Issue #5 - Power Surge

Emmanuel smiled, as he led the teenager deeper into the training room. They stopped on a cold steel ground, with a lot of heavy equipment around them. "So... you've copied some of my powers. Can you use them now? Try to lift those things." he asked.

Jake followed Emmanuel into the training room, looking around and wondered how they would practice and what they would be doing. He was starting to get a little excited thinking about it, this was going to be fun.

Then Emmanuel asked him to lift some of the stuff around them, and at first Jake was a little fearful he'd drop or break something, but he took a few deep breaths and then focused on one machine, thinking hard and trying to lift it like he'd used his powers earlier.

***

Health 2/2
Energy 15/15

Action 1 - 4 into Telekinesis + Int to lift the object

Health 1/2
Energy 11/15
Defense 0
Mental defense 4 (Intelligence 2, Empathy 2)
Useful modifiers: Empathic Awareness 1

As Jake concentrated on the things Emmanuel had pointed at, they began moving and shaking, while the young mutant's mind felt the pressure and did its best to lift them without damaging them. He accomplished it, but by doing it very slowl, gradually rising higher and higher. It was very energy-consuming however, so the empath couldn't keep this up for too long. "Good." Emmanuel complimented his student's efforts. "Now, try the same on those, these are really heavy."

Jake is coming to understand his new-found power of empathic mimicry, so here it is - the mechanics for it!

Empathic Mimicry 3
(Can mimic superpowers of the last mutant Jake has bonded with up to their AN/MN or your AN in this Action, whichever is lower; you get a CL of options equal to your AN [at GM’s discretion]; if the Action comes with an Ability bonus or Weapon modifier, you may use the same bonus; when copying a modifier, stones spent stay in the Action box until you re-allocate them into another power; you may copy multiple powers by splitting stones)

At the moment you can use: Telekinesis (Intelligence bonus; Stun option, Force field, Flight) and Telepathy (Intelligence bonus, Read minds, Empathy, Telepathic communication, Create links) or spend stones to acquire Psi-sight (enhanced vision: auras, emotions, psionic waves), Sense mutants or Psi of the Highest Order (giving free stones to Telepathy and Telekinesis).

Jake slowly lifted the weights into the air, slowly but surely they went up. Even as he lifted them, he was starting to understand more about his powers. They were borrowed from Emmanuel, and he could feel them there under the surface. There was so much power there, waiting to be tapped.

He looked towards Emmanuel. There was more he could do. He felt a well of power within Emmanuel, and Jake pulled on it, bringing it into himself as he tried to lifted a heavier weight this time.

***

Health 2/2
Energy 14/15

Action 1 - 2 into Empathic Mimicry to copy Emmanuel's Psi of the Highest Order at MN2; imitating Telekinesis 1 + Intelligence 2 + 2 Modifier = 5 stones to lift the weight

Health 2/2
Energy 8/15
Defense 0
Mental defense 4 (Intelligence 2, Empathy 2)
Useful modifiers: Empathic Awareness 1, Psi of the Highest Order 2

The young mutant was right. There was so much more the telepath could do. Even though he seemed to have somehow asborbed the man's powers, he had no idea how to make a full use of them. He couldn't access all that power hidden deep inside of his own mind. Accessing telekinesis wasn't that hard... but it did require a lot of effort. Jake drew upon the telepath's psionic potential - which he also copied - and used it to influence the heavy stuff. He lifted it, very slowly... struggling to move it! He barely managed to move it a few inches above the ground before it collapsed onto the floor with a loud smack! "Relax... you're too nervous. And yet, stay concentrated. You have to relax, but not loose your determination." Emmanuel gave Jake a piece of advice, before asking him to repeat the whole process.

Jake flinched as the heavy object dropped, then he sighed, nodding as Emmanuel spoke to him. "Alright, I'll try again," he said, staring at the weight for a few moments. Jake breathed in, then out, trying to calm down and focus only on the weight and he tried lifting it once more.


***

Health 2/2
Energy 11/15

Action 1 - 3 stones into Telekinesis + Int + 2 modifier = 5 stones to try to lift it again.

Health 2/2
Energy 8/15
Defense 0
Mental defense 4 (Intelligence 2, Empathy 2)
Useful modifiers: Empathic Awareness 1, Psi of the Highest Order 2

Trying his best, Jake finally managed to lift the heavy equipment for a moment longer than usually - long enough for Emmanuel to give him a thumbs up. "It seems you're getting better with every use." He said and then waved his own hand, summoning the same very equipment to himself. It moved while he effortlessly lifted it in the air and hold it there. "But you still have a lot to learn."

Jake grinned as he finally lifted it a bit easier and then set it back down, smiling more at Emmanuel's praise.

But then Emmanuel himself lifted the object easily, like it weighed nothing, and Jake's eyes widened a bit, "That's amazing." Emmanuel was indeed powerful. Jake would have to learn more from him.

"Teach me," he said eagerly. He wanted it all.

Emmanuel grinned at Jake's awe on his face and simply said, "You've got much to learn, but we'll make sure you will learn. After all, you're taught by the very best." He said, smiling, as he extended his consciousness to reach into Jake's head to guide him better. The empath felt his teacher in his thoughts, his presence easily perceived in his head. It felt odd to be merged like this.

I'll guide you telepathically. Let me show you how to do it.

With those words, Emmanuel took control of Jake's powers (or rather his own copied by Jake) and lifted the equipment - not with as little effort as in his own body, but still it felt quite easy. Then it was the boy's turn as they tried more and more of the blond-haired man's powers. Telekinesis, telepathy. All of them guided by the man himself. It took them a long them, because they quickly got lost in what they were doing, not realizing that they had spent half a day in the training facility. But everything had to come to an end... and in the end Jake could feel good about himself, because he knew that even this one day was enough to enlarge his perceptions and his understanding of his powers. The teenager got down on his bed, falling asleep almost instantly, and before that thinking about Emmanuel, Jason and Erik. And the absolute power he would one die wield!

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. He thought but actually... didn't care. He was a mutant, a powerful mutant, the Empath.

Okay! So this issue was short, but it served its purpose. You got your Empathic Mimicry power and Jake is now getting used to it. You get 2 normal LoEs and 4 more right into Empathic Mimicry.