5.
Gotham City Academy
September 10
12:07 UTC
Slipping out of the cafeteria amidst the group of her peers, Carrie waited in the girl's bathroom until it was all clear. Once she was the only one left, she quickly made her way into the ceiling and carefully followed the air ducts to the roof of the two story building to avoid being caught in the halls without a pass. Two things came to mind as she made her way through the tiled ceiling, one, it was in dire need of dusting, and two, her principal was apparently in a relationship with the only female janitor by the looks of what they were doing in an office.
Now at the roof access door, she quickly picked the locks, being careful as to not get caught by a patrolling security official and slipped out o to the roof. Once on the gated surface, she ran over to the satilite dish and spliced her way in using a few tools from her utility belt tucked under her shirt.
"Shouldn't need more than five minutes with this lousy service," she said as she began to pull her computer from her backpack.
With her laptop hooked up to the dish, Carrie quickly went to work. Her fingers flew over the keys as she hacked into the nearest hidden Zeta Platform using an encrypted software her Grandpa Bruce taught her to use.
"So freaking slow, jeez."
Her screen showed the current percentage she was at and was slowly connecting to the League satilites. Once in, she went to work and began to change the Zeta Platforms identification perifrials to allow her and the others access without being identified.
"And a few more changes here and there."
She typed in a few more commands.
"Got it."
Sending her last commands to the satilite, she closed out her program and shut her laptop, quickly disconnecting the wires and shoving everything into her backpack. It did not take long for her to get back into the school through the same path she took and landed in the same stall she was in prior to her little excursion. A quick text to Irey before leaving the girl's bathroom and she was on her way to enjoy her lunch with her peers.
-Twenty minutes later-
John, the portly maintenance employee working for Gotham Academy scratched his head as he looked down at the wires connecting the satilite dish to the school's computer network. Since lunch period, the school had trouble connecting to the internet until it completely gave out.
"This is weird," John said as he stood with his hands on his hips and scratched his head. "Never known this school to have a rat problem."
The wires he was looking at looked to have been stripped. Shrugging, he went to work repairing the damage.
Palo Alto High School
September 10
12:31 UTC
"Carrie, if you were a hot stud muffin I would kiss ya."
Sitting on top of the bleachers overlooking the football field, Irey, who was on her fifth bologna sandwich and third energy drink, quickly typed out a group text message to the rest of her friends.
Party this Saturday.
Standard parent fake out.
Party like its 2029!
NO EXCEPTIONS!
RSVP Playahs!
Time and place will be text later.
With the text sent to her four closest friends, Irey stood up and took a deep breath.
"BEST WEEKEND EVER!"
Not caring if anyone was paying attention to her, the sporty ginger finished off her lunch then descended down the bleachers. She still had time to get to the corner market for a dozen snack cakes to tide her over until she got home. It was such a lovely day, she may even walk at the same speed the 'norms' did.
Bahia - South America
September 10
12:32 UTC
Kneeling at the foot of a makeshift grave, Lorena bowed her head as she quietly spoke an Atlantean prayer. The sound of waves from the ocean filled the air as a gentle breeze flowed through her hair. It was another hot day in Brazil with clear skies looking down on a beach few knew the significance of.
It was back when she was just a child. Her grandfather, Black Manta, had launched an attack on Atlantis in an attempt to relieve it of its current king. The battle was massive, causing many lives on both sides as the invading army sought to kill or capture King Orin and his wife, Queen Mera. Not even their son was safe as young Arthur was targeted and nearly captured. Had it not have been for Lorena's father, Kaldur, the young prince would have most likely met his end.
Although separate from the battle, Lorena was not safe as she and her mother were also targeted. In a last ditch effort to force his son to yield, Black Manta went after his own granddaughter with a squad of Manta Troopers. As the fighting went from the ocean depths to the land, Kaldur and a squad of soldiers went to protect his family. The resulting fight ended with Lilith Clay lying dead in the sand with her daughter by her side. Kaldur did not come through unscathed as his own father took his right arm moments before forcing his son to take his life. It was a battle that changed and defined the family and not a moment goes by Lorena seeks to make her mother proud.
"Love you mom." Kissing her fingertips, the dark skinned human/Atlantean hybrid gently touched Lilith's headstone when her phone alerted her of a text.
Pulling the device from the pocket of her cutoff jean shorts, she read what Irey sent and smirked. She had figured on spending the weekend going through one of the many districts in the nearest town she remembered her mother taking her to but when Irey was involved, it only meant fun. After responding, she tucked the device away and turned back toward the beach. She had another two hours before needing to be back in Atlantis for water scorcery meaning she had time to catch a few waves.
Grabbing her surfboard resting nearby, Lorena jogged back into the water, her exposed blue one piece Atlantean swimsuit shined in the sunlight as it doubled for light armor. As she dove into the ocean, a sliver of water snaked its way out of the incoming waves and went into the jungle.
