The Superhero's Son (Book 1): The Superhero's Test by Lucas Flint

books Mom always reads,” I said.
    “Just do it,” said Dad. “Trust me. It will work.”
    As skeptical as I was, I decided that Dad probably knew what he was talking about better than me, so I walked up to the metal block and stood before it. Bending over, I slipped my fingers underneath it and tested its weight. Yeah, I couldn't lift it even half an inch off the ground, but I hadn't focused yet, so I closed my eyes, just as Dad said.
    In my mind, I imagined myself lifting the metal block off the ground and raising it above my head. I looked pretty cool, showing off my awesome muscles as I hefted the block above my head with no problems. In fact, in my imagination, the metal block weighed almost nothing. Of course, that made sense, seeing as I have super strength.
    That's how I knew I could do it. I opened my eyes and tried lifting the metal block again, certain that I would be able to lift it exactly the way I had imagined it.
    But the block wouldn't even budge under my strength, no matter how hard I tried to lift it. And I didn't feel any stronger than I normally did, either.
    I stood up and, looking over my shoulder at Dad, said, “I focused, just like you said I should, but I can't even budge it.”
    “Kevin, did you actually focus or did you instead spend time admiring yourself in your imagination?” said Dad.
    I froze. “How did you know I was doing that? Can you read my mind or something?”
    Dad shook his head. “No. I'm just your father and, as your father, I know you better than you know yourself.”
    I scowled and gestured at the block. “Then what am I supposed to do?”
    “Actually focus,” said Dad, tapping the side of his head. “By 'focus,' I mean simply create a mental image in your mind of you lifting the block above your head. Don't admire yourself or fall in love with your own image. Just a simple, neutral mental picture that shows you achieving your objective.”
    That still sounded silly to me, but I didn't know how else I was supposed to access my powers, so I decided to listen to Dad and try again.
    Turning back to face the metal block, I started focusing again on making a mental image in my head of me lifting the metal block. That was pretty easy, but what was hard was not admiring my own awesome self. The mental image of myself raising that half ton metal block above my head was just way too cool for me to look at neutrally.
    But I remembered what Dad had said and so I tried as best as I could to not admire how awesome it looked. I bent down in front of the metal block and slipped my fingers under it again, getting a good grip on it. I didn't feel the super strength flowing through my body yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I felt it.
    Taking a deep breath, I began trying to lift the metal block off the ground. This time, I actually felt it budge ever-so-slightly. Excited, I opened my eyes and tried lifting it all the way above my head, but as soon as I did that, the metal block suddenly became too heavy for me to move again.
    “Damn it,” I said as I stood up. “I thought I got it this time.”
    “You were too hasty,” said Dad. “You need to really focus on that mental image. It can't just be a brief moment. It needs to be in your mind long enough for it to become a part of you.”
    I turned to look at Dad, feeling annoyance rising in me. I wished I could see Dad's face, but his helmet made that impossible. “Why didn't you tell me that before?”
    “Because I thought you would understand that,” said Dad. “But I must have forgotten how hasty you are. We'll try again.”
    “Try again?” I said. “Can you guarantee that I will move it this time?”
    “I can't, but that's because it all depends on how much effort you put into it yourself,” said Dad.
    “I feel like I have been doing that already,” I said. “How much harder am I supposed to try?”
    “It's not about working harder, but about working smarter,” said Dad. “You see, Kevin, learning