Thanks for the reviews. I decided I had more to tell, so no longer is this a one shot.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Disney does.
Will here, again. I had to say more, to tell more, to explain more.
After the Homecoming incident, I went to talk to my dad about how Sky High was back when he and Sue Tenney walked the halls. He was really no help, too wrapped up in being the BMOC he was. If he had looked he would have felt guilty, but introspection was not one of Steve Stronghold's strong suits. So I went to see my mom.
My mom, who had done a lot of soul-searching over the years, gave me the blunt truth. "Will, the sidekicks then were even more marginalized than they are now. The harrassment was much worse, and the neglect was worse. I remember seeing rats, of all things! being carried out of the sidekicks rooms. And Sue, what we did to Sue was much worse. Sue wasn't allowed to use her powers, the Coach called them a crutch. And there was this guy, you know him as King Mambo now, who used to pick her for "Save the Citizen" all the time as his partner so he could shine and get the glory. The humiliation was crushing in hindsight. I thought I came to terms with it long ago, but it really was horrible. Maybe if we hadn't picked on her so hard, she wouldn't be in jail now."
With that, I went to her trial, secret though it was, and spoke up for her. I explained how Sky High had been, and how it had systematically crushed her spirit. I explained that maybe, with some good therapy, she might actually recover her zest for a normal life, and be a contributing member of society.
Then, 5 years later I saw her again. And I visited her faithfully every week for 15 years. I watched her destroy her cell with her rage, coyly try to get me to bust her out, try to ignore me, then look forward to my visits. I could visibly SEE the therapy working on her. I remember the first time she burst into genuine tears when i came with flowers for her. And so, when she came up for probation (unlike Baron Battle, her crime was still only attempted murder, not the multiple people he murdered plus the prison needed the space), I again went to speak up for her. I spoke of her changes, the re-awakening of her core being and then the therapist spoke up, confirming my words. Which is why, I stand here now, soggy flowers in hand from the rain, and smile beautifically as she walks out of the prison gates. Sure she's on life time parole, but hey, she's free.
One year after her release from prison, we started dating. Two years to the day after, our marriage, and our daughter was born 9 months after that. She never relapsed, and if her temper was short every once in a while, who's wasn't?