Phoebe shut the front door behind her, still clutching the wilted flower Cole had given her. She frowned at it, then at her own hands. "Hot, hot! How did that happen?"

Before she could process it further, Billy and Nora walked into the hallway.

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "A dead flower?"

Phoebe sighed. "Cole gave it to me."

Max smirked. "Wow. He's a keeper."

Phoebe shot him a glare. "Cole didn't do this. I accidentally burned it with my heat breath." She glanced down at her hands again. "Isn't that weird?"

Max shrugged. "Yeah, but it happened to you, so I don't care."

Suddenly, his body jerked uncontrollably, and he zipped around the room like a human pinball, bouncing off walls, furniture, and nearly crashing into Melanie before coming to a skidding stop.

Melanie crossed her arms. "Now I care."

Just then, Hank and Barb rushed in, their expressions panicked.

"Emergency family meeting!" Hank bellowed.

"Everyone in the living room! Now!" Barb added.

Melanie frowned. "This is not a drill?"

Before anyone could respond, Nora strolled in from the kitchen, casually licking a spoon. "He's fine. I only buried him up to his neck."

Everyone turned to stare at him.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Nora sighed. "Billy wanted to know what it felt like to be a plant. I was helping him."

Billy blinked. *"Wait, what? When did I—"

Hank waved his hands. "Forget that! We have a bigger problem." He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. The news blared in the background, flashing an image of a glowing blue comet streaking across the sky.

"The Achilles Comet is back."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Max, Phoebe, Billy, and Nora all gasped in horror.

"The Achilles Comet?!" Nora shrieked. "That's terrible!"

Billy grabbed a pillow and dramatically flopped onto the couch. "Oh, no! The horror!"

Max rubbed his chin, nodding seriously. "Truly a tragedy."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "You guys have no idea what the Achilles Comet is, do you?"

Max smirked. "Not a clue."

Billy shook his head. "Beats me."

Nora shrugged. "No idea, but I'm still committed to the bit."

Hank groaned. "It's a comet that messes with Earth's magnetic field and causes our superpowers to go wonky."

Billy blinked. "What does 'wonky' mean?"

Before anyone could answer, his superspeed kicked in again, and he zipped across the room—only to crash headfirst into the couch and land upside down.

"Whoa! Wonky. Got it."

As everyone was processing the chaos, the front door swung open, and Melanie walked in, looking amused as ever.

She stopped in her tracks, taking in Billy sprawled on the floor, Phoebe holding a burnt flower, and the news warning about a doomsday comet. She tilted her head.

"Sooo... what weird Thunderman nonsense did I just walk into?"

Max smirked. "Only a minor superpower meltdown—nothing new."

Melanie grinned. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Melanie barely had time to process what was happening before she felt a tickle in her nose.

"Ah... ah... ACHOO!"

Suddenly, she vanished in a blink of blue energy.

"Uh-oh." Max muttered, stepping back.

Before anyone could react, POOF—Melanie reappeared mid-air upside down on the staircase railing.

"Whoa—!" she yelped before disappearing again.

POOF—she reappeared hanging from the chandelier.

POOF—now she was clinging to the fridge door.

POOF—on top of the TV.

POOF—dangling from the ceiling fan, spinning in circles.

"I don't like this!" she yelled as she vanished again.

The family watched in stunned silence, their heads snapping around every time she teleported.

"Well, this is new," Max said, looking half-impressed, half-amused.

Nora giggled. "She's like a magic ping pong ball!"

Phoebe winced. *"Melanie, you need to—"

POOF—Melanie finally slammed into the front door with a loud thud. She slid down dramatically and groaned.

"Ow. That was... unpleasant."

Billy leaned over her. "Hey, at least you stopped teleporting!"

Melanie gave him a flat look. "Billy, I hit my head."

Billy grinned. "Yeah, but you stopped."

Hank clapped his hands. "Okay, that's it. We need to do something about this comet now."

Barb nodded, checking Melanie's head. "Agreed. The last thing we need is for someone to accidentally teleport into space."

Phoebe helped Melanie sit up. "Mel, are you okay?"

Melanie groaned. "Yeah, just a little dizzy. But also... that was hilarious."

Max smirked. "Glad you're enjoying your crisis."

Melanie shot him a thumbs-up. "Oh, absolutely."

