Sky High Life: The Gauntlet (Patreon)

Chapter 3 The Gauntlet

Zachary Braun

It was a surreal feeling knowing their school was traveling as fast as a commercial jet. The leaves on the trees around the lawn didn’t even ruffle, but he saw the clouds move past Sky High at ridiculous speeds.

They were on recess and were just lounging around, wasting time. Even the juniors and seniors had come out to enjoy the view outside. Teachers kept a close eye on them, and while homeroom teachers started handing out room assignments. Yeah, Sky High field trips lasted for a night or two. That was a strange concept to understand.

Naturally, boys and girls were assigned different rooms. Luckily, they didn’t have to bring their own sleeping bags, the school provided them for that. Still, it seemed fun, like a camping and field trip all rolled into one. Some brought snacks, others portable video games. There was already talk of sneaking out at night, and Larry was begging him to go.

“Can’t do man.” He replied. “You know I do a part-time job now. I need sleep.”

“You do?” He asked. “What for?”

“Money, of course. So that way, I can help my mom with the expenses for our house.” He explained. He really didn’t care that others would see him as poor at this point. So what if he wasn’t as rich as they are?

He immediately noticed the looks his other classmates were giving him. Some looked to be deep in thought, while others were sharing smiles, probably laughing at his situation. Teenagers, they were so shallow.

“Well, okay.” Larry shrugged and finally left him in peace.

Bored, he decided to wander around and encountered Will’s group. He hadn’t been able to hang out with them for a while and waved in greeting.

“Hey Zach.” Will looked uncomfortable and started looking around as if he was expecting an attack at any second.

“Will, Leila.” He greeted his two friends and sat down beside them. Will picked a good spot at the side of the building. It had enough shade and had privacy, and he realized he should have sat here from the start.

“What are you doing here, Zach?” Will asked.

“Just hanging out with you two.” He answered. Will looked uncomfortable, and Leila wasn’t even looking in his direction.

“I thought you were too good for us now.” Will replied. “Being in the Flyer’s club and all that. Mom told me about your super secret clubhouse.”

“Wait? What did I do?” He asked.

“You stopped attending our review sessions.” His friend explained. “Mom and Dad were expecting you to come, and you haven’t for weeks.”

So, this what it was all about? He scratched the back of his head and stared at his friends. “Look, the reason I’m not able to attend the review sessions with you guys is that I now have a part-time job. I work most weekdays a week and only the weekends to rest.”

“You do?” Leila finally turned her head and spoke to him.

“I do.” He replied. “It’s that Asian fusion restaurant you always talk about.”

“Really? I love that place!”

“So I’m not avoiding you guys, alright? Just busy helping mom out with expenses.” He explained.

“That’s so mature of you.” Leila beamed. Will stared at the two of them, and he noticed the confusion on his face.

“Alright, kids.” He stood up and patted Will on the shoulder. “See you on the island. I heard they have great obstacle courses there.”

“Of course.” Will nodded. Leila waved at him, and he waved back and headed back to the front of the school.

Some Cloud Circle members were gathered at the far end of the grounds, and he looked up and noticed that they were slowing down.

A flash of light arrived and landed in the middle of the grounds, attracting everyone’s attention. The light vanished, revealing the principal in her pristine white coat and skirt.

“We’re nearly at the island.” The principal announced. “Before we go, there are some ground rules.”

“Number one, stay with your assigned bus group while you’re on the island, that’s for both heroes and hero support alike. We’re not the only school visiting Superhero Island Industries.” The principal looked around, making sure everyone was listening.

“Number two, please follow the rules, they are strictly observed, and I don’t want to hear any of my students getting caught causing mischief or unregulated use of your powers.” Principal powers continued speaking. “Number three, be aware of our schedule. We’ll be hovering over the island for two nights. Missing your transport bus because you lost track of time is not an excuse. Now go enjoy this educational field trip, and have fun!”

“Get to your assigned bus!” Coach Boomer’s voice thundered over the grounds. He followed the crowd to the bus port when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned and realized it was one of his fellow club members, a sophomore who had wings growing from his back. What was his name again? It started with an A... Alvin Airfield.

