Sitting in silence for nearly ten minutes, listening to the occasional sob from Arlene, I ask. "How many g's can you guys handle?"

"Sorry Slate, neither of us are physical," replies a tired sounding Ted.

"Alright, I will keep it just under supersonic, we will arrive in under three hours." After setting the autopilot, I close my eyes and drift off to a better place and time.

In less time than I thought, Ted was shaking my shoulder. Well, he tried to anyway, "were almost," there Ted whispers. Looking over, I see Arlene asleep, judging by her face. She must have cried herself to sleep.

Sighing, "you two should retire, maybe have a kid. You're too good for these guys."

Ted smiles sadly, "you know when we joined up, we thought we could make a difference, show them they do not have to destroy peoples' lives to fight the villains."

While we talked, the vehicle dropped and landed in an abandoned town. "This used to be Montrose. I was born here," I say as we get out of the pickup.

Arlene looks around, "it's pretty here. What was it like then?" I looked at her and shrugged, "we moved before I was five. I only have a vague impression of this place."

While Ted was looking around, he asks, "now what."

I smirk, pointing at the sky. Both looked up and panicked, perfectly normal when a giant space rock was flying toward your position.

"What do we do?" They both scream at me.

I shrug. The two of you wait by the truck. When they turned to head that way, I walked a little further and began gathering my strength. As I have mentioned before, the longer you have power, the stronger it gets. I have had mine for a long time. At some point, many years ago, I gained an aura; the aura is the manifestation of your spiritual strength, or that's my opinion, anyway.

Flying was never one of my abilities, but I can use my aura to counterfeit it, I guess you would say. Spreading my aura out around me in a large area, I pushed against it, flinging myself into the sky faster than a mortal eye can see. That includes me. I use my aura to see at these speeds, every mile or so, I spread my aura out again and jumped higher and faster as I approached the massive rock, approximately the size of Rhode Island, when there was a Rhode Island.

Instead of spreading my aura beneath me, I spread it over the entire. I'm calling it an asteroid at this point. Then I began constricting it. As I flew closer, I could see the asteroid compressing in on itself. By the time I was within striking distance, it was already half its original size. That should keep it from shattering -- probably. Right before I hit, I yelled, "Screw physic's," then roundhouse kicked the space rock back where it came from.

Falling to the ground, I watched the asteroid clip the moon, taking a chunk off. When I landed soft as a bird, "whoops." My two chaperones' eyes were wide as plates, and they could probably fit an egg in their mouths. Then several sonic booms arrived, and they surrounded me.

Clap, Clap. "Not bad bro, you still got it."

Turning, I say, "Joshua, how have you been, ate any babies lately?" All the surrounding costumes either pointed some weapons or their hands at this comment. Depending on what their powers were, I would guess.

Chuckling, the great and powerful Stellarman waved off his goons and replied, "nope, not recently, but I am having lunch with the Prime minister later."

I looked back to Josh, giving the flying death squad a dismissive glance that seemed to rile up a few. "Let my babysitters go, and we can talk."

Confused, he looked around. Finally, his eyes landed on the scared couple, holding hands so tight their knuckles had turned white. Josh studied them closely for a minute, causing Arlene to tremble, and commanded. "Return to your headquarters for debriefing," then gave a dismissive wave. "You're coming with us, Slate," said Josh.

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"Oh, am I?" I replied.

Afterward, an earthshaking baritone sounded from one goon, who stepped up to me. "yes, you are," he declared.

Frowning at the racket, I flick a finger toward him, and he shot off like a rocket, eventually being stopped by a mountain in the distance. Having seen me send one of their best costumes flying with a flick in his direction, the rest showed me more respect and tensed up noticeably.

During my little show, Joshua stood there gaping toward the crater in the mountain. "Is he retarded, you kicked an asteroid capable of ending life on a planet through the moon, and he thought he could intimidate you?"

Shrugging, "Have you seen the schools these days? All they teach is propaganda glorifying the federation." Also, I only clipped the moon.

Joshua glared at me, "the federation is glorious."

"Sure, do any of your goons," I say as I wave my arms around. "Know how you got the world to bend the knee. Or how anyone who spoke out against you got shipped off in a metal brick, to find a new home in space."

"I did what I had to, to build this world," Josh said heatedly.

Waving my arm around at the ruins of my birthplace. "good job." I remarked.

"Sacrifices are necessary to bring peace."

Turning my furious glare his way, I get the pleasure of seeing him flinch, "If you weren't my brother, I would leave you a greasy smear on these mountain slopes," I say loud enough for all to hear.

"I wouldn't allow that, Uncle," says a voice from the rear.

"So that's how you're doing this, Josh, I do what you want, or your pet psychic melts my brain?… Amelia," I nod at her, "longtime; I wish I didn't see you."

"Ah love you too, uncle,"

"Don't call me that, your no family of mine, you murdering bitch."

"Oh, come now, uncle, I kill one or two thousand disgusting peasants, and this is how you treat me."

"Those peasants, as you call them, were innocent children." I roar at the smiling woman.

I notice from the corner of my eye, several of the surrounding group shift uncomfortably, "Heh, seems your brainwashing is losing its touch Hor."

Shifting her eyes at the goons, she says, "Daddy, we can handle one old man lets, let these guys go back for now."

Joshua scowls, "I told you to stop calling me that I'm not your father. If I knew what you would become, I would have left you on the street to starve. I agree with Slate, your a freak. If the boss didn't insist your more use alive, I would drop the moon on you, no matter where you were."

A grin spread on my face. So they're not as close as I thought. Then declare loudly, "I will do whatever the federation wants, as long as it doesn't put innocents in danger if I can kill this disgusting excuse for a human right now."

Joshua also grins, "why do you think she is here," after a few seconds, both of us are laughing while staring at the confused demon.

Amelia jumps back a few feet, spreading her hands at the two of us, "you think your physical strength is faster than, thought," after a couple of seconds, her face gets paler and paler, "why?"

While tapping a stud clasped to my ear, I explain, the newest gadget from the Cerulean Twins blocks all mind control in a fifty-yard radius." All the costumes rush forward into the zone, making me laugh, "It seems you're not too popular these days, Amelia. Don't worry. I won't leave you without burying you first," I say as I jam my hand into the ground, lifting a boulder the size of a truck and bring it down on her head. Turning to Joshua, I held out my wrist, "All alright, copper bring me in."

Rolling his eyes, he waves at a costume who rushes forward and begins drawing power, creating a door floating before us. "After you, he says."