u/Much_Change_6545

In my supehero novel Nova heights there are Different types/Classes of heroes and "Gifts" which is what superpowers are called.

There is shooters/Emitters:Heroes and students that shoot/Throw so mostly Elemental based powers Like Cameron or Gustavo or Naomi

Brawns: Super strength Gifts Like Shawn or coach Hercules

Normies or giftless: People like Lee

Techies:Students with tech based powers or use technology to their advantage like Penelope, Cavalier and Gearbreaker and her connection to her cybermares which are robotic horses

Naturals/Exotics:Animal based gifts Like Tabby Or maybe Sea Queen because technically she is half fish

And finally Wingman/Wing woman or the more formal name is “Aerials :Flying type gifts Like Gabriella, Gustavo,Wind prince and Rook

I have just recently began writing my own superhero novel and have completed chapters 1,2 and 3 and will eventually be working on chapter 4 but here it is

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter One: “Before the Lightning”

People like to romanticize war.

The documentaries always show the cool parts first.

Heroes flying through explosions. Glowing skylines. Slow-motion punches. Dramatic speeches.

They never show the screams.

They never show what burnt metal smells like.

And they definitely never show what happens after the cameras shut off.

The Sundering started before I was born, but in Nova City, you grow up hearing about it the same way kids used to hear fairy tales.

Except our fairy tales ended with body counts.

The sky burned red over Mercury Marina.

Even now, years later, everyone in the city still knew the footage by heart.

The final battle.

The moment everything fell apart.

A younger version of Sentinel soared above the skyline, radiant wings blazing behind him as collapsing buildings crumbled into the ocean below. Emergency sirens screamed through the smoke.

“Sector Seven, hold the line!” Sentinel shouted into his comms. “Do NOT let Wyatt reach the Core!”

Then came the man who destroyed everything.

Gearbreaker.

Back then, he was still Jason Wyatt. Still technically a hero.

Depends who you ask, anyway.

His massive exosuit tore through the air with a scream of grinding metal and blue fire. Drones swarmed behind him like angry hornets while civilians fled beneath the chaos.

“You built a world that protects monsters!” Gearbreaker roared.

Mechanical cables whipped from his arm.

“I’m just fixing it!”

Then they collided.

Light against machine.

Hero against hero.

Brother against brother.

The footage always cuts to static right before impact.

Probably because nobody wanted future generations seeing the exact moment hope died.

Funny thing is?

We all memorized it anyway.

A few years earlier…

Back when life was simpler.

Back before breakups, supervillains, and near-death experiences became part of my weekly routine.

“Cameron!”

A blur tackled me across the front lawn.

I hit the grass laughing as Penelope Whitmore stood over me triumphantly wearing a blanket tied around her shoulders like a cape.

“You’re supposed to pretend to lose,” she said.

“That’s not how heroes work,” I argued, gripping my cardboard sword dramatically.

I was nine years old, missing my front tooth, and fully convinced I was destined to save the world someday.

In hindsight?

That probably should’ve been my first warning sign.

Penelope pointed toward the street.

“I’ll save Nova City!”

“Not if I save it first!”

We sprinted across the yard making laser noises with our mouths because apparently all superheroes did that when you were kids.

Then she suddenly stopped.

I nearly crashed into her.

Penelope smiled before kissing my cheek quickly.

“We’re gonna be heroes together someday,” she whispered.

I remember grinning like an idiot.

“Promise?”

She hooked her pinky around mine.

“Promise.”

Yeah.

So much for that.

BZZZZT.

My alarm exploded beside my head.

I groaned into my pillow.

“Mari,” I mumbled, half dead, “five more minutes.”

The AI voice connected to my room speakers responded instantly.

“Cameron Alejandro Jones, if I allowed that, you would sleep until graduation.”

“Worth it.”

A robotic bark echoed near my bed.

Zeus, my mechanical Great Dane, jumped onto me with all one hundred and twenty pounds of his metal body.

“SPARKS”

\\\\\\\*CRASH\\\\\\\*

I rolled straight off the bed.

Perfect start to the morning.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!”

My older brother Mateo leaned against the doorway grinning like the menace he was. Most people knew him as Echo—the former Nova Heights golden boy who could mimic basically anything.

Right now he was mimicking an airhorn.

Directly into my ear.

“You are the worst human being alive,” I told him.

“Love you too, Cam.”

Mateo had graduated from Nova Heights two years earlier and somehow still acted like he owned the place.

Unfortunately, everyone there loved him.

Meanwhile I was entering as:

recently dumped

powerless

caffeine addicted

and ninety percent anxiety.

Huge difference.

I dragged myself upright and pulled on my usual outfit:

Blue hoodie.

Ripped gray jeans.

Light-up sneakers.

Then my eyes landed on the lightning bolt choker sitting near the mirror.

The one Penelope gave me.

For a second, I just stared at it.

Zeus tilted his head curiously.

“…Don’t start,” I muttered.

I grabbed the necklace anyway.

Because apparently emotional self-destruction builds character.

Downstairs smelled like coffee, cinnamon, and chaos.

Which basically described my family perfectly.

My grandfather Alejandro sat at the kitchen table reading the news while drinking what had to be his seventh cup of coffee today.

My abuela Maria was cooking breakfast while arguing with the television.

My mom Lucia was already dressed for another campaign meeting, typing messages into three holographic screens at once.

And my dad?

Former superhero Blackstorm himself stood in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and an old Nova Guard shirt while making protein pancakes.

Turns out legends become painfully normal once you see them unclog a sink at midnight.

The television suddenly switched to an emergency broadcast.

REPORTER:

“Authorities have confirmed that Jason Wyatt, also known as Gearbreaker, has escaped Nova City Penitentiary”

The kitchen went silent.

Dad’s expression hardened instantly.

“If you see him,” he said without hesitation, “you run like hell.”

Grandpa Alejandro scoffed loudly.

“Oh please. Running gets you killed faster.”

“Papà…” my mother started

“What? The boy should know how to survive!” Grandpa pointed his coffee spoon dramatically. “You take out the tubes on Wyatt’s armor. Without those, he’s just an angry man in metal pants.”

“Please stop teaching our son how to fight cyber terrorists before school,” Mom sighed.

Grandpa shrugged.

“Worked for Mateo.”

“Barely,” Mateo called from upstairs.

Mom walked over and kissed my forehead before fixing my hair.

“Enough superhero talk. Go welcome the new neighbors before your father starts another war flashback.”

“I heard that,” Dad muttered.

I wandered toward the front window.

And immediately forgot how breathing worked.

A girl balanced effortlessly on top of moving boxes Tan skin.

Black hair with a pink streak.

A pair of flight goggles resting on her forehead.

Then she noticed me watching.

She waved brightly.

“Hola, neighbor!”

I stared for exactly three seconds too long before managing:

“…Uh. Hi.”

Behind me, Mateo started laughing like a hyena.

Great.

First day at Nova Heights and I was already embarrassing myself..

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter Two: “Welcome to Nova Heights”

The front gates of Nova Heights Academy looked less like a school and more like somebody fused a sports stadium with a spaceship.

Glass towers reflected the ocean beside Mercury Marina while giant holographic crow wings spread across the entrance above hundreds of students flooding into campus. Music blasted from hidden speakers somewhere overhead while drones zipped through the air carrying schedules and announcements.

WELCOME BACK, CROWS!

HEROES AREN’T BORN — THEY’RE BUILT.

Subtle.

“Holy sparks…” I muttered.

Mateo smirked beside me.

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“You’re scratching your neck.”

I stopped immediately.

Traitorous body language.

Students pushed past us wearing modified uniforms in every style imaginable. Some looked like influencers. Others looked like underground street racers. One guy walked past in what I was pretty sure was an LED trench coat.

Meanwhile I still felt like a sleep-deprived disaster wrapped in a hoodie.

Mateo clapped my shoulder.

“You’ll survive.”

“That’s exactly what people say before terrible things happen.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Then he vanished into the crowd like the socially adjusted menace he was.

Lucky him.

I stared up at the academy entrance.

Okay, Cameron.

New year.

New school.

New start.

Definitely no emotional catastrophes today.

The universe immediately laughed at me.

“CAMERON!”

Something tackled me from the side.

I barely stayed upright before recognizing long blue-green hair and the smell of ocean salt.

Naomi Kaele grinned brightly while squeezing the life out of my spine.

“Sparky boy!”

“Naomi….can’t….breathe”

“Oh! Sorry!”

She released me instantly.

Several nearby students stared openly.

Mostly because Naomi was six foot eight and built like a warrior goddess accidentally trapped in a teen drama.

Which honestly wasn’t inaccurate.

She wore an oversized academy hoodie over jean shorts with seashell charms tied around the sleeves. Polynesian tattoos curled along her arms like flowing waves while her massive backpack had tiny fish keychains hanging from the zipper.

“You came back!” she said excitedly.

“…I go here.”

“Yes but emotionally you disappear sometimes.”

Fair.

A familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“She’s not wrong.”

Leon Jae Han leaned against a nearby pillar sipping iced coffee while wearing a green hoodie beneath his academy jacket. One sleeve was rolled up revealing the green bracelet Gustavo would eventually obsess over.

His blonde curls partially covered one eye while hanafuda-style earrings swung gently as he walked over.

My best friend looked painfully cool before nine in the morning.

Meanwhile I looked like somebody microwaved anxiety.

“Lee!” I grinned.

We fist bumped instantly.

“You ready for your first day?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Fear builds character.”

Naomi gasped dramatically.

“That’s what sharks do.”

“She would know,” Lee said.

“She tried petting one once,” I added.

“I DID pet one once.”

“You lost three fingers.”

“They grew back.”

“That is NOT helping your argument.”

Before Naomi could defend shark friendship, somebody nearby screamed.

“MOVE!”

A football slammed into the wall beside my head hard enough to crack the concrete slightly.

The crowd scattered.

Shawn Mitchell walked through the hallway carrying another football beneath one arm like he owned the entire school.

Honestly?

He kinda did.

His sleeveless varsity jacket showed off his cybernetic arms while students parted around him automatically. Ash and the other football guys followed behind him laughing.

Then Shawn noticed me.

Of course he did.

“Well if it isn’t Blackstorm Junior.”

“Morning to you too.”

His eyes drifted toward Naomi and Lee before landing back on me.

