- Nocturnal Flight.
At Go City, around the same time Kim and Susie started singing at the café, a large section of a local bank's wall got reduced to debris by the charge of a large man dressed in black and brown tights and wearing a football helmet with two large ram-like horns on it. Five thugs, all of them dressed in red tights and using similar helmets (but with bull-like horns) followed him.
"Hurry up, my Bullies! The cops will be here in no time, or those stupid Team Go fools!"
"We are already here, Ram!"
The villain looked outside, where Hego, in his classical heroic pose, was standing, his siblings at his sides.
"Now, you have to give up, villain, or face defeat at Team Go's hands!"
"Why you keep giving the guy a chance to surrender if he never does?" Mego complained.
"Because that's what heroes do!"
"I know, but, if I was the leader…"
"GUYS!" The Wegos cut the argument when spotting Ram charging against them. The villain hit Hego square at the chest, sending him several feet back, while the thugs attacked Mego and the twins.
The Wegos followed their usual battle plan when being attacked by very big enemies; they simply stayed immobile waiting for them to strike first, and, at the last moment, avoided the attack by multiplying at the last moment. The thugs fell to the ground, surprised by the strategy, and then the twins cloned themselves several times, jumping on top of them; this way, they handled four of the five thugs with little problem.
Mego, on the other hand, didn't do it that bad against the remaining thug. The violet hero avoided several hits by shrinking a few inches and growing back at the right moment many times, so his enemy only hit air, and then shrank to his minimal size to run between the henchman's legs, recovering his normal one when behind him, surprising the villain with a good punch at the left kidney. The Bully leaned in pain, this being the chance Mego was waiting for to kick the guy's legs, making him to fall over his belly.
Hego, finally recovered from the initial attack, faced Ram; the villain tried to repeat his stunt, but the blue hero caught him by the helmet's horns, and then tossed his enemy over his shoulder, impacting Ram against a parked car. The criminal tried to stand up and fight, but the hit was just too hard and fell unconscious.
"Well done, Team Go!" Hego got a proud expression.
"Yes, after that guy almost knocked you out." Mego remarked. "The leader shouldn't be taken down so easily, don't you think?"
"Well, Mego, at least my power helps me resist those attacks…"
"Now, we're back to discuss your powers being better than mine?" Mego frowned, the twins moving between their brothers to stop the coming argument.
"Come on, guys, we won; shouldn't be arguing."
"Yes, and remember, Angelica and the others will start training with us next week; want them to see us fighting all the time?"
The eldest brothers looked at the twins, and nodded at them, a little reluctantly in Mego's case. The violet hero was usually the team's main complainer, but it seemed he had become particularly whining through the last weeks.
"Good point. We need to show how we use our gifts for common welfare, and teach them about cooperation and team spirit so when they become part of Team Go…"
"Hold it! Hego, they're just coming for training, not to become superheroes! They already told us aren't interested in that!"
Hego looked at the distance, realizing the patrols were arriving, and then whispered at his violet brother while the red ones, following Team Go's usual procedures, cloned enough times to keep guard on each unconscious enemy until the authorities could pick them up.
"That's what they said… but we all know will become heroes. I already told them to use their powers as much as possible, therefore, will enjoy it; remember what you did when discovering your ability and we returned home?"
"Oh, yeah… started running around the living room… and driving my toy car for real… and eating candies while shrunk! It was like having my own racing track or eating a chocolate bar the size of a van!" The violet hero smiled at the memories.
"And the twins performed some innocent pranks at us, and started playing basketball and soccer between them by forming full teams; I was on the search of heavy stuff to lift it, and even went to construction sites at night to bend steel bars, just for fun… even Ashley played with her flames; remember how she used to cook with her bare hands instead of using the stove?"
"Yeah… but, what that has to do with Tommy, Angelica, and Chuckie?"
"Simple; they'll enjoy using their powers, and soon will try using in public. And only way to do it at full extent is by being a superhero so they can still have peace in their civilian life." Hego smiled, "This might be the chance to make our team great again."
"You mean, like before… she left?" Mego got an uneasy expression that was soon mimicked by Hego; their sister leaving the team was a very hard topic and tried to avoid it whenever possible.
