Chapter One: Change

Disclaimer: I do not own the ideas or characters from Sky High. I own Claire, my OC.

The Commander and Jetstream fought yet another grueling battle today in the city's downtown area. A robot set on terrorizing citizens and destroying millions of dollars in property damage was stopped before it could hurt a fly by our best hero and heroine, and it seems as though……

Claire Jones rolled her eyes as her brother's large form flopped itself onto the couch and switched the channel to wrestling. He smirked at his sister and then let out an amused grunt as an intense looking wrestler smashed another's face in with a chair. He looked at her with a face of pure innocence.

"What? You weren't really watching those two faggots, were you?"

The sibling's mother strode in with sweat glistening on her brow and a laundry basket full of dirty clothes. With an exasperated sigh, she commanded, "Jim, please do not use that word in my house, it's inappropriate and offensive."

His face grew red, "Mom! I told you not to call me that! My name is Speed! Jesus, is that so hard to understand?" He let out a sigh to mock her. She opened her mouth to scold him, but instead just rolled her eyes and continued on downstairs to the basement. Claire rolled her eyes and smacked her brother in his chubby arm.

He motioned his hand towards a commercial on TV for Revlon makeup, "You buy all that expensive shit for your face, so why don't you go put some on? It hides your grotesque face." She punched him harder.

"Why don't you go run on the treadmill? It'll improve your grotesque figure," She shot back. He just laughed, still knowing he had gotten to her. The doorbell chimed and Jimmy immediately got up from his lounging position and slid off the sofa. He walked over to the door,

"Whatever, Claire. I can still run circles around your skinny ass." He demonstrated by speeding around the couch a countless number of times in only a few seconds, and arriving back at the door to answer it. Claire grabbed a book and a flyer from the coffee table and began to doodle boredly. Her mother came jogging up the stairs with her high ponytail bouncing behind her,

"Jim-," She paused, "Oh, excuse me, Speed, is that your father?" Jimmy opened the door to reveal a teenager with shaggy, brown hair. She blew out an exaggerated breath of air, "Apparently not." She muttered, "Hello Lash. Speed didn't tell me he would be having guests over on the night before his first day of senior year." She cast Jimmy a warning glance.

Lash ran a hand through his hair calmly, "Hey Mrs. Jones. Uh…..I can go home if you want me to……" He smirked and tossed a sly glance at Jimmy, knowing what her answer would be. Claire immediately became caught up in the wrestling game, making sure there was no way Lash would catch her giving him any attention. As she remembered how cruel Lash and her brother had been to her the last time they were together, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Her mother looked frustrated, "Oh, no, it's no problem. Your welcome to help yourself to some dinner, if that's what you can even call it…" She trailed off as she stuck her head into the dishwasher and began to unload it. Jimmy sped back into the livingroom, causing Claire's doodle to go flying. He took the whole pizza box off of the table and began to head towards the stairs.

Claire made an annoyed grunt, "Jimmy!" He sped back down, pizza box still in hand, and stared blankly at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Claire could see Lash's gaze switch lazily to her. She bit her lip hard, suddenly wishing she wouldn't have said anything at all. Jimmy chuckled, "What? You didn't get a piece? Here you go!" He grabbed a grease covered slice and tossed it on her lap, where it landed face down on her pajama bottoms.

"Mom!" She yelled. Her mother came walking past, making her way back to the basement for cleaning and waved her hand dismissively, "You two work it out this time." Jimmy snorted with laughter and stomped upstairs to his room, assuming his friend was following him. Claire moaned hopelessly and examined the red sauce and grease now covering her only pajama bottoms. She rose to go try to save some damage to her pants, and came face to face with Lash.

His gaze burned through her, and a shiver ran down her spine as she stared up at him meekly. She knew he could probably tell she was afraid, but she could do nothing to stop the fear from creeping into her eyes. She swallowed hard and tried to quickly maneuver around him, but he grabbed her wrist hard and forced her to face him again.

He scanned her up and down, "Well you've certainly grown, Claire." He played with her name on his tongue. Claire remembered the last time he had said her name like that, she was twelve, and he had just stretched his leg to an extreme length and tripped her causing her to fall hard on the concrete. Blood dripped down her chin and tears fell from the corner of her eyes as she struggled to get back up to face Lash and her brother laughing hysterically. Claire couldn't imagine what he had in store for her and the rest of the incoming freshmen on her first day of school at Sky High. She scowled and ripped her arm away from his grasp, "Go to hell, Lash." He raised his eyebrows, mock scared.

