The Unwanted Gift of Youth (Solo)

Life had been oddly quiet, which was just fine by Stephanie Graves. Her and Malia were keeping their heads down and adjusting to life in a new universe. It was challenging, but every time she felt the struggle of starting fresh, Stephanie remembered the one thing that mattered: Poseidon was gone.

She was careful confirming the news. After the rift between worlds closed, Stephanie spoke to Jayda. She confirmed what happened to her brother and gave Stephanie the opportunity to end her eternal indentured servitude.

Worried someone would still come looking for her, Stephanie was using a fake name in this new world. Natasha was getting by working as a freelance photographer. It was a humbler life than her studio in her old world, but after the life she had endured to this point, she would gladly take humble and run-of-the-mill.

“Hello, Miss. Fancy talent that kid of yours has.”

Natasha was ready to ignore the passerby on the quiet side street. It was getting late and Natasha did not want to deal with some rando questioning her child’s powers. Unfortunately, Malia had adopted an outgoing attitude much to her mother’s chagrin. “Thank you, ma’am!”

Sighing, Natasha stopped and turned to see the woman in the long coat. She was surprised at the youthful appearance of the stranger. “Can we help you with anything?”

“It’s good to see young mutants. It’s a reminder of the future,” she said with a warm smile. “We are inevitable, after all. Mutantkind is young and growing, and humanity is old, withering, and dying.”

Well, Natasha was unsure of how to take that… on the one hand, at least she was not dealing with an anti-mutant nutjob. On the other, the reasoning was a bit extreme, and almost… well, Syndicate-like. “Well, not all of us are so young,” she joked, wanting to just get Malia home as soon as possible, “but it’s nice to hear that optimism.”

“Ah good, so you’re both mutants. But you’ve lived a challenging life—it’s clear in your eyes.”

Natasha squirmed; she knew the last decade of stress, smoking, and drinking were starting to age her, but she did not like the way the woman spoke of her experiences. “Thank you, but I think we must be off. Have a—”

The woman moved faster than Natasha expected. Attempting to get her shadow in front of her and Malia, she was ready to spring into action.

And then the lamplight flickered, and her shadow dissolved. She felt the pricking of a needle, and things started to fade. As they faded, she raised a confused, frustrated hand as the woman walked toward Malia…



Blinking at the light of a lamp, Stephanie groggily came to, trying to get her surroundings. What was the last thing she remembered. Was she on a job? Busted?

The eighteen-year-old felt bricks against her back, and it finally occurred to her that she was left in an alley somewhere. How did she even get somewhere like this? In her lap, much to her shock, was her infant child, Malia. Why the absolute hell was Malia with her? She would never take the baby into danger.

Feeling the anxious pulses through her as she tried to get her bearings, Stephanie held her child close and got to her feet. Information. Contacts. Wherever she was, there must have been something that led to her being there, unconscious but alone and seemingly unharmed. Until she had the facts, she had to be cautious of who she trusted and what she did.

She needed to figure out what happened to her and fast.