"Wow, Kane, you really did well back there, considering we got our butts handed to us," Liam groaned, looking between Kane and Leo with a mix of irritation and amusement.
"Yeah, bro," Leo added, grimacing as he inspected the bruises covering his arms. "When I saw that look in your eyes, I thought you'd figured out some master plan—like, you were about to go full main character mode and beat the crap out of him, you know?"
"Main character? Since when am I the main character?" Kane shot back, clearly more frustrated than either of them. "It's not my fault! I thought I'd figured it out. And what about you guys, huh? You got your butts kicked too!"
Truth be told, none of them could harness their abilities yet. Despite the potential they'd seen in Kane, it all fell apart when the fists started flying. Kane was pummeled into the dirt. Liam threw in the towel after the first hit, and Leo—unwilling to quit—ended up taking the beating of his life. Eventually, Kane had to give up too, after tasting the fiery sting of Andy's energy beams.
"Alright, let's just agree to forget today ever happened and head home," Liam suggested, glancing pointedly at Leo. "And let's keep this between us, yeah? We don't need the whole haven laughing at us for the rest of the year."
Leo pouted. "Come on, Liam, you really think I'd blab about this?" He folded his arms, huffing dramatically as he stared at the sky.
---
A few minutes later, the boys finally arrived at the haven. It was evening, but thankfully, they weren't past curfew, so slipping in wasn't supposed to be a big deal. Kane took the lead and swung open the massive metal door—only to freeze.
The entire household was seated, all eyes locked on them, and even Mrs. Elduige was there. Her stern expression spoke volumes: they were in trouble. Again.
Leo gulped audibly, nudging Liam. "I think we did something wrong," he whispered.
"I can understand Kane and Leo getting into something like this…" Mrs. Elduige's voice boomed, sending a chill down their spines. Liam lowered his head, bracing himself. "But you, Liam? I expected better. You know your brothers are always reckless," she added with a disappointed sigh.
Liam shuffled his feet, not entirely sure what they'd done this time but feeling guilty anyway. He cleared his throat. "Mom, I don't really under—"
"Don't interrupt!" she snapped, her hands trembling slightly. The tension in the room thickened.
Kane couldn't hold back any longer. "Just tell us what we did already!" he blurted out, frustration boiling over.
"Yeah, Mom. Spill it," Leo chimed in, sensing the situation was about to go south fast.
Instead of explaining, Mrs. Elduige signaled to Sophie, who stepped forward holding a tablet. The disappointment in her eyes hit Leo hard, making him feel a wave of guilt. She handed the tablet to Mrs. Elduige, who tapped a few buttons before passing it to Kane.
Kane's eyes widened as he looked at the screen. Leo and Liam crowded around, each freezing as they took in the image. The screen displayed a video—one that seemed to have gone viral—showing their disastrous fight from start to humiliating finish. Bold letters read, #AbilitylessPunksGetWrecked.
Kane saw himself, looking miserable and helpless, alongside Liam and Leo, who fared no better. They glanced at each other with a shared thought: That universal jerk.
Andy hadn't just beaten them; he'd orchestrated the whole fight to humiliate them worldwide. The video captured every painful detail of their defeat.
Leo stammered, "We can explain?"
Mrs. Elduige glared at him. "Honestly, Leo, I'm not surprised. You always jump headfirst into trouble." Her gaze shifted to Kane and Liam. "But you two?" She shook her head. "Please tell me it was Leo who dragged you into this."
Liam shrugged while Kane froze, guilt washing over him. Leo shot them a look, silently begging them to cover for him, but after a moment, Liam sighed and spoke up.
"Actually… it was me who suggested it," Liam muttered, though his tone didn't carry much conviction.
Kane interrupted. "No, that's not true. It was me." He stared at the floor, swallowing hard. The truth was, he'd accepted Andy's challenge, thinking they might had discovered their powers by then and could maybe turn the tables. But looking back, he realized how selfish he'd been. His desire to get back at Andy had put his friends in danger.
Mrs. Elduige's face softened, a trace of sadness in her eyes. She knew these boys well. They'd been at the haven for years, practically since they were little, and she'd raised them as if they were her own sons. Despite everything, she admired the loyalty and love they shared, even if it sometimes led to reckless decisions.
Lost in thought, Mrs. Elduige remembered the stories behind each boy: Leo, abandoned as a baby; Kane, whose parents vanished mysteriously; and Liam, once part of an aristocratic family before being left behind. She cherished their rare bond, hoping they'd always stick together.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Leo's voice. She looked up to see him kneeling, his head bowed. "Enough, Kane. Enough, Liam. Stop trying to cover for me," he said softly. Leo looked up at her, his eyes filled with an unusual seriousness. "Mom, Andy and his goons have been picking on us for a while now," he began. "Especially Kane. You see, Andy's in Class C and so is Kane… well, we orphans are treated like crap because we can't afford a power hub."
Leo sniffled, clearly struggling to hold back tears. "Andy taunts us every chance he gets, saying we're useless. Last week, I'd finally had enough and challenged him, thinking if we beat him, he'd leave us alone. I never meant for things to go this far…"
Before he could finish, Mrs. Elduige pulled him to his feet. She was touched by his words, seeing him take responsibility in a way she hadn't seen before. She returned the tablet to Sophie, who gave Leo a sympathetic look.
"What you did was reckless," Mrs. Elduige said gently. "What if one of you had been seriously hurt? I understand you look out for each other, but you need to think before you act." Her stern expression softened. "Andy's taunts are hard, I know. But you need to stay calm and keep your heads straight."
The other children watched the scene, some with curiosity, others with sympathy. The younger kids didn't quite understand, but the older ones felt sorry for the three boys, who now looked even more like brothers in trouble together.
"All right," Mrs. Elduige announced, "Sophie, Marga, Celine—set the table for dinner. As for you three, I may feel sorry for you, but you're still getting a punishment. Starting now, you're on cleanup duty for the next two months." She shot them a sly smile as she walked away. "Oh, and no dinner tonight."
With that, she left, leaving the boys to contemplate the day's events. Even though Leo hadn't told the whole story—barely half, in fact—he'd taken responsibility for them all and saved their necks. Together, they shuffled off to their shared room, collapsing onto their beds and staring at the ceiling, feeling both defeated and strangely excited. After all, they knew more adventures awaited them—if they survived these punishments first.