MoP
Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue
Chapter 26: Rebellion, Part 11.
Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.
A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.
A/N: Thanks to Dragon97 and 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.
*-*-*
Star City.
October 1, 12:32 PDT.
"Air Terranean Flight One-Nine-Six-Five from Vlatavastok is coming into Terminal Four," reported a voice over the intercom as Dinah and Oliver entered the main concourse.
"They made good time," Dinah observed.
"As long as it goes as planned, then he should be on time," replied Oliver, then paused halfway through a nod. "On the other hand, our luck here recently has been a little… mixed."
"That's true," conceded Dinah with a frown.
*-*-*
13:16 PDT.
Their commlinks beeped as Oliver drew up at the front of Queen Manor. Dinah activated hers. "Black Canary here."
Diana's voice came over her earbud. "A massive plant attacked Metropolis a few minutes ago,"reported the Amazon princess.
"Should we…?" asked Dinah.
"Negative," replied Diana. "Superman, Green Lantern Stewart and the Hawks are responding. However, the Watchtower scanners suggest that we should prepare for additional attacks in Star City, Paris and Taipei."
"Send me the Star City location," Dinah requested. "Green Arrow and I will check that out."
"I'm still trying to lock down an exact location… but I'd head towards the Starling Bay."
"We're on our way," promised Dinah and closed the channel. Then she leaned over and looked at the redhead in the 'shotgun' seat. "Roy?"
"I'm with you," he agreed.
"Watchtower, Red Arrow will be joining us."
"Understood," confirmed Dinah. "Watchtower out."
They quickly changed into their uniforms and then as Oliver turned back into traffic, she drew her cellphone out of her pocket and sent a text to her clinical supervisor, telling her that she was probably going to miss another supervision session, but not saying why.
*-*-*
15:08 PDT.
They were driving through the Glades towards the City Core when the ground started shake.
"This is it!" declared Roy.
Oliver nodded and started to slow their vehicle, narrowly avoiding a massive plant erupted from the ground in front of them. "Ah, cr…" he exclaimed as he wrenched the wheel to one side.
"Watchtower to all points, attacks have resumed in Metropolis, and have begun in Star City and Taipei."
"Really, I'd never have guessed," snarked Roy as he tumbled out of the passenger seat and then drew his bow.
Dinah scowled at him has she clambered out of their car, getting clear just in time as one of the plant's flowers closed on the vehicle and raised it off the ground.
"That's my car!" cried Oliver and fired a pair of explosive arrows at the plant, causing it to drop the compact to land in a cacophony of clanging metal and breaking glass. "Okay, not my best plan."
"Not our biggest problem right now!" exclaimed Dinah and unleashed a Canary Cry at a second plant, damaging it.
A few moments later, the attacks paused.
"Well, that was… anticlimactic," observed Roy.
"Maybe not," Oliver countered, nodding towards a bank of televisions in a nearby shop window dissolve into static and then cuts back into a close-up of a very familiar face.
"Joker," said Dinah.
"Not by himself," observed Roy as they made their way closer. "I figure at least Poison Ivy…"
Dinah hushed him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement…" began the Joker, then flicked open a switchblade in one hand and used the other to turn the camera. "… From the Injustice League."
"Vertigo!" exclaimed Oliver as he recognised another of the group. "I should've…"
"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of 10 billion American Dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But the longer your governments wait…"
The Joker turned the camera back to himself, then finished. "The more we get to have our… jollies."
"I recognise most of them," Roy said. "Joker, Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Black Adam and Wotan…"
"The zombie pilot is Atomic Skull," answered Dinah. "I'm not sure about the ape, but I would suspect that he's Ultra-Humanite, an ally of the Brain. The Team tangled with them in Bwunda while you were in Vlatava."
"Black Canary to the Watchtower."
"Watchtower here."
"I assume you saw the transmission?"
