Kira Nikostratos: Carbon
"Are we there yet?" sighed the young girl on Kira's back.
"Not yet Bettina, just a little bit longer." replied Kira. He was carrying the child piggy back style, trying not to touch her calf muscle. Bettina had received a slash on her right, lower leg seven days ago, and the wound had become seriously infected.
"It's hot as Hell"
"Hey now, watch your language." Kira never liked it when the children used foul language. But she was right; it was a hot day in Venice. It didn't help that he was wearing a sleeveless hoodie to conceal his pistol and the kunai knives that once belonged to his father. "Man, dad sure did love his anime." Kira thought to himself. He reached into the big pockets of his cargo shorts, making sure no one noticed. He had painstakingly lined the inside of his two larger pockets with plastic so that the ground up graphite would not make a mess, causing people to ask why he was wearing silver looking shorts. He concentrated on the molecular structure of the graphite, forming it into what he had called carbon clay. He often would fiddle with the clay to keep his hands busy.
"You need to stop doing that," said the little girl, "If someone sees you messing with that stuff, they might put one plus one together and realize that you're la procedura guidata di carbonio"
"Don't worry about it, I've gotten to where it hardly leaves any residue on my hands." Kira had had two years to practice his powers. He could mold the softened carbon to any shape he desired with his mind. He could then turn the clay into diamond; however, he could only keep the carbon in its diamond state for up to an hour. He had used his powers to defend the children from anyone trying to hurt them. His actions had killed one man and landed five in the hospital. Due to his actions, the people gave him the persona la procedura guidata di carbonio, or The Carbon Wizard. Only Bett and three other of the children under his care knew of his alternate identity.
"Still, if people find out about you, they would take you away. Then what would happen to us?" Bett said right before her stomach growled. The two hadn't eaten for three days.
Kira reached into his smaller pocket. He had a few euros that he had scammed off of some tourist. "Americans are way too gullible." he thought to himself. There wasn't enough to take Bett to a real doctor, but, instead of for food, he was saving up to pay the witch if she healed Betts leg. "Just hold on a bit longer. Hopefully the witch will feed us." Kira said.
As they approached the outskirts of Venice, Kira could see the house he had been told about. Their destination was close at hand.
"God" Kira prayed out-loud, "Please let this Maria person be a good witch."