Preface
Kay Murphy first attracted the company's attention when she was admitted to hospital covered in her own blood. However, doctors failed to find any sign of injury or any indication as to where the blood came from. She had also attracted police attention. They were curious to find out how the dead man found in the alley with her was connected to the incident. The Company took her to one of their research facilities and performed numerous tests to decipher the nature of her abilities. Kay was extremely shy and withdrawn. It was very rare for her to display any form of emotion but extensive Company testing showed that her ability was connected to them. Noah suggested to Bob that Elle should try to befriend her. Elle was about her age and Noah figured that if Elle could help Kay gain more confidence in herself, then she could control whatever power she had. However, the practice was not as straight forward as the theory.
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Elle tried to teach Kay how to socialise by taking her to a bar the night before. As Kay seemed to enjoy herself at the bar, Elle then took her to a nightclub. However, soon after they arrived, Kay freaked out ran to Noah's. Noah got angry at Elle for pushing Kay too hard and not watching her properly, while Bob got angry at Noah for not pushing her hard enough. Bob then got angry with Elle because Noah was angry at him because of something she had done. Soon the argument became one pointless, vicious cycle of shouting. After about ten minutes, Elle burst into the kitchen and shot a dirty look at Kay. Kay sat at the dinning table, reading Chandra Suresh's book. She had heard the raised voices from the next room. She felt guilty because Bob and Noah were blaming Elle for something she had done. Elle didn't care about Kay's guilt. She only cared about who was to blame for this mess, and it certainly wasn't her.
"I am in so much trouble because of you!" Elle shouted.
Kay put the book down and looked nervously to the floor. She gestured wildly, trying to explain to her why she ran and that she was really sorry. "You know I don't do that signing crap!" Elle retorted. "Why the hell don't you just talk to me?" Kay looked up at her, slightly annoyed. She snatched her PDA from the table and used the electronic voice to reminded Elle that she was mute and that's why she wasn't speaking to her. Elle rolled her eyes as Kay explained in full detail what had happened and why she abandoned Elle at the club. "Look at you!" Elle sneered. "Acting all coy behind your gadgets and hand gestures. Everyone else may think it's oh so cute but I don't buy it."
Kay let out a long sigh and dismissively put her computer back on the table. She then picked up her book began to read it as if Elle wasn't there. Elle's jaw dropped open in disgust. "So now you're ignoring me?" she said. Kay continued to read without looking up, therefore answering her question. Elle shot an electric bolt at the book. It burst into flames instantly, singeing Kay's hands. Kay jumped out of her chair to frantically stamp them out. Once the fire was out Kay looked up at Elle with an expression of sheer disbelief holding out her burnt hands. "Oops!" said Elle as she feigned a look of embarrassment. Kay reached for her PDA but Elle's lighting ability was too quick. The plastic casing of the neat little machine melted to the table and the light on the screen momentarily flickered before going out completely.
"Oh! I'm so clumsy today!" said Elle sarcastically. Kay's eyes welled up as she looked towards the floor. Her bottom lip began to quiver as she quickly turned her back to the girl who destroyed her primary means of communication. Elle rolled her eyes again. "Oh save it!" she snapped. "You'll have to talk to me now, I know you can, I've heard you talking to The Haitian, and to Noah. You even said hello to my dad once but you've not said a word to me." Kay silently sank back into her chair. "What? Am I not good enough to talk to?" she continued. "I'm the one who agreed to spend time with you! I'm the only one you can call a friend and yet you still think you're too good to talk to me! Are you scared of me or something? Well, if you are then that makes you a coward. If not then it makes you a snob." Elle moved closer to Kay and pointed at her cheek to let off a little spark. "I don't like either of those." Kay jumped as she gave out a high-pitched yelp in pain. "Look at you!" Elle sneered. "You're pathetic! No wonder the Haitian didn't want to kiss you!"
