An Unexpected Rival

Three days have passed since your reconciliation with your half-sister, Jennifer. Three days that you've managed to actually keep a low profile, only going out on job hunting excursions. In your down time, you've taken to meditating, a sight which took both Jennifer and Allyson a bit of time to get used to. This was likely because when you did so, you were sitting indian style in the middle of the living room, your arms crossed, head bowed slightly forward and your eyes closed in concentration. You were also roughly three feet above the ground with a dozen objects circling you in three different orbits.

While doing all of that, you'd taken to opening up your mind- expanding your range and control over your telepathic capabilities. As a general rule, you stay out of Jen, Allie, Kathy and Annabeth's thoughts- everyone else is fair game, though you are cautious when you enter the minds of others, not wanting a repeat of the Max Swift Incident. The things you've picked up from the various other tennets have run the gamut of sweet, sensual, raunchy and disturbing.

One particular situation that caught your attention, was the fact that Mrs. Breckenridge, who was living in the apartment across from Jennifer and Allyson's, was having a somewhat cliché secret affair with her yoga instructor. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Breckenridge, Mr. Breckenridge was also sleeping with her.

Still, you encouraged one neighbor to ask out the coworker he'd been pining after for the last two years. Another was in a self-sustaining downward spiral of depression that occassional delved into thoughts of suicide. Needless to say, you intervened there, slightly tuning her emotions and pushing her thoughts into less dark places. Another neighbor, you anonymously reported to the local P.D. Finding a payphone in the day and age of digital, portable phones was a journey unto itself.

"James," Jennifer said looking at her tablet, "You might want to check this out."

This caught not only your's, but Allie's attention as well. She was watching one of those stupid Hallmark movies that you found ridiculous. Still, they were better than the ones your mother liked to watch on Lifetime whose general theme in general you could only describe as 'man-bashing'.

"What is it?" Allyson asks for the both of you, pausing her movie.

You pull yourself back into your own mind as you begin to put everything back where it all belongs. Slowly, you unfold your legs beneath you and begin to stand on your own two feet. You join Allyson on the couch. Jennifer extends her arm out to hand you the tablet, which you telekinetically relieve her of.

"There's a new meta in the area," Jennifer informs you two.

Looking it over, you see that what she was looking at was an article for the reveal of a new member of the Justice ****. This was a metahuman capable of manipulating gravitational fields who was keeping his identity a secret from the general public. His handle, his 'super' name, code name, whatever one would wish to refer to it as, was 'Singularity'. An appropriate choice, you admit. Given that Maxwell Swift was the one sponsoring is membership into the Justice ****, you finally have the other reason why he was in the area.

It's only when you come across his picture that you freeze. Despite the mask covering half his face you recognize him. You not only recognize him, you know him. Like you, he too is a recent graduate of Aurora Highschool. "Sonofabitch!"

This had both Jen and Allie looking at you in shock as you continue to scan the article. Doing so only further darkens your plummeting mood.

"What's wrong?" Allyson asks you in concern while trying to peak at what you're reading. You simply had the tablet over, closing your eyes to calm yourself. With your emotions beginning to run hot, various items in the apartment were beginning to tremor slightly. Your attempt to calm yourself is only partially successful.

"Allie?" Jennifer asks.

"He's from Aurora. The article basically becomes a fluff piece promoting the new meta, with him being praised as the First Son of Aurora," Allyson explains to her before turning her attention to you. "Not a friend?"

"Not even remotely," you admit bitterly. You endured weeks of scorn and pariah-hood after your awakening, with your parents nearly disowning you. Seeing that various the townspeople who were interviewed praising him, while those same assholes scorned you, infuriates you.

"His name is Christopher Grayson." you sigh in defeat. "You know that phrase 'always someone better'? He was that was that someone better. He was every bit as smart as me, if not smarter. Where I usually kept to myself and was an outcast, even in my parent's home, he basically had his own Cult of Personality. People just tended to gravitate to him. He had this charisma about him that allowed him to network with people easily and was always dating one ridiculously hot chick or another. The one thing that set us apart was that I had powers and he didn't. So of course, he not only got powers of his own, but seems to have gotten near universal acceptance."

You're left with the very distinct feeling of bitterness. Neither your sister or her roommate have any slue on what to tell you.

"I'm gonna go out of a bit," you mention to them. Before either could protest, you are quickly out the door, wanting get out of the suddenly confining space of the apartment.