Hawk and Dove

"Check it out, Phil."

"Frost bite?"

Phil nodded. "That's my power. Ice," he said, looking down at his hand, "I've been getting better at not freezing things since I've been here, but I'm still quite cold to the touch most of the time."

Dan stared at him, flexing his right hand. He's adapted to shaking with his right over the years although he was predominantly left handed. It usually led to a less awkward situation. Anyway, this couldn't be true. Dan could not have gotten randomly placed with someone who had powers on the opposite side of the same spectrum. It was too much of a coincidence.

"What can you do?" Phil asked, leaning against the counter.

"Er, fire," Dan replied as he tried to figure out what to do with his hands, "I'm pyrokinetic."

  Phil raised his eyebrows. "So that's why we produced steam. You're hot and I'm cold. We're polar opposites," he said, a grin sliding onto his face.

"I guess so," said Dan.

"How weird that this should happen," mused Phil, crossing his arms. Dan was taller than Phil by a few centimeters, but Phil just looked bigger. "Do you think it was on purpose?" he added.

"Dr. Hurley said it was random," Dan muttered.

Phil let out a short laugh and looked down at his feet. "Right," he said softly. The kettle started to hiss behind him. He turned and unplugged it before producing two mugs from the cupboards by his knees. "Hot chocolate?" Phil asked.

"Oh," said Dan, "I thought you were making tea."

"Tea is for the weak," Phil replied as he poured two mugs full, "Also known as me after a morning of practice. Besides, tea is only good warm, and as soon as I touch a mug it becomes too cold to enjoy properly. I can only handle so much. So, hot chocolate it is."

Phil handed Dan and mug, and he found the other boy was right. The glass was so cold it produced another tiny cloud of steam as Phil handed it over to Dan. Phil took a sip, but when Dan moved to do the same, he found his drink steaming hot again. He supposed there was one perk to being warm all the time.

"It looks like you have the same problems that I do," said Dan.

"Really?"

He nodded. "I've touched things and burnt a hole right through them before. I once made an egg burst just by holding it. Convection or whatever."

"No way," said Phil, "That sounds so much cooler than what I've done. I just can't drink hot things, or hold onto doorknobs for too long."

Dan made a face. "Why not?"

"The next person who touches it would get stuck to the metal. It would be like sticking your tongue to a pole in the winter time," Phil said.

"That doesn't sound pleasant," Dan remarked.

Phil shook his head. "My brother hasn't been too fond of me for a while."

"How long have you been here?" Dan asked, placing his mug on the side table.

Phil blew air out of his lips. "About nine months now," he nodded, "I haven't been getting much better at the whole control thing though."

"Great," said Dan sardonically. He thought that maybe it was alright that his parents turned him in on the hope that he would be able to control the heat. With that new information, his bitterness returned full force.

"I mean, others get better," Phil added quickly, "There's a girl I met when I got here, Carrie, who used to not be able to talk because it would burst people's eardrums. She's got a thing with her voice. Now, she talks perfectly normal, and decides when to burst people's eardrums."