The Superhero's Son (Book 1): The Superhero's Test Read online

  “As I said, the Detector isn't perfectly accurate, so it might be wrong,” said Dad. “But until we receive practical evidence contradicting it, I am going to train you on the assumption that this is your power set.”

  I thought that was silly, but hey, Dad was the veteran superhero here and I wasn't. Besides, I liked the idea of flight and super speed, because being able to fly anywhere would be awesome.

  “So I have flight?” I said. “Hold on. Let me try it now.”

  I jumped into the air, but then fell right back down without so much as hovering. Dad didn't look impressed by my failed attempt.

  “Flight is a difficult power to master, so don't be discouraged if you can't get it right away,” said Dad. “Besides, I'd rather you not fly through the ceiling and force me to spend more money renovating this house than I already have.”

  I guess Dad was right. I could already sort of control my super strength, but flight just didn't come to me at all.

  “All right,” I said. “But when we get to the practical training parts, I want to learn flight first.”

  “Actually, we're going to start with teaching you how to control what you already know,” said Dad, “but regardless, before we can start the practical part of your training, you will need the proper equipment in order to ensure that you do not suffer any ill consequences of your powers.”

  “Proper equipment?” I repeated. I shuddered. “Do you mean, like, another Detector or something?”

  “No,” said Dad, shaking his head. He looked up from the tablet. “I mean you will need a super suit, a costume, if you will, designed especially for your body and powers. Your normal clothes are not ideal for any sort of superheroics, regardless of what you do.”

  I looked down at my clothes. I was wearing a black t-shirt and shorts today. “Well, I guess you're right. All of the other supers have their own costumes, but where am I going to get one of those myself?”

  “You don't need to worry about that, because I've already got one for you right here,” said Dad.

  He placed the tablet on the table and then opened the red suitcase with the NHA logo on it. Inside the suitcase was a folded suit, but I didn't really see much of it until Dad pulled the suit out of the suitcase and held it up for me to see.

  It was full body spandex, completely black, except for the red stripes that ran down the body. It even had a mask already attached to it, which had an open top for my hair and a place for my chin to jut out. It also had a set of goggles over the eyes, which looked kind of lame to me, but they didn't look removable.

  “Whoa,” I said, looking the suit up and down. “What is it?”

  “Your super suit,” said Dad simply. “It was the thing that I ordered for you, remember? I got it for you because you need it for your training.”

  “Wait, you can buy super suits?” I said, looking up at Dad in surprise. “Like on Amazon or something?”

  “Not quite,” said Dad, shaking his head. “I ordered it from the NHA. They design super suits for their members to wear. I'm technically not a member anymore, but because I am one of the Founders, they allowed me to buy a custom suit for you.”

  “So can anyone buy a custom suit?” I said. “Including non-members?”

  “No,” said Dad. “The NHA only offers super suits for their members. It's one of the perks of being an NHA member. You simply give them your size, width, and powers and they design a suit for you based on those specifications. As a result, each suit is unique, because a neohero who can set his body on fire will need a suit different from a neohero who can fly.”

  “Cool,” I said. “But how did you order a custom suit without knowing my full powers?”

  “I ordered a generic suit that can accommodate a variety of different powers,” said Dad. “If we discover any new powers during your training, we can have this suit upgraded.”

  “Awesome,” I said. “Can I put it on now?”

  “Sure,” said Dad. “But first, let me show you something.”

  Dad put the suit down on the table and then pulled something else out of the suitcase. It looked like one of those smart watches that Mr. Martin, one of my teachers back in my New York school, wore, except slightly larger. It was also silvery and shiny, like it had been polished to a sheen.

  “What is it?” I said. “A smart watch? Those things are stupid.”

  “It's not a smart watch, although it looks like one,” said Dad. “Watch.”

  Dad placed the smart watch on the super suit and then pressed a small, almost unnoticeable button on its side. The smart watch's screen flipped open and the super suit was sucked into it like a vacuum cleaner. In seconds, the full-sized super suit had been pulled completely inside the watch, which then closed shut and looked like it had not just absorbed a suit several times its size.

  I blinked and looked at Dad. “Uh, I don't remember Mr. Martin's smart watch being able to do that.”

  “Because, like I said, it is not a smart watch,” said Dad. “It only looks like one so it doesn't attract unnecessary attention to its wearer, which in this case is you.”

  “If it's not a smart watch, then what is it?” I said, staring at the device with uncertainty.

  “Strictly speaking, it is a portable dimensional portal,” said Dad. “But it's official name is the suit-up watch. It is standard wear for many neoheroes.”

  “What does it do, exactly?” I said. “And will I be able to get my super suit back or did it eat it?”

  “The suit-up watch is a way for you to carry your super suit around without drawing attention to yourself,” said Dad. “The basic idea is that, when you are not wearing your suit, it is stored in a pocket dimension that this watch is connected to. To access your suit, all you need to do is press the button on the side of the screen and the watch will shoot out your suit, which will then cover your whole body without you having to do a thing.”

  “Really?” I said. “But how does it connect to a pocket dimension?”

