Brady Scott swallowed hard and tried not to look as nervous as he unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. He told himself that this was normal. After all, starting your first day at a new school was always a little nerve-racking.
But this wasn’t just any school, it was a superhuman school.
“Are you okay, son?” Dad’s brow furrowed. “You look like you’ve got some nervous energy.”
Brady smiled at his concern. “I’ll be fine, dad. Just excited, that’s all.”
The Lawford Academy for Superhuman Youth could have been another common retreat center in Florida. The main building was a stately three-story structure made of white brick, and a wide porch with imposing pillars welcomed visitors. Palm trees swayed gracefully in the front yard. Brady could also see the beach from where he was standing. His mind raced with possibilities—building giant sandcastles, surfing on windy days, even learning how to hone his new superpowers.
That last thought reined his imagination in, reminding him that this wasn’t a pleasure trip. The discovery of his sonic scream powers had come with a revelation—that his mild-mannered dad had once been the superhero Dark Condor, and that he had enemies determined to kill him. One of them had forced the family from their home, compelling them to seek shelter in Florida and enroll Brady at this school.
He shuddered at the memory of being kidnapped and threatened at gunpoint by Cheyenne Weiss, the cape buster once known as “Red”. After their escape, the Superhuman Enforcement Agency had put out an all-points bulletin for her, but nearly a month had passed with no news. The thought of her out there plotting another attack was almost more than Brady could bear.
His eyes began to burn at the edges. He blinked it away, but dad must have noticed because he quickly wrapped him in a side hug.
“It’s going to be okay, son,” he said quietly, and reassuringly. “These people know what they’re doing, and I’ll help you along the way.”
Brady smiled again. He didn’t resist the hug but embraced his dad with both arms. “Thank you,” he whispered, squeezing before letting go.
“So, how do you know Dr. Lawford?” he asked as they started walking towards the building. He had heard of her, of course. The Lawford Academy was probably the most famous superhuman school anywhere in the country, if not the world.
“Sara and I were in a team called the Forceful. We called her Factor because she could predict outcomes. The team didn’t last after I joined the Alpha Corps, but we remained friends.” Dad turned to Brady and smiled with a twinkle in his eye. “She also introduced me to your mother, so you and Brie can thank her for your existence.”
Brady laughed. “Good call on her part.”
They approached the door, but as Dad reached for the knob, it swung open abruptly. A tall boy with dark brown hair ran out, nearly knocking Brady over.
“I won’t stay!” he shouted back through the door, ignoring Brady. “You can’t make me stay at this stupid school!” Then he leaped into the air and flew away, just as an older woman in a white costume with a blue cape sprinted out the door after him.
“Mark, come back here!” she shouted, then she soared off after him while Brady watched, confused.
“Well, let’s go on in,” Dad said after a moment.
~
Stupid school. Stupid people.
Held by gravitational fields that only he could see, Mark Bentley didn’t look back as the school fell away below him. He barely heard his mother’s shout over the wind rushing in his ears. His face burned with anger and despair.
He was an angry, spoiled brat who wanted his mommy to notice him more. Or at least that’s what everyone thought. If that had been his goal, it was failing miserably. Polar Star kept shoving him away into those miserable superhero schools, no matter how much he acted out. The truth was…she just couldn’t handle the truth.
I don’t want to be a cape. Is that so hard to understand?
A firm hand caught him by the shoulder. Mark spun and found himself facing his mom, her blue cape billowing dramatically in the wind.
“That’s enough, son,” she said firmly. “We’re going to have a long talk about this.”
~
The meeting with Dr. Lawford went faster than Brady had expected. Although it was late in the school year, she had insisted that getting him into her classes would be no problem. While his dad filled out the paperwork, Dr. Lawford offered to give Brady a tour of the school grounds herself.
“My grandfather started this school,” she said as they walked past the student houses. “Back in the ‘80s, there weren’t many places for superhuman children to learn how to use their powers. He wanted to give them somewhere where they could learn and make friends with others like them.”
Brady nodded slowly, taking in his surroundings. He was about to ask a question when a sudden burst of loud sounds interrupted him. He turned and saw a large, industrial style building that looked like a gymnasium.
Dr. Lawford noticed his interest. “Oh, that’s our training center. It’s where our students really get to use their powers,” she said with a conspiratorial grin. “Would you like to see it?”
