Villainous (11 page)

Next they observed part of a physical science class where the teacher lectured a roomful of bored tweens about the amount of pressure per inch standard household objects could bear. From the look of the reinforced steel desks the students were sitting at (a couple of which were still bent out of shape), Daniel suspected this would be a good class for Georgie someday.

Then they visited a sort of shooting range where some kids lobbed balls of fire, others ice, at brightly painted metal targets. Next was a swim class inside a humid gymnasium where the students and teacher didn’t come up from the bottom for the whole time Daniel and his friends watched—at least twenty minutes. Eventually, Theo got bored and drifted away to check his email on his phone.

“Ms. Starr?” asked Daniel.

“Please, call me Mandy.”

“Right, Mandy, are those kids all water-breathers?”

“Well, the teacher is—the town librarian, I think he was—but the rest vary. A few can breathe water, a few don’t need to breathe at all, and at least one of them can turn herself into a fish, among other things. We’re helping her expand her repertoire.”

Daniel peered closely into the water. Indeed, there was a striped bass dancing in and out among the floating kids near the bottom.

“Chlorine-free pool, of course,” said Mandy Starr. “No one wants to breathe that stuff!”

Daniel had to admit, the Noble Academy for the Gifted, at least at first glance, lived up to the hype. Classes were sloppy at times, and more than a few faculty members wore a look of constant panic as they instructed their students in disciplines that had never been studied in the history of humankind. Where else had there been a seminar on
reassembling loose particles after personal teleportation?

Even Mollie came to be impressed in spite of herself.

They were admiring the view out of one of the common room windows, which had a really excellent perspective on the forest below and a track where super-speeders raced by in blurs of color among the trees, when Mandy Starr’s BlackBerry began to buzz. Excusing herself, she scrolled through an email on her device with a look of increasing dread, then, with a real panic that broke through her fake politeness, announced that they’d have to cut the tour short today. Something rather urgent had come up.

She escorted them as far as the visitors’ parking lot, all the while frantically typing away on her tiny keyboard and trying to jog along the walkways in three-inch heels. When they reached the parking lot, she gave a brief goodbye, and apologized to Theo for ending the tour so abruptly.
Theo was gracious and understanding and promised to tell his father just how accommodating she had been. This seemed to lighten her spirits slightly, before she sped back to the main building, her shoes clicking up the marble steps.

“What got into her?” asked Mollie.

Theo held up his smartphone. “While you all were admiring the fishpond, I used my dad’s email to send her a message, flagged urgent, about the investors’ dinner. My dad, of course, trusts that all the arrangements have been made and the academy is prepared to host a quiet banquet for twenty donors—tonight.”

“There’s no such thing, is there?” asked Daniel.

“Not that I know of,” said Theo. “But Dad’s traveling in Asia with Grandpa right now, so he won’t even check his email till he wakes up tomorrow. I just hope she doesn’t spend too much on the caterers. They’re going to have lots of food left over.”

“You’re going to get so busted,” said Mollie.

“But not until after we’ve had a real look around,” said Theo. “C’mon, I’m sick of the brochure tour. Let’s go meet some students.”

They set off again back toward campus, but this time they veered away from the main path that Mandy had led them down. They passed a few members of the staff along the way, but seeing as Mandy Starr had been in too much of a panic to remember to collect their guest passes, no one questioned their being there. The campus looked
about the same wherever they wandered: uniform glass buildings, walkways perfectly adorned with marble planters and benches. The only thing that stood out as unusual was the tall windowless spire Daniel had spotted on their way in. It stood at the center of the courtyard, and something about it bothered Daniel. He stared at it for several seconds before it occurred to him just what it was. There was a clear observation deck up top, but no doorway and no ladder.

They crossed to the other side of the courtyard to get a better look at the spire and found a fountain surrounded by students on break. Everywhere, teenagers lounged on the grass or sat on benches chatting, loose ties around their necks, sport coats slung over their shoulders. Most of the girls wore skirts. It was a prep school scene out of a movie.

“Hey, Mollie,” Daniel said, looking at the students. “Over there.”

“What?” said Mollie. “They look like morons.”

“No,” he said. “Not how they’re dressed. Look harder.”

Mollie squinted hard for a few seconds. “Whoa,” she said.

