"Can't you drive yourself to school today?" Quinn asked, frowning at her twin who was standing across from her on the passenger side of her car.

"Yes, but I don't want to," Charlie replies, opening the door and sliding in, tossing her backpack on the back seat as she fastens her seatbelt.

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment, she had promised to pick up Marley this morning. "Fine, but when we get to Marley's place you need to sit at the back."

Charlie nodded, "Alright," she replied simply. "Oh right, speaking of Marley and the rest of the Titans—I really hope it goes without saying that you're banned from practice, and the Titan's lunch table, I don't want to see you hanging about around the team Quinn."

Quinn whipped her head over to Charlie, "You can't do that."

"I just did Quinn, I don't really care that you're taking a page out of dad's book. I mean I am disappointed, but really apart from the whole thing reeking of hypocrisy, it would be a lie to say that I was surprised," Charlie admits.

Quinn hit the brakes and Charlie braced for the temper tantrum that she knew was inevitable. Charlie just wanted this entire conversation to go as smoothly as possible and yet here they were, stopped in the middle of some street in the middle of bumfuck suburban Ohio.

"I am not dad, I—" Quinn started.

"Willingly cheated on your girlfriend with another girl and then blamed said girl for your many shortcomings," Charlie continued monotonously, interrupting Quinn without a thought.

"We're going to be late for school Quinn," Charlie pointed out, gesturing to the road to get Quinn to continue moving. They had stopped rather suddenly and they were in the middle of suburbia, it was highly likely that they were in a neighborhood that had a HOA, and the last thing she needed was for cops to be called.

Quinn bitterly started once again heading towards their destinations, "This is all Rachel's fault."

"If you hadn't actually consented to Rachel trying to kiss you, we would be having a very different conversation. This is on you. Own it. Then learn from it. Then move on so I can stop hearing about your stupid melodrama." Charlie retorted coolly.

"How is it fair that you get to do whatever you want? You get to be crass, you get to act like an asshole—you're not any better than I am," Quinn says trying to throw this back in Charlie's face.

Charlie sighed, "I don't actually have strong feelings on the matter, Quinn, because you're my twin and my best friend and even though you're being impossible right now, I'll give you some sisterly advice." Charlie turned to look at her twin. "If you don't want to be him, that means owning up to your mistakes and allowing Marley to react in whatever way she sees fit. If you lose your relationship over this then you need to accept it, and let Marley go. Don't hang on and try and seduce her while wearing a puke-green shirt."

"I really like Marley though and this was just a drunken mistake," Quinn swallows.

"You also really like Rachel, which is why you should honestly look into setting up some sort of poly situation in the future so we don't have to go through this again," Charlie adds unhelpfully.

"Rachel didn't want me."

"And now she does. I just don't know why it matters. Marley likes you, the two of you are having sex—I think you should be having more sex, but that's just my opinion. It doesn't matter if Rachel realizes that she likes you because you're in a monogamous relationship. When you and Marley inevitably break up, Rachel liking you might be important, but it shouldn't be right now. You should have kept your distance from Rachel to begin with. Actually, scratch that, you should have gotten a hobby by now. Do you have any other hobbies besides cheating on your girlfriend and then adamantly denying it, or is that a new one for you?"

Quinn blinked. "I hate you."

"Can we stop at Lima Bean before school?"

"No."

"Dunkin' Donuts?"

"No."

"Sonic?"

"I'm not taking you anywhere for breakfast! We're going to pick up my girlfriend, and you're going to promise me that you won't say anything."

"You can buy my silence with breakfast from Bob Evans, it's right beside—"

"Charlotte."

"Lucy." Charlie snaps back, "Obviously I'm not going to say anything, but I was serious before you're banned from hanging out with the Titans. You need a fucking hobby or a life, outside of dating."

"Pot. Meet. Kettle. You need to do something outside of training," Quinn throws at her twin.

"I have a goal—" Charlie inhales and narrows her eyes. "This isn't about me, and you attempting to make me feel as shitty as you currently feel, isn't exactly helpful. You feel guilty, and that's a good thing. But if you really want to be better than him then this needs to be a lapse of judgment that won't happen again."

Quinn met Charlie's cool gaze with one of her own, before tearing her eyes away. "It was a momentary lapse in judgment and it won't happen again."

"Good, I'll have the Rise & Shine Family-"

"I'm not taking you to Bob Evans."

"You're literally the worst twin ever. Can I trade you for Brittany? They have honey butter chicken and tons of bacon, Quinn!"

