Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Your dad acts funny around me, let he expects me to pull a knife and shank the nearest kindergartner.” Warren leaned back in the library seat; closing the mammoth book he’d been taking notes for class out of.

Will shrugged, looking to the others for help.

“You do look almost exactly like your dad, at lest the high school photos of him. It was a big fight, give him time.” Layla offered softly. It was almost summer, and Warren didn’t light up at the mention of his father anymore, but it still wasn’t to the point that he was joking about it.

Magenta snorted, “My parents didn’t believe you were alive.” She shut her book as the bell rang.

The whole group paused in various staged of getting up and pushing in chairs, and turned.

Magenta blinked, “One of the crimes Barron Battle was charged with was the murder of his family, wife and son, didn’t you know?”

Warren blinked, “But…I’m not dead?”

“Way to go Sherlock, when’d you figure that out?” Magenta rolled her eyes. “For the record your body was never found.” She lead the way out the door to the buses. “Ask who ever you live with.”

Warren paused, rubbing the back of his neck, “I don’t live with anyone…I’ve lived alone for as long as I can remember.”

“Remember?” Ethan frowned, “What do you mean?”

Warren opened his mouth and closed it, pushing past them. “It’s nothing.”

The freshmen exchanged glances and fallowed. A year of having friends had brought Warren out of his anti social shell, it had made him slower to jump instantly to launching a flaming ball of hatred at whatever poor sap mentioned his past, it had yet to get him to tell them anything about it.

They had discussed it among them selves, speculating. They’d settled on he was living with a relative in the area, or had been adopted. He drove him self to school, so they had no idea where he lived. They knew he worked, and assumed it was for personal spending…unless he’d been adopted or taken in by a low-income family.

Warren was gone from the parking lot before they could catch him. “He works tonight we can ask again at the Paper Lantern.” Layla suggested on the bus.

“Yeah at least then he won’t burn us there.”  Zach mumbled, earning a light smack from Magenta. “What?”

“Warren’s not going to burn us.” Will shook his head leaning back into the seat. “He’s cooled down a lot.”

Zach snorted, “So he’ll just lightly toast us then. Wonderful.”

“He won’t,” Ethan looked up from his book, “Like Will said, Warren’s cooled down. So he’s not adopted, he’s not living with anyone, he didn’t tell us. There is a resin.”

“He can’t be of age…to live on his own…maybe he didn’t want to get caught. Warren liked being alone, he might like living alone too.” Will offered. They used to feel bad about talking about Warren behind his back. Not that they were spreading lies or saying anything spiteful, it was just that they were talking. About him. Behind his back. Now it was different, it had become a normal bus conversation as they had to, in order to even try and understand the secretive pyro.

Magenta shook her head, “My parents work in the SPB Justice department. By law any place that house’s an ‘of-age’ super has to have a lair, a kind of bat cave, or be registered as temporary, till one with such accommodations are found.” She leaned back in her seat, “If Warren was living alone, and had no liar, him hiding it may not be anything about wanting to become a lonely old man with to many cats. It could have something to do about not wanting to be arrested.”

“You said your parents didn't even believe you when you said he was alive.” Layla tilted her head. “So Warren’s not in the system?”

“He’s enrolled at Sky High,” Ethan protested, “He has to be in the system, unless all the teachers think he’s a ghost.”

Magenta paused, “That would make since…”

“What?” Will frowned.

“Warren is the son of a high class super villain. For his own protection he might have been listed as dead, so he wouldn’t be able to be found and attacked. It’s a method called Ghosting.” Magenta explained. “Only the top need to know people would even be remotely aware of where he was and what he was doing till gradation or him earning his hero license, which ever came first.”

Will sighed, “That would explain why my parents were so surprised to hear that it was Warren I’d gotten in a fight with before…and after we saved the school and Dad, he was staring at Warren like he was a ghost.”

They sat in silence for awhile, till Magenta whispered, “But Warren should have known he was being Ghosted, he should have known that he was ‘dead’…he shouldn’t have been surprised at all. Why was he surprised? He shouldn’t have been surprised.”

“He said it him self,” Ethan mumbled, “He didn’t remember.”

O.o.O.o.O

Warren ran a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time. It was different, seeing him unsettled, nervous, as apposed to the rock they were used to, if he was unsettled by anything he usually set it on fire and kicked it down a hill. This wasn’t something that could be set on fire and kicked down a hill. They sat in the booth waiting for him to be done clearing tables. He knew what they were going to ask him about, and they could all see the effect it had. Confirming their suspicions.

Warren Peace, the most intimidating person in the school counting the teachers, had amnesia.

They didn’t talk to each other, just waited and watched. How much of his past had he lost? How’d it happen? Where did he wake up after he lost it? The lights were turning off and the managers yelling from the kitchens when Warren finally walked over, head down, stained with the smell of Chinese food. “They…we’re closing…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You…I…fallow me…” Head back down muttering to him self, Warren lead the way out around the last row of booths, towards what everyone thought was just another entrance to the kitchens. The door had a shinny brass handle and swung noiselessly open to a small hall that ended in a spiral staircase of polished brass that shone like a new coin and mahogany that reflected the lights of the hall.

“Where are we going?” Ethan asked as his eyes scanned the hall.

Warren said nothing, locking the door behind them. Turning and leading the way up the stairs. Up at the top was a small ledge, and a door that looked like it had been stolen from a castle. A door handle in the shape of a dragon clung to the door with its claws. “This is my home…” Warren whispered unlocking the door and pushing it open.

Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The apartment was elegant, calm, clean, and it just seemed to radiate safety. Warren lead the way in and flopped on a leather couch in the living room, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“This is so…zen.” Magenta looked around sitting across from him, setting her bag on the dark wood table that had a phoenix posed midflight in its face. There was a small sand and rock garden on the kitchen counter next to a bowl of meditation balls, candles were spread through out the apartment, somewhere else they could hear the sound of water running over rocks, none of the carving or statues that brought an elegance to the place looked menacing, but rather, protective.

Warren shrugged, “You were expecting over turned furniture, dirty clothes everywhere, and some savage dog?”

“Well yeah,” Zach nodded vigorously, “You never seemed like the kind of dude to mediate!”

“You should try it sometime.” Warren sighed, “Well out with it, what were you waiting my whole shift to ask?”

“…Do you have amnesia?” Layla finally ventured forth.

Warren stiffened but gave a small nod.

“How much do you remember?” Will bit his lip.

Warren shrugged. “Four years. I woke up here when I was twelve…or at lest I think that’s how old…There was a letter on the table explaining who my parents were, and what happened, apparently this place and the restaurant are left to me in their wills.”

“You own the Paper Lantern?” Layla gasped.

“Not till I’m eighteen.” Warren shook his head. “But yeah, I had two years to get a handle on my powers before Sky High. I started working down stairs maybe a week or two after waking up.” He shrugged, “It was all prearranged, Miss. Fong said that an uncle or someone dropped me off here and set up my employment. He never came back, and even she could tell I wasn’t awake.”

“What were you?” Zach tilted his head to a side.

“She said it looked like a trance or a daze of some kind. I fallowed my uncle up the stairs and didn’t come down till the next morning, apparently looking like hell. God that first day was hell. I had no idea where I was, who I was…she hit me over the head with a stack of menus when I wouldn’t calm down and listen.”

They sat in silence for a moment. No one looked as each other. Warren finally stood walking into the kitchen, vanishing from sight. They could hear shuffling and clanking of ceramic dishes and a stove turning on.

“Any one else besides Hippie drink tea?” Warren came back out grinding something with a mortar and pestle.

“You drink tea?” Zach blinked, “You struck me more as a coffee guy.”

Warren shrugged, “I have coffee every now and them, but it needs like a ton of sugar and cream in it.” He disappeared back into the kitchen, after a moment they all slowly walked in. Warren was staring at a kettle on the stove as his hands mechanically filled a small tea ball with what he had been grounding up.

“You okay man?” Will laid a hand on his shoulder.

Warren blinked, “Hmm, oh, I’m fine.”

“Did you forget everything?” Ethan took a step back as Warren dropped the tea ball into the boiling water and leaned against the counter.

“Everything? Yes and no. I tested extremely high for my age in school. I could sit down at the baby grand piano in there,” He gestured down a hall way, “and play music like I’d been trained my whole life. Bring me any song from Broadway, I can sight read it almost perfictly and it all sounds and feels so familiar. I could cook, almost anything except remember how I learned it. I found my father’s blue prints for his inventions and they all make since. I was taught it all before…I just don’t know when or by who. I still to this day can’t tell you anything from before I woke up. I can’t tell you what I did the morning before waking up here. Nothing. No faces, not sounds, not even dreams…” Warren trailed off, taking the kettle off the heat and turning the stove off.  “With all the mad science there is in the world…sometimes I wonder if I even existed.” He poured him self a mug of the tea glancing up questioningly to the others. Only Layla raised her hand for a mug.

“So you’ve been living here alone for four years?” Magenta raised an eyebrow. “Isn't that illegal?”

“It was in the will. If no family stepped forward, I got the place to myself. It’s been just me and the fish.” Warren shrugged passing Layla her mug, and not waiting for the steaming tea to cool any started sipping his own. “And yes I have the required ‘super hole’.”

Magenta nodded falling quiet.

