Title: Our Story
Author: Vona
E-mail: Joshysgurlie15@aol.com
Feedback: I need feedback like I need air.
Distribution: Go ahead, just ask.
Disclaimer: I own it all, of course. That's why I write fan fiction. Nope, I've been dreaming again, actually Chic Eglee and James Cameron own it. Or did. Grrrrr...FOX!
Summary: 10 years after the previous story, Father. Part 3 of Freedom Trilogy. Alec and Max are married and have 3 kids. This is what happens when they tell two of their little girls. M/A pairing, of course. What else would I write?
Rating: PG
Classification: General
*10 years later*
Maxie and I had three kids. Twin girls, Rory and Jory, who were 8. They wer gorgeous, my eyes, Max's hair and tanned skin. Then there was our youngest, 5-year-old Ben. We named him Ben for obvious reasons. He looked a lot like me, except he had inherited Max's dark brown eyes. Our children were perfect, in our eyes and everyone else who loved them. It was funny really, how Max and I tried to pick up the whole parenting thing. Neither of us had had parents, Max trying to live on her own in a broken world and me, in Manticore's high security facilities. Original Cindy, Sketchy, and Logan did their best to help us out. And if I do say so myself, our children were turning out to be pretty good kids. Max and I were at the table, talking. Ben toddled in and crawled into Max's lap. Max was such a wonderful wife and mother. "Hey, Bennie. Do you need something, Sweetheart?"
"Tell me a story, Mommy." Max smiled and began to tell him about the good place. She remembered the story Ben used to tell her when she was little about the good place, so she was passing it on. "There's a place somewhere, where everyone is happy. No one is ever punished. There is a lot of candy too." Ben dozed off slowly. She carried him into his room. Max and I owned a large apartment. 3 bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen, which was pretty expensive for post-Pulse America. I wrapped my arms around her when she walked back into the kitchen.
"Mmmmm...I love you so much, Alec."
"I love you, too, Maxie." We began to kiss. A door slammed. Rory exclaimed, "Mama, Daddy, stop! That is so gross! You're our parents."
Max giggled, "Oh, so we're too old to kiss, huh? We can't? How do you think you guys got here?" "Double ew!" Jory laughed, "The stork brought us." This brought more laughter. Max and I had been so happy after we brought down the Conclave. We had a wedding ceremony in Terminal City, with everyone there. Normal, Sketchy, O.C., Logan, Joshua, Mole, Luke, and Gem and the rest of the transgenics. Max had been sad that Zack couldn't come, or Krit and Syl, but we still had a wonderful wedding. Jory smiled at me, "Hey, Daddy! Guess what?"
I bent down eye level to her. "What, Baby?"
"We were playing with words today in English and your name spells smart aleck backwards, except there's no k." Max burst into laughter as we shared knowing glances.
"Really, Jory? I had no idea." Rory continued to retell their day.
"Today, Miss Gates was telling us about the war between between our brave soldiers and the awful Trannies. Our soldiers died trying to get rid of that evil breed of...well no one really knows what they are. It's so exciting to hear about how we destroyed the mutants." Oh, yeah. We hadn't told Rory and Jory they were transgenics yet. We were going to wait until they were 10, when they would really start to notice their enhanced abilities. Joshua, Mole, and Luke had agreed to stay hidden away from them. Some of our close friends had been killed too, during the war for freedom. O.C., Sketchy and his new wife Gem, Logan and Asha, and Normal hung around with us. Sketchy had fallen madly in love with Gem during the war. He took care of Alyssa like she was his own daughter. Max sat down heavily into a chair, tears in her eyes. This hit her harder then me; the transgenics who had died had been under orders from her. She was our commander, she still was, even though we were all semi-free. I squeezed Max's hand. We still used some clicks and hand signals to talk when we didn't want the kids to understand. Jory pushed Rory, "I don't think the transgenics were all that bad. We weren't perfect then, we attacked them."
"Miss Gates said that the first incident was when some blind woman was killed. Some crazy wolf guy kidnapped her and took her to the sewers and he killed her. Then some mutants took over some mail place. Jam Pony! Uncle Normal works there. So was Uncle Sketchy and Auntie Cindy. Do you think they were there when it happened?"
Max looked at me.
"OK, sweetie..."
"Oh! I forgot this part! This FBI agent, White or something like it, went in to save the hostages and he was almost killed." That was it for Max. She broke down and ran from the room, barely stopping herself from blurring. Rory and Jory looked startled.
"She's kinda stressed, girls. Your Mom and I need talk to you tomorrow night, OK, Sweethearts?"
"OK, Daddy."
"Did I upset Mama?"
"Kind of. I'll explain it to you later." I left the kitchen to go talk to Max.
Max was sitting on the bed, flipping through an album. I knew it was the album. The one that held the pictures and article Sketchy had provided. I sat down next to her and held her like I had many times before. She cried silently, tears dripping onto the cover.
"Our daughters hate their own kind. I knew we should have told them sooner." Her voice sounded almost accusing.
"Maxie, they wouldn't have understood any earlier. Jory doesn't seem hate them, she took up for them just a second ago. Rory has just lived in world that hates us, but coexists. She may be angry at first, but she'll forgive us." Max lifted her eyes to mine.
"You think?"
"Occasionally."
She cracked smile, "Rarely." I playfully nudged her.
"You wanna go out tonight? One more free night?"
