Jesse & Jade #9

by Neil Gow

What has gone before?!

Jesse and Jennie have been away on their road-trip, meeting with the Flash and Green Lantern and getting into a whole bucketload of trouble with The Rival and Hazard. Whilst they were away, Kiku was having her own adventures with the Star-Spangled Kid and a giant lizardman!

J&Js Apartment

Coffee...

" Hey Jennie, you don't look to good .. a bit green around the gills? Green around the gills, get it? Oh I crack myself up sometimes..."

Coffee...

" Dwayne! Honestly that was dreadful. Anyway, what Jennie wants to hear about are my adventures when she was away. Yeah, a proper bona-fide superhero style adventure with a super villain and other JSAers and everything."

Coffee...

" And what about your *other* adventure Kiku? I seem to remember Courtney mentioning a certain admirer of yours that was at the party..?"

Coffee...

" Dwayne!! I told you not to mention Vince! It's not like we did anything... it was just nice to have him there."

Coffee...

" So why are you blushing? Admit it, he saved your party and you're touched."

Hmmm...warm, soothing, caffeine carrying coffee..." What? Sorry guys, I was a million miles away. Did everything go OK whilst we were away?"

Dwayne and Kiku glance at each other and sigh. " Yeah, everything was fine. My party went off without a hitch, the downstairs apartment is fine and we even won the game." Kiku sits on the arm of the chair and flicks through the morning mail. " How's your dad?"

" How did you know?"

" You told us both before you crashed out last night. Must have been some trip?"

" It was, believe me. Dad should be fine but he's not the one we should be worried about."

" What do you mean?"

" Nothing...it's Mollie. I'll fill you in later, OK? Where's Jesse?"

" She went out for a jog. She said she needed to clear her head. Oh, this is for you." Kiku drops a letter into Jennie's lap. She picks it up, tries to find a clue from the postmark, shrugs and tears it open. She scans the contents of the crisp white page and then her mouth drops open.

" What's the matter?"

" It's tonight. I like, totally forgot!"

" WHAT!" Kiku and Dwayne both demand an answer.

" My premiere! My movie opens tonight!! What the Hell am I going to wear?"

The Streets of San Francisco

Jesse jogs down the street, the world blurring past her as she goes . After everything that has happened she needs this badly. It has been a long time since she has had to do the superhero thing and it hasn't come back any easier. She had to just clear her head and focus on the future now. She had to make some resolutions.

First she was going to knock this superhero thing on the head once and for all. Sure she was a seriously high calibre second-generation player but despite the grand expectations of her mother, she just didn't have the heart for it anymore. Add to that the fact that it was obviously distressing for Jennie having lost her powers, and was setting a rather poor example to Kiku and there was reason enough for her to throw in the towel.

Second, she was going to get a job. To say she was comfortable was an understatement - her father left her more than enough money to live on when he died - but she needed a purpose in her life, other than socialising and trying to understand Kiku's latest teenage obsession. Now what she was going to do she wasn't quite sure. She could try to get a job lecturing, or doing some research, that was what she was best at, or she could try to break into business, see if her father's entrepreneurial skill has rubbed off on her. Whatever, she needed a job.

Lastly - and this was about as lame as she could get - she really needed a man. When she moved her she just wanted to get away, and yes, she'd had a number of dinner dates since then but her clock is ticking and that big double bed can be very lonely at night. From what she gathered from the hurried conversation they had managed last night before Jennie crashed out, even Kiku was having more luck than she was. She was considering ringing Dick, but she really didn't want to go there. She needed someone new.

Suddenly her thoughts ( and the subconscious dodging she was doing around the populace of San Francisco) were jerked to a halt by the ringing of her mobile phone. It was Jennie.

" Hey, Jen, feeling a bit better now?"

" Can't stop for small talk now Jesse, we've got a real emergency on our hands!"

" What! Who is it? The Joker? Grodd? Captain Cold ... did I just say Captain Cold?"

" Worse! I forgot about the premiere! In ... nine hours, we're expected to attend a glittering showbiz event. We need clothes, we need makeovers and, God help us Jesse, we need dates."

" Don't worry Jennie, I'll be right over." Jesse turns on her heel and sprints back towards LA. This she does not need!

