Jenifer didn't want to be here, really, but she had no other choice.
Her father got a heart attack when he saw the remains of their home, after the Leviathan attack, and was left in the city as the rest of the family evacuated during the gang wars, and S9 attack, but now her mother wanted to go back.
Resigned to follow her into that ruined city, he expected it to look like the worse parts of Winslow high.
It was worse.
Almost everybody had a weapon, people looked at other people wearily, and tension and danger were on the air...
It got worse, when after getting lost, she and her mother were to be led by armed people at gunpoint to some forest. She feared the worst.
When they reached their destination, it was not a forest, but the boardwalk, and a large intimidating bearded man greeted them: "and what do we have here?"
Her Dear, Beloved, brave mother seemed to reach the same conclusions as her, for she fall to her knees, and bagged: "please don't harm my daughter, i will do anything, i won't resist, just don't touch her!"
to which the scary man with the beard looked enraged, and then incredulous, taking a better look at them, before laughing. It wasn't the scary laugh like villains in movies either. It was a strange surprised laugh.
"Lady, you were gone for too long, this is Undersiders territory, they don't do that kind of thing, you are both safe here, or at least as safe as anybody can be in this place.
You may return to your stations gentlemen. Charlotte, we have guests. Charlotte!"
The Charlotte that came, muttering that it better be important, was a surprisingly recognizable face. She seemed to recognize them too, "Mrs. Abernathy? Jenifer?"
This led to the surprise of learning that Charlotte, who now looked more weary than ever before, and in a position of authority, remained in the doomed city, and was now working for the super villain Skitter." But she is not that bad, she helped us, and protects and feeds us." and unafraid of the big man with the beard "don't worry about Forrest, he won't bite" and learning the reason for their visit, asked them to wait while she makes a phone call, and left.
Soon she returned, and informed Jenifer that her father is alive, and that he is at the shelter near the protectorate complex, which is a safe, and gang free territory, even from Undersiders.
Even later, Jenifer will remember the Charlotte that stood as equal among gang men, armed dangerous looking big men, and even worked for a scary super villain, who could get things done, and tell them stuff, like where her father was, at a phone call.
Jenifer was just fourteen, at that time, but she wanted that strength too, and wandered if she should have stayed, joined that gang, rather than leave with her father as soon as they could. She couldn't help but wander, how would her life looked then.