The Distort Arc: Cape High Books 1-4 (Cape High Series Omnibus) (24 page)

"Be patient," Allie whispers back.  "Revenge takes work, right?"

"But I don't want to come to this stupid school!" Kelly says.  "It's ran by a super villain and it's in the middle of nowhere and there's only three guys--one who's already threatened you, one that's stupid enough to actually date that brat and a third that is--"  She looks over at Sunny.  "Short," she says.

"But cute," Allie says. 

"That doesn't matter.  What matters is getting revenge," Kelly snarls silently, her eyes on the redhead.  "Ever since Mastermental talked to our parents we've been on complete lockdown.  No boys, no parties, nothing.  It's all her fault."

"Then why aren't we doing something to--" Allie starts out, only to stop as her eyes fall on the thin man in question.  Mastermental is so far out of their league that she's shocked at herself for thinking that.  Even his seventeen year old son--who is her age--is way more than she and Kelly can handle--but-- "Her boyfriend," she whispers, looking at the tall blonde teenager.  "Didn't they say something about him fighting Max?"

"I don't know, I wasn't paying attention!"

"But if he is--that means he's tough, right?  So we need to make sure we catch her away from him," Allie hisses.

"Better yet, we need to take him away from her," Kelly says.  "She's short, flat and totally lacking in sex appeal, right?  So it should be easy, right?"

"That means splitting up.  You go after him," Allie says.  "I'll take on Emily."

"Not yet," Kelly says.  "But soon."

"Make it quick, otherwise the tour will be over and we'll be sent back home," Allie says.

"I know that."

***

"This will be one of the classrooms," Nico says a bit later, leading the crowd through the first building.  "For the most part this entire building is dedicated to classrooms like this one."

"And what's in the next building?" Frank asks curiously.  I glance over at him, questioningly.  "I'm afraid there was only one building planned in the original--"

"We decided there should be more," Max says.  "I built most of the second building.  It's dedicated to the mad science and experiment training."

"And you let him," Frank says to Nico dryly.

"I like how the kid thinks," Nico says shamelessly.  "You see it can work both ways--we'll train the super villains how to build things and train the super heroes how to break them down.  There's even a special section dedicated to proper demolition methods.  That way it's easier to destroy buildings during fights without killing the norms as you do it."

"That... makes sense, actually," Frank says.

"That's insane!" one of the sisters says.  "Why do any of it?  It's like this is some sort of game to you!"

Frank and Nico look at her with bland expressions, their stances the same.  "Really, child, you sound as if you're a norm," Frank says.  "This is how we work."

"Honestly, I'd rather they didn't destroy anything at all," Nico says.  "Since I'm still going to be stuck on janitor duty after school is officially open.  But if they swing too hard or such, well, it happens.  Let's go check it out."

I follow along with the crowd, lacing my fingers through Emily's more to keep her from going after the sisters than to look like boyfriend and girlfriend.  But she's looking all around as if trying to memorize everything.  "Hey," she says abruptly, "you're going to destroy things tomorrow, right?"

"It's an abandoned empty lot," I say.  "We might make a few craters or something, but I'm not planning on doing anything too stupid."

"I can bring in the buses, right?" Max asks, making me glance back.  "I like to think they make for a good trademark."

"If you pay to get it replaced after you wreck it," Frank calls over his shoulder.

"Seems a bit extensive," Max complains.

"Maybe you can find something in a junkyard?" Zoe offers.  "That's where we got the family car."

"Can you make it look like it works?" Max asks her.

"No."

"Oh, come on, you can try at least, right?  It's got to be impressive!"

"Does no one care that I'm going to be hit with a bus?" I ask.

Emily looks up at me.  "Not at all.  I think your head is hard enough," she says with a grin before slipping from my hold.  "Jeanie!  Where's our class going to take place?" she asks, running to catch up with my Mom.  Before I can protest, Zoe's following after her, leaving me walking with Max.

