At first Jorge wasn’t sure he could do it, balancing his full-time job as a police detective for the Mutant Related Crimes unit, working as an X-Man, and as a teacher in the Xavier Sister School. However, Jorge was finding, as the days passed, that he was willing to find projects to keep himself busy. He was still trying to cope with being back in the land of the living and he could always use more and more practice with his abilities. The best way he could do that, of course, was with by being near water. Therefore, when the swim instructor for the institute went away on leave, Jorge was all too happy to volunteer.

Admittedly, it was a little strange at first. Jorge had spoken with school kids before but never for anything extensive. A few shows for classrooms and such, but nothing on a regular basis. Now that he was working as the part-time swim instructor, he was actually having a good time learning his student’s names and helping them through the process of learning to swim, which could be difficult and daunting for the uninitiated. But there was definitely a satisfaction in helping students learn – it was almost intoxicating.

Another session done, Jorge smirked as he dismissed his class and continued to move around the pool, helping some of the younger students out of the water and sending them off to change and get to their next classes. As he watched the last of them leave, the detective turned back and sighed as he looked at the mess that had been left behind. Most of the water that had splashed across the concrete was still slick but it would dry up soon enough. So instead he busied himself with fixing the patio tables and chairs that were littered about, some of them knocked askew thanks to kids roughhousing.

Jorge himself was dressed much like someone who worked at a pool would expect. Dressed in a pair of swim shorts of bright orange, the man adjusted his light gray and teal Miami Dolphins stank top and rested his sunglasses over the top of his head. He was much older but still physically fit, possessing the body of an old swimmer. His dark hair was peppered with silver throughout, especially around his neatly trimmed mustache and beard.

His flip-flopped feet slapped against the concrete as he confidently moved around, picking up chairs and setting them back next to their corresponding tables. It was only when all that was done that the detective turned and began to picked up wayward towels. He didn’t see which of his students had left these behind but he was sure they would be getting hell from the rest of the staff for tracking water into the mansion. The thought made him chuckle.

Draping the last of the towels over his arm, he moved over to a nearby bin where they could be collected, washed, and set aside for new students for another day. Once those were set aside, he returned to a table near the side of the pool where his newspaper was waiting for him. Class had ended a little early for him and thus he had time to kill. Nothing like the newspaper for killing time – that is until he heard the all too familiar sound of footsteps approaching the pool.

Thinking it to be no other than someone who wanted to enjoy the pool time, Jorge turned back to his paper and casually opened it. Holding it open, he started the search for a random article or two to read, only raising his voice to the approaching individual when they were close enough to hear. He still didn’t look up but rather kept his eyes on the paper in front of him.

”Fear not, I shall be out of your hair momentarily,” he explained. ”I was merely taking a moment to relax after my class.”

Dressed in a t-shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops, Andy was on his way to the pool. He had been training a lot lately, both his body and his powers, in the hopes of one day becoming an X-Trainee and fighting alongside the X-Men on real-live missions that could actually make a difference in the world. The idea of saving lives was just… unfathomable. He wanted to fathom it, though; he wanted to do good and be a part of something bigger than himself. It helped that he only was taking one summer class, which didn’t take too much of his time, mostly because he rarely ever opened his textbook to study. One of his assignments was also overdue, but he could worry about that later.

Right now, he needed a break.

It was a gorgeous day. The sun beamed down, gracing his tan skin as he casually walked along the grass. He was in no rush; he was in relaxation mode, enjoying every bit of fresh air he inhaled, though excited to go for a swim that did not involve using his powers. At least not too much.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he realized people were already in the pool. A lot of people. What’s going on? he wondered, wrinkling his brows in a mixture of surprise and confusion. Was there a pool party? Why didn’t anyone invite him? Then again, he was still relatively new to the school and still didn’t have many friends, so he couldn’t hold it against anyone. In fact, he was almost positive he didn’t know any of the students there, as far as he could see from where he was standing.