She could her brother thump around upstairs,

"Yo, Lash! Hurry up, man!" He yelled confusedly, obviously wondering what interest his friend had in his little sister. Lash glanced upstairs, contemplating. After a few moments, he stepped away from Claire, giving her one last smug grin,

"Better hope you're not a sidekick."

Claire laughed hard as her friend, Maj, changed back into a human after shape-shifting into a chubby little guinea pig on the floor a moment before.

"Shut up! At least I have a power!" Maj argued, but soon started laughing herself, "Okay I know it's a little stupid, but according to my mom I'll be able to change into better things as I grow up." Claire snorted,

"Yeah, I hope so." Maj smacked her friend with a pillow. Claire turned off the fan that was the girls' only salvation from the hot summer evening, "How about we get some actual fresh air in here?" She walked to the back of her room and pushed open her window, and as she did, something caught her eye. Maj came to the window alongside Claire, with the same perplexed face as her friend,

"I didn't know…that, um, Speed smoked." Maj stated. Claire shook her head in agreement, "Yeah, or that he drinks." Claire watched, surprised, as a tall brunette boy leaned up against a tree in their backyard next to her brother. They both had a bottle of liquor in one hand and a cigarette in the other, switching off between drinking and puffing. The taller boy looked comfortable, whilst her brother looked extremely unsure of what he was doing.

"He's been hanging out with that kid, Lash, since the first day of junior year last week." Claire whispered, afraid that since her brother and Lash were getting gradually closer to the house they would hear her. Maj mouthed an "O."

Her friend glanced over to the boys' left, "Hey look! I know that kid, he lives right down the street from me." Maj pointed out an average looking boy heading across Claire's lawn as a shortcut. Jimmy and Lash noticed the boy right away and began walking over to him. Maj continued, " He was practically about to break down when he came off the bus on his first day, I heard it's cuz he got chosen as a sidekick."

The girls watched as for no apparent reason, Lash used his super-stretch power to snatch a box that the boy was carrying away from him. The boy looked up, looking ready to cry, "I-I have money, just please, don't break that. I saved up money so I could buy it for my mom." Lash broke into a fit of laughter as he began to tear open the wrapping paper on the gift,

"You bought something for your Mommy? Mother's Day was five months ago, retard." He finished pulling the paper off the box and opened it. He reached inside and pulled out a delicate, and very expensive looking glass vase. Lash smirked, and let the vase drop from his hand. The boy gasped and ran to try to catch the vase, but before he could get there, Lash stretched his arm out and caught it just before it hit the concrete.

"Sorry about that, bro. And you know, I almost didn't catch it. You should be quicker, I mean, just imagine if that vase would have been a civilian. You wouldn't really be doing your duty as a sidekick by letting them fall to their death. Lucky you had a hero like me here." Lash chuckled. The boy shuffled his feet and looked at the ground. Lash glanced accusingly over at Jimmy, who had been silent during his bullying. Jimmy gulped as Lash looked coldly over at him,

"So, Speed. Do you think I should give geek-boy over here back his precious vase after he neglected his duties as a sidekick?"

Claire shook her head, knowing her brother would never be that harsh. Her mouth dropped in shock and her brows furrowed as she watched her brother's face twist into a smirk to match Lash's, and shake his head "no." Lash gave her brother a twisted smile of approval.

"Oh, come on, Speed. Have a heart." Lash smoothly replied as he offered the unharmed vase back to the boy. The boy closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath of relief as he reached out to take it from Lash's tight grip. He hardly had time to react before Lash's fingers uncurled from around the vase's center and it plummeted to the ground. The boy watched in horror, and Lash watched in delight, as the vase smashed into thousands of glimmering little pieces upon contact with the hard surface.

Claire and Maj gasped in unison, causing Jimmy to whip around and look curiously in their direction. The girls dropped to their knees, both still peeking just over the edge of the window. Jimmy turned back around and watched as the boy scrambled to pick up the pieces, and finally stopped as he realized it was completely hopeless. Lash brought his hands up to cover his mouth dramatically, and quite obviously, mockingly.

"Jesus! Wow I didn't see that coming, I thought you had it, so I just let go!" Lash tried hard not to laugh. Well, not too hard. Claire stared, completely blown away as her brother began to laugh also, with no remorse for the boy at all. The boy stared at Lash with disbelief, which quickly turned to complete anger. He clenched and unclenched his fists,

"What are you, a fucking lunatic! I spent a lot of money on that!"

