Standard Disclaimer: check the prologue

No idea what to write so I'll just say on with the story... Please don't forget to review!!

Littera-path

Ahh, the Maxville Public Library, my home away from home. Sitting in a secluded corner surrounded by a fort of books, I used my powers to absorb the information allowing my amber eyes to stare into space blankly.

"Excuse me?" A soft spoken voice broke me out of my daze so suddenly I knocked over two towers of books while trying to regain my bearings. Needless to say the echo of falling books drew everyone else's angry attention.

"Sorry, sorry." I whispered loudly. Quickly trying to pick up the books that fell as well, I reached for a book at the same time as the girl who spoke did. "Sorry." When all the books I had originally around me were organized I thanked her then asked if she needed something.

"Yeah, um the librarian said you had The 1950's Supers Anthology: Villains and Heroes," she whispered conspiratorially. This redheaded girl must go to Sky High, Super Prep's sister school, if she's looking for stuff about supers. Only supers can look for those books because only supers knew about those books; since they involved personal (biased) histories. "I was wondering if you were done, but it looks like you've got a lot on your hands." Looking down at my fingers, I saw the telltale signs of my powers, the words were flowing in an amber sort of light into my skin.

Chuckling, I replied, "Yeah, just give me a second to finish." Shaking out my hands like an Etch-A-Sketch, I placed my hands on the book cover and let my power download the information as a dim amber light up my caramel colored skin. With a short gasp, I finished and handed her the book. "Here you go. Oh and watch out for page 85, there's a few typos, I'm sure it's supposed to be 'Hawkman's inability for construction' not Hawkman's inability for erection…" Smiling I watched as she immediately opened to that page and looked at me with a blush to her cheeks. Picking up my pen I quickly wrote down short hand notes for my History paper expecting her to leave.

"How did you do that?" She didn't leave; instead she sat down in front of me. A wide smile on her face, her brown eyes glittered excitedly.

"Do what?" Confusion was written all over my face until she pointed to the books and the faint amber glow melting into my skin. "Oh… I'm a littera-path. I can absorb, do or imitate anything written down. Is that what you mean?"

"Wow…" Her grin faded a bit, and I elaborated before she could put down my powers.

"It's not as useless as you might think, and it's actually pretty cool. You know how people learn from reading well that's a lot like me only I don't have to read. I touch anything written, like for example an X-men trading card and I can have that power. It's temporary but that's the basic idea." She blushed a bit as I turned back to my work on another thick text. "Unfortunately that makes me a popular study buddy for finals at Maxville Super Prep."

"Oh I didn't mean your power is useless or anything, I just never saw you around Sky High. I was thinking that maybe you'd join our study group…and I'm Layla by the way." She introduced herself before pointing to a really eclectic group of kids around my age three or four tables away from me. They were all looking at my table and unconsciously I did the girl thing and checked my short raven wavy locks to determine how frazzled I looked: reading glasses slipping down my tall nose, my red and black school uniform hanging disarrayed on my size 9 frame and surrounded by papers and books… yeah that's glamorous. Just because I can 'read' anything doesn't mean my writing skills rock the world, I get stressed like everyone else.

"Well, nice to meet you Layla, I'm Oshi." We shook hands and went over to meet the others from Super Prep's sister school. If only I knew what I was getting into.

For the next two hours, I was basically thrust into the world of superheroes through Layla and her friends, Will Stronghold, Magenta Vitz, Ethan Daniels, and Zach Braun. They knew practically everything you would never learn in books. It goes without saying they were very interested in me because I was a super that didn't attend school with them.

"When I turned fourteen I was given a choice: go to Sky High and develop my powers in a fascist hero/sidekick dichotomy or attend Maxville Super Prep and develop my powers to be an active member of super society. I chose to work behind the scenes like my parents, a judge and social worker." I explained while simultaneously writing notes and absorbing another Super Anthology text.

"Wow, no wonder Layla likes you." Magenta commented sardonically, she seemed a lot like my best friend Nani. "You think just like her."

