Chapter One Hundred and Two
...
Keeping Ethan's phone on the table so they could see the questions, Layla and Warren looked at each other before turning their attention back to the couple waiting across from them. Warren forced himself to relax his posture, to seem less intimidating and more human. Layla held his hand and smiled warmly when she saw that Andy and Yuki's shoulders relaxed subtly in response.
"We did this for Ry, because he was worried you'd be taken away and he's our friend. We don't have an ulterior motive," Warren said, shrugging.
"This place is called the Hive. The house above ground is a business I run to sell unique goods including honey from our hives, beeswax products, and local artworks. Below ground is somewhere we can go to relax or hide. Ourselves or others, if necessary," Layla said, glossing over any other details.
"You're the first ones we have done this for; I believe we managed it through the element of surprise, so if there are others we need to hide, we will need to change our approach," Ethan said.
"Again, you know Ry and Connor. We probably wouldn't have known what was happening to you if it weren't for them," Donny said bluntly.
"We're in the outskirts of Maxville," Jewel said.
"I'm Layla, this is Warren," Layla said, the rest of their friends introducing themselves, purposely only giving their first names.
While Andy, Yuki, and their children were friends of Ry and Connor, it was best if they knew as little as possible for now. Donny would have to work on their memories of the lower Hive once they were no longer required to hide there, Layla mused.
"And I'm Honey, though you may know me as Hourglass," she said with a smile. "If you don't mind, I'll answer the last three questions?" Honey asked, looking to Warren and Layla, who nodded in response. "I've almost finished organising new identities for you all. They should have been ready today but my supplier didn't buy ink when I told them to, so it's another two days, hence the stay in the lower Hive. Andy, you'll use your Bachelor of Education degree to homeschool your children. Yuki, I know of several jobs that may interest you; I'll bring job descriptions for you tomorrow and apply on your behalf.
"You can return to Mississippi one day, but not in the next few years. There are unpleasant things happening at the moment and it's better for you to avoid it for as long as possible."
Honey's words had Andy and Yuki looking to each other, concern for their friends and home showing clearly on their faces.
"The agents from the organisation weren't concerned about your working life or social lives when they planned on killing you and sending your children to an orphanage. You would have taken out a significant number of their team, but they'd use your retaliation as an excuse to experiment on your children more often than the others. They wouldn't have survived past their fifteenth birthdays if they were lucky; twelve if they weren't."
Ichiko and Ichigo stared at Honey in shock, Andy and Yuki clutching each other's hands. Ichiko was already eleven and Ichigo was ten; they wouldn't have lived past twelve?!
"Where's that orphanage, Honey?" Warren asked, the temperature around him raising.
"Cool it, hothead," Craig said in Boomer's voice, grinning.
Warren levelled him with an unimpressed look. Craig poked his tongue out, leaning back on Grant, and holding Jewel's gloved hand.
"You're not ready to handle nearly thirty children, Warren. I'm organising it, I promise, but they'll have to wait a bit longer. They know someone's coming since there's a seer with them, but the kid doesn't have a lot of control yet. Two more experiments and they will, but for now, they all have to wait."
"How long have you known?" Grant asked, trying to sound kind rather than accusatory.
Honey looked at her hands, bunching and smoothing out her skirt's material. "Since I was eight. I've been working my ass off to get to them, but I'm one person and there's a whole organisation that has them. The organisation refused to hire me, no matter my experience and abilities. I could never pass the polygraph," she muttered.
"You've known about them for twenty-two years?" Ethan asked in surprise.
Honey nodded, her skirt gripped in her hands once more.
Andy looked to his wife, then to Honey, coughing slightly to draw her attention. "If I can help in any way, please let me know. I don't have powers, but I know how to fight."
"We have friends who have powers; they're still in Mississippi. Can we get them out, too?" Yuki asked, looking to Connor pleadingly.
"It's not up to me, Yuki. Hell, this wasn't even my idea. We were literally talking to Andy on Skype and then you're here twenty minutes later," Connor said.
"I've already sent the Brooke family interstate to visit their extended family; the Peterson's are overseas after a recent cash windfall; and Mr. and Mrs. Goldwasser received an anonymous phone call late last night, so they're going to California. Or New York," Honey said, frowning. "Either one should be fine for them."
