Noah smiled wryly, his eyes lit with mischief as he floated a few feet over my head. He wore straight-leg jeans and a short-sleeved black shirt. His feet dangled a few inches off the ground, his toes pointing toward me.

Noah's smirk was mischievous as he looked down at me with hungry eyes. His dark curly hair draped over one eye, and his brown eyes were like fire in the other. His features are sharp, like a fox with a capricious streak. Noah's broad smile, his dimples, and wavy, blond hair. His underwear rim hung loosely around his adonis belt, revealing a trim, athletic body.

I groaned in exasperation and pulled the bedsheets over my head. Noah smiled more expansive, then used his telekinetic powers to make the blankets leave me with a sharp tug. "What the hell, Kinley?"

"Good morning, Knight," he said as he gracefully landed beside me, his grin still intact.

"My dad said we can skip school and focus on training today." The idea felt strange to me—Sam being a dad.

I yawned and stretched in bed, my voice cracking. "That's great."

"Now get up," he yelled, his grin growing even more significant. Suddenly, he appeared beside me and forcefully pulled me out of bed. I rubbed my sore head and grimaced.

"When I regain my powers, you're in big trouble, Noah."

He spat venomously, "Pick yourself up, you baby. Don't make me ask twice," propelling me backward with a shove from his powerful legs. Reluctantly, I got up, shaking off the dirt clumps stuck to my sleepwear and forcing a smile. I was going to kick his ass once I got my powers back.

∆∆∆

Noah and I faced off in a showdown at separate sides of the yard. "Be careful, Knight. I make for a pretty intimidating linebacker," warned Noah with a grin as his eyes shifted in vigilance. I readied myself, too, and jumped on my toes to match his stance.

"I'll take that bet," I retorted.

Noah chuckled. "Do you think you can take me on?" he said, putting up twenty dollars to sweeten the bet. Sam's gaze shifted between us as she offered a warning.

"Just don't hurt him too much. We'll need his help once he gets his powers back," Sam added.

"Why not use me? I'm way better than James, and I know my brother's weaknesses better than you do," Noah whined. His smile faded, and his eyes darted back to me.

"Noah, I know you're a more selfless hero than your brother, Max," Sam admitted. Derek joined us on the patio, a plate piled high with hotdogs in his hand. He placed it next to him, took a bite, and motioned toward me with his food.

"Kind of like James," he added.

"However, this is James's problem, not yours," Sam concluded with a wide smile. Noah groaned, his toes sinking into the grass. He rubbed his palms together, a smile spreading across his face. With a sudden lunge to make his move, he smirked.

"I'm kicking your ass today, James," he declared. Great, thanks, Sam.

Noah sprinted toward me, but I swiftly dodged, causing him to stumble and fall. "Piece of cake," I grinned.

The sky was orange, the sun beating down on my skin as I squinted with a smile. Noah grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the ground. I sat up with him, planting my hands and pushing him off of me.

The sun reflected off Noah's exposed shoulders, his muscles flexing from pulling me down, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Glimpses of the patio stools and a table suddenly flashed in my peripheral vision. I blinked and saw the background moving, but my head spun.

"This time, Knight, I won't go easy on you." Noah hissed.

"All bark, no bite," I teased—my mistake. I fell to the ground, collapsing on my back, lying motionless momentarily. Slowly, I breathed in and out. Sweat glistened on my forehead. I pulled my body into a tight ball, scooting away from Noah, moaning in great pain, before I shifted from my back to my side and my knees curled toward my chest. I slowly got up, feeling slightly unsteady on my feet. A splitting headache tore through my skull like a bayonet, leaving me dazed with a blurry vision before it faded, and I collapsed as the world spiraled into darkness.

∆∆∆

I slowly regained consciousness, wincing at the bright light that hurt my eyes. I adjusted to my surroundings and saw Noah, Derek, and Sam leaning over me.

I reached for the back of my head, feeling a lump, dried blood mixed with my hair, and a healed gash. I was dizzy, likely suffering from a minor concussion. That was okay. I would teach Noah a lesson once I regained my powers. I tried to focus on Sam, then Derek, and finally, Noah.

"I'm going to damn well kill you, Noah," I growled.

Noah chuckled. "I'm glad you're alive, Knight." Our eyes met, and he smiled. I attempted to sit up, but they all pushed me back against the couch.

"You need to stay down. We can't afford you getting hurt again," Derek reassured me. He shot Noah an irritated glance.

"He's right. It'd be better if you had your strength. Are you feeling any pain?" Sam added.

I huffed. "My head hurts at the back, and the room is spinning a bit, but overall, I'm fine." I pushed off the couch, but Noah promptly pushed me back down.

"Stay down, or I'll make you," Noah barked. I readjusted myself on the couch.

"You still have some strength left. Your reflexes are still sharp when needed, and Derek mentioned you kept some of your speed and endurance. Your recovery is impressive. I'm just not sure how strong you are without your powers. I have seen little of it since you lost them," Sam summarized.

