The Elementals

I jump awake and immediately sit up.

Coal isn’t with me, what happened to him, where is he, is he even alive?

I get a massive head rush and have to lie back down. I have a pounding headache and I’m cold. My mind is racing but my body feels as if it’s full of lead.

I’m not in the pool anymore, that’s for sure. The room is the same one I was put in after I got shot. I’m incredibly sore but I sit up again and drop my feet to the floor, looking for Coal. He’s not in the room with me so I peer out the door and walk down the hallway to the kitchen. I push open the door and see Owen reading some files at what remains of the charred table.

“Where’s Coal?” I demand straightaway.

Owen doesn’t look up. “Well good morning to you too.”

“Ha, ha.” I say dryly. “Where is he?”

“Out cold downstairs while the virus settles in.”

“Can I see him?”

“If you want to get burned, be my guest.” Owen replies. “Not only does he talk in his sleep, he randomly bursts into flames too.”

I sigh softly and open some cabinets, looking for something to eat.

“How do you deal with it?” Owen asks.

“Deal with what?” I find some M&M’s and take the bag to the table, sitting next to him and tilting my head to read the files he’s looking at.

“Your powers.” he says. “From what these say,” he motions to the papers. “They suck.”

“What do they say?” I ask, trying to see how many M&M’s can fit in my mouth at one time.

“Well for one,” Owen pauses as I almost choke. “The fire people all have issues with spontaneously combusting. They just randomly set things on fire and have actually killed some people. The burn wounds are worse than a normal fire, it’s like the damage is magnified by twenty -”

I shift uncomfortably, inching away as he talks. Owen stops and looks at me. “You’re afraid of fire?”

“Maybe.” I sit back down cautiously. “A little bit.”

Owen shakes his head. “Well you picked a heck of a kid to be your boyfriend.”

“Coal’s not my boyfriend.” I object. I love him, but he’s not my boyfriend. Big difference.

“Tell that to Terra.” Owen replies.

“Tell me what?” I turn as Terra comes in with Audrey and Rian behind her. Stella follows more slowly. “Tide, you’re awake! Guess what? We found Izila by your fancy ice sculpture beacon thing and the plan worked and Coal is gonna be okay! But he’s in a coma thing right now and almost set me on fire. He keeps talking in his sleep too. Won’t stop calling your name. You can’t go in there though, it’s too hot and he’ll probably burn you.”

“Where is he?” I ask after sorting through all that information, faking apathy.

“On the third level, room three.” Terra responds without thought. “Hey,” she opens a cabinet. “Who ate the M&M’s?”

I swallow the last few bits of candy and slide the wrapper behind me inconspicuously.

“Tide did.” Owen doesn’t look up.

Snitch.

“Owen likes Rian.” I blurt loudly as Terra turns to me with accusation. “Bye.” I jump up and dash out the door as fast as I can at Owen’s murderous look. I run down the stairs to the third level as there’s a silence from the kitchen.

I might’ve just told Rian Owen liked her, he probably hates me now, and Coal is in a coma calling my name. Ah, the life of an Elemental.

It’s not that hard to find room 3. It’s the one with heat making the air in front of it ripple and the somewhat unintelligible mutterings and shouts coming from it.

“Tide?” Stella calls after me, footsteps approaching fast.

I stand in front of the door, ready to open it.

“Tide that is not a good idea.” Stella says, running after me. “You will not like what you find there.”

“Well that’s too bad.” I say and open the door, closing it fast behind me and locking it.

My face is blasted with a wave of heat and I have to close my eyes. When I open them, I see Izila in a fire suit sitting in the corner angrily. She looks like a sulking five year old. She sees me and her eyes flash.

“And finally you show up. How nice.” She snaps.

“What are you doing here?” I ask coldly, ignoring the knocking on the door by Stella. Coal is twisting on a bed on the other side of the room, eyes scrunched closed tightly and muttering. Occasionally, he’ll randomly alight in flames and then just as suddenly the fire will die. “Terra said it worked.”

“Isn’t that cute?” Izila tilts her head. “They lied to you. I got the first round of the virus in, but I need to do it again for it to work fully.”

