Alt Version: Different Sentinel Ending

Guys,

Since I don't have a ton of content these days and many readers made it all the way through the Sentinel series (or maybe some of you read each chapter a hundred times), I thought I'd post the first ending to the Sentinel series I uploaded to the blog but changed before publishing.

As you can see from the chart below, Chapters 2-16 were very similar in terms of daily views in the first seven days (although Wednesday might be the worst day to post a story, since both Wednesday stories had the lowest first days). They're certainly within range of one another and generally followed the same path, with a couple of minor exceptions, like everyone's weird bump on Saturday January 14th. 

The point is, folks who stuck with it to Chapter 2 were likely to keep reading until Chapter 16.

Sentinel: Daily Views 1st Seven Days by Chapter/Date

This is not the "original" ending. I revised, edited, and changed the story so much that there really is no "original ending". This, however, actually made it to the blog posting queue. I uploaded it in October and it remained the official version for a good month before I suddenly had major anxiety about it and re-wrote it all one more time.

The differences are significant ... the villain is different (Master Mind not Chameleon), his powers are different (young bodybuilder with tech enhanced telepathy and no body-hopping), it wraps up with a slice of life experience for the three lead characters, and it hand waves the villain's momentary triumph away. 

When I wrote the first ending, it seemed fun. However, as I thought about it, this version felt unfinished. Neither Chameleon or Master Mind are really ever resolved and the heroic "win" was super-lazy. The only thing I regret changing is the final villain's powers. It complicated things and added a page of unnecessary explanation. I cannot remember why I even did it.

I still really like the character moments and might re-use the bar scene if I ever re-visit the characters. In hindsight, I could've kept it all and just written a final confrontation at the bar, with Adrian still saving the day and Sentinel's new bar friends (you'll see) even helping out in some way. But I didn't. It would be a fun first chapter if I bring them back to explain characters, personalities, and relationships. Act surprised if I ever do re-use it.

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Picking up from halfway through Chapter 15, changes are mostly in red, but I left in surrounding stuff for context, followed by Chapter 16 where everything is different ...

When I’m empty, I slide out. I hold him from behind and pull us to the lawn. I turn gravity on. Bruce turns in my arms and hugs me. He worships up and down my body then looks at me with a weird smile. I smile back at him, “Are you all right?”

“I’m perfect. I can’t believe it’s really you.” The henchman reaches out and feels my face. He slides his hands all over. He rests his right palm on my forehead. “I can’t believe it all worked out like this. It all really worked out.”

Suddenly, I see blue energy around his forearm. I feel numb in my forehead and temples. In the reflection of the dome, I see the sharp, craggy energy as talons that pierce my skull. I want to push him away but I can’t. I’m paralyzed. My arms won’t move. My body won’t react. Bruce steps back with an evil grin on his face, his right arm extended, the blue energy flowing from him. His eyes glow blue as he licks his lips.

The henchman’s left hand forms a blue energy claw. He reaches up, under my balls, the energy entering me through my skin. It’s not cutting me. It’s worse. It’s like some kind of psionic energy entering me. I feel his real hand cupping my huge balls. My cock grows hard again. It keeps getting bigger. Painfully so. The waves of energy stimulate me. It’s not pleasurable at all but I’m still fully aroused.

The villain reaches back with his left hand. His talons emanate from his head now, pushing my mind backwards and away from control. He pulls out a large condom from his ass. It holds my first load. He smirks as he slides it over my cock head. He physically pumps my shaft while his psychic energy pushes me to surrender a second load of my cum.

As I struggle with no success, a second load is forcibly taken from me. My whole body shudders as I am forced to ejaculate. Every muscle tenses and my eyes roll back in my head. My mind slips further back in my head. I don’t know how else to describe it, but my conscious mind feels separated from my body. I feel everything but I have no control.

My cum erupts, landing in the thick latex tube. My body shakes. I gasp, unable to speak or react as this … villain … drains me. I feel my balls contracting. I’m shooting blanks now, my cock pulsating but nothing, not even drips, come out. Bruce has a look of smug satisfaction. His talons hold me, head and crotch. I try to fight the energy, to manipulate it, but I can’t.

