Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update in January, there was testing and various issues/illnesses, I know I should have updated anyway but I couldn't bring myself to. Oh well, I'll try to make two chapters this month to make up for it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Now for reviews!
Brentinator: I'm glad you enjoyed, and thanks for understanding! Yikes, sounds wild. XD! Thanks for the review!
Purpledolpin05: Aww, I'm glad you enjoyed so much! (Gasps) Tracy! Mind your language! XD! Oh boy, Jones sure has plans for his future at Sky High. YES! Blast is so adorable, I'm shipping them so hard! Yes, Dr. Medulla looked too much like Philip to not be from Baaaaaaaah. So many ships going on, it makes me so happy! :D! Oh yeah, Cyra/Hunter is so shippable. Hmm…I don't really know which of Hunter's parents is a shapeshifter. Hunter probably won't go into detail, since they don't talk about their birth gender (thus not talking about their birth parents). Hey, Ms. Burgess could be related to Ambrose, who knows? Yeah, I made up the history because it sounded cool and made sense. Thanks for the review!
Amyiah: Yup, Cyd and Shelby rock! Thanks for the review!
LabRatsWhore: Yeah, I added lots of background and history to help legitimize some stuff. True, I think Daria will be a lesbian because I like having more diverse characters in stories. Yeah, especially with GMW ending, we need to give tribute to the characters! Plus, Ms. Burgess is just so superhero-oriented, it totally worked out. Really? Wow, that's actually really sweet to know you like the story enough to read that much. :)! Thanks for the review!
TheUnknownBlock: Yeah! So many awesome new people are coming in, and your OCs will be sprinkled throughout, too! Oh, really? Thanks for telling me, I didn't know that was a myth! XD! No sweat, I do the same thing. Thanks for the reviiiiiiiiew! XD!
Leana: I'll check them out when I have the time! Thanks for the review!
Jaleftwich02: Merry February now! XD! Whoops, skipped January. :P. I'm glad you're enjoying! Yes, Moonlight will be continued it's just that Writer207 and I are a little busy right now. Well, I don't know about the lord, but I certainly practice writing very hard so I can do well for all you readers! It's nice to see you this year! XD! (It's so hard to believe 2016 is already over). Thanks for the review!
Dog with btr: I'm glad you're enjoying! I'll try to fit your OC in soon, but keep in mind OCs are side characters and thus will not show up as much as main characters/freshmen. Thanks for the review!
The Dreamer With A Passion: Glad you enjoyed! I know, Coach Boomer flirting is kind of weird. XD! I know, I'm loving Professor Elast! Yeah, the history was fun to come up with. Well, I'm glad you can bear the waiting! Thanks for the review!
BeautifulSupernova: I'm glad you liked that, it took some studying! XD! I know, it's weird to think of superheroes before the time of comic books, but who knows? I mean, Sky high already claims that Principle Powers made the Grand Canyon, so that implies heroes have been around for a LONG time. Oh yeah, Mr. Boy is awesome. I'm glad you said that about Slick, because now I can tell you my favorite joke: Slick IS going places! Not college, but places. XD! Thanks for the review!
Writer207: I'm glad that all the parts were awesome! XD! Yeah, Slick is definitely a very prominent character (since he can't keep his mouth shut) and Ms. Burgess is a teacher I'd love to have. Yeah, it's hard for me to remember the OCs too. So far, the OCs that I have the easiest time remembering are Lilly, Friggit, and Slick, because they appear the most often. I may have took a little too much time on this chapter (whoops!) but at least it's hear now! Thanks for the review!
PurpleNicole531: (Two reviews) 1. Yay, I'm amazing! Never would've guessed if you didn't say so. XD! Sometimes I get tired when reading long chapters, but if you like long chapters then I'm glad you're happy! Well, I try very hard to make the dialogue and humor very realistic, because isn't verbal humor what Disney's all about? I'm glad that I'm doing well! Really? That's cool! I watch Sky High (or parts of Sky High) all the time, especially when I'm about to write a part of Sky High that corresponds with the movie. Oh Mighty Med…I MISS YOU! (Bursts into tears). Okay, okay, just give me a second to calm down…I'm good. XD! Yeah, this story will have many chapters because I guess I want a 'crowning glory' type of achievement on this sight. Let's just say, this is to make up for the loss of Elite Force! Yes! Girl power rocks, and Bree and Skylar are the easiest characters for me to write. Let's just say, there's going to be lots of sisterly stuff in this chapter, too. 2. Well, there's too many OCs for you all to keep track of, so I needed an informative list! XD! I'm glad it's doing its job. Thanks for the reviews!
