Chapter Text
Flashback
Freeport High School, New York, United States
Another day was nearing its end as the bells rang across the high school, concluding the lessons. Several students swarmed by the doorway, nearly all murmured with each other. But one student, Keemia Marko-Alvarado, stood her ground as she walked past fellow students and kept her distant. She wore her usual blue punkish jacket, black tights, and matching sage-green T-shirt and beanie hat. A fringe of her her black hair completely hid her right eye, as if to hide some of her thoughts, feelings, and expressions. If it weren't for her voice, a naïve bystander would or could mistake her for a boy.
"Hey Keemia," a brighter and familiar female voice called from behind, making Keemia turned to see if it was who she thought it was.
And it was indeed her, the frizzy dark-skinned brunette Michelle Jones, wearing a loose open brown shirt, a white vest within, and grey tight shorts. Slightly younger than Keemia, she waved and walked up to her.
"Oh Michelle," Keemia recognised. "You okay?"
"As always," Michelle answered. "I just hope the same for you."
"Yeah sure, I'm fine too."
"You really sure?"
"I guess I just kinda worry at times," Keemia sighed and slumped her shoulders. "That even if I try my best, I may not reach the grade I wanted to get."
"You don't need to worry," Michelle comforted. "I'm sure you get them, if not more so. Hell, probably more than I ever could."
"You think so?"
"Absolutely."
"Thanks."
The two girls continued on their way down the street, side by side, minding the business of no one else beside their own. The silence between gradually grew more awkward, as Michelle tried to think of something to say Keemia.
"You know, Keemia," the dark-skinned girl addressed. "That hat of yours will never stop being so cute."
"You serious, Michelle?" Keemia questioned.
"That's not a bad thing," Michelle retorted. "It's a compliment. It always looks on ya."
"You really think so?"
Michelle quickly nodded and smiled subtly. As they turned round a corner into an alleyway, the tension between the girls still continued to grow even more awkward.
"Does your dad know about us?" Michelle asked. "About what's going on between us and all?"
"I'm sure he would anyway," Keemia replied aloofly. "And even then, part of me doubts he'd even care."
"Of course he cares about you, right?" Michelle said. "And I care about you too. You care about me as well, don't you?"
Looking down at Michelle, Keemia knew deep down how much she does so indeed. Such feelings couldn't be too easy to set down in either simple or complex words, nor do they need to necessarily, as it's better to show than tell, and actions do speak louder.
Michelle grabbed Keemia by her jacket and pulled her in for a good long kiss. Initially shocked by this, Keemia's eyes widened at first glance before they too fluttered shut, and her hands soon cupped around Michelle's cool smooth neck. Being the dominant and slightly older one, Keemia pushed Michelle against a convenient brick wall in the alley.
As their tongues began to make contact with each other, Michelle let herself submit to Keemia. At least once a day, Michelle would long to feel Keemia's warm lips with her own, and such a wait would be worth it. Whether it was in public and private, neither would care even half a bit, as they felt like they were in their world entirely. However, as heat started to build between them, Keemia soon came back to her senses, fearing that she could be becoming forceful on Michelle, and pulled away from their kiss and released her.
"After graduation, then we can get serious with our relationship," Keemia sternly said.
"Is that something your dad told you to?" Michelle pulled an innocent face.
"Of course not," Keemia denied. "Maybe... But regardless I promise and swear you this when I say I'd never follow in my father's footsteps."
Present Time
London, England, United Kingdom
Wandering down their way in Baker Street, a light-brown-haired boy of late teens, in a long-sleeved green T-shirt and baggy blue jeans, and a slightly older, long black-haired woman, in an orange sleeveless T-shirt and black khaki shorts, both drank their cups of hot chocolate.
"So, you enjoying your hot coco, Billy?" the woman asked.
"If I didn't, why would I order it and be drinking it at all, Jess?" the boy replied snarkily in his usual cheeky manner.
Jess rolled her eyes and smirked sheepishly at the typical remark. She breathed in a bit of chilled air before huffing out and taking another slurp of her drink.
"Still though, it's good to spend at least one day out of our tight suits and just relax and chill," Jess cocked her head.
"Yeah," Billy agreed. "I hear there's a new exhibition at the Science Museum. Like an expo or something... Or do they mean the same thing?"
"So I heard too," Jessica said. "They'll be showing off various new tech and innovations that should help in making people's lives better."
"As if superheroes like us don't try to do enough to actually help people."
"Sure, plus the likes of Tony Stark and Peter Parker will be attending."
"With a guestlist like that, count us in."
"That is, of course, assuming there won't be any major crimes or diabolical plans to take over the universe occurring anytime soon."
"No worries about that, with those fancy prisons the folks at S.T.R.I.K.E. made, we won't have to go through any rush or pressure," Billy patted Jessica on the back. "And even if there are, I'm sure many other fellow heroes would be more suited for the job of taking care of it than we are."