"Normal usually watches the kids for us. I don't want the girls asking him questions about Jam Pony." I nodded.
"How about we have Lizzie watch them?" Lizzie was our next door neighbor.
"Deal. I'll call Cindy and Sketchy. You call Logan, Lizzie, and Normal."
"K. Go to Crash?"
" 'course. Where else would we go?" So I went for my cell, while Max began to dial her phone.
It was huge group of us. Logan and Asha had been married for nearly 5 years. O.C. and Normal were still single. We were sitting at our usual table. Sketchy proposed a game of pool. "I always beat you, Sketch."
"Gem's been helping me get better. One day I'll win."
"The day when hell freezes over."
"Better go get your coat, 'cuz it's gettin' cold." We all laughed.
"Let's go." So Normal, Sketchy, Logan and I left for the pool tables, leaving the girls behind.
Max began to regail our story. "How did Alyssa react when you told her, Gem?"
"She wasn't that surprised really. She said she always knew she wasn't different."
"What'd you tell her?"
"I started from the beginning, Manticore, the escape, the takeover, killing the breeding cult. 452 is mentioned in the history books at her school. When I told her who you and Alec were, she was even impressed. Rory and Jory might be shocked, but it's gonna be okay. They love you. Bennie loves you. Alec loves you. We love you. It'll be all good."
"Tru dat. Original Cindy says Gem is speakin' the truth." Max smiled.
"OK, I'll tell them tomorrow. Can one of ya'll take Bennie for me?" Gem volunteered.
"Alyssa loves playing with Ben."
"K." Max was happy it was settled. Now she just had to wait to tell the girls.
Max and I danced, talked, and ate. We knew we'd have to go home eventually. I looked around the table at our friends. Max, Gem, and I still looked like we were 20, but the others had aged slightly. I wondered how long transgenics live. Did we even age past 20? We didn't know any transgenics older 35 and they all looked young. Maybe 20 was the end of our growth. I didn't know. Max was ready to go and I wondered if she knew what I was thinking. We said our good byes and headed home. Max was still smiling. Since the war, Max had been happier, slightly more carefree. The transgenics still banded together, most lived in Terminal City, especially, as Joshua put it, the basement ones. Max was still their leader, their savior, their protector. Max had assumed the position dutifully. Everyone respected my Maxie.
"Hello? Come back to me, Golden Boy."
I smirked, "I'm always with you. You know you want me."
"Yeah, yeah, 'course I do. Who wouldn't?"
"Wow! That boost my ego!"
"Oh, no. Your ego is already huge, if it grows any bigger it won't be able to fit through the door."
"Ouch." Max took my hand.
"What were you thinking about?"
"My gorgeous wife."
"Good answer. Really, what were you thinking about?"
"I was! Honest!"
"Alec, c'mon."
"I was thinking about our life. The war, the way everyone trusts you."
Max watched me.
"What are we going to say to the twins?"
"Hi. I'm your transgenic Daddy and this is your transgenic Mommy. We were made in a lab, but Mommy here is the perfect human/transgenic."
Max laughed.
"It does sound incredibly screwed up, don't it?"
"Well, it is. Don't worry, Maxie." Max only nodded.
"How come Ben's going to Alyssa's house?" Rory asked.
The girls adored Alyssa. She was only 2 years older then they were.
"Bennie needs to go, so Daddy and I can talk to you."
"But I wanna go!"
"No, Rory."
"Mom..."
"Don't Mom me. We have something important to tell you. It affects your whole life."
Jory had just walked in the door.
"Are you pregnant again, Mommy?"
Max laughed, lightly, "No, Sweets. Why?"
"You said that when you told us Bennie was going to be born."
"I did?" The two girls giggled and nodded. I strolled in from work.
"Hello, ladies."
"Daddy!" They ran to me and I lifted them both up. Those two were definitely Daddy's girls. Rory smiled, "You're so strong, Daddy." I nodded and put them down.
"About that..."
"Girls, sit down. We have something to tell you." They complied.
"Umm...well, there's no easy way to say this. Just remember we wanted to wait until you were older, so you would understand what we have to say."
Max took a deep breath. "Daddy and I are transgenics." Rory gasped, but Jory didn't look that surprised.
"What?"
Jory smiled, "You didn't know, Ror? I saw Mommy and Daddy fighting one day. They were blurry and jumping and they kept going for an hour without being tired."
"You knew, Jory, and you didn't tell me."
"I just guessed."
"That makes us transgenics."
Jory was interested. "Didn't you guys have barcodes or numbers or something?" I nodded and bent down and showed her my barcode.
"How come we don't have barcodes?"
"No one really knows. It just happened this way. You guys are the free generation of transgenics."
"What's your number?"
"I'm X5-494."
"I'm X5-452."
"452? The lady that was at the Jam Pony incident? The leader?" Max nodded.
"How?" Max began to tell the tale.
"I was engineered in a lab, X series. I escaped with my unit, Zack, Krit, Syl, Tinga, Jondy, Brin, and Ben and a few others. We were separated."
"I was Ben's clone. I was at Manticore until 2020. Maxie was recaptured in 2020. We were told to be uh....partnered." I smiled slyly at Max, who smiled at the memory of our first meeting.
"Alec helped me escape. I gave him his name from smart aleck, because he was a smart aleck. Then I burned Manticore down and let the others out."
