Cape High Christmas: A Side Story (Cape High Series)

by R. J. Ross

  So... what does he do? What CAN he do? Vinny practically tosses the South Hall leader at him, saying he'll do whatever he asks--which is probably a lie, Lance decides. There's no way a Hall leader has time to goof off in their Christmas games. So it's better to give up on that idea, to begin with. Except...

  He looks at his phone for a long moment, wondering if he dares. There is one thing he wishes that the school had. It's a silly thing, one that he's never mentioned to anyone, especially not to Nico, but he really thinks it could help. And it's something a Hall Leader could afford, really easily, right? So... he heads for the tree houses behind the gym, pulling himself up onto one of the platforms and scrolling through the contacts. After a second he finds Century's name, not because Century gave it to him, but because Nico adds everyone, automatically.

  For a second he stares in wonder as the screen changes and Century, without a mask, stares back at him blankly. "Now, son, I'm not sure how you got this number--" the Hall Leader starts out.

  "My name is Lance," Lance says quickly. "I'm going to be part of Vinny's team when I graduate Cape High. I'm an animal shape shifter--I can change--"

  "Oh! Lance!" Century says, breaking into a grin. "I've got your stats, son, I know exactly what you can do. What can I do for you, my boy?"

  "We're doing a Christmas Advent thing at our school, sir," Lance says, feeling nervous. "It's where each of us has a day where we need to do something for all the kids in the school. Adanna had yesterday--we got to tour her home's big cat area and her mom brought in photographers for Christmas pictures, and everything. Well, I'm broke and I don't have any real connections--and I COULD do the dog barking Christmas carols thing, but it's really stupid in comparison. So, um, I have the right to ask either two kids or one adult for help--as long as I pay them back somehow."

  "And you came to me?"

  "I was going to offer to, um, join your branch after graduation--that is if you want me. I'm only as strong as my most powerful form, which depends on if I'm in the water or on the land. Some of my brothers and sisters are a lot more impressive, you know?"

  "I'll take it," Century says. "You underestimate both yourself and the attention you'll draw, son. You're exactly the type of cape I want on my team. Now what do you want in return?"

  "It's sort of silly, but--well, I'm REALLY big on animals," Lance starts out, grinning slightly as the older man laughs.

  "I would not have imagined," Century teases.

  "Yeah, strange, huh? But there's a lot of importance to having animals near--and while I can pretend to be a cat, or a dog, or whatever, it's not the same as us having a pet. And since a lot of us were stuck behind glass walls, this might be a bit touchy at first, but I'd like to put a fish tank in the dorms--fish are an excellent way to promote peace and happiness," he says. "Except I have to have it by tomorrow. It doesn't have to be big, or anything--but if that's too much to ask, you know, 'cause of the time thing--"

  "Son," Century says, "do you KNOW what my power is?"

  "Um... not really?"

  "You'll have your aquarium," he says. "Don't worry. Now I need to call your principal and work out the details, so why don't you go practice your song?"

  "But I wasn't going to--" Century hangs up before Lance can explain how stupid the song idea is, again. He looks at his phone for a long second before racing to the gym, where Nico is. He gets there to find Nico already on the line with Century.

  "Sure," Nico says. "But are you sure this deal is balanced?" he asks.

  "Of course it's not," Century says, "but I'm going to fix that sooner or later. I'll need either your teachers or permission to come on campus to get it set up--I've got some boys building the tank now."

  "I'll bring down a big enough portion of the wall for it to be easy to get in, if you provide the extra security."

  "Agreed, now I'll just be back to work," Century says, hanging up.

  "It's not a fair deal?" Lance says, feeling like he's been slapped.

  "Of course it isn't," Nico says, turning to him.

  "But I offered the best thing I've got, the ONLY thing--"

  "That's why it's not fair, kiddo," Nico says. "Do you have any clue what a big hit you'll be as a cape? Little kids will ADORE you. You'll have fans all over the world, and Century knows it. No matter how big and impressive an aquarium he brings in, it still won't be equal to what you're offering. I could have told you that. But you don't need to worry about it--Century's pretty straight forward. He'll make a good Hall leader for you. And if you have any problems with him, well, Voltdrain will be your second in command."

