Outcast Villiage

Evelyn smiled softly, watching them, before she looked at the door as Xander appeared.

"We need to talk." Xander told her and Evelyn nodded, walking out of the room with him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. So sorry, very sorry," Ephraim mumbled almost brokenly into her hair.

---

Ranger, while they were gone, had managed to collect the rest of the numbers. Clockwork was sat by Death's body, waiting for her to wake up from the bullet hole in her head.

Patience was stiffly sat at a chair, silent and unmoving, while Disaster was sat against the far wall, violently trembling.

Ranger was by Citlali, gently encouraging her to drink water, but she was flinching at every noise and movement and shivering.

Chiquita was by herself in a corner. Her hands were covered in shackles made of a strange black material, covering her hands from fingertips to elbow and keeping them bound together behind her back. Every so often the material would crackle and she'd make a near silent noise of pain. Since her power got stronger and stronger when left untreated, the scientists had gone to different lengths to stop her power spreading out of control.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked her brother.

"How are we supposed to keep everyone safe now Evie?" Xander asked. "Me and you are doing too much already, soon enough the people who hunt us will find us and we will simply drag the others in too."

"I don't know yet Xander, just let me get over today, tomorrow morning we will work something out." Evelyn told him, now come on, get Alex and Moira, we have some freedom to give out." She told him, and she knocked on the door to the room where the numbers were, before she walked into the room leaving the others outside for now. "Hey guys." She spoke quietly and softly, not wanting to scare any of them.
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"It's okay daddy....Mummy told me stories about you."

Despite her precautions, still reacted, some more obviously than others.

Disaster was the only one to react violently, lurching to his feet and skittering across the room like a frightened animal.

Patience hunched herself up small as if trying to hide, and Clockwork curled herself protectively around Death's body.

Ranger had a hold of Citlali so even though she made an abortive movement to escape, he kept her close.

Chiquita made a quiet, frightened noise under her breath but stayed where she was, eyes tightly shut.

---

"I'm still sorry sweetheart, still sorry...should have been there for you."

"Well that went better than expected." Evelyn looked at Ranger. "I think we should wait before letting them see the others, what do you think?"
_________

"It's okay daddy, the mean lady made things very complicated, I understand...I think..." It was obvious that since she was young she didn't have much of an understanding past her child limitations.

"Just let them in, one by one. So long as the numbers aren't separated they should be fine. If you want to take the fire starter first, to help, that would probably be best. The emotional part of me wants Citlali helped first, but the rational part says that if Chiquita isn't helped soon, she's going to burn out." Rangers voice was quiet. "Just come in, one at a time, at least two minutes between each arrival."

---

"Complicated is the perfect way to put it darling." Ephraim leaned back slightly, not letting go, just so he could see her face and look her over.

She soon say up straight realising what he was doing and so he could all of her better. She looked a lot like him especially with her eyes but there were bits of Evelyn too.
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Evelyn nodded and she walked to the door. "Brother..."

At her words Xander walked in.

"Aren't you beautiful," Ephraim murmured almost reverently, not seeming aware he had spoken. His hand had lifted to gently rest on her cheek, his eyes soft.

---

"I don't know what the shackles are or what they're made of, but I think they're connected to the spine device, so get rid of it like you did for us and hopefully the hand binds will disconnect," Ranger muttered, sitting back slightly to get a better view in case he had to intervene and help.

Evelyn look rs at her brother and he walked over to kneel in front of Chiquita and using his gift he managed to get them undone.
________

She smiled softly resting her head into his hands.

Chiquita started trembling the closer he got, mumbling, "No, no, no, please don't, please don't, I'll be good, I'll do better, I'll be the best, please don't take them off, please, I'll do whatever you want, please, it hurts..." as soon as they had disconnected the temperature in the room rocketed so it was almost like a sauna. They had let Chiquita's power grow to a dangerous level for their own uses before shackling her hands. She was already panting for breath, coughing weakly and staining her lips with blood.

"Well, you can either let her die slowly and contract that way, or cut her throat and do it like that. Or, you know, just heal her. She's never had a contract. The only reason to make one would be to keep her safe from further attacks but...its up to you." Ranger offered his advice.

---

"I-I'm sorry I have to ask, but can I know your age?" Ephraim winced slightly.

Xander gently took her hands in his and as his eyes shone, he was able to heal her. When it was done, he stood up and he looked over at Evelyn. "She is free, her powers are hers to control, they are no longer life threatening."

Evelyn nodded to her brother.
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"Four...I'll be five soon."

The next day after everyone had been reunited, Evelyn was sat on a windowsill after giving her bed up to some of the numbers who needed it, and she was watching the sky, until she felt someone behind her and saw Alex who handed her a steaming cup of cocoa. "Couldn't sleep?"

Alex simply shook his head. "You?" He nodded when Evelyn nodded.

"Sitting outside is detrimental to your health," Ranger muttered as he took a heavy seat on the porch next to Ephraim. He had a lit cigarette in his hand and didn't complain as Ephraim snatched it, only adding, "So is smoking."

"I'm contracted again, Ranger. A little smoke isn't going to kill me."

"You're shaking," Ranger then pointed out and grunted as Ephraim punched him in the shoulder and said, "Shouldn't you be looking after Citlali?"

"She's in the kitchen. I can see her from here." As he spoke, Ranger turned his head to catch sight of Citlali's silhouette. She was sat at the kitchen table, completely still, another black shape slowly sinking into the seat next to her - another number considering Citlali didn't lurch away at first contact.

