Sky High Life: Cloud Circle (Patreon)

Sky High Life

Chapter 2 Cloud Circle

Zachary Braun

He wasn’t trying to look like an eager beaver, but this world’s history fascinated him. It turned out superheroes only started developing their abilities in the 50s.

It was a messy affair, with government controls versus superhero rights being the most prominent for the next few decades. It turned out that the reason ordinary humans started manifesting superpowers was because of one reason, and that was the multiverse theory.

Their reality sometimes encountered a different one, and in those pockets where the two realities merged, different phenomena appeared. Sometimes it was portals, where monsters would appear from and start attacking the city or the surrounding towns. Sometimes it was alien invasions. There were different threats, and the purpose of superpowered humans became clear. They were here as Earth’s primary defense.

Soldiers and armies were considered expensive, but heroes? They willingly confronted the threat without hesitation. Those heroic, selfless actions led to the world he was in, where monster attacks were reported on TV like they were everyday news.

“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d find my son reading a history book.”

He looked up to find his mom staring at him with a fond smile. He placed a bookmark on the page he was reading and stuffed the history book back inside his backpack. 

He had just returned home from school. He realized flying really opened up a lot of free time after the second week. Within minutes, he could be eating chips at home while the rest of his classmates still waited at the runway, waiting for their bus to take off.

He continued with his routine since he arrived in this new world. He experimented with his powers, trying to get more control. It was a difficult balance, one part concentration, one part stamina, and another part instinct.

There had to be more to his power. He tried shooting beams out of his arms, but his hand just glowed brightly whenever he tried. He could feel the energy build up, but the release always failed, it was infuriating.

The next morning, he was jogging his usual route before breakfast. He was focused on another concern, finances. He didn’t see it when he first arrived, but now it was glaringly obvious, the more time he spent around his classmates, and even when he visited Will’s house.

His mom was struggling with finances. He realized he needed to find a part-time job. Mom worked as a nurse, and she worked long hours, but whenever they went out, he started noticing details his old self didn’t pay attention to. While his clothes were always new, they were popular hip hop brands, his mom’s were old, sometimes fraying at the seams.  It looked like she hadn’t bought a new outfit for herself in years.

He brought it up during dinner as he ate Mom’s cooking, meatloaf.

“Mom, how expensive is the tuition in Sky High?” He asked.

His mother paused and stared at him with a confused look. “Zach? Why are you asking now?”

“I’m thinking of taking a part-time job.” He replied. “Tuition has to be expensive, right? I want to help.”

“Oh, honey, that’s sweet of you, but I can manage our finances.” His mom leaned over and patted his hand to reassure him. It didn’t work. He could see how tired her mom was beneath the smile. He had seen it many times whenever he looked at the mirror.

“Mom, with my flight powers, I have a lot of free time after school.” He shared his thoughts. “I might as well be productive.”

“Where did this come from?” His mother asked.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I just want to be useful in our home.”

His mother looked to be deep in thought, and he waited patiently for her reply. Half a minute later, she nodded, and she gave him a more genuine smile this time. He responded in kind.

“I’ll ask around.” His mom stated. “It can’t be hero work, you’re too young and you don’t have a permit from the council. Are you fine with normal jobs?”

“That’s what I’m looking for.” He replied. He really didn’t mind.

Mom’s mood seems to have changed a little, but after that conversation. She was more upbeat, and let out some things he knew she would never bring up before his change. Topics like finances, allowance, and budgeting. He agreed with her concerns, and they spent that night making a new budget at their tiny kitchen table.

He didn’t need a large allowance, and volunteered to use half of it for their daily expenses. There, he wouldn’t have to eat meatloaf that often.

He arrived Monday morning with someone waiting for him as he headed for the gym. Mom was still asking her friends for possible part-time work suitable for his age, but he decided to find one himself.

A group of four teens was hanging out by the stairs leading to sky high. They looked to be seniors, judging by the way they dressed and carried themselves. The way they carried themselves, the confidence, it was something that couldn’t be faked.

“Zach, right?” One of the boys left the girl hanging on his arm and stepped forward. “I’m Ray, by the way. Ray Windsoar.”

“Yeah. What’s up?” He asked.

“I’m here to give you an invitation before the chaos starts. Club recruitment week is about to start today, and we just want to invite you to join our club before anyone else invites you.” Ray answered. The older teen fished out a shiny silver card made of plastic and handed it to him. “This is your invitation.”

