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Author's Note: Here's Ch. One of a brand new Retcon. Originally this story wasn't part of my initial plan for my next story. I was going to do a Mattie story followed by my sequel to Green Arrow. But I couldn't write a thing for Mattie and I figured Olivia could wait a bit until I got this one down. So instead I started to develop an interesting concept for what I thought was going to be a Wonder Woman story but as I started looking for ways to make her a believable teenager, I came upon Cassandra Sandsmark. A lightbulb went off in my head. I'd like to thank djkauf for the lightning quick editing and DC Comics for the use of their wonderful characters.

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Chapter One:

“Mom, do we really have to be here?”

My mother ignored me. She always ignores me when she gets involved in something. It was her thing. She has this habit of finding something that really interests her and blocks out the rest of the world. I think it’s one of the reasons my Dad left. He got tired of being ignored, too. At least that’s what I’ve always gathered. My mother tells a different story though. She’s like that, too. She always puts her spin on things which is never a good thing when it comes to her. I wouldn’t call my mother a radical feminist but she definitely wasn’t shy about her beliefs either. I guess that’s what makes her so hard to get along with in the Academic Community. Dr. Helena Sandsmark, the Grab-You-By-Your Balls Feminist Archaeologist.

At least that’s what everyone at the community college calls her. At the museum where she works they actually call her Dr. Amazon. That one made me smirk. I smirk because if you’d actually met her you’d see she was completely different. There are a lot of young Grad students afraid to attend her classes because of her rep. My mother kinda likes to break through barriers and go against the norm. She tells me that being a woman in a male dominated field helps. In order to succeed she needs to make the others fear her and take notice. I laugh at that too. My mother is not an overbearing woman in the least. She’s often described as tall, dark and menacing. In truth, she’s barely five foot six, wears glasses and is the kindest person I know.

Except when it comes to her work.

When it comes to her field, she doesn’t like to believe in what others before her have come to believe. She always tells me to stand up for what I believe in and if I think something is wrong, I should find a way to make it right. That’s what drove the two of us on this particular journey. Mom works at the Field Museum in Chicago, her expertise is in Ancient Greek civilizations and culture. She’s been studying it for the last fifteen years. In fact she liked it so much that in her first year of college---while in Athens on a vacation---she met and fell in love with my father, a local whose name was Zeus. See, I told you she loved the culture. They spent a hot and wild few weeks together, she didn’t even know she was pregnant until she got back to the states. Even then, she didn’t let that stop her. After I was born, my grandmother raised me while my mother pursued her degree.

I’m not saying she was a lousy mother but she can get distracted. I guess it runs in the family. You see her passion and distraction is what drove us to this place. Me, I’m a distracted slacker---my principal’s words, not mine---Mom is a distracted academic. We originally went to Crete; Mom was currently in the midst of writing another boring book on something else equally boring. Don’t ask me to explain the details. We were scraping through the ruins of Knossos---the place where the Minotaur was supposed to be, I think---and Mom found something tucked away in a corner. Ok, so it was this tiny little etching. Most of the scholars before her thought it was some kind of ancient graffiti. But Mom has this theory. It’s one that’s not highly shared by anyone else in her field. You see she might be a scholar of Ancient Greece but my Mom’s real passion lies with the Amazons. And you wonder why people think she’s a feminist. You see the historical place of the Amazons---Themiscyra, I think it’s called---has always been believed to be in modern day Turkey, on the Terme River. Ok, so bear with me a second because this is where things get kinda boring. It’s a little known belief that the Amazons used to live on the coast of the Black Sea in a place once known as Pontus. Many scholars believe that they moved their civilization up the Terme River, which was back then known as the Thermodon River.
Ok, so are you with me so far? Well Mom---and a few others---believe that the Amazons never even lived in Pontus. That their actual home was in the Aegean, somewhere near modern day Crete. In fact, she theorized that somewhere out there there was a small island where the Amazons actually called home. My mother calls this the True Themyscira---notice the different spelling in the name. She believes that the Pontus site was falsified to keep men from discovering the Amazonian secret. Except whenever anyone asked her to clarify what said secret was my mother has never been able to come up with a straight answer.

So what does this have to do with an ancient doodle on a wall, well I’m getting to that. According to Mom, the wall “doodle” was actually a piece of Amazonian text, lost to the ages. She’s found similar writings all over Greece and she believes that they are actually map markers, supposedly leading to her True Themyscira. So after finding this latest little squiggle, the two of us jumped on a plane, hauled it back to the mainland and she did her research. I love going on her little trips, I love getting all the time off from school but sometimes they were so damn boring. As cool as you think it would be---maybe Indiana Jones or even Lara Croft like---we spend most of our time in libraries or museum basements looking at old books covered with ancient dust.

We only had a six-month sabbatical this time and we were on our last week of that. When I was little, I used to enjoy these little adventures, scouring the globe with her. I mean how many kids do you know who can speak ten different languages by the age of thirteen and six different ones that no one wants to know by the age of sixteen. In case you’re wondering, I’ll be turning seventeen in two months. So most of her sabbatical---my extended “vacation”---has been spent in libraries. But this time, according to her, she was on to something. This time she was right, this time we were on the trail of something to redefine history.

And that leads us to here. On a small island in the middle of nowhere. I mean nowhere, too. We spent three hours on a small fishing boat to be carted out to this tiny little speck that doesn’t even appear on maps. The fisherman who brought us out here said that they mostly avoid it because there’s some kind of disturbance that messes with their equipment. He said that his grandfather’s grandfather used to tell stories of men stepping onto the island and never being heard from again. Well you can imagine how excited Mom got when she heard that. After that she was convinced we were in the right place. So she paid the man, told him to come back in a couple of hours to collect us and maybe he too could be a part of history.

“Charlie, would you put that damn thing away, you know I hate it.”

That damn thing was my PSP. It’s the only thing that’s been keeping me sane on this trip. Like I said before, I used to love bouncing around the world with her. Back when I was ten. But I’m an American teenager; I need television, and video games and shopping malls not moldy tombs, dusty libraries and hours riding in leaky boats and rickety old pickups. Where’s the fun and adventure in that? My mother doesn’t see it that way. She doesn’t like modern living much. She much prefers living out of a knapsack, sleeping in tents, washing her clothes in the river. The PSP was a gift from my grandmother. At least she knew what it was like to be me. My grandfather---her husband---was like my mother, always out looking for something. Except he was a treasure hunter, convinced that there was something always buried just below the surface.

“C’mon Mom” I whined, not bothering to look up from the screen. “You dragged me out here in the middle of God knows where, in the sweltering sun and you expect me to give up the only piece of modern convenience I own.”

Sixty-five percent of the year, we live with my grandmother in the suburbs. It’s this nice three bedroom Victorian. Its kinda cool because my room was once the attic. When I was born, my grandfather converted it into a bedroom for me. First, it was a nursery then it slowly evolved with me. He was Greek, too; I think that’s where some of my mother’s passion for Greek men came from. Some people say that a little girl often falls in love with a man who reminds them of their father. My grandfather was David Kapatelis. He once told me he wanted to be an archaeologist when he was younger but then jokingly said in “another life”. My grandmother, Julia, was married. The way she tells it, she and my grandfather had a whirlwind romance.

My mother uses my grandmother’s maiden name Sandsmark. It’s not that she doesn’t love her father’s name, it’s that feminist thing again. She’s under the impression that just because a woman is married she shouldn’t have to take her husband’s name. So when she got old enough, she chose to take my grandmother’s last name instead. Of course, she followed tradition, making sure I took her last name too. But I think that was because she never knew my father’s last name. Funnily enough on the birth certificate in his place, it says Zeus, I wonder if that makes me a Demi-God.
My mother stopped whatever it was she was doing and walked over to me. We brought a pair of beach chairs with us and I was currently occupying one, trying to stay out of the sun. I burned easily. My mother leaned over my shoulder and huffed.

“Of all the games to chose you had to pick that one” She sighed. “It’s a disgrace.”

The game she was referring too was God of War. It was all about a Greek warrior named Kratos, out to get his revenge against Ares, the God of War, for killing his family. My mother hated it because it was completely inaccurate. I liked it because of all the blood and violence. I also liked the fact that it got under my mother’s skin so much. She was a stickler when it came to things like that. Even though she constantly complained about how Greek Myth was male dominated---don’t even get her started about poor Medusa---she also hated it when Hollywood screwed things up. I used to like the original Clash of the Titans when I was a kid. My grandfather and I used to watch it but we had to do it in secret because if my mother ever caught us watching it she used to lecture us on how wrong it was. Last spring my friends and I went to see the remake and when I got home, she grilled me on it, wanting to know what they screwed up this time. Ok, I admit, they fucked that one pretty bad. It was cool to see Medusa and the Kraken rendered in CGI though.

Her complaining about my games annoyed me. But I knew how to push her buttons too.

“Are we done yet?” I whined, putting an extra effort into my whine.

She smirked, pushing her glasses up onto the top of her head. She gave me a look, the look, the one that told me I wasn’t fooling her. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it just as quickly. I smirked; she went back to doing whatever it was she was doing. I paused my game to take a look, sometimes I got curious too. But there was nothing to look at. When we arrived on the island an hour ago, she broke out her gear and set up on the beach. Then she proceeded to comb through the white sand, looking for some evidence. She often told me that some of the best evidence could be found on the beach. So far, she had her little metal bucket filled with evidence: unfortunately, for her it was all modern junk. A lot of it crap washed up onto the shore.

I sighed and picked up my game again. It was a shame that we were still on the beach. The rest of the island looked kinda cool actually. It was mainly this huge jungle looking forest. Do they call them jungles on islands? Anyway, the foliage was so thick it looked like you’d need a machete to cut through it. My grandfather would have loved this place. He used to tell me that some of his best times were spent bushwhacking through places just like this one. He used to have the greatest stories about all the crazy stuff he used to do. Of course, he exaggerated a lot of them but it was still fun to hear them. I knew just looking at that place there’d be no way I could convince he to let me go poking around in there. Besides, she had the only machete and she guarded it like it was made of gold. I think she half expected me to try something stupid like that.

“Mom, this blows,” I complained, setting my PSP aside. “Can I go poking around in the jungle?”

She didn’t even look at me when she answered. “Not on your life.”

I blew air form the corner of my mouth. I groaned. “Can I at least go walking along the beach? Who knows I might find a beached mermaid or something.”

My mother stopped her beachcombing and gave me a funny look.

“Hey, it could happen.”

She smiled slightly. “Are you sure you’re not going to go wandering into the woods.”

I groaned. “I’m not a little kid anymore. You tell me not to do something; I’m going to do it.”

She nodded. “Ok but be back here in an hour. I have to use the radio and call Costas so he can come and take us back to the mainland.”

I smiled real big and gave her a half-handed wave. She didn’t even notice and went right back to her whatever it was she was doing. Me, I unzipped my hoodie and tossed it on the chair. I used to have real long hair, down past my shoulders. It was something cool to do in middle school. But when I became a freshman, I cut it all off. I think my mother was a little perturbed by that. I used to let her braid it and things like that. In my household, I was always taught to be gender tolerant. When I was younger, my mother raised me to believe that there was no real gender, that they were just names that male society used. So she often put me in pink, braided my hair into pigtails and let me play with dolls. I didn’t know anything was wrong until a couple of guys in elementary school kicked my ass for wearing a purple t-shirt to school.

My grandfather changed things after that. He didn’t undermine my mother but he made sure that I dressed more like a boy. He taught me to fight too. He was an amateur boxer in his youth. He had this punching bag and some weights in the garage. Every night for almost three years straight the two of us used to go down there are work out. It angered the hell out of Mom but because she worked all the time, there was no real way to stop it.

My hair was finally getting longish again, which secretly made Mom happy I think. It was down to my shoulders and as black as night. Just like my father’s, according to her. Whereas my mother had a mixed complexion mine was more olive colored, like a Greek. I guess it had something to do with all that Greek blood flowing through my veins. I had striking blue eyes though. My father had blue eyes but not nearly as dashing as mine. When I was little, it used to upset me that my mother didn’t tell me more about him. I thought she was being secretive but in truth she didn’t really know all that much. They only spent a short time together and most of that was wild love making. Don’t worry, I didn’t find that out until much later but it still creeped me out to here.

I got half way down the beach when my mother called out to me. “Charlie, if you find anything interesting don’t pick it up. Shout for me and I’ll come right away.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know the drill, Mom.”

I said it half aloud. Not that she heard me anyway. When she got into her work, she really got into it. One time in Athens---last summer actually---we were on this little farm following another one of her crazy leads, when a bull broke from its pen. It went rampaging around the yard, smashing a few wine barrels, busting up a wheelbarrow. It Came close to hitting my mother about three times. But she never even flinched. It took the farmer and two of his hands nearly twenty minutes to wrangle the bull back into his pen. I found out later that my mother never even knew it happened. She was so engrossed in her work she didn’t notice a thing. Me, I spent the whole time in the tree nearby, clinging onto a branch for dear life.

I wandered away from our little camp and off toward something, anything more exciting than playing in the sand.

My grandfather and I used to camp a lot. We used to pack up the truck and drive for a long time to this great camping ground. I’m not sure where it was but it was fantastic. He had this great spot---a secluded place where no one else seemed to show up. In case you haven’t noticed already, my mother and grandfather didn’t exactly see eye to eye. He used to say for the life of him he couldn’t figure out where her feminist attitude was coming from. He wasn’t saying it was bad but at the same time, he wasn’t saying it was healthy either. Every time the two of us would try to do anything together, she would try her hardest to nip it in the bud. I think she thought he was trying to undermine her ability to raise me. The only problem is that he and my grandmother did all the raising actually.

Anyways, we had this sweet spot. It was this great clearing, near a lake. The two of us would fish and tell stories around the campfire. He would share tales of his youthful adventures and make me feel like I was an adult. My grandfather had this thing where he never talked down to you, no matter how young you were. He said a person is a person no matter how young they were. So he treated me like an adult, which I loved. When we weren’t fishing or telling stories, he’d teach me other things. For instance, he taught me how to fire a bow. Yeah, I’m not sure why that had any significance but he seemed to think it did. My grandfather wasn’t a hunter---he abhorred the practice---but he said his family came from a long line of hunters. He also taught me how to throw a javelin and discus. We did all of that in the woods. He was obsessed with things like that.

Once again, he said it had something to do with our ancestors. He talked a lot about our heritage, about what it meant to be Greek.

Right now, walking barefoot through the white sands on the beach, I missed him so much that my chest hurt. If you haven’t figured it out already, my grandfather was gone. He passed away right before I entered high school. I’m not really sure how it happened either. I know you expect me to say he died of old age or cancer but the truth was much more horrifying. He was mugged then stabbed. At least that’s what I was told. He was walking out of the bank and someone grabbed him at his car. He was dragged into an alley where he was robbed and killed. I cried for days afterwards. It was a senseless, heinous crime. My grandfather was an innocent; he couldn’t have hurt a fly. When I asked my mother and grandmother why something like this would happen they were very subdued about it. I think it was hard on them to talk about it.

Thinking about it now sent a tear rolling down my cheek.

The cawing of a bird interrupted my thoughts. I snapped around, looking for it. It was the first animal I’d heard since we got here, before that I was convinced the island was deserted. I scanned the tree line, even going so far as to look up at the canopy. But I couldn’t find the bird. It was a strange sound, one that I’d never heard before. There weren’t many birds back home, well nothing exotic anyway. AS much as I hated going on these little expeditions now, I always liked looking at the birds. In some places we went to, there were some fantastic birds. My favorite time was when we spent two months in Africa. My mother was convinced that some secret of the Amazons was hidden there. So she dragged me through a few countries. It was horrible. But I loved all the animals, especially the birds. It was kinda cool because I’d only seen animals like this in the zoo. But to see them out in the wild, in their own habits, it was exhilarating.

The bird cawed again. Ok, so it wasn’t a caw exactly, it sounded almost like a giant cat meowing. I know it sounds strange but that’s what I heard. I continued to scan the tree line but I still couldn’t see anything. I heard the noise again and bit my lip. I turned around, trying to see if my mother could see me. She was at the other end of the beach now, busy poking in the sand. I looked back at the dense foliage and made a split decision. I had to see if I could find that bird. I took a deep breath and pushed my way through. It was hard going; the underbrush was thick. There were these giant ferns with huge leaves the size of my head. As I was trying to push through, one of the leaves slapped in the face. It kinda stung but I bit my tongue to keep from crying out.

Finally, I pushed inside. I stumbled and ended up on my knees. When I looked up, it was little walking into a whole new world. Only the foliage around the perimeter of the little island jungle was thick and dense. The stuff inside was wild and overgrown but it looked much more manageable. I clamored to my feet, using a nearby tree to help myself up. The one thing I noticed immediately---besides all the green---was how much hotter it was in here. Outside the little jungle, it was hot but inside it was like walking into a sauna. I started to sweat almost immediately. After only a few steps, my shirt was clinging to my body. I actually thought about taking it off but decided against it.

The other thing I noticed was the bugs. There were a lot of them, most of them flying insects. They zipped in front of my face, buzzed annoyingly in my ears. I swatted loads of them away. The light in the jungle was muted, getting to the floor below by patches in the canopy above. It was barely seeable in here. Luckily, I was prepared. My grandfather taught me. He said that a person should have three things when traveling: a pocketknife, a book of matches and a little flashlight. Though I left my hoodie back at camp, I was carrying my backpack. I slipped it off my shoulder and set it on the ground. I unzipped it and rummaged around inside. It was mostly comics---Warrior Angel and Mega Babe---and a few spare video games. I pushed those aside and found the flashlight.

I pulled it out and clicked it on. The beam cut through the patched light like a light saber. I zipped up my pack and reslung it on my shoulder. I shined the light in front of me, making sure I didn’t bumble into something I shouldn’t. A place like this---where there was so little light---was a good place to do something stupid. I watched this TV show--- Buck McGrady’s Survival Guide---where the host, Buck, always warned of dangerous places like this. He always said it was a good idea to keep your wits about you and make sure you know where you’re stepping before you do so. So that’s what I did. I shined the light on the ground first then all around me. I didn’t want to step in a sink hole or worse, onto some poison reptile.

I continued taking things slowly, using my light as a guide. I was trying to follow the path of the bird; going in what I thought might be the right direction. But after its first initial caws, it had completely disappeared. It was possible, thought I’d never admit it openly, that I’d been hearing things. Maybe I was so bored and so hard up for adventure, that my mind created the stupid bird. After all, I’d never heard anything like it before. Perhaps my brain was sun addled or something. I think that can happen. People sit out in the sun too long and they go a little bonkers. There was this guy I saw when we were in a street market in New Delhi; he acted like he could have been sun addled. He came up to us while Mom was buying something from a vendor---information I think. He was real creepy, got right in my face. He actually touched my hair and said what a pretty golden color it was.

The nut was so addled that he couldn’t tell black from blonde. He kinda freaked me out. The vendor ended up chasing him off. After that, I stuck pretty close to my mother. But the whole time we were in the market, I felt the guy watching me. Even though he was long gone, I had this strange feeling that he was lurking somewhere in the shadows. For the rest of the time in the market---hell while we were in India---I kept looking over my shoulder, making sure he wasn’t there.

I stopped to wipe my sweaty brow. My clothes were now so wet with sweat that it looked like I’d been caught in a rainstorm. My hair was sticking to my head like a helmet and my socks were sloshing around in my boots. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d sweat this much in my entire life. What’s worse was the fact that I was getting nowhere, except farther away from the beach. I turned and looked behind me but saw nothing but dark green. I cursed. I hadn’t realized how far I’d wandered into this mess. My mother was so going to kill me, that is if I ever got out of this place. I bit my lip, shining the light in front of me and then behind, trying to decide what I should do. I could continue forward and hope to stumble onto a bird that I wasn’t sure existed. Or I could wander back and hope to stumble out of this place.

My mind was made up for me when I heard another strange bird call. It was the same as before and it was coming from in front of me.

I snapped the light up, scanning about. At first, there was nothing then something blue glinted back at me. At first I thought I’d come upon some kind of stone or something. Then the blue thing moved. I jumped back, startled. It was about twenty feet in front of me and slowly moved out of some ferns. My mouth dropped open: it was a peacock. I stumbled back as it wandered out in front of me then stopped. At first, it didn’t seem to notice me at all. But as I trailed the light along its larger than normal body, it snapped its head around to face me. I’d seen peacocks before, in the zoo and while on safari in Africa with Mom. But I never in a million years thought I’d see one here, after all, we were in the middle of the Aegean. Peacocks were native to Africa and Southern Asia, not way over here.

The bird stared at me. Our eyes locked for a moment and it was as if it was looking right into my soul. My fingers trembled and I dropped the flashlight. The bird didn’t move. I cursed and bent to pick up. As I did, the bird seemed to follow my movements, bending its head with my body. I watched it mesmerized as I slowly picked up the flashlight.

“What kind of freaky bird are you?” I asked, finding some semblance of courage.

The bird cocked its head. It was creepy because it almost looked like the thing understood me. The bird and I continued to stare at one another. It was kinda creepy because when I moved, it moved. I tested it. I waved my hand and it seemed to move its head, mimicking the movement of my hand. Then I nodded my head and it bobbed its head. I took a step back and it took a step back. I laughed. It didn’t laugh with me of course but it seemed to rear up like it was laughing. Things changed though when I took a step forward. As soon as I did so, it reacted badly. It puffed up real big, opening that huge plumage of tail feathers it was famous for and snapped at me. I stumbled backwards, tripping over a tree root. I cursed, shaking my hand. There was a deep gash where the bird nailed me with its beak.

I pulled a bandana out of my pocket and wrapped my hand.

The bird stood before me, its tail still spread out, trying to look as threatening as possible. It was working too, because there was no way I was going to try that again. It took a step toward me, challenging me to do it. I shook my head, holding up to show my hand. It backed off after that, getting the message I think. There was no way I was going to mess with terror bird again. The bird didn’t lower its tail until a few minutes later though. Me, I couldn’t just lie there like an idiot. I was scared to move for fear that it might come at me again. Finally, it seemed to calm down and wandered further away. I took that as the opportunity to finally push myself to my feet. When my bandanna wrapped hand touched the ground I winced.

The bird cocked its head. Maybe it knew that it wounded me.

I leaned against the tree. “What the hell are you doing here anyway?” It cocked its head again. “Don’t you know that you’re not supposed to be on this island?”

I’m not sure if it understood me or not but the bird ruffled its feathers. Then it turned and as quick as a whip, disappeared back into the jungle. I was stunned for a few seconds, not sure, what I just witnessed. Did it understand me and flee when I called it out? I shook my head, that was ridiculous. It probably got bored with me and decided to go back to wherever it came from. But it was still kinda screwy to see a peacock in the Aegean? I shook my head and looked down at my hand. I had more pressing matters to worry about though. I could feel the blood seeping through the bandanna. I cursed. The son of a bitch got me real deep.

I clutched the flashlight in my good hand and turned back the way I came. I pushed my way back through the foliage, only getting slapped in the face a few times by fern leaves. It took me a lot quicker than I thought to get back where I started. I thought I’d wandered real deep into the jungle but it was only about a twenty minute walk back to where I started. When I finally pushed my way out onto the white sand, the light was so bright it was blinding. I stumbled and fell out, face first. I got a mouth full of sand, cursing my stupidity. I pushed up, spitting sand from my mouth.

“Charlie!” I heard my mother’s voice call out to me. “Where are you?”

Great now I’m in real deep.

I pushed myself up with my good hand. I brushed the sand off my body and made sure I had no telltale signs of wandering off where I shouldn’t. I was clean but they still didn’t save me from explaining my hand to her. She was going to freak. So I took a deep breath and started walking back toward her, ready to face the music. When she saw me, she looked relieved. All our stuff was packed up and in a pile behind her. My mother was walking toward me, her face an expressionless mask. When she saw me with a wrapped hand, cradling it like I’d had it chopped off, she shook her head.

“I’m sorry Mom, it was this…” I started but she cut me off.

“You went wandering off into the jungle didn’t you?”

I tried again. “It wasn’t my fault. There was this bird…I followed it.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “It’s always something with you, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose. It was this fricken bird…a peacock. If you can believe that.”

“A peacock?”

For a second there was this spark in her eyes. But was gone just as quickly. Instead, she grabbed my hand and unwrapped the bandanna. When she saw my cut, with all the swelling blood, she went livid. “Jesus, Charlie. I tell you not to do one thing and you go off and do it anyway. This is bad, really bad. You’ve ruined the rest of the day now.”

My eyes swelled with tears a bit. I know I’m practically an adult but that kinda stung. She never listened to me. She always assumed that when something bad happened to me it was my fault. I hated her for that. My grandfather would have listened. In fact, he would have stalked right off into the jungle looking for the damn bird who did this to me. In fact, he’d probably wrestle the bird to the ground and drag it back out here so I could bite it, an eye for an eye.

My mother stalked off back toward our stuff but stopped when she realized I wasn’t following. She snapped around. “Are you coming? I have a first aid kit over here but we’re probably going to have to call Costas and leave early.”

I sighed and reluctantly followed.

She didn’t say another thing to me after that. She led me over to our stuff, got her first aid kit and did what she could for my hand. She cleaned it and then wrapped it, making sure that it was tight enough to keep the blood from flowing. After that, she took out her sat phone and called Costas. As punishment for not listening to her, she took my PSP, not that I could play it with one hand anyway. Instead, I sat in one of the chairs and stared out at the water, waiting for Costas to come back. About an hour later, the little fishing boat finally arrived. I helped what I could loading our stuff inside then got in myself.

Costas and my mother traded words in Greek, making arrangements to come back here tomorrow. Me I continued to stare at the island. For a second I thought I saw a glint of blue but it disappeared just as quickly.

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Author's Note: Here's Chapter 2, things are going a bit slow at the moment but they will pick up soon. Pay careful attention to a new character I introduce in this chapter and you may recognize a Wonder Woman alum.I'd like to thank DC Comics for their wonderful characters and djkauf for the wonderful editing.

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Chapter Two:

“Hey kiddo, how ya feeling?”

I opened my eyes, blinking to clear away the blurriness of just waking up. At first, I only saw a shape sitting next to my side but slowly that fuzzy shape started to form into a person. A familiar person. First, her long dark hair came into view, then her smiling face and finally the rest of her. My heart skipped a beat. It was Donna, my mother’s TA. While she wasn’t working at the museum, Mom taught a few graduate courses at Northwestern. Most of her museum pay was done through grants, so the teaching job brought in some much needed cash for the two of us. Donna was my Mom’s right hand. She often didn’t go anywhere without her. But yesterday she had to stay behind to deal with some research. Yesterday... was it even a new day?

Donna smiled. “I heard you had a busy day?”

I smiled and nodded then looked down at my hand. It was wrapped properly. I looked around the room; it was white and sterile. I could smell floor cleaner somewhere and there was a big window behind Donna shining a lot of light into the room. I was clearly in a doctor’s office. But as to how I got here, I was drawing a blank. I remember getting attacked by the peacock, Mom being nasty about it and then helping Costas load the boat. I also remember getting on the boat too but much after that was fuzzy. I think I might have passed out at some point on our way back to the mainland.

“I’m doing better I think” I said, my words still slurred by whatever drug cocktail they gave me for my pain.

Donna smiled then ruffled my hair. “You had your Mom worried there, kiddo.”

Yeah, like that would ever happen. I blushed a little when she touched my head, turning away so she wouldn’t notice. In case you haven’t noticed, I have the biggest crush on Donna imaginable. I held out hope that she might feel the same about me too. We were only a few years apart---ok she was twenty-four---but it was still possible, right? Before becoming Mom’s TA, she was one of my mother’s top students. Even before she started going on expeditions with us, I used to see her buzzing around my mother. Mom had that affect on a lot of her students, especially the female ones. They hung on her every word like she was some kind of religious zealot. I think a lot of young, impressionable women liked to hear that men aren’t always better than women.

Donna was different though. She didn’t seem like all the other “groupies” my mother seemed to gather. I think my mother noticed that too. After her course of studies was over with, my mother asked Donna to be her TA. I think it had something to do with her academic record, which at a 4.0 made Donna something special indeed. It definitely made her special to me. I liked smart girls even if most of them wouldn’t give me the time of day. I’m no moron but I can’t remember the last time I had an A in anything. I was a straight B student who, --- according to my mother---could excel at anything if I would put my mind to it. The way I figure it my mind is already full. Besides, I get a better education with her than anything they’d teach me in boring public school.

“Are you going to the island with us this time?”

My heart was beating faster. Please say yes. It was so hot there she was bound to wear a bikini. I would give anything to see Donna traipsing around in a bikini even if it was just the top and a pair of shorts. Unfortunately, for me, she frowned.

“Afraid not kiddo. Your Mom has me doing more research.”

Damn it. I wasn’t about to give up. “Can’t someone from the local university here do that?”

She smiled. “Your mother doesn’t trust anyone else.”

That was a fact. My mother was extremely passionate about what she was doing but unfortunately for her no one else was. She was given a grant finally but she really impressed the hell out the Wayne Foundation to get it---yeah that Wayne. The boss man himself wasn’t there but she was so charming that she probably could have charmed Wayne too. Not that she needed to. Mom had a steady boyfriend but the two of them weren’t all that serious. Jason was cool though. I’ll talk more about him later though. Anyway, as far as other academics in the field, mom didn’t trust them. Especially students. She said if she didn’t teach them then she didn’t know them. So when it came to research---research she was too busy to do herself---she left it all to Donna.

“I can talk her into it if you really want to come,” I said, a little more excitedly than I would have wanted.

Can you say desperate?

She smiled. “That’s sweet kiddo” She ruffled my hair again. “But I hear there’s a vicious peacock on the island.”

We had a laugh. Then she wanted to know everything that happened, apparently my mother seemed a bit too distracted to tell her the story. So I told her the whole thing. I’ve known Donna for about a year now and the two of us get along really well. As much as I have a crush on her, she’s more like a big sister than anything else. I think she sees me as a little brother too. That’s why she calls me kiddo all the time. How do I know---because she told me once? Well not about the kiddo thing but about me being like a little brother to her. So when the two of us talked it was like two siblings instead of something more. After I was done sharing my disastrous adventure, she filled me in on the boredom of library research. That was one of the things that she and I had in common. We both detested hanging out in moldy old libraries doing research. But she seemed to think it was a part of the whole assistant thing. Besides, she wanted to make a good impression on my mother. I offered to put in a good word but she wouldn’t allow it. That’s Donna for you; she likes to get by on her own merits. I respect her for that.

After our talk---twenty minutes later---the doctor came into the room. I didn’t catch his name, like it mattered much anyway. He read my chart, checked my vitals and told me I was all set. It turns out that I passed out on the boat---like I thought---Costas carried me to the nearest clinic. How embarrassing is that, after all I am a sixteen-year-old boy. After the doctor stitched up my hand---ten stitches by the way---they gave me something to help me with the pain and I spent the night. I wonder how much that set mom back. She hated it when something unforeseen showed up to screw with her plans. Now that I had a clean bill of health, I was ready to go.

Mom was in the hall waiting, reading a magazine. She looked out of place in the plastic back chair and unconcerned for my well-being. She wasn’t a cold person, just one who was easily annoyed by things. I mentioned that my grandparents raised me but I think I might need to elaborate a bit. You see it wasn’t that they raised me it was almost like I was a second child. My mother was in her sophomore year of college when she got pregnant---it was unexpected and unplanned---suffice to say my grandparents talked her out of an abortion. Thank the Gods for that one. It wasn’t that Mom didn’t want to be a mother but she had her whole life ahead of her to get married and have kids one day. So after I was born, Mom hit the gym to get back her girly figure and two months later, went right back to school.

Growing up, my grandparents were like my parents. My mom was around but she was busy. First with college---which I don’t really remember much---then with Grad School. I vaguely remember going to her graduation for that. Then Mom went to get her PhD. My early childhood memories of my mother were of her always on the go, barely around to even kiss me on the forehead. But as I got older, she started to come around more. I think my mother liked the idea of me starting to be to do things on my own. Some call it Hands Off Parenting. My Mom called it being too busy. So when she started taking her trips, my grandfather forced her to bring me along. Eventually her love for me---or lack thereof---grew into a mild affection. I’m not sure if she ever truly loved me but it was enough.

When I walked out of the room, she looked up from the chair. “Are you all done now?”

I nodded. “I have a prescription I need filled.”

I handed her the slip of paper as she stood up, dropping the magazine on the chair. We didn’t say anything else to one another. From the clinic, we went to a local apothecary. Mom had my script filled then the two of us went straight to the docks. Costas was waiting for us. He asked me if I was all right, I showed him my wrapped hand and filled him in on the juicy details. Mom seemed disinterested.

It was a quiet two-hour ride out to the little island.

It was hot again.

That was the first thing I noticed when I stepped off the boat. The other thing I noticed was how large the island was today. Yesterday it seemed so small but today it looked larger. I think maybe it was because yesterday when we arrived the thing was shrouded in fog. Now the fog was gone and everything looked so much different. The local fishermen actually called the island Paradeisénio Nisá­, which in English actually means “Paradise Island” which I thought, was pretty damn funny considering all of them were afraid to set foot on it. Yesterday morning I asked Costas why they called it a paradise if they were afraid to step foot on it and he said it was one of the few islands out there that had such lush vegetation. The island was found back in the 1600s by explorers, but ever since then it’s been seen as a bad place to go for men. No one really knows why other than the fact that men go there and either come back in hysterics or don’ t come back at all.

According to him, I was the first man to step foot on that island in over a hundred years. If you believe that kind of thing. So here, I was for the second day in a row, stepping foot on Paradise Island, forbidden to men on pain of death.

“Hand me that bag.”

I reached into the boat and got the backpack my mother asked for. It was her workbag, the one that she kept all her tools in. Costas helped me unload the rest of the stuff, staying in the boat the entire time. I think he thought the deadly island was going to turn his body to stone if he stepped foot on it. It took us about ten minutes to completely unload the boat then he set off. My mother didn’t tell him a time to pick us up though. But I could see by our things---which doubled in size since yesterday---that we might actually be spending the night.

“We’re staying then?”

She nodded. “We only have a few more days left of this trip; I want to make the most of it.” She pointed to the pile. “So why don’t you start pitching the tents and I’ll see what I can do about wrangling up some wood for a fire.”

I nodded. As much as my mother thought camping was a guy thing, she’d been on several trips with her father when she was younger. Back when she was a girl and didn’t know any better apparently. So while she wandered off to look for some good wood, I started on the tents. It was kinda difficult to do it with one hand but I managed. I put up her tent first and then started on mine, making sure they were far enough apart so I didn’t have to be too close to her. My mother snored and in a place like this with no one else around I was bound to hear it real well. Halfway through erecting my tent, my stomach started to hurt and I had to quit. I’d been having stomach problems on and off for the past few days, ever since we started poking around on Crete. I thought it was something bad I’d eaten but now I was pretty sure I was coming down with a stomach bug.

I waited for the pain to pass then continued with the tent. I got it up ten minutes later just in time to help my mother with the wood and building a decent campfire. My grandfather taught me as well as her. It didn’t take the two of us long. It helped that she wasn’t talking to me too. I think she was still kinda pissed about yesterday. But she couldn’t have expected me to sit on the damn beach all day while she played in the sand. Even with the PSP---which she still refused to give me---I would have gotten bored out of my mind. But I don’t think she sees that. All she sees is herself, having a good time and doesn’t really care about my own suffering.

“Are we done?” She nodded.

I poked the burning embers a bit then went over to my lawn chair. Today I brought a book, it wasn’t the same thing as a game but at least it’d keep me from boring myself to death. It was some mass market paperback I picked up in Athens, the latest Stephen King. I wasn’t really interested in it but it was something to do while I wasted away. The fact that it was in Greek didn’t faze me in the least. So I kicked back and started to read. Soon I lost myself in the narrative, consumed by King’s pop culture references and fast prose. After an hour, I was nearly two thirds of my way through. Which amazed the hell out of me considering the book was really boring.

My mother sighed. I looked up from my book. She was sitting in the sand, a look of defeat on her face. She wiped her sweaty brow, spreading sand across her forehead. She took off her gloves and set down her little trowel.

“I think I might have to go to the far side of the island” I nodded. “Can I trust you to sit here and not get into too much trouble?”

I glanced at the jungle then at my hand. “I’m not going in there any time soon.”

My mother gathered her things; it didn’t take her very long. Then she got up, slinging her pack on her shoulder. But before doing so, she took out my PSP reluctantly. She held it out to me. “I’m giving this back to you but only because I can’t stand watching you read that trash.”

I hastily took the offered handheld. “You’re a life saver, Mom”

She grumbled. “I should be back by nightfall.”

I nodded, clicking on the game. She was gone after that, didn’t even bother to say good-bye. Me, I was too absorbed in the game to really notice. Because I didn’t really save it yesterday I had to start the whole section over again but that was ok because I’d already played through the game two times before. I only had a handful of games, most of them pretty similar to God of War. There was just something about hacking and slashing my way through hordes of enemies that gave me a thrill. One time after one of mother’s classes,---while I was outside waiting for her---Donna caught me playing and told me she had a thing for games just like the ones I played. That kinda floored me, her being a girly girl and all. Then she ruined it and said that it was empowering to bash senseless men into the ground. As cute as she was there was no way I’d ever want to date a feminist chick---I get too much of that with Mom.

I lost track of time. Sometimes that happens. Before I knew it, my neck was getting stiff and my fingers all cramped up from mashing buttons. My body finally forced me to stop. When I saved the game and set it aside, I looked at my watch and groaned. Three hours had passed since I started playing. I hated it when I lost track of that much time. I groaned then stretched as I climbed out of the chair. I bumbled over to the cooler, flipped the lid and grabbed a coke. Caffeinated drinks were another one of my mother’s pet peeves. She hated the idea of me putting that much caffeine into my system all the time. I tried to quit drinking it once but I didn’t last the day. You wouldn’t think it was so damn addicting but it is a drug.

I popped the tab on the can and wandered back over to my chair. As I sat down, I heard it again. It was the loud meowing sound. I stopped midway, my butt hanging over the chair. A shiver went up my spine. It was that damn peacock again. I shook my head, trying to ignore it. I sat in the chair and looked around for my book but it was gone. I cursed, wondering if my mother took it without me noticing. I looked around the chair just to be sure I didn’t put it underneath or something. But it wasn’t there. I set the coke can in the sand and cursed. You’ve gotta be kidding me. I got out of the chair and wandered over to her tent---I vaguely saw her going that way before she left.

I unzipped the door and peered inside. My mother’s duffel was in there as well as her sleeping bag. But I couldn’t see my book anywhere. I sighed; she wasn’t that malicious anyway. She didn’t believe in censorship though she did bitch about female authors being given the short end of the stick on things. I closed up her tent and checked mine but the only thing in there was my backpack and my own sleeping bag. I cursed, closing it up and looking around. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough so I wandered back to my chair. As I got closer, I heard the peacock call again. I snapped to the jungle and that’s when I saw it: there was a trail of paper leading from my chair to the edge of the tree line. I cursed. You’ve got to be kidding me.

I ran to the closest one and snatched it up. Sure enough, I was right; it was a page from my book. Son of a bitch. I ran to the next one then the next. I continued collecting pages until I was at the edge of the jungle. The book was over seven hundred pages long, so there was bound to be a lot more scattered about with a real good chance of them being inside. I peered through the foliage and sure enough, there was a paper trail leading deeper into the dark green abyss. I bit my lip. One part of me wanted to turn back and just forget the damn thing---it was a boring book anyway. But another part of me wanted to know how the stupid thing was smart enough to grab my book and tear out the pages like that. For I was clearly dealing with a super intelligent beast here.

I bit my lip, still debating what to do. It didn’t take me long to decide. Clutching the pages I already gathered, I ran back to my tent to get my pack. Once I had it securely on my shoulder, I snuck into Mom’s tent. I noticed when I looked before that she left the machete. I snatched it up and then made my way back to the jungle. This time I was going to be a little more prepared for what lie ahead. I took a couple good swings, cutting a clear path through the foliage. Then I took out my flashlight and followed the page trail. With the light in one hand and knife in the other, I felt like Indiana Jones or something.

I followed the trail for a while, wondering how some stupid bird could have pulled something like this off. Strangely enough, all I found were the pages, there weren’t even footprints. At least not, bird ones. I finally came upon a pair of familiar looking prints. I didn’t have to place my foot alongside one to compare because I knew they were mine. Unless there was some other sixteen year old guy with size ten feet traipsing around in here which was highly unlikely. The paper trail meandered further into the jungle, following along the same trail that I went yesterday. That sent a shivering chill up my spine. Did this bird know that those were my footprints?

I continued to follow the trail, making sure to keep my eyes and ears open. But it was hard to concentrate on anyone thing. The only noise was the buzzing of the insects all around me, and the sweltering heat was driving me nuts. On top of that there was that eerie chill running down my back for the creepiness of this whole thing and the pain in my gut. My stomach virus was acting up again. It annoyed me that they didn’t give something for it at the clinic then again they probably didn’t know about it. I told my Mom about it but she didn’t seem to think it was anything too serious. That ticked me off. Every time I got sick, my grandmother doted on me like I was six years old.

I didn’t pick up anymore pages, there were too many to do it anyway. I’d have been here all night picking the damn things up. Instead, I followed them and my previous footprints, finally coming to the spot of my fateful encounter yesterday. I stopped and shined the light about. It was here that the stupid bird viciously attacked me. I shined my light on the tree root I fell over to get away from it. Then I shined the light all around me, wondering if it was lying in wait to ambush me. Actually, I hadn’t seen nor heard the damn thing in some time now. But maybe that was all a part of its plan. Maybe it’s testing me. I know that sounds crazy but how else can you describe something like this.

Maybe I’m just imagining all this deviousness too. After all, it’s just a bird. A smart one, yes, but there’s no way he’s setting up an ambush. I laughed off the thought and took one very cautious step further, one-step further than I’d ever gone before. I sighed with relief, confident that there was going to be no attack. After that, I took a couple more steps then continued further into the dense foliage. As I walked, the vegetation around me started to grow thicker and I had to resort to using the machete again. At first it was only a little but soon I was using it every chance I got. I stopped paying attention to the trail of pages and more on the thick growth all around me. I’d swing, cut and step then repeat. I kept doing this over and over, wondering if I was ever going to stop.

Then it happened. I came upon a strange looking tree. It was covered completely in vines, most of which were hanging over the path I wanted to take. I swung at the tree trunk, hoping to cut them away at the source but something happened. Instead of the blade slicing away greenery, it hit something solid with a reverberating clang. The blade snapped back a bit, startling the hell out of me. I dropped the machete, my arm throbbing from the recoil.

I cursed, rubbing my arm then bent to pick up the blade. It was stuck straight up in the ground where I dragged it. I grabbed the handle and gave it a good tug. As soon as I did so, I got my first real look at the tree trunk the blade bounced off of. What I saw made me gasp. I dropped the knife again and reached out for the trunk, brushing my fingertips along the bark. But it wasn’t bark; it was stone. No better than stone, it was marble. I started pulling away at the vines, some of them breaking away easily in my hands. It wasn’t a bit of marble; it was a lot of it. I stopped tugging at the vines and shined my light up and down the length of the “tree”. I know knew it wasn’t a tree at all, more like a column. From the looks of it an extremely tall column. I shined my light up; it had to go ten or fifteen feet up at least. I cursed. This couldn’t be happening but I knew what I was seeing. I quickly snapped my light to the other side of the path I tried to make. There was another trunk there, about the same size and width of the hidden column. I tore away some of the vines there as well and sure enough it was a second column.

I dropped the light, stunned at what I’d just found.

It was crazy but there was no denying it. I think I just found a lost Greek structure, possibly something of really great importance. The worst part of it was my mother was right all along and now I knew there was going to be no living with her after this. I couldn’t think about that now, I needed to see if I was right before I jumped to any more conclusions. I started hacking away more vines and overgrowth bushes, hoping to find more columns.

There was more than two.

After finding the first two columns, I continued hacking myself a path only to find several more columns. They were lined in a row, in identical pairs, one on each side. What’s more the further I walked the more there were and there was something else. I noticed there was something off with the ground too. So after about ten or fifteen feet I stopped to take a look. I rapped my knuckles on it and sure enough, it didn’t feel like any ground I’d ever walked ob before. So I concentrated on one part of it and tore away the covering grass and dirt. Underneath was a rounded stone, like a cobble. Further investigating found more, lots more. The implication floored me.

Not only were there columns but there appeared to be a road as well. An ancient road that I was currently walking on.

After walking along the road for a few more feet, I stopped and shrugged off my pack. Mom and I each had a pair of long range radios in case something bad happened when she went off by herself. They were top of the line, one of the only few pieces of tech---besides the sat phone---that she always carried with her. I set my pack before me and rifled inside, finding my little radio and whipping it out. I thumbed through to the proper channel, knowing that my mother kept her’s clipped to her belt and on all the time.

I paged her. “Mom, are you there?”

I could barely keep the excitement out of my voice.

A few seconds later, her voice came back. “I’m kinda busy, Charlie, is it important?”

“Out of curiosity what were you expecting to find here?”

I heard her sigh. “I don’t have time for this.”

I groaned. Typical Mom. “Humor me.”

She sighed again. “Maybe some pot shards, possibly some sort of written language, maybe some arrowheads buried in the sand.”

I bit my lip. “What about marble columns and cobble streets.”

“Yeah, sure, but the odds of finding something like that are astronomical.”

I laughed. “What if there was a dense jungle that was covering it so no onee saw it?”

There was a momentary pause. “Charlie, where are you?”

“I think I might have found your lost city of the Amazons?”

Right before clicking off my mother told me to stay put and not to touch a thing.

Yeah like was ever going to happen. I found this place, I had first dibs. Besides as soon as she got here she’d send me back to camp after scolding me for disobeying her again then I’d never get a chance to go poking around here again. So instead of sitting tight, I continued along the hidden road, discovering more and more as I went along. It wasn’t just columns anymore. There were statues too, all the same size and all made of bronze. Well at least they were at one time, now they were greened with age and covered in jungle growth. I did notice one interesting theme about all of the statues though; all of them were naked women holding weapons. There was one holding a spear high above her head and another one with sword and shield. One of the coolest one was actually of two figures, a woman spearing a man in the chest as he lie at her feet. That one was pretty wicked.

What amazed me most as I shined my light and hacked more vegetation away was how perfectly preserved these statues were. It was like walking into a time capsule. Each one of them looked brand new, save for a little wear and tear from the jungle. I don’t think there was a single one of them that looked too badly damaged, except one that looked like it’d been toppled over. Maybe that stupid peacock did that.

I continued to hack my way along until suddenly the place opened up. What was once close quarters spilled away. I hacked at a wall of veg in front of me and was surprised when I took it all down in one swing. When it was gone, I was looking at a large clearing, larger than anything I thought was possible on an island of this size. What was more was how much stuff was actually in the clearing. I could see the cobble road a lot more clearly now as it wound its way around the center of the clearing in a circle, in the center of which was a fountain. I shined my light at that, amazed at how much of the fountain’s structure was still there. In fact, my light actually glinted off something there. There’s no way it could be water? Too shocked to think about it, I sent my light around the rest of the area. There were more bronze statues turned green but these ones were not warriors, they were women in togas. At first, they meant little to me until I noticed one had an owl on her shoulder and another was holding a bow. I smacked my head and my mouth dropped open. These weren’t any insignificant statues; they were representations of the Goddesses. The one with the owl was Athena and the one with the bow was Artemis. I shined my light on the other statues too, there had to be twelve of them at least. I only didn’t recognize one or two.

Strangely the only one absent was Hera. But it didn’t take me long to find her.

I shined my light away from the fountain and onto the focal point of the whole clearing. It was a temple and I’m not talking about temple ruins either. I’m talking about full-fledged temple, big and glorious. It took up most of the clearing actually. On either side of it there were branching paths though so possibly more places to explore. But I was more interested in the temple itself at the moment. It looked like a Mini-Parthenon but I’m sure that wasn’t the best description seeing as the Parthenon was meant to worship Athena. There was no doubt who this temple was for. It was plain as day what with the two bronze peacock statues on either side of the stone steps like two silent guardians protecting their Mistress’s sacred sanctum.

I took a deep breath and slowly walked toward it. I followed the winding path around the fountain then walked right up to the base of the steps. As I got close to the two aged bronze peacocks, I gulped. They were gigantic, bigger than those lions at the New York Library that’s for sure. I tried not to look at them as I slowly walked up the steps, half expecting them to crumble at my feet but they didn’t. Instead, they were remarkably solid as I walked up them. I counted as I went, there were only six. When I got to the top, I walked like a boy possessed. I passed by two of the largest, thickest columns I’d ever seen into the biggest space I’d ever imagined. It was ginormous, the focal point being the largest statue I’d ever seen.

It was definitely Hera. I’d seen this particular statue over and over again in books and sometimes in museums. But never so large and never in what looked like solid gold. It was a standing form of the Goddess, draped in a toga with a diadem on her head and two things in her hands. There was a scepter in one hand and in the other was a pomegranate. Sometimes she’s depicted with a libation bowl as well. But I’d never seen a statue this big before and never this close. I wanted to walk over and touch it but feared I’d get struck down by the Gods. So instead, I stood there and stared for the longest time, shining my light on her beautiful bronze face.

Finally, I tore myself away and shined the light around the rest of the room. There were more statues, most of them of warrior women again. I didn’t know any of them but one did catch my eye. I would have almost missed it if not for a glint of light. I snapped the light back and the glowing glint from earlier turned out to be something around the statue’s waist. Curious I delved up enough courage to take a closer look. It was strange that I missed the statue before but it was out of the way. It was different than the others too---besides Hera---it was the only one in the room that wasn’t a fierce warrior.
I finally approached it, stopping in front to admire it.

It was a queenly, regal woman, standing erect and at attention. There was something very kind and welcoming about her face. It was familiar too, like out of a dream. I should have known this woman but for some reason her name escaped me. I couldn’t help but stare at her though because she was so beautiful. A part of me wanted to reach up and kiss her lips but I fought that urge. Instead, my attention was drawn to her waist and the thing that caught my attention earlier. It was a belt, thick like a corset and wide. It looked like one of those wrestling belts those jackasses won on WWE. But this one actually looked to be made of real gold.

Something came over me then. I’m not sure what or why but I had to touch it. My hand seemed to have a mind of its own as I reached out for it. The tips of my fingers just brushed it when I was overwhelmed with a fit of dizziness. I stumbled backwards, dropping my light and staggering. I staggered until my back rested on the base of the Hera statue. I fought to stay conscious but in the end, my dizziness won the fight and I passed out.

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Author's Note: Here's Chapter Three. For those of you expecting Charlie to wake up with a weight on his chest I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed but there is a really good cliffhanger that will lead into something very interesting indeed. I'd like to thank DC Comics for their characters and djkauf for the lightning fast editing.

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Chapter Three:

Did anyone get the number of that truck…?

I opened my eyes and the first thing I noticed was how bright it was. The second thing was that my head---which should have been throbbing–wasn’t even slightly sore. I blinked my eyes, looking around. Everything was white, so white it hurt my eyes. I shielded them and got a better look at my surroundings. Ok, where the hell was I? The last thing I remembered was touching that gold belt on that statue and then feeling real dizzy. I guess I passed out. I’m not sure I liked that. I already had enough problems, now I had to add lightweight to that. I groaned, if they knew that at school there would be even more reason to ridicule me.

I pushed myself to my feet, trying to see if I could figure out where I might be. But like before, all I saw was white. I’m not sure how long it took me to realize that I wasn’t conscious. I know there are some people who dream and know they’re dreaming but I was never one of them. In fact, I had a hard time remembering my dreams at all. I always thought it was kinda freaky but at least I wasn’t one of those kids that woke up drenched in sweat with night terrors. Not that I didn’t have nightmares---I’m sure I did---I just didn’t remember any of them.

I waved my hand in front of my face. It moved in this slow, sweeping arch as if I was underwater. I laughed; the sound came out slow and echoed all around me. What the hell was this freaky place? I took a step forward, my leg acted like it weighed a hundred pounds but I didn’t feel any heavier. In fact, I felt lighter than before. How weird is that? I took another step and another. Soon I was walking around, trying to see if there was anything except the white. I kept walking and walking, wondering if this was normal for a dream. I’m not sure how long I walked, but finally I stopped to get my bearings. It was really strange because this place didn’t feel as if it had an end. Not only that, there didn’t seem to be any restraint to it either. There were no walls or a ceiling that I see. I reached my arms out on either side and all I touched was air. Looking down I saw nothing but white. I knew I had to be walking on something but when I reached down to touch the floor my hand only found air.
Ok, that was freaky.

I continued to walk. I’m not sure why I was walking but I couldn’t figure out anything else to do. I used to like walking before I got too lazy to do so. My grandfather got me hooked on it. He used to wake up at the crack of dawn and walk two miles every day, starting from our front door then around the development, to a local park and back. I’m not sure when I started going with him but once I started I couldn’t stop. It was kinda invigorating. After walking for a few months, I started jogging the path and then after a month of that, I ran it. My grandfather could never keep up after that but he didn’t mind. I think he was glad I was showing some initiative. All of that changed after he died. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything that the two of us did together. So I sorta collapsed into myself and became a shut in. I can’t even remember the last time I walked anywhere.

Finally, walking proved futile. There was no end to this place so walking was pointless. So I finally just stopped and sat down. I wanted to lean back too---relax a bit---but I was afraid I’d end up falling. So instead, I closed my eyes and stay there. I’m not sure how most dreams worked but I figured if I could fall asleep here maybe, I’d wake up back in the real world. At least that was the plan. But closing my eyes here made me real wary of something. I’m not sure what but it felt as if I was being watched. That thought sent a shiver up my spine and I opened my eyes again.

“You shouldn’t be here,” said an angry voice behind me.

I snapped around, the voice startling the hell out me. Standing behind me, dressed in a flowing white toga, was a woman. She was gorgeous too. She had long flowing black hair, piercing green eyes and the classic features of a Greek. But the most striking thing about her was how tall she was. I scrambled to my feet and realized this woman towered over me. She had to be at least six five which was insane. She could easily go pro in basketball. I opened my mouth to say something but as soon as I did nothing came out. I grabbed my throat and tried again but still there was nothing.

She smirked. “No man shall speak in my presence”

I let go of my throat and frowned. Who the hell was she who could do this?

“My name is of no concern to you, young man” She glided over to me or at least that’s what it looked like. I couldn’t see her feet because her toga covered them. “But if you need to address me as anything you may think of me as Mother.”

I frowned. She smirked. She waved her hand and I knew that I could speak again. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re not meant to understand. You are meant to sit at my feet and bask in my glory.”

There was something about her tone. Something about the way she spoke to me that made me think I wasn’t in the presence of a normal human. I gave her a really good once over. She looked like a human being but there was something about the way she stood that told me different. There was something else too, something I didn’t notice before. It was a peacock feather. It was sticking in her hair just behind her left ear. I didn’t notice it before because she startled me so much but now looking at the feather I think I had a pretty good idea of who I was sitting in front of. Oh my God?

She smiled. “Goddess actually.”

“You’re…” I tried to say her name but for some reason it wouldn’t come out.

She smiled again. “You may only speak my name when I give you permission to do so Charlie Sandsmark.”

I nodded. A real life Goddess. It was definitely the freakish dream I’d ever had. That I know of anyway. I needed to wake up; this was too crazy. I closed my eyes again and tried to will myself to wake up. I kept them closed for about a minute or two then snapped them open. The Goddess---I couldn’t even think her name---was still standing there.

“I should punish you for that insult alone.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry…this is hard to fathom.”

“I have that effect on men. When I first appeared before Jason all those years ago, he found it hard to fathom as well. But I assure you that I am real and that this is no dream.”

I nodded. “Why me?”

“You have been chosen,” she said, clearly reading my thoughts. “Any other man would have been punished for stepping foot on sacred Amazon soil. But you Charlie Sandsmark, son of Helena, have been chosen for a great rite.”

I shook my head. “I’m a nobody, surely there are others?”

“You can not refuse this obligation. It has been foretold long before your birth. You are our champion; you are the One Amongst Man who will Feel the Power of Amazon.”

Me, the Power of Amazon? She was crazy.

She got a stern look on her face. “You’re trying my patience with your insults.”

I shook my head. “You’re wrong. This is wrong. Find someone else.”

She reached for me but I moved away. I got to my feet. No, this was crazy. I pushed away from her. This was a dream---no a nightmare. I wasn’t worthy of anything. I didn’t want to be worthy; I wanted to be me. The Goddess reached for me but I jumped from her touch. Then I turned and ran. I ran as hard and as fast I could. I’m not sure if she was following or not. Truth be told she could probably step right in front of me. She was a Goddess after all. But when I caught a glance back, she was gone. I smirked. Maybe I’d imagined her. This was a dream after all---no matter what she said.
I continued to run, then the ground disappeared underneath me and I fell.

I heard her voice. “YOU CAN NOT RUN FROM THIS!”

Then there was only darkness.

When I woke up, my head was throbbing. I was panting like crazy, my heart thumping in my chest. I sat up and looked around, confused at my surroundings at first. I half expected to see myself surrounded by white again. Instead, it was all stone and green. I blinked a few times, trying to figure out where I was exactly. Then the situation came back to me. I was in a temple devoted to Hera and I touched a statue. Then I---I groaned---passed out. I pushed myself to my feet, rubbing the back of my head. Not only did I pass out---again---I hit my head too. I stumbled on my feet a bit, using Hera’s humongous statue to steady myself before I took stock of my surroundings again.

The other statue---the one with the golden belt---was still in front of me. I didn’t dare go near it. But there was something different about it now, something less mysterious about it. I looked around for my flashlight and found it lying a few feet away. I walked over, snatched it up and clicked it on. I shined the light, moving it from the top of the statue to the bottom and back again. Nothing immediate stood out until I made a second pass. The belt was gone. What the hell? I stepped closer, looking at her waist where it was before. How in the hell? I reluctantly reached out and touched the statue. I half expected to get dizzy again but nothing happen.

I laughed. Maybe I imagined the whole thing.

I stared at the statue for a few more minutes, trying to wonder if the golden belt was there at all. As I continued to stare, I heard the raspy feedback of my radio. I snapped around, noticing my pack was lying a few feet away. Funny, I don’t remember taking it off. I shook my head and walked over, zipping it open and rummaging inside. I found the radio and took it.

“Hello” I asked, clicking it.

“Damn it Charlie, I’ve been trying to get you for the last ten minutes” snapped my mother, annoyed as usual.

I rolled my eyes. “I hit my head.”

She ignored me. “I need you to come and meet me; I have no idea where this city of yours is.”

I sighed. I was about to tell her what I found but the hell with it. I told her I’d be right there and clicked off. I grabbed my pack, slung it on my shoulder and slowly walked out of the temple. I shined the light in front of me as I retraced my steps through the city, amazed at all the wonders that I discovered. Maybe now, my mother would be proud of me but I had a feeling she’d find some way to take credit. Not that it mattered; no one would believe me anyways. As I walked, looking at the bronze Goddesses as I passed by them my dream came back to me. Was that supposed to be her? I know it was just a dream and I’m pretty certain it was influenced by this discovery but was that really her. I’ve seen countless pictures---artist renderings of course---but none of them depicted her in that fashion. The woman in my dream was without a doubt one of the most gorgeous women I’d ever seen but nowhere had I seen Hera as a raven haired beauty.

Hera. I finally got to say her name. Well think it anyway.

I followed the path back the way I came, taking note of the columns on either side of me. It didn’t take me long to get back to where I hacked my way through the wall of vegetation. After a few more minutes, I came upon the spot where I stopped picking up book pages. About ten minutes after that, I saw a second flashlight beam. My mother was standing confused, shining her light here and there. I waved my light in the air, getting her attention. She was wearing her usual: t-shirt and khaki shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her glasses were on the top of her head and her huge pack was on her back. She looked so out of place standing there, like a lost college professor and not a veteran field archaeologist.

When she saw me approach, there was a look of frustration on her face. Couldn’t she ever be happy about anything I do?

“You didn’t give me much to go on,” she snapped as she walked over.

I shrugged. “It’s kinda hard to give directions when everything looks the same.”

She didn’t respond instead she glared. “Where’s this lost city of yours?”

I didn’t respond; it was futile to argue with her. My mother was the kind of woman who always thought she was right. Even if I happened to win an argument and prove her wrong, she somehow twisted it to make it sound like she was right all along. I hated people like that. I often wondered why my grandparents had forced her to keep me. I know it’s a horrible thing to think about but after all my mother was not a person who should have children. The first half of my life she ignored me and now she drags me along because she feels obligated to do so. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a guy or if I remind her of Dad or if she just plain hates people less informed than her. I try my hardest to make her proud of me but everything I do is just one big disappoint to her.

Nobody’s perfect. Definitely not her.

I led her back the way I came, shining my light along the path to show her our progress. She only paid half attention; I think she thought I was leading her on some wild goose chase. But when I got to the first column, her whole demeanor changed. There was excitement on her face and a smile. I smiled too; it was contagious. Besides, I couldn’t remember the last time I saw her smile. I stepped back, allowing her get a full view. She brushed me aside as she went to look at the column. When she got to the nick I left with the machete, she gave me a stern look. But it disappeared just as quickly as she pulled out an LED pocket light and continued to look at the rest of the column. I think I expected some kind of praise for doing a good job but I kinda knew I wasn’t going to get any. Typical Mom. I walked over to a nearby tree and sat, resting my back against it. While she looked at the stupid column, I opened my pack and rummaged around inside. My stomach grumbled. Inside I knew I had a couple of granola bars.

I rummaged about, not really looking. They were somewhere near the bottom I think. As I dug, my fingers brushed up against something cold and metal. That gave me pause. I looked down; half expecting to see something I forgot was in there. But what I saw made my eyes bulge out of my head. It was the belt---the golden one from the statue. My heart starting pounding in my chest. I pulled my hand away quickly, afraid that touching it might make me dizzy again. How in the hell did that get in there? There was no way I got have taken it off the statue, it looked to have been a part of it. I stared at the pack, the top of the belt clearly visible as I looked inside. My pounding heart slowed a bit and my hands stopped shaking so much.

I looked at my mom, wondering if she noticed but she was engrossed in her stupid column. I groaned and went back into the pack. I tried to ignore the belt as I gently pushed it aside and found my two granola bars. I took them out, unwrapped one and stuffed the wrapped into my pocket. My mother would have had a fit if she saw me drop it. I’m supposed to leave places---especially dig sites---in the same condition I found them. Which made no sense considering they were digging in them, destroying what was already there? Anyway littering was a big no no. Not that I’d ever do something like that.

I ate my granola bar in piece as my mother mumbled to herself. I decided to leave the second one for later. I rummaged around in my pack again and found my PSP. I was glad that I stuck it in there before I left camp. I turned it on and started to play, getting lost in the brutal world of Kratos. I’m not sure how long I played for but Mom was still looking at the columns. She moved away from the first one and was now looking at a few more. I think she was trying to see how alike they really were or some such nonsense. I continued to play my game, conquering one section and moving onto the next. But as I played along---oblivious to my surroundings---I couldn’t help but notice that Kratos’ fighting style didn’t exactly fit with that of the Ancient Greeks.

I stopped playing, not bothering to save the game. My heart wasn’t in it anyway. I got to my feet, sticking the PSP back into my pack and zipping it shut. My mother was still looking at the columns. She looked so happy laying on the ground, shining her light over inch by precious inch of it I didn’t have the heart to interrupt her. So instead, I stepped around her and walked down the path, heading back toward the city. I got only about ten feet when she called to me.

“Where are you going?”

“To walk around, I only got to look in the temple before.”

“Temple?” My mother dropped her light. “What temple?”

After the big reveal about the temple, my Mom completely ignored me. She was like a kid in a candy store when I led her into the city proper. Her columns were nothing compared to everything else. She spent hours looking at the statues, whipping out her notebook and jotting things down. Then she spent more time in the temple, looking at the statues in there. The first time she saw the statue of Hera I think she squealed. She was a completely different person, a person I could actually maybe get along with. Unfortunately she acted as if I wasn’t even there. So I acted like she wasn’t there either. I left her in the temple and explored the rest of the city.

I went left first, finding myself in another clearing. But unlike the first that was mainly filled up with the temple complex. This one had what I can only describe as a training field of some sorts. There were places where a track might have been and another place that looked like an archery range. As I walked the perimeter, I actually found some arrowheads. I pocketed a couple actually---there were like fifty of them. From there I found this little building that I could only describe as an armory. Inside, there were rusty bronze swords and spearheads. Hanging from what might have been a wall were bronze shields. I spent a lot of time in this place, thinking about my grandfather and wondering how much he would have loved to see this place.

After that, I headed back out into what I was calling the temple clearing then went right. This area had little houses, probably where the girls lived. There was a fire pit in the center, the houses centered around it. Dotted about the houses were marble benches and hanging flowerpots. What amazed me the most was how intact everything looked. It was as if someone threw a cloak over this place, protecting it from time.

Unfortunately, my mother shattered most of that. She called and told me to head back to the beach. She wanted me to pack up our tents and transport them into the jungle. Apparently, she wanted to stay close to her discovery. Yes, her discovery, she made that pretty clear when she was talking to me. She wouldn’t even acknowledge that I had anything to do with it. So I begrudgingly left the Amazon city and walked all the way back to the beach. Let me tell you how much it sucks to be screwed out of your own discovery. I broke down the tents and gathered up the tent but I wasn’t happy about it. It took me nearly an hour to carry everything---by myself---from the beach to the city. But strangely enough, I wasn’t winded at all. In fact, it didn’t even seem to bother me.

It took me another hour to set everything up. My mother wanted me to pitch the camp inside the temple but some part of me felt that was wrong. Sacrilegious somehow. So instead, I pitched it in the housing complex. I had my tent as close to the biggest house I could find there. By the time I was done pitching the tents, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. So I grabbed my flashlight and went to rouse Mom from her work. I found her in the far corner of the temple, reading by lantern light. There was a section of the temple---the only section apparently---with some writing on it. Mom was scribbling furiously in her notebook, jotting down the Ancient Greek. I looked at the wall. I knew Greek like the back of my hand; it was practically a second language. But I’d never been a fan of the ancient stuff. Every time I tried to read, it looked like gibberish to me. But as I stared at the wall now the words seemed to dissolve away and in their place was English. I blinked my eyes thinking maybe it was sleep catching up with me but when I looked again I saw the same.

Somehow, I could now read Ancient Greek.

I’m not sure if that freaked me out as much as I thought it might. I kept my discovery to myself though because I was confident that Mom wouldn’t believe me anyway. After trying unsuccessfully to talk Mom into finishing up, I decided to retire back to my tent. I spent the night trying to piece together my book. My game seemed boring for some reason so after leaving the temple I went and rounded up all the other missing pages of the novel I could. I was still missing quite a few but thankfully they were from parts that I’d already read. So after assembling the book, I read until hunger forced me to look for some food. Thankfully, I still had the other granola bar---it wasn’t much but it was better than nothing. I ate that, drank from another coke then read until I couldn’t read anymore.

When I drifted off, I had another dream. I found myself standing on a hilltop, a huge boulder in front of me. I heard a booming voice around me, telling me that “If you do not wish to accept your destiny you shall be punished. For only a man must face the labors that a woman could surely overcome.” I didn’t give a damn what that voice---I’m sure it was the Goddess---said, there was no way I was going to do anything that she asked. Besides Jason, she didn’t have a very good track record with heroes. Not that I thought of myself as one.

In the morning, I woke up stiff and sore. My arms throbbed and my back felt like someone had been sitting on me all night. But all of that was crushed by the smell wafting into my tent. I opened my eyes, slipping out of the sleeping bag. I usually slept in a t-shirt and boxers but last night I fell asleep in my jeans. I pulled on my sneakers and slipped out of tent. I was shocked to see Donna sitting around the campfire, clad in a bikini top and jean cutoffs. Her hair was pulled high on top of her head in a tight ponytail and when she turned around her breasts bounced. My heart skipped a beat and there was a stirring in my loins. I blushed, turning away.

“Hey kiddo” she said, bending over the fire. She turned around, holding a plate. “I made some breakfast.”

My mouth watered. Besides the granola bars, I hadn’t eaten anything since dinner night before last. I scrambled out of the tent, glad my feet were covered because the vegetation was hot on my hands. I pushed to my feet and stumbled over. I sat on one of marble benches, taking the plate she offered. She fixed herself a plate then sat next to me. For a few moments, the two of us ate in silence then I remembered my manners.

“Thanks” I said, “Mom doesn’t cook breakfast much…ummm, ever actually.”

She smiled, brushed a lock of hair form my face. “It’s the least I could do, I mean look at this place.”

I nodded. “Did Mom call you?”

She nodded while she chewed. “Phoned me last night. I tried to get your boat guy to bring me over but he wouldn’t do it until this morning.” She took another piece of bacon and chewed noisily. She didn’t speak again until she swallowed. ‘I arrived about an hour ago.” She waved her hand around. “This place is awesome.”

I smiled. It was interesting how much she and my mother were so much alike and so different. Donna was passionate about this stuff too but a lot more laid back. She loved it as much as Mom but she didn’t love it enough to ignore everything else in her. Donna knew how to have a life too. I heard her talk with mom every once and a while about her girlfriend---yeah, that crushed me. The two of them were really close and the girl---I don’t know her name---respected Donna enough to allow her to go gallivanting around the globe with us.

“Have you had a chance to look at the city yet?” I asked, crunching on a piece of bacon.

She shook her head. “Your Mom met me on the beach then led me here. She wanted me to get her notes in order but to tell you the truth I can’t heads or tails of it.”

I nodded. I knew what she meant. Back home she had a room in the apartment where we lived---we moved out of grandma’s house a few weeks before this trip---that she called her study. It was scattered with books and papers. I once tried to organize things for her but I think I made more of a mess than it was before. But thankfully, she never noticed. She did ask me about it but I shrugged it off and disappeared into my room. She didn’t like me in her study. She said there were grown up things in there, things I wouldn’t understand. I hated that she still thought I was too young to understand her work. I mean she went out of her way to make sure I knew all these languages but yet she wouldn’t let me help her with anything that she did.

“Let me help,” I said, finishing off my bacon.

“Its all yours.”

After breakfast, I followed Donna to Mom’s tent where there was a scattering of papers all over the place. I sifted through a pile, trying to figure out what they were all about. Chief among them were translations that Mom did on the wall writings. I skimmed over her work and noticed a great deal of glitches. I scanned through her other pages too---they were translations as well–and all of them were wrong. I shook my head. Mom usually prided herself on her Ancient Greek; it amazed me at how poorly she translated all of this.

“I think these are all wrong,” I said, passing a page or two to Donna.

Donna squinted at the page in her hand. “What are you talking about sweetie?”

“The translations” I said, annoyed that she didn’t notice too.

Donna was quiet for a few moments. Then she spoke. “There’s nothing wrong with this.”

I turned around, looking at the page then groaned. I quickly pointed out all the errors. Donna stood there, quiet for a few minutes. I’m not sure if she was shocked that I pointed out something she didn’t notice or…

“Umm, how do you know all that?”

I shrugged. I just did, don’t ask me how. But I tried to explain it to her anyway. Then I did the unthinkable, I told her about what happened in the temple yesterday. She listened intently. When I was done, she asked to see the belt. So I shrugged again, leaving my mother’s tent in the disarray we found it in. I walked her back to my tent and led her inside. My sleeping bag was still lying half open; the remains of my book and the PSP were lying next to it. There was even the empty pop can and granola wrapper from last night. What was missing was my backpack. I looked around but knowing there wasn’t a lot places for something like to hide in here, I tried to retrace my steps in my head. The only thing I could up with was leaving it on the beach. I cursed, remembering what happened. I set it down, half expecting to bring it with me on my final run.

Instead, I stuffed my flashlight and PSP into the front of my hoodie. Then I busied myself with finding the book pages. It took me all night to do that. Well most of the night. I was so busy piecing the pages back together that I completely forgot about going to get my pack. Son of a bitch.

“I left it on the beach” I said, groaning.

“Its ok, kiddo, you can show me later.”

I looked at my watch. “That’s ok, It won’t take me long to get it.” She smiled, nodding. “I’ll go and get it and meet you in front of the temple.”

We left the tent together. I didn’t wait for her to say bye as I took off. I was invigorated this morning, the pain in my back and arms long gone. I ran like I hadn’t run in years. It felt pretty good; I didn’t even break a sweat. Not even the heat seemed to be bothering me. What was even stranger than all of this was how quickly I got back to the beach. One minute I felt like I was standing in the camp and the next I was bursting out of jungle into the white sand.
I skidded to a haul, not even panting. I squinted in the sun. My pack was lying right where I thought it might be. I shook my head, cursing my stupidity. Mom should have seen it this morning but of course, she wouldn’t have brought it. I bet she thought she was teaching me a lesson. Sometimes I began to wonder why Mom even bothered to bring me on her journeys at all.

I started walking at a brisk pace over to my pack. I reached for it but stopped a few inches from picking it up. There was a loud noise moving toward the island. I grabbed one of the straps, hefting the pack and looked out into the water. At first, the speedboat was far off but it kept getting closer and closer. It wasn’t the first boat I’d seen pass by here. But most of the others were bigger and always much further off. This one was one of those cigar boats and it wasn’t getting farther away. It was getting closer, too close for comfort. I didn’t like that at all. What else didn’t I like? Seeing Costas sitting on the bench, two guys on the other side of him. Both of them were large, with bare arms. There were two other guys as well, one behind the wheel and one sitting next to him. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that guy because resting across his lap was a machine gun.

I took a deep breath. The boat roared up onto the beach, the sitting guy and I locked eyes. I think he was as shocked to see me, as I was him. He jumped to his feet and raised his gun, pointing it at me. He shouted something at the pilot in Greek then turned his attention to me.

My heart skipped another beat as he leveled his gun with my chest.

Hera give me strength.

-----

Author's Note: Here's Chapter Four. I apologize if its a little shorter than the others, I'll try to make up for that in chapters yet to come. There's not a lot to this one except a lot of action. But everyone will be happy to know that as of this chapter he won't be able to pass as a Charlie anymore. I'd like to thank DC Comics for their characters and djkauf for the wonderful editing.

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Chapter Four:

He fired. I think my entire short life flashed before my eyes. In that moment I realized that my life leading up to this point was pretty damn worthless. I guess it didn’t pay to be a slacker. I closed my eyes, waiting to feel the sharp pain as the bullets tore into my flesh. Ok, I think it’s a sharp pain but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never been shot before. But the pain never came. What the hell? I opened my eye a peek and was shocked at what I saw. The bullets were hovering in mid-air about five feet away from me. I stumbled back, shocked and surprised. The goons were half way out of the boat now, all of them frozen in place. The guy who fired the gun was standing there, an angry and amused look on his frozen face. What the hell was going on?

“Did you honestly think that I’d let them end your pathetic life so quickly” said a familiar voice from behind me.

I snapped around. Hera was sitting in a beach chair, a peacock acting as a table, a martini was resting on its head. She was dressed in a white bikini, her legs crossed at her ankles. She looked very relaxed lying there, basking in the sun. I paused for a second after giving her a once over. Wait, did I just think of her as Hera. Yes, I did and before I did too. Where did that come from anyway? Never in my life had I ever prayed to Hera before. Usually when a normal person is about to die they pray to God. I shook my head, that was hardly the problem right now. Hera wasn’t supposed to be real; she was supposed to be a myth. I mean I know she appeared in my dream but that was a dream.

She groaned, grabbing her martini and taking a sip. “I told you before, you weren’t dreaming.”

I nodded numbly. She set the martini back on the peacock’s head. The bird didn’t move a muscle; it was like it was frozen in place too.

I finally found my voice. “What is this?”

She smirked. “Destiny.”

“I don’t believe in destiny.”

It was the truth. I didn’t. There was no way that there was some force out there controlling everyone’s actions. It was too bizarre to even comprehend. I guess that’s why I didn’t believe in God much either. I found it hard to believe that there was some All-Powerful supernatural being out there who created the whole of mankind. It was the craziest thing in the world like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I would have said the same thing about the Greek Gods but here one was, sitting in front of me in a bikini.

“Are you quite done now?” I nodded. “Good because your thoughts are unbecoming of you. If you were any other mortal, I would have struck you down for such things. But you’re important to me and I’ll let it slide for now.”

“Important?” I stuttered those last words.

Then I remembered more of my “dream”. I was Chosen; I was her champion. As flattered as I was---only slightly---I couldn’t help but think what that would entail. I knew my Greek myths; I knew what happened to the champions of the Greek Gods. Things didn’t end so well for them. So being a champion might not be a good thing. I can also remember that I turned her down earlier, that I ran away from her. I mean who wouldn’t right. But seeing her here now---praying to her earlier---it all seemed kinda silly to deny her.

She smiled. “That’s why I have come. I have answered your prayers. I’d like to see men’s God do that.”

She snorted and got to her feet, rising much taller than her small chair should have contained. She did that floating glide thing, moving in a blink of an eye. One minute she was over there and next she was standing next to me. She placed her hands on my shoulders. Her hands were huge now, like the size of large plates---bad analogy, I’m sorry. She gently stroked my cheek with a finger then just as gently turned me around. Instead of the bullets, there was a tall gilded mirror. I gasped at its appearance. But then again She was a Goddess; She could make things appear like that without a problem.

“What do you see?” she asked, making sure I was standing directly in front of the mirror.

I looked at my reflection. “Me” I said, stating the obvious.

She laughed. “No, you see a boy. You see the life you lead now, the life that is a shadow of who you really are.”

I was confused. What was she talking about? “I don’t understand.”

“What if I told you that you’re meant for greater and better things?”

“Better things?”

