YEAR ZERO ( 0 )
City of Westminster, London
East Finchley Cemetery
Tuesday, 1 February, 2005
15:26 ( UTC +00:00 )
-"Charlotte, darling, we ought to go now." Charles Jenkins pressed his daughter, who still refused to move from her place by her mother's grave.
The grave read "Gabrielle Jenkins, wonderful human being, caring lover and incredible mother. You shall be missed every day of the rest of our lives." Charlotte sat there, crying silently. She was devastated as she was only 10. Losing her mother at such a young age would surely leave sequels, and unpleasant ones.
-"Charlotte, please." Her father pleaded, she had been at it for hours now and it was hard for the man to stay composed at this point. All he truly wanted to do was break down and seeing his daughter like this, furthermore broke his already shattered heart. But he couldn't, somebody had to stay strong and that somebody was him. He was, after all, the adult here. The more responsible person.
-"Come on. We are going." Charles gently picked her up. He brushed some leaves from her white dress, wiped the tears coming from her grey eyes and gave a kiss to her neatly braided blond hair. "It will be all right, darling. We will be all right."
They rode home, father and daughter quiet in their respective seats. Their house was shockingly empty, save for some furniture, including a bed in which both of them would sleep in tonight. The rest of their things had already been packed and sent to their new house.
-"When are we leaving, Papa ?" Charlotte asked while they were waiting for the chinese take-out her father had ordered. Those were the first words she had said since the funeral.
-"The plane goes off at 10 sharp tomorrow but we have to be there by 7 so we got to wake up at 5. I know it's a little early for you but you can catch up some sleep in the plane. The flight from London to Washington DC is 8 hours 25 minutes long, you will have plenty of time." Her father rambled, nodding at times. Charlotte also nodded at him but went back to being silent, soon after.
Charles ran a hand through his dark hair, the silence was killing him. He had the same sad grey eyes as his daughter, whom, refused to talk so they both resolutely stayed silent until the food arrived. Charles paid, left a generous tip and placed the Chinese goodnesses on the table.
-"Here, darling. You should eat. It has been a long day. For both of us." He opened a box of noodles and started to dig in. Charlotte did the same.
-"I am sorry, Papa. I-I do not think I can do this." The 10 years old girl suddenly said, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.
Charles immediatly dropped his food and went over to her.
-"Oh, Charlotte, what are you talking about ?" He rubbed her back soothingly, while maintaining eye contact.
-"T-this. This whole moving, starting a new life in another country thing. It has only been 2 weeks since Mama died, why are we going so soon ?"
-"I know, darling, I know." Charles gently hugged his daughter. "I know it is hard for you as it is for me, too. But your mother and I, we had planned this beforehand. She would have wanted us to continue. She would have wanted us to keep going."
-"O-Okay. I-I understand." Charlotte hiccupped as she spoke, and hugged her father back twice as tight.
They finished the rest of their meal in silence, both thinking about the new life they would live now. And when they finally went to sleep, their dreams were plagued with blurred faces and new places and things unknown. It was the start of a great big adventure.
YEAR ONE ( 1 )
Washington D.C
Jenkins Home
Wednesday, 15 March, 2006
7:37 EDT ( UTC -05:00 )
-"Okay, darling. You are now 11. That means-" Charles Jenkis addressed his daughter calmly but was brutally cut off by the latter.
-"I can finally learn magic !" Charlotte squealed excitingly. She suddenly quited herself and bowed over to her father. "Oops, sorry, Papa. Please, keep on." Her father smiled gracefully, glad that she remembered her manners.
Still, she couldn't help but bounce around in her brand new Wicca uniform : a white shirt with her father's insignia embroidered on the breast pocket, tucked in a swirling navy blue pleated skirt with silver edges, knee-length black socks with orange stripes and a pair of brown leather ankle boots. Charles couldn't contain a laugh at her antics.
-"It is quite all right. Yes, you can learn magic now. Key word : learn. We will begin your apprenticeship with theorical lessons and when I judge you ready, we will be moving on to practise. Is that clear ?"
-"Of course, Papa !"
They were sitting on the patio of their new home. They had moved to D.C a year ago and they had both grown accustomed to the American life. It wasn't really that different from the British life to be honest. Sole difference was that their accent was now very obvious to people. And people liked to ask. But the Jenkins were very private, mostly to keep their secret life of Wiccans secret but also because they had a hard time 'bonding' with other people. It was genetic.
Their new home was situated somewhere near the Hall of Justice to facilitate the ride from Charles' work to the house. Officially, he worked as a technician in the Hall of Justice locals ( and he was, in the daytime, when everything was calm ) but the truth was that he was a member of the Justice League, named Oimelc. Charles Jenkins was a powerful Wicca and now, he was going to teach his daughter, Charlotte, the fine arts of witchcraft and magic.
-"Shall we start, then ?" Charles asked and Charlotte eagerly nodded.
-"Witchcraft is a tricky thing. It is, of course, magic. But unlike magic, witchcraft requires a vessel. That is why, we Wiccans, have this." With a flick of his wrist, a tall staff appeared in his hand, taller and much bulkier than Charles himself. It was born from an olive branch and decorated with an alexandrite : a color shifting gem. The gem had the shape of an hexagon and the staff in itself was gorgeous. It wasn't smooth, no, far from it. It was jagged and rough and used by time but still, it was a wonderful sight.
-"Whoa, that is so cool !" Charlotte started to jump around her father, her arms flailing aimlessly.
-"Calm down, darling." He effortlessly sat her down. "You are still too young for that. Anyway, as I was saying, we need to have a vessel, that is also one of the reasons why you cannot really do magic now. Do you understand ?"
-"Yes, Papa."
-"There are three principle arts in witchcraft : potions, spells and card reading. Spells are sub-divised in three categories : Charms, Jinxes and Hexes and finally, Curses. Today, we shall learn about potions. Potions do not immediatly require magic so you will help me brew a potion and I shall complete it. Are you ready ?"
Charlotte was so excited that she couldn't answer.
-"I guess that is a yes. Come on, then." Her father started to head back inside, soon followed by the 11 years old girl. They headed to the cellar, where Charles had set up their 'Wicca' room. The cellar door was modern and forward thinking, as all the doors in the house were. It was, after all, a recent flat.
