Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League or affiliated content/characters/all that stuff. Just a handful of OCs.

A few things first.

1- Wow, this took forever (seriously, I spent more than a couple late nights working on this).

2- I'm surprised I ended up making a chapter this big. Honestly, when I started I didn't know what I was going to do, so I just went through my list of ideas for this story and I was like: "This one, this one, this one, and that one."

3- I'd like to say I'll update sooner, but I can't honestly make that promise.

4- The title of the chapter is a tribute/salutation/(whatever you want to call it) to the Young Justice: Outsiders episode of the same name

5- Fair warning, like the Young Justice episode of the same name, this chapter has some more mature themes (child abuse, violence). If you think I should change the rating, please let me know.

6- Enjoy!

Quiet Conversations

The Monday after his last date with Zatanna (and the revelation about his past relationships), Hector was back to work as usual. "Yo, Anderson!" one of his co-workers called out just as he was leaving the lunch room at the end of his break.

"Yes?"

"Boss says he wanted to see you in his office as soon as possible."

"I'll get to it right away." Taking a short walk to the office area of the plant, Hector arrived at the boss' door, where he gave a short knock.

"Come in, come in." At the prompt, Hector stepped into a good sized office, clean and tidy with a few personal decorations. A middle aged man sat at the desk, motioning to a seat as he talked to someone on the phone. "Yes dear… No dear… Whatever you say dear…. Love you too. Bye."

"Everything alright with the family, sir?"

"Just a few bumps along the road, everything's fine. Anyway, as you know, our safety manager will be retiring soon, so we've gone over the candidates interested in his position. Given how long you've been with us, your record, and your knowledge of the plant's workings, safety protocols and so on, it's been decided that you're the best man for the job. You still up for it?"

"Indeed I am, M. Smith."

"Congratulations, you just got promoted."

"Thank you," Hector said, shaking the hand offered to him.

"Starting tomorrow you'll tag along with Bob to make sure you're ready to take over when he retires. That said, you'll need to clear up your calendar for the immediate future, because there's a big work safety conference coming up soon in New York, and as per your new position you will be required to attend."

"Very well. Will expenses be covered?"

"Yes, everything's paid for. Transportation, hotel accommodation, food… all that jazz. If you need it, we'll even throw in a new suit. After all, it wouldn't help the company's image to have you show up dressed like a pauper."

"I don't imagine it would," Hector replied, his boss chuckling a little at the joke.

A few days later, Hector got a call from Dick after work, saying that he was in the area and asking him if he wanted to hang out for a while. And so the two of them met up at a bar where they sat down at a booth with a couple drinks. "You know… I saw the Flying Graysons once when I was a kid," Hector spoke up after a bit of small talk.

"Oh? Where was this?"

"In Gotham, before I was adopted. I didn't have any money, so when Haly's Circus came to town I decided to sneak in to see the show. Then after it was all over I stole the ringmaster's top hat."

Dick's eyes widened in surprise at this. "Wait, that was you? I remember that show, Haly was sure I was playing a prank on him, and he only gave up after my parents convinced him otherwise. What did you do with it?"

"I sold it," Hector answered, as if it was the most obvious thing. "I was a kid living in the gutters of Gotham City, and I had to eat."

"Can't argue with that. On a different note… when you first met Alice, did you really refuse to wrestle because she was a girl and you didn't know where to grab her?"

"As it happens, despite being well trained in the sport, I had no prior experience with inter-gender wrestling, and I'd been taught to be a gentleman, so naturally I was hesitant to engage for fear of, er… accidentally groping her." As Dick laughed, Hector quickly glanced around the bar, ensuring that no one would overhear. "As much as I'm happy to see you're enjoying yourself, I did have a reason in particular for accepting your invitation."

"Oh? And what's that?" Dick asked, a curious look on his face.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, I know Alice and Kory are from Tamaran, which means your wife is Starfire."

"Really?" Dick questioned, surprised by the admission. "Just like that?"

"It not much of a stretch that you'd eventually figure out I know, so you might as well hear it from me. Relax, I have no intention of telling people about it, provided you don't tell anyone about me and Alice."

Silence reigned between Dick and Hector as they looked each other in the eyes for a moment, until Dick finally spoke up. "I'll have to tell Kory about this, but I can promise not to repeat it to anybody else."

"I can live with that." Upon his phone ringing, Hector excused himself before taking the call. "Hello?"

"Hey there, hot stuff," Zatanna's flirty voice came from the other end of the line. "How's it going?"

"Weeeell, the past few days have been a bit boring," he replied, smiling to himself.

"Aww, are you saying you missed me?"

"Can you blame me?"

"I guess not."

"And what've you been up to?"

"Just fighting super-villains, inter-dimensional lava monsters and mad warlocks trying to rewrite reality. You know, the usual."