~ O ~

Marley paused and looked at the back where Charlie was licking her fingers, a bag from Bob Evans in her lap. "You went to Bob Evans?"

"She wouldn't leave me alone and shut up," Quinn grumbled looking over at Charlie, and narrowing her eyes. "That's why we're late, I'm—"

"Can I have a biscuit?" Marley asks Charlie, who had opened up the packet that contained six biscuits. "I love Bob Evans biscuits."

Charlie stared at Marley like she'd grown another head. She didn't share food, it had taken quite a bit of whining to get Quinn to cave too, and she had planned to eat her Bob Evans meal in her Spanish Class, since she really could do whatever she wanted these days in class. "No. If you want Bob Evans you have a girlfriend, ask her. She probably wants to do whatever she can to make you happy, so you keep dating her, this includes buying you your own breakfast special. We're not dating Marley, I don't have to be nice and share with you."

Marley turned to look at Quinn, "I don't mind stopping at Bob Evans again," Quinn said with a sigh. She had left early so she could get the best parking spot, and be on time for class for once, but she should have known that Charlie would be Charlie about this. Really she should have predicted this, and gotten a separate pack for her and Marley to share. "I'm pretty hungry too and if I'm not in the mood to attempt to get her to share. It's too early in the morning for that."

"And you'd lose," Charlie informs her twin bluntly, "A bit of advice, it's only attractive to fight for food if you can win, and we both know that you can't. Besides, it's probably best that we stop by and get more food, I have Spanish with Santana, and she'll attempt to steal my food. It'll be this thing so you should probably buy breakfast for—"

"Santana and I aren't friends, if you want Santana to have her own food, you buy it," Quinn grumbled.

Marley flicked her eyes back and forth between the twins for a moment, there was always some back and forth between them but even she could feel the tension. "Do I want to know what's going on?"

"No," Quinn said quickly.

"Quinn's upset that I'm banning her from practice, and sitting with the Titans at lunch. Nationals is around the corner and I don't need any relationship drama affecting the team. You two need to spend time together that isn't on team time, sorry Marley." Marley looked genuinely confused as Quinn seemingly clenched the steering wheel tighter as Charlie continued from the back, "Hey Marley, I'm in the mood for watching a comedy tonight. Do you think I should watch John Tucker Must Die or the Other Woman?"

Marley grinned, "Oh, I love a classic. John Tucker, all the way."

Charlie loudly sipped on her drink as she seemingly grinded on Quinn's gears as the latter began to order their food, "Yeah, I think you're right. It should be a fun affair." Without stopping, Charlie turned to Quinn, "Do you have any coupons? You don't want them to cheat you out of a deal."

Quinn's teeth were fully clenched as they pulled into the parking lot, but she didn't respond to Charlie's jibes. She couldn't, not with Marley right there. Charlie was being an asshole on purpose, and she didn't know how to get her to stop without alerting Marley to the fact that Charlie was talking about her.

"Did something happen with your Dad?" Marley voiced aloud, mostly looking towards Charlie for answers

"Why do you ask that?" Charlie continued to demolish her biscuits in the background.

"You keep talking about affairs, so something happened with your Dad and you're messing with Quinn about it," Marley looked to her girlfriend for clarification.

Quinn did not meet her eye and grumbled, "Yeah. Something like that."

"Mom and dad's divorce is entering the final stages, no more petty arguments," Charlie clarified, finally putting a stop to her pushing on the button. Quinn might actually kill her if she said anything else. Her phone buzzes, and she looks at it. "Santana wants an everything breakfast, with an extra biscuit."

"Tell Santana to get her own fucking biscuits," Quinn snapped at her twin.

Marley narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and shot Charlie a look, "Knock it off Charlie."

Charlie sighed, and looked at her half eaten food, she would still be hungry and she honestly doubted that Quinn would buy her a second helping. "You're a good girlfriend Marley," Charlie stated before exiting the car. She had promised Santana food, and if she didn't arrive with any she was certain that Santana would take it as a personal affront and steal her food.

Quinn watches as her twin heads into the store to order some food and closes her eyes, "Sorry Marley, Charlie's been an ass all morning, I should just leave her here."

Marley glanced over at Bob Evans. All she had really wanted was some biscuits, and there were still a few that Charlie hadn't gotten to just yet. It would certainly teach Charlie a lesson about messing with Quinn if they just took off and ate what was left of her food. "Do it."

