Chapter 11

I got to school fairly early on Monday Vicky was very talkative about her weekend and it took the pressure off me to explain what I had been up to without lying to my best friend, for which I was grateful. Vicky had been to see her grandma at the weekend and was full of stories about what they had got up to. She didn't see most of her extended family that often these days due to a lot of them being anti-MORFS. Her Grandma on her mother's side was one of the few who had stood by them. So she was very fond of her. She chatted away for almost all of morning registration and at any opportunity in our morning lessons and morning break.

It wasn't until lunch time came around that her mind turned to anything else. We were sitting eating with Colin when she turned towards me and asked, "Oh yeah! Lexi, did you see that thing on the news about that robot that saved the kid?"

I must have turned bright red at that. My pulse rocketed and I had a moment of panic. Just from being asked about it.

Just as I was calming down and preparing myself to answer calmly, Colin practically jumped out of his seat, "That was you!!!?" he exclaimed eyes wide with surprise.

I went even more bright red, realising that my moment of panic had caused my surface thought to broadcast to any telepath in range that it was me that saved the little baby from the armoured car.

'Good job I didn't think about stopping that bank robbery on Saturday, ' I thought.

"You stopped that bank robbery, too!" Colin practically shouted.

Damn! I had given that away as well now, "Keep it down, please," I asked pleadingly. I didn't want everyone to know.

"What do you mean that was her?" asked Vicky curiously.

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" I said trying to salvage the situation. Eventually I got some agreement out of the two of them and we finished our lunch and made our way over to the library, hiding away on the reference section.

Vicky looked at me quizzically across the table. Colin's expression was more one of disbelief.

I tried to work out how to start, but my prevaricating was obviously too much for Vicky, "Come on. Lexi, spill it! What have you got to do with that robot thing I saw on the news?"

"Well, that robot thing was me. That was a suit I built. I was driving it," I said simply.

"But how?" asked Colin still not believing it.

"I made it with bits of scrap metal and old car parts we had lying around."

"But how does that even work? How could you afford all the motors and such to make it move, even if it's all scrap otherwise?"

"It doesn't have any electronics as such. It's mostly steel and iron. It's all driven by my power."

"So you saved that baby and stopped some bank robbery. Cool! You're like some super hero or something Lexi!" Vicky said excitedly.

"I didn't mean to be," I grumbled, "I wanted to rob that bank, and the only reason I was near the armoured car was to rob it. I figured since Tara was a hero, I must be a villain, so set out to play the part. I messed it all up though."

"You wanted to be a villain?"

"Well I figured I had to be, since Tara was my enemy and she was a hero, that made me the villain."

"Hmmm I can see that I suppose, but why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I was going to, but I wanted to be sure it was going to all work first. I guess it didn't," I said dejectedly.

"Cheer up, Lexi. That suit thing looks awesome, and it's way more than stupid Tara could ever manage. She just uses her stupid tk powers as she got them. You've taken an odd power and made something great of it."

"I still can't believe that was you!" said Colin.

"Can we see your evil villain lair then to prove it?" grinned Vicky.

"I suppose so. I figured I'd have to lay low after the last few disasters. I've got the thing in my parent's spare garage."

"Cool ... After school today you can show us your creation," said Vicky, clapping her hands in glee. Even the usually distant Colin looked like he was quite interested in seeing my suit.

I felt a bit better now about the whole thing. Even if my attempts at super villainy had been a disaster, it felt good to finally share my secret with my friends. It had been hard keeping it from them, especially from Vicky. It felt good to know that Colin shared the secret too. It was another milestone in our friendship.

We switched to other topics of conversation after that and did some of our homework. Later, Vicky decided we should take a walk, and since it was a nice day we all agreed with her. We wandered about the playing fields, just enjoying the sunshine.

We passed a group of boys maybe from the year above us sitting on one of the walls outside the art block, who were all gathered around one of their number who was showing them something and talking excitedly.

"You really got a picture of it?" exclaimed one of the boys.

