Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.
A/N: You don't have to read this if you don't like it, don't hate just go away.
Chapter 12: This can't be real
Mount Justice; October 16th, 16:01 EDT
Red Tornado watches the screen in the center of the training space, turning to a second screen as another transmission comes through.
It's Zatara. "Tornado, did you-" he cuts himself off, unable to get himself to say it despite his low and worried tone.
"Yes Zatara, we saw." Tornado says with the Team standing resolutely behind him, already suited up. "Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures."
"Affirmative, see you in the field." Zatara responds and signs off.
Tornado turns to the Team. "I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs, but should we fail, the responsibility falls to you."
Aqualad makes a cursory glance at the Team before looking resolutely at Tornado. "We stand ready."
A camera pans from the destruction of a city as a woman's voice speaks over the screaming in the background before it lands on her in shaky movements. "This is Iris West-Allen reporting live. The extra-terrestrials have brought their relentless global attack to Central City."
The ships fire at the curve of the arch, knocking it to the street below, while another fires at civilians who were running for their lives, destroying them in groups.
One heads right for Iris, but just as it gets close enough to fire, the Flash swoops in, grabbing the redhead and the beam explodes in front of the camera.
"Tronsnart siht namaremac ot ytefas." Zatara voice intones, imbued with power. As two ships approach the camera, the world is covered by gold and as the gold fades away Zatara stands on a roof of a building, and Flash slows to a stop before setting Iris down. "You should both be safe here, at least for now."
"Thank you, Flash and Zatara." Iris says hesitantly. Flash places an arm on her shoulder before running off.
"Etativel won!" Zatara chants and a see through bronze-tinted platform forms under his feet and he rises into the air.
"Danny, are you okay?" Iris asks calmly, the cameraman raises his hand into the frame and gives a thumbs up. Iris smiles and turns the reporter back on. "As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to hold the line."
Zatara and Flash races up to where a group of people are trapped on top of a burning building, as a ship approaches them. A shot goes off, and the top of the building explodes. The camera quickly pans back down to Iris. "No." Is barely picked up by the mic in her hand.
The feed jumps to where Cat Grant is sitting at her station, shouting because behind Iris' back is another ship. "Iris… Iris, get out of there!" The feed is lost and Cat sits back in her chair.
"I'm sorry, we're experiencing technical difficulties from our Central City feed. We take you now to a devastated Taipei where another League contingent is having more luck."
The ships fly around Taipei, one hits Hawk woman in the back on screen, then fires again at Hawkman as he turns to look for his partner, taking him down too.
Green Arrow has two arrows with augmented tips already notched and he fires. At his six Black Canary screeches and takes out a group of five or six ships that were flying through the skyline.
One comes through the smoke, and while Green Arrow goes to fire his arrow at the ship, it fires first, taking both of them out.
Cat looks on at the now black screen before turning forward with a calm face and a level voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and both Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Other are being reported dead or missing include Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman."
Wonder Woman flies about the city, using her lasso to throw one ship at another and destroy both of them.
"Wonder Woman, above you." Red Tornado calls out, and she gets enough time to partially block the beam with her bracers before she is taken out too.
Red Tornado looks up to see the mothership coming down over him, and he has to get out of the way, only able to watch as it lands on Smallville.
Tornado uses his hands to release tornados out in front of him, to deter ships, but they circle around him out of his range. "Red Tornado to Cave. I fear, I am all that remains of the League."
"RT." Robin's voice comes through in the comms as he is hit in the back by the yellow-orange beam.
The Team watches the four scenes of defeat from within the Mountain. "We… we are Earth's Heroes now." Aqualad says strongly. "So, what are we waiting for, a theme song?" Superboy demands.
"A strategy." Aqualad says as he turns to him. "Earth's weapons are ineffective and it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed."
