Freya's POV:

Once I arrived at the address that Courtney texted me, my eyes trail over to the lit secluded cabin in the forest, indicating that the others safely settled in.

I pull off my helmet which transformed me back into my casual clothes but the action alone earned a small crack from my shoulder and I let out a groan.

My parents may have gone a bit overboard with the beating.

I carefully went up the steps that led to the front door of the cabin and knock on it a few times before I leaned against the wall.

After a few moments, the door swings open and I'm instantly pulled into a tight hug. "I was so worried when you didn't answer our calls." Courtney's voice muffled as I awkwardly wrapped my arms around. "I'm so glad you're okay."

The sounds of footsteps approach us and I look up, seeing the rest of our friends expressions filled with relief until Courtney finally helped me inside and carefully walked me to the dining room where Pat, Mike, and Barbara were.

"Oh my god, Freya." Pat worriedly calls once he sees my injured state as Courtney helped me to the chair.

"I'll get an icepack." Barbara hurriedly got up from her spot and ran to the kitchen.

"You look like you got hit by a bus." Mike commented which instantly earned a smack by Yolanda. "Ow—She does though!"

"Thanks, Mike." I sarcastically smile before I shove the Helmet of Fate inside of my backpack.

"Here Freya." Barbara places the icepack in my hands and I put it on my shoulder. "I also saved you a plate just in case." She places the plate served with mashed potatoes, corn, and two chicken drumsticks in front of me.

My eyes subconsciously trail to the cut on her jaw which caused the pit of my stomach to stir in discomfort.

I did that to her.

"So Freya," Someone spoke up, breaking me from my thoughts as I looked to meet Courtney's eyes. "What happened to you?"

I look around, meeting everyone else's worried expressions as they awaited for my answer but I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to what I did to Anaya.

"This isn't about fun, you sadists." Principal Bowin harshly remarked. "You get too much pleasure from this sort of thing. You both relish in violence. I feel sick imagining how your daughter is going to turn out. She's a wild animal, just like her mother."

"Don't talk about Artemis when you barely even know her." I growl, taking several steps closer to her with a glare which caused my dad to take a step back. "You have some nerve to say that our parents don't love us."

"All I'm saying is that they're unfit to be parents since you and Artemis are starting to show their traits." She tilts her head to the side, causing the pit of my stomach to stir. "I mean, isn't that why your real parents abandoned you?"

Almost as if something inside snapped, I lunge forward and shove the dagger in between her neck and shoulder in which she instantly collapses to the floor.

Realization settles in, causing my eyes to widen at the puddle of blood spilling from her neck as the life in her eyes diminished.

"Freya?" Courtney's voice broke me out of my thoughts and I nervously met her eyes.

"Principal Bowin and my parents snuck up on me when I got to your place." I explain, adjusting the icepack on my shoulder. "Her stupid violin song immobilized me and they used that to get the upper hand. I barely managed to escape."

"How did they know you were Doctor Fate?" Rick questioned. "Does that mean your parents know about the rest of us?"

"Uh...." I trail off, unsure on how to answer the question properly.

"We'll figure that out later, Rick." Yolanda spoke up, noticing my discomfort. "She's already overwhelmed...she needs to rest."

"Yolanda's right." Beth added with a smile. "Our priorities for ourselves should be health!"

"Well if you need me, I'll be outside keeping watch." Courtney spoke up before she grabbed her staff and walked out the front door.

"I'll be upstairs to try and figure out anything that could be helpful in my dad's journal." Rick muttered before he left the dining room as well.

As everyone else dispersed to the other rooms, I hear a sigh come from Justin as he stared out the window. "The battle is nigh." He whispered to himself before he closed the curtain.

Remembering the story about his quest, I turn to face him. "Justin, the story that you talked about," I spoke up which causes him to face me. "who was the girl?"

He lets out a sigh. "The child that belonged to the fallen golden hero." He softly spoke, shaking his head in shame. "Her identity was stolen as well."

"Doctor Fate?" I question as we start to head up the stairs. "He had a daughter?"

He nods. "Aye. Lost her to the Injustice Society." He explained before I shut the door behind us. "Hourman had seen the whole thing. Only five years old, the little one."

I furrow my brows in confusion. "Wait, she's still in the ISA?"

His face contorts into a puzzled expression as he placed his empty plate on the kitchen counter. "I'm...going to go clean the bathroom." He whispered before he walks towards the steps to head upstairs.

I look over to Yolanda and Beth and see they were sitting across from each other in the living room, but with Beth working on something with her goggles.

"Was Pat right?" Beth questioned the goggles as I took a seat next to her on the couch.

"I'm still searching, Beth," I hear Chuck respond. "but Pat's hunch was correct. There has been a massive increase in electrical activity in Blue Valley. I'm narrowing it down to where. My concern is that it's connected to Brainwave somehow. I believe his powers increased after the death of Henry."

"How?" I speak up.

"There was an energy release when Henry died. That energy was absorbed by Brainwave." I hear him explain and I shook my head with disbelief, realizing that Dr. King wasn't bluffing about absorbing Henry's powers. "I am sorry, Beth. I know this tragedy has affected you all."

"Um," Beth cleared her throat to turn to Yolanda. "Yolanda? Are you okay? Are you...thinking about Henry?"

Yolanda looks up from her plate and she shook her head. "No." She mumbled before she stood up from the couch. "Because there's nothing I can do about it."

She walks out of the living room without another word but Beth lets out a sigh. "Chuck said she's lying." She looks away to turn to me. "Should we talk to her?"

I shake my head, taking a bite from the chicken leg. "Sometimes it's better to leave them alone."

"How are you so calm and collected?" She questioned.

I furrow my brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Both of your parents are in the ISA." She emphasized. "If I found out my parents were a part of this, I'd be losing my mind."

