Hemopoiesis 1.8
The rest of the day after meeting Stevie was quite ordinary and devoid of anything special. Marvin was already in his room, rereading comic books once again, so I calmly plopped down on the bed, beginning to silently look at the white ceiling and sort out my own thoughts. My head was overflowing with questions and vain attempts to process what I knew. Alright, I need to structure everything I know...
Stevie told me three things: Linda somehow controls practically all the local "super kids", Vought is heavily involved in everything happening and actively tries to control the situation, which is why they even send their agents to spy. And finally, my potential new parents are also somehow connected to this, and therefore it's better not to trust them too much. I already guessed the first one, only I wasn't sure what specific power the woman had. The second was much more interesting, because although Vought's hand was felt in everything related to supes, I didn't guess how deeply they control the situation. And the result didn't please me at all. My paranoia received a new source of fuel, which is unlikely to ever run out now. For the very fact that a company that practically owns superhumans is so shady forces you to think twice and thrice about your next steps. Who knows how else, besides posing for the camera, they can use superhumans? After all, abilities vary in the craziest ways, which is why you can encounter almost any variation. For example, why shouldn't there be a power that allows eavesdropping or peeping from kilometers away from the target? This way you can get a practically perfect spy who is virtually impossible to detect. And what about the superpower to sense truth and lies? I myself can practically do this, and it all depends only on the level of my skills and the amount of practice. And all this is not to mention actual telepaths...
I take a deep breath, chasing away unnecessary thoughts. Panic is useless and won't help in any way. I need to act rationally and keep a cool head. Alright, to begin with, from this day on, I will need to be extremely careful to monitor whether I'm leaving any clues, even if no one is around. Fewer shady conversations with suspicious individuals, so I'm not suspected of anything and "special" experts aren't called in. The best way to avoid problems is to simply not create them. But this doesn't negate preparation. I will definitely need to make a plan on how to resist supes capable of doing things with the mind. Take up meditation at least, or something else that will help harden the mind. I highly doubt that there is absolutely no defense against telepaths. If that were the case, then supes would be the ones running this world, and no one would even think to say a word to them. All abilities have limitations, and thank God, few people here actively worked on unlocking their potential at all. I can't say exactly what this is connected to, but it's not because there are no theories. The case of each person simply needs to be considered individually, not forgetting about their power. Because it's easy for me to say, a person whose ability is quite clear how to "level up". But what should a girl do, for example, whose only superpower is a one-and-a-half-meter tail like a rat's? Take up martial arts, probably, and try to learn how to use it in combat and everyday life, but still. With such a power, the girl will be much more limited than her peers who got luckier in the superpower roulette. And yet, the owners of truly powerful abilities might simply not want to develop their gift. Quite a few have all sorts of psychological traumas associated with their use, which makes them genuinely afraid of their gift. But we also shouldn't forget about people who are simply too lazy to work. Such people exist and always will, and nothing can be done about it.
Well, and the new family... Stevie sounded and looked as if he was well acquainted with such tactics. I suspect he even tested it from personal experience, only his power is practically perfect for obtaining secret information. I'm sure Vought put on the whole show for the sake of controlling it. Most likely, he couldn't handle the truth, exposing the deception, after which he ended up here. And I can perfectly understand him; however, I will still prefer to stay with the Shetty family. Stevie said they would set up a quiet fairytale for me there? Well, that is exactly what I need. I need time to unlock the potential of my own ability and rise myself to a level where I will be able to set my own terms. And I have even already begun to form a tactic on how to put Vought itself on a leash and gain control over the situation. The main thing is that they give me time. And getting it will now be much easier.
. . .
"Hi, Mark. We haven't seen each other for quite a while, have we?"
Walking into the office once again, I immediately saw Linda, already settled in her chair with a mug of something in her hands. She sat with a smile, also holding a cookie in her hands. I walked in to her, looking quite friendly, although completely different emotions were inside me. I kept myself in hand and, having thought about the situation, calmed down significantly. After all, I remembered Stevie's words about how Linda for some reason couldn't brainwash me, despite a whole bunch of our sessions. Well, and also it was noticeable, as I wasn't passive like everyone else in the orphanage. And I highly doubt it was simply because she was lazy or decided not to try. Even though I don't know why, I have a defense specifically against her methods of mind control, and I need to use this. At the very least, to simply understand how she uses the power. And during another sleepless night, I even came up with a theory on how exactly this happens. Now is exactly the moment to test it.
