The Big Bathtub (IC)

[Electra]

"I'm still building it," she told him, "but I love it here. It's a place to relax, and to practice. There's only so much I can do in my apartment in Freedom City without everyone noticing. Here I have a whole world to practice on." She poured the hot water over teabags in a couple of pale blue mugs, then carried them to the table, along with a bottle of powdered creamer. "Here you go." She took a seat herself, unbuttoning her cowl and shrugging it off to hang over the back of her chair.

"As for the superhero stuff, all I can say is that it's surprisingly easy to get used to," she told him with a chuckle. "I was terrified during my first couple of months, trying to find my feet and control my powers. But it's sort of a learned skill. You get better at assessing situations, and you make friends with other heroes, and it helps a lot. In another year, you'll probably look back and be surprised at how far you've come. How long have you had powers?"

[Supercape]

Quentin sipped the tea. Despite the milk, it was good.

"About a year. Well, in embryonic form anyway. That's when I first developed my theories. And boom, I changed the quantum state of a hydrogen atom. Hardly powerful."

He took another sip. It tasted better. But then, he was feeling better than he had in ages. He wondered if Stella would rent an apartment here.

"With time, however, I got better. I don't really create energy. I just release it, or modify it. Its quantum entanglement. So, with a bit of the old EMC squared....let there be light!"

He looked to the horizon and furrowed his brow. Outside the, well, building, was a flash of light. As it came through the thin translucent leaves that passed as windows, the room was lit up bright green for a moment.

He smiled. "That should encourage a bit of photosynthesis, eh?" He chuckled.

"And you. What's your story?"

[Electra]

"It's been almost two years for me now," she told him, after raising an impressed eyebrow over the flash of light. "I got mine in kind of a fluke occurrence. I was watching one of those hundred-year blooms, the sort that only open once every generation or two, and when it opened, it spat pollen all over me. I passed out, and when I woke up, I had these strange powers over plants. I took a few months to learn how to use them, and then I moved to Freedom City to be a superhero." She grinned. "It seemed like the best place to go. Are you planning to keep teaching, now that you've taken up the heroic mantle?"

[Supercape]

"Yes, it's what I do, Stesha. I don't really want to be a superhero. I am scientist. A lecturer. I like the comfortable academic life. I would rather it was back in Cambridge but they kicked me out. Freedom is pretty good too."

He sighed.

"I don't really want to be a superhero, Stesha. I don't like crowds, I don't like attention. I'm not in it for the glory, and I'm not an adrenaline junky. I'm not even particularly brave."

"What I am, however, is honourable. What I have, is morals. If I can do what I can do, then I have to do it right. I could save lives. I could potentially save a lot of lives. And if that means being a superhero, then I'm jolly well going to be a superhero. "

"So I made this costume, from unstable molecular lattices, you see... I can change it how I wish. And here I am. Hiding behind an enormous cape. "

He sighed. "Don't get me wrong. When push comes to shove, I'll be there. But I don't want to give up my life, that's all."

"And you, do you plan on studying? having a normal life?"

[Electra]

"I do have a normal life," Stesha told him, her face showing her sympathy for his plight. "And you're right, sometimes it's very hard to do both. I work in a florist shop, which is something I love and wouldn't want to give up, even if I didn't need the money. I have a fiance I'm going to marry this fall. He's another hero, and I never would've met him if I hadn't started doing hero work, so that's a big bonus right there." She smiled, absently twisting the distinctive green-centered diamond ring on her finger. "It can take some time to find your balance, but eventually, if you're lucky, it starts to feel like the heroing is part of your life, and not some crazy double life. Do you know any other superheroes?"

[Supercape]

"Colt showed me the ropes. I'm pretty new to this stuff, but he gave me some good advice. Not that its a pretty picture. It's going to be vital to unwind, keep perspective. A man could crumble with the stress, I imagine. "

"But in general I'm the new fellow in town I guess. It's good to have a friend. Or two. "

He looked at Stesha hopefully.

[Electra]

She smiled at him. "I'm always happy to have coffee and talk shop," she told him. "And if you'd like, I'll introduce you to some other heroes in town. Colt is part of the Interceptors, I believe. I don't know them as well, but I know a lot of other heroes." She brightened. "What you should really do is come over for dinner and meet my fiance. His powers are really the reason I'm taking your course, to try and understand a little more about someone who can travel between galaxies and manipulate gravity. I'm afraid it's a little beyond my ken so far. Is there any night in the next couple of weeks that's good for you?"

[Supercape]

"Why, he sounds an interesting fellow! to travel between galaxies! I'll have to work on doing that! maybe he could teach me a trick or two!" Quentin was all animation and enthusiasm at the thought of discussing such things. The possibilities! The physics! The maths!

He coughed. He doubted Stesha was particularly interested in these things.

"Of course, I would be delighted. Any time is good for me really. I'm still settling in to Freedom so don't have many commitments. None that cant be cancelled anyway. I am at your disposal."

[Electra]

"Sounds perfect," Stesha told him enthusiastically. "I'll check with Derrick and get back to you on a night that's good for all of us. Of course, some disaster somewhere could always come up, but we'll cross our fingers." Smiling, she reached out and knocked against the half-concealed trunk of a young tree that made up part of the walls. "We both work on the Freedom League these days, so when one of us gets called out for something local, we both usually have to go," she explained. "Except for something like today, when they were calling on whoever was close by. It's lucky you and I were both near enough to respond."

