Just because you have superpowers, that doesn't mean your love life would be perfect. I don't think superpowers automatically means there won't be any personal problems, family problems, or even money problems. I just tried to write characters who are human beings who also have superpowers.

-Stan Lee

Twirling her pencil in her hand, Jerilyn let out a long sigh. She'd spent the last half hour in a mental block, unable to figure out what she had to do. It was frustrating, to say the least. Jerilyn felt like she'd done everything to get out of the block, but nothing was working. It didn't matter how many breaks she gave herself, or if she chose to have a light snack or even a cup of tea. Her brain just wouldn't let her get past it.

Scowling, she slammed her pencil on her desk, feeling the frustration start to bubble over into anger. What could she possibly do to get out of that mental block? It's not like she could call someone for help. She'd been chosen — specifically — for the task, and if she couldn't get it done, then she'd be in serious trouble.

Of all the times to get stuck, Jerilyn thought bitterly.

Standing up, she winced slightly at the squeak her chair let out.

Letting out another sigh, she left her workroom, hoping maybe a walk could help her.

°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

New York, in Jerilyn's mind, was a fairly interesting state. Filled with millions of people, all of them had a destination. They all had somewhere they needed to go. On top of that, there was the seemingly endless supply of noise. Jerilyn couldn't say she enjoyed the constant sounds, but it was something she had to live with. Besides, she spent a good portion of her childhood in New York, attending Charles' special private school. The last thing Jerilyn wanted was to leave the state she came to love.

Turning a corner, she let out a huff. There were more people out than usual. They were all pushing and shoving, trying to get to their destination by any means necessary. Jerilyn shoved her hands in her pockets, easily maneuvering out of the way of oncoming people.

All the busy people, going to and from all their daily activities, made Jerilyn's mind wander. It made her wonder what they were all doing. How did each person's life set them apart from everyone else? What choices had to be made in their lives to get them where they are? Those questions swirled around in Jerilyn's head, filling her with curiosity, giving her ideas on what each person might be doing. If they were dressed nicely, maybe they were successful lawyers, or businessmen and women, or had some connections to Wall Street. If their outfits were fairly nice, they probably worked for a well put-together business. Other than that, the people of New York, a vast majority, though not all, seemed content wearing the clothes they felt most comfortable in.

In Jerilyn's case, since she worked from her apartment more often than not, she tended to wear more casual clothes. The only times she ever wore anything nice was during video chats or the rare times she had to go down to the office. Those days were always the worst. Jerilyn would have to wake early — a little after six in the morning — to catch a couple buses and take it all the way to where her work was, all the way across Brooklyn. It put a lot of unnecessary stress on Jerilyn.

How long do you plan on staying out here? she thought. You don't have your wallet, so it's not like you can go buy anything. Not to mention you've got a deadline coming up.

As much as she hated thinking like that, Jerilyn knew it was true. She did have a deadline on her assignment, and since she didn't have her wallet, she couldn't buy anything while she was out. Jerilyn was almost tempted to scold herself, but forgetting such an item wasn't a big deal in her eyes.

Letting out a huff of air, Jerilyn felt frustration start to bubble up in her again. Taking a walk was supposed to help her out of her roadblock, but it wasn't working. She was still drawing up blanks on how everything should go down, and the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her boss.

You've never disappointed your boss before, Jerilyn thought, and the thought of doing so now is unacceptable. Go back home and try working out drafts. If you can do that, then you'll get an idea of what you want.

Honestly, that was probably the best idea Jerilyn had for a majority of the day. If she couldn't come up with an immediate solution, then she'd have to start from the very bottom in hopes of finding an end result.

°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

It was kind of weird, living such a mundane life. Jerilyn, in her teens, used to think such a life would be out of her reach. Her mother, Sophia, had completely abandoned the idea of her daughter living normally. In fact, the woman believed, wholeheartedly, that Jerilyn was no longer her child.* Apparently, Sophia's mind concluded that, because of her child's mutation, there was no way they could ever have a relationship or hopes for a bright future.

When Jerilyn found that out, that her mother had essentially given up on her, it hurt. She felt as though she lost the one person she could ever trust. Sophia had been the biggest influence in Jerilyn's life, and with that abandonment, there was an emptiness that developed in the teen's chest. It seemed nothing could ever make that feeling go away. Charles helped give a distraction, allowing Jerilyn to attend his mutant school. It was only through that period in her life that the teen learned how to control her abilities, get her basic education out of the way, and learn how to function in the world. All of those things were provided by a complete stranger. If it hadn't been for Charles' compassion, God only knows what Sophia would have done to her daughter.

It was also through Charles' school that Jerilyn learned and came to accept her mutation. Hemokinesis was such an odd power, so unheard of in the community, that many of the students at the school refused to associate with the teen. Unlike other common psychic abilities, like telepathy or telekinesis, blood manipulation seemed to have a dark reputation. Since Jerilyn could control practically all organic life, that meant she could be seen as a great threat. She was looked at differently, observed at a safe distance. Like it'd matter, though. Jerilyn's own body could be used as a weapon against opponents. On top of that, once she got more familiar with her abilities, she could do so much more.

Jerilyn eventually learned how to control the blood flow of other people. If she tried hard enough, she could get someone close to death by letting them drown in their blood. If she manipulated her own to a certain extent, she could heal herself. The plus side of her abilities would be she could do anything to anyone. One of the downsides would be her imminent death if she used too much of her own blood. But she was learning every day. Charles helped with that as a teen, and as an adult, Jerilyn was getting even better. She'd make sure her hemokinesis was perfect. She owed herself that much.

(A/N):

First, I know this chapter is possibly shorter compared to the last chapter, but this was the best I could come up with. I know it's not much, but I hope you guys can find something decent in it, anyway. Second, I know this chapter took a bit too long to post, but I found myself really battling with writer's block. I was really trying to find something that would make this chapter worthwhile, but it ended up like this, so. . .

Just leave constructive criticism where you think it's due, okay? I'd really appreciate the extra help from you guys.

I own nothing in the MCU. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the bed I sleep on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.

Side Note: "Marvel Studies, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures. Those are the three mainframes when it comes to showing Marvel movies. And while each studio has their own touch on said movies, at least with the ones they have legal rights over, they all have one thing in common: Stan Lee. He was the mastermind behind so many of our favorite superheroes; and it was through his creativity that we have all these movies. The Avengers, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Black Panther, and so much more. He gave so many fond memories to so many people.

Sadly, however, the internet blew up when news of Stan Lee's death started circulating. It's hard to believe that someone as legendary as him could possibly be dead, and I didn't want to think something like that could happen to him. But he lived a very long, very fulfilling life. He gave us so much in his career and I doubt there's any way we can ever repay him.

Stan Lee will live forever in the lives and hearts of everyone he's touched. Thank you for all the great times."

Again, leave constructive criticism where you think it's due.

Be sure to leave random stories or facts in the reviews.

Thank you all so, so much.

Harper Sy