Disclaimer: I do not own Sky High.
The group entered into the gym the next morning, Magenta hardly walking but being supported by Will and Lash. They walked quietly, the only sounds being made by their footsteps. Warren and Trent held the gym doors open as they filed in solemnly, all in the same clothes they had been in the night before.
Evelyn, Jamie, Boomer, Nurse Spex and a second man wearing jeans and a black leather jacket with a circled X on it, whom none – save Ivy and Gamit - could identify, stood waiting in the center. Will and Lash sat Magenta on a bleacher, the group sitting around her, Lash steadying her. She looked at him with a weak smile. He couldn't bring himself to smile back, just give her hand a gentle squeeze. Ivy and Gambit went straight to the compact, stubble-ridden man. Gambit and the man nodded at each other, before he turned his attention to a sheepish Ivy, who stood just behind Gambit. The man smiled slightly at Ivy, who in turn stepped towards him and engulfed him a hug. The seven of them walked towards the bleachers silently, Ivy sitting with the group.
Ivy and Layla recounted the last time they saw Magenta, and Lash told his first time through their arrival at Ivy's. The story stopped there, as Evelyn turned to Jamie and the man. No words were spoken, and Evelyn looked back to the group. Dara explained her conclusion, and Zach recalled the power surge he experienced in more detail than Warren had given the night before.
Evelyn went straight to Zach's powers. "As a precaution to your health and safety, I asked Professor Xavier to send Logan," she gestured towards the man, "also known as Wolverine to help keep an eye on all of you. In addition, Zach, would you?" She outstretched her hand, and Zach stood warily, no one noticing Boomer and Jamie's disappearance.
Nurse Spex moved to sit with Magenta running a soft, wrinkled hand over the cuts and bruises, minimizing their size and swelling significantly. Boomer and Jamie returned with props from Save the Citizen; a dumpster, trash can and mail box. They set the props within a safe distance from Zach, who now stood in the center of the gym, just a few feet from Logan. Ivy stood by her aunt Evelyn, taking her hand.
"Zach, I want you to concentrate as hard as you can on the feelings you had last night. I want you to remember everything you can, not holding anything back. We need to know to what extent your power reaches. Logan has healing abilities, so should your power affect him, he will not be harmed, unlike the rest of us." Zach nervously looked at Principal Powers, without saying anything. "It's all right, Zach." She smiled encouragingly.
Zach let out a deep breath, closed his eyes and clenched his fists, his glow forming immediately. The yellow light grew bright and the others felt heat waves roll off his body. He opened his eyes, which began to glow his neon yellow, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, the light spreading outward as quick as lightening, dissolving the props, but not harming Logan. The light spread past Logan onto the others sitting on the bleachers as they gripped the edges, unsure of what to expect. The light passed through them, and the bleachers themselves began to shake and dissolve. Zach released his fists as he saw the effects, and the light dispersed, dissolving into the air, as the props had done.
"It seems that humans cannot be harmed by your mutation, lucky for the rest of us. The dumpster on the other hand..." Evelyn's attention drifted to the empty space in which the dumpster had disappeared from.
"Why now?" Zach came back to the rest of the group.
"Powers mutate when there is heightened emotional stress." Logan took a cigar from his coat pocket, and replaced it immediately at Evelyn's look.
"Has anyone else experienced a mutation?" Evelyn looked back at the group.
"Warren did back before winter break, remember? It sort of went unnoticed with the Lash incident." Taylor looked over at Warren, whose face became an embarrassed red.
"Yes, yes I remember. Mr. Peace." Evelyn motioned for him to take Zach's spot in the center of the gym.
Warren did as he was asked, and stood silently with his hands in his pockets. He looked at the group staring back at him.
"Any day now, Bub." Logan tapped his foot impatiently.
Warren's gaze drifted over Dara, who shifted uncomfortably on the bleachers, Trent who sneezed loudly, Layla handing him a tissue, Will watching Layla from the other side of the group, Speed who gently massaged Taylor's shoulder, Lash sitting by Magenta who was sitting without help next to Nurse Spex. Zach sitting behind her protectively. Boomer and Jamie stood by Principal Powers and Logan, and Ivy took a seat back on the bleachers by Gambit.
Gambit.
How Warren hated Gambit.
A fist lit.
He hated the way Gambit talked with his accent.
The other fist lit.