"Wait, Peterson? Who has powers in their family?" Andy asked in surprise.
"Mark. It's currently a subtle power that allows him to determine if someone's lying, but the orphanage would experiment on him until he could make everyone believe the lies they were being told. It could be as simple as making people believe in extraterrestrial life or as devastating as believing in wars and religion. Imagine corporations and governments with that power? Even now, if someone believes a lie, there's usually someone who would argue until the truth is known. With Mark's power, no one would argue, no one would know the truth, and even worse, no one would want to know the truth. They'd believe in the lie so absolutely that they wouldn't even question it."
Despite the summer heat and warmth from Warren's power, a cold shiver ran up everyone's spines at the thought.
Andy looked around the table at the teenagers and two adults, silent for a long moment as he considered everything he'd heard and seen so far. He stood abruptly, drawing everyone's attention to him, and Andy bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving us. I don't think there's a way we can ever repay you for what you've done for us."
"I'm glad we were able to get to you before the organisation did," Layla said, Warren nodding beside her.
"So are we," Yuki said firmly, squeezing her husband's hand as he sat down again.
"Ichiko, Ichigo, please don't use your powers while you're here," Honey said, both children looking upset at her request. "Why don't you all head outside for a while? It'll be the last natural light you get for a few days," she added.
"It's better than being dead," Ichiko muttered, taking her brother's hand and leading him outside before anyone could respond.
Realising the others probably needed to have a conversation that he and Yuki wouldn't be welcome for, Andy stood and thanked them all once more. He led his wife outside, sliding the Hive doors shut behind him, vines blocking the doorway.
"I'm glad you brought them here, Ryuu, honestly, I am. But what the hell is going on?" Connor asked.
"We were being heroic; heroes save people," Ryuu said.
"No, not like that. Heroes save people from burning buildings or villains; heroes don't wear ski masks," he said.
Layla sighed, drawing Connor's attention to her. "We're not heroes, Mr. Kemp. Labelling people as heroes and villains implies there is only black and white in the world, and that heroes only do heroic deeds, while villains only do villainous deeds. It doesn't acknowledge the grey areas that exist in the world."
"That's a long-winded way to say you're villains."
"We're not villains, either. Would villains have saved your friends without wanting something in return? Would villains have left anyone alive who was watching - and listening - to the house? Would villains have left your friends' very expensive belongings in the house?" Craig asked.
"The Commander and Jetstream wouldn't have saved them like that."
"The Commander has done millions of dollars' worth of damage to Maxville in the last year alone, that doesn't include the damage he's done overseas to economies, buildings, citizens, and ecosystems; it is more likely that he would have destroyed the house," Ethan said. "Jetstream probably would have left them to the agents, certain that they would only be investigated and followed for a reason."
Connor still didn't seem appeased and he turned to the only other adult there. "Honey, why are you here? They're teenagers; impressionable teenagers. What would their parents say? Are you leading them?"
Honey shook her head. "I'm following them, Connor. Their parents will say a lot of what you're saying, in fact. It's going to be a headache with all of them at once," she muttered, sighing. "They're impressionable teenagers, sure, but that doesn't mean they're wrong. Well, sometimes they're wrong, but they're kids, they're allowed to fuck up."
"Fucking up is getting wasted the night before an exam, or totalling their parents' car, or other stupid shit kids do. It's not... this! They can't come back from this!"
"We're right here; we're the ones that made this decision, not Honey. I didn't even know Honey when I made this decision, Mr. Kemp, so don't blame her for something she had no part in," Layla said firmly.
Connor saw the determination in her eyes, the fire burning in Warren's, and looked from them to his son. "You're... you're serious about this, aren't you? You..." he paused and ran a hand through his hair as a new thought emerged. "Did you actually kill those people?" he asked, looking back at Layla and Warren.
"The group in the car was an accident; we did it while we were sleeping," Warren said. "Mr. Hamm, however, was a racist bastard who deserved a slower death."
"We are not killing everyone who annoys us," Ethan said firmly.
"No, we're not, and certainly not with Warren's flames anymore," Layla said with a sigh.
"We're not even planning on robbing another bank," Craig said. "Well, not for a few years, at least."
"Another? How many have you robbed? No, I don't want to know."
