This chapter came out a little later than planned for two reasons. One, after a great deal of inner debate (seriously, I've been trying to come to a decision for months) I've decided to scrap my original planned ending for Fight or Flight at season two and continue on with Outsiders. I outlined most of the story when season three of Young Justice was a pipe dream and that has... obviously changed. I kept switching between "Oh, I'll just end it like I intended and do oneshots" and "Maybe I'll do the rest of the series as a kind of 'what if' spin-off story if the readers really want it." But I don't think that ending at season two is what I want to do anymore. So good news, Fight or Flight isn't ending anytime soon (not that it was anyway, considering how long it's taken me to get through season one). You may have seen that I went back and edited a chapter that had Mister Miracle in it, and while I was working on this chapter I was also heavily editing my outline and making plans.
Two, this chapter is a hell of an emotional roller coaster, so... get a blanket, make sure you're comfortable, maybe get something hot to drink because hoo boy these next couple of chapters are going to be rough.
"Okay, I am going to be one hundred percent completely transparent here... Is everyone else as nervous as I am?" Kid Flash broke the uneasy silence that had settled over the Team as they waited patiently in the lounge. While Martian Manhunter and Batman set up preparations for their 'exam' of sorts, they had all been temporarily banished from the Hub along with Captain Marvel. For once, M'Gann wasn't flitting around in the kitchen preparing another concoction, mostly because there wasn't any time for it.
Hawkgirl opened her mouth to answer, only to be immediately cut off by the speedster. "Yes yes, we know, you feel no fear and you've probably been planning out life or death contingencies since you first developed self-aware thought."
She shot him a slight glare, letting this one slide purely because of his self-proclaimed anxiety. "I was going to say that feeling nervous is perfectly normal, considering the circumstances."
"I agree with Hawkgirl." Kaldur spoke up. "The simulation is going to be replicating a severity of situation we have never dealt with, and hopefully never will. The League just wants assurance that we can handle ourselves in the event of..."
"Worst case scenario." It was Robin who finished the thought, not able to muster his usual cheer.
"Well I'm sure you're all going to do great!" Captain Marvel's usual endless optimism managed to eke out at least a little of the tension, but there was no amount of encouraging words he could say that could calm them completely down.
A soft clear of a throat drew their attention towards the mouth of the hallway, where a visibly solemn Martian Manhunter stood before them. "We are ready to begin."
H
MOUNT JUSTICE
OCTOBER 16TH, 2010
16:01 EDT
Despite every part of her that knew 'this isn't real' 'this is fake' 'this is a test', there was still a part of Hawkgirl that broke at the sight of Hal Jordan being disintegrated before her very eyes. Of course, it wasn't anywhere near easy to see John Stewart and Batman meet the same fate, but this was her Uncle Hal. With every fiber of willpower she had, she pushed that stray thought down as far deep as it could go, knowing that dwelling upon this thought would only make the illusory pain to come so much more difficult to bear.
Everyone on the Team stood in silence, waiting behind Red Tornado as a new view-screen popped into existence, replacing the live footage from space.
They were greeted with the face of Zatara, voice slightly tinny through the connection. "Tornado, did you-?"
"Yes, Zatara, we saw." Tornado confirmed. "Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures."
"Affirmative. See you in the field." The screen blinked out of existence, wasting no time on pointless platitudes.
Red Tornado addressed the gathered members of the Team. "I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs, but should we fail... the responsibility falls to you."
Sweeping a glance over his teammates, Kaldur offered the smallest of nods. "We stand ready."
Shortly after the android had teleported out of the Cave via the zeta system, multiple screens had popped up in front of them, displaying footage from around the world, all places where smaller teams of the League had been deployed. The most prominent one was a live broadcast from downtown Central City courtesy of GBS news.
"This is Iris-West Allen reporting live. The extraterrestrials have brought their relentless global attack to Central City." Scarcely had she begun her report before a group of citizens mere meters behind Irish were disintegrated. The reporter was narrowly rescued by a second beam by the Flash, who zipped her out of frame in the blink of an eye. An explosion rocked the camera, the smoke clearing to reveal the ship bearing down on the helpless cameraman. An eerie chant echoed without visible source, and a strange matrix of golden energy manifested in front of the camera, before the scenery changed to that of a nearby rooftop. The Flash appeared with Iris in tow.
"You should both be safe here." Zatara affirmed, now in view of the feed. "At least... for now."
Iris turned to her savior. "Thank you, Flash. And Zatara."
The speedster put a hand on her shoulder for a second, before sprinting off once more. Zatara muttered a new incantation, manifesting a circular glyph under his feet that bore him aloft and carried him back towards the fray.
"Danny, you okay?" Iris waited until the cameraman flashed a thumbs up to continue. "As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to hold the line." Mere seconds after the camera zoomed towards the two Leaguers, both were hit by a beam, turning their bodies into dust. "No..."
The network switched feeds back to the main desk just as a ship began looming behind Iris West-Allen. The blonde female anchor jerked herself to her feet. "Iris, Iris get out of there!" She shrieked, but it was too late. The feed cut out completely, turning to static and flashing the words 'no signal' in bold white lettering. Sitting back down slowly, the anchorwoman was clearly holding back tears. "I'm sorry, we're experiencing technical difficulties from your Central City feed... We take you now to a devastated Taipei."
The station cut to the live broadcast in question just as Hawkwoman and Hawkman were taken out in quick succession. Internally, Hawkgirl thought it was nice of J'onn to have the simulated versions of her parents dying together in battle, their ideal way to go. Green Arrow and Black Canary took out three ships with their combined efforts, only to be evaporated a heartbeat later.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Hawks." The anchorwoman said in a low tone, overwhelmed with the situation but doing her best to remain calm. "Other heroes reported dead or missing include Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman."
