//------------------------------//
// This Is Gonna Be Fun 
// Story: It Gets Better 
// by Flame Star 
//------------------------------//

    “Ya know, I’m really glad I already beat the game: having only one side of the powers gets boring after a while.” I stated, controller in my hands as I split my attentions between the screen in front of my, and the screen to my side: the one in front currently displayed inFAMOUS Second Son, the latest game in the now-trilogy that I had become smitten with so long ago. The other, which sat to my left, was my computer, which was currently keeping a Skype call running between me and my two friends, Lindsey and Joey.
“You do realize that, as much as you talk about it, we really don’t know much about it? I mean, you’re the only one that’s ever played it out of us three.” Quipped Joey before sighing defeatedly. “Rats got me.”
“Again? Come on, I can fight dragons, and you can’t even handle a few lousy rats?” replied Lindsey, who, if the sounds coming from her Skype call were anything to go by, had just vanquished one of the aforementioned behemoths.
“Yeah, well, I can’t shoot fire out of my mouth. The best I can do is slow time and summon some rats.” Joey shot back, prompting me to mediate.
“Ladies, ladies, you’re both pretty.” This drew a small snicker from me, but a groan from the other two. “Besides, we both know that my game is better.”
“Whatever you say, ‘Banner Man’” Lindsey retorted, with a tone that indicated a rolling of the eyes.
Just as I was about to reply, the power in my house seemed to go out: the lights flicked out, and the TV did the same. My computer, though it ran on a battery, was now frozen, with my friend’s voices only coming through broken and staticy. I sat confused for a moment before my TV flicked back on. But, instead of displaying a blank screen, it shone with an intense, blindingly bright light. Moments later, I lost consciousness.


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When my eyes finally flitted open, I was in a place that was most definitely not my bedroom back at home: the ground was covered with grass and leaves, with trees all around us. It was painfully obvious that I was now in a forest, apparently alone: that is, until I heard a groan about five feet to my left. Turning, I saw a very strange sight: a female form, fully adorned in plate-like white armor, with a matching shield and horned helmet, a sword at her belt. The form slowly rose, and as it got to its feet and turned towards me, I was thoroughly surprised by the face that I saw: it was none other than my friend, Lindsey.
“Lindsey? Is that...is that you?” I asked her, taking a step back.
“Yeah. Wait, is that...Alec? Is that you?” She replied, tilting her head slightly. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” I fired back, gesturing to her. “Where’d ya get the armor?”
“Armor?” She looked down at herself, gasping in a combination of shock and awe. As she looked over herself, she began to sound more frightened than she had initially. “This is really freaky. This...this is downright terrifying.”
I heard rustling to my right and spun, instinctually unraveling a chain that was wrapped around my right forearm. I didn’t have time to process the development as a figure emerged from the undergrowth at the edge of the small clearing that Lindsey and I had found ourselves in.
“Hello? Alec, Lindsey, are you there?” I immediately recognized the voice as that of Joey, my other friend. Rewrapping the chain around my arm, I called out to him.
“We’re here Joey. And before you ask, yes, we’re just as scared and confused as you are.”
He froze, drawing a sword that was at his waist. “Alec? Is that…” He lowered the sword, tilting his head inquisitively. “Is that you?” He seemed to look me over, no less confused. “Why are you dressed so weird?”
“Like I said to Lindsey, I could say the same to you.” I fired back at him, starting to get a bit agitated at the situation.
A mask set on his forehead, obviously pulled up and off of his face. He was dressed in a long black cloak, with sword drawn and a pistol at his belt.
“Alright, so, let’s get this straight: you look like Corvo, Lindsey’s got some pretty sparkly armor, and me…?” I looked around questioningly, waiting for a response.
“You look like a delinquent.” The two answered in unison, locking eyes after doing so. “That was weird.” The both continued. “So was that.” This process repeated itself until I yelled for their attention.
“A more accurate explanation, please!” I shouted, glaring at them both.
“Alright, ah...red beanie, leather over-jacket with some pins on the chest, chain on your ar-” I cut her off there with a raised hand, my mind already beginning to connect the dots. “So, I’m dressed like Delsin, Joey’s dressed like Corvo, and you’re dressed like…” I trailed off, turning towards Lindsey. “Lindsey, what kind of armor were you wearing in your game of Skyrim?”
