This was it. This was where it happened. Where they had mocked him and scorned him. Where they had broken his spirit and almost made him give up on life.
This is where he truly felt lost.
So destroy it, the voice whispered. He didn't know what it was. It lurked inside of him, sliding between his thoughts like a conscience. Except he didn't know of any conscience that said the things it did. Rip the place asunder.
"What would that accomplish?" he asked.
It will prove your strength. You will bury this place in the past where it belongs and grow even stronger than before.
"I..." He looked at the building in front of him. It was a small and white two-storey square with several wings and branches added to it. "I don't know. There might be people in there."
So? Why do you care? They are beneath you now. Flex your power. Begin to show the world what you are truly capable of.
He wanted to. God, he wanted to. Tear everything down, all the streets and buildings and just start anew. A blank canvas. But...he didn't want anyone to get hurt. That wasn't him.
This weakness is holding you back. You wish to be strong don't you?
"Of course I do," he replied. "But...not like this."
Ugh, very well. Give me control and I will show you how it's done, without killing anyone. It will still be an important lesson.
He found himself nodding in agreement. Yes, that he could get behind. "Ok," he said. "Do it."
As you wish.
The power rushed through him, taking control of mind and body until it was like he was passenger, just watching what was happening. He felt his body change, a dark matter wrapping around his skin, shiny in appearance.
Now, let me show you how it's done.
"...it's a little strange to be asking about this now, but let me think. Hmmm. I remember Older Brother, Younger Brother was one of your favorites. And you always wanted to read The Princess and the Beggar. And of course there was..."
"Halmi," Sumin interrupted. "I know all those ones. But I was wondering more about the myths rather than the folk tales."
"The myths?" their grandmother questioned. "Why are you so curious about this all of sudden anyway?"
"School project," Sumin replied smoothly, having already crafted a lie. "It is on our cultural background and stories."
"Well, I don't see why you can't go with those two. They are great stories with timeless messages about right and wrong as well as feminism which still translates to..."
"Yes, Halmi, I know. But...there is just one story that I almost remember that I wish to focus on," Sumin explained. They had hoped this would be easier but their grandmother was one of the smartest and keenest people they knew.
"Almost remember? Jubang, you have the best memory in anyone I have ever met. How could you have forgotten something?"
Sumin winced. That might have been a mistake. "Well, you told me many stories when I was young and it may have gotten lost among all the others."
"Hmmm. Oh very well. What do you remember of this so great story?"
She was also a bit on the sarcastic side.
"Spiritual energy," Sumin said. "I remember a story where this...being had the ability to create objects out of light itself. It stuck with me and I was wondering if you could help me remember."
Of course, Sumin didn't really know if there was such a story. They hoped so as that might provide some sort of clue, or maybe just the beginnings of a clue, as to what was happening to them. And given their inability to locate Travis today, they had to try something.
So, as soon as school had ended, they had called their grandmother to ask her. Unfortunately, she had gone out for the day so they'd had to wait a little while which, given the immense time difference, meant the next day for them and later in the day for her. She lived in the city of Pohang in South Korea alongside Sumin's cousins ever since her husband, Sumin's grandfather, died.
It was only after a few seconds that they noticed how quiet the line had gone. If there was one thing any of their family could say about their grandmother, it was that she was never quiet.
"Jubang," it finally came, as little more than a whisper. "Where did this come from?"
Sumin was confused by her response. If there was no such story, then she would just say so. But she was acting...like Sumin had said something dangerous. Did she know...?
"Halmi, I saw it in a dream," they told her, hoping she wouldn't see through their lie. "But I remember it so vividly that I thought it must have come from one of your stories. So many of them have leaked into my dreams over the years."
"There are many legends and tales of spiritual beings possessing great power," their grandmother said after another thirty seconds of silence. "But none quite like you've described."
Sumin sighed in disappointment. It seemed this was a dead end after all. "Very well. Thank you, Halmi. Tell my cousins I miss them."
"Wait, Jubang."
Sumin blinked, not ready for the somber tone in their grandmother's voice. "Yes?"
"Is everything...ok?"
Sumin blinked again, finding themself more and more confused. "Yes. Why?"
"Did...anything happen recently? Because, you can tell me anything."
Sumin froze. Did she know? Was that why she was asking? Why she was acting so strangely? Was it something that existed in their family? If so, why hadn't they known about it?
"I know, Halmi. It's..." They paused, wondering if they should tell her. They didn't really know if she knew. It might seem like it, but maybe she was just concerned. And if they told her what was really going on, she might just grow more concerned. They couldn't risk it right now.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," they assured her.
There was another pause before, "ok. Well, I'll try to dig up what I can for your project."
"Oh, thank you," Sumin replied. They were certain now that that wouldn't help, but they didn't think it would hurt either. Plus, one never knew what might come in handy. Perhaps they would find something in those stories.
