"I want to join them again," Lilith whispered in the mirror, not wanting her father to hear her from the living room where he was reading. Lilith jumped a little when there came a rapping at the window. She rushed over to find Conner just outside, she slid open the window.
"What are you doing here?" Lilith asked as she watched him climb in the window, "Batman just came back with like ten more missions, I'm here to get you to rejoin the team." Conner said, "Shh, my fathers I'm the next room. Wait why did you go through the window and not just come through the front door?" Lilith asked, and Conner shrugged. "Whatever, Conner it's not like I haven't tried. I'm just not good with words, and my father is super overprotective." Lilith said, "So's Batman but you got him to let you join." Conner argued, "Yes after going behind his back, that's not going to work this time." Lilith said, "Then at least try asking," Conner said pushing her towards the door. She barely had time to realize what he was doing before he pushed her out into the living room.
"You can do this," Conner whispered, from the door to her room. "Father," Lilith said softly, tugging on her gloves. "Yes, Pumpkin?" He asked barely glancing up from his book. "Um I was wondering...well actually I wanted to tell you...ask you....if-if" Lilith rambled her words giving out. "She wants to rejoin the Young Justice League." Conner said confidently walking out of her room, "C-Conner!" She stammered, his sudden appearance from her room seeming to wake her father. "You-you want to rejoin that hero team?" Her Father asked standing and setting her book aside. "Y-yes Father I want to rejoin the team, I want to be a hero," Lilith said her voice quiet but strong as she half stepped behind Conner who had walked into the middle of the living room.
"But you don't have to Pumpkin. I'm safe, and Batmans looking for Ivy." He said looking between them confused, "It's not just about you father, I want to help others. I want to help the world." Lilith said still half hiding behind Conner who was smiling at her proudly. "Are you sure?" Her father asked, "Yes Father I want to be a hero, and the young justice league can help me. I'll have others watching my back so I won't be alone." Lilith said, "I won't let any harm come to her sir." Conner said, her father looked between them.
"You can't guarantee that," he said shaking his head. Lilith's heart sank then hardened as she finally stepped out from behind Conner.
"You're right he can't, but that's not the point. I will get injured it's to be expected in any job, especially one as dangerous as being a hero. However I don't care a few bruises and cuts, even broken bones won't scare me away. I want to be a hero father, and I will be. I just hope you will support my dream." Lilith said sternly. Her father looked at her and she felt as if it had been a long time since he really looked at her like that. Like she wasn't his little girl.
"Fine," he sighed, and she smiled as her heart flew. "With some restrictions, which we can talk about later." He said and Lilith smiled up at Conner. "Now when did you get here and why were you in her room?"
Lilith looked between them unsure how to respond. "I didn't think she'd listen if I came through the front door, but we tell Batman your back on the team right away," Conner said and started dragging her out of the house. She gave her Father an encouraging smile.
***
It took no time for Conner to tell Batman and after a quick phone call, he approved her reinstatement.
"Cookies to celebrate," Conner suggested walking to the kitchen reaching into the back of the cupboard for the good cookies. "What are we celebrating?" Meg asked sounding happy until She saw Lilith standing in the kitchen. "Lilith is back on the team," Conner said gleefully, "She is? that's great," Meg said with as much fake enthusiasm as she could manage. Lilith sighed and took the cookie Conner offered her. "Superboy ready to go?" Robin said as he came into the kitchen, "Go?" Conner asked, "We have a mission...Batman told us about it an hour ago." Robin said, "Riiiiight," Conner sighed, "Welp... Too bad, we were having fun." Meg said sarcastically, which Conner seemed to not notice.
"Go you're just missing a cookie, we can celebrate when you return," Lilith assured him and he smiled, right see you both later. He said giving Meg a peck on the cheek and almost giving Lilith one before he seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped himself and instead opted for patting her shoulder before leaving her alone with Meg. Lilith sat awkwardly nursing her cookie as she headed to her room in the cave to unpack her super suit. Since she was going to need it.
It took her far longer than it should have for her to realize that Meg had followed her into her room. She didn't even notice until the door closed behind her, "Oh Meg did you need something?" Lilith asked, "Yes," Meg said and when she didn't elaborate Lilith asked, "Are you okay Meg?" Lilith said cringing at her own awkwardness.
"I was better... When my boyfriend wasn't falling for a villain. One that's probably using her powers on him," Meg snapped under her breath. Lilith was taken aback, she knew Meg hated her but this kind of sudden burst was not like her. "Wh-Wh-What?" Lilith stammered, "You heard me," Meg snapped turning to glare at Lilith with her arms crossed, "You think-you really think...No, no...I don't even-" Lilith stammered, "Oh stop it with that fake innocent nervous act. I'm on to you," Meg muttered under her breath as she leaned towards Lilith. Lilith stepped back in surprise.
"Meg we've gone over this, Conner doesn't se-" Lilith started, "Conner doesn't see you as anything romantic? If I believed that I wouldn't' have just seen him almost kiss you on the cheek." Meg growled, "It was an honest mistake, I didn't see it as any but that...So why can't you?" Lilith asked, "Because you're the daughter of one of the biggest villains in Gotham. One that is well known for seducing men with just a bat of an eye, or a bit of her dust." Meg hissed, Lilith looked at Meg in horror. As she felt her anger rise up in waves, things that had been building up for years.
"I. Don't. Have. That. Power." Lilith said through her teeth as she glared at Meg. "Yeah right and you're also not able to grow a tree in your sleep," Meg snapped, "A tree and some magic dust are two very different things. I don't even know how she does it! And I would never use it myself even if I could, it's wrong." Lilith snapped, Meg shrugged.
