The Stupendous Springer

Episode 0: Foundation, Chapter 3

Holly's unremarkable sedan pulled into a parking space at the school that would otherwise be highly enviable. However, the school was as empty as one normally is on a Saturday. It was just as well, since the newly minted Super in the passenger seat would draw a lot of attention if there were a crowd. Holly stepped out of her seat, with Sophie following suit, but less successfully. Sophie had allowed her legs to go slack in the car ride, and she had become too used to this, so her legs collapsed under her weight once again when she climbed out of her seat. Tumbling forward, she reached out in desperation, and with a quick grasp of the top of the car door and a well-placed tense of her maybe-muscles, Sophie managed to turn her fall into a swing as she brought her legs back under her, making sure they bore her weight as she clumsily transitioned from swinging to standing.

"Smooth," Holly quipped from the other side of the vehicle.

Sophie rolled her eyes as she swung the car door shut. "Yeah, sure, enjoy it while it lasts."

Holly was indeed enjoying her friend's antics. Even as they simply walked down the hall toward the lab, the normally sure-footed Sophie seemed like she had been sitting down so long she had forgotten how exactly walking was supposed to work. She kept transitioning between jerking herself upward with every step and slinking forward levelly. Every once in a while, Holly heard a grunt of frustration from Sophie, presumably at her legs, but she managed to keep pace with Holly all the way to the lab, despite her difficulties. A swipe of a student ID card granted Holly access to open the lab door. She used said access to open the door, bracing her back against it so Sophie could walk past her unimpeded.

"Thanks," Sophie half-smiled at Holly as she walked by. Rubbernecking a little more than metaphorically, Sophie ensured no one else was present. "I think we're good," she told Holly.

"I figured," Holly agreed as she let the door swing shut. "It's amazing outside. Feel free to crack a window. I'm down."

"I'd rather keep as tight a lid on this as I can," Sophie replied as she followed Holly over to her E.A.R.W.I.G. "Let's just get this over with so--"

"What? Where is it!? Is it gone!?" Holly gasped.

"What's gone?" Sophie asked, confused.

"The Vector Ratio Harmonizer!" Holly shouted back, quickly climbing down the floor to look underneath her machine. "I think it's missing!"

"Why would it be missing?" Stophie asked. "Did it fall out and, I don't know, roll across the floor?"

"No, it was bolted in," Holly replied, climbing to her feet after an unsuccessful search. "It was right there," she said, pointing to a notable gap in the front of the metallic Christmas tree. "Sophie, am I crazy? Did we actually modify this thing on the way out last night, or did we just leave?"

"No, we just left," Sophie confirmed. "You made sure of that. Why would anything be missing, then?"

Holly's brow furrowed. "Well, it's possible someone stole it."

"Holly, for real," Sophie deadpanned.

"No, for real," Holly assured her. "It's bleeding-edge tech, and even though I built mine myself, if someone somehow knew it was here, they might have tried to steal it so they could make bank on it."

"How bleeding-edge?" Sophie asked, unconvinced.

"Other than one built by Vindicator and another one built by some guy in the States, all research on them is theoretical," Holly answered.

Sophie's jaw dropped.

Holly continued, "In my defense, I read every single paper before I made mine. I feel like there were some improvements to be made, and I'm not sure why nobody--"