"And how is Althea doing?"
Sumin sighed, the pain hitting just as fresh as always. "The same, I'm afraid. She has made no signs of recovery."
"Well, as long as she shows no signs of deterioration, then I'll take it. My granddaughter is a strong soul. She'll pull through this, just as we all will."
Sumin smiled. Somehow, their grandmother, always managed to make them feel better, even in the darkest of situations. She had stayed with them for a while after the accident, helping around the house and cooking the food while Sumin's parents worked extra to afford the medical bills. Her aid had been invaluable. Sumin knew their parents sorely missed her presence but they also knew their cousins needed her just as much. They didn't fully know why, they didn't talk to their cousins too much. All they knew was that there was something going on with them that was never really talked about.
"All my love, Jubang." Jubang, meaning kitten. After Sumin had come out, their grandmother had changed their nickname to that as Sumin had always loved playing with her cats that she had one day said they were just another one of her kittens.
"All my love, Halmi," Sumin replied before ending the call.
Well, that hadn't gone the way they had wanted. But at least they could cross something off their list. They didn't really think it would pan out anyway. They firmly believed that whatever was happening to them was rooted in a scientific explanation, as everything was. They just needed to make sure of it first. Still, they weren't completely lying about the story. While they knew for a fact that their grandmother had never shared any stories about this strange power of theirs, as they had talked, they had felt a strange feeling in the depths of their memory. Like, this power was brushing against something there. They just had no clue what. It was a strange feeling as their memory had always been immaculate.
Perhaps it was their grandfather. They didn't know much about him, he had died when they were very young. They had some memories of him but that was the time when their memories were only beginning to take root so they didn't have too many of them. So, it was possible that he might have told them stories. Possibly.
But still, it didn't seem likely that this power came from a story or something like that. No, this came from something else. And they would find out by following their next clue.
It was time to learn all that Gabriela Fuentes knew about this.
"And...now."
Gabriela pushed the strange energy into her hands and they lit up, an ethereal glow permeating the room. It was hard to tell what kind of color the glow was. It seemed almost white but on closer inspection, it was like all the colors of the rainbow fused into one. However, Gabriela couldn't help but notice that the edge of the light seemed a bit more orange.
"And...stop."
The light slowly faded as she pulled back. It was a little easier now as before she really had to force herself to pull back. Which was good because she seriously could not have another incident like yesterday's. One destroyed bathroom was enough for her, thanks.
While the situation had not gone as badly as she thought, that didn't mean it wasn't terrible. She knew the faculty was in a bit of an uproar, trying to find out how it had happened. Thankfully, they currently did not think it was a student seeing as the hole looked like something a ray gun would make. But she was still sure that suspicions were raised and she could definitely not have any sort of attention on her. And if she started glowing again, well she was done for.
As much as she wanted to control her emotions, she was aware she was a teenage girl at the peak of hormone craziness. Trying to control her emotions now would be next to impossible. So, the next best thing she could do was control this new power of hers enough so that she didn't create another tunnel to the center of the earth.
Her analytic brain was going into overdrive, trying to figure out how it worked. She had first thought that it was a strange form of photosynthesis, that her body was converting sunlight into this new energy. But that hadn't panned out after she spent an hour in the sun and felt no change.
She was worried she'd somehow turned into a nuclear reactor but it was impossible to tell without a Geiger counter. In all essence, she didn't feel that way but at this point it was hard to tell anything anymore. She had tried an experiment of seeing if she could charge a lamp without plugging it in. The answer came in the form of a blown-up lamp.
She kept experimenting with her powers, seeing how it affected her moods, her appetite, her strength and stamina. So far, it seemed to have a connection with her emotions, reacting to the strong ones. And it definitely made her hungrier as she found herself eating a lot more than normal. As for her strength and stamina, that was hard to tell. She was planning on hitting the gym later to see. But based on a brief test of jumping jacks, she'd say there was definitely a connection there too.
The most important question still eluded her though. How had she gotten these powers in the first place. This was swiftly followed by another question: did anyone else have these powers or similar ones? If so, where were they?
Those ones would be tough to find out but Gabriela hadn't made it to the top of her class for nothing. She would find out, somehow.
It had been a full day since she got these powers now. She had been hoping they would disappear as fast they appeared but no such luck. When she woke up this morning, her hands glowed just as bright as before. Actually, she thought they might be glowing even brighter.
"Well, if my career to be next president fails, at least I can fall back as a nightlight."
"Gabriela?"
Gabriela jumped a little at her father's voice. She felt like she needed to hide something but there was nothing to hide. Still, she stood up and hid her hands in her jacket pockets, just in case they started glowing again.
"Come in," she said.
Her dad opened her bedroom door, walking inside. "Hi there. Just wanted to let you know I'll be busy all day today so I probably won't see you when you get home."
