July 3rd, 2032

Korio dribbles the basketball once, not confident he could do much more with it, and lets a jump shot fly over his defender. It sinks through the net-less rim perfectly, making him and his brother the winner of a common ritual.

“Game. Get off my damn court.” Korio says sternly, still holding his hand in the air with  pride.

Zahkire smirks and chuckles at his cockiness. 

“You’re not even good, and we all know it. Your big bro over there carried you all game,” he says pointing at Korio with an accusatory finger. Zahkire was miles ahead of Korio when it came to basketball, being a star player for his varsity team. At seventeen, he was about six feet tall, with athletic defined muscles. The lids around his dark brown eyes always seemed to be squinted. 

Tyrio steps up and smiles ear to ear. “I don’t know about all that, man, I think you’re just ass.”

Tyrio was Zahkire’s biggest rival in the world of basketball, being the star of a rival varsity team. Tyrio and Zahkire were always known as the best players on the court. Who’s better? That’s a debate people have been having for years. 

Zahkire turns around and walks away, swiping dismissively at Tyrio. “Yeah whatever, I’m out.” 

“Me too, it’s getting pretty late,” says Cristiano, twirling one of his loose curls that hung below his eyes. He was only about five foot seven inches, and fairly unathletic. Cristiano only ever played to make the two on two games even, more worried about keeping his designer clothes clean and hair intact rather than scoring. 

Tyrio takes his hands out of the pockets of his trenchcoat-like fleece. It hung down to around his lower thighs, with a large flame design running up from the base to the chest area. As if it had been ignited and engulfed in fire. For a lightskin black teen, Tyrio’s hair was almost outrageous. It was almost fluffy, but not necessarily curly. It stood straight up about eight inches off of his head, with two bangs hanging on the outside corner of his eyes, with one slicing down the bridge of his nose. 

“Alright then, I’ll see you later bro,” Tyrio says while extending his hand toward Cristiano. Cristiano was undoubtedly Tyrio’s very best friend, even considering how popular Tyrio was. Cristiano in fact was one of his only genuine friends. 

“Stay safe,” Cristiano insists like he always did, reaching out and giving Tyrio a firm handshake before departing.

Tyrio and Korio watch their friends walk away, before turning around and making their way back to their apartment only about a block away from the park they attended so regularly this summer. The brothers step into the worn down elevator and press the button to take them to the third floor. The ride was only about twenty seconds, but the anxiety of another common incident of getting stuck made it feel like they ascended in slow motion.

Thank God we made it, Korio thinks to himself as he recalls the last time they had to wait over an hour for assistance.

 As they make their way to the apartment just down the hall, Korio begins taking off his favorite olive green pilot jacket, revealing a black t-shirt that conformed to his surprisingly muscular body. Although he hadn’t been “on the grind” as much as he once was, the physique he had obtained training vigorously for boxing was still intact. Korio then unties the ninja-like headband he had worn while playing basketball, and shakes his dark brown, nose-length dreadlocks back into place instinctively. Tyrio then lightly shoved his way around his brother with a face of annoyance. 

“Can’t you do all this once we get in? You always over here in my way stripping down in the halls,” Tyrio claims, amused by his own comments.

“You know this hallway hot as hell man,” Korio mumbles, shaking his head with a defeated expression.

“Then hurry up and get in!” Tyrio exclaims, unlocking and opening the door. They walk in and are greeted by the sight of their foster parent Steve kicked back on the couch, feet on the table and a family sized bag of chips in hand. Steve had gone from a skinny, enthusiastic guy to a man of few words and belly rolls ever since he and his wife had divorced. After five meaningful years, and taking in Tyrio and Korio due to the infertility of his wife, he found out she had been having an affair for a while. He filed for divorce immediately, losing the love of his life and mother of the children he had reluctantly adopted for her sake. Regardless, Steve did have genuine love for the boys and still did even now, even if it had become harder to see.

“Hey,” Steve says, his eyes still trained on the television screen.

