Disclaimer: I didn't own Justice League and character last time, and it still hasn't changed.

Longer chapter than I expected, but here we are. Buried somewhere in this chapter is a reference to the James Bond movie "Octopussy". RIP Roger Moore.

Oh Brother, Who Art Thou?

26 years ago, Gotham City

The funeral was a small, private affair. Gathered in the cemetery were the priest, undertaker, grieving parents, and a newborn boy resting in his mother's arms. Next to the tombstone was a little coffin, inside of which rested the body of the baby's twin brother. The woman shed a few tears while her husband grieved silently, arm resting around her shoulders. The priest spoke solemnly over the course of the ceremony, attempting to give the young couple some measure of comfort in their time of grief. When the priest was finished, the undertaker gently set the coffin into the hole he'd dug beforehand, then shoveled the dirt back in to cover it up. The parents kneeled down before their son's grave, placed a small bouquet of flowers on the ground, then stood up and walked away, along with the priest and undertaker. Engraved on the tombstone were the words:

Here lies

Edward Jones Simmons

Taken too soon

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Present

It had been three days since Hector had woken up after being shot, and Cassandra (at her brother's insistence) had gone back to school two days ago. While her brother was at the hospital, she'd been staying with her friend Sally, Sally's cousin Penelope and her mother Margaret. At the moment, the teenager in question was sitting at a table in the cafeteria by herself with her nose in a book as she ate her lunch. The reason for her being alone was that her friend had caught a cold and was stuck at home. "Hey, Cassandra?" She looked up and saw Penelope standing nearby, holding her lunch box. "Is it okay if I sit with you?" the young girl asked shyly.

"Yeah, go ahead," she offered as she set her book aside, prompting Penelope to take a seat opposite her.

"Thanks. So… how's your brother?"

"All things considered… he's doing pretty good. He got out of bed and was walking around when I saw him yesterday."

"Should he really be out and about like that? It sounded like he was still in rough shape."

"Yeah, he's still a little banged up," Cassandra admitted. "But my brother's a tough guy, and he can be pretty stubborn sometimes. He's in a bit of a bad mood though, because the doctors won't give him any solid food yet, and he's starting to get sick of apple sauce. Maybe next time I'll bring him some pudding. Anyway, I've been meaning to ask: What do you think of school so far?"

"It's not easy being the new kid, but I like it, except for this one girl who reminds me of-"

"Well, well, well… look at these weirdos." Standing near their table was a group of four girls, with the apparent leader (a girl with copper skin, dark curly hair and a sneer on her face) being the one who'd spoken.

"… who reminds me of my stepmother," Penelope said, scowling.

"Oh great," Cassandra muttered, rolling her eyes. "Penelope, meet Queen Bee Samantha Miller and her crew, aka: 'The mean girls.'"

"She should've just kept that book in her face," one of Samantha's cohorts (a blonde with brown eyes) said with a condescending smirk as she looked at Cassandra. "Look at her."

"Yeah, no surprise she's with the newbie," another of the girls (a pale skinned brunette) commented. "I guess losers really do stick together." The two girls attempted to ignore their bullying, and succeeded in doing so, though this brought up unpleasant memories for Penelope, causing her to clench her fists tightly. This lasted up until Samantha started taking jabs about Hector being in the hospital.

"Tell me something, Samantha…" Cassandra spoke as she got up from her seat, her expression and tone of voice showing that she was angry. "Do you have parents?"

"Uh, yeah, more than-" the mean girl started, only to be interrupted.

"And do your parents care about you? Would they do anything to keep you safe? Do you ever ask yourself if they love you?"

"What're you-?"

"You see, here's the thing: My brother… I never have to ask myself if he loves me, because I know he does. When that psycho showed up, my brother's first thought was about me. He could've dodged the bullets before he jumped that guy, but instead he charged straight at him, he put his own body between me and him so I wouldn't get hurt. He was shot in the chest three times, and he still kept going until he beat the shit out of that asshole. So tell me, Samantha… would your parents ever do something like that for you?" Most of the students in the cafeteria had turned their attention towards the confrontation, as Cassandra, though shorter, had gotten in Samantha's face during her tirade. "Well?"

"I…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she said, before turning her back to her.

"You little…" Samantha reached out, grabbed Cassandra's hair, pulled her back and cocked her arm like she was going to punch her. Before she could do anything, Cassandra thrust her head back, catching the other girl right on the nose, followed up by stomping on her foot, then spun around and shoved, sending her colliding with her friends.

"Duuude, where'd those moves come from?" one of the onlookers asked.

"I might not be the martial artist my brother is, but he made sure to teach me a few things," Cassandra answered, stepping away from Samantha's gang. She then sat down again, set her elbow on the table and casually put a hand over her mouth.

"I don't care if Jackie Chan himself taught you, you little bitch!" Samantha declared angrily, bleeding from her nose.

Before her assailant could take action, Cassandra quietly muttered a spell behind her hand. "Eitnu s'ahtnamaS secaleohs." As Samantha took a step forward, she failed to notice her shoelaces coming undone, and so she tripped and fell flat on her face. "Aww, look at that, little Miss 'I'm so popular' can't even tie her own shoelaces right," Cassandra said mockingly, causing several other students to laugh at her would-be tormentor. Despite the embarrassment, Samantha and her cronies still seemed ready to fight, but then the sprinklers suddenly went off. All the cafeteria's occupants were rained on, but none more so than the four bullies. The surprise shower prompted everyone to evacuate the room, lest they be soaked all the way through. "Geez, where did that come from?" Cassandra wondered out loud.

"I have no idea," Penelope answered as she followed her out of the room. Secretly though, the young girl was holding back a satisfied smile.

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Zatanna mentally steeled herself as she approached the entrance to Wayne Manor. Despite her apprehension, she knew one way or another she'd eventually have to talk to Bruce regarding her relationship with Hector, and so she'd made the decision to confront him sooner rather than later. "Alright, just need to get it over with," she muttered to herself, standing in front of the doors. "Like ripping off a band-aid. Here goes." She then rang the doorbell and waited.

"I got it!" a young child's voice was heard from inside. A few seconds later the doors opened to reveal Mari Grayson smiling up at her. "Auntie Zee!" the little girl exclaimed, jumping up to hug her.

"Zatanna," Kory greeted, coming up behind her daughter. "Good to see you."

"Kory, Mari, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I had some free time in-between shoots, and Mari heard her 'Uncle Dami' caught a cold, so she wanted to come over to help take care of him."

"That's really nice of you," Zatanna said to Mari, who smiled proudly.

"Come in, come in," Kory offered, stepping aside to let Zatanna enter. "What brings you here?"

"Actually, I needed to talk to Bruce about something."

"What is it?" the half-Tamaranean child asked, tilting her head a little, a curious look on her face. "Did Grandpa Bruce do something?"

"It's… a private matter."

"Mari…" Kory spoke up, having picked up on Zatanna's tone. "Why don't you join Alfred in the kitchen. You can help him make chicken soup for Damian, and I'll bring Zatanna to Grandpa Bruce."

"Okay, mama." The little girl ran off towards the kitchen, leaving the two women alone.

"Bruce is down in the Batcave," Kory mentioned as they slowly walked in the direction of the study. "So… I understand you're seeing Hector Anderson, yes?

"Ah, yes, I am," she admitted. "How do you know?"

"Dick met him recently and they talked about a few things, including his history with my sister."

"He told me about that, and I suggested he talk to you guys about it. Did he also tell Dick about the two of us?"

"Actually, Dick figured that out himself. After all, he's a detective too. Don't worry, I don't believe he mentioned it to Bruce or anyone else except me."

"Bruce figured it out on his own regardless, which is why I'm here," Zatanna explained. "Since I'm going to have to deal with his overprotective big brother routine eventually, I figured I might as well just get it over with."

"I shall leave you to it. Best of luck," Kory said, parting ways with Zatanna at the entrance to the study. The magician stepped through the entrance hidden behind the grandfather clock and made her way into the Batcave, where she found Batman working at something on the computer, dressed in his suit but with the cowl down.

"Hello Bruce," Zatanna spoke up once she got near him. "We need to talk."

In response, Batman put his work on hold and turned around in his chair to look at her. "And what would you like to talk about, hm? Your relationship with Hector Anderson, perhaps?"

"Look, Bruce, I understand that you're looking out for me, and I appreciate you taking care of his hospital bill by the way, but I don't need you being your usual creepy stalker self. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm a grown woman."

"I realize that, but you're still young and fairly new to being a hero. Someone needs to look out for you."

"And by 'someone' you mean you, right? Well, you're not my father, and despite the way you act, you're not my brother either. I'm capable of making my own decisions and going out with whoever I chose."

"You are. Of course, considering your track record, you haven't always made the best choices in that regard. Constantine, for one, to say nothing of Benjamin Raymond. If it hadn't been for your cousin Zachary-"

"Shut up!" she exclaimed. "How the hell was I supposed to know he was going to try to force me to marry him so he could sell my soul to Mammon?"

"All I'm saying is you could stand to be a bit more careful. That's all."

Zatanna took several deep breaths to calm down. "Look, Hector's not like that. He's a good man, he has a job, he's smart, friendly, respectful, and yes, he has problems, but they're no worse than anyone else's."

"How's he doing?"

"Huh?"

"His injuries. He was shot protecting his sister from a vengeful drug dealer with a gun."

"How do you know what happened?"

"I hacked into the police department's computers and read Detective Decker's report on the incident."

"Right. He's still recovering, but he has great vitality." Bruce gave her a blank stare at this, causing her to realize what it might sound like. "Not what I meant! Get your mind out of the gutter! I mean that he's tough and stubborn. Actually, he's a lot like someone else I know, except not as much of an ass." Zatanna said the last part while giving him a pointed look. "You know... funny thing is, if it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have met."

"I assume you're referring to the tickets for your show I sent him as thanks for helping Diana. Most people wouldn't have figured out the situation like he did."

"Like I said, he's smart."

"Putting that aside, I trust he hasn't pressured you into doing anything you're not ready for?"

"You don't need to worry about that, he's been a perfect gentleman. If anything..."

"Yes...?" Bruce said expectantly.

"I mean... if anything it's not your business!" Zatanna blurted out, trying to cover up her slip of the tongue.

"Hm… maybe he's not the one I need to be worried about."

"Bruuuuuce!"

"In fact, it sounds like he has more self-control than you."

"Hey! Hector and I have been going out for months. How long do you usually wait before jumping into bed with your bimbo of the week?"

"Very funny," Bruce commented dryly.

"Just let me enjoy my personal life without you butting in. Please?"

"I'll do my best."

"... I suppose that's as good as I'm gonna get," Zatanna said, an unsurprised look on her face. "Just one last thing: If leaving Hector alone is too much for you, at least wait until he's out of the hospital before you go all 'I'm Batman' on him."

"Fine. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do." With that said, Zatanna bid him goodbye and walked out of the cave.

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Shortly after the events in the school cafeteria, Cassandra (and several other girls) had been in the bathroom drying off when she'd been called into the principal's office. Principal Johnson (a grey haired, overweight middle-aged man) had questioned Cassandra about the confrontation between her and Samantha, cited the school's policy regarding violence, and insisted that her response had been inappropriate. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"

"Were you even listening to me?" Cassandra asked disbelievingly. "Forget that Samantha was verbally bullying me and Penelope, she assaulted me, and I was defending myself."