With a sigh, he mentally debated whether he should just turn tail and pray there wasn’t anyone in the indoor pool, which was much less frequently used by students, especially during the summer--and for good reason. Nothing beat swimming under the sun on a nice, warm day… which was why Andy really didn’t want to just turn tail. Besides, maybe the pool party could be fun? He’d even have some ‘party tricks’ up his sleeve.

Heaving a breath, Andy pushed forward. By the time he was about to enter the pool area, however, everyone seemed to be getting out of the pool and leaving. A small frown appeared on Andy’s face after they passed by him on their way toward the mansion. The only person that hung back was a man with short, slightly gray hair and a Miami Dolphins tank top that reminded him of home. He kicked back to read the newspaper, and as much as Andy didn’t want to disturb him he had to know why the party had ended so early, if it was a party at all.

Approaching the man, Andy gave a slight wave and said, “Hi, um…”

>> ”Fear not, I shall be out of your hair momentarily, I was merely taking a moment to relax after my class.”

“Your class?” Andy asked, raising his brow. In the water? “Like a water-based power training class?”

It was admittedly a relaxing day. Sitting under the sun, the water churning nearby, a newspaper in his hands, Jorge was actually enjoying himself. Teaching the swim class was fun but it could be rather exhausting from time-to-time. He was only thankful that it wasn’t a full-time class and only required some of his attention, otherwise he would have trouble balancing his life out here as well as at the precinct. But, he was making it work out for the moment and he was all the happier for it.

However, he moments of silence were soon interrupted when he felt the presence of another individual drawing closer. Even without turning his head, he could sense the watery signature of someone different walking up towards him from behind. Of course he couldn’t see details of any kind but he did know that they were younger, probably one of the students. One of his? That seemed doubtful as they all were barreling off for their next class. It was probably one of the students simply wanting some alone time at the pool.

A meek greeting was offered to him and Jorge smirked, still not looking at the individual. He merely stated that he would be leaving momentarily as he was just enjoying the peace and quiet after his class had ended. It was true, after working with the kids in the pool he definitely needed the quiet time. Many of them were taking to swimming pretty easily but there were those who were going to be a challenge. Still, Jorge wouldn’t give up on them so long as they wanted to keep trying.

But all that was beside the point. Who was interrupting him?

>> “Your class? Like a water-based power training class?”

He turned at that point. Glancing through his sunglasses to the kid who stood there, Jorge guessed that he was, what, fifteen? Sixteen? Hispanic, swimmer’s build, not unlike himself when he was this kid’s age. Jorge smirked a little bit at his assumption about the class and felt it only right to correct him.

”If you mean swim class, then yes…” he said with slight, teasing tone. It was then that he stood up with a slight groan (old age and all) and stretched to his full height as he folded up his paper. ”It was just Swimming 101. Mansion offers it to those who are interested.” The kid didn’t look all that familiar to him so he must have been a newbie. He stuck out a calloused hand to shake his. ”Name is Jorge Cervantes. I’m the swim coach. You must be new here, Mr….?”

The silver-haired man lowered his newspaper, letting it drop to his lap, and Andy’s eyes drifted momentarily to his Miami Dolphins tank. He wondered if he was from Miami, too, or if he just really liked the team. It was a good team, after all, or at least that was what everyone said. He didn’t follow football, only swimming.

>> ”If you mean swim class, then yes…”

Andy perked up almost instantly, raising both his eyebrows in a mixture of surprise and excitement. Even better, Andy thought. Now that was a class he actually wouldn’t mind doing homework for every day.

>> ”It was just Swimming 101. Mansion offers it to those who are interested.”

Andy’s excitement levels dropped as quickly as they had risen upon realizing it was only a beginners course. Trying not to frown, he said, “Oh. Cool… Does the mansion offer any advanced swimming classes? I used to swim competitively before...” His coach kicked him off the team for using his powers to cheat? No, that was too embarrassing to say, especially to a total stranger. “Coming here.”

