Brownie#2 needed to be handled quickly, before his brethren (Was Blondie his brother? I dunno. Well lets say he is, because I said so.) woke up.

Sin started the attack, hitting Brownie#2 several times on the gut, before Mask was up and pulling out her throwing dagger. As Brownie (since the other one is asleep, this one raises from #2 because its a hassle to think, ok?) raise hhis hand to smash Sin's head into the ground, Mask threw her knife, and it hit the arm with a sickening squelch. Brownie screamed, his hand on his wrist, glaring up at us. "What kinda heroes are you?! You might as well be villains." Sin aimed an uppercut at his jaw. "Shut up, wannabe villain."

I tapped my earpiece. "Hunter? One of them's still up, but you should start landing and stuff."

"Knock him out then."

I tapped the earpiece again. "Sin! Knock him out!" I shouted. Sin nodded, pulling his fist back and thwacking Brownie#2's skull so hard it actually snapped in the opposite direction, and then fell on the ground.

"And done."

Mask wiped her hands together, a hard day's work complete. "You got the data, yeah?" I asked. She nodded. "Of course." I smiled. "Great."

A large net billowed out over us, and I looked up and saw that Hunter was shouting something. I tapped my earpiece. "WHAT?!" I yelled, seeing him jump. "The hell?! I was telling you guys to grab the net from each side. Why would you tell in the earpiece?!" I shrugged. "Cuz." I tapped it again, having to shout over the plane's jet. "GRAB. THE. NET." Wire detected my voice, and hovered towards the net, grabbing a portion in her fist and bringing it down.

Wind was stinging my face, and I was glad I'd tied up my hair, as I watched Mask's flame-red hair picking up the wind as she ran, getting in her face and making her concentrate on getting it away from her eyes. I looked for the closest piece of net, my hands tensed and ready to grab. And then my eyes picked it out, watching as it got closer, and closer, and then my fingers curled into the fabric of the net, bringing it down with me. Mask had gotten hers secure, and so had Sin.

"It's secure."

Hunter unhooked the red wires that attached the net to the plane, tying them around himself, and then punching the side of the plane, as it began to land. He pushed off, and landed in a jumbled mess with the net. As the plane landed on advanced autopilot, Sim helped Hunter out of the suffocating net. "Now we have to get them all in here." I shook my head. "Hunter. We bring the net to them." He frowned. "The support cords won't reach the plane." I shrugged. "We can move the plane. Can't move them." He nodded uncertainly. "Okay. We'll try it." We began to move towards them, but Sin was being slower, causing Mask to slip, and I was faster, which meant Wire was practically flying behind me. Hunter was trying to find a pace to match ours, and was barking out orders for...well, order.

After several minutes of falling, we did make it to the unconscious Three Threat Trio Of Lame Names, with all of us glaring. "You couldn't move a 'lil' bit faster, Sin, could you?" Mask asked, obviously annoyed. "Oh, and Shift's gazelle running was so helpful?" He retorted. "I wasn't gazelle running! Right, Wire?" She looked away. "You kinda were."

Traitor.

"Calm down!" Hunter yelled. "Guys, we're a team. We can't be our own in these things anymore. Face it, we need each other. Shift, slow the hell down. Mask, relax. Sin, match everyone's speed. We're family now, whether we like it or not. Family sticks together. Got it?" His eyebrows were scrunched together, and his eyes glinted. We all nodded, murmuring halfhearted 'yes'es and 'yeah's.

"Now over these three." He ordered, pulling the top over us, over them. I scrambled out from the inside of the net, and began pulling my side over to it too.

But my mind kept jolting back towards the fight, that rush of adrenaline, release. It was amazing. It made me, in some corner of my mind, want to fight again. That wasn't very healthy. Or heroic. I liked the rush though, the feeling of power.

Wire had programmed a few little cups of medicinal tea for us all, and after the net trapping of the Three Threat Trio, and watching Hunter pant and sweat going up four flights of stairs to the roof, watching Wire hover up to him and give him the cord, Sin and I were sitting on the street curb, sipping the tea.

"So. What happened today, Sin?" He glanced over at me. "What?" He responded blankly, as though he had no idea what I was talking about. Maybe he didn't. "Sin, you're the Fighter. What happened?" He looked away. "That. Oh. Well, it was just a bit of a daze..." He said. Sin wouldn't meet my gaze. "I thought you were the fun one." I joked lightly, poking him with an elbow.

He smiled.

"I am." He said proudly. "Well then, Jokester, get your head in the game. We can't have that again, y'know." He nodded. "I know, I know." He said.
Sin stared at the unseeable horizon, instead watching the buildings and factories that reached far out. "First Mission jitters...that's all it was." He said softly. I nodded, setting my empty mug down next to me. "Okay."

I don't understand what people by comfortable silences. I think it's just an excuse awkward people make to convince themselves that silence is fine.

The silence wasn't comfortable. It was strange, and I didn't like it. I wanted to go back to the teasing and joking of the party, because that was who I was. But Sin looked serious. Right now probably wasn't a good time to tease.

