"Who are you!?" Sam shouted at the hooded figure in front of her. The hooded red cloak obscured most of her face and body from view with only deep red lips revealed. The strange girl smirked before growling out. "Don't recognize me your highness?" she hissed out her pale skin glowing under the faint lighting. Sam's brow furrowed, the girl was making no sense, she was the same height as Sam possibly fourteen too, but all defining features were obscured by the stupid cloak. "Well then I'll just have to jog your memory." Her hands moved up pulling the hood from her head and dropping the cloak to the ground it pooled around her feet. Sam stepped back in shock at the figure before her. She was tall and lean just like Sam same facial structure but instead of green eyes and purple lips her eyes and lips were a deep red, instead of blond hair hers was black as the night her skin was pale, but there was no mistaking it, this girl was her twin she wore a half corset top stopping just under her ribcage red with black lacings, she wore long red pants with various knives strapped to them tucking into tall red boots. A dark chuckle resounded from her throat as the strange girl watched her sister's reaction. "Do you remember me now my queen? Your sister that you left behind, my name is Snow white." Sam managed to gasp out a reply. "K-Katharine? They told me you were dead! I-I didn't know they had you." Snow scowled at Sam "LIAR! You knew I was there and you left me behind, but they made mestronger tougher and more powerful than you will ever be. And my name is no longer Katharine it is Snow White" She laughed before disappearing the sound echoing through the warehouse and in Sam's mind. The only thing left behind was an apple with only a bite out of it.
Sam watched cautiously from the shadows, the wolves had told her that the man here could help her give her a bed that apparently all humans needed. She didn't know why she needed a bed she knew she wasn't human never was and never will be. She tensed as an old man walked out leaning heavily on his cane moving directly towards her, he stopped a few yards away and stared at her before getting on one knee and holding out his hand. "Don't worry little one I won't hurt you." He smiled kindly and Sam actually believed him so she slowly moved from her hiding place to stand in front of him ready to flee if he did anything odd. He smiled at her extending his hand as she inched closer before taking it in her small one. "There you go sweetheart, now what's your name." she looked down at her feet purple lips turning into a frown she told him her name and he smiled replying "Well Sam my name is Kent, Kent Nelson." She fingered the fire pendent necklace at her throat still wary despite the comforting smell her gave off and that his thoughts held no malice towards her, he smiled and led her gently back to the tower of Fate.
"Todays the day."
"Roy calm down."
"Whoa superboy awesome!"
"What are you doing here Forest?" Bruce growled from his seat next to the eleven year old girl. She smirked up at him from behind her shades. "What's wrong Bruce? Cant a girl see the circus?" he clenched his jaw telling her that meta Humans were not allowed in his city, and she should go back to the Tower before she did something she would regret. She sighed turning to the center ring as she watched the ringleader exclaim in a booming voice, "And now without further ado Hayley's circus main event, the flying Grayson's! Preforming tonight with their young son for the first time tonight and without the aid of a net!" three people scaled the towering pole climbing the ladder deftly until they reached the platform. The first man jumped he was tall and broad smiling as he grasped the bar and swung deftly through the air. He jumped flipping quickly to the next bar as it came swinging out of oblivion smiling at the cheers of the crowd, he swung back grasping the other bar once again. He hooked his legs around the bar before leaning out and holding out his hands for his wife, a slender woman with blond hair and kind features, she grasped his hands and twisted allowing her hands to swing free as he grasped her legs and the swung back for the young dark haired child left on the platform, he hesitated for a split second and in that time the rope snapped. The boy and the crowed cried out in horror as the couple plummeted to the hard unforgiving dirt ground, their bones shattering and they lay broken bleeding and dead leaving their son, now an orphan on his knees on the side of the platform sobbing as he stared in horror. She felt a pang of sympathy for the child and without thinking she jumped from the stands and flew up to the platform.
