The sun began to rise over the horizon, so I vanished from the penthouse suite to pick up breakfast for my island residents and deliver it. Most were still sleeping in proper beds that Geobrin had taken from the plantation and cleaned thoroughly, which was a big improvement for them, though none of them were sleeping alone. Hanoharu's fields were already taking shape over the bulk of the lower parts of the island, but I knew the monkey would not be happy until every inch of the place had something green growing on it. Geobrin had finished the stone village and was working on ringing the island in with tall stone walls; a little extreme for so early in our time on this world, but it would give the women and children a sense of security.
I was just scanning the horizon casually, but I still managed to see it. A small boat was speeding across the water and heading in the direction of the island, so with nothing else around, it was easy to guess that they were coming here. Thankfully, even at their speed, it would be hours before they would reach the island, so they had volunteered to be Rae's practice targets; they just didn't know it yet.
"Selv, keep everyone up here and have Geobrin block the way up here. I've got someone who that I'm supposed to start teaching today that can handle them, provided that they are part of the drug trafficking group that I removed, of course. If they get anywhere near the island before I return, or if our residents notice them, alert me and I'll come immediately," I said as the silver wolf walked up beside me and sat down.
"Are 'we' meeting your student?" she asked.
"No, I don't know her well enough to start exposing real secrets," I replied.
"I understand and will have Hanoharu cloak his fields."
"Thanks," I said before I teleported back to my suite.
Sarah was still asleep, so I pulled up the covers over her then left the room. I used the phone in the kitchenette and ordered enough breakfast for three people, though I was not sure when Rae would arrive. After that, I walked out onto the patio and sat down with my feet in the pool while I looked out at the bay.
"I hope I'm not interrupting you," Rae's soft voice said as she floated up over the railing of the patio.
"Not at all. I'm just waiting for our breakfast to show up and letting my date sleep in a little longer," I replied.
"I can come back later if that would help," she said quickly, obviously embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it; I already told her about you, and I already have a plan for your training today. You don't have anything that tracks your location on you, do you?" I asked as I stood up.
"My cell phone," she replied.
"Then I'll ask that you leave it here when we leave, but it won't be right away; we have some time before we need to step in," I said while leading her into the room
"What do you mean? I thought you were helping me with my telepathy."
"You can't breach my natural defenses, so we were going to need some other people to assist you. I had planned on simply using people in the city while carefully monitoring you, but there are some guests approaching my island that I believe are part of the drug trafficking group that I removed already. I haven't confirmed it yet, but I'm fairly confident that they are, so they will be good test subjects for you," I explained.
"They aren't test subjects! They are living people!" Rae snapped angrily, surprising me slightly because of her usual meekness.
"Living people who have enslaved women and children, raped them repeatedly, and killed more people than the years you've been alive... Now, tell me, what makes you think that they can be redeemed? That they even deserve to be? Do you want to be the one to tell their victims that they need to forgive the bastards and move on?" I retorted, stopping in my tracks and looking directly at her.
Rae was frozen by the rawness of my statement. All of her beliefs came from her Superhero parents, and while she had fought against Villain gangs, her missions had always been straight forward like robberies or hostage situations. For all of the 'good' that the heroes did, only a few truly dug into the darkest parts of the underworld as, more often than not, it tended to be normal people who turned to that level of darkness because of their own weaknesses.
"And this is my problem with you Supers," I remarked, shaking my head, and then continued walking into the suite. "I'm not here to change your beliefs, but you need to understand that there is a lot more evil in this world than what the Super Villains bring, and you're letting the cycle continue because the only repercussions that they face are a slap on the wrist and maybe some jail time before the Shattercell group breaks them out."
"But you can't kill everyone that commits a crime," she argued.
"Nor am I saying that. What I am saying is that you need some real consequences for crimes past a certain point. Oblivia literally destroyed a major city, killing hundreds of thousands, and what happened to her? A week and a half in an isolation cell before she was broken out and proceeded to join the Iron Coven, teaching them how to combine her explosive magic with modern technology. Karma may have been the one to deal the death blow to her by killing her in her own experiments to create stronger bombs, but the Iron Coven still has their magically enhanced bombs, which would not exist if she had been executed immediately for her crimes. She threatened the city on a live broadcast, was the only person at the time with that type of magic known, and she even claimed credit for the bombing, so why... tell me why was locking her in a cell the best option?" I countered, looking her straight in the eyes.