>> ”Name is Jorge Cervantes. I’m the swim coach. You must be new here, Mr….?”

Smiling widely, Andy nodded and stuck out his hand for a handshake without a shred of hesitation. If there was anyone at the mansion he was eager to meet and impress, it was the swim coach. Like most, if not all, of the teachers at Xavier's, he was probably an X-Man, too. “I’m Andy. Andy Sanchez-Soto. You can also call me by my codename, Bubblehead,” he said as confidently as possible, his chin up and his chest out.

The kid was a swimmer. Even Jorge could see that. Being an old swimmer himself, he knew the type when he saw them and the kid definitely had that air about him. He wasn’t here just to take a dip in the pool and work on his backstroke, he was here because he was someone who just needed to be in the water. It was a feeling that Jorge knew well, even after spending the last several years as little more than water particles drifting among the waves.

He watched him for a moment, smirking a bit at his comment about this being a class for water manipulators. It seemed a tad bit specific but still it was something that made him chuckle. Given that he was a student here, he must have been a mutant, and at the glint in his eye, he was either a big fan of mutants who could do that or he was one himself. Either way, it was his story to tell and not Jorge’s to make assumptions.

So, rather, he just clarified exactly what this was, a class for beginners. He looked disappointed at the initial idea, but it was so subdued that the detective almost missed it. Instead he just kept silent as the kid took a second to respond to the identity of the class he had just been teaching.

>>“Oh. Cool… Does the mansion offer any advanced swimming classes? I used to swim competitively before...Coming here.”

Called it. Jorge smirked a bit as he folded up his newspaper and tucked it under his arm. ”Depends on anyone who is interested,” Jorge said as he turned and started to finish gathering things left around the pool. ”There are not a lot of swimmers on campus, maybe enough for a team, but hasn’t really come up before. At least to my knowledge.”

It was after this that Jorge returned and stuck his hand out to the kid to shake, greeting him with his name and leading him with his greeting in hopes of getting an identity out of the boy.

>> “I’m Andy. Andy Sanchez-Soto. You can also call me by my codename, Bubblehead,”

His eyebrows raised. Bubblehead. He didn’t say anything at first, instead just letting the name sink in. If he wasn’t sure if the kid had water powers before, he certainly believed it now. Oddly enough, the name was just a little humorous to him, but again he wouldn’t betray this. He merely nodded is head.

”It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sanchez-Soto,” he greeted him. ”And…nice codename.” He stopped as he tilted his head towards him. ”Were you looking to swim competitively with us? As I said, I don’t know if it’s an official team but I can bring it up to the headmaster. There are some fairly strong swimmers here.”

Mentally, Andy had his fingers crossed so tightly that he stopped breathing as he waited, wide-eyed, for Jorge to answer his question. Sure, he’d still be interested in taking a beginners swim class. It’d be an easy A, and it’d be fun -- because any class that involved getting in a pool instead of a desk was fun -- but Andy liked a challenge, to push himself. At least when it came to swimming. He wished all his other classes were easier.

>> “Depends on anyone who is interested. There are not a lot of swimmers on campus, maybe enough for a team, but hasn’t really come up before. At least to my knowledge.”

Did he say team? A wide, toothy smile stretched across his face as the possibility of swimming competitively again crossed his mind. All they needed were enough students interested? Andy wasn’t the biggest social butterfly, but if it meant being on a team again he’d do whatever it took! Even if it meant posting fliers all over campus and telling all of his classmates. Really? Well, I’m interested,” he spat out, excited. Would he be the coach? For some reason, Andy felt like it would be rude to ask; instead, he stuck his hand out for a handshake and introduced himself.

>> “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sanchez-Soto. And…nice codename.”

“Thanks.” Andy let out a few chuckles, flattered, nervous and excited all at once. He knew it was a cool codename. He didn’t know why people didn’t call him Bubblehead more often. In fact, they never did. It was either Andy or… annoyingly… fish boy.

