Disclaimer:

We do not own Young Justice and Avengers nor its characters.

Without further ado…

Lethe

Chapter 7

Mount Justice

August 19, 19:39 EDT

"Initiate- Combat Training." The computer announced while Kaldur and Superboy slowly approached each other, holding their arms in a boxer's stance.

The light illuminated the room from the overhead circular machine. Wally, M'gann, Artemis, and Marina watched as the two boys now circled one another mere feet away. "Three. Two. One."

They charged, both smirking. Superboy tried swinging a right hook but Kaldur ducked under before launching to hit him. Kaldur punched a left-right combo to which Superboy blocked. He jumped to kick Superboy. Superboy right hooked again but Kaldur handsprung backwards, distancing himself and landing in a crouch.

Marina stuck a bandaid over her knuckles. Their training now was Black Canary's instructions when Marina last saw her.

"Though it dissolved after the… incident, the crown was confirmed a match to what the British museum reported stolen. With tracing the history of the item throughout the years, the black market in Italy is proving to be a promising lead," Black Canary debriefed Marina about their current status on finding a way for her to get back home. Marina leaned forward in anticipation. The air that hung around the two lightened a little.

"But the information for the next lead branches out to the rest of Africa, Europe, Southern America, and Asia. It is still unclear as to how Wotan has brought you here and even more vague as to why."

Marina's gaze dropped to the table. It was like saying that they were back to square one. Marina's chest throbbed with yearning to go back home. It ached even more knowing that Tony came home to an empty house. It was too soon after the disaster of the Accords. Black Canary continued, "It will take more than a month to narrow the search. And even more to check if the leads will give us what we want."

"We," Marina scoffed. Black Canary sighed.

"I know that it isn't as fast as you would want but the League is working on it," Black Canary reassured. Marina remained quiet. The last thing the young girl wanted to hear was to be patient. Black Canary's eyes strayed to the hands clasped in the younger girl's lap. Split knuckles.

"Why don't you have a training session with the Team?" Black Canary offered, trying to lift the mood. "You need to get your mind off of things. A good spar might just do that."

"Kaldur's uh, nice." Artemis told M'gann to her right, snapping Marina from her thoughts. Her lips lifted at the ends. "Don't you think?" Artemis raised her left hand as if presenting him. "Handsome. Commanding. You should totally ask him out."

Marina wrinkled her nose at the image of Kaldur dating someone on the Team. Artemis caught the 14 year old, before smirking.

"He's like a big brother to me," M'gann replied, immediately. Her eyes flickered to the speedster. "But you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally!"

M'gann looked over her shoulder to see Wally eating a burrito. "You're so full of passion," She lifted her hand to gesture to Artemis before waving it to Wally. "And he's so full of uh." Marina and Artemis watched amused as the Martian fumbled for words.

"It?" Artemis suggested before the two giggled. Marina chuckled.

"That's one way of saying it," Marina stated as the three continued to laugh. A smirk crept to Artemis' face.

"Oh I know who would be the cutest couple!" She announced. M'gann excitedly leaned forward to hear more while Marina raised a brow. "Marina and Robin!"

Heat rushed to Marina's face. M'gann clapped in agreement as Artemis teasingly looked at the younger girl. Marina stifled the blush, rolling her eyes. "No way–"

"Come to think of it. You both compliment each other's personality."

"I don't know him that well. We haven't even seen his eyes," Marina interjected. Despite being his teammate for months now, his basic information escaped her. "And must I point out that our situation of being heroes and such–"

" 'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid blind,' " Artemis interjected. Marina and M'gann tilted their heads in confusion. Artemis crossed her arms, "Um… Hello? Shakespeare? Ugh, whatever. It means that anyone in any situation, strange or unpredictable, can fall in love."

"Love?" Marina sputtered. "No– No, no, no–"

"Yes, yes, yes," M'gann squealed. Artemis' eyes lit up with teasing amusement.

Marina scowled at the two older girls. "Can we please not talk about my non-existent love life?"

