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Four years ago…

On the planet Mars J’onn J’onzz finally began to stir after what felt like a long, painful sleep. As his Martian senses began to return to him he realized where he was, half buried under rubble while being trapped inside one of the underground caverns of the city he’d been in. While wounded his Martian physiology would allow him to heal fast, nothing he worried about while using his superior strength to lift the rubble off of him.

As he finally got to his feet J’onn began to realize how quiet everything was. No signs of battle. No screams. Not even a mental connection with other Martians; the main form of communication among his race. It scared J’onn more than if there was still a fight going on with the enemy that brought him here in the first place. What had happened?

Looking up J’onn could see light from the entrance of the cavern before making his way towards it. Upon finally reaching the surface he realized it was morning on Mars. He’d been out during the entire night when the fighting took place. Upon looking around however he began to see what the cost had brought.

What once one of the great cities of Mars was a ruin. Buildings destroyed and crumbling. All signs of life vacant or left to rot under the rubble and in the streets. Fires blazing here and there, another sign that no Martian could survive their one great weakness. And the worse part was that everything was still quiet, not even a mental signal of life to be found.

J’onn dropped to his knees upon seeing all of this and thought to him “How could it come to this?”

He thought back to where it had all began. All this destruction and death had been the start of a great war caused by the White Martians, the terrifying race that had always been the darker reflection of J’onn’s Green Martian people. For centuries they remained separate from the rest of the Green Martians, left alone to thrive for themselves and leave others at peace. For so long the White Martians never caused the Greens any sort of harm or ill intent until now.

As if finally driven to the point of madness and savagery the White Martians began to attack and retaliate. They came without warming and destroyed everything in their path. J’onn and his people had to act, taking the fight to the White Martian menace to drive them back to where they belonged or destroy them if they did not surrender.

The fighting did not stop. It never stopped. When one side pushed back the other pushed harder. Lives upon lives were lost as the civil war spanned the entirety of Mars itself. So many innocents were lost as well, a pain that J’onn had taken far too deeply than he could bare.

This battle he was involved in was to be the last. A final assault against the last of the White Martian forces. He and his men fought their bravest and the White Martians returned with equal brutality. The fighting has led to one of the underground strongholds of the White Martians where, as far as J’onn could remember, an explosion had caused him to be knocked out for the remainder of the fight.

Knowing all of this only made J’onn feel worse. After all he’d lost, all the suffering brought by the war, he’d hoped this would be his final battle. His last brave deed before finally being able to see his family again. Now there was nothing left. Nothing but ash and sand.

J’onn was angry now. Angry with the White Martians for starting the war. Angry with himself for not having done more. Perhaps if he had more lives would have been spared. His brother had always warned about them attacking but he never listened and now his brother was gone. Everything was gone. Everyone one was-

“Hello?” he suddenly heard a mental connection. “Hello? Is anyone still out there?”

J’onn picked himself up upon hearing this voice. It was female. A survivor. But from which side? While it did not sound bestial as other White Martians for all J’onn knew this was a trick by the creatures. However it was clear that she, or it, was aware of him. The telepathic link had already made contact.

“Hello? Are you there?” she called out again.

Taking a cautious approach J’onn used his Martian ability to become invisible as well as numb his mental senses; practically hiding in plain sight from the other Martian nearby. He levitated off the ground, more Martian abilities at work, before searching through the ruins to find the source of the calls. Whoever it was the female still called out with her mental abilities while J’onn approached, eventually spotting a figure walking through one of the destroyed streets.

By blocking his own mind J’onn had trouble telling whether the female was friend or foe. He snuck up from behind, still remaining invisible, before finally deciding. He’d need to act fast in case it was a hostile and he’d only have one chance to stop himself if they were friendly.

With a final breath of assurance J’onn dropped his invisible visage and jumped at the female. He came through the wall, using his intangibility to come through a nearby wall and surprise them. He tackled whoever it was to the ground with a fist ready to bring down on them.

He stopped himself when he saw who it was, saying “You’re…only a child…”

Indeed the female J’onn had surprised was only a child. She was green like him and her natural Martian form, while inhuman and monstrous to others, was still undeveloped as J’onn’s. She could not have been more than a few decades old, barley out of her Martian equivalent of 13 years old.

The girl was covered herself when J’onn had jumped her but once she’d lowered her hands to see him she smiled with relief “You’re…not one of them. Thank H’ronmeer.”

J’onn helped her to her feet while saying “I am sorry. I did not know… I… How did you survive?”

