FicWad

Chapter 5

The next morning, Luthor went over what he had. He had a choice of who to contact first. Granted, the Pas De Six had not even opened their theater yet, but it was on the oil field, and he figured that it would be better, and easier, to buy them off first. By the money the oil would give him, he knew that the money it would take to buy them out and buy them a new theater would be a drop in the pan. That would probably the only thing that would have to go with out coercion. After all, he was dealing with naïve teenagers, and he was sure that he could make them an offer that looked far better than holding court in a cave. However, if they refused, he always knew that he could make them an offer that he could not refuse. He may even be able to offer some shares in the oil to sweeten the pot before he strong-armed them. He looked over the members, and figured the best one to start with would be the married couple. After all, they had their future to build, and if he could make it promising, they may just jump on it. At that time, he knew they were probably working at the Fawcett City Ballet Company, and he tried there first.

The city ballet itself was a very fine facility, designed to be a professional company, as well as an instructional facility. Normally, what they had in students were children, those who did it for the joy and athleticism, and adults who always wanted to, but just never had the chance as kids. As the newest members, it fell on Fakir and the Schmidts to do the instructing as a part of their apprenticeship with them. That morning would be interesting, as many members of the Fawcett City Thunderbolts, (the city’s pro football team,) came in for classes. Though the main office was in the front, and it was quite elaborate, that was more meant for theater business and for the shows. In the back was the area for what they were doing. There was a small office in a booth in front, various pictures and trophies for the school in various cases, displays for dance clothes, a bulletin board for announcements, and then several rooms for the troop to practice, for the school to have classes, and the largest was for choreographing the shows, as well as holding special lessons for what was coming in the door. Even though they were in there frequently, they still got amused looks from the two secretaries in the front as the line of giants sauntered by in sweats and dance tights. However, considering who was wearing the attire, only the foolhardy would have said something. Moreover, the foolhardy would have only said something once! This was the first time that the three had the instruction of them, and the others briefed them on their skill level. They were all actually intermediates, and they would probably take part in the school recitals after the season was done. That meant that they would be preparing for a group dance, possibly joined by members of the company to provide opportunities for some pas de deux amongst the more skilled of the players. Thus, the first thing was to work out a routine for them to perform as a group, and then pull aside certain ones for some solo and group work. The three were then told that the best ten were to be used as supernumeraries and ensemble work for a couple of shows, so they were to keep an eye out for them. As they entered, the boys did what they could to stifle some laughter, while Rue just watched with a keen eye. She could also see that there were a few that were nervous, as they were beginners, and she figured that she could give them to the boys to help them while she worked with the more experienced ones herself. To take the edge off things, she said, “Welcome to a new season gentlemen…” she stopped, got a glint in her eye, and said, “Well, well, well, look at this—a smorgasbord!”
Mytho flicked a knowing eye and a smile to her, as she whispered to him teasingly, “Jealous!”
Fakir took more of a businesslike stance and in typical efficient German fashion, came before them, clicked his heels with a slight bow, and said, “Geuten Morgen gentlemen—my name is Fakir Schmidt, and I am one of your instructors. The first thing I need to know is who my beginners are?”
About five hands went up, and they were all new players to the team. “Excellent!” said Fakir, “Now, if you five would come with me and my brother, we shall get you up to speed.”
As he took them away, Rue stepped up and said, “Okay, fellas, you all know why you are here! Take your positions on the bar, and we shall begin with the developee to get you back into the rhythm of things after your off season”
They did as they were instructed, but many eyes lingered on her as they did so. Taking the hint, Rue then said, “Well, that is good! That means you shall all be able to pay attention to me, and do as I say, right?”
Those that had stared turned a bit red, and then went to their spots. The piano player then began a good ¾ time cadence and Rue said, “Okay, one hand on the bar, the other in the third position, point outer leg forward, to the side, and to the first position. And one, two, three, keep it steady, one, two, three, watch your line, one, two three, watch yourselves, not me, and…”
Although there was a bit of that, she did appreciate the professionalism of the players, in that, because of their mindset to listen to orders from a coach, they were quick to obey, not to back talk, and keep to their tasks.

