1 Outcast

When my twin brother and I were born, we were considered blessings. Mother told us that due to the aspect of her powers, she couldn't have a child. For years, she and my father tried, but to no avail. Then we came. At first, everyone thought that it was only my elder brother, but they were in for a surprise when I came out five minutes later after him.

My brother and I never lacked anything. We were loved unconditionally. For a while that is.

You see, we live in a world were super powers are keys to heaven. Those whose powers are stronger are considered first class citizens; those with weak powers second class, and those with none are considered third class.

My parents were one of the world's most famous Superhumans. Mom is known as the Ice Queen, while my dad is known as Lord Flamma.

As the names imply, my parents have Elememtal Powers. Dad has fire powers. He can control everything from the heat in humans body to lava. One time, he got so angry that the earth's core was affected. Mom has ice powers, which in turn gives her the ability to command water at her will.

My parents are super cool. And in the circle of Superhumans, they are the 1st and 2nd strongest.

But there's one problem when it comes to Superhumans. They are sterile. No manner of medical treatment can correct that. Because of that, Superhumans tend to copulate with those of the 2nd or 3rd class for a chance to have children.

Most Superhumans are known to keep Paramours, even though they are already married. Sometimes, when the Paramour has completed their duty in producing a child, they are laid off. But other times, they enter a legal three way relationship with the paying couple.

But my parents were different. No matter how pointless it seemed, they kept on trying to have children on their own.  Knowing how jealous they could get when it comes to each other, a Paramour was a no go. And besides, they wanted their kids to have their own blood coursing through their veins; no one else. So they kept on trying.

After many years, we came. For the first time in 500 years, two Superhumans brought not one, but two children into the world  with no external help whatsoever.

Mom told us that when we came, we were different. My brother was small, while I was the big baby. I think that was the was the beginning of it all.

My parents doted on us like no tomorrow, my brother more than me. He was unusually small and used to get sick that we couldn't play together that much. Twice, he nearly died. I managed to eavesdrop on my parents and the doctor and it seems that as the eldest fetuse, Ren got the burnt of my parents coming together. His condition was due to their power difference.

I always visited him, not minding that I sometimes had to wear protective gear to do so.

As kids, Ren and I were close. Even up to highschool, we were never seen apart.

We attended a public high school mixed with the three Classes. Although rich and powerful, my parents never really cared about classification; that is until my powers manifested.

It happened on a school day. Our school was attacked by these terrorists who hated Superhumans. Because we were there, they attacked. We were held captive. When my brother was almost killed in front of a camera which broadcasted the event to the whole world, I snapped.

I melted and froze them all. My hair turned blue from the root but was red from the middle to my tips. My eyes turned red with a ring of blue in them.

After that day, our lives changed.

For my parents, they earned more praises from people in successfully having a child who had two powers. For me, I grew more popular. But for Ren... he became forgotten.

My parents, who bragged that they care not for Classification, suddenly had no time for their powerless child. Their attention was solely on me. And I quite enjoyed it. To be the centre of everyone's attention was pleasing, and as shameful as it is, it got into my head.

Soon, I forgot that Ren, my own brother, ever existed. Ren, who still suffered bouts of sickness and had no one but Raisa, the maid, at his side. In school, he was an outcast. He was the weak, nerdy elder brother of the school most popular teen.

Then one day, I suddenly made everything worse.

My so called friensd have been whispering words of poison into my ears. The most common being that I shouldn't associate with someone as weak and useless as him; that he'll only bring me down and he should mean nothing to me. And unfortunately, I listened. In front of practically the whole school, I humiliated Ren, all because my girlfriend at that thing told me he assaulted her. Not only did I humiliated, I also hit him. I didn't ask questions... I just foolishly attacked.

After that day, it became hell for Ren. He became the punching bag for bullies and the joker of the school. Everyday, Ren got new bruises and injuries, but I did nothing, and neither did my parents.

The day the bullies took it to the next level was the last day I saw Ren.

