Speed Girl/Foster Family
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
This is a story about Speed Girl, written by @Slid.
When the phone call woke Diane Sheldon in the early morning hours, she rolled over to check the clock. “2:08 AM?” She wondered tiredly, before remembering that Elizabeth, the newest meta-human girl she and her husband Frank were fostering, was still not at home. It wasn’t entirely unusual for Elizabeth to miss her curfew, but Diane was always worried whenever one of the girls wasn’t home at night, even if this one could run at the speed of sound. She sat up to get out of bed, noticing as she did that Frank was still sound asleep, but the phone was picked up on the second ring. “Must be one of the girls,” she thought, listening to the muffled voice from downstairs talking on the phone. “Sounds like Susan... would explain how she beat me downstairs, at least.” Moments later, her bedroom door was flung open, sure enough by Susan, the second-oldest of her three charges.
Susan had just emerged from a glowing hole that hung in the air behind her. Through it, Diane could see the kitchen table and the charger rack for the cordless phone, the light above the table now illuminating the upstairs. “Diane,” Susan said, rather louder than perhaps was necessary, causing Frank to snort and sit up, looking around at the suddenly illuminated bedroom. “Liza’s on the phone, she’s askin’ for you,” she concluded, holding out the cordless phone clutched in her other hand.
“Thank you dear,” Diane responded with a tired smile, taking the phone from her outstretched hand. “Now get back to bed Susan, you have school in the morning,” she said as she patted the girl on the shoulder.
“Alright… g’night!” responded Susan, who hopped through another portal right into her bedroom after closing the first one. She forgot to close the bedroom door, though.
As Frank sighed and got up to shut it after her, Diane put the phone to her ear and said, “Hello, Liza.”
“Hey Diane… Sorry I didn’t call before, I lost track of time…” responded Liza, sounding thoroughly worn out and exhausted. Diane was struck by how unusual it was to hear the normally energetic girl show signs of tiredness, and any thoughts she had of getting angry at the girl vanished as she responded with concern.
“Are you alright, Elizabeth?” she asked, using the girl’s full name.
“Yeah… jus’ really tired. Um, so I wanted to ask if I could sleep here tonight? I don’ feel like I can run home this worn out… I’m at the base of the Young Justiciars. I, uh, applied to join them.”
“You did?” asked Diane, surprised at the girl’s actions, and recognizing the prestigious name of the Super Group. “You should have talked that over with Frank and I first, Liza.”
“I know, but… I was worried you wouldn’t want me to.”
“Well, we can discuss it in the morning,” Diane responded as Frank climbed back into bed. “So, you want to spend the night there? Do they have a place for you to sleep? And do you have permission from them?”
“Uh huh… I asked and they said they have a bunch of empty bedrooms,” responded the tired speedster.
“Well, alright,” said Diane, reassured that Elizabeth was safe where she was. “But come straight home in the morning when you’re feeling better, alright?”
“Alright. Thanks, Diane,” Liza responded, sounding genuinely grateful that her foster mother wasn’t being difficult about this. “I’ll be home soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay, sweetie. Sleep well, okay? Good night,” Diane said.
“I will. G’night Diane. Thank you,” Liza responded, and hung up the phone.
Diane switched off the cordless phone and set it on her nightstand, and rolled over to look at Frank, who was still awake, listening to the conversation. “Well, Liza’s alright,” she said to him, resting her hand on his shoulder beneath the covers. “She’s at the base of the Young Justiciars, of all places.”
“You’re kidding me,” he responded. “What’s she doing there?”
“She’s apparently applied to join them. I told her we’ll discuss it tomorrow. I’m not sure I like the idea of her joining a group like that… she’s not even licensed as a hero!”
“How can you know for sure?” Frank responded. “She easily could’ve gone over to City Hall and registered as one while she’s supposed to be at school. Heck, she could probably make it over there while she’s in school and nobody would notice, fast as she is.”
“You’re right… I’ll ask her about that when she gets back. I really wish she’d discuss things like this with us first.”
“Well, she’s only been with us for a few months. She’s still getting used to having us around. I think it says a lot about our progress with her that we can get her to sleep here most nights. Remember when she first got here? We had to keep getting speedsters to go look for her, because she’d vanish on us.”
“Yes,” agreed Diane. “I remember. It’s good that she thought to call as well. I just always worry when one of the girls is missing… and it’s usually Liza.”
“Well, she’s safe now. Let’s get back to bed, I have work and you have to drive Rachel to school tomorrow,” Frank said, kissing his wife on the forehead. “G’night honey.”
“G’night Frank,” Diane responded, and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep.
To be continued...
