The Misfits

Elias

The days seem to fly by for Elias. It seems like every day there was one test or another that he took Allyson to, and several he was subjected to right along with her. With him carrying her everywhere, he became her makeshift surrogate brother and she his sister and grew attached to her.

Halley and Jocelyn were sisters, and since Halley was closer in age, they spent the most time together in the rec room and together in Elias’s room.

Elias gave up trying to sleep alone as Ally would end up next to him, or more frequently on him, and when Halley was there, they would both end up with him. Usually on him.

If Joss was there, the two younger, and two older kids would start out in separate beds, and by morning, all four would end up together.

Elias could never figure out how the two younger girls managed to outmaneuver Joss for proximity.

Movies seemed to be an ongoing thing in Elias’s room, since there was little else to keep Ally occupied, so the younger kid movies got watched, and then started to get recycled.

Ally and Halley didn’t mind so much, but Elias and Joss soon got bored. They moved to Elias’s bed and the kids would watch the movie while Elias and Joss would, while keeping it very kid friendly, make out.

All they really did was kiss, but every so often the younger two would make kissing noises and make fun of them, at which point the two would stop and do something to entertain the kids.

On rec days, most of the kids showed up now, only missing part or all of the day due to a test, or some other kind of scientific thing.

Enyastasia tried to get close to Elias again, flirting and talking to him more. Since she had become distant, Elias figured she was getting pressured to find out more from Peg or someone higher.

Elias kept it nice, talking to her about mundane things and answering questions in yes or no answers, or generalizing when need be. He wasn’t about to give her anything. As far as he knew, no one had.

Ally had taken to swimming like she was part fish, and her and Halley spent most of their time swimming both on rec days and the in-between exercise days that Ally accompanied Elias to.

Elias guessed Peg had decided to include Halley because of Ally. Bree was included on occasion, seemingly random, with no other explanation than Peg said I could.

Elias continued his hacking efforts, not making much more headway. He could access the doors and had the ability to loop the camera feeds or turn them off, but it seemed that the other services were located on another network; one that wasn’t accessible through what he did have access to.

Several times Elias snuck out to explore, seeing no one but Enya’s sometimes night workout partner. Thankfully they always faced away from the wall or he could have been seen on several occasions where lying down wasn’t in the cards for one or both of them.

His walks would sometimes take him to visit other kids to discuss some aspect of the attempted escape he thought of. Elias knew he couldn’t plan for everything, especially since so much was unknown. All he could do was come up with as many ways things could go wrong and then how to avoid or fix those.

He truly hoped that everything went right, but if not, it didn’t truly go bad, and people ended up hurt because of him.

Elias cared too much about each of them. The work out sessions every day or so were having the desired effect on Jocelyn and inspired several of the others to exercise more often.

Joss had lost more of her extra weight she had gained while at the facility, and Peg had to give her smaller clothes to wear.

Halley had a big effect on Joss’s self-esteem and self-image. Between her feelings for Elias, and her improved self-worth, she decided to try to take things further with Elias.

On Saturday of the first of the two weeks, Elias had planned to leave on, all four kids were in Elias’s room. The two younger girls picked two movies and watched them from Ally’s bed, while Elias and Joss sat and talked on his bed.

By the end of the second movie, the younger kids were asleep, and Elias tucked them in and laid down with Jocelyn.

Pulling their own sheet up, Joss moved closer to Elias and ran her fingers through his hair. They were facing each other, and Elias put his hand on her hip and up her side slightly.

He would usually rub her back, side, or belly and no more. She pulled him to her, kissing him passionately.

Lips parted and tongues explored.

Joss rolled on her back, taking Elias with her. He was partially on her and they continued kissing, but to keep himself more upright, he moved his hand to her stomach.

Feeling her now flat and toned stomach gave Elias some happiness, knowing that not only was she healthy, but also happier.

His hand was under her top, but no more than any other time, but her hand found his and he stopped everything, pulling away from the kiss.

“I’m sorry. Too much?” he asked, worried that she was having a bout of her PTSD.

“No,” she said, and smiled.

