First off all: Thanks to all of you, your reviews keep me inspired!
Taeniaea: The fastest again, thank you!
Alan Grey: The thought of Lydecker acting in self defense came to me when I was in basic training myself. I mean, really, you see a super soldier like Eva pointing a gun at you, what do you do? It was a mistake but I always thought Lydecker feels guilty about it.
I don't know yet if this story will be M/A, M/L or something completely else, perhaps I will have to change the story header. We will see, I really can't tell you right now, sorry.
Logan has never before gone against Manticore like he will have to this time. Sure, he angered Lydecker more than once and helped Max and her siblings evading him but this time he will actually have to attack Manticore which he never did before. Yeah, I know, it took him some time but I needed it for Max to undergo PsyOps and restart her training. Sounds odd, I know. Thanks for mentioning the mistake in the line with the DNA sample, but...argh! Punctuation in English! Gods, I think I will never fully understand how you people are doing this *gg* no, just kidding, I will try to correct the mistakes.
Challenging me about my cliffhangers? Not a good idea, it could get people hurt *evil grin* hm, which of my characters has not been injured already?...no, kidding again, perhaps I'm getting old. Anyway, thanks again!
Divine Fighter: Don't worry, the reds soon will have their encounter with unit two. About your suggestion of Logan helping Manticore: I have thought about it but I haven't decided yet, we will see. Thanks to you too.
452max: Welcome on board! Well, you don't have to wait anymore, here's the update :) Like I said before I don't know yet where I will go with this story exactly. You'll have to be a little bit patient.
roseyangel: I always thought from a strict military point of view Manticore has always been doing the right thing: training soldiers from the very beginning of their lives. Of course this is absolute crap when you look at it from any other point of view but...well, it works. Thanks for still being out there!
tylee17: First of all thank you for your e-mail, I'm still waiting *gg* Then: The Red Cell are soldiers from South Africa. They are criminals sentenced to death but are given a chance to serve in the military. They are given a neural implant which enhances them but unfortunately kills them after some time. The officials behind the program hope that they can correct this fault if they can get their hands on a Manticore soldier. And yes, you definitely should buy yourself the dvd set ;) Thanks for the remember/remind thing, will correct it. Hope you still out there!
Max groaned frustrated when 194 sent her down onto the mat again. The two of them were in Manticore's gym training hand-to-hand combat. It was something Max had always liked, it didn't include guns and it was, in her eyes, the purest form of combat. When she had started her training five weeks ago she had realized that she was no match for the others, she just lacked training, so 194 had offered her to train her during their free time. But sometimes Max wasn't sure if her team member didn't enjoy this a little bit too much.
"Are you sure you're actually teaching me something or is this just for your personal pleasure?" she said suspiciously looking at the Asian woman. 194 just grinned and helped her up.
"It's not my fault you're so slow, 452."
"Hey, I'm not slow you're just…" for a moment Max seemed to search for the right words until she shrugged, "…faster."
"That I am. Come on." The two of them got into their respective fighting stances again and 194 immediately attacked. She really was fast, incredibly fast and it took Max all she had to even avoid her kicks and blows. But like every time before her luck eventually run out and 194 broke through her defenses; the kick knocked the wind out of her lungs and she fell onto the mat again.
"Are you okay?" the other woman sounded a little bit worried. She knew that she was one of the best when it came to hand-to-hand combat and she also knew that she was very well capable of injuring even an X5 even if it was by accident. After a few moments Max nodded and looked up. 194 helped getting back on her feet. "Okay, I think this is enough for today."
"You're just too fast for me." They sat down on the bench near the door and Max grabbed a bottle of water drinking thirstily. She was glad for 194 helping her but these lessons always exhausted her.
"You're getting better" the Asian assured her. "I'm not that much faster but you're thinking too much. I win because I do not think, I let my instincts take over that's what you have to learn."
"Talking about your killer instinct again, 194?" The two women looked up and saw 439 standing in the door grinning broadly. "What did she do to you this time, 452?"
"Nothing I can't handle" Max grinned back. She really liked the two female X5s. 439 had opened up to her the very first day when she trained her on the sniper rifle. The sniper's always calm but gentle behavior had made her feel assured. And the Asian 194 had already become sort of a friend to her.
