LED’s serious visage was rather intimidating when in place to hit me with a bar of metal, I set my feet apart setting my stance with my arms protecting my face. I could feel my power awakening, as if it was activating, so it did respond to threats but I didn't feel any changes this time, it would seem I was going to be very venerable to ambushes, lots of adaptable powers were like that as the power took some time to completely adap...
I had no warning besides the loud ‘whoosh’ of air the bar made, suddenly impacting my left arm, almost folding it in, the pain came in an excruciating burst from the impact point as I felt my bone just wanting to give up and bend to the force. I left out a muffled scream, being thrown to the side by the sudden force. Before I could dwell in the pain though, it was gone, my bones seemingly solidifying, my arms felting heavier as a cover of dark brown plating grew on both of them.
I marveled at the sensation from my core bubbling and shifting causing the painless transformation, the skin seemingly expanding and morphing, the same with the insides of my arms, I was about to let my guard down when the metal bounced on my arm again, I only felt the impact this time, there seemed to be an impact resistant layer under the thick armor on my arms, that was good, it meant the power was great at what it did, adapting. The modifications on it felt different now, somehow.
But once again a couldn't fully grasp the difference on my power core as LED kept pummeling me with the metal, I tightened my defense Raising my arms with the protective layer to cover my face, he hit the other arm, seeing it was ineffective, already moving on to the vulnerable parts, The bar struck me successively, in both my thighs and then in my lower left leg. I took a jump backwards trying to get out of his range, my body changing to sport the same coverings in all the places he impacted.
LED didn’t relent, taking a step forward to keep up the beating, now that I was more aware a could feel my power expanding to the parts he was hitting and in the brief moments before he hit an unprotected part, I could feel the faintest tugging of my power but I couldn’t focus on it properly before he got to hit the place. Through all of that my body was steadily growing completely covered, basically healing me when the struck parts where effectively replaced, not leaving any pain.
More and more places accumulating the protective layer, that didn’t seem to faze LED, already swinging the bat in a thrust straight into my sternum, I lost my breath, the added weight making me lose my balance much more easily, LED didn’t leave it to chance, swiping my unbalanced legs from under me. My arms going wide as i fell, impacting the ground at speed, stealing my breath a second time.
Winded, It took a second to open my eyes again, when I was finally able to all I could see was the point of the bar coming straight at my face, filling my whole vision.
I felt time slowing down, my chest thumping with adrenaline, my body almost vibrating in the energy as the tugging I was feeling turned to a screaming, and I grabbed onto it, like pulling on a cable that was dangling in front of me, I felt it go taunt. And an armored helmet rapidly grew from and over my face, the edge of the metal bar ramming against it.
The back of my head hit the ground with a loud thump the helmet covering it whole, even having completely lost, I felt only satisfaction, LED also sported a smile on his face as he extended a hand to bring me up. “Spotlight was right, you really got some spunk, welcome to the team.”
I got his hand and we both pulled me to a standing position, the armor for as good it was at defense was certainly wonky for moving.
“This is the best method of learning, experiencing it in a real situation, even more so with the kind of power you have gotten. So, if you want to do well, I hope you're not afraid of a beating.”
“Yeah, I get it, at that last moment it was like everything just happened, so quickly and so slowly at the same time.” I said remembering how everything felt. “I could feel my power calling for me to pull at it and it didn’t let me down.” I clenched my armored fist, still feeling the energy from before coursing through my body, this told me that I also had some form of active control about my power, I could see the horizon expanding on the so-called road to mastery, I could see myself guiding my transformations in the best method possible for each situation based on previous experience and study and mastery of my powers. The road would be extremely long but that only brought a smile to my face.
I wasn’t afraid of a challenge, after everything I did to get a chance to be here, I’d master this power to the extreme, be one with it, I laughed to myself as the armor started disappearing from me. “Just as I thought, this transformation felt different on my power, I had a hunch it would be temporary.”
“That’s good though, wouldn’t want to permanently sport that, or become some monstrosity from adaptive evolution, wouldn’t be the first time.” LED commented.
“Yes, I'm really glad.”
As I was musing how lucky I was with my powers Spotlight also came to the patio stretching his arms with a big yawn as he walked towards us.
“Already getting the newcomer on your early morning training sessions?” he said when he was close enough to us, smiling at our scuffled appearance.
“Getting all chummy with LED doesn’t feel as good as you’d hope, huh?” He laughed eyeing the bar on LED’s hand.
I gave him a smile back, “I’m the one who asked for it. LED’s helping me test my power.”
“I can see you’re all giddy, got something good?”
“Yeah, you could say that. It’s adaptive mutation.”
Spotlight seemed a little surprised that I’d just tell him what my power is, but I didn’t see a reason why not, besides it being an obvious power, when in action it was mutable so knowledge of it was less effective, and he was part of this little band that I encountered myself with, I’d want his trust and also his help in training. For as much as I’ve studied powers my whole life, nothing really came close to actual experience.
“It’s a great one. Seemed to be heavy hitter capable as well.” He continued saying, showing that he was watching from a while. “Not permanent though which is probably better even if you're more susceptible to ambushes that way. Is it purely defensive?”
“I believe it has an active capacity, don’t know to what extent though.” My transformation had completely receded by now, leaving me in stretched loose clothes, dirty from all the accumulated dust. “It's something I wanted to work on next, actually.”
LED seemed to resort back to his quieter self with Spotlight on the scene, he threw the somewhat bend bar at the empty insides of the warehouse and just curtly said “It'll have to wait.”
Spyglass and Payback also reached us then, Spyglass still sporting a sour look,seemed like she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me, the fact I was unhurt from my experiments didn’t appear to make any difference towards that. Payback gave me a wave with a drowsy face. LED, who I realized was probably the leader if they even had anything like that, explained, probably more to me than to any of the others, what we’d be doing now. “We’re getting out of this town, yesterday we made a splash and normally we wouldn’t stay in the same location but the awakening substance had a timer.”
I frowned at that, it seems like it really was a last opportunity that I accepted, and was absolutely glad I did. Whatever my life had in reserve for me from now on I would embrace it fully, probably already labeled as a villain by association, it probably would be full of conflict, but as a newly powered and with such a nice power I felt excitement instead of fear. Whatever came now, I would adapt.
