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Sparks of the Sun

As we navigated through the dense Vanity Island traffic toward Urices, the island's Capitol, Senator LaBorda's speech was fresh in my mind, but my patience was wearing thin. The never-ending stream of cars and people incorporates the chaos that had become a part of daily life here. I had missed driving, but today, it only served to amplify my frustration. The Senator's words about progress and prosperity felt hollow when every inch of this city was clogged with people, most of whom weren't even locals, just opportunists seeking to exploit our lands.

Ryan fiddled with the car's stereo, attempting to escape the stifling atmosphere with a good song. "This traffic is killing us," he muttered.

I couldn't help but agree. I turned to Mateos and Liam, who were seated in the back, feeling the need for a distraction from the infuriating traffic. "You guys didn't say much about your powers back there," I asked them.

Liam spoke first, his face lacking the excitement that usually accompanied discussions about abilities as if it was nothing out of the ordinary for him. "I can swap things I'm looking at," he said, grabbing a dime and a nickel lying around in the car. We watched intently as his hands moved over the coins. In a blink, the dime and nickel glitched and swapped places. Though not as instantaneous as Ivory's teleportation, it was still impressive. The slight delay made the swap almost seem like a sleight of hand.

Ryan couldn't contain his excitement. "That's pretty neat! What about you, Mateos?"

Mateos seemed less enthusiastic. He looked shy and had shaggy black hair and black squared glasses. "I can duplicate myself, like, literally create another me." He admitted.

"Dude, that's incredible! How many can you make?" Ryan was still excited about knowing their abilities.

"Like, two or three," Mateos answered with a hint of disappointment. "It feels like my body's being torn apart, and it weakens me with each duplicate."

"So, these duplicates, are they you? Same mind, same likes? Can they use your power?" I was intrigued by his ability.

Mateos nodded. "Yeah, they're me, but they have a mind of their own. And I've never seen them use my power. They know they were created by me. But I can undo them; it's like I have a link to them."

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Imagine having an army of Mateos, with the backup of The Sunspears!"

I leaned back in my seat, a smile tugging at my lips. "The Sunspears?" I chimed in. The name was intriguing, and it didn't sound half bad.

Ryan grinned. "It's got a ring to it, don't you think? We're here to bring back the old light to this island. Plus with Lucia's sun-like powers, and us being the people's protector, like a spear, it kind of all connects, you know?" Clearly, he had been giving a lot of thought to the name.

Suddenly, I slammed on the brakes as we encountered a sea of cars blocking the road's entrance to Urices, the old city. The entrance was framed by towering stone archways, remnants of the island's colonial past. A one-way street led into the city, mirrored by a parallel one-way street for exiting. Between these roads lay a meticulously maintained garden, adorned with meticulously sculpted hedges and vibrant flowers that added splashes of color to the scene.

In the center of the garden, a line of imposing head figures of all the island's governors stood like silent sentinels, their stern gazes fixed on the bustling city beyond. Dominating the space was a colossal statue of Christopher Columbus, his stone form reaching skyward, as if eternally claiming the island. The statue's base was surrounded by a circular pathway lined with benches,

A massive protest had erupted right here, the people spilling out of their vehicles and shouting at the blocked road on the opposite side, where black SUVs were bound by the crowd. It seemed the people thought the same thing as us, and they had already blocked Senator LaBorda and his drivers, the only way out.

"This is our chance! Let's go!" Ryan hastily exited the car.

Glancing back at the others, they hesitated briefly, then joined the fray. This was the moment we'd been waiting for, our first opportunity to act as The Sunspears, to prove ourselves to the people.

Police officers emerged from the SUVs, brandishing weapons and shouting warnings. Amid the racket of shouts and car horns, their commands were barely audible.

Rows of cars formed a seemingly endless barricade. Officers, clad in riot gear, stood shoulder to shoulder, grim-faced and tense. A furious crowd of protesters encircled them.

I saw a glimpse of Senator LaBorda himself and other politicians among the mayhem. The situation deteriorated quickly. The first rocks, cans, and bottles were hurled at the officers, prompting a harsh response. Tear gas canisters hissed through the air, and the police advanced, batons at the ready, mercilessly pushing back the protesters.

Liam clenched his fists, his aloof self wasn't there anymore. "This is spiraling out of control," he muttered.

I saw the people running amok, in all directions. Ryan had the foresight to fashion a makeshift mask from a piece of cloth and plunged into the tear gas. What surprised me was Mateos following him. He didn't seem like the type to charge headfirst into such a situation, yet he was doing just that.

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Seeing them prompted me to take action as well. I surveyed the chaotic scene for a way to use my powers to assist. The stinging gas was spreading, so I raised my arm, palms open, and released a blast of icy wind to disperse the tear gas and offer some respite to those in its path.

The shimmering ice provided a brief reprieve, and I saw Ryan guiding people to safety within the white haze.

Amidst the confusion, I noticed three Mateos, each extending a hand to assist distressed individuals within the choking fog. The police, relentless in their advance, paid no heed to those in distress.

I yelled to Liam, who appeared to be lost in the chaos, "Liam, can you swap the people near the police? To somewhere safer!"

He took a moment to react, his eyes refocusing, but soon his hands were raised, swapping people with nearby objects like chairs and big pots of plants in the garden that was between the two roads.

One of the police officers spotted me from a distance, his voice lost in the clamor. Their collective attention shifted in my direction, and they began advancing towards me.

