard Wally shriek from behind me, speeding over and dragging me out of the way. He stopped running when we got to Aqualad, my feet dragging on the ground as we moved.
"We're trapped." General Eiling said as Aqualad looked around.
"Maybe not." He said, running and everyone following him. As we went through the library, he finally said his plan. "We can all zeta to the cave if you can grant us computer clearance to access the tubes." We all stopped in front of the entrance to the tubes.
"I can only authorize one at a time." J'onn said as as Wally poked my thigh as hard as he could, even kicking one of my ankles, but I shook my head, not knowing what to do.
"Send the soldiers first." Aqualad ordered, but Eiling turned to face him.
"Belay that! You six are assets we cannot afford to lose." He ordered, making it clear that we were the only hope.
"Override. Martian Manhunter 07." J'onn said as the computer scanned him. He stepped aside and it began scanning everyone else.
Recognized.
Access granted
Miss Martian B06
Robin B01
Kid Flash B03
Just like that, the back wall exploded, more debris flying everywhere. Aqualad pushed Wally through and forced me to next, gripping my shoulder as it scanned me and pushed me through. I landed in the Cave, hitting Kid as I fell to the cold floor. This was where it all started. I got to my feet and after a few moments, a soldier made it through, announced as Jason Bard. Then Superboy was to far behind. M'gann instantly went to hug him as we all stood on edge, waiting for Aqualad and Martian Manhunter. But When J'onn came through, we knew Kaldur was gone. My heart was growing heavier and heavier by the minute now, but I couldn't let that stop me. Robin gathered us in the center of the mission room.
"Our next mission is clear. If we believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims-" Robin paused and Wally cut in.
"We do." Wally added, optimistic that everyone was still alive.
"Then the only reasonable detention facility is here." Robin pulled up a scan of a ship. "Their mothership, atop what used to be Smallville. Ring any bells?" Robin asked Martian Manhunter, but he shook his head as he stood up.
"No. I'm sorry." He shook his head once more as he reached for his head, still trying to clear his mind, to no avail.
"Superboy, you'll create a distraction." Robin got out the first part of the plan, but M'gann wasn't having it.
"No! He's offering you as a sacrifice. Aqualad would never do that!" She snapped at Robin, and he just looked at her.
"You're right. Aqualad would sacrifice himself, a mistake that just cost us our leader.
Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy." Robin was getting angry, fed up with the lossed.
"Worst case, he's teleported inside and we set him free along with everyone else." Wally said, but Robin and I shared a look, the two of us knew that teleportation wasn't the case. It was a few minutes before we all got up to make a message to broadcast to all of the survivors still out there.
"And though we know all seems lost, the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope." M'gann started.
"Hope survives because the battle is not over. Not as long as even one of us is willing to fight." Superboy continued as Wally stepped up.
"It doesn't matter how many fall, for new heroes will always rise to carry on, bring all their resources, their skills, their talents to bear, to defeat the enemy." He spoke as more and more heroes arrived to the Cave the prepare for taking back our cities, Red Arrow, Zatanna, Rocket, even Tula and Garth from Atlantis.
"The people of Earth will survive this. We will rebuild and we will thrive." Robin said in an angry but convicted tone. I stepped in next to him.
"United we stand, divided we fall. As long as we are united as a race, never doubt and never forget, the Earth will never surrender." The recording ended and we sent it out to every screen possible.
Smallville
"First team, deploy." Robin ordered as we all stood outside the ship. J'onn and M'gann went into camouflage mode and disappeared into the night.
Ready. In position. M'gann reported as Robin looked to Superboy. With a roar, he leapt into the air, crashing onto the mothership, ripping a cannon from its placement.
Careful. Don't disconnect the power source. Robin reminded Superboy
"All right, you glorified trespassers. You want to see how a real alien fights?" I heard Superboy yell as he fired the cannon all over different points on the ship. Soon, there were hundreds of smaller ships deployed to fight him off and defend the mother ship. I charged and jumped high into the air, grabbing the edge of the opening and pulling myself up and into the ship as Kid went supersonic with Robin on his back. The two of them met me on the inside of the ship. I double checked myself to make sure the double utility belts of bombs were intact on my chest. Robin did the same as we hid, ships passing by.
Way's clear. Go. Robin ordered, KF and I following him. We halted at a cross section and hid as a sort of security drone passed by. Another one came next to us, but something knocked it out. M'gann and J'onn landed before us and we all moved together. M'gann stopped suddenly.
No. He's gone. She collapsed, Kid running to her to get her going again.
It's all right. We'll find him with Artemis and Aqualad. I know it. Kid promised her, but J'onn had his red eyes wider for once.
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. J'onn told him, but it just made him angry.
No, you're wrong. The zeta radiation proves they're all ali-
Stop it, KF. Robin grabbed Kid by the shoulders. I've been scanning for League and team signals since we got inside. They're not here. Artemis, Aqualad and Superboy are gone. But our mission still holds purpose, to destroy this mothership. M'gann understood and we all stood up, following him. Robin and I had another plan from the beginning. We followed Robin into a large room with a burning hot core.
