Adamus groaned as his alarm went off, the sound piercing through his dreams. With a swift motion, he slammed his hand down to silence the ringing. Rubbing his face to shake off the last remnants of sleep, he sat up in bed.
"Wow, I feel really good today," he mumbled to himself, his mind still foggy from sleep. "Had a crazy dream."
With a sense of urgency, he jumped out of bed, his feet hitting the floor with purpose. "I gotta take a leak," he muttered, rushing towards the bathroom.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Almasa was already up and about, preparing for her day. As she descended the stairs, she called out, "Honey, I'm heading out early today. Breakfast is already ready. I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I'll see you later."
Adamus, halfway to the bathroom, shouted back, "Okay, that's fine. I'll make sure I catch the school bus and I your love YOU "
With a nod, Almasa left, leaving Adamus to finish his morning routine before tackling the day ahead. Adamus stood in the bathroom, water running as he splashed his face. His thoughts drifted as he wiped away the sleep from his eyes.
"Damn, after taking a leak, I don't remember my dream at all," he muttered to himself, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I guess it's true what people say, don't use the bathroom after you wake up or you're gonna forget your dream."
As he continued to wash his face, he glanced up at the mirror, only to freeze in surprise.
"Damn, I'm handsome," he chuckle, But as he scrutinized his reflection further, he noticed something odd. "What happened to the bruises on my face?" he wondered aloud, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Better question, why don't I have facial hair?" he mused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I'm about to graduate."
Adamus got his school stuff ready and descended the stairs, ready to start his day. On his way to the kitchen, he noticed the trash can brimming with waste. Without hesitation, he picked it up and headed outside towards the neighborhood trash dumpster.
"I do not want to touch that disgusting trashcan door," he muttered to himself, "Let me see if I can throw it over the top."
With a sudden burst of determination, Adamus hurled the trash bag upwards. To his utter amazement, the bag sailed effortlessly through the air, ghosting as it rose into the sky before vanishing from sight.
Adamus stared at his hand, then at the sky, then back at his hand, disbelief washing over his features. "There's no way it worked," he murmured, his heart racing with excitement. "I got powers."
With a surge of exhilaration, Adamus's whole body was enveloped in vibrant green energy as he leaped into the air, his heart pounding with the thrill of the moment. This time, he didn't just jump; he willed himself upward, defying gravity itself. The world around him blurred as he soared higher and higher, leaving the mundane behind.
"I've got powers!" he screamed, the wind whipping through his hair. The city below shrank to toy-sized proportions, and the rooftops became a patchwork quilt of memories. Adamus's breath caught as he glimpsed his school a tiny speck amidst the urban sprawl.
But then reality crashed in. Panic surged as he started to plummet, the wind howling past his ears. "Fly. Fly," he urged himself desperately, flapping his arms like a frantic bird. But his efforts were in vain.
his best efforts to regain control, he found himself hurtling towards the ground with terrifying speed. As Adamus hurtled towards the ground, panic clawed at his chest. With his mind racing and options dwindling, he spotted a flock of pigeons flying just below him. The earth rushed up to meet him, and he braced for impact, his heart pounding in his chest.
Instead of asphalt, he landed on something soft. The world smelled of coffee grounds and old newspapers. Adamus blinked, disoriented. He was sprawled amidst the trash cans, banana peels sticking to his School clothes
"Ouch," he groaned, realizing he'd crash-landed on the trash dumpster itself.
"Well," he muttered, pushing up from the heap of feathers and trash, "at least I didn't hurt any pigeons."
Adamus frantically dug through his pocket, his fingers searching for his phone. "I need to call Dylan to tell him what just happened," he muttered to himself. But then a better idea struck him. "Wait, even better. I'll just show up to his house."
An exciting grin spread across his face as he pondered his next move. "I wonder how fast I am," he mused, his excitement building at the thought of testing out his newfound abilities. Adamus thought to himself, "I was always one of the top five fastest kids in track."
With a swift motion, he planted one foot firmly in front of the other, his body pulsating with vibrant green energy. His muscles coiled like springs, ready to unleash their force. His stance was a portrait of readiness, one foot poised ahead while the other anchored him firmly to the ground. Every sinew of his body tensed with anticipation as he prepared to take off, the thrill of the challenge coursing through his veins.
As Adamus ran, his world became a blur of motion. Cars whizzed by in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, their shapes blending together as he dashed past them with the speed of lightning. People on the sidewalks were mere streaks of movement, their features obscured by the rush of wind.
The wind slapped at his face, a relentless force pushing against him, but Adamus pressed on with unyielding determination. With each powerful stride, he surged forward, moving faster than he ever imagined possible.
He weaved effortlessly between cars, his movements fluid and precise, like a bolt of lightning streaking through traffic. To bystanders, he was nothing more than a flash of color, a momentary blur that left them gaping in astonishment.
Conversations drifted by in fragmented whispers, the voices of passersby barely registering in Adamus's ears.
"Whoa, what was that?" someone exclaimed as he shot past, their words lost in the wind.
"The wind's pretty strong today," another voice remarked, but Adamus paid them no heed.
His focus was razor-sharp, his entire being consumed by the exhilarating rush of speed.
Then movement. A little girl darted into the street, chasing her ball. A car barreled toward her. Her parents, only a few steps away, screamed in terror.