The cellar was huge, but you couldn't really see it with all the mess it held. It had an alcove, where a fireplace had been built by Charles. The right side of the room was occupied by a towering bookcase, filled with books about magic and witchcraft. The left side, however, was occupied by a large shelf, covered in potions ingredients. In the center of the cellar laid a wooden table, on which sat a mortar paired with a pestle, several knives of different sizes, wooden spoons of various sizes, pliers, a cutting board, a scale and a very eye-catching cauldron.
Charlotte took it all in, it was the first time her father had allowed her to enter his workplace.
-"Whoa, Papa, this is amazing !" She dashed around the room, eyes wide open at the things displayed.
-"Indeed, it is." Charles looked over at her lovingly. "Now, come on. We should start."
While his daughter sat down by the table, Charles went to the bookcase and picked a heavy leather-bound book, which was titled : "Potions : an art to be mastered." That book had been in their family for seven generations and over time, it had been filled by the previous owners' with newly discovered potions or creations of their own.
-"We will start off with an easy potion. Here." He handed Charlotte the book. "You will be the one to choose." When he saw that she hesitated, he pressed her on. "Come now, do not be shy. Pick a potion, darling."
Charlotte started to browse through the book, looking for not too complicated potion recipes. A few minutes after, she found one.
-"This one, Papa !" The girl had stopped at the 23th page, on a potion named "TOWP". It apparently was a protection potion. Charles looked briefly at the recipe and nodded.
-"All right, we shall make that one, then."
TOWP POTION
USE : To protect objects or people for a limited time
INGREDIENTS :
- a gallon of holy water
- 502ml of lavender oil
- 77ml of oak sap
- 430g of baobab leaves
- 5 white waterlilies
- 3 flowers worth of sunflower petals
CONCOCTION :
- Boil the holy water at 268°.
- Add the lavender oil.
- Finely chop the baobab leaves, mix them with the oak sap and add gradually in the potion.
- Crush the waterlilies with the sunflower petals and add them in the potion.
- Steer counter-clockwise 9 times, then clockwise twice.
- Rest the potion for three hours.
- Enchant the potion with the following spell : "byddwch yn gwarchod yr hyn yr wyf ei eisiau am saith niwrnod a dim ond wedyn bydd eich gwaith yn cael ei orffen"
- When you are done, the potion should be coloured a light purple.
They divided the tasks as followed : Charles would do the boiling and the chopping, and Charlotte, the crushing and the adding. They brewed the potion in silence, both concentrated on their duties so as not to mess the concoction. Once they were finished, Charles said the appropriate spell and then, the potion was done. It had a nice light purple colour as indicated in the book.
-"Shall we test it, darling ?" Charles asked his daughter, who nodded, looking quite proud of their handywork.
-"What or who shall we use it on, then ? How about our little old Betsy ?" Betsy was their cat, she was now 11 years old, just like Charlotte. She was a British Shorthair cat, with grey fur and fabulous green eyes.
-"And how do we know if it works, Papa ?"
-"We should just give it to her, we will think about that after."
They headed to the garden, where Besty liked to rest and found her under a bench Charles had installed soon after they arrived.
-"Come on Betsy, we got a little something for you ~" Charles bribed her but she simply ignored him.
-"Give it to me, Papa ! I will make her drink it !" He handed Charlotte the potion, which they had bottled, and she immediatly made a mad dash for the house. She came back with a bowl and a bottle of milk. She poured some milk in the bowl, then added the potion. Betsy seemed to like the scent it emanated as the cat approached the little girl. Betsy drank up all the milk and went back to her place under the bench.
-"Tha-that was incredible, Charlotte ! We should now see if it worked." Charled summoned his staff, then fired a jinx towards Betsy, it bounced back at them and they both quickly ducked to avoid it. Betsy was surrounded by a purple shield, but looked unaware of it. Instead, she disdainfully mewed at her owners, judging their antics, then, walked away.
-"P-Papa ! It worked !"
-"Yes, darling, I saw."
They looked at each other and simultaneously burst out laughing. It was the start of a great big adventure.
YEAR TWO ( 2 )
Washington D.C
Hall of Justice
Thursday,19 April, 2007
10:09 EDT ( UTC -05:00 )
-"Everyone, meet my daughter, Charlotte." Charles Jenkins introduced her to his fellow superheroes. Today, they were gathered in the Hall of Justice in order for everyone to meet Oimelc's daughter. The twelve years-old girl was dressed in her Wicca uniform and her father had tied her blonde hair in a nice braided bun. She grinned shyly at the bunch of superheroes in brightly coloured outfits.
-"Aww, she's adorable !" The Flash was in front of her within nano-seconds. "Gosh, you look so much like your father !" He circled her rapidly. "Are you as shy and grumpy as he is ?"
-"Flash, please." Oimelc said in an exasperated tone. The speedster smirked at him, but stayed silent nonetheless.
-"And what your name may be, dear ?" Wonder Woman bent over to ask her. The superheroine's eyes were at the same level as the young girl's, which made the latter look away stressfully.
-"Hum, Charlotte ?" She answered, not understanding why the older woman asked after her father had introduced her, earlier.
Wonder Woman let out a bark of laughter.
-"I meant, your superhero name." She corrected herself.
-"Oh." Charlotte, stayed silent a long time, pondering on her reply. "I am not really a superhero yet so I have not put much thought into it." She said, wringing her hands together, in a nervous way she shared with her father.
-"What do you mean, not a superhero yet ?" The voice who had addressed her was Hawkman's. "Don't you have the same powers as your father ?"
-"Hum, I do not have as much experience as him, but I, indeed, share some of his powers. Still, that does not make me a superhero, does it ?" Charlotte tilted her head, in a wondering manner.
-"Oh my God, Charles ! She speaks just like you !" Green Arrow suddenly exclaimed.
-"It's called having manners and being polite, Arrow. You should try, sometimes." Aquaman smirked at him, sassy and content with himself.
-"How many times have I told you not to use our real names, Arrow ?" Batman glared at the archer, who rushed in, to defend himself.
-"Hey, it's her father ! She already knows who he is !"
He stopped pleading his case after receiving another of the famous Bat-glare. The other Leaguers watched them silently, save for Green Lantern ( Hal Jordan ) and The Flash, who were quietly scoffing.
