I headed into the building. It was the day we all get the power that we would wait on. Of course there's a traffic jam today- all the other 18 year olds head in. I see some people had camped out, raring to go, but of course my parents wouldn't let me do it. By the time it was there, I had to end up at the end of the line, waiting for hours. Finally, when I got into the building, I waited to see it.

"We're sorry, every other power but one was taken already. We're out of literally everything else, it's take it or...well, actually because everyone's required one power, you can't even take it or leave it. Sit down and get the power."

I looked at them. "Well, maybe it won't be fine...let me see the computer.

I looked and was shocked.

"My power is...you're the worst?" The people nodded.

"Yep. Your power is that you're the worst. At everything. You will be the single worst person in existence at everything you do."

"The worst at everything?"

"Yep. No matter what metric we use, you will be the single worst at it."

"Okay. So I have everything against me. I can build on this."

"No...no you can't. If you have a visible weakness you can't build on, you might actually be able to work hard to make it a strength or at least use it to build some character. You don't even get that...well, even if you did, you'd just fail miserably at it. You'll have nothing wrong with you on paper, but you'll just be the worst at everything."

"So I'm going to end up a villain?"

"Well, no...or, not unless you already are a villain. You're just...the worst at everything."

"Though it really wouldn't matter if you DO become a villain or not, since if you tried to be a hero or a villain, you'll just be destined to fail miserably at it. The whole...you're the worst...thing again."

I smiled.

"Well, that's great. I can just use this bad luck and try to succeed, and then fail in a way I get what I want to happen! I can build on this..."

"No, no, it doesn't even work that way. If you try to do the opposite of what you want, you're still trying something, so it'll manage to fail in a way you still don't get what you want. Again, you're the worst at planning too."

"So, that's basically it? I have nothing to hope for? Just sit back and accept life sucks and just do nothing..."

"Oh, no. Your dreams going unfulfilled goes even further than that. They'll be unfulfilled so even on the smallest level it'll fail. If something happens that is good for you, then it's a complete and utter fluke that would happen- and better- for everyone else."

"Well, what the hell power is this then?"

"Don't you see? Because you're the worst person at everything, you'll serve as a beacon of light for the rest of the world."

"Life...it's tough. A power doesn't change that every life has some hardships in it. No matter what you can do or do not do in life, you'll always have something go wrong in life and you'll have problems."

"That's where you come in. No matter how bad someone else's life is, no matter what adversity or hardship comes into someone's life, they will always be able to look at you and say 'this is bad, but at least I'm not THAT guy'...and then they'll realize they've still got some good things in life, and that this too shall pass."

"So, you serve a purpose, no matter how bad it looks. Anyway, take your power and go. Live your life. And remember. As bad as life seems, it can't get any worse than it already is."

I left the room. As I left, I heard some whispers.

"You think he caught on we don't have any powers to give?"

"No one else has ever caught on..."

The ending had almost a Persona 5 feel, gonna change her heart and make her confess herself

I have been waiting for a long time for this very moment. Ever since I figured out how my powers work. I figured I just had that basic super strength type deal you know? Only cheese I've ever had was yellow American. One fateful trip to Olive Garden and I had laser vision and fire powers. I started studying cheeses and getting my hands on as many kinds as i could. Of course I had to test out my powers, and it's not like I ever actually hurt anyone. Just needed a bit of pocket money. There was one particular cheese that I wanted no matter what. It was pretty easy actually. A nice popular cheese from France. The powers I got seemed random at first, but I figured out how it works, I knew what power I was gonna get, It was finally in my hands, Morbier cheese. At last, it was time to Morb.

He was covered in strange shifting plates that the Alien, which he had come to know as Taleeb, had assured him was in vogue. He had twisted his lips but taken Taleeb at his word.

They were moving through a hall where Aliens of diverse shape, size, and movement of body were congregating. He couldn't help but notice that they stopped chittering or blubbering whenever he and Taleeb passed them.

"I don't see many humans here," he said.

