Escape

[Ever Talbot]

"Hey, Pikachu!"
The orderly holding the clipboard smirked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "You're wanted in counselling room A."

I cringed, my long ears drooping to my shoulders. "Pikachu" was just the the latest in a loooooooong line of lame nicknames I'd been given since I first arrived at the hospital.I shuffled my way passed him, only to be lead by another orderly down the stark white hall to an equally stark white room. He gave the special restraints I wore a once-over, before pushing me down into a wooden chair. Each patient was outfitted with similar kinds of devices, used to control or dampen our powers. Lucky me, my powers rely on touch, so I'm trapped in a vaguely straight-jacket-esque outfit. I swear, I've had nightmares about going to the prom, my wedding, my funeral -- all with me still trapped in this damn thing. I tried to wiggle and stretch, stopping abruptly when the door opposite me opened.

An older man in a white lab-coat entered, a stack of folders under his arm. He adjusted his glasses, giving me a patronizing smile and took the seat across the table from me.

"Well, Miss Talbot, how are you feeling today?" He opened a folder, taking out a pen and scribbling something I couldn't make out on a blank sheet of paper. It took all of my willpower not to snort and roll my eyes.

"Just lovely. Do you think we can skip the bs and get down to testing my powers? What are we doing today, seeing if I can shift into a coffee pot?" I pulled my knees up towards my chin, my three toed feet gripping the edge of my seat. "Maybe we can try to change me into a rat and let me run around a maze for a while? I'm sure that'll have some kind of benefit for mankind."

My sarcasm is met with more scribbling, then we go about our usual "tests" - reflexes, heart-rate, blood samples, poking and prodding that seemed to go on for hours. It actually lasted 1 hour, and 18 mintues. Just enough time for the rest of freaks to wake up and all of us to be herded into the common room. A familar looking head of brown hair was slouched on at a table, his face buried in his arms. I nudged the back of his chair with a toe.

"Wake up, you."

[Javier Spencer]

My morning went something like this:

"Wake up, Javier. You're wanted in the garage today." I woke up ever-so-slowly and trudged out with the orderly, unable to keep my head up due to a combination of sleepiness and the heavy collar that subdues my power.

We arrived in the garage to find some technicians and scientists scribbling on their retarded clipboards and making the finals checks on a car. Computers were set up along one wall of the garage to monitor the experiment. My orderly led me to the center of the big space, cuffed my ankles and hands, adjusted my collar, and then nodded to her boss.

"Alright, Javier. Today we want you to make a portal large enough to allow this car through. You will release it safely behind yourself after two seconds, is that clear?"

"Crystal," I answered, yawning wide. The car came forward at a slow, steady pace, and I allowed it into one of my special, silver portals. The car disappeared inch by inch into nothing, and I was aware of it passing through me in the space between my portals. I let the car out, but before I could see what had happened to it, or find out the importance of the experiment, they re-set the collar, unbound my limbs, and led me into an exam room for all their usual poking and prodding. Precisely one hour of medical examinations later, I'm led to the common room.

I laid my head on the table to ease the pain in my neck and maybe sleep a little more, but alas, I'm interrupted. At least this time, the intrusion is a welcome one.

"Oh Ever, what-Ever will I do with you?" I sigh, turning around to face her. I fold my arms on the back of the chair and rest my head on them. "They run you through the wringer again?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Of course. This time they wanted to see if I could take the forms of famous people by looking at pictures in magazines."

I rolled my eyes, partly at the quacks, partly at Javiers' lame pun.

"So I did my best Arnold impression. Let's just say, it didn't impress them as much as I hoped it would."

[Javier Spencer]

"I never could imitate that voice, either. I can only ever do cartoon characters, and even then, it's rough. I get lucky doing impressions of Luke Skywalker and Yoda sometimes, though."

I sigh and rub my eyes.

"I had to pass a car through that nutty dimension that my portals lead to. They still don't understand what the dimension does to stuff that passes through it, and they have no idea how I can be aware of what's within it. So sick of getting woken up for that crap."

[Ever Talbot]

"Well....if you can help me get a foot," I wiggle them for emphasis, the only part of my skin that was exposed except for my face. "On one of the orderlies, maybe we can do something about that."

See, Javier and I are partners in crime. Not that there's loads of crime to be had here, but since we met each other, we've been tossing around escape plans. The whole "collar" thing was the only snag, the only thing we couldn't figure out how to by-pass. My powers are, well, pretty useless over all - I change shape, and that's it - but Javier (or as I affectionately have named him "Doora tha Explora") can actually DO things with his. LIke get us the heck outta here without killing anyone or getting us caught and punished.

"Preferably the one with the collar remote."

[Javier Spencer]

"Okay...well, let's see what we can do here."

I yawn and point right at the collar-remote orderly.

