MoP

Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue

Chapter 9: Rebellion, Part 5.

Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.

A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.

A/N: Thanks to Dragon97, 6f5e4d and the members of the Caer Azkaban group for their help on this chapter.

Mount Justice.
September 5, 19:12 EDT.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" asked Arrowette, concern heavy in her voice as the Team gathered in the Mission Room. "We don't have to head home right away."

"I am fine," Aqualad assured her. "And will soon return home myself."

This appeared to satisfy the archer and she followed Robin and Kid Flash into the Zeta Tube.

Once the trio has disappeared back to their homes, Aqualad turned to Conner and M'gann. "I am returning to Atlantis now and was wondering if you both would care to accompany me?"

"We'd love to!" declared M'gann, then backtracked. "I mean, I would…"

"I thought you just went," Conner observed.

"Yes," agreed Kaldur. "But I need… I want… to return more often."

"So why wait to ask until after the others took off?"

"I do not like to play games…" replied Aqualad. "But our friends would not do well with the extreme pressure at the bottom of the ocean."

That makes sense, I suppose, thought Conner.

"It seemed kinder not to make the offer in their presence."

Conner shrugged and turned towards the Zeta Tube. "Whatever, let's go."

"Actually, I thought we could take the scenic route," declared Aqualad and turned towards the hanger instead.

Shayeris.
September 6, 01:31 UTC -2.

"Welcome to my birthplace…" declared Aqualad as M'gann guided Bio-Ship through the depths towards a collection of undersea dwellings decorated in a rainbow of colours. "The Atlantean city-state of Shayeris."

"It's spectacular!" declared M'gann from the pilot's podium, and Conner felt his own smile as she rose to join them at the front of the craft.

"Are you shorter?" he asked.

"It's the pressure," M'gann replied. "Even Bio-Ship is smaller at this depth."

"I hope you experience no discomfort…?" asked Kaldur.

"I'm fine, honest!"

"Good. I've stocked the hold with more appropriate attire and re-breathers."

"None for me, thanks," M'gann declared, holding up her hand in a halting gesture. Then with a mental push, she dismissed her cloak, gloves and boots, and turned her long-sleeved bodysuit into a one-piece swimsuit.

"Gills," commented Conner as she added the detail. "Nice touch."

(This is my parents' home,) Kaldur told his team-mates as they swam out of Bio-Ship towards one of the nearest building, a pink-roofed building with green walls. (My home.)

"Kaldur, you look thin," declared a golden-haired woman in her mid-forties in a diaphanous skirt and top, and a multi-coloured beaded necklace in Atlantean.

"Mother, please," begged Aqualad, grasping her clasped hands in his own.

"Sha'lain'a," said a balding, black man in a pink-trimmed lilac bodyskin in the same language. "Let the boy breathe."

Aqualad broke away from his mother and moved back towards them. "My friends, these are my parents… Shai'lain'a and Calvin Durham. Mother, father... meet Superboy and Miss Martian."

"Please, call me M'gann."

"You speak Atlantean!" exclaimed Sha'lain'a.

"Not really," M'gann admitted. "But my psychic abilities enable me to translate and communicate."

"The G-Gnomes programmed me to speak Atlantean," Conner offered.

"I understand you," noted Sha'lain'a as she floated towards Conner and M'gann. "Yet I have no idea what that means…"

Father and son were floating away with Calvin Durham's arm slung over Aqualad's waterbearer pack, but they were still close enough for Conner's super-hearing to pick up Calvin Durham asking whether Aqualad planned to visit Poseidonis.

"First thing in the morning," Aqualad replied.

"Then be careful," warned the older man. "There are rumours that trouble brews in the capital."

Poseidonis.
September 6, 08:06 UTC -2.

"Kaldur, it is an honour to finally meet your friends and teammates," replied Queen Mera, a slender young woman with an angular face, green eyes and long red ponytail wearing green halter-neck bikini top, a matching pareo and collar, and partially draped in pale green veils, as she rose from her throne.