Ephraim grunted and then passed the cigarette off again to Ranger as he blew the smoke out.

"How are the girls?" Evelyn asked.

"Anjuli's asleep and so is Ariadne....How's she doing with Ephraim?" Alex asked.

"She's confused, he spent most of the first day with her and now...well...zip..." Evely shrugged.

Alex simply nodded. "So, when do you want to tell them?"

"I can't believe you convinced them to contract," Ephraim finally said. "Not the Numbers, we had no choice. T-The others. You didn't even explain Ranger, what were you thinking?" he began to stand but was forced to sit by Ranger pushing down on his shoulder, accompanied by a muttered, "Its late. Don't raise your voice."

"They don't know Ranger, and that could make it worse! Wow, whoopdie-doo, we're all contracted to our most favouriteist of people, the world is a whole lot better, yay, its not like that, and you didn't tell them!" Ephraim snatched the cigarette back to take in several steadying breaths, trying to sound less hysterical before he took a deep drag of the cigarette.

"Ephraim. Ephraim, Five." Ranger snapped it, sharply, and Ephraim abruptly stiffened freezing on instinct with his back ramrod straight, eyes ahead as he dropped the cigarette and pressed his arms tightly to his sides.

"You know you really shouldn't talk where we can all hear you." This time it came from Moira who was leaning against the door, she couldn't sleep either and that was apparent that she hadn't slept at all for a while. "Maybe you should tell the others and me the truth Ranger, because Evelyn and Alex can't handle any more secrets being kept, Xander and I are used to it." She reminded him before she picked up her car keys and she walked past them to where a car was parked and she opened the seats onto the back and pulled out a stuffed toy.

"Ephraim has no volume control, no matter the time of night. Outside was better than arguing inside around skittish Numbers," Ranger said mildly, even as Ephraim started to loosen up, hiding his face in his hands. Ranger watched him a moment and then turned to Moira.

"Be my guest. If you can round the contracters together, I'll explain. Then, anyone who wants to kill me for it can line up."

"I'd be first," Ephraim muttered.

"The contract isn't permanent until the conditions are met, after all," Ranger continued, smiling amiably at Moira. "It doesn't seem fair if you aren't told the conditions."

"I thought you had both learnt what happens when you keep secrets." She told him, looking between the pair of them and she wasn't happy but she was also exhausted. "They re already in the living room, none of us can sleep, I just came out here to get Ariadne's toy, she woke up screaming again, Evie's got her in the living room." She told them as she left them to follow her.

"I don't want to repeat it. And the numbers don't need to hear, they don't need to know." Ranger stood quietly. "I can explain it, Ephraim's less likely to be inclined that way considering he's one with a contract and I'm not."

Ephraim stood more reluctantly but allowed Ranger to tug him along to the front room.

"You still should have told us." She told him and she got to the living room, where Evelyn, Alex and Xader stood, Alex was holding a silently crying Ariadne and Evelyn sat on the armchair beside him. Ariadne looked around since she was only in Alex's arms so that she could be kept warm since they had no heating in the home yet, and she was sucking one hand but she reached out for the toy that Moira held out to her when she walked in.

"You needed to be ready." Ranger shrugged, staying in the doorway, even as Ephraim automatically and silently gravitated towards Evelyn. His eyes had flashed briefly golden with the contract as he saw her and then he chose to stand behind her chair, almost draped over the back of it so his arm was hanging beside her.

"Its not a pleasant thing to know." Ranger hesitated now that he was trying to explain, staring at his hands. "I've never had a contract, not that I can remember. But its never an equal exchange. The person with a contract, Ephraim, Citlali, the others, they're at a huge disadvantage. What we're keeping from you isn't so much as your problem, you know? But..."

"But what?" This time it was Evelyn who spoke and this time she stopped herself from leaning back into Ephraim, something about this felt off to her and she was forcing herself not to absorb something to protect her daughter from whatever uneasy thing she felt even if she didn't know what it was.

"Contracts are forged in blood. The blood of the willing, the contract, like Ephraim. Of course, those rules are a little lax. Not everyone wanted to contract to little miss sunshine back at the facility. There's also the blood of the very, very unwilling. No matter how much you love whoever you've contracted, no matter how much you wouldn't abuse the power you've got over them..." Ranger shrugged. "You've got to tell them - really tell them, make it an order that'll burn down to their bones if they refuse, that'll break their minds if they don't follow - to kill someone. And that's never so much fun. Some of them aren't killers, but fighting against it? Fighting against it is torture, is writhing on the floor in pain, in wishing for death and being granted fire in their blood. Its never pretty."

Ephraim had started trembling, clearly very frightened of being judged, of being forced into something again and afraid of Evelyn being disgusted. And, slowly, he pulled away in case she was uncomfortable with him close.

That was when Evelyn punched Ranger but before she could do worse, Xander held her tightly. "Stop it, I know it's hard but stop, you're daughter can't see such violence." When he let her go, Evelyn took her daughter and left the room.

"Nice job Ranger, now you've not put us all with problem, you've broken Evelyn." Alex told him, leaning against the wall as he looked at Ephraim. "Go after her." It wasn't an order, more of a suggestion."

"If that's her reaction to the news," Ephraim said quietly, "Then I doubt she wants to see the person she'll be using as a weapon in the near future." He was tense, half turned as if ready to make a run for it.

Ranger wiped the corner of his mouth. "Anyone else need to make a fight of it? This is why I thought it was too soon."