The Misfits

Elias

In the morning he woke up to find all three girls in bed with him. Ally was on top of him. Halley was in her usual starfish position, with an arm and leg over him. Joss had her face up against him and Ally, and an arm wrapped around his.

He was effectively immobilized without waking everyone up. It was already on camera, but Elias wasn’t sure whether Peg would be happy to see this or upset.

Joss stirred and looked over at him. She had a big grin on her face, thinking that he would make a good father if this is how he is with children.

She got up and moved Ally off of him so he could scoot out. Joss kissed him before hurrying off to pee.

He followed her, keeping back enough so she wouldn’t think we have trying to peek, although he should have considering what she did the night before.

Jocelyn wasn’t concerned with him peeking, but the sound embarrassed her.

Elias could care less.

She finished and flushed, opening the little door, and walking out.

There was a blur as Ally went by, pulled her clothes down and sat. Elias’s jaw dropped. Not because of what he saw, but because he had just been out done by a five-year-old.

Joss turned his head and closed his mouth, suppressing a laugh. If, as she wished, they ever did get married and had kids, two bathrooms was a must or pool Elias might never be able to pee.

Ally finished and flushed, coming back out.

Joss pushed Elias in, while stopping Ally. While Elias went, Joss bent over and told Ally, “Sweety, there’s a door there so people don’t see you.”

“Elias said the cameras don’t see in there.”

“Well, that’s partially right. With the little door closed, they can’t see you. But you didn’t close it, and even if Elias and I were in the way of the camera, I’m pretty sure Elias saw you.

“Oh. Okay, well…” she said shrugging.

Joss tried to remember back to five. Stuff like nudity wasn’t really an issue. At least not until puberty. “Okay, well, in the future try to remember the door, so Elias doesn’t get embarrassed. And the guards don’t need to see you.”

“Okay,” Ally said, and Joss took her hand, going to the sink where they washed up, and brushed their teeth and hair. By the time they were done, Halley was up and she used the bathroom while Elias was at the sink.

Ally made sure the door was closed for Halley, as she stood, leaning on it, as she explained to a confused Halley why to close the door.

She ended with, “…so you should make sure the little door is closed, so Elias doesn’t see your girl parts, like he did mine.”

Halley, still half asleep said, “What??” and Elias nearly choked on toothpaste.

Joss came over and cleared everything up, herding the young girl to the counter knowing Peg would be here soon.

Halley joined Elias at the sink, looking at him strange. He finally said, “What?”

“Isn’t she a little young for you? I’m older and I was too young.”

Elias groaned and Halley grinned a mouth full of toothpaste. “Gotcha.”

“I’m so stealing your clothes and towel next time you shower,” he told her.

“So, you can see me naked too?”

“I… argh! I’m gonna let Enya babysit you.”

She stopped. “You wouldn’t.”

He realized what he had said. He hung is head. “No, I wouldn’t.”

They finished and Elias said, “Shot time.”

They went to the bed where Halley sat down. Elias got stuff ready, and Ally came over wanting to watch. Neither of them cared.

Halley lifted up her shirt and Elias gave her the shot in her stomach.

Elias got up and sat next to Joss, who took his hand.

Halley sat on the bed explaining that she had to take insulin and why, even going so far as to show the younger girl her scar.

The two older kids sat together watching. “You’re good with kids. You’re going to make a good daddy,” Joss said, causing him to look at her, wishing he could read her mind. “Someday,” she added.

Peg came in with a small cart with trays on it. She brought in two, setting them in front of the two younger kids, then brought in two more, setting them in front of Elias and Jocelyn.

“After breakfast, Allyson and Elias will be going to a lab, and Halley and Jocelyn will go to the rec room,” she said.

The kids nodded and began eating, while Peg left. Ally finished first, then proceeded to finish what was left on everyone else’s trays.

Elias grabbed a left and held it up, pulling up her pant leg.

“Hey!” she said, tipping up.

“What? I had to see if you had hollow legs or something. You eat so much, I don’t know where it all goes.”

She laughed, and the others joined in.

“Alright, we better start getting ready,” Joss said. She used the shower to change into her exercise clothes, then Halley went next, putting on her swimsuit.

Elias got out fresh clothes and a swimsuit for Ally who changed last. He gave Joss a pair of shorts for him to change into later on, providing they made it to the rec room.

The two younger girls were occupied doing something, so Elias went to talk to Jocelyn. “We can’t let them take her. They will ship her around from Facility to Facility for the rest of her life.”

“So, what do we do?” Joss asked.

“We leave. She leaves in three weeks or so, so we leave in two.”

“Leave? To where? And how do we get out?” Joss asked.

