Being a superhero can mean encountering some uncomfortable situations. Yes, superheroes always win, but it comes at a cost. Usually, it's losing something dear to you. A loved one, a power, a limb; but Jay has noticed that no matter how harrowing the experience, heroes never get therapy.

Watching Pixamena stare at her lavender lemon parfait with dead eyes, he wonders if maybe he can sway her to be the exception.

"Pixamena, you good?"

Pixamena blinks, smiling sweetly. "I'm fine."

Jay raises an eyebrow, taking a look around the giant spread she's ordered. To his left there's a three tiered tower of finger sandwiches, macarons, biscotti, and other fancy cookies. To his right, there are two ornately adorned teapots, one holding hot matcha milk tea and the other filled with rose milk tea. It seems that while Pixamena hides her pain from others with frills and lace, she comforts herself with sugar binges.

Well, it's not like Jay doesn't have his own vices to deal with the stress. He digs his spoon into his bananas foster, closing his eyes for a moment to let the syrupy sweetness wash over him.

"I thought you hated sweet things?"

Jay pushes around a banana with his spoon. "I used to. I guess this year has changed me a lot."

"Gannet used to always get the chocolate mousse cake."

A silence comes over both of them. Jay spears a banana chunk, dipping it into the vanilla ice cream. "So you knew about him and Alphaman? About their situation?"

"Are you mad I didn't tell you?"

"No. It wouldn't have changed anything. Besides, I'm not about to ask you to spill state secrets just to give me the sordid details about my ex's past."

Pixamena picks up her teacup, swirling the milky pink liquid within. "I wanted to tell you. I wanted you to know."

"I know now."

"Do you really get it though?"

Jay looks up from his dessert. Pixamena clutches her teacup, french tipped nails holding on tight. "He's gone, Witty. He's gone and he didn't even try to get help."

"What do you mean?"

Pixamena covers her mouth, eyes watery. "When all of this came out I was mad and...I was convinced he'd, I don't know, got tempted into villainy by some bad actor. But seeing you doubt it made me realize just how out of character that was for Gannet."

"You think so?"

"I don't know. I just...It took a long time for him to agree to let me help him get clean. Do you think it's my fault?"

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what you said at Celeste's studio? That Gannet might've been using to suppress his powers? I—" Razzmatazz wipes a tear away. "I was the one who convinced him to stop. He was living with me, I told him he had to get clean if he wanted to stay. If he's invulnerable, he would've been fine. So I forced him to stop the only thing keeping Stygian at bay. It's my fault—"

"Pixie, stop. That's not true."

"They told you right? What Chimeric Potential does to a person?"

"That still doesn't mean you're responsible for what happened. You don't even know if it's correlated."

"It has to be. He was fine until I made him stop. Then he got clean and Stygian started making appearances. And now—now Gannet is gone."

Jay frowns, shivering as he remembers the words of Stygian's doppelganger: Gannet's not here right now. "Pixamena, you don't know he's gone."

"He wouldn't kill people, Witty. He would fight until the end. I think he's lost and now it's just this...this dark side of him that's left. The side of him I never knew."

Jay stays silent, unsure how to respond. As easy as it was to mock the rest of the world for not being able to see through Stygian's flimsy disguise, he can't help but put himself in Pixamena's shoes. Would he have fallen in love if he only ever got to see half of who his boyfriend is?

He sighs, eyes diverting to observe the rest of the cafe. Despite the luxurious rococo-themed decor that would normally attract sightseers, customers are few and far between. There's only one other guest, solemnly sipping their chamomile while the only waiter present anxiously wipes down the tables. They're all here in defiance of the threat, refusing to stand down to Stygian's perceived tyranny.

Pixamena speaks again, voice hoarse. "I just wanted to make sure you knew that...he did love you. However much I disapproved of his fascination, I could tell things started changing when you started really seeing him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you've been to his apartment, right? He had a shrine—I never really thought it was healthy. He'd stay inside all day, on his computer talking about you, thinking about you, making posts about you. The only people he really had in his life was me and this idea of a hero."

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"He really is my number one fan."

Pixamena smiles. "Yeah. I think meeting you for real made him realize you weren't the flawless hero he thought you were, though. That helped a lot. Suddenly he was going out, mellowing down...He seemed happier. He seemed like he was actually in love now, and not just holding onto some delusion. You did that."

Jay rubs the edge of his plate. This isn't helping him forget that Gannet is all alone in a random forest right now. He has to tap his fingers to keep them busy and away from his phone.

Jay clears his throat. "I'm glad I helped him. I...still love him. I'm not giving up on him."

"I can tell. But you have to, It's not up to us anymore."

"Says who?"

"The Dawnbreakers! Why do you think this team was formed? Gannet is gone, and now we have to deal with the fallout."

"So we're going to kill him. Is that it?"

Pixamena averts her eyes, twiddling with her dress. "Don't act like I want this anymore than you."

"I just think there are other options besides going nuclear."

"He's the one who's gone nuclear! They already tried to contain him. They tried to fix him. If the Network, with all their money and influence can't do it, what makes you think we can?"

"You really think those dorks at Netscie know what Gannet needs?"

"Well, I—"

"They made him in a lab, Pixie. You really think that gives a kid a chance at a normal life?"

"They didn't have a choice."

"They could've put him in a home."

"You think someone would want a S-class toddler? Yeah great idea."

