[IC - Take 2] Sky High 2: Original Sins [PG-13]

[Price]

“Jesus Christ!!!!” Jesse found himself yelling as the bus sped past the sign and then rocketed into the air. Like most of the students, Jesse found himself doing his fair share of screaming as he white knuckled the railing and his iPod. After a few seconds, his breath returned to him and he gave in to the adrenaline rush with an excited laugh. The feeling of happiness faded as quickly as it had come when he saw Will. Will Stronghold, the son Jesse's father always wanted. Someone who wasn’t useless....in Jack’s words. Jesse looked at the sophomore hero with a mixture of contempt and envy. He was so sick of hearing about that kid.

Jesse turned his attention away from Will and to the floating superhero school, Sky High. Just looking at it made Jesse feel so out of his depth. "I really, really don’t belong here..." he thought. For a few minutes, he lost himself in his own thoughts and completely missed the bus driver’s ramblings as he followed the crowd in robotically slinging his backpack over his shoulder and exiting the vehicle. He still had his earbuds in as his music played, but it was tuned out as he just stared at the massive structure in front of him. This....this was home away from his hell house for four years....and the very thought petrified him to the point where he couldn’t force himself to move forward. His eyes darted around for a familiar face, but after realizing that he only knew one person in the school and that that person wasn’t even a “friend”...he just put his head down and accepted his role as a needle in a haystack.

With great effort, he forced his anvil feet forward one step at a time. With a big gulp, he headed toward the entrance with the expression of a scared puppy.

[Agent Rina]

Ammy squealed full of excitement as the bus flew into the air. Andrew was glad that she was at least thrilled with this chaotic almost death experience. They had no idea that the bus would be doing this. After all that excitement was over,and all the students had calmed down, Andrew took a big sigh if relief. That was something he had been unexpected. Then when they had pointed out WIll, he looked at him and saw Ammy taking no interest, because she was too busy blabbing to him about how exciting this was. He didn't even think she knew he wasn't paying any attention to her. Suddenly she pressed her face against the window and exclaimed, " AAAANNNNRRRRREEEEEWWWW!!!!! LOOK ITS SKY HIGH WE'RE HERE!!! FINALLY!!!!" Andrew couldn't help but smile as well, this was sure exciting.she then tried to clobber him out of the bus to be first, this also was another reason why Andrew made her sit by the window, so that she wouldn't race to be the first one out. They finally exited the bus for what seemed to take forever to Ammy.

One Ammy was out of the bus she ran out of Andrew's reach and marveled at the school. She was so excited she went up to random people and told them, "WE'RE AT SKY HIGH!!! YYYEEEAAAAASSSS!!!!" She jumped jumped and down and ran around. Andrew finally found her and went up to her. " AmS, you shouldn't go yelling in people's faces. You might scare them..."
She hugged Andrew, " I'M JUST SO HAPPY I NEED TO HUG SOME PEOPLE!" And with that she ran off again hugging people and telling them it was nice to meet them and she was just so happy to be at the school.
That is she was running around to slide through the entrance of the school when she noticed a scared face. That was so questionable.
She slid up next to the boy with the expression of a sad puppy and immediately asked, " HEY! WHY ARE YOU SAD?!?! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER! NEED A HUG? IM GIVING EM OUT FOR FREE FOR THIS HAPPY OCCASION!!"

Meanwhile Andrew was busy trying to find her again after she ran off again, there were just so many people he wondered exactly how he couldn't spot her. He then found her an sighed.
Not again he quickly went up to her and apologized to the other kid. "Sorry." And then dragged her away. "Ams. You can't just yell at people. Try not to yell next time okay?"
She looked at Andrew. "Alright fine."

[Scapegrace]

Fighter jets, Promise decided, were no way to travel. She wasn't exactly overburdened with options; her home, for the time she was in America, was an Air Force base kitted out with the "experimental" (apparently militarese for "vomit comet") new antigravity VTOL superheavy jet. One of the RAF's Engineers, that being the technical term for a tinker-type cape who worked for the government in some way, had cobbled together an antigrav engine that didn't rely on Ridiculous Science or incredibly rare materials, and the fruits of their labour was a new generation of strike aircraft built in-house, complete with heavy laser weaponry and a self-reloading smart missile system.