"It was just the one, Mr. K, and it wasn't even a proper robbery. It was just my father's accounts; it's not like he can use them in prison. Besides, he doesn't deserve it anyway," Craig muttered.
Connor didn't know what to say to that. He remembered how Craig's family had treated him and he couldn't help but agree that they didn't deserve any of the money, whether it was earned or stolen. But that didn't justify this.
"And we're not fighting the Commander and Jetstream again 'til we graduate high school," Terrence said.
"Again? For fuck's sakes," Connor said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just how old are you, anyway?"
"Old enough to make my own decisions," Terrence said firmly.
"Their recruitment speech was very convincing," Robin said.
Adam snorted in disbelief. "If they'd said half of that shit to me, I would've left."
"Oh, shut up, we're working on it," Warren muttered.
"Tell Connor about Mrs. Quinton," Honey said suddenly.
"What?" Connor asked. "What does she have to do with any of this?" he asked, tense and wondering if he'd have to beat an old woman up after all.
"Her dogs were kidnapped; the kidnappers made Mrs. Quinton follow me around and tell them where I was going and who I was with," Craig said. "I'm probably going to be kidnapped sooner rather than later."
"We'll get you back, babe," Grant promised, kissing the back of his hand.
"Yeah, I know."
"Do you know who kidnapped her dogs?"
"Not yet," Honey said.
Connor didn't believe her for a moment, but no one corrected her and he decided to focus on the more important questions. Turning to Ryuu, he looked at his son intently. "Why did you choose this, Ryuu?"
"All the cool kids were doing it."
Everyone looked to Ry in confusion, but next to him, Connor started laughing so hard that he cried.
...
Will flew over Westville, Magenta tucked into his super-suit to avoid wind-blown hair and boredom. Her fur tickled against his chest, but Will didn't dare complain.
What he'd done with Tasha made him feel nauseous and he was so certain that any sort of argument he and Magenta had would result in him spilling the beans about him cheating on her with Tasha. Will loved Magenta, he didn't even like Tasha. He'd forced himself to be extra attentive to Magenta as a way to ease his own guilt and it felt like it was working so far. Will just needed to go back to Sky High next week and forget all about Tasha when he had school and homework to concentrate on. He refused to watch Maxville's News Tonight anymore, his face burning whenever he saw Tasha's pretty blonde hair and her pretty pink lips, his memories bringing up visions of her -
"What was that?" Magenta asked, her squeaking voice almost lost in the wind.
Will stopped flying abruptly, listening to Westville below them.
"I challenge Airborne!"
"Holy shit, it's a villain. It's a real villain!" Will said, so excited that his voice sounded like Magenta's squeak.
"Get me out of your suit, Will. I can help," Magenta reminded him.
Will hurried to get Magenta out, cradling her guinea pig form in his hands, then holding under her arms when she shifted back to her human form.
"What sort of villain are they?" Magenta asked as they flew down to the villain who was standing in front of a building, hostages standing in the building behind them.
Will didn't know so he didn't answer her question, hovering down to set them both on the ground gently. They'd found out the hard way that he couldn't launch Magenta like Jetstream did with the Commander. "I am Airborne, and I accept your challenge!" he said, hands on his hips.
Around them, citizens were pointing their phones at the hero and villain, whispers abounding about Airborne's first real villain fight. Would he win?
The villain smirked at Airborne. "And who is your little sidekick, Airborne?"
"My Hero Support, uh," Airborne floundered, completely spacing on Magenta's alter-ego name.
"I am Shifter," she replied. "Who is your Villain Support?"
"My partner, Getim," the villain introduced, the lithe man beside him bowing with a flourish. "I am the illustrious villain known as Death Row," he said, grinning with sharp teeth.
Behind Death Row and Getim, several citizens shouted out for Airborne's help, for Airborne to save them. Getim threw a vial on the ground, smoke appearing and obscuring Airborne and Shifter's vision. When the smoke cleared, Death Row and Getim were inside the building, the glass doors locked and barricaded by a steel beam.
"Right, I'm going in. Follow me once I've made a path and you can save the citizens."
"Wait, Airborne, we need a better plan than that. We still don't know the villain's abilities, and - "
Airborne flew at the doors, smashing through glass and metal, and moving the steel beams out of the way so Shifter could follow him inside.
