Oscuridad

Frost crept up the window pane as Penelope stood next to the fireplace, the marble mantle biting into her bare shoulder. Her brother sat on the couch playing chess electronically with his friend halfway around the globe. It was a normal night in mid June besides the frost on the window. Penelope had no idea as to why frost was covering her window slowly. Her brother didn’t seem to notice; until the television above Penelope’s head switched on automatically-the newsman looked panicked and kept looking off screen at something Penelope and the other viewers couldn’t see. Whatever it was, it scared Dan Connolly the news anchor.

“Citizens of the Tri-State Area, we are under attack. The people who have attacked us are not people. They are monsters in human form. I advise you to run-they advise you stay where you are and surrender all weapons or face certain death. For now they wish to say they come in peace-but if we object and turn on them there will be a war and we will be the ones to perish. That is all. Dan Connolly, signing off for what may be the last time. Stay strong America.”

The television went black and Penelope stood there in silence, very much like before the television turned on by itself. This time however Penelope was quaking with quiet fear and inner turmoil. She had no idea what to do in this kind of situation. She turned to her twin brother; hoping his many hours of video game competitions would come in handy.

“Cole?”

“What? Penelope I’ve got no idea what to do. The best I’ve got is to attack the mother-ship with enough ammo to blow up the Pentagon.”

“Cole, what are we going to do? Mom and Dad don’t get back from London for another two days.” Penelope whispered harshly. Not because she was angry at her brother more so that she was angry at the situation. How dare someone foreign body come into her country and decide to take over? Penelope looked up suddenly from her thoughts when her front door banged open against the wall. Her parents stood in the doorway, frost creeping across the stoop.

“Mom! Dad! What’s going on?”

“We know as much as you do. Other than that we’ve haven’t the foggiest idea.”

"Is it the people from before?" Cole asked,

"We don't talk about that Cole." their father barked, taking their mother into his arms.

“Right sorry.” Cole sat back down, his forgotten computer back in its rightful place in his lap.

“Mum, what are we to do? They advised us not to try to escape.”

“And surrender our weapons.”

“We haven’t got weapons Cole. Right dad?”

“Yes, quite right. We’ve got nothing to worry about. Unless they count your silver as a weapon.”

“Or the kitchenware.” Penelope interjected.

“Yes or that.”

“So, what are we to do?” Cole said suddenly curious.

“What we always do.” their father whispered mischievously.

“We fight.” Cole and Penelope said together, smiles plastering their faces.

“Father, you told us not to use our powers.” Penelope said suddenly worried. She hadn’t perfected hers at all.

“The world as we know it is about to end. We will fight and we will gather everyone we know.” Their mother said fiercely. “No one comes into my home and tells me what to do.”

“Where are you going mum?”

“To the Pit.”

Cole and Penelope stood, suddenly aware of the dire situation. Their parents had retired from the world of vigilantes and heroes. To go back to the Pit, or their secret lair as nerds and fiction lovers called them.It meant that the duo meant business; after immigrating to America after their mother's incident, they had retired, the twins knew to follow instinctively and were close behind their parents before they disappeared behind the bookshelf that housed their childhood memories.

Without thinking Penelope went next and found herself in the infamous Pit of the Love Birds. The most famous British crime stopping heroes in generations. Penelope stepped forward and stroked her mother's old uniform; it was silky to the touch but Penelope knew better- it was near indestructible. Unlike most children who feared their parents’ demise Penelope never worried because her parents were superheroes and they were protected. It wasn’t until her mother had almost lost her life that Penelope began her non-stop worrying, she was downright paranoid. She didn’t notice her brother behind her until it was too late. She jumped in fear and a column of ice blasted from her hands encasing Cole in an icy prison. It was only momentarily of course, he didn’t get his name for the heck of it. Cole quickly melted the ice and smiled playfully.

“Warn me next time you’re going to make me practice.”

“Warn me next time you’re going to try to get my attention.” Penelope retorted.

“Children, it is not the time to be bickering! Its purely apocalyptic outside!” they heard their mother shout from an adjacent room. “Children come here.”

Penelope abandoned the uniform with the gunshot hole and walked into the darkened room. The room was labeled in a foreign word; a word for darkness. Oscuridad. Penelope thought that was the perfect name for their situation. Cole stood close to her- in all his brave talk online- he left out one minor detail about himself. He was majorly afraid of the dark. It was his personal phobia. Penelope held his hand as they walked deeper into the room. Their parents stood around a glowing half sphere in the center and what looked like their town was shown on it. Above the media center was a ship.

“Is that, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, the mother ship?”

“We believe so yes. I cannot believe we’re dealing with aliens. Never in my years did I ever expect this.” their father said incredulously. Although he spoke in admiration as well. “This technology is so advanced, and their powers are vast if they can make Penelope’s ice spread without her knowing.”

“This is me doing this?”

“They cause havoc. Your emotions are in havoc and so are your powers. If you don’t meditate like I showed you, you’ll be of no use to us.” her father cautioned. Penelope sniffed in indifference and walked away to stand closer to her brother who was admiring a plaque on the wall. “Children this isn’t all we wanted to share with you.” Penelope watched as her father summoned up two long boxes tied with ribbons that represented their talents. Penelope was handed the one wrapped in icy blue, and Cole the one with orange. Penelope opened the box and it revealed her very own uniform. It was made of the same material as the one she had idolized all her life. Except her’s was icy blue and white. She looked over at Cole’s and his was orange and black.

“Well, try them on.”

Penelope disappeared into the other room and changed. The uniform hugged her slender frame tightly, but not too tight that she couldn’t move. Leather gloves clung to her hands and Penelope aimed one hand at a target, a perfect ice dart shot out of her hand and punctured the bulls eye. Penelope brought her hand up to her face in shock and smiled and did a happy jig in a circle before returning to Oscuridad. Her mother smiled at the sight of her, and Penelope noticed her brother balancing a ball of flame in the palm of his hand. Smiling at his new trick.

“These are not toys. These are your greatest weapons besides your raw power. These uniforms harness that power and amplifies it and controls it. But don’t underestimate yourself, you still need to control your emotions to be able to work them.” the twins’ father warned. “Now show us what you got.”

Penelope stepped forward, cool and collected like her gift. She focused on a ball of ice and aimed at a candle hanging from the stone wall. The candle split in half and landed on the ground, but before it landed Cole lit the wick. All that happened in a matter of seconds.

“I think they’re ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“War.”

“The Deadly Duo raises.” Penelope and Cole say in unison

“The Love Birds fly again.” they’re mother whispers nervously.

“Cleo if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.”

“I have to protect my family, and my country.” Penelope watched as the woman she admired storm from the room. She reappeared donned in her uniform-a uniform the color of acid. Her mother was just as deadly. She watched as her father left, and saw to her amazement as the Brain returned. The Logan's were ready for battle. The Battle for the World had commenced. The four heroes plunged into darkness, to find the light the world so desperately sought.