《na》


 Prologue

    </a>Prologue


    Marcus gazed up at the stars again, just like he had every night for the past two thousand years.


    His fingers squeezed around the handle to his motorcycle, which sat stationary in the middle of a baren desert. A cool breeze ruffled his black hair, his leather jacket keeping him warm.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    His eyes focused on a brilliant, glowing object hurtling 120,000 miles per hour through space, nearly 100,000 miles above the earth¡¯s surface. Scientists today called it Newel¡¯s Comet, the brightest and closest comet to ever pass by the earth.


    But Marcus knew it by another name. And he knew this wasn¡¯t its first time to approach the earth.


    ¡°Any day now,¡± Marcus muttered eagerly to himself. ¡°Any day.¡±

 Chapter 1

    Michael


    Present Day


    I ducked as Ray Simmons¡¯ massive fist grazed my hair.


    Adrenaline surged through me. I rolled away trying to regain my footing. He barreled after me with his right fist cocked, ready to deliver the first and final blow, but I stopped him with a solid kick to his stomach. Ray grunted in pain.


    Around us, a crowd of teenagers groaned in unison like a trained choir. About twenty students surrounded the fight in the outdoor courtyard and more filtered around us every second. It was as if they were trying to block off any escape routes from the fight.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Ray, knock his teeth in!¡± shouted Doug.


    ¡°Get up, Michael!¡± my cousin, Zack said. ¡°Put up your fists! Show him who¡¯s boss!¡±


    ¡°Leave him alone, Ray!¡± begged Sarah, my 14-year-old little sister. ¡°Stop being such a jerk!¡±


    Ray glared at me with a renewed fury as he regained his composure. I put up my fists as Zack instructed, mostly in defense. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, Ray!¡±


    Ray huffed. ¡°Then walk away.¡±


    I paused, lowering my fists. He¡¯s giving me an out?


    This all started because I told Ray and his friends to stop picking on my little sister. There was no way I¡¯d let him get away with that.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± I said. ¡°I do want to fight you.¡±


    Ray smirked, and then he charged, dropping his shoulder. I wasn¡¯t quick enough. The 195-pound middle-linebacker slammed his shoulder into my gut, lifted my feet off the ground, and then drilled my back into the grass. Pain shot through my spine and head. I couldn¡¯t breathe! Ray got up and stood over me, watching me cringe.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Ohhhh,¡± shouted Doug as if his teammate just sacked the quarterback. ¡°He¡¯s gonna feel that in the morning!¡± He gave Ray a fist bump.


    Ray chuckled under his breath, ¡°They don¡¯t teach you that in soccer practice, do they, Stoner?¡±


    I finally caught my breath and climbed back to my feet, clenching my fists and my teeth. The desire to defend myself faded. Now I really wanted to hurt him.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking,¡± Ray said as he lifted his fists to his face and bounced on his toes.


    We circled each other, trying to seize an opening. The crowd cheered¡ªI don¡¯t know who for¡ªprobably just for a good show. We were in the school plaza, right in the middle of campus. Where, of course, all the students had to pass through to get to their next classes. Our fight was pushed on the grass, just off of the main walkway.


    Ray had more mass than I did, but he was only an inch taller. Other than that, we were physically opposite in every way; with my dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Ray Simmons had black, spikey hair, brown skin, a muscular build, and an ego that could fill up a blimp. He was captain of the football team, and I was the captain of the soccer team. Obviously, we were destined to be mortal enemies.


    I moved in and struck Ray in the shin with a quick kick. He didn¡¯t even flinch, instead he seized the opportunity while I was close to grab my left arm, pull me in, and deliver a massive blow to my left eye.


    Just before Ray charged again, Sarah pushed him from behind, catching him off guard. I knew how feisty she could get when bullied. Ray turned his attention on her and pushed her to the ground.


    I felt an unusual burning in my gut. Nobody messes with my little sister, except me! I bolted toward Ray as he turned around, and I did what came naturally. I slid to the ground on my left side with my left leg behind, and my right leg extended. It was the hardest, soccer-style slide tackle I¡¯d ever done. Ray¡¯s legs buckled, and his back and head made a loud thud on the grass.


    I got up and stood over him. ¡°They don¡¯t teach you that in football practice, do they, Ray?¡±


    Before I had the chance to see Ray¡¯s reaction, someone slammed into me from behind, grinding my face into the ground. I saw a few stars and could taste grass and blood in my mouth. Doug had tackled me, Ray¡¯s best friend. He jumped up and pulled Ray to his feet.


    Ray spat. ¡°Stay down, Stoner!¡± He kicked me in the stomach just as I was about to get up. The pain was miserable, causing me to curl up in a ball, unable to breathe.


    ¡°Break it up!¡± A loud voice approached. I could hear students scattering, escaping from being selected as witnesses. ¡°Simmons! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The voice belonged to Coach Jones, the high school P.E. teacher and head coach of the football team.


    I still remained on the ground in fetal position. My whole body throbbed in pain. I glanced up to see Coach Jones standing between me and Ray.


    Ray sniffed and said, ¡°What¡¯s up, Coach? ¡®Bout time you got here.¡±

 Chapter 2

    </a>Chapter 2


    Ray


    I was in a pretty good mood, even though I was in the principal¡¯s office. It¡¯d been a while since Stoner and I last fought. Like last semester maybe? It felt great to win¡­ again.


    Mr. Call, the principal, tapped his fingers on his desk. He had a round face and a permanent frown. At least whenever he¡¯d looked at me in the past, all I¡¯d ever seen was a frown. Figures. He looked especially irritated now as he thought about what to do with the loser, Michael Stone¡ªwhom I¡¯ve proudly nicknamed Stoner¡ªand me.


    The afternoon sunlight seeped between the blinds of the office window, setting a dreary mood in the room. Or was it Mr. Call¡¯s frown that made the room dreary? Anyway, I was ready to get this done with and get out of here. I had better things to do, like sleeping through Mr. Thompson¡¯s history class.


    ¡°Young men,¡± Mr. Call said, lacing his fingers together in front of him. ¡°Fighting is terrible behavior. It is the worst way to resolve conflict. Physical contact is never the answer. Blah, blah, blah¡­¡±


    Okay, so I may have zoned out during that last part. I¡¯d heard it all before.


    ¡°Mr. Call,¡± I interrupted, leaning back in my chair. ¡°I was just defending myself. Stoner attacked me out of nowhere. I don¡¯t know what his problem is.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± Michael yelled. He sat in the chair next to me, and I¡¯ve got to say, he didn¡¯t look so good. I¡¯d definitely left my mark on him. In my defense, he deserved it.


    His left eye was already swollen shut. He had a tissue up his nose to keep it from bleeding. He hugged his ribs with one arm as if they were broken. I may have gone too far with the kicking¡­ oh well.


    Stoner always had a knack of making my life miserable. He just always seemed to be in the way. We were both popular, athletic, and we hated each other¡¯s guts for as long as I can remember. This school just wasn¡¯t big enough for the both of us. This wasn¡¯t our first fight, but it may have been the worst.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack Ray!¡± Stoner whimpered. ¡°He was bullying my little sister. I tried to stop him, and that¡¯s when he came in swinging.¡±


    Mr. Call massaged one of his eyebrows as if he were suffering from a migraine. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re doing this with you two again! Both of you have different stories. So, one of you must be lying. Since I can¡¯t tell who¡¯s telling the truth, and I don¡¯t have the patience to investigate it further, I¡¯m going to suspend both of you from all extracurricular activities for a month!¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°What?¡±


    Stoner gasped. ¡°You mean we can¡¯t play sports for a month?¡±


    Mr. Call nodded. ¡°We take fighting very seriously here at Sahuaro High School. My hope is this suspension will teach you a lesson to never fight again.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Stoner said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t verify that,¡± Mr. Call stated.


    ¡°Our first game is this Friday!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m the starting quarterback!¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll be sitting the bench for a month.¡±


    Stoner looked at the floor and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Neither could I. I had to do something about this! I stood up and ran to open the office door.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing Mr. Simmons?¡± Mr. Call asked.


    I ignored him. Outside the office, standing in the hallway, was the exact person I was looking for. ¡°Coach Jones!¡± I said. ¡°Come in here. I need your help.¡±


    Coach Jones looked up from under the baseball cap he always wore and hurried inside the office. He wore sport shorts and a whistle around his neck. After he came in, I turned to Mr. Call. ¡°Coach Jones saw the whole thing. He can tell you that I was just defending myself in the fight, and that I don¡¯t deserve a month-long suspension from football!¡± I emphasized the last part mostly so Coach Jones would sense the gravity of the situation.


    His eyebrows rose.


    Mr. Call exhaled and rubbed his eyebrow again. ¡°Dan, I didn¡¯t want to involve you in this, but I guess you were the only teacher who saw the fight. Both Michael and Ray claim that they were just defending themselves from the other, but what did you see?¡±


    Coach Jones stole a quick glance at me. I knew what he was thinking. He was considering the possibility that he could lose his starting quarterback for a month. Our backup quarterback was terrible. The team would likely lose without me, and Coach Jones hated to lose. He needed to make sure I could still play. At least I hoped that¡¯s what he was thinking.


    ¡°I saw the entire fight and got there just in time to break it up,¡± Coach Jones said in a deep voice. ¡°Ray¡¯s right, he was just defending himself. Michael was the one doing all the fighting.¡±


    Inside my head I did a double fist pump and a few backflips. Go coach! Way to back me up!


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Stoner said in his wimpy voice to Coach. ¡°You saw him kicking me on the ground¡ª¡±


    ¡°I saw Ray defending himself!¡± Coach said matter-of-factly. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not your coach, son. I¡¯d have you running laps till sundown!¡±


    Stoner gawked for a moment, and then turned to the Principal. ¡°He¡¯s lying, Mr. Call! He just wants Ray to be eligible to play in the football game this Friday! Ask any other student who saw the fight! They¡¯ll tell you that Ray¡ª¡±


    ¡°You calling me a liar, boy?¡± Coach Jones stood up and glared down at Stoner with venom in his eyes. Stoner shrunk in his seat. I squirmed and held a fist over my lips, trying to contain my laughter.


    ¡°Michael,¡± Mr. Call said. ¡°I trust Coach Jones more than anyone else on campus. If he says you were the one who started the fight, then that¡¯s how it happened. You both get a week of detention for fighting, but you, Michael, get the suspension from soccer for starting it.¡±


    Stoner began to stutter. ¡°But¡­but that¡¯s¡­but¡­¡±


    Mr. Call rolled his eyes. ¡°So, how¡¯s our team looking Dan?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± Coach said, returning to his seat. They went on talking about the football team while I released a few snorts of laughter.


    Stoner glared at me. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was about to cry or about to bite my ankles. I gave him the smuggest smirk ever.


    ¡°Mr. Call,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m missing my history class right now, so can I go?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re both dismissed. Practice hard for the game on Friday, Ray. Bring us home another Cougar victory, son. And Michael, use this suspension to learn something. I don¡¯t want to see any more fights between the two of you.¡±


    I stood up to leave. ¡°Sounds good, boss.¡±


    Stoner walked out and glared as he closed the door behind him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that just happened!¡±


    ¡°Believe it, Stoner!¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that, Ray! It¡¯s Michael Stone. Not Stoner.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do? Fight me? How has that turned out for you so far?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, his veins bulging.


    I laughed as I walked away from the loser. ¡°See you in detention, Stoner!¡±

 Chapter 3

    </a>Chapter 3


    Michael


    My bedroom light flipped on, blinding my dreary eyes. ¡°Up and at ¡®em, Michael,¡± Mom said in her usual, perky voice at 7:13 a.m. ¡°I heard your alarm go off the first time at seven. It¡¯s not like you to sleep through your alarm.¡± She dropped off a basket of clean laundry and left the room.


    I struggled to open my eyes. Did my mom really come in or was that a dream? Images of Ray tackling me and me sitting in detention flashed in my mind. Were those dreams too? I yawned and extended each of my limbs into a giant stretch. ¡°Ouch!¡± I mumbled as a throbbing pain in my stomach zapped me to full consciousness.


    I sat up and inspected my reflection in the mirror on the wall. My left eye was swollen half shut and the skin surrounding it took on a distinctive, purple hue. I instantly remembered my fight with Ray Simmons. I caressed my nose; it hurt to move, but at least it stopped bleeding.


    As quickly and painlessly as I could, I showered, put on some clothes, and made my way to the kitchen for breakfast. Dad and Mom were sitting at the table talking about Newel¡¯s Comet¡ªtheir food still untouched. The rule was to eat meals only together as a family.


    Dad wore his glasses, a red bow tie, and a plaid shirt with slacks¡ªwhat he always wore for work. Mom wore a blue casual business dress. They were both college professors. Dad taught the general astronomy classes and Mom taught advanced astronomy classes. That should explain why we had half a dozen telescopes on the deck.


    I eased into my chair and noticed Dad gawking at me. ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    He pointed at my face. ¡°So, this is from the fight your Mom told me about last night, huh?¡± I frowned and nodded. ¡°Did you start the fight?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Did you finish the fight?¡± I shook my head again. ¡°Did you fight back at all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said while looking at the table. ¡°I hit him and kicked him a few times.¡±


    ¡°His name is Ray Simmons, the quarterback,¡± Mom said with a sneer. ¡°The boy Michael has been fighting with since fifth grade.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Were you fighting for a good cause?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Ray was picking on Sarah, so I told him to back off. Then he blew up in my face and started punching me.¡±


    ¡°Then good job, son,¡± Dad said. ¡°You did the right thing.¡±


    Mom gasped, glared at Dad, and turned back at me. ¡°You didn¡¯t just tell him to back off, did you, Michael? You told me you shoved Ray away from Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°I guess I did.¡±


    ¡°Then technically you started the fight.¡± She turned back to Dad. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage our son to start more fights, John.¡±


    ¡°Bah! That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll do!¡± Dad said with a confident smile. He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. ¡°Michael, if there is a just and worthy cause, then fight! Start the fight and finish the fight. Don¡¯t wait for them to hurt you or anyone else. Stop them before they can. Don¡¯t let them walk all over you. This world needs more people who fight for what¡¯s right before the wrong thing happens.¡±


    A grin crept onto my face.


    Mom rolled her eyes at Dad and looked at me. ¡°He¡¯s talking about fighting figuratively, son. You don¡¯t need to actually push or punch anybody. Once you turn eighteen you can fight by voting.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dad corrected. ¡°I meant fighting literally. Remember 9/11? Flight 93? If they didn¡¯t fight to stop the hijackers, then they would¡¯ve hit the Whitehouse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different than a school fight, John¡±


    ¡°Not so much. When I was a kid I wish I would¡¯ve actually done something with all the bullies that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Sarah mumbled. My little sister slid into her chair looking barely awake, her blonde hair going in every direction. Without saying anything, she grabbed a waffle and started eating. That was the cue for the rest of us to dig in.


    Mom and Dad continued their debate while they ate. They debated about five or six topics a day. That included science, politics, religion, teaching, cooking, parenting, and whatever new topic came to mind. And they made sure to clarify that they were only debating, not arguing¡ªbut that was debatable too.


    Sarah glanced up at me and nearly choked on her food. She pointed at my eye. ¡°Good luck getting a girlfriend with that!¡±


    I stabbed a slice of bacon off of her plate and promptly stuffed it into my mouth.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Sarah complained.


    ¡°Eat your own food!¡± Mom said, mid-debate.


    Sarah huffed, glaring at me with her green eyes. I smiled, my mouth full. She looked away. ¡°Mom, Dad, can either of you pick me up after school?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Michael drive you home?¡± Dad said.


    ¡°He has to stay an hour later for detention.¡±


    My stomach sunk. I¡¯d forgotten about detention.


    ???


    I walked through the school plaza to get to my last class of the day, physical science. I could tell people were glancing, but never staring at my black eye. After they passed by me, I could hear them laughing and joking about how I got beat up yesterday. I took a deep breath and told myself that the day was almost over. One more class, then detention, and then I can go home and hide in my room.


    Somebody bumped into me from behind. It was my cousin, Zack Larson. He was about a foot shorter than me with red curly hair and freckles all over. He laughed when he saw me cringe in pain. ¡°How¡¯re you holding up Cuz?¡± He slapped me on the shoulder and laughed when I cringed again.


    ¡°Just barely,¡± I said.


    ¡°No worries,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Sure, you¡¯ll miss a day or two of practice, but you should be fit to play at our game on Thursday.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, man. I got suspended from soccer for a month.¡±


    Zack stopped walking. ¡°What? You¡¯ve got to be joking. You¡¯re our best goalie! What¡¯re we gonna do without you?¡±


    ¡°You can try for goalie¡­¡±


    ¡°No way, man. I¡¯m not tall enough. Plus, it¡¯s gonna suck without you there. You¡¯re my only friend on the team. The rest of the guys hate me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Cuz.¡± I started walking to class again.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Zack caught up. ¡°Did Ray get suspended too?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s retarded!¡± He pulled on his backpack. ¡°We should get back at Ray!¡±


    I nodded absently. ¡°The principal is on his side. Coach Jones defended Ray to keep his star quarterback on the field. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there is definitely something we can do!¡± He dug in his pocket and pulled out a large pocket knife. ¡°Let¡¯s find his car and slash his tires!¡±


    I laughed.


    He didn¡¯t.


    I stopped walking. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Zack said, looking surprised that I wasn¡¯t. ¡°He¡¯s picked on enough people and gotten away with it! It¡¯s about time he gets what he deserves!¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Dude, that¡¯s dropping to his level; besides, it¡¯s illegal. What if we got caught?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve done it.¡±


    Sometimes I wondered if I really knew my cousin at all. We grew up together and hung out a lot, but we were never what I would call best friends. ¡°Forget it, Zack. We¡¯re not slashing Ray¡¯s tires. You shouldn¡¯t have a knife at school anyways, it¡¯s against the rules.¡±


    Zack rolled his eyes. ¡°C¡¯mon Michael. You care too much about rules.¡±


    ¡°And you care too little.¡±


    Zack and I split up. He went to Spanish while I went to physical science. Fortunately, there were a couple of empty desks at the back of the classroom. As I walked in, it felt like everyone was staring at my bruised face. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alex Reyes using his hands to reenact Ray tackling me. Several girls whispered to each other, staring at me and giggling. I got to my desk and slunk into my seat.


    The guy in the desk in front of me turned around. It was Chase Whipple, a friend of mine from the soccer team. ¡°Hey, Michael. I heard about the fight,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°Heard you got suspended too.¡±


    I nodded. Chase was pretty cool.


    ¡°That¡¯s rough,¡± he said. ¡°Just so you know¡­ Coach made me team captain while you¡¯re gone.¡±


    A pit formed in my stomach. I worked up a fake smile. ¡°Great, you deserve it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still need you for next month¡¯s games,¡± Chase said. ¡°Keep on coming to practices after detention.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said without feeling very committed. I pulled out my phone just to look at it.


    He could tell I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about soccer, so he changed the subject. ¡°So, have you seen the new girl yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, I saw her in my first class today, and whew¡ªshe could model for a living!¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°So, did you ask for her number?¡±


    ¡°No man, I chickened out! I¡¯m planning on it though. I just¡ªoh dude, that¡¯s her!¡±


    The bell rang as I turned my attention to the doorway and saw the girl Chase was talking about. He was right, she was definitely beautiful¡ªlong light brown hair, flawless pale skin, chocolatey brown eyes, and a confident smile that seemed to warm up the room. She wore blue jeans and a light white jacket over a striped shirt.


    Chase glanced back at me with a big smile. ¡°So hot¡­¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Cool,¡± I said, uninterested. Well, mostly uninterested. It was hard not to look at her.


    ¡°Attention class,¡± Mr. Gerald said from the front of the classroom. ¡°If you haven¡¯t met our new student at school yet, this is Angela Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said to the class with a perky wave and smile. A few students waved in return.


    ¡°Tell us a bit about yourself, Angela. Where did you move from?¡±


    ¡°New York City.¡± Her voice was crisp and smooth at the same time.


    ¡°Wow. And what brings a New Yorker to the hot state of Arizona?¡±


    ¡°All the pools.¡± A few students laughed. ¡°No¡ªmy dad¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°Great. Nice to meet you, Angela. Please take a seat.¡± Mr. Gerald gestured to the open desk at the back of the class¡ªthe desk beside mine¡­.


    Mr. Gerald began his lesson as Angela slid into her seat. I kept my head down, trying to hide my black eye. She smelled good. Pi?a colada I think. She unzipped her backpack to get out her notebook.


    Chase glanced back at me while she wasn¡¯t looking. He pointed at my phone and mouthed, ¡°Dude, you should get her number!¡±


    I shook my head and pointed to my black eye, as if that was all I needed to say, No way, man! I look like Rocky Balboa after he fought Apollo Creed! There¡¯s no way I could flirt with a girl while looking like this! I think he got the message, but he kept grinning at me.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! What happened to your face?¡±


    I jumped in my seat. Angela was looking right at my eye. I couldn¡¯t tell if she were about to laugh or about to cry. Chase looked away and snorted while trying to suppress laughter.


    I blushed. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ uh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± she asked quietly.


    I finally got around to answering her first question. ¡°I got in a fight yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she whispered, looking curious. ¡°That must¡¯ve been an ugly fight.¡± I nodded, unsure of what else to say. I was being a complete dufus, and I thought she would¡¯ve lost interest in me by now, but she kept asking questions. ¡°So, who won?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s hard to say. How would you define winning a fight?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She bit her lip in a playful way. ¡°Whoever has the biggest black eye afterward.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re looking at the winner then.¡±


    She smiled. Wow, she had quite the smile¡­. She extended a hand to me. ¡°And what¡¯s the victor¡¯s name?¡±


    I blinked with my one good eye, realizing she¡¯d asked me a question. ¡°Uh, Michael.¡± I shook her hand. ¡°And you¡¯re Angela, right?¡±


    She nodded and shook my hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Michael.¡±


    I grinned back, suddenly not feeling depressed anymore. We turned our attention to Mr. Gerald. I noticed Chase peeking back at me, pointing at my phone and mouthing, ¡°Get her number!¡±


    This time I strongly considered Chase¡¯s advice. My hands began to sweat, and my stomach tied itself in knots.


    ¡°Hey, Angela,¡± I said. She turned to me and smiled. ¡°So, I was wondering¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mr. Stone!¡± Mr. Gerald snapped at me. ¡°Since you apparently already know this material, could you please explain it to the class?¡±


    My mind went blank. ¡°Umm¡­¡± I tried to orient my thoughts back to the lesson. ¡°Explain what exactly?¡±


    Several students snickered.


    He rolled his eyes and pointed to the white board that had Nuclear Fusion written on it.


    ¡°Right¡­ nuclear fusion.¡± Everyone looked at me. ¡°So¡­ that basically refers to two atoms that collide with each other, joining to form the next element up the periodic table, right? Like how two hydrogen atoms can combine to form helium and release a huge amount of energy¡ªthe same energy used by our sun and all the stars in the universe. Something like that, right?¡±


    I heard a few more snickers in front of me. Chase turned and gave me a suspicious look. I blushed. Did that sound too nerdy?


    Mr. Gerald narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have professional astronomers as parents, Michael. Next class we¡¯ll be talking about organic chemistry. You¡¯re going to have to pay closer attention to explain that one correctly.¡±


    I nodded sheepishly, doubting that were true, and he resumed teaching. Angela shot me another smile, and then turned her attention to the front of the classroom.


    We remained silent throughout the remainder of class. The bell rang, and the classroom went into an uproar as the students rose from their desks, excited to leave their last class of the day. Mr. Gerald reminded us about a homework assignment as we exited the room, but I was sure nobody was listening. Angela was at my side as we walked through the bustling hallway. Chase winked at me as he left. I blushed again, my swollen eye throbbing.


    ¡°So, your parents are astronomers?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, scratching the back of my neck. ¡°They both teach astronomy at the University of Arizona. Pretty geeky, huh?¡±


    ¡°No way! I love astronomy! I have my own telescope and everything! My dad is an astronomer too!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I didn¡¯t see that coming. She suddenly became ten times cooler. I¡¯d never met anyone in my high school who liked astronomy. ¡°Well, it makes sense you and your dad moved here,¡± I said. ¡°Tucson is one of the best stargazing sites in the world. And I bet it¡¯s impossible to see the stars in New York.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true in the city, but the stars are plenty visible throughout the rest of the state.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± I¡¯d obviously never been to New York. ¡°Then why did your dad move here?


    ¡°My dad is what¡¯s called an archeoastronomer; that means¡ª¡±


    ¡°He studies the history of astronomical events.¡± I blushed after I said it. Too smart. Tone it down.


    Angela¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Wow, most people have no clue what that means. So, all of his research has to do with meteorites. Ancient ones, new ones, and even predicted ones. My dad predicts that when Newel¡¯s Comet gets closer to earth this weekend, there will be a huge meteor shower, and most of it will land in the southwestern states and Mexico. Arizona seemed to be the best place for him to be in the middle of it all.¡±


    ¡°Cool. And you¡¯re fine with moving all the way out here just for a meteor shower?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing new. I¡¯ve moved all over the nation with my dad, never living at a place for more than a few years.¡±


    ¡°Sounds rough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m used to it though.¡±


    I kicked a rock off the sidewalk. ¡°Well, I hope you get to stay here in Arizona for a long while.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh yeah? Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± All this blushing was giving me a headache. ¡°So, I¡¯ve uh¡­ I¡¯ve got to go to detention now.¡±


    ¡°Detention? Oh, right. Because of the fight you got in yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yep. So, it was nice to meet you, Angela. I hope to see you tomorrow¡ªI mean, I look forward to seeing you next time in class.¡± I spun on my heels and strode in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°See you later, Michael.¡±


    After several steps, I stopped and looked back at Angela. She was already walking to the school parking lot. I stood there debating with myself if I were going to do what I was thinking about doing.


    My heart thumped as I finally made up my mind, and jogged towards her, my legs feeling wobbly. ¡°Hey, Angela!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± she said, turning her head, her light brown hair dancing around her shoulders.


    ¡°I was wondering¡­¡± I took a moment to breathe so I didn¡¯t pass out. ¡°So, this Friday is when that meteor shower is happening, right? Well, would you like to maybe go stargazing with me?¡±

 Chapter 4

    </a>Chapter 4


    Ray


    Down!¡± I shouted through my mouthpiece. I glanced left and right through my football helmet to make sure my teammates were in the right positions. I held my hands open, ready to have the football snapped to me.


    The crowd cheered from both sides of the field. I didn¡¯t ignore the noise. Something about it invigorated me. The sound of the band, the cheerleaders, the crowd. The Friday night lights shining down on me. The smell of shredded grass and mud. This was right where I was meant to be.


    One minute left in the game. We were behind by a few points. Third down and eight to go. Forty yards to the end zone. This play was crucial. It could mean the game.


    ¡°Set!¡± I quickly reran the play in my mind. It was a fake hand-off with a pass to one of the receivers. I visualized their routes so I would know where to look for them.


    ¡°Hike!¡±


    The center snapped the ball and the field exploded with the sound of football players colliding into each other. I grabbed the ball and faked a hand-off to the running back. I broke to the right and looked down field for my receivers. Once the defense realized it was a fake hand-off, they shouted, ¡°Pass! Pass!¡±


    After making a split-second scan downfield, I spotted a receiver near the sideline who had just broken ahead of his defender. I threw the ball deep downfield and got knocked to the ground just as the ball left my fingers. The tackle hurt, but I was too focused on the pass to care.


    I quickly got up and looked downfield. The receiver¡ªmy friend, Doug Cooper¡ªdanced in the end zone, ball in hand.


    The crowd erupted into a deafening cheer. The announcer shouted, ¡°Touchdooooooown!¡± My teammates slapped my shoulder pads and gave me chest bumps. The opposing team slunk back to their sideline.


    ¡°Nice throw, Ray!¡± Doug said as we returned to our sideline.


    I whacked his helmet, grinning as wide as my mouth-piece would allow. ¡°Nice catch!¡±


    ¡°Way to go, boys!¡± Coach Jones said as he sent our special teams on the field.


    The game ended 30 seconds later. The other team lost their momentum and couldn¡¯t get past our defense within that time. The buzzer went off and our team cheered our victory.


    After shaking the other players¡¯ hands, Coach called us in at the home end zone. We took our helmets off and took a knee around him. The smell of torn grass and sweat was strong. I loved that smell because it meant football.


    ¡°Great game, tonight,¡± Coach Jones said. ¡°You boys played your hearts out, I can tell. It was close. Too close. We should have destroyed this team. Next week we¡¯ll be playing in Queen Creek, and they¡¯re way better than these guys. If we play them the way we played tonight, we¡¯ll lose. You¡¯ll have to work harder this week to win. And we will win!¡± The team cheered.


    ¡°But, great game tonight,¡± Coach continued. He held up a football above his head. ¡°After every game, we award the game ball to one of our players. The player who played his hardest, who gave it his all, who held the team together, and helped bring us our victory¡ªour MVP. Tonight¡¯s game ball goes to our QB, Ray Simmons!¡±


    The team applauded and Coach handed me the game ball. I thanked Coach with a huge grin. I drank it all in. I¡¯ll never forget this moment.


    ???


    I walked out of the locker room and saw my mom waiting for me. She was decked out in red and blue, our school colors. She beamed a smile when she saw me. ¡°There¡¯s my all-star quarterback!¡±


    I cringed, noticing all the people nearby. ¡°Hey, mom,¡± I said. ¡°Did you like the game?¡±


    ¡°I liked the ending. But the middle was too close for me. Nearly gave me a heart attack.¡± She patted me playfully.


    I glanced around to make sure no one I knew was around. ¡°Was Sam able to make it?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Your brother wanted to come but said last minute that he couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    I shrugged. Sam was one of my two older brothers. He played college football right here at the U of A, and my oldest brother, Garret, just got into the NFL.


    My mom was trying to read my thoughts. ¡°He would¡¯ve been proud of you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, well he can watch the replays.¡±


    ¡°Not Sam. Your father. He would¡¯ve been so proud of you tonight.¡±


    Her comment caught me off guard. She rarely talked about dad. I gave her a brief smile, shuffled my feet, and changed the subject. ¡°So, mom. I¡¯m gonna hang out with some of my friends tonight, okay? We want to celebrate our victory.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Just don¡¯t go getting into drugs or alcohol or anything like that.¡±


    I scoffed as I started walking to my truck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. I would never do that.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Have fun! See ya in the morning!¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I waved goodbye and turned toward the parking lot. There was a group of friends hanging around my truck. Doug was the first to notice me approaching. ¡°There he is!¡± he said as he gave me a bro hug. ¡°Our MVP!¡±


    ¡°Nice game, boys!¡± I said to the group. Two other teammates, Cody and Tyler, were sitting in the truck¡¯s bed with a few girls. ¡°You ready to party?¡± The group cheered.


    ¡°Great game, Ray.¡± It was my girlfriend, Britney Miles, looking as great as ever.


    I opened her door for her. ¡°Thanks, Brit.¡± I leaned in and kissed her. Everyone in the truck laughed and whistled. We broke our kiss and jumped in the truck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this started!¡± Doug said as he pulled out a couple of six-packs of beer.


    My mom¡¯s warning came to my mind, but I washed it away by cranking on some loud music with heavy bass. With that, I revved my truck¡¯s engine and we sped out of the city to a place called Red Knoll, the perfect place for a bon fire. Britney held my hand while I drove. Doug and a couple of girls were in the back seat of the cab, jamming out to the music.


    I wore an invincible smile. I felt invincible.


    I was living my dream. I was the MVP on my football team. I was awarded the game ball. I was dating the hottest girl in school. I was the most respected guy in school, even as a junior. I was on the path to become everything my father was and everything my brothers were. I planned on even surpassing them¡ªbeing the best.


    I rolled down the windows to let the desert night air blow in. It still felt warm even though midnight wasn¡¯t too far away. There was no moon, so it was pretty dark out. I turned onto the dirt road that led to Red Knoll. We passed by tall saguaro cactuses and green bushes, basically the only living plants in the desert.


    Doug and I started talking¡ªor shouting over the music¡ªabout the game. We reviewed nearly every play, relishing the plays that rocked and fuming over the plays that crashed. The girls started talking about their clothes or something, I wasn¡¯t really listening.


    After a few more miles, we arrived at our regular bon fire spot. It was at the foot of a small hill called Red Knoll where there was less vegetation and more space to park vehicles, start fires, and even play a small two-hand-touch football game.


    Before I parked, Doug leaned forward and pointed at something in front of us. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± he asked. The truck¡¯s headlights revealed two people in the distance standing near our bon fire ring. I couldn¡¯t tell who they were because their backs were to us. They had no fire going, no flashlight, so it was like they popped up out of nowhere. ¡°What¡¯re they doing out here?¡± Doug asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± I said. I turned down the music and drove closer. As we approached, one of the figures turned around and put up a hand to block the light coming from the truck¡¯s headlights.


    ¡°No way,¡± Britney said. ¡°It¡¯s Michael Stone.¡±


    ¡°Dang it, Stoner!¡± I said, pounding the steering wheel. Why did he have to show up when this night was going so well? How did he always end up getting in my way?


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing out here in the middle of the night?¡± Doug asked.


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve got a telescope,¡± Britney said. ¡°Who¡¯s he with?


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the new girl,¡± Doug said. ¡°She¡¯s in my English class.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re going to have to move,¡± I said. ¡°This is our spot.¡± I got out of the truck and left the lights on and the engine running.


    Doug laughed and got out of the truck with me. ¡°This is gonna be fun!¡±


    Everyone got out; I think there were about ten of us all together. Cody and Tyler were carrying bundles of firewood on their shoulders. Several of the girls carried camp chairs, blankets, and snacks. Doug still had the beer.


    The new girl stood by Stoner with her hand up too, blocking her eyes from the headlights. Even from a distance I could tell she was pretty. Maybe more attractive than even Britney. How did Stoner end up with a girl like that? Maybe she¡¯s his cousin or something.


    ¡°Hey, Ray,¡± Stoner muttered, obviously unhappy to see me. ¡°You guys just passing by?¡±


    I kept walking until I was just a few feet away from him. He didn¡¯t back away from me, which was unlike most dweebs at school. He stood tall, almost as tall as me. There was a lot of tension in his expression. I could tell he was still sore from the fight, and more than just from his black eye. I grinned. Something was so funny about watching Stoner get angry.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I stated. ¡°This is our spot for our bon fire. We come here nearly every other week. You guys are gonna have to move.¡± Cody and Tyler had already walked past Stoner and had thrown the wood into the fire ring.


    ¡°Ray, you shouldn¡¯t light fires here,¡± Stoner said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the ¡®no fire¡¯ sign on the road?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I lied. ¡°And I don¡¯t care anyways. We¡¯ve been lighting fires out here plenty of times, and no one has ever stopped us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I might. If I can¡¯t light fires out here, then you shouldn¡¯t either.¡±


    I chuckled and took a threatening step closer. ¡°You think you can stop me? Just like you stopped me from pounding your face in on Monday? Or like you stopped me from getting you suspended?¡±


    He started fuming. It was comical to see his whole face clench, like a hotdog in a microwave about to explode. ¡°I could call the cops,¡± he said, a little less confident than before. ¡°That¡¯ll stop you.¡±


    Doug scoffed at that. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    I grabbed his shirt and yanked him close to my face, where he could see the heat burning in my eyes, just like my older brothers had always done to me. ¡°And if you did,¡± I said slowly, so he could sense the gravity of every word. ¡°You would regret it. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll end up more than just suspended.¡±


    My friends around me oohed at that. ¡°This is gettin¡¯ good,¡± Doug said with a laugh.


    I held Stoner there for a moment, making sure he would back down¡ªlearn his place. He kept glaring at me, thinking about hitting me. I hoped so. Then I¡¯d beat him senseless again.


    ¡°Oh, knock it off you silly, testosterone-driven dork!¡±


    I turned to the new girl. What did she say?


    She walked over and actually shoved me away from Stoner. I was too shocked to react. She wasn¡¯t strong or anything, just her confidence totally caught me off guard.


    The new girl now stood between me and Stoner. He looked just as confused as me. ¡°Angela, what¡¯re you doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this,¡± she said. Then she put up her fists.


    Doug and the others burst into laughter. I finally caught a hold of my senses and laughed with them.


    The new girl smirked. ¡°Bring it on,¡± she dared. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the beating of a lifetime!¡±


    More laughter surrounded us. She was serious! ¡°I¡¯m not going to beat up a girl!¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t.¡± She bounced on her feet, still smirking.


    This was the worst. It¡¯s like when Alex Reyes had to wrestle a girl in junior high. If you beat her, you get ridiculed for beating up a girl. If you lose, you get made fun of for getting beat by a girl. In the end, it''s a lose-lose situation for the guy. ¡°Britney, you fight her,¡± I said.


    Tyler and Cody started cheering, ¡°Cat fight! Cat fight!¡±


    Britney scoffed. ¡°What¡¯re you crazy? I don¡¯t fight. Let¡¯s just get this fire started.¡± She walked away from the group toward the pile of wood. The other girls followed her.


    New Girl still held up her fists at me. Should I just fight her?


    Stoner touched her arm. ¡°Angela, let¡¯s just go. I know another spot not too far from here.¡±


    She thought about it for a moment, and then relaxed. ¡°Fine.¡± She pointed a threatening finger at me. ¡°You got off easy this time, punk.¡±


    I laughed, masking the relief I felt.


    Doug leaned over to me and whispered, ¡°I kinda look forward to my English class now because she¡¯s there.¡±


    We laughed and strolled over to the fire while Stoner and New Girl packed up their telescope, threw it in a car I hadn¡¯t noticed before, and drove away.


    Now we could get on with the bon fire!

 Chapter 5

    </a>Chapter 5


    Michael


    What was that?¡± I asked, bewildered.


    ¡°What was what?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°That,¡± I pointed behind me with my thumb. I drove carefully through the desert on a narrow road, searching for another spot to set up her telescope.


    ¡°Oh that¡­¡± She chuckled. ¡°Yeah, that was fun, huh?¡±


    ¡°Fun? I can¡¯t believe you pushed him like that! And threatened him to a fight! Do you know martial arts or something?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It was all a bluff. He probably would¡¯ve toasted me in a real fight. I¡¯ve met tons of jerks like him in New York, New Mexico, and everywhere else I¡¯ve lived. I knew he wouldn¡¯t fight me because it would insult his pride too much, and that would just be devastating for him.¡± She feigned sympathy for him.


    ¡°A bluff?¡± I said, amazed. ¡°Well¡­ that was awesome!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said with a grin.


    ¡°Just so you know, though. You don¡¯t need you to go picking my fights for me. I could¡¯ve handled him myself.¡±


    ¡°Mm hmm.¡± She gave me a sidelong glance. ¡°Looks like Ray¡¯s not the only one whose pride got hurt. Besides, didn¡¯t he beat you up the last time you fought?¡±


    ¡°What? That was because Doug hit me from behind. Without him there, I would¡¯ve beat Ray for sure.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ but wasn¡¯t Doug there tonight too? There were four guys surrounding Ray, ready to step in if needed. I just saved you from a world of pain, my friend.¡±


    I sighed. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she was right. She was absolutely right. ¡°Well, thanks for saving me from another black eye then.¡±


    ¡°Anytime. Call me if you need me.¡±


    I parked the car. ¡°Here we are,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not as open as where we were before, but it¡¯ll do.¡±


    Angela leaped out of the car and grabbed her telescope. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡± Before Ray had shown up, we¡¯d only had a couple minutes to look at the night sky. We hurried to set up the telescope as fast as possible. The meteor shower should start soon.


    ¡°So, what makes this comet so special, again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± She gaped. ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents tell you?¡±


    ¡°I heard them talking about it a little, but never caught what makes it different from Halley¡¯s Comet or any other comet.¡±


    ¡°There are a few reasons why Newel¡¯s Comet is special.¡± She spoke while assembling and fine tuning the telescope with obvious expertise. ¡°First, this will be the closest comet flyby in history. Second, it carries a lot of debris with it, so a huge meteor shower is expected¡ªit¡¯ll look awesome! And third, it has an unusually large orbit: two thousand years per one trip around the sun.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That is long. Fifty to a couple hundred years is more common.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and get this, Ptolemy recorded a similar comet that passed by earth about two thousand years ago. The theory is that it¡¯s the same comet.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°Ptolemy. Wasn¡¯t he the first guy to chart out the constellations around 100 AD?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Angela tightened the parallax adjustment. ¡°Which is a mystery in itself. Did you know that no one really knows where he came up with all of them? Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Draco, Cygnus, Orion? They seem to fit the stars so perfectly. How did he do it?¡±


    ¡°I thought he combined a bunch of Egyptian, Greek, and other ancient astronomical records and then deduced the best fit for each shape in the sky.¡±


    Angela nodded as I spoke, looking impressed. ¡°Yes. That''s the main theory taught in school.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s your theory?¡±


    ¡°I think he had help.¡±


    ¡°From who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She bit her lip, not meeting my eyes. ¡°All set! Now let¡¯s find that comet!¡± She pressed her eye to the eyepiece and fiddled with the adjustments.


    ¡°So, this meteor shower,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just going to be a lot of shooting stars, right? No Armageddon rocks?¡±


    She laughed. ¡°No Armageddon. Don¡¯t worry. Sure, some meteorites will probably make it to the ground¡ªthat¡¯s what my dad is hoping for at least¡ªbut the chances of getting hit by a meteorite are close to impossible.¡±


    For a moment there, I stopped listening and just watched her looking through her telescope, admiring her enthusiasm. I¡¯d never met someone outside of my family who would actually enjoy stargazing as much as¡ªor maybe even more than¡ªme.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Angela said while looking through the eyepiece, breaking me out of my thoughts. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s beautiful! Its tail is huge!¡±


    I looked up at the stars, trying to spot Newel¡¯s Comet with my naked eye. It was barely visible, like a dim fuzz of blue light, painted onto the night sky canvass by an artist¡¯s thumb.


    ¡°Take a look, Michael,¡± she said, stepping away from the telescope.


    I looked through the eyepiece and gasped. It had to be one of the most beautiful things I¡¯d ever seen. Its light was brilliant. Its tail was massive. It had to be hundreds of miles long. Chills ran down my spine.


    ¡°Wow!¡± I said, turning to Angela. ¡°It¡¯s amazing! And your telescope is awesome! Thanks for bringing it, by the way. And thanks for coming along.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± she said. ¡°If not with you, then tonight would¡¯ve just been me and my dad in our backyard, and he probably would¡¯ve been asleep by now.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought he¡¯d be as excited as you to look at the comet?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°He just likes to study meteorites after they¡¯ve landed on the ground, not while they¡¯re in the sky. He¡¯s more a geologist than a true astronomer. He gave me this telescope for my tenth birthday because I kept asking for one.¡±


    I tilted my head. ¡°So, if he¡¯s not interested in telescopes and stars, then why are you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ oh look!¡± she said, pointing up. ¡°A shooting star! The meteor shower must be starting!¡±


    I followed her gaze, noting that she changed subject on me. I let it slide though. This was the first date, after all. Don''t want to get too personal.


    Another streak of light shot across the sky.


    ¡°So,¡± Angela said, while watching for the next shooting star. ¡°Why do you act dumb at school?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± So much for not getting personal! I thought. I folded my arms. ¡°I don¡¯t act dumb.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She chuckled. ¡°Yes, you do. You obviously knew more about nuclear fusion than you gave on. Your answer was sophisticated enough to get Mr. Gerald off your case, and dumb enough to maintain your reputation as a cool guy at school. I think you¡¯re just afraid of giving in to your nerdy-ness. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I am not a geek!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said skeptically. ¡°Because only geeks know what an archeoastronomer is, who and when Ptolemy lived, and the average orbit length of comets, and get goosebumps just by looking at one.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get goosebumps!¡±


    She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I admitted. ¡°Maybe I like some things about astronomy, but that does not make me a geek.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Whatever you say, Michael. Just so you know, I think nerds and geeks are awesome! I like guys who are smart, like you.¡±


    My heart did a summersault. Did she just say that she liked me in a cryptic way? It was like an insult and a compliment at the same time.


    ¡°Funny,¡± I said. ¡°I thought girls liked guys who care more about sports and nice cars than whether a star is red shift or blue shift.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Not me. In fact, I think most girls care about what goes on inside a guy¡¯s head than what type of car he rides.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s a relief, because you¡¯ve already seen my car.¡± We both glanced at my brown, beat up, 1998 Toyota Corolla¡ªside mirror missing from Sarah¡¯s attempt to back out¡ªand laughed.


    We looked back up at the sky, spotting a couple shooting stars. ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone like you,¡± I said. ¡°Girls like you don¡¯t know all the constellations.¡±


    ¡°Girls like me?¡± she asked, sounding defensive.


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± I had to be careful with my words. ¡°Come on. Most girls as pretty as you are more focused on cheerleading or becoming the homecoming queen. Why are you so different?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve stereotyped what a ¡®pretty girl¡¯ is.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I have. But, you still seem¡­ different.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not pretty?¡±


    ¡°No, because you are! In fact, you¡¯re beautiful! And smart!¡±


    She bit her lip. ¡°But don¡¯t smart girls intimidate guys?¡±


    ¡°Maybe to some guys, but not to me.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°Well, because¡­ I¡­.¡±


    She smirked at me. ¡°Say it. Admit it. Because you¡¯re¡­ a what?¡±


    After struggling for a moment, I finally relented with a sigh. ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m a nerd.¡±


    ¡°There it is!¡± Angela gave me an applause.


    ¡°Okay, okay. That¡¯s enough.¡± I gently grabbed her hands to stop her from clapping¡­ and held on to them.


    She looked up at me, smiling. ¡°You know, out of all schools I¡¯ve been to, I haven¡¯t met a guy like you either. Geeky¡­ and charming.¡± We held each other¡¯s gaze and each other¡¯s hands.


    A warm wave of a thousand emotions washed over me all at once, giving me goosebumps again. I could look at those chocolate brown eyes all night. I was grateful my bruises had faded away from the fight with Ray last week. No more black eye to bother me.


    After a moment that seemed longer than it probably was¡ªnot long enough though¡ªAngela slipped her hands out of mine and pointed at the sky. ¡°Wow, look at that!¡±


    I followed her finger and saw another shooting star. ¡°Make a wish,¡± I said.


    She chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll be making a lot of wishes tonight.¡±


    We stood there, looking up, waiting for another streak of light. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how close we stood to each other. Angela pointed at another one. ¡°What did you wish for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell you.¡± She slapped my shoulder playfully. ¡°It won¡¯t come true if I do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±


    She laughed. ¡°I wished for the same thing I always wish for.¡± Another shooting star streaked by, brighter than the others.


    ¡°Well?¡± I nudged her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me hanging!¡±


    She peeled her eyes from the sky and smiled at me. ¡°I wished I could fly.¡± She closed her eyes and spread out her arms, imagining it, and then brought them in close, cuddling herself. ¡°I know, I know¡­ it¡¯s clich¨¦.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a great wish. I always wished for that as a kid too. Maybe one day they¡¯ll invent a jetpack that won¡¯t explode.¡± We laughed, standing a little closer.


    ¡°So, what did you wish for?¡± she asked, pointing at another shooting star.


    I looked at her, gazing into her eyes.


    She looked back at me, her mouth half open, as if she were about to speak, but couldn¡¯t find the words. I opened my mouth to say something too but stopped; it seemed like words weren¡¯t necessary. We were so close.


    BOOM!


    We jumped at the sound of a distant¡ªbut powerful¡ªexplosion.


    ¡°Wha¡ªwhat was that?¡± Angela asked.


    I looked in the direction of the sound. ¡°Is that smoke?¡± I said, pointing at a barely visible streak of white gas in the sky. ¡°Fireworks?¡±


    After a moment, Angela gasped. ¡°No, Michael¡­. That¡¯s the trail of a shooting star! I think a meteorite just made impact over there!¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s right where Ray and his friends were!¡± I looked back at her. ¡°Someone could be hurt. They might need some help!¡± As much as I hated Ray Simmons and his friends, I couldn¡¯t live with myself and not help someone who might be hurt.


    Angela agreed, and we hurried to pack up the telescope.


    The ground shook as we heard another explosion in the distance. This time, in the opposite direction of Ray and his group. I could see a similar streak of white smoke in the air. Another meteorite had landed.


    We looked at each other and doubled our pace. We quickly loaded the telescope into the car. I turned to Angela. ¡°I thought you said the chances of getting hit by a meteorite were close to impossible!¡±


    ¡°Close. But not impossible. I don¡¯t understand why¡ª¡±


    She was cut off by a loud whistling from above. We looked up and saw a piercingly bright light coming straight at us. ¡°Get down!¡± I shouted, grabbing her hand, pulling her near my side of the car.


    We ducked as a sharp explosion shook the ground and sent dirt and rocks flying everywhere. I heard one of the car windows shatter. A gust of wind blew over our heads, jostling my Toyota. Angela and I clutched on to each other, unsure if we would live through this. And then, just as quickly is it began, it was over.


    I checked on Angela, breaking the eerie silence. ¡°You okay?¡± I asked Angela.


    She nodded, brushing her light brown hair away from her eyes. She didn¡¯t look frightened, just awestruck. ¡°Did that just happen?¡±


    We stood up and looked at the wreckage. I couldn¡¯t see much because it was dark, and the air was filled with dust, causing us to cough. Above the dust, I could see a white streak of smoke high above the impact site. Angela rushed into the cloud of dust. ¡°I¡¯ve got to see this!¡±


    I followed close behind her. ¡°But what if there are more meteorites? We should get out of here! It isn¡¯t safe!¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, just kept running ahead. We eventually stumbled onto the crater¡¯s edge. As the dust finally settled, I could see the whole crater. It was smaller than I thought it would be. Probably as wide as a pool and as deep as a person. The bottom of the crater was hard to see in the darkness. I saw a few saguaro cacti that¡¯d been completely leveled by the explosion, but only the ones nearby. The explosion itself was probably the size of a modern grenade.


    Angela pulled out a small flashlight out of her jacket pocket and turned it on. My eyes stung, trying to adjust to the beam of light. We tried to avoid using flashlights while stargazing, so we could see the stars better, but circumstances had changed. She shined it on the bottom of the crater.


    Nothing interesting. At least not to me. All I could see was a pile of black rocks strewn around the crater. Angela jumped in. I followed suit, landing on the rocks, and said, ¡°We should probably go check on Ray and his friends to see if they need any help.¡± What if they were hurt and we did nothing? I thought.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Angela said. ¡°I just want to check this out really quick, Michael, and then we can head over there.¡± She crouched over some of the black rocks, shining her flashlight on them. ¡°This is amazing! Hardly anyone gets to see a meteorite only minutes after impact! I wonder if it¡¯s hot to the touch!¡±


    She inched her finger closer to one of the rocks and finally touched it. ¡°It¡¯s warm,¡± she said, fascinated. ¡°But not hot.¡± She picked up one of the black rocks, measuring its weight. ¡°It¡¯s heavier than it looks. There might be some metal alloy in it. Probably iron.¡±


    I stood over her, not nearly as curious as she was. I was ready to get out of here. We almost got killed by a falling rock for crying out loud! I saw another shooting star and froze, but it fizzled out in the sky. I hadn¡¯t heard any other explosions, but I didn¡¯t want to risk waiting around for another one. ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of rocks,¡± I said. ¡°You and your dad can come back and study them later. We should get going!¡±


    Angela stood up. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She started climbing out of the crater, and I was about to follow her, but something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was a sliver of light coming from underneath the pile of black meteorites that Angela had just stepped over. I was in a hurry to leave, but suddenly curious, so I quickly bent down and brushed the black rocks off of the light.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± I said.


    Angela looked down at me from the top of the crater and gasped. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­.¡± The words left me. It looked like a stone that would fit snug within my palm¡­ and it was shining! Not like a shiny crystal or glass. It wasn¡¯t reflecting light, but actually emitting it! A soft, blue light. Not as bright as a flashlight, maybe more like the light from a candle. And the light was pulsing like a small flame would, as if a gentle blue fire were burning within it. I moved my hand over it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Angela said.


    I paused. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­. maybe it¡¯ll burn your finger or something.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t feel any heat coming from the stone. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I inched my hand closer to touch it, my curiosity suddenly peaked. Angela held her breath. So did I.


    I brushed it with my finger. It was warm, not hot. I slowly picked it up and stood up. It was heavier than a normal rock its size, its blue light shining between my fingers.


    ¡°Cool¡­¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, here take a look.¡±


    I was about to climb out of the crater and hand it to her but stopped when I noticed her face. Her giddy, intrigued expression had disappeared and was replaced with a horrified, wide-eyed one as she gazed, pointing at the stone in my hand. I looked down at it.


    Something had changed. It was brighter than before. And getting brighter! Its blue light was now far brighter than our flashlight. I didn¡¯t feel any change in temperature, though. What was going on?


    Suddenly a jolt of pain zapped through my whole body. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. And then all went black.

 Chapter 6

    </a>Chapter 6


    Ray


    "Dude! Are you okay?¡±


    I opened my eyes. Doug was standing above me, looking concerned. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think you passed out.¡± It was Britney. She knelt down next to me at the bottom of the crater. ¡°It looked like you were being electrocuted for a second, and then you just fell.¡±


    ¡°I tried to get you to let go of the rock,¡± Doug said. ¡°But you were gripping it tight, man. At first, we thought you were just foolin¡¯ around, but then you hit the ground pretty hard.¡±


    I sat up, dirt falling off of my shirt. ¡°You okay?¡± Britney asked.


    I noticed that Cody, Tyler, and the other girls were standing on the edge of the crater, looking down at me. I shrugged my shoulders and got to my feet. ¡°I think I feel fine,¡± I said, looking at the stone in my hand. It wasn¡¯t shining anymore, its mysterious red light completely gone. Now it looked like a rock that¡¯d been plucked off of Mars¡ªthe same color as red potato. A Martian potato. ¡°That was weird¡­¡± I said.


    I didn¡¯t feel any different, which was strange. I remembered the impact of a meteorite near my truck, finding a glowing red stone in the crater, picking it up, and a sharp jolt of pain just before passing out. I should be feeling aches or bruises, shouldn¡¯t I? I felt fine. No pain anywhere.


    ¡°We heard some other explosions out there,¡± said one of the girls who came with Tyler¡ªI think her name was Amy. ¡°Do you think Michael and the new girl are okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re fine,¡± Doug said.


    I climbed out of the crater, brushing sand off my clothes. ¡°Well, that was fun. Let¡¯s head back to the fire and see what happens when I put it in.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ray,¡± Britney said. ¡°We¡¯ve seen some crazy stuff tonight. Asteroids coming down, a red-glowing rock, and you getting electrocuted by it. I¡¯m calling it a night. Let¡¯s get out of here before another one kills us.¡±


    The other girls agreed and started heading to the truck. Cody and Tyler followed them. ¡°C¡¯mon guys!¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve only been out here for an hour!¡±


    ¡°We can do it again next week,¡± Britney said as she climbed out of the crater and walked to the truck. The rest of the group followed her, looking anxious to leave.


