Lenore was in by nine. She straightened up her office, arranging everything the way she liked. By nine-thirty she had the few pictures she was willing to display up on the walls. By nine-forty-five, she had password protected everything, chosen her internet firewall and found her favorite internet links. By ten, she'd started coffee, and had water boiling for her tea.
By ten past ten, Ann Myles was in, and Lenore smiled when the coffee was greeted with "so there is a God!" shouted at the ceiling.
"You're welcome," Lenore said, voice dry. It was easy to slip into old habits here in Jump. She'd never been so outgoing in New York.
Ann turned and grinned. "You made the coffee? Thank you! I can never wake up without a cup."
Lenore lifted up her cup of tea. "This is mine. I used to live off the stuff when I was a teenager." She took a sip to hide her frown. She'd found an apartment, signed the lease, and now didn't have enough money for a weeks worth of groceries. She'd be going back to living off tea. Thankfully, she had a unique biology.
"Have you found an apartment?"
Lenore lifted an eyebrow. Ann had remembered that? "Yes. It's bigger then what I had in New York, and slightly cheaper." Cleaner, too, but Lenore wasn't quite willing to share that part.
"Space isn't in a premium here. What with all the Meta crime, I mean. You'd think we all ran around robbing people." Ann scowled.
Lenore took another sip at her tea. "Most crime in Jump is done by Metas, Ann," she said. She looked down at her shoes, and sighed.
Ann snorted. "That's because everyone treats us like dirt." She glanced over to the side, and brightened. "Hey, boss man! Have you seen the new delivery guy? He's worth the elevator ride, y'know?"
"Ann. And Lenore. It's good to see you. And no, Ann, I have not seen the new delivery man. I have no reason to." Erik rolled his eyes, and helped himself to a cup of coffee.
"If you say so," Ann murmured, and looked back at Lenore. "So, what do you think of your first day?"
"Give me something to do," Lenore said. "I'm getting bored."
She didn't understand why they suddenly started laughing.
0O0
Lenore struggled with the last of the boxes. It had been a long day, and she still hadn't figured out where the bus stops were. So she'd had to carry several heavy boxes- in heels, no less- from the motel to her new apartment.
Last box. She was tired, and hungry, and the tea she'd drunk at work just wasn't keeping hunger pains away. But then she'd lost her powers a while ago, it was no surprise that tea was no longer enough.
"Here, let me help you with that."
Lenore grunted. "Thanks." She couldn't really see around the box. "You live here?"
"Several doors down from you. Saw you walking by. Help your neighbors, and all that."
Lenore risked shifting her grip so she could see who was helping her.
And promptly lost her hold on the box.
"Jinx?"
The pink haired, pink eyed woman looked up. "Raven? Long time no see."
Lenore blanched. "That's not my name any more," she hissed.
0O0
Victor tugged his coat collar higher up around his neck. It was a futile, needless gesture, but one that suited the weather. There was a cold wind off the sea, not that the cold affected him, or that he could smell the salt.
Deeper in the city, people probably wouldn't even know there was a wind. They certainly wouldn't see the sea, or be standing so close the salt spray would bead on their skin and roll down their faces. He was. The one place he could go without his holographic rings… and he didn't bother. There was no one here who would care, now.
Victor started walking back to the bridge. Behind him, a building in the shape of a giant, capital T, run down and falling apart, echoed with a roar.
Victor smiled. "Guess you found my present, grass stain," he murmured. "Hope you like."
0O0
Lenore wrapped her hands around cheap tea and stared at Jinx. "You work where?"
"The great golden arches. Our motto is "don't worry about the fat or the grease, you'll be dead before you can sue us"." Jinx scowled. "I supervise three of the places, all within three to four blocks of my apartment."
"Wow." Lenore took a bite of her stale-bread-soggy-lettuce sandwich, and chewed. She did note that Jinx didn't call her apartment 'home'… it was one thing they shared. "You must have good managerial skills."
"More like I scare all the little shits who work for me. In my places, drive-through is a reward. I can trust those people not to screw up walking and chewing gum at one time- talking while standing still is easier for them." Jinx took a bite of her own sandwich, and winced. "This thing sucks."
"I imagine they freeze dried it and re-heat what's needed when it's needed." Lenore sighed, and pushed away her plate. She'd finished all but the last two bites, and she didn't think she'd be able to stomach anything more of what the so-called 'bistro' served.
Jinx shrugged, and sipped at her coffee. "So, why'd you go?"
Lenore didn't have to ask what Jinx meant. She took a sip of her tea- it was surprisingly good- and considered her answer. "Personal reasons," she said, settling on the least damaging.
"You got pregnant, didn't you."
Lenore choked, would have spit except she didn't have any tea in her mouth. "Wh-what?"
Jinx leaned back. "We had bets, on my team. Who was going to get knocked up first, and by whom. Everyone thought you and the Boy Blunder would get together, but I didn't think so. He's too mopey."
