~Nicole~

I run away from the scene, hiding in an alley. I take off my hoodie and scarf, inhaling deeply. I see the blur of a red-blue figure pass me. It's Spider-Man. He lands in front of the bank. A few moments later, the police arrive.

I quickly walk back to the apartment, trying to be calm and not get caught. What happened back there? Wait...Slow down, brain. Am I superhero?!

I open the door to the apartment, putting a hand on my chest. Don't have a panic attack now. I can feel my vision blur. Lex and Rose are watching The Lion King with the girls on the couch. They look up at me in worry. Dad must have been asleep.

"Sorry. I'm-" I stumble. Lex goes up to hug me. "Shh...it's okay, Nic. You're okay...it's alright." She whispers, petting my hair. The girls leave quietly, leaving us alone I smile and close my eyes.

"What happened, Nic? What's the matter?" Rose asks, her kind green eyes shining brightly. I shake my head. "If nothing's happened, then why were you panicking?" She looks at me.

"Fine. I really want to tell you, but I feel like you're going to think I'm crazy." I say. I feel swarmed by nervousness. Lex holds my hand. Instantly, I feel content. Her knowing grey eyes examine me. "Believe me, you are far from crazy."

I sigh and take a deep breath. "Okay. Please don't freak out." I say out loud. "I think I have superpowers." The girls don't say anything, but nod. "My eyes glow blue and these blue lights came out of my hands! And I flew out of nowhere..." I say. Lex smiles.

"You are not crazy. I should've told you sooner but I felt you would call me stupid and a lunatic. We're different from the rest, Nic." Lex explains.

"But why? Why are we different?" I say.

"We're gifted. We were born with these powers. I don't know why." Rose says.

"So...everyone one of us is going to get powers?" I ask.

Rose nods. " We're what people call mutants." I raise my eyebrow. "Like the X-Men if they were real?" They laugh and agree.

"So what are your powers?" I question both.

"Well, I can make people do what I want. I can make them feel what I want. I can make them see things. I can also alter memories." Lex says. "But I never do it for evil. Only for defense. It has its downsides."

"I can control electricity and create it." Rose adds. "So you're like Thor, except a human?" I gape. She laughs. "I guess so, except I don't have his hammer."

She holds her hand and blue electricity jumps out. I look in awe. "So...what about Zel? When will she get her power?" I ask curiously. Zel and I are twins and if I get my powers, then maybe Zel will get them too. "It depends...but it happens at 15 years old. It can occur on the day of your 15th birthday, or the day before your 16th birthday. At least, it did for our family." Lex says.

"Dad can't be a mutant...so Mom?" I ask.

"He didn't say she was. We just assumed she was a mutant." Rose explains.

"She was odd." Lex nods. "Very secretive. And her death was suspicious. Mom died in a car crash on a cliff." She says.

My mom would meet with these strange people in their den. We would have to stay upstairs. I shudder to think who these people were.

I remember the day before the crash. Mom gave me a sad smile and hugged me extra tight. Dad kissed me and gave me a ring.

I giggled. "We have to do some business, sweetie, but we'll always come back to you."

Mama looked at me with those pretty emerald eyes. Eyes the color of forests. "I'll miss you, Coco." She whispered. "I'll find my way back to you."

My little 6-year-old self never understood those words or what they meant. Maybe I never will. I feel tears slipping from my eyes. Lex and Rose hug me. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry."

The tears begin to stop flowing. I feel at peace. "Thanks." I say. I rest my head on Lex's shoulder. A previous memory surfaces in my mind. "Oh shit..." I trail off, biting my lip in nervousness.

"What's 'oh shit' about?" Lex says. I look at the girls. "I forgot one teeny, weeny little thing-"

I hear Zel gasp from the couch. She looks at us in awe. Displayed on the 8 o'clock news, is the headline: "Alien hero saves bank teller from robbery!" A picture of me in the black hoodie is displayed. You can barely see my face, but my blue eyes and hands are visible.

Lex and Rose look at me in both shock and awe. The bank teller and several witnesses are being interviewed by the news station.

