James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Six

DEREK

Jaxton and I hiked together along the street, catching up on the events that had unfolded in my family's life, particularly in the past year. We mainly focused on what occurred in October involving Max, Mark, Mia, and the others. Jaxton seemed taken aback as he questioned me once again, unable to believe that my family and I possessed superpowers fully. Even I struggled to comprehend it.

"Yeah," I replied, momentarily questioning it myself. Jaxton remained unconvinced as we continued our walk. "Who's this Max kid again?" he inquired.

I let out a sigh. "He's Sam's child, a rogue super. The last time I saw him, he attempted to harm my family." Jaxton exhaled anxiously and changed the subject.

"Does Henry know about your powers?"

"No, he'll be completely shocked when we tell him."

Jaxton's smile suddenly faded. "Seriously?"

As we conversed, we noticed a blazing fire lighting the unfamiliar night sky, billowing with burning orange ash and smoke. We exchanged glances.

"You're not going in there, right, because..." Jaxton said, but I interrupted him, thrusting my unlocked phone into his hands and marching toward the flames.

"Text my brother and tell him to come quickly!" I shouted to Jaxton. He fumbled with the phone, and I proceeded forward, feeling the world freeze around me. I briefly glanced back and saw Jaxton and everything else frozen in place.

Several minutes passed as I stood outside the apartment building, assessing the engulfed structure. James and Noah joined me, surveying the fire.

"Damn, that's a massive blaze, mate," Noah remarked, a touch of pride in his voice. James remained silent for a moment.

"Yeah, the first responders haven't arrived yet. We need to check this apartment before it's completely consumed," I ordered.

James nodded. "On it!" he hurried off.

Noah and I followed suit, stepping into the flames. We began knocking on doors, hoping for a response. A loud cry stopped me as I struck twice on a particular entry. James and Noah rushed off, knocking on doors on the other side of the hallway.

"I'm going to break down the door. Stand back; you'll be safe," I yelled into the apartment. The older child inside instructed the younger one to move away from the door.

"Espalda! Espalda!" he shouted.

About to kick down the door, I trusted my extraordinary strength. I grabbed the doorknob and ripped it free from the door. I swung it open with a forceful kick, unleashing a gust of smoke and hot ash into the room. Two frightened siblings stared at me from within. I swiftly entered, holding the younger boy in my arms while instructing the older one to cover his mouth. Together, we made our way toward safety, but as the flames intensified, we reached a wall near the exit, and panic set in.

"Damn," I muttered, hoping the children hadn't heard me. The fire drew closer, and the children choked on the ash.

"Hold on, kids," I reassured them. I counted silently.

"One..." I inhaled sharply. "Two..." I exhaled the hot air from my lungs and pressed the other child against my strong body, securing him against my abdomen.

"Three!" I charged at superhuman speed toward the fire, and it seemed as if the flames flickered and froze in place. Time stood still as we broke through the other side in seconds, with only little flames and ash on my black hoodie sleeve. I quickly brushed off the debris from my hoodie and checked the children for injuries, but they appeared unharmed. I placed them safely on the ground and sat on the nearby sidewalk, the two boys staring at me in awe. For the first time, I felt like a hero.