More Than Survival

Part 4 of SSBTMM's Maximum Ride fanfic

Chapter 1

Jewel eyed the slow-moving middle-aged woman interestedly. In his limited dealings with the organization called the Survivors, he had seen very few faces, heard very few voices, and this woman was the only one he had encountered multiple times.

The woman approached him. "Good afternoon once again, Jewel," she said.

"I see a lot of you around here," Jewel said. "You strike me as an important person."

"Indeed," the woman replied. "I spearheaded the effort that inspired the Survivors to become what they are."

"But you failed," Jewel said shrewdly.

"As did you," the woman reminded him. "But together, with unity, we may finally win."

"Have we ever met before?" Jewel asked.

"No, we haven't."

"Well, then let's not remain strangers." Jewel held out a hand. "I, of course, am Jewel."

She shook his hand. "Marian Janssen."

Jewel looked her up and down once again. It was a habit he was in—analyzing everything around him. His eyes were perfectly cut diamonds six inches in diameter, and the rest of his body was studded with red rubies, apart from spidery mandibles and an extra pair of bladed arms sculpted from marble. Jewel was currently clothed in a dark blue suit, as was his preference. The woman was clothed similarly to himself, and apart from her severe expression and the way she moved, with a barely-perceptible slowness and thoughtfulness, she seemed perfectly ordinary.

"So, Marian Janssen, tell me something," Jewel said.

"Gladly," she replied. "Could I have some of that tea?"

Jewel scowled and poured her a cup. "What do the Survivors do?" he asked, passing it to her. "I've seen very little action around here."

"Well, Jewel, you do have a reputation as one of the less subtle minds of the decade," Janssen said dryly. "Trust that the Survivors are, in fact, working."

"Uh-huh," Jewel said. "Well, the Survivors have been rubbing me the wrong way. I didn't sign on to be their tea-droid."

"Do you have a choice?" Janssen asked.

Jewel hurled the tea tray into the wall and brandished his shiny white blades. "Yeah," he said. "I could kill everybody in this organization. Eight or nine people per second, maybe, if I was on a true rampage. My patience is being tested, and that's not healthy for anybody involved."

"Your patience will be rewarded," Janssen said. "Everyone will end up much 'healthier' for it."

"Except for all the people you kill," Jewel said dryly.

"Granted."