No I don't own sky high and its characters etc etc, ok.

Here is chappie 3! Takes a little tangent route off the story. Bit its important, I swear. Cheers!

Warren walked hastily by houses, parks, a basketball court, to the velodrome. He wound through the ramps and ducked behind the last pipe to a niche beside a dirty open drain. There, as always, was always, was George. George was 25, with permanent dark bed hair, a razor nose and long lean extremities. He wore classic biker gear; jeans stained with motor oil, grubby singlet and a discarded leather jacket much like Warrens. Tattoos dotted his body; a crab, a dagger, the most interesting being a chain of paperclips snaking around his…you know where. Apparently that one was so painful that the tattooist who did it offered George free tattoos for life. This was good, because as much as George liked tattoos, he didn't have much money.

George was Warren's best friend. They had only met a couple of months ago, but Warren felt personally connected with George, and George always had something clever to say. They told each other everything, though George always said he hated the sound of Warren's other friends, and refused to ever meet them. He did approve of Jess though.

"What's up my friend" George breathed to Warren, gesturing for him to take a seat on the cracked tar. The smell of pot drifted towards the young hero, who noted the offending joint in his friends sagging hand

"Smoking again?" Warren half smiled, and sat.

George eyed Warren through drooping eyelids. "When aren't I?" he inhaled deeply and then blew the smoke in Warren's direction "So are you gonna tell my why you're here? You must have something to say; otherwise neither of us would be sitting here"

Warren sighed. His friend always somehow knew, and he always cut to the chase "I'm just…I'm feeling confused about the whole two relationships thing. I've gotten so used to the constancy of seeing the same girl and saying the same things to her everyday. It's comfortable, and everyone expects it. But Jess…I've told you this before. She's passionate, she makes me irritated and happy and insane…I just don't know what to do. It's too complicated."

Warren drew a shaky breath.

"I see" George flung the remnant of the joint into the drain. "Ditch the kid. I like the other one"

Warren smiled "You always say that. You know it isn't that simple"

"I know"

The two young men sat for awhile in silence, Warren considering the stupid mess he was in, and George slumped half lying, back against a ramp scaffolding, eyes closed to the sunlight.

Presently he spoke. "Maybe you could get this Kate chic to dump you. Like, you could say you joined a gang or something."

"That wouldn't work. She probably wouldn't even care"

"Say you're evolved in illegal stuff. that always makes girls nervous. Drugs and violence and stuff"

Warren was starting to get annoyed "I'm not going to just say that. Don't you think it's a bit far fetched?"

"A little bit, I guess" George looked thoughtful "Ok, join a gang for real"

"What? Why would I…no, that's stupid…where would I find a gang anyway?"

"We can make our own gang"

"Ok. OK." Warren frowned over to his friend "Let's say for a minute I agree to 'join a gang' with you. What would be the point?"

George sat up a little smiled. "Warren. You're like a little brother to me. I can tell you're restless. You need to take a chance, do something dangerous and get your adrenalin pumping. Live a little, you know? Being a bit edgy might just do you some good, give you a new perspective. And it may even solve your problem if she dumps you for the shit you would, potentially, be doing as part of my gang."

"Your gang? New perspective? You're fucking stoned"

"Yeah, I am. But not stoned enough to not mean what I say. Are you in? We could have a little fun" George leaned invitingly to his incredulous friend.

"Well…if you think it would help…" Warren Looked at George, George smiled. So Warren smiled back. "Ok. Whatever. I'm in"

"Good" George relaxed into a slump again closing his eyes and appearing to fall asleep.

Slowly Warren became aware of himself. He opened his eyes, only to immediately close them again against the glare of the sun shining through his window. Wait, what? He was in his room?

His eyes snapped open. It was late afternoon, almost sunset. Hours had passed then, since the velodrome…

"You sleep like a baby, Peace" Warren jumped a mile then turned to see George slouching casually in the corner. He was shirtless, which was strange, and seemed to be grinning smugly.

"What happened?"

"We were just talking, you dozed off. Don't you remember?'

"No…I don't." Warren hastily stood, realised that he was similarly half naked "Why am I, why are you…" he looked down to indicate what he meant

"You gotta let the ink dry" George said, as if this were the obvious answer "its cute how naïve you are Warren" His sneer however indicated it was anything but cute.

"Ink?..."sluggishly his brain connected the dots. Then panic began to mount "I didn't..." Warren begun examining his upper body for body art, but saw nothing.

"Fuck yes you did" George grinned, or rather, bared his canines.

"Then where??" Warren snarled at his friend, panicking more and more.

