The Cloak Guard

The Awakening

For years, it had lain in wait. Traveling across the stars through the endless void of space, time holding no meaning at all. But now, it felt a stirring in the nothingness, a pull. It was being taken away, carried down to the planet below, freed from its prison at long last.

The time had come. The previous ones were gone but the new ones were out there, calling. And the energy would answer. It split into seven streams, soaring through the sky. For generations, it had been the source of power for the greatest warriors. Now these seven would take on that legacy and become the new Cloak Guard.

Travis Stroneman was at his desk, updating his blog when he noticed his room getting brighter. He frowned, looking up at his lamp but it wasn't changing. So what was happening? Was it coming from outside? He barely had time to turn around.

The ball of light shot through the window and hit him in his chest, sending a rush of energy through his entire body. Travis instantly scrambled up, feeling like his nerves were on fire like that time he'd gotten an electric shock, except more shock and less pain. And way more scary.

Then the next second, it was gone, the light fading and the energy dimming inside him.

"Oh...my...god," he muttered, shaking all over. "This...this...oh my god. What the hell just happened?" He started panic breathing and had to pace back and forth a little to calm down. What had just happened to him? What had that light done? What had that rush inside of him been?

His eyes settled on his shelf where his vast collection of comic books rested.

"OH MY GOD!" he almost yelled, the idea hitting him. "This...this is incredible. This could be my ori- no, stop Travis. This is just like when you were a kid. That spider did not give you powers, no matter how many times it bit you, and just because you were the only one able to open the cookie jar did not mean you were worthy. This is just a fluke."

But what if it's not? a voice inside seemed to ask. What if it's the real deal?

This could be his moment. Maybe the past ten seconds was him dreaming or a hallucination or some other rational explanation. But it could be something greater. Some superpower given to him.

This could be his origin story.

He clenched his fists and then shot them out, hoping that would trigger something. When that didn't work, he tried faster, throwing his arms out again and again until he looked like a crazy monkey.

"Come on, you. Have. To. Work!" he pleaded with all his heart when he felt another rush of energy and a burst of electricity shot out of his fingers, striking the wall and scorching them. Travis stared in shock for only a second. "Ohhhhhhhhhhh...YES!"

Franklin Carson moved to close his bedroom window when he saw something. It looked like...a shooting star? But it wasn't shooting across the sky. It looked more like it was shooting...right for him!

"Crap!" Franklin scrambled back as the ball of light shot straight into his chest.

Wild energy rushed over him, a green light completely enveloping his body that filled him with strength like he had never known before, to the point where he felt like he could lift his whole house.

And then the light died down and he was back in his bedroom. For a split second, he thought he was wearing some sort of green silken robes but the next instant they were gone.

"What just happened?" he muttered aloud. "Am I dreaming? Is this a dream?" He pinched himself to be sure, but felt nothing. He tried again but couldn't get a good grip. His skin somehow felt tougher than before. And even when he did, he couldn't pinch very far. "Ok I have to be dreaming," he said. But...everything felt real. He could feel the air around him, could smell the apple core on his desk, and his bed felt real enough when he touched it. So he had to be awake...right?