Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.
Rumi
It’s a free period at school so I take the initiative to go to the school library and get some research done. My target for today is investigating and perhaps deciphering, the cryptic location Chasm handed over, when I asked, so nicely. The library is quiet today thankfully and I manage to snag a desk all to myself without having to share with the lowerclassman who have the guts to come near me. Cocky little fools, those brats. With my laptop plugged in, books stacked around like the wall of an impenetrable fortress, and a nice cup of coffee hidden away from the hawkish eyes of the librarian, I’m quite comfortably in my zone.
That is, until Penelope shows up.
Her countenance radiates frustration from a mile away, green eyes blazing like a wrathful demon of hate. Her hands are clenched on her hips as she stands in front of my desk, all but slamming the lid of my laptop shut.
“Are you Kennedy Woods?” Penelope asks.
“It’s Kourtney,” I slowly close the book in my hand. “Can I help you?”
“Unfortunately,” She mutters. We’ve been grouped together for an assignment. I need to ensure you complete your contribution”
“What about the boys?” I frown, her words coming to me as a rude surprise. “Surely, you wouldn’t just stand by and let them do none of the work”
“Of course not,” Penelope flicks her blonde hair over a narrow shoulder, and I marvel at how differently she behaves from that of her alter ego. “I have my methods of persuasion”
I didn’t ask and I really, really didn’t need to know that.
“Fine. You get Skye to play a part in this and I will too,” I offer.
“Good, and put some actual effort into this project, I’d like a good mark,” She huffs as if this whole thing is my fault. “I know it’s difficult for someone like you, but just try”
I bite my tongue to hold back the rude remark I’m so intent on spewing, and it takes all my self-control not to lash out like a spitting cobra. Spinning on the heel of her high platforms, Penelope sashays away, leaving me in peace again. Although, I must be honest – I am surprised by her abrupt behaviour. Penelope Greene wants to earn her school grades fair and square? Now that’s something you don’t witness every day. And I’ve seen supervillains try to tear up the city with flamethrowers (fraternal twins called Rapidfire), gigantic suits designed to tumble like a bowling ball (Iron Ferrous) and an assassin covered from head to toe with knives (High Frequency – though I’m not sure why that’s his name…)
I don’t think much about Penelope’s words, not about the project or her worthless insults until later that afternoon when school is finally over for the day. I know when I get back to my apartment, I’m going to have a mountain load of homework and too many assignments to keep track of. Such is the life of an average high school student, like myself. Cause, y’know I’m so normal.
Ah fudge. School is messing with my head, badly.
I open my locker to stuff all my books in when I notice one of my folders missing. And not just any one – the one I store all my assignment sheets in. Ugh, this is my luck. Of course the day I’d be dreading to do my projects would be the day I can’t find them. As I rummage through my locker, upturning all my books, and creating an even bigger mess, I barely hear the decline of noise around me fading away like mist. It’s only when I finally, finally locate my sacred folder, do I realise the hallways have cleared around me.
“Hey, Woods”
I nearly yelp in shock, my locker swinging shut behind me, the slam reverberating across the empty corridors, and I whip my head towards the source of the only other voice in this desolate school. Skye Stingworth leans against the adjacent locker door, that easy, charming smile on his face as he plays with a button of his red Letterman jacket.
“Skye,” I nod listlessly. “What are you doing?”
“I think this button is broken,” He continues to fiddle with his jacket, glancing at me only for a second with round, innocent eyes.
Its oddly endearing.
“No, I mean what are you doing here,” I clarify. I’m sure he has sports practice after school and even if he didn’t, didn’t he have friends to catch up with?
“Oh right,” Skye seems to snap out of whatever he was thinking, those amber eyes lighting up like fireworks. “Penelope asked me to work on that project of ours”
“And what did she offer in return?”
I want to take back what I said immediately. They slipped out of my mouth before I could even fully comprehend what I was saying. The words are cruel, petty, and totally uncalled for. Unfair to both Skye and Penelope. I end up wincing instead, hoping Skye wouldn’t just walk away because of my rudeness. This project is part of my grade too, I could be nicer.
“What do you mean? She asked, I agreed. Reluctantly though – I despise physics”
“Right”
“So, when can we get started on that poster?”
“We’re making the model for the experiment,” I correct him with a soft sigh.
