I'm back! Sorry I didn't update in October, I was too busy with Ghost of Hero's Past. The good news is I don't have any major Christmas stories (though I may make a one-shot) so I probably won't be skipping a month again anytime soon. Well, you probably want to read the chapter, so I'll just move onto the reviews!
LabRatsWhore: I'm glad you liked how I did Danny and Breana, since it'll be relevant soon! ;)! Well, yeah, I suppose you're right about that, but I'd prefer not to talk about the…logistics of M-preg, it's a little uncomfortable. I like to keep it at a 'it happened, and that's that' basis. Thanks for the review!
Purpledolpin05: I'm glad you enjoyed! Yeah, we'll see how Skylar responds to that. Oliver: Thanks Tracy! XD! Yes! Zach and Magenta were meant to be, and now they have kids. That's a good thought, actually. I just figured that since Will Stronghold's actual name is William, Wilson would fit the 'Will' name. But he could also be named after Ron Wilson. I'm glad the power placement worked for you! You'll be seeing your OCs again soon, I promise! Oh yeah, the ships keep coming and will get more intense as the story progresses. Thanks for the review!
Brentinator: I'm glad you enjoyed! Well, we'll see how Skylar feels. Thanks for the review!
Jaleftwich02: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks for the advice, I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!
BfwNgFiymTnsgirl: I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Leana: Not really, I'm focusing on Sky High and my school work right now. Thanks for the review!
The Dreamer With A Passion: Well that's good, I'm happy you're enjoying it! Yeah, Coach Boomer is quite the interesting character. I didn't want to waste too much time having him ask each student, so I just cut that out. Okay, I'll remember that! Yeah, siblings should have a special connection. Thanks for the review!
PurpleNicole531: Yeah, it was kind of out of nowhere. Coach Boomer is certainly tough on the students, but he's preparing them to be a hero one day so it's (sort of) okay. XD! Yeah, some of the students are real jokers. Actually, there's twice as many heroes as there are sidekicks! (I know it's hard to believe, but once the rest of the school gets introduced you'll see there's many more heroes.) Thanks for the review!
Writer207: Glad you thought so! Actually, there's twice as many heroes as there are sidekicks. But I can see how it's hard to tell, what with how many freshmen are sidekicks. Yeah, we'll see what happens to Skylar. XD! Yup, Coach Boomer is certainly a tough guy, but he was fun to write overall. Thanks for the review!
TheUnknownBlock (2 reviews): (Chapter 2) XD! That's fine, I've accidentally forgotten to follow a story, too, before. I hope you're enjoying! (Chapter 4) No, it wasn't, they just credited the sidekicks for being heroic. From what I know, there's still Power Placement. I'm glad you're enjoying, and who knows? I might make that happen. XD! Thanks for the reviews!
Katrina: I'm glad you're enjoying! Believe me, the Skoliver will just keep coming. XD! Thanks for the review!
OMG guys! Thanks for so many reviews, I'm flattered! And have any of you heard the news, there MIGHT be a Sky High 2 being made! I'm going to be SO excited if there's a sequel, I love the movie so much! (As long as they don't screw it up.) Now, onto the story!
"What happened?!"
"Skylar's power placement!"
"Why did you let her do that?!"
"There wasn't much of a choice!"
"Is she gonna be okay?"
"What do we do?!"
"Wait, I think I saw her move…"
"KAZ! Don't poke her!"
"Oh, she's waking up!"
Xxx
Skylar slowly blinked open her eyes, then quickly shut them when she looked into a blinding light.
"Oh, sorry about that," came a familiar voice. Shortly after, Skylar could just make out a white wolf moving the lamp.
"B-Boji? Whattaya doing here?" Skylar muttered, her voice slurring a bit.
Boji smiled. "I work here now. You're in the nurse's office."
"W-why?"
"You don't remember?"
Skylar shook her head. "Not at all."
"Um…" Boji looked a bit uncomfortable. She turned her head to someone Skylar couldn't see from laying down. "Maybe it'd be best if you explained to her."
Before anyone could react, someone shoved his hand in Skylar's face. "How many fingers am I holding up?!" shouted Kaz, causing Skylar to flinch.
"Would you knock it off?!" shouted a voice, and then Kaz was yanked away.
Shortly after, Bree and Oliver leaned over the cot Skylar was laid out on. "Bree! Oliver!" Skylar said.
