Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Three
...
Jared stepped out of the stairwell to see Jetstream arriving outside the door, posing like she expected someone to be taking photos. He wondered if he could step back into the stairwell and avoid her entirely. It was a shame the museum's doors were glass and she could see inside, he mused with a sigh as he headed over to Yichen at the front desk.
"Rock for it?" Yichen asked with a wince.
"No need; I'll deal with her," Jared said.
"Thank all the gods," he said in obvious relief.
Jared grinned and headed over to the door, schooling his expression. "Good afternoon, Jetstream. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I brought my son his lunch. How dare you feed them insects and bugs! That is disgusting and you'll be written up by the end of the day!" she snapped, stepping inside with a brown paper bag in her hands.
"I assure you, the food provided meets all nutritional standards. The food with bugs is for the shifters who require that specific diet. If your son read the label cards on the tables, he would know that. Did he say he was actually eating it?" Jared asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jetstream frowned. "Well, no. But it's unsanitary having it right next to the normal food!"
"The food for shifters is on a completely separate table, just like the food for those with dairy, gluten, and nut intolerances. Would you like to make further comments on something you actually haven't seen for yourself?"
Jetstream reddened. "I want to see the exhibition. I've heard alarming reports about the content, and want to be sure it's suitable for the public."
"The exhibition isn't open to the general public yet. It's in my contract to keep everyone out apart from the staff, children, and chaperones during this excursion. You are none of those," Yichen called, sounding pleased with himself.
"Who is that? This is a private conversation!"
"If you like, I can step outside and we can discuss how you have endangered the students by coming here as your super alter ego?" Jared offered.
Jetstream gaped. "I did no such thing! I am a model citizen and Hero, and I wouldn't put my son's life in danger!"
Jared wondered if it would be worth pointing out that Will wasn't the only student at the museum.
"The Commander and Jetstream sightings app already has four claims of you flying over Maxville with no villain fights scheduled. Images were included, and people are speculating," Yichen called, almost cheerfully now.
Jetstream clenched her jaw. She hated that app. Not only had they put Steve's name before hers, but the citizens who owned and posted to it were often the kind who would stalk her and Steve for days. She didn't know why they just couldn't go get jobs like normal people.
Jared waited for her response, as though he had all the time in the world, and didn't have to help control almost one hundred teenagers with only nine chaperones.
Jetstream ducked behind a pillar and Josie stepped out, adjusting her glasses. "I heard the chaperone for Will's group left. I can take their place."
Ah, fuck.
...
Will had dared Larry to eat one of the larvae and lentil tacos, sneering at him when he turned green and refused. Brandon had snickered as well and Will grinned at his new friend, feeling validated. Then his mother had walked into the room and Will felt as though every ounce of self confidence fled his body, or perhaps the state entirely. Several people looked between him and his mother, her presence noticeable since she hadn't been there that morning, and Will felt the weight and judgement of their gaze even worse than those citizens after that building collapsed on that citizen. Even though that had totally been Earthstone's fault.
"Ah, there you are, Will. Your mother brought you lunch. Apparently she was concerned you weren't eating," Jared said, raising an eyebrow at the two plates of food he was holding.
"One is for Magenta. She just went to the bathroom!" Will blurted out.
"Of course she did. Now, don't worry. I brought your favourite: PB and J. Cut into triangles and no crusts, just like you like," Josie announced brightly, holding the brown paper bag out.
A few people snickered - including Magnus again, damn that sidekick! - and Will burned bright red. "I don't need you to cut them anymore. I'm not a kid!"
Josie looked flustered by his response and her bright expression fell. "Oh. Of course. Ah, there's Magenta now, that's good timing, dear."
"Oh. Hello, Josie. How are you?" Magenta asked, really meaning 'what are you doing here?'
"I'm well, thank you for asking. Will sent a text about the disgusting food, so I brought his lunch," Josie added, looking at the nearby table where several dishes were labelled on bright green cards.
