[ WP ] Due to an administration error , a perfectly normal kid is invited to a summer camp for children with super powers .

`` Zapp Sparrow?'' 
 
 `` Actually it's Zach...'' 
 
 `` Close enough'' 
 
 The scarred, grizzled man with the 5 o'clock shadow gestured for him to climb aboard the bus, the words `` Captain Blast's Summer Camp'' emblazoned on the side. Zach climbed aboard. So began his summer, and with it the end of the world. 
 
 Four other children were on the bus, a boy with spiked silver hair, a girl with an eyepatch, and a pair of identical twins with strange markings on their faces. He decided to sit next to the least intimidating one, the boy with silver hair. 
 
 `` So what's your power?'' The boy asked. 
 
 `` Power?'' Zach responded. 
 
 `` Yeah, I mean like this...'' 
 
 The silver-haired boy twisted his fingers around in a way that looked distinctly unnatural. The skin at the end of his index finger split, a needle of white bone sticking out of the loose skin, he points it at the side of the bus and a pale white laser shoots out of the bone. The metal where the beam hits quickly begins glowing white. 
 
 `` Oi! Knock it off back there! No powers on the bus!'' The bus driver calls toward the boy. 
 
 `` Sorry, Bill!'' The silver-haired kid twists his hand back into it's normal shape. 
 
 `` And sorry bud, looks like we'll have to wait until we get to camp before you can show off your power.'' 
 
 `` But I don't-'' 
 
 `` Nah, do n't spoil it! The magic's all gone once you explain you power!'' 
 
 The silver boy seemed adamant about Zach having some kind of power he definitively did not. Well, all this would probably be explained later... maybe... 
 
 The bus left the paved roads of the suburbs and ventured onto the rough dirt roads of the countryside. Zach examined the other kids while they rode. The silver-haired boy... Wait a minute. 
 
 `` Hey, what's your name?'' Zach asked. He was never great with names, but he managed to surprise himself going through an entire conversation with the other kid without even asking. 
 
 `` Oh, it's Steven. My friends call me Silver, for obvious reasons.'' He gestured to his hair. `` You?'' 
 
 `` Zachary, most people call me Zach... Not really a story behind that, it's just how it is...'' Zach scratched his head, looking awkardly around. Silver was wearing a black t-shirt with a white skull on the front. His pale skin was lightly sunburnt, and his eyes had the same eerie pale tone as the rest of his anatomy. 
 
 The girl with the eyepatch was different in almost every way. Her dark skin and smooth, inky black hair made a striking difference compared to Silver's pale white. Her remaining eye was crimson, and her gaze was aimed squarely out the window. Her arms looked powerful enough to tear Zach in half, and the air she gave off did n't inspire confidence that she would n't. 
 
 The twins were playing rock-paper-scissors with each other. Their faces were painted to resemble dragons, by the look of it. Zach could n't tell anything about them apart from the fact that they both had shaved heads and identical clothing resembling lizard scales. Their clothes were the same color too. 
 
 A few more minutes passed before the bus began pulling into the camp. It had a wooden sign over the entrance, bearing the same words as the side of the bus. A large man in a flannel shirt and denim pants was standing at the door when everyone got off the bus. A dozen or so other kids were standing behind him. 
 
 `` Howdy howdy, campers! I see we have a new face here to join us! Welcome, Zapp Sparrow!'' The man had a jovial tone, his voice booming. 
 
 `` Actually, my name is Zach Narrows,'' Zach spoke up. 
 
 `` What?'' The man's voice immediately flattened. He quickly picked himself up, however, and immediately floated over to the bus driver. 
 
 `` Bill... Where is the camper I asked you to pick up?'' He asked. 
 
 `` What d'ya mean? This is the camper.'' Bill idly examined his fingernails while the large man stood exasperated. 
 
 `` I asked you to get Zapp Sparrow, you know, the kid who shoots lightning from his hair?'' 
 
 `` Well when I got there, he was being investigated for causing a power outage, so now you get this kid instead.'' 
 
 `` Are you joking?'' 
 
 `` No, I'm hard of hearing, all those explosions right in my ear, you know.'' 
 
 The large man floated over to Zach and leaned toward him. 
 
 `` Do we need to call your parents and have them come get you?'' 
 
