His left hand hurt too much to lift, but he raised his right hand and wiped his eyes.

Step Son was hovering in the air, something small and definitely not Step Son-like hanging to his neck.

That would be Louis, Liam reasoned. Going for the neck. As he always did.

But then, Zayn screamed in pain. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

He shouldn’t be lying on the floor. He should be helping. But his body was betraying him; it took all his effort to keep his eyes open against the onslaught of pain. Zayn, too, was missing. Liam couldn’t see him from his position on the floor, but if Zayn was screaming, then something was terribly, terribly wrong.

He blinked again, pushing the blood once more from his eyes. He had to do something. Wind. Water. Fire. His lighter was here somewhere. With enormous effort, he looked to his left. All he could see was broken tiled floor, plaster from the ceiling, and shreds of what used to be the bank vault. No lighter. He looked to his right. More of the same. It was hard to focus, through the pain and the blood that kept dripping into his eyes. Where was his lighter?

He turned back to his left, once more wiping his vision clear. A gleam of silver amongst the wreckage, directly beneath Step Son’s hovering frame. Liam stared at it. Twenty feet away. He’d never make it.

Then, as he watched, something massive flew into his line of vision and struck Step Son. It was as least four times as large as a man, and whatever it was sent Step Son careening into the wall, and then to the floor. Liam turned his head again. Something tall, lean, and purple was striding across the floor. Despite his pain, his face curved into a grin.

Harry.

Harry bent and picked up a section of the ceiling that had fallen. The hunk of plaster, pipes, and grating was as large as a car, but Harry lifted it as though it were a newspaper. His face was set, and he moved slowly and deliberately. He hurled the hulking mass at the floor where Step Son had fallen.

Liam thought that would be the end of Step Son, but he was wrong. The massive object never reached Step Son, who had scrambled to a position on all fours, facing forward. He raised his hand to his goggles, and Liam felt the air pulse as a blast of sonic energy repelled the chunk of ceiling, sending it rolling harmlessly back towards the vault.

Liam felt panic rising in his chest, afraid that Harry’s deliberate, unhurried fighting style would hinder him. But again, he was wrong. Even before Step Son tossed his head to the side, directing the boulder away from him, another one fell through the air, crushing his body beneath it. It was smaller than the first, but Liam could hear Step Son’s yell of agony as the mass pinned him to the ground.

Again, Liam turned. Harry was holding Zayn, supporting Zayn beneath one shoulder and cupping one hand to Zayn’s temple. Even from his distance, Liam could see Harry grit his teeth and his muscles tense from the pain. At the same time, Zayn’s sagging form became more erect, until he opened his eyes and turned to look at Step Son in the corner. Harry’s other, incredible power: he was absorbing Zayn’s pain, recieving it into his own body, where it eventually dissipated.

Still using Harry as a crutch, Zayn took a few steps towards the corner. He was favoring his right leg, Liam noticed. Was that why he’d screamed? Liam watched, helpless, as Zayn lifted a hand. A section of the air duct that had fallen to the ground rose into the air. Liam watched Zayn’s face furrow in concentration, and the air duct bent and contorted in midair as it zoomed towards Step Son, still struggling beneath the mass of ceiling debris. The air duct wrapped around Step Son’s head, and Harry shouted “Louis!”

Liam looked around, but could not see their other teammate. And his head felt incredibly heavy. He rested his head back on the cool floor and closed his eyes.

Then the sound of Step Son’s screams rent the air. Liam opened his eyes and looked up. Harry was standing over him, dropping to his knees to bend over Liam. “What--” Liam started, but Harry shook his head. He placed his hands against Liam’s temples and Liam’s breath caught, as it always did when Harry sapped his pain.

Harry’s body shuddered over him, his face contorting in pain and his breath slowing to a few startled gasps. But Liam’s pain was gone. When Harry caught his breath, Liam stood up. He was wobbly, and his left arm was still useless--he suspected that the dull, aching pain that lingered signified it had broken. And he was still bleeding, or if he wasn’t, there was still so much blood. He leaned heavily on Harry, looking over at the corner where Step Son lay, still screaming.

“What happened?” he asked, his gaze moving to Harry’s eyes, who then looked away.

“Louis took off his goggles.”

Liam blinked, wiping blood once more out of his eyes. At least it seemed to be slowing. His nose still hurt, too. That was probably broken when Step Son had beat him with the pipe.

Louis had taken off his goggles. That meant… Liam froze, his eyes searching Harry’s. “How long does he have?”

“Not long now.”

Liam stumbled forward, tripping over a piece of debris and almost falling if Harry hadn’t grabbed his arm to hold him upright. “We can’t kill him,” Liam said, trying to push Harry away.

Zayn was lying on the floor across the room, holding his head in his hands. Step Son’s pain was crippling him even more than his right leg, which was perfectly straight while his left leg was shaking uncontrollably. Louis appeared, standing over Step Son with his hands on his hips, his blue super suit contrasting oddly with the greying mass of debris that held Step Son to the ground. He was clutching Step Son’s goggles in his left hand, watching as Step Son convulsed.