Will fidgeted as some people glared and judged him harshly. "I was just showing you what food those kinds of people eat," he said defensively.
"Those kinds of people?" Maleah snapped.
"Uh... that is... I mean... "
"What Will meant to say is the food that shifters eat is different to the food other supers eat. Isn't that right?" Josie said firmly, Will nodding adamantly in agreement. "There we are, it was just a miscommunication. All is forgiven," she added with a beguiling smile.
Maleah glared. "You don't get to decide when I forgive someone!" she snapped, then turned and left the room, her muttering slipping into Spanish.
Kiara held Pat's hand to stop him from following after her, Naj leaving instead. "Naj is best at calming her. We need more witnesses to this shit show," she said in a low mutter.
Pat frowned and sent a text to Maleah, promising to cuddle her later and that Will was an asshole.
Adam: group text, dude. But also, true.
Ethan: I'm starting to rethink the 'no killing' policy.
Layla: what?!
Layla: what on earth is happening?!
Zach: Will just managed to insult all shifters and minorities in one sentence.
Warren: what the fuck did that asshole say now?
Adam: sending you access to the video feed. You can watch it yourself.
Yichen entered the lunch room with a sudden stop, as though he'd run up the three flights of stairs from the front desk, and before anyone could say or do anything, he let his power loose. Tense shoulders relaxed, frowns softened, clenched fists uncurled slowly, and people holding their breath exhaled. Without waiting for a word of recognition, he glared at Will, then turned and left.
Jared hurried after him. "Thanks for that, Yichen. Do you think it'll be enough?"
"As long as they don't break my exhibits, I don't care. I wanted to turn that little shit into paste myself. How do you do your job every day with shit like that and not snap?"
Jared sighed. "I just hope that the things I'm teaching them will sink in and that this one moment in time doesn't represent who they will be. They're still kids."
"They're old enough to know better than that," Yichen said, pointing back to the room in disgust. "That is not just one moment, Jared. That bullshit is ingrained."
Jared sighed. "I know. I'm trying."
"You can try all you like, but if he doesn't think for himself and just keeps repeating his parents' words and thoughts, it's like a Roomba trying to clean dog shit: it spreads everywhere."
Jared was silent for a long moment. "Is that why you got your carpet replaced last year?"
"Shut up."
...
"What on earth is this?" Josie exclaimed, her voice echoing through several empty exhibits as the children were still in the hall for their lunch break.
She had planned on being the best tour guide the world had ever seen by preparing herself and ensuring that she knew where Will's group was meant to go for the rest of the afternoon. Supers and Sex was next, but she hadn't thought they actually meant sex!
Donny stayed quiet in his shadowy corner of the exhibit, looking at his food and wishing he'd left the damn cuff on, after all. He'd come in here to eat because he could text and tease Wendy while she had to stay in the lunch room with everyone else - including her parents - and he could hear her thoughts through all the noise. She'd already sent more scowling emojis than he'd received in the whole year, and he knew even without reading her thoughts that she was annoyed that they couldn't be together, and his texts weren't helping. It had been funny then but now with Josie Stronghold's thoughts making him feel nauseous, it was anything but. Her disgust curdled his stomach, even as her shame and lust warred with each other as she saw the bed moving with super strength from the mannequins that were shaped like herself and her husband.
Ewww. Well, there was another thing to add to his therapy sessions, Donny mused, shuddering. He forced the feeling of nausea away and stood up so he could sneak away before Josie overcame her own feelings and noticed him sitting in the corner like a lurker. Everyone knew that only perverts lurked, after all.
Donny made it halfway down the hall before Josie turned and stomped out, passing the Jobs and Supers exhibit on her way. She glanced into the doorway automatically, then did a double-take on seeing a large cardboard cutout of Jetstream and the Commander, almost up to the ceiling. Mollified by the larger than life display, her shoulders lost their tension, and she stepped into the exhibit curiously. Donny hurried down the hallway faster, knowing her sated feelings and thoughts wouldn't last when the sensor-activated hologram started.
