Superhero Proving Grounds

https://venus.chatfighters.com/story/72250

An eternity passes. Then another. And here I float. Trudging the darkness in solitude. But that pinpoint of light keeps me going. A hope. I didn’t know what to expect when I dove into the tear. Nick warned me of goblins and work, but it seems the rip in space/time has its own agenda for each occupant, and there were no goblins, no work to be seen. Nothing to be seen, in fact. Just that pinpoint of light that Aspen had instructed me to follow, for there, there lie superpowers. I drift through the eternal endlessness. It consumes me. But there’s the light. It consumes me. Light and dark, and all that is my being is consumed. That pinpoint grows bigger, yet stays the same size as I drift through the emptiness towards it. I cannot comprehend what is happening. But I can feel the void tearing at me, trying to rip me apart. I cannot allow that to happen. The light is so close, so far…so…without warning, a pedestal appears before me, and that glimmering light shines on beyond it. I look down, in complete and utter confusion as stone iPad offers me three choices. “Choose your first power, Mana, at your own risk, there is no turning back.” There is a blue hyperlink directing me to the EULA. I press my finger to it, scroll down without reading. Even though time doesn’t seem to exist here, who REALLY has time to read the terms of use? I scroll down the stone slab, to the end and check “Agree” without a second thought. Being taken to a second flintstone screen, offering me the option of 1 of 3 choices, advising me to choose carefully, as my selection will inevitable affect the outcome of the story. I look them over. Mulling, and scratching my hair. “These have got to be the worst superpowers ever!” I say aloud, yet nothing comes out, being in a vacuumvoid. My mouth opens and I I lip the words, but say nothing. But the thoughts are there. I read them over. I have 3 options for superability! “Traffic lights always turn green when you approach” … Oh, that sounds very nice! But kind of dangerous. I don’t trust the other drivers. If light’s suddenly turn red, how will they stop? I might get hit. No no no. I look to the next power. “Pen’s never run out of ink”. Oh, very interesting! But then I think to myself. I’ve never had a pen run out of ink before. I always lose them first. PASS! I see the third. Phew, I hope this power doesn’t suck. “Water boils. Even if you’re watching it.” Now THAT, I can get behind. Nothing worse than my incessant need to check on the pot, and find the water still NOT boiling. BOIL AWAY POT I’m so sick of waiting for my pasta to cook!. I cannot click fast enough. GIMME GIMME GIMME. I accept the the first realm of powers, boiling water. Which brings me to another curious stone screen. This one seems more practical. “Choose your next, Health. Proceed with caution” Health? Health seems really good. I look over my options on the weird stone slab that’s somehow totally out here in the space void with me, because all of this totally makes 100% sense. But I only have two choices this time. I frown. “YOU GAVE ME THREE CHOICES LAST TIME!” I yell at the slab, that doesn’t respond. It’s a slab, in a void. It doesn’t really have much to say. With a huff, I read them over again, anyway. “Superstrength”. Oh that sounds fun! I grin. Thinking more to myself. But that doesn’t really fit with my size. How much “strength” could I really gain. I’m only 103lbs! So what? I’d have the strength of someone like Potato? That’s hardly super! I want more! I glance down to option B. Agility/Acrobatics. Hmmm, interesting. I think to myself. I’m super flexible, and try to be very fast, this could be very useful. Like that Black Widow in all those movies some people can’t stop harping on about. I want that. I want to be super flexible, fast, and with the best fighting skills ever! Not the strongest, but the bestest! I press my finger to B, now having absorbed both the power of boiling pots of water at my whim, and great acrobatics and agility! Instead of drifting through the void now, I maneuver myself adeptly through it. Able to control my motions and actions, deftly, skillfully. OH MY, this will come in handy, I think to myself. It’s at that moment that my head begins to rattle, inside of itself, a coursing pain drifts through my skull as my powers are bestowed upon me by the slab, by the void. I writhe in agony, yet feel empowered. I drift and sift through the darkness. That pinpoint light that had been guiding me, brought me to its precipice, has distanced itself once again. Still trying to fully comprehend what is happening, in this endless vacuum I use my newfound abilities to direct myself back towards the light, careening in a beeline towards it, my head in pure agony as I drift forward. Closer and closer. Almost sailing. The light is there, but the void is not yet done with me. Even as I head towards the light, the darkness comes. Does it consume?

Published: 2023-09-30, viewed 55 times.