"Hey! Yeah, you! With the face! C'mere, I wanna talk to you." I wave her over, continuing to wheedle. The longer she waits, the bigger a scene I'll make, and most orderlies around here do not want that. "C'mon, don't be bashful, I don't bite. I have dimension powers, not T-Rex teeth powers."

She shuffles over and hisses quietly, "WHAT!?"

"Your socks don't match," I reply. I don't know if this is true, because she's wearing pants, but to validate the statement, she's gonna hafta show some ankle. That'll be sexy.

[Ever Talbot]

As soon as I see that sliver of pasty white flesh, I clamp my three toes around her calf. The change happens in a split-second - one moment I'm me, then next I look like an exact replica of the orderly. She opens her mouth to shout, and I pop her one right in the face. Javier stands watch while the other kids start to mill around us.

A rummage in her pocket reveals just what we needed - a ring of key-cards, and a remote. A grin crosses my new face, my voice coming out of the wrong persons' mouth.

"Alright, Doora, let's explore."

[Javier Spencer]

I sigh and put a hand over my eyes.

"Okay then, Boots, lead the way. And if you see Swiper, you know what to do."

I'm anxious to be out of the collar, but I won't press her for it. It'd actually be smarter to keep it for the moment, in case any other people show up and go "Why is he missing his restraint?" and bust us. Argh, the stragety! It bars me from my wants and needs.

[Ever Talbot]

"Alright, smarty-pants."

While I'm leading Jav away from the crowd, I toss a couple of the keycards on the ground. May as well help out my fellow freaks, you know? As another loser orderly enters the common room, I hit the release button for everyones' collars. That should provide a big enough distraction so we can quickly make for the exit.

[Javier Spencer]

I immediately open a gate against the wall a few feet away.

"C'mon, let's go."

I grab Ever by the arm and pull, stepping into the dimension for what I realize is the very first time. The moment my shoulder hits the gate, it pulls me through, locking my body and Ever's in mid-stride. I try to talk.

"This is awkward," I observe, feeling a resistance as my jaw moves. "Didn't know this happened."

I focus on the dimension, trying to find the stuff I lost in here in the initial tests. I can't determine the location of anything by the usual "sense" I have; instead, I find myself sensing reality. The ghost images of everything appear around me, and I feel a slight tingle as we pass through objects in reality. We move through five rooms before popping out in the men's room, in a handicap stall. I stumble, helping Ever to stay up as she comes out right next to me.

"Wiiieeeeeerd."

[Ever Talbot]

"Ew."

We barely missed stepping into the toilet as we exited the portal. Jav grabs a hold of me, since, of course, my powers have switched me back to my floppy-eared oh-so-noticable self. I pull my jacket off, and chuck it into the bowl.

"Okay, so now we're hiding in the mens room...that means we are," I count on my hands. "Two hallways and a security checkpoint from freedom."

"A little help, please?

[Javier Spencer]

I open the portal facing the right direction, take a deep breath, and shut my eyes. We're so close now. Everything's going smoothly. Soon I'll be free of this place and I can live a life that's worth it again. I step into it, pulling Ever by the hand, and drift on, keeping a sharp eye on reality.

[Ever Talbot]

He takes my hand and we go into another portal. We get stuck in a half-step, passing through orderlies and doctors, all of them rushing to the common room. We reach the security check-point, and POP. Out we come, right in front of an annoyed looking guard.

"Uh, hello there." I wave meekly, and give him a cheeky grin. "We were just leaving, weren't we, Javier?"

[Javier Spencer]

"Yar."

God, I released us too early. I could kick myself for jumping the gun; if we get caught NOW, we can't escape until...forever. Crap.

"And we'll be going again."

I throw Ever into a portal and leap in after her. I really, really hope we're going to get away.

[Ever Talbot]

"Eeeek!"

Jav practically tackles me into a new portal, the guard recklessly jumping in after us. It's like slow-mo untill we reach the other door, which closes just as the guard reaches out for us. I squint my eyes -- the bright bright sunlight means...we're free!

The hopsital is in the middle of a quiet neighbourhood, and apparently, we escaped just as the kids are walking home from school. How do I know this? From the crowd of ten year olds pushing passed me on the sidewalk. I'm beaming, now, twirling around in the warm summer breeze.

"Whahahahaha! We're free at last, free at last!" I turn, catching a glimpse of another guard headed our way. "Or not..!"

[Javier Spencer]

I release the guard who was stuck in the portal. He appears in the building across the road, apologizing to the startled occupants as he runs for the door. I grab Ever's hand and dive into the crowd of school kids.

"C'mon. I don't wanna use my powers out here in public. Let's run someplace hidden."

[Ever Talbot]

So much hand holding!!!

I feel my cheeks flare and nod, following the flow of kids down the street. We turn a corner, and duck into someones' front yard. We're hopping over toys, big wheels and an empty kiddie pool, ducking down so the guards can't see us over the hedge. Javier opens a gate, and we sink down on the cool grass behind the house.