"Yeah! I saw this teenager or someone run in. I don't know who it was! They just walked in here and told those 4 punks to stop! I was freaking out because the person looked scary with those blue eyes and lasers! And then the guys shot them, but they didn't get hurt! Then the guys told the person they were gonna shoot me, and they looked at me and I knew I was being saved. The person started floating in the air and then just blasted the guys into the wall!
It was like Spider-Man all over again!"

"The person was nice and made sure I was okay. They didn't want to be identified. And they had to leave before the cops came. They just told me their name was Ocean. Then, they ran off. Thank you. If you're out there, Ocean, you're a hero." The man smiled and gave a thumbs-up. I smiled back at the TV.

Lex turned to me in shock. I flinched, ready to be yelled at, but instead, Rose and Lex smile widely. They laughed with me. I let out a sigh of relief. "That was stupid and dangerous, but you did it anyway!" They said in unison.

"That was exciting. I want to do it again." I said, winded after all the excitement. "Well, you're gonna need an outfit, so you won't be identified. And Dad must never know." Rose added.

"Wow...you guys are so lenient on me." I say. "We're your age, and we know teenagers can be asses at times." Lex smirks.

"Haha...thanks." I chuckle. I wearily get up to go to my room. "Well, today has been an awkward and scary day, to say the least." I add.

The girls agree. "Okay. Today is over and now we sleep. Remember. Dad can't know." Lex says. Soon, everyone moseys to their rooms. I lay down on my bed, shutting the door and staring at the ceiling.

"I can't believe you're a superhero now." Zel says with humor in her voice. "I mean, I don't really feel like one. I bet one day you'll be too, big sis." I say, trying to comfort her.

"I'm not jealous, I swear. I'm just happy for you, Nic. And I truly mean it." She says with pride. "I had an idea. Maybe you could partner with Spider-Man..."

I scoff. "He's probably a one-man show. Maybe he's secretly an old grandpa."

Zel laughs. "Girl! Don't judge a book by its cover. Maybe he's young, cute and smart."

I shake my head. "He's the neighborhood hero. I'm a nobody." Doubts of becoming a good superhero fill my mind and heart.

Zel nods. "You're gonna make a badass hero, Nic. And maybe you can have your dream come true."

Those comforting words from my sister help me drift to sleep with a smile on my face.
—————
I am abruptly woken up a little earlier by Zel. She smiles knowingly at me. I roll my eyes.

"What is it, Zelda?" I say, using her full name. She doesn't really like it. "Oh, Nicole...it's nothing really. It's just people are intrigued by the mysterious 'Ocean'."

I purse my lips. "Well, there's nothing to this 'Ocean' person. They just so happen to be a normal Queens teen. Wait till they find out who they really are...but they'll never find me out." I spring up on my bed.

Zel shrugs. "Maybe. Anyways, you got a long day ahead of you." I furrow my brows. "What's the agenda today?"

She sighs. "Well, I mean, school as always. You have to go to Pedro's house again. Seriously, is he your boyfriend?"

I turn red. "Zel...I swear on grilled cheese if you say that one more time!"

Zel makes kissy lips. "Awww! So y'all are a thing! Hm...I mean, I think he has a crush on you."

I squirm. Please let it be true...why did I think that? "Um...just stop. You're gonna make me want to punch you."

Zel stops her joking. "Okay Nic. Let's go to the big house."

Surprisingly, Dad doesn't find out about last night. He goes off to do business as usual, leaving us girls to do our own thing.

The five of us walk in silence, occasionally talking about something random, like dinner or Zel's decathlon shindig.

I walk to school as if it was another regular day. My friends walk up to me in shock and awe. "Did you hear about that bank robbery near your house?!" Andy basically yells out.

"Yeah, Lex told me about it. That was scary. I heard the bullets loud and clear." I said, lying clearly. Ace sighs. "Where's Spider-Man when you need him?" He said.

"Maybe he was busy...there's a ton of bad guys out there for only ONE hero in Queens." Meg answers.

"That's true. Spider-Man's an amazing hero. Maybe that Ocean guy can help out a lot." Nova says. I smile slightly, feeling a bit proud of myself.

