What's the point of Microsoft if it doesn't catch all of my errors?
Warren was quiet after our chat and mostly kept his nose buried in his book –I later found out it was War and Peace, I hadn't laughed that hard in a while- or stared creepily at Stronghold over my right shoulder. I didn't say anything else about it, despite how weird I found it. When the bell rang, I stood up and followed the freshmen back to the gym. I doubt Warren noticed that I didn't say goodbye.
I am currently standing in the back, against the wall. Stronghold is up on stage next to Boomowski. Their conversation is less than interesting, so I let my mind drift as I watch. Warren told me that they split everyone up into Hero or Hero Support, and that the two 'classes' only had a form of PE –and the seniors had a combination thingy- together while the rest of the day was separate. I'm sure the segregation really helps the hero/sidekick teams later in life.
My gaze had wandered over to the right as I thought, but a falling shadow in the corner of my eye and an extra humming of my powers had me snapping back to reality. A car, battered and ratty, had landed on the platform where I assume Stronghold had been. Was it a bad thing that I thought it was funny he might have been squished? It probably meant I wouldn't be developing into a complete human being any time soon. The automobile is lifted by a magnet and the kid stands back up. They talk some more and my poor attention span is telling me to look away when Stronghold is sent flying into a concrete pillar by a spring loaded section of stage. That catches my interest and I end up being the only one who laughs. Everyone turns to look at me like I'm crazy and I just shrug.
Stronghold is taken to the nurse. I assume we're done here and push away from the wall only to be sent right back by a gust of air when Boomowski shouts.
"Foreign Exchange! Up on stage! NOW!" He points along with his shouts so I can't pretend as if I don't understand. I stride to the three stairs and bound up quickly. Standing next to him, I realize that I'm quite a bit taller than him at my –probably final- height of six foot four. This means he has to look up at me and his intimidation tactics can't possibly work that way. Suddenly, his features light up with recognition.
"You must be Erik's kid." He sounds completely surprised and doesn't even shout at me. "And I know you can speak English. Don't even try that German crap on me this time."
"Alright, you got me." I hold my hands up in fake surrender. "You know my dad?"
Boomowski gets this oddly confused sentimental look on his face. "Yeah, we used to go to high school together. Didn't your dad tell you about anything?" I shake my head no and he sighs.
This time, when he speaks, his voice is back to screeching decibels. "You probably got your dad's power. CAR!"
I immediately sense when the stationary piece of metal begins to descend. When it gets to about three feet above my head, I hold my hands out to my side and face my palms up. It halts in midair. Thinking quickly on my feet, I bring my hands up above my head in a loud clap, causing the vehicle to crack into pieces. A mere thought from me has the pieces liquefying while it floats and turning into numerous steel roses, entirely lifelike and real looking. I push my palms to the crowd and the flowers glide through the air and towards the girls in the audience. As each girl takes the proffered metal blossoms, Boomowski laughs.
"That's cute, but not exactly hero material. Side-"
Before he can finish his word, the extra flowers melt together and form a sharp, jagged something that soars towards his throat quicker than lightning. I stop it just short of cutting him.
"Don't forget how much of the world is made of metal."
Boomowski gulps loudly and nods, causing chuckles to come from the crowd. I lower the weapon I have created and squeeze my fist to make it crumple into a useless piece of steel, letting it fall to the floor.
"I believe the word you were trying to say before I so rudely cut you off was hero. Am I correct?"
"Yes. HERO!" The sonic boom send me sailing off the platform, landing roughly with my head hitting a concrete pillar then the hardwood floor. I just can't seem to stay on my feet today.
"Was that really necessary?" I groan out, holding my head as a dull pound in my left temple starts up. The metal in the room rattles.
"Hippie! Take Lehnsherr to the nurse! NOW!" Boomowski shouts to the redhead in green. She smiles cheerfully at me but I only manage a wince in return.
She holds out a hand to help me stand up but I seriously doubt she has enough strength to get me to my feet. I give her mine anyway, but pull myself up with the pillar behind me. She places my arm around her neck like that's actually going to help something and starts to walk. I use her for balance as I shuffle awkwardly along –her strides are about a third of mine- and I probably look at least a little special.
Once again, I have no clue where I'm going, so I glance down in preparation to ask her if she does. That big sunny smile is still there. It's beginning to irritate me.
