Mary had once seen a magazine article about family activities and how important it was to set aside time to spend time with one another. She didn't think the writer could have possible thought prison visits could be on that list, but that was turning into their usual Saturday routine. Mary had that week's pictures printed out, Randy had brought some art work he'd done in art class, Suzy had a small bag of sweets, and they were all dressed up for the visit. Trisha held the twins on her lap as they told her what was going on in school. She cooed over the art and sweets. The pictures were fun to go through, as well.
"I printed out a few for Mr. Battle," Mary said, tapping a smaller pile of pictures held together with a rubber band. "I don't know if you can get them to him, but Warren doesn't have a visit planned until next week and I don't know if they'd let him give his dad things."
"I'll see what I can do," Trisha said. She smiled at her daughter. "So, you've become better friends with Warren, then? Enough to know his visitation schedule?"
"Zoey told me about it at dinner last night."
Trisha's brows raised in surprise. "You're already have dinner with his mom? Wow."
Mary blushed. "It's not like that. I got sick this past week and Zoey came to look me over. She invited us to dinner and we had a nice time. She's really sweet."
"You were sick?" Trisha looked over her face and Mary smiled reassuringly.
"I'm fine. When I got turned into a baby and then back again, my powers changed. I can now bend light around things to see inside things but I can feel pain, now. I had to miss school for a few days; the change felt like I was going through a very bad case of the flu."
"But we had friends over for study parties and we made her feel better," Randy said proudly.
"Warren also stayed with her to make sure she was ok." Suzy's smile was a little more mischievous than it should have been.
Trisha grinned. "Oh, he did, did he? Nursed you back to health?"
Mary's face turned even redder. "Mom, he's a friend. He looked after me, made me drink some disgusting tea that helped me get over the sickness faster, and made sure I got my homework done. But that's all we did, I swear. I even helped him get ready for the school auditions. He's the understudy for Beast." She flipped through the pictures and found the one of Warren doing his monologue. "See? He was really good, too, but they went with a senior for the lead."
Trisha smiled at the photo. "He looks very comfortable up there." She looked up. "Will you be adding these to the yearbook? I'm sure they'd love to have a section in there about the drama department."
Mary shrugged. "A few people say I should do the yearbook or newspaper but I can't think of having the time. I look after Randy and Suzy a lot, so…"
"You should do it. Have some fun, make some memories, get some practice in for your photography. Randy and Suzy are starting their after school programs soon, so you'll have time." Trisha reached out and squeezed Mary's hand. "How about this. You do yearbook or newspaper for the rest of the school year and, if you don't want to continue, then you can stop and say you at least gave it a shot. Please? For me?"
Mary stared at her mother for a while and sighed. "Now I know where Suzy got that puppy dog look from. Fine. Just for the year."
"Good. Because I want to hear all about it when you visit." Trisha leaned back in her chair, her handcuffs rattling slightly. "So, if you're not going after Warren, are there any other boys that have caught your interest?"
"Mom, please," Mary groaned, though it was only half hearted. "I'm only 14."
"Nearly 15," Trisha corrected. "Your birthday is on Monday."
"What? No. I would remember– Oh, god. It is, isn't it? I completely forgot."
Trisha frowned slightly. "Are you okay, sweetie? You're not taking on too much, are you?"
"No, I'm fine. Really. It's just with everything that's been happening since the dance and getting sick and focusing on school, I just forgot. But that's not new." Mary smiled wide. "Honest, Mom. I'm ok."
"Yeah," Randy said. "Suzy and I look after her. We'll take her to get ice cream after this and she'll feel better."
"Ice cream's your answer to everything," Suzy said.
"Because it is. Ice cream cures everything."
"I hope you two are actually eating real food," Trisha fake scolded.
Suzy nodded. "Mary's a really good cook."
"And we're good if Suzy doesn't cook," Randy added. Suzy hit his arm and he swung back.
"Hey, hey." Trisha pulled them apart, keeping an arm around both of them. "Play nice, you two. We have to be on our best behavior for these visits."
"It was tough getting them ready for bed last night," Mary said as Randy rounded the table and climbed into her lap. "They had a lot of ice cream at Zoey's and ran around for hours."
"Did you know Warren has a motorcycle?" the little boy asked excitedly. "He can even drive it! But he has to fix a few things before it can work."