"The honour is ours, Queen Mera," M'gann replied. "I lived on Mars my whole life without ever meeting a member of the royal family!"

"There is a certain wisdom in inaccessibility…" noted a harsh voice from off to the side. "… When the queen carriers the heir to the throne."

"Allow me to introduce Prince Orm," said the queen, with a slight edge to her own tone. "My over-protective brother-in-law."

"How can I be anything else while my brother is off playing Aquaman," replied the prince, who wore a similar sleeveless bodyskin to Kaldur and Superboy, but accessorised with a gold belt, gauntlets and greaves.

"King Orin's work with the Justice League is anything but a game, my prince," Kaldur declared, his tone balanced between respect and censure.

"Of course," agreed Prince Orm as he moved into Aqualad's personal space and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am glad you and your fellow champions are here, Kaldur'ahm…. There have been reports of unrest originating at the Conservatory of Sorcery."

Aqualad immediately agreed to investigate, and the group headed out of the palace.

19:16 UTC -2.

"M'gann M'orzz, Conner Kent, these are some of my former classmates…" said Aqualad. "Ronal… Blubber… Lori Lemaris… La'gann… and Nanaue Sha'ark."

"That's King Sha'ark, chum," noted the strangest looking member of the quintet, a shark-headed humanoid who floated with his arms crossed. "And don't you forget it!"

"You're all so different!" exclaimed M'gann.

Conner agreed, two were basically human – if you discounted Lori Lemaris' fishtail – but Blubber strongly resembled a sperm whale, and La'gann had fish or amphibious traits, and Sha'ark was aptly named.

"Millennia ago, Atlanteans were all surface-dwelling humans, until the continent sank…" explained Aqualad. By necessity, our ancestors used science and sorcery to adapt to life beneath the waves. Since then, the populace of each city-state has evolved along its own course. Now, Atlantis is a continent of diversity and our capital, Poseidonis, is the most diverse of all… while the conservatory draws the best and the brightest from throughout Atlantis."

"It's wonderful!" exclaimed La'gann as he swam towards them. "My world could take lessons… should take lessons. Are you two typical of the surface?"

"Not exactly…" admitted Conner and turned his gaze to follow M'gann as she swam towards Lori Lemaris.

"I've always loved mermaids!" she exclaimed, as she turned her swimsuit into a skirted tunic and merged her legs into a fishtail of her own. "What do you think?"

"I am… flattered?" replied Lori Lemaris, although her strained smile didn't exactly agree.

(Now, you're just showing off,) Conner told her with a grin. (I like it.)

"Well, this has been… charming…" declared Ronal and began swim off. "… But I should go."

"What's the matter, chum?" sneered Sha'ark. "Feeling outnumbered?"

"So, what's it really like on the surface?" asked La'gann.

"Other than drier?" added Blubber somewhat unnecessarily.

"And tastier," said Sha'ark as he loomed over Conner. "Know what I mean, chum?"

"Kaldur!" exclaimed a new voice.

Aqualad turned his focus toward the newcomers, a dark-haired boy in teal and black and a red-haired girl in a green skirt and a yellow crop top who swam towards them holding hands. "M'gann, Conner… these are my dearest friends, Tula and Garth."

"You are both welcome in Atlantis…" declared Garth.

"And any friend of Kaldur's is a friend of ours!" added Tula.

(So that's why he brought us…) observed M'gann.

(What do you mean?) Conner asked.

(Kaldur's in love with Tula. It radiates off him in waves… But she's with Garth and Kaldur couldn't bear to face them alone…)

Any response that Conner could have made to that was cut-off when their attention was drawn back to Aqualad, who had approached a short, squid-headed youth and was trying to draw him back towards their group.

In the course of the struggle, the younger boy's shirt came open and exposed a series of glowing markings burned into his chest.

"Topo!" exclaimed Aqualad, in probably the first sign of anger that Conner had witnessed. "Who did this to you?!"

"This doesn't concern you, Kaldur'ahm," Lori Lemaris told him as she drew the injured Topo away from him, accompanied by Blubber and La'gann.

