The Misfits

Elias

Elias woke up that morning to find Halley pressed up against him, and arm and a leg draped over him. She snored softly and he really didn’t want to wake her, but he needed to use the bathroom.

He moved her arm and then her leg and slid across the bed carefully without waking her. After using the bathroom, he washed his hands and face, then walked back towards the bed.

Something caught his eye, and he turned his head to look. Walking down the corridor past his room to the end was a tiny girl who couldn’t have been more than five. She had blond hair, which hung down in ringlets to her shoulders.

The girl wasn’t even four feet tall, but her hands were in these strange looking handcuff type restraints. There were two guards that seemed to loom over her since she was so small.

They walked past out of sight.

Elias would have gone to the wall to try to see more, but he already knew it wasn’t possible. He also knew there was a room to the right of him and it had been empty, as far as he knew, since he’d been able to get out.

Elias wondered who the new girl was. He went back over to the bed, rubbing Halley’s back and talking to her until she woke up.

She rolled over, blinking. It took her a second to remember where she was. Her restriction of no visiting was short lived, as her period was short lived as well.

She discussed it with Joss, not Peg, and they figured it was a side effect of her healing, not her actual menses.

When Elias saw her eyes clear, he smiled and said, “We have a new inmate. Another girl, who they took next door to the empty room.

“Oh?” she said.

“Yeah. Young too. Probably younger than Selim.”

She didn’t seem interested and rolled over, shoving the pillow under her head.

Elias slightly swatted her bottom. “Get up. Time for your shot and then get read for breakfast.” He got up and got her insulin ready.

Elias thought he was trying to go back to sleep as she pulled the sheet back over herself. He was about to yank it off when she pulled it aside slightly, revealing a thin bare leg.

“Thigh,” she said.

He wasn’t going to make an issue of it if she cared if he saw her without her pants on, although there really wasn’t much difference between her underpants and her swimsuit.

Elias rubbed the alcohol pad on her leg and waved his hand over it to dry, then injected her. It bled a little, so he rubbed it with the wipe, then pulled the sheet back over her.

She wiggled around, pulling her pants back on, then hopped out of the bed and headed straight for the toilet. She washed up and Peg walked in with their breakfast.

“The schedule for today has changed. Jocelyn and Halley will be allowed to go to the rec room today if they wish. Elias, you will be accompanied to a secure lab to assist with testing. We only have a limited time with the subject, so this might disrupt things for a while. Since the groups are getting along, they might be able to continue without you.”

Peg left, leaving the kids wondering what was going on. They finished eating and Elias gave Halley a hug and asked her to let Joss know what was going on and why he wouldn’t be there so she wouldn’t worry.

Peg came back to get the trays and Halley, leaving Elias alone.

A few minutes later, a guard dressed in all black came to get Elias and led him down the corridor to the end, and then left. They passed several doors on both sides and passed what he thought was the corridor that made up one side of the rec room before entering an open door to his right.

The rear half of the room was divided in half by a clear partition, and the left side was blocked off in front as well. The right side was open, and the guard pointed to it, so Elias walked over and into it.

Another clear partition slid towards the middle, closing his side off from both the left side as well as the other part of the lab.

He could see into both areas, and neither had anyone in them. With nowhere to sit, he stood and waited. Several minutes passed before the wall to the left room slid open and a guard brought in the girl Elias had seen earlier in the strange handcuffs.

He led her into the left area and then retreated past where the wall had been, watching it slide shut before leaving the room.

Elias watched the girl, who just stood there looking around, until Doctor Tanaka, Doctor Li, and their assistant Cael came into the lab area.

Tables with equipment on them rose from the floor until it looked more like a science lab than an empty white room.

Cael walked to a computer and did something that caused the wall between the girl and Elias to retract back into the back wall.

Elias could see that the little girl was scared. He squatted down, looking at the doctors who seemed not to care.

Turning back to the girl, he said, ’’My name is Elias. I won’t hurt you. I’m a prisoner here too. What’s your name?”

She looked down, like she wanted to hide behind something. “Allyson,” the girl said quietly. “Ally.”

