The SVE Club

2. Autograph

    "And boom! Right into the manhole!"

    A couple of students in Mr. Lee's homeroom crowded around the desk of Samantha Wilson, where she was playing a recent news video on her phone. Sam did this whenever a new superhero exploit aired on the news.

    "And look!" she exclaimed to the others. "Titania is going to stop the car right about... Now!"

    They watched the video in silent awe as a masked superhero stepped out in front of the speeding vehicle, driven by an armed criminal. The woman surged forward and grabbed the bumper of the car with both hands, stopping it with such a jolt that the airbags inside activated and the driver was thrown up against the windshield. It was obvious that Titania's power was super strength.

    "She's a Forzatac, class B," Sam said knowledgeably as the video was wrapped up by some newscasters.

    "Wow, how do you even keep all the heroes in your head like that?" one of the students asked her.

    "She has nothing better to do," a voice from behind them said.

    Sam turned around and glared at the speaker, Winston Weeks. Samantha was one of his favorite targets for ridicule and sarcastic remarks. Winston was the school's biggest underachiever. He had no talents, no drive and no filter.

    "Why do you even bother memorizing useless hero facts like that?" he continued. "It's not like you're gonna be a superhero someday. Unless you're a Fortatec and haven't told us."

    "Forzatac," Sam corrected. "And I will be a hero. One day. And I'll send you a postcard from ISH when I am."

    "Wrong," Winston scoffed. "You have to have a power to get into ISH. You have nothing, not even a talent besides remembering dumb hero trivia."

     Thunk.

    "What the?" Winston growled, as a paper airplane struck him in the forehead and fluttered to his desk. There seemed to be writing on the paper. Winston unfolded the airplane and read the note.

    That's one more talent than you have, nitwit.

   Winston looked up and glared across the room at a boy with glasses. "Knock it off, Evan, I know it was you."

    Evan Swartz, a reserved student who was a major paper airplane enthusiast, gave Winston and Sam a two-fingered salute and went back to folding another piece of paper.

Winston turned back to Sam with a glare. "You two friends or something? Why's he always sticking up for you?"

Sam opened her mouth to reply when suddenly Mr. Lee walked into the room, late as usual. He carried a stack of books so big, the slight man swayed under the weight. He heaved them onto his desk, which was cluttered with bits of paper and several thick binders.

"Alright, seats everyone, we were supposed to start four minutes ago," Mr. Lee muttered.

"What's with the books, Mr. L?" someone in the back shouted.

"For the advanced science class that none of you morons are in," Mr. Lee answered. As a scientist he was brilliant, but as a teacher he still had a lot to learn.

"But Mr. Lee," Sam said, "I'm in your advanced class. And so is Kevin."

Mr. Lee squinted and pushed his glasses up, staring at Sam. "Huh? You sure? I don't remember you."

Sam was about to say something smart, but she was again interrupted when someone else walked into the room. The class collectively stiffened upon seeing the masked, dark clothed figure standing in the doorway.

Mr. Lee, however, simply turned around and said, "You're late, kid. Go sit down."

Midas looked over the class. There was an empty desk in the back row. He began walking towards it.

The whispers began.

"What's with the costume?"

"Is he, like, emo or something?"

"I saw him in the hallway. The guy glared at me like I'd ran over his dog or something."

Once Midas finally sat down, Mr. Lee spoke.

"Kids, new student. Midas Aldridge. Transfer from International School of Heroes."

Sam gasped and spun around to get another look. ISH? He was from ISH?

If the whispering had been a slight buzz before, it was almost a roar now. Everyone was wondering the same thing: Who on earth would leave ISH?

"Okay, quiet now," Mr. Lee said. "I have an announcement about the upcoming Club Fair..."

The gossiping continued, but Sam didn't participate. Instead, she glanced again at the new student. They happened to meet each other's stares. Midas narrowed his eyes. Sam whipped back around, her hands shaking with excitement. A super? At her school? She held back a squeal of delight and dug through her backpack to find a notebook that she carried with her all the time. She took it out, found a pen and waited impatiently.

At last the bell rang. Most of the students flooded towards the door, whereas Sam went upstream toward the back. Midas wasn't hard to find; he stuck out like a jaguar in a snow storm.

"Midas?" Sam asked. "Midas Aldridge, right?"

Midas crossed his arms. "It's Dynamidas," he said.

A grin slowly spread across Sam's face. "You... you have a superhero name... That's amazing!"

"Hey, move. You're blocking the aisle," Midas said.

"I know, I know, I'll be quick. I just have so many questions, you know? What's your power? Are you... Wait, let me guess, you're a Menta, right? Oh shoot, can you see what I'm thinking?" Sam clutched her head in sudden panic.

"No. Move."

"Ah, that's a relief. Okay, I'll get to the point." Sam held up her notebook. "I collect autographs from heroes. And since you went to ISH and will probably be a hero one day, I was hoping I could get yours."

Midas glanced at her notebook. He was silent for a moment. Then-

"No."

Sam stood stunned for a second before Midas walked around a desk into the next aisle and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Sam exclaimed, racing after him. She fell into step next to him as he stormed through the hall. "Why won't you sign my book?"

"You said that you collect hero autographs, right?" Midas asked, not bothering to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not a hero."

"But you will be! You have a super power! You went to ISH!"

Midas stopped and turned to glare at her. "Do you know why I was transferred to this school?"

Sam blinked. "No..."

"Because ISH is a school for heroes," Midas said. "But I'm not a hero-"

"-I'm a villain."

Midas walked off, leaving a confused Sam in the middle of the hallway, clutching her autograph book for dear life.

"Wait!" she called. "At least tell me what power class you are!"

Midas kept walking without a backwards glance.

Sam looked at her notebook with determination. "We're not done yet, Dynamidas. I will get your autograph. And I will find out how to get into ISH," she whispered to herself. "I guarantee it."