How I Became a Supervillain part 3

Whether we're at home or at school Jim and I start working together. It isn't a seamless experience, but I oddly feel like I'm rediscovering the brother I lost when my mom died. After her death, Jim went all in on his villain persona, and I'll admit I buried myself in my creativity. And our dad...well he also got caught up in his work. I guess none of us realized how much we drifted apart. I actually feel a bit grateful to Mr. Hornsbees for making my brother and I work together.

We both share the same classes and the teachers have evidently already been briefed that we're supposed to be working together, because suddenly I'm sitting beside Jim and in each activity we have to work together. The rest of our classmates look at us like we've grown an extra head, and in a way both of us have.

"This is definitely hurting my supervillain rep," Jim grouses.

"Probably not helping mine either," I reply. "But I never cared about that anyway."

"Why don't you care about your supervillain rep?!" Jim asks in a scandalized tone.

"I don't want to be a supervillain or a superhero for that matter. I'd like to use my powers for something else, but the DCA and Superhero Bureau doesn't really give us an option do they? Have you ever thought about what it might be like to use your powers to do something truly useful?"

"I mean, I think it would be cool to fly to space and do some exploration, but there's no way it'd be allowed. I guess I just accepted that this is what I'm going to do, just like dad has."

I'm actually surprised. I didn't know he wanted to fly into space. Somehow that just doesn't square with his Justice Breaker persona and it makes me feel melancholic because its another reminder that we're pigeonholed into these ridiculous roles that someone has decided we have to be in.

"Time for flying class, Tekno," Jim says.

"Right, the scene of our infamous crime."

We shuffle into the amphitheater of our shame. Mr. Hornsbee is talking with an older man and gesturing at the amphitheater emphatically. they talk for a few more moments while everyone files into the classroom. Once Mr. Hornsbee sees that all of us are here he steps toward the front of the class, while the older man stays where he is.

"Class, today we have a special guest visiting, to offer a special lecture on flying. Please welcome Air One to the class."

A hero?! He's invited a hero to come speak with us. I look around and see everyone elses's faces looking as astonished and shocked as I'm looking. We normally don't have heroes visit us, especially retired heroes.

Air One chuckles as he walks around to the front of the room and sees our faces.

"It never gets old, seeing all of you react in surprise that a hero is visiting your school. I understand why, but it still cracks me up. Today I'm your instructor. And we will be talking about flying, but we're also going to be talking about the super villain code and the expectations the SHB has for all of you."

I wonder if its because of what happened with me and Jim. I glance over at him and he has a thoughtful frown on his face. I look forward and Air One is looking directly at me and Jim.

"I want you to pay close attention to what I have to say, because if you don't, well the consequences can be unpleasant. You could end up in the Defining Center of Adjustments," Air One says and gives us all unpleasant smile.

"You're in school here, to train to become super villains. You're supposed to learn the super villain code and aide by it, when you're out in the field, but also when you're in school. Actually you're supposed to abide by it everywhere you go and with everything you do. Now you're all young teenagers and things can get a little out of hand. And some rivalry is a good thing. But when people get hurt for real the SHB doesn't look on that lightly. And when rivalries get too out of hand, become real battles, the SHB has problems with that as well. You're here to learn how to be super villains, but in a specific sanctioned way, and when you step outside of those sanctions that's when a visit from me becomes necessary. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" I thickly say and hear other people around me also say it. I don't dare to look around but my scalp starts sweating uncomfortably.

Air One gives us another nasty smile and claps his hands.

"Now that I've said my piece, today you're going to learn a lesson in aerial combat. Justice Breaker and Tekno you're up. I want you to fly and attack each other at the same, while also defending yourselves from the other person's attack."

I look at Mr. Hornsbee and he studiously avoids looking in my general direction. He had something to do with this, as if he hadn't already given us enough grief.

