"So... can you fly, or is it just floating?" Meghan asked, starting the engine of my KIA.

"For now... just a bit of floating, stuff lifting, super strength, sonic hearing—you know... the works," I said, blinking twice, watching her expression carefully.

"Any super speed?" she asked, easing out of the parking spot, eyes fixed on the road. I leaned back, studying her as we merged onto the streets.

"Not sure yet," I admitted honestly.

She glanced at me, then back at the road. "Do you think Evan and Harry have powers too?"

I shrugged. "Not sure." My eyes flicked to the bouncing balloons and packages stacked in the back seat, then rolled back to the road.

A wave of nausea hit, sharp and sudden, and I gripped the edge of the seat, holding back the urge to hurl as Meghan navigated the traffic.

"What... what happened in the desert that did this to you?" she pressed.

I drew a shaky breath, trying to remember. Only fragments came—blinding light, chaos, sand whipping at my face. Then sirens, paramedics hauling me into the ambulance, IVs sliding into my arms, my chest pumping with someone else's hands.

"I... don't remember much," I admitted, licking my lips. My phone buzzed, dragging my thoughts away—fans, social media, the world outside wondering what had happened.

Buzz—buzz. Evan.

"Answer it," Meghan urged, one hand still on the wheel. "Maybe he needs a ride."

I peeked at the balloons again. "Does it look like we have room?"

She glared, impatient. "Pick up the phone, Nick!"

I groaned, swiping it up. "Okay! Okay..."

"Hey, what's up?"

"What's up?" His voice came sharp over the speaker. "I'm floating, bruh. That's what's up," he crowed, a mix of excitement and panic.

"Uhh... yeah, about that—" I started, but he cut me off.

"Can you pick Harry and me up? We told them Meghan and you would bring us home."

"Sure..." I exhaled, pressing my back against the seat. "Does Harry have powers too?"

"Yeah!" He practically shouted, thrilled. "This is the best thing that's happened to me since going viral!"

"I heard him," Harry's voice came faintly from the background.

"Hurry, bro. I've got that weird floaty feeling again..." Evan muttered, low, almost a whisper. I snorted as Meghan's tires squeaked at an intersection, mind focused on the balloons in the back.

"We're on our way," I said, adjusting the stacks of gifts.

"We're outside. Everyone can see us," Evan added.

Meghan and I sped down the road, quiet now except for the hum of the engine and my racing thoughts. I hung up, leaving Evan waiting, catching my own breath.

"How am I going to explain this to my parents?" I muttered, tension coiling in my chest.

Meghan reached across the center console, her hand slipping into mine. "We'll figure it out. Together."

The ER building loomed ahead. Tires screeched as we stopped, and Evan and Harry ran up to the car. They climbed in, carefully maneuvering the balloons and gifts into the middle seat, grins plastered across their faces.

"Howdy," Harry said, gray eyes locking on Meghan's brown ones through the mirror.

"Did you hear Rike got thrown into a psych facility today?" I scoffed, nearly laughing at the thought of the man who had nearly torn everything apart.

"Yeah, I heard he... uh... lost it going in," Evan added, smirking.

Meghan's hands gripped the wheel tighter. "It's not going to change the minds of those lunatics who worship him."

Evan shrugged. "They won't do anything. And if they do... it'll only backfire."

"Famous last words," I said, glancing at the bustling streets of Los Angeles. For a moment, I pressed my cheek against the window, letting the city hum lull me.

Thump—thump.

"What was that?" Harry asked, eyes wide. The pavement trembled beneath us.

Then everything went sideways.

Whoosh!

Crash! Smash!

A car flew into a nearby building, glass shattering as people scattered in all directions. Phones emerged from pockets, filming, recording, capturing the chaos. Harry, Evan, and I perked up in our seats, tension twisting my stomach. Meghan's hands tightened around the wheel.

Holy—

Whack! Slam!

Another vehicle lifted, soaring through the air like it weighed nothing. A figure in a hoodie floated above it, suspended, a silhouette against the afternoon sun. Police flooded the street, guns raised, shouting. News vans swarmed.

"Release President Rike, or pay for your sins!" The floating man bellowed.

"Now that makes sense," Evan muttered, voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Do we... help?" Harry asked, eyes darting to the cops. Bullets bounced harmlessly off the man's chest.

"I vote we sit this one out," I blurted, holding my hands up defensively.

"Wimp," Evan muttered under his breath. Meghan shot him a glare.

"I don't know about you, but I want to try," Evan said, snapping.

"Me too," Harry added, excitement crackling in the air.

"We... we don't even know how to control our powers!" I screeched.

"Well... perfect time to learn," Harry said with a grin.

Before I could argue, the boys were out of the car, disappearing into the chaos, moving so fast I could barely track them. They appeared beneath the floating man, preparing to confront him.

Shit.

"You don't have to do this," Meghan said softly.

I froze, heart hammering, trying to steady my thoughts. Breath in... breath out... The city noise, the chaos, the power surging inside me—it all collided in my chest.

And then... I stepped out.

The world seemed impossibly loud, bright, and heavy. The man floated above us, figure tense, chest rising and falling. Police shouted, sirens screamed, but in a strange, quiet corner of my mind, I felt the power thrumming in my own body.

I could hear it. The vibrations, the subtle hum in the air, the almost imperceptible pull of gravity against my body.

I clenched my fists, feeling the raw strength in my fingers. The air around me trembled slightly, responding to my presence. And somewhere deep down, I knew—I wasn't just standing here. Not really. Not anymore.

Meghan's hand brushed mine. "Whatever happens..." she whispered, voice steady despite the chaos.

"I know," I muttered, though my throat was dry, voice trembling.

I looked up at the floating figure, then at my friends rushing toward him, a blur of motion. And for the first time since the desert, since the hospital, since the impossible morning I woke with powers I didn't understand—I felt alive.

Terrified. But alive.

The city roared around us, and somewhere, deep in my chest, I knew life would never be the same again.