Chương 36: Chapter 36
° Laurel Residence
° A Few Minutes Later
Matthew hovered down slowly towards the open top floor balcony of the mansion, greeting the already waiting Thena Laurel with a smile as Madison gently waved at her.
Thena smiled back at them, but Matthew noticed a slight stiffness to it that he found weird despite the welcoming situation.
He gently let Madison hop off his arms and watched as mother and daughter shared a big hug.
"Hi, mom" Madison said.
"Hi, honey" Thena smiled as they parted and looked at both "How was the tour? Did you like it?"
"I did. I didn't really expect much but I'm starting to think that I would actually enjoy it there" Madison replied.
Matthew chuckled softly in amusement, earning himself a sharp glance from Madison.
"It was awesome, Thena" Matthew answered, smiling at Madison as he continued "We did go through a bit of a hot situation, but--"
His words were cut off as Madison clamped a hand on mouth, but his eyes still held a bit of mirth that made Thena smile.
Albeit somewhat stiffly, he noticed.
Something was wrong and Matthew couldn't tell what, even when he attempted to mentally probe her at that moment.
Thena seemed to notice the attempt and brushed aside a brush a strand of her hair back one ear, showing the golden earring that dangled from her earlobe as she raised an unamused eyebrow.
That pretty much confirmed Matthew's suspicions as other pressing questions came to mind. Most worrying of all was how she knew and how she managed to create something to block his mental powers so easily and completely.
"Don't listen to him, mom!" Madison quickly said, "Matt's just spouting bullshit because his girlfriend blueballed him"
Thena tore her gaze away from Matthew and gave her daughter the raised eyebrow instead, "Language, young lady"
Madison held the urge to roll her eyes and said, "Sorry"
"Good. Now go to your room. I need to have a word with Matthew before I let him go" Thena pointed to inside the mansion, "Also, your Amazon delivery just arrived earlier and I put it on your bed"
"Oh my god, finally!" Madison jumped and all but dashed inside with so much as a wave goodbye.
Matthew could only watch as Thena once again focused her oddly serious gaze at him. Both standing in silence for a few moments, waiting for the other to speak up first.
"Uhm..." Matthew felt at a loss at what to say.
Thena simply raised her eyebrow further, showing her disappointment "What was that?"
"I'm..." Matthew hesitated, scratching the back of his head "I'm sorry?"
"For...what?" Thena said, urging him to be specific.
"For trying to..." Matthew hesitated, the thought of admitting his other powers for the first time was nerve wracking but he was already caught red handed so he decided to push forward "For trying to read your mind without permission?"
Thena surprised Matthew by nodding slowly, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"When you apologize next time, be more precise. Hesitating like that makes you seem so much more meek than you actually are" she said after letting out a short sigh and then turned to walk into the mansion, beckoning him to follow her.
Despite feeling embarrassed and a little thrown off, he still followed her inside. He wanted to know how much she knew.
Thena descended down to the kitchen and silently motioned for Matthew to sit on one of the barstools as she went on to peruse her fridge.
"Want anything, Matt?" she then asked after a moment "I have juice, cola, fiji--"
"Just cola is fine, thanks" Matthew quickly answered, settling on the stool as he silently waited for her to finish what she was doing.
His thoughts went in an odd direction as he watched her move around, noting her ease and grace of her movements as well as her lithe figure. It was an easy thing for him to see where Madison got her looks and smarts from, which left little to consider what the girl could've inherited from her father.
Matthew hadn't seen or even simply heard of the man being spoken by either, which he took to mean that whatever happened to the man was a private matter that he wasn't going to pry into without permission out of respect. But that didn't mean that Matthew didn't have his theories.
Whoever he was, he assumed he was quite the person to have gotten with such a beautiful and smart woman like Thena Laurel.
His thoughts wondered a bit more into her possible dating life or business life before he promptly snapped out of his thoughts just as a can of cola slid within reach, Thena was now sitting beside him with a glass of purple liquid in one hand.
"Oh, sorry to startle you" she said apologetically.
"I-its fine, I was just distracted" Matthew said as he opened the can and drank a few sips to enjoy the fizz.
Thena smiled and patted him on the arm, "If you say so, Matt"
She took a sip of her own, enjoying the taste with a light moan of satisfaction before putting it down. They fell silent, with one wanting to speak but waited for the other to speak first while the other eagerly waited for the questions to be asked.
Finally, after a moment, Matthew decided to go for it.
"How did you know?" he simply asked.
