“Oh my word you have grown so much!” Miranda tightly squeezed Elias. He was too shocked to hug her back.

“Y-you’re alive!”

“Yes honey I’m just fine.” Miranda smiled at him. Suddenly, her face turned to venom as she stared behind Elias. “Who’s the girl?” She said in a sweet voice coated with grim and disgust.

“Girl?” Elias turned around and noticed Becca standing there with wide eyes. “B-Becca! You followed me!? I specifically told you not to.”

“I’m sorry Elias but I just couldn’t leave you alone with that man. I didn’t want to lose you right after we decided to stick together.”

“Elias if you want me to... remove this whore from your presence; I will be more than happy to." Miranda said glaring at Becca clenching her fists.

“No no mom it’s fine. She’s my friend... my girlfriend.”

Becca blushed and looks towards the floor.

“I see... Well as long as she doesn’t get in the way she’ll be fine.” She gave Becca another piercing look. “Come now Elias I have something I’ve been wanting to give you.”

“Hold on!” What in the world happened? Where have you been all these years? Do you even know the pain I’ve been through?” Elias asked as Becca walked up to his side.

Miranda let out a heavy sigh. “Let’s find someplace to sit first and I’ll explain everything to you.”

Becca and Elias along with the mysterious man from earlier followed Miranda into a room with a few couches and chairs. “I guess I do owe you an explanation for my disappearance.” She said as she sat down. “What would you like to know?”

“Where have you been?”

“I’m here mostly. I used to come out every once in a while but now I have dear Jefferey here to go out and gather the supplies I need for my projects... and for living of course.”

“What had even happened to you? I thought you were dead and now you’re here and not with a scratch on you.” Elias looked at the ground. He closed his eyes trying to stop the coming rain. Becca placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Miranda gave a clear dislike to Becca comforting Elias but didn’t bother to deal with it. “As you already know me and your father had divorced. After he had found out you had no powers at all he considered it a disgrace and blamed me for it. He got the divorce papers and wanted me to sign them.”

“I at first refused of course. I knew he didn’t have grounds to file for a divorce and at the time he didn’t have enough money to push the case against me.”

“But then....” She put her hands in her lap and looked down. “He threatened to kill you... I loved you Elias. I didn’t care that you didn’t have powers. You were still my son. My fourth born. I didn’t want you to die. So I made some agreements. Your father wanted nothing more to kill you but even more than that he wanted to remarry. I told him that I would sign the papers only if he let me leave without harm. Never track me down or anything like that. That he wouldn’t ever kill you or pay someone to kill you. My final condition is that he would allow you to go to school. Any school that you wanted too.” Miranda took a deep breath.

“He agreed to the terms immediately. So I signed the papers. Gave you one last hug and left.”

“You did it for me to live? Do you know how much pain he put me through? What he did to me?” Elias stood up. His anger was seeping out of him.

Miranda was quiet and closed her eyes.

“Elias please calm down. Your mom was only trying to protect you. How could she have known what would happen to you?” Becca challenged him.

“I... No. You’re right Becca. I’m sorry mom.” Elias sat back down and continued. “I wanted to die. And until just a couple days ago I still wanted to die. He had me beat. Molested. Raped. All of it just to make some coin off of me. I wasn’t allowed outside... or to watch tv... or play games.”

Miranda silently wept and wiped her tears. She stared into her lap and stayed silent for a little. “I’m so sorry Elias.”

“No... don’t be. You had no idea what would happen to me." Elias forgave her. Miranda began to weep a little more.

“Anyway. What is it you wanted to show me?”

“Jeffery dear. Can you take him to Project Meltdown? I need to talk with his girlfriend.”

Jefferey was silent and took Elias out of the room.

“I don’t trust you. But I’m not going to force anything on you. Break up with him! Get away from my boy!” Miranda gave Becca a cold stare.

“Why would I do that?” Becca was unfazed by the demand. She kinda expected it.

“If you have any good in you then you would just leave him alone.”

“Are you implying that I want to hurt Elias?”

“Everyone always does. His siblings did just like their father. His father’s friends did too. You’re just taking advantage of him and you know it!”

“NO! I would never hurt Elias. He’s been through enough already. I don’t want to seem him like that ever again.”

“Like what?”

