A/N: First real chapter is up! I hope it lives up to your expectations and you want to keep reading! I'm really trying to make this good but like I said, I've never done a self-insert before so I'm kind of feeling it out and trying to remember all the little things that annoy me with self-inserts! Review are always welcome!

As before, I own nothing recognizable in this story I'm just having fun.

Enjoy!

One: Beginnings

Darkness.

That's all there was any more it seemed. Darkness and loneliness and cold. The last thing I could clearly remember was a set of headlights heading straight for me and then…nothing. I wonder briefly if maybe I'm dead. Maybe this is that in between state you always hear about where your soul isn't sure if you belong in Heaven or Hell. I desperately hope I belong in Heaven. I mean, I'm not perfect by any means but I like to think I was a good person and helped where I could. I was never unnecessarily cruel and I didn't commit crimes, which had to count for something. Right?

I'm beginning to panic when the darkness begins to lighten a bit and warmth seems to envelop me. Heaven then. I can't imagine Hell feeling this nice. I sigh and let myself drift in the warmth and the brightening light, feeling it stretch over and around me, enveloping me completely before I'm suddenly slammed back into darkness. What the heck?

It takes me a moment to realize this darkness is slightly different though. There's still warmth around me and I think I can hear something. I can't really tell what though. It's an odd dripping noise and strange fluttering. And then the warmth is fading and it's replaced by a chill, just cold enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up and pimple my skin. Underneath the cold is a damp feeling, kind of like how it feels just before a rain storm. Not really humid but not quite comfortable either. Strange. There's something cold circling each of my wrists and even though I've never been arrested I immediately know someone has put handcuffs on me. Weird.

There's a soft hum of voices. They're low, indistinct, and I don't recognize them at all. That's a little worrisome. I'm fairly certain this isn't a hospital. While there is a slight hint of antiseptic in the air it's not overwhelming like it would be in a medical facility. I've been in enough to know and hate that smell. Plus, I'm handcuffed.

I'm debating whether or not I should open my eyes when a voice speaks up somewhere to my left, "I think she's awake."

I frown, the voice sounds like it belongs to a child but the tone is too serious, too adult-like. Kids aren't supposed to sound like that. I hear footsteps approaching rapidly, one set barely audible and the other a soft patter, "Miss, can you hear me?"

British.

"She's definitely awake, I think she's just scared," there was the child again. His voice was still serious but I could detect an undertone of curiosity as well now. Maybe he didn't know what was going on either.

"You can open your eyes, no one is going to hurt you, Miss. I promise," there was the British voice again.

I'm not really sure why, but some part of me trusted the person talking and slowly, I let my eyes flutter open. The light was blindingly bright and immediately my head pulsed out an angry rhythm right behind my eyes. I immediately slammed my lids down again, surprised to hear a small whimper escape my lips.

"Young Master, if you would pull that lamp away and perhaps switch it off? I think our guest has a bit of a headache from her fall."

I heard a soft click and the light behind my lids seemed to dim. It took another moment before I risked cracking them open again. This time, while my head still protested somewhat, I didn't feel like there a jackhammer being taken to my skull. It was manageable. I opened my eyes a little wider, blinking a few times to clear away the fogginess, and took in my surroundings. There's medical equipment around me, a white curtain cordons off the room and standing just to my right is an older man and another, darkly clad one…

That's about when my jaw nearly hits the floor because standing in front of me was none other than Alfred Pennyworth and Batman. The Batman. Holy. Crap.

I feel my eyes widen and I'm pretty sure I look like a complete idiot but I don't really care. Standing in front of me are two of my favorite characters from comic books and cartoons growing up. A snort from behind me makes me turn and once again, I'm floored by who I see. Messy black hair, red costume, black cape and an "R" on his chest. Robin. Richard Grayson. He smirks, "I think she's broken."

"Miss? Are you feeling alright?" suddenly Alfred is leaning over me, placing a hand on my forehead and looking genuinely concerned.

Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine Alfred freaking Pennyworth asking me if I was okay and checking to see if I had a fever while Richard Grayson smirked next to me. They weren't real. At least, they weren't supposed to be. Maybe the accident put me in a coma? I wouldn't be surprised if this was a medicine induced dream. That would be the most reasonable explanation but my brain can't help but wander to other less common explanations. Like, alternate worlds. It was a common thing in comic books, maybe when I died I somehow landed in the middle of another world where superheroes existed?

"I-I'm fine…um…just confused. How exactly did I get here?" I ask finally, still casting my eyes around and taking everything in. There are bats hanging from somewhere high above my head, I can hear the flutter of their wings, and somewhere in the distance water is flowing.

At this, Batman steps into the light, "That's what we would like to know. Did someone send you? Joker? Two-Face? Riddler?"

I shake my head quickly, "No. No. I would never work with them. They're villains!"

"Then what are you doing here?"

"That's what I would like to know! The last thing I remember was a car racing toward me and then…nothing before waking up here!"

"A car racing toward you?" Robin asked and I glanced back toward him. He was in the uniform I recognized from the Young Justice cartoons. All red except the buckles over his chest and the inside of his cape which were bright yellow, matching the "R" on his chest and the utility belt on his waist. Black leggings meet with ankle high black boots which are currently propped on the bottom rung of his stool. He's already taken off his gloves but his mask is firmly in place. As far as they know I have no idea who they really are.

"Yes. I was driving home from work and a pair of headlights was flying toward me and then I woke up here. That's it."

Robin frowned, his eyes narrowing, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Trust me, I know it doesn't make sense. You're not even supposed to be real."

"Wait, what? Not real? That makes even less sense!"

I laugh, "You being here makes no sense to me. Where I'm from, you're just fictional characters from comic books and cartoons. But I'm definitely staring at you right now, in the flesh."

"Whoa. You mean, there's a world out there where I get to be a comic book super hero?!" Robin asks, practically bouncing in his seat.

I nod, "You and the entire Team. Artemis, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Aqualad, Superboy. All of you."

"Who's Artemis? And how do you know who's on the team? It isn't public knowledge. Kind of defeats the purpose of a stealth team if our enemies know who's on it," his excitement has died down, replaced by suspicion.

Oh, crap! This must have been before Oliver (Green Arrow) brought Artemis on the Team. I completely forgot there was a small portion of time in the beginning without the blonde archer. She was integrated into the group by the time the first season finished airing. Heck, she was dating Kid Flash by then!

I was floundering for an answer when Batman stepped even closer, distracting me and, thankfully, Robin, "How do you know all of this? Who are you?"

"I just told you! I'm from a world where your lives exist in cartoons and comic books. A world where superheroes and powered up bad guys don't exist. At least, not like this."

"What's your name?"

"Addilyn. Addilyn Pierce."

"Computer, search everything on Pierce, Addilyn. Female. Age," he pauses here and looks me over, "Thirteen to fourteen."

"What? I'm not thirteen. I know I look young but come on!"

Robin cackled, "I'm pretty sure you're about the same age as me."

"What are you talking about?! I'm sixteen!"

Alfred coughed politely next to me, holding up a small mirror so I could see my reflection. Part of me was hesitant to look. What if I didn't recognize the person staring back at me? Taking a deep breath I leaned forward and blinked. That wasn't my reflection. My whole life I've had unruly, thick brown curls, a ton of freckles and muddy brown eyes. I was plain and I wasn't exactly a beauty but I never really cared. Now though. Now I looked like all the female heroines I'd read about in the comic books. Thick, long black hair and bright blue eyes set in a perfectly round pale face. Not a freckle in sight.

"That's…that's not possible. I don't look like that. You're pulling some kind of prank, aren't you?" I asked, quickly turning away from the mirror and shooting an accusatory glare at Robin, "This is some sort of face-changer isn't? Or a hologram?"

