by R. J. Ross
I stop, staring blankly at the shiny box on my kitchen counter. That’s a Pokémon bundle, right? When did I—oh, wait, there’s a note! I cross over to the box, picking up the note and opening it.
For Skystep,
This is a gift for dealing with the boy.
I thought you’d like it better than cash.
Yours,
Century
P.S. It’s not bugged, I swear.
I rip into the box, excitedly pulling out the game system. What? Even super villains like video games! Now, which starter should I pick? Is there a way to pick a ghost type? Maybe I’ll be able to beat the ten year old next time if I get enough practice!
“I’m serious, here, if there’s someone watching me, you need to stop! I’ve got monsters to catch!” I say, just in case there IS someone watching me. I barely even notice the cell phone sitting on the counter, charging.
***
Century turns, tapping on his computer a few more times before picking up his phone. “Did she get the package?”
“Si,” Voltdrain says. There’s a hint of amusement in his tone that Century ignores.
“Did she like it?”
“Si, very much. She’s staring at it as it charges.”
“Like I told the boy, earlier, some of us just need to be kept calm, or better yet, busy,” Century says with satisfaction.
“Is that all there is to it?” Volt asks quietly. “Many of the other Hall leaders would have done something else.”
“Hero or villain, the capes in this area are mine to deal with,” Century says, “and if that means giving a girl a toy, that’s exactly what I’ll do. She’s gone through enough, don’t you think?”
“Si, she has.” The phone clicks gently, signaling that he hung up. Century hangs up as well, staring through the window in front of him. Finally he picks up his hat and stands. He’s got super hero work to do.
THE DEADLY DARLIN’S
As the series progresses, Skye makes more friends, and actively recruits two other girls for her all-girl villain group. The first is Doris, who Skye found in her new underground base, frozen in a time capsule. Having lost a very large chunk of her life thanks to that, Doris is still the most adult-like of the trio. The second, and final member of their group, is a woman that we first saw in Steampunk Time, captured by the government until Mimic released her on a whim. Named Ariel (after The Little Mermaid) by Skye, she’s a water mimic, and has trouble keeping from changing into a liquid form without the help of a bracelet from Nico. Although all three of the girls have a rather tragic past behind them, they have bonded together to form a very strong sisterhood.
In “Deadly Darlin’s,” first seen in Cape High Christmas; A Side Story, we see just how well the three work and play together. (Also, thanks to a comment by Skye in this story, “Go out, party, meet boys, and ROB them!” has become the trio’s motto for life.)
Deadly Darlin's
*Texas, Skye's “Secret” Base*
"Okay," Nico says. We look up from the toys he's installed in our secret underground base, waiting for him to go on. He looks at me for a long, long moment, before letting out a sigh. "Skye."
"Yessss?" I say, trying to look innocent. Something about that tone tells me I'm about to get a lecture.
"No kidnapping people to your secret base, got it? The last thing we want is for some moron to get access to the teleportation booth. They might not be able to use it, but we don't need pictures of it floating around. "
"Why DID you give her a teleportation booth?" Doris asks. "We all know she can go anywhere she wants with a bit of running."
"All three of you are set up to use it," Nico says. "This way if you want to visit the family you don't draw attention to it. Mom says you all need to stop by at least once a week, I think she thinks you'll starve on your own. Besides, if an S-class super villain and her team can't protect it, who can?"
"I don't have any desire to go see Superior," Ariel says.
"I can go," I say, frowning slightly. "But that means running into that Mother lady..." I frown, still irritated with her for brainwashing me. "I'll call first!" I decide. "Did you put in the school coordinates, too?"
"Outside of it," Nico says. "I don't allow any teleporting into the campus, not even for Emily. Now--"
"I've stocked up the kitchen and redid the ventilation system," Zoe says, coming into the room. "Aunt Skye, if you need ANYTHING, just call, okay?" she asks. "Don't get into too much trouble, and make sure that Century knows if you're going to be gone for longer than a day or two--"
"Yeah, yeah, sheesh, it's not like I'm going away to college!" I say, although I'm secretly thrilled over how they're acting. No one's ever been so worried about me before!
