Elements

Chapter 40

"You're a what now? Lizzy, what you're saying doesn't make any sense!" Anita protested.

Perhaps it doesn't. Allow me to clarify. I developed my current means of communication in what was literally another life. I died in an accident, in a rush to show my father, who also was killed in my accident. For reasons I do not know, a man named Malcolm Reyfus found my severely damaged body and brought me back to life using his knowledge of Biology, which he studied in college, and machinery, which he had worked with his whole life. I am now partially machine and partially human.

My larynx was destroyed when I died, hence this power of mine is my only way to communicate with others. It would appear that only humans can hear it, and only people that I select may hear what I have to "say" at any given time. As for my manipulation of machinery through an unseen telekinetic force, neither Malcolm nor I were able to surmise where it had originated.

Since the beginning or my second life, I have acted as both a daughter and an assistant to Malcolm. However, my powers are hard to control, and hence I was sent here to learn to control them. Originally I was built with repurposed car parts and scrap metal, but I have since been altered and upgraded. Most of my machinery is accessible through metal panels on various limbs. I perform maintenance through said panels. I need a perpetual exposure to sunlight and the occasional intake of oil, but do not require any food or water. Has my explanation aided in dispelling your confusion?

Anita's brow was deeply furrowed, but she responded, "Yes, it did. I just... I have a hard time with the whole 'back from the dead' thing. It just seems a little... wrong to me. The dead are meant to stay dead." A shiver rolled down her spine. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she looked at Lizzy. "Not that I'm not glad you're alive, or anything! I just don't know if it should ever be done again, you know?"

Of course. I understand your stance on the matter~ it is one many people share.

"So your powers let you communicate in the way you do, and manipulate machinery? That's pretty awesome!" Ben commented.

Well, there is one other ability I possess, but it is not much of a "power", per say, but more of a helpful program built in to my eye cameras and main processor. To some extent, I can identify people's super powers.

My blood ran cold. If Lizzy could identify people's powers, my secret wouldn't be so secret for long. "How so?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.

It's not perfect, Lizzy replied, but it's more than most people have. Those with superpowers have a certain aura about them. Depending on what their powers are, the aura is slightly different. Those with similar powers have similar auras. Similarly, those with stronger powers have stronger auras about them. The issue is, I can't be sure if a person's powers unless I have something to go off of. I can tell if someone lies about there powers, however.

"What do you mean something to go off of?" Ben inquired, flickering his eyes uneasily to me.

Think of it like how police officers use finger prints at crime scenes to identify a culprit. The finger prints are helpful, but they don't tell you who the person was that left them by them selves. You need to have the culprit's finger prints as well in order to match the prints to a face. When I look at Anita, I know that she does not have super speed, because I know what a super speed aura looks like: she does not have one. However, I don't know what her abilities consist of specifically unless I am told them or if I guess. She smiled at us then looked each of us in the eyes. And what about you? What are your powers?

"Well, I create illusions. I can make people see things that aren't there, or not see things that are there. It comes in handy surprisingly often. I mean, If your enemy can't see their surroundings, how can they hope to attack? Of course, it's useless against things that aren't alive, like your machine from earlier, or things that can't see, like Ella's plants."