by R. J. Ross
She gives me a grin that's practically blinding and hugs the gloves to her chest. "This is important," she tells me. "I want to be there in case things go wrong. I don't want you to start bleeding again. I feel responsible."
"You shouldn't," Nico says before I can. "You got him to where he's at. There shouldn't be any more problems. He's no longer your patient, Aubrey. He's just another classmate."
"I know," she says quietly, looking down at the gloves. It's like a light switch has been turned off, though, because she clams up for the walk to the apartment, not even speaking as she climbs into the back of Nico's car. Now I feel guilty. I didn't feel guilty giving Justin crap, but I feel guilty now. I wasn't even the one that said anything!
"Hey," I say, turning in the chair and looking back at her. "Don't--you know..." I have no clue what to say. Stupid. I'm an idiot. "Thanks," I say, instead. "You're gonna get bored and you might hurt yourself, though, so, um... try not to."
Lame. That had to have been the lamest thing I've ever said, but she gives me a tiny smile, so it was worth it. You don't think, you know, that I could be crushing again, do you?
No, I'm not THAT stupid. I turn back to the front and stare out the windshield as we head down the street and into town again. He's got to be going seventy. I glance at the dash just to make sure. He's going seventy-five, actually. "So... are you really going to stick me in a junkyard every morning?" I ask.
"Don't worry, it's all metal so you shouldn't smell that much different when you get out," he says. "But there's a shower in the boy's locker room if you need one."
"I was just thinking--why? I don't know any super heroes that spend their time scrounging for scrap metal," I say.
"You want to be a hero?" he asks, sounding honestly surprised.
"You don't WANT me to be a hero?" I ask.
"You've got a metal mohawk and steel teeth," he says bluntly. "You're not going to get many Wheaties boxes with those looks, you know."
"Trent will."
"Sure he will. He's a born, bred, and brainwashed hero. It's deep down in his very soul--are they trying to turn you into one?" he asks abruptly. "Did they say something along those lines?"
"I did," Aubrey admits. "I think he should be a hero!"
"Why? What part of Jack shouts super hero to you?" Nico asks. "Kids, I'm going to tell you a trade secret right now. Being a cape? It's more photo op than black op. We need our villains, as long as they follow certain rules. Although there's real villains out there."
"Star Born," I say quietly, my hands tightening into fists.
"Exactly."
"And Panther," Aubrey says.
"Nope, not at all," Nico tells her, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Pan's the epitome of the perfect super villain. He's what I want the mini-villains in the school to aim for. He's got class." He swerves the car to a screeching stop in front of a fenced in junkyard, putting it in park and pulling out the keys. "Alright, everybody out."
I get out, pulling the seat forward so Aubrey can climb out. I'm already looking at the troop of black suits when she closes the door behind her and moves to my side. "Spread out, make sure the only ones here are rats," Nico calls to the black suits. "I'm training the tinman here."
"The tinman?" Aubrey repeats.
"Wasn't he the guy without brains?" I ask.
"No, that's the scarecrow," Aubrey says. "The tinman doesn't have a heart."
Yeah... lucky punk.
***
After an hour of digging through large pieces of metal, tearing a few cars apart, and getting most of my finds tossed into a pile, I'm grimy and exhausted. Aubrey's not much better off, I notice as we start for the car. Nico pulls out a small box from his pocket and the force field glints twice before disappearing. "Shouldn't you get the parts for that?" I ask him.
"No point, no one would recognize them from other pieces of trash, anyway," he says. "That's what I made it out of, after all."
I shrug and pull down the car seat so Aubrey can climb in. "You got ah--" I start out.
"Got?" she asks.
"A streak--y'know, over your nose."
She turns bright red and starts trying to rub it off as I get in. Nico gets in and turns on the car. "So," he says to me, "how many times have you been in a junkyard?"
I go still, wondering how he knew, then shrug. "Derrick wanted a motorcycle," I say quietly, staring out the window. "So we snuck into one or two... you know, looking for parts."
