{Chapter: 42 - Telepathy And Telekinesis}
Under the astonished gazes of all onlookers, the air itself seemed to ignite around Aiden. The very oxygen trembled as it fed the roaring blaze his hand caught on fire— the fire twisted and churned around his hand. Then—an big fist of searing fire, as tall as a man and dense like molten stone formed from the flames, twisted and churned above him. With a single forward gesture, he hurled it like a comet of rage toward the two agents of Division.
The firestorm ripped through the air, screaming like a wrathful banshee.
The two men reacted instantly, their telepathic bond allowing near-instantaneous coordination. One, the subordinate with raw psionic power, threw up a shimmering Telekinetic shield like Susan Storm around himself and the Division Commander. The other—the so-called "Boss"—drew an automatic rifle from beneath his coat and unleashed a torrent of bullets, every shot aimed precisely for Aiden's chest and head.
But the bullets never slowed him.
Aiden, now enhanced by his recently gotten ability—Super Durability— from The Thing. Stepped forward, the rounds bouncing harmlessly off his skin. Sparks flew, metal flattened, but his advance was relentless. The flames around his fists grew brighter, hotter—blinding—until his right arm looked like it was forged straight from the furnace.
With a wordless roar, Aiden charged. The ground beneath him blackened and cracked with every step.
Then—
Boom!
His magma-fist struck the shield.
A shriek of tearing psionic energy echoed as cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier. The air trembled from the impact.
Crack. Crack. Shatter.
The shield exploded like glass under a sledgehammer, fragments of pure force dissolving into the air. Aiden's fist didn't stop—it smashed straight through and slammed into the face of the telekinetic. The man's head whipped back with a wet crunch, blood and teeth spraying as his body crashed through a wall, crumpling into a twitching pile of limbs.
Before the Boss could retreat, Aiden's burning hand clamped around his wrist.
Ssssssszzzzzzhhht.
The scent of searing flesh filled the air as skin and muscle hissed beneath the heat. The Boss screamed—a primal, unfiltered howl of agony.
But then his eyes glowed—deep obsidian, shimmering with psychic malice—and he lashed out mentally, sending a wave of raw mental pressure crashing into Aiden's mind, like a thousand knives stabbing at his consciousness.
Aiden could feel a strong mental attack trying to control his mind.
Aiden smiled.
It was a slow, cruel smile.
"Wrong move," he growled.
Without any more hesitation, he directly launched his devouring powers.
Aiden's power expanded outward like a black hole, sucking in the man's ability with unstoppable hunger. The Boss's psychic attack faltered, turned to desperation.
"What is this—?! What are you doing?! Stop!" he shrieked, veins bulging in his neck, blood leaking from his nose.
He could feel his ability rapidly going out of his control. He struggled and constantly tried to fight against the devouring force,
But Aiden only tightened his grip.
The burning spread—flesh bubbled and blackened, nerves frayed and snapped like overstretched wires. The Boss convulsed violently, his powers unraveling, spiraling into Aiden's being as if his very soul was being flayed and consumed.
He could not stop it due to the constant pain he was experiencing from the burning sensation in his hands.
He thrashed, gasped—
—and then, silence.
After a few moments, his eyes returned to normal, and the warmth from Aiden's hand grew hotter and hotter, spreading throughout his body. After a few seconds, his body was burnt black, and after Aiden took his hands away, it turned into ashes!.
Aiden stood in the quiet aftermath, his skin still glowing faintly with emberlight, his expression dark and cold. He turned slowly to the second man—the one he'd smashed into the wall. The telekinetic was barely conscious, crawling, bloodied, trying to drag himself away through the rubble.
"Run, and I promise your end will be slower… more painful than his," Aiden said calmly, voice colder than the vacuum between stars.
The man froze.
That voice, that aura… it reached into something primal within him. The fear that bloomed in his chest was absolute. Every instinct told him to run—but his legs wouldn't obey. His soul wouldn't dare.
He slowly turned.
Aiden's eyes gleamed pitch-black now, like endless voids.
"Come to me."
The man obeyed.
Each step forward felt like walking into his own grave, but he couldn't stop. He stood in front of Aiden, body trembling, breath short.
Aiden placed a single hand against the man's chest.
"Let's see what you've got."
The same invisible suction began again. The man's eyes rolled back as his powers, his essence, were torn from him.
He didn't have the slightest resistance, so Aiden absorbed the ability very smoothly.
It flowed into Aiden like wine into a goblet—perfectly contained, utterly his.
He exhaled slowly, letting the power settle, then lifted his hand—and willed it.
The man's body floated upward.
Telekinesis. Not just raw power—control, finesse. The invisible grip Aiden summoned twisted slightly, and the man's limbs jerked involuntarily.
Still clumsy, not as fluid as the original user, but usable. Aiden could feel his mond becoming a bit strained due to this ability.
"Hmph. Not bad," Aiden murmured. "But it seems that although I have swallowed his ability, to increase strength and control of the ability, I still need to practice more.."
He dropped the man like trash.
The broken telekinetic hit the ground with a dull, wet thud, unconscious, twitching.
