"You?" cried out Jondy as the SUV drove away. "Why, of everyone in the X5 class, did I have to get stuck with you?"
The commanding officers had become concerned that many X5s, particularly the females, were forming unnecessary emotional ties with some and cooperating badly with others.
So, in groups of two, they had been blindfolded, bundled into the back of SUVs and driven up into the forest surrounding Wyoming. They had been told that they would be dropped off at a roughly equal distance from camp with another X5 they had rarely worked with before then. Each X5 was presented with a small handgun for protection. Then, each pair would have to navigate their way home over a period of two days.
Jace folded her blindfold and put it into her pocket, frowning. "Well, you weren't exactly my first choice either, Jondy. You don't like me."
Jondy rolled her eyes in exasperation. All right, so it was highly unlikely she'd get paired with Max, but there were plenty of X5s she got on with very well. Brin, for example, or Iria. Krit, who definitely wasn't going to get paired with Syl, his favourite sister, would have been a good partner. But JACE?
"NOBODY likes you, Jace. I bet you wanted to do this exercise by yourself, right? 'Cause you knew nobody would want to be your partner."
"It's not a question of wanting. They gave us an order, and I, at least, will obey. Even if it means being stuck with you for two whole days."
Why Jace? Why, out of all the X5s in the batch, did Jondy have to get partnered with Jace, the colonel's pet?
"Come on. If we cover more ground, we won't have to talk or nothin'," said Jondy, gritting her teeth. Jace annoyed her no end. So fierce, so pushy, so goody-goody she made Jondy want to throw up. Why couldn't she see where her loyalties lay?
"Fine by me." Jace began to walk.
The two girls navigated their way down an almost sheer slope, scrabbling desperately at hanging plants and rocks and bickering all the way.
"Not like that! You'll fall if you hang on that!" snapped Jace.
"I'm not stupid, you know!" answered Jondy hotly, putting her full weight on the flimsy branch.
It cracked. Jondy dropped, and rolled rather painfully down a great deal of hill before managing to grab something more sturdy.
"You were saying?" asked Jace, catching up to Jondy, and she actually giggled, grinning devilishly. Jondy had never heard Jace laugh before and couldn't decide whether she liked it or not.
"Shut up!" snapped Jondy.
They found a winding path and as they walked, Jondy suddenly bumped into Jace on purpose.
"Ow!" yelled Jace, clutching at her shoulder and regretting it. Good soldiers didn't give in to pain.
"Don't be such a baby, Jace. That didn't hurt."
"It did."
"Didn't."
"Did."
"Didn't."
"It did!"
"Didn't!"
Jace swerved suddenly and returned the gesture. Jondy wailed. "That hurt!"
Jace turned away to hide the fact that she was smirking. "It didn't."
"Did!"
"Well, YOU did it to ME and you said it didn't hurt."
Darkness fell. The sisters made camp underneath a tree. Jondy hugged herself to keep warm. "It's cold." This was about the most civil thing she'd said to Jace all afternoon.
"I know what to do." Jace picked up some brush and twigs and piled them into a round hole in the ground. Then, to Jondy's amazement, she extracted a lighter from her pocket and set them alight.
"Where did you get that?" asked Jondy in wonderment, reaching over to Jace and taking the lighter from her hand to inspect it. It was well-made, not the disposable kind she'd seen soldiers lighting their cigarettes with.
Jace gave a very small, hesitant, wistful, true smile. "Lydecker's desk."
Jondy gasped, handing the lighter back. "You didn't...?"
"I couldn't help it. I was in his office, and he left. I saw it on his desk. It was so pretty..."
"Jace, that's so..." Jondy whispered, unable to find the words to describe how daring and bold an act stealing from Lydecker was.
"Bad." Jace was herself again, closed, cold, fierce. "It's bad. Here, take the lighter. I don't want it. I don't want it hanging around, reminding me what a bad soldier I was. It's there, in my hand when I wake up every morning, in my pocket during drills, hidden in my mattress in the day. It's always there- telling me I was bad."
Jace pushed the lighter to Jondy and scooted away so there was a big gap between the two.
"But Jace-" Jondy began, and glared. "You're such a child, Jace. Stealing from Lydecker isn't bad-"
"I didn't steal anything," snapped Jace. "It's yours now." She seemed frightened at having shared such a big part of herself, such a big secret with Jondy.
Jondy gave Jace a withering look. "No wonder nobody likes you, Jace. Even when you do something right, you're still a colonel's pet."
Jace didn't look at her, but put her hands over her eyes and started rocking back and forth, muttering, "Bad, bad, bad, bad..."
Shrugging, Jondy leaned back against the tree trunk and played with her new lighter, watching the flame jump up and down. She rarely slept, and certainly not tonight.
She watched as Jace curled up into a ball on the ground, and the two remained like that until sunrise.
