Chapter 3: The Secret Sanctum & Hero Support
Me: well this is LONG over due. I'm not going to ramble, since it's all in the author's note.
Inuyasha: you BOTH are lazy bums
Me: -_- I should kick you out of my captions, I have other options ya' know!
Inuyasha: whatever
Me: Hoping you would say that, this is Axel he's replacing you
Axel: Sup'
Inuyasha: You think you can take MY job?
Axel: -_-'the disclaimer is the same
"A three and a half bath Victorian with original crown molding? You bet we'd love to take a look, how's…" Courtney said into the phone while Justin set the robot 'souvenir' on the table as a centerpiece and started to polish it with a table napkin he swiped.
Courtney took the phone away from her ear "When are we briefing the president on super villain infiltration at the IRS?" She asked Justin
"President," He thought for a moment "Be Monday."
She put the phone back to her ear "Tuesday? Great. No. Thank you, Linda." She told her client and hung up the phone to see Justin messing with the wires sticking out of both sides of the robotical sphere.
"Hon, dinner's almost ready could you stop playing with your robot and Help set the table?" She asked him just as Noah came in the door
"Sure," He replied, upon seeing Noah he said "Oh there he is!"
"Hey!" Courtney said enthusiastically
"Man of the hour!"
"Yea, how'd it go?" She asked referring to his first day of (Sky) High school
"Ummm…Dad we need to talk." He said nervously
"You mean a little hero to hero talk? I…" he looked at Courtney "Think I know just the place. Come on" He said walking off towards the study
"Hon." Courtney said holding his robot souvenir. He turned and she tossed it to Justin, who caught it easily with a metallic thud.
~oOo~
Noah shut the doors to the study, "Ok so dad…" He said starting his 'no powers' speech that'd he'd been thinking about up until this moment
"Oh this isn't the place, Noah" Justin said cutting him off "This," He turned a picture hanging on the wall into a hand pad, the key to the secret sanctum. "Is the place."
Noah had a shocked look on his face, "No way, the Secret Sanctum."
Justin chuckled "You know I'll never forget my first day of Sky High. Your grandfather finally trusted me enough to give me the key to his Secret Sanctum. Course in those days we still used keys."
Noah chuckled and rolled his eyes jokingly.
"Go ahead son, I already added your biometrics this morning."
Noah looked at him and he nodded, he walked over and almost touched his hand to the hand pad when,
"Oh Noah," Noah lowered his hand. "One more thing, of course you must never, ever bring anyone into the Secret Sanctum. That's why it's called a Secret….Sanctum."
"I would never." Noah said
"Go for it." Justin said backing up a few steps
Noah put his hand up to the pad, which scanned his palm and blinked a light and made a smaller light turn green. Then a fake bookshelf gave way to an empty space with two firefighter poles leading to the Secret Sanctum. Justin Motioned Noah to slide down the pole then hesitated.
"Oh wait," he said stopping him with his hand on his shoulder "this one's mine, Noah. You can use Mom's"
"Sorry" He replied as they both slid down the poles into the Secret Sanctum
"No way," Noah said looking around in awe "You have a pool table?"
"How about a pinball machine?" They both laughed
"Man." Noah said impressed
"Ok let's see where do I start," Justin said looking around "I don't know, Over here we got Mom's stuff. Scientific equipment, gadgetry and what not." He said referring to the high tech computers; he didn't notice Noah walking off to look down the hall.
"Noah?" He said looking around for a second "Oh, yea." he said walking over to where Noah was. "All our greatest battles, our finest moments. Ticranium's head, XO's number one bug bot."
"And this is a…." Noah said pointing to a huge gun looking thing
"Royal Pain's Pacifier. Now that was a great day Noah, The first time your mom and I ever teamed up to fight evil doers. Soon as she came smashing through the window I knew she was the one for me. Ah, I wish you could've seen us we were fantastic!" He said remembering the time "Royal pain got his and I got the Pacifier." Noah reached out to touch it only to have Noah grab his hand and lower it "and this is my proudest possession." Implying for him not to touch it.
"It's amazing, what's it do?"
"No idea." Justin said bluntly "So this is it, it's all down here. Our story, your mom and me of … well kicking butt and taking names. Now it's time for a new chapter in the story," he said as he flicked down a name plate that said 'Noah Stronghold' on an empty 'souvenir' stand "The three of us, fighting crime together side by side." Noah looked at him "By side." He concluded "Now what was it you wanted to tell me about?" he asked referring to his speech he had started in the study
"Ummm…" he hesitated trying to think of something to say "That I'm gonna kick your butt at pool." He said faking a smile
"Oh, we'll see about that!" Justin said touching his hand to another hand scanner pad so a self of pool sticks came down from the ceiling "Choose your weapon surge." He said picking a pool stick and grabbing the triangle. Noah choose a pool stick and his dad rushed to the table saying "I'll break!" excitedly
Meanwhile while they where playing pool the robot head began to glow, and two people appeared in a dark room watching their movements from a large screen.