A secondary screen not currently running a news station displayed live footage from near Smallville, where Wonder Woman and Red Tornado fight in the skies. The powerful Amazonian went down first, but not after taking down a good number of ships with only her bare hands and her golden lasso.
That was when the intercom system for the Cave crackled to life. "Red Tornado to Cave, I fear I am all that remains of the League." Scarcely had the warning left him before he too, was gone.
"RT!" Robin shouted, only to be met with silence.
"We are Earth's heroes now." Aqualad spoke up, signaling the real start of the simulation.
"So what are we waiting for?" Superboy demanded. "A theme song?"
"A strategy." He corrected firmly. "Earth's weapons are ineffective. And it has been made tragically clear that a direct attack will not succeed."
Turning his attention back to his active hologlove, Robin started manipulating the screen. "Checking satellite imagery." A massive digital globe burst into life in the middle of the room for them all to see, visible red patches marring the cool blue surface. "Here's where the aliens are now."
Superboy's hand jerked up to point at a specific location near the North Pole. "This one get lost?"
"Is that what I think it is?" Hawkgirl's unseen brow furrowed.
"That's Superman's Fortress of Solitude!" Robin confirmed.
"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?!" For a moment, the sheer level of shock from Conner's tone drew Ski'Lira out of the situation at hand. She honestly had no idea he hadn't known, considering it was pretty common knowledge in the hero community.
"It's power source must have attracted the alien's attention." Judging by the look Dick shot her, he didn't have a clue either and was equally baffled exactly how to address it. "At least enough to send a scout ship to investigate."
"Must be some fortress..." Superboy mumbled, turning away.
The action prompted M'Gann to reach out and grab his shoulder. "Conner..."
"It's okay." He insisted, more by reflex than anything else, not that anyone present believed him anyway. "Guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know, eh, you know... now."
"We will target this lone ship." Aqualad interrupted, bringing things back on track. It was a specialty of his at this point, considering how often he had to do it. Though the others probably listened to him quickly, because they knew if he went ignored it would be Ski'Lira who would try next, and she was a lot less kind about it when the fate of a mission was at stake.
"Yeah!" Slamming his fist into his open palm, Kid Flash was practically vibrating with excitement, no doubt mere seconds away from literally vibrating with excitement. "Break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo!"
That earned him a harsh elbow jab to the ribs from Artemis. "Martian, Kryptonian, and Thanagarian in the house?" She hissed, pointedly jerking her head in their direction.
Kid Flash realized his error very quickly, seeing Conner and M'Gann staring at him, then glancing over to Hawkgirl's newly bared teeth, an expression that never meant good things for him. Before Hawkgirl added a growl on top of the hostile visage he verbally backpedaled. "Uh... heh... Not that all aliens are automatically ugly..."
H
SUPERMAN'S FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
THE ARCTIC
Hawkgirl hated her 'cold weather' gear with a burning passion. Much like several other members of the team (namely Aqualad and Conner), she had a higher tolerance for more extreme temperatures, however her uniform of red and gold stood out like a beacon on the frosty landscape. She was able to get away with a lack of 'stealth' gear on night missions thanks to the naturally dark colors of her wings and uniform, and had enough training to avoid letting enemies catch a glimpse of her golden armor. Here, that advantage made absolutely zero difference.
Hence, why she had a long-sleeved grey and white coat zipped up tightly over her armor, a deep hood pulled down around her helmet. Her usual pants and metal boots were swapped out for a light pair of looser fitting pants, paired with the combat boots she'd used on the escort mission for the pieces AMAZO. There was nothing she could do for her wings, but as long as she stayed above cloud cover while in the sky and kept them pulled in tight while on the ground, she blended in about as well as the others did.
The exception being Miss Martian, who could literally turn herself invisible.
In direct contrast to their efforts to be as stealthy as possible, the scout ship they'd isolated was hovering out in the open directly in front of the doorway to the Fortress of Solitude. Its stationary post made it easy for them to take up positions all around her. Hawkgirl herself was hiding behind a mountain peak, the toes of her boots dug firmly into the ice and her body in a readied crouch, waiting for the signal to drop out of hiding.
Artemis was the last one to slide into position, taking cover behind a high ridge of ice as close to the ship as she could manage. Now that everyone was (relatively) safely in place, Miss Martian crept up behind the ship, fully cloaked.
"Communications disabled." She announced as part of the ship exploded seemingly of its own volition, though they all knew it was the Martian's telekinesis at work. "Propulsion disabled." The ship dropped down onto the ice, spraying shards of ice everywhere. Emerging from her hiding place, Artemis fired off an arrow filled with expanding foam at the view port of the ship, coating the entire surface. Immediately, shots were fired wildly roughly in her direction, but only one came close to actually making contact.
"And ET's are sealed inside!" Artemis mentally shouted, signaling the next step of the plane.
Aqualad made his move, erupting from where he had been concealed in the icy waters of the ocean below, partially submerging the vessel with little effort. The cannon swung in his direction, but before it could fire off a charged shot, Wolf sprung at it. With his stronger than average jaws clamped around the metal tube, Wolf easily pulled it away from Kaldur, giving Superboy time to jump on top of the ship and keep the cannon locked in place with his bare hands. Leaping down onto the ice, Wolf's claws didn't so much as make a single slip on the ice.
Kid Flash sped in with Robin in tow, the Boy Wonder flipping up onto the ship as Hawkgirl emerged from her spot on the peak, keeping to the air and watching everyone from above. There was no way that it would be this easy to subdue one of the ships, even if their communications array had been disabled.
"Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship." Robin's eyes flitted across the readout displayed on his hologlove, promptly pointing at key areas on the cannon. "Here, here, and here."
