Silver Moon Stories

Chapter 9 Meetings Old and New

 Sara heard the car’s engine as Robert pulled into the driveway. Thank, Jesus, they were home. She felt as if she’d been holding her breath ever since he’d left to get Mina early this morning. She always worried when he was doing something Super related. It was bad enough that he had two full-time jobs, Superheroing and Professor at the University, but take into consideration his family duties, she worried that he was going to put himself into an early grave with all this running around. Of course his Mama, who was a Super herself, had managed to continue to have a full schedule all the way into her nineties. Which reminds me, Sara thought, I’ve got to call her and ask what time she is scheduled to come in next week. I gotta have that Chocolate Gateau ready by the time she gets here. Ninety-Five only comes around once in a person’s life. Nonetheless, she worried about her husband. It was a wife’s prerogative to do so. She hoped he was serious about retiring from one of the two next year. She decided to stop fretting over the future and focus on the here and now.

 “There here, ya’ll! Lunch we be served in the dining room in 10 minutes. Bring your appetites.” She called to the guests waiting in the living room. “Ethan, dear? Will you get the table ready?”

 Sara heard a groan and mumbling from the living room. She knew Ethan preferred to be lazy whenever possible. She also knew that he would grumble but would still do what she asked out of respect. She checked on lunch while he did that. Everything was looking good, if she did say so herself and she did. More than once she wondered if she should’ve opened that little kitchen Robert had suggested twenty years ago. She was a professor of the culinary arts, specializing in cuisine of the Creole and Cajun people of the French diaspora but she still wasn’t sure that people in Colorado were ready to taste the complex flavor profile of her ancestors food. She’d grown up in Colorado after spending just the first year of her life in Louisiana. Growing up, her mother had taught her all about the flavors of the bayou people, but her education had continued through the new foods that her mother found in this place. Native American cuisines and Hispanic delights were greedily added into the mix so that in the end you had something entirely new. She still made old school creole food whenever Robert asked it reminded him of home and her of her mother now resting in God’s gentle embrace.

 She her the garage door open at the front part of the kitchen and turned to see love of her life enter with their wayward child with him. He looked tired but happy and Mina looked like she needed food in a bad way. So just like normal. The smells of the kitchen wafted to the two and she heard sighs of contentment and stomachs grumbling with hunger.

  “Oh, man.” Said Mina, “If that smell was a man, I’d marry it and if you hadn’t married Matante, I would stole her from you.”

 “Chér, I married Sara just a few years before you were born and if you think I’d let anyone come between me and Sara’s cookin’, you’ve learned nothing from me at all.” The tone was playful and Rob and Mina had discovered a mutual love of sarcasm years ago.

 “Well, I appreciate the compliments you two, but if you keep letting the outside air into this house, the bread will be stale and the étouffée will taste bland and become congealed.” Sara scolded them for standing in an open doorway. Both smiled a little sheepishly, and Rob closed the door.

 “Sorry about that, Mon Amour, it was dealing with those, what did you call them Mina, Lab Monkeys? They got under my skin something fierce.” Rob said and looked to Mina.

 “Oui, Nonc. Lab Monkeys. Ils étaient stupides, non ?” Mina responded to him in French. This wasn’t to keep Sara out of the loop, Robert, Sara, and the kids all spoke French in the house when there was no one else around. It made them all feel closer and Sara loved the sound of the French language away. Especially as her husband  spoke it.

 “Mina, honey, there are others in the house that do not speak French. Please don’t rude and leave them out of conversations.” Sara said not chiding Mina as much as giving her the heads up that Rob had apparently had not.

 “Damn, love, I forgot to tell her.”

 “Tell me what exactly?” Mina said with suspicion in her eyes.

“Robbie,” Sara was the only person in the world that could call him that, “you didn’t tell her?”

 “I plumb forgot to. I’ll lose my fool head next.” He turned to face Mina, “You remember me talking about your new role as a team leader before you nodded off?”

 “Oh, man. I was really hoping that was just a bad dream.” She groaned took a deep breath as if it took all of her will to answer, “Dammit. Yes.”

