I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE.

A/N: Sorry I've taken so long with this update. No matter how long though, I will finish this story. Hope you guys like this long chapter as consolation.

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VANESSA POV (FIRST PERSON)

We, minus Artemis who was still deemed unready to participate in missions, were in the Bioship before I knew it, zooming are way to Japan.

"Thanks to Aqualad, I was able to pinpoint your brother's location. He was on the move, but looks like he's found a stationary point in Japan." Robin informed everyone.

"What's he doing in Japan?" Kid Flash asked.

They all turned to me.

"I don't know. I thought he was as good as dead. Besides, they don't tell us our mission. We're just given orders and we do them."

"Maybe he's causing an explosion," Superboy chimed as he pointed out the window.

We all looked. A volcano had erupted. The surrounding city was leveled to its foundation, covered in gray ash that came out the sky like snow.

"That volcano has been dormant for years. I didn't even know it was capable of an eruption of this magnitude," Robin marveled.

"Kid Flash, where is Alex's location?" Aqualad asked.

"Southwest side of the island, completely opposite side of the volcano."

"Those civilians are going to need aide. We will split up. Kid Flash and Robin, you will be with me. Miss Martian and Superboy, you two manage the survivors."

He had left me out.

"What about me?" I asked.

"You need to stay here. We don't want you in the way or defecting back with your brother," Superboy ground out.

"I need to go. I'm the only that will be able to calm him down. And besides, if this is his fault, these people are my responsibility. Why won't you let me help fix what he destroyed? It's my fault he's here. I have to help. Aqualad please."

I did my best to look as pitiful as possible to push him over the edge. He looked back at me still not totally convinced, but against his better judgement, "Fine, you may leave with Miss Martian and Superboy, but you must stay with them. When Robin, Kid Flash, and I find Alex, we will inform you so that Vanessa can calm him down. Move out." Superboy was clearly upset with Aqualad's decision, but didn't argue.

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As soon as we touched land, someone cried out for help. We closed in on them, Superboy lifting the rubble and Miss Martian pulling the people free with her telekinesis. The family came out grateful. Offering hugs to Miss Martian and handshakes to Superboy.

As we walked, more and more people crowded us, asking us for saving. We helped each, taking them to a safe shelter once finished. I was bored, but I did want to help undo some of this pain.

After a couple of rescues, this became routine. My power set couldn't really help. I didn't have super strength or anything that could help move the items that blocked escape. I healed someone of a little scrape or maybe a broken arm or leg every now and then, but nothing serious.

We continued down the path of destruction when a man came rushing up to us. He landed on his knees in front of Superboy.

His English was broken, but the despair and urgency was clearly present in his voice.

"Please… family need help. Under… home. You follow… you help. Like the others."

He got up and ran to the place his house used to stand. We followed awestruck by the destruction. Shambles didn't describe it. It looked as if it had imploded, and with the rock pile behind the house, I was surprised there were survivors at all.

Superboy and Miss Martian went to work lifting the boulders. One after the other they lifted with no relief. Still no sign of human life. Hope continued to be ripped from the heart of the father, the husband, the soot covered man standing next to me. It seemed his legs gave out from him as he went crashing to his knees head in hands.

A scream erupted from the rubble. His head shot back up.

"Hamato?! Hamato?!" The woman's voice repeated obviously as frantic as the man kneeling next to me. "Hamato", it must have been his name. He shot up, running over quickly to the dirt covered lady. Her clothes were in rags, barely hanging on to her.

They embraced for a while. When they finally broke off, words were exchanged, in their native tongue I assume because I couldn't understand a word. She then began to breakdown and cry.

Superboy and Miss Martian continued to pull up rocks. Eventually, two more bodies were discovered. The first, a boy slightly younger than me. Behind him, he dragged a second body to the surface of the rocks. A teenaged girl, his sister, I presume.

The boy began hugging the still body tightly. He was bleeding from several cuts and scrapes, but he didn't care. He held on to the still body of his sister. The mother began bawling, a steady rush of tears flowed from her eyes to the shoulder of her husband. He gently released her and went to his daughter. He caressed her face softly in his hand. Tears from his face fell on hers as he leaned down to gently kiss her cheek.

"Dead." He said turning to face us. "Saved son, but died in process. Thank you for help."

Miss Martian started to walk over to comfort, but Superboy grabbed her shoulder, holding her back, shaking his head. I couldn't help but stare at the siblings. He held her close. As his father pulled him back, I could see the red tear stained eyes. His face was plastered with shock, one I'm sure I've made many times. The two heroes started walking away. I stole a last glance before I did the same.