"Ah, Squidboy's chum," declared Sha'ark, as he swam away in another direction. "And chum gets what it deserves… swallowed."

"And couldn't read those markings…?" Conner asked.

"They are ancient Atlantean runes…" replied Tula.

"Spelling what?" asked Conner.

"'Impure'."

19:27 UTC -2.

"Speak to me of Topo…" said Aqualad as the group swam away from their original meeting place.

"He was a victim of the Purists…" replied Garth, slowing to a stop. "They consider themselves the direct descendants of the original Atlanteans…"

"And attempt to scare anyone they consider impure into leaving Poseidonis," added Tula.

"What qualifies as impure?" Conner asked. "You all breathe water."

"Tula and I appear human," explained Garth. "And thus are considered pure…"

"But my visible gills render me impure," declared Aqualad, looking down, disturbed.

"But only by the most rigid and ridiculous standards!" exclaimed Tula.

"But I was just here," said Aqualad. "And there was no word of this…?"

"The old prejudices have always lurked under the surface, Kaldur…" Tula reminded him.

"But the clash between skin and scales, flesh and fins has escalated rapidly and seemingly without cause into violence and intimidation recently," admitted Garth.

"Let go of me!" screamed a familiar voice.

The group headed towards the sound, and Conner wasn't surprised to see Ronal, the familiar voice, being held by Sha'ark, who was menacing him.

"We know you are Purists!" Lori Lemaris told the group of three strangers who appeared to be backing Ronal.

"You can't hide behind your robes and hoods!" declared La'gann, who floated at her side.

"Do we appear to hide, barbarian?!" demanded the sole female of the group, a sharp-featured, black-haired girl.

"Your kind already infects Tritonis, Nanauve, Neptunos, Lemuria, Shayeris…" declared a dark-skinned boy with long black hair.

"Even Crastinus!" declared the fourth member of their group, a dark-skinned boy with a partially shaved head who carried a spiked mace.

"Sha'ark! What are you doing?!" demanded Aqualad as he led their group into the fray.

"Preparing supper."

"You will let him go!" insisted M'gann, and then psychically enforced the directive.

"Careful, Earther!" snarled Sha'ark, clearly annoyed. "Come between a shark and his meal, and you become the meal!"

Conner quickly moved to block his way. "Try me instead. You'll break your teeth… chum."

"Who started this?!"

"They did?!" insisted both Lori Lemaris and Ronal simultaneously.

"My friends and I were minding our own business when the fish-heads attacked us!" insisted Ronal.

"And what was Topo doing when you and your friends attacked him?!" countered Lori Lemaris.

"Please, leave me out of this…" begged Topo, clearly still distressed.

"You cannot know that was us!" claimed Ronal.

"But if your kind like not your treatment here, you are welcome to leave Poseidonis!" declared the girl.

"This is not your concern, Earther," claimed Sha'ark as Conner moved to confront the group.

"But it is ours," stated Aqualad as he, Garth and Tula approached the groups with his waterbearers drawn and their magical tattoos glowing with power.

"C'mon, chum," said Sha'ark as he grasped the shoulders of the clearly terrified Tupo. "Let's swim."

Taking Sha'ark's lead, both groups went their separate ways, leaving the three Team members, Garth and Tula alone.

September 6, 23:50 UTC -2.

(Conner, M'gann… perhaps you'd prefer to sleep in Bio-Ship rather than in these pods?) Aqualad asks his two friends as they settled into the Atlantean sleeping pods in the palace dorms.

(I'd be fine,) Conner replied. (If you'd just stop calling them 'pods'.)

(I prefer this, Kaldur,) admitted M'gann. (It reminds me of back in the womb.)

Conner had just begun to drift off, when a shout of alarm brought him back to full wakefulness. (What's wrong?)

(The queen is in trouble,) Kaldur replied. (The Purists are attacking her.)

M'gann's eyes glowed. (She's in her quarters.)

Aqualad lunged out of his pod and grabbed his waterbearers. (I know where that is… Follow me!)

(Right behind you!) agreed Conner.

