“Mom! Dad! I’m home!” I yell as I close the front door behind me.

I call out their names again, but they don’t greet me back like usual. That’s odd. I throw my backpack on the floor and begin searching each room. I start to become nervous at the thought of not being able to find them, so I call out again. Only when I hear a slight creak in the wood do I understand what is going on.

I plaster a small smirk knowing that now I have the advantage.

The floor shakes below me, throwing me off balance. I quickly find my footing and get into a defensive stance. I summon dull ice shards and use my wind to encapsulate myself in a protective barrier. Through the cracks I see my dad creating a fireball in his left hand. My mind races as I think of how to avoid his attack. Then I remember we are still inside. He wouldn’t go as far as to destroy the house, would he? I don’t take the chance and throw my ice shards at him as I escape to the back.

As soon as I step outside, I can feel the heat of his flames. I throw my arm up creating a shield of water that evaporates in seconds. His heat closes in, and with sweat starting to bead my forehead an idea comes to my mind.

I pretend to trip and fall. While on the ground, I look up at my dad who’s stalking closer.

“You put up a good fight, Rain. But, I win, again.” He says confidently.

“That’s not fair. I never win.” I pout.

“That’s why you need to train.” He argues.

I smirk, “Do I?”

I snap my fingers and the smile leaves his face as the earth opens up and vines entangle themselves around my dad keeping him from falling further.

I stand up and brush off my pants, “I win!”

As I celebrate my first victory, I notice he has a suspicious smile plastered on his face.

“What is it?” I ask as I close the gap I made and release him from my vines.

“You won against me.”

“Wait. You don’t mean-?”

A split second later my mom places a hand on my shoulder.

“Never assume your opponent is alone, Rain. This is the part where you always stutter. You forget all about me.” She says as she kicks my feet out from under me.

I hang my head in shame on the floor.“I’m sorry mom. But it’s hard when you can literally turn into anything to stay out of sight. And with dad stealing all my attention, it’s hard to scan and take in my surroundings. But, that won’t stop me from trying..”

“I know it’s difficult, but with training, I have no doubt that you will surpass us and become the most powerful super there is.”

“I know. I know. You always say that. Just because I developed my powers earlier doesn’t mean anything.” I argue back. “Or the fact that I inherited both your powers.” I say quickly before they can use that line on me again.

“You’re right. But you are special. Whether you believe it or not.” My dad starts.

“And you don’t just have those two powers, Rain. You also have your own. That and you have determination like no one I’ve ever seen.” My mom finishes.

“What third power, mom? You always mention it but never say anything about it.”

She places her hand on my shoulder once more as she veers us towards the house.

“Do you know why we named you Rain?”

“You’ve only told me the story 5 dozen times.” I try not to hide my sarcasm. But, her stern look shuts me up.

“You haven’t heard the whole story though.” My dad chimes in.

“We'll talk more at dinner. Now go wash up.” Mom shoos me away back to the house.

As I grab my bag and start up the stairs, I can’t help but think how odd this sudden test was. Usually I come home and train with one of them and then get tested sometime during the weekend. It’s unusual for them to do this in the middle of the week. Throwing my bag on my bed, I decide to close my mind and not dwell on it.

But it doesn’t work that well. It keeps popping up in my head as I head back downstairs. With my foot landing on the last step, a sudden wave of uneasiness and something akin to fear flows through me. The hairs on my arm and neck raise, sending a shiver through my whole body. I quickly compose myself and try to hide my feelings as I greet my parents once again. I attempt to think of something else to distract my mind, but it’s difficult.

“Is something wrong?”

“What do you mean?” My mom answers. I didn’t even realize I said that out loud.

“Nothing. I just thought it was weird how I was being tested today. On a Wednesday. Which is out of the norm.”

She looks at my dad and they share a silent conversation.

“You felt it, didn’t you?”

My eyes go wide.

“A feeling of dread. Fear. Uneasiness.” He states.

I nod slowly.

My mom sighs in defeat, “There’s so much you still don’t know about us. About this world. About yourself. And we’re running out of time.”

“Mom? Why are you talking like that? Stop! What’s going on?!”

“When you’re older, hopefully you’ll find what we left you. It’s hidden in the place you go to be alone.” My mom smiles.

My heart beat increases with each passing moment. Why won’t they just tell me what’s going on? What's going to happen??

“Please, remember everything we taught you. And keep up your training.”

“Dad?”

“What are the rules we must follow with our power, Rain?”

“Dad, please stop. This isn’t funny. You can stop with this joke. Please.” I beg.

“Rain! Focus.”

