Against The Odds

Sequel to One In A Million. "I'm trying to live a normal life. But how normal can it be when your boyfriend's a superhero? Or that super freaks may target you because of it? Or that you're trying to become a professional artist, something that is extremely hard to do? Yeah. Welcome to my life." AceXLexi TechXOC RevXOC


Usually, time flies during my favourite class, Social and Media Arts. But I just wanted it to be over. Why? Well, for one thing, who isn't anxious for the end of the school day? Secondly, today was my last day of official school. Besides graduation later on this month, anyway.

Luckily, it's almost the Christmas holidays. I only had two months of school to complete when I came back from living with the Loonatics. But once I'm done school, I'll move in with them. I had arranged it all with everyone, and my family was somewhat okay with it. Amazingly, it only took a few days for the Loonatics' HQ to be reconstructed, because of Tech's machine that can take an entire holographic blueprint of a building (and everything inside) and make it solid again. Pretty cool right?

There's only five minutes left of class, and I'm bored out of my mind. I decided to draw in my MyTab. I stuck out my tongue between my lips as I shaded in the girl's hair. Three minutes. I put my MyTab back in my bag after saving the drawing. Two minutes. Come on clock move faster! Sadly, staring at it won't make time go faster. One minute. Oh come on, how can sixty seconds be this slow. Twenty-five seconds. I drummed my fingers on my desk. Ten, nine, eight, I sigh. Come on! Three two-

one. The bell rang and I sprang up from my chair, my bookbag slung on my shoulder and I was the first one out of the door. It was a good thing too, because I could make a getaway for the exit without getting trampled by everyone else. Holly: One, school: 0. (Did I seriously just do that? Oh god.)

It was a cloudy day, with a bit of sunlight peeking in through somewhere. Snow covered everything, the trees, the fountain in the middle of the campus front, over the cars.

"Well hello there."

I groaned and turned around. Ever since the news had come out that I had won the contest and helped defeat this really evil guy named Arachnin who kidnapped my family (he's in jail now, don't worry) I had suddenly become popular. So now all these people that used to bully me in high school and suddenly trying to become my friend and it's really annoying, because they wouldn't spare a second glance at me if I wasn't famous. I just hope it dies down soon.

Brad, a dog anthro, was one of these people, smiling at me, with his stupid wavy blonde hair.

"Hi," I said dully. It's in my nature to be polite.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me," he flashed me a cocky smile. I rolled my eyes and then glared at him.

"No. I have a boyfriend," I replied. I walked past him, bumping into his shoulder on purpose. It was common knowledge that Tech E. Coyote, the Loonatic, was my boyfriend. Involuntarily I smiled a little at the thought. In fact, we were coming on three months.

It was part of the reason I was so excited for school to finally be over. I had only been able to visit him and the other Loonatics on the weekends, but for the past two weeks they had been so busy working (and I with homework) and we never got to see each other. It's been horrible. Stupid work.

I crossed the parking lot, where I was practically ambushed by my best friend Mary Wishbone. She's a short gray mouse anthro with a little black nose, short and curly black hair, and big chocolate brown eyes. Her fiance, Darren, is a lucky guy. She's the best friend anyone could ask for.

"My mum's been driving me crazy," she explained. I nodded. Mary was the only child in her family, and could be over-motherly sometimes, so Mrs Wishbone must be talking about the wedding coming up. It would be in a few months, although Mary and her mother were still arguing about the wedding date (Mary wanted a winter one, Mrs Wishbone wanted a spring one).

"She just wants what's best for you," I said as we walked towards Mary's small, light blue punch-buggy car. We got in and Mary started the car. We pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards the Loonatics HQ. Ever since I left for school this morning, Darren (he was here for the wedding obviously), Slam and Tech had been moving my bed and furniture into my old room in HQ.

"She also wants be to wear a super frilly, lacey wedding dress," Mary sighed. I made a grossed out face. Frill and lace? Poor girl.

"Just tell her."

"And break her heart? No...not yet at least."

We drove on, after I put the radio on, singing along (very badly, on my part at least. No really. I sound like something's dying,) to the songs. We rounded the bend of the street, and saw the Loonatics HQ. Home. We parked the car in a large garage. It was fairly empty, since most of the Loonatics' equipment was in the hangar in their main living space.

I let the scanner scan my face and it allowed us into the elevator. Originally, the only people who could get in like that was the Loonatics (and the occasional pizza guy) but since I visited often, I got added into the acceptance folder of the computer, along with Tech's cousin Natalya E. Wolf who also lived in there with them, although she often didn't accompany them on missions.

