I opened my eyes and looked around, pink wall paper check, piles of stuffed animals check, tacky yet still cute bedsheets check. I was still in my room, thank god.

I sighed with relief, after days in captivity I had become paranoid, I now needed to do this every time I woke up or went to sleep.

I stepped out of bed, my silk night gown flowing down languidly from where it had risen to my thighs back down to the middle of my shins. I walked over to the dresser choosing a purple sweater and jeans, tossing them on before walking down stairs.

“Lillian, is that you?” My mother asked from the bottom of the stairway as I descended.

“Yes mum, what’s for breakfast, smells delicious.” From the fact that her mother was making breakfast I could deduce it was 7:30 am, her therapist had told them that a strict schedule can help people recover after a traumatic experience and her ever supportive parents had jumped on this.

My parents were ‘new-age’, they had read all of the parenting books, had taken me to the mummy and me sessions as a baby, supported me as I tried various arts and crafts, fawning and doting over even the smallest injury. Because of this you can imagine they had an even more inflated reaction than even the most diehard parents when they heard of my subsequent kidnapping and then rescue. They had paid for all the therapy, tried all the techniques and pushed up their care for me to next level, it was all quite suffocating.

“Oh, just pancakes, but thank you for asking.” My mother set a plate of the fluffy, disc shaped delicacies down in front of her before sitting across from her at the dining table.

“So honey, isn’t today when your, ‘auditions’ are going to be held.” My mother asked with a sense of trepidation, she knew both of her parents didn’t approve of her decision of joining the BCJH, but after I had manifested powers during captivity and then finding out that the man who saved me was heading the team I knew there was only one path to take, a path that led me back to him.

She smiled an anticipatory grin, soon she would be getting the only therapy she needed, soon.

My eyes opened slowly before I remembered what day it was, then I thrashed my way out of my bed and was down the stairs, changed and into the main section of my grandad’s garage in less than two seconds, it payed to be a speedster.

I looked at my grandfather as he worked on a car, Henry Bradman, formerly from Boston he had moved to Brisbane in the 60’s making a living out of repairing cars, just enough to feed his family of five and then after they had left and the death of my parents in a car accident, me.

He turned around, his broad shoulders rising from here they were previously hunched over the engine of a car.

“Donny, when did you get there?” He asked, not as surprised as he was when I had first manifested my powers, he was used to it now.

“A couple of seconds ago.” I said making a note to speak more slowly than I normally would as to be understood by normal people.

“Cool, anyway shouldn’t you be off, those interview things are in a couple of minutes and it wouldn’t do for a Bradman to be late on his first day.”

A couple minutes, I looked at my watch in shock before rocketing off toward the BCH headquarters.

My Grandfather just shook his head in his garage, “Damn kid, he never learns.” Chuckling he went back to work.

I rose from the floor beside her bed where I had been praying and began dressing conservatively, it wouldn’t do to go out dressed as a Jezebel.

I walked down stairs passing both my brother and sister as they walked back to their rooms, passing through the lower landing and into the dining room where my parents were waiting.

Laura and Leopold Shrike were a very Christian family, and veterans of the local Catholic Church.

“Daniela.” My mother acknowledged while gesturing for her to sit.

I sat down across from them.

“Mother, Father.” I said deadpan, this was it, this was the moment of truth.

“Daniela, as I am sure you are aware,” My father started in a deep baritone “We do not entirely approve of this venture that you wish to undertake in due to its… violent nature.” He said while gesturing with air quotes. “But due to the nature of your gift leaving you on the sidelines and your arguments about how it will spread the good word of our lord and saviour and happiness among others in equal measure we have decided to relent.” A smile crept on to all three of their faces before her mother continued.

“Good luck my child, god bless you.”

“God bless you too mother.” I stood up, gathered my things and left toward the BCH, I would become a hero for the people, like our lord Jesus Christ.