"You're only saying that to try and convince me that you're not as evil as her." Meg shrugged again, "I'm not her! Why can't you just get that through your thick head," Lilith yelled, "I will prove that you are by any means necessary." Meg said as she glared down at Lilith, "What do you mean?" Lilith asked just before she felt it.
It took her a second to understand the sensation, she had felt it a few times. Like when Meg tried to link all their minds together. It started as a soft like a feather on her mind, but when that didn't seem to work it became almost painful so much so and so suddenly Lilith could barely gasp in surprise.
"I will protect Conner," Meg said and Lilith knelt in pain as memories flashed through her head. First meeting Conner, finding out he was superboy, the talk on the cliff. It stopped suddenly when she suddenly felt a vine climb up her arm from a nearby plant.
Then another, all the plants in the room that had overgrown durry surge of power a week ago were now reaching out to her. Lending her strength, such energy she hadn't felt since that first day back to school after the Wearhouse accident. A wave of relief flowed through her mind as a wall of what she could only describe as pure un-filtered power.
"Get out of my head!" Lilith growled, and with a sudden burst threw off Megs powers with ease as the plants lifted her a few inches off the floor. Meg was suddenly entangled in a cacoon of plants. Lilith saw it as almost a wave, Megs powers flowed through the vines and leaves reaching back to Lilith. What Lilith saw and felt astonished her. Megs powers, Megs mind and memories. Not just sweet moments between her and Conner, her at her home planet being outcast as a white Martian. Though Lilith didn't really understand that part, Lilith almost wanted to gasp in horror when she saw some things Meg had done.
Meg wasn't perfect and it wasn't just her awkward moments that made her loveable in her peer's minds. Sure no one was perfect but that wasn't the only reason why they loved her. She had altered the perception of herself in people's minds at school, even erased some memories when she had slipped up and got caught using her powers. Even cheated at tests by reading answers from other minds. She studied that was sure but she still cheated.
"How can you call yourself a hero?" Lilith asked through the new connection they had, "How could you alter people's minds? That's so wrong," Lilith let Meg go and Meg fell to the floor in a pile.
"You don't understand, I had to they caught me. My secret identity could have gotten out," Meg coughed, "Have you ever altered Conners mind? Did you make him like you, like you were causing me of?"Lilith asked staring down at Meg in shock and horror. "N-N-no!" Meg said, "You are such a hypocrite," Lilith said, walking out of the room leaving Meg her pile of shame and horror.
***
"Another bush recked," Lilith growled as she tried to fix the rose bush without her powers. "What keeps happening to them?" Conner asked, "Valentine's day," Lilith growled, "Well they shouldn't mess with them, though you could take it as a compliment your roses are the prettiest in the town." Conner said, "Well thanks," Lilith shrugged, "Speaking of roses, and flowers," Conner said running his hand through his hair nervously, "Yes?" Lilith asked glancing up at him, "Well Robin, Wally, and I were kinda hoping you might grow us some special ones. For the girls, maybe even some of the wrist flowers." Conner said, "You want me to make you guys flowers for your dates to the dance?" Lilith asked, her shoulders falling with each word and her heartfelt heavy.
"Yeah I mean I was going to ask if I could take some from the bushes here, but that's difficult since they're all gone," Conner said, and Lilith spun away from him to look back at her bare rose bush. Anger, resentment, and jealousy bubbling to the surface and she didn't try to stop it.
"Yeah they're gone but don't worry the thieves will learn," Lilith smiled as some new leaves grew entangled between the rose bush leaves. Conner watched her, "Lilith you're not growing poison Ivy in the rose bush, are you?" Conner asked sounding truly surprised, "No, no. Of course not, just poison oak." Lilith muttered, "Lilith," Conner said disapprovingly, she stood a turned defiantly. "But Conner you don't get it they do this all the time. I spend months grooming these flowers and people just come by and think they can pick them without any concern for the plant or all the hard work I put into them." Lilith complained, "I don't see the problem you can just, snap." He said snapping his fingers before saying. "And grow more,"
"That's not the point!" Lilith yelled, and Conner took a half step back. Lilith saw a few plants bending towards her. Almost eager for her to fight him, but she didn't really care as long as they didn't do anything more than bend. "It's not like I just use my powers to grow everything, I like putting in the work to grow things," Lilith said pausing for only a second when she saw Meg and her gaggle of friends watching them argue. They were far enough away not to hear them but still were watching them argue.
"Though I really thought you'd understand, I guess I was wrong." Lilith sighed looking away from them all, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't understand?" He asked almost sounding offended, "I thought you would understand me. After all, you flick your finger and could send a person flying, you can do a thousand sit-ups and not break a sweat. Run almost as fast as a speeding bullet, Mr. Wonderboy you have powers I would love." Lilith said, "You think I like being able to break a tree in half with a hug?" Conner asked, seeming to get angry as well though he wasn't sure why.
"Yes I do and I'd trade my powers for yours in a heartbeat." Lilith snapped, she started to feel tears of anger sting her eyes. "I-I-" "Well at least you can act normal. You can kiss someone on the cheek without poisoning them, Conner. I can't even take off my gloves without panicking. You have a beautiful girlfriend, great friends, and only have to make sure not to punch something too hard." Lilith said, "You have friends to Lil-" Conner started his anger fizzling, "I have acquaintances, Conner. I mean I thought you were my friend but I guess that was a pipe dream too. You know what, why don't you just go back to your perfect little life Conner. Like I said before. I was happy in my corner of silence, where people don't ask me to make things for people who hate me. The same person who just yesterday tried to dig into my brain because they don't trust me." Lilith snapped and half ran off, she thought she heard Conner start to follow her again. However, when she turned the corner she caught a glimpse of Meg holding Conner back. Yet Conner seemed to just turn his steely gaze on her.