Death Row paled when he saw Airborne inside the building and looked to his partner. "Getim!" he said, already running for the back of the building.
Huh, it sounds like 'get him,' Airborne realised, even as Getim ran forward, reaching into their cloak for more vials.
Flying forward, Airborne spun in midair, avoiding the vials that Getim threw at him. The vials landed behind him, with citizens - and Shifter - coughing miserably as smoke of various colours poured out. Airborne drew his fist back and punched Getim, who collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
"Airborne, we need air!" Shifter called out.
Ripping off Getim's cloak, Airborne used his strength to create a torrent of wind to clear the smoke, accidentally breaking the rest of the glass door windows. Shifter and the citizens were revealed out of the haze of smoke and glad that they were all okay, Airborne headed after Death Row.
Behind him, Shifter was surprised by his initiative to use Getim's cape to clear the smoke and wondered if he was smarter than his father after all. With Getim unconscious and bruised on the floor, Shifter led the citizens outside to where the police and paramedics were waiting. She didn't have Airborne's strength, but Getim was light enough that she could drag him out to the police herself, his body dragged over glass shards and metal debris.
Death Row must have been cut by the glass from the doors, Airborne realised, seeing blood smeared on the walls and blood drops on the floor. It left an easy trail for him to follow, and Airborne flew along the corridors and office spaces, stopping abruptly when he saw Death Row in a corner office, typing frantically on a computer.
"You challenged me to a fight, Death Row. Now, fight!" Airborne commanded, kicking the door open and posing, hands on his hips to Draw the Villain's Attention.
Death Row cried out in surprise and backed away from the computer. "Uh. You found me! I surrender."
"What?"
"I surrender."
"But... we haven't fought," Airborne said, completely confused.
"Yeah, I've decided I don't want to do that."
"You're a villain, I'm a hero. We're meant to fight."
Death Row snorted. "Yeah, whatever. Look, this is what happens now that I've surrendered: you take me outside, I get arrested by the cops, you get your fifteen minutes of fame for defeating a villain, it's win-win. What's the big deal, kid?"
"Don't call me kid," Airborne said, clenching his jaw.
"You're what, twelve? You're a kid, so I'm calling you kid, and there's nothing you can - oh, shit."
Shifter gasped in surprise as Death Row came flying out of a fourth-storey window, the villain crumpling in a mess of blood and broken bones on the asphalt below.
Airborne landed on the ground, his foot resting on Death Row's body. "The villain is defeated. Have no fear, citizens; Airborne and Shifter have saved you from his evil clutches!"
Layla turned the TV off, thorns sprouting from her hands, wrists, and forearms.
"Uh, Lay? You okay?" Zach asked, looking between her and the blank TV screen, feeling a little concerned about the unadulterated rage he could feel from his vine brand.
"One week. One fucking week before we're back at Sky High, and he had to defeat a villain now!" Layla snapped, roses sprouting in her hair as she let out a scream of rage and frustration.
"Won't that be good? Everyone will have Will's attention and you can do whatever you want to Magenta."
"He said her name, Craig. She'll get just as much attention as he will. Fuck!"
"Yeah, but they'll only be friends with them because they defeated a villain. You and Warren were friends with Will and Magenta before them, right?" Jewel pointed out.
Layla considered her argument, roses and thorns slowly disappearing from her body. "That could work."
From his position on the lounge, Adam started choking through laughter. "You have to see this," he said when he was able to breathe once more, Ry hitting his back carefully.
"What is it?" Ethan asked curiously, moving to sit on the lounge armrest beside him.
"The TV footage was heavily edited so I found the original. Death Row was typing on a computer before he was thrown out the window - "
"That seems like a stupid thing to do when you're meant to be fighting," Craig said, frowning.
"That's what I thought, too, so I checked the log. He sent an email before Airborne threw him out the window. The email contents were basically 'you owe me' but the recipient was none other than Josie Stronghold."
"Wait, what?" Terrence asked, looking at the tablet over Adam's shoulder.
Several people did the same, curious to see what had really happened during Airborne and Death Row's fight.
"Okay, whoever's breathing in my ear has gotta stop or I'm gonna puke," Adam said, everyone moving back at once.
"You mean Jetstream set up the fight?" Ethan asked, understanding dawning on several faces at his question.
