I have the name Ethan, a pretty bland and often-used name I know. I'm your stereotypical broke college student. At 19.
But that's the least of my worries. Living in metropolis may seem like others' dream. But metropolis is hell. Not for the reasons you expect.
Superman. Every big fight the guy gets into destroys the very least a quarter of the city. That's not even including all the thrown vehicles and other things.
Sighing to myself as I scratch the back of my head. I focus on my test
I wouldn't claim myself any genius, but I have a registered IQ of 180. So I'm fairly smart.
It's just I'm financially cooked. I just recently turned 19 as a sophomore in college. Born in the city of the metropolis and wanting to stay close to home, I chose the most prestigious university on the planet.
I had a job at the local pizza joint. Before Metallo or whatever threw Supergirl through the entire building. Wrecking my only place of income Forcing me to be a test dummy for the university to make money.
Since then I've tested things out for the inventors for 25 an hour. Better money than I was making at the pizza joint, but still slightly more dangerous.
"Mister Ethan Drake. I hope you're getting your test done instead of dosing off. I don't have all day" My professor speaks as I hold back a groan. Grabbing my paper I walk over and hand it in.
"I was finished 2 hours ago. I just used this time to Avoid my job..." I admit as I grab my bag and leave. It's time to be a legal living test dummy for a good friend of mine
****
"Ethan! I was waiting for your arrival! Excellent! Let's get to work" Reed. My friend and employer states as I put on my protective suit.
"What is it this time Reed? More temporary paralysis tests? Or am I Going to do an exercise while on your Noradrenaline pills?"? I'm convinced I have some humiliation kink. Sure the job pays well for someone my age, butt's still extremely dangerous and rather embarrassing
"Oh no, my friend! I have something much better in mind! Listen. Ethan. We are good friends, right pal? The favor I'm going to ask you may be a bit illegal... but it's for a good cost! I need you to take this! " Reed raises his hand showing a glass tube. The tube seems to suck in all light around it as I frown.
"Dark matter? Reed? How the fuck did you get your hands on that? " I question. Only star labs should have any right to have something as dangerous as dark matter.
"Listen Ethan. I'll explain everything later. What I need you to do is stabilize this dark matter, while I handle some other personal things. No experiments today. I know you're smart Ethan. You help around all the time when you aren't my lab dummy. Stabilize the dark matter and call me when you're done okay? " Reed says as he hands me the Dark Matter. My eyes widen at the pure power the small vial radiates
"Reed. Dude, I haven't agreed to this what's in it for me? I get caught and arrested while you're off lollygagging? Do you think I'm willing to risk that for nothing? " I get in Reed's face. My eyes meet his as I glare.
Reed stabs back a bit. His face marred in a frown. The guy isn't used to being told no.
"Okay. I expected this much to be a problem. 20 thousand dollars up front."
"20 thousand isn't worth risking life in prison."
"75 thousand."
"Deal."
Happy with the bargain I place the dark matter on a stabilizer and begin to type away happily. With 75 thousand I can pay off my car note. Pay rent for the next year. And get some nice food and clothes.
I hate to be a sell-out, but you need to understand my financial situation. If I didn't have a stroke morale code I would result in petty thievery.
"I see we have reached an understanding. Pfft ha-ha! Anyway, I have to go now. Make sure when you're done stabilizing the dark matter that the vial is secure" Ethan says as he walks off.
This is good. This thing was already near stabilization I just need to inject some code into the stabilizer and it should be stable for use. Whatever Reed has planned with the stable dark matter
Wait? Could he be up to no good? What if he's going to try and harm people? Surely not. Reed is a good guy. Ambitious but a good person.
Right?
As I type away. My eyes widen as an encryption unknown to me appears on the monitor.
"Whoa!"
SHINGGGGGGG
Everything turns black as the dark matter explodes.
My last thoughts were about money.
****
Waking up in a groan. I smell something burning like burnt toast my eyes widen as I remember the dark matter exploding. Shakily standing I note my physical condition.
My protective suit is gone. Vaporized. The dark matter vial is cracked open, but somehow still intact. But all the dark matter is gone.
With wobbling legs, I move to the vial inspection. Looks like 75 thousand down the drain. Reeds going to be pissed.
Reaching for my phone. Across the room. My eyes widen a bit as my phone falls off the nearby table. It was in the middle of the table. But it fell off as if pulled.
Shaking my head at the absurdity. I just chalk it up to the wind. Despite no windows being open.
Grabbing my phone off the floor I speed dial Reed's number. My face scrunched into a frown.
The dark matter had to be faulty. It doesn't just explode like that. Especially on a stabilizer. Along with that. That alien encryption... whatever it was, it was pre-programmed.
I'll try to give Reed the benefit of the doubt, but if he added that, I'm kicking his ass.
(Hello, this is Reed Ricard. This is my voicemail. Leave a message)
"Shit."
Slamming my fist down on the table I'm sitting at. My eyes widen as a translucent membrane covers my hand and crushes the table. The whole thing splits in half as I yelp.
My hands glow Blue as I look at my palms my eyes dilating as my heartbeat speeds up.
"What the hell is happening to me!?" I yell. Grabbing my phone I exit the destroyed lab in a hurry. Reed is always rocking his lab so no one will question it.
As I run. I reach outside in no time. Noting it's nighttime. I feel my feet move at speeds beyond me.
****
It takes no time for me to reach my apartment on the less wealthy side of town. Entering my apartment, I begin to hyperventilate. This is all too much.
Things in my apartment begin to float. Everything rises a few inches off the ground as I grip my head. Sitting at the door as my things float I groan in agony as an earsplitting headache overtakes my senses.
For the second time today, I passed out.
After a brief blackout, I wake up in another jolt. Everything seems back to normal. Laughing to myself at the craziness of it all I stumble over to my couch.
Everything seems clearer. If before I was seeing things in HD 4k. Now I see things in 10k if that makes sense.
"Shit... am I one of those meta freaks everyone is talking about? What if someone finds out? This isn't good. " I mutter to myself. Tears unwillingly spilled down my eyes due to the subsiding pain of my headache
My hands begin to shift between glowing blue. And then going back to normal. My frown worsens as I note my entire body is covered in a blue translucent aura briefly.
Okay. So I can work with this... anything that floats seems to put a tiny mental strain on me. Anything that floats also seems to be covered in this blue aura of mine.
Reaching towards my smaller single-person sofa. I lift it with an exertion of my mind. My body glows blue and so does the couch as it leaves the ground. My face scrunches in focus as I carefully levitate the couch three feet off the ground before gently dropping it down.
"This is all too surreal..." I feel my eyes twinkle. I need to test my limits somehow.
There's an abandoned car factory on the outskirts of town. No one goes there so I should be fine.
"All of this because of a lab incident..."