    I frowned. A perfect night ruined. First by Stoner, and then by falling stars¡­lame.


    Doug looked at me and shrugged sympathetically. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ray.¡±


    I heaved a sigh and started walking to the truck. I took a final look at the red space rock in my hand and shoved it into my pocket.


    Michael


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re gone,¡± Angela said.


    I nodded. I couldn¡¯t see Ray or his group anywhere. Their fire still burned; they apparently hadn¡¯t thought to put it out before they left. We got out of the car and smothered the fire with dirt. On our way back to the car, I noticed something. ¡°That looks like a crater,¡± I said, pointing in the distance.


    ¡°Good eyes,¡± Angela said. We ran over to see the crater. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you could see that in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± For some reason the night didn¡¯t seem as dark as before. It looked as bright as a night with a full moon, but there was no moon out tonight. Angela shined her flashlight into the bottom of the crater. Black meteorite rocks like the ones we saw in the other crater rested at the bottom. We saw footprints around and inside the crater. Ray and his friends had been there. It seemed unlikely that anyone got hurt from the impact; the crater was half a soccer field away from the fire.


    Angela jumped in the crater and looked through the meteorites. ¡°I wonder if there was another glowing meteorite in here like the one you found.¡±


    I pulled the blue stone out of my pocket. It no longer glowed like it did before. It was dark blue, felt smooth in my hand, a perfect skipping rock. I don¡¯t know why I was still holding onto it. It¡¯d zapped me unconscious a little while ago. I¡¯d woken up a few seconds later, no pain, no more light from the rock, no idea what¡¯d happened. Angela was scared for me and intensely curious about the meteorite.


    She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t see any glowing stone here. I¡¯d hoped to find another one that still glowed, so my dad could study it. Either yours is the only one in the world, or Ray and his friends took one. I¡¯ve never seen a rock like that before.¡± She stood up. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a third meteorite that landed out there? Maybe there¡¯s another glowing rock there.¡± She climbed out of the crater and headed to the car. ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too late,¡± I said. ¡°Your dad told me to get you home by midnight. It¡¯s already past that.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    She hung her head to the side. ¡°Oh, it won¡¯t hurt to stay out just a little later¡­¡± Her smile faded when she saw that I was serious. She clicked her teeth. ¡°Oh, alright. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    We got in the car and I drove her to her house. The whole way there, Angela held the mysterious blue stone up to her face, observing its every detail. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how it was glowing like that,¡± she said. ¡°And that was so weird how you passed out after you touched it. Sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said probably for the hundredth time. ¡°I feel absolutely fine.¡±


    She returned her attention to her stone. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Before long, we arrived at Angela¡¯s house. It was a typical stucco house that looked like every other house in the neighborhood. I got out and opened her door. She got out of the car, still looking at the blue stone. ¡°Come inside with me, Michael,¡± she said. ¡°I want you to explain to my dad what happened when you touched the meteorite.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But¡­ isn¡¯t he asleep?¡±


    ¡°Probably. I¡¯ll just wake him up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is. Michael, we survived a meteorite impact and brought home a piece of it to study! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll wake up to hear more about that!¡±


    She unlocked the front door and walked inside. I lingered at the doorstep, feeling a little nervous to meet her dad, especially after bringing her home an hour late and after him being woken up. Angela walked up a staircase and disappeared around the corner. I shuffled into the front room, closing the door behind me. I stood there in the front room in silence, observing their fish tank and grandfather clock. Unpacked boxes littered the floor. Did Angela¡¯s mom live here too? She¡¯d never mentioned anything about her. Did she have any siblings?


    Angela walked down the stairs, the blue stone in hand. ¡°My dad said he¡¯ll be down in just a bit. Follow me.¡± She led me to a nearby room that was obviously her dad¡¯s work room. There were two large desks with black and brown rocks all around, meteorites for sure. Angela slid into an office chair, placed the blue stone on the desk, and turned on an overhead lamp. ¡°I wonder if it will glow again if we heat it up.¡±


    I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned to see her dad enter the room. My nerves grew tense. He was not what I¡¯d expect a meteorite hunter to look like. I¡¯d apparently stereotyped not only girls that are into science, but archeoastronomers too. He was massive¡ªbuff, that is. Like he¡¯d been working out his whole life instead of studying space rocks. He had short, grayish blonde hair with a carefully trimmed beard. He looked tired¡­and grumpy. He looked at me. I gulped and waved.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he said in a deep voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to come see this meteorite we found, dad!¡± Angela gestured to the stone resting on the desk.


    His eyes lit up and he suddenly seemed wide awake. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s take a look here!¡± He put on his glasses, took the blue stone, sat at his desk, and held it up to the lamp.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any meteorite that looked so¡­¡± She stopped talking because of her dad¡¯s expression. He looked¡­scared? Alarmed? Amazed?


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± he asked in a very serious tone, taking off his glasses.


    Angela spoke quickly. ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s an interesting story. Don¡¯t freak out, but while we were stargazing, a meteorite landed about twenty feet away from us. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re okay. Only a broken window. It was actually awesome to see! So, we went in the crater and that¡¯s where we found this stone. But, the craziest part was that the stone was actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°Glowing?¡± her dad asked.


    ¡°¡ªer, yeah. How did you know¡­?¡±


    He stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders, looking very concerned. ¡°Did you touch it?¡± She hesitated to answer, clearly surprised with her dad¡¯s reaction. ¡°Did you touch it?¡± he repeated, louder this time.


    ¡°No, dad. Michael did. Why are you so¡ª?¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°And did it¡­ knock you unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was the stone or something I ate. I feel fine now, but how did you know that?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. He looked at the ceiling and took an enormous sigh, trying to take in all the information. He slumped into his office chair and rubbed his face with his hands. ¡°It¡¯s happening,¡± he muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s happening.¡±


    Angela and I shared a worried look. She knelt down next to him. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on? What do you mean ¡®it¡¯s happening?¡¯¡±


    He still looked up at the ceiling, apparently deep in thought. He gradually lowered his eyes and looked at his daughter. He smiled at her and touched her hair in a loving way.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Angela sounded scared.


    He looked at me and stood up. ¡°Your name is Michael?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªer¡­ yes, sir.


    He walked over to me and handed me the blue stone. I could feel its cool, smooth surface between my fingers. Angela¡¯s dad placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. I looked up at him, which was strange because not many people were taller than me. ¡°Michael,¡± he said in all seriousness. ¡°Keep this stone with you at all times. Don¡¯t let anyone take it from you and don¡¯t let anyone know that you have it. Do you understand?¡±


    I nodded¡­ and then shook my head. ¡°Why?¡± I said, perplexed. ¡°Why is this stone so special? Who¡¯s going to want to take it from me?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t tell you.¡± He rushed to a window and looked between the blinds. ¡°Just take care of the stone and lie low for a while. You¡¯ll need it for what will come next.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Angela said, a little frustration showing in her voice. ¡°What are you talking about? What will come next? Why won¡¯t you just tell us¡­?¡±


    ¡°To protect you,¡± he snapped. ¡°The less you know, the better. I¡¯ve got to fly back to New York first thing tomorrow morning. Michael, I think it best you head home now. I need to talk to Angela about something.¡±


    I was still trying to wrap my mind around what was happening. Angela¡¯s dad knew something about the blue meteorite that we didn¡¯t know, and whatever he knew must¡¯ve been dangerous information. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said timidly, ¡°but you just told me to take care of this stone without any explanation. I think I deserve to know whatever information you¡¯re going to tell her.¡±


    Angela and her father shared a knowing look and she turned to me. ¡°Actually, Michael,¡± she said softly. ¡°I think this is about something else. You¡¯d better go. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, a little hurt. I never was a fan of secrets. Now Angela was hiding something from me too. I put the blue stone in my pocket, walked to their door, and opened it.


    ¡°Thanks for the date,¡± Angela said before I walked out. I looked back at her. Her dad was rummaging around the house, already packing for his unexpected flight. Angela frowned. ¡°Sorry for the crazy ending.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for stargazing with me. It was fun.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Yeah, it was.¡±


    We said goodbye and I walked out of her house, closing the door behind me. As I walked to the car, I pulled the blue stone out of my pocket and observed it carefully. Sure, it was bluer and smoother than most rocks¡ªand it was a meteorite¡ªbut nothing else seemed very special about the stone. Except for the fact that it was glowing when we¡¯d first found it.


    How did Angela¡¯s dad know so much about it? What was he hiding from us? Or from me? Angela apparently was in on some sort of secret too. All I knew was that I was supposed to keep the stone safe and hidden from others, but I had no idea why.

 Chapter 7

    </a>Chapter 7


    Ray


    "Ray! Get out of bed already! Sam¡¯s here for lunch!¡±


    My mom had been shouting from downstairs for a while now. I didn¡¯t feel like budging out of my bed. I think I had a mild hangover. I reached for my phone and checked the time. Almost 1:00 p.m. Wasn¡¯t Saturday the day of rest? Or was that Sunday? Don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t care.


    ¡°Come on, Ray! Or I¡¯m gonna eat all your food!¡± This time my brother Sam was shouting. He had his own apartment near the university, but he stopped by every other weekend for lunch or dinner.


    I finally rolled out of bed and shuffled downstairs, still wearing the same clothes from last night. ¡°Hey Sam,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Morning bro!¡± Sam said from the table. He and mom were already eating. ¡°Heard you barely won the game last night.¡±


    I just nodded and sat down at the table. Sam was dressed well, dark jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. He looked a lot like me, except a couple inches taller, longer hair, and a goatee. We both had the same dark complexion with dark hair and brown eyes. Dad was Samoan; mom, Caucasian. We both took after dad, though.


    ¡°How was your party last night?¡± mom asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, good,¡± I said. Mom had made an awesome breakfast¡ªer lunch. Every meal she made was awesome. Before dad died, he¡¯d left us with a small fortune from his football career. Enough to have a nice house and for mom to stay at home.


    ¡°Ray, I saw some of the stats from your game last night,¡± Sam said with a frown. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you almost lost! You should¡¯ve crushed those guys!¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I rolled my eyes. Why was I not surprised that Sam would be unimpressed with my performance? ¡°At least we won, right?¡± I said.


    ¡°Barely! And your passing average? 30 attempts, 7 completions? I¡¯m surprised your coach kept you in till the end of the game!¡±


    That stung. I sneered at Sam. ¡°It¡¯s my receivers¡¯ faults,¡± I said. ¡°I only have one good receiver, the rest of them can¡¯t catch worth crap.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go blaming your receivers! That¡¯s the worst thing a quarterback could do!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it if it hits their hands and they just drop it!¡±


    ¡°It barely touched their hands! You need to throw the ball right at their chests!


    Mom slapped the table. ¡°Boys!¡± she said, and then took a deep breath. ¡°Can we please have a meal where you two aren¡¯t fighting about something?¡±


    We were all quiet for a moment. Sam and I glared at each other. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry anymore,¡± I said, and I stood up and left the table.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s our solution,¡± Sam said. ¡°Just have Ray leave. That makes everything better.¡±


    ¡°Sam!¡± mom snapped at him.


    I didn¡¯t hear what else she said. I was already out of the house, jogging through my neighborhood, going nowhere really. I just needed to blow off some steam.


    My dad was a football star in the NFL before he died. I wanted so desperately to be like him, and everyone expected me to be just as good as him. And I was good! Just not good enough for Sam!


    He always made me so angry! All I wanted was a little respect. Was that too much to ask for? A little respect? No matter how well I did, it was never good enough for him. I was so proud of winning the game ball last night, and Sam had to go and rub that in my face like it was worth nothing. I wanted to prove to Sam and my oldest brother Garret that I was better than they thought. I wanted to be better than them both! Then they¡¯d respect me!


    It felt really hot out, which was standard for Arizona in September, but for some reason it felt hotter than usual. Sam got me steamed up like that. Someday it would feel so great to beat him. Not just in football status, but to actually beat him¡ªgive him a good punch to the face! Beat him up like I did Stoner! Sam beat me up all the time as a kid, and I¡¯d love to return him the favor!


    I needed to hit something¡ªrelease my anger. I saw a tree ahead of me. Without thinking, I clenched my fist, ground my teeth, and punched its trunk with all I had, not caring about bloodying my knuckles.


    And then the craziest thing happened. The tree exploded!

 Chapter 8

    </a>Chapter 8


    Michael


    I loved getting to sleep in. Saturday mornings were the best. The first thing I did after waking up was pull open the top drawer of my dresser. Within it rested the blue stone, the meteorite that Angela and I had found last night. This was where I planned to keep it safe and hidden.


    I got out my phone and started typing a message. Hey Angela. When can we talk? I have so many questions about last night.¡±


    I jumped as my bedroom door flew open. I quickly pushed my drawer closed just as my little sister Sarah barged in. She glanced at the drawer I¡¯d just closed but didn¡¯t mention anything about it.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of knocking?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re up¡± she said, ignoring my sarcasm. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon, sleepyhead! Zack and I are waiting for you to come down and play. C¡¯mon Michael, we need a goalie!¡± She was wearing soccer shorts and shoes with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She played on the freshman soccer team, and me on varsity. We practiced together often with our cousin, Zack.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I said. ¡°Be right down.¡±


    I got dressed quickly and ran downstairs. I stopped mid stride by the TV. The news was showing videos of small meteorite craters in some cities in the western states. Apparently, the meteor shower covered a large area, just like Angela¡¯s dad predicted. I wondered if those meteorites had glowing stones that would zap people too. Should I warn people about that? Mr. Johnson told me not to.


    ¡°What time did you get home, Michael?¡± Startled, I turned to see my mom giving me a stern look from behind her glasses. She was dressed comfortably, with her blonde hair down and sweats on.


    I frowned. ¡°About two in the morning.¡± I probably could¡¯ve lied, but I never was very good at it.


    ¡°You know the curfew is midnight, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I would¡¯ve come home earlier, but¡­¡± Should I tell her about the meteor shower? I decided against it, considering Mr. Johnson¡¯s warning. ¡°But¡­¡± I continued. ¡°We just got distracted and stayed out too late. My bad.¡±


    ¡°Distracted?¡± Mom said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Did you go and kiss her on your first date?¡±


    I blushed, grateful my black eye was mostly healed. ¡°No, mom! We were just talking and stargazing and lost track of time¡­ that¡¯s all.¡±


    She pressed her lips together. ¡°I¡¯m sure that was fun, but you know the rules. Your consequence for staying out too late is to do a major chore. The backyard needs some work. It needs to be mowed, weeded, and watered. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to weed the flowerbeds too.¡±


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I know Zack and Sarah are out there playing. You can go ahead and play with them first, but as soon as Zack leaves, start working on that backyard, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said, already heading to the door that led to the backyard. Working on the backyard was going to be a pain, but I was excited to play some soccer with Zack and Sarah first. I really needed to do something to get my mind off of the meteor shower and the blue stone hidden up in my bedroom.


    My phone buzzed. Angela had responded to my text. I¡¯ve got tons of questions too, her message said. My dad flew out to New York, said he¡¯d be gone for about a week, and wouldn¡¯t tell me why. I¡¯d love to get together with you, but with my dad gone, I¡¯ve got a lot of extra unpacking projects to do. We¡¯ll have to get together sometime next week.


    Sounds good, I responded. Talk to you later. I stashed my phone in my pocket and sighed. That did not sound good. I wanted to know more about the stone, about what her dad was up to. He totally freaked me out last night! Apparently, though, she didn¡¯t know any more about it than I did. Still, it would be nice to talk with her about it¡ªfigure out why it made me black out. Maybe she got sick of me after the first date?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I walked outside and saw Zack and Sarah kicking a soccer ball back and forth. They¡¯d set up a small goal but weren¡¯t using it at the moment. My backyard was pretty big, which was great for playing soccer, but terrible for mowing the grass.


    ¡°There¡¯s our goalie!¡± Zack said as he kicked the ball to me. I stopped it with my foot and passed it to Sarah. ¡°You were up late with that new girl, weren¡¯t you?¡± He asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Ooh! Did you kiss her?¡± Sarah asked, passing the ball to Zack.


    My mom and sister were so nosy. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it an unwritten rule that you shouldn¡¯t kiss girls on a first date?¡±


    ¡°Not in my rule book,¡± Zack said as he balanced the ball on his foot and then kicked it to me, his red curly hair bouncing as he moved. ¡°I kiss girls all the time on the first date. They love it!¡±


    ¡°And how many of those girls end up going on a second date with you?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°All of them! Girls just can¡¯t get enough of these lips, baby!¡±


    I snickered. Sarah gagged. I knew he was lying. I doubted Zack had even gone on a date before. He always bragged about how popular he was to Sarah and me, but I knew that we were his only friends at school. And we weren¡¯t even close friends, but we were cousins, so we still hung out with him. He had some other friends that I saw every now and then, but I don¡¯t think they were students.


    ¡°Alright Michael,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I¡¯m ready to shoot some goals. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to block a single one!¡±


    ¡°Bring it on, sis!¡± I jogged over to the less-than-officially sized goal. ¡°Nothing gets by me.¡±


    ¡°If she won¡¯t make anything, then I will!¡± Zack said confidently.


    I stood in front of the goal and crouched into position. I felt a twinge of sadness. It¡¯d been a while since I¡¯d played soccer. I still had three more weeks before the suspension was up, and I could play on the team again. My team had lost the game a couple days ago, and I wondered if we would¡¯ve won had I been there.


    Sarah stepped away from the ball, ready to shoot. I shook off those thoughts and focused on defending the goal. I clapped my hands and bounced on my toes, smirking at Sarah, showing her my confidence.


    She ran toward the ball and kicked it hard to my right. I was about to lunge to block it, when the ball suddenly slowed down, as if someone had turned on a slow-motion button. I was so stunned, I let the ball fly right by me, right into the goal¡¯s net.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Sarah shouted, her hands above her head. ¡°She shoots, she scores! Too fast for you to even react, Michael.¡±


    I stood there, frozen. What was that? I looked at my hands. They were¡­ tingling¡­. My whole body was tingling, as if there were a thousand tiny needles poking my skin! The feeling slowly died down into nothing. That was weird, I thought.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Zack said, placing the ball and stepping away from it.


    I bounced on the balls of my feet and clapped my hands, shaking off whatever was wrong with me. ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Lucky shot, Sarah. I¡¯ll stop this one, Zack.¡±


    Zack ran to the ball and kicked it low and to my left. I reached for it, and then it happened again. The ball slowed down dramatically. Everything seemed to slow down. That tingling feeling returned. It wasn¡¯t a painful feeling, it was¡­ energizing. I moved toward the ball. I seemed to move fast while everything else remained slow. I blocked the ball with ease, sending it bouncing away. Suddenly everything returned to normal speed; the tingling dying down.


    ¡°Blocked!¡± Sarah shouted. ¡°Too bad, Zack. I¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done.¡± She set up to shoot again.


    ¡°Whoa, guys,¡± I said. ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Zack asked.


    ¡°Everything slowed down, like slow-motion.¡±


    Sarah laughed. ¡°Nice one! Zack¡¯s shots are like slow-motion when you compare them to mine, huh?¡±


    ¡°Psh!¡± Zack said. ¡°I¡¯ll make my next one for sure! That was just a lucky block! He guessed right!¡±


    ¡°No, guys,¡± I said, feeling a little frantic. ¡°It was like I could move at super speed or something.¡±


    Sarah and Zack looked at each other. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Sarah said, rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m up!¡±


    She ran to the ball and kicked it just above my head. Again, the ball slowed down and the tingling feeling returned. This can¡¯t be happening! I casually reached up to the ball and caught it. It didn¡¯t even sting my hands. All I could feel was power¡­ sheer power!


    Sarah huffed. ¡°Nice catch.¡±


    ¡°Whoa,¡± I muttered, looking up at the ball. The tingling feeling died down again. What was going on?


    I tossed the ball to Zack and he set up to kick. I took a deep breath, trying to compute what had just happened. Before I had the chance, Zack kicked the ball. It went way too high, far above the goal. The power surge returned. The ball flew slowly, high above my head. Out of reflex, I jumped to catch the ball even though I knew it was far out of reach, but when I jumped, I jumped!


    I caught the ball quickly, but then I kept going up! I looked down at the ground as I started to fall and gasped. I was about thirty feet in the air! Higher than my house! I plummeted to the ground, screaming, but I landed comfortably on my feet. No pain at all. Just that tingling feeling that started to die down again. I looked up at Zack and Sarah. Their jaws hit the ground, looking absolutely stunned. And I felt as surprised as they looked.

 Chapter 9

    </a>Chapter 9


    Ray


    My fist went all the way through the tree, bark and wood went flying in every direction. I fell forward, off balance. The tree creaked, and then thundered to the ground, crushing a parked car on the side of the road. The sound was terrible, awful!


    I knelt next to the newly formed stump, my eyes wide.


    I couldn¡¯t move. I was frozen in disbelief. What had just happened?


    The stump was on fire, small flames dancing around it. So was a part of the tree. Had the tree been struck by lightning?


    I looked at my fist. Not a scratch. No pain. But it was bright red, as if it were about to spontaneously combust. There was a strange burning underneath my skin, throughout my whole body¡ªlike when your foot falls asleep, but instead of a painful and annoying feeling, it felt invigorating.


    Yes, I had just punched a tree down with my bare hand. That was impossible! And it was a big tree! Maybe 30 feet tall with a wide trunk!


    I stood up and checked the crushed car. Fortunately, nobody was inside when the tree came down on it. I heard a door open nearby. A large lady walked out of her house next to the street, wearing sweats. She looked at the crushed car and shrieked, ¡°My car!¡± Then she saw me standing next to the stump. She looked confused at first, and then infuriated. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. What would I say? Sorry, but I punched your tree down? Would she expect me to pay for the damage? How did this even happen? I shouldn¡¯t be in trouble! I had no idea the tree would fall down like that! I just touched it! Without a word to the lady, I turned and ran.


    Something strange happened in that moment. The burning under my skin ignited, as if a small candle had turned into an uncontrolled forest fire. It seemed like I had tapped into some unknown power within me. The feeling didn¡¯t hurt, it felt great, and terrifying. The moment I felt it, everything around me slowed down¡ªlike slow-motion. The leaves stopped blowing in the wind. A car in the distance seemed to stop, but I could tell it was still moving slowly. And I was running fast. Really fast!Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    My legs pumped faster than humanly possible. Wind instantly slammed into me, as if I¡¯d stuck my head out of an airplane. Before I actually realized what was happening, I was already at my house. I lost balance and rolled into my back yard, a cloud of dust following me. Once I rolled to a stop on the dirt, I knelt there, hyperventilating, panicking. I couldn¡¯t catch my breath. WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME?


    I couldn¡¯t be thinking straight. Something had to be wrong with me. I remembered running every step of the way home, about a 200-yard run. But it felt like I¡¯d run that distance in less than a second! That¡¯s impossible!


    I sat down in a lawn chair, about to pass out with short breaths and shaking limbs. After a moment of sitting there, the burning feeling in my stomach died down into nothing. I started breathing normally again. My head cleared up, but I still couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around what¡¯d just happened.


    Somehow, I¡¯d punched a tree in half and started it on fire. And then I¡¯d run a 200-yard sprint in less than a second. That couldn¡¯t be! I must be hallucinating or something! I¡¯m going crazy!


    Did that lady recognize me? Would she call the cops on me? How am I supposed to explain what happened? No one would believe me! I shoved my head into my hands.


    After a long moment, I raised my head and I looked at my hands. They weren¡¯t red anymore. I closed my eyes and concentrated, searching for the burning feeling I¡¯d felt earlier. It was there, in my gut, dormant, but there. I thought about punching the tree again, and the burning returned. ¡°Whoa,¡± I said out loud. The inner fire spread under my skin, down my legs, my arms, and through my head. It felt like pure energy surging through me. I felt powerful, invincible. My hands didn¡¯t change color like they had before, but they felt stronger. How strong? I wondered.


    I walked over to our pool and spotted a huge boulder at the pool¡¯s corner. It had to weigh several hundred pounds. It was propped up by other decorative boulders in a perfect position for me to get my hands underneath it. I took a deep breath. Moment of truth, I thought. I bent down, grabbed a hold of the boulder, and lifted.


    The fire within me burned stronger, and I easily lifted the boulder off the ground and above my head. Dirt from the bottom of the boulder fell down around me. I could tell that the boulder was heavy because I had to keep it centered above me, but it honestly felt as heavy as a bowling ball. I was strong. Really strong! This was crazy! I dropped the boulder back in place with a loud crunch.


    I looked at my hands in front of me, the burning sensation dying down. I couldn¡¯t believe it. This was freaky¡­ and¡­ pretty cool. What could I do with this power? I thought. How did I get it?


    I reached into my pocket and pulled out the red stone I¡¯d found last night in the crater. It wasn¡¯t glowing like it did last night. Nothing seemed peculiar about it, except for its brownish red color and smooth texture. The rock seemed to be the only logical explanation for what¡¯d happened to me. I think it gave me superpowers.

 Chapter 10

    </a>Chapter 10


    Michael


    "Wha¡ª¡± Zack stuttered. ¡°What was that?¡±


    My mind was racing as I sat on the grass in my backyard. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Michael,¡± Sarah said with a shocked expression. ¡°You just jumped higher than our house¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± I said in disbelief. ¡°No one in the world can jump that high!¡±


    ¡°But, you did!¡± Zack stated. ¡°We all saw the same thing, right?¡±


    Sarah and I didn¡¯t answer. We remained silent while trying to wrap our minds around the impossible. What I¡¯d done was impossible. The tingling feeling and power I felt were impossible. Superpowers only existed in the movies, didn¡¯t they? But, this was real life. Super speed and super jumps shouldn¡¯t be real! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Wrong with you?¡± Zack said. ¡°Michael¡­ you¡¯ve got powers! Like superhuman powers! This is so cool!¡± He paced back and forth, ecstatic. ¡°You know what this means? You could be a superhero! Fight bad guys, save the day, just like in the comic books and movies.¡±


    He paused, formulating an idea. ¡°I could be your sidekick! And Sarah¡­ we could be your team! We will look for all the bad guys, we¡¯ll communicate with you through ear pieces, and we¡¯ll get an underground lair¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa, Zack!¡± Sarah interrupted. ¡°Slow down! Give Michael a moment to breathe first!¡±


    Zack stopped and looked down at me. I still sat there on the grass, unaffected by Zack¡¯s enthusiasm, just trying to take it all in. I had¡­ powers. Superhuman abilities. What would that mean?


    Sarah knelt down next to me. ¡°Do you know how you got these powers, Michael?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Has anything out of the ordinary happened to you?¡±


    ¡°No. Everything has been normal.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Except for last night when I¡­¡± My wheels started turning. Last night I was zapped by the glowing meteorite, the now-non-glowing, blue stone hidden in my bedroom. Did the stone do something to me? Give me superpowers?


    ¡°When you¡­ what?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°What happened last night?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I hesitated to answer, trying to decide if I should tell Sarah and Zack. Mr. Johnson told me not to tell anyone about the stone. Was that because he knew it would give me powers? How would he know that? Why didn¡¯t he tell me?


    ¡°Did something happen during your date last night?¡± Sarah asked.


    I stood up, ignoring her, and started heading to the house.


    ¡°Does this have to do with the blue rock in your dresser?¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and turned back at her. ¡°How do you know about the stone?¡±


    She stood up too. ¡°I saw you trying to hide it this morning, remember? What¡¯s so special about that rock? And why are you trying to keep it a secret?¡±


    I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t even know!¡±


    ¡°Well there¡¯s no use in hiding it now. I saw the rock, and I¡¯m assuming it has something to do with your crazy jumping ability. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said. That secret didn¡¯t last long, I thought. I decided to tell Zack and Sarah about the meteor shower and how Angela and I found the glowing blue stone that zapped me. Sarah furrowed her eyebrows trying to put the pieces together. Zack hung on to my every word.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he interjected. ¡°You said it was a meteor shower¡ªmeaning multiple meteors, right? Were there other meteorites that landed out there last night? Meteorites with glowing stones in them?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, there were other impacts, but no glowing stones,¡± I said. ¡°I think we heard three impacts total. Angela and I checked in one of the craters that landed near Ray Simmons and his friends, but we didn¡¯t find any glowing meteorites like mine.¡±


    ¡°Ray was there?¡± Sarah asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Too bad he didn¡¯t get hit,¡± Zack said under his breath. Sarah gave him a scolding look, but he just ignored her. ¡°Did you check the third crater for another glowing stone?¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t have enough time.¡±


    Zack hummed to himself. ¡°Well, we should test out your powers, Michael. Do that super jump again.¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Did you get hurt when you landed?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I just¡­¡± How could I explain it to them? ¡°I want us all to forget that this ever happened, okay?¡±


    They both looked confused. ¡°I couldn¡¯t forget even if I wanted to,¡± Sarah said. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you see a guy jumping as high as houses, Michael.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sarah said. ¡°We¡¯ll take this slow.¡±


    ¡°We can help you practice,¡± Zack said. ¡°Learn to hone your skills before you go catching bad guys. We¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go catching bad guys!¡± I said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the police are for? Besides, it¡¯s against the law to take justice into your own hands. I don¡¯t want to be a vigilante!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zack said, flustered. ¡°There are some things the cops can¡¯t stop that you can! That¡¯s when they¡¯ll need a hero like you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a hero! I just want to be me!¡± I spoke louder than I¡¯d meant. They were both quiet. Sarah looked sympathetic. Zack looked hurt and angry. ¡°I just want to be normal Michael Stone¡­ a teenager, the soccer captain¡­ and maybe one day a doctor. Nothing more. That¡¯s the life I¡¯ve been planning for since I was twelve. So, let¡¯s just forget this whole superpower thing. Don''t tell anyone and I¡¯ll keep it under control.¡±


    Zack opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. ¡°You guys should go,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got yard work to do.¡±


    My cousin scowled at me for a moment and then left with a huff. Sarah still looked sympathetically at me but didn¡¯t say anything as she walked inside the house. I started mowing the lawn, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

 Chapter 11

    </a>Chapter 11


    Ray


    I opened up my locker and got out my football gear. The locker room ironically reeked of mixed body odor and spray-on deodorant. My teammates were around me, getting their pads on too. I was really looking forward to practice today. This was the first time I would play after having discovered my powers.


    Doug was next to me, tying his cleats. ¡°You feelin¡¯ okay, Ray?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just saw you pass out when you touched a glowing rock a few days ago. Doesn''t happen every day, you know? You haven¡¯t fainted like that again, have you?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve been feeling fine.¡±


    The red space rock was taped under my pads, where it wouldn¡¯t bother me on the field, and where I could keep it close. I slid my helmet down to partially conceal my eyes. Lessons I¡¯d learned from a weekend of testing out my powers.


    ¡°Well, good,¡± Doug said, all geared up and ready to play. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I nodded, and we jogged out to the field. Practice started with some light warm-ups and stretches. None of these ignited my powers. I¡¯d learned with some practice that I can turn my powers on and off. It wasn¡¯t easy to do, especially while exercising. My powers felt like a burning in my gut that was ready to erupt, but I kept them dormant by concentrating on remaining calm. I didn¡¯t want to use my powers just yet.


    Coach Jones blew his whistle every five seconds to keep us going through our warm ups. His hat hooded his dark skin from the hot Arizona sun. He wore his usual blue on red T-shirt and shorts with a cougar, our school mascot, printed on them. His expression was intense, focused on getting us ready to win the next game. I was excited to show him a whole new level of quarterbacking.


    Coach had us do hitting drills. It was especially difficult to keep my powers in check during this part. We all got in lines and practiced tackling each other. Even without my powers on, I was able to take down the guys I was put up against.


    We finally started running some plays. Coach formed offensive and defensive teams. I, of course, was the quarterback. Doug was the wide receiver, as usual.


    We huddled to hear the first play. It was a long pass play, my favorite. After we broke the huddle I looked at Doug. ¡°Run all the way to the end zone,¡± I told him.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ray,¡± he said skeptically. ¡°That¡¯s like eighty yards away.¡±


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    ¡°Okaaay¡­¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    We lined up and I called the snap. The two teams collided on the line as I held the ball, ready to throw it deep to Doug. One of the defenders broke through the offensive line and charged after me.


    I usually would¡¯ve run to keep my distance from him, but today was different. I just smirked at him as he got closer. At the last second, I ignited my powers, and I zipped out of his path. Surprised by my quick dodge, he flew by me and stumbled to the ground. I looked downfield. Doug was halfway to the end zone. Most quarterbacks would¡¯ve thrown the ball by now, but today¡­ I wasn¡¯t most quarterbacks.


    Three more defenders broke through the line, coming to tackle me. I heard Coach Jones shouting from the sideline. ¡°Throw the ball Ray! Throw it!¡±


    Not yet, I thought. Just keep on watching, Coach. You¡¯re gonna love this. As the three defenders closed in on me, I ignited my powers. As if a slow-motion button was pressed, they instantly slowed down, but I kept moving fast. I easily evaded the first two, and I gave a solid stiff-arm to the third defender. His feet flew up from underneath him and went down hard on his back.


    Doug was almost there. I was about to throw the ball, but before I did, I took a quick sidestep to the right. The very first defender who¡¯d missed me earlier blew by me again, missing me entirely, stumbling to the ground.


    I chuckled under my breath, having a blast. I could do this all day long! No one could tackle me! I was untouchable!


    I eyed Doug way downfield. He was about ten yards from the end zone. I had never thrown an eighty-yard pass before. I didn¡¯t know if any high school quarterback had. I cocked back my arm, ready to throw. I ignited my powers and the burning feeling surged up into my arm, and then I threw the ball harder and farther than I ever had before.


    A little too far. Way too far. Whoops¡­


    The ball flew high over Doug¡¯s head, over the field goal post, over the practice field fence, over the street, and finally landed somewhere in the neighborhood beyond the practice field. It may have broken somebody¡¯s window; it was too far to tell.


    The play ended without a whistle, which was unusual. Coach Jones was too stunned to blow it. The whole team, including Doug and his defender in the end zone, stopped moving and just looked at me in disbelief.


    ¡°Oh crap,¡± I said.


    Coach Jones eventually found his voice. ¡°Ray!¡± he shouted from the sideline. ¡°What in the world was that?¡±


    What was I going to say? I just shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Coach. I guess I threw it a little too far.¡±


    ¡°A little? I think you just beat the world record by a couple hundred yards. Somethin¡¯ you''re not tellin¡¯ me Ray?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Coach, he¡¯s hurt!¡± The voice came from one of the defender¡¯s who¡¯d tried to sack me. He was kneeling over the defender I¡¯d stiff-armed; James was his name, I think. I usually called him Mighty Jaime. He lay, sprawled on his back, not moving.


    Coach Jones and his two assistant coaches hurried over to Mi¡ªJames. I watched them run by me and kneel over him. A lump came to my throat. What had I done? I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him like that. ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked, worried.


    ¡°He¡¯s unconscious,¡± Coach said, ¡°but breathing. Probably has a major concussion.¡±


    I sighed, relieved that I hadn¡¯t killed him, but still guilty for hurting him with a strength that normal football players shouldn¡¯t have.


    Coach stood up, grabbed me by my helmet, and yanked me toward his face. ¡°What are you takin¡¯ Simmons?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°Nothing!¡±


    ¡°Be honest with me, Ray! Are you on ¡®roids? Some illegal super drug?¡±


    ¡°NO! I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get off this field!¡±


    I froze, unable to move or breathe.


    ¡°NOW!¡± Coach said, shoving me away from him. ¡°And off this team! Before someone else gets hurt!¡±


    I was speechless. A part of me wanted to argue with him to let me stay, but he had turned his attention to James. Truth was¡­ he was right. I was likely to get someone else hurt. My powers were too dangerous for high school football. I turned and ran toward the locker room.


    So much for becoming a football Hall-of-Famer. So much for impressing my brothers and living on in my dad¡¯s legacy. That was all gone now! Why did I touch that stupid stone?

 Chapter 12

    </a>Chapter 12


    Michael


    I sat in a rocking chair on the backyard patio, watching the sun set below the horizon. An Arizona sunset was always a spectacle, especially tonight¡¯s. A swath of clouds loomed near the distant mountains in the west. The sun painted them with a variety of colors, from bright pink to dusky purple. And every five minutes, those colors would shift locations on the clouds as the sun slowly sunk toward the horizon. I gazed at it, deep in thought.


    I started when a soft rap came at the glass door behind me. It was Dad, followed by Sarah close behind him. ¡°Hey, Michael,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯re you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ enjoying the sunset,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Dad said skeptically as he leaned against the patio railing. Sarah stood behind us near the door, just listening in. ¡°The first thing you do after dinner is come out here and ponder the mysteries of the universe?¡± Dad asked. ¡°No Zack? No playing soccer in the backyard? No homework, TV, or videogames? What¡¯s bothering you, son?¡±


    I hesitated to answer. What¡¯s bothering me? I thought. Oh, nothing much, except that I discovered a few days ago that I am a freak of nature with superhuman powers! That¡¯s all¡­ ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°I just miss being on the soccer team. You know with the suspension and all.¡± That last part was true.


    Dad sighed. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, son. Only three more weeks and you can start playing again.¡±


    I nodded unenthusiastically.


    ¡°I thought this had to do with you becoming a doctor,¡± he said. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to be an astronomer like your mom and I? You have such a knack for it, and you already know more about it than most of my students at the university.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I like astronomy, but I can¡¯t see me doing it as a career. I¡¯d like to do something that helps people a little more directly, like being a doctor or physician. It¡¯s hard to get much more direct than that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a fair point.¡± Dad folded his arms and gazed at the sunset for a moment, the sun glinting off his glasses. He was still dressed in his professor get-up, bowtie and all. ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°Your future is up to you. I just want what¡¯s best for you, you know.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re still only sixteen after all. You¡¯ve still got time to have fun as a teenager before choosing a career. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?¡± He slapped my shoulder as he walked back inside the house.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said while feeling empty inside. He didn¡¯t know that my normal teenage life had shattered into a million pieces the moment I touched that stone. So far, my new, abnormal teenage life had been pretty lame.


    After Dad had left, Sarah sat down in the rocking chair next to me, still dressed in her soccer outfit from practice, her blonde hair a mess. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more bothering you then you let on to dad.¡± It was pretty typical of Sarah to be a little nosy. I was used to it by now.


    ¡°You think?¡± I said sarcastically.


    ¡°I know what your problem is,¡± she said with a smug expression. ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to hide your powers by doing nothing at all, and it¡¯s tougher than you thought it would be.¡±


    I glared at her. I couldn¡¯t hide anything from her, not even the blue stone.


    She took my silence as a confirmation. ¡°You¡¯re going about this all wrong, Michael. You¡¯re going to enter depression if you try to play it so safe that you never use your powers at all. What you should do is learn how to use your powers, so you can control them better.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can practice right here in our backyard,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll keep Mom and Dad busy with a movie. Or, if you want, we can go out to the desert where no one will see you practice. I¡¯ll be there to warn you if anyone comes nearby. It¡¯ll be awesome!¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I opened my mouth to argue, but slowly found myself agreeing with her. I sighed, a little frustrated and a little humored. ¡°How do you do that, Sarah?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she said.


    ¡°Always know what¡¯s going on with me and knowing the perfect solution.¡±


    She smirked. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not the only one with superpowers.¡±


    We laughed. It felt good to laugh. I¡¯d felt so closed off the past few days, trying to avoid anything that could ignite my powers. We both looked at the sunset. The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon. ¡°The stars are really bright tonight,¡± I said, looking up at some of the first stars to appear during sunset.


    Sarah nodded, following my gaze. Then, after a moment, she scrunched her face in confusion. ¡°What stars?¡± she asked.


    I pointed at them. They were in the northwestern sky. She followed my gaze, squinting her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t see those?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head.


    ¡°What?¡± I said, bewildered. ¡°Do you need glasses or something? They look bright. Almost as bright as planets. They¡­. ¡± I cut off as I realized something.


    ¡°What?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need glasses, Michael, and I still don¡¯t see any stars at all. You¡¯re the one who needs glasses¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± I said getting out of my rocking chair. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s Orion!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Orion? Like the constellation, Orion?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s super bright, though! Brighter than it should be. We shouldn¡¯t be able to see it until the sun goes down.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Sarah said, still sounding confused. ¡°At least I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But I do! Maybe I can see it because of my powers!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird superpower: to see stars while the sun is still up.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s weird.¡± I stood at the railing and stared up at the stars. ¡°What¡¯s weird is that Orion¡¯s stars are the only ones I can see right now. Nothing else! Only the exact stars within that constellation!¡± I could see the three bright stars that made up Orion¡¯s belt, the four major stars that made up his body, and then the few stars that depicted his outstretched hand that held a bow¡ªor was it a shield¡ªI never could remember. No other stars were visible yet. And these stars were very bright, much brighter than they should be with the sun still up.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah said. ¡°So, you can see one constellation really well. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°No clue,¡± I said as I walked inside the house. ¡°But I¡¯ll find out!¡±


    Sarah trailed behind me as I went downstairs and entered mom¡¯s office. She was on her laptop grading papers. ¡°Hey mom,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got an astronomy question for you.¡±


    ¡°My favorite,¡± she said. ¡°One moment.¡± After a few more clicks she turned to me and said, ¡°Alright, what is it, son?¡±


    ¡°What can you tell me about the Orion constellation?¡±


    ¡°What specifically do you want to know about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anything.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, let¡¯s see. It¡¯s one of the most recognizable constellations besides the big dipper. It has seven major stars. Rigel is a blue giant that makes up Orion¡¯s knee¡ªfourth brightest star in the sky. Betelgeuse, Orion¡¯s shoulder, is a red giant that will go supernova any day. Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka make up Orion¡¯s legendary belt. The most fascinating part, astronomically speaking, is Orion¡¯s sheathed sword which is one of the most beautiful and brightest nebulae in the night sky.¡±


    I had seen the Orion Nebula through telescope before, and it was remarkable. A bright cloud that contained almost every color of the rainbow. But why would these stars and that nebula suddenly start burning brighter just for my eyes alone? ¡°Can you see Orion now?¡±


    Mom glanced at the setting sun through the window with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°You won¡¯t see any stars or planets for another two or three hours, Michael. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Right, just wondering. Is there anything else you know, mom? Like its mythology?¡±


    She tilted her head. ¡°Why the sudden curiosity?¡±


    My hands fidgeted. ¡°Oh, I¡ªum¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going stargazing tonight,¡± Sarah said from behind me. ¡°And we¡¯re scoping out the Orion constellation, and we just want to know more. Can we use your telescope, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Mom said. ¡°Alright, then¡­.¡± She started typing on her computer and pulled up a page about Orion. She spoke even before arriving to the website. ¡°Orion is a hero from Greek mythology. He is known as the Hunter. Like most Greek heroes, he had supernatural powers. He could best any beast of the land and walk on water. He was blinded, but traveled to Apollo, the sun god, to regain his sight. It¡¯s pretty ironic that he ends up dying by getting stung by a tiny scorpion. That¡¯s why the Scorpio constellation is on the opposite part of the sky. The two constellations are never visible at the same time.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure that you can¡¯t see Orion right now?¡± I asked.


    Mom raised an eyebrow and glanced out the window again. ¡°Um¡­ yes, I¡¯m sure. Why would you think that¡ª?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just really anxious to go stargazing,¡± Sarah said.


    I nodded, grateful to have my sister around; she had always been a better liar then me.


    ¡°Well, good,¡± Mom said, returning her attention back to grading her papers. ¡°The telescope¡¯s in the closet. You¡¯d better get going now if you want to see Jupiter and its moons before they set. And don¡¯t forget to take a jacket.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± Sarah said as we left Mom¡¯s office.


    I walked downstairs in a daze, trying to absorb all of Mom¡¯s information. Supernatural powers? I thought. Did the stone give me the powers of the Greek hero? Am I some sort of reincarnation of Orion?


    Sarah reached into the closet and handed me the telescope and my jacket. ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re actually going?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said with an excited smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Verde Ranch. Lots of open space there. Nobody around. Perfect place.¡±


    I followed her out the front door and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling we¡¯ll be doing much more than just stargazing.¡±

 Chapter 13

    </a>Chapter 13


    Ray


    I shuffled my way to my truck in the parking lot, my football gear in a bag over my shoulder. I glanced back at the practice field, raising a hand to block the light from the setting sun. The assistant coaches had the players running more drills while Coach Jones was watching over Mighty Jaime, the guy that I knocked out. He was conscious now but sitting on the sideline trying to recover. I hope he¡¯s okay, I thought.


    I threw my football bag into the back of my truck and climbed in behind the wheel. I didn¡¯t turn it on. I just sat there, stewing over what¡¯d just happened. I was angry. And depressed. And¡­ I don¡¯t know. Was my football career over? This was my dream! To play football professionally like Dad and Garret! Reach the Hall of Fame, even! Football was the whole reason I even went to school. It was the only reason I got out of bed in the morning. And now, I couldn¡¯t play at all because I was¡­ too strong? Too inhumanly strong?


    I turned the keys and my truck roared to life. Loud music came on, but I just turned it off¡ªI wasn¡¯t in the mood for music. My truck was low on gas, so I would stop by a gas station on my way home. I hung my head while I drove.


    I¡¯d often worried about getting an injury because it would end my season. But, this was worse. With an injury I could heal and eventually return to the field. Not with superpowers, though. I couldn¡¯t heal from this. I¡¯d tried everything I could think of to return my powers back to the space rock, but nothing worked. I was stuck with them.


    I pulled into the gas station as warm tears crept down my eyes. I wiped them away as fast as I could, embarrassed, even though no one was looking at me. I fueled up my truck and went inside the gas station¡¯s shop to pay with cash. There was a line. I waited, staring at the floor, lost in thought.


    Somebody bumped into me from behind. It was a big guy wearing a green hoody who smelled like a trash can. The bum had cut in front of me! I wasn¡¯t in the mood to be pushed over today. I gave him a shove before he could talk to the cashier, saying, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going you¡ª¡±


    I gasped as I was suddenly looking down the barrel of a gun. He had a gun! I froze. Some of the people behind me in the line saw his gun and screamed, dropping to the ground. The man in the green hood glared at me. ¡°Back off, kid!¡± he said menacingly, liquor on his breath. He looked insane, ready to shoot. I raised my hands and stepped back, my heart racing. In an instant, my depression washed away, and I was alert, praying he wouldn¡¯t pull the trigger.


    Once he saw that I wasn¡¯t a threat, he turned back to the cashier, pointing his gun at her. ¡°Give me all your money! Now!¡± She screamed and raised her hands, frightened beyond all reason. ¡°Hurry!¡± he shouted. She trembled as she tried to open up her register, fumbling to press the right buttons. It popped open and she slowly started handing him money with trembling fingers. The hooded man was impatient. ¡°Faster!¡± He shoved the gun up to her head. She started to sob uncontrollably.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    This was getting ugly fast. It looked like he was on the verge of shooting her. I¡¯ve got to stop him! I thought. But he has a gun, and I¡¯m just a 17-year-old¡­ Then it clicked like a slap to the forehead. I¡¯m a 17-year-old superhuman!


    I noticed that my powers were already on, my heart already racing. I guess the thief hadn¡¯t looked at me long enough to see my eyes. I embraced the burning feeling in my gut, letting it spread throughout my body. Everything slowed down around me.


    I reached for his gun and I yanked it out of his hand before he could even react. The cashier screamed again. The thief spun around and scowled at me from under his green hood. He had dark skin and a scruffy beard. He reached for his gun, but I easily snapped it in half right in front of him and dropped it on the ground.


    He looked down at the broken gun and then back up at me, confused. On a better day, I would¡¯ve smirked at him. But, today, I wasn¡¯t in the mood. I scowled.


    The thief turned to run but didn¡¯t get very far. I felt the burning in my gut swell as I pushed him in the back. He soared through the air and smashed through the shop¡¯s window, glass falling everywhere. He landed on the hood of a parked car, denting it, and rolled onto the ground, groaning in pain. I¡¯d pushed him a little harder than I¡¯d expected, but at least I stopped him, right? He was hurt, but still conscious.


    The other people in the shop looked at me with awestruck expressions. ¡°Wow¡­¡± said the cashier. She was still trembling and crying. She leaned against the counter trying to stabilize herself. All the other onlookers remained speechless.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked the cashier.


    ¡°I¡ªI think so,¡± she said.


    I turned to the others in the shop. ¡°Has anyone called the cops yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said a guy outside of the shop, cell phone in hand. He stood next to the car with the dented hood, it was probably his. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± asked a middle-aged woman behind me in the shop.


    ¡°I¡ªuh¡­¡± Was it that obvious that I had superpowers? I guess I did break a gun in half with my bare hands and then threw a guy through a window, and to top it off¡­ my eyes¡­. I started to wonder what the cops would think about what I did. Would I have to pay for the broken window or the dented car? Would they figure out I have superpowers? Now I understood why all the super heroes wore masks. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go,¡± I said.


    I hurried out of the gas station, then ran back and dropped off my cash to pay for the gas. The cashier looked confused but didn¡¯t say anything. I started walking to my truck when the guy who had called the police yelled after me. ¡°Hey kid!¡± he said. ¡°You need to come back here and tell the police what happened.¡±


    I kept walking. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve got to go. You can fill in for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how this works, kid. The cops need your witness for¡ª¡±


    I closed my truck door, turned over the engine, and sped out of the gas station. As I pulled away, I could see several cop cars down the street. None of them came after me. I sighed in relief. Why would they come after me anyways? I thought. I¡¯m the good guy.


    As I drove home, I realized that I felt better. I wasn¡¯t as depressed as before. I¡¯d helped those people. I saved that cashier¡¯s life. I was a hero. Perhaps my newfound powers stopped my football career, but they may have given me a new one.

 Chapter 14

    </a>Chapter 14


    Michael


    It was bright outside, which was weird because it was about 9 p.m. The moon was a sliver in the sky which shouldn¡¯t have granted as much light as it did. The stars in the Orion constellation were especially bright, almost as bright as the moon, much brighter than they ever were before. The night sky seemed so foreign, so different than it did before I¡¯d touched the mysterious, blue meteorite. Maybe the stone gave me enhanced vision. But why would Orion be so much brighter than all the other stars? What does that constellation have to do with anything?


    ¡°All set.¡± I turned around. Sarah sat in a camping chair, her legs crossed, as if she were ready to judge me for an audition. She hadn¡¯t even bothered to unpack the telescope. She turned my blue meteorite around in her hands. ¡°So, is there an on button or something?¡±


    ¡°I wish,¡± I said. ¡°Getting my powers to turn on seems a little more complicated than that.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s? I¡¯m the one practicing here. How are you supposed to help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your coach. Now drop and give me five, boy!¡±


    I just rolled my eyes and turned my back to her. Verde Ranch wasn¡¯t too far out of the city like Red Knoll, so it wasn¡¯t as good for stargazing, but it had more open spaces usually meant for camping. Fortunately, nobody was here. We were completely alone with all the room needed to test out super powers. I bounced on the tip of my toes and shook my hands in anticipation.


    The last time I¡¯d used my powers, a few days ago, I¡¯d accidently jumped thirty feet in the air. What else can I do? I wondered. I supposedly have multiple abilities. So far, I have super jumps and super sight. I chuckled to myself. This sounds like something straight out of a comic book. Perhaps the super jumps are just a part of super strength. Let¡¯s see¡­


    ¡°You know what?¡± I said to Sarah. ¡°I actually am going to do some pushups.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, still using her coaching voice. ¡°Now don¡¯t let me catch you doing any girly pushups, you hear!¡±


    I placed my hands on the dirt in pushup position and pressed up. I could do it just fine, but it didn¡¯t seem any easier than normal. I did four more. Nothing out of the ordinary. I started tiring around twenty. Pushups weren¡¯t really my specialty. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d done any since my last soccer practice, more than over a week ago. I stood back up and dusted off my hands. ¡°No powers.¡±


    ¡°Try thinking back to what you did the last time you used your powers,¡± Sarah instructed.


    I scratched my chin. Last time I was acting out of instinct, a reflex to blocking soccer balls. Can I somehow reenact that moment? I thought. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine a soccer ball flying above me. Just as the imaginary ball was directly above my head, I opened my eyes and jumped to reach it. I was in the air for just a second and came back down. Completely normal. No powers.


    Sarah chuckled behind me, but I didn¡¯t pay her any heed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I mumbled to myself, rubbing my neck. Maybe, I thought, it was a fluke? Perhaps I had one burst of powers to jump really high a few days ago and now it wore off. I glanced up at the night sky. It was still impossibly bright. I could see Verde Ranch with as much clarity as if the sun were behind a dark cloud. My vision powers seem to be working, though. Maybe those don¡¯t have to be turned on or off. They¡¯re permanent or something. But, my super jump powers¡­


    I tried to recall what else happened when I used my powers. Finally, it clicked. The tingling feeling, I remembered. Every time I did something inhuman, I¡¯d felt that weird tingling feeling in my gut and underneath my skin. How do I turn that back on?


    With my eyes closed, I concentrated on my body¡¯s senses, searching for that feeling again. I felt completely normal. Maybe a little hungry. I could¡ª


    There it is! I thought. With my eyes shut tightly, I focused on a tiny ball of energy somewhere within my gut. It was dormant, I could tell, because I only felt a small tingling in that one spot in my core. If it¡¯s asleep, then maybe I can wake it up¡­ how do I do that?


    I told it, in my head, to wake up. Nothing. I tried imagining the tingling feeling all over my body. Nothing. Ugh¡­ I thought. This thing is stubborn! I had never meditated before. Yoga always seemed extremely boring to me, but now I was wishing I¡¯d taken a class.


    I stood there with my eyes closed, trying to will the ball of tingling energy to open. I took a deep breath, and calmed down my nerves, observing the feeling more than prodding it.


    It was like a dimly lit light bulb stuck in my stomach, slightly irritating but also electrifying. The energy it gave off was thrilling, making me feel a little anxious. It was like that feeling I got on a rollercoaster. Not the fast part at the bottom of the hill, but the part at the top, when you¡¯re slowly climbing up to the peak. That always twisted my stomach into knots, and then those knots turned into hell-bound bats as I went over the hill and plummeted down the ride. Just thinking about it makes my hands sweaty.


    Suddenly, the ball of energy exploded! The tingling feeling surged through my whole body, reaching the tips of my fingers and toes. ¡°Whoa!¡± I said out loud. The tingling felt like electricity, energy, needles, and bee stings all at once. It was like a mixture between getting goose bumps and having a limb go numb at the same time. But most importantly, it wasn¡¯t painful. It was¡­ awesome! Pure energy! Invigorating! I felt alive, powerful! I checked to see if my skin was glowing, but it looked completely normal.


    Now, I thought               . Let¡¯s see what I can do with this!