Warren sighed. “Look, it’s no big deal, I’ve been living just fine with it.” He paused, as their silence grew out longer. “And don’t you kids have a bedtime or something?”

That got them moving. Complaining that he was only a year or two older than them but it got them out the door. At least most of them.

Warren hadn’t really seen them out, but had gone back into a circle small room up at the top of a small flight of stairs. The wood was cool against his bare feet as he pulled he shirt off and the candles light them selves. True he didn't need to be shirtless but he was stresses and felt like it. The clothing was too confining. Eyes closed, finally feeling the tension of the day fall off his shoulders, breathing almost as if he was sleeping before he heard the crash.

“There’s a table there Wonder Boy.” He called with out moving.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“You are the only one I know that is clumsy enough to have a crash that loud over a low table. Most people just bang their shin.” Warren let out a breath, his hands resting on his knees. “Don’t brake my furniture, my mom made it.”

“Your mom? H-how’d you find that out?”

Warren sighed; it was a bit hard to clear his mind with Stronghold creaking on the floorboards not even a full yard behind him. “AI Mind. It’s a super computer that can be accessed from any point in the house, or down in the ‘super hole’. It was here when we lived here before we all disappeared for a few years. Dad apparently was a brilliant inventor, and made her.” He rolled his shoulders and opened his eyes, still trying to find the secret of letting go of the tension in the sounds of water flowing over rocks.

“Really?”

Warren grinned, and the candles went out. “AI, come introduce yourself.”

He turned just in time to see Will nearly jump out of his skin at the light tap on his shoulder.

AI had taken the shape of a slender Pilipino woman, the one that had been a hostess once or twice on particularly low-staffed days in the Paper Lantern. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “Good afternoon sir. How may I be of assistance?”

“But…but I could feel that!” Will took a step back, eyeing the girl.

AI smiled, “I am a sophisticated, advanced, self thinking, intelligence source. I developed a way to physically interact with the young master long ago.”

Warren bit back laughter as Will poked AI on the forehead still not fully convinced she was standing there. AI did not appreciate being poked and batted his hand away. “Please sir, don’t tap the glass.” She smiled, “if you’ll excuse me,” with a bow she vanished.

Will stared at the spot she’d been standing in. “Th-that’s your computer?”

Warren nodded, “Don’t you have a bed time Stronghold?” he sat on the edge of the stairs, stretching.

Will scowled, “You only a year older than me.”

“And your point?” Warren raised one eyebrow.

Will sighed, “Never mind. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Warren snorted, “I’m not about to vanish.”

Chapter Text

The fine presses of a fusion chamber were lost on most of the class, Will, Zach and Layla included. Magenta and Ethan were attempting a start at building one as Warren tried yet again to explain it to the small group that had formed around him. Since the Royal Pain attack sidekick and hero classes had been blended together in subjects like mad science, history and field first aid. Older students were pulled to help teach the younger ones to make up for the difference in hero and sidekick classes.
Warren had only been second to Gwen in mad science was more often than not, called out to help in the lesions.
It was however getting increasingly harder to help explain how the different pressures caused by the controlled combustion made everything work when Will, Layla, Zach, and Magenta kept glancing over at him.
“You guys work on it, I’m going to check on some other groups.” Warren said to the small gaggle of freshmen crowded around one lab table. “Don’t turn it on till I get back.” He forced himself not to glare too obviously at his friends as he walked over to their table. “I am not going to fall over and die. Are you even any further along?”
Will and Zach turned to look sheepishly at the pile of gears and coils on the table. Layla just gave Warren’s hand a squeeze.

O.o.O.o.O

“So if you have no memory, why are you so pissed about your dad?” Magenta asked as she stole a cookie off Ethan’s plate.
Warren looked up from his book. “I could still watch home movies, read letters. I have no memory of what happened before, but I can still make new ones. He used to be an inventor before...you know. There were all these blueprints scattered around and even though he wasn’t there it felt like someone was still there for me if I built them with the videos.”
“That’s so sad,” Layla’s face crumpled into a pout looking into her salad.
Warren just shrugged. “Everything people said about him didn’t match the man I saw in the videos. He adored my mom, was happy as a hero. Half his inventions where for hospitals or first responders. It felt like everyone was lying to me.”
Will fiddled with his fork. “You could move in with me. You know if you wanted so you didn’t have to be so alone. Mom and Dad are cool with it we have an extra bedroom and everything.”
Warren quirked a small smile and shook his head going back to his book. “Thanks but I’ve grown used to it and Raccoon does not like other people.”
“Raccoon?”
“A cat I found under the back dumpster one winter. She’s shy and hides under the couch and the bed most of the time.” Warren shrugged it off. “She doesn't even like AI. Wouldn’t do well in a whole new house. Besides, your mom is allergic.”
Will shifted and glanced at Layla for help.
“The Strongholds would still like to see you for dinner. They’re just worried is all. They thought you had someone taking care of you.” Layla said gently. “Tomorrow night?”
Warren let noncommittal hum, talked out for about the next four periods.
Will stared at his sandwich trying to remember when he’s told Warren anything about his mom.

O.o.O.o.O

The gang filled into the Heroic History class peering at the little boxes sitting on their desks.
“Good afternoon class today we will be adding DNA to the vault!” Ms. Resurrection said as she closed the door. “As we went over last week the Vault is important because, yes Ethan.”
“The Vault prevents shifters from taking a villain's place in jail and is a quick identification in hospitals.” Ethan answered. “It can be used as a test to see if someone is a clone or other lab creation.”
“Very good! Now if you would all open your boxes, and remove the blue stick. you will feel a light prick when you press it against your thumb hold it there to a slow count of five and you’re done.”
There was a chorus of hisses and small yips of surprise as the class complied.
“Now, there are a few upperclassmen that will be filtering in and out during class to get their Vault deposit completed, as they slipped thru the cracks in their first year. Do your best to ignore them and focus on our lesson today on heroic law and the development of super criminology.”
Zach almost nodded off right there saved by Magenta kicking him in the shin.
“Please pass your completed boxes to the front and pull out your notebooks. We will be starting on page three hundred and ninety four of your textbooks. The rights all villains have upon arrest. Mess these up and their lawyers can eat you alive.”
“One of my parents coworkers is actually part shark.” Magenta whispered.
Zach took more notes than Ethan.

O.o.O.o.O

Warren staggered back against the lockers. Why the hell were strobe powers a thing? The tiny freshman babbling on about how sorry they were for bumping into him and how much he really didn’t need to bother with that whole roasting business.
“Power down,”
“I can’t, it’s a nervous reflex.” he squeaked and the speed of flashes kicked up a notch.
Warren Jerked his locker open. “Get in and breath before you give someone a seizure.”
“Warren! What the fuck. Why are you stuffing kids in lockers?” Magenta came around the corner right as he closed the door, edges of his vision still flashing far too rapidly.
His ears were ringing and his head didn't feel right. Could he get seizures? Warren could have sworn it was listed in the ‘You will probably battle the devil himself in frozen hell before this happens’ section of his healing powers. “I’m going to the nurse, let him out once he’s stopped raving.”

He was not surprised to find that the school has all the equipment needed to monitor brain activity. The quiet he’s left in is the most soothing thing that’s happened all day. The glue was still going to be gross to wash out of his hair, and with his ‘foster parents on deep cover calls’ Principal Powers herself sat waiting in a chair next to his bed as Nurse Spex ‘humed’ and ‘hurmed’ over the readings behind a monitor on the other side.
“By the way, Mr. Stronghold would like me to inform you that Jet Stream will be here shortly to give you a lift home.” Principal Powers said over the clipboard of work she’d brought with her.
Warren let out a long sigh threw his nose.
Of course Josie Poletti was coming to––Warren groaned as his head throbbed. Nurse Spex merely gave an “oh my” and a, “don’t jostle those dear, the activity here is simply––,”
Warren didn’t care how simple or complicated it was. It hurt. He’d never been hit with a railroad spike in head but he could imagine it felt less awful than the shooting pain in his temples and down his spine contorting his body to fight something. Anything to make it stop.
“Spex, what’s happening?”
“Stay calm, we’ll get you thru this.”
He might have screamed.

“He most likely sleep through till the morning.”
Warren managed to crack his eyes open but he couldn’t lift his head or stop the forming drool stain on the mini van seat.
“Wish we had rights to hold over night.”
“I’ll be sure he takes the medicine.”
Warren tried to make a sound, to groggy to attempt real words, but couldn't manage it. A cool hand tucked stray hair behind his ear and tucked a blanket in around his shoulders.
“Hang tight, I’ll get you home soon.”

