When Circe told me I had surpassed all of my tutors, I thought she was kidding. It wasn't until I was floating over Gotham, searching for Batman and Robin, that it even occurred to me that she might have been correct.
She took me in after I ran from Themyscira. She never asked why I ran. She never bothered me with questions of the origins of my powers. She took it all in stride; my magic, my Goddess, and my strange obsession with the Boy Wonder. She trained me, taught me everything she knew about magic, and when she had no more to teach me, sent me to other magicians and masters from whom I would learn martial arts, everything about the world of which I had come to belong, and the divide between good and evil, right and wrong, hero and villain.
Circe had been kind to me when I had needed it most. She loved me as though I were her own flesh and blood. She raised me, but that was never who she really was. She was Circe, the sorceress that time and time again tried to kill the princess of the very land I ran from. She was no hero, she was not one of the good guys that I so admired. Therefore, after I returned from the home of my most recent master, I gathered what of mine I saw fit to bring, and ran from the woman that took me in.
I ran to Gotham. I had always wanted to meet Robin and I had to assure the Batman that I was no villain. It was about two a.m. when I spotted the caped crusader and his adorable sidekick matching off with a small army of second-class thugs. They were out-numbered badly, but the odds were ever in their favor. I hovered over the growing mess of downed men, debating whether or not I should interrupt their fight. As it turns out, my hesitation was literally my downfall as the clouds that had been covering the moon decided to reveal its enchanting light. It was a full moon and the moons glow could shine no brighter than it had on that night. My body responded to its heavenly mother as it always had and always would. My eyes started glowing and my magic floated around me like a hazy rain, the light catching on the drops; a beacon in the dark. I was grounded in seconds with the Batman and Robin looming over me.
"Hi. I'm Heketa," I said calmly as though my wrists and ankles weren't bound by metal chords. "You can call me Keta."
"Why are you in Gotham?" The Boy Wonder scrunched up his nose and frowned at me. He was pretty cute when he was confused.
"Just moved to town," I replied locking eyes with Batman; well more like I stared at where his eyes would have been if they were at all visible. "Thought I'd take a look around."
"Then do so during the day," apparently I did not yet have the honor of hearing the Dark Knight himself speak. Robin was doing all the talking.
"I'll keep that in mind next time," I still had to find a place to live, register for night or online classes, and locate a place of employment. I didn't have time for a friendly chat with Gotham's resident hero. "Bye."
"Wait."Ah, he finally speaks. "Where are you staying?"
"The truth?" A nod was my only cue to continue. "I'm not sure yet. I just arrived in Gotham a few hours ago."
"Then come with us." With that, the legendary duo walked away from the now semi-conscious men and towards a cleverly parked car, the Batmobile.
"You comin'?" How could I say no to that? Robin really was too cute for my own good. I nodded and followed behind them, but hesitated to enter the possible coffin on wheels. "What's wrong?" Damn him, he's too observant.
"No offense to Batman or anything, but I'd prefer to fly. It's less likely for me to fly into a bird than for us to crash." I didn't intend for it to come across snarky, but I really don't like cars. Or enclosed spaces. Or enclosed spaces that happen to be on wheels and sporting a massive rocket thing on the back end.
"You won't know where we're headed. Just get in. I promise, he's an excellent driver." It's hard to argue with that breed of logic without sounding childish, so I warily got into the death-on-wheels and Batman sped off.