"Do you really mind the bus?" Max asks.

"Nah, should be fine," I admit.  "But she just goes 'not at all,'" I complain.  "You'd think she'd have a bit more fake compassion than that!"  Max starts to laugh.  "What?  At least pretend to worry," I mutter, pouting.  Yes, I'm pouting.  My fake girlfriend should show fake compassion, and worry, right?

"You can take a hit with a bus, right?" Max says.

"Well, yeah, I figure.  I'd hope, at least.  Dad said I should be fine for heavy hits last time we sparred."

"I'll make it light the first time," Max promises.  "So," he goes on, lowering his voice to almost silence.  "How's it going with her?"

"I... have no clue," I admit.

"Well if nothing happens, tell me," Sunny says, blatantly joining the silent conversation as he catches up to us.  "If the choice is her or the two sisters, well, I know who I'd pick."

"Seriously, Sunny, don't worry about it," Max says, dropping an arm over Sunny's shoulders.  "You're an elementalist, your sister's seriously hot.  You'll have your pick of girls and women as soon as you get a little older."

"What does my sister have to do with any of this?" Sunny asks darkly.

"Well I can't say if a guy is hot or not, you know?  But you're twins, and look enough alike that if your sister is cute to me, you're probably cute to girls, right?"

"Maybe a girl just like Max!" I say.  I swear we all picture it.  Sunny literally shudders.

"No thanks," he says.

"Yeah, that might be a bit too disturbing," I admit.

"I get the feeling you're both mocking me right now," Max says.

"We are," Sunny and I agree.

"Jerks," Max mutters, giving us a dirty look which is a bit ruined by the twitch of his lips as he fights a grin.  "Now, how do we want to deal with the sisters?" he asks silently.  I glance back at the two trailing along behind the rest of us, a slight frown on my face.

"My question is why they even came," Sunny says.  "They fit in with norms, don't seem interested in training at all--"

"Seriously, Sunny, are you interested?" I ask him.

"I'd like to walk through the park at least once in my life without getting tripped," Sunny says.  "And lately I've noticed that the rocks try to move if I stand still too long."

"Stand still," Max and I tell him in perfect tandem.

Sunny looks at us.  "Fine, over here," he says, moving to the side of the path and standing completely still.  For a moment nothing happens.  Then Max points to the right.  I look over, watching as a small pebble starts to vibrate against the ground, moving towards Sunny.

Yeah, it's just a pebble.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's plenty of supers out there that can make pebbles move--I know Max can make a lot more than just that move, but what you're not seeing is that Sunny's an elementalist.  A plant elementalist--at least that's what we assumed.  But there are no plants in Death Canyon.  Everything was wiped out by Nico's weapon of mass destruction a while back, then what few weeds were trying to grow were wiped out by Frank's workers.  This is all dirt, rock, and concrete.

That means Sunny might be able to control rocks or earth instead of just plants.  I look at Max, Max looks at me.  "You thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask.

"Yeah.  Maybe."  He looks at Sunny.  "Sunny... you need to tell us now, which side do you plan on joining?"

"Huh?" Sunny asks.  He's been distracted, I can tell, because he's looking straight up with his eyes closed, enjoying the sun.

"Are you going hero or villain?" I ask.

"Oh, that," Sunny says, looking at us.  "Hero... in a way.  Dad says I'll be needed for the big things, like forest fires or whatever.  I've been thinking about it, and it sounds like a good choice.  I mean, that's what Mom did, right?" he asks.

"So you won't be in the brawling game," Max says, breathing out a sigh of relief.  "Good, wouldn't want to have to fight my future brother-in-law--"

"Hey, she's only fifteen, don't go planning the wedding just yet," Sunny says darkly.  "But yeah, so I can skip the brawling classes!"

"Don't even think about it!" Nico yells over his shoulder.  "You're doing the full nine yards, boy!"

"Darn it," Sunny says.

