Tales From the Cave-Megan Morse and the Seven Dwarves

Lost Forever

Recognized—Superboy, B05. Conner Kent walked into the Cave, muttering under his breath. He had failed once again to get Superman's attention. He stormed into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. To his surprise, Miss Martian wasn't there, baking cookies and smiling. At first, he wondered why she wasn't there, but then he remembered what he had said to her the previous day and the reaction on her face.

He felt his heart sink like a stone. He felt bad for what he'd done. He hadn't really meant any of it. He was just hurt and angry. I need to find her and apologize., he thought. He walked down the hall to her bedroom and knocked. "M'gann? I-Its me. Superboy." He rubbed his neck. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday. Its just...it seems no matter how hard I try, I can't get Superman's attention. After a while of being ignored, you start to feel...lonely, y'know? Please let me in." He waited for her to answer, but nothing happened. He knocked again. "M'gann? Can you hear me?"

When he was met with silence, he punched in the passcode to her door. It slid open to reveal her empty room. He stepped in and looked around, his head turning back and forth. "M'gann? Where are you?" He stared straight ahead as he scratched his head. "If she's not in her room or in the kitchen, then where could she be?", he wondered. Just then, Batman's voice came over the intercom. "Team, report to the mission room immediately."

He ran to the mission room, soon to be met by the rest. Batman, Red Tornado, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter and Captain Marvel were gathered there, waiting for him. Aqualad stepped forward. "Batman, why have you called us here? Is it important?" At once, all five Leaguers hung their heads. Robin tilted his head. "Batman, what's wrong?" Kid Flash looked around. "Hey! Where's Miss M?", he asked. Captain Marvel lifted his head up at bit, looking at Wally with sadness in his eyes as he rubbed the side of his neck. "Uh, Kid? We're not really sure."

Artemis stared at him. "What do you—" "We looked everywhere, guys.", Black Canary explained. "But all we found...was this." She took her arms out from behind her back. Draped over the palms of her hands was a ripped off piece of Miss Martian's electric blue cape, stained with purple Martian blood. Artemis gasped. Batman got their attention. "Team...I know this will be hard for you. But given the evidence, we will have to assume the worst." Robin looked at his mentor, his masked eyes growing wider. "You don't mean..." Batman reluctantly nodded.

Robin stumbled and fell into his mentor, his loud sobs muffled into his costume. Batman wrapped his arms around his protege and rubbed his back. Aqualad stared at the floor, trying hard as he could not to cry, but a few salty tears dripped from his eyes anyway. Artemis fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, and Kid Flash even knelt beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders and trying to comfort her.

Superboy stared at the bloody piece of cloth as he took it in his own hands and carried it into the TV room of the Cave. His eyes never leaving it, he sat in the middle of the sofa and continued to look at it, unsure of what to do. After a few moments, he felt something burn at the back of his eyes and the muscles of his face tighten. Holding the bloodied shred of clothing to his cheek, he burst into tears, his sobs echoing throughout the halls of the Cave.

Conner didn't know what to do. How could this happen? How could fate be so cruel as to take his sweet M'gann away from him? Who would bake him cookies whenever he was sad? Who would dance around the room with him to lift his spirits? Who would smile at him when everyone else frowned? Conner choked back another sob as he thought about all the times M'gann had tried to cheer him up whenever Superman had made him feel bad. How she'd loved him! How she'd truly cared for her Superboy!  Now whatever would he do without her?

Conner thought about how he would never see M'gann again. How he would never hear her musical laugh, or smell her perfume, or see her lovely face for the rest of his life. Gone were the days he'd help her cook and watch her spin around in the air, singing and giggling. No more would she help him talk about his problems and comfort him when he felt like crying. Conner cried harder and harder, his tears soaking her cape, his shoulders shaking as he wept for the beautiful Martian girl that he had taken for granted and had now lost forever.
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The double doors opened as a dark figure hurried through the gateways of the royal Biaylian palace. A slim, feminine figure lay on a golden fainting couch lined with thick red velvet, hidden in the shadows. "Is it done?" The soldier held out a fine box of Spanish wood, a deep red liquid of some sort leaking from the gap of the opening. "My Queen, I present to you...the heart of M'gann M'orrz."

Two slim, elegant hands slipped out of the shadows and took the box from him. They opened it, two coal-black eyes coming closer to peer inside. The hands then shut the box closed once more, the eyes piercing towards the soldier. "Excellent. You've served me well. Now go." The soldier obeyed at once, hurrying out of the room as quickly as he had entered. The pair of eyes danced with wicked glee. "Who's the fairest now?"