Warren blinked up at the ceiling for the five seconds it wasn’t blocked by worried faces staring down at him. Magenta and Ethan were trying to hush Zach’s too loud ‘Dude you looked so dead!’. Layla offered him a glass of water. Will literally hovering in worry.
Warren nudged them back as he propped himself up on his elbows, taking the water gratefully, glancing around the room. His jacket hung on the bed post. A dresser sat against one wall with the small knick knacks that seemed to be in every guest room arranged on the top.
“Warren?” Will asked after Warren didn’t say anything for the next minute. “How’s your, ah Mom said you, how’s...are you feeling okay?”
“M’ fine.” Warren sat up the rest of the way, rubbing his head.
“You were in a coma.” Zach said. “Like for a day.”
“I’m not sure that counts as a coma.” Layla said gently. “And it was more like a day and a half.”
“So much better.” Warren muttered under his breath. “Where am I?”
Will still had yet to land back on the floor. “The guest room of my house. Mom and Dad are watching over you. Careful!” He caught Warren’s arm as the teen tried to stand.
Tried.
His knees buckled under his weight, tipping him forward. “Fuck,”
“You’re not supposed to be standing yet.” Magenta helped pushed him back down to the bed. “Take it slow.”
Warren scowled. “I need to get up.”
“Just take it slow.”
“No, Maj, I need to get up.”
Magenta crossed her arms.
Warren let out a long sigh threw his nose. “I need to pee. Like now.”
Layla, Zach, and Maj took a step back.
“I...uh...the bathroom is over here.” Will let him put an arm over his shoulder and helped support him. “What are best friends for, right?” smiled.

Warren was past caring that Will piggy backed him down the stairs to watch a movie on the couch. His head was pounding still. The others sat around him as he slumped against the arm of the couch. Steve and Josie were out on a mission.
“Are you feeling okay?” Layla asked when he flinched back at the light of the tv.
“Head still hurts. I’ll be fine.” Warren muttered. “Did they tell you what happened?”
“Abnormal amounts of brain activity. You’ll probably sleep a lot with the medications, and someone is going to be doing a follow up house call on you tomorrow.” Will offered a blanket. Layla tucked it around him before he could even move.
Warren grunted. He was to tired to care. AI would have fed Racoon. Someone had washed the glue for the sensors out of his hair already. If his head would just stop throbbing he would be fine.
“You’re not like going to throw up are you?” Zach skooted back.
Warren scowled. Layla offered a small cup of pills and a water bottle. “It’s supposed to help.” She offered. “If you want I can make a tea and–,”
“You’re fine.” Warren cut her off. “I’m not dying. Just a migraine.”
“And a mini coma.” Zach reminded him before Magenta could smack him.
Ethan held up the dvd boxes. “Are we marathoning all of Star Wars or just the first trilogy?”
“The original and then we can assess our popcorn stock from there.” Magenta dictated firmly.
Warren flinched and kept his eyes closed. The screen was too bright.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Warren, if you want to do something else, it’s cool we can do something else.” Will was hovering again. He was a nervous floater. Warren kept this in mind when he kicked at him.
“Shut up and play your movies. I’m fine.”
“You’re hiding your eyes behind your arms.” Layla said softly.
Warren shrugged. “I’m fine just give the medicine a chance to work.”
“If you’re sure...”
“Play the damn movie.”

O.o.O.o.O

Steve smiled to himself as he put the empty popcorn bowls in the dishwasher. The pile of sleeping teens in the living room hadn't even made it all the way through Return of the Jedi, but Warren was apparently moving again and that was good. Josie had brought him home pale and shaking and then he hadn't so much as rolled over in bed for over a day. Steve peeked in at a soft ‘thwamp’. Warren was staggering to his feet, using the edge of the couch to climb out of the blanket cocoon.
“Feeling better?” Steve asked from the doorway.
Warren blinked at him. “Stevie?”
Steve Stronghold opened his mouth for a response, but none came forth as Warren hummed the opening number of Oklahoma under his breath. “Fuck where’d I put the script?”
“Warren?” Steve asked hesitantly as Josie came up behind him. “How are you feeling?”
Warren rubbed his head and staggered into a wall. “M’ fine.”
“Why don’t we lay back down?” Josie suggested gently. “Have you taken your meds?”
Warren blinked at her a few times. “What?”
“We’re laying back down. Come on, let's get you to bed.” Steve picked him up and carried him up the stairs. Josie flying behind them so she could get a look at his eyes.
“Warren do you know where you are?” Josie asked.
“No,”
“You’re at Will’s house. You’ve been sick. Dr Femur will be here tomorrow.” Josie said as they sat the addled teen back on the guest bed.
Warren frowned. “That’s the name Frankie went with? Oof.”
The adults looked at each other and then back down at Warren but he’d already fallen back asleep. They jumped at a knock on the door frame, will and his friends were peering in.
“Is he alright?” Layla whispered.
Josie smiled. “He’s just fine. You all get to bed and I’ll make pancakes in the morning.” She waited till they grumbled but retreated to their sleeping bags in the living room.
Steve looked at her. “Will never mentioned he was in musical theater.”
“I don’t think he is.” Josie shook her head. “And he knows Femur’s real name...the school still thinks he has foster parents.”
Steve shrugged. “What can we do about that? If we tell them he might get moved out of the city to a new foster. There’s not a whole lot of superpowered homes that are open. It’s not like we could adopt him.”
Josie smiled. “We do have an extra room.”
“Josie, wait––,”
“I’m just going to look up the legalities,” his wife waved him off, quickly striding from the room to no doubt spend the night in the computer room with a notebook making battle plans.

Chapter Text

Warren didn’t act weird at breakfast and Steve would know because Steve was watching for it. There were no new show-tunes. No sudden naming of adults he shouldn’t have ever met. He just took a warm cup of tea, and hid behind his phone when he’s friends had finished enough pancakes to start questioning him again. 

“Do you have, like, a freaky good memory? Since you don’t have to try and remember the first grade?” Zach asked. “That’s how you’re so good on the tests?”

“It’s called studying.” Warren didn’t even look up. “You should try it sometime.”

Zach didn’t even stop.”Can we see your super cave? Like go down in it? We are a team after all.”

Warren looked up at him. “I’ve seen you in Mad Science class. Why would I trust you around my dad’s inventions?”

Steve looked over at Josie. If Barron Battle had left weapons behind then they needed to get those on lockdown before they fell into the wrong hands. “What’s down there?” he asked over Zach’s protesting.

“Nothing much, just some old stuff.” Warren shrugged and looked back down. “I should head home.”

“Dr. Femur will be here soon.” Josie said. “After that I can take you by for a change of clothes but you do need to stay with someone who can monitor you.”

Warren scowled a bit into his tea. 

“So uh, the school planning on putting out any musicals? Will said you play piano.” Josie tried. 

Warren shrugged. “They don’t really want a villain's kid in the theater department. I wouldn’t know.”

Layla blinked. “You tried to go out for theater?”

“Not really. Didn’t even make it past looking at the poster before I was told I wasn’t wanted.” Warren said. 

“Well that’s not fair for them––,”

“It’s fine hippie.” Warren cut her off. “When’s the doctor coming?”

“Around noon.” 

Warren nodded. “Thank you for breakfast.” He stood and took his tea back up the stairs.

Josie looked over at Steve. “I’ve got an errand if you wouldn’t mind watching the boys.”

Steve just nodded. He just needed to be around for the doctor and most of Will’s friends would be home before the doctor even came over right?

Wrong. 

They waited huddled in the living room as Dr. Femur talked with Warren in the kitchen. Femur came out first closing up his bag, and adjusting his small spectacles. “With his fosters still out on mission, I hate to ask, but do you think you could watch him? He’s episodes should dissipate of the next few days but I saw him have one in front of me. A small one mind you. But still.” he handed a pad over to Steve. “If they’re still occurring multiple times a day by Monday I would hold him from school.”

“Thank you doctor.” Steve took the pad. He frowned as the front door closed because that also sounded suspiciously like the backdoor had also––

The kitchen was empty. 

Josie was not going to like this, 

“Will,” Steve called over his shoulder. “Where did you say he was staying?”

O.o.O.o.O

Josie checked the address again before knocking on the shabby looking door. “Mr. Fletcher? Are you in? It’s an old friend.” That wasn’t technically a lie. Steve had been the best man at Jonah’s wedding and that was before he’d turned villain and became Barron Battle. She’d met Jonah’s brother-in-law, the up and coming public defendant Gavin Fletcher and even seen him a few times at barbecues. 

When she’d looked him up again she had expected to find him in a law office or court, not on a street where arson was the main decorative motif. 

 “Mr. Fletcher,” She tried the door. It wasn’t locked. Might as well.”It’s Josie. Josie Stronghold.” There was a shuffling in the back room. “Mr. Fletcher? I’m just here to talk.” She stepped around the corner, eyeing the wall scrawled with the same image over and over. A circle with a shallow arch threw the bottom, a hard diagonal slash threw the middle, and two triangles floating in the dead space. The last place she’d seen that was in on a thumb drive that Jonah had given her right before he’d murdered his family. “Gavin? Are you alright?” She called again as someone else's footsteps crunched on broken glass.

There was a skeletal hunched over man with shabby wings. His eyes had yellowed like he hadn't seen the sun in months. “Josie?” the beard was tangled and halfway down his chest. 

“Gavin, hey, how’ve you been?” Josie held her hands up as she stepped closer. She had planned on demanding why he’d left his nephew to fend for himself but maybe it was a good thing he hadn't taken Warren in. 

“How’d you find me?” His eyes darted around. “Were you followed? Are they back?”

“They?” Josie asked. She wished she’d brought Steve. 

Gavin just pointed at the scrawls. “I’m thinking again. They’re going to come back.” His head snapped around and he threw an empty beer bottle at a passing mouse. “Can’t know things. Can’t kill me. I’m the example. Gotta hide.”

