Cornerstone

by Vordigan

It's 2022, now the Thundertwins are known as the heroes of Hiddenville. Their fame is spreading across the main cities of the country, but as they get more attention, there is a tragedy waiting to happen. Love, crime, treason, death, maddness... Sometimes our destiny is written on a cornerstone. (Thundercest)

10. The girl who came from nowhere

Previously on Cornerstone...

The death battle between Max Thunderman and Dark Slaughter put an end to the worst villain in the world, but it also brought terrible consequences. Max survived to the plasmakinetic explosion, but the trauma he felt from not being able to kill the man who took Phoebe away from him, ended up affecting his mind to the point of being diagnosed with catatonic schizophrenia.

Now, six weeks later he's still under treatment at Rutledge Asylum, where he's given all the help he needs to regain his mobility and mental health. His case is led by Dr. Hudson, one of the most prominent psychiatrists in Metroburg, but despite of all those tests and medicines he has tried, there hasn't had any changes.

But as the doctors and the asylum staff kept checking him out and attending to his needs, Max spent most of the time buried in his thoughts, remembering the woman he lost that black Friday. His biggest fear is that one day he's gonna start to forget about her.

"I don't deserve your powers, Pheebs. Not after all the terrible things I had to do for revenge."

He still feels remorse for killing the entire army of Dark Slaughter, but nothing compares to the blame he felt from keeping Phoebe's powers that night. He doesn't feel worthy enough to use them, not even after learning that there was a small chance of getting better if he ever tried to use them.

As the time passed, he gave up to the idea of spending the rest of his life in that place. Phoebe was death so he got no other reason to fight for anymore, but all those memories of her were exactly what made him change his mind, and finally decided to give life one last chance.

Using Phoebe's powers was the key for his body started to move again, and in just two months he was so much better that he could actually move a little bit without anyone's help. Everything seemed to be getting better until the day Dr. Hudson showed up in his room, and Dark Slaughter appeared instead of him.

That's when Max regained full control of his body and knocked off two of his guards to go after him. In just a few seconds the whole place was in total chaos, but he managed to stop the villain and started to choke him with telekinesis, just like that night.

"I don't know how you returned from death, but you were safer back there." He furiously said while tightening his throat.

Max was about to kill him but he noticed his powers were not working properly, so when he found himself outnumbered by the enemy, he decided to escape from the building and try to find him later.

And even though his brain was not at its best time, he managed to run away from Dark Slaughter and his men, but as soon as he put one foot out of the building, he realized that the place was in the middle of forest. He was about to escape from the asylum when a powerful discharge put him down immediately.

Everything was just a hallucination caused by the schizophrenia. His mind was so damaged for having failed to kill Dark Slaughter, that in the middle of his rage he almost kills the only person that could help him to regain his mental health; Dr. Hudson.

"Don't worry Max, I'm going to help you."

And now... the new chapter of Cornerstone.

Chapter 10:The girl who came from nowhere.

Rutledge Asylum, Metroburg.
March 5, 2024, Tuesday.
01:23 PM

It's been three weeks since I tried to escape from the asylum, and things here seemed to be getting back to normal. It took them several days to repair all the damages I caused the other night, and they even had to take me to a special room reinforced with Thundertanium, for patients with unstable powers.

According to Dr. Hudson, this is the worst incident they have ever had since this place was inaugurated in 1985. In his own words, they've never had a patient with such advanced level of telekinesis or multiple powers, so they were not ready to respond to a situation like that.

Fortunately, no innocents had to die because of my psychosis. And even if my stay here was not affected by what I did, at the end of the day my actions had consequences, since Dr. Hudson thought it was better for me if I stayed in this room for a couple months, or at least until stopping my hallucinations.

This new room it's kind of different than the previous one. The walls are entirely made of metal, so it doesn't have any windows, but the good thing is now I have all I need for my day-to-day, like a small place to eat, a warm bed, a drawer chest for my second change of clothes, and even a bathroom sink and a toilet.

But staying in my room is not as bad as it used to be. Now that I can move again, everything is so much easier for me. I even started working out a couple days ago, just like old times. But there's something I've been doing a lot lately; trying to master these powers.

Some months ago I have lost all hopes for recovery, and didn't even care if stayed here forever. After Phoebe's death nothing seemed to have sense anymore, not even life. But it was thanks to her that I started getting better. Her memories gave me the strengths I needed to keep fighting, and now I think I can go through this and try to regain my mental health. Maybe I can become the hero she wanted me to be.

For what I've seen so far, heat breath and freeze breath seems to work just like before, but telekinesis... it's a different story. For the last few days I've been feeling like it was easier for me to use it. I have even moved some objects without having visual contact, something I always had problems with.

I'm in the middle of my levitation practice right now, and things are going pretty well. There are only a few things I can use for practice here, that's why I decided to try something different. I can feel the energy flowing down my feet as I raise myself into the air. I can't believe I'm doing this on my own.

