Sunny Daze

by R. J. Ross

  Of course she heads straight for it, swinging the door open wide and flipping on the lights. The room is full of strange machines, the strangest a gigantic tube right in the middle. Inside the tube is--she tilts her head slightly, heading over. Inside the tube is a naked lady, whose hair is so long that it covers most of her as it floats around.

  For a moment Skye just stares at the lady, her mind debating the pros and cons of having a roommate in a tube. Well, since she obviously likes going Au-natural, Skye decides, there won’t be any arguments over borrowing clothes! And she would make a really interesting subject for visitors, right? “Here, check this out, I’ve got a lady in a tube!” It sounds so SINISTER! You can’t really be a super villain without having a lady in a tube, could you?

  Well, okay, she’s never heard of super villains with ladies in tubes--but that just makes her stand out MORE! She grins widely and walks over, knocking on the glass that holds the woman in. “Hey in there! You awake?”

  Nothing happens. Skye pouts a little, actually, at the lack of response, and does what’s only logical--she knocks louder. “WAKE UP ALREADY!” she bellows.

  The lady’s eyes open, staring at her blankly for a long moment before starting to change colors. The white part washes over with black, the brown iris turns glowing blue. “Coooooool,” Skye says, but it doesn’t stop there. The woman starts to shift, wings shooting out of her back and shattering the glass tube she’s in.

  “THIS IS AMAZING!!” Skye bellows--just in time to be tackled to the ground by the monstrous beast. “So,” she says, completely ignoring the claws at her throat, “do you like top bunk or bottom?”

  ***

  Days passed. Grandpa and Grandma went home, but they both have phones, so I can call them any time I want. Before the whole episode that started in Texas I wouldn’t have considered calling Grandpa, now he’s become my secret weapon--him and Adanna, that is. Trent would be, too, but he’s an official hero. You can’t use a hero in a super villain war, it’s just not right on so many levels.

  “Okay, I’ve got the base dug,” I say over the com, looking at the massive hole in the middle of the field Grandpa gave me. “Are you sure they’re not going to find it? Jack’s got that whole elementalist thing going on, as well, you know?”

  “Are you using metal?” Grandpa asks. “I thought you were going to line the walls with tree roots.”

  “Yeah, I am,” I say, looking at the trees I’ve planted. “I figure if I can layer the root system together I’ll be able to make some decent walls.”

  “Have you thought about how to break into their territories?” Adanna asks. In my mind’s eye I picture her making cookies with her mom as she discusses war tactics with me. It’s a great image. “You know where Max is, right?”

  “Yeah,” I say, “he claimed the old Air Force base. Jack’s in the middle of downtown in one of the buildings the Hall owns, it’s only Ace who I’ve got no clue about.”

  “Illusionists can be tricky like that,” Grandpa says. “I wouldn’t put it past him to do some reconnaissance before even looking for a place. Watch your back.”

  “No, I heard Ace is getting ready for Emily’s debut next month,” Adanna says. “He’ll want to build a base that can work for that, as well, right?”

  “Nice hole.”

  I almost don’t notice the comment, because I’m busy discussing Emily’s debut and growing massive tree roots over the top of the hole. “Yeah, she’s completely stoked for it. He says she’s been calling him at least four times a day to talk.”

  “I thought you didn’t know where he was?”

  “No, but I--wait.” Someone’s behind me. I turn, staring at Max just long enough for him to give me an evil grin. He dives down, slamming me through the roof made of roots and into my hidden base.

  “You didn’t think I was going to pass up this chance, did you?” he asks. “Play it up big, Sunny! This might be your only chance to play hero!”

  “Has anyone ever told you,” I grunt out, shoving him off of me, “that you talk too much, Max?”

  He lets out a laugh. He’s enjoying this way too much. “I’ve always wanted to go up against a Superior,” he says as he floats overhead. “This might be my only chance--since I can’t exactly attack your sister, right?”

  “Why not? Worried she’d beat you?” I ask, jumping out of the base and grinning up at him.