“You finally get your Gift yet?”

The hallway suddenly felt quieter.

I shrugged casually despite the knot forming in my stomach.

“Working on it.”

Shawn smirked.

“Damn. That’s rough.”

Ash snorted behind him.

“Maybe he inherited his mom’s side.”

The group laughed.

Then Shawn walked off shoulder-checking me hard enough to nearly knock me sideways.

Naomi frowned instantly.

“I could throw him into the ocean.”

“That’s illegal,” Lee said.

“She’s very strong though,” I admitted.

“You both underestimate my power.”

“We definitely don’t.”

A loud WHISTLE echoed across campus.

Every student froze.

Coach Hercules stood near the courtyard entrance with his arms crossed.

The man looked like an actual mythological warrior and somehow became a gym teacher by accident.

Seven foot one.

Massive beard.

Scar across one eye.

Nova Heights training jacket stretched across enough muscle to bench press a truck.

Beside him stood Principal Dune adjusting his glasses calmly while holding a tablet and coffee.

Where Hercules looked intimidating enough to punch meteors, Dune looked like a college professor that secretly knew how to bury bodies in the desert.

“WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!” Hercules boomed.

The entire courtyard went silent.

“Try not to destroy school property this year.”

A student raised his hand.

“What about emotionally?”

“That’s unavoidable.”

Dune sipped his coffee.

“Please avoid arson before lunch at minimum.”

Several students glanced toward the theater hallway immediately.

Interesting.

“Schedules are now uploaded,” Dune continued. “Any fighting outside designated training areas will result in suspension.”

Hercules cracked his knuckles loudly.

“Or me.”

That probably motivated people more.

By third period, I’d already:

gotten lost twice

almost walked into the wrong classroom

spilled coffee on myself

and watched Naomi accidentally break a bathroom sink

Honestly? Could’ve been worse.

Then came gym.

Which was where my life completely exploded.

“Dodgeball?” Lee asked flatly.

Coach Hercules tossed a ball upward.

“Combat awareness exercise.”

“That’s just dodgeball with extra trauma.”

“Correct.”

The gym divided quickly.

Shawn immediately chose:

Ash

the football team

several popular kids

Meanwhile my side looked like:

exhausted

confused

spiritually defeated

Awesome.

Gabriella stood near the bleachers beside the cheer squad adjusting her ponytail while talking to another girl named Skylar.

Even from across the gym she somehow looked radiant.

Which definitely wasn’t distracting at all.

Absolutely not.

Shawn noticed me looking.

Uh oh.

His smirk widened slowly.

“Ash.”

Ash grinned immediately before igniting the dodgeball in his hands.

Several students backed away.

“Let’s give the new girl a welcome.”

Gabriella turned too late.

Shawn launched the burning ball across the gym like a missile.

Everything slowed down.

The screams faded.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Gabriella’s eyes widened.

And suddenly—

something snapped.

Electricity exploded beneath my skin.

My vision flashed white.

Sparks crawled violently across my arm as my hair lit up bright silver-white.

The air CRACKED.

I lifted my hand instinctively.

THUNDER BOOMED THROUGH THE GYM.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my palm and obliterated the dodgeball midair in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Silence.

The remains of the ball hit the floor burning softly.

Every student stared at me.

My entire body buzzed violently.

Electricity danced across my fingertips.

“My Gift…” I whispered.

Holy sparks.

“My Gift is electricity.”

Coach Hercules looked genuinely stunned.

Then slowly…

he smiled.

“Jones,” he said quietly.

“That was one hell of a first impression.”

Gabriella walked toward me carefully.

“You protected me.”

“Oh—uh—I mean—yeah—hero stuff—totally intentional—”

She laughed softly before kissing my cheek.

My brain immediately stopped functioning.

“Thank you, Cameron.”

Then she walked back toward the cheer squad waving casually.

Meanwhile I remained frozen in place.

Lee stared.

Naomi stared.

Ash stared.

Shawn looked furious.

And somewhere in the bleachers—

Penelope Whitmore looked heartbroken.

Chapter Three: “The Crows”

By the end of the day, literally everyone knew.

Cameron Jones finally awakened his Gift.

Unfortunately, that also meant people wouldn’t stop staring at me.

I walked through the hallway while students whispered constantly.

“Did you SEE that lightning?”

“That was insane—”

“Blackstorm’s kid finally snapped—”

“Shawn looked pissed—”

“Do you think he’s joining hero track?”

“No idea.”

I pulled my hood up further.

“This is horrifying.”

Lee walked beside me sipping another iced coffee.

“You’ll live.”

“People are calling me Sparkplug.”

“That one’s kinda funny.”

“I hate this school.”

“No you don’t.”

…He had a point.

The gymnasium had been completely transformed for the season opening pep rally.

Massive holograms hovered above the crowd while music shook the bleachers hard enough to vibrate my ribs. Cheerleaders practiced flips near the sidelines while athletes gathered below giant glowing banners displaying THE CROWS.

Naomi waved excitedly from the front row hard enough to nearly dislocate somebody nearby.

“SPARKY BOY!”

“She is physically incapable of subtlety,” Lee noted.

“Part of her charm.”

Suddenly shouting erupted near the side entrance.

A girl with a short orange pixie cut had lifted Ash completely off the floor using one hand.

“Lemme down!” Ash wheezed.

June Summers looked deeply unimpressed beneath black eyeliner and orange-tinted sunglasses.

“I said no.”

Ash blinked.

“…Because you’re busy?”

June deadpanned.

“Because I prefer girls with manners.”

The nearby theater kids burst into laughter.

A white-haired cat girl beside June nearly dropped her books laughing.

“Tabby,” June sighed.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

Ash stumbled away humiliated while June adjusted her leather jacket calmly.

Honestly?

Iconic.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

The crowd erupted instantly.

The football team entered through smoke and flashing lights while students screamed loud enough to shake the gym.

Shawn led the group confidently beneath roaring applause.

The guy looked untouchable.

Then the atmosphere changed.

Not louder.

Different.

Every student turned toward the upper balcony.

A single figure stood there surrounded by shifting shadows.

Damian Vega.

Tall.

Perfect posture.

Black coat moving slightly despite no wind.

His living shadows curled around his arms like smoke with minds of their own.

Rook’s son.

The crowd watched him like royalty.

Or a loaded weapon.

Damian stared down toward the gym expressionlessly before his eyes landed on me.

Fantastic.

His gaze lingered briefly before he looked away dismissively.

Like I wasn’t worth the effort.

My eye twitched.

“Well,” Lee said.

“That seemed unnecessarily personal.”

“I already hate him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“He looked at me with generational disappointment.”

Naomi squinted upward.

“He has very nice hair though.”

“You say that about everyone.”

“Because hair matters, Cameron.”

Fair enough.

Below us, Shawn raised his fists triumphantly while the crowd cheered.

Above him stood Damian Vega like a storm cloud pretending to be human.

And somewhere deep in my chest

electricity crackled again.

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter One: “Before the Lightning”

People like to romanticize war.

The documentaries always show the cool parts first.

Heroes flying through explosions. Glowing skylines. Slow-motion punches. Dramatic speeches.

They never show the screams.

They never show what burnt metal smells like.

And they definitely never show what happens after the cameras shut off.

The Sundering started before I was born, but in Nova City, you grow up hearing about it the same way kids used to hear fairy tales.

Except our fairy tales ended with body counts.

The sky burned red over Mercury Marina.

Even now, years later, everyone in the city still knew the footage by heart.

The final battle.

The moment everything fell apart.

A younger version of Sentinel soared above the skyline, radiant wings blazing behind him as collapsing buildings crumbled into the ocean below. Emergency sirens screamed through the smoke.

“Sector Seven, hold the line!” Sentinel shouted into his comms. “Do NOT let Wyatt reach the Core!”

Then came the man who destroyed everything.

Gearbreaker.

Back then, he was still Jason Wyatt. Still technically a hero.

Depends who you ask, anyway.

His massive exosuit tore through the air with a scream of grinding metal and blue fire. Drones swarmed behind him like angry hornets while civilians fled beneath the chaos.

“You built a world that protects monsters!” Gearbreaker roared.

Mechanical cables whipped from his arm.

“I’m just fixing it!”

Then they collided.

Light against machine.

Hero against hero.

Brother against brother.

The footage always cuts to static right before impact.

Probably because nobody wanted future generations seeing the exact moment hope died.

Funny thing is?

We all memorized it anyway.

A few years earlier…

Back when life was simpler.

Back before breakups, supervillains, and near-death experiences became part of my weekly routine.

“Cameron!”

A blur tackled me across the front lawn.

I hit the grass laughing as Penelope Whitmore stood over me triumphantly wearing a blanket tied around her shoulders like a cape.

“You’re supposed to pretend to lose,” she said.

“That’s not how heroes work,” I argued, gripping my cardboard sword dramatically.

I was nine years old, missing my front tooth, and fully convinced I was destined to save the world someday.

In hindsight?

That probably should’ve been my first warning sign.

Penelope pointed toward the street.

“I’ll save Nova City!”

“Not if I save it first!”

We sprinted across the yard making laser noises with our mouths because apparently all superheroes did that when you were kids.

Then she suddenly stopped.

I nearly crashed into her.

Penelope smiled before kissing my cheek quickly.

“We’re gonna be heroes together someday,” she whispered.

I remember grinning like an idiot.

“Promise?”

She hooked her pinky around mine.

“Promise.”

Yeah.

So much for that.

BZZZZT.

My alarm exploded beside my head.

I groaned into my pillow.

“Mari,” I mumbled, half dead, “five more minutes.”

The AI voice connected to my room speakers responded instantly.

“Cameron Alejandro Jones, if I allowed that, you would sleep until graduation.”

“Worth it.”

A robotic bark echoed near my bed.

Zeus, my mechanical Great Dane, jumped onto me with all one hundred and twenty pounds of his metal body.

“SPARKS”

\\\*CRASH\\\*

I rolled straight off the bed.

Perfect start to the morning.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!”

My older brother Mateo leaned against the doorway grinning like the menace he was. Most people knew him as Echo—the former Nova Heights golden boy who could mimic basically anything.

Right now he was mimicking an airhorn.

Directly into my ear.

“You are the worst human being alive,” I told him.

“Love you too, Cam.”

Mateo had graduated from Nova Heights two years earlier and somehow still acted like he owned the place.

