Noah hovered above me in the air, a Cheshire grin on his face as he peered at me. My eyes sprung wide as I screamed at the top of my lungs until my eyes focused, and I noticed Noah lying on a blanket of air above me.
"What the fuck, Kinley?" I grumbled, tossing the covers over my face. Noah grinned and pulled the blanket off me with a powerful telekinesis force.
"Good morning, Knight." I stretched long in bed, watching Noah land off to the side, his grin widening.
"My dad said I could kick your ass. No school, just training all day." That sounded so weird to me. Sam was a dad.
I yawned and stretched my body again. "That's great," my voice broke.
"Now get your ass up," he yelled. Noah's grin widened even more. Then he appeared beside me, yanking me from my sheets to the floor. I rubbed my bruised head and grimaced.
"When I get my powers back, you're a dead son of a bitch, Noah."
"If you get them back. Fuck you, Knight." He growled, pushing me with his muscular legs. "Get off the bloody floor." I peeled from the floor, dusting dust bunnies from my sleep shirt, and grinned.
Shit.
∆∆∆
Sam watched Noah, and I circle each other on either end of the wooded backyard, ready to pounce. "Watch yourself, Knight. I make a mean linebacker." Noah's grin widened. I readjusted my footing to match his, hopping on my toes.
"Bet," I snapped back.
Noah laughed. "Did you get amnesia there, mate? I'll bet twenty bucks I can have you on the floor in seconds." Sam scowled at the two of us in the pathway but gave a boost of encouragement.
"Noah, don't hurt him. We need him when he gets his powers back."
"Why don't you use me? I'm much better than James, and I know my brother's weaknesses better than you," Noah whined. His smile dropped, and his eyes darted back to me.
"Noah, I know you're more of a selfless hero, unlike your brother, Max," Sam admitted. Derek trudged onto the patio, hotdogs piled high on his plate. Derek placed the plate next to him, bit into one, and motioned with his food to me.
"Kind of like James," he added.
"However, this is James's problem, not yours," Sam finished with a broad smile. Noah groaned, his toes sinking into the grass. As he rubbed his palms together, his lips widened into a smile. As he lurched forward to make his initial move, he smirked.
"I'm kicking your ass today, James." He exclaimed.
How fun.
Noah charged at me in a full sprint before my quick dodge knocked him to his feet. "Piece of cake," I grinned. He stretched out and grabbed my ankle, dragging me to the ground. Noah and I both push ourselves to our feet. Derek and Sam exchanged a laugh.
"This time, Knight, I'm not going easy on you."
"It's all bark and no bite." Noah swiped his foot beneath my legs with superhuman speed, knocking the wind out of me. I crashed to the ground, my head slamming into the cemented brick pathway behind me. My eyelids blinked, my heart raced, and I spun into darkness.
∆∆∆
My eyes fluttered open. The bright light hurt my eyes. Then I adjusted to my surroundings. Noah, Derek, and Sam hovered over me.
I felt the back of my head where a lump formed, dried blood mixed with my hair, and a big cut healed. I was dizzy and probably had a minor concussion. That was okay because I would kick Noah's ass when I got my powers back. I tried to focus on Sam, then Derek, then Noah.
"I'm going to fucking kill you, Noah," I roared.
Noah chuckled. "I'm glad you're alive, Knight." His eyes met mine, and he smiled. I tried to sit up, but they all pushed me back against the couch.
"You need to stay down. We don't need you getting hurt again." Derek calmed me. Derek shot Noah an irritated glance.
"He's right. It would help if you had your strength. Does anything hurt?" Sam added.
I huffed. "My head is sore in the back, and the room is spinning a bit, but I feel fine overall." I pushed off the couch. Noah pushed me back down.
"Stay down, or I'll make you," Noah roared. I readjusted myself on the couch.
"You've kept some of your strength. Your quick reflexes are still present when needed, and Derek claims you maintained some of your speed and endurance. Your recovery is also remarkable. I'm just not sure how strong you are. I have seen little of it since you lost your powers." Sam devised a concise thesis.
"He's still a weak little bitch." Noah laughed. I gritted my teeth. Derek, Sam, and I glared at Noah, and he threw his hands in the air. "Okay, geez. I'm still stronger than the three of you combined." We still stared at him, our eyebrows furrowed.
"I can still arrest you," Derek admitted.
"For what?" Noah asked.
"Hacking the police database and stalking."
"You can't even catch me." In a flash, Noah appeared at the opposite end of the room, leaning against a doorway. Derek glared over at him.
"Show off," Derek muttered.
Noah grinned. "Rookie."
I pulled myself to a sitting position. Noah returned to my side. All three of them watched me with caution. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Sam asked me, glaring at his son again.
"Don't look at me like that," Noah barked.