In a heartbeat, Adamus veered sharply, green flames flaring around him. He scooped the girl into his arms, the emerald blaze wrapping her in safety as he spun away from the car. In the next instant, she was back in her parents' embrace.
"Thank you… but we can't afford it," her father stammered. "We don't have any superhero insurance. Please, don't penalize us."
"It's fine," Adamus said with a quick smile. "I'm just glad she's safe. I gotta go."
He was gone before they could reply.
A cat stuck high in a tree, rescued.
A building engulfed in flames, people carried to safety.
He helped wherever he could, one life at a time, until at last Dylan's house came into view.
Meanwhile, Dylan was in his room, surrounded by a multitude of PCs and strange animals in cages, like lizards. He glanced at the clock and muttered to himself, "I can't believe I overslept." With a sense of urgency, he busied himself stuffing books into his backpack, his mind still reeling from the events of the previous night. "I can't believe I overslept last night," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Suddenly, a series of loud bangs echoed through the room, causing Dylan to turn towards the window in surprise. "What is that?" he wondered aloud, his curiosity piqued. Opening the window, he was met with the unexpected sight of Adamus outside.
"What are you doing here?" Dylan asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Adamus grinned eagerly, replying, "I have to show you something. Open the door. Actually, just come downstairs''
Dylan slammed the window shut and quickly made his way downstairs to meet Adamus at the door. As he approached, he couldn't help but ask, "How did you get here? My house is all the way at the end of District C. We don't even live in the same dome city. The one you live in is like 10 cities away."
Adamus's response was filled with excitement as he exclaimed, "I ran!" Dylan couldn't help but laugh. "That's impossible. Every District in The Grid spans about 15.5 billion light-years," Dylan continued, his voice resonating with the epic scale The size of their Country, The Grid. "And my house is roughly 86,881 miles away from yours."
Adamus took a moment to catch his breath, the enormity of the distance sinking in. "I know it took me about 1 hour to get here." As he gasped for air.
Dylan responded, "Okay, can you stop playing around now? For you to travel 86,881 miles in one hour is significantly faster than the speed of sound. Did you take the neighborhood teleporter?
Adamus grabbed Dylan's arm, excitement bubbling up within him. "No, the diamond worked! I got powers."
Dylan looked at him skeptically, his brow furrowing. "Prove it," he challenged, his voice tinged with doubt.
Adamus grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Okay, let's go to the super park with super equipment for working out outside."
Dylan turned around towards his house, a frown forming on his face. "I don't have time for this. I'm already late," he protested, his tone exasperated.
"Why would I lie about this?" Adamus insisted, his enthusiasm undeterred.
"It doesn't matter anyways. Show me later. I know you don't care about school, but I do. I'm about to get in my car," Dylan said, his hand rummaging through his pocket in search of his keys.
Adamus let out a playful sigh. "Stop being a bookworm for once," he teased.
"Okay," Dylan agreed reluctantly, his expression resigned. He pressed the button on his key fob, the car responding with a beep as it came to life.
Adamus responded, "Bro, we don't have to drive there. Just hop on my back. I can just run us there."
Dylan shook his head, chuckling. "Unless you can fly, there's no way I'm getting on your back."
Adamus grinned. "I don't think I can fly."
With a chuckle, Dylan motioned towards his vehicle. "Well then, let's take my car."
Dylan's vehicle was less a car and more a personal starjet, built for speed and dominance in the sky. Its sleek, elongated body was forged from midnight-black carbon fiber, streaked with sharp crimson lines that glowed faintly as it moved.
Anti-gravity thrusters replaced wheels, allowing it to hover, pivot, and launch vertically with ease. Folded wings lined with plasma energy unfolded in flight, while a tinted panoramic cockpit wrapped the interior like the canopy of a fighter craft.
When the engines ignited, the vehicle didn't roar it hummed, promising speed no road could ever contain.
As they soared into the sky, Adamus couldn't contain his excitement. "Dylan, is this a new car?" he asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
Dylan nodded proudly. "Yeah. Ever since my dad became President of Pluto Industries, life's been pretty good. This is one of the fastest flying cars out there."
Adamus grinned, excitement bubbling up. "So how long's it gonna take?"
"Not long," Dylan replied, checking the dashboard. "The closest super park is outside the city dome, past the grasslands."
He adjusted the controls. "Get ready. We're about to leave the city."
The vehicle approached the massive transparent dome encasing the skyline. With practiced precision, Dylan guided them through the barrier. The car passed cleanly, the surface rippling for just a moment before sealing behind them.
Adamus leaned forward, eyes widening.
Below them, District C stretched endlessly. Towering skyscrapers and gleaming domes spread across the land like a living grid, each dome housing entire cities. These protected zones were reserved for higher-ranked citizens, fortified against both disaster and crime, their defenses quietly humming beneath layers of glass and energy fields.
Beyond the domes, vast grasslands rolled freely, a stark contrast to the engineered perfection sealed within the cities. Neon signs and holographic billboards shimmered across the skylines, while flying cars traced glowing paths through the air. Roads and skyways wove together in a seamless network, binding each city into a single, orderly whole.
The car descended smoothly and touched down near the massive Olympic track field.
Adamus stepped out and slowly turned, taking it all in.
"Wow," he said under his breath. "This place is massive."
Dylan opened the vehicle's rear compartment and pulled out his laptop, already setting it up. He glanced over with a grin.
"Yeah," he said. "It's the perfect place to test out your new powers assuming you're telling the truth."