After all the stress points had been identified for her, M'Gann isolated each one and burst them apart with strategic blasts of telekinesis. As the last one was weakened, Superboy started pulling the cannon off. A high pitched whine began to echo shrilly from the device as it began its telltale power up sequence, but only one of them was fast enough to react. Wolf slammed into Superboy, knocking him out of the way and taking the hit, vanishing in a blast of light that left nothing behind.
Everyone stared at the spot where the ever-loyal canine had just been. Much like seeing their League mentors disappear, even the farce was difficult to comprehend when it was played out before their eyes like that.
"Wolf..." M'Gann mentally lamented.
"There was no indication of feedback, I'm sorry..." Robin immediately apologized.
"Can't do anything for him now." Shaking it off, Superboy returned to the cannon and tore it the rest of the way off, leaping over the camouflaged bio-ship in order to continue the plan. He was joined by Miss martian, who put her hands upon her ship, connecting with and creating a link between it and the freshly severed cannon.
"Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's biomatrix." As M'Gann started the process, the rest of the Team (apart from Hawkgirl, who remained in her aerial post) joined her on the bioship. "I'll need to decamoflauge for a few minutes."
Scarcely had the thought transferred along the mental link before Hawkgirl heard an (unfortunately) familiar humming sound, her head snapping up to pinpoint the source. Just as she managed to find a probably location somewhere above cloud cover, two ships dropped into sight. Unfortunately for Hawkgirl, they locked onto the nearest visible target... her.
"We don't have a few minutes!" Hawkgirl shouted along the link, swooping up with a powerful wing flap to pull her out of the two cannons' direct line of sight for at least a handful of precious seconds.
"Miss Martian, open fire!" Aqualad ordered.
"Can't! Weapons systems are offline until I incorporate the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated yet either!"
Taking a quick scan of her surroundings, Ski'Lira caught sight of Artemis nocking multiple arrows, but that was all she caught before she was nearly clipped by one ship and forced into a steep dive by the other's charging cannon. The world blurred around her as she dove, but the frantic maneuver made her sloppy. She pulled her wings up just a heartbeat too late, meaning her land was... less than graceful. Namely, she ended up slamming harshly onto the ground, skidding to a stop and half-burying herself in snow.
"Got you covered!" Artemis said as she aimed carefully for the approaching ships and fired. "Get inside, I'm almost there!" Her arrows brought down both assailants with a satisfying explosion, giving the archer time to sprint for the ship. Hawkgirl managed to pull herself up and out of the snow, thankfully uninjured, but disoriented from the fall and having the breath knocked firmly out of her lungs.
"Artemis, behind you!"
Just as Artemis turned to fire off another hastily nocked arrow, a column of yellow light engulfed her.
"ARTEMIS!" A guttural scream of sheer and absolute horror left M'Gann's mouth, the tone almost layered with an indefinable something.
Hawkgirl lost her balance ever so slightly, collapsing back into the snow as her chest tightened with the sheer level of grief she felt.
"Artemis!" Kid Flash shouted.
"Get inside, all of you!" Aqualad rushed forward, using his water bearers to strike at the ice surrounding the active ship, sending it up into the air and exploding it, making sure it couldn't harm anyone else.
With the immediate threat gone and dust, they were all stuck frozen in place.
From day one, they all knew the risks that came with an occupation like theirs. All of their mentors had drilled it into their heads over and over again, this was dangerous, they could die, but having it happen was still... Artemis had been only feet away from her and now she was gone. Just like the League, just like Wolf, just like countless innocent people, just like her parents. Even for someone that came from a species that glorified dying in battle, a vital piece had been carved out of Ski'Lira she didn't think she'd get back.
It was Kid Flash who was the first to speak, vitriol dripping from every word. "They're dead! Every single alien, even if it's the last thing I do!"
Hearing such hate come out of someone usually so bright and positive snapped her back to reality, giving her the push she needed to reevaluate and compartmentalize. Rising to her feet, she shook the errant layer of snow off of her wings. "We're done here, everyone back to the ship, now."
The cold clarity of her tone spurred the others into action, everyone trudging back to the ship with Aqualad and Hawkgirl bringing up the rear, both sharing a solemn look as they boarded and strapped in.
No one dared to look at the empty seat.
Almost the moment they were safely in the air, the tentative composure that they had managed to achieve broke. M'Gann was loudly sobbing as she piloted the ship, while Wally didn't restrain himself from slamming his hands onto the console with a frustrated yell.
Aqualad unstrapped himself, standing to make sure everyone was paying attention to his words. At his pointed look, Hawkgirl followed suit. "There will be time to mourn later."
Hawkgirl nodded from her place at his side. "For now, we need to focus on the matter at hand. We are at war, now. And letting ourselves be blinded by grief will only cause more harm."
Whirling to face them, Kid Flash's face was flushed red with anger. "Do you expect us to just stop grieving? After everything we've lost?!"
"No." Her swift, but sincere denial made some of the fight leave his green eyes. "I expect you all to be smart and objective until we are in a place where it is safe to grieve."
"Right now we have a job to do, defend the Earth." Kaldur firmly reminded them, giving them all a goal to fixate on. "And ensure Artemis' sacrifice, and those who fell before her, did not do so in vain."
Swiping the tracks of tears from her face, M'Gann cleared her throat. "Back to the Cave?"
"The Hall of Justice. The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope."
H
WASHINGTON, D.C.
They knew that when they reached civilization, it would be... unsightly, but they were still unprepared for the sight of the ravaged capital city. The very sky itself had gone near-sepia from the smoke billowing from burning buildings, the largest source of life a contingent of soldiers stationed in front of the Capitol Building. Said soldiers were scattered around a line of tanks firing continuously at approaching ships. They did little to stop the entire onslaught, but they had at least been able to keep them at bay.
