Thirty minutes later, Ryker walked out of the bathroom. He had already gotten dressed but had his yellow towel draped over his shoulders. He used one end to dry off his clean-cut black hair as he walked.

"Right when I got out, huh?" he said to himself. "I might have to live in there from now on."

When he reached his bed, he quickly finished dressing. Then just as fast, he secured his few personal belongings inside his backpack and headed out. As he was leaving, he made sure to check his assignments on the community chore list. Since he was older and had a job, his mandatory contributions had significantly lessened, but he always had a few chores to do within the week.

Satisfied that he was up to date with the list, he headed out the door. The orphanage he was in was on the outskirts of the city proper but was still within the greater Reno district. The area used to be considered a separate city, but that all changed a few years after the manifestation of supers in the world. *1

The world, or at least everything Ryker could see, twisted in a spiral. The colors coalesced in the middle as they stretched to a fine point. Just as quickly, the world cleared up. Suddenly, he had new knowledge in his head. It was like a whole paragraph of knowledge was instantaneously shoved into his brain. He felt he should take a moment to gain his bearings, but the feeling dissipated so fast that he could only go about his business.

Outside, a blanket of clouds that threatened precipitation covered the sun's direct rays. The wind bit into his skin as he walked out of the orphanage. It found every gap and hole in his clothing and pushed its way through, so every part of his body felt the chill.

Looking down the street toward the bank on the corner, Ryker could make out the electronic sign peeking over the high wall that edged the bank's perimeter. The sign, a remnant of the pre-super era, flipped through a display that advertised the bank's benefits: ONLY $100 MINIMUM – STATE INSURED.

Ryker watched as it cycled through a few more benefits until his desired display appeared. The time flashed in red pixelated light.

"Damn," he cursed. He wasn't extremely late, but he would have to hustle if Ryker wanted to make it to the tram to catch his ride.

He took off at a slight jog toward the tram station. Ryker wasn't a stranger at running to the station. Sometimes it was because he was running late – like this time – other times, it was because he wanted some extra exercise. This time, the experience was different from those in the past.

Any other day, if he worked out as hard as he had that morning, he would have to run much slower than his current pace. As it was, his legs stretched out, seeking his maximum stride as he smoothly glided along the sidewalk. His breathing was steady as he ran, always inhaling and exhaling on the correct step. His arms pumped furiously, with zero aches from his earlier punishment of them.

The occasional pedestrian would appear on the sidewalk, their own speed and gait much less than his own. Usually, their appearance would slow him down, and if he was running late, a worried frown would accompany his drop in speed. He only wore a smiling grin as he effortlessly dodged around the sapient obstacles in his path.

The only thing that bothered him was the incessant yet clearly understandable whispers that seemed to never abate.

"You can say that again," Ryker said in between breaths.

In what Ryker thought was probably record time, at least for him, he made it to the entrance of the tram station. It wasn't much, just a set of graffitied stairs leading up to the next level. He took the stairs two to three at a time but was forced to stop when he reached the kiosk.

Ryker stepped up to the tram's entrance register, and after reaching into his pocket to pull out his access card, he placed it on the register's visual plate. A series of dots on top of the plate lit up to indicate the card was accessed and accepted before the whole screen lit up green to indicate he could walk through the barred turnstile. From there, it was another quick flight of stairs to an open platform where passengers waited. The floor was open to the elements on the sides, so the chilly weather made the wait for the train even more unbearable as the frigid wind ripped through the area.

Ryker was thankful he was warm from his run because it gave the wind a slightly pleasing feel. Even though it was bearable, he was still glad to see that the tram hadn't left the station so he could go right in. As he stepped inside, the double sliding doors closed with a hiss. He knew from experience that he only had a few seconds to find a seat or a bar to hold onto before the tram would lurch forward.

The cabin was relatively open, so Ryker moved to the closest seat and plopped down for the ride. *2

Ryker had his eyes closed the moment the influx of knowledge hit so he didn't get the swirl of colors washing over his vision. He could feel an intense pressure build on the front of his head when it happened.

