Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High.

Read on, oh faithful ones...

Title: Unleash Chaos

List of characters:

Jenny - Layla's mother (see Heartless: a tale of Chaos)

Layla - Poison

Warren - Fire

Zach - Blaze

Ethan - Molten

Larry - Earthstone

Wendy - Tempest

Carbon Copy (aka, Cee) - Craig

Acidic (aka, Ace) - Adam

Honey - Hourglass

Frieda - Hourglass' mother

...

Layla opened her eyes, her eyelids feeling as heavy as lead. The ceiling above her was bright white and unfamiliar to her. Heartbeat quickening, she automatically reached for her power as a comforting gesture, only to find that it wasn't there. Layla heard rapid beeping - her heart on a monitor - but she couldn't calm down. Her power was gone, she was in an unfamiliar place, and she had no idea what had happened or how she'd come to be here.

"Layla, shh. It's all right, sweetie. You're safe."

Layla recognised the voice and forced herself to breathe and calm down. There was a whirring sound as the bed she was on was moved electronically, the mattress tilting until Layla was sitting upright. She could see that she was in a hospital room, and looked to her mother sitting beside her.

Jenny smiled at her daughter, reassuring and worried at the same time. "How do you feel?" she asked, brushing Layla's hair back from her forehead gently.

Layla licked her lips, her tongue feeling heavy and dry. "Thirsty. Why... what..."

Jenny hushed Layla again and brought a cup with a straw to her lips. "You just woke up, sweetie. Give it a minute."

Layla drank, grateful that the water was cool. Her skin felt too tight without her power at hand, but the water acted like a balm spreading throughout her body. It would wear off soon, but it helped for the moment. As she drank and swallowed, Layla looked around the room, trying to determine what was going on. An IV drip was beside her and she could feel the needle in her skin now that she was more aware of it. Looking down to her hand, Layla choked on the water.

She was wearing power-repressing cuffs.

"Mum? What's going on?" Layla asked when she had stopped choking.

Jenny stroked Layla's hand gently - the one without the needle - and then gently guided her face to look at her and not at the cuffs. "Will brought you in yesterday evening. He said... he said you didn't handle him breaking up with you very well; he was covered in thorns, sweetie."

Layla's jaw dropped. "I... I don't understand what's going on."

Jenny looked from her daughter's confused face to the door where two Super Bureau agents were standing. They'd said it was to guard the room, but she didn't believe them for a minute. "Will said that you attacked him and tried to kill him. His parents are looking to press charges; it could end up in court."

Layla clenched her hands in her sheets. From her mother's tone, she could tell that it wasn't Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold who were looking to press charges, but rather Jetstream and the Commander, which meant a lengthy and far-too-public trial where her secret identity would be revealed before the courts and cameras. Jetstream and the Commander would get away with their identities intact, of course, just as they always did. Even Mrs. Battle had to change her name after Baron Battle's trial just so she and Warren could live semi-normal lives.

"Do you want to tell me what happened, sweetie?"

Taking a minute to listen to the beat of her heart, Layla inhaled and exhaled, calm and steady. She looked at her mother and lied, "I don't remember."

Jenny didn't seem too pleased at her response, but she had been warned of possible amnesia by the doctors, so she simply nodded. "Of course. Well, you let me know when you remember anything, okay sweetie? Now, I'm sure you're starving; how about I go find us something to eat?"

Layla wasn't really hungry, but she needed time to herself to sort through her thoughts and memories, so she nodded, smiled, and thanked her mother. Jenny squeezed her hand briefly, kissed her forehead, and within a minute, Layla was alone.

Looking out to the two Super Bureau agents standing outside her door, Layla let her eyes droop close and evened out her breathing. She listened to her heartbeat, keeping it calm and steady, and thought back to the previous day.

...

"You're acting weird, Layla. Even weirder than usual," Will amended, trying for a light tone, but failing.

Layla clenched her jaw and forced herself to smile at him. "It's been a big week and I'm not great company today; sorry, Will."

"That's okay. Hey, uh... D'you wanna make out? Or we could have sex! It might make you feel better," Will cajoled, his eyes wide and eager.

"Uh, no," Layla said, sliding away from him slightly. "I'm... on my period."

Will sighed dejectedly and turned his attention back to the TV where a movie was playing. "We might as well be friends instead of girlfriend/boyfriend; we haven't made out or had sex in months, so what's the point?"

Layla fiddled with the bangles on her wrist and didn't answer. A chime sounded on Layla's phone with an incoming text and she looked at it quickly, then offered Will a guilty smile. "It's my mum; she wants me to call her. I'll be right back."

Will made a non-committal sound and continued to watch the movie. Layla escaped the lounge room and headed upstairs to the bathroom as fast as possible. She locked the door and unlocked her phone.

"Why are you calling me now? You know I'm on a date with Will," Layla hissed.

"Hello to you too, hippie," Warren said, smirking. "Honey said it's time."

"You mean it?"

"Would I interrupt your date with the golden boy to lie about this?" Warren asked pointedly, the distaste in his voice evident.

Layla stifled a laugh behind her hand. "Oh, thank fuck! I'm about ready to strangle him myself. How long will it take for you to get here?"

