"Nafisa! I absolutely forbid you from taking that job! An on-the-scene reporter? Have you lost your goddamn mind?!?”

Nafisa Radi watched her father angrily loom over her as he continued berating her. Standing at 6’5 with short blond hair, pale blue eyes, and a muscular build that belied his age of 56, he was an intimidating presence that had not just physically, but emotionally towered over her all her life.

“Father, I-”

“And you’re talking back? What are you going to do if something goes wrong on the scene huh? With what powers are you going to escape or fight back.” Aaron Radi slammed his hands down on the concrete counter, shaking the floor as he stared down at his youngest child and only daughter.

“I- I- can run away. It’s not supposed to be dangerous by the time they call me to the scene” Nafisa stammered, tears filling up her eyes.

“I can run away. It’s not dangerous. Do you hear yourself Nafi? If a speedster catches you, or somebody strong like me or dad grabs you, what are you going to do? How are you going to run?” Mason Radi, her elder brother mocked in a high-pitched tone. He was a carbon copy of their father, except he had gotten his silvery eyes from their mother.

Nafisa looked from her angry father to the rest of her three brothers, and her mother and wanted to cry. 

They were seated around the kitchen counter, preparing to eat dinner when she announced her new role to them. After years of being a desk grunt at a small journal firm, she had finally been promoted to an on-the-scene reporter. 

She had been proud of her accomplishments because she was a dud. Useless. Powerless. She had heard a variety of insults over the years. The long and short of it was that even though she came from a family of heroes, a family with superpowers that had been passed down over the generations, she was the only one without them.

Most people got their superpowers when they were 16 and if they were strong enough they could train to be a hero. Both her parents were top-ranked heroes. Her three elder brothers; Mason, Allen, and Randall had all gotten their power at 16 or right before they turned 16 with no problems and also became top-ranked heroes. People in her extended family also became heroes or hero-adjacent helpers as well. The only problem was her.

Nafi the dud. Nafi the useless. Nafi the adopted child. She had been mocked throughout her entire childhood for looking different from her family and for being powerless.

The Radi family was said to be a family with superior genes. Everyone in the family was tall and had a strong athletic build with golden blond hair. Even without their powers, they were the pinnacle of physical perfection. She on the other hand was petite, had ginger hair, and was the farthest thing from athleticism. 

When she was younger, she had forced both of her parents to take a paternity test along with her to confirm that she was not adopted since nobody could explain why she was so different. Yet the results came back, she was in fact her parent’s child, and she was indeed useless. There was no excuse like adoption to save her. She was just a cesspool of bad, useless genetics. 

Due to immense bullying growing up, she had tried everything to gain superpower. Putting herself in dangerous situations, harsh training, internet tips, weird juices, and medical concoctions. Nothing had worked and she remained a dud badmouthed constantly by the public.

She constantly saw herself in the tabloids. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for good deeds like the rest of her family, rather it was for being a mooch off her family name, a leech on her parent’s wealth, or whatever insult they wanted to throw at her that week.

It was why she worked so hard at the small job she had gotten with no help from her family. She had put in blood, sweat, and multiple hours of tears, and finally risen up the ranks, yet the people who claimed they loved her and were on her side were the ones tearing her down.

As her whole family continued to yell at her, she took a deep breath before shouting, “STOPPPPP!!!”

As they all turned to stare at her, she glared at all of them. 

“I am not asking for your permission. I am informing you that I have accepted the job and will be taking it.”

“Over my dead body!” Her father snarled, “If you dare to take that job. I will cut you off. That nice car. The nice apartment. The nice clothing. All of it will be cut off immediately!”

“Dear that’s a bit much….” Arianna Radi interrupted. She laid a slender hand on her husband’s shoulder but he shook it off in anger.

“No. Enough is enough. I allowed her to get whatever stupid criminal journalist degree and allowed her to work at a stupid dead-end job instead of properly contributing to the family with the job we gave her so that she could stay out of trouble! But clearly, it won’t end! Now she wants to risk her life! Be on the scene with no powers, no way to protect herself? Absolutely not! If she wants to take this stupid useless job over the advice of her family then fine. Let her do it, but she will be fully responsible for herself! I will no longer support her!” Aaron Radi roared.

Naifsa stared at her father in shock before tears began welling up in her eyes once more.

“Nafi baby. Listen to your father. The world is dangerous. And you’re unable to protect yourself. We won’t always be there and your father is simply worried for you.” Arianna tried to comfort her crying daughter, her heart aching as she saw tears still up in those large eyes.

“None of you get it! None of you understand me or what I’m going through! Do you think I don’t know I’m a dud? That I can’t protect myself? If that’s how you want to be then fine! I’m leaving! Have a great dinner!”

Nafisa shouted out while slamming her hands on the counter. As she ran out, she stopped by the door and turned back to yell, “And I’m taking the job!”