Another update, and so soon! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.

Chapter Ten- B3776

When I got to Sky High, I was very nervous about the presentation. I couldn't eat anything for breakfast and was dressed and at the bus stop corner a full forty minutes before the bus itself was due.

As soon as I arrived at school, I raced to Hero History class. Warren and Jana were already there, arms folded, facing away from each other. I suspected that some words were exchanged, but I could care less about that now.

"Okay Jana, do you have the projector slides?" I asked breathlessly.

She silently held them up, complete boredom etched on her pale features.

"Great, great- Warren, got your point chart?"

He nodded slowly but the look in his eyes clearly showed that he was still angry with me. Well, it couldn't be helped at the moment.

"Good. Well then. I guess…I guess we're all set," I said reluctantly. I wasn't fully convinced that I hadn't forgotten something vital.

Paul strolled in, tossing his bag and folder on the table with deliberate carelessness. He looked at Jana meaningfully and she mirrored his expression. I wondered briefly what that was all about, but my mind again dashed on in a mental race to make sure everything was absolutely perfect for the presentation.

I could barely sit still as I waited for our turn. We were Group Two so I didn't have to wait long, which was both a good and a bad thing. Good, because I could get it over with sooner; bad because Group One was already winding to a close and we were up next.

"…and thanks to the ingenious tactics of the great Heroes before our time, we can now plan ahead to fight evil in the present, as well as for future generations," Alicia Detten finished.

As the class gave its obligatory applause, my stomach dropped. It was time.

"Thank you very much, Group One. Very well put together and executed. Well done."

Alicia's face was practically glowing. Smiling, she along with her fellow group members took their seats.

"Group Two will now be presenting. Again, the group members are Jana Vega, Anna Arrian, Paul Findle and Warren Peace. Group Two, you may begin at any time."

The four of us got up from our seats and set up what we needed in a matter of seconds. I didn't look at anyone as I cleared my throat (twice) and began my introduction.

"Good morning everyone. Today, we are going to present Influential Superheroes and Villains: Past, Present, and Future." My voice wavered like crazy. Someone in the back snickered and was immediately shushed by Mr. Mnemonic. Swallowing, I continued.

"Um…it is a known fact that Heroes and Villains have been around since the beginning of time. We are going to talk about some of the more influential Heroes and Villains throughout history, in our present day and discuss potential Superheroes and possible aspects of villainy in the future."

Right on cue and without any prompting on my part, Jana turned on the projector to the timelines I needed. Automatically, I gave her a grateful smile before continuing.

"Now if you will take a look over here, you'll see some of the more renowned superheroes and the major accomplishments they achieved during their lifetime-"

I went briefly through each of the Heroes and Villains throughout the centuries, noting their more memorable contributions as Jana kept up with me, changing the diagrams as needed. I even (rather proudly) mentioned my dad and his contributions in protecting Maxville, since he went inactive only a few years before. I concluded my part with a list of ways they set a precedent for the major acts of heroism and villainy in the present day and when I was done, Warren, who'd been silently standing behind up until this point, came forward.

"Most of you guys are probably pretty familiar with the major Heroes and Villains in our present time," he began, and I blinked at him; he was talking to them in a surprisingly casual tone. "So I won't be going into detail about who they are and what they've done. Instead, I'll be talking about how they've affected what it means to be a Hero- or a Villain- today."

He said those last words with a quiet thoughtfulness that made me pay more attention. I wasn't alone: nearly every student in class was practically leaning out of their seat to hear what the son of one of the most infamous Villains in Maxville had to say about present day Villainy.

But he kept to the topic with no reference to himself or his father, which was expected but nevertheless mildly disappointing to the general audience- myself excluded. Warren concisely discussed the victories of The Commander and Jetstream against Royal Pain; The Daring Defender against The Hacker and the Overlord (and so forth), and the effect these victories had on the roles both sides played.

As he was speaking, I realized that there were some things Warren had added, that I did not recognize discussing in the meetings. I felt I should have been mad that he didn't run it by me first, but I was too absorbed in what he had to say. For instance, questioning what really defined a Hero and whether the end always justified the means.

"For example," he was saying, "When the Overlord threatened to blow up the Maxville Nuclear Power Plant if the Mayor didn't agree to release his sister from prison. Seems a bit extreme, nuking half the city for the sake of just one person. But I guess a lot of you didn't know that his sister, Madam Lenora was due to be executed by lethal injection in two days."

