We're Not In Kansas Anymore

Chapter 6

"Will To Power"

Will Stronghold was not a happy young man.

Sure, he was still the son of two of the most famous super heroes in the world, and he was going to Sky High, and he had a lot of friends.

But he wasn't happy.

Will Stronghold had no super powers. None. He wasn't super-strong like his father or able to fly like his mother. He couldn't do anything…except be a target for bullies and future villains.

It was perfect training to be a sidekick.

And that was exactly what Will was going to end up being. A sidekick. The minor powered or totally non-powered assistant to a super hero.

"Hero support" was the politically correct term for it.

Either way it sucked.

And the way things were going, Will had a sickening suspicion who he would ultimately end up being the sidekick to.

Clark Kent.

Will hated him.

Maybe hate was too strong a word. After all, Clark had proven time and again how great a hero he was going to be. Though a freshman, Clark came with an already impressive record of having kept his small Kansas town safe from a wide number of criminals and evil super powered beings. He had even saved Will from being incinerated by Warren Peace, then befriended Warren and the two of them defeated Lash and Speed to free all the sidekicks from any more bullying that year. All that and they were still not close to Homecoming yet.

Then there were all the times Clark and Warren sat together at lunch, surrounded by the sidekicks. Clark talked and laughed with them while Warren acted like he was ignoring them, but was probably eating up all the attention. But what galled Will was that his own friends were right amongst their followers. Zach, Magenta, Ethan and worst of all, Layla.

He had seen the little looks passing between her and Clark. More than once he had found them talking in the halls or out by where the busses were waiting to take the kids home at the end of the day and when he came up they stopped. He thought for sure that he had seen a blur moving outside a couple of evenings ago, and was certain it had to be Clark moving at super speed to come see Layla who lived next door.

Didn't Clark have enough? He already made history as the first freshman to be the reigning Save the Citizen champion. He was popular with everyone and using that to bridge the gap between heroes and sidekicks. He supposedly helped reform Warren Peace and now…now he was after Will's girl.

But Layla WASN'T his, was she? He had even denied it himself on the bus in front of everyone the first day of school. They were only friends…but now what? Will didn't know what to do anymore. It felt like Clark had just appeared out of nowhere and was taking everything that was supposed to be his; his future as the successor to his super hero parents, his friends, and now…her.

Everyone still said they were friends with Will, but he felt so lonely at times. How could they be his friends if they sat with Warren, an obviously dangerous psychopath who was out to get him? Even with Clark around what were the chances of Warren just snapping some day and incinerating everyone? Didn't they understand?

But there was one person who did seem to understand Will.

Gwen Grayson.

The student body president, senior class president and most popular girl in school, she had made honest efforts to get to know Will. She had gone out of her way to talk to him, find out how he and his parents were doing, and even wanted HIM to be the representative for the freshman sidekicks on the student body committee. Will always felt tongue-tied and shy around Gwen, but she was patient with him and laughed at his silly mistakes in a friendly, non-judgmental way.

It felt like she was the only real friend he had at times.

On that particular Saturday that Warren was in Smallville with Clark, Will got an interesting phone call.

It was Gwen. She said that she would like to come over as she had discovered something that would make things better for everyone at school, something that would totally revolutionize the caste system that Clark was already fighting against.

Will was more than happy to help. If it was for Gwen, and could actually be something that could outdo Clark, it was worth hearing about, at least.

Gwen sat in the front room, looking stunning in a light red dress that was perfect for the warm fall day. She was sorry that Will's parents were off on a mission as she had wanted to meet them, but that could wait.

"What if I told you," she said to Will, "that I have found a way to help the sidekicks, even the non-powered ones like you, become full-fledged heroes?"

"That would be great," said Will, becoming lost in her beautiful blue eyes.

"I mean it Will," she said, "a means where everyone is equal…no more being afraid of bullies or shunned because of having powers others classify as worthless or weak. Where the number of heroes would increase to fight off the evils of the world."

"That…IS something," said Will, finding himself actually intrigued by what she was saying. He also couldn't get enough of the scent of her perfume, breathing deeply to inhale its fragrance.

"I knew you would want to help," said Gwen, suddenly very close to Will, their noses almost touching, "I knew the son of such great heroes would have it in him to help ANYONE in need."

"That's me," grinned Will nervously, "always here to help."

That was when Gwen kissed him. Will had never actually kissed a girl before…not on the lips anyway. He found the sensation strange, yet fascinating, as stars and fireworks lit up his world and the only sound was that of his banging heart.

"But," said Gwen, "I hope I can trust you with what I have to tell you."

"Sure," said Will, "I can be trusted."

"Maybe," said Gwen, "if I knew you also had a big secret you could share with me in return. Wouldn't that show how much we truly trusted each other? And wouldn't it be…more romantic?"