“Well, Ally, it’s probably safe to assume you’re here because you have special powers. There are twelve of us here like you, so you’re not alone. I know you must be scared, and probably feel all alone, but you’re not. The people here are not good people, but they haven’t hurt us. Can you come over here?”

Allyson looked around hesitantly and when no one told her no, she took a step towards Elias. Nothing happened, so she took another, and another, until she was next to him.

Elias put a hand out and the little girl flinched. “It’s okay, I just want to see what they did to you,” he said pointing to the strange looking handcuffs.

She raised her hands and Elias took one hand in his, holding it while he looked at the thing around her wrists. It looked part metal, part electronic. Lights were in several places, glowing green and Elias could feel a thrum going through the metal when he touched it.

Suddenly the glowing green lights started turning red, one by one. When the final one turned red, a speaker overhead said, “Mr. Stewart, if you would be so kind as to remove the device from young Ms. Robb’s hands, please.

Elias looked at Ally. “Are you okay?”

She looked at him and nodded.

“I’m going to take this off of you. I’ll be careful so I don’t hurt you.” He saw where the ends had opened a fraction, so he pulled up on one and it moved up to click into place vertically. Doing the same to the other side, he carefully lowered it, removing her wrists from the device.

He set it down and took both of her wrists, gently rubbing where it had left indentations in her skin. She let him, watching carefully.

“You’re not afraid of me?” she asked.

“Why should I be?”

“Because I could hurt you,” she said as if it were fact.

“You might. And if I do something to deserve it, go ahead. But I was taken from my house, from my parents, and I bet you were too. So that makes us friends in my book. It’s safe as long as we do what they tell us, so if they tell you to hurt me, then go ahead, I won’t be mad,” he told her.

“Very touching Mr. Stewart, and an interesting idea. But we’ll save that for later. Now Ms. Robb, if you would be so kind as to give us a demonstration of your power,” Dr. Tanaka said.

Ten small pillars rose from the floor, stopping at eye level for Allyson.

“Try each one, please,” the doctor said.

Ally moved, with Elias by her side, to the first object. It was a small block of wood.

Elias looked down the row and saw each target was made of different kinds of material. Wood, rubber, cloth, different kinds of metals

He watched as she put a finger on the block and it kind of shimmered and slowly dissolved into nothing. She moved to the next one and Elias moved closer to watch.

It looked like the rubber ball was removed magically. If it was on a computer monitor, it would look like the object lost line by line of pixels as they just floated away. The girl went through each, using one finger until she got to the seventh.

For the last three, she put all of her fingers on them, and they simply floated away as well.

When she had finished, Dr. Tanaka said, “Very good. Now we will try organic material.”

The pillars went back into the floor. Others came out. These held animals. Lab mice, a cat, a rabbit, a dog, a goat, and a cow.

Allyson looked at the animals and cried, “No!” She grabbed ahold of Elias, putting her face into his side. He put his arm around her and said, “Doctor, you can’t be serious. Half of these could be considered pets by a girl her age. This is just cruel.”

“A test must be performed,” the doctor said. “They are all organic and alive. Will one suffice? Say, the biggest one?”

The doctor thought it over, then said, “I suppose.”

Elias bent over and picked the girl up, setting her on his hip. She looked at him, scared.

“I know you don’t want to do this, but they will find a way to make you. So one is better than all of them, right?”

She looked at the animals and slowly nodded.

“And a cow is nice, but it’s not a bunny, or a cat or a dog, right?”

She nodded again.

“Do you have to look to do what you do?”

“No,” she said quietly, her small lip and chin quivering as she tried not to cry.

“All right. Then here’s what we’ll do. You put your head down, and I’ll put your hand on it. You don’t have to watch. Okay?”

Her big eyes looked into his and she nodded, her blond curls bouncing.

Elias used his free hand to put her head on his shoulder, facing away from the cow. He took her arm, and out it out, and turned her, moving so her hand touched the cow.

Making sure he wasn’t touching her skin, he said, “Okay.” Her small hand was on the short, wiry fur of the cow, and Elias watched as it simply disappeared into thin air.

He could hear and feel her crying, so he said, “You know, that’s kind of cool. I wish I cold have done that at dinner time to the veggies I didn’t want to eat. Artichokes and asparagus. Ick.”

