Chapter 2
[Kent Nelson]
Kent would admit that he was still just as lost as he had been since he opened the front door of his home.
"-And then I told him 'You don't want to do this, buddy.' but the guy didn't listen and just sneered at me with that ugly mug of his. He tried to look down on me, because, well you know, he is an adult and all, and he was supposed to scare me. But he didn't even manage that, because the only thing I could think about was how rancid his breath was. Like, I get it, I found him passed out in an alley with a bottle in his hands, so he probably didn't have time to brush his teeth, but he could at least carry some m-," the kid, Bennett as he said he was called, continued blabbering words with barely a stop to take a breath before starting all over again.
What was happening that day? Kent pinched his arm discretely to make sure he wasn't dreaming. When that didn't work, he cast his gaze away from his… guest and to the living room. The fire was still lit and the tea cups filled with a steaming hot blend. He was the one who made the tea and hadn't lost sight of it, so it shouldn't be spiked.
"-I guess it was because of the belly, but the guy just had to put a lot of effort to kneel. Or maybe he had some knee condition? I don't really know, but it doesn't matter. So he tried to grab my head, but he couldn't because he was too tall and his tubby arms too short. So when he tries to kneel I just kick him in the nuts and bolt it out. That is when his buddy starts shouting… Hey, old man, are you listening?"
Perhaps some kind of illusion? No, his wards should have warned him about it at least. He had been keeping a closer, more manual control over them.
"Hellooo?"
Kent let out a sigh.
"I am listening, young one. Though, I would admit, with great reluctance… if you would kindly reach the point and answer my question already?" he asked while massaging his forehead.
"Oh, sure!... What was the question again?"
Kent let out another sigh that sounded far too much like a groan.
"I asked, how did you manage to find the tower and go around my wards?" he repeated.
It was the first thing he inquired about after letting the kid relieve himself in his toilet. Kent kept close attention to make sure he didn't try anything. He would admit he was reluctant to let a stranger inside the tower, but he still couldn't find it in his heart to turn someone who asked for aid away. Even when the situation was as… strange as that one.
Besides, he still needed to get answers from the child. He didn't strike him as malicious of any kind, and after years of training and crime battling, Kent was willing to listen to his instincts more often than not. That didn't mean he would just leave the question unanswered though. That was a possible danger that he couldn't afford to just wave off.
"Ah, right! About that. Well, I was getting to that-"
"You have been telling me stories for the past twenty minutes. Forgive me, young man, if I find your words hard to believe," he added with a roll of his eyes. The kid had been rambling non-stop since he came out of the toilet and both sat on the sofa to talk, only stopping occasionally to marvel at some feats of magic that occasionally happened around the room.
"Yeah, but what is the point of a story if you don't get the whole of it? Anyway, so I start blasting-"
"Can you just give me a summary, please?" Kent asked with some exasperation. He already knew young Bennett wasn't a bad kid. Although, he clearly had some issues focusing on a task for long.
"Fine… Drunk guy chase. I ran away. I reach outside of the city. Nature was calling and I didn't feel like going back. Then I found your tower," the kid said with a pout as he summarized the rest of the story in some short sentences. The pout was short-lived though, since Bennett distracted himself by making the floating teapot next to him fill up his cup once more.
Perhaps, Kent should have let him finish the story, because that explained literally nothing to him.
"And pray tell, how did you just find my tower, and could you also add how you just walked through all my defenses undetected right to my front door?" Kent tried to get his answers with another sigh. He had been doing that far too much.
"Well, I don't know about defenses. But about finding the tower, I just followed my guts," Bennett said with a nod.
"Followed your guts?"
"Yeah, I had to go, and just felt that if I walked in this direction I would find a place… So here I am. So I was right!"
Kent paused for a moment. To anyone else, the claim would have made no sense at all. He was fairly sure a certain bat-themed superhero would just frown and grumble, thinking the kid was just making fun of him or straight out lying badly. However, Kent was different, more open-minded and not so ready to dismiss the explanation. Magic worked in very mysterious ways, after all, and from what he could tell for a passing glance, the kid had it in him, quite a lot of it if the scans his wards had done on him since the moment he stepped foot inside the tower were to be believed.
