"This is it?" Camilla asked, as she Jam and Audrey stood outside of a small tailoring shop.

"This is it," Jam said walking through the door.

"Welcome to Roscoe's tailoring," a tall dark skinned older gentleman said from behind the counter.

{ Name: Roscoe Jenkins }

{ HP: 50/50 }

{ MP: 30/30 }

{ SP: 80/95 }

"Hey pop," Jam

"I'm sorry?" Roscoe asked, confusion evident.

Jam slowly slid his glasses off and lifted his eyes to meet the man's. The man's face contorted into one of anger and annoyance.

"You get out of my shop," he demanded.

"Come on pop, just give me a minute," Jam pleaded.

"No, me and your ma don't hear from you in five years and you decide to just come strolling in. Even worse, you get some gaudy new suit and I don't hear anything about it. I gotta watch you on the television, puffing your chest."

"It's not me pop," Jam argued.

"Bah," Roscoe dismissed throwing his hand up and walking through the door to the backroom.

"Pop?" Camilla asked, following Jam to the backdoor.

"When I first got to Arcturus, I started with nothing. Roscoe and his wife Anita took me in, they basically became like my parents. The best parents I'd ever had at least."

They entered the backroom and found Roscoe starting to tailor a blue suit.

"Come on Pop, I need your help. You know I wouldn't go years without talking to you guys, I swear it isn't me. You know I'd never choose a name like the Lunar King."

"Some of your boys came in shaking us down again. Threatened your ma."

"What? Is she ok?" Jam panicked.

"She's dead."

"I'll kill them."

"Who's dead?" An older woman in a wheelchair asked entering the room, typing on her laptop. She scanned the room and her eyes laid on Jam. "Jam?"

"Hey ma," Jam smiled, his heart slowing back down.

"Don't you hey ma me, I don't see you in five years and you think you can just come strolling back in here?" she complained.

"Ma, it wasn't me. I swear. I just got back a couple months ago. The Lunar King is an imposter."

"A couple of months and you can't come visit your ma? Or pick up the phone?" she chastised him.

"I'm sorry ma. I was kind of on lockdown, I wanted to make sure it was safe before I reached out to you."

"Excuses. Come give me a hug boy," she said spreading her arms wide.

Jam slid into her arms and they hugged each other tight, "I missed you ma."

"I missed you too baby, so what do you need?"

"I'm here to see you?"

"You're sweet, but why are you really here?"

Jam chuckled, "I need a new suit."

Roscoe laughed sardonically, "of course he does; don't see him in years and the first thing he comes here for is a new suit. I swear, kids these days."

"Come on pop, you were just complaining about me getting a suit somewhere else. I'm finally getting a new suit and I come to you first. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Of course not."

"Hush up Roscoe, you know you've been complaining about him not coming to you for a suit whenever we saw that Lunar King character on TV."

Roscoe grumbled under his breath, "so what are we doing, Apex volume 2?"

"I'm not a villain anymore Pop, we're going to be doing something a little different this time,"

"I'll grab my computer," Anita said wheeling herself back before she noticed Camilla. "Oh I'm sorry dear, I didn't even see you there. You're so quiet, Jam don't be rude, introduce your guest."

"Sorry Ma, this is Camilla. Camilla, this is Roscoe and Anita Jenkins." Whack! Audrey's orb popped against the back of Jam's head. "Damn, ow. Sorry Ma. This little bundle of annoying is Audrey."

"Nice to meet you mam. Sir," Audrey regarded them.

"Camilla needs a new suit as well ma. She is going to be my partner."

"Ooh, partner huh. You bringing your new girl home to meet your ma?" Anita nudged Jam conspiratorially.

Jam laughed, "it's not like that ma."

"Well, at least your other girl still comes to visit," Roscoe commented while sketching out a design.

"Rose & Thorn come here?" Jam asked.

"Every few weeks yeah."

"That Thorn sure can eat. If she didn't bring groceries with her we might have to think about cancelling her open invitation," Anita deadpanned.

"Do you know where she is?"

"Last she told me, she was at that club of yours."

"That's what I thought. Thanks Ma."

"Be careful though, Thorn seems kind of different. A lot angrier than usual, and with her that's saying something."

"I'll be careful."

"Hey, boy, how about this?" Roscoe said showing him his sketch.

"Perfect, how long?"

"My part, about a week. Neet?"

"Full work up? I'd say a few days solo and another half day after he's done," Anita answered.

"Sweet, can I help?"

"You can make me some food but that's about it."

"Alright, is my room still free?"

"It is."