Even though she was crying, she giggled. “I like asparagus. I’d to it to mushrooms.”

“Oh, double ick. Definitely.” To the doctor, he said, “There. Next?”

“One last test for now. Please set Ms. Robb down.”

Elias set the girl down, squatted and wiped the tears from her face.

“Now, Ms. Robb, please touch Mr. Stewart and attempt to disrupt his molecular cohesion.”

Elias could see the girl look confused. “He means to try to make me disappear like the cow.”

Her big eyes got huge. She had gray eyes, but now Elias could make out the think blue streaks in them.

“I’ll tell you a secret.”

She looked at him, scared.

“Like you, I have powers too. But my power is to make other people’s powers not work. So go ahead and do what they want. If your power works, they will have finally found someone stronger than me. If that’s you, then I’ll be glad to have gotten to meet you.”

She shook her head, her little chin wobbling as she tried to hold in the tears.

He took her hand and put it on his chest. “It’s okay. Don’t you worry your pretty blond curls. Try.”

She closed her eyes and did.

Elias looked down, saw what had happened and said, “Well crap. That wasn’t so well thought out.”

Allyson opened her eyes, said, “You said a bad word.” Then she saw he no longer had a shirt on and giggled.

He put her hand back on his now bare chest. She had caused his shirt to dematerialize. “Let’s try this again, shall we? Don’t’ worry, it’ll all be okay,” he said, hoping he was right.

He felt a tingle, and nothing happened.

Allyson looked at him in shock.

He didn’t think her eyes could get any bigger, but they did.

“You didn’t go away!” she said surprised.

“Nope. Told you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stewart. If you would be so kind as to put the cuffs back on her,” Dr. Tanaka said.

“No. It’s inhumane to do to a little kid. Her room is right next to mine. I’ll hold her hand all the way back. She can’t do anything that way.”

“That is imposs-”

“Ask Peg. She can make it happen. Better yet, let me take her to the rec room. You guys are terrorizing this little girl. Give her a bit to be a little girl.”

Doctor Tanaka started to reply but was cut off. The speaker went quiet, but Elias could see the doctor talking to someone. The doctor stopped talking and then their speaker became active again.

“You will hold the child, who will be in contact with you physically at all times, to the rec room, and afterwards to her own room. Understand, and make sure she understands, that any attempt at escape ir improper activity, and you will all be gassed and lose all privileges.”

“Fine,” Elias said.

“Also, you will be required to escort Ms. Robb around, maintaining physical contact until she leaves us, unless you wish her to be placed back into the restraints.”

“Fine. Whatever. Move her into my room even. I don’t care, just stop this cruelty to an innocent little girl,” Elias said.

The speaker cut out again. Elias watched for the doctor to talk but he didn’t. Another voice cut in instead. “An excellent idea Elias. You will be her babysitter for the next three weeks. Remember, you will be held responsible for any… mishaps,” Peg Hawkins disembodied voice told him.

He rolled his eyes. One more girl to have to deal with. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to deal with more jealousy issues.

“Of course. I’m the Facility whipping boy. Fine.”

He bent down, and picked Allyson up again, putting heron his hip. “What to go meet a couple of friends and play?” he asked.

She looked at him, surprised, and said, “Really?”

He could hear the excitement in her voice. “Yep. You’ll like the girls.”

He put his head next to hers and whispered, “The older one is my secret girlfriend here. But you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

He pulled his head back and she had a serious look on her face and nodded. “Okay. Hang on and make sure you’re touching my skin.”

“Duh, you aren’t wearing a shirt,” she said.

“Well, who’s fault is that? Just make sure not to do that to my pants. Then I’d be going around in my underwear. Wouldn’t that look silly?”

She laughed.

“Alright, let’s go,” he said to everyone who was listening.

The doctors and their assistant Cael left the room, and everything lowered back into the floor.

Once that finished, the wall partitions slid open, and Elias moved towards the open door. A guard peered in, then jumped back when he saw they were close.

“Chill, dude. Relax,” Elias said.

The man held a gun of sorts out, using it to point the way.

Elias thought he knew where he was and was proved correct when he walked up the corridor and turned right to the waiting open door. He entered and the door closed behind him.