"Ms. Miller claims you assaulted her, and seeing as she has a bloody nose and bruised foot, whereas you don't have a scratch on you, she looks more like the victim than you do. I've half a mind to suspend you for this."

Cassandra was deep in thought, a pensive look on her face as she considered her response. "Alright, think about this. I'm a young teenage girl who's just gone through a very stressful, difficult, emotional time. A few days ago, I had a gun pointed at me by a psycho who shot my brother, my only family member, and now he's in the hospital recovering from his injuries. In the meantime, a school bully not only verbally abuses me, but she assaults me too, and you want to suspend me because I had the nerve to stand up for myself? By the way, I didn't use excessive force, and I stopped once I shoved her away from me, so it's not like I kept wailing on her. So... how do you think it would look if you suspended me like this? Hmm?"

"I think it would not look good," someone spoke up as they entered the room. The newcomer looked like a stereotypical lawyer, clean shaven, dressed in a crisp suit and tie and holding a briefcase. When Cassandra turned around to get a look at him her mouth dropped open in shock, since he was almost a mirror image of her brother, with the same black hair and green eyes, albeit a little shorter, less muscular, and sporting a pair of round glasses.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" the principal asked.

"Oliver Simmons, attorney at law. I came to this school because a friend of mine who teaches asked me to do a presentation for his class. I was passing by the cafeteria when I witnessed the incident involving Ms. Anderson here, and I can assure you that she's not at fault."

"M. Simmons, she broke another student's nose and stomped on her foot, do you really think that-?"

"Objection! M. Johnson, as decreed by the supreme court: 'Those engaging in self-defense are privileged to use such force as reasonably appears necessary to defend him or herself against an apparent threat of unlawful and immediate violence from another.' In this case, Ms. Anderson used reasonable force against the threat of violence posed by the other girl, Ms. Miller, I believe, and ceased the application of said force once she distanced herself from her attacker."

"Look, you're not a staff member, or even a relative or guardian of one of our students. Ms. Miller claims she's the one who was attacked, so unless you have any proof, you need to leave."

"As a matter of fact, I do have proof." Oliver reached into his briefcase and pulled out a smart phone. "A young man recorded everything on his phone, and he was kind enough to provide me with a copy of the video. If you'll take a moment to watch this, I believe it will be sufficient evidence to fully exonerate Ms. Anderson of any wrongdoing." He proceeded to play the video on his phone, which showed the earlier incident in full. "As you can see, Ms. Miller was clearly the instigator, so she obviously lied about her role in these events."

"But-"

"But nothing. Now, you have two choices here. One, you can drop this and that'll be it. Two, you can continue with your current course of action, in which case I will personally bring this matter before a judge and see to it that you face legal consequences."

"But- but you can't!" the principal protested, quickly losing his composure. "You can't just make that kind of decision for her!"

"Ms. Anderson," Oliver said, turning towards Cassandra. "Will you permit me to press charges on your behalf?"

"Yes, yes I will," Cassandra replied, shaking off her surprise at his appearance.

"You're still a minor, and-" the principal piped up, only to be interrupted again.

"My brother put himself in front of a psycho with a gun to protect me," she reminded the principal. "You really think he won't have my back in this?"

"I... I... Alright. I'll drop it. There won't be any consequences."

Oliver nodded at this, satisfied by the results. "Good. And just in case there's any more problems here..." He then fished out a business card from his briefcase and set it on the principal's desk. "Good day, M. Johnson." He then turned around and walked out of the office, holding the door open long enough for Cassandra to go through.

"Hey, thanks for what you did back there," the teenage girl said gratefully as they joined the others in the hallway.

"My pleasure. I know lawyers are often seen as soulless, money grabbing and morally questionable, but I've always hated seeing injustice like this." Oliver pulled out another business card and gave it to Cassandra. "Here. If anyone else tries to get you into trouble over this, give me a call."

"Wait," Cassandra spoke up before he could walk away. "There's something else I need to talk about."

"What is it?"

"It's about my brother. You see, we aren't actually related, my parents adopted him before I was born, and before that he lived in Gotham, but we don't know anything about his biological parents or other family, and, well..." Cassandra took out her phone and showed Oliver a picture of Hector. "I mean, there's some difference, but you could practically be his twin."

"I see what you mean. Tell me, how old is your brother?"

"He's 26."

"So am I. And was he born in Gotham, or did he just live there?"

"As far as he remembers, he was born there."

"Interesting..." Oliver remarked with curiosity. The bell rang across the school, signaling the end of the lunch break and for students to get back to class. "Why don't we meet at the entrance once you're done for the day? I'd very much like to meet your brother."

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you later."

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

A few hours later, Cassandra was waiting for Oliver by the entrance, having already asked Penelope to tell her aunt that she wouldn't be coming back right after classes. As she stood there outside, her phone started ringing and she saw an incoming call from Kara. "Hey, Kara," she greeted her friend.

"Hey Cassandra, I just heard that your brother's in the hospital," the other girl said with concern. "Is he gonna be alright?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine. Thanks for asking."

"Of course. How're you doing?"

"It's not easy," Cassandra admitted. "My brother's been taking care of me since I was born, and he's been my only family for almost half my life. To me, he always seemed invincible, like he was Superman, and seeing him hurt like this... well, it sucked. Also, I kind of got in a fight with another girl at lunch today."

"Really? What happened?"

"The short story is that she made fun of my brother being in the hospital, so I got in her face, she grabbed my hair and tried to hit me, so I hit her instead."

"Did you kick her ass?" Kara asked.

"I only hit her a couple times to get her off me, but she still looked ready to go, and if the sprinklers hadn't gone off, I probably would've kicked her ass."

"My cousin probably wouldn't agree with me encouraging violence and all, but you go girl!"

