Look who's ready to get back to this story after almost two months!
It feels good to get back to work on this!
#101: Time to say goodbye
Saturday, at the ferry dock...
Man, time sure does fly. Time to head back to Metropolis already.
I just finished talking to my siblings and dad, and my mom's talking to Karen right now.
The two of them finally had that meet up on Wednesday, and now Mom wants her as her daughter-in-law.
I'm sure you may or may not have noticed the new jeweled bracelet on Karen's wrist.
Funny story actually...
Flashback, Wednesday, late afternoon...
Karen and I are on the sidewalk/conveyor going down the street, her arm around mine. We just got back from my Mom's place.
"I guess you were right, Aaron. I had nothing to worry about."
"What'd I tell you?"
"Well, except the part where she threatened both of us."
Oh yeah, Mom threatened both of us that if we don't treat each other right, it would not end well for us.
"Oh, and sorry about my phone buzzing the whole time." "It wasn't your fault, Aaron."
Yeah, my phone was blowing up with messages from people that brought me down in the past. You can imagine how I feel about that.
That's when I got an idea to get my mind off it.
"Hey, Karen, wanna see something cool?" "Um, sure."
At some point, I led Karen off the sidewalk and towards a large bridge over a canal. We went to the middle of it, and I pointed towards the setting sun behind us.
We watched as it went all the way down, leaving the sky black before a few stars started appearing.
"Is that what you wanted to show me?" "Nope, this is."
I turned her around and the sight left her speechless.
The lights from the cars, billboards, and other things in MegaCity reflected off the water in the canal making this beautiful sight under the night sky.
"Whoa." "I know, right? This scene at this time fits perfectly." "For what?" "The bracelet I already gave you." "What bra-"
I can tell she noticed my smirk. I saw her look at her left wrist, then her right and she saw a gold bracelet with honeycomb patterns on it, and a few jewels on it.
There was some text engraved on it, and she read it.
"'I'll love you for as long as you love me back.'" She looked at me and happy tears started coming out of her eyes. "Aaron..."
She ran to me and into my arms.
End flashback!
I think I delivered that perfectly.
Karen came over, took my hand and then Zach, Angel, and Fei came.
Angel said, "Well, guess we'll see you all next time."
"Bet on it." I said.
I hugged the three of them, did my bro shake with Zach, and went onboard the ferry with Karen.
I looked back at the town and smiled.
I'll miss MegaCity, but I can always come back.
I did a head count of everyone on the ferry and noticed that one of us was missing.
"Anyone seen-?" "Coming!"
We all looked back and saw Carol kissing Zach.
Oh right, almost forgot to tell you. The two of them actually hit it off on Thursday. Sure the two of them'll have a long distance relationship, but with the chemistry they have, I know it'll last long.
Carol finally joined the rest of us on the ferry, and as it started moving, most of us waved goodbye to everyone.
#102: Project H.O.P.E.
A bit later...
Out at sea, everyone was waiting to head back to Metropolis.
Jessica and Pamela especially.
Why's that? Well...
Flashback, Thursday, around noon...
Elsie came into the penthouse elevator, where as Jess was just about to go into it.
"Oh, hi, Ms. Palmer." she greeted.
"Hey, Jessica. Do you think you give this to Aaron. He left it behind when he moved." "Of course."
Elsie handed Jessica a purple file folder with some papers inside, before leaving again.
Aaron was in the penthouse at the time, so she could give it to him now.
Yet, when she flipped it over to see the other side, on it was a picture of the Earth and under it read:
Project H.O.P.E.
This peaked Jessica's interest.
Pamela happened to walk by with Phil, and saw what was on the folder, making her walk over.
"What's Project H.O.P.E.?" she asked.
Jess answered, "I don't know. It's Aaron's. His mom said he left it when he moved."
"Left what behind?"
Aaron walked in and Jess handed him the file.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about Project H.O.P.E.." "What is it?"
"H.O.P.E. stands for Help Our Planet Earth. With how we're practically tearing the planet apart with our own hands and not even realizing it, I hand a bunch of ideas for ways to help our world and every living thing on it. There were gonna be research stations, facilities, and a bunch of science involved for all of this, but I guess I never got around to it because of how things are in MegaCity."
