Some Say Six We Say Mix


It felt like we were reuniting after six years away from each other.

Not six days.

Jet and Delirium showed up first. Well, after me. The Squad rooms were so gloomy and angry and tension-filled right now, I just needed a break for a bit.

They were holding hands, and Deli had this huge smile on her face that made me really happy. I was glad that they were good. I'd been shipping Jeli for way too long. And their cuteness was going to make other not-so-cute couples jelly.

Haha.

See what I did there?

G-get it? Jeli, and jelly and oh never mind.

Frost showed up a minute later, walking very fast, heels clicking rapidly against the ground, and wobbling bags in her hands. I grabbed a few from her out of pity, but when I smelt the heavenly smell coming from within I knew I was being rewarded by the heavens for helping Frost out.

We all stared at each other, waiting for Mason to show up. Waiting for Jans.

A few minutes of stony silence slipped by.

"Jet?" I called. He cocked his head to the side, heavy purple bags of sleep deprivation under his eyes. Damn. That didn't seem like a good sign. "Where's Jans?" He looked away. Delirium sighed softly. Frost looked at us.

I looked at the ground.

"I-I don't know." Jet answered hoarsely. We all sort of paused in that moment.

I'm not sure how.

But we did.

It was like we were all trying to snatch the same puzzle pieces, unable to understand, until we finally did.

Jans and Mason weren't coming.

"Frostbite? Something's up. This, this, this can't be a prank. Jans, well, he's not that mean. And Mason wouldn't do something like that." I said quickly. My gaze didn't shift from the tiled stone bleachers we were sitting on. "Where can over 100 kids just disappear in a few seconds? Without anyone seeing?" Jet asked, exasperated. "They're not fucking Doctor Who. Whoever they are."

"Unless they are."

I looked up at Delirium. "Time-control? No, no that's way too powerful. If someone out there had a power like tha-" I didn't get to finish. "They'd be kept secret and locked up and all? Sounds like a villain to me." She finished. I gaped.

Villains.

No.

These sort of things were movie lines, cheesy and underrated. They didn't happen in real life. Villains weren't torn up on our destruction. We were torn up on theirs. They were the bad guys, and they knew it.

Then again, not every angel has wings...

And, not every demon has horns...

But some do.

I felt scared. Not a frozen I-spotted-a-disgustingly-huge-spider fear. More like that paranoid dread that sets in your stomach. I felt like someone was watching us, felt certain of it. Not like in the dark. But seriously, it was creepy.

"That's one guess. But there's no proof. All we know for sure, is they're missing, and we have to find them." Frost said calmly, playing with a strand of ice-blue hair. She looked up as we all collectively stared at her. "We are going to find them, right?"

I was doubtful.

"Can we pull off something like that?" I felt like a first-year, a scared little twelve year old, nervous and trying to figure out the mechanics of the AIAA's world to work it my way and failing. "I dunno 'bout you, but I kicked some serious ass last week." Jet said, looking determined. I scoffed, trying to play down the fear. "Bro, please. I beat up the TTT." He shot his eyes up. "What even is that though?" Jet asked suspiciously. "A gang. And now they're all gone. You're welcome."

He didn't need to know the TTT only had three members.

Or that I only beat one of them.

A girl is allowed her secrets, okay?

Good.

"How?"

Frostbite shrugged. "The people in my Squad are pretty smart. The more minds at work, the sooner Mason and Jans will be back." Deli nodded. "Yeah, but the easier it is to get caught." Frost smirked. "I think I may have a way to solve that. Don't worry."

We spent a few hours brainstorming a plan, on how to get our Squads to all meet. Three Squads. Fifteen hormonal, jackass, kids who were too powerful for their own good with an important secret.

I was really worried.

But I believed in AIAA. Not Mr. Fahlyun. Probably not Mr. Kernel either. I hadn't seen Ms. Hook since last year, but she was away on a Mission, thus confirming we would have no help from the Staff.

At least, that they'd know of.

So we spent our little three hour reunion munching on pasta and lettuce (that was Frost's take in salad. Never again) and fixing the plan that was slowly forming. It reminded me of old times, planning a prank with these guys.

And like the good old days, Delirium was being the conscience stopping us when we went too far.

"No, Jet, we aren't dressing like skimpy ninjas to sneak in anywhere!"

