Volume 4: Metaphase

Issue 10: Eggs, Bacon, and a Few Fruit

Jannette Adrian Churchwell

By Nova

I awoke with a start, overcome with cold sweat. I was almost hyperventilating as I glanced around, realizing I wasn’t in my bed or anywhere familiar. It took me a few moments before I noticed where I was: Ramirez’s living room. Dim sunlight streamed through the windows, painting the room in a faint, golden light.

My breathing calmed as I remembered the night before—or, rather that I was safe now. I laid back, into the couch I had slept on. It wasn’t super comfortable, but it was better than sleeping in the alleyway.

Or in my empty apartment.

A sizzling sound slowly crept into my ears as I grew more aware of my surroundings. I glanced up, over the back of the couch, and saw a blonde woman busy in the kitchen over a frying pan. Ramirez stood next to her, over a different pan—seemingly entirely consumed in the task at hand. I laid back down on the couch before either of them looked up.

I then noticed a sudden whispering. Following the noise I saw two kids—a boy and a girl, neither of whom could have been older than eight years old—huddled in the hallway, staring at me. They had brown hair and olive skin, and looked quite a lot like Ramirez and the blonde woman. They whispered in the kind of way that kids do; that is to say, not actually all that quietly. All of a sudden, they seemed to have noticed that I had noticed them and the whispering stopped, they grabbed each other and looked at me with a mixture of awe and fear.

Just how much had Ramirez told his family about me? I guess—given his job in Power Crimes—telling them that a superhero needed a place to stay made more sense than picking up some girl off the street. Still, I was uncomfortably aware that my circle of “people who know my secret identity” had suddenly expanded, in one night, from a handful of powerful and secretive people to… well, a seemingly normal family.

But the kids knew I was awake, so there was no point in hiding on the couch anymore. I rose from the blankets on the couch, dressed in the same sweater and leggings I wore to Titan Tower last night. I didn’t know how much sleep I’d gotten exactly, but I suspected it wasn’t as much as I should have.

Still, after everything, I felt better.

“Sti-Jannette!” Ramirez said. He smiled, maybe a little too wide, but there was still some genuiness in it. “How you feeling?”

I nodded. “Better, thanks, uh, Ramirez.” I paused for a moment. “For everything,” I added.

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “And call me Matt when I’m off the clock.”

“A-alright,” I said.

The blonde woman—Ramirez’s wife, I presumed—walked up beside them. She stretched out her hand. “I’m Maren, it’s good to meet you,” she said.

“You t-too,” I said, shaking her hand.

The two kids now crept out of the hallway, toward Ramirez-er, Matt, and Maren. Matt grabbed the taller one’s, the boy’s, head. “This little guy is Jackson,” he said.

Jackson struggled to get out of his dad’s grip, but before he could escape Matt grabbed the other one’s head; the girl. “And this is little Olivia.”

Both squirmed under my gaze and their dad’s grip, but they smiled all the same. Jackson laughed as he pulled away from his dad and ran down the hall. Olivia ran with him. Matt chuckled slightly as we watched them disappear through one of the doors down the hall.

“Well, Jannette, will you be joining us for breakfast?” Maren said. She had a slight accent… Canadian, maybe?

“I, uh…” Breakfast did smell pretty good right about now. My stomach gurgled.

Plus, it wasn’t like I needed to go anywhere.

“Sure,” I said.

Matt set the table while Maren started ferrying over plates of eggs, bacon, and a few fruits. I stood nearby, wearing the wrinkled clothes I slept in, unsure whether I should help—or, how I could help at all. Seeing me standing there, Matt motioned at a chair. I sat in it, and the two kids quickly sat on either side of me. Their eyes never left me, even as Maren piled food on the plates in front of me.

I carefully scooped some eggs and bacon onto my own plate, glancing back and forth between the two kids. Matt cleared his throat as he took a seat across from me. “So… Jannette,” he said, “sleep well?”

“Y-yeah!” I lied, “Thanks again…” I added, those words truthful.

Matt nodded. “Happy to help.” He looked at the kids. “Jack, Liv, stop staring. Eat your breakfast.”

The kids, reluctantly, glanced away from me and started clumsily scooping food into their mouths. I wasn’t forgotten though. Every few seconds one would look up from their plates and stare at me for a moment, before returning to their meal.

Maren cleared her throat. “So, Jannette,” she said, “where are you from?”

I blinked, surprised by the question. Had Ramirez really told his family who I was? I’d assumed he did, based on the kid’s behavior… or was that just kids being kids?

Maren cleared her throat, and I realized with a start I hadn’t answered. I gulped, not missing the look she shared with her husband, but unable to decipher its meaning. “S-Sacramento,” I stammered out. “Though I’ve been l-living, uh,” I nervously waved my hands, “around the Bay for five-ish years.” I gulped again. “For work, f-first school,” I added.

Maren cracked a brief smile, maybe knowing what I meant by work, but carried the conversation on. “Do you get up to Sacramento to see your family often?”

