Freya's POV:

As we walk up the steps, we hear Pat introducing himself to someone. "And you are...?" He questioned.

I turn the corner, seeing a man with sandy blonde hair who wore ripped jeans, a grey shirt with a blue jacket, and a leather jacket on top.

"I'm Sam Curtis." The scruffy-bearded man with pale skin greeted. "Courtney's father."

Courtney freezes before she could step out of the corner and I slowly look back towards the man with my eyes widened.

That means...Starman was never Courtney's father.

"Oh! Oh, right, of course. Sam." Pat awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, uh, nice to meet ya."

"You too." He answered before his eyes landed on me and offered his hand. "You're his daughter?"

I shake my head. "Friend of Courtney's." I cross my arms, not even bothering to shake his hand. "Freya Crock."

"Oh, got it." He awkwardly muttered as he pulled his hand away and I step to the side so Courtney could walk out.

Her expression was filled with disbelief and confusion as she looked the man up and down.

Sam let out a chuckle. "Wow. Look at you, you...you've really grown up."

He tries to take a step forward but Courtney immediately takes a step back, with a look of disgust. "You're not my father."

A wave of disappointment shows in Sam's face. "I know it's been a while. I got your mom's email--"

"What are you doing here?" Ms. Whitmore shook her head with disbelief.

"You once told me that you couldn't wait to get out of Blue Valley. Look, I figured if you had to come back here, then it must've been serious." He tried to explain but she let out a quiet sigh. "Look, I'm sorry for showing up like this out of the blue. I replied, I never heard back I...I was worried. Is everything alright?"

Courtney walks up to her mom, hesitantly glancing between her parents. "That's not my dad." She whispered but her mom placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Honey, I'm so sorry that this is happening like this right now."

"It's not. It can't be--"

"It is." She interrupted her daughter.

"Hey, Courtney." Sam holds out a similar locket Courtney was wearing around her neck.

"W-Where did you get that?" Courtney asked, taking a couple of steps forward to him.

"Well...I used to have two. But then I gave that one to you." He explained as he pointed to the necklace around her neck. "A long time ago."

She tightly clutched onto the locket around her neck before she shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"Courtney--"

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Mom." Courtney interrupted as she stopped mid-way from going upstairs.

"I just want to make sure you're all right."

"I'm not." She muttered before briefly looked to Pat who stood behind her mom. "I wanna talk to Pat."

He looks to his wife for permission and she gives a small nod with a bit of reluctance. Pat nudges my arm and nods his head up, indicating for me to come as well.

I shut her room door behind us. "Hey--"

"He's not my dad." Courtney interrupted me. "He can't be. The staff works for me. Th-That proves that I'm Starman's daughter," She turns to us with a conflicted expression. "doesn't it? Right, because if I'm not, then...what have I been doing this whole time?" Her voice softens.

I share a worried glance with Pat until we look back to Courtney. "Court..." He trailed with a saddened expression.

"The staff. Putting on a costume." She listed off before her eyes widened slightly. "I got Henry killed. And Joey."

"Courtney, you didn't kill anyone." Pat sternly stated.

I nod in agreement. "That wasn't your fault. It--"

A knock on the door interrupts my sentence as it slowly creaked opened, revealing a confused Mike. "Hey, what the hell's going on?" He asked but Courtney looked away from him. "Court, is that guy really your old man?"

"I don't think this is a good time, kid." I try to dismiss.

"Mike, we're talking privately here, okay?" Pat spoke with slight frustration.

"And a-are you and Barbara breaking up?" He persisted, taking a step inside the room. "Is that why he's here?"

"Mike, not now. Please!" Pat raised his voice which caused Mike to clench his fists.

"Why won't you tell me anything? What did I do wrong?" He softly asked.

Pat lets out a sigh before he walks over to Mike, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong, okay? Don't worry." He assured but I could tell Mike wasn't convinced. "Everything's going to be fine, okay?"

"Yeah." Mike gave a small nod. "Sure it is." He muttered before he exited the room.

I turn to Courtney. "You should see what your dad has to say. It's been, what, ten years now?" I say and she nods. "You deserve to have answers. No more lies."

"We'll be right behind you." Pat added and I nod in agreement.

Courtney turns away from the window and crosses her arms with a sigh. "Okay."

I carefully went down the steps and Courtney looks back at me as I give a small smile in encouragement.

"I want to talk to him." Courtney spoke up, causing Sam and Ms. Whitmore to turn towards her.