"It was his dads," Suzy added. "It's big and black and really cool looking. He says that he'll give Randy and me rides when it's done."
"They'll be wearing helmets," Mary added quickly. "And they'll only be going around the block. They won't be getting any longer rides until they're older."
"Well, I'm not too thrilled about that. What does Zoey say?"
"She says it's okay with her if you're fine with it. But she agrees with the helmets and only small rides. It will be a while, though, so you don't have to answer now. Warren said something about needing to do something to a carburetor? I don't really know; I kind of zoned out at some point and let him ramble."
The door opened and Joey gave an apologetic smile. "Time's up, guys."
The twins hurried into their mother's arms, squeezing her tight enough to last them another week. Trisha kissed the top of their heads, smiling into their hair. When they finally let go, it was Mary's turn for an embrace. She breathed in the smell of prison soap and the little bit that was Trisha Lamb.
"I love you," Trisha said softly. "You're doing such a good job and I'm sorry I can't be there for you."
Mary tightened her hold as the door opened again. "I'll be ok. I've got things handled." She pulled back and gave one last loving smile before taking the twins' hands and leading them out of the room.
"So what do you want to do for your birthday," Randy said as they waited for the bus.
"I don't feel like having too much attention on it," Mary said, double checking how much she had for groceries. They needed more shelf stable things and fresh veggies. Milk, too.
"But we have to do something." Suzy bounced in place as the bus started to approach the stop. "It's your birthday! Maybe we should have everyone over and I can make a cake."
"I don't want the bother. Maybe some pizza and a few cupcakes or something, but I don't want to think about my birthday too much."
The bus stopped and they climbed onboard. Mary payed their way, smiling at Berth, the usual bus driver on they route for Saturdays. He nodded his head and gave Randy a high-five when he asked for one. They took a few seats as the bus pulled away.
"Is it because we're not with our friends in France?" Suzy asked.
Mary sighed. "I do miss them, but I'm just not interested in celebrating my birthday this year." She reached into her bag and pulled out a hand held notepad. "Now, let's go over our grocery list and make sure we have everything."
Mary switched the loads in the laundry and took the clean clothes to the kitchen counter to sort. After coming home with the groceries and making a quick lunch, it had been time to do chores. Randy and Suzy groaned, as usual, but agreed to get their laundry downstairs to be washed and then go clean their rooms. Mary sorted out the clothes and then began to fold everything. Her hands paused over a pair of her father's pants.
She hadn't seen him a while, but she knew he was coming home now and then. Leftovers would be moved in the fridge, dishes were left in the sink, and his laundry basket had new clothes in it when she checked. Nathan Lamb was still around, but she wondered how long he could keep this up. Putting aside the fact that he was avoiding his kids, he was pulling long days and nights. When did he have the time to sleep or eat properly? Was he napping at work and getting meals out? She hoped he wasn't working himself into exhaustion.
A dull thump sounded from upstairs. Mary looked at the ceiling. That sounded like it was coming from Randy's room. "Everything ok up there?" she called.
"Fine! Nothing's wrong!"
"Don't come up!"
Like that wasn't suspicious. What were the twins doing? Mary had just put a foot on the step when the front door opened. She turned, pausing as she took in the new arrival.
Nathan Lamb hung his coat up by the door and dropped his keys onto the side table. He scratched at the dark stubble that was almost as dark as the bags under his eyes. His clothes were rumpled, as if he'd slept in them a few times, but Mary knew those were his back up set; the ones he kept for when he had to quickly change for a meeting. He dropped his work backpack next to the side table and turned, yawning wide. He paused when he spotted Mary.
The two of them exchanged looks, neither saying anything for a few extended moments. Mary was the first to break the silence.
"Welcome home."
Nathan remained quiet.
Mary stepped off the stairs. "Are you hungry? I can make you something."
He shook his head, finally speaking. "Just came back for a shower and a set of clothes. I'm in the middle of an assignment." She could hear the half lie under the surface of his words.
Mary nodded. "Sure. Shower's free and your clothes just came out of the laundry. I'll make you a few things for a lunch to go." Nathan nodded and headed to the stairs. Mary moved out of his way but he stopped when she added, with a pointed look, "Suzy and Randy are cleaning their rooms. They'll be happy to see you but will understand that you can't stay long."