"No pranks, I promise," Robin said. And I believed him.

Batman was watching me closely and I knew he was trying to figure out whether or not I was lying. I don't know if he decided to trust me or not but he turned on his heel and walked around the curtain of my "room". I heard the deep timbre of his voice but couldn't make out what he was saying from so far away. A moment later, he was back, still frowning at me and looking like he didn't know what to think, "Martian Manhunter will be here shortly. He should be able to tell us what's going on with a quick look into your mind."

The thought of Martian Manhunter digging around in my brain was both totally cool and completely terrifying. I mean, it's not like there was anything bad in my head but it would definitely be a whole new experience. I wasn't really sure how to respond so I settled with a short, jerky nod.

There was a loud chirp from the Batcomputer, Search complete.

"Report."

Name: Pierce, Addilyn Hyacinth.

Age: Thirteen.

Gender: Female.

Date of Birth: November 26th.

Blood Type: Unknown.

Parents: Deceased.

Birthplace: Gotham.

Affiliation: Unknown.

Abilities: Unknown.

Orphaned at the age of three. In foster care until the age of twelve. On the streets and considered a runaway for the past year. No school records found. No medical records found. No current residence found. Current status unknown.

Batman's frown deepened and I had a feeling it probably had to do without the amount of "unknowns" in the report. I was surprised there was a file on me at all. And apparently, I had no parents. That struck a chord in me. Back home I had wonderful parents and four brothers. This version of me had no one. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that.

"Dude, your middle name is Hyacinth? That's rough," Robin's snort makes me smile slightly.

I shrug, "Apparently it was my great-great-grandmother's name. I think my mother hated me a little bit though, saddling me with it."

Robin barks out a short laugh.

Reocgnized: Martion Manhunter 07.

"Batman?"

I turn at the voice, watching as the green form of Martian Manhunter moves toward us. While he isn't my favorite character in the DC Universe he's still pretty awesome in his own way. I mean, he's from Mars and can read minds. That's pretty cool. Plus, he can shape shift. Definitely a handy trick to have.

"J'onn, this is the girl I was telling you about. She calls herself Addilyn," Batman says, motioning toward me. I notice he never seems to take his eyes off of me. I know he doesn't trust me. I don't blame him either. I wouldn't trust someone if they literally fell out of the sky and landed in the middle of my top secret lair either.

"Hello, Addilyn. My name is J'onn J'onzz. Batman tells me you are not from our world?" he's polite and I can tell he's trying to seem unintimidating.

I smile slightly and nod, "That's right. Are you going to look into my mind now? I'm a little confused about all of this myself and I wouldn't mind a few answers."

He seems puzzled for a moment, "You are not afraid to have me look into your mind?"

I shrug, "I mean, it's a little scary but I also know you won't go poking around in places you don't need to and I know you won't hurt me."

He glances over at Batman who seems to almost shrug before turning back to me, "Very well then. Lie back and we can begin."

I do as he asks, settling in so I'm comfortable. I don't know how long this takes in real life. In the shows it's only a matter of moments but shows don't always go into great detail on everything. His hands settle on either side of my forehead and I close my eyes, sighing out slightly.

I'm going to begin now, do not resist. His voice is soft in my mind, kind.

I won't.

And then it's like every memory I've ever had is flooding through my mind. One after another, flashing by so fast I can barely catch anything. There's my mother, my father, my brothers, our dog, my friends, my work, my house…so many things all at once. And then…nothing. It's the darkness again. The darkness I remember from after the accident. I shiver involuntarily, not wanting to remember that awful in between feeling. Uncertain what will happen next. And then my memories from this world are flashing across my mind.

After another moment I blink and I'm back in the cave with Robin on one side of me and Alfred on the other. J'onn and Batman are a little ways away, talking in hushed voices. I strain to catch anything they're saying but they're talking too quietly to hear more than a soft hum of noise.

