Giselle felt nervous—extremely, very nervous. No, it wasn't because she was everyone's worst living nightmare (a walking spider). It was actually because she had a certain hangout—or date—with her long-time crush. Ironically, she sat across the room, taking down the notes written on the board.

 

Giselle didn't really need to bother writing down the notes herself since she was already familiar with the subject. However, her friend Winter, who sat next to her, currently had her head down, fast asleep, with not a single letter on her paper. That's why Giselle had taken it upon herself to copy down the notes, simplifying them to help Winter understand better.

 

Unfortunately, Mrs. Bae didn't tolerate napping in her class. So when Giselle lifted her head, she saw Mrs. Bae looking straight at Winter.

 

To make matters worse,

 

Winter was a pretty deep sleeper.

 

Oh lord.

 

Giselle quickly leaned over the desk and nudged Winter's arm, but she didn't budge. With growing urgency, Giselle lifted her hand and gently moved Winter's arm away from her face in an attempt to wake her up. Still, there was no response.

 

As Giselle looked back up, she saw the board full of notes and students diligently copying them. She also noticed Mrs. Bae making her way toward their table.

 

Giselle gulped. They were so ed.

 

Well, Winter was ed—unless Giselle gets in trouble for absolutely doing nothing.

 

Giselle nudges Winter with her elbow, applying a bit more force this time, causing Winter to stir slightly. However, Mrs. Bae had already made her way to their desk, and Winter remained deeply asleep.

 

The teacher stands there, her presence looming over them like a dark cloud. Then, with a sudden and forceful motion, she slams the end of her ruler on the desk. The loud noise jolts Winter awake, causing her to sit up straight with wide eyes. The sudden action startles a few other students nearby.

 

"Winter. You know I don’t tolerate sleeping in my class. I better not see you sleeping again," Mrs. Bae admonishes, pointing her ruler directly at Winter. Still stunned from being abruptly awakened, Winter nods and mumbles, "Yes, ma’am. I'm sorry," her head tilted down in apology.

 

Mrs. Bae's glare then shifts to Giselle, who gulps nervously. "Please make sure she doesn't fall asleep again," Mrs. Bae instructs, her tone slightly softened. Giselle lets out a sigh and nods in agreement. "Yes, Mrs. Bae," she replies meekly.

 

Satisfied, Mrs. Bae nods and returns to her desk. Giselle exhales, relieved that the situation didn't escalate further.

 

Giselle finally notices the stares of all the students and feels her cheeks flush immediately. Particularly, one stare feels like it's burning into her face. It's from a certain woman with deep brown eyes, who smiles from the corner of Giselle’s vision.

 

She really needs to stop letting this woman have such an effect on her.

 

Winter covers her eyes and rubs at them to wake herself up, resembling a cat. She yawns and looks at Giselle.

 

"Can I see your notes?" she asks, her voice groggy.

 

Giselle nods. "Do you need me to explain them?" she asks, looking at Winter.

 

"Just a little bit. I'll study them later," Winter replies, still sounding a bit groggy.

 

Giselle points at the top of the paper. "So, you know how the spiders we 'saw' were radioactive, right?" Winter nods, snorting a bit at the use of air quotes. "I'll explain one part, the rest is written down. Genetic engineering is the study of how genes and molecules function in living organisms, and how they can be manipulated. For example, scientists can tweak the genes in living things to make them do things that can benefit others, like plants that can help people with genetic diseases."

 

Winter nods, pondering. "So, scientists can change instructions inside living things to make them useful to people? Sort of like how we might use our powers for the benefit of others?"

 

Giselle shrugs. "I guess so."

 

Winter nods, saying a quick ‘thank you’ to which Giselle responds with ‘anytime’ and smiles.

Giselle looks away, grabbing her earbuds and plugging them into her phone. Mrs. Bae didn’t care for phones, as long as you weren't distracting or finished with her work. Giselle puts the earbuds in her ears and clicks on the playlist she made a few days ago. She turns off her phone and slides it into her pocket, looking away and zoning out.