"Derrick?" he asks.
"Yeah." I shut my mouth, not looking at either of them as we pull into the apartment building's parking lot.
"You know you're not a norm anymore, right?" Nico says as he parks.
"Yeah, but--"
"You need to remember that," he tells me, looking at me seriously. "They will."
I get out, rather than reply to that. He doesn't know Derrick. Derrick won't have a problem with me being like I am. Right?
***
"You OWE me, Derrick." Derrick grunts as he's shoved against a rough brick wall, gritting his teeth to keep from biting his tongue. He knows he shouldn't have borrowed from Tony, but--
"I can pay you back, man!" he says, grabbing the wrist of the arm holding him a foot off the ground. "I'm absolutely going to pay you back!"
"I wish I could believe you, Derrick," Tony says. He's not the one that beat on Derrick for the past twenty minutes, no, Tony has guys that are paid for that sort of thing. "I really wish I could. But you've got nothing to prove you'll pay me--"
"I do!" Derrick says rashly. "You know that viral video? The one that came out a while ago--the one with the metal guy and the guy in the mask?"
"No, I do not know that video. Do you think I have time to stare at youtube all day?"
"I--I can show you! Just make him put me down!" Derrick says, squirming to try and get free.
"Put him down. Let's see what he's talking about."
Derrick lets out a sigh of relief as his feet touch the concrete again and digs out his cell phone. "This guy," he says, searching for the video on his phone. "I know him! I know him really well--he's my best friend!" he says, holding out the phone to Tony.
Tony watches in silence. "The one that can fly?"
"No, the metal guy."
"Useless. He's dead," Tony says, tossing the phone back.
"You don't know that for sure!" Derrick says. "He's a super, now. He's got to have survived that!"
"But have you seen him since then?"
"No... but I can find him! I'm sure I can!"
"I'll give you one week, because it interests me," Tony says. "But if you haven't found him by then, you know what will happen."
"I'll find him!" Derrick promises rashly. "He'll help me pay you back, no problem. Jack always does what I want him to."
"For your sake, you better pray he does."
***
I stare at myself for a long moment in the bathroom mirror before starting to wash my hands. It's weird, I never used to care about having dirty hands, but now, well... I sort of like them shiny, okay? Stupid, I know, but look at that shine! I lift my hand, admiring it for a moment before someone speaks.
"You act like you want to be here."
I turn, staring at Justin for a long moment, so long that he gives me a dark look. "What?" he demands. "Don't tell me you've got a crush on me, I like girls--"
"I don't like you," I say. "So if you want we can deal with your little problem with me right now. There's plenty of empty stalls just waiting for you."
"What?" he asks, looking confused.
"What, you've never had a swirlie?" I ask. "No, you wouldn't, would you. It's old school, sure, but I never did waste my time with anonymous crap online." I step forward, giving him a grin.
"Your teeth are metal," he says. "That's creepy."
"I'm about to shove your head down a toilet and all you can do is comment on my teeth?" I ask blankly.
"That's what a swirlie is?" he asks. "That's disgusting!" He's backing up now,
looking from the left to the right, then, oddly enough, at the mirrors. "Don't make me fight back--you won't like me when I'm using my abilities."
The door opens and Trent walks in. "Hey, Jack, Mom brought lunch, you hungry?" he asks, completely not reading the atmosphere. Really? Isn't he supposed to be a pro? He glances at Justin, raising one eyebrow as he looks back at me. "No," he says.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I lie.
He snorts. "No bullying the musician," he says. "At least, not until he's trained for sparring. Come on, Mom sent us enough for two."
"I've seen how much you eat," I have to point out as he grabs my wrist and hauls me along behind him out the door. "Enough for two isn't even half of what you had for breakfast. But seriously, he was asking for it," I add as he shoves open the bathroom door.
"Of course he was," Trent says. "So are you, but you don't see me hanging you from the flagpole, now do you?" He looks me straight in the eyes. "I can, you know."
