It was never esey for me. Hunted and beat near death by heroes and villains alike. To be forced to live in their world with no escape but the confines of my own mind. I've been beat, tortured, even burned; I've taken every thing they slam into me in silence. I learned to hide, carry a gun with me for when power isn't powerful, to survive. To take the hits with out braking stride. Still I never dreamed that I'd have to deal with the spawn of my mortal enemy on daily basis. Still I want to reach out and snap the boy's neck, but am held back from tuning him to nice crispy toast by some flicker of restraint. My only question is how long will that cord of decency hold?
Warren Peace sighed to him self as the bus holding the Stronghold protégé landed. He was still somewhat curious how the ever proud if not idiotic Commander reacted to his son being a sidekick. He still had his little club or whatever. Warren just leaned back against the wall of the school imaging the look on the Commander's face if he ever received a box of little ashes marked 'Wesley' or what ever the boy's name was. The moment passed and left Warren sickened. He would never stoop to the level of a hero. His father had raised him better that that. His thoughts wandered till the shrill beeping of the warning bell sounded out. He shouldered his bag and strode into the school. Terrified students fled in a hurry to not be the one his prestigious temper was made known a pone.
Boomer had a new line of 'fun' for the junior class come fifth period that day. The Gladiator. Old seniors from past hero battles would be set up in the bottom gym. A pair had fifteen minutes to survive and save the citizens. Not surprisingly Warren was chosen to go first in the solo runs. The teenager swore Boomer had something against him, but still got suited up and headed down there with out a word.
The lower gym was covered in grass. Warren stepped out consciously from the stair well and doors he swore had never been there whooshed closed. The lights had dimmed to twilight still there was cold, heavy moisture in the air that made him uncomfortable as he ran towards the sound of battle. The grass was staring to splash out small puddles when he stepped on it. It started to pore down rain, instantly soaking him. Warren blinked away the rain in time to see a car flying at him. He hit the ground with out a second thought, and then sprinted forward tackling the aggressor. Stormwatch was now in jail for life for this particular incident, yet here she was brown hair soaked in her own rain. She turned swinging in to a high kick. Warren dodged grabbing her foot and throwing her to the side.
Stormwatch caught herself and lunged for him again. This time they both were thrown off balance and were left brawling on the ground. All the citizens had fled the area, making it so empty that every hit echoed out. Warren was at a slight disadvantage as his powers were weakened by the water as his fire was not as scorching as he wanted. Stormwatch smirked as she caught him by the neck pinning him down. Warren's flame sputtered in response to the lack of oxygen. He grabbed on to her wrists burning them black. The villainess let go screaming, as Warren rolled over gasping in air.
"Combustion!" she screamed at him, her boot caching him in the chin.
"Ah, no one generation younger." Warren mumbled, dogging the next attack. He brought his foot in a wide flaming arch connecting it with her temple. Stormwatch went fling and disappeared, the illusion vanished leaving an empty football feld sized room with wet concrete floors. Warren turned on his heal and strode out. This year was going to be hell.
O.O
Warren looked up from his book and instantly wished he could shoot lasers from his eyes. Stronghold sat not but a table away from him. If looks could kill he would have dropped dead before the redhead next to him knew what was happening. The gun he hid in his boot seemed to press in to his skin.
"Is he still looking?"
Warren looked down as the redhead turned around. Parsley just wanting to mess with them parsley making sure the safety was still on. Just in case. He looked back up at the same time Stronghold turned around.
"I thought you said he wasn't looking."
Warren smirked. School was going to suck but not as bad. Keep telling your self that Wren. Sooner or later you'll believe it.
O.OWarren sat still constraining on his book. Having faced off a rage inducing villain––The Berserker––that had ambushed him the night before he was avoiding people, more than usual that is. That was before food splattered on him. Oh crap! Was about the last intelligible thought he had, as he stood and turned.
It was Stronghold. Rage exploded in him, so that he barley caught what was said to him and what he said.
"S-sorry."
"You think you can do what ever you want just because your name is Stronghold!"
"Look I'm sorry my dad threw your dad in jail but––"
Dead to all reasoning now, Warren grabbed Stronghold's shirt. "No body talks about my father!" His hands ignited.
He saw the fear in Stronghold's eyes as he let his arms burn.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" the entire cafeteria cheered. Warren hurled flame at Stronghold, destroying the lunch table tray that had been lifted for desperate protection. Warren hurled another flaming ball of unconcerned rage at him and destroyed part of the cafeteria line.
Stronghold scurried under a table. Warren jumped on top raining flame down on him. "Where's your sidekick, sidekick?"
"Right here."
Warren looked up. A hippie, purple Goth, nightlight and orange tec-support. Can't you get something better? Oh well, they want to fight Stronghold's battles then they can take his beatings! He raised his arms and felt the fire contort into a ball. Tec-support melted. A Popsicle…. nice.
"Leave them alone!" Surprise smothered out the flames, as the table lifted. "I'm strong?" Stronghold sounded surprised as Warren was. Next thing Warren knew he was thrown through the air and hit the ceiling then crashed onto a table. It shattered.
Cheering was just under a dull throb in Warren's ears. "Stronghold!" Warren let his arms burn. He almost wanted the laugh as the Boy Wonder uncertainty put up his fists. Warren charged and swung, barely missing but singing several hairs as Stronghold ducked. He turned and slammed his foot into the freshman's stomach; Wonder boy skidded across the ground.
Warren charged again but this time Stronghold scored a hit. It felt like being hit by a train. Warren felt walls crumble as he hit them; an icy flash in his back let him know several 'something's' were broken. Vegly he was aware of Boomer and Medulla gaping at him as he pushed off the dented vent and climb back through the hole in the wall…and several other holes in walls.
