something almost close to wonder. Of course it's not at his most powerful, but it's still Ace King. Even in the cells he'd heard about the specialized S class illusionist. Sure, Blackjack wasn't bad, but this kid, he thinks as he moves closer to the mirror , this kid has so much untapped power that it's amazing.
With his abilities, Mimic can be ANYONE, even without touching them. He won't have their abilities, of course, but he'll have their forms. And more importantly, he'll have Ace's abilities. Ace has the capacity for psychosomatic illusions. They can actually feel like real attacks--which means Mimic can make it LOOK like he has their abilities. That in itself is worth giving up his room with his daughter. Plus, he had been treading a very thin line as Noelle. Keeping in her small form for any length of time was taxing, and every time he shifted back to his own form he risked getting caught.
He will miss being so close to his daughter, he assures himself. Unfortunately it's a price that must be paid to move on in his life. In his goals. He stares in the mirror, focusing on drawing out the power in the boy's form. He's been an illusionist before, otherwise he wouldn't know how. Ace doesn't.
The image in the mirror blurs, then changes, growing larger through the shoulders and chest, the hair growing longer and changing colors. White, now, he thinks. With a streak of black in the front. Yes.
"Hello, Superior," he says with a little smile. "It's been a while."
***
"What happened to my SON?" The words are barely kept from being a bellow as Blackjack slams into the dorm, a mix of fear and rage on his face. "He's not even officially enrolled yet and you're already turning him into a tool for one of your stupid games?" he demands, grabbing Nico by the shirt.
"This is my fault," Jack says, stepping up to the taller man. He's already been checked by Aubrey, who healed the after-effects of the lightning and yelled at him for not dodging. "I asked him to help with a regular debut gig. But I swear he wasn't going to get hurt--"
"Shut it, Jack," Blackjack snaps. "This is all Nico, don't tell me otherwise."
"It is," Nico says, glancing back at the boy on the couch. He's surrounded by teens, with Aubrey crouching down next to him. "He'll be awake in a moment to tell us exactly what he was thinking, but this is my fault. I should have noticed what was going on earlier." There's a stark expression on his face, and his hands are fisted at his sides.
"WHAT is going on?" Blackjack demands. "And can you let his mother in?" he adds in a more mild tone. "She's already out for my head as it is."
"Yeah, sure, just--come with me while we go and do that," he says. "I'll explain. Aubrey, how's it coming?"
"It's going to take a few minutes," Aubrey says. "I'm not sure what she did to him, but he's out. I can get him back, though, don't worry," she says a bit too quickly as she sees Blackjack's face. "I've already done it once, but--I'm not sure--I mean, did Noelle have those abilities?"
"She said she didn't have any abilities yet at all," Morgan says, sending a silence through the entire group.
"She doesn't," Nico says as he heads out the door. Blackjack looks torn, his eyes going from the technopath to the boy on the bed and back. Finally he chases after Nico.
"Take good care of my boy," he calls over his shoulder before stepping out of the dorm. He can see his wife--no, his ex-wife--standing impatiently at the top of the canyon. He can even see the tears glinting in the moonlight. The guilt that races through him actually hurts. He's a failure, he thinks silently. A failure as a husband and as a dad. Some super hero he is.
Nico is already at the canyon entrance so Blackjack heads up the steps, stopping next to him. "What I need to tell you," Nico says almost silently, "is that somewhere--probably not even in this time--is my
With his abilities, Mimic can be ANYONE, even without touching them. He won't have their abilities, of course, but he'll have their forms. And more importantly, he'll have Ace's abilities. Ace has the capacity for psychosomatic illusions. They can actually feel like real attacks--which means Mimic can make it LOOK like he has their abilities. That in itself is worth giving up his room with his daughter. Plus, he had been treading a very thin line as Noelle. Keeping in her small form for any length of time was taxing, and every time he shifted back to his own form he risked getting caught.
He will miss being so close to his daughter, he assures himself. Unfortunately it's a price that must be paid to move on in his life. In his goals. He stares in the mirror, focusing on drawing out the power in the boy's form. He's been an illusionist before, otherwise he wouldn't know how. Ace doesn't.
The image in the mirror blurs, then changes, growing larger through the shoulders and chest, the hair growing longer and changing colors. White, now, he thinks. With a streak of black in the front. Yes.
"Hello, Superior," he says with a little smile. "It's been a while."
***
"What happened to my SON?" The words are barely kept from being a bellow as Blackjack slams into the dorm, a mix of fear and rage on his face. "He's not even officially enrolled yet and you're already turning him into a tool for one of your stupid games?" he demands, grabbing Nico by the shirt.
"This is my fault," Jack says, stepping up to the taller man. He's already been checked by Aubrey, who healed the after-effects of the lightning and yelled at him for not dodging. "I asked him to help with a regular debut gig. But I swear he wasn't going to get hurt--"
"Shut it, Jack," Blackjack snaps. "This is all Nico, don't tell me otherwise."
"It is," Nico says, glancing back at the boy on the couch. He's surrounded by teens, with Aubrey crouching down next to him. "He'll be awake in a moment to tell us exactly what he was thinking, but this is my fault. I should have noticed what was going on earlier." There's a stark expression on his face, and his hands are fisted at his sides.
"WHAT is going on?" Blackjack demands. "And can you let his mother in?" he adds in a more mild tone. "She's already out for my head as it is."
"Yeah, sure, just--come with me while we go and do that," he says. "I'll explain. Aubrey, how's it coming?"
"It's going to take a few minutes," Aubrey says. "I'm not sure what she did to him, but he's out. I can get him back, though, don't worry," she says a bit too quickly as she sees Blackjack's face. "I've already done it once, but--I'm not sure--I mean, did Noelle have those abilities?"
"She said she didn't have any abilities yet at all," Morgan says, sending a silence through the entire group.
"She doesn't," Nico says as he heads out the door. Blackjack looks torn, his eyes going from the technopath to the boy on the bed and back. Finally he chases after Nico.
"Take good care of my boy," he calls over his shoulder before stepping out of the dorm. He can see his wife--no, his ex-wife--standing impatiently at the top of the canyon. He can even see the tears glinting in the moonlight. The guilt that races through him actually hurts. He's a failure, he thinks silently. A failure as a husband and as a dad. Some super hero he is.
Nico is already at the canyon entrance so Blackjack heads up the steps, stopping next to him. "What I need to tell you," Nico says almost silently, "is that somewhere--probably not even in this time--is my
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