Unfortunately, everyone there loved him.

Meanwhile I was entering as:

recently dumped

powerless

caffeine addicted

and ninety percent anxiety.

Huge difference.

I dragged myself upright and pulled on my usual outfit:

Blue hoodie.

Ripped gray jeans.

Light-up sneakers.

Then my eyes landed on the lightning bolt choker sitting near the mirror.

The one Penelope gave me.

For a second, I just stared at it.

Zeus tilted his head curiously.

“…Don’t start,” I muttered.

I grabbed the necklace anyway.

Because apparently emotional self-destruction builds character.

Downstairs smelled like coffee, cinnamon, and chaos.

Which basically described my family perfectly.

My grandfather Alejandro sat at the kitchen table reading the news while drinking what had to be his seventh cup of coffee today.

My abuela Maria was cooking breakfast while arguing with the television.

My mom Lucia was already dressed for another campaign meeting, typing messages into three holographic screens at once.

And my dad?

Former superhero Blackstorm himself stood in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and an old Nova Guard shirt while making protein pancakes.

Turns out legends become painfully normal once you see them unclog a sink at midnight.

The television suddenly switched to an emergency broadcast.

REPORTER:

“Authorities have confirmed that Jason Wyatt, also known as Gearbreaker, has escaped Nova City Penitentiary”

The kitchen went silent.

Dad’s expression hardened instantly.

“If you see him,” he said without hesitation, “you run like hell.”

Grandpa Alejandro scoffed loudly.

“Oh please. Running gets you killed faster.”

“Papà…” my mother started

“What? The boy should know how to survive!” Grandpa pointed his coffee spoon dramatically. “You take out the tubes on Wyatt’s armor. Without those, he’s just an angry man in metal pants.”

“Please stop teaching our son how to fight cyber terrorists before school,” Mom sighed.

Grandpa shrugged.

“Worked for Mateo.”

“Barely,” Mateo called from upstairs.

Mom walked over and kissed my forehead before fixing my hair.

“Enough superhero talk. Go welcome the new neighbors before your father starts another war flashback.”

“I heard that,” Dad muttered.

I wandered toward the front window.

And immediately forgot how breathing worked.

A girl balanced effortlessly on top of moving boxes Tan skin.

Black hair with a pink streak.

A pair of flight goggles resting on her forehead.

Then she noticed me watching.

She waved brightly.

“Hola, neighbor!”

I stared for exactly three seconds too long before managing:

“…Uh. Hi.”

Behind me, Mateo started laughing like a hyena.

Great.

First day at Nova Heights and I was already embarrassing myself..

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter Two: “Welcome to Nova Heights”

The front gates of Nova Heights Academy looked less like a school and more like somebody fused a sports stadium with a spaceship.

Glass towers reflected the ocean beside Mercury Marina while giant holographic crow wings spread across the entrance above hundreds of students flooding into campus. Music blasted from hidden speakers somewhere overhead while drones zipped through the air carrying schedules and announcements.

WELCOME BACK, CROWS!

HEROES AREN’T BORN — THEY’RE BUILT.

Subtle.

“Holy sparks…” I muttered.

Mateo smirked beside me.

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“You’re scratching your neck.”

I stopped immediately.

Traitorous body language.

Students pushed past us wearing modified uniforms in every style imaginable. Some looked like influencers. Others looked like underground street racers. One guy walked past in what I was pretty sure was an LED trench coat.

Meanwhile I still felt like a sleep-deprived disaster wrapped in a hoodie.

Mateo clapped my shoulder.

“You’ll survive.”

“That’s exactly what people say before terrible things happen.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Then he vanished into the crowd like the socially adjusted menace he was.

Lucky him.

I stared up at the academy entrance.

Okay, Cameron.

New year.

New school.

New start.

Definitely no emotional catastrophes today.

The universe immediately laughed at me.

“CAMERON!”

Something tackled me from the side.

I barely stayed upright before recognizing long blue-green hair and the smell of ocean salt.

Naomi Kaele grinned brightly while squeezing the life out of my spine.

“Sparky boy!”

“Naomi….can’t….breathe”

“Oh! Sorry!”

She released me instantly.

Several nearby students stared openly.

Mostly because Naomi was six foot eight and built like a warrior goddess accidentally trapped in a teen drama.

Which honestly wasn’t inaccurate.

She wore an oversized academy hoodie over jean shorts with seashell charms tied around the sleeves. Polynesian tattoos curled along her arms like flowing waves while her massive backpack had tiny fish keychains hanging from the zipper.

“You came back!” she said excitedly.

“…I go here.”

“Yes but emotionally you disappear sometimes.”

Fair.

A familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“She’s not wrong.”

Leon Jae Han leaned against a nearby pillar sipping iced coffee while wearing a green hoodie beneath his academy jacket. One sleeve was rolled up revealing the green bracelet Gustavo would eventually obsess over.

His blonde curls partially covered one eye while hanafuda-style earrings swung gently as he walked over.

My best friend looked painfully cool before nine in the morning.

Meanwhile I looked like somebody microwaved anxiety.

“Lee!” I grinned.

We fist bumped instantly.

“You ready for your first day?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Fear builds character.”

Naomi gasped dramatically.

“That’s what sharks do.”

“She would know,” Lee said.

“She tried petting one once,” I added.

“I DID pet one once.”

“You lost three fingers.”

“They grew back.”

“That is NOT helping your argument.”

Before Naomi could defend shark friendship, somebody nearby screamed.

“MOVE!”

A football slammed into the wall beside my head hard enough to crack the concrete slightly.

The crowd scattered.

Shawn Mitchell walked through the hallway carrying another football beneath one arm like he owned the entire school.

Honestly?

He kinda did.

His sleeveless varsity jacket showed off his cybernetic arms while students parted around him automatically. Ash and the other football guys followed behind him laughing.

Then Shawn noticed me.

Of course he did.

“Well if it isn’t Blackstorm Junior.”

“Morning to you too.”

His eyes drifted toward Naomi and Lee before landing back on me.

“You finally get your Gift yet?”

The hallway suddenly felt quieter.

I shrugged casually despite the knot forming in my stomach.

“Working on it.”

Shawn smirked.

“Damn. That’s rough.”

Ash snorted behind him.

“Maybe he inherited his mom’s side.”

The group laughed.

Then Shawn walked off shoulder-checking me hard enough to nearly knock me sideways.

Naomi frowned instantly.

“I could throw him into the ocean.”

“That’s illegal,” Lee said.

“She’s very strong though,” I admitted.

“You both underestimate my power.”

“We definitely don’t.”

A loud WHISTLE echoed across campus.

Every student froze.

Coach Hercules stood near the courtyard entrance with his arms crossed.

The man looked like an actual mythological warrior and somehow became a gym teacher by accident.

Seven foot one.

Massive beard.

Scar across one eye.

Nova Heights training jacket stretched across enough muscle to bench press a truck.

Beside him stood Principal Dune adjusting his glasses calmly while holding a tablet and coffee.

Where Hercules looked intimidating enough to punch meteors, Dune looked like a college professor that secretly knew how to bury bodies in the desert.

“WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!” Hercules boomed.

The entire courtyard went silent.

“Try not to destroy school property this year.”

A student raised his hand.

“What about emotionally?”

“That’s unavoidable.”

Dune sipped his coffee.

“Please avoid arson before lunch at minimum.”

Several students glanced toward the theater hallway immediately.

Interesting.

“Schedules are now uploaded,” Dune continued. “Any fighting outside designated training areas will result in suspension.”

Hercules cracked his knuckles loudly.

“Or me.”

That probably motivated people more.

By third period, I’d already:

gotten lost twice

almost walked into the wrong classroom

spilled coffee on myself

and watched Naomi accidentally break a bathroom sink

Honestly? Could’ve been worse.

Then came gym.

Which was where my life completely exploded.

“Dodgeball?” Lee asked flatly.

Coach Hercules tossed a ball upward.

“Combat awareness exercise.”

“That’s just dodgeball with extra trauma.”

“Correct.”

The gym divided quickly.

Shawn immediately chose:

Ash

the football team

several popular kids

Meanwhile my side looked like:

exhausted

confused

spiritually defeated

Awesome.

Gabriella stood near the bleachers beside the cheer squad adjusting her ponytail while talking to another girl named Skylar.

Even from across the gym she somehow looked radiant.

Which definitely wasn’t distracting at all.

Absolutely not.

Shawn noticed me looking.

Uh oh.

His smirk widened slowly.

“Ash.”

Ash grinned immediately before igniting the dodgeball in his hands.

Several students backed away.

“Let’s give the new girl a welcome.”

Gabriella turned too late.

Shawn launched the burning ball across the gym like a missile.

Everything slowed down.

The screams faded.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Gabriella’s eyes widened.

And suddenly—

something snapped.

Electricity exploded beneath my skin.

My vision flashed white.

Sparks crawled violently across my arm as my hair lit up bright silver-white.

The air CRACKED.

I lifted my hand instinctively.

THUNDER BOOMED THROUGH THE GYM.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my palm and obliterated the dodgeball midair in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Silence.

The remains of the ball hit the floor burning softly.

Every student stared at me.

My entire body buzzed violently.

Electricity danced across my fingertips.

“My Gift…” I whispered.

Holy sparks.

“My Gift is electricity.”

Coach Hercules looked genuinely stunned.

Then slowly…

he smiled.

“Jones,” he said quietly.

“That was one hell of a first impression.”

Gabriella walked toward me carefully.

“You protected me.”

“Oh—uh—I mean—yeah—hero stuff—totally intentional—”

She laughed softly before kissing my cheek.

My brain immediately stopped functioning.

“Thank you, Cameron.”

Then she walked back toward the cheer squad waving casually.

Meanwhile I remained frozen in place.

Lee stared.

Naomi stared.

Ash stared.

Shawn looked furious.

And somewhere in the bleachers—

Penelope Whitmore looked heartbroken.

Chapter Three: “The Crows”

By the end of the day, literally everyone knew.

Cameron Jones finally awakened his Gift.

Unfortunately, that also meant people wouldn’t stop staring at me.

I walked through the hallway while students whispered constantly.

“Did you SEE that lightning?”

“That was insane—”

“Blackstorm’s kid finally snapped—”

“Shawn looked pissed—”

“Do you think he’s joining hero track?”

