Atomic Rebooted

19. Discovery

CLAIRE

When I woke up the next morning, I had one mission, a goal: to discover what powers I actually had. After all, I knew I'd make a lousy superhero if I had no idea how to actually use what I have.

I stared across the room at my dresser and all of the little trinkets and stuff on top of it, wondering how I could repeat what I did when I somehow lifted the monorail in the air above me— not very high, and only for a second, but still.

How did I do it?

That was the question that plagued me as I turned my hands over and over in front of me, sitting with my legs crossed on my disheveled bed.

I remembered that I'd just pushed my hands out, as if would somehow had helped— and then the miracle happened, for it did.

I tentatively drew my hand back.

Am I really doing this?

I could see myself in my mind's eye, and I looked like a big dork. A bigger one than I was already.

Still, I pushed my hand out, as if I was shoving something.

A plastic picture frame went flying off the top of my dresser.

But this time, I saw something else to it— a faint silvery-blue wave of energy that emanated from my hand and dissipated quickly upon hitting the picture frame. It was so translucent, you could barely see it.

I'd missed it during the monorail accident, and luckily, so had everyone else in the chaos.

I then tried to conjure a bit of it into my hands— and there sat a ball of pure silvery-blue energy just there, glimmering softly, gently. It was beautiful and powerful and it was mine.

I flexed my fingers and moved my hands instinctively, growing and playing with the light— letting it grow and surround me, before letting go and allowing it to fizzle out.

After about an hour or so of just playing with my powers for the fun of pure self-discovery, an overwhelming feeling of fatigue washed over me.

This is what Renegade was talking about, I realized as I sank back into my sheets. About the limits and it being weird.

For a few moments that felt like forever, my body felt unbearably heavy, like I couldn't even carry myself down to the kitchen to refuel up, or down an entire pot of coffee even.

Well, that's going to be a problem if I'm going to be hero, I thought to myself. Maybe not the best career path for myself.

Still the feeling faded enough for me to get myself out of bed and downstairs.

Holly's car was gone, as she had gone to her Sunday morning yoga class, and Dad was working at his computer. I just kinda nodded a good morning at him, and he nodded back and smiled before returning to the task at hand— whatever it was.

I entered the kitchen, however, and saw Julien there, holding up the picture frame that Menlo had broken before I'd gotten downstairs.

"You know anything about this?" Julien asked.

Time to deflect while I think up a lie.

"I don't— except that it came from Dad's comic book room," I shot back. "What were you doing in there?"

His cheeks turned red. "That's not important— but it was broken when I came in, and it wasn't before Friday night—"

I raised an eyebrow. "So you've been in there more than once?"