"What is it?"
Jennifer Lance stood in the living room, staring at the man standing across from her, unable to ignore the churning in her stomach due to anxiety for unknown reasons.
It had started as any other day for the past month. Working as a civilian, as a hero, and as a trainer for the younger heroes was Jenna's everyday routine.
Life was good.
Jenna and her partner, Kaldur, were steady as ever after finally reconciling the year before, with Kaldur splitting his time between the surface world and Atlantis. On the surface, he would stay at Jenna's apartment. In Atlantis, he would stay at his friend Wyynde's home in Poseidonis.
Star City was its usual but nothing its heroes couldn't handle. Sam was very recognizable as Banshee since the founding of the Outsiders, as was Jenna since joining the League and going by a new name only a few months prior. Now, she was the White Canary. They were both moving up in the hero world.
For once, it felt like things were looking up.
Until it didn't.
She had been sitting at home that night, reading a new book in her collection as she waited up for Kaldur to get back from a League mission. A small one, so not many Leaguers were needed, but an extensive one nonetheless.
When she glanced over the top of her book from where she stretched out on the couch–a subconscious smile already crossing her face as she watched the front door swing open–at first she thought the sag in his shoulders was just due to tiredness.
But the look in his eyes said otherwise.
So there she stood, having just asked the question since she knew something had to be wrong. Her concern didn't alleviate from the way Kaldur had approached her, bringing his hands up to gently grasp her arms in a way to comfort her prematurely. Or maybe to keep her standing.
She could only recall one other time when she felt so sick to her stomach, that she felt like her world was about to come crashing down around her.
Jenna's hands shook, having abandoned her book on the couch, as they grasped Kaldur's forearms where she clung to him. Maybe it was a way to brace herself, or maybe it was a way to comfort him too from the devastation she could see in his downcast gaze.
She was almost afraid to ask again, knowing she wouldn't like what he was going to say. "Kaldur...what happened?"
"Conner was a long-time friend of mine. When referring to any of us who were on the team in that first year, he would say he knew us his whole life. And honestly? I feel like I knew him my whole life too."
They told Will first. Then Dick when he eventually arrived. But they had to wait for Artemis to have the full discussion. It would have taken less out of them all only to have to hear it or tell it once.
Jenna clung to Kaldur's hand when she saw the kitchen door open. Her grip tightened when she saw her best friend's smiling face fall when she spotted the unexpected guests and the looks on their faces.
"Dick...Jenna...Kaldur...what is it?"
Jenna's throat closed up. No one said anything.
Artemis knew right away what the problem was. "Who?" she questioned.
Then, Will turned toward her. "It's Conner," he said with a sigh.
Artemis closed her eyes. "How?" she whispered.
Since Kaldur was the first to find out, he was the one to explain. In the process, one way or another, they all ended up seated at the kitchen table while he gave every bit of information he could about the engagement trip that M'gann and Conner took to Mars with J'onn and Garfield.
The beginning was all familiar so it needed no explanation. Conner and M'gann were going to be married. There was going to be one wedding on Mars and one wedding on Earth. So they left a month prior to take the said-month-long journey. It was just supposed to be a short time spent at Mars to prepare for the wedding there, then they would fly back and arrive in a month to get ready for the second wedding.
But there was a bomb threat at a celebration for the Martian prince. One designed to kill all Green and Red Martians, planted by M'gann's White Martian brother, M'comm. It was the same brother she and the team encountered on New Genesis almost a year ago, which led to Forager coming to Earth.
Conner found the bomb with hardly any time to spare. So, he took it further underground, where a river of lava flowed, in an attempt to destroy it before it detonated. The problem was, since he had been underground for a few days, he couldn't get access to sunlight. Which meant his invincibility had weakened.
Still, that wouldn't have been enough to kill him. Only one thing could. And that viral-bomb had that one thing in it.
It was a miracle that Martian Manhunter and Superman–who had gone to help via Javelin travel–hadn't gotten there yet because Superman might have died too. It was his weakness upon rushing to the scene that revealed the bomb contained Kryptonite...meaning it was meant for Conner too.
He was truly gone.
"M'gann..." Artemis had spoken up, her voice thick with emotion. "Is she still on Mars? And Garfield?"
"For the time being, yes," Kaldur said. The muscles in his arm where Jenna had placed her hand were tense, but otherwise, he didn't give away much emotion. "I imagine it will take some time for her or him to feel well enough to travel."