The Offices of Tyler Detective Agency

" So Mrs.."

" Please Mr Tyler, call me Daphne?"

I really wish she would stop flashing her eyelashes like that! " OK, Daphne, let me just run over the details again. You suspect that your husband is having an affair with one of his students and you want me to follow him and get evidence that you can use in your divorce?"

" Yeah, sure, that's what private investigators are for right?"

" Well, yeah." It just isn't the sort of work that I expected I would be doing when I set up the agency. I was hoping it would be some sort of undercover superhero covert-style stuff, but all I've been offered so far is a couple of divorce cases, a possible cult abduction and two requests for bailbond work. " Well Daphne, you have my rates. I'll get back to you as soon as I've got something. You have some of his itinerary for the next few days, yeah? wonderful. Well, thank's for choosing Tyler Detective Agency."

" Oh believe me, Mr Tyler, the pleasure has been all mine." She stands and minces out of the office. I half expect her to look over her shoulder and wink like some strange caricature of Monroe.

Ok, Mr Adulterer, time to face the investigative instincts of Rick Tyler, Man of the Hour!

J&J's Apartment

" OK, first calm down! Dwayne!!" Jesse holds Jennie by the shoulders and hollers over towards the open door. " Dwayne!!!! Where are you?"

" I'm coming! Honestly, you think I'm used to this sort of critical emergency? Invading aliens? No problem. Demons rising from the sewers? Piece of cake. Critical fashion breakdown? Out of my league. Here." He tosses a catalogue across from the doorway and Jesse plucks it from the air.

" OK, girl, you need to concentrate."

" OK, OK, I'm calm. I'm collected.I can do this.."

" WE can do this. Now, what do you want to wear?"

" Well, it has to be new. I mean, really new, and I can't afford for someone else to be wearing the same. Probably best that it's in black - it's the green skin thing again. Oh, and it needs to be sexy, but not slutty. I want a proper role in my next movie - not another slave princess. Look what that bikini number did to Carrie Fischer?"

Dwayne looks at Jesse with a raised eyebrow. " I thought that was..."

" Don't worry, she's on a roll. OK, girl, I've got an idea what you need. I'll phone Francois and get him to put something together and then run over and get it. Kiku, any luck?"

From behind the sofa Kiku pokes her head and waves the telephone handset at them. " Sorry, I've tried everyone in the phone book and a number of very dubious sounding men from Jesse's 'Little Black Book of Fashion' and it would appear that they are 'just so totally booked out'. Guess you'll have to do without that hair appointment."

Jennie's head slumps into her hands and Jesse rests a hand on her friends shoulder. " What we need is someone who has nothing to do this evening. Someone who has an amazing ability with hair and make-up. Someone who has style, panache and saviour-faire....Kiku? Where's MZ?"

" He's downstairs, trying to fathom out that retro Magic Carpet game on Dwayne's computer...sez me!"

There is a puff of green smoke and MZ appears, joystick in hand. " I'm telling you all, it's just not realistic.."

" MZ, we need you to do us some magic?"

" And me being a Bandhesian Thunderbolt. How convenient? What do you want?"

" Can you do the summoning thing?"

" As in 'The Hairy Hordes of Hoggwash'?"

" No. As in bringing someone here?"

" Oh yeah, no problem. Air Thunderbolt is open for business, if Kiku allows it." He nods towards Kiku.

" Yeah, right, like what I say makes a difference..."

" Enough already. I need you to bring," Jesse fumbles in her purse for a photo ," this woman here. Now."

" I've always wanted to say this ... your wish is my command." MZ grins and waves his hands in the air in a most theatrical manner.

Kiku slumps down behind the sofa. " I am so embarrassed!"

The air swirls with green smoke again and there is a tiny pop. In the centre of the room, a bemused Libbie Chambers ( Jesse's mother, the World War II heroine, Liberty Belle) is standing clasping a potato and a peeler.

" Jesse?"

" Mom...we desperately need your help!"

J&Js Apartment.

" My dear, fashions come and go, but class is eternal, and you dear, you definitely have class." Libbie slowly walks around the stunningly dressed Jennie. A Parisian original 'little black dress' set off with some stunning jade and emerald jewelry has been adjusted at super-speed, her hair is spun up in a very interesting style reminiscent of the era of silent films and her make-up is ... perfect.