"Glad to know you're on the job. Oh, by the way, I just got a promotion at work, and they're sending me to a conference in New York pretty soon."

"That's great, good for you. I need to go now, but I'll call again soon. Maybe we should celebrate your new position."

"I like the sound of that. Good luck out there."

"Bye now."

"Was that your girlfriend?" Dick inquired curiously once Hector was finished.

"Yeah."

"Who's the lucky woman? Maybe I know her."

"You must know a lot of people. What're the odds?"

"True enough. How about a game? Let's say twenty questions, and if I can't figure out who she is by the end I'll buy you a drink, but if I do, you'll buy me one."

"Sure, I'll play along," Hector decided. "I'll give you ten questions, yes or no answers."

"Okay then… Have you known each other for more than a year?"

"No."

"Is she younger than you?"

"Yes."

"Is she famous?"

"Yes."

"Is she an entertainer?"

"Yes."

"Actress?"

"No."

"Performer?"

"Yes."

"Does she have dark hair?"

"Yes."

"Is she much smaller compared to you?"

"Yes. Only two questions left, Dick."

"Hmm…" Dick held his chin in his hand, mulling over the facts with a pensive look on his face. "Have you ever been to the Themysciran embassy?"

"Yes."

"Is your girlfriend Zatanna Zatara?"

Hector then got up, walked over to the bar, ordered a beer and slid back into his seat. "Well played," he conceded, passing the bottle to Dick. "One question though: Why did you ask if I'd been to the Themysciran embassy?"

"I had a visit with Zatanna the day after the attack, and when I told her about it she asked if anyone had been hurt. Nothing there, but right after that she excused herself to call someone in particular. Given how you answered my other questions, naturally I was… curious."

"… You already knew she was dating someone, you just didn't know who it was." Hector guessed after a short moment's reflection. "I assume that's why Zatanna was babysitting for you that day we first met, in exchange for your silence."

"You almost make it sound like I was blackmailing her." Hector merely cocked an eyebrow in response. "Okay, maybe a little, I'll admit. Still, it wasn't that serious, and I knew she'd be fine with little Mari. I mean, who could resist a face like this?" Dick asked, pulling out his phone and showing him a picture of Mari sitting on his shoulders with a bright smile.

"Heh, cute kid. I hear she's quite an energetic four year old."

"Can't disagree," Dick replied with a chuckle.

"Anyway, I'd just like to say that Zatanna and I don't necessarily mind other people knowing about our relationship, but we'd like to keep each other to ourselves for a while longer."

"I can understand that."

"Thank you."

"Speaking of family and relationships, have you and Zatanna ever… you know?" Dick returned Hector's blank stare with an impish grin. "Come on, you've been going out for a while now, you're both young, healthy adults… it's a perfectly normal thing. I'm just wondering how close the two of you are."

Clearing his throat, Hector adopted a British accent and replied with: "Master Dick, it is bad manners to stick one's nose in the private affairs of others."

Dick sat still at this, mouth open in surprise at how much he sounded like Alfred. "How…?"

"Acting lessons, I lived in England with some very British people for a time, and I know a little about M. Pennyworth from gossip magazines and a brief glimpse on the television. Judging by your reaction, it must have been a decent imitation."

"That it was," Dick admitted, chuckling good-naturedly.

Now finally in New York for the work conference (during which Cassandra would be staying with Sally and her mother), Hector found himself with time on his hands after a day of meetings. Going back to his hotel to change into more casual clothes, he took a trip on the subway (making use of the metro card he'd been provided) and walked the streets for a bit before arriving at 'Hokus & Pokus Occult Curiosities.' Stepping into the shop (with a bell above the door signalling his entrance), Hector saw an old fashioned room with a certain 'mystical' air about it, complete with shelves bearing various knick-knacks and oddities, some of them stuffed in glass jars. As two voices came out from the back room, Hector noticed his earring had gotten cold. A moment later Madame Xanadu walked into the room accompanied by a stern, but handsome man in a suit, with red hair marked by a stark white streak. "Hello, Nimue. Is this a bad time?" Hector greeted her politely, glancing at her companion.

"It's alright, I was just leaving," the man spoke up.

"Jason, this is Hector Anderson, Zatanna's new… friend," Nimue introduced him with a teasing smile. "Hector, this is Jason Blood."

"Pleasure to meet you, M. Anderson," Jason said, extending his hand.

"Likewise, M. Blood." Curiously, upon grasping the offered hand to shake it, Hector's earring instantly went from being chilly to cold as ice, though he took care not to let any discomfort show.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet Zatanna?" Jason inquired.

"I took my sister to one of her shows for her birthday, we met her backstage afterwards, and my sister convinced her to join us for dinner afterwards."