-"As for you, you are right. You are not a superhero yet. I believe the correct term is sidekick, isn't it ?" Martian Manhunter, in the meantime had turned to Charlotte, answering her previous question.
-"Please, do not use that term. I do not want my daughter to think that she is, in any way, inferior to any of us here. We are all equals and that is the first thing you, American people have taught me, although, not all of you here, are Americans. We have an Amazon, a Martian, an Atlantean, a Kryptonian, Thanagarians and even some meta-humans. I thought the Justice League's motto was no discrimination ? Why not also apply that to children ?" Oimelc spoke, his voice calm, but with an eerie undertone to it. His speech stunned the Leaguers, as he was not as outspoken as this, usually.
-"That was nicely said, my friend." Green Arrow approached him and put his hand on his shoulder.
-"Hear, hear." Hawkwoman smiled at him.
-"Beautifully pronounced." Aquaman nodded.
-"That was cool as hell !" The Flash looked pumped up.
-"Indeed, Oimelc." Wonder Woman agreed.
-"God, that was hot." Green Lantern breathed out.
The Leaguers congratulated Oimelc on his newfound attitude. The latter blushed at the praises, not expecting so much from his co-Leaguers.
-"That was great !" Charlotte chipped in, a huge smile on her round face. "Thank you, Papa !" She beamed at him, making his heart melt.
All gushed at the little girl, which made her blush furiously.
-"Your kid is damn cute, Oim, just like you !" Green Lantern winked at him. Charles blushed and shook his head, while the rest of the League looked vaguely exasperated.
-"Is it always like this ?" Charlotte tugged on Wonder Woman's arm, her eyes wandering from her blushing father to a flirty Green Lantern.
-"I'm afraid so, dear." Wonder Woman shared a laugh with some other Leaguers.
-"Now, now. Calm down, gentlemen. We have a child with us." Superman intervened. "Charlotte, why don't you show us what you can do ? I've heard you are an excellent card reader." That was right. In the year she had started to learn magic, card reading was her second best mastered art, potions being the first. She couldn't do spells as she had yet to summon her staff. Card reading only required small magic and Charlotte, Charlotte was a natural. As for potions, she was a very digilent worker so her concoctions were always perfect.
The young girl nodded and started to search for her deck of Tarot cards in her brown leather shoulder-bag. It had been a gift from her father after their first potion together. He had already put some useful potions in it, along with a deck of Tarot cards Charlotte soon found. Her father had given her his old occult Tarot deck.
-"Papa, will you ?" She asked her father, her grey eyes bright with mirth.
-"Of course, darling." Oimelc ushered his fellow Leaguers to sit around Charlotte. Most looked intrigued, others impatient but only one had no visible emotions on his face and that was Batman.
Charlotte opened the deck and took out all the cards. Then, she started to shuffle them swiftly. After two or three minutes of shuffling, she started to neatly divide the cards into four. From the first division, she took three cards. From the second one, one. From the third one, four and from the last one, two. Charlotte arranged the cards in this way : three cards in front of her, four above them, one above the four and the remaining two last.
C...VII C...III
C.I
C...VIII C..II C...V C...X
C...IX C...IV C...VI
She first turned the lone card of the third row : it was THE HIEROPHANT reversed, it meant personal belief, freedom and challenging the status quo.
She, then, turned the second card from the left of the second row : it was THE THREE OF WANDS upright, it meant preparation, foresight, enterprise and expansion.
The next one was the card from the right of the last row : it was THE LOVERS upright, it meant love, harmony, relationships, values alignment and choices.
The fourth card she turned was the middle card of the first row, in front of her : it was THE FIVE OF CUPS reversed, it meant personal setbacks, self-forgiveness and moving on.
She, then, turned the second card from the right on the second row : it was THE KING OF SWORDS upright, it meant clear thinking, intellectual power, authority and truth.
The sixth card she turned was the right card of the first row, in front of her : it was THE EIGHT OF WANDS upright, it meant speed, action, air travel, movement and swift change.
The next one was the card from the left of the last row : it was THE FOUR OF PENTACLES reversed, it meant greed, materialism and self-protection.
The eighth card she turned was the card on the left of the second row : it was THE MOON reversed, it meant release of fear, repressed emotion and inner confusion.
She, then, turned the left card of the first row, in front of her : it was THE THREE OF CUPS upright, it meant celebration, friendship, creativity and collaborations.
The last card was the card on the right of the second row : it was THE JUSTICE upright, it meant justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect and lastly, law.
The whole thing took over half an hour, as the twelve years-old girl told the Justice League what she was doing and what the cards meant, and that, through the whole process. Once all the cards were finally revealed, Charlotte started the actual reading.
-"Hum, wait." Green Lantern interrupted her before she actually started. "Who is the reading about, exactly, again ?"
-"Why, me, of course. I do not possess the necessary powers to read one of you. Papa said it will come with my staff so now, I can only read my own." Charlotte clarified for the confused Lantern, who nodded in return.
-"The first three I turned - they glowed yellow and flew to her hands - are general feelings. The four next - the first one glowed aqua blue, the second pale green, the third a stronger green and the fourth a simple blue - are people I will certainly be brought to meet, they will play an important part in my life in the years to come. THE MOON - said card glowed silver - I think represents me in a nearby future and the two last - they glowed orange - are surely what I will happen to me this year or the next to come." She explained as she read each card, making them reveal different colors.
-"Hum, and how do we know if it's true ?" The Flash asked, earning an unsubtle nudge from Superman and a glare from Wonder Woman and Oimelc.
-"My darling Charlotte has never been wrong in her predictions before. These things will happen and she will meet those people." Oimelc affirmed, proud of his daughter's skills.
-"My darling Charlotte." Green Lantern quoted him and added. "That is one of the most adorable phrases I have ever heard from you. Can you call me darling, too ?"
Oimelc merely sighed and told the Leaguers it was time for his daughter and him to go home. She bid them goodbye with a sad smile, feeling a little down that she had to go so suddenly.
-"Wait, dear." Wonder Woman caught them up before they left. "Here, take this." Seemingly out of nowhere, a heavy silver bracelet appeared in the superheroine's hand. She put it on Charlotte's left wrist and it immediatly adjusted to her size.
