AN: Hello. Happy Holidays. Here is 10 chapters of Giants, as a holiday present, it's about 6 weeks early, and since I'm giving you ten chapters, out of a 150 + epilogue story, once I'm done posting it on the other site that should not be named, I'll start posting here. This is slow burn, on so many fronts, it's 150 chapters. It's my longest story ever. I do hope you like it and review.

Summary: Heroes aren't made in a day. [Charlie/Santana] [Quinn/Rachel]

Song: Giants by True Damage

Disclaimer: I own nothing.


"Have you heard about the new transfer students? I mean it's halfway through the year, it's odd, but also exciting and new," Kurt asked, his tone hushed in a conspiratorial tone. He places his lunch tray on the table as he takes his seat, and looks around at his best friend Mercedes Jones—and his rival Rachel Berry.

Rachel immediately shakes her head. She wasn't quite as dialed in as Mercedes and Kurt, but then again the two of them were some of the school's biggest gossips. They weren't even good gossips, they merely parroted the talking points of Jacob Ben Israel, and JBI was more Enquirer than Pulitzer prize winning journalist. Most of his stories were tabloid trash and false. "Transfer students? As in we're getting more than one?" she asked, it was news to her.

Kurt nodded, and glanced over at Mercedes who looked just as surprised as Rachel, it was rare that she was out of the loop like this. "Two of them, twins I think. At least that's what Finn believes, he didn't get a good look at them yesterday. They were in the office going over paperwork with their mother. He's not entirely sure though, he didn't stop because he was late to practice. All he knows for certain is that they are both women."

Mercedes frowned, "Replicators are ranked at level two. Maybe level three depending on how many copies they can make of themselves. One would hope that they'd be interesting, but a level two is basically just fodder for the higher levels to pick on."

"I think you're looking at it wrong. They are probably just like us which means that they might become our future friends." Rachel smiles hopefully. She truly hoped that they were nice, then she could make actual friends, she was aware that both Mercedes and Kurt tolerated her. "I mean the vast majority of augmented individuals are ranked at level two. Not everyone can be ranked at level three or higher," she reminded them.

Augmented Individuals—was the official governmental designation of people with superhuman abilities. AIso were classified by the government by both ability type and power level. At McKinley, power level was far more important than ability type. The general rule of thumb was the higher the level, the more powerful the ability. The United States officially had seven levels, starting with level zero and going all the way up to level six. Zero's or nils as they were called, were just regular people who didn't have any special abilities. They made up at least sixty percent of the world's population. As for the highest level, as far as Rachel knew, level six was just a theory, a way to classify AI's who transcended all limitations of a level five.

There were schools all over the country, which were geared towards Augmented Individuals, and at McKinley the higher your power level the more popular you were. The vast majority of students were ranked at level two. Level twos made up the bulk of the student body with level ones coming in second. Then there were the level threes, and a handful of level fours, who stood at the apex of the pyramid.

"I know it's rare but I think I agree with Rachel," Kurt said nodding in her direction, and looking over at where his stepbrother, Finn, was seated with a bunch of other level threes. "We certainly don't need anymore bullies. Maybe they'll transfer back to wherever they came from once they get McKinley welcome." All three of them shivered at the idea, they had all fallen victim to a slushie thrown in their face or dumped on their head.

"Well what year are they in? If we want to be friends with them, they might need someone to show them around and let them know the ins and outs of McKinley. I mean it might be really cool having a replicator around," Rachel states, at least then she could give off the appearance of having more than one friend.

"Well I didn't see them in any of our classes, and Artie and Tina haven't mentioned any new students. Which means they are either a junior or a senior," Kurt offers and then shrugs. "Though they could have just decided not to show up, I mean it is Mckinley, replicators are useful, they should have gotten into one of the better schools."

"Or they just haven't started yet. Who wants to start school on a Wednesday?" Mercedes pointed out. "Though with Santana being in one of her moods, they might have already gotten slushied and decided to go home."

Rachel is about to add to the conversation when the doors to the lunchroom slam open and two teenagers walk in. One with pink hair and the other with blue hair, it's practically the only way to tell them apart, because they are both wearing the exact same thing. Low hip jeans that are torn at the knees, the same t-shirt, piercings in the exact same place. If it weren't for the hair she would have assumed that they were replicators. "Found them," Rachel says, stating the obvious. "But I think they're just good old fashioned twins."

