Eyes widening in horror, Astrid felt the world fade around her. Air seemed to be sucked from her lungs and she could hear the blood thudding in her ears. Black spots blocked her vision and she felt herself stumble backwards in shock. Biting down on her lip, she forced herself to get through the next five minutes so that she didn't appear weak in front of the entire school. Fiddling with her sleeve, her mouth filled with a metallic taste when she saw someone move onto the stage next to her.

Staring straight ahead, not looking at anyone in the crowd, she felt her stomach churn. Multiple pairs of eyes were trained on her face in an attempt to decipher the emotions brewing within her – they all knew what had happened between her and Lash but she ignored them. Looking at them and the pity/concern/shock on their own faces would only break her resolve. She thought she'd never have to see him again. All thought of him had been erased from her head because she had believed he was locked up in Solitary.

He was her Hero. If they graduated with top marks, they might potentially have to work together for the next god-knows-how-many years.

The Hero-turned-Villain took his place on the right hand side of the Stronghold girl. His arms were clad in their usual black and white stripes but so was Astrid's. To the crowd, they looked like the perfect pair.

Wishing she could tear the shirt from her arms, Astrid regretted her choice of clothing that day. Just as they had done for the previous pairs, the crowd clapped as the pair walked off the stage to join the rest of their classmates. Turning to look at his Hero Support for the first time in over six months, Lash was dismayed – but not surprised – to see that she had disappeared.

Weaving in and out of the crowd, the invisible girl sprinted into the nearest girl's bathroom before emptying the contents of her stomach into the nearest toilet.

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"You're going to have to face him at some point." Natalia reasoned, talking to the toilet stall door instead of the face of her best friend.

Pairing had been finished for over an hour and the parents had just gone home after spending some time with their children and their new partners. Once she had been able to escape her mother and father, the small brunette had immediately begun searching for her best friend. It hadn't taken long because these were the nicest girl's toilets in the school so were instantly the best place to hide in.

When she had heard the door to the toilets opening, Astrid had locked herself inside the stall and even though she knew it was Natalia, she still refused to leave.

"No I don't. I could drop out." Astrid said.

"Would you really do that though? Would you let him win?" Natalia responded, knowing that her best friend's stubborn side would never allow a boy to do this to her.

"No," whispered Astrid in defeat. "How am I meant to work with him? How could I face him after what he did? I mean, why did the school think placing me with a Villain would ever be a good idea?"

"You'll face him in exactly the same way you've done in the past. He's bullied you relentlessly for years. You used to be terrified of him but something in you changed last year and you stood up to him. You challenged him and you showed him that you weren't afraid so he left you alone. You're going to do that again." Natalia reassured. "You're going to go out there with your head held high and show him that you couldn't give a rats ass that he's back."

"Why'd they let him back? I had finally forgotten about him."

Resting her head against the door, Natalia hated how broken her best friend sounded. Wishing she could smash Lash Livingston in the face with a break, the telepath could also understand why the school had paired him with Astrid. Forcing Astrid to work with a Villain was a cruel thing to do but if there was anyone who could keep him in line, it was her.

"Look, he may be your Hero this year but that doesn't mean he will ever be your friend, and you can always get a replacement afterwards. You just need to focus on getting through this year. Also, you have to come out, I got my sweater from my locker because I figured you'd want to change your top."

Astrid didn't respond but the stall lock was pulled back and the blonde stood there sheepishly. Puffy eyes and red nose were an indication of tears but the lack of tear tracks down her cheeks showed that she hadn't actually shed any tears. Throwing herself at her best friend, Astrid squeezed her best friend tightly.

"What would I do without you?"

"Crash and burn, baby. Crash and burn."

"Oh!" Astrid exclaimed, head stuck in her shirt. "I've been so selfish and I haven't asked who you were paired with."

"Let's just say that you won't be dealing with Lash single-handedly."

"You got Speed?!"

However, it made sense as they both ran a little faster than average. Giving her best friend a grim nod, the pair of Sidekicks realised their Senior Year was already not going to plan. As the bell signalled the end of third period, both of them put on a brave face, reassured each other that they would get through this and stepped out to face their enemies.

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Banging her head gently on the table, Astrid's irritation levels were increasing rapidly as the Sophomore Sidekicks refused to stop questioning Astrid about her feelings towards her pairing.

"Would you just shut up?" Astrid snapped, voice raising with frustration.

Glancing down at their lunch awkwardly, the only sound at their table was the quiet small talk made every now and again. None of them attempted to speak to Astrid again. Giving her friend's arm a reassuring squeeze, Natalia's grip went slack as the lively chatter of the lunch hall ceased.

Shuffling into the hall, the three 'reformed' Villains ignored the stares that followed them to a table in the corner. Keeping their heads down as they ate, not a single one of them spoke to the other – their arrogant personalities from Junior Year gone. Every student, bar one, continued glancing at them unsure as to how they should react to their presence. Even though he knew it would be a bad idea, Lash couldn't help himself and cast his eyes in the direction of the blonde he had spotted earlier. Meeting the harsh glares of the Sophomores and two Seniors, Lash quickly averted his gaze, feeling worse when Astrid hadn't even bothered to lift her head to look at him.

Warren threw a comforting arm around his classmate, whispering something in her ear that had him giggling. Lash burned with jealousy when Warren smirked at him.

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Fourth and fifth period had been tense for everyone unlucky enough to be in a Senior class. Students who entered those classes to deliver a note to the teacher left feeling cold and uncomfortable. Pupils attempting to learn felt themselves getting easily distracted and it felt as if the air was stuffy despite all the windows being opened.

