Powers
"So I swooped down on Xetoora and finished him with a Sky Slash. Now how
awesome is that?"
I rolled my eyes. Danny was at it again. The video game freak never knows when to
quit gushing about his video game. Hold on…what was its name again?
"For the last time Ty, it's Bag-Mora! How is it that you've not caught up on the hype
since its release two weeks back?" Sweat glistened brightly on his slight double-chin
under the afternoon sun. "It's like, the greatest game ever!"
I groaned excessively. "Danny, grow up. There's more to life than just video games.
And you're probably the only one in school playing that game!"
Danny pouted, and I gave him a friendly clap to the back. We were good friends
despite our stark differences. After all, the ‘un-cool' kids had to stick together.
It was another boring day at school, which passed by quickly as usual. Danny and I
were catching up from the term holidays during the lunch break.
"Wanna come over to my house later? I need some help with the math homework."
Danny said in-between bites of his Twinkie. I knew he wanted to show me his new
game, but I agreed nonetheless; I had nothing to look forward to tonight.
******************
It was already late into the evening when I left Danny's house; I had to hurry if I
wanted to get home before dinner started. Cutting across a narrow alley, I took up
speed as I stepped up a trash can and launched myself into the air.
You see, I could do some rather cool feats. My fast reaction time and small lean
physique allows me to utilize surrounding objects to travel in the fastest speed and
shortest time possible. It is a rather rough form of Parkour, if you'd like to call it that. I
have traveled down this alley daily after I have found it to be a convenient shortcut,
but I had always tried different ways to get through it; after all, it'd be boring to reach
out for the same handrail or push off the same trash can everyday. It was also a good
way to hone this particular skill of mine.
Grabbing a pipeline, I shifted my weight and swung forward. I pushed off the wall
with my right leg and reached out for the rung of nearby a ladder. Barely missing a
pipeline which flew past above me, I spied an abnormal shape of a shadow down a
subsidiary of the alley. It was gone before I could take a second glance.
After a couple of swings, flips and spins, I landed softly on the other end of the
alleyway. I glanced at my watch and smiled: not only was I going to make it for
dinner, I have also managed to clock a much faster time of getting through the
alleyway than yesterday.
******************
At the behest of my mother, I reluctantly took out the thrash. It was already dark
outside, and the chilly night breeze did not help in lifting my foul mood. My parents
were discussing again over dinner of sending me to some summer camp, and I would
not have anything of it. I kicked angrily at a stray can lying on the foot path and sent it
rolling off towards a dark alley.
Dumping the trash into the dustbin, I was startled by the sudden cawing of a few
magpies. I frowned as a stray movement caught my eye. The clanking of a can drew
my attention to the dark alley, and I started towards it.
Sensing that it had been seen, the crouching figure stood up in an attempt to make a
hasty escape, but the sudden hissing of a stray cat beside it caused it to trip and
stumble back down. Within two broad strides, I came face to face with the mysterious
figure, and was taken aback.
A cloaked female in her early twenties sat clumsily on the ground, still stunned from
being found out. She had brown hair, tanned skin and bluish-green eyes which
betrayed the fact that she was not from around the neighbourhood. Stumbling hastily
to her feet, she swept the cloak in front of her and…vanished.
I stood rooted for what seemed like a good five minutes. I have to admit that I was
speechless. Never in my life did anything like that happen before and it spooked me
completely. Running further into the alley, I spotted nothing out of the ordinary: the
cat from before eyed me suspiciously as I passed it, but nothing else indicated that the
woman had been there. A sudden thought occurred to me: had she been the shadow
that I had noticed earlier on my way home?
******************
A few days had already passed since I have met the mysterious woman, and I still
could not get her out of my mind. Relaying it to Danny, my parents or anyone else
would cause unwanted attention and hysteria, so I had decided against it.
The fact that I had to keep this strange encounter to myself only served to make me
more frustrated, so I had decided to skip the usual visit to Danny's house that evening
and head to the park for a walk instead. I sat at the top of an apex ladder that was part
of a mini obstacle course to gather my thoughts, only to feel a sense of unease. The
lazy warm breeze and tranquil surroundings were making me sleepy, but the feeling of
being watched gave the deceptiveness of peace away.
A stray glance to my right confirmed it: the mysterious woman was stalking me again.
Pushing myself off the apex ladder with my feet, I landed lightly on the sand and
began running towards the shadowed figure that was hiding obscurely behind the
nearby trees. Sensing confrontation, the figure took off running.
Using my eyes, I scanned everything before me to find a suitable route to take; the
more I used the obstacles around me, the more momentum I would get and the faster I
would be to catch up with my stalker. Stepping up onto a wooden table, I pushed
myself up and grabbed hold of a low-lying lamp post. I swung a full circle before
letting go, and the momentum carried me forward to the next lamp post, which I
easily pushed off under me with both hands.