Aqualad looks at Robin with a slight hope, the Boy Wonder quickly taps on his HoloGlove. "Checking satellite imagery." The image is pulled up in front of the whole Team. "Here's where the aliens are now."
"Did this one get lost?" Conner asks, gesturing to one near the North Pole. "It's Superman's Fortress of Solitude." Robin realizes after a moment.
Conner looks both affronted and confused. "Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?"
"Its power source must have attracted the aliens' attention, at least enough to send a scout ship to investigate." Robin justifies.
"Must be some fortress." He grouches lowly as he turns away. M'gann is quick to try and comfort him as well. "Conner."
"No, it's okay. I guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know." He stops and stutters over that for a moment. "Uh, well you know, now." Kid Flash said.
"We will target this lone ship." Aqualad decides. "Yeah, break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo." Kid says strongly, punching his fist into his open hand to prove his point, but Artemis elbows him in the side. "Ow!"
"Martian and Kryptonian and… whatever Legend is in the house." She reminds him, gesturing to said team members.
(I couldn't find a name for Icons species, the wiki just said that he is an Alien.)
The three look at Wally expecting him to try and get his foot out of his mouth. "Uh, not that all aliens are automatically ugly." He half laughs.
Outside of the Fortress of Solitude, promptly labeled with Superman's S symbol on the door, the Arctic Wind howls as the alien ship sits idly by.
Artemis, in winter gear, moves through the ice formations to an opening that lets her see the side of the ship.
Miss Martian is camouflaged as she flies up to the ship, her eyes glow green for a moment before she uses her Telekinesis to rip the end of one of the wings. "Communications disabled." She informs before it falls to the icy ground. "Propulsion disabled."
Artemis comes out from her hiding spot and fires an arrow at the center red spot on the ship's front, that expands and then immediately hardens. Now the ship is firing around trying to find them. They get the area right and one shot lands rather uncomfortably close. "And ETs are sealed inside."
Aqualad has his vantage point under the ice, as he jumps through the ice with his Water Bearers ready the ship sinks a little. The laser turns to Aqualad immediately and there's nothing he can do other than brace for impact.
Wolf jumps in and knocks the shot off course and continues to hold onto it until Superboy is braking it from on top of the ship, keeping it from moving.
Wolf and Fang growl as they lands on the ice in front of the ship.
Kid Flash is a barely noticeable blur, apart from his ginger locks, Robin jumps off his shoulders and lands on the ship. He then began tapping away on his HoloGlove. "Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship." He stands from his crouch and points them out along the connection route. "Here, here, and here."
Miss Martian delivers three quick telekinetic blasts right where he was pointing, Aqualad watches from the wing as Superboy and Legend pull at the laser.
One of the refiners comes loose Wolf, Fang, Legend, and Superboy can hear it whir to life. Superboy glances behind him but continues yanking on it with Legend. With a growl, Wolf and Fang jump and pushes them out of the way. Superboy and Legend roll through the snow and land safely, looking back at the now-empty space.
Miss Martian gapes at the space. "Wolf, Fang!" Is all she manages to get out. Robin is tapping away on his HoloGlove, checking every wavelength he can think of. "There was no indication of any feedback." Slowly he turns his head over his shoulder to Superboy and Legend. "I'm sorry."
Superboy looks down for a moment. "We can't do anything for them now." He says, barely holding back his rage. "Except finish this." Legend said. They both go back to continue yanking the laser off. "Come on." They groan together out before it comes loose.
Miss M watches it come loose with surprise, then calls the camouflaged Bioship to their location. Superboy and Legend hear it and jump on before it stops. Superboy swings the laser over top and Miss Martian places her hands on the ship, communicating with It, the hull of the ship moves in swirls to meet the new technology.
"Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's bio-matrix. We'll need to de-camouflage for a few minutes." "We may not have a few minutes." Robin says as they watch two more ships fly over their now noticeable location, then loop back.
"Miss Martian, open fire!" Aqualad commands, only sparing a quick look over his shoulder.
