Author's Note: I own nothing.
48 The Call Of Duty
Getting jettisoned into space had not been part of Jen's plan though going straight up Jurassic Park on the Max Force was probably a bit out of line. She hadn't even really hurt them though. But she wasn't going to last long out here as Humungousaur so she twirled the dial on her chest and slapped it, transforming into Big Chill. The interesting thing about Necrofriggians was they didn't actually need to breathe and the cold actually made them stronger so out here in space she was at her strongest right now. She soared through the void and back into the station taking note that it was listing a bit close to the planet. They should probably be worried about that. She was right but Grandpa Max was able to easily right the orbit with the backup thrusters.
"I can't believe you guys jettisoned me into space!" She shouted as she entered the room, back in her normal form, shivering like a leaf in a hurricane. Just because Big Chill couldn't feel the cold didn't mean she hadn't gotten a taste of the void as Humungousaur. She glared at them and watched them tense. She grinned. "I have never been prouder of you!" They stared at her like she'd gone completely crazy. Max laughed as he righted the orbit of the station and pulled a blanket from a hidden compartment. He tossed it to her and she wrapped herself in it and felt it automatically heat up. She shivered and burrowed further into the blanket. Manny was the first to find his voice.
"What the actual hell is happening here?" Pierce stared at her.
"This was some kind of test." Jen nodded at the sharp teen.
"Got it in one. This isn't a storage satellite, it's a training base." She looked over at Max as Hellen huffed indignantly.
"So all of this was fake?" Max sighed.
"The 'Jen going crazy and attacking me' that was a test. The satellite nearly crashing into London was not." Jen shrugged as Max shot her a look.
"You told me not to hold back." Allen blinked at them.
"But why?" Max grinned.
"You four are up for an evaluative promotion. Based on your field experience and excellent progress at the academy and on the field." He glanced at Pierce here. Jen grinned at them from her blanket cocoon. Pierce raised a hand.
"So this was just the Kobayashi Maru, a no win situation we had to work out?" Jen shrugged at him.
"Sort of, the gist of it was to see how you'd handle a more experienced, stronger opponent. Someone you considered a friend and didn't want to hurt who really wanted to hurt you. So do I make a convincing bad guy?" Hellen broke out into laughter, Manny grumbled. Pierce pinched the bridge of his nose. But Allen nodded.
"Yes, please never go evil that was terrifying." Jen laughed, just a single bark of laughter but the first real laugh she'd managed in over two weeks. Max smiled.
"But like I said, only Jen attacking was the test. What you four were willing to do to stop the satellite from crashing and killing millions, that was your choice and not a part of the simulation. You went above and beyond the call of duty and proved yourselves today. Congratulations Trainees." Hellen squealed in excitement Manny picked her up and twirled her through the air laughing loudly as Allen punched the air. Up until that moment they had been Cadets, the lowest rank of new Plumbers. The ranking was simple, when recruited to the Plumbers and heading off to the Academy or being trained on the ground a being was considered a Cadet. The next level up was a Trainee, they could take monitor duty and were sometimes selected to ride along with more minor missions. New graduates from the Academy were the next step up, usually called Rookies. Then of course you had Agents, fully fledged tried and tested Plumbers. Then the Magisters. Then at the very top was the Magistrata. Outside the ranks sat people like Jen, rare though they were, considered specialists in their fields by the Plumbers. Technically there were a few other Specialists out there in the universe. Ultimos and his team but they were strictly bound by the Galactic Enforcers code and Jen had heard the Vilgax had defeated Ultimos and drained his powers. One of the ten heroes he'd done that to before trying to do the same to her. She shook herself. She really didn't need to think about someone else who had died, or at least most likely died. Max turned to Pierce.
"Except you." All celebration stopped as Pierce's face fell. She could tell he was wondering if running from his fight with Jen instead of getting beaten like the others had gotten him enough deductions to be left behind. Jen though knew otherwise. "You have more field experience than the others, and more on the ground time in the Null Void. Considering all that you're being promoted to a Rookie and being stationed at the new base in Bellwood." Hellen cheered and hugged her brother, nearly tackling him to the ground. He let out a disbelieving laugh.
Kevin and Gwen picked them up about ten minutes later in the space ship they'd been given by the Lewodan's. Kevin raised an eyebrow at Jen's blanket.
"They threw me out into space." He snorted a laugh and applauded as the Max Force entered the ship. Allen frowned as Manny laughed. The Pyronite sat down next to Jen who kept close to his flames as Gwen nodded.
"That is one way to do it." Pierce and Hellen were just glad no one was angry at them for doing that. They made their way back to Earth, where Cooper was waiting to hear how the mission had gone. He was helping to upgrade the labs at the new Bellwood base, and would be sticking around for quite some time. The two Galvan techs who'd transferred from the Mount Rushmore base, Blukic and Driba absolutely adored the technopath. Mrs. Daniels, Cooper's mom, insisted on throwing a small party for the Max Force to celebrate their promotions. Jen stuck to the back, barely touching the cake she'd been given and slipping out as soon as she was sure she wouldn't be noticed. She wasn't expecting what she found when she got home.
Grandpa Max was sitting in the living room with a woman she'd never seen before. He was calming her down with a cup of tea. She looked vaguely familiar but Jen couldn't place why. She quietly closed the door behind her.
"The whole place was trashed when I got home. I think⦠Oh." She had spotted Jen in the doorway. Grandpa Max looked up and nodded to Jen to take a seat. She did so.
"It's ok Moira. This is Jen, my granddaughter. Jen this is Moira Levin." Jen's eyes went wide.
"Levin?" She asked quietly, realizing why the woman looked so familiar. The dark eyes staring into the teacup in front of her were the same ones that had laughed at Jen not two hours earlier. The same ones that glanced lovingly at Gwen when he thought no one was looking. She was now face to face with Kevin's mom.