"I miss her too; still think she has some good… anyway, by having them on our team, surely will return to our old glory!" Hego beamed. "I'm even thinking about some good heroic names for them; Igo, Hergo, Yougo…"
"Don't think those would work." Mego rolled his eyes, "But if I have some time to think, I might come with some pretty decent ones…"
Hego ignored his brother to go talk with the officers; Mego realized it, and shut up while eying the knocked villains, a little frown forming on his face.
"Just because I only stopped one of them doesn't mean my opinion doesn't count."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Okay, dudes, the first one to get brain freeze, wins." Ron said to Chuckie, Phil, Harold, Dil, and Tommy, each one holding a cold drink, and all of them sitting at the café's counter. Rufus gave them a signal and they started drinking as fast as possible, Chuckie grabbing his forehead and raising his hand after a few seconds.
"AAAAGH! Won!"
"Let's do it again!" Phil exclaimed, and Chuckie, his power already healing the headache, refilled the drinks. Meanwhile, Kim and the girls were sitting at a nearby table while Chuckie and Phil's parents started cleaning up the place that was officially closed by now.
"Ron is always like that?" Kimi giggled at the sight of the boys' competition.
"Yeah, he's a big kid at heart; is part of his charm. Funny enough, that weirdness of him sometimes is the only thing keeping me sane." Kim commented, making the girls to chuckle silently.
"Well, back to the singing… Kim, that was great!" Susie told her. "You really can do anything!"
"Well, yes, but I'm not the best at everything. For example, can drive and I'm good at high speed chases, but still have some troubles driving on regular traffic; and I can also cook, but without Ron supervising me, would make a mess at the kitchen every time."
"Good thing you didn't have to cook this time. You girls saw Savannah's face? The girl was this close to shock!" Angelica laughed.
"Yes; guess almost every girl at school had been waiting for seeing her ego dropping a few points." Lil commented.
"I know what you mean; there's a girl at school who always gives me a bad time… Bonnie, the girl you 'chatted' with today," Kim gave Angelica a fast look, "but trust me, don't let popularity and social rating be so important in your lives; it's not worthy of the effort."
"Easy for you to say, a world-saving cheerleader; must be your school's most popular girl!" Angelica smirked at Kim, who shook her head and got a serious expression.
"Not really; when guys know you can beat them without breaking a sweat, most of them keep their distance."
"But you have Ron." Lil pointed.
"Yes, since preschool, but only became a couple last year; before that, I was on the look of a good guy myself… and sometimes did some really stupid things because of that, especially because of Bonnie getting under my skin."
The girls gave Kim full attention.
"Sure, you bested her in an insults' exchange," Kim focused on Angelica, "but Bonnie's best is manipulating your fears and doubts, and influencing your thoughts using popularity and her position as weapon. She used to call Ron a loser and the food chain's weakest link; I always defended him, but am sure she actually convinced me he wasn't boyfriend material so focused on the popular guys…"
"Most of them afraid of your skills," Susie guessed, Kim nodding at her.
"And when found any good looking and popular guy that actually accepted me, did lots of stuff I'm not exactly proud. For example, last Halloween, got invited to a party where this guy was going as well, and that same night had to help my mother with her Halloween house at the hospital, plus having my traditional treat or trick's thing with Ron."
"Weren't a little old for that?" Angelica arched an eyebrow at the cheerleader before the boys' game got her attention again. "Oh, get it… kid at heart."
"Anyway, decided to go to the party no matter what, so I lied to both my parents and Ron, telling them I would be with the other while actually being at the party." Kim sighed sadly. "Worst idea ever; one of my enemies went after Ron trying to get me, and the other, with the same idea, attacked the hospital; it was almost a miracle could stop them… and of course, my parents were disappointed and Ron wasn't exactly happy."
"A lie backfiring at you… know the feeling." Angelica rolled her eyes.
"But still do it, uh, Angelica?" Susie smirked at the blonde who frowned slightly at her.
While the girls kept chatting, the boys started doing as well.
"Hey, Ron, can you teach us that thing with the glasses? It would be nice to master another instrument." Harold asked him.
"Sure, next time Kim and I come here." Ron said and then looked at Chuckie. "And nice stuff with the magician act."
"Thanks, but… well, wouldn't be able to do it on my own." Chuckie sighed. "Even with powers, still depend on someone covering for me."
