The lack of fanfare that greeted Jason as he exited the long tunnel was a bit disappointing. Jason would have expected a large studio set or some futuristic looking device, but all that greeted him was a simple football field. There seemed to be a few tables set out on the field, but nothing that looked like it could inject any of the people who had shown up with superpowers.

I’m not seeing anything that looks like it could transport me to another world, Jason mused. The only thing that seems out of place here in this stadium is Doctor Eggburton. And that’s only because he’s a scientist in the middle of a football field.

As Jason took in the sights of the large goalposts and astroturf surrounded by stadium seating, Doctor Eggburton cleared his throat.

“Attention everyone. I know that this is a strange setup for a ‘tryout’ but please bear with me as we get everyone settled in.” You can say that again, thought Jason. “If everyone would please choose a table to sit at, we can begin. You’ll note that each can hold up to four people and while there are enough tables to accommodate you if you would like to sit alone, you may also choose to sit with other people if you wish.”

Jason noted that there was a significant lack of information provided by Doctor Eggburton, but that it was implied that it would be better if people sat together. Jason glanced at Misty who was looking wide eyed at the stadium, taking in the spectacle of the large building.

“First time in the stadium?” Jason asked.

“Huh?” Misty started. With a flush of embarrassment, Misty glanced at Jason. “Is it that obvious?”

Jason laughed, “It's not really a big deal. I’m not really a huge sports fan myself and have only been in the stadium once before. But it really does make you feel small doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Misty agreed with awe. “I know how big it looks from the outside, but now that we are in the building and on the field, I feel so small. I can’t imagine what the football players must feel like while on the field playing the game.”

“From what I have heard,” replied Jason. “It’s as if the whole world falls away when you’re playing the game. You get so focused on the task at hand that you completely forget everything else that is going on around you and just pay attention to what’s in front of you. Here’s hoping that we can do the same thing during these tryouts eh?”

Misty smiled at Jason and motioned to a table nearby that was empty. “Would you like to join me at the table?”

Jason gave his best smile and replied, “I would be happy to!”

As the pair made their way to the table, they were joined by the man in the suit and sunglasses, who nodded briefly at Jason and Misty before taking a seat that allowed him to look at the rest of the group. Jason noted that most of the potential contestants were sitting with one or two other people, but there were a few people who had chosen to sit alone; most notably, Jason noted that the cosplayers dressed as Frigid Ice and the Flea were sitting alone throwing angry glances at one another.

Jason thought back to the various comic books that he had read as a teenager and remembered that although The Flea had been a short lived TV show, he had shown up in a few of the major comic book labels and had even fought (and defeated) Frigid Ice a few times. That might explain why the two cosplayers were now throwing angry glances at one another.

Jason’s attention was brought back to the table when the man in sunglasses cleared his throat. Jason looked at the man and was surprised to see that the sunglasses had been placed on the table by the man and that piercing blue eyes stared right back at him. The man’s gaze was intense and did not waiver from Jason for a second.

“Tom.”

Jason looked at the man with a perplexed expression. “Huh?”

“That’s my name. Tom.”

“Oh. Nice to meet you Tom.” Jason shot a smile at Tom but it was not returned. “Why did you come to this tryout for superheroes? This doesn’t seem really like something that you would really seem to be into.” A quick gesture towards Tom indicated Jason’s point. With a well-trimmed suit and sunglasses, combined with a demeanor that seemed to Jason to be somewhat of a military background or something in security, Jason would not have pegged Tom to be someone who would show up at an event sponsored by some random email that most would have pegged as spam. Come to think of it, Jason was pretty sure that “Tom” wasn’t even the guy’s name and that he gave it because he didn’t trust Jason.

A dry chuckle emanated from Tom at Jason’s remark.

“Yeah. I suppose you are right there Jason.” A quick look at Jason’s shocked face brough another round of dry chuckles from Tom. “I know that you didn’t give me your name just now, but I was listening to when you were talking with Misty here when you walked up before the contracts were handed out.

“As to why I am here, that’s something that I will be keeping to myself. Let’s just say that I made a promise to someone that I would show up to this tryout. Now that I’m here, what say me, you and Princess Artist here work together. Eh?”

Jason shrugged noncommittally. “Sure. That sounds great. I guess since we’re at the same table we might as well.”

Jason was cut off before he was able to say anything more by an “ahem” that came through various loudspeakers set up around the tables. Jason looked up and saw that Doctor Eggburton had been joined by a woman of middling height. To say that she looked aloof would have been an understatement. Her entire demeanor radiated disdain for the people that she saw accumulated at the various tables. With silver hair tied up in a bun and piercing brown eyes that seemed to radiate contempt, the woman was the very definition of “cold.” Her ice blue jacket covered a knee length navy skirt that seemed more functional than fashionable.