This immediately brought me back to the days where Phoebe and I were training to get in the Z-Force. After failing over and over again, we thought it'd be impossible for us to work as a team, until we fell from the tree fort and saved each other by levitating with telekineis.

"We just pulled off a telekinetic trust fall!"

"I know. We actually had each other's backs."

At that moment, all I wanted to do was run up to her and kiss those perfect lips. She looked so beautiful with that red lipstick, that I could barely come up with some stupid joke to distract her. That's what I was thinking about when I suddenly heard the Thundertanium door opening, and lost all concentration.

I could feel how the energy I gathered was slowly fading away, and then landed on my feet just in time to see Dr. Hudson walking inside the room. He was carrying a clipboard in his hands and as soon as he saw what I did, he closed the door and began writing something on the papers.

"Interesting." He said before adjusting his glasses. "Well, looks like the doctors from General Hospital forgot to mention your fifth power in the medical record. Flight." He pointed out before writing again.

"No, that was just telekinesis. I don't have a fifth power." I clarified while leaning on the table. "Did you get the permission?" I tried to change the subject.

"That's why I'm here. Look, I really tried but... the administrative staff told me your sister must be at least 15 years old to get in here. They're pretty strict about it." He carefully explained to me. "I'm sorry."

When I heard the bad news I got a little bit upset because I was hoping to see Chloe again. It's been months since the last time we talked and I wanted to apologize. I practically forced her to hide everyone else the real reason I wanted to find Dark Slaughter, and she didn't deserve that kind of pressure.

"But yesterday your other siblings called and confirmed the visit for next week." He said before putting the clipboard on my bed, then turned to face me.

"Sounds good. I just hope not to lose my mind during the visit, and start attacking everyone with telekinesis." I sarcastically said. "Oh and... once again, I'm sorry."

I still feel guilty for what I did to him. Among all of the people I hurt that night, I think he got the worst part. Some of the guards ended up with some slight fractures, but he received multiple injuries from the crystal he broke through, several bruises on his face, and a broken arm. Good thing they had a doses of that regenerative formula.

"It's okay Max, you were not being yourself." He said in a comprehensive way.

"Yeah, wasn't my best time. By the way... who was this invisible guy who took me down with a Taser?" I asked after having a flashback of me being stunned. "That thing hurts."

"¿You mean Tom? He's the head of the security staff, but he's not invisible. He's got a strange power called 'adaptive camouflage'." Dr Hudson explained while taking off his glasses. "His body is capable of mimicking any environment to hide in plain sight. He's more like a chameleon."

When I heard the last word he said, I just stopped listening. I couldn't help but remember the man who recruited me for Dark Slaughter's army about two years ago. The bastard who was able to alter my Thundersense to prevent me from detecting the shot that killed Phoebe.

I suddenly start to feel something in my head that made me put one hand on my right temple. I try to ignore it but in the blink of an eye, the crystals from Dr. Hudson's glasses got shattered completely, and he dropped them on the floor.

That's when I fell on my knees and grasped my head with both hands, feeling like it was about to explode. My eyes were closed but that didn't stop me from being aware that everything around me has started to move with telekinesis. I don't know what's going on but the last time I felt something like this, didn't end so well.

"It's happening again!" I desperately yelled.

"Max, listen to me. You gotta focus, try to breathe deeply." He stated in a worried voice.

I try to do what he says but it's practically impossible for me to think straight. There's something inside me that triggers these powers every time I see or hear anything related to that day, or at least that's how it started last time. All I can do is kneeling in the middle of the floor, and trying to control my emotions.

Few minutes ago I was in total control of these powers, but now I can barely redirect all those telekinetic waves from hitting Dr. Hudson. I don't know how much time I'm gonna be able to resist.

I never felt this amount of energy before. All of those objects are violently shaking no matter how big they are, and unscrewing the metal tubular bed from the floor was not hard for me. But just when I thought I was going to black out, the whole commotion suddenly stopped, and then I heard a metal crack all over the room. I knew what was coming.

"You gotta get out of here. I can't control it, get out!" I shouted him out right before one of the lights on the ceiling exploded, followed by a very loud alarm.

I can feel how the Thundertanium plates on the walls are telekinetically bending like they were made of paper, to the point of ripping out some of the screws that held them together. When I finally opened the eyes, I immediately stood up and saw everything around me was hovering in mid-air.

"Max, I know you can do it." I heard him say.

For some reason my brain is reluctant to let the objects go, but I still decide to try one last time, so I close my eyes and start visualizing those heavy objects slowly descending, but it only made it worse. I was about to give up and release a powerful wave all around the place, when I heard a voice inside of my head:

"Come on Max, you've worked so hard to turn your life around, don't throw it all away!"

And out of nowhere, all the tension I was feeling in my head just disappeared, and the things I've been holding in the air with so much effort, fell to the floor in the middle of a deafening noise that took us by surprise. With the situation under control, I could finally take a sigh of relief.

