Hemopoiesis 1.7
I saw two people in front of me, a clearly well-off man and woman, who were looking at me with smiles. On the left stood a woman in her thirties in a rather expensive dress, and at first glance, one could tell she had either Indian or Arab roots. Next to her stood a man of Caucasian appearance, holding the woman's hand. The moment they saw me, they quickly got up and took a couple of steps forward. The woman spoke first; she had a rather cheerful voice, although it was obvious she was nervous.
"Hi, Mark. We came to meet you. I really hope we become friends. My name is Indira Shetty, but you can just call me by my first name. Paul and I," she turned her head for a second toward the man, who immediately nodded to her, "came to get to know each other better."
I stood in place for another second, after which I took a step forward. There was a small smile on my face, as I wanted to show them that I was positively disposed. But at the same time, I was using my power to the fullest, trying to determine if I was dealing with potential supes. However, fortunately, everything turned out fine, and they were ordinary people. This already slightly lowered the degree of my tension, making the smile on my face closer to genuine.
"My name is Mark, and it is also very nice to meet you..."
Well, then came the most ordinary, albeit slightly awkward, conversation. It was obvious that this couple was truly nervous and didn't quite understand what to do, but I tried my best to soften the atmosphere and show that I had nothing against them. They seemed like genuinely normal people, without any quirks. Paul worked as a professor at some university, and Indira was a scientist and psychologist. The last part was a little concerning, but it was too early to draw concrete conclusions. I was gradually developing paranoia toward psychotherapists, but I tried to be objective and not lump all people into one category. As for me, I talked about myself and my interests. Mostly I emphasized my love for reading and studying, as well as my desire to become a doctor or a scientist when I grow up. Judging by their faces, they clearly expected me to be more of a problem, but I knew how to present myself. I showed myself to be as open and positive as possible, which is why, by the end of our interaction, it seemed everyone left satisfied. I still didn't understand what Linda was hinting at and how exactly they were connected to heroes, but I figured that could be found out later. I myself was glad that the Shetty family turned out to be so... normal. After almost two months of living in an environment with so many supes, I wanted peace and the opportunity to live without problems more than ever. Without the strict control of the all-seeing administration and without super-strong psychos who could snap at any moment and cause a real massacre.
The next day passed without any problems or anything special at all. I was told when the next meeting would be scheduled. And also, most importantly, one of the caretakers hinted that the family had already begun filing the adoption papers. And, according to my rough estimates, it would take a little over a month. This was fast, because it seemed they didn't like to delay with this in Red River. I can't blame them, honestly, since every child taken into a family is one less potential threat in the future.
There was once again no reaction to this from the students. They didn't ask me about anything, and it was as if everyone didn't care about anything. Seriously, do they put something in the children's food here, which is why they are so calm? I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, to be honest. Purely as a double-check, so that no one goes crazy and tears the caretakers apart. If that's the case, then I would advise Martinez to take a double or even triple portion. Because over the past day, he lost his temper again and this time raised his hand against a girl. I didn't see the confrontation itself, but the whispers from my roommate and the two black eyes on the fifteen-year-old girl were good enough proof. I only saw her in the cafeteria, and there she sat huddled in the farthest corner, clearly shying away from side glances. And this already caused a reaction even from the most amorphous residents of the orphanage. Everyone looked at the girl with undisguised fear and pity. However, they had no one to voice their complaints to, because Martinez didn't show up for breakfast or lunch this time. But I soon stopped thinking about it, because, unfortunately, things weren't exactly perfect for me either.
When I was returning to my room after classes, I didn't immediately notice that someone was following me. It was a small kid for his age, about fourteen, whom I had never seen before. That was unsurprising, considering the fact that he was completely invisible. He could also move quite quietly, so much so that I didn't even hear his footsteps. The only thing thanks to which I was able to find him at all was the blood and the heartbeat. Having rested after the tests arranged by the principal, I could use the power almost without any effort of will. I mostly concentrated on my own body, but if a source of the scarlet liquid appeared nearby that I couldn't see with my own eyes, my brain broke a little, receiving contradictory signals. However, even having discovered that someone was following me, I didn't stop or show in any way that I had found the spy. I was ready to "neutralize" him if he tried to harm me in any way, but for now, I needed to keep the secret. I was curious what he would do next. Only a completely unhinged scumbag would harm children my age, because even Martinez hadn't stooped to that. Red River definitely wouldn't be able to turn a blind eye to something like that and would most likely cause very big problems for him. It's likely that no one would ever see him again after that. But I also believed in my own abilities to kick his ass if necessary. I control the power poorly for now, but that's more his problem than mine.
