Am I Crazy? Or Are You?

The very roof caved in, crumbling to rumble as a powerful force wafted the room, forcing everyone to the ground. The captors took the worse end of the stick, a majority finding themselves smashed and suffocating under the heavy concrete.

While the mutants got a less punishing ending. 

Adrian stumbled backwards, nearly losing his balance due to the shackles around his ankles. His eyes were on the move- Regardless of his dampener, his eyes peered through the thick and obnoxious smoke, holding his breath all the while.

'What the hell!? Is it a hostile takeover…? No, this is something else!' His expression grew grim at what he was perceiving on the other side of the room… The cause of all this destruction, all this chaos… Were two heaping balls of energy, radiating so much that the young mutant thought he'd go blind.

"RAOOOOOR! IS THIS ALL YOU HAVE TO BRING, BANNER!? WHERE IS YOUR RAGE!" 

Adrians eyes whipped to his side, his instincts screaming at him to flee as the sheer soundwaves from the Abominations roar shook him to his very core. The other mutants' well-being briefly crossed his mind.

 'Oh! Shit! One of these dudes HAVE to have a key or something…' But that idea was gone just as fast as it appeared. His subconscious pushing him forward, reminding him of all the pain and personal suffering they let the previous Adrian go through.

'Even if you're powerless, there's still always an option… Always.' He told himself as he scrambled to the floor, inching his way hastily towards the nearest guard he could find.

The other mutants caught wind, but they were too terrified to respond… The sight of the two hulking-masses of destructive rage stiffening them to their bones. 

Kyle, the only child of the group, was shamefully the first to act among them. His first instinct was to dive for Adrian. 

'Come on!' The boy was frantic, he had no clue what he was doing, it was hard for him to move in the first place with all his shackles, but he knew he had to do one thing…

"Come on, Adrian! Let's go! You can't die again! I won't let you!" His shout rescinded to nothingness in the grand scheme of things, but his body plopping dramatically next to Adrian instead of in front caused for a concerned eyebrow raise from the mutant.

Adrian shared a glance, seeing the hopeful, fiery blaze of determination in his pupils. 'Oh come on… Is there some sort of unhinged malfunction with the brains of these people?' He tilted his head in confusion.

BOOM!

DOOM!

The two mutants were pulled out of their stupor by a wave of power that ripped them up from the ground, 'Shit!' Adrian grunted, his hand stretched outward, aiming for the bundle of keys that sat just attached to the hip of a guard that was within his grasp.

However, as he flew through the air, his determination, his desperation for the key to his freedom shone within his pure white eyes, his otherworldly gaze expanding… Something clicked.

[DING!

Telekinesis + 100

Congratulations! Telekinesis has now reached level 1. Basic Mastery, granted.] 

And in front of all present, a powerful vacuum pulled forth a corpse at high speeds. Adrians eyes widened, his body tensing before relaxing instantly; Euphoria taking over as he moved with finesse, flipping around just before he hit the ground- His left arm extended outward- reaching for the flailing form of Kyle.

"Wuh!" The boy gasped, feeling a strange sense of vertigo as his body was quickly pulled in a completely different direction. 

BOOOOOM!

The duo crashed back and through the neighboring wall. The debris scattering all over the facility- Peerless moonlight shining through the giant, twenty-meter crater that spanned the earth's surface.

"K-Kyle!" 

"G-God- M-My arm! Argh!" 

The initial cause of destruction and the mutants' fated saviors had long left. Leaping through the air, each at each other's throats as they wrecked New York City.

With no regard for what they leave in their wake, the devastated facility was no more… The captors were deceased- or damn near through death's door… The mutants fared better than the others…

But with that last attack, even they found themselves unable to hide themselves fully from the onslaught that occurred. 

"K-Kyle! N-No!" Scrambling through broken debris like a fish in water, Kyle' mother reached the two in a flash. Her collar had broken at some point during her tumble, rendering her powers available to her.

She was surprised at first, but she had no time to think about it. She placed both hands on the giant rock that covered the two boys and with a grunt and strained-concentration, the object flickered in and out of existence…

"Oh my god… My baby boy…" She fell to her knees failing to keep the dam that held her tears back in place. Through broken sobs, she reached forward, letting herself slide down into the little crater Adrian and her son resided.

Adrian was in a worse condition than the others, his head was a mess- blood dripped down his face, but yet he still wore a stoic expression. His eerie gaze was just as strong and unsettling as the woman remembered.

He gazed down at the unconscious form of Kyle and pushed him forward; He held in a grunt as he did so.

"I think he belongs to you."

"T-Thank you… Thank you so much!" 

. . .

After the water works were well and finished with, Adrian quickly got out of the area. His collar still on his neck as he fled deeper into the estranged dominion that is Manhattan. 

Diving through dark alley ways and avoiding any and all attention as he possible could- He finally reached his limit. 

"Haah! Haah!" He leaned over, slamming his body against the brick wall of the alley. Catching his breath, he sighed. Sliding down the wall until he was completely sitting.

"Fuck!" He shouted, his hands shaking as he held the bundle of keys in his palms. He hesitated.

'Just do it… Let's just do it, it won't be that bad.' He took multiple deep breaths, his breathing almost sounding rhythmic as if he were doing an exercise. 

His whole issue stemmed from the fact he had no clue whether or not his telepathy will cause him to go insane. He's familiar with the whole psychic ability to read minds, and when the power first awakens fully unhindered, it leaves the person in a worse condition than before.

He can't afford that right now…

Not in these streets, not without a safe haven.

'I can't make a safe haven with no power…' He told himself, his breathing finally steady. His gaze steeled, his fingers sifting through the keys as he picked the one for his collar.

"I can't make…" He stopped, putting the key into its slotted destination. 

"A safe haven with no power!" With a grunt, he turned the key and the collar plopped to the ground. His eyes were clenched shut, his teeth clenched in preparation for what was to come…

Yet, it never came.

He relaxed, his eyes opening as he felt his head swirl. 'Woah.' A sense of relief and relaxation flowed through his veins, his head feeling freer and lighter than it's ever felt…

He cracked a smile, raising his head to the night sky as he let out a breath of relief.

'Thank go-' 

Then, it hit.

His thought didn't even finish before he was already unconscious. His body was so fatigued and malnourished that the release of his second mutant ability caused more stress than he was prepared for…

[DING!

Telepathy + 50.

Congratulations! Telepathy has reached level 1! Basic Mastery, granted.]

But even in the midst of his slumber, progress was still underway…