“Don’t bother fighting it, Sentinel. It’s too late. You’re mine. All mine.” The villain snarls, “My first prize is robbing you of your priceless seed.” He removes and secures the collection container. “Now, for my second prize. Humiliation.”

I don’t understand what’s happening. Who is this man?

Bruce laughs loudly. “Confused, hero? Allow me to introduce myself … you will call me MASTER! As in MASTER MIND!”

“ON YOUR KNEES, DOG!” I drop to my knees. “SUCK YOUR MASTER!” I open my mouth, unable to resist his powers. He slides inside and I suck on his cock. The blue energy talons move my head back and forth. He’s face-fucking me and I can’t do anything about it. The psionic talons pierce deeper into my brain. I’ve never felt helpless like this. Ever. I am normally resistant to psychic powers. How is he doing this?

“Good question.” My eyes go wide. “Yes, I am in your brain. Your thoughts, such as they are, belong to me. My bio-nanites that you so willingly swallowed while captive have infiltrated your brain and opened doorways in your mind. Brilliantly designed to survive your EMP and avoid your body’s formidable defenses, they’ve been quite busy making paths for my psi-powers.”

I’m hearing him with my brain, not my ears. The back of my throat is pounded by his cock. He adjusts my head and drives deeper down my throat. “No gagging. Shame. Let’s change that.” Suddenly, I feel myself choking on his cock. He’s forcing me to breathe, to react to his brutal assault on my mouth and throat. I involuntarily convulse and he laughs at me.

“You’ve never heard of Master Mind, of course. I’ve only been at this for a few years. But I’ve been working since I was 13 to become Master Mind. Bodybuilding to make me as physically powerful as I could be. Refining my inherited mental powers. Stealing technology and forcing weak-minded geniuses to help me amplify them.”

Master Mind peels off his hair. He’s actually bald with silver wires and blue nodes lining his skull!

“I started by traveling to mid-size cities. Going after local spandex-clad muscleboy heroes. Nobodies. You wouldn’t even know their names. Fought them. Beat them. Toyed with them. Got bored fast. My next goal was the young ones. Your little Young Crusaders. I figured they were a bunch of barely legal brats playing dress-up. I could make them my bitches.”

“But it turns out, they’re good. Stronger than me. I realized my limitations. I would need to go slow, catch them off-guard. That’s why I joined Trap Master. I had a plan. Use him to get close. While he had heroes in his stupid little traps, I would have the time I need to work on breaking them down. But then fate stepped in. I suddenly had hours of unfettered access to you.”

“You know, I never imagined I’d catch the big fish. The mighty Sentinel. You were my ultimate goal, but it was more of a dream. A fantasy. Maybe an Assembly member or two. But never you. Imagine my surprise when Trap Master bragged about his new favorite hero - Meathead. How he could fly. How he was so strong. Your size. And even gas didn’t affect him.”

The villain pulls out of my mouth. He wipes his wet cock head on my face and lips, further humiliating me.

“It sounded a lot like you. Maybe not you. Maybe your son. I started looking into it. Using my mental powers to quietly steal information. Yes, you do have a super-powered son. It couldn’t be a coincidence. And he was going to play a game with Trap Master. I easily manipulated that idiot to go harder than usual. I gave him all the technology he used, you know. The trap? Mine. The nanites. The hypnosis. The edging. All me.”

“The big shock came when we saw two junior Sentinels playing detective. It was confusing at first. Then I realized the truth. The small one is the son of Sentinel. And the big one must be Sentinel. It had to be. So, I influenced Trap Master to take your son and make his trap extra dangerous, potentially lethal. He didn’t want to do it, so I nudged him.”

“Once the plan was set, I manipulated you into seeing me as the weak link. As a potential ally. Then I took the lead in working with you. Getting my nanites inside you. And you let me! You gave me hours where you were willingly playing along. Letting me do my thing. All so your son wouldn’t get hurt. I laughed at your gullibility. Your arrogance. If only I’d had the full 24 hours.”

I think, “So, then, why did you help me?”

