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Chapter 7- A great challenge

'Haven't we reached it yet?', Max asked excitedly, sounding like Billy when receives a new rock.

Phoebe rolled her eyes in the back of her head, but also trying to keep her attention on the road.

'No, and this is the hundredth time you ask me in 5 minutes,', she replied smiling widely and highly optimistic, observing that she hasn't been seeing such an optimistic Max in years.

'Are you sure about this?', Nora asked worriedly, stepping prudently forward, where Phoebe's seat was. 'I mean, we stole the Thundervan and besides, you two are both 15, so you have no driving license, have you?', Nora pointed out, her mind quickly shifting from the possibility of having fun to getting into trouble.

Phoebe sighed.

'Oh, come on! And how wrong can this be?'

'Well…', Max started to say, but was stopped by Phoebe.

'Someone sometimes does something wrong and you all jump like this! And anyway, it's not called stealing, it's called borrowing!', Phoebe exclaimed, making Max wonder when has he last seen her so evil.

'And anyway, how many times hasn't Max done something wrong?', Phoebe stated, receiving uncomfortable glares from her twin brother.

Max opened his mouth in order to say something, but closed it soon as hundreds of white and golden high rooftops of Metroburg's skyscrapers came in sight…

Later…

'Wow, I actually forgot how great this place is!', Nora said, not helping but look amazed around her.

'And there's where our old apartment was!', Max exclaimed happily, pointing to a couple of shiny windows, at an impressive height in the block of flats that ignored the laws of physics.

'And there's the Arena!', Phoebe exclaimed and enthusiastically ran towards the closed heavy doors that served as the entrance in the gigantic stadium, closely followed by Nora and Max.

As the small group approached the ceiled entrance, two masked guards that were standing there, pointing their light swords toward them.

'You're not allowed to enter the Arena at the moment, without a permit issued by the Superheroes' Council.', one of the guards said, and Max correctly guessed that she was a woman.

'Yes, well we do not need a permit, we're the Thundermans!', Phoebe said, a hue of pride evident in her voice and comportment, as she placed her hands on her hips, and inflating her breast, in order to make the T imprinted on her chest to be more visible. But as she came back to reality, Phoebe observed that the two guards did not really react, so she added: 'Our father is Thunderman, so we do not need a permit!'

'I'm sorry miss Thunderman, but a permit is always needed to access the zone, so…', the woman started to say in a dull voice, but she was interrupted by Max.

'Yes, well, I'm the Chosen One, Max interrupted the woman's boring speech, but as the guards still did not make any attempt to open the doors, Max added: 'Do I need to call Superman in order to enter this damned place?', he stated being slightly angry, which surprised Nora and Phoebe, as they have never heard him swear. 'Cause I can do it, but I doubt he is going to like to be interrupted!'

Suddenly, he sensed conflict in the two masked people and he quickly observed that the next few moments are going to prove as crucial.

'Alright, fine, you three can enter!', the woman said, deactivating her light sword and starting to press on a near panel. Slowly, the huge heavy metal doors opened, allowing the three Thundermans to see the light from inside the Arena.

When Max, Phoebe and Nora crossed the large threshold, they stopped dead in their tracks, stunned by the impressive sizes of the stadium, and the magical atmosphere of the large sports complex, with hundreds of black leather chairs, immense LED screens that were placed on every piece of wall. Also, the blue and dark-purple live wallpapers that were running on the screens contributed to the special atmosphere. Surrounded by the large white walls was the emerald pitch, where dozens of superheroes were training alone or with their friends.

'Wow! This place looks cooler than I recall!', Max exclaimed, his eyes scrutinizing the gigantic stadium, expressing deep amazement, travelling from the empty tribunes to the far ends of the pitch.

'OK, Max. Pay attention to the way I and Nora will fight and then, you can join us, too! Is it alright with you?', Phoebe explained in a professional voice and Max nodded, heading to a near edge of the place chosen for trainining.

'Ready, Nora?', Phoebe asked, and turning to Max, she added: 'We are going to fight one another using one ability, only. Although you and me are going to have a more complex combat, so- Ouch!', Phoebe cried out as one of Nora's lasers hit her in the leg. 'Oh you-!', Phoebe started to say, but had to stop when another laser hit her in the leg.

'Talk less and fight like a real superhero!', Nora said challengingly.

'Phoebe said nothing, all she did was to make a slight gesture with her hand and Nora was already lying breathlessly on the ground. The two girls continued to fight using their abilities, but Phoebe was the winner.

'Now,' she said panting a little, 'we can start our training, Max!'

'Why can't I train with Max?!', Nora asked, clearly annoyed by the fact that she was considered too young for doing great things. 'I can beat Max in no time!', she exclaimed.

Max didn't reply, his inquiring quirked eyebrows suggesting all the doubts he had in Nora's possibilities to win. That was enough for Nora- she was being underestimated and she wasn't going to stand it!

Suddenly, a glowing laser rapidly tried to hit Max, but remained stuck in the air when it was some inches away from his spiky hair. Sketching a small gesture with his hand, Max guided the blinding light towards Nora, who luckily dodged it in time.

Then, Nora, to her greatest displeasure, had to admit that she would have never been able to defeat Max, not for the next hundred years, anyway!

'Alright, he's all yours!', Nora said, trying to mime go-by.

'Ready?', Phoebe asked, when she and her twin brother were in a fighting stance. When Max nodded, Phoebe ran towards him, trying to throw him a punch, but he dodged it, catching her fist with his hand. Then, using it for his advantage, he threw Phoebe on her back, the latter, not having time even to whine, before being threw on the green grass, like a rag doll. Jumping on her feet rapidly, she used her kinesis on Max, throwing him on his back. But Max did not give up- he was not going to let his sister win, again!

All of a sudden, the intensity of the combat increased, and the two siblings started to swirl on the ground, in a mess of black and brown hair, blue suits, hands and legs…

Of course Nora tried to stop the fighting teenagers, but annoyed with the fact that wasn't listened to, she walked slowly to the stairs that led to the tribunes, climbing them carefully, thinking about the events of the past weeks, finally deciding that life was the craziest thing that exists on this planet.

She sat on a chair, contemplating the shocking view of Max and Phoebe fighting, using their limps, ice, fire and all the other abilities they had-once Max used his high-pitch voice and attracted the annoyed glares of every superhero in the Arena-and it was kinda funny, it reminded her of the days before the whole Chosen One stuff… But she realized how wrong she was, when she felt a cold piece of metal on the back of her neck.

'Don't move, or the twins die!', a hoarse voice whispered in her ear, and then she realized that at every corner of the VIP tribunes (like the one she was sitting in) were masked men dressed in purple suits, holding big silver guns, and Nora had no doubt that they were meant to neutralize Max and Phoebe.

'Follow me, please!', the voice ordered and Nora had no choice, but to comply…