“Much better things”

In the mirror, the gold belt appeared in my hands. I suddenly felt it in my real hands too. I looked down and was shocked to see it there. Just as I had when I saw it in my pack. Realization dawned on me: She was the one who put it there. Hera’s reflection behind me nodded. The belt was surprisingly heavy, heavier than I would have expected it to be. I hefted it in my hands. I was no longer overwhelmed with dizziness. I felt different holding it, powerful holding it. Instead of dizziness, the belt filled me with a strength that I never knew I possessed.

“The Girdle of Hippolyta” said Hera, soothingly. “Forged in the fires of Hephaestus, given to the Queen of the Amazons by me long ago. Upon her death, her body was cast in bronze, frozen for all time for her daughters to look upon and bask in her greatness. The girdle was placed on her body, to be a token of her great power, ever a sign that she was worthy of the Gods. It has sat all these long years, waiting, waiting for the proper one to come and claim it as their own.” She ran her fingers through my hair, the tips gently stroking my scalp. “Waiting for you.”

I was stunned. “Me?”

Hera smiled. “I knew as soon as you stepped foot on my island that there was something special about you. I have been waiting a long time for one such as yourself to come along, one with the power and the strength, one with the passion to help revitalize the Amazons once again.”

“Amazons?”

“You are that person” she stroked my cheek again. “You are that One. It is your destiny, your birthright. Put on the girdle, accept you fate.”

My hands trembled. Fear and excitement coursed through my body. The belt didn’t feel as heavy as it had before. I looked down at it, the gold gleaming in the light. This was the Girdle of Hippolyta, the very same one that Hercules was sent to recover. This was an item at one time thought to have not existed, something made up by Greek historians to tell good stories. Like most of the myths, I suppose. But here it was---in my hands---itching to be worn. But there was a small part of me that was afraid of what might happen, afraid of what I might become. The Champion of Hera, what did that entail exactly?

“I can’t make the decision for you” she said, “The choice must be yours.”

“Can I take it off?”

“Only in death” she said, not even bothering to sugar coat things. “The Girdle bonds with its wearer.”

I nodded. “Then Hercules never…”

Hera scoffed. “He wishes. He brought the little trollop some golden belt he got from a market,” She laughed. “Don’t believe everything that men write. They lie to pad their own egos.”

She sounded like my mother. But then again Hera was the first feminist.

“What will happen if I put it on?”

“Only Fate can answer that.”

Fate, that’s all I needed. But who could it hurt. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and slowly moved it toward my waist. The belt did the rest. I’m not sure what happened exactly. But there was this intense rush of energy through my body. I threw my head back and screamed. At first, it was the voice of a man, deep and loud. Soon it turned feminine and shrill, ear shattering in fact. I fell to the ground, my hands and bare legs sinking into the hot sand. Bare legs? I opened my eyes, feeling a tumble of hair fall around my face. I looked at it, shocked at what I was seeing. Long hair, longer than any hair I’ve ever had and blonde, so blonde it looked like spun gold.

I looked at my hands, they were thin and feminine. I lifted one up, noticing how soft my skin was and how hairless my arm appeared to be. There was something else, too. There were these strange golden bracelets on my arms, covering most of my wrist. I touched one, feeling a strange warmth coming from it. I got the same warmth when I touched the Girdle, too. I pushed myself to my feet, feeling things shift and move. When I stood up fully, the full effect of what happened became apparent when I looked in the mirror. There was a girl standing there, a beautiful blond girl. No, not just beautiful, she was gorgeous. Like a super model with flawless skin and dazzling blue eyes. She was tall too, at least six foot or more and wearing the skimpiest white dress. At least I think it was a dress, it was light and airy, leaving little to the imagination.

I reached up and touched my face. The girl reflected in the mirror touched her. Holy Hera---did I just think that---she was me?

“As beautiful as Aphrodite” said the Goddess as she stood behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “As I knew you would be.”

I was stunned. For a long time I stared at the girl I’d become…this semi-Goddess. I stuck out my tongue, wiggled my nose, opened and shut my eyes. But there was no denying it. She was me and I was hot. Ok, not exactly what I wanted to think but it was true. I turned a little, taking a look at my body in profile. I should have been totally freaked out by all of this but for some reason I was actually at peace. That should have freaked me out too but it didn’t. Why wasn’t I freaked out?

“You are as you should be, my Daughter.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, gasping at the sound of my new voice. Even that was perfect.

“The Girdle has seen who you really are on the inside and brought her to the forefront. Never again will you be burdened by the male form. You were an Amazon by Blood and now by Body.”

I nodded numbly. “What happens now?”

“Now” she said, the mirror disappeared and the frozen scene from earlier appeared, the bullets still frozen five feet away. “You punish the infidels who dare to set foot on the soil of the Amazons.”

A fury burned inside of me, a fury that I didn’t even know I could muster. Looking at them---at those Men---angered the hell out of me. I wanted to pound the snot out of them for defiling our sacred shores like this---our shores. Was I one of them now?

“My Lady” I said, inwardly groaning. “What if I need your guidance again?”

She smiled sadly. “I can no longer interfere. It is against the rules for Us to have contact with our Champions after giving them their Cause. But no this, I have Agents of this World, followers who have spent their whole lives worshiping me. When you need them, they will appear.”

“How will I know them?”

She smiled. “You are Amazon. They will know you.”

With that, she slowly faded from view. As soon as she was gone, the world unfroze and the bullets continued to come right for my head.

Shit. I threw up my arms and something miraculous happened.

My arms instinctively went up to protect my face. Yeah, I know, blocking face with arms not a good thing. But something happened. Something unbelievable. I heard them, the bullets as they pinged off the bracelets. I opened my eyes; the noise of the world came roaring back to me. I was dazed and confused. And cold, God was I cold. There was a morning breeze whipping through the air, chilling my bare legs, flapping the end of my tiny white dress. White dress, bare legs? I looked down quickly. What the hell happened to my jeans and t-shirt? Hell what happened to my sneakers. They were gone, replaced by these gold sandals that wrapped up my ankles.
How messed up is that.

But at the moment, I had more important things to worry about. There were several thugs on my beach. Yeah, my beach. Suddenly I felt very possessive of the beach and the island. My island, Themiscyra. The Home of the Amazons, the sacred place where no man was supposed to set foot. The four fools standing in front of me were invaders on our sacred soil and they needed to be punished. Don’t ask me where all this righteous hate was coming from. It was like my mind---my thoughts–were being fueled by some kind of Amazonian hard wiring. All I knew was that these men were infidels and as such, they should be punished for their crimes.

And punished they would be.

The situation finally got back to the four of them.

The one with the machine gun was standing there, staring at me with a shocked look on his face. I suppose it’s not every day that a little male punk turns into a tall strapping female supermodel who happens to deflect your bullets. Yeah, I’m still trying to get my mind around the bullet deflecting thing too. He rose the gun, pointed it at me but I think he second guessed what he was about to do because he lowered it a few seconds later. His friends---including that traitorous bastard Costas---all stared in shock at me. Hey, it’s not every day that someone spontaneously changes gender, it would shock me too. Hell, it was shocking me but I was a little too preoccupied to think about that at the moment.

“You boys have one chance,” I said, trying to sound both confident and bad ass. “Get back in your boat and get the hell out of here”

Their shock finally faded to be replaced by laughter. I think they thought solidarity and strength in numbers. There were four of them and they all appeared to be armed---the others had weapons that I didn’t notice before. They continued laughing, probably thinking that the bullet deflection thing was a fluke. I was kinda hoping that it wasn’t. Finally, the guy with the machine gun stopped laughing. When he spoke, it was in Greek but somehow my brain processed it as English. How freaky is that?

“I don’t know what kind of freak you are,” he said, raising the gun again. “But there’s no way you can get lucky a second time.”

I flinched as he fired. I knew he was going to do it again---it was inevitable---but it still scared the hell out of me. But I think that fear turned into adrenaline or something. As soon as the bullets reached me, it was like I had lightning fast reflexes or something. It’s the only way I can describe what I did. Before---like him---I thought the bullet-deflecting thing was a fluke. Somehow, as soon as the bullets reached me, my body took over. It was amazing. I deflected every single one with my bracelets, shocked and amazed as each one bounced off as I effortlessly moved my wrists to block them. It was the coolest damn thing in the world.

The four of them gasped, probably feeling about the same as I was right now.

The gunman recovered quickly though. He raised his gun, preparing to fire another burst. Me, I was getting kinda pissed. Couldn’t this jackass take a hint? Just as he was about to fire, I decided enough was enough and took the fight to him. I ran---faster than I’ve ever run before---I got to him in a matter of seconds. I grabbed a hold of the red-hot barrel, it burned my hand but I was fueled by anger so I barely noticed it. I snatched the gun from his hands and in a feat of incredible strength, I snapped it in half. As stunned as both of us were, I was hardly down. I tossed the useless gun fragments over my shoulder, grabbed the front of the bastard’s shirt and lifted him a good two feet off the ground.

"I think you and I got off on the wrong foot here.”

He nodded vigorously, the crotch of his pants becoming damp. I crinkled my nose in disgust and prepared to heave him into his buddies. But at that particular moment one of them decided to be a hero. He came at me with a baseball bat, swung it pretty hard into the back of my head. It hurt like a bitch. I stumbled, seeing stars. So ok, I was really strong but I wasn’t indestructible, good to know. I wavered on my feet, nearly dropping the jackass in my hands. But I recovered quickly. I snapped the bastard in my hand around, using him as my own “bat” as I slammed him into his brave friend. Both of them went down in a tangled heap. You’d think that would stop the others from trying to interfere but these guys were bred to be stupid or something. The other two came at me, one of them had a knife, the other was unarmed.

The unarmed man came first. He came from behind too, jumping on my back. He was a big guy, huge and muscular. I think he thought his sheer bulk would bring me down. My new body was tall and lean, muscled like a track runner or a swimmer. I’m not sure which because I hadn’t really had a lot of time to look myself over. But I think this guy thought he could drive me to the ground and pound on me. It was a good plan and probably would have worked in a normal situation and with a normal girl. Girl, I never thought I’d refer to myself as one of those. But yeah, I wasn’t a normal girl.

He wrapped his arms around my upper body, pinning my own arms to my sides. I think he was trying to hold me so his friend could stab me in the chest. The only problem was that I wasn’t about to be a good girl and be stabbed. I forced out with my arms, a little too strong for my own good I think. I threw the bastard off my back at the same time as his friend lunged. I spun away from the stabbing knife, grabbed his wrist and snapped his hand up. There was a snap of bone and his knife dropped to the sand. I brought my elbow down on the back of his neck, driving him to the ground.

He didn’t get back up. I snapped around to his fellows. The gunman and the amateur batter were still in a tangle trying to untangle themselves. The other guy was lying a few feet away but slowly pushed back up. He shook himself off, shedding a fine covering of white sand. There was a trickle of blood running from his nose. He cracked his knuckles and glared at me.

“I’m not sure what kind of freak you are,” he said, spitting a red blood like substance from his mouth. “But I’m going to end you.”

Really, how fricken clichéd was that? He charged me like a bull. I stood my ground, placing my feet far enough apart to make a move if I had to. He came at me with his head down, trying to head butt me I think. He got within only a few feet before I stopped him. It happened so quick. I grabbed him underneath the shoulders, lifted him straight up and threw him over my back. I think we were both pretty surprised. He had to weigh close to three hundred pounds and I was lucky if I weighed one twenty now. He went clear over my head, landing about ten feet behind me. I snapped around, not waiting for him to get up and try again. I was already tired messing with these jackasses. It was bad enough that they had the gall to invade my island but when I asked them to leave, they grew hostile.

I marched over to him as he writhed on the ground, groaning from the pain. Apparently, I hurt him this time. Good, I wasn’t prepared to keep knocking these bastards down every time they got up. I stood over him, watching him as he rolled about, flopping like a fish out of water.

“Are you done now?”

He didn’t say anything. But his fallen friends did.

“You freak,” shouted a voice, one that I recognized as the gunman’s.

Great, round two.

“Clearly you guys don’t know when to quit,” I said, turning to watch the gunman help his buddy up off the ground.

“You should listen to him,” I snapped around to Costas, who’d spoken from the boat. He lowered his head. “I mean her, you should listen to her.”

They didn’t. The gunman had the bat now. He charged me, swinging. You’d think these guys would learn that they were beat. He came swinging pretty hard. But to me it was like he was moving in slow motion. He swung for my side. I snapped up and grabbed the end of the bat, yanking it from his grasp. I spun it around and smacked him upside the head with it. He went spinning away. He actually twirled in the air before he hit the ground. He didn’t get up from the ground. I don’t think I killed him but he wouldn’t be shooting a gun for a while.

The last man standing didn’t attempt to make a move. I think realization was finally setting in. He smiled at me, taking a few steps back. “It wasn’t our idea,” he stammered then stabbed a finger in Costas’ direction. “It was his.”

I turned my attention back to Costas. I had a pretty good idea he was the ringleader behind all of this. After all, he was the only one who knew we were on this island. He was also the only other person who knew that we’d found something of some significance here. I’m sure he probably overheard Mom telling Donna when she called. It was a shame really because Costas seemed like a pretty good guy. He had some great big fish stories he’d been sharing with me over the last few days. I thought he was my friend and he reminded me so much of my grandfather that it hurt. It hurt even more so knowing a guy like that could ever betray us like that.

I walked over to the boat, leaving the other guy to stew in his own juices---he pissed himself too. Costas freaked when he saw me walking over. He ran to the wheel and tried to start the engine. He got it going just as I got to the boat. The speedboat was made of fiberglass, it was long and sleek. Its nose was sticking pretty far out into the beach. I took a deep breath, asked for Hera to give me more strength---must be ingrained in me somehow---and slammed both my fists as hard as I could into the bow. The boat shock from the impact. Then the whole bow collapsed in on itself, crumbled and ruined. There was no way anyone in their right mind would think about taking it onto the water. Even if they did, they wouldn’t get very far with it.

Costas stumbled away from the wheel and pulled a small pistol out of his belt. He pointed at me and fired. I deflected the bullet with one wrist; it bounced harmlessly off my bracelet. He fired again and I easily deflected it. He fumbled for a third shot as I jumped up onto the boat, it shock when I landed. He tried to take that third shot but I snatched the gun out of his hand. He stared in wide-eyed horror as I crumbled it in my hand like a pop can. Yeah, I’m that strong now, who knew. He fell backwards onto the bench I saw him on earlier, wetting himself too. What was it with pirates and peeing themselves? He then fell to the deck on his knees in front of me, crying for forgiveness.

Costas was a little man, barely five foot. Seeing him on the ground groveling to me was pretty pathetic. I reached down and grabbed the back of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. He wiggled and kicked. I think he thought I was going to kick his ass and a part of me wanted too. Instead, I carried him with me as I jumped off the boat. The other guy---the one that was still standing---moved away as I approached, carrying Costas like a bad kid in need of a spanking. I tossed the fisherman on the ground with his three unconscious friends. He whimpered and tried to scurry away but I quickly stepped around him, blocking his exit. There was nowhere to go after all except into the jungle and I didn’t want him anywhere near my mother and Donna.

Now that the fighting was over, I could take a deep breath. Not that I was holding it in or anything. But I was so pumped up earlier that I didn’t really have the time to do anything else. But that I was finally standing still, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do more: scream or cry. It not every day that a guy turns into a girl in a blink of an eye like that. Hell I was a tall, legged supermodel in a tiny dress that left little to the imagination. Don’t even get me started about the things on my chest. I was afraid to look and or touch them even. The closest I ever got to a pair of boobs was looking at Donna’s from afar. Now I had my very own pair. I bit my lip, trying to keep myself from crying.

“He didn’t say anything about there being a Meta here.”

I snapped up when one of them talked. It wasn’t Costas because he was still whimpering to himself. It was the other guy. He was now sitting with his back to a tree, trying his hardest not to look at me. Neither one of them were a threat anymore. I just wasn’t ready to think about what to do with them. I’d definitely have to call the authorities but first I’d have to explain things to Mom and Donna. I groaned as that realization dawned on me. That’s going to be an interesting conversation. First, I wanted to know what the other guy was talking about. What the hell was a Meta?

“What’s a Meta?”

The guy looked like I’d boiled his eyeballs or something. “You’re kidding right? What have you been living under a rock or something?”

I nodded. Pretty much. Mom and I weren’t really up on the current events. We didn’t have a TV at home and Mom didn’t believe in the newspaper---don’t get me started on the reasons. At school, not too many people talked to me. I had only a core group of friends, Connor being my best one. But all he liked to talk about was football. So if these Meta things were a big deal, I wouldn’t know a damn thing about them.

He opened his mouth, about to give me the rundown when a snap sounded behind us. Ok, more off to the side. I snapped around, half expecting to see one of the jackasses up and ready for another go at it. Instead, I saw Donna. She was standing there holding a really big stick and a look on her face that was a combination of shock and pure terror. She looked from me to the guys on the ground then over at the boat and then finally back at me. She trembled a bit, dropping the stick.

“Who the hell are you?”

-----

Author's Note: Already to Chapter Five, it seems like I only started this thing. After last chapter this one is a little slower and more subdued. I kinda see this is the ending of what I've been calling The Island part in my notes, so from this chapter on things are going to be different. I'd like to thank DC Comics for their wonderful characters and djkauf for the fantastic editing.

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Chapter Five:

“Charlie? You’re Charlie?”

I nodded. I couldn’t say anymore for fear of bursting into tears. The two of us were away from the goons now, standing at the other end of the beach. I wasn’t afraid they’d run away because frankly they had nowhere to go. So after initially finding me standing over them, Donna immediately launched into twenty questions. By the way, I was dressed and the way I was standing, I think she thought I was an Amazon come to life. You have to laugh because she was half-right. So after fielding some stupid questions, I told her who I was. I think she was in shock first, wouldn’t you be? But after the third or fourth time explaining, I think she finally got it.

“I don’t know what happened!”

Finally, it happened. I’d been trying to avoid it for the last ten minutes or so but finally the dam broke. Tears started streaming down my cheeks. My body felt numb as I fell against a nearby tree and slid down the trunk. Donna was there in a heartbeat, putting her arm around me. She let me rest my head on her shoulder as I cried. It was too much to deal with all at once. Earlier adrenaline was fueling me, helping me avoid what had happened. Now that things were at a standstill there was no way to avoid the truth. I was a girl now. I’m not sure how it happened or why but I was a girl and there was no way to go back. I tried too. The whole time I was talking to Donna, I fidgeted with the gold bracelets---wrist cuffs. ---trying to get them off. I mean it didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened to the gold belt. But no matter how much I tugged on them, they wouldn’t budge.

“We’ll figure this out,” said Donna, moving some hair from my face. “It’s not the end of the world, kiddo, just a little bump.”

That riled me and not in a good way. My anger flared, I couldn’t help it. “A little bump!”

I snapped up to my feet, causing her to stumble a bit. I turned around and punched the tree with all my might. There was a loud snap, the trunk gave way under my blow and the tree came crashing down. It fell into the other trees around it---causing a domino effect---taking five or six trees down around it before stopping. Me, my hand throbbed a bit but other than that, I was all right. Donna sat there with her mouth wide open, unsure of what to say. I was unsure too. It’s not every day that a guy turns into a girl and can level half a forest with a single punch. There was something wrong with me, something inhuman.

“How is that a little bump?”

Donna got to her feet, staring at the wake of destruction one punch left. She looked a little nervous. Then she took a breath. “Ok, so it’s a big bump but it’s not the end of the world.”

I scoffed. “You just said that.”

She smiled. “Well, it’s the truth. You and I can figure this out, ok.”

“What about Mom?”

Neither one of us said anything because neither one of us had an answer. It was easy telling Donna about all of this because I trusted her. Like I said before, I didn’t have a lot of friends except Connor, so besides Connor, Donna was my only other confidant. My grandfather used to listen to my problems too but with him gone, I didn’t really have a lot of people to talk too. There was Grandma but she always only told me “everything works out.” It’s sound advice but it’s all she ever says. My grandfather always used to have a crazy anecdote or some story to help me out. He used to share some stories about my mother as examples. Donna was similar in that she tried to put herself in my shoes and tell me how she’d handle a situation. But the real question was; did I trust my mother not to freak out?

“Your mom will understand.”

I scoffed again. “This is my mother we’re talking about.”

“You don’t give her enough credit.”

“And you idol worship her too much.”

I hated myself after saying that. It was mean and cold hearted but it was the truth. As much as I loved Donna---and I did---, she put too much stock in my mother. She followed her around like a groupie, fetching her coffee, carrying her bag, snapping to attention whenever my mother asked. I know it was her job to be my mother’s assistant but Donna took it one step too far. When we were out in the field, she even cooked all the meals for us. Why, because my mother was too busy working to do it herself. According to Donna, my mother was always too busy working. A week before we left for Greece, there was a big award ceremony for the end of the semester. I mentioned before that I was a B student, except in history. At history, I excelled. At the end of the semester, our school gives out awards to all the students who are at the top of their class. It’s not really a big deal---it’s just a slip of paper and fifty dollar gift certificate to the mall---but it’s a ceremony that parents and family are supposed to attend. My grandmother was there of course but was my mother? Nope, she sent Donna. Not that I wasn’t happy to have Donna there but it wasn’t the first time my Mom did this. A month before that, she actually sent Donna to her own birthday party to get her presents for her. I mean who does that.

Donna looked like I slapped her in the face. It was a low blow. I bit my lip. “Shit” I said, I rarely ever swear aloud. “I’m sorry, Donna. I’m a little off kilter at the moment. I didn’t mean it.”

She nodded then smiled weakly. “Its ok, kiddo.”

But it wasn’t ok, not in the least. I walked over and gave her a hug. It was kinda strange hugging her now. For one thing, Donna used to be a couple of inches taller than me. Being a guy and only being five six was always a problem for me. You can imagine I was the butt of a lot of short jokes. Donna was about five eight and often wore heels---well not in the field of course. Now as I hugged her, the difference in our size was very apparent. I towered over her. I had to be at least six three now, which was insane. I knew I was taller before but now hugging her put things in real perspective. Whatever the hell happened to me changed me into a completely different person.

After our hug, the two of us tried to figure out the best way to tell Mom. But no matter how much we strategized, we came up with the same theory: just be as blunt as possible. Like ripping a band-aid off. So we both took a deep breath and left our little corner of the beach. Donna walked next to me at first but quickly fell behind. Not only was I taller but apparently my long legs made my strides really hard to match. I tried to slow down for her but it was no use. Even walking slow, I out walked her. I think I might have mentioned being a little out of shape before but now it was crazy how fit I was. I had yet to look at anything but my arms and legs but I was certain the rest of my body looked as lean. I mentioned I had a runner’s physique before but I could easily pass for a WNBA player---except with supermodel good looks.

We got back to the spot where I had left the goons. In our absence, per my orders--- they were too afraid not to follow them---Costas and his friend had tied up the others. The three unconscious jackasses were still very much out cold. They were now all on their stomachs, their hands tied behind their backs. Not too far away from the pile of assorted weapons, they’d brought with them. None of them were very effective anymore, except maybe the knife.

I looked at Costas, trying my best to be as stern as I could. “You two stay right there and no funny business.”

Costas nodded numbly, making sure not to look me directly in the eye. I wasn’t sure what to do with the goons actually. There was a sat phone on the boat---Costas’ I think---but I wasn’t ready to call the authorities just yet. To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure how to explain to them what I did to those bastards. I still didn’t have a straight answer on this whole Meta thing–whatever that was. I forgot to ask Donna about it too. She was a lot more news savvy than either me or Mom. But given the circumstances, I suppose the Meta thing could wait for now. I cast a nasty glance at Costas’ friend for good measure then Donna and I walked into the jungle.

Mom was in the temple.

Donna went in first, walking slowly so as not to draw attention. Me, I kinda lingered back. I couldn’t help but take a look around though. When Donna came this morning---wow, was it only this morning---she brought a lot of stuff from the local university with her. Most of it was tools but now there was a little card table set up in one corner, several artifact bins next to that and lights, lots of lights. They were the kind that you see used on movie sets, set up on tri-pods with really bright burning bulbs. Last year I actually touched one by mistake, burned the hell out of my hand. I ended up having to go to the emergency room and everything. The only thing Mom was upset about was losing a day’s work. We were in Calcutta then, trying to see if some ruin there led us to here.

With the lights---situated throughout the temple---everything looked so much different. For the first time I was able to really get a good look at the frieze at the top of the temple. It was an intricately carved scene, wrapping around the whole of ceiling. It told the story of the Amazons as far as I could tell. It looked like a true account too, not some watered down version they might tell in a high school mythology class---not that I took one of those. A lot of the vegetation that had grown into the temple was now removed too; I think Donna did it with the machete at some point. I saw the knife in question resting against one of the pillars, its blade tinged green with all the cutting.

I looked from the frieze to the focal point of the room. The giant statue of Hera was overbearing. It looked down at you just like a Goddess should. Yesterday when I looked up at it, I was kinda freaked out but today I felt solace looking at her. I know it sounds strange, seeing as she was responsible for my newest predicament about a part of me wanted to bow down on a knee and praise her. I wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that I was now her Champion. It was very possible that she somehow hardwired my brain into being loyal to her. I tried not to think about it because it made me angry and this was the last place I needed to lose my temper in.

I finally looked over in Mom’s direction. She was at the same wall, still scribbling away. There weren’t a lot of walls in here actually; most of these temples didn’t really have them. But this one particular corner had two walls; I think it was where they wrote down their history. I’d seen something like this before, don’t ask me where though. Mom was using her penlight again, Donna was clearly talking to her but I’m not sure if she was paying attention or not. I felt bad about Donna telling my Mom what was what but I knew there would be no way that she’d believe I was her son. So I lingered back, leaning against a column as they talked. It didn’t take all that long but for some reason Mom looked disinterested. Donna talked---I could hear her---but Mom continued to work. Of course she worked, that’s all she did was work. After about ten minutes, I got fed up. I should have done this myself anyway. My anger sparked, I stepped away from the column and stormed across the temple, I actually made a sound as I walked.

“Mom” I said, stomping over.

“Not now Charlie, I’m busy.”

That pissed me off even more. The bitch---I know that was harsh but her attitude was pissing me off. She didn’t even look away from the wall when I called to her. She didn’t even notice I had a different voice.

“Mom” I said again a little more forcefully. “Turn around and look at me.”

I’m not sure if it was my tone or the fact that I was telling her to do something. But my mother turned around, ready to yell. But as soon as she did, the color drained from her face. I put my hands on my hips, smirking. She didn’t say anything for the longest time. She continued to stare. I’m not sure if was in shock or awe or even. Finally, she set down her penlight, got up from the ground and walked slowly over. She circled around me a few times, eying me up and down. Then she spoke and when she did, it shocked me:
“That’s interesting.”

My anger boiled over. “That’s it!”

I expected her to be cold; she wouldn’t be Mom if she were anything different. But I didn’t expect her to not care. Well, that’s not true. That’s the first time she ever said I was interesting. It’s not what I wanted to hear but it was the best compliment she’d ever given me. To tell you the truth I thought she might be a little ecstatic. It’s no secret that my mother was the biggest feminist I knew---hell I’ve made mention of it once or twice. So I kinda always thought she was so nasty to me because I was born male. I’m not saying I want to be a girl---far from it---but I always thought that if my mother had had a daughter she would have been much happier. The first thing I thought when I looked in Hera’s mirror–after the shock of course---was maybe Fate has finally gotten it right. Now maybe my mother and I can have a real relationship.

But apparently, I was wrong. My mother didn’t even seem to notice my anger. Instead, she continued to walk around me. At one point, she actually reached over and grabbed a bit of my dress, running the fabric between her thumb and index finger. But she didn’t say anymore. I was too furious to say anything myself so Donna became the explainer. She told my mother everything I told her. I’m not sure if my Mom believed her or not. Instead, she just nodded her head a lot. When Donna was finished, my mother seemed to have a twinkle in her eye. But it disappeared appeared quickly.

“The Girdle” she asked her voice soft and barely audible. “Can I see it?”

I sighed. “I don’t know what happened to it. I put it on and it disappeared.”

I couldn’t tell her what I thought. In truth, I was pretty certain it had somehow transformed into the bracelets on my wrists. But I didn’t tell her that. I wasn’t ready to share that much with her. But that didn’t stop her from asking about it anyway. She had a lot of questions and I did my best to answer them. In fact, I did better than that. I led her over to the statue that I originally saw the belt on. I think it was the first time she’d seen it because her face lit up. She ran back over to the wall, grabbed her stuff and went over to the statue.

“You saw this before” she asked, flustered. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“You wouldn’t have listened.”

She ignored me. Instead, she went over to the statue and touched its waist. I flinched. She was after all touching the bronzed body of my Queen. Yeah, my brain isn’t hardwired at all. I inwardly groaned, not sure, how I was going to handle all this devotion stuff. First to Hera and now to Hippolyta too. Suddenly I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and turned to see Donna standing there. She was holding my mother’s sat phone. I smiled at her then looked back over to Mom. We told her about the tomb raiders, how Costas betrayed us but she didn’t seem too fazed by it. Instead, she told Donna to contact the authorities.

“Did you call?” I asked; Donna nodded.

“C’mon, let’s get you out of that dress” She shuddered. “You’ve gotta be a little drafty in that thing. I might have some stuff that’ll fit.”

I nodded, blushing a bit. I tugged on the end of the flimsy thing---it barely covered my bare butt. I let Donna lead me out of the temple. I stopped at the entrance, turning to look back at my mother and sighed. For a moment there, I thought the two of us were going to share something. But just like typical mom, she completely ignored me for her work.

I shook my head and walked out of the temple.

“I’m so jealous right about now.”

We were in her tent, Donna was trying not to look but it was kind of hard not to. After leaving the temple, she told me how long it would take the authorities to get here and said we had some time to make me look halfway decent. What did that mean exactly? She practically dragged me to her tent---which was actually a lot bigger and roomier than the one person ones that Mom and I used. There was so much room in fact that I could almost stand up which was amazing. I once complained to my mother about Donna’s tent being so much bigger than mine and Donna fired back that she was a girl and needed more room for her things. Back then I had no idea what she was talking about but now as I looked around I could see why the space was so important to her.

It was amazing how much crap she had. Instead of a sleeping bag she had an air mattress, instead of the little battery powered fans mom and I had, she had a portable air conditioner. Her tent had two rooms, one of which had a little table where her laptop was set up. Somehow, she got internet service out here as well as cell service. I’m not sure how she managed; maybe it was because her father was loaded. I think I might have neglected to mention that before. Donna’s father---Edward Troy---was a huge Art Financier from New York. He treated his daughter like a princess, anything she wanted he got for her. But Donna was far from spoiled. Though she may have been a Daddy’s Girl, she got everything else by working for it. Like the TA position with my mother and a spot on this trip. Originally, it was going to be a couple of Grad students but Donna fought to get it. My mother rewarded her for her tenacity. The Grad students got left back at home, kinda bummed that their Greek vacation got cancelled.

What does any of this have to do with her being jealous of me? Absolutely nothing. The reason for her jealousy had everything to do with the two huge fleshy globes hanging off my chest. Ok, not really that huge but bigger than hers apparently. As soon as we got to the tent, the first thing she made me do was drop the dress, which I can tell you was extremely embarrassing. Donna looked a little longer than I would have liked; then after snapping out of the trance, she went rummaging through her duffel looking for something for me to put on.

I was modestly trying to cover both my chest and my nether regions at the same time. There was no way I was ever going to get used to this girl thing.

“I’m sorry that I don’t have any bras that’ll fit,” she said, pulling out some clothes. “But yours are bigger than mine.”

I blushed. “Just as long as they’re covered.”

She passed a black tank top and a pair of jean cutoffs into my hands. The underwear I was wearing belonged to me. Thankfully, I only wore boxers to bed, the rest of the time it was briefs. I stopped by my tent for a split second before she completely dragged me here. Apparently, girls don’t wear each other’s underwear. Don’t ask me why. I quickly pulled the tank top over my head, getting it all tangled with my hair and having a hell of a time getting it over my boobs. When it was finally on, I realized how tight it was. The shorts were tight too. I could barely zip them shut but I managed.

“I’m sorry about the fit,” said Donna as she came behind me, taking my hair into her hands. “We’ll go shopping as soon as we get back to the mainland.”

I groaned. “I can hardly wait.”

She didn’t respond. Instead she took my long hair---it went almost to my butt---and pulled it into a ponytail. She used a couple of rubber bands to tie it in place. I didn’t care what she used as long as it was off my back and neck. Long hair was a pain in the ass, especially in all this heat. I wonder if I could get it all chopped off. I think I could work that look---maybe shave it to my scalp like Demi Moore in that Navy Seal movie. But I knew what I looked like now and there was no way I could pull off the butch look. I had to face facts, I was a knock out and the hair unfortunately matched the way I looked.

“I think our feet are the same size though” she said as she finished with my hair and went over to her duffel again, taking out a pair of sandals. “Thank God for that.”

She handed me the shoes and I slipped them on my feet. Even my feet felt and looked bigger. I was small everything as a guy and now I was oversized. Ok, that was pushing it a bit but I was definitely bigger than before. It felt strange being this tall too; everything was out of proportion for me now. Crawling into my tent for instance was definitely a new experience. Before the one person tent was just right for my size, now I hardly fit in there. I’m not sure what I was going to have to do if I had to sleep in there one more night.

After getting dressed, Donna and I left the tent. According to her calculations, the authorities should be here anytime. So the two of us walked back toward the beach. This time I managed to walk a little slower so she could keep up with me but it was pretty hard. It was definitely going to be hard to get used to all these changes. I wasn’t a fan of change. When I graduated from fifth grade and moved up from elementary school to middle school, it took me a while to adjust. Thankfully, my grandfather was there to tell me that things were going to be different, better in fact. He told me that now that I was in a higher school, I was older and was expected to take on more responsibilities. Which didn’t sound very good to an eleven year old until he explained that people would start treating me better, too.

He probably would have said the same thing to me when I went from middle school to high school, if he’d been around that is. I wonder what he’d say to me now. What could someone say that wouldn’t freak me out?

We got back to beach to see Costas and his friend smoking a pair of cigarettes. The two of them looked nothing like two bastards who had tried to kill us only an hour or so ago. When they saw us approach, the color drained from their faces. I’m not sure if they were really afraid of Donna but the sight of me I think reminded them of their wet crotches. As soon as I got within five feet or so, they snubbed out their cigarettes. I had to smile at that. I didn’t mind smoking but it was rude for them to defile my beach like that. I groaned, there I go again. If I ever talked to Hera again, she and I were going to have words about this whole Amazon mentality; it was driving me insane.

We stood around and waited. It didn’t take long. I’m not really up to date on authority structure in this part of the world; you need my mother to know all that. All I know is that several boats arrived, each filled with men in black jump suits. I think they might have been the Greek Navy but as far as I could tell, they could have been the police too. They stormed the beach though, wielding machine guns. They moved like a uniformed military group. They secured the beach first, circled the destroyed boat then moved onto to us. I think there was a bit of confusion on their part because guns were pointing everywhere, including at us.

Costas and his friend threw their hands up in the air; Donna did too. I crossed my arms, standing my ground. I wasn’t going to let these jackasses intimidate me. One of them---with a thin mustache and black beret---came forward; he was clearly in charge.

“Cooperate, Miss, and this will go a lot smoother,” he said in accented English.

I fired back in Greek. “Those are the guys you want. I should know; I mopped the floor with them.”

The men around me chuckled. The leader raised one of his eyebrows. He looked at the three unconscious men tied up on the ground and then at me. He chuckled a bit too. The laughing pissed me off. I’m not sure but I think this Amazon wiring made me quick to anger. One minute I was standing there and the next I moved. It was faster than the closer guy could react. I grabbed the end of his gun, bent the barrel upwards and tore it from his grasp. I held the useless weapon in one hand as I grabbed the front of his uniform, lifting him off the ground. His comrades reacted instantly, snapping their weapons around to face me. I could see the look of fear in their eyes, their hands trembling. Their boss even looked scared, even more so when he saw the gold bracelets on my wrists.
His eyes widened a bit. Was that recognition maybe?

“Lower your weapons,” he snapped.

“Charlie” I heard Donna’s voice.

I turned my head to her and saw the fear written all over her face. Like I said before, I reacted before I thought. It had to be some new conditioning. Apparently the new me didn’t like it when people pointed guns at me. Maybe it’s some kind of defense mechanism. I groaned, lowering the soldier to the ground. I let go of his uniform, then smiled sheepishly as I straightened out the ruffles for him. His face was pale but he nodded slightly. Then I handed back his gun, trying to look as guilty as possible. He nodded as he took it with shaking hands.

“We apologize for the misunderstand, miss” said their boss, his voice had a shaking fear to it. “We have a procedure to follow.”

I nodded. “Just as long as there’s no more guns pointed in my face I think we’ll be ok.”

He nodded vigorously. I felt a hand slip into mine, wrapping tight around my fingers. I didn’t have to look to know it was Donna. She gave it a reassuring squeeze. I think she figured out that my reaction earlier was something I didn’t consciously do. She wiped my cheek, getting the tear that I didn’t even know was there. I wanted to cry some more but that wouldn’t have solved anything. Instead, I explained things to the Boss soldier. His name turned out to be Captain Andreas, which strangely enough actually means “manly.” I had to smile at that. Captain Manly---snicker---listened as I told him about the tomb raiders and how I apprehended them.

He seemed particularly interested in my superhuman feats. Like before, his eyes wandered to my wrists. I looked too, knowing this time that he recognized them. He caught me looking and quickly pretended he was looking elsewhere. But there was no doubt about it, he knew about my bracelets.

I didn’t get a chance to ask him though. After questioning me some, he assisted his men with the goons. He oversaw as they lifted the unconscious ones off the ground and carried them to the boats. Medics checked out all three, one of them--- the guy who I threw over my shoulder--- had to be carried off on a stretcher. I should have felt bad for that but I didn’t. After handcuffing Costas and his friend, I watched, as they were loaded onto a boat too. Costas looked directly at me, his eyes trying to seek forgiveness. I turned my head away; there would be none of that from me.

Andreas came back over at that. “The two of you will need to accompany us back to the main land; we need to get your statements.”

Donna snapped into scholar mode. “We can’t leave here, there’s precious work to be done. Now more than ever.”

Andreas took on a serious tone. “This island and all its contents are property of the Grecian government. Your being here is in violation of Greek law, this is a protected wildlife habitat.”

“Wildlife?” Donna scoffed “there’s only bugs on here.”

I scoffed. And a really nasty peacock. Who I haven’t seen nor heard from in a while. I wonder if the bastard drowned. Hey, a guy---err---girl can dream, right?

“I’m sorry Miss Troy but we have protocol to follow.”

Donna sighed. “I understand. But what about the professor, she’s not going to be too happy.”

“Professor?” asked Andreas, surprise in his voice. “There’s another person here?”

I nodded. “My mother, Dr. Helena Sandsmark, she’s in the jungle at the ruins.”

“Ruins? What ruins?”

Before I could say anything further, Andreas made a motion toward the jungle. Three of his men ran off before I could react. I suppose I could have run off after them and intercepted them, but I’d already caused enough trouble. Besides, I wasn’t really in the mood to create an international incident. So I let the men go. But if they so much as hurt a hair on my mother’s head there was going to be hell to pay. I don’t like my mother all that much but I’ll be damned if I was going to let some Greek ass manhandle her. I proved my point by crossing my arms and glaring at Andreas some. He paled again, looking like he wanted to run back to the boats and scream for his Mommy. I wanted him to be scared. I’d decided that I wasn’t going to like him ever since his men pointed guns at the two of us, too. But I didn’t want to alienate him too much because I needed to know what he knew. It was too much of a coincidence for him to show up here and know something about the metal ware I was currently in possession of.

“Get your hands off of me,” shouted a familiar voice from behind us.

I turned around and saw two of Andreas' men carrying Mom out of the jungle; the third was carrying her bag and some of her research. Mom was struggling and kicking. Me, my anger flared. I moved fast, too fast for any of them to see coming. I barreled at the man carrying the stuff first, catching him by surprise. I disarmed him and threw him to the ground. Then I snapped around, grabbing one of the guys holding my mother while kicking the other. Both of them let go of her pretty quick. The one I kicked went flying about ten feet into the air before landing several feet away in the sand, dazed but unharmed. The one I grabbed I was currently holding off the ground by his throat.

My mother looked at me and I think for the first time she smiled. It didn’t last very long.

Then she spoke, with her usual tone. “Put him down, Charlie.”

I reluctantly did so. Captain Andreas walked over quickly, looking grim and scared. He looked at the man I just dropped then at me and finally at my mother.

Recognition flashed between the two of them.

Andreas spoke first: “Dr. Sandsmark, I see you’re causing trouble again.”

“Captain Andreas, I see you’re still an ass as usual.”

The Captain smirked. “What did I tell you about poking around in places you don’t belong? Last time I gave you a warning, this time I’m afraid I’m going to have to take you into custody.”

My mother scoffed, holding out her arms, wrists facing up. Me, I pushed her arms down and stepped in between the two of them. I didn’t care what the history here was; there was no way he was laying a finger on her. “If you go anywhere near her, I’ll make you eat those damn cuffs.”

“Miss Sandsmark, you may be strong and fast but my men will fire if they have to.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

He smiled a bit but there was something else there too, pride maybe?

“That may be the case but do you really want your mother and friend to be hurt in the crossfire?”

He had a point. I looked over at Donna; one of Andreas’ men had her arms pulled behind her back, the cuffs already on them. I growled at that but Andreas had me beat. Even if I managed to take out most of his men, it would have been very easy for him to do something bad to either Mom or Donna. As strong as I appeared to be now there was no way I could handle all this, not alone anyway. I sighed in defeat and nodded my head. I stepped aside and Andreas cuffed my mother. She looked at me and I think for the first time she might have been a little proud. I smiled at her but her proud expression quickly disappeared like her smile earlier.

I wasn’t finished though. Not by a long shot. I glared at Andreas, now I definitely didn’t like this man. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

“You have my word that she will be treated with the respect someone of her caliber deserves.”

I nodded. “I’m watching you.”

His mouth twitched in fear. I smirked then Andreas led my mother off toward the boats. I followed close behind. Before getting on the boat, I turned back and looked at the island with longing. I hated to leave it because I was certain there were other things here that I needed to know, important things. I sighed. But given the choice between it and my mother, I chose her.

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Author's Note: I assure you I am not a machine, I just have a lot of free time. Here's Ch. 6, prepare for some action. I'd like to thank DC Comics for the use of their wonderful characters and djkauf for the awesome editing.

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Chapter Six:

It took about an hour and a half to get from the island back to mainland Greece. The boat we were on put into port in a small fishing village. It was this very same village where we’d been getting on Costas’ boat for the last two days. There was a small crowd gathered when we docked. I think anytime more than one boat like ours left, people usually gathered to see what they brought back. Costas and his goons were the first ones off. There was a van waiting for the conscious ones---two of the ones I beat the crap out of must have awakened on the ride back. The last beaten one was still on the stretcher; they carried him to a waiting ambulance.

We didn’t leave our boat until the others were off. There was a van waiting for us, too. Andreas and his men made a spectacle out of things, too. My mother was kinda a local celebrity around here. Last year the two of us came through here but we never found anything. My mother had been really discouraged but she didn’t let it get her down. She might have been cold to me but to everyone else---locals mainly---she was the greatest. To help her get over her frustration, she actually donated some of her grant money to help rebuild a church that had fallen on hard times. So when the three of us arrived here this year, the villages came in force to greet us.

Now however there was a lot of hissing and booing. Thankfully, not directed at us. I don’t think Andreas was well liked by the people around here. There was an old woman with a vegetable cart who actually threw a head of lettuce at him and a group of kids started throwing pebbles at his men. Me, I did everything I could to hold back the laughter. I suppose someone should have warned him about how much Mom was well loved around here. Suffice to say as soon as they started throwing things; the three of us were rushed into the van. We were shoved into the back with a pair of Andreas’ men while the Captain himself got into the front. The van was a little smaller on the inside than I would have liked. The cramped quarters might have been ideal for the old me but the new me was just too tall for it. My long legs were practically in my throat and I had to slouch forward to sit properly. It was not a very comfortable ride. Not only that, the five of us were crammed in there like sardines, stuffed on two small rows of seats. Mom and one of the soldiers were behind us while another sat in between Donna and I. We weren’t allowed to talk which made the ride all that more uncomfortable. I tried to bide my time by looking out the window but after leaving the little village, heading up hill, there was nothing but tall grass and rocks.

The worst part: we ended up on the road for almost three hours.

By the time we got to our destination it was late afternoon. When the van stopped and we were ushered outside, I debated what I needed to do more, stretch my legs or pee. While the latter was more urgent, I didn’t really want to think about it yet. So I stretched and got a look at our surroundings now. We were in another city, much bigger than the village we came from. The buildings around us were older---probably a couple hundred years or so---made of limestone. We were in a narrow street, the buildings so close that the lane was only big enough for one car to go through at a time. Out of the three of us, I was the only one not handcuffed.

“We go this way, Miss Sandsmark,” said Andreas as he got out of the van.

He pointed ahead. I followed his arm and saw a more modern looking building. It was painted gray, made of cement. It looked out of place with its satellite dish on top and tall radio antenna. There was a sign on the building that said Bureau of Antiquities. I sighed, finally realizing why these guys were so mad before. I knew they said the island was some kind of nature preserve but clearly, that was a lie. They just wanted us off island for some reason. I don’t think it had anything to do with local superstition either. Clearly, these guys knew there was something there and they didn’t want us poking our noses in it.
Andreas made sure that I led the way, keeping a close eye on me as he did so. I think he thought I’d make a run for it. As we walked, his hand was on the butt of his pistol the whole time. Not that it would do him much good if I decided to fight back. I’m not sure how I knew but I was pretty confident that I could snap his neck faster than he could draw that thing. Not that I would but the thought had crossed my mind. There were fewer soldiers now, which meant less resistance. I could take them all out easily now but I didn’t see any reason to. Partially because of what my mother told Donna and me on the ride over from the island. Apparently, she forged the permits to get on the island in the first place. She actually went to the Antiquities Bureau beforehand to ask for permission but they refused. So she got a local who owed her a favor and he forged some documents for her.

So before I thought Andreas was arresting her without any cause but now I knew better. I loved my mother but she did some stupid things and for what, so she could go poking around in some place she was illegally trespassing on. My mother had a way with people---she was a smooth talker---but I knew for a fact that there was no way she’d be able to talk herself out of this one. She was going to see some jail time, hell we might all see some. That’s what worried me the most. I wasn’t exactly legal anymore. Sure Charles Stephanos Sandsmark was but not whoever I was now. I had no documentation that proved my new self existed. Even if Mom found some way to talk them out of pressing charges, the authorities were still going to detain me for being in the country illegally.

When we got inside the building, the first thing I was greeted with was a blast of cold air. It had to be close to a hundred degrees outside but in here, it felt like sixty. I could hear the hum of an air conditioner. It was the greatest thing in the world. The next thing I noticed was the smell. The linoleum floors were recently washed, the walls given a fresh coat of paint. Not that it was a good one, lime green was never a color anyone should paint with. There was a small reception area right in front, a pretty Greek girl in a tight blouse manning the phones. When she saw me walk in her eyes went as big as saucers. It was pretty much the same reaction I got from the villagers in the fishing village too. It wasn’t very often that a six foot three blonde walked around places like this, at least not without a photographer following her snapping pictures.

The girl eyed me up and down. There was something in her look. I didn’t recognize it at first but slowly I realized it was jealousy. I think before I walked into the room she was the prettiest one here and my presence made her pale in comparison. There were a couple of guys in the room and as soon as their eyes fell on me it was like the whole world stopped spinning so they all could take a good look. I couldn’t help but blush, especially when I turned my head and caught my reflection in the large glass window to my left. I was surprised at what I saw. I saw myself when I first transformed---in Hera’ mirror---but now and then were two different times. The girl looking back at me now looked completely different. With her hair pulled back, she looked much more sophisticated. The tight black tank top hugged my body a little more than I would have liked and the shorts showed off curves that I didn’t know I had. If I were to guess I’d say I was at least one forty but I don’t think there was much fat on my bones. I reached up and touched my face gently. That was me. I smiled slightly. For the first time, I could look in the mirror and not see a loser.

Andreas annoyingly put his hand on my forearm. I think he realized his mistake and pulled it away quickly. “C’mon, Princess you can look at yourself in the mirror later.”

He gently led me through the lobby and over to a door that he pushed open for me. It opened to a hallway. I was led down first; Donna and my Mom were behind me. While they were led into rooms adjacent to one another, I was led to one further down the hall. So clearly, they were going to separate us and try to see if our stories were straight. The room I was led into was small, with a table and two hardback chairs. Andreas pointed to one seat while he took the other. Clearly, he was going to be doing my interrogation.

Sitting on the table was a folder and next to it was a pack that I recognized as my own. They must have gotten it from my tent. I sat down without saying a thing as Andreas sat and opened the folder. He read for a few seconds while I busied myself with trying to come up with a believable story. There was no way this guy was going to believe that I was a boy before who was given a magic girdle that changed me into a girl. I wracked my brain, trying to come up with something that sounded at least halfway sane.

Andreas cleared his throat and set a small tape recorder on the desk. “Please state your name for the record?”

I cleared my throat. “Charlie Sandsmark.”

He didn’t look surprised. “Is that your full name? “

I bit my lip. There was no use avoiding it. I shook my head. “My full name is Charles Stephanos Sandsmark.”

Andreas didn’t look shocked that I gave him a boy’s name. In fact, he nodded. “Tell me Miss Sandsmark, how long have you and your mother been coming to this country?”

So I told him. Many of his questions were about my mother and I and our adventures. He seemed particularly interested in the time we spent on Crete recently. It seemed that in his folder he had a record of Mom’s most recent exploits. Before here it was Africa and before that, it was India. Mom spent a lot of time in both places looking for evidence that eventually led the two of us to Crete. We left home at the end of December this year---a day after school got out for Winter Recess---and flew out here nonstop. Donna joined us a few days later. Andreas apparently knew all this. Before going to Crete, we spent about a week in Athens looking through the libraries there, local ones and the one at the university. Andreas knew all that too. It almost sounded like the guy had been spying on us, which was kinda crazy.

After about an hour of his pointless questions, he asked one that I didn’t expect. “And can you tell me please, where is the Girdle of Hippolyta?”

I felt like someone sucked me in the gut. What the hell? How did he know that? “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

He smiled. “After my men put you and your elders onto the boats, I circled back into the jungle. I went to the Temple of Hera, went right up to the statue of the Sacred Queen and what I saw shocked the hell out of me.” He sighed, running his fingers through his slick black hair. “The treasure that my people have been protecting for centuries, gone from its resting place.”

Guarding for centuries? I bit my lip. “I don’t…”

He cut me off. “We know Dr. Sandsmark doesn’t have a daughter. We also know that up until this morning, her son, Charlie, was on the island with her.” He pushed some pictures across the table, pictures of me and Mom together. They were candid, taken from a distance.

I groaned. He was spying on us. “What the hell is this?” I felt my anger rising.

“As I said my people have been protecting that island for longer than there have been stories to tell about it. Those men in the boat---the ones led by Mr. Costas---they weren’t supposed to harm you, just merely scare you off.”

I jumped to my feet, anger flooding to the forefront. “You son of a bitch. You sent them didn’t you?” He nodded. “That bastard shot at me, did you know that?”

Andreas face paled. “That was most unfortunate. Mr. Costas is the only member of our organization; the others were hired hands. As I said before, they were only meant to scare you away. Clearly Mr. Costas hired the wrong sort.”

I slammed my fists angrily on the table. It was metal so it didn’t buckle under the pressure but I left two fist imprints on it. I calmed down a little but only a little. I was still fuming mad at this bastard. He’d been spying on us then sent killers to try to stop us. Of course, he sugarcoated it, but it was pretty plan that he or whoever he represented hadn’t wanted us off the island. What he didn’t count on was me kicking the shit out of his goons. I could read it clearly on his face, now he was just trying to save his own ass.

I glared at him. “You have no idea who or what you’re messing with here.”

He smiled. “I know very well what is going on.” He grinned, “Now I’ll ask you only one more time, where is the Girdle.”

I lunged for him but before I grab him by the throat, there was a light knock on the door. Before Andreas could say come in however, the door opened. I dropped back down into my seat; I didn’t need witnesses seeing me strangle this bastard to death. I turned instead to see the man who walked into the room. As soon as I saw him, I could tell he wasn’t Greek. For starters, his hair was so blonde it looked white. He had a sharp face, cobalt colored eyes and a rough look to him. He was gray suit with a skinny tie and walked with a rigid military stride. He was definitely American and he was definitely higher up on the food chain than little Captain Andreas.

Andreas’ face paled. He knew it too.

“Captain Andreas” said the man in a cool, calm voice. “What are you doing to this young woman alone in this room?”

The Captain chewed on his lip. “I was…I was…questioning her about the men we brought in.”

The man nodded. “Looks like things were getting out of hand in here.” He looked at the table, at the place where I smashed it with my fists. “I think it might be in all our interests if I take over from here.”

“I…but…” Andreas sputtered as he got to his feet.

The man gave him a cold, hard look. Andreas nodded his head slightly and went for the door. He shot me a look that said, “This wasn’t over” then disappeared. The American walked over and gently sat in Andreas’ vacant chair, sliding it up comfortable so he was sitting right against the table. He put a folder of his own down on the desk and then looked at me, smiling slightly.

“Hello Miss Sandsmark, my name is Special Agent King Faraday” His smile got bigger. “You and I need to talk I think.”

Though he didn’t look it, Agent Faraday was smooth. When he talked, the words seemed to roll off his lips and swirl around the room. I leaned forward a bit, listening, entranced by that voice. I know I’ve heard the term “hanging on his every word” but I never thought I’d be one to do it. Listening to this man speak made my heart flutter. Not that I’m saying I’m attracted to him---I’ve only been a girl for less than twenty four hours---but there was just something about the way he spoke that made me want to believe every word he said. I believed it too, all his words.

As soon as he introduced himself, he started talking about the reason he was there.

“I work for Homeland Security,” he said, tapping the folder. “We don’t generally handle foreign situations but yours is a special circumstance. You see the world isn’t what it used to be. Well not since the Metas started cropping up all over the place.”

I nodded. Even though I had no idea what he was talking about. I forgot to ask Donna. But he talked on anyway, giving me a rundown on some of the incidents that had caught the governments’ attention. I continued to nod, getting caught up in that velvety voice of his. If angels could speak, I wonder if they’d all sound like King Faraday.

“We call her American Dream,” he was saying, unfortunately I missed most of what came before, because I’d been busy daydreaming.

I smiled and nodded, trying to pretend I was paying attention. “What does this have to do with me?”

“Like I was saying, things have changed” He tapped the folder again. “I’m the guy assigned to make sure some things don’t interfere with the way things have been done in the past.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

He nodded. “You’re definitely not very low key, that’s for sure,” He said, finally opening the folder.

I looked at what was inside. It was photos, pictures of the goons that I mangled on the island. More importantly, it was pictures of their bruises. Some of them looked pretty bad. The color drained from my face. Where in the hell did he get these? That was only a few hours ago.

He smiled and spoke as if reading my mind. “Since Day One we’ve been monitoring world communication. Our outpost nearby picked up the chatter from the boats bringing you in. Luckily for you I was in the area investigating an incident in Africa. I figured the fools here didn’t know what they had and I was right. They weren’t planning to let you go you know. They were going to detain you a few days under some visa fiasco and then when that was over with they were going to try to put you in lock=down somewhere.”

Lock down? I scoffed. “Like that would have held me.”

He nodded. “You’re something special Miss Sandsmark, something different than the others. American Dream has the talent and the skill but you’ve got raw power. I haven’t even seen you in action but just by looking at the aftermath, I can tell that the others don’t even compare. At this very moment you might be the most powerful Metahuman in the whole world.”

He went on to tell me exactly how much he thought of me. His words were very flattering, but I was finally starting to see through his charming act. He might have had an angel voice but it was silver-tongued too. As much as he was here to help me, he was hoping I’d help him, too. He was a Patriot; probably ex-military by the way, he walked into the room. He clearly had some pull too because he got Andreas out of the room really quickly. But he wasn’t here for my well being, he was here as a Recruiter. He wanted me; the government wanted me, no doubt. I hadn’t even been a super girl for twenty-four hours and the vultures were already starting to descend.

Fortunately for me, I wasn’t buying any of it.

“So what you’re saying is that I don’t want anything from you except a way out of here.” I smiled. Maybe I could use this to my advantage., I finally said, smiling sweetly. “Is it that my country needs me?”

He didn’t deny it. He didn’t confirm it either. “We can get to the details later.” He closed his folder and looked at his watch. “Right now I need to get you and your mother and Miss Troy out of this country immediately.”

“Is something bad going to happen?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, all the lights went off. Agent Faraday cursed. There was a flash of light as a beam cut through the room. This guy brought a flashlight, was he expecting trouble? Instead of saying anything, he rushed over to the door and tried the lock. He cursed. Apparently Andreas locked the door on the way out.

“They’ve made their move already,” he said, reaching into the inside of his coat, pulling something out.

“Who” I asked, watching as he tried to pick the lock I think.

“Andreas’ people, whoever he works for.”

I nodded, only understanding about half of what was going on. I watched him fiddle with the lock trying to get it open but he was having trouble. I groaned and decided to assist. I walked over, grabbed the knob and tore the whole door off its hinges. The look on Faraday’s face was priceless. But it didn’t last long. He put away his lock pick and took out a gun. He stepped into the corridor, shining the light in both directions. I stepped around him. There was a time to be stealthy and a time to be direct; this was the direct time. He didn’t argue as I took charge, walking briskly down the hall to where I saw them put my mother and Donna.

Some place else in the building I heard a woman scream and then a burst of automatic fire. I cursed and moved faster. Faraday was right behind me, moving faster to keep up. I reached the first door and stopped. There was a commotion in the hall behind me. I spun around just in time to see a gunman run into the hallway. He raised his gun to fire but Faraday dropped him with a clean shot to the head. I think I was in good hands as long as he was at my back. So I turned back to the door and tore it off its hinges too.

The room was similar to the one I was in. Faraday shined his light into the room and I saw Donna sitting at the table there, looking scared. Relief washed over her face when she saw me.

Then she looked worriedly over at Faraday. “Who’s he? What’s going on here?”

“Later, we have to get Mom and get the hell out of here.”

“C’mon Miss Troy” said Faraday, beckoning Donna out of the room.

He introduced himself as we moved down the hall, handing her the flashlight. He gave her a short rundown of things. Me, I only half listened again. I got to the room where they were keeping Mom and like with Donna’s room, I tore the door free. Donna shined the light into the room, Mom was sitting at the table too but she wasn’t alone. There was a soldier there with her, one of Andreas' men. He reached for his gun when he saw me but I was on him a lot faster than he could react. I grabbed him and pushed at the same time, sending him flying across the room into the far wall. He slumped to the floor and didn’t get back up. Mom looked from him to me and back to him. She didn’t say much as she ran over to the corner and grabbed her bag. Most of its contents were scattered about and she was furiously stuffing them inside.

“Just don’t stand there, help me,” she said, annoyed.

Donna rushed into the room and helped. I groaned.

“We don’t have time for this. There’s people with guns trying to kill us.”

“I’m not leaving my work behind,” said my mother as she and Donna put the rest of it into her pack.

“Are we done now?”

The two of them left the room. My mother looked at Faraday suspiciously. He was a man after all but more than that, it was clear that he was government too.

“Who’s he?”

“Faraday” I said, looking around.

Two more men burst into the hallway but they weren’t taking any chances. Faraday snapped around to fire but I got there first. I pushed all three of them into Mom’s room and spun on the gunmen. The bullets flew through the air at rapid speed, whole bursts of them. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to deflect them. But no matter how fast I was there were a few slips. One of them got past and burned past my cheek. It stung like a bitch. Not only that but my arms were killing me after moving that fast. Luckily, for me, the two guys emptied their magazines. I took that opportunity to charge them. Neither of them stood a chance. One of them tried to pull a pistol but I grabbed his arm and broke his wrist. He screamed out in pain and I threw him down the hall, his scream echoed into the darkness. The other tried to run back out of the hall, back the way he came where the light still was on. But I caught him by his shoulder. I pulled him back, slamming him into the far wall. He dropped to the ground. I grabbed their guns and smashed them over a knee.

“It’s clear” I said loudly enough for the others to hear.

Faraday came out of the room first, rubbing his shoulder. Mom and Donna followed. The three of them walked slowly down the hall, Donna was shining the light at my handiwork.

“I was right,” said Faraday when they got to me. “You really are the most powerful.”

I ignored him. Instead, I stuck my head out into the main room. It was the reception area that Andreas led me through only a few hours before. Now it was a bloody massacre. Everyone there was dead, the pretty girl from earlier was on the floor in a pool of her own blood. I felt a pang of sadness for her. I tried not to think too much about it though. We still weren’t out of the woods yet. I checked to make sure we were alone. The area was clear for now but who knew how many more there were. After all, Andreas was nowhere in sight.

Faraday came behind me. “My car should be out front. With any luck we won’t run into any resistance on the way to the airport.”

“Airport?” said my mother from behind us. “We can’t go to the airport. I need to head back to the island; I need to secure the site.”

I snapped around to face her. “You’re kidding, right. People are trying to kill us and all you’re worried about is the stupid island.”

“It’s important to me.”

I’d had enough. “MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME? MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN LIFE?”

She didn’t say anything. For a moment, the place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. My mother was at a loss as to what to say. Me I was furious. I’m not sure if it was just that I was angry at her stupidity or at the men who were trying to kill us. Hell, I think I was angry at the whole day in general. I’m not sure if she noticed or not but I was having a really bad one. She finally opened her mouth to say something but I held up my hand to cut her off. I didn’t want to hear anymore of her crap, I was sick and tired of it. As soon as we got out of this damn country, I was done with her and all her crap.

“Charlie…I…” she started to say but the sound of screeching tires cut her off.

Son of a bitch, there were more of them.

“Where did you say your car was?” I asked as headlights shone through the windows.

“Out front” said Faraday, groaning.

I looked around, hoping there was another way out. If there was, I couldn’t see any. But that wasn’t going to stop me. I stalked through the room, throwing aside desks and chairs, trying to avoid bodies. I walked to the far wall and took a deep breath. Hera give me strength, that seemed to work the last time, right? I slammed both my fists into the wall. The first time the concrete cracked and caved a bit. But when I did it again, I smashed right through. Night had fallen and the stars were out. It was a bit nippy out there but I had achieved my goal, now we had an alternative escape route.

I turned to face them. “Back door, move!”

They ran forward, Faraday in the lead. Once the three of them were through, I followed. There was a Hummer parked out back. Faraday ran forward, saying it wouldn’t take him long to hotwire it. Me, I made sure my mother and Donna got inside. Then I walked to the side of the building and looked around. There were several beams bopping in the light coming toward us. I cursed; these bastards weren’t going to give up without a fight. Well neither was I. I charged them as fast as I could. I couldn’t really see where I was going but I barreled right into them. I’m not sure how many there were but I trampled at least three. Then I smashed a couple more into the side of the building. The rest scattered. There were some screams, a few curses and a lot of running in the other direction.

Behind me, Faraday achieved his goal.

“Charlie, come on” I heard Donna shout.

I turned and shouted back. “Make your way to the road, I’ll hold them off and catch up.”

I heard the vehicle roar to life and a few moments later it roared past me. As it did I saw my mother’s face in the window, there was a look of dread on her face? Was that for me? I shook it off; I’d worry about her sudden concern for my safety later. Right now, I had some bastards to slow down. I continued to follow the side of the building to the front. When I got to the corner, I looked around and saw two Hummers there. There were a few soldiers standing around it but Andreas was nowhere in sight. I wonder if the coward turned tail and ran. It made sense given the circumstance. He probably left his men behind to do all the dirty work. The guys outside didn’t seem to be a threat though, they were smoking cigarettes and laughing. I think they still thought we were inside, probably dead. I turned away from the corner and toward a little side alley. I ran over, slipping down it and away. Luckily for us, the buildings were so close together so it’d make a chase near impossible through these narrow streets. This was the way I think Faraday went. I ran as hard and as fast as I could, trying to catch up.

After several winding alleys and narrow spaces, I finally made it out into what might be considered the main street. I sighed when I saw the Hummer ahead; I recognized it because of the license plate. But I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw what was ahead. It was a roadblock, two guys with machine guns and another Hummer. Apparently, Andreas wasn’t taking any chances of us getting away. It looked like the only way in and out of the city, too, which meant it was either that way or no way. This guy was starting to get on my nerves.

I think Faraday was going to try to find another route because he backed up. I shook my head, seeing what he couldn’t. They were going to block him in; I heard another vehicle roaring toward them. I snapped around and saw a black SUV, a guy hanging out the front with a gun. They were going to ram them. I ran to intercept, throwing myself in-between. I placed my feet far enough apart and put my hands out. The SUV slammed into me. It hurt like hell. The impact was so strong that it tore the sandals from my feet. I skidded back several feet, bumping into the side of the Hummer, cracking the window my mother looked out of earlier.

Inside I heard Donna scream.

The SUV tried to back up but I grabbed the grill. There was a squeal of tires and smoke as the rubber burned. I got a good grip; I wasn’t going to let them go without a fight. I held on firm with both hands. The guy from before came back out the window, pointing the gun at me. With my hands, holding the truck there was no way I could block it. A shot rang out from behind me and the guy dropped from the truck, a bullet hole in his head. I smirked then finally found some traction. I used the Hummer as a brace and shoved the SUV with all my might. The backward momentum sent it careening into a wall, smashing right into an empty market there.

I dropped to my knees panting; I could feel the burn in my sides. So now, I knew my limits. I’d have to remember that the next time I tried to stop a car with my bare hands.

My mother’s door opened. “Charles Stephanos Sandsmark, get in this vehicle right now.”

I shook my head and got to my feet. “In a minute, I need to take care of the road block first.”

I leaned against the Hummer to catch my breath then I turned to the guys in front of us. They went pale at the sight of me. I think seeing me push the car across the street was enough to make them soil themselves. I took a step forward and they retreated into their Hummer. A few seconds later, the wheels squealed and they took off. I laughed; maybe I didn’t have to take care of them after all.

“Now get inside,” demanded my mother.

I didn’t argue. I walked over and climbed in through her door, she slid over to make room. Faraday took off, driving at well over the speed limit. He looked in the rearview mirror at me and laughed. “You truly are wonderful.”

I scoffed but didn’t have anything to say. Instead, I flopped over, laying my head in someone’s lap, I think it might have been my mother’s. I saw her briefly looking down at me before exhaustion took me and I fell asleep.

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Author's Note: Here's seven, its one of those transition chapters that seem to pop up every once and a while in my stories. Its a nice little slide from Greece back into the US. I'd like to thank DC Comics for wonderful characters and djkauf for the wonderful editing.

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Chapter Seven:

A bump woke me up. I opened my eyes; have expecting to find myself lying on my mother’s lap in the back of the Hummer. I was shockingly surprised to find that I was resting comfortably on a cushy airplane seat. I blinked, rubbing my stiff neck and trying to figure out how exactly I’d gotten here. I wracked my brain for answers. I remember falling asleep after our escape last night and I think I vaguely remember waking up at least once in transit. But after that, everything was a blur. I continued rubbing my neck and looked around at my surroundings. I was on a plane but from the look of things, it definitely wasn’t a commercial airliner. For one thing, everything was much closer together, the cabin was much smaller and everything had a sleek fake wood look to it.

I stretched my stiff limbs and looked out the window next to my head. It was daytime now, white fluffy clouds were passing us by. Ok, so clearly we’d been moving a lot since I fell asleep and from what I could tell it was at least morning. I looked over the seat in front of me trying to see if I was alone or not. But I got my answer pretty quick. I heard voices coming toward me, angry ones. Being taller now meant I could look over the seats in front of me and I saw Agent Faraday and my mother coming toward me. They were arguing about something and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what, especially when I heard the word “island” mentioned more than once. I groaned, shocked that my mother would still be going on about that.

When the two of them saw me, their argument quit. There was a look of relief in my mother’s eyes but it quickly disappeared. It made me happy that she at least cared a little about me. But it also pissed me off that she was still going on about that damn island. And as far as our relationship was concerned, nothing had really changed. Last night had been hectic and overwhelming for all of us and my mother’s momentary lapse in caring was just that. I’m sure as soon as we got back stateside she’d ignore me as she always has.

To confirm my theory my mother didn’t even look at me as she brushed by me. She was fuming mad at Faraday. The agent didn’t look peeved though, tired but not peeved. His gray suit jacket was gone, so was his tie. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked exhausted. Clearly, he had had quite a night. I wish I knew what went on after I fell asleep. I was about to get some answers though because he sat down in the seat across from mine, trying to put on a brave face but I could see the tired look in his eyes.

“Rough night?” I asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

In the morning light---not the dismal one from the interrogation room---I could see that his hair was actually white not white blonde like I thought. That surprised me because he didn’t look old enough to have white hair. In fact, he didn’t look old enough at all. I know his face was creased with stress lines and some battle scars but he couldn’t have been more than thirty-five. He didn’t answer me right away; instead, he looked at his watch and sighed.

When he finally spoke, it was an apology. “I’m sorry about last night; it shouldn’t have gone down like that.” I nodded. He sighed. “Intel dropped the ball there. We thought Andreas was a paper-pushing bureaucrat looking for a ladder climb. It turns out we couldn’t have been more wrong. Captain Marco Andreas has been dead for two days; they found him in a freezer in his apartment. The man and his personnel there were all plants. Everyone else was new, including the poor temp receptionist. Whoever he was he’s been planning this for a few days now.”

“Who was he?”

Faraday shook his head. “We don’t know. After we fled the scene, the Greek government sent in a team to investigate. I’ve been on and off the phone with officials all night; no one seems to know what’s going on. But as far as I can tell those men who tried to kill you on the island were mercenaries for hire.”

“Andreas told me as much” I said, he nodded. “Did they know who he was?”

Faraday shook his head. “They were dead by the time the authorities got to them. We think Andreas or whoever he was killed them after he fled the Antiquities office.” Faraday sighed. “He’s definitely made a mess of things. He’s gone, too, disappeared into the ether. We’ll try our best to pick him up again but without any proof or ID it’s going to be really difficult.”

I nodded and bit my lip. How much should I tell Faraday? I knew he was a good guy, I think. I mean the US government was the good guys, right? But how much did I trust him. Clearly, he’d proven himself last night; after all, he helped save my mother and Donna and protect them. He also got the three of us out of there but maybe that was all a part of the plan, too. I groaned, it was so damn hard. I hated that there was a piece of the puzzle he didn’t know but at the same time I wasn’t sure I could tell him about it. After all, I didn’t really understand it either. I was pretty certain what the fake Andreas was after, hell he’d told me that much. But for what end? He said his people were protectors of the Girdle but I was pretty certain that was a lie.

Faraday seemed to sense my thoughts. “I need to know exactly what you two talked about before I got there, it might be really important.”

I bit my lip. I couldn’t tell, not yet anyway. So I lied. “He wanted to know why we were on the island. He kept asking me over and over again. He seemed to think we were hiding something. He said his people were protectors of it but I think he was bull-shitting me.”

Faraday nodded. “And he didn’t say what he wanted there?”

I held my breath and shook my head. I was always a really bad liar. My grandfather used to say that I made a lousy poke player because I had more than one tell. The first being biting my lip, I did that a lot. The second was when I held my breath. That one was harder to notice but according to him, my cheeks puffed a little bit. He said it wasn’t noticeable unless you knew what to look for. Agent Faraday was staring at me, his eyes narrowed a bit. He knew I was lying but he also knew there was no way I was going to trust him. I think he understood that too. He didn’t acknowledge my lie but it was in his eyes, they kinda nodded to me in a way.

He didn’t pursue a line of questioning about the fake Andreas. Instead, he seemed more interested in me. The first question out of his mouth was “how?” I suppose I was expecting it.

But I still couldn’t trust him. “Its like you said, I’m a Meta, I think.” Hell for all I knew that could be the truth. Maybe I imagined the whole Hera thing. But feeling the gold bracelets on my wrist I knew that wasn’t the case. “It happened on the beach, one of the tomb raiders shot at me and I changed.”

He nodded. “It has been known to make its presence known that way. You’re not the first one who exhibited her powers through a traumatic event and if I know your kind, you probably won’t be the last either.”

I nodded. There was so much to take in. Now that I’d finally gotten a chance to breathe---the last twenty-four hours or so had been so hectic---I wanted to scream. I’d only been paying half attention to what he was saying in the interrogation room before but what I heard was pretty clear, there were others out there like me. And not just the superpowers bit. Most of those out there had spontaneously changed sex too. The government doesn’t know why it happens or how to stop it. They even tried to regulate, create their own hero. It worked in a way I suppose but I wasn’t really paying attention to that part.

I took a deep breath. “What happens now?”

He ran his hand through his hair again. “Nothing has been officially established yet but I unofficially work for an organization called the Bureau of Metahumans Affairs. We’re still in the early planning stages at the moment but our ultimate goal is the safety and organization of Metahumans the whole world over. Right now we’re only domestic but hopefully by the end of the year we will have a solid organization in place to help us better regulate your kind.”

Regulate, I didn’t like the sound of that. “What does that mean exactly?”

He sighed; I could hear it in his sigh. He wasn’t comfortable talking about it but what choice did he have. There was nowhere on this plane for him to run and hide from me. “There are some of you out there who are not the most sociable individuals. Some of your new brothers and sisters.” He tried to think of the proper way to word it. “Let’s just say they don’t like to play well with others.”

So that was it in a nutshell. His organization was there to make sure we played nice with others or else. It was as simple as that, get with the problem or get locked up for the rest of your life. “So where does that leave me? Are you going to burn numbers into my arm and throw me in a hole somewhere?”

He laughed. It wasn’t a very promising one but it was still a laugh. “Far from it actually. After I heard the radio chatter---heard what you could do---I was hoping that we might come to an understanding. The government already has a powerhouse, she’s a great soldier, duty bound and all that but she’s nothing like you. I was a bit reluctant about you before but after seeing your performance, you more than proved me wrong. You’re one of the most amazing people I’ve seen. You tore through those men like they were nothing and the way you deflected those bullets, stopped that car. Hell if I was fifteen years younger…”

He let that last statement slide. He was lucky; I wasn’t in the mood ending up in prison for slugging a federal agent.

“You didn’t answer my question?”

He nodded. “While you were asleep, I made some calls. The boss was very anxious to meet you but I told him you weren’t ready for that. He tried to talk me into recruiting you but I already knew how you’d answer. So instead he’s authorized me to tell you that we’ve made arrangements to have a new identity written up for you, a new passport, driver’s license, social security card, hell even a birth certificate if you want.”

“And the old me?”

What about my old life? What about my friends? My school, what the hell did all of this?

“One step at a time, Wonder Girl.”

I groaned. “Wonder Girl?”

“What, you don’t like it?”

I rubbed my temples. I didn’t have a response to that. He laughed and patted me on the knee then his phone rang. He excused himself as he pulled it from his pocket, getting up and disappearing down the aisle. I closed my eyes and fell back, falling onto the empty seat next to me. This was crazy, all of it was crazy. First being transformed by a Goddess, then getting arrested, escaping custody and now this. The American government tried to recruit me. What the hell was that about? I tried to force myself back to sleep but no matter how much I tried, it wouldn’t come. Instead I continued to lay there, my eyes closed, trying not to think about the globes on my chest as they rose up and down as I breathed. But no matter how much I tried to ignore it there was no way I could ignore the fact that I was never going to be the same again.

I felt sick. The bile rose up my throat. I snapped my eyes open and jumped up from my seat. I looked frantically around the cabin, holding it in. I clutched my stomach, looking for the bathroom. I saw it toward the back of the plane. I stumbled down the aisle, swaying. Donna was a few seats behind me, engrossed in a magazine. She saw me, dropped the periodical but I waved her off. I didn’t want her to see me puke. Instead, I stormed to the bathroom, tore open the door and slammed it shut behind me. I just made it as I fell to my knees and threw up. It was only a matter of time I suppose; after all, I’d been under a lot of stress.

I threw up two more times until there was nothing left. Not that there was much there anyway, I hadn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday morning. I got to my feet and wandered over to the mirror. I wiped my mouth and chin, groaning at the nasty tasting bile in my mouth and up my nose. I turned on the faucet, splashed water in my face and then looked into the mirror. The girl staring back at me still looked gorgeous even though she just blew chunks all over the place. I groaned, why the hell did they have to make me look so damn pretty?

Who were they? That’s what I’d like to know?

When I left the bathroom and stumbled back to my seat---feeling much better now---I found Donna sitting in the seat next to mine. I tried to look happy and surprised to see her there but to tell you the truth I was hoping for some more alone time. I needed time to figure out what the hell was going on with me and how I was going to handle it. Not that I didn’t want her around but it’s really hard to think when you’ve got someone trying to see if you’re all right. I tried my best not to look annoyed as I took my seat but I think she noticed. So when I sat down, she grabbed my head without saying a word to me and laid it on her lap. Then she proceeded to stroke my hair, petting me as if I was a cat. To tell you the truth it felt kinda nice.

As she stroked my hair, I closed my eyes. I wonder if she did this for her girlfriend, Barbara. It seemed like something two people with great affection toward one another might do. But I’m sure if Barb saw her doing it to me; she’d get really pissed off. I’d only met her once and I didn’t care for her. She was an archaeology student too, but she TA’ed under another professor---I don’t remember his name---but her specialty seemed to be in Africa at the moment. I think Barb was a little jealous that Donna landed the coveted role as my mother’s TA. It’s definitely put a strain on their relationship. I know the two of them are still happy and very much in love but Barb hated it that Donna got to go gallivanting around the world whereas she was stuck in a classroom all day.

