Thursday, September 10th, 2020.

Gyaru waited in the ring as Flat walked in. The tall blond paced between corners. Flat glanced up at her. She’s pissed off. Gyaru’s always pissed off. So does it matter to try to make the tsundere happy? Flat thought.

“Tsk, You’re late,” Gyaru said. Flat climbed between the ropes. As Gyaru paced, Flat stretched off the turnbuckle.

“My band uniform came in today,” Flat said.

“What band uniform?” Gyaru walked to Flat’s corner. “We’re Flagline or Cheerleaders. There’s a meeting on it tomorrow,” Gyaru said.

Flat slipped off the ropes to face Gyaru.

“Marching band,” Flat said and pointed to herself.

“No. I’m trying to build a team out of the third floor,” Gyaru said.

“The band lacks teamwork?” Flat said and started to wrap her knuckles. Gyaru snugged the straps on her gloves.

“Tsk, You need to make the right decision,” Gyaru said.

"Glockenspiel until I die," Flat said.

Gyaru moved before Flat finished wrapping. The big girl lashed out with fast combination punches. Flat blocked and moved. Gyaru was slow compared to Go-Go. Coach Fly waited in Flats corner to watch. Gyaru sent a roundhouse kick at Flats Head. Flat ducked. Gyaru overbalanced to land on Flat, and both girls crashed to the mat. She pounded away at Flat’s face. Any of the blows should have broken her nose. But, Flat took the beating, all she could do was roll over. The punches came on the side of her head and neck. Flat set her foot on the canvas to push Gyaru back into the ropes. Fly waited by the corner.

Gyaru shapeshifted. Flat stepped back as the gym uniform stretched. Not waiting she closed with an uppercut to Gyaru’s solar plexus. As the werewolf gasped for air, Flat came with jab after jab to Gyaru’s long jaws. Her punches knocked the girl back on the ropes. With a cross that Flat felt from her toes to her knuckles, Gyaru flipped out of the ring and crashed to the floor.

Flat panted and stared down out of the ring. Gyaru laid on her back and changed to her human form. Flat leaned over ropes to offer Gyaru a hand.

“I never ask for any of this. Don’t push me around. I’ll play the congas for cheer or Flagline. But I stay in the band,” Flat said.

Gyaru took Flat's hand.

“Fine,” Gyaru said.

Fly sent Gyaru to the showers. Alana and Kelly stood by the bell. The two girls looked pale.

The next class would be weightlifting, and Flat cursed Fly under her breath. He let that happen with Gyaru, Flat thought. She tried to concentrate. She lay on the bench, placing her hands on the bar. Shoulders set, back arched, toes set, butt tight; she could feel the power come up from the floor. It surprised her how much she enjoyed weightlifting. After a month, Flat could bench over eight hundred pounds. Her strength increased every day, along with the amount of food she ate. The last time, she had tested about five times stronger than an adult male.

Flat had to lift alone now. The way Gyaru acted, Flat was happy alone. A shadow passed the overhead light. Flat racked the bar and relaxed. She glanced from the bar. Crested looked down at her.

“What?” Flat said. Crested couldn’t spot this weight.

“You stood up to Gyaru,” Crested said.

Flat sat up on the bench. “Are you mad about it?” Flat said.

“No one ever stands up to her,” Crested said.

Flat wiped her face with a towel. “You could stand up to her if you wanted,” Flat said.

“Gyaru’s right about a lot of things. We’re a pack,” Crested said.

“I get it. Let’s keep it between Gyaru and me,” Flat said.

Crested cell phone rang with the ring tone of Old MacDonald had a Farm, done by barking dogs.

A flurry of activity followed. Flat in a borrowed P.A.H.A. jacket waited on a street corner in a suburban neighborhood. They were fifteen minutes into South Carolina. Crested wore her Sheriff's K9 Jacket, cargo shorts, and mirrored aviators. As Crested waited with Flat, her ears rotated to listen at off angles. Her eyes darted to the sides when she talked to people.

