Before I start, I just noticed something. The CRUSH storyline is the SECOND story I've ever written that isn't completely Warren centered (The Kids Are All Right being the first). Though he is mentioned is Chapter 1 and this one, he doesn't really appear.
Wow. Maybe the medication IS helping (HA HA HA). Enjoy.
A quick note: "Anastasia " is the name I gave our beloved "Freeze Girl" from the movie.
It sounded mysterious and intriguing, like her.
CRUSH Chapter 2: Well Met in LIMBO
Will sat by himself at a small table in LIMBO, a hangout for super kids when they wanted to get together without their parents knowing about it. What the kids themselves didn't know was that their parents already knew all about LIMBO, because they used to go there for the exact same reason.
Will slowly drank his soda as he occasionally rubbed his still sore chest. He had just been finishing his mid-term in gym with a game of "Dodge the Death Traps" when the final trap caught him. A cannon fired at point blank range had caught him in the chest, slamming him the length of the maze and into the concrete wall beyond.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING STRONGHOLD?" bellowed Coach Boomer.
"Come on Coach," wheezed Will as he pulled the flattened cannon ball off his chest, "who uses freaking CANNONS anymore?"
"Two words smart guy," glared Boomer, "UNDEAD PIRATES!"
Will had been developing a theory that Coach Boomer had some kind of hang up with undead, especially zombies. This only helped support it.
"I'll bet you and "hothead" both don't think this is so easy anymore eh?"
Will knew he couldn't really argue. Though Warren had proven he could take super strong punches, what he couldn't take was a wrecking ball upside his head. He had put quite a hole in the adjoining wall, but he was hurt with a dislocated shoulder, ribs that would be sore for days and a bump on his head where the ball had connected. Ice packs were useless as his high body temperature melted the ice in no time, so Anastasia offered to take him home as she kept her cold generating hands on Warren's ribs and head. Nurse Peepers wrote them both an excuse then made sure Warren got his orange lollipop; "you couldn't drag him out of here without it," she grinned.
Will smiled as he wondered if Anastasia just used her ice powers as an excuse to literally get her hands on Warren, but he didn't seem to be complaining. Come to think of it, she never mentioned WHOSE home she was taking him to. Will then winced in pain as he moved a little the wrong way. He wouldn't mind Anastasia's touch right about now, either.
He looked across the club, noticing other Sky High kids, but also those from other schools as well. A group of what looked like young male and female models wearing the school uniforms of New Olympus Prep whispered amongst themselves as they glared at another table where students from H.A.D.E.S., a school for villains, sat. The leader of those kids, a tall youth with raven black hair, returned the glares of the Olympians with equal venom.
Will decided to finish his soda and wait for Layla outside. Whatever the two groups were mad about was none of his business, and he didn't really want to get in the middle of a fight as bad as he already felt. He had just gotten to his feet when he noticed someone had entered the club, someone who was catching everyone's attention. He could understand why.
Despite her huge muscles, she was obviously a girl. She was about three inches taller than Will, but at least twice as wide with a powerful, unbelievable physique. Her black hair flowed down her wide back to her tiny waist, sparkling and glittering like the night sky filled with stars. Her beautiful blue eyes were highlighted with the faintest trace of makeup and her full lips were the color of ripe strawberries. She wore a simple dark blue summer dress that seemed to billow and move as if by a breeze that registered with nothing else. On her feet she wore designer sandals that matched the color of her dress, as did her perfectly manicured toenails.
She was a stunner for sure. Every guy in the place had stopped whatever they were doing to look at her, much to the chagrin of any girlfriend, present or potential, they had been talking to. The crowd parted before her like waves before a stately ship.
She was headed straight for Will, zeroing in like he was caught in her sights.
Suddenly the leader of the H.A.D.E.S. kids stood up and got in the young goddesses' way.
"What are you doing here?" Marduke Mandragore asked his younger sister Victoria.
"None of your business," Victoria growled back, "get out of my way."
"You're my little sister," Marduke answered, "that makes it my business."
"Alright," she said, "I'm here to meet someone."
"Who?"
Victoria rolled her eyes. She could see the reaction coming from miles away.
"Will Stronghold."
Marduke looked back at Will, who was totally clueless about what was going on. His dark eyes narrowed as he looked at the skinny Sky High freshman that was the talk of all the schools for what he had done.
"Did Mom or Dad send you," he asked his sister, "is this a plot?"
"No," Victoria sneered, her temper starting to shorten by the second, "I'm here for me…I mean I came because I want to meet him."
"Why?"
"Fine," she snorted. "I love him. I want to make him my boyfriend, maybe even my husband. Happy?"
Happy was the last emotion going through Marduke at that instant. Confusion, anger and embarrassment that his little sister was going to come on to the son of the Commander in front of EVERYONE were all bubbling in Marduke's brain.
"Oh no," he snapped, grabbing Victoria by her wrist, "we're going home NOW."
Victoria snarled. She could easily hurl her oldest brother the entire length of the club and through the front wall with a flex of her eighteen-inch bicep, but she had a better idea.
"No," she yelled in a high voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "I said let go! Help! Help!"
Marduke was dumbfounded. He knew Victoria could wrench her arm out of a hydraulic vice much less his grip, so why was she…?
He felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a voice; "Hey pal, you heard the lady". Then it hit him.
The "damsel in distress". His sister had pulled the oldest trick in the book to get a super hero's attention.
Marduke glared at Victoria, who momentarily shot him the same sweet innocent smile all little sisters gave their big brother when she had just gotten him in trouble. He released her and turned around.
Sure enough there was the skinny Will, standing there with what passed for his chest sticking out and his hands on his hips, trying to look brave and heroic though Marduke towered over him by at least a foot.