"Wake up, Jace," said Jondy shortly. Jace yawned and sat right up, stretching catlike. "We've got a lot of ground to cover."
"Mmm," said Jace, climbing to her feet. "You got the guns, Jondy?"
Jondy nodded, producing Jace's handgun and throwing it to her.
"Careful!" chided Jace. "It could go off if you throw it."
"Don't worry," Jondy sighed. "I've got the safety on."
"Yes, I'm sure you do," Jace sniffed, and they were soon on their way.
The sun rose fully into the sky. Jondy watched as Jace breathed heavily.
"Somethin' wrong?"
"I'm thirsty."
"Me too, actually. But no problem. It's just a klick or two over..." (Jondy trailed off. She whirled on the spot, shaded her eyes to examine the tops of the trees, inhaled deeply, dropped to the ground and sifted fallen leaves in her fingers and jumped up triumphantly, pointing into the trees) "-THERE to the river. We can get there, take a drink and be back on track in no time."
"No," said Jace stubbornly. "I don't remember anything about breaks in the mission briefing."
"What's your problem?" demanded Jondy. "We nip over there, have a drink and set off again. It's practically on our way."
Jace gazed at Jondy for a moment.
"Suit yourself," said Jondy. She removed the lighter from her pocket and sauntered away, watching the flame jump up and down.
"Jondy!" barked Jace. "Jondy, come back! We'll get- punished, if you don't come back."
Fine, Jace thought to herself. Don't panic. Just keep going down into the woods. She'll pick up your trail and follow. Simple.
Jace had been walking for half an hour and felt bored. Why hadn't she been paired with someone else? Zack, he knew his duties. Or Eva, who made a point to be kind to Jace. Why had she been paired with Jondy?
Jondy was MAX'S friend. Max and Jondy had little tolerance for rules, only silly emotionals attachments and whims.
An earsplitting shriek caused Jace to stop dead in her tracks. Birds seemed to explode from the trees.
All over the valley and into the woods, X5s reacted to the scream in different ways.
Splint promptly careened into Eva and the two of them fell out of their tree.
"I'm sorry, Eva!" he stammered, frightened. "Did I hurt you? God, I'm so- I'm so sorr-I-I-"
"Are you hurt?" she asked, standing up and brushing herself off.
He suddenly realised the acute pain in his ankle. "Uh, yes. Ow."
Brin scrambled to the top of the slope and frowned. "Did you hear that?"
"Sounds like Jondy," Krit observed. "Don't worry, I bet her partner will take care of it. Come on, we've got to clear the highway by noon."
Max, within sight of the greener part of the woods, stiffened and grabbed Syl's arm. "It's Jondy."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'd know her voice anywhere. We gotta find her."
"We're nearly home, Maxie, we can't stop now!"
"But I-"
"We can get them to send out a rescue group. The faster we get home, the faster Jondy gets rescued."
"O-OK," said Max, unsure.
Back on their trail, Jace turned around abruptly and tore back the way she'd come. "Jondy!" she yelled, listening vainly for another scream. There was nothing.
WHY didn't I go with her? thought Jace, pained. She could have slipped- could be drowning- something could've attacked her-
"JONDY!" Jace yelled, skidding to a halt and whirling in all directions. "TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!"
Jace heard birds wheeling overhead and insects in the undergrowth, but no sign of Jondy. She covered her eyes with her hands and tried to think. The river, the river, the river...
Water. She had to listen for the sound of water. And for Jondy. Jace tried to tune into Jondy, tried to put Jondy in her mind and find Jondy in the air. Any sign that Jondy might have run past- her scent on a tree trunk, a footprint, her voice still lingering in the air...
"Help me..." she heard Jondy's voice waver. It was very weak and barely constituted a yell. Jace bit her lip.
Jace yelled, "Don't worry, Jondy! I'm coming!"
She bent double and ran headlong, her mind chanting at her. PUT JONDY IN THE AIR, PUT JONDY IN THE AIR, PUT JONDY IN THE AIR-
There it was. Jondy's scent, pretty clear, tread not ten minutes ago into the soil. Jace changed directions suddenly and followed the trail.
The roar of water-
She was close, Jace knew it...
Jondy- she'd gone THAT way-
Not far to the river now...
No... that scent was old, months old, and the wrong one-
Back on track... keep running...
Right, she was off Max's scent, Max's form in the air (why DID they smell so damn similar, anyway?)- not that far away-
The water roared in Jace's ears as she burst onto the scene, panicking, she looked from side to side. "JONDY!"
Jace skidded to the point of a rock jutting out over the water and heard the fatal words-
"Where've you been, Jacey?"
There was a wet thump and Jace felt someone punch her on the arm from behind. She spun around to find Jondy standing behind her, and was so relived that she obviously wasn't dead that she completely forgot herself and hugged her.
