While Joseph is still in his senior year of high school, Rose has already graduated, having completed two years in one. She moves to New York City at almost the same time as a new Avenger debuts on the East Coast team based in the city. This new hero is the second Ms. Marvel: the first unofficially departed from the group about three years ago.

Now, this replacement is fighting the good fight with the Avengers, but also is hidden from the public eye. Ms. Marvel II wears an armored bodysuit and mask that completely hides any recognizable traits, never gives interviews, and only performs security duty at the Avengers-sponsored charity events instead of interacting with any of the public or giving speeches.

This Ms. Marvel is a far cry from the original, who had long blonde, streaming loose behind her as she zoomed through the sky and smiled while talking to the reporters, her bright blue eyes visible through her domino mask that couldn't cover her face's vivaciousness.

Joseph finds this new Ms. Marvel interesting, but Rose is dismissive of her for unknown reasons.

And then Rogue shows up at Joseph's house at nearly ten o'clock one Thursday night.

His father and his brother are both out working, while he's sprawled across his bed with his physics notes, studying for the last major test of the year, and thank God. He feels also though he's already sacrificed his soul for this class, and Christ knows he's given up his social life.

A sharp rap on the glass of the windowpane startles him into leaping off the bed and whirling in that direction. To his horror, there is a person staring at him from outside, face inches from the glass, but within seconds, he recognizes Rose.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hisses, pushing the window open.

"Here, help me," she says, navigating the unconscious body of a teenage girl through the window.

Too stunned at the moment to question Rose's commands, Joseph accepts the petite frame of a young brunette, imagining what the neighbors in his upscale suburban residence would say. "Rose, what the- "

"I don't have time, Joe," she interrupts, passing him a small black case through the window. "There are I.V. patches in here. Use them, please." With that, she rockets up into the sky, leaving him behind with the unknown girl.

Rolling his eyes in exasperation at Rose's casual dismissal of his questions, Joseph lifts the girl up and places her as gently as he can on his comfortable bed, extracting his notebook and scratch-work notes from under her shoulders. She doesn't so much as stir in her sleep, even as he applies the patch to the back of her wrist. Grabbing an extra blanket from the hallway closet, he tries not to think about either his father or brother walking in on him with an unresponsive girl.

He briefly checks out the girl without being too intrusive- she doesn't appear to have a head injury, and her arms and legs don't seem to have any broken bones. Nevertheless, he uses a spare pillow to elevate the girl's legs just in case.

Aware that "I had to take care of my girlfriend's friend and was unable to study" would not be an acceptable excuse to avoid the test, Joseph stretches out on the floor with his notes, occasionally glancing up, checking on his unexpected guest. He removes the pillow from under her feet after the first hour; even with his medical experience, he's not sure if it would be harmful to leave her in that position for an extended period of time.

Time passes. No one else arrives.

The house is eerily quiet: if he's still, Joseph can hear the chime of the downstairs hall clock, the lonely sound echoing throughout the house, as though seeking out someone who cares enough to hear its message.


A/N: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. Feedback is very appreciated.