Cassandra laughed at Kara's words. "Ha! Thanks. Oh yeah, after that, she tried blaming the whole thing on me, and I got sent to the principal's office, but this lawyer dude just showed up and basically told the principal to let me off the hook, and he did."

"Cool."

"Hey, I just thought of something. Your cousin's a journalist at the Daily Planet, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Do you... know how my brother ended up in the hospital?"

"I, uh, heard that he was shot, but I don't know the details more than that," Kara said uncertainly.

"The thing is... my brother was protecting me from a gunman who was threatening to kill me, an eight-year-old girl and two other people, and I want people to know what he did for me, for us. Do you think you could talk to your cousin and get him to do an interview?"

"Yeah sure, I'll talk to him."

Cassandra then noticed Oliver approaching. "I've gotta go now, but I appreciate this. Thanks Kara."

"No problem. Talk later. Bye!"

"Hey Oliver," Cassandra greeted the lawyer as she put away her phone. "You ready to meet your long-lost twin?"

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Elsewhere in the city, a very short man with dark hair was sitting on a chair waiting for someone, when a tall read headed woman walked into the room. "I got your message," the woman said, choosing not to sit down. "Whatever this is, it'd better be worth it."

"Of course it's worth it you dumb c-!" the man started.

"Stop. Right. There," the woman warned him sternly. "You finish that sentence, and I swear I'll crush you into paste, you little bastard."

"Why you...!" The two of them glared at each other angrily for several seconds, before simmering down a little. "Fine. You hate me, and I hate you, but I think we can both agree that we hate Wonder Woman even more."

"You're right about that."

"Now, from what I've heard, Wonder Bitch is supposed to be on a diplomatic mission somewhere on the other side of the world, and Troia's watching over the city while she's gone. I propose we temporarily set our differences aside, and team up to take out the sidekick."

"Get at Wonder Woman by going after her sidekick? Alright. Do you at least have a plan?"

"It's simple. You confront her out in the open, get her attention, and I'll hide up on a rooftop. Then, when she's busy with you, I'll just brain blast her and we can finish her off. So... how about it?"

The woman stayed silent for several seconds as she considered his proposition. "I'll go along with this, but you'd better do your part, or else..."

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

At the hospital, Hector was sitting in his bed with a book that Adolf had brought him when he and his family had come to see him. Several other visitors had come over the past few days, leaving get well cards which sat on his bedside table. His reading was interrupted and he looked up when Cassandra let herself in. "Hey, big bro!"

"Marhabaan shakhs qasir," (Hello short person) Hector spoke, pronouncing each syllable slowly. "No, that's not right," he muttered, flipping through the pages for a couple seconds. "Marhabaan 'ukhti alsaghira." (Hello little sister)

"Umm, what?"

"I'm trying to learn Arabic," Hector explained, holding up the book.

"Ooooh, I see. What did you just say?"

"I said 'Hello, little sister'."

"Cool. So... I brought someone here that I thought you should meet. Oliver," she called out into the hallway, prompting the young lawyer to walk in the room. The two men stared at each other for several seconds.

"Huh... didn't see this one coming," Hector commented. He then set his book aside and held out his hand. "Hector Anderson."

The bespectacled man walked up to the bed and shook Hector's hand. "Oliver Simmons."

"How did this come about?" Hector asked, looking at his sister.

"I met Oliver when he walked into the principal's office and got me off the hook because I got in a fight that I didn't start. I'll give you the details later, but you can imagine I noticed the similarities between you and him."

"Your sister tells me you're 26, and you were born in Gotham?" Oliver said inquiringly.

"Yeah, that's right."

"That's interesting, because I was born 26 years ago in Gotham City myself. My parents told me I had a twin brother who died when I was about a month old or so, but considering the resemblance... well, it's enough to make me wonder if they weren't keeping a secret from me." The three of them remained silent for a moment as this sunk in. "When's your birthday, anyway?"

"Almost two months ago."

"Oh. Mine's three months past. Guess that spoils the long-lost twin theory."

"Not necessarily," Hector informed him. "I was a homeless kid before my sister's parents took me in. No memories of my parents, no name, no papers, nothing. All I had was this." He pulled out his bronze medal and showed it to Oliver. "It belonged to my mother. I don't suppose this means anything to you?"

Oliver looked over the medal, before passing it back to Hector. "Well... My parents did like to travel when they were younger. Who knows? This could be a souvenir from one of their trips."

"What about a DNA test?" Cassandra suggested. "Wouldn't that tell if you guys are actually related?"

"Good idea," Oliver said. "I know a scientist who works at Star Labs. He owes me a favour, so I'm sure he could take care of this for us. Probably get it done in a day or two. So how about it?"

"Sure, I'm willing," Hector answered, writing his number on a piece of paper and giving it to Oliver.

"Great. I'll call my friend and get him onboard as soon as possible, and your sister has my card if you need to get in touch with me. See you later."

"So..." Cassandra spoke up once Oliver was gone. "About what happened at school today..."

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Clark Kent was in a good mood. Perry White was happy with his work at the Daily Planet, criminals in Metropolis were quiet lately, and his mother had given him an apple pie to take home after he'd been to visit her in Smallville. However, none of those were the main reason why he was humming a happy tune and tapping his foot as he buttoned up his shirt and tied his tie. The reason he was in such a good mood, why he was dressing up nicely, was that he had a date with Lois Lane. Despite being shocked when he'd revealed his secret identity (and embarrassed due to having previously mentioned certain things about Clark to Superman), she'd eventually gotten over it and the two had started a relationship. Clark was looking himself over in the mirror when he heard someone knocking at the door. "Come in," he called out.

"Hey cuz," Kara said as she walked into his apartment. "What's with the suit? You got a big date or something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," he answered with a smile.

"Really? You?"

"Don't sound too surprised. I do have a life you know."

