13. Overdrive

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Midas burst through the school's front doors to find a chaotic scene. In the middle of the bus parking lot, a school bus had been turned on its side. Several students and teachers had come outside to see what all the noise was about. Above it all, could be heard the sound of a sly, amplified voice.

"Dynamidas!" it shouted. "Finally came to face me, didn't you?"

Midas glared at the speaker, who stood on the overturned school bus, dressed in deep purple and dark pink. She was a genius who called herself Overdrive. After ISH refused to admit her, on account of her lack of powers, she was so furious that she turned to villainy. Her mechanical inventions were her only assets, but powerful ones at that; she was one of the leading villains in the area.

She wore a metal exoskeleton that made her as strong as a class E Forzatac. Her shoes had boosters, but they didn't allow her to fly. Still, she was able to jump quite far, and when she leaped from the bus, she landed squarely in front of Midas with a thud.

Overdrive's eyes smiled out from beneath her purple mask, her blond hair was wild and untamed.

"ISH turned you out, too, huh?" she asked, turning her voice amplifier off. "I can't say I'm surprised. That school was always overrated. Funny, I thought their occupation was creating heroes, not villains like you and me."

Midas crossed his arms and jutted out his chin. "What are you doing here?"

"Midas, sweetheart," she said, "Did you actually believe I was going to let you think you were the alpha villain?"

She suddenly pressed her palms together. Her pink gloves began to flow with some sort of energy.

"Let this serve as a reminder," she growled. She pointed a hand at the dilapidated bus, which began to tear apart, the air around the bus becoming distorted. Huge chunks of the bus floated in the air at Overdrive's direction. She could manipulate the gravity of objects.

"New weapon," Midas said.

"Do you like them?" Overdrive asked. "I call them the GravGloves in the patent, but I'm thinking of changing the name, what do you think?"

"I think you're stalling," Midas chuckled.

Overdrive shrugged. "You're right."

With that, she drew her hand rapidly towards Midas and chunks of the bus surged forward.

Midas dodged out of the way and watched the bus pieces skid across the pavement where he'd just been standing. The others outside screamed and shouted.

Overdrive cackled, her amplifier back on. "What's wrong, babe? Not gonna use that destructive gift of yours?"

"I don't need it to beat you," Midas sneered. "But, hey; if you insist!"

In one fluid motion, Midas grabbed a small chunk of the twisted metal that had nearly clobbered him and hurled it at Overdrive. Moments before it reached her, he used his power and detonated the debris.

"Gah!" Overdrive howled, using her GravGloves to shield herself from the blast. The explosion blossomed outside of the distorted gravity, leaving her unscathed.

    "You're getting rusty!" she cackled, flinging more bus parts at him.

    Midas braced his hands out towards the pieces, all of which disintegrated into dust and fell to the ground.

    "Actually, I'm just getting warmed up," Midas said. "But you can leave now before things get too... hot."

Midas cringed at his own words before pointing a finger directly at Overdrive.

    Suddenly, the tip of one of Overdrive's gloves caught on fire, but did not explode. She smirked and blew the flame out.

    "What, you thought I'd challenge a Dynamopsych without beefing up my gear first?" she laughed. She continued to pick up more pieces and hurl them at Midas, who either burned or shattered the projectiles. The parking lot was a mess. After this game of 'catch' had gone on for a while and only half the bus was left, Overdrive sighed.

    "You know what? I'm bored. Let's make this... interesting," she said. She stretched a hand out towards Midas.

    Midas felt his body suddenly become weightless and his feet began to lift off the ground. He was turned upside down as he grappled for something to hold onto, finally digging his fingers into a crack in the pavement.

    Seeing that Midas had found a place to hold on, Overdrive clenched her fist, pulling Midas even harder.

    Midas clung to the pavement, hanging by the tips of his fingers.

    "Let this be a lesson to you, Dynamidas," she said softly.

    Midas' grip on the ground finally gave out and he began to rise into the air.

    Overdrive had just begun to grin when something quick and pointy stabbed her in the eye. A paper airplane fluttered to her feet.

    "Ow!" she moaned, dropping her hand to clutch her eye, releasing Midas in the process.

    Midas thumped to the ground and looked up just in time to see Sam rushing towards the disoriented Overdrive, swinging the broom from B3.

    "Oh crap," Midas muttered, watching as the situation became more complicated.

    Sam had barely smacked Overdrive in the head, when the villain turned, grabbed the broom and pulled Sam's neck into her powerful exoskeleton's grasp. The broom clattered to the floor.

    Slowly, Overdrive lifted Sam up, her thumb and fingers clenched around her captive's chin. Sam struggled, but could do little more than hit the heavily protected arm that held her.

    "Your choice, sweetheart," Overdrive crooned to Midas. "This unmasked vigilante, or..."

