Chapter 2

Waking up early in the morning was never one of James' favorite activities, but this time it strangely didn't bother him at all. He didn't feel drowsy like he usually did after first waking, nor did feel the need to keep lying down for another half hour. He felt refreshed and ready to begin testing himself. James looked over at the clock. It read 4:33 am; he had gone to sleep at about 1:00 am.

After James pulled on some of his 'new' clothes from the thrift store, bought specifically for work or other activities, he went outside. It was still dark but he could see just fine, with only the shades of colors being different from usual. He could make out little bugs scurrying about, and he could hear them. So many little things that he'd never noticed before were now presenting themselves for his inspection. It was ... fascinating.

Pulling himself from the distraction, James looked up into the sky, making sure he had clearance from the trees. Then he jumped. He didn't know how high he was jumping, but he knew it was really high. He could see for miles in all directions, and his house suddenly had gotten quite small. The neighborhood cars looked like they belonged in matchbox packages.

"Oh, crap" James said.

He started to fall, and James made a conscious effort to not panic. He strategically stretched out his legs and arms in a way that he felt might best absorb the impact of landing. Or at least he really hoped so. The air was rushing in his face and the ground was getting closer and closer; and then suddenly he was on the ground again, no worse for wear. James let out a big sigh of relief.

"Wow, what a rush!" James exclaimed.

He tried jumping several more times, until he finally started to get used to it. He couldn't keep jumping in the same spot over and over because he was tearing up the ground. Not as much as he thought he would, but still enough to be noticeable, even after a single jump. That didn't really stop it from being exciting each time he did it, though. He imagined it was sort of like what base jumpers felt when they jumped off of cliffs. After several more jumps he started to get the hang of landing, and finally felt comfortable enough to try jumping to different locations rather than just straight up and down. Besides, the spot where he was jumping looked like someone had taken a garden rake to it and tore it up some. James first target was the ball field at the nearby park.

He jumped a couple more times to be sure of his bearings and a feel for how much force he needed to make the jump properly. The jump to the ball field was actually a lot easier than he had been expecting. It was as though he had some subconscious calculations making sure his legs got him where he wanted to go. He wasn't too worried about anyone seeing him, since it was still dark out. James began jumping to various open areas, making quick calculation about where he wanted to land next during each jump before proceeding to his next jump. It was almost like a game.

Soon he was jumping his way across the city, and managed to get from one side to the other in under 10 minutes. He wasn't really tired, but he was getting rather hungry. James jumped his way back across the city and finally landed near his home. He felt like he'd damaged the yard enough for one day. When he went inside and looked at the clock it was 5:38 am, and his mother was just finishing a very light meal before going out to the gym and taking care of business.

"What are you doing up so early, James?" she asked.

"I want to try out for the football team this year, so I've been working out to get in shape" James replied.

"It must be working. I've never seen you looking so in shape before" she responded. "You've certainly gotten bigger, but do you think you can handle playing?"

"I know I can, mom" James said. "I'm really hungry, so I'm going to make myself some breakfast, okay?"

"Sure" she replied. "As long as you're sure, I guess you can do it. You know I have to work, so how do you intend to get around so you can get home at nights?"

"I'll just get one of my friends to give me a lift" he said. "It'll be cool."

"Alright" his mother responded as she cleaned her dishes.

James began making a large omelet for himself, and the smell of cooking food only increased his hunger. "Maybe I should make two omelets" he thought. James cleaned up his mess after he finished eating three omelets, just in time for his sister, Narissa, to walk in bleary eyed. She sighed heavily and sat down at the table.

"You're not usually up so early" she said.

"I've been working out to get ready for football tryouts this year" he replied.

"Really? You're going out for football?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I could be really good at it" James said. "I've never been in better shape, and after my growth spurt I think I'm big enough to handle it."

"You've definitely gotten big enough. Maybe I should try out for cheerleading" she grinned.

"Yeah, right" James responded. "You make fun of them. Why don't you try out for the swim team? You're awesome in the water."