>> “Were you looking to swim competitively with us? As I said, I don’t know if it’s an official team but I can bring it up to the headmaster. There are some fairly strong swimmers here.”

Andy quickly nodded, not a doubt in his mind. Official team or not, it’d be a team, a chance for him to be around other like-minded souls he could swim with -- and race against -- instead of always having to swim alone. They were probably cute, too, unless they were all girls. Either way, he could use some more friends. “Oh, yeah. Definitely. I didn’t even know I could… I didn’t think mutants were allowed to participate in sports.” Or maybe that was only if they used their powers to win… which he did. Ugh.

“If it does become an official team, what other schools would we compete against?” Oops. Did he just say ‘we’? Andy didn’t mean to… or did he? “I mean, me and whoever else wants to be on the team. Unless you want to be the coach?” Please say yes, please say yes…

>>”Really? Well, I’m interested,”

Jorge just smirked. The young man was certainly eager. If he were an experienced swimmer than there was clearly a reason as to why. Swimmers needed to compete, it was an impulse that coursed through their veins just as much as water did. They needed to be in the water and they needed to test out their skills against other people. Jorge knew the urge well as it was something he dealt with many times when he was in school. Briefly he had entertained the thoughts of becoming olympic grade, but then his mutation kicked in. No way that would work, would it? At least that was what he convinced himself of.

The world was different when he was a kid, though. Yes there was prejudice and there would always be those who question whether or not you really won on your own merit. But the world was far more understanding, at least since his time. Maybe this kid would get the chance that he didn’t. Stranger things had happened.

>>“Oh, yeah. Definitely. I didn’t even know I could… I didn’t think mutants were allowed to participate in sports.”

He shrugged his shoulders. ”It’s a brand new world, kid,” said an encouraging smile. ”And there’s no harm in bringing it up to the headmaster. I was actually going to have a meeting with him later today concerning other matters, but I’ll make sure to bring it up.”

He smirked. He turned and started to fold his newspaper again. Really he hoped that he could help the kid. It wasn’t his fault he was a mutant and a swimmer. But were his abilities connected with his swimming in anyway? Or water in general? In either case, really it was fortunate that Jorge would meet this kid because, really, of everyone in the school Jorge was probably the one who could best help him. The universe was interesting in that regard.

>>“If it does become an official team, what other schools would we compete against? I mean, me and whoever else wants to be on the team. Unless you want to be the coach?”

Jorge blinked at the torrent of questions that were unleashed towards him. He smirked a bit, letting the boy finish the questioning as he tried his best to answer each and every inquiry. When it came down to it, a lot of it was going to hinge on what the headmaster said, but Jorge would do his best to fight for the cause.

”I’m sure the headmaster will figure all that out,” he said in regards to which schools they would compete against. After all, Xavier’s sister school didn’t fight hard to deny that it was a school for mutants. ”As for the coach, well, I guess I would be the most qualified.” He gave him a smile. ”So, yeah, probably.” He nodded to the kid. ”You seem eager, though. I take it to mean that you’re experienced in the drink? What’s your best time?”

>> ”It’s a brand new world, kid.”

What was Mr. Cervantes saying? Mutants were allowed to participate in sports like everyone else? What about the Olympics? Andy’s eyes widened as the possibility of following in the footsteps of Michael Phelps and winning 21 gold medals flashed through his mind. But what if someone from high old high school accused him of cheating again? Would he even be fast enough without using his powers? What if he lost control on live TV? Being outed as a mutant to his entire high school was bad enough. He couldn’t imagine the entire world knowing...

>> “And there’s no harm in bringing it up to the headmaster. I was actually going to have a meeting with him later today concerning other matters, but I’ll make sure to bring it up.”

Shaking off his thoughts, Andy shifted his attention back to what was right in front of him--a potential new swim coach--and couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. “That’d be awesome. Thanks so much, Mr. Cervantes,” he said, a mixture of excitement and gratitude in his voice, before a torrent of possibilities and questions bombarded his head once more.