"Yeah, I had my phone out when it landed so I just whacked it on video. I might get some money off the news people for it," said the boy at the centre. He was holding up a fairly fancy phone which was showing video of a large metal suit stopping an armoured car from running over a kiddie in a pushchair. It looked like my failure was following me around.

"Wow, look at that thing, it looks like it's all bits of scrap, but it stopped that van like it was nothing. The guy inside must be some super powered metal elemental or something!" said one of the on lookers.

"Nah, it must be some eccentric billionaire technopath that's made power armour for himself," another said, elbowing the others out the way for a better look.

"You're both wrong. It has to be some powerful telekinetic and illusionist that manufactures that seemingly improvised exterior to fool his enemies!" said another.

At this point I noticed Vicky had broken away and rushed over to the group. She agilely slipped amongst the boys, pushing her way to the front so she could get a closer look.

"Wow, I heard about this on the news. It must have been amazing to see him in action," she said putting a slightly odd emphasis on the him that was obviously for my benefit. I was feeling decidedly uncomfortable with this and wanted to get away.

"It was amazing. One moment nothing. Then the machine dropped out of the sky right in front of the armoured car," said the guy holding the phone.

"Amazing! So he can fly or something?" Vicky asked.

"I guess so. After it was over he took off into the sky again, though there were no rockets or jets or anything, so it must have some really fancy antigrav or something. Here! Look at the end. You can just see it take off."

The crowd made noises like they were watching a fireworks display, all ahhhhs and ooos as they watch me jump away.

"Do they know what he's called yet?"

"No not officially, but some of the news were calling him the Metal Avenger."

"Wow, what a hero."

The boy nodded enthusiastically as Vicky returned to me and Colin grinning like mad. Colin had a smirk on his face as well. By that point I seemed to be the only one who didn't think it was funny.

Vicky ran up and clasped my arm in her own by wrapping hers around mine, a disturbing sensation. "See Lexi? You're a famous hero!"

I scowled at her. That made her giggle. "So, Metal Avenger. What will you try next?" she said, laughing away.

"I am not the Metal Avenger," I said grumpily.

"Right! To think all those boys are going to be fantasising about meeting, or even being the man in the suit, not realising that inside is a cute little girl." Even I had to smile at that one.

I stifled the smile and did my best to scowl some more, "I'm not cute!"

Vicky wasn't having any of it though, "Sure you are. So ... what is your Villain name then, did you pick one?"

I very quietly said, "Interface."

"Why'd ya pick that?" asked Colin with a puzzled look on his face, "Sounds more like what a technopath would pick."

"Well, I can sort of control machinery, like my suit. Without me in it it's just dumb scrap iron bolted together, but with me in control it comes to life."

Vicky grinned, "I think it's a great name."

We walked along a bit further till we encountered a line of people blocking our way. Predictably, it was my arch nemesis, Tara.

"Well isn't that cute. Arm in arm, the freaks together!" she sneered and her gang cackled.

I decided not to let her words hurt me.

"Shut it, Tara, you stupid looser!" shouted Vicky, clinging to my arm defiantly.

Tara scowled at her and gestured, and Vicky was knocked off her feet by her school bag.

I screeched at Tara in anger, which caused everyone around me to grab their ears in pain. Using the distraction I ran at Tara and jumped on her, grabbing her round the neck. She ran around flapping her hands at me, trying to dislodge me as I held on with one arm and hit her over the head and pulled her hair with the other.

"Get her off me!!" she cried. Her gang tried to pull me off, but I had a pretty good grip and Tara was too busy running around trying to shake me loose for them to do much. I got a few good kicks in on a few of them when they got too close.

Eventually Lump managed to grab me off her back and pull me loose, taking some of her hair with me. He held me kicking and screaming away from her while she regained her feet. Meanwhile, Vicky and Colin were being held off by Tempest and Amy Zap. They made several attempts to come to my rescue, but they were blown back or shocked each time.