Shocked to see Mia standing in the gymnasium, wearing a scandalous nurse's outfit, which she pulled off with a pair of fake fangs, I watched her work a needle into a student's arm. She waved at me. Her lips curved into a charming smile, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

"Hey," she exclaimed.

A mischievous grin formed on my lips as I teasingly responded, "Hey, Mia." A blush crept onto my cheeks as I gazed into her mesmerizing blue eyes.

"I'm almost finished," she informed me.

"Do you need any help?" I offered. Taking a seat on the floor, I held an ice pack against my warm forehead, observing Mia as she skillfully inserted a needle into a student's arm, collecting their plasma in a blood bag. To keep myself from feeling overwhelmed, I took a deep breath. Being in Mia's presence provided comfort, although I wasn't feeling my best.

"Who would've thought I had such a fear of needles?" I chuckled to myself while watching Mia work.

"James, just take a deep breath," she admonished me, but her hand clasped mine, pressing it against a cold bean bag for a few seconds before she moved to the far corner of the room. She removed a needle from another patient's arm and applied a bandage while the relieved boy settled back into his chair. Marina entered the room carrying more blood bags, which she placed on a nearby counter. I exhaled once again.

"Do you mind if I leave?" I grumbled to Marina, standing up and gesturing towards the door. Marina grinned, understanding my sudden urge to escape. However, Mia growled at me and shot me a disapproving glance. "I suppose I'll stay," I reluctantly conceded.

Marina exited the room, carrying a stack of documents. Mia and I were alone in the room, gazes locked after she attended to her last patient. Now and then, she would glance at me to ensure I was alright.

Had I known it was all a setup, I wouldn't have kissed her. But as my shirt fell to the ground, I ignored the childhood lessons Sam had taught me about recognizing suspicious behavior.

"James, I have something to tell you," Mia sighed while I planted kisses along her jawline, inhaling deeply.

"Yeah?" I murmured against her neck, my tongue lightly tracing her delicate collarbone. Pulling away, I locked eyes with her, captivated by her intense blue gaze as she moaned and stepped back, breaking our intimate moment. Our heavy breathing filled the silence of the gymnasium as we continued to watch each other. She leaned in close, pressing her tongue to my earlobe and teasingly licking it.

"I haven't been honest with you," Mia abruptly pushed me back into a chair behind me. It seemed like this was where things would progress beyond the first base, but I needed clarification.

"Max, Mark, he's ready," she exclaimed.

Mia took a step back, wiping her lips. Mark appeared from around the corner, munching on a bag of cheese puffs. He tossed the bag aside, dusting off the cheese residue from his dark hoodie. Max forcefully pinned me from behind, restraining my chest and arms against the bench, seemingly unfazed that his hood had fallen back.

"James-JAMES-James," Mark clicked his tongue, holding a vial of Sam's experimental treatment at eye level.

"So," I grumbled, "This was your plan? It's never going to work," I shouted. Max let saliva drip from his lips onto the wooden floor. I squirmed in his grip, but his strength was overpowering.

I yelled at Mia, "You knew about my powers? You've been playing me this whole time." Max tightened his grip on my wrist, securing me to the seat. She gave me a wicked grin.

"Yeah, I played you, Alpha. You're cute, like a little orphan puppy. The saddest part is that I liked you, Superboy. Too bad your powers are about to disappear."

Mia burst into laughter while Max pulled me forward in the chair. I struggled to resist, but I was no match for Max's super strength.

Max hissed, "Stay still, James, or this will hurt." With a sheer exertion of his will, he forced my mouth open. I looked to Mia for help, but she stood there, giggling like a maniac.

Mark shouted, "Mia, come here." He placed the vial into Mia's hand as she approached. I could have sworn I saw a hint of sadness in Mark's eyes as he passed the vial to his cousin's fingertips. "Empty the contents," he instructed.

Instead, Mia effortlessly opened the vial and complied without resistance. Max yanked my mouth forcefully, and a liquid stream trickled past my lips. She tossed the vial aside and grabbed a grimy needle from the counter's edge. Chuckling to herself, she pressed the syringe's tip into my flesh, her fingers tracing the contours of my muscles. For a moment, my vision flickered, shifting from purple to blue before everything faded into black.

∆∆∆

My head swam as I struggled to focus on something in the gym, trying to distract myself from the previous day's nausea caused by the cafeteria food. Hastily, I went to the bathroom, searching for traces of dried blood on my arm. I glanced around, hoping to catch sight of Max before gently wiping water across my bruised and swollen lip. In a state of panic, I dialed Derek's number, unsure of what else to do. Derek answered the call promptly.

"What's wrong, James?" he asked. His voice sounded weary, but I needed to assess the situation. My powers were gone, stolen by the girl I believed to be my girlfriend. Who knows what they intended to do with my blood, but I had a sinking feeling it wasn't anything good.

I sighed, gripping the phone tightly, momentarily forgetting I couldn't fly. Instead, I walked, ensuring my voice didn't echo.

"The blood drive was a trap. My powers... they're gone. They took bags of my blood. I knew I shouldn't have trusted anyone connected to Mark Reignson, especially Mia. I feel so stupid." I paced the empty school hallways, cursing silently. How could I have been so naïve? Finally, Derek's voice reassured me as he tapped his finger on the phone.

"Are you alone?" Derek inquired. I looked around, scanning the long corridor. The only person in the school was a janitor, engrossed in his music with headphones on.

"Yeah," I confirmed. The tapping ceased.

"I'll come over and pick you up as soon as possible. Stay where you are," Derek instructed. I nodded.

"No problem." I sat against a wall, pulling my knees to my chest. Noah and Sam had been right. My ex-girlfriend was a psychopathic traitor, so my superpowers had vanished. Nausea overwhelmed me, and I positioned myself in front of a nearby trash can just in case I vomited. I wasn't entirely sure why they needed my blood, but I knew it couldn't be anything good. I had to regain my powers before something terrible happened. I needed them back soon.

"What are we going to do about your powers?" Derek's voice echoed through the phone once more.

"You mean my nonexistent powers?" I grumbled.

"Yes," he responded. "What's the plan?" We stood in the hallway, conversing under the bright lights hanging from the ceiling.

"Do you think I have the answer?" I snapped.

Derek let out a frustrated growl. "Don't be difficult. I'm trying to help."

"I don't want my powers," I muttered. I had moments where I doubted the necessity of my powers. The more I convinced myself I didn't want them, the harder it would be to reclaim them when needed.

"You need your powers. Max is likely planning something far worse than this. I spoke to Noah, and he said this was just the beginning of his plan—"

"You talked to Noah behind my back?" I growled, shifting uncomfortably on the concrete floor.

"Yeah," he retorted. "Max is dangerous, and you could stop him if you weren't so stubborn."

"This isn't my fault," I argued, fists clenched around the phone. "Max, Mark, and Mia did this to me, and honestly, I'm glad they did."

Derek hurried into the building, anxiously navigating the hallway until his eyes met mine. "Look, maybe you shouldn't wish you never had powers because you're the strongest person I've ever known," he said aloud, ending the phone call.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing my backpack from the floor beside me. "I don't want them," I grumbled, brushing past Derek as we hurried down the hallway. We stopped at the doorway, and he stared into my eyes, challenging me as if trying to decipher something about me.

"I'm not letting you give up so easily. If anyone needs you, it's Sam, Dad, and me. Let's go home," he declared, his gaze drifting momentarily. He pushed open the double doors and stepped outside. I didn't think I needed my powers, but the worst was yet.