Josie's eyes widened in horror when she saw her cardboard cutout change. Glasses were projected over her face, her hair changed from Jetstream's wavy and wind-streaked locks to a business-like bun, her clothes changing from her super suit to a suit with a maroon skirt and a white blouse beneath a maroon jacket.
The museum had outed her alter ego! And Steve's, too, she thought, seeing the Commander change to Steve with thick-rimmed glasses to complete his outfit.
Josie didn't bother walking, seething the entire way as she flew down to the front desk. "How dare you!"
Yichen blinked and looked from his lunch over at her, raising an eyebrow at her words and tone. "I need to eat, too."
"You revealed my alter ego! It's a secret identity for a reason!"
Yichen reluctantly set his food down. "It's the worst secret identity in the world, you mean. You're literally listed in the phone book as 'super realtors' and have the same name as Captain Stronghold. Do you actually think it's a secret to anyone?"
Josie's jaw clenched at his scathing tone and she glared. "You'll be hearing from our lawyers. And it's not my fault Steve wouldn't change his surname."
"You couldn't think of a different realtor name?" Yichen asked pointedly.
Josie huffed a breath through flared nostrils. "That's none of your business!"
He grinned. "Of course not. Enjoy the rest of the exhibit. There's a feedback form; feel free to write whatever you like."
Josie took a small stack of papers with a flick of her wrist, as if to prove a point. Yichen returned his attention to his lunch and the security screens, ignoring Josie.
Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to breathe and relax her body. Too much tension and stress would cause lines, and she couldn't do that to her fans. As she left, Josie took her phone out to call her lawyer. She needed a cease and desist for the exhibit, that person at the front desk, and the whole museum, while she was at it!
"You want to send a cease and desist to the museum for doing an exhibit about you and the Commander?" her lawyer clarified, obviously confused.
Josie squeezed the bridge of her nose. Super Jesus, how much did they pay this idiot? She didn't allow herself to dwell on it for too long; they paid by the minute.
"They've revealed our alter egos!" Josie snapped.
"Oh. Oh! Of course. It will be there by this afternoon," David Ackerman promised.
"Good," Josie said, ending the call without wasting another minute of her precious time or hard-earned money.
...
Ethan had left the lunch area alone, hoping for some peace and quiet before he was stuck with the likes of Becky once more. Forcing the thought away, he headed back to the Supers through the Ages exhibition he'd seen earlier that morning. Thanks to Becky, Ethan had missed seeing quite a few of the pieces, and he wanted to see the full exhibit before continuing through the museum to look at other exhibits that his group wouldn't be seeing that day.
The exhibit was empty, apart from the frames. Ethan looked at the rest of the exhibit that he'd missed, then made his way back to the curtain he'd seen before, ignoring Captain Stronghold's smug expression. The silence around him almost felt deafening, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest for no discernible reason. Looking around the room, Ethan tried to distract himself by working out the measurements and size, then frowned. If his calculations were correct, then there should still be another five frames in the exhibit. Apart from a few news reports about one-off occurrences, there couldn't surely be that much prior to Captain Stronghold, could there? He was known as the Father of Supers for a reason, after all.
His heart pounding in his ears, Ethan decided to look behind the curtain. Whatever he was feeling was probably because the curtained section had a "do not enter" sign, and he'd be breaking the rules by going beyond the curtain and rope. Besides, if it was something truly important, then it would be behind a locked door, not a piece of fabric, Ethan reasoned. Slipping behind the curtain, he paused for a moment, waiting for an alarm or the PA system to call him out or someone to come in and berate him. There was nothing but silence, and Ethan exhaled slowly, letting his heart rate return to its normal speed.
