The City of Dakota, Present Time:

"Y'know, you don't have to look at me like that every time I leave to save Metropolis."

Years had passed since she had first met Arnus, but it seemed that some things truly never changed. He was still as surly and bullheaded as he had been when they had first met each other all those years ago.

"You are no more than fourteen years old, Raquel. You should not be taking part in such dangerous encounters." Arnus grunted as he looked over the file of the most recent case he had been asked to look over by his firm.

Even though she had been heading out, intent on going to save Clark's best female bud from the cold paws that belonged to Metallo, Raquel took a moment to pause and truly process what the man had just said.

"Are you... Seriously?" She found herself at a complete loss for words momentarily, then turned a glare on the man that continued to ignore her. "I don't see you stopping Harper from going out and almost getting his head sawed off!"

Arnus' eyes never even left the paper he had been reading over. "Roy Harper has shown much more proficiency in the use of the Inertia Winder within the belts I crafted for the both of you. And he has earned my trust by knowing when to call on me when a situation was out of his hands to control."

Raquel frowned at the unspoken accusation, then scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. Take the white guy's side- don't side with the black girl. I don't care. See ya, Arnus. Maybe next time you won't have your head shoved so far up your-"

"Language."

She almost screamed out in frustration.

But instead of throwing the tantrum she knew Arnus would use against her, the young girl decided to storm out of the man's house. For good measure, she slammed the front door after she had crossed the threshold. And then she made a point of doing the one thing he'd always told her to never do- she blasted off flying from the porch's front steps.

Superman needed her to take care of Metallo while he danced with Parasite. And no amount of negative critiques from Arnus was about to stop her from doing what she did best: saving the damn day.

Yeah, it was way too early on a Saturday morning to be dealing with Arnus and Metallo. But Raquel knew better than most that there were no days off for people like her.

Gotham City:

Waking up in the comfortable bed of one of Bruce Wayne's many guest rooms was such a novelty experience that, for a moment, Zatara allowed himself to relish in the soft texture of the sheets and how easily his body was hugged by the mattress.

His taste of paradise became sour when his newly accepted protege, Jason Todd, burst in through the door of the room with a swift kick.

"Hey, old man! The butler told me to get you 'cause breakfast's ready! And for once in your life, breakfast ain't vodka mixed with cranberry juice and some stale Nilla wafers." The boisterous boy shouted, even though there was no need for such volume within the room.

Not only were they in a rather normal sized room, they were in private. None of the usual inhabitants of Bruce's home were anywhere near them. There was no need for Jason to try and make his voice travel far... Other than to bother Zatara, as he so thrived off of doing.

"Todd, must you be so loud?" He hissed at the child, only receiving a halfhearted shrug in return.

Jason was a rough sort that didn't care much about what others thought of him. It was because of this very characteristic that he hadn't allowed Zatara an ounce of peace ever since he had found out he was magical. He didn't care about pissing Zatara off. He only cared about bending magic to his whims so he could have a leg-up on his competition when he was out in the streets.

The idea of possibly becoming a superhero had not struck his young mind until months had passed since he met the now-infamous magician.

"Get up. Alfie told me to get you an' I don't wanna find out what happens when I do something he don't like. The kid says he's terrifyin' when somethin' don't go his way."

Zatara frowned and lamented being pulled away from the blissfully comfortable bed, but admitted to himself that he had work to do if he wanted to mold Jason Todd into an acceptable student of the Magical Arts.

By the time he had arrived at the dining room table, the rest of the mansion's inhabitants were already seated and waiting for their food. Alfred came in only a handful of seconds later, carrying a tray filled with assorted breakfast foods they could choose from.

Breakfast was a simple and fast affair. And by the time they had finished up with their meal, Jason was more than eager to get Zatara to teach him everything the magician knew.

With a heavy sigh, Zatara made his way to Jason and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alright. Let us head out. Bruce, Caldur, Alfred, thank you all for your hospitality." He nodded at each male, receiving a nod from them all in return. "And, once again Alfred, I am sorry for the use of magic on you. But it was a matter of utmost importance."

The man breathed in and stuck his nose into the air but didn't bother with reprimanding Zatara yet again.

So he and Jason made their way to the front of the Wayne Mansion, Zatara beginning to think of beginner lessons to teach Jason before the day was over.

When they were by the door, he heard a young voice calling out for them. And when Zatara turned to look behind himself, it was to find young Caldur running up to them.

"I am sorry to hold you, but, if you would please give me a second of your time."

Zatara bit his tongue to stop himself from pointing out to Jason that this was the proper manner in which one should ask for something. Not by shouting and threatening, as he chose to do so often.

"I am sure that you already know, Jason Todd, that what you have been allowed to see tonight is imperative to keep secret." The young boy's cool gray eyes focused on his charge, taking on a steeled edge as he spoke. "Our identities are not a matter of public discussion."

"Yeah, yeah, I got the whole spiel from the old man on the way here." Jason waved the younger's words off with a blasé nonchalance, then asked, "Anything else."

"Yes."