They threw their heads back in laughter at Marina's expense. A small smile tugged at Marina's lips. The sound of defeat reverberated through the Cave, capturing their attention. Superboy managed to grapple Kaldur, placing his foot behind his and sending him flying to the ground.

"Fail: Aqualad." The computer said; a hologram appeared on top of the now fallen Kaldur.

Superboy brushed his hands off and bragged, "Black Canary taught me that."

Marina mentally nodded to what Superboy said. BC was the only one she was confident in sharing matters with. Anyone can tell that she takes her roles seriously and with utmost importance. It doesn't matter if it was dealing with villains or with troubled kids… such as herself.

Black Canary reading and processing emotions and intentions, Marina noticed, was second nature as her canary cry. No bullshit and beating around the bush. Straightforward yet kind. Grounded but open minded. Stern but gave praises when due.

So Marina agreed with Superboy's respect to Black Canary.

Red Tornado dropped from the hole at the center of the ceiling, using the winds to carry him down. He walked to the edge of the training ground. Wally ran to meet him. "Do you have a mission for us?" The ginger asked.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility." Tornado responded simply.

"Yeah but," Wally continued. "The Batman is with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham. But you're heading somewhere, right? Hot date or a- a missión?"

"Wow, that French accent. The guy of that caliber could be yours someday, Artemis." Marina teased quietly beside the two girls. M'gann giggled as Artemis' lips split further into a grin and nudged Marina with elbow.

"If we can be of help…" Kaldur stressed kindly. The Team presented gathered in front of Tornado. He turned as a hologram keyboard appeared. He typed as the holoscreen of Kent Nelson popped out.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend." A couple of graphs accompanying pictures of Nelson. "He is 106 years old."

Just a little over Cap's age, Marina wistfully thought of her other father figure. A pang of pain and homesickness struck her heart. His final words, though written, echoed in her mind. "And if you need me, if you need us, I'll be there." She couldn't bring herself to call him a liar.

"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety," Wally whispered to Artemis. M'gann and Kaldur stepped closer to the holoscreen. Marina massaged her palms.

"And he has been missing for twenty-three days." Red Tornado continued. "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society." The image changed to Kent's face covered with a golden helmet; his clothes turned royal blue and gold. "The precursor to your mentors' Justice League."

"Of course." Kaldur voiced his realization. "Nelson was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He was Doctor Fate."

Wally snorted and whispered to the direction of Artemis and Marina. "Pfft. More like Doctor Fake, a guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbledore's it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes." Marina ignored the speedster. She studied the images of Doctor Fate.

A sorcerer supreme… It wouldn't hurt to ask. No type of science was feasible to cross dimensions and go "back in time." Something wasn't adding up from her research. Of course, once the AI is up and running, she will cover more ground but now, the Sorcerer Supreme might just give something- anything to bring her back home.

Turning to the Team, Tornado said, "Kent may just be on one of his… walkabouts, but he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate. The source of the Doctor's mystic might, and it is unwise to leave such power unguarded."

"He's like the great sorcerer-priests and priestesses of Mars," M'gann stepped forward as she placed a hand over her heart. "I would be honored to help find him."

"Me too." Wally's hand shot up. Marina mentally scoffed. "Here we go," She thought as she watched the fakely excited Wally and a glowering Artemis from the corner of her eye. Kaldur, M'gann, and Superboy turned to Wally, brimming with fake enthusiasm.

"So honored, I can barely stand it." Artemis glared at Wally. "Magic rocks." He said as he held his hands in a Rock and Roll gesture. Artemis rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Take this." Tornado offered a brass key. "It is the key to the Tower of Fate." Kaldur took it from his hand. Marina hummed to herself. It might just be the key to her own fate.

"What are the chances," Wally purred at M'gann with cross arms. "That we both so admire the mystic arts?" M'gann just responded with a kind smile. Artemis huffed in irritation before following Marina and Kaldur to the bioship.

The very thought of the possibility of going home soon with the help of the grand sorcerer supreme plagued her mind. So close, Marina thought, I could be going home soon. She felt her body shake in anticipation and anxiety. So much anxiety.

