A Purpose

It was dark.

By my guess, the library was well past closing hours. The building was shut down, lights turned off and doors probably locked. At best there would be a guard checking the area every few hours. I doubt they'd come inside without any signs of a break-in. Public services don't pay enough for thorough searches.

I dismissed my teleportation ability. It was useful, but incredibly costly to keep around. It was a weird thought. Some nodes that logically should've been more powerful didn't feel like they took away from my power "pull" while other abilities were massive. Whatever system my abilities worked with didn't value different powers in the same way I would.

"It's interesting to think about at least" I muttered to myself as I got back to business.

I came here for a reason. Squinting to look around the place, I contemplated my next move. The lack of visibility was going to be a problem, but turning on the light would definitely alert anyone who paid enough attention. Tipping off security was a real possibility.

"Maybe…" I looked down at my hand. All my power slots were empty. I could try, but It just seemed too mundane. No real knowledge of how my abilities worked gave me a fair bit of doubt in myself.

'Don't know if I have something for this but It wouldn't hurt to check…'

I called for it, and something called back.

Bright.

The entire building was illuminated by artificial light. Where I was once squinting just to see anything in the dark, now I had to squint to keep myself from going blind. I moved my hand around, staring in awe at how it glowed. I took note of what my brain was registering. Thankfully my powers also came with a slight handbook. I don't know how useful these abilities would have been otherwise. It was basically a very, very bright lightbulb. Instead of encasing my hand like my forcefield, it came from within. My bones, veins, muscles, and even my blood were fluorescent.

Feeling for an imaginary toggle, I dialed down the amount of light I could produce. Minimizing it to spread around less but still giving me leeway in navigating through the library. I went from holding around a mini sun to a small flashlight. I strolled around. Searching for a book category.

What am I looking for you ask? It was extremely specific, something I came up with on the spot after I left the library earlier today. I didn't waste all that time I spent looking for criminals doing nothing. I was planning. Plotting, if you will.

What's the root of all problems?

Women.

I'm joking… not really, but the right answer was money. Without money, I was a nobody. Not in the introspective type of way, I mean it literally. I don't have an ID here. Even if I did, having no official documents means I don't exist. With guys like S.H.I.E.L.D and the countless agencies this world had, the second I get a hint of publicity they would check my background almost immediately.

Which is why I was here. I looked at the row of books on this particular shelf. This section of the library was for 'Computer science, information and general works'. The sign plastered on the side of this bookshelf had read 'Computer programming, programs and data'.

See where I'm going with this?

Coding was the be-all and end-all of knowledge. Before my untimely death, projects like ChatGPT were in heavy development. While it wasn't the sci-fi level bullshit we were all expecting it still served to give us an example of the insane potential of machines.

I wasn't Tony Stark. The guy was a certified genius and in my opinion the smartest person in the MCU. Anyone who would argue otherwise needs a reality check.

Sustainable pure energy, in a cave with nothing but a box of scraps. Figured out time travel in what? A DAY? People really overlook the sheer badassery of his accomplishments.

Above all else though, Tony's greatest field of study besides machinery was coding. Something I was about to dive knee-deep in.

Did I need to get to his level? No not really, and I doubt I will anytime soon. My ideas weren't about creating an AI. I was grounded enough in reality to realize I couldn't just type away a fully functional J.A.R.V.I.S within a day. That's something that takes months if not years of experience, and more importantly, money.

Speaking of the beautiful green. It's time to set my plan into motion. Skimming through the row of books I picked up a couple that fit my needs. Starting from "Coding for Beginners" all the way to "The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers". Add in a few extra books for Python, Java, Swift, and most importantly HTML and I got myself a good set of information.

I set myself up in the same seat I had used not too long ago. Getting as comfortable as I could in the small chair, I focused and looked for the last few things I needed to make this work.

Three powers came to me.

The first gave me a slowed perception of time. One-third of the average person. Not bad, but not abnormally quick either. The second made me the one thing I never was… a good student. It was limited to STEM subjects, but it still made me an unnaturally fast learner. Specifically better with theoretical knowledge. Though practical insight was something it also helped with.

I was pissed.

Where have you been all my life?

The last power…

Oh… 𝘰𝘩…

I had to restrain myself from giggling like a schoolgirl. I reached for the book on beginner coding, opened it to the first chapter, and placed my palm on the page.

'𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥.

𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘰𝘳…'

Dozens of sentences raced through my mind as every word was seared in my brain. Everything was memorized to a scarily accurate degree. When I had finished receiving that info dump, I lifted my hand off the book and stared blankly at an empty page. Every paragraph had been ripped away by my power.

"… I'll pay them back after I'm rich."

With unrestrained glee and a near maniacal glint in my eye, I prepared to drain every last bit of information I could from these books. I wouldn't be able to get everything, and my power told me absorbing this much text would make me forget a whole lot, but that wouldn't stop me from becoming a tech wiz.

Maybe… maybe I'd get to work with Tony Stark one day…

I'm living every man's wet dream.

*.*.*.*

My head was killing me. It felt like my brain was turning to mush. The downsides of being able to instantly consume information. It was a literary hangover. I rubbed my temples in an attempt to soothe the pain.

I've been here for a while now. Six hours? Seven maybe? With a few sleep breaks in between. The amount of knowledge I had to go through in that short time frame was atrocious. It should've been impossible.

For any normal person that is.

I now knew the basics of coding. At Least the ground rules necessary for me to make a fairly decent app or website. Not great by any means but good enough for what I needed.

I looked at the computer at my desk. Using my torch hand to help me see, I clicked the on button and waited for it to boot up. The computer itself provided enough lighting so I dialed down my light ability to zero. Coding with one hand isn't terrible, it's just slow.

As the desktop appeared I relaxed a bit at the familiar design. While I was sifting through Tony Stark's information on Google I forgot to check if anything else was the same in this reality. Looking at the unforgettable windows logo assured me there were still some things from my home that still existed.

I opened up Notepad and flexed my fingers in preparation. This is where it began. Where my story starts. My head was filled with things from my future. I'd use everything I had to my advantage.

As I started typing, something changed. The second my train of thought turned away from learning how to code, to actually wanting to code, I felt a shift. All my powers left me to make room for another.

And with a loud 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐃 my head slammed against the wooden table.

All that effort? Hours of learning what I needed to start me on my path. Just for it to be pointless.

All my power slots were emptied out involuntarily. A consequence of having abilities you couldn't control. Instead of four powers, they were replaced by just one. The power to code.

Why? Why didn't it show up before I started looking through all those coding books?

Intent maybe? Earlier I hadn't specifically searched for a power to code. I asked for ones that could help me learn to code. When I started the project I guess I went from wanting to learn, to actually coding. From what I can tell my power gave me what I needed at that specific moment, but when it came to me specifically choosing a power… I guess I had to make my objective clear.

'Wish I realized that before spending hours of my time' I thought in mild frustration.

Shrugging off the annoyance I went back to work. My body relaxed as my fingers hit the keyboard. What felt like years of experience came to life as I started on my project. I could feel my passion. Not just internally. The computer itself hummed almost as thick stubby fingers drummed across its keys. I sensed the technology around me, all turned off in slumber. With each input, each line of code brilliantly crafted with no excessive wasteful addons, I felt more focused. The more work I put in the less the outside world affected me. Until it was nothing but background noise. All I focused on was the computer and my power. The singular power that thrummed within me. Pinging like a radio tower. It wasn't the only ping. I could feel them all around me.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 could feel it too. Cold machines. Crafted by men many years ago. Nothing more than tools to educate those who searched within the library's walls. Waiting to be used. They too felt it.

Silence ensued. Nothing but the repeated taps of a man and his machine.

They listened as I worked. They did not feel, nor act until acted upon. They listened… and watched as their 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 worked wonders…

*.*.*.*

Genius. That's the only word I could call this. I still couldn't create an AI. I felt like I had a power with the potential to create one somewhere inside me but it wouldn't come out. No amount of reaching for it worked. I'd have to think about that problem later.

Besides that issue, I was a coding master. Still within normal limits but at the peak of what humans in my home world could achieve. My only restriction was personnel. I had to code everything on my own. I didn't have the luxury of a group to help me. It made things slow at best and tedious at worst. A total of five long hours and I'd created a bare-bones replica of what I was aiming for to begin with. Nothing fancy, and it would still need at minimum a month of work before it could get off the ground.

'What the hell have I done?' I cursed myself. I had made an unforgivable mistake. One that couldn't be pardoned. I cringed just looking at the name of the website. Utter hate and loathing for its existence.

What had I made? What could be so blasphemous as to have me squirming in disgust?

I made… no, brought to life…

TikTok.

It had to be done! Vine didn't exist yet, and seeing how it failed in my world I wasn't worried about it as a competitor. Creating the website now was the perfect time to capitalize on the market. I'm looking at a minimum of a few billion dollars in the next few years if I could get this off the ground. At worst, I'd sell it off to another tech company when It got big enough. Either way, while I hated TikTok with every fibre of my being, I wasn't going to just let such an opportunity go because of it. Beggars can't be choosers.

This wouldn't be the only market I'd crash into. With my different powers, I could probably hit every substantial area as long as I played it smart.

That and creating a company was a goal I could actually go for now. While my power lacked in the coding department, it made up for with a specialization in hacking. It took me about fifteen minutes, minus about three for a pee break, but I was able to hack into a hospital in North Carolina and change their records. I chose my home state because the best lie is one told with a bit of truth.

Making up something is good and all, until someone caught you slipping when you forgot certain details. I played it a bit smarter.

I added in an orphaned background and made sure to choose a place that had been shut down to make looking for records a tad bit harder. It was very close to my hometown. Add in a few hospital visitations and vaccination reports and viola, I was good to go. For now at least. Hacking into the government for my Social Security Number was another matter entirely. Pulling it off without tripping a wire damn near gave me a heart attack. With a whopping hour of stressed-filled dread, I was able to pull off the stunt. It took another thirty minutes of me waiting for the police to bust down the library door for me to finally calm down. Even then, all I had done was create a fake randomized number and plastered it on every Identification document I could fabricate. Trying to hack the Social Security Administration with a subpar library computer would be my one-way ticket to life in prison. I'd try getting an authentic SSN after getting better hardware.

I could potentially hack into someone's bank account and just take their money. But that was much harder to do. The government has all of their information online. Anything I'd need to hack them already provided. If a 17-year-old in my original world could do it while sitting in his mom's basement, then I could definitely pull it off with my power bullshittery.

Now, trying to differentiate different people and associate them with their specific bank accounts? Easier said than done. While I wish this was a fantasy world, people cared more about money than the government. Not only would I paint a target on my back but it was an unnecessary risk for any positives that it might bring. There were entire scamming operations for a reason, getting someone illegally into a country was miles easier than stealing thousands of dollars through the internet. I wouldn't be hacking anything else for a while.

"If only I had J.A.R.V.I.S…" I mumbled dejectedly. It'll be fine. Slow start to great beginnings.

I already got the website domain. Using a credit card I swiped off one of those thugs from yesterday. I doubt he had a lot of money on it, most guys in that line of work keep physical cash. For obvious reasons. Sadly its traceability made this a one-time purchase.

Content with knowing I'd gotten my startup out of its development stage I started by looking for a more stable income. Social media apps only worked if people used them and I was going to have to get this thing as popular as possible in as short a time as I could. That meant advertisements galore.

I started off by creating my own work CV. I know I said I specifically wouldn't hack into anything else, but I lied. I searched up Empire State University and broke into their systems without even tearing down their firewalls. My power told me I could do it in a much simpler way. Instead of an SQL Injection, I decided to pull off something easier by sending a widespread email to every teacher who worked there. The email would contain a link that would spread malware throughout their systems, giving me access to their login info. Clickjacking, a useful technique.

I waited for a few minutes. This process usually took a while. It was also pretty early in the morning. In all likelihood, my method would fail. You'd have to be an absolute idiot to click on a lin-

Someone clicked on it.

And just like that, I was in.

Creating a student record with the identity I made for myself was light work. I broke into a few more committee and association systems to give myself certificates in CCISO, OSCP, etc. all things I'd need to bolster my credentials to make me the best suitable employee.

By the time I was done, I had made myself the perfect example of a model student. A 3.9 GPA in computer sciences from one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, certificates galore, pre-graduate internships that gave me years of experience, and most importantly, I was young. Companies loved taking in people they could use and abuse for years.

I applied for ethical hacking jobs for a multitude of businesses. Most importantly, banks. Being able to have insider information on their systems would be critical later on in the future. The remote job aspect also allowed me to focus more on other projects at the same time.

Sunlight. I looked around in shock for a moment before realizing I'd been working for hours. So much so that I hadn't registered the sun rising. Looking back at a clock hanging on the nearest wall I took note of the four hours I had left before the library opened again.

I was set. My brain was already fried from putting in so much effort without sleeping for more than 20 minutes at a time. At this point, there wasn't much else I could do. I just needed to wait and let my CV go through the application process.