 “Well part of the reason we are here is to grab some lunch. The other part is to meet your new teammates and go over what’s gonna happen next.”

 Another groan from Mina as she place her face in her waiting hands. She groaned again, this time even louder even though her mouth was muffled and finally looked back up at her adoptive parents.

 “Fine.” She sounded like petulant teenager, “Let’s go and get this over with.”

***

 Sylvia felt oddly comfortable in the house. Mrs. White was such a nice lady and when she and her husband had invited her and the guys to the house, she’d accepted at once. She still wasn’t totally sure about the ‘guys’. Max seen like a nice kid, but he gave off the nervousness of a young puppy. Their so excited to see you and can’t wait for you to come in the door but be careful because they haven’t quite figured out how not to pee when they were excited. Not that she thought that was a risk with him, but the same energy was there all the same. Ethan was a different story. She figured that he had more product on than she did, not that it was hard to do, and the way he walked put you in mind of those animal cable show about how big cats stalk their prey and started to sprint at just the right moment. The guy had a great physique; the problem was he knew it and flaunted it. He was wearing jeans so tight that you could tell his religion, as the saying goes, and his shirt was designed to be both loose and tight in weird ways. Definitely not her type of guy for sure, but she was fairly sure that he’d be more comfortable in heels that Sylvia would. Not that that was a problem. She had a large group of friends, and a number of the guys friend would drool over him and a number would drool over the girl who just walked into the room.

 She might be Sylvia’s polar opposite. She was petite with a capital P. In also every way that she was large, this girl was small. One thing they did have in common was that they both had dark brown wavy hair. The only major difference with that was that this girl did not know how to take care of her hair. Walking in with her was the reason she was here, Mr. Robed Justice himself, Robert White. The two occupants of the living room turned and stood as the other two walked in from the kitchen. Within a few moment, Ethan returned from the dining room saying out loud, “Place settings are ready to go Mrs. W. When is you husband getting back with … Mina?”

 “Ethan. You’re looking your usual self. How are you, you catty bitch?” The woman, Mina obviously, said with a  dangerous smile growing on her face. Sylvia didn’t know why but it reminded her of a shark waiting its next meal.

 Ethan seemed to relax a bit at this, “Better than you, little tiger shark. So how do people taste. Is it true that we taste like chicken?” Sylvia had no idea what he was talking about, but she figured that she was about to find out.

 Sylvia, nature’s peacekeeper, started to move to intercept the two if it came to blows and then they did something she did not expect. They both let out belly laughs and moved to hug each other.

 “I’m so confused.” She heard Max say.

Sylvia responded, “You and me both, kid.” She decided to go for broke, “What in the wide, wide, world of sports is going on here?” She used her best Slim Pickens voice.

 Usually Sylvia got no reaction from that. Blazing Saddles seemed a little to old for most of the people in her generation. Which was tragic, it was a timeless classic in her mind. But then, someone did react. It was Mr. White.

 “Oh, man. I love that movie!” he called to his wife in the kitchen, “Hon, do your best quote from Blazin’ Saddles!”

 A head poked through the door and Mrs. White said, “Where are all the white women at?” Maybe it was the irony of that line being spoken by a white woman about white women or maybe it was her deadpan and deadly accurate reproduction of the line but whatever it was, Sylvia burst out in uncontrollable laughter.

 The others who weren’t in on knowing the movie looked at Sylvia and the Whites in shock and confusion. Once Sylvia regained control of herself she said, “Damn, but that movie is so damn inappropriate. But that, Mrs. White was awesome!”

 Mrs. White came fully into the living room and said, “We aim to please in this house. A midnight showing of that movie was one of our first dates. We knew then that this was gonna last for a long time, sugar. A mutual love of Mel Brooks movies is not a thing to discount.”

 Sylvia looked at the others who appeared just as confused as she had been a few moments before. Poor Max, he was so out of the loop the happy, nervous puppy had turned into a scared and uncertain puppy. Maybe she should stop thinking of his as a dog. Nah, that was just who he was in her mind now, puppy Max. Max the puppy. Yup, it worked.

