Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League, Zatanna, or other characters/settings of DC comics.
Big thanks to author Omega6047 for helping me out with the Batman scene and the flashback scene.
***WARNING***
Again, this story is rated "M" for a reason, this chapter especially (i.e: it's got porn). You have been warned.
Night of Passions
Batman rose from his seat and the two of them stood still as statues, eyeing one another with equal intensity as rain fell outside, accompanied by an ominous rumble of thunder. Hector had expected to meet Batman soon... if not so soon. Still, given the situation there was no putting things off, whether he liked them or not. Trying to read Batman provided him with precious little information. With his hands hidden under the dark cape wrapped around his body and the white slits covering his eyes, the Dark Knight left very little for him to read. His face remained stiff and emotionless, at least the part that wasn't covered by the cowl.
They were of similar height, although Hector had a few inches over him. Despite this, the sheer weight of the man's presence seemed to lend him extra height, making Hector grateful for having spent most of his life around gods, monsters and other unusual beings, for without this experience he'd be having a hard time staying calm. A bolt of lightning ripped through the air in the distance, perfectly aligning itself with the lights disappearing around them, shrouding them in darkness that would've put any normal person on edge. Batman, unfazed by the power outage, took a slow step towards him. "Can I offer something to drink?" Hector offered, speaking in a relaxed tone. "Tea, coffee, juice? I assume you don't drink beer while on the job." He tried to step over to the kitchen area only to find Batman blocking his way.
"I assume Zatanna told you to expect me." He said, not even bothering to acknowledge Hector's attempt to lighten the mood. Everything from the way he walked and hid his hands from view to the white slits in his cowl seemed designed to put people on edge. Hector could only equate the sensation with how he felt moments before a battle, staring down a minotaur, dragon, or other vicious monster. Both men were like wolves, waiting to see who would make the first move.
Despite the situation, Hector kept his cool. "She did. I was hoping to have some time to settle back in though." The Bat halted in place again, almost blending in with the darkness as the rain outside abruptly turned into a storm. "Thanks for taking care of my medical bill. Funny thing though, Zatanna got a call from the Justice League while we were on our way back here. Considering the timing, not to mention the fact that you were here waiting for me so soon after I checked out of the hospital, I might be inclined to think you were running surveillance. That would mean you knew Zatanna was with me, and you're probably the reason she was called away earlier." His words were yet again met with his emotionless glare. Hector kept an iron grip on his nerves as Batman began to slowly circle around him, flickering in and out of sight amidst the shadows. Hector silently thanked Ares for the time he'd spent a year blindfolded, else he could scarcely have kept track of him.
He glanced down at Batman's cape, looking for the slightest hint of moving arms, but found none. "Hector Anderson..." Batman began, his glare suddenly sharpening as it scanned Hector's every move. "26 years old. Adoptive son of Christopher and Anastasia Anderson since the age of nine. Barely a word about you before that. Exceptional academical record despite a delayed start and continuous moving caused by your adoptive mother's work. Quit school to take care of your younger sister after the death of your mother but continued to self-educate through other means to an unusual success. Multiple languages, martial arts training, acting, survival skills, cooking and much more than that I'm sure…"
Through the dim lighting, Hector saw Batman closely examining the camera he'd built, with his back turned to him. "With the skills you've obtained, you could easily follow a career in engineering, gastronomy or acting should you so be inclined." He placed the camera down on the counter.
"Unfortunately, I still lack the 'official' education," Hector reminded him with an annoyed expression. "To rectify that would take time and money I do not have. Besides, I might not be rich, but neither am I begging for scraps, and whatever my situation may be, I intend to give my sister the chance she deserves."
"But that's not your only reason, is it now? You prefer to do other jobs, ones that give you the flexibility you'd need for... other activities…"
"What are you talking about?" Hector's eyes narrowed in suspicion, knowing that Batman was trying to get into his head, provoke him into saying more then he should and open his mouth when he shouldn't. He was determined to give nothing away.
"Hm... And Wonder Woman said you were timid."
"An Amazon warrior who can tear through buildings recovers from being turned into a pig and almost chopped to pieces. What sounds like the better idea? Acting timid and talking about yourself more than necessary? Or this?"
Batman ignored the question and started pacing again. A lightning strike shrouded him in light for a moment as his shadow fell on Hector. "I find it strange that a seemingly normal man such as yourself would not only survive three point-blank shots to the chest, but also shrug them off long enough to beat his assailant into a coma."
"Rage and desperation are powerful motivators," Hector shot back, a frown adorning his face as the memory of that evening flashed before his eyes. "When my sister was born, I swore to always protect her no matter the cost, and I meant it. Besides, there are others who've survived and continued to fight with similar injuries. I'm sure you know some personally."
Batman stopped in front of him again, his face pointed straight at his with Hector's eyes still seeking a slightest hint of movement underneath his cape. Amidst the moment of silence that fell between them, the cape moved just barely, but it was enough to cause Hector's tension to show a tiny bit. His hand twitched slightly, just enough for Batman to notice. Hector could swear he saw a smirk form on his face for a fraction of a second. "I also find it surprising that trouble seems to have followed you around the world ever since you were as young as 10. Of course, you appear to be rarely involved or even on the scene of these accidents, though there have been reports of unknown, disguised individuals wielding the weapons of Ancient Greek warriors."
Whatever his inner turmoil, on the surface, Hector merely raised an eyebrow. 'He doesn't know…' he thought to himself. 'Maybe he suspects, but I'm certain he has no proof.'