"Hey Skylar," said Bree, though her tone was a bit on edge. "How're you feeling?"
"My head hurts a bit, but other than that I feel fine," said Skylar.
"Wha-"
"I used some of my healing power to fix her broken bones," Boji cut in. "It couldn't fix everything though, luckily I think her headache will go away soon."
"Broken bones?! What're you talking about?" Skylar asked, looking panicked.
"Um…what's the last thing you remember?" asked Oliver.
"I remember entering the gym for some reason," said Skylar. "Why were we in the gym?"
"Uh, Power Placement," Oliver said, slowly, as though he was trying to coax Skylar into something.
"Did I get injured?"
"Yes."
"Doing what?"
Oliver sighed. "Skylar, close your eyes and think hard."
Skylar rolled her eyes, but did as he said. Come to think of it, he couldn't really see her roll her eyes, since she'd closed them.
Skylar tried to dig as far back into her memories as she could manage, but it just wasn't working. Everything after the meeting with Principle Powers was a blur, and she just couldn't figure out what Oliver was so reluctant to tell her.
"Why don't you just tell her?"
Skylar kept her eyes closed, but focused on Kaz's voice.
"Kaz! She'd be crushed!" That was Bree…
"So? She's gonna find out sooner or later, might as well learn from her friends!"
Bree now was explaining something to Kaz, and she sounded desperate. "She's still in shock, now's not a good time to tell her she's a-"
A what?
"Sidekick."
"SIDEKICK!" Coach Boomer shouted, as Skylar's eyes shut.
"Nurse! Nurse!" screamed Bree.
"There's no nurse on hand for Power Placement!" scoffed Coach Boomer.
"Why not?!"
"Eh, I don't really care about the casualties."
"Help! Somebody!" Bree continued to shout, afraid to even touch Skylar in case she hurt her further.
"What's the commotion?" Fang suddenly barked, running into the room. He wore a vest with the words 'Defense Guard Fang' not unlike that of a police dog, and a holster with a Taser inside.
"Skylar's injured! Tell Boji to come quick with a gurney!" shouted Oliver.
"Will do," said Fang, turning to his walkie-talkie.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," Shelby kept repeating, pacing in circles.
"Can I take a picture?" asked one of the heroes, Jones.
"NO!" screamed Oliver.
Kate hid behind Logan, in shock from the suddenness of the situation. Bree looked like she might cry, and joined Oliver beside Skylar. Oliver hugged Skylar close. "Please be okay…" He didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't.
"I'm here, what happened?" asked Boji, running in. She was wearing a necklace with an ID tag attached to it, and an old-fashioned nurse's cap.
"Skylar hurt herself during Power Placement, we'll explain everything on the way to the nurse's office," said Oliver, as he and Adam placed Skylar's limp form on the gurney.
"OLIVER! BREE!" screamed Skylar, jumping to her feet from the shock of the memory. Unfortunately her balance hadn't yet returned, and the moment she stood she toppled over, though luckily Oliver and Bree caught her. Oliver and Bree helped her back onto the cot, and it was only then that she noticed the new face in the room. "Who're you?"
The new guy, who had brown hair and brown eyes, waved. "I'm Jerry Drew."
Bree immediately walked over and slapped him.
"What'd you do to her!?"
"Ow!" whined Jerry. "I have superpower manipulation, which means I can give temporary power to anyone. I used my power to give Skylar the ability to see into the past, so she could know what happened after Coach Boomer declared her a sidekick. Don't worry, I took the power away just now."
"And how would you know what happened during Power Placement?" asked Bree.
"Hey, I'm a sidekick too. Sometimes I like to watch the Power Placement in secret to see who'll be joining me n' my sidekick pals," Jerry said, casually.
"Would you just get out?!"
"Sure thing," said Jerry, with a smirk. He left, and Bree sighed and wiped her brow.
"What is up with the kids at this school?!"
She paused when she noticed the empty expression on Skylar's face. "Bree…tell me it isn't true…"
"Tell you what isn't true?"
"Tell me he's lying. Please!"
"Boji…" Bree said. "Is there something that happened with Skylar's head you aren't telling us about?"
"Am I really a sidekick?"
"Oh," Bree said, feeling the wind knocked out of her. "Well…uh…in some senses…um…"
"Bree…"
"Yes."