"Hey, come on," said Jondy in embarrassment. "I'm OK, you know..."
Jace had never hugged anyone before. But the weird feeling of having her arms around a fellow X5 was completely miniscule comapred to her relief... Jondy was alive!
Then she realised something. "You're wet. Did you fall in?"
"No. I decided to jump in, see what it's like. Water's kind of fun when you don't have a metal cuff around your ankle."
Jace released Jondy immediately. "So you weren't in any danger?"
"No, none at all. I'm a good swimmer, just like I'm a BRILLIANT tracker. Unlike someone I know- took you long enough, huh?"
"You- tricked me. You endangered the mission, you threw us off course- and for what? For FUN?" screamed Jace, suddenly seeming to grow ten feet and boom her words to the air.
"Jace, calm down. We'll leave now, if you want-" Jondy even felt a little frightened.
"I can't believe-" she said. Jace halted. "I can't believe you made me worry for NOTHING."
She turned on her heel and yelled shortly for Jondy to come. Jondy felt worried. Jace must be really mad- she hadn't even called Jondy dumb, and she called Jondy dumb about once every week, whether Jondy had wronged her or not.
They arrived back at base presently, did some sprints, had dinner, showers and were locked into their dormitory, where the X5s immediately began to discuss the mission.
"They're right, you know," said Zack. "We shouldn't be forming unnecessary emotional attachments within the group. It's not productive and it's not healthy."
"But we're a family," protested Tinga, at the same time Brin said, "Who asked you?"
"Yeah, we're one big happy family," snickered Clay, leaning back into his cot.
"It was a good exercise, anyway," said Zane. "I don't think any of us faired that badly- oh, wait. Who was stuck with you, Jace?"
"Jondy," said Jace shortly. Everyone waited for her to elaborate. She didn't, so they returned to their conversation.
They were got up an hour early the next morning, and were unprepared for the abrupt entrance of the Colonel, as well as his soldiers. Some slept, but many, including Max, Jondy and Jace, were awake. Jace was watching the sun rise over the barracks through the window, sitting on the sill and hugging her legs. Jondy, alarmed by the loud slam of the door, perching on the side of her cot, succeeded in making the entire thing tip over. Nobody laughed, although a few soldiers snickered, and Max proceeded to help Jondy right the bed. The Colonel began to walk towards them, and for a mad second Jondy thought he was going to help her pick up her blankets.
"What's this?" barked Lydecker, extracting something from inside Jondy's pillowcase. Everyone watched as shock and fear took hold of her.
"Sir... I-"
"It's a lighter! MY lighter! Did you steal this from me, 210? Answer me."
All Jace had to do was say nothing. Jondy was on the verge of tears as the Colonel advanced on her, getting in her face. "Sir, I didn't take the lighter."
"Like hell you didn't! You're a soldier, 210! You're nine years old, you're not a child any more! Act your age! How did it get underneath your pillow, 210? Answer me!"
"I know," said a familiar, sullen voice. Everyone glared at Jace behind Lydecker's back. Trust her.
"At last, some truth. Good girl, 798, you're a good soldier. Tell me, how did my lighter get underneath 210's pillow?"
Jace cringed. He was praising her. He'd even called her a GIRL. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had called her a girl.
She spoke in wavering tones. "It got there, sir... because I gave it to her. Because I stole it out of your office, sir."
Lydecker froze. "798?"
"I was being briefed to be the leader of a team for a war game... going into the mountains, sir. You left the room. I couldn't help it, sir..."
"Is this true?"
Jace nodded, completely aware that all the others were gaping at her. "Yes, sir. I disobeyed orders and showed blatant disrespect for a commanding officer. I will accept any disciplinary action you deem necessary."
Lydecker gave Jace a disgusted look. "Take her away."
Jace was escorted from the room and did not return for a whole week. When she was finally pushed into the room very late one night, they crowded around her.
"Jace! Everyone, look, Jace's back!" cried Max, throwing off her blankets and diving over three cots. Jondy didn't think she'd ever seen Max look so happy to see Jace... or indeed anyone. Even ZANE looked happy, and Zane and Jace were bitter enemies.
"Are you OK?"
"That was great work, soldier!"
"I can't believe you stole the Colonel's lighter!"
Jace was very quiet. She seemed to be looking right through everyone and through the wall. "Hello, everyone," said Jace in a monotone. "I'm very tired from my stay in Psy-Ops, so if you don't mind I'd like to go to bed now."
Eva, who was standing behind Jace, frowned. "What's that on your back, Jace?" asked Eva, patting Jace's shoulder. From her cot Jondy could see a dark smudge peering from the back of Jace's collar.
Usually when someone touched her, Jace would jerk the bodypart away like she'd gotten an electric shock. This time she simply eased her shoulder from under Eva's fingers so subtly that nobody noticed she'd done it.
"Nothing. There is nothing on my back."
