Big Kid Now
Authors Note: This is the start of a story about the four yet to be named X5 escapee's. I don't own anything that's on the real show Dark Angel.
Gillette Wyoming, 2009
"Eyes Front!" yelled the drill sergeant. The X5's snapped to attention and stayed there like perfect little statues. Lydecker marched past the lines a few times, yelling at X5s for their minor transgressions. X5 631's boots were untied. X5 210 was slouching. X5 493's gun wasn't shiny enough. X5 584 eyes were watching the German Shepherds.
"You all should know your mission," said Lydecker, "But just in case some of you aren't loyal to your duty let me fill you in. There are six X3's out there in those forests. They are dangerous, and they are armed. Your mission is to take them down. You will be split into three teams of five, with your CO coordinating it all. X5 452, X5 631 and X5 656 will each lead a team into the forest. X5 493, 798, 701 and 734 will follow X5 452. X5 413, 711, 210, and 324 will follow X5 631. X5 584, 205, 742 and 766 will follow X5 656. You will do what your leader says and the leaders will do what X5 599 tells them. Am I understood?"
"Yes Sir!" barked the X5s. Max looked around at her siblings and saw X5 631, Raav, flash two fingers, then three, signaling she wanted to meet up to aid each other in the mission. Max flashed one finger signifying she would.
"Then I suggest you let X5 599 give you your orders."
*+*+*
Max lead her team, which consisted of Ben, Jace, Krit and Brin, through the woods to the spot where Raav said she would meet them. Max was good at escape and evade, but when it came to hunting, no one could touch Raav. She was a hunter with the instincts of a wolf. Jondy had often told Max that Raav would make a better leader than Zack because she was faster on her feet, but Max always stood up for Zack.
Max entered the clearing and looked up. Raav was up in the trees along with Syl, Dan, and Jondy. Raav waved her hand the four of them jumped down in unison. Jondy ran over and stood proudly beside Max, while Ben sauntered over and stood beside Raav.
"Hack is scouting ahead," said Raav, "But I thought I heard one of them just ahead. I think we should head into the river and swim upstream."
"What about Tinga's group?" said Jondy.
"Tinga can fend for herself," said Raav.
"Not to mention the fact that trying to contact her would let Zack know we are working together," said Dan, "And he would not approve. He is already going to be upset at Raav for removing her earpiece."
"I don't need big brother breathing down my neck at all times," said Raav, "Now Dan be quiet and lets hunt."
"This is why she'd make a good CO," said Jondy quietly to Max, "She's tough but fair. She could have hit Dan, but she didn't."
"Zack has never hit me," said Max.
"Well he hits me all the time," said Raav, "Now be quiet and lets swim."
"Tough but fair," said Jondy as she and Max waded into the river after Krit and Syl. The group of nine X5's swam calmly down the river towards where they heard noises. About halfway down the river, Raav stopped and ordered them all out and into trees. Raav liked the trees.
"RAAV! RUN!" shouted Hack. The X5s looked down and saw Hack being hauled by his ears to the bottom of the tree by Zack.
"X5 631!" said Zack.
"Let him go Zack," said Raav, "I'm sorry but you order me around too much."
"Tinga got taken down," said Zack, "I was worried you had too."
"What!" said Syl, "So we're on our own?"
"Yes," said Zack, "We're to withdraw. The X3's had aquired hostages. We need to move."
"Yes sir," said Raav, "Lets move!"
"Yes Ma'am," said the other X5's. Zack started moving forward, his gun out. Max joined him at the front, while Raav went to the back with Krit and Syl.
"Is Tinga okay?" said Max.
"Yeah," said Zack, "Eva got roughed up, but nothing she can't handle."
"Good," said Max. She continued through the bushes with Zack. She heard a rustling on her left and looked over to see a crow. She looked back and watched in horror as Syl tried to shoot the crow, but instead Hit Dan.
The echo of the bullet rang in the ears of the kids as Dan fell back and hit the Ground. The others gathered around him and watched in horror as their brother took his last breath.
"We should take him back with us," said Raav, "To honor the dead."
