"Still going around creating trouble for everyone I see." Den rolled his eyes upon hearing this. "Hardly," he said, "I am the one who usually cleans up the mess." "Sure you are." Penelope said, dragging a chair to his bedside and sitting down beside Stella as the others did the same.
"How are you feeling now?" June asked, placing a hand on Den's forehead. "Perfectly fine. It's not the first time Penelope's manipulated me." he chuckled, but stopped the next instant upon seeing everyone's faces around him.
He waved his hands and said, "I am fine. Really. Completely normal." Allen still looked unconvinced and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Penelope, who said, "Why don't you introduce me to your friend then?"
She rolled her eyes the next second and said, "Stop whining." "Yes. That groan was so loud I think even the non-manipulators heard it." she added,upon seeing Den looked surprised. He sighed and said, "I've need to start controlling my thoughts again. Not having strong manipulators around has relaxed me."
"Hey!!!!!" This came from Allen, who was looking at him with a wounded expression. Den shook his head and said, "Stop being so dramatic." as June piped in, "He only says that because you're too used to not replying to the things you hear in people's mind. Den would never make the mistake you underestimating you, would you now Den?" "Never." he replied,looking very much like he did not mean it.
Allen huffed and pulled Stella in his lap before crossing his arms to indicate that he was angry. Stella, wanting no part in the conversation, tried to sink into his body. But how could her wish be granted this easily? "I don't know what's wrong with the manipulators these days." Penelope began, looking very much like a grandma, "One stops her mind to never listen to others, another never replies to the things he does hear, and the third is too absorbed in his own thoughts to even listen to others'."
Stella tilted her head and blinked three times. The first two she could guess, who was this third person Penelope had mentioned. She looked from one person to the other, but no one seemed to understand her question. Just as she was about to voice it out, Simon spoke in a low voice, "Me. She means me."
Stella nodded with a look of realization, but frowned the next instant. Simon was too absorbed in his won thoughts? How come she had never noticed it before? He never seemed zoned out or in his own world to her. "But we shouldn't be listening to people's thoughts. It is invading their privacy." Allen's voice cut in between Stella's thoughts and she zoned back in to the conversation.
"Pfft. Privacy." Penelope spat the words out, "This is the reason I hate this twenty first century. With it's ideals and ideas about right and the wrong. We're manipulators guys!!! Man-i-pula-tors." she said, enunciating the word. "We're meant to be listening in to people's thoughts." she continued, "The thoughts they don't want anyone else to hear. And use them against the fighters. We might not be the fastest, the biggest or the strongest. But manipulators will defeat the strongest fighter, with nothing but the power of her mind."