Skye waves it off.
“So its settled then,” I declare. “When can we meet up?”
“Wednesday?” He offers.
I shake my head. “Can’t. I’m kinda busy after school. Tomorrow?”
Yeah, too busy interrogating Chasm and hoping the police don’t arrest me for using torture methods. As if they could.
No one has discovered a weakness behind my team’s superpowers. Not Dex, not my fellow teammates, no one. There’s nothing that can inhibit our powers. Nothing is immune to them. But, that’s an argument for another day.
“I can’t, I have something as well,” Skye shrugs uneasily. “What about Thursday?”
I have a meeting with the Lighters that day. “No can do. I’m guessing Friday is out to?”
“Football game,” Skye says. “Saturday it is”
I expel a breath. “That’ll work”
“Okay,” He’s back to fidgeting with that blasted broken button. “But I have to finish before six, if that’s okay”
“Party?”
Skye swallows, contemplates. “Something like that”
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Cold, dark, and foul.
Just an average alleyway if you ask me.
“What is this stuff?” Princess Puma whines for the millionth time, her face contorted into disgust as she inspects her silver tipped boot.
“Someone’s waste,” Scorpio deadpans, causing the green cladded girl to welp and flick her foot. Scorpio only laughs at Puma’s revulsion.
Hawk gives them one look and scrunched up his nose, a shudder shaking his shoulders. “This place is so gross”
“I know,” Puma moans, cautiously stepping between dark marks and lumps of God-knows-what.
See, this is the thing about my team. We’re fine with fighting bad guys and risking our lives every week to protect the city, but when it comes to filth and mucky places, my squad trembles, we freak out and make a run for it like cowards. Every hero has a weak spot, and ours – well more specifically – Puma and Hawk’s is anything mildly revolting. Like the alleyway we’re standing in right now as we head to the location Chasm spoke of. The address of his weapons distributer.
“Stop it. She already wants to run away as it is,” I whisper-shout to Scorpio, elbowing him.
“Ow,’ He clutches his side and I roll my eyes. Despite him showing injury at my jabbing, I know he’s pretending. Underneath that red suit is pure, hard-as-rock muscle and a chest made of steel. Not that I care.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Blue Hawk asks, clearing his throat. Princess Puma is latched onto his arm and the two of them are slowly guiding each other away from anything remotely disgusting.
I tap the tech bands on my wrist and a holographic, electric blue map pops up. Scanning the screen quickly, I check our location’s lateral and longitudinal coordinates.
“Affirmative. There should be a door East of our position,” I say, my gaze travelling across the narrow expanse – from rusted pipes to vandalised brick walls, overflowing dumpsters and stray cats.
“There,” I gesture towards a silver metallic door, wedged into the wall.
“That’s just a back entry to the main building,” Scorpio remarks. “That’s where all the furniture store workers come through”
I tilt my head slightly. “I sit though?”
The question is rhetorical, and I look to Hawk for confirmation. He nods. The genius had been working for months alongside the Lighter’s expert scientists, designing a new kind of infrared technology in the form of goggles. Increasing an X-ray like device, the lens are specifically designed for missions like this. Today is the first time testing the new prototype and I hope it works as I switch them on, with a quick double tap to my temples. Immediately, red lines fill my vision, in grids. I adjust the lens, first spotting three reddish orange blotches which I mark as my team.
“Is it working?’ Hawk enquires.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvedgJe7Un
My attention goes to the door. “Checking that now”
The others step back, giving me space to scan passed the door. I notice five moving shapes, carrying around cargo boxes. I still –
Those boxes contain weapons. Lots of them. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IByKmXYmF
“The room currently holds five occupants. Two female, three male,” I state my discoveries. “They’re transporting weapon shipments to the back. I think it’s some sort of warehouse?”
Hawk scratches his chin. “That lorry in the front must be dropping off the goods”
“And the furniture store acts as a decoy,” Puma adds in. “They pretend to withhold furniture cargo but really …”
“Its weapons,” Scorpio finishes.
“Can you break us in?” I ask him.
He nods and we get into formation. I take position on the wall next to the door, Hawk on the other side. Puma finds a spot somewhere behind Scorpio, acting as his backup.
Scorpio cracks his neck. “Let’s crash this party!”242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhdjvtE3dQ
