I kept going over my memories as I started out the window at the trees flying by. Recreating them, going what could happen if I did something differently, the what if's were plaguing me like a toe fungus that wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

We'd been driving home for the last hour, both my parents came with a myriad of emotions strewn on their faces. After multiple variations of "are you okay?" I finally convinced her I was (mostly) by having the paramedic check me off. After carefully repeating the story where left out some parts that would surely make my mom try to end my career as a Hero before it even started. After that whole escapade, she went to talk to the men in the suits for the boss of the facilities (much to me and my dad's annoyance.) She was subsequently not given a straight answer which spurred her to ask for their manager which was when she was promptly ignored.

Due to the strained silence, and the long car ride, even counting how many blue cars that drove by couldn't hold my interest for long. It started as curiosity, I wonder if I could use my power through windows? I mean maybe it was a stupid thought but a window is like solid, but maybe my power couldn't work through solids. My first try resulted in the crystal-carbon to form on the window (which I dissolved.)

Realizing my mistake, I focused on the edge of a license plate on one of the cars that drove next to ours and grasped onto my power. Ignoring the twinge in my head I visualized the growth of the crystal-carbon and materialized it. Due to their being nothing on the window it should be a success! Grinning I looked for my work on the car... which I couldn't see, which was weird because I could feel it being there, something that I never noticed before...

Now frowning, I leaned in closer to the window, the feeling was akin to being able to close your eyes and being able to touch with your finger any part of your body without looking. I knew the carbon was the size to about a grain of sand was there even if I couldn't see it, a sixth sense of sorts. Hmm, that also means I could feel what the crystal-carbon was on, at least to an extent. It also meant a few other things as well, first it meant that to create it accurately I needed my sight, but afterward, I could create more and cover a person without being able to see them. Something I'd have to play with over the summer before the Academy.

Then it ended up into a game, for every car that came into sight I "tagged" it with my grain of carbon. Now many people may think this would be boring after a few minutes but not me. Since I could feel what the carbon was attached I could actually track where the car is and it's movement (to an extent) and after a half an hour I had almost eighty cars tagged. There was a humungous influx of information that stimulated my mind to a degree that I'd never achieved before. But I wanted more, so I began to individually pick out grains and alter them. At first, I started out small, picking one out of the tens of options and enlarging/reducing its size, then I picked out more and simultaneously did the same untill I had almost ten changing under my control.

Oddly enough with each one that I began altering the pain in my head increased till I couldn't go any further in fear of passing out. Which understandably may have caused some panic in the car (if I slumped forward since I had my eyes closed for a while.)

"It's because we love you and want you to be safe" My mom interrupted, causing me to lose hold of the grains.

The feeling faded away to a dull feeling in the back of my mind as I wondered how much of the conversation I missed.

"Uh... what?"

My dad turned around to glance at me in surprise "Were you not listening we've been talking for ten minutes. Well I guess your mother has been talking for ten minutes"

I blinked.

"Oh, I was just... daydreaming..." I finished lamely.

"Like I was saying, your father and I think you shouldn't go to the academy and instead pursue some more of the safer choices in life, like becoming a doctor, or lawyer."

My fists clenched and my face twisted into anger, I couldn't believe I was hearing this. After these past few years of training, dreaming, talking about it to them, being encouraged, then dropping the ball on me like this was cruel.

Like, abusing a dog cruel.

"Now Maggie, let's think about this I wasn't much older than Chase when I joined the army, It's his choice if he wants to do this, he's becoming a young man now and he's more independent." My father pleaded for me as he changed lanes.

"He almost died! He's lucky he didn't lose an arm! It's not safe and I'm losing another son!" her voice cracked which lead me to believe she wasn't far from crying.

As much as I didn't want her to cry, I wanted to go to the Academy more.

"No! This is all I've been working for, this is why I entered on the project to become a hero, this is who I am now. I just can't stop and file papers, that's like pissing on the graves of all the kids who came with a dream just like mine-" I could barely speak out of anger and frustration.

I don't want to be coddled, I don't want a boring life, and I don't want something as stupid as this to stop me from doing what I've already begun to love.

"Listen to me, you aren't going. When your older and have kids you'll look back and thank me." She replied with a final tone.

"No, you listen to me. For the last three years, I've done everything you've asked me. I didn't go to any friends houses, parties, I never left the house without making absolutely sure you were okay with it. And I dealt with it, cause like you I felt like shit since Andre's death, but it's time for you to get over it and move on." I snapped, all my pent up frustration coming out.

But instantly I felt guilty. Even my dad, a man who's fought in two wars with and against men with the power of gods, looked thoroughly astonished at my outburst. Silence enveloped in the car once again, the silence was way louder when it's awkward. I tried to get back into my game that I was into before the loud conversation.

Inexplicably, I could feel only a fraction of the carbon tags that I put on the cars. Maybe I have to keep "control" of the carbon to keep it from dissolving? No that didn't make sense lots of times I stopped concentrating (slept) and the carbon stayed so it's something else. After few seconds of highly intense thinking, a lightbulb appeared above my head. Maybe since we were driving they took an exit and started driving away, combining that with our driving maybe I have a range to where I can "feel" my carbon? A thought-provoking revelation from something not from seeing but feeling. First time for everything, wait... the second time.

We finally arrived home, already my body was itching for a hot twenty-minute shower. But when we grinded to a halt in our driveway my dad didn't unlock the doors from the driver'sivers seat. I sat in confusion, oblivious to the situation at hand. My mom turned around in her seat to face me, her eyes bloodshot, which made the guilt strike harder to my home base.

"Your father is right," She began which elicited a shocked expression from my dad.

She never admits when he's right.

Has the world gone mad?

Or have I?

"Maybe it's time for you to go out in the world and experience life, and... maybe it's time for me to let you go, but if your butt gets's hurt, your butt is coming right back home you got it?" She asked sternly although a smile small threatened to crack onto her lips.

I grinned, the panic and frustration scrambled back into my subconscious as relief flooded my... conscious one.

"Thanks!"

"Do me proud kid," My dad added on as he unlocked the door to sweet, sweet freedom.

As much as the relief felt good.

A shower felt better.

But after.

Aho.

I had some training to do.