ZET-MAN! (Re-Imagined)

~Omniscient Pov, Another Hour Later~

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The living room was quiet, the only sound the occasional soft creak of the floor as Alex shifted his weight. Ben was sitting on the couch, with a untouched plate of toast in his lap, staring at Alex with raised eyebrows. Gwen leaned back in the armchair, arms crossed, watching the two of them like a hawk.

"So... let me get this straight." Ben said finally, breaking the silence. "You can use magic now?"

Alex glanced at Gwen briefly, then nodded. "Yes."

Ben blinked, then sighed, slumping back against the couch. "Great. Just what we needed. Another magic user."

Alex looked at Gwen, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. She was staring at him with an intense, scrutinizing expression, her lips pressed into a thin line. He couldn't quite tell if she was proud, annoyed, or maybe something in between the two...

"So..." Ben continued, his voice lighter now, "is this, like, a one-time thing, or are you actually learning spells now? Because if you start pulling rabbits out of hats, I'm out."

Alex shook his head. "It's not like that, Ben." His tone was steady, serious. "I don't know what I'm really doing yet. Gwen's the expert here."

Gwen's expression softened slightly, though her voice was still firm. "You're right—you don't know what you're doing. That's why you need to take this seriously, Alex."

"I do," Alex said, meeting her gaze. "I wouldn't have asked you to teach me if I wasn't ready to learn."

Gwen nodded slowly, seeming to accept his answer. "Good. Because magic isn't just about waving your hands around and making cool stuff happen. It's about focus, intent, and respect. If you mess up, you're not just risking failure—you're risking hurting yourself. Or someone else."

Alex nodded. "I understand."

Ben, watching the exchange, raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You're actually being serious about this. Didn't think you had it in you."

"Ben," Gwen said sharply, silencing him with a look.

Ben held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll stay out of it."

Alex turned back to Gwen. "So... what's next?"

Gwen sighed, her tone softening. "Honestly, I'm still trying to figure that out. You're... different, Alex. When I first started learning magic, it took me weeks—months—to even feel mana by myself, let alone manipulate it. But you..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Maybe I just got lucky, who knows" Alex said, his voice now in a humble manner. "I've still got a lot to learn."

Gwen studied him for a moment, then nodded. "All right. If you're serious, I'll keep teaching you. But no shortcuts. No showing off, seriously. Magic isn't a game."

"I get it," Alex said earnestly. "Thank you, Gwen."

Ben looked between them, then sighed again. "Great. Now we've got two magicians in the group. What's next, juggling?"

Gwen rolled her eyes but didn't respond, instead turning her attention back to Alex. "For now, just focus on the basics. You need to get comfortable with sensing and controlling mana before we move on to anything advanced."

Alex nodded, determined. "Sure, I'm ready for it."

Even as he said the words, his mind began to wander. 'This energy manipulation ability'... he thought, 'What else could I do with it? Could I enhance my speed, my strength? Maybe even my reflexes, like in those shows I used to watch as a kid?' The possibilities were practically endless, and the idea of pushing his limits was already lighting a fire inside him.

But before he could get too lost in his thoughts, a voice cut through the room like a sharp knife.

"Wait... Are you all serious serious?"

Carter stepped into the room, his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow aimed directly at Alex. He had clearly overheard enough of the conversation to piece together what was going on, and the look on his face told Alex this wasn't going to be a casual chat.

The room went still. Gwen, Ben, and Alex exchanged a quick glance before all eyes landed back on Carter.

"Ah... yeah?" Alex said tentatively, raising a hand as if volunteering to take the lead.

Carter didn't reply immediately. Instead, he pointed at Alex, then jabbed a thumb toward himself, his silent gestures making it clear that he expected Alex to follow him.

"Nope," Ben muttered, sinking further into the couch and munching on his piece of toast. "This is gonna be a thing."

"Go on," Gwen said, motioning toward Carter with a knowing look. "You're not getting out of this one."

Alex only sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. Lead the way." He knew what this was going to be about.

~ With Carter and Alex ~

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"Since when could you use magic?" Carter's voice cut through the garage like a knife, sharp and demanding. He stood just inside the door, arms crossed, his expression an unreadable mix of shock and suspicion as he stared directly at Alex. Wondering if the boy hid this ability.

Alex, standing near the toolbox he had just moved with barely a thought, turned slowly to face him. He could feel the faint buzzing of energy still thrumming in his body, a sensation he was starting to grow even more familiar with.

