Super Hero Academy

by Simon Archer

  Triton’s smile was both proud and very pleased. The tension in my shoulders that I hadn’t even noticed was there eased a bit, and I sank a little in my chair with some relief.

  “Precisely,” he said as his eyes scrolled over each of the students in turn again. “A hero who acts alone is walking a very dangerous path and falls victim to situations such as this. No matter your potential in power, no matter how well-trained you are, and how strong your will, there will always be a time when the impact of a good ally makes all the difference. What separates a great hero from an ordinary one is the recognition of that. Never let your pride interfere with your duties.”

  We had a break in classes after Triton’s lesson, so Aylin and I settled out in the courtyard to soak in the sun’s rays before evening crawled over the campus. Aylin had been very quiet since the fight on the beach, and I’d come to recognize her expression as one of thoughtfulness. She was deeply philosophical and always wondered at the differences between her own culture and that of humanity. I nudged her side with a gentle arm, and she smiled at me sweetly. The soft glow of her swirling patterns was hypnotic, and I let my eyes follow them with a steady gaze. She ducked her head at the attention, a dark blush coloring her pretty purple skin.

  “I have a question for you, Starlight,” she said at last.

  I lifted a brow, and she cleared her throat as she glanced off toward some distant void I couldn’t see.

  “Sure,” I said. “Ask away.”

  “It is... a confusing one,” Aylin began. “In class today, Triton mentioned the role of villains, and how they might place one in a very precarious position. I am reminded of the woman on the beach. You said her name was Fulgurite?”

  I frowned a little at the reminder and nodded slowly. “Yes, she’s a high-ranking officer in my father’s army,” I admitted. “I don’t know her record, exactly, but to rise in his ranks requires a bit of... cruelty.”

  Aylin’s frown joined mine, and she sighed a little. Her hands curled into troubled fists in her lap. “I do not understand the nature of a villain. On my world, they do not exist. There is a tyrant, and there are many troubles, but... a villain? What is the purpose?”

  I sighed and leaned back on the stone bench where she sat together. I looked up at the sky and saw that the sun had dipped just below the horizon, splashing the clouds with a colorful sunset.

  “That depends on the villain.” I shrugged, a little bit uncomfortable with the topic. “I don’t know Fulgurite well enough to confirm her own motives, but often a villain comes from a place of suffering.”

  She lifted a brow at that as she no doubt recalled our conversation about rehabilitation. “You mean to say that tragedy twists them?”

  “Loss is... difficult to bear, especially when it’s someone very close to you.” I closed my eyes and remembered the expression my father wore on the day we said goodbye to my mother. She was an innocent, too good for the world that bore her.

  “I understand,” Aylin confessed quietly as she seemed to note my expression. “It is hard to move on from such things.”

  “But not impossible,” I said with conviction. “Some people, they... they find a way forward. I did, I guess. Andie, too.” I fell silent for a moment and lingered on that thought.

  I did move on after losing my mother and made a point not to dwell on her passing. From what I’d learned about Andie, she’d done much the same. There was a certain strength in that, and I couldn’t help but love her a little more for it.

  “But... for others, it breaks them,” I went on as I thought of my father. “They become bitter. Cruel. I don’t think anyone is ever born to be evil, because we all start as children, you know? Babies. You don’t point a finger at a baby and go, ‘He’s going to take over the world someday.’”

  Aylin frowned at that. “But we believed we could. In our history, during the time of the machines, we would adjust the personality of those that we thought carried negative traits. Children were also readjusted. It wasn’t until they were destroyed in the war that it was suggested that what was done was wrong.”

  The idea of essentially mindfucking a child was not a pleasant one, and I frowned at that.

  “Children are born innocent,” I said as I shook my head. “Some may carry some mental illness that extends a certain danger, but that does not equate them into becoming a killer. No, I think we’re shaped by our experiences. The good, the bad, the ugly.”

  Aylin gestured at me while looking me up and down with a critical eye. She seemed pleased by what she found there.