She heard him crying out Mami Tati and she relied he was speaking in Romanian; she smiled switching over to Romanian and spoke soothingly "Esti unul mic bine?"(Are you Okay little one?) He looked up in shock tears streaming down his pale face; he spoke in fear and curiosity" Cine ești Tu? și cum vorbești românește?" (Who are you? and how do you speak Romanian?) She moved closer putting an arm around the still weeping boy "Numele meu este Sam și eu pot face o mulțime de lucruri" (my name is Sam and I can do a lot of things) she smiled slightly "ma uit la acest." (Watch this) She conjured up a flame and mad it take the shape of a little robin having it flit around the young boy and sing sweetly, he laughed through his tears as the little bird perched easily on his shoulder and sang in his ear before disappearing. She smiled and helped him to his feet. "Acum așteptare pasăre pic pe strâmt" (now little bird hold on tight) she bent down and he clambered easily onto her back holding tightly as she jumped levitating and stepping easily to the ground. He climbed down and stood beside her holding her hand for dear life as the police commissioner James Gordon walked over. He knelt down in front of the little dark haired boy and asked his name; sheepishly the eight year old told him in almost perfect English that his name was Dick Grayson. Sam bent down speaking low so the commissioner could not hear and spoke into Dick's ear "I'll be right back little one answer the commissioners questions for me okay?" he nodded as she turned away and walked up to Bruce. "You need to take him Bruce." She stated not a question but an order. When he attempted to speak she held up her hand silencing him. "Dick needs someone to take care of him, it's either you or the orphanage, and he won't last long in the Gotham orphanage."
Sighing Bruce moved over to the commissioner and the child while Sam admired her handiwork. She strode over to Dick and gave him a hug goodbye before flying off into the night.
"Sam?" Artemis stared up at the taller blond as she struggled to hold up the piece of the collapsing ceiling that had almost crushed her. Her green eyes stared down at her before glancing up at the massive piece of concrete she was holding, "Move Artemis!" she shouted as the smaller girl scrambled to her feet next to her. "Nightshade I can't leave you!" Sam growled in frustration starting to sink to her knees as the weight of the concrete began to crush her. "I said GO!" she screamed telekinetically throwing Artemis forward and out from under the shadow of the concrete. She fell to her knees collapsing under the weight of it muttering under her breath "Looks like I'm goin' out like Atlas." A strange smile adorning her face she began to laugh, and the concrete slab fell and Sam disappeared under the rock and dust.
"SAM!" Hunter ran forward to where his girlfriend had disappeared, under the rubble and dust he screamed her name as he sifted through the rubble franticly digging through the rubble praying that she was still alive. Kaldur pulled him away shaking his head as Hunter started to cry. Superboy rushed forward moving huge chunks of concrete out of the way listing for the heartbeat of the demi-god. He moved a final piece of concrete to find her face down sprawled out blood pooling beneath her dust clinging to her broken form he heard her draw a shallow ragged breath and he breathed a sigh of relief, she was alive barley but thankfully alive. Connor tossed the slab of concrete away knowing he couldn't move her for fear of breaking her back or neck, he turned to miss Martian calling her over and waving her to the still figure, the blood pool beneath her growing steadily larger M'gann nearly threw up at the sight but regained her composure enough to telekinetically lift the broken hero from the ground and move her easily to the bioship.
To Hunter the ship never seemed to fly so slowly as it did that day, he would periodically snap impatiently at the frightened Martian to fly faster, no one could blame him the girl he loved was most likely dying in the back of the ship and there was nothing he could do about it other than pray that she would live. Everyone was in a state of shock, Sam was so strong so powerful and she was dying, she was so broken and hurt it scared them. She had always managed to get back up no matter what and always willing to sacrifice herself for her friends.
The bioship landed in the hangar to find a team of doctors ready and waiting, the older heroes were waiting worriedly. They quickly unloaded the still unconscious blond girl and followed quickly after the gurney as it disappeared into the Med bay. Hunter stared in shock as the girl he loved went into surgery with a slim chance of survival. He felt Dinah's hand on his shoulder and he barley felt it as she pulled him into a hug. He didn't realize he'd been crying until he felt Dinah wipe the tears away, she knew how much the young archer loved her adopted daughter.
Dinah was scared too, Sam while she was an angry child and really difficult to deal with because of her temper, and she had never wanted to live with Dinah in the first place, but they had warmed up to each other. She loved Sam, the girl was her daughter and she was terrified she was going to lose her. She pulled the distraught boy into another hug as they waited.
After what seemed like days to the team of worried young heroes, Leslie Tompkins emerged from the frosted doors, a solemn look on her face. Instantly the team was on their feet begging and asking questions she held up her hands to stop all the talking and the team fell silent. "Her ribs are broken and her spine is cracked she has a fractured skull a lot of internal bleeding, her lungs are punctured and her legs are broken. She's awake for now, but while Sam has incredible healing abilities and enhanced durability there's still a very big chance that she won't last the night." She fixed her eyes on hunter and smiled warmly "She wants to see you."
