The Millennial

Koffee Klatch

He was underwater, but he could breathe. And see out into the world, or rather ... a room he was trapped in. A face with green skin and pointy ears leaned over in front of his field of vision and looked in on him.

"We are going to make you into something special, little beast. A weapon."

The long nail on the big goober's finger looked more like a claw as it reached out, close to his face, rapping on the glass. The noise became louder and louder.

Tap, tap, tap.

Max woke up with a start on the futon bed in his apartment. Or rather, floating above it. He looked out the window and saw a crow outside his place, knocking its beak against the glass. It was trying to get at a soda can he'd left on the ledge.

Crap, he'd had a weird dream about those frickin' aliens ... the S'haktari. And that stupid bird was wigging him out even more. But, he looked at the clock and realized he was already late for work. And it was the morning shift, which was super-busy. He was going to piss off his super-hot manager, who he had a secret crush on. Rebecca was going to hate him even more than she already did.

Max powered down and put his feet on the floor. He went to the window and rapped on the glass, trying to scare away the bird that was wigging him out worse than that freaky dream. What the hell was a crow doing this high up, anyway? He put his face up to it.

"Get out of here, or I'm going to fry you with my heat vision."

When it didn't move, Max opened the window. He blew a gentle gust its way, which was a lot, coming from him. It sent the bird flying in a small burst of loose feathers, and it flapped off in a panic. Ha, that got the fucker's attention.

He started to walk toward the bathroom, but stopped in his tracks.

Wait a minute, how the frick did he know that the aliens were called the S'haktari? It didn't matter, he didn't have time for stupid shit like that. He didn't even have time to bathe. Max just went to the bathroom and put on some Speed Stick. Luckily, it managed to cover up his super-stank. He didn't even change out of his T-shirt and jeans, and just shoved his hooves into the sick pair of Air Jordans he'd just bought with his streamer loot, which was supposed to go to rent, and ran out the door.

He thought about flying. Or running at super-speed. But it was bright daylight outside. The norms might see him and freak. He could form a portal and slip into the stock room of the coffeehouse, but his co-workers might see it and wig out just as bad. So he ran downstairs, checking his phone for an UberCycle or a Bird Scooter or MetroMile bike, to get him there fast. But ... crap, there were none. How the hell was that even possible? Those things were all over the city. And he didn't have time to call for a Lyft.

Screw it. Max had to walk it. Luckily, the coffeehouse was only a few blocks away, and he could walk, really, really fast. Almost as fast as most people could run.

He took off down the sidewalk, for once moving with what seemed like a purpose. Max bumped into a dopey businessman who strolled along with another chick in a business suit at his side, and the man yelped in pain.

"Ow! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, I'm running late."

They eyed the young man as he disappeared into the crowd at an alarming pace. But, Max could still hear them whispering between themselves.

"Did you see that?"

"He must be some kind of speed-walker."

After a few minutes, he finally got to where he was going. Max walked into Koffee Klatch and checked his phone. Great, only 20 minutes late which was ... exactly how late he had been every day since he had started, three weeks ago. Which was terrible. Again, what good were stupid super-powers if he couldn't use them for anything useful?