“No idea.”

I pulled my hood up further.

“This is horrifying.”

Lee walked beside me sipping another iced coffee.

“You’ll live.”

“People are calling me Sparkplug.”

“That one’s kinda funny.”

“I hate this school.”

“No you don’t.”

…He had a point.

The gymnasium had been completely transformed for the season opening pep rally.

Massive holograms hovered above the crowd while music shook the bleachers hard enough to vibrate my ribs. Cheerleaders practiced flips near the sidelines while athletes gathered below giant glowing banners displaying THE CROWS.

Naomi waved excitedly from the front row hard enough to nearly dislocate somebody nearby.

“SPARKY BOY!”

“She is physically incapable of subtlety,” Lee noted.

“Part of her charm.”

Suddenly shouting erupted near the side entrance.

A girl with a short orange pixie cut had lifted Ash completely off the floor using one hand.

“Lemme down!” Ash wheezed.

June Summers looked deeply unimpressed beneath black eyeliner and orange-tinted sunglasses.

“I said no.”

Ash blinked.

“…Because you’re busy?”

June deadpanned.

“Because I prefer girls with manners.”

The nearby theater kids burst into laughter.

A white-haired cat girl beside June nearly dropped her books laughing.

“Tabby,” June sighed.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

Ash stumbled away humiliated while June adjusted her leather jacket calmly.

Honestly?

Iconic.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

The crowd erupted instantly.

The football team entered through smoke and flashing lights while students screamed loud enough to shake the gym.

Shawn led the group confidently beneath roaring applause.

The guy looked untouchable.

Then the atmosphere changed.

Not louder.

Different.

Every student turned toward the upper balcony.

A single figure stood there surrounded by shifting shadows.

Damian Vega.

Tall.

Perfect posture.

Black coat moving slightly despite no wind.

His living shadows curled around his arms like smoke with minds of their own.

Rook’s son.

The crowd watched him like royalty.

Or a loaded weapon.

Damian stared down toward the gym expressionlessly before his eyes landed on me.

Fantastic.

His gaze lingered briefly before he looked away dismissively.

Like I wasn’t worth the effort.

My eye twitched.

“Well,” Lee said.

“That seemed unnecessarily personal.”

“I already hate him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“He looked at me with generational disappointment.”

Naomi squinted upward.

“He has very nice hair though.”

“You say that about everyone.”

“Because hair matters, Cameron.”

Fair enough.

Below us, Shawn raised his fists triumphantly while the crowd cheered.

Above him stood Damian Vega like a storm cloud pretending to be human.

And somewhere deep in my chest

electricity crackled again.

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter One: “Before the Lightning”

People like to romanticize war.

The documentaries always show the cool parts first.

Heroes flying through explosions. Glowing skylines. Slow-motion punches. Dramatic speeches.

They never show the screams.

They never show what burnt metal smells like.

And they definitely never show what happens after the cameras shut off.

The Sundering started before I was born, but in Nova City, you grow up hearing about it the same way kids used to hear fairy tales.

Except our fairy tales ended with body counts.

The sky burned red over Mercury Marina.

Even now, years later, everyone in the city still knew the footage by heart.

The final battle.

The moment everything fell apart.

A younger version of Sentinel soared above the skyline, radiant wings blazing behind him as collapsing buildings crumbled into the ocean below. Emergency sirens screamed through the smoke.

“Sector Seven, hold the line!” Sentinel shouted into his comms. “Do NOT let Wyatt reach the Core!”

Then came the man who destroyed everything.

Gearbreaker.

Back then, he was still Jason Wyatt. Still technically a hero.

Depends who you ask, anyway.

His massive exosuit tore through the air with a scream of grinding metal and blue fire. Drones swarmed behind him like angry hornets while civilians fled beneath the chaos.

“You built a world that protects monsters!” Gearbreaker roared.

Mechanical cables whipped from his arm.

“I’m just fixing it!”

Then they collided.

Light against machine.

Hero against hero.

Brother against brother.

The footage always cuts to static right before impact.

Probably because nobody wanted future generations seeing the exact moment hope died.

Funny thing is?

We all memorized it anyway.

A few years earlier…

Back when life was simpler.

Back before breakups, supervillains, and near-death experiences became part of my weekly routine.

“Cameron!”

A blur tackled me across the front lawn.

I hit the grass laughing as Penelope Whitmore stood over me triumphantly wearing a blanket tied around her shoulders like a cape.

“You’re supposed to pretend to lose,” she said.

“That’s not how heroes work,” I argued, gripping my cardboard sword dramatically.

I was nine years old, missing my front tooth, and fully convinced I was destined to save the world someday.

In hindsight?

That probably should’ve been my first warning sign.

Penelope pointed toward the street.

“I’ll save Nova City!”

“Not if I save it first!”

We sprinted across the yard making laser noises with our mouths because apparently all superheroes did that when you were kids.

Then she suddenly stopped.

I nearly crashed into her.

Penelope smiled before kissing my cheek quickly.

“We’re gonna be heroes together someday,” she whispered.

I remember grinning like an idiot.

“Promise?”

She hooked her pinky around mine.

“Promise.”

Yeah.

So much for that.

BZZZZT.

My alarm exploded beside my head.

I groaned into my pillow.

“Mari,” I mumbled, half dead, “five more minutes.”

The AI voice connected to my room speakers responded instantly.

“Cameron Alejandro Jones, if I allowed that, you would sleep until graduation.”

“Worth it.”

A robotic bark echoed near my bed.

Zeus, my mechanical Great Dane, jumped onto me with all one hundred and twenty pounds of his metal body.

“SPARKS”

\\\*CRASH\\\*

I rolled straight off the bed.

Perfect start to the morning.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!”

My older brother Mateo leaned against the doorway grinning like the menace he was. Most people knew him as Echo—the former Nova Heights golden boy who could mimic basically anything.

Right now he was mimicking an airhorn.

Directly into my ear.

“You are the worst human being alive,” I told him.

“Love you too, Cam.”

Mateo had graduated from Nova Heights two years earlier and somehow still acted like he owned the place.

Unfortunately, everyone there loved him.

Meanwhile I was entering as:

recently dumped

powerless

caffeine addicted

and ninety percent anxiety.

Huge difference.

I dragged myself upright and pulled on my usual outfit:

Blue hoodie.

Ripped gray jeans.

Light-up sneakers.

Then my eyes landed on the lightning bolt choker sitting near the mirror.

The one Penelope gave me.

For a second, I just stared at it.

Zeus tilted his head curiously.

“…Don’t start,” I muttered.

I grabbed the necklace anyway.

Because apparently emotional self-destruction builds character.

Downstairs smelled like coffee, cinnamon, and chaos.

Which basically described my family perfectly.

My grandfather Alejandro sat at the kitchen table reading the news while drinking what had to be his seventh cup of coffee today.

My abuela Maria was cooking breakfast while arguing with the television.

My mom Lucia was already dressed for another campaign meeting, typing messages into three holographic screens at once.

And my dad?

Former superhero Blackstorm himself stood in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and an old Nova Guard shirt while making protein pancakes.

Turns out legends become painfully normal once you see them unclog a sink at midnight.

The television suddenly switched to an emergency broadcast.

REPORTER:

“Authorities have confirmed that Jason Wyatt, also known as Gearbreaker, has escaped Nova City Penitentiary”

The kitchen went silent.

Dad’s expression hardened instantly.

“If you see him,” he said without hesitation, “you run like hell.”

Grandpa Alejandro scoffed loudly.

“Oh please. Running gets you killed faster.”

“Papà…” my mother started

“What? The boy should know how to survive!” Grandpa pointed his coffee spoon dramatically. “You take out the tubes on Wyatt’s armor. Without those, he’s just an angry man in metal pants.”

“Please stop teaching our son how to fight cyber terrorists before school,” Mom sighed.

Grandpa shrugged.

“Worked for Mateo.”

“Barely,” Mateo called from upstairs.

Mom walked over and kissed my forehead before fixing my hair.

“Enough superhero talk. Go welcome the new neighbors before your father starts another war flashback.”

“I heard that,” Dad muttered.

I wandered toward the front window.

And immediately forgot how breathing worked.

A girl balanced effortlessly on top of moving boxes Tan skin.

Black hair with a pink streak.

A pair of flight goggles resting on her forehead.

Then she noticed me watching.

She waved brightly.

“Hola, neighbor!”

I stared for exactly three seconds too long before managing:

“…Uh. Hi.”

Behind me, Mateo started laughing like a hyena.

Great.

First day at Nova Heights and I was already embarrassing myself..

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter Two: “Welcome to Nova Heights”

The front gates of Nova Heights Academy looked less like a school and more like somebody fused a sports stadium with a spaceship.

Glass towers reflected the ocean beside Mercury Marina while giant holographic crow wings spread across the entrance above hundreds of students flooding into campus. Music blasted from hidden speakers somewhere overhead while drones zipped through the air carrying schedules and announcements.

WELCOME BACK, CROWS!

HEROES AREN’T BORN — THEY’RE BUILT.

Subtle.

“Holy sparks…” I muttered.

Mateo smirked beside me.

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“You’re scratching your neck.”

I stopped immediately.

Traitorous body language.

Students pushed past us wearing modified uniforms in every style imaginable. Some looked like influencers. Others looked like underground street racers. One guy walked past in what I was pretty sure was an LED trench coat.

Meanwhile I still felt like a sleep-deprived disaster wrapped in a hoodie.

Mateo clapped my shoulder.

“You’ll survive.”

“That’s exactly what people say before terrible things happen.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Then he vanished into the crowd like the socially adjusted menace he was.

Lucky him.

I stared up at the academy entrance.

Okay, Cameron.

New year.

New school.

New start.

Definitely no emotional catastrophes today.

The universe immediately laughed at me.

“CAMERON!”

Something tackled me from the side.

I barely stayed upright before recognizing long blue-green hair and the smell of ocean salt.

Naomi Kaele grinned brightly while squeezing the life out of my spine.

“Sparky boy!”

“Naomi….can’t….breathe”

“Oh! Sorry!”

She released me instantly.

Several nearby students stared openly.

Mostly because Naomi was six foot eight and built like a warrior goddess accidentally trapped in a teen drama.

Which honestly wasn’t inaccurate.