"I... I... I don't know," she replied softly.
"I know you don't. You're still a child because of the unique sheltered life you have led. You've seen a few of the bad faces of humanity, but there is a difference between bad and evil, and you still haven't seen anything that I would call truly evil. You're not at fault, as your parents have been the ones trying to protect you from it, but you should remember that this world is a lot bigger than you know," I said calmly.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened for the server with a platter of food. I gave him a tip after he placed the tray down on the counter and then he left the suite.
"Help yourself. I'm going to wake up Sarah," I remarked before walking towards the bedroom.
Rae barely registered my words as her mind kept debating my previous remarks versus the principles that she had been raised with. The fact that she was truly thinking about what I said proved that she had more potential than just her powers, so my interest in her increased by a small amount.
I stopped by Sarah's side of the bed and sat down gently. Running my fingers softly through her silky hair, I eased her awake. She yawned then looked up at me with her green eyes and gave me a light smile.
I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before I mentioned, "Breakfast, and Rae, are here. You can keep sleeping if you would like, but we will be leaving within the hour."
"Mmm... I can get up," she replied but yawned again.
"Aww, did I leave you too tired last night?" I teased.
"Last night, the night before... I might complain if you weren't so good," she chuckled, putting an arm over her eyes.
I smirked and leaned down again, but I kissed her neck this time which made her moan in surprise. For a few moments, she was completely swept up in my momentum as I kissed a trail down her neck and across her collarbone. It was only when I stopped and sat up that she remembered that there was someone else in the suite and gave me a playful smack on my arm.
"There's telepath in the other room and you want to fool around?" she chided.
I chuckled, "I was more looking to fluster you, but if you want me to continue, I'd be more than happy to."
"God, you're impossible," she groaned and pushed me off the bed.
I chuckled again and stood up. "Well, I'll let you get dressed and start the coffee."
Still chuckling, I walked out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen-dining area. Rae was still standing near the patio where I had left her, but my return snapped her out of her own thoughts. Of course, that released the subconscious hold she had on her telepathy which allowed her to pick up Sarah's thoughts, dying her face a shade of pink and making her unable to look at me immediately.
I smirked, shaking my head, and started the coffee maker. After gathering food for Sarah and myself, I placed the plates down on the table and then got us both cups of coffee. Rae was looking around a little awkwardly, but she eventually grabbed a cup of coffee too and nursed it in the corner of the room.
"I'm not going to eat you. You can sit down," I sighed while giving her a look.
"Sorry," she mumbled and slowly took a seat across from me at the table.
Sarah walked out of the bedroom, fully dressed, but looking nearly as uncomfortable as Rae. I patted the chair next to me and gave her a reassuring smile until she finally sat down next to me.
"I guess that introductions are in order. Sarah, this is Rae Lexington, and Rae, this is Sarah Reed," I introduced casually.
"It's nice to meet you," Rae said softly.
"It's an honor to meet you. Your reputation is incredible, just like your family's," Sarah replied with a hint of hero worship in her voice.
"Thanks," Rae said.
Sadly, there was an awkward atmosphere throughout the meal, and no one talked much. I was the only one really eating, so once I was done, Sarah got ready to leave. We made dinner plans before she took the elevator back down which left me alone with the young Super.
"If you need to tell anyone that you'll be out of touch for a few hours, I'd ask that you do it now," I suggested.
"Alright, I'll let my father know."
"Could you also ask him when he can show me the samples today?"
"Sure," she agreed as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
She called her father and told him that she would not be reachable for a few hours. Like any good father, he was alarmed that she was going to be unreachable for several hours with an incredibly powerful Super, but he did not try to talk her out of it. She asked about my tour after they spoke for a minute or so and then she hung up the phone.
"He said that he can have everything arranged by noon, or earlier, if you wish to go now," Sarah said, holding out her phone towards me.
"No doubt hoping that he can keep an eye on his little girl," I chuckled as I took her phone and set it down on the table.
