“This is Palmer. Connect me to Starsmore immediately.”

“Again, Ray? What is it this time? One of the boys have a cough?”

“This is not the time to get smart, Sarah. There is a level twenty in the house.”

“WHAT? Which one of them is a level twenty, Ray?”

“We need to get a force here quickly, this could be dangerous for a lot of people.”

“Ray, be calm. You know how to handle these types of situations. Besides, all our forces are out right now dealing with that disturbance in California.”

“What disturbance in California?”

“We had one break out, she was born as a level six. When she broke out she was a level eighteen.”

“Let me get this straight, Sarah. A level eighteen is more important than the level twenty in my home?”

“No, Ray, it's just that all of our people are still out there. I will sent the message, saying you need assistance. We need to keep track of these high leveled ones. This isn’t like it was in the old days.”

“I am surprised you still think of the old days, Sarah.”

“I was talking about the JSA, Ray. We should never have put on costumes, ever.”

“You still have your powers, Sarah?”

“Yes, Ray. They do not just come and go.”

Ray Palmer heard two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs.

“I think the boys are back. I gotta go now, Sarah.”

“We will have people there as soon as possible, Agent Palmer.”

As soon as she said this she hung up on him, leaving him sitting there with the phone in his hand.

“I love you too, Sarah.”

The boys walked up the stairs as quietly as they could.

“Jono, be quiet or you will wake up dad,” Tom whispered.

“I am moving as quietly as I can.”

They both jumped as their father’s door opened up.

“Uh oh!” they both said to each other as they saw their father standing in the doorway.

“Where did the two of you go this time? Paris? Rome? L.A.?"

As their father said L.A. the two brothers looked at each other.

“You went to L.A. again? What is your fascination with that place?”

“Sorry, Dad. When I was on my date tonight I saw something I knew Jono would like so I took him there. Please don’t be mad.”

“I am not mad at the two of you. But, you are my boys and I would really like to know when you run off somewhere.”

“We can take care of ourselves, Dad.”

“I know that, Jono, but I am your father I have a right to worry.”

“Sorry, Dad. I'll tell you next time before we fly somewhere.”

“That is all I ask, Tom. There are some very powerful bad people out there I do not want anything happening to my boys. Now you two need to go to bed.”

“Okay, dad, see you in the morning,” Tom said as he walked to his room.

“I'll see you in the morning, dad,” Jono said as he walked to his room.

“Good night boys, I love you.” Ray walked back into his bedroom.

“What is happening to me? Ever since I went to Paris Island for the weekend things have not been quite right.”

Virgil was becoming nervous. What would happen when people noticed his hands were in his pockets all the time? Would they think he was some type of weirdo? When they saw what was actually happening to him would they think him a monster? He did not know and hoped he would not find out. He slid his hands into his pockets and walked outside.

“Why do I have to be so ordinary? Why can’t I be special?” she wondered aloud.

Almost in a response to that Paige’s skin began to flake slightly and fall off revealing a costume underneath that matched the original Black Canary’s. She looked down and noticed this and peeled her skin back more, revealing more of the costume. She peeled off the layer of skin completely, she now looked like her personal hero Black Canary.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Paige said softly over and over again as she walked to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

As she looked in the mirror she saw her life’s dream. She could actually be a super-hero now. Suddenly the world seemed greater to her.

Sarah Starsmore looked at her computer terminal noticing the increasing number of yellows and reds. She thought to herself that soon she would be back in the field taking care of these matters.

Contrary to what she told her ex-husband she did miss the old days, running around in a silly costume fighting the bad guys. It was all a game, really. Fighting crime was not all she missed though. She missed her husband and her two sons. It had been so long since she had seen them. Even though Ray sent her pictures regularly it was not quite the same.

Ray, as usual, was the first one downstairs. The boys were never up early even on school days. Much to his surprise though the boys were both up within fifteen minutes of him, this was very odd since they both looked tired.

“What are you boys doing up so early? You should be in bed for another three hours.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Tom answered, not telling his father his reason for his long sleepless night.

“Are you okay Tom?”

“Yeah, Dad. I'm fine.”

“Okay. Why are you up, Jono?”

“I am rested and happy.”

“Oh, ok. I am glad to hear that,” Ray seemed kind of distant this morning. He had a dozen things running through his mind.

Tom walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup of coffee. Ray noticed this and looked a little disturbed.

“Tom, you never drink coffee.”

“A long night, need a pick me up.”

“Oh, well. Boys, it was good to see you this morning but I have things I have to do.”

“Okay, dad. We’ll see you later,” Jono replied.

“Jono, take care of your brother. Tom, get some rest. I love you boys and will see you in a while.”

Ray left walking with a slight limp that was barely noticeable.

“You spent all night talking to her, Jono.”

“Yeah, so what.”

“What about Cassie?”

“Who?”

“The girl you finally got a date with.”

“She is nothing compared to Suzy. Suzy doesn't think I am a freak. Suzy doesn't like me so she can get close to you.”

“Is that what this is about? You are jealous of me again?”

Jono gave him a look of total disgust and stormed off to the basement to talk to Suzy.

“Oh, good. She has made him even moodier.” Tom sat there quietly sipping his coffee.

Jono stood at the top of the basement steps and saw that Suzy was asleep. After all that she told him he knew that she had to be tired. He stood there for a few moments watching her and the way her body produced the light, dancing, smoky mists even as she slept. He gained a sort of peace by just looking at her.

“Sleep well Suzy,” he whispered.

“Sir, before you take another step I am going to have to ask you to take a retinal scan and a finger print analysis,” a young man behind a desk said.

Agent Palmer did exactly as he was instructed. Both tests showed that he was who he claimed to be.

“Good morning, Agent Palmer. What can we do for you?”

“I need to speak with the Director about my sons.”

“Just your luck, sir. The Director is currently unoccupied.”

“Thank you, Emerson. I am sure that in no time you will be a field agent.”

Agent Palmer entered the dimly lit Director’s office.

“How did this place get so messy?”

Tom cleaned up fallen stacks of ten year old magazines and looked through old clothes as he was cleaning. He came to an old chest that he had never seen before. He was very curious as to what was inside. Tom thought it was really odd that even though nothing was setting on the chest it wasn’t dusty, like it had recently been put there.

“Never seen this before.”

Tom noticed that it was unlocked which was very strange because the lock was sitting next to the trunk. He opened the lid and saw something that blew him away.

“Oh my god. This can’t be true.”

In the trunk he saw old photographs and news clippings of his Dad and Mom. These were pictures he had never seen before. Also in the trunk he saw a blue and red costume.

“My Dad is the ATOM.”