I don't own Young Justice.

A/N: Okay, this is going to probably be it for a while. School is about to start, and well, you know how that is.

A/N: Thanks BubbleEwa for your review.

Read. Review. Enjoy.

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VANESSA POV (FIRST PERSON)

I watched as B'rnazz took down everyone in the cave. I had nowhere else to hide. Pressed against the wall, I shut my eyes tight. Maybe if I couldn't see him, he couldn't see me right?

"Come out Vanessa. Don't you want to go home with your brother?"

I held my breath. I could hear him getting closer. As his voice continued to run through my head his words from his fight with Canary and Batman came to my head. Had what he said been true? Were they really just faking the whole time? I mean, they had taken care of us, but did they do so as if we were nothing more than mere weapons?

Black Canary had never done anything for me, but she was always looking after Alex. But she also made him fight Robin and get the snot kicked out of him. And what about the Team? They always seemed annoyed of us. Especially Superboy. He was always taking jabs at us, or trying to turn everyone against us. But then there was Artemis. She stood up for us, but maybe she was just using us for information. They had always used us. I was tired of being used, tricked, betrayed.

The back of my neck started hurting and I began to feel nauseated again as my irrational anger swelled.

No, it was happening again, like it had the other day.

I quickly shook the thoughts out of my head. Even if I had been used by the Team, I still had to escape from B'rnazz with the little control of my powers that I had.

I peered around the corner to see if the monster was still there. It was empty except for the disregarded bodies of the fallen heroes.

As I backed up, hoping to escape without to much trouble I heard his voice all around me.

"I finally found you. Don't you know how worried I was when you and your brother escaped?"

I couldn't see him, and the echoes were making it hard to locate the voice.

My heartbeat increased as a sharp pain went through my head. I tried not to yelp out, but trying to cover the noise made it worse, louder even. Another shot of pain, this one more intense. I stumbled to the ground as the flesh burning sensation in the back of my neck became even worse.

"We have to go," I kept telling myself, but limbs wouldn't seem to obey.

"So it still works. And causes you a lot more pain than we imagined. Oh, we'll have to use this again."

My heart dropped and my body seized with fear. I could feel him behind, but I didn't dare turn around. He had found me.

My body immediately took over instinctively, ignoring the pain in every movement. I fumbled my way on to my legs again and started running. I didn't know where I was going, but I had to get away from there. Adrenaline was pushing me to go on. I listened to it until I could no longer feel my legs. I couldn't move them.

"Where do you think you're going Vanessa? The party is the other way."

He was using his telekinesis to bring me back toward him. As he turned me to face him, I shot him dead in his face with my energy blasts. The reaction caused him to lose concentration, freeing me.

I started running again before another sensation of pain hit me forcing me to my knees. He once again usedhis telekinesis to bring me to him.

"I forgot how much that hurt."

He pulled me in closer.

"You've been a naughty little money. You gave me a lot of trouble trying to find you. But now, you've run out of luck, and Daddy has to spank you good."

He hit me across the room. As I hit the wall across the way, I slid to the ground. I tried again to hit him with one of my energy blasts, but at the last moment, the burning sensation returned to the back of my neck. The blast blew up in my hand as I went kneeling to the ground.

"Nasty little gadget, isn't it? It's a microscopic robot on the back of your brainstem."

Possibilities of this technology slipping Batman's keen eye ran through my head. My thoughts were scattered as B'rnazz released more pain.

"How, you must be wondering. How it got there. Well, remember when you and your fake friends went to skate? We saw the whole thing. Your brother had a tracking device implanted by us in his eyes. The cave however, blocks out any radio waves. But, when you two stepped out, we had you where we wanted you.

"Now to answer your question. As a waiter, I put it in your soda. Oh but don't worry, your friends here knew about it. In fact they built this."

He holds up the remote control.

"They were going to use it like I am now. Oh yes, your 'friends' didn't even bother to remove the nasty booger."

He pressed the remote causing the sickening feeling everywhere.

"They were going to use it to bring you into submission. They never really cared about you out your half-witted brother. They only wanted your power."

"No. No, your lying."

I didn't want to believe the words coming out his mouth, but they were starting to make sense.

