August 3rd, 2015 — Monday — Chicago, Illinois — 6:52 AM
Debbie stood in front of the upstairs bathroom door, arms crossed, whatever patience she'd had already gone.
"Mark, if you keep going at this pace, you're going to be late," Debbie said, knocking twice with her knuckles. "And I need to grab a bar of soap. Mine's gone."
Inside, Mark sat on the toilet with his sweatpants around his ankles, completely absorbed in the Science Dog comic he held with both hands. He didn't even look up.
"For God's sake, Mom! I'll be out in a sec!"
Debbie rolled her eyes, turned the knob — unlocked, like always — and pushed the door open.
"Mom?!" Mark practically screeched, slamming the comic down to cover himself, eyes wide in teenage horror.
Debbie ignored all of it, walking straight to the mirrored cabinet above the sink. She opened it, sifted through bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and grabbed a new bar of soap still in the wrapper.
"No drama," Debbie said as she closed the cabinet with a soft click. "I used to change your diapers. There's nothing there I haven't seen."
Mark was red to the roots of his hair. "Can you get out?!"
Debbie stepped out and closed the door behind her — not without giving him a smug little smile first.
Mark stared at the closed door, comic still held strategically over his lap.
"Privacy," he muttered. "That's all I wanted."
Living Room — 7:04 AM
Kai sat on the couch, backpack tossed beside him on the floor, sunglasses on even indoors. The TV was on the morning news — aerial shots of Washington D.C., scorch marks on the north face of the White House.
Mark came downstairs in sweatpants and a Science Dog shirt, went to the kitchen, then returned with a bowl of cereal, spoon in his mouth.
Kai looked over the back of the couch, watching him.
"Seriously? All that time, you didn't change clothes and now you're gonna eat?"
Mark plopped onto the armchair, still chewing. "Relax. We'll make it."
Debbie came down the stairs right after — jeans, light blouse, hair loose. She glanced at the TV, then at the boys.
"Any word from your father?"
Mark pointed at the screen with his spoon. "Looks like Dad's saving the White House."
Debbie stopped near the coffee table, hand on her hip. "And who's he fighting this time?" She sighed. "Forget it… Apparently we're not having breakfast together. Great."
Mark glanced at her, still chewing. "It's the White House, Mom. Kinda important, right?"
Kai let out a loud sigh, sinking deeper into the couch. "Between scrambled eggs with bacon and saving the White House…" He paused, turning his head toward Debbie. "I'd choose the scrambled eggs."
Debbie laughed, shaking her head. "I agree." She started moving around the room, fixing a pillow here, straightening a magazine there. "At this rate they must be renovating that place twice a year. If it's not Doc Seismic, it's the Lizard League or some other villain. I doubt the president even lives there anymore."
As she spoke, the back glass door slid open with a soft whoosh.
Nolan walked in — Omni-Man uniform immaculate, cape still fluttering faintly from the flight. He passed Debbie without stopping, heading for the stairs.
"I'll make it," Nolan said, voice firm but tired. "Gonna shower."
Debbie moved quickly, taking two steps and grabbing his arm before he could escape. "Not so fast." She tugged him back. "Come here."
Nolan stopped. Looked at her — and something in his expression softened.
Debbie rose onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down into a kiss.
Long.
Slow.
Deep.
Mark made a face, lowering his cereal bowl. "Please don't make me spray water on you two."
They broke the kiss — but Debbie didn't let go. She pulled Nolan by the hand, already guiding him toward the stairs. "Come on. Let me help you out of that uniform."
Mark dropped his bowl onto the side table louder than necessary. "Come on! Can someone respect me for five seconds? First, bathrooms have doors for a reason. Second, parents should never, ever talk about sex in front of their kids."
He looked desperately at Kai for moral support.
Kai, still slouched on the couch, just lifted one hand. Thumbs-up. Perfectly deadpan.
Mark's jaw dropped. "Seriously?!"
Debbie paused on the first step, giving him a wicked smile. "You should be happy to have parents who love each other. Now finish getting ready for school."
Mark gestured at Kai, palms open, like do something!
Kai finally glanced at him over the sunglasses — tired brown eyes but with the faintest flicker of amusement.
"Don't look at me," Kai said. "This is way better than divorced parents. Trust me." A pause. "Next time, lock the bathroom door. That's what the lock's for."
Debbie laughed, still dragging Nolan upstairs.
Mark climbed past them. "Couldn't you wait until I left the house?" he muttered. "Like, I don't know, when I go to college? Or forever?"
Halfway up, Debbie called back, "Paris today?"
"I was thinking about that café in Berlin." Nolan answered.
Mark froze at the railing, turning his head sharply. "No way. You're going to Best Wurst? I love that place!"
Nolan's voice drifted from the stairs.
"You two have school. When you get your powers, you can go on your own."
Mark tightened his grip on the railing, brows furrowing.
"Ouch, Dad. That really rubs salt in the wound. Just because Kai doesn't care doesn't mean I don't."
Nolan looked at him again.
"They'll show up anytime now, son. Even the slowest Viltrumites got their powers before eighteen. You'll be fine."
Debbie tugged Nolan into the bedroom. "Don't hype them up." A pause. "We talked about this. Their powers might never come."
Nolan's expression — disappointment mixed with relief — flashed for a second.
And the bedroom door closed.
Front Yard — 7:18 AM
Kai leaned against the tree by the sidewalk, backpack over one shoulder, sunglasses reflecting the morning light. The air was cool, the sky clear. August in Chicago.
Viktor stood on the other side of the tree, arms crossed, watching him.
"I know that look," Viktor said, tilting his head. "Feeling guilty that you've got powers and Mark doesn't, right?"
Kai looked at him — or at where he was.
"What if, because we're twins, I stole his powers? I shouldn't even exist here."
Viktor rolled his eyes hard. "Man, that whole past-life thing is probably a delusion in your head." He pointed at Kai. "Stop blaming yourself for everything. Honestly, sometimes I prefer the blue-eyes version of you. He also believes that crap, but at least he doesn't sulk about it."
The front door slammed.
Mark stepped out, shouting back inside with pure sarcasm. "Bye! Have fun!"
He shut the door harder than necessary and adjusted his backpack.
"I'm walking. On the ground. With my feet."
Above them, a loud whoosh sliced the air.
Nolan flew overhead — Debbie in his arms, laughing as they climbed higher. Omni-Man's red cape flared behind them.
Mark stopped on the sidewalk, staring upward. He clenched his right hand, staring at his fingers.
Maybe today.
He bent his knees. Jumped.
Nothing.
Feet on the ground.
Tried again. Higher.
Still nothing.
He tried a third time — practically launching himself.
Nothing.
Across the street, a mailman stopped mid-stride, staring at Mark with deep confusion.
Mark froze. Slowly straightened. Then started walking as casually as possible, running a hand through his hair. "New shoes, you know?" He stomped the ground twice with an awkward laugh. "Breaking them in. Morning!"
The mailman didn't answer. Just shook his head and kept walking.
Viktor burst out laughing — loud, genuine, doubling over.
Kai sighed, pushing off the tree and walking beside Mark.
"And you say my sunglasses look weird."
Mark's face was red. "Shut up."
A Few Minutes Later — Reginald Vel Johnson High School — 8:02 AM
The hallways were packed. Lockers slamming, overlapping conversations, sneakers squeaking on polished floors. The smell of old books mixed with cheap perfume and way too much deodorant.
Kai, Mark, and William walked together, weaving through clusters of students blocking the path.
William scrolled through his phone, thumb swiping fast.
"The Mauler Twins attacked the White House," William said. "Insane, right? I can't believe the Guardians let them get that close to the president."
Mark frowned. "They didn't even get inside. Omni-Man was there. They had no chance."
William finally looked up, staring at Mark like he was both impressed and exhausted.
"Dude, you're a hardcore Omni-Man fanboy." He glanced at Kai walking silently beside them. "No offense, but I always thought you were a jerk—." He looked back at Mark. "Why's your brother wearing sunglasses anyway?"
Kai didn't answer. He was focused on something Viktor — walking backward three paces ahead — was saying.
Mark replied for him. "Doctor's recommendation. He's got permission. Headaches."
William narrowed his eyes. "Right."
Their conversation cut short when a loud thud echoed ahead — followed by laughter.
All three turned their heads.
A skinny kid — backpack on the floor, books scattered — was being shoved into the lockers by Todd, taller by at least six inches and heavier by forty pounds. Muscular, close-cropped hair, the look of someone who knew no one would intervene.
Todd shoved him again. The boy hit the metal hard, swallowing dry.
A blonde girl froze nearby, watching. She looked around — no one was doing anything.
Mark froze mid-step. Stared.
William placed a hand on Mark's shoulder. "Easy. That guy's twice your size."
The blonde girl took one hesitant step forward too.
Mark didn't take his eyes off Todd. "You're just gonna stand here and watch?" He shook his head and started walking toward. "I'm not."
