The Gifted

by C. C. Lynch

  Rough hands pulled me up and I was about to put my intangibility at play but then I heard Jeremiah tsk-tsk. “You don’t want to end up like your friend, do you?” He clamped down on my face even harder, a sinister threat. “We have one of your friends, so before you think of being aggressive, just know that your friend will be feeling the consequences.”

  Which one? What an awful thought, as if my actions were dependent upon who was in their clutches. No matter how awful that thought was, it was important to know who he had. If it was someone with an offensive gift, they could fight, but one with a defensive gift was in more trouble.

  Jeremiah began dragging me down the stairs. I could see another person to his side, but was not sure who it was. In the middle of the stairs I started slamming my foot down, hoping the acoustics would carry and catch someone’s attention. He pushed me against the wall and whispered a threat that I had no doubt he would be happy to carry through.

  “You know I heard through the grapevine that you died today, isn’t that something?” His voice was taunting and threatening in equal measure.

  “Jeremiah, stop!” Erik’s voice bellowed from the floor beneath us. “Dad, what are you doing?” Erik sounded hurt and betrayed.

  Ivan came from the side, allowing me to see his face now. He gave Erik a warning look, indicating that he should not interfere with what they were doing. With the two men distracted and my hands firmly on Jeremiah, I created fire in my hands and torched his wrists. He let out a loud growl and slammed his shoulder into my body. He knocked the air out of my lungs and I was fighting to take a breath.

  “Dad,” Erik pleaded, keeping his voice down, “don’t do this.”

  Ivan ignored him and Jeramiah growled into my ear, “your friend is going to suffer because of these burns.” He shoved his wrists in my face, showing me the damage I had just caused.

  I hadn’t felt it when I burned him. Why hadn’t I felt it? If I could not feel the damage I was inflicting upon Jeremiah, I was not going to hold back. I raised my hands in front of my body and pressed my palms forward, sending a blast to his chest. Jeremiah flew over the railing and dropped to the floor below, his hip hitting the floor with a sickening crack.

  “Who do you have? Huh? Which one of my friends?” I flicked my wrists, igniting a fire. The warmth tingled up my forearms and danced about my elbows.

  “Absolutely imperious,” Jeremiah chuckled, grasping his side. He had only fallen seven feet or so, but it was enough to immobilize him for a few minutes.

  Ivan kept silent, his eyes remaining on his son. My attention turned to Jeremiah. The more my wrath grew, the more the fire lacing my arms intensified.

  “You’re so weak, Jeremiah.” I put my hand forward, fire bridging from my palm to the edge of his feet, an arc raising over his legs so that he could feel the heat but it never made contact.

  Jeremiah smiled passively. “Do you see how powerful you are? You could use that for good. That’s all we want.”

  “Good?” I walked slowly towards him, keeping the fire blazing. “You attack people, kidnap them, you torture people. There’s nothing good about you or what you want.” Ivan stepped towards me and I put my other hand towards him, sending Kayle’s piercing siren pitch through his head, completely immobilizing him.

  “Abrielle,” Erik spoke softly, “this isn’t you. You’re not like this.” His voice was small, like he was pleading for me to listen. “You’re not like them.”

  I shot an aggressive glance at Erik. “Look at where being meek has gotten me.” I stared at him hard. “It’s gotten people kidnapped, people killed, it’s stopped nothing.” The entire tantrum was a façade. There was only one reason I could not feel the pain I was inflicting and it was because my father was hiding somewhere. Lacey had not fibbed before, she had said Curtis and was speaking about my father.

  With both hands towards the men I pulled them to me quickly and teleported them outside a stall the moment we made contact. The surprise was evident on their face. I chuckled to myself, you’re going to be even more surprised in a minute.

  A second later we were outside Hagan Think Tank. I had only seen it in Vlaine’s mind, but it was enough to get me there. We stood in the desert outside the building that had some of the most powerful gifted minds. They were on alert and knew what Jeremiah was doing. Neither of them had teleportation or telepathy.