When the three heroes reached the entrance of the royal apartments, they saw Ocean Master and a squad of robed and hooded followers leaving through the main entrance. One of the glowing-eyed terrorists carried the unconscious queen in their arms.

"Hold, traitors!" demanded Aqualad, drawing his waterbearers and charging his tattoos.

Ocean Master motioned three of his followers to intercept the Team, but the three teens took them down easily and continued to close the gap with the other group.

"Release Queen Mera!" Aqualad demanded. "Unhand her!"

"DELAY THEM!" Ocean Master ordered most of his remaining followers, who obeyed and turned towards the Team, leaving only the one carrying the queen with the rebel. But unlike their more impulsive associates, the second group didn't close with the Team and so they were free to return to his side once they cleared the palace. "You know where to take her."

"You will not take her anywhere!" claimed Aqualad.

The Purist nodded and the group sped off, leaving their leader to face the Team.

"So now the fish head issues commands?" sneered Ocean-Master. "A little time among royalty, and he believes himself royal as well…"

Conner glanced at his leader and wasn't surprised to see a grimace on the older boy's face.

"But proximity does not create majesty, Fish-Head," continued the villain. "Nor wisdom apparently… the royal palace has spells in place, allowing only the use of of defensive magic…"

Before they could react, Ocean Master raised his trident and unleashed three massive bolts of electricity that struck the three teens hard.

"But outside the palace is quite a different story…" he declared as they drifted into unconsciousness.

September 7, 00:41 UTC -2.

"I have sent word to King Orin…" reported Prince Orm, as he, the Team and his lieutenant, Danuuth, gathered around the palace's map table. "But 'Aquaman' is on a mission with the Justice League and cannot be reached. So it is up to us to save our queen."

"And the heir she carries," Aqualad added.

"Of course," agreed the prince. "Now, my sources inform me of two possible Purist strongholds, but as members of the Royal Guard may have been complicit in the abduction… I will investigate one location with the few guards I trust implicitly… while you and your surface friends investigate the other."

"Agreed," said Aqualad and the teens moved off. But he paused just as Conner was about to pass out of the nearest portal. "But swim carefully, Prince Orm. Ocean-Master is formidable and dangerous!"

As Aqualad left, Conner was just able to make out the prince's reply.

Old Roman's Trench.
01:31 UTC-2.

"According to the prince, one of the Purist strongholds is deep within this trench," Aqualad reminded his team-mates as they swam inside with the Atlantean in the lead, then Conner, and with M'gann bringing up the rear. "So, stay alert!"

His words were prophetic almost immediately as a massive boulder thundered down the sides of the trench and they were also struck.

"Ambush!" declared Aqualad, looking upward. The other teens followed his gaze and they saw a large group of Purists ranged along the edge of the Trench, who immediately launched a wave of magical attacks, knocking them to the ground and pinning them down, writhing in pain.

However, their distress didn't last long as Aqualad's school friends attacked them from behind, taking half of them down in the first two volleys.

"Let's that that hood off…" snarled Sha'ark, as he gripped a dazed cultist by the front of the smaller Atlantean's robes. "The tasty way."

"Sha'ark, no!" declared Lori Lemaris as she knocked the Purist out of his hands with a blow of her tail, who immediately tried to flee, but was intercepted and taken down by the Team as they swam out of the Trench.

"Lemaris, don't ever try that again," snarled Sha'ark. "Unless you truly want to be my chum!"

"Uh, you have something… stuck in your teeth…" stammer Lori Lemaris, clearly a little shocked.

"Victory is at hand!" declared Garth.

"And then we feast!" added Sha'ark.

"No, we do not!" argued Lori Lemaris, recovering her equilibrium quickly in the face of a renewed threat to someone else, even an enemy.

"Lemaris, you really are a…" Sha'ark began, but was cut-off by a cry of pain.

The mermaid herself groaned as a wave of darkness hit her.

"Suddenly, so weak…" groaned Aqualad, also in the grips of the contagion.

"Finish off the fish-heads, the race-traitors and the earther!" ordered one of the Purists.

