Life Light (13 page)

“Sorry,” Brandon says, taking the hand Jack offers him. “I’ll try my best to be a good minion,” he tells Jack, looking him in the eye.

I see it click in Jack’s mind--and I’m probably one of the few not shocked when he swings an arm over Brandon's shoulders and looks at me. “Hey, Aubrey, can I keep him?” he calls over. “Invisible minion--how awesome is that? He can be my right hand man!”

The look of embarrassment on Brandon’s face has me inwardly groaning. “Brandon is NOT a puppy,” I tell Jack. “If he WANTS to do a stint as your assistant you had better pay him extremely well. And the moment he wants to go full cape, you had better let him!” Personally I think Brandon would make an amazing hero or villain, but working as a right hand man wouldn’t be too bad, right? Maybe he’ll spend less time hiding.

“Actual minion contracts won’t be available until after graduation,” Nico says, handing each of the group leaders a folder. “For those of you that need transportation, it will be provided by the Hall. As for adult supervisors, Flame will be going with Vinny’s group, Falconess will go with Emily’s, Mega is going with you, Trent. As for our super villains, we’re putting Summer, Blackjack, and Jeanie in plain clothes. Jack, you get your mom, Ace, you're stuck with your dad."

Jack frowns. “Why do I get Mom? I really can’t see her looking super villain enough, she’s just so... perky, or bubbly, or, you know--something that ends with Y.”

“I’m telling Mom you called her perky,” Trent says evilly.

“It ain’t a bad thing! It’s just not very super villain,” Jack says. I see a bit of red on what little flesh-tone skin he has on his face. “She’s a bubbly blond that spends her free time working at a church, man. She’s as opposite of Star Born as you can get.”

“Star Born’s your vision of a super villain female?” Trent asks.

“Well it’s either her or Skystep, and Mom’s... Okay, she’s a TINY bit more like Skye,” Jack says thoughtfully. “But she’s way more sane.”

“Potatoes are more sane than Skystep,” Ace drawls. “ROCKS are more sane than Skystep--”

“That’s my aunt you’re talking about,” Emily calls over to him.

“And you think she’s sane?”

“She’s nuttier than a candybar,” Emily says cheerfully, “but she’s still my aunt.”

“Oh!” I say, remembering what happened. “Duplicitous said that Skye made it up to Grandma's.”

“What?” Emily asks.

“They were having a party,” I say. “Duplicitous said Grandma planned on keeping her. Oh, and that Isotonic was there,” I add, frowning. “What would the North Branch Leader be doing up there?”

Zoe walks over from where she was standing next to Vinny--she was assigned to his team. “What happened with Grandma and Grandpa?” she asks.

“Skye’s decided I'm her niece,” Emily says, “which makes Liz her sister and Grandma and Grandpa her parents, right?”

“No,” Zoe says, “it doesn’t--by that line of thought she’s your aunt on your MOM--” then she stops, groaning loudly. “Is she seriously as crazy as everyone says she is?” she demands of the group.

“YES!” everyone that’s met Skystep yells, including me. Emily shoots me a look and I shrug. “It’s true,” I tell her. “Just ask the boys--they spent a good bit of summer camp with her.”

“She’s not bad, just crazy,” Ace says with a hint of loyalty in his voice. “Pan says that as some of the more sane villains we should try and keep an eye on the ones like her.”

“Yeah, she’s like that crazy big sister that people never really talk about in public,” Jack agrees.

Zoe lets out a heavy sigh before turning and pointing at her dad. “What was Isotonic doing at Grandma’s place?” she demands.

“Watching Emily’s debut,” he says.

“I really doubt he went to all that trouble just to watch a Central Hall debut,” Zoe says. “Don’t you dare let my new aunt get thrown into the Cape Cells.”

“Why are you suddenly accepting it?” he asks. “Fine. In fact, why don’t I just take my team up there--it’s the safest place for two healers right now, as much as I hate to admit it. We’re going to need one of those snow suits for Alyssa, Aubrey, do you know where Liz got it from?”