 “I think that a some point I need to educate you all on the best comedy the seventies and eighties had to offer. A great deal of which still holds up to this day. At least assuming that what this is that we are here for is more that a one off gig? I mean, if it is, that’s okay but I’ve got back rent to pay and a few other gigs that are on my schedule.” There weren’t any other gigs but, her father taught her a long time ago that it was always best to appear in demand even if you’re not.

 “In that case, let us adjourn to the dining room to have some lunch and afterwards we will discuss just what all this is regarding. Ya’ll need to be fed up some, so come on, let’s gitcha all somethin’ to eat!” Mr. and Mrs. White both exited the room. One back towards the kitchen and the other went it to the dining room and held the door for the rest to come in.

 The major descriptor that Sylvia would use for this house was warm, and the dining room was no exception. The walls were a lush vibrant green, not the ugly avocado green of the seventies, but a leaf green that with the addition of real plants and plenty of light made you feel like you were sitting down to a meal in a forest or jungle. It was with thought that Sylvia looked down to the baseboards and sure enough they were made from real wood, either cherry or stained to look that way. She never quite seen a dining room, or any room to be honest, that felt this intentional.

 She wasn’t the only one to notice. The green kid, Max, seemed to relax upon entrance and it was only when she bent over to look at the baseboards that Sylvia noticed that he wasn’t wearing shoes. Come to think of it, she didn’t think he was wearing shoes all the way from SUAVE Colorado HQ. Hmm, plants powers then? Maybe he can turn his limbs into vines or something? That would be pretty cool. Way cooler than useless trivia genius, who can for some reason randomly manifest the trivia as real things. What about Mr. Fabulous on the other side of the table? Maybe he poofed in to a superhero drag queen. Fighting evil with sass and songs. Still cooler than her power. Finally, there was the new girl. What powers did she hold? Her t-shirt said the Maw….wait. What?

 “Are you wearing a Rolling Stones band t-shirt with ‘The Maw’ stenciled on?” Said Sylvia the shock obvious in her voice.

 Mina, in conversation with Ethan paused, looked at Sylvia and briefly blushed. The flush of color disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared. “You know, you are only one of a handful of people to notice that. Yup, it is. You’ll learn quite quickly that as you move down the class tiers, the less money they give you as a monthly stipend. Honestly, I’ve never had enough money to put together a probably Super outfit. As an Omega, ninety percent of my SUAVE income goes to rent and food. I drive a forty year old Audi Fox, I generally have to save up if I want to go out to eat or to the movies, and I buy all my clothes second hand. If you are fortunate enough to be classed as Alpha, they might as well had you a blank check. The only caveat is that all Alphas must live on a SUAVE campus for the first year. Trust me when I say, I would give my left leg to have that caveat.”

 “Mina,” said Mr. White as he was tucking a cloth napkin in to his shirt collar, “Stop scarin’ the rookies. Their will be time for everything after we tuck in to this wonderful meal that Sara prepared.”

 Almost as if she’d been summoned by Mr. White, in came Mrs. White laden down with things. Sylvia nearly jumped out of her seat to help Mrs. White. She’d been raised to respect and help your elders. “Please ma’am, let me help you with that.”

 Sylvia was halfway up when Mrs. White, “That’s awful kind, dear, but you won’t get a single bite if you down sit back down round now.” The tone of voice, although kind, declared that it was to be obeyed. Sylvia felt her knees bending against her will. Was it a superpower, Sylvia thought? Nope. Not unless being a Mom was a superpower. Well, in that case, it might be.

 Mina looked over at Sylvia and smiled. “It is always best to not give her the ability to decline your help.” Mina got up, quickly moved to Mrs. White and started unloading some of the trays from her arms.

 “Mina, these are guests, they don’t need to help.” Mrs. White said coordinating with Mina the placement of the several dishes.

 “What, I don’t count as a guest, Matante?” Mina said with exaggerated shock.

 “No, you don’t. You’re family”

 Mina’s fake shock turned into a smile, “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll fetch the drinks.” Mina turned to the others, “Any specific requests?” Mostly asking Max and Sylvia.