Hank crossed his arms. "Alright, everyone—time to come up with a plan before this comet turns our powers completely out of control!"

Barb nodded. "And no one leaves this house until we fix this."

Max sighed. "Great. House arrest with wonky superpowers. What could possibly go wrong?"

Melanie snickered. "Oh, I cannot wait to find out."

☆

Billy groaned, dramatically sprawled across the couch, his face pressed against a cushion. "Why do I have to stay like this? My face is way too close to Dad's butt cushion."

Nora smirked. "How do you think the cushion feels?"

Hank folded his arms. "We just never know when your super speed might... do that."

Nora perked up. "We could always put him back in the hole."

Before Billy could protest, Barb pointed to the sky. "There it is! The Achilles Comet!"

They all turned toward the large screen displaying a live feed of space. A fiery streak of light cut across the sky.

"Its path is unpredictable," Barb explained, "but now that it's close to Earth, we can track it."

Max, who had been reclining in a chair, suddenly sat up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Is that a new remote?"

Hank puffed out his chest proudly. "Just got it yesterday! You can program it to run the DVD player or—"

Barb rolled her eyes. "Hank, can you play with your little toy later?"

Hank gasped, clutching the remote to his chest. "It's not a toy! Look how red and spongy the buttons are!"

Billy's eyes lit up. "I have to push them."

Phoebe clapped her hands loudly. "HELLO! Giant comet speeding past Earth? Doing weird things to our powers?"

Suddenly, the entire house shook.

A surge of power shot through them, their abilities flickering uncontrollably.

"No comet's gonna mess with my powers," Max declared confidently—just as his hands crackled with dark energy and zapped the lamp beside him.

"HOT STUFF! Here we go—" Phoebe's hands glowed uncontrollably with heat.

"I CAN'T STOP IT!"

"HIT THE DECK!" Billy dove behind the couch.

"DUCK!" Nora shouted, grabbing Barb as flames shot out of Phoebe's hands.

Melanie, who had just stepped into the room, yelped. "AH, MY FOOT!"

Hank looked down. "AH, MY REMOTE!"

Max quickly reacted, freezing Phoebe solid.

"Your other sister, Max!" Barb yelled.

"Oh, right." Max then froze Nora too.

Max tilted his head. "Are we sure we want to thaw them out? Because this is kind of our dream family dynamic right now."

Phoebe's icy eyes glared at him from behind the frost.

"FINE." Max rolled his eyes and used his powers to thaw them both out.

As the warmth returned, Phoebe scowled. "Let me guess. Max made some snarky comment about his dream family while I was frozen?"

Melanie stretched her arms. "Yup. And, honestly? It was hilarious."

Phoebe groaned. "So how long is this wonky power situation going to last?"

Barb pointed to the countdown timer. "We have to wait for the comet to fully pass Earth. That's what this clock is tracking."

Max peered over her shoulder. "Ten years?"

"Ten hours," Barb corrected.

Max shrugged. "Oh. That's—"

"TEN HOURS?!" Phoebe repeated in horror.

Hank crossed his arms. "Don't worry, kids. I'll keep everything under control."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Wait. That means I can't go to the dance tonight?! But—Cole asked me to be his date!"

Barb gasped. "He did?! Oh, that's so exciting! What are you going to wear?!"

Hank clapped his hands. "Pajamas! Because you're not leaving this house."

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "But, Dad—"

Hank held up a hand. "It's the twin thing! You and Max have to stay near each other. The last time this happened, we realized if we kept your cribs within three feet of each other, your powers didn't go off."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "I don't buy that. Look! We're standing apart right now and—"

A sudden electrical zap shot from her hand.

Phoebe quickly closed the gap between her and Max. "Three feet it is."

Barb sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I wish there was a way you could go, but if you can't control your powers, anything can happen—including being exposed."

Phoebe's face fell. "But... school break starts tomorrow, and Cole's going on vacation for two whole weeks."

Melanie, who had been way too amused up until now, suddenly perked up. "Hold on, hold on. What if Max goes with Phoebe?"

Hank rubbed his chin. "Go on..."

Melanie grinned. "If they stay within three feet of each other, their powers won't go crazy. And then—" She threw her arms up dramatically. "Phoebe can still go with Cole!"

Phoebe gasped, turning to her parents. "YES! See?! This is the best idea! Thank you, Melanie!"

