Jesse & Jade #10

by Neil Gow

A Desert Island in the South Seas

A cool and gentle breeze blows across the gleaming white beach as Kiku stretches out her legs and wriggles her toes in the sand. Her skin positively glows in the sunshine and she runs her fingers up and down the cool glass of Pepsi next to her hand, dragging small drops of condensation across the glass. The shadow of Rick Tyler falls across her slightly as he raises himself onto his elbow and leans over her. She takes her hand off the glass and runs a cool fingertip across his chest and to his lips. In the distance she can here a soft voice. Kiku ... kiku...and then an elbow jabs her ribs!

" Kiku!" MZ whispers loudly into her ear, " I wouldn't normally interrupt you during one of your daydreams but you have a sizeable amount of drool forming on your chin and I was afraid it would drip off into your soda."

Kiku throws him a wicked stare and then realises that he wasn't lying and nonchalantly tries to brush off the pool of drool that is about to make her a fool.

Around the rest of the apartment, the serious ex-superheroes are putting their heads together to work out what the hell just happened tonight.

" So you are sure there was nothing left of him in the limo?" Jennie-Lynn Hayden, formerly known as Jade, looks out of place in her black party dress. " You all had a better chance to look around than I had, after I got whisked away into the premiere. You wouldn't believe the story that the film companies PR men came up with to explain the explosion..."

" I can't believe Dwight ... Dr. Wilson, was vapourised in the blast. It wasn't that big! That means he's got to still be around somewhere? Maybe he just slipped out of the other side before the explosion? Trust me, I can't even be trusted to have a date without something terrible happening." At least Jesse Chambers had had the chance to change from her party clothes into some more practical leisure wear - just in case she was needed in her other identity as Jesse Quick.

" There has to be more going on here than meets the eye -I mean I know I'm not exactly ugly," (Kiku tries not to give out a massive sigh), " but I'm hardly bust open the date and sit in the car in a huff material. I think he knew something - either than I was trailing him, or that I still had my superpowers." The rugged good looks of Rick Tyler were knotted with concern.

" So what do you think? Are we looking at alien abduction or time displacement? I'm going for abduction myself - you never know when the little green guys are going to strike."

" You've been reading the National Inquirer again, haven't you Dwayne?" Jesse shakes her head.

The man formerly known as the, ahem, "hero" Geist looks crestfallen. " They just managed to update my subscription..."

" Figures..."

" Have you checked out your Rogues Gallery? Has anyone that hates you been released into the community recently? Any transgressions in the space-time continuum thrown any of my old foes into the present looking for revenge on my progeny?" Libby Chambers - Jesse's mother and former WWII starlet Liberty Belle ( and if you think I'm going to explain *again* how she can have a daughter Jesse's age, you're mistaken - look it up in the back issues, OK? - Neil) chews on a fingernail, ponderously.

Jesse sakes her head. " With all due respect Mom, I doubt it's going to be someone trying to hurt you."

" What, so you're saying that my foes aren't up to it? That you're a better heroine than I ever was?"

" That's not what I said Mom, it's just that..."

" That everything I did to keep this country a land of freedom and liberty means nothing compared to a few tussles and some smudged make-up?"

Jesse and Libbie continue their verbal joust as MZ turns to Kiku and whispers in her ear. " I believe Ms Chambers and her daughter have unresolved issues from the past?"

" Don't tell me, Dwayne's been introducing you to daytime TV hasn't he?"

" Yes, is it that apparent?"

" I knew it when you called Jennie 'girlfriend' and told her to 'tell it to the hand' - it's so passé MZ. If you must be a cultural sponge, try to be a little more up to date, OK?"

" I understand. Therefore from now on, I should start every telephone call with.."

" Don't..."

" WASS.."

" MZ..!"

" ZZZUP!!!"

" OK, my trainee thunderbolt, we get out of here and then I teach you about the application of fist to ear.."

" Kiku! We're trying to concentrate on finding my date! If you and MZ need to fight, go outside, OK?" Jesse waves a finger at her young flatmate.

" Hey! Don't get all shirty with me! Just because the first date you've had in ages happens to be a philandering, adulterous geek that gets blown up in your hire limo - have you checked the insurance by the way? - and you've got no idea where to find him. I was happily at home watching the box and teaching the bolt-boy here the wonders of thumb-wrestling. Nothing-at-all to do with me!"