Anonymous: Of course, there will be plenty of Cyd/Kaz in upcoming chapters. Maybe not right now, but there'll definitely be dates and dances in the future. Thanks for the review!
Wow, guys! You seriously flatter me with all these reviews. I don't deserve it with how late I usually am, thanks for sticking with the story! I've been busy lately, but all we can do is hope some time clears up in my schedule! Anyway, on to the story!
That afternoon…
Skylar trudged down the stairs from her dorm into the kitchen. All she could think about was the History lesson Mr. Boy had given them…and the information Slick supplied. Was it possible that dark magic existed? Was it still being practiced on Earth? Skylar had heard about dark magic being practiced on some other planets, mostly by the Annihilator and other big-league villains, but never within Earth's solar system. She supposed she could call some buddies on other planets to see if anything unusual had happened…just not Neptune. Neptune still had the worst reception!
At that moment, Skylar bumped into someone and they fell backwards. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention," cried Skylar.
"Eh, it's all right," said Friggit. "What were you doing, anyway?"
Skylar shrugged. "Just thinking about school, I guess."
"You looked upset," said Friggit.
"I guess…I'm just thinking about Mr. Boy's history class and…"
"You mean, what Slick said about dark magic still existing?" asked Friggit. Friggit started to chuckle. "Dude, he was joking. Slick loves to mess with people, it's his thing! Believe me, he was just trying to scare you."
Skylar nodded slowly. She was still trying to process the fact that Friggit had just called her 'dude'. "Well, he succeeded," Skylar said, awkwardly.
"Whoa, someone scared the great Skylar Storm herself?"
"I wasn't that-"
Before she could continue, Friggit started talking again. "I was coming up here to get you, actually. Bree said she wanted to speak with you. She's in the kitchen."
"Why, is something wrong?" asked Skylar.
"I don't know," said Friggit. "It seemed to be really important."
Skylar nodded seriously. "I'm on my way."
Xxx
"What is it?" Skylar asked, bursting into the kitchen.
"How was your first day?" asked Bree, excitement seeming to flow through her.
"Really?" asked Skylar. "This is what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Pshh, of course not," said Bree. "I just needed a way to start the conversation. You'll never guess who was just talking to me!"
"Was it Ron Wilson?!"
"Skylar, you're the only one who thinks he's a celebrity," said Bree, rolling her eyes. "I just talked to…Wilson!" she said, slowing down for dramatic effect. "He wants me to be his girlfriend!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" shouted Skylar. "When exactly did this happen?!"
"About ten minutes ago."
"When did you even leave the dorm?!"
"Like I said, about ten minutes ago."
"Why?!"
"I left my notebook in class, and decided to walk and enjoy the view instead of superspeed!"
Skylar dragged a hand down her face. "Wilson's a jerk! Cyra specifically told me this!"
"You don't know him like I do!" defended Bree.
"May I remind you, you've known him for about ten minutes?!" Skylar practically shouted.
"Come on, I'm only trying this out!" said Bree. She started to blush, and even twirled her hair a bit. Skylar had never seen Bree act so girly, but according to Chase, she used to be a lot girlier before she moved to the Bionic Island. "He's a junior, you know."
"And you're only a freshman!" stated Skylar. "This is creepy!"
"But school status isn't based on age here," said Bree. "He's not a creepy old guy, anyway. He's seventeen, and so am I."
"I should've trusted Leo when he told me Sagittarius's are shifty…" grumbled Skylar.
"Hey, no reason to get rude," said Bree, holding up a hand.
Skylar sighed. With so much on her mind regarding school, she wasn't in the mood for arguing with her best friend. "You know what? I trust you. But if he breaks your heart like Cyra says he will, I will break him."
Bree smiled and patted Skylar's shoulder. "I know you will," she said, in a teasing voice. "Now come on, we need to celebrate like real teenage girls with successful love lives!"
"In other words, not us."
Bree rolled her eyes. "Come on, I've already recorded some chick flicks we can watch!"
Skylar froze. "OLIVER! Come quick! Bree's torturing me!"
Bree stuck out her tongue, playfully. "Oh come on, when will you like more girly things?"
"When pigs fly, Bree."
"What about when people fly?" asked Bree, pointing out the window at Nina doing aerial backflips.
"Come on, let's go for a walk instead," said Skylar. "If I know you, and believe me, I do, you ran right back to the dorm after Wilson asked you to be his girlfriend to tell me. Which means, we need to retrieve your notebook."