"Liverpool, England – a fire in a factory; Madrid, Spain – hostage situation; Hamburg, Germany – ship crashing into the port; Milan, Italy – fight between mafia and a local cult. And more recently, the attack on the Themysciran embassy, Blockbuster's appearance in Bludhaven, Bane's operation in Gotham and last night's attack on Wonder Woman's sister."
"You think I'm Spartan," Hector said flatly. "You know, I should point out that he never appeared in the embassy."
"But you were there." Batman's eyes narrowed again as he took a step towards Hector, prompting him to back away. "Somehow you were in the area every time Spartan appeared."
"How could I possibly be Spartan? Liverpool - I was at a party with hundreds of guests. Madrid - I was passed out in a hotel, along with the rest of my classmates. Hamburg- that happened almost a week before my family arrived there. Milan - that happened three days after we'd passed through on our way to Athens. The Themysciran embassy - General Phillipus killed the dragon, she said so herself, and it's my understanding that Amazons aren't fond of lying. Bludhaven - I'll grant you I don't have much of an excuse other than I was hiding in the bathroom with my sister and one of her classmates. But as far as Bane's operation in Gotham… I was at home when that happened, one of my neighbours even said hi to me when I walked in here, and there's no way I could've gotten there and back in one night."
"I've seen technology that allows people to teleport, and beings that can teleport themselves, or run at super-speed. The distance from here to Gotham means little to someone with those means."
"The problem with that theory is that I don't have those means," Hector replied. "I don't have anywhere near the resources you or or friends do, nor do I have meta-human abilities. And about last night… when Spartan was with Wonder Girl I was still in the hospital. You can check the security feed or the nurse's log... but I assume you already did." Batman stayed quiet for a moment, finally slipping his hands from under the cape and crossing them over his chest. "In any case, didn't you come here to talk about my relationship with Zatanna? Why are you asking me about Spartan? I have nothing to do with him."
"Maybe you don't... and maybe you do. As a detective I don't like to act without proof, and yet… there's an awful lot of little connections between you and Spartan. And I don't believe in coincidences." Batman's arms seemed to relax a bit as they went back behind the cape. He turned his back to Hector, choosing to slowly pace around the room. "And your relationship with Zatanna... Is it genuine? Or just another way to appease your sister? I believe she's been actively involved at the beginning of your time together."
Hector held his arms crossed against his chest as he walked opposite to Batman, keeping his eyes firmly set on him. "No more than you were when you sent me the tickets with backstage passes, though judging by your reaction I'm guessing your intentions weren't the same. In any case, if I was with her just to make Cassandra happy, Zatanna would have left me long ago. She's a smart woman."
"She is... And she seems to genuinely like you as well. More than 'like' if the messages between you two are any indication."
Hector felt his heart freeze. 'He wouldn't dare... would he?' Hector thought, hoping for the best.
"The photo was... unexpected."
The only sign that Hector was angered by this was a twitch in his face. 'That son of a bitch!' he shouted in his mind.
"What are your intentions with her?" Batman asked. "You haven't been sleeping together, have you?"
Hector's cheeks suddenly flushed red, both in anger and embarrassment. "That's…" He took a deep breath to get a hold of himself before continuing. "That… is none of your damn business," he said tensely. Batman's only response was a shrug of his shoulders as he continued to pace around, not even bothering to look at Hector again. "What do you think she'll do if I tell her you hacked her phone and saw that picture of her?"
"You won't," Batman declared as if there was no doubt. "That is, unless you don't care about causing her to be horribly embarrassed." Hector remained quiet and glared at the Gotham vigilante. "Regardless, you're evading the question. Is there something you're trying to hide?" He gave Hector a sideways look. "Don't. I assure you I will find out anyway and it will make things harder for you than if you just told me yourself." He continued to pace, for now maintaining eye-contact. "The way I see it, you haven't been this close quite yet, but not for lack of trying. In fact, I think you would be trying right now were she not called away on the mission." Though Hector mostly controlled himself, Batman noticed his slight frown, clenched teeth and how his hand was gripping his upper arm tightly. "Must be frustrating, isn't it?"
'For fuck's sake,' Hector mentally grumbled. 'Punching him in the face is starting to sound very appealing.' However, he chose to do nothing towards that goal... for now. 'He's getting on my nerves worse than the god of fucking war. At least I've had years to get used to Ares, and he wouldn't make too much of a fuss if I bashed him with my shield or tried to stab him.'
"While you're at it, aren't you going to lecture me about the importance of using protection?" Hector said sarcastically. Batman smirked at him… And dropped a pack of condoms on the table, complete with a small bat symbol on the box. Hector stared at it with wide eyes, arms dropping to his sides, mouth open just a little in stunned silence.
The smirk disappeared off of Batman's face almost as soon as it appeared, reverting back to his usual emotionless state. "I'm not going to get in-between you two, but I'm sure you realize how I feel about this. You have a younger sister yourself and I'd be lying if I said I don't think of Zatanna in a similar way." Hector's instincts almost screamed at him to act as the Bat was suddenly within arm's reach. However, distracted by the box of condoms, he was unable to react in time to prevent Batman from slamming him against the wall and pinning him there with an arm against his chest. Hector grunted in pain as his injuries flared up, causing him to clench his teeth and fists, the skin of his knuckles turning white. Despite his strength and skill, Hector resisted the urge to lash out at Batman. As satisfying as it might be in the short term, he wasn't keen on facing him at less than full capacity, or taking the chance of escalating the situation to the point where he'd have to pull out one of his weapons to defend himself.