“Emotionless. When I met Elias 6 weeks ago he was so empty. He didn’t look alive at all. It looked like a robot programmed to be a kid. A robot that could bleed and feel physical pain. But emotional pain was foreign to him. Now he’s doing so much better. He looks and acts alive. Most people will kill themselves because they are so tired of not feeling emotional pain. They can feel only physical pain and they hate it. Like he said until a couple days ago he couldn’t feel anything at all. For who knows how long. There’s two types of suicidal people. There are those that take the action on themselves. But there are also types that are overlooked like Elias. Waiting for something to kill them. Wanting something to kill them.”

“What caused him to change his mind?”

“I don’t want to be boastful or sound arrogant. But I did. I cared about him in a way that no one else did. Soon he began to feel again and started to care about me the same way.”

“You really expect me to believe that crap!?!” Miranda looked at Becca with furious eyes. “You don’t care about him at all. I know your type. You are an attention seeker. But there’s a little problem isn’t there? You have nothing to attract a guy to you. You have no chest and you just have a really long back. No guy pays attention to you so you target the one who’s weakest. To seduce him to quench your thirst.”

“W-what?!? No I couldn’t ever do that. Yea I’m aware that I don’t have a lot of appealing qualities but I don’t want to even have sex with Elias.” Becca blushed furiously and whispered really quietly to herself. “Yet...”

“You’re a mother licking whore!” Miranda grabbed Becca and began to cock her arm back to punch her but stopped halfway through the punch as Becca braced herself for the coming attack. “W-wait... it’s you?!”

Becca blinked in confusion. “What’s me?”

Miranda sat down again and Becca relaxed. A little. “I guess I have more explaining to do... Did Elias ever tell you what my ability was?”

“Ehhh... Super Intelligence?”

“Correct. Well I am a duo user. My other ability is called Fortune Telling.”

“No way! I’m also a duo user! My primary ability is Elemental Control! My second is Telepathy!”

“Whoa seriously!?! Just a question is your second ability also very weak?”

“Yea. It only works with people I’m super close to. Like my parents and Elias.”

“Oh man if only you told me about that earlier then I would have believed that you didn’t want to hurt him earlier. Oh well at least I know now.”

“Wait... how do you know?”

“Well like I said my second ability is Fortune Telling and it’s also extremely weak like yours. Whoever I touch I’m able to see their future. Sort of... it’s very weak and I don’t get a lot of details. I also did lie a little earlier to Elias. I knew about the pain he would face. Not in great detail though. I didn’t know exactly what would happen to him and honestly I would have let him die if I knew the rest of his life would be pain... But it wasn’t... He becomes happy. Very happy because of someone. I didn’t know who it was. Until I touched you. You’re going to make him very happy soon. That’s the only reason I let him live through all of his pain and suffering from before.”

“So if you knew that there was someone who was going to make him be happy then why did you think it wasn’t me?”

“Like I said earlier I didn’t know who it was and everyone that I met that has came into contact with Elias only wants to use him. But the other reason is because he’s going to be going through a lot more pain because of someone very soon. I don’t know exactly when or how. I definitely wish I knew who but he will be in a lot of pain for a very long time before he becomes happy like he is now. Although I wouldn’t consider what he is now "happy" like he will be at some point. But it’s a good thing he’s like this.”

“But not for long right?”

“Right... not for long. I’m really sorry for treating you like crap earlier. Calling you a whore was really immature.”

“Don’t worry about it. You worry about Elias too. But do you know what I can do to prevent Elias from the pain he will feel in the future.”

“You and I both know that you cannot mess with fate. Fate will have its way. If we try to get in the way it will only make it worse. And seeing how life likes to treat Elias; it tells me it’s going to make it harder on him. Besides my ability is very weak and I can only get blurry images and feel the emotion of the person. So I don’t even know any details of what to do. But I do know one thing for sure. You will leave him. You will leave him for a long time.”

“W-what?!” Becca’s stomach dropped. “I-I’m going to leave him? No I made a promise that I wouldn’t leave him. No there has to be a way to prevent it!”

“Fate is fate Becca. I’m afraid that you’re going to leave him for a long time but suddenly you will come back. I don’t know what will happen but it has to do with whoever this other person is. You leaving I’m guessing is what caused his pain. However the person that caused you to leave is the one at fault. Like I said I don’t know any details at all.”

Becca was shaking a little. “I- no I- Leave him- I just- no...”

Miranda put her hand on Becca’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it Becca.”

“H-how could I not?”

“Just think about what happens at the end of it all. You bring him happiness. Don’t look forward to the pain he will go through. Look forward to the happiness you will bring him.”

“T-thank you!”

“I can see why Elias likes you. You are really sweet and caring.”