His tone of voice… I haven’t heard it that stern since I was a little girl and got in trouble. He’s serious. They both are. I sigh. A single tear falls from my eye before I quickly wipe it away. I have to be strong. I always knew something like this could happen. No matter how secret their identities are, there’s always a risk.

“Always maintain focus and control. Make sure you are strong enough to handle more than one element at a time otherwise your body will be drained of energy. Always visualize what you want your element to do and where to go. You cannot be harmed by your own elements but you can be harmed by someone else’s. And lastly, remember you don’t need the element source and you can manipulate any element you come across.”

“Good. Never forget these rules. They will help you grow stronger and smarter.”

“Ok. Now for our power, Rain.”

I look at my mom, “Always have a picture of yourself nearby or somewhere you know to remind you of what you look like. Never stay as an animal or another person for more than one week. Be careful when communicating telepathically with animals. Always study your target before becoming them. Try to wear clothes that stretch and can morph with your body.”

She reveals a small smile, “That’s my girl.”

They release a long breath, and my dad speaks up, “Ok. It’s time for you two to run. They will be here any second and you need to get to safety.”

“Who will be coming? And what about you, Dad?”

“You’re crazy if you think I’m leaving you. She’ll have a better chance if we are both protecting her.” Mom argues.

Dad gives in. He never could say no to her. And that fact that I’ve been ignored…

“You’re going to die, aren’t you!?” I don’t wipe away the tears this time as I look them in the eye.

I release a gasp as I see the tears welling up in their eyes too. Even worse, I can see the fear.

“All we want is for you to live. To be free. To make your own decisions. To be who you want to be.” My dad tries to comfort me while my mom warns me.

“And no matter what, don’t let these people know you have your powers. Just run and hide. Learn to survive. Be strong. Use your fear as fuel to grow and be brave.”

“And most importantly…” They look at each other once more, “We love you, Rain.” They say in unison.

My dad throws his hand up causing the floor beneath me to break. I’m engulfed in a sphere of rock and dirt. I scream out to them to stop this. But, the lightness I feel tells me that I’m no longer near them. Only when the sphere cracks and breaks a few moments later, throwing me to the ground, does worry start to flood my veins. Dad always has focus and control.

That’s when I see it. As I stare at my house, all I can see are flames. It must be dad. He probably got carried away. That’s all. But, I know that’s not true. Just when my glimmer of hope starts to die, I notice the fire starting to shrink. I watch my mom fighting off two people as the smoke clears. And then I see my dad trying to fight off against three other supers.

I clench my fist. This is stupid. I should be helping them. I can fight too. They need me. I can help. So then why can’t I move? My body won’t go. I don’t care what they told me. I have to help. I raise my arms getting ready to help, but I can’t. I can’t stop my hands from shaking. I can’t stop feeling the weakness in my knees. I can’t move because I’m afraid.

This is pathetic. I’m pathetic. Why am I so scared?

“Well hello there, doll.”

My heart stops. I slowly turn to face the person talking to me.

“You must be Rain. Pleasure. I’m Jonathan.”

Before I can even react, he grabs my hand and snaps his fingers. Suddenly I'm in front of mom and dad. Nausea fills me to the brim and I can’t hold back my vomit.

“First time teleporting?” The man laughs.

After I finally recover, I take a closer look and notice that my parents are both being held by the supers they were fighting against.

They… were defeated?! They are the strongest supers. How did these people beat them?

“Ah. That’s good. Glad you know your place. One wrong move and the child gets it.” One of the men holding my dad says.

“Mom! Dad!” I try to run to them, but I’m held back by the man who teleported us. He pulls me back and holds my body with his arms. It feels like steel. I can’t push him away.

“No! Rain! Stop. Just stop. Please.” My mom begs me with a single tear falling from her eye. “Just do what they say. We will be fine.”

“You know it’s not nice to lie to your children.” The man holding me, Jonathan, says.

“What do you want, Jonathan?” Dad tries to demand. They know him? How?

“We’ve already discussed this. I’ll take what I want and you two will stay here.” He belts out an evil laugh. I try to struggle against him but it does nothing. “I will applaud you. You did well hiding this gem for so long, but people talk eventually… when persuaded.”

Even if I were to use my power, I’m not strong enough to do anything. I would just make things worse. Damn it! Why can’t I do anything? Why am I so pathetic and weak?

“Rain.” I look at my parents, “Be strong.” Dad says.

“And live.” My mom tells me.