"It feels like it," Nico says dryly. "Try not to party too hard, ladies--"
"The pool's finished," my nephew, Sunny, says, walking in and dusting off his hands. I jump over to his side, hugging him happily.
"Thank you, Sunny!" I say.
He gives me a little grin. "It was more for Ariel, y'know, since she's a water type, but you're welcome. We should get going, though. You guys, I mean ladies, need to unpack and everything, right?"
"Absolutely!" I say. "Now shoo, we've got a lot of work to do!"
The other two in my new little league of villainy look at me blankly as my brother and his kids teleport away. He's got a watch. Unlike my machine, it goes ANYWHERE he wants it to. But anyway, now is where I explain some things! My name is Skystep, I'm a wonderfully powerful super villain extraordinaire! And in front of me, staring at me like I did something stupid again, are my brand new partners in crime! Ariel, a water mimic, who can turn into any form of water, and Doris, a Jersey Devil shape-shifter--
"Is she introducing us in her mind again?" Ariel asks.
"Probably, I think she's plotting out her next self-drawn comic," Doris says, dropping down on one of the couches my other nephew, Rocco, brought in for us. "It would be more understandable if she could actually draw."
"You just don't understand my unique style," I say, posing dramatically.
"Unique style?" Ariel asks.
"She just sucks at art," Doris says, totally shooting my claim down.
"It's not my fault that they don't do super villain comics!" I complain. "But this is our first official day as a super villain group! We need to CELEBRATE!"
They look at each other, and then at me. "We've been working on this move all week," Doris says. "Shouldn't we just relax for a bit? We can do a job tomorrow, or something--"
"Who said anything about a job?" I ask. "This is like--like spring break! We should go out, party, and meet boys!" They stare at me. "And ROB them!" I finish.
"Oooooh," Ariel says. "That makes more sense," she says to Doris.
"Of course it does," Doris says, picking up the phone that Nico made for her. Everything she touches on the screen brings up a bubble first, explaining what it does. That was really nice of him--Doris isn't very good with technology, she was stuck in a tube in this very base for a very long time. Speaking of that tube, we got rid of the entire room and put in a hot tub! Well, Nico did. "Everyone knows she has a thing for Century."
"I do NOT!" I yell, grabbing a pillow off the nearest chair and throwing it at her. "He's a pervert!"
"I would like to get to know the area," Ariel says. "I mean, since we're going to be living here and... well, I'm not a cloud."
"Maybe I can finally find a place to get my hair cut," Doris agrees.
"Not the hair! I like the hair!" I protest. They ignore me, getting up and heading for the exit. "How would YOU feel if I chopped MY hair off?" I demand, grabbing Doris's hand and being dragged along behind her.
"I wouldn't have a problem with it," she says. "Besides, YOUR hair doesn't drag on the ground behind you."
"You're breaking my heart," I moan pathetically. "It was going to be one of our super villain trademarks!"
"And the fact that I turn into a Jersey Devil monster doesn't do enough
?"
I jump on her back. "You'll have to cut through me to get to it!" I declare as we step out of the secret base and into the forest.
"Fine," she says. "We'll do that."
"Noooo!"
"Why are we in the middle of a forest?" Ariel asks, floating over our heads and looking around curiously.
"Because our secret base was once a secret government facility. It's built under a national forest, so if you see any campers just smile and wave," Doris says as she keeps going with me hanging on her back. "I didn't really want to come back, but her highness here insisted."
"We DID get rid of that room, though," I have to point out, feeling a bit hurt by the "highness" comment.
"That's one of the biggest reasons I was willing to come," she says, sighing.
We reach the edge of the forest, only to stop at the sight of Century sitting on a camping chair next to a checkered blanket, drinking a cup of coffee. He's got an ancient looking plaid thermos on the ground next to him, along with two manila folders and a picnic basket. It looks like he's there for the long haul.
"Why are you here?" I demand, jumping off of Doris's back and moving between my partners and the head of the South Branch Hall. "We haven't done ANYTHING yet!"
