[center][sup]A collab with [@FacePunch].[/sup][/center] [b]Infirmary October 31, 2025[/b] [quote=Mailsi][/quote] Those were the last words S'tann S'tonn could recall hearing. Since then, there has been only darkness. The Martian was busy enjoying the bliss of dreamless sleep; losing it was almost too much to bear. But S'tann felt himself compelled toward consciousness at breakneck speeds, unable to stop or slow down. So he braced himself for the crushing weight of reality. He feared awakening. He knew there would be consequences for what he had done. S'tann wasn't aware of what had occurred outside of his hallucination but he knew, based on his previous experiences like this one, that what came next sucked ass. S'tann wondered what had happened; what he was responsible for. He'd snapped. Probably at Andy. He could still picture the pyrokinetic as his body began to glow bright orange. He recalled in vivid detail the horrific pain Andrew had caused him. In any other context, S'tann would be pissed. But Andy had every right to defend himself. Legacy could have killed him with that blow. And it was partly S'tann's own fault that he was in this mess; he knew what fire could- would do to him. But S'tann S'tonn had convinced himself that it was all necessary. But none of it was necessary. The alien recalled his uncle's many teachings over the years. If only he'd applied a tenth of what J'onn had told his nephew over the years, S'tann wouldn't be the third most hated student on campus. He wouldn't be attacking the closest people he had to friends every time they jabbed at him. And he wouldn't be lying on this hospital bed, wired to a plethora of machines that monitored his foreign life signs. The Martian stirred. The light temporarily blinded him as he forced his eyelids open. S'tann glanced around the room and his initial suspicions were confirmed. This was, indeed, the infirmary. Something in the back of his mind wondered how many students he'd put in here with him. S'tann pushed the thought away as soon as it surfaced, determined to ignore the inevitable for as long as possible. His head felt like shit. He hadn't imagined getting punched in the face, that was for sure. S'tann attempted to sit up but his ribs' protests forbade movement for the time being. A sighed escaped his green lips as S'tann turned his head to the right. He was greeted by the sight of a floral wallpaper. The Martian adjusted his position and turned to the left and was immediately greeted by one of Andy's stupid smirks. "Hey there, sleeping beauty," he said, his accent as grating as ever. "Good to see you're back in the land of the living." That moron had ruined everything. S'tann didn't doubt that it had been Andy's fire that triggered the hallucinations. That was the only logical explanation for all of this. He'd made the Martian go berserk. He must have looked like a psychopath. Or an animal. Or both. Not that it mattered what S'tann looked like; if they hadn't all thought he was crazy before, they sure as hell would now. Any shred of credibility the Martian Boy had built up since the last incident was completely erased and now he was back at square one. Where the cosmos thought he belonged. Perhaps the universe was right. Perhaps he did belong here. Outcast, alone and totally out of his mind. The Martian gave the most half-assed "I hate you." he could manage before looking away from the Australian. If Andy was paying attention to S'tann's eyes, he would've seen that S'tann was looking right past him. As if he was addressing someone else and not the candlestick who was to blame. "I hope you realize now why I don't like fire." S'tann said after awhile, his eyes glued to the ceiling fan. "You had to go and make it fucking difficult, didn't you? Couldn't leave good enough alone." He said quietly. "For the record, I didn't enjoy hitting you." S'tann looked back at Andy now. "I don't like punching down." The Martian allowed himself the briefest of smiles. "Yeah, well, not everyone can stand at the [i]towering[/i] height of five foot seven, dickhead," drawled Andy, laughing. "Those were some pretty good hits, y'know. You broke, like, four of my ribs. I'm lucky I didn't break my back, too." He reached up to rub the back of his head, winced from the pain, then gave up, resting his arm at his side. His eyes met S'tann's as he said, "I meant what I said, you know. Every bit of it. And for what it's worth... I'm sorry. It's my fault this ever happened. I shouldn't have provoked you." "We both know that's bullshit." S'tann growled. "I'm as far from 'the best of us' as it can get." The Martian wrinkled in nose in disgust. As much as he hated to admit it, Andrew's words gave him pause. If he had half a mind to, S'tann would've pried the truth from Andy's putrid brain. But he didn't want to. He feared that Andy might, in fact, believe his own lies. "Don't be sorry. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I shouldn't of hit you; that would have killed a lesser man. Lucky for me, you humans are tougher than you let on." "Now that you mention it, I [i]am[/i] pretty tough," said Andy, his smirk ever present. With a lengthy grimace, he tried once more to place his hand behind his head. Succeeding, he moved on to his other hand, relaxing into his new position with a small groan. His smirk was now gone, replaced by a thoughtful expression, his eyes gazing up towards the ceiling. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You could easily be one of the greats if you just pull your finger out. I mean, I don't get it. Why bother with this 'I'm so much better than you' act if you don't actually believe it?" "There's an old Martian proverb that was commonly called the 'Creed of the Manhunters.' It doesn't translate perfectly into English, but it basically says: 'My armor is contempt, My shield isolation, My sword is hatred." S'tann paused to collect his thoughts before proceeding. "Ever since...Well. Ever since I left Mars, I've always wanted to be a Manhunter. I devoted my life to following the creed; even before I met J'onn, I was training myself to be one of them." The Martian chuckled. "Uncle J'onzz was nothing like I pictured a Manhunter to be. He was kind, loyal and forgiving. Just dripping with wisdom, ya know? He puzzled me for years. I had this desire so ingrained in my mind and then he comes along and screws with everything I believed. With every notion I'd ever had about Mars' finest. So one day I go up to J'onn and ask him about the creed. He tells me it isn't even authentic. The thing's a fuckin' fake! But I'd never been so convinced someone was wrong in my entire life. I decided to put the proverb before anything J'onn J'onzz, an actual, honest to God Manhunter, told me. Being the absolute dickhead that I am, I've kept with it. No idea why. But I have. "And look where its gotten me. I'm basically the king of the world." S'tann spat sarcastically, his every word dripping with contempt and hatred."No doubt that doesn't answer your question. But its the best I've got." "No, no, that just about explains it." Andy's eyes remained fixed to the ceiling. "You know, I get it. For as long as I can remember I've looked up to the Justice League. When I was little, I didn't want to be an astronaut, or a fireman, or a police officer, like most five year-olds do. I wanted to be a superhero." He sighed. "This was before my powers activated, mind you. "I followed the League's adventures religiously. Where Mr. Perkins down the street was going on about our Lord and Saviour, I was preaching about the Big Seven. In my eyes, [i]they[/i] were our saviours. I mean, where was this Jesus guy when Braniac came to invade us? "So when I accidentally shot fire out of my hands and burned down my school's library (it was empty), I was ecstatic. I could finally take the next step in following my dreams. I was fourteen, and I took to the streets, only to realise that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was useless. No matter how hard I tried, how many boxing lessons I took, all I did every time I pulled on a hoodie was nearly get myself, and other people, killed. My parents found out, and before I knew what was happening I was here... at the Justice League Academy. I found myself desperately trying to live up to the names of the people I'd spent so long worshipping like gods. It didn't take long for crushing disappointment to crash down on top of me when I realised that I wouldn't be able to do that. I guess that's when I figured there's no harm in being a clown. I mean, if you can't hope to be the hero you've always dreamt of becoming, why bother taking it seriously? "I think that's why you frustrated me so much. You have everything going for you, and yet it kept looking like you were happy to just throw it all away." "I was following my dream." S'tann explained. "No matter who or what stood in my way. Something you could learn from." The comment held no scorn for Andrew; in fact, The Martian appeared sympathetic. "What makes you think you can't become one of the best? The only thing stopping you is yourself. Your powers are just as amazing as mine, Andy. Perhaps even greater; but you can only learn to harness them if you commit to it. It won't be easy. In fact, it will be the hardest thing you'll ever choose to do. But if you train? If you dedicate your time and energy to becoming something more than some clown? It will be worth it. I can promise you that. If you don't, though..." S'tann paused, his visage becoming grim. "There's no point in staying at Corrigan. You'd be better off going home and spending the rest of your life moping on your mom's couch." "I believe we can help each other, Andrew. I'll show you how to live up to your potential; how to become something more. And you can teach me to be less of an asshole." The Martian extended his hand across the room using his powers, offering it to Andy. "Deal?" Andy spent a good while looking at S'tann, as if trying to figure him out. Eventually he smiled, satisfied, extending his hand with grunt, clasping the Martian's. "Deal."