Defunct. That was the word Batman had used to describe the safe-house. It was a negative word but a mild one, drawing up images of a house sitting dark just waiting for a guest to arrive or someone to use a duster around the place. Defunct implied casually out of use but somehow that word gave it far too much credit. Derelict was probably a better word Superboy thought grimly. Derelict and forgotten. The League had never used this particular safe-house and as a result it had fallen into obscurity and disrepair.
The house stood at the sandy edge of a private cove where white sand met hard packed earth. It was a large Victorian style home, its shingles molded with a few of them blown away and the blue paint of the wooden frame sanded and bleached by the wind and rain.
A small once white wooden gate hung between the trail leading from house to sandy beach swaying forlornly on one hinge and creaking each time the wind slapped it open. The driveway was cracked and overgrown with weeds and the edges of the windows had a thick buildup of errant, wind-blown sand.
The Bio-ship, camouflaged as a burgundy mini-van, parked in the cracked driveway and gave a small chirp of incredulity.
"Oh doesn't look too bad," Black Canary said charitably to the Bio-ship as she parked her bike to the left of the masked minivan. "A little paint, a little soap…
"New plumbing, a new foundation, an overhaul of the entire electrical system and you ought to be right as rain," Green Arrow chipped in as he parked to the right of the ship.
Dinah Lance hopped off her bike and walked around the minivan just to punch her husband playfully on the shoulder. He chortled and rewarded her with a cheerful smirk. "Alright so maybe it's not that bad, but still it's not a looker."
"We're not really looking to draw attention," Conner reminded them the van door slid open. He shrugged as he stepped out of Bio-ship but he frowned at the worn down home just the same.
Wolf slipped out after him and sniffed in the direction of the old house. He wrinkled his snout and looked back at Conner dubiously.
"We'll… make it work," Conner insisted, speaking more to Wolf than the two Justice Leaguers.
Wolf huffed and jaunted off in the opposite direction of the house.
Oliver pulled off his helmet and chuckled. "How did a wild wolf get so damn picky?"
"He'll get used to it," Conner said gruffly. "It's not forever after all."
"I hope you keep that in mind often," Oliver replied amiably. "I've had my share of having to lay low; gets damn hard sometimes but before you know it the bad times will have passed and you'll walk out of there better than you were before."
Superboy looked away from the house, incredulity heavy in his blue eyes. "I hope you're right."
"Yeah, so am I," laughed Ollie. He sobered quickly, a warm smile forming on his mustachioed face. "Look, I know Batman said limited contact but Batman be damned; if you need anything just give me a call," Oliver said, grasping Superboy's hand.
"And if you or M'gann need to talk, please let me know, we'll arrange something," Dinah added sympathetically.
Conner managed a wan smile. He was more grateful to them than words could express. They hadn't needed to escort the bio-ship but they had just in case the Light had gotten wind of them going to ground. "I'll keep it in mind. Thank you both."
The pair made their goodbyes and hopped back onto their motorcycles. Conner watched them take off, taillights bright as night approached. As they disappeared he heard the door to the house creak open and turned just in time to see the tall white figure of M'gann move inside.
Conner's small smile morphed into a frown as he set off after her. The house was dark but he found a switch and flicked it on revealing the dusty insides of the home. The door let into a hall and on the left was a living room and to the right a kitchen. The place was old but it was big. Further down the hall was a set of stairs leading to the upper rooms and the turret styled bedroom that made up the classic Victorian style look to the home.
Conner caught M'gann just starting to ascend the stairs then once again she disappeared as she climbed. For a moment he debated letting her be, but, steeling himself, he followed.
The upstairs was just as dark and dusty as the downstairs but he followed M'gann's trail, sensing her more than seeing her. Since Perfection's attack their mind-link had remained open. M'gann didn't have the strength to close it so he could sense her, if barely, at all times.
He came to another set of short stairs and followed it up to the turret shaped room. There was no light on but the door was opened just a crack.
The last of the dreary day's light was the only illumination as Conner further opened the door to the room. The blinds were closed but the faint light seeping through the cracks allowed him to just barely make out the place. It was the largest room of the home but it had certainly seen better days. The blinds were broken and partially hanging, the floor was covered in dust, cobwebs hung like garlands along the walls and the tall ceiling, and white sheets covered what little furniture there was.