"Five to fifteen minutes. I'll knock on the door so you know."

Layla could hardly contain her excitement. "See you soon. Love you."

"Love you too."

Layla ended the call and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She flushed the toilet for effect and spent a good minute scrubbing and washing her hands, trying to give herself as much time as possible before she had to go downstairs again. Inhaling deeply, Layla hoped that the movie would at least improve in the next five to fifteen minutes.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door: three rapid knocks followed by two individual knocks.

"I'll get it," Layla said, out of the seat before Will could even respond.

Opening the Stronghold's front door, Layla grinned at Warren broadly. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Warren pulled his hood on, extra fabric wrapping around to cover the top of his face, holes sewn in so he could still see. Warren held Layla close to kiss her firmly, grinning against her lips when she practically melted against his touch, her hands winding around his shoulders.

"Layla? Who is it?" Will called.

"What do you think, hippie? Should we tell him?" Warren asked as he pulled away, his words hot against her skin.

She grinned and kissed him one more time, pulling back and licking her lips. "It's Chaos."

"What? That doesn't make any - " Will stopped abruptly on seeing the hooded figure in the hallway, their arms wrapped around Layla's waist. "What's going on here?"

"Will, I'm breaking up with you," Layla said, drawing his attention to her almost immediately. "We're on different paths in our lives; you, wanting to be a hero, and me, wanting to kill you."

Will gaped for another second at her revelation before the words actually started to make sense. "You... but... you're my girlfriend."

"Not anymore."

Will couldn't seem to get past his shock; he hadn't even realised that Layla had admitted to wanting to kill him. He turned his attention to the person behind Layla. "Who are you? What have you done to her?"

Warren laughed, cold and cruel. "Well, according to Layla, I've done everything you haven't."

The words made Will flush bright red. "I told you, I have to be on top," he hissed at Layla.

"Yes, I remember far too well," Layla said drily. "Come on, Will. This isn't so bad. I get to kill you, you don't have to join your parents, it's win-win."

Will finally seemed to realise that Layla was serious about killing him. He hovered off the ground, intent on flying at Layla or away from her, she'd never know. There was a sharp tug on his ankle and Will was pulled down abruptly by one of Layla's vines. She smiled at his shocked expression and before Will could say or do anything, the vine began to burrow into his skin.

Will's screams brought the neighbours running and the police weren't far behind. By the time he opened the door, Layla was lying unconscious on the floor, Warren was gone, and Will's eyes were fading from green back to their normal brown.

...

There was an abrupt knock at the hospital door and Layla opened her eyes, disorientated for a moment. She saw the two Super Bureau agents, her mother, and a nurse. Obviously, they didn't want her asleep when people entered the room, despite the cuffs around her wrists.

"A very kind nurse offered to bring your lunch. It's tofu," her mother added with a bright smile, setting her own tray on the table beside Layla and obviously trying not to look annoyed with the agents still watching them.

"How are you feeling, Miss Williams?" the nurse asked as he followed Jenny inside, carrying a tray as well. Behind him, the door was shut by the agents, firm and abrupt.

All that was missing was the sound of a lock, Layla thought to herself.

"About as well as expected while wearing handcuffs."

"From the look of you, you're as harmless as a daisy, but I should know not to judge people by their looks, now shouldn't I?" he mused, glancing over to the Super Bureau agents.

Layla smiled briefly and turned to her mother. "Will I be allowed visitors?"

Jenny sighed and shook her head. "You need to be interviewed first. The only reason I'm allowed in here is because I'm your mother. Well, also because there's a camera in here."

The nurse bumped the tray, knocking the water jug over, drawing the attention of the two women and the two agents outside. "Sorry! Sorry, it was an accident," he called out, putting his hands up when he saw that the Super Bureau agents had pulled out their weapons in response to the sudden noise.

Both agents glanced at each other then returned their weapons to their holsters.

"There's a camera?" Layla asked curiously, looking around the room. In the far corner, a small camera was suspended from the ceiling. "Oh, there it is."

"Would you like me to refill your water jug, Miss Williams?" the nurse offered once he'd finished checking her IV drip.

"Yes, please. If you don't mind?"

"No trouble at all," the nurse said, taking up the jug and leaving without another word.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Mum. I'm hoping it will be cleared up soon. Maybe Will flew into a rosebush?" Layla suggested.

Jenny smothered her laugh with a cough and tried to look serious. "I'm just hoping his parents don't take this to court."

"I'm sure it won't get to that point over a few thorns," Layla said with an optimistic smile. She yawned widely and tried to stretch, her hands coming up short when the cuffs stopped her.

"Are you okay?" Jenny asked, standing to check.

"I forgot they were on," Layla admitted. "I'm pretty tired; I might go to sleep now, if that's all right?"

"Of course. I'll let you rest."

"Why don't you go home and rest as well? You know you don't sleep well if you're not in your own bed," Layla said.

"I don't want to leave you alone," Jenny admitted, glancing to the Super Bureau agents.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I won't be alone," Layla muttered, looking over to them as well. "But you don't have anything to keep you occupied, and it's going to be boring if I'm spending most of my day sleeping. I'll be all right, Mum. I promise," she added.

