Dark Earth: The Prophecy - 5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Goodbye Cristobel, Hello Simon

Andrew Barber came into the training room about two minutes later. He was a tall man, about 6’2 with baby blue eyes and dark brown hair. “You were lucky, kid. I’ve seen EAS agents shoot holes through people. This won’t take long. I’m Andrew Barber by the way.” His hands started glowing. I could feel a tingling sensation in my side as Andrew healed my wound. It only took about 10 seconds, and the wound was gone, leaving the burned shirt as the only remaining evidence.

“Thank you, Andrew,” I said.

“You’re welcome. What’s your name?”

“I’m Julian Petzolt.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about you. My brother, Dennis, has been talking about you nonstop today.” I blushed at the comment. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind. Maybe you and I can have some fun later if you’re still around. Unlike him, you won’t need your powers for me. I’m 100% gay.”

“Andrew, stop flirting,” Nikita ordered. “He still has another fight. I suggest you go to the gallery. We might need you again later.” The cage in the middle of the room had disappeared. The entire floor was transformed. I knew this battle would take a lot more maneuvering. “Your third and final test is an evoloid. For this test, you will have your powers. I prefer you not to use attraction though.”

“Why? Would it be too easy if I did?” She gave me an irritated look and said nothing. “I’m kidding, Nikita. You know I like to joke.”

“I’m trying to be serious. This rogue is going to be a nasty one. It took me five minutes to subdue him. Now, the rules are simple. Kill or be killed. He’s likely to break your neck if given the chance. I won’t tell you what his power is. All I can say is that the power will be yours if you win. Now, do you see the white circle?” I nodded. “Go the left side of the circle. Your opponent will arrive soon.”

I walked over to my side of the circle. I noticed the floor opening. I saw the top of a force field rise through the opened area. The force field soon revealed a young black woman with blue hair and yellow eyes. She looked to be about an inch taller than me. The 6’1 woman was built. She had obviously worked out regularly. The force field disappeared and she came at me with a vengeance. She punched at my head, barely missing. After dodging yet another punch, I gave her feet a good sweep and she fell over. She didn’t even have to take time to recover. She disappeared. I knew this wasn’t good. She was a teleporter. I turned around just in time to receive a hard kick to the gut. I doubled over and the Amazon kicked me in the jaw. I knew I had to depend on my powers. I flew into the air. This didn’t bother her at all. She teleported again. I concentrated on where she might re-appear. I knew she’d be behind me. I flipped through the air just in time and used telekinesis to bring her closer. I punched her in the gut with my super strength, sending her into the wall on the left side of the room.

Without thinking, I flew over to her. She knew I was coming and she teleported again just as I landed. She reappeared in the air behind me and kicked me into the wall. I turned around. I had had enough. I attacked her mind with a powerful attack, causing her to fall to her knees. I created a nightmare ball and launched it into her chest. She was unconscious and in a deep sleep. I thought for a moment how to kill her. I looked into her mind to see how she was coping with the nightmare. Though, I could not see the dream, I could sense her mental anguish. I used telekinesis to lift her sleeping body to its feet. I walked around her and placed my left forearm around her neck. I placed my right hand on her left cheek and gave it a hard pull until I heard the snap. With her spinal cord disconnected from her brainstem, the bitch was dead and the little white orb left her body. I grabbed the ball to receive my prize. I turned around and faced Nikita. I concentrated on teleporting behind her. A moment later, I felt my body become weightless. I popped in just behind Nikita and attempted to gently tap her shoulder. She turned and grabbed my hand.

“Did you really think you could sneak up on a vampire? Think again, Julian. I can smell your blood and feel your heartbeat.”

“I just wanted to test my new power. I really like it.”

“I knew you would. Adriana insisted upon a teleporter. That was her decision in case you’re wondering. I’m glad you approve. Tomorrow night you start your training with Natalia. Have you had any weapons training?”

“I have had a little. Uncle Max taught me how to use phasers and a staff.”

“Well, you have a lot to learn then. She will train you with a katana first. Before long you’ll be slicing and dicing EAS agents with precision. These katanas are quite special. They allow you to send your powers into them.”

“I love katanas,” Cristobel said. “I still haven’t used electricity in mine. It will be even better than an electro sword.”

