Kid Mighty rappelled over to her balcony and slid into her studio apartment through her glass doors. Her apartment was small, only about double the size of the deceptively roomy balcony. She had modeled it after Jam’s apartment, the full sized bed, the rotating recliner, the TV screen in the wall and the treadmill. It was the only place she felt comfortable in without her grandmother. She knew it was unusual but people cope in their own ways, and she had had a lot to cope with on this alien planet.

Something needed to be the same, even if it was just a similar apartment style. Now that Jam was on Arcturus too, she thought about changing it but what in the world would she change it to? She liked it this way, that was the whole point. Not that it was like Jam’s but that it was comfortable.

“June. I’m off of patrol for the night.” Kid Mighty said into the desticom in her cowl.

“You got it. We still on for drinks tomorrow?” Juniper asked her.

Tomorrow? Did we make plans for tomorrow?

“Of course. Don’t work too late tonight.”

“No chance of that. See you tomorrow Kid.”

“Night,” Camilla said before removing her cowl.

At her front door, she checked the security measures she put by the door to see if anyone had been in her apartment. She didn’t believe anyone would break into her apartment, but better safe than sorry. Then she took a shower and changed into her civilian clothes. Her home phone rang and she picked it up quickly.

“Hello?” She greeted then immediately moved the phone back from her ear.

“Hey Cameron, I forgot to tell you. Jeannie invited us out to drinks tomorrow. I accepted on your behalf.” Her friend Estelle bellowed into the phone. She had an issue with being too loud, although she would say other people were the ones that had the problem with it.

Cameron Dodds was Camilla’s secret identity, an artist and freelance photographer. Camilla had always loved to paint though she never felt all that good at it. Instead for most of her career so far she just copied paintings she knew from her art classes on Earth.

Her enhanced senses made her an excellent photographer as well, able to catch a photo no ordinary person would have. Her abilities made her able to reach places, ordinary people wouldn’t be able to either. Although, she hated using her status as Kid Mighty to take pictures, she did enjoy using her skills to find the best compositions.

The transient nature of her job made keeping weird hours and disappearing for days seem normal, though the attention she garnered was a bit undesirable for keeping a secret identity.

Camilla headed out of her apartment and down to check the mail. Halfway down she was met by her neighbor Annie Schaal who was the landlord’s wife.

“Ah Cameron. I didn’t see you get home. Are you going to the tenant’s association meeting?”

Ugh God, again? How many of those do we need.

“Hello Mrs. Schaal. I’m not sure. I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.”

“Did you hear about Allistairs? I hear they’re getting divorced.” She whispered leaning in conspiratorially.

Camilla tended to wonder if Mrs. Schaal didn’t have her 15 years younger husband get a job here just so she could snoop. That’s a fact she never liked being reminded of, the age gap between her and her husband. “Nobody ever seemed to care when we were just dating but somehow after the vows were said people got real judgy. I guess they don’t care if we’re screwing just don’t think the age gap is conducive to a permanent relationship,” she had drunkenly told Camilla one night. Camilla thought maybe she felt guilty about it and that’s why she was always in everyone else’s business. Nothing to feel guilty about, they’re both consenting adults, was Camilla’s opinion.

“I didn’t hear that. I’ve had a really long day though Mrs. Schaal and I forgot to grab my mail on the way in. I’m going to get it so I can hit the sack.” She said before pulling herself out of Annie Schaal’s gravitational field and hustling down the steps.

Getting to the mailboxes Camilla pulled her long sleeve shirt sleeve up and tapped a setting on her phone.

[ Skill Activated: Scan ]

She scanned the mailboxes with her watch to see if anything risky was in her mailbox. There was always the possibility that a villain figured out her location and sent her a bomb. Finding nothing of concern she checked her mail and headed back to her apartment. She laid her mail on her kitchen island when she heard a noise behind her that surprised her.

“I really wish you would move in with me. My place is so much bigger than this one.” Might Guy said sitting in her recliner.

She groaned in annoyance. “Why are you in my apartment Miles?”

“I just wanted to check on you and see your face. You slipped away so quickly after the press interview, I didn’t even get to see how you were doing.”

