It feels like a fever dream. What's going on? It's like I'm sleeping and awake, angry and happy, I can see but my eyes are closed...

I startle awake. I'm not in my bed and it's kinda bright and very white. Am I in a hospital? Did I have a seizure? I don't think that was a seizure-like thing. It felt more like those rough and painful Unlocks that people talk about a lot.

...Oooohh. That makes a lot more sense. Thanks, karma. I apologize for talking all sorts of crap about you now.

I HAVE A POWER! HOLY SHIT! What do I have, though?

"His eyes are open, Steve. D'you think he might have brain damage?"

"Can you not? He's awake, I'm pretty sure there's never been an Unlock that made somebody stupid or crippled before. Hello, Richard? Can you see me?"

A man stands over me. He looks like he's in his mid-30s, with a head full of shiny blonde hair and a smile that screamed 'I am not a doctor'.

"Hello, Steve. I don't think I have brain damage." Good work, me.

"Pfft!"

"Good, that's good. You're in a hospital room right now, hang on we'll call the nurse. It's a shame, your parents just left to get snacks, I'm sure they're worried."

Oh no, they're worried. They're so clingy when they're worried. I might die from hysterical hug-induced hypoxia.

"Don't let them touch me. Tell them to calm down when they come back. Also, why are you here, Steve and um... S-Steve? What."

"I'm here for your power, Richard. You see, I work for Duplica, a group of superheroes entirely centered around being capable of cloning. I only work on the civilian side of things, though. I'm basically logistics."

"I'm not even outta bed and you're already trying to recruit me? I mean, I can understand a literal one man army being way better on your side of things, but I Unlocked like three days from my 16th birthday. By the way, what day is it?"

"It's Saturday, the 9th of July. You were out for about fifteen hours."

Then the nurse came in.

"Sir, please move away from my patient. Good day, mister Bone. Are you feeling well?"

"I feel fine. That might change when I stand up, though. You can never be sure."

"I doubt that, but if you would, please stand up from the bed. We need to be certain that you are fully functional and healthy."

I rise to a sitting position, then slide off the bed onto my feet. Seems fine, though I have to pee really bad.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

"Of course you do. Please follow me, I'll take you there."

After doing my business, she took me back to the room I was just in, where my parents had come back. They almost pounced on me, but Steve, which there are now five of, stopped them by bracing real hard and pushing back.

"My boy! Are you okay, sweetie? After the bullying thing, I thought for sure there was something wrong with your body! Speak to meee!"

My father, as usual, was silent. He let his very expressive face do the talking for him. Right now, it said "I beleve the medical professionals but I need to hear it from you".

"I'm fine, calm down. If you keep furiously bear-hugging me whenever something's wrong, I'm gonna die by you guys' hands someday, yanno?"

Then, a radically different mood took over them. Shock, as they looked at each other. It seems like only now do they realize they're a slight touch overprotective.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, I'll make my goals clear once again. Ahem. Richard, I'm going to need you to show me your power. When one Unlocks their power, there is an instinct that engraves itself into the user. Reach for that, and show me."

"What, here and now? Just like that?"

The nurse intervened.

"Sir, I ask that you do such things somewhere else. Mister Bone, your clothes are on this chair. They have been washed. Everyone, get out for a moment, will you?"

They all stepped out and I change out of the airy paper gown, then back into proper clothing. Much better. Then I step out, a few formalities are exchanged, and I am sent away. That was fast.

Once outside, the three of us, followed by Steve in his own car, drive home. Then we all pile up in the living room, and I try to my best to recall the sensation. I focus on my arms, on the thing that wanted to get out. Then I push it out like I did last time.

It was like in the movies, where it looks like cartoony mitosis without losing mass. Yeah, like that. Then there was another me, and my perception of things changed. This time, it was clothed. It moved separately, but I could see what it saw, hear what it heard, feel its own touch, et cetera. It's... a strange sensation. It's really easy to keep track of and undeniably useful.

I can work with this. Also, is that what I look like? That skeletal, almost anorexic-looking frame. The tiny nose, the slight hunch, the zero-confidence stance.

"I'm uglier than I remember."

It's so weird, the clone hears an almost entirely different voice than I do.

"Are you handling it well? Sometimes, it's almost entirely manual. If you feel nauseous, you can cancel it. Don't push yourself."

"Yeah, it's fine. It's like a completely different person, except not really. Like I have two bodies, and like it's always been the case. Or rather, it's a different being and I can tell what its exact thoughts and feelings are."

We turn to the window, turn around, walk together, play patty cake, sit down while the other stands up, talk separately about different things to different people in different rooms... Wow, this is really useful. I mean, I'm two people! I could very well be even more, as well!

"Well, you seem to be doing fine. I will reiterate my offer. Richard Bone, you are invited to join Duplica. Training will be given, fees will be waived, a secret identity will be established, and a bunch of other stuff will be done as well."

"Is this legal? Are you allowed to recruit 15-year-olds?"

"No, but 16-year-olds are fine. Same thing as the age of consent, really, and if your parents didn't lie to me then you'll be 16 on Monday. Last-second cases like you are rare, but they tend to become way more powerful than people who get their powers at any other time. I'd say it's strange, but having ambitions then getting fancy powers rather than setting up an ambition while aided by a power tends to lead people to try and do bigger things."

"Kinda like self-made millionaires compared to second-generation rich kids."

"Yes, exactly like that."

The road ahead of me is suddenly looking very bright. I've got a power! Me! I'm so lucky!