She wore an oversized academy hoodie over jean shorts with seashell charms tied around the sleeves. Polynesian tattoos curled along her arms like flowing waves while her massive backpack had tiny fish keychains hanging from the zipper.

“You came back!” she said excitedly.

“…I go here.”

“Yes but emotionally you disappear sometimes.”

Fair.

A familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“She’s not wrong.”

Leon Jae Han leaned against a nearby pillar sipping iced coffee while wearing a green hoodie beneath his academy jacket. One sleeve was rolled up revealing the green bracelet Gustavo would eventually obsess over.

His blonde curls partially covered one eye while hanafuda-style earrings swung gently as he walked over.

My best friend looked painfully cool before nine in the morning.

Meanwhile I looked like somebody microwaved anxiety.

“Lee!” I grinned.

We fist bumped instantly.

“You ready for your first day?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Fear builds character.”

Naomi gasped dramatically.

“That’s what sharks do.”

“She would know,” Lee said.

“She tried petting one once,” I added.

“I DID pet one once.”

“You lost three fingers.”

“They grew back.”

“That is NOT helping your argument.”

Before Naomi could defend shark friendship, somebody nearby screamed.

“MOVE!”

A football slammed into the wall beside my head hard enough to crack the concrete slightly.

The crowd scattered.

Shawn Mitchell walked through the hallway carrying another football beneath one arm like he owned the entire school.

Honestly?

He kinda did.

His sleeveless varsity jacket showed off his cybernetic arms while students parted around him automatically. Ash and the other football guys followed behind him laughing.

Then Shawn noticed me.

Of course he did.

“Well if it isn’t Blackstorm Junior.”

“Morning to you too.”

His eyes drifted toward Naomi and Lee before landing back on me.

“You finally get your Gift yet?”

The hallway suddenly felt quieter.

I shrugged casually despite the knot forming in my stomach.

“Working on it.”

Shawn smirked.

“Damn. That’s rough.”

Ash snorted behind him.

“Maybe he inherited his mom’s side.”

The group laughed.

Then Shawn walked off shoulder-checking me hard enough to nearly knock me sideways.

Naomi frowned instantly.

“I could throw him into the ocean.”

“That’s illegal,” Lee said.

“She’s very strong though,” I admitted.

“You both underestimate my power.”

“We definitely don’t.”

A loud WHISTLE echoed across campus.

Every student froze.

Coach Hercules stood near the courtyard entrance with his arms crossed.

The man looked like an actual mythological warrior and somehow became a gym teacher by accident.

Seven foot one.

Massive beard.

Scar across one eye.

Nova Heights training jacket stretched across enough muscle to bench press a truck.

Beside him stood Principal Dune adjusting his glasses calmly while holding a tablet and coffee.

Where Hercules looked intimidating enough to punch meteors, Dune looked like a college professor that secretly knew how to bury bodies in the desert.

“WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!” Hercules boomed.

The entire courtyard went silent.

“Try not to destroy school property this year.”

A student raised his hand.

“What about emotionally?”

“That’s unavoidable.”

Dune sipped his coffee.

“Please avoid arson before lunch at minimum.”

Several students glanced toward the theater hallway immediately.

Interesting.

“Schedules are now uploaded,” Dune continued. “Any fighting outside designated training areas will result in suspension.”

Hercules cracked his knuckles loudly.

“Or me.”

That probably motivated people more.

By third period, I’d already:

gotten lost twice

almost walked into the wrong classroom

spilled coffee on myself

and watched Naomi accidentally break a bathroom sink

Honestly? Could’ve been worse.

Then came gym.

Which was where my life completely exploded.

“Dodgeball?” Lee asked flatly.

Coach Hercules tossed a ball upward.

“Combat awareness exercise.”

“That’s just dodgeball with extra trauma.”

“Correct.”

The gym divided quickly.

Shawn immediately chose:

Ash

the football team

several popular kids

Meanwhile my side looked like:

exhausted

confused

spiritually defeated

Awesome.

Gabriella stood near the bleachers beside the cheer squad adjusting her ponytail while talking to another girl named Skylar.

Even from across the gym she somehow looked radiant.

Which definitely wasn’t distracting at all.

Absolutely not.

Shawn noticed me looking.

Uh oh.

His smirk widened slowly.

“Ash.”

Ash grinned immediately before igniting the dodgeball in his hands.

Several students backed away.

“Let’s give the new girl a welcome.”

Gabriella turned too late.

Shawn launched the burning ball across the gym like a missile.

Everything slowed down.

The screams faded.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Gabriella’s eyes widened.

And suddenly—

something snapped.

Electricity exploded beneath my skin.

My vision flashed white.

Sparks crawled violently across my arm as my hair lit up bright silver-white.

The air CRACKED.

I lifted my hand instinctively.

THUNDER BOOMED THROUGH THE GYM.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my palm and obliterated the dodgeball midair in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Silence.

The remains of the ball hit the floor burning softly.

Every student stared at me.

My entire body buzzed violently.

Electricity danced across my fingertips.

“My Gift…” I whispered.

Holy sparks.

“My Gift is electricity.”

Coach Hercules looked genuinely stunned.

Then slowly…

he smiled.

“Jones,” he said quietly.

“That was one hell of a first impression.”

Gabriella walked toward me carefully.

“You protected me.”

“Oh—uh—I mean—yeah—hero stuff—totally intentional—”

She laughed softly before kissing my cheek.

My brain immediately stopped functioning.

“Thank you, Cameron.”

Then she walked back toward the cheer squad waving casually.

Meanwhile I remained frozen in place.

Lee stared.

Naomi stared.

Ash stared.

Shawn looked furious.

And somewhere in the bleachers—

Penelope Whitmore looked heartbroken.

Chapter Three: “The Crows”

By the end of the day, literally everyone knew.

Cameron Jones finally awakened his Gift.

Unfortunately, that also meant people wouldn’t stop staring at me.

I walked through the hallway while students whispered constantly.

“Did you SEE that lightning?”

“That was insane—”

“Blackstorm’s kid finally snapped—”

“Shawn looked pissed—”

“Do you think he’s joining hero track?”

“No idea.”

I pulled my hood up further.

“This is horrifying.”

Lee walked beside me sipping another iced coffee.

“You’ll live.”

“People are calling me Sparkplug.”

“That one’s kinda funny.”

“I hate this school.”

“No you don’t.”

…He had a point.

The gymnasium had been completely transformed for the season opening pep rally.

Massive holograms hovered above the crowd while music shook the bleachers hard enough to vibrate my ribs. Cheerleaders practiced flips near the sidelines while athletes gathered below giant glowing banners displaying THE CROWS.

Naomi waved excitedly from the front row hard enough to nearly dislocate somebody nearby.

“SPARKY BOY!”

“She is physically incapable of subtlety,” Lee noted.

“Part of her charm.”

Suddenly shouting erupted near the side entrance.

A girl with a short orange pixie cut had lifted Ash completely off the floor using one hand.

“Lemme down!” Ash wheezed.

June Summers looked deeply unimpressed beneath black eyeliner and orange-tinted sunglasses.

“I said no.”

Ash blinked.

“…Because you’re busy?”

June deadpanned.

“Because I prefer girls with manners.”

The nearby theater kids burst into laughter.

A white-haired cat girl beside June nearly dropped her books laughing.

“Tabby,” June sighed.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

Ash stumbled away humiliated while June adjusted her leather jacket calmly.

Honestly?

Iconic.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

The crowd erupted instantly.

The football team entered through smoke and flashing lights while students screamed loud enough to shake the gym.

Shawn led the group confidently beneath roaring applause.

The guy looked untouchable.

Then the atmosphere changed.

Not louder.

Different.

Every student turned toward the upper balcony.

A single figure stood there surrounded by shifting shadows.

Damian Vega.

Tall.

Perfect posture.

Black coat moving slightly despite no wind.

His living shadows curled around his arms like smoke with minds of their own.

Rook’s son.

The crowd watched him like royalty.

Or a loaded weapon.

Damian stared down toward the gym expressionlessly before his eyes landed on me.

Fantastic.

His gaze lingered briefly before he looked away dismissively.

Like I wasn’t worth the effort.

My eye twitched.

“Well,” Lee said.

“That seemed unnecessarily personal.”

“I already hate him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“He looked at me with generational disappointment.”

Naomi squinted upward.

“He has very nice hair though.”

“You say that about everyone.”

“Because hair matters, Cameron.”

Fair enough.

Below us, Shawn raised his fists triumphantly while the crowd cheered.

Above him stood Damian Vega like a storm cloud pretending to be human.

And somewhere deep in my chest

electricity crackled again.

Update on my story I have just finished chapters 1,2 and 3 and will eventually be working on chapter 4

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter One: “Before the Lightning”

People like to romanticize war.

The documentaries always show the cool parts first.

Heroes flying through explosions. Glowing skylines. Slow-motion punches. Dramatic speeches.

They never show the screams.

They never show what burnt metal smells like.

And they definitely never show what happens after the cameras shut off.

The Sundering started before I was born, but in Nova City, you grow up hearing about it the same way kids used to hear fairy tales.

Except our fairy tales ended with body counts.

The sky burned red over Mercury Marina.

Even now, years later, everyone in the city still knew the footage by heart.

The final battle.

The moment everything fell apart.

A younger version of Sentinel soared above the skyline, radiant wings blazing behind him as collapsing buildings crumbled into the ocean below. Emergency sirens screamed through the smoke.

“Sector Seven, hold the line!” Sentinel shouted into his comms. “Do NOT let Wyatt reach the Core!”

Then came the man who destroyed everything.

Gearbreaker.

Back then, he was still Jason Wyatt. Still technically a hero.

Depends who you ask, anyway.

His massive exosuit tore through the air with a scream of grinding metal and blue fire. Drones swarmed behind him like angry hornets while civilians fled beneath the chaos.

“You built a world that protects monsters!” Gearbreaker roared.

Mechanical cables whipped from his arm.

“I’m just fixing it!”

Then they collided.

Light against machine.

Hero against hero.

Brother against brother.

The footage always cuts to static right before impact.

Probably because nobody wanted future generations seeing the exact moment hope died.

Funny thing is?

We all memorized it anyway.

A few years earlier…

Back when life was simpler.

Back before breakups, supervillains, and near-death experiences became part of my weekly routine.

“Cameron!”

A blur tackled me across the front lawn.