“I thought we started patrols in October?” Flat said.

“It’s an emergency call out. We stand around,” Crested said. The neighborhood streets had filled with police cars. Red and blue lights rotated in the distance.

Go-Go zipped in. “Wait here and observe. A kid manifested a few months ago with Super Science. Of course, the parents failed to report it. And they built a plasma reactor in the basement,” Go-Go said.

“What’s wrong with that?” Flat said.

“Honey, it could ignite the atmosphere. It could kill everyone in the house or the neighborhood,” Go-Go said.

“How often does it happen?” Flat said.

“Every few months,” Go-Go said as she looked around. “Where did Puddles go?”

Crested stretched her arms then pointed. “The Barista’s truck parked a few blocks away. She’s getting coffee and scones,” Crested said.

“Scones? I brought her along out of courtesy. This is why she doesn’t get bumped up to Mean Girl,” Go-Go said.

“The Barista?” Flat said as anything coffee related had her interest.

"A semi-retired villain with the best coffee truck in the world,” Go-Go said.

“Ba…” Crested said. A BOOM erupted from the garage. The door ripped apart. Flat stepped in front of Crested, and Go-Go zipped away. A metal gorilla pushed the door aside to run out of the garage and across the backyard. It carried a girl.

The radios clicked. “We got a runner. Someone intercept,” Rudy said.

“I got this,” Flat said.

“Honey, have at it,” Go-Go said.

Crested ran over to the police and Gyaru to wave them off. The gorilla stopped as Flat got near. Brushed steel skin and the eyes glowed red. The robot gorilla set the girl to the ground.

“Destroy her,” the girl said.

“Wait!” Flat said. With an electric roar, the gorilla attacked Flat with two overhead fists. Flat slipped past the gorilla. It’s a robot. How strong can it be? Flat thought. “Can we talk?” Flat said.

The gorilla swung wild. Flat sidestepped to send a rabbit punch to the kidney. Her fist stopped dead on the steel body. A dull solid thunk came from her efforts. And a forearm hook hit the side of her head for her troubles. The blow flipped her over. Flat lay on the grass.

“Sit,” the girl said.

The robot gorilla stopped to sit, and the girl handed it a banana. Flat watched steel teeth rip into the yellow-green peal. The girl loomed over Flat, arms crossed over her chest, with a scowl. She wore sweatpants and a hoodie. Still in middle school, the girl was short and endowed better than any girl at South.

“Why are they in my house?” she said. Flat rubbed her neck as Go-Go zipped to the two girls. The speedster kept a distance from the gorilla.

“The utility company says there’s a plasma reactor in the basement,” Flat said.

With hands on hips. “No. It’s a plasma welder.” She said.

“The city utilities has no idea. Honey, did you build the robot?” Go-Go said.

“Yeah.”

“I’m Go-Go, and this is Flat. What’s your name?” Go-Go said.

“I am Susan Howard, this is Robo-Gorilla Mark Five. My greatest creation,” Susan said.

Crested walked where Susan could see her.

“Mark Five, nice. It’s my second fight today. He gave me a run,” Flat said as she stood up.

Honey, You’re one of us,” Go-Go said.

“What do you mean?” Susan said.

“An Advanced Human,” Crested said.

“She’s a dog girl,” Flat said, pointing to Crested.

“I’m not a dog!” Susan said.

“No Honey. You have abilities. You have Super Science,” Go-Go said.

“The kids at school make fun of me for being good at science,” Susan said as she stomped her feet.

“Honey, what do they say?” Go-Go said.

“They call me Brain Girl,” Susan said. Crested pulled out her cell phone to type away.

“The boys also tease me for going through puberty first,” Susan said. Her crossed arms tightened over her chest.

“Brain Girl is available on the register,” Crested said.

“You’re kidding?” Flat said.

“It’s an open name,” Crested said.

