"Miraculous 18"

[Timeseeker]

[A Storm in the Shadows]

Funneh Kalana sat deep within the recesses of the school, her thoughts as heavy as the storm she had summoned.

The sound of rain cascading over Washington, D.C. echoed faintly through the thick walls, but here, in the forgotten depths of the building, it was muffled, reduced to a distant hum.

She had called upon the storm not to protect the city, but to shield herself from it, to create an external quiet that might match the calm she so desperately needed inside.

She rested her head against the cold stone wall, eyes halfclosed, watching droplets slide down the cracked windows nearby.

The recent revelations from Alyssa Freedom Stalingrad about her mother, the disappearances of heroes, and the strange "MetaDivine Intervention" that had forced her out of school all swirled in her mind like the clouds she had summoned. It was too much. The weight of it all was pressing down on her, suffocating.

"Why now?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the quiet room.

Her fingers twitched as the power surged through her, still connected to the storm outside.

She could feel every drop of rain as it hit the streets, the trees, the rooftops of the city. It was a comfort in a way—something she could control when everything else seemed to be slipping away.

And yet, there was something off about the rain.

She hadn't noticed it at first, too distracted by her own thoughts. But now, as she focused more closely on the flow of the storm, she felt it—a disturbance.

The rain wasn't falling naturally. The patterns were wrong, jagged, as if something—or someone—was manipulating it.

Funneh's eyes snapped open, her body tensing. The sensation was subtle but unmistakable.

Someone was interfering with her powers.

Her mind raced through possibilities, but none of them brought any clarity. Why would anyone tamper with her storm? Was this related to the disappearances of heroes? Or was this something even darker, more personal?

[Location: School rooftop]

René Dupré stood silently on the edge of the school's rooftop, his shadowy form blending into the night.

He had been watching the city beneath the cover of the storm, his keen eyes catching every detail.

At first, he had left Funneh alone, knowing she needed space after everything that had happened. The rain was her way of coping—he understood that. But as the storm had grown in intensity, he noticed something strange.

The rain wasn't behaving as it should.

It started as a subtle change in the flow, barely noticeable to anyone who didn't have a close connection to shadow and movement.

But René's powers were all about reading the currents of darkness, and something about the rain's movement screamed of manipulation. The droplets twisted unnaturally, forming sharp, jagged patterns, almost like claws reaching down from the sky.

He narrowed his eyes, the shadows around him swirling in response to his unease. Whoever—or whatever—was behind this wasn't just tampering with the storm. They were sending a message.

Without wasting another moment, René leaped from the rooftop, his body dissolving into a blur of darkness as he moved silently through the school. He wasn't sure if Funneh had noticed the disturbance yet, but he couldn't leave her to deal with it alone.

[Location: School, lower levels]

Funneh paced back and forth in the small, dimly lit room she had found. The sensation in the rain was growing stronger, more pronounced. Her frustration bubbled to the surface. She had come here for peace, for quiet. But even now, she couldn't escape the chaos. It seemed to follow her wherever she went, like a shadow she couldn't shake.

She let out a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside her, but the external storm only intensified.

"I don't need this right now," she muttered under her breath, running a hand through her dark hair.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the door creaked open. Funneh looked up, and there stood René, his figure partially hidden in the dim light. His expression was serious, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a sense of urgency.

"Funneh," he said softly, stepping into the room. "We need to talk."

Funneh narrowed her eyes. "Not now, René."

"You've felt it, haven't you?" he asked, ignoring her dismissal. "The rain. It's not just a storm anymore. Someone's tampering with it."

"I know," she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. "But I don't need your help. I can handle this."

René frowned, his concern evident. "This isn't just about you. Whoever's behind this—if they can manipulate your powers like this, we're dealing with something bigger than either of us."

"I said I can handle it!" Funneh's voice echoed in the small room, and for a moment, the rain outside seemed to crash harder against the windows, as if mirroring her emotions.

René held up his hands in surrender, stepping back. "Alright," he said, his tone softening. "I'm not here to fight with you. I just—wanted to make sure you're okay."

Funneh's gaze softened for a brief second, but she quickly hardened her expression again. "I don't need you worrying about me. I just need some space."

René hesitated, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer. Then, without another word, he nodded and turned, disappearing into the shadows.

[Location: Deep within the school]

Funneh let out a shaky breath once René was gone. She hadn't meant to be so harsh, but the weight of everything was too much. She needed to be alone. She needed to figure this out.

She ventured deeper into the school, into the forgotten parts that hadn't been touched in years. The halls grew darker, the air colder, but she welcomed it. Here, in the depths of the building, she could finally find the solitude she craved.

She found a small, abandoned room at the far end of the corridor. Dust coated the floor, and the walls were cracked and faded. It was perfect. Far enough away from the noise of the world, far enough away from everyone else. Funneh sat down in the corner, leaning against the wall, her body finally relaxing.

The rain outside was still there, but here it felt distant, almost nonexistent. She closed her eyes, trying to center herself. She needed to focus on the problem at hand—on whoever was manipulating the storm. But her mind kept drifting back to AFS, to her mother, to the missing heroes. Everything was connected, but how?

[Later...]

As the rain continued to fall over the city, Funneh felt the disturbance growing stronger, sharper. Whoever was behind this wasn't stopping. In fact, they seemed to be growing more confident, more bold. The jagged shapes in the rain were becoming more defined, more dangerous. It was as if claws of water were reaching out from the sky, ready to tear through the city.

And somewhere, far beyond the school, a figure stood watching. Their eyes gleamed with satisfaction as they observed the storm they had twisted, their fingers moving through the air as if conducting an orchestra.

This was only the beginning.

[Later….]

Funneh sat in the dark, silent room, her mind racing despite the stillness around her. The flickering dim light above her was the only movement, aside from the occasional sound of the rain hammering against the outer walls of the school. She closed her eyes, trying to slow her thoughts, but every time she attempted to relax, the same questions swirled back into her mind.

Who was tampering with her powers? And why?

She had always prided herself on control—control over her speed, over her powers, over her public identity. But now, it felt as though something was slipping out of her grasp, something bigger than just a simple storm. It was unnerving, and it made her feel vulnerable.

Funneh's phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her back to the present. She hesitated for a moment before pulling it out. The notification wasn't a message—it was something more cryptic. A symbol flashed on the screen, unfamiliar but oddly foreboding: an eye surrounded by swirling lines, like a galaxy. She furrowed her brow, tapping on the notification, but nothing happened. The screen went black.

"What the hell..." she whispered, her heart pounding as she stared at the phone.

Before she could process what it meant, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. They were soft, measured, but unmistakable. Someone was coming.

Funneh's body tensed instinctively, ready for a fight. She pressed herself against the wall, her breathing shallow. The footsteps grew louder, closer, until they stopped just outside the door. Whoever it was, they were standing there, waiting.

Her pulse quickened. Was it René again? Or had someone else found her?

The door creaked open slowly, and Funneh's muscles coiled like springs, ready to act. But instead of an enemy, a familiar figure stepped inside.

"Funneh," a low voice said, barely above a whisper.

It was Alyssa Freedom Stalingrad.

The head of the CIA looked calm, composed, but there was an intensity in her eyes that Funneh hadn't seen before. AFS stepped fully into the room, the door closing quietly behind her. She was wearing the same silver suit as earlier, its sleek design practically blending into the dim light. Her blue hair gleamed under the flickering bulb above them.

"What are you doing here?" Funneh asked, her voice sharper than she intended. "How did you even find me?"

"I always know where my agents are," AFS replied, her voice as cold and measured as ever. "And after everything that's happened today, I thought you might need some answers."

"Answers?" Funneh's eyes narrowed. "You already gave me your explanation about the MetaDivine Intervention, and now my storm's being tampered with. I don't need more riddles, Alyssa. I need facts."

A faint smirk crossed AFS's lips, though it didn't reach her eyes. "You're right. You do need facts. But I didn't come here to lecture you. I came here to warn you."

Funneh's heart skipped a beat. "Warn me about what?"

AFS stepped closer, her expression unreadable. "You're not the only one being manipulated, Funneh. The storm, your powers, even the notifications on your phone—they're all pieces of a much larger game."

Funneh frowned, glancing down at her phone. "The notification... what does it mean?"

"That symbol," AFS said, pointing at Funneh's phone. "It's a marker. A marker of those who are being watched. And not by any organization you're familiar with."

Funneh's blood ran cold. "Watched by who?"

AFS leaned in, her voice dropping to a nearwhisper. "There are forces at play, Funneh, far beyond our world. Entities that exist outside the normal flow of time and space. The ones who have been causing the disappearances of heroes—those same forces are now watching you. They're testing you."

Funneh's heart raced as she tried to process the weight of AFS's words. "Testing me for what?"

A moment of silence passed before AFS spoke again. "For something much bigger than what's happening in this city. These entities—they're not interested in D.C. or even Earth. They're interested in people like you—people with extraordinary powers. They're looking for champions, and if you're not careful, you'll become another pawn in their game."

Funneh shook her head, feeling the pressure mounting. "Why me? Why now?"

AFS's eyes softened slightly. "Because you're one of the last public superheroes left. Your presence is well known, and that makes you a prime target. But it's not just that. There's something... different about your powers, something they're drawn to."

Funneh clenched her fists, anger and frustration bubbling up inside her. "So what am I supposed to do? Let them play their game with me? Let them manipulate my powers?"

AFS shook her head. "No. You have to fight back. But you can't do it alone. That's why I came here—to make sure you understand that you're not alone in this. René, the others—they're all in danger too. You need to be careful who you trust, but you also need to accept that you'll need help."

Funneh looked away, her mind spinning with questions and doubts. Everything was spiraling out of control so fast. "I don't even know where to start," she muttered, more to herself than to AFS.

The sound of rain intensified outside, as if punctuating her thoughts.

AFS stood up straight, her face hardening again into her usual stoic demeanor. "Start by preparing yourself. There's a storm coming, Funneh, and this one isn't yours. If you want to survive, you need to be ready."

Without another word, AFS turned and walked out of the room, leaving Funneh alone once again with the rain, the darkness, and the weight of what she had just learned.

[Location: Washington, D.C. rooftops]

Far above the city, on the rooftop of a tall building, a figure stood watching the storm unfold. Their cloak flapped in the wind, dark as the night itself. They had been observing Funneh for some time now, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

The figure's eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light as they watched the rain twist and swirl under their control. They raised a hand, and the storm responded, the clouds shifting and the rain intensifying over the school.

"Let's see how strong you really are," the figure whispered to the wind, their voice lost in the howling storm. "Let's see if you can survive the test."

[End]