Powers

Once again, the inspiration for a story comes from somewhere unexpected.  I was experiencing the Kansas City Renaissance Festival with my wife and oldest son.  We watched some jousting, sampled a turkey leg, listened to some choirs, and flew through the air on a zip line.

One fun area was an arena in which competitors could battle anyone and everyone with soft foam swords for 15 minutes.  They also had a small field where you could fight a knight with a live blade after a brief yet detailed lesson in swordsmanship.

One vendor carried a range of mock-up weapons of different materials.  There were scimitars, bastard swords, great swords, hand axes, and hammers.  Plastic versions sat embedded in bales of hay.  Wooden samples were grouped in barrels.  All of this combined to spark a new story in my mind.

For most people, toy stores are filled with play things and items of childish joy.  For me, they are so much more.  Inside are tools, comrades, and, most importantly, weapons.  In my hands, anything intended for fun can become a real version of itself.  A plastic chainsaw becomes a roaring tool for felling trees.  A toy pistol turns into a full-fledged deadly firearm.

My personal favorite is foam swords.  I get a special feeling each time a lightweight handle shifts in my hand and becomes a leather wrapped grip.  The sword becomes heavier as the blade extends and shifts from a dull gray to the shine of steel.  I have to keep myself from giggling with glee as what was once a plaything is now a deadly weapon in my hand.

Now, don't misunderstand me.  It doesn't matter what the toy is made of, my touch has the ability to turn it into a real weapon.  A wooden sword becomes just as metallic as one made of plastic or foam.  Firearms are just as lethal whether originally plastic, aluminum, or even soap.  They will be loaded with a single magazine.

My ability does have its limits.  After the rounds are exhausted in a gun, it becomes a toy again, but broken and useless to anyone now.  Swords also have their limits.  After wielding one

All of this started when I was a toddler.  It only took my parents a short amount of time to figure out why my stuffed dogs kept disappearing and real puppies appeared in my room.  Back then, the transformations seemed to happen at random.  My parents learned to give me generic toys that didn't represent anything in reality.  Until I was 12 or so and learned how to control my ability.  Then things got real fun.

These days I have become particularly popular at the toy stores and imitation weapons vendors at the local Ren Fest.  Some of the sword guys actually make custom blades for me without knowing what I actually use them for.  Just that I buy lots of their products.

I have also become a degree of infamous in the back alleys at night.  I'm not fighting super villains in flashy battles up and down the streets.  I am stopping muggers and watching out for innocent people walking the streets.  I wonder what the toughs and macho jerks that I beat down would say if they knew they were getting knocked around by a toy.

What is a super power you wish you had?  Is it one that exists in the comics or a completely new one?What would you do with such a power?  Let everyone know in the comments.