He could see her white teeth in the darkness. “Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Not a thing. It’s what’s right,” she said, moving his hand further up until it was on top of her breast. She had stopped wearing bras when Peg had given her the workout clothes, and she wore the top all the time because it was more comfortable.

All that was between his hand and her skin was a thin layer of Lycra. “It’s okay,” she said, kissing him lightly.

He squeezed gently and she made a noise of agreement before kissing him again.

“Feel free to explore under that,” she said before pulling his top up and running her hands all over his chest.

He took his time, not rushing things and wanting to be able to stop if she had bad memories that came back.

As the night progressed, both of their tops were removed and his hand found it’s way under the remaining material, to both of their satisfaction.

The two explored each other’s uncovered bodies, keeping under the covers and making sure they were quiet so as to not wake the two younger kids.

This went on for a while, until both had exhausted themselves kissing and caressing, before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

Elias awoke in the morning, not to be disappointed. How Allyson always managed to end up on tip of him without waking him, he didn’t know. He turned his head to see the top of Halley’s head between his and Jocelyn’s.

Joss was asleep but had a smile on her face. Once again Elias was pinned, so he rubbed Ally’s back, and alternated rubbing Halley’s back and Joss’s stomach to wake them all up.

Soon, the two younger girls raced for the bathroom, leaving a still smiling Joss lying next to him.

“Morning,” she said.

“Morning,” he replied, stretching to kiss her.

Ally came running back.

“Wash up and brush your teeth,” Joss said loud enough for both girls to hear.

Ally ran back and Halley followed.

Joss sat up and Elias saw that at some point, she had put her top back on. She put a hand on his chest and said, “Come on.”

He followed her to the bathroom, then to the sink that the two younger girls had just left.

Peg came in and delivered their trays while they were still at the sink. She told Elias to be ready for testing after breakfast and then left.

They ate, then Peg came for Halley and Joss, and then a guard came for Elias and Ally.

He picked her up, saying, “Come on monkey.”

The guard led them to a lab that Elias hadn’t seen before. There was a platform already up in the middle of the room.

“Place Ms. Robb on the table, please,” a voice from the ceiling said.

Elias lifted her off his hip and set her on the platform.

“Lie her down and secure her arms with the provided restraints.”

Elias wasn’t liking this. Ally laid back without complaint, looking at Elias like he would protect her from whatever they had planned.

Slots opened on the table between Ally and the edge, and from the slot between her torso and arm, a metallic looking, flexible material protruded.

Elias pulled on it and it came out. He pulled until there was enough to reach the other slot and he put the end in the slot nearest him.

It caught and automatically retracted until it held Ally’s wrist tightly to the platform. She cried out a little as it cut into her skin.

Elias stood there, helpless.

“The other, Mr. Stewart,” the voice said.

“It’s too tight. It’s hurting her.”

“The sooner this gets done, the sooner it’s over with.”

“Just do it, Elias,” Ally said.

He walked around the platform and pulled the other strap and plugged it in. It retracted and tightened, cutting into her other wrist.

She winced but said nothing.

“Please step over to the door.”

Elias did and three people walked into the room. One was a guard, holding a dart gun on Elias. The other two were in scrubs with gowns over them, and masks on.

Elias could tell it was Doctors Tanaka and Li.

Several smaller tables rose from the floor around the platform Ally was on and the platform itself tipped about fifteen degrees, raising on Ally’s left side.

Doctor Li pulled a strap around her feet, keeping them in place.

Elias watched as Dr. Tanaka pulled up Ally’s top a few inches, then pulled down the left side of her pants and underwear several inches, revealing her hip.

Ally was small and slight, and the bone protruded prominently.

“What are you doing?” Elias asked.

Everyone ignored him.

Doctor Li took some big swabs with brown liquid on them and wiped in an outward circle, a patch of skin on her hip, repeating the process with a second swab. He then put a blue cloth with a square hole in it over the area, leaving a now brown hip bone showing through the hole.

“What are you doing?” Elias demanded to know.

“Knock it off kid, or you’ll regret it,” the guard said.