"What? You think they wanted to babysit a stubborn little girl who can't control her powers and her equally stupid brother? I wouldn't unless the payoff was so much better, same with your friends.

"Think about it. Canary had your brother fight Boy Wonder to see how strong he really was. Or what about when you had a bad dream and destroyed the kitchen? They were quick to blame the two of you. Or, my personal favorite, when you and your brother spilled your guts to Archer Girl, or whatever her name is. You told her how bad we treated you, made a very convincing sob story too. But she doesn't care. She just needed the information to learn how to control you two without rebellion. Alex even told Canary and got the same reaction."

"Shut up," I said. This made him laugh.

"You thought you had someone you trusted in that Arrowette. Haven't you learned yet? You can't trust anyone. I mean you know you can't trust us, but it just makes it worse when your stabbed in the back."

"Shut up!"

He came up to me and grabbed my chin.

"You never had an ally here," he smiled. "The Superboy kid was the only that showed you his true colors. But everyone else, they've been playing you like a cheap fiddle since you got here," he said with a sinister smile and laugh.

"No no no. No!" I yelled.

"Yes yes yes. Yeeees," he sang, tilting my head to face him.

"And now for the finisher," he said, lifting me up once again, hand poised for a knock out blow.

I tensed up, scarred hands shaking. As he stuck me in the stomach, an explosion rang from behind the Martian. It caused him to drop me on the ground, stunning me on my back.

As I tried to sit up I saw B'rnazz once again in combat with someone. My vision was blurred, but I could make out the figure of Artemis.

I tried again to sit up, but I felt sluggish, like something was holding me down. I moved myself towards the wall, a pang in my side. I looked down at the side B'rnazz had hit me on. There was something there. Pulling it out, I realized it was a syringe. He had drugged me.

I forced myself to stand. As I trudged, my way out of danger, each step became increasingly hard. And even though my thoughts were becoming less rational as the time passed, I still contemplated the words of the intruder. I mean, yes, someone was saving me, but that didn't excuse the fact that they wanted to use me.

My legs gave out, the drug acting ridiculously fast. I laid on the ground, forced to watch the battle around me, trying to decide who I really wanted to win, evil influencing me more than I would've hoped.

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THIRD PERSON POV

B'rnazz dropped the girl. The explosion had definitely not been expected. Again, the nagging heroes were cutting into his schedule. This shouldn't have taken this long. It was a simple in and out.

Recovering from the explosion, he turned around. It had been Green Arrow's protege that had attacked him. Although annoyed, B'rnazz found himself impressed at the great lengths the heroes were taking to protect his queries.

Artemis shot another arrow at the enemy. B'rnazz chuckled as he grabbed it out of the air.

"You really think those puny arrows can stop me? I'm insulted."

They continued fighting, exchanging blows, counterattacking, and the likes. While B'rnazz might have easily defeated Artemis, he had to get inside her head first. The girl could hold her own, at least for the moment.

"I don't understand why you heroes just won't lay down and die. Why not make the world a better place for people like me?"

Artemis jumped over an attack from the alien, shooting another arrow. B'rnazz rolled to its side, but not unscathed. As the arrow came down, it opened into a buzzsaw cutting the side of his calf.

As he stood again, a grimace crossed his face, but was quickly covered by a smile.

"Tell Green Arrow his idea wasn't as stupid as Canary thought. But, riddle me this. Why are you secondrate heroes fighting so hard for these kids? I mean what,are they special or something?"

"Just leave them alone," she said through gritted teeth.

"But you didn't answer my question. Why do you care so much? What good are they to you?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"Oh come on. What's your secret?"

"It doesn't matter. Just leave them alone."

As Artemis prepared to shoot another arrow, B'rnazz used his telekinesis to clock her with a nearby rock. Artemis fell to the ground, struggling to remain awake.

"Just as I said, right Vanessa? She's to afraid to admit that they're all just using-"

"B'rnazz! Where are you? You were supposed to report back twenty minutes ago."

The voice was coming from an internal comlink.

"Sir, I'm in the middle of-"

"Exactly. You're I'm the middle when you should be finished," the gruff voice interrupted.

"There were more complications than we-"

"I don't care. You are to leave within the next five minutes. There is no drop crew to pick you up. You're onyour own, and I expect you back within the next half hour."