“Okay, uhm, did you know Warren was alive?” 

Gavin’s head snapped back to her. “Is he hidden? Is he safe?” He grabbed her arms and shook her. “They’ll take him again.”

“The circle people?” Josie asked slowly. “Do they have a name?”

“Don’t speak it.” He shook her again. “They’ll know. They know all the thoughts. Don’t like it. Scramble them all up. Jonah’ll come back. He’ll fix it. He left to fix it. Nononono can’t talk about Jonah. They don’t like Jonah. Where’s Warren?”

“I have him.” Josie said gently. “You need help.”

Gavin laughed and Josie wrinkled her nose at the stench of old beer. “Can’t. They don’t like it.”

“Okay, well what if you hid in the van and I brought you to help?” Josie took a step backwards. He shuffled with her, still holding on to her arms. “We can protect you. Maybe let you have a shower? A sandwich.”

“Can’t get out. There’s no doors.” He laughed and it cracked into a sob. “No doors, no doors, no doors.”

Josie took his hand. “I’ll find us one.” She lead him out the front door. He crumpled in the mid morning sunlight, covering his eyes. “Up we go, almost there.” She put him in the back seat of her minivan before buckling herself in the driver's seat. Josie glanced back, he'd already hidden himself under the seat, curled tight with his hands over his head whimpering. He needed a hospital. An extended stay in a psych ward even. But the symbol scrawled on the walls was too familiar for her to just drop him off. He could be not entirely crazy, and a shady organization could be after him. She let out a sigh and pulled out her cell phone. “Hey Mend, would you be able to meet me up at the school? Yeah I just, I just think I need your help.”

O.o.O.o.O

Mend loved a puzzle. Especially when the puzzle was given a mild sedative and was therefore far more cooperative. “He had been scrambled. Regularly by the looks of it.” She tapped on purple spots on the brain scans. “You can see the damages here.” She looked past her monitor at the man dozing on her examination table. “I did wonder what happened to him. you found him squatting in a shack?”

Josie shrugged. “It was his address, but the whole place was trashed. The walls were littered in that symbol.” she pointed at the pile of prescription pad sheets that Gavin had stolen and drawn all over before they had managed to calm him down. 

Mend hummed slightly. “Well, I would hazard a guess that that’s who does the scrambling.” She looked up. “I have a friend that runs a hidden ward. Small staff. Good people. I can see if they have room for him.” 

“I don’t know,” Josie frowned. “Warren should meet him.”

Mend patted her hand. “He should, but not like this. Gavin needs help. Someone who’s going to keep him clean and fed. He won’t start healing mentally till he’s no longer malnourished and gets introduced to a bar of soap. Even if he’s been scrambled beyond repair he can at least have a good shave first.” She laughed, “And if the people that have made him scrambled eggs are going to come after him we should get him out of doge.” 

Josie sighed. “Alright. If you think he’ll be safe.”

Mend nodded. “Ever seen that scribble before?”

“Jonah gave me a thumb drive that had it on there. Told me to keep it safe.” Josie mumbled. “It’s in a box somewhere. I forgot about it till today. But this couldn’t be Jonah. He wouldn’t hurt his family.” Even in their fights when he’d turned villain. He’d been pleasant, happily asking how she was. Asking her to pass on his love to their friends and family. The incriminating evidence for various government bodies that were found at the crime scenes that he left like love notes. She knew that Eve still saw Jonah when he was a villain. New toys would show up in baby Warren’s toy box and––her eyes snapped to Gavin laying on the table. 

Baby Warren had...but that could have changed under stress. He was small enough at the time. It wasn’t unheard of. Or they could have been damaged, removed, any number of things and Warren’s invincibility had healed it over. 

“He killed his wife.” Mend looked back at the screen. “ Allegedly . Gavin Scramble-pants there was a witness.” 

Josie chewed the corner of her lip as she looked at the purple splotches. “Do you think that Jonah was ‘scrambled’ and turned on her?” 

Mend raised an eyebrow. “Well, he’d still show the trauma on his brain. If we can get a scan done, we’d know.”

Josie nodded slowly. “When you treated Warren did you notice his back at all?”

Mend didn’t even look up. “There weren't any wing marks if that’s what you're asking. Bones are to solid, he doesn't have the second pectoral needed for muscle propelled flight.” She smiled up at Josie. “I think you should get that scan done on Jonah. I’ll take Gavin someplace safe.”

Josie blinked. “His powers could have shifted. He was just a baby.”

“Mmm maybe.” Mend shrugged. “I’m just a school nurse. What do I know?” She stood and plucked a lollypop out of her jar and handed it to Josie. “I’d also recommend keeping Warren home till I call you and say he can come back. You know. For his health.”

Josie opened her mouth and closed it again. 

Mend handed her a second lollypop. “I’d find that flashdrive too if I were you.”

O.o.O.o.O

Ms. Fong said that she hadn't seen Warren come back. Steve still insisted that she open the apartment door. It was only after they mentioned Warren’s seizures that Ms. Fong had relented and called the hostess over. 

“That’s AI,” Will whispered. 

Steve nodded, like he already knew that. The woman sized them up. “He says he’s fine.”

“Warren’s not even here.” Will protested. 

Steve crossed his arms. “He needs to be watched. Seizures can be dangerous.” 

“They won’t last.” AI shook her head. 

“They––, one moment,” Steve pulled his phone out as it rang. Josie. “Hello,”

“I found Gavin, Warren’s uncle.” 

“You found Gavin? Where? Do we need to meet you somewhere?––Josie you said you were only looking into the legalities, not actually moving to adopt him.” Steve glanced back at the little group. 

AI’s eyebrows went up at the mention of Gavin. “Follow me.” She quickly lead them to a little back hallway and locked the door before disappearing and reappearing at the top of a spiral staircase. 

Josie sighed static into the receiver. “He was in bad shape. Rambling on about these people that were after him and all these drawings on the wall. I left him with a friend so he’ll be taken to a psych ward. How are the boys doing?”

“Uh well, Warren ran away so we’re getting him back right now.” Steve stepped through the open door. 

“He what?”

“We’re getting him back.”

“Steve!”

“So how ‘bout tacos for dinner? Love you bye.” Steve hung up. “Alright now, where’s Warren?” he looked around the hallway. It was well kept. Nice hardwood floors, no scattered mess of clothes. If only he could get Will to clean his room like this. 

AI huffed. “One moment.” and vanished. 

“So she’s a computer?” Steve looked down at Will. Will nodded, “Came with the house. Warren said his dad made her.”

They looked up at the sound of a door. Warren was shaking, eyes down. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

Warren shook his head. 

“Your head hurting again?” Will asked. 

“I remembered.”

Steve took a careful step forward. “Remembered what?”

Warren didn’t look up. “The smell of people burning.”

Chapter Text

Will swallowed. “People burning?” 

Warren didn’t look at them. Will looked back up at his dad but he looked just as startled. 

“Did you do it or?” Will regretted asking as soon as it left his mouth. 

Warren cringed. “I don’t know.” his voice cracked. 

“Okay, I’m going to make tacos for dinner.” Steve clapped his hands together. “Let’s go home.”

Will offered a hand. “Do you want to be around people right now?”

Warren swallowed nervously, “I don’t know.”

Steve took a step forward. “Well, you can be around us or up in the guest room, but we should get you back home. Why don’t you pack a weekend bag?” AI glared at him. “I just think you should be where people can watch over you. Not that AI isn’t a nice computer, but you know tacos.” Steve tried. “Uh, Will how bout you help him.”

Will nodded. “Where’s your room?” Warren turned and led the way down the call leaving his Dad to talk with AI. “Is that why you left?”

Warren nodded. 

“You know you can talk to us.” Will tried. “Nice room.” He offered. There was a dark blue dresser with framed pictures. A stack of reading books on the nightstand next to a lamp. Will jumped to the side as a small dark cat shot past him and out of the room. “That’s Raccoon?”

“Yeah. She doesn't like new people.” Warren scrubbed his face and pulled out a gym bag from under a pair of boxing gloves that had been stashed in the corner. 

“You box?”

“Sometimes.” Warren muttered. “Can you not tell the others about this?”

“Well they know you left.” Will said. “Can’t hide that.”

“No, the memory. You know how Layla gets and I can’t deal with Zach being,” he waved his hands. “Not right now.”

“Oh yeah, no. I won’t say anything.” Will agreed quickly. “So long as you don’t run off again.”

Warren didn’t look at him, shoving shirts and pants into his bag. 

“I heard Mom tell Dad that she found someone named Gavin. If that means anything to you?” Will tried to lean casually on the bed, looking over the wall art. 

Warren’s head snapped up. “Uncle Gavin? He disappeared. Where was he?” 

“I don’t know. Mom just found him.” Will admitted. “Can I tell them we found you ? Layla is kinda blowing up the group chat”

“I saw.” Warren’s lips quipped into a bit of a smile. “Sure.” he zipped his bag. 

AI met him in the hall and passed over a key-fob. “Keep it on you.”

“I will.” Warren promised. “Take care of Raccoon.”