  “Keep calm,” Grandpa says in my ear. “He’s the son of Mastermental, there’s a good chance he’s got the same weakness.”

  “What? Mastermental has a weakness?” I ask, shocked.

  “Sure he does--do you really think being able to see into people’s minds is always a good thing? It does make it hard to not telegraph moves--”

  “I don’t think Max read minds yet, though,” Adanna says. They start discussing it, but I’m suddenly too busy being lifted from the ground by Max’s powers.

  “I heard they tried to get you to fly by dropping you,” Max says, floating over to where he’s holding me in midair.

  “They were busy with Tank,” I say, flipping over a few times, just because I can.

  “Ah, the mutant--they caught him today,” he says.

  “What? Really?” I ask, going still and looking at him hopefully. “So he didn’t explode?”

  “Shouldn’t you worry about yourself more than him?” Max asks, only to look shocked as vines wrap around his ankles, pulling him down. I drop from the air, crouching for just a second before launching myself at him. I tackle him to the ground, causing a little crater. He twists, flipping me onto my back and bringing up a fist. I can almost see the gravity wrapping around his arm before it slams into the ground next to my face.

  “Sorry Grampa,” I say, “we’re making a bit of a mess.”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it,” Grandpa says. “Feel free to tear the place up all you want.”

  “Are you discussing this fight with Superior?” Max asks, looking excited.

  “Yeah,” I say, “he’s helping me with my summer camp.”

  “This is so AWESOME!” Max says, jumping to his feet. “Can he see it, too?”

  “No, he’s just on the phone,” I say, getting to my feet as well. “Seriously, Max, you’re acting like a fan-boy.”

  “I should have brought my mic,” he says, completely ignoring me. He strikes a dramatic pose (even though Grandpa can’t see us) and declares, “this is going to be the end of the Superior line, Sunshine! I’ll take you out and my name will be spread throughout the universe!”

  “Dude, you’re dating my sister,” I have to point out, “and Dad is still alive and well--heck, GRANDPA is alive and well--”

  “Hey, don’t kill the drama,” Max says, frowning at me. “This is the only chance I’ll get to use lines like these!”

  “Did you bring popcorn?” I hear Jack ask from above my head. I jerk, looking blankly at the two sitting on his surfboard, watching us. He and Ace look for all the world as if they’re at a sports match.

  “Is he seriously a super villain?” Grandpa asks a bit blankly.

  “He likes to be a glory-hound,” Adanna says, “he sees being a super villain as the perfect opportunity to act like a ham.”

  “I see. That does sound like fun,” Grandpa admits. I never thought I’d hear him say something like it. It startles a laugh out of me. “Not that I would do it, of course.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t,” I say, rushing forward. Max and I start punching each other, brawling like boxers. He hits HARD. I’m pretty sure he puts gravity into each punch--and considering he brawls with Trent on a regular basis, it’s probably by instinct. A particularly good uppercut catches me in the gut and sends me flying.

  For a second I seem to float in the air and then I drop to the ground, shocked by the sensation. I don’t have time to react before Max is in front of me again, punching me just like he had before. “Stay up there!” he says as I go flying again. “We might as well teach you to fly while I’m beating on you!” My st
omach hurts a bit--second massive hit to the exact same place in a row, you know?

  Unfortunately this time I don’t even float--I just keep soaring until I fall into a tree.

  “Think his points are in the hole?” I hear Jack ask Ace.

  “Probably. Let’s go check it out.”

  I hold out my hand and the tree roots shoot out, blocking the way for Jack and Ace. “No you don’t,” I say. Max takes advantage, pulling me off the ground and straight up with his powers.

  “No plant powers up here,” he says as we float over the earth. I ignore him, staring down at the world with a huge grin. “What?” he asks, looking suspicious, “What are you grinning about?”

  “Do you know the biggest part of being a Superior?” Superior asks, loudly enough that I’m certain Max can hear it.

  “No, not really,” Max says.

