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

by R. J. Ross

  "Mmm, yeah, kids, mmph--" he grunts as Max kicks him under the table. "What was that for?" he demands.

  "I'm trying to POLITELY talk you into giving me a hand," Max says, glaring at him.

  "What's so polite about kicking me in the shin?" Ace demands.

  "That's the part where the politeness didn't work," Max says. "Look, you're wasting your talent and starving! We could do AMAZING things if we worked together! We could help the kids of the world!"

  "Do I have a choice?" Ace asks after a long moment of Max staring at him.

  "No."

  "Then let's do 'amazing things,'" Ace mutters reluctantly.

  The scene goes perfectly still, save for Ace. He steps out of the chair, but to their amazement, leaves an exact copy of himself sitting there with a mouthful of food. "So Grandpa got shanghaied into helping Santa, who was called Kris Kringle at the time. Grandpa changed his family name, just in case people recognized the line, and they moved up to the Arctic Circle, because supers do that sort of thing, and they started looking for other suckers to drag into the plan."

  The world shifts and they're sitting in snow. There's snow as far as the eye can see, actually, except for one dark spot on the horizon. Ace and Max walk through the snow, past the group. "That him?" Ace asks, pointing to the stop. "You know, if a guy moves ALL the way up to the North Pole, there's a good chance he's not properly potty trained."

  "He's just a bit... reclusive, is all," Max says, cheerfully. "We need to drag him out of his slump and put him to work helping others! It'll cheer him up in no time."

  They stop as a massive wall of ice shoots up in front of them. "You can stop right there," Jack says, appearing over the ice wall, floating on his surfboard. "Turn around and move on. I don't like solicitors."

  "Come on, Frost, the first visitors you've had in years and you turn them away?" Max asks. "That's not very friendly, now is it?"

  Both Jack and Ace stare at him, dumbfounded.

  "Did he get dropped on his head a lot as a child?" Jack asks Ace after Max just keeps smiling.

  "I'm thinking... yes, definitely yes."

  "We've decided to do great things with our powers," Max says. "And you're going to help us."

  "I am?"

  "You are," Max says. The scene stops and Ace steps out of his image again.

  "This is where the fight that led to the massive hole in the ground comes from," Ace tells the audience. "That's where Grandpa, Santa, and Jack Frost built the North Pole. Considering that, I think we all know who won the fight. They went on, starting out small, and dragging more and more capes into their little plan. And when Santa retired, he handed the job on to his son. When there wasn't a son, there was a daughter, or a nephew, or a niece, or someone that looked good in red, I guess." The snow disappears and Max and Jack join him. "And that is how I've always heard the Santa Claus story," Ace finishes with a bow and a flourish of his hand.

  The audience starts to roar with applause.

  "You honestly told him the joke about Santa getting dropped on his head?" Banshee asks Blackjack dryly.

  "He added a few details," Blackjack says, grinning slightly before heading forward to hug his son--just to embarrass him.

  Advent Calendar - Day Nineteen

  "If you will all proceed to the gym, wearing your uniforms, we will begin," Zoe says over their com bracelets. As a group, they get up from whatever they're doing (mostly gaming) and head for their rooms to change. A few minutes later, they gather in the gym, fitted out and looking around curiously. Zoe comes down from the upper floor, with mechanical parts trailing after her.

  "Thank you for coming, everyone!" she says with a blinding smile. "Line up, please, and if you'll take off your com bracelets and hold them out, I'd appreciate it," she goes on as they obediently get in line. Max is at the front, and he watches silently as his com bracelet starts to float and completely dismantles. New parts float in and it reassembles--into something with his logo on it and several new flashing lights.

  "Whoa," he says, admiring it. "What's it do now?"

  "Questions later, Max, this takes a lot of focus," she says as she repeats the process with the next in line, rapidly making it through the entire group. Soon each has a highly customized version of the once generic bracelet. "Next," she says at the final person, "the targets." A small glowing plate floats down from her floating odds and ends and she walks around Jack thoughtfully for a moment before clipping it to his chest. She repeats the process, picking a different spot for each target, and then steps back.