Jenny had been in the hospital for almost eighteen straight hours and the idea of a shower and her own bed did sound enticing. She sighed and nodded. "All right. You've got the phone right here next to you. Call me the second you need anything; I'm only ten minutes away," she said, hugging Layla and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Thanks, Mum. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie."

Layla waved awkwardly as her mother left the room, and was about to lower the bed when she saw the nurse returning with the water jug. The two Super Bureau agents looked at the nurse's ID badge, face, and then at the water jug suspiciously. The nurse rolled their eyes, put the jug in one of the agent's hands and went to retrieve a cup to prove that the water was just water. Once they'd drunk a full glass, the nurse grabbed the jug once more.

"Now can you open the door so I can keep my patient hydrated or do you want me to pour it on you instead?" the nurse snapped.

The door was opened and closed behind the nurse, who huffed and pulled a face when the two agents had turned their backs.

"How are you feeling, Miss Williams?" the nurse asked, setting the water jug on the table.

"Tired, mostly."

"That's to be expected," the nurse replied, nodding. "Would you like some water now?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

"Not a problem." Pouring the water into the glass, the nurse set the jug aside, and smiled at Layla. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you. I might just rest now."

"All right. Your buzzer's on the side of the bed, just press it if you need anything."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem."

The nurse closed the door as they left, and Layla closed her eyes to go to sleep.

...

Waking up a few hours later, Layla froze when she realised that she'd been awakened by a sound from inside the room. Reaching out for her buzzer, Layla was a mere millimetre from pressing the button when a soft glow filled the room. She exhaled slowly and glared over at Zach, who was standing under the camera and out of sight of the two Super Bureau agents.

"You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry, Lay. Uh, can you pour the water back into the jug? I think Ethan's missing his foot or a lung or something," Zach said, nodding to the cup in front of her. "I'm just hoping it's not in the nurse; Eth is only ninety percent positive he only let water into the nurse's cup," he said, wincing.

Layla poured the water back into the jug, then spilled the water out onto the floor, Ethan reforming in a second. He patted his body to ensure he was all there, sighing in obvious relief. He grinned at Layla and winked at Zach before melting down again. Making his way over to the door, Ethan slipped under the crack. Zach and Layla both watched as one second the Super Bureau agents were there and the next, they were melted down without a chance to even cry out in surprise. Zach stood on the armchair, reached up to the camera and pulled out the wires that connected the camera to its only source of electricity. Layla watched as the camera's red light faded away to nothing.

Ethan slipped back under the door, returning to Layla's bedside before reforming again. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he grinned at Layla. "Thirty-four seconds; not too bad, right?"

"It could've been better, but no, not too bad at all," she said with a smile. "Now, would one of you please get these damn cuffs off me?" Layla asked, her smile fading.

"Uh, there's a small problem with that, Lay," Zach admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Layla's expression turned hard and cold. "If you finish that sentence the way I think you're going to finish that sentence, I will kill you with my bare hands."

Ethan sighed. "Genius over here left his work keys at home. Of course, those are the keys with your cuff key. But I think I can work this out; Honey's been encouraging me to practice with padlocks at home," he added, his finger turning translucent and fitting into the small hole on Layla's cuffs.

"Why did you leave your work keys at home, Zach?" Layla groaned.

"Because I wasn't going to work?" Zach said, wincing.

"How do you feel about becoming a widow, Ethan?"

"Not great, honestly. I could settle for some maiming," he replied absent-mindedly, concentrating on the cuffs.

"Hey, that's mean!"

"You forgot the handcuff keys, Zach?! The keys we took two weeks to steal and copy without anyone noticing!"

"I know! I'm sorry."

There was a soft whirr and the handcuffs sprung open, Layla's wrists aching at the sudden loss of weight. She felt for her power immediately, sighing in relief when she felt the vines inside her unfurl. The drugs in the handcuffs would repress her power for a while longer yet, but it wasn't permanent.

"Let's get the fuck out of here. You brought my clothes, right?" Layla asked, looking between them.

"We did," Ethan said with a nod, several drops of water forming on his arm. He transferred each item back to its original state: shirt, jeans, hoodie.

Layla changed into her outfit and they walked out of the room, the floor, the hospital without being stopped.

Warren was waiting outside, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. He grinned when he saw the three people coming out of the entrance, trying to refrain from getting out of the car and rushing over to see that Layla was all right for himself.

"Has Cee come out yet?" Layla asked as she slid into the passenger seat.

Ignoring her question for the moment, Warren leaned over and kissed her warmly, his hand cupping her face. "Hello to you too, hippie."

Layla smiled. "Sorry; I'm a little anxious to leave. Hello, hottie."

"He's still inside. According to Ace's app, he's doing exactly what we planned; he'll be out soon," Warren added.

They all sat in quiet anticipation, startling when they heard a set of rapid knocks at the door. Ethan opened it when he recognised the pattern, and Layla's nurse looked in at them. "You shouldn't be out of the hospital, Miss Williams."

"Get in the car, Cee, or I'll drag you in myself," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

He laughed, sitting down and closing the door, his curly red hair and freckles returning. "Let's blow this joint. I had to clean up someone's puke."

"Eww," Zach groaned.

"One of the perks of being a nurse, I guess."

