As Hamza sat beside Ali in class, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. They made their way through a few more lessons, and just before lunch, Principal Vanquez and soraya approached Hamza in the hallway.
"Could you show Soraya Voss around the school?" he asked.
Hamza frowned. "Why me? What about Gabe?"
Gabe's eyes widened with surprise and hope. "Someone actually said my name… I've never been noticed in this world before."
Principal Vanquez blinked. "Who's Gabe?"
"Yeah, who's Gabe?" Ali echoed, glancing around.
Hamza pointed at Gabe, who was standing just a few feet away.
Gabe heard them. His face fell. "No one ever notices me! No one even knows who I am!" he cried, voice trembling. Then, he turned and ran down the hallway, tears streaking his face. "I hate this school! I hate my life!"
Hamza looked at the principal, unamused. "Seriously? None of you know Gabe? At least pretend you do he's super emotional."
"Uh, ALe... go take care of that student," Vanquez said, trying to deflect.
"It's Ali—A, L, I," Ali corrected him with a raised brow. "Please pronounce it properly."
"Did you just—ugh, never mind. Just go after the kid," the principal muttered.
"His name is Gabe," Hamza added dryly.
"Yeah, we know his name," Ali replied sarcastically, walking off to follow Gabe.
Vanquez turned back to Hamza. "And you just show her around… H...AMZA."
"It's Hamza. One word. Not a spelling bee," Hamza replied, unimpressed.
The principal gave up and walked away, leaving them alone.
Hamza started the tour with a heavy sigh. "This is the cafeteria. That's the playground," he said, pointing lazily. "People mostly play sports there. And finally..." He pushed open a door. "This is the lab. Happy?"
Soraya stepped in behind him. "I know your secret."
"What?" Hamza blinked.
"I said… I know your secret," she repeated, eyes locked on his.
He stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
"I know all of your secrets," she said calmly.
"Then what are they?" he asked, turning slightly away.
"It begins with an S," she said.
"S? What does that mean?" he asked, pretending to be clueless.
"…and ends with an A," she added.
Hamza panicked for a moment, then blurted, "Okay fine! I… I used to sleep with a stuffed panda named Sofia, alright?! Is that what you found out?!"
Soraya blinked. "What…?"
He froze. "Wait—that's not what you meant?"
She stared for a second, then smirked. "No… but now I definitely know something."
Hamza groaned, covering his face. "Please erase that from your memory forever."
I am the weirdest liar in human history, he thought to himself.
"Alright, since you showed me everything around the school, I'll be busy during lunch," she said, casually.
"What, you gonna tell everyone I used to sleep with a stuffed panda?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She looked amused. "What's said in our conversation stays in our conversation. Nothing else."
"Alright then… have a good day, ma'am," he said, turning to walk away.
There was a pause.
Wait... isn't she supposed to say something like, "I'm not old enough to be called ma'am"? That's what they usually say, right? he thought.Now that was weird.
at the cafeteria
As Hamza walked into the cafeteria, still reeling from the awkward encounter, he spotted Ali at their usual table and slid into the seat beside him.
"Bro… how's Gabe?" he asked, opening his lunch.
Ali squinted. "Hmmm… who's Gabe?"
Hamza stared at him for a second, then sighed. "You know what? Never mind."
He took a bite, then leaned in slightly. "Remember that white haired girl?"
Ali's eyes lit up. "Yeah, what about her? She confess to you already?" He grinned and nudged Hamza.
"Shut up and listen, dumbass," Hamza muttered, clearly not in the mood.
"Okay, okay—what is it?" Ali asked, a little more serious.
Hamza lowered his voice. "She knows about Spectra."
Ali blinked. "Wait—like... your first fangirl?! Bro, this is a milestone."
"No!" Hamza hissed. "She knows he's in this school!"
Ali nearly dropped his sandwich. "Whaaaaa?!"
Hamza nodded, voice barely above a whisper. "She asked me directly, and thank God I came up with a weird lie. Like, a good weird lie."
Ali leaned in. "What did you say?"
Hamza winced. "I panicked and said my secret started with an S and ended with an A… and then I blurted out that I used to sleep with a stuffed panda named Sofia."
Ali froze.
Then burst out laughing.
"You what?! Bro, you're hopeless."
Hamza groaned and slumped into his seat. "Dude, I'm seriously panicking right now."
Ali raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't actually know who Spectra is, right?"
"Yeah, but I've got this feeling she's gonna find out," Hamza muttered.
"Well, she asked you directly, didn't she? And now that she thinks you're not Spectra, you're temporarily off the hook… I guess."
"Temporarily. Not permanently," Hamza corrected, just as he felt a familiar presence behind him.
He froze for a split second, then forced on a straight face and casually switched topics. "By the way… did you end up joining the soccer club?"
The bell rang, echoing through the cafeteria.
"Let's continue this conversation on the way to class, yeah?" Hamza said quickly, grabbing Ali's arm and practically dragging him toward the exit.
