Capítulo 160: CHAPTER 158
It was yet another sunny day in Gotham City. The stifling heat beat down on the concrete jungle, creating a shimmering haze that distorted the cityscape. My garage, a haven for our daily workouts, was a sanctuary away from the chaos of the outside world. Jason and I had just finished an intense training session, our muscles aching from the relentless drills.
Leo, always the one to find solace in front of the TV, lounged in the living room, seemingly impervious to our physical exertion. He had a knack for securing the TV to himself whenever Jason and I were preoccupied. It was as if he had a magnetic attraction to the screen, an unyielding devotion to his favorite shows.
"Here," Jason said, tossing me a bottle of water, though he seemed to hurl it with a mischievous intent. I turned around to catch the bottle midair, my telekinetic powers allowing me to intercept it with precision. The trajectory of the bottle suggested it was aimed at my head.
"Nice try, kid," I remarked, a wry smile on my face as I grabbed the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a long sip to quench my thirst. "But there's absolutely no way you could catch me off guard."
Jason, always eager to find a chink in my abilities, wiped the sweat from his face with a white towel that hung around his neck. "There are no loopholes with your powers," he conceded, a tinge of frustration in his voice.
I leaned back, floating a few inches above the ground, the laws of gravity bending to my will. "There's no reaching me, Jase," I replied, my tone dripping with confidence. "I've got eyes in the back of my head, and with my powers, it's quite impossible to get one over on me."
He'd been trying for weeks to catch me off guard, a personal challenge he had taken up in his free time. In between his patrols and video game marathons, he was determined to uncover any weakness or vulnerability in my abilities. It had become something of a hobby for him, a way to combat the boredom that often plagued him.
"Hey, Tom, I've been meaning to ask…" Jason's voice trailed off, a hesitation apparent in his expression as if he were unsure whether his question was appropriate.
"Come on, let's hear it," I encouraged him, my levitating form now hovering lazily in the garage.
"Why do you look so pale? You are obviously healthy and that's a fact." Jason finally asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. He carefully observed my complexion, puzzled by my almost ghostly appearance. "Your skin looks so pale and fragile, almost as if you could fade away with just a few more shades. I would have guessed it was malnutrition, but you eat way more than an average teenager does, and your hair is as white as snow." He examined me closely, waiting for an answer to satisfy his inquisitiveness. "Are you chronically ill by any chance?" he added.
I sighed, feeling a heavy weight settle upon me. "I tried not to show it and tough it out, but I am really frail. I was diagnosed with a chronic disease, and the doctor estimated that the amount of time I have left is a year and a few months."
Jason's expression shifted from curiosity to pity. "That's why I bullied you back when you were Robin, to make myself feel superior. And that's why I don't associate myself with others—I just want to die and fade away from the minds of those who already know me. But you and Leo make that hard. I have to admit, it's really fun having you guys with me in my last days."
"I'm really sorry," Jason said, his voice filled with genuine regret. He sympathized with me, feeling a profound sadness for the struggle I was facing.
"It's alright, Jason," I replied, my voice tinged with resignation. "Due to my condition, my body is unable to absorb nutrients from the food I eat. That's why I eat so much—to ensure my body gets to absorb at least a little bit of nutrition."
"What is it? Maybe we could find a cure for it," Jason suggested, his desire to help me evident in his words.
"Come on, don't tell me you actually believe this kid," Leo's voice chimed in from the house as he opened the door to the garage. He walked over, finding us in the midst of our conversation. "I came over wondering why you were taking so long with your workouts, and here you are being fed ridiculous lies," he quipped, his laughter echoing in the room.
"Wait, what?" Jason looked dumbfounded, realizing he had fallen for a complete lie, masterminded by me. He felt a mixture of anger and embarrassment, his emotions getting the better of him.
"Okay, okay. How about I make it up to you by telling you the actual truth," I suggested, sensing that our little joke had gone far enough. I wanted to maintain an air of mystery about myself, but it was time to reveal the truth.