He pushed his hands quickly and very forcefully into Lash's chest, causing him to stumble backwards and fall onto his butt.

Lash stayed quiet for a long time. Claire and Maj glanced at each other, "Good." Maj whispered under her breath, "He deserved it." Jimmy finally spoke up. "Hey man, do you need some he---,"

"Shut. Up." Lash said, his voice dangerously low. He rose slowly, brushing himself off casually. He strode over to the boy who had just pushed him, causing him to realize just how much Lash towered over his timid form. Lash repeated what the boy had just done to him, except Lash was much stronger, and there was a tree directly behind him. His head made a sickening smack as it hit the hard wood of the tree, and the two girls both winced. The boy blinked a few times, obviously in a daze, and then moaned in pain. Lash walked over and squatted down in front of the boy,

"Now if you were a hero, and this was a one on one fight, we would be square." He demonstrated by making a box shape in the air with his fingers, "But you, my friend," Lash poked the boy hard in the chest, "Are a sidekick." The boy gulped. "And, that is, if you can still count," Lash waved his hand in front of the boy's face, "You'll see that there is two of us."

The boy took a shaky breath, "I-I'm s-sorr….."

Lash punched him hard in the mouth, and then again right in the left cheek. A deep cut caused by the ring on Lash's finger appeared on his face and began to seep blood. Lash's shaggy hair fell slightly in his face as he turned around to face Jimmy, making him seem even more menacing,

"You want a go at him, Speed?" It was more of a command than a question. Claire opened her window all the way and stuck her head out,

"No! Seriously stop, Jimmy!" Claire's voice rang out across the backyard. Her and Maj didn't really seem to care about being seen anymore. Jimmy and Lash whirled around to see Claire and Maj's heads peeking out of the window off in the distance. Claire tried to toss a dirty look at Lash from across the yard, but she was too appalled to do much of anything.

Lash let out a short breath of laughter, "Who the fuck is that, your sister?" Jimmy nodded his head, and then slowly turned his back to Claire and Maj to face the boy that was sprawled out on the ground. He hesitated for a moment, but then spontaneously he kicked the boy repeatedly in the side. The boy yelped in pain, and coughed wildly, gasping as blood spilled from his mouth. Lash cracked a smile as he heard the girls screaming at him and Speed to stop.

Claire lept from her kneeling position, ran through the kitchen and out the backdoor as fast as she could muster. As she ran across the backyard, she could see Lash begin punching the boy again, with no signs of stopping. She froze as soon as she got within a few feet of her brother and his friend. She felt Maj arrive by her side, but she was too shocked by what was in front of her to look away.

"What the hell!" Claire yelled at the boys, but Jimmy just seemed to look and her and then turn back to Lash, and Lash seemed to be too wrapped up in his tormenting. Maj stomped over to Lash and grabbed his wrist, "HEY!" She yelled in his face. Lash panted, worn out from his own beating. The badly beaten boy on the ground took this opportunity to half limp-half run away.

Lash was staring at Maj and Claire with an unreadable expression. Everyone stood motionless and silent for a few moments, taking in what had just happened. Despite being so sure of himself, Lash seemed the deepest in thought. Claire and Maj both stared accusingly at Jimmy, who was looking innocently back. Lash tossed his cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. The two stunned girl's attention turned to him. He held out his hand to whomever decided to take it, and with smoke still snaking from his mouth he spoke up,

"Hey, I'm Lash."

Claire jolted up in bed, sweat pouring down the sides of her face. She let out a shaky breath of relief and fell back into the cloud-like comforter as she realized she was safe in her room, bright sunshine streaming in through the window. She picked up the scent of her mother cooking breakfast downstairs and glanced at the clock.

7:15 a.m.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" After having a not-so-pleasant dream and being covered sweat, she surely needed a shower. She wasn't going to go to her first day of freshman year without at least some breakfast in her, and she also had to look decent for school pictures. Three things to do, no time to do them. Grabbing two towels and her outfit for the day, she hopped into the shower.

Besides the fact that someone from her family wouldn't stop turning on the sink downstairs and causing the water to go from freezing cold to boiling hot, the shower part went smoothly. Claire dried her hair, and went through her daily makeup ritual as normal. She flew down the stairs just in time to watch Lash and her brother terrorizing the family dog. Of course, Lash weaseled his way into staying the night so he and Speed could insure themselves a seat on the Senior Bus together, and find a seat that would give them easy access to the Senior sidekicks they had been picking on for so long. She slinked around the two unnoticed and slid into a chair at the dining room table.