O.o.O.o.O

Josie took a breath as she passed through the security checkpoint of the SuperMax prison. She’d put on her Jetstream armor to make the flight to the island. Even just a talk with Baron Battle to see if he was as off his rocker as Gavin would help. And if he was she, as a concerned hero, could push for a scan by a third party, otherwise known as Nurse Mend. She smiled as Warden came down the steps to greet her. The small superhero kept her hair in a tight bun under her stetson. Brass buttons polished and shiny on her vest, boots sounding authority on the tile floor. “I must say this is an unexpected visit. What can I do for you?”

“I have a new case I’m trying to solve, It’s got a dead end. I have reason to believe Baron Battle might know something.” Josie said. She'd rehearsed it in her head on the flight over. It had never been confirmed that Warden could tell when you were lying but Josie wasn’t going to risk it. 

Warden nodded. “Alright. Give us a moment to get the proper guards in place.”

Josie smiled. “Thank you.”

“Number 625, step forward.” Warden ordered. Josie pursed her lips as she watched Jonah step out of his cell, hands up from the security cameras. They had him cuffed but his behavior had been erratic enough that they didn’t get close. They had cattle prods ready as they marched him down to the interrogation room, herded him inside another smaller cadge, and locked it. 

His hair had been cut short, what had been streaks of read where two little splotches. He was in the orange uniform of the SuperMax, with white house shoes. He sat down on the stool in the middle of the cadge. “I’m told you need help?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Old case. Thought you might know something.” Josie said pleasantly, ignoring her phone vibrating in her pocket. Steve could wait. “How’s it been?”

“Maddening.” Jonah laughed. “I haven't seen the sun in...how long have I been here?”

“Not yet long enough,” Josie said with a shake of the head. “You committed treason. You killed your family.” Steve still didn't talk about the arrest. 

“I never hurt them!” Jonah yelled at her, jerking to his feet, fist on the bars of the cadge. He looked over at the warning buzz of the cattle prods. “I never hurt them. I was framed.” he said softer, taking a step back. “For that part at least.”

“Not the treason?”

“No.” Jonah smiled. “I did that and I’d do it again. Bastards deserve to rot in hell. But I never hurt my family.”

Her phone buzzed again. Josie rocked back on her heels, if Steve would just wait. “Regardless, I need help on a case.”

“Mmm, and you can’t find it out in the clouds?” Jonah sat back down. “Alright, let's hear it.”

“Long story short one of the parties involved is showing long term brain trauma from a, lets call it scrambling. Potentially implanted false memories. Dissociation from reality.” Josie walked around the cadge. Jonah wasn’t raving like Gavin but there was something off about him. If her phone would just stop buzzing she could figure it out. She couldn't order a scan done with nothing to point at. 

Jonah thought a bit. “Alright, but that’s hardly what I was known for.”

“Ever build anything that could do that?” Josie asked. 

“Wouldn’t have too.” Jonah shrugged. “Just put a taser to someone’s head. Everyone brakes if you fry long enough.”

Josie frowned. “Know anyone who would do it without a taser? A past associate?” 

“Several.” Jonah nodded. “But names change when you’re away for long, and some would kill you if they knew you were looking for them.” he looked at her. “I would hand this over to a bigger fish Jetty. Little fishes like us disappear. People get hurt.” 

Josie took a deep breath. “I would like your cooperation on this Baron.”

Jonah raised an eyebrow. “Help me so I’ll help you?”

“What do you want?” 

Jonah smiled, and her phone buzzed again. “Check on Royal Pain and Stitches For me. I hear they messed with a few big fish. If someone’s visiting it makes it harder for them to disappear. At least for a start.”

Josei considered it. “Alright. What are you offering?”

“Bring me doctors notes and I’ll tell you a name or whose desk to drop it on so you don’t spend your life looking over your shoulder.” Jonah held his hands up. “It's the best I can do in here.”

“Is it?” Josie challenged. 

“I want my wife’s murder reinvestigated but that’s not something you can or should do.” Jonah looked away, shoulders slumping forward defeated. “I want my boy found.” He took a ragged breath. “But he’s probably been killed off too. Gavin’s still alive in some shithole. I get recordings of him sometimes. They hurt him to remind me how badly I fucked up.”

“You what?” Josie stepped forward. 

“How?” Warden demanded from her corner. 

Josie’s phone buzzed and Jonah laughed, broken and a little unhinged. “How should I know? I’m locked in a box 24/7.” He shook his head. “You save Gavin, find my boy. We’ll talk about as many big fish as you want. Bring in the CIA and the FBI. Just make sure you want that talk.”

“Looking for a pardon?” Warden walked around to stand next to Josie. 

Jonah snorted. “Oh no, nothing of the sort. But I’d like protection for them. I’d like to see the sun again. Bring me doctor notes and I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Anything else?” Josie asked.

Jonah thought for a moment. “No. Not right now. Do take care Jetty, tell Punches that I say hello. And Check on Royal and Stitches for me.” He stood up. “Alright, I’m ready.” 

Josie watched them march him out. “I suppose I should check on them, hold up my end of the deal.”

Royal Pain and Stitches were brought to a normal interrogation room. “Jetstream, what an unexpected surprise.”

“Baron wanted me to check on you.” Josie shrugged. “Said you’d meddled in something you shouldn’t have.”

They looked at each other and back at her. “Baron, the Baron Battle in this prison Baron?” Stitches asked slowly. 

“Is there another one?” 

“No,”

Josie sat down in her chair. “So what did you mess with?”

Royal pain smiled at her. “You always were a good hero. So ready to help.” She glanced at Stitches before shaking her head. “If you can know, Baron will tell you. If not, we don’t need a target on our backs.”

Josie let out a long sigh. “Am I supposed to make a deal with you too?”

“We have nothing to trade.” 

“Fine, well I’ve made sure you’re alive. I’ll see you again at some point.” Josie stood up. 

“I hope he tells you.” Royal pain whispered. 

Josie didn’t look back. She didn’t like how ernest it sounded. She thanked the Warden and promised to give a warning next time she dropped by. 

She landed, did her quick change behind a large tree and stepped out before pulling out her phone. It wasn’t Steve. 

You’re asking about Gavin because you found him today. He was hurt to throw away evidence. Don’t tell anyone else you found him. Take him to Mend. You can trust her. 

I NEVER hurt them. Warren was taken from me! Eveie was murdered! The people I was spying on caught wind. I was betrayed, and they took it out on my family.

Sue and Johnny were in the same league as me. They were going to have the same out and public redemption as me. Villains get more done after all. If they’re here, they’re in danger.

There’s a rotation of dirty guards; they bring in the video. You’re not the only one that wants information from me. 

Find my son. He’s not who you have, and lets be honest Josie, I’m not really here, but do keep up pretenses. 

You’ve always been a good hero. Please don’t stop being one now. Find Warren and get Gavin somewhere safe. Sleep in shifts with Steve or down in the sanctum. They’ll be watching you soon. Be clever, be safe, be the best fucking hero I know you are.

Josie read them over again. There was no phone number attached. Barron hadn't had a phone. But he wasn’t there? He had been. She’d seen him. There hadn't been the flicker of pixels that would have shown him as a hologram. And he wasn’t a technopath. Even if he was the whole prison was a power damper, he wouldn’t have been able to mess with any tec. 

Who do I have then? Josie texted back. There were a thousand other questions like how Jonah had even managed to do this. Where he supposedly was. How he already knew about Gavin. 

She only got an error message. Her texts wouldn’t send. Her phone buzzed and a new bubble popped up. 

It’s only one way. Don’t tap the glass. 

Josie looked over her shoulder. 

She was alone. The park was in bloom and birds were singing but there was no humans around. The prison was miles away. She hurried over to her van, did a quick scan for explosives to calm her own nerves and drove home taking the most convoluted route she could imagine. 

“Hey honey, we––what’s wrong?” Steve met her at the door, face dropping at the sight of her. 

“We need to talk.”

Steve frowned at her phone. “And you could see his hands the whole time?”

“Yes, and if that’s not Warren then who is it?” Josie gestured back up their poles to the upstairs. “I’ve gone over all the cases of Barron Battle and Royal Pain in my head, they never worked together. And apart from us they didn’t regularly fight the same people. I need to find that thumb drive.”

Steve ran his hand through his hair. “Where is Gavin?”

“I left him with Mend. Who apparently can be trusted, and how ever he knew I’d found him he didn’t find out that the person I’d taken him to to get scanned was Mend.” Josie said. “Oh, and Jonah says ‘hello Punches’. And! And there’s this whole thing with the wings!”

“The wings?” Steve repeated slowly. 

“Warren had wings as a baby.” Josie took to pacing. “He doesn't now. He was young enough that he could have had a power shift, it’s not unheard of but Mend didn’t seem to think so but she wouldn’t outright say no. If he shifted powers that little he wouldn’t still have hollow bones because he wouldn’t be flying.”

“I had wings as a baby?” 

Josie and Steve whipped around to see Will and Warren standing at the bottom of the poles. 

Warren frowned. “You said I had wings as a baby.”

Josie nodded. “You did.”

Warren took a step forward. “And you know where Uncle Gavin is?”

“Mend knew someplace safe. He was convinced people were after him. He’s getting psychiatric help.” Josie held her hands up. “Warren you wouldn’t know of any technopathic abilities in your family, would you?”

“I can only remember four years of my entire life.” Warren snapped. “I didn’t even know that I was apparently supposed to fly. I don’t––,” he clutched at his head. “I don’t know––,” 

“Oh my,” Will caught him as his knees buckled. 