"Who is it? Diana? Lana? That blond woman who lives in the apartment above? At least tell me it's not Maxima. Even you couldn't be that desperate."

"Did you need something?" Clark asked politely.

"Ah, yes, I do. See, there's this girl I'm friends with, Cassandra Anderson. Her brother's in the hospital after saving four people from a gunman, including her, and she wants to tell his story. You think you could do an interview for her?"

"Yeah, sure. I can even do it tomorrow."

"Great. I'll give her a call and we can set it up for tomorrow then. Hope you have a fun date."

"Thanks."

"By the way... you know I'm gonna find out who she is eventually, right?"

"I'm sure you will."

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Late that evening, some time after Oliver had returned with the DNA test then left to bring it to Star Labs, Hector was lying in his hospital bed when a regal, dark haired woman appeared in his room. She had supermodel good looks, wore an iridescent dress with eye markings like peacock feathers, and a gold circlet atop her head. She turned to look at the door and waved her hand, causing the air around it to shimmer for a second, then focused her attention on Hector. "You can stop pretending to be asleep now."

Hector pulled the covers aside, sat up straight and turned to face his visitor. "June," he greeted her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"We're alone. I'll thank you to use my proper name."

"As you wish, Lady Hera," Hector said, bowing his head. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Queen of Olympus? I'm sure you didn't come here just to check on me."

"I did not." Hera waved her hand, conjuring an image in mid-air of the star-spangled, black clad heroine known as Troia, flying over the city. "The Fates have warned me of a plot against one of our champions. It seems that Princess Diana's enemies wish to strike at her by going through her sister. As her patron goddess, I intend to prevent this by sending you to assist her." The projection of Troia flew to the side, narrowly avoiding a car thrown at her by Giganta. "I might point out that another appearance as Spartan while you're still in the hospital would help convince people you're not him, and Princess Diana will likely be grateful to you for helping her sister. It might even make her think twice before she decides to punch you through a building."

"Marc told you about that, did he?"

"He did. Now, will you help my champion?"

"I want four things," Hector said as he stood up off the bed. "My suit, something to make it look like I'm still here in case anyone comes to check on me, for you to bring me there and back, and I want you to convince your husband to let Cassandra see her mother."

"The first three are no problem," Hera declared, dismissing the image of Troia fighting Giganta. "I may even be able to arrange a visit for one day, but I can't make promises. You know what my husband is like."

"Will you at least try your best?"

"It's a small price to pay, so yes."

"In that case, I'll do it." Hera snapped her fingers, at which Hector's vigilante outfit appeared on the floor, while a dummy lookalike appeared in the bed. Hector quickly got dressed, put his utility belt around his waist and tapped his earring to summon his helmet. "Let's go." Hera then waved her hand and teleported him away.

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Spartan materialized on a rooftop at the other end of the city. From his perch he watched the ongoing battle between Troia and Giganta through his telescopic lenses, and keeping in mind what Hera had said about plotting villains, he chose to stay back and wait. Shortly after his arrival, just as Troia was about to deliver an uppercut to her enemy, she suddenly stopped in mid-air and clamped her hands over her head, crying out in pain. A second later she was struck by a car sized fist that sent her crashing into the pavement below. Spartan turned his attention away from the scene, looking for any suspicious characters, and soon noticed the diminutive villain known as Dr Psycho perched on a rooftop in the distance, watching the beating with a gleeful expression. Spartan put his lenses away and took off running, leaping across to the next building, then the next one, and the next one after, until he made it to Psycho's rooftop, the villain standing on the opposite end with his back to him. Spartan stood still for a moment, willing himself to ignore the pain and stiffness as he breathed in quietly, and once he felt calm enough he began to slowly creep forward.

Psycho failed to notice anything until Spartan wrapped a hand around his neck and started to choke him. He struggled uselessly against the iron grip around his throat, legs dangling in the air and a panicked look on his face as Spartan spoke a few words to taunt him. "Attacking someone from behind? How barbaric. Then again, I'm no better." The villain quickly passed out from lack of oxygen, at which point Spartan tossed him aside.

Turning his attention back to the battle, Spartan saw Giganta with her hands wrapped around Troia, trying to crush her in her grip. Taking note of the distance between the building he was standing on and Giganta, Spartan stepped back, then ran forward as fast as possible and jumped off the edge. Spartan sailed through the air and landed on Giganta's wrist, catching himself on her suit with one hand and grabbing Troia with the other. "What the-?"

Before Giganta could react, Spartan jammed his heel into her wrist, hitting a nerve bundle and forcing her hand open. As he and Troia fell, Spartan reached for the grappling gun on his belt that he'd built the week before. 'This had better work,' he thought to himself. Fortunately the grappling gun did work, allowing Spartan to swing himself and Troia away from Giganta, landing safely, if a bit brusquely. Wasting no time, Spartan quickly threw down a smoke bomb, using the cover to carry the woozy heroine into an alleyway.

"Ow," Troia said as her mind cleared shortly after. Slowly standing up against the brick wall, she glanced at her rescuer who was half standing in the shadows, preventing her from getting a good look at him. "Spartan, is it? Since you saved me from Giganta, I assume you're here to help?" Spartan merely nodded in response. "Great, but I think Dr. Psycho-"

"Is unconscious," he interrupted.

"I assume that one's on you?"

"Yes. Can you fight?"

"You bet," she said eagerly, cracking her knuckles.

"Patience. I have a plan."

"Let's hear it." Spartan quickly outlined his idea to her. "Okay, I can get behind that."

Giving her a short nod, Spartan stepped back onto the street. He then proceeded to get Giganta's attention by pulling out his bow, grabbing two arrows… and shooting her in the ass. Giganta shouted a few choice swear words and grabbed her butt cheeks, then turned around and plucked out the arrows like slivers, giving Spartan a death glare. "What the hell's your problem, little man? You got a death wish?"