Flashback
Somewhere in New Jersey, United States
Deep within a seemingly abandoned chemical plant upon the peak of night, the full moon glistened the showering rain, revealing how drab and grim the facility looked. Here, a lone car had parked, drenched under the infinite droplets of rain. Within the car, a man sat behind the steering wheel, a man of many aliases, one being the identity of Flint Marko. In the back seat, his daughter, Keemia, sat quietly and read one of her many books.
"Wait here," Flint said to her, even though she didn't break away her sight from reading. "I won't be long."
With that, he exited the car and entered the building. Even he knew Keemia didn't approve of his line of work, but he brought her along anyway. Keemia sat alone inside the car in the night, accompanied only by the droning rain, still reading and barely managing to turn a eye to even consider the only piece of family she may've had. She hated what he did, and he swore he'd use her brains to give herself a better life.
So Keemia waited for seemed like hours, all compressed into within at least half an hour. It otherwise wouldn't have bothered her so if it weren't too quiet and too dark; if it weren't for the constant rain and the occasional distant clashing of thunder, the silence would've been deafening. Reading the same pages over and over, Keemia set aside her book with a huff. With her patience gradually running thin, she did the one thing she said she'd never do. She followed in her father's footsteps.
Keemia got out and left behind the car before entering the same way her dad did, not bothered by the rain one bit. As her footsteps faintly reverberated, she wandered almost aimlessly through the dim and dingy corridor; cold, lifeless and metallic. Soon enough, she heard faint voices and footsteps just ahead, so she ran a few more steps and hid behind a barrel to peak closely enough to see the happenings of the wide area ahead.
There she spotted her father standing still, looking up at something, someone seemingly concealed from sight.
"You've disappointed me for the last time, Marko," Keemia heard a gruff male voice echo. "Lettin' my financial ledger fall into the wrong hands... that was the last straw."
"Hammerhead, it wasn't my fault," Keemia's father stammered. "Let me explain. Let me-"
Just then, the sound of a flicking switch went off, and before either knew it, a huge wave of sand appeared, then it quickly and completely overwhelmed him, and soon it came for Keemia. She ran as far as possible, but the incoming wave inevitably caught up to her, forcing her over and seemingly consuming her whole. Keemia felt as if her very skin was being ripped apart by the toxic sand until she almost disintegrated away to near nothingness.
As a result, all the studying she did, all the high grades she got? Didn't matter anymore.
Her fate was sealed in sand...
Present Time
S.T.R.I.K.E. Containment Facility Iota
Deep in the confines of a high-tech prison, made especially for the containment of super-villains, be they human, mutant, alien, god, machine, or otherwise, as well as other notorious rogues and criminals, one particular prisoner stood completely and perfectly still and silent: the glass statue of a familiar teenage girl. Her left hand was permanently raised as if she were attempting to reach out for something she failed to take. Her left eye, uncovered by her hair, remained widened in frozen fear, and staring off at countless yards.
Even if she wasn't contained within such a cell in this facility, she wouldn't be able to pose even a hint of a threat. However, something or somebody else would as a distant rumble erupted, the various lights flickered off and on again until they went out, causing red alerts and siren alarms to all soon set off. Across the corners of the special prison, explosions went off and erupted into flames and smoke.
"Security under threat, security under threat," a feminine robotic voice repeated over the tannoy speakers.
Out of the fading smoke, a small gang of villains pushed their way through: a dark-skinned woman in a dark blue suit with sparks of blue lightning emitting from her, a tall anthropomorphic hippo and a blonde girl donned in a panda suit, both of which wielded a rifle each. When a few security guards stepped in to put a stop to them, this terrific trio took down the guards one by one.
The witnessing criminals banged on the glass windows of their cells, begging to be set free, only to be ignored as the trio passed by. However, the three soon found the one they came for, possibly the only one who didn't seem to plead for freedom or even react in any way at all. The glass girl.
"So, this is the one we were told to find?" the panda girl questioned.
"Seems so, pretty much," the electric villainess confirmed. "Hippo? You know what to do?"
"Right," the Hippo replied, putting aside his rifle, and cracking his knuckles. "I mean, we already broke in anyway, might as well break out too."
With precise aim and anticipation, Hippo launched his fist at the window, barely managing to leave a small crack. Then he threw another, and yet another, bringing pressure to the otherwise tough glass wall and increasing crack until it finally gave way and shattered. Stepping over the scattered pieces of glass, the Hippo and the Panda girl struggled to get a full and proper grip of the statue before they managed to lift it, or her, up.
"Now let's bail and get outta here," the electrokinetic villainess ordered as she dashed off in front, leading her comrades close behind.
"Back the way we came?" the panda girl asked.
"Maybe so," the electronic villainess pondered. "But then again, where's the fun in that?"
Creating a large orb of lightning energy between her hands, the electric master flung the ball of bolts straight at a nearby wall, causing it to blast apart into mere chunks and fragments and leaving behind a open hole to freedom, wide open enough for the villains to fit through, especially the glass statue. Without hesitation, the villains made their way forth and fled into the dead of night.