"Really? What time do you get home?"
He let out a soft sigh. "Late. No telling how much but there's a lot of work to be done. My project...isn't turning out the way I wanted it to be."
"Oh no. What's wrong?"
Her had seemed to muse on it. "Well, for what we're trying to accomplish, the energy input isn't measuring up to our requirements. I've got the higher-ups practically breathing down my neck to sort it out and there are some management issues I need to work out as well. But don't worry, I'll get it handled like I always do."
That's what he always said and Gabriela didn't really have a reason to doubt him. She didn't even know what his work was, all of it secret. She didn't even think her mom ever really knew.
"So how are you doing? Anything new going on?"
Gabriela felt a jolt of panic but did her best to hide. "Uh...what makes you think that?"
He frowned. "Just idle curiosity though now you have me thinking there is something going on? So what is it?"
Curses! Gabriela thought. He was working so much that she'd forgotten what a keen intellect he had. "Nothing much," she said, trying to stave him off as she tried to think of something. Then it hit her. "Just...Dredden being his usual horrible self."
"Oh god," her dad cringed. "What he do this time?"
"Um...don't worry about it. I've got it under control."
"Hmmm. Alright, but you let me know the second you need me. I'm not afraid of showing that little punk what happens when you mess with my daughter." He raised his fist for emphasis.
"Please stop," Gabriela begged.
"Ok. But seriously, you're ok?"
For a second there, Gabriela considered telling him. He was her father, she trusted him with everything. But...something held her back. She knew what would happen if she told the truth. After her mom died, he had gone full Marlin from Finding Nemo and been so overprotective about every little thing. It had taken a while before he had trusted her enough to face the world on her own. Now, she had a feeling all that would fade the second she spilled the beans. She could just picture herself, locked in a very comfortable room where he would keep her safe and make sure nothing could hurt her. Of course, he would never do that but her imagination did kind of jump to the worst possible scenario first.
She knew though that he would still freak out and overreact and do everything he could to protect her. And she couldn't let that happen now. She was entering her golden year of school, the year where she became class president and won the debate club and so many other things that would lead her down the path of greatness all the way to the country's presidency.
She refused to let that be derailed. Certainly not by her powers and certainly not by her father's reaction to her powers. No, these were just obstacles she would overcome.
"I'm ok," she told him. "Good luck with your project."
"Thanks, though I hope I don't need it."
His phone buzzed and he instantly picked it up. "Hey, what's the word?" he asked. Gabriela could only make out some garbled words but they seemed urgent and rushed. She watched as her father's expression turned to confusion and then shock and then anger. Then it became a deadly calm, one she knew all too well.
He was furious.
"When did this happen?" he asked quietly in a tone she dreaded. He nodded once at the reply before stating, "I'll be there shortly," and hanging up the phone. Without another word, he spun around and left her room.
"Dad?" she called after him. "What's going on?"
"There was an incident last night at one of the facilities. Nothing you need to be concerned about. I'm going to go take care of it now. Be good and make sure all your work is done. Oh, and I want you home right after school. I'll have Elliot drive you to and from there, ok?"
Gabriela wanted to argue, saying she didn't need his private chauffeur to drive her to school. But that tone he was using brooked no arguments. She'd heard it only a handful of times in her life and only once at her when she had snuck into his lab. It was not something she ever wanted to be on the receiving end again.
"Ok."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning probably. Love you."
As soon as he was gone, Gabriela whipped out her phone and typed in her father's company's facilities, looking up the most recent news.
She gasped almost instantly, nearly falling to the ground. Right in front of her was a picture of a facility that both worked on and taught a variety of subjects including science programs as well as arts and crafts ranging from sculpting to metalwork, mainly geared to young prodigies.
Emphasis on was.
Gabriela stared at the rubble of the building. It had been completely torn apart. She would have thought by a wrecking ball but the tall gashes and the way the debris was scattered, it almost appeared as if something had taken it apart from the inside out. But, that couldn't be possible. At least, she didn't think so.
She looked down at her hand and through almost no effort, it started glowing again. Was it possible after all?
No, she told herself firmly. Just because she had superpowers now did not mean they were popping up everywhere. She was sure there was a logical explanation for that.
But as she walked back to her room, getting ready for school, her heart started beating faster, imagining her father in the center of that wreckage. Imagining him facing off against whatever had done it.
Be safe, dad, she thought. Please.
Sumin arrived to school early, already on the lookout for either Travis or Gabriela. Those two were their only leads on this so far and, unlike yesterday, they could not let either of them get away this time. And since Gabriela always arrived promptly at the front entrance at 8:30 sharp, Sumin got there at 8:15 and decided to wait for her.