His eyes moved toward her but he didn't look her in the eyes. He knew what she was saying; play the nice dad for the twins. They didn't know about his neglect like she did and she'd be damned if he didn't let them believe he loved them unconditionally for a little while longer. His head dipped and he continued to climb the stairs. Mary waited until she heard the bathroom door close before going to his backpack. Shoved inside were a few sets of clothes onto of his paperwork. A few crumpled receipts from fast food places answered her question of his eating habits. A sigh escaped her as she collected the clothes. He'd need a few more sets for the office if he planned on staying away more. Good thing she had them ready on the kitchen counter.
Hurried feet had her turning around. Randy and Suzy were on the stairs, their eyes wide with questions. Mary put on a bright smile. "Dad can't stay for too long. He came back to check on us and get a quick shower. He's in the middle of a big assignment."
"Daddy's home?" Randy asked, his shining grin making Mary's chest ache from having lied to him. "I can't wait to tell him about school."
"I think I might have some cookies around here somewhere," Suzy said, rushing toward the kitchen. "They'll cheer him up at work."
Mary followed her siblings, leaning around a corner to toss the rumpled clothes in the hamper to be washed before stepping into the kitchen. She selected, folded, and set aside a few of Nathan's clean shirts, pants, socks, and underwear to be placed back in his backpack. Then she started making a few snacks and meal items. If fast food was a main piece of his diet, she'd give him a healthy alternative just in case. It was his choice to eat it or not, though. She finished her work and put everything in his backpack. Suzy slipped in a small bag of left over sweets, adding a folded piece of construction paper Randy had done.
Nathan came down ten minutes later, freshly shaved and changed. He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it, and paused when the twins noticed him.
"Daddy!" They wrapped their arms around his hips, grinning up at him.
He gave them a smile– one that passed as caring but Mary saw the strain behind it– and ruffled their hair. "Hey, kids. How have you been?"
The twins gave their rambling of everything that had been happening since the beginning of school. Nathan probably wasn't hearing a lot of it but nodded and hummed at the right moments.
"And then Mary's homecoming was a villain trap but Warren defeated them and then Mary got sick so Warren stayed with her so she'd get better and we had study parties and–"
"Warren?" Nathan looked to Mary, eyebrow raised.
"Warren Peace," she said, leaning back against the counter. She stiffened slightly at the stern look in his eyes. Like he had any right to judge what she did with her friends. Or anyone, for that matter.
"The son of Barron Battle?"
"And the son of Zoey Peace," Mary purposefully added, her chin raising at Nathan's tone. "Mrs. Peace is a nurse at Maxville General. She looked in on me when I was sick. She's a nice lady."
"You let a son of a villain in this house?"
"But Warren is nice," Randy said. "He's helping me control my pyro powers."
"And he made sure Mary got better," Suzy added. "I think he'd make a good boyfriend for her."
Nathan stiffened, eyes hardening. Mary looked to the twins, smiling softly. "Why don't the two of you do me a huge favor and run Miss Josie's Tupperware to her? I'm sure she'd love a visit, too."
They started to fuss. "You better go," Nathan said, his voice tight but with a slight upbeat tone. "Tell the Strongholds I say hello."
The twins frowned but took the bag of Tupperware and called out their goodbyes as they hurried out the door. A few moments ticked by after the door closed and then Nathan turned to Mary.
"A boyfriend?"
"Suzy's only saying that. Warren is just a friend."
"His father was sentenced to multiple lives in prison."
"And my mother is in prison for life. Or have you forgotten that I'm the kid of a villain, too?"
Nathan's jaw ticked and his eyes grew hard. Mary gave just as hard a glare back. He went to the hall, came back with his backpack, and set an envelope on the kitchen counter. "That should be enough for a while. Let me know if you need more." He turned on his heal and left.
The moment the door closed behind him, Mary took as deep a breath as possible, holding it in her lungs until it started to ache. Slowly, she let it out, forcing her muscles to loosen but the spot between her shoulders stayed tense. She wanted to punch something, to do something to let out her anger, but losing her cool would only make things worse. The last thing she wanted to do was let that man make her angry enough to physically lash out. Who did he think he was, judging her and who she was friends with when he never cared before? What, did he think Warren was going to break in and steal something?