An old bed sat at the left wall of the room. It too was covered with a dusty white sheet, but M'gann's form lay on it, her front turned away from the door. She was too long for the bed so she was curled up, her knees against her chest and her arms around her knees.
For a moment he considered reaching out to her but stopped himself before he could speak over the mind-link. What would he say to her? She had spent five days in the Watchtower infirmary in the exact same way, talking to no one, keeping to herself, torturing herself in her own mind, and drowning in the depths of her own despair.
No, there was nothing he could say to bring her out of it, he supposed.
But then, when had words ever been his strong suit?
No, words weren't his strength, he thought as he closed the door, leaving M'gann alone. He set his jaw as determination filled him. Words weren't his strength, action was.
0000
Creak.
M'gann opened her eyes as the sound reached her room. This was her first night in the house and she knew there would be some adjustments to the noises but she hadn't heard any large, strange sounds for hours.
Creak.
Creak.
Creeeeeeaak.
The incessant noise was faint, telling her it was coming from downstairs. It sounded like someone was walking through the old house but it was late in the night.
Even through the veil of her morose she couldn't help but wonder what was making the noise, but just as she seriously started to ponder the question it stopped.
M'gann sighed softly and closed her eyes again, seeking to find the oblivion of sleep once more.
THUNK!
BANG!
THUNK!
M'gann opened her eyes once more, annoyance clear on her alien face.
What in the world was happening downstairs?
Without thinking, M'gann rose and strode out of the room. The hall was pitch black but she clumsily found her way down the small set of stairs then the longer one and set foot on the ground floor. She looked to her right then her left and spied a harsh yellow light spilling from the direction of the kitchen.
Tense now, M'gann prowled to the kitchen. Was there an intruder she wondered? Had the Light already found them?
As she turned the corner she spied hints of life in the dusty kitchen. The sheets had been pulled off the furniture and a kettle was steaming on the archaic stove that looked like it had been ripped from the 90's. Someone had stacked their few boxes they'd gotten from the cave on the right side of the table and on the left were a dozen or so manila folders.
M'gann inched closer to the table and used a singular finger to flip open one of the folders. The face of Vandal Savage stared sternly at her and below the picture of him several lines of recent information.
The dull bang filled the air again making M'gann jump. She looked over the table and there she saw Conner, pulling up floorboards.
M'gann retreated on instinct, shooting back around the corner where he couldn't see her. She didn't want anyone to see her. He didn't say anything though and the noise didn't stop. For a moment she contemplated going back upstairs but she had no answers and those she wanted badly enough to stay.
Summoning her courage she peeked back around the corner, this time knowing where to look. The Boy of Steel still didn't look up at her though she knew that he knew she was there. His fingers squeezed old nails and ripped them up so that he could pull up a plank of wood. He then tossed it into a slowly growing pile near the middle of the floor. Already he was halfway done, the kitchen now looking more construction site than actual kitchen.
Curiosity chased away M'gann's overburdened emotions. It wasn't the strangest thing she had ever seen but it was close. "Conner, what are you doing?" she asked mentally.
"Pulling up the kitchen floor," he replied easily.
"I can see that but…why?"
"Long story," he said in his normal terse fashion.
She waited for him to explain but there was only silence over their link as he pulled up another board.
"Well…?" she asked at last.
"Well what?"
She blew of sigh of frustration. "Aren't you going to tell me what's got you pulling up the floor?"
"Only if you stop hiding around the corner," he said evenly. "We may be able to speak through our minds but I'm not going to talk to an empty room."
For a moment M'gann wished her throat was healed. She didn't normally curse but a sudden burst of frustration made her want to chitter off a slew of Martian expletives. Conner wasn't going to make this easy. She could either stay curious or stay unseen but she couldn't have both.
Curiosity won.
Sighing, M'gann rounded the corner and stalked warily into the kitchen. She rounded the table and loomed over the destruction Conner was undertaking with the floors. "Happy now?" she asked self-consciously.
Conner nodded but didn't look up from his work and though she was annoyed with him, she couldn't help but feel warm at his consideration. He didn't want her to hide but at least he wasn't going to stare and make her more uncomfortable than she already was.