The tram hummed along the raised track smoothly and quietly. The hum always relaxed Ryker while he rode it. He found his heartbeat finally returning to normal after his run and the inundating of knowledge into his being. He turned sideways and took off his backpack, setting it on the seat beside him.

Ryker unzipped the blue Jansport and rummaged inside for a moment. He pulled out a water bottle and a shaker cup. A pre-portioned serving of protein powder was already in the cup. He found protein shakes were a good way to satiate his hunger and helped him stay lean with muscle. He didn't usually eat until lunch, but with his morning workout and speedy run, his stomach growled at him like a stray dog cornered in an alley.

He poured the water into the cup and proceeded to mix the ingredients. Once thoroughly mixed, he took a large swig from the cup that lasted a few seconds. Ryker's eyes drifted out the window while he chugged the protein drink, then his eyes widened at what he saw.

"What do I see?" Ryker asked. He didn't spot anything immediately, so he scanned the sky further.

Far off in the distance, Ryker spotted the trail of dissipating fire in the wake of a flying super. He quickly reached inside his backpack again without taking his eyes off the flying super. Ryker was looking for his folder, where he kept a log of super sightings around the city. Supers were everywhere, and their powers ranged from mundane to fantastical. Yet, for some reason, seeing a flying super was actually quite rare.

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Ryker squinted to try and make out some more details of the super. He couldn't tell whether they were male or female, but their clothes appeared white, and they seemed to have a significant shock of black hair. White on the blue sky might make them stand out, but not when considering all the clouds in the sky and the number of white feathered birds.

"I guess that's true," Ryker mumbled.

Ryker thought about the prominent supers in the greater Reno area. A few major teams operated there, but he didn't think the person flying was one of them. Of course, a fair number of supers lived normal lives and weren't associated with any of the teams.

The rise of superhero teams nationwide was necessary to deal with the threat of rogue supers. Before the NecronAmerican, the teams weren't official or well organized; they merely existed when people tried to emulate their favorite teams from the comics. Afterward, the supers were incorporated into the military and police forces. There were also several corporate teams that still held the same fascination to the public as the heroes from all the stories. The corporate teams were like the light side of the scene, where the military and the police operated in the shadows. This was especially true in Reno, with businesses' influence throughout the area.

Ryker shook his head. "I never thought about the businesses doing that, but with all the casinos, it makes sense."

He continued to stare, but it was difficult to make out any other information. The tram eventually stopped at another station, and the super appeared to turn away. Ryker jotted down the information in his folder and returned it to his backpack.

He was a major fanboy of the supers, but his modest folder was the only record he kept of them. He didn't have the time for much more. He would love to sit in front of a computer all day while reading and writing about them, but he had to survive. Other than the super sighting, the rest of his tram ride went smoothly.

While waiting, Ryker took the time to think about his issue and whether it was a superpower or psychosis.

"I hope it isn't psychosis," Ryker thought. He didn't want to say it aloud due to the few other passengers in the tram car; he didn't need them thinking he was psycho.

Ryker decided to, at least for now, consider what he was experiencing as his superpower. The voice he heard being a superpower made sense, especially when he considered his already increased strength and endurance, but he wasn't completely convinced. He stayed in shape, but his actions that morning had already exceeded what he was used to. To him, that was the largest indicator that it was a superpower since those with superpowers always had increased physical attributes, even if the powers were intelligence or mental-based.

Which brought him to his next conundrum: What archetypical categories does his superpower fit in? Additionally, how powerful was it compared to the superpower scale?

Superpowers ranged from slightly increased physical abilities to near-reality-warping powers. It seemed like his power was mental, but when he received the influxes of knowledge, it seemed like more. Also, when Jacob and Eddie confronted him, he was given information that there was no way he could possess, even with an enhanced mind. That pushed it toward some type of metaphysical power.

After all, he didn't feel like he had any sort of accelerated thoughts or hyper cognition. The constant influx of words was actually making it more difficult, albeit slightly, to think.

"It's a little more than that, but it's bearable," Ryker mumbled.