Walking to the first frame, Ethan wasn't entirely surprised to see the date gap was significant. While Captain Stronghold was known in the 20th century, this next frame was from the 13th century, and showed a picture of Marco Polo in his Tartar outfit, complete with bow, sword, and quiver of arrows. Ethan was surprised to see the entry referring not to his prowess as a merchant, but rather to his storytelling ability. Kublai Khan had been so entranced by Marco Polo's storytelling that he had named him ambassador and sent him on diplomatic missions on his behalf for years. Spying one of the speakers, Ethan pressed the button, Yichen's voice coming from the speaker.
"Niccolò and Maffeo were both successful and wealthy merchants, despite several instances that impoverished other merchants. They left Constantinople, liquidating their assets into jewels to fund their move and further travels. Constantinople burnt later that year, with residents captured and blinded by Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. Those that escaped on overcrowded refugee ships often perished aboard. The Polos, however, safely continued on their travel through Asia until they returned to Venice to meet Marco for the first time, having left before his birth.
"At the age of seventeen, Marco convinced his father and uncle to let him accompany them on their travels. He learned four languages, and was known for his knowledge and experience, despite not being a great scholar as a child. His storytelling was so entrancing that Kublai Khan refused to let the Polos leave China. They were only permitted to leave after 17 years in order to accompany Princess Kököchin to her betrothal in ancient Persia. The two-year trip was fatal for a significant number: of the 600 people present on the convoy, only 18 survived, including the Polos and Princess. There is much speculation as to why this journey took two years and killed most of the convoy, but no answers.
"Marco Polo returned to Venice with massive wealth and riches, 24 years after leaving. His imprisonment during the war led to his famous book The Travels of Marco Polo being written by his cellmate. Polo survived, though thousands of other men were killed. He avoided further war, famine, and disease, and died after a long life, bearing three daughters. There is no account of his family beyond the record of his daughters' marriages, despite their riches and influence as successful merchants in Venice."
Ethan considered everything he'd read and heard. It was a lot of speculation and information without any real evidence to make a conclusive decision. From what Yichen had said, Marco Polo had a great ability to make up stories, but then he also didn't die for a long time when others did, and that would mean two powers - if either was even a power in the first place. Ethan shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and continued through the exhibition.
The next frame referred to inventors from the 10th and 11th century: Feng Jisheng and Tang Fu respectively. There were two pieces of paper below each name with a description of their supposed powers, and a family tree extending from each with small bulbs.
"Feng Jisheng created a fire arrow propelled by gunpowder in 969, but modern-day experts determined it was impossible due to the gunpowder from that era not being a suitable rocket propellant. The fire arrow was a predecessor to the fire lance, historically considered to be the first firearm, which had no known creator," Ethan read, frowning. "Captain Tang Fu of the Magic-Defence Navy improved upon the fire arrow in 1000 by designing a head of iron. He presented these fire arrows, along with fire balls and grenades to the Navy."
Ethan had never heard of the magic-defence Navy before, and he was curious about what it could mean. Pressing the button on the frame, Ethan blinked as the two family trees lit up in a series of red LED bulbs, rather than a speaker starting. Noticing a legend beneath the two family trees, he saw that the red lights showed descendants of the two men who went on to create or invent, most often for the military and by improving or creating more incendiary devices. The lights for Tang Fu's family changed, these ones lighting up in blue. Blue lights represented family members who continued to sail in the Navy. They had risen through the ranks for their courage and weaponry, but also for sailing and navigating in situations where other Captains had died or been lost to the treacherous sea.
They would have had the ability to stay home, especially as they supplied the military with their weapons, but a significant number of the Tang family had decided to join the Navy instead. Did they have a sailing superpower? Was that even a real power? Or was it simply family tradition to continue in the Naval service? And how did these weapons get created without the proper tools or ingredients at the time? Did they have a power like Baron Battle, who could create explosions from his hands?