"Come on, Chuck, don't be that harsh with yourself. You always help us when we need it." Tommy said to his pal.
"It's hard not being harsh considering I am so coward a simple bully could scare me despite knowing he couldn't hurt me."
"Come on, can't be as coward as you say." Ron commented.
"I fear a bunch of things, Ron, including some very silly ones; camp-site stories, drain pipes, garbage trucks… the man from the oatmeal's box."
"Don't forget clowns!" Dil pointed, making Chuckie to groan and cover his face while Phil and Tommy soft glared at the youngest boy.
"Okay… you guys think I'm a coward?" Ron asked, earning himself a lot of puzzled looks.
"You're kidding, right?" Phil arched an eyebrow. "No coward can go on dangerous missions and face all kind of risky stuff!"
"Well, thanks, but I also fear a lot of things; horses, summer camps, very thick books with no pictures, one of my mother's lawn gnomes… not to mention monkeys!"
"Monkeys! Yuck!" Rufus nodded, Dil giving him a little grin.
"You don't like monkeys too, uh?"
"Hold it! You can understand him?" Phil asked Dil while pointing at Rufus.
"Doesn't everyone?" Dil and Rufus shrugged at Phil.
"Back to topic, guys… you really fear those things, Ron?" Chuck asked the blonde boy.
"And a ton more; and not just that, I'm also very accident prone, maybe more than you: according to some calculations Wade and my dad had made, it's a miracle I'm still alive even without considering the danger get exposed when going with Kim on missions. I even built a panic room at my house and tried to stay there forever once."
"And you still fight villains?" Chuckie was now more confused than ever. "Why?"
"Because there are some things that worth the risk," Ron gave Kim a fond look before looking back at the boys. "If anything ever happens to Kim… wouldn't stand it. I'll rather face danger and be there to distract henchmen, support her, or push the self-destruction button at a villain's hideout, than staying safely hidden inside a closet."
"You really love her, uh?" Tommy said more a statement than a real question.
"There are some persons and things can't imagine my life without them, and Kim is on top of the list." Ron then looked at Chuckie. "And don't feel that bad with yourself; trust me, the moment you really need courage, I'm sure you'll find out having a lot more ever thought."
Chuckie gave Ron a friendly smile, and started cleaning everything behind the counter.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Angelica looked at her room's ceiling, sighing. It was a little hard for her to sleep that night, Kim's talk on her mind all the time.
"… trust me, don't let popularity and social rating be so important in your lives; it's not worthy of the effort."
Of course, Angelica had heard similar stuff from other persons, but coming from Kim, not just a High School senior, but a world-wide famous one, it seemed to have a lot more relevance. Practically since entering school… actually, since preschool, Angelica had tried to be among the most important alumni, the popular crew, due her love for the spotlight; Kim, on the other hand, could rule her school if really trying, but personal experience had taught her it wasn't as important as most people thought. Their philosophies collided greatly, and Angelica had a tough time ignoring that due the mentor-pupil aspect of their relationship.
The blonde looked at her alarm clock; two o' clock. The girl sighed and sat on her bed; it was obvious she wouldn't be able to sleep in her current state.
"Well… never thought would say this... even to myself," Angelica thought out loud, "but guess can use one of Finster's ideas and do something useful if can't sleep."
The girl stood up and looked through her window, getting a little smile. Since Hego told her to train with her powers, she had done some minor flying inside her house and trying not breaking a thing, being actually successful. Despite the movement's limitation coming from flying in a closed area, these minor exercises always made her both excited and calm at the same time.
"Nobody will see me at this hour anyway." Angelica grinned as putting a light jacket over her pajamas. She then opened the window and activated her power, flying slowly at first but gaining speed and height as getting distance between her and the house.
The girl got a deep breath, enjoying the nocturnal-early morning's air, and a large smile appeared on her face as feeling the wind through her hair; despite wearing only light clothing, the blonde was mostly unaffected by the coldness, that actually seemed to excite her even more. Angelica was never a big nature's lover, rather spending time at the mall than walking at the park, but the starry sky and the city's lights, at that moment, were the best view she could remember.
"This is great!" The girl laughed loudly as making a series of air pirouettes that would be the envy of any daredevil pilot. If there was something she loved more than the spotlight, was freedom, and now had more than ever in her life.
