Chapter Eight – Royal Pain Is Back

Sky High – School Gym

All students and staff members have gathered in the school gym as instructed. At the end of the area stands the principal, who doesn't move even by an inch. Her eyes are still as well.

Zach: Hey, what's wrong with Ms. Powers? She's acting kinda weird.

Sarox and Marlene stand by each other. Marlene doesn't feel very good.

Marlene: (whispers) Sarox, I can feel it. The darkness. It's close.

Sarox: (whispers) We have to find Max and PJ.

They look through the crowd until Marlene finally finds them standing close to Warren and Coach Boomer, and push their way to them.

Sarox: Max, PJ!

Max: Hey, guys!

Marlene and Sarox drag them away from Coach Boomer, and then push their way out from the crowd. Finally, they finally leave the crowded people and come to the gym entrance.

Sarox: Listen, someone broke into Will's house and stole a gun that his parents took after they killed its original owner.

PJ: What?

Sarox: And right now, Marlene is feeling uneasy because she senses a darkness approaching.

PJ: Yeah, I know. I can feel it too. It's really powerful.

Max: Okay, then what'll we do?

Sarox: I don't know.

Speed, Lash and Penny come and look at them hostily.

Lash: Hey, what're you doing here? Get back inside!

Max: We're just talking.

Speed: He said "get back inside."

Penny creates four duplicates of herself and push the quartet back into the crowd.

Sarox: Okay, we're going! No need to push!

The four of them head back into the crowd and join Layla, Magenta, Ethan and Zach. Soon after, Will catches up to them.

Will: Hi.

Ethan: Where were you, man?

Warren comes up to them. Sarox is the first to greet him.

Sarox: Oh, hey, Warren!

Warren: Hey.

He looks at Layla, who smiles at him.

Warren: There is something fishy about this whole announcement thing.

Sarox: No kidding. And guess what, someone broke into Will's home last night.

Layla: This is definitely not good.

In the background, Jetstream and the Commander enter and that gets the principal's attention.

Principal Powers: Ladies and gentlemen, the Commander and Jetstream are here! Welcome!

Everyone turns to the gym entrance and find the Commander and Jetstream and greet them with an applause. However, instead of smiling and waving, the two heroes just stand there, shocked and confused. Will comes out from the crowd to face his parents.

Will: Mom! Dad! What're you doing here?

Before any of his parents could answer, Principal Powers begins the announcement.

Principal Powers: Ladies and gentlemen! Please, help me welcome the head of the student body, the girl who made all this possible.

Everyone claps to welcome Gwen to the stage, except the quartet, the Stronghold family members, Warren and Will's four friends.

Gwen: Thank you, Principal Powers. And a very special thank you goes to our guests of honor: the Commander and Jetstream. And to mark this most special occasion, we've planned a special tribute… to the most powerful super-being ever to walk to halls of Sky High – "Me!"

She pulls out a black cape with yellow lines that resemble data and flips it in front of her body like a wizard's trick to make an object magically disappear, and turns her clothes into a cyborg-like armor with yellow cyan circuit lines, then a golden mask covers her head. She opens her palms and shoot out electrical bolts that summon forth an army of Shadow and Radar Loader Heartless behind her out of thin air. Then, Stitches appears and hands her the Pacifier. She then points the gun at the frightened crowd.

Stitches: Hahahahahaha!!

Her armor reminds Will's parents of their old nemesis – Royal Pain.

The Commander: Royal Pain… is a girl?

Royal Pain: Yes, I'm a GIRL, you fool! How I ever lost to a fool like you I'll ever know. Now prepare to be heartless!

The Commander: Do you really think you could kill me with that little toy gun of yours?

Royal Pain: My dear commander, who said anything about killing you? I'm just making you my slave! Like this.

She aims her gun at the Commander, who takes in the beam with his torso as if it were sunlight. The ray immediately takes effect as it pulls out his heart. As soon as his heart is completely pulled out, Will's father vaporizes out of existence. Will and his mom just look down on the spot where his father was standing a while ago.