In response, Spartan calmly put away his bow and arrows, held his arms up high, gave her the middle finger with both hands and shouted: "Gia ti dóxa tis Íras!" (For the glory of Hera!)

"Your funeral." Giganta brought down her fist in an attempt to crush Spartan, only to miss when, in a fluid display of acrobatics, he jumped, did a handspring off her hand, grappled her thumb as he was coming down and pulled back hard enough to break it. "OW!" As the villainess was reeling from this, Spartan sprinted towards her legs, took out his sword mid-stride and slashed at her calf. Giganta howled in pain, stumbling as she put all her weight on her other leg, but before she could do anything, Troia flew down at super speed with both arms straight out and slammed fists first into Giganta's knee with an audible crack. The super-sized villainess toppled over with a resounding crash, only for Troia to fly at her head and punch her in a pressure point just below the ear, making her fall unconscious.

Spartan changed his sword back into a pen and took the chance to catch his breath. "Hey, thanks for helping me out here," Troia said.

"Thank Hera. She sent me."

"Still, thanks anyway. You fought well."

"As did you, Princess." The two warriors saluted each other, Troia by crossing her arms over her chest, and Spartan with a fist over his heart. "Look," Spartan said all of a sudden, looking up and pointing at something behind Troia. "It's Superman."

Troia instinctively turned around to look in the direction he was pointing, but saw nothing. "What're you talking about?" she asked, turning back around. "There's no-" Troia stood still for a few seconds, realizing that Spartan had disappeared in the short span of time she'd had her back to him.

A short distance away, Spartan chuckled to himself, then clenched his teeth as the adrenaline wore off. "Not bad," Hera commented as she appeared nearby. "Although I can hardly believe you'd pull off such a childish trick."

"It worked, didn't it? Now, if you wouldn't mind fulfilling the rest of our bargain, I'd appreciate it… Lady Hera."

"You've spent too much time with Hermes," she muttered. "No matter, I will keep my word as best I can." And with that said, the Queen of the Gods teleported him away once again.

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

The following day, Hector was in his room reading while waiting for his interview with Clark Kent when his phone rang. Although annoyed by the interruption, his mood brightened when he saw that the incoming call was from Zatanna. "Hello there."

"Hello yourself, big boy," Zatanna replied. "How're you doing?"

"Still not a hundred percent, but I'm feeling a lot better."

"That's good. Hey, are you alone right now?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering. I'm a little bored up here on the Watchtower, in my room, on my bed, alone." Something in the way she whispered the word 'alone' made Hector's heart beat a little faster. "You know, I've been thinking about the plans we made, and how even though you're still recovering, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun."

"So… what're you wearing?"

"Right now I'm wearing my usual outfit, fishnet stockings and black knee high leather boots, minus the top hat. I'm feeling a little warm, so I'll slowly bend over, letting my hair fall down over my chest as I reach down and pull my boots off." Hector pressed the phone against his ear as he pictured Zatanna bending over to remove her boots, displaying the smooth curves of her backside. "Ah…" she said with relief, almost moaning. "Oh yeah, it feels good to have those off. Now I'll remove my coat, lie down, stretch my legs out and loosen my collar."

"Go on…" Hector urged her.

"My fingers slowly move down from my collar, undoing my buttons one by one. It's a little hard to breathe though, I can feel my breasts pressing against the fabric. I finally undo the last button and take a deep breath, and my shirt slides off the side, exposing my chest, and my lacy black brassiere." Hector could feel his heart beating in his ears as Zatanna described herself taking off her clothes one by one, until she was down to her bra, panties and fishnet stockings. "Now I arch my back, slip my fingers into my stockings, and brush my hands against my butt as I slide my stockings down my long, slender legs. I don't have much left, but it still feels a little hot in here, so I'm tugging on my bra to let some air get to my chest. Oh yeah, that's gooooood…"

"If it's so hot, you should just take it off," Hector immediately suggested, completely engrossed in his girlfriend's dirty talk.

"I wish you were here to help, but I suppose I'll have to make do without your big, strong hands." Zatanna moaned and groaned for several seconds, then let out a sigh. "Finally, I'm rid of that thing. But now that it's gone, it's a little chilly in here, and I can feel myself perking up. Maybe I shouldn't take off any more. Maybe I should put my clothes back on."

"Guh! Please, don't stop there."

"I don't know…" she drawled. "Have you been a good boy?"

"I'll be whatever the hell you want me to be, but for god's sake, don't leave me hanging like this," Hector pleaded.

"Since you asked so nicely. Evomer ym seitnap." There was a whooshing noise as Zatanna cast her spell. "Guess what I'm wearing now? If you get it right, I might give you a reward."

"Is it nothing?"

"Good guess. Now, I just need you to wait a little longer while I take a picture." Several seemingly interminable seconds later, Hector's phone notified him of an incoming text. "Take a good look. If it doesn't make you happy, then I must have done something wrong."

Hector held his phone in front of his face and opened the text she'd just sent. His eyes went wide and he let out a groan at the sight of Zatanna's naked body in a sexy pose, sucking the tip of her finger and cupping a breast with her free hand. However, he was only able to appreciate the sight for a short moment before-

"M. Anderson?"

"GAH!" Though normally aware of his surroundings, Hector had been so focussed on his conversation with Zatanna that he'd failed to notice his visitor's arrival. Caught by surprise, his phone flew out of his hand, hit the ceiling and landed back on his bed.

"Wha-?" Zatanna began, only to be interrupted when Hector quickly picked up his phone and blurted out that he was sorry, had to go and would talk later, then hung up.

"Um… hi. Clark Kent," his visitor introduced himself awkwardly, standing in the doorway with his briefcase. "Sorry I scared you there."

"Did you see or hear anything?" Hector demanded, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I promise I didn't eavesdrop on your conversation, if that's what you mean."

