Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or anything referenced in this story. I only own Kenna and any other character I add to this story!
I used to pray like God was listening.
I used to make my parents proud.
I was the glue that kept my friends together,
Now we don't they don't talk and we don't go out.
I used to know the name of every person I kissed.
Now I have made this bed and I can't fall asleep in it.
-Millstone-
Brand New
She had to mentally prepare for what was outside that door. Taking a deep breath, Kenna hoped from the back bioship. Her white boots made a soft thud as they came in contact with the solid ice. She squinted her eye, trying to protect them from the harsh reflection of the sun off the snow. Another soft thud behind her caused Kenna to whip around to see Artemis. Like the older girl, Kenna was clad in white arctic suit to blend in with the terrain. When she meet the archer's eye she nodded, mentally confirming the plan. To ease her mind, Kenna glanced around looking for the lone ship that had been drawn to Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Her eyes stopped on the alien ship as it moved closer to the entrance of the structure. Good, they hadn't been noticed yet. The two blondes carefully ran across the ice, sliding to a stop behind a large pile of snow. Both girls peered through the slight hole that had been created at the top of the pile as Artemis drew her bow and notched in arrow.
Siren and I are in place. Artemis announced, grey orbs scanning the area for any other possible threats. Kenna narrowed her eyes, trying to find Miss M. The martian flew in, her body camouflaged against the white plain. Concentrating her powers, Miss M ripped the flying mechanism from the alien ship. Sparks flew as the ship plummeted to the ground. Now it was their turn. Artemis leaned around the snow and took a deep breath before firing her arrow. It sailed through the air before crashing against the red circle in the middle, white foam splattering across the surface. Kenna let out a yelp and ducked when an orange beam of energy came hurtling towards her head. She had covered her head and clamped her eyes shut, completely startled by the attack. She then cracked an eye open to glance up at the large chunk of snow that was now missing above her head. Her eyes widened and she looked at Artemis, the blonde giving her the same shocked expression.
That was way too close for comfort. The younger girl thought getting a nod from the archer in return.
Communications and propulsion disabled. Miss M's voice echoed through Kenna's head and she craned her neck to see if Artemis' foam was in place.
And ETs are sealed inside. Artemis added, notching another arrow for precaution.
We are good on our end Aqualad, move in. Kenna informed, eyes narrowing on the alien aircraft. A loud rumble occurred as Aqualad shot up through the ice, the surface crumbling beneath the ship. He landed on the smooth black surface and Kenna felt her heart begin to race, thumping rapidly against her rib cage as the large on moved to aim at her friend. The orange beam started to charge, orange sparks crackling before it let loose it's power. Wolf jumped out of nowhere, sinking his teeth in the gun and using his momentum to swing the gun away from the atlantean. Kenna let out the breath she had been holding, sighing in relief. With a loud thud, Superboy landed on the ship as well, using his strength to keep the gun from moving. Her eyes followed the movement of her other teammates as Robin and KF clambered onto the ship as well.
Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship here, here, and here. Robin spoke as he indicated the three spots. Nodded her head, Miss M brought up her hands sending a mental wave to disconnect the gun. Superboy leaned forward, sparks flying as he continued to rip the machine from the ship. As she watched the scene before unfold, Kenna's eyes widen. For Wolf had leaped into Superboy, shoving him from the black surface. The next thing she knew, Wolf was gone. There it was again. That feeling of nothingness washing over her. She felt nothing, absolutely nothing at all. It was earlier in the day when she had witnessed the passing of both Dinah and Ollie and the rest of the Justice League, and yet she did not grieve. Sadness did not riddle her heart what so ever. She knew she should feel something, anything. She had created a bond with the large animal and now he was like the other, just dust and echoes that did not faze the emotionless mask she had acquired for the past month.
There was no indication of feedback, i'm sorry. Robin apologised, his voice soft and sombre.
Can't do anything for him now. Let's go. As much as she wished that they could take the time to grieve, Superboy was right. They had to complete the mission for those who had fallen. Superboy hopped back onto the ship, grasping the gun and heaving it over his shoulder. Once disconnected, Superboy then leaped towards the camouflaged bioship. Miss M, who had uncloaked herself glided towards the ship. Her hands came out and touched the red surface preparing the ship for the integration of the new weapon.
Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's biomatrix. We'll need to de-camouflage for a few minutes. Movement out of the corner of her eye, drawing her attention towards the horizon. Whatever it was it didn't look good and it was closing fast.
Guy's incoming! Kenna warned, elbowing Artemis to gain her attention. The archer snapped her head towards the small blonde and followed where she was pointing. A gust of wind blew past them, causing Kenna's hood to fall back. Shit, the aliens must have called for backup.
May not have a few minutes. Multiple alien ships circled the area, aiming their guns.
Miss Martian, open fire! Aqualad urgently commanded, looking over his shoulder at the martian.
Can't, weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated yet, either! Without much thought, both Kenna and Artemis vaulted over the pile. Her feet pounded against the ground and Kenna closed her eyes, concentrating her power. Kenna could feel her powers crackle between her fingers and she slide to a stop, opening her eyes. Artemis followed her lead, aiming her arrows as she slide to a halt next to the shorter girl. Kenna's eyes opened revealing the fluorescent purple as she brought up her hand.
Got you covered, get inside! Artemis released her arrows and that was Kenna's cue. Her powers ran through her veins, shooting towards the tips of her fingers as her powers collected in the palm of her hand. The alien ships hurtled closer and Kenna felt her powers vacate her body in the form of a vortex. The swirling mass of energy hurtled towards the ship just as Artemis' arrows collided with the other ship, sending it down in a fiery inferno. Kenna's eyes turned back to their normal color as she lowered her hand. Her target, along with Artemis' crashed into the ice.
We're almost there! Kenna called, looking over her shoulder to see if her teammates had gone inside the ship yet.
Kenna behind you! From this point on, everything seemed like it was playing out in slow motion. Kenna's eyes widen as she spun around to the front. There was one ship that hadn't been entirely destroyed and it had her in it's sights. By the time she had noticed the intact ship, it was already too late for the stream of energy sailed through the air. Only one thing crossed her mind; death. She was going to die, this was where she would lose her life. Then something happened, doomed to haunt her for the rest of her days. One second the beam was close to impact and the next thing she knew something or someone was blocking her small frame.
"ARTEMIS!" At was as if she had been punched in the gut. With a horrified gaze, Kenna collapsed to her knees. She stared blankly at the spot where her sister had been only seconds ago and now she was nothing. A soft breeze blew through her hair, gently whipping her long mane around She could feel her heart physically breaking, making it hard to breath. She was gone, nothing but dust and echoes. The realization became suffocating and Kenna found herself unraveling at the seams. How could she let this happen? It was all her fault. Her stupidity had gotten her family killed. How could she possibly live with herself anymore?
She could faintly hear her name being called but she didn't care. She didn't care if she were to die right here, right now. In fact she felt she deserved it. She felt her body jostle as her body was lifted up in a pair of strong arms. Superboy had picked up the catatonic girl, holding her close to his chest as she took bounded towards the ship. He peered down at the small girl, watching as she stared off into to space. Something in her had died, a piece of herself no longer existed. He placed her up right on bed in the med bay before giving her one last glance, then making his way to his seat.
What felt like hours but only minutes had past as Kenna burned holes into the ground with her gaze. She didn't even notice the person who had stepped in front of her. Robin gazed at her in worry, watching the battle rage within her.
"Kenna." He called, trying to break her from this stupor. His words got no response, so he tried again.
"McKenna!" He sharply called, bringing his hand to grasp her cheeks and lifting her head up for her to look at him. At the sound of her name, Kenna snapped her eyes to meet his masked ones. Without her knowledge, tears had begun to sting her eyes and one lone tear dribbled down her cheek, leaving a trail of despair and heartbreak. His gloved thumb moved to rid her of the tears that had now started pouring from her lavender orbs. No words were shared, for Robin knew what she was thinking, what she was feeling. She blamed herself for the death of their friend. As he gazed into her bloodshot eyes, watching as this consumed her mind and soul. Robin did the only thing he could think of. His hands moved from her face and quickly wrapped them around her waist, pulling her body into a tight embrace. Kenna's teary eyes widen and her breath hitched in her throat. This was the closest interaction she had had with him in a month, the glimpse of her best friend reapearing and she latched onto it as quick as she could. Coiling her arms around his neck, Kenna sobbed into his shoulder. As her sobs increased, she clung to him tighter as if she would physically break if he didn't hold her. This was all her fault and only one thought crossed her mind.
It should have been her.
Her body stood still, lightly kick a piece of rubble with the side of her boot. This place had been demolished, the last symbol of The Justice League was reduced to shambles. Kenna's eyes glanced up and she felt the familiar stab to her already fragile heart. Her arms wrapped around her arms in a weak attempt to keep herself together. She willed herself not to tear up as she gazed at the crumbled statues of her adoptive parents. A loud sob drew her attention away and she looked at M'gann. The martian had collapse near the the head of her uncle as she broke down. She had to remember, she wasn't the only one who had lost someone dear to her. M'gann sudden ceased her cry and shot up into the air. Kenna raised an eyebrow, peering at the girl in curiosity. M'gann summoned her powers and lifted the large stone that resembled her uncle. To everyone surprised, hidden beneath the rubble was Martian Manhunter himself. What the hell, wasn't he dead? Dropping her arms, Kenna moved towards the group, her guard up and ready if anything were to happen. In sheer happiness, M'gann went to embrace her uncle but was stopped by the atlantian.
M'Gann, check his mind. Make sure he is whom he appears to be.
It's him! He's real, he's alive. M'gann responded, her tone full of glee. Kenna was happy for the martian but she couldn't escape this lingering feeling. It gnawed at her subconscience. Something wasn't right about this this situation.
"But we saw you get disintegrated. You, Superman, and everyone." Connor questioned, raising an eyebrow in confusion. The clone did have a good point. They had all witnessed his death and yet he just randomly shows.
"Yes, I remember. But I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here." Martian Manhunter respond, leaning most of his bodyweight on his niece. Something definitely seemed up, like Martian Manhunter's presence was not meant to be here. It wasn't because of her pessimistic view that caused her to come to this conclusion. In her experience, good things don't just occur after a shit ton of horrible things. It just don't happen that way. Kenna had gotten caught up in her thought to not realize that the team had migrated outside without her. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Kenna's legs carried her step by step towards the entrance of the Hall of Justice.
I knew it! Look, it's giving off zeta beams, the same stuff that powers our zeta thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports. Artemis is alive. Kenna felt her heart ache once more. Nobody wanted that to be true more than her but she had to be realistic. It just seemed too good to be true. Large amounts of movement caught her attention and Kenna's eyes grew as wide as saucers. A battalion of alien ships were approaching fast. Her reflexes kicked in, causing her tuck and roll out of the way. A disintegration beam crashed into the ground where she had been standing meer seconds ago, leaving a small pot hole. Couldn't they catch one Goddamn break? Kenna squeezed her eyes shut and she cringed when a loud screech filled her head. They had lost the bioship and it had wounded M'gann. She need to quickly find cover. Scrambling to her feet, Kenna stumbled towards a military truck and slammed her back into it for cover. The team was sitting ducks out here. Kenna scanned the area, looking for any means of escape. Her eyes feel on the hall itself. Out here it was the most fortified place right now. Searching deep inside her, Kenna found what little courage she had left. Pushing herself to her feet, Kenna sprinted towards the opening. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she followed the soldiers through two mechanical doors. Once the sense of safety washed over her, Kenna hunched over and placed her hands on her knees in attempt to catch her breath and calm her supratic heart beat. Once the blood stopped pounding in her ears, Kenna was able to make out Aqualads plan.
"Send the soldiers first." Aqualads suggestion was immediately shot down by the general.
"Delay that! You seven are assets we cannot afford to lose." He argued, turning his head to look at the team of superheroes. Kenna bit her lip and turned her attention back to the door. She was in no mood for surprises. She could here the access codes of her friends and she took a deep breath. If they could hold just a little bit longer then everyone could get safe haven at the cave and no one else would die. Her hopes went up in flames when the door exploded, launching dust and debris her way. Her body began to violently cough to expel the dust from her lungs. A scream echoed in front of her and her eyes widen in alarm. Bullets flew towards the door in attempts to stave off the alien attack.
"Siren!" Aqualad yelled, causing Kenna to whip her head around. She didn't have to be told twice before her legs carried her towards her leader. She was one of the last of the teammates who hadn't zetad to the cave. First and injured soldier hobbled through the teleportation device then Superboy. Kenna turned to look at Aqualad in fear. Her head began to shake in denial as she stared at his sadden face.