"I don't know why I feel so bad. I've seen casualties before, but this… it just grabs me. I feel so helpless. Like I know I was able to do something, but I couldn't." Miss Martian was only speaking her mind, but I felt her words cutting into me.

"I hate it too, but we have to move on, especially if there's nothing we can do," Superboy replied.

I turned back around. Looking at the ruins, of the house and the family. It ate me up inside. I had to do something. I ran back.

"I just hate Vanessa had to see it."

Superboy turned to see me, but all that was left in my place was air.

"Vanessa," he yelled after me, but I wasn't going to stop until I had done something.

The boy was still holding on to his sister. I nudged him, giving him a reassuring smile. He scooted over, allowing me to do what I needed.

I took a deep breath in and focused on the girl in front of me, despite the nagging from the heroes that had chased after me. I delicately placed one hand on her heart and the other on her head. I knew that these were the two most important places in order for one to live.

"Vanessa, what are you doing? You can't bring her back."

"We know what you're trying to do, but some things you just can't change."

I ignored them. I had to try, not just for her or her family, but for me. My hands began to glow as I focused all my attention on the body they touched. I was tired of destroying things, leaving a path of destruction wherever I went. The energy flowed through me. My hands were hot, but my body was cold. I stayed there for as long as I could stand it. Every ounce of energy that I had seeped from me into her. Someone ripped me away from behind. The teenager remained still, my work and my energy spent for nothing.

"You're finished." I could tell it was Superboy. He brought me over to Miss Martian.

She kneeled beside me talking to me as if I were stupid. "Vanessa, we know you tried your best, but some things can't help. There is a time for everything, it was just her time to go."

"Besides that, you can't do whatever pops into your thick skull. Giving these people hope to dash it away is worse than just letting it be."

I looked up as I heard another scream.

"Maybe you should give another look at giving hope," I said.

We all turned and walked over to the joyful sounds. The girl had started moving, making small noises. They showered us with thank you's, the boy even came and hugged me.

"Vanessa you did it," Miss Martian exclaimed.

I nodded weakly as the voices became muffled. "I need to sit down." I started walking, nearly passing out as I did. Miss Martian caught me as I stumbled.

I felt weak as she guided me to a low rock for me to sit on. All my limbs had gone cold, I felt as if they had stopped working. I laid back and shut my eyes. I was exhausted, but satisfied that I was able to make such a difference.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Superboy asked firmly.

"I just wanted to help."

"That could've killed you," Miss Martian speculated.

"No, it couldn't have," I sat up only to get dizzy again. I settled myself on Miss Martian arm. "It was an energy drain. It needed to happen. In fact, it probably was more necessary for me than for her."

"A what?"

"Energy drain. I store up an excess energy for some reason. If it doesn't get released, I get explosive. Without Alex I can't release it safely. This allowed me to do that and save a life. It wouldn't have killed me."

"You still need to be careful," Miss Martian coddled.

"I'm fine now."

Superboy turned away annoyed. He turned his hand to his ear.

"Superboy." He paused for a moment. "We're on our way," he turned back to us. "They found your brother, and surprise, surprise, he's not cooperating."

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We were on the other side of the ash covered island quickly. Just as Superboy said, Alex was not coming quietly. He was definitely putting up a fair fight, even with the three experienced heroes. He was in essence playing keep away, never letting them get close enough for a face to face confrontation. Which was genius considering face to face was not his strongest point, while it had gotten inherently better.

Kid Flash was running circles around him when we got there, hoping to confuse him. Robin threw a Birdarang into the mix followed by Aqualad with a hydro attack that froze upon instant contact with Robin's weapon.

Kid Flash stopped next to the other two heroes. They had managed to build a confine for him.

"That's not going to hold him for long," Robin yelled back to us. Already we could see Alex punching away at the ice.

"We need to get Vanessa in there. Superboy, jump in and restrain him."

He jumped over the top of the frozen structure. We could vaguely see the struggle within the confines of the prison.

"Got him. He's not going anywhere."

An explosive Birdarang wedged itself in the ice. Moments later the whole structure collapsed revealing Alex in a Full Nelson.

"Now Vanessa," Aqualad instructed.

I tentatively walked over to my brother who was struggling to get free.

"Unhand me. You don't know what you're doing. You have to let me go."