"He's still a weak little bastard," Noah said, laughing. I gritted my teeth. Derek, Sam, and I glared at Noah, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'm still stronger than the three of you combined." We continued to stare at him, our eyebrows furrowed.

"I could still arrest you," Derek conceded.

"For what?" Noah retorted.

"Hacking into the police database and stalking."

"You can't even catch me." In a flash, Noah appeared at the opposite end of the room, leaning against a doorway. Derek glared at him.

"Show off," Derek muttered.

Noah grinned. "Rookie."

I pulled myself into a sitting position, and Noah returned to my side. All three of them watched me cautiously. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Sam asked, shooting a disapproving look at his son.

"Don't give me that look," Noah snapped.

Sam sighed. "You might be my biological son, but I still find it hard to trust you, especially considering you wanted to kill me."

Noah raised his hands in defense. "But I haven't killed you, have I?"

"That's because James intimidates the hell out of you," Derek remarked, snorting as he observed Noah's flushed cheeks.

"Okay, James may have intimidated me a little before he lost his powers. You don't have to rub it in. I'm on your side, and I still have my powers, so I'll watch what I say from now on."

"I know that, and I'm glad you're back with us," Sam admitted. "But Max still despises me and currently has Matthew captive. So, if we can focus on that instead of glaring at each other..." Sam's gaze shifted to Derek. "It would be more helpful."

"I think it's all just a big misunderstanding. Max doesn't realize what he's doing or the trouble he's getting into by indulging Alexander's delusions. His ego is getting the better of him, and he'll end up hurt," Noah expressed, showing some sympathy for Max. Derek and I sighed.

"Well, at least you're smart enough to know when to choose the right side," Derek said to Noah, visibly relieved. Noah smiled back. "That's because we're family. Tu casa es mi casa."

"I think you've got that backward," Derek quipped.

"You might be right, rookie." Noah's grin widened, and he sat on the couch next to me. "Feeling any better, Knight?" he asked.

"I'll be better tomorrow," I replied, settling onto the couch and making myself comfortable among the pillows. Noah grunted but refrained from arguing. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

∆∆∆

I awoke to the evening's enticing fresh pepperoni and sausage pizza aroma. Noah floated a slice in front of my face while munching on his own, bundled up in a blanket in my father's armchair in the corner.

"Are you hungry, Knight?" I inhaled deeply, my stomach growling from the day's lack of food. He brought the pizza to my mouth, and I took a bite. The pizza dropped from the air, but I caught it with lightning-fast reflexes. Noah seemed satisfied.

"When do you think your powers will return? I mean, Max is no fool. He'll obliterate your Dad. Max must be planning something awful," Noah remarked, taking a bite of his slice and leaning back. I glared at him from across the room.

"I know he's your brother, but he's a jerk," I said. Noah giggled, and I playfully threw the pizza slice at him, prompting him to laugh even harder.

"Well, I'm not fond of Max either," he confessed.

I let out a small laugh. Derek entered the room, still in his uniform, and a few seconds later, the front door swung open. He had been out with the police, searching for my father, but they had no luck. I would have joined them if I still had my powers, but now I was defenseless.

"Did you find anything?" I asked as Derek entered the living room. He sat beside me on the couch, and Noah materialized beside him.

"Not much. There was a robbery at a mini-market and a thrift store near Burchett and Florence, but we still don't have any leads. Gray and I turned off the security cameras at both locations, and we're unsure if it's Max."

"It's probably Max," Noah chimed in. "I know my brother. He's a master manipulator and as tech-savvy as I am. If he wants something, he'll do whatever it takes."

"I guess he takes after his mother," Sam commented. Noah glanced at his father but chose not to respond.

"Max is dangerous." Noah looked at me. "If you don't regain your powers soon, we're in serious trouble."

We all agreed. We had witnessed Max's actions firsthand. He was a villain and had my father captive, which worried me. I had to have faith that Derek would find our father and restore my powers sooner rather than later. That was all I could do for now.

"He's currently more powerful than all of us combined," Derek said, his gaze shifting to Noah as he finished his pizza. Noah reached over, snatched my slice from my fingertips, and took a bite. I glared at him.

"That's payback for stealing my sandwich the other day," Derek grumbled. I leaned back on the couch, groaning as the weight of everything hit me.

"Why does everything have to happen to me?" I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.

"That's just how life rolls, mate," Noah said. I reached over and snatched my pizza slice back from him. Noah licked each of his fingers in retaliation.

"I'm sure things will get back to normal soon," Derek assured me, patting my back. "We'll find Dad, and before you know it, you'll be complaining about having superpowers again."

I scoffed. "I don't complain."

"You complain quite a bit," Derek argued.

"You're often whining," Sam said, agreeing with Derek.

"You guys are ridiculous," I grumbled. Noah giggled, and I threw the pizza slice at him, provoking more laughter.

"Whatever," I mumbled in annoyance, my legs trembling with anxiety.

"Whether Matthew is here, you'll regain your powers," Sam reassured me. I was still worried about my Dad. What were they doing to him? Was he even still alive? Max could subject him to anything, and without my powers, we were powerless to save him.