I get up, conscious of the eyes of my classmates on me. My brother joins me. We're supposed to be working, but now we'll be attacking each other. His face is a stern mask and I can already see he's thinking about how he'll attack me. As for me, I'm panicking at the thought of having the fly, attack and defend. The droids have given us some workouts but this is different. I'm fighting another living being. I'm fighting my brother.

I flick on my power wrists and click my ankles together and lift off into the air. My brother follows me up and when we're about 6 feet off the ground, Air One calls out, "That's far enough!"

We turn and face each other, hovering in the air. It feels like a wild west show down. I watch Jim anxiously waiting to see what he'll do. He just hovers there, looking at me, a grim look on his face.

"Well let's not wait all day! We've got other people who need to go up and fly. Begin!" Air One yells.

I suddenly dart toward my brother, swinging my fist at him, my hand glowing with power from the wrist gauntlet. He blinks, surprised by my attack, but manages to move to the side and then swings at me. He hits me and my power armor absorbs the kinetic force of the punch but it still pushes me from him. He then blasts me with his eye beams and this time I feel pain, as the beam move past my defenses and lightly burn me.

"Oh come on! You two can do better than that?! Is this a fight or a dance?"

I click my ankles together and get control of my flying. Then I grab one of my inventions from a belt and toss it at Jim, who's flying toward me with a determined grimace on his face.

My gravity bomb hits him and suddenly he's being dragged down to the floor by a gravity sphere that's 5 times the Earth's gravity. I know he can take it, but the look of pain on his face surprises me. I've never used my gravity bomb before, but we're supposed to be fighting and its something I would use in a real fight.

Jim pushes himself out of the gravity sphere and launches himself toward me. He slams into me and knocks the breath out of my lungs. I struggle against him, but he's got me in a vise like grip. For a moment I consider electrocuting him, but I know it won't harm him.

"Alright, that's enough! You two can come down. The next two head up!"

My brother flies us down and carefully sets me on the ground. I stagger for a moment and then steady myself against him. The entire time, I'm aware of Mr. Hornsbee's and Air One's eyes on us. I step away from Jim and then attentively watch my other classmates do their own mock battles. The entire time I'm thinking about my own battle with Jim. I feel shaken, because it was became more real today, especially in light of us starting to work together.

Finally the class bell rings and I go to gather my stuff up.

"Justice Breaker and Tekno stay behind. I want to talk with you," Air One says.

My insides feel queasy, but I manage o keep my hands from trembling. The rest of my class mates file out and Anima gives me a sympathetic glance and then its just me, Jim, Mr. Hornsbee and Air One. Air One comes up and looks at both of us for a moment and then walks around us once and them comes back in front.

"Pretty fancy fight there today. You two didn't pull your punches even though you've been instructed to work together by your teacher. I'm glad you didn't, because your super villains in training and you need to act like it when you go out there. For right now you're working together, but don't get too comfortable doing that. That's not how super villains operate."

"Yes, sir," we both say.

Air One gives us a small smile and says, "I want you two to know that I'll be personally keeping an eye on you. I don't like troublemakers, but I also think you have potential. If you make trouble, you'll go to the DCA. If you impress me, I'll open doors for you. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed."

We walk out of the amphitheater as quickly as we can, neither of us talking with the other. It's only when we're a safe distance away that I stop. Jim walks past me a few steps and then stops as well.

"What do we tell dad?" I ask.

"Nothing. That will endanger him. We HAVE to work together now, until they think we've learned our lesson, but even after that we have to work together, because what today made me realize is that we'll always have the rest of the world against us. The SHB, Air One, Mr. Hornsbee, and whoever else will always be watching us. I didn't realize that until now, but I understand what Dad told me, yesterday."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me we need to work together because the SHB will always try to control us and if we fight each other, we make it easier for them. Today drove that home, because that's what they want. They want to keep us divided. That's why they play this game they play."

"He didn't tell me that, but it makes sense. I'm onboard with whatever we need to do."

"Good. Let's get to our next class."

To be continued...

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