Hola... another chapter! Enjoy!

As I rampage all over this city, all CJzilla has to roar is this: Review... Love or hate... I no care.

Chapter 2

A Love Supreme

The last bell of the day rang not a moment too soon. Kids shot out of the school, pouring every opening, running out of the building like it was on fire. Even as Vice Principle Chacal threatened their running with detentions, summer school and premature death, the children blazed past the controlling man and poured out into the school's front yard. Diego and Sergio were among the first out and avoided getting trampled. Both boys were normally at the front of every line, since they were unglamorous eggheads with no social life; they got out of class quicker due to finishing their work earlier.

"After-a you tutor the-a wire-haired-a gargoyle, why-a don't you come-a over to-a my place?" Sergio offered his ten-year-old best friend as they left the gate of the school. "I-a just bought Super Macho Fighter 5 for-a my Game-a Box!"

Diego gave a little laugh.

"Spending your money after you robbed that bank yesterday, eh Sergio?" The boy grinned wickedly. Sergio matched his friend's baneful smirk with his own.

"Darn-a tootin'!" The thirteen-year-old Italian transfer student slapped his knee. "I-a blew past El Tigre like-a he was-a just an exercise-a."

"I know. Dr. Chipotle Jr. saw the news last night." Diego smirked, replaying a news channel clip of Señor Sinestro kicking the candy out of Miracle City's resident teen superhero. "Dr. Chipotle Jr. laughed SO hard when you busted El Tigre's face through the bank door and then slammed it open!"

"I-a kicked it for-a good measure-a too." Sergio beamed proudly. The ten-year-old disguised mad scientist chuckled.

"Classic! El Tigre beats real nice, doesn't he?" Diego grinned.

The boys scarcely shared a laugh when, speaking of pummelings, someone pushed Diego from behind. The ten-year-old was shoved to the pavement.

The preteen instinctively rolled to the side. In a fraction of a second, Dr. Chipotle Jr.'s blood boiled. He twisted and was just a thought away from transforming his robotic arm into a laser gun and scattering his attacker's molecules all over the sidewalk. But when he locked eyes with his aggressor, he saw Zoë's purple-red orbs fixed on him. Butterflies returned to his stomach as it appeared time for another acting session with his favorite co-star.

"Sopresa, Chavez!" The goth bully scowled down at him. Sergio was frozen with surprise and fear as he saw the girl haul his friend to his feet. "Chu dare desgracia me in class today?"

With that Zoë put Diego in a headlock and punched him in the gut. It a looked a lot worse than it actually was; both maintained their charade of hatred.

"Remember, short-stuff." The ten-year-old heard his girlfriend whisper to him between strokes. "Dinner at mi casa tonight."

"After Dr. Chipotle Jr. tutors you?" Diego gave a smug grin. Zoë returned it with another punch.

"Chu know it." She answered. Finally, she pushed him to the ground again.

"And dere's more where dat came from if chu ever shoot chur mouth off again!" Zoë threatened darkly. Then she snatched Diego's hat from his head and put it over her hair. "Adios… Chavez."

Shooting a glare over at Sergio, Zoë grabbed her backpack from the sidewalk and turned up her nose. The bully calmly strutted away. Finally Diego sat up and straightened his glasses.

"HOLY FRIJOLES!" Sergio threw his hands in the air as he helped his ten-year-old friend to his feet. "Are-a you gonna take-a that from-a her?"

The disguised mini mad scientist dusted off his shirt and pants.

"Dr. Chipotle Jr. kinda asked for it. Dr. Chipotle Jr. picked a fight with her." Diego tossed his glance forward and caught Zoë turn the corner. Sergio, however, was not so easily soothed.

Diego saw his best friend's hand clench into a fist.

"Partner-a…" The thirteen-year-old Italian boy growled. "You'd best-a do-a something about-a that-a mangy she-a devil."