    What happened next was a blur. I took my first step to sprint around the open area and was surprised to get hit by a blast of wind in my face. Before I could get my bearings, I slammed into something prickly. I fell to my knees and looked up to see that I¡¯d run into a saguaro cactus at the edge of the open area. I hit it hard enough that it toppled over and landed with a thud onto the desert floor. ¡°Whoops,¡± I groaned.


    I heard Sarah laughing in the distance. I turned around and was surprised to spot her in her camping chair about half a soccer-field away.


    I quickly checked myself for needles but couldn¡¯t find any. Maybe the needles couldn¡¯t penetrate my skin while my power was turned on. ¡°Super speed and super skin?¡± I said a smile. ¡°So cool!¡±


    I can¡¯t believe I was afraid of these powers! I thought. I guess I was more afraid of how they would change my life, but now they¡¯re intriguing.


    I could sense the tingling feeling dying down, so I thought of the rollercoaster again, and it reignited, keeping me supercharged. I laughed to myself. That¡¯s so funny that my powers work that way!


    I leaned into a run and instantly skid to stop right in front of Sarah. She shrieked, curling up into fetal position in her chair. A cloud of dust passed over the both of us. I must¡¯ve kicked it up while running. I just ran about fifty yards in the blink of an eye! I remembered taking every step of the way, but I could sense the world slowing down around me as I ran.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Sarah glared up at me, and then quickly changed her expression to amazement. ¡°That was awesome! You have super speed, too, huh?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I said, looking at my hands.


    ¡°Michael, your eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re glowing!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It looks so cool, and a little¡­ spooky.¡±


    ¡°Spooky?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve got to see this!¡± I walked over to the car and looked at my reflection in the side mirror. Sure enough, my eyes were glowing. ¡°Whoa,¡± I said out loud. I moved closer to get a better look.


    The glow was coming from my eyes¡¯ pupils. It was a soft glow, no brighter than a dying candle, its color a pale white. The glow pulsed very subtly, reminding me of the same glow Angela and I saw coming from the meteorite I¡¯d touched last week, except a different color. I wonder¡­


    I concentrated on the tingling feeling, took a deep breath, and willed it to subside. It did, and my eyes stopped glowing, looking like completely normal blue eyes. ¡°Sweet!¡± Sarah said behind me. ¡°You can turn it off?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Turning it on is the hard part.¡± I closed my eyes and focused once again on exciting the ball of energy with my imaginary rollercoaster ride. It worked; the tingling sensation spreading through my body. I was starting to get the hang of this. I opened my eyes, and sure enough, they were glowing again.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d you get your powers to work?¡±


    I explained to her how I¡¯d imagined riding a rollercoaster.


    ¡°Hm,¡± she said. ¡°Did your hands get sweaty when you thought about it?¡±


    I wiped my hands on my pants. ¡°How did you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Same thing happens to me whenever I think about cliff jumping or kissing¡­¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°What? Kissing who?¡±


    She waved her hand as if she were swatting flies. ¡°Oh, just forget I ever said that. But, I think I know how your powers work.¡±


    ¡°Really? How?¡±


    ¡°Turn your powers off.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I complied, taking deep breaths.


    As soon as the tingling died down and my eyes stopped glowing, Sarah chucked the blue meteorite at my face without warning. I reacted out of pure reflex and caught it easily in my right hand. ¡°Hey!¡± I said. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Your powers are on again,¡± she said with a smirk.


    I blinked. She was right! I could feel the tingling rushing around my body again.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s adrenaline. Whenever your body produces adrenaline, your powers turn on. Calm down, and your powers turn off.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ and I get an adrenaline rush whenever I get in a fight or flight situation, like when you threw the rock at me. Or when I was blocking soccer shots the other day.¡±


    ¡°Yep. And you can have an adrenaline rush just by thinking about an intense situation, like riding a rollercoaster.¡±


    I nodded my head, absorbing the information. So, I thought. I¡¯ll have to be careful to stay out of intense situations in public.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s see what else you can do,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Try doing a pushup now with your powers on.¡±


    ¡°Hold this.¡± I gave the meteorite back to her, dropped to my hands and tried doing a pushup. It was easy! I pumped up and down and did about thirty in less than half a minute without breaking a sweat. I put one hand behind my back and did a one-handed pushup. And then I did ten more. Easy! I couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    ¡°Nice!¡± my sister said, sounding impressed.


    ¡°How about this!¡± I put one finger down and pushed up. I did it! Again, and again. It was weird because I could feel my finger digging into the dirt beneath to withhold my weight, but it didn¡¯t hurt, and it didn¡¯t strain me at all.


    I¡¯m strong! I thought with a laugh. I placed both hands down and lifted my feet into to the air, doing a handstand. I¡¯d never done a handstand before, but it seemed so easy with my new strength. I did have to focus on keeping my feet in the air, but my muscles reacted quickly and powerfully to keep me balanced. I could still feel the tingling feeling coursing through my limbs like a swarm of tiny electric spiders. I took a breath, lowered my body, and then pushed up, a hand-standing pushup. Again, easy. I did several more. I could tell it was harder than a normal pushup, but it still felt far from my strength¡¯s limit.


    I returned to my feet and bounced up and down. I was feeling great!


    ¡°Wow,¡± Sarah whispered behind me. ¡°You¡¯re strong! Like Chuck Norris strong!¡±


    I laughed looking at my arms and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t look like Chuck Norris, though.¡± Sadly, my muscles didn¡¯t look any bigger than they had before. That tingling feeling must supercharge my body without changing its appearance, I concluded. Too bad. I wouldn¡¯t have minded a super body with a six-pack and huge biceps.


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Sarah said. ¡°No one does. When Chuck Norris looks in a mirror, it shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get between Chuck Norris and Chuck Norris.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Well, can Chuck Norris do this?¡±


    Eager to test my limits, I walked over to the right side of the car, bent my knees, grabbed the bottom of it and lifted. The tingling energy surged through my arms. The car groaned as I raised it up to my chest, two wheels in the air. I propped it up with one hand, reached under with my other hand and hoisted up the left side of the vehicle, causing all four wheels to become airborne. The metal bent around my fingers as I slowly lifted the car above my head, sand falling off the tires.


    Sarah blew a soft whistle behind me. ¡°Whoa¡­¡±


    I picked up a car! And it didn¡¯t even seem that heavy to me! It was like holding a large, fold-up table over my head¡ªbulky, but light. I gently placed the car back on the ground with a satisfying thud and dusted off my hands.


    ¡°Forget Chuck Norris,¡± my sister said. ¡°You''re more like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Orion!¡± I said.


    She tilted her head and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s with you and that mythological giant anyway?¡±


    ¡°No idea, but there¡¯s obviously something connected between my powers, that blue stone, and the Orion constellation. I have no idea how or why, but the correlation is definitely there.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least now we know what your superhero identity should be.¡±


    ¡°Superhero? Remember, I still haven¡¯t agreed to any superhero-ing. I don¡¯t want to be a vigilante!¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. I was just saying, if you were a superhero¡­ Orion would be an awesome name.¡±


    I didn¡¯t disagree with that. And I wouldn¡¯t admit that the idea of being a super hero sounded thrilling. I just didn¡¯t want to be a criminal in order to be a hero. The comic books fantasized it too much. Plus, even being a hero sounded like a really big deal. I¡¯m no hero, I thought.


    ¡°I need to keep practicing,¡± I told her. ¡°Not so I can be some super hero, but so I can get better at controlling my powers and keeping them a secret. I don¡¯t want anyone to know besides you and Zack.¡±


    Sarah looked disappointed. ¡°Not even your girlfriend Angela?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend! And no, not even her. She might pressure me into vigilantism too.¡±


    My little sister put a hand on her hip and glared at me. ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous, Michael! Just a few days ago we discovered that super powers are real! What are the chances that the one person lucky enough to get those powers was my over-obedient brother who won¡¯t even use them to do any good in the world?¡±


    I glared back at her. ¡°I am doing good¡­ by not doing anything bad. Now step back¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªby doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m going to practice running again. Let¡¯s see how long it takes me to run to Red Rock and back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like two miles from here! I don¡¯t want to wait around all night for you.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± I leaned forward to take my first step just as the world slowed down around me. It wasn¡¯t like time slowed down, more like my senses sharpened so much that I could take in more in less time. I started what I thought would be a light jog, but once my legs started pumping, they naturally went several times faster than expected, and in less than a second, I was at the end of the clearing. I slowed to a stop, but it took longer than I thought, and I stumbled into a bush.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± I muttered. ¡°Gotta work on stopping.¡± I scrambled out of the bush and faced the hill where Red Rock was located, took a deep breath, shook my hands, and broke into a run again. The wind hit me hard as I pushed forward; I had to squint my eyes because of it. I sprinted around bushes and cacti in a blur.


    I¡¯m getting the hang of this! I thought. A long row of bushes blocked my path in front of me. Instead of speeding around them, I jumped, hurtling them easily, and kept on running. This is awesome! Scary and dangerous, but awesome! I never thought I would ever enjoy running this much!


    I reached the top of a small hill, skid to a stop, and glanced behind me. After the dust cloud dispersed, I could see the Verde Ranch clearing in the distance. I love that I can see in the dark, I thought. But I can¡¯t see Sarah; she¡¯s too far away. I think I ran about a half mile stretch in what¡­ a couple seconds? I was running fast! Much faster than a car could drive. Maybe even faster than a plane. I wonder if I could break the sound barrier if I pushed myself.


    I looked toward Red Rock and scanned out my off-road path to get there. I felt the tingling surge through my legs as I leaned forward into a sprint, squinting my eyes. I might need some goggles.


    I grinned from ear to ear as I ran through the dark desert. My legs didn¡¯t burn at all yet, maybe eventually they would¡ªlike after a hundred miles! I¡¯m never going to use the car again!


    Suddenly a sharp, agonizing pain twisted in my gut. I started to slow down, gasping. My vision went fuzzy and a terrible, excruciating pain wracked my whole body all at once¡ªlike the sharp pain from a migraine, but everywhere. I screamed in pain, shocked by how instantaneous this had hit me. Where had it come from? I tried to stop running but lost my balance and careened off a small cliff and fell into a dry wash, the rocks tearing into my flesh as I rolled to a stop¡ªmy powers no longer protected my skin.


    I lay there on my back, trying to catch my breath, going into shock. The tingling feeling had vanished, and in its place was a vortex in my gut, like a black hole sapping my life away, killing me slowly. My vision blurred, and then everything went black.

 Chapter 15

    </a>Chapter 15


    Ray


    "What are you drawing?¡± Britney asked as she leaned over her desk to get a glimpse.


    I quickly shut my notebook. ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°I was just¡­ doodling.¡±


    ¡°Doodling?¡± she said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You never doodle. Let me see.¡± She reached over to snag the notebook from me, but I pulled it away. Her teasing smile faded.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Truth is¡­ I was actually taking notes. We have an exam coming up.¡±


    She frowned. We both glanced up at Mr. Thompson, our history teacher. It was like he was doing a slow waltz between the white board and his book on the podium. He would read something from the text book about the judiciary system, summarize it to the class, write it up on the board, and then do it all over again. Practically every student was either looking at their phones or sleeping on their desks. It was true that we had an exam coming up next week, but pretty much everyone passed¡ªit was open book after all.


    Britney looked back at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°Fine,¡± she said sarcastically as she pulled up her phone. ¡°I¡¯m taking notes too.¡± She made it very apparent that she was moping through social media.


    I rolled my eyes and opened my notebook, covering it with my arms so nobody could see it. On the page before me was a drawing of me. The superhero me.


    I wasn¡¯t very artistically talented, but it was good enough to get the gist. I¡¯d drawn myself with a black leather jacket, blue jeans, a baseball cap with the bill pulled down, and aviator sunglasses to hide my identity. If I was going to save people in this city, then I wanted to do it in style. There was no way I¡¯d ever be one of those comic book superheroes with a colorful unitard and a cape. Whoever came up with the idea that super humans should save the day in their multicolored underwear had to be high on something. Besides, how in the world would I ever make a costume like that? I¡¯m no seamstress!


    However, having a consistent outfit was important. The more often criminals and bystanders witnessed the Burn with the same clothing, the sooner they¡¯d recognize that he¡¯s not a guy to mess with. The Burn¡­ I chuckled and erased that name off of my page. Too stupid, I thought. Besides, I haven¡¯t burnt anything except that tree on accident. I don¡¯t even know how I did it. I hadn¡¯t come up with a good name yet. I wanted to make a name for myself that everyone in the city recognized. A name that villains feared, citizens cheered, and women adored. Maybe the Burn isn¡¯t that stupid. I wrote the name down again.


    Britney had every reason to be suspicious; I hadn¡¯t sketched anything in class since sixth grade. Drawing in class was a super geeky thing to do. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know the school¡¯s star football player and most popular guy at school would do something so¡­ geeky. I had a reputation to fill. Well¡­ at least I used to. I had, after all, just been kicked off of the football team. I couldn¡¯t be that guy anymore. That ship had sailed. That dream had been crushed. My whole identity was going through a major shift from popular football star to the Burn. I shook my head and erased the name again.


    I was sure my friends would notice a change in me, but whatever happened, I didn¡¯t want them to know I was a superhuman. None of them were good at keeping secrets. If the world found out I was the¡­ the Rock, then I could never get the benefits of living a normal life. I couldn¡¯t go to the movies without drawing unwanted attention. Every scientist would want a sample of my blood. And most of all, I still had a smidgen of hope that I could be a professional football star. If I improved in controlling my powers, then I could play without hurting anyone, but still be good enough to reach the Hall of Fame. Only if no one knew I was the Rock.


    I grunted and erased that name. Already taken.


    I started when the bell rang, nearly losing my pencil. Most of the students were startled too as they woke up from their naps. Britney didn¡¯t say anything to me as we picked up our backpacks and left. Apparently, she was giving me the silent treatment. I passed by one student, a girl with glasses whose name I didn¡¯t know and hadn¡¯t nicknamed yet¡ªwho was actually writing her last line of notes before Mr. Thompson erased what he¡¯d written on the white board. I rolled my eyes.


    School seemed so meaningless now. Just a week ago, school performance was important, only so I could be eligible to play sports and get accepted to college football. Now that football was most likely out of the picture, I had no desire to go to school. Especially if I could be fighting crime all day as¡­ Inferno. Then again, I wouldn¡¯t be getting paid to be a superhero. Would I need to get a job on the side? Maybe school was important? I blew some air out of my mouth, feeling overwhelmed. No¡­ who would pay a guy named Inferno?


    I pushed open the doors that led outside to the school plaza. It was warm outside, late September in Arizona. Everyone was heading home; the last class had just ended. I passed by some freshman girls who gave me a funny look. That wasn¡¯t too rare. Usually they would whisper to each other something like, ¡°Is that Ray, the quarterback? He¡¯s so hot. He¡¯s taller up close.¡± But, then I noticed that more students than normal were giving me funny looks and pointing at me. Maybe it¡¯s because I got kicked off the team, I wondered. Did word of that spread that fast? That was just yesterday.


    I noticed Doug was walking toward me with a stern expression. I hadn¡¯t seen him since yesterday. We met near the center of the plaza. ¡°Dude, what¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Good question,¡± I responded, looking around. ¡°Everyone¡¯s looking at me like I shot the principal or something.¡±


    ¡°Or something,¡± he said. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    He shook his head as if he didn¡¯t believe me and gave me a serious look. ¡°Bro, tell me what¡¯s going on? Yesterday you threw the ball several hundred yards over the fence, and then you nearly killed James with a stiff-arm. How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man,¡± I lied as I took a couple steps away from him. I was trying to come up with a story, but my mind drew a blank. ¡°It was an accident. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt James.¡± That much was true.


    Doug looked at me like I¡¯d betrayed him somehow. ¡°Ray, what about what happened after practice?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Nothing happened.¡±


    He rolled his eyes, forked out his phone, and pulled up a news video. ¡°This went viral this morning. Already has several million views.¡±


    I held the phone and watched the video play. ¡°Yesterday,¡± said a female reporter, ¡°something extraordinary occurred in a local gas station in Tucson, Arizona. When a crook attempts to rob the store, a young man, heroically jumps into action and detains the would-be robber.¡±


    My stomach dropped. I glanced up at Doug, my mouth gaping open. ¡°Keep watching,¡± he said. ¡°It gets better.¡±


    ¡°While the young man¡¯s heroism is fascinating,¡± the reporter continued, ¡°the way in which he stops the crook is especially extraordinary. The scuffle was caught on camera, and you may not believe your eyes as you watch the scene. We want you to know that this video has not been tampered with or edited in any way.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    A video of the gas station came up with poor resolution. I could see myself standing behind the crook as he pointed the gun at the cashier. The video caught it all. It showed me snatch the gun away from him, break it with my bare hands, and then push him out the window. While the video played, the reporter explained to the viewers that I had unbelievably expressed what appeared to be superhuman abilities. Even though the video was a little fuzzy, the viewers could clearly tell that I had been moving inhumanly fast and was inhumanly strong. My stomach sunk deeper.


    The video cut back to the female reporter. ¡°We go now,¡± she said, ¡°to the Super Hero Scuffle in Tucson for some eyewitness testimonials.¡±


    ¡°He saved my life,¡± said the lady cashier in a quivering voice. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how he did it, but I¡¯m grateful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is definitely a super hero,¡± said an older lady with blonde hair. I recognized her from the store. ¡°And I really mean super. It was unbelievable what he did. I wouldn¡¯t have believed it myself if I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes. And I¡¯m a very realistic person. Not superstitious at all. And everyone in the store said they saw the same thing. He moved in a blur and snapped a gun in half like it was made out of plastic! And his eyes¡ªthis is going to sound really crazy, but it¡¯s true¡ªthey were glowing!¡±


    ¡°He was young,¡± said a middle-aged guy with a hat on. ¡°Probably still in high school. Immature too. I tried to get him to stick around when the police came, but he took off in his truck. Maybe he didn¡¯t want anyone to recognize him.¡±


    ¡°Would you consider him a super human?¡± a reporter asked off screen.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I showed up right when he threw the guy through the window. It seemed pretty incredible for a kid his age, but I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that he¡¯s Superman or anything.¡±


    ¡°Were his eyes glowing?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, actually they were, now that you mention it. But, you can do anything with contacts these days, right?¡±


    The video cut to another guy that I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°It was amazing, you know?¡± he said. ¡°It was like straight out of the movies, man! Except that I think the kid was holding back, you know? I think that if he wanted to, he could have blown up the whole gas station with his laser vision, man!¡±


    ¡°Would you say he¡¯s a super human, then?¡± the reporter asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah. He¡¯s super human, alright. No doubt about it.¡±


    The video cut back to replay the scuffle in the store. The reporter spoke while it played. ¡°The majority of the eyewitnesses claim that the young hero was indeed a super human. While this may seem incredible, the video does not lie. And I repeat, that it has not been tampered with.¡± The video froze on a close-up on my face. I held my breath. ¡°The young man has been identified as 17-year old, Ray Simmons, Tucson High School student and football team¡¯s quarterback. Is he really a super human? We¡ª¡±


    I shoved the phone back into Doug¡¯s hands before the video finished. I pulled on my backpack¡¯s straps and started speed walking, panicked. What was I going to do? Why hadn¡¯t I been more careful at the gas station? Doug followed. ¡°They identified you, Ray,¡± he said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed this video for a second if I hadn¡¯t seen what you did during football practice.¡±


    ¡°It was all an accident, okay!¡± I snapped. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to throw the ball that far. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt Mighty Jaime. And at the gas station, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªexpect to get caught on camera,¡± Doug interrupted. I kept on walking, trying to get to my truck and get out of here a soon as possible. A lot of students were staring and pointing at me as I walked by. ¡°So, tell me,¡± Doug said. ¡°Are you a super human or not? Are you an alien from Krypton or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an alien,¡± I said flatly.


    He walked with me, still waiting for an answer. ¡°Well, what then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you, Doug, because I know you¡¯re terrible at keeping secrets. You¡¯ll tell everyone you know.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± he snorted. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not much of a secret now is it? The whole world already knows you¡¯re superhuman.¡±


    ¡°They think I¡¯m superhuman. They still don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Doug said as he tried to keep up with me. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll have a better idea after they hear about what happened at football practice yesterday.¡±


    I stopped walking and turned on him, glaring as I grabbed his shirt. ¡°You would tell them?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he said, not backing down. Doug wasn¡¯t as big as me, but he didn¡¯t fear me like most guys at school. He knew me too well. ¡°If you¡¯re not a superhuman, then it¡¯s no big deal, right? But, if you are¡­ then I¡¯ll have a reason to stay quiet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re threatening me?¡± We were between the two buildings nearest to the parking lot. Students were walking by, paying closer attention to our conversation than I¡¯d wanted.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. It¡¯s only a threat if you¡¯re actually what everyone is saying you are: a freak.¡±


    I shoved him away from me and kept walking. He was really starting to get on my nerves. Doug didn¡¯t follow me this time. ¡°Fine!¡± he said behind my back. ¡°If you won¡¯t say anything, I will!¡±


    That was it! In a blur, I spun around, grabbed Doug by the throat, and¡ªwith one hand¡ªlifted him into the air. My insides were burning with energy; I had ignited my powers unconsciously. Doug¡¯s eyes were wide in shock as he clawed at my arm, trying to break my grip.


    Then, I smelled something. Something awful. It smelled like something was burning¡­ like burning flesh. I hadn¡¯t noticed until now that my hand was bright red. Doug¡¯s flesh! I dropped him, horrified at what I¡¯d done.


    Doug squirmed on the ground, holding his throat and coughing for air. His neck looked discolored and blistered. ¡°Your eyes¡­¡± he wheezed. He coughed some more, unable to finish his sentence. I suddenly realized how stupid this was. Without a word, I¡¯d just given him exactly what he was looking for: confirmation that I am... a freak. He looked pale, as if he¡¯d seen a ghost, probably in shock.


    I glanced around. A small clump of students had surrounded us, unable to peel their eyes from the scene. Were my eyes still glowing? I broke through the small circle of students and jogged toward the parking lot. I tried to dampen the burning feeling as I ran. As I turned the corner around the last school building to get to the parking lot, I skid to a stop, unable to believe what I was seeing.


    Between me and my truck was a throng of news reporters. Five or six news vans were parked on the side of the parking lot. Camera technicians were filming reporters as they interviewed random students. Photographers were snapping pictures of the school in the background.


    ¡°There he is!¡± shouted a voice. In almost perfect unison, every reporter, camera guy, photographer, and student turned their heads toward me. And then they started sprinting in my direction.


    Panic washed over me. Now, don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ I had always loved the idea of popularity and fame. I really enjoyed being the most popular guy at school, and I planned on being a famous football star¡ªat least I did. But, this¡­ this was too much, too fast! And for the wrong reasons! I lowered my head and made a beeline for my truck.


    The first reporter, a guy in a suit with grey hair and a microphone, blocked my path. ¡°Ray Simmons,¡± he said. ¡°Can you tell us how you stopped the thief in the gas station yesterday?¡± He pointed the microphone at me.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± I mumbled.


    I tried to move around him but was stopped by another reporter. She had dark hair and wore too much perfume. ¡°Mr. Simmons, are you a super human?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I responded, probably not convincing enough. I was still shaken by what I¡¯d done to Doug. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I tried walking around her, but she followed me.


    ¡°Then how did you do what you did yesterday?¡± she prodded.


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you on drugs?¡± another reporter asked. A guy with a clean-cut beard.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Steroids?¡±


    ¡°I already said no!¡± They were making it hard to get to my truck. Nearly all of the news crews had their microphones in my face by now. Photographers were snapping pictures of me. Cameras were all aimed at me, as if they were ready to deliver a head shot. I thought about running, leaving them in a blur, but that would give them exactly what they were looking for: evidence that I¡¯m superhuman. I couldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice. ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± I said as I pushed my way through them.


    Unfazed, the newscasters followed me to the truck, asking me all sorts of questions. I didn¡¯t answer any of them. I finally got to my truck, climbed in, slammed the door, and heaved a big sigh. This was crazy! I thought.


    Several photographers were still snapping pictures of me from outside my truck. I turned the engine and pulled out. The newscasters moved out of the way evading getting caught under my wheels. I sped out of the parking lot toward home.


    My hands were trembling on the wheel. How did these reporters get here so fast? I wondered. The gas station thing had happened just yesterday! Why are they so interested in me? I ran a hand through my hair. I guess it is a pretty big story. A real-life superhero? Yeah, that¡¯s never happened before.


    My thoughts turned to Doug. How could I be so stupid? I should¡¯ve just told him. Maybe he would¡¯ve kept the secret. I felt sick inside as I remembered the smell of his burning flesh. He was right¡­ I am a freak.


    I turned on some loud music, but it didn¡¯t drown my feelings out like it did in the past. This was serious. The whole world knows that I might be superhuman, I thought. So much for Inferno. There¡¯s really no point in hiding my identity now. Maybe I could still convince them that I¡¯m not superhuman. Maybe¡­ maybe not. Not if they get a chance to talk to Doug. Maybe I could run away. I pressed my lips together into a thin line and punched the steering wheel. Why did I touch that stupid stone!


    I drove over the speed limit, not caring whether I got pulled over or not. This day had turned sour really fast. I was grateful school was over, no more football practice, and now I could get away from it all at home. Once I could see my house in the distance, I slammed on the breaks and cursed.


    Parked along the street around my house were several white vans¡­ news vans.

 Chapter 16

    </a>Chapter 16


    Michael


    My eyes fluttered open. The afternoon sun was pouring through my bedroom window. I sat up and cringed from a nasty headache. What happened?


    I thought back on last night. I was running near Verde Ranch and then suddenly passed out for some strange reason. I shivered just thinking about that horrible pain that I¡¯d felt before passing out. Fortunately, that pain was gone; now I just felt weak, hungry, and had a headache.


    Glimpses of memory flashed through my mind. A dark, fuzzy image of Sarah standing over me, looking concerned. A feeling of relief that the pain was gone. A long walk to the car, Sarah helping me the whole way. Voices outside my bedroom door; Sarah telling mom that I was sick and needed to rest.


    I rolled off my bed and opened a drawer; the blue meteorite rolled around inside. Sarah had put it back. I snatched it out and observed it carefully as I walked out my room, downstairs, and into the kitchen. Nobody was home, probably still at school and work. I poured myself some cereal and ate slowly as I kept looking at the blue stone.


    Why did I pass out?


    I quickly thought of a rollercoaster, causing an adrenaline rush that turned my powers on. I could feel the tingling energy rush through me again. It felt great, powerful, but no pain. None of that horrendous, life-sucking pain. ¡°Hm¡­.¡±


    I¡¯d thought my powers were gone but was grateful that they weren¡¯t. The meteorite gave me these powers. They were obviously connected somehow. I remembered feeling much better when Sarah had found me last night, not just because she was there to help, but because she was carrying the meteorite in her pocket. I¡¯d felt better when it was close to me. Why?


    Eager to test something out, I quickly finished my breakfast, returned the blue stone to its hiding spot in my dresser, and got in my car. I drove around the block and stopped. I turned on my powers. It felt great, electric. I kept my powers on and drove out of the neighborhood. The tingling energy continued to spread around my body. I drove a little further, thinking my theory was wrong, but then I felt it. That terrible pain erupted in my gut and then spread through my limbs to the tips of my fingers.


    I hunched over the wheel and groaned, surprised again by how much it hurt. I focused on calming down and let my powers turn off. The pain stopped. I heaved a sigh and pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road. I think I¡¯ve figured it out.


    I tested my powers again. The pain returned as soon as I turned them on, so I quickly turned them off. I was breathing hard, feeling weak, like I¡¯d just ran a 5k. Like I¡¯d already burned through the cereal I¡¯d just eaten ten minutes ago, and I was hungry again.


    I pulled a u-ey and drove back to my house. As I got closer, I bravely turned my powers on again, and was happy to sense the power instead of the pain. I kept my powers on all the way until I parked in my driveway. I ran up to my room and got out the blue stone and made a commitment to always keep it with me.


    The meteorite was the source of my power. I¡¯d thought that it¡¯d just given me powers and was obsolete now, but I was wrong. The stone was still actively giving me my powers, and I needed to be near it. A little less than a mile or so. It had a limited range. Using my powers outside that range would result in pain and, eventually passing out. So, the solution was to keep the stone with me at all times.


    I jumped as I heard the front door open and close. Footsteps thumped up the stairs and Sarah burst into my room. ¡°Hey, you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for helping. I¡¯ll forgive your intrusion into my room this time. I think I figured out why I passed out. I have to keep the stone near me to use my powers. When I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, Michael.¡± She cut me off, looking anxious to tell me something. ¡°Have you seen the news yet?¡±


    An hour later, I was still sitting on the couch, watching the news, stunned by what I was seeing. Sarah was in the recliner across the room. Mom and Dad were home now and sat on the sofa next to me.


    Ray Simmons¡¯ face filled the TV screen. They¡¯d caught him on camera using¡­ superpowers, supposedly. I leaned back into the couch, overwhelmed with the information. Sarah glanced at me from across the room. Her horrified expression matched my emotions.


    I¡¯m not alone, I thought. I¡¯m not the only one with superpowers. Someone else has them. Someone like me. I shook my head. Why? Why did it have to be Ray?


    I had secretly wished to beat him up someday with the extra help of my powers, but that wouldn¡¯t be so easy now that he had powers too. It was obvious how he got them. He must¡¯ve touched a glowing meteorite¡­ just like me. Are his powers the same as mine? Maybe I could go ask him. I shook my head and frowned. No, this is Ray we¡¯re talking about. He hates me¡­ and I hate him. Besides, I looked back at the news, he¡¯s probably not in the mood to talk to anyone right now.


    Mom and Dad were ever the extreme skeptics as they watched. ¡°They¡¯re all idiots,¡± Dad said pointing at the screen. ¡°Just because the reporters say that the video wasn¡¯t tampered with, doesn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t. The reporters are lying, simple as that.¡±


    ¡°The video itself isn¡¯t very clear either,¡± Mom said. ¡°You can barely tell what¡¯s going on. Is he moving really fast, or is that just the video skipping forward. It¡¯s just as clear as every video and picture of Bigfoot.¡± If I hadn¡¯t touched that blue stone and become a super human myself, I¡¯d probably be just as dubious as them.


    Several eye witnesses at the gas station talked about Ray and what they¡¯d seen him do. Dad and Mom couldn¡¯t help but vocally dismiss each testimonial. ¡°She was paid to say that!¡± Dad claimed.


    ¡°He looks like a drunk!¡± Mom declared. ¡°And she wasn¡¯t even in the video when it happened!¡±


    I rolled my eyes at how determined they were to not believe the news, but I didn¡¯t say anything. It was nice to have them at least agree with each other on something, even if they were both dead wrong.


    The news cut to a new scene where Ray was walking out of school. He was completely surrounded by cameras, newscasters with microphones, and on-looking students. The video showed him say very little, push his way through to his truck, and drive away.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathetic towards Ray. Even though he was a jerk, I could tell he didn¡¯t want his powers to be discovered like that. I knew I didn¡¯t want that for myself. This reminded me why I needed to be so careful about using my powers in public.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I tried putting myself in his shoes. If I were Ray¡ªwell, honestly, first of all I would punch myself, just because I would hate myself for being Ray.


    And then I imagined always being on the run. Everyone recognizing my face. My own friends betraying me. People wanting to put me in jail, operate on me, and maybe even kill me because I was such a dangerous threat to them. I shivered at the thought.


    Doug Cooper, Ray¡¯s best friend, was on the TV. This was probably my third time watching this segment. It was weird to see so many people I knew personally on TV. Doug pointed to his neck; it was red and blistered as if it had been burnt raw. ¡°Yes, Ray Simmons did this to me,¡± Doug said hoarsely. ¡°He used to be my friend, but now he¡¯s a freakin¡¯ monster! He definitely has superpowers. I was asking him a couple questions about it, and then he just snapped and did this to me with one hand!¡±


    The scene cut to a picture of a guy I recognized from school in the hospital with a neck brace. Doug spoke as the video played, ¡°But, this isn¡¯t nearly as bad as what he did yesterday at football practice. He nearly killed James.¡±


    I jumped, when my phone buzzed. It was a text from Zack. Dude, it said. Have you seen the stuff about Ray on the news?


    Watching it right now, I texted back.


    ¡°James Earl was confirmed with a head and neck injury yesterday,¡± a female reporter¡ªwell, reported¡ª¡°during football practice by none other than Ray Simmons. Sahuaro High School football coach Dan Jones had this to say about the matter.¡±


    The video cut to Coach Jones with a microphone up to his face, sporting his hat and whistle like always. ¡°I don¡¯t know about superpowers,¡± he said. ¡°That seems a little farfetched. I was thinking some sort of mega steroids. That¡¯s why I kicked him off the team. However, I will admit that he did some things yesterday that seemed even too incredible for ¡®roids. Either way, as much as I miss having him on the team, Simmons shouldn¡¯t be playing football. He¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Zack sent another text message. You know what this means? You need to get yourself a disguise! Ski mask or motorcycle helmet? I¡¯ve got both. Just say the word and one of them is yours.


    Or just never use my powers in public. I didn¡¯t send that, just thought it. I didn¡¯t respond to Zack at all. A part of me knew he was right. Could I really live out my life without ever using my powers in public? I wondered. If there ever came a time where I had to use my powers, it would be nice to have a disguise on hand¡­ otherwise, I might end up like Ray.


    There was a knock at the door. Sarah went to go get it. Mom and Dad were going on about how the football team and newscasters were trying to exaggerate their stories to make it look like Ray had superpowers. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re creating their own breadcrumbs,¡± Dad said. ¡°Making up new stories just to prove their original one. I think Coach Jones was dead on with his first idea. Ray¡¯s probably just on drugs.¡±


    ¡°Hey Michael.¡± It was Sarah. ¡°Someone¡¯s at the door for you.¡± She whispered the next part to me. ¡°I think it''s your girlfriend!¡±


    My stomach did a front flip as I made my way to the door. Sarah didn''t wait around for me to correct her and scurried back to the living room to watch the news.


    Sure enough, Angela stood there in the entryway, looking fantastic. She smiled when she saw me, but only for a couple seconds. ¡°Hi, Michael, sorry to show up unannounced.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s fine,¡± I said. ¡°What''s up?¡±


    ¡°We need to talk about something important. Will you step outside with me for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Uh... sure.¡± I gulped. What did I do wrong? Did I offend her on our last date? Was she going to tell me the secrets her dad has been keeping from us? Or maybe she came all the way over here because she was desperate to give me a kiss. Okay, probably not, but a guy can dream, right?


    It was warm outside; the sun was about to set. Once I closed the door behind me, Angela spoke. ¡°Michael, can I see your meteorite?


    ¡°Um, yeah.¡± I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to her. She brought it close to her face and spun it delicately in her fingers, scanning every inch of it. I tried to hide my nervousness. ¡°What''s so interesting about the rock? I know your dad went crazy when he saw it, but¡ªhey! What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    She¡¯d bent over and started pounding the stone against the sidewalk. I cringed, afraid it would break. What would happen if it broke? Would it kill me? I didn''t know how far my connection with the stone went, and I didn¡¯t want to find out by smashing it. Fortunately, there wasn''t even as much as a scratch on it, though the sidewalk couldn''t say the same. Angela huffed and handed it back to me. ¡°Has it glowed at all?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, cupping the stone in my hands like it was my baby. ¡°Not since we found it. Why?¡±


    She pointed over my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°My house?¡±


    ¡°No, silly, the news channel. Have you seen it lately? About Ray Simmons?¡±


    I folded my arms. ¡°Yeah, I saw it. Crazy huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe it?¡±


    ¡°What? That Ray has superpowers?¡± I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I sure hope he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    She folded her arms and stared at her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but there are so many connections.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯ve been so many strange things, Michael. Last week we nearly got killed by a meteorite. A meteorite¡ªby the way¡ªthat could glow! You touched it, got knocked out, the stone stopped glowing, and you woke up just fine. And my dad goes bonkers when he sees the stone and won¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was weird.¡±


    ¡°Really weird! You know what else was weird?¡± She looked up at me and spoke slowly. ¡°Ray and his friends also almost got hit by a meteorite. We saw the crater. That meteorite may have been glowing. Ray may have touched it.¡±


    My heart started racing. I tried to keep a calm expression, focusing to keep my powers off. ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°So, one other thing to add to that sequence of strange events is that Ray got superpowers.¡±


    ¡°Supposedly.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Supposedly.¡± She kept her gaze on me, observing my reactions. Her tone wasn¡¯t accusatory, more¡­ pleading?


    ¡°And¡­ you think that¡­¡±


    Angela was silent for a moment, as if waiting for me to finish, but I didn¡¯t. ¡°Well, have you felt strange since you touched the stone? Any¡­ superpowers?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I chuckled. ¡°I wish! That would be sweet, but I¡¯ve felt one hundred percent normal since I touched that stone.¡±


    She watched me carefully, obviously trying to detect my honesty. I put on my best act. I knew that if it were my sister Sarah, she would see right through me, but Angela had known me for only a little more than a week. This was my first time lying to her. And, unfortunately, I thought, it probably won¡¯t be my last.


    Angela put a hand on her chin and hummed. ¡°So, you can¡¯t fly or shoot lasers with your eyes?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Nope. That would be awesome, though.¡± I was grateful to answer honestly that time.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it would.¡± She looked at the sidewalk pensively.


    My heart calmed. It looked like she believed me. I hated to lie, especially to her. It was necessary though. Watching the news about Ray was enough for me to make up my mind to tell no one my secret. It was bad enough that Zack and Sarah knew. I didn¡¯t want to add anyone to that list. The more people who knew my secret, the more likely I could end up like Ray. A part of me really wanted to tell Angela the truth. And my parents. And my soccer team. And all my Facebook friends. But, I needed to be careful, especially with Angela. Her dad knew something was special about the blue stone, and he didn¡¯t tell her what. He probably knew what it would do to me, and he told me to keep it a secret. So, that was what I was doing.


    ¡°Was that all you wanted to talk to me about?¡± I asked.


    Angela snapped out of her daydream. ¡°Yeah¡­ and I wanted to check out the stone too. See if it was glowing again. But it looks normal¡ªfor an abnormally blue meteorite.¡±


    I nodded looking at the stone in my hand. ¡°Yep.¡±


    An awkward silence followed. We could hear the TV from inside. The same news report about Ray kept playing over and over. She seemed mesmerized by it. ¡°Well,¡± she finally said. ¡°I¡¯d better get going. Sorry to bother you.¡± She turned to walk to her car, her shoulders slumped.


    My heart went out to her. ¡°Hey, Angela.¡± She turned around. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a lot on your mind. How would you like it if we went and got some ice cream, and you let it all out?¡±


    She smiled, maybe for the first time today. ¡°Thanks, Michael, but this is something I¡¯ve got to work out on my own.¡±


    I tried not to look hurt. ¡°Okay. Yeah. Well, let me know if you¡¯re ever feeling the craving for some rocky road or something.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Thanks.¡± She got in her car, waved goodbye, and drove away from my house.


    I stood there, feeling relieved she didn¡¯t find out my secret and feeling terrible for lying to her. It was such a mixture of emotions, mostly painful ones. She was on the right trail to finding out the truth. I couldn¡¯t let her find out. It would ruin my life if I ended up like Ray, with news vans waiting for me to get out of class. I needed to keep my superpowers a secret, and if concealing them wasn¡¯t enough, then I¡¯d need to hide my identity.


    I got out my phone and wrote a text to Zack. I¡¯ll take the helmet.

 Chapter 17

    </a>Chapter 17


    Ray


    I looked at my digital clock from across the room. One a.m.? I groaned and rolled over in my bed. My mind wouldn¡¯t turn off. Sleep seemed as distant as the basketball playoffs. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about everything that had happened today¡ªor yesterday, technically.


    Overnight, I¡¯d become one of the biggest news stories of all time. Millions¡ªprobably hundreds of millions¡ªof people knew who Ray Simmons was now. I¡¯d hoped for that in the past, but for a completely different reason. Now they all know me as the freak; the guy who either takes mega steroids or has superpowers.


    The press was driving me crazy. When I¡¯d seen the news vans and reporters that surrounded my house earlier, I¡¯d just parked my truck a block away, ran around to the back of my house, and went through my bedroom window. Those vans had left, but in their place were several cars occupied with people to scout me out, see if I did anything weird around my house. They were still out there, even at this hour. Made me feel like a prisoner in my own house.


    My mom had heard me when I came in. She came up to my room and had a lot of questions. I assured her the press was lying, that I was completely normal. She said she believed me, but she still looked a little unsure. My brother Sam had come over to the house and spoke to the press. Fortunately, he tried to convince them that there was no way I could be a superhuman. Unfortunately, to prove his point, he gave them way too many embarrassing, childhood examples of me being a wimp. Thanks, bro. My mom also talked to them briefly, telling them I was completely normal.


    I tried not to watch the news, but I couldn¡¯t help it, even though it gave me an instant dose of anxiety and depression. I nearly cried when I saw the clip with Doug and Coach Jones. Two people who I considered to be close friends just two days ago, were now traitors, backstabbers, and¡­ (I went on cussing in my head).


    I rolled over again. Go to sleep! I told myself. The biggest thing that weighed on my mind was¡­ what do I do now? The press would be watching my every move. I¡¯d have to talk to them eventually; come up with some story. What worried me most were the eye witnesses, especially Doug and Coach Jones. I could get the cops called on me for what I did to James or for what I did to Doug. The cops could be here to arrest me first thing tomorrow morning. I¡¯d have to create an awesome story to convince them I¡¯m normal and what happened to James and Doug were accidents. And I¡¯d have to avoid using my powers¡­ pretty much forever.


    I was about to roll over again but froze when I heard something. It was a soft creak that came from my bedroom window. I opened one eye, and gasped. My window was wide open!


    Panic swept over me. The silhouette of a man stepped quietly through the window. It was too dark to see his features, but I could tell he had a mask on and was holding something long in his hands. A knife! He walked softly toward my bed. He was going to kill me in my sleep!


    But I¡¯m not asleep. I thought. And I am a super human. My panic was immediately replaced with confidence. My red stone rested under my pillow, close enough for me to draw on its energy. I summoned my powers and exploded out of the bed in a burst of speed. The would-be murderer didn¡¯t even see me coming.


    He looked confused, at least I¡¯m sure he did under his ski mask, when, in less than a second, we were both suddenly outside in my back yard, with me lifting him off the ground by the neck. I brought him outside, so I wouldn¡¯t wake up Mom. It took the guy a second to realize he was choking; he grabbed at my hand, trying to pry my fingers from around his throat. My hand wasn¡¯t red hot like it was with Doug for reasons I couldn¡¯t explain.


    ¡°Who are you and why¡¯re you trying to kill me!¡± I said with bared teeth. He didn¡¯t answer. Probably because I was choking him. The question was meant to be rhetorical.


    I yanked off his mask and didn¡¯t recognize him at all. He looked to be in his late twenties. He had brown skin like me, but he looked like he was from the Middle East. He had a well-trimmed beard and had what would have been a handsome face, if it weren¡¯t for the burn scars on his left check and neck. A memory flashed. This guy looked a little like the robber I took out at the gas station, besides the scars. Maybe he was the robber¡¯s brother, come to get revenge. Bad idea for him.


    He gasped for air, but I didn¡¯t let him go. Or maybe this guy was working for a news station. He¡¯d acted like he would kill me just to see how I would react. I looked around the yard; this would be a perfect place for them to catch me on camera. I no longer cared to know who this guy was. I squeezed his neck a little tighter.


    Then, something completely unexpected happened that dismissed both of those theories. His eyes began to glow. Just like mine, but silver. My jaw dropped. He extended his arm and aimed his palm at my chest. Suddenly, I was thrust off my feet by something invisible, losing my grip from around the guy¡¯s neck, and then I crashed through the brick wall that separated my yard from the neighbor¡¯s.


    It hurt¡­ a lot. Going through brick walls usually kills people, ya know? My breath was knocked out and my head throbbed. I lay there in my neighbor¡¯s grass yard for a moment, trying to catch my breath, and trying to comprehend what¡¯d just happened. He has powers like me! I thought.  And he¡¯s trying to kill me!The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I hurried to my feet, ready to run or fight, but the guy was still in my backyard on the ground, wheezing. I approached him cautiously. His eyes weren¡¯t glowing anymore. He held his throat and coughed, looking up at me. ¡°So, it¡¯s true,¡± he said with a half cough and half chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re a Starling.¡±


    I still kept my distance from him. ¡°A what?¡±


    He wheezed for more air before answering. ¡°You touched a Star Stone, didn¡¯t you? A glowing meteorite?¡± He had a slight accent, but I couldn¡¯t place it.


    I approached him carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you¡ªcan¡¯t hurt you. I, unfortunately, don¡¯t have my stone with me. You know what it¡¯s like to use your powers without your stone nearby, right?¡±


    I nodded. I¡¯d used my powers far from my stone a couple days after finding it. It¡¯d felt like the life was getting sucked right out of me within seconds. Sorta like the Princess Bride when that guy gets hooked up to that machine that literally sucks the life out of him (don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯ve seen that video). That explained why this guy was on the ground still after using his powers. ¡°Who are you and why were you trying to kill me?¡± I asked again, this time it wasn¡¯t rhetorical.


    ¡°My name is Mark. And I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you. I just wanted to know for sure whether you were a Starling.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just asked.¡±


    ¡°You would¡¯ve lied. Just like you¡¯ve been lying to the press this whole time.¡±


    He had a point. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were others like me. Other¡ªwhat did you say? Starlings?¡±


    ¡°Starlings, angels, gods, demons, vampires, werewolves, monsters¡­ we¡¯ve gone by many names over the centuries. And yes, Ray Simmons, there are more of us. At least there will be, ever since the Condescension last week. You were the first one that got caught on the news, and I had to see you. See if it was true. I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for centuries!¡±


    This guy had to be insane. ¡°Dude, you just said centuries. Work on your English. You meant years.¡±


    Mark laughed, his breathing clearing up. ¡°I guess that was too much too fast.¡± He slowly sat up. ¡°My English is fine, believe me. Shakespeare would be proud. Ray, when you touched that stone, you got much more than comic book superpowers. You tapped into the power of the gods. All the mythological gods you know of: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Christian, Norse, et cetera. They were all real. Hercules, Thor, Ra, Sampson. They were all immortal Starlings.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. Besides the scars on his left cheek, his face looked young. He was shorter than me and his upper-body wasn¡¯t huge by any means, but his muscles were well-defined and chiseled like an ancient statue. He didn¡¯t look a day older than twenty-five. ¡°Immortal?¡± I asked skeptically. ¡°Are you saying that you¡­ and I¡­ can¡¯t die?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ well, technically you can still be killed. Sort of like the vampires in Twilight, or the elves in Lord of the Rings. If someone cuts off your head, then yes, you will die. But, if you remain unharmed, then you will live forever.¡±


    I remained silent, trying to soak it all in. Me? An immortal god? The idea was nuts. Completely impossible. But then again¡­ just a week ago superpowers were impossible too.


    ¡°So, Ray. Which constellation is yours?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ my constellation?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You haven¡¯t even noticed that yet?¡± He scoffed, sounding offended. ¡°No one pays attention to the stars these days. Blinded by your modern lightbulbs, you are. I¡¯d wager you don¡¯t even know the phases of the moon.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows and shook my head.


    Mark clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s a real shame. Only a few hundred years ago, that was common knowledge to even the poorest street rat.¡± He slowly pushed himself to his feet, looking mostly recovered from using his powers without his stone, and looked up. ¡°Look at the sky, Ray, and try to find the brightest group of stars you see. It should be an easy find, even this deep in the city.¡±


    I followed his gaze toward the night sky. I¡¯d never taken the time to really look at the stars. I¡¯m not a star hater or anything, it just never crossed my mind. It didn¡¯t take me long to see what Mark was talking about. One cluster of stars shone far brighter than all the rest. ¡°There,¡± I said, pointing almost directly above my head.


    Mark looked at where I was pointing and slowly lowered his head. ¡°Ah,¡± he said as he pensively scratched his goatee. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°Do you know what constellation that is?¡±


    ¡°No clue. Just looks like a curvy line.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Draco¡­ it means dragon in Latin. You are the Dragon God, one of the most powerful Starlings ever to walk the earth.¡±


    I gazed up at the constellation. ¡°Draco, huh?¡± It really did look like a curvy line of stars, but I guess¡ªwhen I tilted my head¡ªI could see how it could look like a dragon arching its back with the box of five stars on one end representing its head. I looked back at Mark. ¡°So, next thing you know, I¡¯ll be flying and breathing fire, right?¡± I laughed, meaning it to be a joke.


    ¡°Eventually.¡± Mark looked completely serious. I stopped laughing. He glanced behind me at my neighbor¡¯s house, whose porchlight had just turned on. ¡°I need to go, but first I would like to make you an offer. I could train you, Ray¡ªteach you how to truly tap into your powers. You¡¯ve barely scratched the surface. I¡¯ll teach you how to fly and how to use your fire powers, and in return, you will help me to find my Star Stone.¡±


    ¡°You lost your stone? How?¡±


    ¡°Irrelevant. Accept my offer and I will see you again soon. What do you say?¡±


    I thought about it for a short moment. It seemed simple enough. ¡°Sure. Whatev¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he replied with a smile. He started walking around my house toward the street. ¡°Sorry, again, for barging into your house. It¡¯s the only way I thought I could reach you.¡±


    ¡°No prob. Just, next time¡­ knock on the door, or call or something. Okay?¡±


    He nodded, and we quickly exchanged phone numbers. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you soon,¡± he said. ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Draco.¡± He walked around my house and disappeared into the shadows of the night.


    ¡°Draco,¡± I said under my breath. I looked up at the constellation again. He said the constellation was made for me? Haven¡¯t the constellations been there for millions of years? Constellations can¡¯t be made; they¡¯re just imaginary dot-to-dot shapes in the sky that ancient people came up with, right? I didn¡¯t know for sure.


    I yawned and remembered how tired I was. It was a little after 1:30 a.m. I was about to walk back into my house, when my neighbor¡¯s back door opened behind me¡ªthe neighbor whose brick fence between their yard and ours now lay in shambles with most of the debris spread across their yard.


    My neighbor, Mr. Mortenson, an elderly guy, wearing nothing but shorts and an exhausted expression, noticed the obvious hole in his wall and looked straight at me, looking so furious I thought his head would explode.


    I drooped my head and sagged my shoulders. ¡°Here we go again.¡±

 Chapter 18

    </a>Chapter 18


    Michael


    "Isn¡¯t it crazy to think that you could have made it to school by now if you had run?¡±


    I glanced at Sarah who was sitting in the passenger seat of the car. We had been driving to school in silence until now. She wore comfy sport pants, her soccer team¡¯s tee shirt, and her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. A deep part of her always screamed tomboy, but her makeup, pretty face, and slender body said otherwise. It was strange to witness my little sister slowly turn into a young woman, and funny to watch her try and fight it.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s crazy,¡± I answered her. ¡°My whole life is crazy now.¡±


    She slowly nodded her head. ¡°Yup. You¡¯re absolutely nuts, Michael.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Bonkers? Mad? Daft? Mental? Loco? Off your rocker? A few screws loose upstairs? A few cards shy of a full deck? I¡¯m running out of synonyms here!¡±


    I just chuckled. ¡°You missed loopy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Loopy!¡±


    I turned into the high school parking lot, the morning sun giving it a soft glow. ¡°Sometimes I wish I were just crazy¡­ that this is just one bad dream that I still need to wake up from.¡±


    Sarah pinched my arm and I flinched. ¡°Yep,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry to break it to you, but you¡¯re not dreaming.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said. ¡°Warn me next time so I can turn on my superpowers beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Has the last week really been that bad?¡± she asked as I parked the car. We slid on our backpacks and got out of the car. ¡°I know it¡¯s been crazy, but¡ªI mean, you¡¯ve got superpowers! You lifted a car above your head!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t lie, it¡¯s pretty awesome. But at the same time, I¡¯m just so worried about being recognized as a freak, and then never getting to live a normal life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re far too paranoid, Michael.¡±


    ¡°Totally! I am paranoid! You saw what happened to Ray, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    We both hushed just as none other than good ol¡¯ Ray Simmons walked by us. The x-quarterback didn¡¯t have his normal group of friends with him; he walked alone. Everyone stared at him as he passed, whispering accusations and suspicions with each other. He kept his head down as he walked, but then glanced at me. He gave me a scowl and then looked away.


    ¡°I did see what happened to Ray,¡± Sarah whispered. ¡°I saw him being careless. You just need to be more careful.¡±


    I looked back at her. ¡°Hence the paranoia.¡±


    ¡°This should make things easier,¡± said a voice behind me. Sarah and I turned to see Zack approaching as we walked through the school plaza, a black motorcycle helmet in his hand ¡°It was my dad¡¯s,¡± Zack continued. ¡°He gave me this one after he got a new one.¡±


    He handed it to me and I inspected it. It had several scratches on it, but it seemed to be in good condition. The visor was tinted which was perfect for identity concealment. ¡°Thanks Zack. This will definitely help, though I hope I won¡¯t need to use it often or at all.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Zack furrowed his eyebrows and folded his arms. I think he was trying to stand tall and look intimidating, but it just didn¡¯t work with his short frame and skinny limbs.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said. ¡°I was planning on using my powers in public only if there is a catastrophe of some kind. You know, like a terrorist shooting, a huge car accident, or a natural disaster¡ªlike a tsunami or something.¡±


    ¡°A tsunami?¡± Sarah scoffed. ¡°Michael, we live in Arizona! No beaches nearby!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. But, tsunamis are just¡­ scary. Have you seen the videos of them? Freaky.¡±


    Zack shook his head and ran a freckled hand through his curly red hair. ¡°Michael.¡± He stopped walking. ¡°You are suffering from the Superman Syndrome.¡±


    Sarah and I also stopped on the corner of the school plaza, out of earshot from passersby. ¡°The what?¡± I asked.


    He hushed, waiting for a few girls to walk by, and then he continued. ¡°The Superman Syndrome is where you simply wait for bad things to happen instead of preventing bad things from ever happening. That¡¯s what Superman did; he didn¡¯t put on his cape until there was ¡®some catastrophe¡¯¡ªas you put it. In real life, a lot of people would hate Superman because he showed up only after the initial destruction was already over. Yes, he would save ten thousand people inside the crumbling skyscraper, but he wouldn¡¯t be there to save the first one thousand people when the bomb initially went off.