"Hey what the heck, man?!" Ali yelped, stumbling after him. "At least let me finish my sandwich!"
As they hurried down the hallway, Hamza muttered under his breath, "I dragged you because she was right behind us. Sorry, bro."
Ali glanced back, then gave a small nod. "Alright, fair enough."
The rest of the school day passed in a blur. When the final bell rang, they left the building together, heading straight for the train station ready to catch a ride home and leave the chaos of the day behind.
"Thank God for the Light Syndicates," Hamza muttered quietly. "Without them, I'd be missing school constantly. I thought being a superhero and keeping up with classes would be easier."
"Check the news," he added, nudging Ali.
Ali pulled out his phone and scrolled. "Hmm… nothing major, actually."
He paused. "Never mind—ahh… there's a new mutant going on a rampage."
Hamza's eyes widened. "Say wallahi."
"Yah, wallahi," Ali confirmed.
Hamza groaned, already turning. "Great. Guess I'm not taking the train with you, then."
As he dashed off, Ali called after him, "The upgraded suit's in your room—just look for it!"
"Okay!" Hamza shouted back.
He ducked into an alley, slipping into a hidden spot no one would notice, then shot into the sky. Within seconds, he landed on his balcony, ran into his room, and tore through drawers and shelves until he found the new suit. He suited up, tightened the last strap, and blasted into the air.
"wait, I don't know the location!" Spectra muttered mid flight.
"Don't worry, I'm sending it to your phone," Ali replied in his earpiece.
"Since when do you send stuff without your PC?" Spectra asked.
There was a pause.
"If your suit got upgraded, why wouldn't my tech upgrade along with it?"
Ali shot back, sounding slightly offended.
"Alright, fair enough," Hamza muttered. There was a brief pause as he processed the location."Wait... near my school?"His expression tightened beneath the mask."It's near our school?! WHY didn't you say so earlier?!"
"I'm out," Ali said flatly, ending the call.
Hamza groaned behind the mask."Dude—DUDE—HEY… ugh, nevermind."He launched into the air, wind rushing past him.
Within minutes, he was hovering near the school grounds. Smoke curled into the sky, flames licking the edge of the block, and police sirens echoed in the distance."Damn… that's bad."
Spectra scanned the area—his enhanced vision processing everything in a nanosecond. In a blur of motion, he darted through every nearby building, evacuating civilians and setting them behind police lines before anyone could blink.
"What are we dealing with?" he asked, landing beside the officers.
"Who are you?!" one of them shouted, guns still raised.
"A superhero," he replied smoothly.
"Duh," another officer muttered. "We mean—WHO exactly?"
"I'm Spectra." he said, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. Then his tone shifted."So, what are we dealing wi—"
A blazing fireball slammed into him mid-sentence, sending him flying backward.
"Ahhh—never mind. Message received."
He hit the ground, skidding across the pavement, then stood up with a grunt.Thank God my suit's fireproof, he thought.
Without hesitating, he launched himself into the inferno. The heat distorted the air around him, but his visor adjusted instantly. As the flames parted, he finally spotted the source: a woman, mid-air, her long white hair flowing and glowing like fire.
He narrowed his eyes."I came here to sto—what in the actual..."
He scanned her from head to toe.
"So... you're basically a human on a torch?" he quipped.
The woman hovered silently, flames swirling around her like a storm.
"Who are you?" Spectra asked, cautiously.
"Call me Vire," she replied, her voice echoing with heat.
He blinked. "Did you just pronounce fire with a V?" he said, then burst into a short laugh.
As he stared at her through the flickering light, something struck him—her face. Even lit by flame, it resembled someone. Too much.
"Hmm... you look kinda familiar," he muttered under his breath.
"I HEARD THAT," she snapped.
"What??" he replied, caught off guard.
She floated closer. "You're from Horizon High, aren't you?"
"Nope," he answered coldly, his tone suddenly guarded.
"Then how would you recognize my face?" she challenged. "you've seen me in person at that school. And for your information I've never appeared on social media or in public. Ever."
Spectra stared at her, dead in the eyes, silent. For a tense second, the flames between them crackled.
With a sharp clap of his hands, Spectra snuffed out the fire in a controlled burst of wind.
"If you're that interested in me," he said coolly, "then come meet me in the sky."
And with that, he launched upward, leaving a streak of light in his wake as he hovered high above the city—waiting.
Seconds later, she burst after him, flames coiling around her as sheascended. As she closed the distance, he shouted:
"First of all—THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WITH WHITE HAIR, OKAY?! YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE ON THIS PLANET!"
She scoffed, but the argument raged on, their voices echoing into the sky. With each retort, Spectra floated higher—just a little more each time.
The air thinned. Oxygen grew scarce.
Her flames sputtered in protest, struggling against the altitude.
Then Spectra stopped midair in a burst of light, the wind ripping at his suit. She climbed after him, flames flickering, her breaths shorter.