“What are you doing, man?” Alvin laughed. “Why are you lining up with those guys? We can fly directly down to the island, remember?”

Right, he forgot about that part. New world, new rules. Alvin’s wings unfolded, the white feathers catching the light and attracting the attention of the students waiting in line. He activated his own power with a thought and started to hover, and followed Alvin as he shot up in the sky.

The sophomore made a quick lap over the yard and soon shot down over the end, and he quickly followed his path. Above them, he saw streaks of light as other cloud circle members flew above them, some giving him a wink or a wave.

“Where are we going?” He shouted to Alvin. He noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction from the transport bus heading to the island.

“There’s a boring welcome lecture that lasts for an hour.” Alvin shouted back. “We’re heading to the obstacle courses! C’mon!”

With that, Alvin folded his wings and dropped faster, and he increased his speed and remained hot on the sophomore’s trail. Below them, he spotted a large dock with ships unloading students from strange-looking ships that were a mix of a cruise liner and a submarine.  As he flew over them, he spotted some teens pointing in their direction, and he gave them a wave.

The island was large, and at the very center was a massive tower that must have been three times taller than the Empire State Building. Everywhere he looked, he could see a futuristic city, with well-manicured gardens, gleaming walkways, and even a metro line that circled the island.

There were small silver figures moving in a pattern on the streets, and they realized they were drones, tasked with maintaining the cleanliness of the island. Sweet, he wanted a closer look later. They were traveling pretty fast, and soon they reached the other end of the island, and they were headed to a large circular landing pad on top of a building. Besides it, he could see other hero flyers capable of flight arriving in groups of one or two.

As soon as their feet touched the ground, a man with a vest floated over to them with a data pad.

“School?” The man asked.

“Sky High.” Alvin spoke for the two of them.

The man merely nodded and waved a silver rod about two inches in diameter and a foot in length over their watches. He watched as the man tapped on his pad and looked at them.

“Alvin Airfield and Zachary Braun, Sky High, confirmed.” The man stated. “Please enjoy your stay. Your schoolmates are already in the Sky bar.”

“They have a bar?” He asked.

“I know, right?” Alvin grinned in excitement. “First time I went here, I had the same face. C’mon! I heard Atlantis High had pretty girls who hang out there.”

Wait, what was that about Atlantis High? Something must have shown in his face as Alvin patiently explained things to him.

“You’ve seen their subcruisers unloading students, right? Well, some of their fliers are already there. It’s a nice time to mingle with them and make friends, if you know what I mean.” Alvin even gave him a wink.

He coughed, hiding his laugh. Hormones.

Alvin wasn’t lying. The girls were very pretty, but what attracted his attention was the curvaceous teacher who came with them. Red hair, green eyes, and a tight body suit. Yum.

“You’re staring, dude.” Alvin nudged him with an elbow.

“Look at what she’s wearing, man.” He replied. “Even JetStream wore a less revealing outfit.”

“I also possess super hearing.” The woman who was still a good distance from them replied. Alvin flushed in embarrassment, but he used the opportunity to have a proper look at the instructor. He was not disappointed. She was thick in all the right places.

“My apologies.” He replied. He heard Alvin hiss, but ignored the sophomore’s warning. “But you have to admit, that skin-tight outfit leaves little to the imagination. Is there a purpose to it?”

The woman gave him a long look and finally smiled. “You’re a bold one. Yes, the suit helps to streamline and reduce friction as I swim underwater. And it also helps me store my wings.”

“Wings?” He couldn’t help but ask.

The woman merely smiled, and then parts of her skin-tight green suit shifted, revealing translucent green wings that were wrapped around her torso. They gleamed in the light, and the woman looked more like a fairy. There was an added benefit, the best in his opinion, as it revealed the pale skin of her torso, from navel to just below her breasts. Below it, he spotted four thin lines along the rib cage and realized they were gills.

“That’s amazing.” He blurted out.

The woman let out a laugh. “I appreciate the compliment. Now go, I believe your schoolmates are waiting for you.” The curvaceous woman gave a nod and headed deeper into the bar. He enjoyed the view immensely.