I don't know too much about her. She's really driven and serious, and is completely no-nonsense, although if you can crack her shell she can be a lot of fun sometimes. Or that's what Tech tells me. I haven't been able to crack the hardness yet. Her mom Angelina is best friends with my aunt Angelina (from my mom's side), and they live together along with my aunt's daughter Lacey (Aunt Angelina got divorced from Lacey's dad when she was really little; I don't know what happened to Natalya's dad though), who is best friends with Natalaya. Lacey might even visit for Christmas, although nothing's been confirmed yet.

The elevator shot up and took us to the main floor of the Loonatics, where Rev, Lexi, Natalya and Duck were waiting. Duck was watching TV (most likely soap operas), Lexi was reading, it looked like Natalya was doing something for work (she works for the government; Department of Highly Dangerous Weapons) and it seemed like Rev was talking to her.

"-so-what'cha-working-on?" he asked in his fast as ever speech. Natalya looked briefly annoyed, but she didn't glare at him.

"Paperwork. Trying to figure out exactly what code should be used for the new power drainer so nobody except an elite group can use it," she explained. Power drainer; I shivered slightly as Mary and I stepped into the room. Bad memories. Rev instantly noticed us, and zoomed over.

"School's-over-yeah-finally-boy-Tech'll-be-glad-to-see-you-well-not-that-I'm-not-glad-to-see-you-but-" He said as soon as he stopped hugging me. I chuckled softly.

"I get it Rev," I said happily. He could make anyone happier.

"Holly's here?" Duck said in a bored voice, glancing up from his TV show. "Great. Good-bye peacefulness." I simply smiled; I knew, actually, he was probably pretty happy to see me, but he prefers sarcasm to actually showing his has, like, a heart or anything.

Then Lexi hugged me, although she had managed to get away from work last week and we had hung out for a bit.

"Hey Natalya," I said brightly once the bunny had let go. She smiled a little in my direction. Natalya was a short, light gray wolf with a white-tipped tail. She was wearing a dark blue turtle-neck and black jeans. She had cold blue eyes. A little over two months ago, she saved my life twice from Arachnin, so even if we weren't really close, I still liked her. I'm determined to crack her outer shell and to get her to loosen up.

The doors to the elevator opened, and Tech walked out, looking at a diagram. "Well, everything's set up, I'll be heading to the la-" He looked up, and his face split into a grin. I hugged him tightly. I had missed him so much! His hand that seemed to perfectly fit with mine, smiling, laughing, kissing. Even when we let go, his arm was slung around my waist. "How are you?"

"Great, now I'm here," I replied, grinning. No matter what, Tech always managed to make me smile. The elevator opened again, and Ace and Slam walked out. I hugged Ace quickly, and then Slam gave me a bone crushing hug and ruffled my flaming red hair, making it even messier then usual.

It was great to be back. To come back home.

(0)

Now, you're probably wondering why I'm sitting on the couch in the main room in the middle of the night right? The answer: nightmares. Although HQ was safe, there had been a couple of instances (like Mastermind and Sypher breaking in,) and the fact I left to go to Arachnin. Spiders freaked me out even more now.

I couldn't stand to be in my room. It just felt so unsafe, like someone was going to come barging in any moment, that Arachnin was going to kidnap one of my loved ones again, or me. Somehow I felt safer in the main room, because no one could enter without me knowing.

However, I still couldn't fall asleep. I don't know how long I had been laying on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, when I heard footsteps. I sat up to see who it was; Tech. It looked like he had been getting something for his machine, and under different circumstances, I would've scolded him for pulling an all-nighter.

"Holly, what's wrong?" he asked. He set whatever he had been getting (it looked like a hammer) onto the table in front of the couch once he sat beside me.

"Nightmares..." I said quietly, trailing off as the images flashed through my mind again. Why couldn't they just go away? I just wanted to forget. He wrapped his arms around me and I naturally leaned in.

"I won't let anything hurt you," he promised.

A smile tugged at my lips. "I know." I instantly felt safer though. I yawned. "You shouldn't be pulling all-nighters." Back to normal circumstances.

He yawned too. "I know, I was just finishing up a project. You should be getting to bed."

"You too," I replied as I snuggled into him further. He lay down on the couch, an arm draped around me, with me cocooned between the couch, with my arm on his chest and my leg resting on one of his. My eyelids got heavy. I blinked a few times, before I finally drifted off to sleep, safe in his arms.


The sequel is here! You're lucky, you only had to wait a few days! :) So, I guess this counts as the prologue, so that's my excuse as to why it's shorter then usual. The last bit was my favourite! :)

Also, in regards to Destiny's Path and Parenthood, both are currently on Hatius, (stupid writer's block and lack of inspiration D:) so I'll be focusing on this story and The Shadow Chronicles: Forgotten (please review it, the first chapter is EPIC!). I'll still be updating every Friday, promise, for this story, and for Forgotten probably every Sunday. Okay, that's it. Please review.