 

Giselle's attention snaps back to reality when she feels the buzz of her phone inside her pocket. She quickly retrieves her phone and sees notifications from an unknown number, a few from the group chat, and an Instagram DM.

 

From Ningning?

 

Curious, she decides to open the group chat first.

 

Giselle raises her hand and asks the teacher if she and Winter can go to the nurse's office. Surprisingly, the teacher says yes, and they quickly head out the door, leaving their belongings behind.

 

As they reach the restroom they were supposed to meet at, Yujin and Liz are already there, looking nervous. Yujin stares at herself through the mirror, her hands leaning on the sink, while Liz stands there biting her fingernails and looking at the ground. They both look up at the sound of the door closing behind Giselle and Winter.

 

“Did you get a message from an unknown number too?” Yujin asks both of them.

 

Winter shrugs. “I don't know, I haven’t checked.”

 

Giselle nods. “I did. I haven't opened it yet since I checked your message first,” she says, taking her phone out of her pocket.

 

“Check it,” Liz says, her expression blank.

 

Giselle opens her phone to the next two notifications.

Okay totally not creepy!

 

 

She ignores the Instagram messages temporarily and focuses on the unknown number.

 

“What the ..?” Giselle mumbles.

 

“Exactly. We all—Winter too, probably—got the same type of message. Nobody should know who you are, not even who we are,” Yujin explains, gesturing with her hands.

 

Everyone turns nervous, the tension thick with anxiousness and anxiety. The only instance of their powers being semi-public was the first time they got their powers. But nobody dared to take any photos, not even a close-up.

 

 

It's weird,

 

and she wouldn’t necessarily blame anyone in this room,

 

but it's just too weird

 

Winter sighs and turns her head to face the others. “Let’s just forget about it. I know it isn't the best choice; believe me, I know. But we haven’t fully developed into whatever we are yet. We aren’t prepared to attract attention to whatever this is. Our best option is to pretend these messages don’t exist,” Winter explains, while Liz looks up.

 

“She’s right. Just stay cautious, all of you. Don’t stay out late, just go straight to the dorms,” Liz says, then turning her attention to Yujin. “You'll be fine, right?” she asks.

 

Yujin nods. “I will. I have extra security in my place, no need to worry.”

 

“Remember, straight home. No going out today. I don’t trust anyone to go out at all,” Yujin says firmly.

 

“Is it just for today?” Liz asks.

 

“Yeah,” Yujin shrugs.

 

“Okay, let’s go back to class. Talk to you both later,” Yujin instructs, heading out the door with Liz in tow.

 

Giselle gulps, she seriously cant do this to Ningning. She groans and opens up her instagram.

 

With her Ningning situation resolved, Giselle tucks it back into her pocket and heads back to Mrs. Bae's class with Winter beside her.

 

As they walk, Giselle can't shake the feeling of disappointment about the lack of plans for after school. She had really been looking forward to hanging out with Ningning. Maybe they would have held hands, or even...

 

Her thoughts are interrupted by a question from the woman beside her. "Hey, you wanna skip?" she asks casually.

 

"Skip?" Giselle echoes, surprised by the suggestion.

 

"Yeah, if you don't want to, it's fine. I just want to head back to the dorms after this thingy, it makes me feel weird," Winter admits, her expression troubled as she kicks an imaginary pebble off the ground.

 

Giselle squeezes her hand reassuringly. "Yeah, let's go." She notices Winter's hungry expression and adds, "You haven't eaten anything today, have you?"

 

Winter smiles crookedly, and Giselle rolls her eyes affectionately. "Let's get you some food real fast, then we can head back to the dorms. I'll let the group chat know we're skipping, kay?" Giselle suggests, to which Winter nods eagerly, her mood visibly lifted as they continue on their way.

 

Okay, now they have to hurry and sneak out, but their plans are abruptly interrupted.

