It turned out Paris had risked his social life by talking to his siblings at school. So, when they walked in through the door, Belle called, "Got any younger brothers Will?" and grinned mischievously as she dropped into the seat at the end of the table, crossing her long legs and knotting her fingers together.
"Or sisters for that matter?" Rome was the second into the kitchen, tie loose, sleeves pushed back to his elbows and shirt untucked.
"Do you have any respect for your uniform?" I asked as he kicked off the Timberlands he had for school shoes. Odd socks.
"Nope." he smirked and slouched next to Belle. Vienna and Paris came crashing through the door, Vienna pulling at Paris' hair, whilst clinging to his back.
"Paris, don't bite her." Maddie said as she followed them in, drinking from a carton of juice and reading what looked like Pride and Prejudice on the move. He telekinesis pulled out a chair and she lowered herself into it.
Will raised his eyebrows at her multitasking but didn't say anything.
Paris caught Vienna's hand before she could land the blow she was delivering to his skull and twisted her wrist. Crying out in pain, she dropped from his back and kicked him in the back of the knee.
"Now I understand what Sydney meant." Will murmured.
"What did he tell you?"
"That he wasn't the sibling I needed to worry about."
"Ah."
And then, just as calm had been restored in the kitchen, a bang sounded and a ball of bright orange paint splattered onto the far window, in line with the door. Followed by one of the twins' voices yelling. "Missed!" and then a groan. "Hit that time!" came the other twin's voice.
"I thought we agreed on no paintball in the house?!" I called through,
"Sorry!" they chorused, entering the kitchen, splatted from head to toe in their gym kits, heading through the kitchen to the bathroom to clean off.
"Yeah, boys. Just laser tag." Rio danced in after them, uniform clean but rumpled and took the seat next to Rome. Expresso eyes finding Will. "Ah, You're the reason London's glowing."
"Glowing?" he shifted slightly as he leant against the counter, coffee mug in hand.
"Oh right, I forget you don't actually know us, you seem already so connected with London." she shook her head as if to clear it and continued. "I have the gift to make others happy or drain happiness from them. I read the levels of happiness in a person and alter it to keep it balanced."
"Interesting." he smiled.
"I don't get why my question wasn't answered." Belle folded her arms across her chest.
"Well, yes, I do have younger brothers-"
"Brilliant!"
"-But they've all found their soulfinders-"
"Damn."
"-and Xav, the fifth son in the family, is paired with a soulseeker. Which is why I found London."
"Cheating. I love it." Vienna grinned.
"Short cutting." Paris corrected and Vienna looked ready to throttle him.
"Benedict family tree, go!" Belle clapped her hands and pointed at Will.
"Seven brothers, I'm the fourth. Trace, the eldest, has the ability to track objects through time and space. Like touching the murder weapon, he can find where its been recently... He's paired to Diamond, who is the peace-maker for the world, sorts out feuds for the net and helps with interrogating. They got married last year. Uriel, second brother he can look at a person's memories, he's paired with Cleo, she's our numbers girl, cracks vaults, tracks counterfeit cash... et cetera... Victor, third brother, has a very deep understanding of the brain, and can manipulate your thoughts. He used to get us doing his chores for him growing up. Bastard... He hasn't found his soulfinder yet, Crystal- Xav's partner, seems to be putting off telling him for some reason... I'm brother number four, my gift is like a sixth sense for danger. Xav, number five, is a healer, paired with Crystal, a soul seeker. They're based in Manhattan, where Xav's studying at Med school... Yves, the über genius, he has a habit of making things catch fire and explode-"
"I must swap notes with him." Cairo said as he came back in wearing a pair of jeans from the dryer and a t-shirt of Rome's on, Egypt followed in a pair of trackies and his own shirt. Bare feet.
"-He's paired with Phoenix, convinced her to marry him around two weeks after they met, taking down one of the biggest threats to the net in the process. She's can freeze your thoughts, makes it feel as if time is standing still. Helps a lot when Yves gets a bit out of control... Zed, Youngest brother, psychic, like London, but he has a talent of picking up stray thoughts. He was the first to find his soulfinder, Sky, when she moved to Colorado, she has better telekinesis than anyone I've met, drives Zed insane," he allowed himself a small grin at this one, "But her main gift is to read emotion. My mom has the same gift as Zed and Dad has the same as me.
"So what does the Baker family specialise in?"
"Syd focuses on identification. That's how we knew who you were from my vision. He was looking at your passport in his head."
He frowned, "I'm glad he's working for the net then."
"Mmm." Belle nodded, "Well, I'm Belle. I can beat the polygraph 3200, plus I'm more effective."
"I'm Rome, a healer, probably like Xav, but I might do it a little differently." Rome shrugged.
Paris grinned evilly, "Unless you keep your shields up, I have an all access pass to your thoughts. Well, present thoughts."
