SUPERPOWERED: Are YOU a Superhero or Supervillain? (Click Your Poison Book 3)

by James Schannep

  The staffer hesitates. “Supersoldier Program?”

  “I said, that will be all.”

  When the staffer leaves, you look over the card once more. This could spell trouble, but it could also give you something to do while Nick finishes the plan. Time for a bit of the old ultraviolence?

  • Absolutely. Track him down and make sure he’s not a threat. A cop snooping around could compromise everything.

  • It’s not important. Go for a long flight to cool off and let Nicky do his thing.

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Boxed In

  There are far, far too many crates in the warehouse for you to go through them all tonight—but why not take a peek? For all you know, this is where Indiana Jones delivered the Ark of the Covenant. If you ever had a chance at finding pieces of the Roswell UFO, this is it.

  The first crate you approach is tall and tapered like a coffin. Stenciled across the front is DinoSkin Mark IV. You pull at the lid, but it’s nailed shut. The crate is sealed tight.

  “Is there a crowbar around here?” you ask. Nick waves you away, fully engrossed in the warehouse’s computer system.

  Then you’re struck with an idea. You reach out, and using the power of your mind, pull at one of the nails. The crate quakes and shudders. It’s difficult to concentrate only on the nail and not on the boards themselves, but you wrap your concentration around this one small part.

  The nail rips out of the wood and hits you in the hand, hard. “Ouch!” you scream. It wasn’t the pointy end, but still, it hurts and you massage your palm. Nick glares at you.

  You try again, but this time pull at five nails simultaneously. Lesson learned, the nails fly across the room and clatter harmlessly against the concrete floor. Opening the lid to the coffinesque crate, you jump back when you see there’s someone inside.

  It’s a mannequin wearing an olive-green bodysuit, scaled and reptilian. Laughing at your own skittishness, you inspect the suit. Is this a government project or a Halloween costume? The material stretches when you tug at it, but it’s coarse to the touch.

  The next crate is labeled, ekʞƎ Exoskeleton Loader. How would you pronounce that? Ecky? Echo? You pull at the nails, curious as to what might be inside.

  “Are you just going to rip open every crate?” Nick says, obliterating your concentration. “Did you ever consider that there might be something dangerous in one of those? This is an experimental military combat laboratory. What if you blow us up?”

  You shrug. “Sorry.”

  On the far wall rests a couch which, fortunately, was covered by a tarp. When you remove the dusty and bat-shit-covered shroud, the couch is surprisingly pristine beneath.

  Several empty bookcases wait by the nearby crates, the first of which is already open. Inside is a collection of medical pamphlets with the titles: So You’re a Supersoldier, I am Jack’s X-ray Vision, Why You Shouldn’t Take Over the World, Big Book of Science, and Telekinesis and You.

  Taking a copy of the final pamphlet, you settle in to read. It has a delightful 1950s cartoon image on the cover, of a smiling, dapper man with zigzag arcs of electricity that extend from his forehead to a floating wrench before him. The intro reads:

  Did you know that Mind Movement, also known as Psychokinesis or Telekinesis, is the ability to manipulate the physical world around you by using only your thoughts? If this description applies to you—congratulations! And thanks for “reaching out” to learn more about your unique skill set.

  Why not make this informational brochure hover before you and turn the pages by using only your willpower? Give it a shot. Telekinesis doesn’t have to be scary, it can be fun!

  Topics Covered:

  - Training in a Secure Environment, for the Safety of All

  - Nosebleeds and Their Deeper Meaning

  - Why You Should Exercise Your Physical Body Too

  - Can You Get Me Another Beer? Never Mind, I’ve Got It!

  Though fun, there’s not much to learn from the pamphlet. You’re the first of your kind, after all. These pamphlets are just speculation from an age with a practical imagination, but if Nick is able to recreate the experiment—who knows—you might be the one writing the next version for future generations of Mind Movers.

  Is that a comforting thought or a frightening one?