It was a good thing they got there early as they saw a long black car with tinted windows pull up in the line-up and Gabriela step out of it. They frowned, curious. Gabriela always walked to school. She had said the small exercise helped get her blood pumping and ideas flowing before the school day started. It was odd to see her arrive this way but they quickly shook it off.
"Gabriela," they greeted as she walked up.
"Oh, hey Sumin," she said, startled a little. "How are you doing?"
"Fine," they replied. "I must speak with you though."
"Uh, is it going to take long cause I kind of have a few things on my plate that I need to take care of and there's also-"
"You destroyed the bathroom didn't you?"
Sumin chose not to phrase it as a question, seeing a direct statement as a better method in this situation to get answers. After years of debate club, they had learned a lot about speech tactics.
Gabriela blinked and her mouth gaped, as if she was unsure how to respond. As she froze, Sumin saw fear cross her face and they knew. They had been right. She was the one responsible.
"Wha-what?" she croaked out. "W-where did you get that idea from?"
"Your expression yesterday, when I returned to class to inform Mr. Warners. It was one of guilt and fear. Just like now."
"Well...you're wrong. I had nothing to do with...whatever happened in the bathroom. I was just concerned and worried that something like that happened at all. So-"
"I also saw you glow."
Gabriela's skin almost turned ghostly-white. As she did, Sumin noticed her fists clenching in her pockets and the unmistakable slight glow emanating from them.
"I...I don't know what you think you saw but you might want to get that checked out because it doesn't sound good to-"
Sumin took another risk and lifted up their own hand. A small, indigo figurine of a dog appeared on it, dancing and barking before disappearing in a flash of light.
Gabriela squeaked in alarm, eyes wide. She stared at Sumin's hand and then at them in awe and disbelief. And then in relief.
"Oh my god," she muttered. "Yo-you have it too?"
"Yes," they replied. "I do."
"B-but how?"
"A ball of light flew in through my window and entered my chest. I felt a strange rush of energy and then the next thing I knew, I was suddenly able to create material out of indigo light." They demonstrated again, creating a visual depiction of the ball entering their body.
"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened to me. Except, well, I sort of glow and sometimes shoot what I think are laser beams out of my hand. It's hard to tell, they seem like laser beams but they feel like they have more force to them."
"Hmmm. So that's how you created the giant hole in the bathroom."
"...yeah. God, I wish I could pay for the damages but..." she hissed, scratching her head. She explained how it had happened, her rage at Dredden causing her emotions to spiral and her powers to manifest dangerously and uncontrollably.
"That is bad," Sumin muttered, almost to themself. What would happen if they lost control? Would their creations run wild, destroying everything around them? So far their creations had been small and easy to disguise. But how big could they get? They hadn't really tested it. They briefly imagined a giant indigo tyrannosaurus stomping down the street and attacking the school.
The idea was slightly funny but also horrifying if it wasn't under Sumin's control. At least now they no longer had creations popping up just by thinking of them. It had taken a few hours of calm meditation for them to finally exert enough control to withhold the urge to do that. Still, they felt it constantly, like an itch in the back of their mind.
"Tell me about it," Gabriela replied, rubbing her forehead. "I've gotten a little better at it but all it will take is one more freak-out and I'll go all supernova. And who knows what I'll blow up next."
"And you have no idea where these powers came from?" Sumin checked.
"None," she shrugged helplessly.
Sumin sighed. Another dead-end. It seemed their last chance lay with Travis though they doubted he had any leads either. And it seemed like their backup option of pouring through old Korean folklore was no longer an option considering Gabriela also had powers.
They tried to find Travis but, like the day before, could never catch up to him. They did spot him a few times in the hallways, moving around but he was always too fast for them. One second there, the next gone. And they didn't have classes together that morning so they couldn't sit with him. Sumin sighed in disappointment but knew at least he would be there at lunch. And they did share a class in the afternoon. So there was that.
Unfortunately, when Sumin walked into the cafeteria, he was once again nowhere to be seen. Neither were Madison or the new kid Franklin. Come to think of it, Sumin hadn't seen Madison at all today. And they definitely shared their Math class. Sumin had been so wrapped up in finding out about Gabriela and looking for Travis that they hadn't noticed. Was she sick?
Sumin plopped down at their usual table, glancing at the empty chairs and wondering if they'd be filled at all. What was going on? They looked over to where Gabriela was sitting with her friends and wondered if they should head over there instead, see if they could brainstorm some ideas with her. But no. She looked too happy then and she had said her powers reacted to her emotions. Best let her be than worry her more right now.
They were slightly startled when they heard a tray plop down and a chair slide next to them. They turned to see Eustace taking a seat, a bunch of his sketches in hand.
"Hello Eustace," they greeted. Usually, the two of them were the quietest of the group but given the others' absence, it felt rude not to say anything.
Eustace nodded back. "Hello."
