The Entertainment Room

"Destroyed mentally?" Ursa asked for clarification. She didn't understand.

Cobra felt a shiver go down her spine, and scales blossumed accross her back. She swallowed and forced them away.

Mal sighed. "Things that I can't explain happen. Heroes are shunned. It's like kids on the playground, how, if someone is different, they're teased and bullied. Except, it's worse. We couldn't take it. Basically, we're in hiding. In the open..."

Ursa pursed her lips and frowned. She didn't need for Mal to finish her sentence, she could imagine well enough.

Both girls were silent, lost in their thoughts. Then Cobra spoke. "And you're trying to stop that from happening?"

Mal nodded. "I'm sure that Lynnie has different motives, but we're still persecuted."

"Lynnie's movtives are different?" Ursa asked. She didn't like not knowing things, but the future had never concerned her. She'd been sure that no one could know what would happen.

Cobra didn't say anything, continuing her hat. She pricked her finger with the needle but didn't notice.

"Lyn wants her mother back..." Mal said. "You guys can't say a word about this... My mom basically was the only woman in Lyn and Jamie's life. Lyn resents her for it."

Ursa nodded. She got it. "My lips are sealed."

Cobra nodded, locking her lips and throwing away the imaginary key.

Mal nodded. "Good. She's a sweetheart and my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without my Pickett Twins."

Never having met the either of the Pickett Twins, neither girl could think of a response.

A silence fell over them, until...

"Do we have rooms?" Cobra asked.

"Lynda and Jamie," Mal said, to clear everything up for them. "Yeah. All you have to do is find an empty room and put your palm on the palm scanner. It'll will only let people you want and give the scanner the information."

Ursa nodded. "Palm scanners. Would have been useful for my little brother."

Cobra stood. "I'm going down to the kitchen," she said, then left.

Ursa turned to Mal. "She's always prided herself on not being the type of girl who needs five companions just to go to the bathroom or something."

Mal grinned. "I totally understand that... Normally Lynda and I abandon Jamie and go our separate ways. Palm scanners at my house would be useful for my little sister."

Ursa brightened. "You have a little sister? Oh, that's so cute! I always wanted a little sister and a big brother, but I have a little brother and a big sister instead." Ursa pouted.

Mari grinned. "She's an annoying brat, but she's my lil' sis. I'm stuck with her. My dad isn't a Super, so all powers are from my mom's side. Trust me, you don't want a little sister."

"Well, you would know and I wouldn't," Ursa acknowledged. "I did not get my powers from either parent. We think there's something in the drinking water." It sounded like a joke but it wasn't.

Mal nodded. "I see... Makes sense. Mom thinks her and Uncle Jon's powers were sedentary and just triggered by the chemicals."

"Well, we think the powers aren't sedentary, the drinking water, it comes from a creek, is just wack. Rose got her powers from falling in that creek," Ursa said.

"That makes sense. Anyone else you know about with powers?" Mal asked.

That was when Jamie entered the room.

"Hey Mal, have you seen Lyn?" Jamie asked but that was before he noticed there was someone else there.

"Oh Hello." Jamie smiled. "New hero? I'm Jamie Picket."

Mal smiled. "No, I haven't. What a coincidence, we were just talking about you." She turned to Ursa. "Jamie's my boyfriend."

"Have you now?" Jamie said raising his brow. "It's good that I walked by then. Where you saying good things or bad things about me? Actually don't answer that."

He turned to Ursa, "Was she saying good things or bad things about me?"

Mal rolled her eyes, and said, "Hey!" but didn't do anything else.

Ursa put on her best innocent face. "Oh, all good things! Surely nothing bad can be said about you." Ursa was proud. She said it with a straight face, her wide-eyed, innocent look managing to stay in place.

Then she turned back to Mal. "About the powers, the only people I know with them besides myself and Rose are my brother and sister. My parents seem to be unaffected."

Jamie burst out laughing, "That was pretty good."

"Well if you'd like to get some dirt on me, my sister would only be too glad to do so." He went over and hugged his girlfriend.

Jamie nodded at Ursa's remark about her powerless parents. Powers were a fickled thing sometimes.

Ursa grinned. "I'll remember that."