 “If there is almond milk, that, otherwise water is fine.” Said Ethan. Mina nodded to him.

 “Umm, is there any chance there maybe be soda?” Said Max, hopefully.

 “How about craft bottled root beer? I make it myself.” Said Mr. White. He paused and said, “Mina, you know what? Just grab a pack from the basement. Still want that almond milk, Ethan?”

 “You don’t need to ask me twice. It sounds amazing. I hope it lives up to the hype.” Said Ethan.

 “Don’t worry, Ethan dear,” Mrs. White said, “I’m fairly sure it will.”

Mina gave a short nod of her head and headed towards the kitchen. An uncomfortable silence fell over the dining room, at least the three young Supers did. Although the Whites were welcoming, they all understood the fact that they were about to have lunch with one of the most senior active Supers in all of Colorado, maybe the United States. It could make a person a little star struck.

 Robert White gave them all a long look and all of a sudden went, “BOO!”

 Sylvia flinched but did leave her seat, Max practically fell over himself and Ethan jumped and clung to the ceiling, as a small tortoiseshell cat. His clothes fell into a pile around his chair. Robert burst in to a loud, roaring laugh that filled the room. It was good-natured, not really laughing at anything but Ethan’s reaction. Sylvia and Max slowly began to join in with Sara White holding a hand to her mouth to try to avoid showing that she to was laughing.

  A very serious and determined Mina burst into the dining room, a six pack of bottles with brown liquid in them, in her right hand shaking just a bit.

 “What happened?”

 When it was obvious that no one was capable to form coherent words, Sylvia pointed up at Ethan the cat. Mina, smiled and lightly chuckle for a minute.

 “I can’t take you anywhere can I.” She said to Ethan. Then she placed the pack of bottles on the table, “You might want to wait a minute. I was sprinting up the stairs as soon as I heard the thump of the chair. I’m guessing Chuckles here,” with this she pointed at Mr. White, “Gave you all the Shadow Man scare.”

 There were a few nods and a soft hiss from the ceiling. Mina shook her head, “Damn. I really wish I hadn’t missed that. Let me get Ethan sorted out. Ethan?” Mina called up to the cat, “I’m going to come over there and catch you. I will not let you fall. Then I will grab your clothes, take you and them to the bathroom so you can change back. Sound good?”

 There was a soft meow from the Ethan cat and Mina went around the table, Caught Ethan as he fell, grabbed up his clothes from the floor and exited the room towards the dining room giving Robert White a dirty look as she left.

 “Shadow Man scare?” said Sylvia

 Turned towards Sylvia, shrugged and said, “That’s what they are used to call me back in Biloxi, where I was raised. Lots and lots of people down there practice Hoodoo, and when I got my power, everyone assumed that it was from some sort of black magic and that it gave me connections to the other side. The world beyond. Weren’t nothin’ but a lot of hocus pocus mumbo jumbo rumors to rile up the locals and give them an excuse to fear and hate me and my family. My family moved to New Iberia, Louisiana just outside Lafayette and me, well I was old enough to move along to college. Started at the school of Mines and went from there. I never looked back.” He let out a deep breath and continued, “I do miss the weather, it’s way to damn dry here, my family, and the culture. But I do not miss the people and before you ask, culture and people are two separate thangs. So, there you go, the Shadow Man story. Look ya’ll, I’m just a normal person don’t go puttin’ me on no damn pedestal. I’ve done good and I’ve done bad. I try to make up for the bad and live up to the good. I’d like to think I done a fair job on both accounts. Finally, please don’t call me Mr. White no more. We are goin’ to be workin’ together for quite a while. Call me Robert.”

---

 Mina stood outside the bathroom and called out to Ethan, “You need any help getting back in to your cat suit, kitty?” sarcasm dripping from every word.

 “From you? Please, I wouldn’t let you pick out an outfit let alone help me into one. What’s with the flip-flops and sweatpants? At least your jeans and biker boots had a little style.” Ethan said with a couple of pauses in between words.