“I’m fine Miles. I told you not to come to my apartment anymore. If you need anything you can call or find me at the Hall. This is extremely inappropriate.”

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of everything now. You’re so touchy lately. How about I grab some snacks and we can watch a movie together, like old times.”

“I told you before Miles. I need space right now. We can’t just hang out like we’re best friends.”

“Come on.” He coaxed floating over to her and wrapping his arms around her stomach. “Let’s watch a movie.” He whispered in ear and kissed her on the side of the neck.

[ Powers

Locked Powers:

Prime Condition

Enhanced Senses

Unlocked Powers:

Minor Restoration

Tech Prowess

Danger Sense

Slots Open: 0

Power Lock Tokens Available: 1 ]

[ Use Power Lock Token? ]

[ {Yes} ] [ No ]

[ Which Power Would You Like to Lock ]

[ {Minor Restoration} ]

[ Tech Prowess ]

[ Danger Sense ]

[ Power Locked: Minor Restoration ]

[ Last Hero Touched: Might Guy ]

[ Powers:

Amplification { Insufficient Level }

Flight { Insufficient Level }

Heat Vision { Insufficient Level }

Energy Projection { Available } ]

[ Add: Energy Projection? ]

[ {Yes} ] [ No ]

[ Power Added: Energy Projection ]

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

After quickly pressing the keys into her phone, Camilla threw a blue ball of energy over her shoulder, directly at Might Guy’s face. He released her and stumbled back and the unexpected impact.

“What the hell Camilla?” He thundered.

She walked up to him a blue ball of energy slowly growing larger in her hand. “You’re not invulnerable Miles. At this range, this will hurt a lot. I’ve told you multiple times to keep your hands to yourself.

“After all I’ve done for you and you treat me like this?” He fumed, red light glowing from under his sunglasses.

“And you’ve continued to throw that in my face. I’ve thanked you multiple times and I’ve done plenty for you as well Miles.” She argued.

“Stop calling me that!” He raged.

The energy around her hand dissipated as she the hand dropped to her side.

“I’m done with this.” She wearied.

“What?” Might Guy shrank, the anger that boiled inside him subsided.

“I’ve tried Might Guy; I’ve tried to support you and help you but I’m done with this. I don’t want to be your sidekick anymore.” The exhaustion from the day and the weariness of the situation weighed her words with an extra sense of finality.

“You don’t have a choice. You’re my sidekick. It’s either me or nothing.”

Camilla grabbed her Kid Mighty suit and tossed it to him, then walked to the door balcony door and slid it open. “Then I choose nothing. Please leave.”

“Cam. Don’t do this.” He pleaded meekly reaching out to touch her.

“Leave!” She shouted in frustration.

Just then Might Guy’s phone began to ring. He slid it in from his pocket.

“Yeah?” he answered. “Wait back up what happened? (. . .) Why was he even there? (. . .) I’m on my way. Tell LionHead I want them in the meeting room.”

He hung the phone up and tossed her suit on the chair. “I have to go. We’re not done talking about this.”

“Yes. We are.” She told him before he flew off into the night.

Camilla locked her balcony door. A weight had been lifted off of her shoulder but she was still drained. She didn’t even have the energy to think of what might have gone on at the Hall of Destiny.

That might not be my problem anymore.

As soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep. She dreamt of better times; helping in the kitchen with grandma Gigi, listening to Gigi sing when Camilla played her keyboard that she found at the pawnshop. She dreamt about the time Gigi taught her to ballroom dance.

When Jam would invite her over for movie night, how he always got her a gift on her birthday and Christmas, which he ordered online of course. Watching Jam play and seeing just how different he was in the game; watching how flustered he’d get when she flirted with him. That had been enough for her, that simple life, she was happy. Now she was on this world, she was used to it by now but she still missed the simple life.

