QD:Season 2, Chapter 26. (Reverse Breakfast)

Just before chapter 21, this happened...


Dusty Irwin was awoken by the alarm clock.

Dusty loved being awake.
Awake was where he could be The Jade Shade.

Asleep was where he had to wait to be Jade Shade again.

Being married to Chokecherry, and hanging out with and mentoring other heroes was pretty damned sweet too.

He jumped out of bed, ready and excited to face the day.

Having Chokecherry sharing the job with him helped a lot too.
None of that "you and your crazy dreams", bullshit.
He couldn't imagine having a ball-busting harpy chopping away at him.
He then remembered his hallucination from Mr. Sleepy Seeds, and shuddered.

Unlike that world, he never questioned why he existed.
He knew exactly what he was for.

He sighed happily, went down to the kitchen, drank milk, and ate what he damned well wanted.
What he damned well wanted was toaster pastry, and he made it himself without whining.

Eidolon was there, and he listened to her talk to Chokie, and was immediately interested.
His girls weren't knuckleheads.

She was not a valueless little bastard like most of her schoolmates.
All they wanted was stuff.
And what meaningless shit it all was.

Eidie had her doodads, but she put them to valuable use, and they didn't come in vomitous neon pink.

"Cram Rockwell paintings, THIS is the American dream", Dusty thought with a smile.

Eidie was shoveling down a bowl of Zam Bonies, and he didn't mind at all.

"Kimber, Irma, Chokie, the shit we've been through, and they never broke your spirit", he thought as he ogled her up and down.

He looked at Eidie, and saw Chokie in her future.
"You lucky, lucky, girl", he thought.
Then, he felt sad for everyone else's daughters.

Chokie noticed the smiling, and smiled back.

All of this couldn't be more perfect if flying saucers were outside the windows vomiting forth flocks of choir-ing angels guided along green tractor beams.

Dusty finally slapped on the JS mask, threw on his coat, and said "whelp, better hit the old dusty trail! Don't wanna be late!", with genuine pep.

He flipped up the mask, and kissed Chokie passionately on the way out.
"Because that's what we do".

Eidie rolled her eyes, and she followed after him, because he was her ride to her shift at Lovely's.