Unity by Carl Stubblefield (epub read online books TXT) 📕

“Why? Oh boy. To be honest, I really don’t know what MP is. It’s just the fuel for your powers.”

Cap looked around as if looking for something, then again with the shrug.

“Where? Like where does it come from?”

A vigorous head nodding ‘yes.’

“I don’t know…”

The eyes looked severe and Cap jabbed at its temple.

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking, jeesh. So it’s energy that fuels powers, and somehow the Nth must be able to use it to make abilities work. You showed it as a part of me. Has that always been that way, or only after I became a super?”

Cap held up two fingers. It pointed to the first and nodded, then the second and shook its head.

“I guess I should just ask yes or no questions so it’s easier to respond. So if I’m understanding you, MP has always been a part of me?”

Cap nodded and gave a thumbs up.

“And other humans?” The nodding continued. “All humans, even regs?” Still nodding.

“That’s something I didn’t know. So we all have access to this MP energy whether we have abilities or not. The difference must come when we get Nth to actually do something with that—"

Cap pointed at Gus and was nodding like a madman. He had hit upon something. Cap waggled its fingertips forwards as if it was helping someone park a car. Keep it coming.

“So if everyone has it, and it must recharge, do we generate this energy ourselves?”

Cap waggled a finger no.

“So we don’t make it, but we absorb it over time?”

Thumbs up.

“So it comes from the environment, then?”

The wishy-washy, sort-of gesture.

“Is there more than one type of MP?”

Cap leaned back and closed its eyes in what could only be ecstasy as it pinched its fingers and nodded with slow satisfaction. It stepped over to the blue thread and peeled it like a banana into six thinner filaments.

There was an orange one, a translucent one, an opaque white, dark black, light green, and brown. The threads sparkled as light glinted off them, reflecting on tiny hidden facets, refracting light slightly when it hit them just the right way.

“Whoa.” Gus scooted closer to get a better look but the being put a gentle hand on his shoulder and gave him a warning look. It was only after backing up and blinking that he saw after images from the filaments temporarily burned into his vision. Gus rubbed his closed eyelids and still saw the afterimages of the sparkling threads. When they finally started to fade, it was back to a mere blue thread and the figure zipped them back together and the mini-Gus reformed and sublimated away.

The figure folded its arms expectantly.

Gus grimaced and rubbed his tongue over his teeth. When the figure didn’t move or respond, Gus ran a hand through his hair.

“You gotta give me something more than that.”

A finger stabbed out, wagging at Gus a number of times, each time a little bit higher before ending right above his head. It then did the pinching zip motion with its fingers and waved goodbye. It turned and stepped back into the water, its body dissolving into a brighter glint on the water’s surface upon stepping completely in the water. Once the crest of its head dipped below a wave, it was gone.

What was all that about? And how does it possibly help me?

An errant wave sloshed over his feet, tickling them as the sand streamed by as the wave receded. Gus looked over his shoulder and saw a familiar outcrop. He navigated to the spot and watched the ocean and pondered what he needed to do as he watched the day settle into a golden sunset.

Chapter Seventy-Four

Want You Gone

“Razor. I’ve tried to be patient all these years. I thought we were past all this once we both graduated. Agree to disagree and just go our separate ways. I think you’ve told yourself a different story about what really happened. Enough that you have convinced yourself that things happened differently than they did. You were the bully. I don’t understand how you’ve made yourself out to be the victim. It just pissed you off that despite all you did, I succeeded in spite of you. That’s the real issue, isn’t it? Short little Darik always beating you somehow.”

Like I chose to be short. Out of all the Lusk men in his family, he was at least a foot shorter than his shortest brother. A trade-off for getting his powers much earlier than normal. While he had a much more intuitive control of his abilities, in his case it severely stunted his growth. He was never really self-conscious about it, regardless of how much idiots like Razor thought it was a dig.

“If the instructors weren’t favoring you, none of that would have happened! I earned the top space, but they had to be all sensitive and politically correct. Let the little guy win,” Razor finished in a taunting high-pitched voice.

“You just can’t admit that anyone could have beaten you fair and square, can you? It just doesn’t compute in that small brain of yours. You know, Razor, some people are wise enough to learn from the experience of others, but some just have to put their hand on the stove and get burned before they actually believe that they’ll get burned. I’ve had enough of taking the higher road. It obviously doesn’t work with you. If you start something, I’m not pulling any more punches. I won’t hold back from here on out. Don’t start no shite, and won’t be no shite.”

Razor rubbed his hands in eager anticipation. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Behind Darik, one of the others crept up, having been stealthed the entire time, waiting for the signal. He cocked back an arm, ready to hit Darik in the back of the head and disorient him. With a swing, the punch connected and the sound of bone crunching was audible. Spittle flew. It was on!

If there was one thing that