Chapter 1: Deviants
A/N And here's a fanfiction about some new kids coming to the Salvatore school. Set after season one - a bit of an AU, Hope never goes into Malivore in this one. Warning, this is my first Legacies fanfic and I'm still trying to get the hang of writing its amazing characters. Also, Handon is canon and so therefore in this, but I can't promise that Hosie won't eventually become a thing. Anyways, please review and ENJOY
Alaric thumbed through the research papers on his desk that were all utterly useless in finding a way to stop the merge. A curse set on all twins born into the Gemini Coven, one that dictated that the strongest witch of the two kill the other and absorb their power at the age of 22. It is crippling to know that there might not be a way for you to save one of your kids from death and the other from the trauma of killing their twin. Josie and Lizzie are his every breath. They keep him grounded, keep him moving forward. Every parents' children do, especially when you run a school for the supernatural.
There was a commotion outside his door and he strode over to it, twisting the knob and sharply jerking it open. Hope, Lizzie, Josie, Milton Greasley, and Kaleb all stood there, bickering over something. When they saw him, they all froze before Lizzie shouted. "There are frickin' creepy some people outside!" All at once they all started rambling on and talking over each other, vying for his attention.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down and tell me one at a time what's going on while we head downstairs, okay?" Alaric mediated, signaling for them to follow him.
Josie spoke up, "a couple of limousines randomly pulled up to the school, somehow getting through the gate. Some people dressed in fancy uniforms exited them, dragging kids in chains out with them!"
Alaric frowned, "chains?'
"Yep!" Kaleb jumped in, "they even had balls on chains attached to their feet!"
"They looked scared..." Hope added, shivering slightly at the recollection.
By this time they made it to the door and MG opened it for them. Alaric gaped at the scene before him, ten kids were in rags and chains, kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed. Their skin was almost brown with dirt and grime, and he could smell the sweat and body odor from where he stood. Each one had some kind-of iron clasp around their throat with a lead that was held by formally dressed, stone-faced persons behind them. One stone-faced individual stood slightly ahead of the others, no child kneeling before her. She was standing at ease, one hand clutching her other's wrist tightly behind her back. She held an aura of power and composure, completely ignoring the masses of curious and appalled students on either side of her group - focusing her attention on Alaric only. "Mr. Saltzman, a pleasure." Her smooth voice cut through the air, catching everyone's attention.
"Not so sure I can say the same," the man replied, crossing the distance between him and her until only ten feet was separating them.
"A shame, maybe I can alleviate your doubt?"
"Unlikely," he surveyed the children, no small amount of anger boiling within him at their treatment.
"Ask away." She said, sensing his indignation.
"Why are they retrained?"
"Simple," she smiled, "they're slaves."
Alaric growled, holding up a hand to silence the uproar that broke out among his students. "You'd better explain - quickly."
She chuckled, gesturing at one of her men. He immediately grabbed the child before him and yanked them up, they whimpered and stumbled when they lost their footing. He silently waited for them to get back up, shoving them a little in the woman's direction. They walked hesitantly, their bare feet shakily carrying them over to her, iron ball dragging noisily along with them. "This is Mika, a gender-nonconforming and homosexual servant. They used to be a student until we discovered they had - deviant supernatural abilities. They have the ability to bring forth those in the supernatural afterlife back to the physical world, not to live, of course. Just for things like giving advice and saying goodbyes for family members who never got the chance to have closure. They also use unique magic, drawn from their link to the Afterlife. Arguably the most powerful of the supernaturals I have ever come across in my 56 years." She finished, gazing at Mika with something akin to admiration. She cupped their cheek, tilting their head to force them to look her in the eye. "Their eyes change to the most remarkable shade of red when they activate their powers."
Mika pulled away from the woman's touch, looking disgusted. Their black hair was shaved and their dark skin glistened with sweat, brown eyes threatening bodily harm.
She shrugged this off, nodding her head at the man who brought Mika over and he pulled them back to where they had been kneeling previously. Someone else, a woman took a step forward and jerked the small boy to his trembling feet. He collapsed when he tried to take a step, crumbling into a heap on the ground, red blood mingling with the brown grease adorning his face from a cut on his forehead. The woman smirked and tugged the lead harshly so that his upper body was lifted off the ground by his neck, he was too weak to struggle and let out choked sobs as he scrabbled to get pressure off his neck by propping himself up by his hands, he almost did but his arms just couldn't support his weight.
Josie and Lizzie ran to his side, going to either side of him and helping him to feet, most of his weight on them. The woman didn't comment but frowned slightly, following behind until they stopped before the two headmasters. Josie gave Alaric a pleading look, but her father seemed to be rendered speechless with horror and something else she couldn't quite place.
"This is Richard, a heterosexual and cisgender servant. His deviant abilities consist of being able to converse with plant life, manipulate plant life, and draw strength and small amounts of magical power from the earth. Not the most powerful, but still decently so. If he overexerts himself he turns a little green; whether that is part of his power or not is unknown. You should hear what he claimed my cherry tree had to say about me." With a wave of her hand, he was back in line, this time the guard of sorts wouldn't let Lizzie or Josie help.
She kept going down the line, each towed over to where they were standing - most were unable to walk on their own and Josie and Lizzie and Hope would help in those cases. Once that was complete the woman turned on her heels so that now she was facing Alaric completely.
Janet can shapeshift into anything she wanted, whenever she wanted.
Marcus can breathe underwater, in fact, he could live underwater if he wished.
Zach is blind but can practically see through vibrations and shifts in the air around her.
Miller has the ability to manipulate and move objects with their mind - even change what shape they are.
Skylar can absorb heat and transform it into a fire to wield against any enemy. She once even caught fire but managed to not have a single burn on her body, and burn a few trees in the process.
Liam, if he wishes, can destroy whole buildings with just his voice.
William has a penchant for turning invisible.
Naomie can fly and has the extra ability, along with regular magic, to use wind magic.
"That is why they are slaves. They are abnormal and freaks of Nature. No matter their intelligence, their strength - they are unknown. It would be unwise to treat them as equals considering we have difficulty assessing how some of their powers might affect their mental health. So we keep from using said powers and instead restrict them to cleaning and janitorial work. They are allowed to sit in on classes, but only as long they are willing to get used as guinea pigs for different magical experiments."
Alaric opened and closed his mouth several times, before finally speaking. "Why did you bring them here?"
"That's a good question, one I am not authorized to answer. You see, I have superiors and they have secrets. Why we are bringing our deviants to you is one of them."
"I see," he said shakily, running a hand through his well-kempt hair. "No strings?'
"No, all we ask is that you allow us to asses their mental health every month or two. It is up to you how you wish for them to be treated at your school."
All it took was one more sweeping glance at the gaunt, weak teenagers and preteens. "Where do I sign?"