"What the hell is going on?" Arthur banged the oakwood table with his bare hands, causing a perpetual ripple of sweltering radiation. The lanterns scintillated amidst the churning acrimony that descended the dimly-lit room. Shadows of resentment lurked at the corners of the auburn-shaded walls, squinting for voices of virtue.

Mateo Alteiner and Izra Alteiner were not in the state of mind to reprimand their son's rude behaviour. The gale of a regular irascibility vanquished at the rise of bitter ignominy. They themselves were indignant, vexed and worried.

Caperwood heard it's first blaring siren that morning after two peaceful years of swanking their haughty 'Crimeless Caperwood' title. The Alteiners had failed, for the very first time, to detect and destroy a crime. A taunt of chagrin smeared the reputable household after receiving critical opprobrium for their collective carelessness and a temporary ban from the Ministry of Defense.

Arthur slid into the empty chair adjacent to his desolate brother, Alan, and gulped a glass of water as a means of expiring the emanating spleen that grounded his rationality. Rubbing his temple furiously, he looked towards his despondent family.

The Alteiners had been infallible to their town, ever since their inception. The six superhuman siblings were the outcomes of vigorous scientific experiments performed by a persistent scientist - Mateo Alteiner. The experiments were concocted to excel in all basic fields that included stamina, muscle power, celerity and sharp senses. However, each of them were gifted with certain special abilities that distinguished their uniqueness.

Adrius the eldest, was branded as an aviator, gliding expeditiously through the imperious air and hovered the target within seconds. His twin was the sharp woman with a gifted intellectual, and the infamous friend of the accused, Arabella. With a colossal IQ of 300, she invented all sorts of mechanical equipments required to assist their missions and devised brilliant plans no mortals could crack. They were ensued by their next perfect sibling - Arthur. Arthur was created to teleport within a radius of two kilometers, making him appear instantly before their target could sweat. Alan was born next into the family to sway the minds of gullible targets. Being popularly renowned as the manipulator, he took an intellectual control of his delinquent victim.

The fifth sibling of the Alteiners was the most problematic of all. Avril Alteiner had been created to mark the greatest milestone of Mateo's superhuman series. The anticipated father sought to make his fourth son a supersonic shape-shifter.

Every experiment of Mateo remained incomplete without the meager assistance from the magical realm. Indeed, Pandora had remained his magic-supplying powerhouse in each of his research. The Etherials - the magical people - helped him carry out each experiments in ease, while they wrapped up each of the gifts with their impacting toppings - a magical touch.

Avril was born as a healthy superhuman, showing clear symptoms of power, from breaking sturdy walls with a single nudge to travelling to the thirty-mile distant Ariston within three minutes. But his lean torso and bright soul continued to subdue the power that governed the incessant disgrace he received for not being what he was supposed to be.

Society wasn't any different when it came to expectations and living up to the name and fame. Whether you are a meek mortal or a life-saving hero - you don't receive any VIP seat to escape the menacing anticipation from the warped civilization.

The sanguine boy went through all sorts of obstacles. From counselling sessions with the Pandorian psychiatrists to other self-strive therapies as an attempt to, at the least, change the russet shade of his wavy hair. Mateo strived hard to activate his son's stifled power after leaching millions of prens, the Etherial currency, for his stalled Metamorphism Project. But all withered into remnant dust as Avril showed no distinction.

After the loaded advice, the parents sought to seek an Etherial doctor's help, practically a shaman, who revealed the reason that made Avril the most hated son.

After various tests and trials, the doctor divulged that Avril had a frail physique and unsupportive internal atmosphere that prevented to activate the supernatural pill.

Mateo drowned into the swamping sea of supine after witnessing his fallen milestone, leaving his son alone at the shore of humiliation. The Alteiners put on a reserved show to avoid the speculative citizens. The thriving taciturn was finally evaded after Abigail was introduced to the family at the least expected moment.

Abigail restored the family's glory and eminence, upon proving her triumphant pursuit of invisibility. She ushered soul and spirit back into the bereaved household.

The first time Mateo hung his head low in defeat was after looking at his defective son. The second time was the current defeat that made him question his abilities. Unknown to his narrow mind, the cause for both these insults was his ingenous son, Avril.

The family shoved the delicious supper into their ruffled pits in tranquility. They had had enough of the morning's 'defeat dosage' and preferred to ventilate their sultry minds in silence.

The siblings squinted surreptitiously, trying to telepathate their angst and suspicions, even though being aware that telepathy was not an in-built feature. The incessant glances made Adrius to become audacious and wash the sweeping silence. The eldest always had the responsibility of beginning anything and everything.

"How did this happen?" he blurted bitingly, looking for an answer from the people stuck in a labyrinth.

"Who, and not how," Arabella corrected. Her amber-beaded eyes tried to conceal the defamation, but it was nearly impossible when her innocent friend had been convicted for a gruesome murder.

"Oh, please!", Arthur scoffed through his house-full mouth, "it's because of that bitch-"

"Language, Arthur," Izra uttered her first words for the day in laconism. Her eyes were buried in angst and agony as she avoided her pearl-blue gaze to meet with others.

"I agree with Arabella. It's not that poor child," she extended her speech to deliver her intuition. And she had never been wrong.

"So stop accusing the innocent," her ethereal timbre extended it's warm hands to Arabella's belief.

Arabella nodded in fervent approval. Having her mother by her side meant she could vanquish the vilest of creatures.

"Okay, let's list the suspects," Adrius rushed to appeal rhetoric and continued,

"Telius..."

"In prison, his bail is next week,"

"Akon?"

