by R. J. Ross
"Long distance?" I repeat, thrown off by the idea.
"You control the wind, you've got superior eyesight and hearing. Do you really think I'd toss you into a fist fight when you're the perfect sniper type?" He shakes his head, as if amused I would think that way. "Banshee will tutor you and Keliah in archery on Mondays, and then you'll spend your first hour doing target practice for the rest of the week. Your last hour will be spent doing the healers' obstacle courses. Physically they're about the same level as you."
I feel a bit dizzy with hope. It's astonishing how he makes it all sound so simple. "If I'm such a great spy, I bet my sister would be a million times better," I mutter, forcing myself back down to reality.
"Not a chance," Nico says. "Your sister's too much of a glory hound to even contemplate this style of work. Tell me now, though, do you think you're too good for it?" he asks, turning to look me in the eye. "If you think you want to be on the big screen someday—"
"I don't," I say quickly. "I'm not even sure I can pull off what you've got planned," I admit, looking down. "But I'm going to try," I say, clenching my hands for a second before looking him in the eyes. It's not enough, being a cheerleader, or being a little bit better than normal people in simple things. What matters, I think, is being better than who I used to be. Or, well, since I'm going villain, would it be 'worse than who I used to be'? I frown, trying to figure that out. "Even if I AM a D-class," I say boldly.
"You're a D-class?"
I let out a little yelp, jumping and turning to glare at Freddy. "DON'T DO THAT!" I yell, waving a finger at him. "Stop sneaking up on me! I swear I'm going to put a bell on your neck, you freaking cat!"
He blinks, staring at me in complete shock. After a second his expression turns into a frown. "So that's why you don't like me?" he asks.
I feel guilty. "I don't even know you," I say with a sigh. "But it is really disturbing for me, okay?"
"Huh."
"I need to move in," I say, heading for my bag and picking it up. "Where's my room?" I ask Nico.
"That building, room 204," he says, motioning to the newest looking building.
I walk off, not caring whether Elidee realizes she needs to move in or not. Now Freddy knows both of the things I was trying to keep to myself. Great. It's only the SECOND day at this stupid school and I'm already outed. I'll probably never make friends here, and be alone for the rest of school. Also, does a degree from Cape High even count for college? I mean, are they even certified? These are REALLY important questions if you're not going into the 'family business.'
I should write or call Mr. Harrison and thank him, I realize abruptly.
Yes, I AM avoiding thinking about how my reputation, which I have yet to build, is already shot. Can you blame me?
I step into the dorm building, looking around curiously. The smell of something cooking catches my attention and I head in, looking around curiously. "We are in the kitchen," Tatiana calls in her beautiful Russian accent. I head for it, following the sounds she makes. Inside I'm greeted by the sight of the group from yesterday gathered around a huge, wooden table that looks hand carved. "Hi!" Skye says, waving at me from her seat on the other side of the table. "Did you lose your little smelly friend?" she asks.
"Smelly?" I repeat.
"She means the pheromone user," Superior says, reading the newspaper as if this was a "Father Knows Best" episode or something.
"I'm not sure where Elidee went," I admit, my stomach rumbling at the smell. I should go find her. I should eat. I—I don't know what I should do, really, I think as I let go of my luggage and take a deep breath.
"Is there a problem, kitten?" Tatiana asks me, turning with a compassionate gaze.
"I—I just—" I say, taking a deep breath, "Everyone—everyone is going to know," I say, the full impact of what just happened hitting me like a bomb. "Everyone will know."
"Know what?" Skye asks.
"That—that I'm a loser," I say.
"Why would that be?" Tatiana asks, walking over and pulling me into a hug. I'm feeling pretty smothered by her chest, but I ignore that fact.
"Freddy knows I'm—I'm a D-class," I whisper.
The room is supposed to go silent now, right? It doesn't. The sound of Superior turning the newspaper page seems to echo. He didn't even stop READING for crying out loud! To add insult to injury, he asks, "So?"
"Everyone will find out!" I say. "It's bad enough I was a freak at my last school, now I'm one here, too."