He turned it over and saw the detailed golden feather wings that surrounded the border. In the middle of stylized looping text was the name, Cloud Circle.

“Looks fancy.” He noted. That caused the rest of the teens, including the two girls, to giggle at his remark.

“It should be.” Ray replied. “We’re the flier’s club. Obviously, the name speaks for itself. Only those that are capable of flight are eligible to join.”

“Anyone who can fly?” He asked. “What about those with gadgets?”

“They can’t.” The girl behind Ray answered. “It has to be purely by your natural power, no tech assistance. I’m Cotton, by the way. Cotton Reeves.”

“What’s in it for me?” He almost expected her to say Cotton Candy. Names in this world are weird.

“Aside from joining one of the most prestigious clubs at Sky High?” Ray grinned. “Prestige man. There aren’t any flyers in the sophomore class, and you’re the only one in your batch.”

“We’re not really that strict with attendance, if that’s what you're worried about.” Cotton added. “Consider it an informal alliance. We even have our very own secret club room.”

“And we have networks and connections when you’re looking for internships.”  The other guy finally spoke up. “We have many famous alumna, like Jetstream.”

“Will’s mom?”  He was more intrigued by the network this club was offering.

“I thought he would become our newest member.” Ray shook his head in disappointment. “Now he’s in the sidekick track.”

“So what do I have to do to join?” He asked.

“You already qualify.” Ray answered. “One, you need to be in the Hero class. Two, you should be able to fly. So, are you in?”

“I’m in.” There was nothing to lose by joining.

“Excellent.” Ray started tapping his own flier’s watch. “Coordinates to the clubhouse will be sent to you later when the club recruitment starts. See you later, Zach!”

“Don’t be a stranger!” Cotton added.

It was just as Ray Windsoar told him that morning when homeroom started. Coach Boomer listed off the activities for club recruitment week. There were several popular clubs, from the Tech Titans that allowed both sidekicks and heroes to join their club, to more mundane ones like a music club or a sports club. They were only allowed to join two, as long as club activities didn’t clash with each other.

He joined his class as they headed to the gym, where booths were already set up. He spotted Gwen in the super cheer club with Penny. A lot of girls were already signing up at their booth. Larry brushed past him and joined Bruiser’s brigade. It looked like they were all muscled hulks. He noticed a few familiar faces whenever he worked out in the weight room.

The club members behind the booth gave Larry puzzled looks at first, but that changed when Larry changed into his golem form. His shape-shifting classmate who could copy anyone’s appearance, joined the spy club, while the guy with six arms joined the Explorers’ guild.

At the other end of the gym stood the rest of the clubs. He spotted Will and his friends browsing the less popular sidekick-run guilds. No clubs really appealed to him, and he moved to a seat at the upper bleachers to take it all in. Ray was right, this was organized chaos as various kids showed off their powers for the club recruiters.

“So, have you made up your mind?” Gwen had somehow managed to appear on his row, her back to the wall. That girl was sneaky.

Nothing really catches my eye. He was still waiting for his flier’s watch to activate and show him the club room for Cloud Circle.

“So how about you join mine?” Gwen suggested.

“I don’t think I’m cut out to be a cheerleader.” He gave her a smirk. “And shouldn’t you be helping Penny over there? She looks like she needs some help.

As if Penny somehow heard his comment, the pretty black girl used her power and created eight clones, each Penny jumping out of the original’s body to land gracefully at her side to the delight of the applicants.

“Forget what I said.” He added.

“Here.” Gwen handed him a card. He turned it over and noticed it was gray and lacked town with purple text. Revolution.

“What’s this club all about?” He asked. Unlike the Cloud Circle invitation card, this one looked to be made of aluminum or some sort of metal.

“You’ll see when you join us, but I think you have the potential.” Gwen replied. “I hope to see you there.”

He pocketed the card and walked around once more when he felt a faint vibration on his watch. He checked the features, and there, he saw the coordinates, but that couldn’t be right. It was leading him off the campus.

He headed out of the gym, following the blinking green arrow until he ended up right outside the school. The holographic arrow shifted and tilted up. He was an idiot. Of course, a secret clubhouse by a flier club should only be accessible for those who were flight-capable. He bent his knees and shot up into the sky at a reasonable speed.