"Batman…" Hector spoke calmly despite his pain and anger, an edge in his voice. "As an older brother myself, I can understand you being protective of Zatanna, so I'll give you this one for free. However, let me go or I will fight back." Tension so thick you could cut it with a knife hung in the air as the two men stared at each other.
"Let me be clear about one thing," the Dark Knight said in that deep, threatening voice that struck fear into the hearts of criminals. "If you try anything stupid... if you hurt her... I'll make you regret the day you were born. And I'll be watching you. Closer then you think." He then eased off of him, turned around with a swish of his cape and walked over to the window.
"Wait..." Batman halted, looking at him from the corner of his eyes. "People say you're the world's greatest detective. I want… no… I need to know… My parents... My real parents... When you were looking into my past, did you find out anything about them?" He asked hopefully.
He remained silent for a moment. "...I found next to nothing about you from the time before you were adopted. As far as the written records are concerned, they never existed." Hector closed his eyes and sighed in disappointment. He heard the window being flung open as a thunderbolt lit up the room again, and when he looked, Batman was nowhere in sight, leaving only the open window behind.
Rubbing his forehead, Hector approached the window and closed it before any more rain could get in. And then he saw it. A piece of paper left on the floor. He picked it up for a closer look, and realized it was an application form for a position as civilian staff on the Watchtower. Hector looked up as the power came back on, staring out into the stormy night for a long moment. He then looked back down at the paper in his hands for a few seconds, frowned… then ripped it in half. "Fuck you, Batman."
At this time, a husband and wife were stepping out of a fancy nightclub in Los Angeles. Even amongst models and movie stars the woman would've been considered exceptionally beautiful. Her luscious hair was styled up quite nicely, she wore a spectacular dress that accentuated her figure, and she looked very glamorous overall. For his part, the man was handsome, his hair and thick beard were well groomed, and he wore an expensive looking suit and tie. As the woman let her husband lead her by the hand, both of them looking a little flushed and… excited, she thought back to how events had lead up to this.
Her companion had personally assisted her in preparing herself for the evening, after which a very short conversation had been all it took to convince her husband that a night out with her was the perfect way to put the spark back in their ancient marriage. They'd begun at a high class restaurant, where the meal had been accompanied by rich wine, flirting, light touching, sexual tension, and suggestive gestures, such as when she'd leaned across the table to feed him a piece of lamb, giving him an eyeful of her cleavage in the process. She also brushed against him more than necessary while helping him put on his coat, and when they got in the car waiting for them, she made sure to bend over so as to give him a good view of her well rounded derriere. The man's attention remained fixed on his wife throughout the evening, paying almost no attention to the pretty waitress who'd taken their order, or any of the other women at the nightclub afterwards. At the club the music had been just right for her intentions, giving her an excuse to press her body against him and dance sensually, holding him close enough that she could feel when he was getting aroused. Excited that she could still have such an effect on her husband, the woman leaned in to whisper a suggestion in his ear, and moments later they were out the door.
The two of them made it back to the car, where the woman spoke to the chauffeur for a few seconds. "It seems we won't be needing your services anymore tonight," she said, reaching into her purse and pulling out several bills.
"No problem Ma'am," he replied politely as he took the money she offered. "You two have a good night." The driver then looked down at the money in his hands and realized she'd tipped him several hundred dollars. He looked up again, intent on thanking the woman for her generosity, only to realize they were both gone. A short moment later he could hear the sound of thunder in the distance. "Huh, that's weird. I was sure we weren't supposed to get any rain."
The following day after school, Penelope was alone in her room while her cousin (who'd recovered from her cold) and Cassandra were at cheerleading practice. The young girl had been thinking about the incident in the cafeteria, specifically the moment when she'd set off the sprinklers, and so she'd filled a cup with water, taken it to her room, closed the door behind her and sat down on the floor with the cup in front of her. At first she sat there silently, staring at the cup as if it were a contest. She stared with squinted eyes, legs crossed, hands in her lap, and hardly moving a muscle. She stayed like this for some time, a clock ticking as the seconds went by. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, t- "Damn it, this isn't working," Penelope grumbled.
She held out both hands over the cup and started humming a low tune, which produced no more results than before. Then she tried pointing at the cup with one finger and speaking various commands, yet all this produced was a ripple. In a moment of spontaneity she plunged her finger into the cup, at which a soothing sensation washed over her. Penelope felt her body relax and her mind open, and when she pulled her hand back up, the water floated up in a spiral following her finger. The water rose out of the cup completely, shaping itself into a ball that sat in the palm of her hand. "Coooool," she muttered, entranced by her own abilities.
Penelope found herself interrupted when someone knocked at the door, causing the ball of water to fall to the floor and knock over the cup. "Hey, we're back," her cousin called out from the other side.
"Just a second!" Penelope jumped up to go open the door, revealing Cassandra and Sally. "What's going on? I though you had practice?"
"Turns out coach is sick, so practice was put off for another day," Sally explained.
"By the way, my brother got out of the hospital last night," Cassandra spoke up.
"That's great. Are you going to move back to your place now?" Penelope inquired.
"Not yet. He called your aunt to ask if I could stay an extra day. Apparently he wants to clean up the apartment before I get back. So it looks like you'll be stuck with me for a little while longer."