[Javier Spencer]

For the first time today, I open an actual, physical gate and duck with Ever behind the hedge and fence to hide. I wait a few moments to make sure the owners haven't noticed us, and in doing so notice that I've still got Ever's hand. I let her go and try not to think too hard about it. Instead, I turn my focus back to the escape, which still isn't finished. Argh.

"Okay. I'm not sure what's beneath the ground, so I won't open our next portal that way. I'm also not sure which direction would be best to escape in, or I'd have opened one by now. Any ideas, Ever?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Uhh, let's go that-a-way."

I crouch down, crawling through the grass towards the fence at the end of the lawn. It's one of those green wire kinds, so I push the bottom of it up enough for us to wiggle underneath it. We manage to get through without getting our clothes ripped off, crawl along the fence-line, out another gate. The street ahead is empty; we stayed crouched low, running down the driveway and out into the street.

I wipe a hand across my brow and sigh loudly. "I think we lost them. Let's find some place to take a break."

[Javier Spencer]

"Good idea."

I rub my neck for the first time in...I don't know how long it's been, actually. I roll my neck, bending and tilting it, hearing it pop and crack as it goes through a range of motion it hasn't been able to do. God, does it feel good.

"Where do kids our age go to hang out? Book stores? Coffee shops? I mean...what's even cool in the real world? Back there the 'cool' people were the ones that sat on the cushion chairs and played poker all day."

[Ever Talbot]

I quirk a brow at him. Of all the mutants at the hospital, I'd been there the longest. My basic knowledge of the outside world came from television and what little of the internet we were allowed to see. Sort of a skewed world view, and thinking about it, it made me a bit nervous being out in the "real" world...

"I have no idea - I think we'd need money to hang out in those places, anyway. Maybe we should like, look for jobs or something? But we'd need identification for that, and we don't have any..." I sigh. "Maybe we can panhandle our way to fame and fortune?"

[Javier Spencer]

"Okay. Well, I guess the first step is to blend in. Shouldn't be too much trouble without our restraints, but..." I look at Ever's ears and feet. "I hate to have you do this, but you're gonna have to shift into someone else for a while. At least until we can find someplace to stay where we won't have to worry about people seeing your ears and stuff."

[Ever Talbot]

"Oh yeah, I'll get right on that - who should I be, Paris Hilton? Britney Spears?" I look down at my hospital "attire" - t-shirt, scrub pants, and that's it. And, yes, I do have long ears with little tufts of fur on them. I stick out like a sore thumb, so what do I do? I clamp my hands on both sides of Javiers' face.

The shift is easy - changing into another person is a piece of cake, especially when I can just touch them and shift. Shifting from memory is a bit harder, sometimes little details get mucked up. An identical Jav smiles back at the original.

"There, is that better?"

[Javier Spencer]

That is wierd. I mean, WIERD. Like, WIERD.

"You know, when I was a kid, people used to ask if I wanted a twin brother, being an only child and all, and I never knew how to answer. I guess I still don't. Anyway, think you'll need a fake name? Or is Ever Talbot an acceptable name for the twin brother of Javier Spencer?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Heh, let's cross that bridge when we get to it."

I slouch my shoulders, trying to walk more like a guy then a girl. I'm fairly sure that I look completely ridiculous - two indentical Javs walking side-by-side, one with an exaggerated swagger to his step. Half of me is trying to concentrate on keeping this form, the other on trying to keep up my "guy" act. We walk by a group of teenaged girls, who giggle as we pass. I roll my eyes at my "twin". Just what I want -- girls pining for me!

"There has to be some place where we can ditch these hospital clothes and get something better -- maybe I can get a hat or something with pockets. No offence, but having girls giggle at me because I look like you is creepy."

[Javier Spencer]

"Didn't know I was worth giggling at. Getting clothes will be hard without money. I don't have any way of getting at my bank account, or getting in touch with my folks. Not that they'd help anyway, and they probably cleaned that account out after they sent me away. Can't think of anyplace that gives clothes away for free."

I scratch my head and look over at Ever.

"You wanna shift a girl instead?"

[Ever Talbot]

"No. Who would I shift to? Some random girl off the street? We'd be busted."

I mimic Jav, scratching my own head, thinking. We need a phone book, or an information booth, something. No whitecoats had followed us and it seemed we were in the clear. Except for the fact that, well, we had no food, no money and no place to stay, things were golden.

"Like, a charity would have clothes for free, or a shelter or something."

That's when I saw it, sticking above the tree-tops. A steeple. A church would be a good place to go. Maybe.

"There's a church, let's go there."

[Javier Spencer]

"I haven't been to church since I was 4. I've never even been to a sermon. I got put in the nursery and was made to color Jesus and Noah for an hour and a half. But, what the hell."