"I came to Seattle and met back up with your Mom. We eventually fell in love and got married."
"Tell us about the Jam Pony takeover? You took it over, right, Mom?"
"Actually it was me and your father. Joshua and some of his friends walked in and we had to protect our own. We didn't hurt anyone, but our friend was killed by White's gunfire. I was shot and so was Logan." Jory lapped all this information up, but Rory was angry. During the middle of the explanation, Rory pushed herself a way from the table and ran out the door. Max looked terribly upset. I hugged her tightly.
"It's gonna be aiight. I know it will."
Max nodded, "Yeah, sure."
Jory got up and hugged us both.
"I don't care, Mama, Daddy. Do we get to meet any other transgenics?"
Max smiled, "Yeah. I'll take you to meet Joshua and Luke. They look like animals, but I know you'll love them to death."
"Who else is transgenic?"
"Alyssa is. She was born during the Jam Pony takeover."
"So Auntie Gem and Uncle Sketchy are too?"
"Just Gem. I'll take you to Terminal City, Sweetie. Let's go. Maybe we can find Rory, too."
I spoke up, "I might know where she is." Max nodded. I grabbed my leather jacket and headed towards a makeshift park.
I found Rory sitting in a swing at what we called the park. It was just as dirty as the rest of the Post-Pulse world, but it held a single swing and a slide from the years before the Pulse. She was swinging back and forth. I walked up to her.
"Hey, Baby." Rory didn't answer.
"I know you're upset."
"Darn straight. You should have told us."
"You wouldn't have understood yet. We were going to wait until your tenth birthday. You would have understood and you would have started to notice your enhanced abilities. We're sorry we upset you."
"Yeah."
"Forgiven?"
"Not yet."
"Who else is a trannie...transgenic?"
"Alyssa is. So's Gem. We're fixing to take Jory to Terminal City to meet some of the others. Do you want to come?"
"Maybe."
"Please. You're breaking Maxie's heart."
"You hurt me. You broke my heart, Daddy."
"Rory, please."
"Fine. Let's go." Rory jumped off the swing and stormed off into the direction of my motorcycle. I followed her, sadly.
Max's eyes had lit up when she saw Rory walking in front of me. Her eyes darkened, when she saw the angry look on Rory's face. Jory smiled excitedly, "We're going to meet some new transgenics."
"Yeah." Max sighed as we walked to our little car and piled in.
Jory was incredibly interested in her sudden discovery of her heritage. Rory's eyes had looked a little happier as we pulled into Terminal City. Jory jumped out excitedly. Max smiled at her, "C'mon girls, let's go." We walked into the main building and several transgenics stopped and saluted her. No matter what we did, all of us would always be soldiers, saluting our commander was in our blood. It was engraved in our brain and would be a habit that was never broken. Max saluted back. Jory and Rory seemed slightly surprised at the respect shown to Max and I. "Hey, Big Fella."
"Hey, Little Fella, Medium Fella, AHH!!!! Joshua didn't know they were here!" Joshua hid his face in his hands.
Max exclaimed, "No! No! Jory and Rory know now. Let them see you, Joshua. Girls, this is Joshua, one of my closest friends. He was the first transgenic ever made."
Jory walked up to him and touched his face.
"You're cool. I'm Jory. What did she say your name was?"
"J...Joshua."
"That's Rory. She's being mean today, but she's usually pretty cool."
Joshua smiled. "Cool. Joshua cool, Big Fella."
Max nodded.
"H...Hi Rory, Jory." Luke and a few others came up.
"Girls, this is Luke, Zookie, and Chippy. Guys, this is Rory and Jory, Alec's and my daughters." They all waved. Jondy, Krit and Syl soon appeared.
"They're all transgenics, too!"
"You're Mom's unit."
Rory sighed loudly. She was having such a hard time dealing with this. I just hoped we could help her. She walked over to me.
"I'm not mad at you anymore, Daddy. I'm just upset, ya know?"
"I know, Baby."
"I'm just surprised. What kind of special stuff will I have?"
"You'll be able to see perfectly at night, the ability to see things from far away, making it look up close. When you run, you'll blur because you'll be so fast. You can hear things from quite distance. You won't tire easily and most likely you won't need much sleep. You'll also be able to learn things quickly and retain most of what you hear."
"Cool!"
"Yeah, it kind of is." Rory ran over to tell Jory about all the new extra enhancements. Jory was just excited. Joshua began to show them some of his paintings, including ones he did of them when they were babies. Soon we had to leave.
When we got home, Max and I showed the girls the album. They poured over the pages of pictures that Sketchy took. They asked me to read his article out loud, so I complied.
Transgenics are percieved as these horrible, unhuman beings. Beings that don't deserve to live because they are dangerous. These misconceptions are going to be the downfall of them. I have an eyewitness account from inside the Jam Pony hostage situation. I am a messenger for the Jam Pony Messenger Service. I was there when we were taken hostage. The transgenics didn't want to take us hostage. They were forced too, to save themselves and us. A breeding cult is trying to kill them and us, making the world perfect through their eyes. The transgenics don't want us dead. They want to help save us. They were designed to protect us.
