The building was in the shape of a perfect circle. The ball was massive; about a mile and a half in radius. It was held in the ground by a gold base that glittered in the afternoon light.
To be honest? I was a little scared. I had no idea what to expect from the quiz. I thought it was a mere figurative of a speech she was using. Was there actually a test? A better question, if it WAS a test, then would I fail?
I froze in the doorway, completely overwhelmed. My feet wouldn’t budge. Hands gripped my shoulders from behind.
“Go on,” Rim urged, pushing me through the doorway. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3gbsGqSqf
I walked for the rest of the time. I didn’t want points taken off just because I was dragged in by a teenage girl. A teenage girl with superpowers, to be exact. There was a hallway, and in it were a bunch of pictures of people framed on the walls. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOztn9AhhIz
I saw a man in a cape with big muscles and a mask. I saw a woman holding up a baby elephant, and another man using his mind to pick up some big heavy rocks. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DTFl9dsUh
Again, this is where the realization kicked in. I was not this guy, or this girl, or that other guy. I wasn’t Rim, or her sneezing buddy, or the kids I saw at the cafe. I was a normal kid, and I didn’t belong here. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FN1etjUP3
Why couldn’t Rim see that?548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqcNhZaaXm
Closer to the end of the hallway, the pictures looked more modern. One of the final pictures was a man in a fireman’s outfit. I guess the word “hero” goes a long way. Rim scanned her hand on a panel like the one at the main entrance of the city and the two double doors at the end of the hallway swung wide open. She walked through, me following close behind. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQHM8iVu8I
The room reminded me of an aviation hangar we got a tour of on my third-grade field trip. It was huge and the walls, floors, and rounded ceiling were all white. Blue lines shone between the tiles, making it look like a grid. Behind us, the double doors closed with a thump, and suddenly another wall fell in front of me. I realized then and only then that I was completely enclosed in the facility. No doors, no windows, no escape. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxfR0S0JPj
My pulse quickened. Standing in the middle of the room were a bunch of kids, maybe seven of them, ranging from maybe ten to sixteen. Rim pushed me closer to them. I fought against her a bit, but that girl was strong. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Um4QUXaos
“Hello everyone,” she told the group, releasing her steel grip on me and placing her hands on her hips. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyIF5IYt4q
The kids murmured some greetings, but mostly they looked interested in something else. Then I realized that something was me. A girl was looking at me, looking almost scared. I waved a little bit, and she shyly waved back. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYAA7qG5WB
“Everyone, this is Blake,” Rim explained. A kid with very blue eyes came up and poked me cautiously with his finger.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrEJeStWr9
“Is he a Natural?” Rim shrugged. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40lMtpoA6H
“I have every reason to believe so, yet he hasn’t really showcased any of his powers yet. That’s strange. Usually, people like us just can’t help it.”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Rge3Nu0zs
“Cut the kid a break,” A male voice shouted. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dZaoqmVYw
The boy made his way through the crowd. It was Allen. He was wearing fresh, casual clothes and slick new sneakers. He was still wearing his sports goggles. I didn’t get to say anything before he tackled me in a hug. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zo02rLHzM
“How are you kid?”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2odhx9NxTN
“Confused, to say the least. Allen, what’s going on? Why am I here?” Allen loosened the hug.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPphASneMOE
“They’re here to test you for your abilities. I told them they shouldn’t, that it would put too much stress on you, but they insisted. Listen, I want you to stay as normal and calm as possible. You do that and everything will be fine and you won’t get hurt. You feel me?”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLzWRckFW1
“Mm-hm,” I murmured, a little scared. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpTOV82Z9h
Be calm and I won’t get hurt? Now I never wanted to let Allen go. I wanted to go home. Allen let me go.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2O1L194xUD
“I think this is everyone. Now six of you guys have been here before. The census is such a pain, but it’s mandatory to get tested. Most of you know your powers. Then we have our newbies: Blake and Tara." He gestured to the girl that waved to me before and pushed her forward. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84Fu6Jh81V
She was wearing a purple sweatshirt. Her eyes were brown and her bit past shoulder-length hair was brown too. Rim pushed me forward. We stood a foot apart, sizing each other up. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsDOFCdrpj
Allen continued. “A series of variables will be thrown into the room once I give the signal. These variables will test you for your abilities. Not all of them hurt, I’ll assure you.” He crossed his arms. “Are you all ready?” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4mTOC3xqw
