Zoom, Academy for Superheroes: Part 1

Tenerife Sea

"We are surrounded by all these lies and people who talk to much. You've got the kind of look in your eyes as if no one knows anything, but us. Should this be the last thing I see, I want you to know it's enough for me. 'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need. You look so beautiful in this light, your silhouette over me. The way it brings out the blue in your eyes is the Tenerife Sea. "
-Ed Sheeran

*****

Jack sighed with boredom while sitting comfortably on the couch in the lounge. Tucker was at an overnight soccer camp with his team, Cindy was out with her parents for the day, Dylan and Summer were in the city on a date and Marsha was probably busy since he hadn't seen her in a while.
Jack didn't want to have to resort to talking to Grant, and he had no time for the quirky scientists here, but he was bored out of his mind. He decided that maybe a stroll around facility could occupy him for a while and maybe even send some interesting opportunities his way.
He did find some fun along the way, messing with a few of Grants things, listening in on a meeting that Laraby was having, even talking to some employees that he sort of knew. They weren't all bad here, they mean well.
But it it wasn't until he heard the quick footsteps of someone around the corner that he got his real fun. From afar, he saw someone he couldn't quite make out, a woman, quickly rush around the corner and stay very quiet and still. Whoever it was, she was obviously hiding.
Intrigued, Jack walked closer to realize that it was Marsha, desperately trying not to be seen. She jumped when Jack spoke but relaxed after realizing that it was only him.
"Alright, what the hell are you doing now? What are you hiding from?" He teased casually, it was always something with her.
"Not what, who."
"Oh, who. Let me guess, some pretty girl that you don't get along with because, well, everyone knows that two pretty girls can't get along?"
Marsha looked at him in confusion. "No, this isn't high school, it's just some-"
"Oh, was someone mean to you, so now you're forced to hide whenever they come around? Need me to beat them up? I've been itching for something to do all day, that would be perfect!" He said, half jokingly, half seriously. Marsha rolled her eyes before continuing.
"Please, if I needed someone beat up I would ask Cindy, here he comes don't let them see you."
They slinked back into the shadows and Jack listened with amusement as two men in lab coats walked by leisurely. One was quite short, with big, crazy looking eyes, the other was tall and awkward, almost a younger version of Dr. Grant. Jack chuckled quietly at the comparison.
"I'm telling you, she's the most beautiful woman you will ever find on this Earth, sometimes I can hardly even believe she's real!" The creepy-looking shorter one said to his companion, waving his arms expressively as he spoke.
"She went down this way, I know it, and today's going to be the day, she can't hide her feelings for me any longer! Just you wait, by this evening she'll have agreed to go out with me and you'll be looking at the luckiest man alive!"
The taller one just pushed his glasses up his nose and stayed quiet, he appeared to be a little bit creeped out. Jack and Marsha were, too, for that matter. It was obvious that this small, delusional man was talking about Marsha. Jack completely understood why she felt the need to hide, it was a smart decision. When the two scientists were out of earshot, Jack spoke, "Well, sounds like you've got a date later, Sweetheart!"
He'd hoped for some action tonight to save him from his boredom, but this was just priceless. Marsha put her face in her hands and shook her head. "I don't even know who he is!"

When Cindy, Dylan and Summer returned to Area 52, Jack was glad to have something to do, he was running out of ways to tease Marsha about her little stalker. After a while of casual chatting, Summer got up to go change and left the rest of the team, minus Tucker who was still away, alone in the lounge.
"Oh, now that she's gone, I've been thinking that we should do something for Summer on her birthday, she's going to be 17 next week." Dylan suggested casually, he wanted to make sure that Summer's 17 birthday was a memorable one, hers was the first birthday they would celebrate as a couple.
"Alright then, loverboy what did you have in mind?" Jack couldn't help but poke fun.
"Well, I was thinking about a surprise party. But, with just us, she wouldn't really like if people from our old high school came."
"That sounds like a great idea, we can use the usual room, I'm sure." Miss Holloway said with a polite smile.
"Yeah, hey, Marsha, you could even bring your boyfriend!" Jack laughed some more while Marsha sighed and cringed a bit as she thought about the creepy little man who insisted on going out with her.
"We're going to have a party! This will be so fun! Miss Holloway, can we all wear dresses?" Cindy said, bouncing up and down on the couch with excitement, as if it was her birthday they would be celebrating as opposed to Summer's.

*****

Jack, Grant and Marsha sat at a table in the scientists lounge after the kids had gone to bed. The room was filled with plenty of employees, as usual, relaxing and catching up with each other after a long day.
The three of them were casually talking as they usually do, but when Grant got up to get himself some coffee, someone else came through the door. Jack and Marsha recognized him immediately, Jack raised his eyebrows and Marsha quickly turned her head the other way, hoping and praying that he hadn't seen her.
"Oh look, Marsha! There's your boyfriend, should I flag him down?" Jack said quite loudly while pretending to get up from his seat before Marsha frantically pushed him back down.
"No, Jack, don't!"
Jack was nothing less than amused as he watched the man take a seat at a table on the other side of the room and stare longingly at their table for a painfully long time. Well, either amused or just plain creeped out. A little bit of both.
And it went on like this for the rest of the week, until it finally got a little bit too weird for everyone's liking, and Jack was forced to tell him off. Marsha stood, smiling slightly, behind them, trying not to make eye contact with her "stalker". Afterwards, her and Jack both laughed and continued down the hallway together, relieved that it was all over.
They said their goodbyes for now as they went to their separate rooms to prepare for Summer's big surprise party, they hoped she would be surprised, at least. With her powers, it was always hard to lie or keep things from her. Dylan had told her that he was taking her someplace special, so Summer was going to be dressed up as well and wouldn't feel out of place among the fancied up partygoers.

The party was already in full swing by about 6 pm that evening. Cindy was busy raiding the candy table, and Jack and Marsha were standing off to the side making conversation when Tucker got a text from Dylan, warning him that they were on their way. "Summer's on her way!" he shouted.
When Dylan led Summer into the room, she was greeted with a big "surprise!" She smiled and thanked everyone, looking at Dylan lovingly, knowing that he was the one who'd planned her surprise.
She was thrilled that people cared so much about her to do this all for her. The room was full of people, even if Jack chose not to be super friendly with the employees here, that didn't mean that the kids were the same, in fact, they knew almost everyone working at Area 52.
As the night went on, gifts were opened, music was played, and people began to dance as a slow love song played. Dylan and Summer were the first ones to dance, they swayed together in the middle of the floor until, slowly but surely, other couples began to join them.
Cindy quickly fell into the groove with her usual partner, Mr Pibb, the robot, while Tucker refrained from dancing and stuck to the candy table. Jack and Marsha were both watching Dylan and Summer, they were so in love, it really was a beautiful thing.
Their love was young and innocent and hadn't seen the hardships that come after a while. It was their first relationship, they hadn't experienced the hurt of prior people. They hadn't lost anyone, it was just them, their beginning. Losing someone that you love and feeling the pain that comes with the loss is unforgettable.
It's even worse when you know that pain in a relationship is inevitable, which is why some people are terrified of love after the hurt has finally passed. They don't ever want to go through that again. But sometimes, if you're lucky, the person you meet after it's all over can finally put a true end to the suffering, and mend your once broken heart. You just have to let them. After all, you know what they say, you never would have fallen for the second if you truly loved the first.
After a while, Jack dragged Marsha out for a dance, Tucker decided to join Mr Pibb and Cindy, and Dylan and Summer continued to dance in their own little bubble of love within their minds. It was a perfect evening.