Pixamena jolts as Jay's fork slams into his plate. The sound of fracturing china is like a gunshot in the quiet cafe. Pixamena's eyes dart between the broken plate and Jay's face, eyes wide.

"I—"

"You said you were going to trust me from now on, right?"

"Yes. I did."

"Then you need to trust me when I say there's something else going on."

"Wait, what?"

"Gannet kicked his bad habits a while ago. You really think he's just now lost control?"

"You remember what happened in the mall. He nearly killed me..."

"He didn't though, did he?"

"..."

"I also remember him retaliating against Massasauga when I was being harassed. I remember him being angry on my behalf when the Network didn't send any heroes to save me. I remember him ordering Razzmatazz to take you to the hospital. Are those the actions of someone who's lost control of himself?"

Pixamena pets Pixiepuff anxiously. "No. But maybe Gannet was fighting. Maybe he got through for a moment."

"I was there. Stygian was the one worried about you. However you regard him, he thinks of you as his friend."

"I don't, I don't know Stygian, I only know Gannet. How am I supposed to see any good in this secret my best friend kept from me? Especially when people are dead?"

"Use your common sense," Jay growls, "Gannet wouldn't kill people. Stygian wouldn't kill people."

Pixamena stares. "What are you trying to say? It had to be him. He's the only villain strong enough to do it."

"I'm saying you need to be prepared. When the time comes, I need you to trust me."

"You think it was someone else. There's another S-class?"

"Just be ready."

Pixamena nods solemnly, fingers clenched in her dress.

They finish their snacks in silence, packing up the leftovers in pastel-pink styrofoam. At the exit, Jay prepares to go his separate way, but he's stopped again by the gloved hand of Pixamena.

"Sorry. It's just. I'm still freaked out. Do you want to hang out more? I just want to forget everything."

Jay pauses. He'd honestly expected Pixamena to start pulling away. Was she coming around? "Sure. Anything to keep me away from work. What were you thinking?"

One more embarrassing moped ride later, Jay is staring at the lavish home of Pixamena. He takes in the baroque furniture, lavish paintings, and marble floors. Is this what a premier hero's salary can afford?

"Holy shit Pixie, is this really where you live?"

She lifts her arm, posing with cascade of glitter. Suddenly, Pixamena's dress is replaced with a humble set of pink pajamas. She smiles as she stretches, falling onto a velvet pink couch. "It's my parent's summer home. You can call me Faye when I'm not hero'd up, by the way. Do you want something more comfortable to wear too?"

"As long as it's not pink."

The sparkles shudder and Jay is now in a pair of lavender sweatpants and a baby blue t-shirt. "Thanks—"

"Ohh Faye has a boyfriend!" a squeaky male voice hollers.

Jay turns around. At the top of the grand staircase is a young teenage boy holding Shadowpuff. He laughs as he falls down the bannister, making a leap just in time to narrowly avoid faceplanting.

Alana stands, anger already brewing on her face. "Drake! Why are you here?"

"I don't know, why do you have a guy over? Does dad know?"

"He's just a friend, Jake."

Drake snickers, fingers coming through wiley curls after he sets Shadowpuff down. "Damn, thought you might've turned normal."

An ugly flush rises to Faye's cheeks. "You think you're normal, shrimp? Go away. I don't want to catch your freak."

"Hate me because you ain't me."

"Why are you here, Drake?"

Drake holds a shivering Shadowpuff up. "Dad said you have to make him contract me. I want to be a hero too!"

"What!? Drake, we talked about this. He's not ready after—"

"Why not?! Dad said you have to!"

Faye looks at Jay sheepishly. "I'm really sorry. I have to deal with this. Will you watch Shadowpuff for a minute? I'll be right back." When Jay nods, Faye turns her fury back on her brother. "You ass, go to your room right now. We need to talk.."

"What? No—"

The 16 year old pauses as Faye glowers, eyes shimmering with feminine rage. "Drake."

"Fine! I hate you!"

"Hate me while you walk up the stairs, shrimp."

Jay watches them leave. When finally, he hears the slam of a door, he turns his gaze down to Shadowpuff. He's still trembling, eyes wide as he stares at Jay. Now this is a rare opportunity...

"Hey little buddy. What's wrong?"

"Don't little buddy me, creep! I've been through too much today to be patronized."

Jay smirks, reclining on the sofa. "Oh yes, your life is so terrible here at the lavish mansion in the Houston Heights. Truly, you are a Martyr."

"Quiet, peasant! Just because you've never known luxury doesn't mean you can take your poverty out on me!"

"I was just messing around. Sorry, sorry. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I want to get along with you. We're both Faye's friends, right?"

"I guess. But she's my best friend, you're just her work friend."

"Sure. You have known her longer. Or, is she different rom the Faye you knew?"

Shadowpuff goes quiet, wings drooping. Jay feels a twinge of sympathy at the display of emotion. But he can't quit now.

"Sorry. That was insensitive. I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine. I'm here now. It's like she never left."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Mostly. She's almost the same here so—so it's easy to forget. But then she'll do something that my Faye would never. My Faye would never keep secrets from me."

"What secrets?"

"She didn't bring me to the Network meeting! She said that I'm still a villain so I couldn't come!"

"Do you want to know what we discussed?"

Shadowpuff narrows his eyes. "Yes. Tell me."

"I'll tell you if you tell me what I need to know."

"What? What do you want to know?"

Jay leans in, eyes just barely glowing with a hint of emerald. "How did my double kill Alphaman?"