Gods, please let this be the one.

It swirled to the bottom of her stomach, threatening to rise up if she didn't think of anything else.

"How long will it take?" Marina whispered to Artemis, leaning forward a bit closer to her. Of course, Marina meant going along with Wally's story before she, Artemis, would have enough and tell M'gann. Most probably in a fit of annoyance to spite the speedster.

At the corner of her eye, Marina saw Wally stare at the green skinned alien. Hearts practically spilled from his eyes. All that was missing from Wally to mistake him for a lovestruck highschool girl was a notebook filled with doodles of M'gann's name and his last name.

"We're about to find out," Artemis almost immediately whispered back. She drawled, "So, Wally."

Artemis sat in front of M'gann who was at the helm. To her right was Marina and Wally and to her left were Kaldur and Superboy. "When did you realize your honest affinity for sorcery?"

"Well, I-I don't like to brag," Wally stuttered, his eyes focused on M'gann. But she kept her eyes on the sky ahead. Though Marina was sure that the Martian was trying her best not to be distracted at the stare burning a hole on her body. And Marina was sure that M'gann is too nice to say anything negative about it.

"But- uh- before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself." He leaned back on his chair with lace fingers behind his head. He smiled dreamily at the preoccupied martian. Rolling her eyes, Artemis faced forward.

Marina inwardly smirked to herself. She knew for quite a time that Artemis could have a crush on Wally even if she'll be caught dead for saying anything about it. It will just be a matter of time. But like how she dealt with Bruce and Natasha, she'd say a little about that matter.

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but-" M'gann brought the bioship to descend on the street.

"Nothing's there." Superboy concluded for M'gann.

"Take us down." Kaldur instructed as he glanced at the emptiness of their coordinates. The bioship began to descend above a vacant parking lot.

Salem

August 19th; 20:22 EDT

Wally skidded to a stop in front of Artemis. "Nothing," He concluded after surveying the area. "This isn't simply camouflage."

"What do you think?" Artemis asked, hands on her hips. "Adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined phase shifting?" Marina hummed at the good suggestion while waiting for Wally to out himself as a non-believer.

"Absolutely… Not." Wally added the latter when M'gann came into his peripheral vision. "Clearly mystic powers are at work here." Artemis frowned at him and his facade. The two other boys, Kaldur and Superboy remained stoic.

"Even if it was adaptive micro-opto-electronics with phase shifting, there should still be an indication for Kent's allies to find it." Marina stated. She glanced at the metal in Kaldur's hand. "And with the key from Red Tornado as our only clue about this tower, maybe there's something important about it?"

The Team stood in the empty field; the star shining bright. In the not so distance, the building peaked above the field's trees.

"Maybe, you are correct, Marina," Kaldur mumbled.

"A test of faith," he muttered as he studied the key. Near the bottom of the key's handle was the word, insert. "Stand behind me," Kaldur moved between Artemis and Superboy and walked a foot or two in front of the Team.

Kaldur inserted the key into the air. Half of the key disappeared. When he turned the key to the right, a lock clicked. A huge stone tower appeared right in front of them.

Artemis and Wally gaped in shock as Superboy, Kaldur, and M'gann remained unfazed. Marina stood slack-jawed alongside Artemis. Kaldur pushed the door with a long creak. Unbothered, he walked into the darkness of the tower. The Team silently followed suit.

The door slammed shut behind them. Key still in the lock. Dim lights illuminated the stoned walls, floor and ceiling.

"Uh," Superboy voiced his concern. "Where'd the door go?"

The Team surveyed the room to only stare at four blank walls. A projection of Kent Nelson materialized out of the blue. A gold aura lined his body.

"Greetings." The projection welcomed. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. State your purpose and intent."

The hologram's eyes flickered to Marina, who shifted uncomfortably at the open stare. Projection Kent Nelson cocked his head, "Interesting." He mused. "You are not from here-"

"Never been to Salem," Marina said, tense. The projection raised a brow. Wally stepped forward.

"We are true believers," He began instantly after Marina, seizing the opportunity to show off. A smile played on his lips. "Here to find Doctor Fate."