"Oh, kitten," Tatiana says with a sigh.
"Does it bother my son?" Superior asks.
"N—no?"
"Then it shouldn't bother anyone else. If it does, tell an adult. If it's an adult it bothers, tell one of us."
"I shouldn't have to tell anyone," I complain. "I should have just kept my mouth shut—I'm so stupid!"
"It's okay to be normal," Skye says, hopping over the desk and walking on air to the stove. "I used to dream I was normal. Then I'd wake up—usually somewhere really strange," she admits as she takes over the cooking. "Like one time I was halfway through the floor of my apartment—head down, right? That's about the time everyone else moved out of the building," she adds thoughtfully.
"So… it doesn't bother any of you?" I ask belatedly.
"S-class, S-class, S-class, and Doris over there is an A-class," Superior says, pointing around the room. Doris is the long haired woman that hasn't spoken once that I know of. "We're as far from the average cape as you are, just in the opposite direction."
"That means we're bigger freaks than you are," Skye says, flipping pancakes. "Eeee, I can actually say 'we'!"
"There is a HUGE difference between you and me," I say. "I can barely pass as a cape—"
"And we can never pass as norms," Tatiana says, her tone surprisingly gentle. "Do not think it is easy, going out in public. The normal ones, they avoid us without thought. Some others express great fear, just being near us. I am retired—I am supposed to be dead, kitten. It is very hard to live a normal life when the normals themselves, they do not accept me."
Oh. Okay, I can actually see that. "But you can do amazing things!" I say, not ready to throw the towel in just yet. "I'm just—all I've got is good hearing and a bit of wind blowing. ANYONE can blow wind," I say. Skye starts giggling. "With a FAN," I add for her benefit.
"Oh, you don't need one of those!" she says, waving it off.
"If you keep looking down on yourself, how do you think you'll ever accomplish anything?" Superior asks, closing his newspaper finally and looking at me. "You're the first D-class in the school, right?"
"I… think so? I mean, I guess that's right if you say so."
"Consider how many other D-class kids there are, that dream of getting in here. If you fail, what chance do you think they'll have?" Superior says.
I see the long haired girl shoot him a strange look and wonder what's not being said here. "I will show you to your room, now!" Tatiana says, grabbing my bag and leading the way inside.
"From a man named Superior," I hear an unknown female voice drawl silently.
"She's not going to be in the family line, so her class level makes no difference to me," I hear Superior say. "A super is a super—at least she's trying to do something with her abilities. Besides, Nicolas has turned down at least five D-class kids since we got here."
"Then why was she let in?"
"I don't know, but I'd like to find out. If she runs in terror this early, I'll never know."
"Do not be taking it personally, kitten," Tatiana says, drawing my attention to her. "My Clifford, he is very protective of his family name. It is all he truly had for a very long time."
I nod, hesitating. "So only S-class people are allowed into the family?" I ask her.
"Oh, Clifford is accepting of high A-class, as well!" Tatiana says with a smile. "But you did not fall in love with my grandson at first sight, did you?"
"He's cute?" I offer, wondering how to answer that. It's sort of a "darned if I do, dar
ned if I don't" question, isn't it? "He's not really my type—and he's dating Adanna, right? They look really good together."
"They are very good for one another," Tatiana says. "But it is not easy to carry the Superior name—I would not wish it on many."
"Would you wish it on Adanna?" I ask.
There's a second of hesitation that crosses her face before a slight smile takes its place. "She has already lost a name nearly as famous. She was once to be the next Panther."
"So she was born for greatness," I say, thinking of that old saying about having it thrust upon you.
"Yes, but it is not her status or her level that makes me accept her," Tatiana says. "It is her, as a person. Do you not think that is how all people should be accepted?"
I nod, still feeling torn. On one hand I think I should be offended at the blunt "you can't be a Superior." But that's just stupid. I wouldn't WANT to be a Superior. I'm pretty worried about just being a SUPER. Adding the "ior" to the end would be terrifying.
"I will tell you this," Tatiana says, "if you truly were in love with a family member of mine, and they loved you in return, I would not hesitate to deal with my husband for your sake," she tells me, looking me straight in the eye. "Do not let others get in the way of your future."