"Yes there is, there is!" said Syl, and she grabbed the back of Jace's shirt, pulling it up. There was a gasp.
There were deep bruises, black and blue and irregular, everywhere. Between them were scattered, small scars that looked like something very sharp had been jabbed into her skin. The others, even after having ripped people apart themselves, were repulsed.
"What did they do to you, Jace, lie you down on broken glass and run you over with an steam roller?" asked Krit incredulously.
"It was so brave of you to steal from Lydecker," Tinga said generously. "I'm- I'm really proud of you, Jace."
Jack pleaded, "Do you still have the lighter? Can we see it?"
Jace looked around at all the eager faces. For the first time in her life everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.
"I was... a bad soldier," she breathed, her lips hardly moving, and she went and climbed into bed (the one next to Jondy') rather stiffly, tossing for a few seconds to find a comfortable position.
Everyone gaped after her for a few seconds.
"Jace!" said Brin. "Hey, Jace, why are you sleeping?"
"Come and talk to us!" insisted Ben.
"Jace, we were- worried about you."
"Need sleep," Jace muttered, and closed her eyes. Everyone could tell in a second she was faking and glared at her back.
"Come on, everyone," said Ben in annoyance. "I'll tell all of us a story. That'll make us feel better."
Max wandered over to where Jondy sat, gazing thoughtfully at Jace's back. "Jondy, let's go. The windowsill's free and Tinga promised to leave it for me."
For Max. That automatically meant for Jondy too. "You wanna get Jace, too? There'll be room. You, me and her, Maxie- we aren't exactly big."
"I thought she 'needed sleep'," said Max sarcastically, and gave Jondy a smile. "'Sides, I want YOU to sit with me. Come on."
Jondy followed Max eagerly to the windowsill, where Ben already sat, in his pride of place spot. They hopped up beside him, and even then they saw there was room for someone else.
"Well- there IS room for one more," said Max, relenting.
"You're right," said Ben coldly, and then brightened his voice. "Eva, there's a space for you!"
When everyone was sitting by the windows, sprawled on cots to hear the story, Brin said, "Tell us about the Good Place again, Ben."
"There are places in the world," Ben began, "where we can't die- where nothing could ever touch us again..."
Jace was crabby the next morning. Her black eyes had shadows and Syl commented rudely that Jace reminded her distinctly of a raccoon. As per usual, Jace ignored her and went to put on her shoes.
In her left combat boot was a piece of brown tape. On the paper-spotted side of the tape, where it had been ripped off a box, someone had written a short sentence in block letters.
YOU ARE A GOOD SOLDIER, JACE.
Jace's features clouded right over and she crumpled the tape in her hand, lobbing it under someone else's cot.
"Hey, don't throw your trash under my cot, soldier!" snapped Zack.
She snarled at him in a way reminiscent of lion footage on National Geographic and stormed out of the dormitory to the hallway, where everyone was pairing up to march to the mess hall, all by herself.
Jondy sighed and buttoned her shirt, shaking her head. I tried, she thought. You can't say I didn't try.
Everyone was in their groups again. Brin and Tinga, Syl and Krit, Amna and Omri, Ben, Jack and Zane. The project had been of little use in breaking up their friendships- a laugh, an adventure, a change of pace, but it hadn't worked overall.
There was love. In Manticore's grey halls, stark white infirmary, dark woods- love. Maybe not enough for some, but it would have to do.
Then there was Jace. Almost friendless. It didn't seem fair somehow, to Jondy- but then, who was she to complain? She had a best friend. Max. The best and most faithful X5 out of the batch, in Jondy's opinion. Max, who would fight to the death rather than leave her. Jondy was definitely in a good corner, with a best friend like Max.
And maybe it was just the way it was meant to be.
Max loitered by the door, weaving up and down on her feet impatiently. She stopped a second, and looked right into Jondy's eyes. Dark meeting blue in the empty sunny space of the dormitory. Jondy gave Max the smallest of smiles, which Max returned. She understood. Jondy knew Max's eyes right through.
Although it had never been discussed, everyone knew X5s communicated on some kind of higher level. Max's eyes were talking to her. Jondy didn't know how, or care how particularly, but she knew for certain what Max was thinking.
WE GO TOGETHER, JONDY.
Yes... they did. Always. It was good, and true, and you knew where you stood this way.
Maybe it was just the way it was meant to be.
* * *
DISCLAIMER: 'Dark Angel' belongs to Fox and James Cameron. Not me. So don't sue.
NOTE: I've been dreaming up this fic ever since I began wondering something... you know how some X5s are mentioned together so much that you'd swear they were called things like Syl-and-Krit? I'm HEAVILY guilty of the naming-together thing. Point is, I was wondering how they'd fare paired with someone else. This is the result.
At the end, try play the song 'Roads' by Portishead. I think it's a pretty good X5 song... might use it in a fic someday. It was a part of my muse for this fic.
