Riley Ross Chapter 8: Move That

"Aight, y’all. Lem show you what a real damn demonstration looks like."

Benjamin was nothing if not theatrical. Even the simple act of reaching into his pocket beca an elaborate performance, his fingers flicking dramatically before finally retrieving...

...a spoon.

He held it up like it was so legendary artifact, waving it through the air with exaggerated... flair. His head swayed in rhythm with the motion, his entire body seemingly moving to music only he could hear.

Well, not exactly, as the others could hear it too.

He was humming, singing under his breath.

Riley was very much confused.

"You are a very strange individual, Benjamin," Riley muttered, tilting his head. "I wasn’t aware that dancing with a spoon could be considered a superpower."

He glanced at his own hand. "Maybe my skin color is a superpower? W—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hannah elbowed him lightly in the stomach and whispered, "Bro, shut up and just watch."

"Hmm."

And so, Riley did just that.

But Benjamin was still twirling the spoon, spinning it between his fingers, letting it roll across the back of his hand, tossing it up only to catch it again in fluid motion. He moved like a street magician... or perhaps a clown.

Then, without warning, he stopped.

At the sa ti, he let go of the spoon.

But instead of dropping onto the white platform beneath his feet, the spoon simply... hovered.

"Oh?" Riley’s eyes widened in genuine intrigue. He clapped several tis, much to Hannah’s horror and sha as she groaned and covered her face.

Benjamin, however, grinned. He pointed at Riley, acknowledging the applause with a nod. "Thank you, my brother. Thank you."

Then, he snapped his fingers.

The spoon folded.

Not just bent—it compressed, crumpled, reford—until it reshaped itself into the delicate form of a butterfly.

Benjamin bounced it gently on his palm, and the tal butterfly ca to life, flapping its wings and taking flight.

It danced toward Riley, fluttering playfully in front of his face.

"Oh?" Riley tilted his head again. "Is this telekinesis, Benjamin?"

"Partly," Benjamin replied with a soft smile. "Magnetic and tal control. Runs in the family. But I’m not done yet. Watch this!"

Riley reached out, his fingers just inches from the tallic butterfly—

—but before he could touch it, Hera snatched it out of the air.

"Enough," she said, her voice flat. "You already wasted my ti by dancing."

Benjamin gasped in shock. "But... but that’s my ritual, Ms. Hera! I can—"

"Enough."

Hera shut Benjamin down before he could protest, silencing him with a sharp glance before shifting her focus to his twin. "You. Bella. You’re next."

"Alright!"

Bella cracked her knuckles, shoving her brother aside when they passed each other by on her way to the center of the platform. Unlike Benjamin, she wasted no ti with unnecessary flair. She looked at everyone and then...

...pulled a fork from her pocket.

Hera pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration as soon as she saw that. "Do you twins just carry an entire cutlery set around?"

"Oh."

Riley, who had been standing quietly beside Hera, suddenly turned to her—though, as usual, he didn’t et her eyes.

"What?"

Hera narrowed her gaze, already wary of whatever was about to co out of his mouth.

"I just thought... what you said about carrying a cutlery set was a good idea, Ms. Hera," Riley muttered, his tone completely stoic. "That way, I would not have to—"

"I’m sorry."

Before he could finish, Hannah swiftly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him a step away, offering Hera an apologetic wince.

"What did I tell you about focusing, Riley?" she whispered, her tone firm. "Soone’s taking the test—be quiet."

"Oh."

Riley turned toward Bella, nodding slightly. "I apologize, Ms. Bella."

Bella rely smirked. "Don’t mind it."

Then, without a hint of hesitation, she released the fork.

Just like her brother’s spoon, the fork hovered in midair.

"Now, watch this."

And with those words, the fork shot through the air, weaving around her at breakneck speed. If anyone blinked, they would find it hard to once again see the fork.

But Bella wasn’t done.

"Now, watch this. Watch this, now."

Her stance widened, knees bending as she grounded herself. She clenched her fists, veins rising against her skin.

Then, with a deep breath—

"Graaah!"

She roared.

The fork moved faster.

The air whistled as its path widened, slicing through the space around her like an invisible storm. Hannah and the others instinctively took a step back as the sheer force of it stirred the grass below the platform.

