3.06

Jimena had been working hard on catching up with all her schoolwork. Though she liked the idea of becoming a hero full time, she wanted to complete her education. She wanted choices of careers she could pursue in life. She may not be a hero forever. Jimena liked working her brain.

“Jimena, still working hard I see. I’ll just leave your dinner on your bed then?” Jimena’s aunt Adelina hobbled in with a food tray with a plate of vegetables and bowl of fruit.

“Yeah, thanks.” Jimena didn’t take her eyes off of her work.

“Jimena, please, don’t burn yourself out. Come join us for a meal some time. You live here, but its like you don’t live with us.” Adelina hobbled back out of the room.

“I’m sorry. But I need to be the best I can be.” Jimena said, not realising her Aunt had left the room. Jimena waited a few moments for a response before turning her chair and realising her room was empty.

Jimena grabbed the food tray and dug into her dinner. She looked around at her bare room and sighed.

Jimena had been living with her aunt and uncle and cousins for close to ten years now. Her parents had dumped her off during the night while she was still asleep and had minimal contact with her since.

Her aunt and uncle were fun and loving and incredibly positive people, and her two cousins were like siblings to her, but sometimes, Jimena still felt empty inside. A gap in her heart that couldn’t be filled.

A few years ago, Jimena had done her own investigating with help from a private detective and discovered what had happened with her parents and who they were.

Jimena’s parents were both killed a few years ago. They were vigilantes and were killed when they were trying to bring down a drug lord. They had dropped off Jimena the night they died. Jimena was certain her parents knew they were likely to die that night, so they had done what they had done.

Jimena felt like she was a burden on her aunt and uncle. Though they always explained she wasn’t, and they loved her, financially, they struggled. Jimena had vowed she would make enough money to single-handedly support her family.

Jimena’s powers manifested when she was ten when she had learnt the fate of her parents. Her Aunt had always said her parents were alive and well, but when Jimena learned the truth, she snapped.

Jimena closed her heart off to her family and lashed out. She became a monster to both them and at school. She threatened kids with her powers and broke everything she could back at home.

One evening, at home, she was fighting with her cousins. It had started off as play but it soon took a turn for the worse and Jimena lashed out with her powers, scaring, and hurting both of her cousins.

Adelina caught wind of this and stepped in to try and break up the fight and it was at that moment that Jimena revealed she knew the truth about her parents and that she hated her aunt and uncle for their lies.

Upset, Jimena ran out into the backyard of the house and hid in the shadows of the garden until her uncle got home. Both her aunt and uncle stood at the back door, calling out to Jimena to come back inside.

Jimena shot a slime ball at them, hoping to scare them. It hit her aunt, who fell off the back steps and into the rocks on the side, breaking her pelvis.

Distraught, Jimena ran over to them. Her aunt and uncle held her in their arms until the ambulance arrived. She was never punished, never rejected. They only worked harder to show their love to her.

It was from that moment on, Jimena gave her all to everything she put her mind to.

Jimena finished her food and walked out of her bedroom and met her aunt in the kitchen.

“Aunt Adelina, there’s something I need to tell you.” Adelina had been tidying up, but Jimena took over for her.

“What is it?” She sat on a stool and relaxed.

“I’ve become a superhero and I’m going to try and join The Academy later this year. I’m part of a team and we’re doing a lot of good things.” After wiping the benches down, Jimena started to dry and put away the dishes.

“I found your costume a while ago and had a feeling that’s what you were doing. Explains all the times you’ve been away from home and sneaking out at night.”

“Wait, you knew I was sneaking out?”

“Your cousins are a little older, I know the signs. You can’t hide from me.” Jimena was shocked at how casual her aunt was being with all this.

“Aren’t you angry with me? That I may end up the same was as mum and dad?” Jimena stopped doing what she was doing and looked at her aunt.

“Jimena, as much as you are like a daughter to me, I am not your mother. I’ve seen you grow into your own person, putting so much pressure on yourself, but fighting to prove you’re okay. I knew one day you’d more than likely follow in your parents’ footsteps.” Adelina put her arms out and Jimena went in for the hug.

“Yeah. The th-”

“But if you end up being killed,” Jimena pulled away and Adelina held onto her shoulders, looking sternly into her niece’s eyes. “I’ll find a way to get to you and ground you forever.” She smiled and Jimena laughed.

“Have you made friends?”

“Yeah, three. We’re called Justice Punch, not my name.” Jimena blurted that last bit out like she had to defend the name of her team.

“Do you keep them safe?”

“Yeah, and they keep me safe too.”

“Good. Any problems?” Jimena remembered when she lit the one in the hoodie on fire and leaving her team.

“I hurt someone really badly and left my team.” Jimena looked down at the floor in shame. Adelina pulled her face back up to look her in the eyes.

“Promise me you’ll never hurt someone that shouldn’t be hurt. Promise me you’ll look after your team. Promise me you won’t get killed.”

“I promise.”

“Then you have my blessing. I’ll tell your uncle when he gets home later tonight. Its up to you to tell your cousins. Jimena, we love you.”

“I love you all.” And they hugged again.