Frost was making sure anything I missed, she didn't.

"Shift, man! The measurements of the height of the building?! What if we can't get in?"

Jet and me, the ever-joking lighteners of the mood.

"You totally just want to see some butt. Like, I know I have a nice butt, but it's okay. If you ask nicely, maybe I will bless you with good buttdom."

"Jet, my butt is way nicer than yours."

It felt like home.

Maybe it was because this home, was the only home if known. And I hadn't realized I'd missed my friends so much since the business of Squad life took ahold of me. But Jans and Mason's absence was clear, like a large gaping, bleeding wound. No gentle but stern scoldings from Mason. None of Jans' hoity-toity worrying that actually usually helped us with prep.

They weren't there.

But we joked and laughed and planned. We tried to fill the wound, bandage it temporarily with the promise of an end, while not knowing whether we were lying or not.

"Hey, Jacob Mitchell is your full name, Jet?" I asked through a hysterical fit of laughter. He snatched the student list from my hands. "You knew that!" I had to catch a few breaths. "Yeah... but I forgot how hilarious it is." Delirium sniffed. "I think it's honourable." She said quietly, monotone. I straightened. "Urgh, no. Delirium! You can't not be you! You've changed. You're...in love." She blushed, and it made her pale skin red. Jet was staring away and pretending he couldn't hear us, although he was sitting right next to us.

Stupid.

"I'm dating him." She replied. I nodded. "I know. Laws of attraction, Deli, they don't lie!"

I felt freer here. I didn't have to be the smarty one. I wasn't the Squad 1 Deviser. I wasn't the smarter henchman. I was just me. Shift. Shift who would tease #Jeli until the end of the world, yes. Shift who would poke fun and tease and forget.

Not the Shift who would analyze everything. Not the Shift who'd have to work so hard to make jokes, and even then it didn't feel like it did here. It felt like I was trying too hard, to be someone I wasn't.

I didn't like it.

Here, with Jet's sarcastic humour, Frost's scolding, Delirium's gentle mediating, I was at home.

"We were all waiting for Jeli though. So I mean..." Frostbite added, as she looked over the scribbled writing all over the poor piece of paper we'd written on. "I think it's good, guys."

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep

"Crap, I have to go." Jet pushed a button on a plastic black watch -- when did Jet start caring about the time? -- and looked up. "It's an obligatory Leader meeting sorta thing...sorry." He said, running his hand through his hair and grabbing his bag. "Bye." He said, getting up, about to leave before leaning down and quickly pecking Delirium on the cheek.

Leader's meeting.

Hunter would be there too.

I grabbed Deli's arm, making her look up from her book, her straight hair a wall of black silliness. "How is with all of the stuff with his dad?" I didn't know how else to put it. She studied me for a second, red eyes sharp as ruby stone. "Yeah. Well, it's more that all of the sudden Leader stuff is so overwhelming...it's keeping his mind off of it. But he's constantly checking with the Staff, about Jans."

"Really? What do they say?" Frost asked, leaning into the conversation.

"Just that he is being looked for, and that Jet shouldn't try to find him, that it'll make more of a mess. Really just to let the trained heroes help." I nodded. "They said something like that after my Mission." I didn't say anything else. Revealing Squad information was treason.

Frostbite nodded. "Guys, we should get going too." I sighed at the thought. Next meeting, would probably be a while from now.

Back to the mopey Squad rooms you go, Shift.

But there were a few new things on my schedule. Now that I wasn't individually training, once a week the entire Squad was obligated to train together in the Courtyard. The Courtyard was huge. The school opened into it, and its buildings surrounded the rectangular area. There was a forest.

A freaking forest.

There was a collection of benches and the stone bleachers we were sitting on right now as well. But it came in handy for real world training.

Then, I had to get to History.

An amazing schedule.

Classes on a Saturday.

Joy.

No longer than an hour later, I was leaning against the wall of the Courtyard, waiting for the others. The first to show up was Wire. I looked up and nodded a greeting. She nodded back. "Chipper today?" I smiled at that, watching the wind ruffle the leaves on the ground.

"Yeah. I got to see my friends again. It was pretty refreshing."

"Cool! I'd talk to IQ, but she's been pretty busy lately, and Algae's busy, busy, busy."