And just like that, the world stops. The sound of fingers snapping echoes in my ears as I watch large ice shards pierce my parents simultaneously. Blood spurts from their mouths and tears stain their cheeks. They don’t cry out, they don’t make a sound as they are thrown to the floor with their hands clasped together. The moment their bodies hit the floor, the ice disappears.

I don’t even notice the tears falling from my face. I try to wipe them away but I can’t. I try to reach out to my mom and dad, but I’m pulled away. In the blink of an eye, I’m no longer home.

Jonathan pushes me to the ground. I look around. I’m in a room. No, a cell.

“You can hang out here, doll. We will be back in the morning for you.” A sinister smile plasters his face as he closes the door. The loud clang tells me I will be stuck here for a while.

I wait for their footsteps to disappear before I cry once more. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. What kind of daughter am I? I couldn’t help them. And I didn’t even tell them I love them. I didn’t even say it back! Gah! I’m so pathetic.

And I continue to insult myself for the next hour or so. Or at least I think. Could have been longer. Time no longer exists for me.

———————

Morning comes. And the only reason I know… someone came to get me. Not a Hero. Not a Villain. Not even a Vigilante. No. It was Jonathan. He grabbed me and teleported us to another room. I’m getting sick of these teleportations. He throws me onto a chair and one of his men binds me to it. I keep from saying anything.

“Do you know why you’re here with us?” He asks.

I stay silent. Now that there is more light I am able to see him and his features more clearly. I’m shocked to see that he doesn’t look much older than me. Maybe 15 or 16. And if he didn't just kidnap me and kill my parents, I might have said he was cute.

“It’s because you’re special. You’re like me. You’re an early bloomer. You were able to use your powers at an early age.”

“I’m nothing like you! I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I haven’t even developed any powers.” I try to have a controlled face.

“I don’t like liars.” The sound of his fingers snapping echoes in my ears again.

I bite my lip as Jonathan cuts my arm with one of his ice shards.

“Let’s try this again. What powers do you have control over? Are your powers similar to your parents?”

“I don’t have any powers!”

This time he cuts me twice. Once on my cheek and the other on my leg. I wince but refrain from making a sound.

I notice his frustration so he asks me again and again. And every time I deny he snaps his fingers and cuts me more and more. I can feel the warmth of my blood dripping down my arms, legs and face. It sends a shiver through my body. At this point, I’m gasping for breath. My breathing is shallow and I can feel my body shaking. Tears stain my face.

“I’m bored. Let’s move on.”

He’s bored?! Seriously. He’s bored of torturing me?

“Heal her.”

A woman with red hair and green eyes heals my wounds and instead of feeling at ease, my heart rate increases. My mind races as I decipher what’s going on. He’s going to hurt me again. But, either he doesn’t want to, won’t, or can’t kill me. Either way, I know I won’t die just yet.

With my wounds gone, Jonathan begins his next question.

“How old are you?”

“Why would I tell you?” I say without thinking. Damn me and my smart mouth.

I don’t even feel the ice pierce my body. But I can’t stop the blood from seeping out of my mouth. The taste of iron is so strong it makes me want to gag.

“Learn to hold your tongue girl. You’re in no position to do what you want.” After a moment of me coughing up some more blood, Jonathan has them untie me. I try to push myself up, but someone pushes me forward. I don’t react fast enough and can’t catch myself. My forehead hits the ground first creating an ugly echo in the empty room. I cry out.

“How old are you?”

“Thir-thirteen.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“Who knows?” There I go again.

I feel the air leave my body as he kicks me. I roll over onto my back. I clutch my stomach and my wound. I cough more as I try to take in more oxygen.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much, Jonathan?” The woman who healed me asks. For a moment, the hope that someone actually cares fills my veins.

“You’re not going soft on me, are you Birdie?”

Her laugh stings my ears, “Of course not! I just want to make sure we can still use her. We can’t do that if she’s broken or dead.”

All hope leaves my body.

“Ok, then. I think that’s enough for today. Think of today as orientation. Each day will just get worse until you give me what I want.”

Finally catching my breath, “And what do you want from me?

“It’s simple. I want your power.”

I feel my eyes widen. But, I can’t seem to find any words. I watch as Birdie comes closer to me.

“I’ll heal you up every time. But when you get a wound like this,” she points to the place Jonathan stabbed me with ice, “I’ll be sure to leave it as a pretty scar. Not just because I want to, but because I’m not the best healer. I can really only completely heal shallow flesh wounds.”

After she healed me, Jonathan teleported me back to my cell and threw me onto the floor. Again, I couldn’t catch myself in time and my shoulder took the brunt of the pain.

“See you in the morning.”