I stop walking for a thoughtful pause.

"Wait, can I say that in reference to a church?"

[Ever Talbot]

"That beats spending an hour and a half acting like a trained seal at the hospital."

I grabbed his hand, rolling my eyes as I dragged him towards the church. It was picture perfect - tall steeple, tons of stain-glass, big wood doors. Even a sign like in "The Simpsons" (but you know, less funny). Another sign, this one closer to the door said "Out of the Cold" with a cartoon of a man all bundled up on it. A few people were milling in front of the door, smoking and others were going inside. We walked in behind them, down a small flight of stairs and into a large room, full of tables and chairs. The smell of home-cooking was making my mouth start to water as we got in the chow line. I gave Jav a "I knew this would be awesome" grin as I grabbed a food tray from the pile.

[Javier Spencer]

I grab a tray, too.

"Well you'll need a tray," I quip in a false British accent, as much to myself as to Ever, "The food's quite hot."

We shuffle down the line, get food plopped onto plates and plates put on trays, fill our own glasses, and take a seat at the end of a mostly-empty table. I look across it at Ever with another suddenly thoughtful look.

"If they give us clothing donations, they're going to give you dude clothes," I whisper. "Should we request girl clothes for when you shift back to normal? We can claim it's for another homeless girl we know."

[Ever Talbot]

"Clothes are clothes!" I say, my mouth stuffed full of food. Yay me, I'm multi-tasking; holding a "shift" for such a long time really puts a strain on me, and soon I was going to change back to "normal". Hopefully people will be too busy eating to notice when my fingers and toes grow together, my ears flop out and I sprout boobs. I can feel it coming on as I take another whopping mouthful of food.

"Ummm, I think I'm going to run to the washroom, watch my plate for me?"

[Javier Spencer]

I give her the thumbs-up, relieved that I don't have to look at myself for a while, and a little disappointed that I won't get to see her change back. I clean the plate while she's gone, and just sit staring at what's left of her food, thinking. What the hell are we gonna do with ourselves? The homeless life may be better than the guinea pig life, but it still sucks.

[Ever Talbot]

I make it to the washroom. Barely. I decided to go into the womens' room, and luckily, it was empty.

You know the completely joyous relief you feel when you've pigged out and you undo your pants to let your gut hang out? That's what it feels like to un-shift. My ears flop down, boobs pop out of my chest and my fingers mold back together. I do it in a stall, partly because I don't want to be seen, mostly because watching myself do it is just...creepy.

I peek out of the stall. The coast is clear, and I tiptoe to the door, peering around the hallway. The washrooms are in a short hallway just left of the dining room. The mens' room, kitchen, and what looks like a cloak room line the hall. As quickly and quietly as I can, I run into that room. A few sweaters and spring jackets line the wall, hanging on shiny gold hooks. No shoes, or hats, so I start digging around in the cubbies on the other wall...

Jackpot! A pair of mismatched mittens (that thankfully fit my hands), a blue wool toque with a big pom-pom on it, and a pair of broken in boots. I stuffed my ears up under the toque, pull on the mitts and boots, quietly leave the room and walk as confidently as I can into the dining room. Hopefully Javier won't laugh himself to death when he sees me in my "shabby chic" ensemble.

[Javier Spencer]

Oh good, she's back to normal, and looking cute in her homeless outfit. Ever's adorable on her own. She's even more so trying to hide her ears and hands. I wink at her as she resumes her seat.

"Hey cutie. Nice hat. Love the pom-pom, it sets off the rest of the ensemble quite nicely. Plus the color brings out your eyes." Hopefully I sound like I'm teasing her. The intent to tease is there, but my relief at her looking like her usual self (as opposed to me) is coloring my attitude a little bit. "Believe it or not, I missed your usual self."

[Ever Talbot]

"Gee, I would've thought you'd have loved staring at yourself."

I wink back, and dig into the now cold food on my plate. After the first bite, I make a face. setting my fork down. I know he's only teasing, but when you're a teenaged girl with all the added problems of being a freaky looking mutant, you can be a bit touchy when it comes to your appearance.

"I feel like a retard."

[Javier Spencer]

"Why? You look fine. There is nothing to worry about, okay?"

I take the apple I didn't eat and roll it across the table with my left hand, catching it in my right and throwing it back. I wish I knew what else to say.

"You'll be alright."

[Urchin]

It wasn't often that Tom Morris was seen off some sort of water craft. The man, who was in his twenties but looked twice that, had worked at sea most of his life. Part of it was an inbred love for wide waters that all Newfoundlanders seemed to harbour, and part of it was out of necessity; like most Islanders, Tom Morris said that he could not live without the ocean. Unlike most Islanders, Tom Morris meant it literally.

So this was one of the rare times that the man was on shore and instead of going straight to a pub, a grand plan in and of itself, Tom was going to pay a visit to the Father.