Roadkill Cafe - Texas/Mexico boarder
September 10
12:32 UTC
"Don't know if I should be afraid or excited."
Responding to the text Irey sent, Zachary went back to eating his bbq sandwich and mystery chili, one of the Roadkill Cafe's top dishes. Since he was able to use his mystical energies to go where he pleased to and from the House of Mystery where he lived, he made use of it by taking trips during school lunch periods. A quick trip home allowed him to reopen the front door and appear in the doorway of another building. Roadkill Cafe was one of his favorite bar-b-q restaurants as it always had the best lunches he had ever come across, especially the mystery chili, which was the right mixture of sweet and spicy for his tastes.
"Here you go, sweetie," an attractive waitress said as she brought him the check.
"Thanks, doll." Taking after his father, Zachary always had a nice word for the ladies and made sure to leave her a nice tip as he paid.
With around twenty minutes left before getting back to school for his next class after lunch, the teen grabbed his bag as he left the booth he was in and ventured to the restroom, almost bumping into a western dressed blonde headed man as he did so. As always, he checked himself in the mirror, which was spotless as despite the name of the cafe, was always clean and extremely sanitary.
Satisfied with his appearance, the homo-magi teen exited the restroom and headed for the door with his bag slung over his shoulder. The smell of a steak big enough to feed two passed by him as another waitress took it to a table. With the thought of perhaps trying that dish next time, he left the building and headed for the back.
"'Scuse me," the cowboy from earlier said as he entered the cafe.
"It's fine." With the ding of the bell behind him, Zachary left the cafe, not noticing two Cowboy patrons watching him from their table as they chewed on a thick steak through the large window facing the parking lot.
Out of view from the public, as he was behind the building, Zachary reached into his pocket and pulled out a bronze key. Not special in appearance, as it was an old simple metal object, it was anything but. Sliding the key below the doorknob of the restaurant's storage shed, a ripple appeared in the red painted wood where it was inserted as if a lock were there and not on the doorknob itself. With a quarter turn, a white light flashed around the door before it opened to lead him, not into the shed, but into the foyer of his house. All he had to do was enter and shut the door behind him then open it from inside and he would be back in a closet at his school where he left through.
As the door shut behind him, the teen failed to notice he was being watched by another blonde haired cowboy. This one simply smirked as he bit into an apple and sat in his truck.
Happy Harbor High School
September 10
12:33 UTC
"Ugh, I hate meatloaf day. It's my most hated of all loaves. Seconded by olive loaf."
Sitting in the middle of his school's cafeteria, Carter and his friend Carlos tried to determine if eating the school provided brick known as meatloaf was worth the future ramifications caused to Carlos' digestive system. The food in question resembled a dark brown brick with green slivers of what looked like bell peppers poking out and were almost burned beyond recognition.
"Hey, CK," Carlos said as he stabbed at the dish before him with a fork, "what'd you bring?"
Opening his lunch bag, Carter pulled out a cyran wrapped smoked turkey sub sandwich, a bag of homemade potato chips, homemade cake, and a glass bottle of jarritos, a Mexican soft drink known for its sweetness.
"Man, you always get the best lunches," Carlos said as he looked at the food on the table. "Wish my mom was a cook."
Careful not to let a note slip out of his bag, as his mother had a habit of leaving one in his lunches everyday, Carter read it before crumpling up the brown sack and began eating when his cell went off.
"Who is it?" Carlos asked as he drowned his piece of meatloaf with ketchup.
"Don't know," Carter told him through a mouthful of sandwich. Being the son of a gourmet cooking super heroine, he never had to eat prepackaged store bought food as M'gann always made everything his family would eat.
"It might be Joslyn over there," the Hispanic teen pointed out. "You know she's been crushing on you."
Glancing behind Carlos' shoulder, Carter saw the blonde girl named Joslyn sitting with her friends. She was an early bloomer and was of course popular with all the boys in Happy Harbor. For some reason, she had centered her attentions on the mostly quiet Carter Kent even though she ran with the popular crowd and he mostly stuck to himself.
"Whatever." Taking another bite of his sandwich, Carter opened his bag of chips and grinned at the smell of chyeanne pepper coming from them. Like his father, he loved hot and spicy food.
"Man, you're gonna get an ulcer eating all that."
"Better than broken teeth."
Looking down at his so called food, Carlos was now unsure it the loaf was safe to eat with how tough it was. "Wanna trade?"
Swallowing his food, Carter shook his head with a smirk. "Not on your life."
It was not until later when Carter checked the message he received. Alone in the restroom, he read the text and responded before gathering some water in his hands and splashing his face with the cool liquid. School was not his favorite place to be, he hated it as a matter of fact and just wanted to get back home as he did not care to be in overcrowded class rooms, packed hallways, or noisy lunchrooms. At least Carlos made things bearable until he went to baseball practice, leaving the hybrid teenager to head home.
