“I am not a Rank 2 Super. I am a Rank 7 with two out of my seven powers unlocked. Peak Superhuman Body and Body Kinesis.” The Broker jaw dropped as the guard looked nervous. "You really have a Peak Superhuman Body?” He pulled out the superband that Kat found in the apartment and he put it on as the strange sensation passed over him it showed. Rank 2 of 7 Potential Power 1: Peak Superhuman Body Power 2: Body Kinesis As The Broker looked astonished at him she quickly gained her composure before speaking again. “While this puts you firmly in the Top 1 percent of Supers there are still people who can get hurt and kill you. Your future is much brighter than what I imagined but still you can be snuffed out.” He nodded.“I am looking for another Evo-Shot. I wanted to take my time but I think I overpyed by hand. I am willing to pay a reasonable markup. “The Broker nodded before she reached into her closet and pulled out one of several simir suitcases to his previous Evo Shot.
“My Evo-Shots go for 125K as I am taking very dirty money that will need to be washed to be useful for me.” Mark nodded and pulled out 250K.“I’ll take 2.” The Broker smiled at him and pulled out another suitcase and handed it to him before she started speaking.“I can probably buy you two weeks before they are really able to discover your location. By then you will not be welcome in the sewers until your heat dies down or you take down the Allstars. Whatever comes first.”Mark stood up and shook her hand before the guard escorted him out of the room and led him back towards his room. He then reached into his pocket and paid the guard 50K.“25k for you and 25k for your partner to make sure you keep quiet for as long as you can.” The guard nodded and smiled before he turned and went into his room.“I got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it.” As he entered his room he pushed away all of the furniture and created a completely clear living room as he sat on the floor. “AI, bring up my Powers again.”Power 1: Peak Superhuman Body 73% ProficiencyPower 2: Body Kinesis 37%Power 3: Weak PsychometryPower 4: Power BestowalPower 5: Telekinetic VisionPower 6: Psionic Hyper FocusPower 7: Psionic Energy EmissionAs he looked over his powers he had left he needed powers that he could work out of the gate.Psychometry could be useful but not when he probably had to fight Superhunters. He was solo currently so Power Bestowal is useless. Telekinetic Vision could be very useful and he had no idea how Psionic Dampening worked but if he fought no one that yes Psionic powers he was fucked.“That leaves Psionic Energy Emission and Telekinetic Vision in that order. Let's change the order to this for now.”Power 1: Peak Superhuman Body 80% ProficiencyPower 2: Body Kinesis 39%Power 3: Psionic Energy EmissionPower 4: Telekinetic VisionPower 5: Power BestowalPower 6: Psionic Hyper FocusPower 7: Weak Psychometry He pulled out an Evo-Shot and injected it into his neck as he colpsed onto the ground again.Evolite Strain DetectedPower 3 UnlockedPsionic Energy EmissionYou can protect mental energy given physical form from your body in a physical form. The strength and application of this power increase with experimentation and proficiency.
He let the strange sensation pass before falling to the ground once more, his muscles convulsing as the new power bloomed inside him. Dizzy and breathless, he felt the lure of the remaining Evo-Shot and almost considered taking it. Almost. Better judgment won out. He knew he needed to understand this power first, even if it meant starting from scratch. He pnned to get it to at least 10-15 percent proficiency and not rush things this time before unlocking any more abilities. Especially considering how tricky vision powers might be. He staggered as he stood, recalibrating his body and feeling out of sync. When he checked his stats, a ugh escaped him—it was almost pathetic. Psionic Energy Emission sat at a dismal 0.5%.
"Not even a whole percent, huh?" he muttered to himself, feeling a twinge of irritation. "I guess this is a much more different power to master." Fleetingly, he thought of the risk he was taking, the unforgiving world he had stepped into, and how quickly things could unravel if he didn't get a handle on this. He knew he had to make this power work for him. It might be his only shot to survive what's coming. He looked around the room, feeling that this was going to be a longer process than he hoped but determined not to let it break him. Beneath the surface of his focus, he could sense it—a thrumming pool of energy waiting to be unleashed.Unlike Body Kinesis, which relied on raw stamina, this power drew from a distinct source, an energy reservoir that felt alien and untapped, with limits that could be pushed and depleted.
He needed to hit the ground running, but first, he had to crawl.
“Hey AI, can you make a bar on my screen that measures my psionic energy pool?” When he activated the overy, he now saw under the bottom of his vision was a purple percentage bar out of 100. “Alright, now let's get started.”
His muscles were burning and his mind ached with exertion, like he had run a marathon in his own head. Mark gred at the evolving purple bar at the bottom of his vision, watching it dip and rise erratically with every failed attempt to project energy.It was supposed to be like breathing, but it felt more like trying to whistle through a brick wall. He wasn't even close to emitting a spark, and all he had gained for his efforts were a cramped fist and a dent in his patience. Hours slipped by, and frustration mounted. Not even a whole percentage gained—this was going nowhere. "It's like trying to teach a goat to fly," he muttered, shaking his head. Mark paced around the room, feeling the walls close in on him. Going solo wasn't cutting it. He needed a jump start, a way to learn what his body couldn't figure out on its own. He craved answers, and there was only one person who had connections deep enough to help him find them. He made his decision. He returned to The Broker, knowing she would have an ace hidden up her sleeve. Another ten grand sweetened the deal, and she quickly navigated her contacts, promising that he would get the help he needed."This is gonna hurt your pockets" she warned him with a knowing smile, as she arranged for a teacher to meet him on short notice. Relieved, Mark knew the price would be worth it if it meant saving his neck from the Superhunters that had to be coming.
Before he knew it, he was on his way to the training grounds, the prospect of finally unleashing his power urging him on. The space was immense, echoing with a sense of both possibility and challenge, and his anticipation mixed with a strange sense of vulnerability. For a moment, he wondered what kind of teacher would take on a desperate case like his.