St. Peters was a small church, by New York church standards, which was why he liked it so much. It didn't draw attention to itself which, in Tom's opinion, was exactly how the Good Lord Himself wanted things. Also, Mrs. Betty Hartford ran a makeshift soup kitchen out of the basement every third Saturday of the month and Mrs. Betty Hartford was an angel. Tom had met the wizened grandmother of seventeen the last time he'd been ashore, nearly three years prior. He'd offered to help her carry her groceries back to the little apartment she kept, and in turn Mrs. Betty Hartford fed him a home-cooked meal and began writing him weekly letters. After he'd confessed that he was a mutant, Tom had been certain that the correspondence would end but when the ship pulled into port and collected the mail, there was a batch of letters waiting for him. Betty Hartford had 'some spunk.'

As he descended the creaky stairway into the church basement with a cigarette dangling in his lips, Tom spotted his adopted granny, snow white hair tuced meticuously into a bum. She was overseeing the ladling of a steaming soup, thick with vegetables and chunks of ham. It was no wonder that there was always a line here.

Sneaking up behind her, Tom caught Betty by the waist and lifted her into an enormous hug. The man laughed gruffly, smoke puffing from between his lips. "Me darlin' Betty, look at youse! All dressed up like a stick o'gum, b'y." Betty squeeled and turned around with a sparkle in her eyes, a sparkle which quickly turned scolding as she pointed a finger at his cigaretted and tutted.

"Tom, you're still smoking those dreadful things?"

"Aye, like I's goin' to d'chair, Missus." Tom gave her a naughty grin and inhaled deeply. "De're gargeous little beauties, dese." Betty sighed laborously and shook her head.

"Well if you're set on killing yourself you might as well be of use before you keel over. There are a few newcomers, you can go talk to them, take them some bread." She handed him a tray of buns and nodded her head in the direction of two youngsters. Lowering her voice, Betty's smile grew sad. "Those two over there have gone and taken some clothes from the cloakroom. We don't want to embarress them Tom, but..."

Tom nodded and gave the old woman's frail shoulder a squeeze. "Dun't worry yerself, Betty, we'll have ourselves a chat." He pocketed a bun before cheerily heading over to the table where the two youngsters were having a conversation. Without introduction the tall sailor sat down and placed the bread at the center of the table with a clatter.

"How's ya gettin' on b'ys? Jaysus me, is cold 'nuff t'cut d'skin offa ya b'y." He pulled at his black knit toque and shook his head, cigarette still hanging. Then with an old stare Tom fixed the two teenagers with a telling look. "You two's is come from away, eh?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Huh?" I say, with a mouthful of food. I finish chewing, looking this guy over. He was scruffy, with a cigarette hanging limply from the corner of his mouth. Definitely NOT someone from the hospital, but I was wary anyway.

I shrug as non-chalantly as I can, and give Jav a look that said to play it cool. "Yeah, we just got here."

[Javier Spencer]

"What?"

I didn't understand a word of what this guy said, but apparently Ever did.

"Okay, you talk to him."

[Urchin]

"I's dryin' out." Tom clucked his tongue, causing ash to fall from the tip of his smoke and drift lazily onto the platter of buns. He turned and caught Betty's eye, miming with his thumb and pinky. She nodded and dissapeared into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a tray that carried three glasses. Smiling broadly, Betty set down the glasses, juice for Ever and Javier, and water for Tom.

"Try it, Tom, I don't know if I've mixed it right." Betty said, nodding to the water and then turning to the two teenagers. "This is Tom Morris, a good friend of mine, and I'm Betty. Tom's just come back from sea, isn't that interesting?"

Nodding his confirmation, Tom looped an arm around Betty's waist. "Darlin', d'water's some good. Like d'seas off d'Rock itself. T'anks."

After Betty had bustled off, Tom pulled out his pack of cigarettes and stuck a new one in his lips. Absently he offered the pack around. "Eh, b'ys?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Uh, no thanks."

I took a sip of my juice, setting the glass back on the table, running a finger around the rim. I picked up a bun, dusting off the ash before biting into it.

"We've never been to the sea...I think," I absent-mindedly began to peel the crust from my bun, setting it in a pile on my plate. Consider crust my arch nemesis. "What's it like?"

[Javier Spencer]

I shake my head "no" to the offer. I'd eat the bread, but I'm full and it has ashes on it. I pull the plate back a bit so (hopefully) it'll be out of ash-range, and try not to cough.

"I went to the beach once as a kid and made sandcastles in the shapes of ocean animals, because my mom was convinced that doing something out of the ordinary with an ordinary activity would make me smart, or whatever. She actually blamed it later when I...when I grew up."

She blamed all the "mind-building" activities she'd put me through for the manifestation of my mutant power. Oh the fun that day was.

