Chapter Text
Another day, another morning spent rushing around like a chicken with its head off. Wake up. Get the boys ready and off to school. Get back to the diner to help with the breakfast rush. Wasn't even 9 a.m. and her feet already hurt.
Of course, this being the city, it was damn busy. Even with half the population gone, they did good business this time of day. If anything, being one of the only joints left in town was probably giving her more business.
Real shitty way to get it.
But there was no time to think about that. Apron on. Start taking orders. There were a lot of regulars that morning, and some new faces on top of that. Not too many, not with the city having gotten a lot smaller, but still. It almost felt normal, once she got into the rhythm of things.
"Toast and eggs over easy for the man in the cap," she said as she set down the plate. Cap Man was one of the new faces–dark hair, dark eyes, tired eyes, but an easy smile. He flashed that smile at her as he looked up from his notebook. "More coffee?"
"Por favor," he replied. He fiddled with a pen as he spoke. She could see teeth marks on the cap. "Busy morning?"
"They're all busy." She got him the coffee while he started on the eggs. "Life's kept going, somehow."
"Sure has. Lo que pasa, pasa."
"Y solo tenemos que vivir con eso." Gena replied. Cap Man looked pleasantly surprised. "I grew up in the Bronx. You pick up a thing or two. You enjoy that, okay, hon?"
"Lo haré, señora. Gracias."
Any other day, that might have been the end of it. But that day just got busier and busier. Gena kept the place well-staffed (and she'd been damn lucky most of her original employees were still with her) but even a well-scheduled restaurant could hit a few snags.
Sometimes all it took was one broken coffee pot.
The shattering caught Gena's attention immediately. The barrage of swearing really caught her attention. "Can't you watch where you're going? Fuck's sake…"
Gena emerged from the back. One of the new hires, Sarah, was frozen in front of a pissed off looking older man wiping coffee off a briefcase. The swearing would be unacceptable on its own, but Sarah was a sweet girl. She'd had to put off going to college to help her family after her father had vanished. She really didn't need this. "I'm…I'm sorry…" Sarah stammered.
"Sorry's not gonna be good enough if you ruined this."
"It was an accident," said a new voice. It was Cap Man. His friendly tone had completely vanished. "She's trying her best."
"You stay the hell out of this."
"Excuse me," Gena said firmly. She took in the scene as she stepped from behind the counter. Some coffee had gotten on the man's briefcase, but it looked like it'd be fine to her. Most of it was on the floor. "Don't swear at my employees."
Briefcase Man looked taken aback. "She spilled coffee on me."
"And she didn't mean to, I'm sure. Sarah, sweetie, could you get me a mop?" Getting the poor thing away was the first order of business. Fortunately, Sarah didn't need to be told twice. "I'm sorry about your briefcase, but there is no need to speak to her like that."
The man's face went red. At first, he stayed quiet. Maybe he sensed the stares from the other patrons. Regulars who didn't take kindly to newcomers disturbing the peace. Sane people just trying to eat breakfast. She hoped that judgment would be enough to make him back off, but there was always the chance he'd dig his heels in.
And, of course, that was exactly what he did, squaring his shoulders and looking Gena straight in the eyes. "She…"
That was as far as he got. Gena heard shoes hit the floor. Cap Man had gotten off his chair and walked to stand by Gena. He didn't say anything at first, just scanned Briefcase with calculating eyes. "How much?" he asked finally.
"What?"
"Breakfast. How much?"
"...fifteen…"
Cap Man took a twenty out of his wallet. "You're settled," he said, placing it on the man's table. "So you can go now, sí?"
Briefcase looked at the money, then up into Cap Man's eyes. He must not have liked what he saw, because he got up and left without a word.
Like a sigh of relief, chatter returned to the diner. "Cabrón," Cap Man muttered. "No manners anymore." He looked at the mess and crouched down to start picking up the bigger pieces of glass.
"Hey, no, you don't have to-"
"You've got enough on your plate, señora. I don't mind." His smile was back as he glanced up at her. "I'll be careful."