  Jay appeared instantly with nearly a dozen other workers. They clutched the men tightly and brought them inside. From what I understood, one of them was impervious to Ivan’s gift and that was enough to assure there would be no disasters.

  Jay held up a partially ripped open envelope and walked towards me. “According to my directions, you’re a few seconds early.”

  “Your clocks must be wrong,” I smirked. “I had no idea what was happening when Aiden and Luther showed up here and just handed me an envelope, but we figured it out when the flood of people came here.”

  The rest of the men were inside and it was just Jay and I outside the hidden facility. The night air was crisp, but lacked the bite that the New York winter air came with.

  I looked beyond his shoulder to the entrance of Hagan Think Tank. “Do you have enough resources to take care of everyone?”

  He crossed his arms against his wide chest and nodded, “we’re prepared for these kinds of circumstances.” He looked behind him then back to me. “We’ll take your help if you want to stick around for a bit.”

  I looked around into the darkness of the barren area. “Do you suppose that someone has an envelope that details how to take care of my father?”

  Jay smiled, flipping the paper in his hand subconsciously. “I think if they saw up to this point, they’re not going to just stop there and figure everyone’s good for a coffee break. Come on inside,” he waved his hand for me to follow him. “You can check out the place.”

  One of his friends was standing at the door with a personalized guest pass that said “Abrielle” on one side and “Defender of the Squirrels” on the other. “So that’s what I get remembered for?” I rubbed my thumb on the words, thinking back fondly to when I was able to save that animal from being in pain.

  “It’s an affectionate title. Better than ‘Abrielle, the Destroyer of Replyx’ or something. Everyone here gets a kick out of that story anyhow.”

  The foyer was busy, not with people but on the eyes. It was not like Replyx where it had a nice, large and open area. Hagan Think Tank was quite crowded with desks, small monuments like a museum, and cabinets here and there. It was overwhelming, really.

  We walked through the area to a hallway. To the right was a glass sign labeling the floors of the building. There were seven and each level was designated for a particular field. The first floor was designated for Information Technology. Elevators were right behind the sign, but he led me down the hallway first, showing me the different rooms. There were several offices with two or three desks and conference rooms. That was where the ideas, research, and meetings took place. At the far end was a white metal door with a slim plane of glass leading to a stairwell. The stairs were cement with white paint on them. Sections of the paint were smudged off from where the majority of people’s feet landed, showing the dark beige underneath. He mentioned something about the color of the stairs changed every ten months or so and a superstition has formed because of it. Some colors are favored over others because of the fortune it seemed to bring. He muttered a comment about how dark orange would never be allowed in the building again because of it.

  I stopped walking and glared at the white railing underneath my hand. “What happened?”

  He gave me a somber look. “A lot of people died.” He continued walking. “That’s why I think everyone is going to be pretty happy to see those two locked up here. It’ll be a small glint of justice.”

  He finally took me down to level seven, which was completely counterintuitive. Typically, the lower the level, the lower the number. Jay slid a card through a reader to open the door. As it
opened, there was a large landing with a thick metal bar surrounding it. Ten steps separated us from the landing and the floor below.

  The bottom floor was the opposite of the top floor, it was open and very organized. Along the walls were white vinyl looking sections with massive windows showing almost the entirety of the room. Upon closer inspection, they were rooms where people were held. A little white bed was in the far-left corner and to the right of the room was a small desk and table.

  I stared at the man in the first room to the right. He had dark shaggy hair with streaks of grey, wild and unkempt. He wore the dirty appearance of a man that had not bathed in weeks.

  “That over there is Siggy. He’s responsible for an entire town going missing. Don’t assume that he’s lacking any basic human privileges,” he directed his voice towards Siggy, “he’s just disgusting and unhygienic on his own.”