He didn't even look the same. His eyes were wild, his clothes were ragged, hair untamed and matted, like he hadn't taken a bath since last he was at the cave, which was probably true. I could barely recognize this new Alex in front of me.

"Alex?" I softly asked.

He stopped struggling for a second and looked at me. Recognition made its way to his mind, and he began to relax a little.

"Vanessa? They told me you were dead. No, this is another hallucination just like all the other times."

He started struggling again.

"You're supposed to be calming him down, not riling him up." Superboy yelled.

I punched him in the arm to give him a sense of reality; we were not doing this again.

"Alex, it's me. I'm not dead. Whatever they fed you was a lie."

He looked at me intently, studying me. "It is? Sierra, she told me to keep believing. She told me they were lying. I couldn't. I told her I would but she… she… Aaaah!" He yelled out. He was looking at me but rambling to himself.

"What happened to Sierra?"

"Nothing! They made me do it. Vanessa you have to come back with me."

"Why would I do that? You come back with me and the Team."

He shook his head. "The Team, my heroes left me out to dry. I can't go with you, they won't let me. I did something. She's on my hands now. Always in my head, her last words. I can't go back, I can't. You, you can come with me. Help me. They're gonna take out everyone important; all of them. Every power. Stop them all. No survivors. I have to."

"Alex you're not making any sense. Just come with us. We can help you, I can help you. Come on."

"No! Vanessa I can't. You either come with me or I take you out with them."

We stared each other down. He was asking me to choose between family and freedom. I backed away. I couldn't go with him. I had seen what happened last time. If I had to fight then I would, but I couldn't go back. He wasn't Alex anymore. He was a minion of the Light.

"Fine then."

He started to glow and somehow maneuvered himself to throw Superboy off of him. He stood in a fighting stance as the previous fight scene was about to reignite.

"I never thought I'd see the day." The voice came from above us. I knew who it was without looking up.

B'rnazz landed next to Alex, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"He didn't even flinch in his reaction to your news Vanessa. He's one of us now. As for the rest of you, we have another engagement we rather not be late for."

I shot at him as they began to fly away. The others soon followed suit.

"I was trying to spare you pathetic worms, but it looks like you've forced my hand."

He whispered something to Alex, who nodded with understanding. He took one foot and clasped both hands as he threw himself to the ground. The ground under us began to crack in half. Robin, who had been intensely focused on the Martian, began to fall through the chasm. He latched onto the ledge as his best friend rushed to his aide. As he began pulling him out, Aqualad was flung in their direction, causing the three of them to be engulfed by the fissure.

The screaming alerted Miss Martian. She stopped her attack on B'rnazz. I engaged in combat with my brother, leaving Superboy to B'rnazz.

"And then there was one. I could easily destroy you," he taunted while walking circles above him. "But it would be so much more satisfying if you did it for me." He let out a sinister laugh that growled in his throat, making it even more evil. Superboy began to yell out.

I looked over to him as he clutched his head, looking as if he was going to strangle himself. Alex suckered punched me. I landed on my back as he jumped on top.

"So much for your heroes," spite laced his words. I pushed him off me and got back into a fighting stance.

"Alex don't make me do this."

"I told you I have to." He charged at me. I braced for his impact only to be blindsided from a totally different direction.

Superboy slammed me to the ground, stunning me. I still hadn't fully recovered from earlier causing me to feel everything and more. He stared me down before punching a hole next to my head. He then jumped away from me and began attacking his teammates.

Miss Martian had managed to free Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. Superboy came rampaging towards them, nearly knocking Aqualad and Miss Martian back into the gorge. Grabbing Robin by the cape, he used him as a projectile to the coming Kid Flash.

Superboy was destroying them. I ran over to help when I heard the engines taking off nearby. I turned back to see Alex and B'rnazz boarding their jet.

"Maybe next time Vanessa," the alien yelled out with a sneer.

As the aircraft pulled off, I heard the sound of rushing water.

A tsunami. It was coming and we were stuck in the splash zone.

I rushed over to the other heroes. Robin pulled out his shard of Kryptonite, subduing the raging Superboy.

"The tsunami. It's coming this way."

Aqualad went to immediate leader mode. "We need to get the civilians behind the volcano."

"The volcano on the other side of the island?" KF mocked.

"You four take the hostages."

"What about Superboy?" Miss Martian answered back.

He looked over at me. "Vanessa, take Superboy to the Bioship."

"Me?" I asked, astounded.