"I'm not an Earther!" declared Conner, who was unaffected by the contagion and lashed out the nearest cultist, knocking him down. "I'm Kryptonian!"

"Shall we begin with the so-called 'king' of Nauauve?" asked another cultist, ignoring Conner and brandishing a water-bearer over the fallen shark-man.

"Do your worst…" retorted Sha'ark, weakly. "Soon… my people… will feast… on all of Poseidonis…"

But before the fatal blow could land, he was enveloped in a thick, inky-black cloud that hid him from view.

"What sorcery is this?!" exclaimed the knife-man.

"That… is not… sorcery…" replied Aqualad, weakly. "It is… Topo!"

"Where is he?!" demanded the knife-man as he flailed around in the cloud.

"No… chum… never rescues… Sha'ark…"

"Quiet," whispered Topo as he dragged the larger teen to safety. "He will hear you… Besides, I'm too weak… to argue… let alone… fight…"

"We may only have won a reprieve," suggested Tula, "I can see nothing and cannot take advantage of this…"

"That's okay… I can," Conner assured her, and then shifted his vision into infra-red, revealing the field of battle again. Then he struck, lashing out at the Purists in a series of brutally efficient strikes that left them all insensate by the time that Topo's ink-cloud cleared, and the rest of the group could see.

"Conner has won the battle!" Tula exclaimed happily.

"But we are… losing… the war… unless…" Aqualad countered, still weak from Ocean-Master's contagion. (M'gann… are you still in range?)

(I'm here, Kaldur…) replied M'gann. (I'm following the Purist we allowed to escape, as planned. Sending you a mental image of the location now.)

(Yes, I see it,) Aqualad confirmed. (S'atiroman Cave. Wait for us.)

M'gann agreed, and Aqualad turned his attention back to the group at the Trench. "Topo, Sha'ark, La'gann and Blubber are in no condition for battle…"

"Neither are you and Lori," argued Tula. "Leave this to Conner, Garth, M'gann and I…"

"No Tula," countered Aqualad. "Ocean-Master is too dangerous, and his Purists too great in number."

"Besides, if we 'fish-heads' fight not our own battles…" added Lori Lemaris. "It becomes but a new excuse for the Purist's contempt."

S'artiroman Cave.
01:47 UTC-2.

"Fortunately, I know how to deal with Martians!" declared Ocean-Master as Kaldur's group caught up with. "They cannot take the heat!"

M'gann screamed in pain as a bubble of water around her began to boil.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Conner.

"And the Kryptonian surfacer too," mused Ocean-Master. "So powerful and yet so vulnerable!"

Before Conner could act, Ocean-Master struck out, and a beam of mystic energy shattered Conner's rebreather.

(Can't breathe…)

"You cannot fight us all, villain!" declared Tula.

"Are you sure about that, child?!" countered Ocean-Master and unleashed a massive wave of mystic energy that knocked them away.

(Hold on, Conner!) said M'gann, swimming towards him and pulling him close so that she could breathe for him.

"The key you see…" mused Ocean-Master as he launched another attack. "Is to target your weakest opponents first… such as those already suffering from my mystic attack on the impure… forcing even those unaffected into heroics!"

"We will see whose actions are futile!" declared Garth. "I summon the power of the TEMPEST!"

The massive water funnel crashed into the terrorist, briefly causing him to lose hold of his weapon. "Oh, so close, child!" he sneered. "but the Ocean-Master is not thus easily defeated!"

"Perhaps not," agreed Kaldur, drawing the man's attention to him and the forces arranged around him.

Including the queen.

Who was not amused.

"But your spells are broken… and without Queen Mera's power, you cannot stand against us all!"

"I recover rapidly, miscreant," declared the queen. "Would you risk my full wrath?"

"No, I suppose not," admitted Ocean-Master. "Not this day…" He swept his trident in a arc of mystical energy and then began to disappear. "But soon… soon…"

Poseidonis.
September 7, 07:01 UTC -2.

