The first day of school. Freshman year it had been full of anxiety, sophomore year nervous excitement. But for junior year, it was a bittersweet melancholy. Sure, it was fun going back to Sky High, and seeing all of his friends in one place again. But then there was also the terrifically awkward assembly on the new security measures, all through which he and his friends struggled to avoid the touchy subject that they were all because of Warren's dad. At least things were back to normal with Warren now – as long as they didn't mention his father. But then there was another matter.
It was like déjà vu back to his first first day at Sky High. Walking towards the front steps, at first he had thought he was imagining things. Will shook his head, thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. But when he looked back and they were still there, he started to get worried. No, it was impossible, he told himself. He had helped put Lash and Speed behind bars, nearly two years ago. They couldn't be here now. Could they?
"Um, Layla?" he asked the red-head by his side. "Do you see – " There was no need to elaborate.
"No way." Layla said, her face hardening. "What are they doing here?"
"I don't know." Will said, shaking his head. "But I have a feeling this isn't going to go well for us."
"Hey Stronghold!" A voice called out, and suddenly the figures he had spied from the steps were right in front of him.
"Speed. Lash." Will said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. Come on, he had defeated Royal Pain! These two school bullies weren't anything. His stomach completely ignored this logic and persisted in twisting itself into knots.
"What are you two doing here?" Layla asked. She obviously didn't have any trouble keeping her voice firm.
"We've come back!" Lash answered.
"Did you miss us?" Speed asked.
No, Will thought, but didn't say out loud.
"Look, guys." He said, holding up his hands. "We don't want any trouble."
"And Stronghold." Speed said, completely ignoring his last statement. "You owe us a rematch in Save the Citizen." He said, jabbing him in the chest.
Will stared down at his finger. Had he really just done that? Didn't he remember how Will had beaten him when he was just a freshman? And he could use his powers a lot better now. Will could pummel him with one hand tied behind his back, and he was starting to look forward to an opportunity to prove it.
"You're on." He heard himself saying. "But, didn't we already have a rematch when we did the real thing? And it ended with you guys behind bars."
"But we aren't there anymore, Stronghold." Lash sneered. "So you'd better watch your back."
"Have you guys seen them?" Will asked, setting down his lunch tray.
"Seen who?" Zach asked.
"Lash and Speed." Layla answered, taking a seat next to Will.
"And Penny too." Magenta added. "I saw her earlier today."
"This is an unexpected, and not exactly pleasurable, development." Ethan noted.
"Oh yeah!" Zach suddenly exploded. "I saw them too!"
Abby walked up to the table, and, catching the end of their conversation, asked "Lash, Speed, and Penny?"
"You got it." Magenta replied.
"You're in her seat." Warren said to Zach. "Move."
Zach moved over, the stream of speech pouring from his mouth continuing uninterrupted, and Abby calmly took his place.
"I can't believe that they were let back into the school!" He vented, as the others began to tune back in. "I mean, did they not remember what happened the last time they were here?"
"So, wait. Royal Pain isn't back too, is she?" Magenta asked. They all looked around at one another, shrugging.
"I haven't seen her." Said Will.
"Hopefully someone's still in prison." Warren said sarcastically.
"Okay, well, we know they're out." Layla said. "The question is why."
"They are only minors." Ethan pointed out. "Whereas Royal Pain, this being her second lifetime, is not, so therefore it makes sense that they three were released, and not her."
"I can't believed they just released them though!" Will said. "After all the trouble they caused, and all the work we had to do to put them there . . ."
"Well, they have been in prison for over two years." Layla said.
"Which they deserved, because they were trying to turn everyone in the school into villains."
"But still, everyone deserves a second chance." Layla said. "Just, maybe sending them back to the same school wasn't a very bright idea."
"I don't see why they couldn't have just stayed in jail." Magenta said.
"But I mean, they didn't actually hurt anyone, and they were just teenagers."
"Speak for yourself." Abby said. "I was turned into a baby."
"I'm just saying, I don't think they should be put in jail for the rest of their lives for one mistake."
"It was a pretty big mistake." Warren said.