"You can try," I say, my hands fisting at my sides.
"Do it!" Justin says from behind me. "Hang him!"
"Shut it," Trent says, pointing a finger at the guy. "You might have humiliated yourself in front of millions, but Jack here almost died. You get no say in what happens to him."
"Yeah, right, like a guy like that could die," Justin mutters, starting to walk past him. I reach out, but Trent is faster. His hand shoots out, blocking mine.
"Not now, Jack," he says.
"When did you man up?" I demand. "You never even talked in our old school."
"Here I won't get yelled at if I knock you around," he says, grinning evilly. He's a hero, right? Because I'm starting to wonder. "And since you're a tank class now, no one will say a word. Not even Nico would blink if I took you out on the field and wiped the floor with you. It might even be worth the extra hours training."
"You think you can?" I say. Could he? Probably. I still barely have any balance with my new weight, no clue if I can use my abilities without killing myself, and--Trent's stomach grumbles so loudly that I look down at it. Then I stare at him. His neck turns red. "What? I told you it was lunch time!" he says.
"So you just leave it like that?" Justin demands.
Trent shakes his head. "I've changed my mind," he says. "I'm going to eat it all. Have fun with the musician," he adds, walking away.
I'm honestly torn. I look at Justin, I look at Trent. I think about the fact that I haven't had real food except for this morning in who knows how long... "Wait up!" I yell, chasing after Trent. "Half of that is mine!"
"THIS ISN'T OVER!"
The shout shatters the glass in the bathroom and has me sticking my fingers in my ears. I turn, seeing Justin standing there, his hands in tight fists at his sides, his face pale. He's shaking but the look on his face is rage. He rushes forward, slamming his shoulder into my stomach and sending us both flying past Trent through the bathroom door and into the wall across from it. I grunt and shove him away, sending him flying backwards.
"Alright," I say, grinning. "You really want to go on, I'll go on."
"Time out." I glance up, blinking at the sight of half a dozen adult supers standing all around us. Nico's the one that said that. He steps forward, standing between me and Justin. "First off, both of you have detention tomorrow. You'll be fixing the damage you created. Secondly, I think it's time for the three of us to have a little talk."
"Is that enough punishment?" Blackjack asks. "We all heard what went on. Really, Jack, don't you think you can threaten him with something more impressive than a swirlie?" he asks me. "You're a super villain in training! That lack of creativity is what makes for a low-rate super villain."
"Point," Nico agrees. "But regardless, as the ex super villain here, I think I should be the one mentioning those facts."
"Have you actually said you were becoming a super villain?" Banshee asks me.
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" I ask, shrugging. "I'm not going to become a hero, I don't even like cats, much less wanna get them out of trees."
"But it's been agreed that there's not going to be an emphasis on which side they're on while in school except for certain classes," Nico says. "So what we've got here is a clear cut case of bullying and overreacting. Which is why we're going to have a little chat in my office."
"Why don't you just toss me out already?" Justin demands. "I'm the one that started it! I don't even want to be here--"
I look at him. "So basically you were just trying to use me to get tossed out of school, huh?" I say. He looks at me and I stare him down. "You were born that way, right?"
"Come on," Nico says, ignoring the confused expression on Justin's face. "We're going to have a little talk."
"Jack! Are you okay?" I glance over as Aubrey tries to sneak past the wall of teachers. "You didn't start bleeding again, did you?"
"I'm fine," I tell her, even as she ducks under Blackjack's arm and crosses over to me. "Seriously, I'm fine. Not even a bruise." I feel awkward at the group of people watching us, especially when she grabs my arm. Her dark blue eyes turn white and her hair starts floating around her. After a second her hair falls again and her eyes go back to normal.
"Good," she says with a smile. "Now what exactly do you think you were doing?" she demands, turning on Justin. "Jack just got out of the hospital yesterday! He--"
"Aubrey!" I say, grabbing the back of her shirt. "Calm down."
"You were in the hospital?" Justin asks.
