James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Seven

... THREE YEARS AGO

BRYCE

I stood at the second-story window, watching the wind and rain whip through the air. The thunder shook the neighbor's roof, and lightning illuminated Dexter Marian's front yard, where I had lived for two and a half years as a foster child. "Happy Birthday!" Dexter called from the stairs below me. His deep voice shook with joy.

"Bryce, can you come down here for a moment?"

I stirred, sensing the change in the atmosphere, and slowly dragged myself out of bed. I descended, one creaky wooden step at a time, and stumbled into the kitchen. Dexter was already seated at the table, eagerly awaiting his homemade chocolate cake and festive gifts underneath it. Kyra, my adopted younger sister, sat beside him while Thomas—Dexter's brother and a cop—stood nearby with a smug grin on his face. Sebastian, however, lounged in the living room, far away from the commotion, more invested in the TV show than joining in on a particular day.

"Happy Birthday, Bryce!" Kyra exclaimed, her smile radiating joy. I rubbed my tired eyes and took a seat at the table. Her beautiful chocolate skin shimmered under the lights, accentuated by the oil I had given her as a birthday gift.

Dexter greeted me with a friendly, powerful slap that nearly propelled me into Thomas's arms.

I smiled as I shook his hand. "Happy Birthday, Kiddo," Dexter greeted.

Thomas approached behind him and ruffled my hair briefly, playing with my mangled locks. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asked, pointing at the cake before us.

"Yeah!" I replied excitedly. With a snap of my fingers, flames flickered to life at my fingertips, and I used them to light the last candle perched on top of the dark chocolate cake and make a wish before blowing out the flame.

"Make a wish, super-kid," Thomas smiled.

Dexter grinned, clearly pleased that his son was home again after so long away. "Yeah, just don't burn down my house, bud," they said in unison. They were hoping for something impressive because I instantly blew out all thirteen candles with a gust of wind from my powerful lungs.

"Gee, Bryce. You've got some powerful lungs, too," Dexter chuckled, and my smile widened.

Kyra clasped her hands and let out a little squeal as she directed Bryce's attention to the pile of gifts. Thomas and Dexter moved it slightly closer while Sebastian shifted on the couch to get more comfortable. "Go ahead," said Dexter. As I reached for a package, Kyra quickly interjected, pointing at a small gift wrapped in an old newspaper set aside from the others. "Wait! Open the one from me and Seba," she gestured towards me. I heard an exasperated groan from the couch. Curious, I carefully removed the paper to reveal a black smartwatch with athletic tracking―the item he had been eying online for weeks. I knew it would come in handy, especially when trying to keep up with someone who could run faster than the speed of light―just like me.

"If you ever decide to become a superhero or something, you know Dexter and Thomas won't mind," Kyra smiled, tucking a loose braid behind her tiny ear.

Thomas patted my back. "What's next?" I reached for a tube wrapped in blue striped paper. "Not that one, buddy. Save it for last," Thomas instructed.

Dexter cleared his throat. "Let him open it, Tom. It's time he knows."

Confused, I smiled and removed the paper from its envelope. On the front page, a freshly printed slip caught my attention: Certificate of Adoption: This certifies that Dexter Marian formally adopts Bryce into the Marian Family on November 16th, 2011. The signatures at the bottom belonged to the adoption agency and Dexter. I stared at the paper in disbelief, a mix of confusion and joy washing over me. Thomas firmly slapped my shoulder and rubbed my back, offering comfort.

"Welcome to the family, kid," he said, his voice filled with warmth and pride.

My confusion transformed into pure joy, but suddenly, sparks jumped from my sweaty palms, and the paper ignited with purple flames. Dexter and Thomas scrambled to grab the document from my fingertips before it turned to ash. I cried as Thomas pulled me close, offering me more comfort. Sebastian rolled his eyes in the background and exited the couch, storming out of the house moments later.

Thomas huffed as he released me from his embrace, but Dexter stood up, undeterred. "I'll go get him," he said confidently, leaving the door open and calling for Sebastian. Great. It seemed like my birthday was turning into a mess.

∆∆∆

I continued to stare out the window. Down below, Henry, the police chief who played a significant role in my life, talked with Sebastian, who was soaked and wrapped in a warm blanket alongside Thomas and Dexter.

Noah anchored himself on the large surface of my bedroom window and smiled. "Happy Birthday, Bryce," Noah said lightly.

"Happy Birthday, Noah. Where have you been? I didn't see you last year, and it worried me."

"I was..." Noah hesitated briefly but continued speaking smoothly. "Traveling the world, mate." His different accent sounded almost like Alexander's, but he still said like me and could make a damn good impression of my American accent. We were adaptable to change and challenges, but I never imagined my twin would change so much to go into hiding. There was something more important that had happened since I last saw him. "Alex believes he can finally find Dad this time. They moved to Nevada, Arizona, or somewhere in the Southwest. They had to move after Mom was taken from us two summers ago." Noah paused for a moment, and I noticed his eyes cloud over with pain and grief as he remembered their mother's death at the hands of our enemy.

"You can live with us. It won't be that bad bouncing from hotel to... or maybe having your own..."

I gestured toward the adoption certificate across my desk, and Noah followed my gaze. His brown eyes brightened in awe at the discovery, and he enthusiastically leaned on my armchair. "Oh, this is great news, Bryce! We should celebrate," he said, pointing towards the bustling police activity below.

But before I could answer, a chill ran through me at the thought of my insensitive cousin ruining our plan. I pouted and let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't, Noah. My insensitive cousin won't let me."

He placed his hands on my shoulders and glanced around the room momentarily. Then his eyes settled on my first soccer trophy perched atop the mantle, and he smiled mischievously. "I'm sure he's not that bad," he said absentmindedly as he inspected it more closely.

"Define bad," I demanded dryly.

Noah took a moment to think before finally replying honestly: "Bloody hell, he's an attention whore. Isn't he?" He shrugged. "I can take him out if you want..."

Floating off the ground slightly as I crossed my arms, I reminded him sternly, "We're not the bad guys."

Noah sighed and nodded in understanding. "Yeah, yeah - I know, mate. "I know." he acknowledged. "I've got to get back to the hotel. I love you, mate. I'll see you next year." Noah wandered to the window. Before he could leave, I threw my arms around my brother, pulling him into a hug, knowing it would be a while until I saw him again.

I tightly wrapped my arms around him and whispered, "I love you too, Noah." We shared one last hug - knowing it would be a while until we saw each other again - and within a minute, he slipped out of the window and flew away.