(This chapter is only in Earl Elias’ point of view)
One day my team was given orders to retrieve a baby in China. There was a couple in Hong Kong who was caring for a foreign baby that they found on the street. I wasn’t sure why we had to retrieve the baby but the mission was to kill anyone and anything that opposed our mission and bring back the baby alive. My team and I quickly acted with the order we were given and went to Hong Kong. I still remember the face the mother made before I killed her. She protects the baby with her body as if it was her own. This made me think about Zero and her death. I couldn’t protect her when she needed me the most.
When we got the baby, my team and I flew back to the base to give it over to the science team. On our way back, we landed back in Seattle to pick up new orders that were sent by an anonymous political party. Holding on to the baby reminded me of Zero. I didn’t want to hand another one to Gloria again, just to see another child die. So I ran. I stole one of the aircraft and hid in a cottage in Iceland with the baby.
The baby child was so beautiful with her dark black hair like mine but her eyes were ocean blue. She reminded me so much of Zero and my grandchild. When I successfully hid from the organization, I took a look around the baby. She had a blanket that had the name ‘Juvia’ embroidered on it. I decided to name her that. Juvia awoke from her unconscious state and didn’t cry but smiled and slapped my cheek with her small soft hands. For some reason, I just cried as the baby continued to slap my face. Her deep blue eyes looked as deep as the ocean. I wasn’t going to let this one go.
A year have passed by and Juvia was growing very fast. She was trying to make out words more and was barely able to walk. Somehow Gloria was able to find me again and took me away from Juvia. This time they imprisoned me in a cell until they needed me for anything else. I wanted to see Juvia.
One night, one of the kids from my squad helped me escape and I ran around the laboratory looking for Juvia to take with me. In one of the labs, I found Juvia with another baby in an incubator. Gloria was looming over the two. She turned to me and smiled, “If you want to leave, I’m not stopping you. But you can’t take these children away with you.” I lunged towards her and stabbed her sides with a scalpel I found on the table. She fell to the ground with blood pooling underneath her. Picking up Juvia first slowly, I looked at the other child. This was probably the one I saw several years ago that hasn’t been brought to life in Gloria’s lab. Now it’s alive and well. It looked only a couple of days old, I reached in and touched its hand as it grabbed mine and cried. I wanted to take it with me also.
Then suddenly the incubator shut, by reflex I pulled my hand out and looked over at Gloria. Holding her side she pressed a button on a remote she was holding. “You won’t get away!” She pulled out another remote and pressed a button and the back of my neck electrocuted and I fell to the ground. I didn’t want to give up, so I took Juvia and ran. I found a plane and flew out of there. It was almost too easy to leave that place. They probably were able to track me otherwise.
For the next six months, Juvia and I were on the run in hiding. The organization kept finding me until I found a small town called Pitt Meadows and threw away my old ‘Seth Crystavol’ identity and was called ‘Earl Elias’ instead. Juvia and I spent our lives peacefully, and I didn’t use my powers since. Since then I never saw Gloria again.
The powers that Gloria gave me had side effects. I didn’t realize this until I ran with Juvia. There are times when my spinal cords feel crushed, the only way I was able to cope with the pain was alcohol and pain killers. It happens more often when I use my powers, but once in awhile, I can feel it. It’s not as strong as when I use my powers though. The shots I was given every day at the laboratory must be to stop these side effects from coming so it was easier for me to execute the missions I was given.
I found out later that Juvia had the power to wield water. Catching her to put on her diaper was a challenge since there were times her whole body would transform into water. I still loved her but I needed to teach her to learn how to think on her own. So I trained her how to fish, read a compass, how to use a knife for survival and cook. She was a bright child and picked up a lot of things on her own. I don’t how much time I have left with her now that I’m in my fifties. She grew up to be a caring and sensitive child, but she will learn later on that she needs to learn her responsibilities and to control her emotions. One day, I might have to leave her and I’m not able to protect her. Right now, I have to do everything I can to give her a peaceful life.
I also have to prepare the day where I have to leave her because I loved her.
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