The third century was the next frame with a large picture of Zhuge Liang (181 to 234), who was a Chinese chancellor, a regent of the state of Shu Han, and a military adviser. He came from a family with a long military history, so the information about him being a politician and military strategist were acceptable, and Ethan figured that tradition and family obligations or expectations probably dictated his role. The profile also described Zhuge Liang as a writer, engineer, and inventor who was considered knowledgeable and talented. The paper scrolled to a list of achievements that were accredited to Zhuge Liang:
- Summons advantageous winds
- Creates magical stone mazes
- Extends lifespan by 12 years through rituals
None of it made much sense, especially if the implication was that there were powers involved, and Ethan almost moved to the next frame. The paper scrolled again before he could, and he stopped to read, pressing the speaker button when it flashed.
"Zhuge Liang married Lady Huang, the daughter of a reclusive scholar, Huang Chengyan. Chengyan was known for being open-minded, yet he described his own daughter as ugly, though with talents to match Liang's. According to reports, Lady Huang wore two veils to hide her complexion from her suitors. If she had the talents and intelligence to match Zhuge Liang, it could be speculated that the veils concealed her face for another reason.
"Despite Zhuge Liang's military strategies being compared to Sun Tzu, and his intelligence about military tactics and formations being unrivalled, he didn't win any of the five military campaigns he launched against Shu Han's neighbouring state, Wei. The final campaign led to his death, where he was apparently interrupted during a ritual to extend his lifespan.
"It is speculated that Zhuge Liang conjured a stone maze through which his enemies were trapped by gusts of wind and falling rocks. No one else in the Zhuge family could conjure rocks or summon wind. In fact, it was Huang Chengyan who revealed himself to Zhuge Liang's enemies and led them out of the maze unharmed.
"Zhuge Liang and Lady Huang had three children: two sons, who went into the military like their father; and a daughter, who - like her mother - can no longer be found in historical documents."
The scroll ended with a picture of animals created from wood, with dogs, tigers, a donkey, ox, and a bird all moving with wheels and cogs, a few of the designs for the machinery sketched alongside the animals. The bottom of the picture was burnt, destroying the artist and inventor's name. Ethan took a photo, curious to find out who had created the mechanical animals - Lady Huang, Zhuge Liang, or Huang Chengyan. If he could find the answer to that question, then it might help him understand if they actually had powers or just an aptitude for machinery. It might also lead to more information about the stone maze and conjured winds.
The next frame displayed a complete pottery vase from Ancient Egypt, turning slowly to highlight the pictures painted. Ethan watched the picture slowly reveal itself to detail the agricultural process of planting and harvesting wheat. It was a common vase, the photos of which were often found in citizen students' textbooks. In fact, it took Ethan two minutes to realise what was wrong: not one person was holding a tool. There were no ploughs or hoes or rakes, or even oxen to turn the soil. Looking closer, Ethan saw an aura shining on the hands of several people, obviously controlling the plants in a way that didn't involve physical labour. There was no description or speaker for this frame, as though it wasn't finished yet or Yichen wanted viewers to come to their own conclusions. Ethan looked at the pottery for another revolution, trying to determine if it was real.
Had superpowers really existed 6,000 years before Super Jesus? How had people kept it a secret for so long? Even if people were like Connor and Ryuu's family, where the power was internal and a family secret, surely there would be people who had external powers and couldn't keep their mouths shut? The Salem witch trials were famous, of course, as was the whole witch hunt across Europe and the United States, but it hadn't made sense when Ethan had first read about it. He wondered now if they were really looking for witches or if they were really trying to find people with superpowers.
He wasn't sure if he really wanted to look at the last frame: what on earth could be shown earlier than Ancient Egypt?! He already felt like his world had been shaken like a snow globe, his ideas and beliefs scattered; what could he truly gain from looking at the last frame? Ethan couldn't bring himself to walk away, though. He knew he had to look; if he didn't, he would forever wonder what the last frame showed. This part had obviously been sectioned off for a reason and could be removed entirely. If he walked away now, he would never know.