The ten-year-old mini mad scientist needed damage control… fast! Without thinking, Diego gave Sergio a push. The teen transfer student looked stunned. Diego's brain swam for an explanation. Luckily for him, a rant was never far from his mouth.

"And how would it look if Dr. Chipotle Jr. were to attack Zoë Aves, Sergio?" Diego hissed. "Dr. Chipotle Jr. does not want to risk spilling my secret identity OR leaving school just because of a goth bruja with an anger complex!"

Sergio's surprise faded into annoyance.

"You-a gotta at least-a get even with-a her-a." He frowned in irritation, folding his arms across his chest. Diego cast a fake angry glare at the corner Zoë disappeared behind.

"All in due time, mi amigo." He rubbed his small hands together, smiling wickedly. "Dr. Chipotle Jr. WILL take vengeance soon enough."

The Italian boy looked somewhat satisfied with his friend's outburst.

"Fine-a, Diego." He waved his hand, dismissing the subject. "What-a about comin' over for a video game-a?"

"Dr. Chipotle Jr. can't, Sergio." Diego's smile dropped a little. Sergio quirked a brow.

"Why-a not?" He complained. The ten-year-old shrugged.

"Curfew." Diego answered. "Dr. Chipotle Jr.'s father wants him home right after Dr. Chipotle Jr. tutors."

The thirteen-year-old Italian boy frowned.

"Gee-a. That's-a some harsh-a parenting-a." He pointed out. Inwardly, Diego disagreed.

Dr. Chipotle Sr., his father, wanted him home at ten o'clock. It wasn't the harshest curfew seeing that Dr. Chipotle Jr. had to tutor Zoë AND eat dinner with her and her family.

Sergio and Diego stood at the corner of the street. It was their crossroads; Sergio had to go right while Diego had to go left... toward home and the docks.

"Dr. Chipotle Jr. will give you a call tonight, Sergio." The short boy said, pressing the pedestrian button on the traffic light. Sergio sighed and nodded.

"All right-a, partner-a." The Italian transfer student agreed, putting on a grin. "Talk-a to you-a later, then-a. Adios."

Diego waved to his friend as he walked away and just as the lights turned. Walking across the street, the ten-year-old looked forward to shedding his disguise and slipping into something more comfortable. But as he rounded a corner in the sidewalk, he came face to face with three of Miracle City's resident delinquents. Diego immediately recognized the boys; bully thugs that habitually skipped school and terrorized the other kids. A dangerous frown came to Diego's face as the ring-leader of the trio lifted his black and purple sombrero and spotted him. The three boys stood from leaning on their wall and began to move over to him.

Normally they kept their distance from him, because Zoë had marked him as "her" geek. But now Diego was alone and seemingly perfect prey.

"Hola Chavez." The leader greeted, smiling what was left of fight-mangled teeth. The three brutes slowly neared, pounding their callused fists and cracking their knuckles. "We just want to talk to you."

The ten-year-old boy's mind swam through the pros and cons of transforming his arm into a laser cannon and blasting the three bullies into next week. However, his thoughts rested on Zoë and what she would do if he'd spilled his secret on three of the city's idiots. So… he did what was next in his mind.

Placing a foot behind him, Diego quickly turned around and bolted.

"HEY!" He heard the bullies snarl. Then boys gave chase.

The three older and much bigger kids ran after the little nerd. They were close enough to spot the ten-year-old math and science prodigy dart into an alleyway. The bullies happened to know that this particular alley was a dead end. They'd easily catch the nerd, take his money and then beat him into a masa! The boys ran into the dead end. But they saw… that the lane was empty. Before they could process where Chavez had escaped to, the trio of brutes saw a flash of light. Something metal was hauled across their faces before the blackness of unconsciousness consumed them.

Dr. Chipotle Jr. recoiled his robotic fist. His scowl tightened when he saw that he'd knocked all three bullies into Candyland.

"No valor mi tiempo." The ten-year-old mini mad scientist growled. As he dropped down from a fire-escape.