  We passed more gifted people who had done horrible acts. At the very end on the right side was Jeremiah. “And this guy is responsible for hundreds of deaths, torture, kidnapping, and other heinous offenses.” Jay led me to the room across from Jeremiah where Ivan was held. “And Ivan, the nonpareil of all manipulators. He’s been the puppet master since the beginning. His victims never stood a chance.”

  Ivan pressed himself against the glass calmly. “My victims were weak, boy. I have never had power over those that did not wish to fulfill my deeds.” Ivan turned to me and looked me over, curiously. “Have you ever gotten a scar?” I looked at him blankly, not giving in to his question. “The wound heals but the skin that replaces it is weaker, it will never be the same.” Ivan tapped his temple and a grin slowly spread across his face. “We’re all scarred here. I just happen to know how to find the weaknesses; it’s a talent, really.” His finger pointed to the side of my head and Ivan exhaled, “there’s your scar from me. I’ll always be able to find it and it will always let me in.” A chill shook my body. I knew he was just trying to shake me and get under my skin, but his unnervingly calm and eerie demeanor had a way of penetrating any armor of courage.

  Jay banged his fist on the glass and yelled for him to take a seat. Ivan, amused, went to the bed in the room and sat there with his back straight, staring at me. Jay put his hand on the small of my back and led me to the middle of the room where a door stood somewhat out of place.

  The key card was needed to leave the room and the rest was what he called the “engineers playground.” He pushed me along quickly and said, “come on, I have someone I want you to meet.”

  After a few turns, we got to the elevator and went up to floor three. The first office in sight was where we were going. He knocked on the door and a woman called from the other side, “come on in.”

  A woman with high cheek bones and deep set eyes stood up from her desk. She was slim and looked fierce in her red, tailored business suit. When she saw me, her lips pinched in and she smiled, her cheekbones becoming even more prominent.

  “Hello, Miss Abbott, we were expecting you.” Her thick Serbian accent took me by surprise. She held her hand out to me, waiting for me to shake it. I put mine in hers, trying to gauge if she was going to be one of those obnoxious people that are sticklers when it comes to handshakes. “I’m the director of the security division of research and development here at Hagan. Jay’s boss,” she gave him a quick wink.

  “Nice to meet you,” I smiled. “I hope I’m not being offensive, but I thought that you all wanted to stay out of the whole Replyx ordeal.”

  She let out a small sigh and nodded. “Meetings take place to discuss these types of things. The vote must be unanimous from all the directors here in order to obtain approval. Unfortunately, there were two that did not feel it was our place to help.”

  “Were you one of them?” I snapped my mouth shut, then tried to correct myself. “I’m sorry, it’s been a very long day and I’m tired and a bit wacky.”

  She held her hands up, “no, not at all. It’s a very good question. We encourage all questions here. Even the simplest one can lead to massive discoveries.” She walked around her desk to me and put her hand on my arm, “you may call me Mira.”

  Mira then brought me to the sixth floor where there was a small infirmary located. I recognized some of the faces from Replyx. Instinctively, I walked towards them to try and help. Mira nodded for me to continue and I began to treat the patients one by one. They had plenty of healers there. Either they waited for me or there was a far larger influx of people than I knew.

  While I was healing people, Mira received a phone call. I looked her way, but respected her privacy. She hung up and glanced at me. After a long and drawn out silence she said, “I just received word that your biological father is now in our facility.”

  A wave of relief washed over me. “Good, I was worried about him being out. How exactly did you find him?”

  “He came here,” she said flatly. There was no leniency in her stance and her face was stolid. “You enjoy healing.” It was not a question, but a well-informed observation.

  “Yes,” I nodded, “Vlaine would take me to help animals and it was the most worthwhile endeavor I have ever done on my own.” I had been very careful to add that it was on my own. Taking on Jeremiah and the rest of the Replyx maniacs was a group effort.

