Number Seven

Patricia Welmore, Agent 509 of the Seventh Lot-a private company much like the FBI however more open to the public- sat at her desk slaving away on her computer as she looked through all the files sent to her by her Supervisor Alexander Altor. All of them read of boring cases speaking of bursts seemingly of dull energy throughout the desolate country. Supposedly the agency believed that it was perhaps shock waves from the Ukraine as an attack of potential war.

Welmore sighed softly as she stood up after hours of having to sit. She walked, getting herself water in a bland paper cup which nearly disintegrated in her slender fingers. Why she'd worked over hours like this, she didn't know..maybe it was because she was trying to convince herself what she was causing was something she could prevent by working for the right side.

"Hey Patricia. Patty. Pat." Martins smiled as he walked in causing Welmore to inwardly groan and roll her eyes before looking to Martin with a small smile that showed her annoyance. 

"Yes, what do you need, Martins?" She asked trying not to snap too much although she was obviously displeased that he was working late hours at the same time as her again.

"Nothing much, Patricia. Just came to talk to the only agent here right now." He shrugged and leaned against the staff fridge which had been locked by their cheap boss for the night- Martins stole food from it which is why now Altor locked it.

Welmore simply hummed and nodded, drinking more water before throwing away the damp cup that was slightly becoming flimsy.

"Heh that's like..your tenth cup today, ain't it? You like...you're like a fish." He chuckled a bit and smiled although Welmore looked unamused.

"Im dehydrated often." She said with a small shrug and went to go back to work.

"You don't know nothing about the..the energy bursts do you?" He asked with an eyebrow raised which made Welmore stop and go stiff.

"No...everyone thinks the Ukraine did it though." Welmore was about to continue walking up the door to the break room shut and locked. 

She looked confused and jiggled the door knob. "What gives, Martins?" She hissed looking back at the man who had his arm raised obviously somehow having shut the door despite being across the room.

A simple few words left the man's mouth and it was enough to make Welmore feel panic. "I know it was you." 

As Welmore tried to leave desperately now Martins suddenly made all the fold up chairs crowd around Welmore, pinning her to the wall actually as some folded and lifted up to press against her. 

"Now...you tell me," he said walking over as he put his hands in his pockets, "when did you get yours?"

"My...my what?" Welmore asked confused, struggling slightly although she couldn't escape no matter how hard she tried.

"Your powers. That energy you keep on causing blackouts with." Martins said calmly. He seemed like a totally different person. Not one who was obnoxious and sensitive but the total opposite.

Welmore bit her plump lips and squirmed beneath all the metal chairs. "I got them only a few months ago. I don't know how- I passed out and woke up with it." 

He watched her as he took a chair from the pile to sit down and talk to her. He folded his arms over his chest. "Explain. Now." He demanded narrowing his eyes. It didn't make sense to him, no one just suddenly got abilities like that, especially so long after childhood.

"What? I told you already…" she muttered unsure what else to say.

"No, no, tell me how you discovered it. Like- what happened when you got them?" Martins pinched the bridge of his nose thinking.

Welmore felt her mouth go dry despite all the water she'd drank as she remembered the day she woke up so different. "Well...well I woke up and I guess everything was a bit normal just till I went home that night and got into the bathtub." Martins nodded. "Something like electrical currents ran over the top of all of it… and I didn't know why honestly. It happened over and over again whenever I touched um... Water or really anything that decently conduct electricity."

Martins nodded as he slowly moved away the chairs one by one. "When did it become...so powerful as now?"

Welmore shook her head. "I'm not sure.. I was trying to learn how to control it and it started becoming more and more frequently occurring and more strong. I think I touched the toaster when the first one happened. I killed my cat accidentally and I haven't been able to forgive myself.. other than that I try not to hurt people. I only have caused blackouts from what I know."

Martins shook his head as he released her finally. "You need to learn how to control all of this. People like us can't have these abilities and live normally unless you're able to hide them. You literally work for a place that's investigating you right now. This really isn't the safest place for you to work." 

