EVIL SKY
Disclaimer: I have and make no claim on any Mighty Med copyright. Non- Mighty Med characters and settings are my own.
Note: This story consists of four chapters.
"There's a storm coming, Skyler Storm." The fury in her words horrified Oliver. What monstorous thoughts were in her head, he thought. She has powers to do almost anything. I may die here.
"What are you planning to do?" he asked.
"Whatever I want. Whatever the Annihilator wants me to do."
Experion ran into the room, followed by the Annihilator. "A squad of Mighty Military just entered the hospital, we need to leave!" Experion said.
"Let's move," the Annihilator ordered. "Storm, get us out of here." She opened a space portal and Experion jumped through it, the Annihilator following. Skyler turned to Oliver.
"Meet me tomorrow at the west entrance to school ten minutes before homeroom. Come alone. If you don't, I'll destroy the school and everyone in it." She flew through the portal, which closed behind her.
"Oliver, what are you going to do?" Kaz asked. Six men in armored uniforms, carrying laser rifles, rushed into the room, followed by Horace.
"Room's clear," the lead man reported.
"Boys," Horace asked, "where'd they go?"
"Skyler created a space portal, they went through it." Kaz answered.
"We need to figure out what they plan to do," Horace said to the man who's uniform bore different insignia than the others.
"No," said Kaz. "We have a bigger problem. Skyler wants Oliver to meet her alone tomorrow morning, or she'll destroy the school and everyone inside."
"Is this true?" Horace asked Oliver, who nodded. Turning to the soldier he had spoken to, he said "Captain, how do we handle this?" The captain, who apparently was in charge of the military group, walked to Oliver, studying the nervous boy.
"That depends on Oliver. What do you think, kid?"
"I-I think I should meet her. If I don't, she'll do what she said. There really isn't any choice."
"Oliver, she could make you explode," Kaz warned.
"That's true," Horace said. "But I think a professional opinion is called for. Oliver, this is Captain Galahad, of Mighty Military. Captain, what do you think Oliver should do?"
"It would be best if you met her," he said, speaking directly to the boy. "It is a grave risk to run, but if you could establish a continuing conversation with her, we might glean knowledge of their plans, and any internal issues we can exploit. This is a great deal to ask, do you feel able to do this?"
"I have to. I'm responsible for Skyler getting back her powers. The Annihilator somehow managed to infect them tonight. I can't let her do anything so bad she won't forgive herself when we cure her. Whatever he did couldn't have been well thought out, he had only seconds to do it. We can undo it. I'll meet her tomorrow and try to make that a regular thing." Oliver and Kaz were allowed to leave, and went home.
"I must say I can't be as sure as Oliver about our chances to cure Skyler," Horace said.
"It doesn't matter. That isn't a risk we can accept. If the boy can't establish a pipeline into the group tomorrow, she will have to be terminated. My squad will set up a perimeter around the school to observe the meeting and take action, if necessary. I'll leave you to clean up."
. . . . .
The portal closed behind her. They were in an open space laid out as four baseball fields. Skyler recalled having been here some weeks ago, there was music, and laughter. In a wave of anger, she mentally crushed the memories of happiness with normos. "I know this place," the Annihilator said. "I have a small lair here. That way." He pointed the direction and they walked to a small brick building, a public toilet. Entering, he tapped out a pattern on the grey tiled wall and a panel opened, revealing an elevator car. They entered and it travelled down, opening to a darkened room. Lights turned on as they stepped out. Skyler noticed Experion looking her over.
"You know, Sky, now that we're working together, maybe we should spend some time together."
"Stop talking. Also, stop thinking. You were bested by two normos who put hardly any effort into it. As if I would have anything to do with you."
The Annihilator welcomed the discord between his new henchmen, chaos his overarching goal, but there was work to be done. "Experion, we need food. Go and get some." The turncoat hero rushed to obey. "Storm, come here."
"I'm yours to command. How may I serve you?"
"The normos at Mighty Med. Tell me about them."