  “We operate in spheres,” Superior says. “For me it’s a mile to a mile and a half in any direction at an atomic level detail. For my kids it’s any area within eyesight. Now tell me, which do you think Sunny operates in?”

  “Oh crap,” Max says, just as the world below me starts to burst with life. Trees and flowers and bushes and anything that comes to mind sprouts from the ground, forming a forest below. I’m laughing like a loon. This feels so AMAZING! I hear Jack and Ace yelp in shock below, but it just makes me laugh louder. I actually feel a bit light-headed, but this is such a rush that I don’t notice until I start to black out.

  Whoops.

  ***

  “He grew a forest,” Superior hears Max say. He can only assume the boy stole Sunny’s earbud. “I caught him before he hit the ground, he’d be really mad if he accidentally killed one of his trees. I hope whoever owns this place doesn’t mind, because I’m pretty sure he took out all the nearby streets, too. It’s got to be some fifteen miles across, at least.”

  “It’s fine,” Superior says, feeling a grin spread across his face. “Actually, it’s perfect.” He hears Max hang up, but he stays on the line. “Your son is a wonder,” he says.

  “He is, isn’t he?” Nico says, showing that he’d been listening in just like Superior had assumed. “The kid will change the world, and nobody will even know about it.”

  “Is that for the best?” Superior asks.

  “It’s what he wants,” Nico says. “You heard him--he’s a total failure at the actual fighting. He’s not got an instinct for violence.”

  “He’s got an instinct for life,” Superior finishes.

  “He is his mother’s child.”

  ***

  Nico hangs up, standing in front of a large cage. He watches the teen inside, taking in just how beast-like the boy seems. When the boy’s black eyes fall on him it’s only for a moment. He can actually see the simple calculations going through Tank’s mind--not prey, not attacking, ignore. He’s searching for an escape, but hasn’t realized that there are locks yet. They’ve brought Aubrey in twice, each time they’d had to knock the boy out just to get her near him. She says there’s a chance he’ll never be human-like again. The boy’s now being treated by Double M--who’s working to get him thinking as a human, at least.

  Nico sighs and shoves that thought aside, his eyes falling to the phone in his hand, another teen on his mind. He leaps into the air, going high enough that he can see all of America, and most of Canada and Mexico. The air is thin, almost non-existent here, but he ignores that fact.

  A simple message appears on the phone screen.

  You’ve got a son.

  It blinks once and then is sent.

  ***

  Bonus Material:

  Superior: Origins

  *A long, long time ago*

  The ship makes strange noises. He isn’t used to all the strange noises. There are beeps and blips and various creaking noises that he’s almost afraid to ask about. His home world doesn’t have all of these noises, the young boy thinks. Nor does it have the large, hulking monsters that keep tromping past him, yelling at each other.

  “You bought a little KID!”

  “He’ll be worth money! He was a real steal, too, since nobody wanted him!”

  “WE don’t want him, either! And when will he be worth money, in thirty years? What are we going to do with a little kid?”

  The little boy is positive that they are talking about him--especially when the one that had just been speaking turns, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him off of the floor. “He’s USELESS! Look at the bone structure--he looks a lot like one of those Terrans!”

  “Now THAT is an insult,” the first says sharply. “He’s not a Terran! He’s nowhere near as pathetic as one of those!”

  “He’s as good as one to me! He won’t be worth anything on the black market.” The boy is thrown aside, hitting the wall of the ship and sliding down it, hiding the fact that it had hurt a bit. The large blue-green man heads to the computer while the second one, the one that had been fighting for him, comes over, crouching down in front of him.

  “Here, boy, say ‘Masters,’” the man prompts. “Mas--ters.”

  “Mas... ters,” the boy repeats quietly, trying not to stare at the bloodshot eyes looking at him. They were huge and yellow instead of white, with slits down the middle instead of a round spot. It’s really unsettling to him.

  “That’s good! Did you hear that, Ahka? He can speak!”

  “Why don’t you teach him to roll over and beg, next?” Ahka replies darkly, tapping away on the keyboard of their broken down machine. “We’re getting rid of him.”