Jam headed downstairs and Camilla was left alone with the Jenkins.

"So you'd like a suit as well huh?" Anita asked her.

"Yes mam," she answered.

"Please, call me Anita. Any idea what kind of design you want?"

"Could I see the design you made for Jam sir?" Camilla asked Roscoe.

"Roscoe, and here you go," he answered handing his sketchbook to her.

"Wow, very nice. Ok, well if I want a companion suit to this one then. . " she started. "Could I use another page?"

"Go for it."

Camilla flipped the page and started sketching out a design. After she finished, she handed it over to Roscoe.

"Yeah, that works. I think I can do it. Babe?" He said handing it over to Anita.

"Yeah, ok. I'll start figuring it out now," she answered.

"Thank you."

"You hungry dear? I've got lunch on the stove if you are." Anita wheeled herself into the kitchen with Camilla following behind her.

"I actually haven't eaten today now that I think about it. I'd love some food Mrs. Jenkins."

"Anita," she said pressing a button on a terminal that was shaped like a bowl.

"Right, sorry, Anita."

A metal arm opened the cabinet and grabbed a bowl placing it on the counter.

"Pretty amazing, does it detect the bowl or does it go for a particular shelf?" Camilla asked.

"Thanks, I made it myself. It goes for a particular shelf when it is taking stuff down but it can detect the bowl as well. It has to when I have it put the dishes away," Anita answered pride evident in her voice.

"You made it yourself? That's pretty fantastic."

"Thanks, I'm good with tech."

"Is that what you do here?"

"I handle the website and online business. Most suits don't need a computer system in them like yours does."

The two sat in companionable silence drinking tea and eating. Jam was in his room downstairs in his room opening his safe.

"God, I always forget the combination to this thing," Jam complained.

"Have you tried your birthday?" Audrey asked.

"I'm not 60 I wouldn't use my birthday."

"But did you try it?"

"Of course I did."

"Why didn't you get a thumb print reader?"

"We live in a world where people fly and shoot lazer beams out of their eyes. You don't think someone could morph into me and use my thumbprint?"

"There's also people with super strength who could just rip the door off that is probably more common."

"Good point."

He groaned in annoyance and then pressed 1-2-3-4. The safe popped open.

"Wow, I was an idiot."

"Or you realized no one actually knew you lived here and wouldn't bother trying to break into your safe."

"2 and 0," he conceded.

Inside the safe was the deed to his a number of his businesses and 10,000 delrens. He touched the money and it got encased in light and disappeared.

{ Received: 10,000 delrens }

What the hell?

"Where did my money go?"

"Into your available cash."

"But I can't use that."

"You just have to summon it. Or I have a card you can use for charges."

"I don't really remember how much money is now. I barely used small bill delrens as Apex. Only major orders for hundreds of thousands," Jam thought for a second then contacted Camilla. "Hey Cam, you have an apartment right?"

Camilla jumped in surprise of the random message in her mind, the spoon halfway to her mouth clattering onto the table. She groaned in annoyance of the mess she had just made of the stew she had been enjoying. Anita's brow furrowed as she looked up from her computer, Camilla nodded apologetically as she grabbed some napkins to clean up and Anita went back to her work.

"Yes I have an apartment," she angrily sent back.

"How much do you pay for rent?"

"About 800 delrens. I'm a few miles away from the HoD and downtown Central Empire so that's why it's so pricy."

"So, that's like a Manhattan apartment?"

"I guess you could compare the two. like 2,000 dollars."

"That's like 2.5 dollars for every Delren."

"Yeah pretty much."

"Holy crap, am I rich?" he exclaimed aloud.

Inventory

{ Inventory:

1 Power Nullifier

Cash Available: 19000 delrens }

"Hmm. Well relatively rich. That's almost 48,000 dollars. Nothing to sneeze at; always need more though."

"Greed isn't great for your heroic visage."

"Yeah well, I'm not going to be a hero in a homeless shelter. Especially if this money isn't getting taken from anyone," he paused. "It's not right?"

"It is not."

After finishing her food and cleaning the dishes, despite Anita's protests, Camilla found Jam downstairs in a small training room meditating in the seiza position. She sat cross legged in front of him, calmly and quietly. His eyes opened slowly to see her looking back at him and they shared a smile between them.

"Sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to ignore you up there. I tend to get caught up in the familial vibe when I'm around them."

"It's all good. This room is pretty cool, weird to find under a tailoring shop though."

"It was a storage room before Pop let me take it over."

Camilla shook her head as if she were trying to shake something off.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, just this weird uncomfortable feeling I got when I came in here."