"Good afternoon, Miss Shu. Everything was fine, so I somehow didn't come in. The meeting with... the Shetty family was very interesting. They seem like very good people."
I sat in the chair in front of Linda, once again examining her office. She had a rather cozy place: soft armchairs with a sofa, a real wood desk, and slightly dimmed lighting. It was evident that literally everything here was designed to relax the visitor. Linda herself looked cheerful and positively disposed. Interestingly, so far I had no impulses to tell her everything I knew.
"Don't worry, they are very good people who only dream of an addition to their family. I have personally known Indira since our time studying at the university. We have continued communicating since then, and I can personally assure you that there is a place for love in her heart."
She spoke calmly, clearly trying to better present her friend's family. Of course, the fact that they are personally acquainted and worked together is alarming. I will remember it, but I didn't come here for this. I sat opposite Linda, occasionally throwing a glance at the window facing the forest. Red River was located outside the city, practically on the very edge of civilization. I suspect such a location was chosen not by chance, but to further reduce the students' chances of escape. Even supes would have a hard time surviving in the wilderness. Linda, meanwhile, continued her speech, slightly waving the hand with the mug in my direction.
"Don't be shy, take a cookie. I know you like them. I've already brewed some tea here, just the way you like it."
I cast a glance at all these "treats", but didn't touch them. Although the cookies really were tempting, today, as an exception, I decided not to touch them. The local food in the cafeteria was disgusting, and there were essentially no sweets there, which made the quality of her cooking stand out even more. Suspiciously stand out.
"I kind of don't want to, honestly. Just not in the mood. And I always liked ice cream better, to be honest. I just don't feel like having sweets today."
Linda tilted her head to the side questioningly, beginning to examine me closely. The room fell into complete silence for a while. This lasted for more than a minute, and with every second the atmosphere became more and more... strange? I tried to keep a straight face and not show any emotions, but I wasn't a professional actor or spy. As for Linda, her job was to figure out people's feelings and thoughts. I could hide a large part of my emotions, but far from all of them.
"Come on, you always liked them. You know... in all these years that I've been helping children, you are the most unique one I've met. And that really means a lot, considering the Red River contingent."
While she started her sentence quite cheerfully, in the middle her voice began to sound much more emotionless. I, meanwhile, continued to keep a straight face and started monitoring her heart. Right now it was beating significantly faster than usual. This fact alone gave me much more confidence. Because if I knew she was worried, it meant she wasn't fully in control of the situation. Thanks to this, playing my role was much easier.
"I... don't know what you are talking about..."
Linda shook her head, placing the mug of tea and the cookie on the table. After that, she looked around, her gaze lingering especially on the small table next to her. Then she stood up, opened some little cabinet inside, after which I heard a click, as if something was turned on or off. Shortly after that, she returned to her seat and started looking at me with interest in her eyes.
"Mark, when I say you are unique, I am not lying. Over the years of practice, I have seen many..." at this point she paused, as if trying to find the words, "...wonderful children, so I can figure them out without problems. Yes, each of them seems unique and special, but after hundreds and thousands of meetings, you start seeing patterns in behavior. Common traits inherent to each and every one. And the fact that they possess powers changes nothing. All 'supes', despite their supposed might, are the same people as everyone else. They also love, hate, and experience other emotions. This becomes even more obvious at a more mature age, when their weaknesses also become visible."
With every new sentence, she began to sound quieter and calmer, while her gaze became less joyful. Her heart, interestingly, also began to calm its beating, returning to normal.
"You've seen Javier, right? I still remember when little Martinez was the heart of the orphanage. Even at your age, he was the strongest here, but at the same time devoid of any desire to prove his superiority. A simple and kind boy who loved molding little figures out of plasticine and drawing pictures of his favorite heroes. He especially liked Soldier Boy..."