  "All of the old processes of the com bracelet are still there, before you start worrying," she says. "I've just basically given it a new skin and a few upgrades--one being the laser tag setting." She grins, watching as they exclaim over the new toy. "Okay, I'll admit it's NOT useful for work on the field, but hey, who DOESN'T like a super-sized game of laser tag once in a while?" She holds up her com bracelet, showing it to them, and then aiming and pushing a button. Max's little target starts flashing. The number five appears on the target and shifts into a four as they watch. She waves a hand and it turns back to a five.

  "So we can get hit five times before we're out?" Max asks.

  "We're capes, we take a high amount of damage," she says. "Now, black suits on this side, white on this--working capes, you know what sides you're on," she tells them, pointing to the left and right. "Today's another game day! We're going to have an epic battle, and the winning team will win a prize from me. Because what's more Christmas than battling to the death with flashing lights?" she adds cheerfully, making them laugh.

  "Who are your helpers?" Carla asks, looking around curiously.

  "I didn't ask anyone," Zoe says.

  "But that's sort of lonely, isn't it?"

  Zoe hesitates before walking over to her. "Carla, will you be my helper?" she asks, grabbing Carla's hand. Carla's eyes widen in surprise and she lets out a little squeal.

  "YES! I LOVE being a helper! It's the best thing ever!" she says, bouncing up and down. "But who else will be?" she asks, looking at the group.

  "Hmmm..." Zoe says, looking over the group. She walks past Max, entirely. "I want... Brandon," she says, stopping in front of the apparent gap in the group. "Will you be my helper, Brandon?" she asks.

  The teen slowly appears, looking hesitantly over at Max. "Um, but--shouldn't you pick your boyfriend?" he asks finally.

  "No way, he'll be one of the first taken down," she says. "Love you, Max," she adds with a grin.

  "That's just so wrong, man, so wrong," Sunny says, clapping Max on the back sympathetically.

  "So what are we going to do?" Carla asks eagerly.

  "You're going to be my personal team," Zoe says. "So we need to change your colors... hmmm..." Parts float down from the top floor and soon two chest plates done in purple are covering the top part of their uniforms. "Now, the three of us versus both of your groups," she says, turning to the white and black suited capes.

  "Just the three of us?" Brandon asks. "Like with the scavenger hunt?"

  "Exactly!" she says. "But we'll be shooting them."

  "Wait a second, wait a second," Max says, stepping forward. "You can't cheat," he tells Zoe. "No making our count go down automatically, or giving you or your team extra lives, got it?"

  "I would never do that!" Zoe says. "We're going to play fair and square--but I never said people couldn't use their abilities," she adds a bit wickedly. "Oh, but there IS one thing," she says. "You can only shoot someone once. If you shoot them again, it won't count. That puts us at a very bad disadvantage, guys, is that okay?" she asks her helpers.

  "I guess?" Brandon says, but there's a gleam in his eyes that shows he's feeling competitive.

  "We just have to finish them off, right?" Carla asks innocently.

  Zoe gives her a smile. "Exactly." The three look at each other for a short moment before turning to the other two teams. "Now! We'll take fifteen minutes for each of the teams to plan out their strategy, or just sit aro
und staring at one another, and then the bell will ring. The war will start."

  "Are there safe zones?" Trent asks.

  "The Christmas Tree that you and Sunny planted will be the safe zone," Zoe says.

  "Okay," he says. "White team, let's move out," he says, heading out the door. The others follow cheerfully, each admiring the other com bracelets. He'd taken over as leader without anyone saying a word, Zoe notices.

  "You're going down, Zoe," Max says, pointing at her, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. "I've always wanted to go up against you."

  "You won't even get CLOSE to me, Max," she tells him. She tugs Carla and Brandon along with her, heading out into the canyon. Once she's certain they're far enough away from the other groups, she gives them a wicked little grin. "Are you guys ready for this?" she asks.

  "Um, what are we going to do?" Brandon asks, suddenly nervous.