"Can't, weapons systems haven't incorporated the new cannon. And that's not fully integrated yet either." She too keeps looking back at the now approaching ships.
"Gotcha covered, get inside! I'm almost there." Artemis says, the only one not on the Bioship, with three arrows notched. She fired them at the ships, she then turns around and runs towards the ship.
She shoots two more arrows, one explodes in the air while the other lands in the snow.
Despite the crash, the laser turned towards her and whirs to life. Miss M turns away from the now integrated canon. "Artemis, behind you!"
She turns, another arrow notched, and pulling back on the drawstring. The laser hits before she even releases.
"Artemis!" Miss M screams. Behind Miss Martian's back Kid, Legend and Aqualad drop off the Bioship.
"Artemis!" Kid yells. Legend looks furious as Aqualad reaches for his Water Bearers.
"Get inside. All of you." Aqualad commands, running forward with his Water Bearers out, Followed by Legend, they both come to a stop where the ice has been broken and Aqualad uses his magic to create a torrent of water that rips apart the Ice. Bringing the ship up nearly thirty feet into the air, where its instinctive shot has no effect until he brings both his Bearers in front of him and the water turns into giant icicles.
Legend then jumped and stabbed straight through the ship with his bare hand, causing it to blow up.
"They're dead. Every single one of them. If it's the last thing I do." Kid growls out. "Get in line." Legend growls while looking out the window. M'gann fights back her tears as she pilots the Bioship, but her breathing show just how hard she's trying not to sobbing.
Kid loses his temper and takes it out on the console in front of him.
Aqualad turns towards them as he stands. "There will be time to mourn later, right now we have a job to do. Defend the Earth and ensure Artemis' sacrifice was not in vain."
M'gann has dried her tears. "Back to the Cave?" She asks.
"No, to the Hall of Justice." Aqualad corrects. "The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them. That there is still hope."
An American flag still waves In the wind in front of Capital Hill, and a solider looks through binoculars. "OPEN FIRE, NOW!"
Tanks and soldiers open fire on the alien ships, but they dodged out of effortlessly. They then used their lasers to destroy the tanks. The soldiers have to scatter as the large weaponry explodes.
A camouflaged Bioship drops in behind the ships, the bottom opened up and Superboy and Legend each drop out of the ship. They landed on top of the ships, taking them out of the air with only a few punches.
The Bioship opens fire on the other two, taking them out. The ships that Superboy and Legend are taking down skid to a halt mere yards in front of the military officer and his forces.
They jump off the ships, unintentionally hitting their father's pose's for before landing Infront of the soldiers. As they stood up, the Bioship came to a halt and de-camouflaged, opened the rear hatch where the rest of the Team stood.
The soldiers cheer. "You see, It is Superman. I don't know who the other guy is but he's obviously a hero too. I told you the hero's wouldn't leave us out here alone." One soldier says as he elbows his buddy and points at the super clones.
"I don't know, they look kind of young." Another solider remarks. "Yeah, I mean where's the cape?" Superboy turns away quickly. "I'm not Superman." He says strongly.
The general steps up. "I don't know who you two boys are and right now I don't care. You wear the S, and you got the job done, you and your friend here." He looks down. "I'm not Superman." Superboy said once more, Legend turns and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell that to the enemy." The general turns to Aqualad and salutes. "General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force."
"Aqualad, Justice League. We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible, then we start taking back what is ours."
The soldiers wait outside the Hall of Justice. Inside Superboy looks up amongst the rubble at the mostly intact statue of Superman.
"They're really gone." Robin mumbles barely turning to Aqualad. Superboy watches as Miss M floated by him and stopped before the fallen top of her Uncle's statue, sobbing.
Suddenly her eyes snap open and she backs away from the statue, lifting it with her telekinesis, revealing Martian Manhunter beneath the rubble. "Uncle J'onn!" She shouts happily, tossing the statues' head away.