"Since about an hour ago," Alex said evenly, shrugging. "Gwen gave me a crash course."

Carter narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. "And you just... picked it up? Like that?" He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Alex nodded, his tone calm but firm. "Yeah. I mean, she explained how to sense it, how to focus on it. I tried it, and it worked out fine for me."

Carter stared at him, clearly not buying it, but now he is wondering if he should... "Do you have any idea how insane that sounds? Energy manipulation, whatever you want to call it—doesn't work like that. It takes considerable amounts of time, effort, precision. People train for years to do what you just did."

"Well," Alex said, gesturing to the toolbox he had just moved, "guess I'm a quick study."

Carter crossed his arms, his brow furrowed deeply. "No. There's definitely more to this. You're not just 'quick.' There's something going on here—something you're not telling me."

Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Carter. You've been telling me about energy manipulation within the past few months with Gwen. I've heard all your explanations, all your possible warnings. I've been thinking about it for a long time too. Maybe that's why it came so easily—it's been in the back of my mind this whole time."

Carter tilted his head, his expression skeptical but not dismissive. "You're saying all that theory just... clicked? All at once?"

"Pretty much," Alex replied honestly, there was no need to lie. He stepped closer, his tone earnest. "Look, I know this is weird. I didn't expect it to work this fast either. But when Gwen started talking about mana—about feeling it, focusing it—it all made sense. It was like everything you'd told me before suddenly lined up perfectly."

Carter exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "This doesn't make sense," he muttered, more to himself than to Alex. "You're not supposed to be able to tap into energy like that without some kind of... trigger. Or years of practice."

Alex frowned. "Trigger? Actually, Gwen mentioned something about a pendent she had helping her at first, a conduit for her abilities of sorts..."

Carter hesitated, then shook his head. "Yes... Well, it doesn't even matter at this point. What matters is you've somehow skipped about ten steps in the process. And that's... not normal, even for you."

Alex smirked faintly, though he kept his tone serious. "Since when has anything about me been normal?" Alex had begun to accept himself as of late, the fact that he was something more than human, but he wouldn't let that get to his head, he knew better than that...

Carter gave him a hard look, but didn't argue the point. "Fair. But this still doesn't add up. Energy manipulation isn't just about knowing the theory. It's about control. If you're not careful—"

"Yeah, yeah," Alex interrupted, holding up a hand. "I get it. If I mess up, it could backfire. Trust me, Gwen's already drilled that little bit into me."

"Good," Carter said, his tone sharp. "Because if you push yourself too hard, you're not just risking yourself—you're risking everyone around you." Carter knew the effects of misusing powers like the one Alex had, and it was extremely powerful tool if used in capable hands.

Alex nodded, the weight of Carter's words sinking in. Truthfully, he was going to heed them, "I'll be careful."

For a moment, the two of them stood in silence, the hum of the lights filling the space.

Finally, Carter let out a slow breath, his expression softening slightly. "All right. Show me what you did."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "Now?"

"Yes, now," Carter said firmly, "I need to see exactly what we're dealing with."

With a small nod, Alex turned back to the toolbox. He held out his hand, closing his eyes for a moment to focus. The buzz of energy rose immediately, like a current flowing just beneath his skin.

He pictured the toolbox sliding forward, and the energy responded instantly. The toolbox glided across the floor, stopping smoothly in front of him.

When Alex opened his eyes, he found Carter staring at him, his expression unreadable.

"Well?" Alex asked, breaking the silence.

Carter shook his head slowly. "That shouldn't be possible."

"Why not?" Alex asked, crossing his arms. However, he had a hunch as to why already...

"Because you didn't just move it—you moved it perfectly," Carter said, his tone almost accusatory. "No hesitation, no overcorrection. That kind of control takes practice, Alex. Lots of it. But you're acting like it's second nature."

'Figured.' Alex thought off handedly.

Alex then shrugged. "It feels extremely natural. Like I said, I don't know why. It just... does."

Carter studied him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Whatever's going on with you, it's not just natural talent... At least I don't think it is. Something's changed, Alex. Something big."

Alex held his gaze. He couldn't deny it—something inside him had shifted when he started using the power. The energy didn't just feel like something he could manipulate; it felt like it was already part of him.

"Maybe," Alex said finally. "But whatever it is, I'm going to figure it out. And I'm going to make it work."