I wanted to scream ‘NO! I'M NOT READY! GET ME OUT OF HERE!’548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAnQaTic1m
But a few nods and affirmations started it, as Allen raised his first high in the air and the test began. First, thousands of ping-pong-looking balls fell through circular holes in the ceiling. They were hot to the touch and probably would burn you if it landed on you for a second too long. I tried to dodge them, rolling out of the way of some and getting hit by others.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4gMy21AdL
“Teamwork is encouraged!” Allen reminded me somewhere to my left. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFdUiqlj0y
I spotted Rim. She was standing on her hands, her rubbery legs stretching and making a sort of umbrella over her body. She shifted on her hands for balance, but her protection strategy was interesting. The kid who had poked me before was dashing back and forth on his legs, which you could hardly see because he was running so fast. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBgNLZcmt4
Me, I couldn’t find any way to avoid the balls. There were too many and rained too fast. I stumbled back from a bigger ball and ran backward into someone. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzboHLJw04
“Ow,” the person said. I turned and saw the girl, Tara. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0EIsw0s6F
“Sorry,” I apologized, trying the avoid the flaming ping pong balls hitting me head. She gave a dry smile. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIG0uU3NNR
“No prob.” A ball fell on her head and she winced. I rolled to evade another ball. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyL4Hvq2nAz
“How’d you get here?” I asked, raising my voice above the noise. The girl swatted a ball away from her face. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDVE5vNSOD
“I was just at school and it was time to dismiss ‘cause it was a half-day, and suddenly these football players and cheerleaders start chasing me with glowing sticks. Then that kid with the goggles pulls up in his car and tells me to jump in and I do.....” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwuFU97jI7
“Hey!” Allen says, “this is no time for tea and chat newbies! You’ll have plenty of time to find your soul mate later!” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJHka7ROCW
A couple of chuckles broke loose around and Tara and I stopped speaking to each other. I ran to another part of the room just before the next variable appeared: swarms of bugs. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvA0Aosa8sg
Oh no. It really wasn’t fair. All these other kids had ways to protect themselves. I didn’t. How cruel. I watched in awe as the bugs swarmed around a red-haired boy and sting him. Then I realized they weren’t hurting him. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXIVUe7OIB
His skin glowed as if he was indestructible on the outside. The blue-eyed kid kept running, and that seemed to do the trick. Rim used her legs to jump up the high ceiling and grab on to something up there, she would wait for the bugs to follow her and then jump back down. Clever. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAuBr8Ndg4
Blake, on the other hand, got stung a few times and man it hurt. I tried to think ‘My skin is indestructible’ but that only made it worse. It made me stand in one place for too long. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDbuffNWt0
Then the final variable came. The room began to pool with water. I gulped. Nope. I didn’t have a chance in this one. Before we knew it the water was up to our necks and we had to kick to get out heads above the water. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSaWrd7fYq
I gasped for air, my entire body getting tired. I just wanted to get above the water. And then it happened. I was there in the air, flying. I didn’t even know how I was doing it, to tell you the truth. I thought I was drowning because my eyes were closed until I heard the gasps below me. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWmQhuGHgq
I opened my eyes and the truth was revealed: I had the ability to fly. Then, all the water began to drain to one corner of the room. The water there concentrated. I realized it was becoming a tornado. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGZr97rmhK
Another variable? The water left the space where Allen and the others were and they found themselves on the ground. Tara was the only one missing. She stood close to the tornado, and it didn’t take long for me to realize she was controlling it. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQQCRKRFng
“Tara!” Allen cried. “Let it go! It’s getting too strong!” It seemed that way. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjynDBtd6j
The tower of water began to sway. Tara opened her eyes. They widened when she saw what she was doing. She immediately clamped her hands into fists. She tried again, her eyes widening more. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDMZQ3VsTt
“I...I can’t!”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeki4pGOae
“TRY!”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LUdRzibgm
“I CAN’T! It won’t listen!” Then the square underneath the water opened and the water disappeared. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgbXH8Rn9M
Tara collapsed onto her hands and knees. Everyone was sitting or laying on the ground. That is, everyone except me, who was floating in the air. Everyone was staring, and looking at their faces made my concentration crumble. I shot towards the ground, my arms flailing. Luckily Allen caught me in his big, strong arms. I looked up into his eyes.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOhDm2BeJG