“Am I supposed to teleport you back to Centropolis, Nikita?”

“Do you think you can handle it? All you have to do is concentrate on an area in our headquarters. All I have to do is hold onto you. I think you’re supposed to come back with Natalia and Simon though. Cristobel, you’re going with us. Grab an arm.”

“I don’t want to go back.”

“You have to go back. There’s a reason why you’re going to Centropolis and your brother is coming here. Julian, before we leave, you need to share the attraction power with Cristobel.”

Cristobel walked around so that he was facing me. “I’ll share the power with you the best way I know how. Nikita, grab onto me.” As Nikita placed her hand on my shoulder, I wrapped my arms around Cristobel’s shoulder and kissed him deeply sharing the attraction power with him.

“You’re not supposed to share powers like that,” Nikita snapped.

“Well, he is my boyfriend, Nikita. And I have to return without him.” I didn’t give her time to respond. I closed my eyes and concentrated on our conference room at home. I felt the weightlessness yet again. I opened my eyes and we were in the conference room. “Wow, I think I did quite well for my first attempt.”

“You most certainly did,” Adriana complimented. “You passed your tests. Congratulations.”

“Do I have to return immediately?”

“No, you can stay for a few minutes.”

“Okay, may I talk to Cristobel privately in here?”

“You can have sex with one of your new friends later, Julian.”

“That’s not why I need to talk to him, Adriana. I just want to spend some time with him.”

“Okay, we’ll leave you two alone,” Simon said. “Let’s go ladies.” After they left I gave Cristobel another hug.

“I’m going to miss you so much. I wish I could stay here for weapons training,” I cried. “We haven’t gotten enough alone time and now I have to leave again.”

“We’ll be fine, babe. They want you to take Simon with you so you can start your relationship with him.”

“I’ve barely even talked to him, Cristobel. It doesn’t feel right. He’s your half brother.”

“Well, Adriana is your cousin, and she raised me from birth. She’ll be my first woman. I guess this power has changed me already. I still don’t feel comfortable with it.”

“I can tell you from experience. Once you start using the attraction power, your mind eases and all you think about is ‘making love’ to the attracted. It’s not going to be difficult once you start. Now, she is not the only one you need to have sex with while I’m gone. You need to concentrate some of your time on Gabrielle. She’s going to be edgy without Simon around.”

“I wonder if something is going on between them.”

“I believe so,” I admitted. “I can sense who he has affinity for. He just snuck off with his assistant. I think Adriana has a relationship with one of my brothers as well.”

“How do you know all this?”

“These new powers help me sense these things. You will learn, Cristobel. I need you to remember one thing. Concentrate your power on your target. We don’t need the army recruits to erupt into an orgy just yet.”

“You think the powers are that strong?”

“Yes, they are. I could sense everyone in the retreat getting horny yesterday. Every time the four of us shared orgasms, everyone else in the retreat did. I don’t understand that part. I’m also going to use my power on Natalia as well. She and Nikita need to be prepared for what these powers do. I want you to attract Nikita tomorrow night. You need to be in bed with Adriana all night tonight.”

“You talk about this like it’s nothing major, Julian. You want me to have sex with most of the protectors while you’re gone.”

“Well, it has to be done, Cristobel. We’ve been given the orders directly from the council. They want us all to have a much stronger bond.”

“What have you decided about Cassidy and Max?”

“Some decisions are best made on your own. Personally, I don’t think I will sleep with Max. He’s the only father I’ve ever known.”

“Well, I have to sleep with Adriana and she’s like my mom. It’s only fair that you have to sleep with him some time.”

“Well, I’m going to see if I can come back after training tomorrow night. I can accomplish my mission with Simon tonight. I think the whole idea is for the two of them to be oblivious for now. I don’t see why it matters since they already seem to have an open relationship. I think most of the women here are already either lesbian or bisexual except Gabby. I sense an affair between Adriana and Calista as well. And Simon has been having fun with some of the recruits in the army.”

“What? You’re kidding, aren’t you? He never told me.”

“I think he likes it to be a secret, but he’s already bisexual. It must be the genes.” He playfully punched me in the arm for that comment.

“Well, I wish we had more time, but I have a job to do tonight,” I sighed. “He’s cute and all, but this just seems so weird to me. He’s supposed to be my puppet.”