“I hate that name!” Susan said.

“I disliked Flat, but I owned it,” Flat said.

“Honey, when the shoe fits,” Go-Go said.

“Bite me Go-Go,” Flat said.

“The boys will make fun of me,” Susan said.

“Honey, It’ll stop. Soon the boys will bother you for other reasons,” Go-Go said.

“And we make fun of each other all the time,” Flat said, pointing at Crested. “She drinks from the toilet.”

“You had to go there?” Crested said.

“Honey, you’re a filthy animal,” Go-Go said.

“Talking about me again? Nice robot,” Gyaru said.

Crested pointed at Gyaru. “She doesn’t shave her legs,” Crested said.

“Tsk, Why would I? My fur is as luxurious as mink. And you sniff butts,” Gyaru said.

“So do you,” Crested said.

“Susan, we’re all friends here,” Flat said.

Except for the fight with Gyaru two hours ago, Flat thought.

Go-Go stepped forward. “Susan, I’ll talk to your parents later. How’d you like to go to a school where no one will make fun of you?”

“Where?” Susan said.

“Not far. I could give you a tour today if you’d like,” Go-Go said.

“What if I say no?” Susan said.

“Honey, we can’t make you do anything unless you break the law. We’re trained as Heroes at this school. Your talent is valuable,” Go-Go said.

“The boys will make fun of me,” Susan said.

“It’s a girls’ school. The boys are up North,” Flat said.

“Honey, let’s go meet Rudy,” Go-Go said

“Is Rudy a boy?” Susan said.

"No he's a man," Gyaru said.

“Honey, there’s a difference, but for now, he can drive us over to the school,” Go-Go said.

“Can I bring Mark 5?” Susan said.

“Sure,” Go-Go said. Everyone returned to the house, and Gyaru called it in on the radio. Flat walked next to Susan, opposite the gorilla.

“You build robots?” Flat said.

“Robot Gorillas,” Susan said.

“Can you build an army of flying robot monkeys?” Flat said.

“No… I’m not some middle school hack…Who builds flying robot monkeys? The Bananium power cores are too big to fit in a monkey chassis anyway,” Susan said.

“Bananium? The robot gorilla runs off of Bananium?” Flat said.

“I can’t get any plutonium,” Susan said.

That evening Flat walked down to the Atrium for the jam session. She had left the congas back in the dorm. After two fights in one day, she wanted to relax. To listen to the music. Flat sat on the stairs next to Alana.

Behind them, on the other side of the windows, the Cheerleaders and Flagline drilled in the early evening heat. The Homecoming game against Great Lakes United was not far off.

The brass section setup as Kline played the piano. Kelly Winston stood next to the piano and started to sing. Kelly’s clear voice filled the Atrium. Everything stopped to listen.

“I think we have the slow music covered for Prom,” Flat said.

“We have to find a few up beat songs for her but there’s plenty of time,” Alana said.

“Cymbals are wasted on her, is she doing the anthem at the game?” Flat said.

“She agreed to it,” Alana said.

“She did? Great. Must have been a big step for her,” Flat said.

“She has a harder time talking than singing,” Alana said.

Kelly finished the song and walked over to the stairs. Kline moved on to the brass.

“Did that girl with the robot enroll?” Alana said.

“She’ll be in the middle school,” Flat said.

“Did she build the robot?” Kelly said.

“Yeah, that’s her thing. Robot Gorillas,” Flat said.

“What was it like when you got your powers?” Kelly said.

“Mine. I never noticed. One day I had a scare and then all at once I got hungry,” Flat said.

“My mom said her powers manifested at a moshpit in Delaware,” Kelly said.

“Whats a Moshpit?” Alana said.

“I think its for dancing and punching people,” Flat said.

“What can your mother do?” Alana said.

“Sound comes out of her hands,” Kelly said.

“Where is she a Hero?” Flat said.

“Oh, no. She teaches kindergarden in Virginia,” Kelly said.