Swallowing hard, Ethan inhaled and exhaled slowly, then walked to the final frame.
...
Zach called Ethan's phone for a second time, concerned and worried. He'd messaged nearly ten minutes ago without a response, which was rare for Ethan. Worse was missing a phone call, especially two, and Zach was about to hang up and try again, when Ethan finally answered.
"Zach?"
He was answering his phone call like a question which meant he'd answered without looking at the screen, Zach realised. Definitely not a good sign.
"Where are you? We've only got a few minutes before we have to go back to our groups, and I wanted to see you. I saved a piece of cake for you," he added, glaring over at Craig and Ryuu who were still fighting over the last piece of cake.
"Enough, guys. If you can't settle down, I'll eat it myself," Jared said.
"Craig's already had a piece, I haven't had any!"
"I got it for Adam!"
"Great, then you won't mind halving it," Jared said, raising an eyebrow.
Zach left the lunch area so he could hear Ethan properly. "Eth, you 'kay?"
"I'm in Supers through the Ages. Behind the curtain," Ethan added.
Really worried now that Ethan wasn't even answering his questions properly, Zach ended the call and hurried to the exhibition to find his boyfriend.
...
Jared waited for Group Ten to finish gathering themselves together, a few students taking the opportunity to raid what was left of the lunch platters. Receiving three texts in quick succession - one of the ringtones he'd set for the chaperones and Yichen - Jared looked at his phone, hoping it wasn't anything too serious.
Yichen: Can you come to the front desk? Student is sick
Adam: Mr. Bowie, have you seen Eth? I can't find him & Mrs. Stronghold's freaking out that he's been kidnapped
Zach: Ethan's feeling sick, we're at security with Mr. Zhao
Sighing, Jared looked at his students. Thankfully, the final group didn't have too many students, since they were the group made up of people whose Heroes or Hero Support hadn't turned up for the excursion. "Everyone stay here. I'll be back in five minutes. Why not discuss the Super Women exhibition we went through this morning?"
Jared left without waiting for a response, hurrying through the museum to the security desk where Yichen, Ethan, and Zach were standing. Ethan looked nauseous and Zach was trying to get him to drink water from a paper cup. Ethan drank the water slowly, his hand trembling.
"What happened?" Jared asked in surprise; it had to be serious if Ethan was voluntarily missing out on schoolwork.
"I don't feel well, Mr. Bowie," Ethan said, not wanting to admit what he'd seen and how he'd broken a rule by accessing the curtained off section of the exhibit.
"He needs an adult's permission to take super-strength paracetamol from our First Aid kit," Yichen explained.
"You don't want to go home?" Jared asked.
Ethan shook his head. "It's just a headache, Mr. Bowie. Super paracetamol will help."
A headache wouldn't make you tremble like that, Jared thought, not believing the lie for a second. But why would he lie? Surely not even Ethan would prioritise school over his health?
"Ethan, you need to take care of yourself first. If you're worried about your grade, you can be assured you're already at the top of the class; this is basically extra credit for you," Jared admitted.
Zach grinned. "Told ya, Eth."
"I want to see the rest of the museum and exhibition," Ethan said, then winced and continued, "What about Becky? We're meant to do the work together."
Jared tried not to laugh; he'd obviously asked reluctantly and it was shown on his every feature. "Don't worry about her. She can join my group; I have another Hero Support whose Hero didn't show up."
"Can they handle her?"
"No, but I can," Jared promised. "It's not something you have to worry about; for now, think about yourself first, okay? I'll call your mother or father, and - "
"No. Ma and Pa are working. There's a sick bay here, isn't there? I can rest until it's time to go. Zach won't forget me," he added, squeezing his boyfriend's hand.
"'Course not. Anita would add me to her new blender," Zach said with a snicker.
"There is a sick bay, and it's dark and quiet, which should help your headache," Yichen said with a kind smile. "Can you sign off on the super paracetamol, Jared?"