" Look, we're not going to get anywhere tonight. I suggest we all get some sleep and I'll come over tomorrow morning and see what we can think of, OK."

As one, all four women in the room turn to Rick. " You could stay here!" And collectively they glare at each other, like wolves marking their turf.

" Don't worry buddy, they're always like this. It's a hormone thing.." Dwayne stands up and stretches. " With everyone except me, but I've become used to the amount of hormonal suppression women have to exert when I'm around."

A barrage of cups, cans and shoes pelt Dwayne as he dives through the door. " Jesus! Some people can't take a joke.."

Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean

The sleek lines of the jet black submarine cuts through the murky water like a knife. Onboard black uniformed crewmen go about their duties with few words and fewer expressions. Indeed, upon closer inspection, their eyes are slightly clouded - no real glimmer of consciousness appears behind their faces.

In the middle of the submarine, a long, translucent tube holds the inert figure of Dr. Wilson, suspended in a blue-green light. Around him, more black-dressed men scurry attaching electrodes and probes to the tube.

" Faster! Faster! We need his intelligence before it atrophies!" A small hunched man with round glasses and a bald head slaps one of the men on the head and pushes him forward.

" Professor, I assume everything is going according to plan?" The voice runs across the room like a blanket of silk. The men all stop and turn, their mouths slightly open, as if they were stopped in mid-thought. The source of the voice is a tall, slender blonde woman, dressed in a red and black jumpsuit. Her face is covered by a solid gold, expressionless mask.

" Yes, yes, ma'am. The teleportation device worked perfectly. We will add the doctor's expertise to our collective in minutes. Soon, you will possess the greatest array of knowledge pertaining to the metahuman psyche in the world."

" Excellent ..."

J&J's Apartment

Rick looked down at the heaped plate of eggs and bacon, waffles and toast and realises that his decision to sleep on the sofa could have been a bad idea. Sure, it beat sleeping another night in the office, although his spine may have begun the process of reshaping to fit that chair permanently, but the attention he was getting from the girls was ... uncomfortable - especially Mrs. Chambers!

" Now don't just sit there looking at it Rick, you get stuck in. I happen to know your father was a great believer in a stout breakfast to set him up for the rest of the day. Salt?" Libbie holds out the salt cellar but Rick waves it away.

" No thanks, Mrs. Chambers..'

" Libbie please!"

" Ok,..Libbie."

" You must be one of those youngsters that thinks salt is going to kill you somehow? I don't know... there are enough people walking around on this planet alive and well and eating like they have been for decades and yet you youngsters still think you're right. " She reaches down and pats him on the head. " I think it's cute."

" Uuuhmm..it's not that, I just don't like the taste."

" Hi Rick! Hi Libbie! We're off to school now. See you later, yeah Rick." Kiku bounds through the room like a little ball of sunshine, all teeth and teenage smiles.

" Young lady, I don't remember you eating anything for breakfast?" Libbie waves a finger.

" Duh! This is a thunderbolt - he doesn't eat - and I'm a teenager - haven't you heard, we graze off the air."

" Kiku Thunder! I'll tell Johnny and he'll.."

" Mrs. Chambers? Chill bitch!" As MZ looks around smugly, Kiku, Libbie and Rick look at him open mouthed and he cringes. " Another out of place cultural reference, I would guess then?"

" C'mon MZ, before Jesse's mom decided to ground you in every sense of the word."

Jennie pokes her head around the door, yawning. " Did I just hear MZ tell Mrs. Chambers to 'chill bi..'"

" Don't repeat that please...I'm trying to maintain my composure." Libbie picks up a large glass of orange juice and drains it. Kids!

Anaheim Heights High School

" Class, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Byrne. Mr. Byrne works for the State Education department and specialises in informing students about the truth behind so-called superhumans. After the rather ... disturbing events at the football game earlier this week the principal felt that some form of counseling and information would be needed. My Byrne.."

