Raven & Josie - Chapter 7

Raven has to deal with a swarm of journalists, while Josie stumbles upon a revelation.

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A wave of apprehension overwhelmed Raven when a horde of emergency responders and rubberneckers gawked up at her when she descended upon the broken bridge while balancing a blue van with people in it on her hands she'd just rescued from a fatal situation.

These feelings weren't just the result of her introverted character that prompted her to avoid the limelight in social situations. No, the fact that these people would bombard her with inquiries was what worried her. They would want to know who she is.

Raven set the van on the ground and tore the door away with a swift swing of her arm.

With a balaclava covering her head, Raven peered inside the van where a group of people was clustered together, gaping at her, astounded.

"People will come to aid you," Raven said unwittingly with a heavy voice. It sounded ridiculous and was pretty useless. People would be able to tell she was a girl regardless of the balaclava and loosely fitting overalls anyway.

"Thank you," A woman, embracing a small child, expressed her gratitude to Raven as tears brimmed in her eyes.

In response, Raven gave an awkward nod and wanted to go away, but a gaggle of people with cameras and microphones rushed toward her.

A microphone lunged forward, pushed into Raven's face, and a question was fired. "Are you related to Infinity Woman?"

Another microphone harassed her from the side. "Is she coming back?"

"What is your name?" A third blocked Raven's escape route when she wanted to walk away.

Raven stammered and stumbled over her words, andwith her own voice this time. "I… uhm.."

"So you're a girl!" One of the reporters exclaimed. "Are you Infinity Woman's daughter?"

"Of course not!" Raven whipped. "What? Just because I can fly and lift cars, I'm automatically Infinity Woman's daughter?"

"But who are you then?" Another reporter inquired. "You do have a name, right?"

Raven racked her brain for an answer and eventually said, "I, uhm... Kim!"

Oh my god! Why did I say that name?! She mentally castigated herself for using the name of her friend.

"Just Kim?" A reporter probed.

"Kelso!" Raven quickly added. "Kim Kelso!" Raven gave a bashful smile. Kudos to you, Raven! My alter ego's name is a blend of a friend's name and the surname of a fictional character from That 70s show.

"Is that like your real name? Kim Kelso?" A reporter questioned. "Infinity Woman always maintained her actual name as a secret, and now you're giving it away on live television like a fortune cookie."

"I'm not Infinity Woman!" Raven snapped, inadvertently making her eyes glow red. The crowd of reporters recoiled and took a few steps back.

Easy with the rage, Rave! She eased herself.

One reporter was courageous enough to try again. He advanced forward. "But aren't you afraid that by disclosing your name, you will spoil your life?"

"Who's to say that Kim Kelso is my real name?" Raven retorted.

"But isn't Kim Kelso a bit of a lackluster title for a superhero? Couldn't you think of something a bit snazzier?"

"I think it's just fine. And If anyone disagrees, then they can fly a kite. Besides, who's to say I'm a superhero anyway?"

A few reporters looked at each other. One opened her mouth. "But you just rescued people. Isn't that what heroes do?"

Raven sighed. "I was just taking a spin around the area and saw the van tumbling, so I intervened. I'm not striving to be heroic or anything."

Upon seeing Raven's anger sinking off, more and more reporters felt encouraged enough to harass her with questions.

"What do you think of Infinity Woman? Do you two know each other? Are you adversaries? Does the world have to worry about a looming battle of colossal proportions that will decide the world's fate?"

Raven waved her hands. "Sorry guys, the interview is over." She was about to take off when a voice in the group of journalists said something that sparked an uncontrollable emotional response.

A person stepped forward and proclaimed: "I heard the hero known as Infinity Woman is a mere guise and that she truly intends to control humanity, enslaving them even."

Raven spun around, her eyes blazing. "Don't you ever spread that kind of slander about her!" She wagged her finger. The man flashed a smug smirk, indicating this was the exact effect he was aiming for. Now, all knew she had a connection to Infinity Woman. Otherwise, why else would anyone react so passionately if it was all just hearsay about some stranger?

Raven heaved a deep sigh. Well, what's done is done. Time to go. She was ready to take off, but before she propelled herself into the sky, a piece of her dress was left trailing behind her – flashing it to the running cameras around her – because of her carelessness while stuffing it away under Cedric's overall. Unfortunately, this piece of clothing was spotted and identified by someone Raven would rather not have noticed it.

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CRASH!

Near midnight, Josie landed in front of their vacation home with significantly more force than her mother had cautioned her against. She stepped out of the small crater her feet had created upon impact in the grass.

Then, in a single movement, she ripped away the tattered remains of her dress, striding the last few meters to the front door wearing nothing but her underwear and a pair of sandals that cost three times her Dad earns in a month.

"Not now, Rexter," Josie said curtly while striding past their dog, who was hoping to get a pat on the head.

A high-pitching creak cut through the night when Josie opened the wooden door of the mountain cottage they were residing in for vacation. A bulb above the dining table was the source of light in the house, granting the living room a warm orange hue. Her Dad was nowhere to be seen. Probably in bed at this time of the day, or so Josie assumed.

After clattering a fortune in 'borrowed' jewelry on the table, Josie made a beeline towards the bathroom. She was desperate for a shower.

Footsteps coming from their parent's bedroom vied for her attention. The door swung open.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture, Dad," Josie ignored her father's silhouette that materialized in the door opening, eerily lit by a gleam of moonlight shining in through a window behind him, and reached out to the door handle of the bathroom.

"I love you, kiddo," he said.

Puzzled, Josie looked over her shoulder at her Dad's dark silhouette. It was not the kind of phrase she'd expect her Dad to utter while seeing his teenage daughter barging into the house in the middle of the night donned in nothing more than one would wear in a dressing room before trying a new dress.

Josie let go of the door handle as her Dad abruptly pivoted and shut the door. Her sandals clattered across the wooden planks that made up their floor, and she made her way to her Dad's bedroom. Such odd behavior begged investigation.

Josie could have sworn she heard him sobbing.

"Dad?" Josie swung the door open and spotted him slouched in a seat by his desk, facing away from her.

A partially consumed bottle of whisky was placed on the desk, a full glass grasped in his hand.

Also odd, he never drinks anything other than beer.

She approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder, asking worriedly, "Dad, is everything okay?" He didn't answer.

Her gaze fell upon a sheet of paper on his desk, with a few dark circles on it, making her think of tear stains.

She picked it up.

Josie's Dad began humming some melancholic tune when her eyes started reading the sentences.

It was written by her mother, that much she could tell, based on the wide opening on top of the letter 'a', making it sometimes impossible to deceiver if it was a 'u' or perhaps a glorified 'o'. Luckily, context made a lot clear.

Perched atop a mountain, I am here, gazing at the house below, our lovely place, with a single light on, reminding me that I forgot to switch off the hallway lamp when I left. I long to leave you all to your peaceful sleep on this beautiful night while I stand here in a chill I'm not fazed by.

This is my final say to you, my dears.
I have been told by my people that the day has come - I am to be sent on a routine mission, or so I'd have you believe.

The truth is that I am summoned to keep a vow I made eighteen years ago when I first arrived on this planet. A vow that saved the people of Earth from demise, a demise preordained by the elders.

Not a single element of our past together saddens me, for it brought unparalleled joy in the shape of you, my good-hearted spouse, and the two beautiful girls born out of our fondness for each other.

The only sorrow I feel is that I was compelled to deceive you all. I'm embarking on a solitary voyage. A voyage that will spare the world I cherish from demise.

Thank you for permitting me to love you all.

Polish well my diamond in the rough.

Tara