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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuafvAZjwXu
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJjIl5xROF
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJGKQ002n8
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPn8KHMYNgp
Why couldn’t Rim see that?531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqHcgiQJWe
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62vYIby8A8
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgXPLjkt7u
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuAHc9Gi5V
“Hello everyone,” she told the group, releasing her steel grip on me and placing her hands on her hips. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKN2hLdDUu4
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkxSiTasTm
“Everyone, this is Blake,” Rim explained. A kid with very blue eyes came up and poked me cautiously with his finger.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxvzSTvWGw
“Is he a Natural?” Rim shrugged. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesU9uqysYg
“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.”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgez3vM1wf7
“Cut the kid a break,” A male voice shouted. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNseZ4tNqp
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOWb5sR0Fp
“How are you kid?”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLtPZcncMd
“Confused, to say the least. Allen, what’s going on? Why am I here?” Allen loosened the hug.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhWl2xffHj
“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?”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv5CKGPAn1
“Mm-hm,” I murmured, a little scared. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzf4NjVfsp
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.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MEhN69jwI
“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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILKyM4bbfe
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdULOvoqbVL
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?” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIkv6GbrAt
I wanted to scream ‘NO! I'M NOT READY! GET ME OUT OF HERE!’531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0s4dEt9jp
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.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPjoZHcemg
“Teamwork is encouraged!” Allen reminded me somewhere to my left. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdNObu6NL8
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQU5qRDPYo
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrYvW20RbV
“Ow,” the person said. I turned and saw the girl, Tara. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgre1nyFR3
“Sorry,” I apologized, trying the avoid the flaming ping pong balls hitting me head. She gave a dry smile. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsw71Hnv2AU
“No prob.” A ball fell on her head and she winced. I rolled to evade another ball. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnG4tFLjEf
“How’d you get here?” I asked, raising my voice above the noise. The girl swatted a ball away from her face. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpOiLd7mYF
“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.....” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufLZP0LQFP
“Hey!” Allen says, “this is no time for tea and chat newbies! You’ll have plenty of time to find your soul mate later!” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxntADkOOc
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25G4cLWhfG
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDRknRlPYM
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyO6CjYz3o
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOGFDrTfsB
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwGBaIXd2u
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7ilV2E2sr
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimF5ktvzGk
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUa1isKULg
“Tara!” Allen cried. “Let it go! It’s getting too strong!” It seemed that way. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrIvXvZIFb
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60DOpXfkMm
“I...I can’t!”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT00WkkXcpR
“TRY!”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZBBAkDxiq
“I CAN’T! It won’t listen!” Then the square underneath the water opened and the water disappeared. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JIOoqjMlC
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.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyFeYDoFfG
“Uh....hi?” He let me go and took a few steps back. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGikW5rEEw
“You’re......You’re.....” I could feel his surprise.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwJJICA07f
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.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1OqX0qtOS
“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!”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uEJW2w968
“What does it mean?” asked a ten-year-old girl. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AdDCunhkJ
Allen gulped. “It means the world is in for it. Something bad is going to happen."531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YJub3J7DR
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx12dVL2Kig
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.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlKafVQjnV
“Lena told you,” Lena said, nibbling on her stick. “Lena knew boy is dangerous.” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEctAbERALS
“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.” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQuxC9Ckxx
Armor. Was he the man Rim was talking about in the car? 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAu5jZIGZa
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.” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1FYxkHbRJ
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Au3Jdzmzs
“Daddy, what’s going on?” 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2BvTizpbs
Daddy? Was this guy Rim’s father? 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yUZ9XUBMY
“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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLicW3c5BQ
“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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhnnwEOMYK
“I’m not sure I even know anymore,” she said softly. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdim7gsGz6G
Armor smiled gently. “What’s your name?”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliQePKzqGf
“Taradelta,” she replied. “But I like Tara better.” Taradelta... That was a cool name. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FTTb30IEK
Tara continued, telling the story about the football players and cheerleaders with magic. Armor nodded, looking very supportive. I really like this guy. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmVoxZnszz
“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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa88FBY6eP
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. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVySrjz8h4N
“Blake,” I told him. He blinked. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS4fzqprKZ
“Blake?” I nodded, wondering why he looked so surprised. His eyes looked almost watery. He gulped. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGlMM4pXNT
“Do you...have a father at home?” It was a weird question, but I answered honestly. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNGOqB0JIi
“No, he disappeared a long time ago. I never knew him. All I know is what my mom told me.”531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9DycIdW2u
“Lauren,” he said. I blinked. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNr7rY5oqaa
That was her name. He gave a half-smile. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡervu87599I
“She still works at that little cupcake shop?” I couldn’t breathe. How did he know who my mother was? 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaAKB7QpvF
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.531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN94REUzJGX
“Oh Blake,” he said, his voice breaking. 531Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCr315ymCF
“I’m your Dad."
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