The directions didn’t change that much, and then he spotted a shape up in the clouds, slightly similar to Sky High, but it was significantly smaller. There wasn’t any lawn, just a platform that led to what looked like a small Greek temple with those distinct marble pillars.

He landed smoothly and maintained the golden aura. The wind was stronger here, and it was noticeably colder. He wondered if that explained why the teens he encountered earlier were all wearing those sleek silver jackets. In front of the elaborate club room, he spotted Ray Windsoar.

The senior waved him over, and he returned the older teen’s firm handshake once he reached him.

“Glad to see you here.” Ray grinned. “Cool, right? Let me show you around.”

He walked in, and once the door closed, the sound of the rushing wind ended. He spotted fourteen students lounging around a very opulent clubhouse. There was a study area, a corner for eating. There was even a jukebox and a billiards table. At second floor led to more rooms. There were no stairs at all. Everything was only accessible if one had flight powers. He looked up at the high ceiling and realized that at the very center, there was a circular hole in the roof, allowing a beam of light to pass through to the marble floor.

“Impressive, right? Welcome to the Cloud Circle.” Ray started introducing him to the other club members. They were friendly enough and even offered useful advice for freshmen. We have to wait for our club advisor to arrive, but let me give you a quick rundown.”

“You’re welcome here anytime. We eat lunch here.” Ray explained. “No one outside the club, aside from its alumna can step inside, no exceptions.”

“You can’t speak about club activities to anyone outside the club.” Cotton added. “Aside from that, treat this place as your second home.”

“How do we pay for this place?” He asked.

“Let’s just say we have several alumni backing us.” Ray gave him a wink. “Since our club is so small, we can afford to have our own quarters. If you have free time and you want to take a nap, feel free.”

“But you have to keep your room clean.” Ray warned. A bright light appeared above them, and he covered his eyes as a white comet swiftly flew down from the roof. The comet shifted, revealing none other than Sky High’s Principal Powers.

“Welcome.” The principal greeted him with a bright smile, far different from the one she wore when she addressed their group during their first day at Sky High.

The principal gave him a quick rundown of the rules, followed by assurances that he could visit her office anytime. He just realized how powerful and influential this group was, and it was all because they could all fly? That thought was ridiculous, but here he was.

His room was better than the one he had at home. It even had its own shower and bathroom. It was empty, but Ray told him that it would be his room until he graduated. 

He learned that the clubhouse slides back to the main Sky High superstructure on Sundays for maintenance, and that alumni sometimes stop by. Principal Powers also preferred spending time here when she was not in her office.

He was about to leave when an alumnus dropped by, similar in fashion to Principal Power’s display earlier. This time it was someone he knew personally.

“Josie!”

“Penelope!”

The two older women hugged, while the rest of the students still present in the main room quickly gave greetings to Jetstream. Will’s mom hadn’t spotted him yet, until Principal Powers beckoned him over as he was about to leave.

“I was just welcoming our newest member.” Principal Powers explained.

“Zach!” Jetstream gave him a friendly hug. He tried but failed to control his reaction to that. With his age, only older women attracted him, but damn his raging teenage hormones.

“You two know each other?” His principal asked.

“He’s one of Will’s childhood friends.” Jetstream replied. “I knew you’d join the club sooner or later.”

“So, how’s Steve taking it?”

Josie’s face fell, and he stepped back to give them some amount of privacy. He still remembered that night, and the look of despair and disappointment from the Commander.

He realized that school was about to end soon, and he quickly gave quick farewells to his fellow club members and headed home.

The following week proved the same, he was enjoying the novelty of having a secret club room, and he usually spent most of his free time up there, even during lunch break. He would leave really early to work out at the school gym, have breakfast, and spend the rest of the time in the clubhouse finishing his homework.

He would usually descend with other fliers, and it was there that he also got a lead on a possible part-time job. Cotton’s parents owned a restaurant, and they were looking to hire reliable help during the usual dinner rush.

“Two guys already left.” Cotton shared with him as they flew side by side. Her powers, gravity manipulation, was sick. “At this rate, I have to come in.”

“So you’re looking for help?” He asked. “What’s the job description?”

“The usual, cleaning plates, mopping the floor, and serving customers. It gets really busy on the weekend.” Cotton answered. “Why, are you interested?”

“I am.” He replied.

“Wait, I was just joking!” Cotton laughed. He didn’t laugh with her, and the girl realized he was serious.