"No, no! Kaldur! I know that look! You can't stay behind, please! We need you!" Her she choked out in desperation. His expression was riddled with pity and he shook his head.
"I am truly sorry my friend." That was the last thing she Kaldur say before he placed he shoved her through the zeta tube. Kenna's body tumbled out and rolled across the floor. Some one kneeled down by her body as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Robin cradled her shoulders as he watched her raise a hand as if she was trying to grasp something that wasn't there.
"No, Kaldur…." Her voiced cracked, fading away when the realization hit her full force. A gut wrenching sob ripped past her throat as she crumbled. Closing her eyes, Kenna buried her face into Robin's chest. Robin hugged the girl to his body and buried his face into her hair. Her wails echoed through the cave causing her friends to bow their head in sadness, for they had lost another part of their family. And it was safe to say that it was killing Kenna.
Her body made a slight thud as she pressed her back against the coroner of the wall. She peered around to the side to find the coast clear. Turning her head, Kenna nodded at the boys. She then slipped out into the hallway, eyes scanning for the cloaked martians who were already inside. Coming to a stop, Kenna followed the movement of the martians as they landed on the ground before uncloaking. Kenna looked to Robin as if asking which way were they to procide. Bring up the schematics on his hologram, Robin scanned the area.
"This way." He whispered before taking off down the red lit hallway to his left. Kenna jogged after him, checking every opening for any hostiles. She skidded to a stop when M'ganns voice rang through her head.
No, he's gone! Kenna turned when she heard the heartbroken tone. She watched M'gann sink to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Kenna had to look away in fear she would break even more. She had lost another family member but it wasn't to the extent that M'gann had. She had loved the clone, and now the person she cared for the most was gone. Kenna had now come to the decision of carrying out her plan. For she knew this was not a detention area, everyone they cared about was long gone.
I've been scanning for League and team signals since we got inside. They're not here. Artemis is gone. Robin was right, no matter how much they wished that their friends and family were alive, they had to face reality. They had to find the will to go on and move forward. With a somber resolve, Robin turned away from his friends and continued down the hallway. Kenna gave the gingers a empathetic look before turning herself and following the boy wonder. They came to a large opening and Kenna's eyes grew large as she stared at humongous sphere in the center of the gaping room.
Blow this and the whole mothership blows. Robin told the group, glancing up from his hologram. Kenna's heart began to race as her thoughts moved towards the idiotic plan she had come up with hours ago. How she was going to carry it out, well that was a work in progress. Following the boy's lead, Kenna hopped over the small wall they had been hiding behind and ran down the platform. Kenna furrowed her brow when an invisible force tugged at her body. She let out a yelp as the gravitational pull of the sphere sucked her towards it. Kenna latched onto Wally's hand as he grabbed Robins. The three teens fell through the air being pulled towards the core at a rapid speed. Kenna grunted when her arm gave a sharp tug, for Robin had pulled out his grappling gun. Now the teens were suspended in air. Kenna took a deep breath and peered down at the core. It was not that far away, she could drop and not suffer any real injuries. Then she glanced up at her friends. Knowing that Robin's gun would not be able to retract with the amount of weight that was accumulated by the three. Letting out a soft sigh, Kenna glanced up at her friends. Robin was trying and failing to fiddle with his gun and Kenna took the opportunity to make her way towards him. Being careful not to hit Wally, Kenna pulled herself up towards Robin using Wally as a ladder. The ginger gazed at her in puzzlement, not understanding what she was doing. When he felt a pressure around his waist, he glanced down to see Kenna clambering up towards him.
What are you doing? He asked as she wrapped her and arm around his neck to keep her balance. She did not answer him, only looked at his chest in determination. Her free hands searched through one of the pouches, until she pulled out the small detonator. Robin widened his eyes in alarm. What the hell was she planning?
McKenna, what do you think you're doing? He asked, watching as she placed the detonator between her teeth to free her hand. She glanced at him once more before looking back at his chest. Her small fingers made work of the latch that held the bobs to his chest. No, she couldn't be thinking of doing what he thinking.