“Elias!” Halley cried. She was jumping rope with Joss. Both stopped and walked towards him as he walked to them.

“And who is this little cutie?” Joss asked, touching Ally’s cheek.

“This is Allyson and she’ll be here with us for like three weeks.” To Allyson, he said, “This is Halley and Jocelyn,” pointing at each in turn.

“Ally,” she said shyly.

“And you can call me Joss.”

Elias set the girl down. “Can you swim?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“That’s ok, we’ll teach you,” Halley told her. “You want to play a game? Or do a puzzle?”

“O-okay,” Ally said.

Elias squatted down and said, “No powers, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied.

Halley took her hand and they walked to the snack table before going to the table where the puzzles and games were.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today, and shirtless no less,” Joss said, putting a hand on his bare chest.

He put his hand over hers. “I wasn’t expecting either as well. The squirt got rid of my shirt. Rather permanently I think.”

“Oh? What does she do?” Joss asked.

“I don’t think it’s the technical term, but she basically disintegrates things. She touches something and it basically floats away, bit by bit, until nothing is left.”

Joss stared at him in wide-eyed wonder.

“And, um, for the next three weeks, I’m her babysitter, chaperone, and I’m pretty sure, roommate.”

Joss’s eyes widened.

“So, no more movies?” she asked.

“Actually, I think Peg’s plan is to use her between us. So, I think things will continue, just with her added.”

“Halley will like that I think. Now she’ll have a younger sister.”

“And you?”

“Sure, another one. Plus, it might give me an excuse to sleep in your bed,” she said with a grin.

“Like you need an excuse,” he said.

Halley and Ally played, and Elias worked out with Joss until it was time to go. Elias cleaned up some since he would have to carry her.

Joss used the time to kiss a bit before going back out of the restroom.

Halley left first and Joss said goodbye to Ally, who whispered something to her, causing her to smile. She in turn whispered something to Ally, then tickled the girl, then pushed her fingers into the girl still tickling her.

Ally laughed, with the feeling and seeing Joss’s fingers disappear into her body. She gave her a hug after she pulled her fingers out, and Peg came to get Jocelyn.

Elias picked up Ally, wondering if Peg would be back or just a guard.

Peg showed up and looked at Elias and Ally and decided all was right, and let Elias walk back.

His door was open, so he paused, not knowing if Ally was supposed to go into his room now, or later.

Peg motioned him into his room, so he went in. He set Ally down and said, “Make yourself at home. I think it will be until you leave.”

Peg walked behind them, seemingly not afraid of Ally, although she didn’t get too close.

“You too?” he asked. “She’s what, five? She’s not some serial killer or evil person. At most, if something did happen it was accidental or even uncontrolled powers. The girl was in tears when they told her to kill a bunny or a cat or dog. She only touched me when I told her it wouldn’t work on me, hoping I was right. If I didn’t, I don’t think she would have agreed to it.”

“Point taken,” Peg conceded. “Which is why I agreed to ask about your supervision. This way, not only can she be tested in the lab, but we can observe her with others. Of course, all of the subjects are in possible jeopardy. Your friends Halley and Jocelyn especially. So, if something does happen, remember you thought her harmless, and it will be on your head.”

“I believe in her, so that’s fine.”

Peg nodded. “Her stuff will be brought over, and dinner will be brought. You will escort her to testing, and after, you will both be allowed to go to the rec room if there is still time. All your other activities will continue as normal, and tonight, both Halley and Jocelyn will join you. Make sure to order breakfast for the both of you. The others will be provided like normal.

“Do you need anything to add or questions?”

“Can you get Ally a swimsuit?”

Peg nodded. “It will be with her supplies when they come. Is that all?”

Elias nodded. “Yeah, unless there’s anything else I need to know. No medical conditions or anything to worry about, like with Halley?”

“No. Nothing.”

“Okay, then it’ll all be fine, don’t worry,” he told her.

She looked skeptical but left.

With nothing for Ally to do right away, Elias started up the computer and found a game for her to play. He took the stuff out of one of his drawers and put it all into one drawer so she had a place for her stuff.

Peg came back with a bag and handed it to Elias, who was sitting on the floor by the drawer for her.

He unpacked it all, showing her the new swimsuit as well, before opening the third drawer that held the towels and wash clothes.