“Tide!” Coal shouts and I whip around to face him. He twitches, hands curling into fists. They burst into flames and then go out in a matter of seconds. “Tide!” he repeats.

“He won’t shut up.” Izila says disdainfully. “That’s all he says.”

“Well fix him!” I shout at her. “Go help him! Inject the virus again or whatever!”

“I can’t, you idiot!” Izila snaps harshly. “Every time I get close he lights on fire.”

She stands up purposefully and walks over to Coal. As soon as she’s within five feet his entire body turns into a fireball. I step back from the heat and so does Izila.

“See?” she says.

I don’t know what to do. I really want to get out of this room right now but I can’t. I can’t leave Coal here.

“Tide...” he whimpers, body going limp.

I walk towards him slowly. “What?”

He shakes his head as if he can hear me. I can feel the air getting hotter near him. It makes it hard to breathe. I inch closer, one hand out. “Coal, what is it? I’m right here.”

“No...Tide.” He mutters, squirming.

“Yes, it’s me.” I’m only a foot away now. “Calm down, I’m here.”

I hold my breath and touch my fingers to his shoulder. Nothing violent happens. Cautiously, I sit down on the edge of the bed next to him.

“It’s okay.” I say softly. “We’re trying to help you.”

He fidgets some more but doesn’t heat up any, which is promising. I can still hear someone pounding on the door. I narrow my eyes at Izila, but motion for her to come closer. She vigilantly creeps forward, never breaking eye contact with me.

“If you hurt him...” I say, voice dripping with animosity and unspeakable threats.

Izila actually looks alarmed for a second, but then she rolls her eyes. “I need to put in the virus and then he should be fine.”

She gets closer, pulling out a needle. Coal shifts under my hand, skin heating. Izila stops moving immediately.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, everything is fine.” I assure him softly, pulling him up against my chest. It’s like comforting a wild animal. “I’m right here.”

He relaxes with the words. I hold him still as Izila brings the needle to Coal’s arm. Just seeing the tool makes my skin crawl, but I swallow and close my eyes a little.

“There.” Izila says distastefully. “Your boyfriend should be fine.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” I protest half-heartedly.

Izila doesn’t answer, just wrinkles her nose as Coal mutters my name once again. I wrap my arms around him protectively. I watch her carefully as she walks to the door and unlocks it.

“Hey!” Terra exclaims as Izila opens the door angrily.

“What do you think I’m going to do?” Izila hisses irately. “Escape into the Himalayas?” She stalks out with Terra on her heels.

Stella stays in the doorway, watching Izila down the hallway. “You are very bad at following directions.” She says finally, facing me.

“Yeah, it’s not my best skill.” I reply.

Stella walks in a few steps. “Izila has spoken of others,” She says solemnly, “Other Elementals. She says there is one in a Sherpa village in the mountains. We have decided to investigate, just in case.”

“All of you?” I ask and she nods. “When?”

“We are departing now on the snow mobiles.” She says.

“Cool. I’m coming.” I declare and shift under Coal, lifting him to get up.

As soon as I stop touching him, he writhes as if in pain and mutters more. “No,” he says. “No.” I back away quietly but suddenly his hand catches on fire, then the rest of his body. “Tide!”

“Hey!” I don’t come closer but I reach out as far as I dare. “Hey, I’m still here.”

He cools down at my voice, relaxing and lying still. I tip toe away as discreetly as I can but the same thing happens again.

“I do not think you can leave.” Stella observes. “He has been like this all day. The only time he has been remotely calm is when you are here.”

“Tide.” Coal says firmly and it’s hard to tell that he’s still asleep.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.” I sit back down on the bed, talking to him even though he can’t hear me. “You’re such a baby.”

“It might be the Valium.” Stella suggests. “Rian mixed some in with the first virus dose to calm him. It will affect his balance and overall function.”

So he’s drugged now. Fabulous.

“He will probably be awake in a few hours.” Stella says. “Have fun.”

“Hey!” I call after her as she leaves quickly but she’s gone. I sigh, looking down at Coal.

