Chapter 11: Overwhelmed

[Third Person's PoV] 

Date: September 11, 2001 

A few months had passed since Vanya discovered her powers, and Nathan had begun helping her train. But Vanya wasn't the only one he assisted—he used his siblings as a way to hone his psychic abilities while also supporting them in any way he could.

*ALARM!* *ALARM!*

Everyone was startled awake in the early morning by the flashing red light. The intensity of the alarm indicated a state of emergency, and right now, it bathed their rooms in a pulsating, ominous red glow.

Nathan, who was woken up groggily, sat up and scratched his messy bed hair. "Ugh, what's going on?"

*'What day do you think it is?'* the Phoenix asked with a scoff, echoing in his mind.

Nathan tilted his head in confusion before his eyes widened in realization. *'HOLY SHIT, IT'S HAPPENING IN THIS UNIVERSE TOO!?'*

*'Why wouldn't it?'* the Phoenix replied coolly.

*'Because we're in an alternate universe where we have superpowers!'* Nathan responded as he hurriedly got ready with a sense of urgency.

Meanwhile, his siblings, seeing the urgent flashes of red, were quickly donning their uniforms with practiced efficiency. They all gathered in front of their father, Reginald, ready for whatever mission awaited them.

Vanya, her heart pounding with anticipation, looked Reginald in the eye and said, "You have to let me go on this mission. I've been training my powers for months, and I can control them now!"

Reginald scrutinized Vanya with narrow, judgmental eyes. After a tense moment, he finally spoke. "Very well, Number 7. This shall be your first mission. How you perform here will determine whether there will be a second time. Fail, and it won't matter how well you can control your powers."

"Yes!" Vanya exclaimed, pumping her fist. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her domino mask, putting it on with a determined look. "What's the mission?" she asked, her voice steady and resolute.

Reginald held up a remote and showed them the news on a nearby screen. "The Twin Towers have been attacked. Your mission is to save as many people as you can."

The room fell silent as the siblings processed the gravity of the situation. Without a word, they all nodded and swiftly made their way to the plane, prepared to take off.

Once they were in the air, Nathan knelt down and placed his hand on the floor of the plane. "What are you doing?" Luther asked, curiosity tinged with concern.

Nathan kept his eyes closed, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I'm surrounding the plane with my tactile telekinesis. It'll protect us from wind resistance and increase our speed, so we'll get there faster."

A soft pink psychic energy enveloped the entire plane, and they felt a sudden surge in speed as the craft cut through the air with ease, unaffected by the usual drag.

However, as they neared their destination, the plane's speed gradually slowed and returned to normal. The siblings exchanged confused glances until they noticed Nathan, his expression twisted in horror. Tears began to stream down his face as he hugged himself, his body trembling with an overwhelming mix of emotions.

Inwardly the Phoenix grumbled, *'This is why I said I said it's more of a curse than a gift'* 

"What's wrong, Nathan?" Vanya asked softly, stepping closer, her voice laced with worry, the other his siblings looking at him with shock and worried.

Nathan didn't respond immediately, his mind reeling from what he had just sensed. The devastation, the fear, the loss of life—it all hit him at once, amplified by his psychic sensitivity. "It's… it's too much," he finally whispered, his voice breaking. "The pain… I can feel all of it. So many lives… they're just… gone."

The weight of Nathan's words settled over the group like a heavy blanket, the reality of the situation sinking in even deeper. They all realized that this mission was unlike anything they had ever faced before.

Nathan curled into a ball, quietly sobbing as the overwhelming tide of emotions crashed over him. No matter how hard he had trained, he had never been overwhelmed by so many emotions at once. It was unbearable.

Reginald observed from his seat, jotting down notes with a detached interest. "Interesting," he muttered to himself, his eyes flickering between the pen and Nathan's crumpled form.

Luther turned to Allison, urgency in his voice. "Allison, use your abilities to block his empathic powers."

Allison didn't hesitate. Despite their differences, Nathan was still her brother, and it pained her to see him like this—so weak and vulnerable. She moved closer to him and whispered, "I heard a rumor that your empathic abilities stopped working for the duration of the mission."

Nathan's sobs began to subside, his breathing gradually evening out as Allison's words took effect. "Allison… that just might be the first time I've ever been so glad for your abilities," he muttered, his voice still shaky, but more composed.

Slowly, he managed to gather himself, wiping away the last of his tears. "Sorry about that," he said, his voice hoarse.

Luther patted his back reassuringly. "You have nothing to apologize for. Let's go—we have a mission to complete."

The others nodded in agreement, their focus sharpening. They rushed toward the door of the plane, their determination overshadowing the lingering tension.

As they opened the door, a powerful gust of wind rushed in, whipping at their faces and hair. One by one, they leaped into the open sky.

"One!" Luther shouted as he dove headfirst, leading the charge.

"Two!" Diego yelled, crossing his arms with knives in hand, diving down after Luther.

"Three!" Allison shouted, executing a graceful backflip in mid-air before plummeting downward.

"Four!" Klaus said in a playful voice, pinching his nose as if preparing for a cannonball into a pool.

"Six!" Ben shouted nervously, his arms and legs tucked tightly together as he followed suit.

"Seven!" Vanya exclaimed, excitement coursing through her as she spread her arms and legs like a starfish, thrilled to be on her first mission.

"Eight," Nathan muttered, lacking the enthusiasm of his siblings but radiating a quiet determination. His eyes were fierce, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing a trickle of blood.

They all quickly caught up with Luther, who was the farthest down, and looked toward one of the towers from which smoke was rising, a single plane embedded within it, billowing dark clouds.

In the distance, far on the horizon, another plane was fast approaching.

Luther's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene, his voice steady but filled with urgency. "We need to split up. Diego, Ben, and Klaus, get to the first tower and start evacuating people. Vanya, Allison, and Nathan, you're with me—we're heading for the second plane."

"Understood," Diego said with a firm nod, already positioning himself for a rapid descent.

The others followed suit, their faces set in grim determination as they approached what could be the most challenging—and defining—mission of their lives.