"Did you have other gut feelings while walking all the way here? The need to crouch or perhaps stop randomly?"
"Yeah! How did you know? It was kind of weird, it usually happens only once or twice, but this time it was all over the place."
Well, that explained how he went through the wards without activating them. The kid had indeed found the hidden blind spot sequence of his wards, but not in the way he had expected at the beginning. Instead, he did it by just gut feelings alone.
Kent wasn't sure what to think about that.
However, wounded pride for his craft aside, it allowed him to reach the most likely theory about the kid. Assuming he wasn't lying, of course, but he rather doubted it. Bennett seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve and Kent would like to believe he wouldn't be tricked that easily.
"I have gained my fair share of tricks in my old age," he answered the boy's question, before rising from his seat with far more effort than he'd care to admit. "I believe I have the answer to my question, the only thing left is to confirm it. Would you be so kind as to follow me, young man?" he asked, gesturing towards the door with a tilt of his head and an extended hand.
"Sure thing, old man!" the kid said as he left his teacup on top of the table and stood up to follow behind him towards the interiors of his tower.
[}-o-{]
[Diana of Themyscira]
"You know, you said you were doing what a hero should do," Jason commented from where he sat in the middle of what looked like a cross between a waiting room and a hospital room. He was on a couch with several machines hooked to him through wires and some tubes that allowed the scientists at STAR Labs to better understand what the young man's newly found powers did. "I didn't know that involved telling stories… or would this be history lessons?"
"A bit of both, I imagine," Diana replied amusedly.
"That just makes it weirder," he said with a wry grin of his own. "So, where were we at?"
"Hercules' Trials."
"Yeah, I only knew him as the strong guy. Half the stuff you told me about him is new to me and he's the most famous one," Jason said and, while he didn't say or show it, Diana was fairly sure that he felt, somehow, ignorant because of that. Which was nonsense, if anyone asked her. It wasn't his fault that his education was lacking. Besides, it wasn't like the denizens of Man's World were knowledgeable on matters of Diana's own history, or Greek Mythology, as many still referred to it.
"History has a way of being twisted through the years together with the perception and opinion of those that relay it to others," Diana replied, drawing a nod from Jason.
"So, what happened nex-?" the young man went to say, whether out of genuine interest or a desire to take the conversation away from where it was at the moment, Diana didn't know. However, he didn't get to finish the question when suddenly there was a flicker on some of the lights in the room. "Fuck," he cursed, expression twisting into annoyance and some arcs of electricity cackling around his fingers before he relaxed again. "I suck," he muttered under his breath.
Diana simply gave him a patient smile.
"Nobody expects you to have perfect control of your powers but you, Jason," she told him, watching him sigh and deflate where he sat. "I know it's frustrating, but you are still new to this power, even with as many days as you've had them. Some powers are easy to get a handle of. Yours isn't one of them. Take your time. Being frustrated won't help."
"That's easier said than done," the young man commented despondently, closing his eyes. "I know I'm being an idiot, I just can't help but get annoyed."
"And that's understandable," Diana said with a nod. "Nothing to do but to keep going and wait for you to get better at it. Whether you are annoyed or not, it'll happen. I imagine you should focus on less negative things."
"I guess," Jason replied and she could only tilt her head. That hadn't been a dismissive response or even an unsure one. Neither had it been an agreement, however. Instead, the young man seemed… indifferent. "So, as I was saying before… before," he continued, waving his hand towards the lights on the ceiling. "What happened next?"
Diana almost wanted to ask if something was the matter, but she decided against that… for the moment. Instead, she continued telling him about heroes and monsters and gods. He was interested and she loved to teach others about her world as much as she loved learning about Man's World, so it worked out for them.
It had been their routine for the last few days, especially after he got out of the hospital. Occasionally, they'd even switch places, with Jason telling her some of the less… tragic stories of his life. He hadn't quite called them that, but she didn't like enabling his vocabulary too much.
At some point, their conversation was interrupted when one of the scientists at the lab approached Jason to ask him questions and test another device. It was what they did, more or less. Nobody had any real idea of how metahumans came to be and even less was known about how their powers worked. So, whenever one appeared, it was always a mystery to unravel from scratch.