Now that they were taking a closer look, Sumin noticed shadows underneath his eyes. "Are you alright?" they asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," he replied. "Just...working hard last night. Wanted to get some of these done." He showed them his sketches. As always, they were breathtaking. The way he drew almost made it three-dimensional, adding true layer and depth to his work. The first one was just a landscape picture of a sun setting over a canyon and though it was only in black and white, it was still a fantastic job. The second was an owl in flight with some trees and the moon in the background, the detail on each feather done impressively well. And the final one...Sumin found themself unsure about. It was darker, literally and figuratively than the others, with mostly shadows shown and a creature within that had large claws and tentacles. The lifelike appearance sent chills down their spine.
"Yeah, I know," Eustace said sheepishly. "I kind of wanted to try out a horror route, see what happened. I like it, but I don't think it's really for me in the long run. What do you think?"
"Well drawn, very realistic," Sumin said. "Very scary."
"Thank you. But I think that's enough of that stuff for me."
Sumin looked up again as he put his sketches away, trying to locate any of their friends in the hustle and bustle of the lunch hour, but there was no sign. Of course, they could have chosen to eat lunch elsewhere but they had almost always eaten here. It was strange to change it all of a sudden.
"Have you seen Madison today?" they asked.
"Uh..." Eustace took a few seconds to think back. "I...don't think so, no. Sorry."
"Hmmm." Sumin wasn't sure but they felt uneasy about all of this. Maybe it had to do with the strange powers but they found themselves constantly questioning small things now like Madison's absence or even their grandmother's phone call. It was like for everything they saw, they felt there was more to it. And because of that thinking, they had deduced that Gabriela was also powered.
That begged another question. If she was powered, who else was? Sumin found themself looking around the cafeteria again, trying to see if anyone was acting abnormally. So far, not that they could see. Everyone was talking loudly, chatting about random things, and just enjoying their break before classes resumed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. As far as they could see, everyone was behaving the same way they'd always had.
And yet, something felt off. Maybe it was the fact that Travis and Madison were missing. While Madison was just as quiet as both Sumin and Eustace, Travis had provided a more boisterous atmosphere to their table and it was now odd for it to be gone.
Something was up. Sumin didn't really understand what it was but their instincts were telling them that there was something going on. Maybe it was all a coincidence, maybe it was all in their head, but they just couldn't shake the feeling.
"My apologies Eustace, but I have to go," they said.
"Where?"
"I'm going to try and find Travis. There is something important I must talk to him about."
They left most of their food behind at the table, moving swiftly out of the cafeteria and back into the main halls of the school. There were plenty of places for Travis to eat lunch outside of the cafeteria so Sumin started with the obvious ones of the library and the atrium and even the lounge areas but they still couldn't find him.
They didn't fully understand why they felt so desperate about this. It was just, this mystery of their new power constantly bumped away at their mind and the only person they could think to talk to about it was Travis, even for the tiniest bit of super-power knowledge. And yet, now when that random information could prove the most useful, he vanished. For two days now, it seemed. It could still be a coincidence. But with everything that was happening to them and now Gabriela, Sumin knew better than to trust in coincidences.
The bell rang out and they sighed in disappointment. They hadn't found any sign of Travis and because of their search, they had barely eaten any lunch, something which their stomach was now complaining about.
They made their way to their next class, walking by the teacher's offices, and bumped right into someone. "Oh, sorry," they said, stepping back to make room when they realized who they had just run into. Franklin Carson.
"Oh, hey."
Franklin frowned for a second. "Sumin...right?"
"Yes," they nodded. "And you are Franklin."
"Yep. Sorry, but I have to get to class now," he said, trying to move past.
"Wait, sorry," Sumin stopped them. "I just want to ask, have you seen Travis?"
"Travis? Yeah, all day. Why?"
"Could you tell me where he is now?"
Franklin hissed, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "That's hard to say. Travis is...kind of all over the place. He's been...running around nonstop really so it's hard to pin him down."
Sumin didn't quite know what to make of that. What exactly was Travis up to?
"He should be in class by now. Or if not, then soon. Anyway, sorry I really have to hurry."
Sumin let him leave, still confused. This just raised their suspicions more but to what, they still had no clue. All of this was just a little too peculiar for their tastes.
Shaking their head, they quickly went over to their science class with Mr. Warners. He was a little strict on people being late and they did not want to get on his bad side. However, they were surprised when they saw a young woman standing there instead. A substitute, perhaps?
The second they walked in, Sumin started scanning the room for Travis. They understood that perhaps they were starting to act a little creepy but hopefully something would yield from this. But, once again, there was no sign of him.
Sumin took a seat near the back so they could have a good view of the class. Their eyes constantly jumped from the time on the clock to the open door, counting down how long Travis had left to appear. And yet he didn't, not even when the bell rang again. There were a few stragglers and a slight gust of wind but that was it. Sumin couldn't help but feel that this was getting stranger even though nothing truly out of the ordinary had occurred.
