Chapter Text
John had only gotten halfway through his grocery shopping when a teen with a slight but unmistakable limp bumped into him. At first John thought nothing of it but then he saw a familiar looking wallet being slipped into the teen’s jacket pocket. Sighing to himself, John leaves his partially filled cart and pursues the teen. It doesn’t take him much time to catch up to the younger male and when he does John gently grabs the other’s upper arm.
“I usually have no problem giving away what I have in my wallet, but I’d like to have my documents back if you please.” John’s tone was low but assertive.
The teen’s reaction is instantaneous. Unearthly blue eyes whip around and stare at him. The hood of his jacket falls off and reveals a youthful but ragged appearance. Black hair matted and unbrushed. All of his clothing is clean yet extremely worn. The child must have been on the streets for a while considering the state of everything on his person. His expression, on the other hand, is one of pure terror and fear. One that should never be seen on a face so young.
Though what really catches John off guard is when the child slips out of his grasp. Not as if he pulled away or breaks the Martian’s hold or something along those lines, but the boy pulls so that John’s hand goes through his arm. As soon as the dark haired teen is free he makes a break for freedom. After only a second of hesitation and surprise, John chases after him.
The kid gets sloppy in his running away from the adult. Soon the two of them are phasing through things and people in a not so friendly game of cat and mouse. The dark haired teen is now sprinting towards the front doors and phases through them. John follows, not giving up in his pursuit. No, if this child was a Martian like himself, John would see to it that he was returned safely. Back to his home and family.
“Please!” The Martian calls after the young teen. “I do not intend to harm you!”
“I don’t trust you!” The teen responded. His voice cracks and there’s fear bleeding into his tone as he chances a glance back at his pursuer. “Just leave me alone!”
The teen takes a sharp turn into an alleyway. When John catches up he sees the child stumble and fall disgracefully to the cement. A pang of hurt and concern flutters in John’s chest at the sight. The teen makes a scared sound at seeing John before disappearing entirely. It was quite impressive that this child had this kind of control over his abilities especially such a young age.
John raises his hands to show that he was not going to do anything and slowly steps further into the alley. “I mean no harm. I just want to help you get home.”
There’s a shifting from behind a pile of black trash bags. John zones in on the movement. “NO! I’M NOT GOING BACK.” The boy flickers back into the visual spectrum. He’s trying to scramble backwards through the wall but doesn’t seem to have the strength.
John kneels down next to the frightened child. Still a good distance away but close enough to help if needed. The teen was now gasping for air and clutching at his chest. John flicks his gaze down. His stomach drops at the sight of green tinged blood seeping through the teen's shirt and showing through his open jacket.
“I won’t go back!” The teen yells with desperation, his eyes flicking wildly. “You can’t make me! I’ll never go back!” A moment of silence where he tries to desperately pull air into his lungs. Then in a much more broken voice, “I-I’ll never go back. Never.”
“Alright. Alright, I won’t make you go back.” John glances towards the mouth of the alley. Seeing that there is no one to see them, he releases his human form and settles into his natural state. “Please allow me to help you.” J’onn speaks in his mother tongue. “I am a friend, and I will help but only if you will allow me.”
The boy’s eyes go wide. His bottom lip quivers and tears gather in the corners of his eyes. “You’re not a hunter.” He responds in perfect Martian.
Pure, unadulterated, icy rage floods through J’onn. Someone has been hunting this child? No wonder he was so afraid. The child looked so unsure and afraid. Like whoever had been hunting him would appear at any moment.
He shakes his head and extends a hand. “No. I would never condone such behavior and antics.”
The boy looks at him with slightly less fear in his eyes. He must have pushed himself too far considering that he was now fighting to keep his eyes open. Trying to remain somewhat alert in an unfamiliar environment.
“Safe?” The tears that had been gathering in his eyes finally fell. They raced down his face before dripping to fall onto his jacket.
J’onn nods, inching ever so slightly closer to the boy. “Yes, safe.”
Though with his consciousness fading all the teen could do was reach towards J’onn before falling completely unconscious. J’onn quickly swoops in to catch the wounded teen and gather him up into his arms. He held the child gingerly, as if he would break at any moment. The Martian glances around before camouflaging himself as well as his new charge. He then quickly makes his way back to his apartment. Looks like groceries were going to have to wait for a bit.