“Uh....hi?” He let me go and took a few steps back. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPbki7dkaG
“You’re......You’re.....” I could feel his surprise.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL8TFYgRX2
Who knew it better than me, as I looked myself up and down. How long could I do THAT? All the kids were making space between me and them. Tara stood up maybe four feet away. Our eyes met with equal confusion and fear.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡats3W1WOH7
“Oh man,” breathed Allen, his eyes claiming a deer-in-headlights look. “This is bad. We have an ultra-natural. And not just one, but two!”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3m67JZ0z9
“What does it mean?” asked a ten-year-old girl. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMefmi7MrW9
Allen gulped. “It means the world is in for it. Something bad is going to happen."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN83AOTzLE4
A door opened and a few adults came in. One was a woman with golden hair, who placed a hand on a few of the children and healed their wounds with her powers. Another man looked incredibly muscular, his upper body putting magazine bodybuilders to shame. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAB7NlsBeK
There was Lana, our wizard friend, her red hair messy, and her eyes as alert as ever. Then there was a man with amber-colored hair. It was a blonde-brown color like mine. I recognized the man from the photograph in the hallway of the firefighter. He was smiling, while the other adults seemed a bit more serious.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc2G7Ug6Sk
“Lena told you,” Lena said, nibbling on her stick. “Lena knew boy is dangerous.” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJWg05oRoV
“Lena, calm down,” the handsome man said soothingly. "I want you all to settle down. For those of you who don’t know me... my name in Knight, or knights armor if you want to go by hero names.” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PLqWORAFG
Armor. Was he the man Rim was talking about in the car? 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxmtR2ZXs6
He continued. “All of you head down to the lounge on the lower floor until we figure this out. I want to have a word with these two.” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxzW0zbxeS
With that, the adults herded the kids towards the elevators that appeared behind a wall that had raised behind us. A few kids stole glances at me over their shoulders. I tried to look cool and collective, but I was as nervous as anyone. Rim stayed behind. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcsbUnFczb
“Daddy, what’s going on?” 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrHzyWpK32
Daddy? Was this guy Rim’s father? 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoNglusZno
“Hush Rim." He used a remote and two black couches rose from the floor. He motioned us to sit and we sat across each other. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0UovPgxJd
“I’m sorry, this is probably so much to take in. I wanted to welcome you personally to Super Natropolis. Why don’t you tell me a little about yourselves before we start with the heavy stuff? Who are you, sweetheart?” Tara smoothed her sweatshirt. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUH9Ga2KyX
“I’m not sure I even know anymore,” she said softly. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLN6YW7tFpO
Armor smiled gently. “What’s your name?”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TXCWvhV01
“Taradelta,” she replied. “But I like Tara better.” Taradelta... That was a cool name. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y7LrlOEzH
Tara continued, telling the story about the football players and cheerleaders with magic. Armor nodded, looking very supportive. I really like this guy. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCn3gMPLmx
“Don’t worry about others. You’re a very special girl, Tara, and that’s a good thing. You have good potential, and no matter what words come out of those other kid's mouths, I want you to keep going. Taradelta...that’s so pretty.” Tara blushed and thanked him. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAYbN0s1yB
Next, he took my small hands in his big ones and looked me in the eyes. “And what’s your name?” I relaxed a little. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfpZyP3VWw
“Blake,” I told him. He blinked. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6LHo5zgAW
“Blake?” I nodded, wondering why he looked so surprised. His eyes looked almost watery. He gulped. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdchf1Nq4V
“Do you...have a father at home?” It was a weird question, but I answered honestly. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfmFnFgbkU
“No, he disappeared a long time ago. I never knew him. All I know is what my mom told me.”548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5whV4ehrQ
“Lauren,” he said. I blinked. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OzV3DPrMM
That was her name. He gave a half-smile. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaq64jIdru
“She still works at that little cupcake shop?” I couldn’t breathe. How did he know who my mother was? 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAWV5ZKk2O
All I could say was, “how do you know all that?” I didn’t have time to finish before I found his arms around me in a huge hug.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorVnHjPih9
“Oh Blake,” he said, his voice breaking. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYMCnlaxYo
“I’m your Dad."
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