Carter nodded slowly. "All right. But you'd better take this seriously, Alex. You're stepping into something you barely understand, and it's not going to cut you any slack."

"I get it, and plus, when have I even cut corners?" Alex said. "I'll be more than careful."

The elder couldn't deny that part, if it was one thing the boy did right, it was work hard, "Good," Carter said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Because something tells me you've only scratched the surface. And if you're not ready for what's coming next, it's probably going to hit you hard."

Alex nodded, "Then I'll be ready."

Carter nodded, leaving the Garage to go find Max to tell him the news...

As Carter left the garage, Alex remained in the stillness, his thoughts a whirlwind of questions and possibilities. The energy still hummed faintly in his fingertips, and though it had started out as something foreign, it was beginning to feel like a natural extension of himself. It wasn't just the control over it—no, that was only part of it. The deeper he delved into the sensation, the more he realized that something had fundamentally changed within him.

Alex's mind wandered to the many things he'd seen in comics and shows—people who could tap into incredible power seemingly out of nowhere, growing stronger by the day. He wasn't sure if that's exactly what was happening to him, but it felt close enough. And if there was more to learn, he'd push himself to find it.

"I can control it," he muttered to himself, clenching and unclenching his hand again, feeling the energy shift with every movement. "But how far can I really take this?"

He didn't have an answer to that. Not yet.

With a final look at the now-still toolbox across the room, Alex pushed open the garage door and stepped out into the yard. The morning was still young, and while the others were busy, he knew he needed some time alone to think. He wasn't sure if he was still processing the conversation with Carter or if it was the energy coursing through him, but his body felt too restless to sit still for long. His thoughts kept circling back to what he could do with this newfound power.

As he walked toward the edge of the yard, Alex felt a strange compulsion to test it again. Not just a little nudge, like he did with the toolbox, but something more... focused.

His eyes fell on a large rock near the edge of the property. Without really thinking about it, he stretched out his hand. The hum of energy increased in his palm, almost as if reacting to his intent. The air around his fingers shimmered with light as he visualized the rock moving. It felt easy—too easy—and within seconds, the rock lifted off the ground, floating a few feet above the dirt. Alex held it there, focusing on the sensation of guiding the object rather than forcing it.

The rock wobbled slightly in mid-air but stayed steady. Alex's heart raced. He was actually doing it. His mind spun with the possibilities—how far could he push this? What other things could he move? Could he feel the energy in other objects? Could he control more than just inanimate things?

The rock was light, but it felt heavier with every passing second, as if it was pulling at the edges of his focus. He clenched his teeth, trying to steady himself. The power was there, but it was almost too easy—too natural. What did that mean?

"Focus," Alex thought, willing himself to concentrate harder. The rock stayed suspended, but his energy was being drawn on faster than he realized.

Suddenly, there was a soft thud as the rock dropped back to the ground. Alex exhaled sharply, wiping his forehead. He hadn't realized how taxing it could be to hold something for even that short amount of time. Still, the fact that he'd moved it at all was a step forward.

"That was... something." he mumbled, shaking his head. 'I can already tell that I need to increase my energy capacity, but that's definitely a decent start, I think.'

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, letting his thoughts settle, but the distant sound of Carter's voice calling out for Max brought him back to reality. He couldn't keep experimenting forever. Max would probably have questions of his own soon...

As Alex turned back toward the house, a small grin spread across his face. Whatever was happening to him, he was going to embrace it. If Carter was right, he had only just started to tap into something much bigger than he could have imagined.

But for now, he'd have to keep his head on straight. Carter was right about one thing—there were still too many unknowns about the power.

~ Meanwhile... ~

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Carter walked briskly through the house, heading for Max's office. His mind was still racing from the conversation with Alex. He hadn't been able to process everything just yet, but he could tell one thing for certain: something was definitely different about the boy.

"Max!" Carter called, knocking lightly on the door.

The older man glanced up, his usual expression unreadable. "What's going on?"

Carter stepped inside, glancing over his shoulder briefly, as if ensuring they weren't being overheard. "It's about Alex."

Max's brow furrowed. "What happened? Did something bad happen?"

"No," He paused for a moment, "The kid just learned how to control energy like your grand-daughter Gwen."

Max looked confused, asking "What!? Since when?"

"Since an hour ago." Carter added. Max rubbed his temples for a moment, he looked back at his partner before sighing, "Urgh... It's just one thing after the other with this kid..."

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END