"Once again, Atlantis and its king owe you a great debt, Kaldur'ahm," Orin declared.

"And rest assured, I will deal with the traitorous 'sources' that led us both into ambush," promised Prince Orin.

"Thank you both," replied Aqualad. "We should return to the surface world… for these two begin Earth high school this very morning."

Mount Justice.
September 7, 06:16 EST.

Bio-Ship flew slowly in through the external doors of the hanger and drifted down to a landing. Red Tornado was waiting for them. "Good morning, Team," he said as the trio exited the aircraft. "Aqualad, there are reports on Arrowette, Kid Flash and Robin's activities in your absence available for your review and comment at your convenience."

"I shall do so immediately," Aqualad agreed and headed to the tunnel leading towards the Mission Room.

"I'll go and make us some lunches," offered M'gann and headed towards the kitchen.

Red Tornado turned to Conner, taking in the Atlantean bodyskin that he was still wearing. "You should change before school."

The clone nodded. "How long do I have?"

"I would suggest that you are ready to leave within ninety minutes."

"I can manage that," Conner agreed with another nod.

September 7, 06:41 EST.

Superboy walked back into the hanger area, now wearing his usual combat trousers, boots and the Wildcat Boxing Gym shirt that he'd picked up after his fight in Gotham.

Aqualad, Black Canary, Red Tornado and the two Martians were waiting for him, Black Canary smiled at his choice of shirt.

"The first day of the scholastic season carries great cultural resonance," explained Martian Manhunter. "We wanted to wish you both well."

"Guess it's not a Kryptonian thing…" Superboy observed.

"Superman sends his apologises," Black Canary replied. "He, Hawkwoman and Zatara are tied up helping with typhoon relief down in Guam."

Conner paused to consider that, then nodded somewhat mollified. He turned to M'gann who wore a pink version of her usual casual outfit and the Caucasian skin tone she'd used during the Adams investigation. "Let's go."

Happy Harbor High School.
07:53 EST.

A student on a skateboard weaved between the various groups of students until he nearly collided with Conner. "Aah!" he exclaimed, as his skateboard clattered to the ground. "Hey!"

Conner grabbed him by the jacket collar and held him off the ground.

"Ugh… " stuttered the skateboarder, then he glanced down. "Whoa!"

Conner lifted him up a little higher, bringing the logo near his eye level. He scowled at it, confused.

"What's your problem?" asked a deep voice.

Conner turned and saw a heavily-built black boy standing with a petite black girl in a cheerleader uniform. Both the speaker and another boy wore Superman t-shirts and another boy worn one in Green Lantern colours.

"Put my man Marvin down," demanded the other boy menacingly.

"Uh, I don't think he likes my shirt…" Marvin offers, clearly confused and a little frightened by what is going on.

Conner looked around, and after spotting two more 'hero shirts' – a Flash one and a modified Batman one – he realised that he had overreacted, took a couple of deep breathes to relax and sighed. "Your shirt's fine… Marvin…" he assured his 'victim' and lowered him gently to the ground. "Everyone's shirt is fine."

"What was that about?" asked Marvin, clearly confused but less nervous now.

"Someone's fine," mused the black girl sarcastically.

M'gann moved next to Conner and then spoke up. "Hi, we're new… I'm Megan Morse, and this is Conner Kent."

"Double alliteration," Marvin commented. "I like it…"

The muscular black boy walked towards Conner, and they sized each other up… but the moment was broken by the sound of a finger snap. "Okay… time to get to home room, gang," the shaggy-haired brunette man informed them sternly.

The students began to move inside, Conner was shoulder-checked by the black boy on his way in.

Conner glared and turned to follow him, but M'gann moved in front of him to block his way and physically cautioned him. He grumbled a little, but remained where he was, his eyes still on his antagonist.

"Hi, I'm Wendy," declared a raven-haired girl who'd been standing behind them.

M'gann and Conner turned to face her and Marvin. "I was new last year, so I know how hard it is to fit in," explained Wendy. "But you look like instant Bumblebee material to me."