“Tide...” he mumbles.

It would be annoying, but it’s actually kind of endearing the way he says it like a three year old. I lift his shoulders up, moving so my back is against the wall and then drop his head in my lap, absent mindedly playing with his loose black curls, thinking.

So the only time Coal is calm is when I’m here. I try not to get my hopes up, but that has to be something, right?

“You’re a pain.” I tell him, though he probably can’t hear me.

“Tide.” he murmurs, hand reaching limply out. It’s sad that I love him even more right now. It’s probably because his mouth is shut. Mostly.

I sit there through the night and most of the morning before he wakes up. Well, sort of.

“Tide?” Coal asks, and it takes me a second to realize he’s actually awake and functioning. I stop ruffling his hair immediately.

“Hey,” I say, lowering my voice as he winces from the sound. “You’re alive.”

“Yeah...” he tries to sit up, holding his head.

“I wouldn’t suggest standing.” I say as he blinks dizzily, swaying slightly.

He nods vacantly, staring off into space. He’s in an upright position, though crumpled. I wait for him to say something and when he doesn’t I lean forward in front of him. “Are you okay?”

“You look pretty.” He says, and then closes his eyes, wincing. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Yep.” I can’t help but smile even though it’s the medicine talking. “The Valium is still affecting you.”

He rubs his temples. “Valium...” he mumbles. “Great.”

“Rest for a little while.” I say.

He stares at me for a few seconds. “You’re not leaving.”

“I can if you want.” I say, affronted.

He shakes his head. “No.” he says firmly. “I was just prepared to make up an excuse for you to stay.” Again he grimaces. “I said that out loud too, right?”

I nod, biting my lip to keep from laughing. It’s taking all my self-control not to hug him until he can’t breathe. He’s just so cute looking with his half-awake eyes and messed up hair. He yawns.

“Seriously Coal, go to sleep.” I watch him shake his head and try to stand.

“But I’m not tired.” He whines, stumbling dizzily.

"Anthony,” I say and immediately he turns to look at me, snapping to attention. “Sit down at least.”

Griping, he trips his way back over to me. Rian must have overdosed a little; he can barely walk straight.

“There you go.” I smile and cross my legs under me on the bed as he sits down. He looks at me flatly. “The Valium will wear off in a little bit. Stella said this would happen.”

He looks opposed to the fact. “How long have I been out?”

“Well if you didn’t wake up since the pool, about a day and a half. Izila made the virus again, put it in you and here we are.” I say, debating whether to tell him that he was flipping out.

The decision is made for me when Coal takes a long, level look at my face and sighs. “I talked a bunch, didn’t I?”

I shrug. “More or less.”

Again, he stares at me. “I said your name a bunch, didn’t I?” It’s more of a statement than a question.

“Little bit, yeah.”

He leans his head back against the wall. “Sorry.” He mumbles.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

He laughs shortly. “Well it’s my turn now. I kept you up all night; you sleep some.”

I am tired. “Alright,” I cave without quarrel. Coal looks faintly surprised at my lack of resistance, and even more so as I slide down and rest my head in his lap, using it as a pillow. He doesn’t say anything though, just smiles with half his mouth.

~

I open my eyes slowly, sleeping fully without waking up multiple times for once. I yawn and stretch, bumping my hands into Coal.

“Sleep well?” he asks harmlessly, though there’s tension beneath his words.

I sit up, listening. The place is dead silent, except for the echoing whispers of a storm outside reaching this deep into the mountain. It’s quiet, but the wind still shrieks at high speeds.

“Where are the others?” Coal asks carefully.

I frown. “They went down to a Sherpa village somewhere in the mountains because Izila said something about another Elemental. They’re not back yet?”

Coal shakes his head grimly. I’m pretty sure Stella didn’t say anything about staying for a day, and I don’t think they packed enough supplies. I check the clock on the wall. Between Coal being unconscious and me sleeping, it’s been about a day and a half since they left.

I stand. “We should go look for them. Maybe they’re being quiet upstairs.”

“Since when have they been quiet?” Coal snorts, but follows me.