Transgenics have emotions and wants and needs just like humans. They are human, with a few special traits given to them. They didn't ask to be made, but they were. They were designed in a lab by the government. Manticore wasn't exactly home sweet home to them. They were sent out on missions, dangerous ones, sometimes to protect, sometimes to kill. It wasn't their choice. If they tried to defy the authority, they were reindoctrinated. Alec Smart, an X5, was reindoctrinated. "They send you to Psyche-Ops to reteach you about your life's purpose. They torture you and force you to accept your fate, teach you not to fight authority." Doesn't exactly seem like a life they asked for, does it?
In year 2009, a small unit of 12 escaped Manticore, were separated, and tried to make their way into a world they did not understand. They laid low, hiding from the government. Max Guevera was one of these individuals. She spent most of her life watching over her shoulder and searching for what she calls her siblings. She teamed up with our very own Eyes Only, using her own special abilities to save innocent lives. Finally, she met up with one of her brothers. Together, they found three sisters and two brothers. One is now dead, Ben, clone of Alec. Another one of the sisters, Tinga, was captured and killed trying to save her family from the government agency. Another sister, Brin, was reindoctrinated after being recaptured. Zack, Krit, and Syl, the remaining that she found, went to blow up the genetics lab, where the embryos were formed. Max was recaptured during this mission, as was her brother Zack. Max was shot in the heart with no chance of survival, until Zack shot himself to save his sister by giving her his heart. Zack was the oldest. Max was then taken back to Manticore for reeducation. She refused to listen though. She stayed strong through the whole event and swore to escape again. This is where she met Alec.
Alec was taken to Psyche-Ops after the 12 escaped in 2009. He was the clone of one of the twelve escapees. They wanted to make sure rebellion wasn't genetic. He underwent a series of horrifying tests and exercises until they determined that is wasn't genetic. He went on being a soldier, not ever questioning what his orders were. After the embryonic lab was blown up, Manticore started up a breeding program. Max and Alec were assigned as these partners. Max refused, and both lied to the director of the department. Not exactly the most romantic story in the book. Alec, along with the help of another Anomoly named Joshua, helped Max escape. Max returned and torched Manticore and let all the transgenics and Anomolies escape. Now Alec and Max fight with Eyes Only trying to help save the world. Not exactly the picture that our good Agent Ames White and upstanding Senator McKinley want you to see.
Alec and Max, along with a few other transgenics began to work at Jam Pony, their true identity unbeknown to most of the workers. When a few Anomolies and a pregnant transgenic walked into Jam Pony that fateful day in 2021, they knew they had to face up with their past and protect their own. Agent White was there, waiting to kill us all, transgenic and human. They held their own and fought their way towards the freedom of Terminal City. Not only that, but they displayed a very common emotion amongst humans. Love. Love for friends and love for each other. Alec said to Max,
"No, Max. I'm not betraying us, our own kind. I know a few months ago, I might have, but I've changed. You've changed me. You and Josh are all I've got. I can't leave you two behind to save my own butt." If you recall, a while ago, a blind woman named Annie Fisher was murdered, by according to most, a wolfman. That was not the case at all. Ames White killed Annie Fisher just so he could blame the death on the transgenic. The paranoia has started. The terror, the fear, the disaster. The transgenics have no desire to hurt you. It's the breeding cult you should fear. The breeding cult wants you all to die, so they can takeover the world. Only the 'fit' will survive. Your mistrust of the transgenics is incorrect. Instead you should not trust Ames White, Senator McKinley, and several others in important positions that want to kill you all. Don't fear the transgenics. Help them fight for their freedom. Max Guevera comments, "We aren't made to hurt you. We just want to lead normal lives without having to hide who we are. We didn't ask to be engineered. We were. We have to live with ourselves, our missions, our past, our friends and families getting killed. Deal with it, we have. We just want our freedom."
Jory and Rory looked up. "Is this all true?'
"Yep. Sketchy wrote it shortly after the takeover, during the war. We fought and battled. Eventually we killed White and his breeding cult groupies. Slowly, we were allowed back into the world. Granted, our lives are far from perfect and we aren't really accepted by most of the world, we exist along with them. We survive. And we're proud to be transgenic. You should be too!"
Jory smiled, "I'm proud! I can't wait to learn how to use my vision and stuff!"
Rory agreed. The girls continued to look through everything. Max wrapped her arms around me. I turned to face her.
"I think it's gonna be OK, Golden Boy."
"Yeah, Maxie, I think it is. Rory seems to have fallen for the lure of special skills and the romance of the whole war idea." Max laughed.
"Wonderful. I love you, Alec."
"Me too, Maxie."
"Alec..." I smirked, "I love you, too."
"Our life turned out pretty good, despite everyone's attempts to make it miserable."
"Yep. We turned out okay. Will we live happily ever after?"
"I hope so." I kissed her soundly.
"DADDY! EWWWWWW!"
Rory giggled, "Will you come talk to my class about being 452 and 494?" I shrugged and clicked at Max. She put her hands together and then flipped them over.
"Sure."
Miss Gates nodded to us, although you could see the hate in her eyes. Some people just would never accept us. We had learned to deal with that. Miss Gates announced, "We have some guests today, class. Alec and Max Smart, Rory and Jory's parents, who are transgenic. If you recall in our textbooks, 452 was in charge of the Jam Pony situation. Mrs. Smart is 452 and Mr. Smart is 494, who helped in the takeover. They are here to tell you about their lives." Max smiled and I began the tale.
"It all began back in year 2000 for us, before the Pulse..."
And that, my friends, is the end of our tale.
