Supplying Supers - Ch. 2 - Justice - Beta (Patreon)

Monday June 5th, 2025 Mazuma City, Mazuma Amerika

Gunner Web

OSDB Rank: N/A - Civilian

OSDB Threat Rating: N/A - Civilian

Once the elevator stopped, Gunner slid the gate open and walked into the short hallway. Brown decorative tile decorated the wall in between swaths of golden metal that were intricately carved like its own machine language. A red rug led all arrivals to a front door. Its knob was mounted in the middle of the frame, with an unorthodox hole in the center.

Gunner pulled out the metal key that was nearly as long as his hand and had over a dozen grooves and teeth along its length. He pushed the key inside and the patterns on the door moved in sequence, sending the sounds of clicks and clacks of turning gears. Before the sequence finished, he pulled the key out of the keyhole and waited for the door to open.

Gunner walked into his abode, allowing the door to close behind him. It was an open concept penthouse decorated to his own specifications. His fifteen-foot-tall ceiling, that was paired with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowed for a breathtaking view of the city he loved. The exposed wood, black steel accents, and cross beams paired with exposed brick accent walls. It expressed his adoration for the industrial aesthetic.

His oversized chef’s kitchen, dark bamboo wood floors, and second level that overlooked the living room hinted at his passion for finer things. While most of the room was filled with blacks, browns, and grays, the person sized constructivism murals drew the eye with their color.

Gunner walked to the kitchen and took off his jacket. He set it on the back of one of the wood and metal stools that stood underneath his black granite countertops. He unknotted his red paisley tie and folded it perfectly. After setting it on the counter, he unbuttoned his cufflinks and rolled up the sleeves on his white dress shirt.

He leaned forward in front of his gas stove and closed his eyes.

She’s coming off of a shift, ‌Gunner thought. It’s late. She’s going to be tired. I’m sure she’s going to be famished. Given her powers, I’m sure she loves to eat. A meal with wine would probably be received well. Should I—No… it would be better if she sees me cooking. It will allow the smells to fill the room. But what to cook? She’s not a picky eater based on what I’ve seen and read. Surf and turf? There was that article in the Mazuma City when she was down at Gregory’s. I think that’s what she had.

Gunner took a moment to think about the other options before settling. A thick ribeye with a lobster tail is safe and on the faster side. Pair that with some grilled asparagus. Nothing too fancy, but impressive enough. It should garner a few marks if she likes it. I’m not sure what kind of wine she likes. I’ll have to pull it when she gets here.

With his plan decided, Gunner got to work. He grabbed a kitchen towel and slung it over his shoulder before walking over to his built-in refrigerator and pulling out all the ingredients he needed. After moving everything to his counter, he preheated his dual oven for the lobster and steak.

With expert precision, Gunner prepped all the meat and lobster using a blend of seasoning and butter. In a cast-iron skillet, Gunner seared the sides of his ribeye before tossing them into the oven, followed by the lobster tails a few minutes later.

While he readied his grill for the asparagus, he saw a blur of white flash by his windows. He ignored it and waited until he heard a knock at his patio door. He leaned back and saw a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman floating above his door.

As he expected, Justice was present in her superheroine garb. A red, white and blue leotard that was lightly armored for aesthetic purposes. It cut an opening across her chest, revealing a large bust, a design that garnered popularity for both men and women in Mazuma City. She wore a red cape that attached to a gold pauldron morphed to Lady Liberty’s visage. Thigh-high blue boots with metal knee pads and shin armor covered her legs.

When Gunner unlocked the patio door and opened it, Justice spoke. “Mr. Webb?”

“That’s me,” Gunner said, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel before extending his arm. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, face-to-face, Justice.”

The superheroine lowered herself on the patio and shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure as well.”

As Gunner gripped her glove, he wondered how much she was holding back so as not to crush his hand with her overwhelming strength. It felt like he was gripping a stone statue that gave him just enough movement so as not to be uncomfortable.

