Chapter Text
Prologue
“Hello, I got something to tell you/ But it's crazy, I got something to show you”- Another Believer.
Stacks of paper on the table and on the floor, the curtain drawn, and the lights are off except a single lamp that illuminated a singular piece of paper. A work environment for only one man–a man who thought he played his cards well. Now, a glass of a brand of alcohol he didn’t know kept him company as the words on the piece of paper haunted him.
“Proof! Evaluation!” Those words replayed in his head even after an hour of reading them. He knew this was needed–those children were special and special children needed toys, machines, tests. Anything to keep them in line.
From children that can talk to animals to children that can run around the room faster than one could blink, this man's work caught up for him. But none of those children were what was needed for him. He needed one, only one, that could shine through, one that could be known for generations, one that people on the street question whether they were human or a god.
Maybe he wasn’t looking hard enough. Maybe the government didn’t see the potential he could give. At last that was what the paper was for; they needed to see all those twenty children's powers to decide how much money was to be sent. He imagined that the government would give it to them anyways. Hell he knew they would. Half of the metahuman that walk alongside us aren’t humans. They come from outer space or somewhere that they didn’t know. So why not have that ourselves; an American child we can call our own and can make us feel safe.
It just, he doesn’t believe none of those children are what is needed. He just needs one of those twenty to be special but not a single one has him with eyes wide open or his jaw on the floor. Money was given to this program to surface children that can’t even in their own dreams be something greater.
A frantic knock caught his attention breaking him away from his thoughts. He remained seated with his hands clasped against his lips. His eyes stared at the white door that separated him and the knocker. The knocking continued before he yelled out, “What!”
“Excuse me, sir.” The voice said, not speaking again. Waiting for a response.
The man could hear the shakiness in the voice that he hadn’t heard before. Normally, he could match a voice to a face but not a voice to a name. But with this voice he couldn’t even think of five people who it belonged to.
“Speak! What is it!”
“Um, they found another child.”
The man rubbed his eyes before getting up, leaving his drink and the light on the lamp on. Opening the door, he saw a young man or rather child pretending to be a man that couldn’t even look him in the eye.
“Where are they?” The man asked, hovering over the boy.
“The child–I don’t know.”
“I know you don't know. The two other doctors? Jefferson and Hyde?”
The young man gulped and nodded, “They’re in room 1A, sir.”
“Thanks kid.” He mumbles, already moving to where he was needed.
“Oh um my name is Robert Urges, sir.” The young man voice went to deaf ears as the man walked away.
The door to the room was being guarded by two men, large in built and holding guns. They nodded to him, one already pulling out his key card verification to open the door.
Inside the room, there was beeping coming from machines, a large map of the United States with pins on it as well as an American flag that covered the whole wall , just in case you forgot what country you are in. In the middle of the room, standing before a desk with their backs turned were the two doctors: Hyde–who had an ear piece on– and Jefferson, who when the door to the room opened he yelled out, “Charles!”
“It’s Dr. Hughes.” The man corrected the yelling doctor as he made his way over, standing next to Hyde who was writing all the information being given to him by the ear piece.
“What are we looking at?” Dr. Hughes asked although he was already reading the information on the paper. Small child, black hair, 26 pounds, female.
“Some toddler who apparently set her house on fire.” Hyde informed, repeating the words just spoken to him.
“Like with a fork and an outlet?” Jefferson joked with a smirk.
“I’m sure the government wants an imbecile playing an important role in saving America.” Dr. Hughes said. His tone is dark yet calming. Not hissing or moving his eyes to look at Jefferson.
“Apparently, weird stuff have been happening with the kid since she was born.” Hyde says, writing down the address and going right to the map of America to set a pin.
“A small town, kid.” Dr. Hughes says out loud. The address written on the piece of paper was in a small town. One that he had recognized due to things said in passing. A small hurricane being formed or rocks being mysteriously thrown. His eyebrows furrowed as these thoughts came to mind.
The sound of a helicopter was heard from outside and the three doctors moved around the room to get the belongings they would be needing. Once everything was in their bag they opened the door that led to where one of the landing pads were.
“What other information do we have about the little brat?” Jefferson said once the helicopter began to take off towards their destination. A piece of gum was placed in his mouth as he chewed loudly.