On the other side of the room, Fakir and Mytho had a bit more of a daunting task. Since the coach of the Thunderbolts believed strongly in this kind of training to improve his players, the rookies were not as certain. None of them had ever done ballet, mostly because they all came from towns where, if you took ballet as a boy, your manhood was questioned, and you actually took your own life into your hands. Fakir knew how to handle this crowd, because, though Germany was more apt to be accepting of this, there were still some that had the attitude that only homosexual men got into ballet. Thus, he stepped to the fore, and said, “Gentlemen, you all look like you feel as out of place as a Presbyterian in Hell, to quote Mark Twain.”
They began to laugh at this, taking some of the edge off things. Fakir then said, “I believe that some of you feel awkward because of some of the hand and leg positions you see your teammates making, and they do seem somewhat…how shall we say…over exaggerated. However, we must explain to you that it only appears that way because they are going slow. The reason for that is that the moves you shall learn today are designed to make your movements precise, crisp when at speed, and also to keep your balance. It is designed to make ladies look even more graceful than what people first see, and to make them more beautiful. For the men, the movements are supposed to demonstrate strength and power. One day, you may even be able to do this…”
He then went into a series of grand fouettes, followed by some pirouette piques, to which he moved into a standing jump high in the air, legs split. He then landed, and went into a front and back split, left hand fisted and on his hip, the right arm pointed straight up into the air, hand pointed straight up. That brought some applause from the men, and Mytho said, “Yet, before you can to that, you are going to have to go though a series of repetitive moves over and over before you move onto other things. We hope to have you learn the developee before the end of the season, which is what you see your teammates doing right now. If you wish to continue on after the season, then we would love to have you on an individual basis. With that, we are going to start with the five basic positions from which all the steps are done. Once we get that down, we shall move into other areas. First, though, we shall stretch. However, we are probably going to stretch muscles that you are not used to stretching, but that is all part of the benefits that you shall gain over your foes on the football pitch.”
With that, they limbered up, using the music for pace. They then began to learn the five basic positions out of the French school, which is by far the most common and popular form. As they did it, some of the men were still feeling awkward, but Fakir knew how to snap the out of it. He barked like a coach on their team, and said, “Keep your body straight! That is called ‘your line.’ When I say, ‘keep your line straight,’ I mean, ‘keep your upper and lower torso as one unit,’ unless you have to bend. Come on now—put your best into this!”
“I still feel silly,” said one of them, to which Mytho said, “It is only silly because this is so new to you. Relax, and you will do well.”
“Yeah,” said another, not angrily or with dismissal, but with frustration over trying to make it happen, “I feel like a woman.”
“That is because you are not moving with authority,” said Fakir. He asked everyone to stop, and to look at him. “Now, watch me,” he said, and started moving through the positions, but with some snap, a serious look on his face, and a movement that was more reminiscent of a bodybuilder. “You men have flexed like bodybuilders before, right?” asked Fakir.
Many pumped their heads up and down. He then said, “Okay, I want you all to think like you are doing a ballet pose down. Move like you are flexing, but in the ballet positions.”
The lights began to turn on, and suddenly they began to move with a bit more confidence, and feel more…well…masculine. It even got to the point where they were trying to outdo one another. This was different to the boys, but, hey, whatever worked!

Meanwhile, the phone in the office out back began to ring, to which the secretary dutifully picked up the phone and said, “Fawcett City Ballet—education department: may I help you?”
“Yes,” said the friendly and warm voice on the other side, “My name is Lex Luthor.”
The secretary recognized the name, and took on a new tone, saying, “It is a pleasure Mr. President.”
“Well, that is behind me now,” said Luthor, “Mr. Luthor shall do fine.”
“Then how may I assist you or direct your call today?”
“I am looking for one of the members of the Pas De Six,” said Luthor, “I must tend to some business with them.”
Normally, when people called up asking about the Pas De Six, she normally gave the number for Mr. Tawny, because she knew that they would more than likely like to be left in privacy. In reality, they mostly got calls from kids just looking to talk to them for the sake of talking to them. They sought to deflect those prying calls, but this was different. She then said, “Do you have any one of them in mind?”
“Let me speak to the one named Rue Schmidt, if you please,” answered Luthor.
“Hold one moment, please,” and she went to the studio.