"Have you heard about..." Andy trails off into a conversation that I zone out from.

I stare off into the blue sky of Queens. I've been thrown into a dangerous game. I didn't have to answer the call to justice, but I wanted to. I could just keep my powers to myself, but maybe I can make the world a better place.

The rest of the periods go by without a hitch. The day is sluggish today. I just want to walk out of here with no one to see me go. The lunch bell rings, snapping me from my thoughts. In a robotic motion, I gather my things slowly. I don't even hear anything around me.

"Hey! Nic! Um..." A voice wakes me from my trance. "Are you okay?" I recognize it as Peter. It's as if cold water has been splashed on me.

"Uh yeah! Never better." I try to grin and bear it. Peter walks alongside me. "Soooo....what happened yesterday? If you don't mind me asking? Did I make you uncomfortable?" He asks.

I shyly smile. "It's um...personal problems. I have headaches and really bad panic attacks." I say. Peter looks at me worriedly.

"Um...it was NOT your fault. I just felt dizzy. Stress is such a gift." I say sarcastically.

"Oh. Well, you don't have to come to my house. Maybe we could do the project at lunch periods." He says.

"It's okay, Parker, really. It's cool. We kind of drifted apart as friends. You know, it's cool to keep friendships alive and beating." I laugh.

"That's right. Okay, well, let's try to finish the project early and get extra extra credit." Peter grins.

Lunch is a breeze. Silver Snake doesn't really come out to hiss anymore. She just stays in her own lane with her evil henchmen and women.

The lights aren't flaring up today. My eyes sometimes sting but not as much as yesterday. I barely found out about these spooky powers, so I don't know if that's the true extent of it. I hope nothing else happens at school, because that will be the END of me.

Gym is going normally, as planned. The last few periods are okay too, with the occasional eye sore and warm hands. Other than that, day two is down!

We walk back to house normally as always. I didn't expect Dad to wait for us, hands on his hips and glaring at me. Zel gives me wide eyes and scoots to her room. Rose, Lex, and Julie back off and go their room, looking at me worriedly.

When everyone is gone from the room, Dad blows the fuse. "I can't believe you'd be so crazy to try and pull that off!" He yells.

I wince. "What are you talking about?" I lie.

Tony rolls his eyes. "I know what you did, Nic. No use in hiding it now that the news knows!"

"I think you got me mixed up with someone else...I'm a regular 15-year-old kid. All I do is sit around and do shit."

"So a regular 15-year-old kid doesn't go into a bank, gets shot in the chest 4 times and lives to tell the tale?" Tony says in a monotone voice.

"How did you know? It barely been almost 24 hours..." I say, letting the facade fade.

"Word spreads like wildfire, and I find you gone from your room. You could've gotten killed! That was a dangerous game to play, Nic. Don't do that." Tony hugs me.

I hug him back. "I know, Dad. I'm sorry."

"Look, kid. First thing's first. You can't be a superhero without gear. That hoodie is not gonna do anything to help you." He said.

"Thanks for the input." I scoff.

"So...you can fly?" He asks.
"Um...I only floated that one time. I could practice?" I reply.
"Hmm...what about your eyes? What's the glowing thing for?"

"My hands shoot lasers but maybe my eyes do too. All I know is that my eyes and hands glow and I can float." I say.
"Interesting. Okay, that's enough chit-chat for one day. So are you in?"

"Yes, but all I want to know, Dad, is can I be an Avenger? Please?" I give him the puppy eyes.

"No, kid. Definitely no. As long as you're my kid, it's a no."

"But Dad, I could be an asset to the team! Natasha taught me how to kick ass! And I have potential, as you can see." I beg.

"I said no. And besides, you're not the only one who's asked and failed." He put his foot down.

"Who's the other?" I ask curiously.
"You might know them." Dad winks at me then leaves to his office.

I sit down in my room, gazing at my glowing hands. Sparks of blue fly up. I close my hands, the blue fading away.

I feel even more brave. While Lex and the others go to sleep, I decide to sneak out and go for a walk. "Please don't tell Dad, Cas." I whisper to my AI, Jocasta.