He wasn't wrong, so Gena decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and got back to work. "It's Gena," she corrected as she walked away.
"Jake."
Gena filed the name away and went back to orders.
By the time she'd caught up and returned to the mess, Sarah was just about done mopping up. Jake sat nearby. "...guess if this is the most exciting thing to happen all trip, I can consider myself lucky," he said. "You sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine," Sarah said. She still sounded shaken, but her eyes were dry at least. "I had worse when I was working fast food."
"Still." Jake glanced Gena's way. "Hope I didn't overstep earlier."
"Listen, you didn't start a fight and he went away. That's what matters." Gena took the twenty off the table and held it out to him. "Here."
Jake shook his head. "That's yours."
"No, it's yours. You've done enough to help."
Jake relented and took the bill. "Well…" He stood up and stretched. "...if you insist. One more cup of coffee if you've got the time?"
He had his last cup and paid cash before leaving. Gena wasn't the slightest bit surprised to find the twenty tucked under his mug with a note attached. For Sarah. Consolation prize for having to deal with assholes. Gena looked around, but Jake was long gone.
She had no idea where he'd come from, but it was nice to know there were still some good people left in this city.
It was late when she saw him again two days later.
The city was drenched in rain. Ricky and Ray were holed up at a window booth. They were supposed to be doing their homework, but kept sneaking comics when they thought she wasn't looking. Gena was too dog-tired to scold them for it.
The bell above the door jangled. Gena did a double-take when she saw who it was. "Well, buenas noches, mister."
"Señora." Jake grinned as he shrugged his damp coat off. "Really coming down out there."
"Sure is." It was bad enough that even the dinner rush had been slow. Jake draped his coat over one of the counter stools and sat down. He was wearing a t-shirt underneath. The logo across his chest caught her attention. "Really? The Cubs?"
"Stole it from my brother, but yes, really."
"A Cubs shirt, in New York?"
"I like to live dangerously. Besides, I think I can milk the curse breaking for another year or two."
"If you say so." Gena passed him a menu, caught sight of the boys as she did, and sighed. "Ricky…"
Ricky had moved from reading to stacking creamers. Gena sighed. "Richard Douglas Landers."
"Whaat?" Ricky whined.
"Your homework done?"
"This word problem doesn't make sense."
"Well, bring it over here, then." She glanced apologetically at Jake. "Sorry, do you mind?"
"Take your time," Jake said. He shot Ricky a smile, and didn't seem offended when Ricky didn't smile back.
"Okay," Gena said. "Let's take a look."
They had to re-read the problem a few times before it sank in. Ricky's face was listless and frustrated the whole time. She couldn't blame him, of course. Not for that. It hadn't even been a year, and here he was doing word problems as if…
Gena shook her head. "That better?"
"I guess." Ricky wrote his answer down. "I miss Ms. Scott. It made more sense when she explained it."
"...yeah, honey. I miss her, too." Why'd it feel like only the good ones had gone away? No wonder some people were convinced it had been the Rapture. "Just do your best with that, okay?" She leaned over the counter to kiss his forehead. "So long as it gets done."
"Okay." Ricky got down from the chair, dragging his homework after him. "Can I have French Toast?"
"Finish up your homework and you can. And tell Ray I said that." She watched him sit back down before turning back to Jake. "Thanks for waiting."
"That was more important," he said. "Both yours?"
"Yeah, my babies. Well, I guess not babies anymore. You got kids?"
"No, just two brothers. Same difference, sometimes." He passed her back the menu. "Eggs and toast, por favor?"
"Over easy again?"
"You remember."
"You made an impression. Sarah was grateful, by the way. Thank you."
Jake smiled. "Least I could do."
He ate his late-dinner-breakfast quietly, no notebook this time. A few times, she caught him staring out the window. She thought at first he was waiting for someone, but it seemed like he was just people watching. "Really hope this lets up before I have to leave," Gena said. "Absolutely miserable."
"Eh. I've been in London a lot these days. I'm used to it."
"London? What brings a guy from London to Manhattan?"