She has a lot of control over her strength, he thought. There’s a lot of power in such a small frame.

“Would you like to come inside?” Gunner said. “I’ve got the gift in my office.”

Justice twisted her lips and looked behind Gunner before smiling. “Sure.”

Gunner turned around and led her inside. He left her at the patio door as he walked toward his office. He smiled when he caught the white blur again out of the side of his eye, but figured this was standard procedure. She was just being cautious, scouting the new environment. It didn’t bother him. He knew from her dossier that she didn’t have x-ray vision and felt confident enough that she wouldn’t dig too deep to find his hidden rooms.

A lone dark mahogany wood desk sat in the middle of his study surrounded by tall bookshelves and windows. Sitting on his maroon leather chair behind the desk was a chibi cat wearing a pink bow. It was zip-tied to a pink cardboard presentation box. After retrieving the present, he entered the main living area to find Justice standing right where he’d left her.

“Wow, you actually managed to get one,” Justice said, wide eyed and slack-jawed.

“Trust me, it wasn’t easy,” Gunner said, laughing. “I think I’m in the wrong business.”

“No kidding. I literally searched all over the world and couldn’t find one. I even flew to Japan where these are made, and I couldn’t find one there. How did you manage to do it?”

Gunner held up his finger to his lips. “Trade secret. But let’s just say I know a guy who knows a guy who knows the CEO.”

“Uh, huh. You’d think I could flex a little bit of celebrity muscle, but nope. I even tried to buy one online from scalpers, but they were going for over a hundred grand. Can you believe that?”

“Oh, I can. They only make limited runs for these animals. Each country only gets a limited quantity, so they are even more rare to find in the states.”

“I wonder why they do that?”

“More companies are finding that word of mouth is more powerful than any marketing out there. This keeps their name relevant. Every year they release a new animal. It’s a bold strategy and works for now until it becomes stale and interests change.”

“That makes sense, I guess. My niece is going to freak out when she gets this for her birthday.”

“Well, I hope she has a wonderful birthday.”

“I’m sure she will,” Justice said before sniffing the air. “Are you cooking something, by the way? It smells wonderful in here.”

“Yeah, you actually caught me in the middle of preparing dinner,” Gunner said, making his way toward the oven.

“Ribeye and lobster tail?”

“Good nose,” Gunner said, chuckling.

“It’s kind of cheating with heightened senses.”

“Would you like some? I’ve made extra.”

Justice leaned on her hip, crossed her arms, her tongue in her cheek. She looked Gunner up and down before squinting. “Did you now? And you wouldn’t have known that surf and turf is one of my favorites, would you?”

Gunner laughed and raised his hands. “You caught me. Since you gave a late hour, I assumed you’d be stopping by after work and wouldn’t have eaten. But no pressure at all if you’re not hungry.”

Justice eyed the oven for a few seconds before looking back up at Gunner. “It was a good guess. I’m starving.”

“So, is that a yes?”

“It better be good,” Justice said before unclipping her pauldron and cloak.

Gunner clapped his hands together. “I promise it will be worth it. How do you like your steak?”

“There’s only one way to cook one, and that’s medium rare.”

“You and I are on the same page,” Gunner said, pointing between the pair. He pulled the steaks out of the oven and basted them with heaps of butter and garlic, and a cut of sage.

“Is it okay to walk around?” Justice asked.

Gunner failed to hold back his laughter, given he knew she’d already seen the whole place. “Absolutely. Make yourself at home. I should have it all done in a few minutes.”

As Gunner finished cooking, the blue-eyed superheroine set her things on the counter and moseyed around the room while talking. “You have a beautiful place.”

“Thank you for saying so. Would you believe me if I said I decorated it myself?”

“Did you?”

“Yeah. It’s taken me two years to get it how I like it. Even those paintings on the wall are mine.”

“You painted these?” Justice asked, pointing up at the red and white one.