Barb seemed like the kind of person who was short tempered and hard to please. Except when she and Donna were together, they clung onto one another and showed their love in great displays of open affection. I was a bit jealous of that.

Donna continued to stroke my head, lulling me into a sense of complacency. I didn’t even notice when she stopped. Not until she asked me the question, I was hoping she wouldn’t ask: “What’s bothering you, kiddo?”

I groaned, opening my eyes. I sat up, wiped away the tears I didn’t even realize were there and sighed. “Do you even have to ask?”

She laughed. “Ok, fair enough” She took a deep breath. “You want to talk about it?”

I shook my head but talked anyway. “This is so fucked up. I didn’t ask for this, I didn’t ask for any of it. But Hera had other plans apparently. She made me put on that stupid Girdle and now” I grabbed my breasts, hefting them up in my cupped hands. “Look at these things.”

I started crying, this time I noticed. Donna took me into her arms and allowed me to cry on her shoulder. The last time I openly cried like this was at my grandfather’s funeral. That had to be the worst day of my life. I was angry and upset for a long time afterwards. I wanted to find the bastard who killed him and make him pay for it. After the anger subsided then came the numbing pain. I cried a lot then too but I did that in secret. My grandfather was the kind of man who said, “Shed tears for those you love in public, shed tears for yourself in private.” I shed a lot of tears for myself then. But for some reason the tears I was shedding now I couldn’t hold back. I wanted to go to the bathroom and cry but it felt so nice to be held.
I cried a long time with Donna.

Then after that, the two of us sat quietly next to one another. She tried to get me to read her magazine but I wanted nothing to do with it. Some girly rag catered to fashion. You wouldn’t think that that was her kind of thing but apparently, she didn’t wear the pants in her relationship. Me, I just sat there. She did switch seats with me though so I could have the window. I found myself staring out it, lost in my own thoughts. I looked at the clouds and wondered if there was a God out there staring back at me. It’s funny how that worked out. I didn’t believe in God, at least not the Christian one. I would have said that all other Gods didn’t exist either until I’d been proven wrong. Hell, I met one, right? It made you wonder what else was out there too.

I scoffed. Remember how I mentioned Mom having a boyfriend? Well it’s nothing too serious, the two of them casually date. He’s a professor too but unlike her, he’s a strict Academic. He also only works at the university. He’s a Demonologist---yeah, I didn’t think something like that existed either until I met him. He’s cool though. He’s Mom’s age but there’s something about Jason that makes him appear a lot younger. Maybe it’s because he’s such a cool guy, strange but cool. Whenever Mom’s in town for more than a few weeks at a time---sometimes she even goes off without me---Jason comes around the house. He spends a lot of time with Mom but he also tries to entertain me too. He gave me this book he wrote, The Etrigan: The Demon Inside All of Us. It was kinda cool but it wasn’t really about real demons, more like a metaphysical one. Though he does talk often about how such a demon---in a person with a strong spirit---can actually manifest itself. Before I thought it was a load of crap but if Gods are real, maybe just maybe demons are too.

I shuddered at the thought.

I tried to think of other things for the rest of the flight. I’m not sure how long we were on the plane before I woke up but the plane landed about an hour and a half afterwards. We touched down at JFK then ten minutes later we were rushed to another plane, this time heading to O’Hare. I barely got time to grab a bit to eat---a hotdog---before we were rushed onto our new plane. This one was a commercial one. I half expected to lose Faraday in New York but he boarded with us. He explained that it was his duty to see us all safely back where we came. I think he was really keeping an eye on me. As much as he fed me the company line, I was certain there was a part of him that didn’t trust me about as much as I didn’t trust him.

We were in the air for about two hours. There were a lot of people on the flight, seeing as it was now the end of Winter Break. A lot of them were families with little kids, probably coming back from vacation. I sat wedged between an overweight elderly couple, both of them trying to show me pictures of their grandchildren at the same time. The wife also seemed a little upset with my choice of clothes. I wasn’t wearing the shorts anymore---thank God. While I was eating at JFK, Donna ran off to a little boutique and got me some pants. They were black and stretchy but tight and form fitting too. I think she called them yoga pants. The shoes were another pair of flats; ones that I promised to give to her after I ruined the pair she lent me before. So my outfit wasn’t something that someone would normally wear on a plane. At least I had a bra now, it was a sports bra but it was better than nothing. It felt much better to have my mountains supported and not swaying free.

We landed in Chicago two hours after taking off from NYC. There was a black SUV with government plates waiting for us when we left the airport. The driver was a tall stern looking man with no expression. He opened the door, allowing the three of us to get into the back while Faraday got up front with him. My stomach was a bundle of nerves and excitement. I’d left Chicago about a month or so ago as a bored, distracted slacker boy and now I was back but this time as a tall, leggy blonde knockout. It freaked me out in New York. As soon as I walked into the airport, everyone kept looking at me and whispering. A lot of people thought I was a model. The guys stared and drooled, the women stared with jealousy. At O’Hare, it was no different except I felt more nervous from the stares. It was very possible that I’d run into someone I knew and I wasn’t sure how I’d react to that.

Faraday spoke to us as soon as the car got on its way. He hadn’t spoken since leaving the private jet back in New York. “We’re going to take you FBI Headquarters first for a debriefing then I’ll make arrangements to have the three of you seen safely home.”

My mother didn’t like that one bit. “I don’t see why that’s necessary.”

Faraday smiled. “Dr. Sandsmark, as of this moment your new daughter is a threat to national security. I know she wouldn’t intentionally harm anyone but with her raw power I want to make sure that we’re all on the same page here.”

“My daughter wouldn’t harm a fly.”

I was touched and shocked at the same time. My mother had never shown this much concern for me back when I was Charlie. I couldn’t even remember the last time she used “son” and “my” in the same sentence. But it kinda freaked me out that she adjusted so quickly as to calling me her “daughter”. My apprehension wasn’t lost on Donna, who gave me a look. She smiled but I wasn’t buying it. My mother wasn’t the kind of woman to change things so easily.

“Besides” she continued, sticking a knife in my ribs. “I don’t want this to get around; my reputation is already tarnished by the island incident.”

I scoffed. Tarnished? She’s the one who tarnished it. I bit my lip and gripped the seat. I couldn’t believe her. She took this situation---my problem---and made it all about her. I would have screamed if I wasn’t afraid that I might shatter everything in the car, glass and eardrums included. Instead, I fumed. Donna tried to reassure me as she reached over and grabbed one of my hands. It was a little help but I don’t think any amount of comfort would stop me from being pissed at that woman.

The rest of the ride, my mother kept her mouth shut. I was glad. If she’s opened it, again I’m not sure if I could have kept mine shut.

We got to the FBI building and once again we were put into three different rooms. My room was a lot nicer than the one at the Antiquities building in Greece but it was pretty much the same thing. So was the Agent who interrogated me. He was a real arrogant prick named Broderick. He kept treating me like I was the bad guy. No matter how much I tried to explain my side of the thing he kept going back to how it was somehow my fault. He was starting to piss me off. At one point, I almost snapped his stupid neck. Instead, I grabbed the end of the table and bent it upwards. The look on the jackass’ face was priceless. He left the room in a rush and a new agent talked to me for the rest of time.

After the questioning---which took at least two hours---I was led to a room where I had my picture taken. The woman there said it was for my new identification. I filled out a lot of forms for that but apparently; my new name was already filled in for me: Cassandra. That had to be my mother’s doing. It was the name of the Seer at Troy, a big feminist heroic icon. I was surprised that she didn’t go with something over the top and really woman empowered like Atalanta or Diana. Cassandra I could work with.

“Cassandra” said the photographer, another woman. “That’s a pretty name, its Greek I think?”

I smiled. Close enough. The woman was a talker, she chatted me up as she finished snapping few shots then loaded it up into the computer. I was amazed at how quickly she did it. I looked at the program over her shoulder, seeing her place my photo into a Driver’s license format. It boggled my mind. When I first learned to drive last year–my grandmother’s Prius actually---it took me weeks to get my license in the mail. I suppose that’s how the DMV worked. But here she was, typing in all my information. I watched as she typed, wondering what my new ID was going to be like. She filled my age in as seventeen, which I guess, was as correct as it was going to be. I don’t officially turn seventeen until February nineteenth but technically, you’re seventeen for the whole year leading up to that. At least that’s how I see it anyway. That’s how my mother saw it too. The only one who liked to celebrate my birthday on my actual birth was my grandmother. My mother always said that the “ritual was antiquated and stupid. Who would want to celebrate becoming a whole year older and closer to death?”

That’s Mom for you.

“Wow honey, you’re a natural,” said the woman as she centered my picture. “Have you thought of doing photos professionally?”

I shrugged. “I’ve only been a girl for less than twenty-four hours I haven’t really thought of anything.”

She smiled weakly at that. She printed out my new ID a few minutes later, her chatty nature gone after that. I couldn’t blame her I suppose. She probably thought we were all freaks. To tell you the truth, I kinda felt that way, too. I thanked her and took the card. I looked at the picture. Usually these things are hideous right, isn’t that how it works? Well looking at the smiling blonde girl staring back at me---Cassandra Elizabeth Sandsmark, Age 17 F---I was surprised at how gorgeous she looked, I mean how gorgeous I looked.

Outside the photo room, Faraday was leaning against the wall. There was a yellow envelope in his hand. He nodded to me as I walked out. He was wearing a new suit, freshly pressed by the looks of it. His hair was nicely combed too and it looked like he’d gotten some coffee in him because he didn’t look so exhausted anymore.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the envelope.

He handed it over. “The new you, Miss Sandsmark.”

I took it reluctantly. “Just like that?”

He nodded as the two of us walked down the hall. We didn’t say anything until we got to the door at the end of it. He stopped and gestured to a vacant room. We slipped inside and turned on the lights. He looked around to make sure we really were alone but seeing that it was vacant, I’m not sure why he was being so paranoid. When his check was over, he shut the door.

“I just got off the phone with my superiors” he said, his voice calm and soft. “I’m going to be sticking around here for a month or so to make sure that you acclimate to your new lifestyle.”

I nodded. “Keeping an eye on me? Making sure I don’t destroy a city block?”

He smiled. “The video footage from the Antiquities building has made its way to them. They feel that someone with your talents should be monitored just to make sure you’re not a bigger threat than you are. I tried to argue your case but they’re insistent that I remain here for at least a month to make sure that you don’t do anything that might cause a problem later down the road.”

“They’re scared of me?” I smirked; it was funny to think of myself a National Security threat.

He nodded. “You’re an unknown. They don’t like unknowns. After the monthly grace period, if you’ve proven yourself to be a team player than they’ll authorize me to leave you alone. But if you prove to be too much to handle, I’m authorized to bring you by any means necessary.”

“Is that a threat, Agent Faraday?”

This time he smirked. “A warning.”

I didn’t like that. I didn’t like it one bit. Now I knew I couldn’t trust this guy. Not only was he going to be lurking about for a month, he’d probably be watching me too. I’m not sure if I liked that at all. But frankly, I don’t think he cared. It was how the government ran things now. If they didn’t like something, they surveillanced the hell out of it. The message was pretty clear: be a good girl or they were going to come for me. I suppressed a laugh. They saw what I did in Greece; they’d have to come at me with a lot of firepower to take me out. And guess what, I wasn’t planning to go down without a fight.
After all that, we didn’t say a thing to one another. He led me out of the room, through the door and into a cushy waiting room. Mom and Donna were waiting for us. Donna ran over and gave me a hug. I exchanged a hard look with Faraday over her shoulder; he shot one right back.

Donna let go of me and smiled.

“Welcome to the sisterhood, Cassie.”

I smiled, Cassie huh? I could live with that, too.

-----

Author's Note: Here's Ch. 8. Sorry for the delay, originally I planned on posting this yesterday but I had a bout with some 24 hour stomach bug...not very pleasant. This chapter is unfortunately another transition chapter but I think its pretty decent. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for their wonderful characters.

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Chapter Eight:

Once again, Faraday drove with us in the SUV. Like before, our small group didn’t do much talking, which was fine by me. I tried my best to keep myself preoccupied by looking out the window. There was a lot of stuff rolling around my head, the first and foremost among those things is what happens now. My life was completely turned upside down. I’d already decided a while ago---especially after her recent treatment---that I couldn’t go back into the city with my mother. We moved from my grandparent’s home a few months ago, my mother bought a two-bedroom apartment on the east side of the city. Even though she wouldn’t admit it, I think being in that house reminded her too much of what she missed. Part of that had to do with my grandfather. Even though they didn’t have the greatest relationship, my mother did love the man.

Me, I hated the city. I tried to talk my mother out of moving but she got pretty damn insistent upon it. The strangest thing was that it kinda came out of nowhere. One day we were talking about using some of my grandfather’s life insurance money to build an extension and the next thing I knew my Mom wanted to move out. I think she and grandma got into a fight. The morning that mom decided to move, she was in a particularly grumpy mood. Then we moved to the city, regardless of my complaints. I had to leave the few friends I had and move to a whole new school. The worst part, I was there only for about a week before Winter Break started, then Mom and I were off to Greece.

We pulled up to the college to drop Donna off first. She lived off campus but there was some work in the library my mother wanted her to do. No rest for the weary. Usually I’d get out of the cab and help her with her bags. But we weren’t in a cab and she had no bags---none of us did except Mom. But I got out of the SUV anyway, walking with her a little bit so Mom and Faraday couldn’t hear our conversation.

“You going to be ok, kiddo?”

I shrugged. “I can’t live with that woman anymore.”

She smiled weakly and nodded. “Are you sure?”

“She doesn’t care about me, she doesn’t even try. I can’t deal with that anymore. I’m going back to The Gates to live with grandma.”

She nodded. “I’ll come by in a couple of days to see how you’re doing.”

I teared up a bit and she hugged me. We hugged for a while. Since the change, we’d gotten real close. I know that sounds crazy, seeing how short a time it was but it was true. I used to be so attracted to her that I couldn’t look at her. She still was attractive but now there was something else. I felt this bond with her, this connection that wasn’t there before. Maybe this is what it felt like to have an older sister.

After she pulled away, I slowly trudged back to the vehicle. I slid in, not even looking at Mom. She didn’t look at me either. Neither one of us had anything to say to one another anyway. She was unwilling to see anything from my point of view. And I was tired of trying to explain things to her. So we were at an impasse, one that I was certain she didn’t want to help resolve. Which was fine by me because I was done trying to get her to see things that were clearly in front of her face!

Our apartment was only a few blocks from the school, in an apartment block that was usually meant for students. But my mother wanted something close so she didn’t have to go very far to get to class. She said it was bad enough that she had to take the bus to get to the museum every day. Our apartment wasn’t the best place to be---smack dab in the middle of two guys that belonged in a frat but my mother didn’t seem to complain. I suppose it wasn’t all bad though. A few weeks before we moved, my friend Connor moved into the city, too. He used to live next door with his father. Then his father---a journalist---got a new job and moved to San Francisco. Connor moved into the city to live with his college age cousin. The two of us were still friends because we lived so close but because he was such a football star, he got to go to the same school whereas I had to change to a city one.

We pulled up outside the brownstone block. Faraday got out before us, nodding to the driver as he did so. The driver got out too and we were told to stay put. The two of them walked up to the building and slipped inside. I’m not sure what the deal was but I’m sure they had their reasons. Me, I sat and watched the cars zip by. The city was too big and too cramped for me. I missed everything about my home. I missed my room; I missed the woods and the huge backyard. I missed waking up every morning to the smell of my grandmother’s cooking. I missed being able to talk to an adult and not be treated like I was some kind of diseased rodent.

“We’re going to need to get you enrolled into a new school,” said my mother, as if we’d been having a continuing conversation for the last few minutes.

I turned from the window. “What?”

“Well clearly they know who you are at the one you were in before; we’ll have to get you into another.”

“Mom, I was there for like five minutes.”

Truthfully, it was about a week. I’m not even sure why she bothered enrolling me---especially so close to Break. But if there was one thing about my mother that I actually liked it was her insistence that I get a good education on matter what. She made sure that I went to school every day even if I didn’t want too. Lazy people didn’t get into college, that’s what she always used to say to me if I wanted to stay home. When I was sick I had to be really sick---temp over one hundred---to get her to let me stay home and even then, I wasn’t off the hook. But I may have mentioned before, I’m not really big on school. I do all right but ever since grandpa passed, it’s just not the same.

“We’ll have to enroll you in Sacred Heart. I know someone on the Board; they can get you in there with no questions asked.”

Sacred Heart was a Catholic school for girls, it was known for its stuck up bitches. Connor dated a girl from there a couple of months ago and she was horrible to him. She only wanted to be with him to help her social standing. There was no way in hell I was going to let her stick me in that school. Besides, thinking about those tiny skirts made me shudder.

“Not happening.”

“Well you’re not going to public school” she said “not with your new gifts. You’ll be ostracized.”

I scoffed. “Since when do you care about how people treat me?”

She didn’t say anything. Of course, she wouldn’t say anything. That was typical Mom. When she spoke, it was a change of subject. Also typical Mom. “We can discuss this inside later.”

Inside? I shook my head. There was going to be no inside. “I’m not going into the apartment.”

“What are you talking about?”

I took a deep breath. This was it, no turning back now. “I’m not going in there because I’m not living there anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

I took another breath. “I’m moving back in with grandma.”

She laughed. She actually laughed at me. “”Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not the ridiculous one around here, you are. You treat me like I’m some kind of thing the dog dragged in from the mud. You’ve never treated me like a son, not even when I was born. You say you’re my mother but you let your parents raise me. You’re not my parent, they are. You only tolerate me because grandpa told you to stop being an ass and take some responsibility.” My anger was starting to rise. “I’m sick and tired of this shit. I’m sick and tired of you and the way you treat me, the way you treat others. I can’t stand around anymore and take your shit.” The last bit I yelled. “I’M MOVING OUT AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO STOP ME!”

When I finished I swore I heard a crack of thunder somewhere. But the skies were clear. I shook the thought away; it was probably my imagination. My mother’s face was pale and I could see something in her eyes. They were starting to water up a bit but she turned her head away so I couldn’t see her cry. When she snapped back around, she was ready for a fight.

“How dare you speak to me that way?”

I scoffed. “I’ll speak to you with the respect you deserve which is none. Until you start showing me some I’m not going to show you any.”

“I won’t allow it,” she said, raising her voice. “You’re my so…child. I’m not going to let you run off like…I’m not going to let you do anything that I don’t approve of”

“What are you going to do ground me?” I laughed. “I’ll just rip the God damn door off. You can’t stop me. I’ve made up my mind. I’m moving in with grandma and that’s final.”

I punched my fist into the roof of the vehicle. There was a loud strain of flesh on metal. I pulled my hand away, leaving a fist imprint there. The part of the roof I punched was now bent upwards. I bit my lip. My mother stared at me. I saw the fear in her eyes, the shock. I was a little scared, too. Tears welled into the corners of my eyes and I wanted so much to cry into her lap. Instead, I turned away and she ignored me. A real mother would have tried to comfort but not this woman---not Helena Sandsmark. She turned her back on me, turned her back on her child when he…err…she needed her the most.

Faraday and the driver came back to the SUV. As soon as they got close, Faraday smiled.

“All clear ladies, you’re ok to go in.”

My mother opened the door of the SUV and slipped outside. She didn’t say anything to Faraday. She slammed the door shut and stormed toward our apartment---correct that... her apartment. She didn’t even turned back when she stormed up the steps and went inside. Good riddance. I couldn’t deal with her right now anyway. But then why was I crying. I reached up and wiped the tears from my cheek. I groaned. Stupid girl emotions.

“You’re not going in?”

I shook my head. “Take me to my grandmother’s”

Faraday nodded and got into the SUV. I didn’t look back either as the vehicle drove off. I was never going to look back at her.

My grandmother lives in a gated community north of Chicago; it was my home for the last sixteen years of my life. Well, home until very recently. The community is called Green Meadows but a lot of us locals---kid locals actually---we call it “Gateway City” or “The Gates”. It’s a stupid name, I’m not really sure who came up with it but I think it might have been Connor. Stupid names were his forte. He liked to give everything a stupid name. But I suppose that’s better than what everyone called him. Me, I was the “Lone Loser”, yeah whoever thought up that one was pretty smart---yeah right? Connor, because he was the football star---everyone called him “Super-boy”. You’d think he would have liked it too, but Connor is a strange guy like that.

The main entrance to the Gates was a large, well, gate. It had a GM on each side so when it opened the two of them split apart. There was a single guard booth and only one guard on duty at a time. I knew them all by heart, the guy on duty now was Frankie. He was a little older man with a potbelly and a balding head. He was a good guy though and may not have looked it but he was a sharpshooter when it came to that gun of his. At least that what he liked to tell people. One look at our SUV–with the dented fist imprint on the roof–caused him to raise an eyebrow when he came to the window.

“This is a gated community folks; you need permission from a home owner to enter.”

The driver rolled down his window. Faraday put on that charming smile of his and then flipped his badge. “Agent Faraday, Homeland Security. We’re expected.”

Frankie’s eyes got as big as saucers. I think it was probably the first time he’d seen a Fed up close and in person. His shock disappeared quickly though as he went to the computer and checked the list. It didn’t take him very long until he came back and nodded. He pushed the buzzer, the gates opened, parting the G and the M and we drove on inside. The Gates was a typical suburban community, with a layout that looked like several giant circles if viewed from above. There were two cul-de-sacs, grandma lived in the one that they called “West Court” I think they were trying to be fancy. I directed the driver, knowing how difficult this place could be if you didn’t know where you were going. Most of the houses were cookie cutter ranch homes, built sometime in the seventies. There were a few though---like grandma’s---that had been here before the community.

I guided the way from the backseat, pointing out when to take a left or a right. After several twisting turns, we finally arrived at the proper cul-de-sac. There were two ways to tell grandma’s house from everyone else’s. The first being that it was in the center of the cul-de-sac, right smack ahead. The other being that out of the seven houses on this cul-de-sac, here’s was the only one that looked like it had been there for a while. It was a huge Colonial with red brick and a covered porch. Off to the side was the detached garage, above which was a guest room that we generally used for storage. There were ten rooms in the house but I couldn’t remember the last time someone slept in all of them. There were five windows on top facing the road and five facing the back. It was a huge house, built sometime after the Revolutionary War or at least that’s what grandpa told me.

The house once belonged to one his ancestors, a senator I think. All the land around the home used to belong to his family at one time. But over the years---through one means or another---a lot of it had been sold. We still had a good chunk of it but not nearly as much as we should. My grandfather always used to say that all that land went to waste anyway. I had to agree with him. When I was younger there were only four other houses in the cul-de-sac, the two on either side were brand new in the last five or six years or so. Grandpa and I used to have to mow both sides, it took us hours---him on the driving mower, me with the push.

When we got into the driveway, I saw the front door open. I got a lump in my throat. Agent Faraday had called grandma ahead of time, told her what to expect. I didn’t talk to her---I was too nervous---but she said she’d be waiting for me. She was true to her word too. As soon as the SUV hit the end of the driveway, she stepped out onto the porch. My grandmother was in great condition for her age. She never had to work because of my grandfather’s family money and now that he was gone, ---she being his only living relative---she inherited the whole thing. So she was really well off which allowed her some of the finer things in life. For instance, she played golf every other day, went to aerobics classes on Thursdays and had swimming every other Saturday. Green Meadows catered well to the elderly. Not that I’d ever call grandma elderly.

“I’m not sure I can do this,” I said nervously, looking at the short white lady standing by my grandfather’s favorite chair.

“She understands everything,” said Faraday “in fact she said she’s excited to meet you and doesn’t care what you look like anymore. You’ll always be her grandchild.”

I smiled. That sounded like something grandma would say.

I nodded and grabbed the door handle, gently pushing the door open. I was still wearing the clothes Donna got for me at the airport in NYC---not having time to change. So I probably looked quite the sight stepping out of the SUV looking like I’d just gotten back from the Gym. As soon as I was fully out of the car, I could see the look on my grandma’s face. It was hard to read at first---her being hidden in the porch shade and all. I shivered, cursing myself for lack of jacket. It was cold in Greece but there hadn’t been any snow on the ground. Here it looked like a winter wonderland. I suppose that was typical for January but I couldn’t remember the last time we’d had this much snow on the ground.

My grandmother stepped off the porch---wearing a thick winter coat, clothes and Wellington boots. She crunched her way down the partially shoveled drive. I tensed my body, wondering what her reaction was going to be. Her face was still unreadable. When she got to me, she paused and looked up. My grandmother is just five foot and before I was about five or six inches taller but now, I was a giant to her. She stared up at me for a few seconds, probably taking it all in. Then she did something that made me instantly melt. She held her arms open and I was in them even before I knew it. I cried and she hugged me. She told me soothing things---how much she loved me---that kind of stuff.

After a few minutes hugging, she pulled away, wiping at tears of her own. She took my hands in hers, moving my arms apart as far as she could. “My you are a big one aren’t you? Might be useful around the house, what with a little thing like me” She winked and I smiled.
Right then and there, I knew everything was going to be all right.

I introduced Faraday to her. My grandmother hugged him too. She probably would have hugged the driver if he’d gotten out of the vehicle. My grandmother was a hugger.

“I want to thank you, Agent for protecting my girls out there,” She said this while clinging to my arm.

I felt nice and secure there.

“I was doing my job ma’am.”

He flashed her that smile and I felt my grandmother go weak at the knees. I wanted to roll my eyes but then I remembered the effect it had on me. The one that I wasn’t willing to admit. He was an attractive man and that’s all I’ll say about that.

“You gentlemen are welcome to come inside for a spot of cocoa?”

Faraday sighed. “As lovely as that sounds, Mrs. Kapatelis, I have to get back to the city. There’s a lot of paperwork I need to file and I have a video conference with the boss in a few hours.” Grandma sighed and nodded. Then Faraday turned to me. “I’d like to have a moment, Cassie, if you wouldn’t mind.”

My grandmother let go of my arm. It took me a second to realize I was Cassie. Then I followed him as he walked around to the other side of the SUV. He opened the passenger side door and took out yellow envelope. I had the one with my new life safely in my back pocket. This one didn’t look as bulky. He ripped the top then emptied the contents into his hand, there were only two things: a sleek black cell phone and a white chess piece, a Bishop I think.

He handed me the phone. “This is standard Government Issue, state-of-art, equipped with a scramble and a satellite uplink. There’s already a number preprogrammed in there. I want you to call that number whenever you are going to leave the house and one of my Agents will come and escort you.”

I frowned at that. I didn’t like the idea of being followed everywhere I went. “Am I that much of a threat?”

He shook his head. “On the contrary, Agent Chase is going to be there to protect you. Not only from yourself but others too. I have a feeling that we won’t be seeing the last of Andreas or whoever the hell he really was. She’ll tail you at a safe distance, most of the time you won’t even know she’s there.”

I nodded but I still didn’t like it. “What’s the chess piece for?”

He smiled, handing it to me. “This is in case you get into serious trouble. If something happens, something really bad I want you to put this in your bedroom window. It doesn’t matter where it’s placed, I’ll know it’s there and I’ll come.”

I nodded again, clutching both items as gently as I could. I didn’t want to break my new toys. He smiled and stuck out his hand. I switched the Bishop into my phone hand and shook it. His grip was surprisingly weak for a man of his caliber. Then again most men probably had a weak grip compared to me now. That brought a little smile to my face.

“You’ve been given a new lease on life, Cassandra Sandsmark, I wish you luck and hope that you and I never have to meet face to face ever again.”

I smiled. “Is that a good thing?”

He nodded. “It’s a very good thing.”

Then he turned and climbed into the SUV. He shut the door without saying another word. A few seconds later, the engine roared to life. I stepped back to keep them from running over my toes. They backed down the driveway, made a quick turn and were gone. I sighed and turned back to the house. This was my home, this was my life. I smiled at my grandmother as she waved from the porch.

Then I waved back.

“I’ll put you up in your Aunt Vanessa’s room,” said grandma as she led me down the second floor hallway.

The hall was kinda cramped but was long and narrow too. Like I said before, there were about ten rooms here, five in front and five in back. The front rooms were mainly bedrooms while the back were used for different things, my grandfather’s office being one of them. My bedroom---the one I used before we moved---was the first on the left. Aunt Vanessa’s room---her old one that is---was at the end of the hall. I’d never actually got to meet her. She was my mother’s younger sister and like Mom, she left home shortly after school. But whereas Mom went to college, Aunt Vanessa disappeared. Every once and a while throughout my childhood my grandparents used to get post cards from here, from one place or another. But in the last five years or so there was nothing. It was like she disappeared off the map, which grandma took pretty hard.

We stopped in front of Vanessa’s door; grandma pulled a key out of her pocket. She paused before unlocking it. I wonder when the last time she’d actually opened it. I put my hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. I felt the tension leave her and she put the key in the lock. She opened the door and it was like stepping into the eighties. The room was like a little time capsule, so clearly no one had been in here in a long time indeed. The carpet was a bland yellow green, the walls a really faded light pink. There was a vanity, a desk, a dresser and a large bed smack dab in the middle of the room. The bed was a canopy, covered with stuff animals. There were 80’s Rocker posters on the walls and a lava lamp in the corner. Everything was covered with an inch of dust.

My grandma frowned. “Clearly it needs a bit of cleaning.”

She walked through the room and went to the window, pulling it open. It was a bit cold for that but I guess it was the best way to air things out. I walked over to the bed and frowned. The bedspread was pink and all the stuffed animals seemed to be staring at me. It was kinda creepy but I guess I couldn’t complain. I was a girl now---a teenage girl. The room was in a desperate need of an upgrade but it would do for now.

Grandma turned from the window. “Right” she said, slapping her hands together, sending a cloud of dust filtering through the room. “Just a bit of cleaning and it should be fine.”

I bit my lip, afraid to ask. In the end though I had too. “Is there any way I can take some of this stuff out of here.”

She didn’t say anything for a second. Then she looked around the room, clearly noticing how out of date everything was. Then she smiled. “Of course you can sweetie. This stuff is ancient.”

Then she walked over and opened the closet. The clothes in there were a bit outdated too. But apparently retro was in, right? My grandma pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, tossing them on the bed. Then she went over to the dresser, taking out some underwear from the top drawer. Then she stopped and looked at me. She frowned, holding a bra in her hand.

“I think you might be a little bigger than her,” she said, putting the bra back.

I flushed in embarrassment. Then looked at the jeans. “Will those fit?”

Grandma looked at them. “How tall are you now dear?”

I flushed again. “Six three now.”

Her eyes opened wide. I think she was surprised at how tall I’d shot up. Hell, I was just as shocked. I figured I was tall, I thought about six three before but it was confirmed when they took my measurements at the FBI office. Six foot three and a hundred and seventy five pounds. Not that you could tell I weighed that much---or little---I’m not sure what a girl would think that was. Anyway, most of my body was lean muscle with very little fat. As I said before, I was prime for the WNBA.

“Well, you’ll have to wear your own underwear of course, but I think those jeans and that shirt should fit. Vanessa was about five ten I think. It’ll be all right to walk around here at least. Tomorrow you and I can do some shopping.”

I groaned. That was the moment I was dreading. Clothes shopping, I knew it was coming. But I thought maybe I could get away with just wearing the yoga clothes for a few days.

Grandma laughed. “Comes with the territory now, sweetheart.”

I huffed,dropping onto the corner of the bed. She came over, sat down next to me and gave me a big hug. We stayed like that for a few minutes. After that, I got dressed. My grandma didn’t leave like she usually used to when I was Charlie but then again we were both girls now. I tried to undress and dress as quickly as possible. I wasn’t quite ready to fully look at my naked body---well, half naked because I was wearing the sports bra and my old underwear. My grandma didn’t like the boy briefs---for one they looked ridiculous. She said we’d remedy all of that tomorrow. I groaned some more. The shirt was purple and a bit tight, especially around the chest area but it was good for now. The jeans were a bit tight, too and a bit short but like she said before we’d only be house today.

After dressing, the real work began.

My grandma left and a few minutes later came back with some boxes and cleaning supplies. Then the two of us set to work making the room presentable. We dusted, polished and scrubbed every surface. We took the posters off the walls, threw away all of Vanessa’s old makeup and then boxed up everything I wasn’t going to use. We ended up filling up three boxes with clothes, knick-knacks and stuffed animals. Sorry, Aunt V, but there was no way I was going to have those creepy things staring at me. After that, I stacked all three boxes and in one arm carried them to one of the spare rooms that we used for storage. My grandma’s mouth dropped open when she saw this feat of strength.

When I got into the room, she was sitting on the bed. The room looked a lot different. It was bared now, stripped of everything that was Vanessa. I smiled at grandma, wondering if we did the right thing. She smiled back as I walked over and sat down next to her. She didn’t say anything for a while. I reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Then she turned to me, clearing her throat. “Darling, do you want to talk about it?”

I smiled. I guess I was expecting this. So I opened my mouth and told her the whole story, starting from the beginning and not leaving out a thing.

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Author's Note: Here's Nine. Its another transition chapter but I promise that things will pick up again soon. Every once and a while a few of these chapters are needed to help the story breath a bit. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for their wonderful characters.

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Chapter Nine:

“Wake up sweetie!”

When I opened my eyes, I was confused because I had no idea where I was. The room around me was unfamiliar, the bed too soft, the frilly pink canopy above me too foreign. At first, I thought I was in a freaky nightmare. That is until I saw my grandmother smiling at me. She was standing near my bedside, waiting patiently for me to get my bearings. I sighed and remembered. The events of the last day or so came flooding back to me. I relaxed a bit, the new protrusions on my chest heaving up and down as I let out a big sigh. I looked down at them and frowned. My new life and new situation came flooding back, too. I wasn’t in Greece anymore; I was back home, my real home. Mom was in the city now, probably stewing over the fact that I grew a pair and finally stood up to her. It is funny that losing my balls made me actually grow some.

“I got confused for a moment,” I mumbled, still clutching the covers to my chest.

My grandma sighed. “Very understandable, dear. You’ve had a busy few days” She looked at the clock on the wall. Then back at me. “Why don’t you take a nice hot shower, I’ll make some breakfast and then you and I can make some plans for the rest of the day.”

I smiled. “That sounds nice.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.”

She turned and left the room. Me, I stayed in bed for a few more minutes, thinking things over. After I had told her everything, I cried for a long time. She held me for a long time, too. It was kinda therapeutic actually, getting everything off my chest. I told her everything, too, not leaving a thing out. She took it surprisingly well, considering that I must have sounded like a lunatic. Unlike Faraday, I trusted my grandmother more than anyone else in the world. I knew if anyone could understand what I was going through, it would definitely be her. I was right, too. She told me that “there are strange things in this world and that anything is possible because of them.” Then she went on to explain that it was actually stories of Ancient Greece and the Amazons that got my mother interested in history in the first place. My grandfather used to tell me similar stories, too. I suppose they had more of an effect on Mom then they did on me.

I threw off the covers and groaned. After talking and a quick dinner---grandma made me go to bed. Not that I could blame her, I was exhausted. Too many time changes and things like that I guess. Before hitting the sack last night, she gave me an oversized shirt that apparently belonged to my grandfather. She told me that young women didn’t sleep in the clothes they wore the day before. So I reluctantly stripped out of my Aunt Vanessa’s old things and pulled the shirt over my head. I think I conked out pretty quickly after that because I don’t remember anything more. Now staring down at the shirt, my new assets tenting it out in front of me, I groaned some more. The shirt was a gift from me. I bought it for him from one of the numerous shops he and I used to frequent on our way to some of our camping trips. It wasn’t much---just some scenic picture of a mountainside. But he liked it. He used to wear it on all our trips after that.

I climbed out of bed, stretched then did some scratching. Not my butt, my chest. It was kinda irritated; apparently, I should have sleep without the bra. I think this girl thing was going to be a lot harder than I thought. I thumped through the room and to the door. Upon opening it, I found a towel and a fluffy pink bathrobe sitting on the chair in the hall. I guess my grandma expected me to use them. I snatched them up without much thought and made my way to the bathroom. Only the master had a built in bath. There were actually three other bathrooms on this floor, the one I was currently in was the largest. It was the one I usually used.

I pulled the oversized shirt over my head and let it drop to the floor. Then I turned to the mirror, she was still there, the new me I mean. She looked a little more bedraggled this morning but she was still as beautiful as ever. For the first time I got a full look at my naked form. I wasn’t one for looking at Playboy magazines or watching porn like some of my other perverted friends. I knew what a naked girl looked like---hell, they showed up all over TV and movies these days---but I didn’t go out of my way to find one. Staring at this naked form---this new body of mine---I half expected to feel something. Every guy, whether they’d admit it or not, got a little stiff looking at naked girls. Now that I wasn’t a guy, I felt no arousal whatsoever. I’m not sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.

I sighed, trying not think about it. I turned on the water, washed my hands, threw some of it into my face then went into the shower. The first thing I noticed as soon as I stepped into the hot stream was how sensitive my new body was. As soon as the water hit me, it sent goose bumps all over my body. Girls were more sensitive in some areas than guys ever were. My chest tingled, my larger nipples got hard and pointy and down below started to tingle. I closed my eyes, trying to block off these sensations as I grabbed the soap and started to wash myself. I kept my eyes closed the entire time I was in the shower, not quite ready to see what I was feeling as I washed.

I was in the shower for about ten minutes. I wash quickly. Afterwards I went pee. I’m not going to give you all the gory details there, suffice to say it was a lot different than before. It wasn’t the first time I’d peed as a girl but it was the first time that I actually had time to think about it. The other few times I was a bit preoccupied with running for my life and all those things. After peeing, I brushed my teeth and washed my hands. I went back to my new room, put on the clothes from before and headed downstairs. At the bottom of which, I could breakfast.

My grandma was in the kitchen, flipping pancakes. I sniffed the air, there was sizzling bacon too, and eggs I think. I smiled, trying to remember the last time I’d had a proper meal. Mom didn’t do much cooking. Not that she had much time to anyway. If she wasn’t teaching, she was at the museum doing research. So most of our meals either consisted of fast food or take out. When we used to live here with grandma, she did all the cooking. It was usually more than one course, too. Before my mother and Aunt Vanessa came around, grandma used to cook at a little diner in the city. But after my mother, she quit to be a full-time mother. Not that she and grandpa really needed the money, but I think she liked to work. She liked to cook too. She always used to say it was therapeutic. I’d have to take her word for it. Though she tried to teach me on countless occasions, I always seemed to screw it up.

My grandma plated the pancakes and carried them to the center of our little table. The kitchen was one of the bigger rooms in the house. It had a lot of counter and cabinet space and an island in the center. It was pretty modern and up-to-date too. Our little table was built into the wall, with long polished wooden benches instead of individual chairs. The big table was in the dining room but we never used it unless we were celebrating a major function like a birthday or holiday. Though my mother didn’t believe in birthdays, my grandma said they were special times to celebrate and cherish. Sometimes I wondered how such a happy and caring woman ever raised my cold and bitter mother.

“Donna called while you were in the shower,” said grandma as she plated the bacon and eggs and brought them over too. “She’s going to take you shopping as soon as breakfast is over.”

She got a couple of plates from the cupboard, handing me one.

“You’re not coming?” I asked as I served myself.

“You don’t want an old thing like me getting in the way,” she said as she sat down, getting some food for herself. “Besides I have some things I want to do around here.”

I couldn’t imagine what. It was winter, so she didn’t have to do gardening---one of her greatest hobbies---and most of the yard work was done by hired hands. After my grandfather died, my grandma paid to have most of the outside housework done. I tried to lend a hand wherever I could but after Mom and I moved out, she was all alone. It always pissed me off that mom did that to her but grandma didn’t mind. She said she liked having some privacy but I think she was only saying that to make me feel better. Looking at her now---sitting there with a big smile on her face---I think she was happy to have me here. I was happy, too. Mom may have given birth to me but this woman sitting across from me was my true mother.

Grandma clicked the TV on. We had a small flat screen in the kitchen, mounted on the wall. We didn’t usually watch it but I guess things changed. On the screen, a pretty blonde anchor appeared. Grandma turned up the volume.

“The country is still mourning the death of great industrialist and entrepreneur Jameson Queen. For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Queen was found dead in his penthouse four nights ago, though the details of his death are still a mystery, Mr. Queen had been ill for some time. Funeral arrangements have been made with a funeral set for tomorrow morning. The future of Queen Industry still remains in the open while some insiders believe that the whole of the company might pass to Mr. Queen’s granddaughter.”

“So tragic” said my grandma with a sigh. “He was a fine man. Did I tell you that he helped fund some of grandfather’s treasure hunts?”

I smiled and nodded. My grandfather and Mr. Queen were old poker buddies back in the day. I didn’t know the specifics but they used to go beating around the bush together in their youth, always looking for the next great adventure. That was before grandpa met grandma of course. I only knew of Queen from grandpa’s stories. I hadn’t heard of his death, which was as grandma said very tragic.

The newscaster switched stories. “And on a more local front, the Black Bandits have struck again.” A grainy image of four, black suited individuals appeared on the screen. “The lithe robbers broke into a Wayne Enterprise warehouse over the weekend, putting four guards in the hospital and making off with thousands of dollars in goods and merchandise. The Chicago police department is asking anyone with information on these dangerous fugitives to please call 555-…”

My grandma muted the TV and shook her head. “That’s all that seems to be on lately. Its either crime or super-heroes.”

I hated being out of the loop but grandma quickly filled me. She told me all about Jade and Terra and that American Dream girl that Agent Faraday mentioned. There might have been a few more but grandma said she wasn’t really following it. We talked a little more about some current events that I wasn’t really up-to-date on. Then the doorbell rang. Grandma excused herself to answer and came back a minute or two later with Donna, the two of them already in conversation. This wasn’t the first time that Donna had been here, she used to eat here all the time and she did about as much work here in the library---yeah, we have one---as Mom did.

Grandma fixed her up and plate as she sat next to me. “Morning, kiddo.”

“Morning” I said cheerfully with a mouth half full of food.

“Manners are the first thing you need to learn, young lady,” said grandma as she handed Donna a plate.

Grandma and Donna laughed, I blushed.

This being a girl thing was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

When they were finished laughing, Donna put a bag on the table. It was a shopping bag, from one of the local boutiques. It was popular with girls my age as I saw a lot of those bags when we went into the city to shop. Looking at the bag and the smile on Donna’s face, I kinda had a feeling what was in there and for whom. She answered my fears when she reached inside and started taking out clothes. I groaned, knowing what was coming.

“I thought the whole purpose for you being here so we could go shopping.”

“It is,” she said, taking all the garments out of the bag. “But you can’t go shopping in clothes that are a few sizes too small. So I stopped by on the way here, got a few things in your size so you wouldn’t look like a complete spaz.”

I groaned again. “You’re having fun with this aren’t you?”

She smiled and tossed a pair of jeans at me. “Oh, yeah! Now go put these on. We have a lot of places to go and very little time to do so.”

I groaned for the third time as she put everything back into the bag and tossed it at me. I finished eating first, there was no way she was going to deny me that. I was starved, too, and ate like I hadn’t in days. I devoured everything, even went back for seconds. Both of them commented on how girls needed to watch their figures but I didn’t care. I ate like a horse. Even after my third helping, I didn’t feel full. After that, there was nothing left so I was forced to leave and change. I dressed in the downstairs bathroom, which was just off to the left of the sitting room next to the kitchen. The girls fit like a glove, a little too good actually. At least they were the right size. The shirt was red and unfortunately had no sleeves. I didn’t like that one bit but seeing as it was the only one, I didn’t have much of a choice. The underwear were white briefs, meant for girls not boys. I put those on first by the way---there was no commando for me. I still wore the sports bra, and the shoes were another pair of sandals.

When I was finished, I came back into the kitchen to find grandma on the phone, talking to someone. There was a white business card in her hand; I recognized it as the one Faraday gave me yesterday. I groaned, forgetting that he told me I was supposed to call that number if I wanted to leave. I hated the fact that I needed a babysitter every time I left the house but I guess it was the only way the government could feel secure about themselves or something.

My grandma hung up the phone. “The Agent will be here in a few minutes then the three of you can leave.”

I could tell by the grandma’s tone that she didn’t like the fact that the government was keeping tabs on me either.

My grandma lived in the village of Schaumburg, which was actually about thirty miles northwest of Chicago. One of its main attractions was the Woodfield Mall. The Mall was our destination for the afternoon. After my grandma made the call, my Agent Babysitter arrived about thirty minutes later in a black SUV similar to the one that dropped me off yesterday. What surprised me most that it was a woman. She introduced herself as Cameron Chase---she didn’t put agent in front of that either, I think she was trying to be casual. She was dressed casually after all in jeans and a black leather jacket over a tan shirt. Her long blonde hair was loose on her shoulders but there was no mistaking that there was nothing casual about her. She had a stern look to her and if I wasn’t mistaken, a slight bulge on her left side where I know she had a gun concealed. She tried to be pleasant, telling us to call her Cameron but there was something about her that put me off. Partly because this woman was here to spy on me but also because she gave me this look. It was like she hated me or something. I’m not sure what the hell was up her ass but the look really annoyed me. Cameron was in the front with the driver; Donna was in the back with me.

After leaving grandma’s, Donna quickly filled me in on what happened when she got back to her apartment. Apparently, she got home to an empty place. Not that Barbara left her or anything but apparently, Donna wasn’t the only one who got to go on an expedition. Barbara left a note, saying that she was invited by her professor to go with him to Africa. I’m not sure if Donna was ecstatic or not about the news. I think after the last few days, all she wanted to do was go home and cuddle in her girlfriend’s arms. Now she’s going to have to wait three or four months until Barbara returns. I felt kinda bad for her, wondering if she wanted to cuddle with me instead.

We arrived at the mall not too long after leaving the house. We pulled up in the parking lot near J. C. Penney’s. The driver stayed with the SUV, Cameron followed us inside. I used to go to Woodfield all the time; it is the place to hang for kids my age after all. Now that it was after Christmas it wasn’t as packed---being the end of January but there were still a lot of people milling about. Looking around brought back a bit of nostalgia. Connor and I used to spend countless hours here, running from toy store to toy store, hitting the arcade. Now most of the kids my age hung out in the food court.

“Miss Sandsmark” said Cameron as we stepped through the doors into the busy and bustling lower floor. “This is for you.”

She was holding a card, waiting for me to take it. I reluctantly did so. “What is this?”

“An incentive program set up by the DEO.”

I took the card; it was a credit card. My name---my new one---was on it. “What’s the DEO?”

“The Department of Extra-normal Operations is a new organization recently set up by the US government. Our job is to monitor those with Metahuman powers and make sure they’re not a threat to the general public. The DMA---the group Agent Faraday and I work for---is a small branch of the DEO.”

I nodded. I don’t think I wanted to know more. “What’s the credit line on this?”

“Five thousand.”

The eyes bulged out of Donna’s head about as far as mine did. I’d never had that much money in my hand in my entire life. Who cares if it was in a little plastic card? It amazed me that the government would willingly hand me that much cash. Ok, it wasn’t really all that much but it was a lot more than Mom and I had to spend. Mom refused to take handouts even though grandma didn’t call them that. I did have a little trust fund set up in my name---well Charlie’s actually---but that was meant for college.

“That stipend is supposed to help you set up a new life, to get the things that you need to live comfortably in said new life” continued Cameron, sounding like some official who was given me a message that she had to memorize.

After giving me the card, Cameron didn’t say much more. Instead, she followed Donna and I as the older girl dragged me about like a little doll. She took me to one trendy store after another. I think we hit every teen fashion store there was. First, Abercrombie & Fitch, then Aéropostale and XXI Forever. There were a lot of others as well. In each shop, Donna loaded my arms with clothes and pushed me toward the changing rooms. I definitely felt like a doll. I’d dress, come out, model for her and then go back in to start the process all over. I was being run rampant and at first, I hated it. I say at first because after a few stores, I sorta got the hang of it. I’m not saying that I like clothes shopping now or anything but I like it a little more than I did before.

Our last stop before lunch was Victoria’s Secret. We were already bogged down with over a dozen bags already and let me tell you, I was kinda avoiding this stop. A couple of years ago---three actually---Connor and I got in trouble in Victoria’s Secret. We were young, puberty was setting in and our hormones were kinda on fire. The two of us didn’t really even go into the store, we were kinda lingering on the outside, we couldn’t help it. There was this girl in there---probably in her twenties---we kinda caught her walking out of the changing room, wearing nothing but her skivvies. Well suffice to say she screamed, the manager called security and I was grounded for two weeks. My Mom was furious; my grandma wasn’t too thrilled either. The two of them gave me a big lecture on women and respecting their privacy.

Connor and I never went anywhere near that place again.

Going in here now, looking at all the lingerie clad mannequins and things like that made me feel wrong somehow. As soon as the three of us walked inside---Cameron lingering between us too---a young woman came out of nowhere. It was possible she materialized from the racks of undies. I jumped, Donna smiled, Cameron showed no emotion.

“How can I help you ladies today?”

Donna spoke up before I could say anything. “My little cousin here has grown a bit since her last visit. She needs to be refitted for a new bra.”

I flushed red in embarrassment. The woman looked at me then looked up and up. Even with her in heels, I still had a good five or six inches on her. There was a flash of something across her face---jealousy maybe---then her fake smile was back.

“Of course, come right this way.”

She took my arm and led me off. I looked back at Donna for help but she had a big smile on her face. She shooed me on, I groaned. The woman was asking me all sorts of questions but all I could do was nod. She led me back to the changing rooms and told me to take off my shirt. I did so. She frowned at the sports bra, telling me to take that off as well. As soon as I did, I felt my pair flop free. It felt kinda good for a second until I realized how heavy they were without a bra. The woman didn’t say anything. Instead, she went about measuring. Her hands were cold and I didn’t like how comfortable she seemed to feel fondling my boobs like she was. In the end, she announced I was a C cup then went off to find me something age appropriate.

I looked at my naked chest in the mirror on the door. For the first time I really saw myself. I was gorgeous. I knew I was pretty but gorgeous, well that was something I never thought I’d use to describe myself. I turned this way and that. Then I grabbed some of my hair, pulling it up on the top of my head. I’d seen what I looked like with a ponytail but this morning I left with it down. I let go of my hair, deciding I liked it better down. As soon as I dropped my hair, the woman came back. She had a few bras with her. She made me try them on one at a time. In the end, I settled for the plainest in the bunch. I’m not sure, if she was happy or not because it was also the cheapest.

She took the tag, making me wear it under my clothes. She also took my sports bra, promising to burn it for me. I put my shirt back on and followed her to the register. She told me to grab a few more bras just like the one I had on. I found them as I walked by, grabbing six or seven. I paid for my purchases, my stomach rumbling. I looked at the clock on the wall, not believing it was already time for lunch.

“I’m starved,” I said as the three of us left the store, me one bag heavier.

“One more stop before we eat” said Donna, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward Claire’s.

In Claire’s she got my ears pierced. It was a lot less painful that I thought t was going to be. I had to wear these little studs in my ears for a while but after that, I could wear whatever I wanted. To celebrate this rite of passage, Donna bought me a pair of earrings. They were dangling red stars, about the size of quarters. They looked kinda ridiculous but according to Donna, they fit me. I reluctantly thanked her as she paid for everything. The earrings and the piercings were her treat. After that, her stomach growled too and we finally made our way to the food court.

There was only one place that I liked to eat at while I was here. It was Sbarro’s, they made the best pizza. I could get it the right way too, New York style. I know I’m a Chicagoan but I’m afraid I’m not much of a fan of deep dish. I like being able to pick up a slice and take a bite. We ordered a large cheese and pepperoni and took it to the court to eat. I was trying not to notice but there were a lot of people staring. I felt just like I did when I was at JFK and O’Hare. A lot of people probably thought I was a giant freak or worse, a model. As Charlie, I didn’t really draw all that much attention. I was the quiet Emo kid with the skater boy haircut and no social skills. I used to walk into a room and fade into the crowd. Now I was Cassie, six foot three and all leg. I was tall, beautiful and blonde. Which unfortunately for me made me very hard to miss?

We found a table away from the crowds. Donna sat on one side of me, Cameron across from me. She hadn’t said much which I think was a good thing. What was there for her to discuss with us anyway? She had to be at least ten years older than Donna and looked kinda out of place following the two of us around. I’m not sure if people thought she was my mother---she was blonde like me and we had the same eye color---or if she was an uncomfortable older person who happened to be hanging out with us. I have to say, she did try too hard to blend in. It was clear that the jeans and leather jacket were not her usual. For some reason I saw her better suited for a pants suit or something.

“Don’t look now but that gorgeous guy over there is staring at you?” said Donna as she slurped on her coke.

I was about to take a bit of my pizza when I froze. Gorgeous guy? My heart beat faster in my chest and my hand trembled a bit. Guys weren’t supposed to find me attractive. I wasn’t supposed to find them attractive either. So at first I tried to ignore what she said. But my beating heart and trembling hands got the better of it. I couldn’t help it; I wanted to see who she thought was gorgeous. Maybe it was someone I knew. I’m not sure what I thought about that but I suppose it was going to have to happen sooner or later. After all, I did grow up around here. I used to come here all the time so I was bound to run into one of my old classmates.

I feigned stretching and finally looked behind me.

My heart skipped a beat. Not in a good way either. Two tables behind us---sitting in a group of six or seven, was my best friend in the whole wide world---Connor Kent. I nearly choked when I saw him, snapping around quickly. My cheeks flushed red and my heart skipped a beat again. It had to be Connor; it just had to be him. I cursed silently, biting my lip. I hadn’t seen him in months, actually. He left about a month before me. I think I might have mentioned that he lived in the city not too far from mom and me. Well, after his Dad left for California and he moved in with his cuz, the two of us became constant companions in our misery. We had something in common, both our parents ignored us. Whereas his Dad was a big time reporter, his Mom was a jet-setting model, maybe you’ve heard of Lana Lang.

“He’s cute,” said Donna, giving me a nudge.

“What” I said, snapping out of my thoughts.

“The dark hair one with the muscles. The one who was staring” said Donna with a laugh. “I think you scared him off with that fake stretch. That was subtle by the way, very flirtatious of you.”

I groaned. “I’m not trying to flirt,” I snapped.

“Well you better quick because here he comes.”

I gulped. Son of a bitch. I only had a few seconds to get myself ready before I saw him. Donna was right, he walking over. He had this stride that I never noticed before. There was also this way about him. When he walked, his muscles bulged more. God he had a lot of those. How come I never noticed that before? And his arms, they were huge, like pistons. His chest was huge too; his black shirt was straining against it. My heart skipped another beat and my palms were all sweaty. I tried to look casual as he came over, running a hand through his cropped black hair. He smiled, trying to not look nervous. But I knew he was, after all, he was my best bud. He had this thing with girls. Even though he was a babe magnet, a total hottie to the whole female population, he was the shyest guy I knew. A lot of girls fell all over him and they thought he was aloof when he ignored them. In truth, he was kinda terrified of them. He didn’t know how to talk to girls. Before moving to Chicago when he was nine, he and his father lived on the family farm in Kansas. His Dad home-schooled him, with the help of his grandmother. He didn’t have much interaction with girls on the farm.

“Hi” he said, clearing his throat. “Umm, my friends and I were wondering if you’d like to come over and talk with us for a few minutes.”

I glanced casually over at his friends. I knew all of them and hated them. They were his football teammates. They hassled me all the time when Connor wasn’t around. All of them were jackasses. Looking at them now---sneering at me like a bunch of pigs---made my skin crawl. These guys were checking me out and I hated every minute of it.

“Cassie, the young man asked you a question” sad Donna, a little too playfully.

I snapped back to the real world. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?”

He smiled weakly, sticking out his hand. “I’m Connor Kent, I live in Chicago. But I still go to high school around here.”

I had to smile. All I asked was his name. Typical Connor.

“I’m Cassie,” I said, confidently taking his hand and shaking.

He had a strong grip but nothing compared to mine.

I looked at Donna and Cameron, hoping that one of them would interfere and tell him to get lost. But the two of them didn’t. Cameron looked indifferent; Donna looked like she was staring at fish in an aquarium. I was so going to get her back later for this. Looking at the two of them, I knew I was on my own. So that being the case, I took a deep breath and spoke.

“I’d really like too but we’re kinda in the middle of a big shopping spree.”

“No we’re not, Cass,” said Donna “I think we can spare a few minutes so you can get to know some of your new classmates.”

“Are you going to Gateway High?”

That was the name Connor and I called the local high school. A lot of the kids there were from the Gates. I think he thought I knew to what he was referring so I nodded.

Donna answered for me. “Cassie just moved her. Her parents are traveling so she’s living with her grandmother in Green Meadows.”

“Hey I used to live there. I have a friend who lives there or he did. He lives in the city now. Have you met Charlie Sandsmark?”

Donna’s eyes got big. I think she know knew why I was trying to avoid my good buddy. She got this evil look. I opened my mouth to say something but she beat me too it. “Cassie and Charlie are cousins.”

Damn bitch. I smiled sweetly at him then pretended to remember him. “Oh, you’re Charlie’s friend Connor.”

He nodded. “Yep. Is he back from Greece yet?”

I shook my head. “No…he’s ummm…”

Donna helped. “Going to live with his Dad for a while.”

Damn her.

“His Dad?” said Connor “I didn’t think he knew who that was?”

“They reconnected,” I said quickly. “He found his Dad in Greece and the two of them hit it off. Charlie and his mom have problems”

Connor nodded. “So Charlie wanted to try living with his Dad for a bit to see how that went.”

Connor looked a little upset. “He’s my best bud, I wish he would have called or emailed or something.”

“He was going to,” I quickly added “But I told him I’d hunt you down and tell you for him.”

Donna smiled. Clearly, she worked another connotation into my term “hunt you down.” I think Connor did too because he smiled real big. Damn me and my stupid mouth.

Then he quickly added. “Hey, I’m riding early tomorrow. Do you want me to swing by and pick you up? It’s the first day of classes after Winter Break, after all.”

I found myself numbly nodding. He smiled big.

“Cool, see ya then.”

“Yeah, see ya.”

Connor turned and walked back over to his table happily. There was some laughter, his football friends slapping him on the back. I looked over at Donna and glared. She smiled sheepishly at me. The rest of our meal I fumed at her and she pretended to be offended. I think she got great pleasure out of seeing me embarrassed like that. Cameron was indifferent again. I think that was the only thing that that woman knew how to be. I only think I heard her speak a few words and that was when we first got here. I understood she was only there to “babysit” me but at least she could have been a little more friendly about it. Her quietness was kinda freaky actually.

But thankfully, I didn’t have to put up with it much longer.

We finished lunch and started to hit some of the other stores. Donna was convinced I needed this and that. I went along with it because frankly I didn’t know what a girl my age needs. Two hours and several stores later, I think all three of us were pretty tired. We were on the bottom floor again, heading toward the entrance where we were parked. It was a good day, I had way more stuff then I wanted but I had fun.

That is until I heard the woman behind us scream. “Help me someone, he took my purse!”

I dropped my bags and instinctively snapped around. I saw the purse snatcher; he was running right for me. I’m not really sure what happened. One minute he was almost passing me and the next, my arm was held straight out.

I clothes lined him.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 10, things are moving along nicely. Kudos to anyone who figures out who the two DC characters are that I introduce in this chapter. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for their wonderful characters.

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Chapter Ten:

“Are you out of your damn mind?”

I shrugged. I didn’t know what else to say or do. I didn’t intentionally clothesline the guy. It was some kind of instinct. He was running toward me and my arm acted on its own. Ok, so that’s only partially true. I heard the woman scream, knew she was in trouble and needed help. There was a split second thought before I put out my arm and I felt pretty satisfied about it afterwards. Only for a few seconds afterwards. Then the severity of what I did had sunk in and I realized that a part of me acted without me knowing it. I think the same part that acted against the fake Andreas men on the island. It was the Amazonian hardwire again. It had to be. But the strangest part about it was that a part of me didn’t think it was so bad anymore.

“Don’t shrug” snapped Cameron, passing the small room. “This is serious.”

We were in the mall’s security office. Ok, technically it was a small room off to the side of the office but who’s trying to be technical. After I subdued the purse snatcher, mall security were quick to respond. There were three of them and I think they were a bit confused as to who the bad guy was. I’m not really sure what happened after that. All I know is that one of them drew his tazer and tried to stick me with it. I think I might have overreacted because the next thing I knew, he was flying through a nearby storefront. As you can imagine, things didn’t really sit well with security after that. I calmed down enough to allow them to cuff me and bring me here. The only thing that was keeping me here was Agent Chase. She identified herself as a federal agent and they brought us here instead of calling the police.

Now the three of us were waiting for the detective in charge to get here. I looked over at Donna; she was trying to keep herself occupied by filing her nails. I know, it’s a really girly thing to do, but that’s Donna for you. She tried not to make eye contact with me though. I think she was still a little embarrassed about how she acted before. I was still a little steamed about it too. She tried to apologize for it as we were leaving the food court but I wasn’t going to hear it. I still didn’t want to hear it. What she did was pretty low and I think she knew that. But I suppose in her defense---not that I was defending any of her actions---she was only trying to help. I just wasn’t ready for that stage yet. I’ve only been a girl for a few days and it’s bad enough that I’m a damn sexy one.

“Miss Sandsmark, are you even listening now?”

I groaned. I hadn’t been listening. For the last minute or so, Cameron had been lecturing me and I hadn’t been paying attention.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, ok. I didn’t mean to do it, it sorta happened.”

She groaned. “The clothes lining I understand. But that guard, what the hell were you thinking. They had to take him and the purse snatcher out of here in an ambulance.”

I had heard the sirens but I figured they were police cars. Was I upset that I hurt the guard, sure, but the purse snatcher not so much. He was a thief, he got what he deserved. I hated watching the news and seeing guys like him get off with a slap on the wrist. It wasn’t just him either, rapists tended to slip away too. Crimes against women should be punishable by death. Death? Whoa, where did that come from? I think rapists should be punished but not something that severe, castration maybe but not death. I groaned, shaking my head.

A knock on the door drew me from my thoughts. I’m not sure why anyone would be knocking. Then the door opened and a thirty something man walked in. He was tall, brown hair, a strong chin. He liked like one of those PI’s from those old black and white movies grandpa used to get me to watch. Not that I’m saying there was anything Bogart about this guy, he just had the look of him that’s all. It didn’t help matters that he was wearing a tan trench coat. I mean who wears a trench coat anymore.

He stopped in the doorway and looked at each of us in turn. His eyes lingered a bit on Donna and then over to Cameron. He didn’t even give me a passing glance. “Afternoon ladies, I hear you three have had a busy day.”

Cameron snapped right to it. “Agent Cameron Chase, DEO” She flipped him her badge, his eyes got real big. “And you are?”

He smiled. “Detective Mike Schorr, Robbery.”

He didn’t flip his badge. The two of them began to talk shop. I listened intently as Cameron did her job and kept me out of trouble. She tried to explain the situation as best as possible, telling him only what he needed to know and leaving out the rest. I’m not sure what the rest was considering she told him I was a Meta and that the guards got a little overzealous earlier. He seemed to listen though and only looked at me once or twice during their conversation. Me I tried to occupy my mind with trying to figure out a way to get Donna back for earlier. Because if she thinks she’s gonna go unpunished for the food court thing she was sorely mistaken.

My thoughts were interrupted when Detective Schorr finally spoke to me. “Miss Sandsmark?”

I nodded. “That’s the name I’m going by.”

Ok, smart ass doesn’t work for me well, especially in front of authority. Cameron glared at me. Schorr smiled; maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. “The state of Illinois and the city of Schaumburg wishes to extend its thanks in what you did today but asks that you keep your actions to yourself in the future.”

I nodded. I think I could live with that. Well, unless someone tried to taze me again that is.

“Ok, ladies” he said, looking a bit longer at Donna than I think even she would have liked. “You’re free to go. But in the future, I ask a little caution next time.” Then he turned to Cameron, nodding. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

He then turned and left. I turned to Cameron, half expecting to see her blush. But she was emotionless as ever. “What was that all about? Did he ask you out?”

She smirked. “They’re having problems with a group of bandits, they’re at their wit’s end and the detective asked if I could lend him a hand while we’re in town.”

I nodded and frowned. I’m not sure why her not going on a date upset me so much but it did. Maybe it was the new girl in me or maybe it was because I had envisioned seeing her in something black and leggy. Ok, see there’s still some guy left in there. Ok, it’s a small part but it’s there still. So the Amazonian hardwire wasn’t in complete control of my brain, just the parts that seemed to control my reactions. So maybe if I could just learn to avoid dangerous situations, there would be no more police visits for me.

We didn’t stay around much after that. I think Woodfield security was more than happy to see the three of us go. Detective Schorr escorted us out the back way, though. Apparently, someone in the media heard about my “heroics” and was looking to interview. Cameron thought it would best if I didn’t plaster my face all over the television. Apparently, they didn’t want another Terra on their hands. I was glad for it, too. Someone once said with “great power comes great responsibility” and frankly, I wasn’t ready for any of that yet. I won’t deny that I thought being a superhero might be cool but I don’t think I was ready for the world just yet.

When we got outside, our SUV was waiting for us. Cameron had called the driver en route. A couple of the security guys carried my bags, putting them in the back. I thanked them but they gave me cold stares. I think the next time I wanted to go on a shopping trip I’d avoid Woodfield, at least for a while anyway. When Donna and I got into the car, Cameron gave us the rundown. Apparently, they had protocol in place for this kind of incident---not that it really was one. We weren’t allowed to tell anyone what I just did nor were we to speak to any media if they called. The DEO was starting to enact strict policies into things concerning Metas and the press. I guess the Jade incident a few months ago and then that Terra girl really shook the government up.

We drove back to The Gates in silence.

When we got back to grandma’s house---I mean my house---the driver stopped in front of the driveway. Apparently, while we were shopping, it had snowed and the snowplow had put most of it into the front of the drive. It was one of the things I hated most about winter and living in a cul-de-sac. The driver grumbled a bit about it and I smiled. He grumbled even more when Cameron ordered him out of the SUV to help the three of us bring my numerous bags into the house. My grandma was in the living room watching television. Her eyes widened as we carried the first few bags inside. They got even bigger when the others came, too.

There were twenty bags in all. Quite a haul and half of the crap I didn’t even want.

On the last trip, Cameron pulled me aside. “I’m going back into the city. But if you’re going out, I want you to make sure you’ll call.”

I nodded. “Is someone going to follow me to school tomorrow, too?”

I tried to make sure she heard the disdain in my voice. I was already sick and tired of my government babysitters. I felt like a criminal, having them following me around like this. I think she detected the disdain too because her response was dripping with it, too.

“You won’t have an official escort but someone will be there.”

“I’m not the bad guy you know.”

She nodded. “You might not be but there are some out there like you who think that power can make them above the law.”

Cameron nodded to my grandma then to Donna. I didn’t show her out. When she was gone, I walked over to the nearest chair and flopped into it. I sighed. I couldn’t believe how exhausting shopping could be. I looked over at Donna, who was practically asleep on the couch. I smiled, wondering if now was the perfect time for revenge. But then I changed my mind, knowing that she might be expecting it. So I decided to wait, which gave me time to plan. Then I looked over at the television, which my grandma had muted. It was the news and there was some fluff piece on there at the moment. I half paid attention, as the reporter silently droned on. I grabbed the remote, about to shut it off when the story changed and I saw an exterior of the mall. I bit my lip. Son of a bitch. I was about to shut it off when my grandma saw, too.

“Not so fast, missy” she said, snatching the remote and unmuting.

“Here we are at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg where I’m told that a nearly an hour ago a mugging took place. The victim, seventy five year old Dolores Barnes.”
The pretty brunette reporter smiled. “In most instances, this would have ended in heart ache for Mrs. Barnes if not for a brave Samaritan.”

The scene on the screen changed. The mall exterior and the reporter disappeared. In its place was a grainy overhead shot, it looked like it came from a surveillance camera. It showed a quick scene of the purse-snatcher running off with the old woman’s purse then someone---a banner blocked most of my head---clothes lining the bastard. I smiled. It happened so fast. When it happened in real life, it seemed like an instant but on video, it was so quick too. I couldn’t believe how fast I reacted. One minute the guy was running and the next he was on the floor---on his back---not moving. There was pandemonium after that. The guy tried to get up but someone---a familiar arm from off-screen---grabbed him.

The television switched back to the reporter. “Whoever this Samaritan was, mall security refused to comment. This reporter tried to get an interview but was unable to do so at the time…could this be another young hero in our midst. This is…”

My grandma clicked off the television and gave me a look. “That tall girl in the jeans looks awfully familiar.”

I slumped in the chair. “It was a reaction,” I said softly. “I didn’t even know I was doing it until it happened.”

Grandma frowned. Donna was silent. “And the man?”

“They took him to the hospital, but he’s all right.”

I smiled. I didn’t know if he was all right or not. I was just glad that the video didn’t show what happened afterwards. My grandma was a good person and she was pretty decent when it came to me doing bad things. After the incident in Victoria’s Secret, she listened to my story and then delivered the punishment she thought was fair. My mother pitched in too but everyone knew it wasn’t really her decision---she stopped making real decisions for me long ago.

My grandma’s eyes narrowed a bit but then softened. “If the man had been anything other than a criminal I would have been extremely upset with you.”

I was shocked. She said nothing more. I waited; I waited for the scolding or even the punishment. But there was nothing. “That’s it?”

She smiled. “Do you want me to punish you?” I shook my head. She laughed. “I think you’re old enough to realize when your actions have consequences. These new gifts of yours are going to take some getting used too, for everyone involved.”

She switched the subject after that. I wish she had kept it because next she wanted to know everything I bought. I begrudgingly started taking things out of the bags. I was glad that she didn’t make me model any of them for her. I was also glad that Donna’s exhaustion got the better of her and she was now slumbering peacefully on the couch. Neither of us disturbed her. It took me a while to show grandma all my new clothes. Then I had to show her the accessories, which included the earrings. It took about an hour or so. After that, she made me carry Donna up to one of the spare bedrooms. I laid her on the bed, putting the covers over her. I thought about taking a marker and drawing a mustache on her for payback but thought, it would be too cruel.

Instead, I went back downstairs, got my bags and took them up to my room. It took me another hour or so to put everything in the right place. I’m not sure how I knew, but somehow I did. It took me about an hour or so to do that too. By then I was so exhausted I flopped down on my bed. My stomach grumbled, which as everyone knows is the universal sign for being hungry. But I was too tired to get up and look for something to eat. It was strange because I shouldn’t have felt tired at all. If I was supposed to be some super Amazon chick, shouldn’t I have super endurance or something? I mean, I beat the hell out of all those guys in Greece without breaking a sweat. I could have gone hours. But ever since I got on the plane and came back home, I was getting tired just like I normally would.

I lay there a long time thinking about it. About twenty minutes later, I came to the conclusion that it was exercise. The reason I was so pumped in Greece was that I was so pumped. I jumped up from bed and ran over to my dresser. I pulled open the second drawer, knowing that’s where I put my stuff. Somehow I knew that I’d be running again, I’m not sure how. So one of the numerous shops I dragged Donna and Cameron into was a sporting goods one. I think it was the only place we went to that Cameron felt at home in. I got several weather appropriate outfits, all for running.

I pulled out my winter outfit now and stripped quickly. I put it on just as quickly, too. A thermal shirt---way too tight I might add---a pair of thermal pants, my new running shoes and muffs for my ears. It wasn’t exactly my favorite outfit in the bunch but the salesgirl said all of it was top of the line. It would keep the cold out and that’s all that mattered I suppose.

After I dressed, I ran downstairs. Grandma was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. It smelled like Italian. Grandpa and I used to use the kitchen door to run from. It was always our starting point. We used to set our watches there and then take off, going around the development first and then striking out from there. I bought a fancy watch in the sporting goods store too and an iPod. Donna insisted I have one of those, even though I had no music to put into it. I left the iPod in my bedroom---still in the package. I’d fiddle with that thing later.

“Going out?” my grandma asked, as she put spaghetti into a boiling pot.

I nodded. “Just for a little run. I need to keep my mind preoccupied and my body pumping.”

She smiled. “Are you going to call Agent Chase?”

I frowned. I hadn’t planned on it. I was only going a little way from home. My grandma smiled and nodded. She didn’t say anything more. I think she knew that I wasn’t one for babysitters. But she also knew the importance of making sure I was safe. So even though she smiled she frowned a bit too. I sighed and walked into the living room, finding the place where I stashed the card. I pulled it out and picked up the handset, giving Cameron a call. She picked up on the second ring, she sounded as exhausted as I felt a few seconds ago.

“Chase” she said, yawning a bit.

“I’m going for a run, do I need an escort?”

I think I heard her moan. “Didn’t you get enough exercise today?”

I laughed. “Apparently not. I think I need to keep active to stay active.”

She groaned again. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll make arrangements.”

She hung up before I could say bye. I walked over to the couch and waited, hating the fact that I had to wait for someone. It annoyed me that I had to have a babysitter every time I left the house. Did the government really think I was that much of a threat to them? Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. About twenty minutes later, my doorbell rang. When I opened it, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t the guy standing there. He was twenty-something, tall and blonde, dressed in the male equivalent of what I was wearing, except his shirt was red. He had chiseled good looks but there was this air of cockiness about him that was very off putting. Ok he was cute but it was going to go no further than that.

He smiled, holding out his hand. “I’m Jay; Cam said you were going running?”

I shook his hand. “Cassie” Then I added, “You better keep up.”

I didn’t wait for him. Instead, I brushed past him and went out the door. Ok, so we didn’t go out the kitchen door but I was bound and determined to show this guy up. I took off into a dead sprint, not wanting to hold back. Surprisingly it didn’t take long for him to catch up with me. He was fast; I guess I could give him that. He kept good pace with me, which was pretty impressive. I was always a pretty decent runner back when I was in shape. But after grandpa died, I kinda stopped caring about everything. So I stopped running. I think it upset my grandma a bit because I think she thought I was going to go out for the track team. I guess it was always in the back of my mind. But running was always something that grandpa and I liked to do together and without him there to cheer me on, I lost interest in it.

I took him for my usual run. Well, the usual one that grandpa and I used to take. Jay was surprisingly good. He ran alongside me, keeping good pace. But I think I was going a little slow for his benefit.

“Is this one of your meta powers?” he asked, pumping along.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I used to run before but I haven’t in a long time.” He nodded. “Seeing as we’re asking, what’s your story?”

He smiled. “I used to run in college. I was All-State you know, almost made the Olympic team.”

“What happened?”

“I found the Marines” He sighed. “I was in Iraq up to about a month ago. Then the DEO came recruiting, looking for a few good men. We were given a choice, serve there or come home and fight a different war. I decided to sign up with them.” He laughed. “I once was called the Fastest Man Alive.”

I laughed. “Well come on then Mr. Flash, you can’t let a little girl like me beat you.”

He laughed and took the challenge as I ran ahead. Ok, now that I knew he wasn’t a lightweight, there was no way I was going to go easy on him. He took the bait. I put on the speed and he put on his to up the ante. He was pretty good, faster than I thought. But me, I was phenomenal. I knew I had been pretty fast before but now it was unheard of. The two of us were neck and neck for a while; he even managed to pass me when we passed out of The Gates and onto the road heading to the nearby park. But once we got into the open, away from the twists and turns of the development, I barreled ahead. He was still behind me, keeping a good pace but he couldn’t match me anymore stride for stride.

But he tried. We hit the park. He got a burst of speed and almost reached me but he had nothing left. For a few minutes, he was still a few feet behind me until I put on more speed and smoked him. I was thrilled. Never in my life have I ever run this fast. Hell, I just smoked an Olympic caliber runner. I took a glance back and saw him panting. Not only did I smoke him, I burned him. A big smile spread across my face and I laughed. It felt good to run like this. Better in fact now that I knew my theory was correct. I didn’t feel any change until we left the development but now I was certain. In order for me to not feel exhausted, I needed to perform strenuous activity. I don’t think that meant I was going to conk out in the middle of the day or anything but it meant that if I did a lot without exercise, then I was going to get tired doing it. I suppose that made sense. Amazons after all were the super women of their day.

I felt exhilarated with this new bit of information. I wanted to show off, too. I looked around and I saw the opportunity. Up ahead, there was a group of girls running. I knew them to be the track team from school. Well, the Indoor track team anyway. They were wearing the green and white of our school colors. Most likely they were out for an afternoon run, limbering up for the upcoming season. I took a deep breath and slowed down a bit, after all as a Meta I was probably faster than all of them combined. I smiled for the girls at the back of the pack, they were keeping good pace but they were falling behind. I ran up on them stealthily and wove between the two of them. I don’t think they ever saw me coming. I did the same with the rest of the girls, weaving in and out, passing each with very little difficulty. Then I aimed for the leader of the pack. I knew her by sight only. She was one of those girls that popped up on every athletic team she could get on. I didn’t know her name but it was hard to miss her with that long red hair of hers. She was clearly the dominant runner, making the other girls look frail in comparison.

I approached slowly first, not wanting to show off too much.

I’m not sure how long it took for her to realize I was there. But as soon as I got close enough, she put on the speed. She was good, built for distance and short bursts. She was well muscled too, I could see that through the lines in her clothes. Given a normal circumstance, this girl could probably out run me easy. Hell, she might have even been able to give Jay a run for his money. But I wasn’t a normal girl and this wasn’t a normal circumstance. Ok, so I was feeling cocky but for some reason I wanted to show off. So I tired of trailing behind and put on a little speed. I soon matched her stride for stride.