The confidence was so unnatural that even Viktor turned to Kai, eyebrows raised.
"Think the powers finally kicked in?"
Kai stared too, silent.
"Todd," Mark said, voice steady. "Leave him alone."
Todd turned slowly, looking Mark up and down.
He let go of the skinny kid, who crouched down and scrambled for his books.
"You serious, Grayson?"
Before Mark could answer, Todd stepped forward and punched him right in the nose.
CRACK.
Blood exploded. Mark stumbled back, dizzy, hand flying to his face.
Todd wound up again — aiming straight for Mark's gut.
Arm pulled back. Fist tightening. Shoulders turning—
POFF.
The fist stopped.
In midair.
Kai held Todd's wrist with one hand, steady, effortless. The sunglasses reflected the neon lights overhead — but his posture was different. Lighter. Almost amused.
Kai kept Todd's fist locked in place, a mocking tilt hidden beneath the glasses. A look that didn't feel like him at all.
"Someone's begging for an ass-kicking," Kai said, playful, sharp.
Todd blinked. "Who the he—"
Kai twisted Todd's arm behind his back in one smooth motion and slammed his face into the lockers.
CLANG.
Todd's nose hit metal. Blood dripped down.
Mark sat on the floor, dazed, blood trailing down his chin.
The blonde girl ran toward him, kneeling. "Are you okay?"
Mark blinked at her, dazed. He took her hand and let her pull him up. "Uh… yeah. Thanks."
William crouched to help the skinny kid gather his books. The blonde girl picked up a notebook that had slid farther away and handed it over.
"Here," she said, smiling gently.
The boy nodded, trembling, and clutched the books to his chest.
Kai still had Todd pinned, arm twisted painfully.
"'Who am I,' right?" Kai leaned close. "I'm the other Grayson."
Mark stepped closer, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Let him go. He's not worth it."
Kai tightened his grip once more. Todd whimpered.
"If you go near my brother again…" Kai left the rest hanging, tone sharp but playful. Then he released him.
Todd collapsed to his knees, clutching his arm.
The blonde girl gave Mark a small, genuine smile before walking away. She glanced back once, tucking a strand behind her ear — smiling directly at him.
Then she turned the corner and disappeared.
William and Kai both watched Mark staring at the empty hallway.
Viktor appeared beside Kai, offended. "Oh, come on! We're the ones who took that guy down and she winks at Mark?"
Kai shot Viktor a half-smile — loving that he was annoyed.
William slapped Mark's shoulder. "Bro. Did you see that? First off, switching sides — I'm #teamKai now. Second, that girl was totally into you."
Mark stared at the corner she'd vanished around, touching his bloody nose. Then he looked at Kai.
"Thanks, man. How'd you do that?"
Kai slipped his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
"Years in the boxing club had to pay off somehow."
Whispers began filling the hallway. Students watching. Whispering.
"I've seen that guy somewhere…"
Kai tilted his head slightly, sunglasses reflecting the crowd. He didn't speak.
He just walked.
Mark and William followed.
Kai turned left at the next hallway.
Mark stopped. "Kai. Class is that way." He pointed right.
Kai paused, glanced down the wrong hallway, then turned back to the two of them.
"I knew that." Kai's tone was perfectly flat.
William burst out laughing.
"He has no idea where he's going. Why were we following him?"
Mark laughed. "Automatic. After the Todd thing."
William nodded, still smiling.
Mark grabbed Kai's shoulder, guiding him the right way. "Relax. First day. You'll learn."
"By the end of the month," William said.
Kai didn't answer. He just followed.
The rest of the day passed without surprises. Intro classes, teachers explaining rules, students settling back after summer break.
By sixth period, the novelty had worn off completely.
Classroom — 2:28 PM
Kai sat by the window, notebook open but empty, pen in hand. The history teacher spoke about World War I and other basics — things Kai had studied three times already at Oakwood. And before that, in his other life.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
He slipped it out and checked under the table.
Cassie.
He opened the message.
"Kai, can you come over? We need to talk."
Kai stared at the screen. Read it again.
We need to talk.
Never good.
The bell rang. Instant chaos — chairs scraping, backpacks snapping shut, voices rising as students poured out.
Kai stayed seated, staring at the message.
Viktor appeared on the other side of the desk, leaning forward, peeking at the screen. His smirk faded. "Not fun teasing you if you look like that."
"I'm not making any face," Kai said, locking the phone and tossing it into his backpack.
Viktor muttered, crossing his arms. "Trust me, leave it to me. No point reopening that wound. As Mark would say, don't throw salt on it."
Kai stood, grabbed his backpack, and walked out.
Mark and William were already waiting in the hallway.
William adjusted his backpack.
"Hey, some people are going out tonight. Either of you in?"
Mark grimaced. "Sorry. I'm supposed to be at Burger Mart in thirty minutes." He checked the time. "Actually, twenty."
William turned to Kai. Hopeful.
"I've got something to do," Kai said simply.
William groaned, head falling back. "Man… fine. See you later."
He waved and walked off.
Mark turned to Kai. "Got something going on?"
Kai adjusted his sunglasses and started walking. "Nothing important."
Mark frowned but didn't push. "Alright. I'll head to work. Going home?"
"Later."
"Okay." Mark stopped at the hallway split. "Hey… thanks again. For, you know. This morning."
Kai lifted a hand without turning. "Don't worry about it."
He kept walking, shoulders tense, Viktor's words echoing in his head.
We need to talk.
Some Minutes Later — Cassie's Dad's Gym — 3:02 PM
Cassie stood at the reception desk with her arms crossed, eyes fixed on the glass entrance. Henry was behind the counter, pinning a colorful poster onto the wall — "Boxing Classes — Open Groups — Monday to Friday — 6 PM."
The glass door opened. A chime rang.
Kai walked in.
Cassie locked eyes with him — serious, jaw tight. Before she could say anything, Henry's voice cut through the silence.
"You really came back after sleeping with my daughter?" Henry said.
Cassie slapped both hands on the counter.
SLAM!
"You told my dad?! Seriously? I know you two are friends, but what is wrong with you?"
Henry turned his head slowly, looking at her… then at Kai… then back at her.
"I knew it."
Kai took off his sunglasses, meeting Cassie's stare. "I didn't say a word. You just did." He paused. "Before this, he only suspected it because he saw me leaving."
Henry looked up at the gym ceiling, shaking his head with a hand to his forehead. "Where did I go wrong?"
Cassie covered her face with both hands, bright red. Mortified.
She looked at her father, voice dripping with embarrassment. "If you say one more word, I swear you're eating instant noodles for the rest of your life." She jabbed a finger at him. "I'm eighteen! Stop acting like I'm twelve!"
Cassie stormed from behind the counter, each step heavy, thudding on the rubber floor. "Ugh…" She turned her head toward Kai without slowing. "Let's go upstairs. We need to talk."
Henry crossed his arms. "The hell you are."
Cassie didn't stop walking. She just turned her head slightly. "I have… noooodles."
Kai sighed. Looked at Henry — who only shook his head in defeat.
Kai followed Cassie up the stairs.
Cassie's Apartment — 3:08 PM
They climbed in silence.
Cassie unlocked the door, stepped inside, let Kai pass, and closed it behind him with a soft click.
"Hey… are you sure it's okay for me to come up?" Kai asked.
No answer.
The nervous expression she wore downstairs had shifted into something heavier, dimmer. She leaned against the small kitchen counter, eyes lowering, one hand gripping her opposite arm.
"Kai…"
Her posture shifted. Her breathing. Her fingers tightened around her own arm.
He already knew where this was going.
"You know, Kai…" She inhaled deeply. "We can't keep going like this. We should take a break. And we don't tell anyone. Okay?"
Kai's expression shifted — more grounded, more present.
"Why?" His voice came out different. Not hollow. Not cold. It was warm. Curious.
Cassie turned her head away even more, staring out the window. Kiana's words replayed in her mind — "I miss him. I want to go back to Chicago. I want to explain everything in person."
Cassie bit her lip before speaking.
"Because… you're my friend and my best friend's ex." She paused, voice trembling slightly. "I know you still like her. I can't keep doing this. It's wrong. And I'm basically a substitute here."
Kai held her gaze with no sadness at all — just confidence.
He walked toward her slowly, each step deliberate.
He stopped right in front of her — too close to be casual.
"Alright." He tilted his head slightly. "Then say it again. While looking at me."
Brown eyes. Steady. Intense.
Cassie swallowed, turning little by little to face him again.
"I don't—"
She froze.
Looking into his eyes.
The silence stretched.
It wasn't just the eyes.
It was him. His presence swallowing her whole.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Her breathing turned uneven.
"Damn it!" She shoved him.
Kai stepped back — hit the couch — and fell sitting down.
Cassie followed him immediately, climbing onto his lap, hands cupping his face and pulling him into a kiss.