"I only swim for fun, you know that" she replied. "I was just thinking if you were serious, then maybe I could do it so I'd get to be at all your games." James smiled at her gently.

"I'd like that, but I don't want you to do something you'll hate just to please me" he said. "Maybe we could work something out so that you'd get to come to away games, and not have to be a cheerleader to do it."

"That would be cool" Narissa replied.

After discussing different possibilities and James fixed an omelet for Narissa, he went to his bedroom. He stretched out on his bed, considering what he should do next to test his abilities. Doing noticeable things in the middle of the day probably wasn't a good idea. James really couldn't think of anything to do that didn't involve being outside and likely doing some property damage to test his abilities. He got up and went into the living room to watch some movies. James had decided to do his self training at night, when he wouldn't be seen or recognized if he was. He turned on his game console and selected Webflix to find something to watch.

He found several martial arts films that he wanted to see, and settled in to enjoy the show. As he watched the action in the movies he felt he had a deeper understanding of the moves he'd seen in the movies than he had ever had before. James got up from his chair and began to try different stances and poses. He then began to rapidly punch the air and perform kung fu blocks and kicks. It was as if his body remembered the moves he had watched! James smiled and said, "I know Kung Fu." He spent the rest of the day watching martial arts films.

Since his mother was going to be home that night, James felt it best to wait until tomorrow evening before going out. He really didn't have a good reason to give his mother to be out at night. She knew he didn't have any friends in the neighborhood that he hung out with. James decided to spend the night reading, and perhaps doing some research on the web, to help him control his new powers. First he did some web searches on potentially related articles to his abilities, and that was when he discovered something else!

He could recall all the information he had read perfectly. What was more, some of the more complex ideas actually made sense to him. They seemed easier to grasp than he knew they would have been only a few days ago. His memory had definitely improved. That scared him a little; the thought of anything poking at his mind made him feel a bit leery. Even so, he still felt normal in his mind, as far as he could tell, outside of the perfect recall and clarity of understanding. James also discovered he could read faster, and finished reading quite a bit of material by the time he decided to go to sleep. He had only stopped to eat dinner and catch up with his family.

James woke up and looked over at his clock. It was 4:17 am. Like the day before, he felt good! This time, though, he kept lying in bed thinking about what he'd learned the previous night. The idea his brain was being affected by his changes disturbed him deeply. He liked the increased mental abilities, but it also worried him deeply about his mental health.

He knew of too many stories where people with powers fell into a 'god complex', and James did NOT want that for himself. He recognized the pitfalls of such thinking. If he allowed himself to start thinking he couldn't get hurt no matter what he did, then as surely as rain fell, so would he. Just because he didn't know what could hurt him now didn't mean that nothing could. He still didn't know how his body would react to fire, extreme cold or other potential dangers. James hoped that his ability to ask himself such questions was proof that he was still okay.

Given the new concerns he now had, James decided that it was just as important to begin training his mind as it was to be training his body. He got dressed, and went outside again to do some more physical training. He thought about testing the power of his punches, but he needed a place to do it that wouldn't be noticeable. His thoughts turned to the woods; he could hit some trees to see how much damage he could inflict on them. Of course thinking of the woods immediately brought up the metal egg meteor. He really shouldn't leave that thing sitting out there, but he was still afraid to go back near it again. What if he got too close again and something else happened? What if he lost his powers? James didn't like admitting his fear to himself, but he knew that was all it was. Something could happen if he messed with the metal egg, but it needed to be done.

He ran to the woods at super speed, and stopped just inside the tree line. The fear was causing his stomach to churn, but he had to do it. James walked to the crater with deliberate slowness, praying that nothing bad would happen. He finally reached the crater, and there it was. It hadn't been moved or disturbed, as far as he could tell, since he'd last seen it. He wondered a bit at that. Didn't anyone else see it that day? Or was he the only one? Even if he was, eventually someone would find the crater site. It wasn't particularly big, but it was noticeable once you got deep enough into the wooded area where the crash had occurred. It was only a matter of time.

