Powerless

32. We're all we have. (Roman)

I finally called them. After about a week I finally picked up the phone and call his mother. It broke my heart but someone had to. I sat here just watching him hoping I'd see a change. A spark anything... but nothing is all I got. I didn't even get a single orb of energy off of him. 

Those familiar soft green lights never showed. I feel like I'm watching him die but I feel like I already lost him. I took a deep breath and pushed the chair closer to him and took his hand as I sat back down. This was why he didn't want to go see that reader. He knew he had powers... He didn't want us to know. I forced him there and that fear in his eyes. I should've let up. I should've gone by myself.

The whacked out reading... The person with 5 powers and the unreadable level, that was him. He was so scared and unsure what to do he had to surge out the machine. Which means he must have had to take his mask off. He was the intense awe-inspiring and scary pressure I would feel. He must have felt so guilty every time he took his mask off. Every time his energy would make me sick...

Mr. Overkill is what that Anti freak called him. Mr. 2361... He called me Mr.476. My power level. The same one I got from that reader. Did that mean 2,361 was his power level? If so it's no wonder his mind broke after just one move. The amount of strain that must have caused him. A power level of 2,361... How would Anti have even known? How would he have known what our readings were...

"Roman?" I looked over to see a woman walking him and I started to smile. However sad it was, it was still nice to smile. 

"Hello, again Mrs. Winters." He smiled back as she walked over and froze. She looked like she hadn't slept since I called her. She probably hadn't. He looked over at our hands and tensed up seeing I was holding him. 

"He... He should be covered... covered up. I don't know..." I just looked away pulling his hand in close. His skin was cold... I let my energy flare out a bit praying I could warm him up and smiled at the subtle rush the air around me had. If only I could tell if he felt it too. But... when I looked up I saw nothing. He was just sleeping. He didn't even have a smile on his face. "Roman, what happened?"

"The... uh... The doctors think that he suffered to much Mental strain." Her eyes went wide as I just sat there holding his hand. He was warming up a bit but... he still felt cold to me. Maybe because I feel like I lost him... like he isn't actually here. 

"What are you talking about, Cassidy isn't..." I glare at her and she froze.

"He isn't wearing his mask right now Mrs. Winters. We can both see his scales clear as day. So please don't stand there and lie to me." My anger flared out and she looked away. "Haven't I been lied to enough?"

"Roman, that wasn't his..."

"Do you know what he said to me? About his powers..." The memory of our time at the waterfall filled my head. All those beautiful lights... the way his energy fill the space. The way it called out to me... The way he... He was broken even then. "He said he'd rather be crazy and in control... than Sane and dangerous."

"He wouldn't say..." I looked up at her with this blank expression and she stopped, just looking at us confused.

"Where'd he get the suppressor?" Her eyes narrowed and I raised an eyebrow at her. "He's had that mask he was 8... or well a mask anyway. Why... would an 8-year-old boy wear a DAMN SUPPRESSOR?!"

"Roman!" I stopped, feeling the blast of heat and I looked away again just trying to calm my breathing. "He has five powers. A small child with that much power is bound to break under it. I... We, as his parents, made the decision to give him a chance at a good life." I narrowed my eyes as she leaned back against the wall. "I was scared."

"And you think he wasn't?" I just shook my head trying really hard to ignore the tears in her eyes as she started to leave. "He was terrified. He was so scared of himself he... At any moment he could have taken that mask off. He didn't. He never did..."

"Clearly that isn't true..." I looked up at her as she started for the door and I narrowed my eyes. "He would have been better off..."

"Don't you dare say he would have been better off powerless." Her eyes went wide as she glanced back to see the rage in my eyes. "Because he lived like that. He lived his life powerless and it was hell. I called you out of courtesy." 

"Roman..." I narrowed my eyes and she started to back up clearly started to feel fear towards me. "What are you..."

"I called you out of respect for him. You're his mother. You should know your son is in the hospital." I held his hand tighter and practically stared daggers into her. "But I won't forgive you. I won't forgive the fear you instilled into him. Hell, I don't even forgive myself." He narrowed her eyes in broken confusion. "But now... We only have each other."

"Roman, I..."

"Cassidy and I are the only family we've got. He doesn't need anyone else. Especially not someone who forced him to hide who was was and caused this..." She laughed and I felt my anger begin to boil again.

"And who was it that shoved him aside? Who was it that bullied him? Who was it that made him finally take his mask off to save his sorry ass? He was fine being powerless. He was safe and sane and healthy. If anyone caused this... It's you."

"I suggest you leave." She spun around to see a very angry Patton smiling away as he stood there clutching his fists tightly in the doorway. Mrs. Winters just scofted and Patton's smile fell. "Leave... now." Her eyes darkened as Patton blinked revealing his eyes had changed to those of a cat. He held his hand up to reveal sharp claws and he smiled again to reveal sharp teeth as well. "Before I show you just how a parent should protect their sons."