Hector eyed Clark suspiciously for a moment, before deciding that he was in fact telling the truth. "Sorry for reacting like that. I was just distracted and you startled me."

"I understand," Clark said, giving him a reassuring smile. "How're you feeling, M. Anderson?"

"I'm not about to run a marathon, but I'm fine, really. I trust that your cousin told you what I want in return for this interview?"

"Yes, and I'd be happy to show your sister around the Daily Planet, introduce her to a few people and tell her all about what it's like to be a journalist."

"If you could also introduce her to Lois Lane, I think she'd appreciate it."

"I can probably manage that. Do you mind if I have a seat?" he asked, motioning to a nearby chair.

"By all means."

"Thank you." Clark pulled the chair over and sat down close to the bed so that he was facing Hector, then pulled out a pen and notepad. "So, are you ready to start the interview?"

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Mount Olympus, home of the gods of Ancient Greece, who, despite their grandeur, immortality and divine powers, weren't that different from most people. One thing they had in common was gossip. In fact, as several of them were lounging about while attended by servants, the subject of their discussion was Hector's love life. "So, Hector and Zatanna seem to be getting closer and closer," Hermes spoke up, tossing a grape in the air and catching it in his mouth.

"Do you think they've 'done the deed' yet?" Apollo asked.

"Didn't seem like it last time I talked to him, although according to Morpheus, Zatanna did have a veeeeery suggestive dream. Something about the two of them sneaking into a shower stall at a public pool."

"You know, the boy never struck me as the adventurous type," Dionysus remarked in between gulps of wine.

"True, he may be a bit reserved," Aphrodite agreed. "But I'm sure you'll recall that he and Alice were very passionate with each other. Besides, he's really into Zatanna just as she's into him, so it's not like it could never happen."

"Bah, I liked it better when he was with the Thanagarian girl," Ares said. "Wicked fighter, fierce, and didn't take crap from anyone."

"Didn't they beat each other black and blue the first time they met?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, that was fun to watch."

"So how long do you think it'll take before they get laid?" Hermes said. "I'm thinking a week, maybe two."

"She's a bit small and thin at the waist though," the God of War pointed out. "She might break as soon as he sticks his cock in-"

"Do you really have to be so crude?" the sun god interrupted. "Besides, she may be small, but she seems like a strong woman."

"Shut up, pretty boy. I still say it'll take longer before they start screwing each other."

"I think it'll be sooner," the Goddess of Love butt in. "They're like a dam that's starting to crack. Any more pressure and it'll break completely and let loose. Trust me, they're so close to sleeping together I can feel it."

The group of gods then took notice of Hera who was approaching them. "Ah, Hera, care to join us?" the God of Thieves offered. "We were just discussing Hector and Zatanna, and how long we think it'll take for them to hook up."

"No thanks," she answered curtly. "I need a word with Aphrodite. In private, if you please."

"Why certainly," Aphrodite said as she slowly stood up and stretched her arms. "Lead the way." The two goddesses walked away gracefully and made their way to Hera's empty chambers, where the Queen of Olympus poured two glasses of golden wine and offered one to Aphrodite. "So how can I help you? You're not trying to get at one of your husband's Demi-god children again, are you?"

"No, I'm not out to harm any of my husband's bastard children," Hera answered cooly.

Aphrodite nodded contentedly at this. "I'd hate to see a repeat of that situation in Milan years ago. It's a good thing Hector was able to save that poor little boy, what with everything that went down."

"In case you've forgotten, it was never my intention for the child to be hurt. I may have planted the idea in that man's mind to kidnap the boy, but he wasn't actually going to harm him. I didn't know his subordinate was going to betray him and try to dispose of the boy, let alone that a demon worshipping cult wanted to take the child for themselves. And throwing Hector's annual test at him on top of all that was not my idea either. In any case, Hector saved that harlot's son and he was generously compensated for his efforts."

"That is true," Aphrodite admitted.

"Speaking of Hector, he's actually the reason I want your help." Hera then proceeded to tell her companion about the warning the Fates had given her, how she'd recruited Hector to intervene on her behalf, and the bargain she'd struck with him in exchange for his help.

"That boy…" the Goddess of Love muttered with a fond smile. "Always thinking about his little sister. Very well, I'll help you."

"Good. I want to borrow your girdle to seduce my husband so he'll be more… amenable to my request."

"Like you did during the Trojan War?"

"Something like that."

Aphrodite was quiet for a moment, taking a sip of wine as she thought about it. "Tell you what, I'll lend you my girdle, but I'd like to suggest an alternative plan besides swaying your husband's mind exclusively with sex."

"The Goddess of Love advising me against sex? What's this world coming to?"

"Oh no, I'm not suggesting you avoid having sex with him," Aphrodite clarified. "I'm just saying you should build up to it. Dress up nicely, go down to earth and take him out for some fine dining, wine, and music to set the mood. Romance him while you're there. Flirting, light touching, sexual tension, the whole show. Maybe try dancing and pressing your body against him, give him a peek at what's awaiting him, you know?"

"Are you sure about this?" Hera questioned her doubtfully.

"Come now, if done right, foreplay can only enhance the experience. And even if you are ultimately trying to get something from your husband, who's to say you can't have fun doing it?"

Hera had a thoughtful look on her face for a moment, then her lips curved into a slight smirk. "I suppose you have a point."

"Excellent!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Now let's make some magic!"

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Later in the day, after an uneventful shift on the Watchtower, Zatanna decided to put on a change of clothes and teleport down to earth to see Hector. As she walked into the hospital, she thought back their call earlier, wondering what had happened that it was cut short. When she arrived at his room she walked through the door… and stopped in her tracks. To her surprise she saw Hector sitting in bed, and an identical man standing beside him. "Umm… hello?" she spoke up, confused.