"Just don't go out telling too many people about them," Nimue interjected. "I think she wants to keep him to herself for a while."

"Of course. In any case, I'll be going now. Always a pleasure, Nimue." Sparing Hector a brief farewell, he walked out the door.

"Hector, so good to see you again," Nimue said cheerfully. "Come, sit with me." Leading him into the next room, they sat down at a small table on which sat a crystal ball and tarot deck. "So what brings you to my humble shop?"

"I… have a question for you," Hector began hesitantly. "I didn't want to talk about this in front of Zatanna, but…"

"Go on…" she beckoned him patiently.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"I do. You and your girlfriend at the time, I believe her name was Alice, wanted me to tell your fortunes."

"You gave us both a reading separately. You claimed I would experience loss, joy, and travel far. I don't know what you told Alice, but… when my mother passed away soon after, she left, saying that she didn't want to put any more stress on me. I have to ask: What did you tell her?"

Nimue offered him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but she made me promise not to tell. However, I can assure you that I didn't say anything that I knew would make her leave you."

Hector sighed at this. "I'm sorry if I sound like I'm accusing you. It's just that the two relationships I've been in before Zatanna ended suddenly and without any apparent reason, and I wish I knew why, because I don't want to same thing to happen again."

"I may not know you as well personally, but Zatanna seems very happy to be with you, so I wouldn't worry," she reassured him.

"Thank you," Hector said gratefully. The two of them made small talk for a bit, Hector explaining what brought him to New York, Nimue saying that Jason was a friend of hers (though Hector suspected there was more to it than that), and so on. "You know, thinking back to our first meeting, I'll say this: you haven't aged a day."

"You're quite the flatterer," Nimue remarked.

"Let me rephrase that. It's been seven years, and yet you literally have not aged a single day."

"What about it?"

Hector paused for a moment as he considered how to move forward. "Are you familiar with Arthurian Legend?"

"Of course, who hasn't heard about King Arthur, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table?"

"I can't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I have read stories, and I remember the name Nimue coming up with regards to the Lady of the Lake. Most people probably wouldn't think anything of it, but considering your relation to Zatanna, who I've seen do real magic, not to mention your occupation and apparent lack of aging… well, I can't help but be a little curious."

"The Lady of the Lake was my sister," Nimue admitted, giving Hector a respectful nod. "I must say, you are a clever one, and with your looks it's no wonder Zatanna likes you so much. By the way, when can I expect to be a grandmother?"

"Why is everyone so interested in my sex life?" Hector muttered under his breath, causing Nimue to laugh. "Zatanna and I aren't at that point in our relationship quite yet, so I'm afraid you'll have to be patient."

"Oh alright, but don't keep me waiting too long. After all, I'd like to meet my grandkids sometime this century."

Later, in a gym owned by one Ted Grant, Dinah Lance (aka: Black Canary) was busy punching a bag by herself when someone spoke up behind her. "Excuse m-" Caught off guard, she instinctively spun around and lashed out, only to have a large hand catch her fist like a baseball in a glove.

Shaking off her surprise at the sudden appearance, Dinah realized the man standing before her was Zatanna's boyfriend, since he matched the photo Supergirl had shown her and the others. "Sorry about that," she said, dropping her arm. "You just startled me."

"My apologies, Ms Lance."

"How do you know my name?"

"I read gossip magazines once in a while, and given your relationship with Oliver Queen…"

"I see. And your name is…?"

"Hector Anderson. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." Taking off her gloves, the two of them shook hands. "So what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for Ted Grant. Is he around?"

"No, he won't be back for a while, so he asked me to look after his place."

"That's a shame, I was hoping to catch up with him while I'm in the area. If I don't see him before I leave, would you give him my regards?"

"Sure, no problem. Hey, do you have much experience in martial arts?"

"Yes, I've had training," Hector answered casually. "Why do you ask?"

"Since you're here, you wanna stick around for a bit? I could use a sparring partner instead of punching the bag."

"Why not? Sounds like fun." Hector set his jacket on a bench and kicked off his shoes, then the two of them walked over to a mat where they squared off against each other.

"Alright then, show me what you've got," Dinah called out to him, an air of friendly competition about her.

"I was about to say the same thing."

Up in the Watchtower, Zatanna was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, having a meal with Hawkgirl. "So… I understand you met with my boyfriend," she said.

"You mean Hector?" Shayera asked, smirking. "Yeah, I ran into him and invited him to dinner so we could talk. He's a smart guy, very perceptive."

"He is. He mentioned you had an interesting conversation about one of his ex-girlfriends."

"My sister, Sahra."

"I never knew you had a sister before."

"I guess it never came up. I hadn't seen her in so long, I didn't know she was still alive."

"What was she like?" Zatanna asked, curious.

