I don't own Young Justice.

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. School has taken over my life. The next chapter should be much quicker.

Read. Review. Enjoy.

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VANESSA POV (FIRST PERSON)

I woke up with a throbbing headache, and the bright light wasn't helping. I tried to move my hands to ease the pain, but my bruised hand jerked back, hitting the wall.

I inhaled sharply, wincing in pain. Scrunching my eyes open, I saw I was chained to the wall. Moving my head, I felt something choking me slightly.

"Inhibitor collar," I thought.

My eyes finally adjusted to the light and I assessed my surroundings. The room I was in was all too was a wide open white room. The walls were covered with dried blood strains, scratches, and the occasional graffiti, if you could count the drawings as graffiti. It was the room where my brother had spent the last three years of our lives.

Alex!

I searched the room and found him right next to me as he always was. He was unconscious, or maybe he was asleep. Either way, he was out of B'rnazz's trance.

I reached my foot over as far as I could trying to tap him. It took all I had to do so. He was so far away. I was able to reach the bottom of his foot, but my tap wasn't strongenough to cause any effect. So I yelled his name.

"Alex!" No response.

"Alex!" I yelled again, but the same results. It was pointless. He wasn't in any immediate danger, so I gave up and left him as he was.

I laid back and memories came to my head. It seemed like a past life, but it really wasn't that far away. Artemis's last stand replayed in my head. It was my fault that she was the way she was. If I hadn't doubted, she wouldn't have been hurt. But the idea that I was used continued to plague my mind. Though I hated to realize it, all B'rnazz's words were true.

Suddenly Alex woke with a start next to me, frightening me from my thoughts of self pity.

"No! Leave them alone!" he shouted.

"Alex, calm down. It's just me."

"No Mom. I have to save you! He... He..."

He looked over at me.

"None of that happened, did it?"

I shook my head. I was concerned about Alex. His eyes were wild like he had just seen someone die in front of his face. And why had he called me "Mom"?

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He looked off, leaving my question unanswered. He searched the room with his eyes, the familiarity obviously plaguing him.

"How did we get back here?" Hatred and disgust in his voice.

Now it was my turn to leave the question on the table. I couldn't tell him I had helped B'rnazz defeat our last chance, it would sound crazy to him. He would never understand my logic. But then again, did I really understand it?

"What did you do Vanessa?"

"How do you know I did anything? How do you know those lying, backstabbing traitors didn't let us go?!"

"Because you're getting worked up over a simple question."

"You don't know what I'm talking about."

"Then tell me. How? Huh Vanessa? How are they traitors?"

"They were using us!" I exclaimed, unable to hold back my emotion any longer. The conflict inside me was tearing me apart.

"What? No they weren't. I mean, why would you believe something like that?!"

"Because they all hated us Alex. They wanted to get rid of us. No one cared."

"Vanessa, you're being ridiculous. They didn't hate us. They were annoyed because we're kids they had to babysit. They're like 20 years old, would you want to look after a 12 and a 9 year old?"

"Then how do you explain Conner?"

"Who?" His face was frowned up like I said something wrong.

"Conner? Superboy? He hated us."

"How do you know his name?"

I thought for a moment, it had been odd that I would call him by a name I had never heard before. How did I suddenly know that?

"It doesn't matter. He hated us just like everyone else."

"Okay, fine, I can give you him, but if you're gonna do that, then how do you explain Artemis?"

"She was just pumping us for information. She didn't care. She was faking the whole time."

"After all she did for us, you call that fake? No one knew about anything we told her. Your little nightmare incident? Or what about when we trusted her with our story? No one but the three of us knows it. She was willing to fight her friend for you. She stood up for us when everyone was against us! How can you call that fake?!"

"She wanted our trust so we would willingly do what they wanted!"

An exasperated sigh left Alex's mouth.

"Look Vanessa," he was calm, the emotion barely seen in his voice or on his face.