"Affirmative," confirmed Diana. "Batman was already en route to the Cave to meet up with Zatara. Once he tracks down the Injustice League, Batman's going to send the Team after them."
"Just the Team?" Dinah asked. She respected the teens' abilities, but against that line-up…
"Batman expects the attacks to continue," Diana explained. "With that in mind, he wants as many of the Justice League in field as possible."
And with Hal off-plant and Red Tornado AWOL that's not that many, thought Dinah.
16:48 PDT
"How much longer is this going to last?!" gasped Roy as he crouched to catch his breath.
"Probably a while," Dinah admitted. "Diana just reported that they've started attacking Gotham as well."
"Not a surprise," observed Oliver as he destroyed a stray vine with another explosive arrow. "Given the Joker and Poison Ivy are onboard."
"Well, we're all clear here," Roy declared, then reached around to check his quiver. "I'm getting low on arrows, I need to reload."
Oliver paused to listen to his own comm-link. "You'll have to restock on the move," he told his former sidekick. "Captain Lance says that there's something brewing over at Capstone Bridge."
*-*-*
16:57 PDT
By the time they got to the bridge, plants were already sprouting up from the water.
Oliver and Roy targeted a set of vines began to creep towards the suspension cables, and fired arrows at them, destroying them on contact.
Dinah's attention was drawn to a yellow school bus with a familiar driver. Charlie… Dinah thought as she ran towards the vehicle to the sound of screams. She leapt upwards and landed on the roof, then as soon as she was braced she unleashed a series of Canary Cries and cleared the way for a moment before another vine attacked her from behind and knocked her off her perch and back onto the ground.
"Are you okay?" Ollie asked her as the two archers moved up to flank her.
"I'll be fine," growled Dinah.
Ollie nodded and turned back to the school bus as a larger than usual vine with a flowered tip slammed down onto the roof of the vehicle, eliciting louder than ever screams from the passengers inside. He drew an arrow and loosed it at the plant, another arrow from Roy landed at the same time, but neither of them made a dent this time and the vine raised the bus off the deck of the bridge and threw it over the edge of the bridge.
A brief rush of fear swept through Dinah as they rushed to the nearest railing and looked down. Then she sighed in relief as a bright-green boxing glove caught the bus before it struck the water.
Guy Gardner grinned in satisfaction and threw the trio a mocking two-fingered salute, then flew off with a shrug when the bus was teleported away.
"What was a Metropolis School District bus doing here?" asked Roy. "And where did it go?"
"Not where…" replied Dinah before she could stop herself. "When."
Roy frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I don't have time to explain right now," Dinah replied. Even if I could, which I probably shouldn't… "Just trust me when I say they'll be fine."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
*-*-*
18:05 PDT.
"Finally!" cried Roy as the remaining plants began to collapse and die.
"The Team must have taken out the central control system," declared Dinah, then activated her comm when it beeped a moment later.
"Watchtower to all points, rendezvous in Bayou Bartholomew to assist with the arrest of the Injustice League."
"Black Canary to Watchtower…"
"Black Canary, Zeta to St Roch," said Diana, before she could ask her question. "Green Lantern will pick you up there."
"Understood."
*-*-*
Gotham City.
October 22, 17:00 EDT.
"Good afternoon, Miss Lance," said Professor Deinhardt mildly, as Dinah slammed her way into the psychologist's office. "Have a seat."
"Thanks, Professor," said Dinah automatically, then registered the older woman's tone and sighed as she sank back into her favourite chair. "I'm sorry."
"That's quite all right," the professor assured her. "You're hardly the first student or patient I've had that had a…" she paused for a moment to pick the right word. "Challenging time?"
"Challenging's a good word for it," Dinah agreed.
"I haven't heard anything about problems at the clinic…?"
"No, everything's okay there," Dinah confirmed.
"And Dr Crane has been singing your praises over the help you were able to give him in the last two weeks."
Dinah snorted. "I didn't do that much."
"He says otherwise."