"Yeah," I say. "But that doesn't have anything to do with this. Go to lunch, already," I say to Aubrey, pulling away from her. "I've got a lecture to sleep through."
"No sleeping," Nico says, starting forward again. I follow along behind him, shoving my hands into my pockets. I don't care if Justin doesn't follow, I decide as we head for the exit. I hear him yelp behind me and let a tiny grin pull at my lips as he starts to chase after us. I've got no idea what happened, but it doesn't matter. It's still funny.
We head into the second building, where the gym is on the bottom floor, and go up the stairs to the second floor. It's got long tables, like a science classroom, but all of them are covered with machine parts. Nico drops down at the front desk, kicking his feet up on the desk and motioning for us to sit down.
I grab one of the chairs, turning it so I'm straddling it. "So," I say. "What's the lecture going to be?"
"Don't think I'll bother," Nico says, pulling a few pieces of metal out of his pocket. They float over his hand and I have to duck to keep from getting hit in the head by other pieces flying towards him. "You two have already decided where you stand, no point in trying to make you act nice."
"Who are you?" Justin bursts out. "Why are you, who I've never even heard of, the principal of the school? There's world famous supers teaching here! You--you don't even wear a uniform! You don't even have a name!"
"Sure I do," Nico says. "I'm Technico. I was a super villain about sixteen years ago."
"So a washed out super villain is good enough to be the principal?"
"If you've got a problem with it, take it up with Double M," Nico says. The metal scraps and wiring? They've turned into a gun that's just floating there in front of him. It disassembles without him even touching it, putting itself back together to form what looks like a collar, things coming from around the room to change it. He's playing.
"Okay, if you're not going to lecture me, how about some answers," I say. "Why did you stick me with that family?"
"Because obviously you couldn't be stuck with mine, and my little sister would have beat on you for fun if I stuck you with her," Nico says. "I could have moved you in with Taurus, but Taurus is pulling double duty, working as both a teacher and a working cape. He won't be there most of the time. Ken's the best choice. Like Aubrey said, you did just get out of the hospital."
"Why won't you people tell me what's going on?" Justin demands. "Who is this guy and why is everyone treating him like they are? It's pretty obvious he's not going to get hurt any moment!"
"Jack is a created super," Nico says. "He was a norm a few months back and wound up getting experimented on by a mad scientist."
"You're joking, right?"
"Did I sound like I was?" Nico asks.
Justin turns and stares at me. "So you're like a cyborg, right?"
"No, I'm not a cyborg," I mutter, looking at Nico. "I'm..."
"A metal manipulator, an elementalist," Nico says. "They must have used Lady Rose's DNA. As far as I can tell, you can control metal like Sunny will be able to control plants and earth. That's how you caused such a problem back then. I should probably tell you," he says as he looks at Justin, "in a fair fight, Jack would wipe the floor with you. So if you want to get kicked out by starting fights, I'd suggest you pick a different target."
"But he's an obvious bully!" Justin says, only to turn red.
"So you want to look like the good guy at the same time, huh?" Nico offers. "I don't think you even know what you really want."
"I want to go back to my old life!" Justin says. "I want to be a singer! I'm famous, you know! I've got a world tour that I'm going to miss out on--do you know how unprofessional that looks? And before you go saying crap about how being a hero is more important, I worked HARD for where I was. I spent my entire life trying to get there!"
"You put three of your fangirls in the hospital," Nico says coldly. "How many more do you want to risk over your ego?"
"They--they weren't hurt too bad--" Justin stutters.
"They were knocked unconscious. Look, kid, whether being a singer is more important, well, that's not for me to judge, but what's most important is for a cape to be in control. He can be a singer, he can be whatever he wants to be as long as he has control of his abilities. Otherwise you're not a singer, you're not even a super, you're just a loose cannon. Honestly, only two kids in this entire school qualify as being supers. The rest of you? You're all loose cannons."
"Who?" Justin asks. "Tell me it's not him," he adds, pointing at me.