Chapter Four

"BART!"

Jaime panicked as he found his eyes set on a fully clothed Bart. He sat on the floor of the running shower, head resting on his knees with his face down. Jaime walked over, noticing the lack of heat from the running water, realizing the shower was cold. Jaime quickly shut the water off, but his wrists were gripped hard as Bart scrambled to switch the water back on.

"No! I want to sit here! I want the cold!"

"Bart, stop it!" Jaime switched the water right back off as he pushed Bart against the wall. "Stop! Just stop!" Bart was trying his best to not cry but tears still ran down his face. "What is going on with you? First, Aster cries at the cafe in Gotham and now you're in the freezing cold shower! What in the world is-"

Jaime was cut off by the sudden tightness around his torso, Bart had wrapped his soaking self around Jaime, crying quietly but little sounds escaped him still. After a moment, Jaime hugged his friend back, hoping to comfort him. A little while later, Bart sat back up against the wall, allowing Jaime to grab a couple of towels from the cabinet behind them.

Wrapping one around Bart's shoulders, "So, are you going to finally tell me what's going on between you and Aster?"

Bart tugged the towel closer around his person before speaking, "It's complicated."

"Complicated? Try having her ripped from you just to find out she's poisonous at the touch. And while she lays in my room next door, sleeping, I'm sent in here to figure out what is going on with you and Aster. So, heck with complicated, Bart! Start talking! "

"Okay, okay! Geez...I don't need you moding on me too!" Bart sniffled as he wiped his eyes dry, not much use because of his wet hair. "After she came from the future, she was so...different."

"Different?" Jaime was surprised. Bart didn't seem to mind Aster, at least that's what he thought. Maybe not. "What do you mean?"

"Aster is afraid to even go near her piano." Bart sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Jaime was confused, yet finally realizing he knew almost nothing about Aster. "I didn't know Aster played any instruments."

"Yeah. She's a musical prodigy or something. She plays guitar, piano, and violin." Bart replied as he wiped his nose on his sleeve. "And after she returned, she had been having nightmares. She would never know I knew unless I told her. So when she said she wanted space, I obliged. But I never expected her to say I never loved her. That I never could if I knew what she really done in her time travel to the future."

"That's not right. You do love her...Don't you?"

Bart wiped his eyes, silent for a while, really thinking about the question Jaime had given him.

"I-I-I...I don't-No, Jaime…" Bart finally came out and said it. "I don't think I do. I don't know how to explain it, but I don't think I love her."

Ms. Martian's House

December 21, 1203

For a long time, Garfield only sat on the couch and never moved. After a while, M'Gann started to worry about her younger brother. It was almost Christmas and she couldn't stand to see Garfield so...unhappy. She'd seen this side of him before, after he lost his mother, and now he's fallen again because of his girlfriend. For the past few days, M'Gann had been trying to make her little brother smile-even a small one-but nothing was working.

"So, Gar, what do you have-"

"I just wanna sit here. Okay?"

M'Gann sat down next to him, and Garfield insistently laid his head on her knees. Brushing his hair gently, "Gar, please, at least talk to me?" M'Gann knew what a toll all of this was doing to Garfield. "I wish I knew how to help you."

Knock, knock, knock….

"Come in, Conner!" M'Gann called, not wanting to move from her brother.

Opening the door, Conner stepped inside with someone following him. It had been La'Gaan.

"Oh, La'Gaan, I didn't know you coming over. I thought Conner was coming alone."

"Uh, yeah, I wanted to see how Gar was doing. Where is he?" Obviously not seeing Garfield lying down.

"He's resting over here. He laid down on my lap." Garfield's hand went straight up in the air and waved. "Come on over and sit."

La'Gaan sat on the chair and Conner sat on the couch next to M'Gann so he wouldn't sit on Garfield. La'Gaan seemed upset about something himself, Conner finally realizing.

"What's with you, La'Gaan?"

He popped at this, "Remember when I broke my leg?"

"Yeah, right before I was taken by Black Manta. Why?" Megan questioned.

"Well, Mirabella came to visit me."

"So? Mirabella talked to everyone." Conner said.

"It was day after day, she would come to visit me. It was nice. Mirabella was a great person. For her to have been turned evil is...unthinkable."

"You liked her, didn't you?" Conner asked.

"Like a sister." La'Gaan replied.

Before anymore could have been said, Aqualad had alerted the three to return to the Watchtower.

Watchtower

December 21, 1302

"Recognized: Superboy-B-0-4, Lagoon Boy-B-1-8, Miss Martian-B-0-5"

"Aqualad, what was the-" Connor was interrupted as Lavender rolled across the floor, fighting with Mirabella.

"I've got her!" Lavender shouted as she pinned the younger girl to the floor.

"Let me go! I must finish my mission!" Mirabella shouted as she struggled to free herself.

"Mission for what? Being a young killer? What would your parents think?" Lavender shouted.

She was still yelling at Mirabella when Conner pulled her off. Lavender, noticing her sleeve had been pulled up, scrambled to be free. Finally free, Lavender appeared frightened. Before Superboy could ask, he noticed his hands turning a black shade as he felt the poison start to take over.

Looking up, "Lavender, what's-What's happening to me?"

"Connor!" M'Gann shouted, but was caught by Nightwing.

"It's poison, M'Gann. It could spread to you, too." Nightwing explained.

"I-I-I'm so sorry. That's why I hide. Why I have these sleeves, these gloves. I just wanted to stop her. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

"Recognized: Shadow Angel-B-2-7, Beast Boy-B-1-9"

Aster thought quickly as she ran over to Conner, now gasping for air on the ground as the black shade started to cover his body. Aster kneeled down next to him.

"Conner-Superboy! Superboy, you gotta look me. Okay? I learned this trick that can heal you, but it's gonna feel weird. Ready?" Conner nodded best he could before Aster engulfed Superboy with a light.

After a few moments, the light died and Superboy shot up, breathing deeply until he caught his breathe.

"Nice and easy, big guy. You'll be okay." Shadow Angel assured.

Nightwing released M'Gann before she raced over and hugged Conner tightly. Shadow Angel stepped back, Nightwing walking over to her.

"Nice work, Shadow Angel."

"Thanks, Nightwing." She giggled. "Now about Mirabella." Shadow watched as Mirabella tried to escape from underneath the teenaged Amazonian (Wondergirl). Once seemed so innocent, now must be rescued from a great enemy that they already thought gone.

Beast Boy watched as Mirabella growled and struggled but was unable to escape or transform. This made Garfield curious, Mirabella never had such a problem before. Why now?