The Jade Threads

When you think of superheroes that save the world from impending doom, what comes to your mind first? Their dazzling superpowers? Or how perfectly their hair lays even while flying and dodging massive laser beams? Well, I guarantee you did not think of the sole person that supports and assists the superheroes with saving the day. And no, I am not talking about their sidekicks. I am talking about their seamstresses believe it or not. They are the only people in the universe who have the power to truly save the world; and yes, that is from the perspective of a seamstress. Hi, my name is Birdie.

“Earth to Miss Tweety Bird! I need my cape before we dispatch tonight,” Walker frantically called out as he walked into the life-saving craft room.

Yes, that’s what I call it and force each one of the Jade Wardens to call it as well. So far, they have only made fun of it, but I promise you one day they will call it that out of their own will. One thing I learned during my time at New York FIT is that a life-and-death situation will come down to the right outfit. Of course, that was right before I was recruited, or should I say given no choice, to clothe this band of accidental superheroes.

“When have I ever had your cape not ready? Seriously” I take a deep breath as I stitch away. Walker paces back and forth in front of me as if his mind is floating elsewhere. Which it probably is, since he uses his powers even for the most mundane and peculiar things.

“I added a sheer panel at the end of your cape, so that next time you decide to go off on your own during a mission, it won’t shred it up as fast,” I said confidently because I have been working on this new design for months. I never get a moment alone with Walker, so might as well push my luck while I have him, “and ... since you don’t like waiting on your backup.”

Walker sharply looked up with an amused look on his face. It was like he suddenly became interested in what I was doing.

“I didn’t know you had that kind of assessment of me,” he chuckles and continues to watch me stitch.

“And thank you for fixing and modifying my stuff, I knew I was right when it came to you. Just leave the cape there when you’re done and I’ll come by to get it,” Walker says with a half-smile that I never have seen him give before he turned around to walk out.

Before he fully exits the room, I say “And I didn’t know that you knew the words thank you, Mr. Airhead.” Walker turns his head around and just softly stares at me before leaving.

Out of all the Jade Wardens, Walker was by far the hardest to read. Maybe that had something to do with his air-gravity-pull shebang, but I have no clue. Really, I have no clue what I am even doing here or why. One day I was graduating from NY FIT with a bachelor’s in Technical Design, and the next I was being ordered by United Central Council to design and maintain superhero uniforms. Never in my life did I even think that was an option as a career path, but here I am.

As I finished my last stitch, I laid the cape down on my table and finally took my long-awaited break. Last night I got the chance to actually hang out with Layla, the only other girl a part of this team, and it was much needed. She’s more reserved and much quieter than me, but maybe once you gain superpowers you have no need for all that extra stuff. What would I know though, all I have is my clothes and fabric.

“Hey Birdie! Look what's on right now!” Ian comes running into my moment of peace for the day. I get up from my chair and walk down the platform stairs where my sewing table is elevated on. Ian has his computer in his hands with the goofiest smile, as he turns it around to show the Thunder Cup playing live. We both love to watch racing, especially with fast and expensive cars. It was the first thing we bonded over, which is why I am closest to Ian. In some ways he reminds me of the brother that I never had but always wanted.

“Looks like you’ll be the one buying us take out tonight because Marcos is three seconds behind the all-mighty-winning Titus,” I said to him laughing barely getting the words out. For the past three weekends I have been the one buying takeout, and the minute I get to claim victory you bet I will.

“Oh, hush hush they’re driving on a gravel road, and you know what that means,” Ian says with a creeping grin on his face.

Why does he always have to win at everything? Having powers over any rock mineral, on top of always choosing the winning driver. I am on the losing side enough; can’t I just win at something?

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding I wouldn’t go all the way to the Thunder Cup just so I could win. I would get the takeout any night regardless of if you won or lost.” Ian leans in closer to me and whispers “This is a secret, but I have more money than Walker.”

I honestly thought he was going to tell me something serious; I busted out laughing saying “I’m so glad my suspicions were confirmed.”

“That’s me, confirming all the rumors at last,” Ian chuckles and scratches his neck.

My attention immediately went to where he scratched, but something was off. There was a red rash forming on the side of his neck. Ian’s skin is thicker than normal due to the radioactive blast that altered all the Jade Wardens. It affected them in different ways, making designing their costumes much more difficult. Having to keep in mind their strengths, weaknesses, mutations, all the while making sure they can not only function but succeed safely. Ian’s condition directly affects his skin, which is why the rash is so concerning.

“Ian, did you do anything different in the past twenty-four hours?” I said as I started to examine him with my eyes.

“Uhhh, no other than beat Walker at Derby Kart all night long,” Ian said laughing at his own memory of it.

“Ha very funny,” I said deadpanned.

“When did this itching start then?”

“Oh, I mean it’s really nothing I only started this morning, but it’s probably because the weather’s changing,” Ian says in the most serious tone I have ever heard him use.

“Yeah sure, as if the weather hasn’t been changing all year and this just is a thing that happens,” I say giving him one more chance before I start spiraling.

