I don't even know what I'm looking at.

Ernestine worked on her algebra, she cupped her chin reading in between the lines. "This is...easier than I thought."

Darla held a tray with tarts and freshly squeezed orange juice.

"What you need is rest."

Plonk*

"Rest? I got a 62 on my aptitude test and I'm supposed to rest? How am I supposed to do anything right if I am treading on the line of mediocrity? This is unusual! It is unacceptable! I could have carried the whole decathlon if I wanted to."

"Now, Ernestine..."

She bit her lip while Darla set her plate down on the table.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered.

"Why Ernie, it's your favourite snack. I even put the blue currants as the toppings as you like_"

"Forget the snack! I am trying to study!" She sniffed.

"I'm certain that your mood will improve in no time. You have a resolution. Stress is only a catalyst for success, you know. You shouldn't worry so much."

She pushed the tray closer.

Her eyes watered. She exhaled. "Thank you for all the advice, aunt Darla, but my grades won't go away." She said bitterly. "At least upstairs."

"Look at it from the upsides."

Snort*

"There are no upsides." She raised a book shifting the plates.

"There will be other recourses. And hopefully, you won't be running late to class next time." Darla pushed the snacks closer.

"Really?" She said with round grey eyes.

"I know so."

"I was being sarcastic."

Darla tapped her hands together. "Oh, dear."

***

Luther went to the Ohio NASA headquarters to enquire about the search warrant.

Sadly, the judge was not certain about the case that Luther was assigned to take up. He had a busy schedule and there had to be a guarantee of success in the search without expending funds.

They already knew where the first one hit.

Coincidentally, there were three explosions within the same proximity downtown.

*One downtown neighbourhood.

*Two, same neighbourhood. A broken streetlight.

He stopped what he was doing and decided to revisit the lab.

...

The second meteorite was brought into the quarantined lab at NASA. It had been dormant for days...

It was black, quite large and craggy with thumbprints. Craters.

The cart conveyed the large rock into a glass cube containment vessel. It had black beams on each corner and inbuilt lights.

"All clear. Ready for excavation." One confessed.

"Begin."

Hum*

The lights sparked as the meteorologists and scientists used plasma to cut up the crumbs out of the meteorite. They tested the pieces if they were authentic.

[ Confirmed ]

"Looks like an ordinary rock to me," Frank said. "I mean, what does NASA even need a hefty rock for? All we care about are maintaining spacecraft and making sure we don't get hit by space junk." Frank said seriously from outside the lab.

Luther shrugged.

Paul Daniels, a man of thirty-five, tall, shaggy grey hair supervised them. He wore a grey button-down shirt, brown pants and grey sneakers. With a lab coat on.

He gazed at the monitor intently for any new signs.

The interns started to sweat searching the internet for facts.

Luther's eyes rounded at the rock as the young scientist guided the computer-aided robotic arm attached to a diamond-laced saw to the remaining meteorite.

The scientist waited for his approval. He ignored the tight feeling in his midgut and gave the go-ahead.

ZZZZZ*

The saw cut through the meteorite with sparks.

Paul frowned when the saw stopped short, the mechanic joints rattled to a stop.

[ System is still fully functional ]

"Try it again." He waved.

"Yes sir."

The saw rose and it spun perfectly at full power lowering on the saw again.

Shinnnnning

The creature gurgled inside the rock. Cradled for months, it was starting to glow green.

"What's happening?"

The green light escaped as lightning.

"What the hell?"

A pile of goop bubbled out of the meteorite gash and it flickered over the joints of the computer-aided saw. It started to shake.

"Oh hell. Stop! Stop!"

"What the hell is that?" Frank said while they stepped back running. People rushed out of the metal lab screaming.

The metal scrap monster roared from the inside.

"Trouble."

....

Stephen ran half a mile across the Ohio River, he worked to keep momentum while he was on the river. His feet splashed on the surface. The water left a steaming trail behind him. "Yeah!"

Stephen had a view of the city, with tall buildings. The sky was dimming into an orange, pink and white blur given the sunset. He was just about to reach home after the task.

[ Run for 20 miles ]

His fast brain would have to keep up with all the math. "Ugh, I hate math."

He spoke.

7:00 PM

He reached the coast and he was still wet. He spewed out water and wiped his face.