He could tell she was a little panicked. Elias took her face in his hands, looking into her eyes.

“Breathe,” he said, and she took a breath. He kissed her softly, then said, “Yes. Leave this place. As to where, I don’t know but anyplace is better than being held here. I’m still working on how to get out, but I’ll find a way. I’m part what there since I can control the doors and cameras. The elevator is next. And once we get outside, we’ll run and figure it out from there.”

She took his hand that were on her face and squeezed them.

“I’m sorry. I trust you. I’m just worried about what happens to me when we do go.”

“You’ll be fine. I promise,” he told her. She hugged him tight, and he put his arms around her.

Joss heard giggling and opened her eyes. The two younger girls were looking at them, giggling.

“What are you giggling at?” she asked them.

“Oh, nothing,” Halley said.

Joss let go of Elias and ran to the girls, using a hand to tickle each of them. Both fell back on the bed, laughing.

They were still laughing when Peg came in. Halley and Joss left with her and the other two waited.

A guard came with his gun out and Elias picked up Ally and said, “That’s not necessary. You’re scary enough without it.”

That got Ally to blush in his arms. He followed the guard’s directions to a lab and when he got there, he thought it looked familiar. It might have been the lab he first had been taken to, to get his blood drawn.

Figuring what was to come, he swung Ally around and sat in the chair, putting her on his lap. She didn’t seem to mind, and he put an arm around her middle.

No one was there but them, so he asked, “Are you scared of needles or blood?”

She nodded her head and said, “I don’t like needles and blood is icky. Why?”

“I think you’re here to have blood taken.”

“Oh,” she said slumping a little.

Cael walked into the lab and looked at Ally. Seeing no cuffs, he looked nervous.

Elias took the hand around her and took her hand, putting both their arms around her.

“Well, since you’re both here, I might as well get blood taken from both of you,” Cael said.

“I’ll go first,” Elias said, putting his arm out.

Ally watched what Cael did until blood started going into the tube, at which time she turned her head away.

When Cael finished, he indicated it was Ally’s turn. Elias could sense Cael didn’t want to touch the girl. He took Ally’s arm, stretching it out, holding on to her hand.

Cael moved quick, trying to touch the girl as little as possible.

Elias felt her flinch when the needle went in, and he rubbed her using the arm that was around her other arm.

“You’re doing good. It’s almost over,” he said, trying to ease her anxiety.

Cael finished and put a cotton ball over the site and taped it down.

“All done,” Elias said. “You did good.” He hugged her with the one arm.

“If you would move over here,” Cael said as a platform slid out of the wall. Cael put a small pillow at one end, so Elias stood, picking up Ally in both arms and laid her back down on the platform.

“This is to measure brain activity,” Cael said in explanation.

Elias had ahold of her hand, so Cael pulled a bunch of wires from an opening in the wall and using small, white, sticky dots, put them all around her head and face, attaching wires to the dots.

When he finished, he said, “Try to stay motionless for a few minutes,” as he walked to a monitor on the wall.

Ally stayed as still as she could until he told her it was okay to move. Next, he pulled out a small screen that stayed attached to the wall and tipped it, so it faced down.

“Now, try to stay still and watch the screen.”

Elias squatted, still holding her hand, to look at the monitor too. It displayed pictures in a slideshow. It seemed to be sort of random, showing animals, nature scenes, car accidents, explosions, and other stuff both violent and not.

When that finished, Cael said, “One more thing and then you can go.” He walked over and placed a cube of something on the platform next to Ally.

“Lay still and put your hand on that and use your ability on it.” He stepped away like she might lunge for him.

Elias put her hand on the cube and slid his hand up her arm and waited.

“Any time,” Cael said.

Elias waited.

“Elias?” Ally said.

“What?”

“I can’t do it if you’re touching me.”

“Oh, sorry,” he said, removing his hand from her.

The block waivered and then just kind of floated away in little particles.

“Okay, as soon as I remove the wires you can go,” Cael said.

Elias took her hand again and Cael removed the wires, put everything back into the wall and started to walk off.

“What about the white things?”

“Just pull them off,” Cael said without stopping.

“Chicken,” Elias said quietly, getting Ally to giggle and cluck. He pulled off all the white dots, sticking them to the platform just to spite Cael.

Ally sat up and Elias turned around and said, “Piggyback ride.”

“Yay,” Ally said, climbing on his back, putting her arms around his neck. He grabbed her legs and walked out to the waiting guard, who looked at them strangely, but said nothing.

“Lead the way to the rec room my good man,” Elias said to the guard, getting Ally to giggle again.

The guard gave him directions, which he pretty much knew, as this was the way to the lab where he met Ally, so he turned as the man told him, already knowing the way.