"She was older than me, talented, intelligent, kind, and a bit temperamental, but I looked up to her," Shayera said wistfully. "She was top of her class, graduated early and served in Thanagar's special forces, but… one day she went on a secret mission and never came back. She was supposedly betrayed by an officer who was trying to further his own career, but this was never officially confirmed, and the officer in question died soon after. From what Hector said, she ended up on Earth, stayed with him and his family for a while, then left for unknown reasons."

"On one hand it's sad that your sister's gone, and yet I still can't help but feel grateful since I might not have met Hector otherwise," Zatanna confessed guiltily.

"It's okay Zee, I understand," Shayera reassured her. "What's done is done. Besides, it's not your fault, and at least you're happy with Hector."

"Thanks."

"Speaking of you and Hector… how do you guys kiss?"

"Huh?"

"He's at least a foot taller than you, so how to you deal with it? Does he bend over, pick you up, do you jump into his arms, or do you use a stepladder?"

"Oh, I see. Well, I guess most of the time he bends over."

"Must be a different story when the two of you are horizontal."

"Yeah, it… Shayera!" Zatanna exclaimed indignantly, prompting her friend to laugh.

"Joking aside… you've been dating him at least four months now, right? And you haven't slept with him? Besides actually sleeping, that is."

"Shayera…"

"Just bear with me for a minute. You're a grown, healthy woman, you have needs, your boyfriend's a good looking guy, and it's obvious there's an attraction. The way you described it, it sounds like he wants you too. So… why not?"

"I… he… maybe you have a point," Zatanna conceded, taking a gulp of water.

"Are you worried he's too big for you?" Shayera asked, causing her friend to spit out her drink in surprise. "I mean, you're a small woman, he's a big guy, and if he's proportionate I could understand-"

"No, that's not the problem," Zatanna protested. "I mean… never mind that. Look Shay, I appreciate you trying to help, but I think this is something for me and Hector to work out. As in, between ourselves."

"If you insist."

Following an eventful sparring match, Dinah had invited Hector to join her for a bite. As such, the two of them were now sitting on a bench outside, enjoying the nice weather as they ate take-out. "I've gotta hand it to you," Dinah spoke up. "You're a damn good fighter, not to mention surprisingly fast for a guy your size."

"You're pretty skilled yourself," Hector complimented her in return. "You must have trained with Ted, right?"

"Yeah, he was my mentor and taught me how to fight. How do you know him anyway?"

"It's an interesting story. You wouldn't know it looking at me now, but as a kid I was really small, and when I finally hit my growth spurt I grew fast. I already knew how to fight, but suddenly I was big and strong, and I had some difficulty adjusting, so Ted trained me and helped me get used to my new strength."

"That is interesting. And who taught you to fight?"

"I travelled a lot when I was younger so I had more than a few teachers, but the biggest influence by far was a man named Mars. He was very tough and demanding, but if there's one thing he knows it's how to fight."

"Whoever he is, he sure trained you well. Considering the workout you gave me, I'd hate to face you in a real fight when the gloves are off."

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Ms Lance."

"Please, call me Dinah," the blond said. "No need to be so formal."

"As you wish, Dinah."

As the two of them ate, Hector's attention was caught by three old ladies sitting on a bench on the opposite side of the street, each knitting a large woollen sock. A passerby happened to trip, knocking over their basket of supplies and causing the contents to spill out in such a way that they formed an arrow pointing at a watch & clock store. Looking at the store in question, Hector saw three of the clocks in the window suddenly jump forward until they struck twelve, prompting a man inside (possibly the owner) with a puzzled expression to come change them back. Hector looked back at the three old ladies in time to see them simultaneously turn their heads toward a bus carrying an advertisement for a museum he'd seen in passing earlier in the day. As his attention returned to the old ladies, a large truck blocked them from view for a split second, after which they were gone, leaving no sign they'd been there in the first place.

"… -friend?" Dinah spoke.

"Sorry, could you repeat that? I wasn't paying attention."

"I asked if you have a girlfriend."

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious, that's all," Dinah answered.

"Seems like a strange thing to discuss with a man you've just met."

"If you're not comfortable talking about it, I understand."

Hector thought about it for a moment, but sensing no ill-intention from Dinah, he decided that there was no harm in answering her. "No, that's okay. I do have a girlfriend actually."

"That's nice." As the conversation continued, Dinah was being patient with her questions (not wanting to creep him out with how much she already knew), and even spoke a little about her own relationship with Oliver Queen in return. For his part, the idea that this was a game lingered in the back of Hector's mind, similar to when Shayera had questioned him about her sister, and so his answers were mostly conservative. This resulted in Dinah getting information that she and her friends already knew from talking to/interrogating Zatanna themselves, except for a few tidbits here and there.