>> “I’m sure the headmaster will figure all that out. As for the coach, well, I guess I would be the most qualified. So, yeah, probably.”

“Yes!” Andy pumped his fist into the air.

>> You seem eager, though. I take it to mean that you’re experienced in the drink?”

For nearly two years, Andy had been laboring under the delusion that his competitive swimming days were over, and now someone was telling him otherwise. Of course he was eager! “Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Andy said with a small chuckle. “I’ve been swimming since middle school.”

>> “What’s your best time?”

Andy crossed his arms and cast a quick glance at the pool. Reluctantly, he replied, “That depends… Does it matter if I used my powers or not?”

>>“Yeah, I guess you could say that...I’ve been swimming since middle school.”

He nodded, impressed. ”Nice. About the same time I started.”

Jorge was not surprised. The kid had an eagerness to get into the water that few others had. Only swimmers were that dedicated to get back in, learn more where it was possible. Considering Andy’s dedication, it was clear that he wanted this to happen. Deep down, Jorge didn’t know how the headmaster would react to a swim team, especially if the kid had powers that could help him win. Deep down, the detective knew it was a tricky situation.

At the end of the day, mutants were just humans with some extra special talents, however not everyone saw that in the same way. Where a man is naturally inclined to be able to run faster than others, for understandable reasons, some people were wary about letting mutants go with that same argument. To be able to swim faster than what is humanly possible would indeed not be fair to everyone, but it is also unfair to ask someone to not swim to their fullest potential. So where is the balancing ground in all of that?

It was at times like this that Jorge was glad he was not the headmaster of this school. While the man had made life-and-death decisions in the past, this was slightly different; this was politics and ethics, and clearly subjects which the man was not prepared to argue against a close-minded populace. But, again, it wasn’t his call.

Moving onto easier topics, he inquired what the kid’s best time was in terms of swimming; that would at least give him an idea of what the kid could do.

>> “That depends… Does it matter if I used my powers or not?”

Jorge thought about it for a moment, tapping his chin in thought. Finally he looked back to Andy. ”Why not tell me both? It’ll give me an idea of what you can do.”

>> “Nice. About the same time I started.”

“Really?” Andy's smile widened as the exciting possibility of resuming his swimming career under the tutelage of someone with so many years of experience filled his mind. Without a doubt, he'd be able to teach him something he didn't already know. Oh, how badly he missed being challenged; to some degree, he even missed being yelled at. “And if the headmaster says no, if there aren't enough students interested...” Andy asked, his voice becoming somewhat shaky, “Can you still, you know, be my coach?”

>> “Why not tell me both? It’ll give me an idea of what you can do.”

Andy pursed his lips and wrinkled his brow in deep thought. Honestly, he couldn’t remember the last time he didn’t use his powers to win a race, which he realized was not a good thing...

Ugh. If only he had been more careful, used his powers a little less, no one would have accused him of cheating, Coach wouldn’t have made him get tested for the X-Gene, and he would have never had to switch schools. Not that he didn’t like Xavier’s. It was just… different. He definitely felt a lot more accepted, normal even, and it was totally awesome having two pools (one in your backyard and the other in your basement), but he still missed his old life sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time. He especially missed being on the swim team… and his moms.

“Umm…”

Andy sighed in a mixture of sadness, regret, shame, and confusion. “Why don’t I just show you?” he suggested, unsure whether his best times were really his best times. Most of the time, he didn’t even realize he was using his powers, especially while he swam. “Got a timer?” he asked, his lips curling into an excited grin.

>>“Really? And if the headmaster says no, if there aren't enough students interested...Can you still, you know, be my coach?”

Jorge nodded. His coaches in college had always told him that if he wanted to go pro that he would have a long career in front of him. Sadly his mind went elsewhere and soon enough he decided to jump into the police force. But that didn’t mean he didn’t get the but for the water every now and again. Even at the prospect of coaching this kid without a team, Jorge smiled warmly.

