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

“Whatever the reason, you guys have learned it well. I never sense that any of you are out of control or worried. Someday I’ll get there, right?”

“You’re funny, Gus.”

“Yeah, but looks aren’t everything,” Gus said, picking at some grass at his feet. “What do you think you’re going to do when you head back?” Gus dared asking, surprising even himself as the words spilled out.

“I don’t think I am going back. The cat’s literally out of the bag. You saw how Harmony reacted, and she wasn’t even directly affected by the whole Rockland mess. I guess that’s not totally fair. She probably got an earful from her father as she grew up, so that’s understandable. I don’t begrudge her of her opinion. I resent my own parents for their part in that fiasco and dragging me into it. I’m going to be dealing with the fallout the rest of my life. She comes from a certain point of view, and that’s how she’s seen the world for her whole life. I was much the same at one point.”

“Wow, I wouldn’t be making excuses for her if I were in your position,” Gus replied.

“It reminds me of the time I was blinded during a mission. I was too near a massive photon flare from some supers from Green Faction that we were battling. They were to my right and my right eye bore the brunt of the damage. With healing, it took me three weeks before they even dared attempt a surgery. And that was only for the less-affected left eye. Once it was done, I had to wait to see if the right eye would improve enough to be restored, or if it would be permanently altered. Plus we had to do it on the sly, so no one would know I was a hybrid.”

Gus turned and peered closer at Prime’s jade colored eyes. “So are they…?”

She just laughed and shook her head. “There are many things in my life that I’ve taken for granted. I didn’t realize how much losing one eye would change everything I do. It made me realize how much a tiny shift in perspective, a mere inch or two, could provide enough information to provide the depth and distance. It forced me to be aware of what I was missing without this different perspective. While I could see with only one eye, I was incomplete. I knew that there was something missing.”

“Like what?” Gus asked, extending his own feet and watching the rain drip on his boots.

“It made me contemplate what else I was missing by staying in one fixed perspective. To confront the things I was ignoring by refusing to consider another point of view. I can tell you’re trying to work out what to do and seeking out advice, but I’m afraid that I can’t really help you.

“My advice is based on my experiences and what works for me may not work for you. Trust me, don’t put too much faith in the answers other supers give you. They’re just as human as you. Full of faults, biases, and weaknesses. Don’t accept anything someone else tells you just because you think they have it all figured out. Do your due diligence, and realize what got them there most likely won’t get you where you want to go.”

“That’s not super reassuring. It’s basically saying, ‘figure it out yourself.’”

“There will be lots of voices telling you what to do. I’m sure you’re probably afraid that you’ll listen to the wrong one. Or you could be afraid that if you listen to what your gut tells you and you’re wrong, you are in the same place of failure; especially if you’ve made big mistakes before.

“When I was younger, I thought I would eventually stop making dumb mistakes. But here I am, still making them on a regular basis. I think that’s why I keep to myself. I’ve been burned too many times. Listened to others more than myself. Usually, my gut is right and the more I’ve trusted it—the less complications life seems to have.

“The problem with relying on the advice of others is that you can become dependent on it and avoid making those choices yourself. Either that or their advice does not fit your circumstances and you will blame them for the consequences. Neither are positions of power. You have to find your own way. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true. There are no shortcuts to figuring out this super business.”

“How do you keep going, though? How can you stay strong through the challenges and trials when everything appears to be beating you down? I feel like I’m losing a war of attrition and eventually I won’t have anything left to give.” Gus was careful choosing his words; he didn’t want to reveal anything that would clue Prime that he had been digging around in her thoughts.

“Sounds like you gotta find your ‘why.’ There’s different reasons why some of the Crew do what they do. I think everyone does the best with the cards they’ve been dealt, and try with all their might to make everyone think they’re sitting on a royal flush when they only have a pair. There is some truth in ‘faking it ‘til you make it,’ though. Which is why it’s a standard for Academy training.”

“I feel like a fake.” Gus tossed the bits of grass he had been meticulously shredding into tiny bits onto the ground.

“When I was first learning how to use my powers, they made you do these drills in the Academy. They never really worked for me, because I process things differently and access my powers in a relatively uncommon way. Ways to visualize connecting to your abilities or how to power them with MP. I can’t tell you how frustrated I was in the beginning, with how easily the others progressed and improved. I struggled just to keep up. It wasn’t until I let go and