Bree froze, remembering her real reason for leaving the dorms. "Oh, come on! Fine, you get out of chick-flicks for now, but mark my words, Skylar Storm, I will get you to act girly."
"Maybe I'll humor you on your birthday," said Skylar. "Or I could pummel you. My agreement on physical violence during holidays still stands."
Xxx
The next day, all the heroes reported to the gym. "We're sparring again!" shouted Coach Boomer. "If I see any of you lagging, you'll have to stand holding a one-hundred pound weight for approximately twenty minutes. Do I make myself CLEAR?!" He boomed the last part.
"Yes Coach Boomer!" shouted all the freshmen.
"Then it's go time!" shouted Professor Elast.
Adam, Bree, Chase, Oliver, Kaz, Leo, Cyd, Shelby, Taylor, Logan, Kate, and Spark all gathered in one corner with some warm-up equipment. Spark was leading the group in some stretches to start them out.
"Should I tell Spark the leg warmers aren't doing her any favors, or should I let Kaz tell her," whispered Shelby to Cyd.
"Hey, I don't want my boyfriend getting pummeled!" hissed Cyd. "We'll wait for Adam to say something stupid about it."
"Why're you telling me to touch my toes when I'm wearing shoes?" asked Adam. Before Spark could answer his question, Adam tossed his shoes off. "Oh well, problem solved!"
"Or maybe he isn't aware of anything going on right now," Cyd corrected.
"Hey, Jumbo!" shouted Coach Boomer. "Shoes on, or you'll have to lift the weight!"
"Ooh, I can do that!" Adam said, excitedly. He then grabbed the nearest weight – a two-hundred pounder – and tossed it over his head, nearly hitting Elizabeth.
"Hey, watch it!" she screamed.
"Watch what?" asked Adam.
Coach Boomer sighed. "I keep forgetting you have superstrength. I just kind of assume you have the opposite of supersmarts."
"Super-stupidity?" asked Chase. "Believe me, he has that too."
I can toss weights too!" shouted Shelby, before trying and failing to lift up two five-pound weights. "Never mind!"
"At least it's not like opening a ketchup bottle," added Kate. "Now that's impossible!"
Bree face-palmed. "Guys, you're not making us look good."
"Bionics," groaned Coach Boomer, walking away.
"Hey, that's bionic-ist!" shouted Adam.
"Once again, super-stupidity," groaned Chase.
"Okay, kids, get to work!" shouted Professor Elast. "If you aren't bleeding by the end of class, then you haven't done your job!"
"I'm starting to see why Coach Boomer's into her…" muttered Chase.
"Totally ship them, already planning the wedding," Shelby whispered to Chase.
"Okay, Shelby!" Cyd cut in. "I'm going to teach you how to do a roundhouse kick!"
"W-what?!" asked Shelby.
"Don't worry, there's mats all over the gym. You won't get hurt!" said Cyd.
Shelby gulped as Cyd led her to a mat. "Now this I'm interested in seeing," said Oliver.
"Just position your left leg sturdily in front of you," said Cyd, demonstrating. "Then bring your right leg as high as you can in a circular motion while also using your weight to put strength into the kick. Then, bring your right leg down in front of you."
"How do you know all this, but can't find the square root of twenty-five?" asked Shelby.
"Eh, the only important math is the math that tells me how far the person I want to kick is from me," said Cyd.
"You mean measurements?"
"Ugh, no, I hate learning measurements. Is it centimeters or inches, people?!"
"Right?!" shouted Kaz. "Cyd gets me!"
Shelby groaned. "How are you two soulmates?"
"Hey Cyd!" shouted another guy, Jones, running up to them. "Wanna spar?"
"Don't make moves on my woman!" gasped Kaz.
Jones gagged. "I'm asexual, dude, that's gross."
"Oh, in that case, go ahead," said Kaz.
"I already made Gander cry, let's see what I can do to you," smirked Jones.
"Gander isn't a part of this class," Taylor interjected.
"Oh…then I owe Gander an apology…" murmured Jones.
"You're on, dude!" said Cyd, as they both ran off.
"I'm seeing the beginning of a beautiful, and terrifying, friendship," said Logan, cheerfully.
"Nothing's better than friendship," agreed Shelby, in an equally cheerful voice.
"I still can't believe one time-traveler is dating a hero, and the other is dating a bionic. What're the odds?" asked Bree.
"The odds are even lower than Oliver's chances with Skylar," Chase immediately calculated.
