Carl sprinted towards Katy, but realized he wasn't going to make it in time. He stretched out his hand, closed his eyes, and prepared for the worst. But to his surprise, Katy's fall slowed, and she came to a gentle stop in mid-air.
Katy's eyes widened in confusion. "Carl, what's going on?"
Carl stopped in his tracks, opened his eyes, and stared at Katy in shock. "Am I doing that?" he asked, looking at his arm in awe.
Katy floated slowly towards the ground, and Carl released his arm, allowing her to drop the remaining distance. She landed with a thud.
"Oh, that hurt," Katy complained, rubbing her backside.
Carl rushed to her side. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"
Katy stood up, brushing herself off. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Carl thought to himself, "Wow, how did I do that?" He focused his attention on some nearby crates, and to his amazement, they began to float in the air.
Katy's eyes lit up. "I knew it. It's almost impossible to go through that whole thing at the lab and survive without any side effects. If I remember correctly, you said something about a magnet, right?"
Carl nodded, still trying to wrap his head around his newfound powers. "Yeah, so what?"
Katy began searching the ground and picked up a coin. "Okay, Carl, try concentrating on the coin."
Carl raised his arm, focusing his attention on the coin. But instead of the coin moving, three metal poles behind Katy began to vibrate and move towards Carl.
Katy turned to see the poles coming towards them. "Carl, watch out!"
Carl yelled, releasing his arm and dodging out of the way. The poles dropped to the ground, mere inches from Carl's feet.
Katy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That confirms it – you have magnetic powers too."
Carl grinned, feeling a sense of wonder. "That's cool."
Katy's expression turned serious. "You do know that we need to get home before he comes back again, right?"
Carl nodded. "Yeah, but how do you propose I do that? There are no cars running tonight, and walking is very risky."
Katy thought for a moment before responding. "Well, it might be a long shot, but why don't we try using your powers? It would get you home quickly, but the problem is finding a metallic substance."
Carl thought for a moment before a plan formed in his mind. "I think I can manage that. Let's go."
They ran outside, and Carl concentrated on using his gravity manipulation powers. Slowly but surely, they began to float above the city.
Katy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "This is amazing!"
As they floated above the city, Katy explained the principles of magnetism to Carl. "You see, in magnetism, the larger magnet has a stronger magnetic field than the smaller one..."
Carl's eyes glazed over as he struggled to maintain his concentration. "I'm losing focus," he complained.
Carl quickly grabbed hold of her. "Hold on tight, Katy!"
Carl spotted a huge billboard in the distance and focused his attention on it. Suddenly, they began moving towards the billboard at high speed.
Katy's eyes widened in alarm. "Carl, slow down or else we're going to run into it!"
Carl quickly adjusted his powers, and they came to a gentle stop beside the billboard.
As they caught their breath, Katy turned to Carl. "You know, I think your powers sap your energy. You should rest for a while before you go."
Carl nodded, feeling a bit dizzy. "I'll rest when I get home."
Katy smiled. "Okay, then. Bye, Carl."
Carl watched as Katy walked away before using his powers to attract himself to a nearby metal statue. From there, he made his way home, where he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted.
The next day, Katy found Carl studying in the library. "Carl, you're studying today?" she asked, surprised. "What's the occasion?"
Carl looked up, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Ha ha ha, very funny, Katy. Laugh all you want."
Katy smiled. "Don't get so mad about it, I was just teasing. What are you studying?"
Carl's expression turned serious. "I'm studying magnetism and gravitational forces to learn more about my powers."
Katy's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh, no wonder the physics. Carl, you've got to be ready. That guy can decide to do anything at any time from now."
Carl nodded. "I know. That's why I need to learn how to control my powers. But I also need to figure out how to protect myself. I need a suit."
Katy's eyes lit up. "Well, I can help with that. It's time you found out.