"The rest of you take the civilians behind the volcano. I will do my best to hold the tsunami back as long as I can. Go!"

I stared down at the unconscious Superboy. I lacked my brother's strength. The only way for me to get him to the Bioship was for him to help me.

I gave him a small shock to the thigh. He woke up violently, ready to pound me into a stain on the ground. He recognized me and calmed.

"What's going on?" he said as he clutched his head.

"I have to take you to the Bioship. Just follow me."

I grabbed his hand. He couldn't lean on me, I wasn't tall enough. We made our way to the ship. Superboy crashed in his chair and was out before I turned around. I made my way to the window.

The water was starting to come in waves. Aqualad looked to have everything under control, but I could tell he wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. The others were speeding the survivors to the other side of the island. Kid Flash running back and forth, Miss Martian levitating two or three shelters at a time, and Robin directing everyone. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do.

My thoughts drifted to Alex as I took a seat. He was really gone. But what was that gibberish he was rambling about?

I had completely lost touch with reality as I thought on it. I only tuned back in when I heard the hatch open. Robin and KF held Aqualad up and helped him to his seat. The ship began to raise off the ground.

"Where's Miss Martian?" I asked as we seemed to taking off without her.

"She's lifting us up to avoid the millions of tons of water threatening to crush us," Robin answered.

Shortly after we had become airborne Miss Martian joined us. She looked tired, but relieved. Superboy was still unconscious in his chair. Aqualad was recovering at his seat. Robin steered the ship. Kid Flash fidgeted in his chair.

"So now what?" he asked, clearly exasperated.

It stood silent for a moment. No one knew what to say.

"We find them and stop them, wherever they are." It was groggy, but Superboy had woken up in order to push it out. He had woken up, perturbed. "I owe that Martian trash the piece of my mind that he tried to use against me. And Robin, if you try that kryptonite again, I'll give you what I'm gonna give that deadbeat scumbag of a martian."

"We stop them now. By any means necessary. Put an end to it." I said after him.

Miss Martian looked over at me in surprise. I looked further out the window. I hated the situation I was in, but Alex had shown me his side. He wasn't changing. I just wanted this all to be over. The rambling he had shared with me earlier started going through my head again. What had he tried to tell me?

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THIRD PERSON POV

The Team landed in the Cargo Bay. Artemis waited for them at the bottom of the hatch as each member stepped down. Each worn out from the mission.

"I thought you were just getting the kid?"

"Turns out he didn't want to come with us." Robin answered.

"Took a page from his sister's book, did he?" Artemis spat at Vanessa as she came down the hatch.

The girl ignored the comment, clearly lost in her own mind, following blindly the teens in front of her.

"Well, it's just as well." She walked over to the TV switching it to the Breaking News.

The headline read, "Prime Minister of Japan Found Dead." A picture flashed beside it of the corpse lying on the floor next to its desk.

"I walked out the shower and found this on every station."

"When did this happen?" Kid Flash asked with great distress.

"About twenty minutes ago. Looks like Daddy Martian and Terror Twin number two strike again."

"But we were fighting them twenty minutes ago. This doesn't make any sense." Robin chimed, astounded.

"They said the door was locked with a security guard around it the entire time. They didn't see anyone in or out."

"Sounds Martian to me." Superboy responded.

"And B'rnazz did arrive after we began fighting." Aqualad added.

"But look at the blood all over the floor. If it was the martian, then it would've been a lot cleaner. I mean he can shift his density. He could've done that and it would've been less messy." Robin rebuttled.

"But more incriminating. We would've known it was him from the get go." KF remarked.

"What if it's the brat?" Artemis offered.

"He was fighting with us the whole time." Robin shot down.

"We could argue all day about our speculations. I say we just go check out the body and run our own autopsy." Kid Flash put in.

"He's right. KF and I will go check it out and tell you what's up." Robin volunteered.

"Agreed. You two go and report back your findings." Aqualad instructed.

The two rushed back to the Bioship.

As their footsteps died out, Artemis looked back to Vanessa. "You wouldn't have anything to do with this would you Vanessa?"

The girl looked up at the sound of her name. She paused, as if thinking on what to say as she began to seize. Her hands started twitching as her eyes started fluttering. She slid down the wall, head banging against it several times. Her body convulsing as she started sweating.

Everyone in the room rushed to her side, but she could only hear one person.

"Vanessa? Vanessa are you okay?" came the very concerned tone of Artemis.