-"Whoa, thank you so much !" Charlotte gracefully bowed, like her father had always taught her. "How did you know my favourite colour was silver ?"
-"I didn't, really. I simply wanted to give it to you." Wonder Woman gently smiled at her and Charlotte thanked her again. Before they could even pass the door, someone stopped them again. This time, it was Green Lantern.
-"Hey, hum, about that date-" He started but Oilmec cut him by raising his hand.
-"No."
-"Okay, then. Better luck next time !" Green Lantern waved at them and finally, they were able to leave. Oimelc cast a teleportation Charm on them and in two seconds flat, they were home.
-"So, did you have fun, darling ?" Charles asked his daughter and received a grin in response.
-"Of course, Papa ! When will I be able to meet them again ?"
The conversation went on, they spoke about her quickly developing abilities, the card reading she did, how Wonder Woman was a wonderful person and how Green Lantern never ceased to flirt with Charles. They talked and talked and talked until Charlotte became hungry, and then, they ate and talked some more.
-"Papa, I think I found my hero name." She blurted as he kissed her goodnight.
-"Do tell." Charles looked at her questioningly.
-"Clemio. It is Oimelc in reverse, is it not great, Papa ?" Charlotte sleepily grinned at him.
-"It is absolutely perfect !" Her father smiled gently and kissed the crown of her head again. "Good night, darling."
-"Good night, Papa."
As always, it was the start of a great big adventure.
YEAR THREE ( 3 )
Somewhere in America
Unknown location
Friday, 30 May, 2008
13:44 ? ( UTC - / + ? )
-"Are you okay, darling ? Not too nervous ?" Charles Jenkins asked his daughter. Today, she was meeting her fellow young superheroes ( she refused to use the word sidekick, ever since that day, a year ago. It felt too much like an insult ).
-"I am feeling fine, Papa. I am okay." The thirteen years old girl reassured her father. Once again, she was dressed in her Wicca uniform. This year, it had an addition : a dark hooded cape. Also, her blond hair was now brown, like her father's. She had asked him to dye it because she found out that being a blonde was way too catchy and her British accent often brought even more attention. Her father had gladly obliged and today, he had tied her hair into neat twin tails on each side of her head.
They were the first ones to arrive, along with some other Leaguers, and they were now waiting for Batman, Green Arrow and The Flash to introduce their proteges. Clemio was animatedly chatting with her father about the newest spells he had taught her, when the superheroes they had been waiting for, finally arrived.
Batman was walking along with a small boy with dark hair and a domino mask. His outfit was a mix of black, red and yellow. Green Arrow was with a ginger boy, also with a domino mask. The archer's protege was dressed in red and yellow, in a Robin Hood style like. Unsurprisingly, The Flash's protege also wore red and yellow but he wasn't wearing a domino mask, instead, he wore googles.
-"Introduce yourselves." Batman ordered at the young superheroes and almost immediatly, his protege spoke.
-"Hey, the name's Robin, nice to meet you all !" The boy grinned at the others and Clemio allowed herself to wave at him.
-"I'm Kid Flash, KF for short. Maaaan, it's so cool to meet you guys ! I'm new at this whole superhero thing bu-" The Flash's protege was cut by Green Arrow's, who simply said "Speedy."
-"Hum, hello. My name is Clemio. It is for me, a pleasure to meet you all." She bowed, without even thinking and couldn't help but blush when she realized. Thankfully, none of the boys seemed to mind as they just nodded at her.
After that, the Hall of Justice was awkwardly silent for a very long time, until the League got an alert and left their proteges on their own.
-"I will be right back, darling." Oimelc reassured his daughter, who looked worried but nodded yes.
-"Bye, sweets !" Green Lantern ( Hal Jordan ) waved at her.
-"Later, dear." Wonder Woman smiled at them, then left along with the rest of the Justice League.
-"How come the Leaguers are so chatty with you ?" Speedy asked, rather coldly.
-"Hum, I already met them last year." Clemio answered, as she looked anywhere but him.
-"I met them too, but I'm not that friendly with them. How ?" Speedy asked again, though it didn't really sound directed at her, this time.
-"Hey, hey ! What can you guys do ? Like, what are your superpowers ?" Kid Flash suddenly questioned them.
-"Gee, Kid Genius, shouldn't it be obvious ? You're a speedster." Robin pointed at Kid Flash. "He's an archer." He pointed at Speedy. "She's a witch." He pointed at Clemio. "And I'm a super cool kid." The young boy pointed at himself, then smirked at them.
-"I am a Wicca, actually." Clemio shyly spoke up.
-"What ? That can't be ! I'm never wrong !" Robin looked confused.
-"Whoa, that sounds cool ! You can show me your tricks anytime." Kid Flash winked at her.
-"What's the difference with a witch ?" Speedy frowned at her.
Unsure of who to answer and not knowing how to even answer, Clemio decided to go for the safest option, so she turned to Speedy.
-"Unlike witches, wizards and magicians, we need a vessel. A staff, to do magic. We also do old arts like potions and card reading. Witches, wizards and magicians only perform spells." Charlotte explained.
-"So do you ?" Robin asked, seemingly recovered from the fact that he had been wrong.
-"Hum ?" Charlotte looked at him, clearly not getting it.
-"Do you have a staff ?" The young protege of Batman reiterated.
-"Hum, yes. I do." The lone girl couldn't help but blush under the pressing stares of the boys surrounding her.
-"Coooooooool." Kid Flash exclaimed himself. The speedster approached her with a goofy grin on his freckled face and asked : "Can you show us ?"
-"Hum..." Clemio blushed and shifted uncomfortably at how close he was. She was never good at being near people.
-"Yes, Clemio, show us !" Robin joined in to support KF.
The girl turned to the only boy who hadn't talked but Speedy just shrugged and said "Sure. Why not ?"
-"Hum, okay." Charlotte nodded numbly.
Clemio took a deep breath and started to concentrate. Staffs came from a dimension of Wicca magic and it was very hard to summon them at will, especially for someone with the magical capacity of Charlotte. They mostly appeared when needed, but Charlotte had a few months to practise, so she didn't have much problem with the whole summoning issue. That wasn't the case, however, when Clemio had first gotten her staff, in February.