“Try to think of him as a second boyfriend. That makes it easier.”

“He’s your brother, dude. What the fuck? You make it sound like no big deal.”

“It is a big deal, but we have our orders.”

“Yeah, I really need to find Natalia and Simon.” We opened the door. Natalia and Simon were already waiting for me.

“The council wants us there for a conference as soon as possible, Julian,” Simon stated. “We should teleport directly to the conference room.”

“Well, I think I can manage it,” I replied. “You two need to grab a shoulder.” Cristobel gave me a quick hug while Natalia and Simon walked over to me. “I’m going to miss you.”

“You’ll be back soon, babe.”

“It won’t be soon enough,” I replied. He hugged me tighter and kissed me on the cheek.

“You’ll be fine. Take care.”

Cristobel walked down the hall to meet towards the kitchen. “Let’s go,” Natalia said.

I concentrated on the door outside the council’s conference room. I didn’t even have to close my eyes. I saw darkness for a moment until we appeared at HQ just outside the council’s conference room. The retinal scanner did its work and the door opened. I walked into the room and took my regular seat in the room. “Let’s get down to business,” Oracle said before glancing towards her husband.

We turned towards Tempest before he began to speak. “Simon, you are here to discuss some of the rogue groups in Centropolis. Julian, since you are going to be third in command, you need to hear this too. Adriana, Cristobel, and Nikita will be looking for rogue safe houses on the west side of Centropolis and gathering data. They will be relaying the data here for analysis. Safe houses are extremely dangerous. We will be planning strikes at the safe houses. As you know, the rogues are like a mix between gangsters and mercenaries. Many of their attacks on the city are meant to draw out The Protectors so that the EAS can arrest you. While all of you seem to dispatch the agents easily, this tactic is a real nuisance. I want you two to analyze some of the data tomorrow. We will send the data over to your room at the retreat. This is a working vacation. You two are dismissed. Natalia please stay. We want to talk to you about Julian’s training sessions while he is here in White Knight City.”

Simon and I walked to the door and exited the conference room. “Do you have any idea why they want us to share a suite at the retreat?”

“Well, I guess they want us to analyze information tomorrow and it’s easier if we’re both there,” I lied. While the data analysis was part of the reason, I had other directives. “We might as well go over there. I could use a beer.”

“I could too,” he replied. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the suite. Moments later we were there. “Do you like your new power?”

“Which one? I’ve absorbed three since I’ve been here.”

“I’m talking about the teleportation power. Computer, we need two Budweisers.”

After the robot brought us our beers, I answered the question. “I like the teleportation power. Cristobel shared the nightmare ball power with me, and the council insisted that Lady Valentine share her power with me.”

“Yeah, Adriana told me about that. She said that you had to share that power with Cristobel as well. Did you share any other powers with him?”

“He has electrokinesis and telekinesis too now.”

“So why did they want you to have attraction powers?”

I sighed. I wasn’t exactly sure how to talk about it. “Well, as you may know, HQ is a sexual commune. They want Cristobel and me to turn our unit into a commune as well.”

“I don’t understand why,” he admitted. “I already…”

“Dude, I already know about Gabby and some of the recruits in army training.”

“Who told you?”

“Nobody told me. I can sense these connections now. I even know that you look at my ass when you think nobody is looking.”

“Wow, these are some kick ass powers you’re absorbing. And you do have a nice ass. I am kind of jealous of my brother on that one.” He blushed after his admission and I smiled. I used telekinesis to move our beers over to the desk. I didn’t say a word. I put my arms around him and pulled his body into my own. “Damn, I really want this, but I don’t think we should. What about Cristobel?”

“By now, he’s probably working on someone there,” I admitted. “I told him to do so.”

“Who is it?” he asked.

“That’s classified. He has directives from the council.”

“Well, I think you have directives as well,” he said. “Julian, we can pretend that we did.”

“Lady Valentine will know, Simon. I just wish I didn’t have to do this. I think I have to seduce Natalia as well.”

“I don’t know what they’re doing or why,” he snapped. “But I like you, Julian. I’ve wanted this for a while now. Adriana and I have an understanding. We both have our side dishes.”

“So I’m macaroni and cheese now?”

“No, you’re not. You’re special, Julian. I know you’re a little uncomfortable with this. We’ve barely spoken until now. I was kind of mad at you for the incident with Gabby.”