His hands were actually shaking as he reached towards the metal egg. His heart was beating so hard in his chest it seemed to be pounding like a drum. "It has to be done" he said to himself. James' finger tip finally touched the metal. It was cool to the touch, but aside from it being smooth as glass it seemed normal enough. He dragged his finger across the surface and across some of the burn marks. Nothing happened. James grasped the egg with both hands and lifted it. It seemed really light, but with his new strength he wasn't quite sure. The heart in his chest finally started to slow down and his shaking hand began to relax. He walked towards the edge of the woods, and still nothing happened. When he reached the tree line, he stopped. So far, so good. James breathed in deeply, and then began running towards home at his best speed.

When he reached home he took the metal egg to the most unused and remote corner of the back yard. James sat the metal egg down so he could get to work. He quickly dug a hole deep enough to hide it, using only his bare hands. After burying the egg, he covered the spot with dead leaves and twigs to hide that the earth had been disturbed. James then walked back into his house and to his room.

That little event had really worked on his nerves. James undressed except for his boxers and then went and got a towel from the hall closet. He then went to the bathroom and began pouring a hot bath for himself. Soaking in a hot tub always felt good to him, and he hoped it would help wash away the stress he was feeling. James did feel refreshed after soaking in the hot water. He was hungry again, too.

He decided to put some clothes on and then go make some breakfast. On her nights off his mother, April, did try to sleep at night a little, but it was difficult, and she needed to keep her sleep timing aligned with her work hours anyways. Usually his mother watched something on TV, read, or did some other thing for personal enjoyment. It was her time for herself, since James and Narissa were usually sleeping anyways. She couldn't help but notice that James had been up early on both of her days off. That was very unusual for him, so when she came into the kitchen she asked about it.

"I've been running early in the morning lately, because it is still cool outside then" he answered.

"Oh" she replied. "I guess that makes sense." She changed the subject to what classes he was going to try and take this year. James was still considering that, especially in light of his increased mental capacities.

It wasn't long before Narissa woke up and joined them. James made her breakfast, too, while she told them about her plans for school this year. Their mother was generally supportive of their goals, but she gave a pause when Narissa mentioned that she was considering joining the cheer leading team.

"I thought you didn't even like cheer leading, Narissa?" their mother asked.

"Well, I don't really, but I want to be able to go to James' football games, and it would be the best way to be able to do it" Narissa replied.

"Oh" April responded. She looked at James. "Well, if you promise to keep an eye out for her, I might consider it."

"Anyone who touches Narissa will have to get scraped off the pavement, mom" James said. "Nothing will happen to her if I have anything to say about it." Narissa rolled her eyes and snorted a laugh.

"I'm serious" replied April. "I worry for you, Narissa. You're a beautiful girl, and it worries me that someone will try to take advantage of you."

"Well, you heard James, mom" replied his sister. "Mr. Buff Stud Muffin promised to protect me!"

April smiled and shook her head. "My kids are growing up too fast" she said. "Before I know it, I'll be a retired grandma!"

His mother went to bed not long after because it was Tuesday and she had to work. Narissa, as usual, cleaned up the breakfast dishes and then left to visit with her friends. James left to go to the library for the day, leaving his mom with a nice quiet house. He read books on various subjects, and was again amazed at his increased understanding of the subject matter. He had always enjoyed books about theoretical physics and cosmology, but was now beginning to understand them on a level he hadn't before.

He had read several math books, and found that his brain was doing subconscious calculations for him. It was like he had a built in calculator, which was kind of handy but also a little scary, too. It was like there was this foreign part of his mind that he could feel, but didn't seem to actively interfere with his thought processes, unless he needed an answer to some academic problem. Then it was like someone just gently whispered the answers to his mind. He could look at a complex mathematical formula and the answer would just pop into his head, like a stray thought. Only if he mentally inquired into the actual math work did his mind present him with the steps to reach the answer. Otherwise he just got simple answers.