[Urchin]

Tom stared at Javier, his eyebrows burrowing into a knotted frown. The man's rough face clearly showed what he thought of that whole scenario. "What in d'hell was yer mudder t'inkin', wastin' time onna shoreline? D'point is t'go on d'waters, b'y. Dat's where all d'learnin' is."

A hearty draw on his cigarrette followed that statement, and Tom seemed almost personally offended by Javiers upbringing. Ever broke the spell. At the question Tom perked up, staring intently at the girl. His eyes grew very tender and a soft smile parted his chapped lips. "D'sea?" Tom shook his head and snubbed out his smoke. "She's some beauty. Oh, me ducky, 'tis a sad life if you'se never rode onna back of a sowwester, d'winds enuff t'cuts you t'rough, d'salt in yer mout'. You see d'udder side, d'face o'the Lard hisself."

Studying the girl intently, Tom leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I tells you what; I'll take d'bot' of you'se out fer a sail. But you'se gotta take off dem what you took."

[Ever Talbot]

All the blood in my body rushed to my face. Busted. I felt my mouth drop open, then snap shut. My mind went blank, then I did one of those stupid-yet-amazing things you do out of fear and desperation. I pulled off my glove and touched Toms' face. Okay, so this was crazy, but either way, I was about to be outted as a mutant freakazoid.

"Der." I said, trying my best to mimic his accent.An identical Tom (aka Me!) took off the hat and remaining glove and grinned. "Is dat better?"

[Javier Spencer]

So we're basically dead. Ever just shifted in front of God and everyone.

"We're toast," I mutter, checking for the crowd's reactions. So long as we're not being attacked, or having police called down on us, we're solid. So far so good, but it's only been a few seconds. Once everyone picks their jaws up off the floor, that could change. "Let's go, Ever."

[Urchin]

Quick as a flash Tom was across the table, jerking Ever to her feet. He clutched her upper arm, grabbed Javier the same way for good measure, and growled menacingly. With strength grown from a lifetime of hauling lines and loading cargo, the burly man hauled the two teenagers out of the basement and propelled them into the main chapel. It was mercifully empty. Tom let go of them and pointed a finger at Ever--at himself. "What in d'hell did you'se t'ink you was doin'?"

He yanked off his own toque, messy hair unfolding. The cap was thrust at Ever and in the same movement Tom yanked off the stolen one. He glared at Javier then. "And I suppose yer one o' dem too, eh b'y? Least you'se gots d'mind ter keep it quiet like."

Tom was moving in sharp, jerky motions which belayed his irritation. Drawing out his smokes the tall man lit up again, shaking ever so slightly. He had only taken a single inhalation before he blew up again. "Mudder Mary, don't matter if you'se in d'house o' the Lard, still people be wantin' to run you'se two t'rough. I's half a mind t'clout ya fer given all us a bad name."

[Ever Talbot]

A less than manly shriek came out of my mouth as Tom dragged the two of us away. Then Tom was ranting, pointing fingers and looked ready to give me a beat down. I winced.

"Sorry? We're a little new to this whole "Out in the real world" thing, so, yeah."

[Javier Spencer]

"Yeah. Let's chill. Or better yet, let us just get out of here and pretend we never came by here. We'll return the clothes, just let us walk out without cops, mobs, or a fight."

I'm trying to steady my nerves, too, and it's not really working.

"Look, we're sorry, okay? That's all I have to offer you for this besides a promise to not come here anymore."

[Urchin]

Tom studied the two, trying to calm himself down. No doubt Betty would be up here in a moment or two to see what the cafuffle had been about. He hated worrying the old heart.

"No." Tom shook his head. "No, won't do. T'pair of you'se look like birch brooms inna fits, what wit' yer dirty paws'n such. Ain't got mudder or fadder by the looks o' t'ings."

"I know's you ain't t'ick in da heads. So we's gotta find summat t'do wit' yas." He paused, thoughtfully. The teenagers looked terrified, a stance which Tom wasn't about to rectify. Though he was behaving brusquely, his heart went out to them; Tom knew all too well what it was like to be young and different and on the run. There had been times he had longed for some safe haven.

Thankfully, there was one, and it perhaps wasn't too late to get these children there.

"What d'ye t'ink of proper learning, b'ys? Inna school, private like?"

[Ever Talbot]

My brain screamed "HECK NO!", but my body just shook it's head. Er, Toms' head. I felt the shift coming, my ears already popping out slightly. All this being scared was wrecking my concentration.

"Our parents already put us in a hospital, we're not going back. Not ever," I pointed a quickly morphing pair of fingers at him. "If it's anything like that, we're NOT going."

[Javier Spencer]

I'm with Ever.

"Not again. We had some of that. Straitjackets, collars to nerf our powers, strict regimens and no freedoms. To hell with it."

I take Ever's hand and turn away, ready to open a portal and just leave this guy, but...I stop.

"Is your private school like, legitimate? Like a serious school, with dorms and crap?"

