So, this is it. Thank you so, so much to everyone who's read and reviewed, you make my day. Hope you like it!

Warren raised an eyebrow as Will slid into what had become their usual table at the Paper Lantern. "Don't you have something called school? I hear it's mandatory."

"One," Will raised a finger. "It's three thirty. School's over. And two, it's May, school's practically over anyway."

"Fine." Warren said, setting his tray down after a quick glance around for his boss and sitting across from him. "How was prom?"

"A little anti-climactic after everything else."

"You get up the guts to ask Layla?"

"We went in the same group."

"So no then."

"It's complicated." Warren just stared back at him, not buying a word of it. "How'd it go after we left? Did they buy that Battle just got away?" Will asked.

"Yeah." Warren answered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "They don't really know you guys, what you're capable of. They've never seen you in action. So they aren't surprised that he beat a bunch of teenagers, and just left them unharmed. And me and Abby aren't exactly the A team."

"That's cause that's me."

Warren rolled his eyes as Will smirked. "Whatever. Anyway, it worked out in our favor for once since they didn't ask any questions."

"So," Will asked. "Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Heard from him at all."

"Nah." Warren shook his head. "I think my mom has. But I think we need a little space for now."

"That's cool."

The edge of Warren's mouth quirked up. "You of all people should know my family is anything but cool."

"Ha. Ha. Haha. Ha. Are you sure your second power isn't making terrible jokes?"

"That was weak."

"Compared to me, everything is weak."

Warren rolled his eyes, not laughing, but letting it slide without a comment. "So are you gonna get me tickets for graduation?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "You want to go? You know you can just show up to the party, right?"

Warren shrugged. "I'm bored. Desperate."

"Alright. You know a normal person would like go to the movies or something."

"God. No movies. Every time it's Abby's turn to pick – every time – she picks Frozen."

Will laughed. "Yeah, I've seen it," he shrugged, "Can see why she'd be into it."

"Every. Time." Warren repeated. "She is obsessed. I have it memorized."

Will just laughed even more, and Warren scowled at him.

"Shut up. I'm starting to forget why I wanted to go to your graduation at all."

Will squinted at him. "Layla told you you should go, didn't she."

"Yeah." He didn't bother trying to hide or deny it.

"Why don't you ask her for tickets?"

"You've got better seats."

Will dipped his head. "Being a Stronghold does have its benefits."

"You've just got the in with Mr. Boy."

"Hey, what can I say, I'm loveable."

Warren rolled his eyes. " You're going to be insufferable once they give you your own comic book."

"YEEEAAAHH BOOIIII!"

It was only Will's super strength that stopped him from being wiped out to the ground as the ball of light tackled him from behind.

"You and me! Zach Attack and the Captain!"

"I know!" He shouted back, hooking an arm around Zach's neck. It's going to be awesome.

Magenta walked up behind them, her smile surprisingly glowing almost as bright as Zach.

"Are you guys done? Layla wants pictures."

"She's not the only one." Will's mom joined in the hug. "I'm so proud of you baby."

"Thanks mom."

"That's a good one!" His dad boomed as the camera snapped with a flash. "Alright now, howabout one with the future partners now, eh?"

They obligingly huddled next to each other as Will's mom backed away, grinning. Will tried to mirror the grin, sure he was being outshone by Zach.

The camera clicked again, and Will's dad glanced down at the picture, his forehead creasing a bit. "Alright, one more time, without the flash." He said, raising the camera again. "Zach son, think you could tone down the light a bit?"

"Sure thing Commander!" Zach replied, although Will didn't notice much of a difference.

"Oh yes, this is going to be one for the scrapbook." Will's dad nodded at the picture. "We've got some real nice ones, that someone or other gave to us,"

"Mr. Boy, dad."

"You know I think you're right, where is the old bugger, we should get a picture with him too."

"Congratulations Willie," Mr. Halfside said, pumping his hand as Will's dad patted Zach on the back, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Fine job son, fine job!"

"Can I get one with you and Layla honey?" Will's mom asked. "I have a picture of you two from the first grade. Oh, it's going to make me cry."

"Uh, yeah, sure mom." Will said, glancing over to check with Layla.