Xxx
Oliver walked upstairs to the girls' dorm. He saw Bree sitting against her bedroom door, and went over to her. "How's she doing?" Oliver asked.
Bree bit her lip. "Oliver, it's been three days and she won't talk to me."
"Well, the nurse gave her sick leave from school for a few days, on account of her injuries…"
"Oliver, I'm worried." Bree looked at the door to her room and sighed. "She won't come out. She's taking this really hard, and I don't get it! What's so bad about being a sidekick?"
"I-I'm not entirely sure myself," Oliver said, slowly. "I think it's a matter of pride. Look, I've known Skylar longer than you, and you would be surprised some of the things she's done in order to prove she's a hero."
Bree shook her head. "I just wish she could explain this all to me…"
Oliver sighed, and placed a hand on the doorknob, yanking it down. He intended to open the door, but since it was locked, he accidentally ripped the knob out with his superstrength. "Uh…sorry."
Bree groaned. "It's fine, just be more careful next time."
Now that there wasn't a knob, they could just push the door open. Bree walked over to Skylar's bed and sat beside her. Skylar was laying down, but didn't appear to be asleep.
Bree sighed. "Skylar, would you look at me?" When Skylar didn't respond, Bree just pulled her into a sitting position. "Look, I know losing your powers was hard, but that doesn't mean you're not a hero. Neither does Coach Boomer screaming his head off."
"Yes it does…" murmured Skylar.
"Why?! Because some lunatic says so?!" asked Bree, incredulously.
"No…" said Skylar, seeming somewhat distant. "The school's gonna make it official…"
"What do you mean?" asked Oliver.
At this point, Kaz and Chase had noticed the door to Skylar's room open, and walked in. "Yeah, Skylar," said Kaz. "Why're you acting weird?"
Bree nudged him, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"My license will be changed," said Skylar.
"There are hero licenses?!" asked Chase. "Okay, I am done with you super-freaks."
"My official files," said Skylar. "You know, what you look into when a hero is sick or something. Every hero has a file, kind of like your birth-certificates, I guess, or medical files. Mine will be officially changed to say I'm a-a sidekick. Not a hero." Skylar looked away then, feeling embarrassed. Bree was just glad Skylar had finally said something after three days.
"But wasn't your file changed when you lost your powers?" asked Chase.
Oliver blushed. "Well…I might've said I'd change her files and then "accidentally" misplaced them."
"Well, look on the bright side," said Bree. "You are a hero. You have training and experience that no one else has at this school. So what if it isn't official anymore? The world will always know you as Skylar Storm: the superhero."
"And who's to say you won't get your powers back?" asked Oliver. "No matter what, I'm going to keep trying. I promised you I would."
"You'll ace sidekick school," said Bree.
"I don't want to go to sidekick school!" Skylar suddenly shouted, shoving away from Bree. Bree gave her an alarmed look as Skylar scooted away from her, towards the opposite end of the bed.
"I didn't mean to insult you," said Bree. "It's just…you got into sidekick school. You don't really have much of a choice."
"Yeah, you can't stay in this room forever," said Chase. "And Oliver really needs to go to hero school."
"I'm not a great flier, I GET IT!" snapped Oliver.
"I don't want to go to sidekick school…" Skylar just repeated.
"Do you want to…give up?" Bree asked, in confusion. "Like, go back to Centium City?"
Skylar sighed. "I don't know."
"Come on, Skylar," groaned Kaz. "You haven't even had a first day of school yet!"
"Oh, shut it," snapped Chase. "You're only mad because if we went home, you'd have to leave Cyd behind."
"Uh, duh!" Kaz yelled. "Is it so wrong to like a girl?!"
"Guys! Quiet!" shouted Bree. "We aren't talking about this!"
"Talking about what?" asked Leo, entering the room with Taylor, Spark, Logan, Kate, and Adam.
Skylar groaned and laid down again, turning towards the wall.
"One dorm, people! There's not much space!" announced Bree.
"What's wrong, Skylar?" asked Spark.
"She's upset about powers, or worth, or being a sidekick or something. I wasn't really paying attention," said Kaz.
"I didn't ask you!" snapped Spark.
"AHH! Don't kill me!" yelped Kaz, hiding behind Chase.
"Okay, OKAY!" shouted Oliver. "Calm down, people. There's too much happening at once."