“Yo,” replies Tyrio with a bit of spring in his voice.

“What’s up,” Korio greets coldly.

Steve adjusts in his seat a bit. “Hey Korio you got any ideas for your birthday? You’re turning sixteen in a few weeks man that’s a pretty special one. When we went out for your brother’s seventeenth a few months ago that was pretty good ti-”

“That was before though wasn’t it,” Korio interrupts, putting a dagger not only into his words but into his heart. Ever since the divorce, Steve had quit his job, making money really tight around the house. Korio had even resorted to selling drugs for some months just before the summer began, although with the guidance of his other brother he had taken himself away from such activities.

Steve frowns and slouches back to his original position. 

“I’m sure we could figure out something reasonable for you, I’d make sure of it,” he promises in a low, convincing tone.

Korio turns and begins to head back to the bedroom he shared with his brother. . 

“I’m alright for now, I’ll let you know if I think of anything though.”

And that was the end of it.

Tyrio follows Korio into their room after hanging his jacket onto the coat rack.

“Aye man, no need to be that way with Steve. You know he’s going through it,” he says with a frown.

Korio plops down onto his back, bouncing on his twin bed that sat a few feet away from Tyrio’s. 

“I don’t mean to be mean at all,” he started. “I just can’t stand to see him that way, you know? I’m hoping some tough love might shove him in the right direction.” Korio paused. “And I don’t know exactly how to talk to him sensitively about it.”

After a few seconds of silence and thought, a concerned smile spread across Tyrio’s face. 

“I guess I feel you man. I’ve tried a few times and it gets pretty awkward. I know tough love works best for you but, let’s just try to be comforting with Steve right now. It’s only been three months after finding out his five-year marriage had to go up in flames. He’ll need some time to get up.”

Korio keeps his stare trained on the ceiling, listening closely to the words of his older brother. When Tyrio spoke this way he always seemed to make good, empathetic points. Korio looked up to his natural kindness and understanding.

“Yeah, I feel you,” Korio says. “I’ll try to be better with him.” 

Tyrio stands by their small bedroom window, looking out at his city. Cars driving by blasting rap, men standing around on just about every corner, groups of friends walking around and laughing as they made their way to whatever fun they could find on a breezy summer night. Tyrio didn’t usually look out his window too often, to the brothers there was never exactly anything new to see? But for some reason, at this very moment, Tyrio’s eyes were glued to what he saw before him. The stars in the clear night sky never seemed to intrigue him more. Korio began to become curious about the amount of time his brother was staring, not even sure if he was in a right state of mind considering the fact he hadn’t even blinked. 

Korio gets up and begins walking over to the window. “What do you see out there that has you in a trance like this…” he says, his last words trailing off as his eyes greet the stars with admiration. 

The brothers both had become enthralled by the sky standing side by side. At this moment, nothing else seemed to matter whatsoever, no thought not pertaining to the sky before them had a chance of entering their minds. Korio leaned his forearm onto the window sill to get a better view, while Tyrio took a step closer. They fully understood each other’s thoughts, without uttering a single word. At the peak of their connection with the stars before them, an unnatural white orb suddenly grew into their vision, blending in with the rest of the galaxy. 

“ARGH!” they exclaim simultaneously, suddenly filled with a sharp pain and blinded by a flash of green. Both practically dropping to their knees and clutching their burning chest. Their strange mesmerization had suddenly become a strange inexplicable, synchronized moment of intense discomfort. They both looked at their chests, seeing nothing but a bit of redness, although they were genuinely warm to the touch. 

“What the actual hell bro, what just happened to us,” Tyrio says in a exasperated tone of disbelief.

Korio rubs his chest cautiously. “I have no idea. And what was that green flash? Do you think that’s what hurt us? Maybe it was a bundle of radiation or something, you just never know these days.” He paused, and looked up to see Tyrio’s blank expression. “You know?”

