Jared DeFalen

Oh me? I'm your average guy, really I am, except that I'm an orphan. Other than that I get slightly above average grades. I don't have a girlfriend. I'm a sophomore in high school, which is normal for sixteen. I have a small group of friends with whom I associate. Until recently I thought I had a pretty average life. Then last Monday night came around...

I live with my uncle in some small town north of DC. Yeah I know, get on with it right? Fine, last week I had a dream, I was told I was the child of the future and that I should be wary using my powers. It warned me against the coming war and told me I'd have to choose a side, neither side would let me sit idly by once they knew of my power. It told me my family and friends would become a weakness that would be used against me if I didn't let them go. Well, I never had had much use for them before.

Heartless? No, just cool, smooth, calculating, like a giant computer but I guess their was a reason for that.

"Jared!" Someone wanted my attention, but I didn't care. I was relaxing on the small hill outside my backyard.

My uncle had told me my parents had died when I was just a baby, four years old he said. The same time he lost his wife, same accident. Everything was different now that I had my powers, my mind moved incredibly fast and I felt stronger, much stronger. I couldn't remember their death but I swear I remember the earliest memory was minutes after my birth. A saw a woman glowing against the background setting me gently in a crib. She was my mother, the woman in the pictures my uncle had, that was not my mother but I didn't tell him that. It was all so clear in my mind now, before it had been dark as if hidden from me.

The light, it had told me I'd have a truly unique power. I probably did, truth be told I'd never used it before and I hoped I never had to.

"Jared!" That was the third or fourth time my uncle had called my name, this time he added something. "Some of your friends are here."

Strange thing about that, none of them knew where I lived. I walked around the corner and smirked, "Who's your friend Alex?"

Alex smirked, "Jared meet Mathis."

I shook my head, "You are wasting your time and mine. I'm not interested."

"You can't stay out of this war forever Jared," He insisted. "Why not help us fight the injustice in this country?"

"Because you are creating injustice in the process. In my book the end never justifies the means," I growled back. "Get lost and take your pup with you."

"What did you call me?" Mathis evidently had quite a temper.

"I said to take his pup, meaning you, with him." I smirked as I could see his face getting red. "And don't let the door hit you on the way out." They weren't inside my uncle's house.

"Say that again and I swe..." Mathis was cut off but Alex slapping his face.

"Don't you go making any promises you can't keep," He warned. "I broke you out because I needed muscles not brains or lips. So shut up and do as you're told."

Mathis sneered and took a step back.

"What's the matter?" I taunted. "Need a few more before it's an even match with me."

Alex laughed, "Not at all. I was going to take it easy on you. I figured Mathis wouldn't be able to manage that. After I beat some sense into you I'm sure you'll come around."

The door swung open, I didn't turn and look, "Get back inside and whatever you do, don't call the police."

"Wise move."

I felt like an invisible fist came out of the air and grabbed a hold of me. He was trying to keep me immobilized while he threw nearby objects at me. Telekinesis. I took a deep breath and burst the telekinetic grip. Alex looked surprised but not alarmed. I turned around and didn't have time to dodge the lawn mower he'd thrown at me. As I hit the ground one of the blades cut my arm and I began to bleed. I jumped to me feet and focused for a moment, almost instantly the bleeding stopped and the wound healed.

"You are challenging me with healing powers?" Alex began to laugh maniacally. It really didn't fit to have such a nerdy kid laughing like that but I let it slide.

"You know nothing about my powers Alex," I retorted. "Just because I can heal doesn't mean that is the extent of my abilities."

"Then by all means," Alex said after a moment more. "Indulge me."

I grinned as I allowed my body to shift into what it had wanted to for some time. I can't really describe what it looked like and do it any justice so I took a picture for the records. ( :P )



Alex and Mathis both took a stepped back as I soared into the air. This felt good, really good, like I was freeing the true me and the rest was some cage to hold it in. Mathis shot a bolt of lightening and knocked me out of the air. I hit the ground a little shaken but unharmed. Evidently this wasn't any kind of normal metal, possibly bio-metallic would be a better term for it.

I stood up and Alex and Mathis had had sense enough to run while they could, I couldn't see them anywhere nearby. Then again that lightening bolt had shot me clear across the city, the papers would be reeling from that one. The people staring at me made me feel awkward and I found a place to return to normal. My clothes were still intact so evidently it was a form of shape shifting that my clothes became the new me, but that didn't quite feel correct. It didn't matter, the government searchers would be here soon, hopefully they'd have forgotten my face from the dream.

(Sorry it's kind of rantish/rambling.)