"Well, it probably helps that I'm not terrified of most of the inmates," Dinah suggested.
"Most?"
Dinah gave her a dark look. "There are a couple of inmates in there even the patients are afraid of."
"Fair point," conceded the psychologist. "So, it's the Team that's the problem?"
"Yes and no," Dinah replied. "It's mostly about them, but not entirely what they've done."
"I think I understand," said the professor. "Is there anything I can do to help? Or do you just need to vent?"
"I'm not sure," Dinah replied. "Even the easiest part is complicated."
"Why don't you start there?"
"Okay," agreed Dinah and relaxed back into the chair. "Well, it all started with Red Tornado…"
"The Justice League's android?"
Dinah made a face, a little uncomfortable with the characterisation, even if it was technically accurate. "That's the one," she agreed. "I told you about his two 'siblings' attacking the Cave a couple of weeks ago at the last session?"
The professor nodded. "If I recall there was some considerable bad feeling about him leaving with them."
Dinah nodded. "Superboy was particularly vocal on that point, but it bothered several of us."
"Betrayals are always hard," offered the professor, but then paused at Dinah's expression. "It wasn't a betrayal?"
"That's the complicated part," Dinah admitted. "Batman insisted that in view of the danger posed by the Reds, the League would conduct the investigation and search for them. The Team wasn't particularly happy about that…"
"Understandable," commented the professor.
Dinah nodded. "We were able to keep them distracted for a while with school and training… and several missions including thwarting the Injustice League's extortion attempt."
The professor nodded, "I assume that things have come to a head?"
"They did," Dinah confirmed. "I'm not why, but for some reason Giovanni bringing his daughter for the first time two weekends ago seemed to set them off."
"That's not the most obvious trigger," agreed the professor. "But teenagers are unpredictable at the best of times."
"Giovanni suggested that the Team give his daughter a tour of the Cave so that he and I could talk about her training, and they agreed initially."
"Initially?" echoed the professor.
"Yes," Dinah confirmed. "A few minutes after they left, the security grid showed that Bio-Ship had left the hanger. I contacted M'gann and she explained that the Team had 'kidnapped' Zatanna to show her around the town. I didn't see any harm in that, so I gave permission."
"But they didn't go to town, did they?"
"No, they didn't," Dinah agreed. "They apparently decided to go rogue and search for the Reds and their creator, TO Morrow, themselves."
"How did they do that?"
"It was Kid Flash's idea, actually," Dinah admitted. "Robin figured that Batman would have tried all the obvious, logical lines of investigation, so their best bet was a 'really stupid idea'…"
"Was it?"
"Honestly… no," Dinah conceded. "In fact, I'm surprised that Batman didn't think of it. Aqualad contacted Warden Strange at Belle Reve, who was able to get them in to see Morrow's main rival, Antony Ivo, who – after a 'push' from Zatanna – provided them with Morrow's most likely location, an underground lab hidden under Yellowstone National Park."
"Well, the hiding place wasn't an obvious one," suggested the professor.
"That's true," Dinah agreed. "They could have contacted the League at that point, but instead they opted to block communications, then go covert and head for Yellowstone Park by themselves with Zatanna in tow."
"I'm sure that Zatara was happy about that…"
"Not really," Dinah countered. "He was furious. Which didn't change when Batman finally contacted us just before midnight and told us that the Team and Zatanna had found the Reds and taken down a fourth android, Red Volcano, just before he set off Mount Yellowstone."
The professor paused for a moment to absorb that statement. "That sounds like a good thing."
"Kid Flash's after-action report suggested that if they hadn't managed to stop the eruption then we could have 'kissed the hemisphere goodbye'."
"Wow."
"Then things got even more interesting…" Dinah continued.
*-*-*
Mount Justice.
October 10, 23:16 EDT.