"Of course Mrs. Stronghold." Layla said with a wide smile.

Will hesitantly put his arm around her as they posed.

"Do you want me to take one with you guys?" Layla asked after the camera clicked.

"Oh, would you Layla! Oh you are such a dear, thank you! Just press this button right here, that one, you have to hold it," Will's mom instructed as she rushed over to stand beside Will. He was starting to feel mildly like a cardboard cut out.

It didn't quite seem real. Yesterday he'd still technically been in high school, now he could officially be called out on missions. For such a big transformation, you'd think he'd feel a little different. But being handed a diploma hadn't magically given him any new skills or confidence.

Not to say it didn't still feel pretty great.

Lash and Speed's moms were hugging each other and crying across the room – everyone had been slightly surprised that Speed, Lash, and Penny had all managed to graduate only a few years late. As heroes.

"Hey Will." Warren was suddenly next to him, shaking his hand, somehow having managed to avoid the paparazzi. "Congratulations. You're finally actually authorized to save the world."

"Thanks man." Will said grinning.

"Warren!" His mom crowed. "There you are! Smile! Smile Will!"

Will obligingly turned his charm onto the camera. He was finally making his way into the scrapbooks.

The party was actually kind of great. Will'd been skeptical of his parents throwing a graduation party – I mean, come on, who wanted to go to a party where someone's dad'd be shoving old yearbooks and scrapbooks in your face? And there were the stack of invitations labeled 'Celebrate the Stronghold Three!' that were languishing in the recycling.

But other than that, way better than the disaster he'd been envisioning. Everyone had showed up. Even Penny – or one of her, anyway – was standing over by the drinks, chatting with her new partner.

Will still couldn't quite believe it. These were his classmates, the people he'd eaten lunch in the cafeteria with, who'd he'd struggled through history with. He was used to seeing them at lockers, bent over books and backpacks, filling up school buses. But they weren't just his classmates anymore. Now they were the world's new supers. Heroes.

Part of him was terrified. How on earth were Larry and Carla, who couldn't even beat their neighbors – their regular, completely human neighbors – in foosball be able to save the city the next time a giant moth from Neptune attacked?

But then there was another part that was just psyched he had survived high school. He was done – finally – and would never have to go back. Somehow he'd managed to get through it. He'd worry about saving the world tomorrow, right now he just wanted to celebrate.

"Hey." Warren said, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Hey." She replied, meeting his eyes and smiling up at him. "Great party. The Commander told me keeping the beer cold was almost the best power he could think of."

"Almost?"

"Yeah," Abby sighed with a smile, leaning back against the table. Warren eased back next to her, surveying the lawn spilling over with ambling supers. "Only almost. Maybe one day I'll get up to a definitely."

"Listen," Warren said, mentally preparing himself to launch into it. "I, uh, I just wanted to let you know. Since everyone's graduating and getting their partners and everything. I won't be offended or upset or anything if you want to change partners."

"What?"

"You're talented and powerful, and with a different partner you could be getting the assignments that would be taking you places and getting you the recognition you deserve. I don't want to be holding you back, I just want you to be happy."

"Do you want to change partners?"

"That doesn't matter, it's your decision."

"No, it's the only thing that matters. Are you trying to get me to split us up so you won't have to?"

"No, of course not."

"Warren, I can't believe you'd even suggest that! Why on earth would you think I'd want to change partners? You're holding us back," she scoffed. "Please, you're one of the most powerful supers in the world!"

"Don't play dumb Abby, you know what I'm talking about. I'm the reason we aren't getting on prime time, Battle's son doesn't get the choice assignments. I'm just saying, you don't have to stick with that if you don't want to – I don't want to ruin your career just because you're dating me."

"And do you honestly think that's what I want most in my partner – someone who will further my career?"

"Your partner is your career Abby."

"But this isn't an office job. I need to be able to trust my partner, know they'll watch my back.

"And I don't trust anyone more than you. We don't just get along well, we work together well – you know my moves, I know yours. I cover for your weaknesses, and I know you're looking out for mine. You think I'm gonna give that up to go work with Jetray?"

Warren smiled as he shrugged, and leaned down to quickly kiss her on the cheek. "I have to admit, I was kind of hoping you'd turn that down."