She tried to ignore me but it was kinda hard. She kept good pace with me, just like Jay. But even her endurance started to waver a bit. I smiled, not even breaking a sweat. I put forth the challenge, moving ahead of her. She took the bait. I heard an older woman call out to her. I looked around, seeing the girl’s coach standing on the sidelines. It took me a second to realize what we were running on. It was the outdoor track in the park. I didn’t notice before because it was covered with snow. These girls weren’t just running, I think I might have stumbled onto a practice. A real one with the coach and everything. I heard her blow her whistle angrily but we didn’t stop. Me I didn’t have to and this girl, well I think she liked the challenge.

Unfortunately, for her it wasn’t much of one.

I pulled ahead, letting out a laugh as I did so. She fell behind; I think I heard her curse. Then I heard her shout something. I turned around, putting an ear to my head. She put her hands on her hips and shouted louder.

“Do you have a name, Speedster?”

I laughed and shouted back. “Cassie.”

Then I took off. I think the whole track team watched me run after that. I suppose it was pretty impressive. I didn’t quit for a while, after which the team was long gone. I stopped at the bleachers, finding Jay waiting for me. He was drinking from a bottle of water and tossed me one. I caught it one handed and took off the top. I took a big long swig; the cool drink was extremely satisfying. I sat on the bench next to him, finally breaking a sweat.

Jay waited until I was done drinking a few more sips before he talked. “Showing off, are we?”

I shrugged. “I felt so alive out there.”

He laughed. “I know that feeling.”

I got off the bench and started limbering up; stretching my body in ways I didn’t even know I could. I was as flexible as hell now. It felt good too, invigorating like the run. Jay watched with a smile. I think he was surprised that I still had any energy at all. When I was done stretching, he reached over to his side and held up a business card. I looked at for a few seconds then recognized the figure head on top. It was our school mascot.

“The coach was livid with you at first. She berated the hell out of me for you interrupting their practice.”

“I didn’t realize that that was what they were doing.”

He smirked. “Sure you did” I shrugged. “Anyway, after she was done scolding me she watched you run. That girl you smoked back there was All State last year, she led the team to a conference win and you beat her time without breaking a sweat. After that the woman kept bugging me for your name and where you went to school.”

“You didn’t tell her did you?”

He laughed. “I didn’t have a choice, she wouldn’t leave me alone.” I groaned and he laughed some more. Then he handed me the card. “She says as soon as you get settled, she wants you to come and see her. She won’t take no for an answer, she absolutely must have you on the team this spring.”

I reluctantly took the card. I didn’t even read it as I stuck it in my shirt pocket. Jay shook his head then got up. He groaned a bit, I think from the strain. I smiled. He might have been in good shape but it looks like I really ran him through his paces. I started to stretch some more, getting prepared for our run back to the house. But he apparently had other plans. He pointed toward the parking lot where I saw a black SUV waiting.

“What, I tire you out?”

He laughed. “You might be a wonder girl but I’m not really the fastest man alive.”

I laughed and followed him to the vehicle. There was a driver inside, reading a paper. When he saw us coming, he quickly put it away. I climbed into the back and Jay got into front. We didn’t say anything on the way back. It didn’t take us long to get there. Grandma was waiting on the front porch, looking a bit cold but not worse for wear. When I got out, she came over and invited both men to dinner. Jay was so happy to be anywhere but running that he quickly accepted for the two of them. Me, I went inside and up to my room to change.

Donna met me as I was pulling my top over my head. “Tell me you didn’t actually run after all we did today?”

I laughed. “You bet your ass I did.”

“You’re inhuman.”

I laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Donna lingered about while I put on jeans and a t-shirt. Then the two of us headed down to the kitchen. We entertained Jay and the driver all through dinner. I quickly told them about how I became what I was. The driver remained quiet through the whole thing but Jay asked a lot of questions. I think I interested the hell out of him. He and the driver stayed about an hour after dinner then left. I walked them to the door.

“Thanks for the run, Cas” he said, shaking my hand. “It’s the best I’ve had in a long time.”

“See it’s not so hard to be beaten by a girl.”

He laughed and the two of them left.

Me, I went back to the living room. Donna decided to spend the night instead of going back to the city. I think the vacant apartment back home had something to do with it. I sat next to her on the couch and she clung to me. Even though she played a little tough. I don’t think she liked to be alone. So I let her cuddle while the three of us watched television. I made my grandma promise to stay away from the news. The last thing I needed to see was “Wonder girl burning up the local track.” Not that I think anyone would make that newsworthy but you never know.

When it came to bedtime, I scooped Donna into my arms and carried her upstairs. I took her to the spare room again and tucked her in. Then I walked back to my room. I flopped onto the bed and looked toward the window. For a while, I just lay there, until I noticed I was being watched. At first, I thought it was a normal bird until it shifted slightly. I was surprised to see an owl. I sat up and walked over to the window, opening it slightly. The owl cocked its head, staring at me with its large eyes. The tree next to my window was too far away for it to come inside but it still creeped me out a bit.

I laughed. “You got anything to say, bird?”

It cocked its head, ruffled its feathers and turned away. I laughed and closed the window. Apparently not. I turned and stripped, grabbing the same shirt I wore the night before. I walked over to the bed and climbed under the covers.

I fell asleep rather quickly, certain that the owl was still there.

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Author's Note: Here's Eleven. Things are moving along at a good pace. There are a couple more familiar faces in here plus the identity of last chapters red head. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Eleven:

I woke to the buzzing of an alarm clock, which was strange because I didn’t even know I had one. I sat up, bleary eyed and looked around the room. There it was, sitting on the little table by the bed. It wasn’t there yesterday. My grandma must have put it there and I hadn’t noticed. I threw off the covers and slowly dragged myself out of bed. I shut the alarm off first, then blundered out of the room toward the bathroom, half awake. I’m not really a morning person, especially when that morning leads to school. I was particularly dreading it this morning, more so than any other morning ever.

Back in the city, I went to a school where no one knew me, so it was easy to blend in and disappear. But here, the school was a lot smaller and a lot more likely for me to screw up. I stumbled into the bathroom, pulling the shirt over my head as I peed. Then I turned on the water and got into the shower. I often go through a morning routine on a school day on autopilot. My body seems to know what do even if my brain hasn’t caught up with it yet. I’m just glad that I remembered to strip out of my clothes this time. One morning last year, I was so tired I actually got into the shower in my shirt and boxers.

I showered for about twenty minutes, my mind still not familiar with how tender my new body was. I did notice something new this morning though. My grandma got me my own shampoo and the soap was gone, in its place were a funky sponge thing and a bottle of body wash. I suppose, when in Rome. There was a towel hanging on the back of the bathroom door for me. I grabbed it and remembered to wrap it around my whole body instead of just my waist. Then I went about brushing my teeth and throwing water in my face.

After the bathroom I went back to my room, my hair dripping wet, my body chilled.

I got dressed without thinking too much about it. In my fun---it was a little bit---I got a lot of clothes, most of them jeans and t-shirts. I’m not quite ready to wear dresses or skirts. But that didn’t stop Donna into talking me into a few. The dresses were now in the back of my closet and the skirts buried somewhere in my bottom drawer. I figured if they were out of sight then they were out of mind, too. Just as long as Donna didn’t go snooping through my drawers and pull them out, I think I could get away with not wearing them. So in getting dressed---after patting myself dry---I went with jeans and a t-shirt. To please everyone I wore a gender neutral color shirt of green. The jeans were tighter than I would have liked and I couldn’t quick figure out why girls’ socks were so small but other than that, I think I did ok with my outfit choice.

Breakfast was waiting for me when I got downstairs.

My grandma was just putting a plate of pancakes on the table as I took my usual seat. Donna was nowhere to be found. “The pancakes didn’t wake her?” I asked as I stuck a fork into the stack and placed a few on my empty plate.

My grandma poured herself a cup of coffee as she sat down. “She has late classes, so she’s going to sleep in until noon or so.”

I nodded, grabbing the syrup. My grandma had the best syrup. It was homemade, a lady a few houses down made it in her basement. I’m not sure how one made syrup but I always thought it was pretty cool. I liked to drown my pancakes in it. Today I was particularly hungry, smothering the whole plate. My grandma watched with interest as I devoured my meal, even going so far as seconds. It was during my second helping that the doorbell rang. Not wanting to interrupt, my grandma got up to get it. I heard her talking in the foyer and then two sets of people came toward the kitchen.

“She’s right in here,” said my grandma as she led Connor into the room.

I looked up and silently cursed. I forgot I told him he could pick me up in the morning. He smiled at me, his eyes going a little big at the sight of my pancake mountain. My new body apparently needed a lot of energy but to him I probably looked like a pig. Not that he was one to complain. I’ve seen him eat and his appetite would put my new one to shame. Not that you could tell by looking at him. He was all muscle, not an ounce of fat on him. Today he was wearing his Junior Varsity jacket, blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Like me, he was a t-shirt and jeans guy too.

“Damn” he said, looking at the half devoured pile of pancakes. “You umm….”

“I’m hungry,” I said, cutting off whatever he was about to say.

He smiled. My heart skipped a beat and I inwardly groaned again. Tell me I’m not going to be another one of those girls who goes weak at the knees every time Connor Kent enters a room. There were a whole slew of them that followed him around everywhere he went, hanging on everything he did. I used to tease him about it all the time. He hated it. It was funny but he was usually really shy around girls but around me---especially yesterday in the mall---he seemed like his normal, everyday self. Ok so maybe he was a little more squeaky clean this morning but he was still the same Connor that I knew and loved.

“Connor, dear, would you like some breakfast?”

I could see him salivating. It was a little known fact---ok known to me anyway---that his cousin, Kara, was a lousy cook. Her idea of dinner was giving him a twenty and sending him to the nearest fast-food restaurant. So the prospect of having a home cooked meal probably looked pretty good to Connor. He didn’t even say yes. He sat down in the empty chair next to me. My grandmother put a plate of freshly cooked pancakes in front of him. Then he lathered on the butter and the syrup and dug in. I think he was trying to compete with me, which was fine by me. He devoured his stack about as quickly as I did my first. But unlike me, there’s no seconds for him. My grandma looked a little winded, whipping up so many pancakes so quickly.

I waited until he was finished before I spoke. ‘If I can pull you awake I think we better get going.”

He nodded, said his goodbye to grandma and the two of us went out the kitchen door. He led the way around the house and toward his car. Well, truck actually. It was a beat-up old red pickup; I think it belonged to his Dad at one point. He was so happy to get it a few months ago when he turned sixteen that I don‘t think it bothered him one bit that it was a piece of shit.

He ran around to the passenger side and opened the door for me. I smiled as I climbed in, making sure I did it right. I didn’t want to act too much like a guy around him. I was stupid to allow him to pick me up. All day yesterday after our encounter in the food court, I was afraid he’d realize who I was. As much as I wanted to tell him that I was Charlie, his best friend in the whole wide world, I was afraid of how he might react. After all, it’s not every day that a guy turns into a girl; a super powered one at that. I mean how would you react if some random girl told you that she was actually your best friend transformed. I know if our roles were reversed and Connor was the hot chick telling me that I’d think she was nuts.

He climbed into the cab and started her up. It took a few times but eventually we were on the road. He turned on the heat and smiled. It was about five minutes into the ride when he decided to speak.

“How are you and Charlie related again?”

“On his Mom’s side, our mothers are sisters.”

“You’re his Aunt Vanessa’s kid?”

I bit my lip. Connor knew all about Vanessa and how she abandoned our family. Damn, why couldn’t I have said on my father’s side? Then I would have had to explain why I didn’t have a Greek accent. “My Mom is a bit of a flake” I said, “she sorta dumped me on grandma and took off again.”

“Man that’s rough” he sighed “trust me I know how that feels.”

Then he went on to explain his parental situation. I had to react like this was the first time hearing it, which was kinda weird. But even weirder was how he opened up. Before when it was me and him---the former me I mean---he never ever told me how he felt about all of it. He loved his parents even though he thought both of them were asses for leaving him. I suppose I could see where that was a problem. But his Dad did offer to bring him to California but it was Connor who wanted to stay behind. Luckily, Kara was nice enough to let him crash with her. Don’t even get me started about his Mom.

After discussing his parents, he switched to more common topics. He seemed to want to know a lot about me. So when he asked, I made up the lies on the fly. They were pretty good too, I think. Apparently my father---my fake one---met my mother when she was backpacking in Switzerland. He was a British national and like Charlie, my “parents” had a one night stand that led to my inception nine months later. As far as I knew, it could be true. From what I knew about my Aunt Vanessa, she did sound like the promiscuous type. Who knows, maybe I really do have cousins out there somewhere. The rest of it was fluff. I traveled about with Mom until she got tired of me and dumped me in Chicago. I think he bought it because it made the two of us sound like kindred spirits even more than we already were. After that, we arrived at school.

“C’mon, I’ll take you to the office so you can register.”

I let him lead me around; after all, I was the new girl. I’m not sure when it happened but as soon as we walked into the school and started toward the office, our hands were clasped. For a moment, I felt like pulling away but there was a small part of me that kinda liked it. Yeah, I know. Walking down the hall though was like walking toward my execution. There were a lot of angry girls who were glaring at me and a lot of guys who were leering. It didn’t matter that I was holding Connor’s hand. I was fresh meat as far as the male population was concerned. So it didn’t surprise me one bit with all the wolf whistles and things like that. Those made my skin crawl though. As did all the lingering stares. I was a babe, I knew that but not everything with a penis needed to remind me of it.

Connor stayed with me until we got into the office. The woman at the front desk was Mrs. Grant; she was a kind old lady. I think she and grandma were in a knitting group or something. She smiled at me when she looked up.

“Hi Mrs. G” said Connor “this is Cassie Sandsmark, Charlie’s cousin. It’s her first day; she needs to register or whatever.”

Mrs. Grant’s smile got even bigger. “I didn’t know Julia had another grandchild. My aren’t you a pretty one” She looked me up and down. “And tall too.”

“Grandma didn’t really know what to think either. My Mom sorta dropped me off on her doorstep and vanished again.”

“You’re Vanessa’s daughter?” I nodded. “I never would have thought…”

“I get that a lot.”

She smiled then looked at Connor. “You can go to class now Mr. Kent; we’ll take it from here.”

Connor nodded. “I’ll see you later. Hey, maybe we can meet up after school.”

“I’d like that.”

Damn, no I wouldn’t. But he liked it. He smiled real big then tripped a little bit as he walked backwards out the door. Mrs. Grant laughed.

“I can imagine you get that a lot,” she asked with a laugh. “What with you being so beautiful.”

I smiled. “More than I’d like.”

She laughed. Then she picked up the phone and called the principal. I suppose that was standard operating procedure. She talked for a few minutes then told me that I was free to go in. I wasn’t sure what to think. My first day and I was already being sent to the principal. I smiled at Mrs. G and walked over to the glass door that led into the principal’s office. I knocked and then I heard someone say come in. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see that he wasn’t alone. Sitting in a chair in front of his desk---dressed like I thought she might usually be---was my resident babysitter, Cameron Chase. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun on top of her head and her civvies were replaced with a nicely pressed pantsuit. The principal, Mr. Weatherbee---“The Bee” as he was sometimes called---was standing behind his desk. He was a big guy, pushing sixty with a shiny bald head, round little glasses and a barrel chest. The Bee was a former Marine and he often didn’t let you forget it. He might come across as a bit stuffy and short tempered but a lot of us respected him.

I smiled. I opened my mouth to introduce myself but he beat me to the punch. “The new Mr. Sandsmark, I assume. Welcome back to Ri…”

I cut him off, directing my shock and surprise at Cameron. “What’s going on here?”

“As per new regulations, Mr. Weatherbee has been apprised of the situation and will look out for your best interests. He understands what’s at stake here and will make sure that your former identity will remain just that, your former.”

The Bee nodded. “You have nothing to fear from me, Miss Sandsmark.”

I nodded. I hated being snowballed like this though. Here I was expecting to have a clean slate and the government was one step ahead of me. I suppose it was all right if he knew but if the others. “Are you the only one, sir?”

“None of the faculty know if that’s what you mean.”

I sighed, thankful for that. It was bad enough that he knew. I couldn’t deal with it if all the teachers kept giving me strange looks, thinking I was some kind of freak.

The Bee asked me to take a seat. I took the empty chair next to Cameron. Then he told me how things were going to work. I was to be treated like everyone else, just a normal student. I was to act like it too, making sure that I didn’t do anything that might upset the delicate nature of his fine establishment. He made me agree that I wasn’t going to do anything crazy. After that, he gave me my new school schedule and went through all that pertained there. After that, he hit a buzzer and told Mrs. G to send her in. Whoever “her” was. I turned toward the door as it opened. The girl that walked in was vaguely familiar. She was short with shoulder length dirty blonde hair and a confident smile. She was wearing a cute little pencil skirt and a pressed blouse. Like a little administrator in the making.

“Cissie” he said, smiling. “This is Cassandra Sandsmark, Cassandra; this is Cissie King-Jones”

Cissie, I remembered her now. We were in the first, third and fifth grades together. She was kinda a know-it-all but other than that she was ok, I guess. I think she might have even lived near us but I’m not sure where. We used to be sorta friends. You know how that is sometimes. We hung out but not every day. It was kinda weird for boys and girls at that age. But once we hit Middle School it was like we didn’t even know each other. Which I suppose was fine by me because Cissie was a little weird. Not in a bad way, she was just really driven.

“Cassandra, Cissie here has volunteered to show you around the school, she’ll follow you to each of your classes and pick you up afterwards.”

I nodded. Then smiled at her. She smiled back weakly. It was clear that this was her job. She was the office helper that got stuck shuffling all the new kids around for the first few days of class. I’m sure it was all in an attempt to pad her college resume.

“Are we all done here, Mr. Weatherbee?” she asked in a sing-songy voice.

I looked at Cameron and she nodded. The Bee nodded too.

“You girls have fun now.”

I turned to Cissie, getting out of my chair. Her eyes widened when she looked up at me. Yeah, I think I was going to get that a lot. Hey, look at the tall freak. It was starting to get old already.

“Lead the way.”

I let Cissie lead me through the school, pretending to be the green newbie. In truth, I think I knew the place better than she did. Not only that but she seemed to be taking me on an abridged tour. She never took me anywhere near the Gym and spent a little too much time in the library. She did show me the cafeteria and the Auditorium so I guess it wasn’t all bad. Except that I already knew all this. It was weird having someone show me a school that I knew all about. It took us the whole of first period to do it, probably would have taken longer if she didn’t just show me the places she thought were important. She finally dropped me off outside my second period classroom.

“If you want, I can meet up with you and take you to third period too?”

There was something in her voice, something I felt sorry for. If I remembered correctly, she wasn’t exactly Miss Popular. A lot of girls avoided her because they thought she was kinda stuck up. I suppose there was a possibility of that, seeing as Cissie walked around like she was better than everyone. Only spending a little time with her, I knew that not to be the case. She was a little driven but there wasn’t anything stuck up about her.

I smiled. “That would be good; I only know one another person here and I got dirty looks walking down the hall with him earlier.”

I didn’t add that he made me feel all gooey inside, something I wasn’t ready to confront yet.

She smiled. “I’ll be back here in forty minutes.”

She left, seemingly gliding away. I smiled too, glad that I made her happy. I went into the classroom and my school day started. My first class---well second of the day technically---was Math and boy was it boring. My body might have changed but apparently, my aptitude for school hadn’t. Which kinda sucked but then again, Amazons were warriors not thinkers. So I sat and pretended to listen as the Math teacher droned on and on about some boring crap. The same thing happened in my next class, which was science. Science and Math are not my subjects. When I got to fourth period English, I found some familiar faces. Connor was sitting in the back with a couple of football buddies. His eyes lit up when he saw me; I smiled weakly. Cissie was there, too and her eyes lit up too.

Both she and Connor had longing in their eyes but I chose to sit next to her. The only free seat near Connor was in front of one of his friends and there was no way I was going to have an ass sitting behind me for forty minutes. English is one of my better subjects. It helped a lot that the teacher of this class was actually a lot younger than my first two. She had a bright smile and wore a top a size too small. Charlie would have loved it but apparently, I was all girl now. I kept grumbling, wondering why some woman would subject herself to this kind of thing. I wanted to stand up in the middle of the class and tell her off. Instead, I stewed in silence. I looked around the room though, wondering if any of the other girls were offended.

My eyes locked with a familiar face. It was the red head from the track team. I hated that I couldn’t remember her name. When she and I looked at each other, I saw the look on her face. She was just as annoyed as I was. I smiled and she smiled back. It was good to see that at least one other person thought it wrong that a teacher had to objectify herself like that to get attention.

I suffered through the forty minutes with Miss Boobs. When the bell rang, everyone rushed to the door. Fifth period it would seem was when a lot of us had lunch. I got up and got to the door about the same time as Cissie. She smiled. Then that smile disappeared when she looked behind me. I turned just in time to see a tall blonde jock come walking over. He was wearing a JV jacket too, so clearly he was one of the Neanderthals on the football team. Except he didn’t look as ripped as the others, especially Connor.

“Well if it isn’t Prissy Cissie,” he said with a laugh, knocking her books out of her hand.

Cissie looked like someone had killed her cat. She bent to pick them up.

“No” I said, speaking before I could think. “This jackass is going to pick them up for you.”

The color drained from Cissie’s face. “That’s all right…I can…”

The jackass looked at me. Then looked up at me. I was at least five or six inches taller. “Butt out of this, Shrimp.”

A play on words. He laughed. I bet he thought he was pretty smart.

I smirked. I hated piss ants like him. He still continued to laugh, the only one apparently doing it. Me, I got angry and that’s never a good thing. Before I knew what was happening, I grabbed his crotch and gave his nether regions a good squeeze and twist. I didn’t apply too much pressure but it was enough to bring the bastard to his knees, tears in his eyes.

“And you called me Shrimp.”

Everyone standing around us got a good laugh, including his buddies. I locked eyes with the red head and she had the biggest smile on her face. Cissie was just mortified but she was smiling, too. I looked over at Connor. He wasn’t smiling but he seemed amused.

“Ok, Eddie” he said, pushing his way through the crowd. “Apologize to the ladies, pick up Cissie’s books then go to the nurse, I think you might want to put ice on you know where.”

I let go of the jackass’s balls. The class laughed even louder. I heard the teacher’s voice behind us asking what was going on. Eddie grabbed Cissie’s books, handing them to her quickly. He apologized softly to both of us just as Miss Boobs appeared.

“Problems, girls?”

“No problems Miss Hill” said Eddie quickly “Cissie dropped her books and I was helping her pick them up.”

Miss Hill patted his cheek. “Such a good boy, Mr. Bloomberg.”

She turned to me and winked. Then she slipped past us and down the hall.

We broke up after that. I walked out into the hall with Cissie. It didn’t take long for Connor to catch up. When he appeared behind me, Cissie flushed. Not her, too. I picked up the pace; I wasn’t in the mood right now. Connor fell into step beside me, keeping pace. I was mildly impressed.

“So you want to eat lunch with me and the guys?”

I looked over my shoulder at the guys in question. There were five or six football jocks walking behind us, missing was poor Eddie Bloomberg. Probably off to the nurse’s office.

“Maybe some other time” I said, turning back to him. “I promised Cissie I’d sit with her today.”

Connor looked crestfallen. “Hey that’s cool. Maybe tomorrow.”

I nodded and he fell behind us, going back to the “guys”, I use the term lightly for them.

Cissie led the way to the cafeteria. I followed close behind, feeling the eyes on me. It didn’t take long for what happened after English to spread. There were of murmurs as I passed. A few of girls even congratulated me; apparently, Eddie was a big ass. He was one of the few guys I didn’t actually know. I think he was probably new. When we got into the cafeteria, some of the guys put their trays over their privates and gave me a wide berth. I had to laugh at that. It was kinda cool because I also got to cut in line, bringing Cissie with me. She liked that. I don’t think she got a lot of attention. I don’t think a lot of people stuck up for her either. I remember her being bullied a lot in elementary school and middle school and it pained me because I never did anything before to help her. Well, that all changes now. There was no way I was going to stand by anymore and let anyone harass her. It was time for a clean slate. Charlie Sandsmark the Bump on the Log was gone. I was Cassie, a new person with a new outlook on life. That meant no more blending into the background.

Cissie lead us over to an empty table near the back wall, I think it was her usual spot. Nobody really looked at her but everyone looked at me. I felt a little uncomfortable but I’d deal.

“You didn’t have to do that you know,” she said, opening her little carton of milk.

“Yes I did,” I said, opening mine. “No one should treat others like that. Eddie should know better.”

Cissie smiled. “You sure told him.”

“Solidarity in the Sisterhood” I said, holding up my milk and taking a huge slug.

Corny, yes but I was feeling empowered today.

“I’ll drink to that” she said and took a smaller sip of hers.

We talked a little bit after that. Cissie started telling me all about the student government of the school. Apparently, she was on the Student Council, serving as the sophomore class representative. It was kinda boring to me but she was really passionate about it. She went on and on about this and that. Apparently, the school was busy organizing the Valentine’s Day Dance; it was a big deal. It wasn’t a formal affair or anything but a lot of the girls got a little dressy. I remember it from last year---back when I still went here as a freshman. A lot of the girls threw themselves at Connor, trying to get him to ask them. Me, I could care less. In the end, the two of us went stag. I didn’t want to go but he dragged me to it. Suffice to say being a loner at the dance, it was pretty bad.

“I’m not much for dances,” I said, causing her to frown.

“But you won’t have any problems getting a date” she said, looking over my shoulder.

I turned and saw a bunch of guys staring. They snapped away quickly. I groaned. Why couldn’t they leave me alone for even a few minutes?

“I’m not really interested.”

“You’re not,” she asked in a low whisper. “You know?”

I shook my head. “Nothing like that” Yeah, I wish. It might solve a lot of problems. “I’m just going through some stuff. I kinda changed a lot over the past few weeks.”

She nodded. “I wish puberty was that good to me.”

We had a laugh. I started telling her about some of the globetrotting I’ve done. She told me she was jealous, always wanting to travel herself. I was halfway through my vacation to Greece---making up a lot of it---when the color drained from Cissie’s face. At first, I thought my story was bumming her out until I realized she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking behind me. I turned and saw a group of girls walking toward our table, carrying trays. I recognized them immediately. The red head was in the lead followed by several other girls from the Track team.

“Hey, Miss Speedster” she said, sitting at the table. The other girls sat in the empty chairs. “I loved what you did to Eddie.”

I nodded. “He had it coming.”

She laughed. “That he did” She looked over at Cissie. “He won’t bother you again; we’ll make sure of it.”

Cissie silently nodded.

Then she turned to me. “You ran off so quickly yesterday we didn’t get a chance to talk.” She held out her hand and I shook it. “I’m Artemis by the way.”

That was her name. Artemis Something or Other, I guess her last name wasn’t really important. She was Uber Jock though. I remember her from last year, winning all those sports awards and things like that. Her friends were real sporty too. I looked from her to them and back again. They all were pretty ripped, their tight muscles visible through their bare midriffs. These girls looked to be serious athletes and why not, most of them were probably tri-athletes. I caught a match or two of theirs last year---Connor liked to watch them so he dragged me a long. They did stuff like pole vaulting and javelin throwing. It was some seriously wicked stuff.

“I’m Cassie,” I said and she nodded.

“Trust me I know.”

She introduced her friends. They all had weird Greek names too. It kinda freaked me out a bit, like they gave themselves those names or something. Knowing them, they probably did. I smiled at them but they didn’t seem to be too interested. Clearly, they were only here because Artemis was. Which was fine by me.

“I’m sorry for barging in like this,” Artemis continued “but the Coach insisted. After you impressed the hell out of her yesterday, she wanted to make sure that we hunted you down.” She pulled a card out of her pocket and placed it on the table. “She wants to see you as soon as possible.”

I looked at the card, it was the same one that Jay had yesterday. I made no move to take it. I thought about it long and hard all last night. As cool as it would be to compete on the team, I just couldn’t. It would have been an unfair advantage, me being all-super and everything. I planned on calling the coach tonight and telling her that I was flattered but not interested. But apparently, the woman was really interested in me.

I smiled. “That’s great but I’m not the competitive type.”

Artemis nodded. “Can you think about it please? We could really use you” The others nodded, they looked pretty serious. “You’ve got mad skills, you smoked me and that’s hard to do.”

I nodded. “I can do all the thinking in the world but it’s still not going to change my mind.”

Artemis wasn’t willing to let it go apparently. “One practice. Come to one practice. Tomorrow after school, we meet in the park.”

She had a pleading look in her eyes. Her cronies did too. I sighed. “One practice.”

Her face lit up. She looked like she wanted to give me a hug but pulled back at the last second. She thanked me as she stood up, her teammates stood up at almost the same time. It was kinda freaky. Then as one, they left. I looked at Cissie and rolled my eyes. She smiled and then we had a laugh.

The rest of lunch, I had to explain yesterday to her. She seemed pretty impressed but she understood not wanting to be in the spotlight. After that, lunch went by pretty quickly. The rest of the school day did too. It turns out that Eddie was in my sixth period study hall. He sat with his legs apart, a bag of ice on his crotch. I smirked when I saw him and he gave me a dirty look. My last period of the day was Home Economics, which was probably the most sexist thing ever. The guys got to do technology and I was stuck in here with a bunch of other girls. One of Artemis’ teammates was in there with me. I think she called herself Akila---real name Melissa. She had short cropped blonde hair.

She kept giving me this look throughout class, which kinda freaked me out.

When the last bell rang and I made my way out to the parking lot, Connor was waiting.

“Your chariot awaits,” he said with a laugh.

I smirked. “Sorry about earlier but I think Cissie really needed a friend.”

He nodded. “Eddie is a dick.”

I laughed at that. He figured out why I was laughing and joined in.

When I got home, I filled my grandmother in on the day-to-day school life. I neglected to tell her about poor Eddie Bloomberg though. Donna was gone; she was at class. I wasn’t sure if we were going to see her or not. I did my homework then decided to go for a run. I gave Cameron another call and Jay came by to pick me up. I kept things nice and slow for him tonight. When we were done, grandma invited him and the driver---Daniel Johnson---to dinner again.

When I went to bed, the owl was back in its tree, ever my nighttime sentinel.

-----

Author's Note: Here's Ch. 12, the plot thickens. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for their wonderful characters.

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Chapter Twelve:

The alarm woke me again. I swung out angrily, hearing the crunch of fist on metal. Son of a bitch. I snapped my eyes and sat up, looking over at the remains of my clock. I cursed. I guess I forgot how strong I really was. I usually hit the alarm in the morning, allowing myself a few seconds more sleep. But that was back when I was Charlie without the superhuman strength. I groaned, hoping that it wasn’t anything expensive. I sat there for a few minutes, wondering what this glorious day was going to bring me. Yesterday wasn’t too bad I guess, but I could have done without all the attention. At least I made a potential friend in Cissie and possible friends with Artemis and her teammates.

I swung out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. I did my morning routine as quickly as possible. In the shower, I fingered the gold bracelets. They seemed bigger somehow, at least bigger than they were yesterday. It was hard to forget that they were there, seeing that they didn’t want to come off. I tried my hardest to ignore them but when you have water pouring all over your naked body it’s hard not to notice. They weren’t uncomfortable but they were a nuisance. I still hadn’t told anyone about them either. When I was telling my grandma the story about what happened, I left out the bracelets. I think she thought they were some fashion accessory.

If only that were true. After my shower and brushing my teeth, I went back to my room to change. Once again, it was a jeans and t-shirt day. But unlike yesterday, I had a small duffle to bring with me. Today was a Gym day---my first one as a girl. In the duffel was a sports bra, a workout t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants. Donna picked the ensemble out for me. She said when it came to Gym you wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I was ok with the shirt but I’m still not a big fan of the pants.
When I got downstairs, I smelled the welcoming aroma of bacon.

“Your alarm clock cut off kinda suddenly” said grandma as she plated some bacon and eggs for me.

I smiled sheepishly at her. “I’m not used to my own strength.”

She smiled. “I’ll put it on today’s list.”

“List?” I asked, crunching on a piece of bacon.

She smiled mysteriously. “You never mind that.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. What was she up to now? I tried to get her to confess her secret but trying to get a secret of her is like trying to steal from Fort Knox. So I dropped it and continued my breakfast. About ten minutes into it, Connor showed up again. I never set up any plans with him, but apparently, he got it into his head that he was my official driver. I suppose getting a ride to school every morning was better than the bus. Grandma fixed him some breakfast too and together the three of us ate in silence. I didn’t really know what to say to him. Even though he was my best friend in the whole wide world---well actually Charlie’s. I guess that’s where the problem lied. He was Charlie’s friend, as far as he was concerned I was a completely new person he met two days ago.
After breakfast, he drove me to school. It was a quiet ride.

I went to home room and my first period class, which happened to be World History. I love history but can anyone imagine having it at like nine in the morning. I think I was the only one in class who was even halfway awake. Looking around the room, the only one I knew was Eddie. He wasn’t wearing his JV jacket today but he didn’t look as grumpy. He looked around the room too and when our eyes met, he frowned. I guess he didn’t hold a grudge. I knew if some girl tried to castrate me with her hand I’d be pissed for weeks.

History was probably the longest forty minutes of my life. When the bell finally rang, I made my way to the door like the rest of them. Outside in the hall, Eddie caught up with me. I groaned; this was all I needed.

“Hey I’m sorry about being an ass yesterday,” he said, sounding sincere.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing too,” I said as he followed me to Math class.

“I already apologized to Cissie too,” he said, sighing. “I’m not sure what came over me yesterday. I’m not that kinda guy. Ok, I’ll admit I’m kinda a dick but not that bad. I’ve been having these problems lately.”

I turned to face him. Like I said before, I was about five or six inches taller. So when he was standing there, his head was almost in direct line of sight with my chest. He stared there for a few seconds until I cleared my throat. He looked up at me apologetically. He was right, though. There was something off about him today. Yesterday he looked really healthy but today he was kinda pale. There were dark circles under his eyes and his lips were kinda chapped. There was something else too, something about his forehead. There were two red spots there; it looked like someone hit him twice in the head, on either side of it.

“Looking kinda pale,” I finally said and he nodded.

“I think I’m coming down with something,” he said and I nodded. “I just wanted to make sure that you and I were cool.”

I sighed. This guy wanted to be friends with the girl who embarrassed the hell out of him in front of everyone. “We’re good,” I finally said and he smiled. He followed close behind me for a bit, then disappeared into a classroom.

Math class was just as boring as ever. Heck, the rest of my classes were no different. In English class, Eddie wasn’t present. I asked Connor where he went and apparently, the nurse sent him home. I think the whole class was kinda glad to see him go and I think half of them thought it was my fault. In lunch, the track team sat one table over from Cissie and me. It would have been except for the fact that Artemis kept smiling at me. It was really creepy. I think she probably thought it was a done deal and all, me going to their practice. I only agreed to it so they’d leave me alone.

“Those are cute,” said Cissie as I raised a French fry to my mouth.

I looked around to see what she meant then I realized she meant my bracelets. I smiled. “I’d let you borrow them but they’re kinda attached.”

She smiled. “I couldn’t pull something like that off anyway.”

“Don’t sell yourself short Cissie. A little more confidence and you can be as pretty as me.”

She snorted. Me, I wanted to gag. Where in the hell did that come from? The worst part, I kinda half believed it. Cissie was a pretty girl, if only a little plain. She dressed a little too conservatively, too. What sixteen year old girl dresses like a librarian anyway? In fact, I didn’t even know it was possible to get sweater vests in a junior size.

Ok, so it turns out that Study Hall and Gym on rotating schedules. They call them A and B days. I have Study Hall on B days and Gym on A days. Yesterday was a B day believe it or not. Today was an A day. So after lunch I made my way to the Gym. Unfortunately, Cissie had Gym the period after so I didn’t even have her there to give me moral support. Ok, so she wouldn’t actually know she was giving me support but it would be there in spirit. Why am I so nervous you ask? Well only, a week ago, I was a sixteen year old boy and now I’m well, you know. So I was about to go where every sixteen year old boy wishes to go and it scared the hell out of me.

I was surprised when I finally took my first step into No Man’s Land and realized it wasn’t all that different than the boys. Ok so maybe it was a little cleaner and it smelled a lot better but the lockers were still in rows and there were still benches. Mind you, the lockers in here were an off shade of pink and the benches didn’t look so grubby. I found an empty locker next to a girl that was about an inch or two shorter than me. When she saw me, she sighed.

“Thank God” she said, pulling off her shirt. “Here I thought I was the only freak around here.”

I smiled, trying not to look at her bra. Not that it did much for me.

“They stare at you too?” she asked, referring to our shared giantness.

I smirked. “I think I’m starting to get used to it.”

She nodded. “You any good at basketball?”

I shrugged. Charlie sucked at basketball but who knew about me. As far as I knew, I could be a fricken basketball goddess now.
We talked a few more minutes about our height---she was actually six one. Then she introduced herself as Amy Allen. Besides matching my height, she looked like she could take me on in a fight. Not that I’m saying she could beat me but she looked like she could last a lot longer than most. The two of us dressed and talked. She was a sophomore like me but unlike me, she wasn’t afraid to show off her athletic talent. She was on the girls’ basketball team and just like Artemis; she tried to talk me into joining.

We joined the rest of the girls as the teacher---Miss Jones---ushered us all out of the locker room and into the Gym. I was wondering why she was asking me all these basketball questions and now I knew. Apparently, that’s what we were up to today. Miss Jones divided us evenly into teams, making sure that I was on one and Amy on the other. Ok I can honestly say that I didn’t play much basketball before; I didn’t have the height for it. Back when I was the old me, whenever we played in Gym I pretended to play. But in truth, I was totally outmatched by most of the guys there. When I still went to school here Connor used to watch out for me.
So I was a little rusty playing at first. But that didn’t last long.

To say that Amy and I dominated the court was an understatement. She was good, real good. Most of the girls who tried to stop her were nothing compared to her speed and grace. It was an art form watching her play. Me, well what can I say. When I got the ball in my hand the first time, it was like nothing I’d ever seen. I’m not sure what Hera did to me when she rewired me to be a super chick but whatever she did it made me a super jock or something. Never before did I have this much game. I owned it. I dribbled, I threw and jumped. Most of the girls on the court---Amy included---actually stopped to watch me play. I think about ten minutes into the game I realized there was no way that I could ever compete.

Way too much unfair advantage. In the end, my team barely won. Hey, I did say Amy was good and she is on the basketball team after all.

“Damn” said Amy, huffing and drenched in sweat as we all made our way back to the locker room. ‘They call me the Bomb but you’re something else.”

I pretended to huff too, to try to make me look normal. But I wasn’t winded at all. In fact, I was invigorated. It wasn’t the same as running but it was sure one hell of a workout.

“They call you the Bomb?” I asked as I sat on the bench.

She shrugged. “The Bombshell actually. Its kinda silly but it helps inflate the ego a bit.”

I smiled. There was something about her that I liked.

“You sure you don’t want to join the team?” she asked after a few minutes.

I laughed and shook my head.

“Get in line,” said another girl a few lockers down. “I hear the Track Team is already after her.”

There was a lot of murmuring after that. I went from being the new girl to being the star. I’m not sure how I liked that. I tried to ignore it but it was kinda hard when all they seemed to want to talk about was how cool I was.

The rest of the day kinda went fast. It turns out that Amy was in my next two classes and after talking only a little bit, the two of us hit it off. She was kinda like me, the tall girl that everyone stared at. I think she was really happy to have me around. Apparently, it’s not easy being the tallest girl in the school.

“Guys don’t like tall girls” she told me which I knew was only partially true. It’s not that we---I mean they---don’t like tall girls, it’s just girls that are taller than them.

“So are you going to let them recruit you?” She asked as she met up with me outside my ninth period class.

She kinda surprised me. I wasn’t expecting her to be there. I looked around, hoping maybe Cissie would be there too. I saw her coming my way but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Amy. That girl seriously needed to learn how to socialize. She backed up a step but I waved her over. Amy looked to who I was waving at and laughed, waving Cissie over, too.

I introduced them. When that was over, Amy hit me with the question again. “Well, are you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t think so. Like I said before, I’m not really into competitive sports. They asked me to come see them practice and that’s all I’m going to do.”

Amy nodded. “Well you’re not going alone. I know Artemis aka Alexandria Pope. She’s ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants. If that girl wants you on her team, she’ll stop at nothing to get it.”

“I’m coming, too” piped Cissie, surprising both of us. She flushed red. “I wanna see you run.”

Amy and I laughed. Then Amy put her arm around Cissie’s shoulder. It amazed me how fast that girl could make friends. The two of them followed me to my locker where I dropped off my books then grabbed my bags. We passed Connor in the hall. I told him I’d run home today, which really surprised him. That is until I told him that the Track Team wanted me to go to one of their practices. Initially it was supposed to be at the park but seeing as it was only going to be a small one, I got a note last period telling me they moved it to the outdoor track outside the school. When the three of us got there, the team was doing warm-ups.

The Coach turned when she saw my approach. She was blonde, wearing a blue tracksuit. She was holding a clipboard in one hand, standing next to an orange Gator-aid dispenser. Except instead of the typical sports drink logo on the side this one said NECTAR in big bold blue letters. Must be something new. She shouted orders, telling the team to hit the track then started over to me. She glanced at both Amy and Cissie, paying Cissie little attention. Her eyes lingered a bit on Amy though. I think she liked the prospect.

“Are you girls here to tryout, too?”

“Yeah, right” said Amy, crossing her arms in front of her. Cissie shook her head.

After that, the Coach seemed to ignore them. She turned to me. “I’m Coach Milton; you’re Cassandra Sandsmark, right?” I nodded. “Is that your stuff in the duffel?” I nodded again, “why don’t you go change and show me what you’ve got.”

“I’m not here to try out.”

Coach Milton turned and looked back at the track. Her eyes lingered a bit on Artemis before turning back toward me. “Then you’re just here to waste my time?”

I opened my mouth but Amy beat me to the punch. “Not on your life, lady. My girl could whip all your puny little things. Give her a few minutes and she’ll show you.”

I opened my mouth to argue but the coach smiled. Amy grabbed my arm and started walking me back toward the school. She didn’t say anything. I kept my mouth shut until we were almost at the side door. “What the hell was that?”

Amy looked back at the field. “That woman pisses me off. She thinks she’s hot shit. I just couldn’t stand there and let her think that her girls are better than everyone else.”

I groaned. “She was baiting you. She already knows how fast I can run.” Amy looked at Cissie who nodded. “I can already out run all of them, backwards in fact. She knew I wasn’t here to try out she just wanted to see if she could goad me into doing it.”

Amy smiled sheepishly. “Whoops.”

I nodded and sighed. “I guess I don’t have a choice now.”

I didn’t wait for them to try to talk me out of it. I turned and walked into the school. I half walked, half ran for the locker room. Thankfully, there was no one there to slow me down. I changed quickly, groaning at the predicament I was now in. I promised myself and my grandmother that I wouldn’t try to go out for any sports. We both agreed it would be an unfair advantage even if I tried my hardest not to do my best. I had another problem with Agent Chase. Even though I didn’t see her goons anywhere, I knew they were about. Agent Faraday strictly told me to keep a low profile and that everything would be ok. That’s the reason Chase was here to begin with. Now here I was, dressing in my gym clothes, ready to try out for the damn track team. Yeah, that’s a low profile.

I looked at myself for a few seconds in the tall mirror on the wall. I took a few deep breaths. I think I can do this, I think I can make myself normal. I looked at the bracelets on my arms and frowned. So maybe not normal, but as close to it as I could get. I gave myself the once over and then left the locker room. I jogged back outside. The air was frigid but it didn’t seem to bother me as much as I thought it was going to. It was like the first time I went running with Jay. The air had been really cold then too, but it wasn’t as cold to me as it was to him. I think it was another perk of my new Amazon whatever.

Amy and Cissie were sitting on the bleachers; I could see their breath from where I stood. I waved as I ran out into the field. The Coach blew her whistle, calling the other girls back. I could see their breath too but the cold didn’t seem to bother them much either. Well, if it did they weren’t showing it like my two shivering friends. A few of the girls stopped to get drinks while the rest sorta stood around and waited. Artemis locked eyes with me and smiled. I smiled weakly back. This was all her fault to begin with. She roped me into this and now I was going to have to perform like some circus animal.

“Girls” said the Coach “this is Cassandra. She’s the little miracle who whipped the pants off you at Sunday’s practice in the park.” There were a lot of murmurs. “She’s agreed to come out and run with you again, this time under more of an official capacity. I know tryouts were last year but given the circumstances, I think she has a lot to bring to this team.”

“She has my vote,” said Artemis

“Mine too” said a couple of the other girls, Akila being one of them.

“Ok” said the Coach smiling. “Why don’t you show us what you can really do out there.”

I didn’t have much time to stretch, not that I really needed too. The Coach put the whistle to her mouth and blew. The other girls were off pretty fast. Me, I lagged a bit at first because she surprised me. But I think that was the whole point. Artemis took the lead quickly; Akila was close behind. Me, I paced myself at first. I think everyone knows the story of Secretariat, about the racehorse that won the Triple Crown back in the seventies. He was notorious for lagging behind in most of the races he ran and then bursting ahead at the end. Not that I’m comparing myself to a racehorse but I think the same tactic would work well for me.

I let the other girls lead for a bit then I slowly wove my way through the pack. A lot of the girls I passed were already huffing and puffing. Me, I was doing good. On the first lap, I was sitting a nice fourth but as soon as we started the second, I put on a little speed. I passed the girl in front of me and then came up on Akila. She was fast but she put everything into it too early. I could see that she was already starting to flounder a bit. I came up beside her and smiled. She didn’t notice me at first until I passed her. I heard her curse then laugh.

Now it was just Artemis and me. Again.

“I was wondering when you were going to stop following around back there” she laughed as I ran up next to her.

“I was enjoying the breeze,” I said with a laugh of my own.

“Can you make this as painless as possible I have a reputation you know.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

I let her lead a bit up until we finished the second lap and then I made my move. I think she knew it was coming because she slowed down a bit. It didn’t take me much to pass her and when I did, I could hear the cheering from my fans. I waved to Cissie and Amy as I passed. The Coach nodded, smiling. I’m not sure how many laps these girls usually ran so I just decided to go until I heard the whistle. On the last leg of my third lap, I saw some of the girls moving to the sidelines. Me, I kept running. Going onto my fourth, Artemis was the last one on the track with me. She was a lap behind though. When we got to the Coach, she left too.

Now I had the track all to myself. I probably could have gone a couple more laps but I didn’t want to show off. So I feigned exhaustion after my fifth and came in. I pretended to pant and huff. A lot of the girls cheered when I finally stopped. Artemis and Akila came over, laughing.

“You’re a damn machine, you know that?”

I nodded. “Does not compute.”

“Impressive, Sandsmark” said the Coach, walking over with her stopwatch. “That was the school and the course record.”

Great. Way to not show off.

Amy and Cissie came down from the bleachers. Amy was shaking her head. “If you do not accept a slot on this team I’m going to beat you senseless.”

Cissie nodded. “You said you were fast but…”

The coach cut her off. “What do you say, Sandsmark?”

I looked at all the faces around me. All of them were waiting, holding their breath. I bit my lip. Son of a bitch. Cameron and Grandma were going to kill me. “Ok, I’ll do it.”

There were a lot of cheers. After that, we went to the locker rooms. Amy agreed to give Cissie a ride home and the two of them left. I told them I’d see them tomorrow at school. There were a lot of congratulations in the locker room. Inside, Artemis introduced me to the rest of the team. It turns out that only she and her core group of five friends actually went by Greek names. I asked her about it but she said she could do me one better.

“I don’t understand.”

Artemis smiled. “I have someplace I want to show you.”

Artemis took me in her car. She wouldn’t tell me where we were going but it didn’t take long for me to realize that wherever it was, it wasn’t in Schaumburg. We left the city and headed toward Chicago. No matter how many questions I asked, she wouldn’t tell me anything. Akila and another girl, Persephone---real name Megan---were in the backseat. The other three girls---the ones with the Greek names---were in another car. Persephone was a quiet girl with longer blonde hair than mine, which she usually wore in a really long braid. If not for the length of her hair, she and Akila could have been twins.

“Do you two know where we’re going?” I asked, looking at them in the rearview mirror.

Akila smiled. “Relax, it’s no place bad. In fact, I think you’ll love it.”

I sighed. “If this is some kind of new girl hazing let me tell you right now I don’t take to surprises very well.”

“It’s not a hazing.”

I tried to get more out of them but they were pretty tightlipped after that. So instead, I sat there and stewed, wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself in to.

After about an hour of driving, we finally got into the city. We went for Lakeshore Drive, heading along at an even pace. I only vaguely knew this area. It was a little on the higher end for me, Mom and I lived on the other side of the city. I thought maybe we were finally coming on our destination until Artemis turned off the street, stopping the car for a second. I was confusing because looking out the window I saw an empty warehouse. Clearly, this wasn’t where she wanted to take me.

“Ok this next part you won’t like” she said with a smile.

“What part?”

“We have to blindfold you,” said Akila as her arms reached around me, putting a bandanna in front of my eyes.

She tied it tight before I could complain. I didn’t like the idea of going into some new place blind but these were teenage girls, it wasn’t like they were leading me to my doom. So I sat back and sighed. I heard the engine start again and then the car started moving. We drove for another ten minutes or so, making a few turns left and then a couple rights. Finally, the car stopped and Artemis shut off the engine. I waited to see if this was another step in the journey but then I heard the back doors open.

My door was opened as I took my seatbelt off. A hand grabbed mine and someone helped me out.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

I was led away from the car, up onto a curb and toward somewhere. I heard the hiss of two glass doors being opened and then heard Persephone’s heeled boots clacking on a hardwood floor. Whoever was holding my arm led me a few more feet and then I was stopped.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded and the bandanna was taken off my eyes. I was surprised at my surroundings. I thought maybe I was being brought to a nightclub or even one of those trendy coffee shops but not here. It had a very Grecian feel to it, complete with fake columns and bronze statues. In the center of the room was a giant bronze statue of a Minotaur. The thing had to be ten feet tall. It looked out of place, especially when I looked at the sign above the reception desk. It was a spa, a health spa. I read the sign and groaned it was one of those bizarre names that meant nothing: Bana-Mighdall. What the hell did that even mean?

“You took me to a spa?” I asked as a couple attendants in fake togas walked by.

I groaned at the tackiness of the place. I looked down at the floor and what I thought to be wood was actually marble. It amazed me that these girls thought this place was cool. It was like someone tried to make a poor replica of something from Ancient Greece. It was ridiculous.

“It’s not only a spa” said Artemis as she took my hand and lead me to the front desk. “It’s a fitness center too.”

“We come here all the time,” said Akila.

The girl at the desk---she couldn’t have been much older than us---smiled at the three girls.

She was raven haired and perky but just as ripped as my new teammates. “Artemis, Akila, Persephone. Who’s the new girl?”

“This is Cassie,” said Akila with another smile. “Cassie this is Charis.”

Great another Greek name. What the hell was up with that?

“We were wondering if Antiope was in. We kinda wanted to see if she’d allow Cassie to join our little group?”

Charis stood up and looked me up and down. She stood an inch or two shorter than me. She stared at me for quite a while then smiled. “I think that shouldn’t be a problem.”

She sat back down and picked up her phone, dialing a number.

“Group?” I asked “what group?”

“We’re Amazons,” said Persephone as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I groaned. You’ve gotta be kidding me.

-----

Author's Note: Here's 13. There's some Amazon explanation in this chapter and pretty much nothing else. So I guess you can say its a explanation chapter if there is such a thing. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Thirteen:

They weren’t kidding.
As soon as Charis was done talking to whoever was on the phone, she pushed a little button underneath her desk and there was a buzz. A door to her left clicked open and I guess that was our cue. Artemis led our little group, Akila followed and Persephone took up the rear. As soon as we passed through the door, I half expected to walk into another room decked out in tacky Greek décor. But this new room actually looked like a fitness club. You know those commercials you always see on TV with an area for aerobics in one corner of the room and the rest of it set up with exercise equipment. Well, that’s exactly what I was seeing here. There were a lot of people in here too, all of them women, I noticed. All of them also seemed to be no older than twenty something.

Artemis led the way through the room. A lot of the girls stopped what they were doing when she passed and nodded. It almost seemed like she held some kind of authority here. I tried to look around without being too awkward but it was hard not to. This place seemed pretty hardcore and exclusive. None of the girls we passed looked to be dainty lightweights. Not only that, there wasn’t a single ounce of flab in the group. I knew a lot of those commercials were misleading and only showed the beautiful people---usually paid actors---to drag in the business. But this place was the real deal. All of the girls working out here looked like they stepped out of lingerie catalogs.
It was kinda freaky actually.

“What the hell is this place?” I asked, looking left and right, wondering when the funky 80’s workout music was going to start playing.

“This is our exercise room,” said Artemis, sounding like a cruise director. She pointed to a few places. “Over there is where we do aerobics and through that door there is the locker rooms.”

But we didn’t stop. Instead, she kept walking and the others kept following. She led us toward an elevator that was sorta hidden between two tall potted plants. You wouldn’t really notice it unless you were looking for it. I looked behind us; none of the girls working out seemed to notice it. In fact, they didn’t even seem to acknowledge us much, except for a few nods here and there. It was kinda creepy. But not as creepy as when Artemis took a chain with a key from around her neck and actually unlocked the elevator. I mean it was a fricken health spa, why did they need a key for the elevator. She smirked when she saw my look.
She pushed the button, opening the elevator door and the four of us got inside.

“Am I missing something here?” I asked as the door started closing.
No one said anything until the elevator starting moving. Except it wasn’t going up like I thought it might, it was actually going down.

“What you see out there is a front,” said Artemis as an explanation. “We an exclusive, members only health club, spa and fitness center. It’s all very legit.”

I nodded. “But it’s fake?”

Artemis smiled. “It’s quite real. All of our members are young women between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one. They’re all good girls. They’re strong, fast, and agile but most of them never get past where they are right now. Only a select few get to step into this elevator.”

“And where are we going exactly?”

“To the real Bana-Mighdall, of course.”

It took several minutes for the elevator to continue its downward descent. That freaked me out more than anything. I’m not a big fan of elevators. I hate that everything is so cramped and that the only thing that’s holding you up is little cables. I’m sure it’s a lot more complicated and sophisticated than that but it still freaked me out a bit. When we were ten, Connor and I got to go to the Sears Tower with my grandfather. I was perfectly happy with being on the ground floor, doing whatever down there. But Connor insisted we ride the elevator as high as we could go. I tried to talk my grandfather out of it.
He knew I was terrified but he was the kinda guy who said, “You should face fear head on so that way you know where it is.” Riding in the elevator then scared the hell out of me but I did it.

Now it was just as freaky. Instead of going up, we were going down. It was taking a long time to do it to. Too long, as far as I was concerned. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.
I don’t know what I was expecting but it was definitely not what I saw. The room before me was large, larger than anything I thought might be possible. It was also a strange amalgam of two different places: a combination between some kind of temple and a dojo. The floor was padded, the walls were solid hardwood. The focal point of the room was a stage of some kind with a dais, which stood in front of a large marble statue of an unrecognizable woman. She was decked out in Greek garb but she was none of the characters that I knew. In front of the dais was about twelve girls, all wearing white shift dresses, in some the middle of some kind of prayer.

I looked around, there was no priestess. I turned to ask Artemis a question but she put a finger to her mouth, shushing me. Apparently, we weren’t allowed to speak here. She pointed to the left, where I saw a door. There was an identical one on the other side of the room. Artemis led the way, while Persephone and Akila turned and went for the other door. I watched them as they slowly walked over to it and disappeared through it. Then we got to our door, Artemis opened it for me and ushered me inside. It opened onto a long narrow hallway, dimly lit by wall sconces every ten feet or so.
“Sorry about that” she said with an apologetic smile. “We’re not allowed to talk while prayer is in session.”

“Prayer?”

She nodded. “Every time that a Sister comes down here we must spend an hour in prayer to Our Patron.”

I nodded. These girls weren’t Amazons; they were some kind of nutty cult. What the hell had I gotten myself into? I smiled as fake as I could.
“Why aren’t you in prayer then?” I asked as she led me down the hall.

“I have to show you to Antiope’s office first, then I’ll join the others.”

Fortunately, we didn’t have very far to go. Antiope’s office was only a few doors down from the door we came through. Artemis stopped in front of it and knocked. There was a click and then she nodded. I smiled at her; she smiled back and then turned and walked away. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I’m not sure what I was expecting on the other side of the door and was surprised at how normal everything looked. Ok, normal might have been pushing it a little but it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting in a place like this. It had all the normal office stuff: a desk, a bookshelf crammed with books, a couple comfortable velvet backed chairs. The things that made it different than other offices were the other furnishings. In one corner was a marble bust, the head of some random Goddess I was unfamiliar with. Behind the desk was a large tapestry, depicting a battle scene with woman in loincloths fighting armored women.
At the desk was a woman that could have been anyone from off the street. She had long blonde hair, a welcoming smile, and was dressed like a normal person. I say normal because it wasn’t one of those crazy white dresses that the others were wearing.

“You must be Cassandra,” She said, I nodded. “We’ve been expecting you.”

That sent a shiver down my spine. Were they in communication with Hera? I mean how crazy is it that I go back to Chicago and there’s a secret sect of Amazons who just happen to live in the city. There are such things as coincidence and this wasn’t one of those times.

“You have?” I asked, trying to see what this woman knew.

She smiled. “Of course. Ever since Artemis told me of your prowess on the track field the other day I just knew you were destined to be one of us.”

I nodded. What the hell did I just get myself in to?

“Why don’t you take a seat?” she said, pointing to one of the chairs. “And you and I can talk for a bit.”

I reluctantly took a seat, looking around the room. A lot of the books on the shelves were about Greek Myths and Legends. Several of them I recognized from my mother’s personal library. Two of them were very familiar to me because Mom wrote them. If she had Mom’s books then this woman was really a fanatic. They were all about female empowerment and stuff like that. I’ve read both of them, barely.
“How much do you know about the historical Amazons?”

I smiled. “Quite a lot actually. My mother is Helena Sandsmark.”

Her eyes widened. I don’t think she was expecting that. “How serendipitous then.”

Her smile afterwards was so fake. I knew her type. She was one of those people who read a lot of books and thought herself smart because of it. She liked to use those smarts to thumb her nose at people who weren’t as smart as she was. Traveling around the world with Mom, I met a lot of academics like her. They thought they knew everything there was to know about their given field and hated it when people knew more information than they did. I think she thought I was a dumb jock like the other girls and she could tell me what’s what.

She recovered from her shock quickly though. “How much do you know about the Bana-Mighdall?”

She had me there. I didn’t even know they were a people. I thought it was just some stupid name she made up. At seeing my confusion, she got a sinister smile. Touché.

“Did you know that were two Queens of the Amazons?” I shook my head; her smile spread almost the whole of her face.

“Hippolyta---who is the one everyone knows---and her sister Antiope. The two sisters ruled the Amazons jointly for some time until He showed” The way she said “He”---with that venom---I think I knew to whom she was referring. “He came on one of his stupid labors. At first, the sisters captured him and forced him into manual labor for several months in fact. But slowly he started to woo the weak-minded Hippolyta. Antiope saw right through his tricks though and tried to warn her sister that no good would come from this man. She wanted to kill him but Hippolyta was smitten. She couldn’t see reason. She released him from his captivity and let him roam their camp freely. That’s when disaster struck. He stole her precious belt, running off with it just as he planned all along.

Hippolyta was heartbroken. But Antiope was unforgiving. She tried to convince her sister to raise arms and follow the infidel but Hippolyta refused. Enraged, Antiope and several of her followers broke off from the weak minded Hippolyta and her foolish ways”

She took a deep breath, taking a sip from a nearby mug. “Antiope and her Sisters wandered the whole of Europe and then the Middle East, looking for a new home. They finally found one in Egypt, founding the city of Bana-Mighdall.”

She took another sip. This part of her tale sounded vaguely familiar. Mom and I were in Egypt about a year or so ago. She was following up a lead there. We actually went to some ruins, believed to be a diverse sect of the Amazons. But after playing in the dirt for a month or so, Mom deemed them to be insignificant. She said there was evidence of Amazons being there but they were unimportant to her. So unimportant that she didn’t even bother to take any notes. I wonder what this “Antiope” would have thought about that.
She set down her mug.

It interested me a bit. “What happened to them?”

She smiled. “They thrived for many years but like most civilizations, they disappeared into history. But unlike most, they didn’t completely go away. Secret sects of the Bana have been documented throughout history, going by different names. There have been several notable members in fact.”

I waited for her to list them but she didn’t. “Unlike their Greek sisters who faded with time, the Bana continued to gather followers, growing secretly over time. There are chapters all over the world, most not as big as the one we have here but just as important.”

I nodded. “Is that why the girls have Greek names?”

She smiled and nodded. “It’s a tradition. When a new Sister is inducted into our Order, she gives up her real name and takes her new, proper one.”

I nodded. “Are all the leaders of the different sects called Antiope?”
Boy would that be confusing at get togethers.

“Most of them choose their own names. I was given the privilege to be named after our Patron due to my large contribution to the Order.”

“Does that make you the Queen?”

She smiled. “We have no Queen. Not anymore.”

I could hear the disdain in her voice, though. I think she wanted to be Queen. I think she wanted to be Queen more than anything in the world. I felt kinda uncomfortable sitting across from her. She was clearly an ambitious person and ambitious people---like my mother---tended to have their own problems. I can’t even fathom what Mom’s are. But this woman’s problems were pretty clear. She wanted to be in control and would do anything to get it. People like her were extremely dangerous because you never knew what they were going to do. Looking at this pretty blonde woman sitting behind her desk, plastered with a fake smile, I was very wary of her. I’m sure she didn’t even notice her particular flaw and if she did she probably didn’t think of it as one, but it was there. I wanted to get up and run away as fast as I could but I had Artemis to think about. She was so excited about bringing me here, I was certain it would hurt her feelings if I fled. I had something else to think about, too.

These girls were Amazons, after all. They might not be the ones that I knew about or the ones who followed the Queen of whose belt I wore but they were still Amazons. A small part of me was certain that being here was Fate. I’m not sure what my part was to play in any of this---Hera hadn’t really been all that forthcoming on that---but I was certain she wanted me to find these girls. I’m not sure how or why I knew that but I just did. Ok, so maybe I didn’t believe in some of the stuff they did around here but maybe I could help change that. The girls on the track team didn’t seem all that bad, Artemis wasn’t a bad person. The only one I really needed to look out for was sitting across from me and as much control as she had now, in the end there wasn’t much she could do that could hurt me.

She studied me for a few seconds, probably trying to figure out what I was thinking. Then she picked up her mug and took another sip. “Usually when I have a talk with a potential recruit, she and I have a heart to heart, put all our cards on the table” I nodded. “But I don’t think I need to do that with you. I like you, I like everything about you.”

She flashed me one of those fake smiles again. It made my skin crawl. Could I join this group and deal with her every day? “I’m honored that you would think of me as a potential member but I’m still not sure what you guys do around here.”

She laughed. It was a melodious tone. “We don’t do much of anything other than what our ancestors did, of course. I can trace my bloodline back to Phthia; my ancestors were born leaders. Most of the girls here can’t do any such thing, but they have a lot of potential. Your friend Artemis for instance, I foresee a great future ahead for her.”

I nodded. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

She smiled, her eyes narrowing a bit. “Well first and foremost we train.”

“For what?”

“To hone our bodies and our minds of course.”

I nodded. “But why do we need to do that? Are we preparing for something?”

Antiope looked confused. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

“You said the girls here are training their bodies and their minds. But you can’t honestly be doing it just to do it. There has to be some purpose, right?”

Like the reason why I was given the Girdle or the reason why my brain was now hardwired with the Amazons, twenty-four seven. She might be a hack but maybe she had some answers.

Antiope smiled again. “There is always something my dear. Some obstacle to overcome, some war to train for. I can honestly say that there’s nothing at the moment but we are always prepared for something.”

I inwardly groaned. So this was all a load of crap. They were a group of LARPers playing pretend. I’m sure they thought it was all serious but it was nonsense to me. Here I thought I’d found the answer to some of my questions, but all I really found was a bunch of fakes. I’m sure they meant well but in the end, they were a group of young women who were using this place as an excuse to do something with their lives. I couldn’t believe Artemis and her friends would buy into all this crap. I couldn’t believe I was still sitting here listening to it.

“So in other words you guys do nothing?”

She laughed and shook her head. “It might not look like much but we help young ladies like yourself discover their true potential. I’ll admit that we’re not much to look at but if anything, we help you become athletes.”

Upstairs could attest for that.

“I’m not sure if I’m interested,” I said, pushing myself up out of my seat.

I was tired of playing games with her. She and this place had nothing to offer me. I had a feeling as soon as I walked into her office that this was going to be a waste of time. When I stood up, she didn’t bother to stop me. She only smiled. I wanted to give her the damn finger but instead I turned and walked toward the door, grumbling.

“You and your mother found something in Greece, didn’t you?”

I stopped dead in my tracks, my hand on the doorknob. Her words turned my blood ice cold.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” I said, opening the door.

“I have connections, I hear things.”

“Well your connections are wrong.”

“My connections are very precise,” she said, standing up.
I turned around and she came around the desk. She was a bit taller than I thought---not as tall as me but still close to six feet. I guess the Amazons here had a height requirement or something. Looking for the perfect female specimen no doubt. She walked slowly over to me. I took a step back, not wanting her to come any closer. She made me nervous and I didn’t like that about her. Like I said, she was a dangerous person and I didn’t trust her one bit. She put her hands on my shoulders, backing me up gently into the door.

“I have no idea what you found there and right now it’s not important,” she said with a sweet smile. “What is important is that you can find a home here, friends and even family if you wish. I can help you and maybe in time you can learn to trust me.”

“You have nothing to offer me,” I said, pulling out from under her hands.

“No” she said, admitting something which was already very obvious. “But maybe you and I can find someone who does. As I said, I have a lot of connections. The Bana have a large network, we’re all over the world. Maybe I don’t have something, but maybe one of our other Sects do. If you’re willing, maybe you and I can see if one of those Sects has something pertaining to whatever it is you might have discovered.”

I bit my lip. I couldn’t do this alone. I knew I shouldn’t trust her but there had to be a reason for this. I mean what are the odds that a group of Amazons would show up in my home town. I took a deep breath and nodded.

“I’ll join your little group,” I said, she smiled but I raised my hand to cut off whatever she was about to say. “But I’m not taking part in any of your stupid little games.”

She smiled. “Fair enough.”

I groaned. She leaned forward and wrapped me in a hug.

“Welcome home sister” she whispered softly in my ear.
What the hell was I getting myself in to?

It was late by the time Artemis drove me home.

“I can come in and explain things to your grandma if you want?” she asked, knowing how late it really was.

I shook my head. “I’m already in enough trouble as it is; I don’t need for you to get into any, too.”

She smiled. “Trouble in my middle name.”

Lately it was mine too. I thanked her for the ride and for everything else then I got out of the car. It was cold and dark as I made my way up to the porch, carrying my backpack in one hand and the duffle in the other. I didn’t even have to pull out my keys because the door opened even before I got there. My grandmother was standing there with the sternest look on her face. I opened my arms and she did something unexpected, she through her arms around me and wrapped in a hug. She might have even been crying a little bit. Ok, that I wasn’t expecting. We stood in the doorway for a few seconds until I managed to pry her away and we went into the house. I heard Artemis squeal away behind us so I locked the door.

“Ok, what did I miss?”

My grandma sighed. “I was so worried about you. Agent Chase was here earlier and said you disappeared after your track tryouts.”

Busted. “I was going to tell you about that,” I said sheepishly.

“Later” she said as she walked over and sat on the couch. “She had agents scouring the whole city looking for you; I think she thought you were abducted by the same ones who attacked you on the island.”

I groaned. I realized how careless I’d been, but I forgot that I was in danger. Of course, everyone would be worried about me. I mean after all I did kinda disappear without telling anyone where I went. I’m sure Chase was pretty damn furious and she had every right to be. I would have been pretty furious with me, too. The worst part, I’m not usually one to go off and not tell anyone where I was going. Of course, I never went off anywhere in the first place. Before, I used to go to school and come home, spending the rest of the night doing homework, watching TV and playing video games. Yep, I was a total loser before.

I dropped my bags near the door and walked over to the couch. I sat down next to grandma and took her hand. I quickly gave her a rundown of today’s events. I apologized about not telling her about the track team but she understood. She asked if I wanted her to straighten it out with the principal but I shook my head. I think I could make it work. After all, I needed to keep busy and track might actually be the outlet I was looking for. I was convinced that I’d be able to keep myself under control. When I told her about Artemis and the girls taking me to Chicago, she turned kinda green. But I quickly explained the fitness club to her and she relaxed a bit. I left out the part about those girls pretending to be Amazons.
It was just too crazy to explain.

When I was finished, grandma patted my knee. “You’re a big girl; I think you can make your own decisions.”

I smiled. “Thanks grandma.”

She slowly got to her feet. “Are you hungry? I can warm up some leftovers for you?”

My stomach grumbled so that answered the question. I followed her into the kitchen and she took a plate out of the fridge. It was meatloaf, wrapped in saran wrap. She unwrapped it and put it into the microwave. Then she handed me the phone. I knew exactly what she wanted me to do but I groaned anyway. While she was heating up dinner for me, I dialed Cameron’s number.

She picked up on the second ring. “You better have a good explanation,” she snapped, not even waiting for me to say hello.
I filled her in with as little detail as possible.

“The track team?” She sighed heavily. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I need an outlet and as much as I enjoy running circles around Jay, that’s not really cutting it for me. Track is exactly what I need.”

She groaned. “This is a really bad idea.”

“Then stick a spy on me or something. Make sure I don’t do anything stupid.”

I think I heard her smirk. “How do you know we don’t have one already?”

I laughed. “I think I’d know if someone was following me around.”

“You’d be surprised.”

I’m not sure I liked that. I stuck to the subject though. “So is the track team ok or not?”

She sighed heavily again. “If you promise not to overdo then I don’t see where there’s going to be a problem.”

I pumped the air with my fist. “You’re the best, Cam.”

“Don’t call me Cam” she said and hung up.

“Everything ok?” asked grandma as she placed the plate in front of me.

“Never better” I said as she handed me a fork and I dug in.
Grandma excused herself, going upstairs to ready herself for bed. I ate my dinner alone at the kitchen table. Unfortunately there was only a little bit of the meatloaf left, I think she probably gave most of it to the agents who I’m sure were here all night. Afterwards I washed the dish and fork then made my way upstairs. It was only eight o’clock or so but grandma often went to bed fairly early. I knew that didn’t sound too late to come home too but I’d never stayed out past six, ever. Not even when I was a kid, unless I was off somewhere with grandpa. Then the two of us spent hours out doing whatever it was we usually did.

I went upstairs, dragging my two bags with me. I dropped them on my bedroom floor, taking note that there was something different about the room. New curtains, I think. I also noticed the new alarm clock. I smiled as I stripped out of my school clothes and retrieved the oversized shirt that had become my official pajamas. I grabbed my homework and went back down to the kitchen. It was English and Math tonight; I did most of the other in my late study hall. I think I might have mentioned how much I hated math. I could never understand why we needed it in the first place. But as I sat there and looked at the problems on the page, it all suddenly started to make sense to me. I groaned, realizing it was more of the hardwiring. Math was mainly a Greek thing I think, so of course Hera would put it all in my head. It kinda creeped me out but it was cool that I was able to breeze through it so quickly.

English was another story. How do you write an essay about what you did over break when you had a break like mine? Luckily, for me it wasn’t due until the end of the week. So I pushed it aside and went into the living room to watch TV. I surfed for a bit, ended up on the news for a minute or two. They were talking about the new girl who had just inherited billions. I think I might have heard something about it. I paid little attention but it was kinda cool that she was my age and now she was a billionaire. She was cute too, they showed her leaving her fancy skyscraper and getting into a limo. It was too bad that I didn’t like girls that way anymore.

I watched Adult Swim after that. I laid down on the couch, dragged one of the pillows under my head and laughed at all the stupid cartoons on there. I’m not sure how long I watched it before my eyelids got heavy and I started to get drowsy. Before I lost total consciousness, I swore I saw that damn owl sitting outside the living room window watching me. But it was there one minute and gone the next. I ignored it and allowed my mind to drift off to other things. Mainly what I was going to do about this Amazon thing. I couldn't get my brain around what I was going to do about it.

I thought about that for a while then slowly drifted to sleep.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 14. There's a nice build up to something cool coming. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Fourteen:

I woke up to the alarm going off. When I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I was a bit confused. Last night, I fell asleep on the couch, I was certain of that. But looking around, hearing the buzzing I was definitely in my room. I groaned, gently stretching out and shutting the clock off. No point making my grandmother buy another. I rubbed my neck, it was a little stiff. As I was rubbing it, something came back to me. It was something faint---like a dream. I definitely remember falling asleep on the couch but there was something else too. Someone was there---I’m not sure if it was a man or a woman---but whoever it was picked me up. It definitely wasn’t my grandmother that’s for sure and I’m guessing Donna wasn’t that strong. Maybe one of Cameron’s men? The thought of a stranger carrying me to my room made me shudder a bit.

I got out of bed and went through my morning routine. Yesterday was on my mind the whole time I was in the shower. I couldn’t help but think I’d made a horrible mistake, agreeing to join their little group. I refused to think of them as Amazons, because let’s face it they weren’t. They were a bunch of girls playing pretend. It was kinda sad; I really thought I had found a kindred group there for a second. I’m sure they were all really good girls but I’m not really sure I fit in with them. It still bugged me though that they just happened to be in Chicago. It was just too much of a coincidence. I wish I could talk to Hera about it but lately my dreams had been nothing but the usual. Though I did have an unsettling one the other day about standing in front of the school in my underwear but instead of the usual, it was a pair of boxers. That one kinda freaked me out some.

When I dressed and got downstairs, there was a pile of mail sitting on the counter. The letter on top was a little unusual for us. It was ornate, the envelope made of a heavier material. The lettering was gold and fancy. I picked it up; it was addressed to me. But what surprised me more was the logo in the corner, a purple W, the sign of Wayne Enterprises.

“That came for you yesterday,” my grandma said as she placed some bacon and toast on the table for me. There were extra helpings of it.

“Why me?” I asked, slowly opening the envelope.

My eyes widened when I saw what was inside. It was an invitation, addressed to me, Cassandra Sandsmark. The lettering was gold and elegant, like on the envelope. I scanned it quickly and sighed. It was an invitation to a new museum opening. Before getting the grant, Mom had done some work for Mr. Wayne. He’d asked her to find some nice pieces for him to put on display in a new Greek exhibit at the Fields. It’s one of the reasons she got her grant so easily, seeing that he knew she did good work. But that was several months ago, I’d completely forgotten about it. I’d only met him briefly when he showed up here to ask Mom personally---which I thought was the coolest thing in the world. But he’d met me as Charlie, how in the hell did he know about Cassandra?

“Oh that’s lovely dear,” said my grandma, taking a glance at it. Then she tutted. “Two days, that doesn’t give us a lot of time to find you a dress.”

“A dress?” I squeaked.

“Of course, you can’t go to this in jeans,” she laughed.

I paled. A dress. I read further and paled even more. “It says Plus One.”

“That means you can bring a date.”

A date, I gulped. Why did life have to be so difficult? I wracked my brain, trying to figure out whom I could bring. Not that I wanted to ask anyone but surely someone would like to come and keep me company. I suppose I could bring Donna but that would be like kinda awkward. Besides, I’m sure she got one of these too, she is Mom’s assistant after all. I wonder if Connor…no that would be extremely awkward. Besides he’d never go to it, he hates things like this. There were only two other guys around my age I really knew. Eddie was definitely out of the question. I bit my lip, that just left Jay. But would he really want to go to this thing with a sixteen year old?

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted my thoughts. I sat at the table, my whole body numb. Why did life have to be so complicated? When Connor came in, he smiled, flashing me all his pearly whites. I blushed and tried to ignore him as the two of us devoured our breakfast in silence. The car ride to school was in relative silence, too. He asked me how the “tryout” went---apparently, he thought I was trying to get on the team too---so I told him it went well. Well for them anyway. He thought it was kinda cool that I was joining the ranks of the “elite”. He said it with air quotes, we both laughed.

School dragged on kinda slow. At lunch, Amy joined Cissie and me at our table.

“So where did you go yesterday anyway?” she asked, opening her little carton of milk.

“Artemis and her friends dragged me off to some spa in the big city.”

“That sounds nice,” said Cissie, smiling. “My mother and I used to go to a lot of those before she got so busy with work.”

Her mother was a big time businesswoman. She worked for a rival company of Wayne’s, owned by Henry Ballard. I think it bothered Cissie that her mom worked for a sleaze like Ballard. I know it would bother me. That guy gave everyone I know the creeps.

“A spa?” asked Amy, setting her milk down. “They go all the way into Chicago for a damn mud bath?”

I shrugged. “It’s some kind of exclusive thing, members only.”

“You get a membership?” I nodded; Amy smiled. “Well that’s better then, maybe we can shoot some love our way, pamper your friends like princesses too.”

We all had a laugh. Amy might get in, Cissie not so much. I didn’t say that though. She seemed like the kinda girl that might take something like that personally. I changed the subject after that, telling them all about my invite to the exhibit opening. I asked them if either was interested in going. Amy didn’t seem too keen on the idea but Cissie did until I mentioned when it was. Unfortunately, she had a piano lessons that night she couldn’t miss because there was a big recital coming up. It pained me that she never got to have any fun. I made a mental note to kidnap her and drag her to an amusement park as soon as I got the time.