Miss Martian opened up the bottom of the bio-ship, letting Superboy and Hawkgirl loose. Superboy dropped directly on top of one ship, while Hawkgirl flew after another that was managing to successfully dodge fire from the tank. Speeding ahead and abruptly stopping, she pulled back her arms and swung her mace into the hull of the ship with the loudest "Hawk-HA!" war cry she'd let loose in her life. The first hit carved a decent hole, exposing the vital inner workings, and two more hits were enough to send it plummeting down.
Meanwhile, the newly installed cannon on the bio-ship took care of the last visible ship, clearing the skies enough for them to land. Miss Martian carefully maneuvered the bio-ship onto a clear patch of ground just beside the remains of the alien ship Superboy had just dispatched. By the time Hawkgirl had made it back onto the ground, the rest of the Team had exited the bio-ship.
Cheers erupted around them, courtesy of the rundown soldiers who were clearly relieved to have received some kind of reprieve, but... all of their eyes seemed to be focused more on Conner for some reason.
"See, it is Superman!" A helmeted soldier shouted, answering that unspoken question quicker than expected. "Told you he wouldn't leave us out here alone!"
"I don't know." Another soldier's eyes narrowed, his skepticism blatant. "He looks kinda young, where's the cape?"
Turning towards them, Conner shot them an irate look. "I'm not Superman."
A much older man, marked as a general by the emblems pinned to his uniform, stepped forward. "I don't know who you are son, right now I don't care. You wear the S and you got the job done."
Eyes dropping, Conner muttered a much quieter denial. "I'm not Superman."
"Tell that to the enemy." The general said.
Thankfully, Aqualad took over, pulling the attention off of the overwhelmed half-Kryptonian. The action drew a salute from the older man in greeting. "General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force." Ah, so that's who he was. Hawkgirl had never met him personally, but she knew him by reputation thanks to her Uncle Hal's stories. Hal didn't like him much.
But as it was, they didn't have room to be picky about who they were working with.
"Aqualad. Justice League." Kaldur introduced himself, not hesitating in the slightest when it came to announcing their newfound affiliation. "We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours."
H
If seeing the capital city in ruins had been difficult, seeing the crumbling wreck that had once been the beacon of hope that was the Hall of Justice felt like seeing one's childhood home burn to the ground. Ski'Lira immediately regretted that internal comparison, considering it was more than likely all of their homes on Earth were either similarly destroyed or soon to be so. Every singly statue was damaged in some way, a few shattered entirely with their pieces strewn across the dust and ash-coated floor. Not a single window had remained intact, and the combination of broken glass and chunks of rubble made maneuvering through difficult.
Ski'Lira caught Kid Flash's eyes for a single moment, and couldn't help but be reminded of the first time she and the others had been gathered here for the first time. It was just her, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and the one formerly known as Speedy, all practically buzzing at the prospect of such a momentous occasion. Now here they stood in the corpse of that memory. When she blinked back to the present, Conner was staring up at the headless statue of Superman.
"They're really gone." Robin's voice was more solemn than she had ever heard him before.
Flying over wordlessly to what was left of her uncle's statue, M'Gann collapsed onto her hands and knees, unable to stop herself from sobbing aloud. Suddenly, she flew back as if burned, hovering in the air with her eyes wide and mouth gone slightly slack. Stretching out a hand, she latched onto the statue with her telekinesis, lifting it up off the ground to reveal... the real Martian Manhunter lying dazed beneath it. "Uncle J'onn!" Tossing the suspended statue aside, she darted down towards him.
Aqualad sped in front of her, keeping her at bay. "M'Gann, check his mind." He ordered, taking full advantage of the still-active mental link. "Make sure he is who he appears to be."
"It's him, he's real!" She countered, no doubt lacing her tone. "And he's alive!"
"But we saw you get disintegrated!" Conner demanded of J'onn. "You and Superman! And everyone!"
"Yes..." J'onn's voice was weak, having to rely on M'Gann to prop him up and help him gingerly to his feet. His hand was practically locked to his temple from pain. "I remember, but... I cannot remember how I survived. Or... how I arrived here."
"Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you?" Miss Martian offered.
A smile broke out on Robin's face, the first one he'd worn since this whole mess had started. "Scrambling your brains along the way!"
"My mind is clouded..." The older hero could provide no input to confirm the theory, visibly struggling to recall anything that might offer any modicum of explanation for his astounding survival. "I feel certain I had something important to tell you."
Kid Flash abruptly smacked himself in the head "Hello, Wally! Come on!"
A handful of minutes later, Kid Flash and Robin were outside examining the cannon they stole, the rest of them had remained inside as they were unneeded for this glorified errand.
"I knew it!" Kid Flash crowed suddenly. "Look! It's giving off Zeta Beams! The same stuff that powers our Zeta Tubes! This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports! Artemis is alive! Maybe they're all still alive!"
Beaming, M'Gann looked up at her uncle. "That must have been what you wanted to tell us!"
The moment of burgeoning hope was broken swiftly as a new fleet of ships arrived, already firing on the building and the soldiers gathered outside, along with their two team members.
"We're on our way." Aqualad was already in motion, but was stopped by a firm reply from Robin.
"Negative, we can't win this! Miss Martian, camo the bio-ship and-" He was cut off mid-sentence as the bio-ship was hit directly by a beam, adding it to the long list of casualties.
Letting out a strangled shriek, M'Gann toppled to the ground, taking her uncle with her. Superboy ran over to her, calling her name as Kaldur headed towards Martian Manhunter to bring him back up to his feet. Tears streamed down M'Gann's face as she was cradled in Conner's arms. "That... didn't feel like..."
"We're falling back!" Robin mentally shouted, as he and Kid Flash ran for the building along with the rest of the soldiers stationed outside. The sudden attack had cut their numbers again, and if they didn't do something now, that number would dwindle down to zero.