It wasn’t obvious at first, and if someone simply glanced at the courtyard while passing by, it would look just like a bunch of kids hanging out. But taking a closer look, Daniel noticed things, like the boy sitting on the edge of the fountain who was staring at the water, concentrating on it, and as Daniel watched, the water began to shimmer and shake. Eventually, it would rise up six or so inches, as though it
had a mind of its own, and form itself into shapes: horses, a hand, a miniature Eiffel Tower. Each time the water took a new shape, the boy would wave his hand ever so slightly and it would fall away, only to re-form itself into something new.

No, the water wasn’t re-forming itself. He was doing it.

“Do you guys know him?” Theo whispered, but Daniel and Mollie shook their heads no. Then Mollie pointed to a couple lying on the grass on the far side of the lawn.

“We know him, though,” she said.

The boy was blowing smoke rings over his head, as tiny fireballs flitted in and out of his mouth. Every now and then, the girl on the grass next to him would reach up a finger and flick the smoke rings away.

“Drake,” said Daniel.

“Jerk,” added Mollie.

“Let’s not get any closer. I don’t want to be seen.”

“Where are the teachers?” asked Theo. “Smoking can’t be allowed on campus.”

“He’s not smoking,” said Mollie.

“What?” asked Theo. “Then how’s he … Oh.”

“Yep,” said Daniel. “Just like a dragon. Spooky, right?”

Before Theo had any time to answer, however, Drake called out, “Hey, Jack! Incoming!”

Then he took a deep breath and blew out a jet of bright orange flame. It arced over the kids’ heads, but just as Daniel was afraid it would come down on someone, an equally long plume of water erupted out of the fountain and collided with
it in midair. With a loud snap, the two elements exploded in a chemical reaction, bursting into a cloud of steam. Several of the students looked over at Drake and shook their heads disapprovingly as they gathered their things and fled the courtyard. The boy next to the fountain was wearing a huge grin. The girl on the grass clapped.

“Awesome, Drake,” the boy was saying. “Awesome.”

“Did that seem to you …,” Theo started to say, cocking his head toward Mollie.

“Totally dangerous and stupid and the kind of thing an idiot show-off jerk would do just to impress a girl and who cares who might get hurt?” Mollie asked.

“I couldn’t have put it better,” said Theo.

“I dunno,” said a girl’s voice from behind them. “I think he’s kinda dreamy.”

Daniel and his friends turned slowly around and saw Skye, Hunter, and Mutt standing mere feet away from them. Actually, Skye and Hunter were standing; Mutt was crouched down on all fours again. How the three had managed to sneak up on them was another mystery, but there they were.

“Hello, Skye,” said Daniel. “Hi, Hunter. Hey, Mutt.”

Oh well
, thought Daniel. If he was going to get his butt kicked, he might as well say hello first.

Of the three of them, only Skye was smiling, but Daniel wished she wasn’t. There was nothing warm about that smile.

“You two, I know,” said Skye, her eyes moving over Daniel and Mollie and coming to rest on Theo. “You, I don’t know.”

Theo gave her one of his roguish grins, but Daniel noticed he was keeping his eye on Mutt.

“I’m Theo,” he said, holding out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, eh, Skye, was it?”

But Skye was apparently immune to Theo’s charm offensive. She shied away from his hand like it was covered in open sores.

“I don’t know you,” she said. “You one of us, or are you peasant folk?”

“What?” asked Theo.

“He’s like me,” said Daniel. “So I guess he’s a lowly peasant.”

“Hey!” complained Theo, but Daniel waved at him to be quiet.

“Thought so,” said Skye. “Mutt here smelled it on him, didn’t you, boy?”

“Yip, yip,” said Mutt. “Pant, pant.”

That boy really is disturbed
, thought Daniel.

“So, what are you doing here?” said Skye. “Other than spying on us, again.”

Theo opened his mouth to speak, but Mollie stepped in front of him and tapped her visitor’s badge. “We’re visiting,” she said. “Is that a problem?”

“Not at all,” said Skye, smiling prettily. “I was hoping
we’d run into you. In fact, Mutt here’s been dreaming about a rematch.”

“Anytime,” said Mollie. “Hope he brought a change of underwear.”

“That’s it, girlie,” said Mutt. “Keep it up.”