XXX

“This place is huge!” Elias gasped as he looked around. The large room had multiple hallways that lead to different rooms. Each hallway had a workshop or some kind of room as well. “What kind of projects are worked on down here?”

“Many of the advancements in technology are made right down here. Right now most of the staff is in their homes. Miranda doesn’t like people working on the weekends.”

“What kind of advancements?”

“The recent changes in space flight. The sudden boost in the speed of many cars. Some stores are supported with AI. Mainly to catch shoplifters and count money. Miranda doesn’t want jobs to be replaced.”

“All of that happens here?”

“Correct.”

“So what is Project Meltdown?”

“Project Meltdown is part of the Military Weapons Department. However, unlike most projects in that department it is the only weapon that we will sell on the market for civilians. Well heroes or heroes in training technically. Regular civilians aren’t really interested in this kind of weapon anyway.” Jeffery stopped by a key pad and punched in a bunch of numbers.

Elias read many of the different project titles. But there was one in particular that intrigued him. “What’s Project TAICAS?” There was a large sign with said project name over a giant hanger door.

“Project TAICAS is the next major military weapon. The details are classified so that is all I am permitted to relay to you.”

“Oh...” Elias said in disappointment.

“Come on now Elias. You had to have expected that if we’re in the Military Projects Department.”

“Yea... so does mom talk about me much?”

“All the time. Miranda loves you Elias. It broke her heart to leave you in the hands of those monsters. Oh! I guess I should tell you who I am exactly!” He turned around to introduce himself. “My name is Jeffery Harthburn. Miranda is actually my wife. We’ve been married 5 years now.”

“Really? You’ve been treating her well I assume?”

Jefferey laughed. “She would kill me with every one of these projects if I didn’t.”

They bother laughed with each other. Elias took his hand. “I’m Elias Roberts. But you knew that already.”

“Yea but it doesn’t hurt to have a proper greeting.” Jeffery spun on his heel and they kept walking.

“Here we are.” They stopped in front of a door that was locked with another keypad. Once again Jeffery entered the password and the door opened.

Inside it was pitch black and the door closed behind them. “I can’t see.” Elias said.

“Thanks Captain Obvious! Don’t worry Project Meltdown looks cooler in the dark.”

Elias watched as the dark room became illuminated by a bright red light. The light came from a thin red outline of the blade of a sword. The blade was swung around and even began to twist in ways that were unnatural. Elias figured that it had to do with Jeffery’s ability.

The glow soon disappeared and the lights came back on. Jeffery was holding a black bladed sword and walked over to Elias. “Go ahead. Try it out.” Jeffery handed Elias the sword.

Elias saw two buttons on the handle. One was on the bottom and the other was on the side right on the hilt. The sword itself had a gap on the edge of the blade.

“Press the button on the bottom.”

Elias presses the button and the gaps immediately illuminated to a bright red. The edge was now outlined in a glowing red line. “It’s warm.” Elias noted.

“Yes it his.” Jeffery pointed to a solid metal dummy. “Go ahead give it a swing.”

Elias swung and it immediately cut through the metal like it was nothing. “Whoa!”

“Right? It can do one more thing. Press the button on the hilt.”

Elias presses it and the blade rotated so that it was now the flat of the blade was where the edge used to be and the edge was where the flat was. “So that’s how you were able to rotate it like that. I thought it was just an ability of yours.”

“No my ability is Night Vision.”

“No wonder you could see in the dark.”

“Yeeperdoodles. Now if you hold the button it will spin continuously.”

Elias held the button and it began to wir around like crazy. It was so fast it looked like Elias was just holding a beam of light. He let go of the button and came to a stop at its original position. Elias pressed the button on the bottom to turn it off. “That’s really cool!”

“Oh I know it is. Miranda and I both worked on it together. The only downside is that it is slightly heavier than your average sword and that it needs to be charged to actually function. Otherwise you’re just hitting with a blunt object. But it also lasts a very long time when it’s juiced up to full battery.”

Elias began to give the sword back. “Whoa what do you think you’re doing?” Jeffery put his hands up. “It’s not mine.”

“Yes it- wait... it’s mine?” Elias’ eyes widened.

“Yes. Project Meltdown has been finished for quite some time. Now it’s yours.”

“So these are going to be on the market soon?”

“Oh they will be eventually. But right now you’re holding the only one in existence. We have to send the blue prints of it to different manufactures and they take quite a few months just to make one that works perfectly. Of course they will be mass produced so when one is done so will a hundred other ones. But that will be quite some time from now.”