“We’re not killing him,” Harry said quietly, still clutching Liam’s arm, half to hold him back, half to keep him upright.

Louis turned and walked towards Harry and Liam, keeping his back to Step Son’s fallen body. “He’s killing himself.”

Without his goggles, Step Son’s sonic beams were bouncing off the sides of the air duct, still wrapped tightly around his head, and feeding back into his own head. Liam couldn’t tear his eyes away as Step Son’s body shook more and more violently until, all at once, his screams died.

Liam winced as he stared at the now-still body, and Harry gripped him tighter to hold him upright. Louis turned and walked to Zayn, crouching down next to him. “It’s over, mate,” he said. Louis’ voice was quiet, but echoed in the utter stillness that blanketed the previously chaotic scene. “You all right?”

Zayn didn’t respond, still massaging his temples. Liam felt a shudder of revulsion, and realized it was not his own. Harry was still staring at Step Son’s body, a mixture of pity and disgust on his face. “We shouldn’t have had to do that,” he said, almost under his breath. Liam turned, knocking his left elbow, and pain surged through him again. “But it was him or us.”

Louis had joined them again. “And we don’t give second chances,” he added. He looked worried as he glanced back at Zayn. “We need to get back. Zayn and Liam need to get looked at. Zayn’s not recovering.”

“Give him a minute,” Harry said, loosening his grip on Liam’s arm. “It took him a lot of effort to get the ceiling off his leg, while he was in that much pain.”

“That’s what’s wrong with his leg?” Liam questioned. He leaned to his right, making Harry, who still held his arm, follow him towards Zayn.

“Yeah. Got crushed beneath the ceiling. He slowed down Step Son by sending the broken glass at him,” Louis explained. “He was trying to get the ceiling off when Step Son blasted him. Took him another few minutes to get it off, but then Harry showed up.” He grinned at his best friend, punching him playfully in the arm and then swearing under his breath and wringing out his hand. “Fuck. I should learn to stop doing that. Anyway, took you long enough, Haz.”

“Can’t believe you’d go off and have all the fun without me,” Harry countered, then fell silent. Liam knew what he was thinking. Step  Son wasn’t the first villain they’d killed, but it didn’t make it any easier, and though Harry hadn’t meant it, it definitely wasn’t ‘fun,’ by any stretch of the imagination. They’d killed a man. An evil man, but a man, with dreams and aspirations and, once upon a time, a bright, hopeful future.

He could only imagine Zayn’s pain. The gaping hole left with the sudden death of a nearby mind always incapacitated Zayn. He was constantly in training, to try to control the empathetic abilities of his mind, but the truth was, his power was incredibly hard to restrain. Harry’s powers, no doubt, were the most noticeable. Liam’s had the widest range. Louis’ were the most adaptable. But Zayn’s, by far, were the most complex. Anyone could manipulate fire from a lighter. It took a strong mind to be able to handle constant input from others and remain sane.

Zayn had only told this once, and only to Liam. But it was enough, and Liam understood.

Suddenly, there was a bloodcurdling scream from outside. All four of them turned their heads to the glass doors, still intact, that led outside to the police scene. The four reacted immediately, racing towards the double doors, with Harry supporting a staggering Zayn and Louis pushing debris out of the way for Liam. They tumbled out into the sunlight to the sound of more screams, sirens, and something completely different.

Liam’s short, closely cropped hair stood on end. It wasn’t nerves. It was electricity.

Two figures stood apart from the crowd. No, three figures, one of which was being held tightly by another. Spikes of electricity crackled through the air, forming a wall between two of the figures and dancing between them. The captive figure was struggling, then jolting slightly when he was shocked.

“Let him go!” One of the police officers was yelling through his loudspeaker. “We are willing to negotiate, if you release Mr. Cunningham!”

“It’s One Direction!” A shout erupted from the crowd in the street, separated from the bank by the police blockade, and now the electrical barrier between the two new villains.

“They’ve got the bank president!” That was another policeman, yelling through his own loudspeaker.

The two villains turned to keep One Direction in their vision, and Louis gasped. “It’s the hostages!” he muttered to the other three. “I saw them run out of the bank. They’re supers!”

Something clicked in Liam’s head, and he turned to look at Zayn. “That’s why they weren’t scared,” he said slowly. “They had nothing to fear.”

Zayn was still sagging against Harry, who looked at Liam. “Then let’s give them something to fear.”

Liam nodded and set his jaw, turning to face to the new villains. He could see now: it was a man and a woman, dressed in matching black. Harry rested Zayn gently on the ground, then stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Liam. “Any ideas?”

Before they could respond, a jolt of electricity shot out of  the electrical field between the two. Liam yelled and ducked, covering his face with his arms. He could do nothing against electricity.

But the shock never came. Only the radiant sound of electricity surround him. Liam opened his eyes, and swore. The electrical field had moved--or not moved, but multiplied. It now surrounded the four of them, preventing them from approaching the villains with their captive.

“Can you reach them?” Harry yelled over the deafening hum of electricity.

Liam reached for his utility belt, but his lighter was still missing. The ground? He put his hand to the concrete, but it was too far from the earth for him to reach--not while he was hurt, not while he was so panicked. He looked up helplessly at Harry, then at Zayn. “Zayn!”

Zayn was still recovering, holding his head in his hands. Liam felt a surge of impatience, but Zayn couldn’t be blamed for what he could not control. They couldn’t risk Zayn losing his mind. Not for this.

“Harry?”

“I’ve nothing to throw,” Harry yelled, gesturing around them. They were enclosed in a tight area, with only the four of them and some empty concrete at their feet.

“Throw me,” Louis said, his eyes wide. “Throw me!”

Liam looked back, and one of the villains had taken to the air. How he could fly, Liam didn’t know, but he couldn’t think right now. They were running out of options, trapped in this electrical paddock.

“No,” Harry was yelling, and Liam turned to look. “There’s only two of them, and one of you. I’m not gonna risk it!”

Louis grabbed Harry’s arm, and Liam could see him tense as he prepared to shrink. “So I’ll knock one of them out, and the field will go down! It’s our only chance!”

“What if I miss?” Harry yelled back, taking a step away from Louis. “What if I miss!”

Harry stared at Louis, and Liam could see his mind racing. “Just do it!” Liam yelled.

Harry stared at Liam, and then his shoulders sagged. Liam knew he didn’t want to, but at this point, it was either Louis, or everyone else. And he had confidence in Louis’ abilities. Louis shrunk to the size of a softball, and leapt into Harry’s hand. Liam turned as Harry reached his arm back, aiming for the villain hovering in the air above the crowd.

And then, like lightning, something streaked out of the sky, crashing into the hovering super with enough force to send both of them hurtling to the ground. The pair skidded to the concrete a hundred yards away from their electrical cage, and then lay still.

Then, as Liam watched, one of them stood up. Liam recognized a crumpled, pale blonde wing.

“It’s the kid,” he said out loud. “It’s Niall.”

It was another second before he realized that the electrical field around them had vanished. Liam turned to look at the other villain, the one clutching tightly to the bank president, and saw him take to the air while still clutching tightly to his elderly captive.

“Get him!” he yelled at Harry, pointing. “Throw Louis!”

Harry arched his arm back again, and threw. Liam watched Louis’ tiny, blue-clad body fly through the air, hoping against hope that Harry’s aim was true.

He didn’t have to worry. The blonde streak appeared again, hands outstretched, and caught the blue dot that was Louis Tomlinson. He then turned, performing a complete barrel roll in midair, and tossed Louis the rest of the way. The blue dot affixed itself to the villain’s neck, and Niall hooked his arms around the bank president’s torso. After a few seconds of struggling in midair, Niall and the captive tore free. There was a split second of free fall where Liam’s heart stopped, but Niall managed to right himself. His massive wings expanded to their full length, and Niall glided to the ground.

Harry ran towards the pair, but Liam kept his eyes on the villain. Louis was in his element. He had honed his power enough that it was almost like teleportation. He appeared and disappeared from view, landing blows in midair on the rogue super when he was large and shrinking into invisibility when he tried to retaliate. It wasn’t long before the villain began losing elevation, sinking slowly to the ground beneath Louis’ carefully placed jabs. Liam ignored the pain his his arm and raced towards them, turning two blocks as he kept them in view.

A park. Had Louis planned it that way? Regardless, Liam was grateful. As the villain fell to the grass, Liam placed his right hand on the ground. The earth rippled at his touch, and Liam created a wall of earth around the fallen super. Earth, impenetrable to electricity.

Louis appeared at his side, sporting a black eye but nothing worse. Sirens sounded behind the two of them. Music to Liam’s ears. Louis flashed a grin and massaged his right shoulder. “Think that’s enough excitement for a day or so,” he said casually.

Liam met his grin with one of his own. “You said it.”

☄ ☄ ☄

Three hours, two units of blood, and one arm cast later, Liam limped into the headquarters. The sound of Harry’s laugh met his ears, followed by one that was unfamiliar. He entered the room to see Louis, Harry, and Zayn sprawled on the bean bags, with the new blonde sitting in a high backed chair, slightly apart. He wore a grin on his face, and a new change of clothes.

Harry waved his hand when he saw Liam. “Hey man, toss me an apple? Or six,” he called out.

Liam ignored Harry, and walked across the room. The new boy didn’t look up until Liam was standing just in front of him.

Zayn cleared his throat. “This is Niall, Liam.”

Niall finally raised his eyes to meet Liam’s. “So you’re in One Direction now,” Liam said, keeping his tone even so that it wasn’t a question.

“Yeah,” Niall said, finally standing up. He was shorter than Liam, and had to lift his chin to maintain eye contact.

Liam finally relaxed. “That was some timing,” he said with a grin. “I think we need to work on your form, though.”

Niall visibly untensed, glancing around at the other boys before looking back up at Liam. “I’m here to learn.”

“Good.” Harry stood up, and with a flick of one finger, knocked Niall to the ground. “Welcome to the club, kid.”