She goes back towards him but Legend gets in her way. "Miss Martian, check his mind, make sure he is who he appears to be." Aqualad says as he walks up next to them.
"It's him, he's real, and he's alive." Miss M assures. "But we saw him get disintegrated." Superboy contradicts and accuses. "Him, Superman, Icon, everyone."
Miss M helps her uncle to his feet. "Yes, I remember, but… I cannot remember… how I survived… or how I arrived here." Man hunter said groggily, holding his hand to his head.
"Maybe you were density-shifting and the beam passed right through you." Miss M offers. "Scrambling your brains along the way." Robin pipes up. "My mind is clouded, I feel certain I had something important to tell you."
Wally smiles. "Hello, Wally," He hits his head like Miss M does. "Come on." Robin turns toward him, arching an eyebrow.
The two stand atop a Jeep, while Robin has his HoloGlove out as they all look at the acquired weapon.
"I knew it, look." He points out one reading on the HoloGlove. "It's giving off Zapopan radiation. The same stuff that powers the Zeta- Tubes." He smiles brightly. "This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports." Kid tugs on Robin's arm. "Artemis is alive?!"
"Maybe, but-" Robin frowns as he continues to look it over. "No maybes, they're all alive." Legend said full of certainty.
"That must have been what you wanted to tell us." Miss M says brightly. Manhunter brings his hand to his face again, Aqualad, Legend, and Superboy look on in worry.
More ships come their way, firing at Kid and Robin. "We're on our way." Aqualad says "Negative, we can't win this, Miss Martian, camo the Bio Ship and-"
The warning comes too late and the Bioship disappears, knocking both Miss Martian and Manhunter off their feet with a grunt of pain.
"Miss M!" Superboy says worriedly before he and Legend go to her and Aqualad goes to Manhunter.
"That didn't feel like-" she starts with silent tears streaming from her eyes, Superboy and Legend see only red.
"We're falling back." Robin says through the link. Eiling leads the way back into the Hall. "We're trapped." Aqualad opens the doors. "Maybe not." The soldiers fill the room. "We can all Zeta to the cave If you can grant us computer clearance to access the Tubes." Aqualad says to Manhunter.
"I can only authorize one at a time." Manhunter informs. "Send the soldiers first." Aqualad decides. "Belay that, you six are assets we cannot afford to lose." Eiling snaps.
Manhunter turns to Aqualad who looks back at him and nods.
Override:
Martian Manhunter; 0 7
The computer announces as the Zeta Tube starts up.
Recognized:
Miss Martian; B 0 6
Robin; B 0 1
The door exploded behind them, the debris caught one soldier by the shin. Superboy is the first to move to help him, Kid and Legend go to assist, but Aqualad pushes Kid through the Tube.
Soldiers are being lasered left and right as Superboy makes his way to help the trapped man, Legend goes to help. They prop up the debris that trapped him and a laser takes out a perfect circle from the front of it. He has him against his side as Eiling takes out his gun. "He goes next." Superboy growls. "Fine, then you two." Aqualad complies.
Private Jason Bard U.S.M.C. A 0 4
"Can you make it?" He asks over the computer. The man nods and stands as Superboy lets go. "Sure, Superman."
"I'm not-" He tries, but the Private is already gone.
Superboy; B 0 4
Legend; B 0 5
Legend looks back over his shoulder before jumping through. The shots keep coming and take out more soldiers.
"They need you more than me." Aqualad says as he helps Manhunter to the Zeta tube. "Go!" then pushes him in. A ship then takes its shot at him.
Robin stands beside KF and looks at Superboy, Legend, and Miss M. "Our mission is clear. If we believe the aliens have been teleporting victims-" Kid cuts him off. "We do."
"Then the only reasonable detention facility is here." He uses his HoloGlove to get the image up in the Mountain. "Their mothership, atop what used to be Smallville." He turns to Manhunter. "Ring any bells?" Manhunter stands and shakes his head. "No, I'm sorry."