"Yeah, well, if it'd be hard to find a replacement for you, it'd be damn near impossible to find a replacement for me."

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Layla said. "One day we're starting elementary school together. And today we're done."

"I know," Will said, nodding. "I feel like I might've missed some important steps along the way."

"You?" Layla asked, laughing and raising an eyebrow. "Well, if you did, they must not've been that important."

"I sure hope not." Will said, trying to brush it off with a smile.

"You got the most important part right anyway," She said.

What, actually graduating? Save the citizen? That A in geometry? Saving the world – which time, this year, freshmen year, junior year?

"This party." She raised her cup with a smile.

"Oh!" Will grinned too, bumping the edge of his cup against hers. "Yeah. Of all the high school parties, I think this is the only one I actually wanted to have, and go to."

"Is it bad if I'm surprised it's going so well?"

"Not at all," Will shook his head vehemently. "I was expecting disaster way before now. I'm just glad our parents haven't broken into tears yet."

"Oh, it's coming." Layla warned. "They're already going into empty nest mode for me. And they aren't taking it well."

"Oh yeah, my parents argued hard core for the commuting from home."

"We could've carpooled." Layla grinned. "It'd be like regressing to first grade all over again."

"Life is all just a circle. Graduation has just led us back to the beginning."

"It still doesn't really feel real." Layla commented. "I mean, you get what I'm saying, right? This doesn't feel any different. Maybe I'm still in shock." She laughed.

"Yeah, guess I'm still coming to terms with it too." Will agreed.

"It's kind of amazing though, isn't it?" Layla turned her smile to him. "We've save the world so many times already it feels like, been through so much. And now we're finally heroes. For real now. We've made it."

"I dunno," Will said, and Layla turned to look at him. "I mean, it is great. But. It also kind of feels like an ending."

"Well, it is an ending." Layla said, tilting her head. "The end of high school. But it's also the beginning of us being heroes."

"I know," Will said. "I guess what I'm afraid of is it also being the end of all this." He gestured around him. "Of us, all hanging out together. I mean, I'll get more than enough of Zach, obviously, but Warren's already off in the real world, and now you and Magenta will be off fighting crime who knows where, and Ethan's going into research somewhere huge and prestigious," Will shrugged. "I'm just going to miss our study groups, that's all."

Layla smiled. "I will too. They were the best part of high school."

Will could feel his throat tightening. This was it. He knew this was it, this was his opportunity rolling out the red carpet for him. He'd made an idiot of himself practicing in front of the mirror, but now seconds before he was still no closer to knowing what was the right thing to say. He plunged forward anyway.

"I miss you."

Layla smiled and laughed a little. "I'm not going anywhere, Will. We'll be going to the same college – well, as covers anyway. And we aren't going to lose touch."

"Not," Will ran a hand up and over the back of his head. "Not like that. I miss – I miss being with you. You know. I miss us."

The light smile faded off her face as understanding dawned. "Oh." She said, fingers tapping against the edge of her cup. "Okay. Look, I –"

"Wait, just," Will interrupted, desperate to be able to have his say before being shot down. "I know we broke up because I was being an asshole. It was all might fault, and I'm sorry. I've been sorry every day since it happened.

"But we had something, didn't we, when we were together? It just worked. It was perfect, and I was happier than I can ever remember being. You know me better than anyone. I feel more like myself when I'm with you, and I can't imagine ever being without you."

"Will," Layla's eyes closed briefly. "I've missed you like crazy. You're my best friend – you've always been my best friend – and after we broke up, and things just weren't the same, it was awful. You're right, when we first started dating, I thought I couldn't possibly feel any happier. But, as much as I wish things hadn't changed between us, they did. I want to go back."

"Well, if you feel that way too, then what's stopping us?" Will asked, cautiously allowing a note of hope to creep into his voice.

Layla bit her lip hesitantly. "I moved on from high school Will a while ago." She admitted. "And I think you have too. You've really become an amazing hero, Will. But that's the thing, we're heroes now. And everybody knows about you and is going to be watching you, expecting great things from you – and I'm sure you're going to deliver.