They stood up and he showed her the mirror and storage behind it, putting her hairbrush and toothbrush in it for her.

Next, he showed her the shower, telling her how to dispose of her old clothes, and how to pull out the bench seat and what to do to get shampoo, and not the stuff that will make her hair fall out.

She was inquisitive and wanted to know why they would have that.

He explained that razors were dangerous, so they wanted to shave legs or faces or whatnot, they had to use the cream instead.

“I could put it all over and pretend I’m a hairless cat,” she said.

“And lose those pretty curls? Why would you want that?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t.”

“Good. I think they would get mad at me if you did, so don’t,” he said, running his fingers through her curly hair.

Last stop was the toilet and she wanted to know why it was blocked off. “So other people don’t see you. There are cameras in the rooms, so the showers and the toilet are the only places they don’t watch us. It wouldn’t be right if they did since we’re all kids,” Elias explained.

“Oh. Okay. The tour done, he took her back to the table and her game. He sat and watched her play until their dinner came.

Peg came in with two trays and sat them down in front of the kids. “Enjoy,” she said leaving.

Elias had to hold back the laughter watching the girl eat. She had hot dogs and fries, a pickle and a small piece of corn on the cob, and she pretty much inhaled the food. When she finished, he looked around in mock surprise, looking in her lap and around her, then asked, “Did you zap all that food? It just disappeared.”

She giggled. “No, I ate it all.”

“Wow. Are you still hungry?” he asked, and she nodded. He stood, picked her up and put her on his stool where a lot of his food was still there.

Ally looked at him. “You don’t want it?” He put his hand on her back. “I can get more if I get hungry, so eat. It seems to be a trend here. Hungry kids.”

He was still hungry but wasn’t surprised when she wolfed down his food as well.

The couch-bed rose, and Ally jumped a little.

“It’s okay. It’s getting late and the other girls should be here soon. That’s where we all watch movies, and I guess your new bed.”

Elias picked her up and he belched.

“Oops. Sorry, you squeezed it out,” she said, and Elias laughed. He took her to the bed and sat her down. “Relax while all that food goes down. I still need to shower. I’ll be right back.”

He collected his things and got in the shower. Several minutes later, there was a knock on the shower glass. He went over to the far door and slid it open a little, fully aware that the glass was frosted, but it was still glass, and see through in a manor.

Sticking his head out, he said, “Yes?” to the girl standing there obviously not concerned in the slightest.

“Halley and Jocelyn said to tell you they are here,” Ally said to him.

The two girls started laughing as he looked over at them. “Could you go zap their pants and tops?” he asked.

She shrugged and turned back to them.

“Wait! Wait. It would serve them right, but they might not like it. Never mind. Go tell them thank you, and next time they will lose their clothes, would you?”

“Sure,” Ally said, skipping over to them, telling them.

Halley stopped laughing as did Joss, but he could see the evil smile on her face.

He finished showering and got dressed, then came out of the shower. Elias brushed his hair before going over to the bed. “Ally and Halley can pick the movie,” he said, and Halley took Ally’s hand and went over to the computer.

Halley showed the younger girl the movies and they went through the list. Allyson picked an animated one about a family of superheroes.

Joss was on one side of Elias as Halley was normally on the other, so Elias pulled Ally up onto him. Her head was on his chest and her feet went to his knees. She saw but didn’t say anything when Joss took Elias’s hand.

The two younger girls had already schemed and had picked the sequel to watch after, so Elias gave in and let them watch a second movie. Ally fell asleep halfway through, and Halley was out before it ended.

Joss got up, careful not to wake the girls and let Elias slide over so Joss could pick Ally up and lay her on the bed so he could get up.

Elias pulled the sheet over the two girls and laid in his bed where Joss joined him. “So, is this what a parent of two kids feels like?” she asked.

Elias looked at her. “I think there’s more to it than just this. But sure, this is probably the fun part.”

Joss didn’t say it, but she was beginning to feel that there might be a more fun part, that not too long ago never would have crossed her mind. She snuggled closer to Elias and kissed him.

Joss was tired but continued kissing him for some time before finally falling asleep while kissing him.

Elias laughed to himself and went to sleep.