  A small smile worked its way onto her face. “We have a spot open for a nurse here. Doctor, even, if you are willing to train and work.”

  The opportunity to begin a lifelong occupation was a wonderful offer, but that was not what I wanted. I wanted to make my own waves and finish being young while I still could. “That’s an incredible offer, Mira, thank you so much. I don’t think that would be the best fit for me right now.”

  Her cheekbones raised in a true smile. “I did not think you would say yes, but you will have a place here, if you wish to take it.”

  “I greatly appreciate that.” I truly did. It meant that I had Hagan Think Tank as my ally. That was peace of mind and humbling.

  She straightened her back and her smile disappeared. It was not intimidating, more like a solemn pat on the shoulder. “You may also visit prisoners at any time.”

  I gave her a tight nod and thanked her. Part of me wanted to talk to my father and see why he did it and the other part wondered if they just wanted to watch my interaction with him. The more I thought about it, the more the curiosity grew.

  “Actually, do you mind…”

  “Go right ahead,” she smiled, knowing what I was going to say.

  They led me back down to where the disgraceful gifteds were held. I walked slowly to his window and stared at him. He gazed at me, not with anger, but with pride.

  “You must know, Abrielle, I was so proud to hear that my daughter was the one that led us to a world where anyone could be a replicator. You were the answer to figuring out the mystery behind our abilities.” He paused, deep thought taking over. “We may not have had the best relationship when you were growing up, but I thought I was going to die when I heard that Osiris had killed you.”

  That was enough of his nonsense. “The best relationship? We had no relationship and it is the best thing Cherie ever did for me. You’re a sad excuse for a father and an even sadder one for a human being. The best thing you ever did for me was stop my empathy so I could get Ivan and Jeremiah here. That’s the only thing I’ll ever be thankful for. Enjoy your new home, it suits you nicely.”

  With that, I walked away. The guilt for my words was already building, but when I saw him, it was what I believed he deserved to hear. I was disenchanted with the idea of getting to know my father and learn any replicator tips from him. Family, in my mind, had always been bonds over blood.

  I left Hagan feeling that the Replyx chapter had finally been closed. Jeremiah and the puppet master were tightly locked away and the people in the facility were freed. There were many things I would never understand about why the “tree house” had ever existed at all, but it took a severely damaged mind to have found merit in their acts.

  Back at G
laston Academy nearly everyone was awake and waiting for me to return. Erik was still there, surprisingly.

  “Jeremiah, Ivan, and Curtis are at Hagan.” The words brought upon the harsh realization that my relationship and friendships were not by chance, but forced upon by the greed of our fathers. The power they had corrupted them, and a chance for their ultimate success drove them to do the despicable. Maybe it wasn’t power, but something more that I could not understand. A need? A toxic desire to be more than human.

  Liz wrung her fingers together. “So, what now?”

  I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe we can be students now?”

  Ovolina swallowed hard, pain in her eyes. “How do we go back to being kids after all this?”

  “I don’t think we do,” Draxe answered, “we just try to find our new normal.”

  “Normal,” Miranda snorted, “I don’t think we ever had that.” A serene smile lightened up her big blue eyes, “maybe we can give other gifted people a normal.”

  “Well,” Vlaine tucked his fingertips into his pockets, “we have an entire academy to dedicate to the cause.”

  Lena cradled one of the cats in her arms and smiled warmly. “This is where we start our legacy.”

  Over the next year, we filtered the faculty and expanded the campus so it was open to all ages. Glaston became the first academy to welcome any and all gifted persons. We paved the way for a well-managed administration, one that Ovolina took the lead on. The new Glaston Academy was a haven and the place where anyone with special abilities could perfect their aptitudes.

  The next generation would have a place where they were not different. They would not have to ever feel scared, lost, or outnumbered. They would not have to be born into a world where they had to hide their true selves or be forced to make themselves outcasts.

  The gifted would have a home. That was our legacy.