It was easy enough to dream about being a superhero back in the good old days, when they were only the topics of television films and story books. What kid didn't want to freeze water or fly? But then, in the spring of 2030, the first of the Seven made their first public appearance. Wang Fang, of China, demonstrated her devastating ability to melt metal with her flames, flames that she controlled without the aid of any technology.
In a few short weeks, the rest of the Seven revealed themselves. Some served their countries, while others sought profit and power. Superheroes had come to life, and they were able to do things not even comic book writers could dream of. And yet, they weren't wearing capes or spandex and fighting crime. No, they were covert operatives, working on secretive agendas at the behest of those that could afford to have them on retainer.
And Felix was one of them. Well, that was his running hypothesis, an educated guess of sorts. He hadn't had much time to toy around with his ability, given that he had to focus on completing his mission when he was up in space. Though he had originally wanted to stay up there for as long as possible, Felix thanked his lucky stars that it concluded only a couple of weeks after his nearly fatal EVA.
Now, a month later, Felix was reaping the rewards of his extended vacation. With school still out for the summer and Green Dawn more than happy to accommodate his schedule, Felix had spent more time cooped up in his dorm room than ever before. Not even finals week could touch this.
"Come on," Felix mumbled from his cross-legged position in the center of his room. Tossing an apple across the room, Felix watched it land before furiously thinking about wanting to go back in time to before he threw the apple. No luck.
Frustrated, Felix kicked the pillow out from underneath it and tossed it at the wall. He'd been trying to replicate what happened in space, but without results. Had it simply been some kind of hyper-realistic vision? No, his terror had felt much too real, and the sensations much too sharp. Felix had never suffocated before, but he had no doubt that it felt exactly like what happened to him outside New Era. If only superpowers came with a guidebook.
A knock at his door. "Hey Felix, want to grab a bite to eat? You can't stay in there forever," Garrett – Felix's best friend – yelled through the door. Felix sighed; not only would his neighbors chew him out again for his loud friend, but Garrett also had a point. It had been a few days since he'd eaten anything more substantial than cup noodles.
"Yeah, give me a minute." Felix quickly changed into something other than sweats and opened the door to reveal a giant of a dude standing with a line of worry on his forehead.
"Are you okay, man? I've never seen you like this before," Garrett punched him in the shoulder lightly, something he clearly meant as a form of affection. Only problem was that Garrett hit like a freight train.
"I'm caught up in some research. The mission gave me a lot to think about, you know?"
"I actually don't. You haven't spoken much about it, really. I'm kind of surprised; you'd usually word vomit all over me with some science I'll never be able to understand."
Felix slowed his pace. The guy had a point; he had been acting pretty abnormally lately. His parents were halfway across the country, so they wouldn't know, but everyone else would. Not that he had all that many close friends, but he didn't want to worry them. "Want to set something up with the rest of the guys? I'll tell you all what I can – the company lawyers made sure that I really can't talk about much."
Garrett's radiant smile proved that Felix had made the right decision. He could take a break from trying to figure out the superpowers he thought he had. Meeting with his friends could take his mind off his worst fear: he didn't have superpowers and was instead having a psychotic episode.
Picking the food was a dilemma between bad and worse. The food court wasn't known for stocking good food, but the fish and the pasta were particularly terrible. With a plate full of fish and day-old mashed potatoes, Felix took a seat beside a window, Garrett following him to his table. "You ready for next semester?" he asked in the large gaps between mouthfuls of food.
"Not really, but I am excited for my Classical Literature class," Garrett replied between equally distant scoops. Felix tossed a piece of fish into his mouth, grimacing as he fought it down. The cooks had really outdone themselves today.
"How's Vanessa? It's been forever since I've talked to her."
"We're fine. She really wants to go to the beach soon, so I think I'll drive up with her next week. Did you want to come along?" Garrett asked, his puppy-dog eyes begging Felix to say yes. Felix couldn't help but smile.
"Sure. I'll do the driving and let you two love-birds ha-" Felix started before feeling a terrible rumble in his stomach. "Oh lord." Garrett looked up at the same time he did, and Felix knew at once that he was not alone. Scrambling to the restroom, Felix knew that he'd never pick the fish again, not if it resulted in food poisoning. If only he'd have picked the pasta.
And then, in a long, disorienting moment, Felix was back in his seat, about to eat his first bite of fish. He calmly put the fork back down and encouraged a confused Garrett to do the same. But even though he was ninety percent sure he had just done the impossible, he needed to check. To make sure he wasn't going crazy.
"Hey Garrett, excited for that Classical Literature class?"
"How'd you know about that? I don't think I've ever told you before."
Felix's smile stretched across his entire face. He had done it. He had traveled back in time. The only difference now was the massive, nearly crippling, headache that pounded at Felix's skull. He needed medicine. Still, medicine or no, it would take a much bigger headache to stop the giddy feeling in his chest.