"I asked Robin to… borrow some files from the Watchtower for me." He nudged his head towards the table. "I thought while we were here I could try and piece together what's the Light's end goal with Perfection," he gave a small huff. "I started pacing as I read, Robin used to do that when he was trying to figure something out. Always worked for him so I thought it might work for me but every step I took these floor boards were just creaking. It was driving me crazy. So I decided to do something about it, maybe get this place fully cleaned up while we're here."
M'gann looked at the clock on the kitchen stove. "But if that clock is right it's two in the morning…."
"It's an hour off. It's actually one." He took up another board and flung it into the pile.
"So you decided the best course of action was to start renovating at one a.m.?" she asked.
"Why not?" He shrugged.
"Why not? Because some people are trying to sleep," she growled peevishly.
"Who would those people be?" he asked, pulling out a crooked nail and bending it straight with his fingers. "No one lives close to this place. As far as I can tell, the 'some people' aren't trying to sleep, some people are trying to mope."
M'gann narrowed her lozenged-shaped eyes angrily. "Mope?! Conner Kent if you think… think…." M'gann struggled to find a word, or a denial for that matter but everything came woefully lacking. "That's not true," she spat at last.
"What were you planning to do today? Or tomorrow? Or the day after that? Sleep? Just like you did in the infirmary?"
M'gann gave a gargled chitter from her healing throat, trying for a Martian expletive even in her weakened state.
But, truthfully, she didn't have an answer.
"I was going to think of something," she said at last but it sounded fake even to her.
"Let me know when you actually do, until then why don't you help me figure out what the Light is trying to do with Perfection," Conner suggested. M'gann could hear the smile in his mental voice though for the life of her she didn't know how. "Unless you do just plan to mope around until your powers start to heal."
M'gann glared at him furiously. Conner wasn't the type to put anyone into unenviable positions, but if she didn't help in some capacity it would look like she was just moping around.
Besides, she really didn't have anything else to do.
M'gann gave a rough, loud huff and slid the file of Vandal Savage closer. Despite her present state she was still M'gann. She was still a hero and their enemies had dealt them a grievous blow. "I don't think we should start with him. Let's start with Perfection and work our way back."
"I told them everything I knew about Tiffany," Conner said, still steadily working. "Maybe you have a little more insight about her."
M'gann grimaced inwardly. The mere thought of Perfection made her wilt on the inside, made her feel the residual pain the woman had inflicted. "Not much. We never interacted after that… time in the hall."
The time she had called Conner her boyfriend. The first day they had ever actually established what they were.
"And that evening you mind-linked us," Conner replied fondly. "You said it would leave us no room to doubt or debate about how what we felt and you were right."
They were getting distracted now, but M'gann couldn't seem to pull her focus back onto the files. She had known another conversation about them was coming. She dreaded it but needed it all the same.
"That was before –
"– this," Conner finished for her. "You keep telling me that."
"Well it was, Conner," irritation pricked her tone. "How do I know things wouldn't have been different if I had told you then?"
"You don't," Conner replied. "But did you ever really think you wouldn't tell anyone ever, would just keep us always in the shadows?"
M'gann closed her eyes. "I didn't think that far ahead, Conner. It was all new. I didn't come to Earth thinking… thinking I'd ever actually fall in love. How do you plan for that?"
"I guess you can't," Conner agreed. "But didn't you think that maybe you ought have considered it after I broke up with you and you got close with La'gann?"
La'gann. The name suddenly stirred shame into M'gann. She sank to the floor and placed her back against the edge of the table. "H'ronmeer, I don't know what I was thinking when I started flirting with La'gann. He was nice but…."
"You were hurt that we broke up," Conner said gruffly. "You reach out when you hurt, I draw in."
That surprised her. She had never thought about it that way, but hadn't it happened just like that? She was searching for something to fill that gap and she had reached out for La'gann. "Does he really know me that well?" she asked inwardly. A moment later she realized she had sent it over their mental link instead of keeping the question to herself.
He chuckled. "I should. We were together for two years. He only got one date."
"La'gann didn't get a date," M'gann admitted slowly.
"You turned him down?" He tried to say it casually but M'gann thought she could hear a tinge of relief in his voice.
M'gann winced a bit. "Sort of. I didn't give him an answer. I just told him I would think about it."
"What would you have said if the mission would have been a success?"