"Think I can't take a hit!" Warren's arms exploded in flame as he let out a wild howling yell. He charged. The hippie threw Stronghold a fire extinguisher. If I can just get to him…. Warren sprung and was thrown back by white foam. By the time he opened his eyes Powers was standing over him. Crap!
"You two fallow me. Now." She glared. Warren picked himself up off the floor and stormed after her. Down the hall and into a room.
"I don't see why I'm in trouble. He started it."
"Your dad started it and I'm going to end it!"
Click. Warren's scowl deepened. He could feel the flame just below the surface. Clawing to be free; begging him to let it louse. He tried again. Click.
"Don't bother, the detention room neutralizes all super powers. Sit." Principle Powers pointed at two seats. Warren sighed and let the flame go. "Here at Sky High we teach you how to use you powers. Now how you use them that's up to you. Living up to your fathers reputation or living it down is a sad waist of talent. Your talent. Try to remember that next time you're about to do something stupid." She turned and walked out.
Warren sighed again and tried guess how his dad would take attempted murder.
"Look what ever happened between out dads it has nothing to do with us. So lets start over."
Warren looked over at him. The boy had his hand extended hopefully. "I say if you ever cross my path again I'll roast you alive."
The hand went away.
O.O
Warren unlocked the door to home. His back was still sore from being thrown through walls. Slowly he pushed it open. And crossed the room to the soft leather couch and child sitting on it. "Stronghold?" she looked up at him. Bright blond curls fell back to reveal topaz blue eyes.
"Don't worry about it." He ruffled her hair. "He's just some other 'Wonder Boy'. Nothing much."
"Sure?"
"No, but it's the best we got right now." Warren sighed. "Life rains on your parade brake out the slip and slides…at lest that's what Mom told me."
"Sure?"
"Don't worry Mushu, I'll make sure it all turns out alright." He crouched in front of her, using her nickname. "Promise,"
She smiled and hugged him. "I love you Dad."
"I love you too Mushu." Warren smiled. "Homework done?"
"Yep!"
"Where's your sister?"
"Off destroying some government building."
"Mushu."
"Doing homework."
Warren smiled softly to him self. The Heroes had no idea she or her sister, Alyssa, even existed nor did they know were he lived. If they did…Warren sighed. They would separate them like they had with his twin the day Barron was thrown in jail, accused for mass homicide, and the murder of his wife. Warren and his twin Jason had known the truth, they had tried to convince the courts, but the name 'Battle' got in the way. Then the same court decided that Warren and Jason would go to separate homes. Separate states. That was the last he'd even seen of him. Two years later he'd gotten word that Jason was killed, only to recently find him barley alive, captive in one of the Corrupted hero's 'play grounds'. Jason was alive but broken, terrified to step out side the house. He swore he'd run through frozen Hell before he let that happen again.
Natalie watched her adoptive father. There was a pain in his eyes that seemed to never leave. She saw it all the time, but he never told her completely why yet. He merely said, 'I've just had to go thorough some dark times when I was around your age.' 'What do you mean?' she would ask and only get, 'When your ready to hear I'll tell you.' Natalie sighed; it had to be bad to have him still cry in his sleep some times. Alyssa probably knew; how else would she have settled in so easily? She had come almost as jumpy as rabbit after Warren saved her from a not so nice home. But she'd trusted him entirely after he told her something she'd never repeat…ever.
"Do you have to work tonight?"
Warren nodded. "Sorry Mushu." He walked up stairs tuning into one of the halls quietly opening a door. Jason lay asleep, hiding under the nearly frozen blankets. His ice was almost as strong as his twin's flame, but his control was the same as a child. Warren would take him up to the jail so their father could teach him but any newly taught control disappeared the moment Jason was scared, witch usually happened at the same time something was frozen.
Warren sighed softly; it had been this way since before his freshman year. The house was a home for strays with pained memories, but where Rebecca Piper (Mushu) had come in shaken and orphaned, and Alyssa Jansen had come broken and bruised, Jason had been shattered. At first hiding from everyone even the cats, flinching away when ever Warren reached out to him, to just being broken as he was now. Trusting only those who lived in the house and his father, nightmares giving him irregular sleeping patterns. More than once Warren had awoken from his own terrors to find Jason standing uncertain in the doorway of his room, still dressed for the day. "Jay," Warren gently shook him by the shoulder. "Jay, it time to wake up."
"W-wren?" Jason moaned softly as his dark eyes timidly peaked from under their lids. He frowned "I-I fell asleep?"
"What else would you have been doing in a room by your self?"
Slowly Jason sat up revealing a child's learning to read book. "I was trying to read it by my self…" Jason yawned.
"Come on lets see how far you've gotten." Warren sat down next to him as Jason hesitantly opened the small book, glancing up for approval. "Go on you're alright." Warren smiled gently.
"…This is my…sister. We go to lots of…"
O.O
"Books away class." Professor Harken stood back up one her podium right before the bell rang. "Remember Watcher classes start after Homecoming."
Warren grabbed his things and trekked off to the gym. 'Save the Citizen.'. As usual there was a wide girth between him and the others in the stands. Lash and Speed where moping the floor with hero shame.
"We pick little Stronghold."
"And we pick Peace!"
Warren muttered something lest then polite under his breath and went to suite up.
"Hot Head, Stronghold, you have three minutes to immobilize your appoint and save the citizen. Reedy, set, Battle!"
Almost instantly it felt like he was caught in a pinball machine. If pinballs throw people into mailboxes.
This is going to be hell.