Chapter 2: Plotting

The next few days I spent testing my new powers. I have to admit, it was the funniest thing watching people freak out after I used Now You See Me. I could see why Slasher Movie Villains always did it.

Though I didn't test Unstoppable. 1. Because I still felt pain and wasn't a masochist. 2. I couldn't regenerate.

'Now that I think about it, that makes it sound as if I would test it if I could regenerate…'

Besides that, I spent nearly every waking moment using Psychometry. I now knew which tree in the amazon rainforest that a specific piece of paper came from. And that the thing pencils used to draw with was graphite mixed with clay. I also knew how the grandfather clock in the living room broke which my father then promptly placed the blame on me. And the fact that my mother knew the truth the entire time which was why I didn't get grounded for it. As well as all the mechanisms that made it function and which ones were broken, but that was just a side note.

Of course, most of this information was mentally relegated to the fun but useless facts section of my mind. I was primarily doing this to increase the amount of times I could use Psychometry, as well as decreasing the backlash.

Yet, despite that, I still wasn't sure I would be able to use Psychometry on a corpse without passing out from the backlash. I had a long way to go.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. 'I need a haircut.' Pulling out my phone, I idly checked for any messages I may have gotten.

There were none. Turning it off, I stared at the living room wall.

'Okay. No more stalling.'

What I was about to do, would either be something very stupid caused by a bout of momentary boredom, or something insanely brilliant caused by my mind suddenly transcending to a higher state of thought. It started as an inane thought I had a few days ago. One that refused to erase itself from my mind.

What would happen if I used Psychometry on a weapon I summoned using Killer's Implement? Would it just show me the short history of it from when I summoned it? Or would it show me something before that? Did it truly just pop into existence when I wanted it to? Or was it taken from someplace else?

[Killer's Implement]

A Karambit knife appeared, resting snuggly in my grip. 'Now or never.'

And then…

[Psychometry]

I was the knife. Not literally, well, yes literally, but it also felt as if… the knife was as much a part of me as any other part of my body was.

I knew, thanks to Psychometry, that the knife was a product of me. That's what I meant by it being literally a part of me. It was something that had separated from me, and using Psychometry was just me… reconnecting so to speak.

I didn't know what part of me it was. The best theory I had was that it was probably just some energy that the system gave me that was made tangible, but I didn't know for sure. Because, for the first time since I got it, Psychometry was unable to tell me.

I did feel like I could push further, but, well, I also sensed that nothing good would come from it. Deciding I had already pushed my luck far enough for one day, and not wanting to risk potential brain damage, I just stayed in this state of oneness. Examining the knife, it showed no outward changes.

'What would using Psychometry like this even be useful for?' I honestly had no conceivable idea. Unsummoning the knife, I sighed.

'Well, that was something.' Leaning forward, I was just about to grab the remote, when I noticed something. I had two system notifications.

[Synergy Detected! Hint: Synergies happen when Powers and Abilities Compliment each other.]

[Killer's Implement + Psychometry! When used together +5 to Weapon Skills.]

[Knives Lv.20 -> 30]

'Synergies?' Just that alone could be a game changer. I had to get up from the couch.

The problem with Abilities was that they were static. They couldn't be improved, no matter how hard I tried. Of course, that meant they were always reliable, but it also meant they would always be limited in some manner.

Take for example, [Killer's Implement]. I could summon weapons, but it had some limitations.

I couldn't summon anything I can't hold with both hands, or anything that I can't kill someone with, bombs being included with that. Because if I was able to summon such things, I would have the Terrorist Class instead of Serial Killer.

And [Now You See Me] had even more stringent conditions. I could only teleport after I left someone's line of sight, and only teleport to places outside of their line of sight. Making it predictable and one note, though very useful nonetheless.

There's also the possibility someone wouldn't look away in a fight. Of course, I had already thought-up a work-around for that. If I used Killer's Implement to summon something that could obscure line of sight, it would work. Probably.

But there were other things to consider. Like what would happen if someone could see in 360 degrees? Would it even work on Martian Manhunter? After all, wasn't he some all powerful alien when it came to telepathy? Or the X-ray Vision of Superman? All those cases made the power useless.

Not to mention, what if someone didn't use their eyes to fight? That meant I couldn't even activate it since I never broke line of sight in the first place!

'Though that depends on how loose or tight the description of Sight is. Does it count if someone is seeing with their ears and I deafened them?' Great. More scenarios I needed to mull over and prepare for.

While I may just be paranoid, since most of these situations were as rare as rare can be, they were still things I needed to keep in mind. I couldn't just panic in the middle of a dangerous situation when my Abilities just stop working all of sudden. When, not if.

Because, eventually, some bastard in his spandex tighty whities was going to come and try to lock me up. I wouldn't let that happen.

I didn't want to spend the rest of my second life in a cell, even if it may be what I deserved.

But, more importantly, I wouldn't make my Mother and Father the parents of a murderer. And I wouldn't break my best friend's heart like that.

So, Synergies? That meant I might be able to completely remove these limitations, or maybe change the very nature of the Abilities altogether, with the right Superpowers, of course. And since I was always going to have more Abilities than Powers…

Game changing doesn't even describe it.