He entered the rec room, and everyone was there. Elias introduced Ally to everyone while she was still on his back.

Joss came up and scratched the girl’s back. She pushed up against Elias, enjoying it.

“Elias, my head is itchy,” she said.

Joss looked at the girl’s head and pulled a white dot that Elias had missed off. “Ah, brain scan. Come on, let’s go to the shower and I’ll fix you all up,” Joss said, taking the girl from Elias’s back, putting her on her own hip.

Elias turned and she said, “I’ve had it done. I know how bad it will itch as the glue dries. I’ll wash her hair really good.”

“Thanks,” Elias said.

Joss kissed him and Ally kissed his cheek, giggling.

“Go on monkey. Go get cleaned up.”

“You can come too. We’ll have clothes on.”

“I should talk to some of the kids about the timetable and ideas. I’ll see you two when you get done.”

Joss carried Ally to the bathroom and Elias went to talk to Bree, as her emotion control could come in handy in their attempted escape.

He also talked to Devon, Mitch, and Roy, as each of their powers might be necessary. Devon could teleport objects short distances, Mitch could create a bubble that sped up time inside, and Roy absorbed electricity.

While nothing was certain, it was always possible that each could become useful should certain things happen or go wrong. He explained what Ally could do and that they would be moving her in three weeks, so their escape would have to be before that.

They all understood and through the sooner they all escaped the better.

Elias was still vague on actual details, so it wouldn’t get back to anyone and ruin the plan.

Joss and Ally came back, still wet, and both in a good mood. Elias watched as Joss took Ally into the pool and was teaching her to swim, along with Halley.

All of the younger kids watched, giving Ally encouragement and pointers. The older kids did their own thing, except for Frank, who kept an eye on everyone.

Elias knew he was being a lifeguard of sorts. He didn’t have to, but since water manipulation was his ability, he looked out for the younger kids and occasionally provide them with some entertainment, like animals, water fountains, or whirlpools.

Frank was quiet and kept to himself mostly, but Elias had a feeling that he actually enjoyed doing tricks for the kids. Elias sat on the edge of the pool and watched Joss, Halley, and Ally.

Ally was a fast learner and went from dog paddling to swimming pretty quickly. Joss left Ally with Halley, knowing that Frank would be keeping an eye on the girl, and went to Elias.

She held on to his legs and put her chin on his knees. “So, how was your talks?”

“Good. Your student is a natural, it looks like.”

“Yep, she’s smart. Come swim with me,” she said, pulling on his legs.

“Let me go change, I’ll be right back.” Elias changed and swam with the other kids.

Peg came to get them before dinner.

Jocelyn, Ally, and Elias were the last three.

Joss kissed Elias and Ally said, “Me next.” She picked the girl up and gave her a big, wet, noisy kiss on the cheek.

“Now Elias again.”

She kissed him again.

“Yay,” Ally sang.

Joss put a finger on her nose and said, “You be good sprout.”

“I will.”

Peg came and got Joss, the came back for Elias and Allyson.

He squatted down and said, “Climb on monkey,” and she did. Elias gave her a piggyback ride to their room.

Peg left without saying anything.

“Shower time,” Elias told her. He gathered her clothes and a towel and turned around to hand them to her, but she wasn’t there. Looking around, he caught sight of her naked rear end, walking into the shower and a trail of clothing from the bed to the shower.

He sighed and walked to the shower, picking up the strewn clothes as he went. Extending the shelf, he put the towel and clothes on it, and said, “Your towel and clothes are out here. And you’re supposed to get undressed in the shower. I saw your butt.”

“So?” she said from inside the shower.

He gave up and went to get his clothes.

Ally showered and got dressed, in the shower, and then Elias got in when she got out.

He washed and dressed and when he got out, Ally was sitting at the table eating.

Peg had brought the food and left in a hurry apparently.

Elias had started to order extra food for Ally since she ate everything in sight. After dinner, Ally always wanted to watch a movie, so Elias let her pick one and they watched it.

She was falling asleep as it ended so he tucked her in and kissed her goodnight.

Once she was asleep, he went to the computer and started his tools. After logging in as a superuser, he sent another email.

This one said:

A new player has entered the tourney and they are backed by a different sponsor. This player has awesome skills, so I had to move up my timetable if I’m going to win this before other players win and she gets moved to a new tourney. No estimate this time but a hard deadline of two weeks from today. Can’t see any other option, or we’ll lose everything. Too much prize money involved to lose. I hope to get some clan backup for this little outing, or I’ll get pwned. Still have no idea where final contest is to be held. Hope you do.

-EzKill

With that sent, he worked into the night to find a way to get access to the elevator with no luck before going to bed.