I glanced over at her. I couldn't see how she was robotic. Maybe that was good. "IQ? Is she okay, after the whole Mr. Fahlyun thing?" She nodded automatically. "She hides things like that alot. But, she's okay. Her little cousin Kelsey has disappeared too. They're pretty close, since no other siblings or cousins brings two people to become friends." I studied Wire's face, listening. I watched her smile falter once. "She's just stressed right now. That's all."

"For what's its worth, she's right." I said, tilting my head and letting it rest against the bricks of the wall. "Yeah. Yeah, she is." Wire said quietly. I closed my eyes. The Courtyard was almost always full of students, training, chatting, eating or whatever they wanted to do. The tranquility of the past few minutes and now, was precious.

"Have you ever wondered about our system? I mean, like, ever really thought about it?" I asked, not opening my eyes. "I don't know what you mean." Was Wire's reply. "I mean, superheroes were super because there were a few of them, right? The best of the best. But now, the world's swarming with us. Students from this place who have convinced themselves they'll be heroes. Superheroes don't purposely train like we do. They're supposed to fall into their role, to grow after receiving it. We're supposed to grow before. It just...it seems artificial. Like we're robots, sort of. Superhero robots."

"Nothing more than a shady photocopy of the real thing, is what I mean. Doesn't that ever bother you?" I asked. "Not really." Her voice was small. I was confused for a moment, but then I remembered. Robot. Wire. "Sorry. I didn't mean any offence by that." I opened my eyes, looking at her worriedly.Wire was sweet, and I really didn't want to be the Evil Queen right now. That would suck. She smiled weakly, her pale fists curled up and clenched. She stared at the ground. 'It's fine. I know." I sighed. "God, I've got such a big mouth, really, I'm sorry." She looked up. "It's okay! But I get what you mean with all that. It hits me sometimes, and I get mad. Like Mr. Kernel." I smiled. "Henchmen, not heroes." I remembered.

"Maybe, maybe we have to become greater than those superheroes of before? Stand out. The best of the best, to the extremes." She mused. I thought about her words. Best of the best. Earning it. "Yeah." I said, nodding decidedly. "Best of the best."

"So." A voice began.

And then I turned, alarmed, and raised my fist, my other arm heading towards the Stag, hidden under the waistband of my jeans. But whoever was speaking caught my wrists. "Woah, woah, Shift! What's with you and misunderstanding me and my jokes?" Sin's expression was a moisture of amusement and annoyance, his lips twitching up but his eyes narrowed. I lowered my arms. "I'm jumpy. Besides," I smacked his arm. "Who does that?!" Sin blinked blankly, and scratched his elbow. "Me?"

This guy, honestly.

Wire pointed Hunter out. "Here's our Leader." He was wearing a grey hoodie, a dark blue beanie with the title ' K I N G ' emblazoned across the front in white letters, and black jeans. Navy blue headphones were around his neck, and the cord went into the joint pocket of the hoodie.

"Hey." Hunter said.

" 'Ullo." Wire said, scanning all the gates nearby for any sign of Mask. "Where's our Camarade?" She asked after a bit. "Probably running late." I said, shrugging. I was itching to get started, to get working, so that eventually I could inform the rest of the Squad about the plan. I couldn't wait for their expressions to lift up, the gloomy and awkward atmosphere to dissipate, and then to kick some ass.

Thinking about the Staff made me feel trapped. Like a bird in an invisible cage. When it was suitable, I was allowed to fly. I felt like I wasn't trapped, until my wings flapped too hard, too fast, and I hit the cage's side and sank back down, weak, angry and lied to.

A vicious cycle.

A vicious circle that was AIAA.

The circle that seemed to be life here.

As we all stood around and waited, Hunter pulled his headphones over his ears, being careful not to mess up his 'fro. Wire began typing on her phone. Sin was just as lost in his head as I was in mine.

I thought about it.

Until a week ago, this tension surrounding AIAA hadn't existed. I was sure of it. The Staff was jumpy, sly, and untrusting. They hand had to be those things the past three years before now. I'd attended or seen Squads reports back before, and it was always something simple. Getting back a few old ladies' purses, saving a few kittens from tall trees, stuff like that. But now, very first Mission and bam, we go out and fight three bulky opponents. Definitely different. Plus, Alias-less students, apparently from every year, had gone missing but the Staff made sure to keep it hush-hush.