"Oh, there aren't," Taleeb assured him, "It's a little weird to do that. Always makes an impression."

"What the hell is that?" grinded out a near Alien, flat and hard, almost flush with the floor.

"A human," Taleeb said impressively, "from Earth."

"Uh. Okay." the sheet-Alien said, sliding away.

"I"m sorry about that," Taleeb said.

"No problem," Adam said as Taleeb pulled him into the main dance hall.

For a moment Adam froze, amazed at the diversity of movement in the room. He wondered if the many-legged alien that passed was doing their version of the worm or if that was just how it traveled. He decided not to ask.

"This way," Taleeb said, pulling him urgently. He stumbled, catching himself.

"Look at THIS," Taleeb announced to a group of looming, eel-like aliens.

"Go away, Taleeb," one said.

"You all said I couldn't get a date," Taleeb insisted. It stood aside, presenting Adam. He waved.

The eels looked at him. They began to thrash. Sounds came out of them that he assumed was vicious laughter.

"Taleeb, that is the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. You didn't honestly go all the way to Earth for a date? What, did the other planets on the way send satellites out to reject you before you landed?"

"N-no," Taleeb stuttered. It seemed at a loss for words. Adam thought it had expected a different reaction.

"How typical. Let me guess, he picked you up on his seedspawner's dinky little spaceship and made you come here? Taleeb, you know that it's not impressive to abduct a date, right? Anyone can do that. Thanks for proving that the only way you could ever get a date is by making them. Hey, it's not like anything we didn't all know, right?"

Taleeb was silent.

"I asked Taleeb," Adam said.

"Excuse me?" said one of the eels, glaring down at him.

"I asked Taleeb to come. He was visiting Earth and I thought -- well, I thought -- " he glanced at Taleeb. "Taleeb looks like a lot of beautiful stuff on Earth which made me want to ask it out."

"Like what?" the eel demanded.

"Like...uh...bubble water."

"Which is what exactly?"

"A very rare resource. All of our most beautiful people wipe it all over their body before they go out," he said with as much confidence as he could summon. He mimed the motion of wiping bubble water on his body and then stopped, feeling foolish.

Taleeb and the Eels were silent.

"Whatever," said an Eel finally. "Good for Taleeb for being pretty by Earth standards. At least it's pretty somewhere."

The eels turned away with finality. Taleeb raced out of the room and Adam followed, running through one gelatinous alien on the way. He stumbled through the open doors, wiping it out of his eyes.

"Taleeb?" he called gently. Then he spotted him over in some kind of foliage. It was bright purple and rubbery. He hoped it wouldn't give him a rash as he climbed in.

"Did you mean it?" Taleeb asked quietly.

"What?" he asked.

"The bubble water thing."

He looked at Taleeb and sighed.

"I mean, yeah. Well, no," he said, and shot a hand out to stop Taleeb from running out of the bush. "People don't bathe themselves in it. Bubble water is pretty though. People blow it through little sticks and it makes little orbs that fly away."

"That's weird," Taleeb said.

That's rich, he thought, but stopped himself. Instead he said, "But, yes, your skin does have that quality, and I do think it's pretty."

Taleeb looked up at him and his heart skipped a beat, inexplicably. Without meaning to he leaned forward and kissed Taleeb on what he guessed was its mouth.

They broke apart.

"What was that?" Taleeb asked.

"A kiss," he said. "It's uh, something you do with someone you like."

"Oh. You like me?" Taleeb asked, wonder apparent in its voice.

"I do," he said to his own surprise.

Taleeb looked sheepish. "That's...sweet. I'm sorry, but, you're just not really my type."

"Oh," he said.

"Yeah."

They sat in the bush. He started to feel itchy on his neck where the leaves rubbed him.

"I think I'd like to go home now."

"Oh, yeah. I guess this dance is kind of lame. Maybe we could hang out sometime as friends, though," Taleeb said.

"Sure," he said. It still beat doing homework.

Incredulousness won over fear.

"Why wouldn't you go with someone from your own planet?" he demanded.

