Super Villain Academy 2: Polar Opposites by Kai Strand Page B

transported to another place. He and Mystic lay in each other’s arms on an impossibly soft bear rug. He drew her closer against him.
    “See ya, Hot Stuff,” Mystic said. She pushed Jeff away from the helicopter and he stumbled backward and fell onto the lawn. She was the last to jump into the copter as it began to lift off the ground. She grinned down at him as she slid the door closed, and the helicopter rose into the air.
    “Are you alright, Polar?”
    Jeff looked around and found a knot of teachers and students crowded around him. Myron had been the one to ask the question.
    Jeff blinked up at Myron, not sure how to answer. Why hadn’t they taken him? Why did they take Oceanus?
    “Sorry, son.” Frank squatted next to him. He ran his hand through his longish graying hair and peered at the horizon where the helicopter was a disappearing speck.
    Except for the bodies of the few dogs that had been taken down, nothing was left to indicate that any foul play had taken place. A teacher shooed the group away, telling them to get to their classrooms.
    Frank held a hand out to Jeff and helped him up off the ground.
    “Glad it wasn’t you, though.” Frank slapped Jeff on the back before he jogged across the lawn to inspect one of the fallen dogs.

Chapter 10
    The entire scene had played out in less than fifteen minutes. Jeff was astounded. Jeff was dumbstruck. Jeff was told to go to class. In an amazed haze, he moved on autopilot and found himself walking into his classroom. He flopped into his seat and looked around the room as if stunned to find himself there. Was he really expected to go on with his school day as if Oceanus hadn’t just been kidnapped?
    “Wasn’t that your girlfriend?” Hawaiian Punch asked. No, that wasn’t his name, but it was close.
    “Uh, yeah, it was,” Jeff said.
    “Are you gonna do something about it?” Punch Drunk (no!) said.
    Jeff sucked in a deep breath, held it, and then let it out in a whoosh. “Got any ideas?”
    The guy’s mouth flopped open like he’d been sucker punched. That’s it! His name! Sucker Punch shook his head and slumped into his seat.
    For the next couple of hours, Jeff trudged from one class to another, oblivious to any instruction given by the teachers. The whole while, he wracked his brain, trying to figure out how to track down Mystic and find Oceanus. He had no idea where Mystic would go. She’d graduated from school and worked as a recruiter for his dad until a few months ago, when Frank had asked her to keep an eye on Jeff, so she’d enrolled at Super Villain Academy, and then at his current school, Future Villains of America, which had recently been renamed the Future Vindicators of America.
    When the lunch hour finally hit, Jeff went to his dad’s office, hoping to get some reassurance that someone, somewhere was doing something to find her.
    “Your dad can see you now,” Hans told Jeff.
    Feeling old and creaky, Jeff unfolded his long body from the uncomfortable couch he’d been waiting on and trudged into his dad’s office.
    “What’s up, my boy?” Frank asked. His hundred-watt smile glowed as bright as his tacky Hawaiian shirt.
    Jeff’s mouth fell open. “What do you think?”
    Frank’s smile slipped and then fell away completely. Jeff thought he saw guilt cross his dad’s expression before he plastered his ‘all business’ frown on.
    “Yes, of course, you want to know about Oceanus,” Frank said. He shuffled papers on his desk in a poor attempt to indicate he’d been working on it.
    “Dad! You can’t tell me you haven’t done anything! Seriously? And parents trust you with their kids?” Jeff hollered.
    “Keep your voice down, son.” Frank heaved a heavy sigh. “Quite frankly, I forgot. Old habits and all.”
    Jeff scowled at the lame excuse for an apologetic smile his dad shot his way. “Dad, you’ve given Mystic almost a four hour lead! How will we ever find her now?”
    “There are all sorts of supers trained to track.