Deep. Desperate.
His hands slid up her waist, pulling her closer.
She paused the kiss just long enough to rest her forehead against his, breathing hard, feeling the tension in his arms beneath her palms. "This is so wrong."
"I know," Kai said.
And she kissed him again.
They ended up in her bedroom.
Again.
The hours blurred together.
Later That Same Day — Burger Mart — 10:02 PM
Mark pushed open the back door with his shoulder, dragging two heavy trash bags. Muttering to himself.
"Why did I have to stay for closing? Seriously…" He pulled the bags across the cracked asphalt. "This is so much more than my shift."
The dumpster sat in the corner of the lot — green, rusty, reeking of grease and old food. Mark lifted the lid with some effort, still grumbling.
He grabbed one of the trash bags with both hands. Braced himself. Breathed in.
And threw it as hard as he could.
WHOOSH.
The bag didn't land in the dumpster.
It went up.
Straight toward the sky.
Disappearing into the night.
Mark stood frozen. Mouth open. Staring upward.
His Burger Mart cap flew off from the force, and he caught it mid-air — too fast for any normal reflex.
A giant smile spread across his face.
"Finally!" Mark laughed, staring at his hands. "It's about time!"
Meanwhile — Cassie's Apartment — 10:04 PM
Cassie's phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Bzz. Bzz.
Kai woke up. Sat at the edge of the bed, feet touching the cold floor.
He looked at the illuminated screen.
1 Message from: Kiana
Kai stared at the screen—Kiana's name glowing in the dark.
Viktor materialized in the corner chair, arms draped lazily. "Yeah…" He tilted his head. "Looks like you're the only one she's ignoring."
Kai answered quietly, almost a whisper. "Cassie still talks to her." He paused. "I think I'm just making things harder for her by doing this."
Viktor frowned, crossing his arms. "Bullshit…" He paused. "But if you don't want this anymore, it's your choice. That's what we agreed on, right?"
Kai stood up, grabbing his T-shirt from the floor. A cool breeze blew through the open window, the curtains shifting softly.
"Kai?" Cassie's voice — low, sleepy.
Viktor slid back against the wall, watching quietly, giving a small nod — your call.
Kai kept his back to her as he put on his shirt.
"You were trying to say earlier that you didn't want this anymore." He adjusted the hem. "Was that true?"
Cassie sat up against the headboard, grabbing her phone.
The screen lit again.
1 Message from: Kiana
She stayed silent for almost a full minute, then squeezed her eyes shut.
"Yes."
Viktor's voice came from across the room, mocking. "I knew it. Kiana doesn't want you and doesn't want anyone else to have you either."
Kai ignored him. He turned his head slightly, still not looking at Cassie. "Why?"
Cassie bit her lip, searching for some half-truth she could say.
Kai continued. "Let me guess — it's because I'm Kiana's ex, and she doesn't even respond to me."
"Do you really think this would work if we kept going?" Cassie said. "If we stop now, maybe we can be friends later."
Kai asked, still not turning fully. "Friends?"
She answered with the only half-truth she could find.
"Kai… I'm not Kiana. You still care about her, and I need to remind you I don't have super-strength or super-resistance or anything." She looked down. "I can't keep up with you. Every time you come here, I have to sleep for a whole day to recover." She swallowed. "You should be with her. Not me."
Kai turned his face slightly — a small, sincere smile forming, though he still didn't look directly at her.
"I get it. I never thought about it like that." He grabbed his sunglasses from the nightstand. "Sorry."
And then he vanished.
Too fast for any human eye to follow.
Only the curtain moved with the leftover breeze.
Cassie stared at the open window.
Then admitted to herself — barely audible.
"I never said it was bad. Idiot."
She lay back down, grabbed her pillow, pressed it over her face.
"Why do you have to be so addictive?" She clenched the pillow harder. "Why does being with you feel this good? Damn it."
She stayed there. Silent.
Her phone buzzed again.
Two messages.
2 Messages from: Kiana
Cassie locked the screen. Dropped the phone onto the nightstand.
Turned to her side, back facing the window.
Staring at the empty wall.
he curtain still swayed in the breeze.
But he was already gone.
Outside the Building — 10:12 PM
Kai landed on the quiet sidewalk. Put on his sunglasses. Looked up at Cassie's window — the light still on.
Then he turned and started down the sidewalk.
Viktor appeared beside him, hands in his pockets, sidelong glance sharp.
"You didn't have to leave," he said, without his usual sarcasm. "You could've stayed."
Kai didn't answer. Just kept moving, hands buried deep.
Chicago at 10 PM. Quiet. Dim. Heavy.
"The way things were," Kai finally said, voice flat, "I was just using Cassie to fill the emptiness."
Viktor stopped mid-stride, turning to stare.
"Okay, true. But you care about her."
Kai didn't deny it.
Didn't agree.
He kept moving.
The silence returned.
It wasn't relief.
It wasn't pain.
Just nothing.
He looked up at the sky — clear, but starless under the city's glow.
Empty.
Like everything else.
Viktor walked beside him for several blocks, quiet.
"If it gets too heavy for you," Viktor said, not finishing the sentence.
And the two disappeared into the night.
Grayson House — 10:28 PM
Mark walked in through the back door, dropping his backpack with a soft thud. Debbie was in the kitchen setting the table. The TV murmured quietly in the background, warm light filling the room.
"Finally! I'm starving. I thought you weren't coming home today — what happened?" Debbie said, flipping the rice and smiling tiredly.
Mark collapsed into a chair. "Had to close. Just got out." He took a deep breath. "Where's Kai? And Da—"
WHOOSH!
Nolan stepped in, still adjusting his collar before sitting beside Debbie, his huge presence filling the room.
"Sorry I'm late. Some lunatic summoned a flood in Egypt on my way here…"
The front door creaked open — Kai entered. Quiet. Head low. Backpack thrown aside. Debbie brightened at the sight.
"Finally — a family dinner. Change after, Kai. Come eat."
Kai nodded faintly and slid into his seat, shoulders rigid. Viktor leaned against the opposite wall, watching silently.
Debbie picked up her fork and glanced at Nolan, curious. "Did you handle that dragon?"
Nolan answered while serving himself. "Once I figured out who caused it, it was easy. The real problem was keeping the civilians safe while I dealt with it."
Debbie continued, stirring the mashed potatoes. "Your editor called about your new book. I told him you were traveling doing research."
Nolan huffed, half amused. "I should take a weekend off and finish it already. Hopefully the Guardians can manage without me for a while."
Debbie glanced at Kai — she thought about asking something, but reading his closed-off posture, she redirected toward Mark.
"So, Mark, how was your day? And school? Being back together?"
Mark set his fork down, eyes sparkling with excitement. "School aside… it was a normal day — except…" He grinned wider, barely containing himself. "I started developing superpowers!"
Kai choked mid-bite, coughing hard. He thumped his chest—once, twice—eyes watering, the sound echoing louder than it should through the kitchen. Everyone turned.
Mark blinked. "You good, dude?"
Kai nodded, still trying to swallow, wiping his mouth with a napkin, eyes on his plate like one wrong move would collapse the universe.
Nolan turned to Mark, posture rigid, expression unreadable.
"Are you sure?"
Mark's expression sobered.
"I am. I threw a trash bag into space at work."
Nolan frowned, eyes narrowing, but his tone stayed calm — though a flicker of disappointment crossed the edge of his face. Debbie nudged him sharply under the table.
Nolan changed gears instantly, forcing enthusiasm. "That's great, son! Really great!" He turned to Kai, voice upbeat. "And you? You're twins… anything on your side?"
Kai lifted his gaze slowly, guarded. He glanced at Mark, then at Nolan — a thin layer of sarcasm covering the tension in his chest.
"Honestly? No idea. I didn't take the trash out today."
Mark leaned toward him, excited. "Dude, after what happened this morning, I think your powers are coming too!"
Viktor burst out laughing against the wall. Kai shot him a glare.
Dammit, Mark.
Debbie and Nolan exchanged glances — she gave him a discreet signal under the table.
Nolan nodded, pushing his smile wider. "Tomorrow I'll set aside time for all three of us to test it together."
Debbie followed along with a warm smile. "That sounds wonderful!"
Nolan added, looking at both boys, "We're waking up early tomorrow. Get some sleep. We'll figure out if Kai's powers are starting too."
Kai nodded quietly, the weight of expectation pressing against his ribs.
No smile.
Just alertness.
Viktor watched from the corner, one eyebrow raised—for once, no joke came.
Only silence.
After Dinner — Twins' Bedroom — 11:47 PM
Everyone had gone to sleep.
Mark lay on his bed, tossing from one side to the other. Kai was on the opposite bed, back turned, eyes open staring at the ceiling. Not even a hint of sleep. Only pretending.
Silence pressed against the room.
Until Mark spoke — low, but firm.
"I can fly."
The window hinges creaked in the dark.