I hit the grass laughing as Penelope Whitmore stood over me triumphantly wearing a blanket tied around her shoulders like a cape.

“You’re supposed to pretend to lose,” she said.

“That’s not how heroes work,” I argued, gripping my cardboard sword dramatically.

I was nine years old, missing my front tooth, and fully convinced I was destined to save the world someday.

In hindsight?

That probably should’ve been my first warning sign.

Penelope pointed toward the street.

“I’ll save Nova City!”

“Not if I save it first!”

We sprinted across the yard making laser noises with our mouths because apparently all superheroes did that when you were kids.

Then she suddenly stopped.

I nearly crashed into her.

Penelope smiled before kissing my cheek quickly.

“We’re gonna be heroes together someday,” she whispered.

I remember grinning like an idiot.

“Promise?”

She hooked her pinky around mine.

“Promise.”

Yeah.

So much for that.

BZZZZT.

My alarm exploded beside my head.

I groaned into my pillow.

“Mari,” I mumbled, half dead, “five more minutes.”

The AI voice connected to my room speakers responded instantly.

“Cameron Alejandro Jones, if I allowed that, you would sleep until graduation.”

“Worth it.”

A robotic bark echoed near my bed.

Zeus, my mechanical Great Dane, jumped onto me with all one hundred and twenty pounds of his metal body.

“SPARKS”

\*CRASH\*

I rolled straight off the bed.

Perfect start to the morning.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!”

My older brother Mateo leaned against the doorway grinning like the menace he was. Most people knew him as Echo—the former Nova Heights golden boy who could mimic basically anything.

Right now he was mimicking an airhorn.

Directly into my ear.

“You are the worst human being alive,” I told him.

“Love you too, Cam.”

Mateo had graduated from Nova Heights two years earlier and somehow still acted like he owned the place.

Unfortunately, everyone there loved him.

Meanwhile I was entering as:

recently dumped

powerless

caffeine addicted

and ninety percent anxiety.

Huge difference.

I dragged myself upright and pulled on my usual outfit:

Blue hoodie.

Ripped gray jeans.

Light-up sneakers.

Then my eyes landed on the lightning bolt choker sitting near the mirror.

The one Penelope gave me.

For a second, I just stared at it.

Zeus tilted his head curiously.

“…Don’t start,” I muttered.

I grabbed the necklace anyway.

Because apparently emotional self-destruction builds character.

Downstairs smelled like coffee, cinnamon, and chaos.

Which basically described my family perfectly.

My grandfather Alejandro sat at the kitchen table reading the news while drinking what had to be his seventh cup of coffee today.

My abuela Maria was cooking breakfast while arguing with the television.

My mom Lucia was already dressed for another campaign meeting, typing messages into three holographic screens at once.

And my dad?

Former superhero Blackstorm himself stood in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and an old Nova Guard shirt while making protein pancakes.

Turns out legends become painfully normal once you see them unclog a sink at midnight.

The television suddenly switched to an emergency broadcast.

REPORTER:

“Authorities have confirmed that Jason Wyatt, also known as Gearbreaker, has escaped Nova City Penitentiary”

The kitchen went silent.

Dad’s expression hardened instantly.

“If you see him,” he said without hesitation, “you run like hell.”

Grandpa Alejandro scoffed loudly.

“Oh please. Running gets you killed faster.”

“Papà…” my mother started

“What? The boy should know how to survive!” Grandpa pointed his coffee spoon dramatically. “You take out the tubes on Wyatt’s armor. Without those, he’s just an angry man in metal pants.”

“Please stop teaching our son how to fight cyber terrorists before school,” Mom sighed.

Grandpa shrugged.

“Worked for Mateo.”

“Barely,” Mateo called from upstairs.

Mom walked over and kissed my forehead before fixing my hair.

“Enough superhero talk. Go welcome the new neighbors before your father starts another war flashback.”

“I heard that,” Dad muttered.

I wandered toward the front window.

And immediately forgot how breathing worked.

A girl balanced effortlessly on top of moving boxes Tan skin.

Black hair with a pink streak.

A pair of flight goggles resting on her forehead.

Then she noticed me watching.

She waved brightly.

“Hola, neighbor!”

I stared for exactly three seconds too long before managing:

“…Uh. Hi.”

Behind me, Mateo started laughing like a hyena.

Great.

First day at Nova Heights and I was already embarrassing myself..

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter Two: “Welcome to Nova Heights”

The front gates of Nova Heights Academy looked less like a school and more like somebody fused a sports stadium with a spaceship.

Glass towers reflected the ocean beside Mercury Marina while giant holographic crow wings spread across the entrance above hundreds of students flooding into campus. Music blasted from hidden speakers somewhere overhead while drones zipped through the air carrying schedules and announcements.

WELCOME BACK, CROWS!

HEROES AREN’T BORN — THEY’RE BUILT.

Subtle.

“Holy sparks…” I muttered.

Mateo smirked beside me.

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“You’re scratching your neck.”

I stopped immediately.

Traitorous body language.

Students pushed past us wearing modified uniforms in every style imaginable. Some looked like influencers. Others looked like underground street racers. One guy walked past in what I was pretty sure was an LED trench coat.

Meanwhile I still felt like a sleep-deprived disaster wrapped in a hoodie.

Mateo clapped my shoulder.

“You’ll survive.”

“That’s exactly what people say before terrible things happen.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Then he vanished into the crowd like the socially adjusted menace he was.

Lucky him.

I stared up at the academy entrance.

Okay, Cameron.

New year.

New school.

New start.

Definitely no emotional catastrophes today.

The universe immediately laughed at me.

“CAMERON!”

Something tackled me from the side.

I barely stayed upright before recognizing long blue-green hair and the smell of ocean salt.

Naomi Kaele grinned brightly while squeezing the life out of my spine.

“Sparky boy!”

“Naomi….can’t….breathe”

“Oh! Sorry!”

She released me instantly.

Several nearby students stared openly.

Mostly because Naomi was six foot eight and built like a warrior goddess accidentally trapped in a teen drama.

Which honestly wasn’t inaccurate.

She wore an oversized academy hoodie over jean shorts with seashell charms tied around the sleeves. Polynesian tattoos curled along her arms like flowing waves while her massive backpack had tiny fish keychains hanging from the zipper.

“You came back!” she said excitedly.

“…I go here.”

“Yes but emotionally you disappear sometimes.”

Fair.

A familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“She’s not wrong.”

Leon Jae Han leaned against a nearby pillar sipping iced coffee while wearing a green hoodie beneath his academy jacket. One sleeve was rolled up revealing the green bracelet Gustavo would eventually obsess over.

His blonde curls partially covered one eye while hanafuda-style earrings swung gently as he walked over.

My best friend looked painfully cool before nine in the morning.

Meanwhile I looked like somebody microwaved anxiety.

“Lee!” I grinned.

We fist bumped instantly.

“You ready for your first day?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Fear builds character.”

Naomi gasped dramatically.

“That’s what sharks do.”

“She would know,” Lee said.

“She tried petting one once,” I added.

“I DID pet one once.”

“You lost three fingers.”

“They grew back.”

“That is NOT helping your argument.”

Before Naomi could defend shark friendship, somebody nearby screamed.

“MOVE!”

A football slammed into the wall beside my head hard enough to crack the concrete slightly.

The crowd scattered.

Shawn Mitchell walked through the hallway carrying another football beneath one arm like he owned the entire school.

Honestly?

He kinda did.

His sleeveless varsity jacket showed off his cybernetic arms while students parted around him automatically. Ash and the other football guys followed behind him laughing.

Then Shawn noticed me.

Of course he did.

“Well if it isn’t Blackstorm Junior.”

“Morning to you too.”

His eyes drifted toward Naomi and Lee before landing back on me.

“You finally get your Gift yet?”

The hallway suddenly felt quieter.

I shrugged casually despite the knot forming in my stomach.

“Working on it.”

Shawn smirked.

“Damn. That’s rough.”

Ash snorted behind him.

“Maybe he inherited his mom’s side.”

The group laughed.

Then Shawn walked off shoulder-checking me hard enough to nearly knock me sideways.

Naomi frowned instantly.

“I could throw him into the ocean.”

“That’s illegal,” Lee said.

“She’s very strong though,” I admitted.

“You both underestimate my power.”

“We definitely don’t.”

A loud WHISTLE echoed across campus.

Every student froze.

Coach Hercules stood near the courtyard entrance with his arms crossed.

The man looked like an actual mythological warrior and somehow became a gym teacher by accident.

Seven foot one.

Massive beard.

Scar across one eye.

Nova Heights training jacket stretched across enough muscle to bench press a truck.

Beside him stood Principal Dune adjusting his glasses calmly while holding a tablet and coffee.

Where Hercules looked intimidating enough to punch meteors, Dune looked like a college professor that secretly knew how to bury bodies in the desert.

“WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!” Hercules boomed.

The entire courtyard went silent.

“Try not to destroy school property this year.”

A student raised his hand.

“What about emotionally?”

“That’s unavoidable.”

Dune sipped his coffee.

“Please avoid arson before lunch at minimum.”

Several students glanced toward the theater hallway immediately.

Interesting.

“Schedules are now uploaded,” Dune continued. “Any fighting outside designated training areas will result in suspension.”

Hercules cracked his knuckles loudly.

“Or me.”

That probably motivated people more.

By third period, I’d already:

gotten lost twice

almost walked into the wrong classroom

spilled coffee on myself

and watched Naomi accidentally break a bathroom sink

Honestly? Could’ve been worse.

Then came gym.

Which was where my life completely exploded.

“Dodgeball?” Lee asked flatly.

Coach Hercules tossed a ball upward.

“Combat awareness exercise.”

“That’s just dodgeball with extra trauma.”

“Correct.”

The gym divided quickly.

Shawn immediately chose:

Ash

the football team

several popular kids

Meanwhile my side looked like:

exhausted

confused

spiritually defeated

Awesome.

Gabriella stood near the bleachers beside the cheer squad adjusting her ponytail while talking to another girl named Skylar.

Even from across the gym she somehow looked radiant.

Which definitely wasn’t distracting at all.

Absolutely not.

Shawn noticed me looking.

Uh oh.

His smirk widened slowly.

“Ash.”

Ash grinned immediately before igniting the dodgeball in his hands.

Several students backed away.