[Urchin]

It was eerie, watching himself freak out. Urchin frowned. "Don't get all t'underin' knickered out. I's not gonna sell y'out t'some high'n mighty exper'ment whatnot."

Javier was keeping a level head about things. Tom thought it best to let the girl calm down first.

"Is your private school like, legitimate? Like a serious school, with dorms and crap?"

Tom shrugged. "I's not a dictionary, b'y. S'not my school, but accordin' to me dearie-o Betty, it's friendly to d'likes of us." Tom nodded. "Aye, d'likes of us. I knows all about what you'se are cause I is one meself. Call us t'rowbacks, dem what aren't civil."

[Ever Talbot]

My hands had already shifted back, my ears flopped down to my shoulders and soon I was my old freaky self. I felt a bit embarassed, shifting in front of Jav like that. I felt my face flush even more as he took my hand.

"T'rowbacks? Wha?" Now *I* was confused...was this guy a freak too? He didn't look like one, but then, neither did Javier. I took a step back, not really knowing what to do. "You're one of "us"?"

[Javier Spencer]

"He means we're not wanted," I say in response to Ever's question. "So guy, where's this friendly place? And if you don't mind my asking, what're your powers?"

[Urchin]

"So guy, where's this friendly place?"

"S'upstate. Out t'city."

"And if you don't mind my asking, what're your powers?"

"Ain't nuttin' I can shows youse outta d'water, my son. But I ain't a seaman fer d'good times only." Tom shrugged and, as if that reminded him, removed a small flask from an inner coat pocket. He'd left his drink downstairs, but the man always carried a reserve of salt water. After taking a sip, mutant immigrant capped the silver flask and put it back in place.

"Der's some what say dat d'Lard created us," Tom began, hocking throatily and spitting onto the back of his sleeve. "An' some what t'ink we's all was monkeys once, a t'ousand times ago; not Newfoundlanders. We was spit up by d'sea b'ys. I's just come a bit too early." It was a testament to his ease and confidence that Tom was not squeamish in admitting what he was. Honesty was brewed out on foreign waters.

Javier and Ever didn't look any less tense, however. They looked as if they were ready to bolt any second. Tom didn't blame them; the two seemed to have survived one hell of a squall.

In fact there was a school, and Betty had been the one to let him know. She'd gotten it into her head a few years back that he might want to retire off the ships, settle down somewhere nice and "lay out some roots, dear", as she'd said. Betty seemed to think that Tom ought to teach, and since she'd already referred several troubled (that was the term the old lady always used when referring to mutant children; she was a cunning thing, that Betty) to said school she had passed along the information to Tom.

Thankful now that he hadn't chucked the idea out like bad herring, Tom rubbed at his stubbled chin thoughtfully. "Now how's this: We all, d't'ree of us, go fer a jaunt'n see what sart o' place it is. If it's not right up der, you two's can batter to Moses an' tell him I sent ya."

Both of them gave him blank looks. Tom sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "That's t'say, if it ain't what yer wantin', ya can go yer own way."

[Ever Talbot]

<i>"So, what? That makes you a sea-monkey?"</i>I thought, picturing Tom climbing out of the ocean, looking like one of those cartoon brine-shrimp you see advertised in old comic books.

I gripped Javiers' hand a little too tightly, not really knowing *what* to do. If it was anything like the hospital, we'd be trapped. Again. And if it wasn't, maybe we could actually be "normal" for once in our short lives. I looked at Jav, biting my lower lip. He was more worldly than I was, so whatever he chose, I'd end up tagging along. "Do <i>you</i> think we should go?"

[Javier Spencer]

"Well..."

This is the answer. Like, the answer. Place to live, 3 squares a day, a useable education...the only issue right now is paying things like tuition. But hell...it's worth a look.

"We're in. How're we getting to this place? I've got a means of transport, but it'll be slow." I'm referring to my portal. If we step into it we can go anywhere, but only at the same rate we can walk. Floating in the void for hours doesn't sound like my kind of fun.

[Urchin]

"So, what? That makes you a sea-monkey?"

That drew a loud guffaw from the unkempt man, ash and spoke each obeying their respective laws of gravity as his mouth opened in mirth. Urchin nodded, eyes scrunched and twinkling. "Out o' da mout's of babes, is it." He had another good chuckle, clearly very amused.

"We're in. How're we getting to this place? I've got a means of transport, but it'll be slow."

"Get Betty t'hammer out a proper map o' d'place. I's never been der." Urchin shrugged. "Says it's way t'hell outta d'way. Some good, too."

Mutants, often faced with the cruel fact that life was not fair, were experts at staying out of the way. It seemed a fairly brilliant idea to Tom to use a private academy as a cover up, and he was just as curious as Javier and Ever were trying not to be.

Still, they did need to get there and Tom did not have a vehicle. He addressed the boy. "You'se got a car den, my son?"