"Is that true?" a voice suddenly asked. Everyone turned when they realized the voice belonged to Taylor; ever since she lost her vision everyone paid close attention when she spoke, as though that was the only way to understand her. "Is Skylar upset about being a sidekick?"
Skylar responded with a muffled 'Uh-huh' from her bed.
Taylor came over and sat beside Skylar. "You know, I felt the same way when I lost my vision."
"No you didn't," whispered Skylar, now sounding like she was choking on her words.
Taylor just gave her a sympathetic smile. "Okay, maybe not the same way, but I get what you're feeling. It's hard to lose something very important to you. However, you can't let it ruin your life. I thought I'd never be a bionic hero after losing my vision, but-" she smiled at Leo, "Leo showed me otherwise. Let the people you're close to do the same."
For a moment, everyone was silent. They all just tried to take in what Taylor had said, until finally Bree spoke.
"I think Skylar and I need some alone time," said Bree.
"Okay," said Logan. "Come on, guys. Let's give them some privacy."
"So, Logan, do you want to knock on Cyd and Shelby's dorm later-?" Kaz began, as he and Logan left in the lead.
As everyone left, Oliver cast one last glance at the two girls before closing the door as well as he could without the knob. Bree nodded to Oliver, sharing an unspoken agreement that, between the two of them, Skylar would be helped.
"Skylar?" Bree asked, quietly.
"What?" groaned Skylar. "I want to be alone…"
"What, to wallow in misery? Not gonna happen," said Bree. "Come on, Skylar. Is it so bad to be a sidekick?"
"Yes!" Skylar yelled. "Sidekicks don't do anything exciting! They don't beat the bad-guy or save the citizens or even have their own comic book series. A sidekick's just 'guy who's not-as-cool as other guy'. No one even knows a sidekick's name…"
"Well, couldn't you change that?" asked Bree. "Make an identity for yourself?"
"Yeah, because whoever I'm partnered with would just love that," snarled Skylar, in a snarky voice.
"Skylar, when was the last time you even left this room? Do you even know what day it is?"
"Who cares? I'm not a hero. It doesn't matter if I even show up for class."
"How bad could it be?" asked Bree.
"There's lessons on handing the proper equipment to the hero," growled Skylar.
"Well…okay, that's pretty bad…" mumbled Bree. "But you can't just…rot in this room."
"Well, on my planet-"
"If this has something to do with 'rotting', I don't want to hear it!"
Skylar sighed. "Fine. Have fun at hero school, but just leave me be."
"Okay," said Bree. "But you have to come out of here eventually, or I'll drag you out." Bree didn't say it, but she was becoming very concerned about Skylar. She wasn't looking so great, not just because of the many negative effects of staying in bed for three days without even sleeping, but it was also the expression on her face, like none Bree had ever seen her make. She just looked so…hopeless.
Bree sat up from Skylar's bed, grabbing an untouched plate of food from beside the bed as she headed to the door. She took one last look at her sister, who was now staring at the wall expressionlessly, before shutting the door.
Xxx
Hours later, Skylar hadn't changed positions. All these days, and she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she was a sidekick. A sidekick. Her. The Skylar Storm.
Skylar sighed. A part of her felt bad for lashing out at Bree. Bree had been surprisingly sympathetic about the whole 'situation' and didn't ever tell her she was 'overreacting', like Kaz or Chase. Skylar knew she'd have to leave the room eventually and face her friends, but how? How could she look them in the eyes and accept it…a sidekick…for who knows how long.
Leaving the room hadn't been a problem so far. She didn't really need to use the bathroom, since she'd eaten very little the past few days, and the last thing she wanted was to see anyone, even her friends. Skylar figured that's why she ignored them when they entered her room, it was the only way to hide her true feelings…
Suddenly, she heard a rustling across the room, and couldn't resist looking towards the door. What she saw surprised her: a hand slipped under the door, slid a note in her direction, and then withdrew.
Skylar heard footsteps walking away, and despite her defiance towards human contact, she couldn't help her curiosity.
Skylar stood from her bed, gripping the desk beside her to steady herself. She shakily walked towards the door, and dropped to her knees. Skylar picked up the note and read it to herself.
Meet me in the library at midnight.
Xxx
Until 11:30, Skylar had went back to bed. Skylar was curious, however, that Bree didn't come back. For a moment, she wondered if she should be worried, but ultimately decided the school was safe in the clouds. Once it was 11:30, Skylar paced across the floor, trying to exercise her stiff legs and also trying not to be impatient. The note had made Skylar quite intrigued, and she couldn't help the nervous excitement in her. As much as she wanted to stay indoors, less people would be around at midnight and she might finally have a chance to go on some sort of mission.
