Zeke Carter had learned two things about being hunted:
one ,always finish your granola bar before the bad guys show up
two, never trust a quite Street.
Which is why when main street suddenly went too quiet, he knew something bad was about to happen.
Maya crouched beside him on the rooftop, her eyes scanning the smoldering ruins below.
"There. Police scanners were not exaggerating ."
Zeke followed her gaze - And saw her.
A girl standing on a burned out cop car like it was a throne. Silver hair streaming. Eyes glowing like ultra violet headlights. And her hands... oh, her hands were alive like violet lightning.
Zeke whistled low. " Well that's... new."
Maya didn't blink." that is trouble."
Zeke grinned ." or...that is my long lost evil twin."
Maya smacked his arm . " Focus!"
First contact
Zeke leapt from the roof top, sparks flaring at his heels. He landed hard , asphalt cracking beneath his sneakers. Dust clouded the air as he straighten up, hoodie whipping in the breeze.
"Hey!" he called out, raising a hand.
" nice light show. Wanna swap tips? I'm more of a 'blue sparks, short circuit the coffee machine' kind of guy."
Zara tilted her head, violet sparks dancing across her palm. Her voice was calm, too calm.
"So. You are the infamous Patient Zero."
Zeke smirked ." Infamous? Please. Let's go with misunderstood. Sounds better on t-shirts."
She didn't laugh. Instead, she stepped off the car, her bare feet touching the cracked asphalt.
"They made me first. Before you. And when they couldn't control me... they put me on ice."
Maya, keeping a cautious distance, muttered under her breath. " Called it. Lab rat number two."
Zara's eyes flicked at Maya. " And you brought a handler. Cute."
"Uh, excuse you," Maya snapped. " I am not his handler. I am his..."
" Annoying conscience?" Zeke offered .
"Survival guide." Maya corrected sharply.
Zara rolled her eyes. " doesn't matter. He won't survive me."
Sparks fly
Without warning, Zara thrust out her hands. Violet lightning streamed across the streets, slambing into the pavements where Zeke had been standing half a second ago.
The explosion sent cars tumbling like tin toys.
"Okay! " Zeke yelped, diving behind an overturned truck. "Not a talker. got it."
He popped his head out, sparks buzzing at his finger tips. "But just so we are clear, starting a conversation with electrocution ? Super rude."
Zara advanced, every step leaving scorch marks ." you are sloppy. Raw .
They must be desperate if you're the one they let run free."
Zeke stood, grinning nervously. " Yeah, well, I prefer the team freelance superhero."
He threw out his hands, bolts of blue lightning crashing towards her. For a heartbeat, the street lit up like a rave - blue against violet, colliding mid air in a crackling explosion that shattered windows.
Maya ducked, shielding her face. "Great, this is how Redwood Heights gets leveled- two electrified teenagers with identity issues!"
Banter in the Crossfire
Zeke darted left, lightning spraying from his hands like fireworks.
"So, just checking ,are we supposed to fight to the death here, or can we like talk about Netflix first?"
Zara flicked her wrist, casually battling away his bolts like doing mosquitoes.
" Netflix didn't exist when they froze me."
Zeke blinked. "...Whoa. That's tragic."
" Not as tragic as you." She said flatly, and unleashed a blast that sent him flying through the glass doors of a half burnt diner.
He groaned, sitting in a pile of broken chairs. "ow. Okay. First off - rude. Second -do you know how long I've been craving pancakes?"
Zara stepped through the shattered doorway, violet sparks crawling up her arms. "You think this is a joke?"
"Lady," Zeke said standing and brushing glass off his hoodie, "if I don't joke, I panic. And when I panic I fry things. So unless you want this diner turned into a nuclear waffle, maybe chill?"
Her eyes narrowed. The violet glow dimmed just slightly.
" You don't even understand what you are."
Zeke tilted his head. " Wanna bet?"
Clash of equals.
Their next collision shook the block. Blue and violet lightning twisted together, spiraling into a storm above them. Thunder cracked. Cars lifted into the air, magnetized by the sheer force.
Zara pushed forward, every strike deliberate , surgical. Zeke scrambled to keep up, deflecting more than attacking,sparks flying wild.
" Stop holding back!" she snapped, pressing him against the wall of the diner.
"If you can't even fight me, how would you ever take down NeoGeneX ?"
Zeke's eyes widened. " Wait - you hate them too?"
For the first time, her expression faltered. Just for a second. Then the mask slid back.
"Of course I do!" she said. "But I don't need you."
Before he could reply, she blasted him with a final surge of violet lightning. The building shuddered, half it's roof collapsing as Zeke tumbled into the smoke and rubble.
Cliffhanger
When the dust cleared, Zeke staggered to his feet, coughing. His hoodie was scorched ,hair standing on end.
But he was grinning .
"Okay," he said, spitting out plaster dust. " You are officially the coolest, scariest person I've ever met. And I'm counting Maya after two Red bulls."
Maya shouted from outside, " Hey! Keep my name out of your blue sparkly mouth!"
Zeke chuckled.
Zara studied him,her glow pulsing. For the first time, she didn't strike. She just... watched him.
" You're not ready." She said softly. " but you will be. Whether you like it or not."
And with that, she vanished in your flash of violet lights, leaving the diner in ruins - and leaving Zeke Carter staring after her, sparks still twitching at his finger tips.