Chapter: 4

Ben sat on a medical examination table while Dr. Shield tapped on a holographic screen, analyzing the data flashing across it. Melissa stood nearby, watching her father work, concern still evident in her eyes.

"This shouldn't be happening," Dr. Shield muttered under his breath, adjusting his glasses. "Your Quirk's energy signature is... unstable. Almost like it's not fully synchronized with your body."

Ben clenched his fists. He didn't know what any of that meant, but it didn't sound good. His ability the one that had let him create that gun was real. But if he had a "Quirk," did that mean he had been like this all along? That didn't make sense. He'd never had powers before… had he?

"Maybe some rest would help?" Melissa suggested. "If it's overuse, he just needs time to recover, right?"

Dr. Shield sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's usually the case, but I'm not convinced this is just exhaustion. There's something deeper going on here. Ben, I need to run a few more tests."

Ben forced himself to nod. He had no choice he needed answers. "Alright. Do whatever you have to."

Dr. Shield grabbed a scanner and moved it over Ben's arm. The device hummed, and a holographic projection displayed a fluctuating energy pattern. The waves of light pulsed irregularly, shifting in intensity.

Ben gritted his teeth. He didn't know why, but looking at that display filled him with dread. His abilities weren't normal here, even in a world where people had superpowers.

Dr. Shield exhaled sharply and turned off the scanner. "I think we should monitor you overnight. There's a chance this will stabilize on its own, but I don't want to take any risks."

Melissa nodded. "I'll stay with him."

Ben appreciated the support, but something inside him was screaming that he didn't have time to sit around. He needed to understand what had happened to him and fast.

"Dr. Shield," he said slowly, "if my Quirk is unstable… could that explain my memory problems?"

Dr. Shield frowned. "It's possible. If your abilities are out of sync with your body, it might be affecting your cognitive functions. Have you experienced any other strange symptoms? Headaches, dizziness, flashes of memories that don't seem real?"

Ben hesitated. Flashes of old games, battlefields, weapons he shouldn't know how to use—were those memories? Or just some kind of hallucination?

"Yeah," he admitted. "Something like that."

Dr. Shield's eyes darkened in thought. "Then it's even more important that we figure this out. I'll set up a neural scan to see if there are any anomalies in your brain activity."

Melissa placed a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder. "Don't worry. Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out."

Ben appreciated the sentiment, but deep down, he wasn't sure if he wanted the answer.

Because something told him that the truth would change everything.