Elementals, Ferals, Telepaths, Manipulators, Metamorphs, Illusionists. These are just a few types of Superhumans. This is the story of a Manipulator Superhuman.

His name is Kronos and he can control time. He can slow it down, speed it down, or stop it all together. The only thing is, he doesn’t know it yet.

He’s always been quick, fast, witty. People nicknamed him Kronos because it seemed like sometimes he could indeed control time. He knew he couldn’t and others knew, except a small few.

The Alliance, a group of Superhumans bent on keeping the world safe from all types of disaster. This boy knew of the Alliance and he knew what they did to keep the entire world safe, but he didn’t know he would be in it soon.

A young boy laid across his bed, mouthing words to the music blasting from his stereo. His room adorned with posters of punk rock bands. Coheed and Cambria, Goldfinger, Relient K, Reel Big Fish, Story of the Year.

Bands that he and his gaggle of friends listened to nonstop. He couldn’t stand any other type of music. Rap annoyed him, pop made him angry, techno gave him a headache, R&B made him want to scream.

All of his posters signed by the band members, some from concerts others from eBay. He stretched, placed his hands behind his head, and shut his eyes allowing the darkness to overcome him.

Suddenly, a crash pulled him from his slumber. The sound of his small dog barking, the clatter of someone stumbling into his house, the sound of a gun being cocked. He recognized it as a .9 mm.

His father is…was…a military weapon specialist and the boy was taught to recognize the sounds of different types of guns. The boy reached for his switchblade and pressed the button, letting the blade pop out like a flash of lightning.

His uncle, a former green beret, taught him how to knife-fight to defend his family. A mom and a sister at the age of 6. The boy cautiously walked into the hall and silenced his dog, a small dachshund.

Sure, she was annoying, but she was a good watchdog and well trained to boot. The boy had had her since he himself was 6, making her 10 years old and him 16. He walked down the stairs, careful to be sure the boards didn’t creak.

He heard a clatter in the kitchen and the sound of obnoxious belching. As he readied himself for an attack, a gun barrel rested on his temple and a gun cocked. He sighed, he should’ve known.

Both his father and his uncle told him to always expect the unexpected and this was unexpected. The idiot was smart enough to bring someone with him in case someone woke up and tried to take him down.

“So, kid. You gonna try it or not?” The thief smiled and snickered, “Thought not.” The boy looked up and smiled, seeing the idiot wasn’t smart enough to take the safety off. He gripped the handle of his knife and plunged it deep into the burglar’s knee, making him scream in pain.

Quickly, he pulled the blade out and ran for the kitchen. The other burglar was somewhat smarter than his partner and pulled his gun out of its holster and fired a shot at the charging teen. It all happened in slow motion. The bullet flew toward the boy’s head and there was no way to avoid it.

He stood, and exhaled waiting for the bullet to pierce his cranium through and through. He should’ve been smart enough to know something like this would happen, but he froze. Or rather the bullet did. It had stopped in mid-air.

He stood astonished as he looked at his enemy. The creep was just standing there, the smirk still latched on his face and his eyes burned with an evil flame. The flame and smoke still floated from the barrel.

The boy walked up to the bullet and grabbed it. He gripped it in his hand, still warm. He was amazed at this occurrence and was happy, too. Maybe this meant that the Alliance had come to save the day.

Of course, he didn’t know how they would’ve known to come to this exact place, at this exact moment. Also, he didn’t think they had a Time Manipulator on the team, or did they?