Once it was finally midnight, Skylar crept down the hall and out of the dorm. She realized she would need to enter the school to get to the library, and the thought made her anxious. She had no way of getting in.
Skylar walked around the campus, searching for an open door while praying she wouldn't trip an alarm. Surprisingly, a door on the side of the school was swinging open. Skylar looked around, wondering if this was some sort of trick, but then decided to just enter.
It took Skylar some time but she eventually found the library. It wasn't too hard, though, since there was a trail of muddy footprints to follow leading to the library.
When Skylar entered, she was surprised at what she saw. Bree, Chase, Kaz, Oliver, Adam, Leo, Taylor, Logan, Kate, Spark, Shelby, and Cyd were gathered around a table, looking at some books. She hadn't expected them to be here, the note seemed so…mysterious.
When Bree noticed Skylar's confusion, she smacked Chase's arm. "Chase, I told you you should've signed those stupid notes!"
"Hey!" whined Chase. "I thought it'd be cooler if I went anonymous! Also, she wouldn't have come if she knew I sent the notes."
Skylar sighed. Well, that was true. "What're they doing here?" She gestured to Cyd and Shelby.
"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing," Chase snipped, stealing a glare at Logan and Kaz, who just chuckled awkwardly.
"Can you blame us?" asked Kaz.
Bree stood from her seat at the table and walked over to Skylar, putting an arm around her. "Hey Skylar, you feeling better?"
Skylar just shook her head. Now that she knew she wasn't being called in for some secret mission or some way to redeem herself, she most certainly didn't feel better.
Chase gave her a half-smile, then turned back to the group. "Okay, I need to know more about this 'Sky High' place. There's a lot of stuff Scorch said to us that I don't understand, and…I hate not understanding!"
"You get used to it," Kaz said.
"Skylar, you know about Sky High, right?" asked Bree, prompting Skylar.
Skylar nodded. "Yeah…"
"Why don't you tell us about it?"
"Well," began Skylar. "Sky High has been a school for heroes for as long as I can remember. When I was on Caldera, my friends Experion and Scarlett and I used to talk about going to Sky High, but I decided to just jump right into being a superhero without training from Sky High."
Bree looked relieved that Skylar was talking. "Why didn't you go to Sky High? You seemed really excited about it when Boji enrolled us."
Skylar blushed awkwardly. "Honestly, I was afraid to go alone. I'd never been to high school before, and the whole thing seemed terrifying, especially once Scarlett and Experion decided not to go either. After going to normo school, though, I decided that hero school could be fun." Hero school. Not sidekick school.
"Okay, hold up!" announced Cyd. "You people have got a lot of explaining to do! What's Caldera? What kind of name is Experion? What's Mighty Med? Why is everyone talking about crazy-sounding planets? Up until now, I thought the galaxy was just Mercury, Venus, the moon, Neptupiter, and Australia!"
"Only the first two were even remotely correct," said Chase. "And may I ask, why wasn't the Earth a part of your solar system!?"
"Wait…" began Cyd, thinking.
"Oh, forget I asked!" snapped Chase.
Skylar, Oliver, Spark, and Kaz exchanged looks for a moment, before they decided Cyd and Shelby were trustworthy enough for their explanation.
"Cyd, Shelby…particularly Shelby," began Skylar. "You may want to sit down." Shelby wasted no time taking a seat, having fainted enough times during the school tour.
"Okay, well, you probably figured out during this tour that superheroes are real," said Spark.
"Really?! All of them?! Even the ABC Superhero from kindergarten?!" blurted out Cyd.
Spark quirked an eyebrow. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Let me rephrase, all comic book superheroes are real. Not the cheap, normo knock-offs."
"Wait, so there's empowered female heroes? Sweet!" cheered Shelby.
Spark grinned. "Yeah, like me and Skylar."
"I knew you were Skylar Storm! Told ya, Shelby!" shouted Cyd, sticking her tongue out at Shelby.
"You guys take a long time to catch on, don't you?" asked Skylar.
"Yup!" Cyd responded, as Shelby said. "Hey!"