"Their names are Kaz and Oliver. Among other normos, they do not stand out as either leaders or followers. They aren't cowards, but they aren't reflexively courageous. Kaz is self-absorbed and rather lazy, Oliver lacks confidence and submits to others too easily."
"How are they making names for themselves at Mighty Med? You describe nothingness."
"Despite their flaws they are both intelligent. Their interest in the comic books which finance Mighty operations has given them a deep and broad knowledge of superheros and villains, and when together, they can intuit responses to almost any situation involving our kind."
"Then they must be kept apart. Disrupt the more potentially dangerous of the two, while I decide my next move."
. . . . .
Oliver stepped from the sidewalk to the school walkway, and looked around. No one else was there, the western facade was not an inviting entrance. The steel doors needed painting, and the walkway was cracked and uneven. She had chosen the location well. Suddenly, three feet in front of him, the fabric of the universe tore open. A portal formed right before his eyes. That was almost me, he thought. Would I have survived being split open as a portal? She flew through and landed, the portal closing as if healing. She was in full normo mode, with one difference- the red streak in her hair was now green. It wasn't very noticeable, her porkpie hat mostly covered it, but he saw. Although they were on the west side of the school, her eyes shone with the glint of sunlight on the edge of a knife.
"Good, you know your place. You will do everything I tell you to, with no argument. Hesitation will be punished. Do you accept my terms?" Oliver thought- I have to do this. "You're hesitating." Skyler stepped closer and punched him, low in the abdomen, hard enough he was pushed back a foot. Oliver sank to his knees, doubled over in pain. "Hesitate again and I'll do worse."
Oliver nodded and struggled to his feet, trying not to show weakness. "You wanted this meeting, what do you want?"
"Annihilator wants to study the situation before deciding his next move. He wants an eye kept on you, so I'm going to continue here at school. We are going to be spending a lot of time together. Starting today, we are boyfriend and girlfriend." Oliver's jaw dropped. "I know you well enough not to trust you. I'm not giving you and Kaz time together to plan something. Today, we are getting tossed into detention. We don't have classes together this morning, so after second period, we hook up in the hallway and start making out. That will be at least a week long punishment. If that's not enough, we'll do it again next week. Now, walk me to homeroom, and make it look good." He took her hand and opened the door. They entered, both smiling, she nuzzling her cheek against his when anyone seemed to notice the couple. Arriving at her room, he tried to release her hand. "Walk me to my desk." He did, and there they kissed, briefly but romantically. As he left, Oliver heard students commenting about the pair. This is everything I've wanted, he thought. Skyler my girlfriend, handholding, kissing. Everything, in the worst way possible. My dream has become a nightmare. I have to cure her.
"So, you and Flippy Longstocking, huh?"
Oliver turned, it was Jordan, an about to pounce grin on her face. "You heard?"
"I saw. The lovey-dovey perp walk. So, how did it happen?"
"Uhh, well, yester- yesterday we were studying together, and, uhh, I just leaned over and kissed her, and she kissed back. It just happened."
"That was risky. You aren't much of a risk taker, what changed?"
"Nothing. I don't know why I did it. It just happened."
"Oliver!" Kaz called out from the other end of the hall, and began walking towards them.
"What did Kaz say when you told him?"
"I kind of haven't told him yet."
"Really?" Jordan's grin pounced. "This should be awkward."
"You're dating her? Now?" Kaz asked as he arrived.
"Ye- yes. We are boyfriend and girlfriend."
"This is not a good idea, Oliver."
"It's not an idea, it's a reality."
"No, I don't think you've thought this through."
"This isn't thoughts, it's emotions. Connie and I are in love."
"This can't be happening."
"Kaz, you just have to accept it. We have to get to class." Oliver left.
Kaz started walking. Jordan joined him. "You're more bothered than I expected. Why?"
"Sk- Connie, is a good person, but she's going through a few things right now. I don't think it's a good time for her to be starting a relationship. Jordan- I think we all need to give her some space, stand back from her. For her own good."