The Next Generation

[Lady Jenn]

"You be careful out there," Lucas said, letting out a sigh. "Something goes wrong you call us, IMMEDIATELY."

[Lawshenk]

" your on my speed dial " she joked and headed in to town

[Lady Jenn]

"This feels like a girl's road trip," Nicole said as her and Katya followed her. "I couldn't even do this when I was a kid, I'm surprised dad was okay with this."

[Lawshenk]

Gerri looked,ed at them " it's work not a road trip "

[Lady Jenn]

"Let her think that," Katya said quietly to Geri. "Let's be honest here, I'm feeling a little bit worried about this too, it's not just her."

[Lawshenk]

" you should be " she looked at her " dressing in costume big mistake"

[Lady Jenn]

"The last time I trusted my identity with a suspected supervillain I..." she paused, removing her helmet to reveal that her left eye was permanently closed, a cut running over it, before replacing the helmet. "I use my illusion skills to hide it, plus I have cybernetic enhancements to avoid any major ill-effects but...every once in a while you can tell my vision is a bit faulty."

[Lawshenk]

" I am the senior of the team " she reminded them " some might call me it's leader, all I want is trust we go near inferno in costume and hiding things from him " she sighed " this whole mission is suicidal, but him seeing powers is worse"

[Lady Jenn]

"Have you considered Katya may not have told you everything?" Nicole asked Geri quietly when Katya didn't respond. "I tried to read her mind earlier, she has psychic defences but they seem to be concentrated around...one memory in particular. I don't think her unwillingness to remove the armour is simply stubbornness, otherwise she wouldn't have been so willing to remove it when we were back in the forest. All I'm suggesting is you don't automatically think the worst of her."

[Lawshenk]

" I am trying to do my job,  I am a team leader I am trying to lead, inferno won't respond to us in costume any off us" she sighed " he faked his own death to quit the powered community " she smiled " I should have learnt from him "

[Lady Jenn]

"Then I'll leave you two to is," Katya said, turning around and heading away from them.

"Kat, wai-" Nicole said, before letting out a gasp as she caught sight of something on the back of Katya's head. "Crap Geri, she's got burn scars...barely healed burn scars."

[Lawshenk]

" I can see that " Gerri caught her up " may I ask what's up bunny"

[Lady Jenn]

"I've met Inferno before," Katya replied. "Or...at least...someone with very similar powers. I was led to believe he could help me locate the once who killed my partner but...it was a trap. I escaped but..." she moved her armour on her right arm back far enough to reveal horrible scarring. "They said it'll never heal because this wasn't natural fire, whoever did this created the fire himself."

[Lawshenk]

She shook her head " darling " she hugged her " that wasn't inferno I am sure"

[Lady Jenn]

"I want to believe you but..." she said, looking away and trying to hide how upset she was. "I can't risk it, if it means I leave you and Nicole to meet him alone so be it, but I can't face him in civilian clothing."

[Lawshenk]

" I need you to meet him" she paused and got out of Nicole's ear shot " he is my only family left"

[Lady Jenn]

"I can't show my true appearance," Katya said. "I don't just wear this armour to protect my identity, but also because I...don't feel like myself in my normal appearance. It barely looks like me. The version you've seen is myself as I wish I still looked."

[Lawshenk]

" I want my brother to meet my lover" she smiled at him

[Lady Jenn]

"I can't," she said, more anger in her voice than she intended, fire forming around her fingers before she calmed down. "Please...don't ask me to."

"Oh my god," Nicole said, appearing suddenly nearby. "I...I'm sorry for intruding, but for a moment I saw what she was trying to hide. Whoever...whatever did that to her...it didn't just hurt her, she was effectively dead for several weeks."

"I went somewhere I've spent two decades doing everything to try and forget," Katya said grimly. "I wasn't the same person when I came back."

[Lawshenk]

Gerri hugged her " you where that then "

[Lady Jenn]

"Shall we get going?" Nicole asked as Katya put her helmet back on. "We may not be on a timer, but the others are."

[Lawshenk]

" we need a 4 by 4"

[Lady Jenn]

"Do you want me to see if I can sweet talk us one?" Nicole asked. "I can be quite...persuasive when I want to be."

[Lawshenk]

" ok one thing before you go from now in no powers "

[Lady Jenn]

"I can't exactly switch my telepathy off sometimes," Nicole said with an embarrassed laugh. "Much as I wish I could, but I should be able to keep everything else under control."

"I'll do as you ask," Katya said.