It seemed that everyone had stopped breathing, even Mr. Mnemonic. It was obvious that none of us knew that.

"You also might not have known that the Daring Defender, in stopping the Overlord, seriously injured several employees in the process. One of them later died." Warren paused for a moment, and took a breath. "But hey, he got the job done, right? He stopped a man who, in the end, only wanted to save his sister's life. Of course Madame Lenora was executed last year, right on schedule. And the Overlord is safely in prison where, don't get me wrong, he should be. But it kind of makes you wonder… whose intentions were really noble, no matter how misguided and who just wanted to win badly enough."

For a few seconds one could have heard a pin drop, as his words sunk in. Then Warren cleared his throat.

"Anyway, that's my part on the influence of today's Heroes and Villains."

As he finished his piece and took a step back, the class began murmuring among themselves. However, Mr. Mnemonic immediately shushed them as Paul came up. He gave a swift scan of his notes, and then began to speak.

"Influential Super Heroes of tomorrow…well, I guess that's us."

Some of the class laughed and cheered. Paul raised his hand, waiting for silence before saying, "Seriously though. What exactly does it take to make an exceptional Hero? And can we actually predict potential villainy through behavior, psychological tests…genetics?"

Paul said the last part with an almost instinctive glance in Warren's direction. It was so subtle, I didn't think that anyone else caught it, except Warren; he set his jaw in a tense line.

But that was as far as it went. Paul discussed the potential qualities that future outstanding Heroes should possess- knowledge of the latest technology, as well as being a skilled fighter, among other things.

He then discussed possible ways that future Heroes could protect people and prevent crimes from taking place. Finally, he ended with, "In a few years we'll be graduating and on our way to protecting the innocent from evil-doers. But it isn't all glory and fame. There's a lot of responsibility involved, not only for the lives of those we protect, but…."

Paul stopped in mid-sentence and for a split second, looked as if he was going to be sick. But it passed; he swallowed a couple of times and continued speaking.

"Sorry. I was saying… someday we'll have to take responsibility, not only for the people we protect, but also for those we protect them from. It's only then, that we'll truly be accounted as the great influential superheroes of our time."

The class burst into genuine and spirited applause. Mr. Mnemonic gave us a wan smile.

"Well, that was…interesting. Very interesting," he said in a distant voice, then seemed to snap out of whatever reverie he was having. "Yes, excellent job, Group Two. Thank you."

As I handed in our group paper, I realized that it was all over. It was done. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I made my way to my seat.

As Group Three began, my thoughts turned to the presentation we'd just done. Though it had not gone exactly according to what was planned, it still went over wonderfully. To all outward appearances.

Warren's contribution had struck a chord with some of the class and they weren't the only ones. His words made me question the entire hero-villain dynamic, and not in a good way. For all the Heroes I had ever idolized, including my dad, I couldn't help but wonder: where did the Villain truly end and the Hero begin in each of them?

Disturbed, I turned around to glance at Warren. He was staring ahead with a vague contemplative expression. To anyone else it would seem he was paying attention to Group Three, but his eyes had an absent look as if he were far away.

I turned back around. And again I thought of my father. In his active days, even when I was a kid, I knew he wasn't a perfect Hero. Mistakes had been made and he couldn't save everyone. But how many people had he willingly sacrificed in order to get the bad guy? I wondered if it wouldn't have been better to have just let the enemy get away…

I sat up sharply. No, I wasn't going to doubt my father. He made the choices he had to. If I couldn't trust his past decisions as a Hero then who could I look to for inspiration, for reassurance in my own journey towards saving the world someday?

Yet try as I might, I still wondered. Warren's words stayed with me for the duration of Hero History. And despite my loyalty to all the Heroes I had ever looked up to, I couldn't help but agree with him.

xxxxxxx

When class was finally over, I went over to my now former group mates. Now that our project was over I felt I had to say some kind of parting words as their former group leader.

"Well, I think it went pretty well you guys. We did some great work even with…well, everything that's happened. Paul… you were awesome. You really had your stuff together out there. And the part about hero responsibility was wonderful. I'm really proud of you."

Paul, who'd turned away grumpily since I addressed him, suddenly turned round to look at me, genuinely surprised. I gave him a lasting warm look, before looking at Jana. "Jana…. you did good today. Actually, you did great. Thank you."

