HEROES & SIDEKICKS ▹ W. PEACE [✔]

eleven.

"Isn't that sweet?" A sickly voice interrupted the new couple's moment. "I hate sweet!"

The group turned to its source and caught sight of Penny, Speed, and Lash facing them on the other side of the corridor. The two boys were more dressed for the occasion, but Penny still had on her cheerleader uniform.

Astrid wondered if that was the only kind of clothing she had in her wardrobe.

"You guys are part of this, too?" Will asked. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Go take care of Plastic Barbie. We'll handle these clowns," Warren told him, taking his tuxedo off and displaying the vest over his white shirt.

Astrid had to police herself not to drool over the sight.

With another push from Layla, Will darted towards the gymnasium, taking the quickest route by literally breaking through the walls. Magenta and Zach left through the vents, leaving Layla, Ethan, Warren, and Astrid to take care of the trio of villains.

The hero couple went after Speed, who played with them by dodging their attacks with his superspeed. It was beyond frustrating. Warren couldn't get the boy to stop for a second to allow his fire to reach its target, and Astrid's storm wasn't able to slow him down.

When the rotund villain knocked her boyfriend down for the umpteenth time, she felt another force building up inside her. It wasn't anger or the desire to protect and avenge. It was beyond that, an unknown power.

Her fingers itched, and following her instincts, she pressed her hands onto the floor, spreading a thin line of ice along the ground until it reached Speed. He slipped on the ice, deactivating his powers to keep his balance, which gave Warren enough time to throw a ball of fire on his bottoms, sending the bully through the wall, where he got stuck.

"That's new," the pyro commented in surprise at his girlfriend.

Astrid nodded. "That's new," she repeated. "Must have come from my grandmother."

"Now we complete each other," he extended his hand on fire to her, and she grabbed it in hers covered in ice, making steam release when they got into contact.

"So cheesy," she chuckled.

🔥

Once the couple and the sidekicks reunited, a distressed Layla told them what Penny had revealed about Royal Pain's plan to sabotage the antigravity device and make the whole school fall out of the sky in ten minutes.

Zach left to search through the offices to find the school's blueprint and take it back to the group, spreading it on the floor. They sat around the map while Warren and Astrid stood a bit far from them, leaning against the wall.

"How did you know where it was?" Astrid raised a curious brow to him.

"I have my ways," he shrugged smugly.

Magenta rolled her eyes. "The secretary has a crush on him and often engages him on a nonstop ramble about the most random topics."

Astrid shot Magenta a knowingly look but didn't say anything as it wasn't the time to tease the girl about her obvious jealousy towards the boy who couldn't be subtle on his feelings to save his life.

"All right," Layla brought them to the most pressing issue. "Here's the antigravity room," she pointed.

"But didn't Royal Pain seal off every route?" Magenta argued.

"Hey, what about this conduit?" Ethan pointed at an alternative path.

"Yeah, right. You'd have to be like a rat to fit in there," Zach joked.