I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. I slowly sat up from my spot on the couch, keeping my eyes closed as I did so. Erika and I were up late last night trying to calm ourselves down about the situation. Needless to say, we were up until one in the morning until I had stopped crying, and even then we were both worked up. Erika was asleep on the paisley printed love seat, curled up in a ball to fit into the small space. Yukiko leaned back, turning her head and smiling at me from the kitchen. "Morning Anna."

"Morning." I said, slowly standing up.

Yukiko held up a plastic cup with her face on it. Was it weird that superheroes had their own merchandise? "I bet your head is pounding, right?"

"Yeah." I said as I walked into the kitchen, noticing that she was making french toast.

"Fill this up with ice and water. You're probably dehydrated because you were crying a lot last night."

"That would explain my pounding headache." I grabbed the cup and started filling it up with ice.

"Trust me, I get it." After a couple seconds of silence, Yukiko smiled a bit. "Are you doing a bit better?"

"I feel like people want me to say yes, but-"

"Saying yes and feeling like you're okay are two different things." Yukiko said understandingly.

"Yeah."

"Trust me kid, I get it. You think you can trust a person with everything, but then when the time comes, you find out that they weren't the person you originally thought they were. You fell betrayed, but you don't know how to voice it until it's too late."

As I got my water from the faucet, I glanced over at Yukiko. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"I had a friend when I was a about your age. We both lived in the same neighborhood, so we had known each other for ages. I had gotten my powers early, just like you and Erika, and I showed them to him. He promised me that he wouldn't tell anyone, but then, a week later, a bunch of men in suits came to my house and took me away for experimentation. As they dragged me away, this friend came out of his house and yelled at me, telling me that I was a freak of nature." Yukiko took in a shaky breath. Obviously, the memory still made her upset. "I was in that research facility for three years before Emily and the other founding members broke me and the other kids there out. When they said that they were fighting for our rights and fighting the people who did that to us, the people who were giving people with our abilities a bad name, I jumped at the chance."

"That sounds horrible."

"Yes, but if I wasn't in that facility, I never would have met my wife and gave other people like me a chance to use their powers freely without fear of being outcasted." Yukiko sighed heavily. "It's funny. My family fled Japan a hundred years ago because they were enslaving people like us and we just fled to a much bigger cage. I wish I had some program like Y.A.K.S. when I was a kid so that I could've had a place to learn how to use my powers appropriately."

"We're called Thunderbird Alliance now." I said sheepishly. "We changed the name last meeting. Erika was the one who suggested it."

"I was wondering when you kids were going to change that ridiculous name." Yukiko said, laughing. "But still, my wish still stands."

"Why did you and the other suggest that people shouldn't use their powers until they were college age?"

"We thought that we'd be protecting you kids. We all grew up listening and watching stories about teenage superheroes and the trials they'd have to go through. We thought that if we did that, you kids could have a seminormal life before decided to become a hero. I don't think that either of us realized until now just how much damage we might be doing to you kids. One nudge in the wrong direction by the wrong person and your generation is off the rails." Yukiko said, shaking her head.

"That's hardly you guy's fault though. You had good intentions."

"But it's still our fault that this is happening."

"You can't control people's actions."

"Exactly!"

"Huh?" I asked, taking a sip of water.

"You can't control anyone's actions. Zelena said that stuff of her own volition. I know it doesn't make this any easier, but-"

"Maybe she was never my friend to begin with."

"I know that it's sad, but-"

"I just need to accept it. She was probably never my friend, and no matter how much I was convincing myself that it could be possible, maybe she can't be saved from her own anger and vengeance."

"Do you need a hug?" Yukiko asked.

"I'm fine." I said, taking another sip of water as Erika walked into the kitchen, yawning as she stretched her arms out.

"Morning Mom. Morning Anna." Erika said exhaustedly. "When are we heading to the place?"

"Eleven. You kids are being introduced halfway through, so you'll have plenty of time to get dressed there." Yukiko said, placing the french toast down on the plate beside her. "Now go sit down. Breakfast is almost ready."

Erika and I sat down at the small kitchen table across from each other. Erika tilted her head, pointing to my neck. "Is that a new necklace?"

