The Matters of Power

Chapter 64- The Fate of Marcus Fernandino [2]

I'm not sure how much time has passed since I've woken up in God-knows-where that Mr. Corvanez shoved me in. How long has it been? Hours? Days? A week or more? There's nothing in this room that helps me indicate how much time has passed other than my deteriorating sanity from being chained in the same place this whole time, not being able to take even an ounce of meaningful rest out of this. Mr. Corvanez has been putting the wringer on me, putting these insane 'training sessions' onto me every second he can from making me dodge throwing knives that I have to dodge with inhumane speed, to being able to quickly tamper with a gun before he pulls the trigger, and other extreme situations that I can barely recall just on my adrenaline alone. After all that, he grants me some mercy by giving me some food and water, but then leaves the room for a long time with only my thoughts and my linger exhaustion that somehow gets me to sleep while being in this state. It must have been nighttime if he was gone for that long. I'm awoken by the familiar sound of an elevator ding and the same figure approaches me once again, but with a small box in his hands that he lays down on the cheap table. "...Mornin'. How'd you sleep?" I say in a seething and sarcastic tone. He ignores me as he unpacks it and various items come out it, and despite their appearance I know their purpose is going to be different. "There was some progress yesterday, you adapted quickly." He doesn't even look at me, instead he's putting on gloves that were inside the box. "You have a long way to go, though. You mind and abilities still haven't awoken themselves to reveal their prime form. Still, it's leagues better than when you were back during the first case." First case? Does he mean during the time I fought that group from West Anton High? "You must be thinking of that petty delinquent group from West Anton High, huh? It's written all over your face. Don't tell you forgot? Remember? The incident during the Fall Festival? Payton Moon... Jeffrey Porter?" 

Memories of that event flooded my mind when he said that... yeah, I remember. It was just a 'simple' kidnapping case back then, but why is he bringing it up now? "Yeah, him. What about it? What does have it do with your schemes, old man?" He kinda looks off into space after I say that, "Compared to then and now, you might as well have been seen as a changed man. Love is a fickle thing, isn't it? That Jeffrey kid did all that out of some twisted form of love, while Carl saved her while having some form of twisted love in his mind. Puberty hits people differently, but I guess in the end it makes all of us go crazy for something." "And? What about Jeffrey? Nobody saw him after that, everyone thought he went to juvie for it." "They're wrong though. You see, after all that, he wanted vengeance against you and Carl for ruining him, but luckily, I happened to convince him to give it all up, accept his charges, and reform into a better person. I'm not a heartless person, Marcus. Unlike what you think, I actually do good for others." Yeah, when it's convenient for you or it somehow benefits in some way. He goes back to the box to pull out what's still inside, but I suddenly had a thought that I blurted out, "You talk about love like it's a sacred thing, but what about yours?" He stops what he does after hearing that and gets dangerously close to my face, staring me down in a menacing way. "You don't talk about love like that, not when you don't understand it to begin with. Or when it's about another man's love." I immediately talk back, "Sure, old man. Tell me then, where's the wife at? Where's the mother that Julietta should have known her whole life but only has you for-" He punches me so fast and so hard in the face that I'm left in shock and in a stunned state to realize it. I thought he was going to start a barrage of punches, but to my surprise he composes himself. 

"She... isn't here... and it's all my fault." Don't tell me, he killed her with his powers?! "Tell me, Marcus," he grabs a hold of my head, forcing me to look at him, "do you have people you cherish? Your parents? Your recent friends?" I nod as best as I can. "You must understand, they are different than you, you have abilities that no normal man has, abilities that can save a person's life in a crucial moment. You mess up when it matters, there are no second chances... like I did." He finally lets go of my face, which was starting to hurt from the pressure of his hands. "Your wife. How long have you known her for?" "It should be obvious for you, you saw her in that photo. The one in the old high school." My memories are jogging again, and I recall that photograph that was taped to the wall of the locker door, the one with him and two other students grouped with him. Now that I think about it, one of them did seem to be girl while the other was a guy, so she the one that stuck with him?! "It may not seem like it, but she truly was the love of my life. We lived almost as one. Started the foundations of Star Cor Technology. Eventually had brought Julietta into the world. It all seemed so bright." I see him shed a single tear from his memories, but he wipes it away and his face turns somber. "Just one night. Just one night, when my abilities actually mattered to save us, I choked up. Stupid driver and his phone addiction! If it wasn't for his fuck-up, we wouldn't need to be in an accident! If I could have been stronger and faster to stop her from being mortally injured..." His face starts to change red from anger, but quickly calms himself down. "She was the only one I first talked about my powers, and yet she trusted me. In sickness and in health, my ass, I failed. Being a single father while managing a growing business is close to a mental breakdown for most, but I did it. After all that, I'm stuck babysitting you, a kid who is still wet behind the ears." He extends his hand out towards one side of a wall, and I see him use his powers to pull down a lever that I never saw before, and I feel myself falling down to the floor with a loud thud. "Get up." I look up and see Mr. Corvanez signaling me, and I'm surprised to see that I'm no longer held in suspension, but my limbs are still held by chains no matter how hard I try to pull them off. "Forget it, kid, you aren't gonna easily get out of that. Now," he grabs a crowbar that was on the table and moves it with his powers that nothing falls off, "you're gonna hold out against my attacks. Get up no matter how much it hurts." He lunges forward and I'm sent flying back by the sheer force of the attack that I was unable to dodge in time. This is going to hurt on a whole new level...