Rue had her notebook in hand, and she was preparing to get them ready for the number she had cooked up for them. She asked them if they wanted to do a sequence as if they were in a football game situation, and one said, “You know, ever since I’ve been doing that, I don’t think they ever asked us to do something like that.”
“Why is that?” wondered Rue.
“I guess,” ventured another, “it’s because some people think that we would not want to think about work when we do this.”
Another said, “We’d love it! All we would have to do is wear our socks and pants, and slippers that resembled cleats, and wear a light mock up of our pads to make it look right. We can do the same thing for helmets!”
“Okay then,” said Rue, “We’ll start talking about scenarios on how you want to depict this, and I have some basic series of moves aimed toward that. We can to this, and then make changed where you think is good. This is your field of work, after all!”
The men loved it, because they were being engaged for the first time, and being asked what they wanted to do, as if they were working out set plays for the game. What had happened was that she had asked Billy what kind of people she would be working with, and she told her how they worked as a team. She then sought to employ those things. Just before she was about to start, the secretary came in and informed her about the call. At that, she called over Mytho and asked her to fill in as she took the call.

“Moshi, moshi,” said Rue out of habit, but Luthor, being the international man that he was continued the conversation in Japanese, saying, “Konichiwa, this is Lex Luthor.”
“You speak the language well,” said Rue, “What can I do for you today?”
“Thank you for the compliment,” Luthor first answered, and then said, “I know that you are a busy woman, so I will just cut straight to it. I have a business proposal for you.”
“Are you seeking to be one of our sponsors,” asked Rue, knowing that this would be more of the area for Mr. Tawny to deal. Luthor answered, “In a sense, yes, but not quite how you think. You see, I know that you are preparing a new theater for your act, but that land on which you build it, well, there is a keen business interest for Lexcorp, and, well, I really need that plot of land. However, I would not want to deprive you of your theater, so, what I propose is this: I shall build you six a very modern theater—either in town or in Fawcett City—and sponsor it all the way through if you sell me the land.”
Something did not ring right for Rue at this point, because of the sudden urgency with which this seemed to come. Why, when the theater was so close to being finished, would he now come with this offer? Granted, the announcement of the theater was only two weeks prior, and there were limited pictures of the land, so to see it now was not odd. However, what was so special about that land that he had to have it? She asked, “I am curious, though. What is it about the land that would benefit you?”
“Let us say that it would be a benefit to society and the consumer if we had that plot of land,” answered Luthor, “Considering its benefits, it would be but a small sacrifice. Besides, I am willing to compensate.”
Rue wanted to tell this man where to put it, but she figured that she would try to sidestep it, and handle it professionally. She said, “Well, there are certain matters with which I must deal. First, it would take a unanimous vote of the six of us to do this, because each of us signed individually on the contract. Second, even if we did, we have our cosigner and benefactor with which to speak. Could you give me some time?”
“Oh, most certainly,” said Luthor, “I know how bureaucracy works, and I have patience and time. Please, speak to your colleagues. Can I reach you here?”
“Most days,” Rue answered.
“Then I’ll give you a call in a few days,” said Luthor, “Please, take your time: this is not a small decision.”
“Thank you for calling, Mr. Luthor,” Rue responded, and he gave his cordial good-byes as they both hung up. No, something did not sit right. Mytho was the empath, but she wondered if it was rubbing off, because, for the lack of a better term, she did not like the vibes. She would bring this up when all six were together later that afternoon.

