Think of the Children (With Sparky and another kid)

At a private special education school, children were rushing towards the newly refurbished and landscaped playground of their school. Barren soil and old, rusty metal play-sets were replaced with new colourful plastic ones. The playground was the most important thing to the kids, and they barely paid much attention to the improvements within their school- repaired utilities, tons of new furniture, repainted walls, and a well-stocked, completely refurbished kitchen to serve healthy meals at lunch. Wong Enterprises was also kind enough to donate over a hundred units of child-friendly tablet devices, and a shelf full of children’s books.

Two women walked on the perimeter of the playground, one a brunette biker woman sporting a leather jacket and boots, who spoke with a very American accent. The other was an elegant woman in a flowing, conservative silk burqa, Dominated by two shades of blue and complimented by a head garb that was in two shades of pink. Most of her head save for her piercing blue eyes were covered. The Afghan-american woman moved with a grace absent in her rougher companion.

“I can’t thank you enough, Shauna, for this contribution. You’ve donated so much over the years...” She paused, contemplating further on the charitable act. “...This had better not bite me in the tail... Again.” She said in a sterner tone, immediately suspecting the legitimacy of the donation.

“No, the money’s clean this time, but I’m not saying where it’s from.” Shauna laughed it off and shrugged, hands in her jacket’s pockets.

“Like always.” Atiyah sighed and took Shauna at her word. Shauna was many things, but she was no liar, in Atiyah’s memory.

“So... this is really it, huh? Teaching disabled, autistic and ADHD kids? Arts and music?” Shauna said, leaning against the school’s tall perimeter fence. It was still a fairly rundown neighbourhood, on a slightly developed block with abandoned buildings, junk-strewn empty lots, and a small crackhouse by Shauna’s inspection, just across the street.

Atiyah clasped her gloved hands. “It is a calling, Shauna. Not as exciting as the days of the Tigresses... but safer, and one I look forward to grow old doing.” She said calmly, before meeting Shauna’s gaze and minding what she said. “I am sorry to hear that your license was revoked. May I ask?”

“Uh... Dated some older dude whose dad was on the Education Board.” Shauna said, a white lie that deflected unwanted attention. Atiyah fell into a long pause. “Most unfortunate.” She said, remaining standing with proper posture beside her former comrade.

Shauna started looking around the grounds, seeing the kids ranging from toddler to pre-adolescent ages enjoying themselves in their new, hazard-reduced playground. As a Special Needs school, there were handicapped, blind, deaf, autistic and many other kinds of children, and play was supervised by no less than six staff.

“You’ve got some... colourful kids here.” She quipped, after a brief silence, her focus on a flamboyantly dressed skinny kid with bright orange hair with violet highlights, coloring while sitting beside with a rather rotund child in shorts eating a sandwich.

“Ah... the colourful one is Daniel, and his rather round friend is Thomas.” Atiyah saw where Shauna looked and gave their names, every child’s name on her lips, and their tales in her heart.

“Huh... Chubby kid and colourful kid. They’re keeping to themselves. What’s their special need?” Shauna asked, curious.

“Oh, nothing really. They are more like... us.” Atiyah said, sharing secrets freely with the fearsome woman.

“Do your people know? The school committee? The other kids?” She asked, concerned, now standing up straight and looking at Atiyah.

“I have an agreement with my staff. They are taught the usual things. Never on the playground, never in front of their classmates.” She reassured Shauna, talking about the same lessons they were taught in their own youths, of how blend into society.

“But, what’re their powers?” She asked, still curious.

“Don’t worry, they do not possess any weaponry on their bodies, like their eyes. Their powers are...” Atiyah’s statement wandered off, as Daniel came over to show their head mistress a rather well colored picture of the school... except it was a riot of surreal colours.

“Hello Miss Ten-doo-ah. Take a look at this!” He said, enthusiastic and so very merry in his skipping.

