The day after, the wide awake Ed wondered how his mom felt about her 12 year old son already being able to grow a full beard, while her husband wasn't. Ever the curious child, Ed decided it was time to do some research.
After several minutes, his moter Jane went in Ed's room to see if he was ready to breakfast. She was almost immediately ambushed by Ed, who was holding a notebook and pencil. "Ed...? Breakfast is r..."
Ed interrupted his mother. "Hey, mom! I was doing a... project. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"
Jane crossed her arms and sighed. "I guess. How long is this going to take? You should go to school."
Ed shrugged. "Oh, not too long."
Jane sat onto Ed's bed while Ed sat in his computer chair. Ed cleared his throat. "My project is on familial genetics. I figured that since you're my mother, you might know a few more things than I would."
Jane shrugged and grinned. "Makes sense. Ask away."
Ed looked down at his notepad, pretending to write. "Alright. Um, first question: I've never seen Dad grow a beard before. Can he grow facial hair?"
Jane half turned to look at his son from her position on the bed and raised an eyebrow. "No, your Dad's never been able to grow facial hair. You know that."
Ed looked up form his notepad. "Don't you think that's a little weird?"
Jane's brow furrowed as the thought about it. "No. Yes? I don't know. I guess it's kind of odd, but it's not really weird to me. It's completely normal. I love him the way he is"
Ed nodded, pretending to take notes. "So, what about me? Isn't it weird that, at 12 years old I'm already capable of growing a full beard?" Ed held his breath, hoping his question wasn't enough to break whatever perceptions his powers had but his mother under.
Jane smiled. "Not as long as you shave before you go to school, you little freak. Ed, what are these questions really about?"
Ed was impressed. The powers really worked. As far as everyone knew, the fact his dad couldn't grow a beard and he could was completely normal to his whole family. Ed shrugged. "I told you, a project."
Jane looked directly at his child. "Ed, if you're feeling insecure about your facial hair you know you can talk to me.
I bet all the kids at your school are jealous!" She tugged lightly at his beginner's sideburns. "Listen, it's getting late. You'd better start getting ready, okay?"
Ed nodded. "You're right." He hopped out of his computer chair. He glanced up at his mother's face. Ed had an idea. He suddenly gripped his mother in a hug, being sure to pull up the back of her shirt and make skin contact in the process. He'd already successfully tested his "steal" ability, now to try his "copy".
"I want to copy how quickly and dense my beard grows and give it to my mother, being the only one to realize that her having a beard is not normal." The thought passed unheard by Jane. There was, again, a slight tinging and disorientation as his powers took effect.
Ed backed away, his mother surprised by the sudden hug. Jane asked. "What was that all about?"
Ed shrugged nonchalantly. "Uh, it's just a thank you for being such a lovely mom."
Then, suddenly, there it was. Like a time-lapse video, dark stubble grew in over Jane's jaw. Ed hadn't specified the beard length matching his own. It appeared as a generous coating, looking extremely similar to what Dad had before he'd shaved, though instead of being a couple day's worth, Jane appeared to have about a week's worth. She ran a hand over the thick stubble on her cheek, but otherwise not reacting to it.
Ed gestured toward his mother's face. "Aren't you going to shave?"
Jane smirked and ran a hand over her almost-beard. "Not just yet. I'm going to see how long I can go without shaving before Tom (Ed's dad) makes me get rid of it. When I was your age I had to shave everyday before school, so I haven't really been able to really grow it out, you know?"
Ed nodded and decided to risk another question: "don't you feel weird to be a woman with a male beard?"
This time Jane hesitated, making Ed think that he posed the wrong question. Then, she smiled again, and caressing slowly her hairy chin said: "Nope, I like it. And I suppose that someone should wear some facial hair among me and your father!"
Ed nodded, still amused by his own powers. "Right, sure. I'll, uh, see you later." Ed quickly made his way out, going to the chicken. He glanced at the Chronivac's hiding place. He'd really done it. He could copy and steal anybody's physical attributes and lifestyles that he wanted. He had a few more experiments in mind for school tomorrow. But for now, sleep. He did feel oddly tired. Perhaps using his powers used up his energy. That made sense. He dressed in his PJ's and rolled into bed, eager to see what a business day's worth of growth would look like on his face in the morning.