I gave a sorta awkward chuckle. “Heh, n-not anymore. My parents moved to Nebraska a few years ago.” I didn’t mention that I hadn’t seen them in person in years; hero work had kept me way too busy…

“Nebraska, really?” Maren asked, surprised. “Why’d they move?”

“Oh, I t-think they wanted something quieter… It was right after the whole… Sukeban thing and Omaha was safer back then.”

Maren nodded, stoically. “I remember those days, not great for us either. Matt worked day and night for weeks without stopping.” She locked eyes with me… her gaze that said long days and nights for you too…

Or maybe I was imagining it. She looked back down at her plate, and took another bite of eggs. “I’m from Minnesota though, and I can’t imagine Nebraska was an easy transition for a California family… way too cold,” she said, smiling suddenly.

I smiled back, despite myself, and began to relax. This was familiar ground. “They complain about it too whenever I talk to them. At every opportunity.”

“Do they like it though, despite that?” Maren asked.

“They say it’s different, not as… uh, safe as they’d like, but way cheaper to live in.”

“Yeah, bandits are pretty bad west of the Mississippi, all the way to Vegas really,” Matt suddenly added.

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Maren rolled her eyes. “Yes, my husband likes to make sure we’re all caught up on whatever dangers are lurking out there every morning.” Her tone was warmer than her words suggested and I saw a slight glitter in her eyes as she looked toward Ramirez.

Matt chuckled slightly. “How else am I gonna keep you safe?” He looked back toward me. “Don’t worry, Jannette, the big cities out there are still pretty safe.”

I just nodded. I’d heard about the horror stories of roving gangs of powered bandits and their baseliner hanger-ons destroying what little remained of small-town Americana, and the way they ravaged the less populated regions of the country.

The table had fallen silent. Maren and Matt had troubled looks on their faces. Were they thinking about the same thing I was? The kids didn’t seem bothered though, and just chowed on their breakfast. Nothing about the adult’s tone had scared them, I guessed. Talks of bandits, villains, and all that stuff was just a normal part of their world, something they’d grown up with even more than I had… I shuddered and, in a desperate attempt to push the thought out of my mind, turned toward Maren. “S-so, how’d you two meet anyways?” I asked.

Maren smiled. “UCSF, back before Sukeban blew up the old campus. We had a class together…”

“I was majoring in forensic science, with a minor in power studies,” Ramirez said. “She was in pre-law, so we were both in some upper division criminal justice class.”

“And he was failing it, completely failing to grasp the less… logical side of things,” Maren said.

“Hey, villain laws aren’t logical,” Matt said, smiling slightly.

“Oh, they are, but you weren’t thinking right back then,” Maren said. “Anyways, I’d been sitting next to him for the past few weeks of class and we get midterms back. I have an A…”

Matt looked away, staring hard at his plate. I’d never seen him—or, just about anyone else come to think of it—blushing so hard.

“And Matt got a big F,” Maren finished. “So I look over at him and say-”

“Here it comes…” Matt muttered, a wide smile on his face.

“‘You know, this is how you fill out a scantron.’ And I started filling in the bubbles on his exam…”

“I was so mad,” Matt said.

“Almost too mad to notice that I actually just wrote a digit of my number in the right bubble to every answer he got wrong.”

“I didn’t notice until after I got home… I only worked up the courage to call her like five hours later.”

I laughed. “Oh my God-gosh,” I said, glancing at the kids. “Why’d you do that? Make it into, like, a little puzzle?”

“Well, I’d had my eyes on this cute, wannabe detective boy for a while,” Maren said, slyly. “But I wanted to make sure he was as smart as he pretended to be. Plus, he’d see that I knew my stuff.”

“So a study date turned into a regular date,” Matt said. “And the rest is history.”

By the time I’d finished breakfast, they’d given me a near complete overview of their dating years. I couldn’t help but to be reminded of the many times Ramirez had presented a briefing to us, only this time he was smiling, his tone less grumpy…

Matt rose to his feet. “Well, I need to get off. Jannette, can I drop you off?” he asked.

I nodded. “T-that would be great.” I smiled, but a part of me didn’t want to leave—even as I packed my bag. I didn’t know where I wanted to be right now… My apartment felt so empty, but I didn’t want to bother Matt anymore than I already had…

I checked my phone for the first time this morning. Earthstrike had sent me a message about an hour ago that simply read:

> u up for a patrol today?

Dynacrew. I responded,

> Sure. When?

The text came quickly.

> Be here by noon!

There was a pause, then another text came through.

> U missed a crazy party last night ;P

I suddenly gasped for breath, my knuckles turning white as I clenched my fists. Last night came rushing back to me, the drugged haze, the hands on me, the alleyway… My heart raced and my legs felt weak. All around me, the world was falling away as I-

I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Jannette,” a voice said. My power reacted without direction, lashing into his hand—sending a shock of pain through the nerves. In an instant, I recognized him, Matt, but not quite soon enough. He pulled his hand away, cursing slightly as he jerked back from me.