A deep silence took over the room as I looked around the place, not being able to believe what I just did. There were several plates of Thundertanium spread on the floor completely bent, something I never thought it was possible to do with just telekinesis.

The tubular bed was a little buckled and had some fragments of the broken lamp on it. The table and the chair were upside down at one of the corners of the room, the toilet was laying on the floor cut in half, and a big water stream was flowing out of the drainage system.

"Well... putting aside the chaos, I gotta say that was impressive." Dr. Hudson said behind me.

"Really?" I asked right before turning around to see him. "I was this close to hit you with a telekinetic wave." I added while holding my thumb and index finger together.

"But you didn't. Look, this is a slow process, Max. Over the past 20 years I've had a lot of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Some of them are still treated here, but you... you've given some big steps for your recovery in less than one year. Believe me, there are worst cases than yours." He assured me.

"Maybe you're right, but how am I supposed to see my siblings like this? What if I hurt them?"

Causing a bloodbath just to find a villain I should've tried to capture was bad enough to even considering the risk of hurting my siblings. I really want to see them again, it's been months but... I would never forgive myself if something happened to them.

"You know... there's something we haven't tried yet."

03:45 PM

A couple hours later they put me in a new room, the fourth one. The place is as big as the previous one and has everything I had before, but for what I've seen so far the security is pretty low. There's no Thundertanium walls here, just some normal walls white painted. The door is made of wood and there's just a brass handle with a common lock.

Maybe I'm underestimating his double master in psychiatry, but I don't think this fragile room is gonna be the solution to my problems. After what happened I thought he'd put me in a more resistant room, or force me to use a reinforced straightjacket, but he seems to have other plans for me.

"Look, I don't know what you're up to, but this is the worst place you could find to contain me. You have any idea of how easy could it be for me to take down that door? And these walls... well you saw what I did back there." I told him as soon as he closed the door.

"I know, but I'm not trying to contain you, Max. I brought you here because there's a treatment I thought was unnecessary when you started getting better." He said while getting close to me. "You won't have to worry about hurting anyone here. Not with this." He added right before showing me his right hand open.

"A pill?" I incredulously asked.

"It's not just a pill. This new piece of biotechnology is able to suppress all the powers from the person who takes it, for at least 24 hours. It was created out of the DNA of a French girl who born with the amazing ability of blocking powers from the people around her." He carefully explained to me.

I never heard of someone who could block other's powers just by being around. The Hero League was working on a list with the names of thousands of supes around the world, so I'm not surprised they found her so quickly. Her DNA is practically a biological version of Malvexium, except for the long-term effects.

"Great, I'm taking another person's DNA... again." I sarcastically said while taking the pill from his hand.

"What do you mean?" He asked without fully understanding my comment.

"Nevermind. So all I have to do is taking one of these pills every 24 hours, right? And how long is this treatment?" I tried to ask while taking a closer look of the pill.

This thing doesn't look like any other pill I've seen before. At first sight it looks like half the size of a common capsule with red/transparent caps, but what definitely caught my attention was the content of the pill, because those small and bright particles seemed to be floating inside there.

"Well, it's hard to tell. I guess until we can find a way to control whatever is triggering all these emotional responses. After that, it won't be necessary to suppress your powers anymore." He replied before handing me a glass of water from the table on his left.

"Sounds good. But these powers... they're not mine." I corrected him while swallowing the pill, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Is that why you keep saying 'these powers'? Because you don't feel them yours?" He asked me shortly after.

Judging by way he said the last part, it was clear for me that he's been trying to ask me that for months. He used the same tone of voice every time I talked about Phoebe. He probably just wanted to find the right moment to ask, and today he finally did but... I'm sure he's not gonna like my answer.

"It's because they're undeserved." I suddenly admitted, putting the glass on the table. "I took them as a last resource to keep fighting that murderer, but also because I didn't want to lose that last part of Phoebe." I began to explain right before leaning my back on the wall, and then slowly descended to the floor. "She'd be so disappointed."

"But you succeed on saving her powers from that monster. The way I see it, your sister still lives inside you. So why she'd be disappointed?" He inquired.

"Well... at this point you must have read my whole history in the League, but I'm sure there was nothing about the events prior to the explosion. You see, I killed dozens of people back in that building because I wasn't able to control my rage. I just kept seeing that bastard on each one of their faces, and the worst thing is I didn't even feel remorse."

"And I don't blame you. The Hero League report says you didn't receive professional help after your sister's death, and when you tried to take up your life it was too hard for you to control your emotions. With all the suffering you were dealing with, I would say it was a completely natural reaction." He assured me.

"My parents keep telling me how much they love me and support me but... I don't think they're gonna look at me the same when they find out what I did that night." I replied before letting out deep sigh.

"You'd be amazed of how understanding your parents can be. There's not a single day they don't call my office asking for you." The doctor confessed. "It was thanks to them that I could get to know more about the relationship between you and your sister." He added right after, taking me by surprise.