"Your gonna believe whatever the heck you wanna believe. You're stubborn like that. No amount of my convincing will get you to see otherwise. But I believe in my heroes. I did before we knew them, and I do now. They might have been using us, but I'd rather live in those conditions than these. The point is, they're coming to save us, and even if they don't, I have faith in my heroes."

"Well it looks like I just lost faith in mine."

From the corner of my eye, I could see him tense up before he cast his gaze on the floor.

I don't know if I was trying to hurt him like that, but I was seething with anger. Why was he so calm about this? Why did he believe those traitors were coming for us? And why did I suddenly have all this knowledge about them that wasn't there before? I was so confused,but I didn't get a chance to try and sort my problems outbefore matters got worse.

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THIRD PERSON POV

As the two siblings silenced themselves, the door to their cell swung wide open, nearly tearing off its rusty hinges.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Wonder Twins. I haven't seen you two in ages. Did you enjoy your vacation?"

The voice had an unidentifiable accent. Perhaps German or English, maybe even a mix of the two, but it made it unmistakable who was speaking.

Dr. Wellsworth strolled in, the image of a stereotypical doctor; tan skin, clipboard, stethoscope, the whole nine yards.

Behind him, B'rnazz creeped in and leaned against the threshold.

The doctor stopped as he came in front of Vanessa.

"Vanessa, I've heard great things about you. It seems you've put that witty attitude aside and joined thegreater cause. When B'rnazz told me you were the one who shot the hero and saved him in order to escape, I didn't believe it. But seeing you now, well..."

He let the last words trail off, allowing what he had said to settle into the atmosphere. Alex quickly shot his sister a look of shocked anger, glaring at her with fury. Knowing his gaze was upon her,Vanessa continued to stare down at the floor, ashamed of what she had done, of how her brother now saw her.

"But that's enough small talk. Let's get down to business."

He pulled out typical doctoral instruments.

"Just a standard vital check," he informed them.

He began with Vanessa. She was clearly uninterested in what he was doing to her, following whathe said with little resistance and an unusual amount of obedience.

Wellsworth placed a finger in front of her face.

"Follow it with only your eyes," he said.

The little girl did as she was told, following the finger around her line of vision. As he brought it farther out, she was able to catch a glimpse of the Martian. He had bruises that weren't there before. Most noticeable was the eye patch he now wore that connected a scar that ran down his face.

As B'rnazz looked up, he caught her staring at him. He glared back, with a look that blamed her for what happened to him.

Snapping fingers broke their lock.

"Vanessa, focus," the doctor said.

Checking back in to her checkup, the doctor quickly finished.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it? Everything is so much easier without the resistance. I think I'm starting to like this new Vanessa, wouldn't you agree B'rnazz?"

The alien didn't respond, he simply continued glaring at the two children on the floor.

"Now for you Alex."

He grabbed his chin.

"Open your mouth."

Alex stared straight at the doctor, ignoring his last command.

"I said open your mouth." There was still no movement.

"So this is what happened. You got a little burst of courage, hmmm? And you and sister have changed personalities. She has become the perfect subject, quietand submissive, and you have taken her place as rebellious and disillusioned. How cute. But I am going toask you one more time to open your mouth, or there will be punishment."

"You couldn't handle my sister. And I'm way more braver and smarter than she is. What makes you think you can handle me?"

Alex looked back at his sister, still angry at her.

"Oh, he's challenging us B'rnazz. You know you will not win. Now, open your mouth."

"Alex please. Just listen to him," his sister begged.

"Oh, I do love this new Vanessa," Wellsworth exclaimed.

"You had better listen to her boy. She might be saving you from more trouble than you can handle," B'rnazz warned, speaking for the first time.

Alex looked from Vanessa to the doctor. He opened his mouth as he was told.

"There, was that so hard. You know, you really should be more like your sis-"

A glob of spit landing on his lip. Wellsworth dropped what he had and quickly reached for an antibacterial wipe. Dabbing carefully at the point of contact, he wiped away the saliva Alex had spit at him.

"You know, you're really trying my patience boy. That's something that is easy to accomplish. One more misstep and I might have to-"

"Finish your exam doctor," B'rnazz chimed.