"What? I don't think he mea..."
"It was a joke," I sighed. "Come here."
She took a step closer to me, and I placed a hand on her shoulder then teleported us away. Physical contact was not needed for me, but it was for most low-level teleportation spells, and I still did not fully trust Rae, or even her father. So far, the capabilities that I had shown would put me between the Master and Grand Master ranks from my past Mortal world, which would be on par with a hidden noble family with body cultivation techniques or a proper magical grimoire. The one clue that I gave to Morgan of my true identity, I had sent to him telepathically which allowed me to camouflage the information; if the Demon Lord could uncover that bit of information, hiding from them would be nearly impossible if I wanted to enjoy the city life anyways.
"This is your island?" Rae asked after we appeared on the large stone dock that Geobrin had built.
"Part of it, anyways," I commented as I noticed the approaching boat. "I'd say another ten minutes before they can dock unless they get wise and turn back seeing the new dock."
"You're sure that they are part of the drug trafficking group?" she asked.
"I haven't read their minds to confirm it, but the assault rifles hanging on their shoulders is a pretty good clue," I retorted with a smirk.
Rae sighed then asked, "Alright, what will you have me do?"
"Nothing for now; they still need to make the mistake of pissing me off. Right now, though, I'd like to make a true connection to your mind, not just reading your surface thoughts as your telepathy does naturally. Is that okay?"
"What are the dangers of that?"
"If I was inexperienced, any changes that I made could alter your personality or even destroy your mind, which is why I won't be showing you how to do it any time soon. I assure you that I have years of practice and no intention of changing anything except perhaps your ability to throttle your telepathic powers, but I will need to see what the problem is before I can be sure of the best way to help you," I explained.
Rae took in a deep breath but nodded her head confidently. I reached up and pressed a finger against the center of her brow where the Third Eye chakra point was then connected our minds in the Mental Plane. Rae's mental image of herself appeared in the space, looking slightly smaller and younger than her real body which symbolized her timid and somewhat innocent nature. Behind her, her 'mind' took the form of a cozy library that had a striking resemblance to Morgan's study, showing how much she cared for her father. My own form appeared, looking just like I did in the physical world, but behind me was a towering wall of silver stones as I kept my own mind shielded from her.
"What is this place?" Rae could not help but ask.
"The 'Bridge between Minds', or the 'Battlefield of Minds', if we were hostile to each other. In our later lessons, I will teach you how to build a proper defense and even how to attack, but for now, let's explore your mind and find your mana core," I explained.
"Mana core?" she questioned.
"Think of it like a fuel tank for your telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Your mutant ability is actually the ability to use a specific type of magic instinctually, but that does not mean every mutant ability is the same. Whatever it is interacting with will be any form of magic that you have some understanding of and the strength of the connection represents your mastery over said magic."
"What does it look like?" she asked as we walked through the corridors of bookshelves.
"That depends on you. This is your mind, so everything we see is an extension of it."
She looked around with a light hum and small smile. "The library of my childhood home... I have no idea how many hours I spent in one of the nooks with one of my father's books."
A book with a violet cover caught her eye and she reached out to grab it. The moment that she pulled it free from the shelf and opened it, the world around us shifted into the sky above a city, alarming Rae. Aside from us, there were three other figures in the air, a second Rae, Celeste, and Overdrive, and all three were staring up at a massive meteor that was heading directly at them.
"Alright, just like we practiced," Celeste instructed.
Strapped to Overdrive's back was a large missile that was nearly as big as him, which he pulled off and started tapping buttons on a panel that was on it. As he worked, both Celeste and the second Rae wrapped their telekinesis around the body of the missile, giving it an invisible arrow-like armor.
"This was Adrian's and my first big mission for the Hero Alliance," the Rae with the book remarked.
"Yes, books are a common representation of memories like this one," I explained.
"How do we leave it?" she asked after watching the missile rocket off.
"Just close the book," I smirked.
She did as I said and the world around us returned to the rows of books. Returning the book to the shelf, Rae gave a sheepish smile before we continued walking.
"So, the books represent memories but how are there so many?" she asked after a few minutes of walking.
