Okay, I've been working on two omakes, both slice-of-life/origin stories. These gave me some trouble to write, but here we go. Comment with corrections or improvements.
Epoch's Evolution
Adam felt his consciousness slowly come into being, and he groaned as the results of yesterday's actions also came into focus. Ow. He shifted and looked at the clock, and saw that it was 10:40 in the morning. Blinking, he reached over and pulled a slip of paper from the bedside table and read it.
Turned off your alarm before heading out this morning. You deserve a lay-in and a smack on the head after what happened, so be ready for that later. Change your bandages when you wake up. I'll be back around 6 tonight.
Howard.
A smile spread on his face at the thought of his best friend; off to heal children and the happiest he'd been in years, before rising out of the sheets with a grunt and heading for the bathroom. Washing his face, he looked at himself in the mirror and said, "I have magic, and magic is real."
It was a ritual he had started shortly after his seventeenth birthday, when he had finally accepted that statement as truth. His first experience with magic occured when his sixteen year-old self had been playing basketball, and had fervently wished to be able to jump higher. On his next leap for the basket, a feeling had swept through his body and he found himself slamming his arm into the backboard. Nobody else had noticed anything odd, but Adam was in shock over what had happened. His first thought, of course, was that he was a Parahuman, but his research after the incident showed that didn't quite fit. He didn't have an innate knowledge of his power (and in fact, could barely even dredge up any of the "feeling"), he didn't have a compulsion to use his basically non-existent powers (outside of the fantasies he'd always had), and he certainly hadn't reached his lowest possible point required for Triggering in a freakin' basketball game! He was convinced that whatever he had done, it was something...different from what Parahumans possessed, and his research continued for several more years into university.
Adam sat down on the toilet and unwrapped the bandages from his leg. What had been a severe second-degree burn had faded into a first-degree overnight. Using a lukewarm cloth he wiped debris from the wounds before rewrapping the leg with fresh bandages. Howard had given him a quick healing when he had arrived home, but his mana had been depleted from his work, so the rest was left up to his own built-in healing ability. Yet another thing to praise Calamity Witch for, learning about his magical lineage made him even more appreciative of his magical abilities. Finishing up his morning ablutions, Adam exited the bathroom and bedroom and headed for the apartment's kitchen. A glance outside showed a heavy rainstorm, and Adam shivered as he passed the frigid window. He cooked himself a hearty brunch of eggs, bacon, toast, and hashbrowns before cleaning up and moving onto the practice room, really just the living area whenever he cleared the floor to practice his abilities, both parahuman and magical.
His twenty-fifth year of life brought about the death of both his parents by a mundane car accident, absolutely no powers of any kind involved. Adam supposed he felt some sorrow, but his parents had always been distant, seeing a child as more of a symbol then a person, so the overall emotional toll was light. What emotion was more prevalent was satisfaction that the considerable inheritance he had obtained would serve in his quest to seek the source of his powers. And lo and behold, less than 4 months after receiving the money, he was contacted by a secret organization offering him power. Although doubtful they were offering him the secrets of what he was more certain by the day was magic, he certainly wasn't going to turn down what they were offering. Draining most of his inheritance for time-related powers and for reduced mutations was more than worth it, as the ability he received was extraordinarily useful and oh so thrilling to utilize in multiple situations. But. It most definitely wasn't the power he had only just barely managed to gain the faintest control over in the last year. However, feeling how his parahuman power behaved allowed him to fine-tune his awareness and control of his magic, and by the end of the year he was consciously floating for five seconds at a time.
Taking a deep breath, Adam reviewed his options for the day. Physical training was out to avoid aggravating his leg, so he would only be practicing his time control and magical options. Raising his arm, Adam faced the mattress he and Howard had attached to the wall for practicing his shooting spell at low impacts. Drawing out his magic with a thought, he formed a Shooter the size of a tennis ball in his palm while lowering his body into a sitting position and supporting himself solely with his Flight. A smile spread across his face. To think only a few months ago he had struggled to perform these spells separately, and never to this degree of power and control. Calamity Witch truly was the greatest thing he had encountered since his magical journey had begun. Focusing, he shrunk the shooter down to golfball-sized and fired at the mattress, then reversed his time to when he had the larger globe and fired that with a slower velocity to the same point as the first. He then rotated 90 degrees in midair, formed another golfball Shooter, and fired it with a right-angle turn towards the mattress programmed in. Another time-reversal, and the Shooter went towards the ceiling before pivoting towards the mattress. Smile growing even wider, Adam continued practicing combining his two spells with his time powers.