Quinn turned to look over at Marley who was now reaching for Charlie's bag of food and dragging it into the front seat. "Really?"

"We already have biscuits Quinn, and bacon, and—" Marley pops open a box. "Honey butter chicken, all of which you paid for. So we should definitely do it."

Quinn turned to look at the restaurant for a moment, before checking to make certain that Charlie at least had her phone with her, before she started her car and pulled out of the parking spot quickly. "You do have an evil side to that brilliant brain of yours."

Marley grinned, "I know," she said with a laugh opening up the bag and grabbing a biscuit and bringing it to her mouth. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'll listen and I won't judge."

Quinn nodded, feeling that increasingly familiar pit in her stomach. How could she have been this stupid to throw away something that would be this good. Marley was on her side, and she had been an idiot.

~ O ~

"So what exactly did you do to have Quinn and Marley abandon you at a Bob Evans?" Santana asked as she pulled up beside the restaurant.

"Nothing. I was trying to let Marley know that she could do better than Quinn. I don't think she understood what I was getting at. And Quinn thinks she's a genius," Charlie huffed as she opened the door and slid into the passenger side seat. "Here is your everything breakfast with two extra biscuits. I promise I didn't eat any of them."

Santana smiled and looked over at the bag filled with food, "You got one of the family packs that feeds six right?"

"Well, yes, but I also picked up enough food for the rest of the team. Except Rachel, they didn't have any vegan options, except for the fruit. So I got her a fruit bowl," Charlie said looking at the bag. "I mean I can at least understand vegetarians, but vegans? Who likes plants that much? There's nothing better than bacon, or burgers, or steaks or chicken or bacon."

"No one likes bacon like you and your family does," Santana responded. "Also that is oddly nice of you to buy the team breakfast—what's the catch."

"I want to be liked Santana, so this is a trick they eat the food I bring they can't complain when I torture them in practice. It's a win for everyone. I'm not allowed to train outside of practice."

"Maybe if you'd stop beating them up they'd like you a bit more."

"They get breakfast, Santana, but mercy is too much to ask of me."

"Whatever, just hand me the biscuits and shut up until we get to school."

Charlie silently handed over the meal she had gotten and watched out the window, not wanting to get kicked out of a car for the second time before her day had even started.

Santana bit into one of her biscuits and glanced over at Charlie who was pouting, "Your mom said that she wanted you to be a normal teenager right? Once you do she'll rethink banning you from training?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what she wants, I just don't know how to pretend to be normal."

"Teenagers rebel, Charlie, that's perfectly normal. They do shit that we know our parents won't allow, so just find a place to train away from your family compound and just lie to your mom."

Charlie's eyes widen and she looks at Santana like she had invented a cure for cancer, "You're brilliant—I'm not a very good liar though."

"Don't worry I've got you," Santana said with a short laugh and a shake of her head.

~ O ~

"Mrs. July," Figgins stated as he stood up and motioned for Artemis July to take a seat, he hadn't heard from either of the July's in a few weeks, and he had all but given up hope on a modern addition to McKinley. A new facility would at least allow McKinley to continue to recruit, it would help broaden the horizons of various other McKinley sports teams, and far more importantly a large donation would be enough to get other wealthy parents to open their pockets. "I hear congratulations are in order, Shannon mentioned that the twins became aunts, you must be excited to have a great-grandchild."

Artemis took a seat folding her hands on her lap, "Thank you, I wish I could be spending time with him but my attention is needed here. There was a permission slip handed out, about an all expense paid trip to Fort Salem, for a training camp."

"Yes, after a record-breaking display at sectionals, there have been numerous requests for joint training and training camps. There is a faculty meeting on Friday to discuss ways to help the students achieve academic success while also going to training camps. To have the great General Alder invite our school for a training camp, it's an opportunity. Not every student who participates in the hero program succeeds. You must know that, many of them use the military to escape poverty, this could be an excellent opportunity for them. To rub elbows with General Alder? If she could write a recommendation letter, they could go to West Point, or one of the various academies."

Artemis blinks twice, "You will be canceling that training camp. You're the only one with the authority to do so. In return, I will personally fund the new training facility for McKinley."

"You will personally fund a new training facility?" Figgins sputtered. He had known that the twins came from wealth, but nobody that wealthy lived in Lima. Sure there were wealthy people in Lima, but no one had millions of dollars in cash just lying around.

"Yes for a top of the line facility," Artemis said bluntly. "I would also like it if you left my name out of this, Principal Figgins."

"A top of the line—" Figgins blustered.