"I should probably get going now," Hector eventually declared after looking at his watch. "I have another day of meetings for work tomorrow, and it wouldn't look good if I fell asleep partway through, especially since I just got my promotion." 'Maybe I can catch a nap before I go to the museum tonight,' he thought, mind wandering back to the three old ladies. Despite the fact they'd been unexpected, Hector had learned not to ignore signs of the sort when it came to 'that' side of his life.

"Best of luck then," Dinah said with a pleasant smile. Even though she was still curious about certain aspects of his relationship with her friend, she reasoned that they didn't yet know each other well enough for her to push further. And what Hector had told her was enough to convince Dinah that he and Zatanna had a good thing going, so she decided to leave it at that. "If we meet again I'd love to have a re-match."

"So would I." And with that, the two of them shook hands, bade each other farewell and went their separate ways. Had Hector not been distracted, he might have realized that Dinah hadn't asked his girlfriend's name.

Late that night, Hector/Spartan was staking out the museum, perched on the roof of a nearby building like a stone gargoyle. Despite the dullness of such a task, he stayed patient and kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, trusting that there was a good reason for him to be there. His patience was finally rewarded when he caught sight of five figures creeping in an alley, moving towards a side door to the museum. A glimpse through telescopic lenses showed him a man and woman, accompanied by two older boys and a young girl, all wearing dark clothes. Putting away the lenses, Spartan slid through the darkness onto the rooftop of the building next to them, positioning himself close enough to listen. "Security system's disabled," the woman declared, unhooking her data pad from an electrical box. "Boys, if you'd be so kind…?"

At this, the boys jammed a crowbar into the side of the door and forced it open. The man carefully peered through the open door for a moment, before motioning for the others to go in. As the girl went to step inside, the man gripped her shoulder firmly and said: "No mistakes this time. Got it?" The girl made no sound but nodded in response. "Good, because if you screw up, I'll make sure you regret it. Now get in there." Unbeknown to the criminals, Spartan quietly made his way down and followed them into the museum, stalking them like a shadow.

Young Penelope Carter grumbled to herself as she assisted her 'family' in appropriating several paintings from the museum, as well as other valuable items. Although the rest of the gang was all related by blood, she'd been taken in by them as a child with nowhere else to go (something they'd reminded her of more than once). And despite the fact that she was forced to help them with their illegal activities, she knew better than to voice her opinion on the matter, as past experience had taught her. Placing a rolled up painting into a tube in her bag, she found herself distracted by a depiction of the six original Olympian gods (Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia), until one of her 'brothers' tugged her ponytail sharply and reprimanded her for getting distracted. As he turned away, Penelope's mind went blank and her temper suddenly boiled over. Whatever happened in those few seconds she couldn't have said, but it ended with her 'brother' landing in a fountain, to both their surprise.

"What the hell just happened?" the woman hissed angrily as she came onto the scene, having heard the commotion.

"She pushed me," the boy said, pointing accusingly at his 'sister'.

"I did n-"

"Shut up, you little shit," she snapped at Penelope as she helped her sopping wet son out of the fountain. Giving her 'daughter' a menacing glare, she was interrupted by the sound of footsteps down the hall, alerting them to the presence of a security guard coming their way. They immediately grabbed their loot and started hurrying towards the exit, quickly joined by the other two. An alarm started ringing once they stepped outside, prompting them to sprint out the alley, jump into a nondescript van parked nearby and drive off.

Eventually the criminal gang arrived at a junkyard full of scrap metal, car parts, and other material one would expect from such a place. None of them said a word as they moved their ill-gotten gains into their hideout (a cabin that stood close to the yard), with Penelope the recipient of angry looks. Once that was done, she was told to sit down and wait. One of her brothers stayed in the room to keep an eye on her, while the other went to change out of his wet clothes, and their 'parents' talked to each other. Shortly after, the others gathered to go over the details of the botched heist, which largely meant that the rest of her 'family' berated her mercilessly, brought up previous failures, insulted her and accused her of several unflattering things. "Because of you, we could've been caught, and we lost the chance to score big," the man spoke up. "You understand that?"

"Yes sir," the raven haired girl muttered softly.

"I told you that if you screwed this up you'd regret it." He slowly removed the leather belt from around his waist, checked it's condition and glared at Penelope. "Now I'll have t-" A clanking sound outside interrupted what he'd been about to say.

"What was that?" one of the boys wondered out loud.

"Probably just a stray cat or dog knocking over some junk," the other suggested dismissively.

"Axel, Brodie," the woman addressed her two sons. "Go check it out. Better safe than sorry." Giving in to the demand, the boys each grabbed a flashlight and stepped outside.