"I think I dropped something." He picked up a periwinkle shell and then he blew out the sand from the shell and gazed at the river.

The river was big and it mirrored the dark sky, the water flickered from the city lights and he sunk to the sand.

His mom, a brunette lady with green eyes, dimples and a dashing smile always brought him here at the river during the fishing season. He was glad to have spent moments with her before she died.

He heaved a sigh. "I almost had a brother."

Pfft* He laid back and yelled.

He stepped back when a laser hit the spot of sand behind him.

"What the..."

The mini robot that looked like a mouser on two legs hopped over. He picked up the toy and started back at Ernestine by the dilapidated restaurant.

"Of course, you'd be here." She said fiercely throwing up her hands and then marched to the shore.

Panabaker's Restaurant was broken, and the white stucco building was in shambles. Ernestine scoffed lining her foot against the sand.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, princess?" He said snidely and then he noticed the crack in his voice.

She growled. "Not, Alexander. I came to check up on the restaurant. It's in worse condition. No one will ever be able to use that place unless it's built up from scratch."

"You did watch the news right?" He said.

Ernestine glanced at him sharply while they stood side by side at the river bank.

Stephen stared ahead at the night sky.

A tiny white light flickered at the horizon, the light danced in the deep blue sky.

"You see that?"

"That's probably just a boat." She said and she walked toward the park.

"That reminds me. We have to check the other rock. Maybe we'll see if it can give us any more superpowers."

A rock grew out from the sand when she clenched her fist.

"You are utterly senile, Stephen Curry."

"Are you too chicken?" He flapped his arms and he darted back at the spray of sand.

"Can't catch me." Zip* "Bet you can't."

He zipped around the shore several times and Ernestine frowned.

He laughed and jumped up when the ground perceptibly crumbled.

The terrain wavered with yellow lights. In a slow perception of time, Ernestine was standing in a wine-coloured hoodie, grey skirt and black leggings. She was on a perfect circle of plain ground while she outstretched her hands in the dust rain. Her hands curled and pushed open.

He ran from the hail of dust and threw himself under the rocks. "Whoa."

Ernestine blinked, she saw that he was spotless.

"This was fun."

She growled.

"You should learn to relax, Ernie. You only have one life to live_"

"Oh, so I can learn to be more like you? Zippy? I had one life, one and you ruined it! Do you know how it feels to wake up and realize that your vase is broken?"

"It's not like it's hurting anybody." Stephen shrugged. "You have cool powers."

"Oh, right."

"We should probably go home."

"Probably?" She was surprised that he wasn't up to scheming.

>>WHOOSH<<

The white light blinked from the horizon and he pulled her out of the way.

"Ernie, look out!"

She groaned and pushed up from the ground.

The metal giant had a small head round as a ball, glowing green eyes and its silvery metal skin was rugged. It had a stubby body, arms and legs.

It stumped on the sand like a sumo wrestler and it had Stephen back away.

"That is awesome!"

Ernie paled. "Is that a crowbar?" She said gazing at the tool hanging out from its shoulder blade.

"Just what I need."

A saw grew out from its arm and she screamed running when it sliced it through the air.

She threw herself backwards and crashed to the ground.

Stephen's eyes flickered as he ran up its shoulder and flipped back down holding the crowbar.

"You're gonna get it now!" He dashed forward and knocked its head out.

THWANG*

It flew back into its body and it roared.

"It's magnetic?" He said and dumped the crowbar.

The monster bashed him with his flat fist and he flew into the building. It sliced after Ernestine.

Ernestine stood up and she hurried past the restaurant building.

She needed to get far away from it. She ran as fast as she could from the parking lot to the end and slid back.

Her hand glowed yellow and she arched her arm up. The rock arched up and the robot's saw sliced the rock.

TZZZZ*

It was a clean slice.

She saw the opening in between its stubby legs and dived slipping to other the side.

"Hey, big and ugly!"

It swivelled its whole body to face her and she threw herself back pulling up a barrier.

Stephen zipped in and he shattered the monster's body with momentum.

It rained spare parts and Stephen grimaced at the generator, a garden fork and the likes.

He saw the green light flickering in a part like electricity. He saw the rock. The parts slightly shuddered.

"Quick, grab the stone before it rearranges its_"

Ernestine lifted it by her terrakinesis. "It's attracted to metal."

"What is it?"

"The other one."