"Err…" Lenore shook her head. "I see… no, I did not get 'knocked up', as you so elegantly put it. Something else. Family." She looked down at her mug, and sighed. "I had no other choice but to leave."
"I see…" Jinx frowned. "Well, if you ever need help, you know where I live-"
"No, not really."
"Oh. Same floor as you, apartment 3-12."
"Thanks. You were saying?"
"If you ever need help, you know where to find me. I might be out of practice, but I can still handle bad luck. And, uh… if you find where Cyborg is, let me know? I've tried looking him up, but…" Jinx shrugged. "It's hard to find people who'll understand the old days, you know?"
Lenore smiled, somewhat sadly. "Yes, but now you know where I live as well. I'll see you around, Jinx. I do have work tomorrow."
"I'll see you… Lenore, right?"
"Yes." Lenore turned and walked out of the small 'bistro'.
0O0
Meta Duo Strikes Again: No Heroes in Sight
The Carte Blanche Gallery of Modern Art was struck by criminals Red X and Conleth last Friday night. Owner Celia White reports that she lost more than $400,000 in art, and her losses will be greater. Her insurance still does not cover damage by a meta-human, so she will have to pay for the shattered windows. The most pressing problem in this article, however, is not legislation that allows insurance companies to provide insurance against meta-related events at a separate and higher rate.
The criminal pair began their uninterrupted crime spree in Jump City six years ago. The police have never apprehended either suspect, though a warrant has been made in their names for almost all of those six years. Their audacious crimes have grown more and more public. During the much-publicized burglary at Steinman Jewelers, shrapnel from a destroyed glass case put an employee and two customers in intensive care.
The Titans left the town just over ten years ago, and there have been no replacements. Jump City has the highest concentration of crimes committed by metas, as well as the highest concentration of meta-human citizens. Jump City needs a hero. Non-meta-humans are leaving the city at record rates, the hospitals are overcrowded, and the jail regularly has to release meta-humans to keep from overcrowding. Riots in meta prisons often are deadly, and no other facilities will accept transfers.
The national and state governments are letting us deal with everyone's problem. The meta-human criminals are taking advantage of hospitality. What really makes Jump City the place that citizens leave behind, however, is the conspicuous absence of heroes. The tarnished tower in the middle of the Jump City Bay does no one any good. The city does not provide for upkeep, but it is just as well. The rusting monument is the perfect tribute to the heroes who have left, and to the heroes who haven't come.
Red X and Conleth strike whenever they wish, and the abandoned T in the bay is no deterrent. Celia White, Gerald Steinman, and Jump City need a hero.
0O0
Lenore put the tabloid back on the rack, and stared at it. She wished it would burst into flame, but it certainly wouldn't be practical if it did. There would be a panic, people would get hurt, and she wouldn't be able to buy her groceries.
She'd asked for half her paycheck in advance. Erik Hart hadn't asked questions, though he'd obviously wanted to. Ann hadn't been nearly so quiet.
"Don't you have any money?"
Lenore's silence had been enough.
Lenore glanced back at the tabloid, and sighed. They wanted heroes, fine, they could have a bunch of children who didn't know what they were doing, who could and would get hurt and possibly die saving people from their own stupidity…
Lenore cleared her throat and hurried up towards the cashier. There were still two people ahead of her, and she was still close enough to the tabloid to read the front page articles.
Ten years… she'd been gone ten years.
It was hard to believe she was twenty-seven now. It was harder to believe that Beast Boy would be twenty-eight. He'd never acted older then her. He'd acted younger, much younger, closer in actions to a hyperactive five year old, except on the rare occasions he acted his age, or in fights.
She wondered, with a sad kind of fascination, just how old the rest of the Titans were. Robin had never given his age, or birthday.
Cyborg had celebrated his birthday, but not how old he'd gotten. He'd always acted older then everyone, but that wasn't entirely possible, was it? And Starfire… she acted like a teenage girl. That was all Raven had been sure of, then.
Lenore wasn't really sure about anything anymore. She knew things, but wasn't sure about them. Gravity held everyone to the ground- but once, she'd flown with her friends. Space travel was still in its infancy, but Cyborg had built a ship that took them to the furthest reaches of the galaxy in so little time, and then to the bottom of the sea when the need called for it. So many wonders had been in her life, once upon a time…
Well, no more. Lenore stepped up to pay for her groceries, and left the store.
It wasn't yet dark, though somehow she'd expected it to be. She'd expected… she didn't know what. Shadows, taller buildings, brighter lights… something like New York. She'd lived there ten years. Too long, probably.
She'd let her hair grow out more then she usually allowed, gotten bangs… she wore heeled shoes, dressed conservatively and didn't break a rule. So different from her vigilante days.
Sometimes, she missed Raven.
End Notes
Everyone, thank CalliopeMused for the article mentioned. Also give a big hand to her and GuardianSaiyoko for the editing job- without them, this wouldn't be the polished peice it is now.