The five friends fell silent, mulling over the news and trying to process their grief at the same time.
Then Jenna spoke softly. "Wally...now Conner...how much longer until another one of us is next?"
She could hear Will sigh. "Jen-"
"I'm sorry," she quickly said. "But why does this have to happen to us? It's not just those of us who were a part of the team in that first year, it's too many team members to begin with."
She looked up from the table, glancing around. "I- I get that's what we signed up for. Hell, it's what I signed up for again not four months ago!" She released Kaldur's arm to throw her hand up in a frustrated gesture.
Then she dropped it back onto the table, being mindful not to make too much noise so as not to wake Lian in the other room. Her hand curled into a fist as she closed her eyes to hold back the tears.
"Why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be either of them?"
She didn't open her eyes when a hand closed over her fist, but she appreciated it nonetheless.
The silence that followed was broken by Dick's question. "So what's next?"
"It's almost been ten years ago when Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and I made the decision to check out a lab that Batman had been suspicious about...there, we met one of the most important people in my life."
What came next made it feel like a wound was being reopened over and over again.
Conner's family mourned in private for some time. The Outsiders and team, along with the rest of the Justice League, were alerted as well. So in just a short amount of time, they all learned about what had happened. It devastated everyone who knew Conner, but especially those who were his teammates.
Then, of course, the news was released to the public, seeing as how Conner was part of the Outsiders. Since he had been on the squad for a year, he had become very recognizable after his actions that led to the resignation of Lex Luthor as Secretary-General. Citizens around the world were mourning the loss too, just like his friends and teammates were.
So, there were memorial services. There were quite a few. Some public, and some in private—limited to those who truly knew the man. Jenna mostly stuck to the private ones but had gone to one in public while in civilian clothing to see what was happening on the other side.
What finally sealed the deal was the new hologram placed in the Watchtower's grotto. The number was increasing and it made Jenna sick. It was something she knew was inevitable, but it didn't make it any easier.
Jenna's shoulders moved from a sigh that wasn't her own. She pulled away from Kaldur's side enough to peek at him from the corner of her eye.
"You okay?" That came from Dick who was standing next to the couple.
"It is hard," Kaldur admitted. "We have done our duty. Notified Conner's friends and family, attended multiple memorial services, and the lighting of this hologram."
His hand slipped from Jenna's waist as he stepped closer to it. "...Yet, it still does not seem real," he said softly.
It probably won't for a while. Not until M'gann returns alone. Jenna closed her eyes with a slow breath, leaning her head back on the tree trunk behind her. She wished more than anything to be able to talk to her friend. God knew she needed all the comfort she could get when she got back.
"Maybe you need to take a moment to process," Dick suggested. "You know, when Tula died, you never had time to mourn."
Jenna's brow softened as she looked up at the woman's hologram. She had become good friends with both Tula and Garth when they joined the team so long ago. Even though once upon a time when Kaldur had feelings for Tula, Jenna knew then how much the both of them meant to him as friends. Losing Tula might have been the beginning of a long chain of events that ruined Jenna's life for a while, but it finally felt like her death could be processed.
If only Kaldur would do the same.
"Instead," Dick continued, "you immediately went undercover with Black Manta. And when Wally died, I was a total jerk and dumped the whole team on you, not thinking about your grief at all."
Jenna pushed off the tree, stepping closer to her friend. "In case you forgot, I was the one to dump the team on you because I was angry," she pointed out. "You can't blame yourself for doing the same for something that's hardly worse."
"She is right," Kaldur added, glancing back at them. "I understood."
Dick wasn't finished. "Aquaman resigned, and you not only took up his mantle but led the Justice League through some of its darkest hours. And now Conner?" His voice slightly broke. "Kaldur, you've always been the leader, the adult, the rock we all lean on. Both you and Jen."
Dick reached out to rest a hand on Kaldur's shoulder. "But maybe you need to take a break. Before all this breaks you."
There was a pause as Kaldur looked back up at the hologram.
"No. I will be fine," he said decidedly. "I have to be."
He looked back at Dick and Jenna frowned at his expression. "Thank you for your concern," he told their friend, "but I have a conference tomorrow in Poseidonis which I must prepare for."
He walked away, leaving Jenna and Dick behind.
The former sighed. "And I have to open my shop in the morning. I've been pushing off new orders for too long," she grumbled.