"Stupid things."
Rubbing his eyes, Carter sought to relieve the itching he received from his contacts to make his eyes crystal blue like his father's. Since no one was around, he carefully removed them to give his eyes some relief. Staring back at him in the mirror was a pair or pure red eyes like his mother's natural eye color. While his Kryptonian side had him resemble his father, his eyes were a reminder of his Martian heritage and were something he could not change even though he could shape shift to look like other people.
"Four hours," he said as he slipped the uncomfortable contacts back in place. "Just four more hours of jail time and I'm free."
Refreshed and ready, Carter left the restroom and headed for his next class when he bumped into a young girl walking with one of the seniors for a tour of the school. Muttering an 'excuse me', he continued on his way as the girl watched him leave, only to continue with the tour after the senior called her name.
Fortress of Solitude
September 10
19:56 UTC
Sitting in his room with the lights off, Carter sat at the foot of his bed with the TV on and shining in his face. It was the same nearly every night as he practiced replicating actors he saw in sitcoms, movies, dramas, and so on. The light from the screen flickered with the changing of every channel with his face morphing to match what he saw.
"I wish the world was a fly and I was a giant rolled up news paper!"
Shifting his face to match the character of Al Bundy, Carter repeated the line. "I wish the world was a fly and I was a giant rolled up newspaper!"
A change of the channel and he tuned into an Adam Sandler movie. After a line was said, Carter did the same as he did with the previous show and mimicked the comedian precisely. "Come here Mister Penguin!"
Changing the channel again, Carter saw an iconic scene from a sci-fi movie and shifted his face to match the actor's, complete with scars. "Has tala vista, baby."
Hearing a knock at his door, The teen had his face shift back to normal as his father entered. "Hey, dad."
"Hey, Carter," Conner said as he stood in the room. His lounge pants and white shirt were slightly damp from a shower after a day of fighting the good fight. "So how was your day?"
"The same. Loud. Crowded. Itchy."
"Contacts not working out again?"
"No. Gonna wear my charm on Monday. Can't stand those things."
"Can't stand the glasses either," Conner told him. "Still don't understand how people fall for that and can't tell the difference."
"Maybe they're stupid?" Carter suggested. "Like that one guy that threw the gun at you after shooting you six times."
"Saw that, huh?"
"Mom wanted me to. Said when I go out there I could expect that."
"About that," Conner said while rubbing the back of his neck. "You want to patrol Metropolis on Sunday with me and your mom?"
"Yeah," Carter said with a smile. "I'd like that. Could we go to Planet Krypton for dinner?"
"Your mom already said we would. She still wants to see about improving on their desserts for her next book. Said she's got a lot of ideas for her next title."
"You gonna need any more help at the garage in Happy Harbor or Metropolis again?" Carter asked while lowering his TV's volume.
"We're full up, but you can always swing by and help out anytime." Glancing at the TV, Conner knew what his son was doing. "Well I'll let you get back to practicing. Just wanted to see you after I got back."
"Thanks, dad." Standing, the son hugged the father and felt the connection the two shared over their mental link.
Retiring to the master bedroom after grabbing a warmed plate of chicken strips and homemade fries his wife made for dinner, Conner had the crystalian door slide shut behind him. Like the other rooms in the fortress, it was crystal white in appearance with automatic lights coming on when entered. Even the thermostat adjusted to accommodate those inside so they could stay comfortable.
Appearing behind him, M'gann wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "Glad you're back," she said.
"Glad to be back." Placing his plate on a nearby desk, Conner turned and embraced his wife. "Any problems with Clayface?"
"None. Raven and Impulse took him out. I had crowd control and kept an overpass from collapsing on a few people in their cars while Gar cleared the way. You?"
"Atlas tried to get away but I got him after he tried to throw a short bus into a quarry."
"Handicapped kids?" M'gann asked as she jerked her head from Conner's chest.
"Yeah. None were hurt but they thought it was a ride and cheered. The driver and teachers with them were glad I got there in time."
Looking at his wife, Conner saw the same youthful face he's known since the day he first met her. In fact, both maintained their youthful features as she is able to look however she pleases due to her Martian genetics and his inability to age more than one month per year. Only a few things were different like Conner having slightly more length to his hair and more muscle mass while his wife had her hair in a sloping cut from the back to the front where her auburn hair was longest. She still had lean muscle on her but knew what her husband liked through their link and accentuated herself to add a little spice to their marriage.
"What do you say we get to bed early?" M'gann asked with a devious smirk. She then had the shirt and boy shorts she wore shift into a purple silk negligée that made her lime green skin coloring pop.
Seeing what she wanted through their own private mind link, Conner sent her his thoughts and enjoyed the blush that formed on her face. He then picked her up as she phased his shirt off and took her to bed with the lights dimming to a soft, romantic glow.