The alien, which was an iridescent shimmering mass of too many everything, seemed to look at him blankly. When it answered he noticed there was some kind of delay with its mouth moving and Adam hearing it. He thought maybe there was some kind of auto-translator involved.

"No one from my planet wants to go with me," it said sullenly.

"No one?"

"Yeah."

"I doubt that's true," Adam argued. "I'm sure you could have found someone rather than going to the trouble of coming all the way to Earth."

"It's way easier."

"How?"

"I can't show my face on my planet if they reject me. And you can't reject me!"

Adam deflated a little, both at the statement and the pure joy with which the alien had spoken.

He rubbed his neck.

"How long is this, exactly? This dance?"

"Oh, it's just a few -- hours, I think you call them?"

"Okay. When?"

"A few days from now."

Adam breathed long and hard through his nose. He'd be missing class and assignments, but nothing major. He admitted to himself that this sounded more fun anyway.

"Do you PROMISE to drop me off once it's done? The same place on Earth that you picked me up from?"

"I promise. It's just one dance. I will never bother you again. You might even have fun!"

"Okay," Adam said. It undulated happily.

He wasn't sure why the alien had cared at all about what Adam felt about the matter. As it had said, Adam couldn't say no, but it had seemed important that he want to go. Pity swelled inside him and he forced a smile.

Everyone was already giggling and laughing at me when I finally came out of the machine. They all had already chosen their powers and since I was the last one to receive mine, word quickly got around on what the last choice was.

"Hey Faron, CATCH THIS!" Shouted Hughie, the school bully.

As he spoke, snow began to emit from his hands which then took the form of a sphere, once the shape was complete, he chucked the snowball towards my head.

I felt the complete brunt of the cold and heavy impact of the snowball which made me fall down the ground with a big thud.

"That's it! everyone go back to your classes this instant, you have all received your abilities, thus Holden High School's Gifting Day is over!" Shouted the principal in a booming voice, not even caring to look at me.

Everyone slowly left as they made remarks and jokes on my absolutely lame power.

----2 days later----

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!?!?!"

I turned around with a big smirk on my face while, there he was, the school's own Ice king, Hughie, walking towards me with an extremely furious scowl.

"I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON FOR CALLING ME A SNOW BRAIN YOU PATHETIC PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!!!" He yelled as he began to materialize several large icicles in the air all pointed towards me.

Everyone in the school grounds looked at the scene in fear, some with pity and disdain, no one dared to stop him, not even the teachers who were passing by and only looked at the commotion with a deep sigh of sorrow.

"Take This!" Hughie said as he telekinetically launched the icicles straight towards me.

The icicles only managed to reach the half the target's distance when suddenly they instantly melted and fell onto the floor as a small puddle of water before completely vaporizing.

"W-w-what-t-t!" Hughie said with his mouth dropped wide open in utter awe as he saw me ignite into a ball of flames.

My large baggy military jeans and loose sweater were immediately incinerated as they revealed a small complex mechanical device strapped to my chest with tubes and motors stretching till my arms and legs, the machine glowed a dark orange colour as it released another wave of intense heat.

"Hey asshole, did you ever realize that with enough prep time, a genius could destroy a superpowered king like you, I even had to make a special heat resistant protein just to use this bad boy on you." I said while laughing.

Man, why do idiots think Hyper Intelligence is a weak power?

"Gosh it's bright"

Opening my eyes at first all I can make out is a bright light and a moving shadow. Adjusting to the room I can make out that the walls are metal, I'm on a table, but not surgical or... exam? Just a table that feels like it was rushed into 'bed' status for this occasion.

"Ah! You're awake. I'm so pleased!"

Sizing up the creature I notice that it's about 1.5m tall, seems to be thin built. However, moving around the room is a certain grace. They flow from spot to spot as though floating over the ground.

"I searched planet after planet for the perfect one! You're everything I had hoped for!"

"What exactly are you, where am I, and what do you MEAN I'm the "perfect one?!"