“Lay him on his side.” Josie instructed. “Mend said to treat it like a normal seizure.” She grabbed a pillow off the couch and put it under Warren’s head. “How long were you two there?”

“We heard you talking about his powers shifting.” Will said. “Is he going to be okay?” He looked up from Warren shaking on the ground. 

Steve gave his shoulder a squeeze. “All the doctors have said that this should stop.” 

“Do you think his powers are shifting again?” Will asked.

“Doubt it.” Josie said as she rubbed Warren’s back. The shaking had stopped, but he was still lying exhausted on their floor. “Powers only shift like that under extreme stress. This is more likely to be connected to his memory loss. Maybe his brain is finally healing and letting him remember it all.” 

Because he was Warren. He had to be. Who else would he be? He went to Will’s school. He was the right age. Everything matched. The text messages had to be wrong. Something to spook her. Everything matched. 

Everything but the wings.

“Where’s Uncle Gavin?” Warren asked sitting up. “I want to see him.”

Josie pursed her lips. “I understand, but he’s not well.”

Warren frowned at her. “How?”

“He’s, uh,” Josie took a breath. “I found him squatting in a ruined house, He was clearly off his rocker, hadn't gone outside in who knows how long, and could not see the doors in front of him. Didn’t believe they existed. I’m sorry, I know you want to see him. I want you to see him. But he’s sick and he needs professional help before we can talk to him.” 

Warren looked down at his lap. “And he’s getting that?”

“Mend is going to take him to a psych ward she trusts.” Josie promised. “He’ll be okay.” 

“Any new memories?” Will asked hopefully. Warren just shrugged frowning at his lap. “Was it bad again?”

“No it just didn’t make sense.” Warren muttered. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Tell us anyway?” Will tried.

Warren shook his head. 

“I’m going to go make some tacos.” Steve clapped his hands. “Everything’s better with tacos.”

Chapter Text

There were nails scratching his back. “Long shift?” whispered in his ear before a kiss on the cheek. 

Warren just nodded into the pillow. The hands kneaded his shoulders before a body flopped on top of him. 

“Me too,” hands now holding his. 

Warren smiled at the interlocked fingers and wedding bands. 

“We should watch him in shifts.”

“We’re all going to be down here, in the Sanctum anyway.”

Warren groaned holding his head as it throbbed. 

“You should just ask her out Sue,” Warren sat up on the catwalk next to Sue Tenny. “I promise she’s like us.”

Sue fiddled with the lights power cable. “What if she doesn't like me?”

“I can ask.”

“Jonah Battle don’t you fucking dare!” Sue grabbed his arm.

“Everything alright up there?” 

They both looked down at the director squinting up at them with the script over his eyes. Show lights sparking off his impossibly sequined shirt. “Yes Mr. Biz.” They waved. 

“Jonah get down here, we’re running act two scene three again.” Mr. Biz beckoned him down. “I want to see some real feeling in it this time.”

Warren stood up. “You know if you want to do the onstage kissing you could audition. You’ve got a good singing voice. You know Biz would put on a lesbian Romeo and Juliet. ‘Think of the art children, The DRAMAH!’” He finished his singsong impression with jazz hands.  

Sue went bright red. “If I ever get over this stupid stage fright.”

Warren nodded and walked over to the ladder. “I’ll just say the smooch is from you.” He laughed at the roll of electrical tape that flew past his ear. 

“Should he be having this many in a row?”

“Warren, can you hear us?”

Warren sat up taking the offered cup of water. “My ears aren't broken Wonder Boy.” 

Will smiled a bit at him. 

Warren blinked and looked around at the arcade games and pool table. “We’re in your basement right?”

“More or less we—Mom his eyes are doing the thing again!”

Stevie Stronghold was smiling bright as a summer day as he brushed the snowball Jeremy Perkins had just nailed him with from his hair. Jonah felt his stomach knot up at the hand on his shoulder. “You said you needed to tell me something?” Steve asked as they walked back inside Sky High. The end of lunch bell was about to ring.

Jonah swallowed. “I think I uh, maybe might like guys.”

“Oh.” Stevie blinked a few times. “ Oh . Like that way. But you and Kitty from the eighth grade?”

“That was middle school.” Jonah protested. 

“That was last year.” Steve pointed out. “You liked Kitty. You made me proof read notes to her.”

“A horrible idea really. You’re an awful editor.” Jonah snorted. “I did like Kitty. And I think I still like girls I just...”

“Who?” Steve asked. “Who’s your crush now? Is it me?”

“To be fair I think I’m a little bit in love with all my friends.” Jonah held his hands up. “I don’t have a crush right now I just...I just wanted to tell you. You’re my best friend.” He shuffled his feet. “Are we okay?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Steve slapped him on the back so hard he stumbled forward a few steps.”I mean don’t tell my dad or he won’t let you come over anymore. Does your dad know?”

“Not yet.” Jonah shook his head as the bell rang. “But we have a really weird extended family; so worst comes of it I could probably live with them.”

“Okay how many fingers am I holding up?” 

Warren looked up. “Six.”

“No that’s three. We should call Mend.”

“Whatever Punches.”

“...what’d you call me?”

Bright blue hair from under a knit cap and a hand painted longboard setup beside her on the shoveled sidewalk. She’d been sketching campus library so long her fingers had started to turn blue. Warren took a breath and walked up. It was fine he’d planned this. Smooth talk his way into one date after exams were done. “You wanna go inside before you lose a finger?”

“Not done.”

Warren sat down on the bench next to her. “Drawing? I hear professor Pins is a hard instructor.”

“You have no idea.” 

“I can make your hands warm.” He offered. She looked up at him from under her bangs. “Nonono, not in a creepy way I’m just warm.” Warren held his hands up. “I’ve still got to study for this bitch of an organic chem final but I can stay out here and you can not lose a finger.” He held a hand out to her. She took it and after a second stole his other hand to hide her frozen fingers in. “It looks nice.” Warren nodded at the drawing. 

She snorted. “Pins is going to rip it to shreds.” She paused a beet. “I thought most supers went on to be hero’s or do you just get warm hands?”

“Maybe I want a degree.” Warren said. “You know before I go out and save the world with slightly warm hands.” 

“One art student at a time.” She laughed and Warren’s stomach flipped. “My name’s Eve.”

“Jonah,” Warren smiled. 

“How long has he been?”

“For the past few hours.”

“Has he taken his medication?”

“...SHIT.”

“Hang on Mr. Peace. Let me see what I can do.”

Warren frowned as he walked down a hall towards himself sitting in a chair. He knew this hall, with its dark blue walls and overly plush plumb carpet. He knew it he just couldn’t remember where from. There were strange portraits of a man all the way down that seemed to watch him from under the large women’s hats he wore. Each painting was more extravagant than the last. 

“—Yes well it skips a few generations here or there but you definitely have it.” 

Warren came to the end of the hall to stand behind himself. He looked different, hair curly and pulled back into a ponytail. His Queens U sweater looked out of place in the opulence of the tea room. The ring on his left hand was—no that was right wasn’t it? He’d been married. Warren looked around at the topical plants and over stuffed fainting couches. The table was lined with trays full of little finger foods.

“Uncle Romulus, you can't expect me to believe that. Why now? Why wouldn't you have told me this when I was in high school?” Warren in the chair demanded. The tea cup sat in front of him still full and long cold. 

The man across from him waved it off with a gloved hand and smoothed out his skirt. “Hard to tell when you’re that small unless something tries to kill you. Had I always known I would have warned you before this whole marriage business.” 

Warren felt himself bristle at that. 

“What about Evie?”

Uncle Romulus daintily picked up a cucumber sandwich from the tray. “Nothing. She will age and die like any mortal. You can stay with her if you like. Let yourself age to the best of your ability but you will out live her. Probably your children. It’s a nasty thing to watch old age.”

“I’m not leaving her.” Warren growled. “I don’t even know if I believe you. Why should I believe you?”

Uncle Romulus raised a manicured eyebrow. “Do you want to keep waking up in body bags? Galavanting about with this hero's work? I suppose that can’t be helped, we were all young and foolish once.” He sighed dramatically. “If you simply must galavant, know that you will be noticed. One acadental bagging can be waived off as a mistake, a medic not finding a pulse or too much blood hiding that your invincibility healed you just in time. But you wake up in a morgue? Oh no. People will talk.”

Warren rolled his eyes and walked past the table leaving himself and his uncle there. 

Uncle Romulus’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm. “People will see Jonah, and there’s not much a mortal man won’t do to put off meeting his maker.” Dark eyes stared into him as the room fell away. “I warned you to be careful. I warned you organizations would try and use you. I warned you.”

Warren jerked back and it was gone. The opulence has fallen away into a warehouse, dust covered floors. A woman with shiny black boots stood in front of him. Her pin was practically vibrating with how much Warren had to look at it. A circle with a slash threw it, off centered, shallow arch at the bottom and two little triangles floating in the dead space. “You would save a lot of people. How’s that sound, hero?” 

Warren nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”

He turned and opened a door to a home. The smell of pancakes filled the air despite it being six in the evening. Evie had silver hair this time. It had been pink two weeks before and she was thinking about trying for a rainbow next. She smiled up at him and handed over a baby with black hair and fuzzy gray wings. “How was work?” She kissed his cheek. “Warren here learned a new trick today.”

