Mary yawned and sat up on her bed, her sleepy eyes soft but warm. "Good morning, Johnny. You're early this morning. Is anything the matter?" she asked as she telekinetically brought Johnson closer to her side.
"Nothing much. Just had a bad dream… kinda terrifying," Johnson replied quietly.
"I see. What was the dream about?" Mary asked, gently rubbing his hair. "You know you don't have to hide your face from me," she added, signaling to the mask that Johnson wore over his face.
"Ah… I forgot." Johnson removed the mask slowly, revealing his true face. "I dreamt that everyone died due to an explosion," he confessed as his body trembled slightly. "I'm… scared."
Mary's expression softened. "You're scared of us or of being alone?" she asked in a tone filled with concern.
"I'm scared of both, actually. I don't want to lose the people I care about and the ones who are precious to me," Johnson said as he began to sob.
"Awww, don't be such a big baby," Mary chuckled softly. "Here, have some sweets. Space." She commanded, and a small glowing portal opened beside her. From it, she pulled out a few bars of chocolate and handed them to Johnson. He took one eagerly, munching on it with a childlike sparkle in his eyes.
"How did you have this much money to buy these expensive chocolates?" Johnson asked, his mouth full as he salivated over the chocolate bars.
"Remember, Jerry left quite a load of them with us last time he visited," Mary said, laughing as she broke a piece for herself. "You shouldn't be scared about losing us. You should believe in us, and most importantly, believe in yourself." She reached forward and poked gently at his dimples with a smile.
"How can I do that? It's not like there's anything about me worth believing in," Johnson said quietly, his hair beginning to turn white as the light from the window touched it.
"You have everything to believe in yourself for. Hmm… you're fast on your feet, aren't you?" she asked, studying him with a knowing look.
"Yeah, I am. I also have other abilities, but I don't feel deserving of them. It feels like cheating," Johnson responded.
"Would you like it if a tree didn't bear fruit?" she asked simply.
"No, not really. If I sowed a seed, I'd love to see it grow and bear fruit," Johnson replied.
"Great," Mary said with a small smile. "So the abilities you have are not meant for yourself alone, but for those around you. You've got to use them to protect those you care about. For as the saying goes with great power comes great responsibility."
Johnson suddenly burst out laughing, wiping his eyes. "Why are you laughing?" Mary asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We aren't in Marvel," he said, still chuckling. "I kinda feel like I'll tune that a bit, but I'm grateful for your advice. I'll try believing in you that believes in me. You believe in me, right?" Johnson asked as he stood up.
"Well, that's not exactly my point," Mary replied with a teasing smile. "But I'm glad you got a bit of what I was trying to say. Of course I believe in you, Johnny. Now go wake your sister and your girlfriend."
"Oh… okay, wait what! You knew I and Angela were…?" Johnson's eyes widened in shock as he looked at her.
"I'm your mother's sister. Of course I'd know," Mary said as she stood up from the bed, folding her arms. "Besides, I knew from the time you went out for dinner with Angela some time ago."
"You're not mad or anything?" Johnson asked, still surprised.
"Haha, I'm not angry," Mary said with a gentle laugh. "Why should I be angry at my nephew for doing something that makes him happy? Besides, if she really makes you happy, then I won't oppose that. You both love each other. Call that a win-win." She shrugged casually.
"I'm more concerned about what more you know about me… that I don't know that you know," Johnson said as his face turned pale.
"Hahaha, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," Mary said, smiling. "It's 6:25. You should get the others awake for breakfast."
As she stepped out of the room, her form shimmered before she teleported into the kitchen. Johnson appeared beside her instantly.
"Alert. Incoming city-wide vaporization in five minutes," Jake's mechanical voice said from Johnson's watch, humming with warning lights.
"What's that, Johnny? Your little friend seems disturbed," Mary said, glancing at the glowing device on his wrist.
"Jake, can you please check the source of the explosion?" Johnson asked, moving toward the front door.
"Where are you going, Johnny? You could be hurt!" Mary called out, her tone panicked.
"I'm gonna get some chicken. And if I don't come back… take everyone somewhere safe," Johnson said softly. He sighed as his thoughts weighed heavy. "I really don't want to trouble her."
"Where could he be going this early?" Mary murmured, confused, as she switched on the television.
The screen flickered to life, casting a pale glow over the dimly lit living room. Mary froze on the couch, clutching the remote tightly as the usual morning programs were suddenly interrupted.
The news anchor a poised woman in a sleek red blazer looked visibly shaken but tried to remain composed.
"This is a breaking news report," she began, her voice urgent but steady. "Voyage City is currently experiencing a critical malfunction at the central Energy Reactor Tower."
Behind her, the live drone footage showed smoke pluming from the glowing spire at the heart of the city. Sparks flared violently from shattered conduits as terrified citizens fled the surrounding blocks.
"The reactor, which powers over eighty percent of the city, has suffered a catastrophic energy drain reportedly caused by an unknown individual in a dark hooded cloak. Authorities believe he is absorbing the reactor's core output an act that could result in a spontaneous explosion within the next few minutes."
Mary gasped, her hand covering her mouth as the anchor continued.
"Emergency services are issuing an immediate evacuation order. Civilians are advised to remain calm and head toward designated city shelters. Reports are coming in of houses already catching fire across multiple districts. Power grids are collapsing. Public transportation, trains, hovercars, even air-lifters have begun to shut down citywide due to energy loss."
The anchor's voice faltered slightly, emotion slipping through her professionalism. "This is… this is a moment of deep crisis for Voyage City. With our official heroes missing, we can only hope for a miracle."
She paused, pressing her earpiece suddenly as her eyes widened. "Wait, we're getting live footage."
The feed shifted.
The skyline erupted in color as a lone figure shot through the smoke a young boy clad in a multicolored suit, radiant streaks of light trailing behind him like a living rainbow. He soared across the city with breathtaking speed, heading straight for the reactor tower.
A breathless silence filled the broadcast. Then, in a trembling whisper, the anchor said, "It's him… it's the one who saved the train… he's back."
Mary leapt to her feet, her heart pounding, her eyes wide with emotion. "Johnny…"
Tears welled in her eyes not of fear, but of pride.