    With her free hand, Overdrive lifted up the rest of the school bus.

    "That school filled with innocent students. What do you say, Midas?" she hissed.

    Midas looked rapidly between the bus in the air and Sam in the villain's clutches. There was no way he'd be able to save both Sam and the school, which Overdrive clearly meant to throw the bus at.

    "Hey, suit chick?"

    Overdrive looked in surprise at Sam, who was staring at her suspiciously.

    "Um... yes?" she asked impatiently.

    "Are you a hero or something?" Sam asked.

    Overdrive's eyes narrowed. "No."

    "Then I will not be asking for your autograph," Sam said pointedly before biting down hard on Overdrive's gloved hand.

Overdrive yelped and dropped Sam. Still, she held the bus at her mercy, and with a loud, frustrated cry she lobbed it at the school building before Midas could react.

    Midas watched the bus soar over his head and wondered, just for a moment, what would happen if he just... walked away. He didn't have to do this, didn't have to save the school. He was a villain. Villains didn't save schools.

    "The vigilante's okay!" Sam shouted, breaking Midas out of his thoughts. "Get the school!"

    Midas turned his attention to the bus. He concentrated, concentrated.

    Foom!

    The entire bus was transformed into smoldering ash, which simply pelted the school front and landed in a heap on the ground.

    Upon hearing Overdrive chuckle, Midas whirled around to face her. Overdrive shook her head as she laughed.

    "Insomnium was right," Overdrive finally said. "You're still every bit the hero."

    In a rage, Midas tackled Overdrive, pinning her to the ground.

    "Did he send you here?" Midas asked in a fury.

     Overdrive glared at him. "Get. Off. Of. Me," she growled.

     "Did Insomnium send you to challenge me?!" Midas shouted.

    Without answering, Overdrive simply activated her booster shoes, shooting herself out of Midas' reach.

    "This won't be the last time you see me, Midas," she snarled as she ran off, disappearing into the streets beyond.

    Midas watched her go before finally standing up and dusting the rubble off of his suit. He glanced over to see Sam sitting on the pavement, rubbing her neck with her fingers. Midas limped over to her, exhausted from exerting his power so much.

    "Are you alright?" he asked her, kneeling down to be on her level.

    Sam tried to smile cheerfully. "I'm good," she answered.

    Midas frowned, taking her chin roughly and turning her head up and to the side to examine her neck. There were black and blue bruises from Overdrive's fingers. He glanced down at her ankle, which was swelling. She must have twisted it when Overdrive dropped her, he thought.

    "No, you're not," Midas finally said. "Can you stand?"

    Sam nodded, but winced in pain as soon as she tried to put weight on the ankle. She sat back down.

    Midas sighed and held out his hand.

     "Here, I'll help you," he said.

    Sam frowned, suspicious. Was this a trick?

     "Come on," Midas said impatiently, "We gotta get moving."

    Sam reached out and took Midas hand, grunting a little as he pulled her to her feet. Standing on one foot, Sam wobbled a bit. Without asking, Midas took her arm and put it over his shoulders to support her.

    "Alright, let's go," Midas said, eager to get this over with.

     Sam simply nodded determinedly.

    Their going was slow. Midas took two steps, Sam would hop. Two steps, hop, two steps, hop.

    "You sure I can't get your autograph?" Sam asked suddenly as she hopped.

    Midas almost laughed. "Are you kidding me with this again?"

    Sam shook her head. "I'm serious. I know you said you were a villain, but that was some pretty heroic stuff back there."

    "You weren't so bad yourself," Midas replied.

    "Ha!" Sam exclaimed. "I think I chipped a tooth on that girl. Gosh, I must look like a nightmare now."

    She glanced at Midas. "Come to think of it, you don't look so hot either. Are you alright?"

    Midas nodded. He was scraped up some, had some bruises; it was nothing he'd not experienced before.

    "What happened to your hand?!" Sam cried.

     Midas looked at his free hand, his right hand. During the scuffle, the bandages had somehow come off, revealing his burnt skin.

    "Must have happened in the fight," he muttered. "Guess we both need to go to the nurses office."

    "Sam! Midas!"

    The two looked up to find Evan racing towards them. He cringed upon seeing Sam limping.

    "Sam, are you alright? What happened out there? I asked the others what was going on, turned around and then you were running out there with the broom! I barely had time to send a plane to distract her!" Evan exclaimed. He looked at Midas. "And you look terrible. Do you want help?"

    Midas gratefully allowed Evan to take his place supporting Sam.

    "Come on," Midas said. "Let's get out of here before the cops show up."

    He walked ahead of Sam and Evan, but paused at the school door.

    "And..." he said, not looking at them. "Thanks, I guess."

    He entered the building without a backwards glance.

    Sam and Evan looked at each other.

    "That's the first time I've ever heard him say that," Sam breathed.

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