Doctor Tanaka picked up a syringe and stuck it deep into Ally’s exposed hip, pressing down on the plunger, injecting her with something.

Elias saw Ally scrunch up her face in pain, but she didn’t make a sound.

The doctor swapped out his syringe, picking up one that was much larger, with a needle Elias could see clearly from where he was. “Doctor Tanaka, what are you doing?” Elias said, moving forward as the doctor plunged the needle into Ally’s hip, and into the bone as well from the depth it went in.

Allyson cried out, not able to hold in the pain that time.

“Damnit,” Elias said, raising a fist at Dr. Li as he neared. He barely heard the hiss of compressed air as the gun went off and hardly registered the pain of the dart hitting him in the shoulder.

Elias made it a few more steps before another dart hit him in the opposite shoulder. He collapsed before he made it to Dr. Li.

----------

Elias’s eyes felt like they had lead weights on them. His head also pounded, feeling like someone was tapping his head with a hammer, none too gently.

He forced his eyes open, squinting at the bright light above him. Elias tried to use his hand to shade his eyes, but he found he couldn’t move it.

Nor any of his other limbs.

He struggled but it was no use, his restraints weren’t going to give. A head moved into view, partially blocking the light.

It was Peg.

“What you did was very foolish. You were warned about interference.”

“And you’re monsters, bent on hurting poor kids,” he said, causing this head to throb more.

“I won’t deny the bone marrow removal procedure was painful, but it was necessary. She’ll be sore for a few days, but otherwise, there will be no permanent damage,” Peg told him.

“Necessary? Nothing you do is necessary. Kidnapping and torturing kids. I don’t see how those are necessary.”

Peg sighed. “That’s because you don’t see the bigger picture. These children you so associate yourself with, are, granted, special. They are also dangerous. What do you think would happen if your precious Allyson were to grow up, and realize her potential? If she’s able to destroy anything she touches, she could be a world class thief, bank robber, or even assassin.

“Little Selim and Frank could team up and nothing in the water would be safe. Above or below the surface. Bree could cause chaos almost anywhere. Government, Wall Street, foreign countries, the military, or police. Want a riot, pay little Bree. Want the police to start shooting rioters? Call little Bree. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

“What about mind readers? Telekinetics? Seers? Teleporters? Each one could cause turmoil, panic, chaos. Countries destabilized, or at war. Total destruction.”

“So, you just want to study and dissect us. Or maybe start your own eugenics program? How about cloning? Then you could have your own little army of mutant kids.”

“If that will keep the country – and the world – safe, then yes,” Peg said bluntly.

“Delusions of grandeur,” Elias muttered.

“Even so, it’ll happen with or without your active participation. So, now the question is what to do with you, and the rest of the subjects. You’ve violated our agreement, so I should put a stop to the rec room and your little sleep overs,” Peg told him.

“Do what you want to me, but don’t punish the others. I think it’s clear that as a whole, my idea helped you out.”

“Maybe we should punish everyone, using this as an example of what happens when someone disobeys. Or maybe just you. Some physical punishment possibly,” she mused.

“Whatever. I don’t care anymore.”

“Would you care if I punished your girlfriend instead? Would that make more of an impact?”

“Don’t you dare,” Elias said.

“Maybe I’ll think on it. Let things continue as they are while I come up with an appropriate punishment for you. I mean, the doctors could have told you what they intended to do, maybe things would have ended up different. You might not have agreed, and not wanted to see her hurt, but knowing it wasn’t going to do any damage, then you might not have tried to interfere. So, unless you disagree, I’ll take that into consideration. For now, take some time to recover. There is some water and some naproxen on the table next to you.

“Allyson has been given a shot for the pain, and will probably sleep for a time, but as a partial punishment for your actions, you will take her to the rec room. I’m sure neither of you will feel like doing anything, but you also won’t be comfortable.

“Plus, the others will see some of the consequences of disobeying.”

“Fine,” Elias said.

Peg nodded and the restraints slid off of him, back into their slots. She walked away, leaving Elias where he was.

He looked around, seeing Ally lying on the platform to his left. When he sat up, his head felt like it would explode.