A crisp voice spoke through the speakers and although Jason saw that she was not holding a microphone, Jason could still tell that the woman was talking through the speakers through some unknown means.

“Hello everyone. My name is Maria Kingston, but you may all refer to me as ‘Director Kingston.’” There was no option for any other name that was given by the cold voice; it radiated no-nonsense and demanded respect. “If you will look in front of you, you will find that there are questionnaires set before you. Please fill out the questionnaire to the best of your ability and place it in the center.”

Jason looked at the table and found to his surprise that there were questionnaires sitting in front of where he, Tom and Misty sat. Those definitely were not there before, Jason thought to himself. I wonder where they came from?

Director Kingston continued: “If you’ll notice on the top of the page, there is a place for you to put in your name. As this is a multidimensional contest, you can choose the name that you would like to be known as. There is also a place for you to put down the names of those who are sitting at your table. As of right now, they are your team. If there is no one at your table, I wish you luck as you seem to have forgotten your wisdom in coming to this place and expecting to survive alone.

“Please note that the questions on the questionnaire before you are open ended and can be answered in any way possible. But know that your answers will be used in the future to determine various surprises that we have prepared for the various contestants. Be smart in your answers as they may help or hinder you depending upon what you write.

“There is one final question that is optional for you to answer, but I would recommend answering the question. This one does have a correct answer and those that get the answer correct will receive something that will aide them in their time here. That is all.”

With that final statement Director Kingston sat down at a table that seemed to house a panel of judges: Director Kingston, Doctor Eggburton, and a lithe, wiry man who had not introduced himself. As Jason looked at the judges table, the wiry man caught him looking and stared directly into Jason’s eyes. A slight buildup of pressure behind his eyes caused him to look away and rub his eyes in pain.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

What the hell was that? It seemed like that guy was putting some kind of mind whammy on me. I’ll have to keep an eye out for him in the future.

Jason looked at the page and saw the line for him to enter his name. Should I put my actual name, or should I choose something cooler? Jason pondered. I could totally do something like “Dark Fist” or “Captain Phantom” for my name and that would be awesome. Jason sat and thought for a period of time before deciding to use his actual name but change his last name for privacy reasons. Jason wrote “Jason Phantom” on the space for his name.

Jason looked up at Tom and Misty and found that they had already written their names and were now looking at him. “I wrote ‘Jason Phantom’ as my name because I don’t trust my name being broadcast across the multiverse,” Jason explained.

Tom nodded in approval and Misty looked puzzled. “But why would you not want to give your actual name?” Misty inquired. “I put down ‘Misty Steppes’ as that’s my name.” At Jason’s cheshire grin, Misty sighed. “Yeah, I know that my name is really ridiculous. My parents were huge fans of martial arts films and had watched some kung fu movie before I was born. With a last name like ‘Steps,’ there was no way they were going to pass up the opportunity.

“Fortunately, ‘Misty Steppes’ was a great artist name and gave me a sort of mystique,” Misty continued dreamily. “I was able to sell my first few paintings just because my name was intriguing and people thought that I had come up with it to be clever.” A wan smile crossed Misty’s face as she went on. “From there, it was just a matter of the right people finding my paintings and soon I was the hottest artist in town.”

Tom gave a half smirk at Misty’s explanation and grunted, “With a name like ‘Misty Steppes,’ you shouldn’t have any difficulty coming up with a superhero persona and name. I think that your name fits perfectly.

“I myself put down ‘Doctor Destiny’ as no one needs to know my name. Only that it is my destiny to win this competition,” he concluded. Tom crossed his arms making it abundantly clear that he had said all that he needed to say.

“Well,” Jason replied. “It seems like we’re all decided on what we want to call ourselves. I’ll go by ‘Jason Phantom,’ Misty is going to be ‘Misty Steppes,’ and Tom here will be ‘Doctor Destiny.’” Jason couldn’t help but grin. “It seems as if we are creating our own clan of ninjas,” he joked.

Jason wrote down “Misty Steppes” and “Doctor Destiny” under the “Teammate Names” section of the questionnaire.

As Jason began reading through the questionnaire, he found that the questions posed were just as bizarre as some of the potential problems listed on the initial contract that he had signed earlier. “What would you do after having been eaten by a gru?” topped the questionnaire and was followed up by “You have met your quantum twin while on a routine visit to the next reality over. What is the first question you ask to ensure that your twin is not attempting to scam you of extra marbles?”

Well the first question is easy, thought Jason. He wrote “You restart at the beginning of the forest.” The next question was not so easy to answer but Jason wrote, “I ask ‘Given the cost of glass in this dimension, how many shingles should I share?’” A bizarre question deserved an equally bizarre answer.

Jason continued through the questionnaire finding bizarre question after bizarre question. Some made sense to Jason, “How many pounds is a normal turkey at Thanksgiving?” while others made no sense whatsoever, “Considering the master stroke of the Sea of Tranquilty, how many golfing putters would it take to cross the green?”