“Oh my G-God, Ra-Matt, I’m so sorry!” I said, turning to see him backing away, clutching his fist. “I-I…” I didn’t know what to say.

Matt gritted his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fist. “Shit,” he hissed. He glanced back at me. “It’s alright, really.” He groaned. “Shouldn’t have surprised you-fuck this hurts.”

“I-I’m so sorry, I really am.” I rushed forward. He withdrew at first, but after a moment, turned his trembling hand over to me. With a tap, I realized I’d overstimulated his nerves, to the point where the temperature of the room must have felt like a furnace on his hand…

It was something I’d never done to anyone—inflicting pain for no reason like that. And I did it without even meaning to, to the man who opened his doors to me…

I mended the damage with a touch, and went to the further trouble of fixing a cavity that was brewing in his mouth. He pulled his hand back, slowly. I glanced around. Fortunately, Maren and the kids were nowhere to be seen; I could hear them down the hall, yelling about getting ready for school. I was glad they didn’t see that… I couldn’t believe I’d betrayed their trust like that, after they brought me into their home, fed me… What kind of person was I if I couldn’t even keep a lid on my own powers?

Matt took a few deep breaths. “Come on, let’s get you home,” he finally said.

I nodded, and headed toward the door. “We’re heading out, Mar…” Matt shouted.

Before we could go, Maren shouted back. “So soon? Alright, let me say goodbye…” She arrived, the kids in tow, to give her husband a peck on the cheek. She turned toward me, arms outstretched. “It was good meeting you, Jannette.” I awkwardly returned the hug, trying to keep my powers in line, and pulled away after a moment.

“It was good meeting you, too,” I muttered. I glanced toward Ramirez. He stared at me, his expression neutral. Was he watching, for some imperceptible clue that my powers were somehow “off,” was he looking to wrench her away at the first sign of trouble? We stepped out into the brisk morning air and headed toward the cop car.

“So…” Ramirez said, once we were on the road. “You gonna tell me what just happened there?” I opened my mouth, but didn’t say anything. “You know,” Ramirez added, his old growling voice had replaced the softer tone he had just a few minutes ago, “hitting me with… whatever that was is one thing, but what if that was Maren, or God forbid, one of the kids!”

“I know, I know!” I almost cried. “I-I don’t know what happened…” I added, tears in my eyes. I turned to look out my window, watching the buildings as we drove on by.

Ramirez sighed. “I understand that… whatever happened… it was bad. But you can’t put other people in danger,” he said, almost like a warning.

I nodded. “I know,” I almost whispered.

We were silent for a few minutes. “Well, I need to know where I’m dropping you off.”

I gave him my address—it was a long drive, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“What’s your next step?” Ramirez asked.

“I’m… gonna join Dynacrew on a patrol today,” I slowly said.

“This soon?” Ramirez shot me a look out of the corner of his eye.

I nodded.

“Shouldn’t you take it…”

“Easy?” I finished. “I don’t want to sit around, not right now.”

“I get it, things are… tense, right now. Especially after we found all that sarin. But you really don’t need to push yourself right now. Take it easy,” he said.

“I-I can’t, not now,” I said. “There are people I can help, things I can do to keep the First Way from hurting more people… even with the limitations you and Kelly gave us.” I almost believed myself too, that this was all because I wanted to help more people.

And not to keep myself out of that lonely apartment…

Ramirez sighed. “Alright,” he muttered, not sounding entirely convinced. “But still, Dynacrew? Why them?”

“W-what do you mean?” I asked, genuinely surprised. Out of all his objections, I never figured Dynacrew was one of them.

“Yeah, you really comfortable riding with them?” he asked.

“I mean…” I didn’t know what to say. “I-I’ve only heard good things about them, plus they’ve been really nice to me.”

“Yeah, nice to you maybe,” Ramirez muttered.

“H-hey, what do you mean?” I asked, a little shocked to say the least. Was Ramirez suggesting that they were… supremacists in some way?

Ramirez made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Forget about it,” he said.

“L-look, I don’t know them too well, but I haven’t heard them say anything… well, anything discriminatory.” And I should know… I’ve met plenty of heroes and villains convinced with the moral superiority of the powered over baseliners. Dynacrew certainly didn’t sound like them.

“Look… seriously, forget I said it,” Ramirez said. “It’s not important.”

I nodded. “Alright…” I said.

The rest of the drive was quiet, and neither of us really said anything until we pulled to a stop in front of my apartment building. “Jannette,” Ramirez said, as I stepped out onto the curb. I looked toward him. His eyes had something unfamiliar in them, something… sad I hadn’t seen in them before.

“Take care of yourself,” he said.

I nodded. “Thank you, Ramirez.” I said. After a moments pause, I added, “R-really, thank you… I-I…” I couldn’t finish as tears filled my eyes again.

But Ramirez seemed to understand. He nodded once, “It was nothing, see you around.” He drove off.

I took a deep breath, watching the cop car peel away into traffic, disappearing into the city.