Soon, it was lunchtime on campus, and the three of the six who were still in school met with Rachel to see how she was doing. Ahiru then asked, “How was your first day?”
“It wasn’t bad,” said Rachel, “although it is hard sometimes to relate. I mean, I may look like a teenager, but I have the mind of someone who is about 26 years old! The girls look at me more matronly than as a peer. That’s okay, I guess, but one thing that gets to me is all the fans you six have gained here. I mean, I would figure that, at an art school, you guys would be left alone, because fame is something everyone seeks. Yet, there are a few that need to calm down. Some of them are the fangirls of the boys in the group.”
“Marks!” said Billy, which got some odd looks from the rest.
“What do you mean by that,” asked Mary.
“In pro wrestling,” said Billy, “there are those who are fans who are so into it that they truly believe that what they see is real. I admit, the moves and holds are real, but it is all choreographed. Yet, they get into it too much. However, when you are a wrestler and you are called a mark, it is an insult. They usually are young guys trying to get in, who normally start as talent enhancement, and cannot get over the fact that they may just be working with someone they once idolized. Yet, at that stage, you have to put that aside. These girls are in an art school, but for some reason, they cannot understand that what we did, they could do themselves. They have to get their heads out of the clouds!”
All mumbled in agreement to this, as Rachel then said, “We are being watched.”
No one had noticed this, considering the fact that it was open, but there were many people. However, Rachel had some of that sixth sense that Mytho seemed to have, and she said, “It’s her.”
Everyone looked up to see Elly sitting there with her art pencils and sketch pad, looking up every once and a while, and then going back to the pad. Ahiru said, “Oh, that’s Elly: she’s my new roommate.”
Ahiru looked up and said, “Hi, Elly! Why not sit with us?”
“I can’t draw the lot of you sitting over there,” answered Elly, “I need this angle.”
“Art school, I take it,” Billy whispered to Ahiru, and Ahiru said, “Is that for fun or for a class?”
“It is part of my first assignment,” she answered, “I have to capture a still life even though you are all animated. It’s part of learning how to visualize better, and to make it come to life, in a sense. That way, it’s not all stiff, as if you were posed. It is the factor of what you show me, what my mind remembers and how I capture it. I’m getting the rough of what I want now, and I hope to refine it later.”
“It’s funny,” said Billy, “I didn’t even notice you move up.”
“Was that you circling us earlier?” asked Rachel.
Elly looked askance at that statement, considering the abilities she had gained while recovering. She said, “Funny, you are the first person to notice me when I don’t want to be noticed.”
For some reason, Mary felt the awkwardness of her statement, and decided to take an edge off it by asking, “Why were you circling around?”
“Well, nothing really,” answered Elly, “I just wanted to get a better angle on you—you know, see what would look best.”
The conversation went on generally, but both Rachel and Billy filed this away. She indeed did move around without being seen, and Rachel knew how close she had indeed come while doing so. Rachel then decided to probe her mind a bit while she was distracted, just to see what was floating around. Rachel then pursed her lips as if she were pondering something, and nodding her head up and down as she did. She leaned towards Billy and said, “Can we talk right after classes today?”
“Meet us in the practice room with the rest,” said Billy, “Does it deal with hero things?”
“It’s possible,” said Rachel.

Before Mr. Katt arrived, Rachel said, “I had a chance to look at the surface thoughts of that artist girl we met earlier, and I think there are some interesting things about her. I gathered she had been sick for a time—is that correct?”
Ahiru acknowledged this, and Rachel said, “Well, something has happened to that girl.”
“I don’t understand,” Billy said, “Is it something bad?”
“Not necessarily,” answered Rachel, “but what I saw was interesting. It seems that something happened in her head while her body was trying to heal up. I didn’t have time to be thorough, but there is a sense about her mind that certain areas have activity where there should not be. Some of it is active, and some of it is inactive. It may have something to do with how she was able to move about unseen, save for those like me who can detect her despite her seeming gifts.”
“Should we be concerned about this?” asked Mytho, “I mean, what would be the problem?”
“It may be nothing,” said Rachel, “I just thought it interesting. I mean, if she began to have problems, you at least have a feel for things so you may help her. It’s just something to keep in mind.”
“Speaking of keeping things in mind,” said Rue, “I got a call today from one Mr. Lex Luthor.”
Both Billy and Rachel’s face became concerned. Mytho detected the shift in their emotions, and he asked, “Is this man trouble?”
“It depends on how you define it;” responded Billy, “Let me put it like this: we have never been able to pinpoint him on anything, but whenever there seems to be corporate troubles, normally Lexcorp is in the thick of it. His lawyers are always good about deflecting things away from him, but we believe him to be one of those ‘above the law’ criminals. We have never been able to get him, but know that whatever he does normally has an ulterior motive attached to it.”
“Thank you for telling me that,” responded Rue, “because he called me with an offer to buy the theater and the land around it.”
Billy then said, “I guarantee you, there must be something out of it that he can use to tighten his power in the corporate world if he is asking for this. What did you tell him?”
“I simply told him that I would have to consult with you and our cosigner,” answered Rue.
“Good,” said Billy, as he pulled out his team communicator, “That will give me a chance to call him up and tell him what is going on.”
He flipped open the communicator and called him up. “Batman, here,” said the voice on the other end, “Who is this?”
“It’s Billy,” he answered, “Have I got an earful for you!”