Chapter Three

An intended cough brought them all back to attention, the drill instructor Fortuna Monroe frowned down her nose at them arms akimbo; her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her face would have been pretty if it wasn’t scrunched in a permanent scowl; the children disliked her, she mutually felt the same towards them and made it her priority in life to make their life miserable.

Without further ceremony she barked orders at the children, as they were placed under the supervision of instructors who in turn were watched by her sharp eyes. 

Orchid’s trainers were having a difficult time putting her under control until Fortuna had no choice but to take over her drill in person.

Orchid’s lithe fragile looking body and slim snow colored wings gave her an innocent appearance of perpetual harmlessness like her name.

“Looks can be deceiving, look at Orchid” was the constant gossip among the facility’s staff.

She could control water, freeze and boil any matter containing fluid and could make an impressive cyclone when she was having a good day, but what made her powers deadly and unpredictable was that she could manipulate brain fluids, more like suggestion control, making the victim sees what she wanted them to see, like your random illusionists, “look into my eyes, what do you see…of course you’re not here, I see nothing here, move along.”

Only Fortuna Monroe seems to be able to put her in check simply because Orchid was always nervous around her. 

Binta seems to be enjoying herself as she turned her veteran combat instructors into punching bags, blurring in and out of focus as she sparred.

A human body is made up of 80% fluid, Binta's body was 50% electricity. Unlike the rest of the 5th generation children who had electricity confined only to their wings, she was electro-kinetic and manipulates hers to perfection, she could move at lightning speed and could also create force fields to make up for her lack of strength. Omotola stood gaping, marveling at her rapidly developed speed; she seemed to be faster than she was at the last drill, as electric current flowed up and down the length of her body.

She starred on distracted until her own training instructor punched her lightly on the cheek, more annoyed than pained; she focused on him and zapped him back in retaliation with electric charge from her wings.

Omotola was yet to develop an ability, which both managed to shame and annoy her at the same time, even Babybaby had cool powers, the doctors said she might be a late bloomer and might or may not develop one eventually. She instead made up for her lack of ability with her strength, superior sparring skills, and her stronger wings which seem to give off more electrical charge than the rest of the children. 

“I get to make the party brighter.” She murmured bitterly as she vented her anger unto her poor instructor.

Obiora was having a difficult time with his spar partners, the Brazilian twins had been in the institute for as long as they can remember. The rumors among the staff claimed they could be one of the generations. Versed and skilled in martial arts and acrobatics, they twist and dived all around Obiora punching and kicking then back flipping away from harm’s way with the reflex of house-flies faster than he could react.

Obiora began to lose his temper; his scarlet feathers began to smoke as his eyes glowed red. The twins choose to ignore the warning signs as they began to taunt and whooped at his failure to land a blow.

“It wasn’t as if they could survive a single punch from him, if he so much as succeeded in landing one anyway.” Omotola grimaced with concern as she took a step towards the brawl. Fortuna commanded her sharply not to interfere, by then; everyone had stopped what they were doing to look.

Obiora in spite of his size was slow to anger and when he cracks, he was also slow to calm, she nervously wondered why Fortuna was doing nothing to stop the so called one sided combat training, the twins were out to get him in trouble, the rest of the 5th generation children watched in silence while the trainers and drill workers cheered on the twins as Obiora smashed a gym equipment from which a twin leapt a second ago while the other whooped and called him names.

Obiora finally snapped, with a roar he spread his already flaming wings, sprang into the air then did something they had never seen him done before, he pulled his wings back and flung them towards the twins, fiery feathered darts rained down on the French twins. Even their acrobatic skills didn’t prepare them for this one.

They were struck down in a shower of feather darts screaming.

Still raging, Obiora dived down to finish them off and that was when all hell broke loose as workers fled from his path, Orchid screamed at him to stop, the Askaris marched forward laser guns raised, too late to save the wounded twins, their doom inevitable until Babybaby suddenly darted in front of Obiora’s charge, he skidded to a stop, the red mist faded from his eyes, ashamed as Babybaby glared up reproachfully at him.

By then they were surrounded by Askaris yelling at him to stand down, Fortuna forced her way to the front and ordered them to apprehend him for misconduct, blind with righteous anger, Omotola didn’t realize she was airborne until she had landed right in front of Obiora and then glared right back at the drill instructor.

“The twins asked for it, she said, “they were supposed to spar with him not taunt him so they got what they deserved.’’

“Stand down Omotola or i will be forced to use extreme force, how dare you,’’ Fortuna shrieked, goggled eyed in outrage, move aside now or else you will be punished along with him.

“No! You stand down,’’ Omotola yelled back surprised at her boldness, I’m tired of you treating us like animals, you cannot afford to provoke him without consequences, and if someone is to be punished for misconduct it’s the twins.’’

“That’s enough’’ Fortuna growled ‘’take her down as well.’’

The Askaris moved forward to obey then hesitated when Binta dashed up to join Omotola, literally blurring in and out of focus with adrenaline, then Orchid glided down like a ballerina, innocently staring down at her nails.

The last straw was Shettima, he rose up spectral-like from the solid ground; cold black eyes that makes you think of broken bones and emergency rooms.

“Move back’’ he said in his quiet voice but the stuned training room was so silent it was as if he had yelled.

The Askaris really moved back this time around, Fortuna was speechless with rage and a new feeling she had always hidden deep within her, never before had the 5th generation disobeyed direct command or looked this threatening, it was chilling, and for the first time a new barrage of emotion swept across her face, Fortuna Monroe was afraid.