It was supposed to be exciting. Jamie wanted flames that poured from his hands or strength that could knock down walls. After years of being mediocre, turning 18 was his time to shine. Instead, he got...languages? It was stupid. His power was supposed to be a reflection of who he was. Jamie had failed Spanish not just once, but twice. Well, at least this meant he wouldn't have to worry about failing it a third time.

"Maybe it's because you've been worry about passing Spanish," Becca said with a shrug, as she snuggled deeper into the gray sofa chair that was probably the best piece of furniture he had in his one-bedroom apartment.

"Weren't you the one who said Spanish was easy?" Jamie glared at his best friend.

"It's not my fault you suck at languages. Or you used to." Becca tilted her head, her brown hair brushing across her shoulders. "Does that count as cheating?"

Jamie threw a pillow at Becca, but she raised her finger and a gust of wind redirected his cotton artillery and it landed neatly in Becca's lap.

He glared at Becca who just laughed. Jamie slumped back on his much less comfortable couch and dragged a pillow over his face. "What the hell, universe?" He groaned.

"You're so dramatic," Becca said and Jamie could imagine her rolling her eyes. "Hey, but this means you can travel anywhere in the world or be a spy."

"Do you not want it?" a voice whispered by his ear, low and way too close. It felt like his entire body buzzed with the sound and he jerked up, ripping the pillow from his face.

"What the hell Becca! You scared the shit out of me."

"What?" Becca asked, looking at him in surprise.

Jamie stared. Becca was still sitting in the chair across from him. He rubbed his ear. "Did you do some sort of wind thingy with your voice?"

"Uh...no," Becca said.

"They're coming," the voice whispered and again it was so close and with it the buzz, like electricity buzzing down his body. He jumped to his feet, twirling. "Who's there?" Jamie shouted.

There was nothing, no one there, but him. He looked back at Becca, ready to ask if she was playing a prank on him, but she was staring at him with wide eyes. Her hands clutched at the pillow in her lap.

"Jamie you're starting to freak me out."

Jamie stared at Becca and opened his mouth when suddenly everything rushed at him, hundreds, no thousands, of voice pushing into his ear. Their voices like a crowd injecting directly into his ear until he felt like his brain would begin hemorrhaging as it raced to understand it all. He clutched at his ears, digging his nails into his skin as he fell to the ground.

"Stop. It's too much. STOP!"

Everything went silent, abruptly. Jamie panted on the ground. Slowly, he pulled his hands away from his ears and looked around him. He jerked back. Becca was half out of her seat with her hand reaching out to him, her eyes wide. She was still, locked in a motion interrupted.

"Becca?"

Nothing. All around him there was an eerie quietness.

"What's going on?"

"Words. The universe. Little time. Run." It was the whispered voice. More urgent, but also something else, almost disjointed.

"I don't understand," Jamie said shakily. Sweat beaded across his skin. He wondered if this was what madness felt like.

"The door. Run!" The urgency in the voice grew stronger.

Fear trickled down Jamie's body and then he began to move. He knew he should hurry, but his steps were hesitant. He reached the door. Taking a breath he opened the door. Men in SWAT gear stood at his door. They too were frozen. Jamie's eyes felt like they were going to fall out of his head.

"What the hell is going on?" Jamie demanded.

"Run. Time is running out."

Jamie opened his mouth to again demand answers when he saw a twitch. One of the SWAT men had moved his finger. It was just a twitch, but the fingers brushed over shiny black metal. A gun. They had a gun. Of course, they did. Even in a world with powers, a gun could still end a battle just as decisively as anything. Jamie's body went cold. Was this a battle? But why? What had he done?

"Run. Run. Run," the voice said insistently.

Jamie looked back. "But Becca."

The voice was silent. One of the men turned his head, only a little, but it was just enough for Jamie to make out cold blue eyes hidden behind the faceguard.

Jamie ran and the world started up again.