Tucker takes a deep, confident breath before he walks into his house. He sees his family sitting around the breakfast table. His 4 younger siblings stare at him as he makes his way over to the empty chair.
“I have an announcement to make,” He chirps happily.54Please respect copyright.PENANAI6aithZZuM
Both of his parents and his grandmother look at him. He continues to share the news with them.54Please respect copyright.PENANA0pBA8XbJQc
“I went through conversion therapy for four years. During those years you agreed to use male pronouns and call me Tucker because you didn’t think you’d be doing that for very long. You agreed to keep doing this for the rest of my life if I wasn’t converted by the doctors by the end of high school. I know you guys were hoping I’d change my mind, but I have not. This is who I am. I am your baby boy Tucker,” He informs them emotionally.
His father and grandmother both scowl while his mother looks close to tears.54Please respect copyright.PENANAWIDhvotNPy
“Hmm. I guess you are serious about this shit,” Mr. Mylan says at last. “I thought for sure they would have broken you out of this phase, but a deal's a deal. Are you sure this is what you want to do with your life? You’re gonna go on to get that surgery and everything,” He asks.54Please respect copyright.PENANAk85VvMkqlG
“Yes, I am. I’ll keep you guys updated on my treatments and things if you’re interested. I plan on getting my name legally changed to Tucker pretty soon, now that I am an adult,” He replies confidently.54Please respect copyright.PENANArMYRtwG2Kq
His dad just grunts while his mother sits silently with her lips pinched tightly together as tears run down her face. Tucker stirs in his seat. His mother always saw his transition as her losing a kid. She removed all of the baby pictures of him in dresses or next to balloons that say “she’s a girl!” from the family album and has them locked away in her bedroom. She agreed with his dad that if after being shocked for four years wouldn’t change his mind then they’d just have to get used to their new son. Mrs. Mylan isn’t transphobic, she just wasn’t ready to have one less daughter. For months she winced every time she called him Tucker but would cry everytime she misgendered him or called him Reneé because she knew it hurt him. It was a stressful time in the Mylan household.54Please respect copyright.PENANA7Q6fg7cGCI
When choosing his name he made sure to follow the same pattern his parents did to avoid giving them another reason to hate this change. They decided to give their daughters R names after their father, Robert and their sons T names after their mother, Treasure. So he chose the name Tucker to please his parents and because he likes the name. All of his siblings are very understanding even though his younger siblings occasionally make dumb jokes or ask a lot of innocent but blunt questions. His two older siblings were always really supportive of him and tried their best to explain things to their parents or help him get through puberty. This whole situation was a very hard thing for him to go through but Trey and Rhapsody tried their best to help him through it. 54Please respect copyright.PENANAZkByRX5Pgs
“Back in my day, we didn’t have all of this trangendered nonsense. You were the gender you were born and that was that. Your parents shouldn’t be buying into this fantasy of yours. I raised Robby better than this but your harlot of a mother made him go soft. You were born Reneé and you’ll die Reneé, now pass the damn butter before my toast gets cold,” Grandma Mylan barks from the other end of the table.54Please respect copyright.PENANA9RWbXMcOzu
No one responds to this comment, because everyone knows that grandma is racist, homophobic and transphobic. Plus it’s no secret that she hates everything about their mother. She is the only person in the house who still calls Tucker by that name, but luckily she doesn’t do it often because she prefers to ignore his existence entirely. He passes her the butter like he was told.54Please respect copyright.PENANA6u3KmVN9aX
“Tucky honey, you do realize that you never came home from school yesterday right? You told me that you were staying after for club but then you never came back or called. I was so worried about you all night,” Mrs. Mylan admits once she composes herself.54Please respect copyright.PENANAV9FSvofLz9
