Friday, August 27, Late Evening
Xavier Uzual
From beneath the subway car, there was a rhythmic metallic clanging. Presumably, from the tracks against the wheels of the train.
Thoroughly unpleasant.
It was through this noise, though, that I explained everything that had just happened. The Command Level, the Hero Club… everything.
Xylia leaned back in her seat. She let out a long puff of air.
“That’s…”
“Hard to believe,” I said. “I know.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” she said.
I took a deep breath.
Xylia rocked her head back and forth with the rocking of the train car. “When we get home, I’m going to ask you to demonstrate those superpowers.”
“I still don’t know how to use them.”
“But you can go into that… other world. And disappear from this one. That’s gotta count for something.” She looked at me. “Xavy, do you think that has something to do with your epilepsy? Or rather, your epilepsy has something to do with the Command Level?”
That…
“Remember when we were kids, and I asked you what it was like to have a seizure?” Protip. If you have someone who’s struggling with a medical condition, it’s probably not a great idea to ask them, ‘Hey, what’s it like?’ Not that I can fault a seven-year-old (at the time) for not knowing that.
“Yeah, I do,” I said.
“What you said… well, not the other explanation, the weird one. The one you won’t find on WebMD. About seeing the world, but you’re the only one there. The Command Level just reminded me of that.”
“But there were other people there,” I said. “And, my physical body doesn’t disappear during an episode.”
Slowly, Xylia nodded. “Fair enough.” She uncrossed her legs. “Still, I believe you.”
“If it were anyone else, I’d think they’re crazy.”
“I might be. She laughed. “But… I’ll say it as many times as I have to. If I can’t trust you, I can’t trust anyone.”
That goes both ways. She knew that. So instead, I just said, “Yeah.”
She leaned against my shoulder and rested the side of her head.
“Hey, Xavier.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to join the Hero Club?”
I took another deep breath. “I don’t want to, that’s for sure.”
“I figured,” she said. “But… it might be better for you.”
Safer, for sure. I wasn’t really one to doubt Yuna’s assessment. But still… I’d much rather just keep to myself. Superpowers are cool, but if it gets in the way of what’s important…
I looked over at Xylia.
Will she make lasting friends? Find a group?
Be happy?
The Hero Club really doesn’t have anything to do with that. It seems like kind of a waste of time, really. The club itself doesn’t really seem to do anything other than fight monsters.
Well, I guess they take requests. I’m not really even certain what that means.
But… physically speaking, I’ll be safe. I can’t look after Xylia if I’m dead, after all. I guess in that sense…
Sheesh, I feel like I’m joining the mafia, or something.
I don’t really see any other options… but I also clearly haven’t seen all of them. But I’ve got a feeling that some of the other options won’t give me a chance to say ‘no thanks’ once I’ve gotten to know them.
Welcome to the world of Espers.
“Hey, Xylia,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“Be happy.”
She leaned over and looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “Where did that come from?”
“It’s nothing.”
Xylia continued to rest her head on my shoulder. I figured it must be a little uncomfortable, with how the train car was bouncing around.
“Are you, Xavy?”
I looked down at her. “Of course I am.”
The rest of the train ride was quiet.
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