Master Mind snarls, “I had no choice. I sensed the Young Crusaders about to storm the palace. Trap Master and his men would fall apart. And I couldn’t take them on in a head-on confrontation. It’s not what I do. I have to work the long game, like I’ve done with you. So, I turned lemons into lemonade. I helped you right before they arrived to get the credit.”

“Trust me. If I could’ve kept you until I broke you, I would have. Break you. Kill Trap Master and his henchmen. Then once you were mine, I’d enslave your boy. Bing, bang, boom.” The villain laughs at me. He holds up the condom holding two loads of my cum. “I lost my sample, but now, I have loads. Get it? Imagine the secrets your seed holds. The secrets that I will unlock.”

I think, “No.”

“Yes! Well, I think that’s enough monologuing.” Master Mind grins, “You ever heard the saying, ‘never a horse that couldn’t be rode, never a rider that couldn’t be throwed’? Well, you are about to be rode. The mightiest man on the planet. Tamed by me like a little bitch. All your muscles and powers, existing only to satisfy me. I own the unbreakable Sentinel.”

“HANDS AND KNEES, DOG!”

I forward to rest on my hands and knees. As long as his psionic talons penetrate me, I am his puppet. My head is pulled back, my back arched down, and my ass up high. There’s no more preamble. Master Mind just slams his cock inside me. He controls my muscles, relaxing them to allow him to slam inside me until his pelvis slams into my butt cheeks.

“THE INVINCIBLE SENTINEL! HA! YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO MASTER MIND!”

The villain jackhammers my hole, ruthlessly pounding away. It’s all about domination for him, not the sex. I can feel his energy burrowing inside me as he ravages my hole. He psychically makes me feel the force of the brutal fucking like a normal human would, deriving pleasure from every powerful thrust of his body. He makes me whimper, giving him more pleasure.

“ALL YOUR POWER. NOTHING. USELESS. WORTHLESS. TELL ME WHO’S THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD NOW, BITCH!”

The villain forces me to reply, “You are, Master Mind. I am nothing. Just a worthless muscle bitch for you to use as you wish.”

“YEAH, YOU LOVE IT, TOO, DON’T YOU, DOG! THAT’S WHY YOU’RE GONNA CUM FOR ME. GIVE MASTER ANOTHER LOAD.”

I’m forced to say, “Yes, Master. All my cum belongs to you. I belong to you.”

Under me, Master Mind’s power takes control of my manhood, milking me yet again. Not satisfied with two loads, he works for a third. I’m hard, his abilities controlling my arousal. While in this part of my mind where I still have independent thought, I’m disgusted by him, my surface mind is reacting like I’m not. Cut off from my powers and body, his control over me is complete. He opens his rubber condom and wraps the opening around my cock head,

It doesn’t take long for Master Mind to milk me dry again. My body shakes as he forcibly takes my seed, collecting it for his nefarious purposes. My balls ache once again, as he pushes me past empty, forcing me to keeping shooting after he’s stolen every drop from my massive orbs. The worst part is, I know every drop he’s taken from me will be used against the world.

“SO PATHETIC! YOU’RE MY BITCH! TAKE MY LOAD!”

Suddenly, my ass is filled with his warm cum. It’s a big load as he keep pumping into me until he’s soft. He holds inside me, making sure I feel his cum. I’ve been fucked but never like this. I feel dirty but I can’t do anything about it. His plan has worked perfectly. He’s milked me. He’s bred me. He’s seeded me. Ownership is complete. All while I remain helpless under him.

Master Mind pulls out and stands up. He moves around me, “Clean it.” I rise to a kneeling position. I open my mouth and obediently clean his cock. He forces me to keep his soft cock inside my mouth as he puts his hands on his hips. “Isn’t this how you like to pose, bitch? Master Mind is the man now.” He laughs, “Oh, just look at the time. Better get back to jail.”

When my mouth is free, I crawl ahead of him to the shuttle to fly us back. We’re back in the dirty conjugal trailer. I’m on my knees before the naked villain. He slips back into his prison jumpsuit, putting his souvenir rubber sleeve of my cum in the pocket.

