Athena lightly threw the baseball with Paige back and forth while Ramon doodled under a tree. The three were at their favorite spot in a park in Gotham.
"Thanks a lot for helping me with this, 'Thena. If we keep practicing I'm sure I'll be catcher on the baseball team in no time. Then it'll be so awesome and I can win some trophies and maybe I would be accepted into a major league baseball team. Wouldn't that be awesome? I could play for the Phillies. That'd be awesome if I could play for the Phillies. Have you seen their mascot? It's like a giant mutant bird thing. Who wouldn't want to be part of a team with the mascot being a giant mutant bird thing? And his tongue is really funny too." Paige rambled as she continued to catch the ball that Athena threw to her.
"Paige, if you want to play baseball, you probably will have to stop wearing your aviator glasses, at least for the games." Ramon informed, looking up from his drawling.
"You kidding? All I have to say is that I'm wearing them for good luck. Baseball players are really superstitious, you know. Some of them don't wash their socks, or they will wear a specific color before the game, or they refuse to cut their hair, or they will eat a specific food before the game, or they will bless their baseball bat, I think there was even one who doesn't wash his underwear until the season is done."
"Isn't that unsanitary?" Athena inquired.
"Well, they're men. Men are always unsanitary." Before Paige could continue, Ramon looked up from his picture with a scowl.
"Hey, that's not true."
"Ray, you know it's true. It's scientifically proven somewhere that boys are dirtier than girls. They are just in a natural state of smelliness." Paige shrugged, then went to ramble more about baseball and the superstitions while Athena mulled over what Paige had said.
She had been hanging out with Ramon for a long time and she never noticed him being dirty. And what did Paige mean by smelly? Ramon didn't smell, or, at least, he didn't smell bad. He smelled like painting supplies and his mom's beans. That wasn't a bad smell. On the contrary, Athena found it familiar and comforting.
"Guys, it's getting dark, we should start heading in." Ramon stated as he closed his sketchbook. He knew that with Athena, she could protect the three of them from anything, but he still would rather not risk it.
"That's probably a good idea." Paige nodded and the three started to walk back to Ramon's house. "Wouldn't want any creepy people coming up to us. I mean, Yeesh, Gotham sure is a freaky place, isn't it? I mean, in Central City there's the occasional crazy person, but all they do is be goofy and do small stuff in funny costumes. Get this, there's a new rogue in Central City called Captain Boomerang. Captain Boomerang of all names. It's so funny!" Paige laughed. She laughed so hard that she dropped the baseball, and it rolled away into an ally. Paige sighed at the ball, then looked at Ramon and Athena.
"Be right back." She ran into the ally way, and Athena and Ramon waited for her. She was gone for ten seconds, then twenty. Then a minute.
"She shouldn't be taking this long." Athena stated, her eyes suddenly getting serious. Ramon and Athena ran into the ally, but Paige was gone.
"Where did she-" Ramon couldn't finish his question as a dark came out of nowhere and shot him in the neck, making him pass out.
"Ramon- ow!" Athena grunted as the dart bounced off her skin. However, a hand came out from behind her, placing a cloth over her nose and mouth.
Athena couldn't fight as she felt the chloroform take effect. She was quickly unconscious, like the rest of her friends.
~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~
"Athena. Athena, wake up. Please, Athena, wake up!" Athena slowly blinked her eyes open to see Ramon and Paige hovering over her.
"… what? Ramon? Paige? What's going on?" Athena questioned slowly, feeling sluggish. She then heard voices behind her.
Athena turned around and noticed that the three of them were in a cell. Outside of the cell were several men. Four of them wearing regular street clothes and the fifth was in a fancy suit and tie.
"Three children? That was all you idiot could manage to bring me?" the man growled.
"Most people are in pairs in the evening and the prostitutes don't come out 'til nine and since the auction starts and eight, this was the best we could do." One of the regularly dressed men informed.
"Auction?" Ramon whispered, and Athena glared at the men.
"Hopefully the children are in good shape." The well-dressed man grunted as he walked over to the cell Paige, Ramon, and Athena were in.
"Let us out." Athena growled as he neared the cage.
"Huh. Cute." The man chuckled, then crouched down to look at her closer. Athena was still wearing her brown contacts and wig to conceal how she actually looked since she was in public earlier.
"Hmmm, ethnic. You're a mix of different things aren't you. Some African American, judging by the nose, maybe some Welsh maybe Grecian." He hummed. "You should do well." He then looked over at Paige. When Paige was unconscious, the men must have dropped her sunglasses, because this was the first time Ramon and Athena had seen her eyes.
"Cute. Round face. freckles. Curly short hair. Definitely Irish or Scottish. Those blue eyes though." He grinned nastily. "Oh, I'm sure your eyes alone will fetch a good price."
Lastly the man looked at Ramon. His smile grew wider.
"Now, here's a great catch. You look to weak to run away, but your darker skin will definitely draw in people. You're Puerto Rican, correct."
"I'm sure there's a special place in Hell for people like you." Ramon growled, aware of the situation he and his friends were in.
"And an attitude too. You will definitely bring in the most money." The man chuckled, then walked back over to converse with the group of men.
"What's the plan, Athena?" Ramon whispered, looking at the girl.
"We get out of here." The girl whispered. While the men were occupied talking about something. Athena reached her hands out through the bars and used her strength to snap the lock. She opened the door, and she, Roman, and Paige sprinted out.
The men noticed them running and were quickly after them. Ramon was a fast runner, however Paige wasn't. she lagged behind the two, and Athena quickly lifted her friend up and followed Ramon, looking for an exit.
