The Wayward Trainee: Part 6

Emily Fitzpatrick awoke to the sensation of a young man's hand resting against her forehead. Instinctively, she recoiled from his touch, scrambling to shield herself from him as she screamed for help, "AHHHHHH!"

Emily's final experience alive had been being manipulated and toyed with by a Flesh Warper. The monster had taken control of her body and began experimenting to discern the limits of brain damage in humans. Unlike its fellow monsters, who would recover from similar injuries, humans seemingly had no ability to handle damage to their most vital organ.

Trapped within the confines of her own mind, she could perceive the alien thoughts as if they were her own. She couldn't shake the memory of thinking about strange things, like how her bones would sound if they broke.

Her screams subsided, replaced by a waterfall of tears, as she caught sight of her Grandfather hurrying to her side. He reassured her, his voice repeating, "It's going to be okay, Sweetie. Grandpa is here."

Gripping the elderly man's Kashmir sweater, she unleashed her emotions, weeping uncontrollably. Ermis, feeling uneasy, retreated alongside his mother and Amanda. Jorge stood in place, ready to address matters of business once the man had regained his composure.

Ermis detected a certain coldness in his father's demeanor.

Sensing his child's gaze, Jorge acknowledged Ermis was confronting a challenging moment—having just rescued his first individual (Bobby excluded, as Mindwave would have intervened had things escalated). Now, Ermis was present to witness his father doing his day job.

Jorge shook his head, doubting whether this course of action was truly a good idea. He could have left it as a simple act of kindness, but not him; he felt compelled to formalize it, to document it in triplicate.

Observing his son's expression, Jorge realized Ermis was questioning his motivations. Of course, being his father, he naturally received the benefit of the doubt. Nevertheless, Jorge knew it was time for a talk on Ethics and Morality.

As the young woman's anxiety gradually eased to the level of a mild panic attack, Jorge began the conversation, "Mr. Fitzpatrick, I've upheld my end of the deal, but let's defer our business discussion for a later time." Turning to his son, Jorge gestured for Ermis to step forward, saying, "This is my son."

The elderly man turned, truly observing Ermis for the first time. "Ah, you were deceived as well?" He mused with a sigh, his hand finding its place on Ermis' shoulder. "You should keep an eye on your 'dear father'. If he attempts that maneuver on the wrong individual, you might find him missing one day."

Jorge and the older gentleman shared a light chuckle over the casual anticipation of political violence.

"Owen here used to be one of my main 'obstacles' back in the day." Jorge seemed to fondly reminisce on the hard times.

Owen Fitzpatrick smiled wryly in his utter defeat, "Well. I can't say I look back on them with pride. But I think your son here might be better than you, Jorge. He is almost simpleminded in his straightforwardness."

Jorge nodded, "Yes. Ermis has always struggled with the "other" facet of a Cape's existence. Even now, he wants to confront me about what just happened." Owen's brow raised, "Confrontation? That's the impression you get? I was perceiving a touch of pride."

Jorge nodded, "That pride came from within him. He almost underwent an Evolution of his Power while attempting to bring Emily back from the brink of death."

Owen nodded, his gaze shifting to his wide-eyed granddaughter. "I won't sugarcoat it for you. Emily, you experienced brain death." She nodded like this level of candidness was routine. "You were rescued by a young, naive Cape under the control of the infamous Jorge Jones. The boy's own father, no less."

Sitting up, she met Jorge's gaze and expressed gratitude, "Thank you, Sir."

Jorge redirected her attention to his son, clarifying, "It wasn't me at all; I merely was at the right time and place. The credit for all the hard work goes to my son, Ermis Jones."

Her expression twisted and contorted, as though passing a bowel movement, struggling to recall his face or name.

Then she asked, "Mr. Jones, I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you. Could you please let me know which borough you practice in?" She felt a tinge of shame for not recognizing the renowned A-class Healer.