"Sir," said B'rnazz, quite frustrated, "that's physically impossible, no matter who you are."

"You better figure out a way or I'll experiment on all three of you. Do you understand, or do you need another lesson to help you remember?" the voice on the other line growled.

While he was preoccupied by his conversation with his boss, B'rnazz was unaware of his surroundings. Artemis had recovered, although quite battered from her blow. She exploited her enemy's current weakness, shooting a flaming arrow to his leg.

"Ahhh!" B'rnazz's scream rang out.

"What was that Martian? "

B'rnazz quickly cut his scream, staring wide eyed at his flaming wound.

"I," he growled through clenched teeth, "understand."

The line dropped. B'rnazz quickly created a force field around his burning calf, cutting the oxygen supply, extinguishing the flame. However, as he finished, Artemis came, crashing down on his exposed leg.

The pain was unbearable as the villain took a knee. Vulnerable, Artemis was ready to finish this fight. She jumped into the air, poised to land a crushing blow to the enemy's skull as she had practiced so many times with her family.

As her foot swung down, B'rnazz braced himself. If he were defeated here, there would be no point in attempting a return to the Light. They would kill him if these heroes didn't. But perhaps fortune had smiled on him. Looking up, he saw Artemis flying perpendicular to her original path. Something has knocked her off. He turned to find the origin. Or maybe, it was someone.

Vanessa stood balancing against the wall, cradling her injured hand. B'rnazz could tell the blast had taken all her remaining strength as she fell back down to her knees. But she had saved him nevertheless. He smiled to himself as he limped over to the fallen hero.

Artemis sat up quickly trying to avoid the hero, but the quick movement aggravated her growing concussion, causing her to stumble. As she looked backfrom where she had just been surprised attacked, she saw Vanessa struggling to support herself against the wall, quickly realizing that she had done it, but why?

B'rnazz snatched the teen by her neck, slowly taking theair away from her.

"Why?" She strained to say.

The Martian knew the question want directed to him, but to his young ward.

"I don't think she can hear you."

"I heard her," the weak voice in the corner said.

Vanessa was now sitting against the wall.

"You lied to me," she simply said.

A look of surprise followed quickly by anger flashed across Artemis's face.

"You're controlling her. You made her do it."

B'rnazz laughed.

"I'm not controlling her. Her mind is a one way trip. I think Miss Martian can tell you that. I can't control her even if I wanted to. That's all her free will. She hates you because, you heard her, you lied to her. Using her from the very beginning."

He tightened his grip on her neck.

"You know, you really are a good adversary. You came closest to taking me out than any of your loser friends. I appreciate a good fight, especially the leg thing, I'll definitely remember you got that. So as a parting gift,"

He had changed his hand into a blade. As he finished his monologue, he forced it into her side, twisting it on the way out.

Artemis eyes widened, as she watched the blood flow from her stomach. She let out a gasp as he ripped it from her body. From the end of the room, she heard Vanessa inhale sharply as well. B'rnazz dropped her on the ground and leaned close, whispering in her ear.

"Now we're matching. Think of it as something to remember me by."

Turning to the main area of the cave, the Martian used his mind to bring Alex, who was still locked in a trance to him. The alien then walked over to Vanessa, who had succumb to the drug, picking her up and thrusting her over his shoulder.

"Awww. Look like the little girl tuckered herself out. Well, Daddy better take them home. Thanks Artemis for watching them. I hope I made it worth your while."

Artemis sat up, attempting one last attack. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and used her hand to throw it. It hit Vanessa in foot. No one noticed, and hopefully, it would stay that way, she thought as she leaned against the wall and watched the blood spill from her stomach.

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Artemis slowly reached down and ripped her pants. She knew at this rate, if she didn't do something, she would surely die. She wrapped the rag around her stomach, trying to slow the bleeding.

She painfully forced herself to stand. She needed the help from the others.

As she walked into the main entrance, the others began to stir.

"Let's not do that again," Kid Flash moaned to himself.

Superboy walked in helping Aqualad to keep his balance. Robin also got up complaining about his KF needs to watch were he's going. Artemis stepped in, carefully watching her step, using the wall as a balance.

