C3: Testing the Limits

Chapter 3: Testing the Limits

Aaron, Dave, and Jake bolted out of the house before Matt could blab to their mom. They sprinted down the street, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the quiet afternoon. Soon, the familiar sight of their secret hideout came into view—the old junkyard. A chaotic collection of rusted cars, broken appliances, and twisted metal, the junkyard was a place where they could be free from prying eyes.

As they caught their breath, Dave groaned, "Man, your brother's like a mini-detective. I swear, he's gonna get us caught one of these days."

"Right?" Jake added, shaking his head. "What are we gonna do if he spills everything to your mom?"

Aaron just grinned, still catching his breath. "Relax, Matt's harmless. Besides, he's too busy being a nerd to actually get us into any real trouble."

Dave smirked, glancing at Aaron. "Says the guy who watches animal documentaries in his free time. You gonna turn into a koala next or what?"

Aaron rolled his eyes but couldn't hold back his laughter. "Yeah, a koala that could still kick your ass, Dave."

Jake chuckled, stepping between them. "Nah, Dave would be too busy coding his way out of a fight. 'Hold up, lemme just input some cheat codes!'" He mimicked typing on an imaginary keyboard, earning a grin from Aaron.

Dave raised an eyebrow, pretending to be hurt. "You guys done roasting me? At least I don't have anger issues like Jake here. Who knows what he'll break next?"

Jake playfully punched Dave in the arm. "You know what I'll break next? Your face."

Aaron put his hands up, trying to keep the peace, but he was still laughing. "Alright, alright, break it up, you two. Let's save the fighting for the junk, not each other."

As the teasing died down, they walked deeper into the junkyard, feeling the tension lift. Sunlight filtered through the debris, casting eerie shadows, and the air was thick with the smell of rust and decay. An old yellow school bus sat half-buried in scrap, a reminder of forgotten days. This was their sanctuary.

Aaron stretched his arm, feeling the familiar pull of his new powers. "Okay, let's see what we can really do."

Dave, still holding onto his phone like it was his most precious possession, nodded. "Yeah, time to see if this 'hacks in real life' thing really works. Too bad I don't have a gun to test the good stuff, but I can still try the unlimited health." He looked down at his arm nervously. "Though, I'm not exactly excited about hurting myself."

Aaron smirked and patted Dave on the back. "Don't worry, I'll do it for you."

"What? No way, man!" Dave protested, but before he could escape, Aaron made a small cut on Dave's arm with his clawed hand. It wasn't deep, but Dave winced anyway. "You suck, Aaron."

"Relax," Aaron said, watching the cut close up almost immediately. "See? No harm done."

Dave blinked at his arm in amazement. "Holy crap... that's insane." He looked at Aaron with a mixture of awe and annoyance. "Still, you didn't have to stab me, dude."

"Quit whining," Jake said, smirking. "You're basically a walking cheat code now."

Aaron chuckled, glancing over at Jake. "Speaking of which, Jake, when are we gonna see what you can do?"

Jake shrugged, his face hardening a little. "I don't know, man. So far, all I've got is strength and speed. Nothing crazy like your animal powers or Dave's hacks. I feel like I'm missing something, but... it's not coming out."

"You're probably just saving the best for last," Dave said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Or maybe your real power is secretly being the group's emotional support."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Jake said, but there was a grin on his face. "Let's see how supportive I'll be when I'm smashing your face into the dirt."

"Alright, let's save the face smashing for later," Aaron interrupted, stepping between them with a playful grin. "We're here to test powers, not to reenact a wrestling match."

The trio spent the next hour testing their abilities on the scrap. Aaron transformed his arm into various animal forms, flexing it like he'd been doing it all his life. He bent metal, slashed through car doors, and even picked up the front half of a rusted truck just to show off.

"Careful, Aaron," Dave teased. "Keep lifting like that and you'll turn into a muscle-head."

Aaron smirked. "Jealous?"

"Not in the slightest," Dave shot back, pulling up his phone. "Wait till I get a gun. Then we'll see who's really jealous."

"You need a gun to fight?" Jake teased. "I could probably beat you without one."

Just then, Aaron concentrated, feeling a surge of energy. He envisioned wings sprouting from his back, and to his astonishment, a pair of majestic, feathered wings unfolded behind him, shimmering in the sunlight.

"Whoa! Aaron, no way!" Dave exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"

Jake's jaw dropped as he took a step back. "Dude, you can fly?! That's insane!"

Aaron grinned, testing the new appendages with a flap that sent a gust of wind through the junkyard. "Yeah, looks like I can. How's that for a power upgrade?"

Feeling a burst of confidence, Dave decided to put his hacks to the test. He spotted a bird soaring high in the sky and pulled out his phone. With a few quick taps, he activated his bullet tracking and aim prediction hack. "Watch this, guys!"

With a precise throw, Dave hurled a small stone into the air. It sailed upward, curving perfectly and hitting the bird in a spectacular shot. The bird flapped its wings in surprise but continued to fly away unscathed.

"Dude, you just hit a bird!" Jake exclaimed, laughing. "What can't your hacks do?"

Dave beamed with pride. "Pretty much nothing! I can track anything, manipulate the odds, and I can even pull off some crazy stunts. You guys just wait until I get a real gun."

Aaron chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, at least you won't miss your targets."

"Keep it up, and I'll use my hacks to make sure you can't even see me coming!" Dave shot back, a competitive gleam in his eye.

"Let's see how supportive I'll be when I'm smashing your face into the dirt," Jake joked.

Aaron laughed, glancing between them. "You know what? Let's stop picking on each other and see what we can do. How about a 1v1 showdown? Let's test our abilities against each other."

"Sounds good to me," Dave replied, a competitive spark igniting in his eyes. "Let's see what these hacks can really do."

"Bring it on," Jake said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm ready for whatever you throw at me."

Aaron smiled, feeling the thrill of friendly competition. "Alright, let's see who comes out on top!"