All of which was almost totally lost on a fourteen-year-old girl from Richmond, whose primary thought was what the hell the flight helmet had done to her bloody hair.

Still, it was much faster than a helicopter, which couldn't even be used because of the flight ceiling they had (good old low-and-slows, as the Air Force boys kept calling them), and it meant she didn't have to explain to a lot of teenagers why their bus was being taken into the arse-end of nowhere for the benefit of one girl dressed as a masked Viking. She'd only been there a week and the men had adopted her as a kind of mascot, which was irritating because it meant she had considerably less chance of a snog with any of the fit soldiers wandering around the place. That this would be all manner of illegal never really crossed her mind, and she consoled herself with the fact that she looked damn good in chainmail and dark blue leather, even if the black and white scarf didn't really fit with it. She clanked out of the jet and made for the nearest crowd, making a mental note not to talk to the lunatic screaming at one of the boys. That way madness lies.

[Lady Celeste]

As was typical for the first day of the new school year, everything was arranged to welcome the arriving freshmen. The cheerleading squad - this year consisting entirely of real girls, now that Penny Lent and her clones weren't filling all of the spots on the squad - had put together a standard cheer in their honor. Just like clockwork, shortly after the cheerleaders had finished, the new student body president arrived to give the students the usual safety spiel. Most of the freshmen either already knew the basic safety rules or didn't really care at the moment, anxious to get to Power Placement and get it over with, so little time was wasted before they were all finally led inside for their formal orientation, stopping only when they were all instructed to check their weapons at the door as per a new safety rule since last year's disastrous homecoming.

---

The school gym was immaculate from top to bottom in preparation for the students' arrival, but anyone who'd watched a Power Placement would know that it would not last. Measures were put in place to minimize and repair damage to the gym caused by power usage, but that didn't make the Power Placement process any less messy for those present. Now was a free period for Tau, so he had made a point to wait outside the gym door to see how Zahra's Power Placement was going.

By the time he arrived, Principal Powers had just begun her grand entrance, blazing into the gym as a brilliant white comet and flying over the students' heads, before reverting to her human form and landing gracefully at her podium. It took a while for the inexperienced freshmen to get over their awe at the sight, but once they did, Principal Powers promptly began her usual introduction speech.

"Good morning. I am Principal Powers. On behalf of all the faculty and staff, welcome to Sky High. In a few moments, you will go through Power Placement, and your own heroic journey will begin..."

Principal Powers' speech continued, during which time a few of the students found some time to talk amongst themselves. They all stood united now, but Tau knew that they would soon be divided by the Power Placement, which would label each of them as either a hero or a sidekick for the duration of their time at Sky High. "Unless, of course, the next Will Stronghold or Layla Williams emerges this year..." Tau thought wryly, remembering how embarrassed Coach Boomer had been when the once-powerless Will's super-strength had emerged not too long after his Power Placement.

"...for now, good deeds and good luck. Let the adventure begin." Principal Powers said, finishing her speech. Stepping aside, she held out her arms, and with a shout of "Comets away!", she changed back into her comet form and flew back out the door, with Tau promptly moving out of her way as Coach Boomer arrived to begin Power Placement.

"Alright, listen up." The Coach said once the Principal was gone, his tone commanding the students' attention even though he did not use his supersonic voice... yet. "My name is Coach Boomer; you may know me as Sonic Boom, you may not. Here's how Power Placement is gonna work."

Motioning briefly to the mini-stage on which he stood, the coach continued. "You will step up here and show me your power. And yes you will do so in front of the entire class." He said, prompting more than a few groans from some of the students. "I will then determine where you will be assigned: Hero, or Sidekick. Now, every year there are a few students - or, as I like to call them, WHINER-BABIES - who see fit to question and to complain about their placement, so let's get one thing straight. My word is law. My judgment is final. So--."