    ¡°And Superman is fake. You¡¯re real. Don¡¯t wait for catastrophes to happen. You should be more proactive. Stop the bad guys before they get the chance to blow up a building, instead of just catching the building after it falls.¡±


    Sarah put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s kinda like what dad said after you got in a fight with Ray. ¡®Start the fight and finish the fight. This world needs more people who fight for what¡¯s right before the wrong thing happens.¡¯¡±


    I was surprised she remembered and heard that, she was just arriving at the table when Dad had said that. I nodded slowly, taking it all in. They made a good point. The whole superhero idea sounded like fun, but a big part of me was just¡­ scared. I¡¯ll admit it. I was scared: scared of jumping into danger, scared of someone identifying me as a superhuman, and scared of being responsible for other people¡¯s lives. It all seemed so overwhelming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I like the idea of being proactive, but I still don¡¯t want to be a vigilante: be the judge, jury, and executioner all in one. Who am I to decide whether someone is a bad guy or not?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would bring that up again,¡± Zack said as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a paper with a picture on it. ¡°Have you seen this picture around town?¡±


    I had. It was a picture of a missing person: a dark-haired girl named Mary Sanchez, 16 years old, big brown eyes, five foot seven inches, went missing a few days ago. I didn¡¯t know her, but she probably went to Sahuaro High School. I thought I remembered her from my math class. There was a $5000 reward.


    ¡°Would it be against the law if you used your superpowers to find her?¡±


    I thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But finding her is the trick. Even with superpowers, I don¡¯t know if I could.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need superpowers,¡± Zack responded as he pulled out his phone, showing us a blog article. ¡°You just need determination¡­ and a search engine. It¡¯s about a gang right here in Tucson called the Scorpions. The author of this blog claimed to see a black-haired, teenage girl with the Scorpions. And this was posted just yesterday.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that if I can find the Scorpions, I¡¯ll find this missing girl?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And I already know where you can find them. I was told by a reliable source that they hang out at the Trotting Park.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that the abandoned horse racing track near I-10?¡± Sarah chimed in. ¡°Mom pointed it out to me once when we drove by it. It¡¯s pretty big.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Zack confirmed. ¡°Michael, you should go check it out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Tonight?¡± I started to feel nervous. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°That girl is missing!¡± Sarah said. ¡°If the Scorpions have her, then who knows what horrible things they¡¯ve done to her! She needs someone like you to find her and save her!¡±


    I stewed over it for a while. Sarah and Zack watched me with anticipation. I couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed with how much work Zack had put into convincing me to be a superhero. Maybe they were right. Maybe I could have it all: be a superhero, maintain the law, keep my identity a secret, and still become a doctor one day. I glanced at Mary Sanchez¡¯s picture again. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I said. ¡°You win. I¡¯ll go check it out tonight.¡±


    Zack did a fist pump. ¡°Yes! Finally!¡± Sarah was beaming.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Zack said, getting down to business. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at my house tonight at seven.¡±

 Chapter 19

    </a>Chapter 19


    Ray


    The crowd roared to life all around me. Everyone stood on their feet, shouting at the top of their lungs. My mom stood to the left of me, Britney to my right, and Sam right behind me. ¡°Touchdown!¡± shouted the announcer. Doug Cooper just caught a touchdown pass to put our team in the lead. Everyone was elated, cheering for our team¡­ except for me.


    I remained sitting on the bleachers with a hoodie over my head¡ªeven though it was a warm Arizona evening¡ªhoping nobody would recognize me. Sam convinced me to come to the football game, so I could keep my mind fresh for next football season, but I wish I would¡¯ve been more stubborn and refused to come. It was gut wrenching to watch my team play from the stands. I thought it would hurt to watch them lose without me, but it was even worse to see them winning without me. It was like¡­ they didn¡¯t really need me after all. Ryan Creighton, the backup quarter back, was doing a decent job. He¡¯d tossed some crappy throws at first, but then he just threw three touchdowns in a row. Score was now 21-14 us.


    My phone buzzed while the crowd sat down. Sam slapped me on the back before I could look at it. ¡°Were you watching that Ray? That was an awesome play! Go Cougars!¡±


    I scowled at him, but he wasn¡¯t looking. My mom¡ªever the observant one¡ªwrapped an arm around my back. ¡°Sorry you can¡¯t be out on the field son. You still have your senior year ahead of you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get your chance to be under the Friday night lights again.¡±


    As comforting as her words were meant to be, they only depressed me more. I knew there was a very small chance that I could play football again. Not now that I¡¯m a¡­


    I glanced over at Britney. She was more focused on her phone than on the football game. She hadn¡¯t even looked at me ever since the whole gas station fiasco.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I looked at my phone and saw that I got a text from Mark. Training begins tonight. Meet me at the pinned location in 10 minutes. I know you¡¯ve got nothing better to do.


    ¡°Mr. Simmons! Mr. Simmons!¡± I looked up as soon as I finished reading the text. The voice came from a guy I didn¡¯t recognize. He had a clean-shaven face, wore glasses, and had a perfect comb over. He had pushed his way to the bleacher in front of me and held his phone up to my face to record audio. ¡°Hi Ray, you¡¯re a tough guy to find. I¡¯m Steve Henderson, journalist from Channel 9 News. Can you tell me what happened last night with your neighbor¡¯s fence?¡±


    At first, I was taken by surprise and was about to answer, but then I thought the wiser and just glared at the guy. I knew better than to say anything anymore. They had already twisted so many things on the news. Well¡­ some things they actually got right, but I didn¡¯t want them to know that.


    Steve pressed further. ¡°Your neighbor, Mr. Mortenson, claims that you knocked it over with your superpowers. Is that true?¡±


    Britney looked up from her phone and at me with narrowed eyes.


    My mom leaned in to make sure her voice was getting recorded. ¡°Sorry, mister, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. My son was sleeping when this happened. We all were. We woke up to see the wreckage in the morning and have absolutely no idea how it happened. My guess is that Mr. Mortenson did it himself just so he could frame Ray.¡±


    Several people in the crowd turned their attention to us. Some were curious, most were annoyed. ¡°But, Mr. Mortenson is an old man,¡± Steve stated. ¡°And there was no evidence of explosives. How could an old man do something like that with his bare hands?¡±


    My mom was about to answer, but Steve turned back to me. ¡°Mr. Mortenson says that he will press charges against you, Ray. The Tucson Sheriff¡¯s Office is considering your arrest at this very moment. What do you think about that?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. A few tense seconds of silence passed by. He kept his posture, with his phone directed at my face. I kept glaring at him. He smiled back. This was going nowhere. I¡¯m so sick of this.


    His smile disappeared when he saw my eyes glow. I reached my fingers around his phone and squeezed. It crumpled between my fingers as easily as an empty soda can. Steve, my mom, Britney, Sam, and all the other onlookers were speechless.


    I stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m outta here.¡± I walked casually down the stands. Nobody tried to stop me.

 Chapter 20

    </a>Chapter 20


    Michael


    "Not much farther,¡± Zack¡¯s voice said through my headphones. ¡°Look for the big abandoned horse racing track off the side of the road.¡±


    ¡°All its lights are off, so it might be hard to find,¡± Sarah¡¯s voice added.


    ¡°Fortunately,¡± I said. ¡°I can see in the dark now.¡± Even though I had Zack¡¯s motorcycle helmet on with the tinted visor down, the world still seemed just as bright to me as a cloudy day. I glanced down at the GPS on my phone, following its directions while I ran through the city. I tried to take a roundabout way in order to avoid busy roads. It was shocking to see how fast I was moving on the GPS. I had to zoom way out on the map, so I could keep track of my position.


    Zack had envisioned this as some kind of undercover rescue mission and wanted it to be done with invisible earpieces, high tech computers that could hack into anything, and dart guns. Unfortunately for him, the best we could do with our limited resources was communicate through cell phones. He and Sarah listened in on the other line with Zack¡¯s phone on speakerphone, while I wore my headphones¡ªwith microphone¡ªunder my helmet.


    ¡°I think I found it,¡± I said. A tall, futuristic building loomed before me. It looked too big to be a racetrack, but I could tell by how it slanted on one side that it was built to support large crowds. No glass remained on the building, just dark, gaping holes that used to be windows. From the outside, it definitely looked abandoned, like its only inhabitants were ghosts. ¡°This place gives me the creeps,¡± I muttered. ¡°You¡¯re sure the Scorpions live here?¡±


    ¡°Hang out there,¡± Zack corrected. ¡°Nobody¡¯s dumb enough to live there.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure the gang is there, Zack?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Who is your reliable source you mentioned earlier?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uh¡­ one of my cousins¡±


    ¡°We are your cousins.¡±


    ¡°A cousin from my dad¡¯s side, the Larson side, not the Stone side. He used to be in the Scorpion gang and he told me all about it. Gave me nightmares.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s comforting,¡± I said. ¡°Remind me, why are we on the phone again? If you wanted to communicate just so you could give me emotional support, then you¡¯re failing miserably.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find your way around the building,¡± Zack answered.


    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have any schematics of the building.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been there before,¡± Zack said.


    The line was silent for a while.


    ¡°My cousin showed me their hideout once, okay? It was freaky.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I murmured. ¡°Alright, tell me where to go.¡±


    ¡°Jump the fence and go through the side door on the left. If you hear a generator running, then you know they¡¯re there.¡±


    I did as he said. Jumping the fence was easy with superpowers. I noticed the door was unlocked. I opened it and stuck my head inside. I couldn¡¯t see any lights. There was a faint mechanic rumbling coming from deeper in the building. ¡°I think I hear the generator.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Good,¡± Zack said. ¡°The rest of the way is dark; you might need to use your phone¡¯s flashlight.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I can see just fine.¡± I entered the building and started walking toward the sound of the generator. It was noticeably darker in the building than outside. But, there were enough holes and glassless windows in the building to allow the moonlight to enter. Just enough light for my extra-sensitive eyes to pick up.


    ¡°Better to go without a flashlight,¡± Zack said. ¡°They won¡¯t see you coming. Make sure you keep to the left.¡±


    I followed Zack¡¯s instructions as he led me closer to the sound of the generator. I went around a few dark corridors, the walls made of cold concrete, and then I entered a big open area.  The ground was simply dirt; the ceiling was built at a slant. I was underneath the stadium, near the spot where the stands met ground level. It was darker here, but a few beams of moonlight gave me enough light to see. Junk, trash, and scrap metal littered the ground. Graffiti was on every wall. I could see a bright light on the far side of the open area.


    ¡°I think I found them,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a light in the distance.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Be stealthy,¡± Zack instructed. ¡°They¡¯ve got guns.¡±


    ¡°Guns?¡± Sarah stammered. ¡°Can Michael handle guns?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zack and I said simultaneously.


    I surged my power, feeling its tingling strength flow through my body. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± I said, trying to sound confident as I moved quietly toward the light on the other side of the stadium.


    Graffiti decorated almost every wall. The most frequent symbol was a capital S with a stinger coming out of the top arch, and claws protruding out of the bottom. A scorpion in the shape of an S. The symbol of the Scorpion gang. Something seemed familiar about it. Where had I seen it before? It gave me chills. Wasn¡¯t it a scorpion that had killed Orion?


    I could hear laughter up ahead. It was hard to hear over the sound of the generator. I crept closer and peered around a concrete wall.


    Four men were sitting on a sofa playing a first-person shooter videogame, their backs to me. All the electronics were powered by the generator: the TV and videogame console, a few camping lights attached to the slanted ceiling, a mini fridge, a microwave, and even a lava lamp. Their hideout was surprisingly homey, if you ignored the dirt floor, the cold concrete, and the dark spooky surroundings. They had several torn couches, a couple beds, and two tables. Pizza boxes, water bottles, and beer cans littered the floor.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I whispered into the microphone in my helmet. ¡°You¡¯re sure they don¡¯t live here?¡±


    ¡°You found the hideout?¡± Zack asked.


    ¡°Yep. And four Scorpions playing videogames.¡±


    ¡°Do you see the missing girl?¡±


    I scanned the makeshift living space. A human-sized lump was under the covers on one of the beds, a hand reaching out from under the covers with something metal attached to it. ¡°I think she¡¯s handcuffed to one of the beds.¡±


    I quietly rushed over to the bed, trying not to alert the gangsters.


    ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Sarah pled.


    I approached the dusty bed where the handcuff was attached to the headboard. The person under the covers was sound asleep. The hand within the handcuffs looked feminine. This had to be her. ¡°I¡¯m going to break the handcuff,¡± I whispered.


    I glanced at the Scorpions. They were entranced in their game, smack talking and threatening to kill each other. I grabbed the chain, surged my powers, and pulled. The chain broke apart as easily as yarn. The girl stirred; the movement had awoken her. She pulled off her blanket and looked up at me groggily. It was her! Mary Sanchez! Her hair was a mess and she had a few scratches on her face, but I recognized her from her picture. I smiled reassuringly and was about to say, ¡°I¡¯m here to rescue you.¡± But before I could, she jumped away from me and screamed bloody murder.


    ¡°Oh crap¡­.¡± I ducked behind the headboard, out of view from the Scorpions, my heart thumping.


    ¡°What?¡± Zack prodded. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t talk.¡± What was I thinking? I still had my motorcycle helmet on. She probably thought I was one of them.


    I heard one of the Scorpions swear as he approached the bed. ¡°Shut up!¡± he shouted.


    Mary stopped screaming but was still frantic. ¡°He¡ªhe¡¯s over there,¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°Who?¡± The Scorpion sounded annoyed, his footsteps rounding the bed, getting closer to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°He¡­¡±


    His footsteps were right around the corner. I knew they were going to find me. There was no getting out of this without a fight. So, I held my breath and stood up, my hands raised. Mary gasped. The Scorpion, a skinny guy with a mustache, swore in alarm, raised his gun¡ªa shotgun¡ªand pulled the trigger.

 Chapter 21

    </a>Chapter 21


    Ray


    Mark was waiting for me in an empty field on the outskirts of the city. I ran through the field, kicking up a cloud of sand, a blur through the night, and skid to a stop in front of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he said. I could pick up his accent, but still couldn¡¯t place it. The moonlight reflected off his dark hair and leather jacket. His expression was serious, but I could see an excited energy behind his eyes.


    I waited for the dust to settle. ¡°I got attacked by a news guy, okay. I had to crush his phone.¡±


    Mark tilted his head to the side for a moment, and then broke into laughter.


    ¡°You can laugh¡­¡± I retorted. ¡°I basically revealed my powers to everyone there. The news guy, my brother, my mom, my girlfriend¡­. They¡¯re going to think the same thing as everyone else: that I¡¯m a freak.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes they are. And what are you going to do about it?¡±


    I lowered my gaze to the dry ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± What I did know was that I was sick of all the press. Sick of all the publicity. Sick of making up stupid stories. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I can take it.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±


    I looked back at him. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it.¡± Mark put his hands in his jacket pockets and began pacing. ¡°Why should you? You are a Starling after all.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? That I should come out with the truth to the press?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why not?¡±


    I sputtered. ¡°Hmm, well let me think. Oh yeah. They¡¯ll come after me with pitch forks and torches. They¡¯ll try to suck my blood dry and use it as a cure for cancer. They¡¯ll publish my private life for all to see. My life would never be normal again.¡±


    ¡°Ray, your life is not normal.¡± He said it slowly and paused for a moment to let that sink in. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt you, Ray, unless you let them. They can¡¯t turn you into a lab rat. They can¡¯t kill you! You¡¯re a Starling! You¡¯re not human. You should be a god to them!¡±


    I was silent. For a moment all we could hear were the crickets chirping in the bushes nearby.


    ¡°All I¡¯m suggesting is this¡­¡± He stopped pacing. ¡°Stop trying to live a double life. Embrace who you are. You are the Dragon God.¡±


    I stared at the ground, trying to soak it all in. Then, I stared him in the eyes. ¡°Why should I believe you? You could just be full of it.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He snorted. ¡°You saw me use my powers last night, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you have powers. But, that doesn¡¯t mean that everything you¡¯ve said about Draco, the Dragon God, Starlings, and immortal gods is true.¡± I tried to mimic his strange accent while I spoke. It was some mixture between British and Italian. ¡°Just because you have powers like me doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re instant friends. First time I saw you, you were coming at me with a knife.¡±


    For a moment, Mark looked furious, impatient. But, then he cooled down, taking a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. I do need to earn your trust still. Let me do so by teaching you how to fully access your powers. You will eventually see that you truly are Draco.¡±


    I folded my arms. This guy was a headache. ¡°Alright, teach me.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said with a nod. He started pacing again. ¡°First, a lesson. Your Star Stone is your source of power. As you know, it can only power your special abilities if it is within range, about a kilometer or so. If you try to use your powers out of range of your stone, then your body will take over as the power source¡ªwhich can only last for a few seconds before completely shutting down. This usually isn¡¯t deadly, but it could put you into a coma if pushed too far.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Good to know.¡±


    ¡°Keeping your stone on your person is obviously the wisest thing to do. However, you must protect it. True, Star Stones are difficult to destroy, but if damaged, your powers could be hindered or lost entirely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just kept my stone in my pocket.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but dangerous.¡± Mark kept pacing. A cool breeze tasseled his black hair. ¡°Imagine what would happen if your stone fell out of your pocket while flying. You¡¯d pass out and fall to your death. You need to find a way to secure your stone to you.¡±


    ¡°Duct tape?¡±  I said.


    He raised a lazy eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I could put it in a leather pouch and connect it to my belt.¡±


    ¡°Better, but too obvious. Another Starling could snatch it off of your belt, make you powerless. The easiest way to defeat another Starling is to remove his or her Star Stone.¡±


    ¡°Why would Starlings be fighting anyway?¡±


    Mark chuckled under his breath and gazed up at the stars for a quiet moment. ¡°Second lesson,¡± he said. ¡°Every Starling has three degrees of power. The first is the weakest, the second is stronger, and the third is the strongest. The First Degree is the same for each Starling: increased strength and speed, enhanced vision¡ªespecially in the dark¡ªand the ability to fly.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I stammered. ¡°I can¡¯t fly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°You just haven¡¯t tried hard enough.¡±


    I scoffed at him. ¡°Whatever. Can you fly?¡±


    ¡°Why yes. As a matter of fact, I can. Or, I could.¡±


    ¡°Well, show me.¡±


    Mark rolled his eyes. ¡°I lost my Star Stone, remember? I¡¯d only get 10 feet in the air before passing out.¡±


    ¡°How did you lose your stone?¡±


    ¡°Do you always ask this many questions?¡±


    ¡°Did someone take it from you?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s focus on you mastering the First Degree. After your training, you will help me find my stone.¡±


    I had forgotten about that part of the deal. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. I wondered how long he¡¯d been looking for it. ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about fire in the First Degree.¡±


    He raised one eyebrow. ¡°Have you already produced fire?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Only on accident. I set a tree on fire once. And I sorta burnt my x-best friend¡¯s neck with my hand.¡±


    Mark¡¯s mood seemed to lighten. ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises, aren¡¯t you, Ray? You have tapped into the Second Degree. That¡¯s rarely accomplished on one¡¯s own, especially by a Starling as young as you.¡±


    It was weird for him to talk as if there were other super humans like us. There weren¡¯t. Maybe he was from a different planet. ¡°So, how do I control it?¡±


    ¡°Patience. I¡¯ll teach you how to truly enter the Second Degree only after you¡¯ve mastered the first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s there left to master in the first?¡±


    He maintained his smirk. ¡°How to fly.¡±

 Chapter 22

    </a>Chapter 22


    Michael


    The shot rang out, a deep bang, echoing off the concrete walls. The world slowed down. My powers surged. I could see the bullet! A slug that spread into a dozen tiny metal pellets moving toward me in the air. They were moving fast, too fast for me to dodge at this close of range. I tried to move but got hit by nearly every pellet right in the chest.


    I hit the ground hard, looking up at the concrete ceiling through the helmet¡¯s visor, hyperventilating. My mind was racing, deep in panic. I just got shot! I thought. He shot me! What was I thinking, coming here? I could feel pain in the chest area, right where the slug hit me. Right near my heart. I¡¯m dying¡­.


    I could hear Mary screaming again. More footsteps rushed over to me.


    ¡°Michael!¡± It was Sarah¡¯s voice through my headphones. ¡°Michael, that sounded like a gunshot! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡± one of the Scorpions said. ¡°Is he one of ours?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man!¡± said the gangster who shot me. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell with his helmet on. He just jumped out from behind the bed and¡­¡±


    I lifted my head off the ground. If this is what it feels like to die¡­ it¡¯s not all that bad. I inspected my chest with my hand. It stung, but the pain was bearable. I could feel dozens of pellets roll off my skin as I sat up. They had imprinted in my skin without penetrating. I gave a huge sigh of relief. I¡¯m alive!


    I picked myself off the ground and stood on my feet, reigniting my powers. The tingling sensation was especially strong in my chest, right where I got shot. The Scorpions gazed at me, all of their jaws dropped. Mary¡¯s too. The guy with the shotgun finally came to his senses and aimed the shotgun at me again. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his shaky finger on the trigger.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± I caught myself. I¡¯d almost told them my name. I quickly thought of the first superhero name that came to mind. ¡°I¡¯m Orion.¡±


    All the gangsters leaned forward. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Orion!¡± I repeated, louder this time.


    They looked at each other in confusion, as if they couldn¡¯t hear me. Mary was leaning forward too, eyebrows furrowed, concentrating to hear me. Communicating through a motorcycle helmet was a pain. The guy with the shotgun leaned in farther. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I said! I AM ORI... oh forget it.¡± I surged my powers, feeling invincible. I ran toward the four Scorpions faster than their eyes could compute. I had to be careful; I didn¡¯t want to kill anyone. Maybe I can intimidate them into leaving, I thought. I grabbed the mustachioed guy¡¯s shotgun and effortlessly yanked it out of his hands, and then returned to my spot.


    It took them all a few seconds to realize what¡¯d happened. Suddenly the Scorpion¡¯s gun was in my hands. Their eyes widened in alarm.


    ¡°Run!¡± I said, trying to sound threatening.


    Either they couldn¡¯t hear me, or they weren¡¯t intimidated enough because the other three Scorpions aimed pistols at me. Note to self, I thought. Next time you try to steal guns from gangsters, make sure you steal all of them.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The three gangsters fired their guns repeatedly. This time I was ready. I spotted the bullets flying swiftly toward me. Each bullet flew just about as fast as¡­ as a soccer ball shot. My goalie muscle memory kicked into gear. As each bullet approached, I swatted it hard, deflecting it toward the concrete walls. I was a blur of motion, blocking every bullet that came near me. My hands stung, but no worse than they would from blocking a soccer ball. The sound of gunshots and deflected bullets was deafening.


    They finally stopped firing their rounds, their guns empty. They stared at me in disbelief, unsure of what to do. I sped toward them, suddenly appearing only a foot in front of them. They flinched in fear. ¡°Run!¡± I said again.


    This time I think they heard me because they turned tail and ran out of the Scorpion hideout, screaming and swearing as they left. I couldn¡¯t help but smile in amusement¡ªand in gratitude for surviving the encounter.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Mary asked, her voice trembling. I turned toward her. She looked mystified by what I¡¯d done but kept her distance. She still sat on the bed even though she was no longer handcuffed to it. I could see insecurity and anxiety in her eyes. She looked horrible. Well, don¡¯t get me wrong, she was a pretty girl, but it looked like she hadn¡¯t had a shower or a decent meal for a while. I shivered at the thought of what the Scorpions did to her over the past few days.


    ¡°I¡¯m Orion,¡± I said loud enough for her to hear. I took a small step toward her.


    She reeled away from me, getting off the bed. ¡°Stay away from me!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t harm you,¡± I said, my arms raised. She looked unconvinced. I pulled up my visor, revealing my non-glowing eyes only. ¡°I¡¯m here to rescue you. Take you back to your family.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at my eyes, still unsure.


    ¡°You¡¯re Mary Sanchez, right?¡±


    She remained silent, but I could tell she recognized her own name. I pulled out her picture from my pocket and showed it to her. ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for a few days,¡± I stated. ¡°Your family has been looking for you. They made these missing-person papers.¡± I inched closer to her as I spoke. She didn¡¯t back away from me this time, looking between my eyes and her picture. I handed her the paper. She gazed at it for a while.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± she asked, looking up at me. ¡°Stop the bullets?¡±


    ¡°Well, I uh¡­ I¡¯m a superhuman.¡± It sounded weird, saying something like that without any sarcasm, but it was the easiest explanation. She looked like she believed me. ¡°Come with me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to your family.¡±


    She looked me in the eyes a little longer and then agreed with a nod. I instructed her to hold on tight while I carried her in my arms. I lowered my visor. With a surge of power, I bolted out of the Trotting Park and sped toward the city. She yelped in surprise by how fast we were moving but held firm.


    I could get used to this, I thought. This is textbook heroism, right here. I saved the damsel in distress and I¡¯m returning her in my arms to safety. Classic!


    ¡°I got the girl!¡± I said.


    ¡°Awesome, Michael!¡± Sarah said, sounding relieved.


    ¡°Mission accomplished,¡± Zack added. ¡°Now bring her here to my house, so we can return her to her family.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just going to take her to the Tucson Police Department,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯ll contact her family and take care of her from there.¡±


    ¡°But, I thought it would be better for us to bring her in together. As a team, you know.¡±


    ¡°And reveal to her the bat cave?¡± Sarah said. ¡°Michael can only do what he does if his identity remains a secret.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Zack went silent, unable to finish his thoughts. I could sense anger in his tone. ¡°What about the $5000 reward?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the reward,¡± I said. ¡°Especially if it would mean risking my identity.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? C¡¯mon, Michael! Stop being such a wimp! You¡¯ve got a helmet to hide your identity!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost to the police department. I¡¯m just going to drop her off there.¡±


    I could hear Zack grumbling over the line.


    I ran around pedestrians and cars, nothing more than a streak of color and a gust of wind. Mary bravely looked around as I ran, trying to take in her surroundings. It had to be disorienting for her.


    A moment later, we stopped at the corner of the police department building. I lowered Mary to the ground and she took a few seconds to walk off the dizziness. She looked at the police department, at her missing-person paper in her hand, and then back at me.


    I pulled up my visor. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. Go find your family.¡±


    She nodded, but remained in place, tilting her head. My eyes must still be glowing. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said sincerely. She didn¡¯t smile when she said it. Her face was emotionless. I could only imagine what being kidnapped for a few days by gangsters and being rescued by a super human can do to the psyche of a teenage girl.


    ¡°Happy to help.¡± I lowered my visor and burst into a sprint, leaving her in a gust of wind.

 Chapter 23

    </a>Chapter 23


    Ray


    The night¡¯s warm breeze threatened to topple me off the cell phone tower. I crouched atop it, looking down at the distant ground below. There was barely enough room for me to fit both feet on the tower¡¯s tip.


    I took a deep breath, not to calm my nerves, but to take in the moment. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever had more fun in my life.  I stood up, raising my arms to balance. And then I jumped.


    The wind blew in my ears as I swiftly approached the deadly ground. I let out a whoop as if I were riding a rollercoaster. A split second before I pancaked myself to the desert floor, I stoked my powers, a flame of power erupting in my gut, and I halted midair, only inches off of the ground.


    I levitated there for a moment, laughing with pure glee. I placed two hands on the ground, and pressed against it, shooting myself high into the air, doing multiple backflips as I went. Nothing beats flying, I thought. Period. There is nothing more thrilling, more exhilarating, or more liberating than flying. I am never driving again!


    I sped through the air, redirecting my powers as Mark had instructed, performing flips, twirls, and swoops. I spotted the field where Mark was waiting for me, and I plummeted in that direction. I flew directly toward Mark and halted only feet away from him. He was hit by a burst of wind. Dirt kicked up all around us. I¡¯d hoped to get Mark to flinch, but he didn¡¯t even blink, as if he were accustomed to people flying this close to him.


    He kept his hands in his leather jacket pockets and wore a subtle smile. ¡°Impressive, Ray,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve learned to fly after only one day of training. I can honestly say that I¡¯ve seen only one other Starling learn to fly as fast as you have.¡±


    I continued hovering a foot off the ground while we spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a natural at pretty much anything athletic,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Yes, I can tell.¡± He looked at my feet, watching me stand as if on an invisible floor. He sighed, but didn¡¯t say anything. My guess was that he was envious, wishing he could fly again.


    I lowered myself to the ground. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me how you lost your stone.¡±


    He broke out of his stupor and looked me in the eyes for a moment before responding. ¡°Thousands of years ago,¡± he began. ¡°A Starling stole it from me while I was sleeping. I saw her getting away with it and I tried to stop her, but I passed out before I could. I¡¯ve been searching for it¡­¡±


    ¡°For thousands of years?¡± I finished for him, incredulous. ¡°Wow¡­ you are freaky old! How have you not found the stone yet?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, looking irritated again, but not necessarily at me. ¡°I need to be within one kilometer of the stone to feel my powers returning. I can assure you I have searched every inch of dry land on the entire planet. I have searched a fair amount of the ocean floor as well. And still nothing.¡±


    ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s crazy. Do you think the thief still has it?¡±


    ¡°I have searched diligently for her, I assure you, but have not found a trace. I realized over the centuries that I could search so much more effectively if I had another Starling to help. Cover so much more ground at once. That¡¯s why I waited so anxiously for the meteor shower.¡±


    ¡°So, you knew the comet was going to drop meteorites right here near Tucson?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°You see, the comet¡­.¡± He paused. ¡°Wait. You said meteorites? Plural? More than one meteorite landed here?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think there were actually three.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªTake me there!¡± he demanded.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Take me to the impact site! Where you found your stone!¡± He was nearly shouting, looking overanxious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± It was just a small hole in the ground. Why would he be so interested in that?


    ¡°Just take me! I¡¯ll explain more when we get there.¡±


    I was taken aback by how adamant he was. ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    The next ten minutes were too awkward to describe. Flying became weird when you had to carry another guy with you. I had to pick him up like I would a girl, and¡­ needless to say, we flew out of the city to Red Knoll, the cactus-littered wilderness where my friends and I almost got hit by a meteorite, and where I found my red Star Stone. I flew Mark to the crater next to where we had the bon fire, happy to drop him off.


    He looked at the crater, and back at me. ¡°This is where you found the Draco stone?¡±


    I nodded. That was a little over a week ago. It was amazing how much my life could change over the course of a single week.


    ¡°You said there were other meteorites?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied and pointed behind him. ¡°One was over there. And then there was another one farther in the distance; I think it¡¯s over there.¡±


    ¡°Take me to the closer one.¡±


    I did so, reluctantly. We flew through the dark, looking carefully for a crater. It was interesting to note that Mark could see in the dark like me even without his stone. ¡°There it is!¡± he shouted over the wind.


    We lowered to the ground and observed the crater. It was a little smaller than the other crater, but it looked like it was hit by a similar meteorite. A blanket of black rocks covered the bottom of the hole in the ground.


    Mark jumped in and dug frantically around the black rocks. He seemed anxious about something. ¡°You think there¡¯s another Star Stone here?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°There should be!¡± he snapped as he picked up a black rock and threw it in the distance, the same way an angry golfer would throw his defective club into a lake. ¡°But it isn¡¯t here! Why didn¡¯t you tell me there were other meteorites nearby, Ray?¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I said with my hands in my red hoodie¡¯s pockets. ¡°You¡¯re blaming me? You never asked! Besides, I¡¯d thought that the comet dropped off only one Star Stone.¡±


    ¡°No, it dropped off dozens.¡± Mark was still speaking through his teeth, obviously frustrated. ¡°And there should be one in this crater. This crater is much too small to catch public attention. Do you know if anyone else knows about these craters?¡±


    ¡°No, just my friends that were with me that night,¡± I answered. ¡°And they were all too chicken to go looking for any other meteorites. Besides them there was just¡­¡± My stomach sank. ¡°Stoner,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Michael Stone,¡± I said. ¡°And that crazy new girl, Angela, was with him that night. They were right around here when the meteor shower started.¡±


    ¡°Then,¡± Mark said as he finally stopped picking through the rocks and stood up, ¡°one of them must have the Star Stone.¡±


    That was a disturbing thought: Stoner having powers like me? Or even New Girl? She wanted to put up a fight with me last time we were here. Now, if she had powers like me, she¡¯d be able to hold her own. Why did it have to be those two? Of all people! Maybe it wasn¡¯t. Maybe a random Boy Scout troop hiked through here and found the glowing meteorite.


    ¡°Where is the third crater?¡± Mark asked.


    I pointed to the south. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think that¡¯s where I heard it.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I picked Mark up again and flew with him to the south. We scanned the area carefully, flying in circles several times. I wondered why Mark was so anxious to find these craters. If another Star Stone were inside, what could he do with it? He already had a stone of his own. Yes, it was lost, but it was still his.


    ¡°So, if I¡¯m Draco,¡± I said while flying, ¡°then who are you, Mark?¡±


    ¡°I am Polaris,¡± he replied as he continued to scan the desert floor for a third crater. ¡°The North Star. The Pole God. Basically, everything revolves around me.¡±


    I chuckled out loud, thinking he was joking, but he was dead serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m also Ursa Minor,¡± he continued. ¡°The Little Dipper, as you know it, but it literally means little bear.¡±


    ¡°Little bear, huh? That¡¯s lame. Why couldn¡¯t you be the big bear?¡±


    ¡°Because someone else was Ursa Major.¡± My questions seemed to aggravate him. His focus was no longer on the ground, but on the dark horizon, as if he were lost in a memory. I imagined that if he were thousands of years old, it would take a while for him to recall the right memories.


    ¡°There it is,¡± I shouted over the wind. ¡°The third crater.¡±


    Mark snapped out of his daydream. ¡°Hurry!¡±


    We landed at the edge of the crater. Mark jumped out of my grasp and into the bottom of the crater. It was only four or five feet deep, about the size of the others. At the bottom rested another pile of black meteorites.


    Mark dug through the rocks as fast as he could. I was about to jump in and help, but Mark held up his hand to stop me. ¡°No!¡± he snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve got this!¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said, placing my hands on my hips.


    The longer Mark searched, the more frantic he appeared, tossing rocks out of the crater with a fury. ¡°No,¡± he muttered. ¡°No, no, no¡­ NO!!!¡± He screamed at the top of his lungs, and then he fell to his knees, looking defeated.


    ¡°Man,¡± I said sympathetically. ¡°That¡¯s how I felt when the Cardinals lost the super bowl.¡±


    He ignored me. ¡°It¡¯s not here. The third Star Stone was taken!¡±

 Chapter 24

    </a>Chapter 24


    Michael


    I had a hard time paying attention during Mr. Gerald¡¯s science class. All I could think about was when I¡¯d saved Mary Sanchez a few days ago. It seemed too surreal. Me? Saving people from gangsters? Getting shot and surviving? Blocking bullets with my bare hands? And now I was sitting in a classroom going over simple high school physics?


    ¡°Hey,¡± said a voice to my right. It was Angela, sitting in the desk next to me, the same desk where we¡¯d first met. ¡°Is this what you got for question five?¡± she showed me her paper.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m still on question two.¡±


    She glanced at my paper, noticing all the doodles. She looked back at me. ¡°Something on your mind?¡±


    I rocked my head sideways. ¡°Yeah¡­ you could say that.¡± A part of me wanted to just spew out the truth to her, but I had to keep my superpowers secret if I wanted to keep saving people.


    We stared at a knot on the corner of my desk for a moment, silence between us. The room was moderately noisy. Most students were working together on the in-class assignment. ¡°Has your dad come back yet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s flying in today,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great.¡±


    We both stared at the knot again for a while.


    ¡°Well,¡± Angela said with a smile. ¡°Would you like some help with your assignment?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I muttered, looking away from the knot and at her. ¡°Yeah.¡± I turned the paper back over to the front. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She scooted closer to me. ¡°What are you stuck on in question two?¡±


    ¡°I uh¡­¡± I was conscious of how close we were. ¡°I still haven¡¯t read the question yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good place to start.¡±


    Chase Whipple, the new soccer captain who sat in front of me, turned around. ¡°Hey Michael,¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to have you back on the team in a couple weeks, man.¡±


    I nodded, returning my gaze to the knot on my desk. ¡°Yeah, me neither.¡±


    ¡°Dude, have you seen this?¡± He showed Angela and me his phone. I froze.


    It showed a news article that had a sketch of a guy dressed in jeans, a light jacket, and a motorcycle helmet covering his face. A few lines were drawn in behind the guy, making it look like he was running extremely fast. The title of the article said, Missing Girl Rescued by Superhero: Calls Himself Orion. There was a second picture in the corner of Mary Sanchez. I sunk down in my seat.


    ¡°Orion?¡± Angela mused. ¡°Like the constellation?¡±


    ¡°Guess so,¡± Chase said. ¡°The article is just an interview of the missing girl telling her experience. She said this guy could run faster than cars and stop bullets with his hands.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy!¡± I said a little louder than I¡¯d intended. I forced a laugh, but Chase and Angela just gave me funny looks. I stared back at the knot.


    ¡°Some think she was hallucinating,¡± Chase continued. ¡°Some people think he¡¯s Ray Simmons with a helmet on. But, do you want to know what I think?¡±


    Angela nodded, intrigued.


    ¡°I think there are multiple super humans.¡± Chase paused for a moment, as if waiting for objections, but none came. ¡°Orion is one of them. And so is Ray Simmons. Well, maybe. I¡¯m still not sure about him. But there are others.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    He swiped a few times on his phone and then showed it to us. It was another news article; this one had a picture of the sky with a fuzzy, dark dot in the middle. The title read: Flying Person, Multiple Eye Witnesses Claim.


    Angela gasped when she saw it. ¡°He can fly?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said flatly. ¡°People can¡¯t fly.¡± I was pretty sure about that. I¡¯m a superhuman and I can¡¯t fly.


    Angela glared at me, as if I¡¯d just claimed Santa Clause wasn¡¯t real. And then¡­ her expression slowly morphed from angry to suspicious. I subconsciously slid my hand into my pocket, feeling the blue stone there. Angela knew I had the stone. She knew something was very peculiar about it. She had already put the pieces together that Ray may have powers because he may also have a stone. I avoided eye contact with her, trying to look innocent.


    ¡°She is in California,¡± Chase explained. ¡°Most eye witnesses thought she was a woman. And there¡¯s more! A couple banks in Seattle have been robbed; the vaults appeared to be ripped open, and nobody knows how. And last week, a forest fire in Nevada suddenly stopped burning, the trees somehow drenched in water, and it hadn¡¯t rained in months!¡±


    Angela and I listened in silence, taking it all in. I couldn¡¯t believe it. More super humans? More than Ray and me? Did they all have stones like me? Did the meteor shower reach all the way up to Seattle? Or were they mutants? Or aliens? Or maybe I was really the only super human and people were trying to make up stories, including Ray¡¯s story.


    I started when the bell rang, yanking me out of my stupor. Chase put his phone away and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s just a theory, though,¡± he said. ¡°See ya.¡± He walked out of the classroom along with everyone else.


    Angela and I were a little slower to leave. ¡°So, what do you think about that?¡± Angela asked as she slid on her backpack.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I said. ¡°Multiple super humans? I don¡¯t know. Maybe they¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± she cut me off. ¡°The Orion guy. Another super human right here in Tucson.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Interesting. I better get to class.¡± I pulled my backpack on and scuttled out of the classroom, trying to distance myself from Angela, but she kept up with me.


    ¡°You want to know what I think?¡± she said sternly.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± I walked faster through the hallway.


    ¡°I think Orion is either Ray Simmons, or¡­ someone else who touched a glowing meteorite.¡±


    I stopped walking and looked back at her, my breath caught in my throat.


    ¡°Now let me think¡­¡± She looked me straight in the eyes. ¡°Who else do I know who has touched a glowing meteorite?¡±


    ¡°Look, Angela,¡± I began. She folded her arms and leaned on one hip, narrowing her eyes. I gently placed my hands on her shoulders. ¡°Believe me. I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°Michael!¡± It was Zack. ¡°Michael, I''ve got to show you something!¡± He pulled me away from Angela. ¡°Sorry, new girl! Michael and I need to have a cousin-to-cousin talk!¡±


    I followed Zack but looked back at Angela. She just frowned at me as I walked away. I wanted to console her but knew that she would pry the truth out of me. She had basically figured it out on her own already. Maybe it would be okay for her to know the truth. She could keep a secret, right? Maybe, maybe not. I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore! I felt so confused! I hate keeping secrets!


    ¡°There¡¯s something crazy I¡¯ve got to tell you, but first you gotta see this!¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed that Zack was still talking to me until he shoved his phone at my face. It was the news article about Orion that Chase had showed me and Angela earlier. ¡°Look!¡± Zack said, trying to keep his voice down as we walked into the school plaza. ¡°We¡¯re famous!¡±


    There was a light sprinkle of rain falling, so we headed to a corner under a tree to talk. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it,¡± I stated.


    He seemed a little stifled by my lack of enthusiasm. ¡°Dude, this is awesome! You saved that girl! Imagine what we could do next, together! Team Orion fighting crime and saving the day!¡±


    I shook my head somberly. ¡°I can¡¯t, Zack. My secret isn¡¯t safe. I need to be more careful. Stop using my powers in public.¡±


    Zack moaned. ¡°Come on, man! Are we seriously going to go through this again?¡±


    ¡°No. Because it¡¯s over. No more Team Orion.¡± A part of me really hurt as I said it. I wanted to use my powers to help people. But, right now¡­ I felt so confused. Angela almost discovered the truth. Other people might make the connection between Orion and me. I could end up like Ray with the press always on my heels. And to learn that there might be more super humans out there was just mind boggling.


    Zack glared at me. ¡°I¡¯m sick of this, Michael. I¡¯m done motivating you. It¡¯s because of people like you that corrupt politicians get elected and wars begin and never end. People who are good, but who are too afraid to stand up and do something good. People who have power, but don¡¯t do anything with it.¡±


    ¡°Look, Zack. It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly like that! And I¡¯m through with it! Team Orion is over!¡± He tugged on his backpack and walked away.


    I stood there, in the corner of the plaza, unsure of what to do, wishing I could just scream at the top of my lungs. Why did my life have to instantly become so much more complicated? Why did I ever touch that stupid stone?


    I slunk into a nearby bench, watching the students walking through the sprinkle of rain. They meandered to the parking lots and bus stop, heading home now that school was over. I heard thunder in the distance, a storm was brewing.


    Zack didn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t have to worry about keeping his identity a secret! He didn¡¯t have to worry about keeping a never-ending lie between his closest friends and family! He didn¡¯t know what it was like to suddenly have powers and be expected to save everyone! No one else understood that! Well, except for maybe¡­


    ¡°Hello, Stoner.¡± My heart skipped a beat. I turned and saw Ray Simmons sitting next to me on the bench. ¡°Or should I say¡­ Orion?¡±

 Chapter 25

    </a>Chapter 25


    Ray


    His look was priceless. Stoner always took things so seriously. That¡¯s why he was so much fun to tease. But this time I wasn¡¯t joking, and that made it even better.


    Michael just stared at me, catatonic. I laughed, enjoying the moment. ¡°That¡¯s right, Stoner,¡± I said. ¡°I know who you are. I know about the meteorite in your pocket. And I know that you¡¯ve been having fun running around the city rescuing missing girls.¡±


    His mouth hung open.


    Last night, when I¡¯d seen the news article of the superhero, Orion, I knew it had to be Stoner. Mark said that he wouldn¡¯t teach me the Second Degree unless I brought Michael (unconscious and alive) and his stone to him. I didn¡¯t understand why Mark wanted that, and he wouldn¡¯t explain why, but I wasn¡¯t about to turn down an opportunity to beat up good ol¡¯ Michael Stone. Learning how to control my fire powers in the Second Degree was just a perk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Ray.¡± Stoner stood up to leave, but I grabbed his arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re like me, Stoner. We¡¯re Starlings.¡± His eyes glazed over. I smirked. ¡°Now you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Stoner tried yanking his arm away, but my grip held firm. ¡°Let go of my arm, Ray.¡±


    ¡°Not Ray anymore. Call me Draco.¡±


    He looked at me for a while, registering what I¡¯d said. Then, he pulled his arm free from my grip, and started to walk away. I shot up from the bench and stood in front of his path. ¡°Going somewhere, Stoner?¡±


    He tried walking by me, but I pushed him back. I could see a flare of hatred go off in his eyes. I laughed. I knew he wanted to fight, but he didn¡¯t want to do it here. He was still scared of revealing his identity as a super human. Still a wimp.


    I didn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. I didn¡¯t have a secret identity, just a new one.


    ¡°I told you who I am,¡± I said. Dozens of students stopped walking and watched the two of us revolve around each other like two worlds about to collide. Several pulled out phones and started filming us. I noticed Doug Cooper among them, his neck still red. I smirked and gestured toward the on-looking students. ¡°Now you need to tell them who you are.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to tell!¡± Stoner snapped, pushing by me.


    I pushed him back. He stayed on his feet, his hands clenched tight into fists. I hadn¡¯t stoked my powers yet, and I hadn¡¯t seen any hint of powers from him. There was the small chance that I was wrong, and Stoner wasn¡¯t Orion. A very small chance. I''m rarely wrong. But, I wanted to be sure before taking him to Mark.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, Ray,¡± Stoner said.


    I laughed. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you said a couple weeks ago, right here, the last time we fought.¡±


    ¡°And I meant it that time too!¡±


    ¡°Ray!¡± I turned to see Coach Jones running toward us, his hat keeping the rain out of his eyes. What timing. He stepped between the two of us, facing me. ¡°Go home, Simmons!¡±


    I scowled at my x-football coach. ¡°Yeah¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Coach Jones stepped closer, glaring me down. He pointed a finger at me. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Ray! If you¡­¡±


    His threat fizzled out when he saw my eyes glow. I swatted him in the ribs with one hand, launching him a few yards across the plaza. He rolled to a stop in the grass, face down, clenching his ribs. All the students gasped, a few girls screamed. They all took several steps away from me, except for Stoner. I stared at Coach Jones on the ground for a long moment. Any chance I had of a football career just went down the drain. I had to accept that now.


    I turned back to Stoner. He was fuming. I laughed. ¡°Come on, Stoner. Show me what you got. Oh wait¡­ should I find you a motorcycle helmet first?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being stupid, Ray!¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯m done with this¡± He walked away once more, pushing his way through the group of students.


    Stoner was being more stubborn than usual today. Probably because he didn¡¯t want to use his powers in public. I needed to see him use them before knocking his teeth in and taking him to Mark. It was time to be more¡­ persuasive.


    I folded my arms. ¡°Okay, Stoner. If you¡¯re not Orion, then I¡¯ll just have to draw him out some other way. Maybe I could have a chat with your hot sister. I have a feeling she would know where the would-be superhero is.¡±


    Stoner stopped dead in his tracks, his back to me and his fists clenched. I smiled. I¡¯d struck a chord. Last time, we¡¯d gotten in a fight because I was teasing his sister.


    I was expecting Stoner to turn around and threaten me to keep my distance from her, but what actually happened was a fuzzy blur. I stoked my powers just as something very fast and solid connected with my nose, knocked me clean off my feet, and sent me soaring into a brick wall on the other end of the plaza.


    I saw stars for the next several seconds as I slumped against the wall; a few of its bricks had dislodged from the impact. Once my vision cleared, I could see Stoner about 20 feet away; his fist, still raised from sucker-punching me; his expression, filled with hate and anger; and his eyes, glowing.


    Michael


    Wow, I thought. That¡­ felt¡­ so good! I¡¯d been wanting to deck Ray like that for years! He sat there, blood seeping out his nose. I hope I broke it.


    ¡°Whoa, did you see that?¡± a girl said behind me.


    A few other gasps and whispers spread through the group. ¡°He''s Orion.¡± It was Chase Whipple.


    A twinge of nervousness pulled at my chest. I turned around and stared at the crowd of about fifty students.


    ¡°Two freaks?¡± Doug Cooper said, looking perplexed.


    The rain was starting to come down harder, but nobody seemed to care. They looked between me and Ray. Several of them were still filming with their phones.


    They knew. They knew I was a super human. And whatever doubt they had about Ray was confirmed when he hit Coach Jones. I didn¡¯t want to reveal my identity, but I really, really wanted to punch Ray. I couldn¡¯t let him go anywhere near Sarah. Fortunately, I couldn¡¯t see my sister or Zack anywhere nearby. I was entering a new world, one where everyone would know me as Michael Stone, the superhuman freak.


    ¡°Look!¡± Doug was pointing behind me.


    Ray had made his way to his feet and was walking toward me. He wiped some of the blood off of his face and smirked at me, his eyes glowing. ¡°Nice shot, Stoner.¡± I hated that nick-name. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    Everyone gasped, including me, when Ray¡¯s feet left the ground and he hovered a foot above the grass. Tyler, one of Ray¡¯s x-teammates, pointed and blurted out the obvious: ¡°He can fly!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Great,¡± I said under my breath. Just when I thought I was as strong as Ray, he had to go and one up me. Yippee. I turned back to the crowd of students. ¡°Get away from here!¡±


    They didn¡¯t need any explanation. They scattered toward the corners of the plaza, covering their heads as they went, blocking the cold rain. Lightning flashed through the sky and thunder rumbled around us. A static electrical energy pulsed through the air.


    I ignored the falling rain as I surged my powers, embracing the tingling sensation underneath my skin. I felt powerful and invincible, but I¡¯m sure Ray felt the same way as he loomed over me, his eyes glowing.


    Ray bolted toward me. I surged my powers, the world slowed down, the rain drops stopped midair. I threw up my arms to cover my face, just in time to block Ray¡¯s fist. The impact was intense, like getting hit by a jumbo jet at full speed. I soared through the air, flipping end over end until I hit the ground. I skid several yards through the grass and finally rolled to a stop.


    It took several seconds for the world to stop spinning. I pushed myself up on my hands, assessing the damage. It hurt, for sure, but less than I¡¯d expected. His punch felt just as powerful as it did when we fought a couple weeks ago¡ªwhich was still plenty powerful, don¡¯t get me wrong¡ªbut, just less than expected. I can fight him, I thought. I can beat him.


    Ray


    Stoner was trying to get on his feet. I wanted to make quick work of him, so I ran at him at full speed. The fire in my gut grew in intensity. He looked up at me just as my fist was about to connect with his skull. But then¡­ he moved, dodging my punch. I stumbled forward, trying to stop my momentum and regain my footing.


    I turned back at Stoner and met another fist to the nose. My head reeled backward as I cupped my nose in pain. Stoner jabbed at my chest, but I blocked it just in time. He started throwing punches high and low. I was stunned at how fast he was moving, but I was barely able to block his blows. That is, until one got through my defenses and painfully connected with my left eye. It was hard enough to knock me off my feet.


    Just before slamming into another brick wall, I stretched out my arms and legs, redirecting my energy, and stopped myself midair.


    I lowered myself to the ground and took a moment to reassess Michael Stone. He wasn¡¯t the same wimpy kid I¡¯d fought a couple weeks ago, that was for sure. I guess he never really was wimpy; he¡¯d played sports his whole life (if you can call soccer a sport). But, with his powers, he was as strong as me now. Or was he a little stronger?


    Stoner smirked at me with confidence, his eyes glowing bright. Were they brighter than before?


    He pointed at my face. ¡°Hope you enjoy the black eye.¡±


    I scowled at him and clenched my fists. For years, Stoner had always been such a pain. It felt great to beat him up the first time, but this time I would knock him senseless, no teachers to stop me.


    I burst into motion, sprinting at Stoner. He saw me coming and ran at me too. I drew back my fist and was about to throw a final blow, but instead of hitting his face, our fists connected with each other mid-swing, like two semi-trucks in a head-on collision. And then the craziest thing happened.


    A burst of blinding blue light shot out between Stoner¡¯s fist and mine. The light instantly filled the entire plaza and I was knocked back in an explosion of energy. I hit the ground hard, getting the wind knocked out of me.


    I sat up just as the light dimmed slightly. Through the light I could see Stoner, with his arm still raised and his hand in a fist, as if he¡¯d just barely noticed the light emanating from both his hands. I noticed his eyes were no longer glowing a normal white light like mine. They glowed a dark blue.


    Michael


    ¡°What the¡­¡± I said out loud as I stared at my hands in shock. There was a dark blue light shooting out of my hands. Okay¡­.


    The light didn¡¯t feel hot or cold, and it didn¡¯t hurt at all. It¡­ tingled. Just like the feeling in my gut. Except this tingling felt more focused, more concentrated into one area of my body¡ªmy hands.


    Suddenly, the light from both hands condensed into about half a dozen tiny balls of light that floated a couple inches above my palms. I could feel the balls of light pulsing energy, as if they were additional fingers, connected to me somehow. They rotated in a ring between my hands, and then formed a shape that looked familiar. What¡¯s going on? I thought.


    The energy and tingling began to fade, and the balls of light slowly disappeared. All I could feel were the cold drops of rain landing on my hands. I was so confused with what¡¯d just happened. I was in the middle of a fight with Ray, and then little balls of light came out of my hands. Yeah. I know. Weird.


    Packs of students were bunched on the corners of the plaza. They kept their distance but inched closer to see what was going on. I could see students and teachers through the windows of the class halls, packed around the windows to get a glimpse. I felt self- conscious again about people seeing me use my powers.


    Ray launched himself into the sky, flying high above the school buildings. I heard several students gasp as they watched. Ray flew directly above me. I arched my back and covered my eyes to keep the rain out of them, looking up at him. A new strategy?


    He plunged from the sky, trying to stomp me into the ground. I barely dodged in time as he slammed into the grass, forming a muddy imprint. He moved a lot faster when he flew, an advantage he had on me.


    He landed beside me and started throwing punches. I¡¯m sure that to the on looking students and teachers our movements were too fast to pick up, but to me, Ray¡¯s moves seemed just like normal. Actually, a little slower than they did before.


    I blocked and dodged each of his punches and kicks. This was turning out so much better than the last time we fought. Ray was getting frustrated, angered that he couldn¡¯t hit me. He started screaming with each punch and swinging harder, but I was still able to block them, though his blows were beginning to numb my arms.


    Ray feigned a punch and caught me off balance. He lowered his shoulder and tackled me. Instead of drilling me into the ground, he lifted me high into the air. My stomach dropped to my ankles as he flew me toward the grey clouds. I tried kneeing and elbowing him, but he grappled me into a head lock. I squirmed, but couldn¡¯t break his grasp, my vision already going blurry.


    My feet dangled below me. I could see the school and most of the city far below. I yanked at Ray¡¯s arm around my neck and tried kicking him, but he held me firm in the head lock.


    Ray¡¯s arm seemed to tighten around my throat. ¡°They don¡¯t teach you this in soccer practice, do they?¡±


    I threw my head back, butting heads with Ray. He recoiled slightly, creating just enough room for me to reach his hand with my mouth and bite as hard as I could. He yelped in pain and let go of me.


    And then I fell.


    I guess I hadn¡¯t thought that through very well. I dropped like a rock directly toward the school plaza. Terror gripped my heart with icy fingers. I screamed, surging my powers, feeling the tingling throughout my body, pretty sure I could survive a fall like this.


    Suddenly, mid-fall, Ray grabbed my shoulders. He pushed me fast downward, with the intent to slam me into the ground. I looked up at him. He looked absolutely furious. His eyes seemed to glow brighter than before.


    I tried flying. I didn¡¯t even know if I could. My shoulders began to hurt from¡­ from heat? His hands were burning my shoulders! I screamed in agony.