The rest of the school day went by quickly. I had Eddie Bloomberg in three classes and it never occurred to me that when I got into my second one with him that he wasn’t there. Not that it really mattered much to me but I did feel for him a bit. He did look a little pale yesterday and let’s face, it probably didn’t help that I gave his coin purse a good squeeze. Not that I felt bad about that---he did deserve it after all---but I hoped it wasn’t anything too serious. I made another mental note, this one to ask Connor if Eddie was feeling any better or worse.

When the end of the school day came around, Artemis and another girl from the team were waiting for me. She was one of “Artemis’ Six” as I’d come to think of them. She was tall and black; her hair was long, down her back in tight braids. She had a beauty about her that made her look like an African princess. Like the others in the group, she was ripped. She looked a little more so than the others though, like she spent a lot more time working out than anything else. I looked her up and down and she did the same with me.

“Hey Cas, this is Karna” said Artemis, thumbing the girl.

Karna nodded. Seriously, what the hell kind of name was that. I wonder if it was her real one or a fake like all her friends. I smiled weakly and nodded. “What can I do for you guys today?”

“We’re going for a run then we thought we might head into the city. We thought you might want to tag along.”

“I can run for a bit but I’m kinda busy tonight.”

In truth, I didn’t really want to do either. I know I played nice yesterday and agreed to join their little play group but I wasn’t really interested in going back to that place. I know Antiope said she’d help me find whatever it was that I was looking for but I still didn’t want anything to do with her.

“I think we can live with that,” said Artemis smiling. “But you gotta come tomorrow; Antiope wants to discuss something with all of us.”

I nodded. I suppose I could come up with an excuse for that too but what was the point. As long as they didn’t make me miss the exhibit in two days I was fine with spending one more evening at that freaky place. “I think I can live with that.” I said; we laughed.

I followed them to the locker room. When we got there, Akila and Persephone were already there, dressed in sports bras and Lycra running shorts. They were insane if they were going to run in those. The other two members of Artemis’ group were there, too. They were dressed a little more conservatively. I didn’t know either of them but Artemis quickly introduced them: Laris and Anaya. Both of them were dark haired, Anaya’s skin had a golden hue to it, making her appear Middle Eastern maybe. She had Caucasian features though, a thinner nose for one. So it was possible she was a little of both. Laris was blue eyed and stern, her hair pulled back tight.

I dressed quickly enough then the seven of us hit the track. I thought maybe Akila and Persephone would complain about the cold but it amazed me that they didn’t. Even though I could see their breath, they looked perfectly fine. I kept pace with them for a while, the seven of us running as a group. It felt kinda nice for a bit but then got cramped. Our tight group didn’t last long. It was clear that Akila and Artemis were the superior runners. Laris fell off first followed by Persephone then Anaya. Karna kept good pace with me for a bit but she fell back too. I let Artemis and Akila keep the lead for a bit before I moved in on them.

"This is just a recreational run, you know,” said Akila as I passed.

I turned, running backwards. “I know,” I said with a laugh.

I turned back around and took Artemis easily. She tried to keep up this time, putting everything she had into it but like before, it wasn’t enough. Instead of showing off, I only ran one more lap before I joined the six of them at the bleachers. They were passing a little white bottle between them, popping one pill each. That gave me some pause.

“What are you doing?” I asked sternly, thinking the worse.

Artemis quickly explained. “They’re nothing bad. They’re these new vitamins; they sell them at the Spa. You want some?”

I looked at the bottle, reading the label: Ambrosia, Food of the Gods. I shook my head. “I don’t go for that kinda stuff.”

Artemis shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

After that, we went back to the locker rooms and changed. Artemis drove me home; Akila and Persephone were in the back seat again. As soon as I got in the house, I was met by Donna. She had a big smile on her face, the kinda of smile that usually met trouble. She was holding my invitation. I gulped, knowing what was coming.

“Drop your bag there but don’t get comfortable,” she said, taking out her keys.

I groaned. “I just came back from a run, can’t I shower first.”

“You don’t sweat remember.”

I groaned, why did I tell her that. My grandma came out of the kitchen with her purse, wearing her winter coat.

“Good, you’re home now the three of us can hit the mall.”

I didn’t need to ask for what. The two of them were going to drag me dress shopping. I tried to make a break for the stairs but Donna blocked me. She turned me around and pointed me toward the door. I grumbled a lot but I went along willingly. We spent hours in Woodfield or so it seemed. Donna and grandma dragged me from one store to the next. It didn’t take long to find the right dress---it was gold and ended just above my knees. Then we had to get shoes and accessories. They said there was no time for the salon but maybe tomorrow. Not if I could help it. We ended up eating dinner in the food court.

An hour after more shopping---groan---we finally went back home. Donna came with us. I think the fact that she had an empty apartment waiting for her influenced that decision. Not that either Grandma or me cared, we liked having her. It was like having an older sister actually, which was fun---some of the time anyway. Grandma went to bed early again, while Donna and I changed into our pajamas to watch some TV. On the couch, she sat behind me and braided my hair. I filled her in on the last few days; she listened without commenting, until the end anyways.

“You think they might be the real deal?” she asked, referring to the “Amazons”.

“I think they think they are.”

“Sounds too good to be true if you ask me.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

That night I made sure to go to bed upstairs. I wasn’t really looking forward to being carried upstairs by whoever. I asked grandma about it earlier but she said she didn’t know a thing about it. Donna didn’t know anything either. Which really freaked me? I spent the whole night lying there, trying to figure out if I was going crazy or not. Every once and a while I glanced over at my window, my nighttime sentinel standing watch. The bird didn’t even freak me out anymore, in fact I kinda felt secure knowing he was there watching over me.

I fell asleep without too much worry. The next morning, I woke and went through my routine. It felt kinda monotonous now but it was my life. Downstairs in the kitchen, Donna was actually at the breakfast table. Today was Thursday and apparently, she had no class tonight, so there was no need for her to sleep in. There was a plate of pancakes and bacon, far too much for the three of us. But my grandma was thinking about my new appetite and our morning visitor. Not too long after I sat down, the doorbell rang. This time Donna got up and answered, a little too happy if you ask me.

I caught the tail end of their conversation as the two of them walked into the kitchen.

“Its really fancy but I’m sure you don’t need a dinner jacket.”

I knew exactly what they were talking about. I glared at her, she smiled innocently.

Connor looked a little uncomfortable. “Ummm….I don’t know…”

I rolled my eyes. Donna was so going to die for this. I cleared my throat. “Connor, would you like to be my date tomorrow night for the exhibit opening?”

He blushed about as red as my shirt.”I…ummm…if it’s ok with you.”

I nodded. “The event starts at seven. If you pick me about an hour early, I think we can get there in time.”

We ate breakfast in silence. I kept giving Donna the evil eye; she finally stuck her tongue out at me. Boy was she going to get it now. After breakfast, Connor and I left. School seemed to drag on, I’m not sure why. Eddie was absent again and I cursed, forgetting to ask Connor if everything was all right. Now I was starting to get a little worried. At lunch, I found out I wasn’t the only one. Cissie kept looking over at the football table, frowning. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who she was looking for. I couldn’t help but smile. I guess it didn’t surprise me in the least, her having a crush on Eddie. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had one on her too. I knew it wasn’t Middle school anymore but Eddie was one of those immature guys who probably still teased the girl he liked. He probably knew it was social suicide for him to be with her but I’ve seen stranger things happen.

“I think he’s probably all right,” I said, trying to see if I could catch her.

“I don’t know, he looked really bad….” She cut off quickly, flushing.

I smiled. “You want me to ask Connor where he leaves so we can go check on him.”

She didn’t say anything at first. She continued to flush but then slowly nodded. I stood up, Cissie’s eyes widened. I don’t think she thought I was going to do it now. Then I walked over to the football table. The jerks were doing something stupid but stopped when they saw me. One of them whistled, I glared at him and he shut up. I crouched down and whispered in Connor’s ear. His eyes opened in surprise then he smiled. He turned and whispered Eddie’s address in my ear. I decided I was going to give the jackasses a show so I kissed Connor on the check---don’t ask me why---then walked away with a little sway to my hips. I’ve officially lost my mind now.

“I’ve got his address,” I said, pulling out a pen and scribbling it on a napkin. Amy looked at it and smiled as Cissie. “We can go Saturday if you’re free?”

Cissie nodded as she took the napkin, sliding it slowly off the table so no one would see. Amy teased her a little bit through the rest of lunch but it was all in fun.

The rest of the day went by faster than the morning half of it.

Artemis and company were waiting for my again after ninth. I was kinda dreading it all day. But I did promise I’d go with them today. So I dragged my feet a bit, as I exchanged my books for more books and stuffed it all in my bag. Once again, I drove with Artemis, Akila and Persephone. Apparently, Karna drove the others. We made good time. This time I remembered to ask for a cell phone---Persephone passed me hers---and I called my grandma. I told her I probably wouldn’t be home for dinner as I was going to be off with friends. We finally arrived at the spa about an hour after leaving the school, this time they didn’t blindfold me. Apparently, they didn’t need to; I was one of them now.

We didn’t have to go very far when we got inside. The spa apparently was cleared out except for about twenty or so girls my age. I think this might have been the group. I looked at the group; none of them were the ones I saw up here the other day. So apparently, there were two sides to this place: the ones allowed up here and the ones allowed down there. I looked at the girls, all kneeling in their white dresses; Antiope was in front of the group. She was standing at the dais, hovering above the rest. Instead of wearing her pantsuit from earlier, she was wearing a dress similar to the one they were wearing. But unlike them, she wore a purple sash and had a golden laurel wreath crown on her head.

I groaned softly. You’ve gotta be kidding me.

“We’re going to go change,” said Artemis with a smile. “Do you want us to get you a robe, too?”

I shook my head. “I don’t have to wear one.”

Artemis gave me a funny look but nodded. She and the others disappeared, heading toward a door off to the left. Me, I stood there and listened. Antiope was apparently in the middle of telling the assemblage some of her crazy babble. I only half paid attention, my eyes wandering about a bit. Though this was, the same exercising room from earlier, most of the equipment was moved off to the side. I rolled my eyes, wondering how all these girls could actually fall for her bullshit. It was clear that she thrived on attention and these girls were more than happy to give it to her.

The Artemis Six came back, robed just like the others. Artemis came over and brought me to the group. There was no point in resisting so I followed. I wondered what jewel of wisdom was so important that I needed to hear it too.

Antiope smiled at us, her eyes lingering on me for a few seconds.

“Now that we have all gathered my Sisters,” she said, opening her arms wide. “I have a very important announcement” She paused for dramatic effect. Then said in a louder voice. “The Goddess has spoken to me.”

There were a lot of gasps. I rolled my eyes. If my Goddess had actually spoken to her she’d probably have a heart attack.
“She has told me to prepare you for a great Change. The Change is coming, it will bring about a new world, a world where Womankind will rise above all else.”

Give me a break. I had to get out of here before she brainwashed me with this crap. I looked around, seeing Artemis a few girls over. I slid over to her and whispered softly. “Where’s the bathroom?”

She looked surprised for a second. “In the lobby, but surely you’re not going to leave now.”

I smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

I pushed my way to my feet and walked at a brisk pace to get out of there. Charis was not at the front desk, so I was alone. I looked at the creepy bronze Minotaur statue and shuddered. Who the hell would put that thing in a spa? I made sure I was alone before I bolted for the door. I stepped aside, shivering a bit---the cold didn’t bother me as much as it should have but it was still cold. I looked around, not familiar with this part of the city. But I knew from driving by that there was a coffee shop down the block. They probably had a phone that I could use. Coming here was a really bad idea. I knew it would have been but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. After all, they were kinda harmless. Now I knew they were kinda nuts, too.

I started walking in the direction of the shop, moving at a brisk pace. I wasn’t thinking straight nor paying much attention. I suppose it was my fault. Not paying attention leads to mistakes. That’s what happened when I walked by the alley. There was someone waiting, someone I didn’t see. He came out of the shadows, grabbing me from behind. He got the drop on me; my heightened reactions didn’t have time to react. At least not at first. He dragged me into the alley, several feet from the street. He had a knife to my throat, and overpowered me with Bo. When we were about twenty feet into the alley, far enough away from the road, he pushed me face first into the wall.

“Your money bitch” he slurred “NOW!”

Damn it.

I spun around, catching him by surprise. His arm was outstretched, the knife pointing at me. I was kinda glad it wasn’t a gun, not that that would have mattered. I snapped forward quickly, grabbing his wrist. I twisted it up, hearing a snap. He screamed but I pulled him toward me, kneeing him in the gut. I watched as the knife clattered to the floor. Then I dragged him further into the alley, his wrist still twisted in my hand. He was whimpering in pain.

“You made two mistakes, you jackass,” I said as I dragged him. “One you were actually stupid enough to try to mug me.”

I let go of his arm. He cradled it to his chest and tried to run. I stepped in front of him quickly, blocking him. Behind us was a dead end. I grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him about two feet off the ground.

“Your second mistake” I said, pulling him closer. “You picked the wrong night to do it.”

I spun him around and tossed him into the nearby dumpster.

I groaned as I looked at the grime on my hands then wiped them on my jeans. I guess I’ll have to burn these now. I made sure he wasn’t getting out of the dumpster then looked around for his dropped knife. I picked up and angrily slammed it into the brick wall, driving it in so hard that it wouldn’t be easy to pull out. When I walked to the end of the alley, I looked around until I found what I was looking for. There was a police officer writing a ticket. I smiled and walked over.

“Officer, I saw someone with a gun in that alley back there.”

“Are you sure miss?”

I nodded. He tipped his hat and ran off in the direction I came from. I stayed around for a bit---out of sight---I watched as the officer came out of the alley a minute or two later, dragging the whimpering mugger. I didn’t wait around as he called for backup. Instead, I headed on my way. I passed by the commotion that was gathering. I locked eyes with the mugger as I passed. He started babbling incoherently as I passed, pointing in my direction. But no one was paying any attention.

I walked to the coffee shop and asked the guy behind the counter if I could use the phone. He was my age and I hate to admit it, kinda cute. I batted my eyes and he handed over his own cell phone. I took a minute deciding who to call. Then dialed the number. It rang once before he answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey Connor” I said, choosing my words. “Ummm…I’m in the city. I was wondering if you could maybe give me a ride home.”

"What, where are you?”

I told him the address. “I…ummm…it’s a long story, I’ll explain when you get here.”

“Ok, I’m on my way.”

We decided to stay in the coffee shop and get something. Besides Connor was dying to know what was going on and he was paying. Not that it was a date but I was kinda thirsty. Hungry, too. So after he got us some coffee and some danishes, we found a quiet booth and I told him what I was doing in the city. I left out the part about the guy trying to mug me. He nodded throughout my story, only speaking when I was done.

“You mean you got a membership at the Bana?” he asked shocked.

I nodded. “That it means much to me. Those people are nuts.”

He laughed. “Do you know how jealous half the girls at our school would be if they found out you got into Bana. It’s really exclusive; you have to know someone who knows someone to get in.”

“Believe me, they’re not missing much.”

He didn’t believe me so I told him what everyone was missing. I sugar coated it of course, leaving out everything about the real secret. But I did tell him it was like a cult in there, all smiley faces and white gowns. That kinda freaked him a little bit. After that, we changed topics and started talking about school. Which of course led to Eddie and Cissie. I asked about Eddie because I knew he hadn’t been around here very long or else I would have remembered him. Apparently, he transferred about a month or so before hand, I was still there then so I must have just missed him. According to Connor---who’d been in Little League Football with him for years---Eddie wasn’t a bad guy. But lately he was having problems, flares of temper and things like that.

It felt kinda strange, sitting her with him like this. I know I’ve been doing it all week at the kitchen table for breakfast and on the way to school but something about now felt different. I’m not sure what it was but I kinda liked it. I’m not saying I liked him---well I did, I mean he is my best friend---but I don’t like him, like him. But there was just something about him, sitting there with me that made me feel kinda gooey inside. And for some reason, I was kinda nervous about it.

“Ummm” he said, breaking our silence. “Why did you call me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He picked up his coffee and took a small sip. “Your aunt lives in the city, doesn’t she?”

I was about to say, “No, she doesn’t” when I realized that would have been a huge mistake. I was pretending to be Vanessa’s daughter, even though no one seemed to bother asking why I went by Sandsmark, my grandmother’s maiden name and not my mother’s---well my fake one anyone. My real mother was supposed to be my “aunt” now. Which I’m sorry to say was the stupidest thing I could have come up with. Why didn’t I say I was my own sister or something like that?

I realized he was waiting for my answer. So I gave him one. “I don’t really know her. My mother and she didn’t get along well and I’ve always heard these stories about her.”

Connor laughed and nodded. “She’s definitely interesting.”

I smiled. Connor knew my Mom really well. She didn’t care for him much, I think he reminded her of my father. They were both tall, dark and handsome. God, did I just think Connor was handsome. I wonder if he saw me flush. I turned my head away. Damn hormones.

We talked a little more about my mother/pretend aunt. Then he shifted his questions to the Exhibit opening. I was afraid he was going to go there. I tried to be as informative as possible but to tell you the truth I don’t really remember much. I know she went to a couple different places---pulled some old favors---and got some really nice pieces from some private collectors. Jameson Queen helped out a bit too, used his resources to track down some really hard to find pieces. All I knew for certain was the name of the Exhibit, Heroes of Ancient Greece. I’m not sure my Mom was too happy about it but a paycheck is a paycheck and Mr. Wayne pays very well.

After we were done with our coffee, Connor paid and the two of us went out to his truck. There was a commotion near the alley where I was almost mugged. There was a crowd gathered and a news van. I groaned, wondering if I’d overdone it. Connor looked over, his curiosity piqued.

“What’s going on?”

I shrugged. “Probably something trivial and boring”

“You want to check it out?”

I faked a yawn. I looped my arm through his; it seemed like the right thing to do. “I’m tired; can you just take me home please?”

He looked at me with a smile. “Sure thing.”

We got into the truck and he drove me toward home. There was a slight delay due to the weather. It was starting to snow, which wasn’t too odd considering the weather as of late. The whole of the country was going through some kind of deep freeze. When I was younger, my grandma always used to say that Demeter must have been having a particularly hard time moaning over Persephone whenever the cold got too bad. I used to think she was just telling stories, using my Greek Myth education to make me feel better. Now---especially after meeting Hera---I really wondered if Demeter was out there, bemoaning her missing daughter who was now currently in the Underworld with her Lord of the Dead, husband, Hades.

We finally arrived at my house about an hour later than we should have. On the way, I had used Connor’s cell to call and tell my grandma what was going on. I think she was a bit surprised but she didn’t question me. I said my goodbye and thanks to Connor. It was funny because I actually lingered at the truck a little longer than I should have. I’m not sure what I was expecting, hanging half way in his window like that. When nothing happened, I smiled and wandered slowly up the drive toward the house. When I got inside, my grandma was on the couch watching the news.

I heard a female voice coming from the set. “As strange as it may sound, the mugger, whose identity is being withheld, claims that he was attacked by the woman he tried to mug.”

I groaned. I figured they were there, covering my handiwork. My grandma raised an eyebrow as I walked into the room and flopped down on the couch next to her. The scene on the screen showed the alley then the camera zoomed in on the knife, sticking in the wall where I angrily left it. My grandma muted the TV and turned to me.

I sighed. “He caught me off guard. He was trying to mug me, what was I supposed to do.”

She laughed. “Agent Chase isn’t going to be happy about this you know.”

I sighed heavily; flopping my head down on her lap, she stroked my hair. “She can go screw herself.”

Grandma tisked. “That’s not very nice, definitely not very ladylike either.”

“I don’t care; I’m tired of being a lady anyway.”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about that,” she said, gently wiping the tear off my cheek.

I didn’t even know I was crying.

“Is everything all right, sweetheart?”

“No” I said, the tears flowing, this time I knew they were coming. “I’m so damn confused.”

She helped me sit up and held me while I cried. I stayed like that for a while, crying on her shoulder. She didn’t ask any questions, she didn’t say anything comforting or try to give me advice. She just let me and it felt good. I blubbered for a bit and then gave her a rundown of the night’s events, telling her everything. She listened, not saying a word. I think it surprised her when I chose to call Connor and not Mom or even Jason---he lived in that area. But she didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she let me tell her my story. When I was done, she warmed up some leftovers for me. I ate quietly, wondering what the hell I was going to do about things. I was now pretty certain that I might have feelings for Connor and though that was scary, it was the least of my problems. I still had no idea who I was or what I was supposed to do.

“Even normal girls like me have problems” said grandma “and trust me, there’s not always an answer to them.”

I nodded. “I thought they were going to be like me.”

She nodded. “There’s a solution to that you know.”

“And what’s that?”

“Make them like you.”

I laughed. I don’t think that was even possible. But maybe it was worth a try. First, I needed to discover exactly what I was and what exactly I could do. That was going to take a lot of time and energy. And as much as it pained me, I’d need the use of The Bana’s exercise room to help me figure that out.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 15, its got two good things going for it: length and action. There's also a couple cameos, some from my previous stories and a few DC characters I slipped in. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Fifteen:

“Everything should be ok,” said Cameron as she shuffled papers.

“Are you sure?” I asked, moving my fork through the eggs on my plate.

She nodded. “I interrogated the suspect myself. He was very high at the time of the mugging. He was a junky looking for a quick fix. He rambled on and on about you one minute and then a yellow elephant the next. He was only coherent half the time so Detective Schorr barely believed him.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I was pretty certain the guy was going to give them an accurate description of me and there would be reporters knocking on my door first thing in the morning. There was someone at the door when I came downstairs for breakfast but it was only Agent Chase. She didn’t look too happy when grandma invited her in for a cup of coffee. Apparently, she had spent half the night at the Chicago police station. First, trying to convince Detective Schorr to let her interview the suspect and then once she got to him, she spent several more hours trying to see what he knew. But like she said, he was too strung out to really remember much.

It was good to know that I didn’t permanently damage him after I subdued him. A broken wrist and some bruised ribs, both things he’d be able to live with. After the police station, they moved him to the ER where he was currently recuperating. I suppose I should have put him in a full body cast but the only one that would have satisfied was me.

I smiled. Cameron frowned. “You were lucky. Too lucky, you can’t keep taking risks like this. First the mall and now this. You can’t keep doing stuff like this.”

I groaned. “So you wanted me to let the guy mug me?”

She sighed, shaking her head. “You could have just left him there; you didn’t have to call the cop over.”

“He would have gotten away and tried it again.”

Cameron didn’t argue with me there because she knew I was right. What I should have done was stripped the son of a bitch to his underwear and tossed his ass out into the street. It would have drawn a lot of attention but at least he’d not only be embarrassed but arrested, too. I’m sure that would have gone over really, really well with her. But I needed to play nice. I was already towing the line as it is. After I disappeared on them the other day, I think they were pretty peeved with me and now I pulled this. I still couldn’t believe we lost them like that, they were the US government, how could they lose track of a group of sixteen-year-old girls?

Cameron sipped her coffee then looked down at her papers. It was a file folder, I’m sure it was on me. It wasn’t very thick but I had a feeling it was going to get thicker in an hour or two as soon as she filed all this. I’m not sure if I was impressed with it or not. It still bugged me that these people thought I was a massive threat to national security. If anything, I was an asset. After all, I took out some really bad guys in Greece; clothes-lined a purse snatcher and put a mugger in the hospital. I didn’t expect medals but at least they could have been grateful. Ok, so the last two weren’t terrorists but those guys in Greece were pretty damn hardcore. That had to count for something.

“So what happens now?”

‘Nothing at the moment. You continue to be a normal high school student and we continue to monitor you for a while. Like Agent Faraday told you, as long as you stay out of trouble we’ll leave you alone. But the more trouble you cause…”

I didn’t need for her to finish that sentence. “And if trouble finds me?”

She smiled. “I can’t tell you not to take care of it. But I can advise you to practice a little more caution next time. You’re just lucky no one saw you take care of that guy last night.”

She finished her coffee, grabbed her folder and thanked my grandma for the hospitality. Then she said her goodbyes and left. I finished my breakfast and Donna finally came down the stairs, bleary eyed and bed frazzled---I’m sure that’s a phrase somewhere. Besides, she did look frazzled. Her hair was all over the place and it looked like she’d had a fight with a bear and lost. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was dragging her feet as she entered the kitchen. When she flopped down in the chair Cameron just left, she yawned. She noticed the empty coffee cup and yawned again.

“What did Cameron want?” she asked, not missing a beat.

“Cassie was mugged last night.”

Donna winced. “Poor guy. Did you put him in the hospital, too?”

I smiled. My grandma didn’t find it funny. She answered for me. “The man may have been a criminal but he was sick, too. I might not condone what she did to him but at least he’s in some place where he can get the help he needs.”

Donna winked at me. “Good for you” she said softly so grandma couldn’t hear.

We finished breakfast; then both Donna and I scrambled to get dressed. I knew what they were planning for today and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I dragged my feet through changing, wondering if it was possibly to jump out the window. I actually looked over at it, wondering if it would hurt if I jumped from that distance. In the end though, I decided it wasn’t worth it. So I finished dressing and went downstairs. Grandma and Donna were waiting for me; both of them were overly excited. Me, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

There are several things I was hoping to avoid in my new girlhood. One of them was wearing a dress, which of course I did just a few days ago. It was only in the store but soon it would be in public. The second thing was going to a beauty salon. The idea of having some crazy woman mess with my hair and everything just sent shivers down my spine. As far as femininity went, I was a definite tomboy and I liked it that way. Ok, so maybe I was a little too pretty to be one but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. When we were clothes shopping a few days ago---almost a week ago now---I made sure that there were no skirts in my wardrobe.

There was another thing I was avoiding too, one I knew I couldn’t avoid much longer. I knew all about a girl’s monthly visitor and I was definitely not looking forward to that.

The salon was in Woodfield again. I tried to talk the two insistent women out of it but it was a no go. In the end, Donna actually had to push me inside. This place was worse than that stupid spa. It was pink and girly and smelled like someone dropped twenty bottles of flowery perfume in here. My grandma had apparently already made an appointment for me, putting me down for the full salon treatment. Whatever the hell that means. Let me tell you something right now, if anyone ever tells you you’re getting the full treatment, run like hell. Suffice to say I had more fun beating the hell out of those guys in the streets of Greece---yes, the ones that were trying to kill me.

Ok, so I’m exaggerating a little. But not much. They plucked, teased, and waxed. I was turned and twisted in so many different directions I felt like they were going to pull me apart. Ok, so some of it was actually soothing. I can honestly admit that I like it when someone else washes my hair. There’s something about someone rubbing their fingers on my scalp that makes me feel like I’m in heaven. I also didn’t mind it when they gave me a manicure and a pedicure. But if anyone ever tries to wax me again or pluck my eyebrows, I’m going to put them through a wall. Did you know they wax down there too; they call it the bikini wax. I call it a gross invasion of privacy. The whole time though, they put these little headphones on my head, playing soothing music. It only helped a little. Things got better when they gave me a facial, though. I didn’t even know they did things like that in a salon but apparently, it was a part of the full treatment here. After that, they worked on my makeup.

Overall, it took about three hours or so for them to finish with everything. When they finally tuned me around and allowed me to look in the mirror, I nearly passed out. I’d been pretty before but now I was gorgeous. Not that I’d ever put makeup on again but there was something about the girl in the mirror staring back at me that made me want to see her again. My hair was amazing too. They trimmed a little, highlighted some of it and now it was all gathered on the top of my head. I can honestly say that I looked like a princess in a Disney movie.

“Cassandra you look wonderful, honey,” said my grandma as she appeared in the mirror behind me.

“You think so?”

“A knock out, kid” said Donna from somewhere off to my left.

I smiled. Ok, I couldn’t argue with her there.

We left the salon after that. Me, I was glad to be out of there. Donna wanted to do some more shopping but I wasn’t in the mood to let her rope me into something I’d regret. She was already skating on thin ice with me as it is. I’m sure she meant well, trying to set me up with Connor but sometimes, I wondered if she wasn’t evil and out to get me. I looked at her as we left the salon, the three of us moving through the crowd. She looked like she was having a good time but I could tell that something was bothering her. I wonder if it had anything to do with Barbara. The two of them seemed happy enough but Donna was still unwilling to go that empty apartment.

“Don’t look now,” she said softly to me. “But you’ve got some admirers.”

Of course I looked and I turned beet red. Everyone we passed stopped and looked at me. It made me extremely embarrassed. If they didn’t think I was a model before, they sure did now. I tried not to let it get to me but it was hard when everyone was staring. I wanted to scream but instead I held my head high and walked with a confidence I didn’t know I had. People continued to stare but I let them. After a bit, it actually started to make me feel good.
We ate lunch in the food court. We were there about another hour then we drove back home.

It was strange having all this hair piled on top of my head. I reached up to touch it and Donna smacked my hand away. “Don’t you dare?” she said with a laugh.

“It’s weird,” I said, fidgeting.

“It’s beautiful” she said, reaching into her purse and taking out a compact. She snapped it open. “See... look.”

She angled it so I could see my hair and she was right, it was amazing. I’m not saying I thought it was beautiful but it was a lot better than it was before. It was just a lot to get used to. I didn’t really like all that hair; it was heavy and a pain to deal with. But having it up on my head like this it felt heavier but at least it was off my neck and back. It still made me nervous though. I looked way too much like a girl now. Like I said before I was hoping to go for the whole tomboy thing but looking like this there was little chance anyone would mistake me for a guy. Not that they did before but I was hoping to not stick out as much.

Donna frowned. “What’s wrong?” I asked

She shook her head, a tears in her eyes. She didn’t say anything but I knew she was upset about something. I took her in my arms and let her cry on my shoulder. It seemed like the right thing to do. She sobbed through a few apologies. I’m not sure what she was talking about, she did nothing wrong. But she apologized for being pushy and for trying to set me up with Connor. I laughed. I wasn’t really mad about that stuff. It was kinda annoying but she was doing what she thought was right. I still planned on getting her back but now it wouldn’t be anything as drastic as I was planning before.

“She’s a bitch,” Donna finally said when she pulled away from me. “I called her last night to tell her about the Exhibit and she got pissed off about it.”

So this was about Barbara. I thought it might be. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

Donna smiled. Then she wiped her tears and looked at the clock. It was getting close to three in the afternoon now. She made an eep sound then got to her feet. “You need to get into the bath right now,” she said, dragging me to my feet.

“What” I asked as she pushed me toward the stairs.

She didn’t say anything. She just grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the upstairs bathroom. She pushed me inside then started the bath water. She threw in some beads and things like that. The water started to foam up with suds. She ordered me to strip, which I did reluctantly. She let out an intake of breath when she saw my naked form. Her eyes lingered a bit longer than they should. I flushed and stepped into the water. She mumbled something about being “jealous” as I slowly sunk into the soothing suds. I couldn’t remember the last time I took a bath, especially a bubble bath. It felt good though, like childhood.

“Remember to keep your head above the water.”

I was in the bath about twenty minutes. When I got out there was a new robe waiting for me. I wonder if my grandma had something to do with it. I made my way to my room but Donna came around the corner and intercepted me. She led me downstairs instead. I could see she was starting to prepare herself, too. I don’t know why we were getting prepared so early, the Exhibit opening didn’t start for another four hours. But my Mom always got prepared several hours too early as well. I learned long ago not to question women when they did things like that and now I was one of them. So I followed Donna downstairs. The two of us sat on the couch and watched TV. We ended up watching the news. The local had nothing but the Exhibit opening. Bruce Wayne’s events always made the news; they were a big deal in the city. The newscaster was talking about everyone who was going to be there, the list was a mile long. Then the story shifted, going to another story about new billionairess Olivia Queen. Once again, the press was hounding her as she was trying to go somewhere.

“They’re like vultures,” said Donna as she flipped the channel. “Why don’t they leave the poor girl alone, she just lost her grandfather?”

After that, we watched some cartoons for a while. It was nice to be a kid for a little while. After about two hours or so of that, Donna shut off the TV and told me it was time to get ready. She led me upstairs where a pair of underwear was waiting. Just underwear, no bra. It wasn’t even proper underwear either; it was one of those thongs. I groaned. Donna quickly explained that I needed to wear them so no panty lines would show through the dress. So I dropped the robe and reluctantly put them on. It felt like I had a permanent wedgie. When I asked about the lack of bra, she said with a dress like mine I didn’t need one. That didn’t make me feel any better.

We didn’t dress right away. First she made me wear some dangly earrings and she put a necklace around my neck. Then she made me put on the dress. It was a lot tighter than I remember and left little to the imagination. She made me walk over to the tall mirror in the corner so I could get a good look at myself. I gulped but then found myself smiling really big. I looked amazing, better than amazing in fact. I was a knock out times ten. I wonder what Connor would think? I groaned. The girliness must be seeping into my brain now.

“You stay here and practice in those heels, I’m gonna get dressed.”

As soon as she dressed, I ran over and grabbed the phone. Grandma had a phone line installed in my room. She said it all teenage girls needed their own phones. There was already a jack in here from when Vanessa had this room but now it was one line, in my name. I opened the bedside table and took out the card there, dialing the number. When I heard a man’s voice on the other end, I smiled big. It was finally payback time.

After that, I slipped on the three-inch heels---like I needed to be any taller---and walked slowly around the room. I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Donna showed up about ten minutes later wearing a black dress that kinda sparkled, almost as if there were little stars woven into the fabric. She looked really pretty but even in her heels she was still shorter than me. She made me walk a few times for her to make sure I wasn’t going to fall and break my neck. Then the two of us headed downstairs. Of course, my grandma took pictures; this was a big deal apparently. After numerous flashes, Donna and I went and sat on the couch again.

At five, the doorbell rang. Donna got up to answer but I beat her too. It was kinda weird running in heels but I managed. I opened the door and smiled when I saw Jay standing there. He was wearing a black tux, his hair slicked back. He looked a little uncomfortable. I smiled evilly. “Hey, Jay” I said, ushering him inside. He was carrying a single rose and looked a bit nervous.

I walked him into the living room. Donna saw him and gave me a look. I smiled at her and I think she knew she’d been paid back. “Jay, this is my friend Donna, Donna, this is Jay.”

“Hi” they both said uncomfortably.

Donna shot me a look but all I could do was smile. “You two kids play nice.”

I left them in the living room together. It was a cruel thing to do, especially after she cried on my shoulder about Barbara. But it was a nasty thing for her to set me up with Connor. I’m sure she’d be pissed about it for a while but she’d get over it. I walked into the kitchen and my grandma frowned at me. I shrugged and sat at the kitchen table. She didn’t say anything but I could tell she wasn’t happy with what I did either. But I didn’t care. I was tired of Donna teasing me and trying to push me into things I wasn’t ready for. Did I feel bad about setting her up with Jay... nope? Who knows, she might have a good time and forget about Barbara, at least for one night anyway.

I sat at the kitchen table for a long time. My spirits were raised a bit when I heard laughing from the other room. That’s always a good sign. I knew the two of them could never hit it off but maybe they could become friends. My good mood evaporated as soon as I heard the doorbell ring. I looked at the clock on the wall; it was only quarter past five. It couldn’t be. Then Donna called from the living room.

“Cassie, Connor is here.”

I groaned and got to my feet. I walked out into the living room. At the sight of Connor standing there in his tux, his hair gelled, holding a bouquet. Ok, I’ll admit it, he looked good. I went weak at the knees a bit. My heart thumped and I found myself smiling. That is until I looked over at Donna and she had an evil smile too. I knew her game now. Touché and bring on round three. I smiled and nodded, tipping my head as to say bring it on. It never hurt to have a little rivalry between friends.

“I’m not early, am I?” he said, looking around. “Donna called and said to come now.”

“You’re not early,” I said, walking into the living room and taking his arm. “I just thought it would be cool if the two of us hung out a bit before we had to leave.”

“These are for you,” he said, handing me the flowers.

“Thanks” I said, taking them and giving them a sniff. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? “Let’s get some water for them.”

I led him into the kitchen. Grandma smiled when she saw them. Her eyes said it all. She was happy that Donna got me back so quickly.

I was shocked when the limo pulled up in front of our house. I guess I was just expecting us going to this thing in our own cars. It was kinda exciting actually; I’d never been in one before. Connor led me out, my arm looped in his. Jay and Donna followed. Why did they get along so well---they were both fans of a certain band apparently? I think I did good. But my excitement was short-lived when the driver got out and opened the door for us. There was already someone inside, two someone’s in fact. I’d been avoiding her for the last few days, even when she called asking for me. I refused to talk to her. I wonder if this was her idea or my grandma’s. But as soon as I saw my mother, I wanted to turn and run the other way. I looked back at the house---to my grandma in the doorway---she looked as surprised as I did.

“Miss?” asked the driver, waiting for me and Connor to get in.

I took a deep breath and grumbled. I let the driver take my hand and I slowly got into the limo, making sure to do it like a lady, just like Donna showed me earlier. I looked over at Mom. She was dressed in red---she usually dressed in red. Her hair was up like mine, her glasses were gone tonight. She owned contacts but rarely wore them. She said she didn’t care about her appearance but apparently, she did tonight. I have to admit she did look pretty but of course, she didn’t hold a candle to me. She knew it too. As soon as she saw me, her eyes widened a bit. I think she was shocked and surprised that her former son could outdo her.

I looked over at Jason and smiled. He was dressed in a tux too but no black tie for him. It was too formal and stuffy. He looked like he usually did. He was always very prim and proper, regal in fact. He came from England; he arrived here a few years ago on an exchange program and loved it so much he stayed. I think Mom had something to do with that. The two of them weren’t serious---in fact, they had a very open relationship---but I think he cared a lot more for her than she did him. Dating was a distraction to Mom and her work. Not that she didn’t spend a lot of time with him though. She called them “academic dates”, like she was afraid to call them what they really were. Looking at him, with his dark hair–silver at the sides---I could see what a lot of his female students saw. Jason was a fox, a little on the old side but still he was quite handsome.

I groaned, wondering if every guy I saw was going to be handsome now.

“Hi” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Jason Blood, your aunt’s boyfriend.”

I shook his hand and he winked. Clearly, grandma had filled Mom and Jason in on my fib. Mom didn’t look too happy about it but she could go to hell. I introduced myself as Mom’s “niece” then I introduced Connor, forgetting he and Jason already knew one another. The only one who didn’t know him was Jay.
It was a very uncomfortable ride into the city. My mother kept looking at me, glaring actually. I’m not sure what she thought was going to happen but clearly, she wasn’t expecting this. I kept giving her a smug look, daring her to say something. Not that I wanted to get into it with her but I was ready to fight if she was. But she didn’t say anything. Jason held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. So clearly, he thought we were going to go at it too. I reached over and surprised Connor---and myself---by taking Connor’s hand. My mother’s eyes narrowed. I turned my face from her, looking out the window instead.

We finally pulled up to the museum after one of the most awkward rides I’d ever had. The Field used to be my home away from home. My mother used to spend loads of time there and I used to tag along. I used to love running up and down the halls when I younger. I mean it was a lot better than sitting in her stuffy office all day. I don’t think my Mom cared either way; it got me out of her hair. As I got older, she stopped bringing me then she started to spend more time at the college. By then I was kinda bored with the place anyway. The last time I’d been here was a month ago; I was still Charlie then and bored out of my mind. Tonight things looked to be different. The museum thrived on Galas. They got all decked out, even rolled out the red carpet.

Wayne Galas were even better. When our limo pulled up in front, a man in a red uniform came over and opened the door. Jason got out first followed by Mom. There were a lot of flashes. My Mom was partially known to the press. Tonight was big for her though, this was her event after all. Donna and Jay exited next, there was some flashes too. I took a deep breath when it got to my turn. As soon as Connor got out and then helped me, I let my breath out. The cameras went nuts for me. Microphones and video cameras were shoved in my face; reporters were throwing questions at me left and right. All of them wanted to know who I was. I tried to ignore them. I think they thought I was a model or something. It was kinda freaky.

I squeezed Connor’s arm, maybe a little too tightly. I heard him groan and saw him wince. I eased up a bit, forgetting about my super strength. He looked about as nervous as I was. We walked the carpet as fast as we could, following the precession on my Mom and Donna. I was so thankful when we walked up those steps and got inside. The Main room was decked out for a party, even the giant T-Rex skeleton looked like it was celebrating. I looked around, surprised at such a thing. I’d never been a to a gala here. I’d seen them a lot. The movie The Relic opened here years ago and it was surprising... things looked very similar, though there was a definite Grecian theme going on. The servers wore togas, carrying trays of delicacies that might belong in Ancient times.
I snatched a cream puff as one walked by me.

“There’s so many people,” said Connor, trying to make his way through the crowd like me.

“Wayne goes all out,” I said, trying to make it sound like I knew what I was talking about. I didn’t.

I let my “date” lead me through the crowd. We followed Mom and Jason as they made the rounds. I was introduced to a lot of people as her “niece” Cassandra. A few of the academics asked where I was---me, being Charlie of course. My mother made up excuses, different ones for each person. It amazed me to see her in action, rubbing elbows. She was a different person when she got around her colleagues, likable almost. It didn’t matter that she hated most of them and vice versa. It was all about ass kissing tonight. My mother poured on the charm thick too; it made me sick watching her. When we got to the Mayor and his wife, Mom laughed at all their stupid jokes. I smiled and shook hands. I met the Mayor, the Governor, even Commissioner Gordon. I was actually happy to see him. He was an old poker buddy of grandpa’s. He used to come over to the house all the time, tried to talk me into joining the police force. But of course, I had to be re-introduced to him as Cassandra. It was kinda sad really. I knew a lot of people in the room---for years in face---but known of them knew the new me.

“Carter” My mom said, drawing the attention of one of her colleagues.

The man turned around and I smiled. Out of all of them, I liked Dr. Hall the best. He reminded me a lot of Daniel Jackson from Stargate. Partially because they were both Egyptologist but also because he kinda looked like him too. He and Mom had offices next door to one another. I loved him; he always had the best stories. Mom not so much. They butted heads some. I think he thought she was wasting her time, looking for the Amazons. She thought he was too obsessed with the Egyptian God Horus. Dr. Hall had a thing for birds, well hawks actually.

Tonight the two of them were pretending to be friends apparently.

“Helena” he said, taking her hand and kissing her on the cheek. “You look as lovely as ever.”

“I try,” said Mom then she turned to me. “This is my niece, Cassandra.”

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Hall” I said, shaking his hand. “I’m a great admirer of yours.”

I knew saying that would piss Mom off.

“Its always nice meet a fan, especially one as lovely as yourself”

My mom butted in. “Still looking for hawks and blue bugs?”

He didn’t take the bait. “Still looking for crazed feminist warriors?”

They glared at one another. Jason intervened. “Perhaps I should take the lady of the hour and get her a drink.”

“You’d be doing me a big favor,” said Carter, I tried to hide my smile.

Mom noticed and glared at both of us. Jason made some excuses and led her away. I stayed and talked with Dr. Hall for a few more minutes. I introduced Connor, who was just glad to be included, I think. Like I said before, this wasn’t really his thing. We talked a bit more then Dr. Hall excused himself to go mingle. After that, Connor and I did some mingling too. I looked around, staring at all the people. There were a lot of faces I didn’t know and some I did. There was a pair of security guards in the corner. I knew the older one, Frank; the younger guy was new to me. But he saw me looking and smiled. It was kinda creepy, especially because I thought he was kinda cute.

I looked around some more and noticed a refreshments table. My stomach grumbled and my throat was dry. “I’m going to get some punch.”

Connor nodded. “I’m going to see if I can find Jay.”

I nodded. In the living room, the two of them had struck up a conversation about the Chicago Bears. Connor was a big fan, Jay not so much. I watched as he disappeared into the crowd before I went off to the table. It was loaded with a lot of good stuff, centered around an ice sculpture of a Greek warrior. I grabbed a plate and started loading it up, my overeager appetite taking control for me. I might look like a freak but I didn’t care. I hadn’t eaten since lunch.

Someone cursed behind me. In Portuguese no less. I turned around and saw a guy standing there. He was shorter than me, with dark hair and a Hispanic complexion. He couldn’t have been more than twenty or so. I knew Portuguese quite well, having spent some time there with Mom a few years ago. I smiled and replied in the same language, surprising him.

“Wow” he said, switching to English. “Beautiful and bilingual.”

I smiled. “My mother travels a lot. You pick up a thing or two.”

He smiled too then looked at my plate. “It’s amazing to see a girl who isn’t afraid she’ll hurt her waistline.”

I smiled. “I have a fast metabolism.”

I nodded. “My girlfriend would die if she ate one of those things.”

“Most girls would”

As if on cue, the girl appeared. She slithered through the crowd, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She was pretty, if you liked them that way. She was shorter than him with hair so bleached it looked almost white. She was wearing a blue dress and a scowl. She looked me up and down, sizing me up.

“Bernardo” she said with a Swedish accent. “I thought you were getting me some punch, not flirting with strange women.”

“We weren’t flirting, Tora, it’s called having a conversation.”

I smiled and excused myself. There was no way I was getting in the middle of that. I wandered back through the crowd, looking for Connor. I found him and Jay sitting at a table, talking about football. I slipped into an empty chair. The two of them talked as if I wasn’t there. I rolled my eyes, men and their sports. Wait, I did not just think that. I groaned and started stuffing my face. I ate for a while, downed the glass of punch in one gulp. They continued to talk or argue rather. Jay was a Patriots fan apparently. I listened to them for a bit until I felt my bladder begin to fill. I excused myself, not that either of them seemed to notice.

I got up and started weaving my way through the crowd. I knew where the bathrooms were but I was hoping to avoid them. I’d been in bathroom publically only once or twice after my change. I hated it. It felt weird and foreign being in the girls’ bathroom, like I was an impostor or something. As I approached, I groaned, noticing a small line. I didn’t want to wait for that. I looked around, noticing that Frank and the young blonde security guard were standing next to the stairs. There was a bathroom downstairs near my Mom’s office; I used it all the time. But the only problem was getting past the two of them. I took a deep breath and put a little sway in my walk.

The blonde guard smiled as I approached. “What can I do for you little lady?”

"There’s such a long line at the ladies,” I said, laying it on thick.

“You think you guys can let me down there for a second?”

“I’m sorry we can’t do that miss?” said Frank.

The blonde smiled. “C’mon Frank, she’s just one girl. She’ll be up and down in no time.”

I nodded, pressing my hands together, pleading. “It’ll be one sec, please?”

Frank stayed stern for a second. Then his resolve melted. “You have five minutes and then I’m sending Mike here down to get you.”

I smiled and kissed Frank on the cheek. “You’re the best.”

I felt kinda dirty when the two of them let me down the stairs. I couldn’t believe I flirted like that just to use a bathroom. But I really had to go and there was no way I was waiting for it. So I slowly minced down the stairs. The damn heels prevented me from taking them two at a time. My mother hated that they put her office in the basement but she wasn’t the only one. There were a lot of academics like her down there. She should have been glad they gave her an office at all, what with her only working her part of the time. But she still griped about it, her office at the university was much bigger. It was also on the second floor of the Humanities building.

I made it to the bottom of the stairs and pushed the usually heavy door open. It was no longer heavy anymore. The hall was dark but I knew my way. I’d been down here lots of time, enough time to navigate it even in the pitch black. When I was younger, I used to make a game out of counting all the doors. There were six offices between the stairs and my mother’s. As I walked along in the dark, moving slowly so I wouldn’t trip in the damn heels, I found the bathroom in-between the second office and the third. It was a unisex so I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable inside. I flicked on the light, glad for some illumination.

I peed quickly, sighing in relief. Then situated myself and flushed. As I was washing my hands, I thought I heard something. I shut off the water and listened. Maybe it was just my imagination. I finished washing my hands and left the bathroom. I got about three feet when I heard the same something again. It sounded like rustling papers and faint footsteps. I turned around; the noise was coming down the hall. I started walking and stumbled. I cursed and pulled off my shoes, realizing that heels were no good in the dark. Besides if someone was down here then the tapping would surely draw their attention. I carried my shoes as I crept slowly toward the noise. I passed one office after another. I think I was a bit surprised when I finally came to the door where it was coming from. It was my Mom’s office. Underneath the door, I saw a faint light. I cursed. Someone was in her office, someone who shouldn’t be.

I counted to three and kicked the door open, hoping for the element of surprise. I didn’t have it. In fact, whoever was in there, they were waiting for me. I saw them, there were at least two. They were illuminated by the dim glow of a penlight---each held one. They were shrouded in black from head to toe, the only thing visible were their eyes. I saw them for only a split second though. Because there weren’t two people, there were three. The third dropped down from above, swinging down from the ceiling, he was probably hiding above the door. He slammed his feet into my chest, sending me flying into the hall. I slammed into the far wall, cracking the concrete. I got the wind knocked out of me a bit but it didn’t hurt much.

In the dark, I was at a bit of a disadvantage. They weren’t, apparently. The one who kicked me came at me again. I know that because a foot went into my chest again, followed a second later by a blow to my head. I stumbled, losing balance. I shook off the blows, they were nothing. Another came at me and instinct took over. I threw up my arm and blocked it. Then I lashed out, driving a punch through the air. At first, I thought I connected with them but it was actually the wall. Concrete shattered under the sheer force of my punch. My hand stung like a son of bitch. I shook off the pain. Another blow came from behind at the same time as from front, telling me two different people were now attacking me.

They landed a few more blows. From behind, it was in the kidneys, from front it was in my sternum. I roared with anger, snapping my head back. I finally connected with a person. I heard a muffled wail and a crunch, it sounded like I broke a nose maybe. I smiled, good. The blows kept coming though. The one I face slammed seemed to disappear but someone took his place. I snapped around and swung but it was clumsy and got nothing but air. I got kicked in the ribs for that. I got kicked in the face too. Then in the knees. I fell to the ground and got kicked in the chest. I blocked the ones that went for my face though. There were at least three people now, all kicking at me at once.

The only thing I could was block. The dark was clearly an advantage to them. Then it stopped. I heard a voice, a stern one. I couldn’t tell much but it was muffled but I could tell one thing. The person, whoever they were, were speaking in Greek. He appeared to be the leader because he told the others to pull back and then they were gone. I got to my feet and stumbled a bit. I never thought I could get pummeled like that. I thought, well I’m not sure what I thought. But these guys were fast and apparently, they could see in the dark.

I stumbled over to my mom’s office and flicked on the light. It was ransacked but I couldn’t tell if they got anything or not. What the hell were they looking for anyway?

“Hold it right there” said a shaky voice from behind me.

I stepped out into the hall and a light hit me in the face. It was Frank and his young partner; both men had their hands on their tazers. Frank moved his hand. I held mine up. “I’m not the bad guy here,” I said, showing them I was no threat.

“Miss, are you all right?”

I shook my head. “No, I got my ass kicked.”

“How many were there?” asked Cameron as she handed me a glass of water.

I downed it before answering. “I don’t maybe four or five.”

There was a group of us in one of the conference rooms. After Frank and his partner Mike found me, they called it in. It didn’t take long, seeing as the commissioner and half his force was there anyway. Jay called Cameron and she got there pretty quick. Connor had brought me some ice for my head and my lip. That’s all the damage they did besides the few bruises and scrapes. I think everyone was a bit surprised except for those in the know of course. I don’t think Cameron was really happy with me at the moment but there was nothing she could say until we were alone.

The Commissioner personally went down to the basement with my mother so they could see if anything was taken. They were down there now with a few of his men. I was sitting at the conference table with Cameron; Connor was on my right, Donna on my left. Donna was holding my hand. Jay was on the phone; Jason was pouring me another glass of water. The only person in the room was sitting there, looking at me strangely. I think I might have mentioned meeting Bruce Wayne once. When I met him the first time I was surprised by how young he was. He probably wasn’t the youngest billionaire in the country---that spot went to Mark Zuckerberg of facebook or at least it did until a couple of days ago when Olivia Queen took the title from him. But Wayne was definitely one of the younger ones; he couldn’t have been more than thirty.

His tuxedo jacket was on the back of the chair next to him, his sleeves rolled up and his tie was missing. He kept looking at me too, I’m not sure why.

Finally he spoke. “I’m surprised they didn’t do more damage, Miss Sandsmark?”

I smiled, shifted the ice pack to the other side of my head. “I got lucky.”

He smiled and winked. “Very lucky it would seem.”

Then he got to his feet and scooped up his jacket. He walked over to me, bending down a bit in front of me when he spoke. “If you run into those friends of yours again, you let me know.” Then a little bit louder, he said. “I have an excellent medical facility here in the city if you need it.”

I was a bit confused but recovered quickly. “I’m good.”

He took my hand and kissed it. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Cassie.”

Then he turned and walked out the door, an elderly gentleman standing near it turned and followed him out. I watched them go, wondering what all that just meant. Did he know I was a you-know-what? Cameron watched him go too, she pursed her lips. I think she was a little confused about him too. Then she turned back toward me and asked a few more simple questions. I answered as best as I could, trying not to reveal too much. For the benefit of everyone in the room, she was pretending to be an FBI Agent. Of course, four of us knew who she really was. I’m not sure why she was putting a show on for Connor and Mr. Wayne, even though I think he probably knew the truth.

“Miss Sandsmark” she said, getting to her feet. “If you have any more questions, give me a call.”

She handed me one of her business cards. “Thank you, Agent Chase.”

She smiled at everyone in the room and left.

No one said much after she left. About twenty later, Mom and Commissioner Gordon returned. I think the Commissioner was surprised that the FBI agent was gone but he recovered quickly. I wonder if he knew who she really was too. One of his men questioned me after that, asking me some generic questions. I answered them all, playing up the damsel in distress pretty well. My mom kept giving me a look that I tried to avoid. It was the same one she gave me back in Greece but there was a little sorrow in there too. This time she didn’t try to hide it. Was she really worried about me? I stared at her the whole time the officer talked to me, she didn’t look away.

“Miss Sandsmark” said the Commissioner once the officer was finished. “You are a real trooper, very resilient. You remind me of my own daughter.”

I smiled. “Thank you sir.”

He nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I best be on my way.”

When he left the room, it was very awkward indeed. None of us said much. We didn’t stay there very long after Gordon left. We lingered at the party for a bit more but we were all partied out, especially me. Mom made her little speech, Connor and I danced a bit. Jay and Donna danced too. Our group left around ten thirty. The limo brought Mom home first. She turned back and looked at me as she got out. I thought I saw a tear in her eye but she turned away before I could get a better look.

“She’s worried about you kid,” said Jason softly in my ear.

“I wish she’d show it every once in a while.”

He gave my shoulder a squeeze. Then we dropped him off, he lived a few blocks from her. Connor got dropped off next; I got out of the limo with him. I made sure no one was looking when I pecked him on the cheek.

“That was fun,” he said sheepishly. “I’m not sure I liked the part where those guys nearly killed you but it was still really fun.”

I smiled. “They caught me off guard.”

He laughed. “You are so much like your cousin.”

I smiled. Then I did something I knew I was going to regret. I leaned forward and gave him a soft peck on the lips. It was harmless but it felt really good. I think I ruined it a few seconds later without even realizing it. “See ya later, Clone.”

I knew I blew it as soon as I said it. Clone was a nickname I used to call him, that only I called him. He pulled away and looked confused. I wanted to cry. Instead, I pushed him away and got back into the limo. I yelled at the driver to go. I heard Connor call my name, I’m just not sure which one it was.

I’m such a God damn idiot. I fell into Donna’s lap and cried.

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Author's Note: Ok, here's something that hasn't happened in a long time for me, I'm posting a new chapter the day after I just posted one. I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this but I was convinced otherwise :) So here's Ch. 16. Its a little slower and its mainly talking but it does tell us what happened to poor Eddie Bloomberg. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful and lightning fast editing and DC Comics for their wonderful characters.

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Chapter Sixteen:

“Are you sure you’re going to be ok?” asked Donna as she sat down at the kitchen table.

I wanted to tell her I was going to be fine but that would be a lie. Instead, I pushed my eggs around the plate, not hungry for the first time in days. How could I eat after what happened last night? I screwed up, I screwed up big time. There was one thing I swore I’d never do and that was to tell anyone who I once was. Then I went and stupidly called Connor that name. I wouldn’t be surprised if he never wanted to talk to me again. I wouldn’t want to talk to someone who’s lied to you for almost a week and then kissed you. To make matters worse, he just found out I was his best friend in the whole wide world. When we got home last night, I cried myself to sleep on Donna’s lap.

When I woke up this morning, I was in my bed, dressed in my sleeping shirt.

Donna groaned, causing me to drop my fork. “You’re making me depressed.”

I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t believe I was so damn stupid last night. I’d been so careful around Connor too, and in one moment of slight weakness, I ruined it all. I guess I got caught up in things, found something familiar about it all. He and I used to do a lot together---not that I’d ever kissed him. I’m not sure why I did that. But we were like brothers once. It was only a matter of time before I slipped up. It was one of the reasons I was hoping to avoid him. Now I could never go anywhere near him again. I’m not sure what I was going to do in school come Monday but there was just no way I could see his face, not after last night.

“Sweetie” my grandma said as she sat down next to me. “You’re making a mountain out of a mole hill. I’m sure the boy didn’t even notice and if he did, I’m sure you could explain things to him.”

“Explain things,” I said, on the verge of hysterics. “I’m his best friend, his best guy friend and I kissed him.”

My grandma smiled and took my hand. “Sweetheart, you’re not a boy anymore.”

I groaned. “I’m also a liar.”

“You’re not a liar,” said Donna “you’re someone who’s gone through a very monumental change in your life and have a lot of things that you can’t tell people.”

“L-I-A-R”

Donna reached over the table and gave me a one armed hug. Then she gently helped me out of my chair, pushing me toward the living room. I didn’t know what she was planning until she pushed me on the couch. She grabbed the living room handset and held it out for me. It took me a second to catch on and then I shook my head. There was no way I was going to call him. He’d slam the phone in my ear. Donna gave me a look, she even stomped her foot. I wanted to tell her to butt out and mind her own damn business. After all this was partially her fault. If she hadn’t invited him for me then I wouldn’t be in this trouble in the first place. Ok, so that’s not true. I’d eventually slip up around him; I was just hoping it’d be like at high school graduation and then I’d never have to see him again.

“Call him,” she said, tossing the phone at me.

My inhuman reflexes caused me to catch it even though I didn’t want to. Thankfully, she didn’t stay in the room. Instead, she turned and walked back into the kitchen. I didn’t call right away. Instead, I held the phone for a bit and tried to think of what to say. “Hey Connor, it’s your old pal Charlie. Why do I sound like a girl, well it’s a funny story actually” No, I don’t think that would go over so well. In fact, I almost called with that exact same line back when this all started, before Cameron started to set the ground rules. It’s not that I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone who I really was it just made things very difficult for the government to do so.

After twenty minutes, I finally got up the courage to do it when the damn thing rang in my hand. I nearly had a heart attack. After calming a bit---about the third ring---I answered. “Hello?” I asked, my heart still racing a bit.

“Cassie?” asked a familiar voice, unfortunately not the one I was hoping for. “Hey, where did you go the other night?”

Great, the other person I was trying to avoid.

“Hey Artemis” I said, biting my lip. “I’m sorry about the thing. After I went to the bathroom, I stepped out for some air. I walked down the sidewalk a bit and then someone tried to mug me.”

I wasn’t lying. After all someone did try to mug me.

There was a loud pause, at first I thought she hung up. After all, how do you tell someone that you think their group is bogus?

Then I heard her sigh. “You’re kidding” she finally said, there was some relief in her voice. “We thought you bailed on us.”

We had a laugh. Then she wanted me to tell her all about the mugging. So I did. I left out the part where I kicked the guy’s ass, of course. Instead, I said he took my wallet---I don’t carry a purse, yet---then he ran off. I’m not sure where he went after that. Then she starting talking about the mugger on the news, the one the police caught only a few doors down from the spa. She started to wonder if it was the same guy. I played along with her for a bit, telling her that it was possible. She told me I should head down to the police station the next time I was in the city to see if the police recovered my wallet. She even agreed to tag along if I needed some moral support. A part of me was kinda happy that she wasn’t pissed at me. I might not like the group she belonged to, but I kinda liked her.

I didn’t have many friends besides her, Cissie and Amy. I can’t count Connor in that bunch anymore, not after last night anyway.
“There’s something cool coming up in a couple of days,” Artemis said finally, laughing. “We’re going to Bay City. It’s not connected to the spa but Antiope is got us some backstage passes to a concert there, she even has pull in this hotel so the seven of us can stay there.”

“The seven?”

Artemis laughed. “You’re coming too, Antiope insisted. She said it would help you get to know us better, some girl bonding time.”

I laughed. I wonder what she was up too. “Sounds like fun.”

It actually did. No one ever invited me to a concert when I was Charlie. I’d just have to look over the fact that it was connected to that woman. We talked for a few more minutes. She wanted to know if I’d join them for another run, possibly tomorrow afternoon. I promised I’d be there then the other line beeped. I groaned, would the world let me call Connor please. I said my goodbyes to Artemis then switched over.

“Cassie” said another familiar voice, Cissie this time. “Hey, how’s it going?”

I cursed in my head. I’d completely forgotten about today. I bit my lip. I wasn’t in the mood for it today but I did promise. “Hey Cissie you all set?”

She sighed inwardly. I think she thought I was going to back out. “Its ok if you don’t want to…ummm…we can do it some other time.”

I laughed. “I promised today so we’ll do it today.”

“Ok” she said, sighing again.

“Cissie, it’s going to be ok.”

I asked her address, forgetting that she actually lived in The Gates too. Her house wasn’t very far actually, just around the corner. I scribbled down the address and told her I’d call us a cab. Then I hung up, setting the phone down. It took me a minute or two to get up enough nerve to call Connor again. I tried his home phone first but it rang and rang. I waited until I heard his cousin’s voice on the answer machine before I hung up. Then I tried his cell but it went to voice mail too. I cursed, clicking the phone off. I went to call him again but the doorbell rang.

Son of a bitch, now what. I stormed over to the door and yanked it open. Connor was standing there, his cheeks were red and looking at the porch, I could see that he’d been walking in place, a lot. It was clear he’d been here for at least a couple of minutes.

“Hey” he said awkwardly.

“Hey” I said, screaming inside my head.

“Ummm…I think you and I should talk Cassie” I nodded. “Or is it Charlie?”

And it gets better.

“Why are we going to Eddie’s?” he asked as we got into his truck.

“Cissie’s madly in love with him. She’s been worrying about him all week.”

Neither one of us were willing to talk about what was important. It was like we had a big secret and we wanted to tell the other but just couldn’t. He figured it out; I suppose it didn’t take a genius. What surprised me though was his reaction. He didn’t seem angry to me. He looked a little confused but not angry. I’m not sure if that was a good thing or bad. I never really saw him get angry before, except at his Dad. The two of them used to fight all the time. One would say something awful, the other would say something worse and they’d storm out of the room. It was similar to some of the stuff that happened between Mom and me, except with actually talking.

We drove in silence around the block, neither one of us sure what to say. I was happy with it, sitting here, pretending that what he knew he didn’t actually know. But my happiness was short-lived. I could almost see Cissie’s house when he slammed on the brakes. Ok, he didn’t slam on them but he did stop kinda abruptly. I jerked forward a bit, thank Hera for the seatbelt. He smiled apologetically at me then grimaced, realizing what he was doing. He stared for a bit, looking me up and down. He squinted, getting a real good look at me. When he called me Charlie on the doorstep, I neither confirmed nor denied it. I was a little stunned.

Now I was waiting for him to make the next move.

I didn’t have to wait long. “So, are you or aren’t you?”

I opened my mouth and closed it quickly. I took a deep breath and nodded. “I am.”

“Shit” he said, his face turning a bit pale. “You confused the hell out of me last night, blurting that out right after you kissed me. You kissed me by the way, that didn’t just happen in my head, right?” I shook my head. He sighed again. “Damn, this is so…”

He rubbed his temples. I wanted to hold his hand but that would have really screwed things up. I’m not sure what I wanted to do it either but it just felt like the right thing to do. I think the girl hormones were starting to affect my mind. I barely thought like a guy anymore, it was really starting to freak me out.

He spoke again. It was good he was doing all the talking. “So how long?”

I shrugged. “Not long.”

“Did you take pills and have surgery?”

I laughed, I couldn’t help it. I’m not sure he liked that or not. “Yeah, Connor” I said, waving my hands up and down my buddy. “This is all the miracle of modern science.” I think he got my sarcasm. “I’m…well…the official term is Metahuman.”

Connor’s eyes got big. “Like those girls on TV?” I nodded “I knew there was something so familiar about you. Not the way you look of course but the way you acted and interacted with me. Then when you called me Clone last night, I knew it. There was no way Charlie would have told anyone that.”

It was after all our own private joke. All his life, Connor had been compared to his father. It was really hard not to do, actually. They were both football stars, both popular but whereas his Dad kinda liked the popularity, Connor didn’t. But it didn’t matter to everyone else because everyone around him had already made up their minds about Connor Kent. They kept calling him his “father’s son” and things like that. So I jokingly called him “Clone” once. It was all in good fun and we had a laugh about it. It was my nickname for him and in return he called me “Shrimp” We swore we’d never tell anyone---including our families---about those names.

He was ready for more questions. “So do all Metas turn from guys to girls?” I shrugged. “What about your powers?”

I bit my lip. I wasn’t ready to play twenty questions, at least not here. I looked toward Cissie’s house, I’m sure she was wondering where I was. I took a deep breath. “I’ll explain everything to you later but right now I think you and I need to help Cissie first.”

He looked ready to argue but I gave him a look. It was a similar one that I knew his cousin Kara gave him when she wanted him to do something. He frowned and started the truck back up. I smiled sweetly at him and the two of us continued toward Cissie’s house.

The King-Jones household was a split level ranch like a good portion of the homes in this development. But unlike most, it was a lot bigger than most. It had about four bedrooms and a garage that was detached from the home like mine. Unlike mine, there was a big tree in the backyard where Cissie’s father built her a tree house. When we were younger Cissie, Connor and I all used to play up there for hours. Like I said before, things grew apart when we got older. But part of that had to do with the fact that Cissie’s mother started to distrust people after her husband got into trouble. When I was younger I had no idea what that meant. But a few years ago, my grandpa told me he got involved with insider trading. Then he fled the country.

After that, Cissie was a different person. Her mother went into a little depression and we weren’t allowed to come over for a while. When her mother recovered, things were different. Cissie started concentrating on her academics and had no time for foolish games. Her mother had the tree house dismantled and Cissie was put on the fast track to adulthood. Luckily, for them though, her mother had a really good paying job and her own separate bank account or else they probably would have gone down with the father.

When we pulled up in front of the house, it felt kinda strange. It used to be yellow but now it was a dismal gray. It was like when her mother went into a depression everything else around her did too. I wanted to make a crack about good times but I’m not sure it was appropriate given the circumstances. We waited a few minutes for Cissie. Connor was about to lay on the horn when she came out. She moved quickly as if she was running from something. I looked toward the house and caught her mother staring at us from one of the upstairs windows. I shuddered. That woman gave me the creeps long before she went off the deep end.

Cissie paused when she saw Connor. I rolled down the window and waved. Her expression changed from surprise to happiness. She ran toward the truck and I slid over into the middle seat, allowing her room in the cab. It was kinda uncomfortable but it would only be for a few minutes. I was instantly aware of the fact of how close Connor and I were together now. My shoulder brushed his side, his arm bumped my cheek.

“Sorry” he said softly, repositioning himself. I nodded numbly.

“Ummm, thanks for this, guys,” said Cissie as we started down the road.

“Anytime” Connor and I said together.

It turns out that Eddie didn’t live all that far from The Gates. After we left the development, we took a right. I knew the area we were going to only vaguely. I ran through there sometimes on my way to the park. The development wasn’t as big as ours and of course it wasn’t gated but it was still a nice place to live. As we drove, I asked Connor about Eddie some more. He told me some things but there wasn’t much. Cissie talked a little bit about him too; when she spoke, she blushed a bit. Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to see that there was something there. It was kinda cute actually. Here she was being bullied by him and she had a crush on him. I think I might have mentioned how immature I thought Eddie was because it was kinda clear that he was harboring feelings for her too.

When we got to the house we found ourselves in front of another ranch style home, they seemed to all the rage around here. Except it wasn’t nearly as big as Cissie’s. She got out of the truck first, practically flying out of it in fact. I followed slowly with a reluctant Connor behind me dragging his feet. I fought back the urge to linger behind and take his hand. I did look back at him though and our eyes locked. I knew there that he felt something too. It was hard to deny it after all. It didn’t matter that we were friends, best male friends before. I had feelings for him and he had them for me. I knew it the moment I saw him in the mall. I should have ended it then but he was the only friend I had before and I just couldn’t get rid of him that easily.

We stared at each other for a few seconds more before he finally looked away. I wanted to cry, this hurt so much.
When I looked forward, Cissie was already on the porch ringing the doorbell. A blonde woman answered, she, must have been Eddie’s mother. His father must have been the Jewish one and Eddie must have gotten his features from her. Because the two of them looked so much alike, it was uncanny.

“Hello, Mrs. Bloomberg?” asked Cissie nervously, the woman nodded. “I’m Cissie King-Jones, a friend of Eddie’s from school.”

The woman sighed. “Eddie isn’t feeling well. I don’t think it’s a good idea that he sees any friends at the moment,”

“Please Mrs. Bloomberg” pleaded Cissie.

The woman looked beyond her and over at me and Connor as we came walking up. Her expression changed when she saw Connor. Her face lit up. “Connor, so good to see you again.”

He smiled. “Hey, Mrs. B” he said, giving her an award winning smile. “You think you can let me and the lovely ladies see Ed for a few minutes. We’ll be quick, I promise.”

She flushed and I rolled my eyes. Connor even had that effect on older women too.

“Only a few minutes though,” she said, stepping aside and holding the door open for us.

Cissie went first followed by Connor and me. When I looked at Mrs. B, I noticed a bandage wrapped around her arm. When she caught me staring, she turned away, dropping her arm quickly. It was kinda weird but this whole day had been weird for me. I smiled at her. She stared up at me for a few seconds then smiled too.
“Eddie is in the basement, you know the way right, Connor?”

He nodded. “Sure do, Mrs. B.”

She left us to it then as Connor led us. There was no door to the Bloomberg’s basement it was an archway with some stairs that led down. Connor explained it was more like a Rec Room than anything else. It had a pool table, a dartboard, and a big flat screen. They watched a lot of games down there too. As we headed down the stairs, the first thing I noticed was the dark. Connor frowned and flipped the switch but nothing happened. I squinted into the dark. If Eddie was down here then he’d suddenly gone vampire. Connor tried the switch again.

“I shut the power off,” said a voice from the dark.

It sounded like Eddie but there was something else too it, a grumble maybe. It definitely sounded deeper, like he’d gone through a second puberty. Cissie grabbed my hand; her palms were sweaty.

“Eddie?” she asked, her voice soft and sweet.

There was a pause and then: “Cissie?”

She nodded even though in the dark he probably couldn’t see her. So instead she stepped a little bit into the room, I went with her. “I…I mean…we were worried about you. You’ve been sick for a few days so we thought we might come and check on you. Your mother has been picking up your homework every day which usually means a prolonged illness.”

There was a cough. “I’m ok,” said his voice, trembling a bit.

Cissie squeezed my hand. We stepped a little further into the room, walking into something about waist high and hard. For a second I wasn’t sure what it was until I felt around it with my hand. It was the pool table that Connor mentioned. I squinted into the dark, wondering where our would-be host was hiding. It kinda freaked me out, especially being in the dark for the second time in two days. I looked behind me for Connor. I couldn’t see him at first until I felt someone take my hand. I felt his presence next to me. I wanted to flinch and pull away but it felt kinda right.

“You don’t sound ok,” said Cissie, letting go of my hand.

I heard movement in front of us. Cissie heard it too. She stepped forward, moving a little too fast for Eddie I think. There was some stumbling and I smelt something, something burning. He cursed. Cissie took another quick step into the room.

“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER,” he shouted.

She stumbled backwards then burst into tears. I found her in the dark and she cried into my chest. He just scared the hell out of her and that kinda pissed me off. Hiding in the dark or not, there was no way I was going to let him hurt her. I took a deep breath, pulled her away from me and stormed into the dark. This hide and seek game was pissing me off anyways. I heard him stumbling, trying to get away from me. There was a crash, some more burning and then more cursing. I followed the noise, it was close. I took a chance and moved to intercept. I caught him. He ran into me, falling on his butt. I groped in the dark and found him, my hand grabbing his forearm.

As soon as I did so, I felt an intense heat underneath his skin. Then his hand grabbed my wrist, pulling away my arm. As soon as his fingers touched my skin, it burned like crazy. I cursed and stumbled back, my arm felt like it was on fire.

“Damn it” he said, scrambling to his feet. “I did it again. I’m so sorry Cassie, I didn’t mean it.”

I felt my arm, at the place where I should have been burned. My skin was a little tender but it didn’t hurt anymore. Then his words came to me, how he did it again. It suddenly dawned on me why his mother had a bandage wrapped around her forearm. He burned her; he burned her by touching her. I took a deep breath, trying to wrap my head around it. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened to poor Eddie Bloomberg. He was like me now, one of the few, I guess. Not that we were kindred or anything---he still sounded like a guy---but we were a part of a new group. I bit my lip and looked behind me, searching the dark for Connor.

“Connor, can you take Cissie upstairs for a few minutes?”

“Are you all right?” he asked, there was genuine concern in his voice.

“I’m good. But I need to talk to Eddie alone for a few minutes.”

I listened as Connor stumbled about and found Cissie. Then I heard the two of them walking up the stairs. I waited to make sure then I turned back to where I thought Eddie was. “You aren’t sick, are you?”

He sighed. “Something’s happened to me, something bad.”

“You changed?”

“That’s an understatement.”

“You still sound like you.”

He laughed; there was a gruffness to it. “I am still me in a way just a little different.”

I sighed. “I mean you don’t sound like a girl.”

“A girl? Why would I be a girl?”

I groaned. That was so unfair. I get Meta powers and a sex change. He gets Meta powers and whatever. I took a deep breath. “Eddie, can we turn on the light?”

“No” he said, angrily and quickly.

I took another deep breath. This was going to be difficult. “In order for me to understand what’s going on, I need you to turn on the light for me.”
There was a long pause. Then a sigh. “If I do it then you have to promise not to tell anyone what you see, including Cissie.”

I smiled. “I promise.”

There was some shuffling. He moved away from me and to somewhere I couldn’t see, probably toward the power box. After a minute or two, the power came back on in the room. What I saw caused me to gasp, I couldn’t help. Standing in the corner, draped in nothing but a blanket and tattered jeans was something that could only be described as a demon. It was tall and red with black horns and yellow eyes. It had shoulder length white hair, long fingernails and a forked tail---about two feet long---dangling around the back of its legs. It had human feet though which I suppose could have been the only normal thing about it. I groaned, I couldn’t keep calling it an “it” It wasn’t an “it”, it was Eddie. Sorry, no more confusion, I swear.

“Oh my God” I said, finally finding my voice.

He smirked, revealing sharp canine like incisors. “Now you know why I kept the lights off.”

I nodded numbly and took a step toward him. He stepped back, forcing himself into a corner. “Get away from me” he said harshly, giving me some pause. “I’m sorry but when I touch people, it burns them.”

I looked down at my arm where he touched me. It was a little red but there were no burn marks. I held up my arm, showing him that he didn’t hurt me. His eyes widened a bit. He knew that’s where he touched me. “I’m not like normal people.”

He didn’t say anything so I decided to demonstrate. I figured seeing that we were in the same boat there was no reason to keep things from him. I walked over to the pool table and scooped up the eight ball. I rolled it around in my fingers then showed it to him with my palm open. He nodded. Then I closed my fingers around it and squeezed. The eight ball shattered to dust in my hand. Eddie’s mouth dropped open, revealing more of his sharp teeth. I smiled, opening my hand and allowing eight ball dust to drift to the floor.

“Holy shit” he said, backing away from the corner a bit. Then he looked down at his crotch and frowned. “You could of castrated me before.”

We both laughed. I pointed to the couch but he didn’t follow. Instead, I walked over and sat on the arm. Then I told him my story, I left out the Goddess part though. I wanted him to think that I was a regular Meta just like him. It took a lot longer than I thought actually. He listened and nodded a lot, probably noticing some similarities to his own story. When I finished, he let out a loud sigh.

“So you were a dude before?” I nodded. “That sucks.”

I smirked. “You get used to it I suppose.”

“And does anyone else know?”

I nodded. “My family and my friend Donna. Connor knows now too, well some of it anyway.”

He nodded. “And these government people you mentioned, will they come looking for me, too?”

I shrugged. “I think as long as you remain hidden and don’t use your powers, they’ll leave you alone. They were only interested in me because of what I did in Greece.”

After that, the two of us talked. He wanted to know what else I could do so I told him about the bullet deflection thing and my super endurance, if you want to call it that. Then I asked him about his powers, besides the burning flesh thing. But he didn’t know what else. He said he was afraid he was going to burn the house down if he tried experimenting. After he changed and burned his mother, he retreated down here into the basement. He flipped the switch on the power box and has been sitting down here in the dark ever since. That was a couple of days ago, his Mom brought him meals but that was the only human contact he had.

“Do you want to show others?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Don’t you think people would freak?” he asked, waving his hand over his body. “I mean you went from a dude into a super model. Me, I went from guy into Satan.”

I laughed, I couldn’t help it. “You’re not Satan, you’re a Red Devil.”

He smirked. “Kinda poetic I guess. My mother used to call me her little devil when I was younger because I always got into trouble.”

We both laughed. Then I spent the next few minutes trying to convince him to allow others to see him. I thought if he started small at first and worked his way up. He wasn’t sure. “How about Connor and Cissie?”

He frowned when I mentioned Cissie. I took a chance. “How can you date a girl if she can’t see you?”