"Hey, dinner's not gonna be for a couple more hours," Sally piped up. "You girls wanna make cookies?"
"We'd better be making chocolate chip," Cassandra insisted.
"I just need to grab a rag so I can clean up this mess," Penelope said, pointing to the little puddle of water on the floor."
"We'll wait for you in the kitchen."
After her plans with Hector had fallen through the previous night, Zatanna had decided that she was going to try again, only this time she was determined to see to it that they would not be disturbed. This meant that she'd spent a large part of her day making preparations. Dressed comfortably for the evening chill, the magician made her way to Hector's apartment and let herself in with a spare key he'd given her. "Anybody home?" she spoke up.
"Over here," Hector's voice called out. Zatanna walked over to his workshop, where she found him sitting at his work bench, tinkering with a cube shaped gadget. Next to him a laptop connected to a scanner of sorts was running a program. "Sorry about the mess," Hector said, turning his head back for a second to give her a smile, which made him look a little strange given the magnifying eyeglasses he was wearing. "Grab a seat."
"Uh…" Zatanna looked around the room, seeing that there wasn't really a place for her to sit down.
"Push the black button on the wall over there," Hector pointed with his thumb, focussed on his task.
Zatanna did as instructed, at which a padded chair folded out from the wall. "Huh, neat," she commented as she sat down.
"So how was your mission last night?"
"It went fine, just the timing that sucked. Um… what are you doing anyway?"
"Trying to get even with Batman."
"Care to elaborate on that?" Zatanna asked, confused.
"He paid me a visit last night."
"Oh, I see. How did… wait, hold on a second." Zatanna raised her hands and whispered an incantation. "There, now we can have a little privacy. How did it go?"
Hector continued working as he talked, attaching a strange looking antenna to the gadget he was building. "It was… frustrating, embarrassing, and a little weird."
"Yeah, that sounds like him. What happened?"
"Well, for starters, I'm convinced he arranged for you to be sent away so he could confront me one on one."
Zatanna rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Right. Of course he did. What else?"
"He's good at intimidating people, he obviously did a thorough background check on me, he thinks I'm suspicious and that trouble seems to follows me wherever I go, he knows more about my intentions with you than I care to admit, and he, uh, gave me a box of condoms."
"He didn't," Zatanna said.
"Unfortunately. Then he did his overprotective brother routine, threatened that if I ever hurt you or did anything stupid he'd make me regret the day I was born and said that he'd be watching me closely. He also slammed me into the wall. By the way, ouch."
"That son of a-!" Zatanna growled angrily. She then proceeded to mutter several insults under her breath, as well as what punishments she'd like to inflict upon him. "I should probably get a new phone just in case he decides to hack mine."
"Good idea," Hector quickly agreed. "I forgot to mention, he left me an application form for a job as Watchtower civilian staff. I burned it, along with the box of condoms."
"Really? Why?"
"Because I don't really feel like using 'bat condoms' when I'm with you."
"Not that. Why'd you burn the application?"
"Because I'm positive he meant to use it to keep an eye on me. I'm sure he has backup plans for his backup plans, but I don't see why I should make it any easier for him."
"Yeah, I can understand that." Hector, apparently finished tinkering with his gadget, took off his magnifying glasses, turned around and rolled his chair over towards Zatanna to give her a kiss on the cheek, then rolled over to his computer. "So how's this setup going to help you get even with Batman?"
Hector then picked up something from the scanner, showing her a small bat shaped gadget. "I found this little surveillance gizmo when I was looking around earlier today. Given how similar you say Batman and I are, I figured there was no way he only planted one. I didn't want to risk missing any, so I came up with a plan to get rid of them all."
"And I assume that… whatever this thing is, it's going to help you do that?" Zatanna inquired, motioning to his setup.
"Long story short, I'm basically using the device I found to connect to the others, and I'm going to use this thing…" Hector indicated the gadget with the antenna as he attached a couple wires from it to the surveillance gizmo. "… to send out a signal and fry them all at once." He then leaned down to pick up a small car battery and placed it on his work bench, connecting it to the antenna gadget. "There we are. Ready to rock and roll."
"Are you sure it's going to work?"
"I don't know. Let's find out." Hector then flicked a switch on his contraption, which began to hum. A few seconds later there were several bangs throughout the apartment, like firecrackers going off. Hector then gave Zatanna a satisfied smile. "Yeah, I think it worked." Zatanna followed Hector out of the workshop, where they found little plumes of smoke marking where Batman's surveillance gadgets had been hidden and proceeded to collect the pieces and dump them in the trash. "So, now that that's out of the way…" Hector bent down and kissed Zatanna, and not just a little peck this time, with her pressing her hands against his chest as she reciprocated.
"I'm sorry for how Batman acted towards you," Zatanna apologized once they parted, the two of them still standing close together.
"Babe… you're totally worth it."
"Aww, thanks. So, I was just thinking… even though I've been at your place often enough, I still haven't shown you mine. Would you like me to take you there?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Alright then, hang on." Zatanna took his hands in hers and cast her spell. "Ekat su ot Tsercwodahs."