"You have school." Ms. Whitmore reminded but Courtney shrugged.

"So I go in a little late."

"Court, you know why you have to go." She hinted, not wanting to announce the real reason in front of Sam.

"You brought him here," Courtney slightly raised her voice in annoyance. "at least let me talk to him."

"We'll just go for a quick walk." Sam assured, trying to ease the tension between the two. "That's it."

"Fine." Ms. Whitmore muttered.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I check the message, seeing that it was from Jordan. "I...should get going. Artemis has my stuff at my dad's gym." I say and Courtney nods.

"Do you need a ride?" Pat offered but I shake my head.

"It's not far." I say, grabbing my jacket off of the hook. "I'll see you at school, Court." I wave before I walk out of their house.

.·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。. *✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·

Unknown

On my way to the office. Henry wants to have a chat with us.
{6:58 a.m}

I shove my phone in my pocket once I reach his office in the town hall and knock on the door twice. I hear a small 'come in' and I twist the knob, pushing the door open and was met with Mr. King leaning against the wall and Jordan sitting down on his chair.

"Good morning, Freya." Jordan greeted as he gestured for me to sit down. "Have a seat."

Ignoring his comment, I walk over to Mr. King and shove him back with a glare. "You're a heartless asshole." I harshly state before I shove him again, grabbing a hold of the collar of his shirt. "A no-good selfish-ass prick!"

He smirks as he readjusted his glasses that rested on his nose, not even phased at my fist threatening to hit his face. "I did what I had to do."

Before I could swing, pricks of ice painfully travel further along my back and I instantly lose my grip as my knees buckled to the ground. "Agh!" I cry out, feeling as the ice practically scorched my back.

"Freya, this isn't the time to fight." Jordan scolded as the pain slowly diminished. "We need to show sympathy over the loss of his son."

I scoff as I pushed myself up from the ground. "Sympathy? To the man who murdered his own son!" I accusingly point to Mr. King. "Thanks to Dr. Ito, he restored your memory so what I don't understand is why was it necessary to kill Henry?"

"Thanks to Dr. Ito," Mr. King repeated. "I remember who Stargirl is and I know you're well aware of who she is as well." He says before he turns to Jordan. "Her name's Courtney Whitmore. Her stepfather is Pat Dugan. You might remember him, or not, as Starman's lackey, Stripesy."

The apparent shock is written all over Jordan's expression but he remained silent at the revelation.

"I wouldn't celebrate too long. I'm the only one who knows the rest of the JSA's identities but I'm not giving them up so easily." I grumble as I carefully sat down in the chair. "And sadly, you don't."

"Doesn't matter. I'm going to go kill them." Mr. King countered.

"No." Jordan simply stated as he opened one of the files on his desk.

Mr. King's eyes widened slightly before he walked over to stand in front of his desk. "Why not?" It's silent for a moment until he began to shake his head with disbelief. "You're hesitating because of her mother?"

Jordan slams his hand on the desk with a glare. "I don't want you in my head, Henry." He harshly stated. "Her daughter's death would...devastate her."

"I killed my own wife and son for your dream of a new America, Jordan, and you're hesitating over a woman that works for you?" Mr. King put his hands behind his back with a curious expression. "Hm. I could erase this woman's memory of her daughter and husband if that's what you want."

"I don't want you inside her head either, Henry. You know nobody's ever really the same afterwards." Jordan denied and the pit of my stomach stirs, remembering Henry's words about the mindblock.

Mr. King takes a seat on one of the chairs next to me and places his glasses on the desk in front of him. "I'm about to be in the heads of millions. Reprogramming them all for the better, including Barbara." He emphasized. "Project New America will be even more than you ever imagined. When my son died, I felt my powers grow, as if I'd absorbed his into mine."

I shake my head with disappointment. "Killed him for power? Sounds desperate."

"It's smart, considering that it won't be six states I reprogram, it will be half of the country." He countered before he looked back at Jordan. "Everything you've ever wanted, everything your wife ever wanted, is about to come to pass. We can't let anything get in the way."

Jordan momentarily looks to the side, almost as if he was conflicted about the idea.

"Make up your mind soon, old friend." Mr. King continued before he glanced at me. "You still want to be a part of the ISA? Act like it. Otherwise, I'll make it up for you two."

He grabs his glasses from the table before he walks out of the room without another word.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I look down, seeing that it was Beth.