The commanding officers had become concerned that many X5s, particularly the females, were forming unnecessary emotional ties with some and cooperating badly with others.
So, in groups of two, they had been blindfolded, bundled into the back of SUVs and driven up into the forest surrounding Wyoming. They had been told that they would be dropped off at a roughly equal distance from camp with another X5 they had rarely worked with before then. Each X5 was presented with a small handgun for protection. Then, each pair would have to navigate their way home over a period of two days.
Jace folded her blindfold and put it into her pocket, frowning. "Well, you weren't exactly my first choice either, Jondy. You don't like me."
Jondy rolled her eyes in exasperation. All right, so it was highly unlikely she'd get paired with Max, but there were plenty of X5s she got on with very well. Brin, for example, or Iria. Krit, who definitely wasn't going to get paired with Syl, his favourite sister, would have been a good partner. But JACE?
"NOBODY likes you, Jace. I bet you wanted to do this exercise by yourself, right? 'Cause you knew nobody would want to be your partner."
"It's not a question of wanting. They gave us an order, and I, at least, will obey. Even if it means being stuck with you for two whole days."
Why Jace? Why, out of all the X5s in the batch, did Jondy have to get partnered with Jace, the colonel's pet?
"Come on. If we cover more ground, we won't have to talk or nothin'," said Jondy, gritting her teeth. Jace annoyed her no end. So fierce, so pushy, so goody-goody she made Jondy want to throw up. Why couldn't she see where her loyalties lay?
"Fine by me." Jace began to walk.
The two girls navigated their way down an almost sheer slope, scrabbling desperately at hanging plants and rocks and bickering all the way.
"Not like that! You'll fall if you hang on that!" snapped Jace.
"I'm not stupid, you know!" answered Jondy hotly, putting her full weight on the flimsy branch.
It cracked. Jondy dropped, and rolled rather painfully down a great deal of hill before managing to grab something more sturdy.
"You were saying?" asked Jace, catching up to Jondy, and she actually giggled, grinning devilishly. Jondy had never heard Jace laugh before and couldn't decide whether she liked it or not.
"Shut up!" snapped Jondy.
They found a winding path and as they walked, Jondy suddenly bumped into Jace on purpose.
"Ow!" yelled Jace, clutching at her shoulder and regretting it. Good soldiers didn't give in to pain.
"Don't be such a baby, Jace. That didn't hurt."
"It did."
"Didn't."
"Did."
"Didn't."
"It did!"
"Didn't!"
Jace swerved suddenly and returned the gesture. Jondy wailed. "That hurt!"
Jace turned away to hide the fact that she was smirking. "It didn't."
"Did!"
"Well, YOU did it to ME and you said it didn't hurt."
Darkness fell. The sisters made camp underneath a tree. Jondy hugged herself to keep warm. "It's cold." This was about the most civil thing she'd said to Jace all afternoon.
"I know what to do." Jace picked up some brush and twigs and piled them into a round hole in the ground. Then, to Jondy's amazement, she extracted a lighter from her pocket and set them alight.
"Where did you get that?" asked Jondy in wonderment, reaching over to Jace and taking the lighter from her hand to inspect it. It was well-made, not the disposable kind she'd seen soldiers lighting their cigarettes with.
Jace gave a very small, hesitant, wistful, true smile. "Lydecker's desk."
Jondy gasped, handing the lighter back. "You didn't...?"
"I couldn't help it. I was in his office, and he left. I saw it on his desk. It was so pretty..."
"Jace, that's so..." Jondy whispered, unable to find the words to describe how daring and bold an act stealing from Lydecker was.
"Bad." Jace was herself again, closed, cold, fierce. "It's bad. Here, take the lighter. I don't want it. I don't want it hanging around, reminding me what a bad soldier I was. It's there, in my hand when I wake up every morning, in my pocket during drills, hidden in my mattress in the day. It's always there- telling me I was bad."
Jace pushed the lighter to Jondy and scooted away so there was a big gap between the two.
"But Jace-" Jondy began, and glared. "You're such a child, Jace. Stealing from Lydecker isn't bad-"
"I didn't steal anything," snapped Jace. "It's yours now." She seemed frightened at having shared such a big part of herself, such a big secret with Jondy.
Jondy gave Jace a withering look. "No wonder nobody likes you, Jace. Even when you do something right, you're still a colonel's pet."
Jace didn't look at her, but put her hands over her eyes and started rocking back and forth, muttering, "Bad, bad, bad, bad..."
Shrugging, Jondy leaned back against the tree trunk and played with her new lighter, watching the flame jump up and down. She rarely slept, and certainly not tonight.
She watched as Jace curled up into a ball on the ground, and the two remained like that until sunrise.
"Wake up, Jace," said Jondy shortly. Jace yawned and sat right up, stretching catlike. "We've got a lot of ground to cover."
