I had some great reviews – thanks to all.

I'm rather proud, I kept my weekly chapter update record intact. I didn't think I would this week.

I do not own Sky High. This fic is merely for enjoyment. I am making no money off this enterprise.

The guard scanned him three times. Warren had been visiting Maxville Supervillain Pen since he was nine. This was the first time he'd been subject to a triple scanning.

"Is this going to take much longer?" Warren finally asked. His schoolmates would be amazed at his urbane tone

He wouldn't be the one to pay the price for jerking off the guards.

The guard – Walters per his badge – pushed a button and the door slowly opened. "We're on Red alert," he answered as if that explained it all.

Warren's face became a hard mask again. "I know."

"I guess I could look on the bright side," Walters commented as he patted Warren down. "We finally got the new armor." He lifted up his arm so Warren could see the armplates. "We requested them two years ago."

"I guess it's true about every cloud having a fucking silver lining."

The guard moved aside awkwardly, allowing Warren to proceed him down the hallway. He stopped outside a familiar floor square. Silently an opening appeared directly in front of Warren.

When Warren Peace, a nearly six-foot tall, angry, adolescent pyrokinetic started Sky High, the whole student body knew his father was serving three consecutive life sentences – whatever the hell that means. So, what is a nearly six-foot tall, angry, pyrokinetic to do under these circumstances?

His mother told him to ignore the other students snide remarks and they would stop.

They did stop, after he put one senior Hero in the intensive care unit.

Boy, was Mom pissed about that.

So, his bad ass, possibly psychotic reputation firmly established, Warren strolled happily into the school's detention room only to be brought crashing back to earth when he felt that same skin crawling sensation he felt when he visited Dad.

Except the prison's neutralizing system was 100 times more powerful.

Will hadn't known it, but he could have powered up if he really wanted to.

He figured Stronghold would brag about his new found powers, promising to finish what Warren had started.

Instead he offered him his hand. Nobody had ever done that to him before.

"Warren!"

Warren realized his father had been calling his name. He dropped into a chair. "Sorry. I'm a little short on sleep."

"How much longer did it take you to get through security, and be exact?"

Warren looked at his watch and thought about it. "Can't be exact. I never been bored enough to time it, but I would say twenty minutes."

"Damn, I was down for thirty."

"Who won the pool?" Warren asked.

"I think Storm Caster. Bastards already smug enough." His father stretched out his legs. "How are you holding up?"

Warren shrugged. "Do you remember when I was seven and two boys tried to steal my baseball mitt?"

"Of course I do."

"No bright shiny neon flashing trucks showed up this time."

"What about Paris?"

"It's beautiful in the spring."

"Warren, that's not what I meant and you know it."

He shrugged. "Will was going to fly me." His Dad looked utterly disgusted. "It was either that or give up food. I don't have the money for a ticket. Mom's already in debt up to her eyeballs."

"And you don't want to leave Maxville right now?" It was more statement than question.

"You know how it is. Moth to the flame."

"Screwing your own future isn't going to help him, son."

"My future, my call."

He sighed. "I never thought the day would come when I helping save the Stronghold dauphin. Lucky for you these Marquis de Sade wannabes get to be a little too free with their tasers during a Red Alert."

Warren was so exhausted he let his typical dispassionate mask slip. "You know something."

"I'm in prison, not on the moon. The better question is what I don't know? But first, is it true that the lead officer is Gregory Stark?"

Warren thought. "I heard Mrs. Stronghold mention someone named Stark."

"He's smart, cautious, and willing to think outside the box. And that is what you need."

"Keep going."

"There hasn't been a whisper that anything big was in the works. I've checked. It's not that I was out of the loop, there was no loop. If a villain is planning something this big, there would have been chatter – vague and unconfirmed, but it would have been there.

"Second, and more important, a villain would have to be either insane or vengeance obsessed to bring down the wrath of Command and the Stronghold family.

"And we know how rare that is," Warren said, deadpan. "Supervillains being such balanced individuals."

Battle ignored his son's dig. "If this was done for payback, Mommy and Daddy would have been called directly – and sent a tooth for identification and a note asking if a femur bone would be more helpful. There is an unwritten rule about targeting family members, especially kids. Power hungry villains respect that rule. We have families too. Ant-man, a pretty harmless villain as they come, is in a coma from excessive taser use. That happened because the Commander's son was kidnapped."

"Is it true that they've asked for a hundred million dollars ransom?" his father asked him.

Impressed with the prison grapevine, Warren nodded.

"Money can be obtained in ways that do not include pissing off the whole community. It just not done."

