YAY my first trans-Sky High fic! Oh yeah, I mention an OC in here, it's not important, but there's more about Warren's family to come if anyone's interested.
Fade
He couldn't remember exactly what happened.
He just recalled the burst of fury exploding to his hands as Speed flew towards him, the sudden, confusing vortex and then… the air vanishing around him. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe.
Now, Warren Peace wasn't known for his endurance of oxygen-lacking air. He didn't like closed spaces, narrow passages, elevators… his stepbrother was completely forbidden to lock any doors in the house. Warren didn't like swimming, probably because his first swimming class at age three required him to hold his breath under water. He'd passed, eventually.
Warren panicked. It was the worst thing to do in the situation, but he couldn't help it. Claustrophobia struck like lightning and the need to get oxygen in his lungs overrode his practiced steps of calm, slow breathing. There was no oxygen in the air around him, and his lungs were screaming. He could feel his knees weaken, and despite the fleeting thought that the entire gym would point and laugh, he started sinking towards the floor. Blackness edged his vision as he slid onto his knees and his throat closed up like a crushed pool pipe.
Suddenly there was oxygen. His lungs opened and the sharp air flooded, stinging, hurting. He gasped at it, choked at it, felt his throat clogging up again… a quick movement to the left made him jerk his head, confusion in his eyes, then he was flying through the air. He didn't know what he was doing or what was happening.
It was only when the doll somehow ended up in his hands and the air was forced out of his lungs again that a fleeting disgusted moment made him hurl it away.
Then darkness enveloped him.
He could only hear himself breathing. In. Out. In. Out. All his other senses were numb. He blinked, and faces swam into view. Frowning, concerned faces.
In. Out.
Coach Boomer's mouth was moving, but no words reached Warren's ears. Warren blinked again. Boomer went down, to his haunches, and placed a hand on Warren's shoulder.
The instant hand met shoulder guard, sound seemed to enter back into Warren's mind. Voices, hushed whispers, gasps.
"Hey." Boomer was still frowning, gently shook the boy's shoulder. "You okay?"
Warren nodded, not trusting his voice yet. His chest still heaved, his lungs ached.
"Let's get you to the nurse." Boomer lifted Warren to his feet by his arm. He staggered slightly, and Will Stronghold stepped forward, arms outstretched. Seeing the warning glare from the older boy, Will dropped his arms, shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"I'm fine," Warren said, finding his voice. It was raw, as if he'd just woken up. "No nurse. I don't need to see the nurse."
"You were just out cold for at least a minute," Boomer said, humor and threat in his tone. "You're seeing the nurse."
Apart from a numbness in his head, a nauseating feeling that seemed to tilt the world, Warren was fine. His lungs didn't even hurt anymore.
"I'm fine," Warren insisted, tugged his arm loose. He turned to head to the showers and the slight tilt in his head escalated into a tornado. Knowing full well that the entire school was watching, he hid it well enough to only brush against Will Stronghold, who placed a reassuring hand on Warren's back before he could stop himself.
"Get the hell off me," the darker boy snarled, shaking the younger off and muscling his way through the crowd, still hiding his spinning head.
Warren couldn't escape a trip to the nurse's office. Boomer had followed him into the shower and after a verbal round that threatened to turn physical had Warren had more energy, Boomer dragged Warren to Nurse Spex. She had raised her eyebrows, checked his blood pressure and ordered him to suck pure oxygen for a full ten minutes.
'Sucking oxygen' wasn't as bad as Warren had visualized it. It made him drowsy after a while, and soon he was blinking away sleep. He felt even dizzier when he finally stood up, but the nurse made him walk around her office a few times until she was satisfied.
Warren opened the door and nearly walked into Will Stronghold. Grouped around him was his pack of sidekicks, all looking a little terrified.
"I was just waiting for you," Stronghold started. "Boomer said he made you come here."
Warren hid his surprise by looking annoyed and a little disorientated. He didn't have to pretend all that much.
"Sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have thrown you through the air like that. It was stupid. You got winded again. It was my fault." Stronghold grimaced, half expecting a sharp couple of words or maybe even a few flames. Strangely, the older boy only stood there and stared.
"Wasn't your fault," Warren finally muttered. "Damn Speed just does what he wants." He shouldered his bag. "Next time, don't touch me, don't talk to me. Never talk to me. I ignore people who talk to me."
With that, he flung a scowl at the rest of the gaping crowd and swung down the hallway.
"Must be the oxygen," Ethan said after the older boy disappeared around a corner. "It affects the brain."
"Maybe," Zack and Magenta agreed. Layla shot a glance at Will, and caught him with a grin on his face.
END