The loud clang of the doors makes me flinch. I’m obviously gonna be here for a while. I’ll never give him what he wants. If anything I will honor my parents by doing that at least.

With the deafening silence, I use my power to create a sharp rock from the floor. Even if I use this to try and escape, I’ve never killed anyone before and they would just capture me again. So I decided to do the next best thing. I carve a single line into the floor. I then place the rock back where I took it and cover the area with sand I created. I lay on my back and run my hand over my left side. I lift my shirt to see the scar Birdie and Jonathan left me. Laying back down, I cry myself to sleep. I have to try and be strong. If not for me. Then for my parents.

————————————

I didn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t. I’ve been waiting for this moment. Today is the day I will finally leave this place. I’ve had enough. I will no longer let myself suffer. At this point, I don’t even feel pain anymore. But, I’ve finally mastered my own power. The one mom would always talk about. Now I’m gonna use it to get the hell out of here. I sit and concentrate on the anger and rage I feel towards Jonathan and everyone in the Ivory Island. The bloodlust races through my body. I think back what my mom told me. About using my fear to fuel me. She was wrong. Fear isn’t what fuels me now. Only hatred, anger, and resentment are all that’s left of me.

I feel the wind begin to howl. I hear the crackling of thunder above me. He killed my parents. He tortured me. He ruined my life. I will kill him. I encourage the wind to grow stronger. I pull the storm closer to me. I strike my cell with my lightning once and watch as it crumbles away from me.

I step out for the first time in over a year to see members of the Ivory Island flocking towards me while trying to hold off my storms. I increase the power behind each lightning strike. I increase the wind’s speed and invert it creating a tornado. As a few of the members near me, I snap my fingers and send ice shards hurtling towards them. Some dodge, but the ones who get hit… I watch as their blood paints the floor like mine used to.

Someone throws a fireball in my direction. I wave my hand and it evaporates quickly with my water. I count 5 people and snap my fingers. 5 lightning bolts race towards them and burn their bodies.

After another 20 minutes of my constant strikes and attacks, all that’s left standing is me. He wasn’t here. Neither were many of the other members.

I scream out in frustration. The sound of a helicopter in the distance brings me back to reality. I need to leave. No one can know it was me that did this. I bring forth a mental image of a hawk and quickly transform into one thinking this will be the quickest way to fly back home undetected. Once I’m in the air, I realize I’m in the outskirts of Park City. Surprise fills me as I realize that my home is on the other side of the city near the cliffs.

I spot the helicopter coming into view and start flying west. Eventually I make it to the woods and find the clearing where my house is, or rather used to be. All that’s left now is the demolished remains. I stay as a hawk as I look around the debris. Finally I come across some of my mom’s clothes. I change back into myself and I quickly slip them on. They’re a little big on me, and they still smell like her. I continue searching through the rubble and find a photograph of me, mom and dad.

I clutch it close to my heart. Wait. Didn’t they leave something for me?

“That’s right. They left it for me to find. It has answers I need.” I leave the photograph as I rush into the woods towards the cliff. The strong, salty breeze whips my knotted hair around. Where would they have left it? Somewhere not obvious. Somewhere only I would be able to get it.

“That’s it! They said ‘the place you go to be alone’. It’s on the cliff.” I walk closer to the edge of the cliff and take a deep breath.

It’s been forever since I’ve done this.

“I’m finally free.” I turn my back to the steep drop and raging waters below. With one last deep breath, I lean back and fall towards the water.

Halfway down, I shift into an osprey rather than a hawk. I open my wings and hover above the water before flying up the cliff. I scan the cliffside until I see something shiny. I hover over the spot and dig out the flash drive trapped between the rocks. This must’ve been dad's doing. Once I finally have it, I fly back up over the cliff and to my house. I turn back to myself and am surprised to see my clothes still on me. Guess this fabric is perfect for us.

I grab the photograph and place the flash drive in my pocket. I take one last look at my home knowing I can never come back. I turn to leave but am stopped in my tracks. A woman with the same light brown hair as my mom stands in my way.

“Hello, Rain. I’m Vera. And I’m a part of the AHL.”

Four minutes in and I knew I had made a colossal mistake. My legs are starting to give out, the sheer effort trying to keep myself squatting on the toilet seat is starting to become too much. My legs tremble in tandem with the slow, heavy footfall that’s getting closer to me, until a sudden bang alarms me. My foot slips and splashes into the cold water beneath me saturating my shoe and sock. My breathing to quickens and something tells me not to look up, but my body moves on its own and I’m paralyzed as I stare up into the emotionless dark eyes of the creature as it jumps into my locked stall, my screams breaking the silence.