Kai turned his head. "Dude, what are you doing? Go to sleep."
Mark was already stepping onto the slanted roof outside the window. "According to what Dad said, it's like a reflex." He walked slowly over the tiles, testing his balance.
Kai sat up, muttering under his breath. "Damn it. What is this idiot doing now?"
He leaned out the window, watching Mark walk toward the roof's edge. The cold night wind pulled at Mark's shirt.
When my powers started, it took me a while to fly. And even longer for my physical resistance to build up.
Mark stood on the edge, repeating it almost like a mantra.
"I won't fall. I'll fly up. Because I can fly."
Kai leaned further out the window, voice rising. "Dude, stop being insane! Get back inside, you're gonna fall!"
Mark turned slightly, still facing away. "Even if I fall, maybe it won't hurt." He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply. "Ah, screw it!"
And he jumped.
Kai shot out the window.
Flying.
And Mark stopped midair.
Kai hovered beside him, one hand already reaching out — but he didn't need to hold him.
Their eyes met.
Kai exhaled in relief, shoulders relaxing.
Mark exploded into a massive grin. "Holy shit, we're flying!"
He blasted upward. "Woohoo!"
Kai hovered in place for a moment, serious, watching Mark rise.
Viktor appeared on the edge of the roof, arms crossed. "Good for him, huh? His powers came late, but they came strong."
Kai kept his eyes on Mark, unmoving. "Yeah." He paused. "In the end, he's the one destined to save the world. He might get stronger than me."
Viktor laughed, shaking his head. "I doubt it."
Kai didn't respond. A small, sincere smile appeared — faint, but real. "Looks like I don't need to worry anymore."
He shot into the sky. Above the clouds.
Mark was climbing higher and higher, laughing, arms spread wide. The wind hit his face, the city shrinking beneath him, lights scattered across the horizon.
He turned his head to look for Kai.
WHOOSH.
A commercial plane cut through the air — straight into Mark's path.
It passed way too close, the pressure wave slapping Mark upward, spinning him violently.
He ascended until blue turned into stars. Air punched out of his lungs. Focus slipped. Control vanished.
He began to fall.
Fast.
Wind screamed in his ears. The city grew. The ground rushed up.
Fifty meters.
Thirty.
Ten.
Five—
Kai caught him.
One meter before impact.
Mark opened his eyes, panting, heart slamming against his ribs. "Holy shit!"
Kai looked at him, dead serious. "Close one."
Mark pulled himself together in the air, inhaling deeply, stabilizing his posture. He hovered for a few seconds, testing again. Then looked at Kai.
"Thanks."
Kai nodded once.
And they blasted upward again — together this time.
Cutting through Chicago's sky side by side.
Mark laughing.
Kai silent, but with that small, genuine smile still on his face.
For the first time in months, something inside him felt… wasn't happiness.
But it was light.
Dad seemed normal during dinner.
Maybe I don't need to worry.
Maybe...
August 4th, 2015 — Tuesday — Grayson House — 5:42 AM
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The alarm screamed relentlessly.
"Goddammit, Mark, turn that thing off!" Kai groaned, hurling a pillow across the room.
Mark woke up dragging himself upright, dark circles deep under his eyes. He rubbed his face, barely conscious.
The twins' bedroom door opened.
Nolan stood in the doorway — Omni-Man uniform immaculate, red cape falling perfectly over his shoulders. He crossed his arms, looking at them.
"Alright, get dressed and let's get to the sky, boys."
Mark pushed himself up, exhaustion written all over him. Kai on the other side moved just as slowly.
Nolan took one look at their dark circles and slumped posture.
"Ah…" He dropped the pose. "I'll make coffee."
Minutes Later — Backyard — 6:08 AM
Nolan opened the back door. Mark and Kai followed, yawning.
"To fly—" Nolan began.
Mark blasted into the sky.
WHOOSH.
Kai sighed, gave Nolan a sideways look, and followed — slower, but smooth.
Nolan took off, reaching them in seconds.
"I was going to explain you need to lift off vertically," he said with a small smile, "but judging by your exhausted faces, I'm guessing you practiced all night."
Nolan grinned proudly. "Let's see if you can keep up."
He shot forward.
Mark followed with more difficulty, his body still adjusting. Kai pretended to struggle — slowing himself on purpose to keep pace.
"You'll get tired fast if you fly too quickly," Nolan called over the wind. "Flying is like flexing a muscle. It's much easier if, while you're up here, you relax that muscle now and then."
Mark listened, adjusting his posture. Kai simply let instinct do the work — he already knew all of this.
"Let the momentum carry you."
They kept following Nolan across the sky — Chicago shrinking beneath them, the sunrise stretching across the horizon.
"You're both much better than I expected," Nolan said with satisfaction. "Let's land somewhere open."
He pointed at an empty field near Chicago. Ironically… one of the places where Kai and Viktor used to train.
Kai recognized it instantly… and hated the idea of going back.
"Landing is harder," Nolan continued. "You have to slow down gradually."
Mark tried — and failed. He hit the ground hard, skidding and forming a crater in the grass.
THUD.
Kai watched him, remembering all the times he crashed while training with Cosmic. It took dozens of tries before he got the hang of it.
He landed without falling — but added some extra force to make it look less perfect. His feet sank softly into the soil.
Mark stood up coughing, brushing dirt off. "Yeah… that sucked."
Nolan crossed his arms. "We can call it a landing, sure. Kai did better, but you both need to work on it. Destroying the city you're supposed to save won't work."
They regrouped — Mark still brushing his shirt.
"Now let's test your fighting. Try to hit me." Nolan said, voice serious.
Mark exchanged a look with Kai. "Seriously? Both of us?"
Nolan's gaze hardened, posture firm. "Seriously."
Mark rushed in first, clumsy. Kai stood still, watching, lost in thought.
This is my chance to see if I could actually do it.
Nolan guided Mark while dodging with ease. "Not just the arm. Use your hips. Shoulders. Use your whole body."
Watching them, Kai thought, eyes fixed on his father, Hiding all this time might've been pointless. Everything could've been easier.
Nolan turned his head toward Kai while blocking another punch. "Not going to help your brother?"
Kai refocused. "I was in the boxing club. I trained for years at Oakwood." He paused. "I might hit harder than you expect. Are you sure? I might not control the strength I gained."
Nolan's gaze sharpened — actually focused. Eyes narrowing.
He nodded slowly and lifted off the ground.
"Come." Nolan floated ten meters above them. "Remember — we can push off anything. We generate our own leverage."
He gestured.
"Whenever you're ready," Nolan said calmly.
Kai clenched his fist.
He shot forward.
With almost everything he had.
WHOOSH!
Nolan expected to dodge — already calculating the trajectory.
Not this time.
The punch connected cleanly with Nolan's jaw.
CRACK.
Nolan flew backward, spinning in the air, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
He stopped midair, regaining balance. He wiped the blood with the back of his hand, staring at the red smear.
His eyes lifted — locking onto Kai.
They hovered there, suspended, facing each other.
Kai didn't blink.
Nolan smiled.
Then charged.
They traded blows — fast, heavy, each impact cracking the air like thunder. Kai still held back slightly, adjusting so it wouldn't look too obvious, but even so he was close. Too close to his real level.
Mark stared from the ground, jaw hanging, watching the two collide in the sky.
"Very good!" Nolan shouted, thrilled, blocking another strike.
He increased his power gradually — testing how far Kai could go.
Kai noticed.
He let the next punch from Nolan hit him square in the chest.
BAM.
Kai was thrown back, spinning before stabilizing midair.
Nolan looked down. "Mark! Where are you to help your brother? Alone you won't make me break a sweat."
Mark frowned, lifted his fists, and flew up — clumsy, but determined.
Kai hovered for a brief moment, chest aching from the impact.
He didn't even go all out.
The thought settled heavy.
And I was already close to my limit physically.
He clenched his fist.
But if I used everything—everything I used against Russell…
I could stop him.
Nolan moved toward Mark — testing him with a controlled punch.
Mark tried to block, but the strength tossed him to the side.
Kai rushed in.
Pushed Nolan away before the next hit could land, joining the fight at full speed.
The two brothers flew side by side now — Mark and Kai together.
Nolan faced them, wearing a grin completely satisfied. His eyes gleaming.
They exchanged several more blows — Mark still learning, Kai restraining his true power, Nolan pushing their limits.
After a few minutes, Nolan raised a hand, stopping.
"I think it's about time for your school."
Mark hovered there, panting, sweating. "Damn… you two are way ahead of me."
Nolan flew closer, placing a hand on Mark's shoulder. "Kai's been fighting for years. You'll get there too."
Mark nodded, though frustration still lined his face.
Nolan looked to Kai — held his gaze longer this time. Analytical. Measuring.
"Good work," he said simply.
Kai nodded, expression unreadable.
The three flew back toward home — Nolan in front, Mark and Kai behind.