  • Keep browsing; fall asleep reading antiquated Super-literature pamphlets.

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Break it Gently

  “I come from a different earth, an earth where you already carried out this experiment.”

  “Ummm, what?” the Experi-mentor says.

  You turn toward your gender-bender doppelganger. “I’m you. The opposite-sex version of you, come from another universe.”

  “You’re aware how ridiculous that sounds, right?” Nicole Dorian says.

  “No, it’s the truth,” the other-you says, wild-eyed and breathless.

  “I mean, you guys look like brother and sister, but come on….” Kenneth says.

  “I can prove it!” you cry. “Doctor, you secretly call yourself ‘the Experi-mentor’ and you’re hoping to create superhumans. Well, you succeeded. I’m your creation—a super-genius capable of traveling to parallel dimensions.”

  To further illustrate the point, you take your staff and open a seam to your home world. If an enormous shimmering purple gate doesn’t prove it, what will?

  “Can I…can I meet myself?” the Experi-mentor asks.

  You shake your head. “I’m sorry, but the experiment caused an explosion. When we came to, you were nowhere to be found. I came to a dimension looking for a gentler, more reserved scientist, and you’re what I found. I think you should proceed with caution in your studies.”

  “Are you saying I get to be a superhero?” Kenneth Woodall asks.

  “I should go. I’d hoped to learn something from you, but I suppose warning you of your potential mistakes will have to suffice.”

  “Wait!” the Experi-mentor cries. “I have so many questions!”

  “And I wish you the best of luck in discovering the answers,” you say with a smile.

  Then you step into the portal, back to your home dimension. After you shake off the gender-bender willies and make it back to home base, you can explore another world, a world where:

  • You chose a different pod in the experiment. Why not commune with other genii and see yourself with different superpowers?

  • Science has stopped the aging process. As an immortal, you’ll be able to spend eternity exploring all the infinite possibilities!

  • There was never an explosion. Perhaps you can find the pods that gave you your powers and study them!

  • There are no superpowered humans on the planet. You could do a lot of good for that world (or rule it) without fear of anyone exposing the secret to your genius.

  • Mankind hasn’t destroyed the environment. Why not spend a little time in a lush utopia and see what knowledge you might bring back home?

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Bringing Down the House

  The next morning, you’re awakened by an earthquake. The Zen of your peaceful slumber the night before instantly gives way to sickening vertigo, as if the building is going to collapse, with you inside. Panic sets in. You’re trapped! You’ll be crushed!

  That’s when you remember you can fly.

  You leap out of bed, mentally dragging your clothes along to telekinetically dress yourself as you rush out to the balcony and into the sky. In a quick spiral, you fly down to the base of the casino, fully clothed and ready to dash toward the front doors.

  Bloodied, screaming tourists flee from the Planet Mercury in a manner reminiscent of a war flick. The front doors are battered in—exactly like the scene on TV when Catherine broke into the bank. She’s here? Has Diamond got the drop on you? Did the FBI agent tip her off? Your jaw tightens with new resolve and you run into the casino.

  The main gambling floor is a wreck. All the tables have been flung away as if by a torn
ado, leaving only a litter of corpses and poker chips. Total destruction and chaos, and in the center stands an enormous, humanoid robot.

  The robot lifts a man over its head—a man who just wanted to get an early start on the famed casino breakfast buffet—and rips him in half. Oh, Christ! Where’s Nick? He’s nowhere to be seen. Is he already dead?

  You fly into the air toward the death robot, ready to defend your castle. As you pass over a roulette table, you lift it high, drop yourself, and windmill the table over your head to crash it down atop the robot with incredible force. You land on the casino floor in a crouch.

  When you stand to look for the crippled robot, you’re instead greeted by a gunmetal humanoid left completely unharmed by your attack. You prepare a telekinetic shove but stop short when you notice the machine is smiling.

  “Good morning, Master Number Two!” the robot says, as if you didn’t just try to crush it with a roulette table. “Incoming message from Master Prime.”