A knock on the door and the guard opens it. He sees me kneeling, in costume, cock out, as Master Mind stands in front of me. I wonder what he’s thinking. The villain hands him my seed. He says, “Freezer. Bring it to me tomorrow when you let me out.” The guard mindlessly nods, obviously in the villain’s enthrall as much as I am.

Master Mind turns to me.

The villain says, “You’ll have to forget this last part of our visit. It will live on as a tiny sliver. Everything that happened will live there. You’re not quite fully mine, yet. I hear you still resisting. That part? It needs to be erased. My nanites will continue to work. In two weeks, we’ll meet again for the first time. You won’t recognize me. But you’ll be drawn to me.”

I think, “No.”

“See? That’s what needs to go. It’s annoying. But trust me, eventually, you will drop to your knees and beg to serve me as my slave. I will make you do my bidding and you will love it. You have just a few more weeks of freedom. Enjoy them.”

The villain smiles, “Now that I’ve collected my reward, time to blow this place. I’ll be walking out of here tomorrow at 10am. And as for you? You won’t even remember that Master Mind exists until I come for you and my final victory.” The villain whispers, “Forget.”

The door closes. Well, that was fun. I realize my costume is still open in front. Careless. I hope the guard didn’t notice. I quickly slide my manhood back inside. Wow, I really drilled Bruce. No wonder my balls ache. I fly the shuttle back up to the space station. I grab my cape from the atrium. As I do, I look down at Earth and smile.

At dinner, the boys ask me how my day was. I explain that I paid my debt to Bruce. They don’t approve but I assure them that it went fine. “If anything, I might’ve convinced him to stop being a henchman. He’s big and strong with a good heart. I could see him being a street level hero one day. If he stops being such a coward.”

Up next … Clubbing with the Boys (The End). (1/31/2023)

———

Heroes: Sentinel 16/16 - Intoxication 

Location: Sentinel Station. High Orbit Over Earth.

“Dad, have you ever heard of a pro wrestler named … Bull Dillinger?”

I slowly reply, “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Because he looks like you. Could you have a brother?”

“I could. I never saw any other kids, but my parents were evil scientists. They might’ve had a ton of children that they experimented on throughout the lab. But Bull’s not my brother. He’s my secret identity.”

“WHAT?”

Adrian and Intrepid both look shocked. I sigh. “When Bear and I started hanging out, people noticed us. Obviously. We’re huge. He wears a mask, but I was pretty recognizable, even when I tried glasses, changing my posture, and styling my hair differently.”

Adrian shakes his head, “Dad, of course that’d never fool anyone.”

“I learned that. So, I tried denying it, but there was nobody else I could be. If I said football player or pro wrestler, people wanted to know who. If I said I was a nobody, people got huffy and called me a stuck-up jerk.”

“So, we made Bull up. Bear had a buddy who runs a small indie fed and was more than willing to have a 6’8” muscleman like Bull on the roster. I added the temporary tattoos - flames up my left arm and the bull on my right shoulder - since everyone knows Sentinel has bare arms. The blue hair wash, some makeup, I slouch a little, stick out my gut. Pull on some black trunks, boots, knee and elbow pads, and wrist tape.”

My son says, “I can’t believe I’m just finding this out.”

“Well, I’ve only wrestled three times in front of like 20 people. Small online presence. Not enough to be noticed but enough that if you search, you can see that I’m not Sentinel, I’m Bull. As long as I remember to apply the tattoos. I still wear a pair of glasses when I’m not wrestling. It’s working, so far.” I apologize, “I should’ve told you, but it didn’t seem like a big deal.”

“It’s a huge deal!” My son grabs me by the wrist, “Put on your tats and glasses! Color your hair. You are going out dancing with us tonight!”

“Wait, what? I don’t dance.” They give me a look. I add, “In public. Dancing in the atrium is different. I’m flying. And alone.”

Intrepid smirks, “And naked.” I scowl. He laughs, “You got sexy moves. The way you move those hips? Yeah, boy’s right. You are coming with us.”