    That pain was short-lived, though, until Ray crushed me into the ground. I suddenly learned what it¡¯s like to be a waffle. Ray drilled me through the grass and a few feet into the muddy ground. If I didn¡¯t have superpowers, I would¡¯ve been dead meat. But, even with my superpowers, I almost felt like dying. My head swam with pain. I thought my back was broken, or at least some ribs were. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I saw a blurry vision of Ray above me, focusing on his hands more than on me. He crawled out of the shallow crater, screaming something about his hands.


    Finally, breath entered my lungs, causing my chest to sting. I surged my powers, letting the tingling feeling course through me. It felt like it helped me to heal faster, but I didn¡¯t know if that were true or not. It gave me enough energy, though, to sit up and crawl out of the crater.


    Ray was several yards away looking at his hands. They looked like they were red hot. He turned and saw me kneeling on the ground, trying to get to my feet.


    ¡°What?¡± Ray shouted through gritted teeth. ¡°Stay down!¡±


    I stood up with a slouch, one arm around my ribs. ¡°No!¡± I wish I could say that I shouted that, but honestly it was more of a whimper.


    Rain drops converted to steam when they touched Ray¡¯s red hands. Lightning flashed in the grey clouds above, blinding us all for a split second. Ray glared at me. ¡°I said¡­ STAY DOWN!!!!¡±


    When he said it, the roaring thunder made his voice sound ten times louder. And his fists got so hot that they burst into huge orange flames. The fire trickled around his fists as if they were doused in gasoline. His eyes glowed a different color; a burning crimson. I¡¯d never felt more intimidated in my life. Ray really was Draco. The Dragon.


    He flung his fists at me, releasing a massive fireball. There was nothing I could do.  I couldn''t dodge it; my energy was spent. I could feel the searing heat from the fireball about to consume me. I didn¡¯t know if I would survive this.


    Just before the fireball hit me, a blur of color zipped in front of me. My jaw dropped as the figure faced me. Her eyes were glowing! It was... Angela?


    She stretched out her arms. As she did so, her eyes turned a bright white color and giant, translucent wings burst out of nowhere, blocking the fireball from hitting us. The wings looked like glass but were obviously made out of something much more impermeable. The fire roared over us, leaving us both unharmed. As soon as the fire died out, Angela turned on Ray.


    He looked as stunned as I felt. The fire on his hands snuffed out.


    Angela twirled her arms around, her wings following suit. She pointed her arms at Ray and the wings swung around and walloped him much harder than I¡¯d ever managed to punch him. He was knocked clear out of the school and possibly out of the city. Too far to see.


    Angela turned back at me, letting her spooky-looking wings disappear¡­ and scowled. I was speechless, my mouth still gaping wide open.


    Before either of us could say anything, her eyes faded to their original chocolate brown color and then rolled up to the back of her head. Blood trickled out her nose, and she collapsed.

 Chapter 26

    </a>Chapter 26


    Michael


    Another flash of lightning brought me to my senses. Angela lay on the wet grass, motionless. I stumbled toward her, wincing with each step. How many ribs were broken? Thunder rumbled in the distance like an empty stomach. I dropped to my knees next to Angela. She was breathing, fortunately, but her skin looked ghostly pale.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± I looked up to see Mr. Gerald running through the rain toward us. He stopped several feet away, looking at me as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. I knew why he was apprehensive. My eyes were still glowing.


    Groups of students inched closer to the scene, looking concerned and curious. Most stayed inside the class halls, gazing through the windows. Chase, Tyler, and Doug were helping Coach Jones to his feet.


    I ignored them and looked back at Angela. She has superpowers, I thought. Why hadn¡¯t she told me? I suddenly wished that I¡¯d told her the truth about myself a long time ago. It would have been so wonderful to have someone to relate to. Someone besides Ray, that is.


    How did she get powers? I wondered. How long has she had them?


    Then suddenly it clicked. Her eyes had glowed just like Ray¡¯s and mine. She must¡¯ve touched a stone like we had. I remembered there was a third meteorite that landed that night at Red Knoll. Angela and I had checked two, but never the third. She¡¯d been deeply curious about the third one and said she would check it out later. She must¡¯ve found her own glowing stone and learned to use the powers it granted her.


    That would explain why she was so sure that Ray and I had superpowers. And why she was so insistent about me revealing the truth. She probably wanted to know that we were like her, and that she wasn¡¯t alone.


    But, if she had a stone and could use its powers, why did she faint? The answer was obvious. She didn¡¯t have her stone nearby. She could only use her powers for several seconds before passing out. I remembered how much it hurt to use my powers without my stone close to me. She really sacrificed herself to save my life.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I wanted to feel grateful, but I mostly felt guilty. She had scowled at me. Why? Was she upset that I lied to her about my powers? She lied to me too!


    ¡°We need to take her to a hospital,¡± Mr. Gerald said.


    ¡°No¡­¡± I said. Angela didn¡¯t need to go to a hospital, she needed her stone. As I remembered from my own experience, getting closer to your stone pretty much helps always. It¡¯d helped me recover almost instantly when I¡¯d fainted.


    So, where was her stone? It couldn¡¯t be anywhere at the school, that would be close enough to keep her from passing out. The only other place I assumed she left it at was her house.


    I reached under Angela and picked her up, her body drooping between my arms. My body ached while holding her, but fortunately my powers made her feel as light as a toddler. I turned my attention to Mr. Gerald and the students and teachers that surrounded me. They looked awestruck as they watched me, as if they were waiting for a speech or some sort of an explanation.


    They were going to be disappointed. I had nothing to say. I just wanted to help Angela.


    I leaned into a run and bolted out of the school. I groaned as I ran, my ribs screaming at me to stop moving. Not yet, I thought. A little bit farther. Angela¡¯s house was just a few miles away.


    Why did Angela leave her stone at her house? Maybe she didn¡¯t know how important it was to keep her stone with her while using her powers. Or maybe she just wasn¡¯t expecting to use her powers at all today.


    Something was off with that idea, though. Something about how extraordinary Angela¡¯s powers were. She could summon a force field made of glass-looking wings for crying out loud! She looked way more experienced with her powers than I did. So, if she were so experienced, why wouldn¡¯t she keep her stone on her? How had she not figured that out yet?


    I slowed down as I approached her house¡¯s doorstep. I had to double check to make sure it was her house since it looked like every other tan, stucco house in the neighborhood. The door was locked. Her dad wasn¡¯t home. She said he¡¯d be getting home later tonight. I gave the door a superhuman shove and broke it open, splintered wood falling on the floor.


    Her house smelled like burnt fish sticks¡ªprobably what she''d been living on while her dad was gone¡ªbut at least it was dry and warm. I carried her to a couch in the living room and draped her on it and winced. My ribs did not like that movement. I stood there for a moment, waiting for the pain to slowly subside.


    I didn¡¯t know where her stone was in the house, but she should be close enough to it by now to pull from its powers. She was still out cold, though. No sign of waking up. I didn¡¯t know how long it would take for the stone to recharge her.


    I found a tissue to wipe the blood from her nose and a blanket and some towels to dry her off and warm her up. She slept peacefully.


    My eyes drooped. I slumped into a nearby recliner, trying to find a position that didn¡¯t hurt my ribs so much. I kept my powers on. The tingling feeling concentrated on my ribs, as if it was healing them as fast as possible. I felt the cool touch of my blue stone in my pocket, silently thanking it for keeping me alive today.


    And then I swiftly drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 27

    </a>Chapter 27


    Ray


    My eyes fluttered open. All I could see was the sky, half of it covered in clouds, half of it sparkling with stars. I could see the Draco constellation. My symbol.


    I tried to get up, and then quickly changed my mind. I had a splitting headache. My skull throbbed in a steady rhythm, matching my heartbeat. I scrunched my eyes as I waited for the pain to slowly pass.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to want to take it easy for a while.¡± I recognized that voice. I turned my head and saw Mark, slouching on a motorcycle. I didn¡¯t know he owned a motorcycle. He gazed down at me, looking bored. ¡°Looks like you got hit hard.¡±


    ¡°How long have I been out?¡± I cringed. My head hurt when I spoke.


    ¡°Half the day,¡± he answered. ¡°The sun just barely set. I found you a couple minutes ago. You¡¯re about a mile out of the city. Good thing I saw you soaring this direction.¡±


    I reached my hand into my pocket and sighed in relief when I felt my red Star Stone there. I stoked my powers. My headache didn¡¯t disappear, but it was definitely more bearable with my powers on. I slowly sat up and took in my surroundings. I¡¯d been lying in a small, man-made crater. The ground was muddy from the rain. Desert shrubs surrounded us in every direction. Mark had to have gone off road to find me. The city glowed a mile away.


    Mark straightened his posture, gripping his motorcycle¡¯s handlebars. ¡°So, tell me what happened. You obviously lost the fight.¡±


    I glared at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose,¡± I croaked, my voice feeling raspy. ¡°There was an interference. It wasn''t fair. I would¡¯ve beat him if it weren¡¯t for that what¡¯s-her-face-new-girl.¡±


    I told him about my fight with Stoner. Mark spoke up when I told him about the crazy balls of light coming out of Stoner¡¯s hands.


    ¡°He tapped into his Second Degree,¡± he said, scratching his beard. ¡°Good thing he didn¡¯t know how to use it. The Orion Starling is very dangerous in his Second Degree.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t look dangerous to me,¡± I said. ¡°Just a fancy light show.¡±


    Mark scoffed at that but didn¡¯t say anything as he looked off into the distance.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I reached the Second Degree too. My hands literally caught on fire. I actually threw a huge fireball at Stoner.¡±


    Mark¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°I told you to bring him to me alive. Were you trying to kill him?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­. I was just so angry. I couldn¡¯t stop myself.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and huffed with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to kill him. Not yet anyway. You¡¯re improving quickly, but you still haven¡¯t mastered the Second Degree. With some training, you¡¯ll be able to tap into it on a whim.¡±


    ¡°Sweet.¡± I honestly looked forward to that training a lot more than I had before. There was a noticeable shift in my powers when I¡¯d reached the Second Degree. I¡¯d felt on fire! (Pun intended). The burning sensation in my gut had shifted to another level, like a volcano erupting within me. I didn¡¯t know that I could chuck fireballs, but in the moment, it¡¯d felt like pure instinct.


    ¡°So, who was it who interfered?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°It was the new girl,¡± I explained. ¡°I think her name is Angela. She apparently has powers too. Another Starling.¡±


    Mark¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I threw my fireball at Stoner,¡± I said, ¡°and then all of a sudden she was there. And she blocked my fireball with some sort of force field. A force field made out of glass-looking wings. It was weird. And then she hit me hard with them. At least I think so. It¡¯s all a little fuzzy. I blacked out after that.¡± I rubbed my temples, trying to soothe my headache.


    Mark leaned forward on his motorcycle with his mouth half open. He looked shocked, like he just found out his best friend had died or something. ¡°It¡¯s her¡­¡± he said under his breath.


    I groaned as I made my way to my feet. My head throbbed the whole way up. I was thirsty. And hungry. And sore. And tired. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®it¡¯s her?¡¯¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t think he even heard me. He looked deep in thought, like he was making a plan of some kind.


    ¡°So, that explains where the third Star Stone went,¡± I said. ¡°She must¡¯ve picked it up. Probably the same night Stoner found his stone.¡±


    Mark shook his head but kept his gaze on the Tucson lights. ¡°No¡­ someone else has the third Star Stone.¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I met the person who has the third Star Stone today. And it¡¯s not her.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Wait. What?¡±


    ¡°He found me,¡± Mark said. ¡°He¡¯s been watching me train you. He decided to approach me today for the first time. He¡¯s a quick learner. Nearly mastered his Second Degree on his own.¡±


    So many questions bounced around my mind, it made my head hurt. Or maybe that was just my headache. ¡°What? You¡¯re training someone else? Who is he? What can he do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you even know him.¡± He still wasn¡¯t looking at me. He seemed half in the conversation as he gazed at the city, his dark eyes darting back and forth. Something about the news about the new girl made him go all trippy.


    ¡°So, if this guy you met had the third stone,¡± I said, ¡°then¡­ how did New Girl get her powers?¡±


    Mark kicked down on his motorcycle, its engine roaring to life. ¡°It''s Alexandria,¡± he said, determination in his eyes.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure her name is Angela. But, I don¡¯t know, I might be wrong. I just call her New Girl.¡±


    Without another word, he revved his motorcycle and took off down a dirt trail toward the city, leaving me in a cloud of dust. I watched him speed away for a moment, so confused with what¡¯d just happened.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said to nobody. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I''ll be fine. I¡¯ll just walk home.¡±

 Chapter 28

    </a>Chapter 28


    Michael


    When I opened my eyes, I noticed a beautiful angel smiling down at me. I died and went to heaven! I thought. But, then the angel¡¯s smiled transformed into a scowl and she slapped me across the cheek.


    ¡°Wake up, Michael!¡± Angela said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to talk.¡± The tone in her voice was very stern, like a parent who was about to tell her child what punishment lay in store for him for burning the curtains down.


    I groggily sat up in her recliner and winced. My chest throbbed with pain. My powers may have sped up the healing process, but not at the rate that I¡¯d hoped. I noticed that my powers were off¡ªI guess you can¡¯t keep your powers on while you¡¯re sleeping. I surged my powers, letting the tingling sensation wash over me. I sighed in relief. It was like a natural painkiller¡­ well, except that it wasn¡¯t natural at all. It was a superpower granted from the stone in my pocket. That¡¯s not natural. Or is it?


    Angela stared at my glowing eyes, her expression cold. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, and just glared at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you had superpowers either.¡±


    ¡°You never asked,¡± she said. ¡°I did. And you lied to me! Multiple times!¡±


    ¡°If I had known you had superpowers too, I would¡¯ve told you!¡±


    ¡°Why would that make a difference?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you would share my secret with the world, like what Doug Cooper did to Ray!¡±


    ¡°You really think I would do something like that? Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t know. I just found out¡ª¡± I looked out the window. Night had fallen. We¡¯d slept through half the day. ¡°¡ªseveral hours ago, that you can summon force-field wings out of thin air! Yeah, I think keeping a secret like that from me lowers your trustworthy status!¡±


    She looked hurt. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t share your secret, Michael! I wouldn¡¯t sell it to the news stations like Doug! I know more than you will ever know about how to keep a secret!¡±


    Angela got up from the couch, done with the conversation, and left the living room. I tried to do the same thing, but the pain in my chest kept me from standing up. I just sat there, fuming.


    How could she blame me for not telling her the truth when she kept the same exact secret the whole time? She was being hypocritical. This could have all been avoided if she¡¯d just told me that she went and found the third stone. Why did that have to be kept a secret? She knew I had a stone too and had already deduced that it gave me powers. Probably because her stone gave her powers too.


    After a few minutes, I slowly stood up and looked for her in her house, stepping softly to keep the pain down. She was standing in the kitchen, looking out the window. It was still raining. Water drops drizzled down the window. Angela folded her arms and kept a stern expression.


    As I gazed at her, my mood lightened. Memories of the first time I met her at school flooded into my mind. When she made fun of my eye. When we went stargazing together. When she challenged Ray to a fist fight. I smiled at the thought. A couple weeks had passed since then, but it felt like months, with everything that¡¯d happened.


    ¡°Hey, Angela,¡± I said slowly. She didn¡¯t look at me. ¡°Something I really want to say is¡­ thank you. For saving my life today.¡±


    She turned to me.


    ¡°I know you were mad at me for lying,¡± I said. ¡°But, thanks for stepping in anyways. I would¡¯ve been toast without you.¡±


    I saw a hint of a smile on her. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said.


    ¡°That was pretty amazing, what you did. With the bird wings and all. You showed Ray a thing or two.¡±


    ¡°Swan wings,¡± she corrected. ¡°Cygnus, the swan. That¡¯s my constellation. And yours is Orion, right? That was you who saved that missing girl last weekend?¡±


    I nodded sheepishly.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± she said.


    I tried to hide a blush. ¡°And Ray told me his is Draco. That explains the fireball.¡±


    Angela nodded. We both looked at each other for a moment. She suddenly got a huge grin and sat down at kitchen table. ¡°Oh, Michael, I¡¯ve been waiting years to finally share this with someone! I still can¡¯t believe this is happening! You! And Ray! Both of you have powers like me! It¡¯s all so bizarre and¡­ magical at the same time!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡ª¡± I stopped myself. ¡°Years? You said you¡¯ve been waiting for years?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much my whole life,¡± she said. ¡°Nobody knows about my powers except for me and my dad. And now you.¡±


    ¡°Your dad knows? I¡ª¡± Something wasn¡¯t adding up. ¡°Angela, didn¡¯t you just find the third stone a little while ago?¡±


    She tilted her head. ¡°Third stone?¡±


    ¡°You know, the third meteorite that landed the night we went stargazing? One landed near Ray, one near us, and a third one not far from where I found mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I was definitely going to check that out, but I wanted to wait for my dad to get back. So, I was right then, wasn¡¯t I? The glowing meteorite you found¡ªit gave you your powers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But, when¡­? Hold on.¡± I sat down at the table with her, determined to solve this puzzle. ¡°How did you get your powers?¡±


    ¡°I was born with them. Can¡¯t remember ever not having them.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t have a stone of your own?¡± I pulled out mine. She reached for it like a cat to yarn, gazing at its blue, glossy surface.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she said. ¡°It is strange, though. Random meteorites drop from the sky and give you and Ray the same powers that I was born with? I thought I would always be the only one in the whole world who had these powers. Always alone. No one like me. That¡¯s why I was so shocked to see the news about Ray. And when I saw you stand up to him¡­ with powers of your own¡­ I could hardly believe it!¡±


    I reflected on how alone I¡¯d felt when I¡¯d first discovered my powers. That loneliness only lasted a week until I learned about Ray. Angela had felt that her whole life. She was right when she said she knew more than me about how to keep a secret.


    Still. If we both got our powers in different ways, then why were they so similar?


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said. ¡°Why did you pass out after you saved me?¡±


    ¡°My powers are limited,¡± she said. ¡°I can only use them for a short time before fainting. But when I was a kid, I remember using my powers all the time without hurting. I even remember flying. But, I don¡¯t know if those are actual memories or just dreams.¡±


    I thought for a moment. ¡°Is that why whenever you make a wish, it¡¯s always that you can fly?¡±


    She smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve tried it a few times. It¡¯s very dangerous. My dad gets ticked when I do it. I can jump really high, but I pass out after about twenty feet up. I attempted to fly a couple times over a lake and my dad had to swim out to get me after I fell into the water. It was pretty stupid of me. But I just can¡¯t get the idea out of my head. Especially now, that I¡¯ve seen Ray fly.¡± She looked up at me, an eager twinkle in her eye. ¡°Can you fly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think I could, but I guess I haven¡¯t really tried.¡±


    ¡°And your powers aren¡¯t limited like mine, right? Otherwise you and Ray would¡¯ve passed out while fighting.¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I said. ¡°And that¡¯s the weird thing, Angela. It all depends on my stone. If I have it with me, I¡¯m fine. But, when I use my powers while my stone is more than a mile or so away, my body gives up on me, and I pass out.¡±


    ¡°Just like me when I use my powers¡­.¡± She seemed to follow my thinking, her eyebrows knitted. ¡°Michael, do you think that I have a stone¡ªand it¡¯s just too far away for me to use its powers?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Yeah. That would make perfect sense, but there¡¯s a problem with that.¡± We were both gazing at my blue stone on the kitchen table. ¡°This meteor shower happened just last month. You say that you¡¯ve had your powers your whole life. If you have a stone¡­ where did you get it? Was there another meteor shower like this before? And why don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Newell¡¯s comet only orbits the sun every two thousand years. I don¡¯t have any memories of a¡ª.¡±


    The front door burst open, causing us both to jump to our feet. A guy had barged in, wearing a wet, tan jacket, and he was aiming a gun right at us.


    I raised my hands out of reflex, but then I remembered who I was and ignited my powers, ready to block bullets.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Angela said. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    Mr. Johnson lowered his weapon in a flash. I lowered my hands, feeling dumb for not recognizing him. He pointed at the splintered doorframe with his pistol. ¡°Someone broke into our house!¡± he said, his voice booming.


    ¡°Uh. No sir¡­ that was me,¡± I said. He glared at me, unfazed by my glowing eyes. I gulped. ¡°Your daughter was hurt, and I was trying to bring her home, and the door was locked, and well¡­ I¡ªI sorta¡­.¡±


    He raised a hand to stop me. ¡°Thanks for bringing her home, son.¡± He closed the door¡ªmostly closed it; it was busted after all¡ªand strode into the kitchen, metal briefcase in hand. His stomps shook the house slightly. I still think he looked too buff to be a scientist. He slipped the gun into his jacket pocket.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Angela said. ¡°Some crazy things have been going on lately. We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°But not now. We¡¯re leaving. Moving again. They could be here any minute.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°No time. Let¡¯s go.¡± He placed his hand behind her back to nudge her toward the hallway. ¡°Go grab our emergency bag.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯re leaving now, no questions asked!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Angela pushed away from him, picked up my blue stone off the table, and raised it up to her father¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until you tell me what you know about this stone!¡±


    He looked at the stone. And then at me. He shook his head, grabbed Angela by the wrist, and pulled her toward the door. ¡°WE HAVE TO LEAVE RIGHT¡ª¡± he was cut off by a burst of wind.


    Angela had ignited her powers, sped in front of Mr. Johnson, and now stood in front of the door, her arms spread out. Her eyes glowed for only a second longer, and then faded to brown. She didn¡¯t pass out but looked winded. He seemed to get the message. He would have to force her out. And that wouldn¡¯t be easy; she was no ordinary teenage girl.


    He looked at her for a moment. And then turned back at me. I still stood in the kitchen, my eyes still glowing, not because I thought he was a threat, but because my ribs were still killing me, and the powers eased the pain. He turned back at Angela, and they glared at each other for a while.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± Angela said accusingly between labored breaths, sweat beading down her forehead. ¡°You know where my stone is, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mr. Johnson¡¯s mouth gaped open. The thought hadn¡¯t occurred to me until now. Why had he overacted when he saw my stone the first time? He knew exactly what it was. He knew what it would do to me. He must¡¯ve seen a stone just like it before.


    After a tense moment of silence, he huffed, placed his briefcase on a small desk in the hallway, and unlatched it open. Inside was something like a jewelry box, except it was larger and made out of a more lustrous metal than any jewelry box I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°It¡¯s made out of lead,¡± her father said. ¡°Its density is the only thing strong enough to block the energy transfer.¡±


    He somberly handed it to Angela. She held the box in her hands for a moment, looking excited and scared at the same time. She opened it and gasped. With wide eyes, she pulled out a white, opaque stone. It was rectangular in shape, though its angles were slightly flawed. Mine had more of an oval shape, a perfect skipping rock.


    With the meteorite in her hand, Angela¡¯s eyes began to glow. There was a tangible energy that coursed through the room. Her breathing calmed, and she stopped sweating. She laughed to herself as a tear seeped out of one eye.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile for her. Her whole life, she had been living with powers that felt more like a curse than a blessing to her. And now, she could embrace her powers without the fear of excruciating pain or unconsciousness. I understood the invincible, infinite power she was feeling at this moment. It was like nothing else in the world.


    The moment was short lived, however, as she returned her attention to her father. He¡¯d been undaunted by my glowing eyes, but when she looked at him with her piercing expression and simmering eyes, he wilted before her. ¡°You told me I was born with my powers.¡±


    He lowered his head. ¡°It was to protect you,¡± he said. ¡°Though, now, with everything that¡¯s going on, I thought it would be a fitting time to finally return it to you. That¡¯s why I went back to New York¡ªto get your stone.¡±


    ¡°You left it at our old house?¡± Angela said.


    ¡°No. No¡ªit was where it¡¯s been for the past decade.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± she said. ¡°Why? Who are you trying to protect me from?¡±


    Mr. Johnson looked like he was in too much of a rush to answer all her questions. He finally sighed and sat down on the bottom steps of the staircase. I hobbled into the hallway to get a better view, holding an arm around my ribs.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning. But, this¡¯ll be the condensed version. It was when you were a toddler, Angela; just under two years old, too young to remember. Your mom and I took a family trip to Italy. We were at one of the campgrounds near Mount Etna, and we were being a little careless and let you wander around one of the picnic areas. You came across an over-crusted lava formation that had long since cooled over. You played around with it and found a glowing meteorite inside. The one you now hold in your hands.¡±


    Angela glanced at her white stone, and then back at her dad, listening intently, her expression emotionless.


    ¡°By the time we¡¯d noticed it, you¡¯d already touched it. You suddenly fell unconscious, which completely freaked us out¡ªyou being so young and all. And then you woke up, just fine. We thought it strange, but we were completely floored when we saw your eyes glowing later that day. And next thing we knew, you were running faster than cars and lifting objects ten times your size. As a toddler!


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know what to do. We hid the stone from you for years, but you could still use its powers as long as you were within range. We tried our very best to keep your powers a secret from the world, but it was very difficult when you were so young. Finally, when you were about five, we came in contact with the Meteoric Anomaly Research Society, or MARS. Well, they actually found us. They¡¯re a secret society who know about the stone and the powers it could give you.¡±


    ¡°How could they know that?¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not like there have been other super humans with glowing meteorites like us before.¡±


    ¡°Actually, there have.¡± He paused for a moment, readjusting his glasses. ¡°Sampson. Hercules. Achilles. Beowulf. Athena. Cygnus. Characters of fiction?¡± He let that hang in the air for a moment. ¡°MARS has been around for ages, founded by Ptolemy himself, and they¡¯ve kept hidden historical evidence that some of these heroes of legend had within their possession a peculiar stone said to have dropped from the heavens. The bible even talks about magical stones in the Book of Revelation.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°But, how could they have stones too? That was thousands of years ago.¡±


    ¡°Newell¡¯s Comet orbits the sun every 2000 years. And, according to MARS¡¯ theory, every time it passes by the earth, it drops dozens of glowing meteorites that contain the powers of the gods¡ªor God himself, we¡¯re not sure. Are you familiar with any extraordinary celestial events that were said to have happened around, oh I don¡¯t know, 0 BC? Nearly 2000 years ago?¡±


    I gasped, glancing at my blue stone on the desk next to Mr. Johnson¡¯s briefcase. Powers of God? I shook my head. That was ridiculous. ¡°So, if there were dozens of stones back then,¡± I said, ¡°then where did they go?¡±


    ¡°Heard of the Dark Ages?¡± Mr. Johnson looked at me from behind his glasses. ¡°The stones were either lost or destroyed somehow, we don¡¯t know why or when. MARS scholars believe Angela¡¯s stone is one of those lost meteorites. Used to belong to the real Cygnus.¡±


    He looked up at his daughter, wearing a proud look. But he frowned as soon as he saw her face. ¡°Why have you never told me this?¡± she said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Believe me,¡± he said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to.¡±


    Angela sniffled, tears coming to her eyes.


    ¡°MARS is... powerful, international, and funded by some very rich people,¡± he explained. ¡°And they¡¯re protective of their secrets, very protective. They took your stone and kept it in that lead box in their headquarters in New York City. They examined you as a child but tried to make it look like a routine doctor¡¯s checkup. They told me to never tell you about them, and to keep your powers a secret from the world. If they ever heard about you using your powers in the news, they threatened to put me in prison and keep you at their headquarters.


    ¡°Your mother and I regretted ever working with MARS. We hated all the secrets and threats. She wanted to return your Star Stone to you, but I was determined to continue following their rules. I couldn¡¯t risk them taking you away from us. MARS is part of the reason your mother and I got a divorce, Angela. It was really hard on our marriage.¡±


    Angela wiped a tear from her eye, looking down at her white stone.


    Mr. Johnson coughed and stood up, his anxiety returning. ¡°When you showed me the meteorite that your friend, Michael here, had touched, I knew that it was happening again. The Condescension. MARS wasn¡¯t certain whether Newell¡¯s comet was the right one or not, but I felt certain. And seeing Michael¡¯s blue stone confirmed that. I knew everyone in MARS would go crazy when they found out about dozens of people getting superpowers. Because they would be focusing less on you and me, it was the perfect time to sneak into their headquarters and steal your stone from them. I¡¯ve been planning on it for a while now. I wanted you to have your powers again. Especially now that the Condescension has happened. The world is going to change dramatically with real life super humans flying around. That¡¯s why we will need Starlings like you two, who have their heads screwed on right, and can make sure the world doesn¡¯t end or anything.¡±


    I leaned against the wall in the hallway. This was a lot to take in. I gazed at my blue stone. Gods? Condescensions? A secret society who knew about it all and was bent on keeping it a secret? I looked at Mr. Johnson. ¡°I thought you were going to tell us the condensed version,¡± I said.


    ¡°That was the condensed version. And the point of it all is why we should leave now. I just stole one of MARS¡¯ most prized possessions.¡± He pointed at the white stone in Angela¡¯s hands. She was still staring at it, no more tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure they are on my tail right now,¡± he said. ¡°Willing and prepared to kill me to get it back.¡±


    Mr. Johnson placed his hand on Angela¡¯s shoulder. She looked up at him with dry, bloodshot eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to leave,¡± he said. ¡°Now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond. Just kept glaring at him, obviously hurt by his lies.


    ¡°Starlings¡­¡± I said. Mr. Johnson turned away from his daughter and glanced at me. ¡°That¡¯s the same thing Ray Simmons called me today before we fought.¡±


    ¡°That football player the news has been going on about?¡± he said, pacing and rubbing his chin. ¡°So, he actually is a Starling? I had a feeling. And I have no idea how he would know that word. It¡¯s strictly used within MARS members, referring to super humans, like you.¡± He stopped pacing. ¡°You said you fought him?


    Before I could answer, there was a loud thumping on the front door.


    All three of us jumped, reacting fiercely. Mr. Johnson even pulled out his gun.


    ¡°This is the police!¡± a male voice yelled from the other side of the door. ¡°Angela Johnson is under arrest! We have the place surrounded!¡±

 Chapter 29

    </a>Chapter 29


    Ray


    I just sat there for a long moment, watching where Mark had driven off on his motorcycle. Well, I thought. Now what?


    I was in rough shape. I needed some time to recover from the fight with Stoner and what¡¯s-her-face-new-girl. Alexandria? Angela? Who knows? I wanted some food, water, and more sleep. My head still ached even though I kept my powers on to dampen the pain.


    There was one place that seemed to be beckoning to me to rest my weary head.


    Home.


    I stoked my powers and leaped into the air. I redirected my power emission, just as Mark had taught me, and launched higher until I was flying just below the clouds. I kept my speed slow to save my head from throbbing so much.


    Watching the lights pass below me and feeling the wind blow around, my mood lightened, but only a little. Flying was awesome, but I still felt sore about losing that fight. I¡¯d been humiliated.


    Beat up by a girl! Right in front of everyone at school! Ugh! It made me want to puke just thinking about it.


    Not only did I humiliate myself, but I¡¯d also disappointed Mark. And now he went and ditched me by finding himself another Starling to train. Was Mark still going to teach me more about the Second Degree? Because I wanted to learn. I understood now what it felt like, and I wanted more of it, but I still didn¡¯t know how to tap into it on purpose.


    I spotted my house far below and plummeted toward it. Lights were on inside, except for my bedroom.


    I landed with a thud in my back yard, next to our pool. I looked up at my second story, bedroom window, and hesitated, rubbing my aching head, and then jumped through it, sliding it open as I entered. First thing I did was collapse on my bed, heaving a huge sigh.


    Before I could drift off to sleep, I heard footsteps approach my bedroom and the door swung open. Lights were turned on. I weakly lifted my head and opened my eyes.


    My mom stood at the doorway, her eyes wide and her lips pursed. With her short frame and her curly short hair down to her shoulders, she looked intense and¡­ scared?


    ¡°Hi mom,¡± I said mid-yawn. Last time I¡¯d seen my mom was at the football game when I¡¯d crushed that news reporter¡¯s cell phone. Since then I¡¯d snuck into the house every night to sleep, but I¡¯d spent most of my time during the day training with Mark. She probably knew I had powers now, especially if she heard about my fight with Stoner today. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to this encounter.


    Mom softly closed the door behind her, barely making a click. ¡°Ray, you need to get out of here,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What? Why? I¡¯m too exhausted to move¡­¡±


    ¡°The police are here.¡±


    That got my attention. I sat up, groaning as I held my head. ¡°Why are they here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Mom continued to whisper. ¡°They say it¡¯s because you broke Coach Jones¡¯ collar bone and sent him to the hospital, and that you knocked down a few walls at the high school.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    I lowered my eyes, rubbing a hand through my hair. ¡°Yeah¡­. I guess that¡¯s kinda against the law, huh.¡±


    ¡°Ray!¡± Mom said with a gasp. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you actually did those awful things!¡±


    ¡°Coach Jones deserved it,¡± I said. ¡°And so did the walls. They were coming down anyways.¡±


    ¡°This is serious, Ray! You could go to jail!¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to jail, mom. And don¡¯t call me Ray anymore; call me Draco.¡±


    My mom turned toward the door as we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She turned back on me with a stern look. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think you are or what nonsense has gotten in your head. You are good, Ray. Deep down. You would never hurt people like that.¡±


    Just then, the door to my bedroom burst open. Two cops, armed with guns, stood at the doorway. Once they saw me, they pointed their pistols at me. ¡°Ray Simmons!¡± One cop yelled. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest! Get down on the ground with your hands up!¡±


    My mom jumped to her feet, her arms raised out of reflex. ¡°Ray, do as they say!¡±


    I casually stood up, smirked at the two officers, and looked at my mom. ¡°You don¡¯t know the real me, mom. I¡¯ve grown out of being good.¡±


    ¡°ON THE GROUND!¡± the second officer ordered. ¡°WE WILL SHOOT!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong mom. I¡¯m not good¡­¡± I turned back to the cops, stoking my powers and glaring at them through glowing eyes. They both opened fire. I lunged to the left, dodging both bullets as time seemed to slow down. I sped toward them and yanked their guns out of their hands. Gusts of wind blew through the room as I ran, tossing the curtains around and my mom¡¯s hair to the side. By the time the cops finally realized their guns we¡¯re missing, they both gulped as they stared down the barrel of their own guns. I held both pistols and aimed them directly at their heads. They both raised their hands, fear spread across their faces. I turned to my mom. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a god.¡±


    I squeezed. Instead of pulling the triggers, I crushed the guns in my fingers, like they were made of playdough, and tossed them to the floor. My mom held her hands over her mouth, looking shocked.


    I strode up to the two officers, placed my hands between them, and scooted them to the sides, like I would with clothes hanging in the closet, and walked out of the bedroom. As I walked down the stairs, I realized something. I didn¡¯t need this house. I didn¡¯t need my mom. I could take care of myself just fine.


    I opened my front door and paused. There was a barricade of police cars with their lights flashing. Cops stood behind their vehicles with their pistols and rifles aimed at me. ¡°Get on your knees with your hands where we can see them!¡± a cop said through his megaphone. They¡¯d apparently been waiting for me to return home, unable to find me until now.


    I strode closer to them, my eyes glowing, not slowing my pace.


    ¡°We will shoot you!¡± the head cop said.


    I kept walking, ignoring their orders.


    They opened fire. The sound was deafening, like a hundred fireworks going off all at once and I had the front row seat. I hunched over, raising my arms to shield my face, and stoked my powers on to full throttle. The burning in my gut burned hotter, like a bomb went off inside me.


    Hundreds of bullets pelted me. They stung my skin like the tiny grains of sand in a sandstorm. More irritating than painful. After half a minute, the sound of gunshots died down, and the stinging stopped. I stood straight, lowering my arms to my sides, and felt multiple bullets drop to the ground around me, making audible clings as they bounced on the sidewalk. My shirt and the bottom of my jeans had been ripped to shreds, but that didn¡¯t bother me.


    I stared at the cops, letting them see my glowing eyes. They gawked. A few cops stood up from behind their cars, looking confused. The head officer held his megaphone limply to the side, his mouth wide open.


    I raised my arms to my sides and shrugged. It was a gesture that said, ¡°Oh well. Nice try.¡± They are beneath me, I thought. Law enforcement is for mortals. They aren¡¯t even worth my time or attention. I lifted my chin to the sky, and leaped into the air, leaving the police below in a gust of wind.


    I shook my head as I remembered that I¡¯d once regretted touching the glowing Star Stone that now rested in my pocket. I¡¯d hated it for ruining my dream as a football champion. How shortsighted I was! The Hall of Fame was nothing compared to being a god! Touching that stone had expanded my vision to new horizons. New dreams. Dreams of immortality, power, and basically getting to do whatever I wanted.


    My head still throbbed and my stomach groaned. I stopped my ascent and gazed down at Tucson. I was so hungry I could kill!

 Chapter 30

    </a>Chapter 30


    Michael


    "Open this door!¡± the cop ordered as he pounded on the Johnson¡¯s front door. ¡°Or we will break¡­.¡± The officer cut off as the door budged open on its own; it was already broken. I had busted through it earlier when I¡¯d brought Angela home from the fight with Ray.


    Just before the door swung all the way open, I sparked my powers, increasing my speed, and grabbed Angela¡¯s hand and pulled her away from the door. She looked at me, her eyes glowing too, and ran with me down the hallway and around the corner into the kitchen, so the cops couldn¡¯t see us. Our inhuman speed had created a gust of wind that left several pictures on the hallway wall¡ªpictures of Angela, her dad, and a blonde-haired woman who must¡¯ve been Angela¡¯s mom¡ªhanging crooked.


    I think the cop heard the commotion because he barged through the door, gun in hand. I heard his footsteps and several more behind him. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡± Mr. Johnson said. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Angela Johnson,¡± the head officer barked. ¡°Is she here?¡±


    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t seen her all day. I just flew in from New York City. Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Grateful Angela¡¯s dad was covering for us, I leaned over, peeking around the corner to get a glimpse of the exchange.


    ¡°Your daughter,¡± the cop said as he looked over Mr. Johnson¡¯s shoulder, ¡°took part in a prank at the high school today that had a criminal amount of vandalism. We¡¯re going to have to bring her in.¡± The officer signaled his team to start searching the house, but Mr. Johnson stopped the men before they got down the hallway.


    I peeled my eyes away from the scene, my heart thumping, and looked at Angela. She grasped my hand, her face wrinkled with worry.


    ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t let you in here without a warrant,¡± Mr. Johnson said. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave my¡ª¡±


    I heard the officer pull something out of his pocket and hand it to Angela¡¯s dad. He unfolded it. ¡°How in the world did you get this in less than a day?¡±


    ¡°I think you know,¡± the cop said. ¡°We¡¯ve seen the news. We both know that your daughter is capable of much more than just vandalism. She¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Footsteps stomped up the stairs and around the front room. There was nothing Mr. Johnson could do to stop them from searching the house. Someone was coming down the hallway fast. I started to panic.


    Angela pulled my hand, yanking me down the kitchen, around a corner, and into a closet. Yes, we had super speed, but no, we did not have super stealth. I was sure someone had heard us scamper across the kitchen. Angela flicked on the light, revealing a pantry filled with canned beans and bagged rice.


    ¡°Angela,¡± I whispered. ¡°What are you doing? They¡¯re definitely going to find us in here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not hiding,¡± she said as she got on her tippy toes to grab a stuffed duffle bag from off one of the shelves. It looked heavy, but she strapped it over her shoulder and hoisted it to her side as if it were as light as a pillow. She looked at me with her glowing eyes. ¡°We¡¯re running,¡± she whispered.


    Before I could wrap my mind around that, she pressed by me and inched the door open, scanning the kitchen to see if the coast was clear. She crept out of the pantry, me following close behind, and we headed to the back-sliding glass door, opening it quietly.


    I could hear Mr. Johnson arguing with the head cop near the front door. Footsteps pounded around upstairs. It looked like we were going to make a silent getaway.


    ¡°FREEZE!¡±


    I obeyed. Hands up. Heart pounding. Holding my breath.


    The voice didn¡¯t come from inside the house, but from outside. Directly in front of us, in the backyard, stood a female cop with a pistol aimed right at us. She was obviously positioned here to cut off any escape attempts.


    The cop pressed a button on the radio strapped to her shoulder. ¡°Sergeant!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve got ¡®em! They¡¯re in the backyard!¡±


    ¡°Them?¡± came the reply from the cop who was arguing with Mr. Johnson.


    ¡°The girl and the boy! Michael Stone! He¡¯s with her!¡±


    ¡°On my way!¡±


    Footsteps thundered toward our location.


    ¡°Get down!¡± she yelled at us. ¡°On your knees! Now!¡±


    This is it, I thought. Off to jail, or ¡­.


    I noticed Angela¡¯s eyes were glowing¡­ and not just from having her powers turned on. She had a plan. She took my hand and pulled me into a run. I was instantly seized with a sharp pain in my ribs. Yep, those were still broken. My powers dampened the pain, but not completely. We sped around the corner of the house, dodging around another cop, blowing his cap off in the process. The front of the house was blocked with a barricade of police cars, but we easily jumped over them before anyone could react. I heard gunshots, but no bullets ever came close to hitting us.


    We ran down the street, leaving Angela¡¯s neighborhood in a flash. Even though clouds covered the moon and the stars, I could see just fine in the dark. Light rain drops pelted my face as I ran, annoying, but not painful.


    Angela ran beside me, the large duffle bag strapped over her shoulder. It was weird to see someone running as fast as me. I thought I would see concern, worry, or fear on her face from the fact that we were running from the police, but, instead, she was grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Woo hoo!¡± she yelled. She leaned forward and rocketed ahead of me, down a sidewalk next to a major highway. I remembered that Angela hadn¡¯t run like this for years. She hadn¡¯t had her stone ever since she was a kid. But now, with her stone in her pocket, she could run as long as she wanted without passing out.


    Angela slowed down, waiting for me to catch up. ¡°C¡¯mon slow poke!¡± she yelled over the howling wind.


    ¡°Ribs!¡± I shouted back between gasping breaths. ¡°Broken!¡±


    ¡°Excuses!¡±


    She jumped into the air, reaching a ten-foot arc before coming down. She jumped again getting a little higher. Cars passed by us on the road, their headlights threatening to blind us. Out of instinct, I wanted to veer away from the road so nobody would see us using our powers, but things were different now. My identity had been revealed when I fought Ray. The police knew my name. There was no point anymore in hiding my powers.


    Angela must¡¯ve felt the same way as she leaped beside the highway, getting higher with each jump. I caught up to her as she descended from a fifty-foot jump. ¡°Angela,¡± I yelled over the wind. ¡°Where are we going?¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    She looked at me and slowed down to a stop. I stopped with her, the world lurching into normal speed. The rain continued to drizzle down. I folded my arms to keep myself warm and to hold my ribs in place. We were both panting. Even though we ran with super human speed, it was still a tiring exercise.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, still grinning. ¡°I was having too much fun.¡±


    ¡°You know the cops are still after us, right?¡± I said, looking down the road, expecting to see red and blue police car lights any moment.


    ¡°Right. Not that they¡¯ll ever catch us, but it does make things inconvenient.¡±


    ¡°If the police were at your house and knew my name, then they¡¯re probably at my house too.¡± I checked my phone, using my hand to block the rain from getting it too wet. ¡°Yep. Just as I thought. I have several missed calls from both my mom and my dad. Sarah had sent me a text telling me not to come home because the cops were there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I got this,¡± Angela thumbed at the duffle bag behind her. ¡°But, we should get some food before we head out. C¡¯mon, I¡¯m starving!¡±


    She turned and sped away, leaving me in a gust of wind. I scrunched my face, hungry for an explanation. And also, for some food.


    We shortly arrived at a Chinese restaurant, dripping wet from head to toe. Angela turned off her powers and went in to order some food to go. I didn¡¯t go in because I didn¡¯t want to turn off my powers, since my ribs would hurt too much without them on. I would freak people out with my glowing eyes, so I just waited outside, avoiding the rain, looking nervously over my shoulder every ten seconds.


    I pulled out my phone and wrote a message to Zack. Hey man, I wrote. The cops are after me and Angela for the fight we had with Ray today. Could you help us out by letting us stay at your place?


    Angela came out of the restaurant with a few cartons of rice and heavily sauced chicken. We sat at an outdoor table that had an umbrella to cover us from the rain. ¡°We outrun the police,¡± I said. ¡°And now we¡¯re eating Chinese food?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Angela said as she stuffed some chicken into her mouth with chop sticks. ¡°It¡¯s not like they got our license plate numbers or anything.¡±


    She chuckled. I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Angela, this is crazy!¡± I said. ¡°We just ran away from the police! What¡¯re we going to do now that we can¡¯t go to either of our homes? We¡¯re on the police¡¯s most-wanted list. And we¡¯re probably expelled from school. They¡¯ve probably got helicopters out looking for us!¡±


    She shrugged between gulps. ¡°Yeah. Exciting isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I sighed, picking through my food. ¡°Doesn¡¯t any of that concern you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A little. Here put these on.¡± She dug through her duffle bag and handed me a pair of sun glasses. ¡°Don¡¯t want anyone in the restaurant to alert the police about a guy with glowing eyes, now do we?¡±


    I slipped them on, grateful, but unsatisfied. How could she be so calm? This was huge! I wasn¡¯t sure if I would ever get to return home. We were delinquents now. Homeless juveniles, running from the law. They would keep searching for us. For how long? Would we have to be in hiding forever?


    ¡°You¡¯re not much of a rule-breaker, are you?¡± Angela said, pointing a chopstick at me.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± I said, remembering that Zack had said the same thing about me. Maybe he was right. I¡¯ve always hated the idea of being a trouble-maker. ¡°Running away from the police,¡± I said, staring at my food, ¡°was something I never¡ªeven in my wildest dreams¡ªever imagined me doing. We broke the law. We¡¯re felons, Angela. We¡¯re supposed to go to jail!¡±


    ¡°Would you stay in jail?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Stay in jail? I mean, you could break out if you wanted to.¡±


    ¡°I¡­. If I¡­¡± I paused to think about it for a moment. The idea of breaking out of jail had never seemed like a possibility until now.


    ¡°If you wanted,¡± Angela said as she squeezed some water out of her light brown hair, ¡°you could break out as easily as acne on a teenager¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said as I stirred my food around. ¡°I could, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You still wouldn¡¯t, would you? Even though you have the powers? Is it because it¡¯s against the law to break out of jail?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I paused. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    She laughed, shaking her head. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really something, Michael Stone! Okay, you go right ahead and turn yourself in to the police. I¡¯m going to stay right here and eat my Chinese food.¡±


    I just sat there, watching her eat, unsure what to do with myself. I felt stuck. The idea of going to jail made me want to puke, but so did the idea of running from the police for the rest of my life. I¡¯d always considered myself to be a good guy, a nice guy, but now I felt like a teenage crook with a hefty criminal record.


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to jail,¡± Angela stated matter-of-factly. ¡°I¡¯d break loose before they could even get me close. Jails are for normal people, and we¡¯re not normal people, Michael. This whole Starling thing might be something new for you, but I¡¯ve had my powers my whole life. Even though I could use them in only short spurts, they still changed the way I saw the world.


    ¡°I grew up knowing that I could beat anyone in a race if I wanted, see in the dark when no one else could, or outperform every Olympic gold medalist ever. I knew I could actually beat up Ray that night when I challenged him. I wasn¡¯t planning on it, but I knew I could. Having these powers takes away the fear or the restraints that most people have.¡±


    She leaned forward. ¡°Think about this, Michael. You hate breaking rules, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, though I felt guilty when I said it, like it was socially unacceptable for me to be an obedient teenager.


    ¡°Well, you break the laws of physics every time you use your powers.¡± She paused, pushing aside her empty carton. ¡°The way I see it, all the laws created by humans apply to humans only, not super humans.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°But, then every Starling¡ªand supposedly there are more of us out there¡ªcould just rob every bank they wanted, take anything they wanted, and even get away with murder.¡±


    Angela raised a finger. ¡°Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not murder. I said we don¡¯t need to follow laws created by humans.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so people are just supposed to rely on every Starling¡¯s moral compass to keep them safe? What can they do against a Starling who thinks it¡¯s moral to burn down their village? A guy like Ray?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Angela said emphatically, with a soft pound on the tiny table. ¡°That¡¯s my point. What can human laws and human enforcement do to stop someone like that? Someone like Ray? Nothing.¡±


    I thought about that. It was weird to no longer consider myself as part of the human race. ¡°They could fight. Go to war against the evil Starlings and stop them from doing whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°We both know that would get ugly really fast. No, the only ones who could stop bad Starlings¡­ are good ones.¡±


    I leaned back in my seat, shivering because my clothes were still wet, and also because of the heavy ice block of responsibility that seemed to drop on my shoulders. ¡°You mean¡­like us?¡±


    ¡°Well, depends on what you call good or bad. Do you think I¡¯m a good Starling even though I refuse to go to jail?¡±


    ¡°No, yeah, Angela. You¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°And do you think you¡¯re bad for running away from the police? Would you be able to stop any bad Starlings if you were cooped up in jail?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. I chewed on that¡ªand on my last piece of chicken¡ªas I watched the rain begin to let up. She was right. Maybe I¡¯ve been too hard on myself. I should stop freaking out about breaking rules or running from the cops. I¡¯m a super human for crying out loud! This should be fun, right?


    I felt stupid because it¡¯s basically the same speech Zack and Sarah had been giving me for the last month. Why have I been so apprehensive about using my powers? Why couldn¡¯t I be more chill or excited about it all, like Angela? I think the truth was that I was just over concerned about being a good guy. I wanted to follow all the rules to be good, prove that I wasn¡¯t a trouble-maker, but Angela made a good point: manmade laws don¡¯t make a person good, morals do.


    Morals that I chose to follow. Personal rules that I committed to obey. With the power I had, no one in the world could stop me from doing whatever I wanted¡­ except for myself.


    My phone buzzed, causing me to snap out of my reverie. It was Zack. That¡¯s tough man, he wrote. I¡¯m sorry the cops are after you, and I wish I could help, but there¡¯s no way I could sneak you into my house without my parents noticing, and they aren¡¯t too fond of you right now anyway. You know, with you being a fugitive and all.


    I sighed tapping the phone on my head.


    He sent another text. And no, I¡¯m not going to help you with Team Orion anymore, so don¡¯t bother asking.


    I frowned. Zack was mad at me because I was afraid to use my powers, even for good reasons. After hearing Angela¡¯s point of view, I understood why Zack hated my guts right now. Having powers and doing nothing with them isn¡¯t neutral, it¡¯s bad. I was the bad guy in his perspective. Maybe he was right.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Angela asked as she threw her empty cartons away.


    I glanced at the road beside the restaurant, busy with traffic. The cars splashed through the puddles. I was still expecting to see red and blue police car lights coming for us in the distance, but none came.


    ¡°That was my cousin, Zack,¡± I said, looking up at Angela through the sunglasses she¡¯d given me. ¡°He said we can¡¯t stay at his place. I don¡¯t know where else to look.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± she said as she hoisted her dark green duffle bag onto the table and opened it. Inside were rolled-up tents, sleeping bags, extra clothes, blankets, non-perishable foods, and thick wads of cash. ¡°All my life my dad and I have lived with the risk that my secret would get out or that I might accidentally destroy a public library or something, and that we¡¯d have to live for a while on the run. That¡¯s why my dad and I always have this emergency bag ready.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said, standing up, and wincing from the pain in my ribs. ¡°So, what does this mean?¡±


    ¡°It means,¡± Angela said as she slung the duffle bag over her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going camping!¡±

 Chapter 31

    </a>Chapter 31


    Ray


    "C¡¯mon Fitzgerald!¡± I yelled. ¡°You¡¯ve got to catch that!¡±


    Several people in the restaurant glanced at me, alarmed by my outburst. I threw some popcorn at the large-screen TV mounted on the wall. ¡°That was a perfect throw! Right in your hands!¡± I grunted, sat back down, and picked up another chicken wing drenched in hot buffalo sauce, shaking my head in disappointment at my team.


    The Cardinals were losing to the Seahawks 30 to 6. Things weren¡¯t looking good. My oldest brother, Garret, was playing full back for the Cardinals and so far, he¡¯d had only one run with just a two-yard gain. It was starting to get too painful to watch.


    I leaned back in my chair, drinking my soda and looking around the restaurant. It was a typical chicken wing restaurant. Great food, dim lights, sports jerseys hung up on the ceiling, and huge TV¡¯s on every wall, playing all sorts of sports stations. My kind of place!


    One TV caught my attention. It was the only one on the news channel. I couldn¡¯t hear it very well, but what caught my attention was seeing my own face projected in high definition. It was a video of my fight at the school with Stoner. It had been a few days since, but it was still a hot topic on the news.


    The video had obviously been filmed by one of the students with a phone. The quality was low, but it was still remarkable to watch. Stoner and I were moving as blurs back and forth, the camera often losing track of us.


    I furrowed my eyebrows when the clip cut to the part where I¡¯d summoned fire on my hands. It was a sweet-up sight to see. How did I do that? Yeah, I¡¯d done it before then, and I knew I could do it, but I didn¡¯t know how. I needed Mark to teach me how to do it, how to reach the second degree, but I hadn¡¯t seen or heard from him in the past few days.


    ¡°Need a refill?¡± a waitress asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said.


    She poured more soda into my glass and glanced up at the TV showing the news. It was showing profile pictures of me, Stoner, and New Girl with our names and a message below. WANTED, it said in big, red letters. Dangerous Teenage Fugitives. Report Immediately.


    The waitress looked at me, and then back at the TV with my photo displayed, and then back at me again. I smiled at her and waved. She spilled some of the soda onto the table. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she said nervously. ¡°My bad. Let me¡­ let me go get a rag for that.¡± She skirted away from my table, glancing back at me as she walked.


    I threw my napkin on the table and stretched my arms. Looks like my lunch is going to be cut short, I thought. I reached into my wallet and found only a one-dollar bill. I groaned as I placed it into the center of the table. I need more money.


    I¡¯d learned a couple days ago that paying people for food was so much more convenient than forcing them to give me it for free. Nobody asked questions or called the cops on me when I paid them. Well, except for now. That waitress had recognized me. I was sure the cops would be here any minute.


    I stood up and walked toward the exit. I¡¯d planned on watching the entire football game here, but it wasn¡¯t really worth watching anymore anyways. I opened the door to leave.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± a guy at the register said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pay your tab!¡±


    I turned on him, stoking my powers, glaring at him with my simmering eyes. He yelped, jumping back in surprise, as did a few customers who were looking my way. He didn¡¯t try to stop me again as I walked out the door.


    I sighed, enjoying the warmth from the sun, and put on sunglasses. I strolled casually down the sidewalk. I could have flown, but it¡¯s super uncomfortable to fly on a full stomach. The cops probably wouldn¡¯t get here for a few more minutes anyways, so I had enough time to walk away.


    Being a god was fun, no doubt about it, but being poor was not. I needed some more mullah. I didn¡¯t want to have to threaten everyone to do my bidding all the time. It was too much of a hassle, and¡­ well¡­.