"Can't believe that bitch pushed you into the fountain," Brodie said as they looked around for anything suspicious. "You'd think she'd know better than to do something like that."

"I guess some people just don't learn," Axel replied.

"With what mom and dad probably have planned, she's sure as hell gonna regret it."

The boys continued their search in silence for a bit before Axel spoke up again. "I know how weird it sounds, but back at the museum it almost felt like the water grabbed me. Obviously I know she pushed me, it just felt really weird. Whatever, you probably think I'm just being stupid, saying stuff like that, eh?" To Axel's surprise, his brother did not respond. No comment, no derisive snort, not a single sound. "Brodie?" Looking around, he realized he couldn't see him either. "Where'd you go?" The young man began to get unnerved, sweeping his flashlight back and forth, yet still seeing no sign of his brother. "Come on, man. If you're playing a joke, I'm telling you now it's not fu-" Axel was suddenly cut off as something struck him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

*Smack* The belt struck her leg.

*Smack* The belt struck her other leg.

*Smack* The belt struck her back.

*Smack* The belt struck her stomach.

*Smack* The belt struck her ribs.

*Smack* The belt struck her arm.

*Smack* The belt struck her other arm.

*Smack* The belt struck her face.

*Smack* The belt struck the other side of her face.

Penelope Carter's eyes, normally a vibrant green, were filled with tears as her so called 'father' beat her with his belt until she was certain she was covered in bruises. Despite the pain, she did her best to hold in her cries, hoping to make the beating stop sooner. She was given a reprieve when the man set the belt aside, sat her down in a chair and accepted a glass of wine from his wife. "Don't get your hopes up, brat," the woman said as she poured herself a glass. "We're just taking a break. We're not done yet. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." As she sat there silently, she thought back to the dream she'd had the night before, of living happily away from her so called 'family', and how upon waking up she'd felt inspired to pray for that dream to come true.

"Mom?" Brodie's voice called out. "I think we found something. You might want to check it out."

"Hang on, I'm coming." Threatening Penelope to stay in the chair, the woman walked out the door to see what her son had found. A second later the sound of a scuffle was heard from outside. Before the man could wonder what was going on, the woman crashed through the door hard enough to blow it off it's hinges, landing unconscious on the floor. Spartan stepped through the empty doorway, tall, imposing and unarmed, but giving off an intimidating aura nonetheless.

"Stay back, freak!" the man shouted, grabbing Penelope and holding her with an arm around her neck. Spartan merely looked at him and took a single step forward. "Don't come any closer, or she's gonna get hurt. I swear to god, I'll-" The man interrupted himself when Spartan raised his foot and set it on the woman's throat, making his intentions clear. "Y-You wouldn't dare… You're bluffing! You vigilante hero types don't…" In response, Spartan lightly pressed down with his foot. "Stop! Stop!" the man called out, not letting go of Penelope, but removing his arm from around her neck. This prompted Spartan to ease up on the woman's throat. "What do you want? Money? I can give it to you. I've got a stash right here." Keeping a hold on his 'daughter', he began moving toward a drawer, but stopped when Spartan spoke up.

"No gun." The man's shocked expression suggested Spartan's guess was accurate.

"Alright. What do you want?"

"The girl. Release her."

The man stood there unmoving for a moment, before regaining some measure of self-control. "If I give her over to you, how do I know you won't just kill me?"

Spartan tilted his head a little, as if listening to the light rain that had just begun to fall, then looked at Penelope. "Let's go outside." Apparently paying him little heed, he took his foot off the woman's throat, picked her up with one hand and walked to the doorway.

"Wha…?" The man exclaimed, obviously confused.

Spartan stopped in his tracks, held up the woman and slowly drew a finger across her throat. "I'm waiting." He then stepped outside with his hostage.

Despite his confusion, the man turned the outdoor lights on and followed him, still holding onto Penelope. "Alright. What now?"

Spartan held up a finger to signal him to wait. Standing out in the drizzle, he witnessed an interesting phenomenon, as Penelope's bruises began to quickly fade away. "Can you feel it, girl?" he spoke in Ancient Greek, looking directly at her.

"I feel better, stronger. What is this?" she asked, surprised not only by how she felt, but also that she could understand and talk to him like this.

"Hey! I don't know what you two are talking about, but I… what the hell!" the man exclaimed as he noticed her bruises were gone.

Though they couldn't see it, Spartan smiled under his black helmet. "You have the power," he said, dropping the woman's body on the ground. "Time to free yourself."

With a surge of strength, Penelope grabbed her 'father' and threw him over her shoulder. The man shakily got to his feet, only for her to rush in and slug him in the gut. For all of his efforts to defend himself, he simply could not match her new strength, speed and agility as she paid him back for years of abuse. "How does it feel? *Smack* Not so much fun, *Smack* now that I can fight back, huh? *Smack* You beat me. *Smack* You insulted me. *Smack* You humiliated me. *Smack* You called me worthless. *Smack* You treated me like shit. *Smack* How do you like it now, huh? *Smack* How do you like it now?"