The person I was chasing, I had noticed, was starkly different from the woman I had
met a few days ago. She, or more likely he, was not wearing a cloak, but instead
sported a black jumpsuit that had numerous compartments attached to it; it was like he
had came out of a spy movie. My curiosity powered me and I pushed forward even
faster, gaining more momentum and speed as I swung and pushed past each lamp
post.
When I had decided I was close enough, I gripped the vertical section of the next
lamp post and spun around it sideways. Letting go after two quick revolutions, I
swung forward and delivered a quick drop kick to my target's right shoulder in an
attempt to halt him in his tracks.
To my surprise, the man dodged to the left at the last moment, and my foot met thin
air. I hit the ground running and continued my chase; my stalker was more skilled
than I thought. Racing out of the park, the man took a sharp left and headed for the
housing estate nearby.
Tailing him closely on a straight footpath, I took the chance to observe him. Besides
the spy-gear, the man wore reflective sun-glasses, army-grade combat boots and had
cropped gold hair. What was more unusual about him though was the constant
clicking sound that emanated from him.
The man took another sharp turn and I nearly lost him in the midst of my thoughts.
Following him into a long alleyway, I smiled at the advantage I had as I spotted
numerous trash bins, thick cables and handrails. Reaching out with a leg, I pushed
myself off a low ledge and into the air, simultaneously grabbing a sturdy water pipe.
Pulling myself up with the momentum, I kicked off the pipe and leapt forward to grab
a handrail. To my surprise, the man stepped up a trash bin and swung from a cable.
The next thing I knew, his fist was flying in my direction, and it nearly connected. I
felt the rush of wind as the man's fist narrowly missed my right cheek; a warning
punch. Undeterred, I pushed myself off a passing balcony and aim a foot at his chest.
Catching my foot with a wide hand, he flung me in a judo throw towards the ground.
All this while, the clicking, which came from his mouth, was getting quicker and
louder.
I grabbed hold of a handrail and landed neatly on a balcony. I was panting heavily
from the chase, but the man, who had landed on a balcony opposite of me, had hardly
broken a sweat.
"Why are you following me?" I shouted to him.
He smiled, but never answered my question. A shout came from behind and I realised
that someone would soon come to investigate the balcony I was on. I hastily stepped
off the handrail and took after the man who had used the distraction as a head start.
Getting increasingly annoyed by the chase, I was determined to end it. Grabbing a
broken cable, I yanked it off its other end, and flicked it at the man's feet. Like a whip,
the cable struck the man's calf with a crack. He winced, losing balance and
momentum, and fell heavily on a pile of trash bags. The stout man was up on his feet
in an instant, but a swift knee jab to the gut took out the wind in him and knocked him
back down. I have finally caught him!
It was then that I noticed the man's lifeless and distant eyes; his fall had somehow
knocked away his sunglasses. Waving my hand in front of him and gaining no
response, I made a startling realisation that my stalker was blind.
It was then that the sharp screeching of wheels made me turn around. A large black
van had stopped on the other end of the alley and men, dressed similarly as my
stalker, were trailing out rapidly from it. A dull thud and a sharp sting erupted on my
shoulder, but before I could look over it, a sudden dizziness came over me. I blacked
out before I hit the floor.
******************
I groaned as I woke up to a splitting headache. The world spun wildly as I tried to sit
up, and realised I couldn't. Struggling against the restraints that tied me to the bed, I
noticed the back of an elderly man in a lab coat at a far corner as my vision gradually
cleared. Memories of the chase and what happened before I blacked out came rushing
back to me, and panic overwhelmed me. Desperate to escape from whoever had tied
me up, I writhed frantically against the restraints.
"I see that you are awake," The man spoke calmly as he turned around to face me.
"There is no need to be afraid, you're safe here."
"W-where am I?" I croaked; my throat felt like sandpaper.
"Ah, all your answers will be answered in a moment, but not by me," the man said as
he loosened my restraints. "I apologise for the restraints; there were to prevent any
unwanted incidents as we tended to you."
Offering me a cup of water which I downed rapidly, the man, whom I guess is a
doctor, made sure that I was physically fine before leaving me, promising that he
would be back shortly. A soft click of a door signaled the doctor's departure from the
room, and silence told me I was now alone. A cursory glance to the ceiling of the
room told me I was being watched though; the lens of a CCTV glinted as it angled
itself point-blank at me.
I quickly gathered that I was in an examination room, equipped with all the usual
medicinal cabinets, beds and white walls. A brown, nondescript paper file was placed
on the dresser beside the bed. Reaching out for the file, I noticed its cover was
prominently labeled "CONFIDENTIAL", while the words "Medical Report"
accompanied it in smaller type-written text. Curious, I stole a glance into its contents.
The click from the door nearby signaled that the doctor was back, and I hurriedly
placed back the file on the dresser. I guessed he had seen what I had been doing, but
all he gave me was a kind smile before escorting a new figure into the room.