“No, I don’t,” Tyrio says, holding back a smile. “And wasn’t it yellow? But hey who’s to say you’re wrong, I have no better ideas.” He followed, realizing he couldn’t form a better theory.

After shaking off the shock and taking a few more anxious peeks through the window, the brothers decide to shower and head to bed. They had both become strangely intrigued by the sky at the same time, but after the trance the moment didn’t seem as weird to either of them. Actually, neither of them gave the actual minutes of staring prior to the flash a second thought, but concerns about the green flash and their pain continued to ring in their minds like a fire alarm. Tyrio settled on the theory that the light came from a blinding satellite, and the shock simply rang through their bodies. Korio on the other hand was dead set on his radiation theory, becoming afraid he might find himself with leukemia soon. After a while though, they both eventually doze off to sleep, hoping everything will turn out to be alright.

The next day Tyrio wakes up before Korio like usual and makes his way into the bathroom. He was only a few seconds into brushing his teeth before last night’s moment struck his mind with intensity. He couldn’t help but to laugh a little, considering how outlandish it all was. Tyrio lifts his shirt in the mirror, just to take another look at his chest after the pain and burning he felt on it. It looked as it always did, smooth with muscle definition that matched a pigeon’s. While checking himself out and fixing his hair, Korio strolls into the bathroom still wiping his eyes and stretching. Knowing his brother wouldn’t be doing anything important at this point, he slowly shoved him to the side with his eyes barely open. Korio begins to complete his routine as well, while Tyrio tries his hardest to perfect his hair with quick peeks in the mirror next to Korio. After finishing up in the bathroom and getting dressed, Tyrio and Korio head out to their corner store for breakfast. Just like a movie or TV show, Santa knew exactly what the brothers want whenever they come in at this time. Santa was the little brother of the store’s owner, who had got his nickname not only for being named Santiago but for being quite fat in the past. Even though he’d put off a great amount of weight the nickname would never be burned off along with it. 

“What’s up Santa, how’s it going?” Tyrio says with a big smile. “It’s gotta be even hotter back there than it is out there, huh?”

Santa sighs, and takes the towel that hangs out of his pocket to wipe his sweaty, acne ridden face. 

“You see that over there?” Santa begins, with his slight Mexican accent. He points to a fan that had been whirring its heart out on the highest setting. “It’s not doing shit good for me! That baldy up front got me in a sauna back here!”

Tyrio laughs out loud and Korio smiles looking over at an unbothered Tony, short for Antonio. He was the owner of the store at only thirty-six after his father had passed. He already had decided to willingly shave his head from significant balding, always saying he would never want to be one of those guys that try to “hold on too long.” Besides his bald head, he looked quite young for his age with a short thin body and smooth beardless face. Tyrio turns back to Santa, who had already begun preparing their usual orders. Beef bacon, egg, and cheese for Tyrio on a croissant, and a sausage, egg, and cheese with hot sauce on toast for Korio. 

“Well Santa, didn’t you say you’re going down to Mexico this summer for a professional soccer tryout? How old are you again by the way?” Tyrio inquires

Santa sat the first sandwich to the side. “I just turned twenty, and I should have been playing at a D1 college right now.”

Tyrio nods and lets some silence fill the air for a moment. “Soooo…”

“Grades,” Santa responds knowing the next question coming, he’d been asked countless times. 

“It be like that sometimes,” Tyrio says. “But aye, I believe in your journey man. I don’t know much about soccer, but I’m sure you’ll go get some buckets out there.”

Santa chuckles. “Yeah you bet.”

Korio smiles. “That’s cool but, who’s gonna make our sandwiches then?” he says, leaning on the counter. “You’re always on point with them, this might be your calling.”

Santa squinted his eyes and gave a dismissive smirk. “I’d be damned Korio. I lost weight for a reason. I’m sure my replacement will be just as good as long as I can give him a lesson or two!”

Korio shakes his head with a smile and reaches out to grab the finished sandwiches. “We’ll just have to see then. Good luck bro, and gracias.”

