Disclaimer_I do not own 'Thundermans'

Black White

Chapter 2

Phoebe •

Dad wasn't approving of my latest idea. He usually isn't with the ones that involved me tracking the field on my own without any sound backup but that was the point. I held a breath when I felt a tremor rock our carrier. He was there. I could sense him from a mile away. The thought made me nervous. It wasn't that my sensing abilities have improved – no, the obvious fact was that his power has shot through the roof.

The horizon changed and I could hear the rotating blades much clearer. The sun was drifting away, a residue of red and orange resembling flames depicting its departure. Whirls of black smoke from different places stained the once clean atmosphere of Hiddenville.

Narrowing my eyes, I tried locating the highest building I could set my eyes on and wasn't surprised to see everything in rubbles. It was a depressing sight.

My rod rested comfortably against my thigh, flickering a deep blue now and then, mirroring my emotions. Fluctuating a wave between courage and cowardice. Not many would volunteer for this but be that as it may, there weren't many of us left and the irrefutable fact was that as long we donned our hero capes someone ought to do the job. Regrettably, my pride and rank as the best out there drew a straight line to probable death.

Dad cleared his throat. There was a panel hosting a large screen. On display, just a few hundred meters beneath what once used to be my home we saw a yellow light. It started out faint, then darkened, before the earth itself split and a few nearby buildings collapsed and flew about. A gust of wind rocked our carrier once more. My gut churned.

Simone turned to us, directly avoiding meeting my eyes. I couldn't blame her. "Its pointless not to assume he hasn't increased his power while we were busy defending Metroburg."

The way she spoke made me think of her mother who died protecting the newest batch of semi trained heroes who were only just inducted to serve under the Hero League. It was a memory I wish would disappear forever. Reason being I had the chance to save her and couldn't…more like didn't.

"Our strategy has changed. Instead of attacking him without a relative pattern, only one of us will engage him."

As the words sunk in, I could see a few heads dart towards me in the corner of my eye. I was the most experienced excusing the few veterans who lied in the medical chamber including my father. It was a suicide mission. We all knew it.

"This is ridiculous!"

His heroic escapades in Hong Kong had instilled the will of good into his mind like hot iron. He hasn't looked at me the same way but his stares still withheld lingers of the affection he once harbored for me. I knew he wouldn't allow it I venture to my own death, even if the decision was unanimous through very hard deliberation. I closed my eyes and waited for this to blow over.

"Now is the time we need every last one of us in fighting condition." Link stressed, his yellow cape with the Hero League insignia flailing a bit. "That fiend decimated half of the League with ease. How do you think she will fare fighting him alone?"

"The decision is already made, Evilman," Simone said, her tone devoid of any emotion. Watching your mother die in front of you does that to a person.

"I know she's powerful, hell, she's arguably the most powerful among us now." Link proclaimed, ignoring a particular set of blazing green eyes that glared at him after that remark. "but we have all seen what he can do. He welcomes confrontation. It is a way for him to gather more power. Isn't that what the evacuation was for? To spread out the word of warning to all the supes?"

"A feat which still remains to be proven." Laser Girl chimed in with an unusual monotone. Link flashed her an unbelievable look but she ignored it.

"His sole purpose is to become a god. He desires to become something neither of us can fathom - the most powerful."

"And this is our best chance. Phoebe is the only one with psychokinesis. That ability alone gives her an edge over his base strength." Simone retorted.

"Are you people blind? It was only a week after we fought him and even then it took our combined effort to fight him to a standstill long enough for us to escape certain he couldn't follow us!"

Hank glanced at the control dashboard, glad to see their presence in the air was shrouded. "He wouldn't dare show his face in Metroburg because he hasn't attained the level of power needed to face us and the reinforcements all at once."

"Delusions like that will end with your existence null."

"This is not the time, May-"

"You heroes, as righteous as you claim to be, are fools."

"You shut your mouth, Dark Mayhem!" bellowed Thunder Man, standing to his feet, wincing as he caressed his chest wrapped in bandages.

Dark Mayhem chuckled darkly. "Wipe that look off your face and take a good look around you Thunder Man. The fate of the world as we know it is in peril and who is entrusted to save it? A bunch of unpledged brats arguing among themselves over who gets to play hero for the day."

"If I remember correctly, these brats saved your worthless life not so long ago." The comment came from Braz Bravo. A tanned teenage body builder with a large stature that dissented his actual age.

"Consider it a favor, in your case."

Dark Mayhem had vast power. The heroes were quick to assert his usefulness not withholding the fact that were he to be apprehended by the enemy, it wouldn't bode well for them. The Ghoul costumed villain was a threat, a latent threat that would be dealt with at a later period were they to survive the devil incarnate.

Link, annoyed by the interruptions, turned to Thunder Girl. "Phoebe, you can't possibly be on board with this."

She didn't show any signs of responding. Her breaths were light and her eyes were closed. The atmosphere was tense. Link stepped closer, he knew she could hear him.

"We both know what it means if you face him. Think about everything you'll be leaving behind. I know the League is depending on you but you don't need to accept this."

