"This is Ella's daughter."
"That's it?"
In a rare display of confusion, Ranger reiterated, "'That's it?' What do you mean by 'that's it?'"
"I mean why the hell is your housekeeper's daughter walking around half naked in your apartment?"
Diesel, having moved on from smirking to outright grinning, intercepted the question meant for Ranger and said cheerfully, "Actually, if it wasn't for that robe, she would be completely naked."
The girl, so far not having uttered a sound, had seemed to be watching the exchange between Ranger and I with what could only be described as distant curiosity. Her dark eyes turned to Diesel and narrowed slightly, "How do you know I'm not wearing a bra?"
I turned to Ranger, "She's not wearing a goddamn bra!"
"She's not wearing panties, either," Diesel drawled, eyes heading south.
"Nor panties! What I meant to say was; why the hell is your housekeeper's daughter walking around panty-less in your apartment?"
Ranger's eyes cut to the girl, and, after a brief pause, he asked, "Why aren't you wearing panties?"
"Had no clean ones," she replied, eyes still narrowed at Diesel, "Figured I could borrow some of your boxers."
"She borrows your underwear now too?" I screeched, seeing red.
"Not regularly," she offered diplomatically, turning to me.
"Never," Ranger said through gritted teeth.
"Well, not to your knowledge…"
"Jen, what are you doing here?" he asked her, turning his back to me and focussing his full attention on her.
"Ma said I could stay here for a few nights, until I got all this shit sorted out," explained 'Jen'.
"And what shit would that be?" Ranger asked, eyebrows drawing together slightly.
"You remember that nut Henry Burns? Yeah, well turns out it he doesn't use matches to set buildings and people alight, like…normal people would," she explained, "Somehow I caught wind of this, and apparently Henry doesn't like this…has issues with the fact that he can't be a normal pyromaniac, you know? Sets up his crime scenes to look like they were set alight with matches."
"So that's why you're here? He's caught a whiff of your scent and this is the only place secure enough to ensure your safety?" Ranger asked.
At this she rolled up the sleeve of the robe and held her left forearm out for Ranger's inspection. Over his shoulder I saw a large, painful looking blister surrounded by discoloured skin. Burnt skin. I gasped. Diesel's smile had disappeared, and he looked on, his mouth stern yet his eyes thoughtful.
"Just a minor encounter with Burns," she said.
"Then, why are you in my apartment? Surely you could stay in your parent's one?" Ranger asked, mostly for my benefit.
"I am," she paused, before adding, "I was just showering up here because your shower gel smells really really good, plus the idea of borrowing your underwear was way more appealing than borrowing Dads."
I could totally understand that logic.
There was a pause as we all collected our thoughts. I could see now that this Jen character was no real threat, and her presence here was for the same reason I often fled to Rangeman; some whacko was stalking her, and Ranger's protection was the only thing standing between her being alive and being burnt to a crisp.
"What do you mean, he doesn't use matches?" I asked, my curiosity growing as my rage began to ebb. "And that he has issues with not being a normal pyromaniac?"
The sad thing was that in Jersey, the fact that using matches stipulated 'normal' behaviour for a pyromaniac didn't seem strange, where elsewhere the terms 'normal' and 'pyromaniac' were seldom used in the same sentence, let alone were 'normal pyromaniacs' common enough to be branded with certain traits.
"The issues probably stem from problems he had as a kid," she began to explain, "you know, being different, being…"
"…Unmentionable?" Diesel offered.
If I am to believe Diesel, amongst the average citizens of the world there are individuals who are labelled as 'Unmentionable'. For the most part, these are normal everyday people, albeit their freakish ability to control weather patterns, fly and walk through walls. Diesel's reality proposes an almost comic book type existence, where Batman and Superman are rolled into one (Diesel), who tracks and shuts down the Unmentionables who have crossed over to the dark side, and whose powers pose a threat to normal society.
Only Diesel doesn't choose the option of capes and tight spandex suits as crime fighting apparel, nor have I seen him in possession of Baterangs. Yet.
"You're Jenna Black, right?" he asked.
'"Yeah."
"Then there isn't anything wrong with the cosmos," he muttered, staring at his hands thoughtfully.
"Excuse me?" Jenna asked, her distrust of Diesel still apparent.
"I was supposed to land here," he said with a shrug, standing up, his huge presence now somehow making the room seem smaller.
"Sure you were," Ranger said, "maybe for the purpose of pissing me off?"
Diesel grinned across at him, "Actually, that was just an added perk."
A shadow of smile briefly passed over Ranger's mouth.
"I was dropped off here because I am after Henry Burns," said Diesel," "My assignment is to shut him down by any means possible. He's been on the loose for a few days, indiscriminately burning down buildings around the Trenton area. So far he hasn't caused any fatalities. We knew that he had been harassing and was a major threat to one person in particular…Jenna. By dropping me off with her, I am able to draw Henry out of the shadows with her presence as well as at the same time ensuring her protection." He nodded to Ranger, "She's not safe here anymore; he's powerful, and like me is able to track particular people once he gets their scent."
"Cosmic dust?" I inquired, referring to a previous conversation.
Diesel smiled, "Something like that."
Ranger nodded, now all business, and it occurred to me that although their mutual dislike for one another was clear, there also seemed to be a mutual yet distant respect, even if only on a professional level.
"So she has to get out of here?" Ranger asked.
"I'm going to get her out of here," said Diesel.
"I'll run some security checks on Burns, see what I can dig up," Ranger said.
"Steph, you better stay with Manoso, at least for the next couple of days. I'll be using your apartment as a safe house."
I was about of protest when Diesel raised his hand, "I'll deliver the rat-"
"Hamster."
"-hamster here, and make sure there's a few extra beers in the fridge when you get back."
Meanwhile, Jenna had remained standing silently twisting the robe closer around her, staring at Diesel as if weighing him up or judging his worth.
"I'm going anywhere until I'm wearing some panties," she said quietly.