When Ashley finally pries herself from my lips a quiet moan escapes me at the loss, something I''m not proud of, and reality comes crashing back. Losing control like that almost made me kill someone. If it wasn''t for her Mason would be dead and by the feel of the power maybe everyone in the hallway. This is too dangerous. Losing control like that can never happen again. Glancing around the hallway reveals the complete terror on all the faces around me. It isn''t merely fear. They aren''t only scared of me. They are terrified, not only of what happened but of what I''m capable of. I represent the epitome of death.


    In an instant, all the faces in the hallway transition into confusion. Most of the students begin asking each other how they got there. Which in turn makes Ashley and me adopt the same expression. In a flash I pull my shirt up and put it back on before anyone notices, luckily by this point, my back is facing the lockers. It seems Mason only broke a couple of the buttons.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I would advise you to get to class right now considering you are already late. That is unless you all want detention," a loud booming voice reverberates from the end of the hall.


    Standing there with his ever-so-ominous presence is our principal Mr. Ranes. He’s a monstrously large man and very intimidating to boot. His ebony skin, a stark contrast to his light gray suit, makes him appear even more menacing. He’s always fair with us, but I hate that he never did anything about problems with Mason and his friends. But what is even more confusing is what’s happening right now.


    "Mr. Delmonte, come with me to my office. Now," he demands.


    Oh great, this can''t be good.


    If he witnessed what happened he''s going to report me to the Titan Legion. And from rumors he''s a Brute, he can probably rip me in two before I can blink much less run. I want Ashley to come with me, but she still has to go to class. Even so, it’s clear he won’t allow it anyway.


    Ashley rustles her fingers through my hair attempting to dislodge the various small bits of debris that embedded themselves there. It''s grown out a bit more than I usually let it. It’s mostly a disheveled hobo look in my opinion, but girls love it for some reason. I’m considering dying it black because light brown makes me feel even more average.


    “Best I can do, we’ll talk later,” she says as she saunters away toward class. That absolute goddess is interested in me? No way.


    Walking behind Mr. Ranes towards his office, every step feels heavier and heavier as if I’m knee-deep wading through molasses. My mind is racing with the possibilities, and they always end up with me dead or locked away in a deep dark hole forever.


    When we turn the corner of the main hallway, we finally reach his office. He opens the door and points for me to go in without saying a word. He walks around his side of the large cherry oak desk, "Take a seat Mr. Delmonte," which comes out as an order.


    With a huff and loud thud, he falls back into his chair. He is a hulking man. He has every bit of the physique of a professional wrestler or bodybuilder. Mr. Ranes is the perfect principal to corral a bunch of young rowdy teenagers.


    His office isn’t what I expected, considering it’s the first time I’ve ever been in the principal’s office. It’s weirdly minimalistic. Only a couple of frames with his degrees and a few plaques hang on the walls. Not a single picture of a family member sits on his desk or anywhere for that matter: mostly normal school paperwork and other office supplies. The walls are a bland light gray that can be almost mistaken for an off-white. They have a few patches scattered about, probably from previous principals. Even though Mr. Ranes has only been here for two years, it’s still weirdly emptier than expected.


    "Well Mr. Delmonte, I won''t ask you what that was. We all have our secrets. As you can probably tell I have mine," he says as he wipes the bead of sweat on his large forehead with his handkerchief. He seems barely able to hold himself together.


    “Was that you that made them forget? I thought you were a strength type, not a memory type," I say a bit aghast at the revelation.


    "I am both Mr. Delmonte. That is my secret," he says with what appears to be a slight sense of relief.


    It feels similar to a friend admitting a secret that’s burdening them. I’m shocked. I’ve heard about Multis, people with the rare ability to use more than one. Usually only two and even more rare three. And 99.99% of those are below the lethal threshold which still makes them essentially useless to the Titan Legion.


    Mouth wide open I stammer, "There''s no way, Multi’s are some of the rarest people. On top of that you wiped the memories of all those students in the hallway, how powerful are you?”


    “That isn’t up for discussion,” he states bluntly.


    “To do what you did means you would have to be one of the strongest people in the Titan Legion. Why are you here?” I say still reeling from the revelation.


    A low guttural laugh escapes his lips, "Far from it. And I have heard not-so-great things about that little organization. I prefer a private life. Nobody knows about me here except you now. It’s only fair that we both know each other’s secret."


    I’m floored. Multis are one in a million if not more and my principal is one of them.


    "Just wondering but what did you do to them? I mean Rick is burned up pretty good and you took away a good minute or two of their memory,” I say curiously, digging a bit farther than I probably should.


    Mr. Ranes turns to face the wall that adorns his degrees and accomplishments, "What I did goes against everything I stand for. Using that ability on my students is incomprehensible. But in your situation, it was the only solution. I left the memories intact of what happened before you got there and took away everything else. I couldn''t come up with an excuse so I simply felt it would be better if they stayed confused about it. Besides that, wiping memories is much quicker. Replacing them is time-consuming and difficult, near impossible sometimes.”


    He''s right, if he alters the memories there’s a chance to recover them. Better safe than sorry.