"Alright, let's begin," the new teacher said. "I'm Ms. Ken, I'll be subbing for Mr. Warners for today as he isn't feeling well. But I have his notes ready so let's get started."
Sumin reached down to pull out their pencil case, leaning to the side as they did so. And as they did, they noticed something out of the corner of their eye, causing them to glance up slightly.
And they saw Travis sitting in the back of the room in the far corner, tapping his foot.
Sumin could feel their eyes widening, feel their sharp intake of breath. Because...that didn't make sense. They had checked carefully when entering the room that he wasn't there and watched everyone enter since then. There was no way he could have come in without them noticing.
And yet, there he was, plain as day.
Something is not right, they thought.
Ms. Ken began the lesson then and Sumin forced themself to pay attention. Still, it was hard to focus with the questions parading through their brain. Everything had become so confusing so quickly and they were unsure how to resolve it.
As usual, they had no need to take notes as their brain automatically memorized every word Ms. Ken said as well as everything she wrote on the board. So they were able to divide their attention quite easily. But it was still frustrating. They glanced over at Travis again, just out of habit.
And froze.
He was gone.
Sumin blinked, just to make sure but it was true. He was gone. But that didn't make any sense as they had just seen him sitting there. He had been sitting there. And they had proof as his backpack was still write next to his chair.
They took a quick look around the class but it was the same, he was nowhere in sight. So how had he done that? They hadn't even noticed him leave. What was going on?
They waited patiently, looking at the teacher and trying to focus on the lesson while also thinking of how Travis could have accomplished that. It was only when they felt another gust of wind, just a small breeze that no one else noticed, that they looked over again. And there he was, sitting in his seat like he'd never left.
There were only two possible explanations. One was that Sumin had officially lost their mind. The other was that Travis had powers too.
For the rest of the class, they watched carefully. Every few minutes, there was another gust of wind and when they looked over, Travis was either gone or back. It was so fast that if Sumin hadn't been paying close attention, they wouldn't have noticed.
So Travis had powers too. That made things a little easier for them to confront him. And now that they thought about it, Franklin had mentioned something about Travis running around. It could mean he was in the know, possibly because he had powers too though Sumin had no evidence to support that.
So, for now there were three people who had powers, all who went to this school. How was that possible? What exactly was happening?
"Sumin Jang!"
Sumin looked up, startled as their name was call out. The substitute was staring at them, a disapproving look on her face. Everyone else was looking at them as well now.
"Is there something more important grabbing your attention?" Ms. Ken asked.
Ah, so that was it. Evidently, Sumin had appeared disinterested and unfocused so they were being called out. They should have been more attentive, that was true. But with all that was going on, it was hard not to be.
"My apologies," they said sincerely.
"Hmm. Can you repeat back what I just said?"
"Yes," Sumin nodded. "You stated that the symbol B, the magnetic field strength, is the ampere per meter while the H, the magnetic flux density, is the tesla which is why the two differ in how they account for magnetization."
Ms. Ken blinked at Sumin's response. "Uh...yes, that is correct."
"I may not have been as focused as I should have, but I am always listening," they told her.
"Yes, well, good," she said, clearly not knowing what else to say. So instead, she turned and continued the lesson. Sumin ignored the stares and mutterings and instead looked over at where Travis was sitting. But he was gone again.
Where was he going in such a rush? And why so many times? Those questions plagued Sumin for the rest of the class as they watched Travis's cycle of vanishing and reappearing over and over.
Gabriela had so many thoughts and feelings going through her that it was hard to focus on just one of them. There was the fear she felt for her father after seeing what had happened to the facility. There was the mixture of confusion and joy she felt that she wasn't the only one with superpowers as Sumin did as well. And there was the stress of the fact that she still needed to decide a new debate club member as well as finish writing her election speech.
With her dad, well her actions spoke louder than words there as every few seconds she hit the refresh button on her phone, seeing the latest news of the incident continuously reappear. And very rarely was there something new, most of them sites that were late to the party and were now just repeating what the first ones said with only a few sentences of new content to add. On rare occasion, a new article popped up and Gabriela was quick to open it up and read it thoroughly for anything on her dad. The most she'd gotten was a small statement from him about the incident, basically restating what the police and firemen had said, that there were no casualties and that they'd be looking into the cause. Still, it was something that showed her father was still ok and that was enough. But it didn't stop her from constantly checking.
Gabriela couldn't stop the swell of fear every time she hit that button. And every time nothing new popped up, she'd sigh in relief. This feeling was too familiar to her. After her mom's death, she'd been afraid that every time her father left her sight, he'd disappear forever. And she knew he had felt the same way. It had taken a while before they had trusted each other enough to fully leave the other's side. Now, those old feelings were resurfacing and Gabriela wasn't sure what to do with them.