11 years ago
Six hours ago, Hector's mood had been sour. He'd been sulking for days since his girlfriend Sahra's sudden and unexplained departure, reading her farewell note over and over. He'd tried to think of anything he might have done to provoke her, or any signs she might have shown of her intentions, but ultimately he'd been unable to figure out why she'd left. Three hours ago, Ares had appeared before him with an eager smirk, claiming he'd found a new teacher for him, but that they wanted to test him to see if he was worth their time and effort. Hector had merely looked at him and muttered something in acknowledgement of his presence, and so Ares had callously slapped him and told him to 'suck it up and stop being such a depressed sack of crap'. Fifteen minutes ago, Hector had arrived on a plain near the edge of a forest where his potential mentor was waiting for him, standing still as a statue, cool, calm and collected. And in the present…
"Really? That's it?" Hector's breath was heavy as the woman's fist smashed into his chest. Stumbling backwards, he managed to keep his legs from giving out under him and quickly raised his arms in front of him in readiness for another attack. Unfortunately his opponent moved too quickly, slipping past his guard with near inhuman precision and connecting her fist with his already broken nose. This time he fell down to the grass below him, staining it with his blood as it ran down his face. "I must say I'm disappointed. One would think a student of Ares himself could do better than that."
He coughed out more blood onto the grass as he pushed himself away from her and up onto his shaking legs, only to drop down on one knee. "Are you going to fight... or do you just want to talk?" Hector snarled at her. For a moment she stared down at him, her cold and uncaring eyes weighing down on him as her long black hair, gently pulled by the wind, hung over her face like a dark veil. She gave him little time to rest, as her leg flew towards the side of his face with blinding speed and enough force to crack his skull.
Again he landed on the ground, face first this time. For a moment it seemed like he was about to pass out, already feeling his broken ribs and bruised body protesting against his every move, and yet he stubbornly continued to press on. He moved to raise himself back up with his arms, fighting against the throbbing pain in his head as blood from his bleeding brow fell down onto his eye, painting his vision red. All his efforts would culminate in nothing. He felt a hard grip on his hair pulling him up by force right before an arm went around his neck, squeezing his windpipe shut. "You're not worth being trained. Goodbye, Hector Anderson." He tried to free himself from the choke hold, but the more he struggled, the tighter it became. Soon, strength started to leave his body and his eyes started to roll backwards. His already weakened vision slowly faded to black as his eyes closed and arms slowly fell down. "Perhaps I'll wait for your sister. She may prove more worthy." Suddenly his eyes flung open and the wolf charm from his silver bracelet found it's way into his hand where it transformed into a hunting knife.
Right before the woman's hold became tight enough to snap his neck, he plunged his knife straight into her arm. Her grip immediately loosened, allowing him to fill his lungs with air and push her away. With the bloodied knife still in his hand, he rose back on his feet. Hector's face, battered and bloodied as it was, showed no sign of rage, no pain, no passion, no explosive anger. His expression had been replaced by a cold anger, calculating and focussed, the kind that promised danger for anyone it was aimed at. "Stay. Away. From. My. Sister," he said in a tone as cold as ice. The woman didn't make a move against him though. Her eyes fell on the bleeding wound on her arm, watching as the blood flowed. She tried to flex her arm, but her injury was severe, and her muscles were being unresponsive.
Her focus quickly turned back to him, just as cold as before, but instead of uncaring disappointment, now there was a hint of interest. "It seems you have some fire in you after all..." She closed her wounded hand into a fist, forcing her body to obey and prompting him to take a stance, ready to leap into action. "Tell me... if I should go after your sister... what COULD you do?" Without conscious thought, Hector allowed his instincts to take over. He dashed at her, knife in hand and ready to strike. As he swung the blade at her she caught his hand with almost casual ease, locking it in place. Now holding his second knife, his other hand moved towards her face, but she caught it as well. She then bent his hand back until his wrist snapped, forcing him to drop the knife as a sharp pain shot through his arm. Still refusing to give up, Hector spat a glob of blood and spit right in her eyes, then smashed his forehead hard against her nose. The woman dropped him as she recoiled from the blow, blood spraying from her nose, only for Hector to swing his good arm at her, his knife opening up a gash in her face.
She instinctively backed away, wiping the blood and spit from her eyes as Hector held out the knife in front of him, pointing the tip at her. She pondered for a moment in silence, fingers gently touching the gash on her face, all while Hector kept his knife trained on her, not moving from his spot. "Very well..." She finally spoke up. "You may calm down. I don't actually care about hurting your sister." He didn't lower his stance in the slightest, still ready to fight back the moment she attacked. "Ignoring the matter of where you got those knives, I believe this was to be a test of your unarmed fighting skills." Not breaking eye contact between them, she tore a long strip of cloth from her shirt, showcasing some of the scars she hid from the world. Deep ones... and numerous. She pressed the cloth against the gash on her face, wrapping it around her head. She then tore off another strip from her shirt, which she wrapped around her arm, using her mouth to help tie it off.
He didn't respond immediately, waiting for her to finish and catching his breath in the meantime. "There's a saying that Ares is fond of: 'The only rules in war are those you choose to follow.'" Slowly, he lowered his arm, watching her carefully until realizing she was no longer interested in fighting, though the knife still remained in his hand. "Swear it." She raised her eyebrow, slightly crooking her head to the side. "Swear you will not harm Cassandra. Not now... and not ever. Swear on the river Styx itself."
She sighed at this, but still placed her hand against her chest and opened her mouth to speak the oath in greek. "I swear on the river Styx, may all the gods and goddesses of Olympus be my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this promise. I shall not put Cassandra Anderson, daughter of Christopher and Anastasia, sister to Hector, in way of harm and danger, be it by my hand or those loyal to me."