  “What? Why? We’re going to make a bundle off of him!”

  “We aren’t going to make a thing off of that scrawny little brat--he’s going to eat us out of house and home, and I’m not going to let that happen,” Ahka says. “We’re passing Terra soon, we’ll drop him off there. Nobody will think a thing if we land in one of those flat stretches with the four legged creatures. Backwater planet,” he scoffed.

  “I paid good money for him! How are you going to pay me back?”

  “By keeping him from eating all of the food we put away for the rest of our trip!” Ahka snaps, pulling away from the computer and turning to glower at the boy. “We should kill him,” he says after a long hard stare. “Bury the body and leave.”

  “We aren’t killing him! We’ll just... we’ll just dump him off like you planned,” the other says reluctantly. “Who knows, maybe they’ll find a use for him. Clearly you’re not going to let me.”

  “Oh quit your whining,” Ahka says as the ship lands with a thump. There’s a loud creaking noise as if something’s going to break, and then a section of wall opens up, turning into a ramp heading to the ground. Ahka stands, grabbing the boy and hauling him down the ramp. The land they’re on is strange, the air feels too thin and the colors are all wrong, but the boy gets no chance to point this out as Ahka heads back in.

  The ship hatch slams shut and the ship takes off, flying into the night.

  For a long, long moment the boy just sits there, watching the ship fly off, knowing that he’ll never see his home world again. Then, a bit awkwardly, he pushes himself to his feet and starts to walk. It seems like forever before he sees a square building. He’s so happy that he starts to run, almost tripping over himself as he realizes how much lighter the gravity is. He makes it to the door, grabbing the handle and pulling the door open.

  “Cliff, is that you? I thought you were going into town today, honey! You’re back--” a woman says from inside. She steps into view, staring at him in confusion. “Where did you come from, little boy? What’s your name?”

  So the boy says the only word he knows. “Mas... ters.”

  Dorm Daze

  Justin

  “So there he was, chatting away on the phone to Superior, and Max--the moron--catches his attention,” Ace says. We’re sitting in the main room of the dorms, playing a game of Central Hall Alliance. Nico built the dorm this massive gaming system where anyone can grab their phone to use as a controller and join in--
the screen is an entire wall. In fact, I’m pretty sure we can spread it to another wall if we’ve got enough people. Right now we’ve got about half the dorm lounging on couches, playing.

  “Did he have to?” I ask, grimacing as Vinny’s character catches me from behind, knocking me out. Why is he playing a villain, anyway? Wait, he’s not. “I call foul play!” I yell at him.

  “Friendly fire,” he says, grinning evilly.

  “Of course not--Sunny’s completely oblivious to things like that,” Ace says as he taps away on his phone, shooting at Carla’s character. “And honestly, it’s STUPID to draw his attention, because they fought for a while and then Sunny grew an entire forest. I almost got violated by a tree because of that.”

  “Violated?” I repeat.

  “It poked me in the butt on the way up,” Ace explained. The entire group starts laughing at the look on his face. Even I can’t help but snicker, picturing it all too easily. “So we had to climb our way out of an accidental forest and then carry Sunny home, because he was completely knocked out. So I figured I’d stop in while he slept. I’ve got an illusion me breaking into Jack’s place right now.”

  “What are all of you doing in here?” I hear Morgan demand from behind me. “It’s the middle of summer, people, and Trent just now finished the school’s new pool!”

  “Seriously?” I ask, almost dropping my phone. “I want to go swimming!” I get a lot of blank looks and I abruptly realize that I was way too quick to admit that. Okay, so I seem a bit too enthusiastic when Morgan suggests things. So sue me.

  “Let’s go swimming, then,” Ace says, getting to his feet and heading for my room.

  “How did your swimming trunks get in my room?” I demand as I follow him.

  “Because I didn’t feel like running home when we went to the pool,” he says. “Nice job jumping, there,” he drawls when I close the door behind us. “Seriously, you should just tell her already.”