Something was wrong.

"So..." Sin's voice made me look up. "Yeah?" I asked. Sin had his bushy eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. "Where is she?" He asked, looking around. "I dunno." I answered. "Great. First training session and the one who's supposed to keep the group together is late." He grumbled. I raised my eyebrows at him. "It's not that big a deal, chill Sin." His lips tightened together. "I'm so tired of chilling, Shift." And he sounded tired. I didn't understand. Yet again, my mind wandered to the way we'd met. He'd been such an easygoing person, free of stress and all laughs. Now, he just seemed stressed.

Maybe it was his professional side. The side reserved for his Squad. If it was, I felt a pang of regret. The happy Sin seemed like a better guy for company. This Sin...he just seemed haunted.

"Listen, Sin. You never mentioned what your powers are. Everyone else did. I need to know." His eyes shut. He looked older, a lot older than a sixteen-year-old boy should look. "You'd hate me, or at least be disgusted, revolted, and finally want nothing to do with me." He said, counting them off on his fingers. "Sin. I'm the Deviser. Besides, your a Squad member. There's no way for me to avoid it, because we're all stuck together now. And anyways, whatever your powers may be, you're at AIAA, training to do good. That's good enough for me." I said, biting on my cheek slightly. I hadn't wanted to push anything.

Sin nodded. He ran a hand through his curly black hair, before answering. "Okay. My power, it's that I drive people to commit their worst sins. Whatever they are, I make them. Or, I see their worst moment of their lives, and I haunt them about it. The words come to me, and it usually kills them." He said. "Shift, Im basically Satan. You know that now. So why would you not be horrified?" His voice quavered. I opened my mouth to answer, but I didn't know. I didn't know why I wasn't horrified and revolted, why Sin's powers didn't revolt me, but I knew that they didn't. Whatever reason for that, I couldn't figure out.

"I don't know." I said a free a few minutes of pure silence.

I stared at his eyes, brown but hitting the sunlight just a bit, making him squint and making a few specks of brown lighten. Like sand. He stared back.

"I don't know, and it's okay." I said, again, swallowing and clearing my throat. He stared at me. I blinked. "Uh...Sin?" He shook his head. "Where're the...the accusations, and the screaming and all the fighting?" He sounded genuinely confused, his expression flabbergasted. I grinned. "I'm not sure if you haven't noticed by now, but you're not the only Hero-to-Be with powers that base off of mental torture." He scrunched his eyebrows together. "I'm not?" I shook my head. "You're not."

I watched as Sin's lips twitched upwards. He was starting to get it now. Good. He grinned too, a dimple appearing. "It's not just me." I nodded slowly, grabbing his hands for emphasis and looking at him. "That's right, Self-Proclaimed Satan." I said slowly as though I were talking to a child.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, so maybe the Satan thing was a bit of an...overreaction." He reluctantly admitted. I laughed an he laughed too, and it was lighter, lighter than it had been since we started our fight against the TTT.

I opened my eyes and realized how close I was to his ace. I could see a little freckle on his cheek. I looked down at our intertwined hands and dropped them. "Uh...sorry." I mumbled, focusing on hunter bopping his head to music. "No problem." Sin's voice was higher than usual at the end, and I figured he'd felt that awkward moment too.

Weird.

I focused on something else. There was no time for this...whatever it was. None at all. I scanned the Courtyard looking for the ever-absent Mask. No sign.

"Guys? Is Mask even coming?" Hunter finally said, his tone frustrated as he pulled the headphones down to his neck. I shrugged. "Aren't you the one who's supposed to keep track of stuff like that?" He sighed. "I can't be the only one working in this Squad!"
He cried out.

We stared at him.

"Hunter, for real?" Wire muttered under her breath.
We all exchanged the sadness we were emanating now and sarcastic eye-rolls were directed at Hunter, who fumed silently with his eyes closed, looking like he was about to explode.

A normal day at AIAA of course.

---

Send me your banners and book covers by emailing [email protected] to have them featured in the book!

Btw, what Hero team would you and your Squad be of from the remaining four?

What would your Squd life be like?

And finally, what would be your Role?

Be sure to let me know, yeah?

xxSh4rds

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