  Through the robot’s face, Nick’s voice says, “Hey! I see you’ve met the Doomsday Device. Come on back to the control room.”

  “Doomsday?”

  “Yes, Master Number Two? I believe you are wanted in the control room. Shall I escort you?”

  “No, thanks… I’ve got it.”

  When you float back past the main gambling floor and into the recesses of the casino, the security staff flinches in fear. They’re all hiding back here while Nick’s robot—who responds to Doomsday—indiscriminately murders your customer base.

  “What the hell is going on?” you demand.

  Nick looks up from one of the computer terminals in the control room and shrugs. “The plan.”

  “Ummm, how is creating a robot to attack ourselves part of the plan?”

  “Well, there had to be casualties or no one would believe it. Check this out,” he says, and punches a few keys on the computer.

  Up on the main television monitor, security footage expands to full screen. It shows the casino doors explode inwards, but instead of a death robot, Catherine rushes in, wearing her Diamond costume. She immediately sets out on a rampage, destroying property and killing any bystanders unlucky enough to try their luck at 7 a.m. on a Thursday. She hurls one man up over her head and rips him in half.

  “That looks so real….” you say.

  “Yeah, I think I’ll try Lock-ness next. So, you follow now? Doomsday Device is almost done in there, and the police are on their way. Which means Diamond will follow shortly. We’ll show them this footage and they’ll attack her as soon as she arrives. She’ll defend herself, of course, thus making the footage only a footnote to the truth. Phase one is nearly complete.”

  “Nick, you’re—”

  “A super-genius? I know.”

  Sirens wail, growing louder as most of Mercury PD arrives, right on cue. Nick keys into one of the security microphones and says, “Doomsday Device? Time to head for cover.”

  The computer screen switches to a swatch of live security feeds, where the killer robot stops its assault and runs toward the nearest exit. For a moment, there is calm and quiet.

  “Annnnnd, 911 calls ‘leaked’ to K-HAN news,” Nick says, after a few more keystrokes. “Shouldn’t be long before Catherine arrives to save the day.”

  When you look to the security feed, you see the SWAT team rush inside, clear the initial area and call in the regular police. After a few minutes, they make it to the admin area. Nick ducks out of the control room and enters the hallway, his hands over his head.

  “Thank God you’re here!” he cries.

  They shout several orders and surge into the control room, weapons drawn on you, but Nick diffuses the situation by playing the doctored security footage on the large central screen.

  “I think it’s the one everyone’s calling Supa-gurl,” Nick says.

  “Or Diamond,” you add.

  “Right! She just started killing people. I think she was after the money.”

  One of the SWAT members radios in. “Sergeant Wilson, you’re gonna want to see this. Head to the control room.”

  Nick gives you a covert wink.

  You wait for the sergeant to arrive, ready to watch as Nick’s plan falls into place, but ultimately it’s FBI Agent Brendan Droakam who walks into the room.

  “Nice try,” he says, looking at the footage. “I had breakfast with your friend Catherine Woodall this morning. Not a bad frame-job, though. Still, you should stick to making Bigfoot tapes like a normal crackpot.”

  “I was thinking Nessie,” Nick shrugs.

  Agent Droakam turns to the SWAT captain. “Gentlemen, arrest these two.”

  • Don’t go without a fight! Nick’s bound to have a back-up plan.

  • Turn on Nick. Claim he set you up too and plead for mercy from Agent Droakam.

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Bring Me a Dream

  You “shuffle” on over, drink in hand and lay out a casual, “Mind if I join you?”

  She looks up. Young and sweet, she says, “Oh, I’m not playing.”

  “It’s not too late to start, is it?” She shrugs. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

  You slide one of the pucks across the sandy table and it falls off the other end. You hold up another puck of the opposite color for her to take.

  She does so, but says, “I’m kinda waiting for someone.”