"What about Will Stronghold?" One freshman said quickly before Coach Boomer could identify who had spoken up, prompting a barely-contained snicker from Tau and hushed laughs from some of the students.

If looks could kill, the entire freshman class would've dropped dead right then and there. "That was an honest mistake; I had no way of knowing Stronghold was a late bloomer!" Coach Boomer sputtered, stiffening his posture and inadvertently amplifying his voice to a slightly lesser extent than his usual sonic booms.

Not all of the freshmen seemed entirely convinced by his explanation, and in fact many of them were still clearly amused at the coach's embarrassment. Quickly becoming frustrated, Boomer activated the steps to let the students climb onto the stage. "Alright, let's get this over with..." He muttered, looking out among the freshmen to choose the first student to be placed. "You, get up here." He said, looking straight at Ammy.

[Agent Rina]

Ammy was making straight eye contact with Coach Boomer the whole time he was talking. He was so fascinating, this was so cool, but everything he said went in one ear and out the other. Then he said, " You get up here." and looked at her. She squealed with excitement. "EEEEEEE! Andrew! It's my turn!! YAY!! first come first serve!! What should I make? Ohh! this is making me hungry!! yum yum!! let's go!!!" Without waiting for Andrew to reply she skipped up to the stage. She excitedly took out a clean, empty platter. She thought for a second.

What should I make? I was so excited I forgot to think of something to make! Oh she looked around the room. Oh I don't know! What animals do I like. Cats! what do they like? Fish! alright I'll make fish!! yeaassss!

After a second of contemplating she moved her hand over the dish and made some grilled salmon appear, along with other kinds of sea food and made a cute little seafood platter. "Tada!" she said as she finished.
Andrew watched. Out of all the foods she could make, she just had to choose fish. He sighed and shook his head slightly but when Ammy looked at him he gave her a quick smile so only she noticed it.

[Lady Celeste]

Coach Boomer remained silent as the girl excitedly went about her Power Placement, conjuring up a seafood platter in front of him.

"Not bad; too bad this isn't a culinary school." Boomer remarked, helping himself to some of the platter. "Sidekick." He said with his mouth still half-full. "But definitely the best Sidekick power I've ever tasted. Feel free to pass the plate around."

With that done, Boomer searched the crowd for his next victim. "You. Front and center." He said, pointing straight at Jesse.

[Lady Celeste]

DOUBLE POST

[Price]

Jesse was already feeling a nervous breakdown coming on as he was herded in for power placement. The booming voice of Coach Boomer did little to settle the misfortunate boy's quaking nerves. The iPod was immediately turned off, earbuds awkwardly forced into tight jean pockets as he stood attentive to the unsettling coach’s rehearsed spiel get derailed by students eager to utilize the error of that Stronghold boy’s placement to pick apart the usually authoritative, intimidating man. Jesse was grateful because the students had unknowingly bought him time to calm himself down. Through slow breaths, he was able to settle down and allow color to return to his frightened pale face.

The first participant was finally called upon, and Jesse immediately recognized her as the giddy girl that he had encountered outside before power placement. Her bubbly personality was enough to cause Jesse to feel conflicting feelings of envy and resentment. On one hand, the boy coveted the stranger’s carefree and whimsical outlook on powers, and on the other hand he hated how some people were so lucky to be able to overlook the luxury of their harmless blessings. In any event, he had been able to dodge her outside of the gym thanks to another boy and a sea of faces. Her power was fish? Before he could quell or otherwise confront his confusion, the dreaded time came. "You. Front and center." The old testament booming god voice reverberated in his head over and over again as he swallowed nervously. Out of his mouth escaped the quiet, fearful voice rarely heard by anyone unless spoken to.

“Um...I don’t have any powers,” the boy lied. The child was potentially the most dangerous person in the building, but his body language suggested the exact opposite. His hands were buried in his pockets, his eyes stayed focused on the floor tuned in so sharply that he could probably notice every speck of dirt if he so desired. He looked like a lost puppy the way he shrunk away from the spotlight and awaited ridicule. The signs were subtle, but someone intelligent like Tau might put the puzzle pieces together.