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

to get to know you. I don’t think that I would have gotten to know you as much as I have if all this hadn’t happened.” BoJack gestured, mimicking the crash and fire. “Am I wrong?” He peered at Gus, making eye contact before Gus could stare elsewhere.

“No,” Gus said, looking away as his face flushed.

“You know Wheaton’s law?”

Gus chuckled a bit. “Yeah.”

“Well, take it to heart then. You’re not a moody teenager anymore; you’re a super, so you have to up your game. Got it?” BoJack’s tone was encouraging, hopeful, and didn’t immediately throw up Gus’ deflector shields and make him defensive.

“I’ll make more of an effort. It’s hard though; some things are like a reflex. I feel awkward and inadequate around you guys and how you all get along and know how to work with each other. I don’t feel like I belong—like I’m some phony trying to fit in.”

“Everyone gets that at first. Okay? You’re normal. You’re hyper-aware of your own flaws and failures, and all you can see is everyone and the ease with which they do things, right? You’ve been doing this super thing for how long, a couple months?”

Gus nodded as he did some mental calculation. “Yeah, about two months.”

“So two months, teaching yourself, fighting monsters that scare any super out there, and coming out of it all intact. That doesn’t make you feel good? Then defeating a whole horde of other supers and keeping the island. Aurora still won’t tell us exactly how you managed to pull that off, says it’s your story to tell. So I don’t know what the big mystery is, but have you ever considered that some of the Crew may be as intimidated by you as you are by them?”

“Whatever.”

“And then how the Oracle singled you out like that? Do you think that’s normal? Supers are afraid of her, and what she can see and what she will ask in payment for that information. I have never heard of her taking an interest in anyone before either, so that’s another mystery. I don’t know what’s in your future, but I want you to be ready to meet whatever it is. It may be more important than anything supers have done in a while, if you’re affecting that many events and powerful individuals.”

“Dang. No pressure, right?”

“I hate to break it to you, mate, but if you got into the super business for a life of ease, you picked the wrong profession. It’s hard, thankless work if you don’t find your inner motivations.”

Which I still need to figure out, Gus thought.

“Okay, I don’t mean to pry. But can I give you some advice?” BoJack asked.

“Sure.”

“First, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing fine, probably better than a bunch of us did when we were at the same stage in our development. Second, like I said, give your father and the Crew an honest chance. Put yourself out there, and just trust that you’ll be okay whatever happens. Your dad is trying, but no one can keep that up forever if there’s constant resistance. If you want to know his motives, ask him. It doesn’t sound like you’ve been that close the last couple of years.”

“No, we haven’t,” Gus replied matter-of-factly.

“But things change. People change.”

“Do they though? It seems like most people generally make the same mistakes over and over.”

“True. Some do. But Gus, you have Nth. I don’t know what your whole path has been like, but I know one thing for sure. You are not the same person you were before those Nth entered your life. Sure—they change a part of your physiology and help you quantify your progress, but a large portion of that is based on your choices, Gus. Do you know what happens to supers who don’t grow?”

“Don’t they stagnate and lose their powers?”

“Exactly. So if you know that, why would you cling to anything that holds you back? These Nth don’t just give us super abilities, they help you improve any skill in life if it becomes an area of focus. Just because most don’t use them to improve the other aspects of life doesn’t mean that they can’t.

“Listen. My personal baggage kept me from progressing and developing when I was in your position. As a super but also as a person. You can have amazing powers and abilities yet still be someone no one wants to be around. That was me for a long while. And how can you help anyone if you’re in a pity party of one? I’ll tell you. You won’t. Family’s not around forever, and you will feel it when they’re gone, trust me. You’ve already lost your mom, don’t choose to lose your dad.”

Damn it, he’s right. Gus nodded in agreement. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“And the same goes for the Crew. Lower the walls and don’t wait for everyone to come to you. Sometimes to show you’re approachable, you have to extend the first olive branch.”

“I can do that too.”

“Gus, you’re probably somewhere in the 20s in levels, am I right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“You’re in the sweet spot for massive gains. For some reason, the requirements to level up and the ease of improving skills is magnified from about level 25 to 50. I squandered that and wasted my time. You can skate by and things will slowly level you out of this zone, even though it takes a lot more time doing it that way.

“But if you focus, you can really flesh out some of your abilities and make them your own. That’s what frustrates me about this new way we train supers. They have no Nth assistance, so they are losing massive guidance and probably wasting time making errors that would be so easily avoided with a mentor. You’re fortunate you know about yours. You asked me about my relationship with my Nth, how is yours?”

Gus’ heart fell another dip, just like he’d been on a roller-coaster or in transport turbulence.

“Not so good lately,” he admitted.

“That’s the last