Ermis pondered over this unexpected development. He knew his Green cloak was on the verge of Evolution, but this was in an entirely different direction. Where would this new color take him?
Jorge and Sandy rejoiced because the Power was revealing itself quickly, a benefit of Awakening so late. As the group gazed at the shimmering Royal Blue cloak, Ermis began to experience its effects.
His thoughts were shifting into something more concrete yet abstract, almost as if those Left-brain and Right-brain "traits" he had read about were manifesting in reality.
'Hey there!' An inner voice suddenly shouted, 'Don't freak out; I'm you, ya' idiot.'
Jorge read his son's face and asked, "Are you hearing a voice, son?"
Ermis nodded as he heard it continue, 'Basically, I am you, you are me, see?' Ermis' right hand rose into the air as if answering a question in class.
Ermis stammered, "Dad, I-" while Jorge interjected, "I understand, buddy. Just try to communicate with 'Him.'"
Ermis felt his emotions float around him like he was decentralized yet connected through a mental superhighway. It felt strange, and the sensation was growing stranger.
He could feel waves of intent wrap around his mind. There were deep dives into the wrinkles of his brain; the entity within him was doing something.
"What are you doing to my head?!" Ermis cried out, feeling a sudden spike of pain, 'Oh, I'm just reorganizing your neural pathways, don't fret!'
The voice went deeper into his motor functions, 'I apologize for the unpleasantness. I promise this will be quick. Rewiring a brain with limited neuroplasticity isn't easy.' He could sense the entity's smile, 'But don't worry, human males' brains typically fully develop around their 25th birthday, on average.'
Ermis oddly found delight in the statement, 'Interesting factoid, huh?' He nodded as the voice continued, 'No need to respond aloud; I can discern your thoughts from the source!"
Ermis panicked, 'WAIT, WAIT! Calm down. This isn't like that old movie, I'm not-no, I'm not some Body Snatcher.'
The entity seemed to read his thoughts instantly, 'I'm YOU, you goof. How could I read "my own" thoughts?' Ermis felt a sigh, 'Familiar with Parallel minds? Hmm? I know you admired a Cape with that Power as a kid. I'm just a different manifestation of it. Though, I will admit, it is weird.'
Ermis didn't want a sidekick in his brain-SLAP-, "OUCH, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" The voice was furious, 'I am not a sidekick. I. AM. YOU.'
Observing the exchange from an outside perspective, Jorge stepped in, "Ermis, whatever you're experiencing, it's not abnormal."
Ermis turned to his father, his cheek still stinging from the unexpected slap, and asked, "How can a talking voice inside my head be normal?"
Jorge laughed at the bickering between the Ermises, "It is a part of Parallel Thought that some Capes with Superintelligence have. You should just be happy you only have one for now."
Ermis and the voice focused on that, '"For now?"' They said and thought in unison.
Ermis sensed the manipulation of his flesh nearing its end, 'Ahem, could you ask Father to restart the elevator? We need to get home before you "reboot" so to speak.'
Jorge read the question in Ermis' face and nodded. After pressing a key on the console he asked, "Alright, we're heading home, Amanda, are you staying with us?"
She hesitated for a moment, "Just for a few days, like we planned. I've put in a rush order for the team, but they're behind schedule. So, I'll personally guard Ermis until they get here."
The group reached the bottom of the building and embarked on their journey home. Ermis' second mind kept chatting, 'You have a ton of cartoons in here. How do you even watch that stuff?'
Ermis sighed and thought, 'It's called anime, it's an art form.'
'Whatever. Well, I am waiting to make a plan because we need information. Do you think we could get some "grown up" resources?' Ermis-2 asked.
Jorge was walking ahead, unable to see Ermis' face, so he repeated the question, "Dad, could we get a few books on the 'Civilian Association for Powered Emergencies' and more books on U.S. laws?"
Jorge nearly turned around, very few people used the terrible name behind the acronym, "Sure, I'll send them to your phone once we're home."
Ermis wondered why his dad had these resources when 'he' answered, 'Isn't it clear? Your dad needs to know which laws he can bend in other cities. I mean, knowing how to push boundaries without getting in trouble. Now THAT is an art form.'
Ermis almost wondered what his father bent the law for, but he decided he was better off not knowing. 'Good call, Erm, don't worry, I will take care of you, and we can make your goal a reality!'
Ermis absentmindedly nodded; losing his ability to have a private moment was going to suck.
Ermis instantly felt the unintentional backlash, sensing that the entity was ashamed of its omnipresence. It wasn't trying to steal the thunder, it just..it just happened. It wasn't like it was begging to be born as a mental fragmentation.
The two-way connection left Ermis frozen, realizing he had genuinely offended himself. There was no slap in retaliation, but an ache deep within.
Though he attempted to apologize to himself, all that came out was, "Amanda, could you catch me? I need to rest." Right after uttering those words, his body went limp, and consciousness began to slip away as his cloak shifted to Green.
The group turned to see Amanda smoothly catching Ermis, onlookers merely mildly puzzled by the scene. Most assumed he had undergone his first Evolution, considering his youth.
Jorge, Amanda, and Sandy hurried home with a newfound urgency, exiting the building and stepping into the night before descending into the subway.
Following a brief ride, they took the elevator to settle in for the night. Amanda placed Ermis gently in his bed, and Sandy ensured his phone was on the charging pad.
"Perfect, now he can read those books and reach out to Jessica," Sandy said, wearing a small smile as she led the Titan to the guest room.
"We probably should have discussed sleeping arrangements earlier, but feel free to stay as long as you need." She said as she pulled bedsheets and a fresh comforter out of the closet.
Amanda smiled and expressed her gratitude, "I appreciate it, I don't always have a bed out in the field."
Sandy nodded in understanding, "I remember my tour. It went sideways instantly. They placed me on Recon, but I needed so much help afterward."
Amanda looked confused as she arranged her room, "What do you mean?"
Sandy clarified, "Well, my Power allows me to create clones of myself. When a clone dies, its memories return to me. There was an Elite monster that discovered this- a mix of telepath and mentalist. It managed to breach my clone's mind and realized that certain memories were overlapping. This allowed it to torment the clone and then kill it, causing me to remember the pain."
Amanda nodded, sensing the mutual trust she had extended earlier. Sandy switched off the lights on her way out, saying, "Rest well, mighty Titan!" Chuckles followed her as she made her way to bed.
They all needed a nice rest.