“Ah...the Deathbrand set. Unique Stalhrim armor set.” She replied, though a bit questioningly.
“And, Lindsey, would you say that that set of armor looks somewhat like a series of white plates of material?” I asked.
“I’d...say so, yeah.” She finally answered, though a bit apprehensively. “Why?”
“Because, Lindsey…” I started, smirking slightly. “You’re wearing it. And I think I know why: we became our characters in everything but body.” I paused, a realization dawning on me. “Lindsey, shout at me.”
“What, why?” She replied, obviously confused and shocked by my sudden outburst.
“Because, I wanna test my theory. Now, Unrelenting Force.” When she didn’t act immediately, I continued. “Hit me!” I yelled at her, finally spurring her into action.
“Fuus….Roh DAH!!” She yelled, releasing an immense wall of force in my direction. Instead of turning and running, I ran towards the force, willing my body to dematerialize. My body did as my mind willed, with my body dematerializing into a cloud of red smoke, which then reformed into myself once again a few feet from where I had been standing.
“Fuck yeah!” I yelled, throwing a hand into the sky in triumph before I turned to Joey. “Shoot me.”
He was visibly in shock from the display that he had just witnessed, and when he finally recovered, looked at me like I was crazy. “What? No, I’m not going to shoot you, I’d kill you!”
“You’d be surprised what I can take, Joe. Now, shoot me!” I smirked at him as I spoke, bouncing on my feet.
Slowly drawing the pistol at his belt, he raised his arm, closing his eyes before firing. His arm jerked high into the air from the recoil, and the bullet, struck me in the shoulder. Pain seared through my body, but only momentarily. Almost immediately, smoke issued from my body, heading towards my wounded shoulder, dissipating moments later. Rolling my shoulder, I felt no pain: no trace that any injury had ever been sustained. “Hell yeah! I’m as strong as a god-damned Conduit!” I shouted, revelling in my new-found powers.
We all looked down at ourselves, studying our bodies. We reacted with varying degrees of joy and apprehension, both scared of our new abilities, but also eager to become used to them. Looking up at the two who had joined me, I smiled: we had finally become something greater than we had ever thought we could have been.
“Alright, guys. It’s dark. I’d say about...midnight. We need to head out, try and find some civilization.” I stated, unintentionally trying to establish myself as leader of our pack of super-powered teens.
They responded with nods, following me as I headed what felt to be Northwest, with Lindsey lighting a torch that she seemingly produced from nowhere. Silently thanking her for her bag of holding skills, I pressed on ahead, my chain ever so slightly unwound as I watched the fringes of the light for any threat. Not long after, I saw a shape move at the edge of the torchlight and stopped the group, holding our position. The shape moved towards us, revealing it to be a large wolf, teeth bared in a snarl. Initially, I was unafraid of a single wolf: then, however, three more emerged on either side, totalling seven large beasts, all ready to attack. Turning back, I looked at my two companions. Time seemed to slow down as my mind raced, two decisions being weighed in my head.
‘I can tell them to run, to keep going while I hold off the wolves. They’ll make it out for sure, but me...I don’t know just how much my new powers can withstand. On the other hand, I can leave them for dead and save my own hide; let them fight these damn things, and see if they make it out alive.’
The choice seemed instinctual to me. I turned to the wolves, the chain around my arm unwinding. “Go. I’ll fight these fuckers, you guys just get out the forest. Find a town or something.”
“But, Alec-” Joey started, but I cut him off.
“I said go!” I yelled, and they took off, running the way we had came before looping around. Now faced with only a single target, the wolves circled me, seeming to single me out as the weakest of the former group.
The wolves charged, but they didn’t get a chance to sink their teeth into flesh. I crouched down for only a moment, smoke beginning to swirl around my arms before I launched myself skyward. My body dematerialized once more, coalescing into three balls of smoke that twirled around one another before coming together again, reforming my body at the top of a loop. I smirked as my body turned, and I began hurtling back down towards the trees. I was high above the treetop now, and as my body hurtled down towards the ground, I willed myself to gain momentum. Twin jets of smoke erupted from my hands, hurtling me faster towards the ground. The moment my body struck, I exploded with an enormous concussive force, sending the wolves flying and flattening the trees in a ten foot radius. As my body reformed, I smiled. “Oh, yeah...this is gonna be fun.”