 

"Hey! Where do you kids think you're going?" A stern voice echoes through the hallway, shattering their hopes of a smooth escape.

 

 

Well .

 

 

-

 

Giselle and Winter pause on the sidewalk, trying to catch their breath.

 

Were they in a ton of trouble?

 

Yeah!

 

Was it worth it?

 

Not really! But anything for Winter!

 

 

Shortly after, they resume their walk down the sidewalk. The plan was simple: grab breakfast from a nearby place and head straight home.

 

Easy, right?

 

Well, it was supposed to be.

 

Within minutes of ordering their food, they hear screaming and loud sounds a few blocks over. Normally, Giselle and Winter would mind their own business and call the police.

 

But...

 

With their enhanced stamina and abilities, maybe it was the right time to utilize them..?

 

Giselle and Minjeong, having left their bags at school (which would surely get them in trouble later), opted to rely on their fists instead. They just hoped whatever they were getting in to didn’t have anything to do with guns.

 

Well apparently hoping doesn’t work.

 

As Winter and Giselle dashed out of the breakfast place, they arrived at the store engulfed in commotion. Inside, clothes were strewn about, people were on the ground, and at least three robbers held guns to the faces of the workers. Giselle sighed and strode in alone.

 

The three robbers turned toward her, two guns raised in her direction while the other focused on the money being handled.

 

“Yo, who are you?” Robber #1 yelled, wiggling his gun around.

 

Is this his first time holding a gun? Goodness.

 

Giselle’s heart thumps in her ears, it’s loud and this is so risky.

 

She slowly makes her way toward the robbers.

 

“Look, put the guns down. I'll give you whatever you want,” Giselle says, her hands raised as she approaches the three.

 

The robbers look at each other in disbelief and confusion.

 

 

“Hey, do you think we’re stupid?!” Robber #3 yells, ing his gun in Giselle’s direction.

 

“Obviously,” Giselle mutters.

 

“Just listen to me!” Giselle shouts, slowly advancing toward them.

 

The two men keep their guns up, showing no sign of backing down. Giselle looks to the side and sees Winter sneaking behind the man handling the money.

 

In a blur, Winter takes him down, her hand covering his mouth while her arms wrap around his neck in a chokehold. The noise alarms the two robbers, who turn around and raise their guns at Winter.

 

Giselle makes a run for it, knocking the gun out of robber #2's hand and sending it across the room. The guy stares at her, and Giselle delivers a punch to his face.

 

Meanwhile, Winter throws the guy to the ground and focuses on the other one who aims his gun at her. She tries to disarm him, but he's too tall, keeping the gun out of her reach.

 

 

"Aww, too short to reach?" the man teases, his arrogance appalling.

 

Winter growls in anger and throws a punch into his stomach. He doubles over in pain, and she follows up with a kick to his face. He collapses to the ground, groaning in pain, the gun somewhere out of reach.

 

Winter then looks over at Giselle, who had just subdued the previous robber, who seemed to be knocked out.

 

Winter walks over to Giselle, and they exchange a glance before a tingling sensation courses through their bodies. Giselle's eyes widen as she senses danger. She turns to her side and sees the man who was handling the money with a gun. The sound of the gun being reloaded sends a shiver down her spine, triggering her instinctual response.

 

Without a second thought, Giselle pushes Winter away, causing her to stumble and fall to the floor. Giselle narrowly dodges the bullet, feeling it graze her cheek, leaving a shallow cut. Reacting swiftly, she charges towards the man and tackles him to the ground.

 

Winter quickly gets back up and rushes to aid the trembling citizen, helping them to safety.

 

Meanwhile, Giselle struggles with the robber on the ground, grappling for control of the gun. He manages to gain the upper hand and raises the gun above his head. Giselle reaches out desperately, but before she can react, he delivers a powerful punch to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

 

“GISELLE!” Winter's voice rings out in alarm.