If he flushed, I’m not sure because he was already red to begin with. Instead, he sighed. “You don’t think she’d freak?”

I shook my head. Cissie was cool and open-minded. At least I thought she was. I took a deep breath and told him to sit tight. Before he could say yes or no, I went up the stairs. Connor, Cissie and Mrs. B were sitting in the living room drinking hot chocolate. Mrs. B gave me a longing look and I smiled at her. She saw it in my face, knowing I’d seen what he’d been hiding. She let out a sigh of relief, probably glad that I didn’t run out of there screaming. Cissie gave me a look too. I smiled at her, trying to read her. Would she be willing to except him now? Well there were was only one way to find out.

“He wants to see Cissie and Connor”

“I’m not sure that’s such a good…”

I raised my hand. “He’s ok with it, well he’s a bit nervous but I talked with him about it and I think it’ll be ok.”

I looked at Connor. He looked confused until I nodded so he smiled. Cissie looked a bit confused too but I think she understood. At least some it anyway. I led the way down the stairs. When we got down there, Cissie holding my hand, Eddie was covered in his blanket. The lights were still on so that was a good sign. He turned around slowly, his tail sticking out of the fabric. That’s the first thing Connor and Cissie saw actually. Cissie squeezed my hand but I think she was going to be all right. Then Eddie dropped the blanket, both of them gasped. No one did or said anything for about a minute. Cissie did tighten her grip a bit but at least she didn’t scream or run crazy out of the room.

Connor broke the silence. “Dude” he said softly then a few seconds later, he added. “That’s so awesome. Are you a Meta too now?”

Eddie visually relaxed and nodded. Connor looked like he’d just won the lottery and why not. Two of his friends just confessed their superhero powers to him in one day. He was probably on Cloud Nine. Cissie on the other hand, I’m not sure what she was thinking. She was still holding my hand and staring. I think she was trying to figure out if the person standing in front of her was still Eddie. He looked at her, searching her face. Then he smiled. I think that’s what did it for her. Her grip on my hand relaxed and she sighed.

“Eddie, is that really you?”

“Hey Cis” he said sheepishly.

She let go of my hand and slowly walked over to him. He made a motion for her not to come any closer. Then the two of them talked. He told her about his inability to touch people now and she listened intently. I decided then that it might be a good time for the two of us to leave. Connor didn’t know what was going on until I grabbed his arm and pulled him up the stairs. Mrs. B stood up from the couch when the two of us reappeared.

“Is everything all right?”

I nodded. “He and Cissie are talking, it might be a while.”

Mrs. B. sighed then smiled. She looked at the two of us. “If you two want to go I can give her a ride home later.”

I answered for Connor. “That would be great; the two of us have some things to talk about anyway.”

I grabbed Connor’s arm and dragged him toward the door.

We went out to his truck, me pulling him along. I don’t think he cared much for it but I was in a rush. After seeing Cissie with Eddie, I was in a talking mood. I wanted to get all my cards out on the table and see what he thought. I wanted to renew this friendship and hope that it could survive this little bump. I also wanted to see if there was anything more to it as well. I know it was weird and it creeped me out but I couldn’t help feeling for him. I think he felt the same. He kept looking at me, glancing ever so slyly as he started the truck. He put it in reverse and started back toward my house but I wasn’t ready to go home yet.

“Not there, let’s go someplace else.”

“Any place special?”

I shook my head. “Some place where you and I can talk.”

He smiled and went in the opposite direction, toward the mall. The ride was quiet and going good until I noticed the black SUV in the rearview. I cursed, wondering how long it was going to take for them to realize I was off the reservation again. For a while, it kept its distance, tailing us a few cars behind. But as we moved away from the pack, the SUV wove around the others to get behind us. It was kinda erratic behavior for a government goon. I continued to watch it, as it got closer and closer. Soon we were the only two cars on the road. Connor slowed, trying to get it to pass because it was almost on our bumper. I groaned. What the hell was their problem? Was this penance for me not calling it in?

I rolled down the window to shout something when I noticed something major. The black SUV that Cameron’s people usually drove had Government Issue plates. I also thought it was a little inconspicuous but apparently, it helped them park anywhere. This one, however, didn’t have those plates. I cursed. We weren’t being followed by Cameron’s guys after all.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 17, due to the nature of this chapter and the rest of the story, I thought that a new picture might be a nice change of pace. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Seventeen:

“What the hell is this jackass’s problem?” said Connor angrily; trying to lose what he thought was a tail-gater.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I climbed out the window a bit to get a better look. The SUV was definitely not one of Chase’s. For instance, the windows were tinted black. For another, I could tell that it was a different make and model. This one was clearly foreign made while Chase’s driver, Johnson, drove an American one. I stared at the vehicle for some time, wondering what their deal was. Were they just a bunch of ass-holes or was there something more to them. I continued to stare them, wondering when they were going to make their move.
It didn’t take them long.

The passenger side window rolled down and a few seconds later, a man in a dark suit slithered half out. He had a shaven head but there was no doubt that he was Greek, from the color of his skin to his facial features. He sneered at me and then reached into his coat, pulling out a gun. He fired off a shot before I knew what he was doing. My reflexes took over. I snapped my wrist up, the bullet ricocheted away. He sneered and fire another shot. I blocked it again. Don’t these guys talk to one another? Surely, they knew by now that shooting at me was pretty damn pointless. After all back in Greece, I blocked every damn bullet they shot at me. Not really paying attention to what was going on; he fired a few more shots. I blocked two but the third wasn’t aimed at me. I panicked as it went through the back window, dangerously close to Connor. I snapped around and slid back inside.

“Are you all right?” I asked frantic.

“Was that a bullet?” he asked, hunched forward.

I sighed when I saw the hole in the windshield, it was a through and through. But the intent was clear: these guys weren’t pulling any punches. They weren’t trying to catch me anymore; they were out to kill me. I could feel my anger rising. It was one thing to try to shoot me but going after Connor was another thing. I weighed my options, wondering what I could do in this situation. It was clear that these guys had no regard for human life, which was dangerous. There were no cars on the road right now but we were on one of the busier streets. It was only a matter of time before someone---either one of us---got careless. I couldn’t put people’s lives at risk for me.

I leaned my head inside. “Aim for one of the side streets, away from people.”

I didn’t wait for Connor to respond. I felt the truck swerve a bit. Then we went left, apparently down some other road. The SUV turned with us. On either side, I saw lots of trees. I smiled then reacted. It was a split second maneuver but I was all about those these days. I made sure I had a good grip and then climbed out the window. I heard Connor shout at me but his voice was lost on the wind. I rolled over the top of the cab and into the back of the pickup. The guy hanging out of the SUV didn’t waste time. He fired off another shot to distract me. I blocked it then he clambered out the window too. I laughed, there was no way he could go toe-to-toe with me.

But apparently, he was going to try.

He struggled the rest of the way out of the SUV, shouting for the driver to get him closer to the truck. I stood and waited. There wasn’t much I could do anyway. The driver was pretty good, keeping the SUV steady with the truck. It was quite a show to watch, like a Michael Bay movie. The guy hanging out of the SUV positioned himself and jumped. I was impressed when he landed in the back of the pickup, rolling to rest at my feet. I’m not a dirty fighter. Even though my Amazonian hardwire told me to pick him up and toss him out of the truck, I resisted. It was hard but I managed to allow the guy to stand. Seeing him stand, I was impressed once again. He was actually around my size---I was surprised--- but built like he ate bricks for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

He rolled his head a bit then launched into a frontal assault. I’m not sure how I knew to block it but I did. I threw up every defense; it was like I could read his moves. Everything he tried, I had an answer for. It was awesome. He tried again and again to land a blow and I just kept throwing away his punches. It was a shame because I could tell he was a really good fighter, very skilled. He was fast too, seriously fast. It took everything I had to stop him and if I could have broken a sweat, I would have. He was a skilled fighter, better than I gave him credit for. If I wasn’t currently fighting him, I think I would have loved watching him. I’m not sure how I knew he was a skilled fighter too, but I was able to keep up with him. I assume it was another thing my hardwiring had built into me. I wish Hera had given me an instruction manual. It was kinda creepy to learn that by putting on a golden belt that I turned into a cross between Jet Li, Rambo and John Cena. Ok, so maybe they weren’t the best examples but I was definitely a serious bad ass now.

After a few more blows from him though, he started to tire. As big as he was and as fast as he was, he was still no match for my endurance. He tired quickly and I went in. So far, I’d only been blocking everything he’d thrown at me. I’m not sure how I knew it but a part of me knew it was good to be on the defensive to tire your opponent out. Now that he was exhausted, I could move in. I did just that. He tried to block me but he was too tired now. I landed my first blow, breaking a bone. He wailed in pain, stumbling backwards. My fist had connected with his shoulder, disabling the whole of his right arm. He cradled it to his chest. I went for a second, catching him off guard, hitting his left knee.

He cried out even louder and stumbled backwards. He fell off the back of the truck. It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to react. One second he was there and the next he was gone. I ran to see if I could find him. He landed hard on the road and rolled behind us. I turned away as the SUV approached, I didn’t want to see what happened next. It was a horrible way to go.

Losing one of their friends didn’t seem to stop the SUV though. It plowed on forward like nothing happened. No one else appeared at the passenger window but it put on speed. I knew what it was doing a split second before it rear ended us. The impact knocked me off balance. I fell to my knees. As I was getting up, they slammed against the back of the truck again. I heard Connor’s muffled curse inside the cab. After a third slam, the SUV veered a bit. I finally stood up, angry as all hell. I grabbed the first thing I could find---a toolbox---and launched it at the vehicle. The box slammed into the windshield, scattering tools all over the hood and highway. The glass spider webbed, causing the vehicle to careen wildly out of control.

It fell behind as Connor put on the speed. I sighed in relief, glad that that was over.

I walked over to the back window of the pickup and slid it open. “We’re in the clear now,” I said, letting out a well needed sigh.

“What the hell is going on?” Connor asked, a little bit annoyed and scared.

I’m not sure why I wasn’t scared, probably more hardwiring. “It’s a long story,” I said, taking a breath. “Let’s turn around and head back home. I have to make a phone call.”

He nodded. I am never leaving the house again without Cameron or some of her people. It was bad enough that I kept leaving it without taking that special cell phone Faraday gave me but to leave it without them and put others in danger. Never again. It didn’t matter if I didn’t fully trust them; I could have gotten Connor killed today. I’m not sure if I could have lived with myself if anything had happened to him. I’m just glad that Cissie wasn’t in the truck, id something happened to both of them I’m not sure what I would have done.

“Could you get back in here, please?” he said, glancing back at me for a second. “You’re making me nervous back there.”

I laughed and started to climb back around the side of the truck but I stopped about halfway. Up ahead, there was another vehicle approaching. It was a green blazer this time. I didn’t think anything of it until it got closer. There was something about the way it was driving. When it close enough, the passenger window rolled down. I had a split second to react before the passenger came out with a machine gun. I rolled onto the hood of the truck, my arms throwing up quickly. It was amazing how fast I moved my wrists, blocking every single one of those rapidly firing bullets. A couple got by, one grazed my cheek; another went through the glass and buried itself in my headrest.

Connor cursed and swerved, trying to get out of the line of fire. I kept deflecting bullets until the guy ran out then I cursed. These guys were really starting to piss me off. I let out a large intake of air then turned to face Connor. The only thing that was separating the two of us was the windshield. He made a motion for me to move out of his way so he could drive. I made a motion for him to put on the glass. He rolled down the window and shouted.

“What are you doing?”

“Ending this.” I shouted back.

He did as he was told. I stood up on the hood of the truck, I’m sure Connor figured out what I was about to do. I didn’t wait for him to protest. I aimed for the blazer and jumped. I judged the distance pretty good, landing on the hood of the vehicle. I rolled a bit, cracking the windshield. I caught myself before I rolled off. When I got to my knees, the passenger climbed half way out of the window again. This time he had a pistol. He tried to aim it at me and shot. I grabbed his wrist and twisted. I snapped his wrist; the gun tumbled free and onto the road. He screamed in pain. I grabbed the back on his head and slammed it on the roof of the truck, breaking his nose.

I let him go and rolled over to the driver side. For a second the two of us stared at each other through the glass just like I did with Connor moments before. But unlike with Connor, I punched my hand through the glass. The look on the driver’s face was priceless. It was to distract him from my real plan. I pulled my hand out quickly---surprised there was no blood---then reached over and grabbed his door. Hera give me strength. I felt a surge of power and tore the door away from the truck, tossing it away like it was made of tissue paper. The driver freaked.

“Stop the truck right now” I said, glaring at him and his passenger.

He spouted something in Greek, the equivalent of telling me to kiss his ass. I growled angrily and stepped on the brake. Tires squealed and the truck swerved. It came to a screeching stop, the force of which threw me off the side and sent me flying forward onto the road. I hit the pavement hard and rolled. It hurt a lot less than I thought it was going too. I rolled for a bit and then finally came to a stop. When I pushed myself to my feet and my world stopped spinning, I threw up. Then I checked myself over for damage. There were a few cuts and bruises but other than that, I was pretty unscathed. It amazed the hell out of me actually. The truck had been going at least sixty-five and I’d just been thrown off it. I should have broken several bones but the only thing I had were cuts.
Connor’s red pickup was stopped ten feet up the road. He opened the door and ran out. I pushed the rest of the way up and waved him off. He stopped about two feet from me, a look of horror on his face at first. But when he saw me stand and brush myself off, his horror turned to relief. I looked down and groaned. My shirt was torn, exposing flesh underneath and my jeans looked like someone attacked them with a pair of scissors. I could taste blood in my mouth and I think I broke a nail. I turned back to the blazer, unfortunately the occupants inside didn’t fair too well.

The air bags had deployed but the driver didn’t hit his fast first like the passenger. He’d been leaning halfway out the missing door in an attempt to push me off. So when the car came to a jarring halt, he was facing the bag sideways. He was still hanging halfway out the door, his neck broken. I felt no remorse. After all these bastards tried to kill me a few seconds ago. When I approached the blazer, Connor was right beside me.

“Is he dead?” he asked, looking at the driver.

I shrugged. “Probably.”

He nodded, looking glum. “Holy shit”

I looked at him and frowned. “I’m really sorry about this Connor. I never meant to get you involved.”

He nodded numbly. After a few seconds, he asked. “Who are they?”

“Back in Greece we were attacked by these guys pretending to be government officials,” I said as I started searching through the driver’s pockets, looking for some ID. “They were looking for something on the island I told you about.” He nodded as I found the guy’s wallet. “But the US government managed to get Mom, Donna and me out of there.”

I flipped open the wallet, there wasn’t much in it besides some cash. He didn’t even have a driver’s license. I frowned. How in the hell did he get the truck then? I walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. The passenger was alive but unconscious. I pushed him back, ripped away the airbag and popped open the glove compartment. Inside I found the rental agreement for the truck but little else. Whoever these guys were---I had a pretty good idea---they were pretty thorough about keeping their identities a secret.

I started rifling through the passenger’s pockets. He groaned a bit but didn’t wake up. I found his wallet too, and all that was inside was more cash. I tossed his wallet on the seat and decided to check the back. As I was opening the back door, I heard the roaring of a car approaching. I groaned and took a look. My suspicions were answered quickly. It was the damn SUV from before and it was coming on fast. I snapped back around to the front and yanked the passenger from the truck. I pulled him free quickly, shouting to Connor. He came running around the side of the vehicle and hefted the guy into his arms, dragging him away. These guys were really starting to piss me off. They were like Goddamn cockroaches. You squash one and they just get back up. I looked at the Blazer and smiled. I guess what you really needed was a bigger shoe. I knew I was strong, I’d proven that time and again. In Greece, I stopped the SUV with my bare hands. Even then, I was pushing it a little. I still had yet to test how strong I really was but if I had to guess I’d say I was able to at least push a car.

I walked around to the front of the Blazer, listening, as the SUV got closer and closer. I probably had about a minute or less. It was all I needed. I took a deep breath and shoved the front of the truck with all my might. The leather on my shoes snapped and the legs of jeans split but I pushed the truck. I pushed it hard. It coursed backwards, propelling toward the oncoming SUV. There was a loud screech of tires but whoever was driving wasn’t fast enough to stop. The front end of the oncoming vehicle slammed head first into the back of the Blazer. There was loud crash of metal on metal. Glass shattered; there was the smell of burned rubber.

Both vehicles were now a mangled mess on the highway.

“Son of a bitch” said Connor, dragging the guy over. “You just…I mean…”

“Hand me that guy,” I said, he happily passed the guy over.

I dragged him back over to the mangled wreck and left him lying there, making it look like he’d been thrown from the crash. By the time he came too, he’d probably be in the hospital. It was a lousy thing to do but I couldn’t let anyone connect this to me. I knew I’d have to tell Cameron all about it---she’d be pissed---but at least she’d tried to cover it up.

“Is this an everyday thing with you now?’ he asked, pointing to the wreck.

I shrugged. “It’s been known to happen from time to time.”

We didn’t say anything more as the two of us walked back to the truck and got inside. He turned around and the two of us headed back toward my house.

I made him drive around a bit to make sure we weren’t being followed anymore. Not that it really mattered I suppose. They tracked us as soon as we left Eddie’s house, it was a good bet they knew where I lived. Not that they’d get into The Gates. Unless they bought a house or were on a list of expected guests, there was no way they could get in there. Not even Connor could get in there every morning without being on the list, it didn’t matter that the guard knew him for years because his family lived there. If you weren’t on the list, you weren’t getting in.

We drove around about an hour before Connor brought me home. I was pretty certain that the guys in the two trucks were the only ones dumb enough to come after me. I still wasn’t sure what they were after---ok, I had some idea---but I knew they wouldn’t be stupid enough to try again. At least not in the same manner. They’d already tried twice and failed and it was a safe bet they’d probably try again. Except this time, I wasn’t taking any chances. So after the guard let us through, Connor drove as quietly to my house as possible. When we pulled into the driveway, I looked myself over. There was no way I could get away with any lies to my grandma, especially the way I looked. My clothes alone were enough to prove that I’d been up to something.

“We can tell her you fell down a hill,” said Connor with a smile.

I smirked. “Do you honestly think that’ll work?”

He shook his head. Then he stared at his windshield. There were two bullet holes in it now, both of which weren’t going to be easy to explain anyway. For a while, I thought maybe I could get away with not telling Cameron about Connor knowing my secret. Now I knew there was no way around it. I suppose if the two of us really brainstormed, we could come up with a possible explanation but neither of us were to it. The truth was the best answer and if she wanted to lock us up then so be it. I’d go to bat for him though, explain how I had no choice and that everything was my fault. There was no way I was going to let him get into trouble for my stupidity.

He finally sighed. “You and I never got to talk,” he said softly.

I nodded. “I’m sorry about all this, dragging you into my problems I mean. I’m also sorry about not telling you who I was before, I was scared.”

He reached over and touched my hand then pulled away, second guessing what he just did. He sighed heavily. “I know you’re Charlie but when I look at you all I see is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

I blushed. “You think I’m…”

He reached up and brushed some of the hair from my face. Then he leaned in. I knew I shouldn’t have leaned in too, but I couldn’t help it. I might have been Charlie and his best friend but that was before. Charlie was gone and he wasn’t coming back. A part of me knew that all of this was wrong but another part of me screamed in my head that it was so right. The latter part was in control, allowing him to put his hand behind my head and slowly move it toward his. Our lips were centimeters apart. I closed my eyes, waiting for it to come. But it never did. Connor’s hand slid off my head and he cursed. It was never a good sign to hear the boy you were about to kiss swear right before you were going to do it.

I opened my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, I really want to but I can’t”

I smiled weakly. “It’s weird for me too.”

“I know you’re Cassie now but you’re also Charlie too. Does that make any sense?”

I nodded. Unfortunately, it made a lot of sense. I was having the same problem too. It was strange to think of myself as Charlie or even as once being a boy. I’ve been a girl for almost a week or more now and it’s hard to think like anything but. I mean looking at him for instance. I knew he was my best friend and it was wrong to have feelings for him but that part of me that didn’t like it was slowly starting to fade away. Another part of me wanted him so bad that it hurt.

I got control of myself though. “Maybe you and I should go inside.”

We left the truck and walked toward the house. It didn’t seem strange at all that his hand slipped into mine. When we got inside, of course my grandma made a comment about the way I looked. She kept giving Connor a look, thinking that maybe he had something to do with it. I quickly explained as I retrieved the encrypted cell phone. I gave her an abridged version of events and my grandma didn’t look too happy. When I dialed Cameron, she answered on the second ring.

“We have a problem”

She groaned. “What did you do now?”

I quickly filled her in on the day’s events, leaving out the part about Eddie being a Meta. I didn’t want her nor the government to find him. I had made a promise and I was sticking to it. I told her everything that happened besides that though, telling her where to find the cars and how many guys there were. She took it surprisingly well for someone I knew was very angry. But how could I help it. It’s not like I asked those guys to come after me. In fact, I tried to avoid any violence. But as soon as they started shooting, endangering Connor, I knew I had to act. As soon as I told her about Connor, I think she flipped. That one was my fault and like I promised myself, I took full blame. She grumbled a lot. Through it all, she kept barking orders, apparently organizing her team.

“You never make it easy do you?” she asked when I finished.

“Like I had a choice,” I said angrily “they were the same guys from Greece and this time they weren’t screwing around. They tried to kill the two of us.”

Cameron sighed. “I’m sending a car over to sit in front of your house tonight.”

“What about Connor?”

“Make up one of your guest rooms” she said sternly. “He’s not going anywhere. In the morning I’ll swing by and we can have a talk.”

She hung up after that.

I quickly filled in my grandma and Connor. Grandma went upstairs to get Connor’s room ready while Connor used the living room phone to call Kara. I went into the kitchen, looking to see if I could scrounge up anything to eat. It was about one now; the two of us missed lunch. There was some sandwich meat in the fridge and some bread on the counter. I quickly whipped up a dozen sandwiches, leaving Connor at least two. He came into the kitchen a few minutes later. He sat at the table, looking at my plate then his. His eyes widened and I shrugged. He didn’t say anything so the two of us ate in silence. The rest of the day progressed in silence pretty much. Grandma struck up conversation with the two of us, asking us to describe in detail what happened. I didn’t tell her about Eddie either. Connor and I both said he was pretty sick but would probably be on the mend in a few days. Both of us talked to Grandma but neither one of us said anything to the other. It was kinda strange sitting here with him, trying to act like old times. He knew the truth now and for some reason I thought things might be different.

Actually, I thought they might go back to the way things were. Connor and I used to spend hours up in my room reading comics or playing video games. We were a couple of guys having fun. Looking at him now, I knew something like that could never happen again.

After a few hours, he broke the silence. “You still have the Xbox?”

I smiled and the two of us went upstairs. I paused at my old bedroom door. I hadn’t been in there since Mom and I moved out. Most of my old stuff was in there but for some reason I wasn’t itching to go inside. I passed it every morning on my way downstairs but it was just another room now. Ok, so that’s only partially true. I wanted to go in there; I wanted to go in there very much. But every time I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to turn the handle and go inside. Now that the two of us were standing here, my hand trembled above the knob. In the end, it was actually Connor who took the initiative and opened it.

My old room was exactly the same. It had the same blue walls, the same sci-fi themed bedspread and pillow sheets. There was a desk in the corner with my old computer and various movie posters on the walls. In the other corner was a chest full of action figures that Connor and I used to play with all the time. Most of them had sat untouched for years. Mounted on the wall was a flat screen, underneath which was my 360 and a stack of games. I sighed when I looked around. I used to think this was the coolest room in the world. But looking at it now I only had one thought: a nerdy boy used to live here. The thought sent shivers up and down my spine. It scared me to think that I’d changed so much.

“Cassie dear” my grandma called from downstairs.

I left Connor to set up the system while I wandered to the top of stairs. “Yeah, grandma.”

“Keep the door open please.”

I groaned. She had to be kidding right. But there was no smile on her face. I smiled and nodded then wandered back to the room. Connor was sitting on the edge of my old bed, the game console already booted up. He slid over to allow me room to sit. I awkwardly sat down, close but not too close. He handed me the spare controller. The two of us started to play one of our favorite games but it wasn’t long before I realized my heart wasn’t in it anymore. We played for a while anyway. It was a fighting game and Connor pounded the hell out of me in almost every round. I guess I wasn’t much of a gamer anymore. I have to admit it was kinda boring actually.

“Damn dude” said Connor, staring at the screen. “You’re playing like a girl.”

As soon as he said it, he dropped his controller and turned to me. He looked like he’d just swallowed a marble or something. “Shit I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to….”

I dropped the controller too. We didn’t say anything for the longest time. We just stared at each other; my heart was pounding in my chest. I inwardly groaned. He moistened his dry lips. Then it happened. I’m not even sure what it was at first but I knew as soon as I threw myself at him. Both our resistances shattered in a second. I practically jumped in his lap as I threw my arms around his neck, our lips plastering against one another. We fell backwards on the bed then began to roll up in a hot rollicking make out session. I often used to dream of this moment but never in my wildest dreams did I think it was going to be with Connor or that I was going to be the girl.

After about a minute or two---God, it felt longer---I pulled up to breathe. My hair was a mess, my shirt was torn in several places and I was panting like crazy. Connor was panting too, his chest and mine heaving up and down together. I looked into his bright sparkling blue eyes and smiled. He smiled too. This should have been awkward as hell but it felt so right.

I laughed. “Much better than a stupid game, huh.”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed my head and pulled me in for another kiss.

I woke up with Connor’s arm around me.

For a second it confused the hell out of me, seeing that I had clearly been asleep. I looked at Connor; his shirt was torn in half, his hair a ruffled mess. I think I might have done all that. I don’t really remember doing it but we were kinda hot and heavy. I looked down at myself and was glad to see that my bra was still on. My shirt was a tattered mess though. My jeans were pretty bad too. I never bothered to change when we got home---I looked at the alarm, it was five am---yesterday. It was Sunday now. I knew that in an hour or so, grandma would get up and get ready for church. It was her Sunday routine. Mom hated the whole idea of church; she had a thing against organized religion.

I slipped slowly out from underneath Connor and padded across the room. I’d let him sleep, he’d had a busy day yesterday. I slipped out into the hall, trying to move as silently as I could. When I got back to my room, I thought about going to bed. But for some reason I wasn’t tired. I stripped out of my clothes, taking my shredded jeans with me as I went to the bathroom. I tossed the jeans into the hallway waist basket then went into the bathroom. I took a quick shower. My mind kept going back to Connor and what we did yesterday afternoon. I had no idea what any of it meant but I liked it. I didn’t want to like it but it just felt right somehow, like it was meant to be.

Twenty minutes later, I left the shower. I wrapped a towel around myself and headed for my room. I thought about more jeans and a t-shirt but decided against it. Instead, I put on my running clothes. As I was putting them on, I looked over at the window and saw my friend the owl sitting there. The other day I looked him up in the school library. It was a Eurasian Eagle owl, one of the largest owls in the world. Also only native to Europe and Asia. So whatever the hell it was doing here was beyond me. But I guess I attracted those kinds of things, like the peacock in the middle of the Med.

But what seemed to surprise me most about my nighttime visitor was that no one else seemed to know he was there. He was huge, bigger than a lot of dogs and yet only I saw him.

I walked over to the window and tapped on the glass. His head followed my hand, moving with it like it was a mouse for him to snatch up. I bit my lip and opened the window. There was no screen on this window; I think my aunt used to like to sneak out at night. The tree was close enough for her to climb down after all. The owl stared into my room, cocking his head left and right. It was kinda strange but almost looked like he was getting a feel for the place. I ignored him and continued dressing, pulling on my running clothes. When I sat on the bed to put on my sneakers, he hopped into the room.

I nearly jumped off the bed. “What the hell are you doing?”

It just stared at me, judging me. There was something about the way it looked, the insane intelligence behind those eyes. It was there that I knew that this wasn’t any ordinary owl. A shiver went up my spine as the implication hit me. I bit my lip as I slowly slid off my bed and walked over. He was sitting on the windowsill, looking around my room. When I approached, he didn’t seem the least bit afraid of me. Instead, he watched me with interest for a few seconds then continued to look about as if he was trying to decide if the room was worthy of me.

I took a deep breath and a guess. “Your name is Glaucus, right?”

At the sound of its name, its head snapped around toward me. I jumped back. Holy shit. I wet my lips, trembling a bit. What had Hera said: they weren’t allowed to interfere ... right? But if he was here didn’t that mean they were interfering. He was Athena’s owl after all. That thought sent another shiver down my spine. Athena’s owl, the Goddess of Wisdom had been keeping an eye on me. I’m not sure how to respond to that. I knew all about Athena from the Myths, hell The Odyssey was one of my favorite stories. Grandpa and I used to read it all the time. But never in a million years did I think it would be possible for me to warrant her attention. She was a very important person after all. Hera was important too but Athena…I kinda smiled about that.

“I’m going for a run,” I finally said, getting up the nerve to speak to him again. “I don’t suppose you want to come along?”

I think it was the invitation he was looking for. He turned and flew out the window. I didn’t waste any time following. No, I didn’t go out the window. I took off out of the room, running down the stairs. No one was up yet but I’m sure my pounding through the house was a rude awakening. Before I knew what I was doing, I was out the door and running. I saw the owl soaring overhead, flying low enough for me to see him. He flew toward the park, like he knew which way I liked to run. I was able to keep good pace with him; he never once flew faster than I could run. The guard at the gates opened the door when he saw me, knowing I was coming before I did. He smiled as I ran past. The owl led the way, soaring like a majestic eagle. It didn’t take me long to get to the park. When I got there, it was pretty much deserted.

Glaucus disappeared into the trees off to the left. I ran over after him but it was too dense and there were too many to see where he went. I sighed, wondering why he dragged me all the way out here. I looked a little more for him and when I couldn’t find him, I hit the track.

I was in a good mood this morning. It still kinda freaked me out that Athena was watching me but it made me feel special too. My mind flashed back to the island, to all the bronze statues I saw. Almost all the Olympian Goddesses were represented there so I wondered if the Amazons had more than one patron. In Ancient times, their Goddess was Artemis. In fact, I was actually a little surprised when Hera appeared before me and not her. In almost everything I read, I couldn’t find a thing that connected Hera to the Amazons. Not that I was complaining, it’s just that it felt kinda strange that the Queen of the Gods would come to me personally.

I ran four laps around the track before I noticed someone was watching. I’m not sure where he came from but I saw him the first time on my fifth lap. It was an old man with a cane. He was buddle up for winter, standing on the sidelines watching me run. He looked to be in his eighties. When I finished my fifth lap, he was clapping. I stopped a few feet from him, stretching. I turned around and he smiled. I slowly walked over, wondering what he was up too.

“Did I interrupt something, sir?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I haven’t seen someone run like that in a long time.”

I flushed. “I’m a little special.”

“Everyone is special,” he said as he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.

I nodded and started to walk off but stopped. I turned back and he looked at me. “Could you do me a favor, miss?” I nodded. “Would you mind sitting and talking with me a bit? It’s been so long since I’ve had a nice conversation.”

I shrugged. I suppose I could give him a few minutes. I walked over and sat down on the bench next to him.

“I can’t be here long” I said, “There are some people who will be angry if I stay out too long.”

He smiled. “That’s the problem with the world. Everyone gets angry about this and that. I’m sure whoever it is will understand.”

“Not these people.”

“Yes, well I’m hardly anything harmful” He chuckled. Then he pulled a newspaper from his coat, opening it up. He read for a few seconds before he spoke again.

“Sad lot the world is in, isn’t it?” I nodded, not sure what he meant. “So much death and destruction these days and now all this Meta business.”

That made me uncomfortable. I just hoped he wouldn’t start talking about how evil Metas were or something. “I wouldn’t know much about that.”

“The world’s changing everyday now or so it seems” he said, flipping to another page in the paper. “Everyone is scrambling to keep up. The more these people start cropping up, the more danger will follow.”

“Do you think they’re dangerous?”

He laughed and shook his head. “Everyone is dangerous in their own way. It’s not their power that one needs to worry about it’s their nature. That’s one of man’s greatest strengths and weaknesses I think. What do they call it, oh yeah, the Nature of the Beast. You never know what a person is going to do until they are faced with a choice. It’s a scary world out there and in order to get by, you have to be prepared for anything.”

I nodded. “Its hard to be prepared for things that you can’t see coming though.”

He laughed and patted my knee. “That’s the way of the world my dear. You never do know what’s coming. If someone were to say to you, a storm is coming, you might grab your raincoat and your umbrella but what if it isn’t a rain storm?”

“I guess you’d need to be prepared for anything?”

He nodded. “Indeed you would” He folded his paper and looked at his watch. “Ah, I must be going now.” He used his cane, trying to get up.

I got to my feet and helped him up. He smiled at me and reached into his pocket, pulling out something. Before I could say anything, he put it into my hand. I opened my palm and saw a cheap coin, it was clearly a fake. It was something I was familiar with though: a gold drachma.

“I can’t take this from you.”

He laughed. “I’ve had that thing for years. Who knows it might bring you some luck.”

I held it in my hand smiled. “Do you need me to walk with you anywhere?”

He shook his head. “I can manage quite all right on my own,” he said with a sigh. Then he shivered, pulling his coat around his neck. “Feels like a storm is coming for sure. I best get home and start preparing.”

I laughed, shaking my head. I watched him until he disappeared out of sight down the path. He was a funny old man but he did have a point. I’m not sure what it was but I knew that I had to prepare for whatever came my way. It was kinda funny because before I was convinced that things were going bad, that these people wouldn’t stop coming for me. Now, I had this overwhelming feeling that no matter what they threw at me I’d be able to take it. I smiled at that. A little bit of sidewalk wisdom and the whole world changes. I laughed.

I stayed in the park, running a few more laps and then I turned and ran back home.

-----

Author's Note: Here's Ch. 18, unfortunately its another slow transition chapter but that doesn't mean there isn't some good stuff in it. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Eighteen:

Connor and Grandma were up by the time I got back into the house. Both of them frowned at me. I think the two of them were banding together now, making sure I didn’t do anything too stupid. I’d already broken my own promise not to go out without the DEO following. But for some reason I was compelled to follow Glaucus and there was nothing I could do to stop myself. Of course, I didn’t realize that until my run home. It was kinda strange really because I couldn’t really remember much about my run to the park just that I got there somehow without thinking about it. I remember what happened once I got there---talking to that nice old man---but getting there was a little hazy.

“Hurry and take a shower” said grandma as she moved the skillet about on the stove. “Agent Chase will be here soon.”

I nodded and ran up the stairs. I got in the shower, letting the water wash over me as quickly as possible. Ok, maybe not as quick. I was kinda dreading speaking to Cameron actually. She didn’t sound mad on the phone last night but I’d already been warned by her several times to lie low. But it’s not my fault. For some reason these stupid things keep coming after me. First the thing in Greece, then the guy in the mall and the potential mugging. Let’s not forget the thing in the museum and of course, yesterday’s little fiasco. It was like the whole world was turning against me and someone was painting a giant target on my head.

I got out of the shower and dressed. For some reason, I slipped the fake coin into my back pocket. When I got downstairs, I just had enough time to eat before Cameron came in. Jay was with her as well as another woman I didn’t recognize. She was young---a little older than Donna maybe---she had shoulder length black hair pulled back into a ponytail and dark sunglasses. Unlike Cameron who was wearing her suit---no more casual clothes for her---this girl was in jeans and a t-shirt, my kind of person. The new girl looked around the room before locking eyes with me. When she did, she smiled.

“This is Agent Spencer,” Cameron pointed out the new girl. “She’s going to be Cassie’s new babysitter. Wherever she goes, Spencer will follow.”

The girl smiled. “You can call me Kate,” she said cheerily, waving at the three of us.

Cameron looked annoyed. “Agent Garrick will be assisting.”

Cameron looked right at me and sighed. “These two are going to be on you like glue just in case you try to pull another one of your little stunts.”

I groaned. “It’s not like I do it on purpose.”

She nodded. “Regardless, the two of them are now on Wonder Duty twenty four seven.”

“Wonder Duty?” asked Connor, looking at me strangely.

Cameron frowned at him, probably annoyed that he had to be in the loop now too. Then she nodded. “That’s Cassie’s nickname for the duration of the mission here.”

“Wonder?” I asked, letting it roll off the tongue a bit.

Jay chimed in. “Agent Faraday’s idea actually. Well actually, it’s Wonder Girl. He wanted to call you Wonder Woman but felt that was a bit premature.”

I groaned. Cameron smiled. I think she enjoyed watching me squirm, she was a definite sadist in a former life. After that, Cameron filled us in on the clean up or rather the lack thereof. When they got to where the incident took place, there was nothing there. Well nothing that we described. Instead of finding two mangled trucks and bodies, they found an overturned pig truck. They said it was the strangest thing, too. There was no driver but there were three or four really large pigs in the back. It looked like the truck blew a tire and flipped over. They checked with the local hospital wondering if the driver wandered in but there was nothing. I wasn’t sure if Cameron believed us or not but Connor and I told her what happened anyway. The only one who seemed to be nodding and taking notes was Kate. I already liked her, she had a friendly face.

After Cameron told us what they didn’t find, she left. Jay and Kate stayed behind. I guess I was going to have to get used to seeing them because apparently today was day one of Wonder Watch. Jay penned the phrase not me. All I could do was moan. Grandma fixed them both breakfast while Connor and I went into the living room and watched TV. There was more on the news about Olivia Queen. Apparently someone blew up her car, killed her driver. It was all over almost every news station. Luckily, she wasn’t in the car at the time but she was kinda shaken up over it. I don’t blame her. First, someone kills her grandfather a few days ago and now they tried to kill her too. I was just glad that I wasn’t rich and famous.

After some TV, Connor took the remote and clicked off. “You want to go somewhere?”

I looked back in the kitchen. Kate turned to me, lowering her shades. I smiled. “I think the two of them might kill anywhere we might want to go to be alone.”

“I’m fine with them tagging along” he said, taking my hand. “As long as I get to be with you.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Kent” I said and kissed him.

Yep, I’m one of those mushy girls with stupid lines now. Hey, he made me kinda weak in the knees.

We kissed for a bit on the couch then went into the kitchen to ask my “Tag Alongs” if we could go somewhere.

“As long as it doesn’t involve you rearranging anything I’m fine with it,” said Jay with a laugh. “Or running, I’m not going to get my butt whipped again by you.”

I smirked. I wanted to say I’d already had my run today but knew that would only cause problems. So I agreed to the no running and held Connor’s hand as we left the house. When we got outside, we saw a blue Prius in the driveway and something else, not the something we were expecting to find. Connor’s truck was gone and in its place was a brand new 2012 Ford Ranger pickup. Connor’s eyes went wide in shock. He turned to Jay, a look of total confusion on his face.

“What’s this?” he asked, his eyes bugging out of his head. “Where’s my truck?”

“It’s a bribe,” said Kate, reaching into her coat pocket and tossing Connor the keys. “Let’s just say that the government has certain secrets it wants you to keep.”

He looked at me and smiled big. Then he scooped me into his arms, kissed me passionately and carried me over to his brand new truck. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever seen him happy. Ok, that’s not true. A few years ago, his Dad bought him a brand new bike for his birthday and he was pretty excited about that. But not as excited as he was now. He carried me over to the truck; he even opened the door and set me on the passenger seat. I took a whiff of the brand new car smell. Connor got inside and laughed then screamed in excitement. He was like a kid in a candy store. He started babbling on and on about all the stuff that the truck had and I barely paid attention. Ok, I didn’t care. It was official; I was totally a girl now.

It was too good to be true for me. I couldn’t help but think that there was something in this deal, something they weren’t telling us. I rolled down the window and Jay walked over. I think he sensed my apprehension about the whole thing.

“Just take it for what it is,” he said, cutting me off.

“You’re not going to lock him up or anything are you?”

He shook his head. “It’s as Kate said. It’s incentive. If he tells anyone about you or us, things might be a little different. But as long as he plays the good Boy Scout, everything will be good.”

I narrowed my eyes. “If you touch him or harm him in anyway, I’ll bury every single one of you.”

He smiled and nodded. “Faraday said you’d say that.”

“Just so long as we’re clear.”

A couple of towns over there was a little Carnival. It was a tiny little thing that they did every year from the beginning of January through the end of February. They called it the Winter Carnival. I’m not too sure how many people actually had a carnival in the winter but it was a cool idea. Connor and I used to go every year since we were about six or seven. It was one of those things that the two of us rarely missed. Last year was the first time the two of us went together with dates. It was his idea actually. There was a girl in our class---Veronica---who had been hounding him for weeks for a date. He finally reluctantly agreed to take her to the Carnival. But the only way she’d go is if someone would take her friend. Connor roped me into it. Both of us had a horrible time, especially me. Her friend was a total air head.

Now it felt kinda strange. The two of us walked through the arch hand-in-hand, Jay and Kate behind us. They arrived a few minutes after us, pretending to be a couple on a date. They were laughing and holding hands, looking particularly cozy with one another. Connor paid for our tickets and the two of us slipped into the crowd. Jay and Kate followed but not too close. Connor and I made the rounds, hitting all the booths. After yesterday, I definitely could use a little normalcy. At one of the booths, we found a couple of his football friends and their dates. I tried my best to be friendly but it was hard when they were such Neanderthals. Their dates were dressed in tiny skirts and looked vapid. I’m not sure how they could wear skirts when it was like thirty degrees outside but I suppose anything to look good, right.

I excused myself to get a drink. As I was standing in line, I felt someone come up behind me. “So, you and the football star, huh?”

I recognized the voice. I turned around with a smile, seeing Artemis and Akila standing behind me. The other Six were nowhere to be found. It was strange when I saw her. For the last few meetings I had with her it was like there were two different Artemis’s. The one at school was cool and confident but the one at The Bana was sappy and submissive. It was almost like they were two different people or someone was spiking the water. The girl standing here was the one I befriended. She and Akila glistened today or so it seemed.

“Hey” I said, glancing behind them over at Connor. Then I answered her question. “It sorta happened actually. He was a friend of my cousin’s. I needed a date for the Museum thing I mentioned and he was available.”

Artemis looked too and nodded. “I suppose he’s a good specimen.”

I laughed. “In the normal world we call them boys.”

Artemis and Akila didn’t laugh. They stared at Connor and his friends a few seconds more then turned back to me. “Do you think he’ll miss you for a bit?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I suppose I might be able to get away for a few minutes,” I said

Artemis smiled. “C’mon.”

She took my arm and pulled me out of the line. I groaned, looking longingly at the drink stand. When we passed Connor and his friends, he locked eyes with me. I mouthed “sorry” and he nodded with a smile. I felt bad abandoning him but Artemis was particularly forceful today. I’m not sure where she and Akila were taking me but we wove our way through a lot of people. We passed by Kate and Jay, the two of them were at a dart booth. At first, I thought Jay would be showing off but it was actually Kate. She was some kind of crack marksman, throwing the darts without looking, popping each balloon. When she saw me pass with the girls, she deliberately missed. After we passed, I watched her slip into step behind us.

For once, I felt kinda happy that one of Cameron’s people was following me. We finally got to our destination which was a little pavilion tent. Artemis dragged me inside and I found out where the others had disappeared to. It was a Bana tent. There was a little table where some of the girls sat; in the middle of them was Antiope of course. She smiled when she saw me but was in the middle of discussing things with a few tent patrons. There was a little TV set up, showing images of the spa, explaining what they did there. I half paid attention and looked around the rest of the tent. There was a little workout area set up an area where two girls were testing their strength, slamming a little mallet onto a metal pad of some sort.

“What is all this?” I asked, looking about, wondering what the hell they were up to.

“The future” said Antiope; the two girls she had been talking to were gone.

She slipped out from behind the table; one of the other girls took her spot. Kate slipped into the tent and wandered over to the table. Antiope came over and gave me a big hug. I felt my skin crawl under her touch. She pulled back but not before kissing me on the cheek. What the hell was this woman’s problem?

“We were worried when you disappeared the other day” she said “then Artemis told me about that horrible incident in the street. Are you sure you’re all right now my dear?”

I nodded. “He took my wallet but he didn’t shake me up too much.”

Antiope’s smile got big. “Spoken like a true Amazon.”

I felt embarrassed. Kate raised an eyebrow. The others smiled around me.

I tried to change the subject quickly. “Artemis said she wanted to show me something?”

Antiope nodded. “It’s a test actually. The Goddess told me you’d be here today and asked that I test you like the other girls.”

Antiope took my arm gently and led me over to where a line of girls my age was slamming the mallet on the metal pad. Persephone was standing nearby with a clipboard, marking the readings that appeared on a little monitor nearby. When she saw me in line, she smiled. I smiled too. I liked all the girls, I hated Antiope. I was in line for a minute or two before it was my turn. The girl in front of me frowned when Persephone told her that “you’re not what we’re looking for.”

She turned and handed me the mallet then left with a friend. I looked around and saw Kate lingering nearby. She was watching everything with interest, probably trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She wasn’t the only one. Persephone told me to take the mallet and hit the pad as hard as I could. I sighed, clearly, I couldn’t do that. So I took a deep breath and tried my hardest to hit it as soft as possible. But even hitting it with part of my strength, the red numbers on the monitor rose to a high percentage. Persephone smiled, Antiope gasped and gave my arm a little squeeze.

“Is that good?” I asked, setting the mallet aside.

“Fantastic my dear” said Antiope softly in my ear. “I knew there was something special about you.”

It creeped me out that she was this close. I shrugged her away a bit. “So what happens now?”

“Now, we go back to the spa and move onto the second part of the test.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. I wasn’t here to play Amazon with these girls; I was here to have some time with my boyfriend. Boyfriend, was he my boyfriend now? A couple days of go thinking about something like that would have made me feel sick to my stomach. Now it actually made me feel good. Connor was a boy and we were more than friends but I’m not sure if we were boyfriend/girlfriend just yet. We needed to go on a date first, a real one.

“I don’t think I can go today,” I said, causing a lot of frowns. “I’m here with my boyfriend after all.”

Antiope looked like someone let the air out of her tires. “Surely he’d understand if you left with us.”

I wanted to punch her in the face.

Artemis came to my rescue. “Maybe tomorrow” she said, coming over. “We don’t have practice after school.”

Antiope smiled weakly and nodded. “I suppose that works.”

“Can I try?” asked Kate, walking over.

Antiope turned and saw her. She frowned for a second but then smiled. “Of course you can my dear.”

I watched as Kate took the mallet and easily lit the monitor up. It must have been what they were looking for because all the girls---including Antiope---smiled. Artemis pointed to the tent exit and I reluctantly left. Kate followed me out of the corner of my eye but didn’t make any move to follow. Antiope was chatting her up anyways so there was no way she could really get away.

“Sorry about that” said Artemis as the two of us walked around, looking for Connor. “She can be a little much at times.”

I nodded. “Who made her in charge anyway?”

Artemis looked like I’d kicked her puppy. “The Goddess of course.”

I groaned. “Who is this Goddess anyway?”

Artemis looked confused. “I’m not sure I understand the question.”

“It’s simple enough” I said as the two of us stopped at a candy apple stand. “I mean the Goddess must have a name right?”

Artemis shook her head. “She is the Goddess, names are irrelevant.”

I laughed. “You blindly follow the teachings of someone and you don’t even know who’s teachings you’re following?”

She frowned. “No one is following anyone blindly” There was a hint of anger in her voice.

I held up my hand. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean it that way.” She smiled. “But don’t you find it weird that you’re following a Goddess that doesn’t have a name. I mean, have you ever asked Antiope what her name is. I mean her face is all over the Bana and yet you were never curious as to who she was?”

Artemis looked confused for a second. She squinted and rubbed her neck a bit. It only lasted for a second but then she smiled again. “If her name was important than Antiope would tell us it.”

I nodded, defeated. There was no way I’d get anything here. “I’m sure you’re right.”

She smiled. “Let’s go find your boyfriend.”

The two of us didn’t have to search very long. We found Connor with another group, lingering around the food tent. I frowned when I saw him, there was a girl hanging off of him. They were all laughing but Connor looked uncomfortable. Artemis frowned too. I took a deep breath and angrily marched over. The girl looked over at me and sneered but she had to get herself off my man. Yes, my man. I stormed over.

“Hey Connor” I said, causing his whole body to stiffen. “Who’s your friend?”

He pushed her off and turned to me. He looked a little relieved to see me. “Hey Cas, this is ummm….” He looked at her. “What’s your name again?”

She looked pissed. “Britney”

I smiled at her. “Take a hike, Britney.”

“How dare you!” she snapped, her friends came up behind her.

Britney was definitely cheerleader popular, possibly one herself. The girls appeared out of nowhere, probably used to backing up their Queen. I walked over to her, standing a whole head taller. Britney looked up at me, her resolve wavered a bit but she didn’t back down. Artemis stepped up beside me and then Akila. I did a double take, wondering where the hell she came from. A few seconds later, Laris and Anaya was there too. The girls looked from them to me, clearly wondering if they wanted to get involved. Britney and her friends were cheerleaders and popular but Artemis and her friends had a rep for being super jocks.

“Chose your words wisely,” said Artemis.

Britney’s face turned from a sneer to fear. “We were just leaving,” she stammered.

The other girls nodded. Then they disappeared. The football team cheered and booed at the same time. Artemis gave them all a look and they shut up. After glaring at the guys for a few minutes, she and the girls left. I’m not sure if the team was happy or sad to see them leave. It was common knowledge that every guy in the school tried to land Artemis and her friends and so far, none had succeeded. So clearly, they were taking their pretend Amazon status to the extreme. It was clear they liked guys, I saw them look every once and a while. But Antiope probably told them that it was not the Amazon way. I could already tell that she didn’t approve of Connor but as far as that was concerned, she could go screw herself.

Kate returned a few minutes after the action, Jay was lingering nearby.

After the thing with the cheerleaders, the day was kinda a bust. We stayed at the Carnival for a couple more hours; Connor won me some stuffed animals. I think he thought that was the proper thing to do. It was kinda cute I guess, watching him trying to be the big strong one to impress me. We spent some time making the rounds to all the different tents, looking at what they were trying to sell. It was at one of the last ones that vendor gave me a pause. He was a short and stocky guy, his face had a burn that covered most of the left side and he moved with a shuffle, like he had a limp. He was selling a bunch of weapons, replicas of course. There was a guy like him at most of these places.

When we got to his tent, he tried to interest Connor in one of his swords, a replica of a Greek Xiphos. The sword was double edged, used with one hand. He tried and tried to hawk it but Connor wasn’t interested.

“How about you, young lady” he said, holding the weapon out to me. “Clearly you look like you could handle such a fine thing as this.”

I looked from him to the sword, he smiled big, showing a grin with a lot of missing teeth. I shook my head. “I wouldn’t have use for something like that.”

“Perhaps something else for the lady then” he said, reaching under the table and brining out a chest that looked right out of a pirate movie. He opened it up and took out what could only be described as a gold tiara.

I made a face. It was simple looking, with a star carved into the front. It was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever seen but there was something about it.

“What is this?”

He shrugged. “Just something I hammered together for a princess like you.”

I reached for the tiara; my hand touched the polished metal.

“Do you want this?” asked Connor, I numbly nodded. I was entranced by it. “How much, old man?”

The vendor seemed to think about it. “I’ll give it to you for fifty bucks,”

Connor smiled and paid the guy. Afterwards he took the tiara and tried to put it on my head but I stopped him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, confused.

“I’m not supposed to wear it on my head” I said, confused myself. “At least not right now.”

The vendor smiled. “The lady’s prerogative I suppose.”

We thanked the vendor and he offered to allow me to take the chest too. Connor insisted on giving him twenty more for it and then he carried it under his arm for me. I’m not sure why the tiara was so important to me but I knew I had to have it. We left the Carnival after that, Jay and Kate following close behind. I thought about the tiara the whole ride back home. When Connor dropped me, off we kissed but my mind was still on the tiara. When he drove off home, I held the wooden box under my arm like it was the most precious thing in the world. The tiara was on my mind for the rest of the night. I even dreamed about it.

I was standing in the middle of a field; I’m not sure how I got there.

Looking around I could tell it was nowhere I’d been before. For one thing, the grass was tall, about waist high and for another, the air was warm. So even if it was supposed to be in the US, it was definitely during the springtime. I’m not sure if I knew I was dreaming or if it was one of those times when it felt like a dream. There were birds chirping in the distance and the sun was so bright it was hard to see. It was one of those strange days too where you found yourself in someplace but couldn’t remember how or why you were there. I might have mentioned that already but it was definitely on my mind. Another thing on my mind, the way I was dressed.

I looked down and noticed I was decked out like a Greek hoplite. I was wearing a bronze breastplate, something called a thorax by the Ancient Greeks, a white tunic and leather skirt underneath that. I should have felt ridiculous in this outfit but somehow it felt right to wear it. The only weapon I had seemed to be a bow, which was strange because I wasn’t even good with one. I used to suck at archery in Gym glass, Green Arrow I am not. But holding the bow felt right, too. In fact, everything felt right even though I knew it was wrong. I knew things too, things I shouldn’t know. Like how to fire the bow properly and how I knew I was on a hunt for something. I’m not sure what it was but I knew that standing here was just an attempt to relocate my prey. I’d been tracking it for a while now, having just left much of civilization behind me.

I just couldn’t remember what it was. I got fed up with standing there though. So I took a deep breath and started walking forward, the direction I assumed I was going in. I found myself walking up a hill, which was strange because only a second ago it wasn’t there. Further proof that I was in fact dreaming. At the top of the hill, I got the lay of the land. Most of it was fields but there was a crop of trees in the distant, like a small forest. All around the forest were red dots. At first, I thought they were flowers because they were not moving. Then one of the unmoving shapes moved. I saw what looked like branches coming from its head and then realized they were antlers. It was then that I realized that it was a herd of deer. There was only one with antlers, so I’m guessing he was the Prince, like in Bambi.

I slowly crept down the hill, remembering what I was stalking. It was the deer but not just any deer. There was a legend, a legend of a Ceryneian Hind, said to have golden antlers and bronze hooves. I knew it well; it was something I knew from Myth. But in this dream it was my life, I wanted nothing more than to kill it. I’m not sure why, maybe it was because it was a part of the Hercules legend. But I think it was more because it was so large that it could feed my whole family.

When I got to the field below most of the deer there paid me little attention. They looked my way as I crept past but they went back to eating grass as soon as I was past them. I looked at each and every one, wondering where the legendary hind might be hiding. I knew it was wrong for a female deer to have antlers but apparently, there was something special. My rational normal mind knew that the Ancient Greeks were probably thinking of a reindeer, whose does also have antlers. But my irrational dream mind knew that the Hind was actually a gift from the Gods, sacred to one in particular.
I smiled when I finally spotted her.

It was hard not to, after all she was taller than the rest. She was just as red and just as docile as the others but her antlers gave her away. When I approached, she didn’t seem to pay me much attention at first. I walked slowly up to her, moving one foot slowly in front of the other. I got within ten feet, notching an arrow and aiming for her throat. One shot, that’s all it would take. Then I could drag her back proudly and display her antlers above the mantle. I groaned, shaking my head.

I inched ever closer. She finally raised her head from grazing and looked at me. Her eyes were large and dull, docile even. Now I knew where the term doe-eyed came from. I took a deep breath and prepared to fire. Something I did must have spooked her. One second she was standing there like the most gentle creature in the world and the next she was gone. She took off like a lightning bolt, heading straight for the forest. I gave chase, keeping good pace with her. But no matter how much ground I gained, she was still too fast for me. She hit the forest first, tearing through the underbrush. I followed just as quickly. I lost her for a second in the dimness of the forest but caught a flash of gold. I gave chase again, running purely on adrenaline. She tried to trick me a few times but I was on to her. She gave me quite the chase though but like all things, it finally came to an end in a clearing. There was a small pond and no way out.
I raised the bow again, my arrow from before ready to fire again. Once again, she looked at me but this time I faltered. I’m not sure why but looking at her, staring into those eyes, I knew I couldn’t kill her. I sighed, lowering the bow. I think the deer knew it too because her head perked up. Then she looked behind me. At first, I thought she might be trying to distract me so she could get away until I heard something.

“Congratulations, Cassandra” said a voice from behind me.

I snapped around. There was a woman standing there, not much older than Donna. Suddenly I knew I wasn’t here to hunt a deer. The woman was dressed in leather from head to toe, a modern age bow resting against her shoulder. She smiled at me, her hair woven with ribbon and braided down her back. I knew her name but for the life of me, it wouldn’t come. Just like when I meant H…H….H… Well, like when I met the Queen Goddess. The woman held out her hand and the Hind walked over, allowing her to rub it on the head.

“Magnificent animal, isn’t she” I nodded. “You’re the first one that I’ve tested like this and who didn’t try to kill her. That fool brother of mine actually wrestled her to the ground you know, dragging her back to that moron King. Do you know how hard it was to get her back?”

I shook my head, unable to find my voice. Another dream, another goddess.

She groaned. “Don’t compare me to her. She’s a thief.”

“What?” I asked, finally finding my voice.

“Hera” she said, waving her hand. “Your benefactor. She tricked me out of the Amazons a long time ago but that’s water under the bridge.”

“You’re…” I groaned, still unable to say her name.

“You can think of me as the Archer,” she said, patting the Hind on the rear, causing her to disappear into the brush. “I’ve been watching you for some time, you know.”

That’s creepy. She smiled. I cursed, forgetting they knew everything. “Sorry” I said softly.

She waved it off. “It is kinda creepy,” she said, walking over and putting her hands on my shoulders. Before she’d been shorter but now she was taller than me. “Wow, you have his eyes.”

“What? Whose eyes?”

“Never mind that” she said and reached into her jacket, taking out a golden tiara, the same one I got from the Carnival today. “You see this little thing. It’s very important, just as important as those fancy gold bracelets of yours.”

I looked at my wrists but the bracelets were gone.

‘They’re not there sweetie,” she said, “the bracelets are the default form but the Girdle takes on many. You’ll learn to use it the right way very soon.”

“I don’t understand.”

She nodded. “You will. Soon everything will become very clear. The world is going to need you and I’m not just talking about what’s going on in that little city of yours. Things are going to get bad, worse than before. That’s why we tapped you now instead of later.”

I was more confused than ever. She smiled and leaned forward kissing me on the forehead.

I felt extremely warm when her lips touched my forehead and then everything went black.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 19, finally some spa action. This story is starting to wind itself down now, only about five or so more chapters before it comes to an end :) I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Nineteen:

The dream was on my mind when I woke up in the morning. It was hard not to think about. In the shower, I couldn’t help but wonder what She meant by all of that. There were so many questions and no answers. It was hard to believe I was so blessed, especially considering at least three Gods had visited me now. Yeah, three. I didn’t really pick up on it until I thought about the tiara and the man who sold it to us. I knew there had been something familiar about him and it nagged me the rest of yesterday. But it wasn’t until I was in the shower that I figured it out. His face was scarred and he had a limp, there was only one person he could have been. Once again, I couldn’t think of his name. I knew it but there was some kind of force preventing me from thinking and saying it.
The only name not forbidden from me was Hera. How strange was that?

I got dressed in a rush and ran down the stairs. Jay was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the paper. The headline read BILLIONAIRESS SURVIVES BOMBING. It was all over the news still. Once again, I was glad that I wasn’t Olivia Queen. My grandma fixed me some breakfast as I stared at the paper, seeing the mangled burning wreck that once was a car. I shuddered at the thought, remembering the two bastards that tried to cream Connor and me on Saturday. It still bothered me that the two trucks were nowhere to be found. I began to wonder there wasn’t something else at play, something a lot worse than a bunch of Greek terrorists trying to kill me.

I looked about, noticing that Jay was the only present this morning. “Where’s Kate?” I asked, forking some eggs.

He folded the paper and set it aside. “She went into the city today, said something about a spa she wanted to look in to.”

I nodded. The Spa had gotten on her radar yesterday. She must have thought there was something strange about it, too. Or maybe she was looking for a place to work out. “There was a pavilion for it at the Carnival yesterday,” I said as an explanation.

He nodded. We didn’t talk much after that. About ten minutes later, Connor showed up. He was still beaming over the truck. He kissed me on the cheek and grandma gave him some eggs, too. He talked about the truck for a bit and then he and Jay talked football some more. I toned most of it out. We left for school after that, Jay following us in a rental. Apparently, he wasn’t allowed into the school as per the agreement with the school board but he’d monitor things outside. I think I liked school and The Bee a lot more after hearing that. It was one thing to have him as a bodyguard---not that I needed it---but I didn’t want him lingering behind me as I walked to class. Besides I don’t think whoever had tried to kill me would be bold enough to do it with all those people around.

School went by particularly slowly. In lunch, I caught up with Cissie though.

“How’s our mutual friend?” I asked when we sat down.

She looked around to make sure no one was in earshot before answering. “He’s doing good. I stayed at his house for a complete of hours after you left.”

I nodded. “Does he think he’ll come back to school?”

She shook her head. “He can’t see how. I’m going to tutor him until his parents can find a more stable replacement.”

We quit talking as soon as Amy showed up. She took one look at me and smiled. I’m not sure what she was so excited about until she opened her mouth. “What’s this I hear about you telling Britney Jones off?”

I groaned. I was wondering when that was going to get around. Cissie’s eyes practically bugged out of her head. So I reluctantly told them what happened. I think Cissie was happier than Amy. Apparently, Britney and her cheer friends were constant tormenters of hers. I guess that made everything better for me. We talked a little more about what we all did over the weekend. Amy was kinda annoyed that I left her out of things---not that I wanted to drag her to either place. Hey, I like Amy but I think she might have freaked about Eddie and let’s face it, I wanted some alone time with Connor yesterday, especially after our crazy Saturday.

School went about at a more normal pace after that. When it was finally over, The Six were waiting for me at my locker. I groaned a bit at the sight of them, remembering that I promised to go to the spa with them today. Artemis was leaning against the lockers; the others were standing about, looking out of place. I don’t think any of these girls fit well in most social environments. They kept looking around and flinched whenever someone walking down the hall got too close to them. They were particularly twitchy today, jumping at everything. There was something else about them too, they looked agitated. Akila kept rubbing her arm while Persephone and Karna kept tapping their feet. It was almost as if they were going through some kind of withdrawal. I wonder if it had anything to do with not being near their Nameless Goddess and their nutty cult leader.

“Finally” groaned Laris “we’ve been waiting like five minutes for you.”

“Sorry” I said, opening my locker and exchanging some books.

As we walked, Artemis talked. “Change of plans about our trip to Bay City. Apparently going on Wednesday didn’t really go well with the authorities so we’ll have to do it on Friday instead. Luckily the concert will be there all week.”

“What authorities?” I asked as we walked out the front doors and toward the parking lot.

Karna groaned. “The Elders of the other tribes.”

“This is a Bana event?”

“Not really” said Artemis “but they fronted the cash so they dictate the rules.”

I caught eyes with Jay. He was parked across from the school in his rental. I think he was trying to decide to follow or not. We exchanged several glances but in the end, he decided to stay put. I think he knew what I was thinking. There was no reason for him to follow if Kate was already there. He watched me until I got into Artemis’ car. Akila and Persephone got into the back as usual. I tried not to think about much as we drove off, heading toward the big city.

There were already a lot of girls in white when we got there. Unlike the last time, we actually had to take the elevator down into what I’m calling the “secret” part of the spa. I stared at all their faces, trying to see if I recognized anyone. The last time they were all bowed over in prayer but now they were standing about, chatting. They were young, the oldest about Donna’s age, the youngest maybe thirteen. It floored me that there were so many. I didn’t take a full head count but there had to be at least fifty or sixty girls here. I groaned... sixty brainwashed cult nuts. They didn’t come across as brainwashed of course---I think I might have been harsh in that assessment---but they were definitely being led in the wrong direction. I wondered how many of them actually knew this was all shit.

“We’re going to get changed,” said Artemis as she stood at my elbow. “You want to come.”

Several of the girls nearby turned to look at us. They didn’t look brainwashed either, they looked normal. Maybe a bit happier but they weren’t glassy eyed or anything. But all of them staring at me kinda gave me the creeps. So I reluctantly agreed to go with Artemis, if only to get away from their staring. I followed her and Akila through one of the doors they disappeared through before. I found myself heading down the same hall that led to Antiope’s office but instead of going straight, we went through another door on the left. The room looked like a locker room except the floors were carpeted and it smelled faintly like flowers; I’m not sure what kind. There were three rows of lockers in the center but not large ones like school, small ones like you’d find in a train station or something. Artemis pointed out an empty one to me so I sat on the bench and started to undress. I didn’t want to wear one of their white cult dresses but I was afraid the crowd would stone me or something.

“Here” said Akila, coming over with a white dress.

I’m not sure where it came from but I took it reluctantly. It was light and airy, designed sorta like a toga. I finished undressing, stuffed my clothes into my little locker and slipped the dress over my head. The material was soft, like silk and felt nice against my skin. Artemis walked over and handed me a pair of gold sandals. They were designed to look like Ancient Greek ones; they even had straps that could wrap up your calf. I looked at the others, they all had them done up just like that. When I put them on, Artemis agreed to tie them for me.

“I’m so glad you decided to join us,” she said, tying. “Antiope was worried you might be a little resistant to some of our ideals but she was confident that you’d come around in time.”

I nodded. I bet she was. “So what’s the big plan?”

Artemis smiled. “We’re having a competition.”

“A competition for what?”

Akila answered. “We’ve been honing our bodies and minds for months now, all in preparation for the Time of Change.”

That didn’t sound good. “What’s that?”

Artemis shook her head. “We’re not supposed to know right now. That’s why we’re all gathered here today. Antiope has received a new vision from the Goddess and she’s going to tell us more about it today.”

I groaned. This woman had all these poor girls wrapped around her finger. It annoyed the hell out of me to see them all so easily swayed. Especially Artemis and her friends. They were so strong willed and confident away from this place. But here they came across as giddy and bimboish, like Britney and her stupid cheerleader friends. Clearly, they were the same people but there was something about them that rubbed me the wrong way. It was annoying to think that Antiope could change people this much and so easily.

“C’mon” said Artemis as she finished tying my sandals. “It’s going to start soon.”

She pulled me to my feet and the three of us went outside.

The girls were already on the crowd, kneeling like before. Antiope was there too, standing at her podium. She was dressed much like before. She stared out at us all, locking eyes with me as I walked with Akila and Artemis toward some spots in the back. She followed me the entire way, her eyes narrowed. I thought I saw a bit of malice there for a second but it was quickly gone. She replaced it with a smile. I smiled weakly back. There was definitely something off with that woman. She was harmless of course but she still made my skin crawl.

“Girls” said Antiope when the three of us took our positions. “The Time of Change is almost at hand. I have spoken to the Goddess and she has asked me to prepare you all for what it about to come.”

The gathered crowd of girls murmured. I rolled my eyes.

“In preparation for the Time, the Goddess has asked me to test you girls” There were more murmurs. “There will be a series of competitions testing strength, endurance and skill. These competitions will last the whole week, culminating in a final showdown between the last two remaining girls.”

There were a lot of murmurs after that. A couple of the girls around me started to whisper and laugh. I think they were kinda excited, others not so much. Many of the girls here didn’t look like they could hold their own. I mean they were all pretty athletic but some of them were young, too young to be going up against some of the older girls. I scanned the faces in the crowd, looking at the assorted ages. Surely, she didn’t expect some of the twenty year olds to go up against some of the thirteen year olds. My eyes fell onto Kate and I was surprised. I didn’t see her earlier and was surprised that she was there at all. She looked completely different; her hair was up on her head in a high ponytail and her face all done up in makeup. If I didn’t know it was her, I’d hardly recognize her.

She locked eyes with me and shook her head. So I quickly turned away. So she was clearly still investigating this place, trying to figure out how all of it worked.

“This is going to be fun,” said Artemis softly. “Antiope told me the winner of the final competition will be considered the Champion of the Goddess.”

I opened my mouth to make some snide remark when Antiope spoke again. “Settle down now girls” she said, raising her hands and the murmurs ended. “I understand that all of you are extremely excited, as you should be. This competition is a great honor and those who succeed will be highly rewarded for their feats of greatness” There was a lot of excitement. I noticed she didn’t say anything about those who failed. “Now, I want to start this competition in an orderly fashion.”

I was surprised. She was starting it now. I looked at the faces around me; I think they were just as surprised. I was certain that something like this would take at least a few days to begin. But I guess it was no shock that she wanted to get it out of the way. The woman was ambitious and impatient. She smiled proudly at the girls assembled about her, her little white lambs. I couldn’t help but compare her to a hungry wolf. She looked at me again and her eyes narrowed. It was clear after our little talk that I wasn’t her number one person. I think she wanted me to fall into line like a good little soldier and when I didn’t follow her happy rules, I pissed her off. It didn’t help that the last time I was here I walked out on all this craziness.

The Competition started after that. She split us up into groups of ten at first. I was right that were sixty of us present, only a few of the older girls didn’t participate. I noticed that Kate was one of those girls. She was now standing on one side of Antiope, another girl about her age on the other side. I was curious as to why Kate was here anyway, she was a lot older than most. But Antiope clearly had a plan for her too. She was talking to her and the other girl, probably discussing a few things. I stared at them for a few seconds before I realized there was another girl standing behind me.

“Hey blondie” said a voice with a sneer.

I turned and this girl was just as blonde as me. She was a lot more butch looking though. She was pretty but not super model like me. She had cold eyes too. I sized her up, knowing that I could probably snap her like a twig.

“Dalma” said Artemis “don’t start today.”

The girl, Dalma, ignored Artemis. She stuck her finger into my chest. “This is my competition. Antiope told me all about you, how she has such high hopes for you but you better get one thing straight, I’m going to be that Champion.”

I smirked. “You can have it.”

Her eyes narrowed and she stomped off.

“Sorry about her” said Artemis “I think she was dropped on her head when she was born.”

We laughed. This was the Artemis that I knew and loved.

Antiope called us all to attention after that and blew a whistle. The Competition of Strength began. It was actually in a couple of stages, the first being weight lifting. There were a lot of strong girls in my group but a lot of them dropped out pretty quickly. I noticed that all of Artemis’ friends passed, Laris struggled a bit toward the end but she pulled through. After that, we went to chin ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks. I think it was all an attempt to weed out the strong from the weak. The Strength Test lasted for what seemed like hours. Finally, Antiope blew a whistle, many of the girls collapsed from exhaustion.

A tall dark haired girl wove through the groups, passing out bottles of that Nectar sports drink. When she got to me, I waved her off. I didn’t need it. Just like all the other times, I didn’t break a sweat. Then another girl went through the groups taking a tally of those of us who were still standing. I took a tally as well. Out of the original sixty, ten were now out. They were all the younger girls, which was to be expected. I felt kinda bad for them; they were all happy to be here before and now they looked totally burned out. The girl with the Nectar bottles and another girl helped them all to their feet and helped them off somewhere.

Antiope got back up behind her podium. “That concludes Day One of the Competition. I congratulate those of you who are still standing. Tomorrow will be Day Two and the Test of Endurance; I ask that all of you bring a good pair of running shoes.”

There were a lot of groans. I looked over at Artemis and she smiled. The girl, Dalma, looked smug too. She glared at me when she saw that I was still standing. I think she thought I’d drop like the preteens. But if I could help it, I’d be in this thing until the end if only to prove to the bitch that I was better than she was.

“Ignore her,” said Artemis as she saw Dalma staring.

I nodded and followed my friends to the locker room to change.

After that, we went home. When I got inside, Jay was sitting at the table with my grandma and Donna. He smiled at me when I entered. He opened his mouth and I beat him to it. I told him about the spa and their harmless little competition. He pulled out a little note pad and scribbled things down. He stayed for a few hours after that, talking with Donna mostly. Even though I knew there wouldn’t be anything romantic going on between the two of them it was nice that they became friends. I have to admit I felt a little bad about setting the two of them up, especially after she cried in my arms about Barbara.

When Jay was gone, Donna frowned. “Are you sure this competition thing is a good idea?”

I shook my head. “I know it’s not but there’s something about this woman. I’m not sure what it but she rubs me the wrong way. Before I wanted to avoid this place but now I want to be there just to see what she’s planning.”

I quickly told Donna all about the Time of Change.

“Sounds like a bunch of crap to me” she said when I finished.

We sat on the couch and watched TV the rest of the night. When I went to bed, Glaucus was in my window as usual.

When Tuesday came around it was the Test of Endurance, right after school. I don’t think I’ve seen Artemis and the others more excited. On the car ride over, it was all Akila and Persephone could talk about. Me, I sat in silence, wondering what the woman had planned. When we got to the spa, there was already a group gathered in the main room upstairs. They were dressed in running gear, which could only mean one thing. Artemis and her friends shared a knowing smile. Me, I looked at the gathered group. It was a lot smaller than I remembered from yesterday.

“A few of the girls dropped out last night” said a voice from behind me, I turned and saw Kate.

She motioned me away from the group. We slipped into a secluded corner. “What the hell is going on here?” I asked.

“This place appears to be on the up and up” she said “they have all the proper permits and things like that but there’s something about that woman” I nodded. “I couldn’t find anything out about her because of that stupid name. She’s either really good at hiding who she really is or she’s got a lot of connections, higher ones than my clearance.”

“So what does that mean exactly?”

Kate shrugged. “While you guys are out running, I’m going to linger behind here and snoop a bit in her office, see if I can find anything.”

“You think it’s a Cult?”

She nodded. “It looks like it but I can’t be sure until I gather more data. I don’t want to blow the whistle on this place just yet.”

“Are the girls in danger here?”

She sighed. “I think it might be harmless but I’ll know more as soon as I find out who that woman really is.”

I nodded; then the two of us parted ways, going back to the group at different times so as not to draw suspicion. I thought it was kinda cool that she was taking the initiative about this place without me even asking. I think she noticed something off at the Carnival and wanted to poke into it herself. It made me like Kate even more. She saw something wrong and investigated it without being told to do so. It made feel more secure knowing she had my back and maybe it made me trust these people a little bit better.

The Test started a few minutes later. It was as I thought it might be. We weren’t broken up into groups this time but that didn’t stop us from gathering with our friends. Kate joined the other girl to stand with Antiope. Antiope raised her whistle and blew. We all took off as a group, running to our hearts content. I’m not even sure how she pulled all of this off but no one seemed to stop us as we ran through the streets. As a group, we made our way to the nearby park. About ten minutes into the run, a few of the girls started to lag behind. I suppose it was inevitable. I retained a good pace for a while, staying in the middle of the pack with Artemis, Akila and Karna. I’m not sure where Persephone, Laris and Anaya were.

After another twenty minutes of running, the pack thinned even more. We were staying in the park now, running about it again and again. Another twenty minutes and a few more dropped off. I looked around, seeing a lot of the girls pushing themselves to the limit. At the head of the group was Dalma. I had to hand it to her, she might have been all talk but she was pretty tough. She was clearly the one setting the pace and the other girls were just trying to keep up with it. About another twenty minutes---and several missing girls later---, Artemis made her move. She wove her way through what was left, making short order of the would be leaders. Soon it was her and Dalma, neck and neck. Akila pulled away too, followed by Karna. I retained my pace, letting them play it out for a bit. It wasn’t before long though that I found myself at the end of the pack, most of the other girls were gone now. Behind me, I could hear a few, among them Laris and Anaya.

If I were a betting person, I’d say this was probably all that would make it to Test Three tomorrow.

After another ten minutes, I made my move. I put on a little speed, passing Karna. I heard her groan and curse behind me. When I got to Akila, she smiled. I think she said “about time” before I passed. Now the lead consisted of Artemis and Dalma neck and neck and me closing up fast. I’m not sure when they noticed I was there but it didn’t take me long to get up beside them. Dalma looked surprised, Artemis just laughed.

“Taking your time I see,” she said with a smile.

“I had to let you have some fun first,” I said with a laugh.

“This one is all you then.”

I took the invitation and pulled ahead. Dalma tried to keep up but she fell behind rather quickly. I tore ahead of the others, going for several minutes before I heard the whistle. I turned and saw that I was the only one running now. Antiope was sitting on a park bench, Kate and the other girl sitting on either side of her. I was surprised to see Kate actually, wondering if she got a chance to look in Antiope’s office. I gave her a look and she smiled. I sighed, wondering what it was that she might have discovered.

I finally stopped, making a big circle to jump back to stand before the bench. Antiope stood up, beaming.

“That was very impressive indeed,” she said, trying to pass me one of her bottles of the Nectar. I waved it off and she frowned. “The Goddess will be smiling down on you tonight.”

“As long as she doesn’t watch me while I’m undressing I could care less” I said and meant it.

Antiope glowered a bit and I walked off. A lot of the girls were on the ground, panting. Artemis tried to pass me her bottle of Nectar but I waved it off. Dalma was slugging away on her’s and gave me a dirty look. I ignored her and wandered past several of the girls as they congratulated me and slapped me on the back. I finally got Kate alone, the two of us standing over by a tree together. She looked around to make sure we were truly alone before speaking.

“Everything is clean,” she said softly. “I couldn’t find a thing on her at all. Her real name is Rebecca Crossan; she’s an elementary school teacher in the city. She’s been a part of this organization for years.”

I nodded. “What’s the deal with it then?”

Kate laughed. “They’re a youth program. They take a lot of kids off the street and give them an outlet. There’s a lot of places like this one all over the country, located in different facilities of course.”

I nodded. “And the Amazon thing?”

She laughed again. “Just a lot of pretend. She does it to make things interesting.”

I sighed. So she was harmless after all. That didn’t mean I liked her though. We left the park after that and went home. I didn’t say much when I got into the house. Jay was there but he said he’d already talked to Kate. I warmed up some leftovers, sat in front of the couch until bedtime. Glaucus sat there and watched me again until I drifted off to sleep.