Sam huffed. "You may be my biological son, but I still don't trust you, especially because you wanted to kill me."
Noah raised his hands again in defense. "I haven't killed you yet, have I?"
"That's because you're terrified of James," Derek recounted, snorting as he watched Noah's cheeks flush bright red.
"Okay, James intimidated me a little until he lost his powers. You don't have to rub it in my face? I'm on your side and still have my powers, so I will watch what you say from now on."
"I know that, and I'm happy you're home with us," Sam admitted. "But Max still hates me and is holding Matthew captive right now, so if we can focus on that instead of glaring at each other..." Sam's eyes shot to Derek, "It would help more."
"I think it's just a big misunderstanding. Max doesn't realize what he's doing and the trouble he's getting into by feeding Alexander's delusions. His ego is too big for himself. He's going to end up hurt." Noah took sympathy for Max. Derek and I sighed.
"Well, you're smart enough to know the better side when you need to," Derek said to Noah, relieved. Noah smiled back. "That's because we're family. Tu casa es mi casa."
"I think you have that backward." Derek evaluated.
"I think you're right, rookie." Noah's grin stretched, and he sat on the couch next to me. "Are you feeling any better, Knight?" he asked.
"I'll feel better by tomorrow," I said, digging my body into the couch. There was a hint of a smile on Sam's face.
"Yes. In the meantime, I need you to rest. Both of you are returning to school on Wednesday." Sam looked at Noah, then at me.
"Sounds great." I mused, stretching my legs out on the couch, kicking Noah, and getting comfortable in the pillows. Noah grunted but avoided fighting. I closed his eyes and went to sleep.
∆∆∆
I awoke to smell fresh pepperoni and sausage pizza that evening. Noah hovered a piece in my face while gnawed on his, bundled up in a blanket in my father's chair by the corner.
"Are you hungry, Knight?" I took another whiff, knowing my stomach ached from hunger after not eating all day. He brought the pizza to my mouth, and I took a bite. The pizza dropped from the sky, and I caught it with fast reflexes. Noah looked appeased.
"When do you think your powers will return? I mean, Max is not an idiot. He will demolish the shit out of your father. Max must be planning something terrible," Noah affirmed. He took a bite of his slice and sat back. I glared at him from across the room.
"I know he's your brother and all, but he's a total dick," I said. Noah giggled, and I picked up the pizza off the ground and took a bite.
"If it helps, I don't like Max much either," He admitted.
I let out a small laugh. Derek came in, still wearing his uniform, and the front door flung open seconds later. He and the cops were looking for my father, but there was no luck. I would have been out there if I still had my powers, but I was defenseless.
"Did you find anything?" I asked him as he entered the living room. He took a seat next to me on the couch. Noah appeared on the spot next to Derek.
"Not much. Someone robbed the mini-market and thrift store near Burchett and Florence, but they still need leads. They shut the cameras off in both locations when we don't know if this is Max."
"It's more than likely, Max," Noah complied. "I know, my brother. He's a master manipulator and knows technology just as much as I do. If he wants something, he'll do what he can to get it."
"I figure he got that from his mother," Sam said. Noah glanced at his father. Instead of saying something to Sam, he nodded instead.
"Max is dangerous." Noah looked at me. "If you don't get your powers back soon, we're screwed."
We all agreed because all of us had seen Max in action. He was a bad guy and had my father, which was concerning. I needed faith that Derek would find our father and get my powers back sooner than later. That was the best I could do now without my powers.
"He's superior to all of us at the moment." Derek glanced at Noah, stuffing the last bit of his pizza in his mouth. Then, Noah reached over, grabbed my piece from my fingertips, and took a bite. I glared at Noah.
"That's karma for stealing my sandwich you took the other day," Derek grumbled. I leaned back on the couch, letting out a massive moan as everything hit me at once.
"Why does everything have to happen to me?" I sighed, dragging my nails through my hair.
"That's just how life hits you, mate," Noah said. I reached over and snatched my piece of pizza from his hand. Noah licked each of his fingertips in retaliation.
"I'm sure things will get back to normal soon." Derek patted my back. "We'll find dad, and you'll be whining about having superpowers in no time."
I tiffed. "I don't whine."
"Yeah, you do, "Derek argued.
"You often complain," Sam put in, agreeing with Derek.
"You guys are ridiculous," I grumbled. Noah giggled, and I chucked the pizza slice at him, encouraging him to laugh harder.
"Whatever, "I sighed in annoyance. My legs trembled with anxiety.
"Matthew or no, Matthew, you will get your powers back," Sam guaranteed. I was still worried about my dad. What were they doing to him, or was he even still alive? Max could have been doing anything to him, and unless I got my powers back, we couldn't do a thing to save him.
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