the roof of the restroom, and Ditto practically lands in Max's lap. I see Max jump and dive for cover as Ditto, in full Divine Justice gear, strikes a dramatic pose.
"Cold Steel!" she yells in an equally dramatic tone. "Who do you think you are, picking on innocent people?"
"She stole my line," the pink haired girl complains lowly.
"She's debuted, you haven’t," Jack tells her with a shrug before turning to face off against Ditto. "Well, crap," he says loud enough to be heard. "Who let you out on the streets, DJ?" I abruptly remember that they would obviously know each other in character—she's dating his brother both on and off-stage.
"I let myself out!" she declares. "And you're not welcome here, so either leave now or I take you down. Do you know how pathetic you'll look, taken down by your brother's girlfriend?" she taunts, grinning evilly. "Think of the dinner conversations we could have."
Jack's face is perfect, I think as I pull out my phone and snap a picture. He looks completely dumbfounded. "You wouldn't!" he says.
"Oh I would, I would," Ditto says. Repeat appears behind him, tapping him on the shoulder with a little grin. He jumps slightly, jerking away from her, especially when she holds up a phone. "I've got your Daddy on speed dial, you know."
"You fight dirty, little girl," he declares. "This isn't me running away, though! I got bigger fish to fry," he adds defiantly as he steps onto his surfboard and takes to the air. "I'm taking over South Territory, next."
"You'll be sent running back home with your tail between your legs," Ditto says sharply. "Get out of here and I won't tell your mother you lied about her."
Jack races off, leaving the rest of us trying not to laugh. Repeat disappears and Ditto runs, leaving us to pretend to be norms. It must be nice to have built in alibis, I decide as I look at Emily. She's scolding Malina.
"You shouldn't speak to a super villain like that," she says, waving a finger in Malina's face. "They're dangerous! You could have been hurt!"
"Yeah, right," Freddy scoffs under his breath. I look over at him and he grins at me. "We've got Jack figured out," he says simply.
"But he was being a bully!" Malina says. "You have to stand up to bullies, otherwise they just get worse!"
"Yes, he was being a bully, but he's also a super villain with power over metal—which we happen to be surrounded by," Emily says, looking around at the playground toys. "That could have gotten ugly. Who knew Divine Justice could run him off so easily?"
"She's dating his brother, right?" I say, willingly going along. Payback for that last prank he pulled on me at school—I had one of my rings glued to the little toilet flush lever for half an hour. Sure, I took it off! But it's still petty embarrassing when guys look at you funny every time they come out of the restroom. "He's probably afraid she'll get him grounded."
"Who are you?" the pink haired girl says silently, looking from one to the next.
"We're just looking for a girl named Kirsten," I say. "We heard she's a Justin fan? I'm a HUGE Justin fan, myself."
"His biggest fan, even," Freddy says with an innocent look. I elbow him as quickly and non-noticeably as possible. Too bad he grunts in reply.
She hesitates, looking back at the cowering group of teens behind her before nodding. "We can't do this here, you've drawn too much attention to yourselves."
"We just wanted to talk about joining the fan club," Malina says, earning a raised eyebrow from pink girl. "I've seen Cold Steel on TV a lot—he doesn't think things through, right? He probably was just flying past and saw Ju--Jesse’s ugly shirt,” she says, “and decided to come down and be a bully.”
"Probably," Freddy says.
"I think he does think once in a while... probably," I have to admit—I've been in the middle of a prank war with the guy since—oh crap, I think abruptly looking around. "Be right back," I say, running for the restroom. I hear Max on the roof as I enter
"Cold Steel!" she yells in an equally dramatic tone. "Who do you think you are, picking on innocent people?"
"She stole my line," the pink haired girl complains lowly.
"She's debuted, you haven’t," Jack tells her with a shrug before turning to face off against Ditto. "Well, crap," he says loud enough to be heard. "Who let you out on the streets, DJ?" I abruptly remember that they would obviously know each other in character—she's dating his brother both on and off-stage.
"I let myself out!" she declares. "And you're not welcome here, so either leave now or I take you down. Do you know how pathetic you'll look, taken down by your brother's girlfriend?" she taunts, grinning evilly. "Think of the dinner conversations we could have."
Jack's face is perfect, I think as I pull out my phone and snap a picture. He looks completely dumbfounded. "You wouldn't!" he says.
"Oh I would, I would," Ditto says. Repeat appears behind him, tapping him on the shoulder with a little grin. He jumps slightly, jerking away from her, especially when she holds up a phone. "I've got your Daddy on speed dial, you know."
"You fight dirty, little girl," he declares. "This isn't me running away, though! I got bigger fish to fry," he adds defiantly as he steps onto his surfboard and takes to the air. "I'm taking over South Territory, next."
"You'll be sent running back home with your tail between your legs," Ditto says sharply. "Get out of here and I won't tell your mother you lied about her."
Jack races off, leaving the rest of us trying not to laugh. Repeat disappears and Ditto runs, leaving us to pretend to be norms. It must be nice to have built in alibis, I decide as I look at Emily. She's scolding Malina.
"You shouldn't speak to a super villain like that," she says, waving a finger in Malina's face. "They're dangerous! You could have been hurt!"
"Yeah, right," Freddy scoffs under his breath. I look over at him and he grins at me. "We've got Jack figured out," he says simply.
"But he was being a bully!" Malina says. "You have to stand up to bullies, otherwise they just get worse!"
"Yes, he was being a bully, but he's also a super villain with power over metal—which we happen to be surrounded by," Emily says, looking around at the playground toys. "That could have gotten ugly. Who knew Divine Justice could run him off so easily?"
"She's dating his brother, right?" I say, willingly going along. Payback for that last prank he pulled on me at school—I had one of my rings glued to the little toilet flush lever for half an hour. Sure, I took it off! But it's still petty embarrassing when guys look at you funny every time they come out of the restroom. "He's probably afraid she'll get him grounded."
"Who are you?" the pink haired girl says silently, looking from one to the next.
"We're just looking for a girl named Kirsten," I say. "We heard she's a Justin fan? I'm a HUGE Justin fan, myself."
"His biggest fan, even," Freddy says with an innocent look. I elbow him as quickly and non-noticeably as possible. Too bad he grunts in reply.
She hesitates, looking back at the cowering group of teens behind her before nodding. "We can't do this here, you've drawn too much attention to yourselves."
"We just wanted to talk about joining the fan club," Malina says, earning a raised eyebrow from pink girl. "I've seen Cold Steel on TV a lot—he doesn't think things through, right? He probably was just flying past and saw Ju--Jesse’s ugly shirt,” she says, “and decided to come down and be a bully.”
"Probably," Freddy says.
"I think he does think once in a while... probably," I have to admit—I've been in the middle of a prank war with the guy since—oh crap, I think abruptly looking around. "Be right back," I say, running for the restroom. I hear Max on the roof as I enter
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