"She's grounded for life!" Zatara shouted into a gap in Batman's report on the Team's latest adventure. Then he turned to me, frowning deeply. "'They're good kids, Giovanni.'… 'Don't worry, Giovanni… She's never joining this team!"
At that moment, Captain Marvel and Wolf slink back into the training room. "Um, are they coming out to play or what?" asked the hero, confused.
"I understand your frustration," Bruce told Giovanni in an attempt to placate him.
"Do you really?" demanded the magician harshly.
"Do not mistake my acquiesce to Robin's heroic activities with a lack of concern for the dangers," replied the Dark Knight firmly. "I need you to join Green Lantern in Yellowstone Park and verify that the volcano is truly stabilised."
"I wish to remain here and take my daughter home as soon as she returns," countered Giovanni.
"Negative," Bruce insisted. "You are too close to the situation. Captain Atom and Wonder Woman are on the Cave, they will handle the debrief."
Giovanni sighed, irritated but resigned. "Very well," he replied. "Nepo a latrop ot Tnuom Enotswolley."
After a second or so, a golden disk appeared in the air in front of them, and Giovanni stalked through it. Once he was through, it disappeared.
I turned back to the holo-screen. "What do you need from me?"
"I've tracked Red Tornado to a private clinic in Central City," replied the Dark Knight. "I would like you both to Zeta to the STAR Labs there and back-up Flash when he talks to him, then escort him to the STAR Labs facility in Detroit so that Drs Magnus and Stone can examine him."
"Will do," I agreed willingly, and then glanced over at Captain Marvel, who nodded agreement.
"I await your report," said Bruce. "Watchtower out."
*-*-*
Central City.
22:32 CDT.
Red Tornado was coming out of the Heart of America Rest Home when we arrived. "Flash, Captain Marvel, Black Canary… I assume that Batman was able to track me here once I reactivated my locator?"
"Yeah, he was," agreed Flash, taking the lead as the 'ranking' member present. "He wants us to escort you to STAR Labs for a check-up."
"I believe if I had been compromised, the Team would have discovered it while they were repairing me," offered the android. "However, it is logical that Batman wishes to have his own experts verify this, so I have no objection to the procedure."
*-*-*
Gotham City.
October 22, 17:16 EDT.
"Did he say he hadn't been compromised?" asked the professor. "At all?"
Dinah nodded. "He did."
"So, why did he attack the Team then? Or leave with the other androids?"
"We wondered about that," confirmed Dinah. "Apparently, it was the logical thing to do…"
Detroit.
October 11, 03:48 EDT
A loud voice roused me from my nap and I looked up at the bearded lab-coated black man as Flash and Captain Marvel moved to join us.
"We have completed our analysis," reported Dr Stone. "I can confirm that Red Tornado's programming matches the previously established baseline and has not been altered."
"Can I talk to him?" I asked.
"Certainly," agreed the scientist. "Come this way."
I followed him down the corridor to one of the labs to where Red Tornado was lying on a gurney that they had borrowed from the medical division.
I turned to Dr Stone, "Can you give us a moment?"
"Of course," agreed the scientist, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
"I assume that you have further questions?" asked Red Tornado.
I agreed and drew a stool up to the side of the gurney. "Can you take me through your point of view on the attack on the Cave and your actions since?"
"Certainly," agreed the android in his usual emotionless monotone. "Eighteen days ago, I went up to the Watchtower to fill-in for Green Arrow on monitor duty so that he had a 'hot date'…"
I'd known about that of course… the 'hot date' had been with me, and Ollie had discussed it with me before asking him.
"Two and a half hours after reporting to the Watchtower, I realised that communications with the Cave were off-line. I alerted the other available members and attempted to Zeta to the Cave. Access to the Cave was cut-off, however I was able to Zeta to Providence and fly to the Cave from there."
"You arrived at the Cave just as the other androids had been disabled with an improvised EMP, and then when you attempted to investigate them, you were zapped by Red Inferno and then knocked out the Team with a wind attack."