"Sure. Are you all right to walk on your own, Ethan? Zach, you should go back to your group; I'm sure Lorcan and Ryuu are worried about you," Jared added.
Realising that he hadn't let any of his friends know what was going on, Zach nodded reluctantly. "You'll be 'kay, Eth?"
"I'll be fine. Love you," he said, kissing Zach's cheek.
"Love you, too. I'll be back later," Zach said with a smile, then hurried to find his group.
Yichen led them to the sick bay and took out the sealed pack of super paracetamol from the First Aid kit. He placed a form in front of Jared, who read and signed it, then passed it to Ethan. Taking a moment to read the form - it basically stated he wouldn't sue the museum if the medicine disagreed with him - he then added his own signature. Swallowing the tablets with water, Ethan sat on the bed and leaned back against the wall, waiting for the medicine to kick in. He'd found out the hard way that lying down while still processing super medication made him nauseous, and he didn't want that on top of everything else he was feeling.
"Thanks, Yichen. Ethan, take care of yourself, okay? I'll come by later to check on you and see how you're feeling."
"Thank you, Mr. Bowie."
Jared still looked concerned, but nodded, and left to return to his group, hoping they hadn't destroyed the lunch area while he was gone.
"What did you think of the exhibit?" Yichen asked curiously.
Ethan looked over to him abruptly, his head swimming with the sudden action, and he pressed his fingers firmly to his temples to try to stop the sensation. "You saw?"
"Yes. I'm assuming you didn't like it if you ended up here?"
"I... " Ethan trailed off, trying to determine how he really did feel about it. "I feel conflicted. It's so ingrained that Captain Stronghold was the first real superhero, with Super Jesus having powers as a miracle and anomaly... Seeing that... that possible truth was difficult to accept all at once."
Yichen considered his response for a long silent moment, then nodded. "I knew there was something wrong with it, which is why I put the curtain up, but I couldn't figure out what. It makes more sense once you've been out in the world and have looked up your own information, but most people don't look; even the courses at the University of Maxville gloss over it," he said, rolling his eyes. "But you're not well and I should let you rest now. Thanks for the feedback," Yichen said with a nod, leaving the sick bay and closing the door so Ethan could have the darkness his aching head needed.
Ethan sighed and settled back on the thin mattress, trying to process his thoughts and feelings. He needed time to let the final frame take hold because it not only challenged his thoughts about powers but also humans as a whole. Putting an arm over his eyes, Ethan exhaled and forced himself to focus on his breathing, hoping the super paracetamol would kick in soon.
...
Josie was clearly the best museum guide ever and her smile didn't even waver when she led her group to Supers and Sex. "Just remember, kids: this will all be changed before the citizens see it next Monday!"
Once her lawyer was through with the museum, everything would be as it should be: red, white, and blue.
Satisfied with herself and the awful exhibit that would be removed before any of her fans could see it, Josie walked around the exhibit and ensured the Heroes and sidekicks were working together. Seeing that Adam and Drago were on their phones rather than working on the exhibit questions, Josie stalked over to them, bypassing Will and Magnus entirely. Will wouldn't misbehave on a school outing where he represented the Stronghold name, especially not in front of her.
Will had felt weirdly calm at lunch but now that it was over, he was starting to feel annoyed and frustrated and embarrassed all over again. These stupid exhibit questions were too hard, and it was obvious that the Hero ones were made harder than the ones for the sidekicks! He didn't even get the question, it was so stupid!
"Can I help?" Magnus offered as a peace offering for laughing earlier.
"I don't need help from you," Will sneered, looking back at the question.
What methods of controlling powers during sexual intercourse are shown within the exhibit?
"While you're thinking about your answer, can I answer my section? We have the same question for this part," Magnus said with a smile.
Will shoved the workbook at him, making Magnus stumble. "Ha! Who's laughing now?"