 

As the robber aims the gun at Giselle, her eyes widen in terror, and she feels the familiar tingling sensation in her head. She tries to evade, but it's too late. The bullet finds its mark, lodging itself in Giselle's shoulder with a sharp pain.

 

It burns.

 

Gritting her teeth against the searing pain in her shoulder, Giselle winces as the robber takes aim once more. Before she can fully react, another shot pierces her other arm, but the surge of adrenaline dulls the pain. Reacting on instinct, Giselle delivers a powerful punch to the robber's stomach, causing him to drop the gun. With a surge of strength fueled by adrenaline, she slams his head against the ground, rendering him unconscious.

 

As she stands over him, a mix of shock and guilt washes over Giselle. She hadn't intended to hurt him to that extent?

 

 

As Giselle stumbles, Winter rushes to support her, bearing her weight and guiding her. The adrenaline rush fades, leaving behind a wave of intense pain throbbing through Giselle's body. Despite Winter's assistance, Giselle can feel every ache and discomfort, making it difficult to stand upright.

 

It hurts so, so bad.

 

As they step out, the air is filled with huge, loud cheers and applause. The sounds wash over Giselle, but she feels detached from the moment, overwhelmed by pain and confusion. Despite the cheers, the atmosphere shifts when people notice Giselle bleeding from her shoulder to her other arm. The applause dwindles into concerned murmurs as onlookers realize the severity of her injuries.

 

"Where's an ambulance!" Winter's voice rings out, filled with urgency as she holds onto Giselle.

 

A woman steps forward, offering assistance and guiding them towards the ambulance. "It's over there," she points behind a few cars. "Hurry, let's get her over there."

 

They move as swiftly as possible, each step feeling like an eternity for Giselle. Her senses begin to fade, her vision blurring and her hearing dimming, as she struggles to breathe.

 

As Winter carries her, Giselle can't help but feel grateful, though she's unsure why this is the second time Winter has had to carry her somewhere.

 

Her memories become fragmented, a blur of being placed on a hospital bed, her vision filled with black spots, and Winter's face hovering over hers.

 

Were those tears?

 

I’m sorry, Winter.

 

Her consciousness fades into darkness.

 

 

———

 

 

Ningning isn't one to be easily bothered by things,

 

like at all,

 

but Giselle canceling their plans over text did disappoint her. However, she understood the situation and they agreed to reschedule for the next day.

 

When Giselle suddenly asked to go to the office with Winter, it caught Ningning off guard. Nevertheless, they both hurriedly left the office at lightning speed.

 

Ningning sat there, bored out of her mind, with nobody else around to entertain herself with.

 

Ningning absentmindedly doodles on her notes page for a few seconds before glancing out the window. About 10 minutes later, she hears the sound of running footsteps and a teacher's frantic screams echoing down the hall. Despite the commotion, most of the students around her continue to focus on their work, seemingly unfazed.

 

It's been far too long since Giselle and Winter left, and now she can't shake the feeling that the teacher's screams down the hall might have something to do with them.

 

she shrugs it off and continues doodling. She lets time pass, completely forgetting where shes at. Until, she hears the sound of police and ambulances.

 

Ningning's curiosity piqued as she saw the police cars and ambulances outside. She joined her classmates in looking out the window, trying to piece together what was happening. When she spotted two familiar figures walking out of her favorite clothing shop, her concern deepened.

 

One woman leaned heavily on another, her appearance unsettling as blood streamed from her arm. She couldn’t even stand alone.

 

Another woman from the crowd stepped forward, assisting the woman in burgundy to help the black-haired woman onto a hospital bed. Emergency responders swiftly placed an oxygen mask over her face before transporting her into the back of the ambulance.

 

And there Ningning’s heart dropped,

 

The woman she had fallen for, the one whose smile lit up her world and whose laughter filled her heart with joy, now lay unconscious on the stretcher, blood staining her arms and a gash marring her cheek.

