It was clear that saying this was hard for her. Coming to me had been a shock for her. But…
"Why me? Wouldn't Helios help you?" I understood she didn't come to me for no reason. With an army and an ancient organization that had opposed beings like me for centuries, she had plenty of tools, yet she still came here.
"They definitely won't help. My adoptive father was always a man of his word and firm convictions," she lowered her head. "But that time, when that mummy awakened…"
"Wait, wait," I waved my hands. "What mummy?"
Wiping away a tear, she looked up and said:
"Sorry, I'm jumping from topic to topic, my head's a mess," she downed her cup in one gulp and continued. "After those events when you were seen injured, my father, John Stone, Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army, passed on that information. He got a promotion and intense attention from all services—internal and external. Everyone and their dog was watching us, trying to figure out how he confirmed Superman's existence. Helios took an interest in John too, and as an agent in the army, I was ordered to report anything unusual around him. Then, during a routine army operation in the Middle East, they opened an unknown sarcophagus. A female mummy came out, killed the soldiers on the spot, and disappeared. Helios sprang into action. Combat teams were sent to the Egyptian desert, and rapid-response units were assigned to me. That's when my father seemed to lose it," she blinked. "He never handled personnel losses well, but he always understood they were inevitable. Mines, traps, covert attacks," I nodded mentally, as that's par for the course in those places. "But he couldn't accept that some bandaged figure with a whip cut soldiers to pieces."
I didn't interrupt, but here I couldn't hold back. It was hard to believe, even though I'd seen Atlas.
"A mummy with a whip? You sure?"
"I saw the video, Brandon. It was a real mummy with a whip. But that's not the point. Helios, as usual, handled the task, though they lost a few teams. They captured her, and she's under lock and key. I thought it was over, thought I could go back to normal life. But at some point, I lost control. I didn't notice everything going downhill. My father didn't calm down. Losing his purpose hit him hard. For months, he scoured the Middle East looking for that creature, but he didn't find it. And who was he even looking for? She wasn't there anymore. But I couldn't tell him I'd been lying to him my whole life and that the mummy had long been caught. What an idiot I am…"
She fell silent for long minutes, lost in her thoughts.
"What happened to him, Jane?"
"He ended up in a forbidden zone," she said, snapping out of it, her voice empty as she stared through me. "The City in the Mist. One of the most dangerous zones on the African continent. By Helios's classification—the highest, the final one."
"The City in the Mist?"
"A city shrouded in mist, forever lost in its form. Even gods couldn't illuminate this place. Full of hidden secrets and deadly creatures guarding them. A city where all senses fail, and life seems to freeze. A city you can enter but never leave," she recited, as if from a book, but time was running out.
"What's your request, Jane?" I interrupted, already guessing what she wanted.
"Come with me, Brandon. Only you can get him out of there. Helios would never venture into the Mist's territory…"
---
We had to end the conversation a minute later—Mom got worried and came to check on us. Jane, scribbling something on paper, gathered her things and tactfully left for a local hotel, as she mentioned, hinting where I should go.
Tori and I talked briefly during my late dinner. She supported me, though she was a bit upset that I hadn't told her about the university. I explained my made-up action by saying I didn't want to disappoint her if I failed. In a surge of emotion, she hugged me and said:
"You'll never disappoint me, son. Even if the whole world turns away from you, I'll be proud of you. Remember that."
Her words caught me off guard, but then she let me go do my homework, ordering me not to go to bed—tonight was movie night. Traditions that persisted even without Kyle were still alive. It was nice to just sit, turn off my enhanced senses, and enjoy a quiet evening with Tori watching an old comedy. Not thinking about a world where a god from Apokolips rages, about Kyle, who died because of me, about Jane and Helios. Just a normal evening with Mom and a hilariously funny movie.
But all good things end. The movie didn't finish before Tori fell asleep. Covering her with a blanket and checking that the doors were locked, I returned to my room and flew out through the window. My hearing returned to its naturally enhanced state—Tori's breathing and heartbeat were as clear as always. Since I nearly lost her, I hadn't let go of that control for a second. It was like an obsession, but I couldn't do otherwise. The suffocating fear of losing her still lived in me, and I fed it as much as I could. Attachment was too strong—in this world, she was the only thing holding me here.