    I slid some headphones over my ears, bouncing to the heavy beat as I walked across Parlor Street toward the nearest bank.  It was surprisingly busy for a bank, probably because it was so close to downtown Tucson. Men and women in business attire strode in and out of the glass doors. I ambled through, keeping my sunglasses and headphones on, and scanned the bank¡¯s interior, trying to locate the vault.


    I walked around a queue of people waiting to talk to a bank teller and leaped over the front desk. I moved slowly toward the hallways, not putting any effort into stealth. It took a moment for the bank staff to react; to them, I probably looked more like a lost teenager who took a wrong turn than I did a robber.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± a guy in a gray suit said. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you to return to the other side of the desk, please.¡±


    I ignored him, barely able to hear him over the music, and walked around a corner. No vault; just more corners to walk around. I sauntered down the hallway, my hands in my pockets. After rounding another corner, the vault finally came into view. A metal door, circular and thick, filled the space of the entire wall in front of me. It was closed, but that didn¡¯t matter much to me.


    Somebody grabbed me by the shoulder, it was the guy in a gray suit. He had a nice comb over and an awesome tie, grey on black with faded, curvy lines. ¡°Sir!¡± Martin said¡ªI read his name tag. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed back here! Come with me!¡±


    He tried pulling me back toward the lobby, but I didn¡¯t budge. I lowered my sunglasses with a finger and gave him a look that said, ¡°Don¡¯t. Touch. Me.¡±


    He gasped, staring at my glowing eyes, and let go of me. I turned back toward the vault, bouncing to my music, strode up to the metal door, and grabbed the handle jutting out from the side. I took a deep breath, focusing on the fire within my gut, willing it to erupt. The burning sensation surged through me, making my arms and hands feel hot, though they didn¡¯t glow red or emit fire like they did when I fought Stoner.


    I pulled. The door made a loud, metallic groan as it resisted my efforts. I grabbed it with two hands, placing one foot on the wall, and yanked on it fiercely. The handle bent, forming a V. The door strained for a second, and then swung open, stone and concrete flying free from the roof and wall. The whole building shook from the commotion, causing all sorts of alarms to blare and flash. I dusted off my hands, readjusted my sunglasses, and gazed into the vault.


    There was a shelf on the side of the vault that had separated wads of hundred, fifty, and twenty-dollar bills. I was about to grab an armful of money but realized it would be way easier with a bag. I laughed under my breath. I guess you forget to get things like bags when you decide last minute to rob a bank.


    Oh well. No biggie.


    I leaned into a run, blasting past a group of guys. Martin was with them and so was a security guard with a pistol. I jumped over the front desk, and skid to a stop in the lobby, right next to a middle-aged lady. By the time she noticed me, I had already slid her black purse off of her shoulder. ¡°Thanks!¡± I said.


    She yelped in fright, and I took off, back toward the vault.


    I zipped past the guys looking into the empty vault with confused expressions, and stopped in the center of the vault, ready to load up. I dumped the items from within the purse onto the vault¡¯s floor, and then reached for the wads of hundred-dollar bills and placed them into the purse, nodding to my music¡¯s beat as I went.


    After a moment, the security guard recollected himself, and ordered me to do something. I couldn¡¯t hear him very well over my music, and I wasn¡¯t really listening anyways. I kept grabbing wads of cash, filling the purse to the brink. I felt something sting on my shoulder, like someone threw a hard candy at me. I felt more stings on my back, but I ignored them.


    The purse was full. Satisfied, I turned to leave the vault. A group of half a dozen guys stood outside the vault, looking perplexed. The security guard, with a goatee and a cap, kept his gun leveled on me, disbelief spread across his face.


    ¡°Thanks for the money,¡± I said, lifting the purse. ¡°I¡¯ll just be on my¡ª¡±


    Gunshots sounded again, cutting me off. I got pelted on the chest, on the forehead, and then my left headphone exploded, falling off my ear. The sound died, both the gunshots and the music. I pulled off my sunglasses and my broken headphones and glared at the security guard. His eyes widened in fear.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I bolted out of the vault, grabbed the guard by the throat with one hand, slammed him against the wall, and hoisted him a couple feet off the ground. ¡°I loved that song!¡± I said through gritted teeth. His feet dangled below him as he clawed at my hand. Martin and another guy in a suit tried tackling and punching me, but I stood firm. I threw them both off of me with a wave of my left hand, which still clung onto the black purse full of cash. I used my other hand to squeeze on the security guard¡¯s larynx, his face turning pale.


    Then, I let go. The guard crumpled to the floor, coughing and wheezing for air. I glowered down at him, and to the guys around me. They kept their distance this time, clearly frightened of me. The alarms continued to shriek, sounding louder now that I didn¡¯t have my headphones on.


    I blinked, looking down at the guard with a goatee. He looked so weak, massaging his throat as he gasped for air. I frowned, feeling sick inside. Why¡¯d he have to go and shoot my headphones?


    I shook my head, taking one last look at the people around me. Martin backed away from me, fear spread across his face as he favored his right ankle.


    I heaved a sigh, and then stoked my powers as I levitated into the air, shot around the corners, passing around baffled men and women, and launched out of the bank and up to the sky. I looked down at the bank below, the black purse still secure in my grip¡ªno way would I sling it over my shoulder.


    Police cars approached the building. Their car sirens and the bank¡¯s alarm system filled the air with a constant ringing. Several cops ran inside the bank, weapons drawn. A few others followed the gaze of a few women who were pointing up at me. I frowned, as I flew away, looking down at the city below.


    Getting money was nice, especially when nobody had to die. Still, the look on the guard¡¯s face kept replaying in my mind.


    I suddenly heard a loud thumping directly ahead of me. I lifted my gaze and saw a white helicopter just feet in front of me. I yelped, reflexively redirecting my energy to lift me higher into the air. The blades barely missed me, spinning only inches below me. As the chopper passed me, it pitched and rolled; the pilot was probably trying to regain control after nearly hitting a flying teenager. I assumed that wasn¡¯t something they had practiced too often in helicopter school.


    The pilot turned the helicopter around to get a good look at me. I hovered in place. The chopper had a police symbol on the side, which meant that it must¡¯ve been called here for the bank robbery. I looked down at the black purse in my hand, wads of cash nearly falling out. Could they see that?


    The helicopter lowered its blades, careening toward me. ¡°Oh great!¡± I said under my breath. I turned away from the chopper and flared my powers, bursting into motion, the wind howling in my ears. I looked over my shoulder, satisfied. The helicopter wasn¡¯t even close to keeping up with me. It quickly became a small dot in the distance.


    Confident the pilot wouldn¡¯t be able to follow me, I shifted directions, heading toward my temporary home. It was the only hotel in the city that hadn¡¯t asked me to verify my age. The suite wasn¡¯t anything compared to home, but home was crawling with cops at the moment.


    Without my powers, I would¡¯ve been a scared seventeen-year old, living in hiding, alone and miserable, ducking every time someone looked at me. But, with my powers¡ªI glanced down at the purse full of cash¡ªI was living like a king, out in the open, unafraid, and¡­ well¡­. I guess I¡¯m still alone.


    Just before I reached the hotel, something slammed into me from the right, hard. It felt like I got hit by a freight train, and the world started spinning as I plummeted downward. I hit the ground with a thud, rolling a few dozen yards before skidding to a stop.


    I lay there for a moment, unsure about what just happened. Did the helicopter shoot a rocket launcher at me? I wondered, because that¡¯s what it felt like. No way did they catch up with me. I rubbed my shoulder and popped my neck, gathering in my surroundings.


    I was in a park. Green grass, trees, playgrounds, dogs, and people¡ªwho were all gawking at me and the small crater formed by my fall. I looked up toward the direction where I got hit. I didn¡¯t see any smoke anywhere, so that reasoned out the rocket launcher idea. Where was my purse¡ªer, the black bag? I scanned the park grounds, unable to find it. It had to have landed around here somewhere.


    ¡°Looking for this?¡± a voice said somewhere above me.


    I looked up and saw nothing. ¡°What the¡­¡± I said. And then the purse instantly appeared out of thin air, falling directly above my head. I reached up to catch it, but with a whooshing sound, it vanished just before touching my fingers.


    Someone was laughing at me. The voice I heard earlier, above me. It was a male voice, unfamiliar. But, I couldn¡¯t see anything above me.


    The purse reappeared to my left, just inches from my face. It was held by a hand. Yes, a hand. A flying hand. That¡¯s all! It was cut off at the wrist, sort of like the Thing from the Addams Family. I scrunched my face in confusion.


    ¡°Come and get it!¡± the voice said.


    I clawed after the purse, but it and the flying hand disappeared just before I reached them, and I ended up grabbing nothing but air.


    The voice laughed again. ¡°Too slow!¡±


    I could hear the voice circle in the air around me while it spoke. I blinked my eyes, still unable to see anything but the blue sky above me, and furrowed my eyebrows, realizing what I was dealing with.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Starling, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re the one who touched the third stone.¡±


    The on-looking people throughout the park kept their distance from me; they probably thought I was simply having an argument with my imaginary friend.


    The invisible guy just laughed in response. He was a Starling with invisibility powers. How do you fight an invisible super human? I focused on every sound he made. A flying human sounding something like a baseball bat¡ªyou know when you swing it through the air and it makes that whooshing sound? That¡¯s what I could hear every time he moved through the air.


    ¡°Did Mark teach you how to become invisible?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you think he could teach me that trick?¡±


    ¡°Psh, you wish!¡± the guy snapped. I turned my gaze toward his voice, all I could see was a large palm tree several yards in front of me. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± he continued. ¡°The second degree is unique for every¡ª¡±


    In an explosion of power, I flew to where I predicted he would be and swung my fist as hard as I could. I made contact with something solid, but unfortunately it wasn¡¯t his face, maybe just his shoulder¡ªor his foot? The moment before my fist touched him, my hand and wrist completely vanished, and then reappeared a second later.


    That was weird.


    He grunted and flew away. I should¡¯ve followed him, but I flinched. It¡¯s not every day your hand disappears when you punch a guy, okay. Maybe whatever touched him would turn invisible. That explained how his clothes were invisible. Or did he just not wear clothes? Gross!


    No. He made the purse appear and disappear while holding it. How did he do that? Ray! I thought. This isn¡¯t a time to think about the mechanics of his powers. Instead you should focus on listening where he¡­


    Too late.


    His fist suddenly connected with my jaw, sending me sprawling. I recovered quickly, rolling to my feet and raising my arms over my head.


    The invisible Starling went for my midsection, kneeing me¡ªor at least I thought it was his knee; I couldn¡¯t really tell¡ªright in the gut, causing me to keel over in pain. He didn¡¯t let up. He kept hitting me as I was down.


    How had I come from being regarded as a god in that bank just moments earlier, to falling to my knees before this coward who wouldn¡¯t face me in a fair fight? I wouldn¡¯t have it. I was Draco!


    The fire within me roared to life. I pushed off the grass, rocketing high into the air.


    I looked down at the park. A large group of people in the park were watching me fly off and, of course, several of them had their phones out to film me. I wondered what a viral video of this fight would look like. It would either be titled Draco Defeats Invisiguy Like a Boss, or Superhuman Teenager Practices Contemporary Dance in the Park.


    I frowned as I gazed downward with my glowing eyes. I had no idea where he was. I calmed my breath, trying to listen for any whooshing sounds. I hovered there for a moment, only hearing silence, besides the wind.


    I came up with a plan. I needed to grab him. Wrestle the money out of his hands. As long as I had a hold on him, I would know where he was.


    ¡°Are you meditating or something?¡± the Starling chortled from behind me.


    I snapped into motion, flying toward his voice, ready to grab him. He was ready for my outburst this time. He flew away; I could hear him ahead of me. I chased after him.


    The black purse reappeared with Invisiguy¡¯s severed hand bouncing it up and down. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± Invisiguy said. ¡°Come and get it!¡±


    I flew toward the purse, intending to grab him instead of the money, but he flew away, just out of my reach. He flew higher and faster, and I followed close behind. He went straight through a cloud, but I stayed close enough that I never lost sight of the black purse. We burst out the top of the cloud and kept flying through clear skies.


    Why was he letting me see the purse? He could turn it invisible if he wanted and make his escape. I cursed under my breath. He wanted me to follow him! I didn¡¯t want to play his game, but I couldn¡¯t let him get away with all my money either. My best option was to catch up to him and take back the money before we arrived to wherever he was taking me.


    I flared my power, directing all of my energy directly toward my feet, and flew faster than I ever had before. I¡¯d hoped to catch Invisiguy right away, but man¡­ he was good at flying! He stayed just a few yards ahead of me.


    The air around me grew cold as we sped up. The sound of the wind started to fade, but the resistance was still there. My legs felt a little wet. I looked over my shoulder and saw a small cloud forming around my body as I skimmed through the air. It was like one of those vapor cones that would form around a jet after reaching supersonic speed. Wow, I thought. I¡¯m flying faster than the speed of sound!


    Invisiguy had a vapor cone around him too, but it looked different because, well¡­ he was invisible. In fact, the vapor outlined his figure, making it easier for me to follow him. His form looked strange, almost non-human. It seemed too round, too large, too¡­ bubbly? Oh, I thought. That¡¯s how his powers work. He himself isn¡¯t invisible; he must have some sort of bubble of invisibility around him. That¡¯s why my fist disappeared when I punched him; it had passed through the bubble. And, supposedly, he could manipulate the bubble, like he was doing now with his hand and the purse.


    Invisiguy changed directions, plunging straight down. I reached for the black purse, but barely missed. I swore again, clenching my jaw. This thief was going to get the beating of a lifetime as soon as I got a hold of him.


    I shot down toward him, toward the city, passing through a thin layer of clouds, slowly gaining on him. ¡°Come here!¡± I shouted. ¡°You invisible little¡­¡±


    His hand and purse suddenly disappeared as he approached some abandoned building. I slowed down, trying to listen for him. I thought I heard him flying toward one of the broken windows on the top floor of the building. I flew closer, scanning the entire floor, looking for any trace of movement, and listening carefully.


    ¡°Where did you go, you coward?¡± I shouted toward the building as I hovered in the air, shifting my eyes toward the lower floors. It would be impossible to find him in there; the place was huge, and he was freakin¡¯ invisible!


    Something caught my eye. A man standing near one of the broken windows on the highest floor. I burst into motion, flying directly toward him. As I approached, I stopped, hovering just outside the window, recognizing him. Dark skin, slick black hair, a goatee, and a thick build. He wasn¡¯t as tall as me, but he postured himself as if he were above everyone.


    ¡°Hey, Draco,¡± Mark said casually. ¡°Thanks for coming. We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 32

    </a>Chapter 32


    Michael


    It was hot in here. I didn¡¯t want to get up yet. But it was so hot!


    I slowly opened my eyes, staring straight up at the orange and grey tarp that covered my tent. I could see silhouettes of ants and cockroaches climbing up the tent, looking desperately for a way in so they could find me and eat me alive. Evil little buggers.


    I reached for my phone next to my sleeping bag. It was nearly dead but had enough juice to still tell me the time. 8:03 a.m. I groaned, putting my phone down. I wanted a couple more hours of rest but sleeping in was nearly impossible while camping in Arizona. The sun had only been up for an hour, but it had already transformed my tent into a man-sized oven.


    With a sigh, I sat up, unzipping my sleeping bag a little. I rubbed my eyes and glanced down at my bare chest. My ribs felt much better today. Angela and I had been camping out here for the past few days, and most of the time I relaxed with my powers on, letting my ribs heal as fast as possible. It wasn¡¯t instantaneous, but much faster than it would¡¯ve been without my blue stone.


    I reached into my pocket. Yep, I thought. It¡¯s still there. My meteorite was cool to the touch, and felt as ordinary as any skipping stone, but I treated it as if it were a sacred relic. I had formed a habit of checking on it often. Losing that stone would be miserable. I¡¯d have limited powers like Angela had for most her life. And I admit that I¡¯d become addicted to using the powers the stone granted me.


    I closed my eyes, imagining the top of a roller-coaster ride, and the ball of energy in my gut burst, spreading its tingling power through my limbs. It felt so good. Without my powers on, I¡¯d felt so weak and fragile. And I had my powers on pretty frequently the past few days, so it felt weird whenever I turned them off¡ªwhich was basically whenever I slept.


    Okay, I thought. It¡¯s too hot in here.


    I put on my clothes, unzipped my tent, and stumbled out. Angela was already up, sitting next to the fire. She looked up to me and laughed.


    ¡°Nice hair,¡± she said.


    I frowned, brushing through my hair. It was all over the place. ¡°Um¡­ thanks.¡± I said, embarrassed.


    She laughed again and turned back to the fire. I tilted my head as I gazed at her.


    Even though neither of us had used a proper bathroom the past few days, she still looked stunning. Her light brown hair streamed out from under her Yankees ball cap, her smile was soft and inviting, her eyes were a tasty, chocolaty brown. She was tall and slim, with all the right curves in all the right places.


    Not only that, but she was super awesome too. I mean, she was a Super Chick! Not many of those around, last I checked. And she was so assertive, decisive, and productive. Attributes I admired so much because I desired them myself. And she was smart, an astronomy nerd just like me. I couldn¡¯t get over how cool that was!


    She shot a glance back at me, an eyebrow raised, obviously aware that I was totally checking her out. I started, stumbling over a rock, waving my arms, trying to catch my balance. She chuckled under her breath. ¡°Careful, Michael,¡± she warned. I caught myself. Was there a second meaning in that?


    ¡°I made you some breakfast,¡± Angela said, handing me a paper plate full of eggs, sausage, and hash browns.


    ¡°Awesome! Thanks!¡± I said sincerely, as I slumped in a camping chair next to the fire, trying to pretend nothing had happened a few seconds ago. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such an expert at cooking.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not,¡± she corrected. ¡°Just an expert at camping.¡±


    I thought back to the burnt-fish-sticks smell at her house.


    ¡°How are your ribs?¡± Angela asked as she forked some food into her mouth.


    ¡°Better. Much better. I think I¡¯m feeling good enough to run into the city today.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear, but we¡¯ve got enough supplies out here to last us a couple more days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I was thinking about going to the city for something else.¡±


    She tilted her head. ¡°Oh yeah? What¡¯s that?¡±


    I took a moment to swallow my food and leaned forward in my chair. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, Angela. And I think it stems off what you told me the other night about being a good Starling and breaking the law.¡±


    ¡°Mm hm?¡±


    ¡°Your dad said there are dozens of us Starlings. In the Western States, Canada, and Mexico. Chase Whipple showed us news reports of other Starlings. Some of them robbing banks and some putting out forest fires. Some good, some bad. What if we could get in contact with them? Form a team?¡±


    ¡°Like a super hero squad?¡± Angela said skeptically.


    ¡°Yes, actually. We could gather together with the good ones, so that together we can stop the bad ones.¡±


    Angela swallowed a slice of sausage. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea, but it sounds a little too idealistic to me. How are we supposed to find them? And just the good ones?¡±


    ¡°They will come to us,¡± I explained. ¡°And this is the best part. What we do is come clean to the media.¡±


    She stared at me for a moment. ¡°You mean turn ourselves in?¡±


    ¡°Sorta. But, not to jail. No. We tell the whole world who we really are. That we really have powers and want to use them for good. We tell them what your dad told us about Starlings. That there are more super humans out there that are too powerful for humans to stop.


    ¡°We use the media to give a warning to the people and to call the Starlings to us. The good ones. We can say that this is the gathering place for them, a safe haven. If we do that, and the people see that a big group of us really are good, then maybe they will stop sending cops after us. And maybe they will let us live among them with an agreement to not bother each other. That way¡­ we could return to our homes, our families, our lives. Yes, everyone will know that we¡¯re super humans, but we will just learn to get along.¡±


    Angela frowned as she thought about it. ¡°Won¡¯t that also attract a lot of attention to us and to Tucson?¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± I said. ¡°Every bad Starling will know to stay away from this city, making it the safest place on earth.¡±


    ¡°What if the bad Starlings start attacking people in other cities?¡±


    ¡°Then we will run over there and stop them,¡± I said, putting my plate down and gazing into the fire. ¡°Maybe that will be part of the agreement we make with the people. We will protect the world if they will let us break some laws in order to do so.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Angela said, rubbing her chin. ¡°We will basically be superheroes without a secret identity?¡±


    I thought about that and nodded. ¡°Yeah, or the police for the Starlings. The Starling Police. You know how cops are allowed to speed to catch a criminal? It¡¯s the same idea here. We will be given leeway to break some laws, so we can catch the superhuman criminals.¡±


    Angela gazed at the fire, slowly nodding. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, Michael. Sounds like quite the adventure, but do you really think you and I should spearhead this? We¡¯re both only sixteen years old after all.¡±


    ¡°I turn seventeen in a month.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but my point is¡­ do you really think that we could gather a group of Starlings and fight other Starlings across the nation? I mean, you and I both had a hard-enough time stopping Ray. We may be super humans, but we¡¯re not fighters. We¡¯re not police. We¡¯re just teenagers. I got my driver¡¯s license six months ago!¡± She brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. ¡°And some of the Starlings out there may be adults. Who knows who could have touched those stones? What if some psychopath serial killer got a stone and plans to murder thousands of people? Could we really stop someone like that?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admitted, looking away from the fire and at her. ¡°But that¡¯s why we need a big group of us. Together we should be able to stop anyone.¡±


    She turned away from me, stewing over my idea as she played with the fire with a stick.


    I rested my hand on her shoulder. She looked at me, concern in her eyes. ¡°I know this will be very dangerous,¡± I said. ¡°And life-risking. But, it¡¯s better than just hiding from the world out here, hoping everything will turn out well while Starlings are popping up left and right. This is the only way that I can think of where I would actually feel like a good Starling. Like the hero my dad wants me to be.¡±


    ¡°Heroes?¡± Angela said softly; not in a skeptical way, but more in a ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is finally happening¡± way. She wore a big grin, imagining the idea. And then she frowned. ¡°There¡¯s one problem we have to deal with first, before we can make Tucson a safe haven for Starlings.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    She threw her plate in the fire. ¡°Ray Simmons. Last night, after you went to sleep in your tent, I stayed up listening to my portable radio. I heard that Ray robbed a bank yesterday. The police have no idea how to stop him. There was talk about bringing in the National Guard.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that could get ugly.¡± I threw my empty plate into the fire and stood up. ¡°This could be our chance, Angela. We could prove to the people that we¡¯re good by stopping him.¡±


    ¡°And how do we do that? Yeah, we¡¯ve got a good chance because it¡¯s two on one, but he didn¡¯t stay down after our last fight. How do we keep him down? Kill him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°By taking away his stone. Without it he can¡¯t use his powers, and we can let the police throw him in jail.¡±


    She nodded, looking at the dying fire, thinking about it. ¡°Okay. Sounds like a plan. I hold him while you go digging through his pants.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say it like that.¡±


    She snickered as she slugged my shoulder. ¡°Well one thing¡¯s for sure. If we¡¯re going to have a face-off with Ray, then we need to practice.¡±


    I looked up from the fire and noticed Angela¡¯s eyes were glowing. She wore an evil grin.


    Before I knew it, I was shoved off my feet and sent rolling through the desert dirt and rocks. I sparked my powers to life and climbed to my feet, trying to gather my bearings. What was going on? I looked back at the fire. Where did Angela go?


    I heard something thundering from my right and turned just as Angela pushed me to the ground again. I lay on the ground for a while this time. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I stammered as I got to my feet. It took me a while to find Angela. When I finally found her, she was standing in the distance with a bundle of rocks in her arms, tossing one rock up and down, her eyes glowing.


    ¡°Practicing,¡± she said with a teasing smirk. ¡°Here, catch!¡±


    She chucked a rock at me, and man, could she throw! Even with my superpowers, that rock flew too fast for me to bring my hands up. I barely managed to dodge it as it zipped past my face and nailed a large cactus, completely toppling it over.


    I looked back at Angela, bewildered. ¡°What, are you crazy?¡± I yelled. ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Orion! Let¡¯s see how tough you are!¡±


    She flung the rock at me, and it was still faster than I¡¯d expected. This one pegged me in the shoulder, knocking me off balance, but just for a moment. The rock didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought it would. It was more like getting hit by a dodgeball. When I looked back at Angela, another rock was soaring my way.


    I dodged it just in time and saw the next one fly. Angela was throwing rock after rock at me. This is a crazy way to practice, I thought. But I¡¯ll play along.


    I felt my powers surge as I lunged toward a rock, my goalie instincts kicking into gear. I caught it with one hand; it stung, but only a little. I caught the next one with my other hand.


    Angela threw a few more. I punched the first two with my fists, knocking them to the ground, and I spun and kicked the third one into the air, losing sight of it as it sailed above the clouds.


    I looked back at Angela. She still wore her playful smile, her eyes glowing. At first, I thought this was crazy dangerous, but this was actually a lot of fun!


    I quickly picked up a few more stones nearby. ¡°Alright, Cygnus. Your turn!¡±


    I threw three rocks at once with one hand, not at full strength¡ªI didn¡¯t want to hurt her¡ªbut hard enough to make her run for her money. I¡¯d expected her to dodge them, since there were three coming at once, but she had a better idea.


    Her grin disappeared and was replaced with a focused expression. Her eyes suddenly shifted to a deeper white color, and with an explosion of light, glass-looking wings appeared out of nowhere and circled around her. The three rocks thudded against the wings, each one splitting into tiny little pieces.


    I could see Angela through her transparent wings, deep in concentration, her arms out to her sides, as if they controlled the wings¡¯ movements.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± I said out loud, dropping the other rocks in my hand. I sped over to her and stopped a few feet away from her wings. ¡°These are so cool¡­¡± I reached a hand out to touch them. Angela didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    They were warm to the touch. They looked like they were made out of glass, intricate feather carvings throughout, like they were made by an expert glass-blower. But they were too flexible and indestructible to be glass.


    ¡°They¡¯re not so much wings, as they are force fields,¡± Angela said, reading my thoughts. ¡°They¡¯re made out of pure energy, but solid and smooth. I¡¯ve tried to figure out the science behind it, but it¡¯s too complex.¡± She swung her arms downward, next to her thighs, and the wings followed suit. With a grinding sound, the wings cut through the desert ground as easily as a knife through butter, until they rested at Angela¡¯s sides, mimicking the movement of her arms, the tip of the wings buried ten feet underground. ¡°All I know is that it works,¡± she said. ¡°Almost like magic. I¡¯ve never been able to summon them for long periods of time, until now that I¡¯ve got my stone.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, gawking. ¡°You have force field wings¡­ that is so cool!¡±


    She smiled proudly. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty cool, won¡¯t lie. Problem is¡­¡±


    She started pumping her arms up and down, and her wings did the same, blasting dirt and pebbles with huge gusts of air. I raised an arm to protect my eyes as the air blew all around me. After a moment, Angela stopped flapping her wings, standing in the same spot, her lips drawn to a line, looking disappointed.


    ¡°They don¡¯t fly,¡± I finished for her, understanding. ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re not connected to you. They can blow a lot of wind, but it doesn¡¯t give you any thrust.¡±


    She nodded somberly, her wings disappeared, her eyes returning to their normal dull white glow.


    ¡°How do you summon them?¡± I asked. Angela raised an eyebrow. ¡°The wings? How do you get them to appear? And your eyes glowed white¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± she said, hesitating a moment, and then continued talking. ¡°I have to think back to a memory I had back when I was nine. The first time the wings appeared. Mom and I were caught in a storm while we were out hiking. It started to hail, and there wasn¡¯t anything to cover us nearby. Mom was getting hurt and I wanted nothing more than to protect her from the hailstones. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, the wings appeared around the both of us, blocking us from the storm. I didn¡¯t even realize I was using my powers until I got weak and passed out moments later, and my mom carried me to shelter.¡±


    She paused for a moment. I hadn¡¯t heard her talk about her mom much. ¡°After that,¡± she said, looking up at me. ¡°I tried for months to get my wings to reappear. And finally, they did, when I thought back to that memory. It hurt to use my powers, but I was so fascinated by the wings, I just wanted a glimpse of them. I wanted to fly with them so desperately. It wasn¡¯t until now, that I¡¯ve gotten to fully test them out.¡±


    I hummed, folding my arms. ¡°There¡¯s got to be a connection.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°A connection between your powers, my powers, Ray¡¯s powers, and every Starling¡¯s powers. You¡¯ve got force field wings. Ray can throw fireballs. And me¡­ I don¡¯t know what I can do.¡±


    ¡°I saw the balls of light that came out of your hands during your fight with Ray,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, that was weird.¡± I started pacing casually. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how I did it, or why it happened, and I don¡¯t know how to do it again. And I¡¯ve thought back on when it happened several times, just like you did for your wings, and nothing has happened.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Angela said, folding her arms. ¡°It took me a while to get the hang of it. When I think of the memory, I have to really convince myself that I¡¯m there, and I have to feel it. That same feeling I had to protect my mom and¡­¡± With a deep humming sound, her wings reappeared, surrounding both of us. ¡°Voila!¡±


    I looked around at the shimmering wings, impressed, and gazed back at Angela. I couldn¡¯t help but realize how close we were to each other, inside the comforting dome of her wings. She wore a soft smile, looking back into my glowing eyes. We held each other¡¯s gaze for a while.


    She broke the gaze and dismissed her wings, but still wore a grin. ¡°Hey,¡± she said walking past me, patting me on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s keep practicing.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I responded half-heartedly.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to play a new game,¡± she said turning back to me. She slowly strode toward me, grinning at me the entire time, exaggerating her hip and shoulder movements. ¡°This one involves some¡­ personal contact.¡± She drew very close, shifting her attention to my lips, and she started to lean in! I raised my eyebrows. Is this really happening? I thought, my heart racing. I closed my eyes and leaned in too.


    Then, she pushed me away, causing me to stumble. I opened my eyes, confused.


    ¡°Tag! You¡¯re it!¡±


    And she burst into a run, leaving me in a gust of wind and a cloud of dust.


    I stood there for a moment, baffled and sputtering. She kept running through the desert, dust trailing behind her. I chuckled to myself and shook my head. She definitely knows how to play with my head, I thought. I narrowed my eyes, smirked, and leaned into a sprint.


    The world seemed to slow down as the tingling in my legs increased, causing me to speed down the rocky hill toward Angela. I was gaining on her, but very gradually. I tried to stay out of the dust she kicked up, but sometimes it was impossible. I had to squint my eyes and hold my breath while running through the dust clouds.


    Angela rounded a crater. I think this was the one where I found my stone. Two days ago, we¡¯d discovered the third crater and found nothing inside. Either someone took the third stone and left town, or there was no stone in there to begin with.


    Our campsite was basically at the same place where Angela and I had gone stargazing on our first date. Red Knoll was the hill Angela and I were speeding down. Short bushes and tall cactuses were the main vegetation we had to run around. The ground was rocky and uneven, which made it hard to stay balanced while running, but we hadn¡¯t fallen yet.


    Instead of rounding the crater like Angela, I leaped over it, landing close to her. She yelped when she saw me so close and increased her speed, just staying out of arm¡¯s length. Her Yankees hat fell off, letting her hair flap wildly behind her, but neither of us stopped to pick it up. This was a chase!


    She glanced at me from over her shoulder and laughed, a playful grin smearing her face. She weaved between tall cactuses like a downhill slalom skier. I kept on her heels, amazed that I hadn¡¯t tripped yet. I¡¯d never run this fast yet! True, we were playing games, but playing with another Starling was helping me test my powers and become more familiar with their limits.


    Angela jumped suddenly, flying higher than a Las Vegas hotel. She came back down and landed with a thud, causing the ground she landed on to cave in and form a tiny crater, but she didn¡¯t stop running. I had to catch up to her. Her jump had moved her further down the hill.


    She leaped again, soaring even higher this time. I bent my knees and jumped after her, hoping to catch her midair. I went up and up, higher than I¡¯d ever jumped before. Angela had jumped higher than me, staying far out of my reach. When I looked down, I gasped. That was a long ways down!


    I plummeted to the distant ground, my stomach climbing up to my throat. It was intense and thrilling, but I felt confident that with my powers I could land on my two feet, just like Angela had. Sure enough, my feet pounded into the ground, forming a crater around me. My momentum carried me forward, causing me to stumble, but I caught myself and kept running.


    Angela landed her jump and sprang into a higher one. She looked like a tiny dot in the sky, a speck below the clouds. I flung my arms this time as I jumped as high as I could.


    ¡°Woo hoo!!!¡± is what I screamed going up, and ¡°Aaahhh!¡± going down.


    Angela spun in the air and looked back at me, grinning from ear to ear. She laughed as she plummeted back to the earth, her T-shirt, jeans, and light brown hair flapping in the wind. Even though I¡¯d jumped as high as I could, Angela was still dozens of yards higher than me.


    We came down, forming our craters, and then went back up. It¡¯s strange to think that we were having so much fun playing tag and jumping around. Most teenagers don¡¯t do that, right? But superhuman teenagers do. Why? Because it¡¯s a blast!


    I needed to jump higher!


    As I approached the ground, I prepped myself for the biggest jump ever. The tingling sensation increased within me. It felt like thousands of tiny rubber balls started bouncing around my stomach; it was like the feeling I got when cliff diving, that pivotal moment just before jumping into a fifty-foot free fall and splashing into a cold river. You couldn¡¯t think about it. You just had to do it.


    Just after Angela jumped back into the air ahead of me, I hit the ground hard, forming another crater, allowing my knees to bend. I extended my legs, springing into a massive leap. Something peculiar happened in this jump. The tingling feeling from my powers did something unusual. It¡­ moved.


    How do I explain this?


    My powers had always felt like that electrifying, invigorating, tingling sensation. The tingling would spread through my entire body as I used my powers, and the tingling would intensify in the limb that was in use. When I punched, my fist tingled the most. When I kicked, my feet tingled more. You get the idea.


    But, this time, when I jumped with everything I had, I felt the tingling actually escape my body. The tingling, like millions of miniature airsoft bullets, shot right out of the soles of my feet. It didn¡¯t hurt, and the tingling within my gut didn¡¯t subside. Just, some of the tingling¡ªor the physical, invisible essence of my power¡ªwas forced downward, which launched me upward like a human rocket.


    I was surprised by the power in my jump, and almost screamed like a little girl, but I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t.


    I raised my eyes skyward as I soared, keeping my gaze on the clouds high above. I stretched my arms vertically, which seemed to help me cut through the wind resistance. Whoa, I thought. I keep going up!


    Mid-jump¡ªsomewhere around the height of the Eiffel Tower¡ªAngela watched me soar past her, a look of amazement spread across her face. ¡°Hey!¡± was all I could say as I whizzed by with a quick wave.


    I glanced down at the distant ground below, amazed by my height. I looked back up and closed my eyes just before colliding with a white cloud. The air around me grew moist for just a moment, and then I popped out of the cloud, the sun reappearing in the eastern sky.


    As I came to the peak of my ascent, there was a long moment of weightlessness. A sea of white clouds spread below me. The air felt cooler up here, even though the sun was unobscured and shining brightly. It was a view I could never forget.


    I¡¯d seen the tops of clouds from an airplane, but it seemed much more surreal¡ªmore personal¡ªwithout any windows to block my view. This is what I imagined heaven looking like.


    Then I started to fall.


    The sun disappeared as I sunk into the clouds, suddenly becoming blind¡­ and wet. The wind resistance pushed me into a spin, flipping me end over end as I fell.


    I didn¡¯t scream. I was too terrified to scream.


    I reemerged below the clouds and caught a glimpse of the quickly-approaching, rocky ground. Could my body handle a fall like this? I wondered.


    I knew what I needed to do. I needed to get my powers to move out of my body again. I needed to fly.


    I spread out my arms and legs, which stopped my spinning and left me facing the ground, belly-to-earth position. If I was going to make this work, I needed to do it fast. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the tingling in my gut, trying to get it to shoot out my feet like it had before.


    Nothing happened.


    Only a few seconds left.


    I yelled at my powers, ¡°MOVE!¡±


    Still nothing.


    I curled up into a ball just as I made impact with the earth. With a loud crunch, my whole world stopped.


    But I wasn¡¯t dead.


    The wind got knocked out of me, which hurt a lot, but that was it. No broken bones. No concussion. I finally regained my breath after rolling into a sitting position and looked around, grateful to be alive. Grateful to have superpowers. Getting hit by Ray hurt ten times more than that had.


    Angela suddenly appeared in front of me, skidding to a stop, a dust cloud blowing over us. ¡°Michael!¡± she said enthusiastically, extending a hand to pick me up. ¡°That was amazing! At first it looked like you were flying! And then¡­¡±


    ¡°And then I dropped like a rock!¡± I finished for her as she helped me to my feet. ¡°But I think you¡¯re right! I think I figured out the secret to flying! You¡¯re it, by the way.¡±


    She scrunched her face. ¡°I¡¯m the secret to flying?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, patting her hand. ¡°You¡¯re it. You know. Tag?¡±


    ¡°Oh, who cares? Tell me how you flew!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­¡± I paused, brushing the dirt off my clothes as I spoke. ¡°I made the tingling move.¡±


    She just looked at me for a few seconds, her mouth half open. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know, the tingling that spreads through your body when you use your powers? I made it move out of my body.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you feel when you use your powers?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said flatly. ¡°It¡¯s more like¡­ pressure, for me.¡±


    ¡°Pressure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Not painful pressure, though. It¡¯s kinda like my body is filled with air, like a balloon or an air mattress, and it makes me feel lighter on my feet.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Not as weird as tingling.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so our powers feel different, but I think the idea should be the same. Take that pressure feeling you have, and push it downward, all the way out of your feet.¡±


    ¡°And how do you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but that¡¯s what I did to jump so high.¡±


    Angela stared at the dry ground, deep in thought, her eyes still glowing. She seemed to be concentrating on her powers, trying out my idea. After a moment she shook her head and groaned. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem to be working.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we need to try it while jumping. That¡¯s how I got it to work last time.¡±


    I closed my eyes and bent my knees, focusing on the tingling power in my gut. I sprang into a leap, but tingling didn¡¯t budge. I fell back to the earth, a long distance to fall, but not nearly as far as before. I landed with a deep thud on both feet and jumped back in the air, trying to move my powers again.


    Angela joined me in the practice. We wore smiles because it was thrilling, but we also kept our eyes straight ahead, focused on our powers. From a distance, someone watching would¡¯ve thought we looked like two giddy teenagers jumping on a giant trampoline.


    I need to put more into the jump, I thought. That¡¯s how I moved my powers last time.


    As I landed on the ground from a Statue-of-Liberty-sized leap, I flared my powers, flung my arms upward, and launched high into the air.


    I felt it again. For only a brief moment.


    The tingling passed right through the soles of my feet, pushing me skyward. It wasn¡¯t quite as high as my last jump, not enough to reach the clouds. I closed my eyes, concentrating on my powers. I bent my knees and brought in my arms, as if prepping for another jump midair. I flung my arms upward and sprang my feet downward.


    Nothing happened.


    I tried it again. Nothing.


    I reached the peak of my ascent, forming a small arc. I desperately tried a midair jump again.


    It worked!


    The tingling feeling shot out of my feet, thrusting me upward. It was a short spurt of power, but it was enough to get me close to the clouds. Again! I thought.


    I performed another midair leap¡ªwhich probably looked weird, like a breastroke without any water¡ªand it worked again! I shot into the cloud, my vision turning gray and the air feeling damp.


    I¡¯m getting the hang of this! I thought. Now I need to make it more consistent.


    I had gone into pure practice mode like I had many times on the soccer field. I just needed to keep on trying and trying until I got better and better. And I¡¯d never felt more determined to practice than right now on this. I mean, c¡¯mon¡­ I was flying!


    Though, it didn¡¯t feel much like flying. It felt more like doing burpees in the air. It was exhausting like burpees too. I was breathing hard, grateful for the cool air provided by the cloud. I performed another midair burpee the tingling shooting downward and launching me upward. I emerged above the clouds and squinted in the sunlight.


    That¡¯s it! I thought. It¡¯s like another limb! My powers are like an extra appendage that I can move around me, but just like any untrained muscle, it takes work to make it stronger and more coordinated.


    With that realization in mind, I closed my eyes and focused on my powers, treating it more like a third arm than an abstract power cloud in my gut. ¡°FLEX!¡± I shouted out loud.


    The tingling moved! And this time it stayed in place!


    I stopped moving. The stillness caught my breath. I stood on top of the clouds, the sun pouring down on me.


    The tingling sensation had moved out of my body and remained below me, creating an invisible platform for me to stand on. Not all the tingling had left my body, just a small portion. I still felt the majority of it coursing through me, keeping me strong.


    I didn¡¯t want to move. I felt like I had when I first learned how to juggle¡ªonce I finally got three balls in the air, I didn¡¯t want to stop because it was so hard to start back up again. I kept my arms spread out to my sides to help me balance. My powers fidgeted a bit, making me wobble.


    The tingling was no longer shooting out of my feet. It was like a chunk of my powers dropped out of my body and formed an invisible cloud below me that continued to shoot downward. I couldn¡¯t see it, but I could sense it just like you can sense where your pinky toe is even though you can¡¯t see it.


    I was about to attempt movement when I heard someone screaming. Was that Angela? I paused as I noticed the screaming was getting closer.


    Suddenly, Angela poofed out of the clouds to my right and kept soaring upward. She was screaming out of pure joy. She flew in an arc above me and landed gracefully on the white cloud I was standing on.


    I gawked. ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Pick it up so fast?¡± she said as she strode toward me, the cloud vapor parting around her as she walked on air, the wind blowing her hair to one side. I kept on gawking. ¡°It¡¯s like riding a bike. I have very faint memories of flying as a child, before my dad took away my stone. I thought they were just dreams, but no, they were real!¡±


    I tried taking a step toward her but stopped myself about to fall off my invisible pedestal. Okay, I thought. I have to move the powers with me as I walk, like a third leg. Or maybe more like one of those metal walkers with tennis balls on the bottom. No, a plastic baby walker that bounces as you step. Yeah, that¡¯s more like it.


    With concentration, I moved slowly, moving my powers with me, and managed to take a step. I looked up. Angela stood there with a hand on her hip and a humored smile.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Cut me some slack. I¡¯ve only had superpowers for a month. You¡¯ve had them most your life.¡±


    She just kept smiling at me as she extended me her hand. I didn¡¯t take it at first, but eventually I swallowed my pride and clasped hands with her. Immediately I found my balance and stood up straight next to her. We stood there for a moment on the cloud, facing each other, not letting go of each other¡¯s hand.


    I looked down at the cloud below us; it was moving in the wind beneath us, like a white river of marshmallows and cotton candy.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve dreamt of this moment my whole life. Standing on the clouds. Flying.¡±


    ¡°This is your wish come true.¡±


    She nodded, smiling brightly.


    We held each other¡¯s gaze for a while. The white glow in her pupils seemed to complement her chocolatey brown irises.


    A gust of wind blew around us, causing us to wobble. Angela lost balance. I reached for her other hand and pulled her back to her feet, and closer to me.


    It was my turn to have the humored grin. ¡°Hey, I thought you said this was just like riding a bike?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, an invisible bike without any training wheels.¡±


    The wind began to die down, making it easier to balance.


    I squeezed her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s try something.¡± I concentrated on my powers, increasing the downward flow a tad, which, in turn, levitated me upward.


    Angela was quick to follow, slowly soaring higher with me, both of us grinning. As we flew higher in the air, I redirected my power at an angle, causing us to spin ever so slightly. About the speed of a slow dance.


    The view changed as we got higher. We could see the white sea of clouds spread below us. Some large, some small¡ªlike little white islands in the distance. The cool wind blew again, threatening to knock us off balance. We pulled each other closer into an embrace, partially to hold each other steady, but mostly just to be close.


    We held each other¡¯s gaze for a long moment.


    ¡°And this,¡± she said, ¡°is your wish come true.¡± She leaned forward and closed her eyes. I did the same. And this time, she didn¡¯t push me away.

 Chapter 33

    </a></a></a>Chapter 33


    Ray


    "What are you doing here, Mark?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for you, Draco.¡±


    I hovered there for a moment, just outside the abandoned building, looking at Mark through a broken window. His motorcyclist¡¯s leather jacket creaked as he folded his arms.


    ¡°Where is Invisiguy?¡± I asked threateningly.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You know who I¡¯m talking about, Mark. He¡¯s the invisible guy who stole my money and flew in this building.¡±


    ¡°Scorpio?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever his name is. He¡¯s the guy you¡¯ve been training the past few days, and I know he¡¯s around here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is¡­¡± Mark turned around, looking at the dusty, concrete building he was standing in. ¡°But, I don¡¯t even know where he is.¡±


    I flew into the building and stood on the ledge, just inches away from Mark, looking down at him. This guy was infuriating. ¡°What do you want, Mark? Why not just call me instead of make me chase your new student all the way here?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I have a proposition for you that I wanted to offer in person. You know what I really want, right?


    His stone. And my help to find it. That seemed to be all he cared about.


    ¡°But the real question, Draco....¡± Mark paused, ¡°Is what do you want?¡±


    I hesitated to answer as I just kept glaring down at Mark, my impatience swelling.


    ¡°Money? Fame? Front-row Super Bowl tickets?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You don¡¯t really know what you want anymore, do you?¡±


    ¡°I just want my money back.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You want respect.¡± He smiled at me for a moment. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze, as if he could see right through me. His body and face looked just a few years older than me, but those dark eyes of his contained ancient wisdom that left me feeling like an infant. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be respected,¡± he said, ¡°when you¡¯ve been defeated so many times. Orion and Cygnus defeated you. And now Scorpio humiliated you.¡±


    I clenched my fist, my blood beginning to boil.


    Mark laughed at my reaction, unfolding his arms. ¡°If you want to be respected, Draco, then you need more power. You need to win a fight. You need to show the world that you are the most powerful Starling to walk the earth. The Dragon God.¡±


    I listened carefully but tried to remain expressionless.


    ¡°What you need¡­¡± Mark continued. ¡°What you want is the Second Degree. You¡¯ve felt the power. You¡¯ve felt what it¡¯s like to tap into it, and you want more of it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. I didn¡¯t want to show Mark that he could manipulate me. But he was right. I did want to learn the Second Degree. I did want a rematch with Invisiguy, New Girl, and mostly Stoner.


    ¡°I will teach it to you,¡± he said. ¡°Right here. Right now. All I ask in return is your loyalty to help me find my stone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your pawn.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be. You will be my partner.¡± He paused. ¡°Think about it, Draco. You could kill me right now if you wanted to. I don¡¯t have the power to stop you. But then you wouldn¡¯t learn the Second Degree. Or the Third for that matter. And you will continue to get crushed by the other Starlings. Disrespected by everyone.¡±


    I turned my back to him, facing a concrete wall with S-shaped graffiti all over it. The sun had just set, but my eyes didn¡¯t perceive the increasing darkness. I didn¡¯t like the idea of being under Mark¡¯s thumb, but I guess he needed me and I needed him.


    I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Down a dark hallway I could see the black purse filled with money being held in the air by a dismembered hand. It was Invisiguy¡ªScorpio. He bounced the purse up and down, daringly.


    ¡°Or you could keep on fighting me,¡± The invisible Starling said. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡±


    I turned back to Mark. ¡°Why do you need me when you have Invisiguy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Scorpio!¡± Invisiguy shouted back at me.


    ¡°Because,¡± Mark said, ¡°it will take both of you to defeat Orion and Cygnus.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s your plan?¡± I said. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining, but how will defeating them help you find your stone?¡±


    Mark smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that after we have captured them.¡±


    I chewed on that for a while, looking back at Invisiguy¡ªwherever he was¡ªand then back at Mark. ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Teach me.¡±


    Half an hour later, I knelt on the desert floor, bare-chested and panting. I had been sprinting around the abandoned horse racing track for the past twenty minutes as fast as I could. A huge cloud of dust lingered over the entire area, making it difficult to breathe.


    Mark approached me, appearing as the dust cloud slowly dispersed. ¡°I don¡¯t think running around in circles is working, Draco,¡± he said sarcastically. It was still weird to hear my new name being used so casually.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    I stood up. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I was doing the first time I tapped into the Second Degree. I was just jogging near my house and then I punched the tree and it exploded into flames.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about what you did,¡± Mark explained. ¡°But why you did it. Reaching the Second Degree is based on a strong, specific emotion. An emotion that you put into action. So, why did you hit that tree?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I was angry.¡±


    ¡°Anger,¡± Mark said. ¡°That might be the emotion. Every Star Stone requires a different emotion to tap into the Second and Third Degrees. I know the key emotions for most of them, but I never figured out the ones for the Draco Stone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m angry a lot. And fire hasn¡¯t burst out of my hands every time I get upset.¡±


    ¡°The emotion has to be strong enough. It has to be more than just anger; it has to be rage.¡±


    Rage, I thought. I needed to get really angry about something; build my anger to get my powers. Sounds like the Hulk. I jumped in place, twirled my arms in circles, and loosened my neck; a habitual movement I did at every football game while on the sidelines. What makes me angry?


    I thought about my fight with Stoner. I had tapped into the Second Degree at the end, but how? Was I angry? Yes, for sure. About what? I don¡¯t know. I was mad that he kept getting back up. That he was actually holding his own against me. He got a few good shots in. I put my hand up to my left eye; it was still a little sore to the touch. That was infuriating.


    I could feel my powers swell, an inferno within me. I looked at my hands. Completely normal.


    I scoffed, turning back to Mark. ¡°It¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°You have to do more than just think about the emotion,¡± he said. ¡°You have to relive the memory. That will rekindle the feeling you had before.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said under my breath, refocusing on my powers. I closed my eyes, trying to relive my fight with Michael Stone. I remembered how hot my hands felt. How much I hated Stoner. How the fire burst out of my hands and trickled around my fingers. How good it felt. I¡¯d felt so powerful. So furious. So full of rage. So hot.


    I opened my eyes and imagined seeing Stoner walk out of the crater I¡¯d put him in. I thrust my hand in front of me, the same movement I¡¯d made to throw a fireball at him, but nothing happened. No smoke, even.


    I groaned. ¡°It¡¯s not working, Mark!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said calmly. ¡°That¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll get it. You¡¯re not far from reaching the Second Degree, I can tell. This would take a lot longer to train you if you¡¯d never accidentally tapped into it. But since you have, we can try to recreate the moment, the feeling, so that you will reach it. It takes some practice, but you¡¯ll get it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ray,¡± Scorpio¡¯s voice said somewhere to my right. ¡°You¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, invisi-freak!¡± I snapped in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m not your friend!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Scorpio!¡± he retorted.


    ¡°Whatever!¡±


    ¡°Draco,¡± Mark said coolly, ignoring Invisiguy. ¡°Think back to when you hit that tree. What made you so angry that you wanted to do that?¡±


    I stared at the ground, trying to recollect my thoughts. What was I mad about?


    ¡°It was my brother, Sam,¡± I finally said. ¡°He was mocking me about barely winning the football game against a weak team. I had won the game ball, and instead of congratulating me, he mocked me for being less than perfect.¡±


    Mark hummed as he scratched his goatee. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°And then I ran out of the house, just trying to get away from him. I jogged down the street, just thinking about how much I hate him and how he mistreats me, and then I punched the tree.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Mark said, beginning to pace. ¡°Maybe anger isn¡¯t the trigger emotion. Maybe it¡¯s what made you angry. You¡¯re brother¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sam, Doug, and Stoner¡­¡± I interrupted. ¡°All three of them caused me to heat up. What was it they all did to me?¡±


    Mark didn¡¯t say anything; he let me think it through.


    ¡°Each of them mistreated me. They did just the opposite of what I wanted them to do. They¡­¡± I looked back at Mark. He raised his head, as if coming to the same conclusion that I had.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t respect you,¡± he finished for me. ¡°Disrespect.¡± He chuckled. ¡°How strange. Usually the key emotion is vague and foreign, but for you, it¡¯s what you want the most. I wonder if the key emotions are different for this Condescension. I knew that was what you really wanted¡ªrespect from everyone. Whether it¡¯s respect as a good quarter back, respect as a friend, or respect as a worthy opponent, you want it. And when people fiercely disrespect you, you retaliate. That must be the key.¡±


    ¡°Respect,¡± I said to myself. Mark was absolutely right. It was spooky how well he understood me. I guess living for thousands of years made him really good at reading people. I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed with his mentorship. This was how it went with flying too. I picked it up so fast because he was such a good coach. I wasn¡¯t about to tell him that, though.


    ¡°So how do I use that emotion?¡± I asked. ¡°Wait for someone to disrespect me, and then I can burn their butts?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mark answered. ¡°You don¡¯t need to replay the scenario, you just need to recreate the emotion: the desire for respect. That should be enough to tap into the second degree.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, closing my eyes and turning my focus toward my thoughts.


    ¡°Think back on that day,¡± he instructed. ¡°When Sam disrespected you. Play it out in your mind. Recreate every vivid detail. Remember the feeling you had. Let it fester within you.¡±


    I played the memory out in my mind. The things Sam said. How he mocked me when all I wanted was his approval. I had worked my butt off to win the game ball, and I earned it, deserved it. I wanted Sam to be proud of me, but he did just the opposite. All I asked for was a little respect!


    A bomb went off inside me. An explosion of power poured through my veins. I opened my eyes and saw my hands turn red. It didn¡¯t hurt, but I could feel the heat. It was like when you put your freezing hand under hot water. You can¡¯t really feel the pain because your nerves are so shot, but you can tell that it¡¯s still hot.


    ¡°Keep going!¡± Mark instructed. ¡°Feel it!¡±


    I replayed the same thoughts about Sam and how I wanted him to respect me. I replayed the image of me punching the tree out of pure rage. I clenched my hands into fists.


    Fire erupted on my hands. ¡°Yeah!¡± I shouted. The sound was amazing, like two blow torches at maximum. I was grateful Mark instructed me to take off my shirt, it would¡¯ve been on fire by now.


    Suddenly the fire died out. I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You lost the feeling,¡± Mark said. ¡°You started thinking about something else.¡±


    He was right. I was feeling grateful I took off my shirt. Gratitude was a very different emotion than feeling disrespected. ¡°This is tough,¡± I said.


    Mark nodded. ¡°You have to control your feelings. Control your thoughts. You can¡¯t get distracted or it could cost you your life in a fight against another Starling.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I closed my eyes again and replayed my memories about Sam and his disrespect. It was easier this time. I clenched my fists and fire shot out of them.


    I opened my eyes and looked at my hands. I focused on the emotion¡ªthe drive to be respected¡ªkeeping it burning within me, as if it were the fuel the fire fed off of.


    ¡°Good!¡± Mark yelled over the sound of the roaring fire. ¡°Now throw some fireballs!¡±


    I targeted a rusty, white fence post about fifteen yards from me, and I flung my hands at it, but the fire didn¡¯t leave my hands. Hmm. Maybe I need to imagine I¡¯m actually throwing something.


    I brought my hands down in front of me, pretending I had a football in my hands. A ball of fire started to form between them; it even looked like the shape of a football. I cocked my arm back, stepped toward the white post, and flung my arm forward, giving it the same spin I would on a football.