I stretched out my senses with mana and figured out the reason why rather quickly. "Try that book," I suggested, pointing at an ashy gray cover.
When she tried to touch it, her fingers sunk through it, but there was still something that she was able to grab. Unfortunately, or fortunately, something appeared on top of a bookshelf and then lunged at Rae. I surrounded it with mana, locking it in place, which allowed both of us to get a good look at it, which turned out to be a large, gray cat with yellow eyes.
"Samson?" Rae asked with surprise.
"I take it that you know this cat?" I chuckled.
"He was my pet from the age of six to twenty-three. I'm guessing he's some kind of mental defense? But, why did he attack me?"
"To protect you from yourself. Your mind is even more powerful than I first believed, but it is good that you are the type to isolate yourself and that I met you now, or in another five or so years, you likely would have had a mental breakdown due to this overload of memories. You have so many 'books' because your telepathy reads not only people's thoughts, but their memories as well. Thankfully, your subconscious immediately stored the information without looking at it directly, which is why 'Samson' here tried to stop you; in its dormant state, the burden on your mind is significantly reduced. No need to worry now, though, I can teach you how to purge the foreign memories after we figure out what's going on with your mana core," I explained.
"Am I really in that much danger?" she asked, unbelieving.
"What happened the last time that you were in a large crowd of people? A migraine? Bloody nose?" I asked with a knowing look.
"I was injured by a backlash from Synapse attacking my mind and knocked out, so I can't say for sure," she sighed.
"It seems like you know the answer even if you won't say it," I retorted then looked at the cat. "Little Guardian, we are not here to hurt Rae, and if we were, you could not stop me. Instead, help us help Rae; you know that this is her consciousness, so I am not lying to you."
I released the mana binding him and pulled it back into my body as it would be dangerous to Rae. He dropped to the ground gracefully then looked between Rae and me.
"Please, we need to find my mana core, the source of my telepathy and telekinesis... It's obviously dangerous if I continue like this," Rae pleaded.
The cat gave Rae one last look then walked away slowly. He meowed at a junction and looked back at us.
"I think he wants us to follow him," she remarked.
I chuckled and motioned ahead of me, saying, "Lead on, it's your mind, after all."
She followed the cat while I stayed a step behind her as we made our way through the maze of memories. Since she was no longer resisting, even subconsciously, it only took a few turns before we were in front of a swirling violet that lashed out like a violent storm against an invisible barrier. For her to have so much mana at such a young age, it was no wonder that her powers were unstable, it was actually even impressive that her young Soul was holding on so well.
"You're a strong kid," I praised genuinely with a solemn tone that she must have had a hard childhood. "But, good news, I can help you easily. I can place a temporary dampening seal on your mana core, significantly weakening its ability to draw in mana. The reason why your telepathy is always active is because you have an incredibly high aptitude with mana, and your core is constantly overfilling itself with mana, causing you to lash out telepathically. You probably have even developed the vague ability to sense animals' minds when you leave the city, am I wrong?"
"I... I'm not sure, but I do pick up weird feelings when I'm out in the countryside," she confirmed.
"Your subconscious likely needed a way to burn off the extra mana by developing new techniques, strengthening your mind, and building your mana core up, but it's unstable. I can teach you a refinement technique that will stabilize your core in the long run and allow it to grow safely under your natural talent. Once your core is stable, controlling your telepathy will become significantly easier, I assure you. If you wish to stay as you are and live as normal a life as you can get as a Super, you can do that, but you have incredible potential in the Mental Arts, and likely magic as a whole, if you would like to learn more," I suggested.
"Why teach me? What's in it for you?" she asked, skeptically.
"I want something to do that interests me, which your potential does, and I like teaching," I replied with a shrug.
"I'll start with the refinement technique and maybe the way to remove the foreign memories first," she stated.
"As you wish. We can discuss the specifics when we meet up with your father, but first, we have armed men approaching an island that I have claimed as my own, as it is small and isolated enough that no nation has claimed it, which had made it a haven for illegal activities. One of us is going to repel them, and I'll leave that decision to you. I'll act the moment that they step off the stone dock and onto the land," I explained then pulled my consciousness back into my own body.
A/N: Sorry, Readers, I'll get the releases set up proper one day lol