QD:Season 2, Chapter 1. (Streetsweepers meet Blood-Orange and Purple-Pepper)

JS and Chokecherry were back out on patrol.

It was a few weeks later now, and Chokie had mostly recovered from her burns.
JS had some residual twinges of sadness and regret over the loss of his brother, but was recovering fairly well.

JS had long since met Eidolon, and she'd seamlessly blended in as a team member.
Since they knew her before as Omneron, there really wasn't much adjustment to be made.

Chokie repeatedly made half-joking comments to the effect of "she reminds me of me at that age, she's perfect, can't we just adopt her?".

JS kept treating it as jokes, and shrugging it off with an occasional non-committal grunt.

Somehow, the topic of Mage-Shiv came up.

Chokecherry with laughter in her voice, said "I actually wouldn't mind a threesome with a sexy fan if they were nice, but Mage-Shiv is a flakey psycho bitch. She's well known in the community. You really want nothing to do with her".


Just then, two figures leapt into their path.

Both of them female, Asian, and wearing skin tight spandex and rubber outfits.
The one on the left was clad in orange, and stockier in build.
The other, taller, thinner, clad in purple, and with a mask and visor covering more of her face and head.

They proclaimed themselves as Blood-Orange, and Purple-Pepper, respectively, then struck dramatic comic book poses.


JS tilted his head towards Chokie in a manner that indicated he was grinning behind the mask, which indicated he was pretty much saying "speaking of groupies...".

Chokie smirked, shook her head, and simply said "sweety, they're gay".

JS recoiled in confusion.

"I know these guys", she said.
"They're Amy and Alex, my lesbian friends who took in that kid we rescued from the psycho-Christian".

JS finally snapped to recognition "oh, yeah, and they helped make your suit".

"So, you guys are angling to join our team, I take it?", Chokie asked.

"Hell, yeah, sis", Blood-Orange said.

"Gotta keep the old band together, after all", Purple-Pepper said with a wry smirk.

BO, PP, and CC starting to chat about the old days.
JS tuned out.
He didn't know any of their acquaintances.

He picked up that Amy/Blood-Orange was the more cheery fun-loving personality, and that Alex/Purple Pepper was an ultra-feminist ball-buster.

Politically, both of them reminded him of Comrade Crimson Crossbow.
Which in turn reminded him, that he was grateful he'd abandoned that cumbersome wrist crossbow of his, in favor of two kama stowed on his back.
They fit his costume theme better anyway.

As the flow of the conversation proceeded, JS gloomily resigned himself that these two women were the next two Streetsweepers.

"Ah, well, does any man really like his wife's friends?", he asked himself, with an inward shrug.

As if by telepathy, Eidolon broke in over internet watch.
"So, are these two broads on our team now? If so, are they coming to live with us? Cuz, I don't wanna have to move my shit around again".

BO laughed.
"We're keeping our own place, honey".

PP snarked "besides, we already have a brat to take care of".

"Kewl", Eidolon replied in an unreadable deadpan.
Then added "oh, and Chokecherry? No thanks on the whole mommy thing. Really".

Chokecherry blushed.
"Snoopy little bitch", she mumbled.

JS smiled.
It was clunky, and gradual, but the team was growing.
Phase 2 was coming along nicely.