They’re not there.

They don’t come the next day either.

Or the next.

“I’m going out to look for them.” I declare after another nerve racking day waiting for them.

“There’s a blizzard outside Flippers.” Coal says. “There’s no way we’ll find them.”

“I can hold the snow back.” I argue, standing.

Coal rises as well, a stubborn look on his face. He’s standing between me and the door out. “And then what? You’ll run out of energy.”

“I have to try.” I say. “I can’t just sit here. It’s been four days.” I move forward to leave the kitchen but Coal steps in front of me, blocking my path.

“Waiting is the best option right now.” He says. “They’re probably on their way right now. Besides, you’ll die if you go outside.”

“I don’t -”

“Tide!” Coal grabs both my shoulders, keeping me in place as I attempt to push past him. “I am not letting you go kill yourself.”

I’m not getting anywhere fighting him. I sigh. “Fine.”

“Promise?”

I scowl at the floor. “Promise.”

“Uncross your fingers.” He says flatly. I curse under my breath.

“No.” I jut out my chin in childlike obduracy, inching slowly around him.

Coal sighs. “You’re not going.” He decrees and then without effort picks me up bridal style.

“Hey!” I exclaim. “Put me down!”

He ignores me, even when I start squirming, and carries me out the door and down the hall to my room.

“Coal!” I whine, pushing against his chest. When that does nothing, I snap sharply, “Anthony!”

“That’s not going to work this time Flippers.” He drops me on my bed, making the mattress squeak.

“I need to find them! Let me go!” I try to jump back up but he pushes on my shoulders. “I need to do something!”

“There’s nothing you can do. Now stay.” He commands.

Coal spins around quickly, walking out the door and locking it with a click.

“I hate you!” I snap after him, anger consuming me at the moment.

I curl up on the bed, chin in between my knees. I need to look for the others. Who knows what could have happened to them? Suddenly I feel like crying again. What if they’re hurt? What if they’re dead?

I wait for the warm hand on my back, the comforting reply that I had come to take for granted. When all I get is silence, I stand up and walk to the door. “Coal?”

There’s no answer.

I knock on the door once. “Coal?”

Still nothing. I sigh.

“Coal, I don’t hate you.” I love you. “Please come back.”

There’s yet another silence but then the lock clicks and Coal opens the door slowly. I shuffle forward and hug him before he can say anything.

“I’m sorry.” I say. “I’m just worried.”

His body is warm. “I know.” Coal replies gently. “But running into a snow storm isn’t going to help.” He picks me up again and sits down on the bed. “Now sleep. You haven’t in three days.”

“Neither have you.” I say, but curl up against his chest, pulling his arm over my shoulder.

~

I wait until I’m sure Coal is asleep before I slide out from under his arm and creep out the door. Do I feel guilty? A little bit, but it’s not like I told him specifically that I wouldn’t sneak out in the middle of the night to look for the others. I pocket the snowmobile keys and head down the hallway to the garage thing.

“Tide.” I jump as Coal’s voice comes from behind me.

“I’m going and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I state and keep moving faster.

He catches up with me and spins me around, making me trip into his chest. He holds both my shoulders, staring intently at me with a mix of stubbornness and protectiveness.

“I’m going.” I say weakly.

“Two things.” He never breaks eye contact. “One: if you’re going, I’m coming with you.”

I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off.

“That is not debatable. Two,” Coal takes a breath, then sees my glare and falters. “You really need to either stop lying, or get better at it.”

He smiles crookedly at me, and then drops my hand and continues down the hallway. My body feels cold with the sudden loss of contact. I have this feeling that he was going to say something else, and it’s really bothering me. But we have more pressing matters. I chase after him, emerging into the garage.

I barely get the keys into the ignition of a snowmobile when the garage door shifts. I jump, backing up a few steps. The door is opened a tiny crack at the bottom. I can see fingers curling around the metal, pulling it up. But it’s moving at about an inch an hour.

I walk forward cautiously, crouching down to watch the door creak open at a snail’s pace.

“What the...” I tilt my head to look underneath the opening.