    The fireball left my fingers and slammed into the post with an explosion of flames, as if it had just been hit by napalm. The post was no more. A small crater had formed right where it used to be, flames littering the ground around it.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± I shouted over the sound. My hands were still on fire, ready for more fireballs.


    Mark looked at the fire, the light reflecting off his eyes. He folded his arms, as if remembering something from his past. After a moment, he looked back at me. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re ready. We¡¯ll make our move tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 34

    </a>Chapter 34


    Michael


    Hi, my name is Michael Stone and I''m addicted to flying.


    I soared through the air, the autumn wind blowing through my hair. Gravity pulled at me continually, but I defied it subconsciously. My tingling power shot out my feet with the same force as a missile. I stretched my hands out in front of me and then quickly thrust them toward my feet, throwing more energy behind me, resulting in an extra boost of speed. I couldn¡¯t get enough of it!


    I looked to my left, spotting Angela not too far from me. She looked back at me and smiled. Man, I loved that smile. She¡¯d tied her hair into a ponytail this time. Good idea. Without a ponytail, her hair took on a whole new style of afro after flying.


    I grinned back at her and reached out my hand. She clasped it as we flew toward the descending sun. There were no clouds today, and the view of the city below us was awesome. Flying was awesome. Angela was awesome. Life was just awesome!


    A day had gone by since we first learned how to fly, and now we were getting pretty good at it. I didn¡¯t have to think about it as much, but if I got too lazy, I would start falling.


    We soared above Tucson¡¯s smog layer for a while, and then descended toward downtown. We landed with a thud on top of the largest skyscraper in the city: One South Church. I strode over to the building¡¯s ledge and peered over it. It was a long ways down. I could see miniature cars moving along the street. Even though I could fly, I still felt a sense of vertigo.


    Angela stood by me, but her chin was angled more upward than mine as she scanned the entire city. ¡°He¡¯s out there somewhere,¡± she said. ¡°Where do you think we¡¯ll find him?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ray robbed a bank yesterday, so he might be hiding now.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any need to hide.¡± She walked along the ledge, her arms out to balance her, like a toddler walking on the edge of the sidewalk¡ªexcept of course for the 500-foot fall to her right. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone can hurt him.¡± She paused. ¡°Well, besides us.¡±


    I placed my hands on my hips. ¡°Well,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know where to start looking for Ray, so we may just need to wait until he shows his face.¡±


    Angela nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ then I¡¯m going to find a place to take a shower.¡± She smelled her shirt and gagged. ¡°Camping is great, but you can only go for so long without a bathroom.¡±


    I readily agreed with her. ¡°Where should we go?¡±


    ¡°We could try my house. See if the cops are still there. If they are, then we can check your house.¡±


    ¡°And if the police are there?¡±


    ¡°Then we will have to go to a public swimming pool. One way or another, I am getting clean!¡±


    I chuckled under my breath. When Angela made up her mind about something she wanted, there was no stopping her.


    She turned her back toward the edge of the building and spread out her hands as if she were about to do a backflip off of a diving board. She didn¡¯t jump though, she just fell backwards right off the building with her eyes closed. I shook my head as I watched her plummet toward the street below. I can understand now, why her parents wanted to keep her stone away from her, I thought. It probably gave them a heart attack every time she flew, laughing in the face of danger. And she was only a toddler back then!


    I shrugged and jumped off the ledge myself, embracing the thrill of the fall. I was pretty used to it now and trusted my powers to keep me alive. I glanced at the lump in my pocket as I fell. Okay. I thought. My stone is still there. Nothing to worry about.


    Just before making an indent into the sidewalk, Angela surged her powers and pulled up. I did the same, relishing the feeling of flying, my powers pushing me forward like a rocket. I followed close behind her as she weaved between skyscrapers. I was sure people saw us, but that didn¡¯t matter to me anymore. They already knew who we were. And after we defeat Ray, I thought. We will help them see that we are good Starlings, here to help and protect.


    Angela was right. My plan was really idealistic. But, it was worth a shot.


    A minute later, Angela and I were floating above her house.


    ¡°There¡¯s a cop,¡± she said, pointing at a black car parked next to her house. ¡°And there¡¯s another one. And another. And another!¡±


    ¡°Four cop cars?¡± I said. ¡°Gosh, Angela. You¡¯re a big deal!¡±


    She laughed briefly, but then turned serious. ¡°I hope my dad is alright. He said that secret society that knew about Starlings was after him.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s a good thing that the police are there. They might be protecting him from that society thingy. What was it called again? MARS?¡±


    Angela nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go check your house.¡±


    Half a minute later, we stopped above my house, scanning its surroundings for police. ¡°There¡¯s one¡­¡± Angela said pointing at a black car. ¡°And¡­ that¡¯s all I see. Just one cop. Gee, Michael, you should probably take some ¡®most wanted¡¯ lessons from me.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°The police saw me at your house, so maybe I¡¯m the reason so many police are at your place.¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders and laughed.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go check it out,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s only one cop car, and they may just be waiting in the car, not in the house. We should be able to sneak in, no problem.¡±


    Angela began her descent. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    We flew swiftly into my backyard, hoping nobody saw us. We walked around the soccer goal that was still set up. That was where I¡¯d first used my powers, I thought. That seemed like ages ago.


    I softly opened the sliding glass door and led Angela inside. The smell of orange cinnamon put me at ease. I was home!


    ¡°Nice place,¡± she said, looking around. ¡°Is anybody home?¡±


    ¡°My parents are probably still teaching at the university.¡± I grabbed myself a cup of water. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°MICHAEL!¡±


    I jumped, spraying water all over myself. Before I knew it, I was tackled in a huge bear hug by none other than my little sister, Sarah. ¡°Oh Michael, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe! Where have you been? What have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Sarah,¡± I said, finally hugging her back. ¡°I¡¯m okay. We¡¯ve just been camping up at Red Knoll.¡±


    ¡°Camping?¡± she said breaking the hug and glancing at Angela. And then she glanced back at me and smirked. ¡°Oh¡­ camping¡­¡± she said with a wink.


    I coughed. ¡°Angela, this is my little sister Sarah. Sarah, this is my¡­my¡­¡±


    ¡°Your superhuman girlfriend,¡± Sarah said, extending her hand to Angela as if meeting her favorite celebrity. ¡°I know who you are. The news has been going crazy about you guys!¡±


    Angela blushed, shaking her hand. I blushed too, giving Angela an apologetic look.


    ¡°Sarah,¡± I said. ¡°Can she use your shower? We want to clean up from camping.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Sarah said, turning to Angela. ¡°You can use mine upstairs. I can try and find you some extra clothes too. I know you¡¯re taller than me, but I¡¯ve got some longer clothes you can try.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I would love that!¡±


    They started to head upstairs. ¡°Wait, Sarah,¡± I said.


    She looked back at me, her blonde ponytail nearly whipping Angela as she turned. It was so funny to watch those two getting along so well, for some reason.


    I pointed toward the front door. ¡°Do we need to worry about the police outside our house?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°As long as you leave through the back door, you should be fine. They¡¯re just watching whoever enters the front.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± I stood there at the bottom of the stairs, watching the two girls round the corner. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. I was so happy to be back home. We couldn¡¯t stay here long, though. I didn¡¯t want to endanger the family if the police found out they were harboring us. And we needed to get back on our hunt for Ray Simmons.


    I grabbed something quick to eat out of the fridge, found my phone charger and plugged my dead phone in, and then I jumped into the shower. It felt so good after¡ªwhat¡ªfive days camping? That was a lot of school to miss. I would have so much homework to catch up on. But I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ever going back to school again. Would they let me? I was still technically a criminal. Maybe that would change after they saw us take down Ray.


    After I got out of the shower and put on some fresh clothes, I noticed that I got a ton of missed calls and messages on my phone. Most were from my family, but there were about six texts from Zack, each saying the same thing: Michael! We¡¯ve got to talk. Where are you?


    Looks like Zack had a change of heart, I thought. He probably wants to help me escape the police or something. And maybe he could help us find Ray.


    I typed a message back to Zack: Been camping. Just got home. What¡¯s up?


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    A moment later, I sat in my living room holding my blue stone out in front of me. Star Stone is what Angela¡¯s dad called it. I thought of the constellation, Orion, the Hunter. I chuckled to myself. I¡¯m not so good at hunting, I thought. I have no idea where to find Ray.


    ¡°I told the cops and the news that you were the one who saved Mary Sanchez.¡± Sarah strolled into the room, watching me gaze at the meteorite. ¡°They said that was great and all, but it doesn¡¯t make them feel any safer.¡±


    I nodded with a sigh, placing the Star Stone back in my pocket.


    ¡°People are scared, Michael.¡± Sarah sat down on the couch across from me. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t seen the news lately. People are talking about super humans in Los Angeles and Las Vegas who have done some terrible things. There¡¯s talk of super humans who have done some good things too, but the people are still scared.¡±


    ¡°They say people will always fear what they can¡¯t control.¡±


    My sister nodded. ¡°They plan on controlling them, though. I¡¯ve heard on the news that they¡¯re sending the National Guard here to Tucson. Out of all the other incidents across the nation, we have seen the most. And the worst.¡±


    ¡°Ray Simmons,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to stop him.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not just after Ray. They¡¯re coming to stop you and Angela too.¡±


    I shook my head, disappointed. ¡°I hope I can change that before we start a war against mankind.¡±


    Sarah placed a hand on my arm. ¡°Just¡­ be safe, okay.¡±


    I looked her in the eyes. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Angela strode down the stairs and paused when she saw Sarah and me. ¡°Awe,¡± she said. ¡°You two are so cute. Such good siblings¡­¡±


    Sarah and I separated, suddenly feeling awkward. Angela smiled at us as she stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking much cleaner, and even more attractive. I didn¡¯t know that was possible! Her brown hair looked darker when it was wet. She had used some of Sarah¡¯s makeup and wore one of her T-shirts. Now that was just weird; seeing my sister¡¯s shirt on my girlfriend.


    I stood up. ¡°Well, we¡¯d better get going. Got a super villain to catch. You know how it goes.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°And we don¡¯t want to stay too long,¡± Angela added. ¡°The police might be looking through the windows or something.¡±


    Sarah nodded. ¡°Well good luck, then. You might find Ray at his house or in the middle of robbing another bank.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to check all the¡ª¡±


    I cut off as I heard a loud bang behind me. Angela gasped, and Sarah screamed. I ignited my powers, spun around, and saw that the front door had been broken open, knocked clean off its hinges, but nobody was there in the doorway.


    I stepped toward the broken door. ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ¡°Michael!¡± Angela screamed.


    I turned to see Angela belly-first on the ground, one leg raised in the air, being drug out the door by¡­ by a¡­ by nothing! It looked like one of those horror movies where the ghost pulls people down the hallways and then you never see them again.


    At first, I was paralyzed by what I was seeing¡ªer, not seeing¡ªbut then I bolted. I reached for Angela¡¯s hand. She looked just as confused and terrified as I felt. The moment before I grabbed her hand, something solid and powerful hit me in the face. The force was strong enough to send me sliding across the living room and thud against the wall on the other side.


    I was dazed. Whatever hit me was strong. Starling strong.


    I made my way to my feet as fast as I could and dashed toward the open door. Sarah still stood in the living room, her eyes wide, both hands over her mouth.


    ¡°You okay, Sarah?¡± I asked.


    She nodded, frightened.


    I ran out the door and scanned the street and the sky. What¡¯s going on! I thought. Angela was just right beside me, and then next thing I knew, she was drug out of the house by something invisible?


    The only thing I saw on the street were a couple of cops who got out of their car and pointed their guns at me, ordering me to drop to my knees. I ignored them as I searched the skies. There! I saw Angela¡¯s force field wings appear, but oddly, I couldn¡¯t see her at all. Just her wings. The wings were already several hundred feet in the air, whipping around, thrashing in every direction.


    I bent my knees and shot my powers downward, out of my feet, which launched me upward toward Angela and whatever invisible thing she was fighting. I heard gunshots from the cops but didn¡¯t pay any attention to them.


    Suddenly, Angela reappeared midair. She clenched her teeth and looked frantically around her, trying to find whatever it was that¡¯d kidnapped her.


    I soared toward her as fast as I could, ready to help, but paused when I felt the air around me heat up.


    I looked directly above me, just in time to see a man-sized fireball flying right at me. With my eyes wide in alarm, I redirected my powers¡ªwhich was like repositioning an invisible rocket from under my feet to directly in front of me, with the tip pointed directly at my chest. The result was a push backwards instead of upwards, allowing me to dodge the fireball just in time.


    It flew past me and continued downward until it exploded on top of my house, the roof immediately catching fire. I hovered there, in shock, watching my house burn. Fortunately, Sarah was already out of the house, watching us from below, along with the cops.


    I felt the air heat up again.


    I turned my eyes upward to see another massive fireball descending toward me and my house. I clenched my fists. This time my reflexes shifted from flight to fight. I didn¡¯t really think it through at all. I just lowered my shoulder and flew directly into the fireball.


    The collision was intense, like slamming into an armored tank made of fire, but I pushed upward through the fireball. The flames wrapped around me, engulfing me entirely. It stung terribly, but not nearly as bad as expected. It felt like I¡¯d stepped into a scalding hot shower that I could eventually get used to. My powers never ceased to amaze me.


    The main problem was breathing. The oxygen seemed to get sucked right out of me as the flames swam around my entire body. I kept my mouth shut and my eyes closed as I continued to rocket upward. After a few seconds of flying, I opened my eyes, the fire beginning to extinguish off my face.


    There he was, hovering in the air above me, with blue jeans and bare chest. Brown skin and spiky hair, his eyes glowing red. The high school bully and my lifelong nemesis, Ray Simmons. He smirked at me while summoning another man-sized fireball between his hands.


    I guess we¡¯re going to start our fight a little early, I thought. This is what we wanted, but we were looking for him; instead he found us. How did he do that?


    I was still partially on fire. My hair and clothes were especially stubborn; they wanted to keep burning. I twirled in the air, trying to fling the flames off of me.


    Stop! Drop! And Roll! I thought, recalling instructions I¡¯d learned as a kid. That only works when I¡¯m on the ground. I need to get the fire off another way.


    I surged my tingling power below me, putting all of my energy into a powerful, sideward thrust, forming a large circle around Ray. I spun through the air, hoping to outfly the fire. I patted at my hair; the fire there had stopped burning. My shirt and pants still had a few flames on them.


    Ray hurled the huge fireball at me like he would a discus. I saw it coming and dodged it easily. I watched the fireball drop toward the city. That would cause a lot of damage. Should I stop it?


    Before I made a decision, I turned back toward Ray, just in time to see his burning fist fly at my face. I raised my arm, blocking his right cross, but wasn¡¯t fast enough to stop his left jab. The punch stung more than it had when we last fought at the school. Probably because his fist was on fire. Or was there something more to Ray now?


    The blow knocked me backwards. I completely lost balance off of my invisible pedestal, my powers returning inside my body as I lost focus, and I dropped toward the ground. I didn¡¯t fall far before Ray appeared next to me.


    I tried to raise my hands to block another blow, but before I could, he kicked me right in the gut.


    It hurt. A lot. I cringed in pain, my ribs still not completely healed. His kick was powerful enough to launch me upward. I reached an arc and started to fall again.


    This wasn¡¯t going very well.


    I surged my powers, pushing them out of my body, and flew into an upright position. As soon as I looked back toward Ray, he was already in my face again, throwing punches. He wasn¡¯t playing any games in this fight. He was in a hurry to get rid of me.


    I raised my arms to block his fists, trying to anticipate his moves. I blocked a left cross and ducked under a right jab. I counterpunched, but he saw it coming. He leaned to the left, dodging my swing, and kneed me in the gut.


    I recoiled, hunching over and starting to fall again. It was like he knew my midsection was where I was in the most pain. And there was something about how powerful Ray was. He seemed stronger and faster along with his burning hands and red-glowing eyes.


    Ray charged after me, flying downward toward me, his flaming fist drawn back to deliver a deadly blow. As I fell back-to-earth, I quickly got an idea.


    I redirected my powers to push me at an angle causing me to perform a front-flip. Ray swung his red-hot fist forward but missed me entirely as I barely flipped out of the way. I continued to push my energy at an angle, finishing my flip with my right leg extended. The result was my right heel connected with Ray¡¯s back, launching him downward. He grunted from the blow and fell far below me.


    I didn¡¯t charge after Ray, I had to catch my breath. He was fighting far better than he had before. His powers seemed to have received an extra boost since the last time we fought.


    Things weren¡¯t going as planned. We were supposed to find Ray and beat him easily! We were supposed to fight him together, team up on him! We meaning Angela and me. But, there was something wrong. Something we hadn¡¯t expected.


    I looked to my left and saw Angela in the air a couple hundred yards away, trying to fight something invisible. She didn¡¯t seem to be doing so well; she kept getting hit unexpectedly. It had to be another Starling, one who could turn invisible.


    Fear gripped my chest. Ray and this invisible Starling could beat us. Maybe even kill us, if that was what they were planning. We were fighting for our lives! Angela and I could die from this if we weren¡¯t careful! I hadn¡¯t noticed the severity of the situation until now, and it was horrifying!


    I had to help Angela. I rocketed toward her as she summoned her long, glass-looking wings and surrounded herself in a force field.


    She noticed me through her transparent wings as I approached. ¡°Michael! Watch out!¡±


    A split second later, I was seeing stars after something clocked me good right in the jaw. As I finally came to consciousness, I realized I was falling, my back to the earth. I could see Angela high above me, still protecting herself inside her force field created by her wings. It was probably the only way to survive against an invisible Starling.


    I blinked, regaining focus, and surged my tingling powers, shooting them downward. I stopped my descent before landing on a tree and launched back up into the sky. I was sure people below were watching this fight unfold. I had wanted people to witness us defeating Ray, but I wasn¡¯t sure that was going to happen anymore.


    Ray had recovered and had beat me to Angela. He hovered just outside the reach of her wings. I couldn¡¯t see Angela¡¯s face from this distance, but I was sure she was worried. Two Starlings surrounded her, one was invisible and one could shoot fire out of his hands. Who wouldn¡¯t be worried?


    I flew toward Angela as fast as I could.


    ¡°Invisiguy!¡± I heard Ray shout above me. ¡°Switch it up! You take Stoner! I¡¯ll take New Girl!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Scorpio!¡± The male voice came from somewhere near Ray. It had to be the invisible Starling.


    Ray clasped his red-hot hands together, fire burning around them, and then he slowly spread them apart, a massive fireball forming between them. I flew toward Ray, anxious to stop him. I heard something to my left.


    As fast as I could, I curled up into a ball¡ªa flying fetal position. An invisible fist made contact with my arm, pushing me downward. I peeked over my arms, grateful I¡¯d heard Scorpio flying toward me.


    I didn¡¯t see him of course, but what I could see made my heart sink. Ray tossed the fireball at Angela. Her wings protected her, but the power of the blast knocked her backwards in the sky. I could see her face this time. She looked focused, concentrating carefully on keeping her wings in place. Ray summoned another fireball and prepared to throw it.


    I stopped watching because Scorpio slammed into me from the side, breaking me out of my defensive stance. I turned toward the direction where he had hit me, and I put my arms up to my head like a boxer. Suddenly, I was kicked in the back.


    I groaned in pain and spun out of control through the sky. How do I fight this guy? I thought. I gained control of my flight and stopped moving, just hovering in the air. I kept my arms up and listened carefully for the sound of him flying toward me.


    All I could hear were the explosions of Ray¡¯s fireballs above me as they crashed into Angela¡¯s force field. My stomach churned. I yearned to help her, but Scorpio was keeping me busy.


    I thought I heard something to my right, the sound of clothes rustling in the wind. I zipped toward the sound and swung my fist. I hit nothing but air.


    Suddenly, I felt two hands grab my arm, but I couldn¡¯t see them¡ªin fact, I couldn¡¯t see my arm either. It had completely disappeared! Before I had time to freak out about that, the two hands, Scorpio¡¯s hands, spun me around in a circle. It was the most bizarre, disorienting experience of my life!


    He let go, flinging me horizontally through the air. The world spun around me. I tried to surge my powers but couldn¡¯t focus. I closed my eyes and replayed the memory of a rollercoaster in my mind. The tingling re-sparked and I immediately pushed my powers against my rotation, bringing myself to a stop.


    Just as I got my bearings, I heard something flying toward me. I pushed upward just as I heard Scorpio whoosh below me. I redirected my energy and launched toward Ray, hoping to outfly the invisible Starling.


    Fighting him was crazy. I didn¡¯t stand a chance. I¡¯d have to find some way to follow his movements. Outsmart him somehow. For now, I just wanted to save Angela and get out of here. It was our safest bet.


    Ray threw another fireball at Angela. Instead of blocking it from inside her protective bubble, she opened up her wings and swiped one wing sideways at the fireball. Half of the ball stuck to the wing, but the other half was sent backward, flying directly at Ray¡ªjust like a baseball.


    It was very impressive. I didn¡¯t know Angela could do that with her wings, but Ray reacted quickly.


    He flew right through the fireball, his hands extended forward as if he were diving into a pool of fire. And then he burst out the other side, untouched by the flames, and flew toward Angela while her defenses were down. He swung an uppercut, hitting her right under the chin. The blow was massive, sending her upward in a blur of backflips.


    ¡°NO!¡± I shouted as I flew toward them as fast as I could. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something small fall from her and plummet to the distant city below.


    Ray flew after her and formed a small fireball in his right hand. He threw it at her, but just before it hit her, she righted herself and summoned her wings again. The force field blocked the fireball easily.


    Ray shouted in anger as he continued his flight toward Angela, frustrated that she went back to shielding herself. He punched her wings with everything he had. They held strong, but the momentum caused her to bounce away from him like a soccer ball.


    Angela flew dozens of yards before finally coming to a stop. Ray charged after her, and I was on his heels.


    And then Angela¡¯s wings disappeared. Her body went limp and she started to fall. I gasped, realizing what¡¯d happened. That small thing I saw falling from her was her Star Stone. We were in serious trouble!


    Ray kept flying toward her, his hands still aflame. I reached out my hands to grab him, but something grabbed a hold of me first.


    It was Scorpio. He grappled me around the torso and pushed me downward, away from Ray and Angela. I pried at Scorpio¡¯s grip and pushed against him with all might, trying to get away from him and go help Angela, but he held firm. My torso had turned invisible, and so had my hands as I tried to break his grip. His invisibility must extend beyond his own body, I realized.


    I stole a glance up at Angela. Ray flopped her limp body over his shoulder and flew away, leaving the fight. What? Where is he going with her? I realized that this wasn¡¯t a fight to kill me and Angela, it was a kidnapping. That¡¯s why Scorpio had pulled her out of my house at first. But why would they want to kidnap Angela? What were they going to do to her?


    I wouldn¡¯t have it.


    I surged my powers, the tingling coursing through my veins, and reached back at Scorpio with both hands. I found his face and started pounding it with everything I had, over and over again. He grunted and let go of me.


    As soon as I broke free, I redirected my powers and launched toward Ray. It was difficult to see him. Even though there weren¡¯t any clouds in the sky and the sun was about to set, the main thing that obscured my view was the city smog. But I could barely spot Ray as he soared toward the southern part of Tucson. He was too far away.


    Wait, I thought. I stopped flying and turned my attention toward the city below. I need to find Angela¡¯s stone. I can¡¯t fight Ray and Scorpio on my own. I need her help. I tried to remember where it¡¯d fallen. I wasn¡¯t quite sure, but I flew to where I thought her stone was. I thought it¡¯d fallen toward Broadway Boulevard, a busy highway lined with restaurants, gas stations, and Park Place Mall.


    I didn¡¯t get far before Scorpio grabbed me again from behind, pushing me downward. I redirected my powers below me, trying to push back against him, but with gravity on his side, he won out.


    My back slammed into something hard. It was Broadway. Scorpio grinded me along the street, asphalt breaking apart by the force. I was still pushing against him, trying to soften the blow. It helped; not hurting as much as when Ray drilled me into the ground, but it still wasn¡¯t like falling into a pool of flowers.


    We finally slid to a stop. I tucked my feet in, getting them between me and Scorpio. It was strange because half of my body was invisible along with the Starling, but this was no time to get distracted. I pushed my feet upward, kicking him off of me


    An oncoming semi-truck suddenly crashed to a halt, its grille and hood caved in around the form of a person. I stood up, dazed. Cars swerved around the truck, bumping into other cars, and going out of control. Fortunately, no cars flipped over, but there was a massive pile up that stopped the traffic completely.


    I hoped I hadn¡¯t killed anyone, but I kept my focus on Scorpio. I had to stall him, so I could search for Angela¡¯s stone. I flew toward the semi-truck and reached inside the grille¡¯s man-made cave. My hands disappeared as I grabbed the Starling¡¯s shirt. Good, I thought. I¡¯ve got a hold of him. That¡¯s my best chance of beating him; wrestling him into submission by touch.


    I yanked him toward me. He must¡¯ve been dazed because he didn¡¯t push against me. I suddenly understood how his invisibility worked. It was like an invisibility bubble that surrounded him, and everything within that bubble would be invisible from the outside. I knew that because as I pulled him toward me, my face passed through the bubble, and Scorpio suddenly became visible to me for the first time.


    I gasped at what I saw.


    Looking back at me, with furious, glowing eyes, was my cousin, Zack Larson.

 Chapter 35

    </a>Chapter 35


    Ray


    I frowned as I flew. New Girl hung over my shoulder, not moving. The sun was close to setting, and I was starting to feel a little cold without my shirt on. Though, I knew a quick way to start a fire if needed.


    I glanced over my shoulder. No one was following me. Invisiguy was keeping Stoner busy. I clicked my tongue and turned my gaze forward. I was disappointed with the turnout. I wanted to be the one fighting Stoner. I was enjoying my brawl with him for a short moment, but then Invisiguy had to go and screw things up by getting distracted by New Girl¡¯s glass wings.


    Now I got the job as delivery man, and I didn¡¯t like it. Something didn¡¯t feel right about the whole thing, but I couldn¡¯t put my thumb on it. Maybe it was beating up New Girl. She had challenged me to a fight that night before I touched my Star Stone, and it felt good to show her now that was a mistake. But, something still felt off.


    She was really beautiful. And seemed like a nice person. I didn¡¯t really have anything against her. My thoughts turned to Britney. I hadn¡¯t heard from her ever since the news found out I was a superhuman. I guess we¡¯d had a silent break up. Oh well¡­


    Mark wanted only New Girl. He told us to separate her from Stoner and bring her to him unconscious, but not dead. He hadn¡¯t explained how any of this was supposed to help him find his Star Stone, but honestly, Mark didn¡¯t do much explaining at all. He was just so good at getting us to do what he wanted. And he did it by getting us what we wanted. A good bargainer.


    I descended my flight toward the abandoned horse racing track and flew through one of the large broken windows closer to the bottom of the building. With New Girl still over my shoulder, I swerved around the dark corridors and eventually came to a stop where Mark was waiting for me: our headquarters.


    It was a small, makeshift living space that was put together by some gang that was there before us. They had beds, a miniature fridge, a microwave, and even a large smart TV with Wi-Fi. It was awesome. Mark stood on his feet, his arms folded, as he watched the Tucson news. He was probably wanting to see if anything popped up about our Starling fight, but it looked like nothing had come up yet.


    He snapped his attention to me as I flew in with New Girl over my shoulder. ¡°We got her,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Mark said. ¡°And Orion?¡±


    ¡°Invisiguy is holding him off.¡±


    ¡°Great. Let me see her.¡±


    I lowered New Girl off my shoulder and laid her on one of the dusty beds. ¡°She was harder to capture than we expected. Those wings of hers were tough to break.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill her, did you?¡± Mark snapped at me as he placed a hand on her head. I thought it was very apparent that she was still breathing.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°We gave her wings a real pounding, and I think she could only take so much until it knocked her out.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Mark frowned. ¡°Peculiar¡­¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t ever remember Cygnus fainting from shielding herself for too long. Also, this girl is obviously not Alexandria.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Alexandria?¡±


    Mark looked up at me for a moment, and then returned his gaze to the unconscious Starling. ¡°An old friend,¡± he said softly. ¡°And enemy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so a frenemy.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°The words you modern Americans invent are so queer.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯d rather invent a new word than say something like queer. Only old people say stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°I am an old person! Older than English itself! Anyway, we need to wake her up. I need to ask her some important questions before I kill her.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill her? Dude, I signed up to help you get your stone, not to go around killing people!¡±


    ¡°It is necessary in order to find my stone, Draco! You wouldn¡¯t understand. You¡¯re far too young. Far too na?ve. Do you want me to teach you the Third Degree or not?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    I was taken aback. I did want to learn the Third Degree, but was it worth murdering someone?


    Mark took my silence as an answer. ¡°You agreed to help me find my stone, and if you don¡¯t have the stomach to follow through with that, then you can just leave.¡± He turned his attention toward New Girl, waving a hand over her head as if he were some sort of shaman.


    I just stood there, feeling stuck. I was fine with helping Mark find his stone, and beating up Stoner and New Girl was fun, but killing them seemed to be crossing a line. I was a god, though. No one could stop me from killing people, if I wanted. But was that what I really wanted? ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked Mark.


    He was leaning over her with three fingers pointing directly at her nose. ¡°I need to irritate her mucus membrane, just like a smelling salt would. So, be quiet. I need to focus.¡±


    His eyes began to glow a silvery color. He concentrated on her nose. Without any movement that I could pick up from Mark, New Girl awoke with a start. She reflexively withdrew her head away from his fingers, as if she were smelling something terrible. Her eyes¡ªnot glowing¡ªdarted around as she took in her surroundings, looking back and forth between Mark and me.


    ¡°Hold her down!¡± Mark ordered.


    I obeyed without thinking, kindling my powers and grabbing her by the wrists. She pushed against me a few times, but gave up quickly, accepting that she was trapped. It was odd that she hadn¡¯t turned on her powers. Something triggered in my memory, something falling¡­


    ¡°Where am I?¡± New Girl asked, looking scared.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe,¡± Mark said in a non-threatening tone. ¡°I just wanted to ask you a few questions, Cygnus.¡±


    Her eyes widened. She pushed against me, but I didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Where is Michael?¡± she said.


    I laughed. ¡°Stoner is¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Mark said, cutting me off. ¡°I said I was asking the questions here. Stand her up, Draco!¡±


    I pulled her off the bed and up to her feet. She wobbled a little, looking weak, so I stood behind her, keeping her upright. Mark paced in front of her, sweat streaking down his forehead. His eyes had returned to their dark brown color. Using only a smidgen of his powers without his stone had exhausted him. He was silhouetted by the camping light that was placed on one of the concrete pillars. This place would have seemed especially dark to a normal person, but to the three of us, it was like standing in the shade of a tree under the setting sun.


    ¡°Your name is Angela Johnson, right?¡± Mark said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you in the news and I¡¯ve done some research. You moved here to Tucson a couple months ago. Your father studies meteorites, which I find¡­ interesting. He just happened to move to the part of the nation that had the most Star Stones fall, as if¡ªlike me¡ªhe knew it were coming. And you¡­ you have moved around the nation, never living in one place long enough for someone to truly get to know you. It makes me wonder if you have been hiding something your whole life. We know you are Starling, but there were only three Star Stones that landed here: the Orion, Draco, and Scorpio stones. So, my basic question, Cygnus, is this.¡± He paused. ¡°Where did you get your stone?¡±


    New Girl didn¡¯t answer. Her breathing quickened, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Mark said. ¡°If you won¡¯t answer my questions, then I have no further use of you.¡± His eyes began to glow a simmering silver and he leveled a hand at her, as if he were going to shoot her with the palm of his hand.


    My mouth gaped open. Should I stop him?


    ¡°Wait!¡± New Girl said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    Mark immediately turned off his powers. He tried to hide his fatigue, but I could tell he was breathing harder.


    ¡°I found my stone when I was a little girl!¡± she said. I could feel her trembling as I held her upright. She was about to go on explaining, but Mark cut her off.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± he said. ¡°Your stone is not from this Condescension! It¡¯s the original from my time! The Cygnus I knew! Was the stone given to you? By someone named Alexandria?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know who that is. I don¡¯t remember it, but my dad told me I found my stone in a cooled lava bed near Mount Etna in Italy. That¡¯s the honest truth, I swear!¡±


    Mark frowned. ¡°I searched near that volcano thousands, if not millions of times! You¡¯re certain that¡¯s where you found the Cygnus Star Stone?¡±


    New Girl nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know where exactly. My dad just told me Mount Etna, Italy.¡±


    ¡°Looks like your father and I will need to have a talk.¡±


    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t hurt him!¡± She pushed against me, but I held her firm. A part of me was about to let her go.


    Mark laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cygnus. You won¡¯t be around to mourn his death. But you¡¯ve been very helpful. What you told me confirms that Alexandria died in that volcano. Her Star Stone and mine both fell in with her. Hers was pushed out by the lava, but mine may still be resting deep within that volcano. I haven¡¯t been able to get close enough to it without my powers, but now¡­¡± He looked up at me. ¡°I have the Dragon God to help me retrieve it.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. He wanted me to go swimming through a volcano for him? Could I actually do something like that? Did I really want to keep helping this psychopath?


    Mark extended his hand toward New Girl. ¡°Now hand over your Star Stone, child, or Draco will have to take it from you.¡±


    She froze in my arms, her body tense with fear.


    ¡°Um, Mark,¡± I said sheepishly. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it till now, but I think she dropped her stone while we were fighting. That¡¯s probably why she fainted. And probably why she hasn¡¯t turned on her powers yet.¡±


    He looked at me for a moment, letting the news sink in. Then, he stared at Angela, anger boiling under his skin. ¡°Where did you drop it, Cygnus?¡±


    She continued to tremble. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. We were flying over the city when it happened. I didn¡¯t even notice it had fallen out of my pocket until I started passing out.¡±


    Mark roared in anger, throwing a metal chair¡ªthe closest thing at hand¡ªat one of the concrete pillars. It bounced off, still in one piece. I shook my head. Good thing he¡¯s not a Cleveland Browns fan, I thought. Or a golfer; he¡¯d run out of clubs on the first hole.


    ¡°Draco!¡± Mark said, pointing a finger at me. ¡°We need that Star Stone! I¡¯ll stay here with her; you go find it!¡±


    I didn¡¯t move. I stood still, just behind New Girl. Just before Mark threw another chair, he noticed that I wasn¡¯t obeying him, and looked up at me. I glared back at him and said, ¡°No!¡±

 Chapter 36

    </a>Chapter 36


    Michael


    "Zack?¡± I said, baffled.


    My cousin held my gaze with his simmering eyes. Their glow was unique. Different than mine, Angela¡¯s, or Ray¡¯s. Our pupils were the only thing that glowed, and so did his, but his irises glowed too. I admit, I was a little bit jealous. They simmered bright green and his pupils had a dark violet tint in them. It looked like someone was shining a black light directly at his eyes. Didn¡¯t scorpions glow in black light?


    We stood in the middle of Broadway, a traffic jam before us. The sun touched the horizon, causing long shadows to cross the street. I loosened my grip on Zack¡¯s shirt collar, surprised to find out I¡¯d been fighting my cousin the whole time.


    ¡°Zack,¡± I repeated. ¡°What¡¯re you¡ªwhy are you¡ªit was you who touched the third Star Stone?¡± I thought back to that Saturday afternoon when I¡¯d first used my powers in my backyard. I¡¯d told Zack where I¡¯d found my stone, and I¡¯d mentioned that we¡¯d seen three meteorite impacts. He must¡¯ve gone looking for the third one himself. But when? How long has he had his powers? And why¡­? ¡°Why are you doing this, Zack?¡± I asked.


    My cousin didn¡¯t answer; obviously not in the mood to talk. Instead he tucked in his knees, planted both of his feet on my chest, and pushed. I sailed backwards about fifty yards down Broadway, surging my powers as I hit the asphalt and rolled to my feet, skidding to a stop. I raised my eyes back towards Zack and saw nothing.


    Suddenly, an invisible fist punched me in the jaw. I staggered but remained on my feet. I moved my powers out of my body and above my head, which helped to keep me grounded. I covered my head with my arms, trying to predict Zack¡¯s next attack. He hit me in the side, in the back, in the gut, and then again in the face.


    I groaned in pain, trying to catch my breath. Okay, I thought. Zack obviously hates me and wants to kill me for some reason. And he¡¯s invisible, which makes it nearly impossible to fight him. I need to run. Live today to fight another day. But where would I go? Hiding from an invisible Starling would be difficult. Especially when he knows all my hiding spots. My house was probably still on fire. Angela¡¯s house was swarming with cops. I needed another plan. My thoughts turned to Angela. She needed my help and I needed hers. Her stone was around here somewhere. I¡¯ve got to find her stone and take it to her.


    My mind made up, I launched into the air, just high enough to see over the two to three story buildings and searched for Angela¡¯s Star Stone. Broadway looked pretty bad. The road was torn up. Bumper to bumper traffic went on for miles on the west lane. The cars in the east lane kept moving, but slowly as they merged away from the fight.


    A large group of people got out of their cars and watched Zack and me fight¡ªwell, they couldn¡¯t see Zack, so they probably thought I was some crazy, drunk, superhuman teenager who chose the middle of the road as the prime location to practice my Olympic gymnastics routine.


    I looked carefully at the tops of the buildings, looking for the glimmer of Angela¡¯s white stone. Most of the buildings¡¯ roofs had a small layer of gravel on top of them, which made looking for her stone like looking for a golf ball in the middle of a blizzard. I knew the stone was somewhere within one or maybe two square miles, which was not a small area to search at all. I huffed, feeling overwhelmed.


    I heard something to my left. It was like the sound of a kite on a very windy day that was swiftly approaching me. The sound of someone flying. All Starlings made that sound as they flew. As fast as I could, I lifted a leg, extending it to my left with my foot flexed. My foot disappeared as it connected with Zack¡¯s gut. His momentum pushed me back in the air, but I kept my leg firm. I heard him groan.


    I couldn¡¯t pass up this opportunity to hit Zack while I knew where he was. I didn¡¯t want to fight my cousin, but he obviously wanted to fight me. I swung a fist at where I heard him groan and hit nothing but air. Barely missed. I heard him fly away from me, escaping from his bad position. He was probably trying to approach me more quietly.


    I wouldn¡¯t let him. I redirected my powers and rocketed horizontally through the air, keeping my eyes downward, looking at the buildings¡¯ roofs for any hint of Angela¡¯s stone. I zigzagged as I flew, trying to shake Zack off my tail. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know if he was on my tail or not. I couldn¡¯t hear him while I was flying, too much wind in my ears. Unfortunately, my Star Stone did not grant me super hearing. Maybe I could get him to talk.


    ¡°Zack!¡± I said over the wind as I flew. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯m your cousin! I don¡¯t want to fight you!¡± I kept my eyes darting back and forth as I flew. I didn¡¯t even know if Zack was close enough to hear me. I was probably just talking to myself, but it was worth a shot. ¡°Why are you in cahoots with Ray Simmons? You hate him almost as much as I do! And what do you want with Angela? Where did Ray take her?¡±


    No answer. Just wind in my ears.


    Come on, come on! I thought as I flew in circles. Where is that stone! The sun going down didn¡¯t help my odds of finding it. Yes, I could see better in the dark than non-Starlings could, but the white stone would reflect the sunlight much better than it would the moon or star lights.


    I heard something ahead of me. It wasn¡¯t the sound of Zack. It was the thumping sound of a helicopter. Multiple helicopters. I raised my eyes and saw three choppers, two white, one black, each with their searchlights shining toward me. I sighed, exasperated. Wait, I thought. Maybe their lights will help me find Angela¡¯s stone.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I shot below the helicopters and flew a few yards above the buildings. They tried to keep their searchlights on me, but I soared too fast for them. I slowed down, letting them shine their lights on me. I could see my shadow as I hovered over the buildings. Still no sight of Angela¡¯s stone.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± I screamed out loud. Something had bit me! Right on the back of my shoulder. I reached back with my hand and felt a small welt forming on my skin. Was it a bee sting? No. That wouldn¡¯t affect me with my powers on. It was a bullet! The people in the helicopters were shooting at me!


    I felt another sting on my back, just above my waist. It didn¡¯t penetrate my superhuman skin, but it felt like getting hit by a paintball gun. Whatever gun they were using, it was pretty powerful. I concentrated on my powers, causing the tingling to surge even more. Something I¡¯d learned about my powers is that I could increase their potency if I concentrated hard enough, just like a boxer can flex his abs before getting punched to soften the blow. My powers were just another muscle that I could flex. And after learning how to fly, I was much better at using it. I felt another sting near my neck, but this time it felt like getting pelted by a rain drop.


    Something caught my eye. I pushed my powers in front of me, coming to a stop. The search lights lost me for a moment, but I held still until they finally found me again. There! A white stone lay on a sidewalk next to a bank. Fortunately, nobody had picked it up.


    I dropped to the ground, snatched up Angela¡¯s stone, and gratefully stuffed it into my pocket. A lady walking on the sidewalk with her dog jumped when she saw me drop from the sky, her dog barking at me. I ignored them. Now, I thought. I need to get this stone to Angela. Where would Ray take her? I thought about the direction Ray had flown off with her. Toward South Tucson. What¡¯s over there?


    Suddenly, something grabbed my arm, spun me around, and hurled me at the bank. The bank¡¯s brick walls were no match against a hurtling Starling. I felt my back break through wall after wall, debris flying around me in a blur, until I burst out the other side of the bank and slid to a stop in the bank¡¯s parking lot.


    I lay on my stomach, not moving. Something bright was shining down on me, causing me to squint. The choppers¡¯ searchlights. I climbed to my knees, still unable to breathe. I looked up at the bank. It looked like a bulldozer had driven right through the middle of it. I finally caught my breath, my head throbbing.


    Before I could get to my feet, an unseen fist punched me back down. I lay on my back, dazed. I tasted blood in my mouth and my bottom lip felt swollen. All I could see above me was the piercingly bright lights from the helicopters.


    Suddenly Zack appeared out of thin air, towering over me, shadowing me from the lights. His curly red hair hung over his forehead as he glowered down at me. His eyes no longer glowed with black light, just the normal white light. His eyes must change colors when he turns invisible. I remembered Ray¡¯s and Angela¡¯s eyes changing colors when they used their special powers.


    ¡°You are not fit to have this power, Michael,¡± Zack said. He made some quick movements that I was too dazed to pick up, and then he stood up with two stones in his hand. One white, and the other dark blue. My Star Stone!


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you,¡± he said. ¡°But I will do whatever¡¯s necessary to remove your powers from you! You abused them, Cuz! You were bestowed with the powers of the gods, and you tried to hide them! You were irresponsible, and you don¡¯t deserve this stone! You were the wrong person to touch it!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how many times I thought the same thing,¡± I said as I reclined myself onto my elbows. I looked at my Star Stone in Zack¡¯s hand as if it were my beating heart he¡¯d pulled out of my chest. ¡°You¡¯re right, Zack. I was irresponsible. I made poor decisions. I was scared of my powers and I didn¡¯t want anyone to know I was a freak. But, I¡¯ve learned better now¡­¡±


    ¡°Psh!¡± Zack spat. ¡°Yeah right! I know how indecisive you are, Michael! You say you¡¯ve learned; you say you aren¡¯t afraid, but I know you¡¯ll go right back to hiding under your bed eventually. That¡¯s why I went and found the Scorpio Stone and became a Starling myself; to become the superhero you didn¡¯t have the guts to be.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. Things had changed since Zack and I last spoke. That was before I¡¯d fought with Ray, before I discovered Angela was a Starling like me, and before I¡¯d found the right way to be a hero. I wasn¡¯t afraid to act like a hero anymore¡­ but I hadn¡¯t proved that to him or to anyone yet. I could understand why he would have so little faith in me.


    I sat up, regaining my lucidity. Zack stood just above me, my stone in his hand; it was still close enough to grant me its powers. I needed to get it and Angela¡¯s stone from him somehow. Snatch them when he¡¯s not expecting it. If he turned invisible and flew away, I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch him. I needed to distract him somehow; get him to stall.


    His tattoo on his right arm caught my attention. He¡¯d always had it, but I didn¡¯t know what it was until that night I saved Mary Sanchez. The tattoo was a black S with a stinger coming out the top and claws coming out the bottom. The symbol of the Scorpion gang.


    Realization hit me like a brick. That¡¯s how he knew so much about their hideout! That¡¯s how he knew they had kidnapped Mary Sanchez! He didn¡¯t have a cousin in the gang that gave him all the info! Zack was a member!


    He noticed me looking at his tattoo. ¡°It was fitting that I got the Scorpio Stone. It helped me become leader of the gang. But now that gang only consists of Starlings.¡±


    He¡¯d tricked us! I gritted my teeth in anger, awaiting the right moment to pounce. ¡°Zack, where did you hear the word Starling?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°How do you know that word?¡±


    We both looked at each other for a moment, slowly realizing what that meant. Someone was helping him and Ray. Someone from MARS? That couldn¡¯t be good.


    ¡°Well,¡± Zack said, raising the white and blue Star Stones up in front of him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We won¡¯t have to worry about you anymore; you won¡¯t have your¡ª¡±


    I surged my powers and bolted upward, clawing for my stone. Zack reacted too quickly, moving his hand with my stone just out of reach, and then he put a foot on my chest and shoved me back to the street. I groaned, my ribs still tender.


    He laughed at me, his face silhouetted by the helicopters¡¯ searchlights. ¡°Nice try. You thought that I¡ªAH!¡± Zack screamed, arching his back. Both stones dropped out of his hands and clanked on the asphalt near my feet. I blinked. What was happening? I heard the sound of gunshots coming from the helicopters above. They were shooting Zack!


    This was my opening! I surged my powers, the world going in slow-motion, and grabbed the two stones at my feet. Zack¡¯s scream transformed into a growl as he surged his powers. He stood up straight, the bullets bouncing off him like hailstones on a trampoline. I saw his eyes shift color from standard yellow to black light with green glowing irises, and then he disappeared.


    I was already in the air by that time, flying high into the evening sky. I couldn¡¯t see Zack, but I was certain he was on my tail. The helicopters lost track of me as I picked up speed. I flew toward south Tucson, where Ray was headed with Angela. I had a hunch as to where he went, especially now I knew Zack (a.k.a. Scorpio) was in league with Ray.

 Chapter 37

    </a>Chapter 37


    Ray


    "No?¡± Mark said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°No!¡± I repeated. ¡°That¡¯s stupid! Think about it! If we bring her stone here, then she could use her powers, and it will be more difficult to hold her down. It would be like giving a prisoner the key to her cell and letting her escape. If you want to hurt her, why not do it now while she¡¯s weak? Bringing her stone here seems like the dumbest thing to do!¡±


    ¡°Do not question my methods, Draco!¡± He pointed a finger at me. ¡°Just do as I say! I need her stone in my hands before we kill her!¡±


    I stepped around New Girl and up to the ancient Starling. ¡°I¡¯m not your hitman, Mark! I didn¡¯t sign up for killing teenage girls! I said I¡¯d help you find your stone, and that¡¯s it! She said it¡¯s in a volcano in Italy, so let¡¯s go check it out! I¡¯d prefer a trip to Italy anyways¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I don¡¯t understand! How is killing other Starlings supposed to help you find your stone?¡±


    Mark glared at me but didn¡¯t answer. I could see a huge vein in his neck pulse as he fumed in anger. He glanced hungrily at New Girl standing behind me, like a zombie would look at a fat man. He wanted something from her, and he wanted it desperately. What more could he want? She already told him where his Star Stone was.


    Then, Mark¡¯s expression turned from hungry to wide-eyed. I spun on my heels and saw what he was looking at.  It was New Girl! Her eyes were glowing!


    She seemed just as surprised as us at first, but quickly spun into motion. Semi-transparent wings appeared out of nowhere, twirling around her like massive whips, filling the entire space of the small hideout. I didn¡¯t react in time; her right wing swatted me across the room. With a crunch, I broke halfway into a concrete wall. Her other wing hit Mark, but he summoned his powers just in time, causing the wing to collide with an invisible barrier surrounding him. The blow was still powerful enough to knock him backwards, sending him rolling along the sand-covered floor. He didn¡¯t get up, obviously weakened from the blow and from using his powers.


    I pushed against the wall, breaking myself out of its cold grasp, and focused on my powers and emotions. Disrespect, I thought. She hit me! And Mark used me! That¡¯s not how you treat a god! Like a dam of energy breaking loose, I tapped into the Second Degree, my powers surging and my hands bursting into flames.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    New Girl turned on me and raised her wings to defend herself. How did she get her powers back? I wondered. Her stone should be miles away. Unless¡­


    She dismissed her wings and flew out of the hideout. She didn¡¯t want to fight, just escape. If she hadn¡¯t hit me, I probably would¡¯ve let her go, but now she had to pay. I soared close behind her, fire trailing behind my hands. She took a few wrong turns, obviously not knowing her way around the dark bottom level of the abandoned stadium. I caught up to her and threw a fireball at her back.


    She turned back just in time to summon a wing to shield herself. She grunted as the fireball knocked her hard backwards and into a wall. The wall broke from her impact, turning into a pile of cinder blocks and gray dust. The wall led outside the abandoned building. I could see a hint of moonlight filter in the building as she continued to fly backwards from the force of the fireball. The flames danced around her wings for a second more, and then died. She dismissed her wings and flew away from me.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± I shouted as I flew through the hole in the wall, out of the building. There were no clouds in the sky. No lights nearby; Trotting Park was pretty remote, except for the interstate about three football fields from here. The cars¡¯ headlights didn¡¯t point toward us. The moon was just beginning to rise. The stars were shining brightly, especially the Draco constellation. There was more than enough light for two Starlings to see each other from a distance.


    I brought my hands together and tugged them apart, forming a fireball between them. I clawed at the fire with my fingers and managed to split it into two fireballs, one in each hand, both the size of pumpkins. I soared toward New Girl and chucked the fireballs at her.


    She stopped and easily swatted them away with her wings, just like I¡¯d expected. She turned to fly away, but I was gaining on her.


    I formed two more fireballs and threw those at her. She swatted one away and one right back at me. I¡¯d hoped she¡¯d do that again. I picked up speed as I flew directly through the fireball. I spread my hands and focused on the flames around me, allowing them to surround me, but not to burn my bare chest or my pants. I could manipulate the flames, but not the fireball itself. It already had too much momentum, so I let it fly behind me.


    I emerged out of the fireball and flew directly toward New Girl. Her wings were down, just like last time, leaving a big opening for me to give her another uppercut. The moment before I reached her, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.


    A blur of motion slammed into me from my upper left. It felt like a giant foot stepped on my back, crushing me like a bug. My world spun in circles as I hit the ground and rolled for what felt like an eternity. The dirt caved in around me and I finally came to a stop.


    I lay for a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Eventually, I surged my powers¡ªonly in the First Degree¡ªand crawled out of the miniature dirt cave created by my fall. My back ached terribly, but I walked it off. I coughed as a small gust of wind cleared the dust out of the air around me.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised when I looked up at who¡¯d stomped on me. Of course, it was him. Of course, it was that stupid dweeb who always got in my way and never seemed to stay down. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. Stoner was going down!

 Chapter 38

    </a>Chapter 38


    Michael


    I flew over to Angela. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said softly. ¡°A little shaken, but not stirred.¡±


    I smirked as I handed her white Star Stone to her. ¡°Don¡¯t drop this.¡±


    She took it gratefully. ¡°I won¡¯t. It¡¯s just¡­ the pockets in girls¡¯ pants are so tiny! It¡¯s ridiculous! How do they expect us to fit the massive cell phones they keep making these days in them? I don¡¯t get¡ª¡±


    ¡°Angela!¡± I cut her off, gipping her shoulders. ¡°Get your wings up! Now!¡±


    A second later, we were surrounded by a force field of wings made of pure energy. Another second later, we heard a loud thud against the wings directly above us followed by a grunt of pain. The wings held, but we were bumped downward a tad.


    ¡°Great,¡± Angela said. ¡°You brought the invisible Starling with you?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said.  ¡°Angela, it¡¯s Zack.¡±


    ¡°Your cousin?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°And he¡¯s got a personal vendetta against me. Wants to take away my powers, even if it means killing me if he has to. And I think someone from MARS is helping them too.¡±


    An explosion sounded behind us, though it was muffled by the wings, causing us both to jump. Flames spread across the force field for a couple seconds and then died out. We could see Ray through the wings in the distance, summoning another fireball.


    Angela pulled me close into an embrace. It may have been for comfort or to help her focus on the protective emotion she needed to have to summon her wings¡ªeither way, I wasn¡¯t complaining. ¡°Michael,¡± she said into my shoulder. ¡°They do have someone helping them, a guy named Mark, but he¡¯s not with MARS.¡± Another fireball hit the force field, knocking us back a bit. ¡°He¡¯s another Starling who lost his stone and he¡¯s getting Ray and Zack to help him find it. And for some reason he wants to kill us. Especially me. He scares me, Michael.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Angela.¡± I held her tighter as another fireball slammed into the wings. ¡°We can beat these guys. We just gotta work together. And as for that other Starling¡­ well, we can worry about him after we beat Ray and Zack. How long can your wings hold up?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much forever, I think. As long as I have my stone and keep up my concentration.¡±


    Another fireball rocked us backwards.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°What we need to do is get one of their stones away from them. Once you get it, throw it as far as you can. Should be enough to take his powers away.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Probably easier to take Ray¡¯s first. You know, since we can actually see him.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. And then we should be able to handle Zack with the two of us against him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so how are we going to take Ray¡¯s stone away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡±

 Chapter 39

    </a>Chapter 39


    Ray


    I formed a fireball the size of a love sac, the biggest I¡¯d ever formed. I held it above my head and tossed it at New Girl and Stoner. It smashed into her glass-looking wings with a loud pop, knocking them back a few hundred yards. A moment later, after the flames died out, her wings reappeared looking completely unscathed. I flew toward them.


    ¡°Yo! Ray!¡± It was Invisiguy, somewhere to my right. ¡°That¡¯s obviously not working!¡±


    ¡°Well, do you have any better ideas?¡± I asked, annoyed.


    He didn¡¯t answer. I wasn¡¯t surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± I said. ¡°How about you go head-butt it about fifty times with your thick invisi-skull and see if it¡¯ll make a dent.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could feel his glare on me, shooting daggers at me with his eyes.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t keep attacking her force field,¡± I continued, ¡°then they¡¯ll just fly away, and we¡¯ll have to chase them across the state. I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t want to do that.¡±


    ¡°Keep throwing your stupid fireballs then!¡± Invisiguy said, now somewhere above me.


    I already had one between my hands the size of a beach ball, ready to try something different. I threw the fireball above my head like I would a volleyball. I flew up to it during its ascent and clawed out a small baseball-sized fireball in my left hand and clawed out another one in my right. I spun, throwing the small fireballs side-armed, one after the other. Before they reached her shield, I clawed out two more fireballs and threw those as well. I kept spinning, throwing as many small fireballs as I could at once.