Jason glanced up a few times to see what the others around him were doing. Misty had an unfocused look on her face but did not seem overly concerned about the bizarre nature of the questions, while Tom had a hardened frown creasing his face. A look around the astroturf field showed that many of the people at the various tables seemed to be experiencing the same confusion that he was feeling.

There was one man who was throwing up the paperwork into the air yelling “Why? WHY!? WHYYYY?!” Another seemed to have completely given up and was laying under the table while another one of his tablemates was scribbling furiously. Jason understood their confusion and returned to filling out the questionnaire.

⟺

Dammit! cursed Damon. What the hell is a “floppity florp” anyways? This makes no damn sense. And who the hell cares about the normal weight of a turkey at thanksgiving? I certainly don’t.

Damon’s military training was kicking in and like all good spies, he had given a fake name to the people at the table he was sitting at. He had been sent into this situation blind and his superiors had no idea what this “Superpowered Games” was supposed to be. All he had been told was that it was a potential threat to national security and he was supposed to infiltrate the compound and determine what was going on.

Damon had not expected the large contract that made no sense nor the odd questionnaire that had been given by this “Director Kingston.” He was a military man and preferred when things made sense. Orders and ranking made sense to Damon. This questionnaire that asked about what his reaction to having his body turned inside out was not making any sense whatsoever.

Damon glanced at the two other people at his table. The girl might be of some use. She seemed competent enough, but he wasn’t too sure about the other man. He seemed to be soft and did not seem cut out for any physical activity. Nevertheless, it was allies that he would need to figure out what the hell was going on in this strange situation. His country needed him and he would step up to the plate like the good soldier that he was.

With a quick glance around the rest of the room, Damon returned to answering the next question: “If you have two birds in the hand, how much more are they worth than one in the bush?” Ah, Damon grinned. A question that I know the answer to!

He quickly wrote “Two birds are worth double anything that is not already contained within the hands that control the fates.”

⟺

With a final sigh, Jason finished the last question: “Why is a raven like a writing desk.” Jason had written “Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!” It was an answer that he had remembered hearing a few years back when one of his literary friends had posed the riddle to him. Jason seemed to remember it had something to do with “raven” being spelled backwards as “nevar” but he couldn’t remember why that was supposed to be the correct answer.

Jason put down his pen and looked up. He saw that he was one of the last people to finish yet again. Misty was staring off at the large stadium, taking in the spectacle of the seats that often held cheering and booing crowds depending on how the team was doing. Tom had finished the form and seemed to be leaning back in his chair taking a nap. Jason couldn’t really tell if Tom was asleep, but the quiet snores that were coming out of him seemed to be real enough.

As he continued to look around, Jason started. Standing to his left in his blind spot was Doctor Eggburton. His diminutive frame was not as portly as Jason had originally thought when the doctor had first been seen. In fact, as Jason looked at the doctor a bit closer now, he noted that while short in stature, Doctor Eggburton seemed to be more muscular than fat.

His lab coat fell off rather broad shoulders that were heightened by a strange holster that he wore that came over his shoulders and connected around the waist, giving the doctor his “fat” look when he was further away. A quick glance showed that there seemed to be test tubes in the holster, filled with various types of liquid, but what they were, Jason was not sure.

“Ah! Good!” Doctor Eggburton cried in his reedy voice. “You’re finished with the questionnaire!” The doctor snatched the paperwork from Jason and seemed to practically squeak in excitement as he read through the answers that Justin had written on the page.

“Interesting answer…” the doctor mumbled as he perused the various answers that Jason had provided. “That’s never been put that way before. OOOH! I like how you answered that one!” As the doctor walked towards the judging table further exclamations of excitement came from the diminutive man. Suddenly, the doctor stopped and rushed back to Justin.

“Did you write this last answer?” he demanded of Justin, pointing at the final question and the answer that Justin had written.

“Yes?” Justin replied confused at the sudden change in demeanor from the doctor.

“GOOD!” replied the doctor excitedly who promptly turned away from Jason.

Jason looked at Tom and Misty questioningly but both just provided blank stares and shrugged at Jason. Jason turned his attention to Director Kingston who had begun talking again.

“Thank you for filling out the questionnaires everyone. As you have noted, there was not much on the surveys that would make sense to you now, but trust me when I say, they will make sense later.

“If you would please come to the front table, we have something to show you.” Director Kingston gestured at the air behind her which seemed to be empty. However, as the candidates began walking towards the front table, the air seemed to shimmer around the rear of the table.

With a flourish, Director Kingston waived her hands and a large device shimmered into view. It seemed to be a large silver circle of metal overlaid with a circuit-like pattern that was built into a pedestal of sleek, black obsidian. Strange energy surrounded the device and it seemed to be constantly moving despite being completely stationary.

“May I present: The Quantum Teleporter.”