"Of course, Miss Nicole." Jocasta responds.

What a stupid idea, Nic. A teenage girl going out for a walk in the middle of the night? I don my black hoodie and pull my hair into a baseball cap. I take my scarf, because it is starting to chill a bit.

Quietly, I walk out of the apartment and go down the elevator. I emerge outside. Strangely enough, no one looks my way. Maybe it's because I'm dressed slightly like a mugger. I walk through the streets, feeling a little at peace with myself.

Then, I hear a scream pierce the air. A crowd of people are gathering around a flaming skyscraper. I run to someone and say, "What's happening?"

An old lady answers quickly, "There are some workers trapped in their office! It's on the 42nd floor! The fire trucks are on their way, but they won't make it!"

"I hope Spider-Man comes!" A man in the crowd yells.

"There's no time! No one else goes in." I tell everyone. I quickly race inside the building. I hear people scream after me.

Instantly, I feel hot and sweaty. I tie on my scarf around my nose, feeling only slightly better. I slowly climb the stairs, steadily becoming tired and dizzy. How the hell am I going to get up all these stairs?

Every few flights, I stop for one second and then carry on. I can't rest! You have to do it for everyone else. It seems like an eternity until I drag myself on the 42nd floor. I gag under my scarf. I want to pass out from the heat.

The office where the workers are trapped is starting to fill with smoke and fire. I push through every door in the office area. "Where are you guys?!"

"Is anyone here?!" I manage to scream. I hear nothing. I feel myself weaken but I don't let it faze me. I push through the last door and see at least 12 people coughing and trying to breath through wet paper towels.

I run to them. "I'm here to help." I say. "Is everyone here? Are all of your coworkers here?"

The workers nod. "How the hell are we going to get out of here?" A man asks. "The stairs are blocked and we can't move higher!"

I try to keep calm. The fire trucks are on their way, but it could take years! I can see the fire creeping closer to our area. We can't jump, but we're all going to die anyways. I gather everyone.

"Everyone come to the window. I know this isn't our favorite solution, but we have no choice." I say. The people seem to know their fate. I hear an explosion of glass from far way. Someone help us all. "Might as well die trying." A woman says.

My hands are on fire. I feel the light surge through my veins. The heat pierces the windows, shattering them. Everyone gathers around me. "Wow...." A young guy gasps.

"I'm Ocean. I know I'm not really trained in superhero things." I say. The people look at me with hope. We surround the windows, trying to flag someone. A figure lands in front of us.

"Hey! Is someone in here?! Are you alright?" I hear a voice shout. "Yes!!! We're in here!!!" I cough. A familiar face greets me. Spider-Man.

"I need help with everyone." I say. "We have to jump. There's no other way." I say. Spider-Man nods.

"I'll go down with two people at a time. And I'll come back for everyone else." He says. He quickly swings off with the two people. Everyone else is trying to stay calm, but to no avail.

I hear the roar of the fire coming to us. Soon, Spider-Man comes and takes everyone else, until it's just me and a man. I can feel the heat licking my face until the whole floor is almost on fire. "I don't wanna die." The guy whispers.

I look at the man. "Hold on tight, sir." I grab the guy and we both plummet in the air. It's like time has slowed. The wind is in my face, and the guy is holding close to me.

I hear a whoosh of air and I find myself being swung down by Spider-Man. I cling to him. The man breathes a sigh of relief.

Spider-Man places me down and looks at me. "Are you okay?" He asks me. I breathe deeply. "Um...yeah." I clear my throat, trying to deepen my voice. I blush red as Spider-Man still has his arms around my waist.

The crowd looks at the three of us. I separate myself from Spider-Man, and I straighten my scarf. Spider-Man is being cheered on by the crowd. I slowly and stealthily sneak off to walk home.

If only people knew.
——————
Sorry guys, I don't know how to write about a fire :/ But yeah...this is the second chapter. Oof, I can't really explain it. Hopefully you enjoy it :) And maybe next time something interesting might happen for our two heroes ❤️