"Being a lab rat isn't as bad as I thought it'd be," Jason commented, watching the woman walk away with her device after taking some notes on her clipboard. Before Diana could tell him that he wasn't a lab rat, he continued. "Do you know what's gonna happen to me after they are done with their tests and shit?"
"Language," she chastised, but he didn't seem to react to that. There was no annoyance or even an unimpressed raised eyebrow. Jason just stared at her, waiting for her response. Idly, she noted that there were no flickers of lights or screens. That is until she paid close attention and caught a constant static on the screens, barely noticeable.
"Is there like, a special place where they send people like me?" Jason asked, turning away and very deliberately keeping his voice even. Diana would know, after spending time with him, she knew that he hardly ever didn't express something.
"People like you?"
"You know, people with powers," he answered then with a shrug, but it sounded to her that he wanted to say something else instead of that. She carefully kept her expression calm even if she wanted to purse her lips. Jason could be cagey on many topics, she knew, and she also knew that he had good reasons for that.
"There are some places like that, yes." Diana nodded slowly. "I can see about getting information about them if you are interested."
A hum was all he had to respond to that with, but she knew something was going on in the young man's head. She was very curious, but she was also very aware that pushing would just make things worse. Jason was talking, so it was better to let him talk.
"And if I'm not interested?" he asked then, running the fingers of the hand that wasn't all but tied down with wires and tubes – or the one that was the least so, really – through his hair. "I can't just go back to normal, can I?"
"And why wouldn't you?" Diana asked, finally noticing that maybe she'd made a slight mistake. This realization was supported by the uncomprehending frown appearing on Jason's face. "After the scientists figure out how your power works, they'll be able to help you control it if you don't learn how to do it yourself. Once that's done, you could just as well go "back to normal" as you said. Although, I hope you'll let me at least help you not be in the same situation as you were before."
"Not being on the streets would be nice, yeah," he replied, but there was a lack of belief in what he was saying. He was resigned, Diana realized, to the only life he'd ever known. Maybe her previous statement would reassure him some.
Regardless, Diana had things to ponder on, even if she was fairly sure her decision was made already, whether by the Moirai or herself.
[}-o-{]
[Kent Nelson]
"I didn't mention this before, but you sure are a trusting kid for following a stranger into his home." Kent didn't like the implications of even being associated with… those kinds of people, but depending on Bennett's answer, he might have to impart the lesson to the kid that it wasn't okay to follow shady people around if his parents had taught him already. Something that he doubted had happened given how much the kid seemed to dodge any question about his origins. Kent wasn't obtuse enough to not know when someone was indirectly telling him to drop the subject. He would have to do his investigation later.
"Don't worry about it, old timer. I had a feeling that it would be okay. So it's okay!" Young Bennett said to him as if that made all the sense in the world, and he guessed that, to the young man, it did.
"I see," Kent said as he continued weaving his spells across his scrying room. A special place he had made to analyze and categorize the magic of any and all objects or people that existed in it.
While he had learned to identify the nature of most of those things by eye by that point, it was still useful to get far deeper and clearer readings. The fact that you could receive more precise information through specialized equipment over glancing estimates remained true in both science and magic. It was, possibly, one of the few things they tended to have in common.
Nevertheless, he had gotten the confirmation he needed about the kid, who still continued to discreetly try to approach the glowing artifacts in the room after being told multiple times not to touch anything. In a way, it explained Ken's easy acceptance of the boy's lackluster explanations. After all, he hadn't lied and likely hadn't left out anything.
'A Seer, huh? That explains the sporadic 'gut feelings' the young man says he has.' It also explained how the kid found a way to get past his wards almost by accident. It was a manifestation of his latent talent.
And what a talent it was. It was expected, of course, that one didn't simply manage to accidentally cross through what is practically an impenetrable fortress without even knowledge about the magic world with just a regular talent for scrying or even future visions. He wouldn't think of his tower's defenses as highly if it was that easy to bypass them.
Kent could say with full certainty that he had never, in his long life, seen someone with such an inclination for the Divination Arts.
