I give a heavy groan when my alarm clock buzzer goes off. The pain in my side is still on fire from last night. At least it doesn’t feel like it wants a divorce anymore. Even a simple motion like rolling over to turn off my alarm clock is a struggle. My muscles are still tense, not to mention ridiculously sore from expanding and toning last night. I slump back into bed and stare at the ceiling.

In my daze from coming home last night, I must have forgotten to turn off my alarm for today. Today being Saturday, of course. Come to think of it, I don’t remember flying out of The Vodka Room. I don’t remember flying across the river or into my apartment. In fact, I don’t even remember collapsing on my bed.

I sit up and look around. My bedroom window is open from where I’m sure I flew in last night. I swing my legs and sit on the edge of the bed, rubbing my face, trying to wake up. My muscles seem to be telling me not to move, or at least take a hot bath, but I ignore the soreness and stand up.

In my groggy state, I vaguely hear the TV in my living room is turned on. I shamble out of my bedroom and into the living room. The local morning news is on with the two chipper news anchors standing in the studio, papers in hand. One of the anchors is a human-sized mutant frog, Tadpole, who is the main draw of the show. I mean, how many times would an audience see a female mutant frog with blatantly obvious breast implants? Green or not, Tadpole is pretty sexy…for a mutant frog. On the bright side, reviews have said that her energy in the morning is quite ribbiting.

“So, the story that we’ve been following this morning is the brand new location of The Vodka Room,” Tadpole explains on TV, sipping on her morning coffee. “According to police, who are still investigating the scene, the movement of the club is SPEC related. There have been no further details from the police at this time but they are still talking with witnesses at the club last night.”

I struggle with my sore muscles to sit down on my couch, moving a jacket out of my way. The view of Tadpole switches to a shot in the middle of the street in Integrity City. Smack dab in the middle of the street, The Vodka Room is shown blocking traffic on both sides.

Way to go, Zach. I save lives but manage to ensure a lot of people are late for work.

Tadpole continues her account of the events. “Eyewitnesses last night say that the entire club was lifted high into the air, began to drop, but was then saved by an unknown SPEC. Evidently, the unidentified SPEC was not aware of where he or she had left the building.”

Oh sure, rub it in, guys.

“For those of you getting ready for work this morning, you might want to take another route away from the corner of Grayson and Todd Avenue. Work crews are busy trying to move the building. No one has been able to reach a possible SPEC to move it for the city.”

Tadpole’s co-host, some young guy I can’t remember the name of, speaks up. “I’m sure the people inside the club are happy to be saved.”

“I’m sure they are, Todd,” Tadpole says but gets very solemn. “Two SPEC-related deaths occurred last night at The Vodka Room. Known Russian mafia boss, Nicholai Kostanov, known to some as Red Brick, was found dead inside his own club. Popular jazz and blues saxophone singer, The Jazzman, was also found dead in the lounge area of the club. No details on their death but police suspect the hit may have been a hit on Kostanov and his establishment. St. Mignola’s finest are working on it, though.”

I grab the remote and turn off the TV in frustration. Some great hero you turned out to be, Zach. Couldn’t even stop some masked guy from killing two people.

I climb to my feet, regardless of how sore my muscles or how much my side is still killing me. I lightly touch my ribs and a sharp pain shoots through me.

There’s not much I can do with these injuries, either. I can’t go to the hospital so soon after a big event. The police are going to be looking for someone. For all I know, the people at the club could blame me. I think to myself. I really don’t know what I’m going to with these injuries. I could have internal bleeding.

And then I get a brilliant idea. I can’t save people with my injuries. In fact, more people could die if I don’t heal up somehow.

I crouch down on the floor and get myself into a yoga position. I close my eyes and try to talk to my powers as I have before. I still don’t know where they came from. Not since…well, not since they first came about.

I close my eyes and begin thinking about what I want to say to my powers. All right, listen. I can’t continue to be a superhero with injuries so bad that I can barely walk. The new muscles are great and they’re going to help a lot with carrying people or even cars or something. But I can’t save people if I’m in agony. Please, is there anything that I can do to fix these injuries?

I grit what teeth I have left in my mouth as a new pain begins to cover my entire body. My body feels like it’s on fire. There’s a consistent throbbing in my side. I can hear a loud cracking noise where my ribs are. I feel a painful pressure in my gums where my teeth were knocked out. Piercing my gums, brand new teeth pop into place where the old ones were knocked out. I can feel a low gurgling in my gut as I feel any injuries from internal bleeding seal up and fix themselves, good as new.

My nose cracks and bends on its own back and forth as the bone reattaches itself and immediately sets. Like running water in the shower, I feel the soreness in my muscles and joints simply wash away. I feel completely at ease for the first time since last night. The expansion and tone of my muscles remain, though. Guess I’ll have to wear baggy clothing at work for a bit to cover that change.

I begin thanking my powers, still not sure if I’m talking to a higher power or if it’s just my sub-conscious. It’s not as if they ever talk back to me, but they respond to my thoughts and make sure that I’m not using them for my own personal game.

I continue to stay in the yoga position with my legs crossed when I hear a click of the front door to my apartment. I don’t have time to react in time as my eyes open wide and I’m quickly tackled to the floor.

By Alaya.

