"Thanks for helping me out with this stuff, Layla." Will said, neatly placing the papers inside the cover of his textbook before gleefully shoving it to the floor. "I don't think I'll ever get the hang of statistics."
"It was helpful for me too." Layla said, grinning. "I –"
Will's phone was buzzing, again. He picked it up, glancing at it, and Layla quieted, putting her pens back in her bag. Will turned his phone off, throwing it away with the textbook, and Layla started to get up.
"So, uh, maybe," Will said, "Do you want to stay and watch some tv?" He looked up at her, hesitantly, hopefully.
Layla froze. She had more homework today. It was getting late. Tv wasn't environmentally friendly. She's promised to help her mom with some reorganizing. She had an extra credit project due tomorrow. She had to feed her cat. Her cousin from Mongolia was supposed to call her in half an hour.
She had to wash her hair.
She was pathetic, what was she doing?
"Sure." Layla sat back down, carefully crossing her legs. She smiled back. "I'd like that."
And that was the truth. Maybe that was the problem. She liked this, hanging out with Will. Too much. You weren't supposed to like being with your ex so much.
But that was exactly what made all this so complicated. Will was her ex, most definitely. But he was also her study buddy, her classmate, and, above all, her best friend. How on earth was she expected to deal with all of that in one person?
"Cool!" Will exclaimed, launching off his bed and practically flying out the door and curving down the stairs, heading for the den and the remote. "I think American Ninja Warrior is coming back on tonight!" He shouted gleefully behind him. Layla stood up, stupidly smiling after him.
"I don't understand." Royal Pain said testily. "Why are the high schoolers suddenly 'off limits'?"
"I thought I made it fairly clear," Battle said, feet up on his desk as he concentrated on making his yoyo 'walk the dog'. He'd been pretty good at these tricks, once upon a time.
"You rat bastard!" Susy exploded.
"Actually," Battle said calmly. "Rat Bastard is still rotting away in a former Soviet prison. Perhaps I should have broken him out instead."
"You're serious?" Susy spat out incredulously. "That little scouting mission was our only chance against them?"
"Pretty much." He replied casually, not bothering to make eye contact.
"If I'd known that, I would've throttled the little rodents when I made the chance!" She steamed, hands clenching around imaginary throats.
"Perhaps you missed the bulletin while you were in solitary," Royal Pain intoned.
"Solitary!" Stiches echoed, cackling about her heels.
"But we are villains. Supervillains. Since when are there limits on who we can and can't attack? The whole point in being a villain is being able to attack your enemies, strike fear into those who have wronged you!"
"Since a few minutes ago, when I told you."
Pain frowned, lowering her fist. "What I don't understand," She continued in a lower voice. "Is why we are taking our hit list from your estranged, teenage son. The hero." She spat it out like a dirty word.
Battle rose to his feet, the yoyo clattering to the floor as he stared eye to eye into Pain's steely mask. "We are taking this hit list," he said calmly, dangerously, "Because I gave it to you, and I am enforcing it. Because I am the one who broke out of prison, because I am the one who put this team together, because I am the one who gave you all the tools, and because I am the one who broke your sorry hides out of jail."
He looked around the room, slowly making eye contact with every single one before turning back to Pain. "Are you questioning my decisions? Should I have left you where you were, rotting away indefinitely?"
Pain muttered out something that vaguely sounded like a no.
"I don't particularly like question and answer sessions." Battle said, returning to his seat. "I don't think we'll have any more of them in the future."
"Hey guys," Magenta said casually. "So, you know how we were saying that it would be good if we could have, you know, the whole school united?"
"Yeah." Will answered instantly, and a bit defensively. "I still think it would be a good idea! We need everyone –"
Magenta interrupted. "I think I might know a way."
Will stuttered, stopped in his tracks. "Wha – you do?"
"How?" Ethan inquired curiously.
"Well, a way to possibly get Lash, at least. But, with Lash's support, we could then probably also get Speed and Penny. And if we had all of those three, well, they're like, the top 'villains' of the school. Everyone who's not exactly on the straight and narrow practically worships them. So, basically, we get Lash, it'll lead to everyone else."
"Great." Said Will, leaning in closer so as to not miss a word.
"We could just ask them," Layla said airily, rolling her eyes. The others ignored her and, unsurprised, she continued to pick at her lunch.
"Okay, so I was in the girls bathroom, and I heard some other people talking about Lash and Gracen, and I mean, you know Gracen's totally straight, right?" She didn't wait for their affirmation, which hadn't been coming anyway. "So, they were saying that Gracen's given Lash an ultimatum; that if he doesn't go straight by graduation, then they're done."