 

Her breath got caught in as tears welled up in her eyes. It felt like her heart was being torn apart, each beat echoing the pain of seeing her beloved in such a vulnerable state.

 

She couldn’t comprehend the sight, unable to tear her gaze away from the ambulance as it pulled away, carrying the woman she loved to who knows where. The fear and uncertainty gripped her tightly, threatening to consume her whole.

 

In that moment, Ningning felt utterly helpless, her emotions swirling in a tumultuous storm of anguish and longing. All she could do was stand there, rooted to the spot, her heart shattered into a million pieces by the sight of her beloved being taken away from her.

 

 

 

She needs to find Karina.

 

Before her heart stops.

 

-

 

 

Yujin and Liz returned to class after their debriefing in the restroom, exchanging jokes and playful banter along the way. It took them a good 15 minutes to finally reach their classroom. Yujin held the door open for Liz, who thanked her before entering. As they walked in, they noticed everyone crowded around the windows, with the sound of ambulances and police cars audible from outside.

 

Jesus what the hell happened?

 

Initially, they didn't care much attention because in New York, these things were normal at this point. However, their opinion shifted when one of the students made a remark.

 

"Hey, aren't they from our school?"

 

"Oh, damn, you're right! Were they skipping class?"

 

"I think I recognize them."

 

“Yeah, that’s Giselle and Winter!”

 

Yujin and Liz whipped their heads toward the students at the windows, their hearts racing.

 

"No, Giselle and Winter are fine," Yujin repeated in her mind, her thoughts frantic. "They're fine, they have to be."

 

“Isn’t Giselle the black haired one? She’s about to be put on a stretcher.”

 

Yujin and Liz's breath caught in their throats as they heard the words.

 

"Giselle? On a stretcher?" Liz repeated, her voice barely a whisper, her heart sinking.

 

Yujin’s eyes widened with concern, her mind racing and heart beating too fast.

 

Yujin and Liz's hands trembled as they ran to the window, desperate to catch a glimpse of Winter and Giselle. Pushing people out of the way.

 

Their hearts shattered at the sight of Winter's tear-stained face, her screams echoing through the chaos, as she stood over Giselle's body.

 

Giselle’s eyes were shut closed, her face madked with a deep gash across her check, and her arms  occupied with two gun shot wounds.

 

In that moment the world blurred, and the gravity of the situation hit them both like a ton of bricks. Their bestest sister, bestest friend was lying on a stretcher being pulled in to the back of the ambulance.

 

It was helpless, Liz has never felt so useless in her life. It was so much to process, it was overwhelming.

 

Giselle stood with them through thick and thin, her smile was able to make anyone smile with her, Liz never understood how she was able to do it but it was beautiful. Giselle was apart of their group and it was worth everything.

 

But it was horrifying seeing Giselle like that.

 

Yujin’s tears started to well up, hot and stinging, on the verge of overflowing as tightened. Each tear falling on to the floor.

 

And god Winter, poor Winter, Who was frantically crying and clutching on to Giselles hand.

Tears falling everywhere, Winter looked like a mess; and for once she couldn’t seem to care.

 

Liz couldn’t contain her tears at bay and started to let it fall. She quickly gathered her things and bolted out the door.

 

Yujin followed straight after, grabbing her bag and slinging it quickly over her shoulder, quickly opening the door and heading out to her car with Liz.

 

 

 

 

What the were they both thinking?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N:

 

Howdy yall! 🤓

 

okay so uhm im here to say a few things !1

 

first im super duper super duper sorry for this being late again i was stressed about things and i didnt have time to make this chapter!!

 

second i think i might out this on hiatus for a little so i can focus on this fic solely cause i lowk think i need a break💔

 

NO i wont be abandoning this fic i promise but a tiny break will suffice for now

 

then again im not sure so yeahh… ANYWAYS thank you for your guys support throughtout this stupid lil fic i appreciate every single one of u guys!

 

also pls interact with mh story ask me questions or smth I LIVE FOR COMMENTS