The moment Robin and Kid Flash were fully inside, Hawkgirl stationed herself between them and the vulnerable entryway, spreading her wings wide and making sure the two younger heroes were blocked off from the enemy's sight. A soldier caught her eye, giving her a nod of acknowledgement before returning his attention back down the sights of his rifle.
"We're trapped!" Eiling summed up the situation quite nicely.
Before they could begin making some kind of siege plan, the inner door leading to the library of the Hall slid open. "Maybe not." Aqualad said, leading the way inside. They all ran in, and Hawkgirl was once more reminded of the events of Independence Day. "We can all Zeta to the Cave if you can grant us computer clearance to access the Tubes." Kaldur told J'onn, leaving no room for argument.
"I can only authorize one at a time." He admitted as M'Gann brought him to the computer panel, which was miraculously still powered and completely functional.
"Send the soldiers first." Aqualad insisted.
"Belay that!" Eiling snapped before anyone could move. "You six are assets we cannot afford to lose."
Standing in front of the scanner, J'onn started the process. "Override, Martian Manhunter 007"
"Recognized: Access Granted"
One by one, the members of the Team were scanned in and admitted. Miss Martian went first, then Robin (despite his clear reluctance to go second out of everyone), but as Kid Flash was being scanned, an explosion rippled through the room. Hawkgirl, Superboy, and Aqualad all burst into action. The latter physically shoved Kid Flash into the Zeta Tube before he attempted to help.
Meanwhile, Superboy grabbed a slab of concrete keeping a soldier trapped beneath it as Hawkgirl tackled two more soldiers who were nearly crushed beneath a newly dislodged piece of Wonder Woman's statue. She vaguely registered Superboy taking the injured soldier to be admitted to the Zeta, focusing on ushering the two she'd saved to a more defensible position.
"Hawkgirl!" Her head snapped towards Kaldur, and she didn't hesitate to join him, as they were clearly the only two members of the Team (or rather, the newly promoted Justice League) left in the Hall.
The Atlantean had a grim look in his eyes. He didn't need to say anything, she already knew what he meant. She gave him a slow nod, reaching out with a clawed gauntlet and grasping his forearm tightly for the briefest of moments, before allowing herself to be scanned and stepping into the glowing tunnel.
H
"Our next mission is clear." Robin announced. "If we believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims-"
"We do." Kid Flash insisted.
Activating his hologlove, Robin pulled up a screen between them, ignoring Wally's interruption. "Then the only reasonable detention facility is here. The Mothership, atop what used to be Smallville." He turned to Manhunter, who had been silent ever since he had come through the tunnel sans Aqualad. "Ring any bells?"
Standing up from where he had been resting on a low platform, J'onn's expression was apologetic. "No, I'm sorry."
Giving a tight nod, Robin continued. "Superboy, you'll create a distraction."
"No!" Latching onto his arm, M'Gann pleaded with her boyfriend. "He's offering you as a sacrifice! Aqualad would never do that!"
"You're right. Aqualad would sacrifice himself." Robin reminded her none too gently. "A mistake that just cost us our leader. Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy."
"Worst case, he's teleported inside and we set him free along with Artemis. And Aqualad and everyone." Kid Flash's tone was a little too optimistic for her liking, but Ski'Lira would let it slide, mostly because she had something more important on her mind.
Superboy turned to M'Gann, clearly sending her a mental message, and Hawkgirl politely waited until he was finished before speaking up. "He won't be going alone."
Whirling on her, Robin reached out and grabbed Hawkgirl by the arm. "That is not part of the plan."
She merely looked down at him, an unimpressed expression on her face. "I'm making it part of the plan. By right of succession, I am technically the leader as Aqualad's chosen second in command."
"I don't even want to send Conner, but he's our best bet at drawing enough of them away for us to successfully infiltrate. I don't want to have to risk sacrificing more than I need to. You're not going." It was clear that Dick wasn't going to budge so easily on this point.
Leaning down slightly to close the distance between them, she allowed her lip to curl slightly into a snarl. "We do not have the luxury of being in a position where 'the bare minimum' will grant us any kind of success." Her voice was a low rumble, the subtlest of growls lacing her words. "This is do or die. I will walk into this battle gladly and with my head held high."
"This is not the time or place for your... self-sacrificial Thanagarian warrior religion crap!" Kid Flash exploded.
Tilting her head, she straightened her spine and shook off Robin's hand from her wrist, staring down the speedster. "If anything, this is the perfect time for it, even if that description is insultingly inaccurate. There is nothing any of you can say to change my mind, so I don't recommend trying. It will only waste time we do not have."
Letting out a long sigh, Robin scrubbed a hand through his unruly and ash-riddled hair, clearly at the end of his rope. "... Okay. Fine. Superboy and Hawkgirl will provide the distraction." He sighed again. "This would be so much easier if there were more of us around."
That's when J'onn gave the slightest of smiles. "There are."
H
The broadcast was starting to wind down now, after the Team had painstakingly explained the situation at hand. M'Gann started the beginning of the end. "And though we know all seems lost, the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope."
Standing at her shoulder, Superboy continued. "Hope survives because the battle is not over, not as long as even one of us is willing to fight.
"It doesn't matter how many fall. For new heroes will always rise to carry on. Bringing all their skills, their resources, their talents, to defeat the enemy." Kid Flash continued, before stepping aside to let Hawkgirl into frame in order to say her piece.
"And they will fight for those who depend upon them the most, following in the footsteps of those who came before them, who laid down their lives, leaving behind legacies to live up to."
She in turn stepped back so Robin could take the spotlight, finishing their broadcast for the sake of those survivors left. "The people of Earth will survive this. We will rebuild and we will thrive and never forget. The Earth will never surrender!"