'Which means I need more of them.' I started pacing around the living room.

Which meant I needed to kill more people.

'But it took killing a hundred people over the course of nine years to even get to level 10. It's not even a matter of morals at this point, I just don't think it's even feasible for me to be able to achieve that in a short amount of time without getting caught.' And I doubted I would be able to easily escape Arkham, unlike the rest of Batman's Rogue Gallery.

My head pounded.

Honestly, it was pure luck that in nine years of slowly building my power, I had seen no Boy Wonder, no Batgirl, and most of all, no Batman. Not to mention Eyes On You that has been carrying my ass all these years.

After all, I was no Superman, and Batman with his bullshit preparedness could take him down.

'Hell, I'm not even close to the street level Villains that he struggles with!'

Because, in short, my actual powers were: a Peak Human Physique that could take a lot of punishment and keep going, being able to summon things that I could reasonably hold in two hands, limited teleportation, know when someone was watching, make people uncomfortable x2, and, get this, the ability to not appear in cameras or leave any traces of DNA. Which didn't matter if he had already seen me.

At most, I could run away. I couldn't even hope to beat him.

Something needed to change. If I continued going slowly like I had been, just killing lowlife criminals, eventually, even with the Eyes On You Perk, I would slip up, and my luck would run out. I'd be sent to Arkham, my parents would mourn and probably be killed due to being my parents, and Maps would despise me.

I couldn't let that happen. I just couldn't. But neither could I just go and kill a hundred random innocent people. And while wandering around crime ridden areas of Gotham would increase the amount of criminals I'd meet; it'd also, consequently, vastly increase the chances that I'd meet Batman or any one of his Sidekicks.

'I have to be doing something wrong. But what?' My head blanked.

I couldn't think of… anything. Nothing. Not a single idea popped into my head.

My hands covered my face. I had to sit down. At the rate I was going, I was going to spend the rest of my life in jail. I was going to be the cause of my parents death, either because I was too weak and got caught; or because I was too weak, I couldn't do what needed to be done, so I'd be unable to protect them when the villain of the week fucking kills them…!

I was… I was going to break Maps's heart.

I was… I was… there wasn't anything I could do. Was there anything I could do?

Kill or not kill. Be caught or be too weak.

Which was worse, I wonder…?

'Is this the weight of my sins? Is this karma…?'

No. For some reason, just thinking that, it... it made me unreasonably angry.

'Sins? Karma? What a fucking joke…!' I didn't ask to be reborn in this hellhole. I didn't choose to be a Serial Killer!

It was just the only way I could help people. The only way I could protect my parents and Maps. I needed to be stronger.

I needed to kill.

But killing wouldn't work, I'd be caught! But I couldn't not kill! I was stuck.

Because I was weak.

Mentally, emotionally, physically…

Weak.

How did someone not be weak?

How could I not lose them?

How? How! How!? H-

*Beep*

My phone chimed. One singular time. I had gotten a notification of some kind.

Being snapped out of my thoughts, only now I realized how intense of a headache I had. How terribly hot my body felt. How roughly I was breathing. How…

How much I was shaking.

I removed my hands from my face and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

'Was I having a panic attack?' I asked myself.

'Is that what a panic attack feels like? Why was I-'

'No. Just don't think. Just calm down.' But I couldn't not think. When I was by myself… It was the only thing I could do. And I hated it.

So, instead of trying not to think and failing at it, I chose to divert my attention. Chest still heaving, I pulled out my phone and pressed it on.

'A text message?' Is what I first noticed.

'The time, it's…' Was the second thing I laid my eyes on. It had been three hours. I had done nothing but think for three hours.

Closing my eyes and letting out a deep breath, I reopened my eyelids and refocused on my phone. Swiping up, I put in my pin, and it was unlocked.

Swiping down, I checked my notifications, and there it was.

[Map's Brother: Hey, have you talked to Olive recently? I haven't seen her all summer. We had plans for the break.]

I laughed. 'Really? Olive coming to me of all people? Plus, wha-'

"-at fucking plans did you have during summer? Going on a cruise ship? You're fifteen, you're not doing anything your parents aren't allowing, or without them knowing, Jesus christ…" Just saying those words out loud was a big relief.

Normalcy. That's what that was. I was fourteen. The world didn't rest on my shoulders. My biggest worry should be about girls, or if I was liked by my peers. Not planning murder or worrying if I wasn't able to protect the people I cared about. Or if I would spend the rest of my life in jail.

I could wait for a bit before I made a decision. My parents were out of town, they were safe, I had time.

I'd figure something out. I wouldn't give up.

I had made it this far after all.

And I'd be doing a disservice to everyone I've killed if just this defeated me. Though it's not like I really cared if I did them a disservice or not, they were already dead. Not to mention that I had already killed them, so it was a bit too late to regret it now.

*Beep*

[Maps's Brother: BTW Maps wants to know if you'd like to come over tomorrow for dinner.]

I laughed again.

[You: Sure.]

I'd like that. A lot.

[You: Oh, and no. I haven't seen Olive all summer either.]

[Maps's Brother: Okay, cool.]