“Dude, I know she’s one of your lovers on the side, but she shouldn’t have burned my hand like that. I get angry quite easily. I’ll make it up to her. She’ll be eating out of my hand.”

“You’re definitely confident in your powers. Where will you make the time with all the attention you give Cristobel and me?”

“You let me worry about that. I actually like the challenge. And don’t tell your brother I said this, but you have a nice ass too.” I said nothing more. I kissed his luscious lips and moved my hands down to his delightful ass giving it a tight squeeze. He grabbed the back of my head. I could feel the heat building in his body. “Don’t burn me.”

“I won’t. I have plenty of practice controlling my powers, but I will keep you nice and warm.” We rekindled our passionate kissing. His tongue was warmer than most, but it felt wonderful. I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me. I used very little of my ability as he was already attracted to me but unable to act upon his passions. I moved my hands to his shirt, gently lifting it. He understood the signal, lifting his arms so I could help him out of the garment. I planted my head into his hairy chest, taking in his essence. I moved my head slightly so I could lick his left nipple. I could already taste his sweat mixing in with his body’s natural essences. I loved how he tasted. I gently tugged on his nipple and he grabbed a handful of my hair as he moaned with pleasure. He started pulling off my shirt soon after. He sucked my nipples. From time to time he would nibble them too.

I was so hard. I couldn’t take it anymore. I unfastened and unzipped his pants in the blink of an eye, pulling them down as far as I could get them. I focused my attention to his hardness through his boxers. I reached in, grabbed his hardness, and pulled it out. I gently teased the head with my tongue, soaking up his tasty pre-cum while stroking the length of the thick shaft. I opened my mouth, taking the head inside. I grabbed his ass to brace myself as I deep throated his tasty cock. He whimpered as I increased the vigor. Within five minutes, I could feel the pressure building inside him as the pleasure was more than he could handle. I released his throbbing manhood from my mouth and gripped it just below the head, preventing his early orgasm. “I won’t let you cum yet.” His breathing slowed down as my thwarting was successful. I stood up and kissed his pouty lips. I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. I wasted no time lowering them to the floor to discard them. He reached into my boxers and started stroking my cock as I stroked his. He moaned as I started kissing him again. This time, I slipped my tongue back into his hot mouth. Our tongues intertwined in an intense dance. I could feel the pressure building within me. I made him stop stroking me as I wanted something else. I walked him over to the bed, and instructed him to lie down.

He pulled me down to the bed and rolled over on top of me, restraining me by the wrists to gain dominance. “I love it when a man takes control.” He reached down to my ear and nibbled at it.

He whispered, “Do you want me?”

“God yes,” I whispered back. “I want to feel you inside me.”

“I’ve always wanted to hear you say that.” He opened a drawer in the nightstand and grabbed some lube. He lubed his fingers first and then my ass. He put two fingers inside me at first. I whimpered in pain and pleasure as his fingers went deeper inside. “You like that don’t you.” I simply nodded. He thrusted his fingers in and out of me several times before placing his tongue inside. I moaned with pleasure feeling his hot tongue and fingers inside me.

“God, that feels good,” I whimpered. He continued fingering and rimming me with expert precision. I knew I was ready for his throbbing manhood. He knew what I wanted. He pulled his fingers out of me and stood up. He put some more lube inside me and applied some lube to his cock. He pressed it against my ass ring and gently entered my sphincter. I whimpered in pain as he was even thicker than the others were.

“I’ll be gentle,” he said in a loving voice. “I know it hurts. I must be even bigger than Cristobel.” He was right. None of the guys I’d been with were small in that department. Simon’s cock was not as long as Dennis’s, but it was definitely thicker. He was about the same length as Cristobel. He slowly entered me. I relaxed as much as I could so that he could bottom out inside me. His strokes were gentle and slow. He was a much more experienced lover than the younger guys I was with the night before. He lowered his body onto mine and kissed me gently on the lips. I wrapped my arms around him and he continued his gentle rhythm inside me. I soon felt the pressure building within me. We both were close to orgasm as my power somehow synched orgasms. Spurt after spurt of Simon’s cum filled me inside as my load shot all over chests. We didn’t stop there. He never lost his hardness. He increased the rhythm and intensity this time around. Within minutes we both came again, still in a gentle embrace with our chests covered with even more of my semen. He let his manhood slowly slip out of me and collapsed beside me.

