I heard something click and immediately went still. My father’s mansion was equipped with automatic defenses, some of which could cause serious injury. Although he had obviously shut them down in other parts of the estate, it was possible he had left the security system active in my current location with the intention of making this area off-limits.
Of course, I wasn’t too worried; my biometrics had been fed into the system database so that my presence on the premises was always deemed authorized. (And even if that weren’t the case, with my particular powers I was unlikely to be in any real danger.) Nevertheless, I stood still, trying to avoid making any sudden moves while allowing whatever system might be scanning me to establish my bona fides.
Fortunately, the click I’d heard turned out to be nothing more than the computer turning on. As I watched, the viewscreens all came to life, with each showing various parts of my father’s mansion and estate. After a few seconds, each screen cycled to another image; a few moments later, the pattern would repeat.
Basically, I was in a panic room – one which my father had shown me when I first visited him here. His mansion actually had three such rooms, each of which had a secret entrance; the one I currently found myself in was located in a sub-basement and could only be entered through a hidden door in the main garage. (“Storage Room B” was, of course, a code phrase. A panic room loses its effectiveness if people know you have one.) Since my father and I were probably the only two people who knew about this place, the weather dominator – which I quickly and securely tucked under my arm – should be safe here.
I watched the screens for several moments, noting all kinds of activity and understanding that what I was seeing was live. However, it was essentially what Mouse and I had noted when I first teleported us to the foyer: people hurriedly preparing for the night’s festivities. That said, the hustle and bustle reminded me that I still had things to do myself, including the task at hand.
I turned from the screens to the hallway entrance, which I knew connected to a modest living space comprised of a small suite of rooms: kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc. I quickly hurried through the passageway, with automatic lights once again coming on as I entered the main suite. Glancing around, I noticed an end table located at the junction of a sofa and loveseat. I placed the weather dominator on it, and then, after looking around a final time, teleported back to the terrace.
Upon reappearing, I noticed that my father, Mouse, and BT had been joined by yet another person – a hypnotically beautiful woman whose angelic face was set off by a cascade of gorgeous blonde curls. I recognized her right away: Hippolyta – Paramount’s mother.
“Jim!” she screeched in delight after noticing me. She raced over to give me a hug, which I returned. “I’m so happy to see you! How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I said. “And it’s great to see you as well. How have you been?”
She seemed to ponder this for a second before answering. “Good. Better, at least.”
I nodded in understanding, but didn’t say anything. A generation earlier, Hippolyta had been one of the foremost supers on the planet. Incredibly powerful and almost invincible, she had been a pillar of the Alpha League. However, the birth of my brother had done something to her, opened up a fault line that no one would have guessed even existed. In short, constant worry over her child, among other things, ultimately caused her to have an emotional breakdown from which she never fully recovered. She had essentially disappeared, leaving Alpha Prime to raise their son, but had come back after the explosion that almost killed her child.
“Anyway,” Hippolyta continued, “I can’t wait for the party tonight. I honestly haven’t been to anything like this in ages. Which reminds me…”
With that, she turned to Mouse and BT and began asking what sounded like questions about proper decorum for formal events these days. In my opinion, she was asking the right individuals, because Mouse and BT were the two smartest people I knew – probably the most brilliant duo on the planet (and presumably someone had advised Hippolyta of that fact).
As the other three spoke, I reached out to my father telepathically.
<So she’s coming tonight?> I asked.
<Yeah,> he answered. He seemed to ponder for a moment, then asked, <You think it’s inappropriate?>
I frowned. <What do you mean?>
<Well, your mother will be there…>
I had to fight to keep from laughing out loud as my father trailed off.
<Ha!> I mentally barked. <Mom stopped caring who you dated ages ago.>
<We’re not dating,> he countered. <She just needs to get out more, start being around people again on a regular basis. I’m simply trying to help.>
<Well, for starters, it’s your plus-one, so you can bring who you want. In addition, it’s being held at your house, so I’d feel awkward telling you who couldn’t accompany you. Finally, I like Hippolyta, so if this helps her, I’m in favor of it – and I’m sure Mom would be, too.>
<Thanks, son. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.>
Empathically, I felt him beaming with pride and knew he had spoken with sincerity. It made me reflect on a time in the not-too-distant past when being a source of pride for Alpha Prime would have meant less than nothing to me. Now, however, our relationship had dramatically changed, and – although knowing he was proud of me made me glad – I didn’t quite know how to express it. Thus, I merely mumbled a brief mental “Thanks,” and
