The realization threatened another panicked spiral, stopped only by the creaking and splintering of wood under my hand. Looking down I found finger marks cutting into the bench. Whoops. I again took slow, measured breaths and relaxed my hand slowly. Okay dream, that's a fucking twist to throw at me. Then the pressure settled on my shoulders and chest and I realized I was just fucking stupid.

I rubbed my eyes and sighed. Okay, I had to figure out what exactly this was. I wasn't exactly ecstatic about having powers in general. I knew it meant, if I kept dreaming like this, trouble would find me sooner rather than later. What the fuck did this girl do to get god damn superpowers anyway? I thought, I remembered.

I didn't think again.

So, powers. I had them. I had no idea how to use them. I had to figure that out. Why? Hmm...because fuck it, it was the sole consolation for all that shit that I/she/we'd gone through. It was...eerie, but whatever. I'd try and enjoy it while I could, if I could. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, let everything just relax as much as it could. A baseline

I'd start small. I tried to lift my pinkie, easy enough. I tried to lift my pinkie, without lifting my pinkie. The digit twitched, but I saw the slightest, barely visible refraction. Like I had to think twice about moving. Because I fucking did. Fascinating. What was...no, that was easy. A Master power.

Best not to dwell on that. Range, that was something pretty important. I relaxed again and thought about standing. I immediately felt that pressure on the inside of my skin and stopped, eyes widening. Okay so that far. I stood and thought about standing, and was able to no problem. I thought about stepping sideways and stopped as I felt the tug, slowly imagining inching back til the sensation was gone.

I froze, mentally and physically. I looked as far to the side as I could, then imagined moving slightly forward. There was the faintest glisten in a roughly human...ish shape. I imagined lifting my arm and glanced down to see the faint, phantom limb halt just inches away from the surface of my skin. That was a hell of a limit, so how did it come up to my shoulders and chest?

I thought about it and felt but didn't feel my not-arms contort inside my chest until they rose and produced that pressure. Glancing down I saw the faint glint sitting barely on top of the skin, distorting and following the curves of my collarbone. I immediately stopped doing that because eugh. A shiver ran up my spine and I let out a long breath.

What about strength? And durability? I walked around the park for a bit until I found a piece of deadfall. I tapped it with my foot, gently, and found it still pretty solid. A good candidate. I looked around, then knelt. I pressed my hand against it and thought about squeezing as hard as I possibly could as I did just that.

The fallen log gave way with a squeal of torn and pulped wood fiber. I could feel the results in my hand, though the sensation was dulled, like I was barely holding it at all. I opened my hand and a chunk of compressed wood fell to the ground with a dull 'thump'. I looked closely at my palm, holding it up to the light. Completely untouched.

That was quite something. I squatted next to the log and cocked my head to one side. Could I...well there was one way to find out. I pushed my hands under it, then started to rise. It took a second to coordinate it all in my head but once I had, I rose and the deadfall rose with me. Roots from small plants encasing it tore and rotten bark fell away from the bottom. My eyes widened as I slowly looked from one end of the ten-foot log to the other.

God damn. I dropped it to the ground with a tremendous crash. I balled up my fists and slammed one home in the center of the fallen tree. It struck it but...nothing. Huh. I tried again and produced the same results. Was it not actually giving me super-strength? Or maybe... I pressed my knuckles to the surface of the log and imagined a swift jolt forward into it.

It made a loud 'thunk', and when I pulled away there was a dent in the rough shape of a fist but nothing more. How the hell did it work then? I scratched my chin, thinking. I was missing something here, I just couldn't figure out what it was.

With a sigh I walked away and sat under a nearby tree. Sure I hadn't been going long, but this was kind of weird. It was like flexing a new muscle, one I'd literally never had before. I stared out at the distant bay, sun glittering off the water and wrecks littering it. Crazy that a dream could simulate all this, things I had no idea how they'd work or feel. The infinite potential of the human mind.

Hopefully the limited potential of my own could sort out how my power worked, and soon. The weather felt like it was early spring, meaning I didn't have long until shit started kicking off. I'd woken up here twice, there was no telling how long it would actually last. And considering Brockton Bay...yeah, better to be armed in some sense.

I got off the bench and returned to my chosen log, after making sure the park was still empty. Still more to figure out, like how I could lift that thing as if it was nothing, but my punches did no damage. I tried kicks, stomps, even an elbow drop with no results beyond feeling like an idiot.

I swore and dropped to my knees. If I couldn't smash it, I'd take it apart a way I knew worked. I pressed my palms against the log and thought about squeezing as hard as I could. And again, and again, and again. The sound was filled with the sound of splintering, groaning wood as I tore the log to pieces one fistful at a time.

I stopped, panting, and rested my hands on my knees. The entire middle chunk of the log had been turned practically into mulch, reduced to a shredded mound on the dirt in front of me. The log itself was divided in two now, rent almost down the center. It didn't look natural...but I didn't think anyone would blame me. Still, I should probably go, just in case.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I began walking quickly away from the park, head down. I had gotten pissed and gone a little overboard, like usual. Of course back home that just meant putting a dent in the fridge or spraining my wrist by punching badly. Here...I could do a lot worse. Well, that was fine. Control was something I had been working on, so I'd just keep doing that. As long as I could keep a lid on things, everything would be alright.

I sighed and stared up the road. I didn't really want to go back to class. Checking my phone, I found it would be pointless, since the last bell would ring before I even arrived. I...didn't really want to go home either.