“Oh?”

Evie gave him a tiered grin as he bounced the baby in his arms. “He learned he can fit under the couch and hid there for an hour.”

The baby laughed. 

O.o.O.o.O

Warren’s eyes snapped open. “Jesus Christ!” He shoved the sudden face away. 

“Easy, easy.” Josie said softly as Will fell back on his ass. “How are you feeling Warren?”

Warren barely heard her looking around at the arcade games, the walls of trophies, the poles. This was the Stronghold house. This was safe. 

“Mr. Peace.” Nurse Mend tapped his knee. “Are you alright?”

Warren shook his head. 

“Feel like you’ll have another episode?” Will asked. Steve stood unsure in the corner. 

“No,” Warren felt his voice shake. “I don’t think I’m Warren.” 

Will tried to laugh, “that’s—that’s ridiculous. Who else would you be?” 

Warren swallowed nervously as he looked up past his best friend to the two heroes. “Jonah Battle.”

Nurse Mend clapped her hands delighted. “Ah it’s about time!”

Chapter Text

Will looked between his parents, Nurse Mend, and Warren sitting up on the couch they’d laid him on for the night. “You––no. Who even is that?”

“Jonah is my dad’s name.” Warren said. “My name I guess.”

“You can’t be your own dad. You’re in high school! How would that even work?” Will looked between them all again trying to get some help.

Warren shrugged and stood up. “Didn’t stop Sue from being Gwen.” 

“Yeah but Gwen never pretended to be Sue’s kid! That’s a whole new fake name. If you’re not Warren, who is?” Will yelled at him. 

Warren looked at the other three adults. “I don’t know. Will, I don’t know. I just have all these memories in my head that are—I remember coming out to your dad my freshman year of high school!”

Everyone looked at Steve. 

“It was snowing. You said not to tell your dad or he wouldn’t let me around the house.” Warren looked at his feet. 

“Dad?” Will asked when Steve just stared at Warren. “Wait your gay? Not that it’s a big deal! But like are you?”

Warren shrugged. “No I think I’m bi or pan or something. It’s still not all there.” 

Will looked back at his dad. “Did that happen?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah yeah that happened.” He turned to his wife. “But you just saw Jonah in jail.”

“Oh,” Mend blinked. “I just assumed it was an empty cell they put a cover story over. Is there a ’Jonah’ there?”

“He was. Sounded like him, looked like him too. He already knew about Gavin.” Josie said as she passed her phone around. “He also said that Warren here wasn’t the real Warren.”

“Maybe you’re a clone!” Will tried again. “That’s why you can’t remember.” 

Warren stared at him. “ And how is that better ?” His hands sparked a bit before he took a breath. “I’m remembering things that I shouldn’t know. My uncle Gavin is my brother in law and he’s apparently been driven crazy. I’m somehow in jail and here and my own kid. I’ve got a weird Uncle Romulus I need to find because he was trying to warn me about something that pissed me off.” He scowled. “Never approved of Evie, pompous asshole.”

“Because clones don’t get arrested for their crimes of their origin, there was a Supreme Court case about it!” Will said. “You’re not about to get arrested, right?” He looked at his parents. “You’re not about to arrest him, right?” 

Josie let out a long sigh. “Could he be a clone?” She asked Mend. 

Mend hummed and circled around Warren, “it’s a possibility. An unlikely possibility but I wouldn’t rule anything out. It was not at all what I’d suspected.” 

Warren looked at her. “What did you suspect?” 

“You are in fact Jonah Battle. Rebirth hasn’t been studied but memory loss was a suspected side effect.” Mend said. “I saw Warren as a baby. Even had there been a power shift there would have been a mark where the old wings were. What I want to know is who’s in your cell.”

“The real Barron Battle.” Will insisted, “Dad arrested him. How would he de-age and if he did, a big if, how would he get out and place a fake him there?” 

“How would he make a clone?” Warren asked. 

“The clone would have already been out.” Will said. “If you'd been reborn wouldn’t you still be a toddler? You have to have been a preplaced cloan.”

Mend clapped her hands together. “Or he had help. Jonah never worked alone.”

“Uncle Romulus?” Warren frowned. 

“Maybe.” Mend patted his cheek. “You never told me much. Just enough I could suspect things.”

Steve ran a hand through his hair. “We can’t arrest Warren for Jonah’s crimes without proof of guilt.” 

“I didn’t hurt Evie.” Warren muttered down at his toes. “I know I didn’t.”

“Or treason, and all that other stuff.” Will said. 

Warren laughed, looking back up at them with a half smile that was far to Jonah for Steve and Josie to shake off. Cocky and like he was watching the best prank unfold. “Well I don’t know if the secrets are any good anymore with how long it’s been.” 

“You’re not your dad!” Will shook him. “It’s just something weird in your brain that’s making you think that.”

Warren stepped out of Will’s grasp. “My son had wings, it ran on his mother's side of the family. I don’t. And let’s humor the idea I’m a clone with implanted memory, why now? Why wouldn’t I have always known and had some sort of mission? Or....I’m not in the Vault.”

“What?” 

“The log of everyone’s DNA, so shapeshifters can’t impersonate you. You submit your entry in high school.” Warren frowned, pulling out his phone and texting. “AI kept me home on Vault days. Why would she unless it’d set off an alarm?” He frowned at it for a moment. “She’s never paused in responding to me before.”

Mend nodded. “She was always concerned about not failing you again.” She smiled at the group. “AI was his guardian angel over Evie and Warren. Kept them in contact.”

Steve frowned at that. “So you’re saying a computer feels bad about not stopping their murder?”

“Really a computer? AI is a highly advanced constantly evolving artificial intelligence program that––,” Warren stopped mid rant. “Jesus, I really am my dad.” He glanced down as his phone pinged and lit up. “AI says she can explain.” he raised an eyebrow. “Normally she just explains.”

Will glanced at his phone. “It’s only midnight. There’s nothing we can do about it tonight. We should sleep. You should sleep, you’ve had so many seizures.” 

Warren rolled his eyes. “I wasn't planning on running off to burn down the white house tonight.”

“Hmm?” Josie coughed into her hand. 

“Joking.” Warren held his hands up. “Besides, I’d have to stake it out again for months.”

“Warren,” Steve warned. 

Warren just snorted and sat back down on the couch, texting. “I’ll let you know if I get anything out of AI. Josie, you have that thumb drive I gave you still?” He paused and looked up. “I gave you a thumb drive? Were you in on it?” And then before she could even answer he shook his head. “No. Had to leave someone good on the outside, and Punches has a terrible poker face.”

“But...” Will looked around again at all the adults. “You’re not your dad. You’re not a villain.” 

“Sorry Wonder Boy.” Warren didn’t look up. “Get some sleep, it’s late, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Will sulked his way back to the sleeping bags. “You better not.”

Chapter Text

Jonah Battle had broken a promise. He had not stayed in the Stronghold’s basement. He wasn’t in the same neighborhood. He ducked closer to the wall of the supermax prison as a search light passed just a hair's width away from him. 

He had time. Will was a chronically late sleeper and so was Steve unless that had changed. Josie might wake up before he got back but Mend would keep her from sounding an alarm. 

Mend had been giddy in her excitement to help. 

He took a breath and climbed up a step higher to the window. Glass cutter got him into the warden’s office easily, quickly around the edges of the room to the camera, and the implant that would only play an empty room was in place. Jonah listened to the hallway for a moment. No one was coming. Quickly he darted over to the computer, gloves on so he’d leave no trace. There. Cell block 2B and 5A.He smiled at the heat sensitive monitor out in the hall. The whole prison was a power damper. He wouldn’t show up any more than the average person. He flipped his jacket inside out so that the side that matched the security guard's uniform was showing, clipped a stolen badge AI had given him to his front pocket, and stepped out. 

No one would question him till too late if he looked like he was supposed to be there. The guards he passed didn’t question him. All too tired on the overnight shift and not paid enough to ask every new face to identify themselves. Not when they were in uniform and had a badge out. Jonah stopped in front of the cell. “Prisoner 2B-5, Warden wants to see you,”

Two heads popped up from their pillows. One hissing a small “oh shit man they really are gonna kill you.” 

“Now, 2B-5,” Jonah snapped. 

Jonah watched as Johnny fumbled for his spectacles and scrambled down. Eyes widening behind the glasses as he recognized the guard demanding him. Jonah spun him around snapping the cuffs on him and marching him down the hall before the relief on Johnny’s face could give him away. Or give away the fact he’d just given him power enhancers to cut through the supresents of the prison. “There’s a blind spot just around the next corner change there and we’ll grab Sue.”

“You remember now?” Johnny whispered. 

“Most of it...I think. Can’t remember if anything I’d forget.” Jonah nodded. “You two really just dropped me in a restaurant?”

“We were being watched. Didn’t think your memory would be that affected.” Johnny said apologetically. “Sue had a broken arm, we were pinned down and you weren't coming back to life fast enough, as a baby was the only way to carry you out. And then I guess your immortality mixed poorly with the pacifier because we look away for one second and then there’s a heavily bleeding ten year old in the back seat. That whole night just kept going wrong every witch way.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Blind spot, change.” Jonah whispered. He winced at the pop. “What that your hip?” 