" Mrs Chambers, how can I ever repay you for this?" Jennie blushes as the older woman makes some final adjustments.

" What? You mean after you and my runaway daughter threw me out onto the street? Cast aside like some worthless piece of garbage only to be plucked away from my pot-roast preparations by him?" She hooks a thumb towards MZ, who is hovering behind her with a mouth full of pins.

" Mom! Please stop guilt-tripping my friends?" Jesse finishes fastening her ear-rings.

" Jesse, darling, when you learn to dress yourself with a little less flesh showing and a little more class, you can start passing comment on my actions. Until then ... well, I hope it's not too chilly tonight. You'll get cold in that thing."

Behind her mother, Jesse slowly fumes and Kiku buries her head under a pillow trying not to burst a lung laughing.

" Now, the last thing you two girls need are dates?" Libbie shakes her head, " I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about that."

" Uhhmm...MZ and I could go with you?" Dwayne waves from the kitchen.

Jennie and Jesse burst out laughing. " Oh guys, we're not laughing at you, but everytime the photographers flash for a picture, you'll disappear and MZ? He's just a kid."

" Hrrmmmmm" MZ protests through his mouth of pins.

" Don't worry guys. For one night only, I'm going to open up my little black book and let Jennie into some of my cast-offs. I rang up my good friend the lecturer - you know, Dr. Wilson, the one I got rid of a few weeks ago? Well, when he heard that we had a premiere to go to, he seemed to have an attack of conscience and said that him and a friend of his would be delighted to accompany us. Our dates will meet us at the Cafe Parisian at seven for coffee and then the limos will pick us up and take us on to the event."

The rest of the room - Jennie, Libbie, Kiku, Dwayne and MZ - all start clapping.

" You guys! Didn't you think I'd be able to pull it off? Me? Jesse? Oh please.."

Cafe Parisian

Oh now he has to be one of the most boring people I have ever had the honour of tailing. Daphne of the fluttering eyelids is going to pay through the nose for this tedium. So far today, Mr Adulterer has given two scintillating lectures on 'the crime and the criminal: metahuman modus operandi' ( And I'd like to add that some of the absolute bull that the man came out with was quite spectacular! Imagine the concept that Solomon Grundy was actually suffering from a distinct lack of attention and love?? What was that all about?) Anyway - after the lectures, he gives a really thrilling seminar, marks some papers, attends a faculty meeting...you see, this is life in the fast lane obviously.

I was just about the give up on the guy when he gets this phone call from a woman. Yes! He gets quite agitated afterwards and makes a number of other phone calls. Now he's just coming out of a suit hire shop with a freshly rented tux on, and he's made a beeline to a rather swanky cafe-bistro, where he meets with - now wait for this - another guy! Oh, don't get me wrong, we're not talking about *that* sort of guy and guy meeting. This one looks strictly business.

Oh and now things have gotten really interesting! There are some faces you never forget, especially the green ones! Oh boy! Jennie-Lynn Hayden you are still one hot babe ... and if I'm not mistaken, the bubbly blonde who's wrapping herself around Mr Adulterer is none other than Jesse Chambers?

Got to get a grip. This could seriously hamper my investigation. I can't have them recognising me. It's been a while, surely not even Jennie could ..

" RICK!!!!!"

..remember!

Somewhere...

[ ++ this is a change of plan ++ ]
[ ++ operatives beta and phi are aware of the situation ++ ]
[ ++ I do not like changes to my plan ++ ]
[ ++ do not worry, the acquisition will take place ++ ]
[ ++ ...excellent! ++ ]

Cafe Parisian

" Oh it is so good to see you!" Jennie rushes through the tables and wraps her arms around the rather flustered form of Rick Tyler. " I thought .. I mean the cancer.. no, sorry, I'm .. Oh Rick!"

" Jennie, Jennie, Jennie!! Windpipe! You're choking me." Realising that Rick's eyeballs are beginning to bulge, Jennie takes a step back and Rick rubs his throat. " It's great to see you too. I'd heard on the retired-heroes-grapevine that you'd lost your powers and moved out here, but I didn't know where you were living so I thought I would come out here and see whether I could spot you at your premiere. You know, it's easy to spot the girl with.."