The brothers nod to Santa one more time, before heading to the front and quickly paying for their food. After leaving the store and checking which sandwich is which, they start to eat as they walk to the basketball courts. Upon arrival the courts are packed, just as you’d expect on a Friday afternoon this summer. Tyrio scarfs down the rest of his sandwich and quickly walks onto the court, immediately tucking his thin gold chain into his fitted white tee-shirt. Tyrio loved this energy and competition on the court, while Korio would play just because Tyrio wanted him to. As Korio walks over to the bleachers a ball comes flying off the rim and lands in Tyrio’s grasp. Tyrio’s shoots the ball from where he stood about thirty feet away from the hoop, since there was no actual game going on. 

The ball sank through the net flawlessly. “Yoooo what’s up!” Tyrio yelled out to everyone. 

Almost everyone on the court smiled and greeted Tyrio back, some even clapping their hands in excitement of his entrance. 

“I’ve been waiting for you to show up bro, what you tryna do?” Zahkire says, making his way up to Tyrio.

Tyrio gave him a handshake. “I’m here to play an intense game of soccer!” Tyrio says sarcastically, Santa still fresh in his mind. “You know what I’m here for man, let’s get into it!”

Zahkire smiled and the crowd gave a collective “OH YEAAHHHHH!” 

If Tyrio and Zahkire were both on the court on a day like this, it was only right they were chosen as captains to pick their team. No matter how many good players were out there though, Tyrio always picked Korio first, who was decent at best. After choosing teams of five, the game began. Tyrio dribbles the ball up the court and Zahkire immediately steps into his path to be the one guarding him, making the crowd give their chants of validation. Tyrio fakes going to the left, just to quickly step back to the right and quickly shoot a three pointer. Nothing but net. Tyrio was a well-rounded player, but his most astounding attributes were his smooth dribbling skills and three-point shooting. His rival was quite the opposite. Zahkire gets the ball and races up the court with blazing speed, easily bursting past Tyrio and taking off for one of his signature dunks, slamming it down over a defender in the paint. Zahkire was more of an explosive athlete, who was determined to charge his way to the rim and score inside. 

The more the game progress, the more intense it was becoming. Physicality was increasing on both ends along with arguing and vicious trash talk. Even the crowd could feel the heat of a fire that was engulfing the game before them. Although Korio wasn’t great, he had great chemistry on the court with his brother. He bursts towards the basket without the ball flashing his hands to Tyrio, who guns a pass right to him in stride. As Korio goes up for the layup he feels a strong jolt in his back, and the ball goes flying along with his body as he tumbles to the concrete painfully. Korio’s teammates immediately sprint over to make sure he’s alright before aggressively interrogating the man who had fouled him so egregiously. Tyrio goes over to his brother, but before he can utter a word the hostile look in Korio’s eye answers any question he has. 

Tyrio reaches out to grab Korio, but it is already far too late. Korio springs forward through the players on the court and shoves his assailant on the ground with all his might. At this point it was clear to everyone what was going to happen next. The crowd leaves the sidelines and surrounds the scene to become enthusiastic instigators. The man slowly gets back onto his feet and charges at Korio swinging. Korio easily sidesteps the wild attack and strikes him with a thunderous hook to his ribs. As a boxer, Korio was always one that loved to attack the body. 

The man cries in terrible pain, but still turns around swinging another haymaker. Korio is even more unfazed by this one, slipping under it and striking him with a powerful uppercut to the chin to knock him onto his backside. After this, Korio looks up to see assumable friends of his pummeled opponent begin to rush him. Tyrio and Zahkire immediately step in to fight with Korio, trading blows that leave Korio and Tyrio beginning to feel a strange sensation of tingly warmth as they attack. Blinded by adrenaline, they continue even as the unfamiliar feeling grows in intensity, eventually allowing it to boil over into something visual and passionately emitted. Yellow and green flashes begin to spark from the punches of the brothers, breaking all laws of the reality they know and leaving every viewer of the moment in pure confusion. It only takes a few seconds for everyone to come to a halt upon witnessing the phenomenon, and begin making theories amongst each other. 