Riley, however, had to be pulled away by his sister.

"Everyone!" Bella scread, her voice strained. "Watch as the fork passes the speed of sound! Jenkai Boost!"

She roared again, this ti uttering a word almost everyone in the world was familiar with—Jenkai.

It was the word the No. 1 Hero in the entire history of the world was known for—she roared it all the ti when fighting, but no one knew what it ant exactly.

Still, everyone uses it as a chant.

Bella’s face soon turned even redder than before.

Her nose started to bleed.

The fork blurred into an almost invisible streak, the whistling sound in the air turning sharper—higher—louder—

"This is it! Every—"

And then, she collapsed.

Not from an attack. Not from an outside force.

She just... fainted.

For a mont, no one moved. They didn’t know what to say.

Then, Hera let out a slow exhale, unimpressed. Without even looking, she reached out and snatched the loose and rogue fork from the air before it could impale anyone. She twirled it once in her fingers, examining it briefly before casually throwing it down and stabbing it into the tal platform at her feet.

"Almost broke the sound barrier," she muttered. "Almost."

She turned to Benjamin. "Get your sister out of here."

Benjamin scrambled forward, struggling to lift his unconscious twin. The awkward sound of her boots scraping across the platform squeezed in the air as he dragged her.

It wasn’t until Jericho and Pauline stepped in to help that Bella was finally lifted off the ground, her legs still limply swinging behind them.

It was silent after that. No one dared to acknowledge what had just happened. It was as if they had collectively agreed to erase Bella’s dramatic collapse from their mories.

But, of course, there was one person who could never read the room.

"Did she faint from overusing her abilities? I think that was funny, Hannah," Riley said, tilting his head. "But why is no one laughing? Should I laugh so it will not be awkward?"

"No, Riley..." Hannah groaned, rubbing her temples. "Ugh. I’m telling Mom to double your emotional therapy. Anyway..."

Letting out a long, deep sigh, she stepped forward and left her brother. "I guess it’s my turn."

"Oh."

Riley imdiately took a step back, pulling up his hood and—sohow—pulling out a pair of sunglasses from nowhere.

"No."

Before he could put them on, however, Hera cut in, stepping forward and blocking Hannah with an arm.

"Not you."

Hannah blinked in confusion. "But, Ma’am?"

Hera t her gaze evenly. "I know exactly what you can do... and what you can’t. And what you can’t do is control your abilities."

A flicker of defiance crossed Hannah’s face. "I can handle it. That’s why I’m here."

"No," Hera shook her head firmly. "You’re too dangerous, Hannah Ross."

The mont those words left her lips, every student except Riley and the still-unconscious Bella turned to stare at Hannah.

Hera had just caught a fork flying at near-supersonic speeds with one hand, completely unfazed. And now, she was calling Hannah too dangerous?

Then... just how strong was she?

While the others exchanged nervous glances, Hannah bit her lip, frustration flashing across her face. She glanced at Riley—but quickly looked away.

She wanted to show him. Prove to him that she was strong, capable. That she could dominate this school.

And now, they were telling her she wasn’t even allowed to use her powers?

"But—"

"No."

Hera shut her down again, this ti resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Look," she said, her voice lowering just a fraction. "I get it. You want to prove sothing. I was a freshman too once. But you’re also here to learn—really learn—how to control your powers. You’ll have plenty of chances to show off. Now take a step back... or I’ll have the instructors fail you."

Hannah sucked in a slow, deep breath. Hera wasn’t giving her a choice.

After a mont, she nodded and stepped back.

Her frustration lingered, but when she turned to Riley and saw him still wearing his sunglasses, she couldn’t help but laugh softly.

"Next ti, I guess," she muttered, shaking her head as she plucked the sunglasses off his face.

"Oh."

Riley lowered his hood, tilting his head toward Hera. "Then I suppose it is my turn, Ms. Hera?"

"It is."

Hera crossed her arms, watching him carefully. There was sothing off about this one. Even now, while he stood there doing absolutely nothing, she felt it.

"What’s your power, stranger?"

"I believe it is telekinesis." Riley raised a hand slightly. "I only unlocked it earlier today. But my sister thinks I was just hallucinating it, Ms. Hera."

Hera pointed toward the fork she had embedded in the platform.

"Move that."