She shook her head, forcibly clearing her negative thoughts away, and picked up the envelope. She flipped through the bills. There was enough to last them two weeks if she looked up a few sales and clipped some coupons. The mental exercise of forming a budget helped calm her down enough to get started on dinner and finish the rest of the laundry. Whatever was delaying the twins was a bit of a blessing; by the time they ran back into the house, Mary had regained control of her emotions and had finished the laundry.
"Mary, guess who we ran into," Suzy said.
"It was Warren," Randy added. "He was going to work but he said to tell you hi."
Mary smiled at their energy. "Well, dinner's almost ready. You have just enough time to take your clothes upstairs, put them away, and wash up before I plate everything."
"Is daddy not here?" Randy said, looking around.
Mary's smile slipped a bit but she forced it back into place. "He had to leave. Big assignment, like I told you. But he wanted me to tell you he said goodbye." She waved to the piles of folded clothes. "Now, time to put them away."
The twins did as they were told and Mary got everything on the table by the time they ran back down the stairs. As they chatted on about nothing in particular, Mary was aware of how lucky she was to have them. She'd do anything for her brother and sister; even put up with Nathan Lamb until she became of age.
Monday came around soon enough and Mary was still telling Suzy not to bother with a celebration for her birthday.
"But you're turning 15. Isn't that a big number?"
"Not really. 16 is supposed to be a big one." Mary put the twins' lunches in their bags. "15 is kind of a 'you're more teenager than you were' age. Nothing too exciting."
"But we should do something. Birthdays are important."
"We will do something. A pizza, some ice cream, and some movies."
"But we do that often enough now. This should be special."
Mary smiled at her sister and helped her put on her backpack. "I appreciate you wanting to celebrate but I'm just not in the mood. Thank you, though."
Suzy huffed and trudged out of the house. Randy took Mary's hand as they headed to the bus stop. Suzy was distracted by Taylor and soon the twins were occupied with their friends. Mary did her usual greeting of the other parents but was surprised to see Will and Layla approaching the stop.
"You guys are early."
"We escaped my parents and their well meaning badgering," Will said.
Mary raised an eyebrow. Layla smirked slightly. "It was the talk." She gave a pointed look and Mary bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"Over breakfast?"
"Not their best timing," Will said. "I'm never looking at waffles the same way again."
Mary chuckled but calmed herself enough to see the twins onto the bus after receiving hugs. When it was just the three of them at the stop, Layla reached into her bag and pulled out a small box.
"From Will and me. Happy birthday."
Mary blinked at the gift. "You didn't have to. I'm not really celebrating my birthday this year."
"Too bad. Mom's expecting you over and we already got you a gift." Will gave her a hug and stepped away for Layla to get hers in. "But we'll not mention it until tonight."
Mary smiled. "Thank you. And we'd love to come to dinner." She pulled opened the box and smiled as she pulled out a new camera strap. It was black with blue edges and her name embroidered near one of the clasps in red thread. It took a moment to swap it out with her older worn strap. "Thank you." She hugged her friends once more as the bus pulled up.
She climbed on and headed straight to her friends. After Friday and her chat with Warren, she wasn't as bothered by the looks and whispers. She slid into a spot next to Ethan, who asked her opinion on a section in his Hero History essay. It was well written and she assured him that it would earn him an easy A. Then Magenta was asking about something from her Mad Science class. Mary was just finishing the wiring explanation in one of the diagrams when the bus landed. They departed with the others and made their way up to the school.
Zach dropped an arm around Mary's shoulders and gave her a quick one armed hug. "Happy birthday, my main Lamb," he said in a low voice. She smiled her thanks, glad he wasn't making a big deal. "Magenta and I got you something and we put it in your bag. Same for Ethan."
"Hope you don't mind the distraction," Magenta said with a knowing smirk.
Mary laughed. That would explain the homework questions. She'd have to look at their gifts later.
Warren was leaning against her locker, sending out a glare or two at anyone who looked at him too long. His shoulders relaxed when he saw her and he stepped aside so she could spin in her combination.
"Good morning," she said.
"Morning."
Mary opened her locker and stared at the box sitting in front of her. It wasn't hard to miss in the small space. "There's a box in here."