"Anyway," continued Oliver. "Caldera is one of the many planets apart from Earth's solar system inhabited by heroes that is unknown to normos. 'Normos' is what the superheroes call people who don't have powers."
"Oh!" gasped Cyd. "So I was right about-"
"There's no such thing as Neptupiter!" screamed Chase.
"Fine. What other planets are out there?" asked Shelby.
Oliver chewed his lip in thought. "Well, there's a lot of planets-"
"Just the cool hero ones!" announced Cyd.
Oliver rolled his eyes. "Okay, the ones I remember are Caldera, Malmarn, Zandor, Rebma, Kreln, Planet Dork, Gorlax, and Baaaaaaaahh."
"Wait, there's a planet called 'Bah'?" asked Shelby.
"It's pronounced 'Baaaaaaaahh'," said Kaz.
"And Planet Dork? Is that where Chase came from?" asked Cyd.
"What?!" barked Chase.
"I'm pretty sure," responded Skylar. "I mean, has anyone actually seen Chase's birth certificate?"
"Okay, okay!" shouted Chase. "I'm not having this conversation with you, alien freak!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Shelby. "Now I'm really confused. How haven't humans, err, normos learned of hero planets?"
"Heroes are just smarter than normos, I guess," said Spark. "I'm not really sure, but I think hero planets are resistant to the materials used by normos to track and discover foreign territories. Like, if human tracking devices were iron and hero planets were salt water. The two don't go together, and one always clearly beats the other."
"That makes sense, I guess," said Shelby. "After all, heroes are stronger than normos."
"Now, what other questions did you ask?" asked Oliver. "Oh yeah, you asked about hero names and Mighty Med. Well, hero names are simple. To normos, names like 'Todd' or 'Susie' are common, however on hero planets names like 'Experion', 'Aiee-yiki-yiki-whaa', or 'Kakai-rata-hee-haw-mwuaak-floopy-pa-zoing' are common. It's just a matter of what they grow up with." Oliver shrugged, as though this was so normal.
"Yeah, on my planet, my name is considered uncommon," said Skylar. "Though, there's some normal-named people I know, like Scarlett, Betty, and Emily." Skylar paused for a moment. "You know, I haven't heard from Scarlett in a while, I don't know what she and Experion did after I left Caldera..."
"Well, Experion was evil so…that answers that question," said Kaz.
"Why do I get the feeling you're making this all up?" asked Cyd.
"Trust me, we all get that feeling," said Bree.
"You'll get used to it." Kaz shrugged.
"Now, what's Mighty Med?" asked Shelby.
"Oh, well, Mighty Med is the hospital for superheroes," said Oliver.
"That's ridiculous. Heroes never get hurt," said Shelby.
Oliver almost burst out laughing right then and there. "Okay, just because you don't see a hero with an injury doesn't mean they don't get hurt. Heroes battle the most dangerous villains of all time, do you really think they come out unscathed?"
"Well, when you put it that way…"
"A hero's entire life is documented into a comic book series by a man named Ambrose, who is the head of the comic book department. He releases everything to the public, except what happens directly after a battle. Then, a man named Fred drives an invisible ambulance to the sight of the battle if the hero is too injured to fly to Mighty Med, and the Mighty Med doctors begin treating the hero when he or she arrives. Once the hero is all better, they're released from the hospital to return to their home planet. It's like our hospitals, really, just more 'super'," Kaz explained.
"You remember all that, but you didn't remember to wear your shoes to the library?!" asked Oliver.
"Wait," said Shelby. "Is this Ambrose dude watching us?"
"Probably."
"Can he see us in the shower?"
"Yes." Shelby froze, and Oliver added. "Shelby! He's a decent guy!"
"Oh thank god!"
"Wait a sec," interrupted Cyd. "Why doesn't this Ambrose guy show us the truth: that heroes aren't invincible?"
"Because," said Spark. "The heroes can't have the villains seeing them weakened. Not to mention, if villains saw heroes being healed, they'd know when they're vulnerable to attack. Mighty Med is kept as secret as possible from the villains…well, was kept as secret as possible."
"What?" asked Cyd.
"Mighty Med was destroyed not too long ago," said Skylar. "That's why Oliver, Kaz, and I moved into the Davenport penthouse with Bree and Chase, and why Spark moved to the Bionic Island for a short time. We had nowhere to go…"
All the heroes were silent for a second, feeling a strong sense of grief for the loss of the beloved hospital they had spent so much time in. No one spoke, out of respect for the four heroes.