Welmore nodded. She'd always had the anxiety of being found out by other agents. "How did you know I was responsible for all this?"

Martins scoffed. "Please I've been dealing with people like us for years. The same kind of blasts are given off no matter what ability we have. It all shows up with the same ultraviolet wavelengths.."

Welmore nodded a bit and as the door swung open after unlocking. Martins gestured forwards. "C'mon, I'm going to teach you how to control this curse." He said simply as Welmore nodded and walked with him. Their shifts were both over and as they left the building it was obvious there'd been another blackout.

He groaned and shook his head. "How did you do this one?"

Welmore messed with their sleeves and shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it was because I was using a computer.." she murmured.

Martins nodded as they continued walking through the cold and dark streets. "You really need to learn a lot…" he said mainly to himself before looking to her as she spoke.

"How many people are there like us?" Welmore had asked curiously.

"Well...I know there's six of us in our gang but...so far we've been trying to track more. I found you so I guess now it's seven but..yeah, numbers haven't increased too frequently." Martins shrugged as he walked at his fast pace, making it difficult for Welmore to keep up.

"How do people get this...power?" She asked looking at her hands before following him as he turned down into an alley and went to a steel door at the end.

"It depends on the person." Immediately the door opened and Martins walked inside the warm building with Welmore. "I got mine...when working with my dad years ago." He smiled.

She nodded listening intently as she was curious to hear his own story. 

"We've been working in I think it was a copper or nickel mine.. and the place collapsed cause a stick of dynamite rolled into an unstable area. "My father was crushed in it but I survived, having the metal stop itself from crushing me... You see all these gifts come with trauma, often.."

Welmore quietly nodded and looked around the building they'd entered. It was dimly lit, smelled of coffee and baked bread. Martins smiled and chuckled as she looked around in curiosity. "Welcome to our society." He said simply gesturing to all the people casually manipulating matters to do everyday chores as though it were simple as walking.

A man approached Martins obviously with something important to say due to the determined look on his ash blackened face. "There's been another blacko-"

"Yeah, Im aware Thomas...I found the source of them." He said nudging Welmore with his elbow. "Agent Welmore here is much like us...and I think we have to train her so she'll be more useful to the Seventh Lot." He explained.

The other muscular man nodded and looked down at her. How could someone who looked so frail be so powerful as to cause a massive country to go into the dark? He shook the thought away however throughout the week and extra days he took with Martins to try and train her it lingered in his mind.

Welmore whilst there was learning oh so much information to the point where he was nearly as overwhelming as the training she'd went through for the Seventh Lot. It all went by quickly however.

Soon Welmore was leaving to go back to work as a field agent for the Seventh Lot. Usually she'd handle planning out of all the missions however today she learned that she would actually be participating now that Martins had trained her how to use her power. She felt she could be more useful in fighting against the gang in Northern Alaska. 

The Black Mirror had been a threat to the Seventh Lot for years and finally now having their location they'd be able to capture the leader, Taron Lonkoski as well as perhaps his right hand woman, Vanessa Pelpalin.

"On my signal," Martins spoke into Welmores ear piece as well as the other five agents', "drop down and there will be a guard on all of your lefts...Welmore. you've got three. One..two...three…" there was a long pause as they all waited. "Now."

Suddenly the people dropped down, the regular field agents easily getting into sparing with the guard beside them however Welmore seemed to just punch one, sending volts of electricity into all of her surrounding guards as well making them spasm on the floor unable to get up.

Now she ran, avoiding other guards although if they got close enough more electricity got to them. "Alright Welmore, they're on the other side of that door...it's a panic room. I don't think they're armed but be aware of your surroundings." Martins said into the ear piece and Welmore gave a nod as she short circuited the control panel, making the panic room's doors open.

There the duo stood, one with an old fashioned pistol in hand however as he fired it nothing came out. A few other agents came over, ready to arrest them as they had nowhere else to run.

Welmore smiled slightly before hearing. "You're welcome." From inside her ear piece, now knowing exactly why a steel bullet had not pierced her.