"You're right, he took it home! Hey, he's got the ego the size of a giant robot!" A small girl said in an annoying voice and began laughing until the second person grabbed her throat "Uncle, uncle, uncle!"
~oOo~
Noah walked out of his window and onto a stretch of roof that night and sat down, putting his arms around his knees and thinking. A tree grew behind him and Audrey stood on one of its branches.
"Hey, Audrey." He said as she stepped onto the roof
"Hey" she replied as the tree shrunk back to its original size, she came and sat next to him "So where were you after school, I was worried." She asked
"I got stuck in the nurse's office," He sighed "and the news just keeps getting better and better. Turns out I may never get my powers." He told her
She made a face "How'd your dad take it?" she asked biting her lip
He didn't say anything and she kept looking at him "What was I suppose to do? He showed me the Secret Sanctum."
"You have to tell them."
He laughed "My parents are the greatest superheroes on the planet, everyone expects greatness from me."
"Well you are great."
"Thanks." He said glumly
"Ok, so you're a sidekick. It's not the end of the world. When life gives you lemons…" she said holding her hand out for the fruit she was growing from the nearest tree, which she picked and handed to him
"Make apple juice?" He said amusedly seeing the apple in her hand instead of a lemon
She made a pout-like face "I can't make lemons. I don't know what it is"
"Yea but see, no you have an awesome power. And you could have made hero easily."
"I'm not into labels."
"But why would you choose to be a sidekick?"
"Because, I think the whole thing is stupid. Dividing people into groups like that, I mean what is this?"
"High School?" He said cheekily to which Audrey bumped him with her shoulder and he did the same back.
~oOo~
All the kids where talking among themselves when the teacher walked in, he was very pale and wore a greenish beanie hat with a fluff ball of the same color at the end.
"Good morning class!"
"Good morning." The class muttered
"Welcome to Hero Support," He said motioning to the black board which said 'welcome to hero support' "My name is…" He said walking behind a chalkboard on wheels "All American Boy!" He said now in a red white and blue costume as he jumped on top of his desk and did a pose. All the kids looked at him but said nothing; there was a cough in the background. Harold and Trent looked at each other both had faces that where generally impressed.
"Course now a days I just go by my Mr. Boy." He said getting off the desk, to which his knees made a loud popping sound and he pulled off his blue mask.
Noah and Audrey gave each other a look like this guy is nuts
"But this year it's going to be my privilege to help you become the very best hero support that you can be." He continued "Without Hero Support, why there wouldn't be any heroes. Alright there probably would be heroes, but they'd be very lonely. Very lonely heroes indeed. And…yes?" he stopped seeing Trent's hand in the air.
"Yea, um. When do we pick our names and costumes? Because I call debs on Tubular Trent." He said which made everyone look at him with a lame-O… face.
"Well you don't get to pick, on graduation day you'll be assigned to your hero and then he…or she," To which Audrey nodded "Will uh, decide what you will be called and what you will wear. I think this is mostly done in an attempt to avoid clashing colors. That's why when I was paired with," he pulled down a poster of himself with him and the Commander to which the class 'oohed' "With the Commander red, white, and blue it was. Which for me is a very good thing because as you can see, blue really makes my eyes pop. Very dramatic. " he said referring to his blue mask which he wore around his eyes
Noah raised his hand "Excuse me; um I didn't know you worked for the Commander."
"I worked with the Commander, we were a team. Mr.," He checked his attendance sheet on his clipboard "Mr.….Stronghold," he looked on it again "Stronghold? You Justin's son?"
"Yea."
"And he never, he never mentioned me? To you?"
"I don't think so."
"Makes sense, that makes perfect sense because the Commander doesn't have time to sit around flipping through scrapbooks…that I took the time to make for him…No the Commander's gotta be out there saving the world! With your mom! Your mom…did she ever mention me?"
"Uh,"
Suddenly the room's lights went out,
"Incoming!" Mr. Boy yelled then there was an explosion sound
When the cost was clear a strange greenish glow came from the back of the room.
"Huh, look he does glow." Gwen said amusedly pointing her thumb back at Trent, the kids turned to look at him
"I told you."
A woman with an enlarged head with red corkscrews for hair in a lab coat and a student with pink streaks in her hair wearing a crazy colored skirt and a tee-shirt came in carrying flash lights.
"Greetings," the teacher said and the lights came back on "Little miss-fire in the mad science lab, no need to panic." She said with a kind of psychotic tone of voice
"Unless you're a single cell organism" The girl which they'd latter learn was the 'freeze girl' from the first day said remembering something from the lesion.
"Mrs. Medulla, we here in Hero Support are trained never to panic." said clinging to an air pipe on the ceiling which shifted and he fell, hitting his desk and his head landing in the trash can. To which all the kids laughed. "My bad."
"I'll go get the nurse!" The girl said "Unless, she's injured." She said quickly going out of the room Mrs. Medulla slowly backed out of the classroom with a goofy smile on her face.
