Superhero Origins: Watercat

Jessica sat in the alley snapping her fingers, black sparks flying off every time she did. What happened at the pool that day was not her fault. She simply didn't control herself. She thought back to what happened.

Jessica and her brother were going swimming that day. They had been on the run from their last foster family for about a week. She remembered that they smelled like sweat and were covered in dirt from head to toe. They couldn't just walk in, take a shower, and leave. What if someone tried to take them back to the house? That couldn't happen.

Once her brother saw the pool, his eyes lit up. It made his day. He ran to the 4 foot portion of the water and jumped in. He was splashing and squealing like there was nothing wrong.

Jessica just smiled and went to go change in the locker rooms. A bunch of the girls and moms started to whisper when she walked in. One of the women walked up to her and asked if she needed help.

Jessica got scared, and grabbed her bag to run out and get her brother. When she got to the main water area, she called him to get out. They simply had to go.

He was just in the water for a few minutes. He was floating with a crowd of people around him. Somebody was crying to get an ambulance. Another was asking where his parents were.

Jessica jumped in the water and ran franticly towards his unconscious body. Holding his tiny lifeless body in her arms broke Jessica.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, breaking the glass window in the other corner.

Her skin and hair turned slowly turned pitch black as she screamed. The water around her looked like a poison and the pool's walls the cauldron.

Then, as people started to run and jump out of the contaminated water, there were unlucky ones.

Two boys and a little girl were dragged under and drowned by an unknown force. Nobody was seen around the kids, other than Jessica. The bodies disappeared in the darkness of the water.

Once the area cleared of all the people, Jessica was sitting on the concrete by the pool, holding on to her brother's body and crying. The water looked clear again and her skin was slowly turning its natural peach color.

A girl began to walk towards Jessica. She told her to go away, but the brunette stayed. She said her name was Haley, and she offered her food, a home, and comfort. She promised that she would be there for Jessica as long as she needed her.

Jessica didn't understand why Haley was that nice to her, or why she stayed. She didn't even know why she left with Haley, and abandoned her brother. He was only 7 when he drowned.

But that didn't matter. Jessica was gonna get revenge. Someday, somehow, but soon. All that rage was still inside of her. She would train herself to use her dark gift, and bloodshed should be her reward. That she swore.

~~~~~~~~~~

Haley woke up with a start. Her head felt like it was about to explode. And her back wasn't feeling any better either. The pain had moved downward, towards her tailbone. She got up to go to the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror, Haley swore she could see two fleshy points growing in the exact place where her head was pounding. Touching them made them hurt worse.

She felt her lower back, only to discover a short fuzzy stub.

"Oh god." she said.

She ran out her room, almost fell down the stairs, and collapsed at her mom's feet. She dropped the McDonald's bags and drinks to help Haley up.

"Honey, what's going on?"

"Mom. My head is sprouting skin, and there's a fuzzy stub in my pants! So you tell me!" she screamed.

Her mother gasped.

"As soon as the process is over, we need to talk about your father."