  "We're going to take out the entire school," Zoe says. "And here's how we're going to do it--I can tap into every feed in the school with no problem, so--earbuds, please," she says, holding out her hand. They hand over their earbuds and watch in silence as she works. "I'm going to tell you exactly where to go and who to shoot--can you listen to me for that?" she asks them.

  "Yes!" Carla says, only to stop and frown, "butifwewin--" she stops, taking a breath, "but if we win, are we the only ones that'll get a prize?"

  "How about, if we win, EVERYONE gets a prize?" Zoe asks. The expressions on their faces change to brilliant, but determined grins. "So it's up to you two--do you think you can do what I ask you?" she asks.

  "We can do it," Brandon says firmly.

  "We can do it!" Carla says enthusiastically.

  "But first--lay low, keep from being seen or caught," Zoe says. "We're going to let them take out as many as they can before we launch our attack. Brandon, can you make all three of us invisible?"

  "Yes... but a few of them can find me, even then," Brandon admits. "They don't say anything, but I've noticed--Adanna can pick up on my sounds, Max can pick up my thoughts. We're going to have to stay clear of them."

  "Then we'll stay out here," Zoe says, taking his hand. "And time for the bell," she says, setting it off.

  ***

  "Sir, are you sure this is a... good Christmas celebration? She's turning the teens against each other!"

  "Shhh, Team Zoe's starting to make their move!"

  "Sir--"

  "Would you LOOK at them go--with three people she's taken down Cold Steel, Malina, oh, there goes Freddy! And so quickly! HO HO HO! This is amazing!"

  "Really, should you be so cheerful about people being shot?"

  "Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Toodles, it's just a harmless game!" He goes silent as they watch the show with amazement. "Do you think I could sponsor Zoe?" he asks after a long moment, watching as the girl takes down five and calmly instructs the others at the same time.

  "Nico would NEVER let you near her, and you know it, sir, Santa or not," Toodles says dryly, leaning against his chair and watching the screen with reluctant amusement. "He's already told you what you can do with your request for Piper, remember?"

  "I have plans for that," Santa says, taking a sip of his cocoa and smiling behind his beard. "Now shush, Toodles, it's time for the big showdown between Max and Zoe."

  ***

  "Sorry, Zoe," Carla says, trying to push up from the floor and failing. "He got me--avenge me!" she cries dramatically.

  "Be honest, you just hate getting stuck," Brandon says, pinned a few feet from her.

  "Of course I do!" Carla says, pouting.

  "So it comes down to this," Max says, stopping next to Carla and shooting her target. The one turns to a zero, and the lights on her com bracelet fade. He repeats that with Brandon, while Zoe just watches him silently. "Not going to save your team?" he asks her. He's exerting as much pressure as he dares on the entire room and she's not even reacting, he notices. She's gotten stronger since he first met her--MUCH stronger.

  "They lost. They did good, though. I'm proud of them," she says, sitting on the desk of her dad's science classroom. Max lifts his wrist, aiming at her.

  "Maybe we can... come up with a deal," he says, not pushing the button. "A compromise, since we're the last two standing."

  He jerks, though, as the room suddenly starts to move, all of the non-crushed machines turning towards him. To his amazement, tiny little lights dot his outfit, showing all the lasers are aimed at him from all directions. "You said you weren't going to cheat," he says, slowly holding up his hands. "How long have those been in place, anyway?"

  "Since the beginning, and I did," she says with a bright grin, "but I never said I wouldn't bluff," she adds, shooting him with her com bracelet. His one turns into a zero and the lights of the building flash.

  "TEAM ZOE HAS WON!" Nico calls over the audio system. "Nicely played, kiddo."

  The entire group rushes in, filling up the gym below them. "Yeah! Congratulations, Zoe!" Trent cheers.

  Zoe walks past Max, patting him on the shoulder. "Let my team up, okay?" she says, kissing him on the cheek as if she hadn't just beaten him. He reaches up, pressing a hand to his chest dramatically.

  "Man she's awesome," he says with amusement, shaking his head. Carla and Brandon jump to their feet and join Zoe where she stands on the steps.

  "I promised the winning team a prize," she says, posing casually with her two teammates on either side. "But the prize my team wanted was for EVERYONE to get a prize," she says.

