Barely thirty minutes had passed but the streets of Raven City had undergone a major change. Maintenance crews were clearing streets while emergency crews were still attending to injuries. The only traces left being the worst of the scorch marks from burning vehicles that had long since been taken away to recycling centers.

Neither of Benji's friends said much as they walked towards the nearest subway station. The constant flow of people entering and leaving the station meant that it was still operational. Some people appeared shaken but most acted as if nothing had happened.

Just then a frightening thought entered his mind. What sort of powers did criminals receive? Benji admitted that if he allowed himself to do it he could create chaos with his own powers. Other people wouldn’t or couldn’t put that limitation on themselves. It was foolish to think that a greedy person that instantly became more powerful wouldn’t just continue to be greedy but the reverse also had to be true. Those that wanted to protect others would be empowered to do so. Surely the police and military would gain enough power to counterbalance the worst of society.

You are mistaken in your logic.

“How so?” he said to the disembodied voice.

The World Spike has been used on hundreds of thousands of planets in the universe. Not once has that balance been achieved without significant effort.

“Wait. So you’re saying that our government can’t or won’t protect us and would instead harm us?”

Through their action or inaction they were already harming you. The purpose of the World Spike is first and foremost to entertain Bob. It achieves this by forcing people to take action. You could have used Zoe’s phone to call for an ambulance but you did not. Why is that?

He thought for a moment. “I took a chance that I could save her. An ambulance wouldn’t have been able to make it through the streets to get there in time.”

You took action. Your decision lead allowed the two of you to save the lives of many others. If you continue down this path you will be able to influence and protect those around you. People will come to love, hate, and envy you. Those in positions of power will seek to use and control you.

“You’re speaking as if I’m some chosen hero who is destined to save the world.”

You’re one of millions of people across this planet that have been given extraordinary powers through a mythic reward. There are a dozen just like you in this city alone. The sole purpose of the billions of artificial intelligence that are assisting you humans is to provide you with information so you can make choices. Whether you chose to take action and help others or sit and do nothing is meaningless. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t try.

He refused to accept what he was just told. He couldn’t believe that all he has done and all that he could do was meaningless. He was inclined to believe that the AI was manipulating him. Deep down a part of him wanted to wash his hands of the whole situation and go run off somewhere. Nobody would blame him. But he couldn't do that. If only to help his mother and his friends, he would do what he could. His mind made up, he used Analyze on his friends as they entered the train.

Name Alex Rime

Class Mimic

Level 1

Experience 0/100 Name Duncan Zenshin

Class Mystic

Level 1

Experience 0/100

Benji laughed. "Okay, guys, what the hell is up with your classes?"

His friends looked at each other before Duncan spoke. "How do you know what are classes are? My AI refuses to tell me anything about yours."

“Well, I know your class is Mystic while Alex has Mimic.”

Alex and Duncan looked at each other for a moment before turning back to him.

“Cheater!” they yelled in unison.

“Hold on you two. It’s part of my class.”

“Dude, you gotta share! What powers did you get?”

They spent a few minutes explaining the details of their classes. Alex's love of martial arts was manifested as Copy Form enabling him to use any power for a limited amount of time. Combo Breaker allows him to counter attack enemies easily. Duncan could sense if someone is lying and what their intentions are with Aura Sense. Graphite Arsenal enabled him to make his drawings real with the help of a bit of mana. With Spirit Armor he could create a suit of ethereal armor to protect him from attacks. Their jaws dropped once Benji told them his class.

“Hold on a sec, bro. You’re saying that you're the Nerd Lord? As in the title we’ve fought over for years?” Alex shook his head. “Crazy cool.”

Benji motioned to his friends to quiet down after noticing a few passengers too close attention to what they were saying. "I'm not sure we should talk about this in public anymore than we have. We'll be at my house soon. Let's go over it there."

Alex shrugged and began talking about the lasted fighting game that he was trying to master. A few minutes later they were off the train and well on their way to Benji's home.

The trio turned the final corner, Benji’s house now within sight, he checked his GSP and saw that it was 11:30am. His mother would be home but he knew she would be understanding given the circumstances. At the corner of the screen he saw a flashing email icon. It was an email from Zoe. Government officials announced that for the time being classes will be voluntary. Students who are in the final semester will be given the opportunity to graduate early. Benji told his friends the news which brought cheers of joy from the pair.

Half way down the block they walked through the front gate of a plain looking, two story house. Like the rest of the block it didn’t look like much from the outside; white siding, small windows, a small patch of grass on either side of the path leading to a sturdy black door. Benji entered the house followed closely by Alex and Duncan.

“Benji, is that you?” he heard his mother call from somewhere inside the house.

“Yeah, mom.”

“Well, get yourself something cold to drink and relax. I’ll be right down.”

After the three removed their shoes at the entrance they moved into the kitchen, intent on finding something to snack on. Benji took a glass pitcher from the refrigerator and poured each of them a glass of fresh lemonade. He then made his way to the couch and sank down into the cushions. Alex soon followed with a bowl of leftover pickled vegetables while Duncan had a small bag of chips.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see his mother coming down the stairs. She was dressed in a cream colored sweater that nearly reached her knees, black yoga pants and a pair of plain canvas shoes. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs she walked over to stand behind him.

“You don’t look too good, kiddo.”

“I’m fine, mom. Just a little tired.”

He looked back into her eyes hoping she would drop the issue. She nodded at him. “Since you’re fine you won’t mind helping me in the laundry room for a minute.”

He placed his glass on the coffee table in front of him and followed her through a door just to the right of the stairway. Helping with laundry was the excuse she used to talk to him when company was present. Once inside she shut the door behind him. He leaned back against the dryer while she walked over to stand in front of him.

“I may be an old woman but I know when you’re lying.”

“Mom, you’re thirty-eight not eighty-eight.”

“That’s besides the point. Now, what’s wrong?”

Over the next few minutes Benji gave a summary of the last two hours. His eyes became unfocused as he spoke, the anxiety he had surpressed coursing through him like icy water. He explained what happened to Zoe once the World Spike landed and how he saved her. What it felt like to use mana for the first time. How scared he was when he saw the office worker’s broken leg and of the others that he healed with Zoe’s help. Tears began to roll down his face when he spoke of the dead people they saw and the emptiness he felt as they moved from one body to the next. All the chaos caused not by the World Spike but by careless drivers. His mother stepped forward and hugged him close for a moment before releasing him.

“Honey, I’m so proud of you for helping those people. I know it must have been awful but it sounds like you did all you could.”

“It’s just frustrating that most of the deaths were caused by other people.” He wiped his eyes with one sleeve of his shirt before continuing. “How bad have the tsunami’s been so far?”

“Actually, other than some larger than usual waves, there have been no major effects from the impact of the World Spike. Scientists have been all over the news trying to explain what happened. They’re fairly upset since the laws of physics aren’t working like they should be.”

“Well, that’s something at least." He paused before continuing. "Mom, I'm a little scared of what I could do with my powers."

“Do your friends know about them?”

“Nobody does. I was going to explain them to the guys once we got here.”

His mother was lost in thought before speaking again. “Well, let’s rejoin your friends. You can tell us all together."