"In Ariston, no way he would travel all the way to murder someone here,"

"Then.... Laura?"

"Not a chance. I heard she is in -"

"Guys!"

The monotonous colloquy between the twins dissolved upon Alan's intrusion. The chewing super hero decided to affront his intuition as confidence cascaded through his ivory countenance.

"This is not the work of some mere mortal," he reasoned with a gravelly tone, attempting to turn the limelight towards him as he believed he contained the truth behind the mystery.

"Someone has used the influence of magic," he emphasized the words, earning a vivid cynicism followed by an intimidation. Avril sweated invisibly.

"Someone has made a pact with Pandora," his brilliant orbs widened upon anticipation of appreciation for his thought process.

"But nobody knows about the existence of another realm except us in the whole of Caperwood!" Arabella raised the contrary.

"Yes! But -"

"Are you concluding it's one of us who had -"

"No! I mean-"

"Alan," Mateo's guttural voice reduced the igniting flame. If authoriativeness had a voice, it would be that of Mateo's. His stern glare silenced the rebuking siblings as he ajarred his lips.

"Alan," he repeated. "Do one thing. Swallow whatever nonsense you said and gulp this water."

A second ago, the family mourned the loss of their wonted reputation and
feasible victory, next their laughing their heads off after harking a lame joke that they wouldn't have bothered to respond during a summer break.

The oakwood table quivered again, after cackles, chortles and chuckles made it's coarse way through the stiffened room. A twinge of titter and pearls of glistening tears remained intact in their stressed faces.

Avril grinned the grandest. This is exactly what he wanted to witness after living within inflated tankers of staidness. How beautiful was it to see his father's breezy smile, his mother's silent chuckle, Adrius' balmy grin, Arabella's boxy beam, Arthur's raucous cackle, Alan's embarassed gulping and Abigail's frivolous gaiety? Adrius even slammed his thigh hard and Avril didn't want to rebuke. He joined along their credulous merry as he wanted it. He savoured every moment of their merriness into his rusty chambered heart. Because this time, they did not look at Avril as a disappointment. Or even worse, a sidekick.

Wiping the warm tears of his freckled face, he glanced at his family. How pure was their merry and how come he had never witnessed it? All it costed was the name of some naive weakling like his neighbour Pristine. That's it, right?

The Alteiners were swallowed by the usual silence that followed a boisterous laughter and looked at each other. It had always been tough, as a family, to keep up with the Caperwood citizens and tend to their needs of safety and security. It's impossible to be impeccable as at the end of the day, they were humans. If humans had the veins of excellence, then there would be no need for super heroes like themselves to save people.

"It's fun to laugh together," the ten-year old invaded in her animated voice. The siblings nodded in agreement, Avril bobbing his head in and out of his plate.

"Everyone expects us to be the perfect, flawless and always tending heroes. But it's not that easy always," Arabella said inferiorly. Always expected to be brainy, she expressed her bitter and tiresome feelings.

"Children," Mateo boarded the train of realization along with his family, "Let's use this as a break."

"Every success has a downfall, and let's consider this to be ours," Izra alleviated the gnawing strain. Her tender words turned into blankets of assurance that warmly wrapped her weary family.

"Yes!" Avril chirped, "we could spend some quality time together."

His glee wasn't very well received by a crotchety Arthur.

"We are banned for heaven's sake!" he snarled, "It may not matter to you, Avril. But it does to us."

Avril worked a hard time to prevent himself from scooping his teleporting brother's almond eyes, mash them into a thick, runny paste and serve it back to his supercilious tongue. As his lean fists clenched to form a rocky grip and his teeth gritted in wrath, warring with one another, his eyes flourishing in rage - Izra saved Arthur.

"Arthur," her gentle stern silenced all the elements of anger within Avril, that began swallowing the fierce sprouting roots. The beast in him returned back into it's chamber to resume it's slumber. But Avril's gaze continued to glare at those disdainful eyes, waiting to pounce on that piece of worthless flesh.

"This should be the last time you criticize Avril," she admonished, "Besides, you cannot complete any of your tasks without his help."

Arthur scoffed visibly and Avril's eyes strained in anguish.

"Arthur, that is not the point," Mateo intruded to cool the animosity, " the point is we forget whatever happened and live a peaceful life for a month. As a family."

Mateo emphasized the words enough to etch them in his children's minds.

"Mama, dessert!" Abigail averted the solemness immediately.

"Sorry baby," Izra cupped her youngest's lean chin, " Mama was too upset to make something sweet."

Abigail scrunched her face to a scowl, the beginning paradigm of a violent tantrum. As Izra muddled ways to soothe her anger before the actual danger arrived, Arabella spoke.

"I..", she stood up awkwardly.

" Okay, You." Adrius parodied, earning a lour from his female version.

" I," Arabella announced boldly amidst the ridicule, "will make a dessert."

The family spent an actual one minute of silence, to comprehend the unlogical statement from the most logical woman in town. Avril gulped evidently and Arthur was torn between reality and somewhat-reality.

"You know how to.... cook?" Izra asked, her eyes widening in perplexion.

"Do you know where is the.....kitchen?," Adrius addressed his concern seriously, receiving a tight slap from Arabella.

The Alteiners once again fell into the whirlpool of pure gaiety as they watched the twins bicker endlessly.

Alan remained indifferent to the celebration. He expected another chance to prove his notion, however he realised that he had been rowing his boat backwards, leaving his family stranded in a distant island of ignorance. But he was prepared to swim to their shore and guide them towards the actual truth. Unknown to him was that the truth was sitting right next to his chair, merrily laughing at his siblings and extremely proud of killing Andrei Lawson.