Chapter 7

The Talk

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "Why so sudden?" I knew it was probably for the best, but I was still nervous about something for the first time in years. Her parents have been nothing but nice to me this entire time and I don't want to jeopardize that relationship.

"Because Aiden, we can't keep this up. Eventually they're going to start asking why you disappear for so long and how you have so much money without a job. It's better to just come clean now before things get out of hand." She had a point. The longer you keep a lie going the more heavy the truth becomes.

"You're right. So when do we tell them? How much do we tell them? You sure they should know about the conflict?" They might be ok with knowing that I'm a Conduit, but I don't know how they'll react to realization that I've killed before.

"We'll just tell them everything. Regardless of how they react I'll still be with you." She looked me in the eyes and could tell that this girl would always be by my side.

I cupped her cheek and said, "I love you princess."

She replied by standing on her tip toes and giving me a peck on the lips. "I love you too. Now let's get this over with."

We made our way downstairs. Ms. Johnson was still sitting at the kitchen table and Mr. Johnson was in making getting some water from the fridge. "Yo peoples." I said, getting their attention. "We have something to tell you." Me and Jess sat down on the other side of the table, well Jessica did, I continued standing because I had an idea of how I would show it to them.

"What's up guys?" Mr. Johnson asked after he got his water and sat down next to his wife. "Wait. Is Jessica pregnant?! I'm gonna be a grandfather aren't I?" He said ecstatic, practically jumping in his seat. Mrs. J gave a little chuckle at his antics.

"Ha. No, nah it's not that, it's… actually, I think it'd be best to show you." I took a step back to the archway that separates the dining room and the living room. I slowed down time to think about what I would demonstrate first. I could just teleport across the room and that would basically get my point across. I could pull something out of my inventory but I think that might give the wrong impression since all I have in there are weapons. During my thoughts I realized I don't really have that many abilities. I should try to find some new ideas for things I could potentially do. Anyway, back to the situation at hand, I decided to just teleport across the room and see what happens. I took a deep breath and focused on the spot in front of the display case of silverware sitting in the dining room across from the table. With a "bamf" sound I disappeared and reappeared instantaneously in front of the display case. The sound came from the air rushing in to fill the spot I once occupied.

I turned around and waited for the freakout that was bound to happen. Her parents were just sitting there staring at me. A few moments passed and Mrs. J started laughing, while her husband looked upset. "I told you!" Mrs. J shouted. "Pay up fucker." She had a smug grin on her face.

"Alright, calm down." Mr. Johnson said disgruntledly, pulling $50 out of his pocket and handing it to his wife. "I had a feeling I would lose."

"Wait, what the hell is going on?" Jessica spoke up, standing from her spot at the table and coming over to stand next to me. "You guys knew that he was a Conduit?" She sounded confused, but I could tell she was little relieved that they weren't freaking out over the news.

"We didn't know necessarily." Mr.s J said while counting her money. When she finished she put the money in her pocket and said, "I had a feeling that you were because of how often you never seemed to care about dangerous situations. I figured that was because you knew you could handle any problem brought your way. Like that time you got hit by that car last year in November. It was like you saw everything that was going on around you, you rolled out of the way of that car, jumped back from the one that was coming the opposite way, and got right back up when the third one came outta nowhere and hit you, sending you flying into the air." She said, like she was explaining something as awesome as Bruce Lee's "One Inch Punch" to somebody.

I remember that day. It was the same year I found out about my powers. I was coming to meet them at the train station because they had just gotten back from Thanksgiving with some family up in New York. I wasn't paying attention because I had seen them across the street. I walked into the street while a car was coming, I heard the horn honk and I slowed down time to assess the situation. A red Toyota was about 50 feet away from me moving at about 18 miles an hour. The only way to avoid was to roll forward, but another car, a red Chevrolet, was coming from my right, so I would have to jump backwards because my roll would put me right in it's path. I went ahead with my plan but I hadn't anticipated the grey Honda that was coming up beside the first car that almost hit me. It was too close to dodge without teleporting out of the way so I decide to just take the hit. I knew I would be fine afterwards anyway.

"So." Mr. Johnson picked up. "She came home and explained to me what she saw and how she was convinced that you were a Conduit after that, but I just thought you were really fast and extremely durable. We placed a bet that day and unfortunately, I just lost." He said, dejected.