Realizing that the necklace Braylen gave me was hanging out of my shirt, I quickly tucked it back into my shirt. "Yeah. It is."

"Did you steal that or something?"

"NO!" I said anxiously. Then, I took a deep breath, glancing over at Erika sheepishly. "Braylen gave it to me. It belonged to his mother."

Erika nodded, reaching over and pulling the necklace out of my shirt, looking at the small stone. "Well, his mother had good taste. I like it."

"Yeah." I said nervously. Ever since he gave it to me, I haven't bothered to take it off, even during band when you're not supposed to be wearing jewelry. It was the first time someone besides myself and Braylen had seen the necklace and it just made me ancy.

Yukiko glanced over at us. "Anna, you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, she does." Erika said quickly. I glanced over at her, growing confused. She simply shrugged. "What? I'm just saying it like it is."

"So who is the lucky guy?" Yukiko asked teasingly.

"Braylen."

"Oh, you mean he finally told you guys who he was?"

"We've known for a while. Well, scratch that. I don't know how long Anna's known, but I've known since F.E.R.R.E.T. leaked that stuff about us." Erika said, shrugging as her mom set the french toast onto the table.

"I've known since... You know... A couple days after the bang bang." I said uneasily, pointing finger guns at Erika as she attempted to pick up the french toast with her fork. "He told me after I started panicking and he kissed me and the next day, we talked it over and he told me everything."

Erika let the french toast slip off of her fork and back onto the pile. "Wait... You two have actually kissed?"

"Kinda..."

"You need to tell me details!"

"Not much to say. I was panicking because he asked me what I meant when I yelled at him about maybe killing my father-"

"WHAT!" Yukiko screeched.

"Mom, shh! We'll explain later."

"And I started rambling until it got to the point where he leaned over and lightly kissed me to get me to shut up. We're kinda trying to forget that it happened because it was my first kiss and it was his first kiss."

Erika lightly slapped the table. "NO WAY!"

"Erika, your mother is still sleeping!" Yukiko chided.

"No, I'm not. I've been awake for a while." Emily said, her long dark blonde hair in an extremely messy braid. She sat down across from us. "What's going on exactly?"

"Anna and her boyfriend have kissed and I'm just finding out about this now!" Erika complained. "Not to mention that her boyfriend is Braylen and that they were each other's first kiss! You'd think that a prince would get around more often to the point where he wouldn't get his first kiss at age seventeen!"

"You're dating the prince." Emily realized.

"Yeah." I said nervously. "But currently, we're hoping for a do over since he kissed me outside the school after I was having a miniature panic attack."

"I see..." Emily said, grabbing the piece of french toast that Erika failed to pick up as Yukiko placed a bottle of maple syrup in the center of the table. "Well, the guy has tact, I'll give him that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Erika asked.

"Kissing a person while they're panicking? Kinda gutsy."

"Well, I think it's kinda cute." Yukiko said happily. She glanced at Erika and I's empty plates. "Eat up and get dressed so we can get there!"

"Right." Erika said as we started digging into our breakfast.

By the time eleven o'clock rolled around, Erika and I were already dressed in leggings and a sweatshirt. We walked inside the low, nondescript building. Dad was already standing by the entrance, dressed in his uniform as Koda happily sat near him, wagging his tail. He got up and seemed to smile when he saw me. Erika and I paused by Dad as her moms walked into the building, ready to get the awards over with. Dad smiled at me uneasily. "Hey honey..."

"Beth already told you what happened last night, didn't she?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"What? No."

"Dad, don't lie."

Dad sighed exhaustedly. "Did you have a premonition about that?"

"No, you're just extremely easy to read." I teased.

"Are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Erika and I had a good cry about it last night."

Erika rolled her eyes. "You mean you had a good cry about it. I didn't cry. Sure, I may have threatened Zelena in my sleep and I may have openly cursed her out while we were watching Big Hero 6 last night, but I did not cry once."

I rolled my eyes a bit. "Okay, make me out to be the crybaby."

"You were allowed to cry yesterday."

Dad laughed for a second. "Come on. I'll show you two where the rest of the kids are chilling and getting their costumes on at."