Warren looked at it and then her. "So there is."
"Is there a reason for the box?"
He shrugged. "I suppose you'll have to just open it."
Mary narrowed her eyes at it. "It isn't booby trapped, is it?"
A twitch pulled at Warren's lips. "I'm guessing the probability is low."
"If it is, this would not be a good start to my day." Mary slowly reached out and picked the box up. No trip wires and the box didn't feel too heavy. She flipped the lid open and stared at what was inside. It started as a giggle and then chuckle, which then led to a full laugh. She pulled out two sheets of press on tattoos, the action making the three juice boxes shift on the bottom. She looked to Warren.
"What is this?" she said through her giggles.
"Well, 15 is when more of the rebellion starts happening, but since we can't exactly go crazy right now, this will have to do."
"So you got me fake tattoos and juice boxes instead of alcohol?" Mary put the tattoos back in the box and returned it to her locker before throwing her arms around Warren's neck. She had to stand on her toes a little due to him being taller than her. He returned the hug, not caring if they were attracting attention.
"Happy birthday," he said in her ear. She'd deny it to anyone who asked, but she did shiver slightly at having his voice so close to her ear. She could also get very spoiled on his hugs; honestly, how did he have such an affect on her?
"Miss Lamb, Mr. Peace, this is a hallway. Please refrain from acts of PDA." They parted and faced Principle Powers. She had a raised eyebrow but simply waited until they stepped away from one another. "Thank you. Now, I believe you both should be going to your first class of the day." She walked off, heals clicking in the hallway.
Mary closed her locker and smiled once more at Warren. "Thank you. I love the gift. Can't wait to go crazy at home."
Warren smiled, making her heart skip and warm at the same time. "Not too much fun, now, or tomorrow's gonna suck."
"I think I can hold my juice box, thank you very much." Mary raised her chin but started giggling again. She shifted her bag onto her shoulder. "But I really should get to class. I'll see you at lunch." She squeezed his arm and made her way to her first class, leaving him to watch her go.
Warren slid into the seat next to her in French, craning his neck slightly to see her notebook. "What's that"
Mary pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "We're supposed to be making our first round of hero costumes in Hero History class. We finished the chapters on Heroes and the development of their costumes; what they started with, how they changed, how they reflect their powers, how they look in teams, etc. It was kind of fun from a designer standpoint, but we're supposed to make a few sketches of what we'd like to wear when we get into the field. Then we share with the class." She finished a line and tilted her head to look at him. "Have you gotten to this, yet?"
"Last class, actually. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for it." He switched into French when Monsieur Gerard began his lecture on conjugation. "Everything I come up with looks too campy and ridiculous. Like I jumped from a comic book."
"I think that might be a requirement for hero costumes," Mary said, slipping into French, as well. "Bright colors, cliche designs; that kind thing helps people notice you and tells them who you are. The French heroes and villains are a bit campy, as well, but they do more of a blended look between bright and cliche." She flipped to a new page and sketched out a quick design. "Since you've got the brooding pyro look already, we could just alter a leather jacket to have flames carved into the fabric and maybe paint some blue and red around your wrists and forearms; like when you activate your power. I'd add a mask around your eyes, though I'd make it fire proof and breathable so you're not sweating too much and having it fall off. Maybe a lower mask, too, that can act as a filter. Using your powers almost guarantees things burning and you'll need breathable air to work, so it should be sturdy and able to handle large quantities of smoke." She sketched as she talked. "Then there's your hands. You haven't burned your hands with your power, but you should have heat resistant gloves just in case. Fingerless, of course, as you prefer that style. You could keep these black, too. The rest of your outfit can be anything you'd like, really, as long as it's heat resistant, breathable, and can withstand constant use of your powers. Boots, too, are a big thing. It would be a pain having to buying tons of pairs if the kept melting during fights." She tapped the pen to her lip. "I suppose you could look at the materials the school uses for their gear used in Save the Citizen. They seem to stand up well enough to your powers." She looked to Warren but paused what she was about to say. He was staring at her with a slight smile. "What?"
"You're really getting into this assignment. It's interesting."
Mary blushed slightly but shrugged. "It reminds me of my time in France. I picked up a lot of things from my designer friends and the past few Hero History chapters have been interesting."