"It isn't on your torso dipshit. I would never let you ruin your pretty boy rippling abs." George mocked "calm down kid, I'll show you" He turned to face the wall, and Warren let out an involuntary whine. A massive, complex black design spanned George's back, extending wide over his shoulder blades and tapering to a point at the small of his back, roughly the shape of a concave triangle.

The 18 year old flew down the hallway into the bathroom, where he stood with his back to the mirror, looking over his shoulder. He wanted to throw up. The design, strangely Celtic AND psychedelic looking wove its way through his flesh. The skin around it was reddened, and if irritated, which was logical. After closer inspection, Warren could see spun into the design the phrase 'The Pretenders' in the top centre, and lower down, the word. 'George. Life and death.'

In the mirror he saw George come into the room. Warren spun to face him angrily

"What the hell is this? I don't want this piece of shit on my back! Life and death? Come on George. And for god's sake, you named us after a bad 80's Band? You're insane"

"No Warren" George crossed his arms and shook his head "You're the insane one. Don't you get that? And we aren't named after anything. It has its own relevance. Maybe one day I'll explain it to you."

Warren's body shook with anger. It was permanent. He was stuck with it. And it was all Georges fault. Without thinking, he drew back and punched him hard in the eye. George didn't even try to avoid the hit. He just touched his eye gently and nodded his head

"Yeah Warren, that's a good way to seal the deal" Then hit Warren hard in the same eye. Warren Felt his head jerk back and then pain to began spread hotly around his left eye. He was about to counterattack when faintly he heard something to make his stomach drop; the key turning in the front door. His mom was home early, probably because he had been so 'sick' that morning

"Shit" he sprinted back to his room and threw a t-shirt on; he couldn't let her see the tattoo, she'd go berserk. "Hey Mum" He called, trying not to sound guilty

"Hi honey" She put a bag of groceries on the bench, and cam down the hall to meet him halfway "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah, much better. Oh by the way, this is George, a friend of mine" Warren guided his mum into the bathroom to meet his friend, but George had disappeared.

"Who?" his mum asked tentatively

"I guess he left" Warren said slowly. His mother eyed him, but said nothing and left. That was strange. Why had George bailed so fast?

The unfortunate thing was that Warren didn't have an excuse to not go to school the next day. So to sky high it was. The bus ride was uneventful as usual. When he made his way down the hall, there was Kate, waiting like a faithful dog at his locker, eyeing passersby in the hopes that he would be there today. When she saw him her eyes lit up and she walked towards him as fast as demurely possible.

"Warren! Hey! Sick again huh? I left you a message, I dunno if you got it..."

He smiled, only slightly forcing it "I got it. Yeah, I was sick". Though 'up to my eyeballs with drugs and feeling depressed about life generally' probably would have been a more accurate response…who needed to know that?

"Oh my goodness" Clearly she had just noticed his eye. This was strange, because it was extremely noticeable. Overnight his tingling eyelid and cheekbone has bloomed with colourful bruises and the whole thing was obviously inflamed. It was almost satisfying, to be honest. The staring at his face though, that he could do without. And that people were avoiding him more than usual.

"What Happened?" She lifted her hand as if to touch his face, then though better of it and let her arm drop.

He sighed and stared ahead, starting of for his first class with her tagging along "It was just some guy"

"Did you know him?"

"…yeah"

"Really?? Who was it" She continued to look urgently up at him, even though he wouldn't look at her

"It was…George" Warren had mentioned George a few times in passing to Kate, she knew who he was at least"

"George? Why did he hit you?" She was getting slightly on his nerves now. Just a little bit too sweet.

"Just..." Warren hesitated, and then drew a breath "gang stuff. You know"

Kate scrunched up her face with concern "No I don't know. You're in a gang?"

"Yes." Warren said, his tone clearly indicating the end of the conversation. Kate obliged him for a short while, but eventually couldn't stop her curiosity

"Who is George? You've never really told me about him. Where's he from?"

"I-" Warren realised he had no idea "I dunno"

"How do you see him then…if you don't know where he lives?"

"I've never been to his place…and I don't call him either. He knows when I want to hang out" Warren only realised how weird that sounded when it physically came out of his mouth. Kate looked pretty confused. She also looked as if she wanted to say something, but he didn't really want to hear what it was so he kissed her fast and strode off the class.

"Can I meet him? George I mean" She called suddenly

Warren turned around and looked at her. She looked like she wanted to take it back. He half smiled, the tattoo hidden on his back suddenly coming to mind "yeah, maybe" He said, and walked off, even though he knew George would never want to meet her. Well too bad. He needed a bit of payback.

Yeah it was a big intro for George this chapter. It was necessary, you'll see. But for now, please please review. Please? Thankee. X x