It was a Saturday morning. She was home alone because her father had been called for an urgent mission with the Justice League. Charlotte was in the cellar, in the midst of practicing her potions when she heard a noise upstairs. The young girl froze. It could just be Betsy but their cat mostly preferred to sleep outside on sunny days like this one. Without wasting any minute, Charlotte grabbed her deck of cards, readying herself for a fight. Soon after she had started training with her father, he had taught her the art of throwing cards. It was very useful to surprise enemies and cards were as sharp as a knife when you knew how to correctly use them. She took out some cards in her left hand and in her right, a paralyzing potion her father and her had recently finished.
Charlotte went up and started to explore the rooms one, by one. She silently checked her father's room : nothing. Her room : nothing. The bathroom : nothing. The kitchen : nothing. It was when she was heading to the living room that she heard some noise again. It sounded like someone was rummaging through their things. Oh no, it was a burglar. She peeked and saw that the burglar was a man ( he hadn't even bothered to hide his face, Charlotte could surely identify him in case he escaped ), he was tall and wore all black. His glove-covered hands were trying to unhook the flat TV they had bought only two months ago. This was really happening. She didn't dive headfirst in, instead, she seized her opponent and waited until he was particularly distracted to attack. Swiftly, she threw the paralyzing potion, which hit her target on the back. It took effect immediatly.
Thinking everything was over, she was about to call her father when she heard footsteps behind her. Someone tried to grab her but Charlotte was faster. Her father had prepared her at the possibility that she couldn't use magic, so he, along with Wonder Woman, had taught her a few fight moves. She ducked the incoming attack and brought her foot to the stranger's solar plexus. Unfortunately, the other burglar grabbed her ankle and unceremoniously threw her. Charlotte's head hit her late mother's favourite painting and the girl felt herself get dizzy. That, however, didn't stop her from throwing some cards ( which made the burglar laugh ) but only one of them landed where she wanted. The stranger who broke into their house surely didn't expect a Tarot card to slice the bridge of his nose, dangerously close to his eyes.
-"You little bitch ! What are you, a magic freak show ?"
Charlotte didn't dignify him an answer but she did use the distraction to sweep the man from his feet. He heavily landed on their Victorian carpet and swore once again. Charlotte, in the meantime, was panicking. She hadn't anything to defend herself and had no energy to fight with him longer, as her head still throbbed harshly. What was she to do ? She hadn't had the time to contact her father and the man she had knocked down was quickly standing again. Thankfully, the other man didn't stir from his position as paralyzing potions could last up to 36 hours, when prepared correctly. Still, that was a small victory. Right now, she had a bigger problem. And that problem looked ready to attack her any moment.
-"What's happenin' girly, gettin' cold feet ?" He laughed brutally, eyes feral, like a wild beast. And just when Charlotte thought there was no issue anymore, just when she had resoluted herself to praying ( to all the Gods she believed in, to anyone who could help ), something, something answered her call. Somewhere deep in a Wicca magic dimension, a staff awoke and went in search of their owner. In Charlotte's hand appeared a 6 feet and 7 inches staff sculpted from an orange tree, smooth and soft, but surprisingly sturdy, with a silver hematite gem in the form of a reversed triangle on its center. This, was the staff that was born with her, thirteen years ago. And it had awaken upon hearing her call of distress.
The burglar looked startled for a second, then, he laughed again, surely thinking that the girl and her staff weren't a threat to him. What a terrible, terrible mistake. As for Charlotte, on her face passed a large range of emotions, from surprised, she went to happy and excited, then afraid and finally, panic. It wasn't like her father had told her, she didn't immediatly know what to do. The staff actually brought more questions than answers, what was she supposed to do with it ? Magic, of course but Charlotte didn't know any spells that could help her. Well, she could always hit the man with her staff but that would do more damage to the staff than to the man. The staff, who thrummed with silver energy, started to get annoyed. Their owner was so indecisive and they were getting restless, so they decided to take the lead.
There was a burst of orange, smoke and cursing. When the smoke cleared up, the two burglars appeared, tied together with a thick silver rope and Charlotte couldn't have been more surprised.
-"Di-did I do that ?" She said out loud. Charlotte barely had the time to realize that her trembling hands were holding out her staff in front of her, before she passed out, feeling weak from having used too much magic. As soon as the young girl hit the ground, her staff disappeared with a pop and a promise to come again when needed.
Clemio held out her hands, memories of her first time summoning her staff visualized in her mind. And as she felt the energy of her staff, all silver and orange, an explosive cocktail, she grasped it. Under the bewildered eyes of the boys in the room, her staff appeared, the exact same as she had seen them, just two days ago, during training. She had learnt to know her staff, during the four months that had followed her first summoning. Her staff didn't like being treated like an object. Her staff's name was Muoi. Her staff preferred the pronoun "they". Her staff liked explosions and all things loud and bold and everything Charlotte wasn't. Her staff was incredibly different from her but they were good, together. They had learned ( both, her and her staff ) how to work, how to cohabit and how to be with each other.
-"That was... AWESOME !" Kid Flash was next to her in micro-seconds, his green eyes bright with something akin to wonder and it made Charlotte blush, yet once again.
-"Cooooooooooooool." Robin said, dragging the "oo". The young boy was impressed, to say the least.
-"Nice." Speedy simply said, with a smirk but his eyes said so much more.
Their little moment was interrupted by a shrill scream. Without consulting each other, as if they were one, they rushed to the sound, some more quickly than others. But their synchronization was short lived. Kid Flash went ahead, Robin disappeared without a trace and Speedy traced his own route. Clemio found herself alone, searching for the person who was in danger.
Her staff, more than happy to help, guided her to the victim. Unfortunately for her, to them, to guide meant to propulse at high speed until arrival so it came as no surprise to herself when she crashed into Kid Flash, making him stumble, then fall, thankfully on the opponent.
-"Oh, I'm sorry." Clemio apologized, but she couldn't say anything else before she was forced to launch herself into the battle. Turned out the opponent was actually one of the opponents. Said opponents were trying to rob a small store and it was the owner's scream that had alerted them. Clemio fired a tripping jinx at one of them, while the others each battled their own. Kid Flash stunned them with his quick moves, Robin, with his incredible fighting skills and Speedy, Speedy had an aim that was absolutely unmatched. Clemio fired hexes and jinxes, threw potions and cards and in three minutes flat, the bad guys were restrained, either by one of Robin's gadgets, one of Speedy's arrows or one of Clemio's spells and potions.
