Hybrid by Greg Ballan

flashbacks to the images he remembered from the car accident that claimed all of his family, but he was barely four years old, and had no real cohesive memories of the event. She saw images of distant men and women whom she knew were images of various foster parents. She saw pictures of a little boy watching Dragnet on television; that same boy in a bedroom, reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries and fantasizing about being the world's greatest detective.
    Shanda experienced Erik's discovery of his latent gifts. He was at a local zoo on a field trip with his classmates. She saw an image of a young girl who had fallen into the large recessed lion pit, and saw the image of a fourteen-year-old Erik Knight leap in to help her. Shanda shuddered as the huge male lion approached Erik and the young girl. Erik, however, stood his ground; his eyes were filled with a deep intensity as he stared at the large predator. Erik pointed his finger back toward the man-made rocks and told the creature that they were not food.
    The great beast growled curiously, but turned away back toward grass and rocks of its man-made home. Erik knelt by the girl, warning off several other curious cats until the animal handlers made their way into the pit. Instead of finding acceptance for his heroics, Erik was shunned by the other students for being different. They called him names like ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Jungle Boy,’ claiming that he, like the lions, belonged in a zoo.
    Shanda relived another episode where his inhuman strength first manifested itself. Several boys were teasing Erik after school. The taunts had angered him. She saw the shocking image of the sixteen-year-old easily overpowering the three older boys and then challenging the other onlookers. Even though he had defeated his tormentors, he had only succeeded in further isolating himself from his peers. She saw the images of his foster parents urging him not to utilize the gifts he had because he would never fit in. Erik, with all of his abilities, was alone in the world with no one to guide him or mentor him.
    The only happy times Shanda witnessed occurred at a local martial arts studio. In this arena, Erik seemed to excel and found acceptance and friendship. According to the trainers at the school, he was gifted. Erik eagerly learned all they had to teach.
    She now knew he enlisted only for the chance to get an education and chase his dream: becoming a private investigator. She saw images of his marriage and felt the pain caused by all the problems he had with work and his wife's dissatisfaction with his income. Shanda quickly realized how fortunate she was compared to him. Through their link, she felt the fear and anger he experienced at his ex-wife's house, she felt the pain of coming home to an empty apartment, and the pain of being rejected by someone he loved more than anything.
    Shanda now understood why he wore the costume that he wore, lived the way he now lived: it was to keep people from ever hurting him again. She experienced the joy he felt being with his daughter and also the pain of not seeing her as often as he'd like. Then she experienced the guilt that he felt over his role in the breakup of his relationship. She shared his realization that he drove his family away with his blind pursuit of his dream. He had achieved his dream, but lost everything else in the process. She experienced all of Erik's financial worries.
    Shanda wasn't prepared for the unchecked emotion that he felt when he walked into her store to give her the flowers. Through him, she relived the experience in his mind. She felt his panic when he saw the man holding her. She also felt his rage and unbridled power as he destroyed a man nearly twice his size to protect her. To her it was euphoric to experience combat through someone else's mind.
    She marveled at how precise and focused his mind and body were during each phase of the fight, and was amazed when he simply willed his body to become stronger. He was fighting