The three boys were cowards, but he'd known that since he enrolled in school. They only attacked when he was alone. Typical cowardly move. He'd seen a lot of similarities between the schools resident thugs and El Tigre, his arch-nemesis. The thirteen-year-old hero was a coward. About half of a year ago, El Tigre had no problem picking a fight with the pint-sized mad scientist. But now… NOW El Tigre knew the full might of Dr. Chipotle Jr.

The ten-year-old supervillain calmly walked over to the three unconscious boys and wondered what he could do to them. Suddenly an idea flashed over his mind and the boy's robotic eye cast a sinister light on the KOed bullies. Dr. Chipotle Jr. raised his metal wrist to his face and pressed a single button, summoning one of his guacamole monsters.

Zoë Aves was walking home from school, or rather, dancing home from school. The thirteen-year-old girl never felt the curious stares that followed her graceful movements as she passed another city block. Quite uncharacteristic of a goth let alone for Zoë Aves. But the girl couldn't help but feel her feet and body full of rhythm. And she couldn't help but move with the music feeding her soul.

It was love… at its finest.

Zoë loved the feeling that amore gave her insides. The sensation of little wings on her feet and her stomach filled with butterflies. She was bouncing across clouds and dancing through the sky. Her love-struck grin hadn't left her face for about six months now. It'd been six months since she'd gotten a quierito; half a year since she'd met Dr. Chipotle Jr. Granted, they were opposites. He was a science geek and she was a goth bully. By all accounts the only time a geek and a bully would cross is if the latter was beating the former or the former was tutoring the latter. But for Zoë and her boyfriend, that was only a cover for their real relationship. By day they were normal kids but by night… they were two of Miracle City's most feared supervillains.

Sadly, her good mood didn't go unnoticed by two of her classmates. Thirteen-year-old Frida Suárez and Manny Rivera were walking home from school too. After skipping about half of the day and spending their time at the video arcade, both had been minding their own business until they saw a very cheery, very light-footed Zoë Aves dance by them. Out of curiosity they trailed her for nearly two and a half blocks before they'd gotten close enough to speak with the eerily giddy goth bully.

"You feeling okay, Zoë?" Manny was the first to "greet" the girl. Zoë visibly jumped, stopping her dancing and whirling around at the familiar voice of the Rivera boy.

Her red-violet eyes were wide with surprise as she saw the hunky boy hero staring at her.

"Qué?" Zoë blurted out. But the feeling of surprise quickly faded when her eyes came to Frida.

Frida and Zoë were never friends; in fact, Zoë considered the little Suárez girl more of an enemy than White Pantera was to her supervillain alias.

"What are chu two doing here?" The goth bully questioned the two friends. Manny looked curious if a little amused while Frida was annoyed enough to shoot an insult at her worst enemy.

"Free country, Zoë. We can walk where we like, when we like." Frida hissed through clenched teeth. The thirteen-year-old goth rolled her eyes, fluffed her hair and continued on her way.

A scowl slammed onto Zoë's pale face as she tightened her grips on her backpack straps. Of all the mood killers, Frida Suárez and Manny Rivera had to be on the same street as her. Frida's annoying presence was understandable but Manny… Manny was a different story.

Manny Rivera was also known as the boy super El Tigre. And as El Tigre… he managed to capture Zoë's heart at one point. But that was before she'd met and really got to know Dr. Chipotle Jr. For once, Zoë Aves felt her mind drift off to another boy… and he wasn't El Tigre.

Zoë felt rhythm return to her feet and a goofy smile rise on her face. Again her steps turned into dance moves. The girl suddenly forgot about everyone else and goofily staggered down the sidewalk, giggling.

"Hola Zoë!" Manny Rivera's voice blared through her rosy thoughts like an off-beat trumpet. Looking up from the sidewalk, the girl glanced to her right.

The thirteen-year-old heartthrob was walking beside her. Zoë cleaned her face and glared at him.