-"Guys, we rocked !" Kid Flash exclaimed as he helped the victim up.
-"Yeah, that was sweet." Robin grinned with the speedster as they naturally fist bumped.
-"Pretty cool, if you ask me." Speedy smirked, once again. It seemed like that was his trademark.
As for Clemio, she simply smiled and nodded along. It was the first time she had fought crime with people close her age. She usually hung out with Leaguers she got along with. She had to admit it was nice, even if they had absolutely no connection whatsoever, it had been a smoothly led fight. It had been a success. And most importantly, it was the start of a great big adventure.
YEAR FOUR ( 4 )
Washington D.C
Jenkins Home
Saturday, 6 June, 2009
12:13 EDT ( UTC - 05:00 )
-"Please, I beg of you, do not destroy our house." Charles Jenkins pleaded his fourteen years-old daughter.
-"Of course not, Papa. Who do you think I am ?" Charlotte pouted upon hearing his words. This afternoon, she was hanging out with Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy at her house.
-"Oh, darling. You know I am not worried by you." He gently kissed her forehead. "It is them I am worried about." Charles pointed to the group of teenage boys sitting in his living room. "Especially, them." With his right hand, he designed Robin and Kid Flash, who both smiled innocently at him.
Charlotte rolled her eyes.
-"It is fine, Papa. I got this. Just go, enjoy your date. Say hi to Hal from me, will you ?"
Her father blushed furiously and adverted his eyes. After 3 years of denial, Charles had finally allowed himself to be happy again.
-"Hum, yes, of course. See you tonight." Charlotte watched and waved as her father got into his car and drove away. Once she couldn't see him anymore, she went back into the house to join the boys.
For the occasion, they were all dressed in civilian clothes. After a year, they now trusted each other with their secret identities, save for Robin ( Batman had forbidden him from telling anyone ). Charlotte sat herself on the couch, next to Wally ( Kid Flash ), Robin was sitting, cross-legged, on the ground and Roy ( Speedy ) was leaning against the wall.
-"Soooooo, what do we do now ?" Robin asked, as he reajusted his black shades.
-"We could eat ? Maaaan, I'm starving." Wally proposed, throwing his hands dramatically.
Charlotte rolled her eyes in response.
-"Papa and I baked some strawberry scones last ni-" She hadn't even finished her sentence, that Wally rushed to their kitchen to grab the said baked goods. He was back within a few micro-seconds, a tray full of scones in hand. The speedster set them on the coffee table and didn't waste any time helping himself.
-"Geez, Wally. Leave some for us." Robin cackled as he grabbed a scone from the tray.
-"Honestly, you are such a glutton." Roy rolled his eyes, but helped himself nonetheless.
Whileeveryone was busy stuffing their faces, the girl started to think of what they could do.
-"You guys are so British." Wally told her with a weird accent, when Charlotte offered them some tea.
-"What do you mean, by that ?" She frowned at him, then dismissed it, judging it not to be worth her time. "Either way, we also have chocolate muffins, but we should probably save those for later."
-"So, do you, maybe, want to watch a film ?" Charlotte proposed, shrugging helplessly. It was the only thing she could come up with, right now.
-"Boooooooooring. Why don't we play games, instead ?" Robin countered. "Twister ?"
-"No." Charlotte, Roy and Wally said, in unison.
-"Come ooooooooooooon, you guys are no fun." Robin grinned at them. "Scared of a little competition ?"
-"A little competition ?" Wally exclaimed himself, scandalized. "Ugh, Rob, I hate you."
-"I never thought I'd say that one day." Roy started with a sigh. "But, I agree with Wally."
-"Heyyy, what does that mean ?" Wally scrunched up his nose at the archer, who, in return, smirked viciously at him.
-"Let's just pick something else, shall we ?" Charlotte intervened, before it escalated into something more. "You do not want a remake of the 'Pool Incident', do you ?"
Upon hearing those words, Robin, Wally and Roy stilled. Simultaneously, they fervently shook their heads "no".
-"Let's put on that movie !" Wally exclaimed loudly, and they all quickly agreed.
-"What do you have, Charlie ?" Robin looked at the house owner.
-"Hum, to be honest with you, we only have British films." Charlotte said gingerly, ready for the outburst, which came soon enough.
-"WHAT ?"
-"Seriously, Charlotte, I thought you'd be better than that."
-"Yeah, we really need to convert you to American culture. You are way too British. The scones, the tea and now, the movies !"
Those sentences came from Wally, Roy and Robin, in that order.
-"Oh, I am sorry for genuinely valuing my heritage." Charlotte glared at them. Ever since they had been hanging out, she had started to get less shy around the boys. Now, she was more affirmed and spoke her mind when she wanted to.
-"Ugh, fine. We'll watch your British stuff." Wally spoke and the rest quickly agreed.
Charlotte beamed at them and chose 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' as it was one of her favorites.
They were all silent during the movie. Well, Wally would occasionnally reach for the chocolate muffins Charlotte had brought, which resulted in Robin smacking away his hand, Charlotte shushing them and Roy shaking his head to himself. Apart from that, they stayed pretty quiet.
The teenagers were in the midst of the ending scene when they heard a tap against the window.
-"Hooooly sh-" Wally jumped out in fear and rushed upstairs, as if his life depended on it, which made both Robin and Roy laugh out loud.
-"What a big baby." The youngest boy commented.
-"Sure as hell is." The oldest smirked.
-"Boys. Hush !" Charlotte pleaded them, eyes still focused on the TV.
-"What was that noise, though ?" Roy asked, puzzled, and he stood up to investigte.
-"Oh, that must be Betsy." The house owner answered airily. "She likes to laze around outside. She does that when she wants to go back home." As if, to confirm her statement, Betsy meowed loudly and scrapped her paws against the glass, once again. Charlotte sighed and opened the window, allowing their cat to enter.
-"It appears like I have missed the end." She complained upon seeing the credits rolling.
-"We could rewind it, you know ?" Robin told her.
