Power Shift (Book 1)

Chapter 5: Priorities

Winning Choice: Make his way back home to scout out the situation first.

Maybe that kid was in on this somehow, or maybe I'm just getting paranoid. No, scratch that, I'm definitely getting paranoid. If these guys know where I live, I had better scout things out before I call Nicole. If everything is fine then I'll just feel silly, but better safe than sorry.

I put on the sweats and shirt, but skip on the socks. Think I’ll be better off barefoot than with socks snagging on everything. The outfit isn’t most flattering fit but it'll do to keep my bits from getting anymore free time around town.

The pockets of the duffel bag turn up a locker key and a gym membership card and a handful of loose change. I stuff it all into my pockets. I'd keep the whole bag but I think it would be more awkward than helpful to carry it around. I go to toss it in the dumpster, but when I lift the lid my nose is assaulted by the smells inside. Rotting meat, wet newspaper, something sugary starting to ferment. I can smell it all in great and horrifying detail.

I chuck the duffel in the dumpster and slam the lid shut. Ugh. I'm not thinking a fantastic sense of smell is going to be my favorite new ability.

Yeah, about these new abilities. I flex my hands, looking at my fingers. Definitely still my fingers. They don't look any different. I still feel like me. Yet now I appear to be part comic book character. That logical part of my brain, the one that knows in painful detail how the world works, says none of this can be real. But it sure as hell seems to be.

I wonder if I could pick up that entire dumpster. Could I tear it open with my bare hands? Could I punch a hole in this brick wall? Could I climb up the wall? Leap all the way up onto the roof?

Okay, okay, I've got to prioritize here. Goofing around and landing myself in the hospital, or worse, won’t help anybody. First, I’ve got to get back to Nicole. Then figure out what happened to me. She'll help me make sense of this. Or at least she can confirm that I'm losing my mind. Then we can figure out the Why. As in “Why Me?” of all people.

I smile. Nicole always said I can't do anything without a list. Well, I just made a list and she's on the top. Time to get moving.

I walk to the end of the alley and peek out. No cops, just a lot of people walking around looking like they're headed to lunch. I relax a bit as this should help me blend in unless I do something like accidentally leap over a car while trying to step off the curb. Taking a deep breath I step out on the sidewalk and start walking like I know where the heck I'm going. Nice and calm.

I go maybe half a block before I realize I'm just on the far side of city from where we live! I'd kind of figured with all the kidnapping drama they had me hundreds of miles away, maybe even in a different country, but nope—I’m just a long taxi ride from home!

I guess it makes sense since they had everything they needed to mess with me in that van and warehouse. If they were after me specifically, why take the hassle of carting me half way around the world. Just set up the lab right near where you're going to grab me.

But now how to get home? I could jog and try to go at a normal speed, but that is going to take a while. At least it wouldn't attract any attention. I could try to get a cab, which would be fairly quick but I've got no money to pay when I get there. They get pretty mad when you bail on them. Or I could just see what these new legs can really do and run back as fast as I can. But I’m still not sure how much control I have, and I've got a hunch that's going to get me a bunch of unwanted attention all over again.

Does Brandon:
1. Try to jog home like a regular person.
2. Hail a cab, even though he doesn’t have the money.
3. Run home as fast as his new powers will carry him. (Winning Vote)

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