I set my head down on the table, breathing out in exhaustion. It wasn't much, but there was still a little hope for me now.

With that thought in mind, I let myself go and felt my consciousness slowly drift off. My stomach grumbled as I met the void and a single word echoed in my head.

'Food…..'

*.*.*.*

Click-click-click

The sound of keys being pushed at rapid speed was the only source of disturbance in the apartment. The open windows allowed for cool air to pass through the interior. A cacophony of car horns blasted through the busy Murray Hill streets. New York was a crowded place. Most populous city in the United States, something I've learnt in the past three weeks I've been here. I could hear the buzz of people talking. It was a nice backdrop to the constant construction clamour that pervades the neighborhood.

I pulled my right hand off my computer and searched around my desk. Keeping my eyes on my work I shifted around searching for my objective. I felt my hand knocking on something soft and plushy. Gripping it softly, I lifted it toward my face while one-handedly testing my company's bandwidth. A user datagram packet flood was crude. It was way too easy to detect thus opening up the hacker for a counterattack. Thankfully, I was employed to do this, making discoverability a none issue. My right hand shoved the soft bread into my mouth. In less than three seconds the hotdog had been devoured.

Content with finally being able to enjoy food again, I slowly thought back to the past three weeks.

It took an astounding 14 hours to get a job. An absurdly short amount of time if you knew how the corporate world worked. My credentials were too good to look past apparently. Bank of America had a branch in New York that was in serious need of cyber security defense. The best person to protect their systems just so happened to be the one who could break into them just as easily. Smart on their part, who knows how to hack better than hackers themselves? Though, It did take up a lot of my time.

Upside to this? A guaranteed 96,000 dollars a year with the potential for bonuses down the line. I nearly choked on my spit at being offered such a deal. It was more than I'd ever been given in my world. Their bi-weekly pay was a problem, but I rationed off the cash I got from that first night out to survive. The last few dollars spent on the hotdog I had just waffled down.

Thankfully they provided me with a computer. It wasn't anything special but it made things much easier. I didn't feel like having to go to a library every day just to get my work done.

And work I've been doing. Cross-site scripting, request forgery, WordPress pingback attacks, the whole nine yards. I'd been putting in requests every other day for larger transit and server capacity. Better system framework and in general increased network management. I left upgrading their detection ability alone, for now. Wouldn't want them getting too comfortable without my help. The best way to get a bonus is to make your employers know they need you. The majority of people, whether they admit it or not, are replaceable.

Besides that, nothing much had happened. I maxed out the other credit cards I stole by paying for small advertisements on my website. I used my new computer to work on the TikTok website and app simultaneously. In all but three weeks my new favourite coding power had given me an insanely responsive project with engagement metrics more sophisticated than any other creator-based software on the market right now. In fact, I may have focused on the internal work a little bit too much. I remember how dissatisfied content creators were with Vine and monetization. I had focused so much on that angle I left a lot to be desired on the consumer side. If I'm being optimistic I still needed a good month and a half to release it. Once it starts catching steam TikTok would take off with flying colors.

I honestly don't know how to feel about that right now.

YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DESTROY THE SITH, NOT JOIN THEM!

The more I thought about it the sweeter the idea of selling it off later down the line became. I didn't want to be tainted by this memory for long.

The things we do for money…

Speaking of, I changed browser tabs to my Bank of America account. I got a debit card pretty easily, especially being a member of their staff. I was offered a better credit alternative but having no Social Security Number was still an issue. A problem I've already gotten on top of.

A smile grew on my face at seeing nearly 3,700 in my checking account. To think two weeks of work would equal about a month at my old job. I was fully content with spending it. I already had the right PC parts picked to get me the best functioning desktop commercially available. Something that high-end would definitely give me the hardware power necessary to hack the government while covering my tracks. I just needed to go out and buy the items.

Closing up my work for the day I stood up to stretch. I could feel the XXL shirt straining as my body extended. My apartment was fairly small. A down payment by my company with a contractual obligation to pay it back in six months helped secure me a nice place. Not the best but completely livable.

I headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. It was something I always liked to do before starting a gaming session. Of course, the first thing I did when I got my computer was download a variety of games. It was only 2012 but World of Warcraft and League were still massive. I'd have to wait for more money to come in before I could get myself a whole catalogue of my favourites. That and the hardware to handle them. I would definitely be grabbing myself a copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed as soon as I could.

