A/N_Billy and Nora are both 12.
"Max."
"I have a problem."
"Phoebe, leave my lair. Nora, you can stay."
A frown.
He gestured to the door with the shake of his head.
A glare, she left.
Max beckoned his little sister closer.
"Now I'm only going to help you because I'm gonna need you to use your powers and uh-write something on a another something which is completely forbidden but certainly illegal. Sounds fair?"
"I'm not doing anything illegal-"
"Its evil...you're going to do something evil in my name. If there's trouble you blame me." he furthered pointing to himself. "Its extremely important."
She frowned. "I haven't even told you what I need help with."
"You want me to create a machine that duplicates objects so you can own a substantial number of bows?" he tried.
"No."
"You want a beard?"
"Why would I-" she shook her head. "Look, we have a science test tomorrow-"
What's that gotta do with me?"
"Ugh, just listen." she urged impatiently. "Cousin Blobbin promised Billy and I $500 each if we both passed the test with nothing below a 90%."
"Ooh, I get it. You want me to create a machine that will transform me into Billy, so we both pass the test and each get half a thousand bucks?"
"No, Billy and I need the money to buy the new Nintendo VR for the new Sims Medieval Edition simulation."
"Alright, so what do you propose?"
"I don't know, don't you have a machine that makes people more smarter?"
"Done!" he exclaimed, before pointing the small drawers beneath his table. "Third drawer from the left." he jumped to take a seat before his desktop. "So, I was thinking-"
"Thanks!"
He turned to see her rush for the stairs.
"Hey! You better keep your end of the bargain!"
He frowned when she wordlessly disappeared from his staircase, not particularly sure she heard him.
xXx
"So, I heard two certain Thunderlings will be earning some money from their cousin if they get full marks on their tests tomorrow."
Nora frowned. "Mom, please stop calling us that."
Billy perked up. "Nora and I have being studying hard!"
Phoebe rose an eyebrow, inquisitively looking at Billy. "Studying hard you say?" she inquired with mirth. "What were you studying about Billy?"
"Science."
"Anything in particular?"
"Algae, phytoplankton for example, which are microscopic floating plants, producers in a sense because they use sunlight during photosynthesis to produce nutrients and oxygen."
Shocked as the rest of the family, Phoebe prodded for more with a shake of her head.
"We also learned about the environment and the problems related to atmospheric gases. Take air pollution for instance, which causes health deficiencies such as heart disease, cancer, lung disease, emphysema, bronchitis and allergies."
While the family indulged in shock of Billy's sudden intellect, Max and Nora high-fived, the former mouthing 'don't forget your end.'
xXx
"What took you so long?"
"I practically had to re-run Billy past the manuals."
"The effects wore off? They'd normally last for about a week."
Nora pursed her lips, her face developing an accusatorial expression. "Unfortunately..."
He turned. "Anyway, since you're here, let me run you past the helping me part of our deal." He levitated something covered by black fabric, plucking it off to reveal a sort of helmet mask thing, with add on binoculars to the front and two antenna thingies on both sides.
"What's that?" she inquired, instinctively inspecting the raven object.
"Didn't name it yet, but I can tell what it does."
"What does it do?"
"Let's just say, this little baby amplifies magnified perception by say, a hundred thousand times."
Nora, righteously confused by her brother's ingenious endeavors, moved closer. "So, what do you need me for?"
"Actually, its not you, more specifically your eyes I need."
Nora crossed her arms and glared at him, taking offense to the direct jab.
He noticed her expression. "What? I would take them from your skull but you'd bleed out leading to your inadvertent death." She looked shocked, prompting him to change the speculative prospect of his words. "...which I wouldn't do because you just happen to be the only lovely little sister I have." he concluded with a light nudge to her shoulder.
"Max...tell me what I'm here for or I'm leaving."
He turned the object around, displaying an inner bound facial border oddly her size. "I'll simply need you to put your face in here,"
"And?"
"Nothing...its reactionary functional to your heat vision, that's all you need to know."
"Oh-kay."
The formidable grin on his face widened. "Then you'll imprint the initials of my name...on the moon."
Nora, inwardly scoffed at the attempt but knew she had to do it.
"When, tonight?"
"Yes, I just need to tweak it here and there-"
"See you in 5 hours Max." Nora bid, already on her way out of his lair.
xXx
"Phoebe, you're too mature for this."
"Are you calling me old?"
"In a nice way, yes."
"Nora, just let me try it on, I swear I won't play for that long, I'll even pay you if I have to."
"You really want to play this game so bad?"
"Who doesn't?"
"...Sometimes I worry about you Phoebe."
"Goes to show you care." Phoebe said with a shrug, out-stretching a hand. "Please, just for a little while?"
"Alright fine." Nora relented, placing the device into her sister's hand. "Luckily, I have somewhere to be, just don't break it."
"Pft, what do you take me for, Billy?" Phoebe remarked with barely restrained excitement as she ran up the stairs.
xXx
Princess Gail.
In her blue royal gown, leg over the other, elegantly sitting with a tray across her on the blue lateen table, a small mug befitting of her royalty grasped in her hand as she slowly sipped on the tea.
A small interface popped in the corner.
Seek 'Prince William' in the lower quarters of the royal castle.
She placed the mug on the table, moving for her door, occasionally looking down to peak at her low top white heels, further asserted by her baby blue royal dress with intricate patterns to the mid and bottom hem.
A long staircase met her vision as she cautiously stepped down, her eyes catching a maid dusting off far down on her left, another, seemingly male, adjust the large expensive couch with peculiar strength given the size of said expensive object.
Reaching ground level, the arrow indicated east.
Compelling the princess to move towards the given direction, getting there, her arm, coated by creamy luscious flesh reached for the knob on one of the large doors, gently pushing it open to be represented by another shorter case of stairs.
A few turns and steps, she reached ground level, her eyesight moving forward - the small arrow morphing into a tick of a successful objective as she saw her supposed prince with her back almost completely turned to her.
She deduced he was filtering with his crown which she could make out in his lengthy firm arms. She adored his cropped hairstyle from afar, with his rolled sleeved white shirt, and full blue flatter pants reaching down the deep black boots.
A list appeared in the corner of her interface, indicating the par of options to acquaint with her prince.
As a royal, it was common courtesy to display physical affection towards ones intimate marital partner.
He seemed to have sensed her presence, proving when he turned with his medium sized crown in his hands.
She reached him. And placed both hands on the lowers of his jaw, planting her light red tinted lips on his.
The suave smell of her life partner saturated within the rights of her nostrils when she kept her lips inclined to his.
She dreamily and realistically retracted.
Until she noticed his crown fall to the ground.
Him...just standing there.
Phoebe growled in silent frustration, she had heard about them - glitches or so they were called.
Everything faded.
Nothing but black.
Phoebe removed the VR from her face, blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to light, having them acknowledge Max standing before her, at an unprecedented proximity.
He looked...pale.
Her eyes instinctively flickered down to see what she immediately deduced to be one of his inventions.
In the corner of her eye, she could make out Nora sitting on her twin's bed with her mouth agape.
Nora's expression, back to Max's, his invention, the gaming device in her hands, Phoebe connected the dots as her eyes widened by a fraction in vivid realization.
"...Oh no."