Will: (shocked) Dad?

The Pacifier then pulls the Commander's heart into its plastic tube.

Angered by the downfall of her husband, Jetstream flies across the room and readies a punch on Royal Pain. But then Royal Pain shoots the same beam at her and she follows the same fate as her husband.

Will: (shocked) No!

Royal Pain: And the same goes for ALL OF YOU!!

She then turns and charges the Pacifier at her Radar Loader Heartless, who then amplify the effects by directing their shooting devices at the crowd and shoot out the same vaporizing beam. Everyone runs for the exit to escape, but then Speed, Lash and the many replicates of Penny, who are standing at the entrance, pull down the metal fences from above and lock everyone inside.

Students: Help! Open up!! Please!!

Lash, Speed, Penny and her clones wave at the victims with an evil smile on their faces and leave them to their fate.

Layla and her friends make their way to the heartbroken Will who is still lying on the floor and pull him up while Warren stands guard.

Layla: Will, come on!

As they help him to his feet, Will catches sight of Royal Pain who is still shooting at everyone in the gym and anger begins to wash over him the more he looks at the person who killed his parents. He pulls himself out of his friends' arms and runs angrily for Royal Pain.

Layla, Ethan, Sarox & Magenta: Will! No!

Zach, Marlene, PJ & Max: No, don't!

Warren sees Will run to his enemy and catches him before he could go further. Will struggles multiple with effort to pull himself out of Warren's powerful arms.

Will: Let go of me!! Leave me alone!! She killed my parents!!

Before he could pull off, Layla and the others catch up to him and he is pulled down by Ethan, Zach, PJ and Max.

Will: Get off me! Get off!!

Coach Boomer and Mr. Boy come forth to Will and the others.

Coach Boomer: "Hothead," over there is a ventilation pipe that will lead you out of here. Get as many people out as you can!

Warren follows his order and goes to find the ventilation pipe followed by the three girls and Max and Sarox, who makes sure Zach, PJ and Ethan pull the still-struggling Will with them. Mr. Boy also follows.

Will: Let me go!!

Coach Boomer turns to Royal Pain, but before he can try anything, the beam already hits him and pulls out his heart with the energy string.

The kids make their way to a wall where the vent is located. Warren powers up a fireball and charges at it and blasts off the vent off its hinges.


Sky High – Ventilation Tunnel

Zach enters the pipe tunnel, then follows PJ, then Magenta, and then Marlene.


Sky High – School Gym

Sarox gets ready to enter the tunnel, but then sees Mr. Boy and Ethan and Layla struggle with Will who is making his every effort to break free, but is unsuccessful.

Will: Let me go! I'm gonna get her!!

Layla: No!

Ethan: You'll get yourself killed, man!

Will: Let me go!

Unable to stand observing it anymore, Sarox makes his way to them and grabs Will on his shoulders.

Sarox: Will, listen to me! You won't be able to help your parents if you join them! You have to save yourself so you can come back and save them later!

His words come through to Will's nerves and calm him down. A moment later, he makes his way to the tunnel.


Sky High – Ventilation Tunnel

Will climbs into the vent followed by Sarox, Marlene, Layla, Ethan and finally Warren. Mr. Boy watches as the kids escape.

Mr. Boy: Be careful!

Layla stops and looks back, but Ethan and Warren push her away.

Layla: Mr. Boy!

Ethan: Go! Go! Go!

The beam catches up to Mr. Boy and vaporizes him as his heart is taken. The kids continue to make their way deeper into the tunnel.

Magenta: It's really dark in here, where the heck are we?

Ethan: Hey, Warren, how about a torch?

Warren: Only if you wanna get barbecued.

Zach: (confidently) Who needs a torch when you have Zach-light?

Zach's body glows and lights up the way. Since he is ahead of all the others, he takes on the responsibility of leading the way. Magenta is impressed by his power.

Magenta:

"And all the reindeer loved him."

Ethan: Way to go, Zach!

Zach: Thanks, man.