  “Can I ‘kinda’ keep you company in the meantime?” you ask before tossing another puck.

  She looks down at the table and you meet her gaze on the area she was drawing in the sand. “Jason,” it says in cursive writing.

  Using your mind, the sand smooths out and the word erases. She looks confused, surprised, and a little frightened.

  “Look again,” you say. A heart appears in the sand, as if drawn by a finger. The girl gasps as an arrow appears through the heart, Cupid-style.

  “How—how did you do that?” she asks.

  “Did you like that? Watch this,” you reply.

  You take the puck from her hand with your mind, and grab a second puck from the table. Arms out wide, you let the two pucks roll back and forth across your arms, which you move in a wave motion for effect. You drop one of them, and just before it hits the floor, pull it back up like a yo-yo.

  “Wow! That’s amazing! Are you a magician?”

  In answer, you put both pucks behind your back, and leave them there to hover, then put out your empty hands. Showing off, you float the pucks behind her, unseen, and bring them out from behind her ears as if it were indeed a trick.

  “Something like that,” you reply. “But my magic is real.”

  You wink.

  “Who’s the freak?” a man asks from behind. You turn to see a hulking stranger, easily the biggest dock worker here.

  The girl shrugs and looks nervous. “Don’t get mad, Jason, we were just talking.”

  He steps forward and she cringes, like an animal expecting a strike.

  “Everything okay?” you ask.

  “You’d better get lost,” he says, his breath thick with whiskey.

  You look to her. She nods. “You should go.”

  “If you’re sure,” you say. “I’ll go.”

  She nods again. After tossing $20 on the bar to pay your tab, you push through the saloon doors and walk back toward the warehouse. Thirty paces out, a roaring man’s voice cries for blood.

  “Hey, freak! Were you hitting on my girl? I can’t let you disrespect me like that. I’ve got a reputation.”

  You turn to see the same gigantic man from the bar—Jason—bearing down on you.

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m gonna wipe that smug grin off your face!”

  He comes over to do just that, fists clenched in rage.

  In an unexpected burst of anger, you plant your feet and grasp him with your mind, then fling him nearly twenty feet from the dock into Mercury Bay. He lands with a splash.

  Whoa. You’re shocked at your own strength. That wasn’t as difficult as
it should’ve been. You just lifted him with the power of mind and threw him away like a piece of garbage. Could you lift yourself? Focusing, you hover off the ground. You can fly!

  The girl stands back by the entrance, quaking in fear. You give her another wink, then blast into the night sky.

  • Maybe the girl was onto something? The Planet Mercury Casino has an amateur magician night that you could probably sweep.

  • You can fly! Time to go on a moonlight tour of Mercury City and fly until exhaustion sets in.

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Buahahaha

  “This is Alison Argyle reporting live from downtown Mercury City. In a raid gone wrong, a laboratory believed to be owned by the villains Drillbit and Shadow Priestess has exploded, killing several scientists, the criminals themselves, and at least one FBI agent. If we can take one thing from this tragedy, it’s that—hopefully—our superhuman terrors are over.”

  “Off,” Catherine says. The television responds to her mental command. “Okay, so how’d you do it?”

  “Simple. I let the agent believe I wasn’t involved with the pair of you, and instead led him to believe you were being manipulated by the Experi-mentor. I then let the scientist know that the feds were coming for his life’s work. Naturally, he chose to defend himself.”

  “And you didn’t dirty your name, even after you swore,” Nick says. His voice is full of anger, but at least part of him realizes you’ve just done them a great service.

  “The plan wouldn’t have worked if I had. Besides, I believe the offer was ‘we’re either in this together, or not at all.’ I chose the latter.”

  “That’s twisting my words,” Catherine says.

  “In case you don’t realize it, I’ve freed the three of us. They think you’re dead, and we have no opposition! I didn’t like the public response to your powers, so now we take our operations private. We carve out a spot for ourselves and quietly dispose of the competition. In so many words, we’ve won.”