Thena smirked in amusement, "How could I not? You weren't being subtle with your use of your powers and so it was very easy to tell"
Matthew inwardly cursed at himself for being so careless.
"And speaking of powers" Thena continued "I wasn't aware that your father had them"
Matthew grimaced and admitted, "I...I don't think he does"
Despite the situation, he felt rather at finally being able to speak with someone about his 'extra powers'. Not that it made him feel any less of an oddity than he already was.
"I see" Thena said suddenly deep in thought "Then perhaps Debbie has a special bloodline that would explain it?"
Matthew shook his head "I don't know. Mom never mentioned any if she knew one of her relatives had mental powers"
"That's true" Thena nodded "Debbie was always honest and open about her life. But that leaves you with no clear answers and a lot of questions, doesn't it?"
Matthew let out a resigned chuckle "You don't know the half of it, Mrs.Laurel"
Thena smiled warmly "Then tell me. I'm all ears"
Matthew hesitated, not sure if he trusted her enough to tell her everything but also felt that comforted that her reaction to finding out wasn't in the negative.
"I see that you are conflicted about this" Thena said.
"Yeah. I am" Matthew admitted "I haven't told anyone, except for one other telepath I know, about any of this for months. It hasn't affected me just yet but it has also made me miserable at times. You can't expect me not to feel conflicted about it"
"Ah yes. Ms.Clarissa Vought, the Mid-Level Psion. I know" Thena said calmly "The GDA keeps a close eye on you and keeps a dossier of every person you've ever talked to, especially other super-powered individuals. But that is not part of what we are talking about here"
Thena leaned in "I want you to tell me everything about these mental powers of yours, from the moment you awakened them up to now"
"Why?" Matthew finally asked.
"Because of my daughter, Matthew" Thena said softly "You are an integral part of her social and personal life, whether you like to admit it or not. You are like two peas in a pod, stuck together at the hip from the moment you met. And by far, you are the only boy she trusts enough to bring to her room even at night. She treats you like you are family, and I am happy that she does"
Matthew unknowingly blushed at her words, feeling flattered and a little embarrassed.
"So I cannot risk any possibility of you harming her directly or indirectly as a result of you keeping that part of yourself a secret" Thena continued "If you tell me everything right now, then I can find a way to help you manage and even control it. I have already set up a shield for my baby girl, but who knows how much more powerful your mental powers will grow in the future? Who knows what other mental powers you will manifest?"
"That's...I would never..." Matthew paused, having difficulty finding the words to argue "These powers don't even work like that"
"And how can you be sure? What tests have you done to verify this assertion of yours?" Thena pointed out sternly "Are you willing to risk the life of your best friend on it?"
Matthew looked away, gritting his teeth as he had no reply.
Thena let out soft sigh "Exactly. I know you care for deeply, Matthew. And I am very thankful and happy knowing that she has someone like you in her life. So please, allow me to help you with this. As a thank you and a way for me to solve one of the very few worries I have over my baby girl"
Matthew closed his eyes and hesitated, but the answer was already decided in his mind. He just needed time to calm the strange feeling of immense joy he was feeling inside.
"Okay" Matthew said after a long moment "But we're gonna need more of that cola and somewhere Madison won't suddenly pop up and overhear what I'm about to say"
Thena smiled appreciatively "Of course, and you don't need to worry. I'm sure she'll take a long time to break into her new Stradivarius"
"That's...an expensive violin, right?" Matthew asked with mild surprise "You got her one?"
"Yes. Her birthday is coming and I have a feeling I'm gonna be busy, so I bought it as a gift in advance. Though I did mix it in with her new so--" Thena said and was interrupted by a loud joyful squeal and an affectionate 'I love you so much'from the upper floors.
They both smiled and chuckled, sharing a knowing glance at the upstairs.
"I think my point has been made" Thena said.
Matthew chuckled "Okay then"
Thena stood and served them a round of colas before Matthew began his tale. Soaring no details as he unloaded 6 months worth of detail and worry on her, gradually feeling unburdened by it as hours ticked past. Thena listened attentively and nudged him back on track when he went on unnecessary tangents. Her smile free and grew as he spoke of his feats, which made Matrhew curious for a moment but then it passed.
Matthew stopped after telling his latest use of power in the sewers of Upstate University, which earned him a concerned look from Thena.
"The university should've screened this Sinclair better before handing him my money" Thena grumbled.
"Your money? You mean you sponsor the Genius Grant?" Matthew asked, once again surprised.