Jessica then went, "*gasps* Aaron, I just got a great idea! When we get back home, why don't we start Project H.O.P.E. in Metropolis? This could help a lot of people, and we'd be saving the planet at the same time."
"...I won't lie to you, Jess, but that's a great idea. We'd need some help to start it up, though."
"*turns to Pamela* Pam, how would you like to-" "I'm in."
"Really?" Both of them asked, Aaron confused, and Jessica elated. Pam wasn't usually one to join other people with something. But in this case, "I'll help out."
"Perfect." Aaron said, "When we get back, I'll find a place to get us started. Let's get ready to save our planet!"
Aaron and Jessica cheered, and Pamela just smiled a bit.
End flashback!
Jess is sitting down with Pam and the two are going through Aaron's file.
"It all looks so...thought out. Looks complicated."
"Aaron can walk us through it. Besides, it's for the environment." Jess said before closing the file for now, "And I am so glad that you'll be helping us get through it!"
She was about to hug her, but stopped herself when Pam looked at her.
But, Pam her hopeful smile, and before groaning she said, "Fine. Go ahead."
Jessica squealed before hugging Pam who had to sit there and take it.
"It's like ever since Aaron showed up, you've been more open than you've usually been."
Hearing that, Pam's face went red. "Well, I don't know about that."
#103: New powers, same Techno
Metropolis ferry docks...
Aarondroid and I were helping everyone with their luggage.
Man, feels good to be back on Metropolis.
After I helped Zee with her leaning tower of baggage, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around and saw Pam.
"Um...Thank you for taking us to MegaCity. It was nice."
"Anytime."
She then turned around and got in the car with the rest of her friends. She was the only one who waved goodbye with Harleen before Selina drove them all off, speeding away.
But, the second they were out of sight, I was pulled by the wrist by Kara and into Jess' van. Aarondroid sat next to me and all the girls got in after.
I think I know what this is about.
Later, in the S.H.G.'s hideout...
"You girls know I can check these powers out myself right?" "We're not taking any chances, Aaron."
I rolled my eyes at Diana's response. The girls hooked me up and sat me next to a computer.
Remember how the power of the X-Star was combined with my powers and is flowing through me? Well, the girls were cautious and they planned this right before we left for the ferry.
"What if something were to happen and we're not around?"
I couldn't respond because Karen covered my mouth right when I opened it.
"Don't say you can handle it. Last time you said that, you almost got yourself killed."
"*removes Karen's hand then sighs* You girls worry about me too much."
"We care about you too much. *kisses Aaron's cheek*"
On the computer Babs was looking at the readings of original powers, and my new X powers.
"Okay, Aaron, I'm gonna need you to make a little electrical energy for me."
I shrugged my shoulders and did so. I put my hands next to each other, and neon green and dark purple electricity moved between the two of them.
"Huh, even though they're different, they have the same level of energy." she said, "But if they're used at the same time, they'd be a lot more...what's the word?"
A stream of my energy suddenly went from between my hands, zapped Kara, and flung her into the wall.
"...Zappy?" "Yeah, that works."
"My bad, Kara. I gotcha."
I got up, but when my feet touched the floor, I felt something off about my feet.
I lifted my foot and under it, I saw some of my energy traveling between my foot and the ground.
"Huh, that's new." My energy was making my feet cling to the ground.
I backflipped onto the wall to test something, and my theory was right. Thanks to my power up, my energy can cling me to stuff.
"I knew it!" Babs said, "When you absorbed the X-Star's power, I knew that force field you made to save Karen wasn't the only knew power you had!"
"I wonder what else I can do." I said, still on the wall, walking to Kara and pulling her out.
Time to test out my X-powers.
Cue montage!
Aarondroid's inside a dark purple force field made from my dark X-energy, and my normal energy is traveling all over it. I don't have to do that, but I wanna test something.
"Okay, someone blast the thing."
Kara wasted no time and lazed the force field with her heat vision, but surprisingly, when my energy touched it, some of it wrapped around where it hit the field, and suddenly, it pushed the beam off, and pushed Kara back into the wall!
My force fields are new, but if my energy's on it, it'll rebound the attacks it gets. Sweet.
Babs nodded at the information before taking note of it in the computer.
I was sitting at a table and Jess put down a rusty hammer down in front of me
This test was to see if my glitches changed in any way.