Becoming a hero...didn't really work for Adam's objectives. Hero's were constrained to one city, had to report and be tested on all aspects of their power, and had limited ways to improve their financial situations outside their assigned work (which didn't pay all that well if you weren't a Tinker). His powers didn't really lend themselves to any Rogue activities he could think of, so that left villainy as his chosen avenue. Thievery was his primarily source of funding, which had the added bonus of acquiring potential information sources about magic. And then he met Hammerstroke. Adam literally ran into him while cutting through a bar to evade pursuit, spilled his drink, then had to evade getting his head punched off by a grieving and drunk Brute. One smashed wall and some hastily hidden loot, and he and an unconscious Hammerstroke were on a ride to the local lockup. Then a bump in the road heaved the large man's body into Adam's arm, and he felt it. The same power that existed in himself, moving within the inert man's body as if trying to do something. Astonishing. Over the next week, Adam payed Hammerstroke's bail, invited him to lunch several times, was involved in several fights with the man (with less property damage), and then finally convinced him of his power by grabbing his hands and shoving magic into him. The resulting shock, recognition, and feedback of the feeling resulted in a surge of magic from the both of them that flowed into Adam's father's pocket watch. The two then collapsed, laughing in a stunned manner at this power which they both possessed.
Adam ambled into the kitchen, grabbing some fruit from a basket before sitting down at the table. Practice had gone well, he was improving his control and was wasting far less magic than he had previously. Now for the rest of the day… A look out the window showed the rain still coming down, possibly harder than it had in the morning. A thought came to his mind as he finished his snack, and Adam began searching through the food available in the kitchen. Nodding to himself, he pulled out his phone and sent off a text to Howard.
Making beef stew for dinner, could you stop by that bakery on your route back and pick up some soda bread?
Pulling out his old pressure cooker from college, Adam set it down on the counter and moved to collect the various foods to go in the stew when he got a response.
Can do. Surgery is going well. Should be no delays for me returning home.
Adam grinned. Before his Brute powers had been removed, Howard hadn't been able to text due to the risk of crushing his phone. Having your phone be connected to an artificial intelligence who you could dictate your words to probably helped as well. Setting down all the ingredients on the table, as well as the various preparatory tools and containers, Adam sat down in a cozy recliner he and Howard had obtained when they had both moved fully into this apartment. After raising the leg rest and getting comfortable, Adam reached for his magic and began casting the sole spell that Calamity Witch had taught him. Telekinesis. A potato and a peeler rose into the air and floated over to the sink. The potato began to rotate in midair and the peeler pressed to the surface, causing the skin to come off and fall into the sink. Once the potato was bare, the peeler was replaced with a large knife which cut through the vegetable several times leaving a floating mass of potato chunks that Adam lowered into a bowl. A few more potatoes and some onions, carrots, celery, and beef were all chopped up and sorted in a similar manner. With the prep work done, Adam began the actual cooking process. Some opened cans of stock were lifted and poured into the cooker. The stove was turned on and the beef was floated into an oiled saucepan. A pepper-shaker and wooden spoon began seasoning and tossing the meat. The vegetables were seasoned and sauteed with garlic. All of the now-cooked ingredients were added to the pressure cooker and the dirty pans were moved to the sink. Adam rose from his chair to seal the pressure cooker and wash up the dishes. Drying his hands, Adam checked the time. About quarter to five. Given that his recipe called for an hour and half of cooking, it would work out perfectly for Howard's return home. Stifling a yawn, Adam set an alarm on his phone, grabbed a blanket from the living area, and settled back into the recliner for a quick nap.
With Hammerstroke, who had unmasked himself to Adam and decided to change his cape name to Maclibuin, things had become much easier. The addition of a Brute made their partnership much more attractive for bodyguarding and reinforcement jobs, and Howard still had some contacts left from his independent hero days as to potential jobs. Having another confirmed mage also was a great boost emotionally, since it proved that Adam wasn't some freak solo occurrence, that there were other people out there with magic just waiting to be found. Having two people also made their experiments in magic come easier whenever they were in contact. Howard's first spell, when not cast in an emotional fury that left both men barely able to stand, took nearly an hour to successfully cast the first time he tried doing it purposefully. With Adam in contact with him, the time was cut in half. Likewise, Adam could successfully float about an inch off the floor for a sustained period so long as he was holding onto Howard. Buoyed by the success in finding Howard, Adam began a search in earnest for other magicians in the cape community they could sway to their team. Together, the two of them began forming a team of Adepts, dedicated to improving the power of their magic and protecting themselves from those who would scorn them and their abilities.
The phone alarm went off, rousing Adam from his rejuvenating nap. Twisting, he held up his hand and summoned his phone to silence the alarm. Blinking, he saw that it was ten to six, so Howard should be returning within fifteen minutes. He became aware of a low keening sound, and searched the room for the source. His eyes fell upon the pressure cooker on the stove, which had become unnaturally swollen. The lid then abruptly shot up with a BANG! and a spray of soup, before ricocheting off the ceiling directly towards Adam. Time seemed to stand still as his sleepy mind sought an option to protect himself. Instead of his previous acquired powers, a light blue disc sprang into existence before him and absorbed the force of the lid. Adam could only blink sleepily at the circle before as the door to the apartment rattled as Howard let himself in and took in the scene. "So, it looks like you've had a productive day." Howard rumbled as he maneuvered past the magic shield to turn off the stove and start cleaning up the mess.
.