A year later of living together, my powers decided to give a surprise visit.
*ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ*
"Sonica?"
*ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ*
No.. don't come..
"Sonicaaa~"
*ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ*
*ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ*
Please stop..
*ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ*
More footsteps joined. "Veronica, dear, What's wrong?"
With a sigh, "Look here, Dr. Ray.. It's Sonica's birthday today. But she isn't opening the door."
"Oh? What could be the reason?" His voice was calm.
*ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ ᵏⁿᵒᶜᵏ*
"Sonica, are you okay? Open the door, please.."
I am sorry.. I can't..
I can't..
"W-Where's dad? He must have the spare key!" She rushed to the laboratory. "Dad!"
Nic! Don't go!
Dr. Ray's intimidating presence remained outside the door, which after a while, faded away.
"Sonica!" Professor slammed the door open after shoving the spare key in.
"Oh.. my god.."
Nic also froze at the scene.
There were.. flames of fire in the ceiling, water all over the floor and light bulbs flickering. Spiky rocks emerged from the floor. The curtains burnt into ashes.
And there I was.. at the corner, curled up into a ball.
"..Sonica.." They both kneeled down beside me.
"Sonica? Sonica, open up, dear.. You are safe now.." He whispered while gently trying to coax me out.
But you aren't safe..
I curled up tighter and sniffled.
You aren't safe because of me..
"There there, Sonica. It's alright.." He said and stroked my quills with his hands.
Nic, still shocked, also imitated his gesture to soothe me.
"We will figure it out, Sonica.. You are safe.." He added, while Nic's frown never faded.
I sniffled and slowly uncurled, hiccuping. "I.. don't know what's *sniffle* happening.."
"Its okay, dear.. Everything will be sorted out.. You didn't get hurt, right?" He asked while brushing my quills.
I shook my head while sniffling, curling up again. "I didn't.."
He sighed softly and stood up, gently picking me up. "I promise everything will be okay.. Let's go to the kitchen now. You both haven't even eaten yet."
I sniffled and curled up into a ball. "I am sorry.."
"Hey hey, you have nothing to apologise for. It happens.." Nic whispered, clearly worried. "Dad is right.. It will be okay.."
"Let's eat now.. You need to gain the energy you lost."
He placed me on the chair, went towards the refrigerator and took out a bottle of milk. Veronica sat beside me.
"Sonica.. Do you know that if you use all of your energy then you might die?"
"What?"
"DAD!"
"I am saying this so that you will be more cautious of your powers, Sonica."
"Now isn't the right time, dad.." she gritted her teeth and took an aggressive bite of the toast.
"Our goal is to not overwork you, okay?" He sighed and sat down across me.
She looked down.. then at me. "Sonica.."
"Yes?" I replied.
"Happy Birthday." She said softly.
I forgot the earlier incident for now and smiled, "Thank you, sis."
Professor just hummed and we started to eat in silence.
"So tell me Sonica, how did it all start?" Professor asked after we put our dishes in the sink.
My ears bent down slightly as I replied, "This morning.. after I woke up, I could feel very strong powers inside me. First my hands started glowing, then. . ."
"Then..?"
"Then everything went blank. I wasn't able to control anything. I started to become scared. Then suddenly I shot a fire ball from my hand which burnt the curtains. Then I somehow shot a water ball towards the flaming fire. But.. but the fire didn't die. Then.. electric sparks formed in my hands, the bulbs went were going to burst.. I couldn't understand what was happening. I panicked and started to cry. Then I... curled up into a ball." I replied, hissing in the end.
There was silence in the room for a few seconds untill professor said, "I see. I guess I have to do some tests and experiments on you, Sonica."
"Wait, what?" I and Veronica said in unison.
"..to find out about her powers I have to do some experiments on her." He sighed, closing his eyes. "Just consider it like a check up."
"Will it be safe?" She asked, gripping the edge of the table.
"I will make sure it is safe." He nodded.
"Yeah, ok..." I mumbled and asked. "Are we still getting the cake..?"
"Of course." They both chuckled. "I will order your favourite strawberry cake."
𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦..
I was seated on the experimental table with Nic by my side.
And Professor was checking the results.
But his conclusion was : "I can't figure it out on my own. I need help."
I sighed and Nic rubbed my head, reassuringly.
"..I called Dr. Ray to help me. He has some more hi-tech and special technologies which is what we need. He has helped me many times before too." Professor sighed, rubbing his face.
"But why him?" I asked, eyes wide.
He looked at Nic then at me, "Because we can't tell anyone else about your powers. Especially the government . People can misuse your powers easily. And... Ray is the only one whom I can trust."
I frowned and crossed my arms, "But I don't trust him."
Then professor chuckled. "Come on, he isn't that bad!" He said as he rubbed my head, then looked at Nic. "Veronica, please stay by Sonica's side. He will be here soon, I gue-" Professor got cut off by the sound of the door bell.
*ᵈⁱⁿᵍ*
"Looks like he's here." He rubbed my head again and went for the door.
"Hmph! Speak of the devil and the devil is here." I whispered.
I really didn't like Dr. Ray since I first saw him.
"Is it hate at first sight?" Nic laughed slightly, leaning against the table.
That made me chuckle too.
"..no one followed you, right?"
"No." Dr. James replied and looked at me, with that cold look.
He had brought a bag and a briefcase.
"So...what's the experiment you need help in?"
Professor sighed and said, "Uh.. you see.. my daughter, Soni-"
"You mean, your adopted daughter."
I frown while Nic rolled her eyes.
"Right.. my daughter Sonica. It's kinda unusual but she has some kind of unidentified powers in her. I can't figure it out what kind of powers they are. I tried to experiment but-"
"But failed."
Professor nodded and looked at me. "So...will you help me?"
Meanwhile Dr. Ray was lost in his thoughts.
"Dr. Ray..?"
He snapped out of his thoughts and replied, "..Yes, Of course. I will help you, Professor."
"Thank you."
"So, when shall we begin?"
"We can begin now. What do you think, Sonica?"
"..as you wish, Professor.."
Dr. Ray put his briefcase on the table and opened it, and my eyes went wide open. There were all hi-tech gadgets in it.
"Let's start."
"..close your eyes, Sonica."
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, a little scared.
"What is that for?" Nic asked as Dr. Ray injected something on my arm.
"It will be difficult to experiment on someone who is alive, awake and.. bratty. What if she freaks out?"
"...fair enough."
"Professor, will you please ask your daughter to leave?"
Veronica argued. "No, I will stay and watch."
"..Ver, please.."
"But, dad.."
"Why don't you go to the bakery and bring a birthday cake for Sonica, dear?"
"Oh.. al..right.. Make sure she is safe, dad. Or else.."
As the chemical kicked in, my head started to throb, my feet felt wobbly and I lost my consciousness..
Then they began the tests and experiments.
— 𝗧 𝗜 𝗠 𝗘 - 𝗦 𝗞 𝗜 𝗣 —
"So...what do you think about the results?"
"..looks like her cells regenerate themselves automatically after 24 hours."
"24 hours.."
Then Dr. Ray took a sharp knife and made a small cut on my right arm.
"Wait-"
"Calm down, you'll see her wound will be okay after 24 hours. Her body cells recover more quickly than an average living being which means any wound, big or small will be cured after 24 hours, not before than that."
— 𝗧𝗛𝗘 - 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 - 𝗗𝗔𝗬 —
My wounded arm started glowing light blue and after a few seconds the wound recovered.
Professor and Dr. James both saw this.
"See, I told you. Due to her powers her body heals faster."
"Now we will soon find it out the rest.. Just a few more tests and the results will be all clear."
—𝗧 𝗜 𝗠 𝗘 - 𝗦 𝗞 𝗜 𝗣 —
"..mh.. Nic..?"
"Not Nic, dear, it's us. This feeling you are feeling is the feeling of energy and powers you have which have ultimately been tested and it caused to drain some part of it."
I didn't understand what he said but I nodded slowly, "..okay."
Professor took a deep breath and started talking quickly, really quickly, "After you were unconscious me and Dr. Ray did a few tests and experiments on you. We found out that your body cells recover more quickly than an average being. It takes only 24 hours to heal your wounds. Then at last we found out that you have got different powers which control each soul of the planet. It means that you are able to control the souls and elements which is the most rarely seen power in such living being like you."
And. My. Jaw. Dropped.
"In simple words you have elemental powers, the supernatural powers to control the elements." stated Dr. Ray.
"But.. why.."
"We.. don't know 'why' but, Sonica, you have the power to control the elements like earth, air, water, fire and many more. And according to the the research, your powers develop as time goes by, especially in your birthday your powers get hyper-active. You have to learn to control such powers."
Oh..
"Then what about my speed?"
"Your speed is just an extra power along with the elemental powers."
I kinda started to like this Dr. Ray now. He really helped, huh?
"Don't forget, you have to learn to control your emotions 'cause your emotions activate your powers, Sonica."
"Okay, Professor.."
"And, Dr. Ray, you have helped me so many times. Why don't you relax now?"
"Sure, Prof.."
Later Professor gave me golden bracelets and put them on my wrists and ankles. He said that these bracelets would help me control my powers and he called them 'inhibitor rings'
They were kinda heavy but I had to get used to it.
The first thing I did was to spill the tea to Veronica aka Nic, my only friend and sister.
Then we had the cake as well. It was delicious as ever.
But after a while, I was taken to a glass chamber in Professor's lab. I don't know why. Maybe to test my powers again.
"Don't panic, Sonica."
"So, let's begin." Dr. Ray said and pulled down a lever.
First the internal core of the machine started to vibrate then the entire glass chamber. I got scared and closed my eyes tight.
Nic was told to stay home. The laboratory is far away.
But then..
It felt like a thousand needles were piercing my body. Blood rushing through every inch like a hyperventilating beast. Every nerve of my body started to sting and I arched my back with a painful scream. My entire body was BEGGING to just give up and die instead of this suffering.
I saw a complete white, blank vision for a split second. I thought I was going to die. The machine started to drain my energy so painfully that I had to bang my head against the chamber wall as a distraction. I couldn't stand properly any longer.
"Professor!" I shouted as blood red tears rolled down my cheeks and fell down on my knees, grabbing my head.
Now that machine and I were surrounded by electric sparks. The entire mechanism shaking.
"We need to stop this!" Professor reached for the power button with a look of horror but Dr. Ray stopped him. "No. This is necessary."
"But-"
"AGHH! PROFESSOR!!" I screamed on top of my lungs till my throat went sore.
Suddenly the machine exploded!
"Sonica!"
Dr. Ray held Professor back again while they tried to brush away the smoke in the lab. Through the smoke and my blur vision, I saw someone's silhouette before my body gave up and I collapsed on the floor.
"I am sorry, Professor.." He chuckled as he looked at my limp body. "She's too sensitive, too fragile to own such great powers."
"No, she's not." Professor snapped at him and carefully picked me up. "Dammit, we shouldn't have done that. The machine wasn't ready. It was your idea!"
"The results say it was worth it, Prof." He looked at a long sheet of paper. "Her body isn't naturally biologic." He started to laugh, menacingly. "THIS HEDGEHOG WAS CREATED IN A LAB!"