Warren ignored both of them and started the ignition, driving out of the parking lot and heading towards the Hive.

...

"...Super-powered and considered very dangerous. If you see this woman, alert the authorities immediately, and Airborne will be called to handle the situation. Do not engage and do not stay in the area."

"Congratulations, you're on every news channel in the state," Adam said, grinning at Layla as she entered the doorway with the other four behind her.

"Has Will made a statement yet?"

"Yes, on Channel Five about ten minutes ago. The usual stuff: villains will lose, heroes will win, etc. It was very inspiring, I recorded it for you," Adam said with another grin.

"I'll watch it once we've won. Who's up for a robbery or three?"

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want to wait a day? You've still got the drugs going through your system," Ethan said, frowning briefly.

"No one will be expecting me to leave hospital and commit a robbery straight away. Everyone knows how long the power-suppressing drugs work, so they'll be expecting me to take time to recover," Layla said. "Where's my mother?" she asked, looking to Warren.

"At Frieda's with Honey. Jenny called me earlier; she's fine," Warren added.

"That's good to hear, thank you," Layla said, rising on her toes to kiss Warren's cheek. "Ready to unleash chaos?"

He grinned back at her. "Born ready."

...

"Breaking news: a group of new villains have been revealed and are committing not one, not two, but three robberies at this very minute. We have some amateur video coming in of these events as they happen.

"There have been reports of Airborne going to the rescue, flying to Maxville's Central Bank with his sidekick, Shifter. As everyone's aware, Earthstone is still on bed rest and is unable to help at this time," Brian Anderson said, looking worried about the outcome. Then he smiled broadly at the next words on his teleprompter. "We've just received word that the Commander and Jetstream are coming out of early retirement to help their son."

The CCTV cameras were still on, recording, and sending a live feed to the Hive. The cameras were doing the same thing at the Maxville Central Bank where Poison and Fire were, as well as the American Bank of America where Tempest and Carbon Copy were. Acidic was still at the Hive, watching the feeds in the five second delay before relaying them to Channel Five.

"Hey, you guys are lucky: you get to see the death of the Commander or Jetstream! Isn't that cool?" Zach asked the citizens, grinning.

On entering the bank, Blaze had emitted a series of flashes that had caused everyone to seize and drop to the ground, so he and Ethan had more than enough time to get the money and go.

"Blaze, stop antagonising the citizens and help me with this money," Ethan muttered.

"Sorry, Molten."

They'd brought ten empty duffel bags with them, and were halfway through filling the sixth bag when the door burst open, shards of glass and wood flying out.

The Commander stood in the open entrance, hands on his hips, and posing for the required two seconds to have an Effective Entrance. "If you surrender now, I won't hurt you!" he called out generously.

"If you surrender now, we won't kill you," Blaze replied mockingly, smirking.

"You keep filling the bags, I'll deal with him; go for the fifties and hundreds, would you?" Molten added.

"Small change is less conspicuous."

"We're robbing a national bank, not a corner store, Blaze."

Conceding with a nod, Blaze grabbed handfuls of the fifty and hundred dollar notes, shoving them into the duffel bag. Satisfied they weren't going to come out of their robbery practically broke, Molten headed towards the Commander, who was only just walking into the bank itself.

The Commander hadn't changed much over the years, apart from his hair greying and the fact that he had gained a little more weight than muscle. It was obvious that he believed that he would win this fight easily. The Commander didn't seem too impressed by Molten, which worked just fine for him. He'd grown taller since Sky High, but he was still lithe and didn't look strong enough to lift a car, let alone land an effective punch. Molten's looks had caused several people to underestimate him over the years, and he knew that now would be no different.

The Commander charged, fist drawn back to punch the daylights, highlights, and any other lights out of him. Molten grinned and melted down at the last second, the Commander stumbling forward with his own momentum, tripping over a citizen who cried out in pain. "Ah, sorry!" the Commander said with a wince.

He tried to remember the citizen's face so he could give them an autographed photo later; that should avoid a law suit. Hopefully, at least.

Molten reformed again, waiting for the Commander to realise. He grinned when the older man stopped apologising to the citizen and turned to face him again.

"You... melt," the Commander said, frowning as the words niggled at his brain.

Molten's grin broadened. "Yes sir. Would you like a practical demonstration?"

"Now who's being antagonising?" Blaze muttered from the registers, still filling the bags.

The Commander couldn't work out why this villain seemed so familiar and decided he'd think about it some more - or, more realistically, ask Josie - once he'd defeated said villain. Rushing forward again, he kept an eye on the villain to ensure that he wasn't going to melt again, or that he'd trip and fall again (he'd have to get the news channels to delete that if any video footage was shown). The villain didn't do anything; he didn't move, didn't dodge, didn't run away, or even raise an arm to defend himself, he simply stood there. It was disconcerting, but the Commander didn't stop his tactic - if a villain decided to stand still while he was readying to punch them, then it just made it easier for him.

He had barely brushed his knuckles against the villain's face when they started to melt again. As he melted, so too did the Commander. Screaming in a mix of surprise and fear at the sudden change, the Commander's scream was cut off as he was turned into a puddle of water and his throat, tongue, and larynx disappeared.