The girl looked around while shivering “I…I don’t know. When all the fighting happened I just hid. I thought my parents were with me but… But I can’t sense them anymore. I can’t sense anyone anymore…”

She began to cry with J’onn soon comforting her, taking her into her arms while saying “It will be alright. What is your name?”

Looking up to him she answered. “M’gann. M’gann M’orzz.”

“M’gann. I am J’onn J’onzz.” The two had shared a brief exchange of smiles, a small connection of trust starting to grow between them, before they finally broke from each other. “Come. We have to leave.” When M’gann asked where they were going his only response was “Away from all of this. indicating the ruins around them.

J’onn began to lead M’gann out and away from the city. The two remaining Martians had to find shelter, food, and any other possible survivors left on the red planet. The entire time they began their little trek they were both quiet, barley speaking to each other except for J’onn making sure M’gann was alright. She seemed so quiet and contained yet J’onn could only assume it was due to all that happened. From what it seemed she had lost just as much as he did in the fighting. Perhaps even more.

Eventually they came upon a large obsidian shaped object. J’onn explained it was a marker for one of the military bases used by the greens used during the fighting. J’onn was more eager to get inside as opposed to M’gann, which J’onn did not fully realize until they finally entered and found no one inside. The fact it was abandoned seemed to comfort M’gann a little, something J’onn did notice at one point but chose to ignore for now.

In time the two found food, medicines, and even a few old weapons still lying around. J’onn was able to get some power going through the base, enough at least to turn the lights on. After that the two eventually sat to eat and rest, both sitting near a lamp-like tool that provided proper illumination.

As the two sat in silence while eating M’gann finally spoke up and asked “So…were you a soldier?”

“When the war started I had to become one. Just like everyone else.” he answered while halting his eating. “Before that I was a manhunter. Keeping my city safe from more common deviants. Nothing like this however.”

“Pavonis Mons.” M’gann said aloud before asking “Were you from Pavonis Mons?”
Shaking his head he answered “I only trained at the academy there, as all officers do. I grew up near Thrasis. It is also where I met my wife, My’ria’h.”

M’gann could see how the mention of J’onn’s wife upset him, he hanging his head and closing his eyes, making her say “I’m…sorry.”

“There is nothing to forgive.” he said while regaining himself. “It was not you. It was them.” His tone became more angered as he said “I never thought much of them. I never cared enough about them. I knew they posed no threat to our people. How could I be so foolish? I was blind just like we all were. And look what’s become of it.” In his anger J’onn had crushed the food in his hand, scaring M’gann to where he realized this and replied “I am sorry, M’gann. I did not mean to…”

She waved it off and said “No. It’s alright. I…I understand.

Despite her saying so J’onn could tell she was still upset. His little outburst hadn’t helped the fact she was still likely traumatized by the fighting. The way she looked and acted was a clear enough sign even for someone without telepathy.

“What of you?” he finally asked her. “What of your family? Your parents? Did you have siblings?

“No. Only mother and father and I. They used to be merchants…. Used to be…” She went quiet again, holding herself to stop from shivering, before J’onn asked her what happened to them. “Same as you. Same as everyone else. Some were more eager to fight. The rest of us…didn’t have a choice.”

The more he heard her story the more J’onn began to see the connections between himself and the rest of his people who were caught up in the war. Here he’d believed he’d suffered the most but meeting M’gann began to open his mind to the others who must have endure even more pain and loss.

“Forgive me for asking but…did they die fighting?” he asked her.

M’gann rubbed her head while answering “I can’t really remember. One minute we were in the city and then everything turned into chaos. My father tried getting my mother and me to safety. There was so much noise… So much screaming… We got lost and then there was an explosion. I hid while my mother tried to help. She…she never came back… I just sat hiding in a basement the whole time. I could hear everything. I could hear everyone. And then everything just went quiet. I didn’t know what to do. I was so afraid. And that’s when I felt you presences, J’onn. I knew if someone were alive then maybe…”

J’onn anticipated her and finished “You were hoping I was your father. Or at least that I knew he was alive. Weren’t you?”

Her silence was answer enough. M’gann dropped her head along with the food in her hands. She felt upset in both body and mind, J’onn sensing this. In response he stood and walked over to where she sat before giving her a comforting hug around her shoulders.

“Are we….are we all that’s left?” she asked him with a little desperation in her Martian eyes.