At least they proved to be a distraction from the other major thing that had happened. She couldn't even really begin to comprehend the bombshell that was Sumin having powers as well. Honestly, up to this point, she had been thinking that it was one of her father's experiments gone wrong. But that was out the window now. And Sumin had different powers. Or at least, that's how it seemed. And yet, none of it answered the question of how they had received the powers. But it was nice to know she was no longer going through it alone, even if Sumin had better control of it than Gabriela did. That was only marginally annoying.
Ok, a little annoying. But still, if anyone would have control of their powers, it would be Sumin. They were a master of controlling their emotions. Even after knowing them for years, it was still next to impossible for Gabriela to read their expressions. And as a champion debater, Gabriela was excellent at reading expressions. She had accurately read all her opponents' expressions which had morphed from confidence to doubt to fear and finally to utter defeat. The last one was particularly invigorating for her.
Still, as much as it pissed her off that Sumin had mastered it so quickly, it was reassuring to know that now they could help her control her own powers. That way, she wouldn't blow holes in bathrooms anymore. Gabriela was still racking her brain to try and find a way to pay for that without letting on that she'd done it.
But as much as those two feelings occupied her for now, it was the stress that was slowly getting to her. It didn't feel like much right now but that was only because she was doing her best to ignore it. Sooner or later, it would wash over her and threaten to drown her. She'd once had a dream where that had happened though the water had literally been the words STRESS. It had been one of her scariest and strangest dreams yet.
She knew she needed to pick a debate member soon to take up Sumin's position for Sectionals. They still had plenty of time but with Dredden on her case, if she didn't pick one soon, she knew he would and then he would gain more authority in the debate club, lording it over her. And that was definitely something she could now allow.
And if that wasn't enough, her speech against him for student elections was a week away. While she liked the speech she currently had, she knew it wouldn't stand a chance against Dredden. He was like her in a lot of ways, even if admitting that made her want to barf up all her couscous on the lunch table. So he would not be going in without the very best speech he could create. And he was a master of words. She'd seen him debate with others and the way his words tore their arguments to pieces was nothing less than a bloodbath. She needed to have the best she could at the ready for facing off against him. And with everything going on with her at the moment, the idea of being able to create something that good was looking less and less likely.
Hence, the huge ball of stress forming in her belly that made her insides go cold and want to upchuck at the same time.
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
Gabriela jumped slightly as she felt the slap on her leg. "What the hell?" she asked, glaring over at Rosalyn.
"Sorry, not sorry," her friend shrugged.
"That doesn't make sense. You can't say you're sorry if you're not really sorry. And why'd you slap me anyway?"
"Cause you're overthinking again. It was getting annoying."
"It's true, you were," Meredith agreed.
Latika just nodded in agreement, her mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"I was not...over...thinking. I was just, you know, plain-old thinking."
"You've also been staring at your phone throughout lunch," Meredith pointed out. "Unless a celebrity couple just broke up, nothing can be that important."
"Oh, I hope it was one of the Jonas Brothers," Latika gushed. "Then they'd be available again."
"Nice sentiment on love there," Meredith told her. "So what's going on anyway?"
"Nothing. Just...checking on my dad in a sense." She explained what had happened and their faces all turned sympathetic.
"I'm sorry Gabi," Latika said.
"Yeah, sorry," Rosalyn agreed. "But I don't think constantly looking every few seconds is going to change much. Besides, they've so far labelled it as an accident and he's not planning on digging around the site himself. So he'll be fine."
"Yeah, I know. It's just..." Gabriela trailed off, not able to finish. Thankfully, they all understood. They'd been friends for so long, they all knew each other like the back of their hands. Gabriela and Meredith had been friends for longer, but Rosalyn and Latika had been quick to be included. Gabriela had met Rosalyn during a blueberry pie eating competition at the local fair. Rosalyn had beaten her, and everyone else, by about three pies. When they saw each other again at school, they had gotten to talking and the next thing they knew they were best friends. With Latika, they had bumped into each other at a screening of Encanto and she was in their circle after their third rendition of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno.'
Since then, they'd all been inseparable. And somehow, they all managed to put up with Gabriela's word vomits and endless amounts of stress that she somehow managed to infect them with, usually around exams or big events. Though they were grateful as her study schedules did help them stay on top of it all.
"Here, just take a breather. Maybe take some time away from your phone. Now what else is bothering you?"
"Nothing. Well, outside of the usual stress for my speech and debate club and all the other stuff I'm juggling. But I'll deal with it. I always do."
Gabriela wished she could tell them what was really going on with her. Just show them her superpowers and be done with it. She honestly knew they'd accept them and her without question. But the lingering feeling that they might not stayed within her. And she didn't think she'd be able to handle it if they did reject her. So for now, she'd prefer to stay in the bubble.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Everyone started moving, quite a few like Roslyn cramming in the last morsels of food that they could.