“Well, I was just going to get to that. I’m very sorry to worry you mother but I got a job. I stayed overnight to check out the building they want me to stay in. It’s super cool and it’s right downtown. I planned on staying the weekend and going to live there after graduation. What do you think?”54Please respect copyright.PENANA1RmfAST5L8
“Oh wow honey, that's fantastic! What kind of work will you be doing? How much does it pay?” His mother presses excitedly.54Please respect copyright.PENANAaV8VVQxrav
“Uh,” He pauses, not really wanting to share with his family that he is going to be an LGBT crime fighter. “It’s an internship really. I’d be doing like a neighborhood watch but for the whole city, training to patrol the city and keep the peace for real. It also specializes in crime fighters going through transitions like I am,” He says slowly to make sure that he isn’t lying, which technically he isn’t.54Please respect copyright.PENANAgR8F2rpaBd
His mother voices her excitement while his father nods his approval. After breakfast, he rushes upstairs to start packing some of his things. He is on the ground with his head halfway in his closet when he sees two shadows appear in front of him as he hears the creaking of his old mattress. He turns around to see his fifteen-year-old brother sitting on his bed clutching a crap ton of comic books. His face is so red that Tucker can tell he’s been holding his breath for a bit, which he does when he is really excited.54Please respect copyright.PENANAx4klcFZNwO
“Breathe, Tripp!” He laughs while playfully slapping his brother’s cheek just as his two older siblings come in, closing his room door behind them.54Please respect copyright.PENANA9uO76j95z8
Rhapsody swings Red, their three-year baby sister, over to her other side before she speaks.54Please respect copyright.PENANAbH7zqUOG5u
“You’re working for the damn Powers aren’t you? You sly dog you, thinking you can just nonchalantly mention it at breakfast. Of course, it flew over mom, dad and grandma’s heads but you now your siblings aren’t stupid. I can’t believe it didn’t cross your mind to call, hell even text us the news. This is major bro!” She whisper-shouts, not knowing exactly where in the house her parent’s are.54Please respect copyright.PENANAwPUAT96dpF
“Wait, how do you guys know about the Powers of Pride?” Tucker asks, genuinely confused.54Please respect copyright.PENANAOyRxTgN3YI
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Tripp interjects. “They are the bestest of the best heroes ever! Man, back when I was in middle school I made gay jokes all the time until we were visited by Las Bienes. One of them is super jacked and a beast at fighting while the other one is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life. She could be my future wife if not for the whole lesbian thing. Like I mean a total 10 bro in the looks and skills department. I’m talking master of weaponry. If you’ve ever seen her you’d be in love,” He starts as Tucker interrupts before he can hear his pubescent brother’s description of a high school girl.54Please respect copyright.PENANACbY5DSPfcp
“Tall, wavy dirty blonde hair, brown eyes. A voice that sounds like one you’d hear if you stay up late enough to see those commercials with the women crawling around on the phone asking if you are looking for a good time. Yeah, I know Cecilia and her girlfriend Elli,” He explains to his brother who looks likes he may faint.54Please respect copyright.PENANAAJv5y8dTQ1
“YOU MET LAS BIENES? YOU KNOW THEIR NAMES?” Tripp shrieks causing Trey to slap him on the back of the head.54Please respect copyright.PENANA0O4U7gcyUS
Tucker just laughs as his siblings, excluding Red who is trying to eat her hand, look at him expectantly.54Please respect copyright.PENANArB8HirSTxN
“Are you really going to be a hero, Tuckman?” Trey asks.54Please respect copyright.PENANASFTdDFCrOh
“WHO’S GONNA BE A HERO?” A loud but squeaky voice calls from outside as a small hand hits the door.54Please respect copyright.PENANAjKeRQm6rTj
Tucker opens his door and his nine-year-old brother, Tristen latches himself on his leg instantly. He is about to close the door back when a small, pink, ballet clad shoe stops it. Riley, the boss of this house despite her being 12 years old, looks disapprovingly around the room. Tucker rolls his eyes as he walks back over to stand in front of his closet as his brother squeals in delight.54Please respect copyright.PENANAvPWvDJwcrf
“I can't believe you guys are telling secrets in here without me. How dare you?” Riley huffs as she props herself on Tucker’s suitcase.54Please respect copyright.PENANA0sW4mY6zDB