”Yeah. I think that can be arranged.” Jorge said. ”My schedule can be a little packed at the precinct but I’m sure I can find some time.” Really, it would be his honor to train the kid further, if he was so inclined. But first, he needed to know what the kid could do.

Really Jorge was just trying to get a guage on the kid’s abilities. He didn’t really mean to put him on the spot but judging from the look on his face, it seemed that he was almost unsure of what to say next. It seemed like the kid really liked to be in the water, but it also seemed like maybe there were some bad memories attached to it. Given the fact that he was a new attendee here at Xavier’s, Jorge could guess that he had some “experiences”. That was unfortunate.

Jorge gave the younger man his full attention, wanting him to come to him on his own rather than pry information out of him. He remained patient until Andy had decided on something to say.

>>“Umm…Why don’t I just show you?”

That was probably the better idea. He nodded his head as he gestured towards the pool, a kindly smile on his lips. He wanted the kid to feel comfortable, especially if they were going to be working together. Besides, this might afford him the chance to see what the kid could actual do, both skill-wise and mutation-wise.

>>“Got a timer?”

He nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket. Switching it over to the “Timer” setting, Jorge cleared it so that it was set at zero, waiting for him to push the start button. He waved the phone to the kid to show him it was set before he crossed his arms over his chest and stood near the pool.

”Okay. Pool is all yours.”

YES!

Andy internally cheered, trying his best to contain his excitement when Mr. Cervantes agreed to train him privately. He said his schedule might be a little packed, but that was okay. It was better than nothing! Even if they only met once a week, Andy would be more than happy. “Thanks so much, Mr. Cervantes. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

The thought of hitting the gym and running laps more frequently crossed his mind. He had to get back into shape. Sure, he was in much better shape than most of his peers at Xavier’s, since swimming was a great full-body workout in itself, but in order to get more of a competitive edge in the water he needed to start working out more on land.

“Okay. Pool is all yours.”

Andy could feel his heart racing as Mr. Cervantes pulled out his phone and set a timer. Quickly, he stripped down to his speedos and walked to the edge of the pool, where he commenced stretching out his arms and legs.

Oh, great, now he felt nervous.

Really, really nervous.

It had been awhile since anyone had ever evaluated his performance. Since being kicked off the swim team, the only person who cared about how well he swam was, well, himself. His moms supported his love for swimming one hundred percent, but neither of them understood the sport enough to judge his technique. Mr. Cervantes, on the other hand, could tear him to shreds on a whim.

He was nowhere near done stretching, but he didn’t want Mr. Cervantes to wait any longer. He just had to believe in himself, in his ability, and hope for the best.

“Okay. Ready when you are,” he said, glancing back at his future coach as he bent over to grab hold of what he wished was the end of a diving board. At the sound of the whistle, he dove straight into the the pool, hands first, and commenced swimming as best as he could to the other side. Although he didn’t have to worry about holding his breath or getting water in his eyes thanks to his mutation, he did have to focus on using his arms, core, and legs in unison, which wasn’t always easy to do, all the while making sure to finish every stroke. His old coach always used to yell at him for not kicking enough.

Am I not kicking enough?

In a mixture of determination and desperation, Andy reached the end of the pool, flipped as fast as he could, and pushed off the wall with his feet… and, although he didn’t mean to, his powers.

Andy torpedoed to the other end of the pool at a much faster rate than he was used to and he couldn’t stop. Fearing a head-on collision, he threw his arms out in front of him and-- Shit! Not again! Realizing he was in mid-air, Andy shut his eyes and braced himself for impact.

>>“Thanks so much, Mr. Cervantes. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Jorge nodded. He was only too happy to volunteer to help the kid with his swimming lessons. Jorge was pretty good at it when he was in college and it was a habit that he never really grew out of. Despite the years he spent as nothing more than particles of water, the man could never actually take swimming out of his life. Water, despite everything, was his home and it was a part of him.