"Ah, yes, the orientation. I am obviously not from your planet, we are a race of beings that have been traveling the cosmos in search of the most pure expressions of art. Having explored many planets and cultures, the highest form of artistic expression we have found is dance. In a few cycles from now we will arrive at the universe's largest soiree. As one of the best dancers on your planet, I would like nothing more than your honor as my dance partner. With your wonderful emotional portrayals, it is certain the your planet will become a sought after destination of the arts. I realize this is a lot to take in, and I understand that you're afraid. Please know that I, no none of us will attempt to force you to do anything. The pursuit of dance is the most spiritual force to us. It has brought peace to billions of planets in millions of galaxies. Should you accept my invitation and perform with me, the opportunities for your people cannot possibly be calculated. The information and cultures of an entire universe would be opened up to your planet. The abilities of space travel, solar orbital spheres for energy, genetic advancements for medicine. The benefits could be countless."

After his rapid fire speech, that was obviously rehearsed I just stared back at him.

The entire world, and I'm the best dancer? My family has always found me to be uncoordinated at best, outright dangerous at worst. Music and me have literally never mixed...

"So, what exactly made you choose me? On my planet I wouldn't rate as a dancer, let alone the best."

"This is my favourite part! Yes, according to your own peoples, and cultures, you may not find yourself that coordinated, as you say. However, to us, the only importance of dance is the pure emotional expression. Your movements tell us of your joys, of your pains. You always show exactly the emotions running through your body while you move. It is intoxicating watching you."

"How long exactly were you watching me?"

In what seemed like shame, he shifted.

"I've been studying your planet for approximately 3,000 of your solar cycles. You personally have been on my monitor for a large portion of your life, and it has been intoxicating to watch you grow."

Well, that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but then again, what would have been okay?

"Alright, so you want me to go to a big party, with you, and dance. And if I do this, my entire planet will somehow be added to your galactic empire?"

"Exactly! So you'll do it?"

"I'm still not convinced I have a choice. You literally plucked me out of my home while I was sleeping, and I can't even be sure we're in space, let alone heading to the universe's biggest dance club. Beyond that, I have no reason to believe you have any ability to offer the things you claim. Sure you seem quite impressive to me right now, but how do I know of "trillions of planets" you have any sway with someone that could leap-frog my people thousands if not millions of years forward? So far as I can tell you're a weird creep that stares at a planet and takes people away, apparently to dance. If you are who you claim to be, why not just show up on the surface, explain the desires of your people and invite us to choose our representative? How do I know you're not looking for me to ruin the planet's reputation with my attempt? No, I think I will refuse your offer. If you are as noble as you say, I would prefer to be returned to my planet. If you are not, then none of this conversation mattered anyway."

"I see, you are certainly within your rights to refuse, I will not bother you again, but your planet will still be watched. I've waited this long to find a partner, I will wait for the next one to come around."

==

Again with the bright lights! As my eyes adjust I can make out a throng of beings, moving around in time to an incredibly weird beat. The melody of the music is unlike anything I've heard before. As I listen more to the music I feel myself starting to move.

==

It's been at least 3 days, the music never stops. The dancing never stops. We've all gotten to know one another over the days, as it turns out most of them have been here longer than they can recall. The dancing never ends, no one ever leaves, and no one ever dies.

PFFFT, poor guy

Okay, that was cheeky and I love it

danke bruder

Oh, those are all in the 1% that doesn't get destroyed.

