For Better or For Worse

The Fire Within

At the sight of danger, the wedding guests ran out of the Temple so they could escape this place of insanity. Even the High Priest and the monks scrambled to get out of the way. Eyes glowed, animals roared, and feet made earthquakes as they stomped all over the ground. Conner fought off the army of evil robots. Even though he didn't have his powers under the red sun, he still had the fighting skills that he had honed through years of training.  After he had broken enough, he looked around, just in time to see Lora standing by.

Her makeup was all wiped off, with the skirt of her gown torn off to her knees, showing off her solid silver heels with silver ribbons laced up her legs, her hair undone, crystals falling to the floor, and her gloves gone.  Clutched tightly in her hand was a piece of M'gann's cape—with M'gann attached to it.  Smirking wickedly, she snapped her fingers and a thick white fog surrounded them.  "M'gann!"  Conner ran through the fog, but he couldn't see either alien girl around.  He ran to Nightwing and got his attention.  "She got M'gann!"
-----------------------------------------------------------
M'gann wasn't sure what was going on.  One minute, she was fighting off some of Deathstroke's robots, the next, she was knocked out by the feeling of a thousand bolts of electricity. When she woke up, she was in the clutches of Conner's evil young lady bride. She tried to break free, but Lora had slapped an inhibitor collar around her neck, restraining her telekinesis and shape-shifting abilities. Lora dragged M'gann up the stairs, to the highest room in the tallest tower of the Temple of Zon, where the church bells sat, waiting to be rung to signal the start of an event. She threw the Martian into a corner.

M'gann ignored the pain in her ribs and sat up. "Why? Why did you want to kill Conner? He's never done anything to you! How could you do such a thing?!" Lora smirked at her.  "Look, Kon-El is a nice guy, but he's not really my type.  Besides, if a powerful, well-known man comes along and offers you power and riches beyond your wildest dreams, you have to be crazy to turn him down."  M'gann growled at Lora, who leaned in towards her.  "Awwwww...is da widdle Martian jeawous 'cause I stole her man?", she said in baby talk, mocking her enemy.  She stood up straight, reached into her dress, and pulled out a small remote.  "Maybe this will put you back in line."  She pressed a button, and M'gann felt something go off in her collar.

Suddenly, she felt strange all over, like she was weakening.  Lora's smile became wider and wickeder.  "Oh, need a visual?"  She picked up a shattered piece of the two-way mirroring used for windows in the church and held it in front of M'gann, smirking with malicious glee seeing her gasp in horror.  M'gann's complexion had changed from grassy green to stark white, her eyes a piercing red, her teeth becoming fanged and pointed, her hair shrinking away.  She was changing into a White Martian.  "NO!"

She tried to crawl away, but Lora grabbed her from the back of her head and forced her to gaze at her reflection as wrinkles formed on her face, transforming her.  "Look at this.  Look at this.  I know I can't!  Such horrible, grotesque features.  Do you really think that Kon-El would ever love such a hideous, ugly monster?!  If you do, you need to be checked somewhere in the head!"  She threw back her head in wicked laughter as M'gann buried her face in her now long white hands, tears slipping down her cheeks as her appearance went from bad to worse.  "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Conner stood before them, his lips curled into a sneer, his hands balled into fists, determination piercing through Lora, furious at her, not just for making a fool out of him, not just for plotting against him and his friends, but for using M'gann's worst fear and insecurity against her.  He stormed over, his footsteps shaking the ground, and pulled Lora away from the crying girl, her sobs becoming louder and louder.  "How DARE you!  M'gann is anything BUT ugly!  She's beautiful and good and honest, which is more than I can say for YOU!"  Lora scoffed.  "Beautiful?  Kon, look at her!  That rough, bleak skin!  Those beady red eyes!  That pointy yellow teeth!"  She brushed his short black bangs across his forehead, smiling at him seductively.  "You can do so much better."

He smacked her hand away, bearing her teeth.  "You are wrong, Lora-Kad-Zol.  I couldn't do better than M'gann, even if I tried.  I'll admit, she has a few flaws, but it is her flaws that make her perfect in my eyes.  She is the first person who ever looked at me, saw me as a person and not a machine.  Even if her love for me eventually fades, mine for her will last until the end of time."  His eyes pierced into her's, glaring into her soul.  "She is the most beautiful girl, on this planet and the next.  You, Lora, on the other hand, are the ugliest creature I have ever met."  Lora's mouth fell open in shock before Conner picked her up and threw her against the wall, knocking her unconscious.

"Conner..."  At the sound of her voice, he ran to her side, gently picking her up, her now in her full White Martian form, cradling her in his arms.  "Its okay...I'll get you outta here."  He turned his head to Lora, who was struggling to get up.  "Its over.  You lose."  And with those words spoken, he ran out of the tower to save M'gann, leaving his ex-bride to face the crumbling walls and ceilings alone.