"How do I explain this?" I mused, stroking my chin thoughtfully. Leo's attention remained fixed on me, though he tried to appear indifferent, while Jason eagerly awaited my explanation.
"I think it's better if I just show you. Jase, grab one of your guns."
"Okay, but what now?" Jason asked, his curiosity piqued. He held his gun, a hint of anticipation in his eyes, though he trusted that I wouldn't let anyone get hurt during this experiment.
"Shoot me," I instructed, "but wait until I turn around. I'll tell you when to fire." Both of them looked at me in disbelief. Jason had attempted to catch me off guard on numerous occasions, but now he doubted if I could even avoid a bullet at point blank range and without seeing it coming.
I turned around, and I heard the distinct sound of Jason cocking his gun. I knew that he had been waiting for an opportunity like this to test my abilities. "Fire," I commanded, and the gunshot rang out. The bullet hit my defensive field, creating a visible ripple in the air, before it was immediately redirected back towards Jason. However, I seized it telekinetically, holding it just inches from ripping through his gut.
Jason watched the bullet, suspended in midair before him, his eyes wide with astonishment. "What was that?" he stammered, struggling to comprehend what he had just witnessed. He had always suspected that I used telekinesis to evade attacks, but now he had seen it in action, and it had left him stunned.
Leo, ever the picture of nonchalance, remained silent, with nor intention of breaking the silence. "As you have just witnessed, no harm can come to me, not even in my sleep. My power protects me from anything that might cause me harm."
"Cool," Leo remarked with a sly grin, unaffected by the spectacle.
"Cool powers and all, but that still doesn't explain why your skin is so pale, too white even," Jason persisted, refusing to be sidetracked any longer.
I sighed, my demeanor heavy with the burden of my condition. "The UV rays from the sun are harmful to the skin at a certain level. My powers protect me from UV rays, and as a result, I am melanin deficient." I explained my condition as a necessary consequence of my extraordinary abilities.
"Cool," Leo remarked with a sly grin, unaffected by the spectacle.
"Cool powers and all, but that still doesn't explain why your skin is so pale, too white even," Jason persisted, refusing to be sidetracked any longer.
"Oh damn, that's one sick ability. The powers of you metahumans keep getting more and more absurd," Jason exclaimed, a sense of wonder in his voice. I decided to keep my true nature a mystery, not revealing that I wasn't a metahuman, because there was a unique thrill in letting people believe they had you all figured out when, in reality, they knew nothing.
"I've had my fair share of surprises," I replied, letting them believe that my abilities had more depth than met the eye.
Jason continued, his curiosity piqued. "One thing I noticed while fighting you was that you have a wide range of abilities, and you seemed to have a lot of tricks up your sleeves."
"Oh, back when you were Robin," I chuckled, remembering our past encounters. "I just needed to teach that brat a little lesson so he'd leave me alone."
"Wait, wait… you fought him?" Leo's voice cut through the conversation.
Jason's tone grew quieter, a touch of embarrassment evident in his words. "Yeah, one thing led to another, and I got my ass whooped by him." This admission sent Leo into a fit of laughter.
"Anyway, I've answered your questions," I said, shifting gears and dismissing the topic. "Now, hit the showers already. You reek." I teased Jason, to which he raised his arm to sniff himself and retreated into the house.
As Jason headed inside to freshen up, I turned to Leo, still lingering in the doorway.
"Leo, wait," I called out to him.
"What's up, kid?" Leo replied casually.
"I need you to contact the boys; we're heading to Metropolis," I told him, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
A mischievous grin crossed Leo's lips as he understood the kind of mission I was alluding to. "Who are we paying a lovely visit to this time?" he asked, rubbing his hands together, eager for the action.
"Lex Luthor," I revealed, the name carrying weight and intrigue in our world of heroes and villains.
"Sweet," Leo responded, his excitement palpable. "We're definitely coming back home with a lot of souvenirs. I'll give them a heads up," he said as he reached for his phone and disappeared into his room.
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