The creature has some sort of device which will allow them to give you an artificial form with the same characteristics as theirs so that you can pass for one of its people. They also say that this will make it easier for you to meet other aliens at the party. You have no choice but to agree. The alien gives you some clothes and equipment. It tells you how to use the machine and what kind of shape you need to be in when you enter it. You put on your new outfit and go into the machine. A few minutes later, you come out in the alien's body. You are amazed by how well it fits! You look like yourself but taller and thinner than before. The hair color and texture is not quite right but you don't care about that. Your skin tone is much darker than before too. Now that you're ready, you take the device from your pocket and use it to change back to your human self. That feels strange--you haven't done that since you were a child. But now you fit perfectly into your old clothes again. "Is everything all right?" says the alien. "We really wanted to have you here tonight." "I'm fine," you reply. "How did you know I would be able to do this?" The alien smiles. "That's a secret between us. Now let's go!" He picks up his box and stands up. We need to get ready for the dance." "Where is it? What is it?" you ask, excitedly. The alien looks down at you. "It's across the galaxy... or so we've been told. Come along!" As you walk through the ship, you stare around in wonderment. Everything seems different than before; the colors are brighter, the lights are more intense. "Wow..." you breathe. "Yes, isn't it wonderful?" asks the alien. "You'll never see anything like it anywhere else in the universe." He takes you to a huge room with a circular platform in the middle. It was filled with hundreds of alien species from across the galaxy. There were creatures with wings, tentacles, claws, fur, scales, shells, fins, and webbed feet. Some looked very similar to humans and others seemed completely alien. Even though they all had the same basic body plan, each one was unique and beautiful in its own way. The alien leads you onto the platform and sits down on your left. Then he holds out his hand and introduces you to some of the other aliens. Many of them seem shy and nervous at first, but after several minutes, they become comfortable and begin to talk freely. One of them explains that in order to be freed you must win the dance competition. If you do, you will receive the key to an elevator that will lead down into the planet's core. Once you reach the center, you can activate the device that will release the prisoners. "Sounds easy enough," you reply. Another alien laughs. "No, it's not! Whoever wins gets a prize. In addition, the winner is given control over the entire planet and everyone who lives there. For a brief time, at least." "What if you lose?" you ask. "Then you stay imprisoned forever," answers another. A third alien shakes his head sadly. "If you win, you are expected to help the planet and its people for several years afterward. And you must do it willingly. The winner may not be forced to do anything against his or her will." "So if I lose, you think they might force me to do something?" you ask. "Not likely," replies the first alien. "But then, they could just kill you and use your body to control the planet. So it's possible. But if you're smart, you won't win."

Hi u/Janus-Moth, this submission has been removed.

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“Alex, please enter the selection room,” A woman says, sitting outside a room.

The time is finally here! I get to choose my power from the great list! Maybe i’ll get the power of fire, like my mother or the power of reading minds like my father. The possibilities are endless! I get up and enter the small cold room. In the center of the room there was a metal gray table with a piece of paper, and a quill. I hold my breath as I slowly grab the magical quill. As soon as I touched the quill, I could feel such immense power as golden dust surrounded me. I look at the paper ahead of me with a goofy smile as I could see golden text appearing on the paper. The process soon ended as the golden dust disappeared.

Wait…

This has to be a mistake. Why is there only one option on the paper… I was always taught that there would be thousands to choose. My parents always told me how they could have been shapeshifters or speedsters.

I close my eyes tightly, shaking my head a couple times. I pinched myself, making sure I wasn’t imagining the very few words on the magic paper.

‘Maybe the list is on the back,’ I thought to myself.

I grab the paper, flipping it to see if I missed anything. What kind of cruel joke was this?

I sighed and look at the one option presented to me. I circled the golden text with a quill, sealing my fate.

‘The power to create easy decisions,’ the text read.

I was completely silent.

He is always ramling. Random things that seem to trip and stumble over themselves. But he pays his half of the rent, and he's fun to be around.

And this... Was nothing abnormal.

"Ace. Who is 'we', and what the hell are you talking about?"

"No, no, go ahead, finish eating!"

I looked down at my bowl of cereal. A mound of whatever coated in sugar. A plastic spoon sat haphazardly on the lip.

I didn't even get to eat my first bite.

"Um, no. Explain what you mean by that."

"Uh, airborne pathogen... Grey goo, you know what that is? It's like that, except it isn't. It's nothing like that. It's more like a pseudo-replicant type thing, I don't know what it's called-"

"Ace slow down-"

"-consumes plastic and then recreates itself using plastic. Like mitosis. Not like mitosis! Nothing like it actually. More like-"

"ACE!"

