Author's Note: OK, so this chapter is a tad violent. Young children get killed, nothing too graphic though, just a bullet in the head. If you don't want to read that, just skip the ending.
A portrait fell from the wall as I shook against it. I was in my hotel room, sitting on the floor, beside the bed. My body was shaking uncontrollably while I spoke on the phone.
"I'm--getting the job--done tonight," I spoke with short pauses as I tried to catch my breath.
"Are you all right, 434?" the voice of a drill sergeant said.
"Not really, sir--you didn't get me any--Tryptophan..."
"I knew we'd forgotten something. 434, your mission is to find something else that contains it, we will give you medical treatment when you come home."
"Yes--sir."
I hung up the phone as the seizure ceased. I fell limp against the wall and took a deep breath; even with all the superhuman abilities inside of me, somebody screwed up somewhere along the line. While I'd been created with all these enhanced abilities, I do experience side effects from all that experimenting. Back at Manticore, they would usually dispose of the X5's with side effects but Lydecker wanted to keep me. I guess that's one thing to be appreciative of, Lydecker betrayed Manticore and now Renfro was after his blood, setting most of the X series on him.
There was a knock at the door and I shakily got to my feet. I walked slowly over to the door and opened it to see a house cleaner with a tray in her hands; a glass of milk sat on it.
"Thank-you," I muttered and took the glass of milk, the house cleaner left.
I sat down on the floor again and took a grateful sip; milk contained Tryptophan and therefore helped control my seizures. What's Tryptophan you ask? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid; this means it is a substance that the human body cannot produce on its own. Before the Pulse, Tryptophan was used as a dietary supplement and Manticore found that it worked best to raise the amount of serotonin my brain produces, controlling the severity of my seizures.
I finished my milk and closed my eyes, lying back on the floor. I was to meet Frederiksen tonight for dinner with his family; I need a clear mind and preferably as little shaking as possible. I sighed and willed myself to go to sleep, which was near impossible. I never slept.
I glared at the afternoon sun shining brightly into my hotel room. I squinted and stood up, feeling like a botched job. I'd stayed on the floor for hours, trying to stop the seizing. I stepped into the small and cramped bathroom, turned on the shower and relaxed as steam began to cloud over the bathroom. I undressed and stood under the hot water, allowing it to relax all my muscles. If I had one weakness, it was hot water. I loved to take long, hot baths and sometimes Manticore would reward me with one. Other times it was just a longer shower.
I got out ten minutes later and dressed in a black cat suit; I threw my leather jacket over it and grabbed my guns. I hummed as I strapped a knife to my thigh and put my two handguns into their holster around my waist. I grabbed my sunglasses and opened my window; I didn't need hotel staff seeing me like this.
"What the--?" I muttered, realizing there was no ledge to jump from to the street.
I groaned inwardly and leaned halfway out of the window; I looked up and grabbed a brick that was slightly protruding from the building.
"One...two...three," I counted softly before leaping onto the rooftop of the hotel.
My heeled boots slammed onto the shingles and I ran to the other side of the building, my bike was parked below and I smiled. I threw myself off the building and landed on the heavy lid of a dustbin.
Moments later, I was on my bike and tearing out of the parking lot.
I arrived at 434 Montee Cobra Court and looked up at the house. It was everything that a family home should be; the white picket fence, two-story house with blue window shutters and, judging from the kennel, they had a dog. I killed the engine and stepped off the bike, it was show time. They probably expected me to ring the doorbell, have dinner and then kill but...tempting as it was... I crouched down onto the ground, took a deep breath and leaped onto their roof. I crept over to the skylight in the center of the rooftop and peered down into it; Frederiksen's family was sitting in what appeared to be the lounge. His wife had their young daughter cuddled into her, wearing a pink dress. Their son was lying on his stomach on the floor and I suddenly remembered Max's words.
"You're not one of them..."
I shook my head and walked onto the skylight, my shadow cast down over the family, though they didn't realize. I jumped up and landed on the glass, shattering it loudly. Mrs. Frederiksen screamed and shielded the daughter. I straightened up and grabbed the son's arm as he tried to run, I broke it easily and he squealed like a little girl. The barking of their dog from outside was echoing loudly through the otherwise quiet street and I rolled my eyes.
"Who are you?" Mrs. Frederiksen demanded, tears shining in her eyes as I held her little boy by his throat in my black gloved hand.
"Ask your husband," I smirked. "He helped make me."
"No...You're--?"
"X5-434, ma'am. Sent by Manticore to rid the country of your husband," I said, throwing the boy lazily to the floor.
Hurried footsteps approached and I smiled, "finally. The man of the hour."
"What's going on here?" Frederiksen's voiced gasped.
I turned around and flipped my hair over my shoulder, I grinned before pulling out my handgun.
"Sandy--"
"No... It's X5-434," I smiled and gave a sarcastic little wave with my free hand. "And you just killed your family."
Without hesitation, I shot Mrs. Frederiksen in the head; she slumped over the couch and her daughter screamed.
"Mummy!"
I grabbed the little girl's arm and put the gun to her temple, she only looked about five-years-old. I closed my eyes and a single tear slid out.
"This won't hurt, I promise," I whispered.
The little girl cried and trembled, Doctor Frederiksen elbowed me in the small of my back and I kicked him in the head.
"You're no match for me, even with your martial arts," I sneered and turned away from the girl.
"I won't let you harm my children!"
"I have my orders!"
Frederiksen attempted to fight me but I used my superhuman speed to dodge all his hits, I finally had enough and threw him into the wall. He slumped down to the floor, his split skull bleeding out onto the carpet. I turned back to the daughter and the son and shot them both in the head. I let out a shaky breath as I felt the seizures try to start up again.
"Damn it..."
I grabbed the rope from my waist and tied it in a noose around Frederiksen's neck. I easily picked him up and carried him up to the second floor of the house, where I tied the other end of the rope around the banister and let him fall.
"Time to go back home..." I muttered to myself but not before making a pit stop.
I walked into their kitchen and opened their fridge; three bottles of milk were stored in it. I downed one bottle, put the other two in a plastic bag and slipped it inside my leather jacket.
As I tore out of the street and headed back for my hotel, I thought back onto what Max had said again. How could she say that? I just killed an innocent woman and two children...I was one of them. I was proud to be but then why did I feel guilty now?