"Is everyone okay?" Aqualad asked, standing now in his own.

Kid Flash was the first to notice Artemis.

"Artemis!"

He rushed over to her, catching her as she tried over debris. She winced as he pushed against her wound.

"I'm fine," she weakly stated.

They walked into the room together, everyone staring at her.

"What?!"

"Sticking up for those kids again huh? See where that got us?" Superboy commented.

Though she was hurt, her adrenaline flowed through her, alleviating the pain for the moment.

"Shut up Superboy unless you know what you're talking about!"

"Excuse me? You're telling at me as if this is my fault."

"Maybe if you hadn't always been on their case, they wouldn't have left. So yeah, this it's your fault."

"My fault?! You think the Martian came here for me? No, he came for those idiot kids of yours. If you hadn't saved them, we wouldn't be in this mess. In fact we probably still wouldn't be in this mess if we had M'gann, but I guess that's my fault too?!"

"So that's what this is about?! They make one mistake and then you push them to betrayal. Did you ever think that M'gann was old enough to decide if going in Vanessa's head was a good decision; that she did it of her own free will?"

"They're bad news. They have been since the moment they got here, but your too blind to see it!"

"I'm blind? You're the one who can't see past your thick ego. The reason you hate them do much is 'cause they are just like you."

"No, there not!"

"Yes, they are, especially Vanessa. They're impatient, hot tempered, angry at the world. You hate them, and because of all your crap, they willingly walkedaway and hate each and every one of us! They needed us Superboy; they needed you, but now, the most powerful kid I have ever seen are being used for who knows what."

Artemis grabbed her side. Apparently her adrenaline had worn off. Superboy glared at the floor. Artemis looked away as well.

"Well," Robin said, breaking the tension, "Artemis was right about them being powerful."

"You seem to be well Robin," Aqualad noticed.

"Yeah, thanks to Vanessa." He pulled up the holographic screen.

"I did a little hacking earlier and found this. It's a representative picture of how much nuclear power Vanessa and Alex store inside themselves. I think we can guess who is who."

"But we've still haven't seen Vanessa use her powers," said Kid Flash.

"She has the power to heal others."

The voice came from behind them.

"M'gann." Kid Flash rushed and have her a bear hug.

"Welcome back," said Aqualad, causing her to give a small smile.

"Yeah, like she said, the power to heal. Kinda ironic considering her temperment. But, going off this chart, she can do more than that. Probably some form of energy blast, although I don't have any first hand experience with that," Robin returned.

"I have seen the girl use her nuclear powers up close. She definitely has great power," said Aqualad.

"I also did a little research on that kid from the fire. His power rivals Alex's. And I looked him up. He went missing for two years after a break in and fire in his home. But days before, he and his parents had met a man by the name of Barnabas Naitram."

Artemis eyes widened, M'gann seeming to voice her thought.

"I wasn't able to get much from her head, but I do believe that is the name of-"

"Their legal guardian," Artemis said barely audible.

"I think that might have been our attacker today. Look, his last name is 'Martian' backwards," Robin pointed out.

"Then perhaps they are connected. Alex told me that they knew each other before our encounter. We need to investigate," Aqualad began.

"STAR Labs?" Kid Flash asked.

"What about Dr. Lungstrum? He just happened to be there when the building went up in flames," Robin suggested.

"We will split up and investigate both."

"Wait," Artemis spoke up. "I put a tracker on Vanessa before they escaped."

"Then forget STAR Labs. Let's just go straight to the source," Robin commented.

"Whatever we do, we should hurry. While Vanessa and I were mentally linked, information was passed both ways."

"Meaning?" Superboy asked, speaking up for the first time since the argument.

"She knows all about us. Our identities, weaknesses, mainly everything."

"Then we will leave immediately. Artemis, what direction are they heading?" Aqualad asked.

There was no reply.

They all looked back to find Artemis passed out on the ground.

"Artemis." Wally cried. That's when he saw the wound. She had continued to keep it covered as she had been with her friends. As they had discussed plans, the blood loss was causing her to become light headed and faint.

"She's wounded."

He picked her up carefully and moved her to the infirmary.

It appeared as if they would have to trust their secrets in the hands of a tempermental nine year old girl.