Forced to share a desk, Lash and Astrid didn't speak to each other, they didn't look each other and they didn't work together. Shuffling her chair over, Astrid sat as far away from him as the desk would allow. Ensuring to keep a close eye on the pair, the teacher attempted to continue his lesson but everyone kept acting as if they were a bomb about to explode.

Once the bell rang, Astrid jumped out of her seat and was the first to flee from the class. Exhaling deeply, the class felt relieved that they had managed to survive the lesson without someone being murdered. Whilst Lash was the only Villain in the duo, the Seniors were as equally on-edge around Astrid, fearing what her anger could lead to.

Disappointed in himself, Lash was unsure why he felt a little shocked that she had fled to quickly from him.

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By the time she returned home, Astrid was distraught and enraged. Sat in her usual spot on the bus, she had just put her earbuds in when Lash had boarded. The stretchy Hero didn't even spare her a glance as he walked straight to the back. Now he was ignoring her?

Telling herself that she didn't care, she had stormed off the bus when it landed at her stop and sped down the path towards her home. Despite his legs being much longer than hers (even in normal form), Lash had forced himself to remain a few paces behind Astrid the entire time. Almost as if he had been the one hurt that Homecoming night, Lash was hiding from having to face her. Both of them knew they would have to talk before the end of the week due to their pairing, neither of them had the strength to bridge the distance between them first.

Slamming her door shut in annoyance, the teenage girl was hell bent on locking herself in her bedroom for the entire night. Instantly, she regretted her decision to not sleep at her Aunt and Uncle's house when her mother decided to intercept her on her way to the stairs.

"How was my little girl's last first day of high school?" Allison greeted, glass of wine already in hand.

Not that Astrid would've been surprised to know but it was actually Allison's fifth glass since she had returned from lunch with her friend.

"You would know if you had bothered to show up for my showcase." Astrid growled, not meaning to be intentionally cruel but her anger was clouding her judgement.

For once, she was sick of being the calm and caring girl that people walked all over.

"Honey, you know why I couldn't go-."

"Right, yeah, of course. You couldn't go because you were too busy going out and getting drunk at lunch yet again. You took the day off work specifically to come and see me but then you didn't bother showing up and instead went out for lunch. Wonderful."

"Astrid Stronghold, you watch your tone. I really did try to come but you know how much it still hurts to be around things that remind me of your father and how he died."

"You mean things like me, right? You didn't show up because it hurts you to be around me! To have to acknowledge who – no, what I am! Am I wrong, Mother?" Astrid screamed. "You really want to know how my first day of Senior year? You want to pretend as if you care then fine! It went spectacularly! I finally found the courage to showcase my true powers and stop letting dad's death hold me back only to end up paired with Lash – the guy who broke my heart and almost got most of the school turned into babies last year! He's been at a Reform school for the past few months because he's a Villain! I spent the first half of my day locked in the toilets reliving dad's death and I spent the second half of the day with the man who used me! So, yeah, my day was great. Especially when I come home to find out that my mother missed my big day to drown herself in cheap wine!!"

"You know I never meant to hurt you. You're my little girl. You're the only good thing I have left."

"No, I'm the only thing you have left of him and you can't even stand to look at me." Astrid said, voice and face devoid of emotion. "I loved him too, Mom. That was my father who died. I needed you after he died and all you did was remind me that I was too weak to save him."

"Astrid, please, I'm sorry. I promise to clean myself up. I'll stop drinking and, and I'll be your mom again." Allison sobbed, pouring her wine into the nearest plant pot. "See, I can do this. I'll do it for you."

"You always say that but it doesn't mean anything to me anymore. Now if you'll excuse me I've got homework to do. Don't bother me."

Turning on her heel, she stalked up the stairs to her room. Throwing her bag on the chair, Astrid glanced down at the happy photo of her family that sat on her desk. Allison and Samuel's happy faces beamed down at seven-year-old Astrid. It had been taken the day she had first displayed her powers. Astrid remembered it as if it had only happened yesterday. Allison had been so proud of her daughter that Astrid had been allowed cake for dinner. It was a sharp contrast to her viewpoint now.

Picking up the frame, Astrid ran a finger across her father's face before launching the photo at the wall with an agonising scream. Downstairs, Allison flinched at the sound as she took a sip from the bottle of wine sat on the worktop.

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Telling himself it was wrong and invasive, Lash also argued that it wasn't his fault if the living room window had been left open. Yelling poured out of the window and Lash recognised the furious voice that belonged to his Hero Support. Listening to the argument, he knew that Astrid would be mortified if she knew he had heard the things he said but he found himself unable to make his legs work. He knew he had hurt it by betraying her, he knew he had messed around with her feelings but he had never made the link between his actions and what had happened to her father.

Samuel's Sidekick had been a prominent member of the Stronghold family – he attended birthday parties, he had been there for multiple family dinners and he had been there for every celebration of Astrid's achievements. Just like she had done with Lash, she had allowed Samuel's Sidekick into her heart and just like Lash, he had betrayed her. As a result, she had lost her father and emotionally her mother. Once the yells had stopped, he practically sprinted into his house, grateful that his parents hadn't yet returned.

Worried that his Sidekick was injured or in danger, he had rushed to his bedroom window and practically ripped it open when he heard the scream. Watching as Astrid launched various breakables at her bedroom walls, he knew he should've turned away but when she vanished from his sight, he hesitated and waited to see if she would return. The Hero felt his heart clench when the screams soon turned to sobs.