“Yeah, I like to try new things. Back when I had sold my first company, I was looking for inspiration. A friend of mine suggested I try picking up a few hobbies. I’m not sure what inspired me to do so, but I was just walking down on Seventh Avenue and walked past a gallery. This beautiful mosaic of purples, blues, and reds spoke to me. And after spending way too much money, I asked the artist for some tips. She offered to allow me to shadow her, so I did for a few months, and that’s how that all started.”

“That’s quite the story. What kind of style is this?”

“Modern expressionism.”

“Do you paint a lot?”

“Not really. Maybe a few times a year? Mostly when I’m feeling inspired.”

Justice continued around the room, stopping at a group of photos that hung on the wall. “You seem to know a lot of powerful people. There are pictures of you with celebrities, musicians… the president?”

“Everyone always needs something as you’ve just recently experienced.”

“True…”

Hmm… the way she said that was odd… he thought. Is she growing suspicious of me? Probably just cautious. I doubt she knows much about me or my business. I can always ask her as the night goes on.

He watched Justice continue around the room before she circled back toward him. “I’m not going to lie; I love this place. The decoration is quite pristine and overlooks Hawthorne Park. It’s got to cost a fortune.”

“The building wasn’t cheap,” Gunner said with a slight laugh. “I can’t tell how hard it was to find an architect who could realize what I’d envisioned. But we eventually got there.”

Justice twirled around. “Wait. You own the entire building?”

“Yeah. Technically, my company owns the building, and I just own the penthouse, but that’s just a complication of my holdings.”

“I don’t think I could ever afford something like this.”

“No? I’d figured supers like you would be multi-millionaires.”

“I mean, there are some of us who are in it for the money, or someone like Jackie, who was born into money.”

“You’re talking about Jackie Hayes, The Warp?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t he quit the Paragon Alliance a few years back?”

“Yeah… we… had a falling out. It didn’t end well. Now he’s head of the International Union of Supers.”

“Sounds messy. Sorry to hear that.”

Justice sighed. “It is what it is. He was a reflection of his generation. It was time for him to go as he did not fit the ideals that the people expect of us today. He was stuck in the days of the solo vigilante. We just don’t do business like that anymore.”

“What changed?”

“Government oversight, mostly. And the population’s desire for a better super. One that was held accountable for the damage they caused trying to stop crime. Back in the day, you could take out an entire building if it meant stopping the guy who just stole a few thousand dollars. Now it’s all about minimizing collateral damage, even if that means sacrificing your own personal safety. Some supers aren’t comfortable with that, but to me, that’s part of the job. We should always strive to do better and be better.”

“Can’t say I disagree. The food is almost ready if you want to have a seat.”

Justice walked over to the counter and sat on a stool before continuing. “Yeah… There’s been a big shakeup the last few years. Especially since the founding of the Supers Oversight Committee and influx of legislation. A lot of supers have either retired or gone freelance. A ton has moved overseas where the laws are a lot more relaxed.”

“Sounds like trouble in paradise.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to vent there.”

“No problem at all. It’s actually kind of nice to hear that real side of you. From my point of view, you see supers all in the news and hold them up on this pedestal, but it’s nice to hear that, someone like you who is revered as one of the greatest of our generation, still faces the same challenges as the rest of us.”

Justice pulled her hair back from over her ear and smiled. “Well, I don’t know about all that last part. But thanks. It’s nice to have an ear every once in a while.”

After Gunner finished cooking, he made her a plate and presented it in front of her.

“This looks so good!” Justice shouted excitedly. “And smells good too!”

“Hopefully, it tastes just as good,” Gunner said, handing her a fork and knife.

Justice cut in the thick slab of meat, exposing the perfectly pink center. She rolled the bite around in her mouth for a moment before her whole body relaxed.

“It’s so good,” she moaned before taking another bite.

“You swear?” Gunner asked. “You’re not just saying that to be nice?”

“No.” Justice said, looking up at him with stern eyes. “I mean it when I say that this is one of, if not the best damn steak I’ve ever had.”

“You don’t know how happy that makes me,” Gunner said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“If anything ever happens to your business, you can always become a world class chef.”

