Portal

I shut the door, immediately dissolving it. Collapsing on my bed after setting my extra food on my dresser, I sighed heavily. Inducted into the world’s most exclusive and secretive superhero group, encountering something called a Hunter, and having dinner with my new crew in the same night? Exhausting. And incredible, too. Oh! Not to mention scoring a date with a fellow Super!

As I went to the kitchen to put my food away, my mind kept drifting to Dice. There was something about her mix of sadness and cheerfulness that made me curious about her past. I wondered just what that had been like. Having a passive ability wasn’t rare, but it was nowhere near common. To have been born as the Bearer of Probability? Insane. I couldn’t recall having ever seen that ability anywhere before.

Still, it had to be lonely. Not being able to trust in any good luck that ever came your way? Never being certain that someone’s actions in your favor was due to their own desire to do so, or it being an effect of your ability? It had to be maddening. The more I thought about it, the more I felt for the poor girl.

I sat there in thought for a few more moments, then opened the fridge. Hearing some clattering upstairs, I called out to my roommate.

“Hey Lab? You awake?”

“Yeah. Gimme a minute.” I heard the burly dwarf yawn and curse as he kicked at something in his room.

“Gawdamn table! I swear the damn thing keeps hopping out in front of me.” He limped into the room, clad only in a pair of boxers.

Grumbling softly, he limped into the kitchen and pulled out a brown bag from the fridge. “What took so long?”

I grinned. “Yeah… I can’t really talk about it.”

“Whaddya mean y’can’t…” He trailed off as he pulled half a rotisserie chicken from the bag, then looked me in the eye. “Ya got in, didn’t ya?”

I smiled. “I can’t say, Lab. You know how these things go.”

“Heh. Client confidentiality, then. I do the same with my own business. Well, as long as you can pay your half of the rent, I’m not gonna fuss or ask.” He tore a chunk of meat from the bird and stuffed it into his bearded maw. “How you gonna deal with the others?”

I sighed softly. “I’ve six more days before I need to make my choice known to them. I’ll have to figure out some way to be diplomatic about it. Especially to the Alliance. Don’t want them coming after me.”

Lab nodded thoughtfully. “True. The Guild should be easy to deal with. You can send them a damn letter. We can figure out the Alliance in a day or two.” He continued to pick pieces off the chicken and shove them into his mouth.

I sighed and stuffed the takeout box into the fridge. “Yeah. I’m gonna head to bed. It’s been a long day. What’s going on tomorrow?”

Lab sighed. “I got several clients lined up tomorrow. I’ll be gone most of the day.” He yawned. “So, you do whatever it is that you’re gonna do.”

I nodded sleepily. “Yeah. I’ll let you know generally what’s going on when I know.”

“Alright. See you.” Lab shuffled off to his room, and I opened a door to mine and went to bed.

I awoke to sunlight streaming into my room. It was sometime after eight, and I got a shower and threw on some clothes. Nothing to do now but wait. I figured killing time with some games wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

About twenty minutes later, a knock sounded at the door. I opened a small, palm-sized Linked door in the wall outside and took a peek. It was Spark. I sighed and dissolved the door. Saving my game, I got up and unlocked the door.

“Come in, Spark.”

“How’d you know it was me?” he asked as he walked in.

“Well, since Shade said you’d be here today, I figured you’d be the only person to show up. Lab and I don’t get visitors often. He’s at work, by the way.”

“Oh. That makes sense, I suppose. Well, are you ready to begin training?” He rubbed his palms together with a smile.

I snorted. “I dunno man. You seem awful eager to beat up on me again.”

He planted his hands on his hips. “Oh, don’t act like that. Besides, I’m not the one who you’re gonna be dealing with. I’m just taking you there so you have a frame of reference.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Really? Then who do I have the honor of getting my ass kicked by?”

“Nobody. You’re going to be learning a fighting style, not getting beat up.” He stuck his thumb over his shoulder. “Let’s go. Most of the crew will be there.”

“Everyone I met last night?”

He nodded. “Except Quantum. He has a headache he needs to nurse after last night.”

I nodded. “Okay, then. Take me to wherever.” I gestured for him to leave, then followed, locking the door behind us.

Spark began whistling a jaunty tune as he led me down the streets of our lakeside city. I stuffed my hands in my coat pockets and looked around warily. While a part of me knew nobody could know that Spark was a member of The Grey Cloud, my nerves couldn’t help but keep me alert.

I still had that damn tracking device or whatever it was, after all.

“Um… any idea when I can get that thing taken out?” I asked quietly.

“Hm? Oh! Yeah, our man should be at the gym today. We’ll have him look. Don’t worry, I’m masking the signal. You did leave your phone at home, right?”

“Shit. No.”

“Okay. A short detour it is.”