"I mean exactly that," Adam said, grinning. "Oh, and the part the interviews and video don't tell you: Airborne lost his shit when Death Row called him a kid, so he threw him out the window like a kid throwing a tantrum."
"He must not like being referred to as a child; that could be useful for the future."
"Do you think being called immature would work as well? It's like the adult way of saying you're a kid," Zach mused.
Layla smiled. "We can always try."
...
"Will bought me flowers," Magenta said with a broad smile as Layla, Wendy, and Jewel walked in.
"Hello to you, too," Wendy said, grinning.
"The flowers are pretty; what kind are they?" Jewel asked, seeing the bouquet sitting on the hallway table.
"Hyacinths," Layla and Magenta said at the same time.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. They are lovely," Layla said with a smile.
"Do they mean anything?" Jewel asked curiously, looking to the purple flowers.
"Oh, I never remember that part," Layla lied, both Wendy and Jewel feeling amusement on their brands.
"Ah, welcome! Do you want food? We have drinks, too! Magenta, you should have told me your friends were here," her mother scolded, smiling broadly to the three guests a moment later. "Come, we'll eat."
Mrs. Yolanda ushered them through to the dining room, ignoring their protests. Wendy and Jewel stopped briefly at the sight of so much food, while Layla smiled at Mrs. Yolanda's explanation of the vegetables she had cooked just for her, pleased that she had remembered she was a vegetarian. Magenta sat down, blushing and embarrassed by her mother's over the top nature and cooking. The amount of food was more suited to a small army, not five people.
Once everyone was seated, Mrs. Yolanda served food, ensuring that everyone tried as much food as possible. Magenta's cheeks burned in embarrassment at her mother's loud words and insistence for them to eat; why couldn't her mother just leave them alone? Josie never acted like this!
"Thank you for lunch, Mrs. Yolanda. It was delicious," Wendy said, patting her full stomach gently.
Jewel made a noise of agreement beside her, too full to form coherent words.
"It was lovely, Mrs. Yolanda; the refried beans were amazing," Layla said, smiling.
"We're going up to my room now," Magenta said, standing and hoping her friends would take the hint.
"Okay. You rest and be good. Have fun, girls," Mrs. Yolanda said, standing to clear the table.
"Oh, we'll help with the dishes," Layla offered, starting to stack the empty plates.
"No, no. You should rest, not work. You only have a few days left of your holiday, so enjoy it," Mrs. Yolanda said, waving off their offer.
"There's a lot of dishes and you cooked, Mrs. Yolanda, so that means we wash," Jewel said with a smile.
"We insist," Wendy added.
Mrs. Yolanda looked between them for a moment. "All right. But then you relax."
"Of course, Mrs. Yolanda," Layla said, adding a few more plates to her stack and carrying them to the kitchen, Wendy and Jewel following with glasses while Mrs. Yolanda took the serving plates.
Magenta sighed and grabbed two glasses to follow after them all reluctantly. They'd be stuck washing dishes by hand, unlike the Strongholds. They had a dishwasher. Arriving in the kitchen, she was surprised to hear Jewel and Wendy talking in rapid Spanish with her mother, Layla filling the sink with water.
"I didn't know you spoke Spanish," Magenta said to Jewel and Wendy when there was finally a gap in the conversation - and with her mother's conversation skills, that gap didn't occur until most of the dishes were done.
"We've been learning every weekend with Mr. Bowie," Wendy replied.
"Ethan makes sure we practice throughout the week, otherwise I'd still be fumbling over the rolled r's," Jewel said, grinning. "It's great because we've already learnt a lot through Mr. Bowie's extracurricular class at Sky High as well."
"I didn't know he ran a class," Magenta said, surprised.
"You already know Spanish, otherwise I would have told you. I think he's doing Russian this year, if you're interested?" Layla offered.
"Oh. Uh, well, I don't know," Magenta said. "Will and I will be really busy fighting villains now, so I can't make any promises."
"It is a shame, querida; extra language skills help you get employed, especially when you can no longer fight villains," Mrs. Yolanda said, helping Wendy and Jewel dry the dishes. (Dearest. Spanish)
"I know, you tell me that all the time, Mama," Magenta said, trying not to sound too bratty, but embarrassed to be called out on it in front of the others.