"Hey! That was mean…" said Oliver.
Xxx
Skylar had barely been able to focus all day. She was too eager to get to lunch and finish her conversation with Daria. Maybe Daria had misspoken. Maybe Caldera wasn't in danger. Maybe…maybe Skylar should've been paying attention to Mr. Boy, because she'd just been called on.
"Skylar? Ms. Storm?" snapped Mr. Boy, growing frustrated. When Skylar finally looked him in the eye, he sighed. "Look, I know this isn't hero school but-"
"But what?" asked Skylar, in a challenging voice.
Mr. Boy sighed again. "But you still have to pay attention! You may learn something valuable here."
"Fine, I'm sorry," Skylar mumbled. "What was the question?"
"What are the two most popular ways a powerless person can obtain powers?" Skylar's face brightened up. "And don't get any ideas!" Mr. Boy added.
Skylar huffed. "The answer is falling into a vat of toxic waste or getting bit by a radioactive insect."
"You got that half right," said Mr. Boy. "Nowadays the most popular ways are falling into a vat of toxic waste or inhaling another hero's removed powers."
"That sounds like cannibalism," whimpered Lilly.
"Cool!" cheered Slick.
"Not if the powers were your own," Periwinkle added. "Then you're just taking back what's yours."
"Not if your own powers were tampered with," snipped Skylar.
"I didn't mean it like that," gasped Periwinkle, sounding sorry.
"Can it, Per," barked Violet. "It's not your fault that Skylar's bitter."
"I am not-"
"Class!" shouted Mr. Boy. "Class!" Mr. Boy's attempts at keeping his class from going to the dogs was failing.
"BE QUIET!" thundered a voice from the hall. Coach Boomer moved into the doorway, casting his glare across the class. All the sidekicks immediately shrank back, secretly fearing the sonic-screaming coach. "I was in the middle of an important meeting with Professor Elast!"
"Does that mean you were snogging her?" taunted Slick.
Coach Boomer crossed the room in a heartbeat and held Slick up by the collar of his shirt. "You wanna say that again to my face?"
Slick gulped and said nothing.
Mr. Boy shut his eyes and ran a tired hand through his hair. "Can we just get back to the lesson please? Barbie, would you read and answer the next question?"
"Uh…a radioactive zombie is charging at your hero, do you hand him: a) his silver-tipped crossbow, b) a wooden spike, c)…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Skylar. "If I'm already holding a crossbow, why don't I just shoot the zombie?"
"Yeah, and since when do zombies attack heroes?" asked Lacey.
"Most of these tests were made in the eighties," said Mr. Boy. "Things were…different then."
"And as for Skylar's question," said Samuel. "We're hero support. If our hero asks for a crossbow, we hand it to him."
"Or her," added Lilly.
"That's so stupid," snapped Skylar. "I'm perfectly capable of shooting a zombie! I used to take lessons from my friend Jordan!"
"Why'd you stop?" asked Periwinkle.
"Well, she's also into alien strangling games, so I had to get out of there fast," gulped Skylar.
"Skylar's better suited for handling weapons than most freshman heroes," said Tracy. "I mean, have you seen Chase?"
"Or Kate," added Violet.
"You do realize they have commando apps, right?" asked Skylar. "Kate's was reactivated so Coach Boomer could help her train and manage it."
"Oh…" said Dominic. "That explains why they're…the way they are."
"Stay on topic, students!" said Mr. Boy. "Skylar, handing weapons to a hero isn't so bad. We still get to train with them, after all."
"Well, I want to use 'em," said Skylar.
"Maybe one day…" murmured Mr. Boy, not having the heart to tell her that as long as she's a sidekick, that day will never come.
"Can we just move on to the next question?" Periwinkle asked, once again trying to diffuse the tension in the room.
"Thank you, Periwinkle," Mr. Boy heaved. "Next question, anyone?"
"I can't decide between a) bitten by a radioactive tiger or b) bitten by a regular tiger and then exposed to radiation," said Breana, reading the question to herself.
"What's with all the radioactive predators?" asked Johnny.
"It was the eighties, okay?!" snapped Mr. Boy, before calming his voice and taking a few breaths. Something told him this was going to be one of the most challenging classes he'd yet to face…
Xxx
Skylar rushed towards the lunchroom, running right into someone and knocking them over. "Oh, I'm sorry!"
"Skylar?" asked Bree, looking up at the person who'd knocked her over. "Are you also rushing to hear Daria's story?"
Skylar blushed and nodded. "I can't help it! I need to know if Caldera is in danger!"
