2.06

Silas followed Fizz through the chaos of evacuating students and staff. They were so concerned with themselves, the heroes slipped through almost unnoticed. The few that did couldn’t recall the next day if they had seen Silas or the person in the blue armor.

“Where are we going?” Silas asked.

“I don’t know. We need somewhere safe.” Fizz sounded a little distressed, like they hadn’t thought this far ahead.

“I know somewhere we can go, but it’s a secret.” Silas took the lead and Fizz dropped in line to follow.

“Where are we going?” Fizz asked.

“Somewhere safe.” Silas brought them down into the basement where Michael had taken him, Hunter, and Jimena just a few months ago. Silas tapped the secret button and scanned his eye and the door whooshed open.

“I had no idea this was here,” Fizz remarked.

“Michael, the janitor, its his place.” Silas and Fizz entered the narrow hallway and walked through into Michael’s secret base.

“Hello Silas. Hello newcomer,” said Michael. He had just finished making himself a milkshake and sat on a stool at the benchtop that ran along his kitchenette.

“How is all this here?” Fizz asked.

“He’s Excelsior. Retired superhero, one of the greats,” informed Silas.

“But in our school?”

“I watch over potential candidates for The Academy. Try to guide as many hopeful recruits into becoming heroes. The fight against evil never ends.” Michael gave a thumbs up and took a loud slurp from his milkshake.

“When you said, ‘our school’, you’re a student here?” Silas asked, curious.

“Oh yeah, sorry. How rude of me. I know who you are, give me a sec.” Fizz raised their arms and pulled their helmet off.

“Seriously?” Silas was shocked, it was Rimi.

“You were expecting somebody else?” she stuck her tongue out at Silas.

“Kind of, yeah. Why’d you go and get my phone confiscated? Why did you come into detention? How did you know I was Balloon Boy?”

“It wasn’t hard to figure out you were Balloon Boy, you’re on Chatter way too much, and I’m pretty switched on, I just had to do a little digging.”

“And what about my other questions?”

“I got your phone confiscated because you were disrupting the class and I wanted to learn.” There was a sense of pride in Rimi’s response.

“And the detention?”

“I’d been listening in on that trio for a while, I’d suspected they were up to no good. I did some snooping around and got my hands on of their phones. That pretty much sealed the deal for me to do something about it.”

“What was in it for you?” Silas asked.

“She wants to be a hero,” said Michael. He offered them both milkshakes but they both declined.

“The first teacher they picked on. The one they frightened so much they decided to quit their lifelong dream of being a teacher. He was my cousin. I couldn’t sit around and do nothing,” explained Rimi.

“This tech, how?” Silas asked.

“Made it myself.” Rimi clapped her gun.

“Michael?” Silas looked at the retired hero.

“What do you need me to explain Silas?”

“Tech based heroes.”

“Some heroes, villains, people, use tech. Some of it can be reproduced and used by the masses and some of it can’t. Its believed this tech, that can’t be made readily available, stuff that seems to defy logic or our current levels in technology, can only be made and used by the ones that created it. Almost like it’s their own power.”

“Like Sentinel?” Silas asked.

“Exactly, and for this young hero too.”

“What kind of name is Fizz, anyway? Jetstream sounds so much cooler, with your bubble beams.”

“Fizz kinda pops out to me. Its short and to the point. By the way, Mister Excelsior, sir, has anyone been notified about those three students? They seem like they could be really dangerous.”

“Just Michael is fine. And yes, I’ve already notified the people that need to know. They’ll come take them away before the police come, hopefully we can help guide them on the right path.”

“I hope so. They don’t seem to come from the best of homes,” said Rimi.

“More snooping?” Silas asked.

“A lot of people have Chatter. They’re lives at home come across as deeply troubled. It may be the reason they behave the way they do.”

“Does it matter? They’re the bad guys,” said Silas.

“Understanding people. Enemy, friend. Hero, villain. Where they come from and why they do what they do, is an extremely important thing. Its how we can get more people to join the cause of the greater good,” said Michael.

“What are you gonna do now Rimi?” Silas asked.

“I don’t know. What do you think Michael?”

“I want you to get into contact with Grim Stopper. She’ll help train you to where you want to go. I hear she’s also just taken on your friend Quincy.” Michael nodded to Silas, who turned a huge smile on his face.

“I’ve already contacted her; you can meet her here.” Michael handed Rimi a small note.

“Thanks Michael, Silas.” Rimi put her helmet back on and left the two of them.

“You’re telling me you had no idea of what she was capable of?” Silas eyed his mentor.

“What do you think?” Michael asked.

“You oversaw the whole thing just so you could get the chance to have her trained. And to help those other kids.”

“Is that so. Do you really think little old me is capable of doing something like that?”

“You are Excelsior.”

Silas stayed home for a few days before finally deciding to return to the treehouse. He hadn’t spoken to anyone from his team in a while and they were supposed to be getting a new teammate.