Would he? Brady’s eyes grew wide with excitement. He nodded eagerly and followed her to the door. She opened it and he stepped inside—
And found himself in a fanboy’s paradise. The training center was like something out of a superhero movie—part obstacle course, part gym, and part arena. Students in the bleachers cheered as two kids in body armor sparred in the center. One was a tall girl with white hair, while the other was a boy with a military buzzcut and a swarthy complexion. Brady noticed they were wearing flags on their belts, like in a game of “capture the flag”. Mesmerized, he followed Dr. Lawford through the bleachers and sat down next to her to watch.
“We have sparring matches every week to test our students’ training,” Dr. Lawford explained, her voice clear over the roar of the crowd. “They are conducted according to the law and referees make sure nothing gets out of hand.”
The girl’s eyes began to glow, crackling with some kind of white energy. Brady gasped as twin lasers shot out from her eyes, throwing her opponent thirty feet across the room. The boy landed on his back and skidded to a halt, and she pumped the air with her fist in triumph.
But the boy didn’t stay down. He rolled over and raised himself up with one hand. Looking at her with a triumphant grin, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There were four loud puffs, and suddenly there were four identical duplicates standing with the boy. They yelled and rushed the girl. She quickly blasted three of the clones away with her eyebeams, but the other two were able to tackle her. Before she could stop them, the remaining clone snatched off her flag and raised it in the air with a victory shout.
The whole crowd went wild with applause. Brady couldn’t help but applaud and cheer along with them. “Way to go!” he shouted.
Dr. Lawford smiled at his enthusiasm. “Come on, and I’ll introduce you to them.”
Brady was ecstatic. A few moments later, he found himself waiting outside the locker rooms. Eventually, they appeared, grinning as their classmates clapped them on the back and cheered.
“Arianna! Ryan!” Dr. Lawford waved to them. “Over here!”
The kids turned and walked over, exchanging fist-bumps and high-fives with their classmates. They smiled when they saw Brady.
“What’s up, Doc?” the boy said with an impish grin. “Who’s the new guy?”
Dr. Lawford smiled. “Arianna, Ryan, this is Brady Starr. He starts classes with us next week.”
Brady didn’t correct her. Technically, Starr was his last name now, a move by the SEA to safeguard his family from Cheyenne.
“Arianna Hale and Ryan Johansen are two of our finest students to date,” Dr. Lawford explained. “They’ve been here for almost two years.”
Ryan beamed. “But you can call us Optica and Augment.” He offered his hand. Brady took it, and Ryan shook it firmly. “Great to meet you, dude.”
Arianna—or Optica—smiled warmly as she also shook his hand. “What’s your power?”
“I scream loud enough to break glass, and maybe other things.” Brady smiled sheepishly. “I’m still getting used to these powers, and they’re nowhere near as cool as yours.”
“Are you kidding? That sounds like a great superpower.” Arianna’s eyes shone with sincerity. “All my repulsor rays do is push things away or knock them over.”
“Do you have a codename yet?” Ryan asked.
Brady paused. Coming up with a codename had been low on his list of priorities this past month. “I’m still working it.”
“Even if you want a codename, Brady, you don’t have to worry about choosing one yet.” Dr. Lawford nodded to Arianna and Ryan “How would you two like to help me show Brady around the school?”
~
The tour was all too short, and thirty minutes later Brady soon found himself in the parking lot with Dad, saying goodbye to Dr. Lawford and his new friends.
“You should totally stop by my house sometime,” Ryan insisted. “I live in a student house with one of the hero couples. We’re having movie night with pizza this Saturday.”
Arianna nodded. “I’ll be there, too.”
Brady looked eagerly at his dad, who smiled noncommittally. “We’ll see, son.”
They were saying their goodbyes when the caped woman from earlier descended, landing between Dr. Lawford and Dad. Her boy—Mark—landed beside her, his arms crossed, and his face twisted into an angry scowl.
“Everything is settled,” the woman said to Dr. Lawford, ignoring the others. “Mark won’t run away again, and he will behave in class.” She gave him a stern glare. “Right, honey?”
Mark rolled his eyes but nodded.
Dr. Lawford’s face was a mask of concern. “Deputy Bentley, your son is always welcome here,” she assured her, “so long as he behaves…”
“He will,” the woman said sharply, with a tone of finality. “I promise.” She turned back to Mark, her expression softening slightly. “Shall we get you settled back in?”
Mark gave her a withering look and stomped back towards the school. She frowned and followed him, muttering something about kids these days.
Brady raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t that Polar Star? Deputy Director of the SEA? A gravity manipulator?”
Arianna grimaced. “Yep, and that was her son, Mark.” She shook her head in disgust. “He’s a real piece of work…”
“But he has a lot of potential.” Dr. Lawford quickly interjected. “So, let’s try and be encouraging, okay?” Ryan and Arianna exchanged glances and nodded unenthusiastically.