"Hmm," Jam moved his hands away from each other and Camilla seemed to shake off whatever was bothering her. "Better?"

"Much. Were you doing something?"

"I was releasing mana. With me being depowered I can't use any spells either," he held his hand out and casted air shot but nothing happened. "I can still use my mana though so I was practicing my mana manipulation. It increases my wisdom which helps with mana regeneration."

"Ah ok."

"Weird though, Voodoo Priestess said that no one who doesn't have mana pathways can feel mana that is being released." Audrey stated.

"That's true, have you ever felt mana before?"

"No, this would be the first."

"Let's try it again," Jam suggested placing his hands in front of his stomach as if he were holding a basketball. A general sense of discomfort washed over Camilla and her face scrunched.

"Yeah, I feel it. It feels strange and erratic. Can you stop? It's giving me a headache."

Jam relaxed his mana, "yeah, you are feeling my mana. Any explanations Audrey?"

"She does appear to have an MP bar now, though she only has 5 MP which is strangely low given her level and skill. My guess is that as your sidekick she is developing support abilities that match her role. Since you are a magic user with no established powerset, she may be developing magical abilities that work alongside your own."

"So will her MP need to level up?"

"No, I don't think so. I think her body is still fluctuating to her current role. She may need to speak to Voodoo Priestess to determine her magic type. The 5 MP may just be a place holder until her magic is determined."

"Sweet. If you want, you can head back to the HoD and see is Voodoo is busy. Like Pop said, it'll be at least a week before our suits are done."

"Or. . ." Camilla started with a devious grin on her face.

"Or what?" Jam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sparring match!"

Jam threw his head back and groaned, "I don't even have any powers."

"Exactly. This will be good practice for us. You haven't chosen a permanent power yet and your MP is limited. We need to always be ready in every situation."

"You just really want to hit me when I'm powerless, you jerk" Jam deadpanned hopping up onto his feet and back flipping away.

"That sounds fun as well, besides you have your heal skill," Camilla retorted rolling back into a back flip of her own.

Jam cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders before taking up a fighting stance. Camilla hopped from foot to foot loosening her body before she took up her own position.

Ok, scan her. Her posture says she is relying mainly on kicks. She doesn't have any tools or gear but she does still have powers. She won't use energy projection, but her enhanced senses are going to be an issue and danger sense.

The two slowly moved around each other, measuring. Jam decided the best thing to do was to close the distance quick and attempt to overwhelm her danger sense. Before he could attempt it, Camilla closed the distance and sent a roundhouse kick to his head that he blocked with his forearms. It sent him sliding back some and his arms went numb temporarily dropping to his side as he jumped away to put distance between them.

Shit, she hits like a freight train, I'll have to dodge.

He shook his arms out, the feeling returning just in time for him to slip out of the way of another big kick. She chased him and he had to dodge out of the way of a flurry of kick before he managed to hit the back of her knee on her back leg which sent her crumpling to the ground. He jumped toward her to capitalize on it but she rolled and kicked his leg from under him. He fell forward onto her and she attempted to lock in a submission hold but he headbutt her to escape. They both stood, Camilla’s broken nose from the headbutt slowly fixing itself from her minor restoration power.

“Playing rough huh?” she asked, a bloody grin on her face.

“Just the way you like it,” he answered.

[ Skill Learned: Seduce Lvl 1 ]

[ Skill Type: Active & Passive ]

God , I hate this game.

The two continued to battle it out, Jam doing his best to dodge when he could. Every hit he took felt like he was being hit with a metal bat. Jam couldn’t let his guard down even for a second as Camilla chased him. By the end they both were laid on their backs on the ground panting.

[ Skill Used: Heal Lvl 28 – Successful ]

“You know, when I get my powers back. I’m kicking your ass,” Jam joked.

“You can try,” Camilla chuckled.

Over the next week and a half the two proceeded to train, even after Jam got his powers back to attempt to even the score.

“Hey Jam!” Anita called from the top of the steps.

Jam released the arm bar he currently held on Camilla and blinked over to the steps, “yea ma?”

“They’re ready!”

“Cam, the suits are ready!” Jam told her excitedly.

The pair trekked up the stairs and into the display room. In the room were two tarp covered objects and Roscoe was standing near them a large smile on his face.

“Are you ready kids?” he asked them.

“Aye aye captain.” Jam and Camilla quipped nearly in unison.

Roscoe’s eyebrows just furrowed in confusion.

“Sorry Pop, we’re ready.” Jam apologized.