Author: Vona
E-mail: Joshysgurlie15@aol.com
Feedback: I need feedback like I need air.
Distribution: Go ahead, just ask.
Disclaimer: I own it all, of course. That's why I write fan fiction. Nope, I've been dreaming again, actually Chic Eglee and James Cameron own it. Or did. Grrrrr...FOX!
Summary: 10 years after the previous story, Father. Part 3 of Freedom Trilogy. Alec and Max are married and have 3 kids. This is what happens when they tell two of their little girls. M/A pairing, of course. What else would I write?
Rating: PG
Classification: General
*10 years later*
Maxie and I had three kids. Twin girls, Rory and Jory, who were 8. They wer gorgeous, my eyes, Max's hair and tanned skin. Then there was our youngest, 5-year-old Ben. We named him Ben for obvious reasons. He looked a lot like me, except he had inherited Max's dark brown eyes. Our children were perfect, in our eyes and everyone else who loved them. It was funny really, how Max and I tried to pick up the whole parenting thing. Neither of us had had parents, Max trying to live on her own in a broken world and me, in Manticore's high security facilities. Original Cindy, Sketchy, and Logan did their best to help us out. And if I do say so myself, our children were turning out to be pretty good kids. Max and I were at the table, talking. Ben toddled in and crawled into Max's lap. Max was such a wonderful wife and mother. "Hey, Bennie. Do you need something, Sweetheart?"
"Tell me a story, Mommy." Max smiled and began to tell him about the good place. She remembered the story Ben used to tell her when she was little about the good place, so she was passing it on. "There's a place somewhere, where everyone is happy. No one is ever punished. There is a lot of candy too." Ben dozed off slowly. She carried him into his room. Max and I owned a large apartment. 3 bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen, which was pretty expensive for post-Pulse America. I wrapped my arms around her when she walked back into the kitchen.
"Mmmmm...I love you so much, Alec."
"I love you, too, Maxie." We began to kiss. A door slammed. Rory exclaimed, "Mama, Daddy, stop! That is so gross! You're our parents."
Max giggled, "Oh, so we're too old to kiss, huh? We can't? How do you think you guys got here?" "Double ew!" Jory laughed, "The stork brought us." This brought more laughter. Max and I had been so happy after we brought down the Conclave. We had a wedding ceremony in Terminal City, with everyone there. Normal, Sketchy, O.C., Logan, Joshua, Mole, Luke, and Gem and the rest of the transgenics. Max had been sad that Zack couldn't come, or Krit and Syl, but we still had a wonderful wedding. Jory smiled at me, "Hey, Daddy! Guess what?"
I bent down eye level to her. "What, Baby?"
"We were playing with words today in English and your name spells smart aleck backwards, except there's no k." Max burst into laughter as we shared knowing glances.
"Really, Jory? I had no idea." Rory continued to retell their day.
"Today, Miss Gates was telling us about the war between between our brave soldiers and the awful Trannies. Our soldiers died trying to get rid of that evil breed of...well no one really knows what they are. It's so exciting to hear about how we destroyed the mutants." Oh, yeah. We hadn't told Rory and Jory they were transgenics yet. We were going to wait until they were 10, when they would really start to notice their enhanced abilities. Joshua, Mole, and Luke had agreed to stay hidden away from them. Some of our close friends had been killed too, during the war for freedom. O.C., Sketchy and his new wife Gem, Logan and Asha, and Normal hung around with us. Sketchy had fallen madly in love with Gem during the war. He took care of Alyssa like she was his own daughter. Max sat down heavily into a chair, tears in her eyes. This hit her harder then me; the transgenics who had died had been under orders from her. She was our commander, she still was, even though we were all semi-free. I squeezed Max's hand. We still used some clicks and hand signals to talk when we didn't want the kids to understand. Jory pushed Rory, "I don't think the transgenics were all that bad. We weren't perfect then, we attacked them."
"Miss Gates said that the first incident was when some blind woman was killed. Some crazy wolf guy kidnapped her and took her to the sewers and he killed her. Then some mutants took over some mail place. Jam Pony! Uncle Normal works there. So was Uncle Sketchy and Auntie Cindy. Do you think they were there when it happened?"
Max looked at me.
"OK, sweetie..."
"Oh! I forgot this part! This FBI agent, White or something like it, went in to save the hostages and he was almost killed." That was it for Max. She broke down and ran from the room, barely stopping herself from blurring. Rory and Jory looked startled.
"She's kinda stressed, girls. Your Mom and I need talk to you tomorrow night, OK, Sweethearts?"
"OK, Daddy."
"Did I upset Mama?"
"Kind of. I'll explain it to you later." I left the kitchen to go talk to Max.
Max was sitting on the bed, flipping through an album. I knew it was the album. The one that held the pictures and article Sketchy had provided. I sat down next to her and held her like I had many times before. She cried silently, tears dripping onto the cover.
"Our daughters hate their own kind. I knew we should have told them sooner." Her voice sounded almost accusing.
"Maxie, they wouldn't have understood any earlier. Jory doesn't seem hate them, she took up for them just a second ago. Rory has just lived in world that hates us, but coexists. She may be angry at first, but she'll forgive us." Max lifted her eyes to mine.
"You think?"
"Occasionally."
She cracked smile, "Rarely." I playfully nudged her.
"You wanna go out tonight? One more free night?"
