Samuel returned home a week after her recruitment to the Negaverse. At first it felt strange to meet him at the door with a carefree smile. She wasn’t just a wife and teacher anymore, she had more responsibility and more purpose than she’d ever had in her life. Somehow she thought he would see her change as clear as day and even after hours with him at home, she kept expecting him to turn around and challenge her.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ He would say. ‘What have you done?’

Then she would have to explain and he would forbid her from taking part in what he would call ‘nonsense’. Maybe he wouldn't even believe her. Maybe he’d try sign her up for counselling.

But none of the scenarios that had played out in her head came to pass. He greeted her with warmth and affection; she gave as much (if more) in return. It was good to hold him again and they made love two nights in a row.

They talked. She told him about her students. He told her about the big case he’d been working on and how he’d saved his client from jail. They went out to restaurants and laughed together like they had as young lovers.

Together they got back into the normal swing of day to day life.

Eleanor thought about powering up and taking to the streets. She thought about defending people from evil. Yet she hesitated before stepping out the door. Sometimes she spoke to Natron, he taught her things and talked about the Negaverse with a passion. Eleanor could only hope to one day be as bold and strong as he was.

Then one night Samuel and Eleanor were sitting together after dinner. He was watching the news and she was flicking through a magazine.

"Eleanor." He said out of the blue as they cut to a commercial.

"Mm?"

"How would you feel about moving to New York?"

She froze mid page turn. "… New York?"

"It looks like a might be getting a good job offer from Hills and Associates to go there. We’d get a nice apartment. There are a few good schools I’m sure you could apply at but that’s not necessary. I’d be making enough that you wouldn’t have to work."

She said nothing and he glanced over to read her expression.

On the television an orange bear was spruiking a new brand of corn chip.

Samuel spoke the next words slowly, calculated. “"My new boss, I’ve heard he’s a big family man, likes to know his employees are too…"

"Oh."

He waited.

And waited.

The news came back on.

"That’s it? Oh?"

"I-" She thought about how the Negaverse had trusted her with their secrets. She thought of all the children out there being snatched away from their happy lives. She thought of running away to New York and abandoning them to have kids of her own.

"Eleanor?"

"I can’t leave. I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave Destiny City."

He looked flabbergasted

"But Eleanor-"

"I don’t want to talk about it anymore."

This stunned him further. She’d never spoken to him like that, had never done anything other than agree with anything he said.

Eleanor was afraid that if she let him speak, he’d convince that leaving was the right thing to do. With her hands shaking, she hurriedly rose from the couch and left the room. Up the stairs and too the bathroom where she started to cry.

She pressed a hand against her belly and whispered a sorrowful, ‘I’m sorry, it’s not time yet’.

After tonight she would have to be strong because there was no going back.