He slid off and his legs nearly gave way. Reaching for the water and pain reliever, his head made him queasy.

Swallowing the pills, he went over to Ally who was quietly snoring. Her top was still up, and her pants down a bit, showing a square of gauze taped to her hip, which was still brown from the cleaning.

He carefully pulled everything up and over the spotted gauze, trying to make sure nothing was pressing on the wound.

Ignoring the pounding in his head, he picked Ally up, putting her head on his shoulder, holding her body to him with one arm, and her legs with the other.

His shoulder started to throb with his head, reminding him he had been shot – twice. Elias staggered a bit walking to the door, hoping he didn’t fall.

The guard who shot him was waiting outside, but Elias hurt too bad to do or say anything. Not that it would do any good.

The guard led him a few turns and they were at the rec room, where Elias stumbled in.

Halley and Jocelyn were surprised to see them after being gone so long, and Joss saw that Elias didn’t look so good.

“Elias? Are you okay?” she called from across the room.

Both girls raced across the room to them. Joss took Ally from him before he dropped the girl.

Halley walked around them, spotting two blood stains on the back of Elias’s top. She put a hand up the back of his top and touched him, before letting out a frustrated groan. Since she couldn’t heal Elias, she took Ally’s hand since she was asleep.

Elias quickly said, “Wait!”

Halley stopped and waited.

“They did something to her. She’s not hurt in the sense that she needs healing, but she’s going to be sore.”

He looked around and said, “Bathroom.”

Joss carried Ally to the bathroom, while Halley helped Elias get there.

The bathroom was probably wired for sound, but most likely didn’t have a camera in it.

Elias whispered to Halley, “Can you heal Ally partially? Take enough to let her be okay, but maybe a little sore, then give that to me?”

She looked at him and said, “I think so, but why? Why not just let me heal her?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want you hurt.”

“But -”

He shook his head, making him both dizzy and nauseous. Putting a hand on the side of her head, he said, “Me. Not you.”

She frowned, but said, “Fine.”

Halley took Ally’s hand and healed her enough that she would be fine in a day or two. Then she took Elias’s hand, holding it tightly, not because she had to, but because she was worried about him.

It didn’t take her ability to tell he was not okay. Halley concentrated on giving the injuries that she now had, to him.

Elias felt a tingling before a sharp pain in his hip caused his leg to give out, making him collapse.

Joss gasped and wanted to help him, but she was still holding the unconscious Ally.

“I’m okay,” Elias said, weakly. “Go lay her down out there. Make sure she’s comfortable.

Joss didn’t want to leave him, but knew he was right.

While Joss left, Halley helped Elias to sit up against the wall. “What happened?” Halley asked.

“The doctors did a bone marrow extraction on her without telling either of us what they were doing. They hurt her, so I tried to stop them and got shot. Twice. My head is killing me.”

Halley moved next to him, sliding an arm around him. She was careful and gave him a partial hug, leaning up against him.

Joss came back and helped Halley get Elias standing, and them both helped him walk out to where Ally was laying with Joss’s top rolled up under her head.

Elias sat down next to her, leaning up against the wall. Both his head, and now his hip hurt. It probably didn’t hurt as much as when they did it to Ally, but he felt bad for her.

The three sat around talking until Peg came to get them.

She escorted Halley, then Joss back, before returning for Elias and Ally.

Elias had gotten up and picked up Ally with Joss’s help before she left, and he tried hard not to limp while carrying Ally back to their room.

Once there, he laid her on her bed, and then laid down in his own bed. He must have dozed off because Peg was there with trays and woke him up. She made sure he knew she had come, and then left.

Elias went to Ally, rubbing her stomach while calling her name to wake her up. She stirred some and helped her sit up.

Her hip was still sore, and they both limped to get her to the table to eat. Ally managed to eat everything while still half asleep, and Elias carried her to the toilet to pee before putting her back in bed since she hadn’t gone all day that he knew of. He didn’t want her wetting the bed by accident.

Going back to the table, he sent a brief email to Kyle, telling him the tournament would start at midnight. After sending it, he went back to the bed and quickly fell asleep.