"How did Skye get adopted?" I ask as she leads me into a large, open room.
"She asked to be!" Tatiana says cheerfully.
"She asked," I repeat blankly.
"Oh, yes, she was so adorable that I could not turn her down," she adds, as if it explains everything. "She is very entertaining, as well! I am proud to have her as my daughter!"
"Don't you worry about her having the Superior name? She's a super villain, right?" I can't help but ask.
"Oh, it is fine to have a black sheep here and there. It adds the spice!"
My conclusion? This family is terrifying, but I'm already half in love with Tatiana. She would be an AMAZING grandparent. Superior, not so much. "So, um, this is my room?" I ask as I look around. The room is huge, complete with its own bathroom, I notice as I see an open door. "Wow."
"It is a bit small, but it is not bad," Tatiana says with a little smile. "Your friend's room is next door. Do you know where she has gotten to?"
"No, but I should go find her," I admit, reaching for the bag she's still holding. "Thank you, Ms. Tatiana."
"Just Tatiana is fine, kitten," she says, letting me have the bags. "I will support you, little one, so do not fear the future here," she adds in a serious tone, placing one large hand on my shoulder. "It will not be so bad."
"Thank you," I say, feeling a hint of tears well up. I put the bags down and start for the door. "I'm just going to find Elidee," I tell her, giving her a little smile as I head out. For a second I just stop, standing in front of the dorm. I hold out my hands, closing my eyes and focusing on the wind. There are only a few small breezes right now, but it's enough to give me an idea.
I turn and head for behind the gym building, looking curiously at the tree houses I find there. Elidee is standing next to the tallest one—but it's the small panther lounging on the deck right in front of her that has me staring. "You've gotten bigger," Elidee says, not touching the cat.
The cat, on the other hand, reaches one paw out, bopping her on the nose. Elidee jumps back, touching the nose in question. "Don't do that! My face is IMPORTANT!"
I can't stop the laugh that escapes me. Elidee and the cat both look up at me. "You need to check out your room, Elidee," I tell her as I walk over, "and meet our dorm parents--they can show you which one it is."
"I wanted to—" Elidee says, looking guiltily at Adanna. "Yeah, okay," she says instead of finishing. "But this isn't the end of it, got it?" she adds to Adanna.
Adanna yawns in her face, showing sharp white teeth and a complete disregard to whatever Elidee is threatening. She looks a bit older than a cub, I think, but definitely not full grown. "So… why are you so tiny?" I ask as I take Elidee's place. I promptly shut my mouth as soon as she gives me a sharp look. She gets to her feet, raises her front left paw, and bops me on the nose just like she had Elidee. I reach up and rub my nose, not because it had hurt, but because I did NOT expect that.
"All shifters start out as babies in their new forms," I hear someone say from behind me. I turn, watching as Sunny heads for us. "Adanna's actually a little past the cub stage, but she's not quite to the teen," he says as he heads for the beautiful panther. To my surprise, he gets the same sharp look I got seconds earlier. "First hour is over in five minutes," he tells her. "Nobody cares if I wake up a little early," he adds, reaching up and patting her head. She goes up on her back legs, grabbing the arm trying to pat her. Before I can blink, they're play wrestling, complete with her biting his hand a few times.
"Doesn't that hurt?" I ask as he goes still for a second, looking pointedly at the way she's biting him.
"She never tries to break the skin," he says, shrugging. "She has a bit of trouble balancing her instincts with her human side, but she's getting better," he adds as she lets go of the hand and shifts into her human form.
"No, I just enjoy chewing on you," Adanna says shamelessly. She looks at me, then, a curious expression on her face. "You've not been assigned a first hour, have you?" she asks, hopping off of the tree house and walking over to me. "We should ask Nico what you should do."
"What's first hour?" I ask.
"Self practice," Sunny says. "I sleep."
"I spend it in my cub form," Adanna says.
"Oh. Um… he said something about target practice?" I offer.
