Free Aces Wild: Cape High Book Six by R.J. Ross Page A

Ace, right, Justin?" he asks.
    "Yeah... I think he and I... you know, sort of became pals," Justin says hesitantly.  "I remember that I liked him.  Not sure why, exactly, but I liked him," he finishes with a shrug.  He jerks as Dad hugs him.
    "You saved my kid," Dad says.  "Thank you.  I might let you pass math, after all."
    "I was passing math already!" Justin says, jerking out of the hug and giving Dad a dirty look.  "And how is this saving him?  He's a norm now--I mean, I guess that's what he wanted, but--he's like... amazing, right?" he says, turning to look at Nico.
    "Not yet, but he will be," Nico says.  "When we get his powers back.  Until then, we'll finish up the transfer papers--"
    "No," Mom says.  "We won't."  The entire room turns to look at her.  She stares back at them with a defiant expression.  "He's not even an official member of the school and he's already been through something this traumatic.  I will NOT allow my son to go to this school.  I'll find someone to tutor him in his abilities, if necessary, but he will not be going to this school any time soon, or ever."
    "Mrs. King," Nico says, stepping forward.
    "I AM NOT MRS. KING!" Mom bellows, right in the face of an ex super villain that created Death Canyon.  "I am Ms. Nyler!  A single mother with a son that just happens to be a super!  NOTHING has changed !  I'm keeping our son, Blackjack, I'm raising him in a stable environment--"
    "From what they've said tonight, that stable environment has dangerous consequences on Ace--" Nico starts out.  He stops as Dad raises a hand in front of him.
    "This is a family issue, Nico," Dad says quietly.  "Let me take care of it, for once."  He moves in front of Mom, towering over her by over a foot.  "Viv, our son is a super."
    "I realize that!"
    "Not only is he a super, he's a part of the Loaded Deck family.  He's got an entire line of supers behind him--some weaker, some stronger, most of them average at the A class line, like I do.  But not all of them."
    She stares at him, her expression going from angry to confused and back again as he goes on.  "There are... certain Loaded Decks in the past that... have had difficulties," he says slowly, looking over at me with a hard to read expression.  "My grandfather was one.  When you have enough ability to make anything you think of a reality, reality starts to slip away.  That's why there's a special training for our family, one passed down from father to son. What I'm saying, Viv, is that I won't allow some two-bit hack of an illusionist try and train my son.  It could get him tossed into the Cape Cells, or worse."
    "He's not a super right now," Mom says.  I visibly flinch, I know I do.  I don't even want to see my own eyes.  I'm a norm.  Sure, I pretended to be one all this time, but I'm an actual norm.  I feel like I've lost a major part of myself. 
    I jerk as I feel a hand on my upper arm and glance over, looking at Carla.  She's staring up at me with a worried expression.  "It's okay," she says, patting my arm in a "there, there" move.  "We'll get them back."
    I glance over at Vinny, unconsciously, wondering if he's going to rein the girl in again.  I'm pretty sure she's only like, thirteen, and that explains his protectiveness.  But he just watches me closely, so I hesitantly reach down and pull her hand away.  "It's fine," I lie.  "I just need some fresh air, now."
    "Don't leave the campus," Nico says.
    "What are they going to do to me, take away my powers?" I drawl darkly.  I head out of the building before he can reply, stepping into the night air.  I take a long moment to stare up at the moon, shoving my hands into my pockets.  I feel vulnerable.  My senses seem dulled, and a cool breeze actually threatens to make me shiver.  I don't even notice the movement behind me until someone speaks.
    "Your speed, it's impressive."
    I almost jump before turning to face Adanna, Sunny's girlfriend.  She's still gorgeous, I note