Bree smiled. "Of course you do. Come on, let's go get the full story."
Bree and Skylar entered the cafeteria. Bree offered to get Skylar's lunch, since she knew Skylar would be too antsy to wait in the lunch line. Skylar sat at a table and tapped her foot against the ground, occasionally alternating to drum her fingers against the table. Still, Daria didn't come.
Bree arrived a few minutes later carrying two trays of milk, pizza, salads, and some other things Skylar didn't bother to look at. Bree chuckled. "Good thing I didn't get chocolate milk. By the looks of it, your blood sugar levels are already through the roof!"
Skylar rolled her eyes and gestured for Bree to sit beside her. "Daria still hasn't shown up. She's gonna show up, right? Right?!"
"Really good thing that I didn't get the chocolate milk."
"Bree!" screamed Skylar. "This is serious!"
Bree chuckled. "Well, you can stop freaking out because she's coming over to us right now."
Skylar breathed a sigh of relief. "Daria! Finish the story!"
"What, no 'hi'? No 'how was your day'?" teased Daria. Skylar just gave her an annoyed look. "Fine, fine. Where were we?"
"You were about to tell me who's dictating Caldera!" exclaimed Skylar.
"Oh, right," said Daria. "Believe it or not, it's these two teenagers!"
Skylar face-palmed. "Daria. About ninety percent of Calderans appear to be teenagers! Be specific!" Daria opened her mouth as though to continue, so Skylar added. "We all look the same!" Daria closed her mouth and thought some more.
"Well, one's a guy and one's a girl," said Daria.
"Pshh, that really narrows it down," said Bree, sarcastically.
"Would you people stop interrupting?" snapped Daria. "If I recall right, their names are…Scarlett and Experion. Ring a bell?"
Skylar's face froze in shock, while Bree's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "Experion…I think you told me about him. He's the one that tried to take you to the Annihilator, right?" When Skylar didn't respond, but continued staring off into the distance, Bree added. "Skylar…?"
"By the looks of it, I'd say Skylar just had an epiphany," said Daria, seeming amused.
"I had an epiphany once," said Adam, coming to sit beside them. "It was…strange."
"Adam, I don't think you know what 'epiphany' means," said Bree. "Because believe me, you've never had one." Adam was about to continue, so Bree added. "Spare me the details, please."
"Scarlett and Experion…" repeated Skylar, in an impossibly small voice, as though she didn't even hear them. "Are you…sure about that?"
Daria scrunched her face up in thought. "Um, yes. Why, do you know them?"
"Experion was a villain that Skylar fought," said Bree, immediately. "She's never mentioned a 'Scarlett'."
"Actually…that's not entirely true," said Skylar. "I did know Experion and Scarlett. They were my best friends."
"Oh, whew!" interrupted Daria. "I had no idea they were friends before becoming dictators. I just assumed they were married or something. It's so hard to tell how old you Calderans are!"
"Skylar, why didn't you tell me?" asked Bree, blatantly ignoring Daria.
"I-It's been hard to talk about Caldera since I lost my powers," said Skylar. "There's so much to explain, and you and Chase – particularly Chase – do not always make it easy. Besides, I was a little embarrassed that I believed Experion instead of Oliver when he came to Mighty Med to kidnap me."
"But I'm your sister, Skylar," said Bree. "You can tell me anything. Besides, Oliver's totally forgiven you. I don't think he's biologically capable of holding a grudge against you."
"Scarlett and Experion have taken over a few neighboring planets," continued Daria, gently. "I heard Baaaaaaaaah was easy to overpower, but they didn't want it." Bree shot Daria a 'now's not the time' look.
"Why isn't anyone helping the other planets?" asked Skylar.
"Like I said before, no one wants to 'get involved' these days," said Daria. "I swear, one day I'll become an intergalactic police officer. This universe really needs one!" Daria tried to humor Skylar, since Skylar seemed to be reaching the point-of-no-return of horror. Luckily, Bree seemed to have a better idea of what to say to make her sister feel better.
"They weren't evil when I knew them," said Skylar. "They were…good people. I wonder what changed them?"
"Maybe one day you'll know," said Bree.
Daria sighed. "Look, maybe now's not the right time to tell you this, but I think it's best that I get this out in the open. I heard…there are…others on Caldera. These people, they all wear masks, and no one who's managed to get footage of Caldera can identify them. I'm not sure what they're planning, but if I were to guess, I'd say they're assembling a hit-team. They've also been importing more metals and machinery onto the planet. Whatever they're planning, it's big. I'd…be worried, if I were you."