"Normal usually watches the kids for us. I don't want the girls asking him questions about Jam Pony." I nodded.
"How about we have Lizzie watch them?" Lizzie was our next door neighbor.
"Deal. I'll call Cindy and Sketchy. You call Logan, Lizzie, and Normal."
"K. Go to Crash?"
" 'course. Where else would we go?" So I went for my cell, while Max began to dial her phone.
It was huge group of us. Logan and Asha had been married for nearly 5 years. O.C. and Normal were still single. We were sitting at our usual table. Sketchy proposed a game of pool. "I always beat you, Sketch."
"Gem's been helping me get better. One day I'll win."
"The day when hell freezes over."
"Better go get your coat, 'cuz it's gettin' cold." We all laughed.
"Let's go." So Normal, Sketchy, Logan and I left for the pool tables, leaving the girls behind.
Max began to regail our story. "How did Alyssa react when you told her, Gem?"
"She wasn't that surprised really. She said she always knew she wasn't different."
"What'd you tell her?"
"I started from the beginning, Manticore, the escape, the takeover, killing the breeding cult. 452 is mentioned in the history books at her school. When I told her who you and Alec were, she was even impressed. Rory and Jory might be shocked, but it's gonna be okay. They love you. Bennie loves you. Alec loves you. We love you. It'll be all good."
"Tru dat. Original Cindy says Gem is speakin' the truth." Max smiled.
"OK, I'll tell them tomorrow. Can one of ya'll take Bennie for me?" Gem volunteered.
"Alyssa loves playing with Ben."
"K." Max was happy it was settled. Now she just had to wait to tell the girls.
Max and I danced, talked, and ate. We knew we'd have to go home eventually. I looked around the table at our friends. Max, Gem, and I still looked like we were 20, but the others had aged slightly. I wondered how long transgenics live. Did we even age past 20? We didn't know any transgenics older 35 and they all looked young. Maybe 20 was the end of our growth. I didn't know. Max was ready to go and I wondered if she knew what I was thinking. We said our good byes and headed home. Max was still smiling. Since the war, Max had been happier, slightly more carefree. The transgenics still banded together, most lived in Terminal City, especially, as Joshua put it, the basement ones. Max was still their leader, their savior, their protector. Max had assumed the position dutifully. Everyone respected my Maxie.
"Hello? Come back to me, Golden Boy."
I smirked, "I'm always with you. You know you want me."
"Yeah, yeah, 'course I do. Who wouldn't?"
"Wow! That boost my ego!"
"Oh, no. Your ego is already huge, if it grows any bigger it won't be able to fit through the door."
"Ouch." Max took my hand.
"What were you thinking about?"
"My gorgeous wife."
"Good answer. Really, what were you thinking about?"
"I was! Honest!"
"Alec, c'mon."
"I was thinking about our life. The war, the way everyone trusts you."
Max watched me.
"What are we going to say to the twins?"
"Hi. I'm your transgenic Daddy and this is your transgenic Mommy. We were made in a lab, but Mommy here is the perfect human/transgenic."
Max laughed.
"It does sound incredibly screwed up, don't it?"
"Well, it is. Don't worry, Maxie." Max only nodded.
"How come Ben's going to Alyssa's house?" Rory asked.
The girls adored Alyssa. She was only 2 years older then they were.
"Bennie needs to go, so Daddy and I can talk to you."
"But I wanna go!"
"No, Rory."
"Mom..."
"Don't Mom me. We have something important to tell you. It affects your whole life."
Jory had just walked in the door.
"Are you pregnant again, Mommy?"
Max laughed, lightly, "No, Sweets. Why?"
"You said that when you told us Bennie was going to be born."
"I did?" The two girls giggled and nodded. I strolled in from work.
"Hello, ladies."
"Daddy!" They ran to me and I lifted them both up. Those two were definitely Daddy's girls. Rory smiled, "You're so strong, Daddy." I nodded and put them down.
"About that..."
"Girls, sit down. We have something to tell you." They complied.
"Umm...well, there's no easy way to say this. Just remember we wanted to wait until you were older, so you would understand what we have to say."
Max took a deep breath. "Daddy and I are transgenics." Rory gasped, but Jory didn't look that surprised.
"What?"
Jory smiled, "You didn't know, Ror? I saw Mommy and Daddy fighting one day. They were blurry and jumping and they kept going for an hour without being tired."
"You knew, Jory, and you didn't tell me."
"I just guessed."
"That makes us transgenics."
Jory was interested. "Didn't you guys have barcodes or numbers or something?" I nodded and bent down and showed her my barcode.
"How come we don't have barcodes?"
"No one really knows. It just happened this way. You guys are the free generation of transgenics."
"What's your number?"
"I'm X5-494."
"I'm X5-452."
"452? The lady that was at the Jam Pony incident? The leader?" Max nodded.
"How?" Max began to tell the tale.
"I was engineered in a lab, X series. I escaped with my unit, Zack, Krit, Syl, Tinga, Jondy, Brin, and Ben and a few others. We were separated."
"I was Ben's clone. I was at Manticore until 2020. Maxie was recaptured in 2020. We were told to be uh....partnered." I smiled slyly at Max, who smiled at the memory of our first meeting.
"Alec helped me escape. I gave him his name from smart aleck, because he was a smart aleck. Then I burned Manticore down and let the others out."