I look back at Coal. He shrugs, as in the dark as me. “I’m gonna open it.” I say, seeing no other option. Coal nods and I grab the metal, pushing it up.

Stella’s surprised face greets mine, and I feel a shock of relief go through my body. It then turns to confusion as she walks forward.

In slow motion.

“Hello?” I wave my hand in front of her face. No response.

The others are behind her, but they are also in the slo-mo party. Audrey and Owen are carrying something, on the back of the snow mobile. I look back at Coal, shrug, and move forward to the lumps on the seats. The moving lumps on the seats.

I pick one up and unwrap the cloth. It’s a baby.

Coal follows me out into the storm and lifts the other bundle. It is also a baby. The same baby.

“Twins?” I ask, confused. They’re identical. Coal shrugs. Unlike the others, both kids are moving at a normal rate. The one Coal has is crying. Very loudly. However, as it feels the heat radiating off him, the child stops screaming and yawns.

Also, Steel crashes into me.

I stumble back, trying not to drop the other kid. Steel, who is now moving normally, shakes his head. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He says. “Um, when did you get there?”

“We’ve been here for a while.” I answer, motioning to the others who are still barely moving at all. “It’s been four days.”

Steel’s eyes widen. “But...we just left yesterday...” he trails off. “The twins.”

I look over at the kid Coal is holding. It’s almost asleep. As it drifts into a slumber, the others start moving faster and Terra’s endless chatter breaks through.

I ignore her for now and turn to Steel. “They’re Elementals, aren’t they?”

Steel nods. “No parents, no family whatsoever, and they just appeared in the village one day. We think their element is time.”

“Great.” I mutter. “Now we have the Time Twins.” I glance down at the kid in my arms. “But why are there two?”

“What?” Terra walks over, holding her head. “Where’d you guys come from?” she asks Coal and me.

I hand her the kid. “Here. Have a child.” I wait for everyone to gather. “So,” I start. “You’ve been gone for four days.”

“It’s because of that kid.” Oh’Rian says, pointing to the one with Coal. “He slows things down, the other girl speeds stuff up. Together, they’re the Elementals of time.”

“Wonderful.” I say. I can’t even imagine the havoc this is going to cause. “They can’t control it yet, so we have to be careful. Try not to make them cry so no one gets stuck in a time warp or something. Now, what are their names?”

Audrey looks kind of guilty. “The girl is Tick and the boy is Tock.”

Wow. So creative.

“Okay.” I shrug. “But you’re explaining to them who named them that.”

Audrey nods in acceptance. “We should go upstairs where it’s warmer.” She states and starts walking out of the garage.

I walk up the stairs and observe the facility, watching each level with all their empty rooms and open, unused space. It’s so forlorn and incredibly creepy. I hang back from everyone as we climb the steps.

Coal passes by and pauses, quickly checking up on me. “You okay?

“What if we had a school?” I wonder arbitrarily, and also rather loudly.

Coal tilts his head in confusion as the others overhear and stop as well. “School?”

I shake my head, mind starting to form a plan. “Not school school, like a special school. You know, for Elementals. I mean, there’s more out there. I know of at least one.” I say, thinking about Caelum’s friend. “And it’s not like we’re hurting for space.” I point to the hallways with empty rooms lining them.

Oh’Rian looks kind of excited. Coal is staring at me like I’m insane, as well as Owen and Steel. Terra, who gets hyper over anything, is starting to smile. Stella and Audrey are still watching me intently, probably speculating where this sudden idea came from.

“There are computers and data bases on the first level, right? So we look up weird stuff that are element related, find a person, get them and bring them back here to learn to control their powers.” I explain. “So they can be who they are and all that stuff without being hunted down.”

Now Stella, Audrey and Steel are nodding, though Owen still appears skeptical. “What if they don’t want to come?”

I shrug. “We’ll tell them not to take over the world and then leave them alone.”

“And what if they cause trouble anyway?” Owen demands.

“We’ll deal with it.” I say. “Look, I don’t know about you guys, but I didn’t exactly appreciate being thrown into a cell for “observation” or who knows what else, and I’m also pretty sure most other people wouldn’t like it either. So we’ll give them a chance to be safe.”

