What a freak she was. Not just because she had different, radically different, DNA than ordinary humans - but because she wasn't enjoying newfound freedom. Many months later, she still held a disdain for her current situation. Far more than she ever disliked Manticore. Even with all her unpleasant experiences at Manticore - ones that another person might call traumatic or wrong - she had never met a worse fate than being homesick for a place that no longer existed. There was absolutely no going back.
Barcode concealed, she trudged through the city streets of the wasteland called Seattle in 2021. It looked like a post-apocalyptic scene. Fitting, she thought, because it feels like my world had ended 8 months ago.
She got the message, however. She was advancely smart. It had been clear to her, replaying the night, that the fire and shooters weren't an outside attack - but rather an inside one. One coming from the heart of the organization. Having escaped the physical flames didn't stop the betrayal from burning inside her chest. She held disdain and loathing for the new director, who had done it. Renfro. And for the vigilante who had initially sparked it, Eyes Only. Snake.
Yes, she blamed it on the new director and Eyes Only. Having had time to ponder it, she rapidly came to the conclusion that Lydecker wouldn't have done it. Renfro truly felt nothing for them. She was traitorous. Lydecker, however? She couldn't place it but he was different, somehow. Killing them seemed more a grave matter to him. One could chalk it up to the money and time they're worth. However, it just felt like something different with him. I still can't place it.
God, this walk is taking forever walking at this pace. She would have normally moved much quicker at home, but she's trying to blend in with humans now, and there's traffic, and people in her way. No order out here.
She reaches the side entrance to Terminal city, one kept out of view of the ever-interested city and their prying eyes. Sighing, she takes in the view of the gate and opens it. New home. The gate is rusted and is struggling to open. Nothing works here. Everything worked at my former one.
Who would've guessed she'd be so sentimental about Manticore? Everyone, anyone.
Alec runs up to greet her. All smiles as usual. She desperately wants to ask him if he feels the same way, deep down. If she's the only freak who feels this way. Don't you miss the comfortable routine? The familiar faces? Can we go back? Please?! She takes a deep breath. Silly thoughts.
Forcing a smile, she says hi back to him. He pulls her close with arm, shakes her, and asks if she wants to play pool against him. They had managed to score a table not long ago and she's really good. It's basic hand-eye coordination, with a little bit of stats and predictions thrown in.
Nodding, she agrees, but clearly her heart isn't there. It's somewhere far away today. In a pile of ashes and rubble. Typically, she hides it well. Being homesick. No one will ever understand. Max couldn't seem happier about Manticore being gone, most days. She only seems to doubt its goodness when something goes wrong in the outside world. Well yeah. Duh. That's what happens when you disrupt order, toss out discipline and duty, and mix transgenics with everyday humans. We're not them.
She casts a glance up at Max, who is busy webcam chatting with Logan. There's heavy resentment and a bit of pity behind it. The X5, Max, tries so hard to be like them. To be a normal human girl. We're never going to be like them. Not really. Pathetic she tries so hard. Wasted effort.
Alec's call for her breaks her out of her musings but she slips right into another set, nodding and holding up a finger to request one minute. A couple months ago, he recalls hearing him say Max broke them all out of Manticore. She hadn't been a damsel in distress. I never asked to be broke out. How dare one of the rogue X5's be so arrogant to assume that we were all just waiting to be saved? She helps burn down our home, throws us into chaos, and we're supposed to be grateful? She throws a hard look up at Max again, who this time had just ended her video chat, and catches the other transgenic's look. Max returns an intense one of her own. Why bother starting a fight that won't change anything and just disrupt the faint order we have here at TC?
Breaking their traded stares, she goes off and joins Alec at the pool table finally. Ready to kick his ass. Playing against him is her first genuine smile of the day. The dull pain of homesickness lessened but still underlying her happiness.
Author's note: For now, I'm choosing to leave this transgenic unidentified. This is for mystery's sake, as well as for you the reader. I wanted readers to be able to at least have some freedom to use your imagination, at least in this first chapter. For right now, you all can make her Brin, or imagine any other female X5 you want, except maybe Max cause they have a stare off here. Maybe I'll reveal her later. I'm unsure if I want her to be an OC random escaped transgenic or one of the transgenics we met on the show. I'm leaning towards original transgenic but let me know your thoughts! :) I thought this might be a one-shot but now I'm thinking a several chapter story. Let me know your thoughts on that too! If she's not Brin, maybe she meets Brin and finds they share this homesickness for Manticore? I do wonder what happened to Brin in the second season.