“That was…” I moaned.

“Incredible!” He finished my statement. “We should take a shower.”

After we showered, we decided to get dressed and decided to walk to the top of the building for a while. “I really like the view, Simon. I wonder what it would be like if we could see what the real world looks like. I have only seen it in a dream.”

“I haven’t even dreamed about it.”

“Well, maybe Cristobel can share one of my dreams with you.”

“He doesn’t usually do something like that. My brother sometimes helps Adriana remember dreams, because some of her dreams are significant.”

“Well, some of my dreams aren’t pleasant. I’ve had dreams about the Dark Knights turning the sky black. They also killed people. It was horrible. I could feel their hate and their anger, and now that I know Black Heart is my father I wonder if there’s a chance I’ll be just like him.” Tears filled my eyes, because I really was afraid of that. I had already ripped a man’s heart out, just like Black Heart. I thought about how this domed city was merely artificial. “How could anyone destroy a real beach like they did? All of the animals in the oceans died.”

“Well, they actually saved some of the animals, including some in the oceans, Julian. There’s another domed city like this for animals. I guess the Dark Knights wanted to preserve some of the animals.” Simon’s words were filled with sadness. He too wanted the world to be normal again.

“Well, if they hadn’t destroyed those animals’ habitats, they wouldn’t need a domed city for them, Simon. I don’t understand how anyone could hate humans so much. Humans aren’t so bad. I’ve actually dated some. Have you?”

“No, I haven’t but when I was a kid one of my best friends was a mortal human. His name was Tommy. He’s gone now though. He died about 5 years ago.”

“How old was he?”

“Tommy was 50 years old. A group of rogues killed him. He died just five days after I turned 51.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that. So he was about a year younger than you were. There’s a huge age difference between you and Adriana.”

“Try not to think of it that way. We age a lot slower than humans. The vampires don’t even age at all.”

“Well, I think 500 years is long enough. I don’t know if I would ever want to depend on draining others of blood to live forever. It sounds like more of a curse, especially for hybrids like we would be. I’m not sure why it’s illegal to become a hybrid.”

“Well, it makes them more powerful. Evoloids who are turned don’t have to feed as often, and they can survive UV rays, even from the real sunlight.”

“So a hybrid could lie on a beach all day and not die?”

“I don’t think so. Eventually sunlight will kill a hybrid, but it’s not an instant death sentence like it is for their human vampire counterparts. The other problem is that an evoloid’s powers are strengthened. You would be even more of a threat than you already are. Nikita and Natalia aren’t like most hybrids. Most hybrids join the rogues. They’re good trackers. In fact, the only other hybrid on our side is Carculius. Even the Elders of the vampires hate the hybrids.”

“I wonder why he joins everyone else for dinner. I notice all he does is drink blood. I try not to watch.”

“He actually mixes the blood with wine. Alcohol is all they drink besides blood and it’s usually mixed. He says he likes the aroma.”

“What’s his power?” I asked. “I haven’t seen him use an evoloid power at all.”

“His power is mind control,” Simon replied. “He doesn’t use it much.”

“I’m guessing he’s really good at mind control. Is he the one who is going to be sharing the power with me?”

“Yes, he will be. You may not know this, but you’ll be almost as powerful with mind control as he is.”

“I thought the vampire in him boosts the power.”

“Believe me. It does. Carculius shared the power with Black Heart before he became evil. Carculius regrets the decision more than any he has ever made. Black Heart shared hydrokinesis and telekinesis with Carculius in return, but Carculius managed not to use the powers for evil. Black Heart uses his powers only for evil.”

“Simon, that’s exactly right,” Carculius agreed.

“How long have you been here, sir?” Simon asked.

“I’ve been here long enough. I sniffed you out when I couldn’t find you in your suite. You can never escape a vampire nose for long. Julian, are you ready for me to share the power with you?”

“I think so, sir. Do you want a power in exchange?”

“I think teleportation and electrokinesis would be nice.”

“I can live with that.”

“We’re making this exchange faster than Tempest wanted, but Elena actually agreed with me. You need to be protected from mind control. I’m the most powerful. You’ll only receive about 95%. That will tie you for second with your father.”

“Does that mean you’re the only hybrid with mind control?”

“Oh, there’s another, but I am much more powerful. He controls one of the rogue safe houses in Centropolis. We wanted you to absorb mind control powers before meeting him. He’s a deadly assassin. Only you can take him on.”

“What if by chance he bites me?”

“You rip out his heart before he gets the chance. That’s the only way to kill one of us. You’ll have to wear him down with your powers first.”

“I need to practice using telekinesis like that.”

“That would be the safest bet. But don’t make it explode the way you did the last time. There’s a high chance that your body will absorb his blood, turning you into a vampire.”

“Well, no offense, but I’m not sure I want that.”

“We don’t want that either. Back when Black Heart wasn’t completely transfixed with evil, he considered the change. I had to stop him. An absorber becoming a vampire would probably not be able to resist the charm of evil. I’m one of the few who have resisted evil.”

“Yet, the humans born into darkness are on our side. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Actually, it makes plenty of sense, Julian. The Dark Knights are a threat to our kind. If they decided to kill the humans by destroying the domes, we would be without food. Evoloids would hunt us at that point just to survive. The rogues like to hunt us already, because they want to become hybrids. They want our blood. The White Knights protect vampires and in turn, we help fight the rogues and EAS agents. We also have a long-standing agreement not to hunt evoloid prey. There’s another reason for that though.”

“What is that?”

“The blood of an evoloid contains evolo. Evolo makes vampires resistant to sunlight for about a month. Plus, we absorb the powers for about 30 days as well. The Elders forbid it.”

“That means if you were a vampire, any evoloid prey would give you even more power than you already absorb. You would absorb the power with both mind and blood. The blood would only last for a month, but you would still take the power to a whole new level, destroying anything in your path. This is only hypothetical though.”

“Carculius, I don’t think he wants to become a vampire.”

“I know he doesn’t. If not for the fact that I only hunt clones, I couldn’t live with it.”

“Are they EAS clones?” I asked.

“Well, I have drained a few EAS clones, but we actually create our own clones here.”

“That’s nice. Are you ready for the power share, sir?”

“Of course I am,” he replied. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.” I placed my right hand on his forehead and closed my eyes. I could feel the power building within me. It was so powerful. Nothing had prepared me for how this new power made me feel. Not only could I sense the mind control, but increased mind attack powers as well. I opened my eyes and drew my hand back. “Let’s go to the training facility. I’ll try teleporting myself.”

“Simon, grab on,” I said. I closed my eyes again, viewing the training facility. “I love teleporting. Does teleporting have any limitations?”

“Well, I wouldn’t suggest teleporting to Dugamonia. Tempest tried that once. He ended up drifting into space. It’s not a good idea. Also, we sometimes block teleportation in and out of the city. In fact, we made sure to block teleportation tonight.” I didn’t even have to ask why. They didn’t want either of us to go back to Centropolis. “Let’s get down to business. “ Do you see those two rogues? You’re going to turn them against each other. One of them is an electrokinetic; the other is a telekinetic.”

“So I guess that means no new powers.”

“You don’t need to collect new powers all the time, Julian. You still need to absorb their powers. Your attacks will become more powerful every time. Now, I suggest you use mind control on the telekinetic. Computer, release them.”

The rogues wasted no time. They telekinetic levitated his body and came closer to me. I looked into his mind. I concentrated a wave of energy into his brain. “How may I serve you master?” At that time, I saw a lightning bolt coming at me. I quickly rolled out of the way.

“Telekid, use your powers to rip off both of his arms. That will be all.” My slave did exactly as I commanded. He stretched his arms in front of him with his palms open. The electrokinetics arms ripped completely off his body. His screams were so loud, my ears started to hurt. I flew closer to him but far enough to avoid the blood. I used my own telekinesis to rip off his head. The white orb left his body. I used my telekinesis to collect the orb and absorb its power. I could feel the electricity growing in my body. I decided to test my powers on my slave.

“Is there anything else I can do, master?”

“Close your eyes, Telekid.” He obeyed. I build a ball of lightning in my hand. I aimed the lightning ball directly at his head and released it. A moment later his head exploded with the force of the lightning. Once again, I used telekinesis to collect my prize. My body levitated, but I wasn’t using my normal flight ability. This was much different. Objects throughout the room lifted into the air. I closed my eyes and concentrated on regaining control of my power boost. It took about 15 seconds to bring everything back down to where it belonged. The power surge was over.

“I like your technique, Julian. I was hoping to see you rip out a heart with your mind.”

“Well, I’m really not supposed to use that tactic unless I have to. I hope you understand, sir.”

“Just remember that’s the only way to kill a hybrid.”

“Sir, there is another way,” Simon responded. “Fire will kill them.”

“He isn’t a pyrokinetic, Simon. You’re not authorized to share your powers with him. Julian, you still have a lot to learn about your new power. You’re still just a beginner. Be careful with these powers. You don’t want to use mind control on anyone who’s already on your side.”

“Sir, I won’t use mind control unless it’s absolutely necessary. I prefer fighting with my other powers. I have quite an arsenal.”

“Good, now I don’t have to tell you. You’re both dismissed. I’m getting hungry, so I suggest you leave now.” I touched Simon’s arm and teleported us back to our suite.

“I think I’m done collecting powers for a while,” I told Simon. “This is starting to overwhelm me a bit.”

“Just take your time adjusting to your new powers, Julian. Sometimes, you need to take some time to get used to them, especially the upgrades. We all go through those times. My powers started with a small earthquake. Soon after that, I shot fireballs all over the room, setting it on fire.”

“So your powers are actually earth manipulation?”

“That’s right. I absorb heat energy from the planet. I can cause earthquakes and create rock monsters that spray lava out of their mouths.”

“Wow, that’s awesome! I want to see that.”

“You’ll see soon enough, Julian. I can’t use my powers in here. The retreat would burn to the ground.”

“Can you control the rock monsters?”

“Of course, I can. I don’t use them very often. I prefer fireballs. Just so you know, Calista can make similar monsters out of water and ice. We’ve also considered letting you electrify some of her monsters for a powerful effect.”

“I like that idea. So tell me, is your father still around?”

Simon’s eyes widened. “No, he died a few years ago. He’s why I joined the EAS.”

“So, does that mean your parents got divorced?”

“Yes, they did. Mom even took back her maiden name, Ortiz. My last name is Castillo.”

“That explains a lot. I probably shouldn’t bring it up. I was just wondering. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“Why would I be mad at you, Julian? You seem to be worried about people getting mad at you. You’re fine.”

“Well, it’s just what I had to do. You probably think I’m evil or something.” He rolled his eyes.

“Why would I be mad? You were honest about it. All you did was tempt me to do what I already wanted to do. It’s not a big deal. I wouldn’t have though. If anyone should feel guilty, I should. Well, we might as well get ready for bed.” I simply nodded and fetched my pajamas. I took off my shirt and placed it in the laundry container for the robot. I soon added my pants as well. I looked over at Simon. He had obviously decided to sleep naked. I decided I would do the same. Simon pulled back the covers and we lay down in the bed. “That’s more like it. We can talk some more if you want.”

“What do you want to talk about?” I asked.

“I don’t know where to start,” he said. “This is weird for me.”

“You mean being here with me? I can go to the couch if you want.”

“No, I don’t want you to sleep on the couch. What I mean is that I… really like you, Julian.”

“Maybe I used more of my power than I thought. I’m sorry. I feel bad about all of this. I don’t know why they’re doing this. I… shouldn’t have to.”

“It’s not your new powers. Lady Valentine has used her powers on me. I know you had to use them a little, but not like she did. Adriana was ready to kill her. Alfonso had to stop her. With her, I wasn’t myself at all. Maybe you use a different approach.”

“Well, it depends on what effects I want. I could do exactly what she did, but I didn’t really like that approach. I tried to be subtle. I don’t fully understand the attraction power yet. It takes time to figure it all out.”

“Are you trying to influence me at all right now?”

“No, I’m not. If I were, you’d be doing whatever I want. In fact, I’m actually trying to make it go away for now just to see what happens. I’m not using the hate factor. That’s another way to completely break the power’s hold by instilling hate instead of love.”

“I don’t feel any hate for you whatsoever. I’m not like to a point where I’ll do anything you want. I appreciate you not treating me like that. I told you before. I think you’re special. I know some of the others think you’re strange, because of how you are in battle. You’re downright merciless. I actually admire that about you. The only problem I have is that you were forced to do this by the council. If anything, I’m the one who should apologize. I could have at least tried to stop it, but I didn’t.”