Not for the first time, Ryker wished he had a Bracer to be able to look up that type of information. Bracer was slang for a BRCR, or – Biomechanical Regulated Cellular Regalia. Although, most realize that the name is just gibberish and that the creators wanted it to be Bracer.

The name is quite fitting because they attach to the forearm and resemble a bracer belonging to a medieval knight or another character in a fantasy novel. Bracers are multipurpose supercomputers that do everything from phone calls to searching the internet. They also monitor vital functions and can give someone a numerical readout of their statistics.

Ryker knew that the LitLARPers loved that feature. Even working at his job, he never had the chance to use it, but he always wanted to check it out. The system would take parameters, such as how fast a person could run a hundred meters, then quantify it based on the worldwide average. Usually, the average would be set at a number such as ten. Any who could run faster than the average would receive a higher number – anywhere from 10.1 to up – then they would compare to others and constantly brag about it.

In a world of superpowers, people enjoyed comparing those numbers even more. Although, it was common knowledge that there were ways to circumvent the accuracy of the data. Once, someone managed to get a power reading of over nine thousand. So, the stats weren't used in anything official.

"Nine thousand…where have I heard that?" Ryker mumbled.

Unfortunately, all his money went to the bank for savings or necessities; a Bracer wasn't necessary. His time to relax and ponder the nature of his powers ended when he realized the tram was pulling up to his stop.

When the tram arrived at his stop, which was closer to downtown, he hopped off and quickly spotted the clock atop a small ornate pedestal in the corner. He smiled at the time and sighed in relief that he could take his time walking to work for a change.

When Ryker entered the parking lot to his job, he took in the building as he walked up. It was a wide, modern construction style that was primarily tan. The only portion that wasn't tan was the large, cubed portion in the middle. Ryker thought it always looked like the back of a plug.

"Damn it, how do you know that?"

The cubed middle was a metallic red with large letters indicating the name – Circuit City. *3

Ryker's vision swirled and merged again. Just like before, it was gone in a moment, and he had a new chunk of information swimming in his brain like a lost sea monkey. He paused and parsed through the new knowledge.

"Seriously? I didn't know that about the company." He decided that he would have to do his research and not just trust the mysterious voice inside his head that also implanted information. "But that is a weird feeling," he said aloud. "I really hope that doesn't continue." Ryker looked around into the sky as if waiting for a reply. After a moment of waiting where nothing happened, he headed to the door silently, hoping that whatever force he was under would listen, but ultimately unsure.

Even though he was running late when he left the orphanage, he arrived to work before the store opened. It was due to his quick pace while he ran and a relatively swift trip on the tram. The doors usually opened with the sensors, but when he approached them, they stayed closed. The front lights were also off.

Ryker knocked on the glass door for a minute, hoping that someone would come and unlock it. He could see a few people flitting about in the back of the store, probably doing some morning shelf restocking. Unfortunately, whoever was working toward the back didn't notice him, so he was forced to head around back.

*1 The United States did a lot better than some other countries. The United States is still (mostly) together. However, most of the power has gone back to the individual states, and they enact different laws. Seeking safety, the larger towns have absorbed the smaller towns; Reno is an excellent example of this. The need for increased security in the states is most prevalent in Nevada, which has almost completely reverted into a Wild West scenario. It has all the modern conveniences but has legalized open carry while outlawing concealed carry.

*2 Ryker's next destination was in the heart of the city, a little under ten miles away. Reno invested largely in public transportation after assimilating the local towns and counties. A modern tram line was installed ten years ago. Thanks to advanced knowledge acquired by intelligence-attributed supers, it has become the staple form of transportation for Renoites.

*3 Circuit City was one of the only businesses to not only come out unscathed after the ascension of Supers but to become a leader in the industry. In the wake of the ascension, there was anarchy and chaos, where many people died, and there was a major economic depression and massive food shortages along with logistic troubles. However, people still wanted their entertainment. In those days, it even became more of a need. The CEO of Circuit City was the first to see the opportunity and managed to employ a number of intelligence-based supers to help bolster their products and innovate their holdings.