“Kim, probably, right?” Max offers, flipping through the file in his hand. “Dad’s accounting said she charged him for four new outfits in the past week--since all the Hall members have a special code for their uniforms, I figured at least one of them was Emily’s uniform. The other three must be Liz going shopping, right?”

“How closely DO you watch Hall business?” Nico asks him.

Max gives him a shameless grin. “Know thine enemy,” he says. “Plus, I like to keep track of things. It’s how I found out about this school so fast.”

“I can’t just run off to--to--where are we going?” Alyssa asks me.

“The Arctic Circle,” I say, “Grandma and Grandpa live there.”

“You moved your poor grandparents up to the middle of nowhere?” she asks. “What did they do to deserve that?”

“They moved themselves!” I say, trying not to laugh. “But I would have thought that was the LAST place you wanted to go, Nico,” I say. “You and Grandpa still don’t see eye to eye.”

“See, now THAT makes a little more sense--nobody sees eye to eye with their dad,” Alyssa says.

“I have to agree,” Ace says from right behind her. I almost laugh as Alyssa jumps from shock. “I don’t see eye to eye with my dad, either.”

“You need to stop being a creeper,” Alyssa scolds him.

“Hey look, Max, he’s hitting on a girl that’s NOT one of our girlfriends!” Jack calls to Max.

“He hits on you?” Alyssa asks me.

“He only does it to make Jack mad--but no changing the subject! We need to talk to Alyssa’s parents, Nico! Did you even tell them she would be on television? Or kidnapped by a super villain? I bet they’re out of their minds with worry--” I stop, pulling out my phone and texting Grandpa Andre. “I’m going to take care of this right now,” I declare. “I won’t have your poor parents terrified that they threw you to super villains.”

“They already met me,” Jack says with a shrug, “they shouldn’t be THAT terrified. I’m a lot scarier than Ace is.”

“In your dreams chrome dome.”

“Where did you get that one from?” Jack asks Ace.

“We had an eighties marathon. We got Carla wearing running suits that looks a bit like Lisa Frank thanks to that one,” Ace says grinning hugely.

“There’s nothing wrong with liking Lisa Frank!” Zoe says, instinctively stepping in front of Carla. I don't think she's ever even had a conversation with Carla, but I'm still not surprised. Zoe can be almost overwhelmingly protective if she thinks someone's being picked on. “Don’t you dare make fun of Carla.”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing, exactly,” Ace says. “Carla, I didn’t mean to--”

“You better make it up to me,” Carla says, clearly taking advantage of the situation, “you have to paint my wall!”

“In Lisa Frank style?”

“In Lisa Frank style!” she agrees.

“I’m going to have to stock up on glitter,” Ace mutters.

I see Alyssa’s shoulders shake slightly as she looks away. She’s laughing at him. I can’t help but glance over at Morgan, who has a slight frown on her face. She looks away as soon as she sees me look at her. That must sting, huh? Inwardly I sigh. I love the girl, she’s my best friend, but she really needs to get a clue sometimes.

My phone chirps and I pull it out, reading the text from Grandpa Andre. “He says he’s in a meeting with the local news stations,” I read, “so I should make Nico explain what’s going on,” I finish, looking at Nico.

“We’ll stop there on the way to Mom’s,” Nico says, strapping on a watch. A chill runs down my spine as I see it, and he catches my look. “Don’t worry, no time involved,” he says, flashing the watch at me. “This is purely teleportation. I ripped off Emily’s schematics and built it the other day--I’m not sure when,” he admits, frowning at the watch. “I think somewhere between Gilligan’s Island and The Andy Griffith Show.”

Alyssa looks at me, her expression conveying, “And this is our PRINCIPAL?”

“Actually we need to stop by Kim’s workstation at the Hall first, and then we’ll talk to the parents,” he says, walking over and placing a hand on each of our shoulders. “Don’t panic, kiddo, I’ve made things that go a LOT further,” Nico says as Alyssa lets out a little yelp.

She finishes it when we appear in the middle of a cloth cluttered room, shocking the woman standing in front of us. She covers it within seconds--she works with a lot of heroes, after all. “You could have called first,” she scolds Nico.

“Sorry, Kim, last minute changes. Can you set Alyssa up with one of Liz’s snow suits?”

