A Siren's Forte [Young Justice]

Rescue Op

Star City

August 05, 13:53 PDT

Sam hoisted yet another cardboard box onto his shoulder with a slight grunt. One hundred and one... As he turned to leave his bedroom, a sudden gust of wind made him automatically blink. He shot a look at the cause.

"Can you not use superpowers? I don't need neighbors noticing," he huffed.

Bart shrugged as he tossed a duffel bag over his shoulder. "I just run up and down the stairs; it's not like anyone would see from outside," he waved off.

Sam made a face when the speedster turned back around, dashing out of the room. He followed at his own pace, out of the house and to his SUV. Waiting for him was Jaime who took the box and placed it in the last available spot in the trunk.

"That everything?" Traci glanced at the pile of personal belongings and then at Sam.

"Should be," he answered, hands on his hips. "If not, it's not like I can't drive over in less than thirty minutes."

Sam's aunt wiped the sweat off her brow as she shut the trunk. "Sam, are you sure you don't want to stay with us? You're always welcome here," Tina reminded him for the umpteenth time.

Sam accepted her embrace, engulfing the short lady. He wouldn't deny that he thought about living at home, but ultimately, he decided to stay in the dorms on campus.

"I'm sure, Aunt Tina," he said with a good-natured eye roll.

She frowned, craning her head back to look him square in the eye. "If this has to do with Gerald, you don't have to worry about him ever again-"

Sam grabbed Tina's shoulders, squeezing them as he hunched over to meet her eyes. "I know. But no, it doesn't. Your divorce was finalized months ago, so he's out of our lives."

Tina pursed her lips.

Sam knew what she was thinking. How she felt guilty that it took so long for her to finally kick her husband out of their home. How it took a full-blown argument with his uncle who 'didn't mind but didn't like that stuff being shoved in his face' after he barged in on Sam and Jaime one day—not that they were doing anything—and claiming that they shouldn't 'do that when Kellie's around.'

When Gerald mentioned his sister's name, Sam saw red. And some of that red ended up on his knuckles and under his uncle's nose.

A short laugh coming from beside his shoulder made Sam glance down. Kellie had a wicked smirk on her face as she signed.

Sam snorted. "She says that if he ever came around again, he'd just get another bloody nose. From her this time," he said out loud, translating to his friends who wouldn't have been able to read as quickly. Jaime had the scarab to translate everything, but the others were still learning.

Sam threw his arm around Kellie's shoulders, ducking to drop a kiss on top of her head. "Glad to know my baby sister's not afraid to take matters into her own hands," he said, pulling back enough to sign with his free hand.

She reached her arms around to hug him in return, nuzzling into his side. Even though Sam was right about the drive between his aunt's home and Royal University's campus not being that long, it still felt bittersweet in a way.

Sam and Kellie had never left each other's side since the night their parents were murdered in their own home. It was partly why Sam even became a hero in the first place. Seeing the terror on his baby sister's face—too little to understand the full extent of what was going on, but still being able to sense the fear her brother harbored himself—made Sam want to do all he could to protect her and those like her. No one should ever have to go through what we did.