  Lance nods, a little light headed as the thoughts sink in. "Now, go figure out where the aquarium should be and clean it up," Nico orders him. "You're going to help set it up, after all."

  The next morning an eighteen wheeler pulls to a stop outside the campus and the entire school comes out to watch. A massive tank, one nearly the size of a car, is pulled out of the back by Century in full uniform. It's a piece of art, made up of curves. Lance watches as the lasers of the security system flicker and go down.

  "Well?" Nico says. "Tell the kids what you got them, Lance."

  "Um, well, I thought we could use a fish tank," Lance says as they all stare in wonder. "So I asked my future Hall leader to give me a hand."

  "It's a bit small," Century says as he lands in front of them, "but I plan on adding another later. Have you picked out where it's going?" he asks Lance.

  "Yeah, this way," Lance says.

  "And while we get this set up, Lance has a little performance for you all!" Century says over his shoulder as the rest of the tank is brought in by Voltdrain.

  "But--" Lance says. He groans as everyone looks at him expectantly. "Okay, fine--but nobody records this, got it?"

  "We can't make any promises!" Nico says with a grin. Every single phone on campus comes out.

  Advent Calendar - Day Three

  Really, she TRIES to avoid the hall leaders, Morgan thinks as she stares at her phone, but Lance started something when he brought Century in, and honestly she needs to have Mastermental's approval, even if she didn't ask for his help, right? Of course she could do something else--she'll probably fail horribly on her grade, or whatever it is they're getting for this, but...

  She takes a deep breath and taps the screen of her phone. For a second nothing happens, which surprises her. Maybe he's refusing the call? If he's refusing the call that means he doesn't want to deal with her--before she can hang up, though, he appears on the screen in full uniform. "Sorry for the wait, Morgan," he says. "I was in the middle of cleaning up a small mess."

  "I can call back--"

  "No, no, it's taken care of, now," he says, smiling slightly. "I hope this is about being your chosen help for the Advent Calendar?" he asks. "I've heard a lot about that program, and I would be honored, if it is. How can I help you, dear?"

  "I..." Morgan lets out a deep breath before looking around briefly. "Tomorrow is my day--and I know I should do something either showing off my powers, or something entertaining, right? But there's one thing I've ALWAYS wanted to do, and I think it'll make some of us uncomfortable, or whatever, but, well, this is my chance. Mastermental, do you think you can arrange for the school to visit a local orphanage? In uniform? Some of us will have to wear our lackey uniforms, but that's fine. I'll pay you back--I'm not sure how, yet, I mean we're pretty much agreed that I'll be unofficially working for you in the future, anyway, so I can't promise that--"

  "That and what you want to do is more than enough payment, Morgan," he says. "IF," he goes on, "you're willing to let Hall TV add a few drones to the mix. Purely for the supers to watch, of course, we can't let the norms see our villains helping kids. That would ruin their reputations. They ARE going with you, correct?"

  "I'm going to force them if they complain," she agrees. "And drones are fine, as long as they don't get in the way. I want everyone to focus on helping the kids, not on how they look on television."

  "The
n it's a deal. I'll contact Nico and work out the finer details, you go and make sure everyone is ready at eight in the morning. I'll be bringing a bus by at that time."

  "Thank you, Mastermental," she says, the relief making her feel a little light headed. "I really appreciate this."

  "I expected no less, honestly," he says.

  "One question, though," she says. "Was the Advent Calendar thing your idea?"

  "It actually was not," he says. "I won't lie, I do know who suggested it, but I'm sworn to secrecy, just like Nico is. What the real surprise has been is just how much you and the others are stepping up for it."

  "You've been watching?" she asks, a bit surprised.

  "All of the Hall leaders have, and so has Andre Harrison," he says. "That's why I'd like to get it on HTV for the other capes to see, as well. But this isn't about us, now is it?"