Hector sighed deeply, allowing most of the tension leave his body, only to find himself gritting his teeth in pain as in place of tension rose awareness of the full extent of his injuries, along with the pain they brought. His broken ribs were just an inch away from piercing into his lung, the throbbing in his head was as much a result of a cracked skull as of a concussion, he was bleeding internally, and his broken wrist had gone numb. Not to mention all the bruises that covered him. By all means it was enough to put a normal person in the hospital for a while, and yet he was still standing. "Well? Will you train me?"
"Not yet," she said without missing a beat. "You may be more worthy than I believed at first, you may have more spirit then I gave you credit for, but I still have one final test for you." She turned away from him, looking out into the nearby forest. "Deep in this forest is an old shrine. On foot, it will take a day to get there. I want you to go to the shrine and offer a sacrifice."
"What kind of sacrifice?"
She didn't reply, instead turning away to look at the sun as it slowly began to set. "I will return here in two days. Should you succeed, you will have earned the right to train with me. If you haven't finished by then, don't bother seeking me out unless you wish to die. And don't try to cheat your way out of this." Without any further words, she walked away, not looking back at him.
Hector's eyes soon turned away from her towards the forest itself, knowing a journey like that wasn't something he could handle in his current condition. He picked up the knife he'd dropped, changing both back to their less conspicuous form, then, almost stumbling over his tired legs, he slowly made his way to the bag he'd left on the ground beforehand. Reaching into it with his good hand, he pulled out a small glass bottle containing what could only be described as liquid fire. Water from the river of fire – Phlegethon. He did not relish the thought of this drink, but ultimately need prevailed over preference. He removed the cork and without giving himself time to think, took a gulp and immediately put the bottle back down.
Pain spread through his whole body like a wildfire, making him scream out in agony. He fell down to the ground, doing his best not to throw up from the pain. It didn't last long, but a phantom burning sensation continued even as he rose back to his feet to examine his body, now completely healed. Still shaken by painful healing, he put the cork back in the bottle and placed the bottle in his bag, which he slung over his back as he slowly began to make his way into the forest, uncertain what awaited him within.
Present
Hector and Zatanna appeared in the foyer of a luxurious mansion, with tile floors, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a cabinet sitting in the corner, and a small table sporting a flower vase along with a few other knick knacks. "Nice place," Hector commented.
"Welcome to Shadowcrest, ancestral home of the Zatara family. It used to be my father's, until it was passed down to me. Come on, I'll show you around." Hector walked closely as Zatanna lead the way through the mansion while telling him about the place. "So, fun feature, Shadowcrest is protected by a number of mystical wards and incantations. For example, if anyone tried to jump the fence they'd land a hundred miles away, or if they tried to force their way in with violence or magic, they'd have the added bonus of waking up with the knowledge that they just spent the last hour as a snail."
Hector chuckled in amusement at this. "Must be great for dealing with stalkers and paparazzi."
"You'd be surprised how many people are stupid enough to try themselves. You don't have to worry about anything though, since I brought you here. I also made arrangements so the house will recognize you in the future. But you miiiiight want to avoid touching everything you see, especially if it looks dangerous or magical."
"Really? Because you're magical, and I'm pretty sure you can be… dangerous," Hector said playfully. "Does that mean I can't touch you?"
"Guess…" Zatanna replied, giving him a flirty smile. As they went on, Zatanna showed him a couple rooms, including a wondrous library filled with books all the way up to the unnaturally high ceiling, more than any normal person could possibly read in a single lifetime. However, in truth she was giving him more of a token tour, glossing over several things, not wanting to delay reaching her destination. "And here's one of my favourite rooms in this place." In this particular room there was a closet, a grandfather clock, a nightstand, and the centrepiece was a king sized, four poster bed. The curtains were closed over the windows, the lights were dimmed, and several candles had been lit, giving the room a pleasant aroma. All in all, there was little doubt as to what Zatanna's intentions were, especially when the door closed behind them and she looked at Hector with desire in her eyes. "So… what you think?" she asked, snaking her arms up his chest and resting her hands on his broad shoulders.
Hector placed his hands at the small of her back and leaned down so that his forehead rested against hers. "I think… that nobody had better disturb us this time," he said softly.
"Like I said," Zatanna replied, gently rubbing her nose against his, her voice tinged with desire. "Shadowcrest is protected by magic, so no one's going to bother us."
"What about your friends in the Justice League?"
"Don't worry, I left them specific instructions not to call me for anything short of a full-scale alien invasion. So guess what…" Almost giddy with excitement, Zatanna moved her head so that her mouth was right next to his ear and whispered: "We have the whole night to ourselves."
The young lovers stood still for a moment, holding each other close, lost in their eyes as their hearts beat like drums, both of them feeling a little nervous and excited. Then, as if by some unspoken message, their faces began to move forward, inching towards one another ever so slowly, as if the universe had slowed down time to capture the moment. When their lips finally met, it was a very slow, sensual kiss, the two of them taking the time to enjoy the taste of each other. Although this was not their first kiss, nor even their twelfth, something, be it the romantic atmosphere, the magic of the house, or the long wait leading up to the moment, made this particular kiss seem truly wonderful. Zatanna felt a rising heat in herself as they kissed, leading her to grab the back of his head and pull his body against hers, deepening the kiss. Hector's mind was captivated by his girlfriend, taking in the taste of her lipstick, the smell of her perfume, the silky smoothness of her hair, the feel of her breasts pressing against his chest. The two of them stumbled around as if performing a drunken dance, twirling around each other until they fell onto Zatanna's bed.
