Chaos In The Flesh

Chapter 31 (part 5)

Thursday, March 16th, 10:22pm

"You're more powerful than your father."

Jonathan rolled his eyes as he threw the last training robot aside and into the pile with the rest of the weapon his grandfather had attacked him with.

How long had it been since he was in a dreamscape like this? A while... it had to be. And yet he felt like he had just spoken to his grandfather.

As Jonathan stretched out his back, he looked around. The ice prison that his grandfather loved so dearly was looking frightening. If there was a way to sharpen the icicles hanging from the ceiling, he did it. If there was a way to add ominous lights on the ice walls, they were added.

Seriously, at this point, it looked more like an evil Elsa ice castle rather than what he was used to. The latter option wasn't that much better, but at least with that option, he didn't feel like he was gonna die upon entering his dream.

Plopping into a pile of snow, Jonathan took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, and his grandfather checked his vitals and stats.

"You took fewer hits to the chest and abdomen area," His grandfather muttered, his eyes scanning the hundreds of different mechanisms and graphs that were on holograms in front of him. "But your wrists and neck were attacked 2.3 times more than usual. You also have to watch out for your footing, you slipped a few more times than usual. Oxygen intake is still choppy, but blood flow is steady. You have high levels of dehydration, and your nutrition scans indicate that you haven't been consuming enough protein and Vitamin C and D."

Poking his head through the hologram, he asked, "Have your mortal doctors not been telling you these things?"

Jonathan formed a snowball and chucked it through the hologram, just barely missing his grandfather. "I go to the doctor only if I'm sick or need a check-up, not for someone to tell me that I should drink more water or play in the sun a little more."

Jor-El scowled. "No need for sarcasm."

Jonathan stuck out his tongue and smirked. He knew exactly how to irk his grandfather, and he played his cards every chance he got... even if it meant getting hit a little harder from the robots.

A red circle flashed in the top right corner of the hologram, snapping Jor-El into reality. He sighed and swiped the hologram away.

"Alright, that's enough for today." Jor-El lifted Jonathan to his feet. Gently brushing off the snow off his grandson's back, he said, "You may be more powerful than your father, but you're still weak. We need to change that, and fast."

Jonathan's brows furrowed in conclusion. "How does that work? How can I be powerful but weak?"

Jor-El patted his son's chest right above his heart. "Your heart still beats with longing. That is your weakness and what is holding you back. That is your Achilles heel."

Jonathan gaped at his uncle as a new portal leading into a person's closet opened up in front of him. Jor-El took a step back and transformed his usual clothes into a simple black robe. Tossing his hood over his head, he turned his back to Jonathan.

"So you're saying my emotions are making me weak?"

Jor-El shook his head. "Not emotions, just one emotion. And you better smother it before it controls your mind and dictates your actions."

As he walked through the portal, Jonathan huffed, "We're gonna have to work on your pep-talks, Gramps. You're a bit rusty on the support and love levels."

Jor-El waved his hand in the air and a black robe draped over his body, dragging a bit on the ground. As he pulled a hood over his head, he smirked at his grandson. "I show my love and support. Just not in the way you appreciate."