After a while of random flight, the girl decided to return home, but first thought about giving a fast look at the neighborhood. Angelica flew at a good height to avoid being spotted by any insomniac guy, and got a sly smile when looking at an orange point jogging at the street.
"Well, this is unexpected." Angelica dived silently to place herself right behind the jogger, "HEY, FRECKLES!"
"YAAY!" Chuckie yelled in fear as almost breaking a high jumping record, the girl laughing loudly while rolling, still hovering a few feet over the ground. "Angelica, want to give me a heart attack or something?"
"Sorry, couldn't resist!" Angelica chuckled yet started calming down. "Besides, you're a fast healer; wouldn't be able to scare you to death… of course, if getting a few Halloween masks and waiting for the right moment…"
"Yeah; I've always suspected somehow you'll be the death for me."
Angelica got actually surprised at the harshness of Chuckie's tone, and the girl cooled down and landed next to him, her face showing something between shock and guilt.
"Come on, don't exaggerate… I mean… I'm really that bad?"
Chuckie sighed, hating himself for being so forgiving, but, when it came to Angelica, never was able to remain angry with the girl, partially because of her scaring the guy so much he wouldn't dare holding a grudge against the blonde, but also because, when the girl got that hurt expression, Chuckie couldn't resist it.
"Sorry; you know how much I can overreact when getting scared."
"Yes, you can," Angelica got back her usual mood, "So, what are you doing here? I thought you were too afraid of darkness to train away from your house."
"I'm still afraid, otherwise you wouldn't have scared me that much; is just that, well, you said it; fast healing is my power, so must try training my mind to take over my fears and remember almost nothing can really hurt me."
"So you decided to start by overcoming your fear of darkness."
"Yep; and actually, it's a little easier than actually training with my powers in an active way."
"An active way… wait, you hadn't been hurting yourself on purpose, right?"
"Why I should if my accidents are enough training for that? Through the last weeks I've realized my power can heal me from almost all kind of damage, including twenty paper cuts, ten falls over my butt, five very hurtful hot liquids' burns, four head hits, a slippery floor's accident, twelve bees' stinging, a face landing, and an incident involving a kettle, tapioca pudding, and the toaster. I'm yet to prove my resistance to acids, fire, and badly set roadrunners' traps, but, if having enough time, might find out."
Angelica arched an eyebrow at the boy, and they kept silence for almost a minute until the boy sighed and shook his head.
"I'm hopeless, I know."
"If it's any consolation, with all the accidents you have must be braver than all of us combined just to leave your home every morning; you're the only guy I know that can turn a walk at the park into an extreme sport."
"A little compliment, or a well placed insult… you decide." Chuckie got an anchorman-like tone, he and Angelica getting a little smile.
"And what are you doing here, Angie?"
"Just taking a little flight; can't do it during the day, at least out of my house, and couldn't sleep, so simply took the chance." The girl shrugged.
"You and Tommy are lucky; can have fun with your powers."
"Hey, don't whine, Finster; your power is giving you what years of surgery and medical treatments wouldn't, plus can eat like a pig without worrying about cholesterol. Even your voice doesn't sound as nasal as usual."
"Good point; and my smelling sense also improving a lot." Chuckie took a deep sniff, "Strawberry shampoo?"
"Oh, you noticed!" Angelica chuckled as getting a model pose, "Well, you know what people say; beauty has a price."
"You don't need to pay that much," the boy shook his head and covered his mouth when realizing he just had said, the girl dropping her pose almost immediately.
"Excuse me?"
"Eh, well… we should return home, don't you think?" Chuckie quickly changed topic, noticing Angelica's outfit, "And you don't feel cold just using that?"
"Nope, not at all," Angelica replied, "but guess you're right. See you, Finster; try not getting in a steamroller's way when returning home."
The girl started gaining height as her yellow aura appeared.
"I'll try but can't promise," Chuckie got a little smile while waving bye to her, and then turned, heading to his place and thinking out loud, "I wonder how flying would feel like."
"You want to know, uh?"
Chuckie realized a bit too late that Angelica was still close enough to hear him.
"No, not really-y-Y-YYYYY!"
