When Powers Fail

The candidates were led to the entrance of the simulation room, its doors shone under the fluorescent lights. There was a humming noise coming from the machinery inside that could be heard from the entrance.

The written exam had been nerve-wracking and the physical assessment brutal, but this was something completely different. It was meant to simulate real life.

Lucas, as always, was confidently grinning. "Alright, this is what I've been waiting for."

Nathan wished he could be as excited.

A voice came through the speakers. "Final phase: urban disaster response. Your objective is to evaluate the situation, rescue the civilians, and minimize casualties. Work as a team. Further instructions will be given as needed."

The doors hissed open, revealing a whole city. Holograms blended seamlessly with the actual buildings, making it almost indistinguishable from the real world. Skyscrapers loomed overhead, cars lined the streets, and faint sirens echoed in the distance.

It felt alive.

The candidates entered, some overflowing with confidence, while others carefully took in their surroundings.

Titan led in front. "This should be easy."

Astra, who stood a few steps away, turned to Nathan. "Stay sharp."

He nodded, taking a deep breath.

Then, without any warning, the ground started shaking beneath their feet.

The simulation had begun.

The tremors intensified, shaking the ground beneath them. Street Lights flickered, windows shattered, and distant buildings were about to give up under the pressure.

A simulated earthquake, but it felt real.

Nathan stumbled but caught himself, his heart pounded rapidly. Around him, other candidates braced against the quaking streets.

"Stay calm!" Titan shouted over the chaos. "We need to find the civilians!"

Lucas was unfazed. "Guess we're diving right in."

A few blocks ahead, a large office building had partially collapsed. Dust and debris filled the air, and from within, muffled cries for help could be heard.

Titan took charge immediately, his towering frame cutting through the dust as he pointed at the wreckage. "That's our priority! Aegis, you and I will clear an entrance. Astra, check if it's stable. The rest of you, be ready to provide support!"

The team sprang into action. Aegis created glowing energy constructs, holding up a crumbling doorway as Titan moved to lift a fallen beam. Astra ran her fingers along the walls, her energy shimmering faintly as she assessed weak points.

Nathan hesitated. Normally, he'd Echo, replay the moment, analyze their movements, and adjust. But something was wrong.

The air, the weight in his limbs, it all felt off.

Lucas nudged him. "Come on, let's help."

Swallowing his unease, Nathan nodded and rushed forward. He and Lucas joined the effort, helping clear debris. The weight of the rubble was heavier than expected, but they worked quickly. 

For a brief moment, everything seemed to be under control.

Titan pried open the entrance, revealing a dark interior filled with overturned furniture and broken walls. "We're in!" he called.

A second later, another deep rumble shook the ground. This one was even stronger.

The building groaned. More debris fell from above.

Then, the screams inside grew louder.

The team forced their way forward, pressing into the unstable building. Dust all around them, swirling in the dim light from the emergency sign. The cries for help were getting closer, and more desperate.

"There!" Astra pointed toward a collapsed section of the ceiling. Through a gap in the rubble, a small group of civilians huddled beneath a fallen support beam. A young woman clutched a child to her chest, shielding them from the debris.

"Hang on tight!" Titan called out, stepping toward the beam. "I'll move this."

He placed both hands under the massive beam. His muscles tensed causing his veins to bulge. He exhaled sharply and pulled.

But nothing happened.

His smile turned to a frown. "Alright… heavier than I expected." He adjusted his stance, planting both feet firmly in the ground before trying again.

Still, the beam didn't move.

Titan's expression darkened. He clenched his teeth and tried again, straining with all his strength. No matter what he tried, it was useless.

Aegis raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Titan let go of the beam, stepping back in disbelief. He spread his fingers. "I—I don't know. I don't feel my strength."

A moment of silence fell over them.

Astra put her hands in front of her, face tightening in concentration. No familiar glow appeared. She let her composure slip. "Wait… something's wrong."

Lucas flicked his wrist, waiting for the surge of kinetic energy that always came so naturally. Nothing.