" ..The green skin! How many times have I heard that one. Rick, I'd like to introduce you to Jesse Quick and our dates, Dr Dwight Wilson and his friend, John."

Jesse puts her hands on Rick's shoulders and stands on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. " We've met, a long time ago. Sorry to hear about your dad, Rick."

" And yours Jesse." Rick shakes hands with the two men, squeezing just a little bit stronger for Dr Wilson. Just his luck that the woman the sleezebag was dating behind his wife's back was Jade!

" We've got a spare ride in the limo that's taking us to the theatre Rick. We'd be delighted if you could come along?" Jennie was grinning from ear to ear - John, her date, was singularly the most boring individual she had ever had the misfortune to share time with. Not only was she not interested in particle physics (his speciality) but his amazingly dull set of analogies between her role in the film and a 'post modern reinterpretation of classic B-movie victimisation of the female persona'. To be honest, she wanted to either smack him between the eyes, or lock him in a room with Gary and the other fanboys and let them teach him a lesson. Now that Rick has turned up, things might turn out far more interesting.

" I'd be delighted, but I'm not exactly dressed for it?" Rick tries to bluster a little to keep things real.

Jesse laughs. " Oh God Rick, it's been a long time since you've in Hollywood. You just walk out with us and whatever you're wearing will be the fashion de rigeur somewhere in England tomorrow."

" Well, if you put it that way, how can I refuse!" Rick leaves some money for his coffee and walks past the two other men who both looked decidedly confused.

At the Premiere

Well, it was a whole lot more exciting than Jennie could ever have imagine. She knew that their recent high-profile run-in with the Monocole had raised the profile of the picture somewhat, but she had never realised that she still had 'pull' with the fans. There were some 'Infinity Inc' placards out there and even a couple of people with 'Blood Pack' t-shirts on. Hey, there was one guy there with the old plain-black Geist shirt on - Dwayne would be so proud!

And the photographers! There were so many of them, all for a pretty dull second-rate science fantasy rip-off. Oh well, whatever else it is, it is great exposure.

Rick, on the other hand was gutted .... as was Jesse. It seems that as soon as Dr Wilson saw the cameras and the film crews he developed a sickening case of food poisoning and had to stay in the car. So not only has Jesse lost another chance with her date, but Rick was having to play along with his two friends whilst the man he was hired to watch is behind him, scared to death by the rather over-the-top media.

Jennie takes a few dainty steps to the top of the stairs before the door of the cinema, and turns to wave to the crowd when two bolts of flame streak down from the sky and impact into their limo.

The world stands still for a second as the huge car bucks and twists in mid-air, wracked with explosions. Instinctively, Jennie lifts her hand and flexes her power pulse, somehow expecting the power to be there like it had been in the desert, but it was gone*. Around her, the gathered fans scream in panic and hide their faces from the intense heat.

[* And if that doesn't get you rushing to read Flash#5 by Kell Carpenter, I don't know what will! - Neil]

Jesse and Rick react as one, both muttering their separate mantras as they sprint towards the explosion. Rick gets there first however, as Jesse struggles to pull off her annoyingly inappropriate high heeled shoes.

" Man of the Hour .. Man of the Hour.." Rick grabs the tattered carcass of the car and rips the door off it's hinges, ignoring the flames that lick around his jacket. Jesse arrives behind him and uses her superspeed to wave a piece of metal fast enough to blow the flames out. Rick stands amid the wreckage, looking around frantically.

" Rick?! What's wrong?"

"He's gone! Dr Wilson isn't in the car!!"

[ ++ acquisition complete ++ ]

Next Issue - Jesse and Jade#10 - The mystery of Dr Wilson continues and Rick comes clean to the girls. Who is the mysterious bracketed voice and what does it want. And hey, guess what? Kiku is in trouble as well. Happy, happy, happy!

Greener Pastures

Well, not a lot of letters this issue, although J&J has received some very complimentary reviews recently - which is very nice indeed. I should be getting #10 and #11 out pretty quickly as I have #12 simmering in my head and it needs to be written as soon as possible and boy, it is going to explode onto your screen, even if I say so myself!

Remember to send any comments in to neil.gow@ncl.ac.uk

Neil