Alesia's POV.

I never actually met a genius. I mean, besides me. So obviously when the guy I have been chatting with for a long time happens to be one, I dive in.

\scorpion : « Dear Alesia. We've been talking for months now and I told my team about you. We've been impressed by your capabilities. You excelled the test I proposed for you last week. You are brilliant. That's why we have all agreed, we feel that it would benefit all parties involved if you joined us here in LA We've already discussed about the company I run, « Scorpion Computer Services ». Well we have to say your incredible sense of logic and ability to think as fast as we do could be very helpful. Hoping your answer will be positive and so we can meet very soon. You have my phone number. Call me if you're ready to accept this offer or have any questions. »

This email was the last I received from \scorpion aka Walter O'Brien. It was a week ago, and I never replied. I didn't need to. My name is Alesia Whyte, and I'm a normal teenager. I've always had trouble fitting in at school so I quit and my dad lives it worse than me. The right term is that he makes me pay for it.
As I was saying, I'm 16. Nothing abnormal except this : I'm a 16 year-old genius with a 172 IQ, and this is how my life changed with a simple email.

It took me very long to decide whether to get on that plane or not. Until the last milli-second I wasn't sure whether or not to go. I could've just gave up. It was my father's money after all. He doesn't deserve me to care about him. He stopped doing so when my mother left. Alcohol and anger issues. It can only lead to a single sad ending. So I bailed. Here I am in Los Angeles, phone in hand following a GPS app that led me to a creepy alley and yet all I can think about is this dump's odor. It's a garage, and it makes me kind of insecure. I don't really know what pushed me to enter that garage but I did it.
It's huge. Huge, and messy. There are desks in all the corners, sofas here, an arcade game there…

"Can I help you ?" At these words, I was so surprised I nearly forgot to breathe. I turn around to see a tall, curly hair man and I almost laugh at his face as he is wearing a shirt and a tie at 8am. He's looking at me like I'm an alien and I just want to tell him to chill up, I'm just the girl with a 172 IQ. Before I open my mouth to throw something beyond smart, I think, what if he was actually \scorpion ? I couldn't have been wrong with the adress after all.

"Are you Walter O'Brien ?" I risk. He steps forward and slightly shakes my hand.
"I am."
"Then the question is more likely how can I help you. I'm Alesia. Alesia Whyte."

His look changes in less than a second before he yells "Guys, we have a visitor!" and I'm surrounded by the rest of his 'team'. He seems to have noticed my facial expression and smiles like he wants to comfort me. Walter steps back and stands next to me so the team can introduce themselves. First of all there's Paige she seems nice. Then we have Happy, an asian-type woman in her late twenties. Next Toby the guy with the fedora, Sylvester who smells like sanitizer and Agent Gallo whose rank comforts me in the situation. "Guys, meet Alesia."

Agent Gallo doesn't seem glad with my introduction, and he lets us know. "You've got to be kidding me, son. She's a kid."
I can't help but speak up "I wouldn't say kid, I'm 16 and I can hold my own. Acutally its fairly rude of you to stereotype me as a 'kid' because I look young."
"Smartass, I like" Toby whispers to Happy.

They're all staring at me and I can't help but thinking "That was brilliant, just shut it next time."
Walter's shocked expression fades into a smile and he drags me a few steps back. He seems to hesitate before speaking.

"Look, we appear to have made a mistake. I've been talking to Alesia for months and I could have sworn she was an adult. How did you get our address and her name? You can tell me, I won't tell the rest of the team and you can quietly go back home."

"It's not a mistake, it's called maturity. I'm Alesia, why won't you believe me?" The curly haired man is now looking at me in the eyes, and I can bet he's trying to decide whether I am lying or not. The thing is that at this very moment, I wish I wasn't so hard to read.
Fortunately, the guy with the fedora comes forward and whispers in Walter's ear that I "might be telling the truth" I can't stop myself laughing. I take a few steps toward the rest of Walter's 'team'.

"Since none of you seem to believe me, I'll prove it. I'll show you this 'sense of logic' that you claim Alesia has" I sigh and begin describing the team members in front of me.

"First of all we have Walter, the arrogant leader because yes, you have to be arrogant as hell to tell me I'm just a teenager. Then there's Toby, and the annoying fedora. You're pretty arrogant too but that can be excused because as a shrink, you're a little full of yourself and no one can really blame you."

Even though Happy and Paige are behind me I can hear them swallowing their laughs and I can see Walter trying to hide his amused grin beside me.

"Sylvester you have chalk dust on your sweater and you're standing next to a black board on which there are calculations so it's an easy guess that you are kind of the math guy here." He looks relieved that I didn't say anything bad. "Agent Gallo. You're a tough man and it you look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders which I guess is almost the same thing with this bunch. I don't really know who you're working for but this has to be something big like… Homeland Security for example." He stifles his laughter but nods in agreement. "Walter told me he was working with three other geniuses so no offense but I don't really understand Paige's presence here. Nothing about you makes me think that you are a genius. So Happy is the last genius then. When you came to me you smelled like waste oil so I have to go with a genius of the mechanics" I smile triumphantly as I finish my deductions of the team.

They stare at each other for a long time, speechless. At the moment I'm proud but I start regretting as soon as they start staring at me again. Happy is smiling at me, slightly nodding her head at Walter. Walter nods at me; I assume it's a nod of congratulations. He then begins to explain some conditions although I'm not paying attention. I'm just glad I didn't give up my home for nothing. Happy seems glad Walter made that decision and gives me a high five. At this very moment, I have no idea what joining this team will bring but I sure don't want to know.

Walter's POV.

Alesia's arrival is a turning point for our team. With her, we can expand our intervention areas. She has an incredible sense of analysis and her ability to solve puzzles can help us.
While the rest of the team are welcoming her, Gabe and I venture outside. I know exactly what he is about to say, and he is right. Alesia is underage, which means her parents will have final say on her joining scorpion. Unfortunately, most parents wouldn't accept their child going on dangerous high-tech problem-solving missions.

"Listen, son. I'm from Homeland Security. I can't ignore the fact that she is only 16, Walter. She could get hurt! What are we going to say to her parents if something happens to her? Sorry Mr Whyte, your daughter was shot by rebels in Central Bosnia?"
"I'd prefer we avoid the subject."