 `` My parents are n't... around anymore. I should call my aunt though...'' 
 
 Zach wondered whether his aunt even realized he was gone. It was n't a call he was eager to make, but he did n't want to chance her freaking out when she did. 
 
 `` If you write down her number we can give her a call, okay?'' 
 
 `` Okay.'' 
 
 The large man took a few deep breaths before finally turning back to the campers. 
 
 `` Anyway, I'm the magnificent Captain Blast! Scoutmaster extraordinaire and great hero of Steele City.'' 
 
 `` Who?'' 
 
 `` Shut up, Bill.'' Captain Blast's response was curt and immediate. It was obvious he'd seen the heckling from a mile away. It still roused a few chuckles from the other campers though. 
 
 `` Anyway, we have our old guard coming back after a semester of schooling!'' 
 
 `` They're in middle school, Paul. They do n't do semesters yet.'' 
 
 `` AND WE ARE PLEASED to welcome back our old friends Deadeye, The Dragons, and Steven. Whoops, I mean Zeus.'' 
 
 Blast made a point to drown out Bill's words, but the bus driver took his opportunity to speak when it came to him. 
 
 `` Paul, nobody else uses their hero names in camp, it's just you.'' 
 
 `` Dammit Bill, I'm trying to give off a good presentation for our new arrival and you're undermining me with every word!'' 
 
 `` Just giving him a taste of camp life, since Mary's late.'' 
 
 Paul rubbed the sides of his head before continuing. Zach noticed the man was floating an inch or two off the ground, and his clothes seemed to ruffle even when the wind was n't blowing. 
 
 `` Anyway, your bus driver is one of our amazing counselors: The Invincible Atlas! Our other counselor, Shine Maiden, is definitely not still napping because that would be very irresponsible.'' 
 
 `` I mean, we could wake her up.'' 
 
 `` You know what? Yes, let's.'' Bill had sounded sarcastic with his suggestion, but Paul's response was not. Bill raised his hand toward the scoutmaster, and Paul wound up to give him a high five. Everyone around Zach covered their ears. 
 
 The boom was deafening, like having lightning strike directly next to one's ear. Bill was thrown over 100 feet back, his feet dragging along the ground and digging ruts into the dirt. Zach went deaf for almost a minute, and was seeing spots for several seconds as a result. When his hearing came back, he heard a rather unpleasant message. 
 
 `` Uh oh, seems she's still sleeping, guess we'd better go again!'' 
 
 Paul's words were shouted more than spoken, but it was hard to tell whether he was speaking to Bill or simply projecting his voice. The effect was the same regardless. 
 
 `` JESUS CHRIST! I WAS JUST GETTING A SNACK YOU JACKASSES!'' 
 
 The woman who leapt out was also dressed in flannel and denim, and held an uncanny resemblance to Paul. She floated down in front of the crowd with grace, while Bill's similar leap thudded roughly on Paul's other side. 
 
 `` Dammit, I leave for five minutes to grab some lemonade from the canteen and you guys start blowing shit up.'' 
 
 `` Mary, language!'' 
 
 `` Shut up, Bill.'' 
 
 Yeah, Zach was fairly sure Mary and Paul were siblings. There was one other person she resembled, though it was a bit of a harder sell. 
 
 `` Hey mom!'' 
 
 Silver's voice rang out, and he wrapped his arms around the woman with childish abandon. She returned the hug, quietly speaking into his ear. It was too quiet for Zach to hear, but it did n't sound like anything meaningful. 
 
 `` Anyway, now that you've seen the group, why not introduce yourself m'boy?'' 
 
 Paul pulled the introduction back on track. Finally, Zach was going to address the camp. 
 
 `` I'm Zach...'' 
 
 `` And what's your hero name, Zach?'' 
 
 `` I, uh, do n't have one...'' 
 
 `` Ah, right, you're not actually a hero yet. But you're not a villain, so there's hope for you yet!'' 
 
 There was a palpable silence as nobody laughed at Paul's joke. Zach could swear he saw Mary shoot an angry look at him. 
 
 `` Okay, well we're still a camp even if we are a camp for super humans first, so welcome, Zach!'' 
 
 There was a small applause, before people started dispersing from the crowd. Zach could already tell, it was gon na be a long summer...
