Mike sat on the edge of the bed, his expression serious as he looked down at Charles, who stood before him with his head bowed, staring at his toes. Outside the door, Eric and Clark exchanged nervous glances, straining to hear the conversation.
"Charles, do you know what privacy means?" Mike's voice was calm but firm.
Silence filled the room.
"Privacy is someone's personal territory—completely off-limits. When you invade it, it's no different from stealing. Do you understand how wrong it is to pry into others' private lives?"
"I'm not a thief," Charles muttered, his fingers knotting together as he glanced up. "I was...just curious."
Mike's gaze softened but stayed serious. "Think about it—how would you feel if someone discovered your own little secrets?"
Charles lowered his head further. "I...I wouldn't tell anyone," he mumbled, clearly unnerved. It was the first time he'd seen Mike this disappointed.
"It's not about keeping secrets," Mike replied. "It's about not doing it at all. It's a violation."
Sniffling, Charles managed to say, "I get it, Dad. I won't do it again."
Mike's face softened. He could see the guilt in Charles' eyes. "You're still learning to control your abilities, and without care, you could end up hurting people."
"I'm sorry, Dad." Charles' voice trembled as tears welled up. "I won't do it again. I promise."
With a sigh, Mike reached out, pulling Charles into a comforting hug. Charles buried his face in Mike's chest, but just as his tears began to subside, his body tensed. An unfamiliar sensation prickled inside him, and suddenly, his powers surged out of control.
Mike's brows furrowed as he felt a strange sensation creeping into his mind.
"Charles?" he asked softly, trying to stay calm.
But Charles pulled back, his face both pained and fearful. "Who is that woman?" he blurted out. "Is she…is she our mother?"
Mike's face tightened. "Charles, control your abilities!"
But Charles couldn't stop. Memories Mike hadn't meant to share were surfacing, fueled by the surge of Charles' uncontrollable power. "Dad, wait! Please… I just want to see her!" Charles pleaded, eyes wide with desperation.
Mike hesitated, his fingers brushing a skill card he'd kept in his pocket, but he saw the pain in his son's eyes and lowered his hand.
A few seconds later, Charles finished glimpsing Mike's memories. The strain was too much, and with one last gasp, he collapsed, fainting.
Mike caught him, sighing with relief. "It's better this way," he murmured, gently laying Charles on the bed. He'd rather Charles sleep than suffer the confusion and shock of what he'd seen.
When Mike finally stepped out of the room, he found Clark and Eric waiting with anxious expressions. "He's all right," Mike said, running a hand through his hair. "His ability got out of hand. He just fainted."
Clark and Eric exchanged a look of relief. A faint was no big deal.
"Keep an eye on him," Mike instructed. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." As he turned to leave, he sighed, knowing that Charles had seen something that revealed a deeper truth. Charles now knew they weren't his biological children, and that left Mike troubled.
What would he say when Charles woke up? And how would Charles react to him?
Sighing, he headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch, hoping that Charles would wake up before it got cold. However, even after he and the boys had finished eating, Charles remained asleep. Eventually, Mike took a plate of food upstairs and placed it on the bedside table.
"If you're hungry, there's food here," he said softly, lingering a moment before heading out and finding Eric at the door. "Call me if you need anything," he said, heading downstairs.
Eric nodded, then slipped into the room. He wasn't surprised to see Charles awake and devouring his lunch.
Crossing his arms, Eric asked, "Why were you pretending to be unconscious?"
"I wasn't pretending," Charles replied between bites. "I actually fainted."
"Then why didn't you want me to tell Dad you were awake?" Eric demanded.
Charles set his fork down and shifted on the bed. "Just… wait until I finish eating, and I'll explain."
Eric rolled his eyes but waited as Charles wolfed down his meal.
When Charles finally finished, he sat cross-legged on the bed, his face serious. "Eric, I saw something. In Dad's memories… I saw our mom."
Eric blinked, processing this, but he didn't seem as shaken as Charles expected. "So?" he replied calmly.
Charles hesitated, then murmured, "See for yourself." He used his power to project what he had seen into Eric's mind, filling his brother with the same images.
When the vision ended, Eric sat down on the bed, his expression pensive. Charles broke the silence. "So…we're not Dad's biological kids. Mom—"
"Stop," Eric cut him off sharply, eyes flashing. "Dad is our dad. I don't care about anyone else."
Charles fell silent, studying Eric's face. Finally, he spoke again. "Dad is our dad, yes. But… don't you wonder why she gave us to him instead of taking us to someone else? Don't you want to know why?"
Eric turned to Charles. "What are you planning?"
Charles' eyes were intense. "I want to find him—the man in Dad's memories. I want to know why."
Eric gave a skeptical laugh. "And how exactly do you plan to do that? Do you even know where he is?"
"Yes," Charles nodded, his resolve strengthening. "I found enough in Dad's memories to track him down."
Eric's eyes widened. "Dad actually knew about him?"
Charles nodded. "After he adopted us, he searched for information. I think he planned to tell us everything when we were older."
Eric shook his head but couldn't help the curiosity bubbling up. "So… are you really planning to go find him?"
Charles' eyes were set. "With or without you, I'm going."
Eric sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're going to get yourself lost out there."
Charles smiled, knowing Eric had just agreed. "Then come with me."
The two brothers gathered what little they had—a change of clothes, a bit of pocket money, and their skateboards. They opened the window, and with Eric's help, floated to the ground quietly. Looking back at the house one last time, they took off down the road.
But unbeknownst to them, someone was watching.
Clark had seen everything through his x-ray vision, his gaze steady as he turned to look at Mike.
.
.
.
Please vote with power stones, your support means alot.
You can read 10 extra chapters on p@treon.com/adam001 (replace @ with a)