Broadcast successfully sent, all that was left was to finish the final preparations. Just as Martian Manhunter had promised, they had more allies to call upon than they had thought. Red Arrow, Rocket, Zatanna, even Tula and Garth zeta'd in from Atlantis in order to join them. Everyone gathered the full extent of their gear, Robin going so far as to don an extra two utility belts worn like bandoliers in addition to his usual one.
As Hawkgirl was testing the sharpness of her knives (they were already well-maintained, it was more for peace of mind than anything else), she felt someone come up behind her. Despite the time they'd spend apart, she recognized that distinct scent of leather and metal anywhere.
"Red Arrow." She greeted courteously, keeping her expression schooled into neutrality as she did so.
Roy was very clearly avoiding eye contact with her, jaw tight. "I uh... I wanted to say sorry. About your parents."
"I am not the only one who has suffered significant loss today." She reminded him. "But... I appreciate the sentiment. And I am sorry about Green Arrow."
Somehow his jaw clenched even further, before suddenly relaxing. "... Thanks. Look, I just... I heard about what you're going to do, and... I didn't... want..."
Skylar's eyes softened behind the opaque lenses of her helmet. "It's okay. I have been at peace with my decision since I made it."
"... You sound like you're about to walk through the gates of hell with a smile on your face."
"I am under no illusion that there is no guarantee about Kid Flash's teleportation theory. This knowledge hasn't changed my mind."
He finally looked up at her, then, the smallest of quirked smiles on his lips. "You're crazy, you know that?"
She returned the smile easily. "So you've said before." Leaning in closer, she dropped her voice to a whisper to make sure she wouldn't be overheard. "Goodbye, Roy."
"Goodbye, Skylar. See you on the other side." He clasped her shoulder and gave it a strong squeeze, before taking his leave.
A long exhale left her mouth, part of her glad that she had the chance to make at least a little right with Roy before the end.
Now all that was left was the mission.
H
SMALLVILLE, KANSAS
All those that were left of the Team hid behind an outcropping overlooking the invader's Mothership. The night sky was deceptively beautiful, barely a cloud in sight and the stars shining brightly. On any other night, it would have been perfect for flying. But as it was, they didn't have the privilege of doing so, not anymore.
Robin examined the ship with his binoculars, not even moving a muscle as Miss Martian moved to stand beside him. "Stay close to J'onn, he's still..." He made a so-so gesture with a hand, earning a nod of acknowledgement in return. Taking a deep breath in and out, he sent out the initial order of their plan. "First team, deploy."
Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter took off into the sky, the former pulling her hood deep over her face. They clasped hands before they disappeared from sight entirely, heading undetected towards the base level of the ship.
"Ready and in position." M'Gann's mental voice wavered ever so slightly. "Hawkgirl, be careful. And Conner, I love you."
With the first team in position, Robin gave the 'distraction duo' a nod. Conner took off with a mighty leap, aiming for the top of the ship. Instead of immediately taking off, Hawkgirl took a precious few seconds to lunge forward and pull both Robin and Kid Flash into a tight, desperate, and all too quick hug before taking off. She didn't even give them any time to reciprocate the gesture, knowing even those few seconds of weakness were a risk. It only took a few powerful flaps of her wings to take her to Conner's position.
"Ready, ka'zera?" She asked once she'd landed.
He offered her a fragile smile. "You still haven't told me what that means."
Instead of answering him, she returned his grin, slamming her mace into the base of an exterior cannon, weakening it enough for Superboy to pull it out and wield it.
"Careful, don't disconnect the power source." Robin reminded them.
"Alright you glorified trespassers, you wanna see how real aliens fight?!" Conner screamed, firing off the cannon left and right. The reception was rapid, as panels opened up around them, dozens of ships emerging from within and swarming around the Mothership like a disturbed wasp nest. A particularly deadly wasp nest. "Now or never!"
Hawkgirl took to the skies, tearing apart ships left and right with strategic swings of her mace, all the while Superboy firing off shot after shot with the cannon. In the back of her head buzzed the reassuring chatter of the mental link as their comrades made their way deeper into the structure. Dodging, Ski'Lira was forced into a tight spiral, stopping just in time to get a direct view of Superboy. A lucky shot landed just in front of him, forcing him tumbling backwards, but scarcely had he saved himself before he had fallen straight into the path of another beam.
Frozen in mid-air, Hawkgirl was sent careening out of her mental stasis as a ship physically clipped her. The sheer force of the metal ship sent her rocketing down onto the surface of the Mothership, and she felt her ribs crunch under the sudden exertion of pressure. A quick inhale and exhale confirmed they were only cracked, but any injury was a liability.
"No... He's gone..." M'Gann's crying was palpable through the bond, flooded with waves of grief.
"It's alright, we'll find him with Artemis, I know it." Kid Flash assured her as Hawkgirl staggered to her feet, sprinting for one of the opened panels and ducking behind it for cover, giving herself a moment of reprieve.
"No." J'onn's denied vehemently. "My mind is clearer now. The disintegration beam is exactly that. There is no detention facility. No prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose."
Closing her eyes tightly for a moment, Hawkgirl forced herself to stop paying active attention to the link, only vaguely registering Kid Flash's increased flux of panic. Her focus had to be on the approaching ships, as they had quickly spotted her and their beams were coming closer and closer to hitting their wayward target. A split second after she ducked and rolled out from behind the panel, a beam hit it directly, turning it to dust. Leaping to her feet, Hawkgirl's eyes flickered around the plethora of enemies surrounding her. There was no back-up coming, not this time. The League was gone, and half of her kast was too. It was just her and the enemy. No turning back.