"h-hey hunter." She's hooked up to so many machines and she looks so pale and broken, but her green eyes are so full and bright and a slight smile is playing on her lips. "Hunter Leslie won't tell me anything what's up?" he sighed sitting down beside her bed taking her hand into his; he pulled her hand to his lips pressing a kiss to the scar on the back of her hand. "You're dying." She barely reacts just a blink of her eyes and a smirk "Well that sucks don't it?" he chuckled darkly pressing a kiss to her cheek "That's my wolf." She laughed with him until she started coughing and holding her ribs in pain. He helped her lay back in the bed pressing a kiss to her cheek as he did so.
Her face became solemn as she looked into his eyes "I'm sorry to do this to you Hunter." He smiled "It's not like I wasn't expecting it, I just wish it was after we got married and had a few kids maybe a house." She chuckled squeezing his hand "Such an imagination babe we are only sixteen, but I guess that's why I love ya." He smiled pressing a kiss to her lips "I love you too Sam."
She smiled laying a hand against his cheek. "So how much you wanna bet I get out of this perfectly fine?" Hunter chuckled and looked into her eyes "I'd bet my life on it."
"Rooooooyyyyyyy Roy Roy Roy Roy I wanna plaaaaayyyyy." The whine from the blond haired toddler attached to his leg made Roy rub his temples in anger and annoyance as he watched his now de- aged little sister tug repeatedly on his pants. "Sam c'mon get off." He muttered trying unsuccessfully to pry the toddlers grip from his leg.
"NO!" she shouted laughing holding his leg tighter, he sighed again trying to pull the unbelievably adorable little girl off his leg once again, failing once again as she gripped his leg even harder. He pinched the bridge of his nose turning to the rest of the team he asked angrily how the hell this could have possibly happened.
"Well…" Wally dragged out stepping forward "youseewewerefightingklarionandshejumpedinthewayof aspellthatwasgoingtohitmeandshesortoffellonthegrou ndandstartedtwitchingandglowingandallofasuddenshe' sinapoolofherclothesandlikefiveyearsoldandthenwebr oughtherhereandshemadeuscallyouandnowshe'skindoftr yingtocutoffthecirculationtoyourleg."
He sighed again and turned to the rest of the team "Alright can someone else other than kid wanna explain to me what exactly happened?" Robing moved forward "we were fighting Klarion, she jumped in front of Wally and got hit with a spell that de-aged her and then we brought her here." Roy muttered a few curses under his breath before glancing down at Sam as she giggled up at him with those wide green eyes. He smiled and finally managed to free his leg from her arms he settled her on his hip. Then she promptly squirmed free of his grasp and climbed on his shoulders and tugged at his hair laughing as he halfheartedly swatted at her hands.
"Why aren't you dealing with her?" he growled at Hunter as she yanked at his hair, the other archer laughed saying he was not going to be able to handle a five year old super powered Sam. He pulled her off his shoulders and set her down beside him. She giggled before her face scrunched up and sneezed setting his pants on fire and throwing herself backwards falling on her back. Roy shouted trying to put out the flames.
"Sam c'mon I don't want you to go without Me." she smiled down at the sick archer, his nose red and eyes watery he looked pale and surrounded by tissues and blankets. He coughed loudly sneezing into another tissue as he watched her get ready. "Hunter I'm a big girl I can take care of myself you don't have to worry about me." She grinned at him "It's a routine mission just me and Aquagirl I'll be fine don't worry." She pulled her hair back into a ponytail pressing her purple mask to her face covering her bright green eyes. That purple smirk tugged at her lips as she watched him watch her. "But I'd much rather spend the night with you wrapped in my arms." She chuckled at him and shook her head she pressed a kiss to his lips "I love you." He muttered "I love you too babe." She replied turning out the door "Feel better okay? I'll be back in a couple of hours." And she walked out the doors to the mission room.
"Tula!" Sam shouted as her red haired friend tried to lift the rubble pinning her friends legs to the ground "Go after manta I'll be fine!" Tula nodded turning and sprinting after the retreating supervillian. Sam struggled finally pulling her legs free checking her body that was covered in injuries blood trailing down her legs and arms, she felt woozy this definitely wasn't how this was supposed to go, but then again did any of their missions ever end right? She heard Tula scream snapping her out of her thoughts Sam flew after her friend keeping weight off her injured legs leaving a trail of blood behind her.
She rounded a corner to find her Atalantian friend against to the wall a harpoon through her midsection pinning her there. "Tula!" she screamed rushing to her friend's side and calling desperately into her com for backup. "Tula." She called desperately to her friend gently pulling her from the wall and laying her on the floor. "C'mon red get up we need you." The red heads blue eyes blinked open smiling weakly at her blond friend Tula spoke rasping weakly "Tell Garth I love him and tell Kaldur I'm sorry." And her eyes closed and her breathing stopped Sam shouted at her to wake up and not leave them but she was gone.
