Where are we going? (✔)

Crazy Old Man

   All the girls around me flinched or looked scared. I didn't. I knew there was something up about this guy the second I saw him. He took off his face as he studied me. The only thing that finally did catch me off guard was how old he was. He looked to be in his late to mid forties. Most people that run around showing off their powers are younger and cocky, with something they think they have to prove. 

   I scanned the guy as he did the same to me, and I left his face for last. I slowly went up his body, taking note of how well built he was and how he had a knife in his boot side. That wasn't smart, his pants are too tight for the grip so the buldge at the boot line is prominent. When i finally reached his eyes, my breathing stopped. His eyes are the same brown I've seen looking back at me in my reflection my whole life. Of course the first person we run into out here that is a fire elemental is going to look like me. The only thing is none of the girls from my 'safe house' have the same eyes as me. They're brown that fade out to a honey color at the ends and have green around the blacks. 
   
   The man finally meets my eyes and he has the same reaction, only he looks like he's about to cry. I look at him confused as he sniffles and a single tear drop rolls down his face on onto his shirt. I hold my ground as he gets closer to me. I won't break my barrier because this man looks like me. I don't care. He could be anyone. I expect him to attack or hurt me, what I don't expect is for him to hug me while sobs rack his body and he repeatedly tells me how sorry he is and that he tried to stop someone. I push him off and look at him with worry. 
  
  "Are you alright, sir?" I ask while holding him at arms length. He chuckles. 
  
  "'Sir'? I thought they at least showed you kids who your parents were if they ranked higher. Or at least if they are more well known with our kind," he looks at me with sadness. I don't understand. Then it all clicks the apologizing and the mention of parents. 
   
   "Dad?" I look him over once more with confusion laced in my words and written on my face. There's no way. This isn't possible. My parents died because they didn't want to give me to a 'safe house'. This isn't possible. It's not. I read the newspaper article over their deaths at least 100 times. I have it in my bag somewhere with my things. This can't be true. This man must think it's funny to try to trick me. 
   
   I look around at the other girls, thinking maybe it's a joke and they'll all start to laugh soon. No one was looking like they thought the situation was funny. I gulped loudly and looked back at the man. This isn't possible. I read the article. I know this is impossible. "This isn't possible. My parents died when I was little. You're not my dad," the man looks more sad. 
   
   "I guess you would think that since they put it in the paper to cover our trail before we put you into the 'safe house'," he looks at me like something he lost a long time ago and my heart breaks for this man. To be so sad that it shows in your eyes. 
   
   "I don't understand how this is possible. If you were alive, then why didn't you ever come to get me? Being raised in the system was the worst thing to ever happen to anyone," I look at him with emotionless eyes as I watch him. 
   
   "We tried after we had secured our new identities and gotten into a new house. A fresh start. They moved you, though. So many times the foster care system the elders abide under had lost track of you. You have a new name now, I take it?" he looks me over a few more times. 
   
   "My name is Kathreen Elizabeth Musk. Has been my whole life. It's on my birth certificate and everything," I think about the documents in my bag I planned on using once I turned 18 and could live on my own legally without the system being able to take me back to a 'safe house'. 
   
   "Your real name is Emillia Rose Walsh," he cringes a little as if I offended or hurt him in someway. 
   
   "That's not possible. My parents' real last name was Musk. That and my father looked nothing like you." 
   
   "But does the man in the picture look as much like you as I do?" I cringe back again. Why am I showing so much emotion? It's weak and I need to stop. Emotion shows I have a way to get in and be mess with. I can't let anyone get to me like that. I mentally put my barriers back up. 
   
   "Listen here, delusional old man. I have no business or relation to you. My friends and I would like to pass so we can continue our journey. Now, could you please move your posse and yourself out of our way," I smile sweetly at him as the fake sweetness oozes out of my smile. 
   
   "You're just like your mother," he laughs like crazy and I look behind me to the girls and make the 'he's crazy' sigh with my hand. "Sorry, Kathereen," he says my name with as much hate as possible while looking at me and giving me the same fake smile. "I'm afraid you and your troops are on our land so it looks like you're being taken to our quarters until we can figure out what to do with all of you. You'll get to meet your mother there, too," he gives me a sincere small smile and I scoff. This guy is delusional if he thinks he'll take us without a fight. I get down into fighting stance and so do the girls behind me. 
   
   "Have to get us to go first," I say as all the girls activate their powers. You can feel the energy coming off of all of us. I smirk as I see the people surrounding us feel it as well and raise their weapons. "Now, move or fight, old man," the man smirks and then I feel a power surge, and slightly crumble. That's it, I activate my fire and I see all the people around us back up with fear in their eyes. The old man smiles and looks at me with what I assume is pride. 
   
   "I'm the strongest Elemental in all of these parts and you just out surged me. Only my decendent could do that. The other older girls suddenly crowd around me and activate their powers too. The mans eyes widen as he feels their powers get close to mine. "The elemental cousins in one group. Impressive. I'm guessing the oldest is water, then fire (Katheen), then air, but where is your strongest earth and fifth?" he asks while surching our group. I put my hand out to stop our oldest earth and fifth from stepping forward. We need the element of surprise right now. The man notices my gesture and frowns. "Do you really think we'd be able to out throw the five cousins? You five put together are stronger than all my men put together, including me," I smirk as I see a few of his 'men' back up a bit in fear. 
   
   "If that is true then why would the elders keep us together? Wouldn't they want to keep the peace and put us in different houses? And wouldn't I be in a higher house if I was as powerful as you say?" I look him up and down as the other older girls look at me with bewilderment. 
   
   "Our house is the strongest in the country, Kate," I hear one of the girls whisper. I freeze. That's impossible. I'm stronger, faster, and smarter than the other girls. I was always waiting to be noticed so I could go to a higher teer home. 
   
   "That isn't possible. I.... It's not possible," I look at the other girls that are staring at me. 
   
   "We lived in a ten teer. We are the strongest in the nation and quite possibly the whole world until our generation has kids. We surpassed other tens a few years ago. Kate, everything is easy to you because at this rate you're how they're teering the houses," I look over at the girl I know is named Josephine. She is the oldest earth we have and strongest. You can feel her presence even when she doesn't have it activated. She is really pretty and has an air about her that screams earth helper. My father takes note of her and smiles. 
   
   "If that's true then why am I always put in easy classes?" I ask looking back at Josephine while she looks back like I'm crazy. 
   
   "The rest of us in those classes almost struggle to keep up with you. Even those of us that are older or near your strength. Even academically," I laugh and think this is all some joke. 
   
   "You're kidding, right? I'm not the smartest in our class. Violet was," I look over the girls and they look back at me with worry in their eyes. 
   
   "Was. We left her behind at the 'safe house'. Violet hasn't surpassed you in almost two years. She one of the average kids now. You passed her so fast, no one really saw it coming and before anyone knew it you were yawning and sleeping through lectures and still getting one-hundreds on everything," Josephine replies and looks at the ground. Have I really been so self involved I never realized that I had became the smartest? 
   
   The man takes me by my arm and out of instinct I give him a slight burn I was taught in self defense and he pulls back hissing. He looks at me and back at his hand that now has a burn mark on it where he had held my arm not even twenty seconds ago. I heard a couple of the girls chuckle and a few of the 'men' surrounding us slightly gasp or saw them cringe. The man wrapped his hand up in some cloth from the bottom of his shirt. And then shot me a glare while I looked at him with a bored expression. 
   
   "Done showing off, Kate?" the man asks and looks me up and down with anger. I chuckle. 
   
   "That wasn't showing off. It was self defense. You trying to tell me you've never done that or met anyone who could? Mad you got burned?" I taunt him and his eyes widen. 
   
   "That was easy for you? A reaction to being grabbed?" he starts to look a little scared as he looks me over. I shrug. 
   
   "Yeah. I figured out I could heat up my skin a while back, so they let me use it in my self defense class as my weapon," I look at him like he's crazy. If he's as strong as he says he is, then he should be able to heat up his skin the way I just did without problem. 
   
   "Incredible....," the man mutters and continues to look at me with fear and something that looks like awe.
   
   "Sir, you know what this means, right?" one of the old mans 'men' asks from behind him while his eyes shine with fear. The old man smiles wide and sincere. He nods and looks at me with pride. 
   
   "Yes, I do know what this means," he turns around and the men surrounding us get closer to us. I don't like this. Suddenly we're being herded like cattle. The men move forward and shove the girls in the back, causing those in front to move forward. This can't be good. I move along with the other girls, now I'm truly curious about what is going on. The 'men' closest to me keep a bit more distance than the other ones do for the rest of the girls and I smirk. They're scared of me, but the old man seems to keep looking back to me with a big smile on his face, while he has his hands behind his back and it walking like he's on a stroll. What is wrong with this old man