All of a sudden, something deep within Ski'Lira felt... wrong. It wasn't the rage, or the grief stifling every breath, it was something different... something... primal. Her vision started to fade ever so slightly, until all she could see were the bright flashes of the disintegration beams, even as her body moved by sheer force of will and battle-honed intuition to avoid each shot with practiced ease. As a shot came terrifyingly close to striking her full on, whatever had been building snapped, and with it, the mental link severed.
She wasn't dead, far from it.
In that moment, all that was Ski'Lira Hol ceased to exist. All that was left in her place was an enraged Thanagarian warrior with nothing to lose, and a battlefield to conquer.
A well-loved Nth metal mace tumbled from clawed fingers and a screech of rage echoed through the clear night sky that would have given even the most stalwart of Thanagarian soldiers a chill up their spine.
Hawkgirl's abrupt absence from the mindlink was not unacknowledged as her teammates reached the core, but for the sake of the mission, it was ignored (no matter how much it hurt to do so, but they all knew she was already gone).
H
MOUNT JUSTICE
OCTOBER 16TH, 2010
16:21 EDT
Waking up was far from a pleasant experience. Once moment she had been in the Arctic being fired at by an alien ship, and now she was waking up in the middle of the Cave with a hell of a headache. Rubbing at her eyes, Artemis pulled herself up into a slumped sitting position. A quick glance confirmed everyone else were in similar states of disarray, most in the process of sitting up, or in Hawkgirl's case, still lying down with a pained look on her face.
"What happened in there?" Batman demanded, drawing curious eyes to him.
J'onn pressed a hand to his temple. "The exercise, it went wrong."
Robin spoke up for all of them, voicing their mutual confusion. "Exercise?"
"Try to remember." Batman insisted, but when they gave no indication of being able to do so right now, he offered them an explanation. "What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you in an artificial reality, you all knew this going in. What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the Team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League."
Taking over, Martian Manhunter continued to clutch his head. Whatever had happened had clearly had a toll on him. "That is why you hardly grieved when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes, but all that changed when Artemis died." Artemis couldn't help the spike of guilt that flooded through her, knowing that if she were just a little bit faster... "Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise and her subconscious took control, making all of you forget too."
"I... I..." M'Gann stuttered, tears building in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"This isn't her fault!" Superboy didn't hesitate to defend her. "Why didn't you stop the exercise?"
"We tried, but M'Gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much noise to think clearly, to remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad, Superboy and Hawkgirl helped, but only when the Mothership exploded and Kid flash and Robin were silenced did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose, to shock M'Gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent. My apologies, I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous. so damaging." Explanation given, he suddenly collapsed, only to be caught by a quick reaction from Batman.
"As bad as all that?"
"... Perhaps worse."
Red Tornado finally spoke up, abruptly reminding Artemis of his presence. "Yet this is not what troubles you."
J'onn seemed to consider his words for a moment. "Make no mistake, my niece is untrained and cannot be held responsible for this, for our debacle."
"No one blames her." Batman clarified, saying it just loud enough to make sure that the Martian girl in question could hear it too. "But clearly we underestimated her abilities.
"You understate it. In terms of raw power, she has the strongest telepathic mind I have ever encountered. Stronger by far than mine."
Red Tornado tilted his head in consideration. "Is there any risk of the others experiencing any... side effects?
"Other than the expected emotional trauma, no."
Switching her attention away from the Leaguers to the members of her Team, Artemis couldn't help the tug at her hearstrings as she saw M'Gann sobbing uncontrollably in Captain Marvel's arms. Everyone looked... well, unhappy would be too broad. Confused, hurt, and maybe a little wary would be more accurate. Artemis felt herself relax ever so slightly as Hawkgirl finally sat up. The way she'd been mostly motionless had been concerning, but if the Leaguers hadn't drawn attention to it then it must not have been serious.
She opened her mouth to ask Hawkgirl how she felt, only to snap it softly closed as she noticed her movement was... odd. It was strange, how she held her entire body (including her usually restless wings) perfectly still, except for the slight weaving of her head. It swung from side to side once, twice, three times, as if scanning the contents of the room on each pass. A strange noise started emanating from her throat, a growl unlike she had ever heard from the Thanagarian before.
Her head stopped its movement suddenly, tilting to the side ever so slightly as her eyes locked on M'Gann, who was being released from Captain Marvel's tight hold so she could wipe at her eyes.
From there, there was a blur of movement as everything erupted into chaos. Hawkgirl lunged across the space, pouncing straight at M'Gann and driving them both to the floor. The growling had been abandoned in favor of a wordless scream of rage as she wrapped her clawed gauntlets around the Martian's vulnerable throat. Everyone started shouting, including Artemis, but it was Captain Marvel who moved the fastest.
"What do you think you're doing?!" He demanded with wide eyes as he grabbed her by the wings, jerking her up into the air before she could tighten her grip on M'Gann and start strangling her. Letting out a harsh screech, she yanked her wings out of his grip, only to whip around and slash at his closest forearm with razor-sharp claws, the Nth metal tearing through his skin.
"J'onn!" Batman shouted, clearly looking to the resident telepathic expert for answers.
"Call Katar." Was all the Martian said, a grim set to his mouth. Red Tornado surged forwards, snagging Hawkgirl around the middle and dragging her away from the members of the Team. Artemis and the others closed ranks around M'Gann the moment Hawkgirl was out of the immediate vicinity, with Aqualad and Superboy standing in front. Aqualad had his water bearers ready and activated, while Superboy had his hands clenched into tight fists.
"Bamtan to Hawkman." The Dark Knight activated his comm. "Katar, get to the Cave now." Message sent, he went for his utility belt, removing a small pellet and throwing it at the raging Thanagarian's feet. Light grey smoke erupted in a plume around her that didn't affect Red Tornado in the slightest. Her indignant cries increased in intensity, before dying out slightly, and then ratcheting up tenfold along with her thrashing. She managed to get one arm free, latching her fingers onto Red Tornado and digging in, denting and piercing the metal of his wrist.
