CHAPTER ELEVEN
Alice was playing with her crow when Clinton came in the next morning. He looked gobsmacked at the scene before him. Jet was with Alice on the bed; it was the first time he saw the young man laughing like he should be doing at his age. While Alec was on the sofa with his laptop probably typing up the report for their work that morning.
Alec stood up from the couch to greet him but the two younger people in the room hadn't even spared them a glance. They nodded at each other and they both walked towards the two youngsters on the bed. Alice and Jet stopped talking at their presence and the crow they were playing with returned to sitting on her shoulder.
Alice looked up at Clinton before she glanced back to Jet with a frown.
-"And this is?"-
"Alice, this is Clinton," Alec introduced. "He's our boss,"
A sudden flare of outrage masked her angelic face and her wrath could be felt by everyone in the room. The crow in her shoulder flew up and circled the room; cawing and all. Jet bolted in his feet and stood between his boss and the young, scary girl on the bed.
"Okaaayyy," Jet slowly raised his hands to calm her down. "Let's not jump to anything,"
Her frown deepened as she called her crow back down. -"Why is he here?"-
Jet looked to Alec for help and the older man stood beside him in front of Alice. He put a hand on top of her shoulder as he knelt to look her straight in the eyes.
"You can trust this man," he started. "You have my word,"
She sighed and raised her hand. The flying crow in the room landed softly on her finger and she positioned it in her shoulder. All the while Clinton watched in complete amazement.
"What's with the crow?" he asked.
-"Her name is Ao," she growled.-
"Her name is Ao," Jet announced simultaneously; already experienced her reaction when he kept calling the crow 'it'.
Clinton nodded. "Ao, it is. So, it is true that you two can communicate despite your earphones?"
Jet nodded as he sat back down. "Don't ask me or her how 'cause we definitely don't know or care,"
"Jet!" Alec reprimanded. He coughed in an attempt to cover it and change the topic. "But despite their apparent 'mental connection' only Alice speaks in Jet's mind and he can't do vice versa,"
Alice shook her head. -"That's not true,"-
"What's not true?" Jet asked in shock and the two older men quietened.
Alice rolled her eyes at the man sitting beside him. -"You do talk to me in my head, you know? How do you think I knew you needed help at the Avenue when I specifically told you not to go there in the first place?"-
Jet shrunk back at the venom in her voice. Though, he quickly recovered and repeated her words to the other two in the room.
-"You ask for my help that night. And you're lucky I woke up. If I had not, let's just say none of us would be here right now at the hospital,"-
"How did I ask for your help?" he asked. "I don't remember doing anything to call for you,"
She rolled her eyes once more. -"You kept screaming for help, don't you remember?"-
As the two of them debated how Jet had managed to unknowingly call for help, Clinton and Alec had their own conversation, and everything she was saying only raised more questions.
"Wait," Clinton interrupted. "Why do you need Jet's help in the first place? Not to mention how do you know where and when these monsters will appear?"
"I may be powerful but I am no god. I just know these things. And I need to rest after using my abilities or I risk myself. For three years I have been looking for someone who can hear me and only Jet had answered my calls,"
Jet gave a nonchalant shrug. "What can I say? I'm special,"
"Yeah, a special child," Clinton added.
Jet growled but was stopped by Alec before it could escalate. The four of them talked about what to do with Alice. As soon as that question came up, the girl wrapped her arms around Jet's and told them adamantly that if she were to stay Jet needs to be with her or she leaves.
With his head hurting, Clinton left the room. Alice was to be under Alec's care as well as Jet. And not to mention the lies he would have to put in his report. It had been agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone else about the depth of Alice's abilities for her safety.
And there was that one from Alice that he couldn't get his mind off—that The Agency had done something to her. The girl had refused to elaborate but even he could feel the rage and fear that radiated off her at the mere mention their name.
He sighed as he exited the hospital. He had no idea what was coming but surely—it would be tons of work.
~oOo~
A few days later, Alice was released from the hospital. Her adamant refusal of using a government-issued earphone for its 'uncomfortableness' won and the specialized had checked her own work and issued it a permit.
As soon as Alice stepped out of the hospital, dozens after dozens of crows dived down towards her and circled her once before vanishing into the sky. The only one that was left was Ao, who remained sitting in her shoulder.
"What's with you and crows, Alice?" Jet finally asked as they got into Alec's car.
-"They are my family,"- Alice answered, caressing Ao's beak. -"They are the only living being that could hear and understand me,"- then she glanced at him. -"Well, now aside from you,"-
"If you are going to be working with us, Alice, you don't mind if I make you go through a few tests? I just have to make sure of your abilities both power and physical,"
She nodded and stared out the window as Ao pulled at her scarf to fix it over her neck.