I'll get this out of the way early: spoilers for Alienated (2.03).
I know, I know, what am I, picking up another fandom? Well, I am (and have been, for quite some time) a comic geek, through and through, and I've always had a soft spot for DC, mostly thanks to Batman. It's been a while since I've picked up something on the Cartoon Network (I used to watch JLA and JLU religiously, but Batman TBATB hardly at all) and really liked it.
And then I heard the concept of Young Justice and was immediately curious. I downloaded an episode on my laptop (I know, I'm so bad), and imagine my surprise when it turned out to be really, really good! I haven't been able to get away from it since, because the writing, the animation, the voice selection has simply been off the charts.
This week's episode was no less amazing, but the concept had me thinking. Jay Oliva and Kevin Hopps (director and writer, respectively) don't tend to leave stones unturned without reason, so I'm sure they'll touch upon this eventually, but… I wanted to give my spin first. :)
Again: Spoilers for Alienated.
$4$
We had time on our side
In the beginning, we
We had nothing to hide
In the beginning, you
You blamed me, but
It's not fair when you say that I didn't try
I just don't wanna hear it anymore
- "Let It Die," by Three Days Grace
When Tula dies, it is not only Kaldur that mourns. Now taking on the name Aquagirl, she has not been on the team for long, at least in relation to the original group. But this was a team founded on sidekicks and orphans and superheroic kids with basically nowhere else to go, and it didn't take much to be welcomed into the fold. It's an unspoken rule, but they are a family first, and a team second.
Her death is painful for everyone, made worse by the timing. Shortly after Dick graduated from Robin to Nightwing, Batman picked up another Robin. No one on the team was around when it happened, but Nightwing, Batgirl, and Batman were gone for an entire month, simultaneously mourning and prepping in Gotham. No one is invited to the funeral, but then again none of them even had the chance to meet Jason Todd.
Less than a year had gone by before they suffered their second loss. Tula had given up her life to protect them, to protect Kaldur and Lagoon Boy from an attack none of them could have predicted. It came so fast, so soon after… many of the team were sure that Nightwing and Batgirl wouldn't be able to handle a second funeral.
Megan plans ahead, for all of them, and with her and Black Canary leading every member of the team is given hours and hours of therapy in only a few minutes. It's not a permanent fix, but for the first time in nearly four years they all unanimously agree to continue counseling until they have been deemed fit for duty, no arguments necessary. Even Connor is too upset to put up a fight.
There are tears, so many tears. Artemis won't touch her bow, and she spends almost an entire week curled up on the couch in Wally's lap. Nightwing and Superboy have long conversations with one another, hushed tones that no one else can overhear, and if Miss Martian intuits any of their words, she isn't saying.
But it is Aqualad that takes it the worst. He lost Tula once, to his best friend Garth, and to lose her again, this time forever… Megan focuses all of her energy on him for the first three days. His thoughts and emotions are so violent, even if she didn't plan it this way she has to stay linked with him. He's that far lost, and she doesn't want to risk never being able to find him again.
After Megan gets him calm, he quickly goes from calm to catatonic. The League has been taking the brunt of the work, because no one on the team is in the right mind for battle. Aquaman has been preparing the required Atlantean funeral rituals, and though no one says it, they all know he has requested Kaldur's presence numerous times, only to be turned down.
Rocket sticks by his side like glue. They never got around to dating, though Megan tried to push that in the right direction in the form of some not-so-subtle double dates with her and Connor. Megan hopes that their closeness will help Kaldur grieve.
It does not.
Megan knows nothing of Atlantean funeral rituals, but neither does the rest of the team, but at least most of them have a memory or knowledge of Earth funerals, all except Connor. What they do know is that the service is beautiful, and the long, baleful notes the choir sings hang in the air long after the song is over. There is a dance, and then the sorcerer's get their turn.
Their breathing apparatuses do nothing to quell the tears.
When they come back to land, Megan thinks Kaldur has not come back with them, at least not mentally. She is afraid to admit this to anyone other than Connor, because she does not know or understand the consequences of what could happen if she does. They are all walking on such a thin, tight line.
Artemis walks in on Aqualad screaming at Rocket not two days later. They've all been waiting for his break, but there's no way she would have expected this to be so brutal. Rocket's in tears, and Artemis crosses the room and decks him before this can get worse. She isn't prepared when he strikes back, nearly loosening one of her molars. Before she can hit the ground, Wally has her in his arms and Superboy has Aqualad in a headlock.
Kaldur leaves. He does not come back for nearly three months. By that point, the damage has been done.
Kal, Aqualad, the leader of the team… is gone.
$4$
Ending's a little off, but I think this was a good place to stop. I have to get used to writing for new people, which can be a challenge.
I'm hoping to write something Connor/Megan, simply because they're two of my favorites.
Quick note—Jason Todd was the second of several Robins. I don't know if he'll be mentioned in YJ, but I'm really hopeful because that's a fascinating place to take it. Todd was murdered by the Joker, which hit Batman brutally hard and eventually led to Tim Drake (Robin #3, and the new one in YJ: Invasion) deciding to pick up the mantle.