21. History

Opening the door, I called the girls. Gwen walked in first, followed by Ashley, a little nervous.

- Ashley, this is my grandfather Max Tennyson. He is a former Space Plumber and was once your father's partner. - I introduced my grandfather, and then did the opposite: - Grandpa, this is Ashley Levin, Devin's daughter.

- Nice to meet you, Ashley. - said the grandfather with a smile.

- Nice, too, Mr. Tennyson. Can you tell me about your father? - Ashley asked, embarrassed and hopeful.

- Certainly can. But first, let me know what you know about Devin? - sitting on a chair, grandfather.

- All I know is that he was a Space Plumber and died during the mission. Also, that I got superpowers from him. - also crouched down, said Ashley.

- Right. We have been working together for 8 years. - said the grandfather sadly.

- What happened to him? - Ashley asked.

- This was my last mission. Your father and I tried to escape from a dangerous criminal. His name was Ragnarok, he stole the energy of the stars and sold at a high price. Devin managed to steal the key of Ragnarok's ship, where he kept all of his energy reserves. During the chase, Ragnarok was able to damage our ship and we were stuck in space, after which Ragnarok was able to infiltrate our ship. Devin had to abuse his powers to give us time. I tried to stop Ragnarok, but no weapon worked. - said the grandfather and let out a tired exhale.

- And what happened next? - Ashley asked in a low voice.

- Next, I tried to use the Null Void Projector to lock Ragnarok there, but he prevented me. Ragnarok shot me with an attack that would have killed me for sure, but Devin protected me with his body. Seeing a chance, wasting no time, I used the projector and sent it to Dimension Zero. - said the grandfather, closing his eyes.

- What happened to my father? - Asked already crying Ashley.

- He died in my arms. I asked him why he protected me, because he had a little daughter and a wife, and he answered me that it was not so bad to die protecting the Earth. Before he died, he asked me to tell you that he would always love you. - said Grandpa, wiping away a tear that had appeared. During the story, the grandfather grew old before our eyes. It's hard for him all the same.

- What happened then? - Asked sad Ashley, still crying.

- I called for reinforcements and was able to get to Earth. After that there was a funeral with all the honors. During the funeral, I tried to talk to Amanda, but she did not listen to me and said that she never wanted to see me again. After that, she left with you from Bellwood, where you lived before. I haven't seen you since. And I myself have retired. A couple of months after that, Lex's parents died in a car accident. It was only thanks to your father that I was able to take care of my grandson. I will always remember this. - said the grandfather, in my opinion, too solemnly.

- Why didn't mom tell me about it? - Ashley asked, practically sobbing.

- Most likely she wanted to protect you. She thinks your father died because of his work as a Plumber. She just didn't want that kind of fate for you. It was a banal fear for you. - Said, before that, I was silent.

- But in my opinion, it was a little silly. At least part of it should have been said. - I said again.

- What do you mean? - Ashley asked, wiping away her tears.

- You see, Ashley, you are, like your father, an Osmosis. This is a very rare race, the main feature of which is the absorption and use of different materials. - I told.

- And? Why did my mother have to tell me about this? - Ashley asked, confused.

- She should have warned you of your strength. You see, the Osmosians are known to go mad and go mad because of their strength. Your father was skilled enough at this to use his powers without fear of losing control. But unlike him, you have not been trained by the Plumbers and you have no control at all. - I said seriously.

- So that's why my mother forbade me to use my powers. - finally grasping the whole point, said Ashley.

- Most likely. But it won't help you. You already feel addicted to strength, right? Have you ever had moments when you felt omnipotent? - I asked, knowing the answer perfectly well.

- Yes, it happened a couple of times. But I thought it was natural for me. And thoughts of omnipotence, I quickly discarded. - Ashley said with fear, clearly anticipating something bad.

- You need to learn to control your powers. You are right, it is your nature, but you cannot give in to it. It is you who should use your powers, not they you. - I said, and then continued: - Your mom only made things worse. Because of her prohibition, the addiction could only get worse. And you could have lost control of power faster. Most likely, she simply did not know about it. She needed to ask her grandfather or other Plumbers for help, but she was too stubborn. Although it is also possible to understand.

- And now what i can do? I don't want to go crazy. - Asked a frightened Ashley.

- You're lucky you met us. Another six months and you would definitely succumb to your strength, maybe more, after all, you have a strong will. Grandpa and I can teach you control. Really, grandpa? - I asked.

- Yes. In fact, I know how Devin trained. So I can help. - said the grandfather and sent me a look that we need to talk.

- I can help too. I read about the Osmosians in the Plumbers' database. There it was written about three types of absorption. The first is those who absorb energy. Like you and your father. Second, the absorption of matter. This is actually the safest view. And the third is the absorption of DNA. Such Osmosians always go crazy. So don't try to do that. - I said with a warning.

- Understood. - Ashley replied, swallowing in fear.

- Now let's sleep. It's late, we'll continue tomorrow. - I said, clapping my hands.

- Then I'll go. - said Ashley and got up from her seat.

- Not. You will stay here. There is enough room for everyone. You needn't sleep on the street. - said the grandfather, in a voice that does not tolerate objections.

Ashley took it surprisingly quickly. And we all went to bed.

Before going to bed, I thought about the story with Devin. I knew it was all nonsense, of course. No Devin Levin even existed. This whole story is put into the head of Max and Ashley's mother, a former Nurse named Cervantis.

This is all one huge experiment.

But I decided not to change anything. After all, Cervantis will not appear soon. During this time, we will be able to help Ashley and it will be easier for her to accept.

Although there is a possibility that this is all true, and this is where I am wrong. But for now, it's best to leave it as it is.

So for now, I decided to just go to sleep.