~oOo~
Noah was wearing a white utility belt, he pushed a button and an arrow shot up and caught in the ceiling, a rope was attached to it. And it automatically was lifting him up to the ceiling.
Mr. Boy Wrote English for Hero Support: 1) 'Holy _, _Man!
All the students where writng notes copieing the board.
Trent was trying out the arrow bit on the utility belt, although he kept swinging his legs. Then it kind of lowered him a bit then the arrow came out of the ceiling dropping him to the ground with a thud. Noah and Audrey went to help him get up
In the Science lab Mrs. Medulla had several glowing rocks at her desk, each a differnet color, each had a glass dome over them. She lifted the glass dome above the green one, to which Gwen and Audrey who where lab partners fainted. Mrs. Medulla chuckled to herslef and put the dome back, then for fun lifted it again. To which Trent fainted which left Noah standing there looking at the place Trent had fallen.
Gwen's turn with the utility belt, only this time when she pressed a button and a net came out and landed on top of who was sitting on his desk observing the class. The class was certainly amused.
Noah, Trent, Audrey, Harold, and Gwen were walking to the busses to go home, the frozen kids; Geoff and Tyler, where still frozen on the front lawn of the school which all of the m looked at the two as they passed. Gwen went up and tapped on the ice, which was still solid which came back with icy clanking souds and then walked off.
Harold was trying to put the utility belt on when he accidentally set off the inflata-boat which landed and inflated automatically right on 's desk. Lifted his coffee he had in his hand as it covered his desk an knocked his lamp off his desk.
The bus drove off the 'unfinished bridge' and was flying through the air, the kid all had their hands in the air screaming with delight. Noah was sitting there calmly smiling.
The class was in the gym, and there was a metal foldable changing room with the Sky High emblem on it opened up. Mr. Boy walked in in his normal attire and walked out in his 'American Boy' costume saying "change and pose!" as he posed aat the end of the metal contraption. "Now you, go!"
Audrey walked in and came out in blue and white tennis looking out fit and posed cutely, Noah walked in and came out in cool looking gym/running clothes and did a superman pose, gwen walked in and came out in the same gym/tennis clothes as Audrey and shruged not doing a pose, Harold walked in and came out in the same gym clothes as Noah plus his orange gheto hat and made a gangster pose. Then Trent walked in and came out in only his boxers. The class laughed, "Go back." Mr. Boy told him which he did walking back embarressed.
~oOo~
In Noah's living room him. Audrey, Harold, Trent, and Gwen where all doing Hero Support homework. Noah was reading a question out loud.
"Kay, number one. A Radioactive zombie is charging at your hero, do you hand him: A) a silver tipped crossbow, B) a wooden spike, C) a…" but Trent cut him off
"Yea, yea that's so weak man. I'm already holding this crossbow, why can't I just shoot him myself?"
They all looked at him, "Beacuase we're Hero Support. And if you're hero askes you for a crossbow, you hand it to him. Gosh." Harold told him
"Or her." Audery added
"By the way Trent, you can't kill a zombie. Only re-kill em'" Harold informed
"Or her." Audery added again
" So if you kid's are all here, who's out there saving the world?" the Commander said just getting in the door still in his coustume, Trent and Harold looked totally stoked to meet the Commander himself.
"Dad," Noah said faking a smile "Why are you home so early?" his face falling
"After I stoped the super dome from colapsing I was watching the game and I got to thinking, It's been while since me and Noah tossed the old pigskin around. So I thought I'd hustle back home, but I see you and Audrey have already made some new friends" He said looking at them oddly
Harold got up and extended his hand "It's an honor to meet you Sir,"
The Commander shook his hand "What's your name and what's your power?" he asked
"I'm Harold, and I melt." He told him
"Ok." Justin said when an odd tone
Trent stood up and shook his hand "Trent, I glow."
"I see," Justin said
Gwen stood up "Gwen, I shape shift." She told him this sparked his interest
"Shape shift?" he asked enthusicasticlly
"Into a Guenie Pig." She finished
His face fell "Great." He looked at them all odd "Greaat, Great. Great! He said perking up fakily each time "Really great, well I make a mean tuna fish sandwhich. Anybody want one?" he offered
They all said no, "Pleasure meeting everyone." He said walking to the kitchin where he began to make his sandwhich
Naoh walked in opening the frige looking for a drink.
" Ah, there a good buch of kids Noah."
"Yea." Noah replied grabbing two bottles of soda
"Gotta ask you somethin though, does, does that one kid actually, you know glow?"
"Sometimes." He said shrugging
'They have really lowerd the bar for super heros at that school since I went there." He said while spredding mayonase on his sandwich
"Well uh, actually he's a sidekick."
"Oh, well that makes sence."
"Yea, Actually they're all sidekicks."
He paused looking for something to say "Good for you son, Kid of you're stature hanging out with a buch of sidekicks. As a freshman, I didn't have the guts. And I can only imagine what your grandfather whould have said, had I brought some of them home."