 “Ugh.” Mina started, “I had to deal with some pervy lab monkeys. They took most of my stuff and I swear this one nurse took my underwear. I don’t know what she is going to do with them, and I don’t think I want to know.” She tried to shake the images out of her head with no luck. On the other side of the bathroom door, Ethan was making a retching sound.

 “I am so sorry, sweetie. That sounds positively dreadful.” With that, Ethan opened the bathroom and walked out spreading his arms out, “What do you think? Hideous or Gorgeous?”

 Mina walked up and gave him a huge hug, “Gorgeous as always, Kit Kat.”

 Ethan returned the hug, “You know I hate that nickname.”

 Mina hugged him a little tighter, “ I know you don’t.”

 Ethan tapped on Mina’s shoulder, “Itsy bitsy, too tight. I need to be able to breathe.” Mina relaxed her grip and Ethan said, “Thank you. Yes, I do and if you tell a single soul I will tell them my nickname for you too.” He smiled and slugged him in the right arm with a hard but not too hard punch. “Ouch! Hey!”

 “You better not.” Mina put her hands down and smile back up at him. “It really is good to see you. How’ve you been? Getting along with the Castle Rock SUAVE team? Oh, and how about that boyfriend of yours? What’s his name again? Jake?”

 “Wow. First you punch me, then you interrogate me? You really know how to treat a friend, Itsy.” Ethan said rubbing his arm.

 “You love it. You know that I’m the only person you’ll take shit from because, I love you, Kit Kat and whether or not you like admitting it, you love me too.” Mina said putting her head on the shoulder she’d just punched.

 “I put up with it because, with friends like you, who needs enemies.” Even though she wasn’t looking at his face, she still knew that he was teasing her right back. It was kind of their love language. Ethan took in a deep breath and Mina moved back from him so that she fully engage with his news. “Castle Rock was okay, I guess. Bedlam was really nice, but I screwed up a bag and tag, so I guess I’m getting reassigned? I wanged my head on the same mission and ever since I’ve had a bit of a headache, so a month long headache has sucked big time and Jake and I split up. Apparently he couldn’t take it when he woke up one day and instead of his boyfriend, he found that he was sleeping next to a fifteen pound tomcat. I tried to explain it to him but he’s allergic to cats or something, so one day I came home and all his stuff was gone. He ghosted me, Itsy.”

“Oh, Ethan. I’m so sorry.” Mina said with genuine sadness. She’d liked Jake the few times she had met him. The thing that was bugging her most right now was that like Mina, Ethan had something going on with his power. But not in the same way that her’s was. “Do you mind if I change the subject and ask you about your power going wonky? I’ve never known you to change accidentally like just now.”

 Ethan seemed relieved for the change of topics as he said, “I rather talk about anything other than my love life right now. Honestly, I have no idea what’s going with my power. Everything was working just like normal, I misjudged a leap and ended up ramming my noggin into a door jam. When I tried to continue the mission something every strange happened. I was going down the stairs of this basement in the house I’d been staking out trying to capture William the Scab and save his latest target, a girl named Ashley that was just starting to work for SUAVE in a non-super  capacity. When I got down the stairs and managed to find a good shadow to hide in before I made my move, my head started to hurt again but this time it was even worse. The migraine cause me to see double, and I think I must have seen myself in a mirror because I saw two more of me. I threw me off and I ended up give William enough time to escape. We still managed to save the girl. But ever since then, I’ll get little migraines and then I lose control of my power. Once while I was walking around the SUAVE campus in my cat form, I had a headache come on and all of a sudden I popped back to human without meaning to. Naked in the middle of the SUAVE campus. It was so embarrassing.”  He seemed to almost slump when he finished relating his tale. It was almost as if the telling of it had deflated him like a balloon.

 “Well at least it wasn’t in the middle of a supermarket or something. That would’ve been really bad.” She’d decided then and there to tell him her story. “I had a similar but also very different hiccup with my power. Did you know that I … that I ate someone whole?” She still felt like it was something that happened to someone else.

 “Yes, Itsy. It is just about the number one topic around the Hero Hotel.” Ethan had always called the SUAVE campus the hero hotel with a bit of disgust. He felt like it was too clean, too sterile, and above all too Super to spend any amount of time at. He always preferred to do his work by himself and out and about in the world. But it almost sounded like he’d been restricted to the SUAVE Headquarters.