Dad shook Dr. Lawford’s hand. “Thank you again for all your help, Sara. It’s comforting to know Brady will be in good hands.”
Brady was beginning to feel more comfortable. Perhaps adjusting to this new school wouldn’t be so hard after all.
~
The next several months went by without incident. Brady threw himself into his classes and his training. He began testing the limits of his powers. In a short time, he was able to break plywood to splinters with his voice, just as easily as shattering glass. With practice, his trainers insisted, he would vaporize stones as well. They also schooled him in martial arts—his favorites were Krav Maga and Karate.
Dad helped as much as he could. He didn’t have as much time as he would like now that he was working at a new church, but he made a point of taking time to teach his son. He even showed him how to use some of his old Dark Condor gadgets—like stun batons, night vision goggles, and throwing stars.
“Remember, relying on either your powers or your gadgets too much is a mistake,” he would tell Brady. “In a fight, you’ll need to use both effectively.”
Brady took his words to heart. And although he knew this training could mean the difference between life or death, he relished the quality time with his dad.
He made more friends at school, too, though Arianna and Ryan quickly became his closest friends. Once his training was deemed adequate, he began sparring with them in the training center regularly, but they also spent much time together outside class. He began visiting them at their school houses, and they became regular guests at his home.
“Thanks again for inviting us to play Lodecraft at your place, Brady,” Arianna said one afternoon in the cafeteria. The trio sat at their usual table, eating sandwiches.
Brady nodded and swallowed a bite. “You’re welcome! We had fun.”
Ryan shook his head. “But man, it was brutal! How did your sister get so good at that game?”
Brady grinned. “Brie has a healthy imagination.”
“Eek! Put us down, twerp!”
Startled, the kids looked up to see four children suspended three feet above ground, arms and legs flailing. Below them stood Mark, arms outstretched toward them, his face twisted in an angry scowl.
“Mark, you creep!” Arianna bit out “What is your problem!?”
Mark turned, a sneer on his face. He pointed his left arm at her, and she cried out as she was lifted off the ground too.
“Stop picking on me,” he growled. “Why can’t you stupid kids leave me alone?”
“Mark Bentley, that is enough. Put them down gently.”
Everyone turned to see one of the trainers, Iron Samson, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. He flexed his muscles and scowled, but if Mark was intimidated, he didn’t let on.
“Now,” the instructor said. “I won’t ask twice.”
Mark rolled his eyes, but he bowed his head and lowered his arms slowly. The frightened kids floated to the ground and landed gently on their feet.
“I’m very disappointed in you, Mark Bentley.” Iron Samson stepped forward and put a firm hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Your behavior does not become a deputy director’s son.”
Mark angrily brushed his hand off and quickly stormed out of the cafeteria.
“What on earth is his problem?” Brady asked, as nervous chatter started to fill the room.
Ryan sighed. “Mark’s been a royal pain since he came here. His mom sends him to all these fancy private schools for powered kids, and he keeps getting kicked out.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t get kicked out if he had an ounce of human decency.” Arianna brushed herself off, eyes glinting with fury.
Brady took another bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly in thought. He didn’t want to judge Mark too quickly. Yes, he was a jerk, but being dumped at a boarding school by your family had to be tough.
“Let’s not talk about this,” Arianna said, and her eyes lit up with excitement. “We’ve got a lot to look forward to this weekend, remember?”
Brady lightened up. “Oh, yeah!”
This Saturday was special because the Champions of America—the nation’s mightiest superhero team—were coming to visit the school, talk to the students, and watch sparring matches. And the three of them were going to be in one of those matches. It wasn’t the same as meeting the Alpha Corps would have been, but for Brady this was the next best thing.
“You know, Brady,” Arianna said, folding her hands conspiratorially, “you still don’t have a codename, and you’re going to need one for this sparring match.”
Brady rolled his eyes. “Do I really, though? It’s just a sparring match.”
Ryan laughed. “Dude, you definitely need a codename. And we’re going to help you come up with one.”
“No, not again,” Brady groaned. “You’re as bad as my sister.”
“No, really! We’re good at this.” Arianna closed her eyes in mock thought. “Let’s see. I’m Optica, Ryan is Augment, and you are…” She snapped her fingers. “Canary-Kid!”
Ryan and Brady burst out laughing, quickly hushing themselves when the others shot glares their way.
“You mean like Black Canary from the comics?” Brady struggled to hold the laughter in. “Black Canary is a girl!”
Arianna’s grin widened. “Okay, we’ll call you Canary-Man.”
Brady guffawed loudly. “Hard pass.”