M'gann let out a long, scratchy sigh. "I would've told him no," she finally admitted. "I wasn't ready for another relationship, and, well, when the team came to see me in the infirmary I could tell that whatever might have been brewing between me and him was over. He couldn't even look me in the eyes. I should have probably cleared things up before we all scattered but it was obvious. We didn't need to say anything." She heaved another sad sigh. "I wish I could have apologized to him though, for giving him hope for something that I didn't really feel."
"Even if you could contact him right now I don't think it would make much of a difference. La'gann quit the team before Batman made his announcement of us separating." Conner shrugged. "He took the first high tide out of here he could. I don't think he could handle it."
"Or me. After all those things he said about me I don't think he wanted to see me again."
Conner huffed. "He was a jerk anyway."
"I can't blame him. He was probably angry I lied to him." She looked over at Conner. "Aren't you angry too?" Had it hit him yet? Did he finally see just how massive this was?
"I'm not upset," he said plainly, truthfully, as he continued to rip up boards. "You shouldn't have lied to me, but it doesn't change the fact that I love you anyway. I can either chose to forgive or not and I choose forgiveness."
M'gann's shoulders slumped though something within her, a small spark she thought had been smothered by her sadness, seemed to alight inside her. "Just like that?"
"Just like that," he said.
M'gann tensed, thinking Conner was going to bring up trying to be with her again. She didn't have the will or energy to parse out that conversation. It was still a raw and painful thing, but to her surprise he didn't bring it up. She didn't even sense him wanting to ask. Had he finally decided to give up?
While that possibility wasn't off the table, M'gann didn't consider that the case at all. Conner was stubborn. He didn't give up that easily. So what was he up to?
"While I'm pulling the rest of these boards up do you want to continue reading over those files?" Again she felt his smile through their mental connection. "We're no Boy Wonder but I think we can do alright."
M'gann looked up at the table and slowly stretched out a long, spindly arm. With a few flicks of her long two fingers she gathered the scattered files and pulled them neatly into her lap. "I guess so," she agreed with a hint of humor. "I won't be getting back to sleep anytime soon."
"Good. Let's get back on track." For the first time since she had entered the kitchen he looked up at her and she could see that calm, steady determination in his eyes. "I don't think we should start at Perfection. Let's start at the beginning and work our way to where we are now. We have more info than ever so let's start fresh."
It made sense, M'gann had to admit, but as she flipped open the first folder she had the vague impression that he wasn't just talking about the files.
0000
J'onn J'onzz was many things, a friend, a hero, a Martian, but at the core of himself, no matter who he was with or who he shape-shifted to be, he was a detective first.
He had been an investigator on Mars as well as Earth and while he hadn't used his detective skills in any great capacity for years J'onn J'onzz knew a mystery when he saw one.
And Batman letting M'gann stay on the team was a mystery that didn't make sense at all.
It wasn't that J'onn wasn't relieved by the choice, he was, but he knew Batman too well. He would not have let M'gann stay on without any repercussions. He hadn't even stipulated a probation period. To anyone assessing the situation from far away they might say it was due to the team's temporary disbandment but that was for the good of the team, it didn't satisfy Batman's legendary suspicions of everyone and everything, especially someone who had broken trust. Batman's suspicions should have been riled, but they weren't. And that was a problem.
So, J'onn got to sleuthing. And so far what he knew only dredged up more questions.
Standing before one of the huge Watchtower windows, J'onn stared ponderously out at the floating blue and white marble that was the Earth. It was over one-thirds water, a large kingdom indeed for one Arthur Curry. There were many difficulties in sustaining such a vast realm, and though Atlantis had its woes, Aquaman was a good king. He had his pulse on most of the troubles of his realm, especially the troubles of the ones nearest to him – like his two protégés on the team.
J'onn closed his eyes and drew into himself, focusing on yesterday's visit to Atlantis. As usual Aquaman's hospitality had made him feel right at home. They had chatted casually throughout dinner until J'onn steered the conversation to gloomier subjects, ones regarding the temporarily disbanded team.
"Things have been tense here since Kaldur accused me and the League of weakness and politicking," Aquaman had explained sadly.
After Batman's announcement of their disbandment Kaldur had exploded on Batman and the League, accusing them of failing to do what it would take to keep the world safe. He had left the Watchtower in anger and had sworn he would find people more driven to protect the world.