I awkwardly take another bite of the chicken. "Let's just say that their behavior is...aggressive." I clear my throat. "It wouldn't surprise me that they joined this for fun."

"I'm just relieved they didn't try to recruit you too or else we never would've become teammates." She softly spoke before she patted my back. "Specifically, great friends. I'm glad the universe brought us together."

I internally cringe. "I'm...glad too."

.·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。. *✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·

I hear a groan which causes me to look upstairs, seeing Rick sitting in front of a desk with a frustrated expression as he continued to scribble something down.

I went up the steps and walk over to stand beside him. "You doing okay?"

He looks up from what seemed like a journal and he lets out a sigh. "I'm just working out this problem from my dad's journal. He was investigating the Injustice Society for a long time and..." He put her pencil down as he shook his head with annoyance. "My dad found out the real reason why they chose Blue Valley but it's all written in some kind of code."

"Well," I lean against the desk. "what have you tried so far?"

"My mom's birthday, my dad's, mine. I-I don't know what else it could be."

"Well, maybe it would too obvious that it's close to him." I shrug. I need to keep him off track. "It's okay if you can't figure it out."

"Well I need to." He rubs the side of his head with a sigh. "According to Pat, I've got tonight to figure it out. Less than eight hours to be exact."

"You'll figure it out." I give a small smile. "Just think outside the box."

He raised a brow. "I think Courtney's influencing you."

"Not you too." I groan and he starts to chuckle.

"It's not a bad look."

"Well, then maybe you should start being positive too." I elbow his shoulder. "You rarely do it."

He scoffed. "Try having an uncle that only cares about himself."

"Touché." I awkwardly mutter. "Sorry."

"It's okay. As much as I hate admitting this since it sounds cheesy," He cleared his throat as he averted his gaze to the journal. "seeing everyone's faces, after Henry died, it sucked. Especially of how much it affected Yolanda."

My eyes soften. "Really?"

He nods. "You guys are like family to me."

A gut-wrenching feeling stirred in my stomach in remembrance of still manipulating the team.

I felt the same way he did. I couldn't stand to watch any of them get themselves killed.

"Sorry," His voice broke my thoughts. "that sounded sappy."

I shake my head. "It's okay, I get what you mean." I awkwardly pat his back. "I'll let you get back to work."

He simply nods and I walk down the steps, seeing that Courtney was still outside with the Cosmic Staff leaning against the wooden railing.

I pull open the door and step outside which causes her to turn. "Still on patrol duty?" I ask and she simply nods before turning to face the nature in front of us.

"Can't be too careful." She crossed her arms with a sigh. "Especially the incident with Tigress and her sidekick."

Sidekick? Why am I always the sidekick?

"Right." I mutter to lean against the railing as well. "Did you eat?"

She shook her head. "I've been too much in my thoughts about everyone's safety to even think about eating."

"Hey," I elbow her side. "we're fine. The training sessions with Pat improved the team's dynamic a lot compared to last time."

"Yeah but...what if it's not enough?" She worriedly looks at me. "I ended up in the hospital last time because of Cindy."

"That's because it was unexpected and you were alone." I remind and she turns to face me. "Courtney, you have a team that's going to stand behind you until the end. We're not the same people we were before. You and I know that."

She gives a small smile. "You're definitely not the same Freya I met on my first day of school." She nudged my arm. "I'm glad you joined the team. "

I narrow my eyes. "I think you mean forced to join the team."

She chuckles. "And yet, you stayed. You had every opportunity to leave and despite my not-so-proud moments, you never took it. If you look back at our bickering and your lectures about my actions, we're technically sisters." She teasingly poked my side. "Freya's my sister! Freya's my sister!"

"I knew I shouldn't have come outside." I mutter, trying to fight a smile as I smack her hands away. "Stop it!"

"Okay, okay." She giggled before she moved her hands away from me. "Also, now that we're alone, I can finally ask what's been going on with you."

Oh god. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Freya. Everyone knows." She crossed her arms and I worriedly eye the Cosmic Staff that was behind her. 

"You have to give me a hint." I nervously laugh, my finger hovering over the button inside my jacket to release the ring dagger.

"You and Yolanda, obviously." She gestured to the house and I move my finger away. "Something is going on between you two but you guys won't do anything!"

"What? Where did you even come up with that?" I furrow my brows in confusion but she rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Nothing is going on between us."

She scoffs. "There have been some moments where you two act like an awkward couple."

"A couple of friends." I correct.

"Friends don't act like the way you two act." She countered. "It's okay if you feel something for her, you know. It's better to be honest with her."

"Let's say I do." I turn to look at the forest.
"Telling her now would be the worst timing, especially since she's heartbroken over Henry and dealing with the ISA right now."

"I never said you had to ask her out. You can just tell her how you feel so she at least knows." She elbows my side. "Sometimes the truth makes things easier instead of holding it back for so long."

The pit of my stomach stirs in guilt and I look to Courtney with a small smile.  "I'll take over to keep watch." I say to change the subject. "Get something to eat."

Before she could answer, the sounds of a growl from her stomach interrupt her which causes both of us to laugh. "Fine." She grabs her staff from the wooden railing and pulls open the door.

Before she could close the door, she grabs something from the side and tosses my Doctor Fate helmet to me. "Thanks," I say once I catch it and she simply nods before shutting the door behind her.

I pull my phone from my pocket but I cautiously eye the door, double-checking to make sure nobody else came outside before I clicked on the contact name and typed away.

Unknown

courtney managed to take us down. I went ahead and followed them to their new hideout
{11:33 p.m}

waiting to see if they know any related info about the project but if you need me at headquarters, I'll sneak out.
{11:34 p.m}