“Whoa, whoa,” said Theo, stepping in between them. “Why don’t we cool it a bit, okay, buddy?”

“Let’s just go,” said Daniel. Theo was trying to be chivalrous, but he was going to get himself hurt. Mollie could at least handle herself, but Theo had no idea how dangerous these kids could be.

“Want me to go through you to get to her?” said Mutt. “Be happy to.”

“Move, Theo,” said Mollie.

“Look, just because I’m a Plunkett doesn’t mean I’m a coward,” said Theo.

“Wait a sec,” said Skye, putting a hand on Mutt’s shoulder to restrain him. “What did you call yourself?”

“Plunkett,” said a new voice, and they all turned to see a tall man strolling down the lane toward them.

Daniel recognized the silver hair and close-cropped beard. And those vivid blue eyes that were at once so clear, yet ringed with lines and wrinkles. In some ways, the eyes looked older than the face. He recognized the man, but seeing him here in the school was such a shock that for a moment Daniel didn’t believe his own eyes. He closed them, opened them again, yet it was still him.

“Theodore Plunkett Jr. is his name, to be precise,” said the man. “I would have joined you all earlier, but I was swamped. I hope Ms. Starr’s tour was educational?”

“Uh,” said Theo, glancing at the others. “Yeah, yeah, it was great. And we were just headed back—”

“To the parking lot,” said the man. “Which is that way.” He gestured back the way he came. “Maybe you got turned around?”

The man looked all of them over, but took care not to make eye contact with Daniel. It wasn’t surprising. The last time he’d been face to face with the man, Daniel had punched him in the jaw.

“Lester, don’t slouch,” said the man, and the boy Daniel knew as Mutt stood up straight while grumbling under his breath.

“Well, it’s a good thing I came along when I did,” said the man. “Because I’m on my way to the front and can show you all back to your car. If you’re done visiting with these fine students, that is.”

“Thanks,” said Theo. “Thanks, Mr.… Sorry, I didn’t get your name, sir.”

“Apologies,” said the man. “I’m Jonathan Noble, and I’m the principal here.”

“As Ms. Starr surely told you numerous times, the academy is the most technologically advanced school ever built,” said Johnny. “And the spire there is a monument to that achievement.”

Johnny was pointing up at the metal spire standing in the middle of the courtyard. It was easily as big around as a car, and taller than any of the surrounding buildings.

“If you look close, you’ll see a platform up top. From there the whole town is visible below.”

“But how are you supposed to go up?” said Theo. “Even if there’s a stairway inside, there’s no door.”

“Exactly,” said Johnny. “As a work of art, the lack of a door is supposed to be part of the aesthetic message. A tower that cannot be scaled by conventional means. Or at least that’s what they tell me.”

He smiled at them. “I think it’s a bit silly myself.”

Johnny was walking them back toward the parking lot, seemingly casual, but Daniel could tell he was keeping a sharp eye on them. They weren’t going to get the chance to slip away a second time. He wondered if his own face betrayed just how shocked he really was at seeing Johnny again. And what must Mollie and Theo be thinking? To Mollie, Johnny Noble had been a legend—the first Super. To Theo, he was probably little more than a cheesy character from his crazy granduncle’s comic books. But Daniel had met the man before, hero of Noble’s Green in the flesh, and he still hadn’t gotten over the disappointment.

“So are you the real Johnny Noble?” asked Theo. “I mean, the guy in the tights and all?”

Johnny laughed. “I haven’t gone by
Johnny
since I was a much younger man. And I’ve never worn a pair of tights in my life. But, yes, I am the Jonathan Noble they named this town after. Now I’m the principal of this school. Funny how life turns out, isn’t it?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” said Theo. “But why haven’t I heard of this before? I mean, the academy would have no problem attracting students with the one and only Johnny Noble on the website.”

Johnny sighed. “Yes. I’m told the board of directors feels just like you do, and I suppose it’s bound to get out sooner or later. But for a while at least, I’d like the academy to be the story. Not me.”

“The students don’t know who you are? The staff?” Daniel said.

“They know I’m Principal Noble,” said Johnny. “But most of the kids just think my name’s a coincidence. And the staff has been good about respecting my wish for privacy.”

Johnny looked Daniel in the eye. “I haven’t lied to anyone, if that’s what you’re asking.”