Porter, the Power Stealer

It’s always some multiverse bullshit.

Jonah wasn’t prepared to deal with this level of action today. In his universe Superpowers were a relatively new thing and most so-called meta-humans were monopolized by various government institutions. Just a couple months before, Jonah was a petty criminal known as “Dead-Ringer” not the best name in the business, but you had to have one or else employers wouldn’t take you seriously. Jonah didn’t want to be a criminal but capitalism doesn’t give guys like him a break once it gets its claws in you. He tried his best to follow certain rules: no stealing from people who didn’t deserve it and no killing. Well, that was before he was swept up by a police super and given a choice by the DA: serve his nation, planet, and universe in an upcoming ‘crisis’ or spend the rest of his days behind bars. He took the first option but now greatly regretted it.

Jonah was now facing down certain on some alien planet across the multiverse. He didn’t even know what a multiverse was until recently and now he was fighting on the other side of it.

Jonah’s power was a relatively simple one. He could ‘borrow’ powers from others, and ‘powers’ had quite a stretched definition. Usually, his version of the powers was worse or didn’t fit well with him. His power stealing was only temporary with one exception: he could permanently steal the powers of somebody who is in the process of dying. Nobody to give them back too Jonah guessed. Jonah’s current limit is two permanent and one temporary at any given time.

But none of his collected powers helped Jonah because for whatever reason as soon as he was dropped into the fighting he was hit by a green wave of, something, and now his powers were wiped clean. He tried to help his squad as best as he could, but it was suicide. He wasn’t getting home alive, and even if he did live what did he have waiting for him at home? A cold cell? A reduced sentence? Piles of debt and no college degree.

Something inside Jonah snapped when he saw a guy with bird wings get blown out of the sky. Jonah thought that he was dead for sure. He wasn’t even really sure about his objective on this planet, he was just following the stronger guys and trying to survive.

Finding a perfectly comfortable trench to hide in Jonah was briefly safe from the explosions, fire, ice, and other weird shit happening around him. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a man in a full blue-green body suit fly out of a tear in space and directly into a tree. The impact looked bad, real bad. Jonah’s sense of responsibility overtook him and rushed to the slumped body.

“That’s a lot of blood.” Jonah said out loud without realizing.

It was impossible to tell how much blood the unknown man was losing since most of it looked like a discolored blob spreading across the man’s costume. Jonah took off his mask so that he could see his face and help him. Underneath the blue mask was a very young man who couldn’t have been older than 18. He had tanned skin and long wavy brown hair. Jonah peaked into his eyes and recognized a fading life.

Unfortunately, due to his powers Jonah had seen many men die. But never this young. He wanted to help him as best he could.

The dying hero reached his hand out past Jonah. It looked like he was trying to create another tear in space, like a personal portal, but it wasn’t working, he was too weak.

“Hey man, save your strength.” Jonah started. Jonah noticed the boy start to close his eyes. “Stay with me man. Talk to me what’s your name?”

“Sideways” he responded weakly.

“Your real name, you can trust me.”

“Derek. Derek James.”

“Ok Derek. I’m Jonah, I’m here to help you. I can save you.” Jonah lied to himself and the boy.

Sideways used the last of his strength to lean forward. He gripped Jonah hand and said in a small, pained voice “Tell my dad, that. That I’m sorry.”

“Of course.”

Sideways then lay back onto the tree and let out a long low exhale as if his whole being was leaving with the breath.

During his last breath Jonah stole Sideways power from him. It didn’t feel good, but he had to do it. Otherwise, the powers would be gone, accomplishing nothing. Jonah instantly felt stronger. There must have been some strength, agility, and stamina alongside the portal powers.

Jonah tried to produce some portals so that he could get out of there right then, but he couldn't quite get the hang of it. If he had time to practice, he knew he could figure out the rules but now was not the best time with the end of the world and what he thought were demons crawling around.

Jonah looked down at one of his hands. Inside, where sideways had just gripped it, was a silver and gold medallion with a J & L. He wasn’t sure what it meant but he held on to it.

Then there was a great blaring of horns, an explosion, and a changing of the air. Things felt dangerous. Even fiber of his body told Jonah to run, but to where?

Flying through the tree line came a hawk-like woman, similar to the guy who got shot out of the sky earlier.

“You there! It’s time to regroup at extraction point alpha. Wait, are you with the Justice League?”

Jonah looked down at the medallion in his hands. Now was his chance!

“Yes, I am. I’m new.”

“Well get moving. By the gods is that Sideways.” The hawk woman said, pointing her mace at Derek’s body. “Is he de-”

“Dead? Yes.” Jonah said clearly.

“Then he died a warrior’s . Can you move by yourself?”

“Yes ma’am.”

The hawk woman told Jonah where the extraction point was and quickly flew away. Jonah felt guilty leaving Derek’s body behind so he used his new strength and took it with him, trudging through the alien wilderness and following the sounds of gathered heroes. Even with a body slung over his shoulders Jonah managed to slip into the colorful crowd of heroes undetected. Apparently, they had won the battle, and the multiverse was saved, or changed, he couldn’t really tell from eavesdropping. What was important to them, and now to him, was that they were all going home. Some doctor or whatever took Derek’s body from Jonah and placed it with the bodies of other martyred heroes.

Jonah stepped into the loudest portal he had even seen, something called a boom tube, and entered his new life. One of a hero with benefits.