The tick felt normal. Choosing to count the number of ticks a day to figure out what people say around me was working. I watched the clock in Dr. Wong's room, waiting for it to end. I had pns, but mom wanted me to continue with therapy. Being a good son was hard. Another tick, and it was my turn to respond. I reviewed the question.

  "How does killing make you feel?"

  What kind of question was that? No, even if I didn't vocalize my feelings, I should try to work through it.

  A silent buzz alerted me. I checked my phone so quickly that Dr. Wong wouldn't catch it on a frame of camera footage.

  The Company gave a mission in Avatar. I was supposed to stamp and sell Azu and kill the fire lord. What if I wanted Azu? She was crazy and hot. A baddy like her would try to become empress of the multiverse without a firm hand. I didn't know if I could be that hand.

  Those who I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

  By that logic Rick but love me a lot.

  I could decline, but then someone else would get the points, and it was an easy mission. I could choose a waifu or a bending style. They were going to send me there for 3 days; no time would pass in our finite curve of the multiverse. Anyone I could get to confess would become my waifu, and if I chose bending, I would gain it upfront. I would drop in when Aang emerges from the ice. I had a 7-day deadline to accept the mission or someone else would snag it.

  I could get up to a lot of trouble in three days. Some of those spirits were powerful it might be fun to reduce Ko the face stealer to fine ash.

  How does killing make me feel? I didn't kill as a rule. Though shalt not kill, but Jesus said we should have two swords. I pulled my faith from Christianity, and to wield a sword meant that killing was on the table. I could turn the other cheek for the small stuff, but soul-devouring monsters deserved no mercy, unless they are hot. Having a code that I tried to live by was hard.

  "I followed my grandfather's lead; he has more experience. The guardian devoured the souls of his victims. He admitted it. Rick is a liar, so not everything he said was true. When I killed the sorian, I felt satisfied. He couldn't have gotten stronger without eating more souls, and I already got what I wanted from him. The guardian was a monster that needed to be put down."

  I've grown my ki several times, but I still couldn't beat him without cheating. Rick's drones were building my gravity room. I only needed to triple my current power to move between worlds without destroying this one. I could sense the Hotel Transylvania I wanted to go to. Returning was as easy as sensing the central finite curse and detecting Rick's energy.

  "Why does his ability to grow stronger factor in?"

  "Oh, jeez, where do I start?"

  "Whenever you want is fine." Dr. Wong said.

  The only reason I could think of to keep him around would be his potential to be a challenge in the future. He wasted power with every attack, didn't fight tactically, and couldn't recover energy without devouring people."

  "Maybe you shouldn't judge people too harshly. Not everyone thinks like you."

  The bell rang, and I left the office. Don't judge people too harshly. I disagreed; I judged fighters as fighters. If the guardian had told me his name, I would have forgotten it. He had so much potential, and he squandered it.

  I flew for a while after texting mom that I would be out, and when I came home, I found Summer sneaking out after returning from Paris. "Summer,"

  She jumped. "Morty, are you going to nark on me?"

  "Where are you going?"

  She looked me up and down. "You look like you just stepped out of a wind tunnel."

  "I flew to Paris and had a croissant. I meant to bring some home, but I ate them all on the flight over."

  "You're such a dork. If I had power like you, I would be empress of the world."

  In other words, a complete tyrant. Restraint had its pce.

  "Anyway, don't tell mom and dad."

  "If you don't tell me, I'll wait until you get there and tell them."

  "If you do that, I'll tell Mom about your porn history. You got a thing for cartoon girls."

  "Yeah, I won't rip through them like a Mortal Kombat fatality, what's it to you?"

  Summer rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm going to a party at Jessica's house, they have a pool, and Ethan will be there. If I don't go, then I'll be a loser, and Ethan will try and hook up with Tracia Lange, you know, the one with the stripper titties."

  It was hard being a brother. "You mean the church pastor's daughter."

  Summer narrowed her eyes. "For someone who doesn't go to school anymore, you seemed informed."

  Dating and romance were a fight, too. I collected strategic information, honed my skills, and pnned to use them to their fullest. Love was war, and I pnned to win.

  "You've heard the rumors about her."

  "Yeah, how can I compete with that?"

  "Let me be your wingman tonight. If mom asks, I'll say I took you on a flight for brother-sister bonding or whatever."

  A heavy base pounded, struggling to drown out the sounds of horny teenagers before we reached the driveway. They appeared as little sparks to my senses, each with a slightly different frequency and small enough to miss among the billions of others on this pnet. I smell the boos and the burgers. Jessica's house was white, almost yellow, and three stories tall. Red hair appeared in the window, and I felt her sprint to the door.

