The Villain Goes To High School

Episode 1, Part 1: Fantasia Emerald, Parenting

Fantasia Emerald – Queen of Ghosts, Emerald Seat of the Villains' Circle, and reigning Supervillain of Emerald City – never went a day without rest, and today was no exception. After attending the most boring meeting yet with the Circle, she had to settle a dispute between two generals in the ghost army she commanded, mop the floor with a nameless Villain who had tried to nab her title as soon as she'd left the city, and then get lectured by Deputy Chief Charles Sandstrom at the Hero Department for the damages from the fight.

It wasn't her fault the other Villain attacked so it also wasn't her fault that she simply had her ghost minions fling him into buildings and break a few window panes. They were lucky he didn't put up much of a fight or the damage would have been greater. Fantasia had been too tired to argue with the Deputy Chief afterwards and zoned out listening to him rant until one of the other Heroes nervously pulled him aside in case he said something to really rile her up. She left the Hero Department headquarters with a packet of their reports on the latest criminal activities in Emerald City, which gave her a headache just thinking about it as she headed back to Emerald Mansion.

The shimmering green estate sat on an island in the middle of Emerald Lake, surrounded by the lush green grass of Emerald Park. Minus the fact that it housed a Supervillain's lair at its center, the park was a rather pleasant place for the cityfolk to hang around. Fantasia wasn't in the mood for any gawking, so she had her butler Brandon drive her in the inconspicuous gray Honda past all the picnics, swing sets, and volleyball games to the shore of Emerald Lake. They took a small boat to the island and through the protective invisible shield that encased the mansion like a dome. Its looming spires cast a cool shadow over her, and she thought of nothing but a nice cup of tea as the grand double doors swung open for her.

"Where is Esper?" she asked as she handed Brandon her deep-green coat with a large V on the back.

"In the Ghost Void, Madam Emerald," Brandon said apologetically. "He insisted on practicing his powers after he finished his math test today. He got full marks, so I let him go as a reward."

"He spends far too much time with the ghosts," Fantasia sighed. She thought about the children she'd seen playing volleyball in the park. "I know he wants to build his own army but that can't be done in a day. He ought to go outside more. Osha!"

A middle-aged maid appeared within seconds, carrying a cup of steaming green tea.

"Thank you. Ah—much better. Here." Fantasia handed Osha the packet of papers from the HD and had another long sip of tea. "Give these to Garet. If he finds anything interesting in them, tell him to let me know."

When Osha bowed herself out of the room, Brandon said, "I will inform Master Esper that you've returned."

"No, it's alright. He'll only get irritated if you interrupt him." She made her way to the living room. The hot tea loosened her tense shoulders like a lovely massage, and she craved a warm shower. Frankly, she wasn't prepared to see her son just yet. She hadn't had any time today to think about what to say to him about next week, though she'd really been procrastinating thinking about it at all for half a month. Nor was she prepared for his sure-to-be angry reaction.

Her thoughts floated to the children in the park again.

"Brandon," she said after a long moment. "Give a call to Rosetta. There's something I want to discuss."

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Later that evening, when the sun began painting the sky pink as it slipped below the horizon, a woman wearing a black leather jacket, black tights, and black sneakers materialized from the shadows of the trees and glided silently to a park bench. She played around with a pack of cigarettes tucked in her pocket. There were still a few youngsters running around in the last bits of daylight, so she refrained from lighting one as she waited, puffing clouds in the cold air with her breath instead.