"Zee?" Hector spoke up, feeling a little short of breath as they lay together on the comfortable mattress, hands entwined together. "Last night, before you left on your mission, you said you'd make it up to me, yeah?"
"Yeah," she replied absentmindedly, peppering him with several small kisses along his jawline.
"I want you to sit still for a while."
"Huh?" Zatanna blinked in surprise. "What for?"
"You got to tease me yesterday, so I'd like to return the favour now."
"… Okay fine."
Hector began by laying his girlfriend's legs across his lap and placing his hands on one of her shoes. He removed her footwear with painstaking care, fingers slowly trailing down her ankle and the sole of her foot, touching her just enough to make her shiver. After removing her other shoe in the same manner, Hector sat down behind her, snaking his hands under her arms. Zatanna squirmed a little when his fingers passed over her sides, trying not to laugh when this tickled her. He began to slowly lift her shirt over her head, tantalizing her by brushing against her breasts. When her shirt came off, she reached behind her back to unhook her bra, only for Hector to gently grab her hands and place them on the bed. "The more you move, the longer this will take," he said teasingly, his breath hot against her ear. He then went to work on her bra, cupping her breasts in the process and squeezing her nipples ever so slightly, sending a jolt through Zatanna's nerves. Sliding off the bed and kneeling on the floor, Hector had Zatanna lie down, after which he unbuttoned and pulled down her pants, moving as slowly and sensually as he had with the rest of her clothes. Hector could feel himself getting hot and heavy, half his mind telling him to just drop his pants and mount her then and there, while the other half demanded he continue his current course of action. Ultimately the latter half won out and he dipped his head between his lover's thighs.
"What're you…?" Zatanna asked, only to be interrupted when she felt his mouth on her nether regions. "Oh!" Hector teased her with his mouth for a few seconds, feeling the wetness soaking through Zatanna's panties, before he gently grabbed them in his teeth and tugged them back. When he had her underwear halfway down her thighs, he slid them off the rest of the way with his hands, dropping them to the floor, then brought his mouth back to her. Zatanna grabbed the blanket in her hands, gripping it tightly as her boyfriend began to stimulate her, using both his mouth and tongue. Their kissing earlier and his teasing as he'd undressed her had had enough of an effect on her that his ministrations soon brought her to the edge. Zatanna suddenly let go of the blanket and grabbed the back of Hector's head, holding his face against her entrance as she was seized by a feeling of ecstasy.
When she released him, Hector stood up and began to remove his shirt, only for Zatanna to sit up straight with an impatient look on her face. "Oh, hell no! Sehtolc ffo!" Hector's clothes were instantly flung off of him, showing him in all his naked glory, his stiff member revealing just how much of an effect Zatanna was having on him. Before he could say anything, Zatanna grabbed his hand and yanked him down onto the bed, capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss. "I know I said I'd make it up to you, but I'm sick and tired of waiting for this."
"Do you have-?" Hector began.
"Yes," Zatanna said, rolling over and reaching to her nightstand, pulling a condom out of the drawer, which she managed to place over his manhood amidst further touching and kissing.
As the two of them settled into the missionary position, ready to take the final plunge, Hector, despite being full of desire for his girlfriend, to the point where conscious control was merely hanging by a thread, forced himself to stop before entering her. "I need to know that you're sure about this, because once we get started, I won't be able to hold back."
Zatanna pulled her lover's head down to kiss him for several second, then gazed into his eyes and said: "Then don't."
Mount Olympus
Hecate, goddess of boundaries, ghosts and magic, widow to the homo-magi Christopher Anderson, and divine mother of the demi-god Cassandra Anderson. The triple faced goddess had decided to take a break from her godly responsibilities to join her compatriots on Olympus, and was currently engaged in a polite conversation with Morpheus, asking him about her daughter on Earth, since he'd been the last one to see her. She was in the middle of trying to get his attention, snapping her fingers at him since he'd begun to nod off, when the queen of Olympus strolled into the room with a content smile on her face. "Hera," Hecate greeted her. "You seem… happy."
"Hmm? I suppose so. And I'm certain you'll be happy as well once I give you the good news."
"Uh huh, and what would that be?" she asked, not seeming all that interested.
"My husband has decided to relent and allow you to see your daughter."
Hecate's head shot up at this, looking straight at Hera. "What? Really?"
"Indeed. She'll be allowed to come to Olympus at the end of the week. How you spend your time with her is your concern, but you'll be granted three days together."
"That very… generous," Hecate remarked cautiously. "More than I'd expect from him."
"Even mighty Zeus himself can be made to change his mind when his wife offers the right… incentive," Hera said with a smirk.
"I see. And what might have provoked you to do so?"
"Your adoptive son agreed to aid Princess Donna against her enemies, and in exchange he made me promise that I'd try to convince my husband to allow you to see your daughter."
"Thank you, Hera," Hecate said, bowing her head respectfully. "I appre-"
They were interrupted when Aphrodite came running through in a hurry. "Out of my way, coming through!" The goddess of love went over to a large pool of crystal clear water and sat down at the edge.
"What's the big rush?" Hermes asked casually.
"Hector and Zatanna are finally about to do it!" she cried out excitedly, dipping the tip of her fingers in the water, causing it to shimmer.
"Yeah right," Ares said dismissively. "That boy's not manly enough to have jumped into bed with this one already."