The wizened old wizard continued going through the information his scrying room provided him, and the more he learned, the more certain he became of what a rare gem just walked through the door of his home. It was clear to him, that the kid's power had led him in this direction with a purpose. After all, what are the odds of a kid with a talent for the mystic arts, just happening to walk right into one of the foremost mages in the world by following a whim?
It was almost as if… As if it was an encounter made by fate…
Kent shook his head. It wouldn't do to dwell on those thoughts.
"I already told you not to touch that," he repeated for what he thought was the tenth time. The kid flinched and his grubby fingers retracted off the golden orrery.
"Ehm, right, sorry… Won't try that again," the kid said as he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
Kent didn't believe him for a second. Just as he hadn't believed him the other nine times. Give the kid five minutes and he would try to get his hands in something shiny again. Still, it would be enough to chastise the kid and let him work in silence for a few-
"What is it anyway?" the kid asked.
Kent sighed.
"It is a magical orrery," he explained. The kid just looked at him weirdly, so he clarified. "A magical artifact that simulates the movement of the celestial bodies across the cosmos to help with scrying." The kid continued to look at him weirdly. "...It is a mini solar system."
"Oh! Why didn't you say that then?" asked Bennett with a tilt of his head.
"... What do they teach kids in school these days?" he muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"I don't know. I don't go to school," the kid shrugged. "But I'd imagine that orreries aren't one of those things. That sounds like something you would learn from Google."
"From what?"
"Google. The search platform?" the kid asked.
All Kent could do was keep staring at the young boy, who in turn looked back flatly and took one of those accursed devices all youngsters seemed to have attached to their hands those days.
"Oh, one of those things," was all he had to say about the matter. He didn't know much about technology, admittedly. Even during the old days, he didn't keep up with it much. It was something he would usually let Red Tornado deal with.
"Old people," the boy muttered under his breath, stuffing the device back in his pocket with a roll of his eyes.
"You should be more respectful," Kent commented idly, setting his cane in front of him and planting both hands firmly on top of it. Years hadn't been kind to his legs or back. "Especially towards your teacher… If you want to learn magic, that is."
He knew the answer before Young Bennett even opened his mouth, just going by his wide, awe-filled eyes.
[}-o-{]
[Diana of Themyscira]
She watched from some distance away, behind a glass that didn't let Jason see neither her nor the scientists around her.
They were all there for what should be the young man's last test round. The STAR Labs employees were all looking intently at the screens in front of them, displaying different values, readings, and camera feedback. Besides Diana stood the Chief, overseeing everything and looking into the test room with her. He was ready to direct his team in case anything unexpected happened.
Maybe it was because of her presence, but Diana was happy to see that everyone had remained perfectly professional at all times.
Now, however, it was all on Jason to pull through this last test. If he did well, then he'd be allowed to leave the labs and rejoin society, even if he'd be asked to get regular checkups. Being let out didn't mean he'd mastered his powers, but it meant that he was no longer considered too unstable to be around others. Looking at him, Diana almost couldn't tell that he was nervous.
He was taking deep breaths though, a clear sign that he was keeping himself calm.
She moved forward and pressed a button. There was a minute or so before things got started anyway. And besides, she wanted Jason to succeed. She wanted to help him.
"It'll be fine, Jason," she told him through the radio, making him twitch a little due to the surprise. "And even if it's not, it just means you'll get to hear more history."
"Nobody likes history class, Diana. Even I know that and I haven't gone to school in years," the young man replied with a wry grin. Suddenly, Diana was grateful he couldn't see her frowning at that statement. However, she shook her head and kept herself focused. He was joking, which was a good sign.
"And yet, you keep letting me talk."
"Let the woman talk; Nod and hum at the right times," Jason said, quoting someone with a grin. "The best advice I ever got, I think."
Diana knew better than to get offended, especially because she knew very well he did a lot more than that when she "talked". He always seemed engaged in her narrations, always asked questions, pointed out things he knew regarding certain "myths" and much more. Jason was interested in learning in general, from the way he always listened and tried to understand when the scientists commented on their findings and other things about him or even just around him. That seemed to go double for Diana too.
"Hm, well, then you better do well, if you don't want to get more history lessons."
"Yes, ma'am," he replied with utmost seriousness… if it weren't for the wide grin on his face.
