The Many Faces of Tully

I scoot to the wall, ashamed. What’s Jace going to do? The boy is dead. It’s what I do. No one survives my explosions. I dig the small mirror out of my pocket that I always keep with me. I like to know how I look as soon as possible.

I have very long, wavy black hair that is parted down the middle with bangs that flop into my now dark blue eyes. They are so dark that they almost look black. My mouth is thin and my nose is small and I’m pale. I look at my limbs and they are long and skinny. I look like I could be one of the twins. Like I was their triplet.

Jace comes running in then with Zazu. No one is looking at me. They are all concerned with the boy on the ground. I’m not sure why they are bothering.

“What happened?” Jace demands, sinking to the floor next to Calchas.

“I’ll explain later. What’s wrong with him?” Calchas asks him.

I happened. He’s dead. That’s what’s wrong with him. I’m still dangerous. Very dangerous.

I watch as Jace unbuttons the boy’s shirt and places his hands his bare chest. My eyes widen as his hands start to glow green. “He’s been knocked unconscious,” Jace says after a moment. He takes his hands from the boy’s chest and places them on either side of his head. “How did this happen?” Jace looks at Calchas again while his hands glow green around the boy’s head.

“Tully,” Calchas answers him. I am in awe. The boy isn’t dead? He is only unconscious. How is that possible?

I stand up and walk through the men crowded around the boy. I drop down next to Calchas. “How is he not dead?” I ask him. I don’t want to ask in front of everybody, but I need to know.

“Who are you?” Jace looks at me with his eyebrows furrowed. I watch in amazement as the boys eyes flutter open. Jace looks between me and the twins. “Do you guys have a triplet that you never told us about?” he asks them.

They stare at me, but both shake their heads slowly. I stare at the boy who is sitting up slowly. Jace removes his hands and they stop glowing green. I try to ignore everyone staring at me.

“Calchas?” I ask him again.

“It’s his power Tully,” he comforts me. My eyes fill up with tears and I look at the boy who is looking at everyone in confusion.

“You’re okay?” I ask him.

“I think so,” he says. “That’s never happened before.”

“Whoa whoa whoa. Hold on a minute. Are you trying to tell me that this woman here is Tully? Not that blonde woman?” Jace says, standing up.

“She is the blonde woman,” Calchas answers him. “We all just witnessed her power, and Avinash just experienced it firsthand.”

“But she looks different now? Is she like Toshi?” Zazu asks.

“She can’t change her appearance by will. It changes when her power surges from her. I am guessing,” Calchas says, looking at me for confirmation.

“How does that work?” Mirage asks then, not giving me a chance to answer.

“I don’t know?” Calchas looks at him. Everyone’s eyes stare at me then. I feel exposed again, and I want to run.

“How do you do it?” one of the twins asks me.

“I don’t,” I tell them. They all stare at me in confusion. “I mean I don’t do it on purpose. It just sort of happens. I can’t control it.”

“What happens? What does it feel like?” the other twin asks me.

“It’s sort of hard to explain,” I say awkwardly. I start bumping my fist into my leg in rhythm, feeling the watch clunk around my wrist.

“Are you going to monitor her like you did us?” Haides asks Calchas eagerly.

Monitor? They were going to monitor me? Like an experiment or something?

Calchas looks at me evenly. “We only monitor you to help you understand your powers. If you understand what happens to your body then perhaps you can control it.”

I nod in relief. I do want to understand my powers. I want to control them so badly.

“I’ll show you to your bed now. There is going to be a meeting tonight, since you are finally here, and I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed again,” Calchas says, putting his hand on my back and guiding me out of the crowded room. I hear them whispering together when we walk away.

We are walking down the wide hallway again and I feel something coming towards me. I turn around and my suitcase is flying to me. I hold out my arms and it lands gently in them. Calchas stares at me with wide eyes.

“I should also go turn off my car…” I assume it’s running too. It always is when I explode, prepared for me to run.

“You left your car running?” He raises his eyebrow at me.

“No, but it always turns on after I explode, so I can run. That’s why my bag is packed too. It always packs itself,” I tell him. He just stares at me with wide eyes.

We get to the end of the hallway then and he walks to the right. I see eight doors down this hallway. Each door has a number and two names on it and a phone number next to that name. One door, door #4, has one name on it. Mine. There is a blank spot next to my name, I look at it, and think about my cell phone number and then it miraculously carves itself next to my name.

“How did you do that?” Calchas asks me. I shrug. I don’t know. He shakes his head slightly. He opens the door and gestures me in. “This is your room obviously. You don’t share a room with someone because you are an odd number, and I guess it’s a good thing, seeing as you’re the only girl here.” He chuckles slightly.

My room consists of a dresser, a flat screen T.V., a small walk-in closet, a queen sized bed and a bathroom. Plain carpet and white walls. No windows and a ceiling fan. “You’re going to have to quit your old job, and you might have to help out at the restaurant every once in a while,” Calchas continues.

“They’ve already forgotten me. As far as they know, I’ve never worked there,” I tell him, and I know it’s true. My powers protect me.

“Really?” he asks me, intrigued. I shrug. “Now how does that work?”

“I wish I knew,” I tell him.

“Oh, right. Meeting is at 8:30, in the main room, where you first walked in. Don’t be late. Oh, and here is a list of everyone here and their powers,” he hands me a sheet of paper. I nod at him and he walks out of my new room.

Our Team.

(In the order they have joined)

Kato- All-knowing, knows the past present and future to an extent

Calchas- Seer, can see details in the future

Jace- Healer, can heal himself and others

Rozen- Ruler, very influential, people are drawn to him

Tehuti-Usi(Hutsi)- controls the elements, earth, wind, water, and fire

Zazu- Movement, telekinetic. Moves objects with his mind

Gunther- Battler, warrior, skilled master at any and all weapons

Toshi- Mirror image, shape shift to look like any human being

Mirage- Illusion, fantasy, can make you see whatever he wants you to

Haides- Unseen, can reflect what’s around him and turn invisible to the eye

Damon- One who tames, subdues, can control people

Edmund- Protector, can shield himself and others from attacks

Elsu- Flying falcon, can fly

Avinash(Nash)- Indestructible, can withstand any attack without being hurt

Tully- Powerful people, unknown, powerful