"Superboy, Legend, you'll create a distraction." Robin says. "No!" Miss Martian nearly screams then turns to the two. "He's offering you as a sacrifice. Aqualad would never do that."
"You're right." Robin says calmly. "Aqualad would sacrifice himself, a mistake that just cost us our leader. Superboy and Legend are the ones most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy." He says strongly.
"Worst case, their teleported inside, and we set them, free along with Artemis and Aqualad and everyone else." Kid states.
Superboy turns to her. "It's okay, M'gann. It's what Superman would do." She looks conflicted but says nothing. Legend stands up.
"Icon would do the same as well. If Superboy's ready to live up to that, then so am I." He says looking Robin in dead in the eye. Robins look softens and he nods in agreement.
Ships fly over a burning Gotham Academy, but underground everyone is hiding.
Students are all on their phones watching a broadcast, Miss Martian's stands at a podium, Superboy and Legend stand beside her.
"And though we know all seems lost… the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope. Hope survives because we know the battle is not over. Not as long as even one of us is left and is willing to fight."
KF steps into frame. "It doesn't matter how many fall, for new heroes will always rise to carry on bringing all their resources, their skills, their talents to bare, to defeat the enemy."
Proving his point, Red Arrow, Zatanna, Rocket, and several other heroes all prepare to fight as he speaks. Roy looks as the Zeta Tube turns on, revealing Garth and Tula.
Superboy hands Robin a belt full of charges that he clips over the other on his chest. He steps up beside Kid as he starts talking. "The people of Earth will survive this. We will rebuild, and we will thrive. Never doubt and never forget. The Earth will never surrender."
Legend is the last to step up. "To all those out their who are capable, please help in any way you can, be it evacuation or even taking done a ship or two. Alone we can be strong… but together, we are invincible."
Everyone cheers, but the loudest is a blonde girl, beside a familiar ginger girl, and an older man in a suit shouting. "Huzzah! Huzzah!"
Robin stands on a bare spot a fair bit from the mothership, looking through binoculars as Miss Martian approaches him. "Stay close to Manhunter, he's still…" He says doing a hand motion, Miss M doesn't like it, but nods.
"First team, deploy." He commands, both Miss M and Manhunter take off, she pulls up her hood and as her uncle flies in front of her, she takes his hand. The two camouflage as they approach the ship, then stop just shy of the hull, before Manhunter passes through and pulls Miss M after him.
Miss M groans as she passes through the hull, but stands up straight quickly. "Ready and in position." Miss M tells Robin. "Be careful, Conner, you too Joshua, I love you both."
"You to sis." Legend replied. Superboy smiles before turning to Robin who gives a small nod. They jump from their spot and land on the ship. They go for the first guns they see and pull at them. "Careful, don't disconnect the power source." Robin reminds.
Superboy sticks his hand in and finds the trigger, seeing what his fellow clone did, Legend did the same and found the trigger. "All right, you glorified trespassers! You wanna see how a real alien fights?" Legend shouted. They then started shooting at the other guns near them. The doors below them open and the ships started to fly out in droves.
"Now or never." Legend tells them. Robin is already on Kid's back and the ginger kicks up the Speed before they make the jump from the cliff-edge to one of the open doors.
The two roll through their landing, separating with ease, and make their way through the emptying hangar. Dodging two ships leaving. "Way is clear, go!" Robin commands as he pokes his head back out then he and Kid head towards a pillar in the middle of the hangar. They both watch as a patrol bot lazily go by.
Kid lifts his goggles, but another drone comes behind their turned backs. The impact of a solid crate against it catches their attention. Watching as two obscured shapes land. Robin waves the two of them on, and all four take off.
Superboy huffs, out a breath as he takes out another ship. "Getting tired?" Legend asked with a Huff. Legend chuckles. "Nah, you?" he asked. "Of course not." They both chuckle.