"Open your eye as wide as you can," Wellsworth continued.

He leaned in to place the light in Alex's eye, ensuring the tracker still worked properly. As he approached, he felt a shot of pain explode in his groin. He quickly retreated back, doubling over, knowing from the mischievous look on the boy's face what he had done.

"Why you little! That's it!" Wellsworth reeled back his arm to hit Alex with the clipboard in his hand. Just as it was about to make contact with his face, something stopped his arm.

"Wellsworth! Finish your exam! I will handle discipline!" B'rnazz had stopped the board.

"Fine, do your job then so that I can do mine."

Alex appeared to struggle to control his body as he relayed all the directions given to him. It still took some time to finish the checkup, but it eventually was completed. He was then released from B'rnazz's control.

"Where's the discipline Martian?" Wellsworth asked, obviously angry.

B'rnazz looked over at Alex. He hesitated as if he were contemplating some big decision.

"What are you waiting for, you stupid alien? Some miraculous sign?"

B'rnazz didn't hesitate to put Wellsworth on the wall. As he held him by his neck, he raised his arm to slap the physician.

"Do it, I dare you. You and I both know it'll be the last mistake you make."

The Martian glared at his overseer before releasing him from the wall.

"Now, do as you're told," Wellsworth patronized.

B'rnazz limped over to the wall at the sound of his co-worker's laughter.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen. What happened Martian, you couldn't handle a bunch of brat kids unscathed? Oh, that's priceless."

B'rnazz unchained Alex, grabbing him roughly by the neck, and dragging him across the floor.

"Where are you taking him?!" his sister yelled after them.

"The ISO Ward," the doctor answered darkly.

"No!" Alex began fighting back. He had spent many a night in the solitary room, doing everything he could to keep from going crazy. B'rnazz forcibly twisted his arm around his back, dislocating his shoulder in the process.

Alex's scream rang out as he stopped all resistive measures.

"Come on Alex, it's your home away from home. Besides, I owe you and your sister," the alien said.

The three of them walked out with Vanessa hollering for her brother behind them.

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VANESSA POV (FIRST PERSON)

I cried as they drug Alex out of the room.

"Vanessa," I heard him say as they finally moved him from sight.

The first day without him was hard. We were rarely separated, and when we were, it was often unbearable, for me more so than him.

I sat in the room alone, replaying everything that had led us up to that point. All the mistakes I made wereevaluated and re-evaluated. Perhaps if I hadn't done something wrong Alex would still be with me.

But why had he been so defiant? Maybe he was right about his heroes coming to get him? Why didn't I believe? Artemis, Kaldur, Wally, M'gann. All they did was try and help. Why couldn't I just believe like Alex?

It was in that time that I realized that I had gained information from Miss Martian. When she had invaded my mind, she must have left it there by accident. With that information, I could blow everything they stood for right in their faces. But maybe I should keep it for future circumstances?

I didn't know what to do anymore. Alex was the one that helped me sort out everything.

Thoughts continued to get scattered in my head, it was the only thing I could think of to do in order to maintain my sanity. Not only did the ISO ward isolate him, but me too.

The next few days were all mashed together. I couldn't tell the night from the day. There were no windows in the cell. My body couldn't even tell me. Every time I attempted to fall asleep, a blasting noise would force me awake. I sat alone in the room, miserable. I hadn't spoken to anyone since they took Alex. B'rnazz had come in to release me from my shackles, but I was still utterly alone.

After what felt like an eternity, I was released from my cell once a day for nourishment. I went through the line in silence, say by myself, and ate wordlessly; a shellof my former self.

This was my routine for days until someone noticed me. As I left the line with my meal, slop and bread, I sat at the same table I had been sitting all week. As I lifted my head, a girl about fifteen looked back at me. Next to her was a bald boy about Robin's age. Sierra and Derek.

I brushed off their greetings and moved to another table. They soon followed, unwilling to leave me alone to rot in misery. I didn't know what they wanted, but when I learned, it would change my outlook on this entire situation.