Kurt's lip curls in disgust as he stares at them, "The punk look was so last year," he shakes his head. "No I don't think it was ever in style." He turns back to his lunch. "They were probably hanging out with the Skanks all day." He takes a bite of his sandwich and chews, only to spot Rachel beginning to get up. "Don't you dare Rachel. The Skanks are level ones, and if they're hanging out with them they're level ones as well. I mean look at them. They look like the type of kids, parents tell their kids to stay away from. They aren't even wearing their identifiers, which is against the law. Every AI has to wear one." Kurt held up his wrist to reveal the black metallic band around his wrist, with the number two engraved into it. "I mean unless they're nils, in which case—you should stay away. Rachel as your rival and sometimes friend—your reputation in this school is already at an all-time low. No one will want to be around you if you befriend nil's. It's bad enough that your fathers are nils, but we can't be seen with you if you go through with this."

Mercedes nods in complete agreement with Kurt. "He's right, we shouldn't risk it."

Rachel hesitates before looking at the twins who were now carrying trays, and looking for a spare table in the packed lunchroom. It's certainly a risk there weren't that many people who were willing to talk to her as it is. She wasn't bothered by their clothes, both of her fathers had stressed the importance of character rather than clothing. "They could be smart, intelligent, kind people—"

"Rachel people who dress like that aren't really nice people, and they don't have their identifiers on. McKinley doesn't allow nil's remember? Figgins is too cheap to pay for the increased insurance rates. So they are criminals."

"Figgins can't get away with his—" Rachel trailed off, a look of worry crossing her features as the two of them finally seem to catch the attention of Santana Lopez, Head Bitch in charge at McKinley, she was a level four and as was the strongest AI at Mckinley. She immediately packed her meal away and picked it up trying to intervene on their behalf.

"Rachel—Santana already has you on her hit list," Kurt hissed but it was too late and Rachel was already halfway to where Santana and the rest of her level four and level three goons were surrounding the twins who didn't look particularly perturbed by this turn of events. Kurt looked over at Mercedes, "You know we can't be seen with her anymore right? I mean I felt sorry for her and that's why I hung out with her but after this—unless we want to get on Santana's shit list as well."

Mercedes nods, "Home-girl is on her own this time," she says with a shake of her head. "Protecting two Nils. What is she thinking, she does realize that the reason she's so unpopular is because her fathers are Nils's right?"

~ O ~

Quinn Fabray sighed as she looked up at the group that was surrounding them and turned to her identical twin, "Charlie—I told you coming to the cafeteria was a bad idea. We've upset the locals."

Charlie didn't bother to look up from her tray, "I'm hungry. Mom didn't pack nearly enough, and you know how many calories I need to burn a day to keep from wasting away."

The edges of Quinn's lips quirk upward, in a half smirk, "I know that you tell people that you need to eat ten thousand calories a day but the doctors have told you a million times that you don't actually need to eat that much."

"Doctors are known to be wrong, we should have gotten a fifth opinion." Charlie grumbles, as she looks at her lunch tray. She pokes the brown and greep slop that was poured onto a plate and leans in to sniff it before making a face at the pungent odor. "I'm pretty sure that this isn't food."

Quinn rolls her eyes, and looks at the ring leader who is staring at them like they're the odd ones. The ringleader is probably correct about them, but she certainly wasn't in the mood for a fight today. Moving to a new—Lima was not a city by any stretch of the imagination—place in the middle of the year was not how she had planned to spend the rest of their high school days. They had only come to the cafeteria because Charlie was hungry again, and she had already eaten both their packed lunches before second period.

"You're the two new transfer students Finnept wouldn't shut up about aren't you?" Santana demands but neither of the twins say anything. The one with blue hair is stirring the slop on her plate with a curious expression on her face. The one with pink hair just has a bored look on her face. It's enough to grate on her nerves, she was used to being answered when she spoke. Being the head bitch of McKinley meant that her word was law, and right now there were two people who were disrespecting her.