Sam sat back on her heels tears starting to fall down her face, she felt her body starting to slow down and looking at her injuries realized she had lost a lot of blood, and quite possibly had a concussion she leaned against the wall watching the blood pool at her feet, she saw her vision grow dark as she heard the frantic pounding of feet rounding the corner and she smiled slightly as she slumped over into unconsciousness.
She smiled evilly watching her form change her long blond hair shortened and changed to a vibrant red, green eyes became a bright blue purple lips turned crimson red, she became shorter her chest and butt grew larger and her outfit became an incredibly short skirt and black skin tight belly shirt. She laughed grabbing her keys and exiting the rundown apartment that had become her temporary HQ, and knew she wasn't coming back tonight.
The door shut quietly behind her as she walked into the cool night air to the club where her target went every night to hit on girls and possibly bring them home, she had been watching him like she had watched the others, they didn't know where Hunter was but she knew he did, she knew this son of a bitch knew exactly where they had buried him and she wanted revenge. She wanted to make them suffer like she had, and tonight her quest was over.
She entered the club taking in the pile of writhing bodies on the dance floor and moved quickly to the bar smiling at the bartender asking for a shot of whisky, he didn't bother carding her he knew she was twenty one. She glanced over her shoulder to see her target, an overweight man balding and wearing an expensive suit Johnny brooks, after the death of the huntsman three years ago he 'came into some money' and had been living the highlife ever since. He was a suspect in the three other murders four robberies and five rapes, he was scum. She knocked back the shot of whiskey the bartender had placed in front of her. She stood tugging down her top to expose more of her cleavage and walked slowly over to the target putting on a seductive smile she leaned easily in front of the man she whispered sexily into his ear "hey handsome wanna go somewhere more private?" his eyes went wide and he followed her easily through the club and into one of the bathrooms.
She smirked at him easily pushing him easily against the wall, and her eyes glowed purple as she delved easily into his weak little mind searching and sorting through every emotion every fear, every thought and memory until she found exactly what she wanted the location of the body. She smirked and pushed angrily against his thoughts pulling his fears through his mind and making them real, she left him screaming on the floor of the bathroom leaving through the back and running back to her apartment. For her bike.
She changed, as she ran, back to herself jeans replacing the skirt and tank-top replacing the belly shirt she conjured the helmet placing it deftly on her head and jumping aboard her bike roaring off into the night. She felt the wind against her as she drove outside the city to a deserted clearing miles away. She screeched to a halt inside the clearing dirt and grass flying as she jumped off racing to the grass near the base of a tall oak franticly digging into the shallow grave she knew it protected. Her nails unearthed a skull surrounded by the green hood she used to love to mess with. And for the first time in three years she cried, tears streaming down her face shaking slightly in her pain. She shakily gasped out his name begging that maybe he could hear her and know she still loved him. She shakily placed a hand to her com calling Nightwing "Dick" she muttered "I found him."
Sam hung her head silently watching as her friend fell to the ground sobs wracking her body as M'gann ran to comfort her. She knew how the archer felt; she had been there the day she had lost her archer, the day she had broken far beyond repair. She wanted desperately to comfort her friend but she knew she couldn't. instead she mourned in her own way throwing back her head and howling her despair into the wind hearing it carried over miles as wolves heard their goddess cry the took up the howl until everywhere the wolves of the world howled the mourning at once together all skirmishes and territories forgotten they howled with their fallen goddess and that day for a few brief seconds when the wolves stopped their howling the world was silent.
Later she stood in the watchtower watching Dick resign and heroes pull themselves together she stood by him watching as they regrouped ready for their next mission she turned to her little bird and smiled hugging him tightly and whispered in his ear "Todays the day to say goodbye." A sad smile and she left through the Zeta.
When she finally got back to her apartment in Star she finally broke down. She slammed the door shut and put her fist through the wall screaming in anger and pain. She caught sight of her reflection in the hall mirror (why the hell she had bought the stupid thing she would never know, she hated to see her own face now a days.) And screamed again slamming a fist into the stupid mirror shattering it and watching as the fragments shone as they fell. She watched as the blood trailed down her hand growling at how a girl with super durability was weak enough to get hurt by a stupid wall and a mirror. She stumbled to the bathroom wrapping her hand carefully from the first aid kit in the bathroom. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and lost it again slamming a fist into the mocking thing, she screamed out her hatred for herself continually slamming her fist into the now shattered mirror. She cried slumping down against the wall of the bathroom slamming her hands into the floor. She tore the wolf mask from her face staring into the blank eyes of the silver and blue wolf it portrayed. She growled throwing it against the wall watching the hard mask crack and fall to the floor. She looked down at her now bloodied hands and noticed some glass had cut deep in her wrist, she threw her head back laughing at the thought of her dying from a simple cut from her wrist, how was it so easy?