The sun was higher now. Chicago waking beneath them.
Kai looked at his own hand.
Viktor appeared beside him mid-flight, hands in his pockets. "Well? You realize you're wasting what you can really do, right?"
Kai didn't answer.
He stared at his hand—still trembling slightly from the impact.
Something inside him whispered.
A pressure behind his eyes. Familiar. Cold.
As if the blue eyes he hid were staring right back.
Deep down, he knew.
There are no exceptions.
When something feels too good to be true—
It always is.
After School — Jenny's House — 2:52 PM
As usual, Mark had gone to work, and Kai…
Kai stopped in front of Jenny's front door.
He hadn't warned her he was coming, but he didn't need to.
He stared at the door, unsure of what exactly had made him come all the way there.
But guilt had a familiar address — and it was here.
The cruel irony was that the biggest scar Viktor had left… was this.
The moment Kai decided to come, Viktor vanished — completely silent, not showing up to torment him.
He knocked twice, lightly. Waited.
The door opened slowly, and Jenny appeared. Her hair tied in a high ponytail, an old hoodie, dark circles she didn't bother hiding.
"Kai." She blinked, caught off-guard. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to see how you're doing."
She stood there for a second, processing. Then stepped aside, opening space.
"Come in."
Kai entered. The living room was too quiet. Only the muffled sound of a fan spinning in the corner.
Jenny closed the door behind him and crossed her arms, leaning against the wall.
"I'm fine," she said — though her voice had no conviction.
Kai stared at her. She looked away.
"And Ghost Girl?" he asked, straight to the point. "You heard anything?"
Jenny nodded slowly.
"Last time I talked to her, she said she was okay. Already recovered. But she decided to take a break from the whole Ghost Girl thing." She paused, breathing in deeply. "I think we all needed that, right?"
Kai nodded silently.
Jenny studied him closely. Then asked, very softly:
"And you? Are you going back to being Grey?"
Kai didn't answer immediately. He just stood there, unmoving, as if trying to find the right words — or maybe any words.
He didn't deny it.
But he didn't confirm it either.
He simply turned toward the door.
"Take care, Jenny. If you need anything, call me. And fix that face. Viktor would hate seeing you like this."
And he left.
Jenny remained there in the empty living room, hand still on the doorknob.
She knew he was right.
She just didn't know how.
Grayson Twins' Bedroom — 6:26 PM
Ever since he returned from Jenny's house, Kai had been on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Arms crossed behind his head. Motionless.
Going back to being Grey bothered him.
Because deep down, besides the deaths of Viktor and Mirage, for which he blamed himself, he had another reason.
And she was somewhere on the other side of the planet, filming a scene for some movie or show.
But he would never admit that.
Not to himself.
Not to anyone.
Not caring was easier. But even empty, he still went to check if Jenny was okay.
And just the fact he went… already said something.
Viktor was back, pacing around the room, restless.
"Man, this is torture." Viktor gestured dramatically. "You've been lying there for hours. If I knew it'd be like this, I wouldn't have let you break up with Cassie."
Kai still didn't respond.
"Damn, dude, live a little! Fly somewhere. Now that your dad knows, you don't need to hide." Viktor stopped at the window. "I thought things would be different."
"I am living," Kai replied, voice flat. "And right now, it's pretty nice. Except for your voice."
Viktor turned his head. "I'm in your head. You're empty. Emptier than a fridge at the end of the month." He frowned. "How can someone be this numb and still have empathy for other people?"
"Empathy is part of character. And character doesn't depend on anything but itself." Kai turned onto his side, facing the wall. "People who don't see that—that's on them."
Viktor stopped, really looked at him. "I don't know. According to blue-eyes, character, good and bad—it's all relative." He crossed his arms, leaning against the desk. "You're a god. Go enjoy your powers. I know you're still hurt over Kiana, and I know you're also hurt because of Cassie now. The sooner you accept it, the sooner it passes."
"Actually, right now I'm hurt because of you. I want to sleep and you won't shut up."
Viktor took a step closer. "The more you deny things, the more I show up. My job is to make you face what you ignore." He paused, voice dropping lower. "And if it gets too heavy… I'll take over for you. I already told you that."
Silence.
Kai's phone vibrated.
He grabbed it and checked the screen.
Cosmic:Kai? How are you? I have news.
Kai typed without urgency.
Kai:All good here. And you?
Cosmic:Wanted you to know. Elise is pregnant.
Kai blinked. Sat up on the bed, rereading the message.
Kai:Congrats, man. I'm happy for you two. Just hope the kid takes after the mother.
The typing dots appeared. Then:
Cosmic:You never miss a joke, huh? About what we discussed… the void. Any hallucinations or anything Elise mentioned? If you need anything, just say it. I'm here.
Kai looked at Viktor — standing in the room, messing distractedly with things on the desk.
No reason to worry them. Especially now.
Kai:I'm fine. Nothing unusual.
He sent it.
Locked the phone.
Dropped back onto the mattress.
Viktor looked at him, but didn't say anything this time.
Just shook his head.
And resumed pacing around the room.
Meanwhile — Living Room, Grayson House — 6:36 PM
Debbie and Nolan were on the couch. She held a cup of tea, and he was reading something on his tablet — probably the news.
Debbie glanced at him. "How did things go earlier? Mark looked annoyed, and Kai looked… well, like Kai."
Nolan lowered the tablet, thinking. "Mark got a bit frustrated." He paused. "Kai is developing much faster than he is. Oakwood… made a difference."
Debbie frowned. "That much?"
Nolan nodded slowly, expression serious. "Enough to make me think it was a mistake not to pay for Mark as well." He looked at her. "We have the money."
Debbie stared at her cup, processing. "Well, it's too late now. It was your idea to make them learn responsibility." She sighed. "And Kai only left Oakwood because we pretended we couldn't afford it."
Nolan went quiet for a moment, thoughtful.
"Yes." He went back to the tablet, but he wasn't reading. Just staring at the screen. "Kai clearly gained something there that Mark didn't."
Debbie looked at him from the corner of her eye. "You sound… surprised."
"I am," Nolan admitted, lowering the tablet completely. "Kai landed a hit on me today. A real one. It wasn't luck." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Mark is still learning the basics. Kai fights like he's had years of experience."
Debbie didn't know what to say. She just nodded.
"He's always been… different." she murmured.
Nolan looked at her — something in her tone caught his attention.
But he said nothing, stood up calmly, and left.
Silence returned.
A Few Hours Later — Backyard, Grayson House — 11:28 PM
In the backyard, the night was quiet, lit only by the kitchen lights and the dim streetlamps. The ground already had three fresh craters — the aftermath of Mark's disastrous landing practice.
Mark flew upward again, body tense, trying to slow down on the descent.
CRASH — another crater, dirt scattered, grass torn.
Coughing, he pushed himself up from the new hole.
"Almost…" The word barely a mutter as he rubbed his sore shoulder. Frustration and determination warred across his face as he stared at the mark in the ground.
He spread his arms, inhaled deeply, and rose for the fourth time.
Tried to land gently.
Failed.
THUD — he hit the ground half a meter ahead, the earth sinking beneath him.
The kitchen window creaked open.
Debbie appeared, her voice cutting through the quiet.
"Mark!"
He looked up, already bracing for the scolding.
"Are you planning on demolishing the yard before you learn how to stop?"
Mark tried to hide it, but the frustration was obvious.
"I'm practicing my landing. Sorry about the yard. I need to train, Mom."
Debbie stepped outside in her slippers, walking slowly with her arms crossed, face stern.
"You need to sleep! It's the middle of the night, I work tomorrow, and you have school. Get inside, now!"
The frustration — the one that came from always being behind Kai, from wanting to help people, from wanting to be a hero — rose to Mark's head. He stepped toward her, brows furrowing.
"Make me."
Debbie didn't flinch.
"Does that make you feel stronger? Knowing I can't make you?"
Mark let out a breath full of regret, trying to explain.
"This is important, Mom."
Silence hung for a few seconds.
Finally, Debbie softened her expression.
"I just want the best for you. For you and for Kai."
Mark looked at her — this time without defiance, only understanding.
"I know."
Debbie walked a few steps and sat on the back porch steps. Mark followed right after.
She spoke gently. "Listen, sweetheart… I can't talk to you while you're flying through the sky, but I'm still here. It used to be just you and me. Your father with his insane powers saving the world, and Kai always handling things on his own. Now that you two have powers, I'm just the normal, annoying mom."
Mark looked at her.
"Mom—"
She lifted her hand, interrupting. "It's okay, honey, I get it. I need to get used to you being special like your father."
Mark sighed, frustrated. "That's exactly it. That's what scares me. I'm not like Dad… Kai is. He's good at everything. Always ahead, and I'm always depending on him. And he doesn't even want this… being a hero. How am I supposed to compare to either of them?"
"Who said you need to?" Debbie asked. "You don't have to be the strongest hero of all. You just need to be the best you."
Mark looked at her. "And… what if the best me isn't enough?"
Debbie laughed softly. "Mark, how could the best you ever not be enough? Don't let heroism make you think you have to be bigger than everyone around you. Responsibility, empathy, and… these craters — they're your mark, sure. But your real mark is on the hearts of others."
Mark smiled, looking at his mother.
For the first time, he understood what she saw in him — not just super strength, but a heart that cared.
"Thanks, Mom."
Kai descended quietly, stopping by the doorway, catching the end of the conversation.
Debbie looked at him, offering a small smile. "I hope you're not planning on practicing your landing out here, too."
Kai crossed his arms, dry tone. "Landing without breaking anything is easy. Just don't fall head-first."
Mark grimaced. "Wow. Real motivational."
Debbie laughed, stood up, and went inside.
Kai looked at the yard, then at Mark — brief, direct. "Yeah… somebody's gonna have work to do this time. Don't count on me."
Mark smiled, exhausted — but for the first time in that torn-up patch of grass, he felt whole.
Two Days Later — August 6th, 2015 — Thursday — Reginald Vel Johnson High School — 7:52 AM
Mark and Kai walked through the hallways, backpacks slung over their shoulders. Morning chatter filled the air: students whispering, locker doors banging, and the lingering smell of stale coffee from the cafeteria.
Todd turned the corner.
His eyes met Mark's, then slid to Kai.
He didn't hesitate — he pivoted around and walked back the way he came.
Mark glanced at Kai, raising an eyebrow.
Kai shrugged, expression unreadable.
"Dude, stop," Mark said, halting in the middle of the hallway. "It's the first week. Nothing important is happening yet. Let's skip school today and patrol the city."
Kai looked at him. "I'll pass. I'm staying out of it."
Mark sighed, staring up at the ceiling as if begging for patience. "Seriously. My hero instincts say someone out there needs help."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Hero instincts?"
"I'm going," Mark declared, heading toward the exit.
Kai kept walking toward the classroom. "Good luck with that."
One Hour Later — Classroom — 9:14 AM
Kai sat near the window. The biology teacher was explaining mitosis — but Kai wasn't listening.
The blue sky outside pulled at him.
Idiot.
He glanced at the clock. More than an hour since Mark left.
Viktor appeared in the empty seat beside him. "You really gonna let him get into trouble alone?"
Kai didn't answer.
But he was already standing.
He grabbed his backpack and walked out — the teacher didn't even notice.
A Few Minutes Later — Chicago Sky — 9:36 AM
Mark flew over Chicago wearing a completely improvised outfit: blue sweatpants, an orange running shirt with yellow stripes on the shoulders, a circular visor, yellow gloves, and a yellow cloth covering his face.
He looked ridiculous.
But he was flying.
And feeling incredible.
He looked down — roads, cars, people, everything small.
CRASH.
Glass breaking — from an alley three blocks ahead.
Mark narrowed his eyes, adjusted the visor, and shot forward.
He landed at the mouth of the alley, feet thudding against the asphalt.
A huge man — nearly two meters tall, muscles hard as stone — carried a heavy backpack. Titan — one of the city's villains.
"Hey!" Mark shouted, pointing. "Drop that!"
Titan turned slowly, glanced him up and down, and let out a gravelly laugh.
"Really? Who are you supposed to be? Super Pajamas? Go home, kid."
"No." Mark took a step forward. "Drop it now."
Titan let the backpack fall, relaxing his shoulders.
"You got a death wish?"
Before Mark could answer, Titan charged.
WHAM.
A punch straight to the gut — air bursting from Mark's lungs.
Mark was thrown back, crashing into the brick wall.
CRACK.
Bricks split.
He dropped to his knees, coughing.
Shit.
Titan approached, fists clenched. "I warned you, kid."
Mark stood, eyes burning behind the visor.
He didn't give up.
He dashed forward.
Titan swung, but Mark dodged and landed a clean punch to the jaw.
CRACK.
Titan staggered — a crack forming in his rocky armor.
Mark didn't stop. Hit after hit — jaw, ribs, temple.
Titan tried to grab him, but Mark shot upward — two meters — then dove down with a kick to the chest.
BOOM.
Titan flew out of the alley, rolling across the street.
Cars braked; people screamed.
Mark landed with clenched fists.
Titan tried to get up — but Mark was already on him. Another punch. Straight to the face.
Titan collapsed. Unconscious.
"I… did it."
Mark stood tall, hands on hips.
"Good question — who am I?" He tested it out loud. "Detonator?" He shook his head. "Nah. Too on-the-nose."
A voice echoed behind him.
"Detonator? Seems like I'm late."
Mark turned — saw Kai on the sidewalk, wearing normal clothes with a black cloth covering his face.
"Everything under control, courtesy of the Detonator," Kai said, arms crossed, tone dripping with sarcasm.
Mark gave him a thumbs-up, grinning behind the yellow cloth.
WHOOSH.
Omni-Man appeared, hovering with his arms crossed, looking at both of them.
Then at Mark's outfit.
Then at both again.
"You look ridiculous," he said seriously, turning and rising slowly. "Let's go."
They followed Nolan to the top of a concrete building with antennas around it, wind whipping hard.
Nolan crossed his arms.
"You're not supposed to be out of school."
Mark said nothing.
Kai shrugged.
"Looks like this was your idea, right Mark?"
Nolan frowned — between disapproval and acknowledgment.
Kai stepped slightly in front of Mark — instinct? habit?
"I told him we should do this."
Nolan stared at them a long moment, then shook his head.
"No, you didn't." Pause. "But it's good you're sticking together. Seems you haven't lost the habit of taking the blame while letting Mark take the credit."
Kai didn't respond.
Mark whispered, "Sorry. I just want to be better. Like you two." He paused. "I want to help people."
Nolan rose into the air. "Come. I'm taking you shopping."
They exchanged looks — Mark confused, Kai unreadable.
They followed Nolan.
Kai recognized the route, the buildings, the streets — until the store came into view.
Art's tailor shop — the place that made Grey's old suit.
They landed. Nolan opened the door — the bell chimed.
They went downstairs, surrounded by mannequins wearing superhero costumes. Vibrant colors, capes, masks — prototypes and known designs.
Art came from the back, warm smile on his face.
"Nolan!" He spread his arms.
Nolan shook his hand firmly. "Art."
Art looked at the two boys, then back to Nolan. "Anyone see you?"
Nolan smirked. "Who do you think you're talking to?"
Art laughed, shaking his head.
Mark wandered between the suits, eyes wide like a kid in a toy store.
Kai stood beside Nolan, hands in his pockets.
Art walked to Mark, accompanying him.
"Practically indestructible suits. Fireproof, bulletproof, even explosion-resistant."
Mark stopped in front of a mannequin in the corner — dressed in Grey's black suit, half-mask covering the face.
"I know this one," Mark said, pointing. "He was on the Teen Team. Grey."
Kai stared at the uniform from afar.
Viktor appeared beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Bothers you, doesn't it?" he whispered. "Makes you remember you failed. I died. Mirage too." He paused. "But that's not the suit's fault, right?"
Kai didn't answer. His stare remained locked on the uniform.
Art extended his hand toward Mark.
"I'm Arthur Rosebaum. Call me Art."
He looked at Kai, squinting.
Mark interrupted excitedly, "Wait — we're getting superhero suits? No way!"
Nolan looked at them. "You can't go around in pajamas like today…"
A moment later, Mark emerged from the back wearing an orange-and-yellow suit with a circular visor.
He stopped in front of them, adjusting the sleeves. "Not sure if I like orange with yellow." He pointed at Kai. "Kai, aren't you gonna try one?"
Kai, arms crossed, replied emotionlessly.
"I don't think so."
Nolan snapped his head at him, frowning. "Think so? Why not?"
Mark walked up to Kai. "Come on, man. We even fought Dad together. We need cool suits. Ones that tell villains the party's over when we show up."
Kai looked away. "I don't know if I want to be a hero, Mark. This might be for you… but not for me."
Nolan stepped forward, a bit annoyed.
"You can decide that later. Better to have a suit than need one and not have it."
Mark turned back to the mirror.
"I'm thinking something more iconic."
Art smiled, crossing his arms. "Well, that's what everyone wants. A symbol. Something kids will draw on notebooks." He paused. "But for that, I'll need your help." He looked at both. "You've chosen a name yet?"
Viktor yelled directly into Kai's ear, "GREY! GREY! GREY! Just say it!"
But he didn't.
Mark answered, still admiring the suit, "Haven't thought about it yet."
Art looked at Kai. "I assume you haven't either. Pick something, and I'll work the magic."
The answer was simply a nod while staring at Grey's suit. The pressure returned. The suffocation. At least the personality in control felt it.
Viktor's hand rested on his shoulder — quiet, for once.
Kai didn't move.
One last look at the uniform.