"I am sorry, Arthur. I cannot begin understand your pain, losing someone that was your protégé, someone that you held in such high regard," J'onn replied gently. "How fares La'gann?"
Aquaman reached for a goblet of some potent liquid and took a sparing sip. Consternation made his blonde brows bunch. "That final mission had a deep effect on him as well. La'gann has given up the hero surface-life and has enlisted in the Atlantean military instead. He said that the surface world was a little too strange for him."
"I see," J'onn said thoughtfully. Though Kaldur's outburst was shocking there was nothing strange in what Aquaman had to tell him, and out of all the senior leaders, save for Batman, he knew his protégés the best.
For a moment J'onn thought he was wrong, that there was no mystery afoot. Maybe his detective skills weren't what they used to be. Maybe he was just imagining something was going on, then Aquaman said, "And to be honest I'm glad he made the choice all his own."
J'onn arched a ledged brow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Batman asked me to recall La'gann back to Atlantis." Aquaman confided. "I was still trying to figure out what had happened when La'gann arrived himself and told me he didn't want to stay on the surface world anymore."
That peaked J'onn's interest. "When did Batman ask you to send La'gaan back to Atlantis?"
Aquaman pondered for a moment. "A little over a week ago. He had just returned to the Watchtower after giving the team orders to infiltrate the Bialyan military base. He wanted La'gann off the team after the mission was over."
"Did he explain why?"
"He said that La'gann was too impetuous." Aquaman huffed. "As if that's ever stopped any of us from fighting the good fight."
"So you disagreed with him?"
Aquaman smiled cheerlessly, as if the question nearly amused him but not quite. "Of course I disagreed but he refused to elaborate further. Once the Bialyan mission was over I planned to summon La'gann back to Atlantis so that he could explain to me personally what might be going on with the team, but that's when La'gann returned all on his own. He looked rattled and upset so I didn't pry. And to be honest I'm glad La'gann has got the surface world out his system." He added quickly, "No offense."
"None taken," J'onn replied absently, barely hearing him now. His mind revolved around the information Aquaman had just given him. Something was going on. Batman had wanted La'gann off the team – why?
J'onn pulled himself away from his memories and once more focused on the large blue orb that was Earth rotating in the vastness of space. He touched the commlink in his ear. "Red Tornado, I do not wish to cause you any alarm, but I will be making a trip down to Mount Justice to join you in the security rebuilding. There is much, I think, I need to see."
0000
Lex Luthor watched the world go by from the top of the Metropolis Lexcorp building. The thick glass provided him an excellent view of the city below, a view much like the one Superman might see as he flew by. Cheer did not come easy to Lex but he found himself almost smiling. He was in a pleasant mood.
While Perfection hadn't succeeded in capturing the Superboy, she had performed excellently in her first taste of real combat. She had even managed to draw the Bialyan media's attention to the military base and with that act of genius the U.N was demanding answers from the Justice League.
The heroes were being cagey about it too, only sowing more distrust in the minds of the public.
Yes, things were going swimmingly.
"Mr. Luthor," Mercy Grave's voice came from the door to the room. "It's almost dawn," she said, using the codewords that announced that the meeting was about to begin.
"Thank you, Mercy." Luthor slowly spun in his chair to face a blank computer screen. The windows in his office suddenly darkened and the screen winked on.
Vandal Savage's face stared at him, and he too was smiling. "Greetings fellow members of the Light. I apologize for the abrupt meeting but we have a windfall of excellent news."
"Please, do not keep us waiting for dramatic effect," the Ultra-huminite growled.
Vandal ignored the comment but the smirk didn't leave his face. "As you all know Luthor's new weapon, Perfection, dealt the Justice League's covert operations team a grievous blow in the Bialyan desert. We believed we knew the extent of the damage but now we have a greater understanding of their loss. Due to the discovery of their many secrets, the Justice League's undercover team has scattered, gone to ground."
"And how do you know this?" Lex asked curiously.
"Black Manta's son. He so graciously provided that information and so much more." Vandal turned and reached out his hand, pointing to the young figuring in a dark diving suit standing beside Black Manta. "May I introduce Black Manta's newest protégé, his son, Kaldur'ahm, or as he would like to be called Black Menace."