For one minute I thought my parents have figure out what kind of relationship Phoebe and I had. An endless number of scenarios started playing in my head, in which I had to confess everything about our secret relationship, but that's impossible. Chloe is the only person in this world who knows the truth about us, and I doubt she could've said anything.

"Why? What do you mean?" I curiously asked.

"They talked to me about how good you used to work as a team, and all those years you spent living together." He told me while leaning on the table. "But tell me Max, in your own words, how close were you and Phoebe?"

This innocent question caught me off guard, bringing all those memories back to my mind, and it was practically impossible for me not to think about all the kisses we shared, all the morning cuddles or all those nights we spent together. Unfortunately, that's not something I can share with him.

I don't know if talking about Phoebe is going to be helpful or not, but I guess it won't be that bad if I tell him one thing or two about our brother and sister relationship. Of course I'm not gonna say anything about twincest.

"Well... we used to get along just fine, but not always was like that..." I began to explain. "It all started when we moved from Metroburg..."

March 11, 2024, Monday.
11:07 AM.

One week passed in the blink of an eye, and the day where I was supposed to see my siblings, finally arrived. Now that I'm following this new treatment, I don't have to worry about hurting anyone else, and the good thing is now I'm allowed to leave my room at will. Something I really needed.

I like to walk around the recreation zone or the back garden, and when that happens I can barely feel the security staff nervously looking at me, and I don't blame them. I almost killed two of their partners during my breakout attempt, so it's normal if they feel threatened by me.

But not everyone in Rutledge is so hostile, because Amanda and Jake still treat me good. They were re-assigned to another patient when I regain my mobility last year, so I hardly see them since then. But three days ago I saw them in the back side of the building, and as far as I could see, those two are still dating.

It's hard to believe that nobody here has noticed what happens between them. I guess people are too busy to actually pay attention to what others are doing. I wish the orderlies were more like that because no matter what I do, they keep watching me at every step I take, just like today.

I'm walking to the visitors room right know, wearing my inmate attire just like all days, but all I can think about is: 'don't lose your mind in front of them'. I'm sure nothing's gonna happen as long as the neutralizer pill is active in my system, but I still don't want them to see me like I was last week.

It's been months since I saw Billy and Nora at the funeral, but it's been forever since the last time I actually talked to them. Of course I miss them as much as I miss Chloe, but I wouldn't be surprised if they hate me for being so distant while I was hunting down Dark Slaughter.

I can feel the sunlight coming through the windows as I walk by corridor, and I swear I'll never get tired of this. Maybe it's just a normal reaction from someone who has been locked up in a building for months, or maybe it's just a sad reminder of those summer mornings at the apartment, I don't know.

"Max, they're waiting for you." Dr. Hudson said as soon as he saw me approaching to the visitors room.

"Thank you doctor." I told him before opening the door.

Once I walked into the room, the first thing I did was taking a look around the place. Despite of the current hour, I see there are some patients gathering with their families, but there's no clue of my siblings. I keep walking through the tables until I see four arms waving in the air near the bottom of the room, so I quickly head there.

"Max!" They both exclaimed at the same time, and stood up from the chairs immediately.

As soon as I got to that table they hugged me at the same time, but after seeing them more closely, I could barely recognize them. They looked so different from those teenagers I used to remember, and their appearance was nothing like the one they had during our last Thanksgiving.

Nora looks a little bit taller with those high boots. Her long hair seems to be dyed in black and for what I've seen so far, her berets phase is over, and that eyebrow piercing is a proof of it. Billy looks so different with that three-day beard and long hair, but it was his clothes and Nora's what really caught my attention.

I remember they used to wear bright colors every day, and it was so weird to see them with something black or gray, but now those seem to be their favorite colors. They're both wearing worn out jeans, dark colored t-shirts and denim jackets. I keep telling myself that they just changed their taste in clothing, but maybe there's something I'm not seeing.

"I can't believe you're here." I rushed to say as soon as they let me go.

"You won't get rid of us so easily." Nora replied in a funny way.

When I looked into their eyes I realized how wrong I was in judging them. I thought they would be mad at me for not being around when Phoebe died, but now they're here with a smile on their face, willing to talk to me after such a long time, and I couldn't be happier.

"But don't you just stand there, come on let's take a sit." I suggested before grabbing one of the chairs. "Wait a minute. If you're here... who's out there, saving Hiddenville?" I asked them once they seated in front of me.

"Easy. Mom and dad." Billy confessed without hesitating.

"Billy!" Nora shut him off immediately, slightly punching him with her elbow.

I wasn't expecting that. My parents were here last week and didn't mention any of this. I thought my siblings were still protecting the city due to Evelyn's commands but... I guess it's been a very long time since then. Maybe there is something I'm not seeing.

"So they're back?" I dubiously asked.

"Yeah. It's jut... mom and dad didn't want to say anything that could distract you from your treatment. Max, we all want you to get better as soon as possible." She explained to me before making a short pause. "Who knows... maybe we can have you back in home for Christmas this year. Oh and... don't worry, the city's in good hands." She added.