[Supercape]

"Well I would be delighted, of course" replied Quentin, and delighted he was. He could feel his worries ebbing away ever since he met Stesha. To be honest, he had felt pretty isolated since he had arrived. He didn't really feel like a superhero, although, he admitted, he probably was one.

"Derrick, is he a student at the university? I don't want things to get complicated or difficult in that department. " Much as he would love the friendship and support, he still prized his cosy academic life. He didn't want all sorts of problems with the whole student / teacher thing. He had principles.

[Electra]

Stesha laughed. "Oh no, he's a teacher himself, among all the other things he does. Not at the university though, he teaches teenage superheroes. I'm only back at the university myself to pick up a few credits towards a master's degree that may or may not happen. You know how it is, you start out with one plan for your education, and then sometimes life gets in the way. But my dad is a college professor at Northwestern, and he's happy to hear I'm getting back into the classroom even part-time. And don't worry, we'll keep the whole fellow superheroes thing under our hats," she assured him. "In the classroom, it's just professor and student."

[Supercape]

"Thanks Stesha, appreciate it." murmured Quentin.

This Derrick chap sounded pretty interesting. Worth meeting him. And Stesha was clearly a bright girl too. Quentin was looking forward to a night off.

"Good for you continuing your education. I'm sure your uncle would be very proud. Very important, a good education. Never stop learning, that's my motto. Cogito ergo sum and all of that. " He smiled, thinking back to his own youth. "Got me where I am today, education. "

He paused slightly. "Not entirely sure that's a good thing from a purely personal perspective of course. Kicked out of Cambridge. Fighting off academic ridicule left right and centre. Blast that Liebniz. If only the fellow wasn't so damn clever!"

Realising he was rambling a bit, he turned back to Stesha. "Anyway, my dear, I digress. I was merely applauding your keen spirit in matters of learning. I just hope I this old codger", he winked, "won't be too boring for you young folk."

[Electra]

"I wouldn't worry about that," Stesha said brightly, "unless you're a lot older than you look, Derrick's older than you anyway. And you'll have lots to talk about." She checked her watch and sighed. "We'd really better be getting back to Prime, I have six bouquets to do for a wedding tomorrow and I promised I'd have them done this evening. It was very nice talking to you, and I'll get in touch soon about dinner, all right?"

[Supercape]

"I look forward to it." He took Stesha's hand and planted a gentlemanly kiss on it.

"I probably have to try and drum some basic calculus into some hung over frat boys this afternoon. I can't say I look forward to it, but it comes with the job."

He passed Stesha a small card with Quentin's contact details hastily scribbled on it.

"For you to call me, at your convenience."

"Now, back to Freedom. In name, if not in spirit." he winked. "How do we get back?... Open sesame?" he gesticulated in a comic fashion at a vivid looking plant.

[Electra]

Obligingly, Stesha looked toward the plant he'd been commanding, which grew a bright fuchsia flower that yawned wide open into a portal the size of a doorway. It led into a compact and pretty apartment that was full of plants in every available nook and cranny. "I can give you a ride back to the university too, if you like," she told him, following him through the portal. "My dimensional gateway opens to the corresponding spot on Prime, so we're in Midtown now."

[Supercape]

"Spendid. That would be splendid, dear lady", he replied, smiling generously at Stesha.

To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure he fancied another plant hitch hiking experience. It was pleasant enough, but it was all still a bit new and disorientating to him. Nice aroma, he conceded. Beats the smell of petrol.

"By 'ride', you mean the, er, conventional method of transportation do you? like a bicycle or internal combustion engine powered vehicle?"

[Electra]

"Mm, well, if that's what you want," she said a bit uncertainly. "I honestly don't know if my car will start, I haven't used it for a few months now. It's garaged a couple blocks away. I could just pop you back into your office and that might be easier?" she suggested hopefully. "Or if you like, you're welcome to change here and you can fly back, if that suits you better."

[Supercape]

The car didn't sound appealing. Well, to be frank, it didn't sound like it would even work if she hadn't used it for a month.

He could always fly back, but he didn't really fancy doing the hero thing unless, well, he was being a hero.

He could walk. But enough exercise for one day.

He toyed with the idea of hailing a cab, but he thought that would offend Stesha. It was a kindly offer. Flower Power it was then.

"Well, a trip to my office sounds bang on! saves all that bother with sneaking around changing costume!"

[Electra]

"Perfect!" Stesha said. "Ah, I hope you have a plant in your office..." She'd found plants to be near-ubiquitous office furniture for some reason, but she was glad he wasn't the one odd holdout. Taking his hand again, she sent them on one last quick trip through the green rush, and then they were popping out in his office. "I'm so glad we both happened to be called in today," she told him with a smile. "It would've been too bad if we'd gone all semester and never realized we were right there in class together. I'll give you a call tonight, probably, unless something comes up."

[Supercape]

"Thanks again, Stesha. I look forward to meeting Derrick. And yourself, of course. Who would have thought a bunch of drunken university students would actually end up brightening my day!"

He smiled warmly. He was getting more used to the plant thing. He always did like the smell of freshly cut grass.

He opened the door to his office for Stesha to let her out.

"'Till the next time!"