Reluctantly J’onn had to answer “I do not know. I’ve been trying to reach out as far as I can. I’ve heard nothing yet. Either my mind is weakened from all the fighting or perhaps…” He went silent, as did M’gann, when they both considered the alternative. However an idea soon began to form in J’onn’s head before saying “But perhaps there’s another way to find out.”

He stood and without a word began to walk through the base. Confused M’gann followed as J’onn went down one hallway before soon coming to a flight of stairs. They went down into the base before coming to a smaller room which J’onn seemed more than glad to see. Inside was what M’gann recognized as older communication devices, including a control panel.

When she asked J’onn explained to M’gann “This technology hadn’t been used for near a generation. But when the war began my people used it to secure communications over distances. It kept us safe if the White Martians had ever been listening in to our telepathic communications.”

Hearing this M’gann surmised “So you can use it to send a signal out to find others?” She’d seemed happy about this but her tone soon shrank back to one of concern as she asked “Are you sure that’s a good idea though? What if more of them are still out there? They might hear it.”

“We won’t have to worry. I doubt the Whites ever had this sort of technology. And even if they did I can make sure the signal is only transmitted through to our kind’s technology. It will be safe.”

As J’onn was already at work to get a signal out M’gann asked “If we do find more of…of our kind, what then?”

“I’m not sure. Perhaps try to rebuild. Find any other survivors. Either way as long as we’re all safe.”

With that J’onn busied himself while M’gann only stood back, commenting to herself “Safe…”

It took over an hour before J’onn had managed to get a signal out. It was weak but apparent so at least it would be detected by someone on Mars eventually. The two waited for a little longer for a response, nothing coming through. With nothing else to do but wait M’gann suggested they rest and try to wait it out tomorrow. He agreed before the two left the room to find a better place to sleep for the night.

As the night went on both of the Martians slept; or at least the equivalent of sleeping for their species. For J’onn he only had to stand in a single spot and lose himself in a trance-like state. M’gann, being younger, had the more conventional means of lying down but with her eyes wide open. Both were still and quiet, lost in their “sleep”. A moment later however M’gann seemed to stir, eye eyes coming back into focus before she looked around.

She saw and sensed J’onn was still “sleeping”, meaning she would have this once chance to do what she needed. Getting up and being as quiet as possible, both in action and in mind, M’gann made her way down to the room where the radio tech was. Once she arrived she could see that the machine was still sending out the low signal J'onn had set up.

As M’gann found a piece of rubble to use she began to regret what she had to do. She didn’t want to do it knowing it would mean betraying J’onn but she had no choice. She couldn’t risk more Green Martians coming if they were out there. She couldn’t let them find out. It was the only way to be safe and-

“I did not want to believe it.” J’onn’s voice said, surprising M’gann as she turned to see him standing nearby. “I thought it was just my mind still recuperating from all the fighting. But I realize now it might have just been me trying to be hopeful that I’d found another of my race. I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

“J’onn, please. Just try to understa-”

“You did have me fooled. For the longest time I honestly couldn’t see it. But then I began to notice how you’ve been keeping a block within your thoughts. It’s almost unnoticeable given how subtle you’ve made it. But I could see it. I could see it as much as I noticed the way you’ve been trying to manage that form. You’re putting a lot of focus on it, M’gann. Your mind is still too young.”

She began to back away from him while still pleading “Please. Just listen to me.”

He approached her, his eyes near blaring with red, as he continued “You should be ashamed of yourself for wearing that form.”

“J’onn! Stop!”

Finally M’gann was backed into a corner with J’oon standing just in front of her, raising his hand and declaring “If you will not remove it, then I shall!”

He placed his hand on her forehead which seemed to cause M’gann great pain. The pain was not of the body however but of the mind as in reality J’onn was attacking her senses to make her drop the visage of being a Green Martian. She screamed both physically and mentally as she was hit with the psychic attack.

Her skin went from dark green to pale and eventually becoming pure white. Her more tolerable Martian features became more monstrous; more evidence of the relation between the two races. Horrible claws and teeth that made the once innocent looking Martian girl turn into a beast of the red planet. The truth was finally there for J’onn to see. M’gann was not a Green Martian like him but white.

Now with her true form exposed M’gann felt both ashamed and horrified with herself. She cried out with her mind before dropping to the ground, trying to hide herself from J’onn and the rest of the world.

“You disgust me.” he said with a venomous look in his eyes. “How dare you think to hide from me. Pretending to be one of the same people you butchered like the animals you are!”