“That’s good to know. Would you like anything to drink? I’ve got water, various juices, and wine.”

Justice took another bite of the steak as she thought about it. “I’m not a big alcohol drinker just because my metabolism burns right through it. I’d have to drink an entire bottle of whiskey just to feel a buzz.”

“Oh wow,” Gunner said, leaning back. “I guess I’ve never really thought about that for supers.” Gunner scooted over to a small wine chiller. “I’m going to have a glass of red wine, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind, but if you are having one, you might as well pour me a glass.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you. I have other beverages.”

“No, you’re fine. It feels like a waste of such a fine steak not to pair it with wine.”

“One hundred percent agree,” Gunner said before he bent over without looking and opened the tiny fridge. He grabbed a bottle and set it on the counter, using his knee to close the door. After fumbling through his drawers, he retrieved his electronic wine opener, uncorked the bottle, and poured the pair a glass.

“So, this is a custom cabernet I received from a good friend of mine in the Loire Valley of France. If you don’t like it, let me know and I can get you something else.”

Justice finished chomping on a piece of meat long enough to take a full gulp. It was clear she wasn’t a wine connoisseur.

“Mmm tangy,” she said, licking her lips.

“Do you like it?” Gunner asked.

“Yeah, it goes really well with the steak. I almost want to soak it in there.”

“Well, don’t let me stop you.”

The two shared a laugh before they continued with their dinner. Over the next few minutes, the pair ate in silence, absorbed in their meals. They shared giggles and not-so-subtle glances until they cleared their plates in their entirety. Once they finished, Gunner cleared the counters before pouring them another glass of wine.

Gunner followed Justice to the living room couch, where she made herself comfortable. She took off her boots and pulled her legs up, staring up at a center piece of art that hung in the middle of the wall.

“What’s the meaning behind that piece?” the blue-eyed heroine asked.

“Meaning?” Gunner said, sitting next to her. “There’s no meaning. Just emotion.”

“Then what’s the emotion behind it?”

“You tell me? Looking up at it, how does it make you feel?”

Justice took another sip of her wine as she stared at the artwork. “At first… melancholy? The blues and the purples overwhelm the piece, but then it shifts to that bright gold in the corner. Like no matter how dark things get, there will always be light.”

“Then that’s the answer,” Gunner said, tipping his glass.

“Oh, come on, don’t give me that,” Justice said playfully, swatting him.

“No, I’m serious. Art is a medium where a thousand different viewpoints can interpret a piece in a thousand different ways, each bringing their own pasts and histories. And we should respect every single one of them because of it.”

“That’s… rather sweet.”

“It’s the truth,” Gunner said, shrugging.

Gunner caught her eyes shift to his lips and back up to his eyes. It was subtle, but it made him want to shout. But he knew if he let himself get too excited, she would hear the change in his heartbeat. He needed to keep his cool. It proved to be more difficult as her pupils betrayed her, widening every time they focused on him.

Justice set her glass on the nearby table before jumping up to her feet. She smiled as she placed her fists on her hips. “Just who are you?”

Gunner burst into laughter. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re the full package. It’s obvious you’re extremely wealthy. You’re handsome in a grizzled but sophisticated kind of way. You’re an amazing cook. It’s clear by your fashion sense and paintings that you’re multi-talented. And you’ve got pictures of you with the president right there. Everyone in the country should know who you are, but before I asked the mayor in passing about that stupid toy, I’d never heard of you.”

“Did you just call me handsome?” Gunner asked, chuckled.

“Oh, get over that,” Justice said, waving her hand.

“I’m sure there are hundreds of men across the world that are as equally handsome as successful as I.”

“No… but this is different. You and I are a part of the same circles. I feel like I should know about you, but I don’t.”

“Well, the mayor is the one who referred you to me. What did he say?”

“He said you were a businessman who could get things for people.”

“And what did your research tell you?”

The smile from Justice’s face faded, and she clammed up.