Jam was here now but they felt like different people now; sure she could still flirt and mess with him but there was no denying things were different now. She was different. She was older and more experienced, and the age gap between them was almost nonexistent now. If she ever had a chance to be with him, it’d be now, but she couldn’t afford to take that step right now. Their lives were on the line; but wouldn’t their lives always be on the line? Jam needed a mission; he needed to win. He always did. He’d always be risking his life. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that Might Guy wouldn’t let him out, Camilla did get to spend time with him, even if it was just for training.

Camilla was woken up by a sudden hammering headache. She could hear her phone ringing. Getting up from bed, she decided to let it go to voicemail while she went to grab a glass of water. However, whenever she moved, she noticed the ringing followed her. Annoyed, she grabbed the phone from the holder but her home phone wasn’t ringing.

What the hell?

She looked down at her arm and realized it was that particular phone that was ringing. It had never rang before, it connected to towers here so she could use the internet but no phone call could reach her on Arcturus from Earth; not that she had anyone willing to call. Her brain drummed too much from the call for her to think about the possible repercussions of answering it.

[ Answer Call? ]

[ {Yes} ] [ No ]

“Camilla? Can you hear me?” Audrey’s concerned voice and a hologram of her orb projected from Camilla’s watch.

“Audrey? What’s wrong?” Camilla asked.

“You have to get to the simulation room. Now!”

“What’s going on?” Camilla asked as she keyed in a call for the Mightcycle to come to her location.

“It’s Jam, he needs you.”

“I’m on my way.” She answered getting her suit on.

Kid Mighty hooked grappling hook onto her balcony and jump off the side rappelling down, the Mightcycle rolling in under her. In minutes she was at the Hall of Destiny and in less time she was on the elevator heading to the simulation room. Audrey’s orb hovered outside the door as she arrived.

“What’s happening?”

“Look for yourself. He’s locked himself in the simulation room and I can’t get him out. I’ve tried talking him down but he won’t listen to me. I think he’d listen to you.”

On the screen was the footage of Jam inside the simulation room. He was in the middle of the city fighting a near endless supply of robots; they were round balls that had four tentacles with claws that looked like terrifying versions of those impossible to beat claw games. Jam was holding his own, but he wasn’t fighting like he normally did. He was brutalizing them; he took one robot and spun it around knocking it into another. A blue flame encased his hand, as his firefist was upgraded again. He opened his hand, straightening it like a blade and casted firefist several more times, the flame intensified like a blowtorch. He used it to cut the tentacles off of one of the robots before it faded away, then kicked the body of the crippled robot into one of the others. Every robot that attacked him he ripped through like tissue paper.

“What’s wrong with him?” Camilla asked.

“Earlier when we got back to his room, something went wrong and I went offline somehow. Whatever happened then, something messed with his head. He’s been in there in a rage ever since. He has been fighting nonstop for over 2 hours and hasn’t slowed down at all. He’s going to kill himself.”

Kid Mighty tried turning off the simulation but was locked out.

“He locked it. Can’t you shut it off?”

“I can’t get into the systems for the simulation room, they’re isolated somehow.”

Jam hunched over, clutching his head and screaming in pain. Camilla had to cover a gasp as the robots took the opportunity to grab his arms and legs, drag him to the ground and dogpile him. Camilla almost dropped the tablet as she tried beating on the door and attempted to pry it open. Suddenly through the cracks a red light shone and then explosions as the robots were blown away from Jam and he floated off of the ground.

A yawn came from behind Camilla and she turned to find that Universa and Voodoo Priestess had teleported in behind her.

“Universa said you’d probably need me. This had better be important as late as it is.” Voodoo Priestess yawned out.

“I need to get into the simulation room. Something is wrong with Jam.”

“Yeah. Ok.” Voodoo Priestess agreed then waved her fingers in the air and the buzzing electric portal opened again.

Kid Mighty quickly moved through the portal and into a cloud of dust and smoke. She could barely see anything but she had that feeling in the back of her neck and she turned to see a figure floating through the haze. A red light starting glowing and she had to jump out of the way as blasts of heat cut through the dusty fog. The lasers followed her and she had to move behind cover, she grabbed one of the robots and tossed it at the origin of the laser, the bot exploded and she used the distraction to move in closer. As if she never existed Jam completely forgot about her and went back to trashing the robots. He then fell from the sky but halfway down he began to transform into some kind of beast with long jagged claws.