After a while, Chase decided to change the topic. "I found a yearbook from about twenty-five years ago with some pictures of heroes that went here."
Chase flipped to a random page, and Skylar was surprised that she recognized some of the heroes. "Hey! It's Snowstorm! Looks like she was voted 'Coolest Girl in School'."
"And Phillip was voted 'Most Likely To Become a Brain Surgeon'. Wow, the future was not kind to him," added Kaz, looking over Skylar's shoulder.
"Who knew Tecton had a mullet?" Oliver muttered, looking at the picture of Tecton, with the words 'Voted Most Popular' underneath.
"Aww, it looks like Solar Flare and Blue Tornado were voted 'Cutest Couple'," Bree squealed.
"Okay, okay, who are these people?!" snapped Shelby.
"Heroes, duh!" squealed Cyd. "Isn't it great?!"
"What we need is a history book of the high school," said Chase. "I want to learn about this school now!"
"Geez, no need to be a cry-baby," sassed Bree. "We'll find you a book."
Before Chase could respond, Bree grabbed Skylar's hand and supersped her into one of the rows of books. The others just shrugged and began partnering up to search for books about the school.
Xxx
"It all feels so…surreal," whispered Cyd, while she and Shelby searched for books.
"Wow, I didn't think you knew what 'surreal' meant," said Shelby.
"It means 'super unreal', duh!" said Cyd, and Shelby face-palmed. "But seriously. We're at a school for superheroes! Don't you get it, Shelby?! We're superheroes!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Shelby. "Slow down, Cyd. We aren't superheroes yet."
"Oh yeah, I forgot, you haven't attended any classes yet," said Cyd, with a smirk. For the days Skylar had been unconscious, Shelby had opted to not start hero school. She had said it was because she wanted to make sure Skylar was okay while Bree was at school, but really Cyd thought she was just afraid.
"I will, now that Skylar's awake!" announced Shelby, though she still looked unsure.
"Shelby, don't be afraid. They're not going to drop you in a vat of toxic waste or tie your limbs in knots," said Cyd. "Unlike you, I went to class…wow, never thought I'd say those six words in that order."
"Yeah, Shelby," said a voice behind them. They turned and saw Taylor standing there, searching with Spark. "Don't be so afraid. Believe me, if I can do it without sight, you can too."
"But you were trained all your life," said Shelby. "And Cyd, you've always been tough. What if…I don't have what it takes to be a hero?"
"Of course you don't," said Spark.
"Gee, thanks," said Shelby, sarcastically.
"You didn't let me finish," said Spark. "Almost no one here is a hero. That's why there's a school in the first place, so teenagers can be taught to use their powers for good. No one expects you to be perfect, you just have to learn."
"Wow, that's actually good advice," said Shelby.
"Don't sound so surprised," responded Spark.
"We'll be in hero class too," added Taylor. "You won't be alone, Shelby. Beside, you'll have Cyd."
"Thanks guys." Even though she didn't know much about Spark and Taylor, she suddenly felt a strong feeling of comradery for both girls. "Maybe…maybe Sky High won't be as scary as I thought it would be."
Xxx
Skylar grabbed a book off a shelf marked 'Historical'. It hasn't taken her long to figure out that the Sky High library didn't have any normo history, so 'Historical' meant it had something to do with heroes.
"Hey Skylar, did you find something?" asked Bree, coming up behind her.
Skylar shrugged and held the book out for Bree to see. "'Sky High: Where Heroes are Born'. That looks useful."
Skylar placed the book on a nearby table, and Bree called for Chase. Soon, though, everyone had surrounded them.
"Let's see…" murmured Chase. "Sky High was built in the 1940's, I think. It looks like there's no specific founding date."
"How is any of that important?" asked Bree. "Get to the cool stuff!"
Chase groaned. "Fine, I'll just read the whole book in my room later. Now let's see…" He flipped a few pages. "Oh! I think I found what Cyra and Scorch were talking about! You know, the story about Will and Layla!"
"Well, read it!" urged Bree.
"Okay, it looks like Will first came to Sky High without powers and was put at sidekick status," said Chase.
At once, everyone looked at Skylar. "What?" she asked.
"Uh…nothing. Continue, Chase," said Bree.