The Test of Skill---the final of the three tests---started the exact same time as the other two. It was kind of a welcome reprieve after a rather boring day of school. At lunch, Cissie continued to talk about Eddie, her main topic for the last three days. Amy talked about basketball, trying once again to recruit me to the team. Their only talent was her so she was kinda desperate. Me, all I could think about was what Kate had told me yesterday. Antiope---or rather Rebecca Crossan---was harmless. I found that hard to believe, especially the way she kept looking at me. She might appear harmless, even on paper but there was nothing harmless about that woman. She was hiding something. I’m not sure how I knew it but I just did.

When we got to the Bana, there was no group gathered in the main room. Artemis led the way to the elevator and we all rode down in silence. On the ride over, she was kinda excited about today. At the end of the Test of Skill, the Champion would be named. She assumed it would be me---Akila and Persephone said as much too---but I wanted nothing to do with it. When I told them that, Artemis’ face lit up a bit. I think she really wanted it more than anyone. She was welcome to it as far as I was concerned. The only reason I was here was to make sure nothing out of the ordinary happened. I’m not sure why but this place just didn’t feel right to me.

When the elevator doors opened, there were nine girls waiting. They were dressed in workout clothes, looking like they were ready for anything. This room used to be big and open but today it looked like a damn obstacle course. There was a climbing wall and some ropes. There were a couple of archery targets set up along the one wall and another arena roped off, it looked like a wrestling ring. I couldn’t help but be impressed a little. Whoever had set this up was damn serious about all of this. I guess I couldn’t blame them. It all looked pretty impressive.

“Welcome girls” said Antiope as she came from her office hallway. She smiled at everyone, including me for once. “I’m glad to see so many of you still willing to compete.”

Kate and the other girl appeared behind her, dressed in workout gear too. Kate looked at me and smiled. It bothered me that she couldn’t find anything on Rebecca Crossan. I nodded to her and smiled back.

After her initial pleasantries, Crossan---I refuse to think of her as anything but---told us what was going to happen. We’d start as a group at first, moving from one station to another. Whoever excelled at one specific station moved onto the next until only one girl remained. It seemed easy enough. There were murmurs from the others. Of those present, I only knew Artemis, her Six and Dalma. The other girls I was only familiar with because I had seen them over the last few days. They looked fit enough to compete but were they Champion material?

The Test started with the ropes. The best ten times moved onto the next station. We went in pairs. Laris and Anaya first, followed by Persephone and Akila. Artemis went against one of the other girls. Ever so slowly in wound down to Dalma and me. She was strong and fast but I got up the rope first. I’m not sure she liked that very much. She kept giving me a dirty look. After we were done, two of the girls I didn’t know were gone. After that, it was the rock-climbing wall. I think Antiope was trying to prove something because she pitted me against Dalma again. I’ve never been much for the rock wall but I scaled it faster than her. Which I think only made her more pissed.

We lost two more girls there, one of them Anaya.

We moved onto archery and Artemis kicked ass. I think the girl was made for the bow, I’d never seen anything like it. We were each given a quiver with six arrows and the one who got all six as close to the bulls-eye as possible would move on. I think Artemis put everyone in. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. She seemed fairly surprised too, like it was someone else guiding her hand. I couldn’t help but smile and wonder if naming herself Artemis had something to do with it. I was one of the last to go. The girls before me didn’t do too badly. Akila was good but Persephone faltered. Laris and Karna did well enough to possibly move on. When Dalma went, she was just as good as Artemis.

When it was my turn, I surprised myself. I put them all in a cluster, not exactly bull’s eye but pretty damn close. In the end, only six of us moved onto the little ring. It turns out I was wrong about it being a wrestling ring, it was something much more.

“Congratulations to you six, you are the finalists” said Crossan, a wooden sword in her hand. “This is the final test. The last person standing will be crowned Champion.”

We all nodded. I was sad that Persephone and Laris were gone but they just weren’t good enough in the end. I looked at those around me and at the lone stranger. She was tall and well built with long black hair and tanned skin. I didn’t know her name but it was a good bet that whatever she called herself it was Greek in origin. I smiled at her but her face was like a mask. I guess she wasn’t here to make friends.

The Unknown Girl got to go first, putting her skills to test against Karna. The two of them were outfitted with leather arm-guards, chest coverings and helmets. The swords were wooden and taped so they wouldn’t do any serious damage but they still looked wicked. They stood on either end of the little area, tapped the wooden blades to their helmets and went at it. They delivered blow for blow, wood clacked against wood. They were fast, faster than I would have thought. The Unknown Girl dominated. She overpowered Karna, finally forcing her to the ground. Crossan blew the whistle before Karna got too mangled.

The Unknown Girl walked off, giving me a smug look. Kate helped Karna out of the ring. I did the numbers in my head, realizing that not everyone was going to get an initial first fight. I think Crossan planned it that way. She let Drusilla go next against Akila. Dalma was a mad woman with that sword; she swung it like crazy, taking Akila off her feet with only two blows. Then Artemis went up against the Unknown Girl. The two of them fought furiously, swinging and slashing, each trying to get the upper ground. Then Artemis slipped. She didn’t go fully down but the girl used it to her advantage. She went in for what should have been the final blow. Artemis spun to her feet---her slip planned---and slashed the girl in the back. She fell forward and hit the mat hard.
Artemis won, me and the others cheered.

Then it was finally my turn. I looked over at Crossan and she smiled smugly. This was a part of her plan from the beginning. She’d been pitting me against Dalma at every chance she got. I think she was trying to deliberately put me out of this thing, like she was teaching me a lesson. I couldn’t help but smile. As if Dalma ever had a chance of getting near me. Ok, I’ll admit she had skill but she was definitely not even in the same league as I was. But I let her try. After getting suited up and handed my wooden sword, I stepped into the ring. The bitch didn’t even wait for the whistle, not that Crossan seemed to mind. I think she might have even smiled.

Dalma came fast, swinging for my head, I blocked easily. I let her throw her swings hard, left and right. They weren’t much. She had a lot of power and strength but no skill. She kept throwing them out there, straining herself. It didn’t take long for her to tire. Me, I bided my time, walking around the ring as she slammed into me. Eventually she stopped to pant, bending over. I didn’t even have to try hard. I walked over, put my foot on her shoulder and pushed her flat on her back. I heard Artemis and the others cheer. I turned to Crossman and gave her a smug smile. She returned it with a sneer.
She faked her applause. “Well done, Cassandra,” she said, clapping and smiling. “Do you wish to rest or do you want to face the last opponent of the evening.”

I shrugged. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Very well” said Crossan, turning to Artemis. “I believe that’s you my dear.”

I saw a look of dread on Artemis’ face. She’d seen how I let Dalma tire herself out and probably thought I’d do the same. In truth, I had no intention of harming her. In fact, I had every intention of letting her win this thing. As I said before, I didn’t want to be Champion. Artemis had been beaming about it for the last few days. She wanted to be the Champion so much, while I just wanted this stupid thing to be over with. Just so long as Dalma didn’t pulverize her in the ring, I was happy. I smiled in her direction, which seemed to raise her spirit some. I waited patiently as she stepped into the ring. I didn’t attack, not even after the whistle was blown. Artemis came at me hard, blow after vicious blow. She was putting everything she had into it and I was feigning exhaustion. I had to make it look good and convincing. So I lunged a little too far to the left, slipping a bit. It was all an act but the effect was quick. When I glided past her, she drove her elbow into the square of my back.

The blow actually took the wind out of me. I fell face first into the mat.

Crossan seemed overly satisfied. I heard her shout. “WE HAVE OUR CHAMPION.”

I pushed myself to my feet and brushed the dust off me. I looked over at Kate and she smiled, giving me a wink and a knowing nod. I returned the gesture and slowly made my way out of the ring, allowing Artemis her moment of glory.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 20 finally. Sorry for the delay but my muse wasn't cooperating. This chapter can be seen as the beginning of the final act of the story. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Twenty:

When I woke up on Friday, I was a lot more refreshed than I thought I might be. If I’d still been Charlie, a week like the one I just had would have put me in bed for days. Now that I was Cassie, the last few days were a walk in the park. I should have spent yesterday recuperating but instead, I ran. I thought about the Tests and what they might mean. It still bothered me that Kate didn’t find anything about Crossan. It was hard to believe that the group she belonged to was a harmless organization, especially after pitting the group of us against one another in a competition like that. Especially seeing, as I still had no idea what was going on.

I groaned as I climbed out of bed. I was hoping for another dream last night, maybe another Goddess to explain things. But my dreams have been Olympian free. I’m not sure what I dreamed about and that bothered me. I was hoping for some guidance, maybe a Game Plan to tell me what to do next. It’s not that I didn’t believe Kate---she had no reason to lie---but I was convinced that Crossan was just better at hiding things. I thought about it all day yesterday, wondering how I could get the dirt on her. The real dirt I mean. In the end, the best thing I came up with was to just play along with whatever little game she was playing. I’d let her think I was a team player and then start snooping. It was a stupid plan but it was the only one I could think of.

I went through my morning routine and went downstairs.

Grandma was already putting breakfast on the table. I smiled at her and took my usual seat. It was one of those mornings, the day before the weekend and I was ready for relaxation. When I told her about the concert in Bay City, she was a little reluctant for me to go at first. I think she thought those guys from Greece would try something again. The only way I could reassure her was to call Cameron. She was just as reluctant as grandma until Kate came to my rescue. She agreed to be my “chaperone” which worked out really good seeing as she was in really good with Crossan. With that matter settled, all the important adults in my life were all for it. When I say important ones, I leave my mother out of that list. She tried calling the day after the Exhibit opening but I refused to talk to her. I didn’t want to sit on the phone with her and listen to her criticize me about whatever. I’ve spent the last sixteen years of my life listening to her complain about this or that.

“Do you have your bag for the weekend?”

I grabbed my duffel and gave it a gentle shake. My grandma rolled her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

She laughed. “Not too many young ladies your age would put everything into one duffel.”

I smiled. “I’m not like most girls.”

“I have no doubt about that.”

We ate breakfast in silence after that until Connor arrived. Grandma gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Now that I was sorta his girlfriend, grandma was treating him more like family. She always treated him well but lately it was like he was already married to me. No, I’m not thinking about marriage this early. I had to laugh at that thought. A few weeks ago, it was the farthest thing from my mind and now the thought of it made my heart flutter a bit. Of course, I never thought I’d be the one walking down the aisle.

“So how did your competition thing go?” asked Connor as soon as we were inside his truck?

Now that we were kinda an item, I made a promise to myself to not keep anything from him. He knew all about the spa now and my apprehension about Crossan. The only thing he knew about the place was the rep it got in school. All the girls raved about it and were jealous of those who were members. They could be jealous all that wanted as far as I was concerned. There was nothing special about the stupid place.

“I let Artemis win,” I said with a smile.

“Are you ok with that?”

“I didn’t want to be their Champion, whatever the hell that is.”

After our match on Wednesday, Artemis was practically glowing. I think she knew that I threw it on purpose but that didn’t seem to faze her in the least. She was just happy that she got all the praise and glory. I’m not even sure what it all meant. I don’t think she did either. After the match and the celebrating, Crossan took Artemis to her office. I waited for her for a while but she never came out. Kate ended up giving me a ride home. I tried calling her that night but her mother said she was really tired and went to bed early. When I saw her at school on Thursday, we talked very little. She said being the Champion was just a title and that it didn’t mean anything. She seemed happy about it though, her giddiness still very apparent. The only one not happy about it was Dalma. I found out yesterday from Persephone that Dalma’s real name was Debbie Domaine, yeah that’s her real name. She was some rich snob, raised by her even richer aunt. This whole Amazon thing was some kind of game to her at least it was until the whole competition thing was announced.

According to Persephone, Debbie didn’t like to lose. After everything was over, I tried talking to her in the locker room and she was pretty pissed off. She made some idle threats, told me she was going to make my life a living hell. It was kinda funny actually, this girl threatening me after she knew I could kick her ass so easily.

My day at school was slow and boring like most Fridays I suppose. I---like most of my other fellow students---couldn’t wait for the day to be over. At lunch, Cissie continued to talk about Eddie and the progress he was making. She was definitely smitten with him. I made a mental note to ask her if the two of them had taken their relationship to the next step. I had a suggestion about how to do it too. I did some research on the subject the other day and I think I found the answer: fireproof gloves. Amy talked about the team but seemed distracted. I’m not sure why but she kept looking around. I tried to follow what she was looking at but I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Artemis and her friends didn’t show up at lunch. At the end of the day, I waited at my locker, alone. For a minute or two, I thought maybe they left without me until Persephone showed up. She was alone, huffing as she ran up. She looked a little worn out. Her face was pale, her face was a little disheveled and her fingers were involuntarily fidgeting. It was like she was going through a withdrawal. I wonder if it had anything to do with those pills, they kept popping?

“Sorry, the others are at the car already.”

She even sounded exhausted.

“Are you all right?” I asked, speaking with genuine concern.

She nodded. “Just a bit tired I guess.”

She was more than a bit though. I could tell that by just looking at her. It was way she moved through the hall too. We walked into the throngs of people together; usually Persephone was pretty adept at avoiding people. But today it was like she didn’t even care. At least three or four people walked right into her. One guy actually got a little disgruntled until I put him place with a deadly stare. After that, I took her hand and made sure I was with her the whole way. When the two of us got out of the school, Artemis’ car and Karna’s car were parked out front. Karna had a brand new BMW, like Debbie aka Dalma, her parents were loaded. I’m not sure what her first name was but her father was a big time Olympic decathlete, Jefferson Pierce. The money came from a lot of endorsement deals.

Karna frowned when she saw Persephone lagging behind.

“What took you so long” she snapped, a little more agitated than usual.

I looked at the group assembled; they all looked a little out of sorts. I wonder if all of them were going through some kind of withdrawal symptoms. After all, drugs weren’t allowed on school premises. Except if they were prescription and you could only get them from the nurse. My fears were answered as soon as Persephone and I got into Artemis’ car. We didn’t get more than a foot from the school before they were passing the little bottle back and forth. Once again, it was passed to me but I shook my head. Artemis gave me an annoyed look but I ignored it. It took a while for the pills to take effect; it was a very quiet hour. But as soon as they were all “juiced” up or whatever, they were all back to their cheerful, talkative selves. Which was fine by me because I wasn’t sure if I could sit in this car for almost four hours without anyone to talk to?

Still the conversation wasn’t much. The girls in the back---Akila and Persephone---were excited about the concert. It’s all they talked about most of the ride. It was some new pop idol, I didn’t catch her name. She was big time but I’d never heard of her. But that didn’t stop them from telling me all about her. It was kinda strange really; the three of them---Artemis included---were such huge fans. If you looked at them, you would have never guessed. Akila even made Artemis hook her iPod up to the car stereo so all of us could hear the song. I wish I had earplugs. It was one of those sappy, upbeat dance numbers. I tried to tone it out but with it blaring from every speaker, it was hard.

Thankfully, they didn’t play music the whole ride. I think I would have pulled my hair out if they did. The rest of the way we talked about various things, none of which happened to be the competition. I think this was supposed to be a weekend away from all that. At least I was hoping it would be. It was kinda fun finally interacting with these girls outside of school and the spa. Maybe now I’d get to know who they were really were and who they weren’t pretending to be. My main mission: find out their real names.

We arrived in Bay City around six or so. We went to our hotel. It was brand new apparently, something Wayne Enterprises built on the waterfront. It wasn’t ritzy by any means but it was a lot more glamorous than most of the hotels I’d stayed in. Trust me; I’ve stayed in a lot. We carried our bags inside, even though a few bellhops tried to give us a hand. I loved the looks on their faces when he saw the six of us file in carrying these huge duffels. Me and the other girls went to wait in a little reception area while Artemis handled the rooms.

“How are we paying for all of this?” I asked, looking at the shiny marble floor and fancy décor all around me.

Akila answered. “Antiope’s group is fronting the bill. She said after a strenuous couple of days, all of us needed to unwind a bit.”

“So the group is fronting the bill for the other girls to do something like this too?”

Akila laughed. “Nope, we’re special.”

I’m not sure if I understood that. I opened my mouth to ask what she meant but Artemis came back. She had a slight frown but other than that, everything seemed to be all right. “They could only give us two doubles,” she said as we stood up from our seats. “Three of us will have to be in singles.”

It was quickly decided that Artemis, Karna and I would take the singles. I think the others were happy for that. Persephone and Akila got to room together---the two of them seemed real close. Laris and Anaya got to be together too, which I think made them extremely happy. I was pretty certain the two of them might have liked one of the singles because it was clear they would only be using one bed. My only question was where Kate would be staying. She drove down here separately and I had yet to see her arrive. I wonder if she was already here or if she’d show up later. I wanted to ask but I didn’t want to sound like a prude who needed an adult to watch after her.

We went to our rooms after that. There were on the fourth floor, mine had a nice view of the Bay. After getting settled, we all decided to get something to eat. There were a lot of little shops in downtown Bay City. We found a quiet little place to eat. We were there for about an hour or so before we returned to the hotel to get ready for the concert. I had no idea what to wear to something like this but unfortunately for me, Persephone came to my rescue. I say unfortunately because she stuck in my very first skirt. I can assure you I was not a happy person.

I kept fidgeting, trying to tug it down to cover my butt more.

“Look at you” she laughed. “You’d think you were a guy and this was the first time you’d ever worn one.

I gave a fake laugh. If she only knew. “It’s a little short.”

“Sorry about that. It belongs to Karna. She’s the only one tall enough for you.”

We left for the concert after that. I got a lot of stares when I got off the elevator. Someone might have even whistled, which embarrassed the hell out of me. The doorman hailed us two cabs. Ok, so it turns out that the concert wasn’t actually in Bay City. It was actually in neighboring Saginaw. I’m not sure, why we didn’t just stay there; maybe the Bana people could only get a hotel here. I didn’t worry about it too much. The ride to the Dow Center wasn’t very long. When we pulled up outside it, there was already a large crowd. Artemis took the tickets from her purse, passing them amongst us. The building was all glass, in a circular formation.

Once we got inside, it was a squashing experience as we made our way to our seats. They were pretty good; we had an excellent view of the stage. I scanned the crowd, seeing a lot of female faces. When I say a lot, I actually mean most. There were a few guys---some were probably gay while others were there to drool. The one face I was hoping to see and didn’t was Kate. I suppose this wasn’t really her thing but I was hoping that she’d at least be hiding in the shadows or something. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if those bastards had followed me here and decided to go after me again. I hoped the large crowd kept them at bay. I definitely didn’t want to show off in front of all these people, especially my friends.

My apprehension disappeared as soon as the concert started. It felt a little strange to be going to a concert in the winter, I was sure they were usually a summer thing. But apparently, winter was the theme for this one. The stage was all decked out in a winter motif with fake icicles and things like that. The backup dancers were dressed in winter gear and the singer herself---a blonde pop princess---was decked out in a thick winter coat, scarf and gloves. I went into this thing thinking I was going to have a horrible time but I actually didn’t. Thanks to the impromptu concert on the ride over from Chicago, I knew most if not all of this girl’s songs now. After the first or second, I actually found myself singing along with the rest of the girls around me. Ok, I’ll admit it, I had a good time. The concert lasted for three hours or so but it felt a lot shorter than that. By the time we got out of the Center and hailed a couple of cabs, it was after midnight.

It was close to one by the time I got back to my room. Without my daily exercise, I was exhausted. I trudged over to my bed and collapsed. It wasn’t long before sleep took me.

I woke to a loud knocking on my door. At first, I thought it was my grandma and that I overslept. I snapped awake, throwing my covers off. I fumbled out of bed and ran for the door. If I overslept, I could run to school no problem. It wasn’t until I was at the door and opening it that I realized I wasn’t in my bedroom. Artemis was standing there, already dressed for the day. She had a big smile on her face, seeing me standing there in my bra and panties. Yeah, I didn’t have my nightshirt---I forgot it at home. I flushed several shades of crimson and she laughed.

“We’re both girls,” she said as she slipped into the room.

I groaned and shut the door; glad it was her and not the bellhop.

I watched as she looked around the room a bit and then she sat on the bed. I went over to my duffel and opened it. I dressed quickly, back into my usual jeans and t-shirt. I can say without a doubt that I hated every bit of that skirt last night. Ok, so that’s not one hundred percent true. Most of the night I didn’t even know I was wearing it until some guy looked at my legs. But it made me feel uncomfortable whenever I thought about it. I might have mentioned this before but I’m a definite tomboy. I think Connor understood that and hell, I think he kinda liked it too. I’m not saying he’s one of those guys, but I knew for a fact that girls who tried too hard to impress him were not the ones he liked. I’m not sure what he saw in me but I knew whatever it was it was something different.

“Are you all set?” asked Artemis, fidgeting a bit.

I nodded. “Where are we going that’s making you kinda antsy?”

She smiled. “Now that we’ve gotten the concert out of the way we figured we’d hit the shops a bit. There’s a huge downtown shopping experience here.”

I inwardly groaned. Shopping, of course it would be shopping. But maybe there was something I could get out of it too. There was a little museum here; Mom brought me here once when I was younger. I wasn’t allowed to browse its contents at the time because it was after hours but there was one exhibit I really wanted to check out. So if these girls were shopping then I was going to rope them into a little culture too. Of course, I’d keep that bit a secret until I sprung it on them so they wouldn’t be able to weasel out of it.

I gave her a knowing smile and the two of us left my room.

I let them have fun with their shopping. We hit downtown first, going from one shop to the next. There was a surprisingly large variety of shops. I even found myself browsing a bit in one of the boutiques. I still had some money left---ok, a lot of it---from the government incentive. But I didn’t want to spend any of it, at least not on something as frivolous as what they were buying. Artemis and her friends might have been jocks but they were girls too. They went a little crazy in their spending; especially Karna who I finally learned had the real name of Anissa. I thought it was kinda pretty actually, wondering why she’d ever want to go as anything but.

In another small shop, I ended up alone for a few minutes with Persephone. Once again, she didn’t look too good.

“You ok?” I asked as we casually browsed through jeans.

She nodded but we both could tell she was sick. “I’m just a little nauseous that’s all.”

I took her hand and pulled her out of the shop. There was a pair of benches a couple of feet away. I brushed off the snow and made her sit. She tried to protest and get up but I pushed her back down. Her eyes widened at that. I don’t like being forceful with friends but it was clear that Persephone needed to get off her feet. She was paler than yesterday afternoon and she was fidgeting a little more. She fumbled for her purse, reaching inside. I knew what she was going for so I grabbed her wrist. She tried to pull her arm free but I held firm. I’d been pretty passive about their pill popping but I could no longer stand by.

I reached into the purse with my other hand and got her pills. I took out the bottle and held it away from her. “What are these anyway?”

She reached for them but I kept them away. She bit her lip. “They’re nothing. Just something to help give an edge. They’re harmless.”

“If they’re so harmless then why is it that you guys look like hell whenever you’re not taking them?”

She didn’t have an answer. She longingly looked at the bottle. I could see it in her eyes; she’d do anything to get it from me. I let go of her wrist and stood up. I no longer cared who was watching. I held the bottle in my hand and crushed it like a grape. The look of shock on Persephone’s face was priceless. But it wasn’t shock for what I just did it was shock for what she just lost. As soon as I let the remnants of the bottle crumble to the ground, she followed it with her eyes. I groaned, disgusted.

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Artemis as she came up behind us.

Persephone jumped off the bench and ran over to her. “She crushed my pills.”

Artemis gave me a stern look. “What the hell is your problem?”

I scoffed. “My problem. You guys have the problem. Those things are dangerous; they’re fucking with your heads.”

Artemis laughed. “They’re vitamins.”

“They’re addictive.”

“Here you go, sweetie,” said Akila, giving Persephone another pill.

Persephone took it and popped it quickly, a look of pure ecstasy spread across her face. I groaned. It was clear that these girls were hooked on these damn things. They were too far gone to see it though. I wanted to scream and thrash all of them, make them see what I could. But there was no way any of them would listen to me. Instead I angrily stomped my foot on the ground, leaving an imprint in the sidewalk. They didn’t notice that. Instead, they all glared at me, looking like they wanted a fight. I didn’t want to but I’d do so if they attacked. I was tired of them and their stupid pills. They were obsessed with them and it was dangerous.

“You guys have to see that there’s something wrong, right?”

Artemis answered me. “The only thing wrong here was thinking that you could ever be one of us.”

As one, they turned and walked off.

I stood there, stunned. I couldn’t believe the bitches would leave me like this. I felt the tears starting to swell but I forced them back down. I stood there and watched as they walked off, disappearing down the street. I didn’t turn and leave until they were completely gone. I hailed a cab, asking the driver to take me to the museum. Just because my so-called friends abandoned me, it didn’t me I couldn’t have fun. The cab dropped me off at the museum and I finally got to look at the Space Exhibit I wanted to see for so long. There was a funky looking rock in a glass case that looked promising. The display said it was from Mars, which was pretty cool.

I spent awhile in the museum before I hailed another cab and went back to the hotel. I thought about going to Artemis’s room to see if they were there. But as soon as I walked into the lobby, I changed my mind. Instead, I asked the girl at the front desk if my friends were back.

“I’m sorry sweetie, they checked out an hour ago.”

“You’re kidding?”

She shook her head. “Do you want me to cancel your room too? It is paid up for the next two days however.”

I smiled big. “That’s ok; I think I’ll take advantage.”

The girl smiled and I went to my room. Inside, I ordered some room service, the most expensive thing on the menu knowing that it would be billed to my room. Then I used the phone. The first person I called was Kate. I was kinda worried about her, hoping that she didn’t run into my Greek friends. When I got her voice mail, I got even more worried. I quickly told her what happened and told her that whatever spying she’d done she forgot to look into the pills. It was clear that the girls were having real problems with those. After that, I called home. I talked to grandma for about an hour. She wanted to know about the concert and asked if I had a good time. I told her the truth and I think she was happy.

“They seem like such nice girls,” she said toward the end of the conversation. “You should have them over for dinner sometime. I’d really like to meet them.”

“That’d be lovely, grandma” I said, fighting back tears.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, just a bit tired.”

I hated lying to my grandma. She told me to get some rest and then hung up. I called Connor after that, the two of us talked even longer. I told him everything.

“And the pills are making them nutso?”

“Maybe. It might be nothing but it’s too much of a coincidence.”

“What are you going to do?”

I shrugged, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “I’m going to stay here tonight and come home first thing tomorrow. I left a voicemail with Kate, telling her my fears. If they come back today and you happen to come across them, stay away.”

“You’re the only girl in my life, babe.”

I smiled. “I’m serious, Connor.”

“Don’t worry,” he said with a laugh. “I’d never go anywhere near them or that place.”

We said our goodbyes. I told him I’d see him tomorrow and maybe the two of us could spend the day together. I think he liked that. After getting off the phone with him, I tried calling Cameron. I got another agent who told me that Agent Chase was currently unavailable. I left a message, telling her to have Cameron call me as soon as possible. I thought about calling Jay but figured Kate would check in with him. So after my phone calls, my food arrived. I’d never had lobster before, it was really good. I spent the rest of the evening before bed watching TV.

I drifted off to sleep after that.

A tapping woke me up. I sat up and looked around, groaning. There was a stiffness in my neck and I realized I fell asleep on the couch. The TV was still on but muted. I looked around, bleary eyed. For a second, I didn’t know where I was. Then I recognized the fancy furniture and groaned again. I was still in my hotel room. I staggered to my feet and stumbled toward the bathroom. I had no idea what time it was but it definitely wasn’t daytime. I went to the bathroom, did my business and came back out into the main room. It amazed me how big this place was, it was like a penthouse or something. I think Artemis called them staterooms or something. They were swanky actually; the only thing missing was a little kitchen.

I caught a glimpse at the clock when I walked back into the room. I groaned again. It was four am, far too early to be up. I grabbed the remote, shut off the TV and made my way toward my room. As soon as I got to the doorway, I heard the tapping again. I stopped and looked around. It was too dark to see much but the moon was shining through the windows, casting the only light into the room. What I saw shocked the hell out of me. Sitting on the balcony, as close to the glass as he could, was Glaucus. He was tapping on the glass with his beak. I blinked, thinking maybe I was imagining things. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, he was still there.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me” I said as I walked slowly over to the window.

I easily opened it up but the owl made no move to hop inside. Instead, he cocked his head and fluttered his wings.

“What do you want?” He fluttered his wings again, turning his head as if he was pointing to the outside. I shook mine. “It’s four in the morning; I’m not following you again.”

He flapped his huge wings, buffeting my face with a gust of air. I groaned. “The last time I followed you led me to a strange old man in the park.”

He cocked his head and flapped his wings again. I gave up. It was clear that he wasn’t going to leave me alone until I did what he wanted. I waved my hand and agreed to go with him as long as he stopped flapping. I think that made him happy. I went over to the couch and got my sneakers, pulling them on quickly. I found my coat and turned before heading out the door. Glaucus flapped his wings and flew off. A part of me knew that he wouldn’t go anywhere until I was outside; don’t tell me how I knew that.

I got into the elevator and went down to the lobby. The girl at the front desk was gone, replaced by a guard in a gray uniform. He smiled at me, I mumbled something about getting an early start on the day but he didn’t say anything. Once I got outside, I looked around for my winged Alarm clock. I caught sight of him on a building across the street. He flapped and took off, flying toward the lake. I gave chase, walking at a brisk pace first. It didn’t take long for me to pick up speed. Luckily, the streets were pretty much deserted so I could run through them without a problem. Glaucus’ flight path led him straight toward the lakeside where I knew there was a marina and lots of boats. I also knew there were some warehouses there. I didn’t know what was in any of them but a lot of big companies stored things there. Sure enough, Glaucus flew into the marina but didn’t stop there. He went right toward the warehouse district. I followed him until I came to a chain link fence. It didn’t seem to stop him as he flew right over, for me it was a restriction. I couldn’t see a guard but I knew there had to be one.

Glaucus flew to a nearby warehouse, landing on the large WE attached to the front of it. I sighed. It belonged to Wayne Enterprises. I’d seen a lot of familiar warehouses back in Chicago. Mr. Wayne did a lot of business from all over the world and a lot of his stuff was brought in on boats. In fact, most of the artifacts Mom helped him acquire came in on cargo ships.

Glaucus flapped his wings again. I sighed and shook my head. There was no way I was going to break any laws tonight. I was already in enough deep water with the authorities as it was. Climbing a fence and poking around a restricted warehouse probably wouldn’t look too good for me. Glaucus made a loud hooting sound; it echoed across the emptiness and bounced around me. I tried to ignore it but for some reason it lingered in the air around my head. Finally, I groaned and nodded. I grabbed the fence and started to climb, hoping this was what the stupid bird wanted me to do. Why the Owl of Athena was leading me to a restricted warehouse in the middle of the night was beyond me.

On the other side of the fence, I landed softly.

Still there was no guard. I got to my feet and sighed, wondering what this was all about. I looked up and Glaucus and shrugged. The owl flapped his wings again. I groaned then walked toward the warehouse. There was a huge gate in the front, probably where trucks and things drove through. It looked like the biggest garage door I’d ever seen. I suppose I could lift it without any problem. But I’m not sure what kind of alarms it would have. Instead, I found a side door, wondering if this was, what the bird wanted me to do. As soon as I got to the door, I knew it was what he wanted. The door was ajar slightly, a dim light escaping from the thin crack of openness.

I pulled it open a little more and slipped inside. The first thing I saw was the guard. He was lying on the ground, face down. I ran over and checked his pulse. He was alive but unconscious. Someone clearly got the drop on him. Now I knew why Glaucus brought me here, he wanted me to stop whoever did this. I took a deep breath and left the man where he lay. I followed the little hall, finding myself in a maze of large containers and wooden crates. The dim light in the room was coming from overhead lights, casting their beams in sparse places, making the light patchwork at best.

I followed a straight path, wondering what I was up against. A small part of me wondered if this was some kind of trap. I knew Glaucus wouldn’t willingly lead me into something like this but maybe he wasn’t as All Knowing like I thought.

After a few feet, I came upon a second guard. He was unconscious too. So whoever had broken into this place, they weren’t out to kill anyone. When I got to the end of the row, I saw them a split second before they saw me. One of them turned around and recognition seemed to dawn on their faces or rather their masked faces. They were dressed all in black, five of them. They had a couple of wooden crates open already, Greece stamped on the side. I groaned, realizing what was going on here. These were the same guys from the museum, the ones who kicked my ass in the dark. Cameron and the Chicago PD had looked everywhere for them but they disappeared without a trace. Everyone was convinced they were looking for something important in my mother’s office but seeing as nothing was taken they didn’t find what they were looking for. But seeing them here now I knew it had to be something from Greece, probably something connected to my Mom and Mr. Wayne.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get time to think about it because there weren’t five of them. There were six. The sixth one came from behind, slamming his feet into my back from above. I fell to the ground, but instead of being taken completely off guard by the sneak attack, I rolled before I impacted. The rolling brought my assailant down with me, tripping up his legs. He went down as I went up. As soon as I got to my feet, the others were on me. It might have been a little outmatched, what with their being five attackers to my one.

But hey, I’m me.

Two attacked as one at first. They both threw fists toward my face. I threw up my arms, their fists connecting with my bracelets. They fell back, allowing two others to come. They threw kicks. I sidestepped one and grabbed the other by the foot. I threw the one I was holding aside. The assault came again, five on one once more. Punches and kicks mainly. They were fast and nimble, working as one. On any normal person, this kind of attack would completely overwhelm them. But I’m not a normal person. I shrugged off the hits like they were love taps. I don’t think they were expecting it. They came at me a little faster after that but once again, I blocked their blows.

I needed to get them one on one.

I moved in, going for their leader. At least I think it was the leader, they were all dressed the same and they all seemed to move the same. I was tired of playing and drove my fist toward his face. He threw up his hands to block me but my blow still hit hard. I threw him back, causing him to crash into a stack of wooden cracks. The others seemed to be little dazed by this. They came at me, now still five on one---the guy who dropped on me earlier back into the game. Two came at me again with high kicks. I drove them back, grabbing their shirt fronts and slamming them into one another. They collided hard and stumbled back, falling into the darkness on either side of us.

Now three on one.

I turned to the last three wondering where the attack would come. But it didn’t. Instead, the three of them turned and disappeared. I gave chase after the closest one, disappearing into the dark after them. They were going toward one of the windows, running hard and fast. One of them kept pushing boxes in my path, trying to stop me. I plowed through the boxes like they were nothing. I ran harder than the one I was chasing, catching him as he made it toward the window.

I reached out and caught him by the shoulder as he made the jump. I pulled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. As soon as I got my hand on him, I knew he wasn’t a he. I also knew that he or rather she was a lot younger than I originally thought. I grabbed the top of her mask and pulled it off her head, a cascade of long blonde hair tumbled down her back. I was surprised but not altogether shocked until I turned the girl around. As soon as I did, I gasped.

“Persephone?”

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 21, things are slow in this chapter. I like to call it the calm before the storm :) I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Twenty One:

Never in a million years did I think I’d end up back in an interrogation room. But I suppose there was no explaining the situation I was in. After all, I was breaking and entering on private property, there was a total of three unconscious security guards---I never saw the third---and I had no explanation as to why I was there. Apparently while I was fighting, one of the aforementioned guards radioed it all in. He apparently wasn’t as down as his attackers thought. After giving the call, he pulled his weapon on me and told me not to move. I suppose I could have beaten the crap out of him and escaped but good guys don’t do that. Then again, good guys don’t break into places and get arrested for it either.

I groaned, running my hands through my hair. It had been one hell of a night or is it morning. I’m never really sure what to call this time. I looked up at the clock on the wall; I guess it was morning now. I laughed, wondering how much trouble I was in now. After the guard caught me, I tried to explain things. After all, I had one of the real culprits in my clutches. I was still not sure how I wanted to response to that. But the guard thought she was my accomplice which made no sense seeing as she was dressed all in black and I was standing over her, holding her shirt as if I just beat the hell out of her. I didn’t of course. After I pulled off her mask and she turned around, I was too shocked to do anything. I almost let her go but I held firm.

The cops arrived pretty quickly after that. I let them do their thing. But not before I was sure, they secured Persephone. She struggled and fought with them a bit but there were three or four of them. They ended up having to taze her to get her down. I was pretty pissed at that but I was in no mood to cause any more trouble. So I lay down when they told me and let them handcuff me. I tried to explain things to the officers but they kept reading me my rights. I did manage to tell them to call Agent Cameron Chase, so hopefully they were nice enough to do that.

What they weren’t nice enough about was making me wait. I’d been in this room for at least an hour with nothing to do but stare at the large glass window making up the far wall. I knew all about that window, I’d seen enough cop shows to know there was another room on the other side of it. There were probably three or four guys in that room, staring at me right now. I could have given them a show. I thought about snapping the cuffs and throwing the table through the glass but that wouldn’t accomplish a thing. It would also only prove Cameron’s point---I was dangerous and needed to be locked up. In the end, that’s what they wanted to do with me anyway. This morning---we’ll go with morning---I just proved that pretty well.

I heard someone walking down the hall. I perked up at the sound, glad that I’d no longer be sitting here in boredom. When the door opened and the guy stepped in, I was surprised. If I didn’t know any better I would have sworn I was in some old 1930’s crime movie. This guy was tall with chiseled features and dark hair. He wore a gray suit and looked so much like Bogart it was uncanny. He was carrying a cup of coffee and a bottle of water. When he sat at the table across from me, he set both items on either side of him. He made no move to give me the water. I couldn’t help but think that this was all part of his tactic. Clearly showing me the water was some kind of attempt to make me spill things to him because I was so thirsty.

I wasn’t about to play his game.

He finally looked at me and smiled weakly. “Cassandra Sandsmark” he said with a sigh.

I nodded. “That’s what they call me.”

He smirked. “They call me Dan Hunter.”

“Nice to meet you” I said even though I’m not sure if I meant it or not.

“That’s a very pretty name” he said “like the doomed seer of Troy.”

That surprised me. Not too many people would have been able to make a connection like that. It was clear that Detective Hunter---there was no way this guy was a normal cop---was a little smarter than the average person. I suppose that made my situation a lot easier. Smarter people were easier to convince and reason with.

“Not too many people would have known that.”

He smiled. “We all have our secrets.” I nodded, he sighed. “What’s yours?”

“I don’t understand.”

He laughed. “I ran your name through the databases and you come up clean, too clean. So I had a buddy of mine in the FBI do the same thing. Do you know what he found?” I shook my head. “Cassandra Sandsmark didn’t exist until about a week or so ago. He found her easily enough but anything after that was severely classified.”

This time I smirked, it paid to have friends in high places. I didn’t want to act smug but this guy started it. Not that I could really dislike him. He reminded me of Bogart and I love Bogart. I couldn’t help but love this guy for some reason.

I shrugged. “I can’t tell you anything.”

He sighed then rubbed his temples. “Why don’t we start with things you can tell me?” I nodded. “What were you doing in the warehouse at three in the morning?”

There was no way I was going to tell him that a mystical owl or whatever led me there. I hated lying to this guy but he would never believe me. “I was out for a run; I do it all the time. I was running through the marina when I noticed the lights. So I got a little curious and climbed the fence to investigate.”

He nodded but he made no move to scribble anything down on the little pad he carried with him. “And the girl you were standing over?”

“She and her friends came out of nowhere and attacked me.”

“Interesting” he said and nothing more.

I shrugged. “Can I make my one phone call now?”

Hunter didn’t respond. Instead, he ran his fingers through his hair, looking extremely frustrated. “The other girl didn’t say much of anything. She doesn’t even know how she got there. We told her some of the facts and she’s a bit confused. When we mentioned your name, she admitted to knowing you. In fact, she said the two of you were friends and that you were here with a group attending a concert in Saginaw. Do you want to change your story now?”

I bit my lip. I figured Persephone would try to lie to save her own skin. I wonder what the hell was going on there. I opened my mouth to try again when I heard a commotion in the hallway. There was some raised voices and two people coming our way. Before I knew what was happening, Cameron pushed her way into the room followed by another woman. The other woman frowned and looked exhausted. Cameron locked eyes with me, she didn’t look too happy. Me, I tried to look as innocent as possible. I’m not sure if it worked or not.

“Sorry Dan, she pushed past me.”

“That’s ok, Dolores.”

Cameron turned to Hunter. “Special Agent Cameron Chase, Homeland Security” She flashed him her badge quickly. “Miss Sandsmark here is under DHS protection, you have no right to detain her.”

Hunter looked like someone took the wind from his sails. I felt kinda bad for him. He recovered quickly though. “She’s a suspect in a burglary.”

Cameron smirked. “She’s a fool who can’t keep her head out of things. I assure you that Miss Sandsmark is a nobody. She’s been helping us in an ongoing investigation into some antiquity thefts, she’s our key witness.”

Hunter nodded. “Do you usual allow your witnesses to go stumbling into crime scenes?”

Cameron smiled. “She’s a bit difficult.”

Hunter laughed. I could tell he didn’t believe her story but there wasn’t much he could do about it. The two of them traded some words back and forth. It was kinda fun to watch but in the end, Cameron came out on top. Hunter came over and uncuffed me. He even apologized. As I stood up, he slipped his card into my hand and whispered. “If there’s anything you can’t tell me and want too, don’t be afraid to give me a call.”

I smiled. Why is that everyone gives me their business cards?

Cameron did a little more of her glaring and then made sure I left the room first.

“I’m sorry about all this.”

“Save it” she said as she led me down the hall. “We have more work to do.”

I didn’t know what was going on until she led me to another room. She pushed the door open and I saw it was identical to the one I just left. Sitting at a table, with a cup of water, was Persephone. When she saw me she perked up but she looked like hell.

“Cassie, what’s going on?” she asked, tears in her eyes.

Seeing those tears made me well up a bit. I know I was kinda mad that the six of them left me but they were still my friends. I wanted to walk across the room and give her a hug. I almost did too. until Cameron put a restraining hand on my chest. It was clear that she was the only one thinking straight. I almost forgot that Persephone was a part of a group that attacked me, twice. I took that to heart as I took a deep breath and walked over to the table. There were two chairs across from her, I took one and Cameron the other.

Persephone looked from me to her and back again. She looked dazed and confused, like she’d just woken up from a dream.

She looked like hell too. She was fidgeting in her seat, rubbing her hands together repeatedly. I’d seen this behavior before; it was just like earlier when she didn’t have her pill. Clearly, she was more dependent on them than I originally realized. I wondered if the other girls went through something similar when they didn’t get their fixes.

Cameron spoke first, setting a folder on the table. “Why don’t we start with your name?”

“Persephone.”

Cameron rolled her eyes. “Your real name.”

“Melissa Crossan.”

If she was shocked, Cameron didn’t show it. Me, I was thrown for a loop. Crossan, Persephone was the bitch’s daughter. She saw the look on my face and I think she knew that knew. Her eyes narrowed a bit at that. “You’re Antiope’s daughter?”

“Step daughter” she corrected with some vinegar.

Cameron nodded. “Tell about earlier this morning.”

Persephone groaned. “I don’t remember.” She said, running her hands through her hair. “The last thing I fully remember is leaving Cassie on the sidewalk. The others were angry and bitching about it but I felt kinda bad.” She looked at me. “You were only trying to help.”

I smiled. Cameron butted in. “Stay on task, Miss Crossan.”

Persephone sighed. “We went back to the hotel. We were going to spend the rest of the weekend here but the others wanted to leave. Karna called the front desk and I went to lie down. I was really tired and….that’s all I remember. The next thing I know, I’m in a police car being driven here.”

Cameron nodded. “Tell me about this spa of yours.”

I tuned out the next part. I didn’t need to hear about The Bana again. Persephone spilled her guts though, telling Cameron everything. It was all the stuff I knew. It was clear that Persephone and her stepmother had problems but you could never tell that by the way she talked about the spa. She made it sound like the most wonderful place in the world. It was kinda sickening actually. But I guess I’d already made my own mind up about it. It was pretty clear now what the place was really about. They were brainwashing girls, making them do horrible things. I knew it was a bad place but I never realized how bad until I saw Persephone under that black mask. The others had to beArtemis and the rest. I had to wonder if Persephone was the only one that couldn’t remember or if they were all like that.

Persephone finally finished. Cameron asked another question. “Have you ever been to any other Wayne facilities?”

“Ummm….I don’t think so.”

Cameron nodded. Then she pulled something out of her folder. It was some pictures. She laid them out on the table, facing Persephone. It was several shots, depicting Artemis and her friends wandering halls at some place. It might have been Wayne Enterprise but I couldn’t be sure. I could clearly see Persephone. I looked at the time stamp, it was dated a day before the Exhibit opening. What in the hell was going on?

“Is this not you here?” asked Cameron, tapping the picture.

Persephone’s eyes widened. “I don’t remember.”

“How about this?” asked Cameron, putting a few more pictures on the table.

They were shots of the girls wandering around the Field; one of them had a digital camera, taking pictures of the hall where the Exhibit was housed. I sighed this time. It looked like they were casing the place, looking for something. I looked at Cameron but her face was stone cold.

“I…ummm….I don’t know” said Persephone, there was a bit of fear in her voice.

“What is this?” I asked just as confused as she was.

“These pictures were taken by the security cameras in both Wayne Enterprises main building and the Field. If you pay careful attention to the time stamps you can see they’re on the dates leading up to that big party you went to.”

I nodded. “The one where I was attacked in the basement.”

Cameron nodded. She narrowed her eyes at Persephone. “You claim not to remember either of these events?”

Persephone nodded. “I hate museums; they’re too moldy and dusty for me.”

“I think she might be telling the truth,” I said, looking into Persephone’s face.

There was something about the way she was looking at me, the way she talked. I’m not sure how I could tell but I just knew she wasn’t lying. I was certain that she had no memory of any of the events that conspired earlier this morning. Maybe it had something to do with whatever brainwashing was going on. Maybe it had something to do with those damn pills. Those girls last night were fast, too fast to normal. The first time I encountered them they were even a match for me. Even if it hadn’t been dark, I was pretty certain they’d be able to go toe to toe with me. It was like those pills were making them stronger and faster except for last night. There was something different then. They were still pretty fast but they were clumsy too. I didn’t notice it at the time but they seemed out of synch.

Cameron didn’t reply to me. Instead, she brought forth a pen and a pad of paper. She slid it across the table. “Miss Crossan, I want you to write down the names and addresses of the other girls that came to Bay City with you.” Persephone picked up the pen. “Their real names.”

She nodded and then started writing. Cameron turned to me. “Can we talk out in the hall?”

I nodded then the two of us left the room. We walked a little bit away until we found a secluded place. “Some one has done a real number on your friend back there.” I nodded. This doesn’t look good at all.”

“What about Kate?”

Cameron groaned. “Agent Spencer went off the grid twenty four hours ago.”

I groaned. “I was wondering why I didn’t see her. She was supposed to be chaperoning this little event of ours. You don’t think…”
Cameron reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. She handed it to me. There was one name printed on it: Sebastian Ballesteros.

“He’s an international Arms Dealer and Smuggler. He’s bad news. He’s been linked to a lot of dirty things, he’s on both the FBI’s Most Wanted List and Interpol’s. No one has an exact location on him but there are reports of him in the Mediterranean around the time you and your mother were there.”

It was like a light bulb. “You don’t think he was…?”

She nodded. “Agent Faraday thinks so. We don’t have any pictures of Ballesteros just a brief description of him, it matches the man you met and tangled with in Greece. It also matches the description of a man that arrived in this country three days after you got back.”
She reached into her jacket and took out a grainy photograph. She showed it to me. “That’s him.”

Cameron nodded. “This was taken at JFK. He disappeared after that.”

“You think he might be in Chicago now?”

She nodded. “Clearly there’s something that you’re not telling me.”

I bit my lip. I’d been wondering about that for a while. He’d been looking for the Girdle of Hippolyta. He gave me some bull story about it being a treasure of his people, one that they had been protecting for years. I’d completely forgotten all about that, especially with everything that happened afterwards. But now I was starting to put some things together. If Ballesteros was looking for the Girdle then did that mean Antiope was too. I mean why else would Persephone have his name in her pocket. But it made no sense. Why would an international scumbag be connected to a spa in Chicago?

Cameron was looking at me; I realized she was waiting for my answer. But could I trust her? I looked around, making sure there was no one about. Then I took a deep breath. “I think he might be looking for the Girdle of Hippolyta.”

She scoffed. “I’m a little rusty on my Greek myth but isn’t that the thing Hercules took for one of his Labors?”

I nodded. “He asked me about it in Greece.”

“Why would he think you have it?”

I took another deep breath and showed her my gold bracelets. “Because I think I do.”

Her eyes widened. “I don’t understand.”

I took another deep breath; it was the day of them apparently. Then I gave her a rushed account of events, leaving out the Gods, of course. It didn’t take me all that long. As I was telling her, things were starting to fall into place for me. Hippolyta was Queen of the Amazons and it was hardly coincidence that there was a group in my hometown city claiming to be modern day ones. I thought maybe it was Fate before until I found out they were frauds. But maybe my first assessment was right. Somehow, I was supposed to find those girls but not in the way, I thought. Antiope was up to something, something bad. Well maybe not her personally but definitely the group she worked with. They wanted the Girdle and they hired Ballesteros to get it for them. When he failed in Greece, they tried other means. But what didn’t make sense was why they didn’t come at me directly.

Cameron finally spoke. “You think you’re wearing the Girdle?” I nodded, she smiled real big. Then she laughed. “I’ve heard some crazy things…”

I glared at her. “You don’t believe me?”

She shook her head. “Sorry Cassie, but it’s a little hard to swallow.”

Ok, I’d give her that. “Then why else would they be here?”

“Your mother’s work” said Cameron like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Now I was really confused. “I’m not following.”

“After you left Greece, she had a meeting with Mr. Wayne. He sent a team to that island of yours and they brought back a lot of the artifacts found there. It was a joint operation between his people and ours. Just like us, he was convinced that whoever tried to kill you in Greece was after something on the island. So we set the Exhibit up as a sting but they must have realized it and sent their team in undetected. That’s why they ransacked your mother’s office because whatever they were looking for wasn’t a part of the display.”

“You didn’t tell me this?”

She shook her head. “It was on a need to k now basis.” She shook her head sadly. “When the sting failed, we figured they’d try again. A lot of the antiquities that Mr. Wayne brings in end up in various warehouses around the country…”

She didn’t have to finish because I finished for her. “That’s why they came here.”

She nodded. “We think they were in the warehouse looking for whatever was on that island. Something there is worth a fortune.”

“The Girdle” I said, holding up my wrists. “But it’s not on the island, it’s right here.”

She laughed again, not taking me seriously. “Whatever that something is we know have a leg up on them.”

It dawned on me then. “You know their base of operations?”

She nodded. “I’ll call it in as soon as we finish up here.”

“You’re going to the Bana” She didn’t deny it. “Let me go with you!”

She laughed. “The only place you’re going is back home. You’ve done enough, now it’s time for the real heroes to step up.”

“There’s nothing I can do about it”

I groaned. “C’mon Jay, maybe you can talk to her.”

He was driving me home, we were almost there now. I was still really pissed at Cameron for cutting me out of this. After all if it wasn’t for me then she wouldn’t have gotten this far. Ok, so maybe I’m giving myself too much credit but I was the one who caught Persephone. It just pissed me off that I’d been in this up to my elbows and when it came to the final act, they were leaving me behind. I’m not saying I wanted to be there when they arrested my friends but I did want to be there when they finally shut down Crossan’s crazy operation. I tried to convince Cameron to change her mind as we were leaving the police station but she was sticking too her guns. She didn’t want me anywhere near the place while they did their thing.

I glared at Jay. He sighed. “Don’t give me that look. You know exactly why she doesn’t want you to be a part of this.”

I did but that didn’t mean I liked it. She thought I was too close but as far as I was concerned, that made me the perfect candidate. I had an “in” with them. I could waltz right into the place, distract whoever was there and make it easier for them to get in. I told that plan to Cameron but she said they weren’t going in the front door. She didn’t give me the exact details but I had an imagination enough to know what was going to happen. I’d seen it in the movies and on TV. They were probably going to go in there with guns drawn and lots of tear gas. Ok, so maybe not quite like that. It would probably be really stealthy but it still didn’t mean I couldn’t help. I’d proven myself in a fight. I could handle anything Crossan threw at me.

“You’re going to need me,” I said finally, more to myself than to him.

“That might be true but I’m not in charge,” He laughed. “If I was, you’d be the one leading this charge. But Faraday and Chase call the shots. If they say no go for you then it’s a no go. I’m sure they have their reasons.”

I grumbled because he made a point. I sighed and decided to change the subject. “What’s going to happen to Persephone?”

He sighed. “One of our teams is bringing her back. She’ll probably go into the hospital for a few days and get treatment. Whatever drug they had her on has really messed her up bad. After that, she’ll probably go into some kind of rehab. Those friends of yours are really dangerous.”

“They’re not my friends, at least not when they’re like this”

He nodded. “If what you’re saying is true and the girls were really being brainwashed then I’m sure whoever makes the big decisions will go lenient on them. That nut job Crossan will see some serious time though.”

I sighed. “Why didn’t Kate flag on the drugs?”

He shook his head. “I guess that’s something to ask her when she finally shows up.”

We didn’t say anything more about her. I think we were both thinking the same thing. Either Kate was a zombie like the rest or she saw something that she shouldn’t have. I couldn’t think about what that might be. I liked Kate and it pained me to think of her in any trouble.

Jay glanced over at me for a second, he must have noticed I was worried because he said: “Hey don’t worry about Kate, she can take care of herself. She was a member of SERE and she did some training with a martial arts master in Detroit. Ozawa’s pupils are supposed to be the best in the world; you have nothing to worry about.”

I nodded. It was a little reassurance but it made me feel a lot better.

The rest of our ride was in relative silence. Jay let me pick the stations on the radio. I have to admit that one of the songs from the concert came on and I actually listened to it. Jay made a face but I kinda liked it. Yep, call me a Convert. I was still in pretty bad spirits though when we pulled into my driveway. Grandma was there waiting for us. She invited Jay in for dinner like always. I could tell he wanted to but he had to decline of course, he was going to be a part of the team that went into the spa. Grandma took my bag and brought it into the house; I stayed to try one last time.

“You won’t even know I’m there.”

He laughed then grabbed a napkin from the floor and scribbled a number on it. “This is my cell. I’m not sure you’ll need to call but if you don’t hear from me by tomorrow afternoon, call me. If I don’t answer I want you to phone it, don’t try to be a hero.”

He winked as he handed me the napkin. I smiled. “You’re a good guy, Jay Garrick.”

He laughed then got serious. “Everything is going to be all right, Cassie. As soon as we get this out of the way, you can go back and live a normal life.”

“Define normal.”

We laughed then said our good byes. He said he’d stop by before he had to leave and I made him promise to at least stay for a few more dinners. We shook on it and he drove off. I went into the house and found Donna waiting. She gave me a hug and then asked me to tell her all about everything. I gave both her and grandma the details. Grandma let out a sigh of relief but there was something else. She looked worried and glanced more than once toward the hall, back toward grandpa’s study. I tried to ask her what was wrong but she told me it was nothing to worry about.

After that, the day was kinda a blur. I called Connor; we talked for about an hour or two. Then we ate dinner but I barely touched my food. My mind was on the team and what they were probably doing at that exact moment. I hoped they didn’t hurt anyone inside. They might have been a bunch of brainwashed crazies but they still were innocents. I went to bed thinking about it and had a hell of time getting to sleep, I kept tossing and turning.

When I finally drifted off, I had the strangest dream about a bunch of pigs running around the lobby of the spa.

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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 22 for everyone's great reading pleasure. Be prepared for some nice surprises, all of which I'm particularly proud of. My wish is to have the rest of this story posted before March 8th, a deadline I've set for myself due to the release of a new video game that might be time consuming. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Twenty Two:

When I woke, pigs were still on my mind. It was the craziest dream in the world, most likely brought on by my hunger. I’d eaten very little last night and as soon as I opened my eyes, I could smell bacon. How creepy is that? As much as I wanted to get up and greet the day, a small part of me wanted to stay in bed. Not that I was tired but I just wasn’t ready to go to school without my friends being there. I know they were probably in the process of being read their Rights but it still sucked. A small part of me wanted to see them get in trouble---a very small part---the rest of me feared that they were going to be locked up forever. It was the same part of me that feared the same for myself. I mean when this whole thing started, Faraday hinted at that being a possible fate for myself.

No one---not even Crossan---deserved to be stuck in a hole for the rest of their lives.

When I finally got out of bed and showered, I made my way slowly down the stairs. Sure enough, Grandma was putting a plate of bacon on the table. I couldn’t help but laugh, wondering if my dream was close to waking. I read somewhere that dreams close to waking were actually influenced by the environment of the waking world. Or something like that. Anyway, I wonder if I smelled the bacon and combined that with my apprehension about the mission. They were two freaky things to stick together but dreams are weird that way.

“Has Jay called yet?” I asked as I sat down.

My grandma sighed. “No, and I don’t expect him to. They probably had a very busy day, I’m sure they’re still in the process of figuring things out. I’m sure Agent Garrick will call when everything is all sorted out.”

I huffed, grabbing a piece of bacon. “I should have been there with them.”

Grandma sat down at the table, laying her hand gently over mine. “You worry too much; everything is going to be just fine.”

I laughed. “You’re probably right. I’ve been so worried I’ve been having crazy dreams. I dreamt about pigs last night, in the spa of all places.”

I laughed, grandma didn’t. She looked a little pale for a second but laughed shortly thereafter. “Dreams are strange that way.”

There was something off about the way she said it though. “Are you all right, grandma?”

She sighed and nodded. “I’m fine, dear, just a bit more worried for Cameron and her people than I thought.” She made no move to grab any bacon for herself. She looked off into space for a second then smiled at me, it was kinda a sad smile. “When you get home today there’s something I want to show you.”

I nodded. “Connor and I were going to do something but I think he and I could come by….”

She waved me off, with a big smile. “No, you go off with your man. You and I can talk about my stuff once you get back.”

In truth, I didn’t really want to go off with him. It was his idea actually. After I told him about how worried I was last night on the phone, he had suggested it. He said it might be good to take my mind off things. I tried to tell him I was fine but he was insistent about it. So after school today he was going to take me to an early dinner and then a movie or maybe vice versa. The two of us hadn’t really nailed down the details yet. I think he was trying to protect me and keep me from doing something stupid. He was a sweet guy but there’d be nothing he could do to stop me if I wanted to go to the city. Not that I’d ever hurt him.

Ten minutes into breakfast, the phone rang. Grandma got up and answered it. I perked up as soon as the ringing started, hoping it was Jay. The conversation didn’t last long. When my grandma came back to the table, she saw how anxious I was and shook her head.

“That was Connor sweetie, he can’t pick you up this morning”

I sighed, bummed. “He said something about baseball practice.”

I groaned, completely forgetting about that. Connor wasn’t just a football player; he played baseball in the spring. The practice this morning was nothing official; there was still snow on the ground after all. It was more of a case of the team getting together and working out in the school’s weight room. They liked to get an early start at it so they all went into school about an hour early. Connor told me about it on the phone the other day and reminded me about it last night. He wanted to make sure I got a ride to school.

Of course I didn’t. I didn’t have my license. I wasn’t home when I turned sixteen and because I was barely home to drive, I never got it. I was planning too as soon as I got home from Greece but things happened. I suppose grandma could drive me to school but one look at her and I knew she was in no mood to do much of anything.

Something was definitely bothering and it wasn’t related to the DEO raiding the Bana. I wish I had more time to sit and ask her about it but there was no way she’d let me miss school. I hated leaving her when she was so sad but she’d skin me alive if I tried to weasel out of school today.

So I did the next best thing and called the only other driver I knew. “Hey Amy” I said, taking the phone into the living room. “You think you can give me a ride to school?”

“I’ll be there in ten,” she said and I hung up.

I said good-bye to grandma and waited for her on the front porch. She was actually here in five; her house was not that far away. When she pulled unto the driveway, I was surprised. Amy was driving a Jeep but nothing modern. It looked like a Jeep from one of those old Army movies, the thing was ancient. There were several spots of rust on it and most of the green paint was so faded that it looked almost gray. She saw my frown and grimaced. I was cautious about getting anywhere near that thing.

“Is it safe?” I asked in a joking matter.

“Get in the car, girl.”

We both laughed and I slipped into the passenger seat. She asked me about Connor as we drove to school and I told her about baseball “practice”. Then she asked about my weekend, specifically about the teeny-bopper concert---her words not mine---that I went to. She tried to talk me out of it all week but I wanted to go. Well, not really to the concert but I did want to spend some time with the girls. Look how badly that turned out. I was kinda vague with her. I told her the concert was ok but the rest of the trip was kinda a drag. She wanted details so I embellished on a “fight” between me and the others then told her how they stranded me there.

“You’re kidding?” I shook my head. “What a bunch of bitches.”

“Thankfully, Connor drove up there to get me.”

She sighed. “Why can’t I find a guy like that?”

We both laughed. After that she told me about her weekend, which lasted until we got to school.

The day was long and boring, a lot longer and much more boring than any other day of the week. I’m not sure why but it just seemed to go and on. Ok, I know why. I was worried about the mission. I knew I shouldn’t have been but it was getting on the late side and I was sure someone would try to contact me. I didn’t expect a phone call in school but it wouldn’t have hurt if Jay drove by the front of the building or something. I looked out the window in almost every class, hoping to see his car across the street. It never showed up. Artemis and her friends didn’t show either but I wasn’t expecting them to. It was kinda strange actually, not seeing them around. I’m not sure what everyone else thought but it was kinda rare for six girls to be out at one time, all of whom were friends.

Cissie noticed though. She asked me about it in lunch. “Did something happen this weekend?”

“What, to the bitches?” asked Amy as she sat down with her tray.

“Fuck them, they totally went psycho on our girl.”

I opened my mouth but Amy beat me to the punch. She quickly told Cissie my improvised story from earlier.

“I knew there was something up with them” said Cissie when Amy finished.

I only half paid attention because I was looking for Connor. He usually showed up to lunch shortly after me. He didn’t sit with us but he always made it a habit to walk over and give me a kiss. I looked around the room but he was nowhere. I lingered a bit too long at his table and all the guys smiled at me. Their looks sent shivers up my spine. It was kinda strange really, because I hadn’t seen him all day. He wasn’t in the classes we shared and he didn’t walk with me in the halls either. Sometimes he had other stuff to do but he always made it a habit to at least stop by my locker and say “hi”.

I looked back over at his table and got up. I marched over and glared at the nearest jock. “Hey” I said a little more forcibly than I would have liked. “Did something happen to Connor in the Weight Room today?”

“How should I know, he never showed.”

“What do you mean? He called me this morning and said he wouldn’t be able to pick me up because he was hanging out with you clowns.”

“Hey, what can I say babe?”

I bit my lip. I didn’t like where this was going. First Jay doesn’t contact me and now Connor’s missing. Call me paranoid but something was definitely going on here. I can maybe understand that Jay and the others were just caught up like grandma said but there was no way that Connor would flake on me. I looked around the cafeteria, trying to see if I could spot the two faculty monitors. They were sitting at one of the tables, in conversation with one another. Without thinking about it, I went back to the table and told Cissie to watch my stuff as I went to the bathroom. Before I knew what I was doing, I pulled my cell out of my backpack. Ok, it wasn’t a real cell. It was the one Faraday gave me back when he dropped me off. I brought it to school with me today in case Jay called.

I speed walked out of the cafeteria and into the nearest bathroom. I didn’t even check to see if it had a girl in a dress on the door. I locked the door, not caring if there was anyone in here with me or not. Then I dialed Connor’s number. It went right to voice mail so I dialed again, the same thing happened. I cursed and dialed the number Jay gave me---I memorized it last night. The phone rang and rang then went right to voice mail too. I left a message, asking if everything went ok then I hung up. I cursed and started pacing.

Like I said before, call me paranoid. But there was no way that it was coincidence that both Jay and Connor weren’t answering their phones. Artemis knew Connor; she knew the two of us were an item. She also knew how damn close I was to him. If something went south with the mission, they’d seek retribution. They’d go after me. I’m not sure how I knew that but it was the only obvious answer. Yeah it’s crazy, but somehow I just knew that Connor and Jay being absent at the same time was important.

But I had to be sure. I dialed Connor’s home phone and got the machine. I left a message for him and Kara, asking them to call as soon as they got in. I knew Kara had class so she wouldn’t be in until later but maybe she’d know where he was. After that, I made a rash decision. I stuck the cell in my back pocket, yanked the bathroom door open without unlocking it and ran out into the hall. I made my way straight for the nearest exit. Hey, I did say it was rash. I’d never skipped school in my entire life but this was life and death. There was no way all of this was happening without it being connected.

I ran out the door and across the grass, going as fast as I could. I needed to get home; grandma could be in danger too.

When I tore into the house, grandma was sitting on the couch. She was watching TV and when she saw me charge into the room, I think I startled her. She dropped the remote and jumped a little bit in her seat. But it didn’t take her long to recover and when she did, she didn’t look too happy.

“Cassandra Elizabeth Sandsmark” she said in an angry tone, it didn’t take her long to adapt my full name when she got angry. “What in Hera’s name are you doing here?”

The use of the Goddess’ name was lost on me for a second. “Connor wasn’t at school today. His friends said he never showed up to their morning practice.”
My grandma frowned. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation.”

I shook my head. “I called his cell and the apartment, no one’s there.”

My grandma sighed and got off the couch. I was pacing the room, agitated. She came over to me and stood in my way, putting her hands on my shoulders. Then she pulled me close, wrapping me in a tight hug. I let her hold me for a few minutes, it felt really good. I’d been so stressed all money and just feeling her holding me in her arms made everything all better. I would have cried too if I could bring myself to tears. But for some reason I couldn’t. I was too wired to cry, too wired to do anything that had to do with fear or grief. After a minute or two, I gently pulled myself away from her.

“Have you tried calling the hospitals?”

I shook my head. “He’s not there.”

“How do you know?”

I shrugged. “I just do. I’m not sure how but I know they have them.”

Grandma frowned. ‘Perhaps you’re overreacting a bit.”

“I’m not overreacting” I said angrily “they took him. First, they overwhelmed Cameron’s team and then they went after Connor. They’re trying to bait me.”

I started pacing again. Grandma was quiet for a few minutes as I did so then she finally spoke. When she did, it was a very familiar phrase: “Hera, give me strength.”

I stopped my frantic pacing. This time I heard her say the word Hera. “What did you say?”

She sighed then smiled. “You are so much like her it pains me sometimes to look at you. I see her strength in you and her determination and definitely her stubbornness.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Your mother was the same way at your age. Your grandfather and I tried to rein her in but there was no controlling her, it was in her blood.”

I was really confused. “What are you talking about?”

Grandma sighed. “I was hoping I’d have more time to explain all this but I guess I was fooling myself” She sighed again. “I want to show you something in your grandfather’s study, something I should have shown you a long time ago.”

Grandma started down the hall and I quickly followed. No one had been in grandpa’s study since he died; it pained us all too much. The door wasn’t locked or anything but we were all afraid that if we went in there that it would bring up too many sore memories. Grandma and I stopped in front of the door, her hand hovered over the knob a second or two before she opened it. The first thing that I noticed was the sweet smell of cinnamon. Grandpa used to smoke cigars but grandma made him quit so he switched to sucking on cinnamon candy to help with the cravings. The second thing I noticed was how everything was still the same. Nothing had been touched since he died and everything was still in its rightful place.

The bookshelf crammed with books was still on the back wall, the trophy case was still in the corner. He had a large mahogany desk in the center, scattered with papers and old maps. There was a huge antique globe next to his desk, a gift from his good friend Jameson Queen. There were a lot of pictures on the walls too, a lot of them from his adventures when he was younger. There was one in particular I loved as a child because it showed Jameson, my grandfather and Mr. Stark in Egypt, poking around some old ruin. I used to think it was so cool that grandpa was friends with two of the richest men in the world.

Grandma let out a loud sigh. I reached over and gave her a gently hug. “I miss him too,” I said softly.

I gave her a moment and that’s all she needed. She was a woman on a mission apparently. She slipped away from my arm and over to the bookshelf. I watched with interest as she scanned the shelves, finally finding the book she was looking for. It was a lot larger than the others, leather bound and stuffed so fat that it looked like it was going to explode. She brought it over to the desk and dropped it with a thud, scattering papers. I walked over as she opened it up, seeing that it was an old photo album. Most of the pictures were faded and of people that I didn’t know. Before they had my mother, my grandparents traveled the world, going everywhere. I used to love hearing their stories; they kept me entertained for hours with their adventures.

Grandma started leafing through the pages until she finally stopped. It was a picture of a couple standing together. The woman was tall with long dark hair and resembled Mom quite a bit. The man was dressed in an Air Force uniform and there was something almost familiar about him. I’d never seen these people before but somehow it felt as if I’d known them.

“Who are they?” I finally asked.

Grandma looked at me, tears in my eyes. “My best friends in the whole wide world, Diana Prince and her husband, Steve Trevor.”

If the names were supposed to mean something to me, they didn’t. “I don’t understand?”

She took a deep breath. “Diana and I were old childhood best friends; we used to do everything together. We had a great life and lots of fun. One summer---a long time ago---she and I were vacationing in Greece. Diana fell head over heels for a young Air Force pilot and I met a roughish would be treasure hunter. We had a whirlwind romance. Diana and Steve got married quickly because he was about to be deployed, the two of them were so happy.

Vietnam was supposed to be over quickly or so we thought. The years that Steve was at War were hard on her but she was resilient and strong, like you,” Grandma laughed. “Like your mother, too.”

“David and I got married in the summer of 1963; we didn’t have a child until three years later.” She smiled and I realized that there was something wrong with her story. Mom was born in 1962, how come they didn’t have a child until 1966 then? She smiled and nodded. “Diana got pregnant first and she was so happy, I was happy for her too. She was convinced that I’d have a baby soon too but it didn’t work that way. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl and I was a bit jealous. I was happy for her but I wanted a child of my own too. When Vanessa came along four years later it was like the Gods were answering my prayers, I was so grateful. It was the happiest moment of my life then tragedy struck.”

She paused her story, her tears flowing freely now. It took her a few seconds to continue. I reached out and touched her shoulder. She smiled at me. “Diana and Steve were killed in a horrible car crash, thankfully neither of them suffered. It was the most horrible time in my life. What’s worse, their daughter was now an orphan. Four years old and she barely knew her parents. Your grandfather and I decided then that we’d adopt her. Diana and Steve didn’t have any immediate family so it didn’t take much…”

I smiled and nodded. I didn’t say anything; instead, I stepped forward and wrapped grandma in a tight hug. Now I knew why the woman in the picture looked so much like Mom. I suppose it made sense. I’d always wondered why Mom never looked like either of her parents, after all when she was younger, grandma was a blonde. I’d also seen pictures of young Aunt Vanessa---older pictures of her were long gone---but Aunt Vanessa was blonde too. I guess I didn’t really think about it until now but it was clear now that Mom was from different parents.

“I love you grandma,” I said softly to her. “I’m glad you finally had the courage to tell me the truth.”

She sobbed and nodded. “There’s more sweetheart.”

She pulled away from me and wiped her eyes. Then she reached into her shirt and pulled out her necklace. She always wore it and this was the first time I realized I’d never seen it outside of her shirt before. She told me it was something precious to her and now I think I knew why. At the end of the necklace, as plain as day, was a peacock medallion. I was confused for a second, trying to wrap my mind around what it all meant. In the end, I shook my head.

She smiled. “The girls at that spa, the ones pretending to be Amazons, are frauds” I nodded numbly and she continued. “Your grandmother and I come from a very long and complicated bloodline, going as far back as Ancient Greece. We grew up hearing stories about our ancestors and the kind of women they were, how powerful they once were. It always excited the two of us, making us think we were something special. Don’t ask me how our two families found one another; call it fate or something else. But as we grew up, Diana and I were taught all about the way of life that our people have hidden from the world.”

“You mean to tell me?”

Grandma nodded. “We are Amazons, the last of a powerful race. And as Amazons, it was in our duty to pass down our sacred knowledge to those who come after us, from mother to daughter. When I told your mother she was ecstatic, thrilled even. She wanted nothing more to embrace everything that was Amazon. She strived to be the best Amazon she could be and I loved her for it. Then something changed one day, she never confided in me what that thing was but afterwards she grew very bitter. Her bitterness was contagious; it started passing to Vanessa too. We tried to quell the bitterness by telling your mother about her true parentage, trying to make her understand but it only pushed her further away. It pushed Vanessa even further.”

“What happened to Aunt Vanessa?”

Grandma sighed. “She overheard us telling your mother that she wasn’t our daughter and she got angry that we confided the Amazon secrets with your mother first. Vanessa was after all our first-born; she thought she should have been the first to hear our secrets. She stormed out of the house and I haven’t…”

Grandma started crying some more and I held her again. I softly told her everything was going to be ok, that I’d find Aunt Vanessa for her if she wanted. She pulled away and shook her head. She still had tears in her eyes but she looked a lot better than before.

“There’s something else,” she said softly. “Something very important.”

I nodded and laughed. “You’re full of revelations today aren’t you?”

She smiled and laughed a bit. Then she took a deep breath. “I need to tell you about yourself.”

“About me? What about me?”

“You’re special sweetheart. When we were growing up, Diana and I had one story about the Amazons we loved more than anything, the one in which it was told that a new Queen of the Amazons would rise up one day and bring our people into the world again. It was said that this Queen would be blessed by the Gods, chosen as their Champion and showered with great unworldly gifts. We would know her by the feats she could accomplish and by the strength of her heart.”

I opened my mouth to argue with her but she put a finger to it to close it. “I know you don’t understand but it’s the truth. I think it upset your mother more than she realized. Diana was convinced that Helena was the Queen of the story; she even named her after Helen of Troy, another former Amazon. I thought so too until your mother grew bitter and hateful. It broke my heart, your grandfather’s too. I’m not sure what happened to your mother but whatever it was, it hurt her a great deal.”

I finally found my voice. “This is crazy, I’m not the Queen.”

Grandma smiled. “Maybe not yet but very soon.”

I shook my head. I opened my mouth to argue some more but never got the chance. I’m not sure, when I heard the noise but I knew what it was, it was the splintering of wood. It could only be one thing, the front door. I locked it, I was sure of it. But to hear the wood splinter and crack, it could only mean that someone forced it open. I looked at grandma and she seemed to know it too. Then I looked at the window behind us and saw a shape pass in front of it. A second later, something long and cylindrical smashed through the glass. It landed with a roll then spit smoke into the room.

Grandma and I started coughing, not smoke but gas. It stung my eyes and caused grandma to fall to her knees. She used the desk to brace herself. Me, I went to the floor and scrambled around for the canister. I found it and threw it back out the window. As soon as I did so, two black clad soldier types burst into the room with submachine guns. They pointed them at me, preparing to fire. I reacted on instinct, grabbing the first thing I could find. It happened to be my grandfather’s desk. I was on the ground and I flipped the desk in the air, throwing it right at them. It took both of them out in an instant, plastering them to the floor.

Another guy came crashing through the window. I grabbed the large globe and smashed it on top of him, dropping him to the ground. Then I turned to grandma, pulling her off the floor. We went over the top of the guys and out into the hall. There were more guys in the living room. The closest one raised his gun and fired. My wrists went up, the bullets bounced off my bracelets, tearing into the walls around us. I waited until he was reloading then grabbed a picture frame of the wall, throwing it like a Frisbee. It hit him in the throat and down he went.

Two more guys came rushing forward, raising their guns. I put myself between them and grandma. They fired, I blocked every bullet. When they were reloading, I charged. I screamed at my grandma, telling her to break for the stairs. She did so as I slammed into the gunmen, hitting them both head on. They flew backwards, crashing into the couch. Two more guys burst through the front window. I turned and saw grandma run up the stairs, satisfied that she was safe I turned to the interlopers. The window guys raised their guns but I didn’t give them a chance to fire. I grabbed my grandfather’s favorite chair and threw it at them. It hit them both head on, breaking bone and dropping them. I heard the sound of running and turned around, seeing more guys coming from the kitchen. They must have come in through the kitchen door. There were three or four of them, all with guns. I weighed my options and knew there was no way I could stop that many bullets. I heard more sounds, some from above and some from the front door. I snapped around, three more guys came running into the house from the front.

I was surrounded and screwed. The fight was over.

I heard a sound and my grandma was dragged down the stairs, kicking and struggling. Two guys were holding her by her arms; she wasn’t strong enough to break their grasp. Behind her, another guy came down the stairs, carrying a wooden box. I glared at all three of them then at the man who walked through my front door. It was the son of a bitch from Greece, the one who pretended to be the government official.

He looked from me to grandma. When he saw grandma, he smiled. “Julia Kapatelis” he said with a sneer. “So nice to see you again.”

“Go to hell, Sebastian.”

I was shocked, it was the first time I’d ever heard grandma swear.

Sebastian Ballesteros smirked. “You know, your husband said the same thing before I put a bullet in his head.”

Wait, what? The look of shock on grandma’s face matched my own. Suddenly I hated this guy more than anything in the world. Not only did he try to kill me but he killed my grandfather. There was no way he was going to live for that. I took a step forward, my fists raised. Everyone in the room pointed their guns at me.

They dragged grandma over to him, she spit in his face. He laughed. “I knew you were slime, Sebastian but I didn’t think you’d be doing her dirty work for her.”

Ballesteros eyes narrowed. “She’s a very busy woman, she doesn’t have time to trifle with insignificant things like this” Then he turned and looked at the man with the box. “Bring that over here.”

I looked at the man with the box then over at grandma. She smiled and winked. Ballesteros ordered him to open the box and as soon as the man did, he frowned. Apparently, whatever was inside was not what he was looking for. He reached in and took out what looked like a silver vambrace, it was large, probably took up the whole of a person’s arm.