"I'm just here for the usual, Sugar," he says, uncrossing his legs and reaching down to pick up the folders. "Doris, Ariel, I'm going to need a few signatures. Don't worry if you didn't bring a pen, I brought one for you." He holds the envelope out to them. "Since you're both going to be official South Branch villains, we like to have it in writing."
"Why do we need to--"
"How else can I pay you?" he asks. "Don't worry about bank accounts, we pay in cash. It's an 'under the table' sort of thing."
"What?" I demand, getting angry. "You can't pay them, they're VILLAINS! And you've never paid ME!"
"Sugar, you stole my credit card," he says, smiling ever so slightly as he continues to hold out the folders. "You have an unlimited spending account, which, I might add, you take joy in mentioning every time I turn around. But you're originally South Branch, so you were automatically registered the first time you robbed a bank. Our newest sweethearts here aren't."
"Don't call me sweetheart, cowboy," Doris says, grabbing the folders from him and looking at them both. She hands one over to Ariel after deciding which is hers. "This calls for at least two jobs minimum per month," she says, sitting on the blanket. "Does that count if we work as a team?"
"Of course," he says.
"Who ARE you?" Ariel asks him. "Some random cowboy man?" Oh, right, he ISN'T in uniform, is he? Stupid Century, coming to see super villains in civvies! Doesn't he have ANY professionalism?
What? I know how to be professional!
"This is the grand and mighty yadda yadda Century," Doris says, grabbing the pen he offers and scrawling her name a few times. "Here," she says, holding out the pen to Ariel. Ariel stares at it, looking worried. "Do you... ah, know how to write?" Doris asks her after a moment.
"I'll sign it for you!" I declare, grabbing the pen from Doris and the folder from Ariel.
"Don't worry about that, Ariel. You can just make an X," Century says. "We can set you up with a tutor for reading and writing, if you want."
"Don't look down on me!" Ariel says. The sky starts to get cloudy and I get excited.
"YAY! RAIN!" I say. "Wait, wait, I need to do my traditional rain dance!" I start waving my arms in the air, dancing crazily, the pen and folder still in my hands.
"Is she Native American?" Doris asks Century.
"Not a bit, that I know of," he says. "But give her enough time and I'm sure she'll adopt herself into a tribe."
"Native Americans ARE AWESOME!" I declare, throwing my arms toward the sky and looking up expectantly. "Their rain dances probably work, for one," I add. In fact the clouds are gone, now. I look at Ariel, who's giggling for some reason.
"She just--" Ariel says, pointing at me. "I was the one making it rain, Skye," she tells me.
"At least you didn't indulge her," Doris says dryly. "Come here, I'll show you how to make an X," she adds, taking the folder from me and heading to Ariel.
"Did you do a rain dance, too?" I ask Ariel.
"I don't HAVE to do a rain dance!"
"That doesn't mean you CAN'T!" I protest. "If you can throw in a dance, you absolutely should!"
"Okay, okay, I'll throw in a dance," Ariel says as Doris shows her how to sign her papers.
"Now you're indulging her," Doris scolds her. "She might officially be our leader but we don't have to do everything she says."
"I'm--" I say, my eyes widening as shock hits me. "I'M the leader?" I ask, giddily.
They just look at me before looking at each other. "I nominate myself," Doris says.
"TOO LATE!" I yell. "I'm the leader! I'm the leader! We need to pick our colors! I call red! Red is always the leader! Or should it be pink, because we're girls?" I ask, frowning as I run into the BIGGEST decision in my LIFE! "We can totally be like the Powerpuff Girls!"
"You've already got a costume," Century says, taking the folders as they're handed over. "And the red thing only works for heroes, Sugar. You're a villain, remember? The two of you should stop by the branch to be fitted for proper uniforms. Come in the back way. Now, who's hungry?" he asks, unpacking the picnic basket. "I brought subs!"
Ariel and Doris grab the sandwiches even as I start to protest. I glare at Century, walking over to poke him in the chest when that doesn't seem to faze him. "MY group of villainous ladies, go get your own," I say, putting my hands on my hips.