"You weren't being rhetorical?" Charlie replies, as she stirs the slop. "It's obvious we're the two new transfer students, because you've never seen us before." She finally decides that she isn't going to attempt to ingest the meal and pushes it away from her. "Do you think we can order a pizza? They deliver, right?" Charlie asks looking at her twin, a distressed look on her face.

Santana frowns, the twins are freaking weird as hell, they don't even seem to care that they are about to be slushied. "Is she slow?" she asks turning to look at Quinn, who has taken the tray away from her and has placed it on her own and patted Charlie's hand.

Quinn scowls, and she tenses as she turns her attention to Santana Lopez, ready to tear into her. But she takes a deep breath, it's a brand new school, and they had promised their mother that they wouldn't level it because they got bored or because some idiot challenged them. She opens her mouth to defend her twin when a short brunette barrels through the goons and steps in front of them. Quinn blinks at the sudden intrusion and shoots a look at her twin who seems confused by the diminutive woman.

"Santana Lopez, you can't discriminate against people because of their power level. You can't go around harassing people just because you have nothing better to do. They are people just like you and I—"

Santana held up her hand, she could already feel a headache coming on, as was generally the case when she dealt with Rachel. "Shut up Yentl, you know the rules. I made them and I've slushied you—well I don't actually know how many times, but I imagine since you irritate me so much it's a lot. Do you know why I do that? Because you piss me off and more importantly you break my rules. No one cares. No one wants to hear about you and your two nil fathers, or the rights of the weak. We're not communists." This is met with snickers from a few people and Santana takes a moment to simply lap up the attention before turning her attention back to Rachel. "At this moment I don't have a problem with you, so why don't you go back to join the rest of your level two loser friends while I give these newbies a crash course about what their lives are going to be like at McKinley."

Before Rachel goes into a rant she feels someone tap her on the shoulder and she turns to spot the one with blue hair, staring at her bagged lunch. "Do you have any food left? I'm really hungry and I can't eat that." The blue haired twin says nodding towards the slop that's now on the table. Rachel winced at the looks of it and nods offering the girl her lunch.

She opens her brown bag and hands Charlie some of the sugar cookies she brought for a snack. "They're vegan," she says with a smile on her face. Charlie looks at it for a moment and then takes the bag from Rachel and opens it and begins to eat it.

"What the fuck—am I fucking invisible?" Santana snaps and there's a spike in the temperature around her which gets Quinn's attention immediately. Charlie seems more interested in the cookies and she's already finished most of the bag. "They aren't Nil's Rachel, they still aren't allowed at McKinley, they're probably some level one losers by the looks of them."

Rachel stood her ground despite knowing that it would probably end up with her covered in frozen corn syrup again. "They just got here Santana, they don't know the rules yet. Give me time to explain it to them. They probably don't even have a change of clothes. It's their first day," Rachel tried again, she looked at the twins with an apologetic look on her face. She doubted she could prevent them from getting slushied throughout the year, but she could at least stop this one.

"Well then go ahead and explain it to them then we can give them a good old McKinley welcome, unless you're volunteering to take their place," Santana smirks at Rachel, dumping slushie on the hobbit is one of her favorite past times.

"It's their first day Santana you can't slushy them so if I have to take another mass slushy then I will," Rachel turns to the twins and blinks when she sees the bag of cookies has been demolished and Charlie is looking at her expectantly. She hands over the rest of her unfinished lunch and Charlie takes it from her and opens it and begins to eat the rest of her sandwich. "McKinley is survival of the fittest, the higher your power level the more power you have. Santana is a level four pyrokinetic and as such she rules the school because she is the strongest person at McKinley. Her word is law."

"Damn right I am—" Santana begins smugly but the lights flicker suddenly as she looks up at the ceiling and frowns. Figgins was probably being cheap again. "So because Rachel so graciously decided to take your mass slushie for you, step aside so we can give her one."

Quinn glances over at her twin, despite Charlie's instance that she needed at least ten thousand calories a day, there was a sharpness in her eyes. "Satisfied?"

"No, I'm going to order a pizza," Charlie responded.

Quinn rolls her eyes, "Extra bacon and don't forget the breadsticks. Next time don't spend the entire night using your abilities."

"I was arranging things in my room," Charlie protested before huffing, "You're just upset because you're still sleeping on a mattress while my bed is complete." She waves off Quinn's comment and looks at Rachel and flashes her a smile. "Thank you for the food. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Rachel blinked, "What?"