The projection of Kent Nelson's scrunched up. A sad expression graced his lined face, before vanishing. Wally's smile dropped as the floor underneath the Team thundered. The ground crumbled and gave in.

Bright red light of the lava made Marina's eyes water. Thinking fast, the Team sprung into action. Superboy launched into the closest wall, gripping and clawing the wall, making the momentum of the drop lessen.

Marina twisted herself to angle her arm towards the mouth of the pit. She quickly pressed a button on her bracelet and a synthetic webbing sprung out. She swung to the wall, the soles of her sneakers gripping the rocky sides.

Not as quick and durable as Peter's web shooters, Marina thought. But it will do.

M'gann grabbed Wally and levitated them but still was falling slowly. Artemis brought out a small crossbow and shot upwards. Once anchored on high rock, she swung for Kaldur, placing their feet on the wall.

Though his fingers and the ball of his feet dug on the wall he clawed on, Superboy still dropped. He slowed but his feet met the lava bottom. He screamed in pain as he positioned his feet mere inches away from it.

"Those," he grounded out. "Were my favorite Nelson guy better be worth it."

"Having trouble…" M'gann stated as she and Wall fell slowly. M'gann's powers waned from the heat of the lava. "Maintaining altitude…" She wiped the beads of sweat from her brow.

"Ugh, I'm so hot." Marina shot a hand out to try to maintain M'gann's hovering beside her but from the extra weight of Wally and the heat, M'gann steadily dropped closer and closer to hot molten rock. Marina's support easily slipped away.

"You certainly are." Wally blurted out, staring at M'gann's sweat covered face. Marina rolled her eyes at the speedster. Even when facing death, he flirted.

"Wally!" Artemis yelled as the two were now at the same level. Wally and M'gann slowly descended. The hot air of the lava radiated closer.

"Hey, inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!"

"My physiology," Kaldur began to explain. "And M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out quickly."

Marina cursed. Maybe, if she-

Through gasps of discomfort, M'gann said, "Hello, Megan. We never truly answered the question. Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet were safe."

A panel glazed over the boiling lava, shutting itself with a thud. Superboy jumped on the panel as M'gann dropped Wally and descended down. Artemis and Kaldur were lowered with Marina right behind them.

She heard the fast turning of gears. That can't be good.

And as if on cue, the bracelet sparked and small fumes of smoke emitted. Marina analyzed the bit of the bracelet's metal frame. According to where the sparks and smoke came from, the shooter's cartilage must have combusted. She slid the web shooter device from her wrist, placing it in her pocket.

I get it, Marina sighed, the universe is telling me not to try with chemistry and Peter's synthetic webbing. It's bound to screw me over.

"This platform. It should be red hot but it is cool to the touch." Kaldur touched it with his webbed hands.

"Rocky start. But I think this is a first step in the right direction," Marina said to a nodding Kaldur. "How about we try to go five minutes without trying to kill ourselves?"

"Agreed," Superboy muttered, surveying the pit that was no longer boiling with lava.

"Don't worry Mega-licious. I gotcha." Wally tried to comfort M'gann who was staggering to stand up. He slung an arm around her.

"Enough!" Artemis exploded, shoving Wally to the wall. "Your little 'impress M'gann at all costs' game nearly got us all barbecued."

"When did this become my fault?"

"When you lied to that whatever-it-was," She jerked her head upward to the top of the chasm. "And called yourself a true believer. That's why it didn't throw us into a fiery death pit when Marina talked to it." All attention turned to the ginger.

"Wally? You don't believe?" M'gann questioned softly.

"Fine. Fine!" Wally shouted. He glared daggers at Artemis as he confessed. "I lied about believing in magic! But magic's the real lie. A major load!" He crossed his arms, looking to the side.

"Wally," Kaldur said calmly, still crouched down, feeling the cool surface. "I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The Mystic Arts created the skin icons that power my Water-bearers." Marina perked up. So that's how… She mentally filed it away to an imaginary Ask Later folder.