Beth🤓

hey! uhhh we kinda need you here at the shop. Remember the janitor? he's a friend of Pat's from the past. His memory is kind of messed up so be careful when you get here! :D
{7:20 a.m}

"Who is it?" Jordan clasps his hands and placed them on his desk.

"Someone in the JSA." I answer, shoving my phone in my pocket. "The janitor at our school knows that Pat's Stripesy. They want me to meet up with them at the shop."

"Go. I'll see for myself what Barbara knows in her office." He says and I nod before I exit out of his office.

.·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。. *✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·

"He's the Shining Knight?" Rick asked as he glanced between the old picture of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the school janitor who was sitting on one of the chairs and had his arms wrapped around his body. "The leader of the Seven Soldiers of Victory?"

"Never would've guessed it." I whisper, my eyes trail at the man before I look back at the photo. "He looks different in the picture."

"Wait, there's eight of you in the picture." Beth pointed at the photo as well.

"I know that, Beth." Pat sarcastically smiled, taking the photo away from them.

"So there was this whole other team?" Rick asked with a look of confusion.

"I'll explain it to you later." He answers before he walks to stand in front of the janitor, presenting the photo in front of him so he could take it. "Justin, look at that. See that? I know you remember who I am. Do you remember who you are?"

"I'm trying so hard to." Justin meekly spoke.

"Pat," Rick pushed himself off of the table. "Are you sure about this? He almost killed you with that sword?" He questioned, pointing to the medieval sword that was leaned against the table.

"Excalibur." Justin immediately spoke up before he scrambled to grab the sword.

"Right...Excalibur." I hesitantly trail before I look back at Rick and Beth. "Where's Yolanda?"

"Church. She's...praying for Henry." Beth whispered and I slowly nod.

"Justin, remember where you got the sword, okay?" Pat urged as he grabbed one of the stools to sit in front of him. "Tell me the story, okay? It's a great story. I want to hear it again." He smiled, taking the photo from him so he could focus his attention on us.

"I was but a lowly, yet loyal page," Justin gave a small smile. "cleaning the horses' stables. Yet King Arthur himself bestowed to me his sword. Upon his deathbed, he told me," He grabs the hilt of his sword before he tapped the blade on Pat's shoulders. "'Heroes can come from anywhere.'"

"Wait. Are you, like, from the past?" Beth questioned with her eyes slightly widened.

He nods. "From the time of knights and dragons."

"Pat, do you seriously believe that?" Rick questioned with suspicion but Pat grabs the sword from Justin and hands it to him.

"Yeah, I actually do." He answered and Rick carefully grabs it from his hands to place the weapon behind us. "Now, you always told such great stories, Justin. Better than any book I ever read. Tell me the story of how you got here, to Blue Valley. Okay?"

"I was following the dragon." Justin starts with a bit of hesitation before he slowly nods. "Yes. That was it."

"Just you?"

"All of you soldiers were scattered and gone, but the dragon still needed slaying. The child was still in their grasp, just as you told me." He spoke with determination before he shook his head with disbelief. "I fell...I was captured...I failed her." He looked down to the right side of his abdomen and consciously rubbed it with his hand. "They stole my identity from me. They'll do it to us all! That's what they want!"

He abruptly stands up from his spot but Pat placed his hands on Justin's arms. "Stea--"

"They will!"

"Calm, steady, steady." Pat whispered as Justin frantically looked around. "Calm down."

Justin's eyes land on Pat's as he exhaled. "Where am I?"

"You're safe." Pat assured but Justin shook his head. "You are."

"No, none of us are safe." He whispered under his breath which caused Beth and I to share a worried expression.

The only people I knew that was capable of brainwashing other people were either Brainwave or the Dragon King. But since he described the person he chased as a dragon...it left only Dr. Ito.

I turn, seeing as Justin walks around Pat to stare at the S.T.R.I.P.E suit in awe which caused the four of us to stand behind him.

"My glory days might be behind me," He spoke up, briefly glancing to Pat before he turned back to the robotic suit. "but you have built a fine suit of armor!"

.·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。. *✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·
A/N

Hihi! So I'm sticking to what I said about 1 update a week because like,,,stargirl isn't airing until aUGUST??? Idk where the fuck I got my info about how it was airing in may bc they were way off LMAO

ANYWAY wowow somewhat character development from Freya?? Being defensive over Henry??? Kinda crazy

I hope you all have/had an amazing day and I'll see you next week for the new chapter! All I can say is that we get to see a side from Freya that hasn't been shown yet ;)