"Hey Zee," Hector greeted her with a smile. "This is Oliver Simmons. Oliver, this is my girlfriend, Zatanna Zatara."

"Nice to meet you," Oliver said politely.

"Yeah, hi. Would anyone care to explain… this?"

"Oliver met Cassandra at school yesterday and brought him to meet me because she thought we might be long lost twins," Hector explained to her.

"We decided to take a DNA test and sent it to someone I know at Star Labs," Oliver continued. "I stopped by here because I got the results back."

"Oh, and what did it say?"

"Despite the obvious resemblance, it turns out that we aren't related by blood. It's a shame, when I was a kid I always wanted a brother. Oh well. I should get going, I have to catch a plane in the morning, but it was interesting meeting you Hector."

"Likewise. Goodbye Oliver." The two men shook hands, and then Oliver walked away.

With him gone, Zatanna went over to Hector and the two of them shared a tender kiss. "So… you mind telling me what happened when I called you earlier? I was having fun playing with you, before you just ended it like that."

"Believe me, I enjoyed it too. In fact, I saved that picture you sent into a very private folder on my phone."

"I'm flattered, but you still haven't answered my question."

"Cassandra had asked me to do an interview for Clark Kent from the Daily Planet about what happened, and unfortunately he walked in while I was on the phone with you, and caught me by surprise. On the bright side, I'm pretty sure he wasn't eavesdropping and didn't notice what was going on."

"Oooooh. So, how did you not notice him?" Zatanna asked coyly. "I thought your friends' son said you were like a ninja, always aware of your surroundings and stuff."

"Yes, well, it's hard to be aware of your surroundings when you're distracted. And you, Zatanna Zatara…" Hector slid his hands around Zatanna's waist as he talked. "… you can be very, very distracting."

Zatanna then grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him again. "I wish…"

"What?"

"I wish you weren't in such a weakened condition." In a moment of spontaneity, Hector surprised Zatanna by jumping out of bed.

"Cassandra's still staying at her friend's house. If we get out of here, we'll have the apartment to ourselves. We could finally put that bed to good use."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely. I'll be fine, I just need some clothes so I can leave this place."

"Just a second." Zatanna quickly muttered a spell and Hector found himself dressed in regular clothes. "Now come on, let's get out of here," she said excitedly.

The lovers left the room and walked at a fast pace, intent on leaving the hospital as soon as possible. One particular bureaucratic doctor tried to protest Hector leaving so soon, only to change his mind when Hector crossed his arms and looked down at him intimidatingly. Once Hector finished checking out, they stepped outside, hailed a cab and got in the back, sparing only a few seconds to give the driver directions before they started making out. Unfortunately, this only lasted until Zatanna got a call on her Justice League communicator. "Are you freaking kidding me!?" she shouted a few seconds later. "He what?" … "Why me?"… "Then call Dr Fate and tell him to put on his tin can helmet!"… "No, I'm not… ARGH! Fine!" Zatanna then turned to look at Hector apologetically. "I'm really, really, sorry about this."

"I may not like it, but I understand," Hector said.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I'll hold you to it." Zatanna got the driver to pull over, then paid him to take Hector home and stepped out of the cab. She then cast a spell to change back into her working clothes, leaned in through the open window to give her boyfriend a parting kiss and teleported away a moment later.

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

Hector thanked the driver as he stepped out of the cab at his apartment building (with the man offering his sympathy for his and Zatanna's ruined evening), then slowly climbed the stairs to his place. Once inside, he closed the door behind him, put his keys away and turned on the lights, allowing him to see the visitor sitting at his table. "Hector Anderson," he greeted him in a deep voice.

"Batman."

#*&? #$%?&*()(*&?%$%?&*()(*?$#$?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*(*&?%$#$%?&*&?%$#$%?

26 years ago, Gotham City

A half-moon provided some illumination in the cemetery where little Edward Simmons had been buried, a place that at the moment was eerily quiet. The scene was eventually disturbed when an eagle flew down to perch itself on Edward's tomb, and before long it was joined by a dove, swan, vulture, deer, owl, serpent, leopard, donkey, peacock, tortoise and a horse. When all twelve animals were gathered around, the earth before the tomb began to shift and roll over on itself. The little coffin rose from the ground and the lid fell off, revealing the baby's unmoving body. Several minutes passed by as the animals all looked straight at the body, until suddenly the baby opened his eyes and started crying. A tall, dark haired woman in a green flowing robe walked gracefully through the night, looking regal, albeit very tired. The animals stepped aside to let her approach the wailing baby, and as soon as she held him in her arms he immediately stopped crying. She made soothing sounds at the child for a moment, her face showing a tender expression, then turned her attention towards the animals around her. "If you don't mind, I'd like a moment alone with my son."

The animals all retreated to the edge of the cemetery, giving the mother and child some space. Holding him with one arm, the woman reached into her robe and pulled out a bronze medal with the earth engraved on one side while the other was blank. She gave it to the boy, who promptly grabbed it with his tiny hands and put it in his mouth. As he was drooling over the medal, his mother spoke a few words. "Against fear, be brave. Against despair, have courage. When hope seems lost, remember you are strong. Now go, live, love and be loved."

So, hope you liked it, and, as always, reviews are appreciated (unless you're just going to rant, in which case I'll probably ignore or troll you).

So, the scene where Zatanna is talking dirty over the phone was inspired by the Justice League fic "Talk Dirty To Me", by author Alice Strife. It's funny, and if you like Huntress x Question, you'll like it.

Also, the scene with Cassandra in the cafeteria was inpired by that youtube video "Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover", and Hector/Spartan's fight against Giganta was inspired by the Justice League of America (2006) comic. Can't remember which issue, but there's one where Black Canary fights Giganta and does that same thumb breaking move.