The man before me was tall and burly in stature, but the aura he radiated was kind and
warm. Donning office-wear, the grey-haired, tanned skin man was quite a head-turner.
With a friendly smile, he extended a thick hand to me.
"Good evening, young man! My name is Mr Neils," he boomed as he vigorously
shook my hand. "And welcome to the Human Powers Agency, or HPA for short."
"The what?" I immediately frowned, confused.
Seeing my reaction, Mr Neils laughed as he sat on a chair by the bed-side. "Forgive
me for the confusion. Let me explain: we are a top secret government-run
organisation, responsible for the all research, dealings and utilisation of human
powers. We hire and train people with extraordinary abilities such as you."
"What, you mean like a superhero league or something?" My mind was already
swimming, and his explanation did not help.
Mr Neils snorted in amusement. "There are no such things as superheroes in this
world, young man. What we have, instead, are people who have managed to go
beyond the average limits of the human body to be able to demonstrate amazing
prowess of the senses and other exceptional abilities. Take me for example: I possess
strength well beyond that of the average human."
Taking out a flat nail from his pocket, Mr Neils pressed it between his thumb and
index finger, flattening it with ease like a piece of chewed-up gum. Seeing my eyes
widen with amazement, Mr Neils roared into laughter again.
"I must commend you on taking down one of our agents. Alonzio may be visuallyimpaired,
but his skilled use of echolocation makes him a tough opponent even for a
skilled martial artist." Mr Neils threw the flattened nail into a nearby waste basket.
"Seeing your abilities in action, the HPA is considering to hire and train you as one of
our agents. However, due to government regulations, we can also do so when you
reach the age of twenty..."
All the rush of information was making me dizzy. "So...I took out a blind man, got
taken out myself by an organisation that I have never heard of, then become a
potential recruit for their cause?"
Mr Neils cleared his throat. "You can put it that way, in a rough sense. I know you
must be startled about being brought here against your free will, and for this I must
apologise. Seeing we are a top-secret organisation, there was a risk of us being
exposed to the public if you had managed to get anything out of Alonzio. We had little
choice in the heat of that moment but to take you out, and bring you here."
Mr Neils for a breather, and I was glad he did so. A new world filled with many
unknown wonders and dangers had just replaced my peaceful world of normalcy, and
I needed time to let that sink in. A sudden thought then hit me.
"Why was the HPA tailing me in the first place?" I asked, looking up at Mr Neils.
"Well, as the sole agency tending to the matters of human powers, we are responsible
for the constant monitoring of people we have identified with such abilities. You just
happened to notice Alonzio while we were monitoring you, which is a rather rare
occurrence…
"Anyhow, we will have to send you back right now. We can't hold you here for too
long," Mr Neils took out a pencil-like device from his shirt pocket as he checked the
time on his wrist watch. "But before that, we'll have to use this…"
"What is that?" I asked, intrigued. It was metal rod with a small button on its side and
a light encased on its end.
"This, is a memory-wiping device," Mr Neils said, spinning the device lightly from
finger to finger. "Due to our top-secret nature, it is required by regulations that your
memories of this evening be erased. Hopefully, we'll see each other again in five years
time, eh?"
As Mr Neils raised the device between us, a question suddenly popped into my mind.
"One last thing Mr Neils. Do you have anyone in the HPA that teleports?"
Mr Neils laughed as he aimed the device at me. "That's a superhuman power;
something like that doesn't exist." My vision was then enveloped by a bright flash.
******************
Human Powers Investigation report
Subject: Tyler Powers
Age: 15 years
Gender: Male
Status: Civilian
Remarks: All other information has been deemed as
classified and will be withheld.
Report description: Subject was placed under a hypnotic
state when tests were carried out as consent to
participation has not been given by subject. Subject was
made to undergo SHPT. The results are as follows:
a) Subject displays enhanced visual prowess, showing the
following abilities:
i) Enhanced sharpness of vision; clarity of vision
is well beyond perfect eyesight
ii) Limited 'binocular' sight; able to see details
and objects at a substantial distance clearly.
iii) Enhanced night vision; able to see more clearly
in the absence or in low quantities of light
than average humans.
iv) 'Slow-motion' vision; able to see fast-moving
objects clearly
b) Subject also displays enhanced physicality:
i) Subject has high reflex speeds
ii) Subject has above-average physique, allowing
him to perform above-average physical feats
c) Subject possesses exceptional mental capabilities,
leading to subject having abilities as stated in (a) and
(b).
Conclusion of report: Subject shows great potential, and
has been recommended for recruitment upon the age of
twenty. Agents will be engaged for subject's enlistment
on a later date.
END OF REPORT
******************
Picking myself off the dusty footpath, I coughed as I took in the exhaust of a van that
was getting further away by the moment. The sky was already dark, and I'd be lucky if
I were to even get any leftovers from dinner. I had a lot of explaining to my parents to
do, but that did not matter. As I took a step towards the neighbourhood mall, I smiled.
I remembered.
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