"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" Hecate asked, walking over to join her fellow deities.
"You know Hector's been going out with his girlfriend Zatanna for a while now, right?" Hermes spoke up.
"Yes, I've heard about that."
"Well, just yesterday we made a bet on how long we think it'll take for them to sleep together. I said a week, Ares said it'd take longer, Aphrodite-"
"Yes! I win!" the goddess of love exclaimed joyfully, interrupting Hermes.
Ares, Hermes, Morpheus, Hera, Hecate, and Dionysus (who'd heard the commotion), all approached the pool of water. The surface had changed to show an image of Zatanna's bedroom, and the two occupants inside. The godly spectators watched in silence for a moment, before Ares suddenly let out a string of curses. "Son of a bitch! That little shit just cost me big time! I was sure he had too much 'emotional baggage', and didn't have the guts to fuck that woman so soon," Ares ranted, saying the words 'emotional baggage' with obvious sarcasm. "But that horny bastard just couldn't help himself!"
"Wow…" Dionysus muttered as they watched the spectacle, largely ignoring Ares' complaints. "Look at em go."
"You don't seem too bothered, seeing your adopted son like this," Hermes commented, looking at Hecate.
The goddess of magic merely shrugged her shoulders and turned away. "Not the first time I've caught him with his pants down. I just hope Cassandra doesn't somehow walk in on them."
Ares continued swearing in the background, using a rather colourful language, including the words 'Bastard, horny, fuck, cock and cunt', though the others continued ignoring him.
"I wouldn't worry about that," Morpheus pitched in, looking at the pool. "She's still staying at her friend's place."
"Excuse me, I'm going to go find my husband," Hera suddenly declared, walking away at a quick pace, smacking her son in the back of the head as she passed by.
"Gentlemen…" Dionysus, Hermes and Ares all looked up at Aphrodite, who rubbed her thumb and forefinger together in the universal sign for money. The three gods in question all grumbled a little but paid up nonetheless, before resuming their voyeuristic activities. "Talk about passion," Aphrodite said, sounding impressed. "You go, little brother!"
Shadowcrest
Somewhere in the course of their lovemaking, Zatanna had rolled on top of Hector and was riding him like a wild beast, a not entirely inaccurate comparison, given the animalistic passion he'd displayed thus far. Zatanna could feel her own passion burning hot in response, hunger in her eyes as she bounced on him in time with his own thrusts, a wet slapping sound as their bodies smacked into each other. Her long black locks fell loosely over her breasts, gently brushing against her solid nipples. Her hands rested against his well toned chest, touching his numerous scars, feeling the strength that lay beneath.
Hector could feel Zatanna's tightness with every thrust, her hands against his chest, the curves of her buttocks in his hands. He heard her moans, the rhythmic slapping sound of their sex, her cries when he went in deep. He smelled her sweat, fluids and perfume mixed together, somehow the most intoxicating thing he'd ever smelled. He saw her breasts jiggle as she bounced on him, her disheveled black locks, the desire in her eyes. Seeing her desire him so only served to feed his own passion, to please her just as she pleased him.
"Zatanna…" he moaned in pleasure, his admittedly impressive stamina almost running out.
"Hector…" she moaned his name in return.
"I'm… almost there."
"Wait… a bit longer," she pleaded, arching her back as she could feel her own release approaching.
"Don't know… how long… I'll last," he grunted, face scrunched up as he tried to hold back.
"Almost…"
Hector suddenly flipped her over on her back and kissed her fiercely. Zatanna kissed him right back, their mouths greedily demanding more, tongues wrapping around each other like writhing sea serpents. As this happened, he thrust inside her with wild abandon until he cried out, followed by a cry of her own a moment later. The young couple went still afterwards, both breathing heavily as he lay of top of her. Finally he slid out of her, tossing the used condom in the trash and cleaning himself off before he lay back down with her.
The two of them lay close together, their faces almost touching as they cuddled, basking in the afterglow. "So tell me…" Zatanna spoke up. "Was I worth the wait?"
"You were amazing," Hector answered.
"That's good, because I enjoyed it very much."
"I'm glad to hear that. Although, I can't promise I'll always be this good."
"That's probably a good thing, because I don't think my legs will be able to take it if every time with you is like this," Zatanna teased him. "Who knew you had such a beast inside you?"
Hector coughed at this, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Relax, I'm fine," Zatanna said, chuckling a little. "I might be a little sore tomorrow, but there's nothing to worry about." She leaned in for a kiss, neither chaste nor heated, but tender and loving all the same. When they broke it off, Zatanna looked down at his lower body and smiled. "Then again… maybe I should be worried. Ready to go again so soon?"
"That tends to happen when I have a gorgeous naked woman lying so close to me."
"Are you saying that any beautiful naked woman would do the trick?" Zatanna asked, smirking.
"No, just you."
"Good answer. Ready for round two?"
So, hope you liked it, reviews are appreciated, flames will be tolerated so long as it somehow helps me improve (if not... I'm very good at ignoring ppl I don't care for). :-)
Again, thanks to author Omega6047 for their help on this chapter.
Last note: Anyone who correctly guesses the identity of the "mystery woman" (actual character in DC Comics) in the flashback scene will get a sneak preview of the next chapter (I only have a rough draft, btw, but I'll give you an early peek as soon as I have something written). If interested, must send me a PM, or leave a review, and not an anonymous one, otherwise I won't be able to message you.