Oh’Rian looks guilty, and I already know she’s on board with Terra. So is everyone else, although Owen still has this look on his face like, You mean there’ll be more? I ignore it and start walking again.

“You guys go up and start searching for people; I need to ask Caelum something.” I duck into the second level door without another word.

I stride into the open, not bothering to eavesdrop. Izila is in the corner of her cell thing, and the clone and Caelum are on opposite ends of theirs.

“Gee,” I say, and their heads snap in my direction. “You all look so happy. Doesn’t feel very nice being locked up, does it?” I ask Izila.

She glares at me.

“What are you doing here?” Tide3000 demands callously.

I step forward. “I’m here to talk to Caelum.”

“Sweetie,” she says with a condescending smile. “He doesn’t like you.”

I grit my teeth. “Sweetie,” I give her the same fake grin. “I don’t care. Now can it.” I turn to Caelum. He’s carefully ignoring me. “Sierra.” I say and he looks up. “What could she do?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m trying to find the new person who got her powers.” I reply. “I need to know what to look for.”

“Well that depends...”

“I’m not letting you out.” I cross my arms.

He shakes his head, smirking at the floor. “Well then you are not getting an answer.”

“I’m trying to help someone Caelum. Can you cooperate for two seconds?”

“Two seconds wouldn’t be very useful, would it?”

I have never wanted to hit someone so hard in my life. Except for Coal. But that’s different. I growl softly to myself. “Fine. Don’t help.” I say evenly and start walking out the door.

“Wait.”

I pause, turning halfway back.

Caelum sighs. In the moment his chest falls I can see him. The old Caelum, the one I actually liked. “Sienna could send and read thoughts, manipulate people’s minds to do what she wanted, and had some weird clairvoyant vision things.” He says quietly.

“Thank you.” I nod in gratitude and walk out.

I shake off the feeling as I walk up the stairs, footsteps echoing on the stone walls. When I reach the top level, everyone is glued to a computer screen.

Quietly, I sit down at another one and start searching. It’s hard to find legitimate stuff underneath all the palm readers and fortune tellers but finally I get some old new articles about an orphan girl who can predict the weather down to a tee a couple months in advance. They were made less than a year ago. I check the location and slowly smile. It’s in Hawaii.

I stand and look around. Stella turns and motions me over with a triumphant gleam in her eye.

“I think I have found one.” She says. “Sound.”

I check her screen. There are tons of newspaper articles about concussive shock waves blasting down buildings and random sonic booms around a town in California.

“Awesome.” I say. “Anybody else have any luck?”

Terra raises her hand like she’s in school, wiggling around in her seat. “I did! It says the real life invisible man.” She points to her screen. “What element would that be?”

Oh’Rian walks over to her. “It could be a form of light. The refraction of it tricks the human eye into thinking the person isn’t there.”

“I think we have another fire type one over here.” Steel calls. “In Texas. Not fire exactly, but explosions and fireworks.”

I nod approvingly. “Okay, so we have light, sound, and pyrotechnics. Anybody want to go on a road trip?”

“A couple miles from the Sherpa village is another town, with another base that has helicopters and jets.” Oh’Rian suggests innocently.

“Okay, so two teams.” I say. “Owen, take Steel and Terra to get our pyro. Rian, you and Stella cover light and sound, and Maple, Sparky and Audrey stay here to watch the twins and Izila.”

“What about you and Coal?” Audrey asks.

“We’re getting the psychic.” I say. “In Hawaii.”

“Why do you get to go to Hawaii?” Owen asks sulkily.

I want to say “because I said so” but I’d rather not be punched in the face. “Because that’s where Coal grew up.” I explain instead. “And it’s surrounded by water.”

“You don’t know how to fly a helicopter. How exactly do you plan on getting there?” Audrey asks.

I shrug. “A truck and a helicopter are sort of the same. How hard can it be?”

“No.” Audrey declares. “I’m getting you two plane tickets. Try not to break the airport.”