“She’s probably like the other ones, you know? Like it's probably something simple like she pushed a candle to a curtain.” Hyde reasoned.
“We have gotten updates from this town before.” Dr. Hughes reminded.
“Why would a meta human baby be there? Like all the kids we have either drank something or their mother fucked some outer space freak.” Jefferson laughed at himself.
It wasn’t a lie what Jefferson said. Seven out of the twenty kids in the program had drank something or their parents did. The other half, their mother had intercourse with one of those meta from space. To Dr. Hughes, the lowest of the low were those whose parents just wanted a pass time, just some fun. The other seven had the creation that was needed, but their powers were weak.
When the helicopter landed and the doctors were allowed out, they could smell the ash before they even reached the house. As they neared the noise became louder and louder, passers- by trying to get a peak of what had happened and military men telling them to get back. As well as a young looking couple crying and begging.
“Please, she didn’t do anything! I had set up a candle and our baby girl just put it near a curtain when she was playing.” The man, who was almost on his hands and knees on the concrete ground, cried.
“Oh look Hyde you guessed something right for the first time.” Jefferson whispered with a smile and Hyde chuckled.
Dr. Hughes didn’t find it amusing. Normally when they were called it was because the government knew there was a meta human that caused something. So why were the parents not going with the script? Why were they so scared?
“Doctors!” A man yelled them over, the captain. All three of them stood up straighter and saluted him.
“The child in that tent over there.” The captain pointed at one of their tents that was large and sound proof so no news camera or an unwanted audience heard. “Be careful this child seems to be a klutz.”
The three men nodded, already taking out their three key cards to get into the tent. Jefferson first, then Hyde, and right when Hughes was about to go in a voice yelled. “No! Leave her alone.” The child's mother yelled out running towards him. “Don’t hurt her.” She pleaded before she dragged back and cuffed. Both the girl's parents screamed louder and louder pleading. It was so loud that even inside the tent everyone could hear them, even the girl.
“Out.” Jefferson told two privates that were there to see for the little girl.
Her hair was black and short, her eyes black and her skin a little wet from being cleaned. The bucket of water and rag were still next to her as she sat in a medic bed. Her little legs swing back and forth until she hears her parents screaming.
“Mama?” She whispered before beginning to cry.
“Okay brat, let's see what you got.” Jefferson whispered, already taking things out of his bag to check.
The child looked at the three men over and over again, her body shuffling back to get as far away from Jefferson as possible. Her crises were getting louder and her sobs harsher as snot mixed with her tears.
“Gosh stop crying.” Jefferson hissed trying to cover her mouth with his hands.
Dr. Hughes began to feel the air go stiff– his lungs feeling like they were going to callapse, he needed to rub his chest and take deep breaths. Then suddenly a gust of wind pushed Jefferson flying till he hit the wall of the tent.
The crying got louder and louder and the air began to go in circles making a small tornado. Hughes' eyes went wide as he watched things fly across the room. He got close to the wall and got on his knees trying to avoid the objects. Some of the machines were pulled with the wind, some tools–one that hit Jefferson head knocking him unconscious– the bucket had hit Hyde in the face but there was no water. Instead the water floated next to the young girl who sobs got louder and louder.
The grown man could only stare with wide eyes and his jaw to the floor at everything that had happened around him. His unconscious coworker long forgotten. The only thing in his mind was that child, who began to manipulate the water. They went from ice back to water back to ice so quickly. Rocks found on the ground began to levitate as well. One after another was thrown to Dr. Hughes. But he didn’t care, he walked slowly to the young girl before quickly wrapping his arms around her. His lab coat got wet from not just her tears but the splash the water had made when it hit the ground. Her cries turned to sniffles and hiccups as she looked over his shoulder at the two men who were bleeding on the floor.
“uh-oh .” She managed to make out pointing at the town men. Her bottom lip quivered as tears formed in her eyes again.
“Shh, shhh, it's okay.” Dr. Hughes whispered, his hands pushing her hair back and soothing her back. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You did everything perfect. You did everything that was needed.”
Suddenly the doctor smelled something warm. When he looked down and saw a small strand of his lap coat on fire. He quickly tapped it out, turning to look at the girl and notices red sparks coming out her little fingers.