Max scoffed. "Yeah, I'm not going to some lame school dance." He crossed his arms and looked at his dad. "Come on, Dad. You have to shut this down."

Hank tilted his head. "Actually... it's not a bad idea."

Max's face fell. "Why do you hate me?"

Nora smirked. "Ohhh, I know why. The real reason Max doesn't want to go—"

Billy jumped in. "Is because that girl Cortni he's been crushing on said no when he asked her!"

Max scowled. "She did not say no."

Cortni rolled her eyes. "No."

Max asked. "No?"

Cortni agreed. "No."

Max clears throat. "A lot of things were said. I can't remember them all, but the point is—"

Max crossed his arms. "The point is, I'm staying here. Nothing will change my mind."

Hank grinned. "Great! Then you can both hang here with us."

Max narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean hang here?"

Hank clapped his hands. "I just got a great new 3D puzzle of the Titanic! You, me, 1,000 pieces of oceanic history..."

Max and Phoebe exchanged horrified glances.

Max turned to Melanie. "You knew he had that puzzle, didn't you?"

Melanie smirked. "Oh, absolutely."

Max groaned. "Fine. I'll go."

Phoebe grinned. "We could leave now if you want."

As Phoebe and Max rushed upstairs to get ready, Melanie plopped onto the couch with a grin. "Welp, guess I better start picking out a dress."

Barb, who had just been sipping tea, nearly choked. "I'm sorry—what?"

Melanie tossed her legs up on the coffee table. "Oh, I'm totally going to the dance too."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly?"

Melanie shrugged. "For the chaos. And the music. And, I don't know... maybe I like seeing Max suffer." She shot a smirk toward the stairs.

Barb sighed. "Melanie, sweetheart, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but your powers have been just as unpredictable as theirs. We can't risk you losing control in public."

Melanie pouted. "Come onnnn, that's what makes it fun!"

Hank and Barb exchanged a look before Hank reached into a drawer and pulled out a shiny silver ankle bracelet.

"This," Hank said, holding it up dramatically, "is a state-of-the-art ThunderTech Ankle Stabilizer."

Melanie blinked. "A what now?"

Barb took it from Hank and knelt down in front of her. "It'll slow down your powers. That way, they shouldn't be acting up as much for the rest of the night."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't?"

Hank shrugged. "It's mostly tested."

Melanie cackled. "Oh, that is not reassuring, and yet... I love it."

Barb secured the bracelet around her ankle, and a small beep echoed as it activated. Melanie wiggled her foot, testing it out. "So, if I randomly set something on fire tonight, I blame you."

Barb sighed. "Noted."

Phoebe suddenly ran down the stairs, now dressed in a stunning navy blue dress, her hair curled to perfection. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Max dragged his feet behind her, adjusting his blazer with a deep scowl. "This is so dumb."

Melanie smirked. "Oh, you look so cute. Like a little boy being forced to take family Christmas photos."

Max groaned. "I hate you."

Nora snickered from the couch. "If it makes you feel better, Max, I would have said yes to the dance. But you never asked."

Billy gasped dramatically. "BETRAYAL!"

Max rolled his eyes. "I cannot stand this family."

Hank clapped his hands. "Alright, kids, you all have your rules. Stay within three feet of each other, no superpowers, and for the love of everything, DO NOT let anyone find out you have abilities."

Melanie saluted. "Yes, Captain Fun-Killer."

Barb kissed Phoebe on the forehead. "Have a good time, sweetheart."

Hank nodded at Max. "Try not to look so miserable, son."

Max immediately scowled harder. "Too late."

With that, the three of them grabbed their jackets and headed for the door.

As soon as they stepped outside, Melanie grinned. "So, who's ready to cause some trouble?"

☆

The gymnasium was packed with students swaying under the glow of string lights, the DJ blasting music that vibrated through the floor. The dance was in full swing, and Phoebe was determined to enjoy every second of it—despite the very obvious obstacles that came with her twin brother's presence.

Cole, ever the gentleman, smiled at her. "You look great tonight, Phoebe."

Phoebe returned the smile. "Thanks."

Cole beamed. "I can't believe we're finally having our first date together."

Before Phoebe could respond, Melanie popped up between them, grinning like she'd been waiting for the perfect moment to interrupt.

"Hey, guys! What are we doing next?"

Phoebe sighed. "We have to stay within three feet of each other, not three inches."