"What do chu want, Rivera?" She bit in a tired, aggravated voice. "Can't chu see I am trying to walk home?"

Manny seemed to be resistant to her venom-like tone and the daggers she was glaring at him. The boy gave a warm smile.

"I didn't know you could dance." Zoë didn't expect that and surprise drowned out her charade. Turning her face away from him, she tried to hide a blush.

"I've always known how to dance, Rivera." She barked. "Now go back to Frida and leave me alone!"

Manny chuckled.

"Just when I think I know you, Zoë, you surprise me." The boy commented, stepping in front of her. Zoë bumped into him, letting out a nervous squeak.

She frowned at him but was unable to wipe that super-macho smirk off of his face.

"I don't care!" Zoë jumped back, her face now terribly red. "Now leave me alone!"

The goth sidestepped to get around him but Manny stepped with her. Zoë's blood boiled.

"I will give chu two seconds, Rivera to get out of my way." She made a fist and put it in Manny's face. "One… Two…-!"

Still Manny hadn't moved. Anger flushed her face as her rage bubbled. That was IT!

"Shouldn't chu be trying to save chur reputation?" Zoë drew up an insult from the darkest pits of her heart. "Tres weeks is a long time to go without a victory."

The boy's expression immediately dropped as she touched a raw nerve. Zoë was grateful her words penetrated Manny's cocky exterior.

"Dis hasn't been El Tigre's month, has it?" She grinned. The question was rhetorical; just a glance at ONE of Miracle City's newspapers and you could tell that El Tigre was losing nearly every battle he fought in. "De last time Dr. Chipotle Jr. and Black Cuervo fought with chu, chu couldn't claw churself out of a paper bag. I'd be worried if I was chu, Rivera."

The young Rivera boy's face darkened considerably. Zoë even wondered if he had enough anger to lash back.

"Lucky… that's all those two pea-brained supervillains are." Manny mumbled back. The girl rolled her red-violet eyes.

"Chu should know de signs of defeat by now, Rivera." Zoë gave him a cold look. The boy only returned it with a purely angered glance.

"Those two are just working together because they are scared to face me alone. If Dr. Chihuahua and I ever rumbled again, he'd lose." Now Zoë was feeling Manny's finger on her gut. NO one talks about Dr. Chipotle Jr. like that.

"But he did, six months ago." She felt her fingers twitch and, despite being without her Black Cuervo talons, long to dig deep into the boy's head. "Chur memory is just as bad as chur fighting skills."

Manny snapped his eyes back up at her.

"What do you know, Zoë?" He snapped back. "You weren't there!"

Oh, but she was and had a front row seat to see the Rivera family taken down by one tough little boy.

"I didn't have to. I read de news and just by the look on chur face, I can see de truth." The thirteen-year-old girl matched Manny's baneful glare with her own.

The teen superhero only grew angrier.

"Well, I would have beaten him by now if he wasn't always hiding behind his girlfriend." The word "girlfriend" dripped out with enough spitefulness that it was poisonous. Zoë studied the look of jealousy on Manny Rivera's face.

In times past, that resentful expression usually came to her face when she had feelings for El Tigre. It was so odd seeing the tables turned and watching Manny Rivera envy Black Cuervo's affections. Zoë felt her heart thunder in her chest and her words leave her.

Thankfully the earth beneath their feet jolted and screams filled the air, ending the argument. Looking up, both teens watched as vehicles and people rushed away from a big, green guacamole monster. It was the creation of a certain tween mad scientist.

"Mi querito." Zoë swooned softly, her loopy smile washing over her face. Manny, however, did not appreciate the monster's timing.

"Get to your house, Zoë; you're not safe here." But when he looked back to the goth girl, she was already bolting down the sidewalk, passing Frida without a glance.

Surprised but relieved, Manny lifted his shirt and swiftly spun his mystical El Tigre belt. It was time for battle.

R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!