"Fundamentally correct."
"Did you attack them willingly or were you under remote control?"
"I did so willingly," he confirmed. "The 'zap' didattempt to take control of my systems and bring me back to my creator. I therefore decided that the risk to the Team if I knocked them out and allowed my brother and sister to remove me from the Cave was less than prolonging the confrontation."
I wasn't sure that all of the Team would agree with that choice, but it was logically sound, which was the important thing when dealing with androids.
"My original plan was to alert the League as soon as I reached my creator's location," he continued. "However, my systems were deactivated, and I was unable do so until the Team found us."
"That answers my next question," I told him. "You were eventually reactivated, and eventually recruited Red Inferno and Red Torpedo to assist you and the Team against Red Volcano and his plan to trigger an eruption of the Yellowstone volcano. We were quite surprised by that?"
"My brother and sister were initially reluctant," Red Tornado conceded. "My sister claimed that they had no reason to help humanity when they were no longer human. I countered that that was a false premise as they had never been human, but that they had been heroes. They found this reasoning logical and agreed to assist me, losing their lives in the process."
*-*-*
Gotham City.
October 22, 17:20 EDT.
"What happened next?" asked Professor Deinhardt.
"Batman convened a meeting on the Watchtower to discuss the situation, and we agreed to reinstate him both as a member of the League and as the Team's den mother."
The professor sat in silence for a moment, taking in what she'd been told, then looked Dinah straight in the eye and asked. "So, what's really bothering you?"
Dinah started to her feet. "You can tell all of that wasn't it? I mean you're right, it was stressful, but…"
"I have been doing this for a while," observed the older woman kindly. "Are you ready to talk about it?"
Dinah shook her head, then paced for a few moments, helped herself to a glass of water from the professor's supply and then sighed. "I told you about Batman and Martian Manhunter's proposal to put the Team through the Fa'ehyl'saav Ritual?"
The professor thought for a moment. "The… 'the time-honoured tradition among the M'hontrrs'… the law enforcers on Mars?"
"That's the one," confirmed Dinah grimly.
"That… 'in the countless years it has been in use, nothing has ever been recorded as going wrong' with?."
"So I was told," agreed Dinah. "I suspected that introducing to a mixed group of teenagers, mostly non-telepathic would be a bad idea and that something would go wrong. But Batman and Martian Manhunter decided to go ahead with it while I was busy at Arkham."
"I assume that something did go wrong?"
"It did," agreed Dinah with a sigh. "Possibly several things. I haven't got the details yet. I only found out an hour ago when Snapper finally got hold of me to tell me that Superboy and Miss Martian hadn't been in school since September."
"And you're annoyed." Professor Deinhardt said rhetorically.
"Annoyed at my team-mates, scared for the kids…" Dinah agreed. "… particularly Superboy and Miss Martian. He's just starting to make some progress and I just know that she's going to blame herself for it somehow even if it's not her fault or only a little bit her fault."
"It's difficult to know how to advise you without knowing more details," admitted the professor. "When are you seeing them next?"
"I'm going head over there after we're done here," Dinah replied. "It's going to be a long weekend."
The older woman nodded, "If there's anything I can do?"
"I'll let you know," Dinah agreed and rose to leave.
*-*-*
The Cave,
October 22, 16:16 EDT.
"Recognised, Black Canary One-Three," declared the Computer as she appeared in the Mission Room.
None of the Team were present, but J'onn, Captain Marvel and Red Tornado were, and they were watching a set of holo-windows. Captain Marvel looked miserable as he turned and began to walk in her direction. "I, uh… I…"
"It's okay," Dinah assured him, placing a hand on his arm. "I didn't think that you had anything to do with this… debacle."
The big hero visibly relaxed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I don't know yet," Dinah admitted. "How are the Team?"
"I don't know," he admitted with a shrug. "They won't talk to me, even Wally."
"The best thing we can all do is be there for them," Dinah told him.