Then the emptiness swallowed everything else.
They left the shop minutes later.
Mark talked nonstop about colors, symbols, and name ideas.
His excitement was real — but something else had changed.
Mark wasn't just excited like a kid with a new toy.
"It has to mean something," he said, flying beside Nolan and Kai. "It can't just look cool. It has to show who I am. What I want to do."
Nolan gave him a sideways look.
Mark continued, "Like, Dad is Omni-Man because he's all-powerful. Makes sense." He paused. "I need something that shows I'm here to help. To bring hope. Not just punch villains."
"You'll find it," Nolan said simply.
Mark nodded — more to himself than to the others.
Kai watched him fly ahead, animated, gesturing, trying to figure himself out.
Viktor appeared flying beside Kai. "He's taking this seriously. And you? Gonna keep pretending you don't care?"
Kai said nothing.
Just kept flying.
He slowed down when the house came into view — and felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket.
Bzz — a message.
On the screen, Henry's name.
"Stop by the gym if you can."
Kai read it slowly. Put his phone away.
And this time, chose not to ignore it.
Why?
Because deep down, he knew he owed this to Henry —
and to Cassie.
Later That Day — Henry's Gym — 5:10 PM
Kai stepped into the gym.
The muted clink of metal, the smell of sweat and disinfectant — the place felt almost the same as always, yet heavier somehow. Henry was adjusting a training board on the counter. He paused when he noticed Kai.
They exchanged a brief look — no greeting, no hesitation. Just two people who knew this conversation was overdue.
They walked upstairs to the sparring room. Silence followed them, only their footsteps echoing in the empty space.
Henry was the first to break it.
"So…"
Kai sighed and cut straight through it. "Before anything else, Cassie dumped me. You can relax."
Henry kept his eyes on him — half calm, half dissecting him like a doctor reading someone's pulse.
"I know. Who do you think asked me to check on you?"
Kai shot him a sideways glance. "Pretty sure you weren't supposed to tell me that."
Henry shrugged, almost carelessly. "Yeah… that's what she said. But telling you won't kill anyone. I can see through you — I've been left behind before."
Kai met his gaze — still empty, but he understood. "Cassie's mom…"
Henry gave a small confirming nod.
"Yeah." Then added with a crooked smirk, "But your case is worse, huh? You managed to do worse than me — got dumped twice in a row."
Kai raised a brow. "Okay, I deserved that."
Henry continued, voice neutral but honest. "Speaking for myself, I'm relieved she dumped you."
Kai lowered his gaze.
"Because of Kiana…"
Henry cut back sharply. "No! She has nothing to do with this. You would've been terrible for my daughter."
Kai raised an eyebrow — and knew, for more reasons than one, he couldn't argue.
"Bad friend," he said, half sarcastic, half resigned.
"Look who's talking." Henry's tone softened, more serious this time. "Actually, what I mean is this: she spent her whole life fighting people stronger than her, trying to make up the difference through effort alone. Now imagine being with someone she could never catch up to. Where every day is a constant reminder she never will."
Silence filled the room.
Kai nodded — remembering Cassie's words about not having powers.
Henry leaned against the punching bag, finally relaxing a bit.
"You know, sometimes I see myself in you. Sometimes I forget we're like… twenty years apart. Feels like we're the same age."
Kai paid attention — which was rare lately.
Henry went on. "Even so, there's something I learned and wish I'd understood sooner. When Cassie's mom left me, I stopped feeling anything. I got numb. Only had Cassie to take care of. Spent four years stuck in that cycle of apathy. It wasn't depression… maybe it was. But it wasn't sadness. It was emptiness."
Kai looked at him, seeing his own life reflected — the life before and the life now. "Well, it's something you learn. The truth is simple: you only get sad if you allow yourself to be sad."
Henry's eyes locked on him.
"That's the problem. When you stop caring about yourself… whether things go right or wrong becomes easier. There's no good side, no bad side."
Kai stared through the glass wall, still carrying that dry tone. "Still not seeing the issue."
Henry exhaled.
"The issue is that state affects everyone around you. I realized that because of Cassie. I'd buy food for her, but lived off instant noodles myself. It was easy. Didn't matter if it tasted good or if it was healthy. I kept my shape thanks to training — everything automatic. But she saw it. She was just a kid."
Hesitating, Henry's gaze dropped to the floor.
"When she was nine, she left practice early saying she had a headache. I ended class a few minutes later and went after her. Found her crying on a chair… in front of the stove." Henry let out a sad laugh. "Scared the hell out of me. I asked why she was there. Know what she said? She wanted me to eat something good, but ruined the rice, so she was crying."
Henry looked up, meeting Kai's eyes.
"She mixed vegetables, meat, and half a bag of salt. If I drank seawater after one bite, it would've tasted sweet."
Henry's voice cracked slightly. He cleared his throat.
"But still… it was the best rice I've ever eaten."
He ran a hand over the back of his neck, as if carrying the weight of that memory.
"I carry that guilt, which is why I value everything she does… Especially the food. It's become my weakness."
Kai stayed quiet, absorbing it.
He came close — for the first time in days — to truly understanding that the emptiness wasn't only his.
It spilled outward.
It spread.
It touched the people he cared for.
He thought of Mark and Debbie.
And wondered what that emptiness would cost them if he let it grow.
For the first time in days, he felt a small, fragile desire:
to hold himself together.
Just a little longer.
Just enough not to repeat someone else's tragedy.
Kai walked out of the gym into the fading evening light.
His phone buzzed.
Mark: "Dude, where are you? If you are at home, can you ask Mom to make lasagna? My shift ends at 8 today."
He stared at the message.
Typed back: "I wish my problems were the same as yours. On my way."
For once, he meant it.
The Next Day — August 7th, 2015 — Friday — Reginald Vel Johnson High School — 7:56 AM
The hallway was crowded, filled with muffled voices, hurried footsteps echoing through the school, and locker doors slamming in chaotic rhythm. Old posters from last semester hung peeling off the walls. Among the tide of students, Mark and Kai walked side by side — Mark with his backpack hanging from one shoulder, Kai wearing sunglasses, hands in his pockets, far too quiet for the morning.
Mark turned slightly toward him, voice low and worried. "Thought of anything yet? We need to choose a hero name. Still nothing that really fits. Something that… I don't know, feels right."
Kai didn't answer immediately, his attention split between the conversation and the movement around them. When they reached a corner, he slowed — and stopped.
Mark stopped too, but for a different reason. Three meters ahead, a senior repeating the year, built like a refrigerator, shoved a freshman against a row of metal lockers. The metallic echo traveled the whole hallway.
On the opposite side, Kai crossed eyes with a red-haired girl in jeans and a sleeveless top walking straight through the corridor. She stopped as well, her lips parting slightly when she saw the brothers.
Different from the blonde who'd helped Mark before.
This one he recognized.
Eve.
Her eyes moved from Kai — white hair, sunglasses — to Mark, two steps behind him.
Then back to Kai.
Then to Mark again.
Recognition. Confusion. Shock.
"Hey." Mark stepped forward, voice firm in a way it rarely was. "Leave the kid alone."
The guy didn't even ask who Mark was — he shoved Mark's chest hard.
With almost no effect.
Mark pushed back — and the guy stumbled two steps, heel scraping against the polished floor.
"Go find someone your size," Mark said, serious. "If you want to pick a fight."
The hallway held its breath — just long enough for the next voice to slice through it.
"Mark Grayson. My office. Now," the principal's voice snapped, echoing across the corridor.
Mark exhaled sharply, shot Kai a quick look — great — then headed toward the office at the far end.
Eve blinked as if waking up, hurriedly starting to walk again. She glanced from Kai to Mark's retreating figure one more time — trying to stitch memories together.
Kai stayed frozen, the corridor stretching around him like a train tunnel.
Her… here.
Viktor appeared leaning against the locker beside him, arms crossed, laughing under his breath. "Finally, some excitement. I can't believe she studies here. So? Gonna thank her for saving your ass and landing you in the hospital that day, or just keep staring like a dead fish?"
Kai kept his eyes on the end of the hallway. "My bigger concern right now is Mark finding out I was Grey." He inhaled. "I'll have to talk to her one way or another."
Down the hall, Eve leaned her shoulder against the cold locker, breathing slowly.
White hair. Dark hair.
So similar. Brothers…
Her hand lifted to her lips in silent shock.
That's why that personality was so different… yet familiar.
She closed her eyes briefly… then opened them.
The one I met… was the brother.
She pushed off the locker and started walking.
Toward a nearby classroom.
The same classroom Kai and Mark shared.
Kai watched — realization hitting like cold water.
This has to be a joke.
Viktor laughed again. "If you don't want Mark finding out, better talk to her today. Before she spills everything."
Kai moved to the principal's office door, taking position beside it.
He exhaled — long and slow.
