TEDDY'S GON FIND OUT THE TRUTH!

Hazel's POV

Mom finds me in my office and asks me to come home, so I do. I'm more than a little worried, since she's never done this before, but I do as she says. When I get home, I find Quinn already there. This is the first time I've seen her since the incident at Casa Blanca, so I give her a hug and sit down next to her.

After a few minutes, Teddy and Hermes come in, shepherded by Mom and Dad. They sit down next to us on the couch. I note with interest that we automatically sat down in age order: Teddy, me, Quinn, Hermes.

Mom and Dad sit down on the sofa opposite us. "There's something we've been keeping from you," Mom begins hesitantly. "It's a secret we've been keeping ever since it happened, sixteen years ago."

Hey, that's how old Teddy is. I wonder if it has anything to do with him. My suspicion is confirmed when I spot Mom and Dad sneaking glances at Teddy. What could this secret be and how does it tie in with my older brother?

"Before any of you were born, Apollo was shot in and kidnapped from the medical bay in OWCA HQ."

All four of us gasp at the same time.

"The same day, I was captured by LOVEMUFFIN," Mom explains. "I was kept in a cage in the same room as Apollo. He helped me get through that time a lot. I wouldn't have survived without him."

I get the sneaking feeling that there's something we're still not being told about this whole thing.

"But that's not the point of the story," Mom says. "The thing is…I was pregnant when they captured me."

My eyes widen. I think I know where this might be going, and I hope I'm wrong.

"And my baby was both born and hatched in LOVEMUFFIN's cell," Mom continues. Her eyes flicker to the child in question. "You, Teddy."

Teddy's POV

I feel like I've been smacked in the head. I feel dizzy and like I might faint at any minute. I stand up sharply and immediately I have to clutch the arm of the sofa for support.

"You were almost discovered several times," Mom says. "If they had found you, they would have taken you away. That was my worst fear, and it's haunted my nightmares ever since."

"So what happened to me could have happened to Teddy?" Hermes says.

"But worse!" I say suddenly. "It could have been much worse! I could have been trained to hate you! To fight against you! I could have ended up like Mich-!"

I quickly stop myself but both my parents plus Hazel know who I'm talking about. I see Quinn and Hermes exchange a confused look.

"Teddy, it wasn't your mother's fault," Dad tells me.

"I know," I say. "And I'm not mad at you for that. I'm mad because you didn't tell me sooner!"

Mom bends her head like she expected that. Dad puts his arm around her.

"Sixteen years!" I shout frustratedly. "Come on! Sixteen years! You had sixteen years to tell me, why now?"

"I'd just like to point out that Mom only decided to tell you because I found out from Apollo about an hour ago and made her tell us everything," Quinn says.

I glare at my parents.

"I'm sorry," Mom says quietly. "I know I should have told you earlier."

"If Quinn hadn't made you, would you have even told me at all?" I ask, a bit more aggressively than I had intended.

"Yes!" Dad says defensively. "We definitely would have."

"When?" I demand.

I know that they can't say "when you were ready" because frankly I could have dealt with this when I was eight. Now I'm sixteen, double that. And they only decided to tell me because Quinn made them.

"I don't know, okay?" Mom suddenly snaps, standing up. "I know you have every right to be angry with us because we didn't tell you but I was scared! Like you said, you could have ended up like…another platypus we know. It haunted my nightmares even after Quinn was born! I didn't tell you, or anyone else at OWCA, because I didn't want you to grow up needing to prove yourself twice as much because you were born in the headquarters of our greatest enemies."

My anger is subsiding because I know she's right. Besides, I know what it's like to have nightmares about an event you couldn't have controlled. I walk forwards and give my parents a hug. "It's okay," I say quietly, not quite whispering. "I do understand. I just wish you'd told me sooner."

"Believe me, I do too," Mom says.

Hazel's POV

I didn't know that before…my brother was born in LOVEMUFFIN! Whereas I was born at home. Mom and Dad have told me the story of when I was born, so I know I was born at home. Come to think of it, I've never heard any stories about when Teddy was born. That's probably why, then.

Hermes's POV

I can't believe it. Teddy almost ended up like me…only worse, like he said. I wasn't trained to fight my parents, even if I was given supernatural powers. We were both born in captivity. That's one more thing we have in common. Except Teddy was never taken away from his mother like I was. But I agree with Mom; I wouldn't have wanted my child to grow up trying to prove themselves just because of where they were born.

Quinn's POV

Now I know the truth. Now I know what dangers being part of OWCA can bring. Now I know that I could be subjected to the exact same thing. And now I know what I can't do.

I can't join OWCA.

So there we go. Teddy knows now. Now let's get the story back to Quinn, shall we? XD