The bearded, bespectacled metahuman advisor stands up and nods to the teacher. He glances around the room and focuses on the raised eyebrow of Kiku Thunder and her new companion, the smirking MZ. "Thank you Mr. Mathers. Now, what you young people witnessed this last week was something that normal, decent American citizens should never have to experience. That's correct. Despite what the media would have you believe, 86.5% of American citizens have never seen nor experienced any sort of 'superhero' activity. It is not the norm, it is the exception. Sadly, it is an American phenomenon. In Canada the percentage is 94% and in Europe the figure is marginally higher. Like I said, the exception rather than the norm."

Kiku whispers to MZ behind her hand. " Can you believe this guy? Like anyone is going to believe him with all those figures?"

MZ stares intently at Mr. Byrne. " Actually, I find it fascinating. With a country the size of the United States, and bearing in mind the concentration of those with super-powers to the areas of maximum threat, an exposure rate of just under 14% is a substantial number of people."

" And since when have you been so eloquent and clever? Have you finally stopped trying to 'get wit your homeys' or whatever you've been doing recently?" Across the room, one of the myriad oh-so-virginal Britney clones bats her eyelids and waves her hand at MZ. He blushes. " Ahh...that explains so much, you're trying to impress her?!"

" I have discovered that a willingness to help certain friends of yours with their studies is a good way of getting to know more human foibles."

" I really don't think I want to hear any more of this."

Byrne stops for a moment and stares at Kiku, tilting his head slightly. " Do you have something you would like to share with us, Ms Thunder?" Kiku shuffles in her seat and blushes. " No, no, please stand up and share with us what was so appealing that you and your boyfriend there felt you could ignore the rest of my address?" Kiku didn't know what she disliked the most - being singled out in front of the class or having Byrne refer to MZ as her boyfriend in front of Vince.

" You see everyone, Ms Thunder is a classic example of what I am trying to illustrate. As I am sure you are all aware, Ms Thunder has certain ... metahuman connections - vague, I must add, but they are there. So we see how she acts. She is disruptive and aloof. She interrupts people because she believes she is superior. She runs her life by her own set of rules, written, amended and policed by herself and what happens to anyone that stands in her way? I believe the young gentleman she confronted at your recent 'house party' has just come out of therapy but he still has nightmares about being turned shocking pink! Ms Thunder is a minor league, two-bit, fifteen minutes of fame metahuman and yet she wrecks havoc on all around her. Imagine what would happen if she was actually of any consequence?"

Kiku could feel the knot welling up in her stomach. She desperately tried to keep it down, but she couldn't and it exploded out of her in a flood of tears. Embarrassed to the point of despair she runs from the school room, crying her eyes out. The class is silent, all except MZ who stands slowly and follows her.

" And where do you think you are going, young man!"

He turns and looks Byrne straight in the eye. " In my country, we have a saying.." May the next passing of your bowels be a hedgehog." Beware constipation, Mr. Byrne..." MZ turns away and his eyes flash green.

Los Angeles

Rick stands on top of an office building and feels the wind blow through his hair. He's been searching all day and he can't find a thing. Nothing. None of his contacts in the city have heard a thing about the hit on the limo. It's as if the Doctor was just wiped from the face of the planet. Not even the Man of the Hour could help here.

Geist slips into the shadows again and disappears. He has been staking out the Doctor's home and his workplace all day and nothing untoward seems to be happening. Just another boring day in the life of the pseudo-invisible man.

Libbie hangs up the telephone and sighs. She had thought she might be able to tap some old contacts but it hadn't worked. Three of the old-timers she had tried were dead now. Even Fingers Malone that used to work with the Owl. he always seemed so young. When she did get through to someone - one of the Sky Pirate's runners from '43 - now a player in the Chicago underground, he couldn't tell her anything. Nothing happening anywhere. It was a mystery.

Under the Pacific

" Ma'am, the process is complete. The doctor has been drained of his knowledge and it has been added to the collective matrix within your mask."

" Yes, I can feel it, I can feel the fruits of his intellect. It is .. glorious! You have done well, Professor. Now get rid of him, will you?"

" Yes ma'am." The hunched man flicks a red switch and the tube shimmers a brighter green. When the glow subsides, Dr. Wilson has disappeared.

Anaheim Heights High School

Kiku sits huddled up under the stairs, trying to hide from the entire world. She couldn't believe what that man had said, how he had laid into her in front of all the other kids. Surely there are rules and laws and stuff like that to stop him from doing it - but then again she would probably just be brushed off as an uppity-metahuman.