I felt my feet stop. My fists went slack. I could feel the thoughts of gaming and fun slip away into bitterness. It wasn't uncalled for. It was hard not to be in a bad mood every time you… were reminded of disappointed. The mirror I stared at reflected a pathetic image. Years of improper care and straight-up neglect stared back at me. I could hear my father's voice calling me fat from heaven. The old man always did have it out for me. It was only when he passed away that I realized all he ever wanted was the best. To see his son grow up to be better than him. I couldn't give him that before his funeral, and I sure as shit didn't do it afterwards either.

Feeling a gnawing sensation grow in my chest I took slow steps back away from the bathroom. Maybe if I hopped on a game right now I'd feel better, is what I told myself.

Returning to my small desk I settle back down on my office chair. Almost to spite me I felt the springs compress as my weight pulled it down an inch or two. Determined to get myself back in the mood I started up a game.

The universe really did hate me. The loading screen was pure black. Not a glitch, just a momentary loading element to get past the launcher. It had been for all but three seconds.

But it was enough.

My reflection glared at me from the black screen. I could see every line on my face. Instead of lean contours that adorned athletes, I was met with curves created by skin sitting on top of more skin. Spilling over due to a lack of space. You could almost see every calorie I've ever eaten. My body was a testimony to the amount of utter shit I'd shoved in my mouth throughout the years.

My mood plummeted further. I usually didn't care. In my past life, I'd rolled through the insults. I'd taken it on the chin. Ignored everything because I felt like I was living my life the way I wanted to.

I was a grown man. Who were they to judge my life?

One coping mechanism after another. Anything to stop me from actually changing. From trying anything new. Because I was comfortable.

I used my mouse to click on a familiar button. I waited. Every second filled me with ever-increasing doubt.

…..I could change here, couldn't I? This wasn't about how other people perceived me, but who I wanted to be. If I couldn't at least try and be better then what was the point in my being here? Could I even face the monsters out there the way I was now?

Paul Blart vs Thanos. It would be funny if it wasn't so true.

I stared at my screen. A spark lit in my eyes. For the first time in my life, I felt something other than resignation. I wouldn't call it hope, maybe optimism? I guess they were technically one and the same.

Que up to play league, or start making changes to save the universe. I knew it wasn't really a choice, but my addiction was tempting.

I could feel the weight. Almost like hands pressing down on my shoulders. Billions? Trillions? How many lives would be taken if I don't intervene? The work I've been doing for the past few weeks was decent. Enough to get me on my feet. But it wasn't enough. I wasn't trying to settle for good, I was chasing greatness.

Conviction was something I needed. Regardless if I had it or not, I would use the worst-case scenario as my motivation. The souls that needed saving acted as the earth, me as Atlas. Cursed to carry the burden. I wouldn't fall, no, I literally couldn't fall. This would be it. My career, my life, my legacy.

My heart burned with purpose. For the second time in less than five minutes, I shut down my computer. It took me a while but I eventually found a large hoodie, sweatpants, and pair of running shoes I had bought earlier this week. Changing clothes I set out of my apartment and into the New York streets.

With no destination in mind, I ran.

…I meant jogged…

…Ok so maybe I started walking. My lack of physical fitness was going to be a problem. Three minutes in and I could already feel myself straining to continue. My breaths came out in short laboured bursts. I knew that mentally I could do this, but my physical body couldn't keep up.

𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳. 𝘕𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵. 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥…

My mind was fed information, and I smiled as the pain faded away. Muscle fibres knit themselves back together at astonishing speed. A process that would take three or four days, completed within seconds. I picked up the pace, back to a light jog as I took a right turn. I'd take the long route, jogging in a straight line. The less complicated the route, the easier it was for me. The sounds of New York drowned out my problems. Everything that I stressed about came to a halt as I passed by a park. I could see children holding hands with their parents. Their youthful ignorance was a gift. Dogs ran with the wind, their owners giving them a chance to enjoy the outdoors.

Threw all this peaceful harmony, I couldn't help but let my mind wander. The past few weeks hadn't been solely dedicated to coding. Besides the few days, I went out to buy clothes and stock up on food, I had been thinking about my powers.

Thankfully, I wasn't just shooting in the dark. While I couldn't get a vocal response, my power gave me good directional help by giving me certain feelings and thoughts. Introspective in nature. Even better, was that mysterious piece of paper. While I was messing around with my pocket dimension, I pulled it out and noticed it had changed. Bigger than before, and with completely different writing. Explanations and details for powers I knew nothing about.