"Dude, have you ever heard of Bioelectricity?" Wally asked, annoyed. He added sarcastically, "Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magic too. Today, it's all a bunch of tricks."

"You're pretty closed minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers." Artemis snarled.

"That's science! I recreated the Flash's experiment, and here I am! Everything can be explained by science," he slowed his last words to emphasize his point.

"Let us test that theory." Kaldur smirked before pulling open a compartment of the platform.

"Wait!" Wally yelped. "The back draft from the lava will roast us alive!"

The compartment opened and a snow flurry greeted them. Cool winds kissed their faces as snowflakes surrounded them. "It's snow!" M'gann cheerfully said.

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" Artemis smirked to Wally whose frown deepened. The Team jumped into the opening. The snow wasn't bitterly cold, Marina noticed. She stretched her hand to let a snowflake land on it. And as soon as the last one, Wally, jumped in, the opening glowed gold and closed.

"Well?" Artemis taunted Wally in explaining, a hand on her hip.

"Ever heard of string theory? We're in a pocket dimension." Artemis growled in frustration.

"Wally, I understand where you are coming from but not everything is explained by science," Marina chimed in, trying to diffuse the tensions between Wally and Artemis. I had to land in another dimension to find out.

"What's that?" M'gann asked, pointing to a cane. The cane had a golden hilt and at the bottom of its length was ice.

"Maybe it's Nelson's magic wand." Wally said sarcastically, speeding over, gabbing it the same time as Artemis.

"I got it." They said at the same time. They narrowed their eyes at each other before they blew open. "Huh? I can't let go!" They were pulled upward by the cane and disappeared in a flash of gold.

The remaining of the Team exchanged worried glances. "Made for each other," Marina remarked at the vanished pair. M'gann quietly smiled beside Kaldur, who raised an eyebrow.

"Let us look for an exit." The cool wind howled.

They began to explore, looking everywhere for an exit from this tundra. "I don't understand Wally," M'gann spoke, breaking the silence. "It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."

"Wally," Kaldur explained. "Uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control."

Marina halted. Maybe it wasn't just Wally. Maybe that's why she hasn't gotten any answers! Magic might hold more than she originally thought. But she needed more information about it to completely say otherwise.

Marina trailed behind them, struck by Kaldur's words. A sound of a groaning door was heard by the Team. They glanced to their left and saw an opened door with steps leading to it.

"Well, that's not suspicious at all," Marina muttered as she, M'gann, Kaldur, and Superboy entered it.

A blinding light enveloped them as they stepped through. Superboy and Kaldur fell to the floor with a grunt. Marina landed on top of them with a groan. M'gann levitated herself down. They peered up to see Artemis run toward them.

"Friend of yours?" Kent asked Wally. Artemis held an arm out to help Marina up, which she gratefully took. A blue bolt hurdled to Wally and Kent, who barely dodged it. Startled, the Team sprang to their feet. On the opposite platform were Klarion and Abracadabra.

"Friend of yours?" Wally countered as he grabbed the old man to avoid another shot. The Team jumped to avoid it as well.

"Oho? What do we have here?" Klarion asked excitedly, combing through the group of teens. "One of you is very interesting. I think I have found a new play thing."

The pale blue boy cackled. His eyes rested on Marina before moving on to Artemis. Marina tensed. The witch groaned, "Curse this tower. Ever since we landed in Salem, it's been messing with me. Which one-?"

Kent hit the giant bell with his cane, making it ring. The giant yellow bell glowed.

"That was rude," Klarion commented, wrapping his arms snuggly around an orange cat. Kent and Wally entered the bell with a flash. His orange cat meowed, causing the Witch Boy to shrug. "I guess my play time can wait. Onto to fry the bigger fish."

He levitated after Wally and Nelson which left Marina and the remaining Team with the pseudo- charlatan. Marina advanced to Kadabra, aiming to get his wand. Her hand already held the knife that was concealed behind her back. She lunged at him, slashing and twisting her knife. She was a whirlwind of planned consecutive thrusts and cuts.