  “It's far too complicated to explain here and you wouldn't understand it even if I explained it,” said Dad, waving off my question. “Let's just say that it involves quantum mechanics and leave it at that.”

  “Did you make this?” I said, looking at the watch again, which I wasn't sure I wanted to touch because I was now worried that it might suck me into another dimension if I wasn't careful.

  “Of course,” said Dad. “I designed most of the tech used by the NHA. Like most of my inventions, the suit-up watch has undergone many different incarnations. This is the latest, newest, and, in my opinion, best.”

  “Can I try it?” I said, looking at Dad again. “Do I need to do anything first to use it or—?”

  “No,” said Dad. “Just strap it on your wrist like any other watch, press the button, and the watch will do the rest.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  I grabbed the watch, which felt incredibly light, even though it held my super suit in it. Well, actually, it had stored my suit in some pocket dimension, so I guess my suit technically wasn't actually in it, but whatever. As long as it worked, I didn't care how it worked.

  Once I strapped the watch on my right wrist, I pressed the button that Dad had pressed to suck my suit into the watch.

  Then the screen flipped open and my super suit shot out. But rather than go flying all over the place, it leaped at me like some kind of wild animal and clung to my body. It rapidly covered my chest, arms, legs, and head. It felt like some kind of living creature was crawling all over me, which felt disgusting.

  In a second or two, the suit stopped moving and I looked down at myself to see what the suit looked like on my body.

  Damn, it looked awesome. It was skintight, showing off my body. It fit so well that it was like I wasn't even wearing anything at all. In fact, my super suit felt more like a second layer of skin than a mere suit.

  “So?” said Dad. “How does it feel? Can you move well?”

  I rolled my shoulders, which felt just as natural as i
f I was not wearing the suit. “Yeah. It feels like it doesn't weigh anything.”

  “Yes, these super suits are indeed amazing,” said Dad, putting his hands on his hips. “I designed the material that is used to create them, but the design came from NHA artists. I'm no good at making an aesthetically-pleasing design, which is why I let the artists design it.”

  “Cool,” I said. I ran my hands down my body, feeling the smooth surface of the suit. “How well does it hold up in a fight?”

  “It should protect you from most forms of attack, although you can still be hurt,” said Dad. “Your super suit is designed to handle flights at one hundred miles per hour and won't wear out if you use your super speed. It is also flame retardant, so if you find yourself fighting someone who uses fire, you should be safe, although I recommend not letting yourself get set on fire for obvious reasons.”

  I walked away from the table, still testing out the suit's movement. Again, I was amazed at how easy it was to move in. It wasn't too tight or anything else. I couldn't wait to fly or run around in this thing. It would be amazing.

  I turned around to face Dad, who still stood by the table. “Dad, this is amazing. I feel like a real superhero now.”

  “Glad you like it, but you're not quite there yet,” said Dad. “Next, we will go onto the practical training, where we will test out your powers so you can learn how to control them.”

  “Does that mean we're going to go out on the streets and fight criminals?” I said. I balled my hands into fists, but mostly to test out how they felt. “I'm ready to fight crime if you are.”

  But then Dad shook his head again. “Sorry, Kevin, but we're not going on the streets fighting crime. That's not what I meant when I said we were going to test your powers.”

  “What?” I said in disappointment. “But I'm going to be a superhero. Shouldn't I learn how to use my powers by fighting actual criminals?”

  “You aren't going to be a superhero,” said Dad flatly. “I am only teaching you how to use your powers so you can defend yourself from Master Chaos, should he successfully make it here. You are not going to go around the streets fighting crime, especially in our little community. That's what the police are for.”

  “Why not?” I said. “Didn't you do that when you were my age?”

  “Only because I was young and foolish,” said Dad. “There is a reason I never told you about my superhero career, Kevin, and it's because I didn't want you trying to emulate it.”

  “But I've read about other young neoheroes who fight crime,” I said. “Like the Lightning Triplets, Watt, Volt, and Lumen. They fight crime all the time and they're like fourteen-years-old each, maybe even younger.”

  “That's because the Lightning Triplets are not currently the target of one of the world's most dangerous supervillains,” said Dad, folding his arms across his chest. “Your Mom and I want you to live a normal life. But as long as Master Chaos is after you, you will need to learn how to use your powers for self-defense.”

  “What's so bad about being a superhero?” I said. “They save lives all the time and even the whole world on more than a few occasions. Why wouldn't you want me to live that life?”

  “Because it isn't as glamorous as it seems,” said Dad. “Anyway, I do not want to talk about this with you any further. Instead, we are going to begin training right away, unless you want to continue arguing with me, and you know you can't beat me in an argument.”

  I would never admit it, but Dad was right. The only person who had ever beat him in an argument was Mom and I am pretty sure that the only reason she won that argument was because Dad let her. My chances of beating Dad in an argument weren't very high.

  So I said, “All right. So where are we going to do the training? Here?”

