Foreword:

This is a continuation (Chapter 3) of the Super Story Creative Writing Contest. Chapter 1 was written by my friend @NoviceNovels and can be seen here: https://my.w.tt/Xc58yOwkWM Chapter 2 was written by my other friend @yemihikari and can be seem here: https://my.w.tt/8hcwsM8voN

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I raced home from school as fast as I could. You never know what evil could have struck whilst I was stuck in the institution of boredom. Nonetheless, we did learn something interesting today. A power called Pyrokineseis. A dead art. Or so they say...

With the advantages of being a Super, I got home in no time at all. The television greeted me as I got in which was strange. My grandmother is normally bat-crazy about leaving any form of electronics running - she says it interferes with her magnetism power which is hard to believe. Super's over the age of fifty generally lose their grasp on their abilities and it isn't uncommon for them to end up like all the other Normies.

I went to turn the television off and that's when the second strangest thing occurred to me; it was on the news channel and my grandmother hates watching the news. She says it's too violent but that's exactly why I watch it. It's my primary source of bad guy GPS. Kind of like a modern Batsignal if you will. Before I could turn it off, however, I was stopped in my tracks as a live footage of a building ablaze caught my attention. From the address, I knew it wasn't far but if I didn't go now there would be nothing left but cinders.

Dropping my bag to the floor, I quickly unbutton my uniform to reveal my spandex Super-Suit. I never go anywhere without it, except for the shower, but even then its always within arms reach. I mean, how can you fight super-villains without a super-suit?

Reaching the burning building as soon as I can, I pull my collar over my nose in an attempt to block out the growing smoke. The fire has spread quickly albeit quite young and as I look around for some guidance I almost faint as I see a group of policemen. That's right. Not firemen but policemen. The same policemen who told me that there were six armed men yesterday instead of seven. Great times. Great times with a giant bruise to prove it.

Sarcasm aside, my gears are spun into overdrive as a distinctive smell pierces my nostrils. The smell of burning flesh. I lick my lips as I quickly scan the scenario. If there are police, somebody must have called them. There must be people trapped inside the building for there to be burning flesh and they must be unconscious as they aren't screaming. There's no time to wait for a firetruck and the only apparent way into the house is either through the collapsed front door or through the backyard next to the swimming pool.

Swimming pool.

That's it. Although I'm not a water manipulation Super, hydrokinesis shouldn't be too different from telekinesis. Either way, I've got to try.

Focusing my mind on each individual water particle, I will them to rise into the air and over the building. I feel a massive migraine come along as the sheer weight of the water bears down upon my mind and its a miracle that I succeeded as a downpour blanket the building in a thick smog. A scream ensues and before I know it, I'm leaping over the wreckage that used to be the porch and slamming into something hot. Something scorching more than ice on a sunburn.

The impact throws me off balance and I roll to the floor, narrowly escaping the death by artwork of glass and rubble splayed across the floor. My head spins from the recent exertion and if I didn't know better I would say that before me is a fire Super with a young girl in her arms. I blink the vertigo away as best as I can but the spectre before me doesn't fade if anything it only becomes clearer. The scenario before becomes clearer. A smouldering building which looks a lot like a civilian house with a series of bodies burnt to a crisp, the only survivor a young girl and the female Super towering over me.

"I-I'm not a v-villain." The Supers voice wavers as she hands the child over to me. "I'm so so sorry-"

I scrunch up my eyebrows to the words that muffle in between the crackling flames. Not a villain? What does she mean? Did she- No, she couldn't have, could she? Did she- Did she- Did she kill the villains? If she did it must have surely been an accident, right?

"Did you-" I can't say it but the expression on the fire Super's face confirms my fears.

"But why?" My voice cracks. I refuse to believe that a Super would kill and leave only a child behind. There's nothing worse than growing up shrouded in confusion as to who your parents are and why they disappeared so suddenly. I should know. "It was an accident, right? Please tell me it was an accident!"

The fire Super merely shakes her head, the tears evaporating as they stream down her cheeks. I try to place a hand on her shoulder but her skin is too hot to touch and I recoil in shock. My reaction must have been taken the wrong way because with a grimace the fire Super channels pillars of fire towards her feet and she blast off through the roof. I merely watch as she disappears from existence, using my powers to safely lower the rubble from the roof where she blasted an exit hole.

Reckless.

The lack of self-awareness to her own powers could have killed me but that can't possibly make her evil can it? They say fire Supers are the most powerful and due to the rareness of the power it's understandable that she can't control them properly. Nonetheless, powerful or not, a Super who kills accidentally or not can't be allowed to use their powers freely. I'll have to find her and stop her.

Suddenly, a quick ring from my mobile phone reminds me to get home for dinner. I turn off the reminder but by the time I look up, the fire Super has disappeared into the blazing evening sky.

Handing over the child to the nearest police officer, I race off home.

*****

"Ah, Joe! You're back and just in time for dinner." My grandmother meets me with a hug as I get home before stepping back to reveal a girl that seems familiar. "Here is a girl from your school. I found her crying in an alleyway today and said she could stay with us for a while. Family reasons she said but try not to pry."

I raise an eyebrow but don't argue. I've definitely seen her around but I'm sure the last time I saw her, her hair was blonde. This time, however, it almost seems 'tinged'? A slightly smoky tinge to ne exact.

"Well." My grandmother raises an eyebrow. It never hurts to reintroduce oneself. With my memory I'm afraid once won't be enough so if I forget your name... ummm... you see I've already forgotten it. Come now, Joe. Be a good sport and introduce yourself."

I resist the urge to facepalm and instead outstretch my hand towards the girl who I swear looks more familiar every second and it's not just because I believe we share the same surname although I did take my grandmother's. "Hi. My name's Joseph Adrol but you can just call me Joe."

The girl who I think was called Hana Thompson meets my hand with a firmer handshake than I expected. An almost super handshake. "Hi, Joe. I think we used to share the same last name back in elementary before you took your grandmothers, if I remember correctly. Anyway, my name is Hana, Hana Thompson."

I nod confirming my own thoughts but am distracted by Hana's unusually warm hands. Almost burning to touch. My eyes narrow as Hana gives me a closed eye smile. It couldn't be... could it?

Word count w/o foreword: 1333