Magenta sat back, satisfied. "As if they'd even last that long anyway." She added with a snort, glancing in Zach's direction.
"You were listening to gossip in the girls' bathroom?" Layla inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Magenta stared right back at her. "As if you don't too. And it wasn't like I was participating – you just can't help but overhear."
"There's gossip in the girls' bathroom?" Zach asked, looking mildly interested.
"Okay, back up a second," Will said. "Who's Gracen, again?"
"Lash's girlfriend." Magenta explained patiently.
"You know her Will," Ethan said. "She's in our year. I think her power is changing color – or she's like a human chameleon, or something."
"Nah, I don't think it's that good, she was only a sidekick like us when she got placed. But something like that. Anyway, it's not important." Magenta declared. "Since she's set on becoming a hero, she should be on our side. All we have to do, is talk her into talking Lash into it for us. She obviously has a lot of sway over him, since she's making these kinds of demands, and he's actually considering it."
"He's really that whipped?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Will!" Layla objected. "A guy doesn't have to be 'whipped' to listen to his girlfriend's opinions! Especially about something like this!"
"I know, I know," Will said backing up. "But seriously. I mean, Warren went to the dark side when Abby totally wasn't into it. And his dad too, his mom was a hero. How much could she really convince him?"
"A lot more than us, at least." Magenta pointed out.
"We should at least try it." Zach said.
"Yeah, you're right." Will said. "It's worth a shot."
"Warren?" Will asked quizzically, staring at the figure perched on his windowsill.
"Keep it quiet, will you?" he said, swinging himself inside. "I'm undercover. Mind if I switch back to Warren Peace in here?"
"Uh, sure." Will said, pulling the window shut again – very careful not to shatter the glass.
"Thanks." Warren said gruffly, heading for the bathroom.
"Very professional, coming to a friend's house to switch." Will called after him.
Warren's voice came from behind the door; "The textbooks haven't been updated in a while – if you hadn't noticed, there aren't exactly telephone booths on every corner anymore."
Will rolled his eyes, closing the math textbook he had been slaving over shut with a flick. He flopped back down on his bed, and Warren shortly re-emerged.
"Something smells good." He noted, shoving the sunglasses in his pocket. "What's for dinner?"
Will raised an eyebrow. "I dunno – I think it might be chicken." He paused for a moment, looking at him. "You can stay, if you like."
Warren grinned. "Well if you insist." He said, making himself comfortable. "Abby's great, but she can't cook for love or money."
"Sorry dude," Will said as they climbed back up the stairs to his room. He laughed a little, running a hand over his hair. "So, uh, if you didn't remember my parents," he smiled ruefully.
Warren shook his head, sliding into a chair. "They don't want to throw me out of the house anymore, so no worries."
Will groaned, rubbing his face with both hands. "We've gotten past that, at least." He acknowledged. "Now if they just could talk about anything other than all their 'heroics'."
"Yeah, it's obvious your parents can hardly contain themselves when they start to talk about 'The Stronghold Three'."
"Yeah," Will said, stretching a smile across his face. He sighed. "I haven't filled out that form yet." He admitted.
Warren looked at him. "What form?"
"You know." Will said, staring at his shoes, tossing a baseball from one hand to the other. "The one where you can request stuff. Like who you want to work with. When you graduate. As a super."
Warren was silent for a few minutes before he found his voice. "My dad wanted me to go into the 'family business' too." He said quietly. "And it was tough to turn him down. But you have to do what's best for you – you can't let him make decisions, determine your life."
"I know." Will agreed. "You're right. But still, I mean –" He fell short suddenly.
Warren's patience lasted only a few seconds. "What?"
"It's just – no offense man – but I don't want to estrange myself from my dad, I want to stay on speaking terms with them. And I don't know how to make that work."
"Huh." Warren grunted, looking ahead again. "Forgot that things are different in functional families."
Will snorted, shaking his head. "Trust me," He said. "Neither of us have the remotest idea what a functional family is like."
Warren raised an eyebrow. "Really, All-American Boy?"
"Shut up." Will snapped. "That is not me – I'm not turning in to Mr. Boy."
"Yet."
"I'm offended by this."
"Why? He's a nice man."
"You're a liar."
"I'm a super. You're a minor. You ought to talk to me with more respect."
"You took your identity off in my bathroom, remember? Right before you begged dinner off me?"
"I don't recall any of that."
"Funny little memory slip you've got there."
"Or delusions you've got up there." Warren said, ruffling Will's hair as he stood up. "Thanks for all. I'll talk to you later."