 “Did they ground you after the mission where you banged your head, Kit-Kat?” she asked with both concern for him and a worry about herself in her question.

 “Ugh, yes. I was so irritated by it. I’m fine, I just have to be careful with my power until my head fully heals. The doctors say it could be a couple of months, with Supers without extra durability, like you and me, brain injuries like concussions, can’t be healed with powers. They said it will just take time. Meanwhile I was going stir crazy at the Hero Hotel until I got the invite to join Robed Justice at his house. Do you think we are getting fired, Mina?” He’s actually used her name so Ethan was really worried. Well at least she could ease his mind a little bit.

 “Ethan, sweetie, I can tell you with all confidence that we are not getting fired. There is something else going on which I was sworn to no reveal until Rob tells everyone after dinner.” And  that was as much as she was allowed to say. For now.

 “Well, I’d like to find out what is so damn important that you can’t even tell me.” Obviously annoyed that Mina refused to spill the beans to one of her besties. Probably her only bestie now that she thought about it.

 Then let’s get back in there then.” Mina looped her right arm around Ethan’s left and walked with him back to the dining room. As they unlink to open the door and enter the dining room they could hear quiet laughter on the other side of the door. Mina grabbed the handle and turned the knob opening the door and as she did the quiet laughter evaporated to silence.

 Robert smiled and waved them back in. “Come on, you two get back in here before this wonderful smelling meal drive us all insane with hunger. By the way, to everyone, Mea Cupla.”

Ethan sat down first and said, “Just no more jump scares, all right?”

Robert raised his hand and made the symbol of the Scouts, “I swear that I will not do that again.”

“Rob,” Mina said, “You were never in the Scouts on any level.”

 “I still promise to behave.” Robert said and appeared think about another pledge.  “By the white hair of my mama.”

 “Now that is something I can believe!” Mina said with a bark of laughter. She then picked up the ladle from the tureen and began to pour étouffée into bowls and Robert passed them around. Each one smelled so good that it was all Mina could do to keep from grabbing the next bowl and eating it down like a cave woman. Patience, Mina. Patience. It will be even better for all of the delay. When the last person was serve the meal and bread doled out to those that wanted it, Mina remember the root beer, “Do you think the root beer is settled enough to open?” she asked Rob.

“It should be, petit. Just open them over the sink in the kitchen, just to be safe.” Rob said and Mina took the pack back into the kitchen, to quickly open the bottles. She had Sara’s étouffée waiting for her and she would not be denied it again. All of the bottles, save one, opened with a pop and no overflow. The last has just a tiny amount of spillage of the sweet brown foam, so Mina quickly moisten a towel with a small bit of water, wiped the bottle clean, to a small swig and place it back next to the others. The taste was as complex as she’d hoped for. Vanilla, molasses, with a finishing bite to it. Robert gave his a layer of caramel, mix with licorice for the bite and the ever-present sassafras. It was about as close as a non-alcoholic beverage could get to heaven in Mina’s opinion. The task done she walked back into the dining room again and passed out bottles, keeping the open she’d swigged out of for herself. After all no one wanted a bottle that someone else had taken a drink from. Mina had better manners than that. Once she sat back down, Sylvia looked at Robert and said, “Listen, I can’t wait until we’re done with this amazing food. Robert, why are we all here, other than for you to scare us and feed us that is.”

“That’s a fair question and I’ll try to answer it while we eat since we’ve had a few delays and we still have much to do.” Everyone appeared to be waiting on his next words. You can take the kid out of the theater, but you can never take the theater out of the kid, Mina thought. Robert had always had a flare for the dramatic and this time was no different. Mina avoided rolling her eyes even though she really wanted to.

 “Here it is, mes enfants. I have been tasked with making ya’ll an offer.” Please, Mina thought don’t do it. “I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.” Robert said in one of the worst Marlon Brando impressions she’d ever heard. There was a collective groan from those at the dinner table and Robert White just smiled.