Of course, if Jorge was going to train the kid, he needed to know what he could do. Thus, he asked and the kid proposed an exhibition. The detective agreed as he pulled out his cell phone. Once it was set to the Timer setting, Jorge stepped back a few feet from the pool, getting himself into position at around the center so that he could keep a careful eye on when Andy would reach one side of the pool versus the other. With his phone ready, he informed the kid that the pool was his when he was ready.

>>“Okay. Ready when you are,”

Jorge nodded, gave the kid a thumbs up and waited for him to kick off. As soon as Andy did, Jorge tapped the button and watched the time as the kid swam. Really the kid seemed to have a lot of talent with this. He looked as natural as a dolphin in the water. Making it to one end of the pool in top speed, the man grinned and figured the time would be pretty good once he made it across the to the other end. But, to his surprise, it seemed that Andy had more talents than just his swim skills.

It was so unnatural to watch. Andy suddenly torpedo across the pool, damn near getting ready to slam himself on the other end. Andy was out of control and, quickly, was going to become little more than a smear under the water. As the kid held his hands out to stop himself, Jorge suddenly lashed out, his palms pointed towards the pool.

The water responded instantly. It hopped out of the water, hoping to catch the kid midair but noticing how the liquid seemed to repel around him. Jorge’s only hope was that the kid’s powers weren’t constantly active so he reached out, summoning as much water as he could to cushion the kid. The last thing he wanted was for his one swim competitor to end up with a broken neck.

“AHHHHH!”

Andy yelled fearfully as he soared through the air like a flying fish. The difference was that he would not land safely back in the water. As he neared the unforgiving concrete, he quickly threw his arms over his head and shut his eyes, wincing as he remembered the painful cuts and scrapes he sustained the last time his powers acted up like this.

But then something strange happened.

Feeling his body suddenly stop in mid-air, Andy reluctantly opened his eyes and saw… water?

But how was that possible? He was outside the pool! Wasn’t he?

His face broke into a smile as realization dawned on him. His powers had grown. His teachers said they would over time; he just didn’t expect it to happen so soon... and definitely not like this.

“I’m doing this. It’s me... I can fly!”

Andy didn’t know how he would get down, but he was too excited to care.

“Mr. Cervantes, are you seeing this!?”

Jorge focused, grit his teeth, and prayed that this would work. He didn’t know how Andy’s powers worked but it was clear he reacted to water in a certain kind of way. Still, he had to try to cushion the boy to keep him from breaking his neck against the concrete so he reached out, capturing a wave of water and bringing it up to stop or at least soften the boy before he ended up paralyzed the rest of his life. Andy screamed, Jorge prayed, and then the detective listened. There was no crunch, no sickening thud, only the sound of water sloshing in the pool. Opening his eyes, he breathed a small sigh of relief -- the kid was safe.

>>“I’m doing this. It’s me... I can fly!”

...And maybe crazy. Jorge arched his brow, keeping the water summoned as he didn’t know fully if the effects of Andy’s powers were done yet or not. Instead he kept his hand up, keeping the water upwards as he marched towards the edge of the pool.

>>“Mr. Cervantes, are you seeing this!?”

”Yeah, I see it clear as day,” came the swim instructor’s voice, odd thing was that it came directly next to Andy who was supposed to be mid-air above the pool, but a glance over would solve the mystery.

Jorge, upon reaching the edge of the pool and caused the water to reach up in thin columns which he used to step onto as easy as if they were made of marble. Manipulating the water to such a degree took talent, time, and patience, all things which Jorge had over his years of learning to use his powers. Marching across the columns of water, Jorge soon arrived at Andy’s side, his hands out as he kept the waters manipulated to support them.

”But I don’t think it’s one-hundred percent you doing this,” he smirked good naturedly. ”You alright? You didn’t get hurt back there?”