"I came to Seattle and met back up with your Mom. We eventually fell in love and got married."
"Tell us about the Jam Pony takeover? You took it over, right, Mom?"
"Actually it was me and your father. Joshua and some of his friends walked in and we had to protect our own. We didn't hurt anyone, but our friend was killed by White's gunfire. I was shot and so was Logan." Jory lapped all this information up, but Rory was angry. During the middle of the explanation, Rory pushed herself a way from the table and ran out the door. Max looked terribly upset. I hugged her tightly.
"It's gonna be aiight. I know it will."
Max nodded, "Yeah, sure."
Jory got up and hugged us both.
"I don't care, Mama, Daddy. Do we get to meet any other transgenics?"
Max smiled, "Yeah. I'll take you to meet Joshua and Luke. They look like animals, but I know you'll love them to death."
"Who else is transgenic?"
"Alyssa is. She was born during the Jam Pony takeover."
"So Auntie Gem and Uncle Sketchy are too?"
"Just Gem. I'll take you to Terminal City, Sweetie. Let's go. Maybe we can find Rory, too."
I spoke up, "I might know where she is." Max nodded. I grabbed my leather jacket and headed towards a makeshift park.
I found Rory sitting in a swing at what we called the park. It was just as dirty as the rest of the Post-Pulse world, but it held a single swing and a slide from the years before the Pulse. She was swinging back and forth. I walked up to her.
"Hey, Baby." Rory didn't answer.
"I know you're upset."
"Darn straight. You should have told us."
"You wouldn't have understood yet. We were going to wait until your tenth birthday. You would have understood and you would have started to notice your enhanced abilities. We're sorry we upset you."
"Yeah."
"Forgiven?"
"Not yet."
"Who else is a trannie...transgenic?"
"Alyssa is. So's Gem. We're fixing to take Jory to Terminal City to meet some of the others. Do you want to come?"
"Maybe."
"Please. You're breaking Maxie's heart."
"You hurt me. You broke my heart, Daddy."
"Rory, please."
"Fine. Let's go." Rory jumped off the swing and stormed off into the direction of my motorcycle. I followed her, sadly.
Max's eyes had lit up when she saw Rory walking in front of me. Her eyes darkened, when she saw the angry look on Rory's face. Jory smiled excitedly, "We're going to meet some new transgenics."
"Yeah." Max sighed as we walked to our little car and piled in.
Jory was incredibly interested in her sudden discovery of her heritage. Rory's eyes had looked a little happier as we pulled into Terminal City. Jory jumped out excitedly. Max smiled at her, "C'mon girls, let's go." We walked into the main building and several transgenics stopped and saluted her. No matter what we did, all of us would always be soldiers, saluting our commander was in our blood. It was engraved in our brain and would be a habit that was never broken. Max saluted back. Jory and Rory seemed slightly surprised at the respect shown to Max and I. "Hey, Big Fella."
"Hey, Little Fella, Medium Fella, AHH!!!! Joshua didn't know they were here!" Joshua hid his face in his hands.
Max exclaimed, "No! No! Jory and Rory know now. Let them see you, Joshua. Girls, this is Joshua, one of my closest friends. He was the first transgenic ever made."
Jory walked up to him and touched his face.
"You're cool. I'm Jory. What did she say your name was?"
"J...Joshua."
"That's Rory. She's being mean today, but she's usually pretty cool."
Joshua smiled. "Cool. Joshua cool, Big Fella."
Max nodded.
"H...Hi Rory, Jory." Luke and a few others came up.
"Girls, this is Luke, Zookie, and Chippy. Guys, this is Rory and Jory, Alec's and my daughters." They all waved. Jondy, Krit and Syl soon appeared.
"They're all transgenics, too!"
"You're Mom's unit."
Rory sighed loudly. She was having such a hard time dealing with this. I just hoped we could help her. She walked over to me.
"I'm not mad at you anymore, Daddy. I'm just upset, ya know?"
"I know, Baby."
"I'm just surprised. What kind of special stuff will I have?"
"You'll be able to see perfectly at night, the ability to see things from far away, making it look up close. When you run, you'll blur because you'll be so fast. You can hear things from quite distance. You won't tire easily and most likely you won't need much sleep. You'll also be able to learn things quickly and retain most of what you hear."
"Cool!"
"Yeah, it kind of is." Rory ran over to tell Jory about all the new extra enhancements. Jory was just excited. Joshua began to show them some of his paintings, including ones he did of them when they were babies. Soon we had to leave.
When we got home, Max and I showed the girls the album. They poured over the pages of pictures that Sketchy took. They asked me to read his article out loud, so I complied.
Transgenics are percieved as these horrible, unhuman beings. Beings that don't deserve to live because they are dangerous. These misconceptions are going to be the downfall of them. I have an eyewitness account from inside the Jam Pony hostage situation. I am a messenger for the Jam Pony Messenger Service. I was there when we were taken hostage. The transgenics didn't want to take us hostage. They were forced too, to save themselves and us. A breeding cult is trying to kill them and us, making the world perfect through their eyes. The transgenics don't want us dead. They want to help save us. They were designed to protect us.
Transgenics have emotions and wants and needs just like humans. They are human, with a few special traits given to them. They didn't ask to be made, but they were. They were designed in a lab by the government. Manticore wasn't exactly home sweet home to them. They were sent out on missions, dangerous ones, sometimes to protect, sometimes to kill. It wasn't their choice. If they tried to defy the authority, they were reindoctrinated. Alec Smart, an X5, was reindoctrinated. "They send you to Psyche-Ops to reteach you about your life's purpose. They torture you and force you to accept your fate, teach you not to fight authority." Doesn't exactly seem like a life they asked for, does it?
In year 2009, a small unit of 12 escaped Manticore, were separated, and tried to make their way into a world they did not understand. They laid low, hiding from the government. Max Guevera was one of these individuals. She spent most of her life watching over her shoulder and searching for what she calls her siblings. She teamed up with our very own Eyes Only, using her own special abilities to save innocent lives. Finally, she met up with one of her brothers. Together, they found three sisters and two brothers. One is now dead, Ben, clone of Alec. Another one of the sisters, Tinga, was captured and killed trying to save her family from the government agency. Another sister, Brin, was reindoctrinated after being recaptured. Zack, Krit, and Syl, the remaining that she found, went to blow up the genetics lab, where the embryos were formed. Max was recaptured during this mission, as was her brother Zack. Max was shot in the heart with no chance of survival, until Zack shot himself to save his sister by giving her his heart. Zack was the oldest. Max was then taken back to Manticore for reeducation. She refused to listen though. She stayed strong through the whole event and swore to escape again. This is where she met Alec.
Alec was taken to Psyche-Ops after the 12 escaped in 2009. He was the clone of one of the twelve escapees. They wanted to make sure rebellion wasn't genetic. He underwent a series of horrifying tests and exercises until they determined that is wasn't genetic. He went on being a soldier, not ever questioning what his orders were. After the embryonic lab was blown up, Manticore started up a breeding program. Max and Alec were assigned as these partners. Max refused, and both lied to the director of the department. Not exactly the most romantic story in the book. Alec, along with the help of another Anomoly named Joshua, helped Max escape. Max returned and torched Manticore and let all the transgenics and Anomolies escape. Now Alec and Max fight with Eyes Only trying to help save the world. Not exactly the picture that our good Agent Ames White and upstanding Senator McKinley want you to see.
Alec and Max, along with a few other transgenics began to work at Jam Pony, their true identity unbeknown to most of the workers. When a few Anomolies and a pregnant transgenic walked into Jam Pony that fateful day in 2021, they knew they had to face up with their past and protect their own. Agent White was there, waiting to kill us all, transgenic and human. They held their own and fought their way towards the freedom of Terminal City. Not only that, but they displayed a very common emotion amongst humans. Love. Love for friends and love for each other. Alec said to Max,
"No, Max. I'm not betraying us, our own kind. I know a few months ago, I might have, but I've changed. You've changed me. You and Josh are all I've got. I can't leave you two behind to save my own butt." If you recall, a while ago, a blind woman named Annie Fisher was murdered, by according to most, a wolfman. That was not the case at all. Ames White killed Annie Fisher just so he could blame the death on the transgenic. The paranoia has started. The terror, the fear, the disaster. The transgenics have no desire to hurt you. It's the breeding cult you should fear. The breeding cult wants you all to die, so they can takeover the world. Only the 'fit' will survive. Your mistrust of the transgenics is incorrect. Instead you should not trust Ames White, Senator McKinley, and several others in important positions that want to kill you all. Don't fear the transgenics. Help them fight for their freedom. Max Guevera comments, "We aren't made to hurt you. We just want to lead normal lives without having to hide who we are. We didn't ask to be engineered. We were. We have to live with ourselves, our missions, our past, our friends and families getting killed. Deal with it, we have. We just want our freedom."
Jory and Rory looked up. "Is this all true?'
"Yep. Sketchy wrote it shortly after the takeover, during the war. We fought and battled. Eventually we killed White and his breeding cult groupies. Slowly, we were allowed back into the world. Granted, our lives are far from perfect and we aren't really accepted by most of the world, we exist along with them. We survive. And we're proud to be transgenic. You should be too!"
Jory smiled, "I'm proud! I can't wait to learn how to use my vision and stuff!"
Rory agreed. The girls continued to look through everything. Max wrapped her arms around me. I turned to face her.
"I think it's gonna be OK, Golden Boy."
"Yeah, Maxie, I think it is. Rory seems to have fallen for the lure of special skills and the romance of the whole war idea." Max laughed.
"Wonderful. I love you, Alec."
"Me too, Maxie."
"Alec..." I smirked, "I love you, too."
"Our life turned out pretty good, despite everyone's attempts to make it miserable."
"Yep. We turned out okay. Will we live happily ever after?"
"I hope so." I kissed her soundly.
"DADDY! EWWWWWW!"
Rory giggled, "Will you come talk to my class about being 452 and 494?" I shrugged and clicked at Max. She put her hands together and then flipped them over.
"Sure."
Miss Gates nodded to us, although you could see the hate in her eyes. Some people just would never accept us. We had learned to deal with that. Miss Gates announced, "We have some guests today, class. Alec and Max Smart, Rory and Jory's parents, who are transgenic. If you recall in our textbooks, 452 was in charge of the Jam Pony situation. Mrs. Smart is 452 and Mr. Smart is 494, who helped in the takeover. They are here to tell you about their lives." Max smiled and I began the tale.
"It all began back in year 2000 for us, before the Pulse..."
And that, my friends, is the end of our tale.