Gunner continued to press. “Don’t be shy. I know you at least ran a background check on me before you even made the phone call. I do the same thing when I’m bringing on a new client.”

Justice crossed her arms as she looked down at him. “It came back clean. No criminal history or priors. But it reads almost like it’s too clean. Like it has been scrubbed. I didn’t even realize you owned this building before today. I should have at least been able to find real estate records tied back to you.”

Gunner sighed. “Unfortunately, not when the country currently sees companies as people. I funnel everything through private corporations owned by a web of trusts that I manage. No pun intended.”

“Why?”

“Because I value my privacy. Any visibility I may have hinders progress. I’d much rather have the ability to manage my affairs as I see fit while enjoying the fruits of my labor. That’s the exact reason I only do business with people I choose to. I have select clients I work with, and if I don’t like to do business with them, then I don’t. Does that make sense?”

“I guess so.”

“You’re completely valid in your own suspicions, Justice,” Gunner said, setting his glass down. “One thing to know about me is that I’m not a liar. If you would like to ask me a question, feel free to do so. However, I’m always honest with my friends whether or not they want to hear it.”

“So, if I ask you anything right now, anything at all, you’ll answer it?”

Gunner looked her dead in the eyes and boldly said, “Yes.”

Justice twisted her lips, looking about the room as she thought about what she wanted to ask him. He knew there were things she was considering that would cause her to fly out the door and to never come back, and he knew he would answer them truthfully if she asked. However, part of him believed she didn’t want to. There was bliss in ignorance. He hoped she decided on the latter.

“Are you married?” she asked.

Gunner smiled, realizing she chose bliss. “I would be a pretty shit husband cooking for a wonderful woman such as you at such a late hour, would I not?”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“Sorry. No, I’m not married, nor have I been.”

“Do you have kids?”

“Not biologically, but I do donate my time and money to Sister Helena’s orphanage regularly. So, I like to joke that I have dozens.”

Justice smiled and sat back down on the couch. “Do you live alone?”

“Did you notice something, perhaps?”

“Perhaps.”

“No, I don’t live alone,” Gunner said, before pointing down the hallway. “Down that hall are my office, a bathroom, spare closets, and my roommate’s room.”

“You have a roommate?”

“Yeah, is that weird?”

“I—no… just unexpected.”

“She’s my assistant, bodyguard, and best friend.”

“And you two aren’t… you know?” Justice pointed her index finger and made a thrusting motion into the hole she made with her other finger and thumb. When Gunner burst into laughter, she giggled and continued. “What… I’m not judging. It would actually make a lot of sense.”

“No… we’re not sleeping together. We’ve been friends for years. She’s like an overprotective sister.”

“Ah, so is she shooing them away?”

Gunner leaned back and furrowed his brow. “No… at least I don’t think so.”

“Then why are you single?”

“Why are you?”

“This isn’t a question about me,” Justice said with a smug grin. “I’m asking you, and you said you’d answer.”

Gunner held up his hand and laughed. “All right, fair enough. I guess it’s because I’m a workaholic who doesn’t want to settle. Now that’s not to say I don’t like to have fun. I’m not a prude. I just find it hard to trust people and let them get close.”

“So, you’ve never had a long-term relationship then?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Gunner said, chuckling. “I’ve had on and off flings that have lasted years. But there’s only been one that I would constitute as an actual relationship. But it was… complicated. She started off as a mentor, but we developed feelings for each other. We were committed, but our professions left us with a lot of time apart. If she and I were in the same city on business, we would hook up, that sort of thing.”

“Did you two break up?”

“We separated. That was… years ago.”

A nefarious look appeared on Justice’s face. “This woman you speak of, would I know her?”

“Actually, yes.”

“May I know who it is?”

Gunner gave a fake smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I would prefer it if you didn’t.”

“Aw, come on. Oh, what if I guess who it is, then would you tell me?”

Gunner scratched his chin and thought about it for a moment. He would have rather kept that information private, but he didn’t want to upset Justice and didn’t think she’d drop it.