Warren reached over, turning the notebook toward him. It didn't look to different than his normal style. Mary's notes were scribbled on other parts of the page, arrows pointed to parts of the outfit. "I like it. Mind if I use this?"
Mary blinked. "I mean, you can. But aren't you supposed to do your own?"
He shrugged. "Why do that when I'll never come up with something as great as yours?" He looked up at her. "But I can design yours so we're fair."
"You want to design my hero costume?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to make it pink, are you?"
"Please," Warren said, rolling his eyes. "I'd never do something so heinous to you." He gave her a smile. "Trust me, Lamb."
She couldn't stop the smile from spreading her lips. "Always, Peace." Something flashed in his eyes but was gone too quickly for her to get a read on it.
He flipped to a page in his notebook and started sketching. Mary leaned close to see his work, but he shook his head and angled the notebook away from her. "Let it be a surprise." She frowned but turned back to the lecture. She'd let him have his artistic moment.
"All right," Coach Boomer said as he sat in his spot above the Save the Citizen arena. "I've noticed a few of you haven't stepped into the ring yet, so I've already assigned teams and you will fight. I'm not putting up with whiner babies today." He looked at his clipboard. "First up, Ethan Daniels and Zach Braun as Villains versus Magenta Vitz and Layla Williams as Heroes."
"Good luck," Mary said as the four left their area in the stands and made their way to the arena.
"My money's on Hippie," Warren said in a low voice, leaning close to Mary.
"Because she's got the plant power?"
"Pretty much."
Mary smiled. "I guess we'll just have to see. What are the stakes?"
"If I win, I get a batch of Suzy's sweets."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Of course. And if I win, then…I get to the cutest of my new press on tattoos on your face." She met his eyes. "Are you sure about your bet?"
He smirked and held out his hand. She took it and they shook before turning to the arena. Will sighed. "Why are you betting on our friends?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Warren asked. Mary smiled to herself. He might not have realized it, but he'd just acknowledged them as his friends. He'd come so far from their first meeting.
The match started, taking her attention. The citizen doll started to drop down toward the rotating metal teeth. Layla pulled a daisy from behind her hair and activated her power, making the root expand and head toward the boys. It wrapped around Ethan and Zach, the boys surprised at the sudden move. Magenta headed toward the citizen, climbing on the roots to get at it. Ethan turned liquid, slipping trough the roots, reformed away from their reach, and jumped at Magenta. Was he planning on pulling her down? He grabbed onto a root close to her, making her waver as she regained her balance, but then he turned into his liquid state again. Magenta stepped in him and slid, falling back into a knot of roots. Ethan followed her, sticking to the spots Magenta was trying to use to pull herself up. She kept falling back and tangled herself even more in the roots.
Layla noticed her friend's struggle and manipulated the roots to go for the citizen that had dropped closer to the teeth. Zach was still tangled in the roots, glowing brightly but not enough to distract or blind anyone. Layla saved the citizen and the buzzer went off.
"Heroes win," Boomer called, marking the clipboard. "Villains out of the ring, Heroes stay."
Layla carefully pulled the roots back, freeing her friends. She checked on them but they weren't hurt and were even smiling. Zach and Ethan left the arena and Boomer called the next pair.
"Ah, man," Zach sighed as he plopped into the space next to Mary. "That sucked."
"Your glowing's gotten better," Mary said. "Remember testing day? Now we can see you even in the light. You'll get there." She patted his shoulder in sympathy then turned to Ethan. "You had a really good idea. That kept Magenta occupied really well."
He grinned. "Thanks. I wasn't sure if it would work. But I guess we'll have to do better when facing Layla's plants."
Mary noticed Warren's look and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she mumbled. "I'll let Suzy know what you want." He leaned back in the stands and looked to the arena.
Layla and Magenta managed to stay in the arena for three more matches. They were eventually pulled out by Boomer, who wanted the others on his list to have a chance at fighting. It was interesting to see the different types of powers and how their wielders used them.
"All right, last match," Boomer said. "Our Heroes are Emma Whitaker and Hannah Grimes. They'll be facing the villains Melanie Goodman and Mary Lamb."
Mary frowned. He put her as a villain? How original. But that drew people's attention and she stood from her place, smoothing down her shirt as if it didn't bother her.