"I know. Who better than two legendary heroes to protect Hiddenville?" I replied with a soft smile. "But what about you two? Tell me all about Lasergirl and Lightspeed." I tried to change the subject.

"Well... we haven't really done a lot as superheroes lately. When Simone's boyfriend helped you heal your wounds and leave the hospital, Nora and I decided it was time to go back to our normal life, oh and guess what... she finally got accepted at College." Billy explained to me with a big smile on his face.

I knew this would happen sooner or later. When Billy and Nora were kids, they were so excited to become superheroes and protect their own city, just like Phoebe and me, but at some point everything changed. A couple years later, they were so focused on living their civilian identities, that they barely had time for anything else.

And as they grew up together, they preferred to explore other things to the point of putting aside the super trainings with mom and dad, and by the time they reached High School, it was clear for all of us that superhero life was not for them. It was just a matter of time for them to realize.

"Did you get into UF too?" I effusively asked Nora, and when I saw them nodding at the same time, there was only one thing I could tell them: "I'm so proud of you Nora. Both of you." They smiled at me with a hint of satisfaction, but their expression changed completely when I said: "And I'm sure she'd be so proud too."

June 02, 2024, Sunday.
10:45 AM.

I haven't had any psychotic episode in the last three months, and according to Dr. Hudson, this is the biggest progress he has witness in more than two decades of experience. I still miss Phoebe as much as the first day, maybe even more but... her memories have stopped triggering my hallucinations. At least for now.

I'm still taking those high tech pills every day, and even though I miss practicing my skill with telekinesis, I'm happy no one got hurt in all this time. My room looks exactly the same since they transferred me from Level 5 to Level 2, and I hope it stays that way because I wouldn't like to destroy another one.

This level is destined for patients with a moderate degree of danger, but thanks to prescriptions like mine, is not necessary to keep them locked up in heavy armored rooms. That's why the hallways are so much quiet than the ones from the medical area I arrived to in catatonic state.

I've had plenty of time to meditate in such a peaceful place like this, that I'm beginning to put my life in perspective. I've been trying to convince myself that all I did to kill that monster is completely justified, but this idea is so hard to accept when my mind is full of memories of me slaying all of his army.

"It scares me to think about what I could get to be if I only tried. I mean... after all I've done, what makes me different than them?"

That's all I could say after telling Dr. Hudson exactly what I did before fighting Dark Slaughter. When I shot the first blast I was completely out of my mind. All I wanted was to get ridge of those guys and find their leader at any cost, but now I have to struggle with the guilt of taking all those lives.

"What you're feeling right now, is what makes you different." He assured me.

When I first talked to him several months ago, I wasn't sure that these simple talks could help me in any way, but here I am now, leaned on the couch from his office as he writes something on his notebook. I guess I judged his methods so quickly.

"Max, you could've killed me and those orderlies when you tried to escape here, but you didn't. Yes, you were surrounded when you went after those criminals and so you were here, but you decided to run away instead of killing all of us. Trust me, what happened in that building was not your fault." He carefully explained to me.

"Maybe you're right, but I don't think Phoebe would be so proud for what I did." I replied before crossing my arms.

"Are you telling me that she wouldn't be here to support you?" He immediately asked, leaving me speechless.

In the blink of an eye I remembered all the times Phoebe was there for me. Like when she dared to use freeze breath on Pop-Pop to get in the Detention Zone and bring me back, or when she gave me the confidence I needed to get over my irrational fear of not making it to the Z-Force.

She always showed me her love and comprehension, whether I deserved it or not. Even the slightest symptom of a cold was enough for her to take care of me all day and treat me like a baby. Damn, she could've turned into a nurse just to take care of me personally.

"No. Of course she'd be here." I agreed with a soft smile.

"Look, despite of all the things you've done, there's no reason to believe that you can't have a normal life out there. You regained your mobility in just a few months, your hallucinations are practically gone." He began to say. "The only reason you're still here, is because there's something that is holding you back." He added.

"Like what?" I asked in disbelief.

I've been very careful not to say anything that could raise suspicions about my relationship with Phoebe, but every time I hear him talking like that, makes me wonder if he knows more than what he says. That's the main reason these sessions are so tiring for me, because I'm constantly trying to avoid talking about the biggest secret of my life.

"You're the only one who knows the answer. For what I've seen in the past few months, you don't need to take those pills anymore, but I want to make sure that there's nothing inside you that can trigger another psychotic episode." He carefully explained. "But its okay, we'll talk about this next week."

"Next week? We're not having a session tomorrow?" I rushed to ask.

"No. I'm flying to New York tomorrow evening. It's... it's personal. I was gonna tell Amanda or Jake to come see you from time to time, but they're a little short-handed at the medical area, so I decided to hire a nurse to help you out while I'm out." He told me before standing up from the couch on my left. "She comes from Kansas."