"Okay, I guess…"
"I need to talk with J'onn now," Dinah told him, dropping her hand back to her side. "We can talk again later?"
"Sure," agreed the other hero and headed out of the Mission Room.
Dinah crossed the training ring to stand by her other team-mates. Glancing over the holo-screens, she wasn't surprised to see that all showed video feeds of the living area where the kids were hanging out. "Reddy, can I have a moment alone with J'onn?"
"I should remain," insisted the android. "I am the Team's 'den-mother', their guardian. I too bear responsibility for the 'debacle' as you put it."
"We can discuss how you help prevent something like this from happening in the future later, Reddy," Dinah told him. "But this wasn't a problem that you could have anticipated logically, only emotionally… and you don't have the capability to do that."
"I see," replied Red Tornado. "Your reasoning is sound. I will be in my quarters if you or the Team require me."
With that, he summoned a strong wind and propelled himself up to the ceiling and threw a hatch at the centre. Once it was closed, Dinah turned to the final Leaguer present. "I'd rather not have to repeat myself, so where's Bruce?"
"Penguin is attempting to use the Joker's absence to solidify his control over the Gotham underworld," J'onn replied. "He will come here as soon as the situation is stabilised."
Dinah sighed. She wanted to argue, but as excuses went it wasn't bad. "Well… then you have my full attention."
"Dinah, you know that I would never have intentionally endangered the children," J'onn began. "The Fa'ehyl'saav Ritual…"
"Is for M'hontrrs, J'onn…" Dinah snapped. "Qualified adult Martians with full control of their emotions and psionic powers."
"Not fully qualified," J'onn countered. "It is typically undertaken in their last year of training."
"That… does not undermine my point," Dinah insisted. "You know that M'gann's training and mental discipline is limited."
"I do," J'onn agreed. "Which is why I believed that I would be able to intervene in the unlikely event that there were problems."
"But you were wrong."
"Surprisingly so," he replied. "I am considered very capable – both in skill and power – in the physic arts by the standards of my people, but M'gann's raw power… it dwarfs mine. I believe even the greatest of our sorcerer-healers would have had difficulty breaking the scenario from the outside once it was compromised."
Dinah paused for a moment, processing this new piece of information. "Start from the beginning."
J'onn sighed, then nodded. "It all began a week ago on Saturday afternoon. Batman and I proposed the ritual to the Team, who all agreed to participate," he paused. "In retrospect, we probably should have provided additional details, such as the fact that it was a train-for-failure exercise, designed to get worse whatever they did to counter it."
"Yes, you should have mentioned that," Dinah snarled.
J'onn nodded gravely. "Nonetheless, their awareness that it was a simulation was enough to allow them to retain perspective through the deaths of the entire Justice League within the first hour of the invasion…"
All of us? Dinah thought, her mind flashing to another person under her protection.
"However, as you know this did not hold."
"Something went wrong with M'gann," Dinah said. "Do you know what?"
"We do," J'onn confirmed. "While she was initially aware that it was a simulation, the shock of seeing Wolf and then Arrowette die in quick succession right in front of her, caused her to subconsciously seize control of the simulation, wiping the knowledge of the simulation from both her own mind and the rest of the Team's."
"I assume that your first clue was that Artemis didn't wake up after she 'died'?"
"Indeed," agreed the Martian. "I attempted to rouse Arrowette, but M'gann's death grip on the scenario was too strong for me to break from the outside. So, after a brief discussion between Batman and myself, I entered the simulation… and was immediately overwhelmed by the physic noise which M'gann's grief was generating and was swept up in the scenario until only myself and M'gann remained and I was able to wrestle back control and remove us from the simulation, pulling the rest of the Team along behind us."
Dinah sighed. "I need to think about this for a while… if Bruce shows himself, send him to my office."
"I will."
October 23, 17:16 EDT.
