Powers

Chapter 8

"I'll meet you all at the food court, okay? I just saw someone I need to talk to. Be right back," Selena said, her voice quieter than usual as she started toward the store where she'd spotted Megan. Her steps slowed as she got closer, heart pounding, until she finally reached her.

"Hey, Megan," Selena greeted softly.

Megan stood still for a moment, her gaze distant before she finally responded, "Selena."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, thick and unspoken. Selena shifted nervously before breaking it. "How have you been?"

Megan glanced around the store, avoiding eye contact. "Good, I guess. What about you?"

"Great," Selena said, offering a smile. "I've made some new friends and, well... I'm still trying to figure out how to control my... you know." Her voice dropped on the last words, hinting at something more.

Megan blinked, momentarily confused. Then, it clicked. "Oh," she said flatly. "How's Mom?"

"She's been good," Selena replied. "She misses you." Her tone softened, but Megan's expression remained unchanged.

"I bet she does," Megan muttered, brushing past Selena, heading for the store's exit.

Selena followed quickly, her voice rising slightly. "Megan, why did you leave?"

Megan didn't slow her pace, her voice steady but strained. "I left for a reason, Selena."

"But why?" Selena persisted, her desperation spilling out.

Megan stopped abruptly, spinning around to face her sister. Her eyes blazed with pent-up frustration. "I left because I was sick of being the villain in that house," she snapped. "The second we got back from that lab, Mom blamed me for Sabrina's death. Do you think I wanted that to happen? I was supposed to protect you both, and I couldn't. Sabrina didn't make it out in time, and we had to go. Or all of us would be dead. That's not my fault!"

Selena's breath caught in her throat. She had never seen Megan like this—so raw, so exposed. "I know it wasn't your fault," she said quietly. "I'm not blaming you. But... you could've done something more. You could've saved her."

Megan scoffed bitterly, pulling her arm away as Selena reached out. "You sound just like her," Megan sneered. "Always siding with Mom. You and Sabrina were always against me. I was alone in that house, always the one she screamed at. I should've known from the day you were born that you were a stubborn, loyal little 'Momma's girl.' Goodbye, Selena."

With those cutting words, Megan turned and walked away, leaving Selena standing frozen in place, trying desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

Selena hurried to the nearest bathroom, locking herself in one of the stalls. She splashed water on her face, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Don't listen to her," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "You're smart, strong, independent. You don't need her."

But no matter how hard she tried, her sister's words echoed painfully in her head.

Back at the food court, Jessie noticed Selena approaching and called out, "Hey, everything okay?"

Selena plastered on a smile and sat down, trying to shake off the encounter. "Yeah. Just ran into an old friend, that's all."

Jessie smiled warmly. "Well, that's good. Here, I got you something to eat." She slid a to-go box across the table.

"Thanks," Selena said with genuine gratitude, her stomach growling as she opened the box. "I'm starving." They all shared a light laugh, though Selena's mind was miles away.

Meanwhile, at the site of the destroyed laboratory, chaos reigned as cars and helicopters buzzed around the ruins. Teams of people sifted through the rubble, looking for anything salvageable. One figure stopped suddenly, eyes widening as they spotted something glowing beneath the debris. "Sir!" they called out urgently.

A scientist rushed over, eyes going wide at the sight. "Oh my God," he muttered. "That's one of the girls from the project."

The glowing body was quickly placed on a stretcher and whisked into a waiting helicopter. It lifted off and flew toward an abandoned building miles away, where more people rushed the stretcher into a sterile, dimly lit room. A lead scientist immediately hooked the body up to various machines, reading the data with awe. "Incredible... she's still alive." He scribbled furiously on a clipboard before leaving the room.

He entered a large office where a man sat at a desk, typing. "Sir, we found one of the subjects at the old lab. She survived the explosion."

The man's fingers froze on the keyboard. Slowly, he rose from his seat, a gleam in his eye. "Take me to her."

Later, Megan walked into her apartment and tossed her bag down carelessly. She headed straight to the bathroom, needing the heat of the shower to wash away the tension of the day. After a few minutes, she stepped out, pulling on a set of black athletic clothes. She grabbed her car keys and drove to an old, run-down brick building on the outskirts of town.

Inside, the building was empty except for a few scattered mannequins and targets. Megan dropped her bag to the floor, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, centering herself. Her hands began to glow faintly as she opened her eyes. With a sudden surge of energy, she blasted one of the mannequins, sending it flying across the room. The impact echoed through the building, and Megan grinned, her excitement rising.

"YEAH!" she shouted, jumping up in victory.

Back at the facility, the man and the scientist entered the room where the glowing body lay hooked up to machines. The man gasped, his breath catching in his throat. "It's her," he whispered. "The strongest one of them all... It's Sabrina."