  "No, it's not," she says with a little smile. "It's about us. I'll see you in the morning, Mastermental," she says, hanging up after he tells her goodnight. She heads in, knocking on each of the doors and saying, simply, "Be awake and in uniform by eight tomorrow morning," to each of them. She even calls those not there, and then goes to bed.

  The crowd of black and silver or white and gold uniforms are almost blinding, Morgan thinks as the group head up the steps to get on the bus. Vinny sticks out a bit in his coal gray and orange uniform, but not as much as the ones they join up with outside. All of the named heroes and Sunny are in full uniform. Every single one of them turns to look at her expectantly.

  "I get the feeling that today's gift is a job," Jack says, lounging on his surfboard in the air. "Does that count?" he asks Nico.

  "If she wants to put you guys to work as her gift, it's her right," Nico says with a shrug, glancing at the drones that have already taken flight. "And remember, we're being filmed today," he adds, casually pulling a mask on.

  The sleek black bus's door opens. Mastermental steps out in full uniform, his arms going wide. "Welcome, everyone, to Morgan's Advent Calendar gift. If you would all board, we can get on our way."

  "Mastermental's your helper?" Ace asks her.

  "I needed some strings pulled," she says with a shrug. "But before we go--NO fighting. Got it? This is purely a peaceful journey. Even you and the other super villains need to be on your best behavior."

  "We didn't plan on fighting, did we?" Ace asks the others.

  "Why are we wearing uniforms, then?" Jack asks her.

  "Because, um--would you just get on the bus," she says, motioning them on. Once the bus is full she stops at the front, looking them all over. "We're going to do something for someone OTHER than ourselves, today," she tells them. "And if it means I forfeit my gift, well, it's totally worth it. We're going to an orphanage. When you're there, you'll be assigned a small group of kids, who you'll spend some time with--you can show off a few tricks, or just talk about what being a super entails, and then we'll gather as a group to sing carols," she explains. "And Lance will do his special trick for them," she adds, grinning evilly at her little brother. Lance groans as the rest of the group starts cheering.

  They pull to a stop in front of a large building, and Mastermental stands. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I want you ALL to remember that several of the children you'll be meeting have very difficult pasts. Many of you can no doubt relate with that, I admit. But I want you to be very careful--especially you that are villains. No quick movements that could be seen as an attack, no yelling, and if you use your powers--and we want you to--always explain why you're using them, first. Now, Morgan, since this is yours, you need to join me in greeting the people in charge."

  Morgan nods, getting up and heading off the bus. The entire orphanage is standing in front of the school, with their teachers in front. Mastermental leads her up to them and they make their introductions before calling the rest of our group off the bus. "You've already been separated into groups," Morgan tells the norm kids, "and now we'll be assigning each of you to one of the Cape High students."

  "Who's the guy in green?" one little girl asks, pointing at Sunny. "He's dressed like a hero, but I've never seen him before."

  "He's Sunny, and he'll be your group's leader," Morgan says, assigning each of the groups quickly and stepping back. She plans to oversee. "Now, I'll let everyone get to know everyone else--and don't worry if you're in a villain group, they're being watched VERY closely," Morgan says, giving Ace a dark look. He blushes slightly, but covers it with an evil grin. "Now you have one hour, so ask allllll the questions you can come up with, okay? And then we'll meet together for some Christmas carols! We'll be making the biggest names in teenage capes sing ALL of the songs--even Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," she tells them, earning several giggles.

  They head out, each group taking a different place around the front of the building, and Morgan starts casually walking around to check. Carla has her own group--that one worries Morgan for a moment, actually, until she remembers that Carla has a TON of little brothers and sisters. Casually Morgan walks over, standing a bit to the side to watch.

  "Okay, everybody!" Carla says, striking a ridiculous pose. "I'm going to show you an AWESOME trick, so keep watching. And it's going to be fast, got it?" The kids in her group look at each other a bit blankly.

  "Aren't you Hypersonic... um... what was that super long name again?" one of the guys asks.

  "Hypersonic Rainbow!" Carla proclaims proudly. "Now don't blink," she says before racing around the group so fast she leaves an afterimage.

  "I did tell them not to move too quickly," Mastermental says as he joins Morgan, "but I think Carla is a good exception for that."