I flew into the night sky. The moon shone brightly with white light, and the wind whistled in my ears, playing along with it. Spreading my arms, I inhaled the clean air at high speed. The wind pulled me sideways, my arms outstretched—I felt like I was becoming part of this vastness. The moon ahead—a bright white spot, almost too close, as if I could reach out and touch it. The whistle in my ears was like a melody of the wind, and I was its instrument. Everything else vanished: no ground, no people, no noise—just the air and me. Every breath was cold, fresh, washing away the heaviness. The speed was such that it felt like I'd crash any moment, but I didn't fall. I just raced forward, every inch of my body filled with the sensation of flight. Freedom without looking back, without thoughts of what's next. I was motion, a pure stream of air and moonlight. Pure power.
A minute later, I landed on the roof of a three-story hotel—the most expensive one in town, by the way. Scanning the building, I found Jane. She didn't seem to expect me—she was in the shower, running her hands over her athletic body. I decided to wait. Though the thought of taking another look crossed my mind, I suppressed it. Even for an alien organism, puberty was relevant, but finding a partner on this planet? In a world of heroes—maybe, but not here.
Staring at the empty moon with fluttering flags, I passed the time. Twenty minutes later, she finished. I gently descended to the second floor from the top and knocked on the window. Jane flinched, pulled a gun from under the pants on the bed, and aimed at the glass. But, recognizing me, she exhaled, put the weapon away, opened the curtains and window, letting cold air into the room.
"Couldn't use the door?" she asked, mesmerized, watching me step onto the carpet, smoothly landing from flight.
Catching that fleeting familiar smell again, I grimaced. What was it? Sweet with a hint of acid, like… But the thought slipped away, and I forgot about it.
Taking off my hood and showing my face, I raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"A thirteen-year-old boy visiting a girl's room at night? I think you'd have about five minutes before the police showed up. And they'd have a ton of questions."
She awkwardly tossed her wet hair and silently went to dry it. Well, well. Looking around the small room, I sat in an armchair and closed my eyes. The hairdryer hummed—the night promised to be long.
Five minutes later, she returned and, still wrapped in a towel, sat nearby.
"You should put some clothes on, you'll catch a cold," I said without opening my eyes.
"Don't worry, Brandon, I can't get sick," she chuckled. I opened my eyes and looked at her.
"Oh? And how's that?" X-ray vision showed she was a normal human—I already knew that. But that confidence…
"Because I'm not human," her eyes flashed yellow, as if tinged with straw. Hmm. Looking her over again, I noticed nothing except a strange glint in her eyes that briefly captivated me. "Don't bother trying, you won't see anything."
"Ho, so you can feel my gaze?" I tilted my head. There was something odd in her words, but I couldn't pinpoint what.
"All members of the Divine Protection of the Sun God, Helios, have powers granted by nature or Helios itself to protect humanity. There are no ordinary people in our ranks, and there never have been."
"So, you're not human?"
"I'm a lycan, Brandon. My essence tells me when you're scanning my body or something around me."
"So, like a werewolf?" I mused, amazed at how many secrets my planet still held. Someone capable of sensing my power?
"Sort of. Smarter, stronger, and so on," she smirked. "But we're getting off-topic. Will you help save my father? Please…"
"Depends on what you offer," I said, looking away, finding no signs of a werewolf in her, and gazing through the walls at the sky. The night was especially beautiful.
"What I offer?" she asked, stunned, as if hearing this for the first time. Lost in thought, she fell silent.
"Yeah. You didn't think I'd rush to your scary city to save the father of some random person just because she found me? Do I look like an idiot? Or a lunatic?" I asked, bewildered, turning to her.
"I thought you were a hero. But you…" she began accusingly, like a kindergarten kid, leaning back in the chair and covering her face with her hands. Her body trembled, her eyes watered. But her pulse stayed steady, her heart beat calmly. Seriously? She's trying to manipulate me? Her first move was too obvious. Too abrupt, too clumsy.
I don't like that.
My eyes glowed red, the room's temperature spiked. A trick I'd mastered over months of using energy—emitting heat outside my eyes—came in handy. This would do for now. My lips parted slightly, and I said quietly:
"Don't you dare play games with me, Jane. It's easier for me to burn you on the Sun than to play hero."
She looked at me fearfully with yellow eyes, exhaled sharply, and wiped away her tears. Her quiet voice was weak but sincere:
"Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Yeah, yeah, none of us meant to, and so on," I interrupted. My appearance gives people a false sense of control, but they have none. Never will. Not with me. "Forget it. Now tell me what you can offer for my help. And remember, Jane, no manipulations. Or your death will be quick and pointless. You have five minutes."