It was just that simple. Even he had to admit it. It wasn’t that complicated of a situation. Focusing on natural abilities, extrasensory perceptions, and biophysical anomalies, the Phoenix had trained up a team of young people who to the outside appeared to be supernatural, paranormal, and beyond mysterious. Phoenix played on those natural talents and the gullibility of those young people in order to build his own empire. He had governments eating out of his hand. Bidding for assignments turned eventually into those same people begging for his help. Soon it didn’t matter whose side of the flag he was on, as long as the price was right. A life of luxury he had and provided for those he’d raised as he would his own children—along with his own children. Yes, the Phoenix had children, yet he’d only claimed one: Stone. Stone was his pride and joy. Everyone figured it was because of his confident ways and leadership abilities, but Stix knew differently. He knew Stone’s secret. He had pyrokinetic abilities.