As her brain started to black out from blood loss she didn't hear the footsteps echoing through her apartment rushing to the sounds of her laughter. She barely saw the bright blue eyes full of worry as he applied pressure to her bleeding wrist as she blacked out still laughing insanely.
Her eyes blinked open slowly to find the blinding sterile white of the med bay at the watch tower; she could hear the beeping of many machines and felt the dull sting of where the IV was connected to her arm. She turned her head slightly to see Dick his blue eyes full of worry and tears staring straight at her. "Hey." She muttered weakly smiling at him.
"What were you thinking?" he growled, eyes growing hard and voice cold.
"I wasn't thinking Dick, I was angry you know I don't think straight when I'm angry." She sighed "besides you shouldn't have saved me I'm a monster." Dick growled in anger slamming a fist into a table
"How could you possibly think you're a monster? That we don't love you?"
She sighed shakily laughing heartily "why would you possibly care even a little about me? I'm a psychopath with multiple personality disorder and skitsophrenia, besides I promised to protect you Dick not the other way around." He stared at her in shock realization dawning on his face, "Sam, you're like my sister, I will always love you and never think you're a monster." He smirks slightly "no matter how insane you act."
"What." Her voice ground out in anger pain seeping through the single syllable word. She glared up at the image leaning against her wall a stoic expression gracing his handsome features "Why Sam?" the voice she so missed but dreaded hearing graced her ears once again. She stared up at her huntsman his image slightly transparent, wearing his favorite t-shirt and jeans smudged with dirt, his hair was disheveled like he had just rolled out of their bed, his clear bright blue eyes boring into her. She laughed heartlessly "What do you mean?" his face turned to anger for a brief moment before turning to compassion "Why are you doing this? Why are you becoming this monster?" she shook her head smirking at him "Because that what love does to a girl."
Snow sighed closing the door to her room, she pinched her nose in frustration, she loved her companions and followers she really did but why were they so stupid? She needed them to finish her master plan to kill the evil queen Sam, she was already dead inside from the loss of her dear huntsman, now the girl had suffered for years and it was time to kill her. She turned calling out into the room "Charming are you hear my darling?" a dark laugh echoed through the rather large room and Sam in her wolf uniform without the mask stepped out from behind the mirror, holding a bound charming with a knife pressed to his neck.
"I don't think your prince can answer you right now my dear." She looked down at the black haired twenty one year old. "You seem to care about him a lot don't you Princess." She bit out the last word like it burned her tongue "Reminds me of a boy I once loved, but you saw that he died didn't you?" Snow bit her lip red eyes dancing with uncertainty and anger. "Why don't we do this an eye for an eye right princess? A love for a love?" she pressed the blade into the pale skin at the base of the boys neck letting a small trickle of blood slip down staining his blue shirt he wore. "What would your little Huntsman say to this your highness?" Sam's expression shifted from stone cold to heartbroken for a brief moment before changing back. "Does it really matter? I'm no longer the Sam you could attack and not face the consequences you made me heartless little girl and now you pay the price." She pressed the knife harder to the boys throat more blood beginning to slip down his neck he shrieked behind the gag in pain. "Sam please leave him alone he's the only one I love." Sam laughed angrily "you should have thought of that before you killed Hunter." She tore the knife from the black haired prince and drove it into his stomach. She stared into her sister's eyes as she disappeared "Just like Hunter."
Sam stared at the cracked mask of her wolf persona hating the awful thing but itching to go out again. She threw the mask against the wall watching it shatter and smiling knowing she was at least free to find a new hero. Her own words from that night days ago echoed in her mind 'I'm just a shadow of my former self Dick.' And she smiled into the darkness "Shadow."
That night Sam spent hours designing and sewing a new costume, a new life. She would be back with the team she helped found, back alongside her family, flying again fighting crime again. She would slowly become whole again, like the phoenix she would rise again from the ashes of the wolf and become something new something better.
"Tonight it ends, my dear charming." Snow grinned turning to the comatose prince in his hospital bed. "Tonight I get my revenge on the queen and the spell shall be broken, and we will be together once again." She turned to the monitors of the heroes moving quickly through the house in the middle of downtown Star City, she watched amused as her sister in her 'Shadow' costume sprinted for the basement searching for her. "Tonight the queen dies."