“Let a pro show you how it’s done.” Ryan drummed his fingers on the table. “Hmm…you scream really loud, and you break things with your voice. How about…Earthshaker?”
Okay, that one isn’t so bad. “I’ll consider it.”
Brady’s friends continued their lively banter, throwing out names that ranged from absurd to surprisingly cool. He just listened, laughing along with them.
~
Mark rolled over in bed and buried his face in the pillow. He was supposed to fight in one of the sparring matches tomorrow, during the Champions’ visit. Mom had been ecstatic, of course. Rambled on about how this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. What he neglected to tell her was that he’d had his sparring privileges suspended after the cafeteria fight.
She wasn’t entirely wrong, though. It was an opportunity.
Once I get kicked out of this school of losers, there’ll be no one left to take me. And I’ll make sure they have no choice.
~
Saturday came, and the sun was barely up as the Scott family pulled into the parking lot of the Lawford Academy. Hundreds of people were already there, waiting to greet the Champions of America when they arrived.
“I’m going to meet Ari and Ryan in the gym,” Brady announced as they got out of the van.
“Okay, son,” Dad smiled and locked the car doors. “We’ll see you after the match.”
Brady smiled back. He couldn’t begin to tell his dad how happy he was to have him here for this—to have them all here for this.
Mom scooped him into a mama bear hug. “Be careful today,” she whispered, eyes glistening.
“I will, promise.” Brady hugged her back and let go, then turned to Brie. “As for you, sis,” he said, smirking as he tousled her hair, “try not to get into too much trouble?”
Brie giggled, shoving his hand away. “Who, me?” she asked with mock innocence. Brady raised an eyebrow.
“Uh, huh. I’ll be watching you,” he said, pointing at her as he waved goodbye and jogged off toward the training center. He was halfway there when Ryan flagged him down.
“Hey, dawg! Mind if I tag along?” The excitement in his voice was palpable.
Brady high-fived him. “Sure, man, be my guest. I was heading to the locker room.”
“I wonder if Arianna’s already there. She’s been chomping at the bit to start this match.” Ryan pumped his fists. “You know she wants to be on the Champions one day, after she graduates?”
Brady nodded. “I suppose it’s feasible. They held that big audition two years ago to replace Equator.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Who did they…” Ryan stopped short. “What’s that?”
“Huh?” Brady looked and saw someone wearing a black hoodie slip into the training center. “Who’s that?”
Ryan frowned. “That’s Mark Bentley.”
Brady was surprised. “Mark? But didn’t he lose his sparring privileges?”
“He did. Something’s wrong.” Ryan started towards the door. “Let’s see what he’s up to.”
A voice in Brady’s head warned him to walk away. Instead, he followed Ryan.
They entered and the building immediately began shivering. Metal girders creaked—quietly but rising slowly in an agonizing crescendo. The boys exchanged concerned looks and ran to the bleachers. There, in the center of the arena, stood Mark.
He paid them no attention but stood with his back to them and his arms stretched out towards the ceiling. Something rippled out from his hands like a wave. He let out a strained cry, as if he were pushing against something heavy.
“What in the…,” said Ryan, as Brady’s eyes grew wide. He realized exactly what Mark was doing.
“Mark!” he shouted. “Stop!”
But Mark didn’t stop. He balled his hands into fists and pushed harder, tripling the frequency of the waves. The shaking intensified, causing the boys to lose their footing. The aluminum roof of the training center began to bulge outward.
“He’s crazy!” Ryan shouted.
Brady grabbed a rail and pulled himself to his feet. He took a deep breath and screamed in Mark’s direction. It wasn’t high enough to shatter glass, but concussive force was enough to sweep his legs. He fell to the ground, and the shaking stopped as his concentration broke.
Oh no, is he okay? Brady bolted down the steps and vaulted over the railing into the arena, with Ryan close behind. He hurried to Mark’s side but paused as the boy propped himself up on one hand. Brady’s relief was fleeting, however, as he was lifted, suspended six feet in the air.
“Mark, stop!” he shouted, flailing his arms. Ryan screamed too, but Mark glowered at them.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
“Why are you doing this?” Brady asked hotly. “You’re a bully, not a criminal.”
Mark gritted his teeth. “I answer no one, especially you. Now hold still.” He extended one hand towards the roof, while keeping the other on Brady and Ryan. The building shuddered again. Brady watched helplessly as Mark clenched his fist—
And screamed as white eyebeams hit him in the side, launching him across the room into the bleachers. The two boys fell awkwardly to the floor and looked to see Arianna standing over them, decked out in her sparring armor.