Seeing the new arrivals were confused, she elaborated. "Cheerleaders… the Bumblebees. Try-outs are after school."

M'gann now understanding, gasped in delight and smiled. "Thanks, I'll be there."

She and Wendy head inside, deep in conversation.

Conner moved to follow them, but Marvin stopped him with a hand across his chest. "Dude… facing down Mal Duncan? Fierce… Not too bright, but fierce."

The bell rang before Conner could comment.

Civics Classroom.
08:16.

"If Lex Luthor's unknown strategy for peace fails…" Cat Grant tells the camera. "… The two Rhelasias are looking at all-out war before morning."

The teacher – the same man who'd broken up the potential fight a few moments earlier – turned off the television and turned to his class. "Who can tell me more about Rhelasia?"

When no-one spoke up, he glanced over them, noticing that Marvin appeared to be dozing. "Marvin?"

"Huh?!" The boy yelps as he is shocked out of his doze. He quickly tried to cover. "Well, um… Mr Carr…. It's better than Fakeasia?"

This got a chuckle from the class.

Mr Carr sighed. "Anyone else?"

"Modern Rhelasia was created in eighteen fifty-five," Conner stated in his usual 'genomorph learning' tone. "And ruled by the Bokun Dynasty, until it was divided by the Great Powers into North and South Rhelasia after World War II."

Despite the flat, unenthusiastic delivery, this drew a smile from the teacher. "Very good."

"But why are they fighting?" Conner asked. "They're all humans… I mean, Rhelasians… right?"

"Right on both counts, actually," Mr Carr agreed in a slightly resigned tone.

(It's no different on Mars,) M'gann commented, startling Conner. (The A'ashenn minority are treated as second-class citizens by the B'lahdeen and G'arrunn. Of course… I'm G'arunn… but that doesn't make it right.)

Conner looked down for a moment, considering the point, but then returned his attention to the board.

Sports Track.
16:16 EDT.

Conner is in the stands, watching M'gann as she stands with a group of uniformed cheerleaders for her tryout.

"Okay, Megan, you're up," Wendy announces with a smile.

M'gann nods and launches into the routine that she'd been shown, chanting as she moved. "Float like a butterfly… sting like a bee… Hornets, Hornets, can't be beat… Bzz-ting! "Ow!"

Wendy and two of the other cheerleaders – the black girl from earlier and a sharp-faced Asian girl moved into a huddle and talked quietly for a few moments.

M'gann stands waiting nervously until the little group breaks up and the other two walk away, leaving M'gann and Wendy alone.

"How'd I do?" M'gann asked, clearly worried and almost curling in on herself.

"I thought you did great," Wendy assured her a small smile. "And I'm really sorry about this…"

Before M'gann can ask what she's sorry about, the other two girls crept up on her from behind and dumped a tub of water over her head.

At M'gann's yelp, Conner snarled and stood up, taking two chunks from the bench in his clenched fists.

Sensing his anger, M'gann turned. "Conner, no!"

He stopped instantly, but his balance was off, and he stumbled down the stands and crashed into the ground.

"Sorry," said Wendy, her regret clear in her voice. "It's a stupid initiation ritual that I wish my teammates would abandon…"

"Wait… initiation ritual?" repeated M'gann, trying to process the older girl's words. "Hello, Megan! That means I made the team… um, I did, right?"

"You're a Bumblebee, girl," confirmed the black cheerleader.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," chanted M'gann, jumped a little in excitement and then hugged Wendy, and most of the other girls joined in a breath later.

The black girl was the only one who didn't. She was eyeing Conner, who was still sprawled on the grass. "So, is that your boyfriend?" she asked M'gann. "Because he's hot, but kind of a freak…"

M'gann didn't comment, and the group dispersed as Conner got to his feet and walked over to M'gann. He offered her jacket, which she accepted, draping it over her shoulders, and then watched as he bent down to pick up the books that she'd left on the seats during her try-out. "You're carrying my books?" she asked, surprised.

Conner shrugged. "What, you want them to get wet?"

M'gann paused for a moment, then smiled brightly.