Principal's Office — Reginald Vel Johnson High School — 8:04 AM
The room smelled of old dust and cold coffee. A shelf full of textbooks that had never been opened, certificates on the wall, and a clock ticking loud enough to be annoying. The principal didn't offer a seat — Mark sat anyway, straight-backed, holding his backpack by his leg. The atmosphere was expectant, but not hostile.
"Just tell me what happened, Mr. Grayson," the principal said, fingers interlaced on the desk.
"He was messing with Steve White — locker near mine," Mark answered simply. "I told him to leave Steve alone. He pushed me, I pushed back. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
The principal held his gaze, then nodded slowly.
"I understand perfectly. You're not in trouble." He picked up a random piece of paper, mostly for something to hold. "That boy has a history of causing problems. You don't." Pause. "You're a good student."
Mark didn't react — he just waited.
"That boy was twice your size. It isn't your responsibility to protect every student here. You should've called a teacher." The principal leaned back, letting the weight of his words settle. "Remember: you're not invincible."
The silence that followed lasted exactly long enough for something inside Mark to click.
Invincible.
A small, involuntary smile tugged at the corner of his mouth — like someone recognizing the missing piece of a puzzle.
The name he'd been looking for.
The name that would define his legacy.
"Thank you, sir," Mark said, standing.
The principal nodded once. Mark picked up his backpack, turned the knob, and stepped out.
In the hallway, Kai leaned against the wall, arms crossed, sunglasses reflecting the traffic of late students. Viktor stood beside him with a half-smile only Kai could see.
"Well?" Kai asked.
Mark breathed out — and the smile returned, brighter now.
"I have a name."
As if some invisible force was aligning itself with the universe — through coincidence and consequence — the story insisted on correcting its own course.
Interlude — Those Who Watch Without Ever Touching
Beyond the planes that sit beyond the universes — where silence has weight and light exists only as intention — three divinities waited. They had no shape. Vectors of will, densities of meaning — and yet the language of mortals would insist on calling them Gods.
But they were not gods.
Not in any sense mortals could comprehend.
They were something far more distant. Eternal observers, trapped between the layers of existence — capable of shaping souls, weaving destinies, granting gifts… but never touching a mortal universe directly.
The Laws were absolute.
A soul could be prepared, polished, sent.
Powers could be granted, destinies suggested at the cost of great energy.
But once a soul crossed the threshold and was born in a mortal plane, it was beyond their grasp.
They could only watch. And wait.
Wait for the soul to return.
Or for it to be lost.
Before them, the flow of a particular cosmos stretched over an infinite surface like a river of glass engraved with dozens of crimson fractures. Fragmented timelines, persistent and tangled, drifting away from the original stream whenever touched by any attempt at foresight.
The third divinity — the one who held the largest portion of that universe — spoke first. His voice sounded like the ancient memory of a sound.
"I still fail to understand why the two of you are so interested in 'fixing' this universe. The fraction of energy you receive from it is irrelevant to your domains. I am the one losing the most. I am the one most harmed."
The other two glanced at one another — if consciousness can be said to look — and didn't answer.
"Unless…"
The entity closed what, in the poverty of mortal vocabulary, would be called eyes. They sharpened like blades.
"Unless you either know the source of this disturbance… or you are the source."
A gesture of surrender; a donation of context — transmitted in a way only Divinities fully understood: not words, but totalities.
The confession crossed the void — the soul they reencarnated, the mistake of granting powers from a fictional plane, the tampering with a past that should never have been touched.
A silence followed, heavy as stone.
"I saw some of us make mistakes," the ruler of that universe said, "but this… If we cannot repair it, you will compensate me for the cost! And now, explain again why you would summon a lower-tier divinity if even we cannot interfere directly with the flow?"
One of the two stepped forward — a step that did not measure distance.
"I'll explain. He emerged around two thousand years ago and has ascended three times. The point is: he can make mortals do exactly what he wants."
The other flared with pure astonishment.
"To ascend once in less than a hundred thousand years is rare. Twice would be unheard of. Three?"
Time there breathed like its own creature; still, not long after, another presence arrived.
A contour of apathetic calm — almost the same emotional pallor as the soul they were trying to "fix."
"I am Sedah."
The introduction came as a shiver across the skin of the void.
"A pleasure. I've been told I must interact with an individual reincarnated into the wrong universe. Where do I begin?"
The cosmos' ruler still weighed skepticism.
"You truly can control mortals? Bend them and guide them until they end their own existence?"
Sedah turned, his indifference almost polite.
"Everyone can be broken. And I do not spend much of my power — nor do I do anything you yourselves couldn't do."
The three ancient divinities exchanged a look older than star-dust. None understood.
Sedah continued, unhurried. "That is exactly the problem. You still treat everything as an issue of power — stacking ascensions, withdrawing your hand, and expecting divine inertia to fix whatever you touched. Arrogance creates blindness. In two thousand years, I dedicated myself to understanding the mortal mind. I wasted no energy on 'special' reincarnations, extravagant gifts, or magical nudges. I simply whisper into the right ear, in the right way, at the right moment. That is enough."
In front of him, a bubble of information formed — layers of history, trauma, choices, tiny acts that grew into mountains by persistence. Sedah pulled the cosmos of Kai Grayson into his gaze and studied it.
"Let me work. One week."
But... only two hours later, the bubble closed like a tired flower. Sedah returned — and where there was once boredom, there was now a smile.
A sinister one.
"Very interesting."
"Is it resolved?" the universe's ruler asked too quickly.
Sedah's expression hardened. "Do you know which individuals are the hardest to corrupt?"
Knowledge shimmered across the oldest two. "Clerics? Devouts?"
"No." The disdain was almost sweet. "They are easy. Nothing is more malleable than someone convinced they are on a divine mission. One crisis of faith, one crack of cognitive dissonance — and done."
"The pragmatic," guessed the second divinity.
"Wrong again. The indifference they cultivate rots into vanity or apathy with time. The door stays open. Easy to corrupt. Easy to guide."
"Children," concluded the third, confident. "Or those not yet mature."
"Good guess — innocence makes them resistant, yes." Sedah waved a hand, extinguishing that light. "But they have parents. Bad parents break their children far more effectively than any whisper of mine. That makes them easy."
The three waited — expectant.
"I'll explain." Sedah's voice organized thoughts like someone closing a suitcase.
"The hardest ones are those who got used to being alone. Not those who romanticize solitude. Not those who hate it. Not those who love it and turn it into something else. Not the fanatics who chase others with some obsessive hobby."
The last of the elder divinities attempted one more guess, turning with confusion. "Then who?"
The answer came in a single word.
"The neutral."
And the word stood there, simple and absolute.
Sedah continued.
"The neutral is a stable existence within chaos. But it is not happy. Not euphoric. It is what survived loneliness without beautifying it — the one who never asked for help and sank alone. This type has told themselves so much shit, inside their own mind and for so long, that when I whisper, my voice is just one more. They are uncontrollable and 'unbreakable' — because they are already shattered and stitched together, but in a twisted way that still functions."
One of the divinities stepped forward. "What exactly are you saying?"
"Kai Grayson," Sedah said, clean and final.
"He is the most complex example of this type I have ever seen. You reincarnated a neutral-scarred soul and then gave him a power full of emotional side effects. Right now, he has so many voices inside his head that whispering there is like lighting a match and expecting the ocean to burn."
"But you said everyone can be controlled or broken. There must be a way."
"There is." Sedah admitted. "With individuals like him, the only real lever is bringing someone from the past — from before the breaking. Something whole enough to pull what remains. But in his case…" His smile unfolded wider, chilling.
"There is no one in that universe who belongs to that 'before.' And it is impossible for such a person to exist. No intervention of yours could make it happen."
Silence.
The fractured cosmos kept flowing across the glass river.
"So we can do nothing but hope it turns out well?" the universe's owner growled, more hurt than angry.
"Exactly." Sedah crushed any lingering hope without effort.
The divinity once called Devon — a name mortals gave an ancient mask — still tried.
"I reincarnated him. I can still use my authority to speak to him once, to talk—"
"And for what?" Sedah cut, never raising his voice.
"To gift his paranoia with a permanent target? He is the type who would thank the map and burn the cartographer. If you attempt direct contact, he will only resent you more — and do the opposite of what you want. I do not recommend it."
The three elder entities exchanged a look that resembled exhaustion.
For the first time, the younger one seemed oldest.
"Then… there is nothing to be done." The ruler of that universe spoke with something close to bitterness. "Except hope he disappears or chooses the right path."
Sedah's voice carried both respect and boredom. "Unfortunately, I can't help you. His fate is a paradox. He's the only one who can decide his own path."
The agreement — which was not an agreement — settled into the space between them.
The glass river kept carving its red lines, bending where it wished, correcting where it needed — like stubborn stories that always find a way to happen.
And when the veil closed again, it was like the blink of a great eyelid over an eye that sees everything and touches nothing.
All that remained was to watch.