    "Listen closely Mr. Delmonte, you have a power only ever seen once and it came from one of the most notorious psychopaths of our time. Trust is going to be a rare commodity for you. I didn''t wipe your girlfriend’s memory because she seems to be able to snap you back to reality. I figure it should stay that way.”


    I look at him puzzled and flattered, "Uh, she''s not my girlfriend sir."


    "Well," he chuckles under his breath, "it certainly looked that way, and I believe she thinks she is."


    Oh great, add another reason for Meltdown Mason to try and roast me again.


    "You can go, Mr. Delmonte, but remember what I said," Mr. Ranes states as he hands me a late slip and points towards the door.


    “Also, I feel I should reiterate, that you know my secret, and I know yours. Remember that if you feel like confessing to one of your friends about me. I’m willing to help you as much as you are willing to help yourself. And telling your friend about my secret because you think you can trust them is highly ill-advised,” he says with a stare that insinuates I’ll be back to shitting diapers if I ever tell anyone.


    “Yes sir,” I respond with wobbly legs. Man, he is scary. Standing up, my legs barely holding me, I start to leave but remember we have yet to discuss the other elephant in the room.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Mr. Ranes, you haven''t said anything about my mark.”


    The principal shuffles in his chair and carries a grim expression. "I only saw you use your powers, not your mark. To be honest, the less I know the better, I''m not quite sure I would like to know anyway. From what I saw, I imagine it could be higher than mine."


    I nod in agreement and walk out of the door. Talk about the most intense fifteen minutes of my life. I’m not sure what to do about my situation. While I appreciate what he did with the other students, he’s of no help in giving me some kind of direction. Maybe he’s as lost as I am on a solution.


    Walking to my next class, lost in thought—so much so that I nearly walk straight into a trash can. Even that damn thing has the school mascot on it: a whirling devil, a red tornado with devil horns. No matter where you look, there’s either a banner for the football team or the Titan Legion.


    In this era of powers, strength is worshipped, and weakness is a burden. The Titan Legion puts on a grand show of protecting the nation and its people, but in reality, they treat them like they’re barely worth the effort.


    Now that Mason doesn''t remember a thing about what happened, he will be back to his old routine of pummeling the lanky one. The universe gets a special kick out of irony, doesn''t it? Especially in my case because I single-handedly got Mason off my back for good only to have it revert to the way it was. It’s one more concern for me to lose control again and next time Mr. Ranes might not be there to do his Vulcan mind wipe thing.


    Reaching my destination, the classroom door creaks open. A silent, almost shameful, walk to the teacher’s desk where the note I’m holding finds its place and she motions me silently to sit down. Sliding into my seat a silent thanks goes out to whatever deity will listen that no one from the incident is here.


    I’m still wrestling with the idea of Ashley kissing me. Part of my brain insists it didn’t even happen. The other part argues that it did—but there has to be a reason. And yet, I can’t stop thinking about it. The way it felt. The way she kissed me. The feel of her against me.


    Glances from other students are accompanied by puzzled expressions and it takes me a moment to realize why. An ear-to-ear grin on my face. Daydreaming about Ashley has that effect. The majority of the class drags on excruciatingly slow, which leaves me staring at the clock and watching the seconds go by, tick by tick. Replaying her lips on mine over and over. Yeah, an hour ago the school was nearly destroyed because of me and I''m smiling and giggling in my head like a love-struck preteen. But, true to form, I can’t just enjoy it and need to overanalyze every second of it, obsessing over what it all means.


    She only did that to get you to stop. But why kiss me again? To keep you from doing it again of course!


    The thought turns over and over, impossible to figure out. My brain does not possess the capacity to understand a dynamic where a girl of Ashley’s standard is interested in a guy like me. No answer comes, but maybe one will—eventually. For now, the only priority is getting home after all of this.


    Avoiding everyone proves successful until the bell rings to end the day. Sneaking on the bus a realization hits—multiple people from the incident ride this bus. Damn. But Mr. Ranes must have done his job well; not a single glance in my direction as the walk past them leads to an empty seat.


    I bugged Rick on many occasions to drive us to school so we didn''t need to take the bus but he’s embarrassed to drive his car to school. "Dude, I don''t want the chicks to see me driving that hunk of junk."


    Yeah man, like that’s his problem. Let’s not mind the shelves of action figures in his room, the beautifully engraved case that holds his most precious Magic: The Gathering card decks, or the obsession with costume makeup and 3D printing. Today though, I’m glad he declined my advice because my only concern is staying away from everyone.


    The bus finally drops us off, which is still a generous fifteen-minute walk to my house because of the requirement to go around Driggs. The only way to get home quicker is to cut through Driggs, even though my mom has told me I’d be grounded for the foreseeable future if she ever caught me there. It’s a poor town directly bordering ours that’s divided by a small canal. It’s so odd how social class works. The only thing dividing middle income from poverty is a meager drainage canal that I can almost jump over. Driggs was renamed back in the mid-twenties by a mafia man, Tommy Driggs, who had gained political power and became mayor. He used his power to run speakeasy taverns and avoid prohibition laws. He was a fairly decent mayor from what I heard. But crime begets crime I suppose. Now it’s full of hardcore bangers and other criminals.