Skylar gulped, looking like she was going to choke on the few bites of lunch she'd had.
"You were right, Daria," said Bree, her voice tight. "Now was definitely not the right time to tell us this."
"I need air," Skylar suddenly said, before stumbling out the door of the cafeteria.
"Skylar, wait!" shouted Bree, standing up. However, before Bree could leave, Daria grabbed her wrists. "Quick question, since Calderans don't age normally, how old is Skylar?"
"Why does that matter?!"
"I think you've realized by now, I'm a collector of knowledge," said Daria. Upon Bree's suspicious glare, Daria added. "What? It's not like I'm gonna sell her secrets on the black market or something. I just want to know about Calderan biology."
Bree rolled her eyes and said as quickly as possible. "Calderans are babies for twenty-five years, so I'm going to assume Skylar's forty-something. Did you get that? Okay, good, see ya!" With that, Bree rushed out the door to find her traumatized sister.
Xxx
"Skylar! Skylar!" shouted Bree, superspeeding down the halls of the high school and across the campus. "Where are you?!" Bree knew Skylar could be very stubborn even to an annoying point, but she never thought her sister would run away from her problems.
Bree returned to running around, her panic mounting by the second. Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was really about five minutes of superspeeding everywhere she could think of, Bree came across Skylar sitting against a tree in the – possibly synthetic – woods behind the freshman dorms. "Thank god, Skylar!" cried Bree. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"How long was that, four minutes?" teased Skylar.
"Five, actually," snapped Bree.
"Wow, finding me must have been important to you."
"Well, you didn't exactly make it easy!" groaned Bree, stretching her back and legs. "No matter how fast I can run, I can't super-find people. It's not like I have super-senses like Chase…dang it, I should've asked for his help!"
Skylar chuckled. "I just needed some time to think by myself."
Bree sighed. "I know, you sound better, though."
"I'm feeling better, too," sighed Skylar. "I guess I was just surprised that Scarlett was evil. I mean, I loved Experion – as a friend, of course – but it should be different with your girlfriends – once again, as friends." Bree chuckled when she saw Skylar blush at her careless word choice. "I just thought Scar would be better, you know? I thought she'd stick beside good and moral and…me."
Bree sat down beside Skylar, and put an arm around her. "You called Scarlett 'Scar'? That's an…interesting nickname. Especially since, if she looks like you, she shouldn't have any scars."
Skylar started to laugh, and the tension began to diffuse. "You know we're not literally carbon-copies, right? She could've…dyed her hair purple, for all I know."
"You dyed your hair blonde."
"Point taken."
Bree smiled. "You know, I could call you a nickname. What about 'Sky'?"
Skylar shook her head. "No…I don't like nicknames. Experion used to call me 'Sky'. When I found out he was evil…the name didn't have meaning to me anymore. Because I clearly didn't have meaning to him."
Bree sighed. "Well, if the 'Experion' part of your past ever heals, I'd be more than happy to start calling you 'Sky'. I mean, I couldn't call you 'Lar' as a nickname, now could I?"
"What do you do when your best friends are evil?" Skylar asked, quietly. "Scarlett…Experion…even I was evil, once."
"Hey, that wasn't really you," Bree corrected. "Everyone deserves a choice, but if you've been dealt the worst hand in a game, you can hardly judge the player. Heck, there's probably a lot of weird things you could say about fifteen-year-old Bree trapped in a laboratory in the basement, but that's not me now, right?"
Skylar chuckled. "Surely you didn't kill people like I had to."
Bree pretended to be unfazed by Skylar's words. "Well, I used to French-kiss a wall. I think that's almost as bad." At that, Skylar laughed even harder, and this time Bree knew it was genuine. "Did you know I was once evil, too?"
"What?!" asked Skylar, shocked that Bree hadn't already told her.
"Yeah," said Bree, sounding way too calm. "Well, sort of. There was a…situation, I guess, with my bionics, called the Triton App. Chase would have a better description, but it's basically this remote controlled thing in all bionics that allows them to be controlled by whoever holds the remote. Except, Krane and Gao could use their minds to control it. Like I said, I can't really describe it. I guess…I'm all human, right? No robotic limbs, no synthetic brain, no android heart, but…the Triton App takes that away. It makes a bionic more robot than human." Bree flinched at her own words, and Skylar knew how hard that was for Bree to say. She knew how damaging the words 'more robot than human' could be for a bionic, especially for Adam, Bree, and Chase, who'd spent most of their early years like robots…lab rats. "It made us do some really bad stuff. I don't really remember much from being under the Triton App, and I don't remember killing anyone, but it was almost as bad as the Annihilator controlling you. The Triton App took away our wills. At least you could think enough to defeat the Annihilator and try to rule the world on your own, we could do nothing but obey whoever was controlling us, even if we died in the process. Granted, Chase did break out of the Triton App once."