The guys dress me up in jeans, heavy black belt, black work boots, a tight black tank top that looks painted on, and a thick black leather wrist bracelet. I look at Adrian, shirtless in tights and skirt, and Carlos in his black leather. I feel out of place, but they say it suits me. I trust them, so I grab my wallet with a few thousand dollars inside and my Bull Dillinger ID then slide them into the back of my jeans.

Bull, the tattooed, blue-haired pro wrestler is ready to dance! In public. Ugh.

As Adrian pilots the shuttle, Intrepid says how hot I look. I smile, nervous as hell. He likes the tattoos, telling me I should get ink for real. If I’m worried about being identified, I can get it where no one but the three of us and Bear will see it. I shake my head, telling him that the needles can’t penetrate my skin. Satisfied, he goes back to pumping up my confidence.

***** Location: The Strip. Boystown. New City USA. *****

At the first bar, I loosen up. I feel comfortable here. It’s similar to places Bear and me go. We get some stares, but otherwise, it’s fine. No one asks if I’m Sentinel, so my disguise is working. I’m the designated shuttle pilot, since I can’t get drunk, so the boys can go all out. We grab a few drinks, have a few laughs, and check out a few hot guys.

The second place we hit is a club. It’s busier and more of a pickup place than I’ve ever been. I’m a little less comfortable here. I try to be a wallflower but any time I’m alone, I get hit on. Barely anyone asks my name and those who do are fine with just ‘Bull’. Again, no one asks if I’m Sentinel. It’s amazing how small changes make such a difference.

At the third club, I’m hoping it’s the final stop. It’s full energy. Hard-hitting beats. More shirtless men. I finally get dragged onto a dance floor. Two songs in, I start to feel loose. Relaxed. I get touched, felt up, and propositioned, but it’s fun. An hour in, my tank top comes off and I tuck it into my jeans. I’m having a great time, but I stay close to my son and Intrepid.

I notice all the hot g-stringed dancers on podiums staring at me. And not in a friendly way. I ask Adrian why. He’s already a little drunk but is able to explain that I’m drawing their customers away - I’m bigger, hotter, and giving it up for free. Is that why so many guys have shoved money into my jeans? Now I feel bad.

I march over to the closest dancer. I wave him down. He crouches. I introduce myself as Bull. He’s kind of hostile but when I pull a little money out of my pocket, he gets a lot friendlier. I ask how much he normally makes in a night. When he tells me, I’m surprised, but I reach in for more money and hand him that amount. I always carry a lot of cash, just in case. Here’s a case.

The dancer says seductively, “Thanks, dude. So, you wanna go to the back?”

I ask, “Why? What’s back there?”

He looks confused, “You really don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“No, first time here. My son and his dom brought me.” I point at Adrian and Carlos, who are watching me from across the bar. I wave and explain which is which. I think they’re embarrassed. Too bad, that’s what you get for bringing your father to the club.

“That’s your son?” I nod. “Real son, like your child.” I nod. “You got a full-grown-ass son?” I nod and show him my ID, confirming my age and I confirm Adrian’s. “He’s 18? And you’re okay coming here with him and his -” finger quotes “- dom?” I nod. He takes another look at me, “Damn, Bull, you're rich, gorgeous, and cool? Wanna be my daddy?”

The other dancers are curious and have come over. I pay each of them to continue working and apologize if I’ve been disruptive. I think they think I’m nuts, but when Dancer #1 explains that it’s my first time in a club and that I’m Adrian’s dad, they’re as fascinated as he is. We dance as a group and they feel me up. Guys move in and the dancers are making money again. I thank them for providing entertainment then I head back to the boys.

Adrian is shaking his head, asking what I was doing. He is fully drunk now. I explain to my son that he said I was costing the dancers money, so I had to make up for it. I tell him they were very nice and even invited me to the back. Adrian confirmed that I’m not going to go, but Intrepid thinks maybe I should go and ‘live a little’.

The young Latino hunk shrugs, “He’s the fucking Sentinel. What can happen?”

I head to the bar for a beer. I reach into my pocket and realize, I gave all my money away. Uh oh. I turn to call Intrepid over but a cute heavyset young Black man pays for it. I thank him. I lean in, asking him his name. It’s Marcus. We have a good conversation. I never get to talk to normal people living normal lives, so I ask him about sports, music, movies, and the like. He keeps telling me how hot I am and that he loves pro wrestling (in reference to my cover story).