Then the ships start firing back at them. One shot creates an explosion that knocks Superboy back and springs through a back-handspring only to have a ship hit him in the back. Legend goes in to take out the ship that took out Superboy, but another one comes from behind him and shoots him.
Inside Miss M de-camouflages as she loses her balance, with a groan she leans against her Uncle. "No, their gone."
She falls to her knees, crying, and Kid approaches her easily. "It's alright, we'll find them with Artemis, I know it."
"No." Manhunter interjects. "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."
Kid grabs Manhunter by the front of his cape. "No, you're wrong! The Zeta Radiation proves she's alive. She's-!"
Robin grabs him by the shoulder, turning the ginger to face him, holding him still with his hands on both his shoulders. "Stop it KF. I've been scanning for League and Team signals since we got inside, I've gotten nothing. They're not here, Artemis is gone." Kid opens his mouth to try and say something, but he grits his teeth and looks away. "But our mission still holds purpose. To destroy this mothership."
Miss M works her way to her feet and Manhunter helps her up and she watches solemnly as Robin walks away Manhunter following. She places a hand on Kid's shoulder before following them too. Kid growls before breaking into a light jog.
They open a door to a room stained with red light. The source, a gigantic orange sphere, with a partial metallic shell around it. Two drones are on their side of the sphere.
Robin looks at his HoloGlove. "This is the power core, blow this and the whole mothership blows."
They all take off to one of the platforms at the same time. Robin lands first and closest to the edge, his eyes go wide for a moment, feeling the change in gravity that tugs at his cape, then his whole body towards the sphere.
Kid drops closer to him, while the Martians stay in the air behind him, rushing to grab his hand as Robin falls to the floor and they both get pulled towards the sphere.
He looks around and eyes the metal shell, when they get inside it he fires his grapple, and the two hang from it. A drone approaches the tether, clicking.
Miss M hits it first, then her uncle knocks it completely away. The two of them landing on the surface, and gravity shifts again. Miss M's eyes glow as she disconnects Robin's tether and brings him and Kid to the glowing orange surface slowly.
When they land Robin starts taking off the extra straps on his chest. "You knew." Kid says in realization. "You knew from the beginning why we were really here."
Robin types away on his HoloGlove before looking down at the charges. "Four minutes, let's go."
The hangar doors slide closed before Kid can even reach them. "Perfect." He gripes, but hearing a clicking sound he turns around. "Huh?"
There are five or six drones approaching them, one fires a laser before the rest join in. The four of them split into pairs to avoid the disintegration beams.
Robin looks down at his Glove but doesn't engage the HoloScreen. "Sixteen seconds and counting. Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go."
"No, we won't leave you." Miss M objects. "That's an order, we'll follow as soon as we blow those doors." Robin tells her, and Manhunter phases them out of the hangar.
The time ticks down from ten before Robin looks back at Kid who nods then pulls down his goggles. Robin pulls out several disks and the two leave their spot of cover, charging forward.
The ship explodes In three small explosions, right, left, and center before the whole thing goes up. Manhunter and Miss M phase out of the ground and look at the fiery plume.
"Don't… Don't tell me the mission was a success. The price was too high." She nearly sobbed, then closes her eyes for a moment.
She opens them just as a shadow blocks the light. A second ship descends. Miss M stumbles forward. "No, no, no. We have to get out of here, now!"
Manhunter looks at the destruction. "No, we have to end this now." He says with such force it was nearly a snarl and stabbes his hand through Miss M's chest.
She cries silently, whether it is because of the betrayal, the pain, or the shock is moot. Then everything went black.
Mount Justice; October 16th, 16:21 EDT
Miss M's hair is once again pulled back by her headband and the top corner of her collar of her hero outfit is just barely visible as her eyes snap open and she gasps for air.