When I touched the hammer with my glitching hand, I was expecting it to swap with something with the same value, but instead, it looked brand new, and it was now made of pure silver!
Karen picked it up and tested it on the table, and it was legit.
So now not only can I switch the value of something, I can increase the value of something. That'll come in handy at some point.
Babs took notes of that as well.
There's streams of my energy moving between my hands, and I'm standing in front of Diana who handed me her sword.
I wanted to try something.
I took the sword, and slid one of my hands across it, and when I reached the tip of it, the sword's blade was now very dark grey and both colors of my energy were crackling across it.
We both looked amazed as I gave it back to her.
I moved back as Aarondroid, who had a plate of steel, rolled to where I was standing.
Babs nodded to him and he threw it at Diana.
On instinct, Diana pulled back before swinging her blade, and it split the steel plate right down the middle! Both halves hit to the floor and we were at a loss for words.
Giving Techno-downloads to others is one thing, powering things up with my electricity is another, but now I can give my power to weapons and stuff like this?!
Babs immediately made more notes of this before throwing two Batarangs at me. You should've known by now that I caught them in both hands.
In my glitching hands they turned a darker yellow and were also crackling with my energy.
"My Techno Vision says it'll last a while, but not forever." I said.
Thant's new, now I can see other things with my Techno Vision.
End montage!
Seeing how we were all done for the day, we all sat down in front of the T.V. in the hideout for a movie.
We lost the remote, so I was going through the films with my powers.
The only problem was that I had I had to deal with everyone bickering about what they wanted to watch.
All I did was sigh and roll my eyes.
#104: Why's love so complicated?
Later at night, Pamela Isley's room...
In the bed of said redhead, she was in it while looking up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep.
Why? Take a guess.
She got her phone and scrolled through it and she stopped on a picture of Techno.
For a bit, her mind made her see him as Aaron, and the words he said to her on the night the two of them met up in costume played
'I made an oath to help those who can't help themselves. We're all on this planet together.'
She dropped her phone and her face went red as she covered her face with her hands.
In her thoughts were, "Why does he have to be the only one who cares?! How does he have to be the one that's on my mind?! Why does he have to already be in a relationship?!"
"*sigh*" "I want to be with him, but when he finds out about who I am, he'll never talk to me again. Worse, he has Karen. He might not even say yes."
Then something played in her head. It was Aaron's advice that he gave her at school.
'The first thing you need to do is something big, and I mean really big, that can get his trust in you. After that, with his girlfriend, tell him how you feel, but be specific with it so that she doesn't get any wrong ideas. Two things will happen. One: he says that he won't like you that way. Two: he tries to think of a way so that no one gets their heart broken.'
She thought about it for a second.
There was Project H.O.P.E. that she, Aaron, and Jessica were going to start up, that might be big enough. But that's Pam doing something big, what about Poison Ivy? If Pam helps out with Project H.O.P.E., then reveals that she's Poison Ivy, Aaron might ask a couple of questions and think she just used Project H.O.P.E. as a cover or something.
So now not only does she have to do good as herself, she also has to be good as Poison Ivy.
How? She has no idea.
As she thought about how, she slowly drifted to sleep.
#105: Day's ending
Aaron's bedroom...
I just got out of the bathroom and I'm in my sleepwear, and I just laid down in in bed.
I was about to go to sleep when I heard a tapping sound at my bedroom door.
Confused, I got back up and walked towards the door and opened it. I was stunned because it was Karen who was behind it with a bag over her shoulder.
I know I gave her a key to my house, but why's she here at this time of night?
"Karen? Why're you here?"
"I kinda told my parents that I was gonna stay at a friend's house. They'd flip out if they knew I went to stay at your place for the night."
"Okay, but that doesn't exactly explain why you're here."
"I couldn't sleep. Don't get upset, but I kinda wanted to *blushes*(quiet tone)...sleep in bed with you like in MegaCity?"
I sighed and rolled my eyes with a smile. "Why not?"
"*hugs Aaron* Thank you!" Karen then went into my bathroom, and I went to go into bed.
I laid down and looked up at the ceiling.
A bit later, Karen came back in in her nightgown and she got in bed with me.
We made out, snuggled, then waited to sleep to take us.
First day back in Metropolis, and everything's A-okay.