The Project

A Deal to Change Fate

-Arista's POV-

Several months have passed since the fateful day of Cades memory torture. After his scream of a name, a girls name, Nick and I were shoved out of the room and hustled back to our sleeping quarters. I think both of us were shaken up, Nick was a few shades paler from what I could see. We didn't see each other for a few days either, each of our respective schedules kept us training apart for a while.

We finally saw each other about a week later. Element training, which is where I discovered Nicolai's talent. Water bent to him with ease he was, and is, one with his element. He saw me botch up my fire training a hundred times in that one session, trying to summon it in the same way as wind.

My access to wind is reliant on me being calm, or at the very least controlled. It flows out of me at the moment I have utter control over myself, and allows me to manipulate it to my wishes. But fire eluded me.

Ideally, I should be able to simply generate my element from my mind, causing it to flow from my fingertips, my body. I become the element and we work together. But fire was stubborn, and seemed to refuse me. The most I could do was cause my hands to glow like dying embers, hot to the touch of anyone other than myself. I could see the fire seething under the surface of my skin, screeching at me for release.

It took a moment of utter fury for me to access it. Frustration built up and at last I screamed as I cracked under the weight of my anger. I have watched the tapes of what happened and it still fills me with awe, fire has always been beautiful to me.

In the black and white silence of the footage you can clearly see my face contort as I yell in rage. And then, seemingly from my very core, a glow began to emit. Within a second the fire shot from my fingers, licking at the ground, my clothes, whatever it could. My eyes seemed to blaze like coals and I glowed with the internal burning. I held my hand up and a tendril of flame curled itself into my hand. The fire began to pulse around me, now engulfing my body from the hips down. It swirled around my skin and clothes, not burning me but leaving no doubt of its molten heat. It danced around my thighs, happy to be released from the shell that was my body.

That is all the footage that particular camera got however, because in that moment I glanced at it, and without any effort melted it off the wall with the look of my eyes.

Now element training is the highlight of my day. Cade, Nick, and myself enjoy our little bouts of competition with our powers, and challenge ourselves to reach new levels with them daily. We are mastering what makes us different, and reveling in it.

Cade has gone back behind his screen of charm and biting sarcasm, never once showing us the glimpse we caught in that room months ago. He is debonair as always, and never above flirting with every girl he comes across. He struggles with his lightening, only able to summon it at odd times. He seems to be hiding something however, I feel as though he isn't showing us the full capacity of his powers.

Nick and I have grown closer, and he is truly a dear friend of mine. He raises his little brother as best he can in this place, and is never above a battle of wits with me or Cade. He calms me, much like his element of water. Fire and water have become friends, who would've thought it?

Nicks brother Cole is still as much trouble as ever. He charms the girls here with his big blue eyes and cheeky smile, much to Cade's annoyance. I have come to discover that his talent is computer hacking, he can program a potato to control a small goverment if he wished. He is truly a 10 year old wonder. Always coming up with new practical jokes that leave Nick trying to save his ass on a weekly basis, I've come to love this kid. He's helped me prank Cade and Nick on more than one occasion, using our limited cafeteria resources.

I'm not sure what the day is, they never tell you in here. But something has started to shift in the air, unease is a common feeling amongst all of the kids here. We all know that something is going to happen, but what that something is, we have not the slightest clue.

-Unknown POV-

"We simply cannot do that sir! It is inhumane and a waste of resources."

I gulp as Leona's eyes trap me in their emotionless depths. He smiles and strides towards me, causing me to wish I could vanish from his steel office.

It's a cage in here. I'm trapped.

"When has kindness ever gotten anything done, hm?" Isaac purrs. "The Goverment doesn't want 'kindness' they want results. And with this little problem going on we have to do what it takes to give them said results."

"But sir, it may not even work. The majority of the children haven't even finished their strength training."

He practically hissed his words, "We don't need the underlings you idiot! This is a bigger problem than they can handle."

I feel ill.

"But, Master Leona, you can't mean..?"

"We are going to send out the elementals. The three of them should have finished base training, and seem to be doing nicely with their respective elements."

"But sir, the boys are only seventeen and eighteen, and the girl is still fifteen years old. They're too young. The have to wait at least three more years before it is appropriate to release them onto the field.."

"I do not care about how this is percieved by you or any other blathering imbecile in this God-forsaken place! They are the ones who will do this, and I will not hear another word on the subject!"

This is the first time I have ever seen Isaac lose his composure and openly scream.

He adjusts his tie and looks down at his desk.

"I have authorized them for vehicles, and weapons. Their passports and names have been assigned, and if they start trouble, the leaders know to turn a blind eye. They know our methods are effective, and they also know to cover up the incidents with proper media coverage of fictional catastrophes if they wish for their issues to vanish. I must say they are getting creative with some of their sob stories and 'riot' coverage. I simply need your signature my friend, and then the deal will be complete."

"You are asking me to send mere children to their deaths."

"What else has changed?" Leona simply states.

I bite my lip, looking at the contract that will change The Project forever. Shaking my head, I throw the offered pen to the far side of the room, hearing a satisying crash as it cracks the paper thin glass that surrounds Isaacs office.