"But I can't just be The Captain's girlfriend, his sidekick. I'm a hero too, and I need to have that separate from you. I know you've grown up a lot, I'm sure you would never do that intentionally. But I can't move on from high school just to go back into your shadow."

"We aren't going to be partners," Will started slowly. "Which obviously was a good choice. Maybe you're right, and we would have problems again. But I don't want to just assume we'd fail. And we can take things slow. One day at a time. Just start off with one date. This isn't The Captain asking The Gardener out, just Will asking Layla. Because both The Captain and Will think Layla's pretty great."

Layla reached out and took his hand. "Yeah." She said smiling. "I don't know about The Captain and The Gardener yet, but Will and Layla make a pretty great team."

"So," Will drew out the word, starting to mirror her smile. "Saturday night?"

Layla laughed. "I'm free."

"Then it's a date."

He kissed her quickly, and it was sunshine and roses and daisies, and she laughed some more and Will had to look around to reassure himself that he hadn't actually started flying and his feet were still planted firmly on the ground.

Layla placed a hand on either side of his face, sobering a little. "I can't make any promises. We didn't work out the first time we tried this, and I have no idea if we'll do any better a second time around" She glanced down at their hands, and holding his tighter looked back up at him. "But I want to try."

Will grinned. "I think we have a pretty good shot."

Layla smiled back. "I think so too."

"Does it feel weird to anyone else to be hanging out without textbooks?" Magenta asked, grabbing another handful of chips.

"That's what it is!" Will snapped his fingers. "We're hardly ever all sitting around without some huge test or paper hanging over our heads!"

"I. Am never." Zach groaned, lifting his head up slightly from Magenta's lap. "Going to write another paper. Ever again."

"Hate to break this to you Zach, but that happens in college too." Ethan reminded him.

"It's a cover!" Zach protested. "I don't actually have to do any work. Do I?"

"You probably shouldn't blow it off entirely." Layla cautioned with a grin.

"Poor Ethan's the only one still stuck in school." Magenta grinned. "Hey Ethan, you've got any cool new gadgets for us?"

"Magenta, I told you, I don't even work in that department. At all."

"New toys?" Zach cracked an eye open.

"New toys, new toys, new toys, new toys." Will slowly started chanting, and Zach eagerly joined in, as did Magenta, banging their hands on the table.

Layla rolled her eyes at Warren, who was having trouble concealing his grin.

Ethan laughed and shook his head. "The next office over they're working on cockroach zappers – trust me, you guys'll be the first to know when they go into production."

Magenta wrinkled her noes and stopped chanting. "Could come in handy, I guess." She shrugged.

"Cockroach zappers?" Zach asked.

"Well that's not the final name."

"Do they like, turn the people you zap them with into cockroaches, or do they zap cockroaches into oblivion? Either way I want one."

"Maybe for your birthday."

Will's phone started blaring. As he searched idly for the off switch, everyone else's phones started emitting sirens too. The first thought that flickered through his head was that it was one of those flood warnings, but the next instant his brain put the pieces together. It wasn't just a call – it was a super call.

He glanced at the screen – downtown, giant robots, slime guns? Was that a typo? Hopefully, he'd find out.

"Slime guns, man." Zach said, already on his feet. "That could be tricky."

The door flew open revealing Abby, here eyes instantly meeting Warren's. "Downtown." She said.

Warren gave a nod, grabbing his coat. "Now." He replied.

"Meet you there." Layla said.

She bent over Will and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Be safe." He said, squeezing her arm as he stared up at her.

She nodded. "You too."

Then she was gone, breezing out the door with Magenta.

Ethan was already pulling out his computer, schematics quickly flooding the screen. Will had no idea what they meant, but Ethan was already muttering into his phone and typing rapidly. Whatever it was, Will knew Ethan would handle it – just like he had to handle whatever was on his end.

"You ready for this?" Will asked Zach, rolling out his shoulders as they exited.

"Born ready, man." Zach replied, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hey, you wanna get Chinese after this? Magenta says there's this Thai place downtown, but we get Thai all the time, and Chinese is still Asian –"

"Sounds awesome." Will cut him off. "I'm always starving after a mission."

"Same dude." Zach said, leaping onto Will's back.

Will braced himself, then leapt off the doorstep into the clouds.