"Cairo." He pointed to himself, "London you know how my gift is much better demonstrated-"
"No."
"But-"
"Fine, but Egypt has to be your test dummy."
"This is highly unfair." Egypt said as his hair gained half a foot of volume when Cairo touched his arm. He raised his hands to touch the afro and gradually the hair shrunk back into the thick curls he usually donned.
"They counteract each other." I explained to Will who was watching in awe.
"Wow."
"Vienna? You going to reveal your party trick?" Rome asked, handing her a half full bottle of water from his blazer pocket.
She grinned, unscrewing the cap, the water began to climb an invisible surface, then it started to swirl, changing shape as to resemble a butterfly and then it turned to ice, wobbling in place as it was still connected to the bottle. Suddenly the ice started to steam and evaporated. Condensing down the insides of the bottle and filling it up again.
It took Will a minute or two to find words, "Amazing."
"Oh that's not it." Vienna shook her head. Opening her palms, they ignited with the blue flames you get from drift wood, gradually turning amber and orange. They snuffed out, shifting into swirls of mini tornados. Then as she made a fist, grains of what looked like salt poured from the gap between her little finger and palm.
"Elemental manipulation." I whispered.
"Awesome."
"Mads?"
"Oh sorry, was I doing it again?" she looked up from her novel.
"Only mildly." Belle patted her hand patronisingly.
Madrid scowled at her. "I can produce a repulsive magnetism. If I push it, nobody can even think about me without causing them discomfort, sometimes pain. But usually, people just keep their distance."
"So that's us." Belle smiled. "Are you sure you don't have any younger single brothers?"
Will threw his head back laughing, "I'm sure, you'll have to ask Crystal to take a look for you."
"Okay, Belle and Rio, you're cooking tonight. Change first, though. Your teachers have enough to say about the states of your uniforms as it is... Same for the rest of you."
"Ooh! Smells great! Don't tell me I've missed Belle's butternut macaroni cheese?" We all turned to see Sydney leaning against the doorframe, an easy grin on his lips. As I went to return the gesture, the mug of tea slipped between my fingers and I blacked out.
They are coming. Suits. Guns. AK-47s. Tomorrow. They'd take out the kids at school. They didn't care who saw, who else they injured or killed, they were desperate to wipe out the Baker family.
Syd shook me sharply. "London! What did you see?"
I was lying on the floor, Syd, Rome and Will leaning over me. I could see Belle's diesel jeans and leather boots, Rio's colourful trainers and mismatched socks.
"Hold on, she's gone pale, let me..." I felt the cool soothing touch of Rome's gift ease the throbbing above my right eye.
"London?" Will asked softly.
"They are coming." I whispered. "We need to leave. Everyone."
Syd shared a look with someone. Belle's legs moved from my vision and Syd followed.
"Okay, London, you can sit up now." Rome told me and I took Will's outstretched hand, pulling me to my feet. Syd and Belle had removed the wood panelling from the breakfast nook and were pulling out jackets and clothes I'd repacked two weeks ago with clothes of the right size and up to date papers, as I did every three months making sure we were ready to leave at a moment's notice.
"V, you're with me. Come on." Sydney said and clicked the rucksack over his jacket, stretching out a hand to her. Picking up her own bag and taking a firm grip of his hand, they darted out the door, there was a rev of the motorbike engine and they disappeared into the night.
"Belle, Paris. You two head north. Just get off the grid, I'll see if I can find you later." I said chucking them rucksacks filled with spare clothes, money in a few currencies, passports, drivers licenses and a few bags of freeze dried food.
"Rome, Mads and Rio, head south. Don't contact anyone. Not even your dad. Just disappear." I told them, handing them a bag each. "Go." I urged. Rio ran forward and hugged me tightly before turning and following the others out into the darkness.
"Cairo, Egypt, you're with me and Will." I'd figured the hispanic looks Will had would have to do to pass as a relative. "Cai? As soon as we're outside, I need you to super charge the electrical circuit to make a fire. We aren't leaving a trace."
"We need to go now." Will urged, his super sense on red alert.
"Okay." I buckled on my own bag, the kind you wear when you're doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award or going climbing Mt. Everest. "Come on." I urged the twins and Will outside, flicking the all the lights on as I did.
With a small inclination of his head, Cairo's face twisted with concentration. Egypt put his hand on his shoulder, draining the energy from the street lamps and channelling it through his brother into the lightbulbs. I heard every one of them shatter, followed by the whoosh of the cloth lamp shades going up in flames.
Slamming the door we rushed down the steps and down the dark street, Will's hand in my sweaty palm, he squeezed my fingers and asked. What's the plan Boss?
We need a car.
A fast one. Cairo and Egypt chimed in.
How far apposed are you to Grand Theft Auto?