"What do you have now?" Meredith asked.
"Just English," she replied. "You?"
"Geography. See you later then."
"See you."
They all parted ways and Gabriela soon found herself lost in the river of people, trying her best to navigate her way through without being crushed. She inwardly cursed herself for not finishing lunch early like she usually did and gotten to class ahead of time. Because she was so distracted, she had lost track of time and now she was paying for it.
She just managed to make it to her English class though almost everyone else was there at that point. She plopped down in an open seat which happened to be next to Eustace, who she knew a little. They'd shared a few classes and she'd seen some of his pictures which were really good.
"Hey Eustace," she greeted. "How are you today?"
Instead of replying, he gave a shrug.
Gabriela mulled that over before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I'm kind of the same actually. So how's your artwork? You were getting some ready for..."
"Don't worry about it," he said shortly.
Gabriela blinked in surprise. She hadn't heard him use that tone before. She was about to ask him what was wrong until she noticed his clenched fists and gritted teeth. Obviously something was bothering him and she felt like if she asked, he would just snap back. She'd had moments like that too so decided to leave him be.
The rest of the day passed quickly for her. She was able to not look at her phone so much though she still did a quick check now and then when the teacher wasn't looking. Fortunately, nothing had changed. Which only left room in her mind for the two other main problems facing her.
It was at the end of the day, when she just left her World History class, that Sumin suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
"Whoa! Hey!" she cried, trying to keep up with her friend's fast pace. "What's going on?"
"Need to talk. Now!" Sumin said urgently.
"Ok, but do you have to drag me?"
Sumin didn't reply but did let go. They still kept up their brisk pace, not letting up for a second, so Gabriela had to hurry to keep up with them.
What the heck was going on? Had Sumin learned something? That had to be it, otherwise they wouldn't be acting like this. The only other time she had ever seen them like this was when they started serving white chocolate bars in the cafeteria. That was actually the first time Gabriela had been able to read their expression: gleeful.
This was the second time. And their expression was worried. Which made Gabriela very worried. What the hell had happened to make them like this?
They eventually came to a stop at the end of a hallway in one of the lounge areas with no one else around. Everyone was too busy being near their lockers or preparing for after school activities or just chatting.
"Ok, what is it?" Gabriela asked.
"Travis. He has powers."
For a moment, Gabriela forgot how to breathe. "T-travis?" she asked, stuttering a little. "Travis Stroneman, that Travis? The comic book guy?"
Sumin nodded. "I talked to him. He's not the only one. Franklin Carson and Madison Jennings. They both have powers too."
Gabriela figured out how to breathe again and it was coming out in gasps and pants. Five people? Five people in the school had powers? That could not be a coincidence. How was this happening? What the hell was going on?"
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Travis showed me his. Seemed eager. But he warned me as well."
"Warned you? About what?"
"He and the others were attacked last night."
Gabriela blinked, not believing what she was hearing. "Attacked?"
"Yes," Sumin nodded grimly. "They were training with their powers when some criminals, gang members they said, showed up. There was a fight. And apparently, one of the assailants had powers as well."
Gabriela was back to not breathing.
This...this couldn't be happening. None of this could possibly be happening. People with actual superpowers were just popping up out of the woodwork. How many more were there going to be? Was the whole freaking city going to get powers now?
"Are they ok?" she asked.
"Madison stayed home. Travis said she got the worst of it." Gabriela noticed concern cross Sumin's face. "She's fine, just...shaken. Franklin is alright though. According to Travis, he has super strength now."
"Super strength?" Gabriela just bobbed her head, not sure how else to respond to that. The big kid who had helped her with her introductory speech two days ago had super strength now. That was...somehow the weirdest thing to wrap her head around.
"Yes," Sumin nodded. "Travis said we should meet up. Gave me his number. I'll send it to you. Maybe we can..."
"Yes," Gabriela nodded, shaking herself out of the stupefied state she'd been in. Whatever was happening, they had a better chance of figuring it out together. "Ok, thanks for letting me know. I...I have to go now," she said, just realizing that Elliot was probably waiting for her. Her dad had said he'd wanted her home quickly. "But I'll message you and the others later."
"Ok," Sumin nodded. "Stay safe."
"You too," Gabriela replied shakily, walking away. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts but her stress ball just kept getting bigger. This was insane. Nothing really made sense anymore. What the hell was she, were they, going to do now? She felt like she had to tell someone, but who? Who could they possibly tell about this?
"What is happening?" she muttered to herself.
As she walked by, she didn't notice the figure standing nearby who watched her go. The figure who had been standing there for the last few minutes. The figure who had heard everything.
The figure who began to walk after her, hand raised.