After walking for about five minutes, the invisible guy followed me no matter what. And only now did I notice that, for some reason, there was no one around. No peers, no teachers, no janitors, absolutely no one. And the moment I turned a corner where there were no cameras, I was forced to stop. Two dozen meters away from me stood a very surprising company, consisting of six teenagers, one of whom was very well known to me. I had only seen Stevie in person a couple of times, but recognizing him wasn't difficult. He was a pale, tall teenager who slouched slightly. He stood with an expressionless and clearly bored face, keeping his hands in his pockets and looking at me. And the moment he saw me, he immediately started talking. He had a measured and rather melancholic voice, which clearly showed that he deeply didn't care about anything at all.
"Don't worry, kid, we won't hurt you. That's not my job, after all. We're just here to talk and find out something interesting. Oh, and warn you about something, it will be useful to you."
The teenagers behind his back still just stood behind their "boss", doing nothing and looking at me with a bored gaze. The invisible guy behind stopped about five meters away from me. I, meanwhile, used my power to the fullest, trying to sense if there was anyone else here who could help or harm. But no, Stevie had done a good job, and there was no one even behind the walls in the offices. He himself, surprisingly, didn't look particularly interested in everything happening and seemed already tired of life itself. He also had large bags under his eyes, and his clothes looked like they had never been ironed. But despite his reaction, I was maximally collected and therefore answered, trying to look as confident as possible.
"Well, I don't mind talking and I am capable of listening."
Stevie chuckled, after which he waved his hand and the people behind him immediately stepped back. This whole crowd was just... creepy. They moved synchronously and didn't even blink. I wasn't afraid of some teenager who could use a good sleep, but a telepath with unknown motives was already a threat of the highest danger level.
"So you're really one of the smart ones, huh? Well, all the better. Well, better for me and baaaad for you. But we can talk about that later."
He took his hands out of his pockets, took out a cigarette, a lighter, and simply lit up right indoors. I even inspected the corridor looking for smoke detectors, but found nothing.
"Alright, listen to me carefully, kid. I don't have much time, but I have too many truly important things to do to waste even more on you. Since you're so smart, then remember just three facts that I hope will help you survive and not die. In exchange, I need you to honestly answer three of my questions, after which we'll all go our separate ways. Deal?"
Stevie practically didn't even look in my direction, staring more at the wall. Even his gaze seemed somehow... cloudy? As if it wasn't focused on anything and he was half-asleep. However, this was no reason to underestimate him. My brain was working at full capacity, while my body tried to show confidence.
"Sounds fair enough."
He turned completely in my direction, took another drag, and only then started speaking. His "servants" continued to stand behind him, saying nothing and not even moving. They all looked in my direction, which made it even harder to collect myself and calm down. In theory, I could deal with all of them, but the amount of problems that would cause me...
"First, I don't advise going to our 'shrink' if you don't want to finally turn your gray matter to mush. Or rather, keep going to her for now, but spend as little time around her as possible. If you quickly just cut off contact with her, the big guys will suspect something, and then we'll all have problems. I might be 'tough,' but all this," he waved the hand holding the cigarette, encompassing the whole room, "isn't exactly allowed, and even I won't get a pat on the head, to put it mildly. So I advise you to keep quiet about everything I tell you. Actually, it's better to keep your mouth shut about whatever you see in general. You'll live better. Simpler."
He took another drag on his cigarette, looking away again. Only about twenty seconds later did he seemingly come to his senses and start talking to me again.
"I'll be honest, I have no idea how you haven't completely lost your mind yet, considering the number of your visits to her. Martinez didn't go through half of that, and you see how 'stable' and 'sane' he has become. But his head was always thick, even I would have a hard time taking him under control. Especially now, after everything they did to him. Yeah, I hope I don't need to explain why and how I wasn't brainwashed, right? You're smart, you'll figure it out yourself."