Within a hair's breadth, Kadabra managed to avoid her attacks. He landed a kick to her side, causing Marina to stagger back. A flash of lightning erupted from the end of the wand. She rolled out of the way. The heat of the bolt burned a little too close for comfort.

She heard another stream of lightning emit as Kaldur tried to engage Kadabra in close combat. Trying to avoid the blast, he was knocked to his knees to maintain his balance. Marina quickly swiped her side pockets and launched small throwing knives at Kadabra. Kadabra waved his wand to repel the knives away.

He whipped his wand again in the direction of the unsuspected Kaldur. The Atlantian yelled in pain as he crumpled to the ground under the lightning cage.

"Maneuver twelve!" Superboy announced. Marina understood, flying into action. She kicked the magician's side. While Kadabra felt the first, he blocked the second. He grunted, swinging down on Marina. She weaved out of the way.

Superboy took the opening, landing a kick on Kadabra's chest. He unfurled his wand. A bolt of lightning surrounded him. Superboy skidded back to evade the electricity.

M'gann and Artemis attacked from a distance. When the lightning around Kadabra died down, Marina went on autopilot, twirling and slashing her knife as she tried to get an opening. Her mind was steps ahead, calculating her next moves so that they land on her target.

She felt herself stumble as a lightning bolt crashed against her shoulder. She writhed, lowering to one knee in pain. Her muscles spasmed and convulsed.

"Look out!" Superboy yelled. Marina had barely the time to register as he pushed her out of the way. The lightning, supposedly for her, captured Superboy in an electrical cage. Grasping her injured shoulder, Marina tried to stand up. Tears burned her eyes as the hit shot pain throughout her body. Artemis stood in front of Marina, firing an arrow.

"Wally, we're in trouble." M'gann said through a telepathic link. One of her hands was placed on her temple and the other deflected shots telekinetically. Artemis shot her arrow at Kadabra. But it was easily hit off course. With a flick of his wand, Kadabra shot a beam, sending Artemis down on the ground. She writhed in an electric cage.

"Tell Kent we need Doctor Fate!" M'gann shouted in pain as she also was put into a cage.

"M'gann!" The Team's shrieks of pain overpowered Marina's shout. She growled at the "magician" before backflipping away from the electric beam. She took a knife from her belt, sprinting toward Abra Kadabra.

Tingles traveled down to her fingertips. The sensation increased as her friends' cries grew louder. With a smug look, he held his wand up to blast her with another bolt of lightning. Marina ducked right to avoid it. She felt her hands thrum with power.

The Team writhed in their cage. And just as Marina lunged to grab Kadabra, Fate's symbol appeared behind him. Surprised, Marina leapt back, raising her knife with caution. The magic man stood in his underwear and without his wand. He asked, "What?"

Marina blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. Before she took the chance to finish her opponent, Superboy stood up and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious. "Shows over." Superboy snarled.

Marina took in a shaky breath, willing the iciness in her palms to disappear. She moved toward M'gann and Artemis. "Are you okay?" She finally gasped for breath. After seeing them nod their head, she dropped to the ground.

Adrenaline ebbed away. Tiredness settled in. Kaldur stood, "Let us hope that Wally is alright. M'gann-"

"Got it," the martian declared, pressing a hand to her temple. "Wally, are you okay?" For a long second, the telepathic link met silence.

"I-I'm okay," Wally replied. Their team heaved a relieved exhale.

"That is good to hear," Kaldur nodded.

"Kent-?" Marina piped up mentally. Silence flooded their link. Dread filled her.

"I-Is he-" Artemis began. Fear seeped into the Team. A myriad of emotions thrummed through the link. Sadness and a touch of anger stuck out.

"He's gone."

Salem

August 21, 16:01

One by one, Marina watched as the members of the Justice League appeared. They looked as solemn as the weather was in Salem. The clouds overhead blocked the remaining rays of today's sun, throwing everything into a dark mood. The rain poured down on them yet no one uttered a word about it. Marina cared less about the clothes sticking to her skin.

