"I take it our ruse was successful?"
"Almost too successful. The team and the League are in mourning. They may never forgive us."
"And still, only we four know the secret?"
"This one, and the other."
...
"I saw your surprise earlier."
"Forgive me, I was unaware that she had returned."
"Well, for what it's worth, she still believes in you."
-------
"Y-you still have head injuries," Jessica said quietly. "You need to rest."
Jaina breathed in deeply. "What- what happened?" She demanded. She was lying on the white bed in the med-bay. She'd gotten knocked out somehow, she remembered that.
Jessica bit her lip. "The rocket...the rocket blew up, but nothing had hit it. Nightwing said he was still trying to figure it out."
"Great," Jaina sighed. "Carol's gonna be ticked."
"Yeah," Jessica sat down in the chair next to Jaina's bed, pulling her legs to her chest.
"Hey," Jaina reached out a hand, patting Jessica's knee. "You okay?"
Jessica shook her head, hiding her face from Jaina.
"Th-there was a knife, and there was blood, so m-much blood," she whimpered, rocking herself back and forth.
Jaina sat up, and somewhere at the back of her mind her head was spinning.
"Jessica, did you try to-"
The door to the mountain's med bay opened with a whoosh.
"Jessica, Black Canary wants you," Connor said.
Jessica nodded, rubbing her eyes and standing up. Behind Connor in the hall, M'gann put her arm around Jessica, leading her down the hall.
Mal joined Connor in the doorway, and they both sat next to Jaina's cot.
"How do you feel, Jaina?" Mal asked, leaning against the wal with his arms folded. Connor sat in the chair Jessica had vacated.
"Honestly, I've felt worse." Jaina eyed both of her friends."What happened?"
Mal and Connor looked at each other.
"Jaina, Artemis is dead."
Her jaw dropped. "Wha- how-"
"Aqualad stabbed her," Mal growled.
Jaina only let herself be shocked for a moment more. "You're wrong," she said lowly, gripping the thin sheets over her uniform.
"Jaina, calm down," Connor urged.
"You're wrong!" She shouted, grabbing Superboy's arm. For some reason, it actually hurt him. Him, the Boy of Steel.
Jaina could tell she was hurting him, and she didn't care.
"It's a lie, all of it! Some kind of trick! Kaldur can't be evil, and he wouldn't kill Artemis! You're wrong, all of you!" She screamed.
"Jaina-"
"Don't touch me!" Jaina snapped, slapping Mal's hand away with a burst of green energy. Karen and Jaime appeared in the door to see what was going on, but Jaina pushed past them all, sprinting for the garage.
"Woah, slow down Jay-" Raquel tried to stop her but Jaina flew over her head. She built up speed, shooting out of the garage and into the sky.
She flew around the Earth, again and again. She told herself she was searching for Artemis and Kaldur, to make sure that they were okay, but it was also the perfect place to cry without anyone seeing her. She sobbed loudly and freely, wiping tears from her cheeks in futility before another flood replaced them.
She finally lost charge over Coast City, the ring depositing her a few blocks from Carol and Hal's apartment in her civilian clothes.
She shivered at the sudden March chill, quickly walking to the apartment building.
She knocked on the door, but no one answered. She must still be mitigating damage control from the failed mission.
She was still crying, and her head injuries kept her from thinking straight at the moment, so she leaned against the door and cried herself to sleep.
-------
"Oh, sweetie," Carol's hand brushed the windblown hair out of Jaina's eyes. Her headache was worse than ever. And it hurt to open her eyes more than a squint.
"C-carol, I'm sorry..." Jaina's entire body shook.
"Sh, sh, sh," Carol whispered. "It's not your fault, and we can build another one."
Jaina nodded slowly, sniffing as the tears returned. "C-carol, she's gone, she's gone. I-I can't...feel her anywhere. I can't feel her! She really is gone!"
"Jaina," Carol pulled Jaina into her arms, holding her close.
"She's gone, just like Ani, like Mara, like Jasa!" Jaina sobbed.
"Shhh, it's okay sweetie. I'm here." Carol promised. "I'm here."
After Carol had her settled in, Jaina told her the whole story.