  The room starts cheering at the top of their lungs.

  "So let's have a Christmas party!" Zoe says waving a hand. The disco ball drops and music fills the room. Lights flash and tiny sparkles of light fill the room. To Zoe's surprise, Carla lets out a happy little squeal and hugs her tightly.

  "Best prize ever!" she says. "I'll go get the snacks!" she adds, racing away.

  "I'll go with her," Brandon says, chasing after his sister with a huge grin.

  Zoe looks up as Max joins her. "I win," she brags.

  "THIS time," he replies. "Next time you won't be so lucky."

  "We'll see."

  Advent Calendar - Day Twenty

  "Didn't we go to church LAST week?" Ward complains as they reluctantly board the bus, dressed up once again. "I thought we'd be doing something stupid and reckless--it's Jack's day, right?"

  "Stupid and reckless is going to wait just a little bit, man, I've got it all put together," Jack says as they walk past him.

  "So we ARE going to do something stupid and reckless?" Ward asks.

  "You are SO going to be my minion," Jack says, much to Ward's protest. "I'll tell Mega later--but yeah, after church we'll do something SO stupid and SO reckless that your eyes'll spin. Now get on the bus, we're going to be late." He checks his watch, looking a bit impatient, and boards as soon as the others are on. "I should say a few words, right?" he asks, looking around blankly.

  "Yeah, who are your helpers?" Max asks.

  "Do you know anything about small engines?" Jack asks him.

  "No?"

  "Then Zoe's my helper," Jack says, pointing at the girl. She looks like she wants to protest for a moment before groaning.

  "Only because you said 'engines,'" she says, reluctantly, her expression turning curious.

  For a second he can literally SEE the jealousy on Aubrey's face, so he quickly points at her. "Aubrey's my other one."

  "I shouldn't be," she says, but she doesn't say she WON'T, so he figures he isn't in the doghouse yet. With that solved, he takes a deep breath--only to grunt and catch his balance as Nico starts driving. He gives the principal a dry look before taking another deep breath and letting it out.

  "Today's... um... well, it's sort of a big day for me and my family," he says slowly. "I've been puttin' it off, actually, not because I don't WANT to do this, but, well, I still ain't sure I won't drown," he goes on, frowning thoughtfully as they stare at him blankly. "I mean, I guess if it's Dad doin' it, he won't let me--if anyon
e can pick me up out of a pool of water, it's him, right? But today, well, I'm getting baptized."

  The group just stares at him. Vinny's the first to react, raising his hand, "If you're going Christian, does that mean you're going hero, too?"

  "I am NOT going hero," Jack says quickly. "No way, man, I love my job! And seriously, it's not like I'm really bad--I get paid under the table by the Hall, for cryin' out loud. You know the photo op rules as well as anyone. But I am going Christian. It's not 'cause my dad's a preacher, either. Look, one of the first things Dad told me when I moved in with them was that I was worth something--that they wanted me in the family. Not because I was a tank, or because I was metal coated, but because I'm important. And the reason they say I'm important is because God says I am. I figure if there's a God that thinks I'm important enough to send His own Son to die for, well, I'm going to go with it. So far, everyone that thinks I'm important has been someone I don't think I'd wanna live without." He glances at Aubrey, who gives him a brilliant smile, blushing brightly.

  "Before you ask, though, I'm not trying to convert you, or drag you into my beliefs by draggin' you to this," he says, holding up both hands. "I just... well, it's something you need to... share. And I figured since you guys are my friends, I'd share it with you." He looks at them with a surprisingly vulnerable expression. "I guess I shoulda told you all this BEFORE making you get on the bus, huh?" he asks, finally.

  "We'll go," Ward says. "Right?" he asks the others, quickly getting affirmation from everyone.

  "Thanks," Jack says as the bus pulls to a stop in front of the tiny church and the door swings open. They head in, with him heading to the back of the building, and Ken and Jeanie greet them all enthusiastically. Soon, Ken is standing in a white robe in a baptismal, dunking Jack under the water--for all of two seconds. Jack comes up spluttering and the entire school starts laughing at him freaking out.