"Charlie! You can't just ask out every pretty girl who hands you food," Quinn groans as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

"But it was good Quinn," Charlie argues as she flashes Rachel a smile. "I'm really good at sex—"

Santana blinked before letting out a frustrated growl. She hated being ignored, and she was so used to being the center of attention. There was a cavalierness to their words, which made her uneasy. "Ability and Power Level." She couldn't see an identifying band on their wrist.

Quinn sighed as she finally stood up, it was clear that Santana wasn't going to just leave them alone. She hoped Charlie was on the phone ordering a pizza. "We still need to register with the Ohio government, but back in LA I was a level 5 elementalist." Quinn stated as she rolled up her sleeve to reveal the Roman Numeral for five.

Charlie raises her hand, letting the sleeve to her shirt ride up her arm to reveal a matching tattoo. "Level five. Electro-Magnokinesis." Charlie adds, when Santana looks at her.

Rachel's mouth drops and there is a sudden hush that fills the room, as Quinn takes a step forward causing Santana to take a step back. There was disbelief written all over Santana's face.

"Though to be honest, the scientists aren't a hundred percent sure if I'm controlling molecules or whether I'm controlling the elements. Turning things into solids," Quinn states as she waves her hand, the temperature in the room dropping quickly. Someone drops their slushy and it slams against the ground with a loud thud. It was no longer bits of ice. "Liquid," Quinn adds as the temperature once again shifts to become hotter, and people begin to drop their slushies on the ground as they begin to boil. "Gas. Plasma if I'm in the mood, but I promised my mother that I wouldn't level the school on my first day—or hurt anyone."

Rachel stumbled backwards, "Level five," it came out as a squeak. She had just made a terrible mistake, she had thought she was going to befriend some Nils—if she had known they probably were going to reject her.

"Quinn stop it! You're scaring my new girlfriend!" Charlie snaps at her twin.

Charlie's words are enough to snap Santana back to reality. It had to be a lie. There were no level fives in Ohio, and even if there were they should be in one of the better schools. A level five coming to Ohio would be all over the local news. "Bullfucking shit." Santana snarls holding her hand out as a fireball appears she launches it at Rachel who closes her eyes immediately. Charlie immediately steps in front of the fireball and allows the blast to hit her on the arms. Santana stumbles backwards as Charlie begins to pat away the flames with her bare hands like it was nothing. "What. The. Fuck." It hadn't been hot enough to severely hurt Rachel, but it would have at least burned her ugly eyebrows off.

"The thing about lightning and electricity is that air is a poor conductor and when lightning passes through it—it superheats the air to six times the surface of the sun." Her hands crackle as blue sparks dance around her hand. "Can you handle that type of heat?"

Quinn groaned audibly, "Charlie, I told you a million times, lines like that make you seem like a dork."

Charlie rolled her eyes, "I just promised my mother that I wouldn't bring the building down. I never promised her that I wouldn't hurt anyone. So—" Charlie flashes Santana a smile and points to a table and flicks her wrist upward. The metal legs are suddenly torn from the ground and before anyone can react she uses it as a battering ram, slamming the table into Santana and knocking her off her feet. Before Santana can react the metal suddenly begins to change shape and it wraps itself around Santana's arms and legs before Charlie pins her to the furthest wall. She turns to look at Quinn, "Do you want to do this or should I?"

Quinn turns and spots the slushie machine and smirks at Charlie, "I don't mind," she says as she uses her abilities. Red slushie suddenly bursts from the machine and before anyone has the wherewithal to try and stop it, the slushie floats above all their heads in the shape of a ball until it was just above Santana's head. Quinn winks at Santana before the slushie is dropped splashing all over her and anyone nearby.

The splatter of slushy dripping off Santana and onto the ground echoes through the cafeteria as everyone stared at the twins, in shock.

Charlie turned around and flashed a smile at Rachel. "So I'm pretty sure that is worthy of a kiss!" Charlie grins as she leans in, only for Quinn to grab her by the back of her collar and yank her back.

"Stop sexually harassing the poor girl," Quinn barked out before pinching the bridge of her nose. "A girl giving you food does not mean she wants to sleep with you!"