Chapter 3: Santa?
In a dark corner of space a shadow was looking over a little blue and green ball, thinking.
"My first toy shall be you." The shadow pointed at the little ball and the ball started expanding until it was the size of a large beach ball.
"Now to change into something more formal from this planet." The shadow morphed into a big red ball and changed into a jolly old man with a full white beard wearing a red costume.
"Let's bring out the candidates." The old man waved his hand and 25 black silhouettes came into view. The old man grinned and welcomed them.
***
Earth, New York City December 24th, 2017
Barth Hughes, an average 24 year old junior journalist at the New York Times living alone in his own apartment after he was kicked out of his parents home 2 years ago.
Barth was just an average comic book loving guy standing at 175cm (5ft 7in) in height with black eyes and brown hair down to a crewcut. He is not very athletic but does not have an overly large frame.
Having a love for superheroes Barth became a journalist after his favorite superhero Spider-man and has daydreams of becoming a hero too.
Walking back to his apartment at night, he passes by an alley and hears grunting and laughing. Peeking his head from behind a wall he sees 4 guys beating on 1 poor man.
'Come on Hughes, this is it. Don't be afraid.' Barth pumps himself up thinking to himself, 'What would Spider-man do?' Barth pulls out his custom made Spider-man mask and puts it on.
Barth steps out and yells, "HEY! Leave that guy alone." The 4 gangster looking thugs stop beating on the fallen guy and look to see a lunatic in a red mask. The 4 thugs surround the once confident Barth.
"Y-y-you want a tussle? I'll give it to you. I'll pound you so hard your asses will hurt." Barth tried to sound intimidating, but looking at his comical fighting posture and his breaking voice, it was a failure.
One of the thugs punches him straight at his face while another kicked the back of his legs. Falling down into a fetal position Barth endures a variety of kicks, punches, knees and at the end the feeling of a very warm liquid being poured on top of his bruised body.
"Don't try to be a hero kid. Being a hero will only get you killed." The 4 thugs walked off and laughed throughout the night leaving a cold and beaten Barth on the ground.
'I'll show you, I'm gonna be a hero that everyone will respect.' Barth said to himself. Picking himself up and seeing the beaten stranger gone, he limped back to his apartment and passed out.
Dreaming about being a crime fighting hero and swinging through New York, Barth was brought into a dark space where he could see an old man wearing a silly red costume and 24 black silhouettes.
"Man what a crazy dream." Looking around Barth saw many different shapes and sizes of the silhouettes. Some looked just like humans others looked like fish, birds, monkeys, and a whale.
***
Standing over top of all of his new candidates, the old man was smiling from ear to ear.
"Hello my children, you may address me as Santa if you want or Mr. Santa. Ho ho ho ho." Santa heartily laughed.
A human silhouette raised its hand. "Please hold all questions until the end." Santa calmly stopped the human shaped silhouette.
"Alright, it has come to my attention that your planet is tucked away in the corner of space and has no fun. But I can change that by making it fun for me and possibly fun for you too."
"So I br-" Santa was interrupted by the same human shaped silhouette raising its hand. "Please. I said hold all questions until the end.
Now as I was saying, I come bearing gifts. I can grant your deepest strongest desire and turn it into a power you have never seen before. Turning it into something that will change the world as you know it."
Santa paused for dramatic effect, but a certain human silhouette raised its hand thinking that Santa finished. "You uneducated idiot, don't you know I was pausing for dramatic effect?!?" Santa raged like a child after being interrupted for the third time.
The human silhouette tried to speak but couldn't in the space. "Certainly an idiot." Santa commented. "Now the powers you receive might be a one of a kind item, or some common piece of trash common desire that you plebs pray for.
Your powers will be able to evolve, meaning if you have super strength it will only multiply your strength based on your current fitness. You powers will not always be on or else how would you increase your fitness levels.
Of course there are other ways of evolving your gifts, but telling you all of be boring and where's the fun in that. Now activating your amazing gifts will be unique to every single one of you, you can set the terms of activation with a simple thought or a physical object or a stupid phrase.