  “And your experiences shaped you, Starlight?”

  I shrugged, trying to be modest. “Sure. I’ve had some bad, and I had a bit of ugly too, but I also had a lot of good. I try to focus on that. I mean, I found you and Andie and Kara. I’ve got Eric. Gemma’s always been there for me too. It’s you guys that keep me sane, you know? And before I met you, it was the little things. A sunny day. A lucky penny. A chocolate bar.”

  “Chocolate?”

  “Oh, you haven’t had chocolate yet? We need to fix that, it’s amazing.”

  Aylin turned to me fully and brightened up a little. “I would very much like to do so. Do you think we could convince a villain to stop being terrible if we gave them chocolate bars?”

  I laughed at the notion, then laughed a little harder when I realized she was utterly serious.

  “Sure,” I huffed as I wiped the tears of mirth from my eyes. “Next time we run into Fulgurite, we’ll give her a chocolate bar.”

  “You don’t sound convinced, Starlight.”

  I laughed again and gently hugged her with one arm. “I’m willing to try anything once. Maybe I’ll send my dad one, too. You never know.”

  Chapter 19

  That weekend brought us into town, where the five of us each bought movie tickets to see Attack of the Giant Octopus on the big screen. It wasn’t exactly the most amazing movie in the world, as ancient and cliche as its name suggested, but Eric was pretty hyped to see it return to theaters, and he practically dragged Aylin down to the front aisle, so the two had to crane their heads back to see the whole screen.

  Aylin had never seen a movie before, so she was pretty excited about the concept.

  “You’re gonna love it,” he squealed as his knee bounced a mile a minute. “It was my grandpa's favorite, and I watched it all the time when I was little. There’s this scientist meddling with genetics, and some chemicals get mixed with this octopus he’s doing tests on, and—”

  From the back of the theater, I cupped my hands and called out to him. “Let her watch the movie, buddy!”

  This didn’t deter his excitement, and he just burst forth into yet more spoilers about the upcoming events. Aylin didn’t seem to mind, her glowing white eyes wide with wonder. She asked him the purpose of such a movie, and if there was some deeper lesson to be learned from it.

  I rolled my eyes and settled back in my seat. Both Andie and Kara had settled in on either side of me. I had my arms draped over both, and Kara was busy fiddling with a device in her hand while Andie snuggled up close and rested her head on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head with a sigh.

  “The movie was a good idea,” I admitted. “Aylin seems happier today.”

  Andie glanced upward with a big smile. “I wanted to check out some of the newer films, but Eric was pretty insistent on a classic.” She chuckled when she heard him explaining claymation to Aylin down on the front row, complete with bombastic hand gestures. “He’s a hoot.”

  “He’s something, alright.” I rubbed my palm up and down her shoulder and sighed in contentment.

  The movie flickered to life in all its black and white glory, crediting long-dead actors and the work of a company now retired from the business. I’d never been one for media, myself. It was difficult to sink into the worlds they provided when I was so focused on my own. Most of my life before attending Valcav had been a blur of training regimes.

  Eric had clearly led a different
life, well-loved by a caring mother and provided for by a father who worked hard and adored him. He was cultured in all the little nuance things I didn’t understand, caught references that often sailed above my head for miles. He was young and boisterous, and it didn’t seem like anything ever really phased him. Hell, he was content to be my friend simply based on the idea of my name, and he did it without paying mind to the weight it carried.

  I wouldn’t say that I envied him, precisely, but I was glad to know that at least one among us had led something of a stable life by comparison. I kissed the top of Andie’s head again as I remembered what she’d shared of her own past.

  “You ever spend time at the theater, here?”

  “Sometimes.” She nodded. “We rarely had the cash, but I knew how to sneak in. ‘Course, it got easier once my powers developed.” She grinned a little saucily. “I can fit underneath a locked door, you know.”

  I snorted as I remembered all the other things she could do with her particular set of skills. “Useful if we ever need to break in somewhere,” I confessed. “You never know.”