I rested my arms on my knees, and then my chin on my arms. Two days ago, me, Jet, Delirium and Frost were being our snarky, sarcastic selves. It was comfortable. And I didn't know these people the way I knew my friends.

I didn't know their secrets.

A little voice in my head reminded me they didn't know mine either.

These were four strangers. Sure, kind strangers, who usually had good senses of humour, but they had no reason to trust me. We'd only known one another for one day, at most.

I sighed.

This was my Squad.

And I was going to make sure we were one of the legacies of Squads. One of the legendary ones, whispered about by awestruck twelve-year-olds just joining, by sarcastic teens and then, by determined seniors. They would remember this Squad.

I'd make sure of it.

I just didn't know how.

"Hey!" Hunter was running back. "Come on. It's done." At this point, I was pretty much ready to fall into Wire's arms and let her fly-I mean hover me up. But I couldn't. So yet again, for the frustratingly third time, I jogged up the stairs, my just rejuvenated legs feeling tired and probably wanting to resign from the duty of being my legs. I mean, they didn't even get paid vacation or benefits. Just labour.

I climbed into the plane and fell into my seat gratefully, my head resting against the cushion tied up against the seat. I breathed in and out heavily, realizing the exertion my body was feeling as the adrenaline rush began to vanish. My jaw still ached a bit. Even after the tea, too.

I stayed like that for a few hours, not hurt or anything.

Just plain tired.

When I moved again, it was monumental.

I'd thought of something. "Hunter? What do we do when we get back?" He was flying the plane, but a quick switch to autopilot had been made a while ago and he was just chilling in the cockpit. "Instructions are to report back to the Staff, and to hand over any data. That's it." I nodded. Mask was playing with the USB on her hands as we flew.

I waited for a few moments, before deciding to take the honest route.

I slumped. "Guys? I'm bored." Wire let out a breath. "Thank God someone said it." She muttered in relief. I blinked. "What?" Mask looked up. "Just concentrate on your own stuff. Read a book or something." She said tonelessly. "There are no books." I retorted. "Write one." She said, shrugging. I threw my hands up in the air, exasperated. "Mask! How are you not waiting to get of this plane?" She didn't spare me a glance.

"Self-control."

"How?" I asked, cross-legged, leaning forwards and staring at her expectantly. She looked over and smiled, rolling her eyes.

"By thinking my own thoughts! It's a nice prospect." She said brightly. I scrunched my eyebrows, puzzled. "What do you mean?" I asked. Mask turned the USB over in her hand. "It's a game. You have to think up of a thought, influenced by no outside source but your own."

"That's a sucky game." Sin observed.

Mask scowled. "Try playing it, champ."

He grinned. "Is that a challenge? Oh Mask, you know I can't back down now."

Wire looked up. "I'm going to play!" She said brightly.

Hunter poke his head out. "Me too."

Mask looked smug. " 'Kay." I watched her as he straightened up a bit. "I'll go first. Just remember, any thought, no outside influence except your own."

I nodded.

"Um...oh! You know how people are supposed to be afraid of the dark?" I shot my arm out. "If I'm correct, that is an outside influence!" Mask stuck her tongue out at me.

"You're an outside influence."

"..."

"..."

"Meanie."

"Horrible Insulter."

"Aren't you supposed to be the nice one?!"

"..."

"..."

"No."

Wire bit her lip, holding back a smile. "You two argue like sisters." She said, before magically pulling out a magazine (okay so maybe she'd been sitting on it). Sin shrugged. "I think they argue like kids." Mask and I exchanged a glance, our argument forgotten. "Oh, grandpa Sin, don't you know? We. Are. Kids."

He shook his head, smiling exasperatedly. Hunter, of course, had to add some input.

"I think you mean they fight like five year olds."

"No one asked you Hunter." I shot at him, sticking my tongue out at him. "Yeah. No unnecessary opinions allowed." Mask said. Hunter shook his head. "You wound me with your words as...as...as a shark wounds a seal." He said dramatically after several pauses to think.

We were all quiet.

"That's actually so mean." Wire whispered. "Bad Hunter. Animal cruelty? I thought you were supposed to be a hero, mister." He sounded embarrassed. "I-I am! It was the first thing I could think of!"

I wagged a finger at Sin. "See, if you did that, you'd be gone already, because my little animal friends would eat you in your sleep as avengers." I explained sweetly. "Be happy you're our Leader, Hunter!" Sin raised his eyebrows. "What are you? Snow White?" I shrugged. "Maybe I am. Ooh, my mom died early on and we were really rich and then my dad fell in love again but he was obviously blind because that chick was mean and then I came here and began to fall asleep at the sound of apples. Also I only have four dwarves." I rambled. Sin blinked.

"I'm taller than you."

"Not in my imagination you're not."

"..."

"Heh."

"...Shut up."

I let out a laugh, couldn't hold it back. Sin looked adorable when he was defeated.

Wait, was that sadistic?

Oops.

I shook away those thoughts.

"Well, if you're Snow White, I get to be Robin Hood." Sin said with a smug smile. "Really? I thought that'd be Hunter." Hunter's beanie was visible over the pilot seat. "Psh. Shift, I'm Prince Charming, the playah of fairy tales. I'm probably the richest, handsomest guy out there." Sin nodded.

