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Viola had never wondered what having fire would feel like before.
As a junior recruit in the Nighthollow Supers and Sidekicks Academy, she had seen her hero teachers like Embershock and Heatstroke manipulate flames countless times before, and had been quite familiar with watching Gianna use her powers in their shared dorm room, fire extinguisher in hand in case she needed to be the roommate to the rescue. But she had never had any envy towards them- she liked wearing normal clothes without worrying she would accidentally ignite parts of herself that shouldn't be ignited, and the constant smell of smoke was a total turn-off. Not to mention that she was quite happy with being able to turn invisible, thankyouverymuch. Until that afternoon, the thought of what it would belike to be in Gianna's shoes had never crossed her mind.
It was warm.
Not the warmth of a summer's day, or standing too close to a fire. This was the warmth of being the fire. Heat slid mercilessly through her veins, making every inch of her light up with the knowledge of Flame and Burning and Hot. She was dressed in loose gym shorts and a cotton t-shirt, but she felt immensely overdressed, hindbrain desperately begging her to somehow drop another layer, despite sitting not in her room but the public Nurse's Office, waiting for assistance with their "little problem". She was dehydrated, too. Dryness burned her throat every time she tried to inhale, and it was nigh unbearable.
Was this normal? She didn't know.
Gianna drank a lot of water, but she also was part of the track team. So this might not be normal.
Every person who walked by the Nurse's office on the way to the greenhouses bored their eyes into Viola as they passed, taking in her flushed cheeks, shaking hands, and long black hair that -despite sitting in a room that was genuinely freezing- stuck firmly to the back and sides of her neck.
She was being perceived, and not because she chose to be. It was awful, and humiliating, and panic burned inside her chest.
As Viola panicked, the plastic chair under her legs became soft, and more malleable. The metal frame became hot to the touch- even for her. The room's smell began to change.
This... Was a problem.
- - -
Gianna had come from a family of fire "supers". Her dad had the power, her three older brothers had the power, her three aunts all wielded the power with perfect grace and ease. She had been trained in the ins and outs of her special little gift since she was old enough to open her eyes. This was comfortable for her- the constant movement, the training, the lava under her skin, the gallons of water she chugged every day just to keep going. She knew how to handle her powers, knew the ins and outs of keeping herself sane.
Preventing herself from disappearing her hands in the middle of a presentation about situational awareness when using one's powers and the effects a lackluster safety protocol could cause? That she did not know how to handle. And she did not like it.
Her hands were so cold. And her arms. And her legs. And her neck. And her face. If she pressed two fingers to the tip of her nose, Gianna would certainly find cold there, too. She didn't know anyone could feel this cold. She knew that people looked at her weird for wearing short-shorts and a tanktop everywhere, but she assumed it was a modesty issue, not that air conditioning actually made people cold. Why would they cool a building to make people feel cold?
This was awful.
All of this was just awful.
What made it even worse was the fact that she had three teachers running after her -Her, typically a model student!- as she bolted half-visible down the halls.
How did Viola make her clothes invisible? Gianna knew that she could, had seen her use her abilities to disappear objects in her hands and on her skin hundreds of times before, seen her melt away into nothing without needing a special quit at all. So she could do it. But however it was done, the power was evading her.
Just like she, hopefully, would evade her teachers.
Taking a moment of inspiration, Gianna jumped out of the first story window.
As she landed, her clothes -and the rest of her- evaporated into transparent goodness.
Invisibly, Gianna grinned, panic suddenly fading.
She could use this.
- - -
"So, let me get this straight, Penelope."
"Yes, Sir."
"There are two third years who have somehow gotten their powers swapped, and no one knows why or how."
"Yes, Sir."
"One of them went to the Nurse's Office to follow protocol, and ended up melting two plastic chairs, and lit a set of curtains on fire."
"Yes, Sir."
"Then the other one went to class as if nothing was wrong, and lost control of her borrowed powers mid-presentation."
"Yes, Sir. That's right."
"She then proceeded to bolt out of the room, out of the wing, and out of a window, despite being chased by three professional heroes."
"Yes, Sir."
"And no one has been able to find her?"
"No, Sir. ViGo wanted to call her, but was worried about ruining her cell phone. She's been sitting in a bathtub she got from Marcus in second year for the past twenty minutes now, and they've been changing the water whenever it starts to boil. So she-"
"Sorry, Miss Clarke. Vi... Go?"
"Oh. Viola. It's a childhood nickname. She's Viola, or Vi, and her powers make it look like she goes away. So..."
"Ah. I see. So we have a missing third year who cannot be seen if her power is fully activated, a third year sitting in a... bathtub... so she doesn't set the school on fire again, our Nurse's office is partially burnt and reeks of smoke, and... What was the last thing you were telling me?"
"Oh. Right. I... Think I know where Gianna might be going."
- - -
Tania Martin was the successor to Lord Malice, and her daddy's pride and joy. She was going to take on the family business and become the city's next big Supervillain once she came of age and mastered her craft. Her nemesis was already picked out- Gianna Park was the daughter of her daddy's nemesis and the two had been facing off since they were babies, to train themselves for their futures. While Tania was quick, and smart, Gianna was bigger than her and stronger than her and could hit harder than her. So when Gianna decided to attack first to start off their impromptu "sparring" sessions, there was little Tania could do but be prepared.
But her birthday had just come round, and Tania had a new advantage that Gianna didn't know about yet. Lots, and lots, of new cameras, all of whom she would watch on her phone. Sitting alone on a rooftop, Tania was filled with a sense of safety and well-earned confidence.
If Gianna was going to come for her today, there was no way Tania wouldn't see her coming.