"Can we go ahead, ma'am?" the Chief asked her, actually meaning the respectful speech.
"It's starting now, Jason," she told him, and then the young man took one last deep breath and nodded. She followed that by letting go of the button and nodding at the head scientist. In turn, the man gave the orders to get started with the examination.
Instantly, the room Jason was in lit up, a myriad of lights set up along the walls except for glass panels like the one she was looking through on every sight. Not that there were more control rooms, but they were set up so the subject wouldn't know where they were. She wasn't sure what the purpose of that was, but Diana didn't like it. She liked the way they called Jason "subject" even less though.
Alas, they were doing their jobs and she didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.
After the room's lights were turned on, nothing else happened for some time, which was what they were looking for. When he'd first been admitted and even through the first few days, Jason had been unable to stop himself from affecting all sorts of electricity-dependent items around him. The closer they were, the worse. However, he was surrounded by lights at that moment, some of them on the floor directly beneath him, and none of them so much as flickered once.
Diana smiled.
That was far from the end, however.
Long minutes went by like that. She was told it was to see if boredom or annoyance triggered anything. Jason's power seemed to get more out of control with strong emotions of all kinds. Sometimes it was with things in his affected area and others, it was with sparks manifesting around his body. Neither of those things happened, however.
The next step was deliberately making him think he failed with some lights flickering. Jason frowned at that, but Diana didn't hear any of the scientists' comment about it, nor did she see anything on their screens, so she guessed he did well on that front too. Even if he didn't and some of the flickers were actually his doing, there was very little happening, so it couldn't be that bad.
A few more tests were made, flashing lights on and off, colored lights, audios, and a projection on one of the "windows". All of them, Jason seemed to pass, or so Diana thought. The scientists were the experts, so they'd have the last word. She was hopeful of the young man's chances though.
Eventually, the Chief announced that they were done.
"He passed," he informed her when she gave him a questioning glance. "There were some slip-ups here and there, but, considering previous testing, he did much better than we expected."
Diana grinned and, some minutes later, she found herself telling Jason the good news.
"I mean, with the threat of more history lessons, how could I fail?" Jason joked with a grin, but she noticed a touch of sadness in his voice. "Thanks for the help, by the way, and for staying around. I appreciate that."
"It was no trouble," she waved off, starting to get an idea of what was going on.
"I think I've taken up enough of your time though. The world needs Wonder Woman more than I do, pretty sure," he commented with a half-smile. "It was good to know you, Diana."
"Getting rid of me now that you don't need me anymore, for shame, Jason," she told him and for a second amused herself with the young man's confused expression. "You didn't think I'd just leave, did you?"
"Yes?" he replied, clearly having trouble understanding what she was trying to say.
"You don't have anywhere to go now, do you?" she asked softly with a smile to match.
"I mean, now, but I can manage just fine. I know you said you'd help, but I'll be fine, Diana. I'll just-"
"How would you like to have somewhere to go, Jason?" she interrupted and he stared at her. "How would you like to not have to manage, especially by yourself?"
She saw many emotions flash through his expression before settling in barely-contained hope.
"... What are you trying to tell me, Diana?"
"What I'm trying to offer you, Jason, is to come with me," she finished and she smiled at the way the hope broke through the thin veil that had tried to hide it before. She didn't think she'd ever actually seen that emotion in Jason before that moment.
"Will there be more history lessons involved?" he asked jokingly, his voice rough as if he had to speak through a knot in his throat.
"Of course there will."
"Then yeah… Yeah, I'd like that."
[} Chapter End {]
Adrian: Quest Completed: Get mentors!
Arc: And we all know what happens to mentors in any cliche action media.
Adrian: Either way, we are kind of taking our time with the introductions here. Anyone that reads my stuff should know to expect this though.
Arc: This is sort of an introductory arc until we start getting into the story proper. Get them a bit of training before they get exposed to the actual dangers around them. I also feel that this gives some of the adult characters a bit of depth and competency. Young Justice is fun, but most adult heroes are straight-up bashed in this series.
Adrian: Either way, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Random Adrian Question: Who's your favorite Young Justice character? Mine is… Superboy, I think. He's cool.…
Arc: Team Bennett is clearly superior, we have ADHD.
Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ
