A/N: I am so sorry evry1.. ... its been a while but i have a good excuse. I have been sick.

any ways i am trying to write longer chapters but im really busy with school at the moment (i have 3 weeks left of yr 9 and all my teachers decided that they would make us all start new assignments) so im trying my hardest.


Max walked into the Mess Hall with a smile on her face. She put her tray on the table and smiled at 956 who was sitting across from her.

"Good morning everyone" she greeted Unit 3 cheerfully.

"Why are you so happy?" questioned 494 who was slurping up his soggy breakfast.

Max's smile faded into a glare but she didn't reply. Today was the first day of Unit 3's independent training and as much as she hated it 494 was in charge. There was only 6 days left until the exercise against Unit 6 so she knew 494 would work them hard. She didn't want to get put in solitary so she held her tongue and choked down her disgusting gruel.

"So, 494, what are we going to do today" 833 leaned closer to the C.O, placing a hand on his thigh. 814 caught Max's eye and they both suppressed a giggle. 833 was often seen hanging off 494's shoulder and although 494 loved the attention he got from most of the ladies, 833 was more on the stalkerish side.

"We are just going to do some drills" 494 said trying to scoot closer to 510, who sat in the other side of him. 510 hid the grin that threatened to appear on his face at this not-very-subtle move, like himself 494 usually encouraged behavior like this from women, they were both flirts, but 833 was one crazy... ...

The bell signaling the end of breakfast rang cutting off 510's thoughts, Unit 3 stood up and headed for the gym.

"452" called a voice from behind Max, she just continued walking, "452" the voice called again. Max started to walk faster but 494 caught up.

"452, I was calling your name"

"I know"

"What? Are you jealous of 833 and her hand placement in the Mess Hall?" 494 smirked at Max, which made Max all the more angrier.

"You're right, I am jealous of her she can make you leave" Max said returning his smirk.

"C'mon 452, you think I haven't noticed you staring at me all day yesterday" Max's smirk disappeared and a glare took it's place.

"Maybe I was just trying to figure out how 833 could like you so much"

"Oh yeah, what did you come up with?"

"She's crazy" With that Max stalked off to walk with 814.

Unit 3 stood divided up in pairs on the mats in the gym. 494 walked around watching them all practice the drills he had just taught them.

814 waited until 494 had passed them before she spoke.

"Max, what are we doing tonight?" Max laughed, every since the night she had told them her name 814 had used it every chance she got.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------flashback---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's up 452?" 956 asked concerned with her indecisiveness, she was usually so adamant.

"It's the numbers, designations, whatever. I'm sick of being called 452" Max burst out, confusing both X5's in front of her. She looked down, avoiding their eyes and held her breathe.

"Me too, but it's not like we have a choice" Max looked up at 814 with shock, although she hadn't expected them to report her for insubordination she hadn't expected them to agree with her either.

"We do have a choice" Max stated simply "I could name you".

956 and 814 sat in silence for a moment staring at Max, they had heard that the unit 2 escapees had named each other when they were young but never really believed they were that reckless.

Their silence deafened Max, she grew uncomfortable and considered leaving.

"Do you have a name?" 956 broke the silence and Max slowly smiled.

She held out her hand "My name is Max.

956 took her hand and kissed it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Max" he said in a suave tone. Max pulled her hand away and laughed.

"So what are you going to name us?" 814 asked excitedly, she had had names before on missions but they never suited her, so she couldn't wait to see what Max came up with.

Max thought for a moment, although she had been thinking of what to call them for a while she hadn't come up with the perfect name for either of them yet.

"Let's meet here at the same time tomorrow and I'll name you then, okay?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------end flashback--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You need to get some sleep I think" Max said as she practiced blocking the move 814 was performing.

"I do not" Just as 814 finished saying that, she let out a great big yawn.

"okay maybe i do" 814 said as Max crossed her arms and gave her an amused look.

"Have you told anyone else about your name?" 814 lowered her voice even further to make sure no one heard her.

"No, just you and the other two know" Max whispered back.

----------------------------------------------------------------------flashback------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Max had snuck out of her cell and was just about to enter the gym. She walked into the gym and was immediately surprised to see three people sitting down in the centre of the room.

"Max, your here" sang 814, obviously bubbling with excitement.

"Hey guys" Max greeted walking over to the group "510 what are you doing here?"

"I overheard 956 and 814 talking about you naming them and I wanted in" 510 smiled up at Max.

"Cool" Max replied sitting down. They sat in silence for a moment, 956, 814 and 510 all looking expectantly at Max. 814 couldn't hold it in any longer.

"You are so cruel Max" Max looked at her surprised, 814 wasn't exactly quite but she usually kept most of her emotions hidden, excitement was obviously the exception.

"Please just tell us already" 814 begged.

Max had thought long and hard about 956's and 814's future names and had decided, she crossed her fingers, hoping they would like them.

"Okay, okay" Max relented, she looked at 956 "I'll say yours first", she glanced at 814, almost laughing at the expression of hatred and anger on her face.

"Well because you are so good with mechanics and fixing things I decided on Axle" Max watched as 956 thought it over.

"I like it" 956 replied "from now on I am named Axle"

"Now name me Max, please" Max turned to 814.

"I thought about this for a while and decided on Linda, it means beautiful in Portuguese"

814 looked at Max for a moment then suddenly put her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"I'm assuming you like it" Max said trying to escape from the hold. All she got in response was a nod. Max looked at 510 and 956 rolling around laughing.

"Guys! Help!" After Max realized they would be no help she spoke to 814 "Listen, I'm not to big on the hugging"

"I love it" 814 said finally pulling away from Max "but it's a bit long, call me Lyn instead"

"Awesome, we have Axle and Lyn, now it's my turn" 510 said wiping away the tears of laughter.

"Uhhh, well i didn't know you would be here so I didn't come up with one for you." 510 just looked at her.

"Fine, how about Greg?"

"No" 510 said

"Bill?"

"No way"

"Alfred?"

"That's definitely a no" 510 said scrunching up his nose "I need something that speaks to the ladies" he said suavely with a wink.

"Dick?" Max suggested with a suspiciously innocent look on her face. 814 and 956 laughed while 510 looked unimpressed.

"I think I'll come up with one" 510 furrowed his brow, thinking hard.

''I will now be referred to as Biggs"

------------------------------------------------------------------------end flashback------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Max arrived at the Gym for another training session with 494, it had been a few days since their last session and Max's feelings towards 494 had, if anything, grown worse.

"We are going to continue on with what we did last time" 494 said not looking up from the paper he was writing on.

Max had commenced the warm up laps around the gym while 494 drew a plan out for the upcoming exercise. Max finished warming up and started on the ropes, swinging herself easily to the next. 494 had decided to separate all the different abilities to make it easier for her and then he would combine them. 494 watched Max's strength as she turned herself upside down while hanging on the rope, she seemed good at everything, flexibility, agility, speed, but she couldn't combine them and that is what the obstacle course was all about.

Max grew bored of the silence as she practiced doing flips off the ropes, usually if she messed around in the training session 494 barked an order at her, all he was doing now was writing.

"What are you doing?" She asked walking over to the climbing wall at the side of the gym, situated near 494.

"Planning for the exercise against Unit 6" He answered, not looking up.

"What is it with you and beating them?"

"Well it's because once we beat them we will be the best unit in Seattle"

"Someone told me that you and the C.O of Unit 6 had a punch up last year" Max smirked "and I heard he won"

"For your information 452, neither of us won but if the guards hadn't pulled us apart I would've kicked his ass"

Max slowly started to climb the wall as he had instructed her to last session

"Then why did you have to go to the Infirmary for 2 days and he didn't go at all?" Max called from halfway up the wall.

"Because the nurse wanted to make sure everything was functioning right" 494 said raising his eyebrows and looking up at Max.

"You are a pig, you know that?"

494 put his hand over his heart, "Now that hurt".

Max scowled and looked forward to meeting the C.O of unit 6, anyone who could beat 494 was alright in her books.


Max awoke at the sound of the morning bugle, she had been sleeping more often lately. With only 3 days until the exercise against unit 6, 494 had been working them harder than ever. She was slightly relieved that she hadn't had any dreams about her time at Wyoming for over a week, but the last one was still lingering in her mind. She had loved Ben so much and she had hoped he escaped and that they would be reunited one day. She didn't know which was worse, knowing he was alive but brainwashed by Manticore, or thinking he might be dead. She felt a tiny sting of sadness wash over her everytime she looked at 494 as well as anger. He was always laughing and joking with his unitmates, enjoying rec. time and so on while Ben was stuck in Wyoming, hating all of his former siblings and being punished for minor things. From what she could remember of Wyoming there were many differences between it and Seattle, it was a dark place. There was no laughing, talking or any other sound to be heard, and being punished was a daily thing for some.

Max sat on her bed wondering how Ben ever made it to C.O, surely they hated him as much as 833 hated her.

She headed to the Mess Hall but before she reached it she was stopped by 738. 738 was very shy, she wasn't really a soldier and was the weakest of unit 3 but she was a damned good medic. She could do a thousand things at once and think about every possible treatments and there success rates in a matter of seconds when someone was in trouble. She had been taken from Unit 3 quite a few times to assist human soldiers in the field multiple times and was extremely proud of it, though she didn't brag. Many of Unit 3 ignored her, 494 especially. She wasn't a risk taker and was uncomfortable with guns, she couldn't run as fast as the others nor hold her breath as long either. She was brains rather than brawn you could say. Max was surprised that 738 had waited to talk to her, she hadn't been rude or mean to Max but neither had she been nice or welcoming.

"Good morning 452" She said quietly.

"Good morning 738" Max returned, suspicious of 738's intentions. It wouldn't be the first time someone had played a trick on Max, or at least tried to.

"I need your help" 738 looked at Max, begging her.

"With what"

"Extra training" Max thought for a moment, 738 was the weakest of the group and she could use help to catch up but on the other hand Max still had training with 494 and she hadn't had hardly and rec. time in the last week.

"I don't have any time" Max shrugged and tried to walk past 738 but she was stopped.

"I hear you, you know" Max looked at 738, confused.

"What?"

"Getting up at night, with 956 and 814" 738 focused her eyes on the ground "You have only been in this unit for a short time and they like you more than me". 738 didn't sound bitter or resentful, she seemed almost sad, which was rarely seen in X5's.

"Hey, not all of them like me more than you what, about 833 and 169 they hate me, and of course 494" Max tried to make 738 feel better but she really had no clue how, this was alien to her.

"C'mon, 833 is just jealous of you and 169 hates everyone"

"Then what about 494?" 738 almost laughed at this, 494 acted strangely around Max, sure he joked around with others in the unit but he never went out of his way to do any of this. 738 decided to avoid this question.

"So will you help or not?"

"Okay but you will have to miss some sleep" With that Max strolled past 738 and into the Mess Hall.


Max sat up in her bed, covered in sweat yet again. She went over what had occured in the dream in her head.

She was on her small cot, unable to sleep. The rest of her unit were asleep, at least she thought they were. Bruises covered her face as a tear slipped out of her eys and slid down her face. A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder, making her jump.

"Are you alright Max?" The young girl asked, kindness in her eyes.

"How.. .. how do you know my name?" Max asked wiping away the tears.

"I heard 493 call you Max while he was beating you" She stated averting her eyes from Max's. Max didn't say anything.

"Why does he hate you so much? I thought you were siblings or something" the girl asked her.

"We" Max paused "were. They did something to him, the Ben I knew would never do this to anyone" tears threatened to fall again.

"You are Max, he is Ben. So who am I?" the girl asked hopefully. Max eyes widened and she stared into the girl's eyes for a moment.

"You can be Belle" she said finally "it means beautiful in French". The girl smiled at her and returned to bed. Max knew she had at least one allie.

Max closed her eyes, the girl in the dream seemed so familiar but she couldn't remember her designation.

Who is Belle? she asked herself. But it didn't accomplish much.


A/N: Sorry that i didn't post sooner and thanx for all of your reviews. I tried to make this chap longer but i wanted to post it soon as well.

xx Austchick