The carpet smoldered in places. Smoke curled lazily through the broken windows, carried off by the distant hum of the city beyond. The air was thick with heat and the acrid scent of burnt flesh.
And in the center of it all stood Aiden, untouched, unbothered, and grinning.
He had just obliterated the Division's finest with terrifying ease, and in doing so, had taken their abilities for himself. He could feel them stirring inside—telekinesis like invisible arms at his fingertips, and telepathy, a new voice whispering the world's thoughts into his mind.
He turned his head slowly, his glowing eyes locking onto the three terrified fugitives still huddled in the corner.
Cassie, sweat-streaked and trembling, clutched her arms around herself. Her voice, though soft, cut through the silence.
"Y-you won't kill us… right?" she asked, her lower lip trembling.
Aiden tilted his head, studying her. For a moment, it wasn't clear whether he was amused, insulted, or just bored.
Then he shrugged. "That depends entirely on your cooperation."
His voice was smooth. Calm. Like the surface of still water concealing predators underneath.
Nick, still shaken, stepped forward slightly, his hands raised in a non-threatening gesture. The movement took effort; his legs were barely holding him up. His mouth was dry.
"What do you want us to do?" he asked, eyes flicking between Aiden and the scorched corpse in the hallway.
Aiden's grin widened—not unkindly, but with a sharp edge.
"You should be glad you're meeting me now and not before," he said, stepping forward. 'You've caught me on a good day. There's no mission. No alignment with good or evil. I'm not choosing sides… yet.'
He paused, his gaze narrowing.
"First things first—give me the drug."
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Cassie glanced at Kira. Nick did the same. A silent conversation passed between them—wary, reluctant, and laced with fear.
Finally, Cassie nodded. "Give it to him," she whispered. "He… he hasn't hurt us yet. He kept his word before. He might do it again."
Kira hesitated. Her fingers trembled as she reached behind her belt and retrieved the small black case—plain, metal, and cool to the touch.
She stepped forward slowly, like a lamb approaching a lion, and held it out.
Aiden didn't take it.
Instead, he lifted his hand lazily. The case rose from her palm and hovered in the air, suspended by his newfound telekinetic power. With a flick of his finger, it clicked open.
Inside lay a single vial.
The gene potion.
A silvery-blue liquid shimmered within.
Aiden reached out and touched the rim of the box with his bare finger. Instantly, his eyes unfocused. His mind swam with images—memories imprinted on the object. He saw gloved hands placing the vial into the case. He saw the lab. He saw the terrified scientists. He saw the blood.
Psychometry, Sniff, Another power he had gotten not long ago.
When the vision ended, he blinked once, satisfied. This is the ability to track through touching things. Through these scenes, Aiden quickly determined that the box had no problem, that is, this potion is the real deal.
"No tampering. This is the real thing."
He waved his hand again, and the case vanished into thin air, stored. He kept the gene potion into the system inventory.
Cassie, Kira, and Nick stared, eyes wide. Curiosity flickered briefly on their faces, but fear held their questions hostage.
Aiden turned to Cassie.
"I told you," he said gently, "that if I ever got the chance… I'd help you save your mother."
Her breath hitched.
"Really?" she asked, voice barely audible. "You're really going to help?"
"I said I would," he replied, "and I meant it."
Cassie's knees nearly buckled. Tears welled in her eyes as hope pierced through her fear.
"You're not doing this out of kindness," Kira said cautiously, more accusation than question.
Aiden turned his gaze on her.
"No," he said bluntly. "But I'm not a monster either. Saving her mother is a side quest to me—a trivial task. I can do it with a snap of my fingers. And while I'm there… I'll do a little cleaning."
He stepped forward, his coat swaying behind him like a shadow.
"I will save your mother. Of course, saving your mother is just a matter of hand, I think… have you seen my abilities? I will absorb the abilities of the people in the base. In addition, I'll need the scientists there—alive there to improve the gene potion of superpowers. I want them to refine this gene potion. Improve it. Expand it."
He paused, giving each of them a cold, unreadable look.
"In exchange, you get something more precious than freedom."
"What?" Nick asked, voice raw.
"A life," Aiden said. "A normal one. No running. No hiding. No Division agents. No fear. I'll wipe your memories of all this—powers, blood, death, Division. You'll be nobodies again. High school students. Bartenders. Travelers. Whatever you want. And if you behave… you'll never see me again."
Cassie looked down at her hands. "And if we don't cooperate?"
Aiden's smile returned—pleasant, charming, and terrifying.
"Then you'll be the next powers I absorb."
Silence returned. Thick. Heavy.
Then Nick exhaled slowly. "We agree."
Kira nodded beside him, biting her lip.
Cassie swallowed and whispered, "Yes."
Being able to live a normal life without constantly running away was a luxury, not to mention they had no power to refuse. Not against someone like him.
But for now—he wasn't their enemy.
And maybe, just maybe… he was the one person in this world who could destroy the system that had been hunting them their whole lives.
"Great. Kira should know the location of the organization, take me there, I will save her mother."