Robin we both know how this is going to end. You can't save all three of us, that grappling gun won't hold our weight. I can set the charges and you guys can get out of here with M'gann and Martian Manhunter. I can't watch you guys die, if there is a chance that you can get out safe then i'm going to take it, even if it means I don't. Kenna softly spoke, unlatching the bombs and throwing the chains over her shoulder. Robin vigorously shook his head, trying to think of any way to talk her out of it.
Kenna you can't do this, I can't… He never finished his sentence, not being able to get out the words that were sure to escape. Kenna gave him a sad smile before leaning forward and hugging him once more.
Take care boys. I love you guys! Kenna said once she pulled away, leaning back to see his face. Robin's eyes widen in fear as the weight around his neck vanished and he watch her body plummet towards the core.
"KENNA!" Both boys yelled in desperation, not believing the sight before them. Kenna ignored the voices, rolling to soften the impact as she landed on the core. A small groan escaped her lips as she clambered to her feet. Glancing up she could still see their hanging bodies.
"Get out of here!" She hollard, placing her hands around her lips to help project her voice. Glancing back down, Kenna knelled and placed the strands of bombs on the smooth surface below her feet. With a shaky sigh, Kenna sunk to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. She knew this was the coward's way out but in all honesty she didn't care. As long as her friends got out unscathed then all regards for herself would be pitched out the window. And as the time counted down, Kenna came to terms with her emotions. Soon that all settled into numbness and when the time went off, Kenna closed her eyes and waited for what was to become of her body and soul.
With a sharp intake of air, Kenna opened her eyes. Confusion muddled her brain and she glanced around to determine her environment. It looked oddly like…. the cave. Why was she here? Didn't she just die in a fiery explosion? Groaning, she rolled over onto her forearms and propped herself up. Her jaw dropped as she looked at the faces in the room. Her lavender orbs landed on Connor, and Kaldur and finally settling on Artemis. They were alive, all of them alive! Seriously, What the fuck was going on.
"What happened in there?" Kenna frantically looked around for the familiar voices. Her eyes fell on Batman, watching his movements as he helped Martian Manhunter in his delirious state.
"The exercise, it all went wrong." Martian Manhunter responded, his hand still gripping his head in pain.
"Exercise?" She found herself questioning out loud, drawing Batman's attention.
"Try to remember, what you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure 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." Kenna was taken back by the news and she looked down trying to gather her thoughts. Everything made so much more sense than before.
"That is why you hardly grieved even when wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. But all that changed when Artemis died. 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, to." Kenna whipped her head around to stare at female martian. She made them forget?
"I'm so sorry." M'gann weeped, clear liquid spilling from her eyes. Kenna wanted to hug the girl, it wasn't her fault. What had happened was way out of her control.
"This isn't her fault. Why didn't you stop the exercise?!" Connor spat, and Kenna was surprised at how much venom dripped in his tone. But he was right, M'gann was not to blame for this.
"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 that 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, Kid Flash and Siren 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." Kenna had to concentrate on her breathing for this news was a lot to take in. Curling herself into a ball, Kenna enclosed on herself. She like the other held no blame towards the martian but the things that had happened in that exercise had mentally and emotionally scared her. Kenna gripped the hair near her scalp in a desperate move to keep from falling apart. She had lost faith in humanity, her friend and her self. How could she live with the choices she had made. Although it was not real, there was no way Kenna could escape the demons that were now going to forever haunt her. She had lost a part of herself, and it was a piece that she would never get back. Kenna was broken and couldn't be fixed.
Author's Note: Wow guy's that was a lot more emotional then I originally thought it would be. There is not really much to say about this chapter except my baby is falling apart:( And the sad part is I'm not even close to when Kenna truly breaks down. She still has maybe five or six more chapters before that happens. Just you guys wait for the next couple chapters and i guarantee you will all hate me haha. Okay, although it was sad and heartbreaking I hope you guy's enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Ooohh one thing I forgot! Did you guy's hear that Netflix may be giving us a third season?! I was so excited when I heard it so if you guys are as pumped and stoked as I am, make sure you go binge watch both seasons on Netflix. Okay enough rambling on, it time for me to go face plant into bed and cuddle with my dog Steve. You guy's know the drill, Favorite, follow and review. I really do like reviews;) haha any way love you guys. Until next week!