"Crush them, Lamb," Warren said. She smiled at his smirk and nodded before starting down to the arena.
Melanie was already pulling on the protection pads and smiled as Mary joined her. "Hey. Ready to crush some heroes?"
Mary chuckled, pulling on her pads. "Excited, much?"
"Method acting. If you want to win as the villains, you have to embody the villain character." Melanie finished snapping in her last pad. "Besides, it's good practice to be the villain. You know what the position requires and you can fight back better because of it when you play the hero."
Mary nodded at the logic. She wasn't wrong. With the last pad in place, the two girls stepped into the arena. "By the way, what's your power?"
"Sonic voice. I can turn my screech into a power blast."
Mary smiled slightly. "I bet that helps with getting those high notes."
Melanie smiled back. "You have no idea. What's your power?"
"Force fields." She turned to the opponents. "What about them?"
"Hannah has bone claws, she's good in close hand combat. Emma has air manipulation. She can move it however she wants; her go to move is to push her opponent away with a concentrated blast."
Mary let out a slight breath. "Okay. Either Hannah's going to be the distraction while Emma uses her wind to save the citizen or Emma's going to be the distraction while Hannah slices the citizen free. Have you fought them before?"
"Best bet is to trap them when you can. I can usually disrupt Emma's air blast with the right frequency screech."
"All right, ladies," Boomer called. "Enough chit chat. You have five minutes. Begin."
Emma slashed the air, sending a stream headed toward Melanie and Mary. Mary brought up a barrier, stopping the whip but the force made her take a step back. Melanie drew in a breath and screeched at the Heroes. Hannah put her hands over her ears while Emma used a whirlwind effect to rise her above the sound waves. Emma directed the whirlwind toward the citizen; Mary threw up a barrier in front of the girl that she ran into. Emma glared at Mary and waved her arm again, the wind moving around the barrier. Mary threw a barrier up around the citizen with one hand and used the other to block Emma when she tried to get close.
Melanie's screeching could still be heard but Mary was focused on the Hero in front of her. There were a lot of possible moves for Emma to take and Mary wanted to make sure she could keep her at bay. They only had to stall the Heroes for another minute and they'd win the match. Emma pulled back a distance, probably to regroup. Mary kept the barrier up around the citizen but dropped the other so she'd be ready to bring it up where it was needed. That look on the senior's face was concerning, though.
She barely saw it coming and when she did, she couldn't dodge it. Mary brought up a barrier between her and the focused air blast. The blast hit her shield, making her shake, but it continued to push. Mary centered herself, bracing herself. The pressure grew and, with a last firm push, she went flying. She hit the plexiglass surrounded the arena, the back of her head connecting hard enough to make her see spots. The air blast hit her chest. The bruising impact released the air in her lungs and the swirling around her head made sure Mary couldn't draw in more air. She was gasping but nothing was entering her lungs.
"Mary!" She couldn't tell who the voice belonged to; all she could focus on was trying to get air. She tried to pull up a barrier through the wind but her head was growing fuzzy. A buzzer went off somewhere.
"Heroes win!" Boomer called.
The wind vanished a second later. Mary dropped, her knees buckling and sending her to the ground. She dragged in air, coughing at the burn in her chest and throat.
"Pathetic," a low voice said. Mary titled her head up, staring at Emma standing over her. There was a sneer on the senior's lips. "Do everyone a favor and resign yourself to being a low class villain. It's all you're good for."
Mary climbed to her feet, chest still aching and muscles twitching, but she planted her feet and faced Emma. "If that was meant to be insulting, you should really try harder. Use some creativity." She gave a slight smirk. "Because those are grade school level, at best." Mary stepped around Emma and joined Melanie at the arena exit.
"You okay?" Melanie looked at Mary's head.
"A little tender," Mary admitted, wincing a bit at Melanie's touch on a particularly sore spot. "But I'll be fine."
"What did Emma want?"
"The usual 'go be a villain because you'll never be anything else' talk."
Melanie frowned at the senior's direction. "Want me to bust her ear drums?"
"I'll join you," Warren said, appearing at the door and helping Mary out. "She could do with a bit of a roasted tan."