"Besides, a thief but for the good. Robin Hood was like the first superhero. Before all these powers and gimmicks. Real, true superhero."

I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say. He looked sincerely deep in thought. "Gimmicks?" I blurted out the first thing that came to mind and tried to play it off. He didn't seem to notice though.

Shift, chill. Since when have you been this way. You is the socialite. The socialite is you. How else is Frost your friend?

Sin answered.

"Yeah. Exceptionals? There was a time when all these powers were exceptions. I don't like being trained to be a superhero." He said. Mask tilted her head. "You're better prepped. It's not like the movies, right? No one has a thousand pou- billion dollars and wants to spend it on humanity. If we're not trained, who saves them?" She asked. I found myself nodding slowly.

Mask had a point.

Maybe she was really was smart.

Hm.

Nah.

"Still, why are we categorized? Who can name a superhero, define what one is? Ten Teams on Assigning Day, and only Four chosen. Like they were throwing it at our face. You'll never be able to be in the other six teams. You're not those superheroes. Before all this, this individualizing, people were all together. They had to earn their individuality."

"Damn." I said.
It felt appropriate. What else could I do after a speech like that?

"You sound like Bookworm." Mask said, although her tone wasn't really offensive, kinda just observatory. "Maybe she's got a point. Her Alias is IQ." Sin answered. Mask nodded. "Okay, okay. Relax. I agree with you though. I think we should get to earn it, all that individualizing stuff you were talking about."

"It does make sense. But there's too much of a system to get past it now. Today, we fought, right?" I started speaking, words coming to my mind. I was dead sure I'd slip up somewhere and mess it up. I wanted to lock my jaw shut. But the words kept coming. "It's controlled. Training. And now we're in it. There's no point in looking back. It's more important to look ahead. Even more important than that, is to look here." I waved my hands around.

"We're sitting in a plane, laughing and talking, and acting like Squadmates. No, like friends. And, maybe I'm a cheeseball, but can you seriously tell me I'm wrong?"

Mask was silent. I looked around uncertainly. Someone had to agree, right?

My theory was either completely right or complete whack.

It wasn't very reassuring.

"That's not always something we can do." Sin said quietly. "But yeah, I guess you're right." Hunter turned back. "Listen, guys I can see the landing stripes!" I felt a jolt of excitement.

"Fina-fucking-ly."

"Mask! Swearing isn't cool." Wire scolded, throwing her magazine at Mask. She had surprisingly good aim. But Mask ducked.

Sadly.

What?

Heroes were allowed to laugh at their friends.

Shut up, overly attached conscience.

"Oh. Shit, my bad."

Wire rolled her eyes and looked around for something else to throw but I was stretching. "Great! We're landing!" Hunter nodded. "Autopilot landing. Same as with the TTT's lair."

They sounded like a gang, the TTT.
The Triple T's.
The Threat Trio Three.

They were so bad at names it hurt me.

"I watched as the gleaming white Academy's beautiful walls and buildings came into view. Since there were so many transfers, apparently the Principal wanted to give everyone a piece of home.

Or maybe she just wanted an excuse to live pretty.

Either way, the AIAA was a mix of Morrocan-style turrets, the linings carefully painted in colourful designs that I couldn't see so far up, Asian-styled domes, beautiful Chinese doors made of metal net for doors. (Don't ask about it. It got me a lecture about chemistry.) There was something for everyone, and renovations were constantly made. It was always becoming better and better.

Apparently.

It was still gorgeous to think of as a home, and I felt happy to be back. Right now, I was ready to reach my bed and sleep for a quick nap.

A few centuries isn't that long.

Totally.

*****

I blinked rapidly.

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked keeping his cool when really we should be busting our new moves out on Mr. Kernel. Of course, he'd probably beat is and send us to detention for the next few months, but still.

Mr. Kernel ran his hand through his (receding) hair. "You hand over the data we asked you to collect. Plain and simple." Sin was frowning. "We did all that and we don't get to look at it? That sounds like bull."
Mr. Kernel's mouth tightened. "Hand over the data." Mask slammed a hand down on the table, making us jump. "Do you realize how we almost died getting this data of yours?" Her voice sounded angry. "We realized the outcomes, yes." Mr. Kernel replied solemnly. "We deserve to see what it was we fought for." Mask persisted. "Heroes, actual, graduated and working heroes are on it. It's not a job for kids."

That got me mad.

"Then I guess you're training us as henchmen not heroes. Mutant minions." Mask's voice was cold.

"Give me the data, Mask. Now." Mr. Kernel said calmly, but authority was clear in his to e and his brown eyes were staring at Mask, as though challenging her to oppose it and see what happened.

Mask fished it out of her pocket, and threw it at Mr. Kernel. Not very gently either.

Mr. Kernel caught it and put it in his desk, then waving a dismissive hand. "You're free to go now, fourth-years."

I dragged Mask with one hand, but it was Wire who stormed ahead of us all.

That was surprising.

But, as I was starting to figure out, this while superhero gig was full of surprises.

Which meant you shouldn't be able to be surprised.