“Let’s give the new girl a welcome.”

Gabriella turned too late.

Shawn launched the burning ball across the gym like a missile.

Everything slowed down.

The screams faded.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Gabriella’s eyes widened.

And suddenly—

something snapped.

Electricity exploded beneath my skin.

My vision flashed white.

Sparks crawled violently across my arm as my hair lit up bright silver-white.

The air CRACKED.

I lifted my hand instinctively.

THUNDER BOOMED THROUGH THE GYM.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my palm and obliterated the dodgeball midair in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Silence.

The remains of the ball hit the floor burning softly.

Every student stared at me.

My entire body buzzed violently.

Electricity danced across my fingertips.

“My Gift…” I whispered.

Holy sparks.

“My Gift is electricity.”

Coach Hercules looked genuinely stunned.

Then slowly…

he smiled.

“Jones,” he said quietly.

“That was one hell of a first impression.”

Gabriella walked toward me carefully.

“You protected me.”

“Oh—uh—I mean—yeah—hero stuff—totally intentional—”

She laughed softly before kissing my cheek.

My brain immediately stopped functioning.

“Thank you, Cameron.”

Then she walked back toward the cheer squad waving casually.

Meanwhile I remained frozen in place.

Lee stared.

Naomi stared.

Ash stared.

Shawn looked furious.

And somewhere in the bleachers—

Penelope Whitmore looked heartbroken.

Chapter Three: “The Crows”

By the end of the day, literally everyone knew.

Cameron Jones finally awakened his Gift.

Unfortunately, that also meant people wouldn’t stop staring at me.

I walked through the hallway while students whispered constantly.

“Did you SEE that lightning?”

“That was insane—”

“Blackstorm’s kid finally snapped—”

“Shawn looked pissed—”

“Do you think he’s joining hero track?”

“No idea.”

I pulled my hood up further.

“This is horrifying.”

Lee walked beside me sipping another iced coffee.

“You’ll live.”

“People are calling me Sparkplug.”

“That one’s kinda funny.”

“I hate this school.”

“No you don’t.”

…He had a point.

The gymnasium had been completely transformed for the season opening pep rally.

Massive holograms hovered above the crowd while music shook the bleachers hard enough to vibrate my ribs. Cheerleaders practiced flips near the sidelines while athletes gathered below giant glowing banners displaying THE CROWS.

Naomi waved excitedly from the front row hard enough to nearly dislocate somebody nearby.

“SPARKY BOY!”

“She is physically incapable of subtlety,” Lee noted.

“Part of her charm.”

Suddenly shouting erupted near the side entrance.

A girl with a short orange pixie cut had lifted Ash completely off the floor using one hand.

“Lemme down!” Ash wheezed.

June Summers looked deeply unimpressed beneath black eyeliner and orange-tinted sunglasses.

“I said no.”

Ash blinked.

“…Because you’re busy?”

June deadpanned.

“Because I prefer girls with manners.”

The nearby theater kids burst into laughter.

A white-haired cat girl beside June nearly dropped her books laughing.

“Tabby,” June sighed.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

Ash stumbled away humiliated while June adjusted her leather jacket calmly.

Honestly?

Iconic.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

The crowd erupted instantly.

The football team entered through smoke and flashing lights while students screamed loud enough to shake the gym.

Shawn led the group confidently beneath roaring applause.

The guy looked untouchable.

Then the atmosphere changed.

Not louder.

Different.

Every student turned toward the upper balcony.

A single figure stood there surrounded by shifting shadows.

Damian Vega.

Tall.

Perfect posture.

Black coat moving slightly despite no wind.

His living shadows curled around his arms like smoke with minds of their own.

Rook’s son.

The crowd watched him like royalty.

Or a loaded weapon.

Damian stared down toward the gym expressionlessly before his eyes landed on me.

Fantastic.

His gaze lingered briefly before he looked away dismissively.

Like I wasn’t worth the effort.

My eye twitched.

“Well,” Lee said.

“That seemed unnecessarily personal.”

“I already hate him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“He looked at me with generational disappointment.”

Naomi squinted upward.

“He has very nice hair though.”

“You say that about everyone.”

“Because hair matters, Cameron.”

Fair enough.

Below us, Shawn raised his fists triumphantly while the crowd cheered.

Above him stood Damian Vega like a storm cloud pretending to be human.

And somewhere deep in my chest

electricity crackled again.

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter One: “Before the Lightning”

People like to romanticize war.

The documentaries always show the cool parts first.

Heroes flying through explosions. Glowing skylines. Slow-motion punches. Dramatic speeches.

They never show the screams.

They never show what burnt metal smells like.

And they definitely never show what happens after the cameras shut off.

The Sundering started before I was born, but in Nova City, you grow up hearing about it the same way kids used to hear fairy tales.

Except our fairy tales ended with body counts.

The sky burned red over Mercury Marina.

Even now, years later, everyone in the city still knew the footage by heart.

The final battle.

The moment everything fell apart.

A younger version of Sentinel soared above the skyline, radiant wings blazing behind him as collapsing buildings crumbled into the ocean below. Emergency sirens screamed through the smoke.

“Sector Seven, hold the line!” Sentinel shouted into his comms. “Do NOT let Wyatt reach the Core!”

Then came the man who destroyed everything.

Gearbreaker.

Back then, he was still Jason Wyatt. Still technically a hero.

Depends who you ask, anyway.

His massive exosuit tore through the air with a scream of grinding metal and blue fire. Drones swarmed behind him like angry hornets while civilians fled beneath the chaos.

“You built a world that protects monsters!” Gearbreaker roared.

Mechanical cables whipped from his arm.

“I’m just fixing it!”

Then they collided.

Light against machine.

Hero against hero.

Brother against brother.

The footage always cuts to static right before impact.

Probably because nobody wanted future generations seeing the exact moment hope died.

Funny thing is?

We all memorized it anyway.

A few years earlier…

Back when life was simpler.

Back before breakups, supervillains, and near-death experiences became part of my weekly routine.

“Cameron!”

A blur tackled me across the front lawn.

I hit the grass laughing as Penelope Whitmore stood over me triumphantly wearing a blanket tied around her shoulders like a cape.

“You’re supposed to pretend to lose,” she said.

“That’s not how heroes work,” I argued, gripping my cardboard sword dramatically.

I was nine years old, missing my front tooth, and fully convinced I was destined to save the world someday.

In hindsight?

That probably should’ve been my first warning sign.

Penelope pointed toward the street.

“I’ll save Nova City!”

“Not if I save it first!”

We sprinted across the yard making laser noises with our mouths because apparently all superheroes did that when you were kids.

Then she suddenly stopped.

I nearly crashed into her.

Penelope smiled before kissing my cheek quickly.

“We’re gonna be heroes together someday,” she whispered.

I remember grinning like an idiot.

“Promise?”

She hooked her pinky around mine.

“Promise.”

Yeah.

So much for that.

BZZZZT.

My alarm exploded beside my head.

I groaned into my pillow.

“Mari,” I mumbled, half dead, “five more minutes.”

The AI voice connected to my room speakers responded instantly.

“Cameron Alejandro Jones, if I allowed that, you would sleep until graduation.”

“Worth it.”

A robotic bark echoed near my bed.

Zeus, my mechanical Great Dane, jumped onto me with all one hundred and twenty pounds of his metal body.

“SPARKS”

*CRASH*

I rolled straight off the bed.

Perfect start to the morning.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!”

My older brother Mateo leaned against the doorway grinning like the menace he was. Most people knew him as Echo—the former Nova Heights golden boy who could mimic basically anything.

Right now he was mimicking an airhorn.

Directly into my ear.

“You are the worst human being alive,” I told him.

“Love you too, Cam.”

Mateo had graduated from Nova Heights two years earlier and somehow still acted like he owned the place.

Unfortunately, everyone there loved him.

Meanwhile I was entering as:

recently dumped

powerless

caffeine addicted

and ninety percent anxiety.

Huge difference.

I dragged myself upright and pulled on my usual outfit:

Blue hoodie.

Ripped gray jeans.

Light-up sneakers.

Then my eyes landed on the lightning bolt choker sitting near the mirror.

The one Penelope gave me.

For a second, I just stared at it.

Zeus tilted his head curiously.

“…Don’t start,” I muttered.

I grabbed the necklace anyway.

Because apparently emotional self-destruction builds character.

Downstairs smelled like coffee, cinnamon, and chaos.

Which basically described my family perfectly.

My grandfather Alejandro sat at the kitchen table reading the news while drinking what had to be his seventh cup of coffee today.

My abuela Maria was cooking breakfast while arguing with the television.

My mom Lucia was already dressed for another campaign meeting, typing messages into three holographic screens at once.

And my dad?

Former superhero Blackstorm himself stood in the kitchen wearing sweatpants and an old Nova Guard shirt while making protein pancakes.

Turns out legends become painfully normal once you see them unclog a sink at midnight.

The television suddenly switched to an emergency broadcast.

REPORTER:

“Authorities have confirmed that Jason Wyatt, also known as Gearbreaker, has escaped Nova City Penitentiary”

The kitchen went silent.

Dad’s expression hardened instantly.

“If you see him,” he said without hesitation, “you run like hell.”

Grandpa Alejandro scoffed loudly.

“Oh please. Running gets you killed faster.”

“Papà…” my mother started

“What? The boy should know how to survive!” Grandpa pointed his coffee spoon dramatically. “You take out the tubes on Wyatt’s armor. Without those, he’s just an angry man in metal pants.”

“Please stop teaching our son how to fight cyber terrorists before school,” Mom sighed.

Grandpa shrugged.

“Worked for Mateo.”

“Barely,” Mateo called from upstairs.

Mom walked over and kissed my forehead before fixing my hair.

“Enough superhero talk. Go welcome the new neighbors before your father starts another war flashback.”

“I heard that,” Dad muttered.

I wandered toward the front window.

And immediately forgot how breathing worked.

A girl balanced effortlessly on top of moving boxes Tan skin.

Black hair with a pink streak.

A pair of flight goggles resting on her forehead.

Then she noticed me watching.

She waved brightly.

“Hola, neighbor!”

I stared for exactly three seconds too long before managing:

“…Uh. Hi.”

Behind me, Mateo started laughing like a hyena.

Great.

First day at Nova Heights and I was already embarrassing myself..