"Mmm," said Jace, climbing to her feet. "You got the guns, Jondy?"
Jondy nodded, producing Jace's handgun and throwing it to her.
"Careful!" chided Jace. "It could go off if you throw it."
"Don't worry," Jondy sighed. "I've got the safety on."
"Yes, I'm sure you do," Jace sniffed, and they were soon on their way.
The sun rose fully into the sky. Jondy watched as Jace breathed heavily.
"Somethin' wrong?"
"I'm thirsty."
"Me too, actually. But no problem. It's just a klick or two over..." (Jondy trailed off. She whirled on the spot, shaded her eyes to examine the tops of the trees, inhaled deeply, dropped to the ground and sifted fallen leaves in her fingers and jumped up triumphantly, pointing into the trees) "-THERE to the river. We can get there, take a drink and be back on track in no time."
"No," said Jace stubbornly. "I don't remember anything about breaks in the mission briefing."
"What's your problem?" demanded Jondy. "We nip over there, have a drink and set off again. It's practically on our way."
Jace gazed at Jondy for a moment.
"Suit yourself," said Jondy. She removed the lighter from her pocket and sauntered away, watching the flame jump up and down.
"Jondy!" barked Jace. "Jondy, come back! We'll get- punished, if you don't come back."
Fine, Jace thought to herself. Don't panic. Just keep going down into the woods. She'll pick up your trail and follow. Simple.
Jace had been walking for half an hour and felt bored. Why hadn't she been paired with someone else? Zack, he knew his duties. Or Eva, who made a point to be kind to Jace. Why had she been paired with Jondy?
Jondy was MAX'S friend. Max and Jondy had little tolerance for rules, only silly emotionals attachments and whims.
An earsplitting shriek caused Jace to stop dead in her tracks. Birds seemed to explode from the trees.
All over the valley and into the woods, X5s reacted to the scream in different ways.
Splint promptly careened into Eva and the two of them fell out of their tree.
"I'm sorry, Eva!" he stammered, frightened. "Did I hurt you? God, I'm so- I'm so sorr-I-I-"
"Are you hurt?" she asked, standing up and brushing herself off.
He suddenly realised the acute pain in his ankle. "Uh, yes. Ow."
Brin scrambled to the top of the slope and frowned. "Did you hear that?"
"Sounds like Jondy," Krit observed. "Don't worry, I bet her partner will take care of it. Come on, we've got to clear the highway by noon."
Max, within sight of the greener part of the woods, stiffened and grabbed Syl's arm. "It's Jondy."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'd know her voice anywhere. We gotta find her."
"We're nearly home, Maxie, we can't stop now!"
"But I-"
"We can get them to send out a rescue group. The faster we get home, the faster Jondy gets rescued."
"O-OK," said Max, unsure.
Back on their trail, Jace turned around abruptly and tore back the way she'd come. "Jondy!" she yelled, listening vainly for another scream. There was nothing.
WHY didn't I go with her? thought Jace, pained. She could have slipped- could be drowning- something could've attacked her-
"JONDY!" Jace yelled, skidding to a halt and whirling in all directions. "TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!"
Jace heard birds wheeling overhead and insects in the undergrowth, but no sign of Jondy. She covered her eyes with her hands and tried to think. The river, the river, the river...
Water. She had to listen for the sound of water. And for Jondy. Jace tried to tune into Jondy, tried to put Jondy in her mind and find Jondy in the air. Any sign that Jondy might have run past- her scent on a tree trunk, a footprint, her voice still lingering in the air...
"Help me..." she heard Jondy's voice waver. It was very weak and barely constituted a yell. Jace bit her lip.
Jace yelled, "Don't worry, Jondy! I'm coming!"
She bent double and ran headlong, her mind chanting at her. PUT JONDY IN THE AIR, PUT JONDY IN THE AIR, PUT JONDY IN THE AIR-
There it was. Jondy's scent, pretty clear, tread not ten minutes ago into the soil. Jace changed directions suddenly and followed the trail.
The roar of water-
She was close, Jace knew it...
Jondy- she'd gone THAT way-
Not far to the river now...
No... that scent was old, months old, and the wrong one-
Back on track... keep running...
Right, she was off Max's scent, Max's form in the air (why DID they smell so damn similar, anyway?)- not that far away-
The water roared in Jace's ears as she burst onto the scene, panicking, she looked from side to side. "JONDY!"
Jace skidded to the point of a rock jutting out over the water and heard the fatal words-
"Where've you been, Jacey?"
There was a wet thump and Jace felt someone punch her on the arm from behind. She spun around to find Jondy standing behind her, and was so relived that she obviously wasn't dead that she completely forgot herself and hugged her.
"Hey, come on," said Jondy in embarrassment. "I'm OK, you know..."
