**Luther Cross Estate**
*Emergency Family Meeting*
The conference room reeked of panic dressed in designer suits.
Marcus Luther Cross stood at the head of the obsidian table, shadows writhing around him like nervous snakes. Victoria sat to his right, her photokinetic glow pulsing with barely contained fury. The emergency board meeting had drawn every Luther Cross shareholder, advisor, and family member within a thousand miles.
"Seventeen years," board member Harrison said, his telepathic abilities letting everyone feel his disgust. "Seventeen years of being the family with a *cripple*, and now you want us to believe you saw this coming?"
"What I saw," Marcus replied, shadow tendrils caressing the table, "was potential requiring pressure to manifest. Diamonds aren't formed in comfort."
"Bullshit." This from cousin Elena, her cryokinetic powers dropping the room's temperature. "Last Christmas you called him 'genetic waste' in front of the entire Sterling family."
Victoria's glow flared. "Family dynamics are complex. What matters is—"
"What matters," CFO David Luther Cross interrupted, pulling up holographic displays, "is that our stock is up 12% and climbing. The media's eating up the 'late bloomer' narrative. If we play this right, Jayden becomes the face of Luther Cross Industries' next generation."
Marcus smiled, the expression never reaching his eyes. "Exactly. Which is why I've already had our PR team draft the new narrative."
The hologram shifted to a carefully crafted press release:
*"The Luther Cross family has always believed in nurturing strength through adversity. Jayden's unique development path—what some misunderstood as absence of power—was actually an unprecedented gestation period. Our family's tough love approach, though sometimes misinterpreted, created the pressure necessary for this diamond to form. We couldn't be prouder of our son's breakthrough..."*
"Unprecedented gestation period?" Jayden's sister, Melody, floated three feet off her chair, wings of pure energy flickering with agitation. "We called him *cripple*. To his face. For years."
"Ancient history," Marcus waved dismissively. "The public has short memories. What they'll remember is the Luther Cross family standing united behind our newest star."
His phone buzzed. Marcus glanced at it, and his composed mask cracked slightly. "Speaking of which, our social media team reports that Jayden's childhood photos are trending. The ones where he's standing alone while you're all flying overhead at family gatherings."
Awkward silence descended like a guillotine.
"Delete them," Victoria ordered.
"Can't. Screenshots are already everywhere. #LutherCripple is trending worldwide." The social media manager, a nervous Level 20 technopath, projected the feeds. "But we're countering with #LutherLegacy and pushing stories about how the family always supported him behind the scenes."
"What support?" Jayden's brother Adrian materialized in a burst of flame, having just arrived. "The time Dad made him eat in the kitchen during the Apex family dinner because he was 'embarrassing'? Or when Mom told him to 'try harder' to manifest powers, like he wasn't trying hard enough to not be defective?"
"Adrian," Marcus's voice went subzero, shadows deepening, "you seem to forget that this family's strength comes from unity. Your brother's awakening is a gift. To all of us."
"His bank accounts," David continued, scrolling through financial data, "show he's been quite successful independently. Day trading, cryptocurrency, some... questionable funding of illegal racing operations. The boy's got nearly fifty million in assets we didn't know about."
That got everyone's attention.
"Fifty million?" Elena's ice crystals stopped mid-air. "The cripple made fifty million?"
"Don't call him that anymore," Marcus commanded. "From now on, he's 'our gifted son who took an unconventional path.' Anyone who slips up in public will answer to me. Personally."
The threat hung in the air like smog.
Victoria's phone chimed. She read the message, and her glow flickered. "Jayden's old classmates are doing interviews. The Chang boy just told Channel 9 about the time Melody made Jayden carry her books because 'what else was he good for.'"
Melody had the grace to look slightly ashamed. Slightly.
"Pay him off," Marcus ordered.
"He's already signed an exclusive with Netflix. They're doing a documentary. 'The Cripple Who Became a God.'"
"*Fuck.*" The profanity escaped before Marcus could stop it, shadows spiking violently.
"There's more," the social media manager added weakly. "Jayden's DMs were leaked. The family group chat where everyone shared memes about him being powerless. Aunt Patricia's message about how he should've been aborted when the prenatal tests showed null readings..."
Patricia, a Level 95, went pale. "That was private!"
"Nothing's private anymore," David said. "Not when the internet smells blood. We need damage control. Now."
Marcus stood, shadows expanding until he seemed to fill the room. "Then we control the damage. Victoria, you'll do the morning show circuit. Cry if necessary. Talk about a mother's unwavering faith. Adrian, Melody—you'll post about how proud you are of your 'little brother.' Make it convincing."
"And if Jayden contradicts you?" Adrian asked. "If he tells everyone what really happened?"
"He won't." Marcus's certainty was absolute. "Because regardless of our past... difficulties, he's still a Luther Cross. And Luther Crosses understand that family power trumps personal grudges."
"You mean you'll threaten him," Melody translated.
"I mean I'll remind him that his newfound abilities don't change certain realities. He's seventeen. A minor. And I'm still his father."
The board members exchanged glances. In the world of Legacy Families, parental rights extended far beyond normal law when superhuman powers were involved.
"Now," Marcus continued, "I want every family member's social media scrubbed. Every photo, every post, every comment about Jayden being powerless. Replace them with supportive messages backdated to seem authentic. Patricia, use your psychic abilities to influence key media figures. David, I want financial packages ready for anyone who might talk. Elena—"
"I'm not doing this." Adrian stood, flames dancing around his fists. "This is fucked up, even for us."
"Sit. Down." Marcus's command came with crushing shadow pressure that forced Adrian back into his chair. "Your brother is potentially Apex Grade. Maybe beyond. Do you understand what that means for this family? For our standing?"
"It means we win," Victoria said quietly. "After seventeen years of the other families' condescension, we win."
"Exactly." Marcus released Adrian, who gasped for air. "So we will craft whatever narrative necessary. We were never ashamed of Jayden. We never called him cripple. We always believed in him. That is the truth now."
"But—" Melody started.
"That. Is. The. Truth." Each word came with a pulse of shadow that made everyone flinch. "Anyone who says otherwise is no longer family. Clear?"
Murmured agreement rippled through the room.
"Good. Now, I need to locate our prodigal son before he does something... unfortunate with his new powers. Harrison, have your telepaths scan the city. David, monitor any unusual electrical disturbances. Victoria—"
"I'll prepare my tears," she said flatly. "Mother's intuition. Always knew he was special. Whatever sells."
As the meeting dispersed, Marcus caught Adrian's arm. "Your brother needs family unity now more than ever."
Adrian jerked free, leaving scorch marks on his father's suit. "Family? You guys destroyed him for seventeen years. And now you want to pretend you loved him all along?"
"I want to WIN." Marcus's shadows writhed. "And if that means rewriting history, so be it. Your brother is about to become the most powerful Luther Cross in generations. We can be his family, or his enemies. Which would you prefer?"
Adrian said nothing, but his flames burned hotter.
Marcus smiled. "I thought so. Now go. Post something touching about your baby brother. Make it trend."
As his son left, Marcus turned to the window overlooking Los Angeles. Somewhere out there, his "crippled" son was learning to harness power that could reshape the world.
He'd spent seventeen years breaking the boy.
Now he had to convince everyone—including Jayden—that it had all been love.
The shadows around him writhed with anticipation.
Time to rewrite history.