He froze, head titled in confusion.

I exhaled.

"Simple terms buddy."

"Oh! Uhm, imagine bacteria!"

"Okay?"

"It's like that!"

I sighed again. All the weight and pain of the world behind it.

He's weird. Anyone can see that. But he's imaginative if nothing else.

"Let's start at the beginning... What is it called?"

"Thorid-7. Formally, 'Thesis-768-AngelKiller'."

"What does it do?"

I took a bite of my cereal.

"Uses plastics in the air and in materials to reproduce!"

"How does it do this?"

"Matter conversion mostly, using a modified-"

"Basic concept buddy."

"Right, right..."

"Why did you release it today?"

He looked around for a bit. Eyes darting from the couch to me, then to the cabinets, then his hand.

Then he looked at me. Eyes carrying such a heavy confusion.

"Um, to control the world?"

"How?"

"Uh..."

He began to look around again. He hoped that the ceiling or floor would answer for him. They didn't. His last hope was me, staring at me. He wanted me to answer for him.

"Come on bud, I know you got a plan."

"Well... Clothes...?"

"Clothing?"

"Most shirts are made with some form of plastic in it, I think..."

"So...?"

"Make plasticless shirts and stuff... Corner the market... Capitalism...?"

I shook my head gently. He hadn't even fully thought through the idea.

He probably just thought it was cool.

Not that I blame him.

"Ace, buddy."

He looked up at me.

"I like the idea. Use Captalism."

His eyes lit up at that. He began to squirm. Like you offered a kid candy.

"Go on then, finalize this plan of yours."

He sprinted off to his room. Snickering to himself.

Maybe I'm not the creative type, but writers are still fun to be around.

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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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“Don’t you see? The bacteria will fix everything! All the litter, the plastic in the oceans, even single-use straws, will be gone in a matter of days!”

“Can your bacteria be stopped? Can it be contained?

“Oh no, not anymore. It is too far gone. The bacteria will eat and eat until the world runs out of plastic, and then it will die off.”

“The bacteria will eat all the plastic?”

“All of it!”

“I can’t believe you would do something so, so, incredibly, unbelievably stupid!”

“How can you say that? I’m going to make the world better!”

“Have you ever seen someone who’s been intubated in order to breathe?

“What?”

“Have you ever seen someone breathing through a tube because they were hurt or in a coma or something?”

“Well, yeah. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“What do you think the tubes are made of?”

“What?”

“The tubes that goes down someone’s throat to help them breathe, what’s it made of?”

“It would be, um, I suppose, uh… oh no.”

“Yeah, and IV bags that hold medicine, and the tubes that carry that medicine into peoples’ bodies? What are they made of, genius?”

“Oh god.”

“That’s just the beginning. Most pipes and plumbing infrastructure in houses is plastic! Don’t even get me started on how much stuff is made plastic based polyester! Try most furniture sold in the last few decades and a lot of people’s clothes!”

“What have I done?”

“You’ve killed a lot of people! Society can adapt to not having plastic. Plastic wasn’t widely used in consumer products until the 50s. That being said, do you know what airplane windows are made of? Do you have any idea how much plastic is in most cars nowadays? Although, before you try to answer any of those questions, and come to the realization that you are responsible for an untold number of deaths, I just want to know one thing. WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST USE REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS AND RECYCLE LIKE THE REST OF US?”

Oh thank you! I have a really hard time thinking of compelling characters and settings myself, so I really needed a good story to build off of <3

POG part 2! lol

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Thank you for writing. It was a very enjoyable read.

Sorry it wasn't clear. The blood test before the superpower selection shows which powers they can potentially have and once a superpower has been picked then they are injected with a catalyst in order to develop that power in a stable way. The first time around the main character chose mental manipulation as her superpower which meant when she was tested again a year later there were no other possible powers as she had already received one catalyst and so her latent powers were unable to develop in any other way.