Angelica hugged Chuckie from behind, passing her arms under the boy's armpits, and then flew at top speed, moving higher by the second, and stopping abruptly when being around two miles over the ground.
"Funny, isn't it?" Angelica said at the boy's ear.
"Can we return and get my spleen back?" Chuckie gulped, his eyes closed and forehead cold sweating.
"If can use one of your phrases, don't think that's such a good idea; that yelling of yours might have waked up someone, so we now need to stay really far away from the ground so nobody can see us."
"Well, excuse me if not liking being rocketed up in the sky by surprise!" Chuckie snapped, his eyes still closed and returning to his nervous tone a moment later. "And… you said we are REALLY far away from the ground?"
"Come on, Chicken, if you're so afraid of height, then look over your head."
Chuckie decided that keeping his eyes closed not knowing exactly where he and Angelica were was as scary as looking down, especially when imagining himself falling with a whistling sound and creating a little cloud dust when impacting, so followed the girl's advice; first thing the boy saw was the largest bunch of stars he had ever seen besides a movie screen.
"This is… nice."
"Now, look around us."
Chuckie started turning his head to get a better view, realizing there was something calm and relaxing about the stars-filled dark sky surrounding them. The blonde then placed her head on the boy's shoulder to whisper softly at him.
"And now, the final test; look down."
Chuckie hesitated a bit, but finally did it, smiling at the magnificent view; he felt so calm and strangely safe the boy forgot completely about his fear.
"I'm flying down; don't worry, it will be a slow descent."
"No." Chuckie turned slightly to look at her, "I mean, if you have no problems carrying me… can move a little fast, if you want."
"You think I have problems carrying you? Please, you're almost weightless; guess Kim's training made me stronger." Angelica smirked at him. "Okay, Finster, get ready for a ride that beats any roller coaster."
"Why you had to make a scary remark?" Chuckie gulped, and, a moment later, Angelica dived down, still holding him by the armpits but no longer hugging the boy, basically allowing a free fall for them. Chuckie got a panicked look, but after a few seconds got replaced by an excited one.
"Wow! I can't believe it… we're flying!"
"No, this isn't flying; is falling lucky." Angelica said sarcastically, Chuckie turning to see her face, and, a moment later, being hit by realization, the duo laughed and chorused.
"To the infinite and beyond!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Angelica dropped Chuckie at his place after almost an hour of flight, the girl actually feeling tired due lack of sleep.
"Thanks for flying at Angelica Airlines; please excuse us for not having peanuts and a movie, but this is a tourist class' flight." Angelica joked as Chuckie and she finally landed at his backyard.
"I know, but must congratulate the pilot and flight attendants." The boy joked back, "Now, seriously… thanks for the ride."
"As Kim says, no big; better helping overcoming a fear than hearing you whining. No longer afraid of heights and high speeds… just a thousand phobias left to get rid of, and will actually pass as a normal human."
"It was more than that, Angelica; you just reminded me something I'll never forget."
"Never leaving home without an extra pair of pants?"
"That and, that despite all say and do to me, I can always trust you for important things, and sometimes help me without even asking… with your own style and scaring me in the process, but do it anyway. Guess that's part of why can forgive you practically anything."
Angelica's mocking expression changed to a more calmed and warm one.
"And you forgiving me all the time… guess that's also the reason can trust you as well." The blonde smiled at the geek while activating her aura again, "So long, Finster; try to sleep."
"Same here; good night, Angelica," Chuckie smiled back at the blonde who started flying back home, and stood there for almost a minute after she left, as if fearing the last hour was just a dream and he'd wake up at his bed at any moment.
"Nah; she still insulted me a few times… so couldn't be a dream." Chuckie thought out loud as finally walking back inside his home, getting rid of some weights he had under his clothing attached to his wrists and ankles… something Angelica didn't notice even if all the stuff added almost sixteen pounds to Chuckie's weight.
Meanwhile, Angelica arrived home, entering her room through the window, the girl yawning and stretching.
"Not a bad night; made Finster's a lot more entertaining, and had some fun for myself," Angelica thought out loud as dropping her jacket and heading to the bed… before a gloved hand covered her mouth from behind, another glowing one moved dangerously close to her left cheek, and a female voice whispered slyly at her ear.
"Shouldn't be out on school night, Blonde; never know who might find at the street… or break inside your room."