The rest of the day slipped by in fragments of discovery.
Barry tested his limits — careful at first, then with growing confidence. He could leap higher than the shed roof, run fast enough to blur, and hear his parents whispering to each other even when they thought they'd stepped far enough away. He heard a few things he wished he hadn't.
He wasn't invincible; he still stumbled, misjudged his own strength, and more than once snapped a fence post in half by leaning on it. But by the time the sun began to stretch across the trees, sweat clung to his brow, and his grin came easier.
Ebon clapped him on the shoulder as he caught his breath. "You're getting the hang of it, son. Little by little."
"Feels like trying to hold back a waterfall," Barry said, rubbing his arm. "It's not strength that's the problem — it's precision."
"That's what training's for," Ebon replied. "Even strength has to learn manners."
"How do you know so much about this, Dad?" Barry couldn't help but ask. He felt like his father was really knowledgeable about training.
"When I was younger, before I met your mother, I was a martial arts fanatic. When I was a kid, I read every book on martial arts I could find. Took classes when I could, and eventually wound up in the army.
I was only in for four years, for the GI bill and to learn how to fight professionally. After my time was up, I left the army, met your mother, and the rest is history."
Looking at his father, Barry had a look that said, 'You were a martial arts fanatic?'
Ebon caught the look from his son, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Dad, don't you think you're a little fat to be a martial arts expert?" Barry asked.
Annoyed, Ebon slapped Barry upside his head, "I never said I was a martial arts expert. I said I was a fanatic. Believe it or not, I used to be in shape. I had abs of steel; one look at my magnificent abs was all it took to hook your mother. Besides, I still have these two big, beautiful pythons of mine. Who's ready for the gun show?!" Ebon said as he flexed his biceps and posed.
Barry horsed around with his father for a little while, until he couldn't help but ask, "If martial arts were so important to you, why'd you stop?"
Ebon froze at his son's question and took on a pensive look, "You know." Ebon said out loud, "I never talked with anyone about this, but the reason I wanted to be a martial artist was because I wanted to be invincible. I wanted to be able to stand up to any bully and protect the people I love.
But at some point, I realized that I didn't need to be invincible to stand up to bullies, and even if I were an invincible martial artist, it didn't mean I could always protect myself, much less those I love, from all the dangers in this world.
Martial arts seemed like a waste of time after I realized this, and I stopped working out and training, and started working hard to take care of your mother…and when you came along, I needed to take care of you too.
I didn't need to have martial arts to be strong. The responsibility that comes from being a father and husband, that's what's truly made me strong!"
"With great responsibility comes great power?" Barry laughed.
After a moment of thought, Ebon nodded proudly, "Exactly!"
"My problem is that I have great power but no responsibility. I'm not weak and I'm not burdened, so I guess what you're saying doesn't make much of a difference," Barry laughed.
On the other hand, Ebon became very serious, "Since you have so much power, you should go and find some responsibility."
Thinking they were still playing around, Barry couldn't help but ask, "Like what? What kind of responsibility should I look for?"
"You could find a wife and start a family," Ebon smiled.
"Get married? At my age? First, I don't think I'm ready for that kind of thing at my age. I don't even have a good job. Second, isn't getting married a bit mundane for a person with my kind of strength?"
Ebon shook his head enthusiastically, "Not at all, you know, my generation believed that you shouldn't have kids until you were financially stable. You know what the problem is with that kind of thinking?"
Barry shook his head no.
"The problem is that no one is ever financially stable, even the rich people!" Ebon let out a laugh.
"Another thing, the earlier you get married, the better. Marriage helps you grow up, because with great responsibility…" Ebon looked at his son.
"...comes great power," Barry rolled his eyes, sighed, and then laughed. Both men laughed for a while and continued to horse around.
While the boys were clownin' around, Mary had gone to town a while earlier in the truck, kicking up dust down the road. When she returned, the sky was painted in the first shades of gold. She pulled up beside them, and the smell of fast food spilled from the paper bags she carried.
"Dinner for my two heroes," she said with a smile, holding up the takeout.
Barry's stomach growled loud enough to make Ebon laugh. They dropped the tailgate of the pickup, climbed into the back, and spread the meal out between them — burgers, fries, and a few sweating cups of soda. The three of them ate in comfortable silence, the kind that belongs to families who know each other too well to need words.
Cicadas buzzed in the trees and lightning bugs blinked. The smell of pine and earth mixed with salt and ketchup. Barry leaned back against the side of the truck, watching the sky darken into lavender.
Ebon finally spoke, his voice slow and even. "You know, I've got a buddy, an old friend from the plant, who's been trying to sell his camper for years. Thing's beat-up but solid. I could probably talk him down to scrap price."
Barry raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Well," Ebon said, wiping his hands with a napkin, "you're gonna need a place out here to stretch your legs. Somewhere you can train without neighbors wondering why the ground shakes every few minutes."
Barry smiled faintly. "You really think I'll need that much space?"
Ebon's gaze was steady, proud but serious. "You're not like other boys, Barry. You're gonna need a place where you can be who you are without scaring anyone."
Mary reached over, patting Barry's knee. "And maybe somewhere we can stock up with extra food. You eat like a small army."
Barry chuckled. "I guess I'll have to start earning some of that on my own."
"Tomorrow," Ebon said, pushing himself off the truck bed, "we'll come back out here and set up something permanent. You've got a long road ahead. You got a little bit better with your control, but before you've got your strength completely under control, you shouldn't be around normal people." Barry nodded in agreement.
As the last of the light bled away, they packed up their things and headed home. The ride back was quiet. Barry stared out the window, the reflections of passing streetlights flickering over his face. His mind spun with everything he'd learned: the ship, his parents' confession, the strange heritage that tied him to a world he'd never seen.
When they reached the house, the Webbs settled into their nightly routine. Mary cleaned the house as part of her ritual, humming softly to herself. Ebon flipped channels until the news came on, more out of habit than interest. Barry excused himself early, his head still full of noise that didn't come from outside.
He climbed the stairs, peeled off his clothes, leaving only his boxers, and slipped into bed. His muscles still hummed with leftover energy, but his thoughts were louder — thoughts of strength, responsibility, and the strange name echoing in his head: Jax Zod.
He was on the edge of sleep when the soft chime sounded in his mind.
[New Notification Detected.]
[Incoming Invitation: Infinite Worlds Chat Group.]
Barry frowned, half-awake. "A… chat group?"
The blue holographic text hovered above him, glowing faintly against the dark ceiling.
[Participants: 7 of 9, Dr. Emmet Brown, Diamond Jack, Lord Rohlan, Son Goku, Tsunade, Professor Abednego Danner.]
[Would you like to join? YES/NO]
He blinked, confused and intrigued. The names were nonsense, or dreams. Maybe he was already asleep.
But a strange pull tightened in his chest, like the moment before a great leap.
Barry reached toward the glowing text. His hand hovered over YES.
He hesitated — just long enough to feel his pulse race — and then tapped the air.
The light expanded, washing over his room.
And the world went white.