Chapter 1: Quicksilver
"Vvvrbt"
The sound of my phone vibrating on my bed gives me a long-awaited excuse to rip my eyes from my assignment. I kick away from my rickety dorm room desk and my chair rolls across the room to the solace of my bed.
In one smooth movement, I use the momentum of the chair to launch myself onto my bed, my elbow making direct contact with the hard-bodied phone buried deep in my blankets.
I wince and exhale sharply before grabbing my phone. Awaiting me was a message from Alec.
-Michael, brochocho, want to party tonight? Kale's dealer just hooked him up and I'm trying to have some fun. ;) -
I glanced from the phone to the very unfinished assignment across the room and back again. With a heavy sigh, I started typing a response.
-It sounds like fun but I have an assignment due tomorrow. :///-
My finger hovered the send button as another message rolled in. It was from Mackenzie, a girl who I had a not so casual crush on.
-Michael, are you going to Alec's tonight?-
I hit send.
-Fuck it, I'm down.-
Standing in front of the mirror, I sighed, even after putting in the effort to assemble a semi-stylish outfit, I still had the pale face and skinny physique of a second-year computer science major.
With just a few minutes until I was heading out, I bent over my desk and wrote words that sounded vaguely correct on my assignment.
I put the finishing touches on the assignment, stuffed a celebratory bottle of gas station liquor in my backpack, and made the treacherous 3-minute walk through 40-degree weather to Alec's fratty house.
I walked in, had an exhaustingly loud bro moment with Kale and took two shots with him before collapsing onto his disgusting couch. I simply sat there, scrolling through the same Instagram feed over and over until either Mackenzie or the main event arrived.
After nearly an hour, it became apparent that the former wasn't coming.
-Sorry, Michael! I'm wussing out, have fun :)-
I sighed, got up and found my way to the dirty kitchen. Kale, Alec and John were at the scuffed white counter, making mixed drinks with cheap booze while singing along to a radio station titled "classic hits of the 80s". Already committed to the night, I grabbed one of the drinks and began to chug.
A couple of hours later, the three of us retreated to the living room, Kale venturing off to meet up with his dealer while the rest of us collapsed onto anything that resembled furniture.
"Dude… Dude, when are you gonna ask Mackenzie out?"
John asked with a cheeky grin.
"Chill, we aren't even like that. She's a friend."
I rebutted, convincing no one.
"Yeah, you aren't like that. Because you never fucking ask her or any girl for that matter."
John shot back, not aware of the bite in his own words.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"You complain about not being in a relationship all the time, Michael, but when it comes down to it, even with a girl in front of you who obviously likes you, you still can't bring yourself to ask her."
"What the fuck? Says you, when it comes to relationships, we're both at the exact same level, fucker."
"At least I'm not mopy from wallowing in fucking relationship self-pity 24/7"
"Dude, fuck off, are you trying to fight?"
*Thud*
The entire house shook uncomfortably with Kale's slamming of the door, but my mind was just thankful for an end to the roast.
Kale walked into the room, panting as if he had just run a marathon. His disheveled state cut cleanly through the rooms tense air. Without delay, we launched a flurry of questions.
"What the fuck Kale?"
"Dude you look like you just ran a marathon. Did you at least get the fun stuff?"
"Kale you need to chill out, you're shaking like you just watched someone die."
After the last question he laughed dryly and regained his composure.
"it's fine. Nothing to worry about… Probably. My dealer just got caught up in something else right as I was leaving. They were screaming about shit I couldn't understand so I just got out of there as quick as I could. Regardless, it's time for the main event"
Taking a total 180 in his poise, he swiftly pulled a baggie from his back picked and held it out. Inside sat 4 quicksilver looking pills.
A cacophony of cheers and "fuck yeas" came from our group as Kale passed us each a pill.
Michael went to go get us water for the trip, but I just stared down at the pill, slightly unnerved. The contents of the pill seemed to have a mind of its own as it shifted inside the gelatin capsule.
"So, Kale, just what the hell is this?"
I asked, hoping for some sort of reassurance.
"Honestly dude? I have no clue. My bro told me it was totally safe, but it's so new we don't even know all it's possible effects yet. Isn't that sick?"
I returned his enthusiasm with a forced smile. My mind raced, looking for any excuse to get out of the trip. Any excuse other than the obvious "I don't want to, because that requires confidence on a whole other level.
This soul searching proved fruitless. Within five minutes, I was the last one to have not taken the pill. Urged on by the stares of my friends, I set the pill on my tongue, feeling the gel begin to melt, and went to take a sip of water.
The glass met my lips and—
An ear shattering explosion of sound rocked the house from every angle, windows and doors crumpled open and bodies flowed in.
The people looked to be some sort of swat or Cia team, yet I couldn't understand their garbled screams over the ringing in my ears. I panickedly looked to my friends, only to be met with… Silver. From head to toe their bodies were unmoving, frozen in silver, crystallizing by the second.
I forgot the hectic scene happening around me and became hyper aware of the substance on my tongue, beginning to dribble down my throat.
I began to retch, trying and failing to rid my body of the silvery substance.
Through the retching and the ringing, I heard a harsh snap. A gunshot, followed by a second and a third. Then, a forth.
My mind couldn't comprehend the bullet in my heart and my hands tore at my chest, trying to push the blood back in, before going limp.
In a last ditch panic for life, my mind went down a dangerous route.
'One last hurrah, I want to die on my own terms.'
I forced all my remaining strength into one last gulp, swallowing the remainder of the silver.
My vision faded away, pulling away everything but my own conscious, leaving me with my final thoughts.
'Haaa…
So I guess I'm dying now. Fuck. This fucking sucks. Who would have figured.'
My morbid and slightly meta inner dialogue was snapped short as, through the darkness, I heard a dark, snake like voice.
<Unable to determine quality of host because of dire circumstances, attempting to reconstruct organ: Heart>
'Uhh… What?'
'I mean, fucking go for it. Fuck, what do I have to lose?'
<Unable to reconstruct organ, attempting to fuse with host>
'Well, I appreciate the attempt, Mr. Creepy disembodied voice.'
'Wait, Fuse? Is this going to hur—EUAAAAAAAH'
<Fuse Successful. Surroundings deemed extremely unsafe. How much of my power would you like to escape?>
…
'I'm on my last vestige of life and you're asking how much power to use? Fuck it! 100%.'
<Are you sure? This much power will take a great amount of time to regenerate.>
'Yes! Fuck yes! Anything… Please. '
<100% confirmed. Attempting dimensional tear.>
'What?—'
I blacked out.
The first thing I noticed was the smell of grass.
The second was that I was alive.
I frantically tore off my shirt… Only to find a bullet sized scar on my torso.
I heaved a sigh of relief, at my own survival and also at the pigment of my skin, astutely not silver.
The third thing that I noticed was the console window floating directly in front of me.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone