Mentally - 16. The Boy Who Lived

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet my nephew.” Dr. Anna Festus motioned the kid to come near. Damian obliged happily, and there was this joyful spark in his eyes like a lost kid finding his mother again. And it was somehow painful to see those gray eyes again. “Cute, isn’t he?”

“Don’t be like that, Aunt Anna!” Damian moved forward a slight blush appeared on his face. The way he trotted towards us felt like slow motion before him. Three years of looking for him, and this was the conclusion. “I’m nothing but cute! And I’m not really your nephew. You just like to say that.”

“No, dear. You’re as cute as a button. And I know you’ll be just as cute when you grow up.” The woman smiled warmly. I hated it because the affection painted on her face was so genuine and pure. It was a complete mystery how their relationship had gotten so soft and squishy. “I’d like you to meet my friends, Kieran and Aiden.”

“You know I hate it when you put me in the spotlight!” The little boy pouted, ignoring our presence completely. It would seem he hated it, but he actually enjoyed the attention. He was exactly like that. That moment was wholesome and cruel at the same time. “I’m just here because I wanted to get drunk at the chocolate fountain so bad!”

Then his eyes met mine.

My world stopped.

All my hope was placed at that very moment. That he would recognize me. That he would remember my last moment with him. That we had a very meaningful friendship years ago. And that he still feels that confession he made before he left.

“Hey there! Nice to meet you!” He smiled warmly. Damian was utterly oblivious. There was no hint in his eyes that he knew me. My hope shattered. And I could almost hear the pieces of my heart falling to the floor. “I really didn’t want to be formal, but Aunt Anna can be such a tough bitch.”

“Excuse me, little man. I’m right here!” Dr. Anna Festus complained.

My throat got so dry and brittle. I could barely make a sound. I had the brainpower of a hundred men, yet I could not find the right words at that moment. It didn’t help that there was a smirk on Anna Festus’ face. She knew well how I would respond as Damian politely extended his hand for a shake.

Instead, Aiden caught it after a second of hang time because I was too stunned to make a move. My head spun around, and it felt like I was going to fall off. Damian just tilted his head and gave me a concerned look. He was just as pure as the last time I saw him. He is the kind of person who always concerns himself with others even if it has nothing to do with him. That kind of person was rare in our society.

“Hey, nice to meet you too, little kiddo.” Aiden started with a greet. His voice was firm and careful. I knew he was observing the little boy. We both knew that something was not right. He’d believe me more than the other, for sure. “Isn’t it weird to find kids like us in this kind of gathering?”

“Yeah. I could have stayed at home!” Damian replied with a smile. His gray eyes were bright and sparkled the same way we were at school. It was peculiar because of all the nostalgic feelings thrown at me. “Maybe I could ask my dad if I could bring you home, and let’s just play games. Let the adults be adults.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Damian.” Anna Festus interrupted. It was kind of expected, though. At the back of my head, I wondered what cards were she holding. For sure, she knows much more.

“Come on! I’m sure dad wouldn’t mind.” Damian retorted. He was the kind of kid who was spoiled to somehow extend because he was the son of a powerful man. “I’m sure I could convince him if I need to!”

“He doesn’t really know these people.” Anna argued back. But her eyes were saying the opposite thing. She probably hoped to lure me in with Damian. It was going to be irresistible for me. And it was the perfect catch. “Plus, I would love to catch up with them, too. There’s not really much of a conversation if you three are just playing games.””

“You’re such a killjoy, Aunt Anna.” Damian grumbled. He even stressed the ‘aunt’ title with sarcasm. “Fine. What can we do here?”

“There’s an open sky garden above. We can all relax there.” Anna suggested thoughtfully. Even the tone of her voice was frighteningly confusing. I just couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. “And maybe you boys can get away from all the adults talking.”

As they converse, I tried to sense if there was an Eraser nearby. But the moment I summoned my psychic energy, Damian looked at me suspiciously. It was as if he could feel it. He was not a Mental, so he shouldn’t have the faintest idea of what I was trying to do. The boy just scanned me from head to toe like he was sizing me up.

“That sounds good.” Damian chirped. The suggestion already sounded like a perfect plan for him. Like any other kid, he just probably wanted not to be near any of the adults. I tried to summon a bit of my powers again, but his eyes were fixed on me at that moment. And it was working as the perfect distraction not to push Anna further. “Are you coming along?”

“Of course, dear.” Anna replied. Then her phone rang with an annoying tone. When she picked it up, the softness in her eyes vanished. There was no vocal response from her to whoever called. But her cold personality shifted again to a happy one as if nothing had happened. “Please do make yourselves comfortable little ones. I’ll catch up.”

The woman turned around as if there was an emergency business meeting she needed to tend to immediately. It made me wonder what it was. I wanted to know. For sure, that woman had more of the answers I needed.

My desire to just simply grab her with my psychic energy was being held back by Damian’s presence. He didn’t know I was a Mental. And I remembered the reason why I never told him in the first place — he hated them so much. Because his mother was killed in an incident involving a terrorist attack by Mentals.

I just had to let Dr. Anna Festus go at that moment.

“I guess she really had to go.” Damian commented. Then turned around playfully like a toy soldier. It was then I noticed that he didn’t seem too scrawny like before. When we were kids, he played basketball with me every once in a while. But he was still thinking like a twig-like you could break him easily. Not this time. I just couldn’t see it properly under his suit. “Come on, guys. Follow me!”

Aiden just motioned his head and agreed silently to follow.

The three of us walked through the hallway. There was an eerie silence among the three of us. Damian led us away from the adults and strutted deeper into the giant complex. The flooring was made of premium material, so I assumed that the companies leased in the building were no joke. There were also a lot of security cameras along the way.

A few times, I saw some guards that gawked at us. But when Damian gave them a wave of a hand, they resumed their patrols. They even had combat dogs, and I could effortlessly notice the firearms under the coats. Those men walk almost similar to the members of Delta Team Six. Yet the team was confident that they would not be noticed as long as we found our target.

I wanted to send a message to Mr. Horikoshi that we found our target. However, it would be too obvious if I took out my phone and sent a text message. Leaving a construct also sounded logical. But for some reason, Damian would notice whenever I would try to use my psychic abilities. I knew something was up.

He did not grow up meant that he was experimented on. It just made me angrier when I realized that. Damian was an innocent kid, and he was turned into a science project. But if that’s the case, I could not ignore the idea that he could have superhuman abilities like us.

“How could she trust you with strangers, though?” Aiden asked out of the blue to break the ice. His voice was cold and sullen. Damian was quiet, though. “What if we’re Mentals, and we’re here to abduct you?”

My heart stopped when he said that. I didn’t know if he was actually joking or being playful with Damian. The boy didn’t even flinch at what was said to him.

“I think I could defend myself from you!” Damian said with brimming confidence. I almost wanted to hurl from the tension in my stomach. How Aiden noted it was so blunt and immature. “I know a bit of karate and aikido!”

To make things worse, he grabbed Damian from behind and put his arm around his shoulder. And then Aiden tickled the little boy on the side. Damian just squirmed and tried to get away from him.

“Yeah, right. Karate my ass.” Aiden chuckled heartily. It helped me relax that he was just being a childish jerk. And it also made me realize how much I missed Damian’s laugh. “You didn’t even see that coming!”

“No! Stop it!” The little boy pleaded. Since he was shorter than Aiden, it was not that hard to pin Damian inside his arms. The kid tried to push him away, but my companion wouldn’t budge. “Wait. Please. I’m about to pee!”

“Fine. I don’t want you to make a mess.” Aiden had let go of the boy. His suit got creases all over from the childish play. Damian had his face red all over from all the laughing and squirming. “You look really nice in that suit. It would be a shame if you peed in it.”

“Mark my words! I’m gonna…karate chop…the hell…out of you!” Damian made an empty threat in between his breathe. He needed to catch his after a brutal tickle session like any other kid. Aiden just laughed, and the boy just chuckled soon after. Then he looked at me, who was still trying to find what was funny. “Hey! I’m not sure why you’re sad but let me know how I could cheer you up!”

I just raised my hand. Even at that moment, I couldn’t find the voice to speak. It was all so confusing. Many things were rushing into my head, and I had failed to distinguish that most powerful emotion raging within. Damian just shrugged me off and pressed a button to the elevator.

All three of us silently entered the spacious elevator. Even the thing was quite exquisite and premium. It was pretty apparent that the military had spent so much on the building. The materials that were used to construct it looked pretty durable. Even a powerful earthquake might not faze it. When I found Damian, he was on the corner of the elevator with arms raised in a fighting position against Aiden.

“Try me!” Damian provoked the older boy. His stance looked silly and could quickly be taken down. As time passed by, it seemed like the idea of Damian being some sort of experiment sounded insane. Yet the lack of his physical growth was still a mystery. Plus, his memory loss, too. I needed an answer to those questions as well. “I won’t’ fall for that again!”

“You don’t want another round.” Aiden chuckled softly. Based on his expression, he was enjoying Damian’s company. I could only conclude that he missed his twin very much. Their brotherly antics were probably identical to his and Jaden’s. “Trust me.”

The little boy just smirked at him and retained his silly stance as the elevator went up the shaft. When we stepped out of the elevator, we were greeted by the sky garden like a giant dome in the center of the three towers. Different kinds of plants could be found as if they were a botanical garden. It even had labels and details about the plant if a curious mind passed by.

A pathway towards the center of the dome could be seen right after we made our exit from the enclosure. I could see from afar that there was a massive fountain in the middle of the garden, like a typical park. Benches were all around it, too.

“I think I need to go to the comfort room.” I whispered softly. It was the first time I spoke in front of Damian, and his attention perked up. He seemed content that I finally said something after much of my silence. I really wanted to say something more profound, but my mind was a complete mess. “I just want to wash my face for a sec.”

“Let me come with you!” Damian suggested. It was the last thing I wanted. My goal was to recollect myself from all the things that I was feeling. The answer was right in front of me, but I still couldn’t bring myself to joggle his memory.

“No need, little kiddo.” I said with a warm smile. It was obviously fake, and you don’t need to be a Mental to see right through it. But knowing Damian, he would force himself to make me comfortable around him.

And I hated it. Comfortability was the last thing that would happen.

“Do you even know where the comfort room is?” The boy asked innocently. It was hard to resist his cute face. Those big gray eyes were begging to be stared at.

“I think I could find it on my own.” I said. But the boy was not really convinced. I just wanted to get away from him for a second. A few moments with myself should do it, I thought.

“If the guards see you alone, they’ll just escort you down.” He argued back. And it made sense. He had some sort of weird authority inside the complex for some reason. Even the guards recognize it. “You’ll need me.”

“Fine.” I resigned. Then I looked at Aiden. “Are you coming?”

“I’m good here.” He replied promptly.

“Oh, come on.” I groaned. “Come with us. Please?”

“I said — I’m good here.” Aiden repeated with emphasis. His voice was cold. Even Damian noticed it. His eyes perked for a split second. But shrugged it off right after as if nothing happened. “Got it?”

“I guess that settles it.” Damian stated and motioned to follow him. “We should be quick.”

The walk towards the comfort room was quite awkward. No one said a word. The boy just innocently led the way like a boy scout. At the moment, I just wanted to grab him from behind and tell him how much I have missed him. Three years of waiting, I was so conflicted because he couldn’t remember a single moment with me.

Thankfully, it wasn’t that far. When I got inside, the first thing I did was to hurl my guts out of the toilet. It was that very moment I realized how much I needed that. I knew something had built up inside me. But I didn’t notice that my lunch was begging to come out.

“Hey, are you okay?” Damian asked from the outside. His voice was quite worried. And it sounded so genuine, as if he was a really close friend. “I didn’t know you were quiet because you’re feeling sick. There’s a clinic near the main entrance just in case.”

“I’m…just…fine.” I replied. I was still heaving from what happened. My vision was blurred because I was still tearing up. My muscles felt so weak and sloppy. It was like freshly served jelly. “No…need…to go…there.”

“Are you suuuuure?” The boy sang. “You don’t sound fine at all!”

I just ignored him and hurled for another round. It took a few minutes before my body calmed down. The toilet was probably upset about how much I abused it. I hugged it as I blasted out my last few drops of stomach acid. After that, I stood up and opened the cubicle to see Damian waiting in front of the door.”

“Dude, you looked horrible!” The boy remarked.

“I’ve seen worse days.” I reassured him as I walked my way to the sink. But at the back of my tongue, I already wanted to ask him all the questions that were haunting me. But Damian was still oblivious. “I’m not sure why my stomach has betrayed me today.”

“Wait a sec! Let me take a leak.” The boy rushed to one of the wall urinals and let it fly as I washed my face. He hummed to an unfamiliar tune while I rubbed my face with water. I hoped for the water to help me wash away the hesitation to finally confront the boy of my past. “Hey. Look at this.”

I reflexively looked at him only to see him flashing his flaccid dick. Much to my surprise, it was large for his body. It was probably at least 5 inches soft, and since he looked like a small kid, it looked disproportional to his body. It was uncut, but he retracted the skin that made the head glisten under the room’s lighting. Then he waved it one last time to eliminate the remaining piss.

“Heh. I bet mine is bigger than yours!” The boy boasted. That couldn’t be since we played show-and-tell when we were kids. His was almost the same size as mine. I gawked for a second at his dick before looking away, flustered. “Do you play with yours too?”

“Everyone does.” I replied dismissively. Both my cheeks were warm, and a set of unholy images racked my mind. Deep inside, I knew I had sexual feelings for Damian. But with the way he looked like a kid that moment, it felt so wrong. “I don’t think you should be playing with that yet at your age. You’re too young.”

“Not really.” He replied. I heard him zipping up from behind as I made my exit from the comfort room. The voice he made was still playful. As if everything was some sort of game. “I could already shoot a lot.”

“Huh? That’s weird. Just how old are you?” I asked. It was time to test. The water somehow did its job. More of my common sense had started to come back. “You don’t look like you could even do that yet.”

“I’m eleven.” The boy responded. It was the same age as I saw him last. It was as if his body was suspended in time. “I’m turning twelve in a few months. So, I think I’m just the right age to shoot white stuff. Do you wanna see?”

“Why are you even telling me this?” I retorted back. At the back of my head, I wanted to see it for myself. I was dead curious. But it was still wrong to take advantage of a curious kid. “I’m a stranger. Isn’t it weird to openly suggest jerking off in front of some dude you just met?”

“I don’t know.” Damian shrugged innocently. Then his eyes wandered off on the ceiling like a kid making excuses. And if I saw it right, he was slightly blushing. “You really seem like an incredible person. The person you were with was quite friendly. But you’re different for some reason. Like someone you have always known. I’m just…really comfortable with you. You know?

My heart almost fell when I heard those words. Right at that moment, I wanted to hug him tight and tell him how much I have missed him. But I had to stop myself. It was not yet the right time. I didn’t know what kind of tampering those evil overlords did to Damian. His body stayed eleven. God forbid they didn’t make a sex toy out of him by giving him an oversized boy-cock. That part was just weird.

“Maybe we’ve known each other in our past lives.” I replied dryly. It was a hint of what I wanted to say. But said it hesitantly.

“Maybe.” The boy smiled. “I think I would believe that.”

“Me too.” I agreed. “I wish we could meet somewhere else after this. This event really feels too formal to make me say something stupid. It feels like I would be judged for being an asshole even if it’s just the two of us.”

“I won’t judge you, don’t worry. They say it’s because I’m pretty smart for my age. That’s why I could be pretty understanding.” The boy chirped. Then stared deeply into my eyes. I had to look away because it got too intense. “But I’m just showing common human decency. I’m not sure why that’s so hard to do.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” I added. “Common decency is a rare commodity nowadays.”

“Besides, I…kinda think you’re cute.” Damian confessed. My brain almost blew up. It was too much for me. He was just as aggressive as the last time. “Sorry. I don’t think I was supposed to say that.”

“Uh…thanks, I guess?” It was all I could manage. My face was probably just as red as his. It was like our past all over again. But only I could remember it. And it was similar before, too. Everything was going full circle. It was Damian who made the first move. He had always been brash and bold. “Can we go now?”

“Okay.” He said, looking away.

The two of us went back to the sky garden, where Aiden sat on one of the benches. His phone was out, and he was talking to someone. When he saw us, he said his goodbyes and put his phone back in his pocket.

“Who was that?” Damian asked.

“Our dad. I just wanted to let him know where we are. He was worried we got kidnapped or something. It’s tough to be the son of a business mogul.” Aiden replied. He wasn’t lying on that part. At least he had good reason to stay behind. If something terrible happened, Mr. Horikoshi already knew where we were at. It would be stupid not to notify any potential backup. “But this place is really cool. If I’m going to make a building of my own, I’ll make sure to add something like this.”

“Yeah, it’s really cool. So, what games do you like to play?” Damian asked with some sort of mischief in his voice. The little kid was a horny bastard. I knew he wanted some kind of kinky game. Even as a kid back then, he had a propensity for that. “Whatever you suggest, I’m sure I’m gonna be good at it.”

“Hey. Damian. Uhm.” I said. Aiden looked at me and shook his head. But I wasn’t sure why he would stop me now. The golden opportunity is right before me. I couldn’t miss it so casually. “I have a question for you.”

“No, Kieran.” Aiden stopped me. “Don’t.”

“It’s now or never!” I shot back at him. But Aiden was just as conflicted as I was. It was a possibility that Damian could lead to Jaden. “I have to know.”

“What do you wanna know?” Damian asked. His inquisitive eyes were glinting with wonder. He was clearly oblivious to what we were talking about. “I’m not really sure what you’re getting at.”

“Do you remember me?” I finally asked.

“Huh?” His face was perplexed. Both his brows almost met, and his head tilted with a question mark hanging over it. “This is the first time I met you. I don’t think I have ever seen you from somewhere.”

“But… I’m your best friend.” I said dejectedly with a low tone.

“Sorry. You might have mistaken me for another person.” He responded. His voice was slow and trod carefully. Yet his eyes scanned my sullen facial expression attentively. “But if I get to know you more, then maybe we would be best buds! I mean, you seem like an awesome dude! And I mean what I said. I’m super comfortable with you! I really am.”

But I could no longer stop myself. I stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders.

“Please! Think back to when you were a kid!” I pleaded. Tears were already rolling down my cheeks. Damian was just dumbfounded by how I was reacting. “The playground we were always in! The fistfights we had during first grade. The toy you broke because you threw it at me! And then we stole Todd’s crayons because he was being too smug!”

“Huh?” It was all his response.

“Please! Please! Those were precious memories!” I bawled. Damian was just shocked by all the tears coming out of my eyes. The dam of emotions exploded. And I had to make him remember everything. “Please remember me. Damian!”

“Kieran, stop it!” Aiden tried to stop me, but I pushed him back.

“We were in the amusement park with your mom.” I pressed further. My grip on his shoulders got tighter. My hands were already shaking. And all the confusion in the world was painted on Damian’s poor face. “Can you remember that?”

“Mom?” Damian asked rhetorically. His stare was blank. His mind was an instant mess. “I don’t think I had a mom. It had always been Aunt Anna and my dad.”

“Wait. That’s not right!” I said. It made me step back. “You love her so much! The reason why you hate Mentals is because they killed her!”

“How could I hate Mentals?” Damian asked. His face was dead serious. Then he stepped back away from me and raised both his hands. The benches around us started to shake and uprooted themselves from the ground. Rocks began to float and hovered all around us. Even Aiden was rattled with what he was seeing.

Then Damian looked straight at me. And my heart sank deeper than ever before. “I am one of them.”