THE SHADOWVERSE

Powers

Despite the deep sleep he had been blessed with that night, Ryan woke up shaking and sweating like a race horse early Saturday morning. His radio unforgivably played "Heroes" by David Bowie. Although it was one of his favorites, he didn't like it blasting into his ear early on a Saturday morning.

As the Sun basked the room in golden light, his eyes popped open. He sat up on the side of the bed, contemplating the events of the night before. Across the way, he could hear his mother snoring into infinity. He exhaled, got up, and teetered to her room. Bethany Slade slept longer than bears in winter.

He checked in the room to make sure everything looked all right. There lay Beth, snoring under the covers. A sliver of sunlight found its way through the window blinds, illuminating a single spot on her dresser. It caught his eye. The photograph.

Ryan gulped and tensed. In the photo stood a much younger Ryan, Bethany, and his father, Jerry. Stay calm, he directed his emotions, staring at the tiny picture frame from several feet away. He found himself lost in the past.

He stood there longer than he should have. Releasing a breath, he closed the door without making a noise. Even then, though, he did not move, back leaning next to the door frame. "I love you, Dad," he whispered, not knowing where to lay his eyes. "I always will."

With that, he walked back into his room and made the bed. The radio continued to blare the wonderful track.

We can be heroes, just for one day.

Ryan gazed at it. "Hmm, good music." When he looked at himself in the mirror, though, he was horrified. His usual large frame was replaced with a seven-foot-tall, metallic-colored body. The sheen even covered his face. "Ah!" he shrieked as he stumbled back, nearly into the wall.

"H-H-Holy shit!" he yelped, afraid. Now powers would be added to his list of fears. Hopefully, though, the phobia would not last long.

He shook profusely and could not stop. Why am I so freaked out, dammit? he thought. Receiving powers definitely rocked one's world, but not this.

He swore a string of expletives. His body felt much heavier and stronger. Stomping like the Hulk over to the phone, he dialed Johnny, who did not pick up.

"Hello there! You've reached Johnny Sparks. I'm sorry I couldn't get to your call, but I'll make sure to call you back as fast"—Ryan heard the emphasis on fast and held a deadpan expression— "as I can."

Typical. "Johnny! You got to pick up!" he squealed. "I think I've got my, uh, I-I think my powers are here! Pick up! I'm calling Dustin and Sam right now!" Ryan's voice sounded like a mixture of a knife-blade being sharpened and his usual deep-but-lively voice.

He hung up the phone. "Argh, why does he never pick up?!" he fretted. He hurriedly dialed Dustin, fumbling the cellphone in his fingers. Such a simple activity proved difficult since his hands were substantially larger than before.

* * *

"Why don't we have powers yet?" Dustin said to Sam. Both sat up in their twin beds early that same morning.

"How should I know? Maybe Johnny was the lucky one," Sam replied, pushing his hands through the air as if waiting for the moment when something happens.

"Dude what are you doing?" Dustin asked, perplexed.

"Uh, what do you think?" he replied, putting more effort into it.

"Well, you look really stupid," chuckled Dustin. "It's like you're trying to ram imaginary buttons."

"Whatever," Sam sighed, standing up. "I'm getting in the shower."