"Kansas? I didn't know you hired people outside the limits of Metroburg." I immediately replied.

"Only when they get in contact with supes or villains. I haven't had the chance to meet her, but one of my friends from Smallville Medical Center met her when he was teaching at a nursing school, and told to me a lot about her. She'll be here tomorrow morning."

It's always good to see new faces here. Now that I can walk around the recreation zone or the back garden, I've had the opportunity to meet some of the patients and the asylum staff. Even the orderlies I froze last year, have started to treat me better than the first time I walked out of my room alone.

I don't know anything about this nurse, but if she earned Dr. Hudson's trust without even meeting him, she must be one of the best nurses in Kansas. I'd rather that this girl was assigned to a patient who really needs her but hey... it's always good to have someone to talk to.

"All right. I guess I'll see you next week." I concluded.

June 03, 2024, Monday.
08:04 AM.

For some reason I woke up earlier this morning. I know I was dreaming about something, I just can't remember what it was. There was a moment when I thought someone was calling my name with a voice I couldn't recognize but... that's impossible. There's no one else in this room.

I put on the same boring clothes from everyday and once I grabbed something from the table, I decided to lay on the bed and kill some time with the only thing the asylum staff agreed to give me; a soft tennis ball. It may not be as fun as a tablet or a shock weapon, but it helps me keep my mind occupied.

And as I throw that thing in the air over and over again, I couldn't help but remember when I used to play tennis back in Junior High, so many years ago. I never really enjoyed this sport, but since it was one of the things Phoebe was not very good at, I loved to brag about my skills. After three victories at the Metroburg Junior Open, I earned a nickname.

"Excuse me Thunderslam, you're supposed to help me win the free membership!"

It's funny how my brain keeps bringing all these memories back. I'll never be able to forget that time when Phoebe asked my help to get in that rich club, just to spend more time with that asshole. I made her believe I was helping her just to get that embarrassing picture back, but it was a lie.

"Sorry Phoebe, but it turns out I love country club life! And one day of it is not enough. That membership is mine."

The truth is I was just trying to find the perfect excuse to be close to her, and what's better than hanging around that place to prevent her from making out with that guy? It was the same one who decided to cheat on her with his bug friend less than a year later. Man, I really enjoyed hitting him in the balls with a soft thing like this.

I can barely see the pain in his face again. I think I've never hit a ball with such strength before, not even on the championships, and I hate to admit it but... the next few weeks I kind of felt bad for that poor racket. And as I keep throwing the ball near the bright lights on the ceiling, I suddenly hear someone knocking at the door.

"Come on in." I exclaimed before throwing up the ball again.

I looked at my right and as soon as the door opened, I saw a blonde girl walking inside the room. She's wearing the same white uniform than the asylum staff, and is carrying a medical case in her left hand. The girl closed the door behind her and smiled at me for a few seconds, until she finally broke the ice:

"Hi! You must be Max Thunderman, and..." She tried to say with a marked foreign accent, but something made her stop. "And... looks like I got here just in time." She added right away.

I had no idea what she meant until I noticed she was looking up the ceiling, and suddenly something fell on my head. It was the tennis ball that has been levitating since she knocked at the door. It's been months since the last time I used telekinesis, that I didn't even feel when it got activated. I think I missed one pill yesterday.

The girl walked up to me without taking her eyes off of me, and the next thing she did was extending her right hand open. I stood up to shake her hand very nicely, and that's when I could take a better look on her. She seems to be a little shorter than me. Her long golden hair is tied in a ponytail, but there's something about those dark brown eyes that gets my attention.

"Would've been better a few minutes ago." I ironically said.

"Yes, maybe you're right. Anyway... Dr. Hudson probably told you about me, but if not, I'm gonna be your nurse till next week. That includes bringing your three meals, medicines, change of clothes and all you need." She carefully explained to me. "Oh by the way... my name is Tatiana Kuznetsova."

Considering her accent, I would've thought she's German, but now that I know what her name is, I'm almost sure she's Russian. I had the chance of learning other languages at the Hero League, but never really was one of my priorities. I bet Phoebe would've liked to know her.

"Nice to meet you, Tatiana. But... you're gonna have to tell me your last name again."

She just smiled at me and proceeded to open her medical case.

June 07, 2024, Friday.
09:22 PM.

Unlike I initially thought, having a nurse assigned to "take care of me" was not a bad idea after all. She showed a very cheerful attitude since the first day, and she always had a smile on her face. We used to talk a little bit every time she came to the room with my food tray, but now we talk for hours in the asylum surroundings.

The first time me and Tatiana had a long conversation was two days ago at the back garden. I was leaned beneath one of the trees, just looking at the clouds in the sky until she showed up and offered me a lemonade glass. I don't even know how we started to talk about our past, but that's how I learned a more about her.

She's 25 years old and born in Russia just like I thought. Her parents went bankrupt and decided to travel this country when she was a teenager, hoping to give her only daughter a better life here. Unfortunately they died in a car crash the same year they arrived, leaving Tatiana alone in the world.