He spun around sharply, voice cutting through the wind.
"Enough games. Who told you to start that fire?"
"No one," she snapped, gritting her teeth. "I do what I want."
"Yeah?" Spectra rose even higher. "Funny how people who 'do what they want' start panicking when the air gets thin."
Her flames weakened just for a moment.
"Back off," she growled, straining. "I can handle it."
Spectra tilted his head. "Then explain yourself. Names. Motives. Or should I start guessing?"
She offered a shaky smirk, trying to hide how winded she was."Guess away."
He drifted closer, voice lowering to a cold, steady pitch.
"You're not as unpredictable as you think."His eyes locked onto hers."I've seen your face before."
Her gaze sharpened. "Say that again."
"You heard me."
She scoffed. "Yeah, probably because we're in the same—"
"Don't finish that sentence," he snapped, voice like a blade.
She raised an eyebrow. "Touchy, aren't we?"
Spectra didn't flinch. "You're trying to figure out who I am. Good luck."
"Oh, I will," she muttered, fists flickering with weakened flames. "Sooner than you think."
He hovered inches away now, eyes unblinking."Don't fool yourself into thinking you're the only one putting pieces together."
Her breath hitched—shallow now. Her fire, once fierce, had dimmed to a faint flicker.
Still, she clenched her fists, forcing her flames to survive.
"I'm not finished," she snarled.
"You are," Spectra said coldly. "If this was your big statement… it failed."
She hovered for a moment, sheer will holding her up—
Then gravity won.
She dropped.
Spectra smirked and dove after her."I love being smart," he muttered.
Wind howled as he caught her just before she vanished into the dark. Her body was still warm, but limp—teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.
"Stubborn," he muttered, adjusting his grip. "You almost torched a school—and yourself."
Her eyelids fluttered weakly, breath ragged.
"You didn't walk in there by accident," Spectra said, eyes narrowing. "You had a reason."
No answer.
He scanned the city below, spotting a deserted rooftop. Touching down gently, he laid her on the cold concrete.
"I could hand you over," he murmured, more to himself. "But answers are worth more than headlines."
Her eyes barely opened, voice a whisper.
"Then ask…"
Spectra crouched beside her, gaze sharp.
"Why did it feel like a test?"
A faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"Because it was."
And then without warning her body went limp again. She slipped from his grip, plummeting toward the ground.
Spectra watched her fall, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"If this was a show, and they gave me a cliffhanger where the villain's about to say something important—" he shook his head,"I'd be crashing out."
meanwhile...
The dimly lit lab hummed with the sound of machines and the low hiss of a cold breeze. Dr. Nemesis stood at the head of a massive table; papers, monitors, and blueprints were scattered around him like the chaotic remnants of his obsessive mind. A women appeared on the large lab monitor, arms crossed, her expression hard through the flickering feed..
"You're saying you can replicate person's power?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Dr. Nemesis straightened, a glint of something almost manic in his eyes. "Not replicate. We can use it, his blood specifically. I've been studying it since our encounter. After I drained him of his power, I realized something. His blood carries something unique, something no one else has Amanda."
Amanda's brow furrowed as she tried to process the idea. "But how? How does blood carry that much power?"
Dr. Nemesis gave a small, almost predatory smile. "It's not just blood. It's the essence of what makes him who he is, a rare combination of biological and otherworldly traits. We could use it, Amanda, use it for something beyond just power. Something much, much greater."
Amanda crossed her arms more tightly. "And what exactly do you plan to do with it?"
He leaned forward, his voice lowering with the weight of his words. "We have developed a method. A way to bypass the natural process. You see, a woman can be impregnated without sperm."
Amanda blinked in shock. "What? Are you saying—"
"Yes," Dr. Nemesis interrupted, his eyes glinting with that same unsettling passion. "We've figured out a way to use the genetic material, specifically Spectra's blood, to trigger a reproductive process. We inject the blood, and with a special serum, we can initiate a form of genetic fertilization. It's like growing a new life using the very essence of someone's power."
Amanda was silent for a long moment, her mind racing. "But why not just clone him? Why not create an exact replica of Spectra?"
Dr. Nemesis smirked, as if amused by her question. "Cloning is fantasy, Amanda. You can't create life just by copying cells. Even if it did work, it would be more like siblings having a baby together. There's a limit to how much you can manipulate biology, and worse, the result would be a monstrosity, not a person. A soulless thing." He paused, his voice softening slightly. "But Spectra's blood, that's different. It has something real. Something tangible. We can control it, use it, guide it into something that can live, and maybe even exceed what Spectra has become."
Amanda felt a chill run down her spine as the implications sank in. "And this child would have his powers?"
"Yes," Dr. Nemesis replied, his smile widening. "The child would inherit the strength, the potential, the very energy that makes Spectra so unique. But it will be more. More than just a hero. A new creation, our creation. And with your help, Amanda, we can take control of the future."
TBC