Chiron Academy

Wyatt Drops Eaves

Wyatt, lunch tray in hand, peeked across the cafeteria. If you had told him that morning that he would be tired of discussing the finer points of superheroing, he would have believed it, but after having spent the last two hours being grilled by Rockstart and William about the details of his ten-year plan, he just wanted some peace and quiet. 

It was bizarre. The only thing they seemed to be excited about was the boring parts of the job: how to maximize brand awareness, and comparing notes on networking strategies. That wasn't why you became a hero. That was just stuff that happened along the way. Why couldn't they have an assembly about which materials were best for your suit? Who cared if you had a 402k if you started chafing while sprinting after a mugger? 

Lucky for him, he didn't see Rockstart or William in the cafeteria yet. He had given them the slip back in the hallway. He didn't see Amy either. Was she still meeting with the Dean? Hopefully, she was catching up on homework. It would be a shame if his best friend at the school was sent home for not doing her homework.

Then again, it seemed like she had been busy catching up on homework almost every free moment recently. She had to be caught up by now, right? One could only hope.

He sat down at an empty table. Three girls were having a loud conversation at the table behind him and while he didn't necessarily want to listen in, it was difficult not to.

"-And we're stuck with him," one of the girls was saying. "There is exactly one superhero school in the world and he has to be here. The definition of a 'has-been'. His star has fallen so far that he's practically underground." 

"Exactly!" a second girl agreed. "At a certain point, you just have to accept that it's over and call it a day."

Wyatt set down his fork. He wondered who they were they were talking about, but he had a hunch. He had had almost this exact conversation with Amy and Mariah about Achilles himself.

"It's one thing not to realize that your star has fallen," the first girl continued, "but do you have to make that everyone else's problem? When was the last time he actually did anything of note? I don't care who he's worked with. Why should we be indebted to him and his vaunted 'experience'"?

Wyatt snorted. It sounded like they were having the same problems with Achilles that he was.

"It's like, it doesn't matter what you did," the second girl said. "It matters what you are doing. And so far, he isn't doing anything. Clear some space for the younger and more talented."

Wyatt smiled into his lunch. It was a bit harsh to say, but he certainly didn't disagree with anything they were saying. 

"Agreed," chimed the second girl again. "I don't understand why they have me taking a humanities class. The teacher doesn't even know who the Raven is. What can they teach me about being a professional hero? I want to soar, not live in mediocrity."

"There are some real powerhouses at this school. REAL up-and-comers. Gary Ghoul? Todd Anderson? People to watch. why can't I take a class from them?"

"Girl, calm down," the other girl laughed. "Your thirst is showing."

This sent the girls into torrents of laughter.

Wyatt was taken aback. Girls were thirsting over Todd? Gary he could see; Wyatt had even heard that he had dated a girl from the Disney Channel. But Todd?

He smiled, wondering what Todd would make of that. Would he get a kick out of it? Old Todd might have. He would have been flattered and played it off with a joke. Nervous that he owed the girl something. Now though? Who knew anymore? 

"He thinks he's aaaall that," a new girl's voice piped up. "It's infuriating."

Wyatt's ears perked up. The voice sounded familiar.