Magnus bit his tongue so he wouldn't respond and say something to make it worse. Taking his pen out of his bag, he started to answer his question and hoped Will would leave him alone.
"Hey, I was talking to you!" Will said, his voice loud enough to draw Lorcan and his Hero Support's attention.
"I... I thought it was rhetorical?" Magnus said, eyes wide.
Will glared. "I asked a question, you should answer when people ask you questions!" he said, shoving Magnus again.
Magnus fell back entirely now, his fright making him power up. Nearly halfway across the exhibit, the mannequins on the bed started moving faster, the metal cogs in the machinery making them move fast enough that the bed started to squeak and draw everyone else's attention.
"Hey! Leave him alone. You okay, Magnus?" Lorcan asked, offering a hand to help him up.
Magnus swallowed hard and nodded. He'd ripped the workbook when he'd fallen, and winced when he saw it had torn through Will's answers for the previous exhibit. Will flew over, glaring when he saw the torn page.
"You did that on purpose!" he snapped.
"N-no! I didn't! I couldn't!" Magnus protested. "It was an accident."
"Yeah, right! You're trying to ruin my work!"
"What is going on here?" Josie asked in her stern mother voice, looking between the teenagers.
"Magnus fell over and ripped my work! I'm going to lose marks for this!" Will exclaimed.
Josie frowned as she looked at the workbook. "I'm sure it won't cause a loss of points; you can still read your answers."
"You don't know that! Mr. Bowie's been a real hard-ass lately and has been nitpicking over everything!"
"Magnus didn't fall over; you pushed him," Lorcan snapped before they could get too caught up in Will's shitty work.
"Will, did you do that?"
"No! I just shoved the workbook at him and he went backwards! Didn't you?" Will asked Magnus.
Magnus wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He wasn't exactly great at confrontation and this was his worst nightmare come to life. "I... I... "
"The museum has security cameras. We can ask Mr. Zhao to show us, since Mrs. Stronghold was busy berating Drago and me for doing our work in a medium that works well for us," Adam said, pissed off that she'd told him and Drago off for bullshit when Will had literally shoved Magnus and she couldn't care less!
"I was recording on my phone the whole time," Drago said pleasantly, the first time he'd spoken all day.
"Nice. Share the video?" Adam asked.
"Already did. Here, it shows Will pushing Magnus. Twice, in fact," Drago said, holding out his phone for Josie to see.
She saw the clear video of her son scowling and pushing Magnus, then snapping at him and pushing him again, the fear clear in Magnus' eyes even as he fell back. Josie glared at Will. "Apologise. This instant."
Will could tell from her tone that his mother was more annoyed that he'd been caught on camera than anything else. "Sorry."
Josie's stern expression fell in an instant and she smiled brightly. "There we are, all is forgiven. Now, everyone, return to your work before we go to the next exhibit!" she called.
Lorcan rolled his eyes. "Magnus, want to work with us? Will can do his own work, since he's a real-life Hero now, surely?" he simpered.
Will's chest puffed out. "Of course I can!"
Magnus didn't hesitate, almost throwing the workbook at Will, and going with Lorcan and his Hero Support to their section of the exhibit. He could avoid confrontation by avoiding Will entirely, and he wouldn't have to worry about being pushed over again, either.
"Don't worry, I'll send that video to Mr. Bowie so he knows why you went with Lore and his Hero Support, 'kay?" Adam said, Magnus nodding in relief.
"I'm sending it to my mother," Drago said with a wicked grin.
Magnus didn't know who Drago's mother was, but he felt relieved about that, too. "Thanks, guys."
Drago snickered. "You haven't met my mother; don't thank me yet."
"That squeaking is going to give me a migraine; I'll see the museum security about fixing it," Josie said, flying off before anyone could stop her.
...
End of the hundred and seventy-third chapter.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.
Author's note: the people mentioned in the Supers through the Ages exhibit are real, and the stories about them aren't always embellished!