St. Fatima's Orphanage was her home until she turned 18 and graduated from Smallville High School. Going to College was way too expensive for her, so she got forced to get a job at a local restaurant, and to rent a small apartment to live. Her plan was to resume her studies someday.

But her life changed completely when she witnessed the murder of a young girl in the middle of the road. The guy who killed her was a villain with the ability of pyrokinesis, but a more lethal variation that allows the owner to produce blue fire. Tatiana tried to help this girl but it was too late, and the only thing she found in her belongings was an ID card with the logo of CKU. That poor girl was a medical student at Central University of Kansas.

Ever since that day, Tatiana began to work really hard to follow her steps and get to be a nurse, but things were not that easy. She spent several months trying to find a way of adjusting her daily expenses, just to get in a nursing school she could pay. All she wanted was to help others.

Maybe that's why I trusted her enough to share some stories of my life. From my sordid past as a supervillain, to the day I decided to rectify my path and become a superhero. It's weird because I didn't trust Dr. Hudson for the first three or four weeks, and I doubt it was because of something related to my psychosis.

There's something about this girl that keeps arousing my curiosity. During our last conversations I felt like I already knew her, but that's impossible because she was a completely stranger to me just a few days ago. All I know is every time I talk to her, feels like I'm talking to an old friend.

Maybe that's why I sneak into the last floor of the building lately, to get things straight in my head. I'm not supposed to walk around the asylum less than an hour before curfew, but there's this hallway that has a window the size of a wall, where I like to sit down to look at the city.

And as I stare at the lighted up buildings at the distance, there's a memory that keeps playing in my head like it was yesterday; the first time Phoebe and I made love in our apartment. We've already lived together at Heroe's Take Care and the farthest we went to was kissing each other, but living as two passionate lovers hiding from the world, was something completely new for both of us.

We were peacefully cuddling under the sheets that night, with nothing more to worry about than feeling each other's warmness, but at some point I realized Phoebe was not in my lap anymore. Her biggest concern was to get caught by Chloe in one of her visits, so waking up in the middle of the night had become a habit for her.

After a rubbing my eyes a little bit, I got off the bed and walked out of the room to find her. A glass of water used to be enough for her when she was worried about something, so I thought of going to the kitchen first, but when I got to the living room Phoebe was there, standing right in front of the window, completely naked and staring at the city.

"A million dollars for your thoughts." A heard a soft voice saying, taking me by surprise.

It's funny because that is exactly what I told Phoebe when I got close to her that night, so I quickly turn my head and see Tatiana is sitting next to me. The lights are off but the moon is bright enough for me to see her face. I was so buried in my thoughts that I didn't even hear when she got here.

"What?" I asked right away.

"Sorry. You were so concentrated that I... never mind." Tatiana tried to say. "Well, now I see why you always disappear before getting back to your room. It's a beautiful view." She added while looking at the city.

"Yeah. Phoebe loved doing this. She always tried to find shapes or silhouettes among the lights." I told her before looking at the city again. "But she never found any because I always cut her off from behind."

"Really? How?" She asked in a curious way.

At that time Phoebe and I had not developed telepathy yet, but I didn't need it to know that she was feeling guilty for having a moral questionable relationship with her twin. In her own words, her sense of right and wrong had never been so blurred before.

Of course I wasn't gonna get into details with Tatiana. During the past few days we have shared a lot of things about us, just like two good friends would, but this is a secret no one else can know about. So when I heard that question, I had to say the first thing I came up with:

"By tickling her."

She just giggled at my answer like she was picturing the whole scene in her mind. We both remained silent for the next five minutes or so, just looking at the city side by side, but there was a time when I could barely feel she was staring at me. Like she was trying to ask me something.

"Have you thought about going back to the city? I mean... as a superhero?" She suddenly asked me, so I turned to face her.

"Yeah. That's what I promised Phoebe the day before her funeral, but I think that's impossible at this point. The Hero League kicked me out permanently after I beat up a guy and left him in a comma. Not to mention the criminals I killed before fighting against Dark Slaughter." I carefully explained to her. "I doubt people want a vengeful hero like me."

I wasn't really sure if I should tell her how is it that I ended up here, but when I finally did yesterday, she didn't seem to be scared or surprised as I thought. Maybe the years she spent working as a nurse are the cause of this big empathy of her, but I can't stop thinking that those brown eyes are trying to tell me something else.

"Well it's their loss." Tatiana assured me before looking at the city again.

The way she looked at me when I told her why I can't be a superhero, seemed very familiar to me. For a minute I thought she was going to encourage me to be a hero again, I could it in her eyes but for some reason she hold it back. The next thing she did was letting out a deep sigh, and stood up immediately.

"It's getting late. Let's go back to your room." She concluded.

June 10, 2024, Monday.
08:47 AM.