“I didn’t want this.” she pleaded. “I’m sorry but I didn’t want-”

“What? You did not want me finding you out? You knew what I would do? And you thought this made it better?”

Finally she gained the courage to look at him while saying “You think I wanted to do this? Yours weren’t the only people slaughtered! I knew you or any other green-skins would kill me on sight. But I’m not like them, J’onn. I’m not the monster you think I am!”

“No?” he beamed “Who attacked us first? Who drove us into this war? Who brought down centuries of peace by invading one of our cities?”

More courage, though more out of anger, built up inside M’gann as she finally stood up to him and retorted “My people faced those centuries forced into exile. We didn’t want this life. You forced it upon us. You think that eventually we would say ‘no more’? You and your people made us into what we were but that doesn’t mean we’re the same horrible creatures you tell stories about. We’re people, J’onn. I’m no different from you or anyone in your family!”

The mention of family seemed to finally set J’onn off as he attacked her while shouting “You don’t dare speak of family to me!”

He used his shapeshifting powers to elongate his arms, pushing M’gann into the wall behind her. She gave a grunt before recovering, using her mind to hit J’onn with her own mental bolt like he’d done to her. It wasn’t as strong but it was effective enough, stunning him long enough for her to faze through the wall and disappear.

M’gann now knew she had to run. She didn’t know where or how far but she knew it had to be away from J’onn. He wouldn’t listen as she feared he wouldn’t. Like the others of his kind he was to driven by his hatred for her people to understand.

As she managed to reach the surface of the base M’gann tried to run only for something to grab her foot and trip her to the ground. J’onn had chased her, fazing through the walls and floors of the base itself before following her. In a panic she kicked him off of her before trying to fly away. J’onn almost anticipated this as he went into the air as well, eventually grabbing her from behind. In the confusion J’oon attacked her mind again in order to force M’gann to fall to the ground. Even for a White Martian she was still strong with her mental powers, something J’onn knew as he put a lot of energy into his attack.

The two eventually fell back onto the ground with M’gann writhing in pain and holding her head. J’onn was already back on his feet, his mind a blind muscle of rage as he looked at her. J’onn looked around before finding a large boulder to finally finish her, his Martian strength aiding him easily.

As she continued to huddle in pain M’gann pleaded “J’onn, please, I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to fight! I had no choice! You said it yourself. None of us did!”

He wasn’t listening. He had only one goal in mind. He finally managed to lift the boulder up over his head before bringing it over towards where M’gann still wriggled.

“You destroy our peace.” J’onn accused her. “You destroyed out cities. You destroyed my people! You destroyed my wife! You destroyed my daughters! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!”

J’onn finaly lifted the boulder high enough. He knew the mental bolt would wound M’gann long enough to where she’d be unable to faze through it or use any other abilities to stop him. He wanted to end her. He wanted to make sure she was the last White Martian on Mars, putting an end to them forever. He wanted her to feel the same pain he felt only to at least grant her the mercy of a quick but painful death. He wanted her to hurt like he hurt.

With her last bit of strength M’gann, looking up to him, whimpered “Please, J’onn…. Don’t do this.”

That seemed to stop him. Hearing those words J’onn had a memory suddenly hit him like a shot in the dark. Those same words in that same pleading manner. It reminded him of something very deep and emotional. The one memory he’d held onto the longest during this entire bloody war. It reminded him of the last time he saw his family.

The day before being shipped off towards the battlefronts near Olympus Mons J’onn’s wife, My’ria’h, and his two little daughters were all saddened by his departure. The whole time he tried to calm them by saying he would be alright and that he would make it up to them by bringing back a present from the ancient volcano. It didn’t help as his daughters still cried at their father leaving them during these dark times. He looked to My’ria’h to keep them safe and clam until his return but even she was worried for him.

The final thing she’d said to him was “Please, J’onn… Don’t do this.”

As if the great Martian god H’ronmeer had finally struck J’onn’s mind he began to see what his wife wanted. It wasn’t just about the fighting, it was about becoming the very thing he fought against. In the war against monsters J’onn had near become one himself.

How many died by his hands? How many men, women, children? Families? How many suffered like M’gann did? Like he did? How many died because he and his people thought they were doing what was right, just like the White Martians did?

As the revelation dawned upon him J’onn looked down at the still cowering M’gann, the terrified look on her face. This was what he’d become? A killer of children like her? He threw the boulder away and dropped to his knees, actual tears building in his eyes at what he’d done. The White Martians were not the only ones responsible for the destruction of Mars, all Martians were.