She flicked her attention from the people coming in to the grave of Earth's Grand Sorcerer Supreme. The symbol of Fate embellished on the gravestone loomed over the names of Kent and his late wife, Inza. She knew the feeling of losing someone but never like how the Leaguers and Wally lost Kent. Never did she experience personal loss in the line of duty. It's funny how death has been more than constant in her life before the Avengers.

The thought of her family made her feel desolate. She was in the world without them. She pushed the thoughts away.

She didn't have any energy to voice a slight disgruntlement. Instead, she focused on the League. It wasn't fair for her to gripe over not finding a way back to her family while the Justice League mourned a loss within their own.

It was bittersweet, Marina mentally declared. Wally shared to the Team what had happened in the short time he and Artemis were with Kent. On how he had returned to his wife, Inza, after how many years.

She knew that the wait that Mr. Nelson had endured was worth everything just to be reunited with his beloved. Marina recalled Steve and his first and last love, Peggy. She never forgot the longing and sorrow in his eyes as he looked at her picture and finally when he received the news of her passing.

How is he now? Gods, how's Tony? Barely even two months have gone by- after the fight… He must be going mad… Marina stared at the grave, silently worrying about the family she was stolen from. The train of her thoughts paused when the android stepped forward.

"Kent Nelson did not require a magic helmet to be a hero," Red Tornado started. "Kent dedicated his life…"

Words of Kent's fellow comrade fell deaf to Marina's ears. Her brain seemed to go on autopilot, filing to the bioship and heading back to the Cave. The Team comforted in one another. No words spoken. Robin even chose to return with them.

Marina cleared her files from the living room quickly. When returning, she spotted all the other six members on the couch. The TV played quietly. She dropped on a vacant space between the girls. The helpless feeling of not knowing what to say settled in her again.

Instead of speaking, she took Artemis' and M'gann's hand in hers. Marina kept her eyes on the TV as a movie played. M'gann sniffled, laying her head on Marina's shoulder. Artemis did not express her feelings as openly as M'gann but Marina felt Artemis squeeze her hand tightly. Kent's death took a toll on all of the teens.

Marina comfortingly brushed M'gann's hair away from her face. Minutes, maybe even hours, passed by. The Team did not move.

M'gann slid to lay on Marina's lap as sleep overtook her. Artemis snuggled further into the couch. From across them, Kaldur closed his eyes. His head fell on the sofa's backrest. Wally found a spot on the floor, clutching a cushion to himself. Superboy blankly watched the TV's screen.

Marina's eyes slowly closed. She didn't fight the exhaustion anymore. She gently raised M'gann's head, shifting to a more comfortable position. She laid M'gann on the couch's softness while she curled an arm underneath her head. Cheek pressed to her folded arm, Marina drifted off.

Blinded by her desire to return home, she did not see the family already in this world. Marina felt the chill of selfishness. But a warmth enveloped her. A presence pulled away. Unconsciously, she followed it. She sighed when she reached it. Finally, Marina sunk further into the comfort.

Author's Note:

Hello, everyone! We hope that you were able to look into the Team's dynamics with Marina more. She's not giving up on going back to her universe but some obstacles still stand in her way.

Just a few notes about the last chapters:

In the previous chapter, Marina says, "As if your destinies spelled out M-A-Y or T-O-N-Y," Marina muttered underneath her breath. "Actually, this should be G-R-O-S-S." This is our nod to Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr's movie together called Only You, where Marisa Tomei's character finds the name of her "missing half" through a ouija board.

The quote, "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid blind." comes from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We thought that Artemis' love for books is incredibly interesting. Though the first season does not as prominently show her passion for reading, we figured that it would be nice to show it as early as now. And this shows how Marina isn't really into books– nor did she have any time to read literary classics such as Shakespeare in her past.

We have a tumblr for Lethe! For every chapter we upload, we want to give you something extra. Moodboards, playlists, and maybe even snippets (spoilers?! Who knows) will be posted in this tumblr: (remove the parentheses and spaces then get the bold letters)

[https] [:] [/] [/] [topamine-and-andorphins] [.] [tumblr] [.] [com]

Thank you for reading the latest installment of Lethe! See you soon!