Molten reformed a moment later, brushing off his clothes and leaving the puddle of water behind. He calmly headed back to Blaze and continued to fill the bags.

...

Jetstream was being sucked into a tornado outside of the American Bank of America and couldn't get into the bank in the first place. She struggled against the winds, but every time she thought she had reached the eye of the storm, it moved and sucked her right back in again. She soon stopped fighting and went limp, hoping that would stop the tornado or make the creator of said tornado think she'd died. The tornado started to die down after a few seconds and she flew out of the roaring winds straight towards the bank doors.

She wasn't strong like her husband, but Jetstream had a utility belt for things like this, and the glass was broken mere seconds before she flew through the door. Stopping for a pose - one second: Effective When Urgent - Jetstream surveyed the bank. Citizens were on the floor, face-down with their hands on their head, but she couldn't see the villains. Duffel bags of money were spread out across the bank floor, next to citizens of different shapes and sizes, but nothing that screamed 'villain'.

"Come out, you cowards!" Jetstream called, hoping to provoke them into revealing themselves. Most villains hated being called coward.

There was silence, though one or two citizens whimpered in response.

Deciding on a different tactic, Jetstream walked between the citizens and grabbed the duffel bags instead. "I guess since the villains have left, they won't mind the money being put back in the bank."

"They're gone?" one of the citizens asked hopefully.

Another citizen lifted their head briefly, looking over to Jetstream with wide eyes. Somewhere in the crowd, a baby started to cry.

"Can we get up now? Please?"

"If they're not here; are we free?"

Those questions seemed to start an avalanche of voices until Jetstream could hear nothing else. She almost wished for Boomer's power just to quiet them in that instant.

"Everyone, please get up! Just... stay where you are. The villains may be among you," she added, wincing when she thought of the panic that could follow from her words.

The citizens stood carefully, slowly, and looking at each other suspiciously.

"Could everyone please line up against the wall?" Jetstream asked, indicating to the side wall.

"Jetstream ma'am, please, my baby needs to be changed," a woman said urgently, her baby wailing its displeasure extremely loud for such tiny lungs.

As she had no idea what the villains' powers were, Jetstream was reluctant to let anyone leave, but even she could smell the baby's diaper from a good metre away.

"There's a parents' room over there; please leave the door open and stay in sight."

"Of course, thank you, Jetstream, thank you so much," the woman said, hefting her diaper bag over her shoulder and heading to the parents' room, trying to calm her baby at the same time.

Jetstream sighed and looked from the woman to the rest of the bank's employees and customers. "Who is the bank manager here?"

"Th-that would be me, J-jetstream," a large balding man said, putting his hand up hesitantly.

"Can you open the vault? I want to check that the villains aren't hiding in there."

"O-of c-course, Jetstream," the man said, walking to the vault and unlocking it with a passcode and thumbprint scan.

There was a soft hiss of air as the vault opened, and the manager pulled the door open the rest of the way. Jetstream looked inside cautiously but saw no one at a first glance. Looking to the bank manager - who was trying to look over her shoulder unsuccessfully - Jetstream indicated to the open vault. "Can you tell me if anything's missing?"

Jetstream didn't trust anyone in the bank - even the bank manager - and refused to go into a high-security lockable vault alone.

The bank manager licked his lips nervously and ran a hand over his smooth scalp. "A-are you sure, Jetstream? W-what if t-they're around the c-corner?" he whispered, eyes wide with fear.

"I'll be right behind you," Jetstream said, confident and certain. When that didn't seem to help the scared man, she added, "Go on, man; don't you want to be a hero?"

Citizens might not always like or trust superheroes - especially during a hostage situation - but that didn't stop them from wanting to be one themselves. The bank manager's eyes widened a bit more, glazing over, probably as he thought of the news headlines: heroic bank manager saves the day... with Jetstream! After a moment of consideration, he nodded, gulped, and stepped inside the vault, Jetstream following him.

Jetstream checked the rest of the vault - no sign of life - as the bank manager hummed and hawed, checking the shelves and locked security deposit boxes.

"J-jetstream? This b-box has b-been d-damaged," the bank manager said anxiously, pointing to one security deposit box with acid burning a hole in the corner.

Jetstream frowned at the sight, trying to remember which villain used acid, even as she moved closer to inspect the damaged door. "What was in this deposit box?"

The bank manager stammered something about computer ledgers and client privacy. Jetstream sighed heavily; of course he'd bring up the bank's red tape now.

Taking a thin device from her utility belt, Jetstream held it to the security deposit box, pressed the button, and waited until she heard a faint click. While she didn't like villains for the most part (apart from, you know, giving her job security), their technological designs could be easily replicated and came in handy more often than most heroes would expect. The door swung open soundlessly and Jetstream pulled out the thin metal box it contained, holding her device against the lid and pressing the button once more, another click sounding. Opening the lid, Jetstream frowned at the contents, more to the point, the fact that it still had contents.

Turning abruptly - the bank manager must be one of the villains! - Jetstream came face to face with Earthstone a second too late, and was knocked clear across the vault, crashing into the metal walls and collapsing to the ground, blood pooling around her head.

Carbon Copy whistled to himself as he shifted from Earthstone's form back into his usual self. Tempest entered the vault a moment later, holding the baby at an awkward angle.