"Keliah's spot," Adanna says to Sunny. Sunny frowns in obvious confusion. "Keliah? Falconess's daughter?" Adanna prompts. "The blonde with a crush on Jack? She's part of Trent's team?"
"Oh, right, her," Sunny says. "Um… where is she again?"
Adanna rolls her eyes. "Follow me," she says to me instead of replying. "It's because he sleeps all the time," she adds, motioning to Sunny. "He is the laziest super I've ever met."
"I'm growing!" Sunny protests. "I'm taller than you are, now!"
"You mean you weren't before?" I ask him.
"I've grown a few inches!" he says proudly. "But, uh, yeah, I do sleep a lot," he admits only seconds later as he yawns hugely. "Who are you again?"
"Sunny! It's not like we have that many new girls in school," Adanna says.
"It's better that he doesn't notice them," I tell her. "Elidee is more likely to get strange ideas if he pays attention."
She lets out a sigh. "So you know about that," she says.
"Yep."
"She is way too young to be stealing boyfriends!" she complains.
"I think she wants your attention more than his, though," I say thoughtfully. "As soon as we got here, she went to you, not to the dorms."
"Are you both moving in?" she asks me.
"Yeah, Nico showed up this morning and told us to pack," I say, not going into details. "Is he always like that?" I ask them.
"Dad? Nah, sometimes he'll just ignore people entirely," Sunny says. "He likes computers better. I mean, sure there are exceptions—family, friends, any of the students that actually try, but for the most part, he'll always pick whatever he's messing with at the moment. And he doesn't always think about how the stuff he's messing with will mess with the people, either."
"But he's a super hero!" I protest.
"No he's not. Sure, he's a super, but he's not a hero. He calls himself neutral. He IS training super villains along with heroes, after all. It wouldn't be right to pick a side." He shoots me a little grin, shoving his hands into his pockets. "He's gotten better! Slightly. Okay, not really," he corrected himself quickly. Adanna just shoots him a look.
"My papa is like that, too," she admits after a second of silence. "He prefers large cats to people, as well."
"Is that why you came to this school?" I ask her, "because Nico's neutral?"
"Not at all," she says, giving me a smile. "I came because Papa and Nico are best friends from before
any of us were born."
"It's a really small world. I mean, Aunt Liz is best friends with Jeanie—Star Spangled, who's married to Ken, who's America's Son, and Dad's best friends with a major name super villain."
"Aunt Liz?" I ask.
"Firefly."
My jaw drops open for a second. "On what side?" I demand, even though I've got a good idea.
"Dad's side," Sunny says. "Mom doesn't have any siblings."
His mom is… "It's Lady Rose, right?" I ask, remembering the scene from HTV a few months ago. Only now am I really getting the full depth of what I saw. I hadn't been paying attention at the time.
"Yep. I get my powers from her—well, the plant powers, at least," Sunny says. "She's overseeing Max's team, though, so it's a bit lonely right now."
"He usually spends his weekends helping out local farms with her," Adanna says, her hand taking Sunny's. I don't say a word. "Here's the target practice area," she goes on, motioning forward. It's a shooting range, complete with a target system at the end of the field. There are at least five target shooting lanes, but there's only one student standing there. She's got a glowing golden bow in one hand and, as I watch, an arrow forms in her opposite hand.
It's beautiful. I can't help but stare in wonder as she lets the arrow fly—and misses the target completely. I hear her growl under her breath, but she doesn't hesitate to make another arrow.
"Keliah," Adanna says. I see the other girl jump slightly before turning to us. "You're going to have a partner here, starting tomorrow," she says. "This is Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Keliah," she introduces us.
"Shouldn't it be Nico telling us this?" Keliah asks, staring at me. I don't think she's very happy about this at all.
"We can confirm it with him, if you want. He's probably watching us now," Adanna says, motioning to a tiny little black speck on the pole next to the targets. "This entire campus is on camera."
"Well, other than the bedrooms and bathrooms," Sunny says, "but the hallways outside them are recorded."
"That's GOT to be illegal."
"When you've got enemies that can walk through shadows, it's better safe than sorry," Adanna says.