Crystal was just about to put her key in the door when it swung open. She smiled; her mom must have seen her coming up the drive and pressed the release. As she dumped her stuff on the floor she heard the familiar whirr of her mom's electric wheelchair as she came up the hall.
'Hi sweetie, how was work?'
'Same old, same old,' Crystal replied cheerfully, 'I stopped off on the way home and picked up pizza.'
'You shouldn't waste your money on things like that Crystal,' her mom disapproved. 'Was the guy on time today? Do you think he'll work out?'
'I'm sure he'll be fine, really. Dishwashing doesn't exactly require qualifications. And I'll spend my money on what I like, you know we haven't had a treat in ages.'
She wheeled her mom into the front room balancing the pizza box on the handles. Once they were settled she turned off the lamp and sent up a dim light cloud. One of the useful things about being able to create and control light was that they saved a lot of money on the electric bill.
'Your father called,' her mom said through a mouthful of pizza.
'Oh? What did he want?'
'The usual, seeing how you are, if you're excited about becoming a sophomore, alleviating his guilt. He'd obviously forgotten you were working.'
They sat for a while in silence until, 'That reminds me, with school starting I don't want you working so many nights. Friday, Saturday and early Sunday are all I can allow you in good conscience to work.
'But Mom – '
'Don't you but Mom me Crystal. You need to do well at school, we can manage on the Hero Support checks.'
'Barely,' Crystal muttered.
I'd forgotten about that. I always hate going back to school after the summer, losing out on the money. The checks are only just enough and with Dad's standing contribution of nil I doubt we can expect anything any time soon.
'That may be but we'll manage. We always do.'
'Well enjoy your pizza then. It'll be our last for a while.
Warren walked into the dark and empty house and flicked on the light. He saw an envelope on the hall table with his name scrawled across it.
Had to fly, sudden conference, money in the bureau, back in a few days, look after yourself! Love Mom xxx p.s did you have a good first day at work?
He sighed; he should be used to this by now, his mom up and leaving at odd occasions. Good job he'd brought food back from the restaurant really. He heated it with a wave of this hand and wandered into his living room staring at some mindless show as he ate.
Suddenly a thought about the girl from the Paper Lantern drifted across his brain. What had been her name again…? Christie, Kristin, Crystal!
Something had been bothering him about her all the way home – how had she known he was Warren Peace? And what did this mean? If anything! Still, there was nothing he could do about it now – and anyway, could you really be sacked based on your name? He was sure that was unconstitutional.
Warren wondered if the girl had been on a major power trip that day or whether she was always like that. If it were the latter, Warren could see that there would be a heated argument in the not too distant future.
Just then his thought process was interrupted by a sudden change to his 'regular viewing'.
'And breaking news this evening ladies and gentlemen. We have just learned that the notorious super-villain, Baron Battle, has escaped from his high security prison in a remote part of South America. It is believed that the Baron,' a picture flashed up on the screen, 'was aided, incredibly, by former hero Ice T…'
Crystal looked up in a start.
Was what she'd just heard true? She glanced over at her mother whose face had completely drained of colour. She guessed she had heard correctly then. Baron Battle was on the loose, the same Baron Battle that disabled her mother, Solar, at the peak of her career.
And her father had helped him to escape?