I finish the beer and set it down. He thanks me for the chat and starts to leave, but I boldly ask, “Would you like to dance, Marcus? Unless you’re not interested?” He’s interested. We have fun. Guys rudely try to push between us, but I am Sentinel, so good luck with that. I move in closer, apologizing, “Sorry, I don’t mean to crowd you, but people keep trying to get between us.”

Marcus laughs, “Well, we can’t have that.” He wraps his arms around my waist, pressing up against my body. He looks up at me, “You wanna go somewhere less … crowded? I live right around the corner.”

I thank him but explain, “Sorry, I have to stay with my son.” He looks confused, so I explain, “The shirtless young man with the chain collar over there.” Another round of shock and awe that Adrian is really my son and that it’s not some euphemism for anything else. Once it’s figured out, Marcus nods, disappointed. However, he’s still holding me tight.

Marcus asks to kiss me. I agree but tell him I can only be friends because I have a boyfriend. He nods, not caring as he rubs my bare torso. I easily lift his 250-lbs up. He grabs behind my head and we make out on the dance floor. His breath tastes sweet. I think he was drinking something fruity. I set him down and we keep dancing. 30 minutes later, I want to find Adrian so we head back to the bar area. Marcus’ friends are giving him looks and he seems happy.

I tell him that I’m wrestling next week and I can set aside tickets for him and three friends if he would like since he’s a fan. He quickly agrees. I add, “And I’ll be alone, so we can hang out as friends afterwards, if you’d like.” He’d like. I kiss him good night. When I turn away, I hear screaming. It’s Marcus and his friends. I shamelessly eavesdrop. They’re telling him that I’m incredible. Oh, that’s nice.

My drunk son presses his finger into my pec, “Bull has a boyfriend.” I frown, saying I was very clear I was only a friend to Marcus. He laughs, “I’m just kidding, dad. I know Bear is your boyfriend.” Suddenly he says, “Oh my god! You know a normal person now. You made a normal person friend!” More laughter.

I look at Intrepid and we agree that we should get Adrian home.

***** Location: Sentinel Station. High Orbit Over Earth. *****

Intrepid says, “I’m impressed how chill you are with us drinking tonight.”

“Why?”

“Well, Sentinel is such a ‘rules’ guy.” I shrug. He says, “The legal age is 21.”

I’m carrying my drunk son into the living room. I set him down onto the sofa. I turn back, “What do you mean? 21? Are you kidding?”

“You didn’t know that?”

“Of course not. Why would I? I didn’t even know how much things cost before Bear and I started hanging out.” I think then point out, “But they checked our ID?”

“They did but you have the most sophisticated computers in the world. We used them to make the best fake ID possible. You really didn’t know that?”

“I really did not. Is this a global thing?”

“No, just the US. Most of the time, we take the shuttle to places where we are legal. But tonight, we wanted to be in Bull’s hometown. Helped build your cover story. And you used fake ID, too.”

“That’s different. Mine didn’t enable me to behave illegally.”

I’m annoyed at myself for not even thinking about this but I get distracted by my drunk son. My illegally drunk son. Adrian pats the cushions, asking us to join him. We sit on either side of him. He says, “I love both of you sooooo much. You’re so awesome, dad. Why are you so great?”

“I’m glad you think so.”

Intrepid asks, “You don’t?”

“I just don’t want to get over-confident. Actually, I feel really good about things. I love my life right now. Adrian, Bear, and you? I love you all. The three best men a guy could ask for.”

“Back at you.”

I smile, “I’ve been more human in the months since Adrian moved in than the rest of my life combined. It felt so good tonight. Most of the time. I met people. Learned things. I might’ve even made a friend who’s going to come watch me wrestle. So, yeah, life is good.”

Adrian looks at me. He slurs, “I love you.” His eyes glow pink. That’s new. He asks, “Dad, what’s this? In your head.” He taps my forehead, “These dots. Why do you have machines in your head?”