"Look, you gotta get rid of that," I say and make a small spinning motion in the vicinity of my own mouth. She looks confused, so I elaborate while managing not to trip over my own feet.
"The big I'm-super-excited-to-be-here-and-be-super grin. It has to go 'cause it's kind of creeping me out. No one should be that excited in the morning."
"It's almost two in the afternoon."
"Is it?" She nods. "Well, that's beside the point. What's your name, anyway?"
"Layla Williams." She seems to be waiting for me to reciprocate, but my vision is starting to blur so I don't say anything and hope it goes away.
Layla seems to give up on my answer. "You're the guy from last night, aren't you? You saw me on the tree?"
"Sure did. Thought it was cool." My head hurts. "You know how many times I've hit my head today?"
"No. How many?"
"Three times. That's how many you's I see, too." I'm not lying. She seems to have multiplied in the amount of time since I looked at her last.
"Then it's a good thing we're at the nurse's office, isn't it?"
Sure enough, the door opens and out walks Stronghold and an older woman in a lab coat and glasses. The lady sees me and shakes her head. "Boomer just can't resist. Come on in."
"Thanks for the flower!"
L E H N S H E R R
"Follow my finger," Nurse Spex tells me as she waves one before my eyes. I do and she steps back with a smile. "You don't have a concussion, but I would suggest that you avoid hitting your head again because one is right around the corner."
I laugh out of awkwardness and not because she freaked me out with her earlier display of x-ray vision. Okay, it might have been a little bit about that. Just a little.
"Y'know, I can remember treating your father with similar injuries. He and Boomer liked to butt heads." She sighs with something like reminiscence. "He also ended up with a lot of burns. Erik and Barron Battle were in a huge fight that nearly leveled the whole school the third day after your father transferred from Germany. After that, they were thick as thieves. Well, I mean…"
I wave a hand. "Don't worry about it. It isn't the worst thing he's been called. Tell me more."
She smiles wistfully. "Barron and Erik were viewed as the bad boys of the school. They had been voted the two most likely to becomes super villains the three years they were here together and even best villain duo the last two. Almost as soon as he got here, Steven Stronghold seemed to hate him, even went as far as to pick their first fight. I don't think Erik ever did anything to him before that, although he did date Josie for a while."
I cut her off quick. "Who's Josie?" Could this woman be my mother?
"Oh, Steve's wife. He didn't enjoy the fact that Josie really liked Erik and went out with him for several months."
So, not my mom.
"Anything else? Any women that may have made it out of here with him? Someone who, oh, I don't know, gave birth to me?"
"You don't know?"
"No, I don't. I would love to, though, so if you could just maybe-"
Her headshake is vigorous and leaves me a little dizzy. "I'm sorry; I can't divulge that if your father hasn't told you. That's his business."
I lean my chin in my hand and sigh dejectedly. I let the sound sink in for a few seconds and peek up to see if it has an effect on her. It doesn't. Damn her experience with much better pouters. Although, I wasn't pouting, in any way. Whatever.
"Why don't I let you go home early? The day is up in-" A bell rings, cutting her off. "Never mind. Have a good day. And talk to your father."
I smile but don't actually feel it. I manage to walk normally, even though I still feel lightheaded, and make it outside. Before I even have time to contemplate what I'm going to do to get to Aunt Raven's –err, home- I am accosted by a hand on my shoulder that effectively stops me in my tracks. Just as I'm about to grab –and possibly break- the hand, it ends up being attached to Warren.
"Tell me it isn't."
"It isn't?" I'm confused.
"It is, isn't it?"
"I'm confused."
"The bike. Is it yours or not?"
The bike? It's still here? "Well, not technically mine. It's my uncle's." The crowd to my left parts just enough for me to catch a glimpse of glossy black Harley. Warren and I walk over to it, successfully scattering the throng of people.
The bike hums against my senses as Warren runs an appreciate eye over it. Abruptly, I hear and feel a vibration and Vati's voice say, "Answer your damn phone." I look around but don't see him.
"Uh, Levi. I think it's the helmet." I raise an eyebrow but shove my hand into the helmet hanging from the right handlebar. His voice is heard again as my hand comes in contact with a phone. Shaking my head, I answer.
"Unusual ringtone," I greet.
