"What happened to my child, Samual?" Matthew growled, stepping forward, his hand hovering near his gun holster. Matthew and Henry were just rookie cops, barely at the base level, but the other officers immediately accepted my brothers into the force because of our father's reputation. Despite his kind heart, I still feared Matthew because of Alexander. I knew the extent of his capabilities if I angered him, but I would choose Matthew's wrath over Alexander's narcissism any day.

I leaned back against the couch, avoiding eye contact with my brother. I had angered him, and I couldn't blame him. I was the reason James had superpowers.

"What did you do to my child?" he demanded again, his fingers inching closer to his gun. "Sam!" he roared.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, okay? I took my eyes off him for just a moment and—"

"And what?" His gaze locked with mine. "He could have died, Samual," he said, taking a deep, stressed breath.

"Grace isn't my only child, Matt," I pleaded. "I have eight sons, and Alexander, he..." I hesitated. "He's a monster, Matthew. He has kept them away from me and used Danielle, my children, and me as lab rats. I didn't want James to suffer the same fate as my other children."

"What?" Matthew grumbled. James and Derek entered the room, saving me from my brother's wrath. "Hey, Dad," Derek greeted us.

"Hey, Sam," James exclaimed, waving at me. Both boys slung their backpacks off their shoulders, placed them by the front door, and wandered into the room.

"We'll discuss this later," Matthew muttered. He called the boys over. "How was school?" Matthew asked them.

"Wow, not even a 'hey, Happy Birthday, Derek'?" Derek looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Ms. Kendall told me he wants to talk to you, Dad," James interjected, leaning against the staircase.

"Happy Birthday," my brother smiled at Derek before his gaze turned back to me, filled with anger. "We'll celebrate later."

"Can Sam bake the cake?" Derek asked. Aside from Sasha, my sister-in-law, I was the best cook in the household. It had been three months since Alexander freed me from the government project and three months since I last saw Max, my son.

"Yeah, buddy. I can bake a cake for you," I assured my nephew.

"Awesome!" Derek exclaimed. Silence fell as Derek clasped his hands together, staring at James with a raised eyebrow. Then Derek dashed upstairs after James.

"Dad will be furious when he finds out you have powers," Derek remarked.

"Quiet, Derek," James hushed him, giggling, and I heard a door slam as both boys chuckled. Dear God, does Derek know too?

"I'll talk to them," I offered, my gaze shifting away from my furious brother.

"Go. Do whatever it takes to teach James responsibility with these powers, but don't think I'll hesitate to shoot you if you do something I don't like."

"I'm invincible, Matt. Bullets can't harm me."

"I know," he replied, his scowl deepening. "Go talk to them, and don't let James know I'm aware of his powers," he ordered. My eyes drifted away from my brother towards the staircase as I took a hesitant, deep breath. Here goes nothing.

∆∆∆

"You boys must not breathe a word about James's superpowers to your mom or dad," I said, standing in James's doorway.

Both boys looked at me, surprise evident on their identical faces. "How did you know Derek knew Uncle Sam?" James said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Just a hunch," I replied. "But I'm serious. Not a word." I tapped my nose, and they mimicked the gesture by touching their noses.

"Scout's honor," Derek declared.

"Yeah," James agreed.

"Sam, will I get superpowers too?" Derek asked. I froze in the doorway, unsure of how to respond. I was relieved he didn't have to endure having superpowers, but James wasn't so fortunate.

"Uh," I contemplated, explaining the situation to my eleven-year-old nephew. "Maybe someday," I lied, hoping it would never come true.

"Do Mom and Dad know?" James asked, a wide grin forming on his face.

"Uh," I remained rooted in place. Should I listen to my brother and keep his powers a secret, or should I tell James about Matthew and my powers? I wrestled with this dilemma but ultimately kept his secret. "James, I—" I wished I could have told him the truth. Neither Matthew nor I could divulge the reality to James or Derek.

"Maybe Mom and Dad shouldn't find out about this," I told him. Then I looked at Derek, offering a sad smile as he comforted his young super-powered brother.

"Will Mom and Dad ever find out?" James asked me. I could have said yes or maybe, but I replied, "I don't know," even though Matthew and I had just discussed it downstairs.

"Are you still making that cake for me tonight?" Derek asked, a toothless grin on his face, reminding me of Grace, my daughter. He pushed his loose tooth with his tongue, proudly displaying it. "My tooth is loose, Sam. The tooth fairy will visit soon."

"That's great, buddy," I replied. "And yes, I'll bake that cake for you tonight unless your mom wants to."

"Okay," Derek shrugged. "Mom makes fantastic cakes, too. I just thought she might be tired from work." Derek shrugged. For a moment, I contemplated the facility. The project Alexander was running involved my kids and Danielle, my girlfriend. One of these days, I would summon the courage to rescue them all and bring harm to Alexander, just as he had harmed our family.

"I want you to bake the cake, Sam," Derek said. "But I want to help."

"Birthday boys aren't supposed to help with their cakes," I said, watching his toothless grin reappear. He giggled, and I chuckled, too. "All right, but you can't eat all the batter before we put it in the oven."

"I want to help, too," James chimed in.

"Yeah, please. Can James help, too?" Derek pleaded, batting his eyelashes at me. I stood silently, contemplating the situation. Was this the right thing to do? Was I protecting my nephews or putting them in further danger? I didn't want Alexander to take James away from Matthew, as he had taken my kids. That was the last thing I wanted for him.

"Yeah, sure. James can help, but he can't use his powers—"

Derek and James groaned simultaneously. "Why not?" Derek protested.

"It's too dangerous. Besides, you don't want James to be exhausted and not enjoy the cake either," I reasoned.

"Fine," Derek reluctantly agreed. James shrugged, also giving in. "I'll start in about half an hour. In the meantime, I don't want the two of you fooling around with these powers, understood?" I said, staring directly into James' eyes. Both boys nodded.

"Yes, Uncle Sam," James mumbled.

"I guess so," Derek muttered, shrugging.

"By the way, Happy Birthday, bud," I told Derek, tapping the wall with my fingers. I watched as the two boys exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. It was the worst decision I had ever made or the dumbest, but Matthew and I would protect Derek and James with our lives. I had never stood up against my brother before, but I wouldn't allow myself to be tormented or manipulated by Matthew's support.