“One of y’all got firecrackers or somethin’?” a voice says amongst the crowd’s chatter, and something like that was what most people began to suspect had happened. Beyond their shock and adrenaline, Tyrio and Korio knew deep down that they were responsible for what had just happened; one way or another. After a few more glares at the men they had just been fighting and examining the shocked crowd, the brothers quickly made their way off the court and back to the parking lot of their apartment. Breathing heavily and leaning against the building, they slowly make eye contact. 

“That was your right?” Korio says to Tyrio hesitantly. “You felt that come from you right?”

Tyrio laughs nervously, part of him believing he must be in a dream. “Yeah, I felt it. You think I can do it again?”

Korio looks at his brother’s smile and begins to feel a bit less tense from the situation. He relaxes his shoulders and exhales one more deep breath. Although reasonably afraid, Korio was curious to see if it could happen again too, looking at his hands and sore knuckles curiously. He stares back up at his brother and nods with consent for himself to be the test dummy in this situation. 

Tyrio extended his arms out in front of him and took a deep breath followed by another quick laugh, feeling the giddiness of a kid being dared to foolishly light an M80 for fun.  Making sure to keep his eyes open with the natural nervous urge to close them, he quickly tenses up his body and hands with the intent to recreate the feeling from earlier. Once more he felt a powerful sensation throughout his body, but this time it already felt oddly familiar. Starting deep in his core, he felt the energy expand and shatter violently through his body and out of his hands. A golden lightning-like blast burst into the ground, shattering the concrete with a thunderous crack. Tyrio couldn’t help but to erupt in laughter from the unreal exhilaration. He looked at Korio, Korio looked at him. He looked at his hands, Korio looked at his hands. He looked at the destroyed concrete, Korio looked at the destroyed concrete. Tyrio stared at Korio’s hands, Korio stared at his own hands.

“Did it hurt or anything?” Korio says, knowing his brother was expecting him to give it a try next.

“Nope, just gets your blood pumping.” Tyrio responded, still wearing a delirious smile with wide eyes. 

Korio takes a deep breath and follows steps similar to what his brother had done with his mind and body. Just as he felt the climax of the sensation a small green explosion erupted from his palms, making him and Tyrio spring backwards instinctively. Tyrio was really getting hysterical now, certain he had to be hallucinating or something. He playfully aims at Korio’s feet and shoots a bolt of lightning to the side of them, making his brother jump and scream to his delight. Korio responds by lunging at his brother and detonating a shockwave in his direction, making Tyrio fling himself backwards and into the building wall. For another minute or two, Tyrio and Korio just mess around with these new abilities, not stopping to think about the absurdity of the situation. As they continue to conjure the energy, the more natural the action becomes.

“I think I need a nap or something…” Tyrio says, breathing heavily with his body tingling from all the mysterious energy he’d been putting out. “This is a lot and I need to see if this is still going on after I wake up, you know?”

Korio continues staring at his hands, barely hearing his brother at first, lost in thought. He’d only seen anything like this in fiction, anime, and superhero content. Just like the night before, endless theories and possibilities to the unfathomable things happening to him spun through his brain like a tornado. By the time he looks back up, Tyrio has been staring at him with the apartment door held open for a while, likely allowing him to process his thoughts for a moment uninterrupted. Tyrio was also in a good bit of shock after all, he could understand. The brothers make their way up the stairs, to find Steve asleep on the couch with an open box of pizza resting beside him. Tyrio and Korio make their way to their room, flopping down onto their beds in sync. 

“So, what are we gonna do about this?” Korio asked, eyes and mouth still pressed into his pillow.

“Sleep,” Tyrio responded with a flat tone of exhaustion. “We’ll figure out what to do next once I make sure this is reality.”

Korio let the silence in the room stay, as him and his brother let thoughts and concerns of what had happened today exclaim in their minds.