“They said they wanted me to ‘influence’ you, but I don’t understand why. Maybe there’s something they forgot to mention.”

“Ever since, Lady Valentine came into the picture, they’ve been on this kick about free love. It’s like reading a history book about the 1960’s hippie movement. They believe that communal love brings a group of people closer together. Adriana has argued their manifesto many times.”

“Then why does she have lovers on the side?”

“Well, she likes her women. That’s why. It doesn’t bother me at all. What she doesn’t like is that her parents think it should be one big free-for-all. She mainly sticks with Calista, but I’m guessing now she and Cristobel have done something by now.”

“How did you know?” I asked. “I didn’t tell you who he was supposed to work on tonight.”

“It’s obvious what they’re doing. They want you to be with me, so it only makes sense that they want him with Adriana.”

“You don’t seem to be mad at all?”

“Why should I get mad? I actually like being with you so she should have someone like that as well. It’s not like it changes anything in the long run.”

“It does if they develop feelings for each other,” I retorted. “That’s why this way of life can be so complicated. Most people aren’t disconnected enough emotionally.”

“You can’t have this kind of intimacy with someone without have feelings for them. Hell, I even have some feeling for Gabrielle. Then again, she pales in comparison to you. What’s strange is that mostly guys are just friends with some occasional benefits. I don’t see you in that way.”

“So you’re saying that you see me as more than a friend? You do realize I’m in a relationship with your brother, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do, but I can’t help it. It’s not just your powers either. Are you saying that you don’t feel the same way? Please, don’t say that.”

“I’m just confused right now. Is it even possible to love more than one person? I’ve always been told it’s not possible.”

“I think it’s possible for some people. It’s not a new concept. People have had multiple lovers for centuries. It was the Christian movement that made polyamorous love into something dirty and wrong.”

“You’re contradicting yourself. You were saying you don’t like the way Oracle and Tempest view human sexuality, but now you agree with them.”

“My main concern is for Adriana and of course, you. You seem a little uncomfortable with it. You think you’ve done something wrong, but you do like me. I know you do. Maybe it’s more than just like.” He was right. I knew I was really starting to care about him more and more. My feelings for Cristobel weren’t gone though. How could they be? This was the most confusing part of my life. The whole idea went against everything I was taught in my life. Aunt Cassidy always said that we’re all supposed to find “the one who completes you and makes you feel whole,” but this was not how life was at this moment in time.

“Well, it’s not just you and Cristobel either. Do you know Dennis Barber?”

“I’ve heard of him. You like him too?”

“Yeah, I do. I only met him yesterday, but he’s just really great. I’ve figured out that for any of this to work, I need him to keep me sane. He’s like a friend who I can talk to.”

“Well, you seem to be able to talk to me as well. Maybe, he should come over and spend some time with us. You and Cristobel get to pick personal assistants. My personal assistant is Gabrielle, and Adriana’s is Calista. They both go well beyond the call of duty. I get the feeling he already has as well. Am I right?”

“Yes, he has. When Lady Valentine shared her power with me, they wanted me to test it. We ended up having a foursome for most of the day.”

“So who was the other?”

“This cute blonde guy named Brian Fergusson. The four of us spent most of the afternoon and then most of the evening have hot sex. I was still sore this morning.” I blushed after admitting that. “I almost had Lady Valentine as well, but Oracle interrupted us. But I think if we’re still here tomorrow night, we can bring Natalia into the fold. We’re supposed to involve her.”

“Isn’t she a lesbian?”

“With attraction powers, it doesn’t matter. She’ll become bisexual, just as Brian and Dennis did. It’s the same way with me. I was totally gay before I absorbed this power. Now, I’m just plain sexual.”

“Well, I’ve always been bisexual. I kind of like this scenario. I think we should invite Natalia tomorrow night, but won’t Nikita rip us apart for this?”

“I seriously doubt it. I instructed Cristobel to sleep with her tonight so he had double duty.” I smirked.

“You’re bad, but in a very good way. I’m happy to have you with me. Now, let’s go to sleep. I’m your pillow tonight.” I lay my head on his chest and drifted into sleep.