He held his head in his hands and wept aloud, with his own mouth “What have I done? What did I…?”

M’gann looked at him with both sadness and compassion. To speak aloud for Martians wasn’t something often done; given their mental communication. To do so usually showed a seriousness of what had been said. For J’onn however it was plea to for some clarification as to what it all meant.

He buried his head in the sand which finally brought M’gann to reach out and touch him. He flinched but soon clamed, M’gann rubbing his head to try and comfort him.

J’onn looked up to the White Martian child and wept “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… For everything…”

He couldn’t bear to look at her with all the guilt on his soul now. He lowered his head again only for M’gann to help pick it up. He looked at her and through her monstrous face J’onn could see it. The spark of compassion, the indication of a soul and personality behind her red eyes.

As she rested her head against his M’gann soothed him with “So am I, J’onn.” speaking aloud herself. “So am I.”

*****

Only a few days had passed and J’onn and M’gann still listened and hoped for any response from other surviving Martians. The base had become a makeshift home for them even though the supplies would only last another week at best. It was the best place to stay until hearing from someone, anyone, in the hopes of reconnecting with their people.

Over the days J’onn had managed to boost the signal to where it would be clearer. It required dismantling a few of the remaining weapons in the base to use their ammunition as a power source but both he and M’gann were assured that no initial threats were around inside or outside the base.

Also during this time J’onn had allowed M’gann to retain the appearance of a Green Martian. While she often said it was to make J’onn feel more comfortable he began to realize it was for her own benefit as well. M’gann seemed to resent her being a White Martian for all the bad they’ done and the segregation they endured. Their fighting had led to her life being as ruined as J’onn’s had been. It was a comfort to both of them at this point and J’onn had become far more accepting of her regardless of her form but of her actions.

As J’onn waited within the communication room M’gann eventually entered with a plate of food, asking “Anything yet?”

“I’m afraid not.” he replied, turning towards her. I do not wish to say it, M’gann, but if there’s been nothing at this point, then perhaps…”

“I know, J’onn. I know. But we should still try. If not then…well we’ll just make it up as we go along. As long as we make it through together. Right?”

He chuckled a bit before replying “If I’d known about your optimistic attitude before, child, I’d have insisted you talked more often.”

The two shared a laugh before she sat down near him letting him eat some of the food she brought, before asking “What if we left Mars? There are other places we could go. Other planets were we might live. Somewhere far away where we can start a new life.

He contemplated this before replying “I do not know, M’gann. Mars has been our home and our people’s home since there was a sun and two moons in the sky. But you may be right. If there are no others we cannot build everything back by ourselves.”

“So we could move? We could blend in. Be whoever or whatever we wanted to be. Maybe father and…” She stopped herself, knowing how J’onn would feel about that, and fixed herself with “No. Maybe more like an uncle! Uncle J’onn. I actually like that.”

Hearing her already planning out their new lives brought a smile to J’onn’s face. To think under all of that optimism and joyful face was once a creature J’onn hated and feared. The experience of the last few days had brought a greater clarity to the Manhunter. He may have lost one family but through all of his pain he’d managed to adopt a new one.

He rubbed her cheek and replied “As do I.”

Their quiet moment of happiness was soon interrupted when the radio device suddenly reacted. They could hear something of a faint sound coming through the waves, meaning someone had heard their signal. The two glanced at each other with mixed looks of relief, excitement, panic and fear, before J’onn finally tried to bring the signal through.

“Hello?” he replied using his normal voice. “Can you hear me?”

The signal was broken and static but there. They could both hear an odd sounding voice from the other side being spoken in a language that seemed alien to them.

“I don’t recognize it.” M’gann pointed out. “What language is that? Icodian? Klaramanian?”

“The signal could not have reached that far.” He replied while still fiddling with the settings and controls. “It has to be from one of the closer planets.” He spoke aloud again into the device while saying “Can you hear me? My name is J’onn Jonzz of Mars. Can you hear my signal?”

The signal cackled as they could hear in the unknown language < He*zztt* Can you-*crip crackle crip* This is Dr. Saul Erdel calling *ffzzzzt*-calling from Earth! I’m attempting*crackle crackle* communication’s ray to *ffzzzttt* try and pull you through!>

Little did J’onn or M’gann know that this strange call from the blue and green planet within their solar system would forever change their lives. The war on Mars had taken its toll on them but now with the chance to start anew the last son and daughter of the red planet would find their new lives, and new adventures, starting far sooner than they expected.