“You really want to work in our restaurant?” She asked again. He gave a slow nod.

“You’re hired!” Cotton squealed, and he nearly lost control when the blonde glomped him in mid-air.

“Cotton! We’re going to crash!” He yelled, but the blonde just laughed, and he suddenly felt an outside force control his body. This was a strange feeling, and he called his power. It was harder to bring it up, but he managed a faint golden glow around him.

“You’re strong.” Cotton grinned. “Anyway, Ray will be happy that I’ll have weekends free. I’ll send you the address on your watch, okay? We have a landing pad at the back of the kitchen!”

“Just like that?” He asked as they stepped on the lawn. There were still five minutes until the bell rang.

“Just like that. You’re part of the circle.” Cotton explained.

Ray was happy the next day and gave him a friendly headlock when they met in the hallway outside his locker.

“Thank you, man!” The senior replied as he endured several slaps on the back. Around him, other students gave the two of them curious looks and a wide berth.

 Yeah, he knew Ray was happy. Booty calls for teens were a matter of life and death. There was a new announcement too about a freshman field trip, and he had to get his mom’s permission for his part-time job, and then the field trip.

Dinner that night with his mother was interesting. His mother seemed amused when he asked how they would get to a field trip and how the buses would have to hide their appearances.

“Zach, when you’re enrolled in Sky High, the school comes to the location.” His mother explained. Right, he should have realized that earlier. “Where are you going anyway?”

“Superhero Island Industries.” He pulled out the permission form that needed his mom’s signature.

“Huh, they usually wait for that until the end of the year.” His mother quickly signed her signature on the form. “So what about this part-time job?”

“A schoolmate owns the restaurant, and it’s just downtown.” He replied. His mom seemed interested and asked for more details.

“Washing dishes, serving food.” He shrugged. He already worked as a waiter in his previous life when he was in high school. He was pretty sure this was nothing new. With his mom’s approval, he arrived at the restaurant following Cotton’s directions through his watch and got his first look. The restaurant seemed to be Asian themed, with a mixture of Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanse design mixed in. What kind of food were they serving here?

Cotton’s aunt, Candice, was the manager, and he quickly introduced himself inside her small office.

“You must be Zach.” The woman gave him a quick look. “From Sky High?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He replied.

“Good.” Candice handed him several forms to fill in. “Hourly rate is 12.50, if you break something, we deduct it from your weekly paycheck. Last orders are taken at 9:45. We close up at 10:30.”

He nodded. That was a standard schedule for restaurants.

“One more thing, another schoolmate of yours works here, and he started a few months ago.” Candice explained. “I expect the two of you to get along.”

That was fine, and he got to work right away after Candace gave him a quick orientation. She quickly left him alone after he managed to wash a stack of dishes without breaking anything. He only found out his schoolmate’s identity when he arrived at the stock room.

Warren Peace was counting the deliveries and gave him a look.

“Let’s get one thing clear here, freshman.” The notorious senior explained once the door closed behind him.

“I don’t talk to you, and you don’t talk to me unless it is work-related. Do you understand?”

Fine by him.

“I’m not here to socialize, but to earn money.” He answered, staring at Warren straight in the eye.

“Good, keep it that way, and you might just last here. The other two didn’t.” The senior returned to counting the inventory.

His first day was fine, aside from a group of drunk customers that arrived just as the clock hit 9:30. It seemed like they couldn’t comprehend the difference between a last order and closing time.

It took Candace calling him and Peace to gently but firmly push the drunks out the door. They were both superheroes, and he knew Warren Peace was counted among the stronger seniors when it came to durability and raw physical strength.

He cleaned the cooks’ workstations, and he was in a zone, knowing what to scrub and what to soak first. It seemed like his familiarity with the kitchen puzzled his manager.

“I have some experience in the kitchen before.” He explained.

“I’ve never seen a newbie on his first day clean up so fast.” Candace smiled and handed him an envelope. “Here, an advance for your first week.”

His smile grew, and he quickly accepted the envelope. Finally, he could bring some money for his mom, and she wouldn’t have to take longer shifts at work. He flew back home with a lighter heart, and looked forward to their class field trip.

A/N: Here's a sample update. Unlike Waking Up on a TV Show, I don't have to do extensive research yet. Episode 32 Landing at Point Rain part 3/3 on the way.

If I ever continue this, it will just be PG-13 rated. I think that suits the theme perfectly for Sky High.