S.H.I.E.L.D Academy

Elias Lokison's POV • High School

"Amazing!" Eugene exclaims.

"Big deal," I mumble from my place on the couch, my legs propped on the armrest. "She dies all the time." I continue to wolf down my chips and salsa, my textbook tipping precariously out of my hand as I scowl at my sister's seemingly lifeless body. "Though she does a pretty exceptional job. Same with her 'resurrections'."

Eugene scribbles things down in his well worn notebook. He lifts Laerika's wrist, compressing gently for a pulse. His eyes widen.

I laugh. "See what I mean?"

"This.." He stammers. "This is crazy! By all human scientific accounts, she's.."

"Dead as a doornail," I finish, smirking. His shock amuses me. "When in reality, she's perfectly fine. She'd probably laugh at your amazement, if she let her illusion lapse."

Eugene examines his notes, grinning. "This is the greatest science project, by far."

I go back to studying while he continues to marvel at my sister's Magic. After about ten minutes, I hear a choking sound and I look up disinterestedly. Laerika coughs for air, sounding like she's been dead for hundreds of years and is trying to remember how to breathe. I roll my eyes, even though her act is annoyingly convincing.

Eugene yelps in surprise and I laugh. "Come on, Lae," I say. "You're not fooling anyone." She sits up, smooths her hair and grins, her normal pale complexion replacing the morbid pallor.

Eugene raises a finger, a typical Banner objection to mistruth. "Actually, she got me pretty good there towards the end."