I headed towards school. Not for class, but that was also the way downtown. Fuck it, I was in Brockton Bay, I may as well explore a little. And if something went wrong, that was what the powers were supposed to be for. And worse worse case I...wake up. Probably.

There were two dreams that had come to an end that way, and even years later the pain of being shot in the back and stabbed in the heart were...vivid. I wanted to avoid that if I could, I didn't need a third one to add to the already too long list.

Fortunately the streets were pretty calm, though fairly crowded. It was right after school got out, so there were plenty of kids. I blended right in. I walked down and down the hills to the bay. It was actually a pretty nice walk, all things considered, though it seemed to be getting colder. Right, it looked like rain today. Maybe...yeah no, sightseeing could wait for another time.

I glanced up the hills I just walked down and let out a sigh. Yeah, no, of course I couldn't have decided that before I got this far right? There were buses in this city right? Right, my not-mine memories confirmed. The number four was what I was aiming to catch to get back home, and lucky for me there was a stop just a few blocks over.

At least this Amelia was no stranger to walking. I made good time, arriving seconds before a bus did. I got on, showed off my student ID that had a pass, and grabbed a seat as far away from anyone else as possible. It wasn't too long a drive, and soon I was back on the streets and on my way home.

When I got there, I once again had the house to myself. With a sigh, I rummaged through the freezer until I found a frozen pizza, then set the oven. Once it was heated, I popped the thing in and started the timer. I stared at the oven for a little while, brain fuzzy like a radio tuned to dead air. I came back after just a minute or two, going off the timer, and wandered into the living room.

I plopped down on the couch and stared at a blank TV. It was a big, tubular thing, a beautiful relic from a more civilized time. The remote was right there so I snapped it up and pressed the power button. The sound came on first, quiet, a newscaster's voice probably. The picture came on a moment later and I was pleasantly surprised.

A baking show. The woman had a warm smile that didn't match her matter-of-fact tone as she talked about going through the process of baking banana bread. I settled in and just sort of...stared. I couldn't really take it in, it had been a hell of a day. Fucking superpowers...well, it was my dream. Why wouldn't I have them if I was here?

Ah, shit. Everyone in class saw that happen. Oh god, Amy had a front row seat. If I woke up here tomorrow...well, I'd burn that bridge when I came to it. Hopefully she was able to be discreet with other peoples' secrets. I mean, she should be, she was a cape too. Even if New Wave was public, she worked with the Wards well enough. At least, in the half-scene they got.

The timer beeped and I rose from the couch, dutifully retrieving my dinner from the oven. I carved a slice off it, a quarter was probably enough, then served myself. Food in hand, I headed back and continued enjoying the white noise of the literally otherworldly cooking show.

The pizza was fine. It filled the unpleasant gnawing in my stomach, skipping lunch for super power training was also a bad idea it seemed. I'd correct that tomorrow, if there was such a thing. God, that was a fucking miserable thought, nice work me. There was going to be a tomorrow, I just didn't know whether I'd be home or...not. That sucked. I really didn't want to be stuck in a dream forever, but that was technically impossible. Like, maybe a coma or something but even then that was all movie drama crap.

Okay no, I needed to stop thinking. I flicked through channels until I found a familiar title scroll and sighed. Star Wars, thank god. I did like things other than Worm, I just needed to be reminded sometimes. The preamble rolled up the screen and the camera followed two starfighters as they dove between massive Venator-class Star Destroyers.

Fuck. Yes. I didn't give a shit what anyone said, the third prequel was my personal favourite. Yes, yes, funny meme 'Noooo' and beheading children, but god I couldn't help but adore it, warts and all. I smiled as Anakin and Obi-wan bantered back and forth, though they looked...different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was probably just the weird TV.

The action sequence progressed, with the two fighting through the Invisible Hand through some...odd looking battledroids. No, they turned and I saw they were normal. Hm. There was something subtly off about the way it was shot, something that just wasn't how Star Wars went. Oh god fucking dammit. Of course, I wasn't home anymore. I watched with mounting horror as I realized this was some bizarre, shambling mess wearing the skin of a movie I loved. Then I watched with growing mirth as it turned out far, far worse.

Fangirl that I was, even I would shit on some of the lines and delivery of the prequels. Beloved or not, there was plenty wrong with them. This was practically a comedy though. I giggled through the awkward delivery of Anakin's love for Padme, and her weepy confession of pregnancy. I guffawed when Yoda talked about the dire threat of the Sith Lord and fucking Jar Jar's laugh played quietly. When he said the words 'Yousa execute order sixity-sixen' I fell off the fucking couch, tears streaming from my eyes.

I had no idea who thought any of it was a good idea, but god bless them. Holy shit I'd needed that. I slowly clambered back up onto the couch, wiping my face on my shirt. The movie was still playing, but I wasn't invested in the last chunk where Anakin and Obi-wan fought. I knew how it would go, since it all ended up the same place anyway. Besides, all that had undercut the tension. And thank god.

The sun had set and the house was still empty. I yawned suddenly and stretched out on the couch. It'd be nice to sleep right here, but I'd definitely be woken up by Mom coming home. Well, I might be downstairs too, but there was a chance I'd sleep through it. I changed into the same pyjamas as always, or at least the last time, and crawled into bed.

The weird pressure from my power settled on top of me as I lay down under the covers. I shut my eyes and sighed. I was safe, I was content, hell I was even feeling pretty good. Whether or not it was actually the end of my dream...it was at least a nice way to end the day.