Alexandra Ivanov "The Kraken"
Alexandra silently boarded the jet, waiting for all the others to sit down before finding a spot near the back. The whole situation was a bit overwhelming. It was the first time in months that she's seen this many people gathered in one place. The fact that none of them seemed to be overly creeped out by her calmed her nerves slightly. Maybe she would actually fit in with these people. Her old friends, hell even her own family, didn't want anything to do with her. As she looked around, she began to realize that many of the others were just as different as she was. She noticed the pure white human-looking figure sitting across her. Another person opted to completely hide themselves inside of a cloak. Obviously they had something to hide, and it couldn't be good.
The sudden takeoff jarred her slightly, causing her to extend her arm towards the ceiling in order to maintain her balance. After the jet settled, Alex closed her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the whole uneasiness of the situation kept her awake, and she simply opted to listen to the all of the side conversations. Just being able to hear another human being besides her guards was pure bliss. It was almost like she was normal again.
As Alex stepped off the jet, she stood in awe of the manor before her. While the others were comparing it to some comic book, it reminded her more of her old dorms. The sudden wave of emotions forced her to a halt, not that any of the others would even notice. It was the first time in at least a year that she had really thought about her old life, and how much she missed it. Despite having all the time in the world to think, Alex's longing for her old life quickly turned into bitterness and spite.
She stepped closer with a renewed confidence, eager to put her past to rest. This was her new home, and this was her new family. She overheard one of the officials speaking to the Gifted. They were to meet in the foyer, but they would have some time to ready themselves. Alex chose instead to just make her way to their rendezvous point. She was simply too tired to find a new change of clothes. A year living a sedentary lifestyle meant that her body rarely exerted any energy beyond the bare minimum, which quickly became the standard. Alex made a mental note to start rebuilding her strength; she was definitely going to need it.
Alex watched as a small group of Gifted formed on one side of the room. An old man, a blonde, and the girl cloaked in white from earlier. Unlike herself, she seemed to be quite comfortable with her abnormalities. The conversation seemed to quickly turn sour, however it never escalated beyond a couple of harsh words.
The doctor came in just in the nick of time. From the looks of it, some of these Gifted couldn't stand being around each other. This isn't going to be easy.
"I'm going to train every last single one of you. You all have been in prison for weeks, and can be a little bit rusty. Mr. Kent, follow me," the doctor said.
The boy, "Kent," followed the doctor into a blindingly white room. The rest of the Gifted filed in behind, then got escorted inside of a side room with a viewing window. Alex watched as the two conversed for only a moment. The boy seemed to be hesitating. Only a moment went by before a red beam of light shot from the boy. It caused what could only be described as an explosion, followed by a shockwave that sent the doctor and himself flying across the room.
"Damn," Alex whispered. It was quite impressive, if not a little messy. Actually, it was extremely messy.
The doctor dismissed the explosion boy and called for one named Atlas. She looked around the room, waiting for the name's owner to step forward. Once he did, Alex realized that he was a younger boy. He couldn't be older than her, for sure. He stepped into the simulation room, where he was clearly eager to show off his "powers" to the others. His demonstration wasn't nearly as impressive as the first, however she definitely didn't want to be caught on his bad side.
Once finished, the doctor beckoned "Aiden" forward. His abilities were immediately obvious, as was his age. He was just a boy, no older than 12. He began by levitating off the ground, and then showed signs of metal manipulation. He wasn't half bad for a young boy, but nothing good could come from having him here. He was too young.
Alex tried to ignore the bickering going on between explosion boy and the others. The doctor dismissed the group, saying that they would pick up with Archer -who was apparently the boy that caused the explosion- tomorrow.
She sighed out of relief. She wouldn't have to show off her "powers" that day. Of course, there wasn't much to show. She wasn't like Archer, or Aiden. Their abnormalities came from within. Her monstrous attributes were on display for everyone to see. Moreover, there really wasn't anything special about them. The two purple masses of flesh could withstand extreme temperatures, and that was about it. They could grow back, too. She learned that the hard way.
Alex, now wearing fresh clothing, once again stood behind the reinforced glass and watched as Archer nearly blew up the entire mansion once more. The doctor dismissed him and called for Fiona. The girl who wore a cloak on the jet yesterday attempted to excuse herself from demonstrating her gift. The doctor was adamant about everyone going at least once, and insisted that she had nothing to worry about. Hesitantly, she made her way into the demonstration room and removed her cloak. Underneath, the girl resembled the skin of an insect. No wonder she had chosen to hide herself prior to this moment. Well, at least I'm not the only one that looks like a freak. It may have been a harsh term, but it was the truth. They didn't look normal.
Suddenly, her body split down the middle, causing a nauseously green liquid to spew all around. The girl's exoskeleton shed, much like it would if she were actually an insect. If she weren't already so intrigued, Alex would have turned away. While it was absolutely disgusting, it was fascinating at the same time. Alex continued to watch as the skin melted off, being replaced by a white shell that encompassed the girl. The shell only briefly remained before falling off, and revealed a fresh pair of butterfly wings sprouting from her back.
Alex was so intrigued by the transformation that she didn't realize that Fiona's clothes failed to transform with her. She tried to shield her eyes, but it was already too late. The girl had run out in embarrassment.
Vivien was called next. She demonstrated the power of telekinesis, though it could have been something more. In order to show off, she risked the doctor's life and levitated him up to the ceiling. No doubt still rusty after having been locked up, her connection broke and the doctor plummeted towards the floor. Vivien was able to catch him just before hitting the floor.
Alfred was called to demonstrate. He didn't have some voodoo power, and instead just seemed to be incredibly strong, as well as accurate with a gun.
Once more, the doctor asked Archer to try his powers. Only this time, he was given a circular device that was placed on his chest. The circle glowed red as it connected to Archer's chest. He aimed his hand, and this time actually hit the target. He stumbled back slightly at the sudden release of energy, but it was much more controlled than before.
"Well, that was an improvement," Alex said idly.