"So, they just let them go back to normal now?" Abby asked.
"Basically." Ethan said, shrugging. "They have to go back to school, since they haven't finished yet, and Sky High is basically the only super school in existence."
"But, they have to be over sixteen now." Layla pointed out. "So, don't they not have to be in school anymore? Why don't they just drop out?"
"Sixteen year olds who haven't finished high school yet because they spent two years in jail. They're old enough to drop out by now, but, apparently they don't want to." Ethan said.
"But, wait, I thought Penny was a senior." Magenta said. "So, how come she's in my classes?"
Ethan shrugged. "Maybe she didn't pass the placement test, so they decided she had to redo her junior year."
"Yes." Abby said, turning to Warren. "You hear that? That means they won't be in any of our classes."
"Awesome." Said Warren.
"Wonderful." Groaned Layla. "That means I have to put up with Penny now too. She was bad enough when I only saw her in the lunch room."
"Well, look on the bright side." Will said. "At lease Gwen isn't back!"
"Yes, just all her little evil minions." Magenta said, rolling her eyes. "Aren't we lucky."
"Yeah, well, those goons better just hope they don't try anything funny." Zach said, puffing out his chest.
"Oh, they wouldn't dare, not with you around." Magenta said sarcastically. Zach, completely missing her tone, flushed with pride.
"Actually, they already challenged us in Save the Citizen, Warren." Will said. Warren just shrugged.
"So? We beat them last year the first time we were paired up together. And we've been creaming everyone since. There's no way they'll beat us."
"Oh my god." Penny said loudly in the back of Mad Science class. "I cannot believe that they got rid of the hero and sidekick tracks."
Layla bristled visibly listening to this.
"Just ignore her." Magenta advised, sitting next to her. "She's just trying to annoy you."
"Well it's working." Layla hissed. "Do you hear what she's saying!"
"So?" Magenta replied. "Who cares what she thinks? She's a jailbird, what does she know?"
"I mean, it's not like these sidekicks have the powers to succeed in these hero level classes. Or to succeed anywhere else, for that matter." Penny continued.
"Layla," Magenta said warningly, watching Layla's expression darken. "You're a pacifist, remember?"
"Well, yes." Layla said. "But you're not! And that's you she's talking about, doesn't that make you mad! You are just as good as anyone in this class, and –"
"And I know it, and you know it, so who cares if Penny doesn't." Magenta said calmly.
"Oh my god." Zach said, leaning across the aisle. "Have you guys heard Penny?"
"No." Magenta said with heavy sarcasm, rolling her eyes.
"Well, she's saying –"
"We know, Zach." Layla cut him off.
"Oh. So, what are you going to do about?" He asked eagerly.
"Nothing." Magenta replied. "We're juniors now, and we're above such childish actions, as well as too mature to be provoked by such petty statements."
"Ah. Right." Zach said, nodding quickly and turning back to Ethan. "I mean, really," he continued to Ethan. "It doesn't bother me. I don't care what she says. You don't care either, do you?"
"No." Ethan said stoically. "It's not the first time someone has questioned the legitimacy of my placement in hero level courses. Of course, people have been becoming less ignorant recently, but still, I have become accustomed to it and do not let it spark my temper."
"Yeah." Zach said, nodding earnestly. "Exactly."
"I mean, like, take that kid." Penny said, nodding towards Zach. "Highlighter guy. What's his power again? He glows? How lame! That hardly even counts as a power."
Zach flushed a deep pink, turning around and starting to open his mouth, but then he quickly closed it again and turned back around.
"Hey!" Magenta said, whipping around to face Penny. "Will you just shut up? He's ten times a better super than you, and you know why? Because he's not an ex convict. Let's see how far you get after high school with that criminal record following you around. So while he's out saving the world, you're going to be scrounging for a job because no one's going to want someone who missed two years of high school because they were in prison." Magenta finished, turning back around with a huff, crossing her arms.
"Whoah." Will said quietly as Mr. Medulla walked inside.
"Just ignore her?" Layla quipped.
"Alright, she pissed me off too. Happy now?"