Conner was the first of the Team to cede to Dinah's request for a one-to-one, she watched silently as he entered her office and sank into an armchair, then kept her eye on him as he sat silently gazing at his feet.
"I can only imagine how devastating it was losing your friends… in essence, your family…" Dinah began. "… Convinced all the time it was completely real."
Conner's fist clenched his fists in frustration but said nothing.
"I'm sure it must have been horrible for you," she said, then paused, hoping to draw him out. "I understand… you're Superboy. You're not supposed to have feelings of sadness or vulnerability."
This time Conner did react, leaping to his feet, his hands clenched at his sides as he loomed over her. "You don't know what I feel!" he snarled, then turned on his heal and stalked towards the doors.
Dinah comes halfway out of her chair. "Conner!"
"Just leave me alone!" shouted Conner as the doors slid open.
As he stalked out of the room, Dinah sank back into her chair, worried and sent a message to the Mission Room.
17:32 EDT.
Dinah looked around as the doors slid open again, hoping that it was Conner, returning to finish their session after cooling off, but it was Artemis. "Batman said to tell you that he's tracked Conner heading west with Wolf and Sphere… which can apparently turn into an oversized flying trike."
"Interesting…" Dinah mused. "Well, as you're here… why don't you have a seat, and we can talk?"
Artemis frowned but moved to an empty chair and sat down. "I'm not sure what there is to say…" she began with a sigh. "Look, me dying during the exercise might have started things going south but I was Coma Girl… so I missed out on all the fun of forgetting it wasn't real. No trauma, no need for the 'shrink-wrap'."
Yeah, I'm not buying that… thought Dinah, then replied disbelievingly. "You're too tough to need help."
Artemis looked away, bringing her feet onto the chair with her. "Whatever, maybe…"
"Or maybe too tough to admit you need help," Dinah countered, and leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees. "Artemis, it's not a sign of weakness to open up to your friends."
"I know that!" Artemis snarled and glared at Dinah.
"But you still keep secrets from them," Dinah pointed out evenly.
Artemis' eyes widened, and she nearly jumped out of her chair. "You won't tell them… You can't!"
"I won't," Canary confirmed agreeably. "But you should. You could start by admitting you're not really Green Arrow's niece."
Artemis' legs come off the chair as she scoffed and looked away again. "Right. Can you imagine what Wally would do with that?"
"Interesting," Dinah mused. "So, the person you're most worried about is Wally…"
Artemis tensed for a moment, then relaxed and turned to face Dinah, regarding her silently for a few moments before leaving.
When Kaldur strode into the room, Dinah sensed that a passive approach wasn't the way to go here, so as soon as the young man was seated, she fixed her gaze on him. "Well, putting aside that it was a simulation… how would you rate your contribution?"
"Poor," replied the Atlantean firmly. "I was the general but behaved like a soldier and sacrificed myself."
Dinah nodded but allowed him to continue as he lowered his gaze and stared at his feet. "I am not fit for command and must resign as team leader." he closes his eyes, hurt playing obviously on his features.
"Who do you recommend to take your place?" Canary asked calmly as he closed his eyes, hurt playing across his features.
His eyes snapped open, surprised. He paused for a moment to consider the question, then began to think aloud. "Artemis is too raw and untrusting… Kid Flash, too rash and impulsive… Miss Martian remains too eager to please… Superboy carries too much anger…"
"Making Robin the logical choice."
"But he is so young…"
"Kaldur, you're all young," Dinah reminded him warmly, then leaned forward to rest her forearms on her crossed legs to try and meet Kaldur's gaze.
"I cannot shift this burden to him," insisted Kaldur as he recovered his strength. "Not yet."
Canary sat up again, leaning back into her chair.
Kaldur let out a short emotionless laugh. "It appears I must withdraw my resignation."
You've got to be kidding… thought Canary and narrowed her eyes at her next interviewee. "So, you want me to believe that after everything you went through including your own death from fiery explosion, you're peachy?"