The week ended almost as fast as it started, and the last day Tatiana would be here was just to bring her uniform back, and a well detailed report for Dr. Hudson. Her work here was done, but I will never forget how caring and kind she was during her stay here.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to say goodbye to her. We were supposed to talk a little bit after dinner, just to kill some time before my time of sleep. When she walked out of my room to take everything back to the kitchen, I laid down on the bed for a while and waited for her to return, but never thought I'd fall asleep before she arrived.

Now it's too late and I can't help but feeling guilty, because last time really I trusted a person who was not from my family, was several years ago when I started dating Allison. Probably this is just another day at work in Tatiana's life, but at least I would've liked to thank her.

And here I am, laying on the bed and looking at the ceiling as I keep blaming myself. I woke up not so long ago thanks to the constant steps I hear outside of my room, something I'll never get used to. As soon as I got off the bed, I walked to the sink to wash my face in front of the mirror and for the first time in months, my beard still looks stubble.

I turn around and the first thing I see, is the change of clothes Tatiana used to leave on the drawer chest every night. Suddenly this strange sensation starts running through my body, and then I feel how these powers are coming back again, just like the day I met her.

I close my eyes as I slowly try to redirect this energy through my body. After such a long time without using powers, I thought it would take me a lot to use telekinesis again, but as soon as I aimed my right hand at those clothes on the drawer chest, I made them fly straight to my hand with just a single move of my wrist.

Seems like the effects of the neutralizer pill are fading away, but judging by the way I telekinetically pulled the clothes, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to use these powers at its maximum level any time soon. And as I think about this, I place the clothes on the table to start taking off my t-shirt.

I throw it at the bed and grab the other one from the table, but just when I was about to put it on, I hear someone knocking at the door repeatedly. It's almost 9 O'clock in the morning, so that must be Dr. Hudson with today's pill. Man, I really hope it's the last one.

"It's open, doc." I replied, raising up the voice.

My face was still covered by the t-shirt when I heard the door opening, and when I finally put it on, I saw Tatiana standing right in the middle of the entrance. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I think she was staring at me way before I realized she was there. The way she lowered her gaze as soon as I looked into her eyes, raised my suspicions.

"Sorry. I should've called first." She apologized with that Russian accent I thought I'd never hear again.

"Tatiana? What are you doing here?" I asked in astonishment while getting close to her.

I thought she'd be on her way to Kansas by this time, but now she's right in front of me with a visitor pass hanging from her neck, and dressing as civilian. This is the first time I see her as a normal girl, wearing dark blue jeans, a light colored shirt, high heels, and her long wavy hair hanging loose to her shoulders. She closed the door behind her and turned around with that sweet smile of her.

"Well, I just gave my report to one of Dr. Hudson's assistants; Amanda. She was very nice by the way." She began to explain like she was trying to elaborate her answer. "I was about to leave but.. I wanted to say goodbye before going back to Smallville, so I asked her this special permission to come see you." She added while showing me the pass.

"I'm glad to see you again." I replied smiling back. "I can't believe I fell asleep last night, I just..." I tried to say but she didn't let me finish.

"It's okay Max. You were just tired." She kindly assured me.

"Yeah well... I guess spending hours playing chess is kind of tiring after all." I pointed out with a hint of humor.

"I hate to say it but... I told you so." She playfully replied with a smirk I never saw before.

She then stared at me with those deep brown eyes. I don't know why but every time she stares at me like that, I feel this strange pressure in my chest that I don't even know what it means. It was hard to put aside this feeling, but I managed to do so because this is probably the last time I'm gonna see her.

"It was really nice to meet you." I sincerely told her.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you as well." She answered me with a soft smile.

I was about to wish her good luck on her trip, when she suddenly came towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck, very tightly. She didn't say anything, she just exhaled deeply like she was holding back form crying. I hugged her with both of my arms around her waist and when I placed my head on her shoulder, I could smell the scent from her hair.

"Goodbye Max Thunderman." Tatiana whispered me, right before letting me go.

When I finally saw her face again, she didn't look like she was about to cry, but there was something in her eyes that told me the contrary. I don't know, maybe I'm just overanalyzing things. Maybe it's perfectly normal for her to get a little bit upset when saying goodbye to her patients. She clearly has an amazing empathy with people.

The next thing she did was walking back to the entrance and opened the door very slowly, but before taking a step out of the room, she looked at me for the last time and waved at me with her right hand. I did the same and we couldn't help but sharing a soft smile, until she finally closed the door.

I stood there for a couple seconds before going back to the table to keep changing my clothes. The room is completely silent right now, and all I hear is the peaceful sound of the air conditioner coming from the vents. I was about to grab the rest of the clothes when I suddenly hear a well known voice in the back of my head:

"I hope I can see you again."

That's Phoebe's voice, I can't be wrong. It sounded so real that I quickly turned around to see where did it come from, but no one was there. I try to remember when was the last time she told me these same words but I can't, because it was not a memory... it was telepathy.

"Phoebe? Is that you?" I mentally tried to ask, but didn't get an answer.

To be continued...