  Time stood still as the door opened, pouring light from inside. She stood in the doorway like the radiance of Saint Peter standing before heaven's gate. Red hair danced in the twilight between the dark outside and the light from inside. The booming speakers felt like the thunder of heaven's gates opening to let me in.

  I felt over my body for something I could offer as a gift to smooth over introductions and put me on my best footing. I heard Jessica was here, but I hadn't expected her to welcome us inside. The time between seconds slowed to a crawl as I focused until time appeared to stand still.

  I found some alien chocotes in my breast pocket. It was an adventure a few days ago, shortly after the scrap world incident. I didn't consider bullying pirates something noteworthy. But the chocotes were exotic, Rick said they were fine to eat. He scanned them and said they weren't poisonous.

  "Morty, and Summer, I'm gd you made it. Where have you been? It's been ages since you were at school. Did you change schools?" I rubbed the back of my head. She always made me nervous. How could I deal with a girl I wanted so much but couldn't touch? Well, my control has improved by leaps and bounds. I could manipute the micro. Sex might not be a problem. But I like this fragile girl enough, warm arms wrapped around me, crushing me into a hug. "You smell like fresh bread."

  "I thought scent would have blown off in the flight. I went to Paris earlier. Next time, maybe I'll bring you some fresh bread."

  "I would love that. Come on in, we're all gd you could make it." Jessica said.

  I ran the simutions through image training and knew I could have sex with her. It wouldn't be easy, but I could weaken myself enough and suppress my energy.

  Summer and I separated as Jessica led me up to her bedroom. Somehow she could tell I wouldn't be a good wingman this evening. I would find a way to make it up to her. "I didn't know you guys would miss me so much."

  "You made us all feel safe. Have you heard about Brad?" I checked, and his signature was slightly different, stronger, maybe 3 times that of a normal human. "Jennifer and Reagene are also gone. After you left, a new coach was hired."

  "Have you gone to the police?"

  "They don't believe me."

  Did they not believe that Brad was missing or that he had been turned into a vampire? If Brad didn't show up at school and his parents couldn't find him, they would search for him. Though he could use phone calls and cim he was fine and had run away from home. He had to be nearing adulthood, but he was the star quarterback and might make it to the pros. Principle Vagina and his parents were reliant on him for the prestige he could bring them. Ah Geez this was so much trouble.

  Dealing with the small stuff, was this what Rick felt like?

  I sighed. "This isn't about sex, is it?" Jessica's doe-like eyes blinked, and her dainty red lips pouted.

  I waved my hand. "I'm joking."

  Tension left her shoulders. "I'll go get us something to drink. Are you still nonalcoholic?" I nodded, and she left.

  I looked down at my left hand. "Well, it looks like it's just us again."

  The door cracked open, and Tracia stepped inside. I tossed a leg over my knee. Maybe I was going to get lucky after all.

  "You look tense. Has anyone ever given you a massage? Why don't you take your shirt off?" I tossed the yellow button aside. I wasn't sure if telekinesis aided me, but it flew off and folded with a gesture. I brushed against her skirt and felt her soft skin beneath. My ki wrapped around her, feeling every inch of her body, before she crossed the room. I restrained myself and lowered my ki, but it was a struggle.

  She sat beside me. "Morty, your shoulders are so big. Have you been working out?"

  "Only six hours a day, five days a week. Do you think it's working?" I flexed a little, and she smirked. That girl had a reputation. She was the demon to Jessica's angel. Ironically, she was a preacher's daughter. Since her mouth and butt don't count, she's a virgin.

  Her hands felt so small. They moved between aching joints. My mind cleared, and I focused completely on the here and now.

  The life I detected near Brad had winked out, and Brad was slightly brighter to my senses. A single life only raised him by a small percentage. Tracia rubbed my shoulders and stood on Jessica's bed with bare feet.

  A part of me wanted to vaporize her previous partners to ensure I'm the only one. But as a lover of MILFs that isn't fair.

  "Have you been with anyone yet?" Jessica's Rubik's Cube was lifted from her shelf and solved along with a series of other knick-knack puzzles gifted to her by estranged uncles and grandparents. Tracia huffed in my ear; her breath smelled like strawberries. Another lifeforce was being drained near Brad.

  With great power comes great responsibility. Only those responsibilities I chose to take. But it was on the money, I wouldn't let more people die.

  Tracia bit my ear, and I drew my focus back here to this room. I felt that, and I didn't have to solve everything. Vampires didn't rule the world, so there had to be vampire hunters. Exterminating them didn't help my goal.

  With all my focus locked on myself, I had a moment of crity.

  Morty was the sidekick. I am a Morty despite my power. A part of me wanted to give up my power to become normal. That would only make me a victim in this vast, careless universe. I wanted to be fair, strong, and to fuck. Everyone fucked Tracia and, for that matter, Jessica. They were popur and loose.