“Nah. Let’s go to Wendy’s. Breakfast would be good.”

“Huh? But what about…?” He trailed off once he saw my face. “Oh. Duh. Okay, then. Breakfast it is.”

We walked to the nearest Wendy’s and ordered breakfast. I paid, then excused myself to the restroom. Opening a door to my room, I made sure my phone was turned off, then tucked it into my bedside table. That should take care of that particular method of tracking.

Once I returned, I found that our food was ready, so I grabbed the tray and sat down.

“Man, that’s useful. How did you figure out you could even do that?”

I smiled around my biscuit. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Aw come on! It can’t be that unreal.”

“You sure? It’s kinda dumb.”

Spark shoved a few hash rounds into his mouth. “Spill it, man!”

I shook my head, the memory bringing a smile to my face. “Two words.”

Spark leaned forward like an eager toddler.

“Toilet paper.”

“Hah?” He sat there, frozen in shock.

I just nodded at him. “It’s true.”

“You… you were out of toilet paper? And that caused you to figure out how to do the thing?”

“Told you it was dumb.”

“Like… you were at home, just finished your business and then realized you were out?”

“Worse. Gas station. I was hitching from New Orleans and stopped in Memphis on my way back. I ate some bad fast food that morning, and it was catching up to me in a violent way. By the time I had the presence of mind to look up and see that the dispenser was out, it was too late. I spent almost an hour getting my door to Link with home. Once I did, I wound up scaring the bejeezus out of Lab. How was I to know he was getting out of the shower at that exact moment? Anyway, I got what I needed, got out of there, then just Opened a door home. The rest is history.”

Spark sat there, a hash round halfway to his mouth. “That… That’s gotta be-”

“The dumbest way anyone has ever discovered a new use to their superpower.”

Spark snorted a laugh. “Yeah. Something like that. Still. I wonder what other uses and abilities your power can have.”

“Same, but I hope it doesn’t take running out of toilet paper in a roadside gas station to figure it out.” I shook my head.

Spark choked on his coffee.

Fifteen minutes later, we were heading back down the road to the gym, making smalltalk as we went. It seems that Spark had had a rather rough time of it after school. His mother had taken ill and passed a year after he graduated, and this sent his father into an alcoholic spiral. Spark had coped by withdrawing into himself and isolating for three years, until his father kicked him out one night on a drunken binge.

Homeless, Spark had taken to petty thievery to survive. It worked for about six months, until he met Shade.

It had started like any other day. Awake at dawn, Take stock of himself and his meager belongings, then step out onto the street, scanning for threats and potential cattle. He hated to think of them as cattle, but it helped him to sleep at night.

As he sat on the park bench, he watched the people passing by. Parents with their kids, teens headed to school, and the occasional jogger passed him by without a second glance. What caught his eye, however, was a delicate silver chain that spilled out of a man’s pocket as he leaned against a tree.

Slowly, he crept up behind the man. He was tall, about six foot five, with an average build. He didn’t seem to be much of a threat, so once another man passed his mark, Spark walked by him and bumped his shoulder, dipping his hand into the man’s pocket.

“‘Scuse me, sir.” He started jogging away. “Hey Mark, wait up!”

“It’s only worth five bucks, kid,” the man called out.

Spark slowed down and looked back. The man was still standing there, his arms crossed, a smirk playing across his lips. He sighed and walked back, his head down.

Offering the pocketwatch back to him, he mumbled an apology. “Sorry. Here. I’ll find somewhere else to go.”

“Somewhere else? Where, exactly?” He took the proffered watch and stuck it back in his pocket.

Spark shrugged. “Dunno. I’ll find somewhere.”

“Perhaps-” The man’s statement was cut off by a loud groan from Spark’s midsection. He smiled. “I could treat you to breakfast, in exchange for a small favor?”

Spark thrust his hands in his pockets. “What kind of favor?” He felt his face grow warm.

“Nothing illegal, I assure you. Just a small favor that is well within your abilities. What do you say? I know you’re hungry, and I’m in need of a task fulfilled.”

Spark grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to owe someone. Especially a damn stranger. But a hot meal sounded good. “Where we going?”

“Excellent! First, we’re going into the alleyway over there, and then we’re going to breakfast.”

“Alleyway? Alone? I don’t think so, man. I’m trying to live. I know better than to dip into some dark alley with a damn stranger.” He turned around and started to walk off.

“Now don’t be so hasty, Zack.”

Spark froze. How did the man know his name? Had the government found him again? “Who the fuck are you?” Electricity crackled around his fists as he raised them to defend himself.

The man smiled. “Excellent. Come on. Breakfast awaits.” He turned away and walked off to the alley, leaving Spark standing there, electricity dancing around his fists.

Spark sighed, defeated and hungry. He lowered his fists and slowly followed the man, his midsection quaking with fear.