THE BLADERUNNER ｡PETER PARKER

forty-one

j.d purnell

"Jessie, come down here for a minute!"

J.D's footsteps were loud and booming as she jumped down the stairs of her home. A large, breathless grin graced her tiny features as she bolted into Albert Purnell's home office. She turned the corner and saw the tall, welcoming sight of her father seated at his dark desk, his hands fiddling with something she couldn't see. A soft light illuminated the room, as the curtains had been drawn shut. "Yeah, dad?"

"C'mon over here, sweetheart," he muttered, glancing down at her with a wide smile. The two were very similar in features, with the same nose and high cheekbones, the likeness was uncanny. He reached down and picked the eight-year-old up, balancing her on his hip as he pointed towards the surface of his desk, where a strange, distorted piece of material sat.

"What's that?" She asked, her voice soft and curious. It was just the two of them at home that day, as Mason and Sylvia were at a birthday party for the afternoon. J.D had spent a couple of hours playing with her toys upstairs while her father worked far too hard by himself. She loved the moments when she could spend time with him, as they were limited, even on weekends.

"Technically, it's me," Albert responded, and J.D's eyebrows furrowed in pure confusion. Albert chuckled a little at his daughter's adorable expression, before pointing to the pale, strange thing before them. "I made it using my DNA, but that isn't what I wanted to show you. What I wanted you to see was this."

Using his free hand, Albert picked up a vial of clear liquid and poured it on the specimen. J.D watched in awe as the substance bubbled against the dead skin and blood, before the entire object disappeared in thin air. Her eyes widening, J.D gasped loudly. "Where did it go?"

"It's still there, see?" Albert reached forward poked it, his finger stopping as it hit the article. "The fluid enhances the cells and locks onto specific attributes of my DNA. It's cool, isn't it?"

"It's awesome!" J.D exclaimed, leaning forward in pure interest, innocence and curiosity lacing her features. "Can it work on me? Can I be invisible?"

"I don't know, I need a lot more power than what I have if the serum will ever work on a human," Albert responded thoughtfully, placing his daughter back on her feet. J.D sighed, stepping towards his desk and standing on her tip-toes so that she could see his experiments. Albert stared down at her with a soft smile on his lips. "But I promise, if I ever perfect it, I'll give you the coolest powers out there."

"Really?" J.D beamed, and Albert laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. J.D latched onto his leg, cheery giggles escaping her lips. "Thanks, dad!"

"You're gonna do great things someday, kid," he smiled down at her, his voice a little quieter, though she still heard him. He paused, before beginning to clear up his work station. "How about we go and get an ice cream?"

J.D's grin widened, and she threw her hands up in joy. "Yes please! I'll go get my shoes!"

Albert laughed as she rushed off, her face pink with delight. As she turned the corner, his smile fell a little and he turned back to his workspace, his chest tightening slightly. He heard J.D's loud footsteps in her room above him, and he sighed, opening his drawer and pulling out a digital camera.

J.D rushed around upstairs, picking up her yellow raincoat and neon green wellies, slipping them on her feet and pulling the jacket over her shoulders. She looked around her small room, before grabbing her Winnie the Pooh plush toy and running out of the space again. "Dad, I'm ready!"