“Alright, here we go. Girly, you first.” Roscoe pulled the tarp off and revealed her new suit.

It looked close to her Kid Mighty suit except it had a fire theme, a mostly white costume with red orange flames on the gauntlets and knee length combat boots, a fiery utility belt and a flaming cowl. The bottom of the cape was jagged and flowed like living fire.

“It’s perfect!” she exclaimed.

“I like it,” Jam agreed. “Did you choose a name?”

“Yeah, I had to work off the name you were going with so I chose ‘Skyfire’, feel like it rolls off the tongue.”

“It works, I dig it.”

“Alright boy, your turn.” Roscoe said pulling the tarp.

It was a black and blue costume, the cowl shaped like a bird’s head. The costume was so dark it could barely be seen.

“That’s pretty damn sweet Pop.”

“The color is a new fabric I’ve been working with, it’s the darkest black possible. It actually absorbs 70% of all light shone on it so the appearance never changes.”

“It’s almost as dark as your soul Jam,” Audrey quipped.

“I know right?” he agreed.

“And check this out,” Roscoe told him as he pressed a button in the glove. Blue flames began to dance across the black fabric dancing like an actual flame. The eyes burned bright blue and the edges of the cape seemed to ignite with blue flames as well.

“Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about,” Jam nearly salivated over the costume.

“You both have night vision and infrared in your cowls along with com devices like your desticom you told me about. The capes are made of a special ‘living fabric’ that will wave with no air needed for the aesthetic of course. Small magnetic devices inside the gloves will solidify the cape if you need to block bullets or use the cape in combat. The suit is bulletproof against most small caliber bullets but it won’t be able to stop anything with real stopping power. The cape is for the bigger guns. I have boosters in the boots, it’ll allow gliding for a good four minutes, do not rely on it to get around,” he stressed. “This is for landings only, it is not strong enough to get you off the ground. There is a coolant system in there that takes all heat and directs it to charging the boosters so you don’t have to worry about overheating while wearing the suit. I know running around in a scarily dark suit in the daytime seems like it’s begging for trouble.”

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 28 - Successful ]

{ Item Name: Personal Costume

Item Class: Costume

Item Details: +5 Armor, +2 Speed, +3 Stealth

Suit Skills:

First Aid Lvl 1

Bulletproof Cape Lvl 1

Booster Boots Lvl 1

Cloaking Lvl 1 }

Damn, even the suit skills have to be leveled up? Does that mean I can develop more?

“You’re a godsend pop,” Jam said as he touched the suit.

{ Unique Item Acquired: Personal Costume

Would you like to soul bind this item?

[ Yes ] [ No ]

Note: Soul bound items cannot be used by others, if soul bound item does not belong to you, your hero rating will decrease. }

“Hey pop, this is mine right?”

“Of course”

Yes

{ Unique Item: Personal Costume is now soul bound.

Would you like to equip it?

[ Yes ] [ No ]

Note: No need to find a phone booth, you can change right here}

Yes

In a blink and you’d miss it flash of light, Jam was wearing the costume.

“Jealous, I have to actually put my clothes on like a normal person.” Camilla complained.

Costume detected

Would you like to choose a hero name?

Note: This name cannot be changed unless complete costume change.

[ Enter Name Here ]

[ Yes ] [ No ] [ Maybe Later ]

Suggestions: Birdman

Manbird

Harvey

Nightbird

Jam casted fire fist and blue flames encased his gloved fists. “I want to pay tribute to Amara, and maybe remember who I was when she was around. From today on I will be the hero Mystery Phoenix”

Checking . . .

Mystery Phoenix is currently in use please choose another name

Seriously?

"Ok, Mystery Phoenix is taken. Dark Phoenix?"

Checking . . .

Dark Phoenix is currently in use please choose another name

You're kidding.

"Firebird."

Checking . . .

Firebird is currently in use please choose another name

"Blackfire"

Checking . . .

Blackfire is currently in use please choose another name

"Blue Inferno"

Checking. ..

Blue Inferno is currently in use please choose another name

"Azure Resurrection"

Checking . . .

Azure Resurrection is currently in use please choose another name

"Azure Crow"

Checking . . .

Azure Crow is currently in use please choose another name

Jam's eye twitched in irritation and he gritted his teeth. "Black Phoenix."

Checking . . .

Black Phoenix is accepted.

World of Heroes Welcomes its Newest Hero: Black Phoenix

I hate you so much.

Congratulations: First Hero Name Chosen

The World of Arcturus Will Now Know the Name Black Phoenix

Exp Gained

+ 7 Heroism Points