Stevie continued to look as if he deeply didn't care about anything and anyone, but I literally froze in place for a moment. The gears in my head were turning, realizing what he had said. The strange behavior of the children, the aggressive psycho, and the psychologist possessing special abilities. I had guessed that Linda specifically could have influenced everything, but to brainwash everyone in the orphanage? It's somehow hard to even imagine such a power, but if you think about it... She is unlikely capable of brainwashing with the snap of her fingers, but after one or two one-on-one sessions? There are a few hundred students in the orphanage; over the years, it's quite realistic to process absolutely everyone. But then another question arises — why haven't I lost my mind? Does my power protect me somehow? I doubt it, because I can't imagine how one can block mental influence with the help of blood. However... who said she brainwashes like a telepath? Maybe it's something more subtle and physical? Abilities have the widest spectrum of manifestations and can manifest in a completely insane way.
"Second, don't trust anyone from Vought. Literally no one; even if a janitor asks you for something, tell him to go to hell. They have eyes and ears everywhere, even in places you wouldn't suspect. But don't even think about opposing them or anything like that. You might be the toughest nut on earth, but just remember that even Homelander is on their leash and behaves like a loyal dog. No matter how strong you are, control can be found over everyone. In the worst-case scenario, guys like me will come to you, and then you'll find out where the most audacious and 'freedom-loving' of ours disappear to."
He took a final drag, after which he tossed the cigarette butt toward one of his henchmen. The guy simply waved his hand, and the butt literally vanished in thin air. Stevie began wiping his hands, continuing to speak.
"Finally, don't trust those 'do-gooders' they're planning to send you to. It's all a beautiful facade, a show, so you don't go crazy and become their loyal lapdog. Such a leash will be hard to break, believe me. They might seem like kind souls, promising a cozy family hearth, but it's all an illusion. Yes, a very pleasant and alluring one, but no less false and deceptive, which will break as soon as you start asking unnecessary questions. The moment one of the assholes at the top wants it, they'll throw you in the trash and forget you ever lived."
Right now, Stevie looked more emotional than ever. But the moment he finished his speech, he snapped his fingers, and all the emotion on his face instantly vanished. He once again began to look emotionless and uninterested in anything.
"And now it's time for my questions. Let's get through this quickly. What is your power? What did you talk about with the principal, and what were you doing these past three days? Keep it short, time is running out. Martinez is causing a distraction right now, but I won't be able to control him for long."
I spent a few more seconds mulling over the questions and how best to answer them. It's funny that even if I tell him about it, technically nothing bad will happen, because no one told me to keep everything that happened a secret. I suspect they didn't even anticipate anyone wanting to dig into all of this. Besides, how much faith is there in the words of a child my age? Therefore, I spoke openly, although generalizing some facts. I could have lied to Stevie, but I had a feeling that he had some trump card for this situation too. I can believe that one of the supes behind him is needed specifically to detect lies. You can expect anything from Stevie; he seemed far too strange and even dangerous. He perfectly understands what kind of problems he could have, but despite this, he seeks the truth. There were suspicious thoughts about not revealing secrets to a dangerous telepath, but honestly, these aren't particularly important secrets. I can't even imagine how they could be used against me at all. But building relations with such a dangerous individual, to convince him not to turn me into a brainless dummy, was a much better idea.
"Blood manipulation and a basic set of super strength, endurance, and durability. I showed the principal a high school test, which I solved without problems, and that was all we discussed. He was surprised that I solved them so easily and turned out to be much smarter than average. I spent all the following time passing tests in all subjects, and then they ran a test of my ability too. Nothing special, just checking what I'm capable of. Then he backed off, satisfied with the result, after which he let me go."
Stevie looked at me attentively, tracking every movement. As soon as I finished speaking, he nodded and turned away again, staring at the wall.
"Ah. Well, that makes sense then. Well, nice chatting with you, I hope you manage and don't die. Good luck in your 'new home'. I'm sure it will all look wonderful. Vought knows how to paint a pretty picture."
After that, he simply turned and walked away. His gang followed the boss, never saying a word. The invisible guy moved along with them. I, however, continued standing in the corridor, trying to understand what had just happened.