"You had to make the baby shit itself, didn't you?" she hissed at him, lightning flashing in her eyes.

Carbon smirked at her. "It was more realistic."

"I almost puked, you asshole. This is a brand new outfit! Get rid of the baby, and the rest of them too," Tempest snapped, thunder rolling outside.

Carbon rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "Fine," he groaned.

With hardly a thought, every single employee and customer - every single copy of Carbon Copy - disappeared.

With another hearty whistle and a grin at Tempest, Carbon picked up Jetstream's unlocking device. "Let's get rich quick, shall we?"

...

Poison watched as comprehension filled the faces of several bank customers as they recognised her from the news. She smiled at them warmly and continued into the bank, Fire beside her, their arms linked together casually. Fire held the door open for an exiting customer and then locked it behind them, the noise not loud enough to be heard, but the security guard witnessed the action, standing up from their seat in surprise.

"Hey, you can't do that!" the guard called, going for their radio. As the bank was in the heart of Maxville - protected by Airborne, and the Commander and Jetstream before him, and Captain Stronghold before them - security guards hadn't had their own weapons in years.

Fire smirked. Neither he nor Poison moved or replied. They simply stood there and watched. The security guard gasped as their body became hotter and hotter and hotter still. Sweat poured off them in buckets, then their clothes started to smoke, and within seconds, the security guard was on fire and burning to death, screaming the whole way down.

Silence reigned as all that remained of the security guard was a pile of black ash, the bank customers and staff realising that they were about to be robbed and there was a very real possibility that they would be killed long before anyone arrived to help.

Poison smiled at the group at large, not even caring that three separate bank tellers were pressing their silent alarms frantically and repeatedly. "Hello, everyone! My name is Poison, and this is Fire. We'll be robbing you this evening," she said, her voice pleasant.

"All of you, move to stand against the doors, please," Fire called out, his voice just as calm and pleasant as Poison's.

Hesitantly, and a little confused - hadn't Poison only just escaped from hospital?! - the bank customers headed past Fire and Poison and towards the doors. Everyone gave the remains of the security guard a wide berth, a few turning pale when they glanced over despite themselves.

"They have the message by now," Poison said, smiling at the bank tellers. "I think that's quite enough, don't you?" she added.

"Stand against the doors with the rest of them, please," Fire said, burning the handle off the staff entrance and swinging the door open for them, gesturing. "Go quickly and quietly and you won't be hurt," he added when the first teller hesitated.

They filed out, almost running to pass by Fire that much faster.

Poison smiled over at Fire. "I told you please would work."

Fire snorted. "I'm positive that burning someone to death did the job faster than please would have. But it is nice to get people to do my bidding without the usual screaming and pleading for mercy," he admitted. "I'd prefer that you were getting the money, by the way, Poison. Bullet-proof glass and all that," Fire muttered, slinging his backpack off his shoulders and unzipping it to reveal more bags.

Poison raised an eyebrow at him. "You honestly think Airborne will be coming here with a gun? He'd probably shoot himself," she said, rolling her eyes.

"It'd save us the trouble," Fire said with a smirk.

"Oh, believe me, it's no trouble at all," Poison said sweetly, smiling. "We can both fill the bags while we wait, how about that?"

Fire nodded and handed her a bag.

By the time Airborne and Shifter arrived five minutes later, Poison and Fire had filled all of the bags and were contemplating going for the vault early. They both knew the importance of keeping to their schedule, but it was boring sitting around waiting for the hero to arrive.

Airborne stopped abruptly outside the bank, seeing the citizens lined up against the glass doors. Flying straight into the bank was out of the question, obviously. Looking up, Airborne winced when he saw that the bank was at the bottom of a fifty-storey building. It was going to be painful for him, but better him than the citizens.

"Shifter, hang on tight, we have to go in from the top," Airborne called, flying up into the air.

Shifter tried to say something, but her squeaky voice was lost in the rush of wind. Sucking in a deep breath, Airborne held a fist in front of him and flew straight down at the building's rooftop, smashing his way through fifty floors of concrete, insulation, light fittings, electrical wires, desks and other office furniture.

At the first distance crashing noise, Fire looked up at the intact ceiling and frowned. "Is he... going through the whole building? Why didn't he just go through the second floor?"

Poison laughed, loud and bright. At the front doors, a few people flinched in response to the unexpected noise. They were all obviously listening intently, relief flooding through them at the possibility of being saved. Saved by Airborne, no less. The reality that they were going to witness the death of their beloved hero instead made Poison laugh even harder and Fire turned his frown in her direction.

"What else was in those power-suppressing drugs?" Fire muttered, nudging Poison to stop her laughter.

Poison wiped away tears and waved off his concern. "I'm fine. It's just... They think they're going to be saved," she said, laughing again.

Fire shook his head and kissed her, muffling her laughter. Her laughter faded against his lips and they pulled away when the final crash sounded around them. Airborne had finally arrived.

Airborne was bright red, his hand was killing him, and he was coughing miserable. Still, he tried to pose as he'd been taught, but ultimately could only pull off: Not Effective When Coughing Through a Mouthful of Cement and Carpet.

