Virus
Chapter Eighteen- Kira

Of course, there was no exact way to predict when a crime would occur. I bet if someone did invent a way to predict that, it would’ve been on the news. And they would’ve become extremely rich. Also, most of the crimes committed were small offenses, and the fact that my parents flew to another continent suggested that they were not here to fight against petty crime. I don’t know how they got tipped off, but something big was happening or about to happen in France, and I needed to replace out where and what. Also, another thing would be tracking down the city. France was not exactly a small place, and therefore the infraction could happen anywhere. I could keep track of the flight logs, so I would know when they left… but wait! Couldn’t I do the same in reverse? Cracking into the airport database took a while, but the results were worth it. Alex and Philippe Despointeas had arrived at the airport in Paris not long ago, as was expected. Afterwards, I hopped between various records and websites, cross-referencing as needed. They had booked a room in a hotel for a month as expected, but then… Alex and Philippe Despointeas had checked into a hotel in another city three days later… and this pattern repeated a couple more times. Even stranger, there were no criminal catches in the places they had been. It seemed as if my parents weren’t catching something- they were running from it. This was strange- in the rare moments all three of us had been doing something together as a family, my family had never seemed like the kind to hide. This was strange… Their last registered location was in Montpellier. That would be where I was heading… I checked out of the inn and booked transport.

The trip to Montpellier was uneventful- that was the strange part about this adventure. The catastrophes always happened in a specific place, but not in between. I don’t mean that in a bad way, of course. It gives me time to think, to relax, instead of constantly being pushed to the limit of my endurance. I arrived at Montpellier. And proceeded to do the same that I had done in Paris- booked a hotel, set up by computer, and stated looking for more information that would help me divine the whereabouts of my parents. Montpellier wasn’t the largest city in France, but it wasn’t exactly small either, with over two hundred thousand residents. However, I had the hotel where my parents were staying- that was a start. At first, my plan was simple. I could simply come in, show my documentation to the receptionist, proving that I was indeed my parent’s daughter, and therefore meet them there. However, my documentation had been changed when I received my false papers. And if I showed my real legal paperwork, if I even had it with me, then I it would have raised certain questions- the leading one being, how did I even get here? That would not do. However, checking the roster of who had received what room key, I managed to discover the room in which my parents were staying- 168. I had no way to get inside though- there was no way to hack a door. Even entering the hotel would be hard, camping outside my parent’s room would be worse. However, I had one last option before me… my parents were here on ‘hero’ business- and wasn’t the job of the hero to stop the villain?

I didn’t want to cause any actual damage, only to attract enough attention to force my parents to come stop me. I remembered plasma balls- the orbs where the electricity harmlessly touched your fingertips, but you didn’t feel a thing. I could replicate that… right? It was a sunny afternoon, which was good. There would be plenty of people out and about to see me. It was the weekend, which made me smile. I had completely forgotten about school, what with the electrocution and other unfortunate events in my way. Exiting my hotel, making sure to cover my face with the hood of my sweatshirt, I promptly walked a few blocks until I stumbled upon a plaza. “I am… VOLTAGE!” I screamed. There wasn’t much time to think of a name, and Voltage would do.

I spread my hands out in front of me, and electricity began to crackle at my fingertips, before it started to dance around the square. Fortunately, it was in my ability to keep it harmless, although that did not stop me from shattering a window or two, just to keep it realistic. Arcs of lightning leaped around the plaza, filling it with lightning. The cost of upholding this monumental drain on my strength is catching up to me- I do not know if I can uphold this for much longer. Fortunately, I do not have to worry. I see an object moving towards me- an outline. My mom has invisibility, most likely. If this was any other circumstance, she wouldn’t have been noticeable, but the arcs of electricity outlined her well enough. I stopped, then realized it was an unwise decision- I could no longer see her. Backing up, I started crackling again, just in time to didge a brick thrown at my head. But where was my dad? Suddenly, the gentle breeze that had been warming my cheeks just moments before turned into a whipping wind. My hair lashed at my face, and I heard howling from the wind. Good. They were there. Suddenly, I stopped, my hands raised in surrender. “I give up!” I announced, yanking my hood off. “Hi Mom, hi Dad.”

My parents approached me, shocked. “Kira… what?” my mom murmured.

“I wasn’t going to hurt anyone!” I insisted. “I needed to get your attention, fast. See- I only broke three windows!”

My parents stepped back and looked at me. “Come, Kira…” my dad finally remarked. “You have awoken, and there is much for you to learn…”