Skylar smiled. "You learn something new every day."
"No kidding."
"Thanks for telling me, Bree," Skylar continued.
"Thanks for telling me about Scarlett and Experion," said Bree. "I know you aren't telling me the full story-" she added, catching the look in Skylar's eyes. "But you can tell me whenever you're ready. I'm your sister, Skylar. Not Scarlett. I'm here for you."
Skylar wrapped her arm around Bree and said. "Thanks…" Because she didn't know what else could be said.
Xxx
Later that day…
Bree sat in the kitchen, watching Oliver, Cyd, Taylor, and Kaz attempt to make dinner for the freshmen. Skylar hadn't arrived yet, so Bree assumed she was staying after school to make up for any work she'd missed while she was absent.
"AHH!" screamed Kaz, as he accidentally lit his hand up with his fire power, effectively burning all the groceries in his hands.
"Kaz!" screamed Oliver, spraying Kaz with his water powers and soaking all the groceries.
"Where's Thermo-Hands when you need him?!" groaned Taylor, smelling the smoke.
"It's okay, I'll handle this," said Cyd, grabbing a dishrag to wipe up the water. However, Cyd slipped and fell, accidentally dropping the dishrag. "Catch it, Taylor!"
"I can't even see what you're talking about!" shouted Taylor. "I'm blind, you meathead!"
"For your information, we're having fish for dinner!"
"Cyd! Fish is a meat!"
Then, since Taylor couldn't see where she was stepping, she slipped on a puddle and fell on top of Oliver, knocking him over.
"Ooh! Pile time!" shouted Adam, running across the room.
"No!" screamed Taylor, Oliver, and Cyd as Adam launched himself into the air. He came down hard on Taylor's back, crushing Oliver and Cyd beneath them.
"Ugh, I'm gonna need a chiropractor," groaned Cyd.
"Did somebody say, 'chiropractor'?" asked Chase, entering the kitchen. "In case you didn't know, I'm an authorized chiropractor in the Philippians."
"Ick, I don't want your hands all over me," gagged Cyd.
"Do you even know how to spell 'chiropractor'?" asked Shelby, walking in.
"People! It's a small kitchen!" cried Oliver.
"Duh," said Cyd. "It's spelled K-I-R-O-P-R-A-K-T-O-R."
"Wow, that's better spelling than I expected from you," said Chase. "Superhero school must be doing you wonders."
"Come on, guys," groaned Bree. "It's already six o' clock. People are going to be expecting dinner soon."
"New plan," said Oliver. "I'll prepare drinks, Chase will supervise Kaz preparing the fish, Taylor will preheat the oven and put the food in, Adam will clean up the mess-"
"Ooh! Fun!" interrupted Adam, grabbing an entire bottle of bubble bath and two sponges, goggles, and rubber gloves.
"-On second thought, Shelby will clean up the mess," Oliver continued, as Adam pouted. "And for the vegetables-"
"Hey, do we have someone with saws for hands?" asked Kaz. "That would be convenient!"
"Or this," said Oliver, holding up a small cutting knife. "Cyd can cut the vegetables."
"Yes!" shouted Cyd, grabbing the knife.
"Never mind, BREE! Cut the vegetables!" screamed Shelby, yanking the knife from Cyd's hands.
"Sounds like a plan," said Taylor, preheating the oven. She'd long since memorized dials and keypads to get a feel of where everything was.
"Wow," said Oliver. "Even with his sight, Kaz can't do that."
"It's true," said Kaz. "Once, I had to preheat the oven for twenty minutes, but I accidentally preheated the over for two-hundred minutes. Those were some funky cookies…"
"Well, the salmon is burnt and soaked," Cyd pointed out.
"Ooh! Time to go fishing for a new one!" shouted Adam.
"Or a quick trip to the grocery store," said Spark, who had been standing in the doorway and watching the entire ordeal the whole time. "Who needs normo reality TV when you have this!?" She beckoned to Adam. "You want to go for a ride to the grocery store?" she asked in a voice like she was talking to a dog.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Adam responded.
