UNDER THE SEA || H2O

˚ ༘ 10⋆｡ Power

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THE GROUP SAT at the table, tension hanging in the air as Cleo spoke up, worry etched across her face. "It looked like an article for a scientific journal or something."

Cleo had somehow gained access to Dr. Denman's office and discovered an article discussing mutations triggered by water exposure. The revelation hit hard: Dr. Denman was researching Luna’s DNA sample.

"It’s the same stuff you keep blabbering about, Lewis," Cleo continued, her voice rising. "It proves she still has the sample. It was in a little white slide box." She explained

The girls turned their judgmental glares on Lewis. Emma narrowed her eyes in anger. "Well, Lewis?"

"She wouldn’t," he insisted, defiance in his tone. He trusted the woman and refused to believe she was capable of betraying him like that.

"It looked like she’d been studying it, doing tests," Cleo shot back.

Luna nervously glanced down at her hands, her anxiety rising. "She still has my toenail."

Lewis placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Luna, she wouldn’t do that." He tried to convince her

"You’ve got to face the facts, Romeo," Rikki protested, her mouth full as she chomped on her food.

"Facts?" Lewis echoed, his voice rising with anger "You don’t have any facts!" His Australian accent thickened with frustration as he turned to Cleo. "Cleo, you read part of an article you don’t understand."

"I understand enough to know it’s the same stuff you say," she retorted, feeling insulted.

Lewis hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "Maybe I influenced her thinking," he argued, lowering his voice as if to convince himself. "I have a very forceful personality." His comment earned an amused gasp from the girls. "Why do you think she wants me on her research trip?"

Luna drifted from the conversation, her mind racing. Dr. Denman was studying her sample, and Lewis wouldn’t acknowledge the danger. If she somehow connected it to Luna, her breath shudderedat the thought, she couldn't let that happen... "I’m going to get my sample back," Luna declared, standing abruptly, she didn't give her friends time to protest and rushed outside.

The girls got up abruptly, ready to followed her immediately. "I can’t," Cleo protested. "If I get caught back there again, I might lose my job."

Emma and Rikki exchanged understanding glances, nodding at Cleo before sprinting after Luna.

They leaped into the water, tails flapping as they swam toward the marine park where Dr. Denman worked. The girls ducked into the dolphin enclosure, Luna’s heart pounding with anxiety.

Luna pushed back her uncomfort as she swam. She hated marine parks and zoos; the thought of animals taken from their families for entertainment made her stomach twist.

They swam toward the quai, spotting the familiar company logo. As Luna reached for the slide box, Dr. Denman's voice drifted toward her. She quickly dove back into the water, hiding as she heard Lewis speak.

"Dr. Denman, did you hold onto that slide of mine?" he asked, his tone laced with desperation.

"Yes," she replied, her voice steady despite his obvious stammering.

"Excuse me, did you say yes?" he pressed, betrayal thick in his voice.

"Yes, I did," she confirmed. "It’s right there with all our Mako slides." She added as she let out a sigh "I’m hoping someday, Lewis, you’ll be a little more forthcoming about where you got it," she added pointedly.

"I—" Lewis began, but she interrupted, irritatedby his stuttering.

"Lewis, you’ve got something extraordinary here," Dr. Denman explained. "Cells that completely changed their molecular structure on contact with water."

"Sounds impossible," he countered.

"It is impossible," she agreed. "But here it is. I can’t explain it."

Luna froze, fury igniting inside her. She felt the wind whip around her, responding to her clenched fists, but she didn’t notice the girls shaking her to get her attention. Her blood pounded in her ears, knuckles turning white as her nails dug into her palms.

Suddenly, the wind violently surged, and Dr. Denman was thrown into the water. Luna snapped out of her trance, but the girls pulled her underwater, bewildered. What had just happened

They emerged and swam back to Emma’s house, shaken.

__

Cleo joined them, her expression serious as the girls explained what had happened "And that’s not all. She could’ve seen us after falling in the water," Emma said, turning to Luna, who sat on the bed, visibly upset. "Luna, since when can you do all that?"

"I don’t know," Luna replied, her voice thick with unshed tears. Frustration knotting in her throat

"You must have learned somehow," Emma pressed.

Luna shot up, frustration spilling over. "I don’t know, okay? Did you train to freeze things?" She turned to Cleo "What about you? Did you train to learn how to pull water from God knows where?" She added "I didn’t have powers for so long, and now I can do things no one else can, and you’re scolding me? For not telling you anything? I didn’t even know myself!"

"Luna, you kept secrets," Emma countered. "It could’ve ended really badly. Do you understand?"

Luna scoffed. "You want to talk about secrets? What a joke"

Emma frowned "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, confusion etched across her face

The youngest shugged "You tell me" she provoked "Let me put this in the open for you. Lewis is leaving, and none of you told me." The girls exchanged worried glances as Luna moved toward the door. She paused, glancing back. "One last thing: stop talking to me like I’m a child," she added before stepping outside and slamming the door.

Tears finally streamed down her face as she walked to the entrance. A familiar voice called out, "Luna, what’s wrong?" It was Elliot, his concern evident.

She turned around, and he rushed to her, wrapping her in a warm embrace. Resting her head against his chest, she let her tears soak his shirt.

She had discovered her power, but it hadn’t brought the reaction she’d expected.

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