    One rule always to follow in Driggs is to never look out of place. Normally this isn''t a problem for me because of my cheap clothes and my mannerisms. Growing up nearby led to knowing a few people from here, but I never became too invested in a friendship because they weren''t the best description of human morality. It''s not like my mom has money. She has a decent job and by being frugal we manage to stay comfortable. Odd jobs and summer work cover my expenses so she can worry about bills and food instead of a new cell phone.


    Still, I learned a lot about how to keep myself from being targeted. I’ve run through Driggs dozens of times with no issues. Today is different. With so much on my mind, I’m not paying attention to my surroundings, or I would have likely noticed an entire gang sitting on the front porch of a nearby building. It doesn''t take long before I’m hit in my leg with an intensely powerful shock that sends me to the floor.


    "Yo Slick, I don''t remember your kind getting permission to pass through my hood!" a bald Hispanic guy with facial tattoos yells out in an almost indiscernible ghetto accent. Calling me a Slick, I’m flattered that they think I''m rich, but my concern is more focused on the fact that I''m lying in the damn dirt with a leg so cramped it won’t move. I''m beginning to see a pattern in my life because I seem to end up in this position a lot. You know, face down on the floor in pain.


    "That’s just a taste of how I can fry your sorry ass for being stupid enough to come here," he grunts at me.


    "Look man I''m just heading home from school; I’m having a real shitty day already," I say pleading with him hoping he will leave it at that. However, as with anything, my luck is never that good.


    "Yeah, well you’re having some more of that right about now," he says as he stands ten feet away with his arms open. "You messed up rolling through King territory.”


    Okay, this has gone from bad to seriously bad. The King crew only have one way of initiation and that is by someone ending up dead. They are the most brutal gang in Driggs. This means they don’t have any compunction about sparing my skinny white ass.


    "Yeah boy, light that fucker up," I hear another member yell from across the street laughing.


    That run-down building must be their hangout. Not more than a few seconds pass before I hear a crackling sound. As I turn my head to look at him, he shoots me with a steady stream of electricity.


    "Stop it hurts," I barely manage to scream with my paralyzed lungs.


    "It wouldn''t be funny if it didn''t," he says while maniacally laughing as he gradually increases the power of his attack.


    "No, please stop, you''re going to kill me!" I yell out the best I can under clenched teeth as every muscle in my body cramps and I begin to feel my skin burning from the charge.


    "Hell yeah, that’s the idea you slick little bitch! I’m gonna set an example to all of you who think about comin’ here, starting with you! Then I’m gonna take all your cash and dump your body in the canal and let the gators have you," he continues to chuckle as his onslaught grows in intensity.


    I feel it building. The realization. The certainty. He''s going to kill me—unless I act first. Rage washes over me, my vision sharpening as a dark miasma swirls in. My eyes fade to jet black. My vision abolishes the unpure light. Power surges through me, raw and limitless, instinct guiding my hands as a sphere of abyssal void forms in my palm.


    More. I need more.


    I need to vaporize him. Not just him. All of them.


    Lightning crackles as he amplifies his power, striking again and again. But I don’t flinch. I don’t scream.


    Silence.


    The void within me swallows his attacks like they never existed. I rise to my feet, unaffected as if gravity itself no longer applies to me.


    "What the hell is this guy?" he mutters, not to me but to whoever will listen.


    I see it in his eyes. Fear. It''s overtaking him. He throws everything he has at me, but I feel nothing. The electricity crackling around me vanishes into the ether like it was never there.


    "Guys, get over here and help me! This guy a freak, yo!" he shouts.


    How cute. He thinks they’ll have time.


    "I wonder... if I kill all of you, does that make me the leader of the Kings Gang?" My voice is flat, devoid of emotion.


    He stops attacking, realizing it''s pointless. I rotate my wrist, palm up, letting him see his fate.


    "Guys, it''s RED! He''s back! Run, homies, go! It’s RED! Run!"


    Too late.


    Eight of them rush toward us, stopping twenty feet short when they see what I’ve become. I lift my hand, ready to hurl this abomination at them. I want to see what happens—to watch the void consume them out of sheer, morbid curiosity.


    I pull my arm back to throw—


    And in the span of a nanosecond, I remember Ashley kissing me. The principal talking to me.


    No. I can’t do this. I need to stop.


    But it’s too late.


    The energy is built. The attack is primed. My body isn’t listening.


    No! Stop!


    With everything I have left, I force my body down, throwing myself off balance just enough to send the void sphere veering off course. It streaks past them, slamming into the crumbling building next door.


    The haze fades from my eyes, and I watch in horror as my power expands—a perfect, circular hole in the world itself. A deep, violent bass rumbles through the area. Then, just as fast as it appeared, the void collapses in on itself and vanishes. Everything it touched is gone. Not vaporized. Not burned. Just…erased. A quarter of the building is missing, yet somehow the rest of it still stands.


    Impressive that the old building is still able to stand up that way with most of its structure gone.