Thankfully, backup was quick, as the room burst with bright light, the Computer's announcement of the Zeta activation drowned out by Hawkgirl's screeching.
It wasn't just Hawkman who had arrived, but Hal Jordan as well. The former froze as he caught sight of the scene, but a harsh knock upside the head from Jordan smacked him out of it. Hawkman approached his daughter, shouting something indecipherable in what was probably Thanagarian, but Hawkgirl didn't seem to register it in the slightest.
"Katar?" Hal prompted, looking to the other for instructions.
"Shield her, we have to get her out of here." Katar answered, voice pointedly expressionless.
Giving a nod of acknowledgement, Hal summoned a bubble as Red Tornado released the hellion, encasing her in near-impenetrable green energy. But that didn't stop her from trying, as she kept throwing herself at the luminous curved walls over and over again.
Hawkman didn't say anything to the Team, only looked at them, before he and Hal Jordan left the Cave, Batman and Martian Manhunter following close behind.
All that was left was a ringing silence.
"Did..." M'Gann's voice was weak. "Did she just try to... kill me?"
"No... no." Robin tried to defend, but even he didn't sound wholly convinced. "Hurt, okay yes she obviously tried to do that, but kill... She wouldn't." Artemis could see the unspoken 'but would she?' in the downturn of his mouth.
"She definitely did just attack M'Gann!" Kid Flash crossed his arms. "And Captain Marvel, and Red Tornado."
"That was... way angrier than we've ever seen her." Artemis frowned. "I mean, I know we joke about her anger issues a lot, but... damn. That was... inexcusable."
"Do you think I... did something to her?" The question came from M'Gann, who was starting to shake slightly. "To her head?"
"I do not think that is the case." Finally, Kaldur spoke up, though there was a clear reluctance to do so in his eyes. "Martian Manhunter himself said he detected no damage caused by the failed simulation. Whatever has happened, it lies on Hawkgirl's shoulders."
Gently nudging him with her elbow, Artemis caught Conner's attention from where he had been staring at the darkened Zeta Tube. "Conner?"
"Why would she do that?" He asked. "I thought... I thought she cared about us."
No one knew what to say to that.
H
From the moment she gained awareness, Ski'Lira knew she was in some kind of medical facility thanks to the sharp stench of antiseptic. Thus when she opened her eyes to view the hospital room she was currently ensconced in, was wholly unsurprised. Every inch of her ached like she had been on a nonstop workout routine for days, accompanied by sharper sources of pain scattered around her body. As she shifted in place, she couldn't help the slightly agonized groan that left her. Not once in her life did she think she'd ever been in this much pain, not during a molt, not being shot, and not even that time a harpoon had impaled her wing.
The fragile peace of the room was shattered as her father's maskless face appeared hovering over her. "Ski'Lira, do you know who I am?"
"Ta'me, what-" That was all she managed to say before her throat flared with pain. Even those two words had sounded like gargling rusted nails, and felt like it too.
Her father let out a long relieved sigh, practically collapsing onto a chair at her bedside. "Oh thank the ancestors." He rubbed his face with his hands before talking to her, still speaking in their native tongue. "Try not to move too much. Your body has been put through... a considerable amount of strain."
Before she could ask him to clarify, the door slid open, admitting Hal Jordan, Batman, and Martian Manhunter. When he caught sight of her, Hal gave her a reassuring grin, but there was a tightness to it that worried her.
"Hawkgirl, what is the last thing you remember?" Batman demanded, though it was a gentle tone that he only saved for the most serious of occasions.
Immediately Hawkman's eyes flew to him, narrowing. "She just woke up. It can wait a few minutes."
"Remember?" Ski'Lira mumbled, already trying to do as she had been asked. "We were... The Team... in the kitchen? Wally was... worried about something." She wracked her brain for anything further than that, but there was nothing, just a big blank spot between then and now.
"Short term memory loss?" Hal Jordan looked to his friend for confirmation, earning a nod of agreement.
"If she hasn't remembered already, it's likely she never will." Katar's tone was as grim as his face. "Perhaps it's better that she doesn't."
"Ta'me?" It felt like her insides had been doused in ice water. "What did I do?"
*Peeks out from behind a rock*
How long have I been planning this, you ask? Short answer... well, the story's called 'Fight or Flight' for a reason... please don't kill me for hurting the babies.
Long answer, all the way back in the distant time of... I wanna say 2015? When the character of Ski'Lira Hol was so very, very new (and pretty different from what she is now, I mean, she didn't even maintain the same physical appearance after rewrites) I wrote out part of a scene at the end of Failsafe where M'Gann was called out for her actions (you know, because everyone on the Team forgave her immediately and at the time I did not like Miss Martian at all and current me is far more understanding than past me). In the original, Hawkgirl yelled at her for a bit, but that was it.
When I first started outlining this story, I felt the need to keep that scene in, considering it's the inspiration for literally the entire fic. But having her be legitimately angry didn't... feel right anymore. Once again, this was in the very early planning stages, even before I posted the first chapter, so at that point I didn't even have all of the cute M'Gann and Ski'Lira bonding moments as ideas. They were completely nonexistent at the time.
Okay, that's my little 'snapshot of my writing process' done for the day. The next chapter already has a good chunk of it written (I may or may not have been writing out full dialogue excerpts for this upcoming chapter for a while) and should be posted relatively soon-ish. I promise you that you'll receive a full explanation for what exactly the heckity heck is going on with our confused baby birb.
Until then, Happy Non-Denominational Holiday to all of you, be careful, and stay safe!