[Another flashback.]
Two weeks ago, right after Steve woke up and finished his examination, the door to his room swung open with a sharp "clap." A woman in her 40s, looking breathless as if she had just rushed from the office, stood in the doorway. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Steve recognized her instantly.
"Steve, you're awake, baby!" she cried, running toward him and pulling him into a tight hug. She was sobbing, the relief visible in every line of her face.
"Yeah... I am, Mom," Steve said.
"My mom... she's exactly how I remember her. This really is Earth. But why has everything changed?" Steve wondered.
Sensing eyes on him from behind his mother, Steve looked up and saw a middle-aged man standing there, smiling at him. Then, Steve's eyes went wide. Standing next to the man was a silver-haired girl around his own age, wearing his school uniform. He knew her immediately—she was the girl he had saved before he fell into the coma, regardless of what had actually caused it. Seeing Steve dazed, his mother—Helen—stepped aside slightly to include the two strangers, her hands still resting on Steve's shoulders.
"Steve, let me introduce you. This is George, your stepfather. And next to him is Erica, your stepsister. You're both the same age, but you're a few months older," Helen explained.
"Stepfather? Stepsister?" Steve asked, completely lost.
"That's right. I'm sorry for marrying your mother while you were in a coma. We tied the knot a month ago. There was no big party; we had to get back to the defense base right after," George explained.
"Huh? Defense base?" Steve's confusion only deepened.
"George, he's still processing everything," Helen said, glancing at her husband.
"Ah... right. Sorry. I didn't mean to overwhelm you," George said, rubbing the back of his head.
Steve was speechless. He glanced from his mother to George, and finally to the girl named Erica. She was staring back at him without blinking, her face completely unreadable.
"This is... weird. I have no idea what's going on. Since when did Mom even have a boyfriend? How did I not know about this?" Steve wondered.
Helen sat down and slowly explained the situation. George was her colleague at the defense headquarters located out of town. After working together for a year, they had fallen in love and decided to marry. However, the main reason was Steve and Erica. As single parents, they were terrified of what might happen to their children if they were ever killed in the line of duty. Following the incident that left Steve in a coma and Erica traumatized, they decided to merge their families so the kids could live together while the parents were stationed at the base. It was safer, and it saved money.
Steve listened to the story, then looked at Erica, who was still staring.
"Are you okay?" Steve asked.
"I'm fine," Erica replied curtly, her eyes void of emotion.
She was striking, with her long silver hair and athletic build, but the moment she realized Steve was looking at her, she crossed her arms and turned her body away defensively. Helen then mentioned that Erica had transferred to Steve's school a month ago and would be in his class. She was already living at Helen's house because George's home had been leveled by the rampaging Minotaur—the same one that had put Steve in a coma for three months.
"Erica was badly hurt that day, but you saved her life. I can't thank you enough, Steve," George said.
"I... I don't really remember," Steve muttered. "What I remember is being hit by a truck, not a Minotaur," Steve thought to himself.
"It's okay. You just woke up; it's normal. Get some rest. Helen and I are going to handle the paperwork," George said with a smile.
"Yeah, we'll be right back, Steve," Helen added as she stood up.
George and Helen left the room, leaving Erica behind. She sat in a chair and said nothing. The silence in the room became so heavy you could cut it with a knife. After a few moments, Erica broke it.
"Actually, I died," Erica said.
"Huh? What did you say?" Steve asked.
"Nothing... forget it. Listen, when we're at school, stay away from me. I hate guys, and I don't want people knowing we came together. Got it?" Erica's tone had turned cold and sharp.
"Fine. I don't want to be near girls anyway," Steve shot back. "Great. A fantastic start. I can still feel the pain of betrayal from that other world; it's not exactly easy for me to trust people right now," Steve thought.
"Good. Thanks for understanding... Brother," Erica said.
"Sure... Sister," Steve replied.
Erica stood up and walked toward the door. She opened it, but before leaving, she glanced back at him.
"I'm going to the restroom... and thanks for saving me," she said.
Without waiting for a response, she stepped out and shut the door. Steve sighed and leaned back against his pillow.
"There's a bathroom right here in the room. It's not like I was going to peek anyway," Steve wondered.
He turned his gaze back to the television, which was still churning out news reports like there was nothing else left in the world to talk about.
[End Flashback]
***
Back in the classroom, lunch break was over. A male teacher with glasses and a prosthetic arm walked in, and the students immediately scrambled to their seats. As the lesson began, Steve felt eyes on him. He turned to see the blonde girl sitting next to Erica—Dawn—looking his way. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away. Steve pushed up his glasses and turned back to the front.
"What is Dawn looking at me for?" Steve wondered. He had known Dawn since middle school.
Then, he felt a much sharper gaze from his other side. Rex—the big, muscular guy with the buzz cut and the man-bun—was leaning back in his jersey with his arms crossed, looking irritated. Steve looked at him directly.
"What's up, Rex?" Steve asked.
"Nothing. Why was Dawn looking at you?" Rex demanded.
"How should I know?" Steve answered honestly.
"Hmm... whatever," Rex muttered, closing his eyes and turning away.
"What a weirdo," Steve thought.
He looked toward the door and noticed Nyla, the girl with short hair and glasses. she was staring at Erica and Dawn, scribbling in a notebook, and then looking back up as if she were analyzing them.
"Why is Nyla watching them like that? Is it just because Erica is the new girl? But Dawn has been around since middle school, same as Rex and me. Weird," Steve wondered.
Suddenly, he felt something flying toward his head. Without looking, he reached up and caught a marker between two fingers with perfect precision. Every head in the room turned to look at him, including Rex, Erica, Dawn, and Nyla.
"No daydreaming in my class," the teacher said, smiling but clearly annoyed.
"Sorry, Mr. Howard," Steve replied.
"Bring that marker here," Howard commanded.
Steve calmly walked to the front and set the marker on the desk. As he turned to go back, he saw Victor—the guy with the long blonde ponytail and the mask. Victor was staring at him with intense curiosity. Steve pushed up his glasses and walked past him.
"Now Victor is looking at me like that? What is wrong with these people?" Steve wondered as he sat down.
Suddenly, a "knock... knock" sounded at the door. Mr. Howard went to open it and spoke briefly with someone outside. He returned followed by two people in black suits—a man and a woman—who stood at the front of the room.
"Everyone, we have guests from the Hero Association," Howard announced. "They want to ask about the giant monster attack earlier. Do any of you know anything? And could you tell them exactly where you were during the lunch break?"