"More than just having to fight your future brother, don't you think," I comment to Max quietly as Sunny goes back to sunbathing.

"Heck yeah," Max admits.  "Sunny, you're going to be terrifying."

Sunny looks up with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head.  "Nah, not really," he says.  "I can't do anything yet, and Zoe still blows up everything that's got a circuit.  We're slow learners, I guess.  Who knows what'll happen?"

I suddenly realize that I've got no idea where Emily is.  I glance over, letting out a sigh of relief as I see her chatting with Liz, then frown as I realize something abruptly.  "She's being way too calm about them being here," I say silently.

"Huh?" Max asks, glancing over.  "Maybe she's ignoring it?"

"Emily's not the type to ignore something like this.  She threatened to beat me up just last night if I even think of being a jerk," I say.  "She won't ignore two people that she knows are jerks alread--"

I hear a scream from behind me and already know what to expect as I turn.

***

Timing is everything, Emily thinks as she hangs on Liz's arm with a bright smile.  She had waited until the boys were busy doing something and the adults were fully occupied, and the scream that comes from behind her is almost as satisfying as seeing the sisters try and cover up the fact that their miniskirts are slit completely down the back through Ditto's eyes.

Ditto poofs out of existence just as the girls see her.  Nobody else sees her, she thinks cheerfully, trying to look concerned and not gloating as she looks back to see what's happening.

"Nice," Liz says almost silently.  "Very nice.  Excellent timing and a believable alibi."

Emily gives her an innocent look, or tries to at least.  Her eyes are gleaming with triumph.

"She slit our skirts!" Allie bellows, pointing at Emily.  "That stupid thing she does--" she squeaks as her skirt starts to fall again, tugging it around her waist as much as she can.  The skirt's too tight for it to overlap and give her a hint of modesty.  "We're going home," she announces through gritted teeth.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Frank says mildly.  "You see we've had reports of an unknown super in the area, we can't let young supers such as yourself wander around unaccompanied."

"Besides, you can't get out of the security dome," Nico says, completely unsympathetically.  "But, of course, Emily, you're going to have to be punished for that one," he adds.

"They could be lying!" Emily protests.  "Maybe their fat butts were too big for the skirts and they ripped under the strain!"

Nico looks at her, thoughtfully for a moment.  "I'm willing to buy it!" he says cheerfully.

"Nico," Ken says with a hint of warning.  "Since Emily is ours and school isn't officially open yet, we'll deal with this."

"Are you all forgetting something?" Kelly demands.  "We can't move!  She totally destroyed our clothes!  How are we going to continue this stu--this tour when we've got no pants?"

"I didn't do anything!" Emily protests, sounding perfectly honest.

"Ditto, huh?" Ken says.

Emily looks at him, feeling guilty all of a sudden.  He'd called her "ours" she thinks.  But she isn't theirs, right?  She's just staying with them for a little bit-- "I'm not sorry," she says.

"We can't stay like this!  Give us her clothes or something, she can run around in her underwear!" Kelly says.  "She deserves it!"

"Max, go find them some duct tape," Nico says.

"Yes sir," Max says, racing off.  He comes back a second later with a roll of black duct tape, tossing it at the sisters.  Emily barely notices, because Ken is standing in front of her with a rather sad look on his face.  The guilt, she thinks, the guilt--
it burns
.

"Emily," he says.  She looks down, but he nudges her chin, forcing her to look up again.  "Did you have Ditto slit their skirts?"

"I--they--yes," she admits, caught by those gentle blue eyes.  A super hero shouldn't have eyes that gentle when he catches someone doing something bad.  "You probably want me to move to a different home or something, right?"

"Oh sweetie--" Jeanie starts out.  Ken raises a hand, stopping her.

"Do you think that's a good punishment?" Ken asks.

"Kick her out on the streets!" Allie says.  "She'll never be a super hero!  She'll probably become a super villain!  She's nothing but lies--even her abilities are lies!"