"Hold up a second, if Mrs. J won and got fifty bucks… what did you even bet? Cuz the only way you could win would be to ask me and it seems like you weren't plannin' to do that." I said confused.

"I bet her that if a year went by and no more evidence that you were a Conduit passed by, she would have to letmetryanal." He said, speeding past the last part.

"What was that?" Jess asked. I was pretty sure she heard him the first time.

He sighed, "If I won, she would have to let me try anal." He said, avoiding eye contact.

Jess and I burst out laughing. "Woooow man, that's hilarious." I said trying to catch my breath.

"Anyway!" Mr. Johnson said trying to change the subject. "What exactly are your powers?"

I took a few more moments to calm down and said, "I can control space and time. I can slow time down, speed it up, speed up my perception of the world to be able to react faster, etcetera. When it comes to controllin' space, I can store things of any size in a pocket dimension and pull them out at will, I can make the space around me harder to create shields or make platforms to walk on in the air. I haven't really tried anything new as of yet, so that's all I got at the moment. I plan to search up some ways people in fiction have been known to use these powers to get more ideas." I explained.

"Why would it matter if you had more powers? What do you need them for?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

I was hoping they wouldn't ask that and I could just get out of telling them what I've been doing. I locked eyes with Jessica and she gave me a small nod and a smile to encourage me. I took a deep breath in through my nose and out my mouth and said, "I need more powers because, I'm fightin' the FKD to avenge my mom. That attack on that warehouse you heard about on the news earlier was me. I went in and I… y'know... I understand if you don't want me in your house anymore, but please don't stop me from seeing Jess. I can't lose her." I looked down at the ground and waited for their response. They looked at each other and had a sort of unspoken conversation. The kind that only people who really know each other can have.

After a few moments Mr. Johnson spoke up. "Aiden look, I understand that you're angry about what happened to your mother, but killing them won't bring her back. Are you sure this is the path you want to take? Because, there is no coming back from it." He said while making his way towards me. He put his hand on my shoulder and look me in the eyes.

"Yes. I'm sure. The FKD have been running this city for way too long, taking whatever they want. I won't let this continue to happen. I have the ability to at least try to stop them and it would be selfish not to try." I said with determination.

"I respect that. I really truly do, and if you're sure you can handle this then we won't try to stop you."

"Thank you guys so much for understa-" I started to say.

"But." He said cutting me off. "I think it would be best if you relocate somewhere else. I'm not saying you can't come here anymore, but you being here will paint a huge target on our house for the FKD. I have to look out for my wife and daughter first and foremost. You've become like a son to us and we care about you like you were ours, but I'm sure you can understand how dangerous you living here is."

"I understand completely. But I don't know where to go? I have money but I don't know the first thing about buying a house." I couldn't just live on the street.

"Of course we'll help you Aiden." Mrs. J said from her spot at the table. "We'll find you a nice place relatively close. How much money do you have?"

"About $50,000" I said casually. Mr. and Mrs. J dropped their jaws in surprise. "Where'd you get that kinda money?" Mr. J asked.

"I picked it up from the warehouse. I went back and looked around after Jessica went to sleep that night. I have it tucked away inside my inventory." I said pulling it out and opening it. There were bills of all sizes held together with rubber bands.

Once she picked her jaw up from the floor Mrs. J said, "That should be more than enough to get you a very nice house. We'll start looking tomorrow."

"In the meantime." Mr. J cut in. "Try to be discrete about coming and going ok? Since you can teleport I suggest just teleporting in and out so nobody sees you."

"I gotcha. So everythings fine? You aren't like, angry that I've been killing people?" I was surprised they were taking this so well. Jessica was completely appalled by my actions when she found out, but they were just taking it in stride.

"Aiden we grew up in the projects, we've seen it all." Mr. Johnson said nonchalantly, and made his way upstairs to him and his wife's room.

"Fair enough I suppose." I turned to Jessica put my arm around her. "Well that was easier than I thought it would be. Now I'm gonna go and search up some new ways to use my powers, you wanna help?" I offered.

"Sure why not." She replied and walked over to the couch while I teleported upstairs to grab the laptop then teleported back down. I heard Mrs. J yell "Showoff," from the dining room and I chuckled. I sat down next to Jess on the couch and we started searching up examples of fictional characters with control over time and space.