"Beat it, freshmen," snarled Marduke, his eyes literally flashing, "This doesn't involve any Sky High squirts."
"Power down," said Will, "just leave her alone and let's all walk away. No one wants to get hurt."
"GET hurt? No," agreed Marduke, "GIVE hurt, however…"
Will had noticed how Marduke's eyes had been flashing, then glowing, so it was that combined with his reflexes that enabled him to dodge at the last second as twin beams of red energy shot from Marduke's eyes, blowing a hole in the concrete floor where Will had been standing.
"Come on "hero"," Marduke sneered, firing blast after blast as Will continued dodging, trying to find an opening, "let's see eye to eye on this!"
"Great," thought Will, "all this AND he does lame puns!"
Will feigned to his left and as Marduke started to fire Will dodged to the right, grabbed an unoccupied table and hurled it with all his strength. Marduke easily blasted it to pieces, but Will had launched right behind it for cover and flew to slam into Marduke, burying his shoulder deep into the older boy's stomach. Will then carried him along until they crashed into the wall near the entrance.
Will, remembering his fights with Warren and Royal Pain, was back on his feet in an instant, ready to continue.
Marduke, apparently, was not as tough as Will's best friend or his archenemy, because he simply lay there, moaning. He didn't seem to be bleeding or badly hurt, just stunned. Two of his classmates helped him to his feet and held him between them as they carried him out the front door.
The kids cheered Will. He turned to acknowledge them and found himself face to face with the girl he had rescued. From a distance she had been stunning, but up close…wow. Her deep blue eyes sparkled like the diamond earrings she wore, and he could count the light freckles on her pixie cheeks.
"Thank you," she smiled with dazzling white teeth as she rubbed her wrist like it was hurt.
"My pleasure," said Will as he blushed slightly. He had never seen a girl like her before. Her huge muscles were a mind-bending contrast to every girl he'd ever seen, but they seemed to strangely enhance her femininity rather than detract from it. He found he liked them.
"Are you okay?" He took her "injured" wrist and checked it, while she simply luxuriated in his holding her hand.
"I'm…fine," she barely whispered. Her mighty heart was banging so hard she was certain everyone in the club could hear it. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to grab him and kiss him, to taste every inch of his face with her lips.
"I think," she breathed, "my hero deserves a reward."
"No," he smiled "that's not…"
Victoria's lips shut him up. They were so soft yet firm…they were warm, and tasted like the wild strawberries they matched in color.
Will had always liked strawberries.
Again the crowd cheered.
Layla was just coming to the door when it suddenly flew open and a couple of H.A.D.E.S. students came out, half-dragging another between them.
"Sorry," said one of the boys, noticing they had almost run into Layla.
"Is he okay?" asked Layla.
"He'll be fine," the boy grinned, "but Will Stronghold is in for it now."
They carried their friend off before Layla could ask what they meant, and she heard a cheer come from inside the club. She stepped inside just in time to see it.
Not ten feet away from the door, to the roar of approval from the crowd, Will was in a firm lip lock with someone who looked like Hercules' not so little younger sister.
Green fire flashed in Layla's eyes.
"Oh, he's in for it, alright," she growled to herself.
The two boys took Marduke around a corner where a long black limousine with tinted windows waited. As they approached one of the rear doors opened by itself and they placed their friend inside.
"Thank you boys," said Lucretia Mandragore, sitting in the back seat, "are you sure I can't drop you somewhere?"
"No thanks, Mrs. M," said one of the boys, "we…borrowed one of the school's riding dragons to get here and we should get it back."
"Very responsible," smiled Lucretia, "very well then. Thank you again, and tell your mothers I said "hi"."
The boys turned to leave as the limousine door closed and the vehicle began moving soundlessly down the street.
"How was that Mom?" asked Marduke, pressing an ice pack to the back of his throbbing neck.
"Wonderful dear," smiled his mother as she poured him a cup of hot tea that was already laced with a powerful healing potion, "you have your father's flair for drama."
Marduke smiled as he kept the ice pack in place with one hand and gingerly sipped the tea with the other. In moments the aches left his body and the fast-forming bruises would vanish in a few minutes.
"Victoria's got Will. So when do I…"
"Patience," said Lucretia, "all things in time. Once William and Victoria are firmly together I shall turn my full attention to you and your "Freeze Girl"."
"Anastasia," corrected Marduke, her name sweeter on his tongue than the honey in the tea.
"Anastasia," repeated Lucretia, "of course…such a lovely name. Forgive me dear…so many names to keep track of in this little endeavor."
They rode in silence for several minutes before Marduke put down the ice pack and his tea and spoke again.
"Mom," he asked, "why are you doing all this? I mean, sure it's sneaky and manipulative, but it's hardly even close to "naughty". I don't think it will get you nominated for an Enemy Award any time soon."
Lucretia sighed and thought a moment before answering.
"I could say I'm doing it so two of my children will be happy. Does that sound selfish and villainous enough?"
"A little," he said, "and Layla is getting hurt…"
"A moment of pain that shall pass," soothed Lucretia, "she is far stronger than anyone seems to give her credit for. Besides, she will not be alone for long."
Marduke knew whom she was talking about…the only one that might come between him and Anastasia. The one Marduke both admired and feared.
"I'm surprised you didn't try to match HIM up with Victoria."
"As much as it would have healed a very nasty wound in both your father's and my hearts to have him join our family, it was not meant to be," said Lucretia with a sad look in her eye. "No, he must be with the only one who can truly bring him the happiness he needs and deserves after so long."
"That," said Marduke, "doesn't sound like the words of a bad guy."
"My dear son," smiled Lucretia as she sipped her tea, " we may be "bad guys", but that doesn't mean we're bad people."