“Of course,” Kim says, grabbing a tape measure. “How soon do you need it?”

“In half an hour or so?”

She gives him a dark look and gets to work.

***

“So this is where your dad works?” Nico says as we walk up to a large building. “What does he do here?”

“He’s a metal worker,” Alyssa says quietly. “He cuts strips of steel for companies to use. We have to go to the back part,” she adds, grabbing my hand and tugging me along. “Do we really have to do this?”

“Of course we do--he’s your father!” I say. “We’re going to see your mom after this, got it? And I need to call Granddad Jake when we get up there--I haven’t had the chance to tell him what’s going on.”

“That’s fine,” Nico says. “He probably thinks you’re still up there.”

“Can I help you?” a man says, heading for us. He’s wearing blue collar working clothes, with tough looking gloves and a pair of safety goggles hanging around his neck.

“I need to talk to Dad, Mike,” Alyssa says. I look over as someone starts for us.

“Alyssa!” he says, racing past Mike and pulling Alyssa into a bear hug. “Honey, we’re getting you out of that school--”

“It was a ruse,” she says, blushing with embarrassment. “It was all play-acting, Dad, he didn’t hurt me or anything.”

“I’m afraid we need her help with a little situation, sir,” Nico says, stepping forward and offering a hand. He’s wearing a mask again. I don’t even know when he put it on. “I’m Technico, principal of her new school.”

Mike is just staring at him with his jaw hanging open. We all ignore it--Technico gets that reaction a lot.

“I still don’t like it,” Alyssa’s father says. “You’re using my daughter as--”

“I wanted to do it,” Alyssa says. “Can we talk somewhere else? Somewhere private?” she asks.

“You wanted to do it?” he asks in shock. “You never volunteer--”

“Dad, please, don’t,” she says sharply, an irritated look on her face. “This isn’t like a normal school,” she whispers. “It’s... different.”

“Do you have an office?” Nico asks Mike.

“That way,” Mike says, motioning awkwardly behind him.

“We’ll be borrowing it,” Nico tells him, heading for the office. We automatically follow along. Once we’re in the tiny office, Nico closes the door and turns to Alyssa’s father. “Nico Masters,” he says, introducing himself a second time. “I’m going to ask something a bit serious, so I might as well tell you exactly who I am. I’m the son of Superior and Tatiana--and I’d like to ask permission to take your daughter with us to the Arctic Circle.”

“What?” Alyssa’s father says after a long moment. “Absolutely not! Why would I--”

“Because that’s the safest place for her right now,” I say, stepping forward. “A lot of healers were exposed to the public because of me--if people realize what really happened, they’re going to start hunting them down. A healer is extremely important, sir. And while I can’t blame people for wanting to--to be healed, it’s still dangerous for my healers,” I say. Yes, I feel possessive of the entire group. It’s silly, but I can’t help it, “that includes Alyssa. Where we’re taking her is the safest place in the universe.”

“How is it the safest place in the universe?” he demands.

“Because Superior, Tatiana, and Cosmic live there,” I say. "There's also Duplicitous, but you probably don’t know who she is. And yes, Superior IS alive, please don’t let it out. He’s retired.”

The look of shock on his face quickly turns to amazement. “Who are you?” he finally asks, looking at me.

“Aubrey,” I say, holding out my hand, “AKA Life Light. I’m the Central Branch’s healer and a student at Cape High. Alyssa’s the first healer I’ve met other than myself.”

“She--so she really is a super?” he asks.

“She is,” I say firmly, reaching over and taking Alyssa’s hand. “She’s an extremely important super.”

“So, can I go?” Alyssa asks.

“I’m not sure I could stop you,” he admits, pulling her into a hug. “Be safe. I love you.”

There’s a look of shock on her face before she gingerly hugs him back. “Yeah, me too.”

“We’re going to visit your wife, next, and then we’ll be leaving,” Nico says. Alyssa pulls away from her dad and Nico and her father shake hands.

We grab Nico’s arms and we’re gone, heading to her mom’s work to repeat the meeting. In no time at all we’re standing in the middle of Grandpa and Grandma’s front room.

***