“I don’t know what you mean. Are you seeing things?” I ask Intrepid, “That’s part of being drunk, right? Seeing things?”

My son says, “No, it’s not because I’m drunk. I can see … your mind. I’ve never seen like this before. It’s all … weird. But I know there’s something there.” My son gathers himself. He holds my head. He concentrates. I do feel him inside me. He says, “Things. Little things. And a … sliver. Not an actual sliver but that’s what it’s like. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

I’m suddenly worried. “Son, there might be a reason why you can see into my mind. The woman who gave birth to you? She was a very powerful telepath. You might share some of her abilities.” I look at Intrepid, “This could be real. Let’s go to the lab. Can you -?”

“Yes, I remember how to use all the equipment.” In the lab, we scan my body and mind. Intrepid says, “I can’t see this sliver that boy sees but there are some kind of small devices in you. Like nano-devices. And they weren’t in your last scan.” I unleash a localized EMP. “No, they’re still there. Still active.” He turns to my son, “Boy, you do it.”

Adrian is sobering up, but he’s not there, yet. He laughs, “Silly Sir, I don’t know how.”

“You felt them. You see them on the screen. You want them gone, right?” My son nods, “Just concentrate and erase them, boy. That’s an order.”

“Yes, Sir.”

My son looks at the screen then at me. He holds my head. Nothing happens. “It’s okay, son. I love you no matter what.” Adrian’s eyes glow again. Then his hands. I feel a shock of psychic energy. Intrepid rescans me as my son laughs. I recognize what he’s experiencing. His power is singing within him. I know that feeling well. He finally steps back, the glow dissipating.

Intrepid pumps his fist, “You did it, boy! They’re all gone.”

I sit up, “Thank you, son.”

Adrian’s eyes glow again. “You’re welcome. That felt soooo good. The sliver is still there. I don’t know how to pull it out.”

I joke, “Tweezers.”

My still semi-drunk son takes me literally. Pink energy tweezers appear before me. They slide inside my skull. Adrian says, “Dad, I’ve got it.” He lifts his hands quickly. “Got it!” I cry out and bend forward, holding my head. I drop to my knees as memories rush in. He cries, “DAD! I’m so so sorry! What did I do?”

I sit back on the floor, “I’m fine! I’m fine!” They stare down at me. I explain about Master Mind and what he did. I look up at my worried son, “You saved my life! You saved everyone’s life!”

Adrian relaxes, “I did? Cool. I’m a hero. Hee-ro. That’s a funny word.”

Intrepid says, “That’s it. We need a sober telepath. I’ll get Gold Mind. I’m taking the shuttle. Stay here. Both of you.” He marches off. I rise and hug my son, telling him again that he saved my life. And maybe the world.

When the Young Crusader Gold Mind arrives, we explain everything. Gold sparkles surround my head as he examines my mind, confirming everything. He looks at Adrian, “And you saw it? This sliver?” When my son nods, the telepath reaches into his mind. The gold sparkles dance. My son uses his hand to move them around, controlling Gold Mind’s mental energy.

The Young Crusader is shocked. He says, “Amazing. You’ve gotta teach me how to do that.”

“You want me. To teach you? I don’t even understand what I’m doing.”

Intrepid asks, “What is he doing? All I see is him waving his hand in the air.”

I explain, “When Gold Mind uses his power, there’s a visible effect of gold sparkles. The same way Adrian’s power is pink and Master Mind’s is blue. You can’t see it, Intrepid, but Adrian and I can.”

Gold Mind says, “And more importantly, Adrian can manipulate and disrupt it like I've heard that Sentinel does with other kinds of energy. It’s a very useful skill.”

I smile proudly, “See, Adrian? Your powers aren’t less than mine. They’re just different.”

Gold Mind shrugs, “They might even be greater. With all due respect, Sentinel. Physical abilities are impressive but the mind will always triumph in the end.”

Intrepid snarks, “Of course you’d think that.”

The telepath ignores him, “Adrian, I bet with training, you could be a major psychic force. And you’re also a powerful fucking brick. You’re a big deal.”

Adrian frowns, “Okay, but when the heck will I figure out how to fly?”

The End.