“This is not a golden belt,” he said angrily to the man with the box.

“That’s all she had” he said, “She was getting the box out of the closet when we found her. She tried to keep it from us; we thought it was what you were looking for.”

Ballesteros pulled out his pistol and shot the man in the head. Grandma and I flinched as the man toppled to the floor, taking the box with him. Ballesteros holstered his pistol and shrugged as if it was the most common thing in the world. He was a cold-blooded monster and that scared the hell out of me.

He turned to one of his men. “Pick up the box and take the woman. Put them in one of the SUV's and get to the spa.”

A man scrambled forward and took the box from the dead man’s hands. He looked at me. “What about the girl?”

Ballesteros smirked. “She and I are going to stay here and chat.”

I watched and could do nothing as my grandma was carried out of the house. I made a step toward her but my movements were followed by the guns. I was in a no win situation and they knew it. Ballesteros was smug. As soon as grandma was gone, he pulled out his pistol again. He looked me up and down, his eyes lingering on my wrists for longer than they should have. Then they widened and he smiled. I cursed under my breath. So the jackass finally figured it out huh.

“Very clever” he said, “your Goddess thinks she’s so smart, concealing them in plain sight like that.”

I smirked. “She wouldn’t be a Goddess if she was an idiot.”

He smiled and raised the gun to my forehead. “Take them off.”

“I can’t. They’re bonded with me until death.”

“That can be arranged.”

I laughed, hoping my bluff would work. “You think that bullet is going to kill me.”

“I guess we’re about to find out aren’t we?”

I’m not sure what’s supposed to happen when someone pulls the trigger of a gun in your face. But I know what’s not supposed to happen. There’s not supposed to be a brilliant blue flash of light or a lot of heat. The heat was so overwhelming that it blew me backwards, my back hitting the wall so hard I left a dent. I was dazed and confused; everyone else around me was gone. The light was still there---blue and as bright as ever. Then I saw the others, or what was left of them. They were black silhouettes now, standing still as if frozen in time. Only frozen for a second then they crumpled to the floor as nothing but ash.
The light faded and someone was standing in my doorway. It was a girl shining silver with glowing blue eyes and blue flashes surrounding her hands. She blinked a few seconds and then looked at me. As soon as she did, she smiled.

“Hey girl” said Amy as she walked into the room. “They don’t call me the Bomb for nothing.”

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Author's Note: So I might have mentioned that deadline I set for myself, well I'm hell bent to get this story done before it. So here's Ch. 23, one of my personal favorites by far. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Twenty Three:

All I could do was stare in shock for several seconds. Amy, Amy was a Meta.

She walked around the room, nudging the piles of ash with her foot. I looked from her to the pile on the floor in front of me, the one that used to be Ballesteros. I was too numb to say anything at the moment. There was only one thought coursing through my brain though: why wasn’t I a pile as well? I knew the blast affected me because it threw me across the room and I could feel the heat from it but I was still intact. I looked down to be sure. My clothes were a little singed and I was covered in a little black soot but other than that, I was a whole person. I ran my hands over myself to be sure, hoping I didn’t run into a pile of black that would crumble in my fingers. When I was done, I sighed in relief.

Amy walked over and stood in front of me. “Are you ok?” she asked, sticking her arm out for me.

I nodded numbly, a little reluctant to take her hand. “You’re not going to…”

She laughed. “I can turn it on and off.”

I smiled and she pulled me to my feet. Realization dawned on me after the numbness was gone. My grandma. I pushed past her and ran for the door. When I got onto the front lawn I saw two black SUVs but grandma was nowhere in sight. I looked at the road; saw the black screech marks of tires. I also saw Amy’s jeep, the side of it smashed in. It looked like she was trying to block whoever it was that drove off.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped. “I tried cutting them off,” said Amy with a sigh. “But trying to stop an SUV with a jeep is not a very bright idea.”

“They’ll take her to Chicago: I said sadly.

Amy sighed. “They’ve got a head start but we’ll catch them.”

I nodded and other things started to come to me, like reality. The last I’d seen of Amy was back at school in the cafeteria with Cissie. I turned to her, searching her face. There was something different about her. She was the same girl that I’d become friends with but she had a harder look in her eyes. Looking into those eyes of hers, I saw an experience and an age that I hadn’t before. It was like the Amy I knew was a façade and this was the real person.

“I don’t understand,” I finally said and she nodded.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been completely honest with you Cassie,” she said with a sigh. “I work for the DEO”

That kinda floored me. “You what?”

She held up her hands as if I was going to hit her. I wanted to but I held back. Looking at her---this girl who was my “friend”---I couldn’t help but feel a bit angry. I felt betrayed too. Was our friendship all an act? She’d been lying to me and I trusted her. She was my friend and she was a spy too. I balled up my first, ready to pound the snot out of her. I would have too if I didn’t need her help.

“I know you’re angry but it was the only way,” she said quickly. “Do you remember Faraday telling you about American Dream?” I nodded but I had only been paying half attention then. “Well, I’m just like her. I used to be a thirty five year old Air Force Captain named Nathaniel Adam. Around the same time, the military created American Dream they asked for other volunteers. I put my name in, they ran the tests and found out I had the metagene too.”

“So you chose this?”

She nodded. “I would have done anything to serve my country. In hindsight, if I had known it would turn me into a teenage girl I think I might have reconsidered but you have to go with the hand that you’re dealt.”

This was incredible. It pissed me off that she’d been lying but I suppose I couldn’t be too angry with her. She was just like Jay and Kate; she was there to make sure I was all right. It was a little sneaky on Faraday’s end but in the end, Amy was just like me. But something else didn’t fit. All the girls at school knew her; she’d been there for years.

“When did they put you in the school?”

She smiled. “The day before you.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t make any sense. People knew you, they talked about. You’re on the basketball team.”

She smiled. “We have a very good psychic working for us.”

Thinking about that made me shudder. If the DEO had someone who could make people believe whatever they wanted. I shuddered again. “You’re not going to whatever on me, are you?”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry you’re quite safe.”

We talked for a few more minutes on the front lawn and the police sirens wailed in the distant. As much as I would have loved to stay around, I knew the two of us needed to bail. She knew it too. We looked around; some of the neighbors were starting to come out of their houses. We looked at each other and realized we had to scatter. I hated leaving things like this but I didn’t want to be around to explain things to the police. We started for Amy’s Jeep when I stopped. There was a nagging feeling in my stomach. The further I got from the house; it started to tug on me. I thought maybe it was apprehension about leaving but it was more that.

“We can’t stay here,” said Amy from the Jeep. ‘I don’t have credentials.”

I nodded and looked at the house. “I need to get something,” I said without thinking too much.

Before she could say anything I ran back into the house. I’m not sure why but I knew that there was something I was forgetting. I looked around the living room, at all the carnage left there. No, I’m not talking about bodies. I’m talking about all the furniture I smashed to hell to save grandma. I felt kinda bad about wrecking her house but it couldn’t be helped. I felt particularly bad about destroying grandpa’s favorite chair. He and I used to sit in there and read when I was younger. Looking at the damaged chair lying there, I felt a pang of loss and a swell of anger. Just because Ballesteros was dead now that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to avenge grandpa’s murder.

I shifted my gaze up the stairs. What I needed was up there.

I angrily ran up the steps and went right to my room. The door was open, kicked by one of Ballesteros thugs no doubt. I ran inside, wondering if they ransacked my room. But everything was where it should be, everything including what I was looking for. After my dream, I didn’t think much about the golden tiara but to keep it out of my mind I put it on the top shelf of my closet. The closet door was open when I came into the room; I usually left it that way in the morning. I ran over to it and took the wooden box off the shelf. I’m not sure why it was so important but I knew I was supposed to take it with me.
I opened the box and my hands trembled over the golden headpiece. When I lifted it out of the box, I knew it was the right time. I’m not sure why I never put it on until now but something told me it was only to be worn when I was ready to wear it. Now was that time. I took a deep breath and put it on my head. I felt a surge or energy that lasted for a few seconds and then was gone. I didn’t feel any different but something inside of me told me I was almost complete. I’m not sure why but it felt like there was something missing, something important.

I tried not to think about it as I ran out of my room and back down the stairs.

"You went inside for your pretty princess crown?” asked Amy when I got into her Jeep.

I ignored her. She laughed and then started the engine. I was actually surprised that her beat up old jeep actually started. The whole left side was smashed in but still the engine turned on and we took off down the road. Ok, we didn’t actually take off. It was slow going; the Jeep was just in a pretty bad smash up so it was kinda sluggish. I was grateful that she tried to save my grandma---that she saved me---but I was still a little unsure about her. She seemed like a capable person and her power was awesome but I hated the fact that she’d been lying to me this whole time. I thought I knew who Amy was and now I find out she’s a completely different person.

I think she sensed some of my apprehension. “I’m not a bad person, you know,” she said with a laugh. “When I was first given my assignment to befriend you and shadow you around, I was kinda apprehensive about it. I haven’t been in high school in years and frankly, I wasn’t jumping at the chance to go back in. But after I read your file and saw what you could do, I was kinda proud. It was like I was making a difference again. You’ve got this fantastic gift and you shouldn’t let anyone tell you to keep it all to yourself.”

I smiled. “Yours is pretty awesome too.”

She shook her head. “Mine is extremely dangerous. That wasn’t fire back there, that was radiation.”

I don’t think I liked the sound of that. “I’m not going to get cancer now am I?”

She laughed. “Ballesteros and his men got the brunt of the blast. I made sure to shield you from most of it. You might have gotten a little of it but nothing too serious.”

I nodded, that was a relief. “Does this mean I should call you Captain Atom, now?”

We both shared a laugh. “I think Amy is just fine.”

We didn’t say much after that. I turned to the window and watched the scenery as we drove by. I’m not sure how long it took me to realize it but it dawned on me that we weren’t going toward Chicago. I sat up straight in my seat, looking around. “What the hell are you doing? You’re going in the wrong direction.”

Amy sighed. “I have my orders.”

“Fuck your orders.”

She laughed. “I wish I could but Cameron was very insistent. She said if things go bad then I was to extract you and move you to a more secure location.”

“They have my grandmother! They have Connor; they might even have Cameron and her team!”

“I can’t.”

Anger swelled up inside of me. I’m not sure what I was going to do but there was no way I was going to let this person stop me. I turned and punched my door clear off, sending it flying down the street. Amy swerved the Jeep, shocked at what I just did. I grabbed the dashboard, sinking my hands into it. “Turn this damn thing around or I’m going to rip apart what’s left of it one piece at a time.”

“You’re out of your damn mind.”

“And you’re a fool if you think I’m going to sit around and let those people win.”

“You’re crazy. There’s only two of us.”

“You just nuked half an army in my living room.”

She bit her lip. “We have no idea what we’re going into. Those guys could have just been the first wave. They could have a lot more and innocents too. They have hostages; we have no chance of succeeding.”

I was dead set. “We have me.”

“You?” she said, shocked. “You might be strong, Cas but there’s still only two of us.”

I nodded then got an idea. “There could be more.”

She looked confused but I whipped out the cell. I quickly dialed a number but I got nothing but voice mail. I cursed but left a message anyway. “I know you’re there and I know you’re scared but I need you. Something bad has happened, something I can’t handle on my own. You’re the only other person I can think of that might be able to help. If you get this message, I need you to meet as at the Bana-Mighdall Spa in Chicago.”

I clicked off the cell, sighing.

“What was that about?” asked Amy.

“Hopefully backup.”

“Even with backup, we’ll stand no chance.”

“We can do this, I know we can.”

Amy groaned and slowed the Jeep. She glared at me and sighed. “Ok, but you owe me a new door.”

She made a quick U-turn, spinning the Jeep in the opposite direction.

No matter how fast we drove, we didn’t get to Chicago any faster. When we finally got into the city, I used the cell again and tried calling my mother. Yeah, I know she’s not my favorite person at the moment but I still care about her. When I didn’t get an answer, I tried her office at the college. But the department secretary told me she was in class. I sighed in relief after that, knowing Mom was ok. I left a voice message on Donna’s phone, knowing she was probably with Mom. I tried Connor’s number again, both his cell and his home phone. I didn’t get a response from either, which still made me feel really bad. I thought about making a detour to his apartment but I knew we didn’t have time for that.

After my phone calls, I wasn’t feeling any better. I was feeling even worse when we pulled up outside the Spa. We parked a few buildings away so as not to draw attention. But I was certain they knew I was coming. We got out of the car together. Amy went to the back of the Jeep and took out a black duffel. She dropped it on the sidewalk and opened it up, pulling out a black tactical vest that she slipped on and a sub machine gun. I frowned at the gun. There might be more bad guy soldiers here but there were a lot of innocents, too.

“You plan on shooting people?”

“We don’t know what we’re up against.”

I shook my head. “These girls aren’t the enemy, the woman in charge is. They’re innocents, brainwashed or whatever.”

I held out my hand and she reluctantly put the gun in it. I twisted the gun into a mangled mash, causing her to stare in shock. I smirked, putting the mass back into the duffel and duffel back into the Jeep. Amy grumbled a bit about her gun but she knew I was right. After that, the two of us slowly walked toward the entrance. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I shocked when we finally walked inside. Everything looked the same except the lobby was deserted of course. I looked up at the bronze Minotaur statue; it looked more menacing if that was even possible.

Amy looked at it and shuddered. “That thing kinda gives me the creeps.”

I nodded. “C’mon, there’s an elevator back through those doors.”

I led the way, pushing my way through the door into the main room. I guess I wasn’t surprised by what was waiting for us. The room was empty, save for the usual exercise equipment. I’m not sure if I was expecting a welcoming committee but I was certain there was no way Crossan would just let the two of us waltz in here like nothing. I think Amy felt something was off too because as soon as we walked further into the room, her body changed. Before I thought, it was a silver glow but now I saw it was actually some kind of metal. It was like her skin changed into it, making her look like a walking metal statue. It was kinda cool, especially when her eyes glowed that wicked blue again.

As if on cue, I heard the ding from across the room. We both looked and the elevator doors opened. Two women stepped out, dressed like extras from a bad 1930’s Dinosaur movie. They were actually wearing loincloths and body paint, holding metal poles. I wanted to laugh until I looked at their faces. One of them I recognized as the girl who sat at the front desk---Charis---. The other had a familiar face too though it was anything but friendly at the moment.

Both Amy and I gasped but I spoke. “Kate?”

Kate Spencer didn’t respond, it was like she didn’t know us or that name anymore. I cursed, she was brainwashed like the rest.

The two of them walked into the room, spinning their poles with expert ease. Amy stepped forward to meet the challenge, her hands glowing blue. I put an arm across her chest, holding her back. There was no way I was going to let her fry Kate, brainwashed or not.

“She might be on their side but that’s still Kate,” I said and she sighed.

“Can you subdue them without hurting them too badly?” she asked as the glow disappeared from her hands.

I nodded. “I think so.”

I stepped forward to meet the challenge, Kate and Charis smiled smugly. Then they came at me, a lot faster than I anticipated. They spun their poles, Kate went for my left knee, and Charis hit me in my back. I was down on the mats before I even knew what hit me. I cursed, realizing this wasn’t going to be as easy as I originally thought. They came again but I jumped to my feet and blocked their rapid blows with my bracelets, staggering from the repeated onslaught. It was clear that both Kate and Charis were juiced up on Crossan’s special Ambrosia pills. I was right in my assessment; the pills did seem to make whoever ate them much stronger and faster than before.

Their onslaught drove me back. I was on the defensive, afraid of what might happen if I actually laid a hand on one of them. After putting on the tiara, I somehow felt more confident in my abilities. It didn’t make me any stronger but it made me more sure of myself. I’m not really sure how to describe it but I felt like I could take on any foe and survive. I also felt that taking this repeated barrage of theirs was doing nothing. I could stand here all day, letting them try their hardest to land another blow on me. But I knew that if I didn’t act quickly then I would be here all day.

They backed me up into a rack of weights. My back pressed against several bars. I acted quickly. I shoved the girls back, pulling one of the bars from behind me and spinning it around in front. They came again and I parried their poles with one of my own. They were still pretty fast but now that I had a similar weapon to match theirs, they didn’t stand much of a chance. I gave Charis a glancing blow to the shoulder, she screamed out in pain. I took an aggressive step forward, gently head butting her. She fell backwards, her pole flying free. When she hit the mat, I knew she was done.

I spun on Kate. “Listen to me, Kate” I said as I blocked her blows. “This isn’t you; you’re Kate Spencer, not some crazy Amazon chick.”

She scoffed. “I am Alkyone of the Bana-Mighdall and you are a traitor, my Sister.”

I groaned, give me a break. I snapped my pole up, smacking her wrist. She staggered back and then did a couple of back flips, trying to distance herself from me. I had to hand it to her; whoever this Ozawa character was, he trained her well. She spun her pole in her good hand, preparing for another assault no doubt. I groaned, tiring of this game. I’m not sure what made me think of it but reached up to my head and pulled off my tiara. Something inside of me told me to throw it and that’s what I did. It coursed through the air like a boomerang, aiming right for Kate. It sliced her pole in half, surprising both her and me. Then it came back to me, I caught it and threw it again. I didn’t throw it as hard so when I hit her in the forehead with it, it didn’t cut her so much as it threw her onto her back. It came back to me; I caught it and put it on my head.

“Holy shit” said Amy as she came running up behind me. “I’ll never make fun of the tiara again.”

I laughed as the two of us walked over to where Kate lay. She was on her back, panting but still conscious. She looked at us and there was anger in her eyes. “You cannot win; the Mistress has summoned the Goddess. She has come and she will destroy both of you.”

I rolled my eyes. Amy sent a quick punch to Kate’s face, knocking her out cold.

“Was that necessary?” I asked as Amy flipped Kate over and handcuffed her.

“No” she said “but she was starting to piss me off. What was that crap about the Goddess?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. These girls believe that they have a Goddess protecting them. It’s kinda stupid actually.”

“Sounds stupid” said Amy as the two of us walked toward the elevator.

We shared a laugh as we reached the elevator. I pushed the call button and we waited. I knew from the past that it was going to take a few seconds for the elevator to come up which was kinda annoying. While we waited, I thought I heard something. It sounded like a scraping sound. I looked at Amy but she didn’t seem to hear it. So I shrugged it off. But a few seconds later, I heard it again but it was louder and seemed to be coming from behind us. Amy heard it too and both of us turned around. As soon as we did, there was loud crashing sound as the whole of the far wall erupted into a shower of plaster and brick.
Standing in the large hole, smoke issuing from its nostrils, was the large bronze Minotaur statue from the lobby. My mouth dropped open, Amy’s too. Both of us stared in shocked awe at the statue come to life. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. My mind told me that what I saw couldn’t be true and yet it was standing right there, glaring at us with red glowing eyes.

“What were you saying about their Goddess being stupid?”

I shook my head. “I take it back.”

The Minotaur raised his hands over his head and roared. Then it grabbed a large section of the crumpled wall and threw it at us. I pushed Amy to the left and dodged to the right. The large piece of brick slammed into the wall next to the elevator, right where the two of us had been standing. Luckily, we were out of the way in time. When I rolled to my feet, the damn thing decided to charge. It had its head down and its horns pointed, going straight for Amy. She was still on the ground, dazed from me pushing her. She was rubbing her neck, trying to get her bearings. She’d never make it in time. I took a deep breath and ran at the Minotaur.

When it got to the half point in the room, there was a loud shatter from above. A red streak dropped into the room, slamming feet first into the back of the statue. It happened so fast I’m not sure what I’d just seen. I saw a flap of leathery wings and that was all at first. When I looked harder, I saw the red streak for what it really was and smiled. Eddie was now on the Minotaur’s back, his hands pressed on its shoulders. I could see the metal heat up under his touch.

He looked at me for a second. “Do what you gotta do, I’ll handle this guy.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “What happened to hiding in the dark?”

“Too clichéd for a demon.”

I had to laugh at that. The Minotaur thrashed and stumbled, trying to throw Eddie off its back. But Eddie was holding firm, his clawed feet digging into the bronze, keeping him on. I ran over to Amy and helped her to her feet. As soon as I did, I saw her wince. I felt bad about pushing her, not realizing I did any damage. But it was clear that I did, she was cradling her arm to her chest.

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t you; I got clipped with one of those bricks.”

I sighed, glad that I didn’t hurt her. “Are you going to be all right?”

She nodded. “I’ll stay here and keep Devil Boy company.”

Just as she said that, Eddie shouted and the Minotaur bucked him off his back. I saw Eddie hit the mat hard. Amy groaned and got to her feet, her good hand glowing blue. She didn’t wait for me and charged into the fire, shooting a stream of blue light into the statue’s face. I bit my lip as I heard the elevator ding behind me. I hated leaving my friends but I needed to stop Crossan. I took one final look at the battle here and then ran into the elevator.

When I got off the elevator and walked into the main room down below, I got the reception I thought I was going to get above. Most of the girls were there, dressed in similar fashion to Kate and Charis. They were all armed too, wielding various improvised weapons. They were trying to look threatening but they failed miserably. For some reason they still looked like a bunch of LARPers, trying too hard to impress their insane benefactor. I scanned their faces, trying to see if there was a single one of them that wasn’t like the others. But no matter how many faces I looked at, they all had the same glassy eyes and blank stares. I cursed under my breath, wondering how Crossan could do such a thing to innocents.

I stepped out of the elevator, wondering who was going to make the first move. So far, they’d been putting up a pretty capable defense. If I wasn’t me, it probably would have stopped me. But as it was, I think I could take this group. They might have had me outnumbered thirty to one but I wasn’t a normal person. I’m not sure if I’d call myself a Meta but I definitely wasn’t human. I’d actually been thinking about my powers lately and I actually did some research of Meta's on the Internet. Jade and Terra and American Dream, they were all different than me. None of them mentioned communing with a Goddess and none of them had mystical animals helping them. It got me thinking; maybe I’m not really like them after all. The government classified me in the same group as them but something inside of me told me that we weren’t the same.

The crowd parted as I walked through it. I had one destination in mind, the raised platform. I could see Crossan’s little dais there and the bust of her fake Goddess. Before I thought, it was a bunch of crap but now I was pretty certain it was something else. I’m not sure which Goddess it was but whoever it was, they had real power. I mean that damn statue came to life and attacked us. Whoever did that had to be someone with real skill. If not a Goddess then who?
When I reached the platform and walked up the steps, I looked closer at the bust. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t place the face. It looked nothing like any of the statues of the Gods I’d ever seen. For one there was a sorta sneer on this woman’s face and her features were too precise. I’m not sure who carved it but I think they were trying too hard to make it look impressive. I turned from the bust and looked at the group gathered. They were now staring up at me, anger flaring from all their faces. I felt sorry for them, wondering how many of them were screaming inside of their heads, trying to fight back at whatever was controlling them.

“This is madness,” I said into the microphone. “You’re not yourselves, you’re being controlled.”

No one said anything. I didn’t expect them to. I scanned the faces and saw a few familiar ones looking up at me. I singled out Akila and Karna. I pointed to them.

“You two are smart people; don’t you see you’re being controlled against your will?”

Karna scoffed. “You have no right to stand up there and speak to us.”

Akila added. “You betrayed us. You started this war.”

I scoffed. “The was no betrayal and there’s no war. Crossan is using you, manipulating you.”

There were a lot of angry murmurs.

“You expect us to believe that,” said a new voice.

The crowd turned in its direction. I turned with them. It was Artemis; she was standing in one of the doorways, the one leading off to Crossan’s office. She wasn’t dressed like the others though. She was wearing some kind of armor; it was silver and covered only parts of her body. On her back was a quiver and in her hand was a bow. My eyes went to her wrists though and what I saw made me gasp. It was the vambraces from my grandma’s box, the ones that Ballesteros thought were useless. Why was she wearing them if they were nothing? Artemis walked toward the platform, the ground parted for her as they did me. They were chanting something too. It was soft but it wasn’t that hard to make out. It was a name, a strange one. I think they were calling her “Shim'Tar”. What the hell is a Shim’tar?

When Artemis reached the platform, she held up her clenched fist and the crowd fell silent. She looked up at me and glared. “Only Queen Antiope may stand on that platform.”

I rolled my eyes. “Listen to you, look at yourself. You’re being used. Crossan isn’t a Queen, she’s just a nut.”

Artemis glared at me. “Antiope is a great Queen and you insult us by besmirching her name.”

“This is crazy, you’re crazy, she’s crazy.”

Artemis roared with anger. “You will not insult our Queen.”

I laughed. “She’s not a Queen.”

“Come down here and say that, Infidel, come down here and face me.”

I rolled my eyes. This was getting ridiculous. I sighed and walked down the steps. I walked over to Artemis, not expecting to fight. She on the other hand, she had other plans. As soon as I got close enough, she threw the first punch. It connected with my face and was so hard that it knocked me off my feet. I landed on my ass; the whole side of my head was throbbing. I looked up at her, stunned. She looked down at me smirking. I slowly got to my feet and she threw another punch, to my gut. I staggered backward, shocked at the strength and power of it. The crowd cheered, calling out “Shim’Tar.” I straightened up, staggering.

I stared her down. There had to be something giving her this strength. I searched her with my eyes and finally locked on the vambraces. It had to be, it was the only thing. I’m not sure how I knew but I knew they weren’t meant for her. I spit blood from my mouth. “Those things on your wrist.”

She raised her wrists so that the crowd could see. “They are from my Queen, a gift from the Goddess.”

I took a deep breath. “They don’t belong to you.”

I charged her as she was flaunting her new jewelry to the crowd. I caught her off guard, slamming full force into her chest. We plowed through the people around us, knocking them away. I put all my strength into the drive, aiming her toward the wall. But at the second before impact, she slammed her elbow into my back, causing me to lose my footing. She wrapped her arms around my waist and spun me, sending me flying. I hit the wall instead. It was at such a force, that I broke straight through into the hallway beyond.

I hit the ground hard, my whole body exploded with pain. I looked up and Artemis stepped through the whole, brushing dust off her shoulder. I tried to push myself to my feet but she drove her foot into my back, pressing me back to the ground.

“You threw the fight before” she said, anger in her voice. “You don’t think I knew that. The Queen wanted to pit me against the best, she thought it was Dalma but Dalma turned out to be a joke. But you, you’re the real deal, aren’t you?”

She flipped me over with her foot. Then she reached down and grabbed me by the front of the shirt, lifting me up in the air. There was something in her eyes, like a fire. They were glassy as well but it was more than that. It was almost as if I could see her--- the real Artemis–inside, screaming for help. It pissed me off that Crossan could use my friend like this. Anger swelled inside of me, an anger ten times I’d ever felt before.

“I admit it, I threw the fight,” I said, glaring at her. “But I didn’t want to be the Champion of a false Queen because I’m the Champion of a Goddess.”

Artemis looked smug, pulled me in and laughed. “Where’s your Goddess now?”

She threw me but not before I grabbed her wrists, taking the vambraces with me. They slid off quite easily actually, which surprised me. I think it surprised her a bit too. The look on her face as I flew through the air and smashed through the wall was priceless. I crashed into a shelf in some kind of storage room, the contents of which toppled over me. It hurt like hell but at least I achieved what I wanted to do. I knew if I got her angry enough she’d picked me up, allowing me to get close to those vambraces of hers. I looked down at them in my hands and smiled. I was tired of these games, tired of Crossan and her brainwashed lackeys. I was tired of super powered drugs and fake Goddesses. But most of all I was tired of running from all this crap, from denying this and that. OK, so if Hera wanted an Amazon, a true Amazon, I was going to give it to her.

I slipped the vambraces on my wrist and felt a surge of power flow through me.

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Author's Note: Here's 24. The picture here is a one time deal for this chapter and I think everyone knows what means. There's one more chapter after this one, hopefully up tomorrow. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing, DC Comics for the wonderful characters and mittfh for helping me by creating that wonderful picture of Wonder Cassie for me.

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Chapter Twenty Four:

Have you ever accidentally stuck your finger in a broken socket? There was one in our basement when I was younger. I was helping my grandfather change a bulb and I touched the socket by accident with the tip of my index finger. The electrical jolt that went through my body was like a tiny tingle. The one that went through my body when the cold steel of the vambraces touched my bare skin was nothing like that. I’m not really sure how to describe it. I think the best word might be overwhelming. I stammered like I was drunk---not that I’ve been, but I’ve seen it on TV. I found myself falling into the shelving again. I’ve never had an orgasm before but I was pretty certain it felt something like this. It was so good and so overpowering that for a moment I was lost to it.

And as quickly as the feeling came, it was gone. I didn’t even realize my eyes were closed until I opened them. When I did and I looked at myself, I was in the shock of life. My clothes were gone, replaced by something else. I flushed in embarrassment. It was some kind of outfit, the skimpiest thing I’d ever seen. It looked like a bathing suit but I think it was more like a corset of some kind. It was bright red and there was metallic gold W across my tight chest. Looking past it, I saw blue bottoms with a spangle of white stars. On my feet were boots. I groaned, I looked like something out of a fetish catalog---not that I’d ever looked into one of those. I reached up to touch my chest, noticing my gold bracelets had been replaced by the silver vambraces; those went from my wrists up to almost my elbow.

I’m not sure what happened but putting on the vambraces was clearly the catalyst for it. I felt and looked ridiculous. I’m not sure whose cruel joke this was but it definitely wasn’t funny. This thing I was wearing was ridiculously tight, it even made breathing hard to do. When I pushed myself to my feet however, I seemed to glide up onto them without a problem. The boots had a heel but it wasn’t any trouble at all to walk in them. The tightness I felt on the ground was gone as soon as I took a few steps, almost as if the suit was acclimating itself to my movements. I know it sounds freaky but it felt as if it was made specifically for my body.

Except of course there’s no way in hell I’d ever wear anything like this.

I took a few more steps, wondering how something like this even happened. I stepped out through the hole I made, wondering how Artemis could have gotten all that strength. I knew part of it was these things on my wrists but there had to be more to it than that. I tried to think things through but my thoughts were interrupted. I heard someone running down the hall toward me and I had a pretty good idea who. I wasn’t wrong either. I didn’t see her at first but an arrow whizzed by my head. I cursed and a second later, another arrow came. This one went right for my face and I caught it, snapping it in half in mid-air.

I turned toward Artemis; she was about half way to me. She had her bow raised, ready to fire another arrow. Instinct took over. I took the tiara off my head and threw it just as she fired her arrow. The tiara ripped the arrow in half and continued straight for her. It hit the bow first, cutting it in half then went right for her head. She turned at the last second, the tiara slicing her cheek. She cursed, clutching her face and I charged her. I was tired of throwing my punches with her. I let her win the first fight because I thought she was my friend and she was an innocent but now I was pissed. This girl had just mopped the floor with me and she definitely wasn’t throwing her punches. She wanted to kill me and would have succeeded if I hadn’t taken away her power. She might not be as strong anymore but she was the biggest threat in the room right now.

I think my speed surprised her. She knew I was fast but when I was angry, I seemed to be a whole hell of a lot faster. It was something I did when I stopped those guys from hurting my mother on the beach. I charged them so fast that they never saw it coming. I did something very similar to Artemis. I was on her in a flash; she didn’t even have time to react. One minute the remains of her bow were in her hand, the next I was snapping it like a twig. I snatched the front of her armor and lifted her off the ground. I pulled her close, glaring at her.
“Where’s your Goddess?” I asked, then head butted her.

I lowered her unconscious form to the ground then dragged her back into the main room. The girls were still calling out “Shim’tar” but stopped as soon as they saw me. There were a lot of blank expressions on their faces. They parted again as I dragged Artemis behind me, moving toward the platform. When I got to the front of the group, Akila and Karna looked at me in awe. I dropped Artemis at their feet, giving her body a nudge. Then I walked up the steps, turning to the group as I got to the top.

“Here’s your precious, Shim’tar,” I shouted, pointing at Artemis. There were some murmurs and gasps. “This is all a joke; you’ve all been made to behave like fools .”

“The Queen will not stand for you treating her Champion like this,” said Karna angrily as Akila bent down to check on the fallen Artemis.

“Where is your Queen now?”

I was hoping I’d get a rise out of her. I had a pretty good idea where she was. She was probably in her office, cowering like the coward she was. I’m not sure how she managed to subdue Cameron and her team, her girls probably caught them off guard but once the real fighting started she turned and ran. I scanned the crowd, wondering if she was going to even bother to look back as she scurried away like a cockroach. I wanted to see Crossan again just so I could beat her into submission for taking Connor and my grandmother. I was beyond playing with this woman.

It didn’t take long. She came out of the hallway I just left moments before, with a hostage no doubt. Just like a coward to use an old woman as a shield. I locked eyes with grandma and when she looked up at me, her face lit up. I’m not sure why but before she looked terrified but seeing me somehow made her extremely happy. I smiled at her, glad to see she wasn’t badly injured. Crossan was keeping grandma in front of her, a gun pressed to her temple. It was definitely a sight.

“Stay back or she dies.”

Grandma groaned. “Vanessa this is ridiculous.”

Vanessa? I looked at Crossan, I mean I really looked at her and groaned. How did I not see it before? As soon as grandma said the name though, I made the connection. The only pictures I’d ever seen of my Aunt Vanessa were when she was much younger. Grandma never kept any older pictures of her around the house because she said they hurt too much. But looking at this woman now I saw the girl in those older pictures, it was hard to imagine they were one and the same, actually. I looked from her to grandma too, noticing the resemblance immediately. There was no way that you couldn’t tell these two as mother and daughter. I don’t know why I never saw it before either. Maybe because all I ever saw when I looked at Crossan was crazy.

“Aunt Vanessa?” I asked, grandma nodded.

“I’m not your aunt,” she snapped angrily. “Helena is no sister of mine. He’s that foul orphan that my dimwitted parents took in.”

“Let her go” I said, walking down the steps. “You don’t have to hurt her.”

“Come any closer and I’ll put a bullet in her head.”

I stayed where I was. “This is crazy, she’s your mother.”

Vanessa spat. “She stopped being my mother a long time ago, the day that she told Helena all about the Amazons, the day that she passed on her right as a mother to someone else’s daughter.” Vanessa laughed like a maniac. “But look around you, Mom, I’ve found my own Amazons. It didn’t take me long. I found a bunch of saps, a bunch of sad, lonely girls like me, just looking for some place to belong. Then I found the Goddess and she promised that she’d help me make things better, help me rid the world of the true Amazons out there.”

“Vanessa” said grandma, tears in your eyes. “You misunderstand. I was telling Helena for Diana, just like I promised. I was going to tell you too, when you were old enough.”

You lie,” said Vanessa angrily. “You always loved Helena more. I’m your daughter, not her.”

I took another step forward, hoping that she was distracted. “I’ll be the first to admit, my mother isn’t the best person to get along with but I assure you, this hatred you have for her is foolish. I’m not sure what kind of person you envision my Mom to be but she’s far from perfect.”

Vanessa scoffed. “You’d say anything to get me to release her.” Tears were streaming down Vanessa’s face too. “You’re Helena’s precious daughter, her prize and joy. The one she’d do anything for.”

My mother? Do anything for me? Clearly, this woman didn’t know what or who she was talking about. Clearly, she was more deranged than I thought. I took another step toward her and she panicked. She pointed the gun at me and fired. I threw up my wrist, the bullet bounced harmlessly off my left vambrace. Vanessa looked shocked but fired again. On the second shot, grandma reacted. My grandma was the quiet, non-violent type. She watched the news and reality television. But the woman who was standing before me was a completely different person. She moved like a woman half her age. She thrust upwards, slamming her head into Vanessa’s chin then she grabbed Vanessa’s wrist, twisting it until it cracked. The gun fired toward me but the bullet went past my face, taking some of my hair with it. It was the last shot as the gun clamored out of Vanessa’s hand. Grandma flipped her over her shoulder, twisted her arm and put her heel on the back of Vanessa’s head.

My mouth dropped open. It was by far the coolest thing I’d ever seen.

She looked at me and smiled. “I am an Amazon dear, we are warriors born.”

Vanessa was down but not out of the fight yet. She lifted her head and shouted. “Protect your Queen from these Infidels.”

Through the whole exchange between her, me and grandma, the girls had been standing like emotionless statues. But as soon as Vanessa barked her order, they came to life. They raised their weapons and charged. I snapped around, barely missing the first sword that came at me. I disarmed the wielder, dropping her with a light punch. A lot of the girls came at me in similar fashion, moving too slowly and too clumsily to be very effective. I put six or seven on the floor long before they got anywhere near me. I fought alone; grandma was busy keeping Vanessa on the ground. Some of the girls tried to push past me to get to them but I never allowed them to get close.

It was a thirty on one fight and I was winning. I dropped several more until Karna came at me. She was a little more skilled but just as sloppy. She left herself open. I spun around, slamming my back into her incoming swing. It knocked the air out of her then I backhanded her in the face. She gasped something about her nose and dropped into the ground. I vaguely remember breaking the nose of someone before, it sounded very similar, I had to wonder if it was hers. Anaya and Laris came as one, trying to pin me in. They were fast but had no style. They both had poles and tried to come at me from both sides. I moved forward, allowing them to hit themselves in the face.

Then I grabbed the poles, pulling them toward one another until they collided face first. I yanked the poles from their hands, spinning them around in mine and taking out two more girls who tried to get close. Akila came at me with a long chain. She lashed it around one of my poles and yanked it away. Then she swung the chain at my head. I threw up my arm, allowing it to wrap around my wrist. She tried to pull me off balance but I pulled her instead. I pulled with all my strength, yanking her in too fast for her to get her footing. I slammed my first into her stomach, knocking the air out of her and gently dropping her to the ground.

After that, it was an onslaught of stragglers, ones that I easily defeated. It had been thirty to one and in the end, only one was standing.

I turned to Vanessa and laughed. “What else do you got?”

Sinister laughter filled the room, rumbling off the walls. It echoed around the room, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. Then there was a flash of bright light, causing me to shield my eyes. When the light dissipated and I could see again, things had changed. For one thing, there was no longer a dais and a bust on the platform but a large gilded chair, sitting upon it was a gorgeous woman in a green dress. She had long flowing purple hair and was holding a silver goblet. At her feet were several pigs. I looked around the room as it filled with more grunting and squealing. All the girls I just bested were now pigs too, as if they were being punished for their failure.

I flashed onto my dream from the other night. I saw pigs in the lobby of the spa and knew it wasn’t such nonsense now. I also knew that there was only one person in antiquity that turned men into swine and she definitely wasn’t a Goddess. I looked back at the woman sitting in the chair and realized how much of a fool Vanessa had been.

“Circe” I said with a sneer.

She smiled and clapped. “Well done my dear, truly spectacular work.”

I pointed to the pigs. “Turn them back now!”

She laughed, it echoed around the room. “Who are you to speak thus to me. You heroes are all the same these days. First it was that upstart magician and now it’s you, the little girl Amazon.”

I needed to stand my ground in this. I tried to remember what I knew about Circe but it wasn’t much. I read The Odyssey several times, I knew all about Odysseus’ encounter with her. He was only able to beat her because he got help from the Gods. As much as I loved and cherished them, I think I was on my own here. I looked around; the only ones who weren’t pigs in the room were me and her of course and grandma. Ok, so technically Vanessa wasn’t a pig. She was a bird, a swan I think. I’m not sure why she warranted such elegant treatment but I’m sure Circe had her reasons.

Grandma stepped forward. “You leave my granddaughter alone.”

“Shut up you old goat” said the Sorceress, pointing her finger at grandma.

The metamorphosis was instantaneous. One minute grandma was there and the next she was a goat. I was shocked as all hell for a second. Then my anger took over. It flared and I took a step forward. Circe raised her finger at me, wagging it back and forth. I stopped, wondering what evil she had up her sleeve for me. But she didn’t point it at. Instead, she lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip. She drained her glass and snapped her fingers. From behind the chair came a large black dog on a chain. It sat down next to her like a statue, allowing her to place the goblet on its head. I looked at the black dog and saw very human looking blue eyes staring back at me.

“That’s a good boy Connor,” she said, stroking his back.

My heart skipped a beat. No, it can’t be. She looked at me and smiled viciously.

“You harpy” I sneered and she laughed.

“Your boy is very precious. We lured him here by telling him you were in trouble. He raced in like a gallant knight in shining armor, ready to rescue his damsel faire. I thought about turning him into a pig like those foolish DEO agents you sent after me but I couldn’t waste such a beautiful specimen as him. I’m thinking about making him a horse next, I’m not sure but he was definitely wasted as a human.”

"Turn him back now,” I said angrily.

“You’re such a broken record my dear. No fun at all, just like your predecessor.”

“My predecessor?”

She groaned. “Didn’t Hera tell you anything?” She sighed heavily. “I’m speaking of Hippolyta of course, the first Queen of the Amazons. You wear her oh so precious Girdle. Well to be fair, it’s actually Gaia’s Girdle but no one seems to remember that.” She laughed and waved her hand. “Pish posh. Where was I now? Oh yes, you remind me so much of Hippolyta. What a twit she was, all chaste and no fun, like her Huntress patron. You couldn’t believe how much magic I had to work to get her to spread her legs for that moron Hercules.”

She laughed aloud. “Antiope, on the other hand, she was the fun one. They were like Order and Chaos you know, Yin and Yang. When Hercules came and seduced her sister, Antiope saw right through his charms. I think she might have had a little magic herself because my spells didn’t work on her. But there were other ways of persuasion. For the longest time the Gods held the Amazons in high esteem, they were warriors beyond measure. It was particularly boring for me, especially seeing as Hippolyta kept foiling all my great schemes. It was all thanks to that wonderful Girdle of hers.”
Her eyes narrowed at me. “I just had to have it. That’s why I bewitched that foolish King to send old Herc after it. Then I whispered honeyed words into Hippolyta’s ear and got her to bed the Barbarian. It was all going pretty well until Hippolyta got the last laugh. She switched the belts. There were two Girdles you know, one belonging to Hippolyta and the other her sister, Antiope. The night before, unbeknownst to yours truly, Hera visited Hippolyta and told her my plans. So Hippolyta switched her belt for her sister’s. So when Herc took the fabled Girdle of Hippolyta, it was actually the humdrum one of Antiope. The only two people who knew were the sisters.

“Of course this didn’t go over too well with Antiope. She threw a little fit and cursed the Gods. She and her followers stormed out of their lush island paradise and decided to follow their own path. As for me, I stupidly fell for the ruse. The belts were identical, you know. I didn’t realize it until it was too late. As soon as that happened, I flew back to the island in a rage, bound and determined to raze it to the ground. But the Gods beat me to it. They didn’t destroy the place but they put protection on the belt. A mortal and only one with Amazon blood, from the Queen’s lineage, could only wear it. I tried for years to find her heirs but they were well hidden from me.”

She sighed, blowing some hair from her face. She waved her hands. “Ya da ya da ya da, long story short. I tracked it to Greece but I didn’t know where. I couldn’t find it myself, it needed to be found and worn by Hippolyta’s heir. I tried your grandmother first but Diana was a foolish woman. So I drove her car off a road, it was all very tragic. Thankfully, for me she had a daughter. But the Gods were shielding her from me. But fate as it would seem was on my side. You see, the woman you know as your grandmother is actually a descendant of Antiope, a Queen of the Amazons. Her blood flows through your grandmother’s veins as well as her daughters. I wasn’t able to get to Diana or her daughter but the Gods didn’t know Julia’s secret. She refused to play though and ran from me; I didn’t actually catch up with her until years later when my dearly departed Sebastian killed her meddling husband. By then Julia was too old to put on the Girdle but her daughter was perfect. Vanessa was easy to manipulate. I twisted her around my little finger, told her to create this place, set myself up as an All-Mighty Goddess, it was quite impressive actually. Things were going pretty good---better than my scheme in San Francisco---then you came along.”

I shuddered at the way she said “You”. The look in her eyes was like fire. She leaned forward in her chair, glaring at me. “So why are you telling me all this?”

She laughed. ‘It must be true what they say about blondes, Princess,” She laughed louder at her own joke. Then she cut off in mid-laugh, leaning forward and glaring. “Because you’re going to play my little game or else I’m going to fry your loved ones.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. I was sure she knew all about the belt and all its secrets. I looked at the swan that used to be my aunt then at the goat that was my grandmother. There was something bothering me about all this though. I knew she needed me but she’d yet to use any of her magic on me. If I were as big and as powerful as her, I’d use magic to force me into submission. But she was talking, why was she talking? I needed to find out.

I took a deep breath. ‘If I agree to your terms, you’ll turn everyone in here back into humans?”

She nodded. “Yes, except for Vanessa, a silver swan is rather fitting for her punishable failure."

I nodded. A small part of me thought she deserved it but another part of me knew it was wrong. I bit my lip, trying to think things through. I looked at the dog; the one I know knew to be my boyfriend. His eyes stared at me and I could Connor in them. I took a deep breath. “You’ll turn him back first?”

She smiled and waved her hand. In the place of the dog was a human being but it wasn’t my Connor. Instead, it was a girl, about my age, with long black hair.

She was completely nude, the collar and chain around her neck. Circe burst into laughter. “Isn’t she precious?”

The girl that was now Connor looked around and blinked in confusion.

“That wasn’t the deal.”

“You said human, you didn’t specify gender.” She reached down and patted her on the head. “Good girl, I think I’ll call her Claire.”

“Change her into a boy or the deal is off.”

“Fine.” The Sorceress sighed and waved her hand, the girl turned into Connor, clothes and all.

He looked around confused until he saw me. He smiled. “Cassie, you’re all right?”

I nodded. “I’m good.”

“Now you’re part of the bargain,” said the annoyed Sorceress.

I shook my head. “You said you’d turn all of them back.”

“You really are not the life of the party you know that.”

She waved her hand again and all the pigs in the room turned back into humans. I looked amongst the crowd of people, seeing Amazon girls and DEO agents alike. I caught eyes with a very confused Jay and Cameron, sitting back to back. I smiled at them. Jay noticed me first and his face lit up. Then Cameron saw me and she frowned. I had a pretty good idea what she was thinking. I turned from them and looked over at grandma. She was confused too but she looked all right. She locked eyes with me then looked over at Circe. I think she knew what I’d just done and I could see the disappointment in her eyes. I gave her a quick wink before turning back to the Sorceress.

“We had a deal girl,” she said with a sinister smile. “Come along, you and I have a lot of business to attend too. I have a scheme in San Francisco going at the moment, a couple of mages I’ve left on ice for too long. You know how these things go.”

I crossed my arms in front of me. “You want the Girdle then come and take it.”

The smug smile disappeared from her face to be replaced by a nasty sneer. “You impudent little bug,” She said, raising her hand at me.

I took a deep breath, hoping I was right. A bolt of lightning shot from her hand and I flinched, closing my eyes. But nothing happened, I felt no pain. I opened my eyes and was shocked at what I saw. There was some kind of invisible barrier around my body; the lightning was bending around it. I was shocked as all hell but not as shocked as the Sorceress. She raised her other hand and fired another bolt at me. The two concentrated blasts should have fried me but they hit my shield but didn’t go through. I could see the look of fear on her face, the look of a woman who was clearly defeated. I took a step toward her and she stepped back, lowering her hands.

“How…its not possible…it can’t be….” She was stumbling over an explanation. Then she looked me from head to toe. “It’s the combination of the three…” She sighed. “That’s how it’s done, that’s why I couldn’t…”

“You’re defeated witch,” I said, bearing down on her.

She laughed. “Finer men have said that to me before and have failed.”

She raised her hands and disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. I jumped at her, getting caught up in her spell. The smoke swirled around me and then I was no longer in the spa. I hit the ground, which turned out to be sand. I spit it out of my mouth and looked around. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where we were. It was Themyscira, the island of the Amazons. Why did she bring us here? I got to my feet and looked around. Not too far down the beach, Circe was standing there. I thought she might have been smug about her amazing escape. But she looked confused and really pissed off. I brushed the sand off my skimpy outfit and started toward her. She turned and when she saw me, she fell backwards on her butt.

“You” she said, “you did this. Stay away from me”

I laughed. “Not so high and mighty now, are we?”

“How did you withstand my magic?”

I shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me.”

She got to her feet, her confidence returning. “That can be arranged.”

She pulled a dagger from her dress and came at me, quicker than any opponent I’d ever faced. It was so fast I couldn’t react. It probably would have skewered me; in fact, it should have skewered me. But something happened, something stopped it. Or rather stopped her. Instead of stabbing me in the gut like it should have, the dagger blade stabbed into a cane. Both of blinked, both in surprise and shock. Standing in the sand next to us, his cane separating the both of us, was an old man. But not just any old man. It was the one from the park, the one who warned me about the storm. He winked at me and when he did so, I noticed that his eyes were gold.

“You” said Circe, pulling away. “I knew you’d be involved with this. Non-interference my foot”

The old man smiled. “This has gone on long enough; this girl is under His protection. Do you dare go against Him?”

The color drained from Circe’s face. Her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t over, Spinster. I will have that Girdle.”

She threw her hand over her head and disappeared into her black cloud again. This time I wasn’t fast enough to follow. I stared for a few seconds at the spot where the Sorceress had been standing then I looked at the old man. He smiled at me. I was confused. How in the hell did he get here? Who in the hell was he? I searched for answers, looking him up and down. Besides the gold eyes, there was nothing that said he was any different from any other person I’d ever met. Except for something, I didn’t notice before. It was his cane, or rather the handle of it. In the park, he’d been holding it by the handle so I couldn’t see but now I saw and everything seemed to make sense. The handle of the cane was actually the head of the owl.

He winked again. “Cassandra Sandsmark” He said, touching my shoulder. “You’ve had a busy day.”

I nodded. “No thanks to you and the others.”

He smiled. “It is not in our nature to interfere. I believe our Queen told you this.”

“Then why did you step in now?”

He smiled, waving his hand. A park bench appeared out of nowhere. He walked over and sat down. I slowly followed, not sure if I should be talking with him or not. I say him because I was having difficulty trying to think of his name. Well her name actually. The old man sitting here was a façade, I knew that now. I was kind of an idiot not to notice before, after all Glaucus did lead me right to her before. I’m not sure if I should have felt privileged or scared that so many Gods were taking time out of their busy schedules to come and visit me.

He patted the spot next to him on the bench. “I want to talk to you about a few things before I take you back.”

I reluctantly sat next him. “Is this the part where you tell me I’m destined for greatness?”

He chuckled. “No, this is the part where I make sure that everything is all right.”

I sighed, looking down. I tried not to think about what I was wearing. There were a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head. The first being Circe, of course. “Will she come back?”

He nodded. “Most likely. She’s been after that Girdle for some time now. She’s convinced that it’s some all powerful talisman that will grant her insurmountable powers.”

“It’s not?”

The old man shrugged. “No one knows its true power except the wielder of it.”

I nodded. “But that’s not what you wanted to talk about, is it?”

“The Father was very pleased with your performance today” he said, “you showed true courage and great control fighting against an enemy who could very well have destroyed you. He was quite impressed, proud even.”

I nodded. “Good for him.”

He smirked. “He wishes a favor of you.”

“Of me?”

“He wants you to make those girls what they were pretending to be. There was a reason that we sent you to that place and a reason that you were meant to drive off the False Queen. Those girls have potential and as soon as you name them thus they will become what they were pretending to be.”

“Amazons”

He groaned, pushing himself to his feet on his cane. He reached into his pocket and took out a gold pocket watch. I looked at it, seeing it decorated with the head of Medusa. “Wow, is that the time already?”

I couldn’t see the clock face but I’d take his word for it. He turned to me. “It appears our time here is up.” He held out his hand. “Come, my dear. It’s time to begin what Circe tried to start.”

I was reluctant to do so. There were so many more questions I wanted to ask him, so many things that didn’t make sense. If I was truly supposed to be some kind of new Queen of the Amazons, I needed a lot more help than this. I closed my eyes and saw my grandma, she was smiling at me. I knew that smile; it was the one she gave me when everything was going to be all right. I opened my eyes and realized that for the moment maybe she was right.

I reached out and took the old man’s hand.

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Author's Note: Here's the end of things. I think I'm pretty happy with it. There were a few bumps when I was trying to write it but I think I evened things out. This part has the last chapter and a little epilogue, the latter of which sets up a nice sequel for sometime down the road. After this chapter, I'm going to take a break for my video game I think but as soon as I'm done I'll get to work on my next story, a sequel that's been a long time coming for a certain Emerald Archer. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing,DC Comics for their wonderful characters and everyone who's read this story and all the the wonderful comments. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

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Chapter Twenty Five:

When I followed Circe in the smoke, things were very strange indeed. But being teleported by a Goddess was definitely an experience. It was like being in every place in the world at the same time. I saw everything flash before my eyes---every monument, every natural formation, every capital city---all in a blink of an eye. Then it was all gone. It was kinda disorienting actually. I was real dizzy and had to grab the nearest thing to steady myself. That happened to be a desk. It took me a moment to gain some ground before I looked around. I was in a familiar room; it took only a second or two to realize it was Crossan’s office.

I took a deep breath and noticed something else too, my skimpy outfit was gone. I looked at my arms, the silver vambraces were still there but I was wearing my normal clothes again. I reached up and touched my head; the tiara was still there too. I’m not sure what it all meant but it kinda freaked me out a bit. It was clear that these new things of mine were special and somehow connected to the outfit I was wearing before. I’m not sure what it all meant but it was clear that the Gods were involved somehow. Thinking about them only made my head hurt though. Especially when I thought about Ath---damn it---the old man’s words. He told me that the Father wanted me to recreate the Amazons but I didn’t even know where to begin.

I sighed, running my hands through my fingers. I sat on the edge of the desk, causing a few of the folders there to fall on the floor. One of them fell open. I looked down and saw a list of names. I bent and picked it up. I was surprised at what was there. It was a list of girls, the towns where they lived, a list of their achievements next to them. Crossan---I mean Vanessa---had compiled a list of potential recruits for Circe’s brainwashed Legion. There were over a hundred names here, girls of all ages. I looked from the list to the ceiling. Is this what you wanted? Is this why you sent me to this room? I didn’t get an answer and I didn’t expect to get one. I sighed again, taking the pages from the folder and folding them into my pocket. I guess it was worth a shot. I’m not sure if I was going to do anything with it but I suppose it was the first step.

I was sitting there still trying to think about what to do when the door opened. It surprised me about as much as it surprised the young agent on the other side. Both of us didn’t say anything. He recovered quicker than me, pulling his gun from its holster. I had to smile, wondering if this guy even knew who I was. I didn’t say anything to him, even when he demanded that I stay where I was. I slid off the desk, walked over to him and pinched the front end of his gun, flattening the metal between my fingers. The look on his face was priceless. I patted him on the cheek and slipped past him into the hallway.

There were a few more agents like him, going from room to room. But none of them noticed me. When I walked through the hole in the wall, I found myself in the middle of a lot of hurried activity. The number of people doubled to include a lot more agents and medical personnel. People were flitting about, going left and right. There were a lot of girls sitting on the ground, shaking their heads, looking confused. Whatever effect the drugs had must have finally worn off. I scanned the ground, seeing familiar faces. Karna was sitting on the steps of the platform having her nose looked at, Laris and Anaya had ice packs on their heads. I saw Jay talking with Akila, probably getting her statement.

I tried to find Artemis but she was nowhere in sight. I did see Kate though; she was draped in a DEO windbreaker that was a size or two too big. She looked a little embarrassed, probably because she was dressed like a cave woman. Cameron was with her, talking to her. Kate looked at me and her face lit up. Cameron looked over too and frowned. I moved from my spot, trying to avoid her. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to her just yet. I slipped through the crowd, trying to stay inconspicuous. I saw Amy but her back was too me. Half her shirt was missing and her shoulder was bandaged; her arm was in a sling. There were a few cuts and scrapes on her but I was glad to see she was all right. I looked around for Eddie but didn’t see him. I wonder if he slipped away in the commotion or if they were keeping him by himself so as not to cause a panic.

I finally found grandma though. She was talking with Detective Schorr. It was strange because I didn’t see any other police officers present. I wonder if he was here with Cameron’s team before or if she called him in afterwards. I vaguely remember her telling him she’d keep him in the loop. Technically this was Schorr’s case after all, what with the bandits having a connection here. He and grandma were apart from the rest of the group and at first, I didn’t know what they were discussing. When I got closer, I overheard grandma say “Vanessa” I looked around, wondering if there was still a swan or if Circe’s spell somehow dissipated when she fled.

Grandma turned and saw me. Her face lit up. I smiled and walked over to her, wrapping her in my arms. I started crying, I couldn’t help it. I was very close to losing her, more than once. It felt good to know that she was safe and sound and out of danger. I held onto her for a long time. She cried too, sobbing into my shoulder.

“Is there room for me too?” asked a familiar voice.

I turned and Connor was there. I didn’t say a thing. I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I nearly bowled him over but I didn’t care. He was mine and that’s all that mattered. When we kissed, it was the most perfect thing in the world. If someone told me this was all a dream then I’d put myself into a coma just to make it last forever. We kissed forever or so it seemed. When we finally pulled away to breath, he brushed a lock of hair from my face.

“You are never to do that again,” I said, still wrapped in his arms.

He laughed. “I thought you were in trouble. I was racing to the rescue.”

I smirked. “I am a Warrior Born, I do not need saving.”

Grandma joined us in our laughing. Then Detective Schorr came over to ruin the fun. I suppose it was inevitable that one of the authority figures would catch up with me. He had a lot of questions and most the answers I had to make up. How do you tell a normal person about a Sorceress and Gods? They’d think you were crazy. So I told him that some crazy cult leader who managed to get away in the commotion organized it all. I said I gave chase but she slipped through my fingers. Ok, so I told a partial truth. He didn’t ask about my powers though. I’m not sure but I think Cameron filled him in there. He did make me promise not to leave the city in case he had follow up questions.

We talked about a half an hour. I thought maybe I was free after that but then Cameron showed up, frowning. I sighed, wondering what she had to say.

“First and foremost, good job” she said, surprising the hell out of me. “Now that that’s out of the way, what the hell were you thinking?”

As grateful as she was that I saved the day it still didn’t stop her from busting my balls---figuratively of course. First she chewed me out about disobeying her direct order---even though I wasn’t technically one of her subordinates. Then she berated me about Eddie. She chewed me out a lot about him. That I didn’t deserve and I told her so which only seemed make her more angry. Lastly, she went off on Circe and my withholding of information. Apparently, she’d already debriefed Amy. Not that Amy knew everything but she knew more than Cameron. In the end, Jay came to my defense.

"How was she to know what we were walking into boss?” he said, stepping in-between us, stopping me from letting my anger get the best of me. “Yes there were some things she didn’t tell us but we’ve been keeping a lot from her too.”

He didn’t elaborate on what, of course.

In the end, Cameron left in a huff. She mumbled something about someone contacting me in a few days to get the rest of the story. After that, we were free to go. Seeing as Amy was my ride---and she was in no mood to drive---Connor drove grandma and me home. None of us said anything; I think both of them were a little tired. Me, I was still pissed that Cameron thought she was the boss of everything. That woman annoyed the hell out of me so much. I’d been as honest as I could with her---as honest as I wanted to be---and she still expected more. There were some things I couldn’t tell because I didn’t really understand them myself. I was hoping maybe grandma had some of the answers. She’d been pretty quiet, especially after what happened to Vanessa. No, she wasn’t still a swan. I was right to think that Circe’s spell only lasted so long as the Sorceress willed it to do so. AS soon as Circe vanished, Vanessa turned back into a human. A pretty pissed off one but a human nonetheless. She got arrested right after that. I told Detective Schorr that the girls weren’t responsible for what they’d done, that somehow Vanessa was controlling them with a combination of drugs and mind control. He was a pretty reasonable guy. He did arrest Karna and the others but he promised they’d see no jail time. Like Persephone, they’d probably get counseling and rehab. I’m sure there was a long road of recovery ahead for them.

When we finally pulled up to the house, there were two cars in the driveway. I recognized both immediately, one was Donna’s little VW and the other was Jason’s Mustang. It was a damn nice car, I loved it to death. It was too bad that it was here. If he was here then that meant Mom was certainly here too. I groaned, not really looking forward to this. Grandma leaned over and squeezed my hand, noticing my apprehension.

“I’ll let you two say goodbye but don’t take long all right?” she said as she opened the door and climbed out of the truck.

I nodded. “I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

I watched grandma walk into the house. I waited until she was inside. I looked at the front of the house and frowned. Someone had hung a plastic sheet over the broken front window. That was so coming out of my allowance I bet. Then I turned back to Connor and sighed.

“Your Mom huh?” he asked, I nodded. “She might be a mental case but at least she cares a little bit about you.”

Connor barely heard from his Mom, except on birthdays and the important holidays. She was a good person but she was very busy too.
I opened my mouth to complain and he silenced me with a kiss. We kissed for a while and it felt good. I almost didn’t want to pull away. But when I did, he wiped the tears from my eyes. I smiled, kissing him on the forehead and thanking him for being the best guy I know.

“They don’t call me Super-boy for nothing,” he said, puffing out his chest.

We laughed. Then I left the truck and waited for him to drive off. When he was out of sight, I tuned and walked toward the house.

When I walked through the front door, Donna was the first to greet me. She ran across the room and wrapped me in a big hug. She almost knocked me off my feet actually. She cried on my shoulder, babbling incoherently about “doing stupid things”. I tried my best to comfort her. But my real attention was on my mother. She was sitting on the couch with Jason. Grandma was doing her best to tidy up the place; it was still a big mess. Most of it was cleaned up---I’m not sure who did that---but the piles of ash were gone and at least the furniture was upright again. The front window was a total loss and my grandfather’s favorite chair was totaled. I felt real bad about that.

Mom and I locked eyes. It was one of those stares that sane people sometimes had. WE didn’t have to say anything to know what the other was thinking. But looking at this woman, this person who looked like my mother, shocked me. Her hair was a mess and it looked like she’d been crying, a lot in fact. She was grasping Jason’s hand in a death grip and looked like she wasn’t going to let it go anytime soon. He looked pretty uncomfortable, like he didn’t know what to do. I felt the same way. I’ve never seen my mother like this in my entire life, she looked liked a genuine human being for once instead of whatever she pretended to be for the last sixteen years of my life. Ok, harsh but that woman was hardly my mother.

Donna finally let me go, wiping the tears from her eyes. “You have no idea how worried I was when I came home this afternoon.”

“I’m sorry, Donna, I didn’t think.”

I’d completely flaked this afternoon. Of all the calls I could have made, I forgot her. Ok, actually I didn’t forget; I just didn’t want to get her involved. I knew if I called her she’d run home as fast as she could. Then she’d want to be right in the thick of things. It would be like Greece all over again and I’d have to worry about her instead of fighting the real threat. My mind would have been torn in two different directions and that’s how people get hurt.

“When I saw the police and then the state of the house….”

Grandma interrupted. “Donna dear, why don’t you come into the kitchen and help me fix dinner.”

Grandma walked over and took Donna by the shoulders, she numbly followed. It was clear that Donna was a little shaken up. I felt bad about putting her through all of this but I was a lot happier that she was safe and sound. As soon as they were gone, it was just Mom, Jason and me. Mom and I were still looking at each other. Jason looked from her to me and back then slipped his hand from Mom’s grasp. He got to his feet like a stiff soldier. Or maybe that’s how he always stood up; I never really seemed to notice until now. He smiled weakly at me.

“I think I’ll leave you two ladies alone.”

He made a quick exit. I had half a mind to run across the room and strangle him. How dare he leave me alone with her?

Mom didn’t look too happy about the prospect either. We were both uncomfortable. I slunk over to grandpa’s chair. It was still tipped over, broken. I righted it and sat down; a spring stabbed me in the butt. I hardly noticed, more concerned that my mother was about to pass out or something. I’ve never seen her so pale and I was certain now that she’d been crying. Her eyes were red and her makeup was streaked. Mom never wore much, just some eyeliner and blush. I could lines in it from where the tears had run down her cheeks. She was trembling too. It was slight but it was pretty apparent. I thought maybe she was cold so I looked around for a blanket. Grandma usually kept one on the back of the couch but it appeared to be gone now.

I looked around the chair, thinking maybe it somehow got dislodged in the fight. But I couldn’t find it.

Then Mom spoke. It was soft at first but then she spoke louder and what she said made no sense. “To Hell with them.”

Whatever she said seemed to fuel her next move. She jumped to feet quickly and was across the room in an instant. I flinched, wondering if she was going to attack me. Instead, she threw herself at me and her arms went around my neck. It took me a few seconds to realize it was a hug. It was kind of messed up one but it was hug nonetheless. I was shocked, not sure how to react. Mom had never hugged me in my entire life. Then she started crying. She sobbed for the longest time, her head on my shoulder. It was different than when grandma did it earlier or even from when Donna did it only moments ago. I’m not sure what it was but I liked it.

I gently touched the back of her head and stroked it. We stayed like that for some time.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed finally. “I’m so so sorry.”

“It’s ok Mom,” I said softly. “Everything is going to be ok now.”

She shook her head, pulling away from my chest. “Its not ok, it’s never been ok. They tried to steal you from me, my baby; they tried to take my baby.”

“They were bad people Mom. I stopped them.”

Mom shook her head. “Not them, not now.”

I was confused. “What are you talking about?”

“When you were born,” she said slowly and softly, finally getting her tears under control. “When you were born, I had a dream. Hera came to me, told me how special you were. I was so proud. Julia used to tell Vanessa and me stories, used to fill our heads with great adventures about the Amazons. She told me I was special and I think Vanessa hated her for it. That’s why I was chosen I think, I was special. I thought I was the one, you know.”

I nodded. “You are special Mom.”

She shook her head. “You’re the special one. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before but I was angry. They used me and then they told me that I couldn’t keep you.”

“Grandma and grandpa?”

“No” she said “Hera. She said you were destined for greatness and to be great, no mortal woman should raise me. She wanted to spirit you away, raise you on that island with the best tutors that she could find. She’s a horrid woman you know, you can’t trust her.” I nodded. “But I fought back; I wouldn’t let them take you. She got angry, very angry. I’m not sure what she did but suddenly it was like you didn’t matter anymore. For the longest time you didn’t matter. Inside I was screaming but on the outside I was bitter and cold, so very cold.”

“Its ok, Mom. Everything is ok.”

But it wasn’t. I’d never been so angry in my entire life. I knew Hera was no good, I knew the myths and legends. But it was the damn hardwiring. I think she did something to me too, made me loyal to her. I’m not sure when it all changed, maybe during the fight with Artemis or maybe after. Things were different now; my mind was clear in that. The hardwiring was still there but it wasn’t driving me so much. I’m sure if I spoke to her again she’d have some explanation, some way to weasel out of it. But it didn’t matter, especially not after what she apparently did to my mother.

It was unforgivable.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Mom sobbed. “I promise I’ll make things right again.”

She cried some more and I let her. Grandma came to the entryway separating the kitchen and the living room. She was crying, too. She was angry as well; I could see it in her eyes. She probably felt as betrayed as I did. Hera might not have been responsible for Circe but she was as much to blame for it. She played me like a fool. This whole time, telling me all that crap about Amazons. She was trying to force me to be someone I wasn’t, someone I wasn’t prepared to be. But I was almost there now, almost to the person that I was meant to be. Not the person she tried to create. Grandma and I locked eyes and I think she knew what I was thinking. I think she was thinking it, too. There was something else at play here, something far worse than Circe. The Gods were playing with me and I didn’t like one bit.

Grandma came into the living room after a few more moments. She managed to get Mom away from me and lead her into the kitchen. Mom was a wreck and it was all Hera’s fault. I followed shortly thereafter. It was quiet at the dinner table for a while. Then Mom started talking. She apologized to everyone and then told us when things changed. She was in the middle of class and it was like a switch was flicked. I think it might have been around the time I put the vambraces on. It kinda made me happy inside to know that I might have saved my own mother from herself.

We talked a lot. We all talked for hours. Mom wanted me to come back to the city with her but I wasn’t ready. I wanted to but there was so much stuff I had to do here first. I think she understood, she said she was happy and she’d wait. It would probably be a while before things were really good between us but it was a start, right? After that she wanted to know all about my life, it was as if we were meeting for the first time. She asked me loads of questions and was particularly interested in Connor. Never once did she mention my old life as Charlie, it was if this was who I was meant to be all along. We also never mentioned my new status, whatever that was. I think she might have been a little weary about the whole super Amazon thing. It was a hot topic with us and one day we’d have to deal with it but it was fine that that day wasn’t tonight. I never thought I’d say this but I actually enjoyed talking with my mother.

I talked with Mom until it was time to go to bed. She and Jason left, both of them hugged me at the door. Mom and I made plans to meet up after school tomorrow, to start some real bonding time together. I’m not sure if it was going to last though. There was a lot of bad history between the two of us and I really liked all this new her but for some reason I was afraid of it too. I still don’t understand what Hera did to her and if this release was temporary or not. I knew from Greek Myth that the Gods took pride with screwing with mortals and Hera was particularly vengeful. She held grudges and didn’t like it when her plans were ruined. I’m not sure what her ultimate goal was but I was certain it was no good.

When I went to bed that night I was kinda sad when I looked at the window. I’d gotten so used to Glaucus sitting there that it was strange that he wasn’t. I’m not sure where he went but I think whatever job he had was now over.

After taking my shower in the morning, I went downstairs to a surprising sight. Jay and Kate were gone; I guess I was expecting that. But what I wasn’t expecting was Agent Faraday. He was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. The newspaper was sitting in front of him. I paused in the entryway, wondering what this was all about. Grandma was at the stove, fixing up some eggs and bacon, I noticed an extra plate. It looked like the Agent was going to be joining us for breakfast. I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen like everything was normal. I kissed grandma on the cheek and sat in my usual seat. Faraday sipped his coffee and smiled at me.

“Good morning Cassie” he said pleasantly “sleep well?”

I nodded. “As well as can be expected, considering”.

I looked at the newspaper. I half expected to see something about the spa on the front page. Instead, it was another story about Olivia Queen, someone tried to kill her again. I didn’t really read the details but it sounded like she was having some real problems in California. I looked from the paper back to Agent Faraday. He took another sip of his coffee then grandma served us our breakfast. She looked at Faraday a little wearily as she sat down. For the longest time the three of us ate in silence. It kinda freaked me out that he was here. He made it very clear the last time he spoke that if I ever saw him again it was going to be bad news for me. I suppose after everything I did it was pretty obvious that he’d want to talk to me.

But if he thought, he was going to lock me up somewhere he had another thing coming.

He finally spoke again. “That was a fantastic meal, Mrs. Kapatelis” He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “It reminds me of when I was a boy.”

Grandma thanked him.

I got impatient. “You didn’t come here for breakfast. So what’s the deal?”

He smiled. “Right to the point. I like the direct approach.”

Grandma cleared her throat. “I assure you Agent Faraday that my granddaughter has done everything right. She saved your men last night and stopped a very dangerous thing from happening. You can’t still think that she’s a threat to national security.”

Faraday laughed. It kinda freaked me out actually. Then he reached into his jacket and took out a large envelope, how he concealed it I don’t know. He set the envelope on the table and then smiled at grandma. “Mrs. Kapatelis, I’m not here to drag your granddaughter to prison. In fact far from it actually.”

Now I was confused. “But you said if I ever saw you again…”

He waved it off with a laugh. “I was trying to scare you.” He laughed some more, I didn’t think it was very funny. “No, the real reason I’m here is to tell you that you impressed the hell out of my boss, which if you knew him is a very hard thing to do I assure you. As I’m sure you know the Department of Extraordinary Operations doesn’t really get impressed very often. We’re a relatively new organization and we’re still trying to work out the kinks but my boss made it very clear that you are a great asset to this country.”

I knew where this was going I think and it kinda shocked me. “What are you saying?”

Faraday pushed the envelope across the table. “I’m offering you a position in our organization, Cassie. You’ll work directly under me in the Department of Metahuman Affairs, junior agent level. Your job will be on a case-by-case basis, meaning you’ll come in when we need you. Much like with Agent Allen, you’ll work with your own kind.”

I didn’t take the envelope. I didn’t really know what to do or say. When I found my voice, I surprised myself. “I’m not sure if this is really what I was expecting.”

He nodded. “No one expects this but it’s better than the alternative.”

“Which is?”

He shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

“So in other words I don’t have a choice in the matter?”

He smiled and stood up. “Welcome to the DMA, Agent Sandsmark.”

I sat numbly at the table as grandma led Faraday too the door. I stared down at the envelope in front of me. For the longest time that’s all I did. I couldn’t believe the gall of these people. They didn’t give me much of a choice. Either get locked up or work for them. It pissed me off that they decided what the rest of my life was going to be like. I suppose I could fight it; after all, there wasn’t much they could do to stop me. But I had others to think about. They couldn’t hurt me but they could hurt grandma and Mom. They might even go after Donna and Connor too. Hell, these bastards would go so far as to hurt Cissie too. I groaned, knowing that there weren’t many options.

Work for the government or go to prison. Great choices there. I took a deep breath and finally grabbed the envelope. I opened it up and dumped the contents onto the table. It was a lot of legal stuff I didn’t understand. But on the top of that was my name and picture. Cassandra Elizabeth Sandsmark, underneath which was another name.

CODENAME: Wonder Girl.

Epilogue

The old man sat on the park bench, feeding breadcrumbs to the birds. It was a bitter night, too cold to be sitting in the park like this. The wind was blowing; a bad winter storm was already predicted. In the background, he could hear the faint sounds of rumbling thunder. There hadn’t been a storm like this in the Midwest in a very long time. He’d listened to all the weather reports before he came out this evening, knowing very well that they said that unnecessary travel was not recommended. He would have been scared if he were human. But he was as far from human as a dog or a cat. He only lived in the city periodically, had a little place near the lake. It served its purpose when he needed it but it wasn’t really home. He didn’t really have a home, not anymore anyway.

They were travelers, beings from another dimension. Their real home was destroyed a millennia ago. When they opened a rift in the wall of reality and found this world, they were greeted with fear. The primitive people they discovered didn’t know how to react to such glorious beings. They took on human forms---afraid that the people would not understand their non-corporeal selves---and tried to live normal lives. It didn’t take long for them to realize that normal was not in the cards for them. So instead of living amongst the primitives they went to the highest mountain and set up home there. The primitives started calling the twelve of them Gods and named them Olympians after their home.

He and his people were flattered and after a time grew to enjoy their new status. But he enjoyed the simple life, the only one who liked to live amongst them regularly. The others were scared of man and all the darkness their hearts. But he cherished them. He loved them for their minds, for their compassion and yes, for their ability to never give up no matter what. He also loved that for all their faults, they seemed to stand up and fight back no matter what.
A loud boom of thunder sounded, followed by a bright flash of lightning. Suddenly he wasn’t alone on the bench anymore. Another man was there, arrived in a blink of the eye or so it seemed. The other reached over and took some crumbs from the little bag, scattering them for the birds as well. Neither said anything for a few minutes. Then the Other spoke:

“Why do you wear this form, my Daughter?”

The old man sighed. “It soothes me, Father.”

The Father laughed his black beard bobbing. “It unsettles me, change it please.”

The old man nodded and his form dissolved. His body transformed into a beautiful woman with long raven hair. She was dressed in a bomber jacket, tight jeans, knee-high boots. She wore glasses even though she didn’t really need them and her cane transformed into a ring on her finger, which looked like an owl’s head. She turned to the man sitting next to her, her father. He was dressed in a long duster coat with a wide brim hat, looking like a detective from a 1930's serial. She smirked, wondering if he knew his look was so outdated and clichéd.

“Is this better, Father?”

“Much my Daughter” said the man as he leaned and kissed her on the forehead.

The Daughter smiled. “Was all this really necessary? We let her go after all. I could have locked the Sorceress up for another thousand years for all she did and yet you made me let her go. She could have told us who was behind all this.”

The Father sighed. “That is why I am me and you are you. You take everyone as if they will tell you the truth. If we had captured her and interrogated her, she would have lied. Or else your Brother would have interfered, he loves her so.”

“You think he is involved?”

The Father laughed. “I think that any chance he gets your Brother will take it. He’s a bitter man.”

“I could take him Father?”

“No, my Daughter, he’s too smart for that. There’s nothing connecting this to him. He’ll have covered his tracks far too well.”

She sighed and nodded. “What of the Mother? What is her plan in all this?”

“Jealous I believe. You know how angry She gets. I think she thought she was teaching me a lesson. She’s already been dealt with. The patronage of the Amazons has been returned to your sister, your Mother will no longer have any control in what goes on there.”

The Daughter smiled. “And what of the Amazons?”

The Father smiled. He reached into his coat and took out a picture. It was a recent one; he took it himself only a few mere hours ago. It depicted a blonde girl of about sixteen, on her way into school. He reached forward with a finger and gently stroked her face. He sighed. Oh how he wished to hold her in his arms again. He’d already risked too much with her as it is. Especially when he carried her off to bed that night when she fell asleep on the couch. He broke his own rules then, going into her world like that. But he couldn’t help it; it had been so long since he’d actually had a mortal daughter.

“Father? Are you all right?”

He sighed and stuck the picture back into his coat. He nodded. “The Amazons are in good hands. Your little sister is strong and powerful. She has a lot of trials ahead of her but she will prove herself to be the new Queen. I could not be more proud of her.”

The Daughter nodded. “My Brother won’t like that you’re showering so much of your time on her.”

The Father nodded and stood. “Indeed he won’t.”

“What do we do?” asked the Daughter.

“We watch and wait. Your Brother will get impatient and try something. But I have a feeling something wonderful will happen to stop him.”

The Father disappeared after that, leaving the Daughter alone. She smiled, transforming back into the old man. She reached into the bag and scattered more bread crumbs. There was a distant hoot and she smiled. Her little sister was powerful, that she had no doubt. She would make a great Queen of the Amazons and something wonderful was going to happen.

Something Wonderful indeed.