Warren thought about the clues his father had given him. 'What about a rogue scientist?"

Baron's eyes lit up. "Smart boy. Perhaps you got more than your powers and good looks from me. Maybe a techie, or ever a very talented sidekick, but scientist is my bet. This whole plan has an I'm so much cleverer than you are stink to it. Do you think they like brain trusts like the Strongholds breaking their toys and basking in all the glory?" he didn't even know his voice had taken on a derisive tone.

"Medulla likes to complain about Will being on the next box of Wheaties. He wouldn't have scraped that B minus without my help. So, do you have any names?"

He handed Warren a piece of paper with a half dozen names on it. "The first name is Maximus. He ran afoul the ethics committee about ten years ago. Went underground. He had a civilian sister who was a junkie --not common knowledge. Nothing was ever proved again him, but about fifteen years ago a colleague he was butting heads with died from a designer drug overdose. The man was known for risk taking behavior so it was filed as accidental death. I understand the autopsy of Layla Williams's aunt showed heroin use and other unidentified drugs."

"I don't know about that, but I'll ask." He pocketed the note. "So, is that all?"

"No." his father's frowned a bit. "There is something else about Maximus you should know. I'm assuming you've heard of the Scarlet Witch."

All Warren's fatigue was blasted away. "Scarlet Witch," he nearly whispered the name.

There wasn't too many worse than her. Isabeau Wittelsbach, descended from Bavaria royalty. Her brilliance only surpassed by her beauty. She's a mesmerist. The Scarlet part came from her unnatural fascination with human blood.

"She was part of my required reading for the European internship. She has never operated in this country before. Why start now?"

"She has had dealings with Maximus before. His specialty is sound waves. She can only control a few people at a time, and she has to be speaking directed to them. Imagine if her powers could be amplified."

"A megalomaniac, narcissistic mesmerist with a bullhorn. That's a comforting picture," Warren said.

"If Maximus is involved . . . well her involvement would be a long shot, but I wanted to warn you. I met her once," something flickered in his father's eyes. "She's dangerously perverted."

The guard rapped sharply at the door. Visiting time was over.

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Warren returned to the Stronghold resident to find Will's parents and Natalie Williams raiding the refrigerator. It was stocked up with casseroles and side dishes. Ethane's mother had organized it all.

They hadn't started eating yet. He sat down and went through everything his father said, leaving out the bit about the Stronghold dauphin.

Josie clutched the list in her hand like it was a lifeline. Suddenly her face became even more gaunt. "Why in the Scarlet Witch on here? She's never left Europe."

"Maximus's specialty would be particularly useful to her and they have had contact in the past," Warren answered her.

Steve got up and started to pace. Just like Will, Warren thought. "The Scarlet Witch." For a moment he seemed to be very far away. "Thank you Warren. I think there is some good information here."

"I'll fly it back right after we eat. Stark's there 24/7," Josie volunteered.

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At the moment Stark was a very angry man. He was no stranger to office politics and competing interests, but this was a first. He stared incredulously at Marianne Washington, head of espionage.

"You are fucking insane," he enacted every word.

She flinched, just a bit. "I'll let that flagrant piece of insubordination go because I know you're under a great deal of stress."

Stark snorted. "I'm putting together a team to raid Maximus's headquarters. Warn your agent."

She stood up. "I'm overriding your authority in this matter."

With almost superhuman effort, Stark reined in his temper. "It's true, you can counterman my orders. But I have the right and responsibility to inform the Strongholds of the whereabouts of their son."

Washington knew who held the better hand. "Stark," she tried a different tacit. "You heard the report. They are in no immediate danger. Maximum's only interest in the kids is to keep us busy and to use them as hostages if necessary. They're scared, but coping well."

"This operation is two years in the making. I will not see my department's investment of personal and resources squandered. Not when we are this close. The Scarlet Witch is responsible for hundreds of deaths. As long as she is at liberty, she is a threat to society."

"She is also a sexual deviant with a penchant for destroying innocence. Do you want her anywhere near William Stronghold?"

"It won't come to that," she said fiercely.

"I want computer access to this operation in ten minutes. I'll pick my team and put them on standby. When is your agent updating next."

"Every six hours."

"Can he contact you that regularly?"

"We believe so."

"And you swear to God you believe she is in the country."

"Yes."

"Your agent on the scene."

"He is the best," she jumped in. "Worse case scenario, he can take the Witch."

"If he is more than a half hour late in reporting to you, I'm sending the team in."

"And as long as the situation is standard," she held her breath.

"I agree that apprehending the Witch is important, but my primary responsibility is the safety and well being of William Stronghold and Layla Williams."