  "That's not too fast for them, though, is it?" Morgan asks.

  "Do they look worried?" he asks dryly as her group starts cheering. "Remember, she's adorable."

  "I can never forget," Morgan says, moving on. Adanna is dressed in a brand new black uniform (she had refused to wear her copy of the Panther one). Morgan stops by the little group, watching Adanna as she steps up in front of them.

  "I don't have an official name--and I don't plan on getting one," Adanna announces. "But I come from the Panther line, which means I'm a shape shifter. I can turn into a--"

  "You're Panther's daughter, or something?" one of the kids asks, looking worried. "Like THE Panther? Do you turn into a huge panther, too?"

  "Not huge, yet," Adanna admits. "Um, here," she says, pulling out a small laser from her pocket and handing it to one of the kids. "Hold that." And then she shifts, turning into a teenage panther, that has half of the group jerking away. She sits there, looking at them with golden eyes, her tail flicking back and forth.

  "Don't worry," Morgan says, leaning down to the kid that has the laser light. "Here, watch," she says, turning it on and aiming the light at the ground. Adanna jumps on it, chasing it as Morgan flicks the light across the ground. "See?"

  The ones that WERE tense start laughing at that. Satisfied that they're entertained, Morgan moves on to the next group, where Ace is. "Hello, little brats," Ace says, his illusionary dragon head on. "I'm here to play Santa--"

  "Wait just one moment," Morgan says, walking up to him and glaring. "What did I say about not scaring the kids?" she demands, her hands on her hips.

  "I didn't--they ASKED--" Ace says, pointing at the kids.

  "We didn't do anything," one of them says in a patently innocent voice. "He just all of a sudden turned into a dragon--" the rest of the group starts laughing. "Okay, okay, we MIGHT have asked."

  "See?" Ace asks, the dragon head disappearing. "Completely their fault."

  "Man, is she your girlfriend or your mom?" one of the guys in the group asks. "Or is she super freaky powerful--"

  "Super freaky powerful," Ace says. "Terrifyingly so, right, Morgan?"

  "Show us!" one of the girls say.

  "I am NOT super freaky powerful," Morgan says. "But I am in charge for the day--"

  "Show us! Show us!" they start to chant.

  "They asked--do we have f
ifteen minutes?" Ace says quietly. Morgan hesitates, wondering if she should. She looks over at Mastermental, who nods slightly, not looking too worried.

  "Okay, fine," she says, touching her bracelet and turning it off. She reaches out, grabbing Ace's hand and stealing his powers. He promptly sits down, looking a bit sick to his stomach. The group stares in shock as the same dragon head illusion Ace had used earlier covers her face. "I can steal peoples' powers," she says, grinning evilly. "But not for long," she adds as the head disappears.

  "I could totally beat her," Ace says. "You know, from a distance."

  "They're faking it," one of the kids say. "It's all part of the show--if she had power snatching abilities she'd already be in the Hall, right?"

  "Okay, you caught us," Morgan says, turning her bracelet back on. She sees Ace's eyes change back to swirling silver and realize he's got his powers back early. "Now I need to go back to work," she adds, walking away.

  "She WAS faking it, right?"

  "So why don't I tell you about the fight with Divine Justice?" Ace asks, rather than answering.

  "I probably shouldn't have done that," Morgan says as she joins Mastermental again. "What if it gets out?"

  "It won't be a problem," Mastermental says. "They'll probably never see you again after this." They wander around, watching all the various kids show off, and the hour is over in a blink. Morgan can't help but feel proud as she sees the kids having so much fun. Not just the orphanage kids, though--the Cape High kids are grinning hugely as they sing songs and Lance does his barking trick. He's never going to outlive that one.

  The group loads up in the bus after the songs are over, waving out the window to everyone as they drive off. Morgan gets to the front again as we reach the school. "I know," she says slowly, "that it wasn't for you--"

  "Let's do it next year, too," Ace says before she can apologize. The bus roars with agreement and he grins at her. "You did well," he tells her. This time Morgan's the one blushing.