"Yes. I plan to spare no expense," Artemis interrupted, watching as Figgins slumps in his chair. "I imagine that will be a driving point in any recruiting you plan to do over the summer. If we can get the permits they can break ground in a couple of weeks. The facility could be ready by the fall semester."

Figgins blinked, to build a facility like what Artemis was suggesting in that quick a time frame, meant that she was thinking of hiring an AI construction company which would drive up the price tremendously. "W-why?"

Artemis smiled, "I'm a doting grandmother."

"Mrs. July—" Figgins began wiping the sweat from his brow.

Artemis narrowed her eyes for a split second, "I'm doing this because I love my grandchildren. General Alder is not someone who I want—associating with my grandchildren. If you wish me to write a few recommendation letters for your brightest students, then I don't mind doing that as well. I assure you my word carries weight."

Figgins swallowed, feeling an uncomfortable pressure. It was a rather oppressive pressure, and he could feel his skin prickling. This was not someone he wanted as an enemy. He clears his throat, "I'll inform Coach Beiste that I'm denying her request."

Artemis smiled, "Excellent, my legal representatives will be in touch with the schools. Congratulations principal Figgins, a national championship and a top of the line facility. Now if you'll excuse me, I promised to help my granddaughter train the Titans."

"Of course, I'll come with you. I need to inform Coach Beiste about the change of plans," Figgins responds, easily as he gets up and opens the door for McKinley's newest mega-donor. Finally he would have something to brag about when he met his sister.

~ O ~

"Now that we have our full team back, I can finally have a conversation about nationals," Coach Beiste announced, her lips quirking upward slightly. "This year nationals will be taking place in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Unlike regionals and sectionals, nationals isn't a single day event. It's five days of events. The actual competition takes place over three days, the last of which is the exhibition match and the medal ceremony. Finn?"

"What about the other two days," Finn asks.

"There will be a two day convention of sorts. There will be various panels by some of the top hero firms in the country, plus there will be presentations and booths for some of the different universities and hero academies, all of which will be vying for your attention. There will be recruiters from various agencies, and the media will be there both respectable media and the paparazzi kind, so you must be on your best behavior. Oh, and there is also plenty for the support team, as some of the biggest tech companies will be there as well. The last I heard, the likes of Luthorcorp, S.T.A.R labs, Oscorp and Stark Industries will be there and there will be multiple opportunities to apply for internships. Also, there will be a ball on one of the nights. The schedule of events isn't out yet but I hear it's rather fancy." Beiste holds her hand up to stop the chatter that immediately breaks out.

"A fancy ball? Does that mean that we're going to need fancy clothes?" Kitty asked immediately.

"The information will be sent out next week, so I don't know but from what I understand it is an event to allow you to rub elbows with some of the industries best," Beiste sighed of course that's what they would focus on.

"What about the combine?" Santana asked, without bothering to raise her hand.

Charlie turned to look at Santana, if Santana was interested it might mean it was something fun for her to do. "What's that?"

Santana turned to look at Charlie, before flicking her on the forehead. "You're not entering the combine, you'll skew the results, and make everyone feel bad about themselves."

Charlie immediately turned to look at Beiste. "The combine is an event that consists of drills, exercises, interviews, aptitude tests and physical exams that are designed to assess the skills of promising young heroes and predict their performance as a hero," Beiste answered. "This year the combine is different. While this is targeted at seniors and juniors; freshmen and sophomores who impress at nationals can be invited to the combine, which this year will be a training camp of sorts. The details are still being worked out."

"If we want to get an invitation to the combine we need to work harder," Blaine points out looking at the rest of the team.

"That's exactly right," Beiste agrees immediately. "Nationals is no joke, and after your display at sectionals no one considers McKinley underdogs. If anything we are the odds on favorite to win now. Which paints a target on our back and more importantly we've lost the element of surprise. Unless—"

"Unless?" Finn asks.

"You get better," Charlie finishes for Beiste as she stands up and begins to stretch. "We need to work on the fundamentals. If we can increase the level of your abilities and increase your fitness, you might be able to pull off what you did at sectionals without my input."

"Exactly!" Beiste agrees, "Which is why twice a week we'll be doing joint training with other schools. Charlie will be increasing the difficulty of survival, and I'll be increasing the length every week by five minutes," at the horrified looks on the team Beiste smiled, she was putting them through hell but it was the only way that they would get better moving forward. "Don't worry I've thought of ways to make practice fun, and less painful. At least for some of you."