Jace had never hugged anyone before. But the weird feeling of having her arms around a fellow X5 was completely miniscule comapred to her relief... Jondy was alive!
Then she realised something. "You're wet. Did you fall in?"
"No. I decided to jump in, see what it's like. Water's kind of fun when you don't have a metal cuff around your ankle."
Jace released Jondy immediately. "So you weren't in any danger?"
"No, none at all. I'm a good swimmer, just like I'm a BRILLIANT tracker. Unlike someone I know- took you long enough, huh?"
"You- tricked me. You endangered the mission, you threw us off course- and for what? For FUN?" screamed Jace, suddenly seeming to grow ten feet and boom her words to the air.
"Jace, calm down. We'll leave now, if you want-" Jondy even felt a little frightened.
"I can't believe-" she said. Jace halted. "I can't believe you made me worry for NOTHING."
She turned on her heel and yelled shortly for Jondy to come. Jondy felt worried. Jace must be really mad- she hadn't even called Jondy dumb, and she called Jondy dumb about once every week, whether Jondy had wronged her or not.
They arrived back at base presently, did some sprints, had dinner, showers and were locked into their dormitory, where the X5s immediately began to discuss the mission.
"They're right, you know," said Zack. "We shouldn't be forming unnecessary emotional attachments within the group. It's not productive and it's not healthy."
"But we're a family," protested Tinga, at the same time Brin said, "Who asked you?"
"Yeah, we're one big happy family," snickered Clay, leaning back into his cot.
"It was a good exercise, anyway," said Zane. "I don't think any of us faired that badly- oh, wait. Who was stuck with you, Jace?"
"Jondy," said Jace shortly. Everyone waited for her to elaborate. She didn't, so they returned to their conversation.
They were got up an hour early the next morning, and were unprepared for the abrupt entrance of the Colonel, as well as his soldiers. Some slept, but many, including Max, Jondy and Jace, were awake. Jace was watching the sun rise over the barracks through the window, sitting on the sill and hugging her legs. Jondy, alarmed by the loud slam of the door, perching on the side of her cot, succeeded in making the entire thing tip over. Nobody laughed, although a few soldiers snickered, and Max proceeded to help Jondy right the bed. The Colonel began to walk towards them, and for a mad second Jondy thought he was going to help her pick up her blankets.
"What's this?" barked Lydecker, extracting something from inside Jondy's pillowcase. Everyone watched as shock and fear took hold of her.
"Sir... I-"
"It's a lighter! MY lighter! Did you steal this from me, 210? Answer me."
All Jace had to do was say nothing. Jondy was on the verge of tears as the Colonel advanced on her, getting in her face. "Sir, I didn't take the lighter."
"Like hell you didn't! You're a soldier, 210! You're nine years old, you're not a child any more! Act your age! How did it get underneath your pillow, 210? Answer me!"
"I know," said a familiar, sullen voice. Everyone glared at Jace behind Lydecker's back. Trust her.
"At last, some truth. Good girl, 798, you're a good soldier. Tell me, how did my lighter get underneath 210's pillow?"
Jace cringed. He was praising her. He'd even called her a GIRL. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had called her a girl.
She spoke in wavering tones. "It got there, sir... because I gave it to her. Because I stole it out of your office, sir."
Lydecker froze. "798?"
"I was being briefed to be the leader of a team for a war game... going into the mountains, sir. You left the room. I couldn't help it, sir..."
"Is this true?"
Jace nodded, completely aware that all the others were gaping at her. "Yes, sir. I disobeyed orders and showed blatant disrespect for a commanding officer. I will accept any disciplinary action you deem necessary."
Lydecker gave Jace a disgusted look. "Take her away."
Jace was escorted from the room and did not return for a whole week. When she was finally pushed into the room very late one night, they crowded around her.
"Jace! Everyone, look, Jace's back!" cried Max, throwing off her blankets and diving over three cots. Jondy didn't think she'd ever seen Max look so happy to see Jace... or indeed anyone. Even ZANE looked happy, and Zane and Jace were bitter enemies.
"Are you OK?"
"That was great work, soldier!"
"I can't believe you stole the Colonel's lighter!"
Jace was very quiet. She seemed to be looking right through everyone and through the wall. "Hello, everyone," said Jace in a monotone. "I'm very tired from my stay in Psy-Ops, so if you don't mind I'd like to go to bed now."
Eva, who was standing behind Jace, frowned. "What's that on your back, Jace?" asked Eva, patting Jace's shoulder. From her cot Jondy could see a dark smudge peering from the back of Jace's collar.
Usually when someone touched her, Jace would jerk the bodypart away like she'd gotten an electric shock. This time she simply eased her shoulder from under Eva's fingers so subtly that nobody noticed she'd done it.
"Nothing. There is nothing on my back."
"Yes there is, there is!" said Syl, and she grabbed the back of Jace's shirt, pulling it up. There was a gasp.