If she judges me for this, then so be it, Gunner thought. “Okay, but if I let you guess, then there’s going to be stipulations.”

Justice sat up on her feet. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“You can only ask yes or no questions, but I’ll add clarity to where it makes sense. And you only have one guess. If you get it wrong, then the game is done.”

Justice clapped her hands together and rotated her shoulders. “I’m so ready for this.”

Gunner smiled. “Proceed whenever.”

“So you already said I would know her… so is she famous?”

“Yes, but a different kind of fame.”

Justice leaned back, wide-eyed. “What does that mean?”

“Yes or no only,” Gunner said, holding up a finger.

“Oh shit, right.” The two shared a laugh before she looked in the air, tapping her finger to her cheek. “Is she a musician?”

“No.”

“Is she an artist?”

“No, but she has been adamant that she creates works of art.”

Justice frowned. “That… I don’t even understand. How do you create works of art but not be an artist?”

Gunner smiled and shrugged.

“Is she a politician?”

“No.”

Justice gasped. “Is she a super?”

“Yes,” Gunner said, laughing.

“Oh god, I don’t know if I should keep asking, but I’m going to keep asking.” Justice picked up her wineglass and downed the rest before she continued. “Are you familiar with the Open Supers Database leaderboard?”

“The OSDB? Yeah, I am. It’s where they stack rank the supers based on their accomplishments. Then they have the threat level where they rank them based on their perceived power.”

“Exactly! it’s all bullshit, but I’m going to guess her rank. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine.” This is where she’s going to realize it, Gunner thought.

“Is she a D?”

“No.

“Is she a C or B?”

“No.”

“A?”

“No.”

Justice’s mouth fell open as she rambled. “Oh, my god. She’s an S? There’s only ten of us that are an S-class and only two other females on the list. It can’t be Divinity. She’s got her own cult-like harem thing going on and you just don’t fit that type. So that would leave Venomiss.”

“Is that your final guess?”

Justice nodded enthusiastically.

Gunner shook his head no. “Nope, that’s not it.”

With a wrinkled nose and curled lip, Justice cocked her head. “Wait, what?”

“It’s not her.”

“But that’s not possible. You said she was a super. She was in S-class. And there are only two other possibilities.”

“I never said she was in S-class. You rambled and made an assumption.”

“But if she’s not in those classes, then that would mean—”

As the realization entered Justice’s mind, the front door clicked, spun, and opened. Flux walked in wearing a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and carrying several takeout bags. When she saw the pair, she dropped the food all over the floor. Her darting eyes settled on Justice into a harsh squint.

Gunner nervously laughed and hurried around the couch to help pick up the spilled Chinese food. “Hey Flux, welcome home.”

“What’s she doing here?” Flux asked with a hint of disdain in her voice.

Justice stood from the couch and waved. “Oh, um, hi, I’m—”

“I know who you are. What are you doing here?”

“Flux, don’t be rude,” Gunner said, picking up the bags before setting them on the counter. “I told you I was having a meeting. Flux, this is Justice. Justice, this is Flux.”

His roommate ignored the introduction. Her dagger-like eyes did not leave Justice’s gaze. “She was supposed to be here to pick up a doll several hours ago. What is she still doing here?”

“She stayed as my guest, and I made dinner. We had a bottle of wine, and we were having a delightful conversation.”

Flux looked up at Gunner. “You never bring people home.”

“Yes, well, this was an exception.”

Justice, picking up on the awkwardness of the conversation, leaned over and waved after zipping up her boots. “Hi, um, I think I’m going to go.”

“You don’t need to,” Gunner said.

Justice floated over the couch and landed in front of the kitchen counter. She clipped on her pauldron and cloak before picking up the stuffed animal. “Yeah, it’s late, and I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

Not wanting to sound desperate, Gunner nodded and extended a hand to the back door. “Very well. Would you like me to walk you out?”

“Um sure.”

Gunner walked her out onto the patio before pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m sorry about Flux. She’s normally not like that.”

