Young Justice Oneshots

The Butterfly Project

I have my reasons, please don't be mad ⚠️Mentions of self-harm and suicide. Feels might overpower you. You have been warned.⚠️

M'gann's POV

Legacy, legacy. What is a legacy? 

I walked out of the Zeta tube with Conner, having just gotten out of school. I knew that Artemis was already here, so I went to her room to find her.

She was sitting on the side of her bed, folding paper, piles of folded and unfolded paper beside her.

"What you doing?" I asked her curiously.

She smiled at me and held up the piece of paper that she had been folding. Was that a butterfly?

"Origami," Artemis said. I looked at her in confusion. I'd never heard of it. "It's folding paper into shapes, like butterflies, which are my personal favorite."

I picked one up. "These look really cool. Can you show me how to make them?"

"Of course. But be warned: it's harder than it looks."

She showed me how, and boy was she right. Mine looked nowhere near as good as hers.

"It takes practice," Artemis told me. "You'll get better. I did."

"Why are you making so many?"

"At my school, I do this thing every Friday where I put a butterfly, each with a quote or inspiring message on it, into every locker in the school. There are a thousand of them. There are only 500 kids, but I make a thousand anyway. Everyone loves the butterflies, but no one knows who it is that does it."

"Why do you do that?"

"Having things like anxiety and depression suck. And being suicidal isn't fun. Sure, the kids at my school are rich, but that does not at all mean that they are immune to that kind of thing. Everyone needs a pick-me-up every once in a while."

I smiled. "That's a really good idea."

"Thanks." Her phone rang and she answered it in another language. Then the call ended. "I've gotta go. My mom wants me home. I love ya, Megs! Bye!"

"Love you too, Art!" I smiled as my earth sister ran off. "Bye!"

I wondered why Artemis used a term of affection. She rarely did. I just took it as she was just in a really good mood, which is what seemed to be going on. Boy, was I wrong.

When Conner and I got back from school he next day, we found several of the Justice Leaguers talking. They didn't notice us. Green Arrow and Black Canary were both crying. What was going on? My uncle finally noticed us and walked over, establishing a mind link.

'M'gann, Conner, I'm so sorry to say this, but, your friend Artemis has died.'

Conner and I froze. 'What?' Conner asked, anger in his voice. He and Artemis were much closer than people gave them credit for. 'You're joking!'

'I'm sorry to say that I am not.'

'What happened?' I asked, wanting to cry.

My uncle sighed. 'Suicide.'

'What?' I asked.

'Her?' Conner said in complete shock.

'Yes, her. He mother found her dead about an hour ago. I'm sorry. She was a great girl.'

I nodded, then ran off to my room. I slammed the door shut, locking it. I flung myself onto my bed and sobbed. She had seemed so happy. Why would she do this? Clearly, she was not mentally ok. How had I not noticed? I realized why she had told me that she loved me. She wanted to make sure that I knew that.

We had a funeral for her. I absolutely refused for her to be put into a dress and makeup. She didn't like either of those things. Instead, they just put her in the nicest outfit that she owned, and didn't put makeup on her. They even kept her earrings in, and her hair was slicked back into its usual ponytail. Her mom, Paula, could barely say a word, she was crying so much. All I heard anyone say was Wally saying that he loved her and that he wished that he had built up the courage to tell her that.

Then I had to go up. I was a crying mess, but I wasn't about to chicken out. "Artemis was my best friend. She was like a bossy little sister to me, and I loved her as such. I remember that the day before she died, I came into her room and she was sitting on her bed, making origami butterflies, lots of them. When I asked, she explained that every Friday she would leave little notes in the shape of butterflies in every locker in her school."

There was a gasp from Robin and Artemis' friends from school, Bette and Barbara. I guess she had never told them that.

"I told her that that was a great idea. Her mom called and she left. Before she did, she said she loved me, which was a very rare thing for her to say to her friends. I realize that she was making sure that I knew that. Artemis was my sister, and I'll miss her so much." I burst into sobs and had to get down. I was done, anyway.

That night we found out that she had left us each a letter. When I read mine, I started crying all over again. Not just at the words, but at the tear stains that were already on the paper.

'I'm sorry for not telling you what was going on in my head, M'gann. Don't blame yourself for this. I knew how to stop you from reading my mind and block thoughts that I didn't want you to know about.

There are a couple of things that I really want you to know. I know what your true Martian form is. I don't care. You're still the same awesome Megan. Your appearance has nothing to do with who you are.

I also want you to know that GA isn't really my uncle, in fact, my dad is Sportsmaster. I grew up being verbally and emotionally abused by him, sometimes physically, too. It scarred me, and it's why my mind was the h***hole that it was. He would force my sister, Cheshire, and I to fight each other on a regular basis until my sister had enough of it and ran away.

I'm so sorry for not trusting you with this sooner. But because of my dad, I'm not a trusting person. You're my sister Megan, and I love you. I hope that you can forgive me for this. I just... couldn't take life anymore. I'm so sorry . I guess that I'm a bad sister for this and I'm so, so sorry. But every day, I feel like my thoughts are eating me alive, and meds don't help at all, I've tried them. God, I've tried so many of them. I've never felt comfortable talking to people about my feelings, so that was out, too.

I'm really sorry, Sis. Please, please dear god forgive me. Don't forget me is all I ask. Maybe continue the Butterfly Project for me. I feel like this should go on so much longer, but I have nothing else to say. You were the best sister that I've ever had, Megs. Stay true to yourself.

Love,

Arty'

<<<•>>>

In Artemis' memory, I took over her butterfly project with some help. I started a website, TheButterflyProject.org and shared the story behind it. Robin, Barbara, and Bette kept it up at their school. Conner and I did it at ours. Kaldur did in Atlantis. Other kids found out about it from friends and family and started doing it at their schools.

After just a year, we had fifty schools participating in this, and we were getting more every week. It was an awesome thing to see. I hope that Artemis is proud. She certainly left a bigger legacy than she probably ever expected. And I'm so glad for that.

It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.