Elementalist

6

"The greater the power, the more you can do. Not just going big, like the storm you did, but you have control of all sources of that element. Take electricity. It's everywhere. In the human body, it runs on it. It's the electric signals that cause the heart to beat, the lungs to breathe and the nerves to tell the brain what the hell is going on. If you have great power, you can influence the electricity of a human body. Well, any body actually.

"I believe you have the strength to control the very electricity in the human body. That's how it can be used as a weapon or it can be used to help." Talon and Jet are trying to teach Xera, or Stephanie as she is now called.

"I don't understand, why would I use this as a weapon and how would it help?"

"Ok, you remember how I said that we, the supernatural community are being hunted?" Talon says and Stephanie nods her head. "Sometimes we have to fight in order to remain free or alive. Sometimes, though we try to avoid it, we have to kill. If it comes down to it, don't hesitate, because they won't."

Stephanie starts hyperventilating at that. Suddenly all oxygen is cut off and slowly she is able to get herself under control. She waves her hand in thanks and she can breathe again. "I don't know if I would be able to kill."

Ethan, the one she knows as the sweetest and kindest of the three is the one to answer her and rather harshly at that. "You and all people are able to kill under the right circumstances. Even if it's not to save your own life, it might be to save another's. What if it's one of us or perhaps it's years down the road and you have a child. Would you allow yourself and your child to be killed or taken instead of fight for your life and that of your child?"

Stephanie turns white and more than a little faint. "They would harm a child?"

"Stephanie," Talon starts but is interrupted by Jet. She doesn't think Jet likes her even though he assured her that she wasn't a problem before.

"I watched them kill not just my parents, but my younger sister who couldn't even crawl yet. They have no mercy or kindness. I only survived because I was in trouble with my parents already and was hiding from them. But I watched it all go down.

"Once they were gone I ran to Ethan's house. His family hadn't been home and they found me on their doorstep, asleep, curled into a ball. I was terrified that they had been killed as well." Jet tells her baldly and Stephanie wants to cry.

They had told her that they all had stories, but they hadn't told her what their stories were.

"You need to learn to control your powers and be able to use them as a weapon if necessary." Talon tells her even as Ethan pulls her into his arms to comfort her.

"So you three aren't blood related brothers?" Stephanie asks more than a little confused.

"No, we aren't related at all. Jet was my friend, his parents and mine were also childhood friends. I was just like one of their kids as Jet was just like another sibling to my family. It was after my family was killed that we met up with Talon."

Jet snorts, "If it wasn't for Talon, we would be dead as well."  After that Jet turns around and leaves.

Ethan lets Stephanie go and goes after Jet after several minutes had passed. 

"I didn't mean to cause problems, Talon." Stephanie says after Talon doesn't say anything and the silence drags out.

Talon shakes his head. "Not your fault. You just found yourself thrust into our world. We grew up in it and it's not a pretty place to be at times."

"I don't think Jet likes me. It might have been better had I remained behind." Stephanie says softly. "I think I'm causing you all problems that you don't need."

Talon lifts her face up and waits for her to look at him. "Jet does like you. He doesn't trust you yet. Trust is earned and we've learned by bitter experience to not give it lightly. We've taken in others over the years and trained them. Some have gone their own way, others we lost to those that hunt us, some the government got a hold of and a few have betrayed us."

"How can you say that Jet likes me?" Stephanie asks confused. Jet stays away from her when ever they aren't training or doing something as a family.

"He said that you could come with us and that he would help train you." Talon tells her flat out. Stephanie blinks at his stark words.

"If he hadn't?"

"He likely would have knocked you out and left you on your parents doorstep as we all left the city."

"He wouldn't have killed me?"

"You take us for a bunch of barbarians?" Ethan asks coming up to them.

"No, but-"

"You think that I would kill without a reason?" Jet asks coming into the room. He hadn't gone far and had heard the entire conversation.

They can see that Stephanie is getting frustrated. "NO! That's not what I meant at all. You are putting words in my mouth that I never said.

"I think, that if you felt I was a threat that you would kill me and it wouldn't make you lose any sleep at night. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn't blame you a bit. You, all of you, grew up in a world I don't know. A world where you are hunted. You have to be able to defend yourself and those you care about. Of course you have a different way of looking at things than I do. I've never been hunted to be taken as a prize or to be killed because I'm different. I was invisible and unwanted. Totally different way of growing up.

"I said what I did, Jet, because I was trying to understand. I would have considered me a threat, if I had been you. I knew about you, and I wasn't trained. I was a threat because I was bringing your enemies to you and I had seen you, talked to you and I had no loyalties to you, any of you.

"The easiest way to cover your tracks would be to kill me.  Perhaps have the animals maul my body beyond recognition or have a hole open up and push me in to hide my body. It would never be found and there would be no loose ends. You and your friends would be safe."

By the time she's finished all three of the boys are looking at her wide eyed with shock. They didn't think that she would or could understand them. Nor did they believe that she could come up with ways to hide a body like she did.

"I'm sorry, Stephanie, I jumped to conclusions." Jet finally manages to get his voice to work right.

Stephanie shrugs her shoulders. "You have reason to not trust me, I do understand. And although my family thought I was stupid, I'm not."  The boys snicker at this.

Because of her affinity to electricity and magnetism Stephanie is a brilliant hacker. She sent her little file that she showed her family, to the police. The police set up a sting operation and since the principal and vice principal were part of the investigation they weren't told about it. The principal, vice principal, several teachers and her siblings were all arrested on various charges of unlawful sex, prostitution and whatever else they could come up with.

Her parents had been investigated as well. Both parents were neck deep in illegal dealings or failure to report earnings to the IRS and were also arrested.

Before her parents accounts were frozen, Stephanie had thousands transferred to an account that she set up for herself and the others to use.

The boys, all several years older than her, have also invested in properties and stocks. Although they have to be careful about using the money and properties. 

Stephanie has helped them be able to more easily access their money.

Once they finished giving their sorries they continue on with their training.

Stephanie is the strongest in power that Talon has ever encountered. She had been tested for all the main groupings and although weak in a couple of them, she has abilities in them. She also is learning control at a phenomenal rate.

Soon, she will be able to control the elements inside herself and others.