    The effect was awesome. It sounded and looked like the grand finale of a fireworks show. Each fireball exploded like a grenade when they collided with her wings. My hope was that the sheer volume of fireballs would frighten New Girl into dropping her wings, but what she did instead was unexpected.


    New Girl and Stoner began flying directly toward me, still within the protection of her wings, flying against the barrage of fireballs I kept throwing at them. I threw the fireballs harder, hoping to knock them backwards, but they kept charging toward me.


    Just as the last fireball got deflected off the side of her shield, New Girl opened her wings just a tad, forming a small slit in her force field. Out of the slit flew Stoner with his arms extended like Superman. I swung a fist, trying to punch him mid-flight, but he got me first, right in the jaw.


    The force of the punch knocked me downwards, but I caught myself before hitting the ground. I flew back up toward Stoner, but he wasn¡¯t there. He¡¯d flown back inside the protection of New Girl¡¯s wings. That twerp scurried off like a little coward!If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You wimp!¡± I yelled. ¡°You don¡¯t get any free punches, Stoner! Stop acting like a wuss and come out of there and fight me like a man!¡±


    I could see stoner through New Girl¡¯s force field, standing there with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face. ¡°Come get me!¡± he said, though I mostly read his lips because his voice was muffled through her wings.


    ¡°Fine!¡± I flew right up to the force field, a few feet away, and extended both of my red-hot palms toward it. With a shout, I summoned fire to shoot out of my hands, like two flamethrowers at point-blank. The force of the flames pushed me backward, so I had to redirect my flying powers behind me to push me forward, cancelling out my movement. The fire, red, orange and yellow, completely surrounded New Girl¡¯s ball of protection. Her wings didn¡¯t get knocked back, which meant that she was pushing against me. I focused on the part of her wings directly in front of me, trying to cut my way through her force field.


    ¡°Yo! Ray!¡±


    I turned to the voice to my left, thinking it was Invisiguy, but was shocked to see Stoner hovering above me, his shoes level with my face. How in the¡­


    He kicked me. Right in the nose! As if my head were a soccer ball!


    My head whipped backwards, my body following close behind. The fire on my hands died out completely as I brought them up to cup my face. The pain was excruciating! I think he broke my nose!


    I dropped out of the sky and broke through something made out of metal and then landed on asphalt on my back with a crunch.


    I didn¡¯t move. My whole body hurt, but mostly my nose. I just held it, trying to stifle the pain.


    I lay somewhere in the city. Bright lights were above me. A gas station? I¡¯d broken through the overhead metal canopy above the gas pumps. I heard several people nearby scream and run. I hadn¡¯t noticed that our fight had moved so far from Trotting Park.


    I realized what¡¯d happened. While I was shooting flames at the front of New Girl¡¯s wings, she must¡¯ve opened a slit in the back, and that¡¯s how Stoner got out and kicked me while I was distracted.


    I felt blood oozing out my nose and into my mouth. Gross! I sat up and tried wiping the blood off of me, but it just kept coming.


    Whoosh!


    The sound made me look up. Stoner hovered a foot above me, looking down at me with his glowing eyes.


    I opened my mouth to say something like ¡°Lucky shot!¡± but got cut off as he bent down and stuffed his hands down my pockets.


    ¡°WHOA!¡± was the only word that came out of me. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to suddenly get all frisky! I kindled my powers in the First Degree and shoved him away from me.


    When he pulled back, my eyes widened. He held my red Star Stone in his hand!


    He turned away from me and leaned back as if he were about to throw it to the next state.


    ¡°NO!¡± I shouted as I pushed myself to my feet. I wasn¡¯t going to stop him in time!


    Suddenly, Stoner got knocked backwards, my stone falling from his grip and dropping onto the gasoline-stained concrete at my feet.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it! It was Invisiguy! Er¡­ Scorpio. He¡¯d tackled Stoner just before he threw my stone away. Way to go, Scorpio! I thanked him mentally as I snatched up my stone and put it back in my pocket, feeling so relieved with it there!


    I turned toward Scorpio and Stoner. Stoner lay on his back on the corner of the gas station, looking half conscious. The station¡¯s price sign¡ªoutrageous prices by the way¡ªteetered and came crashing into the street, causing cars to swerve and stop. Scorpio must¡¯ve pushed Stoner right through the metal sign.


    I couldn¡¯t see Scorpio, of course, but he spoke up in front of me, causing me to start. ¡°I¡¯ve got his Star Stone,¡± he said. ¡°Be right back.¡±


    I opened my mouth to say something, but he flew off with a whooshing sound. Okay¡­.


    I looked up at the hole in the gas station canopy, guessing that Scorpio flew through it. I noticed a crowd of people surrounding the gas station, keeping their distance, but daring to get close enough to see what was going on. I could hear police sirens and helicopters in the distance, unsure if they were approaching or not.


    I lowered my gaze to Stoner. He sat up, dazed and hurt. He looked weak, powerless. I wiped some blood off of my nose and strode toward him.

 Chapter 40

    </a>Chapter 40


    Michael


    That one hurt.


    I groaned as I sat up, my ribs, back, and head throbbing. My bottom lip was very swollen. We were so close! We¡¯d almost taken the advantage by removing Ray¡¯s powers, but Zack stopped me!


    I looked up. Ray walked toward me, looking angry. He had blood all over his face and bare chest. His nose looked broken, but that didn¡¯t make me feel any better. Well¡­ maybe a little.


    I tried surging my powers and pushing myself to my feet, but I gasped at the pain that suddenly sucked at my gut. I immediately turned off my powers and stumbled to my knees. The pain stopped, and I felt overwhelmingly exhausted.


    My powers! Gone! Zack took my stone!


    Panic gripped at my chest. I looked up again at Ray, breathing hard from the exertion of using my powers without my stone. He¡¯d reignited the flames on his hands. The sound was surprisingly loud, like two welders hard at work.


    He stood above me, his red-glowing eyes narrowed on me. I didn¡¯t move. There was no point. Without my powers I couldn¡¯t outrun Ray.


    He brought his right hand back, preparing to give me a final, fiery backhand. I turned away from him and cringed, anticipating more pain and probably death.


    But nothing happened. I opened my eyes and looked up at him.


    Ray still held his hand back, the fire illuminating his face, but didn¡¯t strike. His expression was hard to read.


    His hesitation cost him. I blinked, and Ray was gone!


    In his place stood Angela, her glass-looking wings surrounding the both of us. I heard a crash to my right. Across the street and through Angela¡¯s wings, I saw a man-sized hole right through the middle of a Mexican restaurant. People flooded out of the restaurant, screaming. Angela had swiped Ray across the street with her wings. It was too fast for me to see without my powers.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Angela asked, looking concerned and helping me to my feet.


    ¡°Well, Ray almost killed me,¡± I said. ¡°Oh, and Zack took my stone. So, no. I¡¯m not okay.¡±


    ¡°He took your stone?¡± She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Her white-glowing eyes darted back and forth as she took in the information. ¡°Michael, this isn¡¯t good. This¡­¡± She looked up at me. ¡°I can find your stone! I bet your cousin took it to Mark back at that abandoned building! I know where he is!¡±


    ¡°The other Starling? Why would he want my stone?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m telling you, we have got to get it away from him! Somehow, Mark knows more about Starlings than even my dad. He might even know how to destroy your stone, and we don¡¯t really know what that could do to you!¡±


    We didn¡¯t know but feared the worst. Would it kill me if my stone were destroyed? ¡°No, Angela, we¡¯ve got to run!¡± I said. ¡°You can¡¯t face Zack and Ray alone!¡±


    ¡°I can handle them¡ªthey can¡¯t get through my wings.¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t go risking your life for me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be risking your life if I don¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°But they could kill you!¡±


    ¡°And Mark could kill you!¡±


    ¡°Angela¡ª¡±


    ¡°Michael!¡± She grabbed my hands and gripped them firmly. ¡°I¡­ I care too much for you! I can¡¯t lose you!¡±


    I blinked, finding it hard to argue with her. We both basically had the same argument anyways.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance that I can keep Mark from crushing your stone¡­¡± she said, ¡°then I¡¯m taking it!


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want¡ªthere¡¯s Ray!¡±


    She turned around to see Ray emerge out of the hole in the Mexican restaurant, his hands on fire, a frustrated snarl on his face. Clusters of people who stood around watching took a good look at Ray and ran.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you with me, Michael¡± Angela said while watching Ray through her wings from across the street. ¡°I¡¯ve got to hide you!¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    My words were caught in my throat as my world became a blur. In a flash, we were somewhere else. My head was spinning from the rush. I think Angela had picked me up and ran me a few blocks away from Ray. I leaned against a nearby wall to balm the queasiness. So, this is how normal people feel when they get moved around at super speed.


    I took in my surroundings. We were next to Dan¡¯s Barber Shop. I¡¯d never heard of it, but that¡¯s what the sign said. There was a five-foot wall of bushes around the entrance of the closed shop that made it a great hiding spot. The street wasn¡¯t very busy either, so the lack of headlights made it pretty dark.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Angela ordered. I blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus on her. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with your stone.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    She bent her knees and launched into the air; the blast wave from her jump toppled me over. I realized just how many bruises I had as I hit the sidewalk. Angela soared high into the air, shifted her direction toward Trotting Park, and disappeared over the buildings.


    ¡°Be safe,¡± I said softly to the sky, feeling grateful and mad at her at the same time for leaving me here. I lowered my eyes and scanned the street corner where Angela¡¯d dropped me off. The sidewalks were free of pedestrians and only a couple cars passed by with their headlights on.


    I looked at my scraped hands and sighed. No stone. No powers. No way to help. ¡°Well, now what?¡±

 Chapter 41

    </a></a></a>Chapter 41


    Ray


    I stood in the air, high above the city, watching for any movement. New Girl had given me the slip. She probably wanted to get Stoner out of the way since he was powerless now. I could¡¯ve killed him. The thought made me tremble. I can¡¯t believe it; I almost killed him.


    I had joked about killing people just to get my way as a god, but it wasn¡¯t funny anymore. This was very serious. I almost murdered a guy, and that left me unsettled. I tried to shake off the feeling.


    Movement in the distance caught my attention. ¡°There you are,¡± I said. New Girl flew fast over the city and it looked like she was heading toward the abandoned horse racing track. Why was she going there? Hadn¡¯t she just escaped from there? Probably to get Stoner¡¯s Star Stone. Scorpio had given it to Mark. She had to be stopped.


    I exploded into motion, flying hard to cut her off before getting to Mark¡¯s hideout. Just as our paths crossed, I chucked a basketball-sized fireball at her. She noticed it just in time and brought up her wings to block it. The fireball was meant to just stop her, and it worked. I hovered in the air between her and the hideout, my arms folded, letting her know that she would have to get through me first.


    She wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat. Without hesitating, she flew at me at an upward angle, trying to go over my head. I quickly summoned a fireball and flung it at her. She blocked it, of course, with her annoying wings, and this time she didn¡¯t let it slow her down.


    I flew after her, cutting her off again, and this time I took the time to form a much larger fireball and toss it at her. When she blocked it, the blow was powerful enough to knock her backwards, away from the hideout.


    As soon as New Girl stopped her backward motion, she immediately rocketed to the side, trying to go around me. She was certainly persistent in going to the hideout, but I wouldn¡¯t let her.


    I threw a slew of fireballs at her as fast as I could. Each one crashed into her force field, knocking her back a ways, but she would keep on pushing forward, never toward me, but around. I was definitely slowing her down, but the truth was she was making gradual progress toward the hideout. I needed to come up with another idea to stop her.


    We were probably a little over a mile or two away from the hideout. The city¡¯s lights burned brightly below us, but I noticed some other lights nearby above us. Helicopters. A few helicopters aimed their spotlights at New Girl and me, and the pilots seemed to be keeping their distance. Probably because of all the explosions from my fireballs hitting her wings.


    No time to think about them. I need to stop New Girl somehow. Suddenly, I understood how all of my linemen felt while trying to defend their quarter back. I felt bad for all the times I gave them a hard time or blamed them for getting me sacked. It¡¯s a tough job.


    Whoosh!


    ¡°Need some help?¡±


    I looked to my left and saw nobody. ¡°Invisguy!¡± I said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he said. ¡°You finally call me Scorpio like ten minutes ago, but not now?¡±


    ¡°You took too long. Did you stop to get an invisible manicure or something?¡±


    I imagined him rolling his eyes. I summoned another fireball and chucked it at New Girl. She dodged it, so I had to move closer to the hideout and to cut her off and throw another fireball. This one hit her wings and knocked her back.


    ¡°I was talking with Mark,¡± Invisiguy said, obviously flying with me as I fought New Girl. ¡°He has Orion¡¯s Star Stone and told me that we need to kill him now.¡±


    I paused. ¡°Kill Stoner?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Invisiguy¡¯s tone creeped me out. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to at first, but Mark said it¡¯s the only way to ensure that Michael will never abuse his powers again. And he won¡¯t teach us the Third Degree if we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Something felt off about this. And not just the whole killing-Stoner thing. Something about Mark.


    ¡°Yep. But first things first. We¡¯ve got to stop Angela.¡±


    Michael


    A black car screeched to a stop beside the sidewalk. The driver door opened, and Dad leaned out of the car. ¡°Michael, get in!¡±


    I didn¡¯t hesitate. I ran around to the passenger side and jumped in, just as the car lurched back into motion.


    ¡°Thanks, Dad!¡± I said, feeling grateful to be moving somewhat fast again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Okay, you said on the phone that you would fill me in as soon as I picked you up, so, I¡¯m ready. Fill me in. You said you were in trouble¡­¡±


    Dad drove swiftly; his eyes looked intense behind his glasses. He still wore his pin stripe suit and bowtie.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to tell you something crazy, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I already know you¡¯re a superhuman, son.¡± My mouth hung open. ¡°The news has been going crazy about you. You¡¯ve been missing for five days! Five days! And the first time you come home, the house catches on fire?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me that was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ray Simmons, I know. Sarah told me. And the news has been showing glimpses of your fight tonight. Those helicopters have been filming you.¡± Dad clutched tightly onto the steering wheel, looking uneasy. ¡°And then you ask for a ride? You obviously must¡¯ve lost your powers somehow¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah.¡± This was going too fast for me. First off, it was crazy that my dad actually believed I could have superpowers; he was the polar opposite of superstitious. Second, he already knew or deduced my whole story! Third, this wasn¡¯t anything like how I imagined the conversation with my dad going where I reveal my secret to him. He¡¯d already figured it out!


    ¡°Turn left here!¡± I said while pointing. ¡°I need you to take me back to Trotter¡¯s Park!¡±


    ¡°That old, abandoned horse racing track?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my stone is there. I need to get within a mile of it to regain my powers. Turn here. Left here! Le¡ªDad, you missed the turn!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you home, son!¡±


    I gaped at him. ¡°What? Dad, Angela needs my help! I¡¯ve got to get back there!¡±


    He shook his head, glanced at me, and then focused on the road. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Look at you! Your lip is swollen, you¡¯ve got another black eye, your clothes have been burnt black! Your mother and I have been worried sick about you! You could get killed doing this, Michael! You¡¯re coming home!¡±


    ¡°What home?¡± I said. ¡°It got hit by a fireball, remember? I need my powers to stop Ray from hurting me and anyone I care about!


    ¡°Let someone else take care of him. Give your stone to someone else!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that, Dad. The stone only gives me powers. In fact, right now someone else does have my stone, and I need to get it back, so I can keep fighting!¡±


    Dad scoffed, running a sweaty hand through his hair. ¡°You¡¯re not a fighter! You¡¯re not a hero, Michael! You¡¯re just a 16-year-old boy who happened upon superpowers and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to be a hero? Wasn¡¯t it you who said this world needs more heroes who are willing to stand up for what¡¯s right before the wrong thing happens?¡±


    Dad rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, but I wasn¡¯t talking about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Right now, Dad, this city needs a hero. A super hero. Ray and Zack need to be stopped¡ªI need to stop them. And I can¡¯t do it without my powers. So please, take me back!¡±


    He took a deep breath. ¡°I understand that you want to help people, son, but you¡¯ve got to think about this. Now is your chance to get back the life you had. You don¡¯t have to be on the run anymore or weigh yourself down with self-imposed responsibility. You don¡¯t have to risk your life trying to save others anymore. Do you really want to go back to that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said without hesitation.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Dad huffed, shifting his gaze between me and the road. I watched him, anxiously waiting for him to agree with me, but he took his time.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± I said. ¡°When I first got my powers, I was afraid of them. Afraid of how my life would change and how people would treat me. I wished I¡¯d never touched that stone. But now¡­ now with Zack and Ray threatening to kill Angela, and with other Starlings out there that need to be helped or stopped, I¡¯ve found a purpose for my powers. It¡¯s to be that hero you wanted me to be. I know it¡¯s dangerous and the risks are high, and I know it scares you and mom, but this¡­ this is what I want. It took me a long time to want it, but now I do. Let me be a hero.¡±


    We stopped at a red light. Dad looked at me for a long time without saying anything, expressionless. And then, finally, he flipped on the blinker to turn left.


    Ray


    ¡°Keep throwing fireballs at her,¡± Invisiguy said. ¡°I¡¯ll try and find an opening.¡±


    I heard him fly toward New Girl as I summoned a fireball in each hand. Sweat streaked down my neck. I could feel the exhaustion sweeping over me. My broken nose throbbed but had finally stopped bleeding. Without the time to tend to it, I got blood all over my face, hands, and bare chest. Right now, I couldn¡¯t focus on that though, I had to keep New Girl from getting to our hideout. She could get Stoner¡¯s stone back and return it to him, making this fight much more difficult. Where was he anyways?


    I flung both fireballs, one after the other, at New Girl. She dodged the first one and blocked the second with her wings. As soon as she recovered from the impact, she kept flying around me, getting ever closer to the abandoned horse racing track.


    She didn¡¯t keep her wings up all the time because they slowed her down. After blocking my fireballs, she would dismiss her wings and soar around me, but this time Invisiguy was there to stop her.


    Her head whipped backwards from an invisible punch, and then she got kicked in the midsection, sending her plummeting toward the city below. I redirected my burning powers above me and flew down toward her.


    Before smashing into a movie theater, she stopped her descent and surrounded herself completely with her wings. I could tell Invisiguy was trying to get through her defenses because New Girl was getting knocked backwards. He wasn¡¯t able to harm her with those wings in the way, but at least he kept her from getting any closer to our hideout.


    I threw fireball after fireball down at her, causing her to plant her feet on the roof of the movie theater for extra support. There didn¡¯t seem to be any way around her force field, so the idea was to just overwhelm her with punches and fireballs. Just keep on hitting her without letting her have the chance to breathe. Eventually her wings have to crack!


    New Girl¡¯s feet dug in deep in the concrete roof as she withstood our barrage of attacks. I didn¡¯t want the theater to cave in and kill hundreds of people, so I flew beside her and kicked her force field like I would punt a football. And just like a ball, she rolled off the roof. Her wings spun in the air, but she remained upright, though she looked strained to stay that way.


    Invisiguy spiked her toward the street below. She formed a tiny crater in the asphalt and several cars swerved around her. One car clipped the edge of her wings, causing it to spin out of control and crash into a light post.


    I groaned. Why do we have to do this fight in the middle of the city?


    Invisiguy kept pounding away at New Girl¡¯s wings from above, pushing her farther into the earth. I could see her face through her wings. She looked terrified. I threw one fireball at her, but held back my second, feeling sick.


    I glanced to my right, at the car that hit the light post. The driver¡ªa middle-aged man¡ªlimped out; hurt, but alive, trying to get away from our fight. I frowned as I watched him, and other people scramble away from us.


    New Girl fell to her knees under the pressure of Invisiguy¡¯s blows. I landed on the street and just watched with a fireball in my hand, unsure what to do with it. Her wings flickered and then disappeared entirely, leaving her defenseless, on her knees, her eyes glowing a dimmer white than before. She must¡¯ve dropped out of Second Degree, no longer able to concentrate on whatever emotion she needed to stay in it. Now, I could only discern one emotion on her face: fear.


    Invisiguy attacked her right away, hitting her hard in the face. She flew nearly a hundred yards backwards and crashed into the street, breaking the asphalt as she rolled and smashed into a few cars, their metal frames bending from the impact like aluminum foil.


    My heart dropped as I watched the destruction. Yes, I wanted New Girl to learn a lesson, but this seemed to go too far. Other people were getting hurt or worse in the process. Something felt wrong about this.


    I heard Invisiguy fly after her, and I flew close behind. New Girl managed to climb to her feet just as Invisiguy hit her again.


    Michael


    ¡°Dad, watch out!¡± I yelled.


    Dad slammed on the breaks before turning onto Speedway Boulevard, which would get us back to Trotting Park. I was grateful we stopped because a blur of destruction came down the street from our left, crashed into a car in the middle of the intersection, kept going down the street to our right, and eventually came to a stop not too far away. Cars were tossed aside like toys and Speedway was ripped up like an airplane had crash-landed on it. The crunching, grinding sound was awful.


    I blinked, regaining my composure. I thought I saw someone in that blur.


    Dad looked shocked. ¡°What in the¡­ Michael, what¡¯re you doing?¡±


    I had opened the passenger door and got out. ¡°That was Angela!¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have your powers!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I slammed the door and ran toward Angela as fast as my non-superhuman legs could carry me. Please be okay, I thought. Please be okay. As I approached, my stomach turned into knots. Angela lay on her back, a foot deep into the broken asphalt, motionless, her eyes closed. No!


    I skid to a stop next to her and fell to my knees, checking for signs of life. ¡°Angela!¡± I said as I shook her shoulder. ¡°Angela! Can you¡­¡±


    I let out a deep breath as her eyes fluttered open and gradually focused on me. ¡°Michael,¡± she said weakly. ¡°I¡­¡±


    She was cut off by the sound of two blow torches approaching. I turned around and saw Ray hovering a couple feet above the road in the middle of the intersection; his hands, on fire; his face, unreadable. I let go of Angela and stood between him and her. ¡°Leave her alone, Ray!¡±


    I yelped as something suddenly appeared out of thin air directly in front of my face. A short, teenage boy with freckles, red, curly hair, and glowing eyes. It was Zack.


    He laughed at my reaction. ¡°Or you¡¯ll what?¡±


    I glared at my cousin. Without thinking about it, I turned on my powers, my eyes glowing. Zack flinched, backing away from me. I felt the life-sucking pain in my gut and I quickly shut them off. It was brief enough that it didn¡¯t wear me down too much, but painful enough to remind me my stone was missing.


    ¡°Oh, you want to fight me without your stone?¡± Zack said with a laugh. ¡°Bring it on, Cuz! I dare you to try! Let¡¯s see how long you last!¡±


    I thought about it. If I did turn on my powers, I¡¯d probably have only less than a minute before fainting. Would that be enough time to defeat him? And Ray? Probably not. But I was really tempted to try anyways.


    ¡°No?¡± Zack said. ¡°Too scared? Well that¡¯s too bad. Looks like I¡¯ll just have to kill you without any fun. One punch to the head ought to do it. You sure you don¡¯t want to fight back? C¡¯mon, I know you do.¡±


    I clenched my teeth. Would he actually kill me? Could I actually beat him without my stone?


    Suddenly, in an explosion, Zack lunged toward me, but not to attack me, no, he was hit from behind. He fell to the ground beside me, his back covered in flames.


    Confused, I raised my eyes up at Ray. His right arm was extended in front of him. He¡¯d thrown a fireball at Zack!


    Ray


    Invisguy got up quickly, rage scrawled all over his face. A smirk made its way to my lips. This was the first time I¡¯d seen Invisiguy, and boy, it was rewarding to finally see how he reacted. He was angrier than I would¡¯ve imagined, and that made it even funnier. I didn¡¯t recognize him. He was probably a student at Sahuaro High School with me, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever noticed him. He was just as invisible to me then as he could be now.


    ¡°What the heck, Ray!¡± Invisiguy said.


    ¡°Leave them alone!¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re a sick kid, Invisiguy.¡±


    ¡°IT¡¯S SCORPIO!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, Invisiguy, this is wrong. Killing people is wrong. Mark is wrong! I¡¯m not going to be his pawn anymore, and I¡¯m not going to let you help him either!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for Mark! This is the right thing to do! They are the bad guys, we are the good guys! And we¡¯ve got to stop them for¡ªwhoa! Hey!¡±


    I threw a fireball at him, and unfortunately, he barely dodged it. ¡°Shut your twisted yap, Invisiguy!¡± I said as I summoned two more fireballs in the palms of my hands. ¡°Either leave or fight me!¡±


    Invisiguy glared at me for a long time, debating what he should do. Stoner looked up at me from his knees with a zoned-out expression, probably unsure if he was dreaming or not.


    Invisiguy disappeared instantly and rushed toward me. How do I know he rushed toward me? Smoke. Some of his clothes on his back were still on fire. The fire was invisible, of course, but the smoke seeped out of his invisibility bubble, allowing me to know his location. The smoke became visible just about two inches above his head. This was how I¡¯d planned to beat him all along. I¡¯d told myself that if he ever appeared, I would throw a fireball at him no matter what.


    Before he reached me, I launched directly into the air, flying high above the buildings and just below the three helicopters that circled our fight. Invisiguy flew after me, I could see the trail of smoke following him. I was about to throw a fireball at him, but he punched me in the face just before I did.


    I recovered quickly and realized my mistake. He was moving too fast for the smoke to show exactly where he was. I needed to read where he would be, just like I would read where to throw the football ahead of a receiver.


    I flew back and found his smoke trail again. He was flying at me from the left this time. I barely had enough time to extend my leg and catch him in the stomach. He groaned, and my foot and ankle disappeared behind his invisibility bubble.


    I wouldn¡¯t let him get away now. I swung a fiery right hook and got him right in the face. He staggered backwards, and I lunged to grab him, but he barely dodged out of the way. He flew away from me and started to circle me.


    I summoned fireballs and started throwing them at him. The third one hit him, but I couldn¡¯t tell how much damage it did because it turned invisible as soon as it did. There was a little more smoke following him now. He continued to circle me, but at a greater distance. That must be the way that he fights with invisibility, I thought. He circles you, finds an opening, and then attacks.


    I kept throwing fireballs at him as I chased behind him. He managed to dodge them because he kept his distance from me.


    ¡°You can see me!¡± Invisiguy said aloud.


    I didn¡¯t respond, just kept throwing fireballs, hoping to hit him and then grab him.


    He changed his tactics. He sped up and flew in zigzags through the air. I stayed on his tail, watching the smoke trail carefully and listening to him fly. I didn¡¯t manage to land any other fireballs, he stayed as far from me as he could now that he knew I could see him.


    Uh oh¡­ I thought. He¡¯d figured it out. He was trying to fly fast enough to kill out the smoke. A few seconds later, his smoke trail had died out completely. I cursed.


    My head whipped to the side as Invisiguy punched me in the cheek. I didn¡¯t see it coming at all. He hit me again in the stomach, causing me to keel over. And then he hammered my back, sending me careening downward.


    I slowed my descent but still hit the road hard, not far from where Stoner and New Girl were. My whole body was aching; I¡¯d been fighting straight for a couple hours now. I slowly made my way to my feet and looked up at the sky, imagining Invisiguy smirking down at me.


    Turns out, my imagination was totally off. Someone grabbed my right arm and extended it out beside me. Invisiguy was right next to me! Before I even had the thought to react, he smashed in my elbow.


    Excruciating pain shot through my body like lightning. I screamed uncontrollably. I dropped out of the Second Degree and fell to my knees, holding my arm with my right hand. My elbow isn¡¯t supposed to bend that way!

 Chapter 42

    </a>Chapter 42


    Michael


    Ray¡¯s scream caused me to cringe. His arm looked gross; just looking at it made me nauseous. I looked away and kept inching off the street with Angela leaning on my shoulder like an injured soccer player being helped off the field. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t get your stone¡­¡± she muttered.


    She looked weak. I couldn¡¯t tell if anything was broken, but she looked exhausted enough to lie down on the sidewalk and sleep until morning. That wasn¡¯t an option right now, though. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°My dad will drive me close to Trotting Park and that should do the trick.¡±


    She hummed in approval, her head sagging.


    While I was grateful and surprised that Ray decided to help us out, it was unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t hold Zack off a little longer for me to get Angela to my dad¡¯s car. I looked around for Zack, even though I knew I wouldn¡¯t see him anyways. He was around here somewhere.


    Dad ran toward me and offered to help carry her. ¡°Come on Angela,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll get you out of here.¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding? The news has been all over you, her, and Ray Simmons this whole week!¡± He glanced at Ray. ¡°What happened to him anyways? I couldn¡¯t see anything¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zack. He¡¯s Invisible.¡± We were almost to the car. Hundreds of people crowded the street. Many of them were injured. Some people were calling for help to get out of their crushed cars. Traffic had come to a complete stop. The scene looked like a bomb had gone off in the middle of the intersection.


    ¡°Zack Larson? Your cousin?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°The same.¡± We jerked our heads up and froze. Zack stood between us and the car. ¡°What¡¯s up Uncle John?¡±


    Neither one of us said anything. Dad just stared at Zack¡¯s glowing eyes. I noticed that his clothes had been burnt black in several locations, but his pale skin didn¡¯t have any worse than second degree burns.


    My cousin was about to say something, but was cut off as huge, glassy wings appeared out of nowhere and swatted him across the street. He collided with a light post, causing it to bend and then slowly fall to the street. People screamed as the light hit the road with a loud crash.


    I looked at Angela, amazed at her persistence. Dad and I were still holding her upright because she looked on the verge of fainting, but in her bright white-glowing eyes I saw a great determination to keep Zack away from us. She held out her arms to direct the wings to surround us. Dad looked around at the force field, his jaw dropped in amazement.


    Zack recovered quickly and sped over to the edge of Angela¡¯s force field. He glared angrily at each of us from the other side. A part of me was repulsed by Zack¡¯s¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªevilness, but another part of me was unsurprised. He always did have a dark side to him. He just kept it under wraps when he was with me and Sarah. He was a member of the Scorpion gang. He¡¯d probably stolen, robbed, and murdered before. And his perspective of good and bad was so twisted. All he needed was superpowers and a gentle push from that other Starling, Mark, to get him to think we¡¯re the bad guys.


    I felt guilty for not being a better cousin and friend. I could¡¯ve included him more in Team Orion, and I could¡¯ve accepted my powers sooner. He hated me for being irresponsible with my powers. I was partially to blame for the situation we were in.


    Zack kicked the force field hard. The force of the kick pushed the wings toward us, but Angela clenched her teeth and grunted as she kept her wings from moving. It took her a lot of effort to remain in place after getting hit by something hard. Usually she would let the force of a blow knock her backwards, probably because it used less energy, but she couldn¡¯t do that now because my dad and I were with her inside her protective wings. The wings would hit Dad and me with the same force as Zack¡¯s kick, which would be deadly for those without powers. Ugh¡­ I need my powers!


    Zack smirked, recognizing how much effort Angela put into holding the force field still, and then he kicked it again. And again. And again.


    Each kick wore on Angela. Beads of sweat dripped down her head. Veins bulged in her neck. Her arms trembled with each blow. She slumped more and more onto our shoulders.


    ¡°Angela¡­¡± I started to say but couldn¡¯t get anything else out. Watching her struggle to protect me and my dad was painful. I wanted to help. I wanted to do something! Anything!


    One last kick. Angela couldn¡¯t hold the wings still anymore. The wings flew fast toward us. They were going to hit us like a brick wall. At the last moment, Angela dismissed her wings, letting them disappear, and she drooped her head in defeat.


    Zack strolled up to us, confident enough to remain visible. He was shorter than all of us, Angela included, but he walked as if he loomed a mile over our heads. Fear gripped my chest. What was he going to do to us? We were at his mercy. Angela was on the cusp of consciousness and I didn¡¯t have my stone.


    As Zack approached, Angela found the strength to gently push me and dad away. Her eyes still glowed, but not nearly as white or as bright as they did when she had her wings up. Even without her wings, she was still trying to protect us!


    Zack stopped a few paces away from Angela, looking ready to finish her off. I clenched my fists. I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening! After all our plans to defeat Ray and protect the world from bad Starlings, we end up being defeated by none other than my cousin! He was going to hurt her! Maybe kill her! I had to do something!


    But what? I thought. I don¡¯t have my stone. I can use my powers, but I¡¯d pass out. Maybe¡­ maybe I can steal his stone and throw it away before passing out. I¡¯d have to do it fast. It¡¯s my last chance. My last thread of hope.


    My hands began to sweat in anticipation. I was going to do this! It would probably kill me, but at least it would save Angela and Dad! A strange feeling crept up inside of me. An inkling that this was going to work. A hope. A belief. My eyes began to glow.


    Zack didn¡¯t say anything, he burst into motion, swinging a superhuman fist at Angela. The blow would probably be enough to knock her out or worse; she was too weak to protect herself.


    I flew between Zack and Angela and caught his fist in my hand. And then there was an explosion!


    A burst of energy and light separated the both of us. Zack got knocked down, but I stood my ground. It took me a half second to recognize what was happening. This same thing had happened when I fought Ray at the high school. I glanced down at my hands. Half a dozen billiard-sized balls of multicolored light were floating a few inches above my palms.


    I could sense the balls somehow. I could feel each one of them spinning, floating above my hands. It felt like the tingling energy had escaped my body and transformed into these strange balls of light. They felt powerful. I felt even more invincible, like my powers reached a higher level. Maybe I can control the balls of light, I thought. What could I do with them?


    Suddenly, a horrible pain wracked my core, bringing me back to my senses. I was using my powers without my stone! The balls of light started to fade. I keeled over, tempted to turn off my powers. But then I remembered my plan. Steal Zack¡¯s stone. I had to do it before passing out, and I didn¡¯t have long.


    Zack jumped back to his feet and looked confused at what he was seeing. Well, I thought. If I can use these balls of light, now is the time. I quickly focused on one light ball and attempted to move it. It was similar to moving my tingling energy out and around my body when I flew. I had to think of it as another limb that had muscles that just needed to flex.


    Without even moving my hands, I sent that one light ball soaring right at Zack. I didn¡¯t know what it would do when it reached him, but I was grateful it made a solid impact, knocking him to the ground. The light ball must be made out of something tangible, physical. I kept the ball on him, pushing his chest into the ground. Zack disappeared, and so did my light ball behind his invisibility bubble. I had to make sure Zack didn¡¯t get away.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    I focused on two other light balls and pushed them toward where I thought Zack was. I must¡¯ve been right because they both disappeared. I tried to push them on Zack to keep him down. It was difficult to focus on three balls at a time, so I closed my eyes to concentrate.


    Suddenly, my mind was filled with multiple images. It was confusing at first, but I had to make quick sense of it. I could see through the light balls. Weird, I know. That¡¯s what I thought. But, I could! There were three different images of Zack being pushed on the ground. I could see his spooky black-light eyes because the light balls were inside his invisibility bubble.


    I grunted in pain. The void in my gut felt like it was threatening to make my body implode. I wanted the pain to stop, to turn off my powers, but I needed to get Zack¡¯s stone away from him.


    The sudden appearance of these light balls had thrown me off. I didn¡¯t know if I could concentrate on them keeping Zack down and stealing his Star Stone at the same time. My mind raced for another plan, and I quickly settled on one. I didn¡¯t have the time to rethink it because my body couldn¡¯t handle much more time.


    With my eyes closed I could sense all the light balls much easier. There were seven of them. Three holding Zack down and four spinning above the palms of my hands. I focused on the remaining four and pushed them away from me. They flew fast. Faster than a Starling could fly. As they flew, they slowly merged together forming one large ball. I didn¡¯t have the time to think about how that happened; the pain was excruciating. The only thing I could think about was relief. And that relief could only come in two ways. Turning off my powers was one option but would result in Zack killing us. The other option was getting my Star Stone back.


    I could see through the large light ball like it was a mobile camera hooked up to my brain; I found the person I was looking for. I didn¡¯t recognize him, but he was on the roof of the Trotting Park looking through the scope of a gun. He had to be the Starling Zack gave my stone to, Mark. He looked at me, or at the light ball, and jumped in fright. My Star Stone was in his left hand.


    I didn¡¯t have time to think about who he was or what he wanted to do with my stone, I just needed to get it from him right now! The pain had brought me to my knees. I noticed someone was touching my back. Angela? Dad? No time to check. I¡¯ve got to get my stone!


    I willed the light ball to split back into four separate balls, and then I sent each of them to attack Mark with a fury. Two were pushed back from him by some invisible force, but the other two slammed into him, pinning him to the roof of the abandoned horse racing track. I couldn¡¯t hear anything through the balls of light¡ªI guess they didn¡¯t have audio¡ªbut I¡¯m sure Mark grunted from getting hit by them.


    I focused on one light ball that was looking right at my Star Stone in Mark¡¯s hand. I needed that stone somehow! And I didn¡¯t know how, but I was confident that the light balls could bring it back to me. I desperately willed the light ball to pry the stone out of the Starling¡¯s hand, and it did! I wasn¡¯t really sure how¡ªmy vision was going fuzzy. I was feeling sick. My whole body began to tremble. All I knew was that I had the stone! One light ball held my stone and bolted back toward me; the other three followed close behind it.


    I opened my eyes, unable to concentrate on my powers anymore. I could still sense all of the light balls; three pinning Zack down, and four flying back to me with my stone, but I could feel my control over them fading fast.


    Zack was getting back up. He grabbed the balls and threw them off of him like large, pesky leaches. They returned to push him downward, but he was already on his feet. I couldn¡¯t see him, but I knew where my light balls were, which gave me an idea of his location. He was flying toward me slowly because the light balls were pushing against him.


    I didn¡¯t have the strength to stop him. I¡¯d probably pass out before he even reached me. ¡°Michael!¡± Was that my dad screaming? Blackness engulfed my vision and dreams of peace and tranquility called to me. And at the same time, a dark pit of failure and guilt threatened to swallow me whole. Was my dad right? Should I have given up my powers? Now he was going to die because I convinced him I was some hero.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The pain was too much. My stone hadn¡¯t made it in time. Zack was inches from ripping my head off. This was the end.


    But then I felt it.


    A stream of energy filled the void in my stomach. It felt like a starving black hole in my gut was finally being satiated with the light of a nearby star. My vision began to clear. My consciousness slowly resurfaced. My stone was near! I could sense the four light balls approaching!


    I closed my eyes and concentrated on the three other balls. Zack was right in front of me! The three balls had gained strength just in time to push my cousin into a standstill midair, only a foot in front of me. He held two of the balls with both hands and flew against them as they pushed back. The third ball was pushing against his head, smooshing his face at an uncomfortable angle. I heard him roar in frustration.


    As my stone got nearer, the stronger I felt. I hadn¡¯t necessarily recovered from my injuries or my weariness, just that terrible pain was gone! And that was a drastic difference!


    The four balls arrived. I kept my eyes closed to concentrate on them. Too many limbs at once can confuse the brain, so I had to separate my physical body from the seven light balls; turn all my focus on them. These things were so cool! I willed one ball to drop my Star Stone into my hand and I promptly put it into my pocket. Relief washed over me. Now I could focus on Zack!


    I let the two light balls he was pushing against return to me, but I left one close to him, so I could tell where he was. He flew by me, barely missing, and then stopped himself before running into another streetlight. The street itself was bright because the three helicopters above were pointing their spotlights down at us. They had just recently gotten here because it was difficult for them to follow our fight. The spotlights looked strange. Black and white. I guess I couldn¡¯t see color through the light balls.


    I kept my eyes closed, struggling to concentrate on my seven energy appendages.


    Something suddenly clicked as I remembered the shape the light balls had formed that first time I accidentally stumbled upon them. The figure. The constellation. It was Orion! The seven major stars: Rigel, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Alnilam, Alnitak, Saiph, and Mintaka. The light balls didn¡¯t seem any different from each other, same blue color and same shape, but I got an idea on how to keep track of them.


    I brought Betelgeuse and Bellatrix up to my shoulders and Saiph to my knee. I willed Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka to orbit my waist, making it look like Orion¡¯s legendary belt. And Rigel, the brightest star in the constellation, was stuck on Zack, helping me know his location. He tried to pull it off of him, but I made sure it stuck to him like a hungry leach.


    Zack tried to ignore Rigel and attack me, probably assuming he was still invisible to me¡ªplus my eyes were closed so I looked like a sitting duck. Just as he got close, I shot Betelgeuse at his face. Thwap! Through Betelgeuse I could see Zack¡¯s surprised expression as he got decked hard. That was satisfying.


    I assumed the light balls felt something similar to Angela¡¯s wings. Warm to the touch and unexpectedly solid, looking like blue, billiard-ball sized stars. They were solid, and yet they could change shape somehow, allowing them to retrieve my Star Stone. I just wasn¡¯t sure if I could make them change shape again, intentionally.


    Zack must¡¯ve been dazed after getting hit by Betelgeuse because he didn¡¯t move for a while. Eventually, he circled around me watching for an opening. Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, and Saiph orbited around me like electrons to an atom.


    Zack charged me again and I sent all of the Star Balls at him all at once. Each ball smacked into him hard. In the face, in the gut, in the back. He tried to fly away from the flurry of attacking energy balls, but they followed him, Rigel sticking close to him to indicate his location.


    After a few more seconds of that, Zack fell to the ground, completely visible, bruises all over his face. I sent Bellatrix to get his Star Stone out of his pocket and bring it to me. It dropped the meteorite in my hand, and I opened my eyes.


    Zack looked up at me, hurt and astonished. I glanced at Angela and Dad, they matched Zack¡¯s expression. ¡°Whoa¡­,¡± was all Dad could say.


    Maybe only a minute had passed from the moment the light balls appeared. A long, painful minute. But they definitely made all the difference. I finally found my special power, like Angela¡¯s wings and Ray¡¯s fire, and I was loving it!


    Zack stared up at me with wide eyes as I gripped his translucent, crystal-like Star Stone in my hand. He struggled to get up, boiling anger behind his eyes, but six light balls kept him pinned down. He watched helplessly as I threw his stone into the air, sending it soaring out of sight, far out of the city. ¡°Nooooo!¡± He screamed.


    A moment later, Zack¡¯s eyes stopped glowing. He sighed in resignation, stopped trying to get up, and plopped on his back on the scarred street, looking frustrated and defeated. I removed all the light balls except one from him. One was enough to keep him down now.


    I walked up to him and glared down at him. The helicopters¡¯ spotlights caused him to squint up at me. ¡°It¡¯s over, Zack.¡±


    He scowled up at me. ¡°For now,¡± he spat. ¡°I¡¯ll get my stone back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t. You think I was irresponsible with my powers? Look at what you¡¯ve accomplished!¡± I pointed at the crushed cars, scarred road, and injured people.


    He glanced around briefly and returned his glare back at me. He didn¡¯t say anything, but I could see in his eyes that he wasn¡¯t sorry. He just hated me. There was something else I could see in his eyes, the truth behind his motives: jealousy. I knew he had always been jealous of me, but watching me get superpowers must¡¯ve been what tipped him over the edge. And now, being beaten by me only angered him more.


    I shook my head, disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t see reason, and walked away from him, leaving him pinned by Rigel. Dad and Angela were both gawking at me. ¡°Wow,¡± Dad said. ¡°That was¡­ wow¡­ son, you¡¯re amazing! And your eyes are blue!¡±


    I smiled, though it hurt to do so. All of my bruises and scrapes were reminding me that they were still there. My ribs still hurt too.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the emotion?¡± Angela said looking at the light balls orbiting me.


    I thought about it. ¡°I think it¡¯s hope.¡± I paused. ¡°A belief that things will turn out well, even though I have no idea how.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I like it. And those little-light-ball-thingies¡­ totally awesome! You really look like Orion!¡±


    My emotions shifted, and the light balls disappeared. I leaned toward Angela and we caught each other in an embrace, both of us ready to collapse from exhaustion. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± I said.


    She heaved a sigh, resting her head on my chest. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    We could hear people around us. Some were still stuck in their cars. Police sirens sounded in the distance. ¡°Well,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not quite over yet. Looks like we¡¯ve got some cleaning up and explaining to do.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Angela said wearily. ¡°And Ray?¡±


    We all looked toward the edge of the intersection. Ray was gone.

 Chapter 43

    </a>Chapter 43


    Ray


    A few days after the fight, I flew home. It was night time and the lights were on inside. The street in front of my house was empty. No cop cars. No news cameras. They probably figured out that I wasn¡¯t around there anymore and split. It was finally time to come back.


    I dropped slowly into the backyard, next to our pool, and hesitantly approached the back door. I couldn¡¯t see anyone inside; Mom must be upstairs or something. I took a deep breath, telling myself that I needed to do this, and opened the door.


    I walked into the kitchen and paused. It had been over a week since I¡¯d been home, and I hadn¡¯t realized just how much I¡¯d missed it until now. The smell of lavender brought back a thousand memories, most of them good. Most of them involved me with a football in my hand; I¡¯d always had one with me just to toss around. I smiled. How things have changed.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Mom entered the kitchen. She gasped when she saw me. We both looked at each other for a while.


    I saw her eyes scan over my right arm in a sling, but I couldn¡¯t see any worry or judgement behind them. I was reminded just how petite my mom was, especially compared to how big my dad was. She barely came up to my shoulder. Mom¡¯s face remained expressionless. She didn¡¯t say anything but looked like she wanted to.


    The silence continued for a while¡ªwe were both waiting for the other to speak, but I kept searching for the right words. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± I said softly.


    That was all it took to bring down her walls. Tears came freely. ¡°Oh, son¡­¡± she said as she quickly bridged the gap between the two of us and pulled me into a warm embrace, minding my broken arm.


    I tried to hold back the tears but was unsuccessful. I hugged her back. I had missed my mom. There, I admitted it. I missed her. And I¡¯d missed home. Being Draco had its few moments in the sun, but nothing beat the comfort and peace of family and home.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡¯m¡­ so sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, son,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re home now.¡±


    I took a deep breath, the emotions taking over. ¡°Yeah¡­. I¡¯m home.¡±

 Chapter 44

    </a>Chapter 44


    Michael


    An eruption of applause filled the air. Angela looked at me nervously, forcing a smile. The governor of Arizona had just walked on stage. We couldn¡¯t see him because we were backstage, waiting for our turn to be called up, butterflies in our stomachs.


    It was pretty much impossible to keep our powers off with the amount of adrenaline coursing through us. I¡¯d just accepted the fact that millions of people will just have to get used to my glowing eyes because I couldn¡¯t turn them off when I got nervous.


    Dad rested a hand on my shoulder, reading my thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine, Michael.¡± Mom and Sarah smiled at me proudly. Angela¡¯s dad gave me a thumbs up. I was grateful our families were allowed to be backstage with us, their support was more than helpful.


    Phoenix always seemed to feel hotter than Tucson. The Arizona State Capital building loomed behind us, its light-colored brick reflecting the morning sun down on us. The courtyard to the capital had been transformed into an outdoor stage meant for a huge press conference. A couple hundred news reporters were here, listening to the Governor speak, and millions of people were watching over a live broadcast. He was explaining some of the facts of what happened during the superhuman fight that tore through Tucson a few days ago.


    ¡°We have come in peaceful contact with two of the¡­ super humans, or Starlings, as they call themselves,¡± he said. ¡°They spoke with me and other State Executives at length, fully explaining themselves and their intentions. After much debate, we have found them to be reasonable, peaceful, helpful, and we have come to a mutual agreement with them. As long as they, or any other Starling, abide by our stipulations, we allow them citizenship in our state. Further details of these stipulations will be published later.¡±


    I bounced on my toes, trying to calm my nerves. Angela held my hand. ¡°You ready?¡± Her eyes were glowing too, which meant she was as nervous as me. That was comforting to know.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, squeezing her hand. ¡°You?¡±


    She took a deep breath. ¡°Sure¡­¡±


    The governor explained to the audience that we will give our statement and won¡¯t answer any questions at this time. Then he said our names. That was our cue. A lady with an earpiece motioned for us to go on stage. Okay, I thought. Here we go.


    I held my breath as we rounded the corner. Suddenly, we were looking at hundreds of people sitting in metal chairs and a dozen cameras aimed right at us. They didn¡¯t clap, but all sat at the edge of their seats. The silence was painfully uncomfortable as we made the long walk to the pulpit at center stage. People didn¡¯t know whether we deserved an applause or not. They didn¡¯t know anything about us, except that we destroyed a lot of buildings, cars, and even got some people hurt in the process. Fortunately, nobody died. It was a miracle that the governor let us speak at all; that is, without demanding we go to prison instead.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    We finally made it to the pulpit that had about ten different microphones pointing at us. ¡°Good morning, uh¡­¡± I recoiled from the sound of my voice being amplified a hundred times. The audience wasn¡¯t huge, but they all seemed to be attempting to pierce my soul with their judging eyes. The video cameras aimed at me threateningly¡ªsaying they will catch every single mistake I make and publish it to the world for all to laugh at. I¡¯m sure they were staring at my glowing eyes that I couldn¡¯t focus enough to turn off.


    Angela squeezed my hand and gave me an encouraging nod. I cleared my throat and tried again. ¡°My name is Michael Stone,¡± I said. ¡°But you already knew that.¡±


    The audience stared at me expectantly. I paused, building up the courage to say the next thing. ¡°You can also call me Orion. I am¡ªwe both are¡ªStarlings.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Cygnus,¡± Angela said. She went on to explain what Starlings were and how we found meteorites that granted us powers. She left out everything about MARS per request by her dad¡ªhe didn¡¯t want us to go revealing details about a secret society because they would probably hunt him down for it. She also left out details about how she found her stone long before I did. ¡°We are not the only two Starlings,¡± she said. ¡°There are others. Dozens of Star Stones have already been touched and there may be dozens more still untouched.¡±


    ¡°Ray Simmons and Zack Larson are also Starlings,¡± I said. ¡°You are well aware that we recently had a fight with them, and we are deeply sorry for the damage that was done to the city.¡± I noticed a few reporters shifting in their seats, looking unsatisfied. I swallowed. ¡°Ray and Zack were dangerous; they threatened to kill us and others in the city, so we fought to get them out of the city and we won. Ray has not been seen for days and Zack is locked up in an extra-secure prison, built to hold him as long as he doesn¡¯t have his stone.¡±


    I decided to leave out the part that we couldn¡¯t find his Star Stone. We¡¯d searched tirelessly for days but couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. We assumed someone had picked it up. We asked the police to transfer him to a different city to avoid the risk of someone accidentally bringing the stone within range for him to use his powers. He should be transferred in the next couple days.


    ¡°We wish to speak,¡± Angela said, ¡°about what we want to have happen now.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°You know our names. You know that we are super humans. We know that we will be treated differently because of that. But we want to remind you that we are still teenagers with our parents watching us closely from backstage.¡±


    That actually drew some laughter from the crowd. Angela was good at this public speech stuff. ¡°We wish to have somewhat normal lives,¡± she said. ¡°We want to live among you. We actually want to go back to school. Well, sorry, I lied¡ªour parents want us to go back to school.¡± More laughter. ¡°Yet we know that we will always be different because of our powers.¡± She looked at me. ¡°That¡¯s why we made this proposal to the governor.¡±


    That was my cue. ¡°Basically,¡± I said. ¡°We want to help. We want to help fight crime with the police, but more importantly, we want to help other Starlings out there.¡± I chose a camera directly in front of me to stare at while I spoke. I spoke boldly, no longer feeling nervous, passion taking over. ¡°If you have touched a meteorite that gave you powers, we want you to know that you are not alone. We know you have questions¡­ we have answers.


    ¡°Our invitation is for you to come to Tucson and meet us. We will teach you how to use and understand your powers. And most importantly, we want you to join us in our effort to fight crime and help other Starlings. We hope to create a force of Starlings that will work together for the same cause.


    ¡°Now¡­ to you Starlings who use your powers to steal, hurt or murder people, we give you this warning: stop, or we will stop you.¡± I let that settle in the air for a moment. ¡°We know that no normal human can stop you, but we have proven that we can. And we will stop you.¡±

 Epilogue

    </a>Epilogue


    Ray


    Something woke me up. It sounded like something sliding open. I opened my eyes and looked at the alarm clock on my dresser. 1:03 a.m. I softly shifted in my bed, favoring my broken arm, and looked around my room.


    The door was closed. The room was dark, but I could see everything just fine with my Starling-enhanced eyes. It looked empty. I must¡¯ve just dreamt the sound.


    I was about to lie back down but stopped as my eyes passed over the bedroom window. I froze. The window was wide open. I was positive that it was shut when I went to sleep. In fact, I¡¯d locked it shut ever since Mark¡­


    I cursed just as the ancient Starling appeared at the foot of my bed out of thin air.


    ¡°You are such a light sleeper,¡± Mark said, nonchalantly.


    I surged my powers to life. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± My stone was still in my shorts pocket; I double checked to make sure.


    He didn¡¯t answer. He strolled around my room, looking at the trophies on my dresser. There was something different about the way he walked. He looked more confident, more pleased about something, and less frantic about everything. Then it hit me¡­ his eyes were glowing.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°You found your stone!¡± Fear gripped my chest. I jumped out of bed, favoring my arm, ready for anything. Mark was evil enough without a stone, but with one¡­


    ¡°No,¡± Mark said, still looking at the pictures around my room. He pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to me. It looked like a crystal. Translucent. Not glowing.


    ¡°That¡¯s Invisiguy¡¯s Star Stone!¡±


    Mark shook his head. ¡°Was.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Now it¡¯s mine. Zack Larson is dead.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°You... you killed him?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t easy, but worth it.¡± Suddenly, Mark disappeared, and then reappeared at the foot of my bed. He had Invisiguy¡¯s powers! How?


    Reading my thoughts, Mark said, ¡°I never told you the best thing about Starlings. When they die, their Star Stone resets, and whoever touches it gets its powers¡ªeven if the recipient already has a Star Stone of his or her own.¡±


    I looked down, stewing over his words. All Mark¡¯s mysteries started to make sense. ¡°You lied to me,¡± I said. ¡°When you snuck in my bedroom that one night, you were really going to kill me! You wanted to kill me and then take my Star Stone, along with its powers. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been so anxious to kill Stoner and the New Girl. You wanted their powers.¡±


    He clicked his tongue and nodded, his hands in his pockets. ¡°It didn¡¯t really matter whose powers I got. Anyone¡¯s would¡¯ve worked.¡±


    I snarled as I slipped into Second Degree and quickly summoned a fireball in my left, good hand. ¡°Get out of my house!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Whoa! Calm down, Draco.¡± He raised his hands and laughed at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not here to kill you. I don¡¯t need your powers anymore. At least not for myself.¡±


    I watched him for a long moment, and then eventually let my fireball fizzle out. I kept my hand red-hot just in case.


    Mark smirked confidently at me, his eyes glowing. ¡°No, Draco,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡± He paused. ¡°Because I still need your help.¡±