The backyard looked like a battlefield. Scorched grass. Cracked dirt. And, right in the middle of it all, a large, awkward stone dome.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooHzGH4xCO
Davis was the first to spot it as he jogged back after letting everyone know what was happening.. He stopped dead in his tracks, panting. Behind him came Brielle, then Giselle, and finally their mom—whose eyes locked onto the dome with an expression that could kill.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXe7h77usk
“…Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like,” she said, her voice dangerously calm.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCV73oJ92xl
Davis wiped sweat from his forehead. “I mean… if it looks like a weird rock-egg thing that screams ‘Adan and Julian did something dumb’? Then probably yeah.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HCuLyn4bY
The twins stared at it, wide-eyed. The dome looked solid, like someone had sculpted a boulder and decided to make it a house.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbD2cywaQn
“Are they in there?” Brielle asked, whispering.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxHsCSLFAJ
“I dunno,” Giselle said. She stepped to it and gently tapped it with her knuckles. “Hello?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdv27vyHmm
From inside, muffled voices could be heard.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMztwna1hk
“HEY, get your butt out of my face!”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwS2FZIPWK8
“Well, get your face out of my butt!”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAC3A0LbOk
Brielle snorted, then burst into laughter. Davis blinked in disbelief.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfh9IoYjx3d
Their mom muttered something under her breath in Spanish. “Ay Dios mío…”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGfGJIus3a
Giselle leaned closer again. “Uhh… guys?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmeWVeMvDr
BOOM.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOz6hA3ADU
The dome exploded. Not like a regular explosion—more like the entire thing flexed outward in an instant, shattering into dust and stone fragments that blasted into the yard like mini meteors.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlSmQZcjz4
Giselle was blown backwards with a startled squeal, flipping midair before landing in the grassy area with a WHUMP.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmV4oneuNe
Davis ducked and shielded Brielle with one arm. “GISELLE?!”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWoyin2tMX
“I’m fine!” she said laying on her back with a thumbs up.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXsBApoLwn
Smoke and dust cleared. Standing in the middle of the wreckage were Adan and Julian—beaten, scraped, dirty, and absolutely grinning.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJoUCk0FaS
Their mom marched forward like a storm in human form.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8ZyLTUAY5
“WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD. WERE. YOU. THINKING?!”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5dqyop1bN
Both boys immediately stood straighter.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa8rrwb7om
“You could’ve killed each other! Or yourselves! Or—” She looked around. “The house! You could have destroyed the house!””30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaER17y0GNZ
Adan raised a shaky hand. “In our defense… we didn’t plan the whole power thing.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zWywoCgKR
She looked ready to explode. Then Julian started to laugh. Adan followed a moment later, wheezing as he leaned on his knees.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ue932DfMn
“Bro…” Adan gasped, “We have powers.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuJIRUDQAf
“And we didn’t die!” Julian beamed.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCMp20iaFB
They gave each other a wobbly high five, barely standing.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrjdi4yOX4
“Estoy rodeada de locos,” their mom muttered, turning on her heel and walking back into the house. “Insane. All of you.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHuTFxfgRJ
The backyard finally settled into a weird kind of silence. Brielle helped pull Giselle up, who immediately shook dust from her hair like a wet cat.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rjs7myhyi
“Ten out of ten explosion,” she said with a thumbs up.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OyLX2Qmbb
However, unknown to them, someone else had been watching.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHvIM9CWLA
From behind the neighbor’s fence, hidden in the shadows of a tree, stood Darius Berithman. His arms were crossed. His eyes locked onto Adan and Julian—still laughing, still celebrating.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Yz5NzaIBN
He hated this.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn32LftzD3
That Adan guy. That idiot. That clumsy, clueless idiot with his suit, his powers, his jokes. Wind, water, fire, stone. All of it. Julian with his freaky portals, suddenly matching Adan like he wasn’t even trying.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡci3NscQe52
And Darius?30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJCOvQcdvT
Nothing.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R9TjzYj0A
Weak.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslAwQx25Hb
Just like the feeling he had when he lived with his mother.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rqJPQs2Ek
He stepped back, pulled out his phone, and dialed.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJmbELICx4
After a few rings, the voice of Dr. Fredrick Berithman crackled through. “Yes?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffI3l7o0Sg
Darius began walking down the street, away from the backyard.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU78znGNkzq
“What the hell,” he said. “Davis’s little friends had an accident. They got hit by the experiments. I don’t know what exactly though.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTErQzFndK9
There was a pause.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T00K5eVfD
“And the outcome?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmAlWONW4d
“They survived. They’re… stronger.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXRFTz7dzq
Another pause. Longer. Tighter.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtGJKM1mTb
Darius swallowed. “Why didn’t you make something for me?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41038k50EU
His father was silent.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnRgUDCgaH
Then, his voice returned. Cold. Sharp. “I will. When I return in two days. You’ll have everything you deserve.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvZZoa4321
“And those dumb guys?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbdMUSGY0f
Fredrick’s tone darkened. “We’ll deal with them. All of them. Eventually.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo7RLiFAtY
Darius hung up. He didn’t smile.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyGLrUD90D
He didn’t even look back.
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