Rapscallion

So This is Why I Don't Go Out

As usual, the first words out of Void's mouth when he steps into Jed's bar are condescending.

"This is your spot?" he scoffs, warily eyeing the walls covered in a mish-mash of photographs and paintings and the scuffed checkered floor.

"Not all of us can afford bougie high rise bars like you bro," Jane mutters, pulling out a stool next to me.

Void glances at me and I can feel the bank-robbing comment about to come my way so I narrow my eyes and give him my best scathing "shut up and sit down" look.

John sidles up, grinning ear to ear. "Hey long time no see, Ben and Jane," he greets, looking at Void curiously.

"Hey, John," I reply, trying not to be irked at him for spilling my real name to Void. Maybe I should've chosen somewhere else to have a Super Rally. Too late now.

Jane flips her golden locks over her shoulder and gives me a look that I interpret to mean, "why the hell are we here?". I shrug in response and tell John to start a tab for us.

"So, Ben," Void starts after John retreated, "what is this all about?" His devilish grin is the first sign that I'm probably going to regret calling this meeting.

"I'll tell you when everyone is here," I say.

Jane frowns. "Who else is coming?"

I nod towards the door. "Just him."

"Sorry I'm late," Art rumbles, sinking down onto a stool that looks way too small for him.

"Art, this is Jane, also known as," I check to make sure John isn't eavesdropping, "She Who Kicks Ass, and—"

Jane kicks me in the shin with wicked precision underneath the table. "He means Artemis." She smiles sweetly.

Art grunts. "The Huntress, huh? Nice to meet you." His expression is alarmingly neutral for a guy who's just met one of Earth's most feared (and loved) heroes.

"And you know Ryan."

Art nods slowly. "The guy that always tries to screw up our plans? Yeah. Hey, Void."

Void looks like he doesn't know if he should be worried or offended.

"Well, now that I've had my fun with introductions..." I sip my drink. "I met with the Clairvoyant yesterday."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Jane mutters.

"She... ah." I swallow. "She had a vision a few days ago that the Virus is... not finished. That there's a fifth phase and it's going to kill supers."

Void abruptly sits back, his arms hanging limply. "She said... what?"

Jane sucks her bottom lip in like she does when she's about to argue with me. "Explain," she demands. "I'm not going to trust anything that wack job says easily."

"Look, I know. I didn't either at first. But I know her—"

Void snorts, muttering, "Know her, right. More like slept with her," under his breath.

Art chuckles. "Really?"

I glare at both of them. "She didn't want me to say anything, but she—" I pause when the door jingles and turn to look. This time when I see her, my heart freezes instead of thumping hotter.

We catch eyes and her face shines with a surprised smile. "Ben, hi!" She steps toward me hesitantly, light on her toes like a dancer.

"Hi, Marjorie." I smile back at her, even though I have three sets of eyes burning into the back of my skull.

"I, um, didn't expect to run into anyone I knew here," she says shyly, tucking a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes drift behind me and a shadow crosses her ocean eyes like a shark stalks the surface. Her smile wavers.

The tension in the room is like the moment before lightning strikes. "Are you meeting someone?" I ask, doing my best to smother the feeling that this wasn't much of a coincidence.

"I'm not, just stopped in for a drink." The shadow is gone now, but she returns her gaze to me like a magnet pulling away from its mate. "Do you mind if—"

Yes. Kind of in the middle of something over here.

"—I sit here?"

"Of course not." I pat the seat next to me and pretend not to hear Jane's disapproving noises. "Jane, Ryan, Art, this is my friend Marjorie." I shoot them all a glare that promises revenge if they embarrass me.

"Nice to meet you all," Marjorie reaches out to shake hands with Jane, whose smile looks like she's picturing crumpling Marjorie's hand in her own. When Marjorie pulls her hand back whole and unbroken, I almost breath a sigh of relief. She shakes Void's hand next, who looks like I've thrown water in his face. Even Art's normally expressionless face looks skeptical if you squint your eyes a little.

What is up with these people? Is it that hard to believe I've made a friend?
"I hope I'm not—" her eyes burn a path back towards Void, "—interrupting anything."

Jane's mouth opens and I hastily cut in, saying, "No, no, you're fine. We were just talking about... the weather."

Marjorie lets out a breathy little laugh that would sound dorky on any other person. "Oh good, I thought I was intruding on a secret meeting or something."

My blood stops cold. I can't peel my eyes off of her as she casually leans across the bar and asks for a martini. Did she just...?

Jane pinches my arm hard enough to leave a welt. "Who. The hell. Is that," she hisses.

I smack her, rubbing my arm. "She's my friend," I whisper. "She, uh, kind of found out about me."

"She what?"

"Marjorie," I say quickly, "how's your car running?" I wince when Jane kicks me in the shin again, purely out of petty frustration.

"Oh, perfectly!" She grins at me. "I even checked my oil today," she boasts, winking.

I chuckle. "Attagirl." I can hear three sets of eye rolls behind me.

Void clears his throat. "So, Marjorie, you been in Philadelphia for long?"

An odd look crosses her face. "Not really, no. I moved here in October to start up the shop."

I blink. "Really? I didn't know that. Where did you live before?"

"Richmond." She swirls her martini. "I had to get out of there after my fiance passed."

Art clears his throat in the following silence. "Sorry to hear that."

"How are you liking it?" Jane asks, eyes glittering.

"It's been lovely, now that I've made a friend or two." Her smile turns my insides to liquid.

"If you don't mind me asking," Jane starts, crossing her legs, "how did you and Ben meet?"

Oh, God. Jane's gonna pay for this later. Dearly.

Marjorie glances at me quickly. "Oh, uh, we met at my—"

"Actually," I interrupt, "it's kind of a funny story." I smirk at Jane, then turn to Marjorie. "Don't you recognize Art?"

Art looks from me to Marjorie, his face on full poker face mode.

Marjorie squints. "I... oh." Her eyes widen. "You were at the bank too." Hair whips me in the face when she turns her head back towards me at lightning speed. "So you are having a super secret meeting," she coos.

Jane's jaw drops, and that is perhaps the best part of the night. 

A/N: Ok I gotta ask: who is your guys favorite character so far?