The beating was halted when Spartan laid a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Enough." Even distorted by the helmet, his voice was strangely gentle.

"He deserves it," she insisted, standing over her former abuser's now unconscious form.

"He does," Spartan agreed. "I care nothing for him, but if you continue, he will die. And killing someone changes you."

Penelope stood still, looking from the man lying beneath her to the one standing at her side "Fine," she relented, though not without kicking him in the ribs for good measure.

"What's your name?"

"Penelope Carter. What do I call you?"

"Spartan."

"Okay… Spartan. What happens now?" As if the night's events hadn't been strange enough already, the rain above them suddenly converged into the form of a trident head that floated over her, glowing with green light. "Wha…?"

"This confirms my suspicions," Spartan said, sounding amused by this newest development.

"What're you talking about? What do you mean? What does this mean!?" she asked, frantically waving her arms at the glowing symbol above her head.

Spartan crossed an arm over his chest and gave her a short bow. "Hail Penelope Carter, daughter of Poseidon." Penelope stared at him with bulging eyes for several seconds… and then promptly fainted.

When the police later arrived at the scene (after receiving an anonymous phone call), they found the criminals tied up in the cabin, nursing headaches, and in the man's case beaten but not in immediate danger. They also found the stolen goods from the museum, complete with the criminals' fingerprints. The police questioned them about what had happened, but the mother and sons hadn't seen their attacker, and the father refused to answer. They strongly suspected he was simply too scared to say anything, for cut into his forehead lay two bloody words: "CHILD BEATER".

When Penelope woke up, she found herself lying on a bed in what looked like a typical hotel room. Typical except for the strange man sitting in a nearby chair, with a hat and sunglasses that did a fair job of hiding his face. This almost sent her into a panic, but the man in question quickly convinced her that he was Spartan, despite the change of clothes. "Sorry for freaking out," she apologized. "It's just been a weird night."

"I understand. It's not every day you discover that you have superpowers, or that a complete stranger tells you you're the daughter of a god from Greek mythology."

"Yeah. That… was a surprise. Are you a demigod too?"

"I have a different kind of relationship with the gods of Olympus."

"Okay. So what happened after I passed out?"

"I took care of your former associates, relieved them of all their money and brought you to this motel here. In case you're wondering, by now they should be on their way to jail. They won't bother you again."

"Good." Penelope then put a hand on top of her head, and realized that something was missing. "Wait, where's my-?" Hector grabbed a starfish hairpin off the desk and gave it back to her. "Thanks. I was thinking… my mom, my real one I mean, she told me this was a gift from my father, and considering he's… you know… do you think that this might-?"

"I checked it out, it's not just a hairpin," Hector said. "Press on the pearl in the middle, hold three of the arms pointed together on one end, hold the other two pointed together in the opposite direction, and then you'll see for yourself." Following his instructions, she pressed on the pearl, which allowed her to slide the starfish's arms around its body until they were sitting on opposite ends of the pin. This caused it to transform until she was holding a bronze spear.

"Whoa…" Penelope exclaimed.

"Just be careful with that."

"Yeah, of course," she said as he changed it back into a hairpin for her. "So, um… what am I supposed to do now? My mom died when I was little, and the only other family I've had were those abusive shits, so as far as I know, I don't have anyone to look after me. I guess there's always my dad, but unless he suddenly drops all of his godly responsibilities, whatever those are…"

"I see your point. What was your mother's name?"

"Jessica Carter."

"Do you know anything else that might be useful? Middle name, her age, where she lived, who her parents were, anything like that?"

"I remember her middle name was Rose, she had brown hair, blue eyes, she had me when she was young, I think she was born in Boston, and… I can't think of anything else."

"Alright then," Hector said as he stood up from the chair. "I'll do some digging to see if I can find any of your mother's relatives. In the meantime I'll leave you enough money to keep the room, feed yourself and buy some new clothes."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. For now, I need to go so I can get some sleep, otherwise I won't be of use to anyone. You should probably do the same thing. After all, it's been a weird night."

"Yeah, it really has."

"Good night, Penelope."

"Good night, Spartan."

Two days later, Penelope found herself on a train leaving New York, equipped with new clothes, a duffle bag packed with her new belongings, a train ticket, a wad of cash, and hope in her heart. As she lounged in her seat watching the scenery, she thought back to her last conversation with Spartan.

Flashback

"I think I've got something for you," Hector declared after Penelope let him into her room.

"What is it?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"First of all, is this your mother?" he asked, showing her a graduation picture of a young woman with wavy brunette locks, bright blue eyes and a face not unlike that of the girl before him.