"Here, boy!" shouted Spark, and Adam eagerly ran to her. They both exited the dorm after that, with Bree shaking her head in her hands.
"Wait until she finds out he's not completely potty-trained," teased Chase. Suddenly, he heard a 'crash' and whirled around.
"Cyd!" shouted Shelby. "Just because you don't have a kitchen job now doesn't mean you can use the pots as drums!"
Xxx
In an hour, they'd finally finished dinner. They were late, but at least they had enough for the entire dorm. Oliver set out his drinks in the dining area, not telling anyone that the water and ice came from him and Friggit. Shelby cleaned the whole kitchen until it sparkled, because everyone was just now realizing that 'enough' was never 'good enough' for Shelby. No one was the wiser that the salmon Adam had grabbed was two months expired. They would figure that out when they tasted it, of course, but on sight Chase had dressed it up to look natural.
Bree decided to eat at the kitchen bar area so she could keep an eye on the door for Skylar. She of course wanted to hang out in the adjacent dining room, but the dining room had a fireplace blocking any view of the front door.
When it was approaching seven-thirty, Skylar finally entered the dorm.
"Skylar!" cried Bree. "Where have you been? You were the last person to get here!"
Skylar shrugged. "Just got caught up with some stuff. No need to worry."
"Are you hungry?" asked Bree. "We made dinner an hour ago."
Skylar blushed sheepishly since they'd made her food and she hadn't arrived to try any of it. "Sorry, I already ate at school."
Lies. Bree shrugged. "Oh, that's fine. Adam's salmon is doing some nasty things to my stomach, anyway." There's no 'dinner at school' program unless you're on a free/reduced lunch! And since Skylar's guardian was considered to be Donald Davenport, she was most certainly not on free/reduced lunch. Unless Davenport was getting cheaper than she thought…
"Hey girls, what's going on?" asked Adam, entering the kitchen to get another helping of salmon. He, of course, thought the salmon was delicious, and had added it to his 'Incredible Edibles'. Skylar looked visibly relieved that Adam had interrupted the awkward conversation, and Bree took a mental note to bring that up later.
"Nothing much, Skylar's upset about Caldera," said Bree.
"Skylar," said Adam. "Look on the bright side. You're here! That's better, right?"
Skylar assumed Adam meant 'on Earth' since it didn't take a genius to know that Skylar wasn't happy with her position at Sky High. "I guess…"
"I mean, Caldera's full of aliens, and there's no aliens here. That's a plus, right?"
Skylar wrinkled her eyebrows, perplexed. "Adam…this place is full of aliens," Bree began to make a cutting motion with her hand, though sadly Skylar didn't notice. "Adam, I'm an alien."
Adam's eyes widened and for a second no one said anything. Then, "ALIEN!" screamed Adam, running out of the room.
"Skylar!" demanded Bree. "Don't you think there's a reason we didn't tell Adam you're an alien?! He's terrified of aliens!"
"Well, it's not like I have green skin and antennae! Although…"
"No, no, no," said Bree. "I don't even want to think about how you'll finish that sentence."
"Well, if you didn't want me to tell him, then why didn't you try to get my attention and stop me?!" asked Skylar.
"What do you think this was?!" asked Bree, demonstrating her waving arms and rapid cutting motion from two minutes ago.
"You did not make that clear," said Skylar. "Oh…now I know how Horace felt when I was trying to get him to cut the conversation with Bridgette…" Bree rolled her eyes, so Skylar grinned awkwardly. "Anyway…bye!" She then darted up the staircase before Bree could ask any more questions about what Skylar was doing or why she really hadn't eaten dinner. Skylar knew Bree well enough to know that Bree could spot when Skylar was lying.
"Skylar, wait!" shouted Bree, before doubling over. "Dang that salmon!" Bree had to wonder if Skylar would be happy that the salmon worked to her advantage in hindering Bree, or if she would be concerned by the sudden wave of nausea that sent Bree running towards a garbage can.
To no one's surprise, the freshman dorm was all out with food poisoning the next day.
There you have it, folks! This chapter was a little filler, so I hope it wasn't too boring. I promise the next chapter will be more exciting. I know this chapter switched between funny and sad a lot, sorry for the inconsistency but to be fair the characters themselves aren't that consistent. And, as an added bonus, you got to find out why I never call Skylar 'Sky'. Well, if my best friend turned out to be evil, I'd want as little to do with them as possible. Let's hope Bree being a good sister can help Skylar let go of the past! Anyway, I hope you (somehow) managed to enjoy, once again, sorry for being late! See you next chapter!