Title: Mother Nature's Call
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sky High characters, and include some of my own in this work. All but the characters in the movie are mine.
Feedback: Guys, I really appreciate your feedback and reviews. I'm not sure about Warren being in the same grade as the others. He's a year older, so it makes sense to me that he'd be in grade higher. I took out the reference to him being a junior though, just in case.
Synopsis: Sophomore year comes quickly for Will and friends. When trouble arises from student transfers, members of the small group of friends are faced with difficult choices.
Mother Nature's Call
Chapter Six: Half Truths
"Hey mom, dad, how was the rescue?" Will asked, having seen the earlier news report on the television. His parents walked into the kitchen to grab some food as their son followed.
"Well, we managed to save all the employees that were at the chemical plant. I'm afraid we couldn't stop it from blowing up though. That area is nothing but a wasteland now." Mrs. Stronghold said, a little sad.
"At least no one got hurt." Will said. Looking at his son, Mr. Stronghold grabbed a drink and sat down.
"When Eco Terrorist like Fred Gray strike son, its not just the people you have to worry about. His crimes not only destroy private property, but they leave the area completely devastated. There are hundreds of animals that no longer have homes, and the plantlife, well, it'll take years for it to grow back. If it ever does." Will's dad explained, wanting his son to understand the full effects of Gray's actions.
"That's so weird. I thought Eco Terrorists wanted to help the earth, not destroy it." Will said, trying to understand the paradox.
"The problem is they aren't able to see passed their own actions to the consequences." His mother said, walking over and squeezing his shoulder. Will smiled with affection at his mother's habit.
"How did school go today, son?" Even as Will's father asked the question he didn't know what to say. He shrugged initially, not sure what to volunteer. At his father's raised eyebrows he found a place to start.
"Okay. They changed Save the Citizens slightly so that there are four people, instead of two, on each side. It's to promote teamwork better and it seems to work well."
"Did you play today?" Will shook his head at his father's question.
"No, but my friends did. Layla, Zach, Majenta and Ethan." His mom smiled.
"Layla played? How did she do? Was she nervous at all?"
"Yeah mom, I'm sure she was. They did pretty well actually. Their teamwork was almost enough to win. You should have seen what Layla did though, she practically turned that gymnasium into a forest." Will said, all smiles now at the thought.
"That's great!" His father exclaimed, every bit as proud of his son's girlfriend as he was of his son. Will's smile remained strong as he continued to tell his parents about the game play by play. It wasn't until he reached the last part of it that it wavered. "Wow! Sounds like she was able to kick butt before they took her out. That's pretty impressive."
"Yeah, yeah dad." Looking her son over Mrs. Stronghold sensed rather than saw his worry.
"Will, sweetie," His mom walked over and sat down, taking his hand into hers. "I know you worry about Layla, that's natural. Especially right now, but you shouldn't worry." Will looked up sharply.
"What do you mean, 'especially right now'?" Will asked. His dad sent his mom a look before standing up to get another drink.
"High school, sweetie," Mrs. Stronghold stood up without looking at her son.
"High school is high school, mom." Will sighed exasperated. "I just wish I knew what was going on. Layla eats lunch with these new kids, then they call her and the others out at Save the Citizens and come close to seriously hurting her, and now she's eating dinner with two of them. It just doesn't make sense."
The Commander and Jetstream, the two greatest superheroes that the world has ever seen, looked at each other knowingly. Word had begun to spread of Lana's dessertion. They had hoped the rumor wasn't true, that the mother of their son's girlfriend and childhood best friend hadn't joined Gray's Eco Terrorist group. It was a cross between not making sense considering her powers and making sense considering her politics. It was tough, and something they had hoped wouldn't impact Layla or through her, their son.
"Layla is a sweet girl, Will. It's not like her to hold a grudge." Will's dad tried to reason out. Whatever was going on with Lana, they looked at Layla as a daughter and didn't want to think ill of her.
"Yeah dad," Will grabbed a plate of food and left for his room. His parents watched him go sympathetically.
At this time Layla found herself standing in front of a medium sized house as John unlocked the door. There was nothing particularly special about it, nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever, until Layla reached the garden in the back and froze. It was devastated. A few blooms hid here and there, but overall the garden was a wreck.
"Wow! You weren't kidding, huh, Tara." Tara flushed, turning slightly to survey the damage. She felt bad about destroying the garden an hour earlier as John had planned. It was another test, to see how Layla would be able to encourage the plantlife to grow again. If everything went according to plan tonight it will have been worth it.
"Can you help?" John asked, watching Layla expectantly. Looking over the garden once again, Layla smiled as greenery reappeared and flowers began blooming. It was beautiful. "Wow, th...thanks." Layla nodded her head and smiled.
"So, what's for dinner?" Layla asked brightly. Pulling her by the hand, John led Layla back inside towards the dining room. The plates were already set and something in the kitchen smelled delicious. John pulled the chair back for his guest, allowing her to sit comfortably. Walking over, he offered to do the same for Tara and earned a playful slap on the arm instead. Grinning, he went into the kitchen and began bringing food in. Layla watched in delight at the mushroom salad and soup placed on the table. The entree that followed was a mildly spicy Indian vegetarian dish. Once the food was set out, the three kids began eating hungrily.
"That was delicious!" Layla exclaimed. Tara smiled.
"I told you John could cook. It's one of the perks of having him as a brother." Tara said warmly. John pretended to be hurt for a few minutes before he gave up on the act and smiled in agreement. Tara and John's sibling relationship was pretty strong. Layla was an only child, but she imagined if she'd had a brother she'd be able to tease him as easily. The only one who seemed to come close was Warren, a thought that struck her as odd. Even as the strange thought entered her mind Layla smiled at the two.
"Well, I'm glad I could help you guys. Thanks for cooking dinner John, it was great." Layla said, standing up to take her dishes into the kitchen.
"Here, Tara will get those, there's something I want to show you." Tara nodded in John's direction and began clearing the table. Hesitant, Layla finally relinquished her plate and followed John into what looked like the living room. The blonde teen put a video tape in and turned on the t.v. Layla sat down on the couch to watch what he had to show her.
Pictures filled the screen of devastated forests followed by a news announcer. The woman told of a chemical spill that spread too quickly to be controlled. The plantlife surrounding the chemical facility for miles around was dead or dying. Hundreds of animals had fled the area, not all of them making it. Layla watched the broadcast in dismay. It was a recent taping, as the disaster had just occurred that afternoon.
"That's horrible," Layla whispered, her eyes focused on the screen when John suddenly stood up and paused the tape.
"Yeah, it is. It really is Layla." John sat down next to the red head and turned his warm brown eyes to her. "I envy you Layla. If I had your power, I'd be able to change all of that." She glanced again at the blurred image on the screen.
"I don't know about that John. So much damage, so large of an area. I don't think I could change all of that." The doubt in her voice was real. He knew that much.
"But would you be willing to try?" John asked, watching her soft grey eyes study the screen before slowly turning to look at him.
"Yes," Layla said. Smiling, John stood up and called Tara into the room.
"Layla, there's something I want to tell you. Tara and I are apart of a small group who cares about the earth just as you do. We do what we can to protect it from the damage people inflict on it. Tons of chemicals and trash are dumped daily, and its killing our planet." John bent down on one knee in front of Layla. "You are very special Layla, so very, very special. You are the one person on this planet with the ability to heal that damage. We can show you how to start, if you're willing to let us." John reached his hand out, and slowly, very slowly, Layla took it.