Warren's eyes narrowed as he entered the cafeteria. Will had rushed away from his locker before Warren had had a chance to catch up with him. He had been doing that more frequently lately. There he was sitting with the others at the table they always occupied. Warren wasn't quite sure why Stronghold couldn't wait two minutes when they were going to the same place. He had practically begged to be allowed to walk with Warren in the past.

Come to think of it though, everyone had been meeting up without him lately. Warren kept trying to justify that fact with the thought that he was the only member of their group who worked, and that he had never wanted their friendship in the first place, but unfortunately, the exercise in self-deception didn't seem to be working.

Today, instead of being huddled in conversation like they usually were, the whole table kept shooting expectant and increasingly nervous glances at the doors. Warren frowned as he approached. "What's up?" he asked as he slung his book bag to the ground.

"Magenta's not here yet," Zach replied. "She said she just wanted to go to her locker for a bit, but she hasn't shown up."

"Maybe she came in while we weren't looking?" Layla suggested optimistically.

"I don't see her anywhere in the cafeteria," Ethan replied, pushing his glasses up with one finger, even though they didn't need the adjustment.

At that moment the doors opened to admit two chattering girls. It also signaled the beginning of a wave of laughter that swept the room. At first the young women had thought the amusement was directed at them, but they soon realized that it was actually the object behind them that garnered everyone's attention.

"What?" Will asked standing up to try to get a glimpse of what was so funny.

It was an upturned wastebasket. As the teen looked on, the wastebasket began moving. It slid across the floor in the general direction of the table he and his friends were sitting at, although it frequently bumped into tables and ankles and had to make detours around book bags and purses.

Finally the oddly behaving object was near enough that they could hear a small, squeaky, and very familiar voice from within it. "I know you guys are out there! Can you please take this thing off me?"

Wordlessly, Will leaned over and picked up the trash can. Magenta looked up at him for a moment before she transformed back into her usual appearance. "Thank you," she sighed as she sank down onto the bench at the table.

"Maj, what happened?" Layla leaned forward in concern.

"My favorite person, that's what," the shape-shifter growled.

"Nickolas Larson again?" Ethan asked with a resigned sigh.

"Who else?"

"Uh, Magenta, why didn't you just transform and take the can off your head?" Zach asked.

Maj glowered at him. "I tried," she said angrily before muttering softly, "my head got stuck. I had to shift back."

Warren hung back a little while the others crowded around the young side-kick to comfort her. Larson needed to be taught a lesson, but he still believed that the arrogant villain wannabe would never leave his friends alone until they stood up for themselves.

Maybe it was time to talk to Josie Stronghold after all.

---

"Stronghold Realty. May I help you?"

"Is Steve Stronghold there?"

The voice on the other end was deep, but somewhat familiar nonetheless. Josie frowned as she tried to place where she had heard it before. "No, I'm sorry," she replied. "He's out showing for the afternoon. Is there anything I can help you with?" The line went dead with a click.

---

Twenty minutes later Josie was interrupted again by a knock at the front door. There were times she was glad that she worked at home, and times when she wished that they could have had an office somewhere else. If this was that annoying vacuum salesman again, she suspected it would be one of the latter. When she opened the door, however, she was shocked.

It definitely wasn't the vacuum salesman. "Warren? Will's not here right now," she said in surprise.

"I know," the young man replied. "I actually came to see you."

"To see me?" Josie asked in amazement.

He nodded firmly.

"Why don't you come in," she said.

Five minutes later they were sitting at the kitchen table listening to the phone in the office ring. "Should you get that?" Warren asked.

"Let it ring," Josie replied. "Are you sure you don't want anything? I have chocolate chip cookies."

"No, I'm fine, thanks, Mrs. Stronghold." Warren examined his hands contemplatively. It had seemed like such a good idea to come here, but now, he wasn't quite sure how to start.

"Warren?" Josie asked in concern.

"Sorry," he replied, looking up at her through the curtain of chin-length hair he sported.

"That's okay. Is something wrong? You seem…preoccupied."

He shrugged. "I suppose I ought to hurry up before your husband gets home anyway." Warren winced slightly when he realized how rude that sounded.

"About that, I'm sorry. I'm not entirely sure why Steve has been acting that way, but you are always welcome in this house."