There were deep bruises, black and blue and irregular, everywhere. Between them were scattered, small scars that looked like something very sharp had been jabbed into her skin. The others, even after having ripped people apart themselves, were repulsed.
"What did they do to you, Jace, lie you down on broken glass and run you over with an steam roller?" asked Krit incredulously.
"It was so brave of you to steal from Lydecker," Tinga said generously. "I'm- I'm really proud of you, Jace."
Jack pleaded, "Do you still have the lighter? Can we see it?"
Jace looked around at all the eager faces. For the first time in her life everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.
"I was... a bad soldier," she breathed, her lips hardly moving, and she went and climbed into bed (the one next to Jondy') rather stiffly, tossing for a few seconds to find a comfortable position.
Everyone gaped after her for a few seconds.
"Jace!" said Brin. "Hey, Jace, why are you sleeping?"
"Come and talk to us!" insisted Ben.
"Jace, we were- worried about you."
"Need sleep," Jace muttered, and closed her eyes. Everyone could tell in a second she was faking and glared at her back.
"Come on, everyone," said Ben in annoyance. "I'll tell all of us a story. That'll make us feel better."
Max wandered over to where Jondy sat, gazing thoughtfully at Jace's back. "Jondy, let's go. The windowsill's free and Tinga promised to leave it for me."
For Max. That automatically meant for Jondy too. "You wanna get Jace, too? There'll be room. You, me and her, Maxie- we aren't exactly big."
"I thought she 'needed sleep'," said Max sarcastically, and gave Jondy a smile. "'Sides, I want YOU to sit with me. Come on."
Jondy followed Max eagerly to the windowsill, where Ben already sat, in his pride of place spot. They hopped up beside him, and even then they saw there was room for someone else.
"Well- there IS room for one more," said Max, relenting.
"You're right," said Ben coldly, and then brightened his voice. "Eva, there's a space for you!"
When everyone was sitting by the windows, sprawled on cots to hear the story, Brin said, "Tell us about the Good Place again, Ben."
"There are places in the world," Ben began, "where we can't die- where nothing could ever touch us again..."
Jace was crabby the next morning. Her black eyes had shadows and Syl commented rudely that Jace reminded her distinctly of a raccoon. As per usual, Jace ignored her and went to put on her shoes.
In her left combat boot was a piece of brown tape. On the paper-spotted side of the tape, where it had been ripped off a box, someone had written a short sentence in block letters.
YOU ARE A GOOD SOLDIER, JACE.
Jace's features clouded right over and she crumpled the tape in her hand, lobbing it under someone else's cot.
"Hey, don't throw your trash under my cot, soldier!" snapped Zack.
She snarled at him in a way reminiscent of lion footage on National Geographic and stormed out of the dormitory to the hallway, where everyone was pairing up to march to the mess hall, all by herself.
Jondy sighed and buttoned her shirt, shaking her head. I tried, she thought. You can't say I didn't try.
Everyone was in their groups again. Brin and Tinga, Syl and Krit, Amna and Omri, Ben, Jack and Zane. The project had been of little use in breaking up their friendships- a laugh, an adventure, a change of pace, but it hadn't worked overall.
There was love. In Manticore's grey halls, stark white infirmary, dark woods- love. Maybe not enough for some, but it would have to do.
Then there was Jace. Almost friendless. It didn't seem fair somehow, to Jondy- but then, who was she to complain? She had a best friend. Max. The best and most faithful X5 out of the batch, in Jondy's opinion. Max, who would fight to the death rather than leave her. Jondy was definitely in a good corner, with a best friend like Max.
And maybe it was just the way it was meant to be.
Max loitered by the door, weaving up and down on her feet impatiently. She stopped a second, and looked right into Jondy's eyes. Dark meeting blue in the empty sunny space of the dormitory. Jondy gave Max the smallest of smiles, which Max returned. She understood. Jondy knew Max's eyes right through.
Although it had never been discussed, everyone knew X5s communicated on some kind of higher level. Max's eyes were talking to her. Jondy didn't know how, or care how particularly, but she knew for certain what Max was thinking.
WE GO TOGETHER, JONDY.
Yes... they did. Always. It was good, and true, and you knew where you stood this way.
Maybe it was just the way it was meant to be.
* * *
DISCLAIMER: 'Dark Angel' belongs to Fox and James Cameron. Not me. So don't sue.
NOTE: I've been dreaming up this fic ever since I began wondering something... you know how some X5s are mentioned together so much that you'd swear they were called things like Syl-and-Krit? I'm HEAVILY guilty of the naming-together thing. Point is, I was wondering how they'd fare paired with someone else. This is the result.
At the end, try play the song 'Roads' by Portishead. I think it's a pretty good X5 song... might use it in a fic someday. It was a part of my muse for this fic.