It’s Unfair to Judge Those Like Yourself

Loretta is sitting in her office chair staring intently at the large, curved monitor in front of her. All day she’s been scouring news articles, news broadcasts, and YouTube to find videos of these absolutely insane individuals who’ve recently arrived in New York. What reason could they possibly have to be making such a scene?

A young woman sits on Loretta’s desk to the left of her. “You know, considering our current mental health standings I don’t think it’s very fair to call them crazy.”

“I realize that,” Loretta says, still staring at the news article she’s reading from CNN, “but there’s a difference between being legitimately crazy, like we are, and being just downright stupid. Like, look at this, “...over the last several weeks, dozens of videos have surfaced on the internet of a speedster and, quote-unquote, magician romping around New York City. These videos include violent tendencies towards news broadcasters, an aggressive incident with a homeless man, and simply speeding across downtown at ludicrous speeds without a care in the world.” Loretta turns to the young woman sitting on her desk, her mouth open a little in dumbfoundedness. “You’re telling me that’s not crazy Amelia?”

“I mean… I guess you’re right,” Amelia says with a bit of an embarrassed smile.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” She rolls her eyes, but in a friendly way.

“So,” says Amelia, “who are these people?”

Loretta continues to look intently at her computer screen. “Theo and Niko something or other, some Eastern European surname.” Loretta starts watching the disaster of an interview once again. She couldn’t believe they would risk an outburst like that, at a news station no less. She’s almost surprised an arrest hasn’t been reported yet.

“Do you know where they get their powers from? They have to be kids of mutants or something, right? There hasn’t been any recent disasters or technological developments that would have affected them, much less given them superpowers.” Amelia looks at Loretta expectantly for an answer but she simply shrugs.

“I haven’t got a clue, there’s speculation the girl could be the kid of Scarlet Witch but then again she could’ve just learned magic like Dr.Strange. As for the guy, there could be dozens of options, I mean just think about how many secret mutants had to exist. He could be one of their kids.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. There really isn’t any way to be sure without asking them personally.”

“Not necessarily.” The male voice penetrates the room, the Egyptian accent contrasting heavily from the two New York accents. The two young woman look to the window behind the desk where Loretta is seated. There on the windowsill sits a man in a pure white suit with a bird skull for a head.

“Let me guess,” says Amelia, “you know who they are.” Once again she looks expectantly at the person she believes has the answers at the given moment.

“Oh, on the contrary,” says the birdman. “I have no idea who they are, I have my guesses but I can’t be certain.”

Amelia raises an eyebrow to the answer of the deity. “There has to be a ‘but’ here.”

“Indeed,” he answers, at which Amelia puts on a smug smile. “I happen to know someone would know who these children are.” He pauses for a moment. “Would you like to meet her?”

“Yes?” says Amelia, not really knowing to expect. Not that she would really be given the time to expect something since as soon as she says it she and Loretta are knee deep in a pool of water.

Looking around they see that Khonshu has disappeared, but also some more interesting things. They’re standing in the middle of a desert oasis. Palm trees line the edge of the shallow pool of water they stand in and past the trees where there’s a seemingly unending ocean of sand. Most importantly, however, is what’s sitting directly in front of the pair. In front of them sits a woman with the head of a hippopotamus and the tail of a crocodile. Around her neck, wrist, and ankles are beads of gold and gems and upon her head sits an elegant headdress. The woman toys with small wisps of energy in her hands, every once and a while sending a group of them into the sky where they fly up and spread out in all different directions before disappearing in the clear blue expanse. Then she sees them.

“Oh my,” she exclaims. “Khonshu said I should be expecting visitors but I did not expect he would send mortals to me.” The woman stands from her throne of gold and walks over to them in the pool of water, the beads jingling as she walked and her tail dragging behind her. “Now, what can I do for you,” she says with a hippopotamus smile.

“Um…” Amelia is shocked by the appearance of the woman in front of her. After getting over the initial shock she finally speaks up, Loretta seemingly not wanting to take the honor. “Um… who exactly are you?”

The hippopotamus woman keeps her smile as she speaks. “Why sweet child I am Taweret, the goddess childbirth. Khonshu tells me you are looking for the parents of two mortal children and you’re in luck, I know exactly who they are.” As she says this a warm fog starts to form around them blacking visions of their surroundings and even making it hard to see each other.

“The girl you seek is the daughter of two of the most powerful beings to ever live.” A red mist forms and transforms into the shape of a woman while a green mist forms into the shape of a man. “The Keeper of Time and the Creator of Time. The child they bore is of great power as well, where that power is to head is a mystery to us all. Her name, Theodosia Maximoff.”

As she finishes saying the girls name the colored mists to dissipate and a new mist appears, dark blue in color. The blue mist is swirling quickly like a storm and is moving all around like one as well. “The boy, is a strange one, even compared to the girl. The child of Master of Speed and a near-human he has much potential as well, whether he will find that potential or not is the question. His name, Nikolai Krzysztof Maximoff.”

As the blue mist dissipates Loretta suddenly hears something. Thump Thump Thump. Thump Thump Thump. She can hear a muted voice in her head as well. “Um, Madame Taweret I…” Suddenly Loretta becomes lightheaded and is knocked off balance, but before she can hit the water suddenly she’s back at her desk in her office. Amelia, Khonshu, And Taweret nowhere to be seen.

She can still hear the thumping, someone knocking on her door, and the voice is clearer now. “Miss Graham?”

“Um, yes come in.” Loretta is still a bit flustered from being transported from the oasis to her office. After she invites in the voice the door opens and the head of a young man peaks inside the office.

“Ma’am, a few media outlets have contacted us with a few concerns about our new building acquisition. They’re asking why a company aimed toward improving low-income neighborhoods and limiting poverty such as the New Manhattan Project would buy a building in Greenwich Village.”

“Um, the building on Bleecker Street will be converted into a transitioning shelter for the members of our various programs to start their own life with a higher income and better standard of living.” Loretta lets out a sigh. “I’ll send you the project plans. All the details are on there, just don’t give to many away please.”

“Yes, ma’am will do.” And at that, the young man leaves the room and closes the door. After he leaves Loretta takes a big sigh and puts her head in her hands.

“Why is life so insane?”