“...This is very nice, Danni. Be sure to show it in art class.” Atiyah said, patting the young artist on the head. He looked at Shauna. “Thank you, mis Ten-doo-ah. Hello miss! You have pretty green eyes!” He suddenly said to Shauna, then running back to his seated friend.

Shauna unashamedly broke into a smile, as did her covered up friend. Given the snap renovations being done, classes were suspended, and children were happily playing outside. This was a stark contrast to the rest of the less than cheerful neighborhood, as just beyond the safety of the fence, there was growing unrest and poverty.

Public school children passed by looking on with envy at the playground, some lingering by the school fence. Why did these stupid kids get a playground, and not them?  they asked. A staff member came by and told them to leave, before any trouble had a chance to erupt.

Further down the road at the intersection, trouble was also brewing. In front of a burned out building, a manufacturing facility, A makeshift stage had been assembled, and someone wearing grey robes was starting to preach- and not about the good news. His words were harsh, his message of hellfire and brimstone, and of hate.

"...Metahumans are making this city worse! Why? Because they are all evil! They have been sent by the enemy to overturn humanity! Metahumans are the Spawn of Satan!" and the message went on, drawing a crowd of people from the neighborhood, most of them having once worked at the old facility, livelihoods lost to Metahuman battles.

The preacher gestured repeatedly to the burned down factory. "...Look at this! this is the cost to our society! Our families! Our livelihoods! Brothers and sisters, much like you, I was a simple textile worker, when a being of unholy flame took away everything... my work, my co-workers... and my family!" The crowd began to agree. Angrily.

"Our Government does nothing! The police are impontent! I say it is time... IT IS TIME we take back our neighborhoods, our safety, and our lives from their grasp! Metahumans are the ENEMY and we must find them, before they attack US!" The crowd applauded this madman, whose words were nothing short of hatemongering. The voices of reason were drowned out by the disgruntled mob, and it seemed like they were about to do something soon.

Such a heartwarming occasion indeed, the reopening of a newly refurbished special education center. Just the kind of place a psychotic madman supervillian would strike! Surely such an event would need to be observed by a hero... or at least that was Sparky's excuse for being here other than just having gotten out of school himself. He was trying to fool himself into thinking that was his only reason for coming when in actuality there was a more realistic reason.

He'd read about the reopening of the school online and it had brought up memories of himself as a younger kid. He didn't really fit in with his ADHD and overactive imagination but his parents never thought to send him to a place like this, a 'special school'. Of course it was no tragedy that he couldn't go, in fact he had no clue what he should think about it. Would it have made him better or worse? would it help him avoid the teasings he got in elementary and middle school? Would it have changed anything at all? would he have even qualified to have gone?

It was an odd thing to think about. And here he was lost in thought in his hero costume standing back from the playground just sorta watching and thinking, looking around to the trees and sky on occasion, mostly hoping no one saw him back here... he'd yet to come up with a viable excuse as to why he was here and he doubted the one he was trying to force on himself would work on anyone else.

He watched the supervisors interacting with the kids, some blind some deaf he guessed, others just slow or even maybe too fast... like he was. They all seemed so happy and that made him smile a bit as he watched. He was glad happy places like this existed, and watching over it he felt a lot more hero-like than usual... even if he wasn't really there to fend off any attacks, like there'd really be an attack gosh that would have been a terrible excuse. Maybe he could say he was there to volunteer to help? If they saw him of course, but for now he was content just watching good people be happy. That is he would be, if it weren't for those weirdos across the way.

He slowly would start to head over, trying not to be seen as he went to investigate, and found a heard of Idiots and their supposed preaching Sheppard. He stood there to the side in full costume, not doing to great a job of hiding. In fact he was considering shouting out to the guy at the head. He could just call those impotent police if he wanted maybe, this Wasn't a peaceful protest after all, it obviously had an agenda of violence.

though he looked back at the school. He had to make sure whatever he did,they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.