"You don't know?" Warren looked at her in surprise. "It's perfectly obvious to me."

A pained look passed across her face.

"At any rate, that's not why I came." He took a breath. "Look, my friends are having some trouble at school and my mom said I should come and talk to you."

"What? What sort of trouble?" Josie asked in concern.

"There's this guy at school. Ever since Homecoming he's been acting like he can get away with anything he wants. And for the most part he has. Lately he's taken to picking on Zach and Magenta and Ethan." He looked at Mrs. Stronghold again. "I could handle him, so could Will or Layla, for that matter, but it wouldn't stop him from bothering the others. I don't think he will until he knows that the others can stop him on their own. My mom said you could teach them to do that."

"I could. Why are you asking me?"

Warren stared at her. "What do you mean, why? Isn't that what friends do? Help each other out?"

"Yes it is. That wasn't quite what I meant, though. They all know that one of my specialties is unarmed combat. Why aren't they asking me?"

Warren went back to examining his hands. "I don't know. They haven't asked me, either, or even Will, and everyone knows he wouldn't hesitate to help them."

Josie sighed. "I admire you for asking on their behalf, Warren, but I don't think there's much I can do until they admit that they might need help."

He stared at her in disbelief. "What? Aren't you supposed to be a hero?"

"Yes, I am. But you said it yourself, Warren. Nothing we do will matter until they take the first steps for themselves."

"So we're just supposed to sit back and let Larson push them around?"

"No, I didn't say that. By all means, stand up for your friends. Help them out when they need it. But I can't teach them anything until they want to learn it."

Warren frowned at the table top. "I don't like it."

"I don't either. No one would, really."

"Maybe I should just roast him," Warren muttered.

"I'm pretty sure that would be a bad idea," Mrs. Stronghold smiled at him.

"You're probably right," Warren sighed.

"Tell you what, though. The minute your friends do try to stand up for themselves against this Larson kid, I'll teach them everything they need to know."

Warren looked closely at her, weighing her promise. "Deal," he said, reaching out a hand.

"Deal," she smiled as they shook on it. "Are you sure you don't want any cookies?"

Warren actually smiled slightly. "Yeah, thanks anyway. I've actually got to get to work soon."

"Well, I hope to see you again soon." Josie said, rising as he did.

"I'm sure you will. Your son is always dragging me over here for some reason or another."

"True." She smiled at him.

"Thanks, Mrs. Stronghold."

"You're very welcome, Warren."

---

Steven Stronghold opened the door cheerfully and was just about to call a greeting to his wife when he registered the voices in the kitchen. It had taken less time than he thought to show the Studemires a house that they liked. They had absolutely fallen in love with a four bedroom federalist, and wouldn't even hear of seeing another house. Still smiling, Steve hung up his coat and walked down the hall.

Suddenly, he realized exactly who it was that Josie was talking to. Steve's eyes narrowed. It wasn't enough that Battle's son was always hanging around Will, now he was hanging around when Will wasn't even there!

"I suppose I ought to hurry up before your husband gets home anyway," Steve heard. Why that little--! Steve was about to storm angrily into the kitchen when he heard Josie's voice. Was she actually apologizing? For his behavior? How could she?

He paused however when he heard the kid's voice again. There was shock in it, and a hint of dark amusement. Baron had never been amused. It was one of the things that had bothered Steve most about the man. And what did he mean, 'perfectly obvious'?

"At any rate, that's not why I came." Well, then, kid, why did you come? Steve asked silently. He settled in to hear the explanation. No doubt this would be good.

---

Several minutes later Steve had ducked into the den while Josie and Warren walked to the door. He was…shocked…to say the least. He never would have expected this sort of behavior from Baron Battle, and to be honest he hadn't expected it from his son, either.

Nevertheless, he had to admit, it took a certain amount of guts for the kid to come here.

Maybe his wife and son were right. Maybe Peace wasn't so bad after all. Or maybe he was.

This might be all a trick. There was simply no way of knowing.

Steve resolved to watch the kid even more closely than before. And this time, he promised himself, he would be watching with eyes wide open.

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A/N: Hi, everyone! Sorry this is late, but I hope it was worth the wait. Finally we seem to be getting somewhere! Thanks so much to all of the people who take the time to review! You guys rock!