Zatara watched as the eyes softened just slightly, all the while the boy's shoulders straightened. "If ever you are in need of any help, you can communicate with me directly with this." The boy stepped forward and placed something in Jason's outstretched hand, "And know that while Batman is rather protective of who aids him in Gotham, I would not mind seeing you around the city. Once you have learned how to be a proper hero, of course."

The magician quirked an eyebrow at the slightly cocky tone in the young boy's voice, then looked over at Jason. Normally, this was the moment when he took up the challenge and snarled like a beast at being underestimated. Instead, the ruffian was looking down at the sleek piece of technology in his hands- seeming as if he was silently contemplating it.

After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Can I download apps into this?"

Caldur chuckled softly and made his way towards the door, opening it for them both. "It was a pleasure meeting you both. Have a great day. And may the next time we meet be on equal ground."

"Yeah, yeah."

Zatara nodded in gratitude at the young boy, then made his way out of the large Wayne Manor and into the darkened city of Gotham.

When they entered the man's home, Zatanna was surprised by how absurdly underwhelming it was.

An apartment, he had called it. Bare, Spartan, with only a couch in the large space directly in front of the front door and a bookcase that was sparsely filled with only a handful of books. There was a counter to the left of the space, where she could see the beginnings of a stovetop- although much more technologically advanced than what she was accustomed to seeing back in her home.

"There's nothing." She commented in observation, earning a small groan from Guy Gardner. "Where will I sleep?"

Flying away from Themyscira and then following this man to wherever he seemed to think was a good place to search for her father had left her tired. And even though she was eager to finally utilize the spell that would help her find the father that she had yearned for her whole life, she knew better than to try and use it when she was not at a hundred percent.

This was one of the many lessons her adoptive mother had beaten into her from a young age, after all.

There was a moment of silence between them, the man seemingly thinking about something. Then he was pushing gently at her shoulder, leading her towards the right and into a hallway. "You can use my bed tonight, kid. You need your sleep an' all."

Zatanna nodded at his kindness and thanked him politely, then allowed herself to be taken in the direction of the man's room. When they got there, it was for her to find an equally spartan bedroom: there was only a bed, with the sheets tightly pulled into the mattress, and an armoire to the side of the room. There was not even a mirror in here. Nor was there a walk-in closet, like the one her room had.

The red haired man pulled at the sheets on the bed, then picked her, "Alright. Up you go."

After he had placed her on the bed, he threw the sheets over her and patted her head softly.

"Goodnight, kid."

Zatanna blinked at his back as he left the room, then murmured, "Goodnight, adult."

Paris Island:

"You want me to what?"

"Head to Metropolis and make sure Raquel hasn't bitten off more than she can chew. Superman sent her to retrieve Lois Lane from Metallo's grasp. But you know how she can be."

Roy Harper sighed softly as he finished tying up two wannabe thieves, all the while the supermarket owner called for the police.

"Hotheaded and impulsive, you mean?" He asked rhetorically, more than aware that Icon would not vocally critique Raquel Ervin.

Even though they had both grown up together and found out about the alien's secret at the same time, Icon had always worried more over Rocket's dangerous decision making skills. Icon insisted it was because his best friend was a danger to herself. Roy knew that it was because he cared about them both equally- even though he was too socially stunted to explain himself.

"If Superman sent her, it means he thinks she can handle it. And last I checked, he had the last say when it came to her superheroing adventures." He stood up and began to make his way out of the supermarket, activating his belt to begin to levitate a couple of inches from the sidewalk.

A couple of stragglers stared at him in awe and admiration, pointing out how amazing it was to see Missile in the middle of the action. Already accustomed to such stares, the fourteen year old paid them no mind.

"Superman believed her flying skills are one hundred percent trustworthy in all situations- even though we all know she does not have the concentration skills to fly adequately for more than five minutes."

Yeah... As smart as Raquel was, she wasn't great at keeping her mind completely focused on just one task.

"So you want me to chance her wrath, again, by going to help her out even when she hasn't called on me?"

"Precisely."

Roy sighed to himself, then began to lift up higher into the air until he was far enough from the buildings around him to not accidentally hit anything in case his concentration faded.

"If she gets angry with me, you're buying me a new bow."

"You practice enough with it. And you do not even take it into combat."

With a shake of his head, the red head informed the man, "I don't need to be able to use it in battle- I've got your Inertia Winder, and that's more than enough. Archery's a hobby that helps me clear my mind."

There was a moment of silence from the other line, then Arnus grunted out, "You have a deal."

Roy ended the call and pocketed his phone, made sure that the small piece of technology was fastened safely within his multi-pocketed belt, then shot off in the direction of Metropolis.

Raquel had always been a hothead and Clark had always been a pushover. Maybe Arnus was right in sending backup, especially against Metallo. But Roy seriously wanted nothing to do with Raquel if it meant getting her pissed off at him again.

So, it took me like five years, but I have finally updated this! I am on a DC Comics kick once again and have been looking through my old stuff to see what I can finish as quickly as possible. And this story, if I really put my mind to it, could be completed within ten or so more chapters, seeing how a lot of the plot has been laid out.

For any that read, I'm so sorry for having taken so long! I hope to not disappoint you again by leaving this story on hiatus once again.

Please review!