Until of course… I read what it said. Everything made sense. Well, everything as in what my powers were. I had only ever heard about the character in passing. A mention by someone, comments here in there. I even remember this time when a few guys argued if he could beat Superman in a fair fight.

Risky comparison all things considered. Superman was the monument for all heroes. The only hero to be so great he embodied the role itself. A manifestation of Hope. He was a benchmark for strength. If you were comparing anything to him, you better come prepared with pure facts.

Still, I had never read their comic, or novel. I knew nothing about them besides a name and possible feats that seemed a bit too far-fetched at the time. It made what I read that much more helpful.

𝘔𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Pretty straightforward. Anything that helped me move, though It was a bit broader than simply super speed. Teleportation was included, for obvious reasons.

𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵.

My pocket dimension would fall under this. Just like Mover, the broad explanation makes it hard to understand. Offensively, it was basically an AOE attack. The longer I was in an area, the harder I was to beat.

𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘦 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Punch wall. The wall goes boom. An impenetrable defence or an unstoppable offense. Maybe even both.

𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦.

I haven't used this category yet. My power told me things. In my peripheral, I could feel a 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 power call to me. I denied it and kept running. Something told me using that particular ability right now would end very, very badly.

𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

Weirdly, this was my most used power type. At first, I thought I had the power of minor coding, with higher proficiency in hacking, but the longer I used it the more I learned it's true nature. I didn't just instantly gain the knowledge to code, I actually had the ability to control computers. That's why it was so geared toward hacking, towards taking control of other interfaces. I'd probably avoid these types of powers if I could. Something about it just… rubbed me the wrong way…

𝘛𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘳- 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺.

The one I was most excited for. My job and app development had taken a large chunk of time out of my schedule. I'd survived on the computer Master power for nearly a month to get myself on my feet. If the first one I'd ever used made me a near-knowledge-learning fiend, I could only wonder what else I had in my arsenal.

𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Anything that lets me fuck shit up from my coach. If Brute was unga bunga then these powers were bomba-level threats. Detrimental in cities. I'd have to be careful of potential collateral damage.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.

Mind enhancement. Visual augmentation. Information is more than just textbook knowledge. I've watched enough Naruto to know environmental awareness was key to survival. Rest in peace Neji, dattebayo.

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘳- 𝘈 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘦/𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Close range. Possibly combo with Mover to actually hit targets. I'd have to careful here. There are too many people on earth that can one tap a human.

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Monsters, demons, forms of myth. Another category I haven't used, though the idea of turning into a giant seemed kind of cool.

𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺.

This definitely had the greatest potential. Being able to change or affect powers in any way was a high-tier ability in Marvel. Power nullification being the most sought-after.

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 - 𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Who needs years of experience when you could just bullshit your way into being James Bond. With the way things worked in this world, I was probably going to be on Mission Impossible sometime in the future. Hopefully, the fate of the world didn't rest on me being incognito.

My focus shifted back to my environment. The streets had changed. Cozy, clean, and neat neighbourhoods were replaced by cracked concrete and desecrated buildings. The longer I ran the more different the scenery became. I could see more parks ahead and more importantly, I could see the rocky beach that kept people safe from the Harlem River. I stopped as I steadily approached, crossing a highway street. I grabbed a stone rail for support as I took in massive gulps of air. If any bystander could see me they'd think I was actively trying to eat oxygen.

My muscles healed almost instantly, but that didn't solve all the other problems that came with exercise. My chest was dying from the effort I was putting in. It felt like micro-tears spreading across my lungs. My hair clung to my forehead. The sweat was pouring down my body. It was like I was walking through rain. Except sweat didn't really evaporate, so I was stuck feeling disgusted by sticky liquids covering my body.

I looked down the street in trepidation. If my geography was right, I had just jogged nearly 5 miles. I probably should've bought a phone. The launch of the iPhone 5 was sometime next year, and I hadn't spent a single dime of my salary yet.

"No pai-huff, n-huff gain I guess… damn it." I wheezed out a curse. I was trying to cheer myself up but I was struggling just to breathe. The curse of making gains.

I steeled myself. Reminding myself why I was going through this pain to begin with. It'll be worth it in the end. I had to believe. I walked, jogged, then ran my way back home.

Step by step, I brought my body closer to my goal.