Ermis responded, "Starting tomorrow, I'll be practicing in my dad's borough." Baffled, she furrowed her brow and questioned, "Where were you practicing Healing before?"

Amidst the conversation, Jorge struggled to not burst out with laughter at the confusion he felt from his old enemy. Owen's face made it clear he didn't know Ermis either, which meant the disinformation campaign had worked, as even while dethroned, the man had a reach far exceeding his grasp.

Ermis was clearly befuddled as he tried to clarify, "I haven't practiced anywhere. I JUST got my registration for being a Trainee, like, 2 hours ago. Hell, I awakened TODAY."

Jorge leaned into the conversation by checking his watch and adding, "Technically, it was yesterday."

Ermis shot his father a disapproving look and was about to explain his situation when, out of nowhere, the girl who had been sitting in bed suddenly embraced him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much," she murmured with heartfelt gratitude. Drawing back slightly, she stared at him with a starry-eyed expression. "It must be Fate."

Ermis sensed her vulnerability and tried to lighten the conversation by saying, "I don't believe in Fate very much, Ms. Fitzpatrick."

She responded with a gentle smile, "Well, my Power seems to disagree."

Emily giggled and let go of her savior, "I genuinely appreciate your help. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Owen felt the urge to intervene and caution her about making empty promises like he'd just done, but he recognized that a significant moment was happening between the two youngsters.

Owen and Jorge shared a glance.

Then, as if struck by a mischievous idea, Jorge's expression shifted into something downright diabolical.

Owen observed the facial transformation and saw the metaphorical lightning strike Jorge. "NO. NO. NO. DON'T YOU EVEN SAY IT." Jorge tried to placate the man by smiling and waving his hands dismissively. He knew it would never happen, 'Unless...'

Mr. Fitzpatrick nearly had a stroke right there on the floor.

---------------

Ermis left the room with a number written neatly on a napkin. He considered the possibility that she might have developed a savior complex around him, but he decided not to overly concern himself with it.

Jorge paced quickly behind, briefly gazing over his shoulder at the visibly furious old man threatening to kill him with his eyes. Amanda chimed in with a smile, breaking the tension, "Looks like I went unnoticed for once."

The four of them laughed as they hit the elevator and passed a Clinical Psychologist as he exited onto the floor. He nodded at the director, having received the directive of where to be 20 minutes earlier when Jorge was still in the command room.

Jorge rubbed his hands together in excitement, a smile of satisfaction on his face. "You handled that well, kid," he praised. The elevator doors closed on the 15th floor, beginning their descent.

A question lingered on the tip of Ermis' tongue, and he finally voiced it, "Dad, why did you do that?"

Amanda and Sandy immediately tuned in, sensing the weight of the discussion ahead.

Jorge took a deep breath before responding, "Well, son, that man is quite shrewd. At one point, he held the title of the most powerful figure in York—no, not just the borough, but the entire City of York. And across all five boroughs, the Fitzpatrick's were practically royalty."

Ermis felt like he was about to hear a story again, then asked, "What happened?"

Sandy answered from behind, "They went against your father."

Jorge nodded and explained, "I systematically ousted them from every position of influence and authority I could. Naturally, I had the support of their many, many enemies."

Ermis nodded as Jorge continued, "There are evil people out there, Ermis. Heed my warning. Some people would watch you suffer for no reason other than their own amusement."

Amanda nodded and interjected, "Individuals with significant Powers undergo regular evaluations to ensure their mental stability. That's why Pillars represent the pinnacle of humanity—Pillars are the mind, while I serve as the brawn."

Ermis noticed that she recited part of her Oath to Humanity at the end of her explanation, "But what does that have to do with Emily?"

Jorge grinned playfully, "Have a soft spot for her, do you?" He flinched in pain, "Ouch, sweetie, I am just joking." Sandy backed away, her expression displaying a genuine threat.

Jorge sighed and pressed a button on the elevator's console, stopping the elevator and signaling the start of a serious conversation.