Storm

"Jesse? You're up pretty early today." Richard casually pulled the door shut behind him. "I was just about to make something to eat."

"Will she come back?" Jessica asked.

"Maybe. I don't know."

Richard started walking out, seeming to want to avoid the subject.

After returning last night, he had told the tenants that Galacta had left. He explained that Galacta had only been staying here temporarily, and that her father had now sent someone to pick her up.

Though he had made it sound as simple as possible, it was all true.

Still, for some reason, the way Galacta had acted when she left kept giving him the illusion that seeing her again would be difficult.

Richard figured maybe Galactus would not allow it. Maybe Galacta running away from home this time had made Galactus furious? Or perhaps Galactus had warned her not to associate with strange people anymore?

Who knew?

Jessica's expression was somewhat complicated. "Boss, you know... even though I usually make jokes, before this... before Galacta, they were only jokes."

Richard paused and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that she was different, wasn't she?"

Seeing him stare at her, Jessica helplessly spread her hands. "Don't look at me like that, Boss. It's actually pretty obvious. I know you have some secrets, and Gali definitely does too. There are a lot of things at your level that I don't understand, but you understand each other, don't you?

"I can see how she differs from me... from the rest of us. She could understand you and help you. Before her, no one had ever been able to do that. That was why she seemed special, wasn't it?"

Richard fell silent for a while, then slowly turned his head.

"Come to think of it,