Robin leans forward, "J'onn says you're telling the truth. Batman is trying to figure out what to do now. How are feeling? It can be kind of weird having him in your head for the first time, trust me."

I sit up slowly, wincing when my headache from before comes back. I place a hand to my forehead, realizing there's no longer cuffs on my wrists when I can actually complete the motion, "I take it I'm no longer a threat then?"

"I don't think so but Bats, he takes some convincing. Even if Manhunter dug around in your brain. He'll probably want more tests but he doesn't think you need to be confined anymore so that's something at least," Robin holds out a glass of water and two small, white pills, "Sorry we didn't give you these before. Bats wanted to ask all his questions before we did anything."

I smirk, "I'm not surprised. He doesn't trust people. I wouldn't really either, after everything he's been through."

"About that. Manhunter says you know our identities?"

I swallow the pills, taking a moment to think before nodding slowly. There's really no use pretending I don't after having J'onn in my brain but I know how much Batman hates people knowing his secret identity. Heck, he doesn't even let Robin tell Wally (Kid Flash) for a long time and they're best friends.

Robin grins, "It's kind of nice, actually. Having someone know. Even if Batman doesn't agree with me."

"I get why though. I mean, you have Joker and Two-Face and Ivy and a lot of other baddies out there who would use that against you. I wouldn't want them knowing either."

"And they aren't ever going to," Batman is suddenly back beside us and I can't help jumping. God, he's quiet.

I look up at him, "No, they aren't."

Something in my tone seems to satisfy him because he gives a very tiny nod, "Good."

I let my gaze drift to Martian Manhunter, "So, you have any idea what happened to me?"

He sighs out and steps forward, a solemn look on his face, "From what I can piece together of your memories you do come from another world. An alternate reality, from what the looks of it. Not quite parallel to ours but close enough for you to wind up here. At the moment of your death something happened and you were somehow transplanted here. I don't know why you appeared in the Cave or why you appeared in that form but our world seemed to adapt around you somewhat. A history was written for you, however limited, and somehow you retained your old memories. Perhaps in time, memories of this world were surface but then again, they may not. I've never encountered another such as yourself."

"I…I died?" my voice is small, wavering slightly and I can feel a wet burning in my eyes. While part of me knew that was probably the case, hearing it confirmed is jarring and makes something in my gut wrench painfully.

J'onn nods, "Yes. That darkness you were in, that was a sort of limbo between life and death. Your body in the world you came from is dead. I'm sorry."

I blink rapidly, fighting the hot tears building in my eyes, "What about my parents? My brothers? They're all there, grieving me."

A warm hand lands on top of mine, squeezing gently. I look over my shoulder and meet Robin's sad blue eyes. He's lifted the lenses on his mask and his eyes are filled with sorrow, "I'm sorry, Addilyn."

I sniffle, suddenly overwhelmed by the emotions flooding through me. I was never this terrible at controlling myself before but I was also older in my other body. But this body was practically a child still, complete with the raging, uncontrollable emotions it seemed, "I-I just. I was going home. I-I was suppo-supposed to meet my mom f-for dinner. Oh God, s-she was probably waiting for m-me. A-and I d-didn't show u-up."

By the end I'm a crying mess and I can't seem to make the tears stop. The thought of my mother –my beautiful, happy mother –sitting at a table waiting eagerly for me only to get a call about my accident makes my heart scream in agony. I can practically see her face crumpling, the tears running down her cheeks. My mother, my mama. My best friend. I left her.

Arms circle me now and suddenly I'm bawling into a perfectly pressed suit, making a mess of the shirt with my tears. A hand rubs soothing circles over my back while a soft, British voice murmurs sweet nothings and my world crashes down around me.

So? Wasit any good? I hope so. These first few chapters are focusing more on Addilyn kind of figuring everything out but I promise there will be action in later chapters!

Mercy