"Yes, that's her."

"Good. Turns out she had an older brother who married a woman named Margaret Fraser, and the two of them had a daughter together. Unfortunately your uncle died in an accident years ago, but your aunt and cousin are alive and well. Furthermore, I found out where they live." Hector then dropped a small backpack onto the bed. "There's a train ticket, money, directions for how to get to your aunt's place, and a few burgers for the trip."

"How did you figure out all this?"

"That's not important."

"What if she doesn't want me?" Penelope asked, suddenly plagued with doubt. "I mean, technically we're not even related. What if she decides-?"

"Relax," Hector said soothingly, giving her the graduation picture, along with a photo of her mother wearing the same starfish hairpin she herself had, arms linked with her brother and his wife, all happy together. "Show her these, tell her about you and your mother, and it'll all work out. And if you want to tell her about your powers, that's your choice. Just don't mention me."

"… You're sure about this?"

"Have a little faith in the gods. After all, who do you think sent me?"

Overwhelmed with gratitude to this stranger for doing so much for her, Penelope jumped at him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"It's alright," he reassured her, gently patting her on the back. "Now run along, you don't want to be late for the train."

Flashback end

Margaret Fraser was sitting at her desk with a cup of tea, alone in her house and humming to herself as she graded her students' latest assignment. Her solitude was disturbed by the sound of someone knocking at her door. "Just a minute," she called out. Setting down her pen, she stood up and walked to the front door and opened in to reveal Penelope Carter, standing shyly at the entrance. "Hello there," she greeted her with a smile.

"Hello. Are you Margaret Fraser?"

"Yes am I. And you are…?"

"My name's Penelope Carter. I, um… I think I'm your niece."

Margaret had a puzzled look on her face for a moment, though this subsided a little as she got a good look at Penelope. "Well then, Penelope, why don't you come inside?" she offered, stepping aside to let her in. She then brought the young girl to the living room, offering her cookies and milk, which she graciously accepted. "I'll admit, your face does seem familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Who're your parents?"

"I didn't really know my father, but… my mother was Jessica Carter."

"You're Jessica's daughter?" Margaret exclaimed. Penelope presented her with the two photos, along with her starfish hairpin. The older woman took a good look at these, comparing the face of her friend with that of the girl in front of her. "I remember this," she muttered, holding the hairpin in her hands. "Jessica wore it at my wedding, and she got embarrassed when I teased her about her secret admirer. Yes, I can see her influence in you. Please, tell me about her, about you."

Penelope then proceeded to relate her story, from her early life, to her mother's death, her treatment at the hands of her adoptive family, and so on. However, she did keep the details of her divine heritage and superpowers to herself, and when Margaret asked about how she'd ended up at her house, she merely said that a friend had helped her, instead of mentioning Spartan's involvement. "I know I'm not your responsibility, and I can understand if you don't-"

"There'll be none of that," Margaret declared in a tone that brooked no argument. "We may not be related by blood, but we are family, and I will take care of you. Besides, my daughter would love the chance to get to know her new cousin."

"Thank you," Penelope said, tears of joy falling from her eyes.

"May I…?" Margaret asked, arms extended towards Penelope, who responded by leaning into her aunt and hugging her.

"We're back!" The voice was followed by two teenage girls walking into the house and witnessing the family moment. "Hey mom, I didn't know we were expecting company."

"Sally, Penelope Carter, my niece and your cousin. Penelope, this is my daughter Sally, and her friend Cassandra."

"I have a cousin?" Sally asked.

"Yes, your aunt Jessica's daughter. She's going to live with us from now on."

"I hope we can get along well," Penelope said timidly.

Sally looked to her mother, who gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. "Hey, if my mom likes you, then I'm sure we'll get along just fine. So, like my mom said, my name's Sally, and this is my friend Cassandra."

"Hi. Cassandra Anderson. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"I think my brother's gonna be home soon, so I'll just, uh, excuse myself so you can all get to know each other. Later everyone!"

Far, far away, one of the mysterious magician's 'not quite human' minions had captured the next target, a small African girl no more than twelve years old. Despite her struggles, the minion kept a solid grip as he carried her through the underground temple, and the gag muffled her protests. Finally the captor arrived at his master's chambers, where he presented his captive. The girl went still as the magician placed a finger on her forehead, causing a strange feeling to flow through her. This lasted but a moment, after which the magician said: "Yes, she will do. Put her in the cells with the other one."

"Yes master." The minion bowed reverently, then picked up the girl and took her away.

Alone in his chambers again, a smile crept onto the magician's face. "Two down…"

Hope you liked it, reviews are appreciated as always, so please let me know what you thought, if you liked it, or how I could improve.