Red makes a noise to be let down so she can waddle over to play with Riley’s gigantic princess dress. She is momentarily distracted as she tries to make sure the baby doesn’t slob on her gown but then she turns to Tucker with an icy stare.54Please respect copyright.PENANAYMEZCpPoJ7
“Now what’s all this talk of heroes? I am the queen of this castle, nothing gets around here without me knowing so spill,” Riley demands.54Please respect copyright.PENANAkVwoLdpkQM
She’s not wrong. She knows everything about everything and everyone. When Tucker came out as trans to his two older siblings a week later Riley was calling him Tucker and offering to loan him her training bras. No one knows how she finds out things but your business is her business. She taps her foot impatiently. He takes his hand and pulls the electricity from the light into his hands. Though he can’t see their faces he did hear their impressed gasps.54Please respect copyright.PENANAUbtEHgQvgt
“During my conversion therapy, I was shocked four times a week every week. Yesterday I was shocked more than I’ve ever been shocked before. It gave me the power to manipulate electricity. The pain, both emotionally and physically, I endured was so great that I want to become a hero to make sure no one else ever has to go through it,” He whispers dramatically before putting the light back into the bulb, taking himself with it.54Please respect copyright.PENANAovK7PwHniV
He comes out of the light switch, standing on the other side of the room. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he realizes Tristan is still clinging to his leg with his eyes widened in what might be fear. He would have never attempted to take another person with him, but he especially wouldn’t try that on his youngest brother. Tristan lets go and looks up at his big brother.54Please respect copyright.PENANAiqyotdnB4K
“You have superpowers and you used them on me! Tucky that’s real cool!” He squeals as he starts jumping around.54Please respect copyright.PENANAf2vDwjk4Ey
He leaps on the bed and puts his arm in the air while standing in a superhero pose. Riley joins him as Red tries her best to pull her pudgy little baby body up on the bed. Tripp is flipping through his comics while talking about how Tucker would fit right in with all the other super’s and their amazing abilities. His two older siblings, however, are not joining in on the excitement. Trey looks down at the ground as Rhapsody rushes up to hug him.54Please respect copyright.PENANAhXHKqlJzJC
“I can’t believe they did this to you. I know you probably think your powers are cool, but it’s still dangerous that you were exposed to that much electricity. I worried about you every day you went to conversion and yesterday when you didn’t come back. . . “ Her voice trails off as she squeezes her brother tighter.54Please respect copyright.PENANAvQmnawn3ub
Tucker feels another hand on his back and looks up to see Trey is joining their embrace.54Please respect copyright.PENANA2qGC5h1EK8
“I know you’ll make us proud, Tuckman. We’re just glad the worst part is over,” He whispers in his brother’s ear before pressing his head against his.54Please respect copyright.PENANAfV1QFQDw40
“A group hug without moi?” Riley shrieks before running over to wrap her arms around his waist.54Please respect copyright.PENANAm0pTMOIlxZ
Tristen runs over to take his usual place wrapped around Tucker’s leg. Tripp stands awkwardly by Tucker’s bed while bouncing Red in his arms.54Please respect copyright.PENANA9qbHfReKzK
“What, are you too cool to show your bro some love? You know he’s about to become your hero, pun intended,” Trey teases.54Please respect copyright.PENANAneEHAMGlj3
Tripp laughs before walking over to put his head in the circle of Mylans all hugging in the middle of Tucker’s room. He lets out a sigh of relief knowing that he doesn’t have to lie to his family about his powers or his work. His siblings all leave him to get packed for his job. Rhapsody stops before leaving out the door.54Please respect copyright.PENANA4ViWI6DK6Q
“I know you’re excited about your new job, but don’t forget you have to graduate first,” She laughs with a wink.54Please respect copyright.PENANAByOcxoXPmz
Tucker nearly forgot about the fact that he graduates tomorrow. He plops down on his bed, feeling really confident about his future.
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