“What was that?” Alvin rounded on him. “Where did you get the confidence to talk to Sprite?”

“Who is Sprite?” He asked.

Alvin groaned and pointed at the large posters hanging around the bar. He followed his finger as the photo of the woman he had been speaking with a moment ago.

“She’s a famous hero in Florida.” Alvin explained. “She’s one of the few heroes who could both swim underwater and fly in the sky.”

“Is she as popular as Jetstream?” He asked.

“No, Jetstream is in the top three. Sprite barely breaks the top ten.” Alvin answered. “C’mon, I see the others have grabbed a couple of tables. I’m hungry.”

Ray Windsoar was there with his girlfriend, Cotton Reeves. The two seniors shifted, allowing them some space to sit in the booth.

“Took your time, Al.” Ray noted.

“I was giving this one the tour.” Alvin explained. “But we were flying pretty fast, Zach here just had to flirt with another school’s combat instructor.”

“Zach? Flirting?” Cotton laughed.

“C’mon, Zach’s pretty shy.” Ray slapped a hand on his back. “He’s clueless.”

“I’m not clueless.” He really wasn’t. Teenage girls just didn’t capture his attention.

“He really flirted with Sprite!” Alvin insisted. “Even asked her to show off her fairy wings!”

“Really?” Cotton looked delighted at hearing this piece of news.

“So that’s your taste, huh?” Ray gave him a long look and then gave him a nod. “I can respect that. There’s nothing wrong with liking a ripe, mature…”

“Hey!” Cotton jabbed her boyfriend with an elbow.

“Just kidding, babe!” Ray gave an awkward laugh.

The name was a scam. It wasn’t a real bar, just a regular restaurant that was on top of a building, making it impractical for non-flyers to ever go there. They don’t even serve alcohol, just fancy fruity drinks and shakes.

The food was good, though, and the best part, he didn’t have to pay for anything. Everything was covered by the school.

“So what courses are you going to try?” Ray asked.

“I want to try the gauntlet.” Alvin declared.

“Just choose another one, Al.” Cotton sighed. “You’ll just crash again like last year.”

“Yeah, and it's your wings that catch on to the obstacles.” Ray advised.

“I’ve been practicing new moves!” Alvin declared. “You’ll see!”

“So what’s the gauntlet?” He asked.

“It’s the most challenging course for flyers.” Ray explained. “They mix it up every year, but basically it’s an obstacle course for fliers, filled with net traps, stun lasers, and even moving walls.”

“Don’t forget about the slime.” Cotton warned. “Don’t let that stuff get into your hair. Trust me on that.”

“I’ll take your advice.” He replied. “I think I’ll give it a try.”

“Then you can sign there at the terminal beside the bar.” Ray advised. “Hurry, before today’s time slot gets filled up.”

“I’ll do that.” He answered and stood up from their booth. Thankfully, there wasn’t any line yet at the terminal, and he quickly typed in his name and school. A green light flickered at the bottom of the screen, and a small piece of paper was printed out with his number and his schedule.

GAUNTLET

003

ZACHARY BRAUN

SKY HIGH

1300 HOURS

Sweet. He was number 3. It seemed like his action didn't go unnoticed as a few more students stood up from their tables and approached the terminal.

“That’s very brave of you.” Ray shook his head. “I’ll sign up tomorrow. I want to familiarize myself with the course first by watching others before trying it out.”

“So I’m your guinea pig?” He asked.

“Of course.” Ray nodded solemnly. “Your sacrifice will not be in vain, young freshman.”

Cotton laughed at that and declared she would sign up tomorrow, too. That became a flirting match between the two seniors, and he and Al exchanged glances and decided to give the couple some space.

Alvin led him to the gauntlet, where another staff member on the island with a silver and blue uniform waited. He gave a safety briefing and allowed a girl who had a jet pack and a helmet to try the course.

He watched and noted the hoops he had to go through, the moving walls, the stun laser turrets emerging from the walls and ceiling. He started to get nervous and realized why this was the most difficult course for fliers. It required speed, precision, maneuverability, and sharp reflexes.