"Maybe, but I'm not the superhero kind…it's never been my gig." At that moment, Zach and Will's stomachs growled loudly making the rest of them giggle and me to look at the time. "Oh shit, its 6, I've got to go. Nice meeting you all." I scrambled to pick up my books trying as hard as possible not to make noise when Ms. Spex (a relative of their school nurse) the librarian came over to kick us out.

"We're going to dinner, why don't you come?" Ethan suggested as we left the library building, a cool breeze blew by and I had to hold down the hem of my plaid black and red pleated uniform skirt. Before I could answer, a black limo drove up and honked.

"Actually my ride's here. So I can't, maybe next time?" I could see how disappointed they were I couldn't come with them as well as impressed with my ride home. "Do you guys want a ride? It'll save you the time of having to walk or fly." It was hard not to giggle as all of them practically scrambled to get in the plush limo. I wanted to milk them for as much information about the super community as I could, there was so much that my parents never got to tell me, and I don't they ever will be able to again.

Stewart, my driver, and I dropped the Sky High kids over at this place called The Paper Lantern before heading home. After finals tomorrow, I'd be going back to work at the prison learning to be a good civil servant and a tiny bit more about my parents. As the limo drove back to our estate, my mind drifted back to the last sixteen years.

At it was barely a year ago Mom, a.k.a. Lady Liberator was captured and tortured to the point of insanity and Daddy, a.k.a. Brushogun was driven to a catatonic state when he couldn't help her. Hm, poor little rich girl with a tragic past… isn't that always the case? Sure they're alive, I guess I'm luckier than most to that respect, but they aren't here with me.

My parents declined being superheroes even though they were very capable of it with their powers. Dad could literally bring his imagination to life and mom could imitate any ability, I guess that's kind of how my power came about. So instead of joining the ranks of superheroes, Lady Liberator became a judge and Brushogun became a social worker for the super community and we were relatively happy, that was until he ruined our lives.

"What I need is a good defense/'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal/And I need to be redeemed/To the one I've sinned against/Because he's all I ever knew of love…" I quietly sang along with Fiona Apple's "Criminal" in the music store browsing the selections of 80's rock. My best friend Nani loved Pat Benetar and had yet to get her Best of Album.

"Sweet, it's still here!" I exclaimed quietly while dancing about, thank God that this was a little known store or else I'd be seriously embarrassed. Not paying attention to where I was going, I danced right into a solid figure and got knocked down.

"Ow…" I fell hard on my butt to the polished wooden floor, realizing that I was still wearing my uniform, my hand pushed down the pleated hem of my red and black knee length skirt. "What'd I hit?" My eyes caught a pair of heavy black boots standing in front of me attached to dark holey jeans and a familiar black jacket; I loathe to think who I just danced into.

"Need help up?" Right… it just had to be Warren Peace. Inwardly wincing, I forced myself to look up, yep I was right.

"Hi…"

"Hey." He looked at me as though trying to place where he's seen me, truth be told I hadn't even thought about him since that day at work. That was three months ago and now in my favorite music store he's here… this can get awkward.

Giving him a smile as he helped me up, I think he suddenly realized where he knew me from…the prison. "Well, thanks. See you around." I hurried to the cash register without another glance, really that was awkward and embarrassing and awkward.

"Hey Josephina…" His voice called me as I left the store, turning I saw he held my work name tag. Hearing my whole name made me wince as I neared him. As he handed me my nametag, there was a question in his eyes. I took the plastic card, but he didn't let go.

"Thanks again." I pulled again, unsuccessfully. "You know, this would go a lot smoother if I just got my tag back, please Mr. Peace."

"Warren."

"Right. Warren, would you please let go of my nametag so I can leave?" He let go. "Thank you." I turned to leave. "Nice meeting you, I guess."

"Josephina…"

"Oshi," I corrected him with a small smile, "I'd rather be Oshi."

Well that's it for chapter two... everybody gets introduced, but when they connect?