Suddenly shifting the topic to the psycho known to the entire orphanage, Linda began to smile. At the same time, her gaze was now directed to the side, as if she was dwelling more in memories.
"Back then I was just starting to work here, having just graduated from university. Because of this, I had little experience. But he looked like such a kind and well-read boy who didn't even want to become a hero... But in this world, no one can live peacefully if the serious people at the top want it. Remember, Mark, strong heroes cannot simply live an ordinary life. They are always needed by someone. Well, and I... was just fulfilling what I was ordered to do. And he really, really liked my cookies."
She looked up and stared right into my eyes. Right now, even the shadow of a smile had disappeared, and Linda looked as serious as possible.
"All the children I've worked with are fundamentally the same. But you are different, Mark. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it before in my career. When I look into your eyes, it's as if I see someone else. Someone much more dangerous than even Martinez, and smarter than a single lost teenager who couldn't keep his mouth shut. But Stephen was always emotional, although he tried not to show it, suppressing feelings with his own ability. He couldn't accept the very idea that someone in front of him wasn't sincere and was hiding their secrets. In the end, that is exactly what ruined him. But I know that you will act smarter and won't make a mistake where he failed, Mark."
. . .
A week later, we had another meeting with the Shetty family. Nothing bad happened, and we simply talked more on various topics. They asked me about things I like and dislike, and I answered them without problems. Also, taking the opportunity, I decided to impress them with my knowledge, starting to talk about my successes in studies, as well as my skills in math and other sciences. This truly impressed the couple, and judging by their reaction, it wasn't even faked. With each new conversation, the ice between us cracked, and the dialogues became more and more friendly and relaxed.
Thus, weeks and even a whole month passed in a calm atmosphere. And the most interesting thing is that I didn't see or hear about Stevie anymore since we met. He seemingly disappeared, while his people became part of the orphanage, as if nothing had happened. No one even asked about the second main bogeyman of Red River, as if he never existed. Interestingly, nothing happened with Martinez, and he continued his path of fury and ultraviolence. I heard about at least five new cases of him practically turning someone into dust. But, as usual, no deaths. I even specifically asked Marvin and found out that the Latino is now seventeen and in half a year he will have to leave the orphanage. Well, it will be interesting to follow this in the news. If he gets out, I'm sure that the very next day news of a mad supe's atrocities will echo across the country. But something tells me that won't happen. Most likely, after he comes of age, no one will ever hear of him again. The life of the orphanage will return to normal for a while, and then only God knows what will happen. And it's unlikely I'll find out the answer, because it's doubtful I'll ever show up here again. After almost a month and a half, all the documents were processed, verified, and certified, after which I became part of a real family. Now I am Mark Shetty, but I don't care about the last name. The main thing is that now I'll be able to calm down. At least for a while.
Before parting, Marvin gave me one of his comic books about Polarity, the local version of Magneto, who also controls metal and electromagnetism. He wasn't the most popular hero, but I liked that he, unlike practically everyone, uses his powers creatively. My roommate himself was clearly shy when giving the gift, talking about how he doesn't like this hero anyway, but I looked at him with a sincere smile. I liked this kid, even though he was simple-minded, it was clear that the comic book was still important to him. He has few of them, but he decided to give one to me.
"I'm sure you'll become a great hero. Just like Soldier Boy and Homelander. Or maybe even better."
Marvin was clearly surprised that someone guessed his "secret dream", but soon simply smiled at me. My final walk through the orphanage passed without anything remarkable. After our conversation with Linda, we didn't meet again. She still held sessions, it's just our meetings had come to an end. However, on the last day before departure, I noticed an interesting book in front of my door. It was Brink's book for a more mature age, where he properly discussed the supe phenomenon. Curiously, it had the author's own signature on it. The book and the comic were the only things I gladly took with me from the orphanage. Standing at the very exit and already seeing Indira and Paul in the car, I turned around for the last time, surveying the orphanage, after which I calmly walked out the doors.
Goodbye, Red River. I hope we never meet again.