"Good morning, honey. Are you excited for your first day?" Claire's mother asked in a tired tone. Claire looked up, surprised. Normally her mother was too absorbed in her work either at the office or at home to say anything so friendly. And Claire's father was always out saving the city along with the other superhero parents, seeing as Claire's mom was forced into an early retirement. Her mother turned around to reveal a pale, extremely exhausted, yet somehow still classically beautiful face. Claire cracked a half-smile,

"Yeah, it should be great." Claire lied. Until her brother began hanging around with Lash, she had felt at least a bit more comfortable about the fact that she may or may not become a hero like her mother and father. But since Jimmy's new friend and attitude change, she felt as if she was betraying her parents along with her brother if she was deemed a sidekick. By the simple fact that Maj had not yet been able to transform into any other animal besides a squeaky rodent, she knew that her friend was doomed to become a sidekick, and personally Claire herself secretly wouldn't mind being a sidekick. Her friend would be with her, she would have less weight on her shoulders, and it just seemed to be less stressful and more fun than being a hero.

And then she remembered the torture stories Speed would tell about the fun he and Lash had terrorizing sidekicks, especially freshman. And she remembered how upset her mom and dad would be if she didn't become a hero. And suddenly, becoming a sidekick didn't sound so fantastic. Claire ate her breakfast, but immediately felt like running to the bathroom and hurling it all back out again every time she thought about power placement.

A friendly beep sounded outside the door of the house, "Boys! Your bus is here!" Jimmy rushed to the door with inhuman speed, and Lash came running behind him. The sibling's mother eyed Jimmy suspiciously, "Why is your backpack so full?"

Lash and Speed exchanged devious glances, "We have a lot of extra books for the first day, mom. We're seniors." His mother smiled proudly at him as she realized just how fast her little boy was growing, and opened her arms lovingly to give him a hug before he left. The moment Speed caught Lash give the slightest sign of a disgusted look, he pushed his mother away harshly. Claire leaned against the door frame of the kitchen, taking a bite of an apple and staring angrily at Speed. Their mother did so much for them and he couldn't even suffice to return a quick hug because his stupid friend was ready to laugh at him.

His mother looked upset, but she stepped away so Speed and Lash could run out the door to the bus laughing about what torment they would bring to the innocent sidekick bus riders. Claire put an arm on her mom's shoulder before she heard the beeping of another bus. A nervous feeling was evident in her stomach, and dread filled her. Her mother smiled at her, and gave her a tight hug. Normally the simple fact that her mother had found enough time to give her any physical contact would be enough to cheer her up, but this time nothing could calm her down.

Claire took short, shaky steps down the sidewalk to the friendly looking yellow school bus. A stout man with a big grin upon his face smiled brightly at Claire, and she weakly smiled back. Maj was sitting by herself, saving a seat for Claire. Judging by how many students were already on the bus, Claire could tell Maj must have had to scare some kids away from taking her seat. This thought made her feel a bit better, that she at least had one very loyal friend to help her through the year at Sky High. Maj was staring out the window with a dark, vacant expression on, but Claire had known Maj long enough to see through her tough exterior.

"Hey Maj? Can I sit by the window?" Maj nodded in easy agreement and Claire took her seat. Immediately Maj noticed something was wrong with her friend, and of course, tried to ask her what was wrong. But like normal when something was bothering her, Claire just brushed it off and said Nothing. Claire tried to carry on talking to Maj like she didn't have a care in the world, but her friend could see straight through her phony smiles. Claire finally decided to stay silent and began to stare hopelessly out the window. She thought about how her brother had changed from an innocent little troublemaker to a cruel bully within a year. She thought about why her mother was suddenly looking strangely pale and stressed.

But above all, Claire thought about what her fate would be at Sky High. Would she gain more friends or lose her only friend? Would she become popular, or a favorite plaything to the bullies? Most importantly, where would she be put in power placement? A shudder ran through her body as she heard Lash's smug voice in her head, repeating threatening words,

"Better hope you're not a sidekick."

A/N: Hope you liked it! I know, I know, most people loved Warren Peace. And don't get me wrong, so did I, he was hot and he was a bad boy. But I just liked Lash's arrogant bitchy attitude better. Please review! If no one likes it, I'll just leave this story hanging, so tell me if you enjoyed it!

References: The official Sky High movie website for the names and ages of the characters of Lash, Speed, and Maj/Magenta.

Maj is Magenta's real name

Jimmy is a first name made up for the character of Speed, because we all know that his parents did not name him Speed.