"It is true all the time," her mother replied pointedly, flicking the tea towel towards her.
"Are there any other dishes to be washed?" Layla asked, looking over Magenta's shoulder to the dining room.
"No, that's everything," she replied, grateful for the change in subject.
"Okay, great. What do you do with the water? Do you add it to the garden?" she asked, looking between Magenta and Mrs. Yolanda.
"No, just down the sink," Magenta said, though she felt a stab of guilt that they weren't using the water for something else.
She didn't even know you could use dirty dish water on the garden.
"Okay, no problem," Layla said, pulling the plug and wiping down the sink before drying her hands with Wendy's offered tea towel. "Thanks. Is there anything else you need done, Mrs. Yolanda?"
"No, no. I'll do the rest. You go relax now," Mrs. Yolanda said, shooing them out of the kitchen.
Magenta led the others up to her room, wincing when she saw several dishes still left in the dining room that she hadn't noticed. Hoping her mother wouldn't tell her off while the others were still there, Magenta closed the door behind them so they could have a semblance of privacy.
"Sorry about that, guys. What do you want to do?" Magenta asked.
"I'm still really full. Can we just relax for a while?" Jewel asked, Wendy nodding beside her.
"Yeah, why don't you tell us about your first villain fight?" Layla asked expectantly.
"Uh, are you sure?"
"Of course. We want to hear all about it before you're bombarded by everyone at school next week," she said with a smile.
Magenta was surprised by her statement. "You really think everyone will want to know about it?"
"Of course they will; you're not even juniors yet, and you've already defeated a villain," Wendy said.
"Two, if you include Royal Pain," Jewel added.
"Everyone's going to want to be your best friend, Magenta," Layla said. "You won't forget about us when you become the most popular girl in school, right?"
"Of course not!" Magenta protested vehemently, though some part of her was far too excited about being the most popular girl at school.
Last year, she wouldn't have even dreamed of being popular. Now, after being interviewed for TV, defeating a villain, and having people calling out for her super alter ego's name, Magenta realised that she liked being known and recognised.
"All right, I'll tell you about the fight. I don't think there's much to tell," Magenta said, then spent the next hour and a half proving herself wrong.
...
Josie made her way to the prison's hospital room, sitting by Death Row's bed and watching the villain breathe for a moment. "Rowan?"
Death Row opened his eyes, his gaze flicking over to her from the position where he was braced and covered in a full-body cast. "Josie. Look what... your son... did to me," he said through laboured breaths.
"I know. I am sorry, Rowan. I hadn't expected him to lose his temper like that. The crowd loved it, though."
Rowan wheezed, but Josie didn't know if it was meant to be in laughter or disbelief. "Yeah, I heard... them when... I fell."
Josie was silent for a long moment. "Your trial will be held once you've healed. Rest up and take care, Rowan," she said.
Rowan couldn't shake his head; the doctors had already determined he wouldn't survive for long. He had too much internal bleeding in places that were too difficult to repair, there were tiny pieces of glass and metal shrapnel in his bloodstream travelling to far too important organs, and the trauma of breaking nearly every bone in his body was taking a toll as well.
"Don't... think I'll... make it. Where's... Ger?" Rowan asked, looking on either side of his hospital bed the best he could.
"In prison, Rowan; he was your partner by your own admission."
"He'll be out... soon, right? You vouched for... him, didn't you?" Rowan asked, eyes narrowing when Josie didn't respond. "Josie, you... promised."
"I made a promise before I realised what would happen in the fight. I can't get Gerry out, Rowan. The public are involved and it's too late for him."
Rowan looked angry, even with part of his face in a cast. "Well, what... about our... money? He can... use it... when he's out."
"Oh, Rowan. I don't make deals with villains," Josie said, any glimmer of friendliness gone from her expression entirely.
"What? Josie, you... can't be... serious! You paid me... to do it! I'll... tell everyone! You'll - "
"I destroyed all of the evidence, Death Row; no one will believe you," Josie said, standing and leaving without looking back, even as Rowan screamed for her to come back.
Nurses ran past Josie, syringes in hand to sedate the screaming patient. The prison doors closed behind Josie with a sound of finality and she headed home, assured that the Stronghold name was respected and adored by every citizen in the world.
...
End of the hundred and second chapter.