Johnny laughed a bit behind the thick mustache as a guard uniform replaced his prison jumpsuit. “Some of us grow old you know.”

“Sue can fix that.”

“You broke the Pacifier after homecoming.” 

“I have all her notes in my basement.” Jonah said over his shoulder. “I did help make the thing.”

They stayed quite as they crossed over to the women’s block, nodding to guards that walked past with out so much as a second glance. 

Sue whent white at the sight of them demanding she step out of her cell. “I haven't said anything. I didn’t tell Jet Stream anything. I swear.” she insisted, back pressed up against the wall.  

“It’s just a talk, step out of the cell.” Jonah said firmly. He didn’t want to fight her, but he couldn’t say anything that could get repeated when cell mates were questioned about her disappearance. “Now,”

Sue looked ready to cry as she shuffled forward, squeaking in surprise when she saw his face. 

“Warden doesn't want any delays, move it.” Jonah ordered, snapping the power enhancers on her wrists as he marched her out. “Keep sniffling till we hit a blind spot and Johnny can give you a costume change.” he hissed in her ear. 

“I can make a blind spot.” Sue whispered back. “What the fuck you scared the shit out of me. I thought––,”

“I know, I’m sorry. Make one two cell blocks up by an intersection. We’ll all change around there and get out.” Jonah said. “And I really hope you still remember how to swim.”

O.o.O.o.O

Will nearly broke the door off the sanctum rushing out only to stop dead in his tracks to see Warren sitting on the living room chair with a book and a mug of tea. “Morning Wonder Boy.” Warren nodded. “Sleep well?”

“Why weren’t you down in the basement?” Will demanded, still not touching down from his nervous float. 

“Well, Layla couldn’t go back to sleep and called me at like six in the morning, and I didn’t want to wake you.” Warren calmly took another sip of tea. “School is canceled by the way.”

“Why?”

Warren pointed at the muted tv, currently playing a slap-chop commercial. “News said Royal Pain and Stitches escaped. Sky High is closed as a precaution to re-update their security. Don’t worry I recorded it.”

“They what ?” Will dropped to the floor. “What if they come after us? We need to warn everyone!”

“One, they already know and have been talking about it in the group chat. And two, Like I told them they’re probably going to be laying low. At least for a while. They were held at a supermax that has massive suppressants installed. It’ll take them a day or two to get their own powers back up to par without relying on things like enhancers.” Warren took another sip of tea and bookmarked his spot. “But they, mostly Zach want to panic so as soon as you text in you’re awake they will be here to panic about.”

Will blinked. “You don’t think we’ll be a target?”

Warren shook his head. “No. I think they will be, from whoever set them up to turn a whole school into babies. Really Wonder Boy, think about it. How big of a network would be needed to care for a hundred odd infants? Sue was sweet but she wasn’t that big on mothering a massive family and Johnny never really wanted kids.” he sighed when Will’s face fell at the mentioned memory. “Is me knowing things going to be an issue for you?”

“No,”

“Then stop pouting. The more we know the safer we are.” He looked up as the back door unlocked in a hurry with Zach yelling through the house about how he was ready to throw down on some villains. “I see they’re not waiting.”

Zach burst into the front room glowing in bravado. “Alright man where are they? I’ll take them out again!”

“You didn’t even do it the first time.” Magenta said strolling in with her arms crossed. “Layla took out Penny. Will took out Royal Pain. Ethan took out Lash, and he and Warren took out Speed. I fixed the school so it didn’t crash.”

“You were good moral support.” Layla offered. “And you read the map. And Warren said they’re probably not coming after us anyway.”

Magenta frowned at that. “And I ask again, how do you know?”

Warren just took another sip of tea.

Zach sat next to him, practically vibrating. “Is it the seizures? Are you getting cool new powers? What are the winning lottery numbers?”

“I’m not getting new powers.” Warren shook his head. “I’m just remembering things.”

Will let out a sigh. “You’re a clone, I swear, there’s no other explanation.”

“Then the really obvious I’m my dad?” Warren asked offhandedly, standing up so Zach couldn’t punch him in the shoulder in his neon excitement. 

“Wait what?” Ethan piped up from the back. “Your dad is in jail. How can you both be here and in jail?”

Warren shrugged. “I have my dad’s memory. I remember going to school with your parents. I remember collage. I remember Evie and Warren. Warren had wings, little fluffy gray ones, we didn’t know what bird yet. I am Jonah Battle.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us this?” Layla asked. 

Warren shrugged. “To be fair, I had just found out.”

Ethan shuffled on his feet. “Sooo, do you like...want to be a villain now?”

“No,” 

“See,” Will said. “You’re not your dad.”

Warren glared at him. “I never wanted to be a villain, it was just the most efficient way to get what was necessary done.”

“See that sounds like villain talk.” Zach said. “But the cool redeemable villain that we can still be friends with because he’s not going to do it again.” He paused. “You didn’t, like, break into prison and free your villain buds did you?”

Warren raised an eyebrow. “To clarify your asking if I, in the middle of having unpredicitbul seizures, snuck past two active heros, Nurse Mend, and Will’s over worried ass, got all the way out to the supermax, got in, Got to two opposite sides of the prison to get out two people who would have had no idea I was coming and get them both out, and sneak back in before anyone noticed?” 

“Well yeah, I guess.”

Warren snorted. “I would have had to make a stop at home to get supplies and also hide them again to not make the whole thing in vain and that's a tight schedule. Especially counting the seizure I had at five am this morning, and that Will’s parents had an early morning mission I would have had no way of knowing about or planning for.”

“So that’s a no?” Layla asked. 

Warren just walked back into the kitchen to refill his tea mug. 

“Warren? That’s a no right?” Layla followed after him. 

“Dude,” Zach whispered to the others left in the room. “I think he did it.”

“No,” Will shook his head. “That would mean he’s...”

“Warren’s going villain.” Ethan nodded. “But only if he did it. Maybe it's the memories, they could be implanted to confuse him. Or if he’s a clone like you said, maybe all his memories are implanted.”

Will took to floating again. “We can fix this right? Warren doesn't have to go to jail.”

“They can’t put him in jail without proof.” Magenta said. “And we don’t have proof that Warren’s going villain. So maybe don’t freak out and drive him off.”

Ethan nodded. “Exactly. The whole ends justify the means bit he said didn’t help but it’s not proof.”

Will let out a sigh. “Okay, okay, If he did do it. Which is very unlikely, but if he did he would have to have hidden them again like he said. So where would he hide them?”

“His hero cave!” Zach yelled. 

“I’m still not letting you near my inventions.” Warren called back from the kitchen. 

They all jumped at a knock on the door. 

Will tried not to think too hard at Warren slinking out of the kitchen to up the stairs where he could look through the front window. “It’s investigators.” Warren reported down to them. “Probably checking in on the kid that defeated Royal Pain the last time.” 

Will nodded and opened the door. “Can I help you?”

Three pairs of suits showed him a badge and stepped in. “Just routine investigation. Have you heard about the events that occurred at approximately three thirty this morning?”

Will nodded. “The break out? I haven’t watched the news but yeah uh, why?”

A suit stepped forward. “Has anyone come to your house that was unusual, or a phone call, or email?”

“Uh, no,” Will swallowed, heart thudding in his chest. 

“There’s no need to lie son.” The suit said. 

Warren snorted. “He’s not you over glorified polygraph test.” He sat down on the stairs. “I’ve been here all day, the only people to show up have been these high schoolers and you.” 

The suit narrowed his eyes on Warren. “I assure you I can tell when someone is––,”

“Nervous.” Warren cut him off. “You also can’t question us without an adult present.” He stood. “I was once an acrobat for a circus. My favorite color is yellow. I sleep with a teddy bear that hides a glock. I’m seven feet tall. I’m a dead man's ghost haunting a golem shaped to look like a highschool student. Which one was a lie?”

“One?” the suit repeated. 

Warren smiled. “I suggest sir that you go back to your car and wait for some parents to show up.”

The suits stood firm in the entryway of the house. “We can not leave you unprotected.”

“We’ll be fine.” Warren repeated, he stood up. “Look I’m going to brush my teeth, it’s your house Stronghold. Not like they’d come out without a big target again anyway.”

The suits glanced at each other. 

“You were friends with them right?” One of them stepped forward. “One of the villain kids?”

Warren turned around and crossed his arms. “Yeah that’s exactly why I had no idea they were going to drop the school and helped stop them. We were all good buds.” He glanced past them  as a pair of realtors in glasses hurried up the front lawn. “How was the house sale?”

“Good, good, Will what is going on?” Steve asked. 

A suit that had been silent in the corner stepped forward. “We are SIA, investigating how two villains could have escaped our highest security prison. We have reason to believe that they might retaliate against those that put them away.” She gestured towards the high schoolers. “Just a few questions before we place you all under protective custody.”

Steve and Josie glanced at each other. “Don’t you think protective custody is a bit much?”

“Not at all. If you like we can just use the babysitter protocol.” She smiled. 

Will looked down as his phone buzzed. Warren into the group chat. Babysitters got Evie killed. Don’t let them.

Zach looked up from his phone and then right at Warren. “Dude, who’s Evie?”