Aegis tried summoning his energy constructs, but he couldn't. His hands remained empty. His face twisted in frustration as he kept trying over and over again.

Nathan's breath caught in his throat. His hands trembled. "No way…"

Everyone started to panic.

The candidates exchanged frantic looks. Astra shook her head, her usual calmness was nowhere to be found. "This isn't possible. It has to be the simulation… some kind of restriction..."

"No warning?!" Aegis snapped. "They didn't tell us we'd be powerless!"

Titan slammed a fist into the wall in frustration, but it barely made a dent. He clenched his fists. "This is ridiculous! How are we supposed to..."

A scream for help from the trapped civilians snapped everyone's attention back. The ceiling above them groaned ominously, loose concrete shifting.

Nathan swallowed. He had to think. Had to act.

Instinctively, he reached into himself, activating his Echo. A second passed. Then another.

Nothing.

He felt no rewind, no familiar pull of time bending to his will. He was just… stuck. Helpless.

His stomach twisted. "I can't Echo."

Lucas grabbed his shoulder, grounding him. "Nathan." His voice was steady, but his eyes held an edge of concern. "We need to move. Now."

Nathan forced himself to breathe normally. The powers weren't coming back and the civilians were still in danger. They had to do something.

"Okay," he said, swallowing down his fear. "We do this the hard way."

The building trembled again, dust falling from the ceiling.

There was no time for hesitation.

Powers or not, they had to act.

The ground beneath them trembled violently, sending cracks through the already fractured pavement. More debris fell down from the higher floors. Inside, the desperate screams from trapped civilians pierced through the air.

"Move!" Titan screamed, his usual confidence replaced by frustration. He tried to shove the heavy beam of concrete aside, but without his enhanced strength, it barely budged. His fingers dug into the rough surface, veins bulging as he struggled in vain.

Aegis attempted to reinforce a collapsing doorway with his energy constructs, but still nothing appeared. The moment stretched unbearably as realization dawned across their faces.

"We're useless," Aegis muttered, voice tight with disbelief. "We can't do this without our abilities."

Astra clenched her fists, looking toward the trapped civilians. "No," she said firmly. "We can still help."

Lucas nodded. "She's right. Powers or not, those people need us."

But the group was in chaos. Titan slammed a fist into the wreckage in frustration. Aegis cursed under his breath, staring at his trembling hands. Other candidates were backing away, hesitating, their confidence shaken.

Nathan wiped sweat from his brow, his breathing uneven. His heart pounded against his ribs as he watched everything spiral out of control. 

He felt the familiar instinct rise within him. Echo. He could rewind, adjust, and try again. He reached for it, calling upon the ability that had saved him so many times before.

Nothing happened.

His breath caught in his throat. Panic coiled in his chest like a vice. He clenched his fists, willing himself to Echo, to feel that flicker of time rewinding. But it was like reaching for something that wasn't there. His power was gone.

For the first time in his life, Nathan was truly powerless.

The weight of that realization pressed down on him, threatening to drown him in doubt. But then, another scream rang out. A woman's voice, raw with terror.

He snapped his head toward the source. A section of the building's second floor buckled, a support beam teetering dangerously over a group of huddled civilians below.

They didn't have time for hesitation.

Nathan surged forward before he could stop himself. "We have to go now!" he shouted, his voice stronger than he expected. "Forget your powers, we do this the hard way!"

His words cut through the chaos. Titan's head snapped toward him, something flickering in his eyes. Astra moved first, already running toward the civilians. Lucas was next, grabbing a discarded metal rod to use as leverage.

The building groaned, a deep, ominous sound. The upper floors trembled. Nathan's legs screamed in protest as he pushed forward, weaving through falling rubble. As he reached the trapped group, his eyes flicked upward.

The beam above gave one final lurch, then fell.

Nathan dove forward, arms outstretched, his mind racing for a solution. The beam filled his vision, a dark mass of concrete and steel rushing toward him. He couldn't Echo, couldn't rewind.

And then.

Darkness.