-"No, it is all right. We should go, and check out on Wally." Charlotte headed upstairs, not waiting for the boys to join her. Said boys grouched ( Roy did, while Robin mainly cackled. ) but went up with her.
-"Wally ?" The lone girl asked, her grey eyes searching for the speedster. She found him in her room, looking at her mother's picture she had placed on her nightstand.
-"Uh, is that your mom ?" Wally asked, in a rather nervous voice.
-"Why, yes, Wally. That is, indeed, my mother." Charlotte nodded and smiled sadly, her eyes gently resting on the photo. Her mother was sitting in a hospital bed. Around her head, was wrapped a colourful shawl and her brown eyes were smiling at the camera. She looked happy and content. "She is quite a sight, right ?" But before he could answer, the other boys burst in.
-"Heyyyyy, nice room, Charlie !" Robin nodded, a genuine smile on his youthful face.
-"Thank you, Robin. I, myself, am quite proud of it." The girl said, chin up and a glint in her grey eyes. Her room was in tones of yellow and blue and wasn't too heavily decorated. Her twin-sized bed was on the corner of a wall, along with her nightstand, which she had painted bright yellow. On the other side of it, there was a grand blue bookcase, with both old and new books. She also had an antique dressing table of a pastel yellow colour, with a round mirror. On the floor was spread a white fuzzy carpet, that matched her ceiling. Ceiling, on which she had placed glowing stars, although they remained unseen for now. Her wardrobe stood tall in a corner, doors painted blue but with yellow sides. It was a rather harmonic sight, paired with the colourful posters on her walls. It was clear that the room belonged to Charlotte.
-"It's a meh, for me." Roy announced, his handsome features assembling into a small frown.
-"C'mon, dude ! We aren't in a decorating show or competition !" Wally threw his hands in the air and glared at the older ginger.
-"If we were, I'd give it a 4, max." Roy retorted.
-"I'd give it a 8 !" Robin added, smiling towards Charlotte. "How about you, Kid Mouth ?"
-"A 10 of course, just like its owner." Said boy winked at the only girl, who just gave him an uncomfortable grin.
-"Tone it down with the flirting, Wally. It's getting annoying." Roy interjected, as he uncrossed his arms and looked ready to attack.
-"Whoa, dude. Chill." The speedster could only raise his hands in surrender.
Charlotte decided to break the fight before it could occur.
-"Thank you, Robin." She nodded at him, making the youngest grin with joy. "And Wally, of course." He gave her a bright smile. "Hum, Roy, thank you too, I guess ?"
-"Sure." The archer shrugged and wandered his eyes lazily. "What were you guys talking about, before we got here ?"
-"Uh..." Wally shifted on his spot as he averted his eyes.
-"We were talking about my mother." Charlotte grabbed the picture. "Here. Is she not gorgeous ?"
-"Oh." There was a silence, until Roy resumed. "Yes, she is." The archer scratched his neck awkwardly. "Hum, were you two, close ?"
Long pause.
-"Yes, Roy, we were close."
Another long pause.
-"I'm sorry if this comes out as insensitive, but, how did she die ?" Robin asked, his chipper voice unusually soft.
-"Leukemia." Charlotte sighed sadly, she really missed her, more than anyone could ever comprehend. "Science couldn't do anything and neither could my father." No one said anything for a while. "It's been 4 years and I still miss her dearly. Papa, too, misses her. But I am glad that he was able to move on."
Wally immediatly took on the bait talk.
-"Oh, yeah ! So, who's your dad going on a date with ?"
-"Whoa, Wally, you're such a girl." Robin snickered, elbowing him.
-"Duuuuuuuuude ! Not cool ! I just wanna know, don't you ?"
-"No, I don't." The Batman's protege retorted and shamelessly, in a very childish way, stuck his tongue out at Wally.
-"Well, that makes two of us. I'm not interested in another Leaguer's dating life. One is enough." Roy added.
-"What do you mean ?" Charlotte asked, a small grin on her previously sad face.
-"Ugh." Roy sighed harshly. "It's GA. He's been pining after Black Canary for over a year and that idiot still doesn't have the guts to tell her."
Simultaneously, Robin and Wally burst out laughing.
-"Hahahaha- oh my God, he doesn't stand a chance ! Pouhahahaha !" Wally had to hold onto the bed, as he was laughing quite hard.
-"HAHAHAHA- totally agree - hahaha, what is he even think-haha-ing ?" Robin threw his head back, openly mocking the Leaguer. Charlotte sighed at the sight of them.
-"What is going on, in here ?" A booming voice stepped in. Charles was back. He was still in his date clothes : a button-up white shirt, paired with black jeans and light brown brogues. His dark hair was slicked back, and he was wearing his glasses, which he didn't, as Oimelc.
-"Ah, Papa ! I see you are back early." Charlotte checked the sun-shaped clock hanging above her wardrobe. "It is only 6 ! Did something happen ?"
-"Well, Hal had an emergency meeting. He had to leave." Charles answered easily, not really caring that his daughter's friend heard him.
Said friends had various reactions. Wally's mouth was comically open in a "O" form, Robin looked like he knew already ( he was smirking, as always ) and Roy looked unimpressed, though he was frowning a bit.
-"Oh, that is quite a shame. But how was it, over all ?" Charlotte sat on the bed, then patted the spot next to her, inviting her father to sit. It seemed like the both of them had totally forgotten about the three teenage boys.
-"I-It was actually quite nice. The picnic was really enjoyable, he took me on a quiet hill, with this gorgeous flower field next to it. He had planned everything thoroughly, the food was home-made and absolutely exquisite. And he- he was wonderful. Really gentleman-y and kind. Funny, too. He actually made me a flower crown, it was crooked but still, it was beautiful and probably the cutest thing I have ever been given. It was really good, it felt ... natural." Charles related the events to his daughter, whom looked blissfully happy for him.
-"That is terrifically wonderful, Papa ! When will you see each other again ? Aside from work, of course. Speaking of work, how will that go ? Will it not be too awkward ?" She pressed him on, question after question. But before he could respond to any of them, Charlotte gasped audibly.
-"Oh no ! Sorry boys, I cannot believe we forgot you were here !" She turned to the teenagers and bowed at them. Said teens were awkwardly standing and hovering in the doorway. Wally shook his head fervently, still a bit shell-shocked, Robin just shrugged and Roy averted his eyes.
