Jupiter [Marvel Phase I]

eleven.

It had been too long since the last time Jenn was at Grindhouse. The cafe still smelled of coffee and wood polish like always, but they'd changed the menu. They were serving holiday-themed drinks now. If she'd known that, she would've told Dev to order her a holiday spice latte instead of her usual cinnamon-sprinkled one. There was even an unfamiliar barista behind the counter.

Actually, it was probably for the better that her introduction to the new hire wouldn't be today. Jenn was still clutching an injured arm - not to mention the fact that she'd been punched in the face under an hour ago. A black eye didn't make for a great first impression.

Jenn's eyes swept the café lobby, even though she already knew where to find Dev. During the day, the bay windows let in a lot of light, but at night, the low light gave it a cosier atmosphere. The front of the café was still pretty well-lit, industrial lighting fixtures hanging low over the velvet-upholstered furniture. But Jenn and Dev had always preferred the back booths. They were much more private - and, as they'd found out on one occasion, almost entirely soundproof. Good thing, considering what Jenn was about to divulge.

Although he was thoroughly absorbed by his textbook, Dev seemed to feel the weight of Jenn's gaze on him. He looked up, grinning when their eyes met, and patted the spot next to him. It was only when Jenn got closer that the look fell from his face.

"Is everything...alright?" Dev asked, warily eyeing Jenn as she joined him in the booth.

"I did something, erm, not particularly bright," Jenn confessed, wincing at her friend. When Dev gestured for her to go on, she let out a sigh. "Remember when you asked me what I planned on doing with my abilities?"

She didn't need to say anything more. Dev's jaw dropped and he almost looked angry. "Jenn. Tell me you didn't."

Well, there wasn't really a point in denying it. Besides, half of the story was written across her face. So Jenn told him the rest of it, from the idea that had sparked her evening jog to getting his call moments ago. She was careful choosing her words, particularly in reference to any superhuman feats. As she spoke, Dev's brows knitted tighter and tighter together. By the time she was done, she was afraid she'd just given him permanent forehead lines.

"So let's see it, then," Dev said, his voice low and even. It was the first thing he said after a rather long pause and Jenn briefly wondered if she missed some context. Dev rolled his eyes and held out a hand. "Your arm. You said this Mick guy got you with a knife. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't at least give you first aid?"

Despite the apparent anger in his tone, it didn't change what he'd said. Jenn could feel herself smiling as she let him take her arm. While Dev rooted around in his rucksack - "You're so lucky I keep a kit on me, you know that?" - Jenn peeled her fingers off her arm for the first time since getting the injury.

The slash in her sleeve was still there, along with a thin smear of crimson underneath. When Jenn looked down at her hand, she found a similar stripe of dried blood across her palm. Dev cleaned her hand off first before taking the medical wipe to the injury itself. Jenn tensed in anticipation of the isopropyl burn, but nothing came.

"Erm...wasn't expecting that," Dev spoke, bringing Jenn's attention back to him. She followed the path of his gaze from his confused face to her arm.

Well, alright then. Jenn hadn't been expecting that either. Between the blood and the hole in her sweats, there was no denying she'd been cut by something. However, there wasn't any open skin, or even a scab. If anything, it looked like the incident had happened a week ago. All that remained of the injury was the thin, pinkish line of a nearly-healed cut.

"That's absolutely fascinating," Dev mumbled under his breath, seeming to forget his audience for a moment. When Jenn gave a hum, Dev suddenly straightened. "Huh, looks like I was right about your metabolism being off the charts."