[Ever Talbot]

"Uh, he can use his powers to get us there," I didn't know what else to say. My powers were pretty useless as far as getting us from here to there; it's not like I can shift into something Jav and Tom could ride...Now there is a mental picture I DIDN'T need!

"Could you keep us in the void for that long?"

[Javier Spencer]

"Probably. Everything that's ever gone in is still there, except for what they made me let out."

I run my hands through my hair, sigh, and start explaining for Tom's sake.

"My powers let me make portals into some nutty, slate-gray dimension. As far as I can tell, the dimension is oriented to reality." I grab a book off a nearby table. "That is, if I toss the book at Ever..." I do so, and let it disappear into a gate. "It keeps going that way, at that speed, until I let it out." Again, I do as I say, and the book thuds to the floor behind her. "So...once we had a direction, we'd walk into the gate and it would float us along in that direction, at that speed, until I let us out. Which means it could be a long, long time before we got to this school. Personally, I'd rather just find a car or something and drive." I look over at Tom. "Did any of that make sense?

[Urchin]

From the look on Tom's face--a blank canvas, eyebrows raised--it didn't. Shoulders jerking into a shrug, the man turned and began to descend the stairs. "I'll get d'car from Betty."

Ten minutes later he returned, keys in one hand and an enormous brown bag of food in the other. Tom jerked his head in the direction of the parking lot and exited the chapel.

[Ever Talbot]

I admit it, I winced when Jav threw that book at me. The thought of some unseen thing passing through my body and coming out the other end was still strange. Said the freaky looking girl with floppy ears and ninja-turtle hands,

Now Tom had gone, come back and apparently gotten us a car; I grabbed onto Javier (Waaaaaaaaaaaay too much hand holding today - if I blush any harder, I'll pass out!) and gave him what I hoped was a happy and confident smile.

"Let's get going...and at the first sign of trouble, we portal out of there, okay?"

[Javier Spencer]

I need to figure out how to explain this stupid portal crap. Tom leaves for the car, and I apologize to Ever. "Sorry if I scared you." Tom's back before any more can be said, and we head out to the car. I nod a positive response to Ever's proposal and just try to breathe calmly, squeezing her hand maybe a bit harder than I mean to.

"We'll be fine."

I'm sure this all looks like teenage melodrama to Tom, but this really is a fairly significant update to our daily lives. I hadn't expected our escape to work at all, and I had expected it to be weeks, even months before finding a place we could live at.

"Things sure happened in a hurry today."

[Urchin]

Betty's car was an old, though well-maintained, white Honda. The exterior was meticulously polished and the windows free of any dirt or water marks. An impressive feat in the bustling dirt of New York City. Tom unlocked the driver's side door, thumbing at a panel of buttons to unlock the rest of the vehicle. He tossed the sack lunch into the backseat; he'd let Ever and Javier have a few awkward moments to debate sitting together or not.

It had been some years since Tom had driven a car. Long enough for his liscense to expire at least, and he said a silent prayer of thanks that the Honda was automatic.

The car started smoothly, and the mutant shifted it into gear. The teenagers were still standing outside. With an impatient frown, Tom blasted the horn sharply. "You two's slower den a duck whats got one leg!" He shook a piece of paper at them, with spidery writing on it.

"One o' you'se is t'nav'gater. Swiftlike, b'ys, swiftlike!"

[Ever Talbot]

I hustle over to the car and climb into the back seat. There's no way I'm playing navigator -- Jav has a much better sense of direction than I do. I didn't even consider sitting beside him, even though, if worse came to worse, it would be easier to portal outta there if we were together.

"Uh, Javier can help you - he's better at that sort of thing than I am."

[Javier Spencer]

I take shotgun, in order to better help navigate. Besides, I feel like I've been crowding/coddling/babying Ever. Let's let her breathe for a bit without me getting over-protective or trying to push her one way or the other.

"Gimme the directions," I say to Tom. "Let's see what's what."

[Urchin]

With a grunt Tom passed the boy the paper. He had a vague notion of which direction to drive in and, drinking deeply from his flask, turned left out of the parking lot.

Glancing quickly into the side mirror, the mutant jerked the car into the next lane over. It was a difficult manouver, in New York traffic, and his efforts were awarding with a few indignant horn blares. Tom glowered and neatly lifted his middle finger over his shoulder.

"Ah mind yer mout' or git off ta road y'bastards," He grumbled, liberally pressing their own horn. He glanced over at Javier. "Ye gots a mind yet lad? Where's it to?"

[Javier Spencer]

"Hang on, hang on."

I read over the directions once or twice, noting the big roads, then look up to the street. The directions are laid out by a combination of number of traffic lights, landmarks, and street names. I check the ones around us, then look back to the instructions. I hear there's this website called "Mapquest" which rules.

"Three lights until we make our first right."