| “ | I don’t want to just see someone’s face; I want to know his shadow, too. | ” |
–Jude, in Never Fade | ||
Jude was a fifteen year old yellow kid who had been apart of the Children's League. He was on Catherine "Cate" Connor team and worked with Ruby Daly, Vida Bautista, and Nicolas Ramirez.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
As a child, Jude was abused by his parents and was often locked in closets and small spaces resulting in his claustrophobia and anxiety. His father would become angrier if he was in view so to prevent that his mother would put him in the closet.
He was eventually brought to the Children's League by Cate. He met and befriended Nico and Blake Howard, as they shared the same interests despite being different colors.
Never Fade[]
Jude was first introduced when Ruby arrived at the Children's League's Los Angeles base and joined Cate's team. Jude was not deterred by Ruby's attitude and unsociable attitude, and eventually they become close. He became Ruby and Vida's "one-man welcoming committee" after they came back from League opertations (Ops), since he was still too young to be allowed to go on dangerous missions.
Jude was distraught when Blake Howard was unexpectedly killed during an Op. He, along with the rest of his team, began speculating that Rob Meadows and his associates had more to do with it than they claimed. Because of this, Ruby bargained with a higher-up agent she and Vida recently rescued, Cole Stewart, in order to ensure that Rob would not sabotage Jude.
Unfortunately, Jude was assigned to go with Ruby on her Op to find Liam Stewart in Boston, likely as a result of Rob pulling strings. He was extremely nervous during the whole flight, and Rob's presence made Ruby extra concerned about his safety. After arriving, she decided to abandon the Op and brings Jude with her to continue searching on their own. Shortly afterwards, Jude got momentarily lost in a big riot in downtown Boston. He stood up on a cinder block and touched a streetlamp, using his power to turn on all of the long-dead street and building lights. Nearby PSFs realized that he and Ruby were Psi and knock them unconscious, throwing them into a truck. In order to escape, Ruby told Jude to shut down the car engine, and he complied. Although it caused another truck to rear-end them, they managed to escape without injury.
The two eventually decided to risk taking a train, but Vida found and confronted them at the train station. Panicking, Jude snuck up behind her and gave her a "love zap", stunning her into sleep. They continued on the run again, but Vida caught up and told them, much to their surprise, that Cate and Cole had sent her to assist them rather than detain them.
After continuing the search for some time, Ruby reunited with her friend, Charles Meriwether, or "Chubs", who joined their mission. Vida warned the group about a hostile tribe of Blues in their area, but Jude and her were ambushed and separated from the others. They were held hostage at a warehouse by Knox; a Blue who claimed to be the infamous Slip Kid. Ruby and Chubs arrived to rescue them, though they were unable to. Knox abused them, treating them like prisoners and forcing Ruby and Vida to fight a captured Red, until eventually Ruby used her Orange abilities to force Knox and his followers out of the warehouse.
Jude and his group took leadership of the tribe. As it turned out, Liam Stewart was at the warehouse, locked outside in the "White Tent" and sick with pneumonia. He, Ruby, Chubs, and Vida, along with some of the Blues, left to loot a nearby airport that had vital supplies, medicines, and rations. Jude was able to break in undetected, but Knox and his small group attacked them and alerted the PSFs to their location. By the time they defeated Knox, Ruby was stabbed and they were surrounded by PSFs. Jude and the Blues used their powers and managed to hold off the PSFs long enough to take supplies and scatter.
Ruby was taken, not by PSFs, but by Skip-tracers. It was revealed that Rob is among them. Vida ended up inadvertently killing him after tracking him and Ruby down.
At the end of the book, while trying to escape a collapsing and bombed HQ, Jude got caught up in the panic and was crushed in the tunnel. When Liam and Chubs went back down into the tunnels to try and find him, the only thing they brought back up to the surface is his compass, crushed and bent from the force of what fell on him. The compass was given to Jude by John Alban on his first day in the Children's League, and he always wore it around his neck.
Personality[]
Jude had a bright outlook on life and believed people are good and not all were bad. He was known for being an optimist in times of doubt or sadness. He was a bit naive to how harsh the world had become, which was why Ruby felt the need to protect him against the actual very harsh world. He was incredibly kind and had a huge heart. He was a very wholesome, youthful boy who always tried to find the best in people and really learn about them.
Physical Description[]
Fan depiction of Jude
Jude was described as having a mop of curly reddish-brown hair, freckles on his nose, ears that stick out from his head and big amber eyes. He was incredibly skinny and tall and Cate had nicknamed his hands and feet 'Puppy Paws' because they were so big compared to the rest of him, like he hadn't fully grown into his height.
Abilities[]
Jude was a powerful yellow, thanks to the training at HQ. He was able to control the electrical current of power boxes and zap people to unconsciousness. When Ruby and Jude go on a hit in Nashville with the tribe of Blues, they are targeted by PSFs. Jude takes the electricity from the lights and devices in the warehouse and collects it all to him, causing blue electricity to ball up in his fists and dance up his arms and cover his whole body. He walked out into the rain and let the electricity spring from him and to the PSFs, electrocuting them and killing them. Ruby described him as a blue ball of light in the rain, static crackling in the air around him from the power he posed over the electricity.
The needle of his compass that he always wore around his neck always pointed towards him, and not true north, because the electric current always running under him overpowered the needle.
Relationships[]
Nicolas Ramirez[]
Nico was Jude's best friend and they often spent time together at the Children's League. They were also roommates.
Ruby Elizabeth Daly[]
Jude always welcomed Ruby when she came back from an OP. She acted cold at first, not wanting to get close to him in case she happened to lose him. Their friendship developed as the story progressed and they become very close. Ruby took on a almost parental role to Jude during their adventure, protecting him and making sure he was okay, but Jude died in the bombing of HQ, leaving Ruby to his ghost.
Vida Bautista[]
Their friendship started early when Cate rescued Vida and Jude from the PSFS. Then they started to work together. As the story progressed they become very close. Vida liked to playfully tease Jude.
Liam[]
Jude immediately liked Liam and looked up to him. They discussed bands and movies on the way back to California.
Catherine "Cate" Connor[]
Cate was like Jude's reassuring mother. She took care of him and had a special place in her heart for his sunny personality and innocent view on the world. She was crushed when Ruby and the gang showed up at the Ranch, with Jude left behind under the rubble in Los Angeles.
Quotes[]
"Lead on, Leader."
"I don't want to just know someone's face, I want to know his shadows too."