Melanie smirked and draped an arm around her. "Relax, Pheebs. I'm just here to enhance the experience."

Cole chuckled awkwardly before grabbing a slider from a nearby tray. Max immediately snatched it from his hand, splitting it in half before stuffing a piece into his mouth.

"Oh, hey, Cole, looks like you got the last one. Splitsies, right?" He swallowed. "I'll have the first half."

Cole blinked. "Uh... is he gonna be hanging around us all night?"

Phoebe forced a smile. "Uh, yeah! It's his first dance. He's, um... shy."

Melanie stifled a laugh as Max licked his fingers obnoxiously. "Oh yeah, he's real shy."

Cole raised an eyebrow but didn't press further.

Just then, Sarah skipped over, eyes lighting up as she spotted Max.

"Hi, Max! You look so handsome tonight. Wanna dance?"

Max glanced at Phoebe, then back at Sarah, forcing a smile. "Uh... maybe later, Sarah. I just ate. And, you know the rule—you gotta wait thirty minutes."

Sarah nodded, completely serious. "Right. I'll see you in thirty."

"I'll be here."

The second she walked away, Max turned to the group. "Alright, we got thirty minutes to get out of here."

Phoebe crossed her arms. "No! You promised you'd stay."

Melanie, chewing on a mozzarella stick, wiggled her eyebrows. "And there's rumors about mini tacos later."

Max hesitated. "I do like tiny foods..."

Cole chuckled. "Hey, let's get a picture! We can capture this night forever."

Max groaned. "I may vomit."

Phoebe elbowed him. "Stop it. Cole's just being sweet."

Max clutched his stomach. "No, I think there was something wrong with that slider."

The camera flashed as Cole snapped a selfie of the three of them. He grinned at the screen before his expression faltered. "Uh... that's weird."

Phoebe peeked over his shoulder. The photo was glitchy, like Max's face had phased slightly out of existence.

Melanie smirked. "Ooooh, Max, you're literally ruining pictures now? This is next-level."

Cole tried to crop him out. "Don't worry. We can just—"

Max waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, just crop me out."

Melanie leaned in. "Or you could just get out."

Max took the suggestion very literally and walked off.

Phoebe groaned. "Max! You can't get that far away from me!"

She turned to find him frozen in shock, staring at something across the dance floor.

Phoebe followed his gaze—and immediately understood.

Cortni was here.

And she wasn't alone.

She had arrived with another guy—someone very tall, very handsome, and very much not Max. The two of them were laughing together, completely unaware of Max's devastation.

Melanie snorted. "Oof. That's gotta sting."

Max's mouth opened and closed like a fish, words failing him.

Phoebe sighed, patting his shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry, Max, really. But I need you to come back with me to Cole now."

Max didn't budge.

Melanie smirked, waving her hands dramatically. "Dance clock's ticking! Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!"

Max turned to glare at her. "You wouldn't happen to be affected by a comet, would you?"

Melanie grinned. "Who, me? Nah. I'm just naturally chaotic."

Melanie's playful smirk vanished the moment she got a good look at Cortni. Her jaw tightened, and her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Melanie?"

"Of course she's here," Melanie huffed. "Cortni and I literally cannot be in the same room without wanting to throw hands. And now she waltzes in with that guy like she's on some rom-com movie poster? Oh, no. Nope. Not happening."

Max, still looking like he'd been physically punched in the chest, barely registered Melanie's reaction. "Wait... you and Cortni hate each other?"

Melanie scoffed. "Oh, please. The last time we were at the same party, she 'accidentally' spilled a slushy directly onto my lap. And don't even get me started on the coffee shop incident."

Phoebe blinked. "What coffee shop incident?"

Melanie's expression darkened. "Let's just say... she knows what she did."

Meanwhile, Cortni still hadn't noticed them. She and her new boy toy were standing near the refreshment table, giggling over some dumb inside joke.

Melanie rolled her shoulders back like she was preparing for battle. "Yeah, no. I refuse to let her just stand there, all smug and full of herself, acting like she owns this place."

Phoebe groaned. "Melanie, please. I already have one twin about to make a bad decision tonight—I don't need you adding to it."

Max barely heard them, his hands curling into fists. "I just... I don't get it. I thought she liked me."

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Oh, trust me, Max. Cortni likes attention more than anything else. She probably said yes just so she