-"Oh, we are terribly sorry, boys." Charles stood up, bowed and prompted them to follow him. "Come on, then. I will make dinner, as an apology. And you can all tell me about your afternoon."
As Charles worked his way in the kitchen, with Wally stealing food from time to time, the adolescents narrated what they had done today, with Charlotte's father commenting in moments : the scones ( "I was wondering where those went." ), the discussions about Twister and 'the pool incident' ( which had made Charles laugh out loud ), the movie ( "Oh, yes. That is a really good one." ), Betsy ("That cat of ours is getting quite snarky, we should watch out for her, darling." ), Wally hiding himself in Charlotte's room ( "There is nothing to be ashamed of, boy. That is a very normal reaction." ), the debate about said-room ( "I think your room is wonderful, darling." ), the conversation about Charlotte's late mother ( Charles said nothing, this time. ), and the whole Leaguers dating issues ( "You children, sure have interesting conversations." ). In short, everything.
Then, they had dinner ( pot roast ) and the duo father-daughter took it upon themselves to take the boys home, one by one. Wally refused, because he had his superspeed, Robin, because he couldn't display his identity, and Roy, because Green Arrow was coming to get him. So, the boys took their leaves. Once they all had left, Charles turned to his daughter.
-"So, I take it you, too, had fun today, darling ?"
-"Of course, Papa ! They are great friends and you know that. Now, tell me more about your date with Hal !" Charlotte beamed at him, her eyes filled with malice.
It had been a good day, for the both of them. New relationships, blooming friendships and, of course, the start of a great big adventure.
YEAR FIVE ( 5 )
Washington D.C
Jenkins Home
Sunday, 4 July, 2010
12:34 EDT ( UTC - 05:00 )
-"So, darling ? How are you feeling ? Excited ? Nervous ? Or, perhaps, both ?" Charles Jenkins questioned his daughter, whom was picking on the collar of her shirt. Clemio had made a few changes in her Wicca uniform, biggest one was the skirt being replaced by black cigarette trousers. They fit her hips and thights like a glove, but were a little wider on her calves, and stopped right above her ankles. The fifteen years-old girl had also traded her boots, in favor of a pair of beige Derbies. Her hair was still dyed brown, but sole difference, was that she had cut it. Instead of reaching her back, like it did before, it was now barely covering her neck. The whole outfit, plus the hair, gave Charlotte a more mature, yet boyish look.
-"I am actually feeling quite excited." Clemio shyly grinned at her father. "But also a little bit nervous." She added after a small pause, making Oimelc laugh. Their outfits were now very similar, but only, her father wore a grey waistcoat on his white shirt. However, they both shared the same embroided insignia on the breast pocket, Oimelc's. It was a medium-sized yellow sun, which rays looked like they were made of bursting flames, the whole thing also looked like it was catching fire, thanks to an illusion spell cast on it.
-"I understand what you are going through, darling. I was the same when I joined the Justice League. It was a rather nerve-wracking d-" Oimelc was suddenly cut by a shrill scream. Without consulting each other, the two Wiccans immediatly summonned their staffs.
-"Where was it from ?" Clemio asked her father, who, in return, asked his staff. The alexandrite gem glowed pink and started to light a path. Father and daughter quickly jumped on their respective staffs and flew away, following the direction Lio ( Oimelc's staff ) was pointing.
It lead them right to the Hall of Justice where several journalists and civilians were waiting for the arrival of their favorites superheroes and their sidekicks ( ugh, that word, what a disgrace ). What had caused the uproar was-
-"Is that- ?" Clemio gasped, her grey eyes widening in surprise.
-"Snowman. Last time I heard, Batman had him in jail. How did he end up here ?" Oimelc frowned.
Snowman, real name : Klaus Kristin, half-man, half-yeti. And currently attacking the Hall of Justice. The yeti-man roared as he threw snow projectiles towards the people, encasing them in ice.
-"Papa, I am going in !" Clemio informed her father, before jumping down her staff, immediatly throwing a fire hex to stop the villain.
-"Be careful, darling !" Oimelc said, as he headed towards the victims trapped in ice. The Wicca melted the ice away and ushered the people under the shield he had just put up. "Is everybody okay ?" When they nodded, or at least, made some kind of affirmation noise, Oimelc took off, and went to help his daughter. Only to find her in an enraged battle with Snowman.
Clemio threw several fire hexes at the same time, successfully melting away Snowman's ice missiles. Not wasting any time, the fifteen years-old girl reached out in her messenger bag and pulled out a silver potion.
-"HA ! YOU THINK THAT WILL STOP ME, GIRLY ?" Snowman boomed out a laugh and launched some more snow. Some of it hit the young superheroine square on the chest, and started freezing. Immediatly, her father jumped in the fight and dismissed the snow with a charm. Clemio thanked him, then proceeded to drink the potion. Without a word, she called her staff and jumped on it.
Down in the shield, the journalists were in effervescence, ordering their cameramans to film the fight between the heroes and the villain, some of them had even started going live. The crowd started to scand the Wiccan's names, encouraging them. Clemio was standing on her staff, flying towards Snowman, while also dogding his oncoming attacks. Oimelc helped quite a lot with the latter. Once she was close enough, she took a deep breath, opened her mouth and- BOOM !
Clemio had fired an explosion from her mouth. The sheer force of it had melted away all of Snowman, leaving Klaus Kristin standing in its wake. Oimelc wasted no time in trapping him in a bubble charm. The crowd below started to cheer and clap loudly.
-"Using the Bombe potion was smartly thought, Clemio." Her father congratulated her, which made her blush. "Oh, darling, I am so proud of you !" Oimelc hugged her tightly, which made the people even more wild.
Soon, the police arrived, they strapped a restraining collar on Klaus and took him away, not without thanking the two Wiccans, of course. Oimelc talked with them a bit, telling them to be careful and such. Then, the heroes allowed themselves to give a little interview. As Oimelc and Clemio, they had much more confidence than as Charles and Charlotte, the costumes made everything so much easier.
Once everything was in order, Oimelc turned to his daughter and asked again.
-"So, Clemio, how are you feeling ?"
-"Great, actually. After all, today is the day." Clemio beamed, it was the start of a great big adventure.