James enjoyed the physical aspects of his abilities far more than he did the mental ones. The mental abilities were useful too, of course, but he just couldn't shake the idea of something messing with his brain as being a bad idea. He supposed that as long as that foreign part of his brain stayed in its corner until bidden, then it would be okay. James just hoped it never decided to come out on its own, and stay out. It was early afternoon when he decided to head home. He decided to get a late lunch and then watch some more martial arts movies. Later that night he would jump across town and find a place to test his punching and kicking strength.

He'd made a bit of a mess in the wooded area across town. It was a good thing he kept the damage well away from the public roads. It would be hard to explain why there were trees cracked in half as though struck by lightning when no storms had been around. James had practiced physically hitting them as well as using his electrical ability to release lightning bolts at the trees. He practiced well into the night, and got home at about 4:30am. He'd had to move a few times, because the noise he was making had attracted attention. No one had ever gotten close enough to him to discover he'd been the cause, though.

This pattern of activity continued for the rest of the week. In the mornings before lunch, James would be at the library studying different academic topics. In the afternoon he'd go home and watch martial arts films and then imitate the moves in the living room. After dinner and catching up with his sister, he'd go out to different areas of the city and the surrounding area to practice his physical skills. All of it ended on Sunday morning. It was a family day, and tomorrow James and Narissa had the first day of school.

James was going into his Junior year of High School, while Narissa would be beginning her Freshman year at school. He had a lot of work to do in the next couple of years. His grade average needed work, and he had to establish himself as the varsity team MVP. He felt with his abilities he could do it, but still, it wasn't done yet. Narissa would likely be very popular. She was gorgeous after all. This really irritated him, and he was strongly considering getting himself a reputation as an over protective older brother on purpose. Maybe that would scare all the jerks away from his naive little sister. He sighed. Or they would come along anyways.

Thinking about that turned his thoughts to all the pretty girls at school. Maybe this year he'd have a chance of getting with some of the hotties at school. There were several hot girls he'd been watching for the last couple of years, but he figured he'd never have a prayer of getting with any of them. They were way out of his league. Or at least they used to be. James hoped this year really would be different on that front.

His dick was getting hard again! He'd managed to reduce the number of times he'd needed to masturbate each day. His dick was still getting the royal treatment everyday, several times a day, though. The amount of cum he released hadn't gone down either. It was little wonder he kept something to drink nearby when he was at home. He needed to stay hydrated, and he was eating large meals because he figured he was burning a lot of fuel with his daily activities. Every night before he went to bed James would look at some porn, or read some erotic stories, to help him work his cock. He still couldn't believe his new package, and he hoped he'd get to use it on some hot girl soon.

The bathroom was unoccupied so he went inside and closed the door. He pulled out the log he called a dick and used both hands to massage it. He worked himself to two good orgasms before he bothered to clean up the mess. James really wanted to try it with a hottie, as he could only imagine how good it would feel compared to doing it on his own. Even more, he wanted to slide his prick deep into a hot wet pussy and ... Well, what teenage guy didn't want that? Uh, well okay, maybe a few might not.

James was kind of excited about going to school the next day. He'd been testing his abilities and his control over them, and now he was curios to see what sort of new dynamics it would bring into his social life. Would he become popular? He doubted he would remain unnoticed, his physical changes from last year were just too apparent. He was a big guy now, and that was bound to attract attention. James was also a bit nervous about that, too. He'd never been central to a socially dynamic situation, outside his own family, at least. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to deal with all the attention he was sure to get. 'Play it by ear' he thought to himself.

April was up, and she was cooking the family breakfast. She liked to do that every now and then on her days off. James supposed it helped her feel more like she was doing her motherly duties. The smells of cooking food reached him in the living room where he'd been sitting and thinking. It was making him hungry. Shortly Narissa joined him and stretched out on the couch.