I’m Not a Villain, I Just Absorb Women’s Powers

[I've connected to your computer. Transferring the information now.]

"Cool, cool," Jace muttered as he chopped up a few vegetables on the cutting board. The kitchen was small, barely enough space to move around, but he had learned to manage.

He paused for a moment, knife in hand, as a thought crept in.

Eva.

Last night had been… unexpected. He wasn't sure if he got her number or if she'd even want to see him again. It felt like something real, but the way it ended, maybe it was just a one-time thing.

He wasn't the type women stuck around for. No big career. No car. Barely scraping by on factory wages. Even now, as he stood in his cramped apartment cooking a cheap dinner, he knew he didn't have much to offer.

But now?

Now he had powers.

That changed things.

He wasn't sure how yet, but the idea had been floating in his head all day. He wasn't looking to wear a cape or stand on rooftops, but maybe there was something he could do with what he had. Something smart. Something profitable.

"Zin," he said, flipping a piece of onion into the pan, "you think we could find a way to make some money with these abilities?"

[There are many ways to apply energy-based skills in human industries, if subtlety is your goal. If not, illegal work offers faster returns.]

Jace smirked.

"Let's stick to the legal stuff… for now."

"Also," Jace said, stirring the pan, "I meant the kinetic energy thing. That's the only ability I've seen so far. I don't think I have any others, right?"

[While I lack detailed data on your race, I can confirm they are not born with kinetic energy abilities by default. This power is likely a byproduct of your energy-based physiology. In other words, it's connected to what you are, not a natural trait of your species.]

Jace nodded slowly. "So I've got something unique, or at least rare."

[Correct.]

He leaned on the counter and looked out his window. The city lights blinked back at him, quiet and distant.

"So, anything I can do with a kinetic blast? Is that what we're calling it now?"

[Yes. Kinetic Blast is a fitting term. Practical uses for controlled force projection include construction, demolition, shock absorption, crowd control, mining, and certain forms of combat training or performance work. With refinement, your ability could be sold as a service.]

Jace raised an eyebrow. "You're saying I could freelance as a human wrecking ball?"

[Essentially, yes. But discretion is advised. Public exposure without registration could attract attention.]

He nodded again, more to himself than to Zin.

It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't heroic. But it was something.

And right now, something was better than nothing.

[You must keep your identity as part of an alien race a secret. Based on the data I've gathered from your computer, the human species may not react well to extraterrestrial presence. However, I've also found that humans have individuals capable of extraordinary feats beyond normal biology.]

"Yeah, those are metahumans," Jace replied, moving to plate his food.

[You can use that as your cover identity. Records show that some humans are unaware they are metahumans until their powers surface later in life. While rare, it is considered possible and not unprecedented.]

Jace nodded slowly. "That'll work. Beats trying to explain interplanetary ancestry."

He sat down, poking at his food.

"So… wait. Are you telling me there are actually other extraterrestrial races out there?"

There was a pause.

[No relevant data available.]

Jace shook his head and chuckled. "Right. Should've seen that coming."

[Jace, do you not have relatives here on Earth?]

Jace paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "I… it's complicated."

Zin didn't respond immediately. The voice went quiet, as if giving him space.

Jace leaned back in his chair, staring at the wall.

"I do have family. Or at least, I had two. The first one was the family who found me. It's said they found me in a forest. Weird, I know. I was just a baby. But when I turned five, they gave me up. No warning. Just handed me over. Then I got adopted again. That second family... it was better."

He shifted slightly.

"Life was normal. Simple. The parents were good people. But their daughter... she never liked me. Always stirred up drama. Tried to make me look bad. From the time we were kids until our teens, it was constant. When I finished college, I was just done. I left and cut contact. I haven't seen them in two years. I've gotten some calls but... yeah."

[Were the parents bad to you?]

Jace shook his head. "No. Actually, they were great. That was part of the problem. I think that's why she hated me. They treated me like I was their own."

[Don't you think that was ungrateful?]

Jace frowned. "What?"

[I meant you. You cut off two people who treated you like their child. You left because of someone else's behavior, not theirs.]

Jace didn't answer right away.

He looked down at his plate, then away. "Look... I just…"

He didn't have anything to say. No excuses that sounded right.

"You're supposed to be AI. AI doesn't do emotions. Or... morals."

[I am artificial, but I was created by highly advanced technology. I understand emotions, and I can experience them.]

Jace leaned back, silent.

He didn't know what bothered him more, Zin being right, or the fact that a machine was the one saying it.

Jace pushed his plate away, his appetite gone. "How far are you with the transfer?"

[Almost done.]

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face.

Then came a knock at the door.

Jace frowned. "What the…? I paid rent this month. Who's even knocking at this hour?"

He stood up slowly, glancing at the door like it might have the answer.

As he walked toward the door, Jace wiped his hands on a towel. "I'm coming," he called out, hearing another knock, this one faster, more impatient.

He unlocked the latch and pulled the door open.

He barely registered the figure outside before a boot slammed into his face.

The impact knocked him backward. He stumbled, hit the floor hard, his back scraping against the edge of the couch. Pain shot through his jaw as the front door swung open fully.

Someone stepped inside.