Mary shook her head, stopping at the wave of dizziness at the motion. "I'm good. She wasn't very creative and I don't really care. But thanks for the back up." Her fingers slipped on the buckles holding her protective gear on. "But I could use some help with the pads."
Warren led her over to a bench as people started heading to the locker rooms. His fingers had no problem getting the buckles undone. He looked her over for injury.
"You ok, Mary," Will asked as he and the other joined them. Mary nodded slowly, glad that she didn't get dizzy this time.
"You were great," Zach said. "If that crazy wind blast hadn't busted through your barrier, you would totally have one."
"Melanie did a great job with Hannah, too," Ethan said, smiling at the girl. Melanie smiled back, collecting the pads up and returning them to their container.
"We'll just have to get better at endurance. No big deal." Mary stood and wavered slightly. Warren caught her, letting her lean against his chest. "Sorry. Still a little light headed." She took a few deep breaths in. "Now I know how it must have felt when you were fighting against Speed," she mumbled.
Warren's grip tightened slightly on her shoulders. "Should I see you home and make sure you're all right?"
Mary smiled. She would like nothing more but she shook her head. "You have work and I'm going to the Strongholds tonight for my birthday dinner. They'll keep an eye on me."
Warren didn't look sold on the idea but let her lean on him as they headed to the changing rooms. He left her at the door and went with the boys to change in their own locker room. Layla and Magenta kept close as they changed but Mary was starting to feel fine and managed to walk out of the lockers without their help. The boys were waiting for them and they headed to the busses.
"I have to make a stop at my locker," Mary said. "I'll see you at the bus." Warren followed her and she spun the combination in. She smiled as she picked up the box and gave it a little shake. "Can't forget my fun." She slipped it into her bag and closed her locker.
Warren stepped closer, making her tip her head back to look up at him. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His knuckle brushed her skin as he cupped her cheek. Mary tried to calm her breathing and stop the pounding in her ears but his close proximity mixed with the concern in his eyes wasn't helping.
"Are you sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine." Her voice sounded small even to her ears.
He let out a breath as he pulled her closer, his arms slipping around her in a soft embrace. She was brought back to their last slow dance at Homecoming; she'd felt the same comfort and care back then, too.
"My offer still stands," he said. "I can roast that Whitaker chick if you want."
God, why did his deep voice have to practically vibrate in her chest? She shook her head against him. "It was just Save the Citizen. She was trying to intimidate me but it won't work. It'll take a lot more to bring me down, again. Not when I have friends like you." She tightened her hold on his waist. "Not when I have you in my corner." Did she just imagine that flex in his arms?
Warren leaned back slightly and nodded his chin to the side. "Come on. I better get you to your bus." His arms fell away from her, something she greatly missed, but they walked back to the busses.
Dinner with the Strongholds and Layla had been nice and Mary loved the drawings the twins did for her during their art class. She put them on the fridge the moment they got home. But it wasn't until she was dressed in her pajamas and opening her bag to start her homework that she remembered the gifts from her friends. Zach and Magenta had teamed up to buy her a blue hair dying kit and a card with a note saying they liked her blue streaks and she should refresh them soon. Ethan had gotten her a protective case for her camera batteries and memory cards that could clip onto her computer strap or her belt. She smiled at the thought put behind each of them. Dying her hair was a bit of a process and Randy and Suzy had been more than willing to help, though they did manage to completely destroy two older towels they had. The streaks would take time to dull and lose their bright color but Mary didn't mind; she'd missed the color in her dark hair.
To her surprise, there was one last gift that had fallen to the bottom of her bag. She wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't moved the books around. It was about the size of her palm but was definitely a jewelry box. Inside was a folded piece of paper and a silver bracelet. Mary opened the note first, smiling at Warren's hand writing.
Happy Birthday, Pics. When you need direction, think of me.
His number was written at the bottom. Mary set the note aside and looked at the bracelet. It was a simple chain with one charm hanging from it; a compass. She laughed at the cheesiness; who knew Warren had so many puns. Taking it out, she let it spin in the light, but stopped and turned stover when she noticed writing on the back.
To Mary. From Warren. Happy 15th.
He'd had it engraved? How much had this cost him? She ran her thumb over the words before raising it to her lips. Oh, she was doomed. There was no way she couldn't love Warren; as a friend and more, she was done for.