They managed to shake the men as they ran into a closet, and Athena locked it from the inside. It locked by means of a very heavy wheel like structure. Athena also noticed how the floor they stood on rocked slightly.
"We're on a boat." Athena whispered.
"W-what are we gonna do?" Paige questioned, her blue eyes were wide with worry.
"I'm gonna get you two out of here, but I can't do it looking like this." Athena stated as she took off her wig and contacts.
"Here." Paige took off her bandana, handing it to her friend. Meanwhile, Ramon took off his sweat shirt and handed it to Athena to wear over her shirt. It was a bit small on her, but it would do. Athena then wrapped the bandana on the lower half of her face.
"Let's move." She stated. She picked up Paige again as she ran with Ramon.
"We need to find a place that leads outside so I can fly you guys away." Athena stated. They turned a corner where several of the men were.
"There they are!" one exclaimed, but Athena quickly pushed one of the men back with her telekinesis and then proceeded to punch the rest into unconsciousness.
Heart pounding, Athena finally found the door and opened it to lead them outside. She situated page so she had another arm free to grab Ramon, however, when she turned around to reach her arm out to him, he was being held by the man in the nice clothes.
"Go!" Ramon exclaimed.
"Listen to the boy." The man stated. "I don't need trouble with metas. Just take the girl. I'll be sure to find the other one and this boy will go for a lot than the freckled one would."
"I'm not leaving without him." Athena growled.
"Oh, you are." The man smirked, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Paige. "I don't know if you're impervious to bullets, but I am willing to bet that the girl isn't." he smirked.
"Please, go!" Ramon exclaimed. Athena bit her lip, then nodded.
"Fine." she flew off with Paige.
"Thena, what are you…"
"I'm going to drop you off at the docks and then you need to call the police. Meanwhile, I'll be getting Ramon."
Athena dropped off Paige and then flew quickly back to the ship. She ran throughout the ship, searching for Ramon until she came across a room filled with people. Elegant looking men and some women. There was only a handful, but they were still there, and they all had cards with numbers in their hands. At their center of attention was Ramon in handcuffs on the floor. He had a red mark on his face, probably from being slapped after saying something rude.
Anger boiled in Athena's stomach as she slowly walked over to the man, each step radiating her anger. There were whispers from the bidders and several men started to shoot at her. The bullets were deflected, and Athena grabbed the gun and bent it in her hand. She then proceeded to punch the man with the gun and do the same to the other people shooting.
That was when the people started running. When the fancy man started to run, dragging Ramon with him, Athena stood in his path to the door.
Athena hovered so that she was the man's height. She looked at the mark on Ramon's cheek from being hit, then slapped the man the same spot. Except much harder because one of his teeth came out flying.
"Listen kid. Don't be angry. It's just business." He smirked, but grimaced a bit from the dislocated tooth.
"Business? Selling people is a business!?" Athena growled, and Ramon shuttered. Athena wasn't one to show anger often, but when she did, she was absolutely terrifying.
"Well-" the man didn't get to say anything else. Athena's hand was around his throat and she started to squeeze.
"H-hey… ssstop. Sssssst-op." the man hissed, struggling for breath. "I-I'll let hi-m go. Heeeee's f-f-ree."
"He is free. He always was free. You have no power to dictate who is and isn't free." Athena growled as the man started to drool, difficult to swallow.
There was suddenly a hand on her shoulder.
"Drop him, Imouto." Athena recognized the voice as Dick's. Imouto meant little sister, and he started calling her that when he found out that she was calling him Niisan.
She quickly obeyed, dropping the man to the floor.
"Go to where you dropped off your wig and contacts. I'll handle this from here." He whispered, and she was off.
Meanwhile, the man was passed out and Nightwing looked at Ramon.
"Your mom's worried." He informed as he unlocked the handcuffs, trying to make small talk.
"I was almost sold." Ramon whispered, tears in his eyes. "I-I was almost sold." He repeated again.
"Athena wasn't going to let that happen." Dick stated, hugging the boy after the handcuffs were gone.
Athena returned in disguise again, the bandana in her pocket and she handed the sweatshirt back to Ramon.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to choke him that hard." She whispered.
"You were scared. It's okay." Nightwing nodded.
Just then the police entered the room and Nightwing vanished into the shadows.
"Nightwing saved us." Ramon yelled, brushing the tears out of his eyes while Athena hugged him tightly, relieved.
It turned out that Paige called the cops and told them that she swam back to the docks and jumped into the water just to prove so. She was back home, safe and sound.
Bruce was away on league business, and Dick gave it the okay to stay over at Ramon's house.
His mother hugged him to her chest tightly, whispering things in Spanish over and over again. She then grabbed Athena, hugging her as well.
"I'm so glad you two are safe." She whispered.
Later that night Athena looked over at Ramon. Both were still a bit in shock about what happened earlier.
"I wanted to kill him." Athena whispered and Ramon looked over at her, shocked.
"What?"
"I wanted to kill him. If it weren't for Dick, I probably would have too." She shook her head, eyes tearing up. "I'm slowly becoming a weapon."
"Don't say things like that, Athena." Ramon stated, hugging her tightly. "It was a rotten situation. Anyone would have been angry and wanted to do things. If I had the power, I'd probably do exactly what you did too." Ramon said, smiling a bit to comfort her.
Athena hugged the boy tightly.
"I'm so happy you're okay." She whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Don't worry Athena. Friends forever. I'll always be there for you." He smiled and Athena smiled back, hugging him tighter. The two then fell asleep in each other's arms, relaxing completely for the first time that day.