The Marvels

Ep. 9 | Rest in Peace, Stephanie Caldwell

The original Marvels formed six years ago as a team of five: Juggernaut, Lady Marvel, Echo, Alder, and Ghost. Three years in, Alder retired from the hero life entirely and was replaced by Flamethrower. Two years after that, and right after the incident, Phase filled the spot Ghost left behind when she quit and moved to Sacramento. They'd always been a group of five, and now, for the first time ever, they were six. It kept catching Lady Marvel by surprise.

There was a new Frostbite portrait in the lobby, hung next to Phase's. It was cute; Vidya had this smirk of a smile that Lady Marvel couldn't identify as genuine happiness or genuine snark, as if Frostbite did know what she'd gotten herself into, after all. They'd also retaken their official group photo, and it hung in a frame next to the meeting room doors. Lady Marvel paused every time she passed by it, momentarily baffled by the presence of a sixth person.

Frostbite didn't live here with them, but she was still around. Lady Marvel always debated if she should strike up a conversation or continue in silence, like she had with Phase. She'd made no effort to talk to him when he joined, and they barely knew each other now. It would be unfair if she got to know Frostbite before him.

Note to self, she put in a reminder on her phone. Ask Phase out to...something. Anything.

Everything went on as usual. Frostbite trained, waited for her first mission, and went to school. Flamethrower saved three houses before the fire trucks even got there. Echo finally located and captured a supervillain that had eluded him for only two days, yet it still somehow hurt his pride.

As for Lady Marvel? She was taking a nap on their couch when her pager beeped. Her eyes flew open faster than she wanted them to; as sluggish as her mind had gotten from the superhero routine, her reflexes were good as young.

She stretched before sitting up. She was the only one who used their communal living room—she didn't understand why, since the view was spectacular—and this couch was pretty much her second bed.

"Let's go," Juggernaut said, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. He got bored easily—even a day without some sort of job, and he'd lose his mind.

He pushed a button on the light switch panel before she could say anything. One section of the floor-to-ceiling window slid up, letting in a strong gust of wind that blew her hair right into her yawning mouth.

"Let me read it first," she snapped, pulling her pager out of her boot.

He tapped his foot impatiently until she finished and stood up. "It's uptown," he said, holding out his hand.

She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make it look somewhat presentable, but the flight would inevitably make a mess of it again, so she gave up and took his hand.

The window slid closed behind them once they were through. Lady Marvel turned away from the ground. He'd been flying her to places for years, so she was too used to the height and speed to be bothered. She simply didn't want to catch anyone's eye and have to smile and wave. Instead, she focused on the nearly invisible, inch-long scar on his cheekbone, under his left eye. It was, as far as she or anyone else knew, the only injury he had, and no one knew how it happened. She asked. He never answered. It only made her more curious.

She cleared her throat. "How's she doing?"

"She can take off without looking like a chicken."

"I...think that's good? And the cryokinesis?"

"I don't know. Phase is doing that part."

"Is she ready for work?"