With that I'm done monologuing if there are any questions feel free to raise your appendages or do something so I know you have a question."
A small creature raised its flipper and jumped up and down. "Hahaha, yes you hilariously fat bird that cannot fly." Santa joyfully pointed toward the creature.
The creature depressedly put down its flipper and sounded out "Cawww. Cawww."
"Hmmm.....Interesting I cannot make out your words. Such an unintelligible creature. Fortunately I can hopefully read your mind." Santa depicted. "Hmmm....Yes the reason I selected you all is because you are ones who can make the most change! No matter shape, size, or mental issues you might have."
A certain human silhouette raised its hand very high. Santa noticed the familiar silhouette, "Ahh yes you can go fuck off with your question ingrate. Next!" The human silhouette stood there stunned wondering why this old man was acting like a child.
Another human silhouette raised its hand asking for a question. Santa gestured for the silhouette to speak.
"Hello?" A deep voice tested sound. "Will there be more of us or are there only 25 with powers?" The deep voiced silhouette questioned.
"Hmmm tough call we will see. I might call one of back for missions for me from now and then though." Santa answered.
"Is there no one else?" Seeing no one else move Santa concluded the gifting ceremony and whacked everyone's head. Making sure to whack a certain human silhouette harder than the rest to give them their gifts.
"Alright try not to die in the first year." Santa waved his hand and all the silhouettes disappeared except one silhouette with aquamarine eyes.
"You." Santa narrowed his eyes, 'Interesting what a messed up mind. It's like two completely different people in one body.' Santa snapped his fingers and the single silhouette became two.
"Free?" The silhouette with red eyes question with confusion.
"Not quite." Santa corrected. "Since there are two different people I will give you both names based on your eyes, you will be Red." Santa said pointing to the silhouette with red eyes.
"And you...Blue? What the hell kind of color is that? A wannabe blue that came out of the closet and turned green?" Santa asked.
"Aquamarine." The silhouette with aquamarine eyes said, "And the name's Finn."
"And the name's Finn....bleh" Santa mockingly said. "I don't care. I declare your name from now on is Blue." Finn shook his head while Red was laughing at him.
"Now I got a proposition soo juicy that you can't deny." Santa smiled devilishly.
"I'm sorry, but no thanks." Finn politely declined.
"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to you Red." Santa corrected Finn, to which Red perked up wondering what this juicy deal was.
***
Earth, New York City December 25, 2017
Barth woke up the next morning with a massive headache. "God my head feels like it was hit by a truck." Getting up and going into his shower, Barth tried to recall his stupidly vivid dream.
'Ok so I got teleported into space and saw Santa Clause? Alright and then when I try to ask a question I get told to fuck off?? Next thing I know, I'm getting whacked in the head and I wake up.' Barth was beginning to question his sanity.
Getting out of the shower Barth got dressed in blue jeans and a simple t-shirt with Spider-man's face and logo on it. Barth was recalling what Santa had told them, 'To activate your gift you simply have to think of it.'
"Psssh, yea right thinking about me being a hero like Spider-man only happens in my dreams." Barth lamented putting his phone in his pocket he tried to open the door but stopped to see his phone still stuck on his hand.
"What the..." Barth was confused as hell, "I must still be dreaming." Barth concluded and slapped himself in the face.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
"Omg omg omg omg omg." Barth was freaking out the phone dropped and Barth was reeeling. "It's happening!!!! Yeesss!!" Barth screamed.
Barth tested his theory by trying to stick his hands on his walls, which was covered in Spider-man posters, Barth put one hand over the over then his feet until he made it onto his apartment ceiling.
"I'M SPIDER-MAN!!!WOOOO!!!" Barth was yelling and whooping on his 8 foot tall ceiling and unexpectedly fell on the floor with a loud thud, "I'm still Spider-man. Woo...." Barth said weakly.
Around the world several phenomenal feats were being discovered and enjoyed by the rest of the gifted all except one.
Weekly Power Status
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