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Ryan's mouth went dry as he tried to swallow, his eyes flashing green as he looked into the murky puddle.
"This...this can't be happening..." He whispered, his voice barely audible as he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
He paced back and forth, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. With each step, he felt the scales slowly disappear, his body morphing back to its normal state.
Just as he tried to gather himself, the sound of Max's phone ringing startled him.
RING!
"Bro, where are you?!" Max stood at the scene with the police, "We're in some deep shit."
"A-are you...okay?"
"Those guys with the snake tats—they're gang members. I told you he hangs around- whatever. I'm alright. I don't know if they're looking for you or not, so you tell us where you are right now."
"I...don't really know."
"You don't know?"
"I'll meet you back home...I don't think anyone followed me. "
"Fine, Jen and I will be there soon. Uh, try to avoid mom."
"Way ahead of you. "
He could see the glowing blue veins pulsating just beneath the surface of his skin, casting an eerie light in the dim alley.
"What...is happening to me?"
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Ryan's House, 5:30 pm.
Adam sat at the kitchen counter, his eyes glued to the computer screen, reading the headline of the shooting. Ava, in her police uniform, stood nearby, tapping her foot impatiently.
As soon as Ryan entered, he could feel the weight of his parents' glares burning into the back of his head. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he tried to avoid eye contact, but it was too late.
"So...mind telling us what happened today?" Ava asked with folded arms.
"Oh...uh..." Ryan muttered, " Nothing much—"
BAM!
Ryan flinched at the sound, but it was one he knew too well. He turned toward his dad, who was replaying a video—Prince being launched off his feet mid-fight. The footage crackled slightly, the camera audio spiking sharply at the exact moment Ryan's punch landed.
"Nothing much?" Ava raised an eyebrow.
"I..." He hesitated, "It was an...accident?"
"An accident?"
"I didn't mean to hit him that hard."
"Your second week back at school, and you caused a fight that almost ended in a shooting." Adam slowly turned, "So I ask, what do you think we should do to you right now?"
"Um...congratulate me for making it out okay?"
SLAP!
"I didn't mean for it to happen!" Ryan recoiled, rubbing the back of his neck where his mum's palm.
"But it did." Adam grumbled, "You could've been hurt, or your brother or Jennifer, or...You're grounded. "
"What? But I didn't start the fight!"
"Don't care. This is the fourth time this year you've been getting into fights. " Ava scoffed.
"Who told you that?"
YOU ARE READING
Project Renegade: Genesis (Being Updated)
AksiGrowing up stinks. Puberty, social connections, and trying to mature are already tricky enough. Add superpowers, an illegal superhero group of misfits, and an underground crime syndicate; stress might not describe it adequately. That's the life of...