  To my left, Kara hummed and shoved her little gadget back in her pocket. She leaned into me just like Andie had and rested her head on my shoulder with a light yawn. She didn’t say anything, but I kissed the top of her head like I had Andie, and she smiled a little.

  “What about you, Kara?” I asked. “You a movie buff?”

  “Only in the technical sense,” she admitted quietly.

  She gestured at the screen where a claymation tentacle was smacking over a small model building. The screams of horror that answered it were somewhat hilarious, and I chuckled.

  “You might laugh,” Kara pointed out, “but it takes a lot of patience to animate clay. The idea that we went from this to green screens is pretty fascinating. Practical effects aren’t what they used to be.”

  “So you’re a hipster,” Andie chuckled. She reached over to clap her hand gently on Kara’s knee. “No surprise there.”

  “Am not,” Kara shot back, though her smile was evident that the insult meant nothing. “I actually like the progression in tech, I just think the classics are worth noting. Back then, actors had to scream at ridiculous costumes. Now, they scream at people dressed in motion-capture gear. The end result looks great, but I can’t imagine the talent it takes to not laugh at a guy snarling in a rubber suit covered in little green balls.”

  I chuckled at that, and several rows ahead of us, Eric pumped his fist in the air. The octopus was now as big as the city and was toppling skyscrapers as it oozed its way toward some pretty damsel in a white dress.

  “I never saw too many movies, but I’ve always liked a good romcom,” I admitted.

  Andie snorted. “That’s because you’re a total romantic. Knew it the first day we met. The way you looked at me...”

  “Yeah, well, maybe I just like blondes,” I retorted.

  “And redheads,” Andie accused as she gestured at Kara. “And pretty purple alien princesses, of course.”

  Kara blushed at the accusation and pretended not to hear her. She did point to Aylin, though.

  “Andie, a blind, deaf monkey would find Aylin attractive,” she admitted. “That’s not even fair.”

  Aylin was too engrossed in the movie to overhear us, her glowing eyes locked to the screen. Oddly enough, she seemed engaged in the actual horror, and a dark purple hand had come up to cover her mouth while she gawked at the devastation the giant octopus had wrecked upon the city.

  “True,” Andie admitted. “I’m almost done painting her. Took me a while to nail down all the little patterns, but she’s really pretty to look at.”

  She really was. My eyes kept falling to the glowing patterns and the little smile she wore as she stared up at the screen. Her words from the other day still lingered in my mind. She’d come from such a troubled world and greatly wished to understand a way forward for her people. She wasn’t keen to share the details of her past, but I’d gathered enough at this point to know what she’d left behind was a terrible thing.

  “I want to help her,” I confessed as I tore my gaze away to look at Andie again. “Every time she speaks of home, it’s with this strange mixture of shame and nostalgia.”

  Kara was the one to cut it deep, though she did it gently. “You mean, the same way you speak about your dad?”

  I grimaced but nodded because that was a pretty fair assessment. “Maybe.” I sighed. “She claims we have some things in common, I just don’t know any details. Unless she’s told you?”

  “No.” Andie shook her head, and Kara did the same when I glanced to her. “Aylin keeps to herself at the dorm and doesn’t really speak to anyone but us. To be honest, I don’t think the others even like her very much.”

  “That’s not true,” Kara said as she sat up a little. “They just don’t know how to talk to her. She’s from another planet, after all.”

  “I sort of get that. I mean, men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, but Aylin? She’s like from Utah or something.” Andie smirked.

  “Utah?” I questioned. “Isn’t that on Earth? Like... that should be pretty normal I’d think—”

  “I dunno, have you ever been to Utah? It’s pretty weird.” Then she punched me lightly on the shoulder. “Anyway, my point is that they definitely keep her at arm’s length.” She gestured with a pale hand down to the alien princess in question. “Even the escort that came with her doesn’t really visit. I think we’re the only friends she’s got this side of the galaxy.”

