After a long day of classes, interviews, and even fulfilling my duties of saving the world; I was finally allowed to pay a visit to my late friends' families. The first stop was Shandra's two-story Colonial home located in Parker Hills where her large family (all of them based in Texas) greeted me with open arms. "I'm really sorry that I couldn't have visited you sooner," I said as Mrs. Finnessey offered me a small platter of her famous homemade lemon squares. "But I'm more sorry that I couldn't protect your daughter and Rhea. She was a cool friend to me and I let her and you all down during Homecoming."

"Shandra was a beautiful soul that matched her looks," her father (a tax attorney) said as I was led to the large family room, the TV playing the news. "And you being her friend for many years was living proof that you were loyal to her more than anyone knew. No one could blame you for what had happened to her, Rhea, and your parents when the bombing happened."

"Sir, I can promise you that my fellow heroes and I will make sure that the people behind this will face the ultimate punishment. But the one thing that's been on my mind is why my parents, Shandra, and Rhea were in the car."

The man closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. "Far as Linda and I know, Shandra and Rhea were doing some investigating on their own during Homecoming week. Let me correct that, son. They were doing their investigating on your teammates two weeks before."

I sat up, polishing off a lemon square. "How's that?"

Taylor (Shandra's older brother who was a graduate student at SMU) came to his father's side. "I think I can answer that," he said. "Shandi told me that she and Rhea knew that you being part of the YHA was planned for years- which you should already know by now. But she also thought that there were some hints of a major mutiny within the team, especially with you being the topic. There were also some mentions of that Obsidian douche from Bolivia being involved as well as Greenlee stalking the team or something. All in all, there could be some sort of coup going on with a double agent involved."

My eyes went wide. "Like, someone playing Mata-Hari?" I deduced.

"Could be, but we're not really so sure," Mrs. Finnessey replied. "All we know is that Shandi and Rhea were worried that you could be in the middle of something lethal that's going on with you being set up as some sort of sacrificial lamb or a scapegoat. But it's really the McNeils you should talk to since they were working with the girls. They might have some answers on hand."

Ten minutes (and an addition five when I saved a little girl's cat out of a tree) later, I was at Rhea's ranch-style home not far from my family's. And her parents (who were former members of a rock band) came in as they talked about their suspicions about the team. "Shandra's family did tell you the gist of what we know so far," Mr. McNeil (a music teacher) said over coffee and donuts. "But Rhea and Shandi also thought that your two beaus were planning something with that Obsidian mate and his team. Not only that, your family also had something going on with them as well."

"What makes you say that?" I wanted to know.

Her mother sat down Rhea's laptop, the media player already on the screen that depicted Rhea's face. "Press play," she instructed me.

I nodded, clicking on the PLAY button as I sat back in the chair.

"Right, then. I might as well go ahead and do this," Rhea said, her voice quivering slightly. "Skylar, if you're watching this, then it means that Shandi and I can't be there to save your skin as always. It also means that you need to prepare yourself for what's going on with your teammates- especially with Fernandez and Andrews. I hate to do this, but they and the others are in for something wicked. You already know that you being a superhero and set to be with Blue Crush and/or Green Wave for the longest. But what you don't know was that there's been some hints of division going on with the team. When the topic of you joining the league came up, the team was divided. Memphis, Thorn, and Neptune were all for it while Gold Titan and Velocity thought that you needed to stay out of the way. Gold Titan eventually came around, but Velocity swore up and down that you weren't meant to be a superhuman. Said something about Sammons needing to be part of the team while you would play the role of a human ally. But Drake and Jorge were dead set on making you a superhero and being their sidekick. That's when the old girl lost it, saying that Greenlee would be pissed the fuck off if you were involved in any way."

"No fucking way," I breathed. "That's why Velocity was being so abrasive with me. I thought she believed that I was being too distant or she was acting like a hardass."

"Skylar, there's something else that you might wanna know about Sammons and Velocity," Rhea continued. "Like how you were friends with me and Shandi, Greenlee and Velocity- er, Kendall- were friends with someone else who was also meant to be part of the team. You remember that girl who was killed back in tenth grade, Jeannine Westin? She was their friend since the girls were in diapers and their mothers were friends back in the day. Anyway, Jeannine was a candidate to join the YHA as a superhero herself, but the guys were against it since she was too...well, let's just say that the trio from "Heathers" couldn't pale to Greenlee, Kendall, and Jeannine. Gold Titan thought that she could be a distraction for the men on the team. They put it to a vote on the night she was killed in that shooting at the mall. Only Kendall was for Jeannine and Greenlee to join while the guys voted against it. So Kendall decided to round up the non-super allies- your parents and the Lewises included- for another vote. This time, it was a unanimous decision to not include Greenlee and Jeannine. Then you being part of it came along as the vote. It was unanimous while Kendall was holding some sort of grudge."

"Damn," I said, shaking my head as I paused the video. To Rhea's parents, "I remember when the announcement of Westin's death, but I hardly know anything about her."

"Be thankful that you didn't," Mr. McNeil remarked. "She was meaner than a raging mama kangaroo, from what Shandi told me. The girl and that Sammons chick were on the cheer squad and treated everyone like dirt. And they had feelings for your men, mate."

I turned back to the screen, pressing PLAY again. "Skylar, I'm only saying this because you could be in grave danger," Rhea intoned. "Kendall may play the role of the perfect speedster known as Velocity who will push anyone towards success, but she's got a grudge against you because you weren't supposed to be on the team. If anything, the sheila will do anything to either pin you as a villain or get rid of you. And it's likely the latter scenario. I don't know of her endgame just yet, but know that you can only trust in the guys at this point. If you're watching this before you make your decision, say yes to either Jorge or Drake if not both. But if you are watching this after your decision, know that I will always be grateful to have you and Shandi as my friends. Good luck, Skylar O'Hara. The rest is up to you.

The laptop screen went black, the video now finished. My heart was full of sadness and contempt. I was devastated because Rhea and Shandra gave up their lives for me as did my parents, the latter two knowing that I was meant to be a superhero. But I was now pissed off because the real villain was someone that everyone could trust all this time.

Kendall had a grudge against me all because her friends weren't superheroes and I had taken their place. And I was in the middle of a perfect storm ready to explode.

I inhaled deeply, calming my racing thoughts before facing the McNeil adults. "Does Rhea have copies of this video?" I asked.

Her father nodded, handing me a USB drive. "Rhea said that I was to keep this in the event that something happened to her and Shandi," he told me. "Son, you were the perfect friend to my daughter. And even though the bombing couldn't be helped, you need to make sure that this speedster answer for her crimes."

"Mr. McNeil, I give you my word," I promised. "Now that I know everything, I have a strong hunch that Kendall was behind the bombing that killed my parents and my two best friends. The only thing that bothers me is having the proof other than the video. All the same, it's time to settle the whole matter once and for all."

And that, my friends, was the truth.

Cumulative word-count so far, 30,118 words.

The tea and shade of it all, folks! Now that we know what's really going on with Kendall/Velocity and the secrets going on, you can bet that things are going to lead to the epic confrontation of a lifetime.

But first, Skylar has a meeting with the male heroes as well as the Lewis duo as he talks about what he learned from Rhea and what it could mean for the future. And it'll lead to the biggest showstopper of all, so don't you dare miss out!

Media: "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga. Dedicating this out to MichaelBeNot and mestrin.

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