"Just wanted to tell you I left the motorcycle for you to ride home. Bike or bus from now on to school. Oh, and I got you a phone. One of the new touch blah, blah, numbers programmed in, blah. Don't crash. See ya when you get home." Vati hangs up on me. His response is so quick I almost think he has something else to do.
"I'm riding the bike home, he got me" –I hold the phone up to examine it- "an iPhone and I'm starting to get a headache. You want a ride home?" I shove the phone into my back pocket.
"Yeah, sure." I offer him the helmet but he shakes his head. I shrug and throw it over to the right where it floats by my shoulder. I flick my left hand, motioning towards the back of the bike and it glides there and hovers.
"You still live in the same apartment with your mom?" I ask as I throw a leg over the motorcycle and Warren follows suit. I kick start it easily.
"Nah, she got a job at the hospital. We have a better place now. I'll show you where it is," he says just loud enough over the roar of the bike for me to hear.
"Cool. Hold on!" I rev it and then we shoot forward so fast that I almost run someone over. He stretches out of the way and shouts an obscenity. I just smirk as we jet over the side. I wait an extra couple of seconds before powering up the thrusters just to hear Warren make a strangled cry and squirm.
"You're an asshole!" I don't bother to reply.
L E H N S H E R R
I land us in an alley to further avoid the eyes of normal people, as my father once instructed. It was a smooth touch down and I immediately pull us out and onto a street. A few blocks over, Warren points to a large, clean looking building and says it's his. I pull up into a space between two cars lining the curb and wait until Warren dismounts before tapping my finger on the empty ignition to turn it off (Vati apparently either never had the keys or forgot to leave them; he likes to kick start bikes and vehicles with his powers just as much as I do). The helmet hangs itself on the handlebar by its strap and I release it from my control.
We ride up seven floors and walk past twelve doors before we arrive at 713. The inside is modest but obviously lived in. It looks like their old apartment, though more spacious and in a more sanitary apartment complex. I feel completely at ease here. Barron, Sharon and Warren were my second family when all I knew was Vati, which means their home was my second one. Barron and Sharon are my godparents while Vati is Warren's godfather. That's almost had to come into play many times before Vati retired and Barron was incarcerated for the final time.
Sharon breezes into the living room as my thoughts land on her. I grin widely and watch as she stops abruptly and stares at my.
"I would almost think you were Erik if not for the fact that you have the ability to smile without looking like a shark. Though, I suppose you do that, too."
She embraces me in a strong hug, squeezing until I wheeze out a laugh. There are a few tears in her eyes when she pulls away and I pretend as if I don't notice them.
"How are you? How are you here? Did you and Erik move out here? Are you going to Sky High now?"
"I'm good. I drove here with Warren. We did not move out here and…" I say as I try to answer each question, "yes, I am."
"Well, I expect you to be coming over much more often now. Don't think you can escape this family a second time."
"I hadn't anticipated anything else."
I sent a quick text to Vati telling him where I was, not supposing that I would get one back in a short amount of time. Who could have guessed he knew how to text.
I spend about an hour at Warren's just hanging out then leave with a demanded promise to return soon. When I get back on the bike, I put the helmet on. I find out that Warren and I now live a lot closer together than I had originally thought.
Vati opens the door when I park the motorcycle in the driveway by Aunt Raven's car–Azazel works as a swords master to teach others and a Russian teacher on occasion while Raven does whatever job is presented to her by her boss that day (whether it be modeling, stunts, helping someone train, etc.) so apparently they have a ton of cool toys I have yet to see. She has some kind of shiny, orange muscle car with an engine protruding out of the hood. I know it's a Pontiac GTO but that's about it. I admit, though I like cars and I like driving them, the only reason I am able to work with them is because of my powers and the ability to sense how the pieces fit together to make a whole.
"How are Warren and Sharon?" Vati questions as soon as I put the kickstand down.
"They're good. I suggest you go see them sometime today before you leave. Sharon definitely misses you." We walk into the house in silence.
"Vati?"
"Yes, boychick?" Raven walks in, holding a bowl of salad.
"Dinner's ready," she announces.
"Who's my mother?"
The bowl shatters on the floor from Raven's surprise.
I shall not apologize for not posting for I have no need to justify why I have not done so other than to tell you that I was unable to until now.