Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

S.T.A.R. Labs, Central City

"Any reason why you asked me to come here?" Nia asked as she was in the Cortex with Caitlin, Harry, Cisco and Alex.

"In case we need to go deep into J'onn's subconsciousness, we might need your dream-walking powers. Who knows, maybe this'll give us some clues, why J'onn can't remember." Alex said and Nia nodded.

"J'onn, take my hand and close your eyes." Nia said as she sat down, holding J'onn's hand. "Try to go deep into your memory."

J'onn and Nia were back on Mars, in J'onn's old house, where he grew up as he saw his younger self and Malefic with other Martian children, in human form.

"Why are they in human form?" J'onn asked, confused.

"It's how my subconsciousness is perceiving your memories. I'm filtering them in a way I can make sense out of them." Nia explained and J'onn nodded, realizing it made sense.

"Let's play hide and seek. J'onn, you're it." The Martian girl said, pointing at J'onn as they hid.

"I remember we played this game, when we were children." J'onn said.

J'onn used his telepathy to find the children as they all went out.

"Nice job, J'onn." One of the children said as J'onn turned to his little brother.

"Malefic, you go now." J'onn said.

Malefic nodded and covered his eyes as the children hid. Malefic tried to use his powers as he stopped counting but his facial expression made it obvious that he was struggling.

"He can't connect to the hive mind." J'onn said.

"He can't do it." One of the children mocked as they laughed at Malefic and started to push him.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He can't do anything."

Malefic's eyes glowed green as the children groaned in pain as they held their heads.

"Malefic, stop!" J'onn intervened but Malefic used his powers and made J'onn punch himself in the face as J'onn fell down.

Myr'nn then entered and touched Malefic's head. "Sleep."

Malefic fell asleep as Myr'nn held him in his arms.

"I assumed that the White Martians had used some technology to turn Malefic into a powerful weapon but he was born that way." J'onn said.

"Projecting his will and thoughts on other people." Nia nodded.

"But he was cut off from my people in the cruelest way possible." J'onn said, disturbed that Malefic had been an outcast and a pariah in the Martian society.

Myr'nn had Malefic in his arms.

"Where are we going, father?" Malefic asked.

"Where no one can hurt you anymore, my son." Myr'nn said as he put Malefic into a pod. "My beautiful son. Know that you are loved and that we will pray for you everyday as you must pray for yourself. Look to H'ronmeer's teachings for guidance and healing. Let his counsel lighten your pain, so that he might deliver us to a better place."

Malefic nodded before Myr'nn left. "Father. Brother. Don't leave me here. I'll be good. I promise."

"Our god will never abandon you. Know that we love you, Malefic." Myr'nn said as the door closed.

"Father! J'onn! Please! Don't leave me here! I'll do anything!" Malefic's muffled begging was heard through the door before the begging echoed into nothingness.

Sometime later, an adult J'onn approached the door behind Malefic was. "Malefic, it's J'onn. Father prays for you every day. He has faith that… one day you will return to us."

"H'ronmeer is not my salvation, brother." Malefic said as the door opened, revealing White Martians accompanying him and revealing his betrayal. "They are."

J'onn stepped back in pain, horrified that his brother had betrayed his own kind.

Myr'nn was on his knees, sobbing. "H'ronmeer, I have failed you as I have failed my own son. Allowed Malefic to be conscripted by the White Martians and allowed the Council to send him to that purgatory. The agony in my heart…" He choked out. "It's… unbearable."

J'onn shuddered as he pulled away. "Maybe that's why I can't remember. In my father's anguish and grief, he must have wiped both our memories. Wiped my brother from existence."

"That wasn't your fault, J'onn." Caitlin said.

"Of course Malefic turned against us. The isolation from his own kind, the betrayal he must have felt… he was just a child…" J'onn breathed out. "He needed our help. And then my father goes and compounds the tragedy by… wiping his memory from the collective. For Martians, death isn't final. Erasing a memory is." He said hurtfully. "My father… may as well murdered his own son. And the hypocrisy! His whole life was about being a holy man but he committed our culture's greatest sin!"

"You can't hold yourself responsible for your father's sins. That never helps." Alex said, knowing what Oliver had been through already.

"No. There must be more to it." Nia said as J'onn glared, angry.

"Nia—"

"J'onn, please. We need to understand." Nia pleaded.

J'onn glared but sighed a moment later as he gave in. "Do it."

Nia touched J'onn's head, entering his subconsciousness again.

"Father, you did the best you could for Mal." J'onn said, comforting Myr'nn as he touched his shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"He was my boy. My child. He couldn't control his illness." Myr'nn said. "It was my test but I failed! I don't deserve to live." His voice broke. "How am I supposed to counsel our people… when I myself am nothing?"

"Father. We need you. I need you." J'onn said.

"I have failed everyone." Myr'nn said, staring in front of himself.

J'onn took a breath, knowing there was only one way to spare his father of that pain but by that, he would be committing the greatest sin in the eyes of his own people as he took a breath. "H'ronmeer, forgive me." He said before he touched his father's temple and his own, erasing all memories they both had of Malefic from their minds.

J'onn gasped as Nia returned him back to present.

"It was me." J'onn breathed out, newfound guilt flooding him.

"I'm so sorry, J'onn." Nia said, her, Alex, Cisco, Caitlin and Harry feeling sympathies for the Martian.

"I may as well murdered my own brother." J'onn said.

"To spare your father of that pain." Caitlin pointed out.

"To spare us both." J'onn said as he sighed. "I had gone to father to seek guidance. To ease my own pain." His eyes got wet as his voice broke, guilt flooding him. "But as I saw him… rather than finding the strength to lift him up… I crossed a line that's unforgivable in my culture. The last three hundred years, I've been trying to repent for having fled Mars but… that's the least of my sins." He sniffled, shame flooding through him as he wiped his eyes.

"You did what you did, because you loved your family. That is nothing to be ashamed of." Alex said as she and Nia came to him, comforting him.

"Your father was heartbroken and you were trying to spare him of the pain out of compassion. You tried to save him." Nia said.

"Father rather would've died than have his holy mind wiped." J'onn breathed out. "That wasn't an act of love. It was an act of selfishness." He turned to face them all. "You must promise me… all of you… that you will not tell this to Barry or Kara or anyone else."

"J'onn, you can't ask us to lie—"

"I'm not asking you to lie. I will tell them." J'onn interrupted Caitlin. "But… I need to do this… on my own terms."

They were hesitant but nodded, knowing that J'onn needed to process what he had done.

Alex's phone then went off. "Hello? Uh-huh." She hung up.

"What is it?" J'onn asked.

"It's Bruce. They found one of Lex's bases. It might be a trap and they need back up." Alex said. "Are you up for this?"

J'onn was hesitant but he nodded. "I am."

Elsewhere

Malefic was on his knees, meditating as his eyes then glowed green.

"It's time to pay your debt, brother."

So, what do you guys think?

Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.