  Dad once again shook his head. “No. I don't want you wrecking the basement or house with your powers. Instead, we're going to a place that I think would be perfect for you to practice your powers in secret, without drawing any unnecessary attention to us from people who don't need to know about them.”

  “Where?” I said.

  “You'll see,” said Dad. He walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “We're going to teleport there, so get ready.”

  I nodded and mentally prepared myself as Dad reached for his belt and turned the dial on it.

  In an instant, the basement of our house vanished and we were standing in a wide-open, hilly field under the hot Texas sun. I looked around the area, smelling the scent of fresh grass, but did not see anyone else in the area save for us. I looked up at the sky, but it was also empty, except for a few scattered clouds.

  “Where are we?” I said as I looked at Dad, who had removed his hand from his belt and was now looking around the area like he was trying to make sure were alone.

  “This is a field several miles outside of town,” said Dad. “I found it during the week when I was waiting for your super suit to come in. We're out in the wilderness and there's no one nearby for miles. That's good because I didn't want anyone accidentally stumbling upon us while we practiced.”

  “How long are we going to practice?” I said.

  “Until dinner,” said Dad. “That's what I told your Mom. She'll call me when dinner is ready, so once she calls, we'll leave and resume tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I said. I looked up at the sky again. “I'm going to try to fly again.”

  I jumped into the air, but again fell to the ground. I looked up at the sky and scowled at it.

  “Why can't I fly?” I said, looking at Dad again. “It's not that hard, is it?”

  “It's not as easy as it looks,” said Dad. “But we're not going to focus on that at the moment. Right now, we're going to focus on your super strength.”

  “My super strength?” I said. “Dad, I already know how to use it.”

  “No, you don't,” said Dad, shaking his head. “Just because you have used it twice doesn't mean you know how to use it whenever you want.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I said. “What does that mean?”

  Dad sighed, like I was being intentionally dense or something. “Consider the two scenarios under which you have used that power. What are the similarities?”

  I frowned, thinking about how I had used my powers so far. “Well … the first was when I punched Robert through the cafeteria wall when he was threatening to beat me up … and then the second time, when you were using the Detector to scan my brain.”

  “Good,” said Dad. He tapped his forehead. “But I want you to think about why you used your powers. What was it about Robert or the Detector that made you use your super strength?”

  I thought about that. It was kind of hard because I wasn't used to this level of introspective thinking. Dad already seemed to know the answer, but I knew he wasn't going to share it with me, at least not until I gave him my best guess.

  Finally, I shrugged and said, “I dunno.”

  Dad sighed again. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Yep.”

  “All right,” said Dad, who was sounding frustrated now, although he was clearly trying to hide it. “In both circumstances, your emotions became too much for you to handle. When you punched Robert, for example, you were feeling angry at how he was treating you and how no one else backed you up, didn't you?”

  “How did you know?” I said in surprise. “I didn't tell you how I felt.”

  “I can tell because I'm your father,” said Dad. “And also because I know, from my experience with other young neoheroes your age, that it usually takes a strong emotional reaction for their powers to manifest the first time.”

  “And the second time,” I said, quickly catching on to Dad's line of thought, “the Detector was starting to hurt me and that was making me angry and worried.”

  “Precisely,” said Dad. “So what conclusion can we draw from these two situations?”

  “That I need to be feeling negative emotions to use my powers,” I said. I clinched my fists. “Become angry.”

/>   But Dad shook his head. “Wrong. The correct conclusion to draw is that you need to gain better control of your powers so you can use them for your benefit. When you punched Robert, you ended up becoming Master Chaos's number one enemy; when you broke the Detector, you cost me a lot of money. In both cases, you didn't really benefit, did you?”

  I flushed when Dad mentioned that the Detector cost him a lot of money. “I didn't mean to break it.”

  “That's fine, but you do agree that both situations didn't work out well for you, do you?” said Dad.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “So you need to learn how to control your strength so you can use it to your advantage regardless of what situation you find yourself in, instead of reacting to your negative emotions,” said Dad. “That is what we are going to be doing today.”

  “Today?” I said. “You make it sound like we're just going to focus on super strength and nothing else.”

  “Of course,” said Dad. “It is currently the only power you have any access to and it is the one that would be most helpful if Master Chaos attacks. It is much harder to gain access to a power you haven't used before than it is to practice a power you already do have access to.”

  “So when will I learn how to fly and use my super speed?” I said.

  “When you have completed your super strength training,” Dad said. “Anyway, enough talking. Let's get you started.”

  I didn't like Dad's vague answer, but it was pretty clear that he wasn't going to give me anything more detailed than that. So I looked around the field again, which was still flat and empty.

  “What am I supposed to use my super strength on?” I said. I gestured at the field. “There's nothing to pick—”

  A loud boom echoed behind me, causing me to whirl around to see a huge metal block resting on the earth just a few feet away. It was twice as tall as me and ten times as thick, but I didn't know where it had come from. It certainly hadn't been there even a second before, otherwise I would have noticed it. It was impossible to miss.

  Then I saw that Dad's hand was resting on his right gauntlet, which displayed a keyboard of some sort.