She slowly sits up, Captain Marvel helps Wally behind her, while Red Tornado helps Artemis. She gasps in relief as she sees Conner and Joshua sitting up, she gets up and tackles them both in a hug with tears in her eyes. Aqualad slowly pushes himself up by his elbows. "You're alive, we're all alive!" He says relieved, looking around at the others.
Robin was sweating as he pushes himself into a sitting position, looking around. "What happened in there?" Batman asks of Manhunter. "The exercise; it all went wrong." Manhunter says groggily.
"Exercise?" Robin's voice cracks as he heaves in his breaths. "Try to remember." Batman insists. "What you experienced was a training exercise."
The Team was recuperating on the same beds they were all sitting on now. Kid and Aqualad already sitting back up, Conner and Joshua propped themselves up on as M'gann got off of them. Artemis was on her side, her right arm under her head. Robin was propped up on an elbow, looking to his mentor while Captain Marvel stood nearby and Red Tornado was working on a HoloScreen.
"Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality." Manhunter stood in the middle of the circle his hands reached out and his eyes closed in concentration all of them were lying down seemingly asleep.
"You all knew this going in. What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure exercise."
The Team stood ready in a space void that seemed to be among the clouds. Their clothes shifted into their costumes, they were still in Mount Justice.
"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."
The scene of the Lanterns' deaths plays out again. "That is why you hardly grieved." Manhunter picks up. "Even when Wolf and Fang were disintegrated before your eyes." Conner continues scratching at one of Wolf's ears and Joshua started petting Fang's snout.
"But all that changed when Artemis died." Wally looks to the still silent Artemis as she looks at her hands in her lap. Artemis is in her tundra gear, the last moments before her 'death' play again.
"Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise." M'gann screams signified exactly when everything went off the rails. "Artemis!" "And her subconscious took control, making all of you forget too."
The whole Team turned to a distraught M'gann. "I'm… I'm so sorry." She siad looking between both her teammates and their mentors. "This isn't her fault! Why didn't you stop the exercise?" Conner demands.
"We tried. But M'gann had a death grip on the scenario." Manhunter says strongly.
Manhunter's hands fall back to his sides as M'gann is suddenly floating in the air, but still unconscious. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death was so convinced she had passed, she slipped into a coma.
Manhunter looks between the teens and seeing that Artemis was still unconscious turns to M'gann, who was now lying down again. "I realized I would have to wrestle control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within." He reaches out and puts his hands on her temples. "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."
M'gann's elation and Kaldur's hesitance are magnified as M'gann finds him under the rubble.
"The deaths of Aqualad, Legend and Superboy helped." Both the scenes play in horrifying detail. "But only when the mothership exploded, and Robin and Kid Flash 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."
The explosions remain, but M'gann mourning is glossed over as she looks back at him. Finally, he stabbed M'gann's chest in and her eyes snap open.
"My apologies, I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous so… damaging." He says to the Dark Knight.
M'gann turns away from her teammates, a hand covering her face. Captain Marvel approached her, Superboy and Legend close behind. Manhunter turns to leave and nearly collapses, Tornado and the Batman went to support him.
"That bad?" Batman asks lowly. "Perhaps worse." Manhunter admit. Red Tornado makes an easy observation. "Yet this is not what troubles you."
Batman helps the Manhunter stand again. "Make no mistake, my niece is untrained and cannot be held responsible for this… for our debacle." "No one blames her." Batman states. "But clearly we underestimated her abilities."
"That's an understatement." He presses. "In terms of raw power, she has the strongest telepathic mind I have ever encountered." Captain Marvel and Joshua can only stand by while M'gann sobs in Conner's arms. Manhunter looks over his shoulder at the other two Leaguers. "Far stronger than mine."
Chapter end. Please review, it really helps.
P.S. This isn't my only fanfiction, the list is on my profile, tell me which one you wanna read in the reviews. Thanks for reading.