"Of course they are," he agrees, pulling out another sandwich and offering it to me. "I'm just giving a little helping hand."
I give him my best stink eye before snatching the sandwich out of his hand and dropping down on the picnic blanket. "We're not working until this weekend," I tell him as I eat. "We're going to make ourselves at home, got it? And we're going to--"
"Go out and meet boys," Ariel says. There's a tiny twitch beneath Century's eye when she says that, I notice.
"And rob them," Doris finishes.
"I see," he says, starting to smile as he takes a drink of coffee. "So you want to feel your oats, is that it?"
"Skye's declared this spring break," Ariel says.
"Well, I have a suggestion for one place you could go to let your hair down," he says. "Rochester's back to playing his gig over in New Orleans."
"Rochester?" I say, getting excited. "I want to go!"
"Isn't he a hero?" Doris asks, looking at me.
"He's a teacher! Or he's going to be!" I say. "That means he works for my brother! Besides, I like him. He has cool powers and can play a guitar! Guitarists are sexy," I add with a happy little sigh.
"She's got us there," Doris says to Ariel.
"Guitarists are sexy," Ariel repeats, frowning as she thinks about it. She nods after a long moment.
"You just took that as a fact, didn't you?" Doris asks her.
"Are they not?" she asks.
"Well... yeah, sortta? I don't know, I guess it depends on the guitarist," Doris decides.
"WAIT!" I say abruptly. "This is some devious trap!" I declare, pointing at Century. "He's luring us into thinking we're playing but then some random wanna-be-super hero will show up and challenge us to a fight!"
"Now, Sugar, Rochester's my only psychic type. I wouldn't do a thing like that to him--especially when he has a standing invitation to Central," he says, looking innocent. That's a DEFINITE sign he's lying. "I'm just offering up a nice little place for a ladies night out."
"In other words, he'd do it to US," Doris points out, "but Rochester is one of his favorites."
"Of course you're my favorites, too," Century says. "Three beautiful villainesses? What other Hall can claim that? But you're tougher than he is, you can take anything I throw at you, I'm sure."
"We shouldn't be your favorites," Ariel says, frowning. "We're super villains and you're a super hero, that makes us enemies, righ
t?"
"It DOES!" I say. "He's breaking the rules!"
"Especially with that kiss a while back, right, Skye?" Doris says evilly. My best friend! She's gone evil! I would be so proud, you know, if she wasn't being evil to ME. I stick my tongue out at her, and when she only laughs, I tackle her to the ground.
"Ladies, ladies! If you're going to in-fight at least make sure there's a camera around! The norms eat up that sort of drama."
"What kiss?" Ariel asks.
"Century--" Doris begins. I cover her mouth with a hand.
"That is not something we discuss!" I say loudly.
"Kissed Skye!" Doris says, pulling my hand away from her mouth.
I glare at her, and when that doesn't do anything but make her laugh, I whack Century's leg--hard. "Hey, now, I didn't do anything this time--she was the one that said it!" he says, obviously trying not to laugh. "On Skye's behalf, she hit me hard when I DID do something, too," he adds, rubbing his jaw at the memory.
"Is there something wrong with kissing Skye?" Ariel asks.
"Yes!" I say. "When you're not ASKED to, and you're a perverted old man with kissy-kissy issues!" I hop to my feet. "Enough talking! We're going to see Rochester!" I declare, and then give Century my most dangerous look. "YOU have to go do the hero-ing thing, now, so shoo!"
I will NEVER admit that it had been my first kiss. That Jerky McJerkinson stole MY FIRST KISS! I will never forgive him!
"Are we going, or what?" Doris asks, finishing off her sandwich and getting to her feet.
"So is Rochester a sexy guitarist?" Ariel asks as we leave Century behind.
"Remember the blonde guy with all the piercings and tattoos?" Doris asks her. "He came to the school and there was a party?"
"I think so?" Ariel says. "I was too busy hating Superior and getting to know Malina."
"Do you still hate Dad?" I ask.
"Yes, but there're more important things to do," she says. "Right?"