"Well, a supervillain called Royal Pain was posing as a student at the school," continued Chase. "However, once Will discovered his powers of strength and flight, she decided to try to drive a wedge between him and his friends, so he'd be more vulnerable. Then, during the school dance, Royal Pain used a weapon called 'The Pacifier' to turn all the heroes into babies in the gym. The only people who escaped were Will and a group of sidekicks."
"What were their names?" asked Shelby.
"I was getting to that!" snapped Chase.
"Gee, someone's in a mood," said Kaz.
"The sidekicks were named Layla, Magenta, Zach, and Ethan. There was also a hero with them, named Warren Peace," said Chase.
"Warren Peace…isn't he Snow Queen's father?" asked Taylor.
"Yeah, so I suggest you don't make fun of his name," said Chase. "Apparently they fought off Royal Pain, along with her helpers, a joker names Stitches, Penny, Lash, and Speed."
"Wait, Whiplash and Diamond are their children," said Cyd. "Why are they allowed here?!"
"Principle Powers is a very tolerant person," said Skylar. "She believes that everyone, even villain kids, deserve a chance to become good."
"Still, we should probably keep an eye on them," said Oliver. "If there's one thing I've learned from comic books, it's that villains are crazy about revenge. With Lilly, Periwinkle, Violet, and Samuel here, I wouldn't be surprised if Whiplash or Diamond went after them on behalf of their parents."
Shelby gulped. "Err…Chase, is there anything else you learned?"
"Yeah. Did you know Principle Powers' comet ability created the Grand Canyon?"
"How old is she?!" gasped Bree.
"Well, it looks like she's been the principle since the school was founded and hasn't aged a day, according to these pictures," said Chase.
"I meant, is there anything else we should worry about?" asked Shelby, groaning.
"Not much. You really need to stop freaking out, Shelby," said Chase. "The only real difference between you and everyone else here is most students are aliens."
"That's a pretty big difference!"
"Yeah, but aside from being very cold or heat tolerant, they won't be able to do anything better than you," said Chase.
"We all have equal opportunities here," said Logan. "Besides, I'll be with you. So what do you say?"
Shelby smiled. "Let's do this thing. I guess, it's time for all of us to start Sky High."
Xxx
At 3:00 AM, the group left the library. Cyd and Shelby went back to their dorm, Skylar with Bree, Adam with Chase, Logan with Leo, Taylor with Kate and Spark, and Oliver with Kaz.
Skylar sat at the writing desk in their room, scrolling through pictures on her phone. Most were pictures of her in her pink superhero costume, others were her hanging out with Kaz and Oliver in…Mighty Med.
"Are you okay?" asked Bree, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't know," said Skylar. "I just…I just want to be a hero again."
Bree wrapped her arms around Skylar. "You will be, just not right now. But I trust Oliver and Chase. They'll get your powers back eventually. Just give them some time."
"Yeah…" Skylar nodded, but continued to search through the pictures on her phone.
"Do you miss Mighty Med?"
"Sometimes," said Skylar. "Well, a lot of the times. I know a lot of heroes pitied me, but at least I felt like a hero there. Even if most of the missions I went on were behind Horace's back." She paused. "I hope Horace is okay."
Bree sat down on her bed, and as Skylar was looking through her phone, she heard a 'ding'. Skylar went into her text messages, and realized Bree had sent her a picture.
It was their first (and last) team selfie.
Bree smiled at Skylar. "You're still a hero, no matter what they say. I believe it, the others believe it, now you have to believe it."
So, what did you think? I know, it's not my best chapter because I was lacking inspiration. Still, since I was too busy in October with Ghost of Hero's Past, I figured I needed to make this update as fast as possible. And hey, I was able to get some sweet moments in there. By the way, this story still takes place before Power Play (episode 3) so some people/situations will be explained/changed even though you as readers may know how it already happens. I say this because I explained Scarlett to you as though she wasn't on the show yet (or dead) so remember, she isn't dead yet in this story. Who knows, maybe she'll guest star? I don't know yet, but just know, now that Sky High is in our heroes' lives, nothing will be the same. And I promise, this story will go on WAY longer than Elite Force did. :) Here's another detail, since the story happens before Need for Speed, the Elite Force superhero suits haven't been created yet. So if Skylar references a super-suit, she's talking about her pink costume. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! BTW, all planets and most other details in this chapter are real. The only planet that belongs to me is Rebma, otherwise the other have been mentioned in Mighty Med. Cool, right?