Mateos cast me a worried glance. The tear gas, combined with the strain of duplicating himself, must have taken a toll. Two of his duplicates sprinted towards me and the other protesters, while a third hung back.

The Mateos that remained behind began to create small particles of white light that formed another Mateos next to him. Then both of them grabbed an object from the ground and hurled it at the police, capturing their attention and diverting it away from me.

"We need to block them!" Ryan's voice cut through the chaos. Blocking the officers seemed like a good plan. I thought of creating an ice barrier between them and us. However, I hesitated. Mateos was still too close to them. I quickly tore a strip from my shirt and fashioned it into a makeshift mask, covering my nose and mouth. I dashed into the fog of gas and ice.

As I navigated through the haze, I noticed some people crouching on the ground, hiding behind cars. Then, suddenly, Mateos was among them, assisting them to their feet. Two more Mateos joined me.

"Which one of you is the original?" I asked, slightly out of breath.

"The original is busy with the police." one of them replied.

When I tried to locate Mateos in the commotion, I saw that the police were swarming over the area, forcibly arresting those who had stayed behind. Some of them noticed me, and I quickly dodged between the cars to evade them. A familiar voice called out, and I spotted another Mateos hiding behind one of the vehicles. He must be the original.

I reached him. "Come on, we need to go! I'll create an ice wall to help us escape. We've made our point here."

"...Not yet," Mateos replied, almost breathless. "We need to save everyone, there are still people here."

"Mateos, you can't duplicate anymore. I respect your determination, but you're pushing your limits. Ryan and I won't use our powers to attack the police. We've done what we can. Let's get out of here." I urged, scanning the area but still unable to see Liam through the thick cloud.

"Alright..." Mateos conceded as he slowly got to his feet. Just then, we spotted a group of officers on the other side of the plaza.

"Over here!" They yelled as they drew closer.

I reacted quickly, casting ice across the road, and causing some of them to slip. But it didn't stop them.

"Go!" Mateos shouted to me.

"What are you talking about? Let's leave right now!" I yelled back.

He let out a strained groan and bent himself. A bright white light radiated from him and formed three more duplicates of Mateos.

"Mateos! You mentioned earlier that you couldn't create more than three duplicates! How are you doing this?" I asked, my concern evident.

"The people need help. I can't think of my limits right now, I just have to do everything in my power to save them." Mateos replied with determination. The three additional Mateos leaped at the officers, who fought back with their batons, striking the duplicated Mateos to the ground. One of them quickly vanished as white lights shimmered and faded into the air.

I grabbed Mateos and we started running toward Liam. The fog was beginning to thin out, but Liam still couldn't see us. As we raced through the cars, we spotted a woman hiding behind one of them. Mateos let go of me and reached for her. He grabbed her and put her arms over him, as we continued to run. When Liam finally noticed us and I called out to him, a grin spread across my face. It looked like we were actually going to escape.

But then, Mateos suddenly transformed into a mist of white light and disappeared, leaving the woman he was holding to fall into my arms.

That was a duplicate?! Panic seized me as I glanced back to where we'd been, seeing only one Mateos knocked out on the ground, handcuffed, and surrounded by officers. "Liam! Swap Mateos!"

"I can't see clearly; there are too many officers blocking my view! I can't swap him!" Liam's voice trembled with frustration. The mass of police officers was converging as the gas completely dispersed.

"We have to go, cabrónes! Now!" Ryan shouted.

"We can't leave without him!" I replied.

"The people are the priority!" Ryan responded. For the first time, he made absolute sense. Our duty was to protect the people first. He locked eyes with me, his expression dead serious, an unfamiliar look. "Ellion, create the ice wall!" I suddenly realized that the police were closing in on us. I focused, envisioning the ice wall in my mind. I extended my hands and released a stream of ice onto the ground. It materialized into a towering barrier, blocking our side of the road from the plaza.

The silence hung in the air for a few moments. I glanced back and spotted Liam and Ryan, with a crowd of protesters behind them, all looking at us in disbelief. They must have been shocked by what had just happened. But then, the spectators began to cheer, expressing their gratitude. It was an odd sensation. I wanted to feel proud, just as I had a few minutes ago when we stood up against the police, but with Mateos being captured, I felt like we didn't deserve this.

"Who are you guys?!" one protester asked, their curiosity piqued. Ryan was quick to respond.

"We're the ones who will help the people of this island to free it. You don't have to be afraid anymore. You have us to defend your freedom to protest. We are called..." Ryan pulled me in front of the camera.

"We are... The Sunspears." I stated softly, forcing myself to use that name. But I admit I do like it.

"Sunspears! Sunspears! Sunspears!" the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Now what?" Liam asked.

"Well, we need to get them home now." I looked at Liam with a sly grin, and he understood what that meant.

"Fuck my swapping powers!" he grumbled.

This wasn't a mere victory; it was a message to our government and the Union States of Columbus. We wanted to show them that we stood with the people, that they were not alone, and that we were unafraid.

We wanted to show them that we stood with the people, that they were not alone, and that we were unafraid [https://img.wattpad.com/d2010eaef964f63fbaee9fe28079082a5c7195c2/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f787146785170774735746d7348413d3d2d313337333839343333352e313761616664393032323435323365343431393739373939343638332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Name: Liam Fontaine

Clemons Cell Ability: Swap

Character Info: Quiet and looks like he is always dwelling on his thoughts. He likes to read and learn about history, especially the one from Vanity Island. He doesn't know where originally he is from due to being born in a lab for people with Clemons Cells.