“Yes, Birdie exactly, thank you for understanding,” Ian says sarcastically and acts as if he is about to turn to walk away.

“If you move one muscle so help me, I will make your costume two times smaller, so it looks like you’re going trick or treating a month early,” I say in the most threatening voice I can conjure.

Ian starts roaring with laughter barely containing himself, “It is so funny when you try to be mean, please do it more.”

“Change your clothes, leave them with me, and take three showers so help me Ian I am not messing around,” I say not giving into his theatrics.

“Aye, aye captain,” Ian salutes as he goes off to hopefully do as he was told.

The one thing I know about the Jade Wardens is that nothing is ever small. They are sensitive to things that we humans may not even think of. With Ian, known as Jagged, if the material is too soft, then it immediately begins to wither on his smelting skin. Reactions can vary from itching, fevers, rashes, etc., and untreated can lead to unknown dangerous reactions. The reason I am unaware of what will happen is because I made sure this would never happen. The United Central Council never even warned me; not even do they know that much about the Jade Wardens.

My mind is running rampant; how did this happen? There were no missions last night, Ian was with Walker, and I was with Layla. There were no breaches, and the last mission Ian did not even go on because it was at an aquarium. Don’t ask.

I am the only person who can help Ian, and I must do it before tonight or innocent people will be put in danger. I begin to rack my brain about every possible material or ingredient that Ian could have encountered like cotton, body wash, denim, fabric softener. Everything he uses is safe for his skin, I know because laundry is my role around here too. That means there’s only one possible thing left, something I have been trying to not think about. When Ian channels his powers, his skin develops these cracks and rigids, like a cliffside. If these cracks are getting infected outside of missions, then that means Ian must be using so much power that it doesn’t fade out properly. This would explain why he has a flare up, but that means that I need to act fast.

“Layla! Hurry it’s an emergency,” I yell at the top of my lungs hoping that she can hear me. I quickly ran back up to my craft table and opened my drawer grabbing a changing robe. By the time I turned around to run down the stairs, Layla was standing right in the door frame.

“What kind of emergency? Fashion emergency?” she said as she lifted her eyebrow.

“I wish, but no, it’s Ian and I need your help,” I said as a ran to the craft-room’s ground level and past her.

Layla turned and ran out the door with me with a confused look on her face, “If it's not a fashion emergency then why isn’t Walker involved?”

I actually laughed. Seriously, just because I am the ringleader in this Ian chaos doesn’t mean that I can’t actually help.

“He’s probably stuck upside down somewhere and I don’t have time to be on his clock,” I said as we continued to run through the house to Ian’s room.

“That’s not what I meant. I just meant if something’s wrong with Ian, then the whole team should show up and be there,” Layla said with a sympathetic look that I wasn’t even aware her face muscles could make, as she stopped me before we entered his room.

She pulled me in for a hug and said, “Now let’s see what hard place our rock got stuck in.”

I could tell she was trying to make me feel better, and it certainly was working. As we opened Ian’s door, he’s sitting there now itching his arms too. The rash is spreading, and his skin is starting to crack and if we don’t act fast... I am not even going to go there.

“Layla can you hydro-wash Ian at the highest velocity you can without killing him,” I said throwing Ian the changing robe that’s in my arms. Ian and Layla both just look at me, like I told them the world didn’t need them or something.

“Without killing me? Have you lost your mind Birdie? Her powers could crush me, have you ever heard of erosion?” Ian says worriedly as he stands up.

“What if I accidentally go overboard? How will I know it’s too much?” Layla says with concern cracking through her professional mask she wears most days.

I look at them both and say, “If there is any moment to trust me, now is that moment. Layla, water flows through you, you’ll know the minute you feel it beginning to overtake you. Ian, you literally are as solid and bulletproof as a mountain. Stand strong and firm and just trust me, please.”

We all look at each other one more time, before Layla and Ian make their way to his balcony, while I stay protected inside. He ties the robe over his shorts, leaving only his upper body exposed.

“I’m trusting you Birdie,” Ian says as he looks through the glass at me in his room.

Layla holds her hands out and water begins shooting out of her hands, barreling straight at Ian. Ian widens his stance and takes it. What if I am wrong? What if Ian does just wither away if Layla gives too much power? It only takes her five minutes before Ian taps out and falls to the ground. I open the balcony door and run straight to Ian.

“How are you feeling now? Did you break or hurt anything?” I say as I search him frantically. I was so confident in my solution that I came up with it by myself. Why do I put myself in situations where my opinion so clearly doesn’t belong?

Ian rolls onto his back and just lays there. In that second, I felt my heart drop like an elevator. Then, Ian starts to cough up water and looks over at me saying in the most fragile voice, “So talk about an instant reliever.”

Layla starts dying of laughter and so does another voice from inside of Ian’s room. I turn around to see who else is there, and it’s Walker. He’s standing at Ian’s door, as if he was watching the whole thing. We all turn our attention towards him.

“Everyone, welcome our seamstress to the Jade Wardens, you’re in,” Walker says with a proud smile on his face and arms crossed.