" It would appear that all of your enemies cannot be beaten with a giant-sized right hook?" MZ sticks his head around the corner and tries to give his warmest smile.

" Go away. People will know I'm here...I don't want that."

" You don't mean that."

" Don't tell me what I mean! This morning you were calling my friend's mom a bitch, thinking it was cool. What do you know?"

" I know I'm your friend, and you need help at the moment"

" But not from a thunderbolt. That's the last sort of help I need. I need normal help, normal non-embarrassing help."

MZ looks hurt for a second and then shakes his head. " I'll ignore that last comment. I'm sure I'm not that embarrassing."

" OK then, Mr. Oh-So-Clever, what should I do? What are my options? I can either dismiss you never to return, get some sort of adoption annulment from Johnny and move out from the pad, pledging to everyone never to try to save them again in case I scar their gentle psyches in the process, or I can try to walk tall and proud and become the scapegoat for every little mishap between her and San Diego, or I can hide away forever and pretend the human race just ceased to exist."

" Or you could ask Johnny what to do?"

" Johnny has Altzeimher's disease, idiot. He doesn't even recognise his own hand, never mind have the gumption to give careers advice to a wallowing teenager."

" Rubbish."

" Pardon?"

" Nothing. Nothing. Pretend I ever said a word. Remember, the first rule of the thunderbolt club..."

Kiku grabs MZ by the throat and drags him under the stairs, pinning him to the wall. "..has just changed to 'Spill your guts to Kiku whenever she asks or she will get medieval on your ass!' - and you just know I will!"

" I..I..Oh dear. I promised never to tell you."

" I can get the blowtorch ANY time you want..."

" Ok, Ok, Master Johnny is not an invalid. He is safe and well."

" In that case MZ, you and me are going on a holiday. Take me to him. Sez me!"

And they both disappear in a puff of green.

J&J's Apartment

Jesse and Jennie sit quietly in their apartment, waiting for some news - any news. Jennie absent-mindedly fingers the green birthmark and her palm.

" You miss it don't you?" Jesse says softly.

" Wouldn't you? Having a power like a green lantern is such a mind-boggling thing. Everyone always talks about Kyle like he wields like, the greatest weapon in the universe. You know how they all talk about Dad as well - 'the big guy' - whenever he turns up to a fight they know he's going to win. He's awesome. What did I do with the gift? Nothing, except lose it. Oh, and then get it back again, and then lose it again - great! If I still had my power pulse, I could have found Dr. Wilson easily. Instead I'm sat here twiddling my thumbs."

" You did save your brother? And your Dad?"

" Yeah, but even that's not the same, is it? Todd and I used to have that super-powered sibling thing going on, but since I lost my powers it's just withered. I know he's somewhere in LA, but I just can't bring myself to see him just yet. I'm not sure how I would feel."

" I thought you and Todd were inseparable?"

" So did I...so did I."

" Couldn't Kyle help you with your powers?"

" You're kidding right? He's far too wrapped up in his oh-so-important Justice League isn't he?"

" Have you asked him?"

" Have you talked to Dick recently?"

" Ouch!"

" You deserved it! I'm not going to crawl back to that creep just because he might be able to use his power ring to establish some sort of transdimensional connection between me and the Starheart so that I could use my natural affinity with it's power to channel the energy and allow me to resume my superhero career."

Jesse looks at her with a raised eyebrow. Before Jennie can protest any further, the phone rings.

" Hello? Jesse Chambers."

" Jesse, it's Dwight. Dwight Wilson."

" DWIGHT!! But we thought you were dead!"

" Well ... I'm not. I..I..Jesse, I can't seem to remember anything."

" What do you mean?"

" My work. My job. My knowledge - it's gone!" Jesse drops the phone and looks at Jennie. For the first time in ages, she was really scared.

Anaheim Heights High School

Mr. Byrne slips into the toilet stall and places his bundle of papers on top of the shelf above the toilet. He drops his trousers, settles down and then experiences something akin to giving birth to a small continent.

Somewhere else, a green shimmer flares in MZ's eyes and he grins.

Next Issue: You love them you've asked to see more of them, so here they are - the FanBoy Four in their own story I call " Four Geeks, Two Babes and a Comic Convention." - and a new J&J logo!

Greener Pastures