Will's head was swimming. What secret could he possibly have that no one else knew? Everyone already knew he was powerless, and they knew his parents' real identities, so what could he…then it hit him. A secret his dad had revealed to him the first day he came home from Sky High, something he knew he could trust Gwen with.

"Here it is," said Will, "the Secret Sanctum."

They were in the underground complex that served as the headquarters for his parents, the Commander and Jetstream. It had numerous scientific gadgets, a large monitor screen, even a pinball machine and a pool table. Other areas branched off into other parts of the sanctum, but Will knew he had shown Gwen all he needed to from the expression he saw on her face.

"It's…it's remarkable," said Gwen, her eyes wide with fascination.

"That's my dad's trophy area," said Will, "where he keeps mementos of his greatest battles. There's King Kamayamayhem's surfboard, Ticranium's head…though I have no idea why he would want that…one of the Mandarin's rings he's holding for Iron Man…a copy of Sub-Mariner's trident…some kind of energy lance from the planet Apokolips…"

"What's that?" asked Gwen, pointing to a large, apparently broken ray gun.

"That's what Dad called "Royal Pain's Pacifier."

"Royal Pain? Never heard of him."

"I guess he was supposed to be my dad's archenemy…though I thought that was Warren's dad Baron Battle. Anyway, he got blown up somehow when the pacifier exploded while he was fighting my parents. That's how they met."

"Romantic," said Gwen, "him rushing in to save her from the evil villain…"

"Actually it was the OTHER way around," grinned Will, "she saved him and Mr. Boy…All American Boy I mean…from getting zapped with that ray gun."

"What does it do?"

"Dad had no idea," said Will, "probably something lame…a lot of villain weapons do that."

Gwen then turned fully to Will, taking his full attention.

"This is all great," she said softly, 'but this is the past. It's time we started talking about the future…OUR future."

Will felt a chill go down his spine at the last part and could swear he felt a momentary breeze behind him. He turned to look back at the trophies, but everything was exactly where it should be…it was probably just a draft.

"Now that I've seen your home, it's only fair you see mine" said Gwen. "I've got to go now, but why don't you drop by about four this afternoon? Here's the address and my phone number in case you need it." She then handed him a slip of paper.

"Sure," said Will, "I'll see you then."

He then escorted her out of the Sanctum and back to the front door where she paused for a moment to give him another kiss, this time on the cheek.

"Until this afternoon," she smiled as she left.

Will stood in the doorway, watching Gwen walk away until she was out of sight. He still had no idea what her big revelation was, but he was very interested in her…interested in IT…right now. But first, he felt the need for a long and very cold shower.

A few hours later Will stood outside of Gwen's modest looking brick home. It looked nice enough, but then so did his home. That was the most important part of having a secret identity, trying to blend in as much as possible. It also gave a semblance of normalcy for the people who lived there as well.

The front door opened and Will was met by a funny looking little bald man with thick glasses who looked disapprovingly at him.

"You're not that boy with the six hands, are you?" asked the little man.

"Uh, no sir," said Will, "I'm Gwen's friend Will, she asked me to come over."

"Ah yes," the little man smiled, but he still seemed unfriendly "the Stronghold boy. Come in, come in."

Will did as he was told. The inside of Gwen's house was nicely furnished, especially since she claimed only her father was still alive and was "retired". Apparently he had made quite a bit of money, because there were furnishings that even Will's rather well off parents couldn't buy. Will also noticed a lot of mechanical gadgets scattered about, but that was to be expected of someone who was a technopath, able to create and manipulate technology with her mind.

Will looked at some of the pictures on the walls and noticed a few were older ones of a rather drab looking girl with frizzy hair and thick glasses who looked like she didn't know how to smile. He noticed the resemblance and thought she must be Gwen's deceased mother. Apparently there was a recessive "good looks" gene in the family because neither of Gwen's parents was attractive in any way. Maybe that was what brought them together.

Will also saw a picture of a very dapper dressed man with a superior look on his face, complete with a raised eyebrow and a slight sneering smile.

"That's my cousin Jack," said Mr. Grayson, noticing Will's interest, "he was…in the business until a short time ago. Sadly he died at the hands of his arch enemy."

"Was he from around here?"

"No," said Mr. Grayson, "he worked over in Gotham City."

"Daddy," said Gwen, seeming to appear out of nowhere, "why don't you go get some refreshments for us while I show Will around?"

Mr. Grayson raised a an eyebrow at Will as if to warn him to not try anything with his daughter, then turned and went into the kitchen as Gwen approached Will and took him by his hands.

"I'm so sorry about that," said Gwen, "Daddy and Jack were close and it affected him a bit when he died."

"I understand," said Will,

"Here," said Gwen, "let me show you to my workroom. It's where I hone my powers and work on new gadgets."

Will entered ahead of Gwen to find a room filled with technological wonders of all shapes and sizes, and bins containing different odds and ends of electronic equipment and components that she could reshape to her needs. She was showing Will some of her knickknacks and he was only half-hearing her as he was instead engrossed with watching her. They were interrupted by the return of her father.

"Here we go,' said Mr. Grayson as he brought in a tray holding two large glasses of ice tea and a plate of open faced peanut butter sandwiches with smiley faces made of raisins. Will didn't notice how Gwen shot her dad a dirty look while he smiled devilishly and stifled a snicker.

"Thank you Daddy," said Gwen, resuming her calm face, "why don't you putter around in your playroom while I entertain Will."

Her father nodded, and quietly left as Gwen returned her attention to Will, who was already eating one of the sandwiches and drinking some tea. Gwen only smiled.

"Sorry," said Will, "guess I was a little hungry."

"That's okay," said Gwen, "I'd be a poor hostess if I kept you from enjoying yourself. I must say you have quite a healthy appetite."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Will, but in truth Will had noticed he had started eating a lot more since that first day at school when everyone found out he had no powers. He had actually gained ten pounds, none of it muscle, and started wearing looser than normal shirts so no one would notice. Not that anyone seemed to really notice him much anyway.

"Woo," said Will, "I feel a little tired all of a sudden. Maybe I better go home."

"No," said Gwen, "why don't you lay down on my bed? You look like you could use a little nap."

With that she led him to her bedroom that was made up in varying shades of pink, except for one wall that was dominated by a huge, full-length mirror.

"Now you just relax," she smiled, "a little nap will make a new man out of you."

"Well, maybe," said Will, feeling more tired by the minute, "if you're sure your dad won't mind."

"I'll take care of him," said Gwen, "you just lay down and get some rest."

Will did as he was told, and stretched out on the comfortable canopied bed. In moments he was fast asleep.

Gwen smiled and then went to her walk-in closet, where she reached into the back wall and touched a hidden button, opening a secret panel. She then entered her real lab, which looked like something from a science fiction movie. On one particular table rested the damaged pacifier that Speed had retrieved from the Secret Sanctum, replacing it with an exact duplicate in the blink of an eye.

Speed, along with Lash and Penny, had watched the entire exchange between Will and Gwen through the two-way mirror that looked into Gwen's bedroom.

"What's HE doing here?" said Lash, glaring at the skinny sidekick who was now loudly snoring.

"He's here because it is the next part of my plan, you anthropomorphic inner tube, or have you forgotten?"

Lash shook his head, but wondered why Gwen always liked using big words when it was just he, Speed and Penny around. It was like she was a lot older than they were or something.

Gwen went over and retrieved a small box she had on her lab table, smiling from ear to ear at what she held. With this she would ensure Will's total loyalty, and be well on the way to getting her final revenge on the school she hated so much.

"What's that?" said Speed, noticing the glint in Gwen's eye.

"Something I learned about while doing a little research on our friend Clark. While I was using my powers to access the school's database of information on all the students, I was able to bypass the security locks on Clark's file. I learned how he has all that experience fighting supers like us despite being so young. It seems quite a few people were powered up by a strange element that arrived in the form of meteorites that rained down upon the town of Smallville a few years ago. I believe Clark is one of those people who decided to waste his vast talent by being a secret super hero, and somehow gaining the attention of the administration of Sky High."

"And how will this stuff help us?" asked Lash.

"If it can bequeath super powers to ordinary humans…what will it do to someone who already HAS powers…or the potential for them?"

All three started smiling as the realization finally dawned on them.

"So we're going to use this stuff to make US more powerful?" said Lash.

"Don't be stupid," snarled Gwen, "remember, this is a radioactive isotope never before encountered and its far reaching effects are unknown. While it may be tempting to increase or add to the powers we already have, I have no intention of waking up one day with a new form of cancer.

"No," continued Gwen, looking through the mirror at Will as he lay sleeping in the next room, "not when we have a perfectly willing and expendable guinea pig."

"So how did you get it? There's no way you could have gone to Kansas, found some of the stuff and gotten back without us knowing it," said Penny.

"Let's say I have…a connection…who was as interested in my little experiment as I am."

With that Gwen opened the box, and a strange green glow filled the room as she pulled out a small vial containing a liquid that was giving off the glow.

"So that's the stuff?" asked Speed.

"I believe the proper name for it is…kryptonite." Gwen replied.

To be continued

Next:

What is Gwen's plan? Will the kryptonite really give Will the power he secretly wants and, if so, what will he DO with it? Next Monday morning is going to be very interesting for everyone at Sky High.