"Work. Personal chauffeur with some extras."
"Extras, huh?"
"I was in the Marines. Comes in handy these days."
"Ah." She understood now. Jake was pretty unassuming when he was just sitting there eating eggs, but she remembered his presence when he was dealing with Briefcase. Just forceful enough to be effective. Protective. "Must be exciting. Lot of travel, then?"
"Oh, all over. Demand's been something else." He methodically wiped up the egg yolk with the last of his toast. "Something about half of the planet going missing really brought out the worst in people."
"Don't I know it. It's gotten better, but it was bad here for a while. Bad enough that Daredevil left the Kitchen."
"Who left where?"
Right, he wasn't local. "So, New York has a lot of vigilante types," she explained, "and they tended to stick to their neighborhoods back in the day, so Daredevil didn't really leave the west side. Except crime spiked, not enough cops to handle it, so he's been spotted all over."
"Huh. Who else have you got?"
"Luke Cage has Harlem. Knight Wing mostly operates out of Chinatown. Jessica Jones will go pretty much anywhere, but you usually have to pay her. Usually. Queens used to have Spider-Man, but…" She glanced at the boys and lowered her voice. "...last anyone saw him, he was fighting aliens with Iron Man before…it happened. No one's seen either of them since, so…"
"Right." Jake finished off his toast. "Knight Wing and Daredevil, huh?"
"In their defense, Knight and Wing are their names," Gena said with a smile. "Colleen Wing and Misty Knight. Good folks. Don't know what Daredevil's deal is."
"Maybe he didn't pick it?"
"I feel bad for him if he didn't. Can I get anything else for you?"
"More coffee?"
Gena nodded. She was just grabbing the pot when Jake spoke up again. "Actually, do you have to-go cups? Lost track of time, I have to…" He got up with an irritated sigh. "...be someplace."
"Sure thing."
Despite his pensive tone, Jake was all smiles when she came back with the coffee and the check. Paid cash, slid the tip under his plate. Looked like at least 30%. "You stay dry, señora."
"I'm not the one going outside," she pointed out. "And really, you can call me Gena."
Jake grinned as he put his coat back on. "Señora Gena," he said, lifting his cap in a salute. "Buenas noches."
And with that, he slipped out the door and into the rain.
Gena shook her head. "Foolishness," she muttered to herself, but it was said with a smile. He really was something else.
Theo McCain was an aspiring crime boss. After notorious NYC crime boss Wilson Fisk vanished in the Snap, he began the process of unifying what remained of Fisk’s crime ring.
This process was cut short when he was found strangled to death in his apartment after his son, Teddy, called the police. He gave no description of the attacker, saying only that "the boogeyman" had come for his father.
The segments he had managed to compile were quickly broken up over the next three days, going back underground after being struck by a "specter" who targeted any remaining leadership.
The damp of spring turned into the heat of summer, then finally chilled into the fall. Life went on as much as it could, all things considered. The boys started a new school year. The diner stayed open, and moderately busy. New York stayed New York. Gena kept moving.
Lo que pasa, pasa.
She didn't think about Jake too often. He passed her mind once or twice, when she had to make eggs over easy with toast or a customer tipped generously. She wondered where he was, and if it was raining there.
But he was out of her mind enough that she almost didn't recognize him when he came back.
It didn't help that it was outside the boundaries of the diner. She was on her break, rushing to grab some things at the closest bodega. She was trying to get the last carton of milk from the back of the damn cooler, cursing quietly to herself at the inconvenience of it, when someone reached up to nudge it closer to her. "Thanks," Gena said instinctively.
"No problemo." Then, "Oh, hey, Señora Gena!"
Her brain stalled for a second. It was the hat that clued her in.
"Jake!" She smiled, her previous frustration forgotten. "Back in town?"
"Just for a few days. How're the boys?"
"Still struggling with word problems, but getting better." She grabbed the milk and gave Jake a once-over. He looked exactly like she remembered, just with a bit of a five o'clock shadow. "New job paying well?"