  Tracia bit and sucked my neck and pressed her soft breasts against my back. Jessica returned with drinks and stomped her foot.

  "Leave Morty alone, we were having a moment."

  "I'll take one of those off you." I raised my hand and pulled the juice over. I swished it around and saw flecks of blue on the bottom. "Did you dissolve Viagra in this?"

  "I wasn't sure if you could handle us both without some help." That told me this was pnned. Was it about Brad or protection? The police weren't helping. How transactional. If they wanted to trade sex for protection, fine. It's not how I wanted it, but they smelled like they were attracted to me.

  Summer lied to me about bringing me as a plus one. She was only invited if she brought me to this party, which was about bringing me here. Jessica and Tracia want to trade their bodies to me for protection. I doubted they saw it that way, but it's how I saw it.

  I downed the juice. "I was in space the other day with my Grandpa between Gaxies when a rogue band of pirates targeted us. Their leader had tentacles instead of a beard. They used a tractor beam, and Rick was out, so they managed to bring us on board. I expected a fight. They took one look at my grandfather and let us go. They even loaded our trunk up with gifts. One was this sweet." I reached into the inner pocket of my folded shirt and brought out two pieces of candy. Rick said it wasn't harmful.

  I handed one to each of them. One trick deserved another. Jessica opened hers. "This looks like chocote." She popped it in her mouth, and Tracia did the same behind me. "It's so good." She swallowed, and gold filled the capilries in her eyes. "Why do I feel so hot?"

  Tracia's hand felt like it was on fire. I looked up to see her eyes bzing. Golden lines grew across their bodies. What was going on? I ate the candy, and I was fine.

  "Morty, I don't feel so good."

  "I think you're having a bad reaction to the candy." I needed ice; I had to get their temperatures down. I opened the window and tried something new. I tried to push the air out of the room, but I couldn't target only the hot air.

  More cracks appeared. I led them to the bathroom and kicked the door open. Summer was there with Ethen. "Morty occupied." I grabbed Ethen with telekinesis and tossed him out with his pants around his waist.

  "Summer, call Rick," I yelled, pushed both girls into the shower, and turned on the cold water. It evaporated on contact."

  I delegated a part of my focus and built an advanced HVAC system. My sister wasn't moving. I turned my head, and Summer was frozen in shock. "What's happening with them, and why do you have a hard on?" I looked down, and it was true.

  I opened a window and steam bsted out hot enough to melt flesh from bone. We were on the second floor, and it was alright. Heat rises, and there was no one in danger. The cracks continued to spread. "Morty," Jessica opened her mouth, and I raised my hand to shield Summer from a fme thrower.

  "Grandpa Rick, pick up." Summer yelled.

  "What's going on? Why are these dishes floating?"

  I pulled the dishes and melted them with energy. I followed a half-remembered blueprint and threw together an air compressor. The hardest part was the Freon, but there was some in the garage next door. Then I punched a hole in the wall and jammed the exhaust port through it. I flipped it on, and micro fusion cells powered on. I closed the window as the heat was sucked out of the room.

  "Morty, why did you punch a hole in my house?" Fmes from her mouth were sucked away as the compressor cooled the bathroom. I slowly withdrew my ki as Tracia and Jessica floated off the ground, their skin turning orange. What was in that candy, and why didn't I have a reaction like that?

  It hit me then, Grandpa Rick said I was fine to eat the candy. Summer's phone rang.

  "Sum Sum Grandpa is sleeping off a bender." Urp! "This better be an emergency."

  "Morty gave some alien candy to two girls from school, and they're hot, glowing, and now they're going to be even more popur. Why didn't I get some of that candy?"

  "Damn it, Morty, I told him it was fine for him to eat. How are those girls not burnt to a crisp?"

  I took the phone. "Hey, I was talking with Grandpa."

  "Hey Rick, I hoped keeping them cool would help them stabilize. I can't figure out how they aren't dead."

  "Unless you dumped them into a freezer with a sci-fi HVAC, they should have gone nuclear."

  "It's a bathroom, but it's working so far. I'm compensating for the ck of insution with ki."

  Urp! "They should be fine if they stay there. That candy wasn't chocote. Didn't you think it was weird that intergactic pirates kept it with their treasure, and it filled you up? They were Glob Drops made from the blood of Systometron, the devourer of worlds. The lore doesn't matter. Since they survived, they've become Heralds of Systometron, only she's dead, so it doesn't matter. Well, they'll imprint with the nearest pnet buster, so if they stay on Earth, they should be good. Keep them cool for a few hours, and they'll probably be fine. Unless they were drunk, then they'll try to have sex with anything with a pulse."

  "How is that a problem?"

  "They'll burn them to ash." Urp! "I'm going back to bed."

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