LAST CHAPTER

"Steelskin. Famed super hero and chairman of the Sky High school board. I'm not surprised you showed up." Joan says.

"So this is the Girardi girl. I can't say I'm impressed."

Ramirez remarks, "This can't be the original Steelskin, he graduated in '56. This must at least be Steelskin Junior."

In response, Steelskin removes his mask, revealing a man seemingly in his early twenties. "Explain it to them, Spex."

"Meet Frank Jarboe, younger brother of Fred. He was a freshman in '53, so he wasn't there that day. Frank's power is invulnerability. Nothing can harm him or affect him—including aging. For half a century, he has been the one pushing the hardest to maintain the cover uo."

Joan observes, "And yet he was the one who tracked down General Fanatic in Africa and "accidentily" killed him in battle. Or at least that's what the official record says."

Steelskin smiles. "And I'm a man who believes in maintaining the official record."

The Commander demands, "Okay kids, it's time to give up."

Spex chuckles, "Why Commander, how kind of you. No one has called me a kid in decades, but I've rolled the dice and I'm seeing this through."

Joan nods. "Okay, it looks like we fight, but before we start, Freeze Girl, aren't you standing on the wrong side?"

Peace asks, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Without a trace of sadness, Freeze Girl coolly steps over to the adult side. "Sorry Warren. When you came to me with this crazy plan I had to weigh my options and act accordingly. I informed Mr. Medulla of your scheme just before coming here."

"Alright, it's six against four. You know you don't stand a chance. Give up before someone gets hurt." Jetstream pleads.

Suddenly, Principal Powers switches to Joan's side.

"It's five to five again."

Steelskin is incredulous. "Powers, have you lost your mind?"

"No, I've finally found my backbone. My mother was a member of the class of '53, and she lost a leg in that battle. She was denied her chance at a super hero career, and her one moment of super hero action was swept under the rug like a dirty little secret. She was bitter about that until the day she died."

Medulla asks, "Wait, you're saying that this is all true?"

Steelskin grimly replies, "Some of it. The battle took place and my brother nobly sacrificed himself to save his friends in the finest tradition of super hero service. He deserves a statue in his honor, but the actions of his classmates prevents that. Powers, your mother, Nurse Spex and the rest of the class of '53 violated their oath never to deliberately kill. They slaughtered an entire army! Most of you are too young to understand the significance of that."

The Commander says, "I think I understand... my father use to speak of it. When super heroes first burst onto the world scene back in the thirties, the public viewed them as masked vigilantes—little better than the villains they fought."

Steelskin nods. "It took a long time for the public to trust the super hero community. By 1953 the tide had turned in our favor, mostly due to our oath never to deliberately kill anyone. If the truth of what happened that day at Sky High ever got out, the public's trust would evaporate. Do any of us want to return to an era when super heroes were feared?"

A moment of silence falls on the group as each one contemplates that question.

Powers suggests, "But the public would never have to know. The memorial would be here at the school for only the students to see."

"And how do we explain the incongruity of honoring those who violated their oath?"

Joan answers, "That kids, who never trained for such an event, did their best, made mistakes and learned from the experience. That being super-human doesn't change the fact that you are human, with all the nobility and flaws that go with that. Most of all, that this school, founded on the principles of truth and justice, always presents itself openly and honestly. For how else can Sky High endure?"

Jetstream adds, "She makes a lot of sense, Steelskin. Are heroes going to battle each other, or are we going to reach a reasonable compromise?"

"I...I don't know. I need time to think."

Suddenly, an intense vibration shakes the entire school. Joan looks to the corner and sees Vortex is gone.

Joan warns, "We're too late. Vortex is out of patience and is attacking the school."

"What's she talking about? Vortex, my brother, has been dead for decades."

Medulla says, "The girl is crazy! She believes in magic and ghosts and so on."

Powers removes a communicator from her pocket. "Control room, this is Powers. Report!"

A voice replies, "Ma'am, I know this is impossible, I can see out the window the sky is clear, but every instrument we have says Sky High is in the middle of a Force Five tornado. Stabilizers are failing, power levels are dropping and Sky High is losing altitude. Impact in ten minutes!"

"Understood." (Powers pushes a button on her communicator.) "Attention Sky High, this is a Class A emergency. Everyone to the escape pods. Evacuate the school."

The Commander says, "We have to get out there and fight whatever is causing this."

Peace asks, "Do any of you know how to fight a ghost?"

"I do." Joan says with a sigh. Joan removes her fleur-de-lis necklace and holds it out in front of her. Everyone can see that it has begun to glow.

"Fred Jarboe, I summon you to judgement."