Dad handed me Koda's leash as he led me and Erika to the small room on the second floor that we were hiding in until we were supposed to debut. On the way there, I saw the extremely decorated first floor with hundreds of tables covered with white tablecloths and a giant stage at the front of the room, some cameras already set up. After Dad led us up a hidden staircase and into a secret hallway with different rooms, we saw that Callum and Braylen were already inside, sitting on the chairs in what looked like a giant business room, watching the news. Braylen quickly stood up, messing with his hair when he saw that Dad was with us. "Hello sir."

"Braylen, Callum, don't do anything you'll regret." Dad said, as if trying to be serious for once.

"Yeah, not gonna happen, sir." Callum said, snapping fingers at Dad since he didn't have his gloves on. "Remember, I'm gay!"

"Braylen-"

"Not planning on it, sir." Braylen said nervously, walking over and putting an arm around me. "Not gonna let anything or anyone hurt her. Or Erika, obviously."

Erika rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay lover boy."

Dad laughed a bit, looking over at me. "Be careful, honey."

"I will."

Dad smiled. "Okay. I'll see you kids tonight."

"Bye Dad." I said, waving as Dad went back down the secret staircase.

As soon as Dad was gone, Braylen let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, I was just really intimidated."

Callum snorted. "You are going to be the king of England and you can change the density of anything and anyone, yet you just got intimidated by the head of security of the Treatorian Collective who doesn't even have any powers?"

"In my defense, he is her father." Braylen said, pulling me in tighter. "I quite fancy her, and I would really like to get on her father's good side."

"Whipped!" Erika said jokingly, setting her overnight bag down and walking out of the room with her briefcase to find somewhere to change into her costume.

"Dad is gonna love this." I said, getting out of Braylen's arms as I grabbed my four ponytail holders and sat down in a chair.

"Why?"

"Have you met my father, Braylen? He is the smiliest, friendliest person ever. He is going to find the fact that a teenager, who is easily way more powerful than him, is intimidated by him hilarious." I said, smiling as I tied my hair into pigtails and then started braiding.

"He would find that funny." Callum agreed.

"Oh god." Braylen said, rolling his eyes a bit as he sat down in the chair he was sitting in before Erika and I walked inside. "I am going to murder you one of these days."

"No you're not." I said teasingly. "You like me too much for that."

Braylen laughed, giving me a confused look. "What exactly are you doing right now?"

"Braiding my hair to keep it held back. We're getting into a fight today. I don't want any hair in my face."

"Yeah, but you already had it held back in pigtails."

"I don't typically look good with pigtails. I usually take out the big one because it looks fluffier." I said, tying the bottom of the braid and moving to the second one.

"Yeah... I've seen her with pigtails during band camp. Not that pretty." Callum agreed.

"I think you look good either way." Braylen said as Trayvon, Becky, and Keisha walked inside. He waved to them. "Hey guys!"

"Hey!" Becky said happily, her hair held back in a ponytail that was swishing behind her. "Where's Erika?"

"Right here!" Erika said, walking back into the room, carrying her shaggy green jacket in her hands. She looked over at me. "You got some ponytail holders?"

"Gimme a sec." I said, quickly finishing my braid before I took out the top ponytail holders.

When I got them out, I got up and handed them to Erika. "Here."

"Thanks." Erika said happily.

Keisha laughed a bit. "Anna, you look like Elsa if she decided to do Anna braids."

"That was my goal, so mission accomplished." I said, giving everyone a thumbs up.

"I'll put Koda in his costume." Trayvon said as I grabbed my briefcase, walking out the hidden door.

I turned the corner to find a place I could change at and instantly ran face first into Damian. I looked up at him, smiling anxiously. "Sorry Damian. I wasn't paying any attention."

"It's fine." Damian said casually. "You doing okay? You seem kinda anxious."

"Yeah. I'm fine." I lied. Given the fact that we were all avoiding him whenever we got the chance since we knew that he was being controlled, I had partially forgotten that he'd be posing as our ally for the first bit. "Just nervous about today. I haven't exactly told my mom about this, so I'm scared that she's going to recognize me."

Damian shrugging, patting my head as he walked past. "You'll be fine. After today, everything is going to change."

And he was right. Whether we wanted it to or not, everything WAS going to change. It was only a matter of time at this point.