But rather than leave so suddenly like Kaldur did, she glanced over at Dick. "Don't be a stranger. Come by whenever you feel like it, alright?"
She wrapped her arm around Dick's shoulders to pull him into a brief, but tight hug. But she could only enjoy the warmth for a moment since she knew Kaldur would be waiting for her.
"It was an honor to watch him grow from a hot-headed, sixteen-week-old boy who only saw himself as a clone, to a man with great leadership skills, with a desire to do good so much that he finally stepped out of the shadows and joined the Outsiders, with no shame or fear of judgment for who he was."
Since Conner's death, it had gotten difficult to sleep. Most nights had her tossing and turning. Sometimes she managed to get a few hours or so, and even that was being generous. So it wasn't a surprise that in the night, she began to stir, subconsciously reaching out to pull herself closer to Kaldur to find...nothing.
Brow furrowing before she even opened her eyes, Jenna squinted to try and see better in the dark bedroom. The side that Kaldur normally slept on was empty. With a glance over her shoulder to the bedside table where an alarm clock sat, she saw that it was a few hours past midnight...hardly any decent time to be up and about.
Jenna rubbed her eye tiredly as she got up, padding into the living room. As she expected, a lone figure paced the floor, seemingly lost in thought. She sighed quietly, coming up behind her boyfriend and wrapping her arms around his waist. He went still, allowing her to lean against his back.
"Come to bed," she mumbled. "You'll be in no shape for the conference tomorrow if you're exhausted."
"There are some topics that I still need to go over."
Jenna raised her head to try and get a look at his face. "Which can wait until you have a clearer mind," she pointed out.
She didn't have to make much effort though as Kaldur slowly turned around, drawing her into his familiar embrace. It gave Jenna a chance to really view him. She didn't like what she saw.
"It's been a long few weeks. They've been hard on all of us. Like Dick said, you need a break. We all do."
Kaldur frowned. "I am fine."
Jenna eyed him hard even in her weary state. "I had my break three years ago. You never did. Just like you should have a year before that. And you especially need it now," she said firmly.
Her expression softened as she examined his body language. "Don't deprive yourself of this, Kaldur. Or you will break down."
Kaldur leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on Jenna's forehead. "I won't be much longer." He pulled away.
Jenna's jaw tightened in annoyance as she watched him turn his back to her. Frustrated, she went back to the bedroom since she was too tired to try anything else.
"Conner died to protect others. He died doing what we all fight for every day. Wherever Conner is, I hope he's finally at peace."
~/~/~/~
Hello, hello! Welcome to A Canary's Cry, which might possibly be the last major installation of The Siren's Saga! Of course, that will all depend on whether we get any new seasons, but I'll save that conversation for another day.
So! A bit of information starting out, it's pretty important, so hear me out for a sec. Yes, this is the prologue of the story. I was trying to find a way to neatly delve into Phantoms since, on anyone's end who didn't go to Mars, it was going to be very abrupt and shocking to deal with Conner's 'death'. So I figured the best way to give a brief rundown of the initial reaction to it was to give this little introduction of sorts.
That being said, I'm not exactly sure when I will begin publishing the main chapters. This story is going to go in an entirely different route than we've had so far, simply because the format of Phantoms is so, well, different. Obviously, Jenna needed her own arc, which means I had a lot of thinking to do if I wanted to publish this fic which I definitely did. I've said it before, but I fully intend on writing for any season we get of Young Justice and maybe some comics as well (we'll see about those later).
Anyway, because of that, I'm going to be delving into the Black Canary/Birds of Prey comics a little bit. Some chapters will be heavily influenced by some of them, but they will not be 100% identical, however. It'll make more sense as we go on, but if you've read the comics (particularly Birds of Prey) then you'll be able to recognize many things. If not, that's okay! You don't have to in order to understand the story.
All of that said, I'm not sure when the chapters will start to be published. I want to be almost done with Jenna's arc just because that will be the main part of the fic that doesn't have any episodes to rely on aside from a few scenes here and there depending on what's going on at the time that Jenna's arc takes place. I can't really guarantee when exactly because I've been working a full-time job for a few months now and I hardly ever have free time anymore. But I've been motivated lately so I want to try to be ready by sometime in December! We'll just have to see how it goes!
This was to get you guys excited for the fic and for me to start dipping my feet in again, but I hope you liked it nonetheless! I can't wait to talk to you all again!