“And you’re sure it mine?”

“Elias. Miranda started working on Meltdown as soon as she left you. It is her very first project. Now that blade is not the first specifically. She and eventually we had a lot of failed prototypes. That is our first and our only working one.”

“How did she know I would use a sword?”

“Something we as men will never understand. Mother’s intuition. Now then. We should head back. It’s getting late and you and your girlfriend need to go back to your school.” They started the long trek back.

“How did you know I live at a school?”

“Cause we know you go to SDA. They broadcast the fights on Live TV. Everyone saw you win against that other student. Miranda was on the edge of her seat the whole time.”

“They do?!?”

“It’s in the terms of service when you sign up for the school.”

“You mean that digital rule book that we’re supposed to read and leave a check mark?”

“Yes. The one that everyone skips because they’re too lazy to read the whole thing.”

“Oh...”

“Hey don’t worry about it. Besides you have a few more people rooting for you since you won. Everyone likes an underdog story.”

“Yea. I guess you’re right... So how did you and mom meet?”

Jefferey laughed. “It’s a really funny story actually. You see I had just moved into town and had no idea what I was going to do there. Then I saw the gorgeous women and the creepy part of me said “follow her.” Like the totally not creepy guy I am I followed her. I followed her to this alleyway and thought the women was crazy when she started lifting a trash can lid over and over again and suddenly kick it. I was about to turn around because I wasn’t trying to get caught by a crazy women.”

“Then the wall opened up and revealed a secret passage. The more intelligent part of my brain said, “Dude back off. You don’t know what’s in there.” The dumb side of me said, “huh der wall goes brrr.” I listened to the superior part of my brain and followed her into the passage. Now keep in mind that this place was not nearly as big or as tidy as it was back then 7 years ago. So when we got to the main room, I tripped on the stairs like the graceful man I am and fell flat on my face. I lifted my head to see a furious women pointing a very early prototype of the Meltdown at my face.”

“She tied me up to a chair and left me there to keep working on her project. I’m not sure how long I was stuck to the chair. She kept me well fed and I fell asleep a few times. She would even follow me to the bathroom so I could do my business. I’m not sure why she wouldn’t just let me go. She would hardly talk to me but one night she ended up getting drunk. Like really drunk and she spilled out everything about you and her frustration with the project. She was a mess that night. I convinced the drunk Miranda to untie me and she did. But she just stayed on the floor crying after that and I couldn’t bring myself to just leave her there despite she had kept me hostage for who knows how long. I ended up comforting her and she eventually fell asleep and I put her in her bed and my brain once again began it’s great debate. The more intelligent side telling me to run. But the more compassionate side told me to stay. So I stayed and decided to look at her project. She was trying to get the blade to heat up. But it kept destroying the battery and the coils would be ruined upon activation and needed to be replaced to use it again. I ended up staying awake the whole night and made it so the heat would just go on the edges instead of the whole blade because the coils couldn’t handle heating the whole blade. I had successfully gotten it to work for a little bit and was able to turn it off and on again.”

“Then she woke up... She freaked out when she saw me at her workbench and grabbed the blade and turned it on and was about to kill me. But when it eventually warmed up and stayed heated she stopped and started to smile... It was the first time I saw your mother smile and holy cow I swear she looked like an angel. From then on she kinda let me roam around with a little more freedom. I wasn’t allowed to leave yet but I wasn’t really complaining. I helped her out quite a bit with the project and eventually she opened the door and said that I was allowed to leave. She broke down at the exit too, apologizing for the way she had treated me. Instead of leaving I hugged her. I told her that I didn’t want to leave. By that point a year had apparently passed. She still feels really bad about all of that so I wouldn’t bring it up around her. I’ve told her multiple times that it’s fine and that if she hadn’t then I probably would have never proposed to her.”

“Wow... that’s not quite how I expected you two to meet.”

“Dude when growing up I never thought I would meet my wife by becoming her hostage. But how did you meet your girly friend?”

“Oh...” Elias began to blush. “We’re actually roommates.”

Jefferey began to laugh and nudged Elias a little. “Ooh I bet things get frisky at night.”

Elias turned a deep shade of red. “WHAT!? No! We don’t do anything like that. Besides we just started dating yesterday and today was our first date.”

“So what you’re saying is that you two might start getting frisky!”

“JEFFEREY!” Elias hit him as he was redder than a tomato.

Eventually they met up with the girls. Elias showed Becca his new sword and they went back to the school.