"I'm, uh, fairly certain I never used the word 'peachy'," countered Wally as he looked up at her from where he was sprawled upside down on the armchair opposite her eating popcorn. "But I think you got the gist."
"So, you really have no interest in confronting your extreme reaction to Artemis' death?" she asked right as Wally tossed a couple of pieces of popcorn into his mouth.
He choked and forced himself upright as he continued coughing. Dislodging the blockage, he gulped before laying on a smile and resting his left arm on the armrest as he turned to look at her, now sitting sideways in his chair. "I'd rather talk about you, babe."
"Wally, you're in denial," retorted Dinah, dead-pan.
Wally put his hands behind his head, then dropped his right foot to the floor. "I'm comfortable with that."
"Hurting?" echoed Robin in response to her opening question. "Try traumatized… I finally become leader and wind up sending all of my friends to their deaths. I- I- I know I did what I had to, but I hated it. When we started this Team, I was desperate to be in charge. Not anymore, and- and that's not even the worst of it. Y-you can't tell Batman."
"Nothing leaves this room."
"I always wanted, expected, t-to grow up and- and become him," Robin continued. "An-and the hero bit? I'm still all-in. But that thing inside of him…"
Dinah's heart broke for him as she watched his shame and nervousness.
"… The thing that- that- that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission…" Robin clarified, as he looked down at his hand. "That's not me I- I don't want to be 'the Batman' anymore."
"It was all my fault," M'gann whispered, before knocking the heel of her hand against her head and then dropped it back into her lap. "'Hello, Megan!'… who else could take a simple exercise and turn it into a nightmare that terrorizes everyone she cares about?"
To Dinah's surprise, as she spoke her appearance changed. "You've turned white," she observed, stunned.
M'gann gasped before jumping to her feet. "No!" she exclaimed, then looked down at her hands. "Oh, you meant Caucasian."
Okay, what was that? Dinah thought as the girl relaxed back into her chair.
"Yeah, I'm fine being Megan," she assured her. "But I can't be trusted to use my other powers."
"M'gann, you're a Martian," Dinah pointed out, then leaned forward, threading her fingers as she rested her forearms on her knees. "Not using your natural abilities is like me refusing to speak."
M'gann refused to meet her gaze and remained silent.
"Which, by the way, I tried for a while after my very first Canary Cry nearly deafened my entire first-grade class."
M'gann looked up sadly, finally meeting her gaze.
"So, I get how you feel," Dinah continued. "But not being yourself is never the answer and won't make your feelings of guilt go away. Learn from what happened. Your uncle would be happy to train you."
M'gann finally perked up a bit at that, finally meeting her eye.
"Practice until you gain control and regain your confidence."
20:16 EDT.
Conner was back.
Dinah could tell that he was ready to talk, but as was often the case with the Boy of Steel, it seemed like he wasn't sure what he wanted to say.
He sat looking at the ground between his boots, his forearms on his thighs and his hands between them. "Here's the ugly truth… I wasn't devastated," he finally admitted. "Even with Superman, Tornado… you… the whole League dead. Even though I didn't save Wolf, watched Artemis and Kaldur die, and abandoned M'gann, I felt… at peace."
Dinah was shocked at that, but just managed not to blurt out an interruption.
"See, from the moment I first opened my eyes in that Cadmus pod, there's been one thing I've wanted and feared…" he continued. "… to know what it is to be Superman. And I knew. So, I was happy."
Their eyes meet briefly before he dropped his gaze again. "Everyone I care about, dead or traumatized and I'm happy…" he raised his hands and looked at them for a moment, then dropped them again. "How do I get past the guilt of that… How do I live with myself?"
Dinah leaned forward, her broken heart showing on her face as she placed a hand on his knee. "I don't have any easy answers, Conner. But one thing's clear… admitting it is the first step."
At that, Conner looked up and met her gaze, his expression resolute but still with an edge of misery.