J'onn had a small, one room apartment. Technically, he really didn't have a room at all. The front door opened to be greeted by a brown desk that was perched neatly against the opposite wall. Directly next to the door was a small bed that was perfectly made. A window shined light into the room from across the bed. The sitting room was nothing but a couch that lay in a bent part of the corner. There was a bathroom, but it wasn't in his home. It was one he had to share with others downstairs and above him.

Though today the room wasn't in the perfect condition it usually was. Darkness had consumed the room and furniture was turned over. Everything was in disarray.

Sunlight managed to find its way through Manhunter's drawn shutters. It illuminated a small portion of Manhunter's bed and fell across his eyes. He rubbed his face as he began to sit up out of bed. He hadn't gotten up in days.

For a moment he stared at the floor. The interesting pattern of the wood floor reminded him of the battlefield somehow. Something about its emptiness drove him to think about Tempest and the hardness of it all. The dull color made him think about all of the warriors in the same monochromatic uniforms. The dark swirls made him think about Tempest's flaming tendrils.

J'onn yelled in frustration as he pounded his head. 

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Battles were never supposed to leave you this scarred. They weren't supposed to make you hate yourself this much. They weren't supposed to be this bad. They weren't supposed to tear friends apart. They weren't supposed to crush his spirit.

Slowly, he took a shaky breath in and closed his eyes. He blocked out the flashes of the fight and focused on his breathing. He twisted his hand on the bed, knotting his bony fingers into the fabric and sheets. The warmth was a comfort he knew he shouldn't desire, but the recent days had given him a reason to affiliate with his human compulsions.

He opened his eyes again. He didn't know why he was so tired all of the time. He hated all of this nonsense and why he couldn't understand it.

Slowly, J'onn stood up and went to his window. He slipped a finger through one of the blinds to peer outside. He took a relieved breath out as everything appeared to be normal. All of his neighbors were shuffling to work.

At least I'll be alone, he thought.

He dropped his hand from the window and shut the blinds tighter. He didn't want anyone to be able to look in. He slowly trudged over to his bedside table and flicked on the lamp. It had a gentle radiance that made it so his room was light enough to walk around in. He began to quietly pick up his turned over furniture. The couch had a broken leg, so a corner of it sat low to the ground. His desk had a large crack on the side and his laptop wasn't turning on.

J'onn balled his fists as he sat on his couch. What am I going to do about the Young Justice? I just left them in Mount Justice. I just left them sitting there in the briefing room. I just left them there to freeze to death. No matter what tools I used, no matter what I tried, the stupid ice wouldn't melt. The water wouldn't unfreeze.

J'onn tapped his leg anxiously with his left hand. He had been thinking about what to do for days on end. He had been feeling guilty and angry for what seemed like forever. He didn't want his Me'gann to die in the cold. He didn't want her to feel alone. That was her greatest fear.

He knew that he had to save her and that he had to keep her safe. His thoughts lingered to the past. 

******

It was a cold day as J'onn walked to the Hall of Justice. His breath turned into white mist as he breathed in and out. He wore a heavy coat and scarf to protect him from the bitterness of the wind, but it managed to get through somehow and chill his bones.

He thought it was a curious thing for Bruce to be calling him for a meeting at the Hall. It was almost the end of the year and snow was beginning to gently flow to the ground. J'onn stuck out his hand as he waited for the crosswalk. A snowflake fell onto his black glove.

It was a pretty thing. It had delicate points all evenly distributed around it, and it looked like it had small swirls in the center. Then it melted into his glove. J'onn always appreciated the beauty in the world, no matter how small. It was a unique thing to be truly beautiful.

The crosswalk signaled for J'onn to cross and so he began to pick up his pace as he saw the round dome of the Hall in his sight. He ascended the steps and rushed inside. He was welcomed with heat.

J'onn took off his hat and walked to the statues that aligned the far wall. They made the League look so strong and a force to be reckoned with. J'onn laughed at the thought. Humans had an interesting way of portraying their emotions. J'onn stood at the base of Superman, lost in thought.

Light footsteps came behind J'onn. Startled at the new sound in the room, J'onn turned. 

"It's good to see you again, Bruce."

Bruce crossed his arms. "You need to come with me." His eyes brewed with something dark as Manhunter tried to look into them.

"You're dressed rather nice for just a meeting, aren't you?" J'onn looked at Bruce. He was the spitting image of Wayne Enterprises. He wore a neatly pressed suit with a black tie to match his attire. His black hair matched his appearance as his hair's gelled tips pointed aggressively upward.

Bruce cleared his throat. "I'm just here for company business."

"Then why-"

"Unofficially."

J'onn smiled. Typical Bruce behavior. "Lead the way."

Bruce led J'onn through a secret passage behind Superman. The dark space was just carved from the building. All it was, was a black tunnel that led to a secret lounge where the League planned strategy and had easy access to the city with a zeta tube.

The Lounge was a simple square space. In the corner of the room there was a table that held a replica of the city on a much smaller scale. A zeta tube covered the wall, making the small space feel dominated by technology. The only other thing in the room was a red couch.

And apparently that red couch had a being on it. A small, innocent thing that resembled a human. It was bald and had red eyes. Its skin was white. It wasn't human.

J'onn stood in surprise. "Bruce," he pointed, "what is that?"

Bruce approached the being and held out a hand. The thing took it and Bruce brought it to J'onn. "This is a remnant from your last trip to Mars."

J'onn took a breath in as everything began to make sense. It was a White Martian. He knew something from the trip back wasn't right. It was the reason.

The creature's eyes widened in fear as J'onn held out a hand to it. His immediate urge was to run from the monstrosity that killed his family, but he didn't. This creature was a child. One that was most likely innocent to all of the violence. It looked like one of his lost daughters.

"It's okay."

A tiny voice squeaked. "Who are you?"

"I'm J'onn. J'onn J'onzz. I'm a Martian like you." He shifted to his normal form. Green and ghostly.

The tiny figure hid behind Bruce's leg. 

"Bruce. I'm scared."

The two men looked at each other and a silence took hold of the room. The tiny figure spoke again. 

"Bruce?"

Bruce crouched down to meet the creature's level. "This man will take care of you now. He understands you more than I ever will."

The creature looked back at J'onn. "Will he hurt me?"

J'onn spoke and met the creature's eyes. "No, and I won't let anyone hurt you. That's a promise."

"A promise?" The creature took a step forward to J'onn.

J'onn smiled. "It's something you can never break." He stuck out his hand for the creature to take. Timidly, the creature took his hand.

"My name is Me'gann."

"What a lovely name that is." J'onn looked at Bruce and nodded. What a beautiful thing Me'gann was. What a gentle and beautiful thing.

*******

J'onn choked back tears as he remembered Me'gann's small hands. She was so tiny and fragile and he promised to protect her. He broke their promise. He broke it.

J'onn began to slow his breathing, trying to calm down. He just wanted his precious thing back. He wanted the ice to melt.

A deep and rough voice broke J'onn's weeping. "I can help you unfreeze the ice."

J'onn snarled as he looked up. How dare a stranger come into his home and approach him. He stood up violently and turned his head left to right searching for the voice.

"Actually, we can help you." A figure stepped out of the shadows from the corner. It wore a purple mask that hid its entire face and also wore a black hood and had a deep purple armored chest plate. It looked like Green Arrow's costume in another color.

J'onn balled his fists and made himself taller. "Who are you?"

The figure smiled and dropped it's hood, taking off the mask. It opened its arms openly. 

"Why, it's me old friend."

J'onn ran for an embrace with the figure. It was Oliver.