"Why?" asked Syl, her knuckles white from clutching the gun so hard.
"Because hes a soldier, a fallen comrade, our brother. Syl, I think all of us would want to be taken back for burial," said Ben, "Its what the blue lady would want."
"I'll take him," said Hack.
"No," said Raav, "I will. He was my responsibility."
"Raav?" said Zack who was a little shocked at his sisters sense of duty.
"He was under my protection and I failed. I'll carry him," she said as she knelt down and flung him over her shoulders, "He's not that heavy. He's my brother."
"Come on," said Zack, who took Dan's feet and helped carry him back to Lydecker.
"I have a bad feeling about this Max," said Jondy, "Like this is the start of something big."
*+*+*
"Max?" said Raav as Max entered the barracks a few days later. Raav had decided to stay up late to wait for Max because she had been summoned to see Lydecker.
"Wake them up!" said Max, "Wake them all up."
"Why?"
"I saw Jack."
"He's okay?"
"Ben was right. The Nomolies got him."
"They got him?"
"Yes. They were taking him apart on the table."
"Max, go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."
"No, I'm not tired."
"Max, go to sleep."
"No."
"Jondy is asleep, now you go."
"Fine," said Max. She walked over to her cot and lay down on the bed. Raav watched her, then went over to her cot and leaned to the one next to her. Eva opened her eyes and stared up at Raav.
"They killed Jack. Dissected him like you said they did to Dan. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
"You better be," said Eva, "Who saw?"
"Max."
"Max saw what?" asked Roc.
"Max saw them dissect Jack," said Kurt, "Sorry Raav, but you talk loud."
"I know," said Raav, "If they catch her with a seizure they'll kill her."
"We won't let them," said Eva, "If I have to get her over the perimeter fence I will not let them get her, understand?"
"You know I do," said Raav smiling, "Now can we get some sleep?"
"Yeah," said Eva. Raav walked over to her cot and got down under the blankets. Hack leaned over and tucked her in, then sat back on Eva's bed.
"How do we protect her?"
"We leave," said Eva, "And I won't rest until Max is safe."
*+*+*
"LEAVE MAX ALONE!" screamed Eva, "YOU GET BACK AND LEAVE HER ALONE."
"Max," said Jondy, "Max, come on get up!"
"We have to go," said Raav, "Zack, we have to."
"I know," said Zack, "Raav, get another gun and take Eva's back."
"I got it," said Raav, grabbing one of the tazers, "Jondy, don't let them near Max."
"Out into the hall," said Zack, leading the X5's out into the hall.
"Jace?" said Max in the grips of her seizure.
"No," said Jace, "I'm not going."
"We need to move," said Roc.
"Come on!" said Kurt. The X5's stood in the hall, their eyes blazing with anger. Lydecker marched into the hall and saw Eva with the gun up.
"Shot him Eva," whispered Brin, "Shoot him now. For Jack. For Dan!"
"No," said Eva, but it was too late. Lydecker raised his gun and fired at Eva. Eva looked up then fell back with a thump. Raav grabbed her sister hand, then took the gun and raised it herself.
"Son of a bitch," she cried, quickly using the tazer to knock the gun from Lydeckers hand. With her deadly acuracy she shot the officers on either side and motioned to the window. Lydecker raised his gun again, but Kiri jumped forward and took him down. The X5's ran or the window and jumped right through it. They tucked up and rolled, then came up running.
"For Eva!" shouted Kurt as they split up.
*+*+*
"Max, go with Jondy," said Zack, "Tinga, with Brin. Krit, with Syl. Zane, you go with Ben. Hack, go with Roc. Kurt, stay with me."
"Okay," they nodded. The twelve kids split up quickly and scattered along the snowy trails towards freedom. Kurt and Zack ran forward through the snow, but stopped when the sound of snowmobiles shattered the silence. They looked back and saw two small figures running through the snow at top speed.
"Run!" shouted Zack to Kurt, who did. Zack doubled back and helped one of the two kids keep running, while the other was shot with tazers. Raav looked back at Kiri and kept running, just like Kiri told her to.