Kay suddenly stood to her feet and turned to look Elle straight in the eye. In a split second, Kay's facial expression had gone from frightened rabbit to angry bear. "Uh oh," Elle muttered as she tried to meet Kay's stare. She gulped as she made a startling discovery. Now that they were both standing up straight, Elle realised that Kay was a lot bigger than her. "Well, this is bad," she thought to herself. Before Elle could do or say any more, Kay let out a loud, primal scream. She lunged at Elle, knocking both women to the floor with a loud crash. Kay viciously punched Elle in the face until her eyes began to darken and her right cheek began to swell. The injuries caused by the punches made Elle's head spin and she felt sick as she noticed the smell of Kay's burnt hands as they enveloped her throat. In a fit of panic Elle tried to shock her but the bolt was nowhere near as powerful as she hoped and it just fuelled Kay's even more. Suddenly Elle's neck began to feel really hot, as if it were burning. As the heat intensified the rest of her body began to lose sensation. Her limbs grew heavy making the struggle to loosen Kay's grip even more futile.
The noise had alerted Bob and Noah in the next room. They both crashed through the kitchen door to find a barely conscious Elle helplessly twitching as she struggled to breathe. Kay still had her pinned to the floor as she looked up at the two men with an maniacal expression. The veins in her head were popping through the skin and Noah's heart began to race. He had worked hard to convince everyone that it was safe to let Kay out of the cells. This scenario seemed to blow that theory right out of the water. The idea of his subject killing his boss's daughter was not a pleasant one. Noah tip toed closer. He noticed that both Kay's hands and Elle's neck seemed enflamed and the blood vessels were very prominent. It was as if Kay's wasn't merely chocking Elle, but draining her of vital energy.
"Kay," he gently said. "This has to stop now." There was no response. "If you don't let go of her she will die," Noah continued. "That means big trouble for the both of us." There was still no response. Noah wondered if she could even hear him. "Please Kay!" begged Noah, "You don't want to do this!" Kay slowly looked up at Noah and cracked an evil smile, proving him wrong once again. Just as Noah thought he had run out of options, Bob provided him with a new one. While Noah had distracted Kay, Bob was able to sneak round behind her and retrieve a gun from one of the drawers. He cocked the gun and pressed it firmly against her head.
"Now you listen to me, young lady," Bob said firmly. "You are going to let go of my little girl right now or I will blow your brains right across this floor." Kay looked up at Bob and smiled, as if she was impressed with Bob's ingenuity. She casually let go of Elle and stood up to look at him. Bob was startled by her bold behaviour. It was completely out of character for her. "Bennett!" he barked. "I want this girl out of my house and away from my daughter. Do you understand?" Noah took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes as he nodded. "Yes Sir." he said. Kay didn't move straight away, he just stared a Bob for a little while longer. "Did you hear me?" Bob asked. "I am pointing a gun at your head telling you to get out of my home, why are you still standing there?" Kay paused before snatching the gun from Bob's hand. The movement was so quick that it took everyone by surprise, even Kay. She replaced the safety catch and pulled out the ammunition cartridge. She then began to snigger as she looked up at Bob for the last time. "Why are you laughing?" asked Noah. She laughed out loud as she turned toward him and pressed the gun parts into his chest. Noah looked the cartridge and began to laugh himself. The cartridge was empty.
Elle had regained consciousness just in time to see Kay and Noah walk away. She struggled to her feet and pushed Bob away as he tried to help her. Just before reaching the door Kay turned round and signed something to Elle. "She said that you were wrong about your dad," Noah translated. Elle closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my God!" She said. "You are such a freak!" Kay tried to retaliate but this time Noah held her back, begging her to leave it be. Kay sighed as she reluctantly agreed then they both turned round and headed towards the door.
Elle was satisfied at the thought that she had won this conflict. Her beaten face was proof to her that Kay's wallflower persona was nothing more than a lie. Soon Bob would lock her back up, maybe even make her disappear. Elle revelled at the idea of a Kay free future and laughed quietly. Unfortunately for Elle, it wasn't quiet enough. Kay heard her and turned back round just as Noah opened the door to leave. She pointed at Elle and shot a small lightning bolt at her. She then turned to walk through the door that Noah had held open for her. As she walked past Noah, she looked at him mischievously blew across the top of her index finger like a freshly fired gun. She then strutted down the hallway and exited through the front door, not caring that Noah wasn't following her. Bob, Elle and Noah looked at each other with shocked, open mouths. After a long, awkward silence, Bob finally asked "Has she ever done that before?" Noah and Elle shook their heads in unison.
"Never," whispered Elle.