Jana's perpetual half sneer dissolved somewhat. "No problem," she said softly, with a vaguely confused expression. I smiled genuinely at her and finally turned to speak to Warren.

But he was gone.

"Oh," I said, somewhat disappointed. I had hoped that I could make amends for whatever I had done to offend him. "Well, I guess that's it. Thanks again for all your help. See you around." I turned and made my way to my desk to pick up my bag.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Paul pause for a moment, his gaze fixed on me. Then he left, with Jana close behind.

xxxxxxxx

I went from class to class absentmindedly, musing over the Hero imperative among other things. I sat out my Save the Citizen session, claiming 'female problems'. It was a terrible excuse, especially for a Hero-in-training, but for once I really wasn't in the mood to duke it out with anyone and Coach Boomer didn't ask any questions.

I sat on the benches, my mind far away. The questions that I'd put aside for a while now came back to me: Paul's doings and Warren's cryptic fury, all because of…

"B3776," I murmured. They were connected somehow. I couldn't figure it out. But I was determined to.

The bell rang, signaling the end of school. Sighing, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the class. I deposited my text books into my locker and then made my way towards the exit.

On the way out, I passed right by the Hero History classroom- then did a double take.

Warren was in there.

He was standing there, all alone. Seeing him I realized, I had to talk to him. Not only for his sake, but for mine. There was something he wasn't telling me, just as there was something Paul and the girls weren't telling me. Yet I knew that to find out one meant that I would find out the other.

I stepped inside the room. But as soon as I did so, I wondered if it was such a good idea. I felt slightly nervous, even afraid to be alone with him. I knew Warren was still angry with me. But how angry was he?

Warren was staring at the blackboard. The last group had written the title of their presentation on it, and it was still there: History's Perspective of the Definitive Super Hero.

"Warren?" I said tentatively.

Warren didn't answer. He didn't seem to be even aware I was in the room. He continued to stare at the blackboard for some moments, not moving at all. Slowly, I made my way over to him.

"Uh…you okay?

"Silas Transperi said today," he murmured thoughtfully, still staring ahead, "and I'm quoting here, 'One of the fundamentals of a definitive Hero, is his infallible sense of right and wrong, his ability to detect a moral defect'. What do you think, Arrian?" he finished, turning to me so suddenly that I jumped.

"Um…I guess I agree with that," I stammered. I was so surprised he was talking to me after being so livid the other day, it was the best I could come up with.

"Really?" he said softly. "Think the world is that perfect, everything split down the middle in black and white? Or maybe that a person could always make the right decision every single time?"

I knew what he was getting at, but I didn't dare say anything at that point.

"They don't know anything- the teachers, the students." He scoffed. "Heroes, villains- they only see things from their own perspective, to hell with everyone else. But it never occurred to anyone that both sides might be too self-righteous. That everything isn't that clear-cut. That the definitive Hero could never exist, because the definitive Hero is a contradiction. The perfect Hero can only be perfect if he's the perfect Villain too."

I stared at him. I should have been at least a little freaked out by what he was saying, but his words made a disturbing amount of sense. No Hero could be purely righteous, just as no Villain was purely evil. Warren wasn't siding with Villains- he just opted to see things from both perspectives, and not be hypocritical when it came to assessing the choices of Heroes, or the actions of Villains.

He glared at me suddenly. "But what would you know about it?"

"Not much," I admitted. "But I can keep an open mind. In a way, I understand more than you think."

He shook his head in frustration and made to leave, but I stopped him.

"Warren look- I'm sorry about yesterday, about offending you-"

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," he said sarcastically.

"-but I don't know exactly what it was I did."

He looked at me incredulously. "Don't give me that! How else would you have known about it?!"

"The code thing? I… I just saw it somewhere." I didn't want to tell him where I'd seen it. That would have made things a whole lot worse.

Warren clearly didn't believe me; he must have thought I was playing some kind of mean game. "Stop wasting your time Arrian," he said sharply. "I'm going to be late for work."

I was getting really frustrated with him at this point. "I swear to you Warren, I have no idea what it is or why you're upset about it!"

Something in my voice must have gotten through to him. He looked intently at my face, and finally calmed down. "Just forget it all right? It doesn't matter."

"It obviously does. Can't you just tell me?" I took a step closer. "Warren, what is it? Tell me."

Warren didn't say anything for a long while. Then he closed his eyes.

"Barron Battle. Cell block 493. Prisoner B3776."