  “I just worry she’s lonely,” I said with a little frown. “She’s happy enough in our company, but I want to do more for her.”

  “You do plenty, Nick,” Kara said quietly. She idly drew patterns on my chest while staring down at my lap and hardly noting the movie whatsoever.

  “Do I?” I sat upright in my seat as I looked down with a clearer eye. I felt Andie rub a calm hand along my spine. I was tense. I didn’t even notice. “I just want to make you happy. You, and Aylin, and Andie too.”

  Kara sat up as well and looked at me. She tilted her head as a frown marred her lips. “Who’s to say that you don’t, Nick?”

  “I... I don’t know, I guess you’re right. I just—”

  She pressed a finger to my lips to stop me from speaking and then shook her head. “It’s not easy for me to say the words, but I... I look forward to seeing you every day, you know? You help in all sorts of little ways, and without you, I’d be lost. Andie, too. Okay? I’m here, and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time. I... I really like you, okay? You’re strong, and you’re smart, and you’re incredibly good looking—”

  Andie’s hand slid around my waist, and I felt her kiss the back of my neck. “I’ll say.”

  “You think I’m good looking?” I chuckled at them both.

  Kara rolled her eyes. “Stop fishing for compliments, you dork. My point is that sometimes, despite how wonderful you are, things just take time. I remember what you said after scaring Brad, and I’ve been working on being more confident. It’ll get better, but you... you can’t save the world overnight, okay?”

  “I don’t want to save the world,” I argued, even though that wasn’t true. I thought about nothing else every time I saw my dad in the news. “I just want to make you happy.”

  Kara’s red hair spilled down in front of her pale blue eyes when she glanced to the floor, then to the movie still playing on-screen.

  “You do,” she said. “Every single day.”

  I took her hand and held on to it. Andie leaned on me again and whispered in my ear. “I love you. She does too, you know.”

  The silence that followed wasn’t nearly as awkward as it should have been. It wasn’t long before Kara began to lean on me again, and she dozed off halfway through the movie, apparently content in my company.

  Andie gave me a knowing look, then kissed me with another, “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” I smiled.

  Kara’s slumbering li
ttle form was half cuddled in the theater seat beside me.

  Andie nuzzled close to me and whispered, “She’s been making progress on the self-worth front, but be gentle, okay? Like you were with me.”

  That caused me to laugh rather inappropriately, and she smacked my shoulder with a roll of her brown eyes.

  “Andie, I was a lot of things, but I don’t remember being gentle,” I huffed. “I seem to remember a count of four and—”

  “Alright, alright,” she conceded. “Gosh, you’re insufferable, but you know what I mean, buster. Take it slow, and you’ll be alright.”

  Glancing down to Kara, I kissed the top of her head again. She borrowed a little deeper into my jacket with a soft little sigh. The warmth of them both settled deep in my bones, and I closed my eyes. I could join her easily, given half a chance.

  “I’m the luckiest guy on the planet,” I whispered as I felt a nap coming on. My eyes felt too heavy to hold open, now. “I think I can be patient. No problemo.”

  “Don’t overthink it, Nick.”

  “Yup,” I babbled, then amended, “I won’t. She’ll talk to me, eventually. I can wait.”

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed after that. I was jolted awake with the feeling of Kara’s warmth leaving my side. She smiled down at me with her red hair falling over her pretty blue eyes. She gestured toward the door, and I noticed the movie had ended.

  Andie had joined up with Aylin and Eric, who was throwing bombastic hand gestures all over the place while he mimed the giant octopus destroying skyscrapers with explosive sound effects.

  “My favorite part is the boom, you know, when he does the—” Eric gestured again with his hands, imitating some kind of huge explosion. Clearly, I’d missed the best parts of the movie, because he was absolutely enthralled by the entire experience.

  “Aylin, don’t listen to this nerd,” Andie scoffed. “Attack of the Giant Octopus is not considered a fine work of art. It hardly qualifies as a movie, to be honest.” She smirked. “The Godfather on the other hand...”