Sparks and Shadows

The scent of turmeric and lemongrass clung to the Harper kitchen as Wulan stirred a pot of soto ayam, her voice humming a Javanese lullaby Kirana had long since warped into a chaotic chant. Arlan sat at the table, halfheartedly poking at his lunch while scribbling equations for a solar-powered battery—his latest "genius kid" project—on a napkin. His mind, however, lingered on the Maximoff twins.

'Wanda's chaos energy reacts to Nen. Pietro's speed might be natural Enhancement. But how do I stabilize it without a teacher?' His pen tapped the paper, leaving ink blots that mirrored his frustration.

Kirana, now five, shattered his thoughts by launching a broccoli floret at his forehead. "Al! Play Cublak-Cublak Suweng!"

"Later, Kiki." He dodged another veggie missile. "Big brother's working."

"Boring." She slid off her chair, disappearing into the living room with a mischievous grin. Moments later, Daniel's yelp echoed through the house—followed by the unmistakable splat of a whoopee cushion.

Arlan's lips twitched. 'At least one of us is having fun.'

After school, the auto shop lot had become their makeshift dojo. Pietro zipped circles around Arlan, a silver blur kicking up gravel. "Faster, penemu!" he taunted. Inventor.

"I'm thinking," Arlan shot back, En stretching to track Pietro's movements. His aura prickled—a radar barely keeping pace.

Wanda leaned against a rusted Cadillac, sketching in her notebook. "He's right. You're slow."

"Says the girl who melts rocks." Arlan ducked as Pietro lunged, Ten flaring to cushion the blow. "I'm a programmer, not a Kung Fu master!"

"Then program this." Pietro flicked a pebble at supersonic speed.

Arlan's Gyo-enhanced palm caught it, the impact stinging. "Cheap shot."

"War doesn't give trophies for fairness," Wanda murmured, her crimson aura flickering like a dying flame.

The twins shared a glance, heavy with unspoken history. Arlan's chest tightened. 'Hydra's coming. I need to be ready.'

Hydra's agents arrived at dusk—a black SUV parked outside the Maximoffs' foster home. Arlan spotted them from his treehouse, binoculars glued to his face.

"Al! Spy game?" Kirana scrambled up, clutching a juice box.

"Go inside, Kiki."

"Nuh-uh. I'm Agent Potato!"

He sighed, hoisting her onto his shoulders. "Fine. But if you blow my cover, no risoles for a week."

They watched as a trench-coated man slipped an envelope into the mailbox. Kirana gasped. "Bad guy?"

"The worst."

That night, Arlan hacked the foster parents' landline (child's play with Nen-enhanced focus) and listened to Hydra's pitch: "A scholarship… special school… unleash your potential."

'Classic predator grooming,' he seethed, scribbling notes. 'Time to crash their recruitment.'

Confrontation came at the Queens Public Library. Arlan "bumped" into the agent in the stacks, dropping a modified ThermoBento into his briefcase.

"Watch it, kid," the man snarled.

"You first." Arlan triggered the device. The lunchbox beeped, emitting a high-frequency whine only dogs—and Pietro—could hear.

Across the room, Pietro's head snapped up. He blurred, snatching the briefcase mid-sprint. The agent shouted, but Wanda was already there, her sketchbook "accidentally" spilling ink down his shirt.

"Oops," she said, eyes glinting.

Arlan slipped the Hydra files into his backpack. 'Checkmate.'

Training intensified. In the lot, Wanda channeled chaos energy through Arlan's Nen-conductive glove—a prototype forged from stolen microwave parts. Scarlet tendrils wove around her fingers, steadier now, guided by his aura.

"Better?" he asked.

"Less… angry," she admitted.

Pietro, meanwhile, mastered Zetsu—not for stealth, but to mute the sensory overload of his speed. "Feels like earmuffs for my bones," he said, grinning.

Progress, fragile but tangible.

At home, Arlan's double life frayed. Daniel discovered blueprints for a "Nen Amplifier" mixed with Kirana's crayon art.

"Son… is this a lightsaber?"

"Solar-powered flashlight!" Arlan fibbed, sweat beading.

"With circuits?"

"Genius is 2% inspiration, 98% duct tape."

Daniel's eyes narrowed but softened. "Just… keep the explosions outside."

The chapter closed under a starless sky. Arlan stood in the backyard, fireflies swarming his Ren-charged hand—a living constellation. Wanda's voice echoed in his mind: "You taste like lightning."

Three blocks away, the Hydra agent dialed a secure line. "Subject: Harper. Threat level upgraded. Proposal: Acquire or eliminate."

Arlan's phone buzzed—a notification from his tracker app. The twins' bracelets pulsed safe and green.

'Try it,' he thought, extinguishing the fireflies. 'We're ready.'