“Are you sure you’re not sleeping together?”

“Yes,” Gunner said, laughing. “I promise.”

“Okay, because the times women usually react like that towards me is when they’re jealous.”

Gunner jerked his head back. “Jealous? Of what?”

“There might be more there than you realize?”

“With Flux?” Gunner asked before looking back. His assistant hadn’t moved from the position he last saw her in, her deadly glare still locked on Justice. He turned back around and waved it off. “No way. Like I said, we’ve known each other since forever.”

Justice shrugged and smiled. “I don’t know. You should talk to her about it.”

“All right, I’ll do that.”

Justice looked up at Gunner, doing a poor job of hiding her grin. “You’re a mysterious guy, Mr. Webb. Thank you for a wonderful evening. As much as I hate to admit it, I needed it.”

“Call me Gunner, please.”

“Okay, Gunner. Then you may call me Justine.”

Gunner smiled and nodded as Justice ascended into the air.

Before she floated too high, Gunner shouted up at her. “Would it be too forward of me to ask if we could do this again? Maybe I could cook another dish for you?”

“Maybe I’d like that, and maybe I’ll call you.”

“Then I shall wait.”

“Have a good night, Gunner.”

“You as well, Justine.”

Justice wrapped her arms around the toy and bolted above the clouds. Gunner held the smile until he turned around to see Flux’s piercing glare now directed at him. He slowly opened the door and marched over to her, stopping in front of the spilt fried rice on the floor.

“What was that about?” Gunner asked, pointing out the window.

“What?” Flux asked.

“Don’t what me. You know what.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Why were you so rude to her?”

“I wasn’t rude. I just asked why she was here.”

“Oh, you most certainly were rude to her about it. When she tried to introduce herself, you completely cut her off. Then you stared at her like she killed one of your alley cats.”

“I don’t like her.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t. She’s too Ms. Perfect.”

“Where are you getting this? A tabloid?”

“I don’t want unexpected visitors coming to the house.”

“What—” Gunner paused and pinched his brow. “Flux. I love you, but you are really stretching my patience. First off, this is my house, not yours. Second, she wasn’t unexpected. I told you she was going to be here. And third, I will have as many guests as I see fit. Do you understand?”

Flux gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. For a moment, Gunner thought she was going to strike him. Instead, she exploded in her slimy form, soaking him in her viscous sludge. When he turned around, he watched the end of her puddle slither into her room and slam her door.

All Gunner could do was laugh and shake his head. He cleaned up the food off the floor, salvaging what hadn’t spilt in the bag. He realized she’d gone to Xi’an’s Palace, their favorite Chinese restaurant.

It must have taken her an hour just to get it, Gunner thought. That stuff Justine said… can’t be true, right?

Gunner walked in his squeaky shoes down the hall and knocked on Flux’s door. “Hey, it’s me. I… uh… I just wanted to apologize for yelling.” When she didn’t answer, he leaned his head on the door frame. “I saw you went to Chinatown and got our favorite. If I’d known you were doing that, I would have cut things short. If you’re still up for it, after I shower, maybe we could eat together and watch Robot Warriors?”

When Flux opened the door, she was in her semi-translucent form. It was the one form she held only when she was at home, and very few people had seen. Her eyes and voice were soft and warm. “Can we watch Flubber instead?”

Gunner snorted and nodded. “Of course we can.”

“I’m sorry for goopin’ you.”

“It’s okay. I deserved it. I shouldn’t have yelled. But—is there anything you want to tell me?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Like why don’t you like Justice?”

“I just don’t like her, okay?” Flux snapped.

“Okay, okay,” Gunner said, raising his hands. “We don’t have to talk about it. Let me just go get a shower and we can the movie and eat Chinese. Does that sound good?”

Flux smiled and nodded. Gunner tapped on the door frame before shuffling into his bathroom. He walked across the emerald green tile and stared at himself in the backlit mirror. After letting out a heavy sigh, he stared into his eyes.

Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.