“Zach! You’re awake!” she’s smiling from ear to ear, giving me a big hug as I sit back up.

“Oh, be careful, honey,” Susan says as she closes the door behind her. She’s carrying a large grocery bag of various, well, groceries, I assume. “I told you that you had to be gentle with Zach, remember?”

“It’s okay, Alaya,” I tell her as I climb to my feet, picking up Alaya in my arms, “I’m a tough guy, I can take whatever you’ve got.” I pinch her nose with my index and middle finger. She giggles.

“But your injuries’”

I interrupt Susan. “I just healed them. I’m good to go.”

“I didn’t know you could do that.” She raises an inquisitive eyebrow and carries the groceries over to the kitchen counter.

“Actually, neither did I. Something that just came to mind.” I put Alaya down, as she wants to help her mother with the groceries. “Where were you last night?”

Susan whirls around, pointing a stick of butter at me. “Would you believe that the Tetra Demon Brothers escaped from their mural prisons again? The Veil had to call in The Poltergeist to help us. It took most of the night.”

“They tried to kidnap me!” Alaya proudly says, putting her hands on her hips. “But mommy got them! Uncle Veil got me away when mommy was stopping the Tetra!”

“Sounds like we both had quite a night,” Susan says, putting the broccoli in the fridge. “So I’m guessing there’s more to the mystery than we thought?”

I start quietly pointing to Alaya where certain groceries went, “You should have seen this guy, Susan. This guy made Dark Steel and Humanity Man look like pushovers.”

“Did he say who he was?”

“No, he just kicked my ass and killed Red Brick and The Jazzman. I don’t even remember getting myself home last night.”

Susan turns around and sighs. “You didn’t. I got you home.”

I blink and stare at her, waiting for an answer. It’s not until that I’m really looking at her that I notice how exhausted she looks. The bags under her eyes seem to be demanding either sleep or coffee.

“I left as soon as the Tetra Brothers were sealed back into their posters. I was afraid you would think I stood you up or something. Then I saw the place was…well, missing. Did a quick locating spell and teleported right into the club. I found you passed out in the lounge and took you home as quick as I could. Been watching you and checking on you all morning.”

With the pain finally subsided, I lift up my shirt and see that my chest area had been completely bandaged up.

“Hee, hee! We made you a mummy, too! Just like Uncle Veil!” Alaya giggles, pointing at the bandages. “Only Uncle Veil’s got a lot more!”

“Thank you,” I blush. “You didn’t have to do all of this.”

“Nonsense,” she shrugs, “I can’t count the number of times Hightower and Roadblock would buy me groceries for the week when I was first on my own with Alaya.” She closes the cupboard door after putting the last can in it, “Besides, you had nearly nothing healthy except some Spagettios and Macaroni and Cheese.”

“Hey, I’m a starving university student.” I smile for the first time in hours. “That’s high class living for us.”

Susan smiles back as she makes her way back to the door, Alaya following after her. “Now I’m worried about this new villain. There’s something more going on that even the Coven doesn’t seem to know about.”

“That’s a rarity,” I can’t help say.

“You’re telling me. This guy’s a new player, obviously. What kind of powers did he have that you saw?” she asks while helping Alaya with her sneakers.

“Just that he hits like a Mack truck and could fly,” I shrug, leaning against the wall. “Sometimes, those guys can be the most dangerous.”

Susan nods, “I just wish we knew something more about this guy.” She picks Alaya up to her feet.

Susan and I are startled when Alaya suddenly speaks; but not in a tone of voice that we’ve ever heard her use before. Her eyes turn completely white and shine slightly.

“He’s the Weapon of Masked Destruction,” Alaya says in a monotone voice. She’s staring directly at me. “And he wants to kill us.” She pauses for a moment, looks at her mother, then back at me again, “All of us.” She points directly at me. “Especially you.”

There’s an awkward silence as Alaya remains eerily still while pointing at me. Susan drops down to one knee and gently holds her daughter at the shoulders. This is the first time Alaya had ever shown any kind of ability. Looks like the magic runs in the family.

“Sweetie, why would you say that? Who is talking through you?” Susan pleads.

Alaya’s eyes return to normal. She frowns, looking at her mother. “Say what, mom? I only said that we turned Zach into a mummy, too.”

Susan and I exchange a worried look.

“I think we’re going to have to call Uncle Veil again, sweetie. Mommy thinks you might be getting your magic a little earlier than she thought,” Susan openly explains to her daughter. It’s amazing the kind of honesty she has with her daughter.

“Okay,” Alaya shrugs.

Susan opens the door, then turns back to me and hands me a card with the United Nations’ blue and white symbol on it. “Here.”

“What’s this?” I raise an eyebrow.

“You’ve been summoned,” she tells me. “Congratulations, you have an interview today with the Shatterpack. I guess my ex was more impressed with you for that building incident yesterday than either of us assumed.”

“Oh,” I’m still stunned and worried over Alaya to react at anything yet. “Wow, um. Are you going to be there, too?”

“If I can,” she nods. “I might let The Veil run some magic tests on her, just to be sure.”

“Okay, um. See you there, then, I hope. I could use a friendly face.”

“I know what you mean,” she smiles and leaves.

Wow. I’m going to be a member of the Shatterpack, I think to myself, I’d better get showered.