Out of the Clear Blue Sky

Mara had assisted her brother-- her barely thirteen year old brother-- keep his unnatural hero identity a secret.

She'd kept silent at the table every time their Father who was part of a steadily defunding police department disparage a "young, brash thrill-seeker" with his suspicious eyes and mind working to furrow out any lies from what he had fed the media and an adoring crowd that day. 'The child's press skills,' he'd sharply noted, 'were a slow developing trait.'

Which unfortunately, had developed well.

Likely, had the right type of personality for such work in the first place. And it was with some grief that he remarked, "what a waste."

She was there with a hand under the table or a pressing look to at least eat one or two bites when the comments hit too close and too sharply.

She was there with an excuse for their parents, the notes to fool his most apathetic teachers-- and a note for herself to bring it up to their parents of how teachers in that middle school were hardly up to par-- she was there as his big sister to patch him up and put ice on what had been twisted or squeezed to intimidate or just-- to shatter his bones.

Turns out, she'd been the second to find out.

Her brother, he had gotten a partner first from his best friend Carson.

Carson, had been the one to help organize his affects if it ever became necessary. If Nick one day didn't come back. If he failed as Earth's front line in an intergalactic war.

Yes, her brother had been hit by lightning one day by the planet's designated guardian, because the woman had needed manpower. Why she chose a twelve-year-old, she would never forgive nor forget. She had her eyes on the motherly patron who came around every so often.

She'd found the rudimentary letters and even-- a will-- that he had written. Mostly who got what, as she was searching among the chaos of his steadily neglected room for a specific videogame. Where he had also hidden a thumb drive of police case notes concerning odd doll-related disturbances.

It was all in a girl's jewelry box, certainly no one who was allowed in his room would dare touch such a thing. He likely never figured Mara would become one such person. Or that she had picked up how to break these simple locks as a necessary skill as his big sister.

'Mara,

There are things you should know. About how this happened to me. Please don't blame Malloria for this. She did what she had to.

See, it started with that day. When there used to be stormy skies all day and everyday, lightning with no hint of rain and the gales of wind. When we could find bits of UFO scrap.

It was such a normal day before then, I don't think she had a plan. It wasn't "supposed" to be me. It just happened that way. I was the one on the court who got hit. The lightning hurt though I won't deny that. The pain alone, I thought it would kill me before I even thought of what lightning actually does do. Did you know that getting hit by lightning, you really do feel what it means to be so hot that you feel cold?

I woke up in the nurse's office, I guess my vitals weren't too messed up and namely, I wasn't a charred hunk of boy stuck to the pavement like wadded up and stepped over gum until it flattens over into a pink splat on the ground. Dried by the sun-- but back on topic.

From there is where my electrical powers came from and it came on quickly and suddenly. And also, I didn't get my costume through a transformation sequence. I had to make it out of old Halloween costume pieces and accessories that happened to fit the theme.

I did notice my powers building, it was sparks between my fingers, popping fireworks, the lightbulb. I didn't completely know what I was doing, I didn't know what was happening to me. What I did eventually know is that I had never-- as my big sister and the person who seriously did pick up a lot of slack-- seen you scared. And you were scared, when Dad hadn't yet come home, when it seemed that he wasn't coming home.

So I put on a poorly made costume and went investigating. And yeah, that's how I found out I had the strength and super jump abilities. The first building I jumped off from-- please don't resuscitate me from the grave and hurt me-- I fought a bunch of mutant lizards in a fish factory-- that's where I met Jalen the first time-- he's an example to his species, unfortunately, and sure I didn't "save-save" Dad, but I made sure his shift ended well before midnight.

I seriously just wanted to help Mar. I swear, and I'm sorry. That that's hurt you.'

--Your brother, Nick.

Mara's breath shuddered once she finished, there were all types of other drafts, more and more pages to have been added for the initial letter.

There were ones for Carson and David. Not one for Mom or Dad. Oh God.

She took a deep breath and with a small, determinate flame, placed everything back where she had found it. Her brother would surely notice the lock broken but she would deal with that. She would tell him the truth, what she saw and what the plan was now.

She walked downstairs without the game, without the notes, Nick and Carson were still pored over the computer and its blue screen doing murder on their eyes.

"You guys should take a soda break. give me a shift," Mara said, pointing to herself.