“What the hell is going on?” Kid Mighty asked Audrey who was floating behind her.

“Whatever is messing with his head is also messing with his powers. The timer is going haywire and he is switching out powers at random. Most of these powers are way out of his level and his attributes are multiplying.”

“You can’t see what’s wrong?”

“I can’t connect back to him, something is blocking me. Can you scan him?”

“I can try.”

[ Skill Activated: Scan ]

{ Character Type: Player

Character Name: Jam

Alias: N/A

Race: African American

Country of Origin: United States

Level: 24

HP: 100

MP: 200

SP: 1200

Powers: Unavailable

Status Ailment: Fury }

It’s still Jam. He won’t hurt me.

“Jam, calm down please!” Kid Mighty pleaded come out from cover to try to talk to him.

Jam continued to use his claws and teeth to rip apart the robots but when he heard the interruption he looked over to see what was making the noise. He saw Kid Mighty and lunged at her; she just barely dodged the lunge, but he caught the ground with his claw and pushed back kicking her hand and throwing her into the wall so hard she thought her back would break. She barely had time to recover before the beast that was Jam went after her again, she just managed to get her grappling hook attached and pull away before he could reach her; his teeth nearly enclosed around her ankle but she kicked him away. He hopped back cradling his muzzle like an injured dog, then his head twitched again at an unnatural angle and wings painfully sprouted from his back.

“Take the cowl off!” Audrey shouted.

“What?”

“He only sees Kid Mighty. He needs to see you.”

Camilla took her cowl off as beast Jam flew at her with his bloodlust dripping off of him. She stood stock still, hoping that he would recognize her. His facial expression changed as he lost control of his wings and flipped sideways flying through a nearby wall. Camilla followed him through and saw him in the corner walking in an agitated circle.

“It’s ok Jam. It’s me Cam, I’m here.” She soothed but beast Jam still growled in agitation.

She moved closer and he bore his teeth. She held her hand out as she crept forward but looked to the ground as to not try to challenge him.

“It’s ok. I’m here, I’m with you.” She managed to touch his nose. He seemed to relax some and whimpered softly. “What happened to you love? What’s wrong?”

Before she could get an answer, Jam’s ears perked up and he lifted his maw from her hands and began to growl. Before she could take another breath Might Guy had flown in and crashed into Jam, both of them flying through the wall. Jam’s claws wrapped around Might Guy’s arms and dragged him down; Jam’s back skidding against the ground before he pushed up with his feet and send Might Guy flying into the wall behind them. Might Guy recovered quickly but had no sign of Jam until he felt Jam’s fangs dig into his shoulder and his claws dig into his arms. Jam was locked in tight, Might Guy was unable to move his arms at all. In a blink he flew straight up and laid back intended to slam Jam into the ground but Jam disconnected as his transformation regressed back to human. He grabbed Might Guy’s face and continued their descent, slamming his head into the ground.

A ball of purple energy exploded in front of Jam sending him flying back but he flipped to recover and using the wall as a springboard went soaring back toward Might Guy. Might Guy dodged flying up into the air but without missing a beat Jam jumped straight up and clutched the collar of Might Guy’s shirt and head butted him. Might Guy’s grabbed Jam and head butted him back to which Jam reciprocated again breaking his sunglasses. Might Guy tried to use heat vision but Jam casted shield and the heat vision deflected. Jam’s head twitched again and he spit out a red gelatinous glob that covered Might Guy’s face. Then Jam’s limbs stretched like rubber wrapping around Might Guy as he struggled to escape. He burned the glob over and over but it just hardened more.

“Jam stop! Please.” Camilla shouted from the ground.

Jam ignored her continuing to squeeze the life from Might Guy until a golden ring formed around his neck and pulled, dragging his head to the ground. The rest of his body uncoiled and followed shrinking back to his normal size. The ring disappeared from his neck and was replaced by two silver rings latching his wrists above his head. With Jam unable to fight, the simulation disappeared and Voodoo Priestess appeared with Universa, Arcturian, and LionHead.