"Yes. It was an initiative of mine that netted the company manners experts in the field of robotics and computer sciences" Thena sighed "But it seems that the screening program still has some issues. Thank you for bringing this to me, Matthew"
Matthew blinked "Oh, n-no problem. I'm just happy to help, I guess? Even if it was somewhat coincidental?"
Thena nodded "Now back to your story. I have to say, I am impressed. It seems that your Viltrumite genetics has influenced your ability to adapt and use your other mysterious powers as well"
"Really?" Matthew asked, interested.
"Of course" Thena drew out her glass tablet and placed it on the table, interacting with the holographic projection it presented to her "The planet has little when it comes to psionic heroes, that is superheroes who's powers are tied to the power of their mind, but those we do know show a pattern of growth in the their abilities consistent with their awakening and the amount rigours practice they put in. Essentially, the younger they are and the more they use their power, the more powerful they become"
She made a waving motion with her hand and the hologram displayed 2 figures, both female and with statistical data hovering beside them. One was obviously Claire Voyant in her superhero persona and was labeled as Mid-Level while the other was simply named as Purple and was labeled as High-Level.
"Who's Purple?" Matthew asked.
"An unknown High-Level Psion. The GDA encountered her a few years before your father was first sighted on Earth, but her appearance and combat data alone were all they could gather from her before she disappeared" Thena explained, focusing the hologram on the figure.
The image of her was blurry but Matthew could easily tell certain features that Thena happily listed out.
"Female. Approximately between the age of 24-28. About 5.8-6.1 feet tall. Fair complexion. Athletically built. And her most notable feature seems to be the long flowing purple hair" Thena said "And as for her combat data, we do not necessarily have any footage of it but the Guardians and a few of the other superhero teams have fought her and lost. Hence why she is considered High-Level"
Matthew's eyes widened "Seriously?"
"Yes. Several of them have signed incident reports detailing exactly what happened. And all of agreed on one thing, that she never so much as laid a hand on them and just used telekinesis or psychokinesis to take them all down within minutes of engagement" Thena explained.
Matthew was speechless as he imagined how the battles might've gone. The previous Guardians of the Globe versus a lone telekinetic who won despite the odds. The amount of psychic power the woman must possess was simply unthinkable to Matthew.
"The reason I am showing this to you, even if you haven't necessarily displayed the ability to utilize telekinesis or any other psychic ability we know of, is to give you an idea of what kind of power you might possess if my hypothesis about your abilities was correct" Thena said "We'll need further testing to be sure, but I am confident in my assessment. You will be very powerful"
Matthew felt a surge of pride fill him, feeling that Thena meant every word for some odd reason he couldn't quite tell.
A strange sounding alert from Thena's glass tablet interrupted them. Thena grabbed it and opened a small message hologram, then her expression hardened almost instantly before she closed it. She looked up and gave him a smile that seemed forced and a little stiff.
"How about we go test it now?" she said, standing up suddenly "I have an underground testing chamber you can use"
"Sure--wait, did you just say underground?"
***
° Laurel Mansion, Underground
Thena guided him to her office room and slid open a cabinet that housed a wide elevator that accessed the underground space that even Madison hadn't been told about.
Matthew gawked when the elevator opened to an open space high tech facility which was currently empty save for a number of automated machines that were busy conducting any sort of things Matthew quite tell what.
Thena smirked satisfactorily at the look on his face "Welcome to my private lab, where I conduct the necessary research needed to reverse engineer alien tech. Like that martian spear you gave me, which allowed me to create a more efficient and longer lasting clean energy battery I am currently planning on replacing my current ones"
Matthew was speechless as he floated down and took a look in closer inspection.
"Do not touch anything" Thena reminded "And if you're done, follow me"
Matthew didn't waste any time and floated behind Thena as she walked to a large set of heavily reinforced metal doors at one side of the lab. She placed a hand over an interface pad near its handle and it clicked, opening for her automatically. On the other side of the door was an even wider space filled with nothing but white squares that made up the walls, ceiling, and floor. All arranged to seamlessly simulate a fully white room, if one didnt get closer for a more detailed inspection.
Matthew floated through and inspected the room from the middle, wondering what its function was.
"Is this a testing room?" Matthew asked loudly.
"Yes, among other things. It can handle almost anything" Thena said as she shut the door behind herself tightly "But for now, it should serve as a holding cell. For you"
Matthew narrowed his eyes and turned, only to face Thena's tense expression and the dark purple glow around her eyes before a ray of black energy struck him in the chest.
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