It was lunch time and we were all gathered in the wide grass land out back of the school. The bullies were at it again and we all watched as Ren was beaten to a pulp. After that, they dumped a bucket of toilet water on him. Almost everyone there were laughing. Some people, including me, looked on, apathetic of it all, and the remaining percentage looked on in rage. The bullies called him names and such.

Everyone were about to disperse, because someone had gone to call a teacher, when things took a turn for the worse.

The area suddenly got cold. Very cold. People close to me looked at me in question, but I shook my head and said it wasn't me. Our attention was grabbed by Ren, who stood up slowly, head bowed. Below his feet, ice slowly incased the ground, creeping to every direction. The bullies were about to run, but they were suddenly frozen solid. And it wasn't normal ice, this ice was red in color.

The moment Ren raised his head, a cold shiver went down my spine.

Ren was crying. But instead of normal tears, his tears were lava. Black lava. They melted the ground when they dropped. His eyes were wide, shining with insanity. He had this deranged smile on his lips, intensifying his unstable look.

Everyone, except for me, slowly took few steps backwards, suudenly afaird of the teen in front of them. And I honestly couldn't blame them. Ren looked and screamed unstable.

Ren slowly walked over to the frozen teen. On his way, he made what looked to be a sledge hammer out of ice, which was still red. When he finally got to one of the bullies, he raised the hammer up. Everyone watched with batted breath and wide eyes as the upper part ice hammer suddenly engulfed in black flames.

Without hesitation, Ren scattered him. One by one, he scattered the remaining four, a look of unholy glee on his face. When he was done, he grinned inanly. It was when he settled his eyes on the crowd that someone gave a scream of terror.

Things erupted into chaos. Before anyone cound do anything, spikes of ice erupted everywhere. Some people died, some were injured, some escaped unharmed. It was thanks to him that things didn't end up with the whole school dead. With my fire power, i was able to keep the loss of lives to a minimum.

After that day, I never saw my brother again. His last appearance was marked with destruction. The Superhuman Task Force, as well as my parents, searched for him, but to no avail. It was as if he disappeared into thin air.

I still think about that day. The broken look in his dead eyes... it still stabs at my heart.

I still wonder everyday, if I didn't listen to my so called friends advise, if I'd just stayed by his side, will Ren still be here?

And the conclusion I came to everytime is yes.

Due to the neglect of my parents and I, and the cruel actions of others, I lost my brother.

A year after the incident, I transferred to another school in another country. I couldn't deal with the looks of pity and the whispers of hate about Ren. So, I begged my parents to send me to another school.

Years later, after I finished my education, I went back. I became a Superhuman Task Enforcer. I've become matured and at the age of twenty five, I can always brag that I'm wise for my age.

After a year or two in the task force, I was promoted as Chief of Police. It just made my efforts of finding my brother easier.

A year later, a group known as Outcast emerged. From the bits of information gathered, it's made up of a bunch of SH and non SHs. They attacked everyone and everything. Even up till now, no one knows what their motive is.

After months of battling minors and lieutenants, we finally had the whereabouts of the boss.

Roseland park.

The boss goes to sit in the park for an hour before dawn. We went there heavily armored. With how strong the other Outcasts were, I decided to bring my parents up for back up.

When we got there, we got the shock of our lives.

It doesn't matter if he changed his entire appearance or not, my parents and I will always recognize Ren.

He has grown. He no longer looked like the sickly kid he was. His body was now toned, his face looking as if it was sculptured by the gods, with shoulder length red that starts an obsidian black to a blood red.

Mom and dad tired talking to him, I tried talking to him, but he just stared at us with an impassive expression. After mom stopped speaking, he stood up with a sigh.

And then everything descended into chaos.

It was a massacre. Many Enforcers, as well as civilians, died.

I wish I was there for Ren when he needed me the most. I wish I didn't turn my back on him and left him to the inky abyss of loneliness and despair. I wish I had done things differently.

I have so many wishes, but unfortunately, I have no genie to grant them.

As I stared into the cold eyes of Ren - who was encased in ice, his hair floating and on black fire, and hovering in the air with wings of fire and ice -, my parents on their knees besides me, panting heavily, and our surroundings on fire and in ruins, I wished I didn't mess up.

I wish to go back. Please