This is the power core. Blow this and the whole mothership blows. Robin ordered. The two of us jumped forward together, but the gravitational pull of the core was dragging us back. I grabbed Rob's arm as I dug my claws into the panel we were standing on. Kid hopped on and slipped as well, Robin grabbing him, but the weight was to much, my claws dragging against the metal. We fell off, but I used my grappling hook as stopped us from hurtling any further. A security droid landed near us, but J'onn and M'gann took it out. They then used their telekinesis to lower us down. Robin and I unhooked out explosives and laid them down on the core.
You knew. You knew from the beginning why we were really here. Kid looked between the two of us as Robin set a timer from his holocomputer.
Four minutes, let's go. Robin ignored his best friend as M'gann and J'onn levitated us back up. We all ran to escape, but the door sealed off.
Perfect. Wally commented as two security droids approached. We all hid from the range of fire.
Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go. Robin ordered. I knew exactly was was happening.
No, we won't leave you. M'gann held on, wanting to stay with us.
That's an order. We'll follow as soon as we blow those doors. Robin lied to her. With that, Manhunter took her through the floor. Robin watched the timer count down from ten seconds. We weren't going to make it. Robin ran out, armed to take out the drones, but the time was at five seconds. I grabbed Wally's arm and kissed him, right then and there. Not wanting to die without doing that one last time. I pulled apart from him and the look on his face was serene. I looked past him, seeing Robin disintegrated just after the timer hit zero. The ship lurched, Wally and I embracing each other as the explosion destroyed the ship. I closed my eyes and buried my face in Wally's chest as the heat burned at my flesh, but it was only for a few seconds before everything went black.
The Cave
I honestly thought that was it, we were gone, but sure enough, I opened my eyes to see the Cave. My lungs burned as I gasped for breath, my arms flailing as I looked for Wally. I saw Dick, just barely stirring, Superboy was petting Wolf, but what really made me nervous, was seeing Batman. He walked over to me and helps me sit up.
"Breathe." He ordered. I look a deep breath, and calmed down. My whole body was weak as I looked around the room. Captain Marvel and Martian Manhunter were here. Even Artemis and Aqualad were alive. I immediately wrapped my arms around my father and hugged him tightly before I opened my eyes and realized Wally was with Captain Marvel. I jolted off the table, hitting the ground first before scrambling up, grabbing a weak Wally and hugging him as tight as I possibly could. My eyes watered as I clung to him. He seemed taken aback, but he soon wrapped his arms around me and pulled into him as tightly as he could.
"You're all alive." M'gann said. I let go Wally, turning to look at Dick, who was now sitting up, sweating buckets.
"What happened in there?" Batman asked as he eyes Wally and I. J'onn was rubbing his head.
"The exercise, it all went wrong." He said, everyone staring at him in confusion.
"Exercise?" Robin asked as he wiped some of the sweat off his face.
"Try to remember. What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the six of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in." As Batman spoke, it all started coming back to me. "What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League." Batman explained.
"That is why you hardly grieved, even when wolf was disintegrated before your eyes.
But all that changed when Artemis died." Manhunter said. I looked to the Archer and she had her head down. "Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise and her subconscious took control, making all of you forget, too." J'onn finished the explanation. All of it, flashed before my eyes as I remembered everything.
"I-I'm so sorry." M'gann looked around, apologizing nervously.
"This isn't her fault. Why didn't you stop the exercise?" Superboy asked, trying to defend her.
"We tried. But M'Gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to rest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much... noise to think clearly, to remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad and Superboy helped. But only when the mothership exploded and Robin, Wildcat and Kid Flash were silenced, did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose… to shock M'Gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent." J'onn said as M'gann turned away, absolutely ashamed. "My apologies. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous, so damaging." J'onn turned around and collapsed in the process, Batman and Torano catching him.
"As bad as all that?" Batman asked, I could still hear them.
"Perhaps worse." J'onn looked at the floor.
"Yet this is not what troubles you." Red Tornado commented as the three of them stayed close, trying to keep their voices down so we wouldn't hear, but there were two of us that still could. They stood up and made it harder to hear, but eavesdropping was a talent of mine.
"Make no mistake, my niece is untrained and cannot be held responsible for this, for our debacle." J'onn defended his niece, knowing this wasn't her fault.
"No one blames her." Batman said in a low, hushed tone. "But clearly we underestimated her abilities." He gave Manhunter a sideways glance.
"You understate it. In terms of raw power, she has the strongest telepathic mind I have ever encountered. Stronger by far than mine." J'onn said as I looked back to M'gann, who was crying in Captain Marvel's arms. Wally had his arms around me as we faced the rest of the group, his chin resting atop my head as we all stood in silence. We were all weak, but we all couldn't forget what happened in the exercise. United we had stood, divided we fell.