NOVA HEIGHTS

Chapter Two: “Welcome to Nova Heights”

The front gates of Nova Heights Academy looked less like a school and more like somebody fused a sports stadium with a spaceship.

Glass towers reflected the ocean beside Mercury Marina while giant holographic crow wings spread across the entrance above hundreds of students flooding into campus. Music blasted from hidden speakers somewhere overhead while drones zipped through the air carrying schedules and announcements.

WELCOME BACK, CROWS!

HEROES AREN’T BORN — THEY’RE BUILT.

Subtle.

“Holy sparks…” I muttered.

Mateo smirked beside me.

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“You’re scratching your neck.”

I stopped immediately.

Traitorous body language.

Students pushed past us wearing modified uniforms in every style imaginable. Some looked like influencers. Others looked like underground street racers. One guy walked past in what I was pretty sure was an LED trench coat.

Meanwhile I still felt like a sleep-deprived disaster wrapped in a hoodie.

Mateo clapped my shoulder.

“You’ll survive.”

“That’s exactly what people say before terrible things happen.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Then he vanished into the crowd like the socially adjusted menace he was.

Lucky him.

I stared up at the academy entrance.

Okay, Cameron.

New year.

New school.

New start.

Definitely no emotional catastrophes today.

The universe immediately laughed at me.

“CAMERON!”

Something tackled me from the side.

I barely stayed upright before recognizing long blue-green hair and the smell of ocean salt.

Naomi Kaele grinned brightly while squeezing the life out of my spine.

“Sparky boy!”

“Naomi….can’t….breathe”

“Oh! Sorry!”

She released me instantly.

Several nearby students stared openly.

Mostly because Naomi was six foot eight and built like a warrior goddess accidentally trapped in a teen drama.

Which honestly wasn’t inaccurate.

She wore an oversized academy hoodie over jean shorts with seashell charms tied around the sleeves. Polynesian tattoos curled along her arms like flowing waves while her massive backpack had tiny fish keychains hanging from the zipper.

“You came back!” she said excitedly.

“…I go here.”

“Yes but emotionally you disappear sometimes.”

Fair.

A familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“She’s not wrong.”

Leon Jae Han leaned against a nearby pillar sipping iced coffee while wearing a green hoodie beneath his academy jacket. One sleeve was rolled up revealing the green bracelet Gustavo would eventually obsess over.

His blonde curls partially covered one eye while hanafuda-style earrings swung gently as he walked over.

My best friend looked painfully cool before nine in the morning.

Meanwhile I looked like somebody microwaved anxiety.

“Lee!” I grinned.

We fist bumped instantly.

“You ready for your first day?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Fear builds character.”

Naomi gasped dramatically.

“That’s what sharks do.”

“She would know,” Lee said.

“She tried petting one once,” I added.

“I DID pet one once.”

“You lost three fingers.”

“They grew back.”

“That is NOT helping your argument.”

Before Naomi could defend shark friendship, somebody nearby screamed.

“MOVE!”

A football slammed into the wall beside my head hard enough to crack the concrete slightly.

The crowd scattered.

Shawn Mitchell walked through the hallway carrying another football beneath one arm like he owned the entire school.

Honestly?

He kinda did.

His sleeveless varsity jacket showed off his cybernetic arms while students parted around him automatically. Ash and the other football guys followed behind him laughing.

Then Shawn noticed me.

Of course he did.

“Well if it isn’t Blackstorm Junior.”

“Morning to you too.”

His eyes drifted toward Naomi and Lee before landing back on me.

“You finally get your Gift yet?”

The hallway suddenly felt quieter.

I shrugged casually despite the knot forming in my stomach.

“Working on it.”

Shawn smirked.

“Damn. That’s rough.”

Ash snorted behind him.

“Maybe he inherited his mom’s side.”

The group laughed.

Then Shawn walked off shoulder-checking me hard enough to nearly knock me sideways.

Naomi frowned instantly.

“I could throw him into the ocean.”

“That’s illegal,” Lee said.

“She’s very strong though,” I admitted.

“You both underestimate my power.”

“We definitely don’t.”

A loud WHISTLE echoed across campus.

Every student froze.

Coach Hercules stood near the courtyard entrance with his arms crossed.

The man looked like an actual mythological warrior and somehow became a gym teacher by accident.

Seven foot one.

Massive beard.

Scar across one eye.

Nova Heights training jacket stretched across enough muscle to bench press a truck.

Beside him stood Principal Dune adjusting his glasses calmly while holding a tablet and coffee.

Where Hercules looked intimidating enough to punch meteors, Dune looked like a college professor that secretly knew how to bury bodies in the desert.

“WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!” Hercules boomed.

The entire courtyard went silent.

“Try not to destroy school property this year.”

A student raised his hand.

“What about emotionally?”

“That’s unavoidable.”

Dune sipped his coffee.

“Please avoid arson before lunch at minimum.”

Several students glanced toward the theater hallway immediately.

Interesting.

“Schedules are now uploaded,” Dune continued. “Any fighting outside designated training areas will result in suspension.”

Hercules cracked his knuckles loudly.

“Or me.”

That probably motivated people more.

By third period, I’d already:

gotten lost twice

almost walked into the wrong classroom

spilled coffee on myself

and watched Naomi accidentally break a bathroom sink

Honestly? Could’ve been worse.

Then came gym.

Which was where my life completely exploded.

“Dodgeball?” Lee asked flatly.

Coach Hercules tossed a ball upward.

“Combat awareness exercise.”

“That’s just dodgeball with extra trauma.”

“Correct.”

The gym divided quickly.

Shawn immediately chose:

Ash

the football team

several popular kids

Meanwhile my side looked like:

exhausted

confused

spiritually defeated

Awesome.

Gabriella stood near the bleachers beside the cheer squad adjusting her ponytail while talking to another girl named Skylar.

Even from across the gym she somehow looked radiant.

Which definitely wasn’t distracting at all.

Absolutely not.

Shawn noticed me looking.

Uh oh.

His smirk widened slowly.

“Ash.”

Ash grinned immediately before igniting the dodgeball in his hands.

Several students backed away.

“Let’s give the new girl a welcome.”

Gabriella turned too late.

Shawn launched the burning ball across the gym like a missile.

Everything slowed down.

The screams faded.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Gabriella’s eyes widened.

And suddenly—

something snapped.

Electricity exploded beneath my skin.

My vision flashed white.

Sparks crawled violently across my arm as my hair lit up bright silver-white.

The air CRACKED.

I lifted my hand instinctively.

THUNDER BOOMED THROUGH THE GYM.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my palm and obliterated the dodgeball midair in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Silence.

The remains of the ball hit the floor burning softly.

Every student stared at me.

My entire body buzzed violently.

Electricity danced across my fingertips.

“My Gift…” I whispered.

Holy sparks.

“My Gift is electricity.”

Coach Hercules looked genuinely stunned.

Then slowly…

he smiled.

“Jones,” he said quietly.

“That was one hell of a first impression.”

Gabriella walked toward me carefully.

“You protected me.”

“Oh—uh—I mean—yeah—hero stuff—totally intentional—”

She laughed softly before kissing my cheek.

My brain immediately stopped functioning.

“Thank you, Cameron.”

Then she walked back toward the cheer squad waving casually.

Meanwhile I remained frozen in place.

Lee stared.

Naomi stared.

Ash stared.

Shawn looked furious.

And somewhere in the bleachers—

Penelope Whitmore looked heartbroken.

Chapter Three: “The Crows”

By the end of the day, literally everyone knew.

Cameron Jones finally awakened his Gift.

Unfortunately, that also meant people wouldn’t stop staring at me.

I walked through the hallway while students whispered constantly.

“Did you SEE that lightning?”

“That was insane—”

“Blackstorm’s kid finally snapped—”

“Shawn looked pissed—”

“Do you think he’s joining hero track?”

“No idea.”

I pulled my hood up further.

“This is horrifying.”

Lee walked beside me sipping another iced coffee.

“You’ll live.”

“People are calling me Sparkplug.”

“That one’s kinda funny.”

“I hate this school.”

“No you don’t.”

…He had a point.

The gymnasium had been completely transformed for the season opening pep rally.

Massive holograms hovered above the crowd while music shook the bleachers hard enough to vibrate my ribs. Cheerleaders practiced flips near the sidelines while athletes gathered below giant glowing banners displaying THE CROWS.

Naomi waved excitedly from the front row hard enough to nearly dislocate somebody nearby.

“SPARKY BOY!”

“She is physically incapable of subtlety,” Lee noted.

“Part of her charm.”

Suddenly shouting erupted near the side entrance.

A girl with a short orange pixie cut had lifted Ash completely off the floor using one hand.

“Lemme down!” Ash wheezed.

June Summers looked deeply unimpressed beneath black eyeliner and orange-tinted sunglasses.

“I said no.”

Ash blinked.

“…Because you’re busy?”

June deadpanned.

“Because I prefer girls with manners.”

The nearby theater kids burst into laughter.

A white-haired cat girl beside June nearly dropped her books laughing.

“Tabby,” June sighed.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

Ash stumbled away humiliated while June adjusted her leather jacket calmly.

Honestly?

Iconic.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

The crowd erupted instantly.

The football team entered through smoke and flashing lights while students screamed loud enough to shake the gym.

Shawn led the group confidently beneath roaring applause.

The guy looked untouchable.

Then the atmosphere changed.

Not louder.

Different.

Every student turned toward the upper balcony.

A single figure stood there surrounded by shifting shadows.

Damian Vega.

Tall.

Perfect posture.

Black coat moving slightly despite no wind.

His living shadows curled around his arms like smoke with minds of their own.

Rook’s son.

The crowd watched him like royalty.

Or a loaded weapon.

Damian stared down toward the gym expressionlessly before his eyes landed on me.

Fantastic.

His gaze lingered briefly before he looked away dismissively.

Like I wasn’t worth the effort.

My eye twitched.

“Well,” Lee said.

“That seemed unnecessarily personal.”

“I already hate him.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“He looked at me with generational disappointment.”

Naomi squinted upward.

“He has very nice hair though.”

“You say that about everyone.”

“Because hair matters, Cameron.”

Fair enough.

Below us, Shawn raised his fists triumphantly while the crowd cheered.

Above him stood Damian Vega like a storm cloud pretending to be human.

And somewhere deep in my chest

electricity crackled again.