Ryan whooped. “Girl, that was sick!”
Arianna shook her head. “Don’t thank me. That won’t keep him down.” Her words were laced with panic.
“How can we contain him? Don’t the instructors keep some of those dampening collars in here?” Brady looked back over at Mark, who was getting back up on his feet. Thank you, healing factor.
Arianna sent another blast in his direction. “There’s some in Iron Samson’s office, but they’re locked up.”
Brady nodded. “We need to keep him distracted while one of us grabs a collar.”
“Leave him to me.” Ryan insisted. There were five puffs, and then there were six Ryans instead of one.
“I’ll give him more than he can handle,” they said in unison.
Okay, that’s creepy. Brady nodded. “Do it. Ari, lead the way.”
The Ryans rushed Mark while Brady and Arianna sprinted down the hallway into the lower rooms. They raced past the locker room doors, eventually reaching Iron Samson’s office at the end of the hall. Arianna blasted the door open with her repulsor rays.
“He keeps the collars in that wall safe,” she said, pointing at it as they entered. “Even my beams can’t break through it.”
Brady studied the safe—a simple steel safe with a combination lock. “We don’t have to break through it, we just need to break the lock.” He planted both hands firmly on the wall and his mouth inches from the lock. “Cover your ears.”
The sounds of the battle upstairs intensified, strengthening his resolve. With a sharp intake, he let out a high-pitched scream—higher than any he had attempted before. He almost stopped short when Arianna cried out, but he continued. And as he screamed, he listened carefully for the lock to snap.
Come on, come on, come one…
SNAP!
But it wasn’t the lock that snapped, but the safe door. It buckled and snapped cleanly in two, leaving Brady in shock. “What on Earth?”
Arianna quickly reached past him and grabbed for a collar. “No time! We’ve got to get back now!”
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Brady hurried after her. They raced back to the arena, where Mark had the Ryans suspended in mid-air again. Only Ryan kept duplicating himself, forcing Mark to focus on all of them at once. And it was clear from the grimace on his red, sweaty face that he was in a lot of pain.
But when Brady and Arianna stepped towards him, he saw them and quickly pointed their direction. They floated into the air once more like large helium balloons.
Brady’s mind kicked into overdrive. They were helpless off the ground, except Arianna could probably blast him again from where they were. But there were too many Ryans in—
Wait.
“Ryan,” he shouted, “Ari needs a clear shot!”
Arianna’s eyes grew wide, then began glowing as the clones slowly dissolved into nothing, leaving no one between her and Mark. But the gravity manipulator realized what was happening too. He quickly flicked his wrists, and suddenly Brady found himself and Ryan floating in between him and Arianna, right as the beams fired.
They hit Brady squarely in the chest with incredible force, and he yelled as they pushed him towards Mark at full speed. He slammed into Ryan, careening towards the target. Mark cried out as they piled into him, and they skidded across the surface of the arena. Brady rolled off and sprawled out on the floor gasping for breath, his lungs sobbing for oxygen.
“Brady! Are you okay?”
Mom? He shook his head and looked up. Ryan stood over him, faces twisted with worry. Arianna locked the dampening collar onto Mark, before joining him.
He took a deep breath. “Can you...help me up?”
Ryan’s eyebrow quirked. “Should you…?”
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” He held out his hands, and they took them. As they raised him to his feet, they heard the doors burst open. People rushed in—first responders and instructors, followed by two costumed superheroes. Dr. Lawford followed close behind, and she gasped when she saw the trio.
“Kids!” she shouted. “Are you alright?”
Brady nodded. “We’re fine…Mark just tried to destroy the center, but we stopped him.” He coughed and took another breath. “He could probably use a medic.”
Dr. Lawford’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank goodness you’re all okay.” She turned and frowned sadly at Mark’s prone form. “Mark, why in the world did you do this?”
As first responders cleared the building, one of the superheroes—a young Asian man clad in a green-and-white costume with a cape—approached the kids.
“That was a pretty heroic thing you all did,” he said, “But next time, please get help instead of trying to fight on your own. You could’ve gotten seriously hurt.”
They nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir.”
The hero smiled. “I’m Garrison, by the way. What are your names?”
Ryan puffed out his chest. “I’m Augment.”
“And I’m Optica,” Arianna added.
Brady smiled and shrugged. “And I’m still working on it.”
“You mean we’re working on it,” laughed Ryan, punching Brady’s shoulder. Arianna laughed too, and Brady quickly joined in. But as he did, his chest began to ache.
“Um, guys?” he said, catching his breath. “I don’t suppose you want to postpone the sparring match?”
And they all laughed some more.