"Decent enough." Something buzzed in his pocket and he cursed quietly. "And that's probably them…I'll see you, though, all right?"
"See you."
Sure enough, he was back in the diner that evening. Toast and eggs over easy with coffee again. He was back to his notebook, but not for very long. Gena tried not to be nosy, but she did catch a glimpse when she was refilling his mug. Looked like scribbles to her, mostly.
"Yes, it's shorthand," Jake said without looking up.
Damn. Caught. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be. That's why I learned." He closed the notebook and set it aside with a heavy sigh. "Just happy I'm back in a city that makes sense. You ever tried driving in Boston?"
"Can't say I have."
"Don't do it. And they hate the Cubs even more there." He grinned and took a long sip of coffee. "They get Daredevil out of his neighborhood again?"
"A few times, I think." She tried to stay out of it. As long as the fighting wasn't in her neighborhood, she figured she was allowed a little ignorance. "Your employer treating you okay?"
"Riding my ass a bit, but nothing I can't handle." He shrugged. "Hard times. Makes people testy. I can always take a longer route if I want to be spiteful. Don't think he knows the difference."
Gena chuckled. "Fair enough. How are your brothers?"
"Doing okay. Both busy, too."
"What do they do?"
"Steven's unemployed right now. Marc…doesn't talk about work. Nothing illegal, he just likes to keep his cards close." He shrugged. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Which deity did your staff make a deal with? Because these…" He pointed down to his eggs. "...have been perfect three times in a row. I am never that lucky."
He was so earnest about it, too. "That's proprietary," she said, "but I'll pass my compliments along to the chef."
"Well, whatever it is, keep doing it. I'm not complaining."
The door slammed a little too hard. She didn't miss the way he winced as he glanced back over his shoulder, then relaxed when he saw it was just a patron with their arms full. "Consíguelo," he scolded himself. Then, "Hey, when does the snow start around here?"
"If we're lucky, we'll get a few months before it does. Why?"
"Curious if I'll miss it. Never seen a New York winter."
"You'll have to go upstate if you want it pretty. It's nice here for all of half an hour, even with the decreased traffic. And if you’re thinking of coming back for the holidays, the ball drop’s not worth it.”
“Not even for a one-time experience?”
“Not even for that. Too damn cold.”
“Fair enough. So…what is worth doing in this city? I don’t want to spend my free time in the hotel room again.”
Gena had to think about it. She’d lived in New York her whole life. It made seeing the special places difficult sometimes. And so much of the city had been closed up or abandoned since…whatever it was that happened.
But she knew there were still some places left.
“You got space in that notebook?”
He did, and he wrote down every single location she suggested. There was a quiet intensity in his eyes as he did, like it was all the most important things anyone could’ve told him.
“...and I suppose if you want to do the touristy stuff, you can,” Gena finished.. “I’m sure some travel blog has a listicle of places still up and running.”
“Probably.” Jake set down his pen. “Gracias. I’ll let you know how many I try.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t let your employers grind you down too hard, yeah? I know they’re handing you a paycheck, but you’ve got to live sometime.”
Jake sipped his coffee and nodded. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Yeah, that’s good advice.”
Suspected serial rapist Edmund Weller was found dead in an alley on the west side. The only witness–his would-be victim–claimed a white-clad figure saved her, walked her to a 24 hour convenience store, and disappeared once she was safe. The clerk backed her story; however, police were unable to find evidence of any such figure in the city.
She only saw him once more that year.
It was winter break. She had managed to get the boys out of the house to see some fresh snowfall in Central Park. It was mostly abandoned, save for the odd family or overly ambitious jogger.
And Jake, sitting on a park bench, watching the snow fall.
Gena thought about going to say “hello”, but the peaceful look on his face stopped her. He had the look of a man enjoying his solitude; she didn’t want to disturb that.
Besides, something told her she’d be seeing him again.
He didn’t know what happened on that trip.
In a way, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t his job to handle everything for Marc. Just the burdens he couldn’t bear.
It was nice to slip out for no real reason for once. To enjoy some quiet and peace.
He didn’t get that very often.