No matter, his goal was to finish. The first girl made it halfway around the three-kilometer loop before she was tagged with a hidden stun turret. She quickly lost control and, with her jetpack still active, slammed painfully into a wall.

“That’s got to hurt.” Alvin winced.

The second flyer hard rocket boots this time. He was more maneuverable than the girl, but he suffered from a lack of precision. He missed the moving hoop by inches and crashed to the ground.

“Number 3!” The staff member called out. He stepped forward and handed his slip, given the same safety briefing, and headed to the launch pad. He looked around as the timer counted to zero and realized more and more students were arriving at the observation decks that line the whole course.

This would be fun. He had been practicing his powers for weeks now, and this would be the perfect place to test how good his control was.

As the pad turned green, he flew out like a comet. The moving hoops were first, and he flew threw them easily enough. This leg required speed and precision, and a good judgment of distance. Clear, and the next stage began with the hidden laser turrets. This leg was meant to test his reflexes and awareness of his surroundings. He got tagged once, but shrugged it off, his power acting as a shield to the stun beams. Traps started falling from the sky, and he swerved erratically, dodging the electrified metal nets at the last moment.

Once he cleared that, pillars of stone started shooting up from the ground, and he nearly lost consciousness as he was tagged at the side by a rising pillar.

Fuck!

It took him a moment to stabilize his flight and continued forward. The last stage was the moving walls, with only a small square that would allow a flier to fly through. It was harder than it looked, and his foot clipped the edge of the final hole.

He could see the exit, and in his excitement, forgot the final obstacle. A curtain of slime started dripping down the final wall, covering the hole. It was moving too, and he had to guess where it had shifted.

Fuck it. He hadn’t tried this with his power before, and focused a thicker shell in front of his fists. He increased his speed and hoped for the best. A moment later, he felt an impact against his golden aura and the sound of debris breaking apart. His aura fluctuated for a moment, and he felt a strange gooey sensation on his head and back, but he could see the finish line.

He landed at the platform and looked at the time.

2:06

“Time!” Another staff member gave him a nod as the gauntlet adjusted once more.

“You have a ten-second deduction, son.” The staff member informed him. “Two seconds for every obstacle you were unable to avoid. Still, good run and you’re our first finisher for the day.”

He heard applause in the stands and looked up and realized students, some familiar, were clapping their hands and cheering for him. At the large scoreboard above them, his face and name appeared, with the time of 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

Zachary Braun – 2:16 – Sky High

“Dude!” Alvin landed beside him as soon as he stepped off the platform. “You crushed it!”

“Good job, Zach!” Ray patted him on the shoulder. “You represented Sky High well.”

“I’m not hugging you.” Cotton crunched her nose and pointed at his hair. “I told you to avoid the slime.” Still, good job revealing where the Slime will appear."

"Two minutes." Ray added. "It starts dripping down the final obstacle, so if you don't want to get slimed, you have to get past that."

“Why don’t you hit the showers at the clubhouse?” Ray turned to him. “It should be there floating on top of the school by now.”

“Good idea.” He replied.

“Can’t imagine sleeping in the classrooms.” Alvin shook his head. “At least we have our personal rooms and showers.”

“I won’t be sleeping with my classmates?” That was probably for the best. With the number of teens inside a room, he knew he wouldn’t get any proper sleep.

“Of course!” Ray laughed. “Other clubs probably made other arrangements for their members, but that depends on how resourceful they are.”

“I heard the Bruisers have staked a claim on the weight room and Coach Boomer approved of it.” Al shared.

“I think I need that shower now.” He told the group. “I can feel it creeping down by my boxers.”

“Hurry.” Cotton advised. “The longer it’s on you, the harder it is to get rid of the smell. I made the mistake of staying and waiting for Ray to finish the Gauntlet.”

“And I’m off!” He gave a wave of goodbye and flew straight up into the clear blue sky.

A/N: Have any of you watched Sky High yet? It's a fun, quirky movie, but it has heart, and the plot is good. I can see it has massive potential in the fan fiction world, but I haven't seen a lot of work, which is a shame. Thank you for reading!