Shifter, under his suit, poked her head out from his collar. "You okay?" she asked, concerned.

Airborne coughed once more, finally dislodging that last piece of cement, and breathed a few times to clear his... everything. Taking Shifter from his suit, Airborne set her down beside him and did a quick survey of their surroundings. The citizens were all still pressed up against the glass doors, and Poison and Fire were standing by several full bags of cash.

"Why haven't you run already?" Airborne asked, frowning.

"We wanted a fight," Fire replied. "Are you going to give one to us, or do we have to schedule a fucking appointment with you?"

"Swear jar," Poison teased, her lips quirked up into a grin.

"How much swearing does five million get me?" Fire asked, glancing to the bags beside him.

"You? About a year," she said, grinning outright now.

"Are you... flirting?"

"Yes, Airborne. I understand it's a foreign concept for you, but perhaps you'd like to take notes? I'm sure Shifter would appreciate it," Poison said, smiling sharply at them.

Shifter, who had tried to sneak over to the citizens, stopped and turned to face them again. "What are you talking about?"

"Would you please shift back? It's ridiculous trying to talk to you when you sound like you've swallowed a whole birthday party full of helium balloons," Poison said, rolling her eyes.

"Bite me," Shifter replied.

"How about I barbecue you instead?" Fire asked, smirking.

There was a pop and Shifter was standing in front of them, her purple outfit a stark contrast to Airborne's classic white, red, and blue. Shifter glowered at Fire harshly, who just smirked back at her in response.

"Really, Shifter? You went with eggplant, maroon, and violet? I'm almost regretting asking you to shift," Poison said, wincing.

Shifter turned bright red - the colour far more unflattering against the purple - and didn't look at Airborne when she replied. "My Hero chose the colours."

"And the design, so I see. Why does Shifter need a cape, Airborne?"

"Could we get back on topic, please?" Fire muttered, though he was enjoying Airborne's look of indignation and his outraged hiss 'you said you liked it!' that everyone in the bank could hear.

"Of course," Poison said, smiling warmly. "Now, Airborne, Shifter. How long have you been dating?"

"Five months," Shifter replied automatically, her face turning pale as she realised what she'd said, what she'd admitted to Airborne's very recent ex-girlfriend.

"Oh, don't look so worried, Shifter, it's all right. I've known from the very start. Fire and I have been dating for three," Poison said pleasantly, smiling at Fire.

"What?!" Airborne exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "B-but, why..."

"Why did I keep dating you? Oh, Airborne, if you don't know the answer by now, then you never will," she said, shaking her head.

Beside Airborne, Shifter was starting to feel a little warm. She adjusted her outfit, annoyed that the breathable material didn't seem to be letting her breathe, but it didn't seem to help. Her whole body felt warm and Shifter was sure that she was starting to sweat very visibly. Now her deodorant wasn't working either?!

"Have you ever heard of the trolley dilemma, Airborne?" Fire asked.

Airborne looked confused. "Uh, yeah?"

"So who would you save: a group of strangers or the person you love?" he asked pointedly.

At the doors, some people started sobbing quietly, realising that they were getting hot and their internal body temperatures were rising. Every single person remembered how the security guard had died screaming and they did not want to die that way.

Airborne seemed to realise the problem when he saw someone's shoes smoking and beside him, Shifter was gasping for air, her face bright red and covered in sweat.

"Who do you choose, Airborne? You have thirty seconds to decide," Fire called, screams of pain following his words.

"Please save us!" someone called.

"Please!"

"Airborne, please!"

"Save us!"

"Help us, dear god, please help us!"

"Airborne, save us!"

"You're right; real citizens are more annoying than the dummies at Sky High," Poison murmured, shaking her head.

"Twenty seconds, Airborne," Fire called out.

Beside him, Shifter was gasping and on the floor, her body shimmering with heat.

"Fifteen seconds."

The screams from the citizens became louder, desperate and shrill. One person's clothes caught alight and the others tried desperately to beat out the flames, only succeeding in burning their own hands instead.

"Ten seconds, Airborne."

Another person's clothes caught alight and this time, no one tried to help.

"Make a decision, Airborne, or they all die!"

"The citizens!" Airborne screamed, his voice cracking as he sobbed, trying desperately to hold Shifter and not hurt himself at the same time. "Save the citizens!"

Fire smiled unpleasantly. In an instant, the fires were gone, the heat receded, and every single person in the bank was fine. Even those with burnt hands were no longer sore. There were a few hiccuping sobs, a few sniffles, and more than enough tears to fill a mug.

"Turn back to the doors before I change my mind," Fire snapped.

"Shifter? You're okay?" Airborne asked, relief flooding him as he held her tight.

"You... you chose the citizens? Over me?" Shifter hissed, shoving away from him and glaring. "What the fuck, Wi- Airborne?"

"I... I'm sorry. I had to. They..."

"The citizens always come first," Poison said lightly, though her expression was harsh. "Isn't that right, Airborne?"

Shifter looked away from them, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Shifter... Babe, please," Airborne said quietly, his eyes wide and pleading.

Shifter looked back at him, still looking pissed. "We're discussing this later," she muttered, then stood next to Airborne once more.