Instantly, the room is filled with a howling wind, and everyone, except Joan, is pinned to the walls. On the floor, visible only to Joan, is a helplessly trapped Vortex.

The Commander gasps, "This is impossible! I can't pull myself free from this wall while that slip of a girl stands there unruffled?"

Power's communicator states, "This is the control room. The school has stabilized and power is restored. You can call off the evacuation... Principal Powers?"

Steelskin asks, "Girardi, what are you doing?"

"Your brother's ghost has gone too far. I have no choice but to send him to hell."

Joan holds out the necklace and its' glow increases in intensity. The light becomes so intense that everyone has to look away except Joan and Steelskin, whose invulnerability protects him.

"That light... it's illuminating the outline of someone on the floor. Is that really Fred?"

"Yes. His spirit anyway. All he wanted was the truth to be told. To be fairly judged by history. But the never ending lies made him bitter and angry. He can no longer be allowed to remain on this spiritual plain."

"No wait! Fred, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. I was wrong. Justice can never be served by lies and cover-ups. I swear to you, the truth will be revealed. I'll open the files for all to see, for all to assess and decide about. I promise a memorial to the class of '53 will be built."

"How about it, Vortex?"

The wind in the room dies and all can move again.

"I believe him. Frank would never lie to me. I'm satisfied." Fred says with tears in his eyes.

"But you still can't remain here."

Fred, looking startled, glances over his shoulder. "The Light! It's always been there, but never so brightly. Yes, I'm finally ready. Thank you, Joan Girardi."

Fred Jarboe, A.K.A., Vortex, turns, takes one step and disappears.

"It's over. He went into the light."

Dumbfounded, the others can only stare at Joan. Medulla removes a scanner from his pocket and begins checking out the area.

"This doesn't make any sense. There's not a trace of all that energy that was here only moments ago, and Miss Girardi's necklace is just an ordinary piece of silver. How can this be?"

Joan murmurs, "More than what is dreamt of in your philosophy, Medulla."

Everyone chuckles at the confused scientist's expression.

X X X X X

Ten days later, Joan and her great aunt are the guests of honor at the unveiling of the new memorial for the class of '53. Staff, students and parents review the evidence of a grim moment in super hero history. Along the walls of the school's entrance hall are dozens of photographs of the aftermath of the battle, as well as documents—the simple, factual action reports of what happened that fateful day. Each individual is left free to examine the evidence and decide for themselves whether the actions taken that day were heroic or misguided. The last item in the exhibit is a photograph, blown up to wall size, of all 25 members of the class of 1953.

Olive studies the photograph for a long time before saying, "This was taken half an hour before the attack began. The last time we were all together and happy."

Joan studies the photograph of 25 kids dressed in the clothing of a bygone era. Their faces forever generating images of youth, energy and potential.

"This is how they should be remembered."

"I quite agree, Miss Girardi." A voice from behind says. They turn and see Mr. Medulla and Principal Powers joining them. Medulla continues, "The true image of the class of '53 before they were stripped of their innocence."

Olive nods. "We had to grow up fast and hard that day."

Powers points at the photo. "There you are, Spex, standing next to my mother. God, it's strange to see her young, whole and happy."

"Yes, I hope people will remember we had four good years at Sky High, and not just recall that one horrible day. By the way, there's no more Nurse Spex. It's just Olive Donnelly now."

"So you won't consider staying on?"

"The only thing that kept me here this long was the memorial. Now that it is accomplished, it's time for the next phase of my life."

"What's that, Aunt Olive?"

"World traveler. The next time I visit the family in Arcadia, I'll have some new adventures to relate. And who knows, I might become one of those quaint old ladies who goes about solving murder mysteries."

Medulla asks, "And what of you Miss Girardi? Will you return to Sky High to resume your studies?"

"No, I no longer qualify. It seems your opinion of magically acquired powers was justified, Mr. Medulla. My super strength has faded away."

"A true pity. I can admit my mistakes, and I know now, Miss Girardi, that you have the makings of a great hero."

Joan glances over Medulla's shoulder and spots the deity version she knows as Cute-Boy God. He smiles and nods his agreement.

"You have no idea how much that means to me."

Powers says, "Perhaps you could stay and follow the hero-support track? I would hate for Sky High to lose someone of such great potential."

"That's kind of you, but just like Aunt Olive, my path lies in a different direction."

"Then let's get started. The future awaits!"

Arm-in-arm, Joan and her great aunt exit the school.

THE END. PLEASE REVIEW.

In honor of that great actress Cloris Leachman, who in the same year played Nurse Spex in Sky High, and Aunt Olive on Joan of Arcadia.