Phoebe •

There wasn't a soul with the desire for all this to end. None greater than mine. A memory flashed across my mind – a pair of eyes vaguely similar to mine. They were beautiful – but lifeless. I have lost so much in a short amount of time that casting away Link's fears would be hypocritical.

I opened my eyes and every heroes' eyes including the familiar piercing green ones were upon me. "This has been my life's work. I have long dreamt of becoming a beacon of hope and I did, with you guys by my side, fighting alongside me."

I was speaking to nobody in particular, still gearing my thoughts for the inevitable.

"I'd like to keep fighting alongside you until my dying breath but there are certain things you can't avoid," I tilted my head and looked straight into Link's eyes. "and the inevitable is one of them."

"Phoebe-"

"Link," Jazmine, better known as Fusion interrupted. The tall girl had a thing with imparting wisdom in times of need and now was a good time as any because I wanted this to be over with. "We have all lost someone dear to us."

It didn't help that she was looking at me with her blue condescending eyes. Her next words were direct and sympathetic. I was surrounded by family but I have never felt so alone before when she uttered her next words.

"Some more than others."

Link was determined. "Jazmine-"

"We have tried everything including luring him to Metroburg where our power lies in numbers. It didn't work. We attempted nuking him with our combined might – that didn't work either. Fighting in masses from a radical perspective is a good approach but not if you fail to consider its accommodating flaws."

Link crossed his arms challengingly.

Jazmine would have rolled her blue eyes if the situation were otherwise. "We all have different combat aspects. He will use that against us. With numbers comes incoherence and that leads to casualties which he can take advantage of. Phoebe here is a standalone supe. Her training is proportional to the fundamentals of her powers. The less she can fight without having to worry about one of us, the greater her chances."

My ego was brushed. The blonde girl was an incredible analyst and despite my super intelligence, she would best me in that department any time of the day.

"Our last encounter was unplanned and not in our favor. It was only thanks to Phoebe and her father's intervention that the injuries we sustained were far from fatal."

I sensed a spike of sudden malevolent energy and stood to my feet. I strapped on my mask. "We don't have time for this."

"We're twelve thousand feet in the air and invisible. It would be impossible for him to detect us." Link said, a frown on his face. There was not a thing he could do or say to stop me from going. The idea displeased him. His concerns were warranted but stood in the way of the mission.

Simone moved about. "It'd bode well not to underestimate him. Phoebe may have grown powerful over the past few days, but so has he."

It was a hard pill to swallow. It seemed Link forgot one particular detail. I turned away from them to what was left of my family. I spread my arms but Billy reached me first. Nora and dad were last.

"Be careful out there."

I nodded stiffly at that. This could potentially be the last time I'll be seeing any of them. Or maybe my thoughts were drawn to the likely undesirable outcome due to the massacre my foe was capable of that the odds seemed stacked against me. Nevertheless, I smiled at my father and mentor for that.

"And try not to die."

I shook my head at my younger sister. I felt Billy shove something into the inner pocket of my cape and looked at him inquisitively although I suspected what it was.

"Kill that son of a bitch."

"Billy."

"Sorry dad."

A few chuckles somehow eradicated the dreadful and tense atmosphere as the carrier subtly lowered with clouds a mixture of grey and white parting in the wake of Hiddenville – or what was left of it. Simone readied the beam projector, subconsciously typing in teleportation coordinates. I turned around and looked at each and everyone. Were I to fail, they would be the last hope, standing as a ledger between the world's devastation or its timely deliverance.

I spared all of them one last glance. Simone looked at me for clarification. I stepped into the hue yellow Hero League insignia glaring a foot away from me. Link walked out of the draw room, muttering something about checking up on his father. Not that I was expecting a good luck or anything, but I was surprised no one contributed the words. I tucked my hand into the pocket I personally knitted into my cape.

No.

Memories of my younger days tried to dissuade the urgency of the matter at hand as I held the silver bracelet in my hand. It was beautiful and still shone with clarity just like the day I held him in my arms that day. I kissed the object and put it back into my pocket. I once promised myself I wouldn't cry anymore. Simone's worried expression elaborated any reluctance. I shook my head and wiped my face, readjusting my mask.

"Ready?"

I nodded firmly, standing upright, breathed deeply and forced my eyelids shut as the shimmers of a familiar yellow enveloped my body.

Phoebe •

A throng of uncomfortableness assaulted my body as soon as my body regained its molecular density upon arriving to my destination. It was desolate - broken infrastructure and tarnished souls here and there. They were victims. They didn't deserve this. I grit my teeth and tensed in anticipation, my last encounter with him still fresh in my mind.

My body confided and I pinpointed that scathing presence. I channeled my power. I could see him as clear as day. Chest nut eyes, untamed tangles of brown lengths defying and etching against gravity. He looked so normal, kin to the boy next door but not with that face, albeit stoic, threatening to tear down my resolve brick by brick.

"Unfortunately for you, I have run out of patience. I made the mistake of sparing you the last time, but," When he stopped talking, I steadied my breaths, taking time to nullify the spells of suffocating fear and agitation when his hands slowly rose. "today marks the end of your journey, Thunder Girl, prepare yourself."

...