Chapter One

:: Phoebe ::

ALERT ALERT

| MAX THUNDERMAN APPROACHING |

"Again? Are you kidding me? You're not kidding me. You never kid," Phoebe whined at the Thundermonitor as it flashed the warning before starting its descent back into the stand. She glanced around the room, a mad glint in her brown eyes. Even though she knew it was coming, she jumped. He always knew. She didn't know how he did it, but he just did.

"Phoebe?"

"Uh-just going totakeoutthetrash! Berightthere!" she yelled out towards the ceiling, the words merging together in her panic. Counting the seconds she had before potential drama ensued, she quickly ran across the room, its mix of light grey walls and dark grey furnishings clashing with the brightly clothed twenty-something throwing herself at the front door. Phoebe flung open the door just as the person on the other side was in the process of pushing it open without even knocking. Without hesitation, she grabbed the front of her brother's t-shirt and with one swift, practiced motion, pushed them both outside.

"Hello."

Max smirked, folding his arms as he leaned against a porch pillar. He was unphased with his sister's greeting. Phoebe frowned.

"What is it this time?"

"That's not the way to greet your favorite guest," Max said smoothly. Phoebe watched his left leg cross over his right, his entire weight resting on the pillar. A light breeze ruffled his impeccable brown swoosh. Phoebe was pretty sure he was never going to change his hairstyle.

"It's the third time today," Phoebe explained, blowing hard at a wayward strand of her long hair.

Okay, so maybe both of them were creatures of hair-habit.

"I just got intel that Grappling Girl's going to hit Hiddenville tonight and mess with the water supply."

"Source?"

Phoebe watched as Max slid his phone out of his jeans. He tapped at the screen and held it out to her. She studied the picture of the Hiddenville Water Tower with an overlay of red text that simply said…

TONIGHT.

"Seriously Max? If you think that I'm going to believe that…"

"I intercepted the message. I tapped into the Villain League network and got the message Grappling Girl thought she was sending to Dark Mayhem," Max tugged his phone out of Phoebe's grasp.

"But why-"

"Why do you have to always ask that? It's not just you that has intel."

"I didn't say it was just me! It's just that it's become a habit-"

"A habit that I'm working?!"

"Max-"

"You again?"

The twins turned towards the door they hadn't heard open. Phoebe took a step back. Max took a step forward, his eyes narrowing.

"Keegan."

"Maximus."

The two men simply stared at each other, the mutual dislike oppressively filling the small space. They were a perfect representation of polar opposites. Max Thunderman's dark hair, brown eyes, perpetual five o'clock shadow and muscular build sharply contrasted with the blonde hair, light blue-gray eyes, alabaster skin, and tall lanky frame of Keegan Oostergooster.

It was Keegan who broke the silence.

"I'm a patient guy Max," he said, his tone trying, but failing miserably, at having a 'bro' tone. "But you've got to stop this."

Max's laugh came out a bark. The casual stance from earlier was long gone. "You have no idea what you're talking about Roosterbooster."

"Max-" Phoebe warned. She grabbed his arm, but he shook it off. Keegan just smiled tightly.

"I know you're having a hard time with the fact that you're still living in your mommy and daddy's basement with your ittle-rabbit," he said, practically sing-songing the words. "But Phoebe's got a life. You can't just visit anytime you want."

Max's eyes burned with rage. His mouth opened and closed several times. A red flush of heat crept up his neck. His body shook as if flinging off the words.

"Yes I can," he spat back. "Unfortunately for you, Phoebe and I are a team. We've got a job to do. I'm on work bus-iness," he enunciated.

This was what Phoebe had been dreading. The tension was thick. She stared at the doorbell. She knew it was going to happen. The train was derailing. Here it was. She couldn't stop it. Thundergirl couldn't stop what was about to-

"Phoebe and I have had a long talk about this, Max. She's decided to hang up her cape," Keegan said, landing on the last word as if it left a bitter taste on his tongue.

The silence this time was a million times worse than any other silence before it. Phoebe could feel Max's eyes swivel towards her. He was willing her to look at him. She could almost feel him in her brain. Their twin connection was crumbling her resolve, but she couldn't. She couldn't look at him. Won't, won't, won't!

"Pheebs, you can't be serious."

Won't, won't, won't.

"Pheebs, look at me."

The pleading hit her ears and the wall shattered. With tears in her eyes, she looked at him. The plead was right there...right there swimming in channels of chocolate-y brown.

"Phoebe, tell him."

"Max-" her voice caught. She didn't have to continue. The pained look on her face gave it away, she knew it. She took a step towards her brother.

"It's really the best thing for everyone," Keegan said. He sounded so far away. Phoebe kept staring at Max, watching as the truth sunk in.

"This is what you want?" he choked out. "You'd give up everything for him? Your dreams? Our dreams?"

Her breath came out a long succession of shuddery air. She closed her eyes. A million snapshots of life flew by in a second. Evil Max. Villain League. Hero League. Thundertwins. Z-Force.

"Max, I'm his wife," Phoebe finally whispered.

"And you need to get a life," Keegan added gleefully. Phoebe saw Max turn back towards her husband. For a fleeting second, she imagined Max roundhouse kicking him into next week. Her body tensed as if preparing for needed response to impending attack.

But no response was needed. Max stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets. He backed down the stairs, his eyes not leaving the porch floor.

"Mistake, Pheebs," he said thickly. "I told you before it was a mistake and I'm telling you now…"

Phoebe willed him to look-up. His shoulders lifted and he pulled his hand out of his right pocket, withdrawing his keys. Her heart plummeted at the thought of saying good-bye. The keys fell out of his hand, but Max scooped and grabbed them before they hit the ground. The phrase was on the tip of her tongue...

"No," he said, smirking at the cement. For a split second she wondered if she had said good-bye aloud, but a quick glance at Keegan's confused face confirmed to her that she hadn't.

"It's just later," he assured. Phoebe opened her mouth to say - what, she didn't know - but before she could, he was in his car, the sleek black number that he had bought after taking down half the Villain League with her the last year of college. She still remembered the first ride with the top down, screaming at him to slow down. She watched helplessly as he peeled down the street, trails of smoke from the clash of tires spinning on road sweeping towards her.

"Well, that went well," Keegan said. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and his lips pressed into her hair.

"I'm proud of you," he said gently. He pressed his fingers into her upper arm, turning her towards the house. Phoebe glanced back at the deserted road.

She had never felt less proud.