Fire glanced at Poison when he felt a certain pattern being tapped against his thigh. He grinned and then turned his attention back to Shifter and Airborne. "You realise the cameras are still on, right? You're not going to give your fans a tear-jerking reunion hug?"

"Go on, Airborne. They all know you've been dating for five months now, so why wouldn't you hug your girlfriend?" Poison added, smirking.

"I can burn everyone to a crisp instead?" Fire offered, his hands lighting up with flames.

Shifter didn't see what the big deal was, nor why Fire and Poison were so insistent on them hugging. But it was better than being burnt to a crisp, so she let Airborne wrap his arms around her. She was still hurt that he'd chosen the citizens over her, but being in his arms made her feel a little better.

His utility belt dug into her sharply, but Shifter didn't dare complain when Airborne was already so upset and likely to sulk later. She heard a soft gurgling noise, Shifter frowning and looking up at Airborne. She saw the green colour to his eyes first and then saw green lines working their way up out of his neck. Shifter realised that the sharp pain from his utility belt wasn't from his utility belt after all, and pulled away from Airborne to see a vine growing out of his body.

"What the... Airborne? Oh. Oh my god. Airborne, no! Please. What... Stop it! Stop it!" she cried out, realising that the power-suppressing drugs must have worn off.

Poison just laughed, watching as the vine worked out of Airborne's body. "Same dilemma for you, Shifter. Citizens or Airborne?"

Shifter could hardly see the citizens through her tears, her throat tight as she tried to think. She couldn't think though, couldn't bring herself to even imagine. Blood coated her hands, her stupid outfit, and she tried to tear the cape off to put pressure on the wounds, almost strangling herself instead. Shifter ignored the sound of Poison laughing and concentrated only on Airborne, desperately trying to do something. Whether she was trying to push the vines back into him to stop them from splitting his whole body open, or she was trying to keep pressure on the multiple wounds, not even Shifter knew.

"Five seconds, Shifter. Who do you choose?" Poison asked. "Three, two - "

"Airborne! I choose Airborne. Please, stop doing this to him!" Shifter sobbed.

There was a squelching sucking sort of sound that almost made Shifter gag, but then Airborne was gasping for air, sitting up alive and without the vines bulging their way out of his body. Not caring what anyone else thought - whether the citizens were alive or not, or even those watching on TV - Shifter pulled Airborne close and kissed him firmly.

"Ready, Fire?" Poison asked, her voice cutting between their kiss like a knife.

Fire smirked. "Born ready."

With that, the citizens and Shifter burned to death, and Airborne was stuck in place with a vine, forcing him to watch every second and hear every scream. When they were nothing but ash and dust, the vines worked their way out of Airborne - completely this time.

Fire and Poison had emptied the vault of its contents before Airborne had even finished dying, and they stepped over the unrecognisable mess of skin and blood and bones that had been Airborne, leaving the bank with their bags of loot and money in hand.

Unlocking the front door, Fire stepped over the line of ash and held it open for Poison, who smiled at him sweetly and walked out of the bank a very rich woman.

A car pulled up abruptly across from them, the window winding down automatically. Jenny waved them over. "Hurry up, before they get over their shock. Honey said you've got a minute. The timer's counting down."

Poison and Fire worked quickly, grabbing every bag they'd filled and putting them in the car, sliding into their seats just as Jenny's timer went off.

Jenny didn't wait for Poison to turn off the alarm, she simply took off down the road, glancing at the rubber tyre marks she'd left behind. "Fire, if you'd be so kind?"

"Of course, Jenny," Fire replied.

Behind them, the building set alight, the flames bright red and casting a wild brilliant glow across Maxville. Then, thanks to Airborne's attempt to get into the bank and destroying the building's internal structure, the building itself collapsed down into the bank, thoroughly destroying anything that might have remained.

Poison laughed so hard that she almost blacked out.

...

Brian Anderson stared at the footage that had played on their screens, his jaw hanging open in shock.

The puddle of water that Molten had turned the Commander into had been trampled by citizens that were eager and desperate to get out of the bank after their ordeal, not realising they were spreading their beloved superhero across the ground.

Jetstream had died long before Tempest's hurricane had disappeared, the light leaving her eyes even obvious on the bank's black and white camera. Now, somehow, emergency services were reporting that there weren't any citizens in the bank.

Airborne and Shifter had been killed viciously by two cold-hearted villains. What was left of the beloved Hero and his girlfriend was now burning to a crisp as the building collapsed down on top of the bank itself.

A sob drew Brian Anderson out of his shock and he realised that everyone in the studio looked just as shocked as he felt. He looked to the camera, glancing to the teleprompter out of pure habit. What he saw written there made Brian Anderson swear on live TV for the first time in his fifteen-year career.

"Ladies and gentleman, we have just had a report that someone broke into Earthstone's hospital room earlier today. Earthstone did not survive the fatal attack on his life," Brian Anderson reported, hoping that his voice wasn't shaking as much as his hands were. "For the first time since Captain Stronghold saved Maxville back in 1919, the villains have won. Jetstream, the Commander, Airborne, and Airborne's girlfriend are all dead."

There was another sob in the studio, accentuating the pause Brian Anderson took before he looked into the camera, his face pale and serious.

"Who will save us now?"

...

The end.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it.