He hated the way Gambit strutted instead of walked.
The fire traveled up his arms.
He hated how Gambit's charming smile got Layla's attention.
Fire encased his feet.
He hated that Layla gave him that attention.
The fire spread up his legs.
He hated how Ivy gave him that attention.
The fire met and engulfed his chest.
He hated seeing them together.
Knowing they spent nights alone in her apartment.
Knowing the kind of playboy Gambit was.
Knowing how he infuriated Ivy.
Knowing that Warren himself used to infuriate her the same way.
The fire seemed to scream as it traveled up his chest, licking flames circling around his head until not an inch was sans it. He stared at Gambit, at the card Gambit flipped over in his hand. How he wanted to burn the cards.
Gambit made a sound of pain as his cards erupted in flames, looking up at Warren who smirked slightly through his armor of fire.
Warren released his thoughts, and the fire died down, returning to his fists and feet in the reverse pattern of which it traveled. He went back to the bleachers and took a seat far from Gambit, and far from Ivy as well. Ivy looked at Warren, who looked straight ahead. Gambit saw the hurt look on her face, and his hand twitched as he tried not to console her.
Logan looked towards Gambit, not seeing the twitch, as he rubbed his singed fingers on his pants, and made an effort not to smile or high-five Warren.
Principal Powers turned to face the group again. "Has anyone else experienced any sort of mutation in their powers?" Everyone looked around at each other, except for Layla. Her attention fell to her knees, as she shyly raised her hand. "Layla? Why didn't you mention it earlier? When did it happen?" Principal Powers bombarded her with questions, as all her friends looked at her slightly offended that she hadn't come forth sooner.
Layla's face grew pink as all eyes were on her. "October." She seemed to whisper.
"October?" Principal Powers was beyond shocked. "When? What caused it?"
Layla could not bring herself to look up. She meekly said, "Homecoming night." Will shot a glance over at her, which everyone noticed. They all looked back and forth from one to the other.
"What happened on Homecoming night?" Principal Powers was perplexed and not getting the answers she wanted.
Layla looked over at Will, cheeks burning red.
Principal Powers looked at Will as well, an eyebrow raised. "Will?" She furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to speak again when Ivy forced a cough awkwardly, diverting her attention to her niece who gave her a most obvious look.
"Oh." Principal Powers said flatly before her eyebrows raised dramatically and her face dropped. She repeated, "Oh! Well. Um. Hm." She herself blushed and fidgeted. "Layla, would you show us?" She was soft in her request, realizing how difficult it must have been to come out the way she had in front of everyone.
Layla stood and made her way down the bleachers, cheeks still embarrassed red and burning to her ears. She stretched her palm flat out before her, facing the hardwood floors. The planks began to shift and roll, contorting beneath her as she raised into the air and levitated slightly above them. The wood cracked and hissed as it parted and rumbled, creating a ditch in front of her, that reached down to the cement foundation. She took a few deep breaths before returning the flooring to it's original structure, and lowering herself back to the ground.
"Dirt and earth mostly. I can do wood, too, but it takes a lot more concentration. The levitation is just -" She stopped, unsure of what to say, and shrugged instead.
"That's some power." Logan looked at her with a raised eyebrow, before glancing at Will who was still in complete shock.
"Have you tried to do different things with it?" Principal Powers walked towards her.
Layla nodded. "I've tried to do a lot. The most I've gotten was a really deep canyon in my backyard. I can't do much else. Just shake it up and move it around." Principal Powers nodded, pat her on the shoulder and motioned for her to take a seat.
"Anyone else?" Principal Powers looked around expectantly.
Speed shrugged. "I can run up buildings. That's not new, so much as a lot of practice. And falling."
"Yes, I remember we talked about it a little earlier in the year. Glad to know you've made progress." Principal Powers nodded her head at him and smiled proudly. "Actually, I would like to propose an idea for you, Tony." She motioned at Warren to stand and join her. "I would like you to try and create barriers. Mr. Peace this shouldn't be a problem for you and your new found -" She glanced at Gambit's cards, "- control."
Warren raised an eyebrow. "A barrier? Like a wall?"
"Or a circle, or something that could prevent Tony from passing through." She turned to Speed. "You already have speed, now let's see if we can make you impervious to fire by use of that speed."
Speed gulped hard, looking at Warren who simply smirked in return.
Getting so close to the end!