As a matter of fact her whole new unit seemed to have accepted her as one of their own. Of course at first some of them had been a little bit reluctant but their natural curiousness let them forget their wariness rather quickly; another trait of their feline DNA. Now Max felt really comfortable with all of her teammates, even with 494 although Wolf really had been right: Ben's twin was a smartass sometimes.
"What are you doing here?"
The shorthaired 439 shrugged sitting down beside next to Max. "Just checking on the two of you. The others still are in the mess."
"Well, if you want to train, I'm here" 194 offered with a nasty smirk standing up. "You could need it, too."
"I'm killing my targets from over a mile away, 194" the unit's sniper answered, "Why should I let you kick my ass for nothing?"
The Asian X5 shook her head and opened one of the weapon lockers taking out two daggers. Max was quite sure she heard her mumble something that sounded like "Gun-goopy sniper."
439's grin just grew even wider because she'd obviously heard it, too; X5 hearing was something to be feared. 194 ignored her and went to the middle of the room before closing her eyes and suddenly getting into her fighting stance the daggers in her hands. Max watched her closely. She had known for some time the Asian X5 was into blades but she had never seen her train with them before. Without warning 194 started her attack like against an 'invisible' enemy, the movements clearly trained for years and so fast the two daggers almost became a blur even to the two X5 watching her. All the time while she moved and repeated her movements, blocks and attacks again and again 194 had her eyes closed.
"She's good, I have to give her that, but I still prefer my rifle" 439 whispered with a low chuckle.
Max nodded not taking her eyes away from the Asian X5 clearly impressed by her performance.
"You know", the shorthaired X5 at her side continued, "I've heard that you called yourself Max. Isn't that a little bit strange?"
"Huh? Why?" This time Max did look at her.
"Well, wouldn't that be a name for a guy?"
Max laughed and the other X5 looked at her even more confused; even 194 stopped her training for a moment. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, sorry" Max calmed down but was still grinning. "When I was a child I fucked up a training mission once and the instructor kept yelling at me that I was a maximum failure for minutes. After that my unit decided to name me Max."
Talking about her old unit brought the faces of the only friends she'd had during her childhood to her mind. Krit, Syl, Zack and all the others. It was strange. Somehow she still thought about them as her siblings but she knew when she would encounter one of them she would bring him or her back here, back home where they belonged.
"I'm sorry" 439 said upon seeing the sudden change in Max's behavior, "I didn't want to upset you."
"It's okay, don't worry" Max assured her with a small smile.
"Is it true that everyone in unit one had a name?" 194 asked. She had finished her training and approached her two teammates, sitting down in front of them. Although her performance had seemed to be very exhausting she looked like she had just entered the room. At her question Max nodded and the Asian X5 suddenly had a very thoughtful expression on her face until she shook her head. "I just don't see the point. What would we need names for?"
"Well, we may be soldiers, but even soldiers are individual beings. And you would not be the first ones in your unit."
The words were out of her mouth before she could think about it. Names were forbidden, this was Manticore, dammit! What if they reported her now? What if they reported Kyla and Wolf when they found out? But none of the other two women seemed to be startled, 439 just looked at her curiously while 194 kept her thoughtful face.
"I couldn't think of a name for myself", she finally said and shrugged.
"Oh, with you it would be easy" Max said. "Blade."
"Blade?" 194 thought about it for some seconds and her lips curved into a tiny smile. "I like it."
"What about me?" 439 suddenly said and Max turned towards her thinking for some time until she grinned.
"Artemis would be a possibility" Max suggested. "The Greek goddess of the hunt."
"Goddess of the hunt?" 439 asked thinking about Max suggestion.
"Well, you always praise yourself to be the best shoot around here" the brown haired Max couldn't help but grin. Finally 439 grinned, too, and nodded.
"Yeah, I think I like it."
"Did you have to do that?" Blade groaned and faked frustration. "A goddess. Now her ego will grow even bigger!"
The three of them laughed and for a moment Max almost felt like back in the days with her old unit until she suddenly became serious again.
"The instructors, Lydecker…they must not know!"
"They won't" Artemis reassured her. "Coleman is a great instructor but we've always had our little secrets, right?"
"Hell, yeah!" Blade agreed and then yawned before standing up. "Okay, I need my bed. Not everybody has shark DNA."
"You don't?"
"Nope. I got snake."
"Why do you think she's so damned fast?" Artemis asked elbowing Max slightly in the rips.
"That has nothing to do with it and you know it. I'm just better trained."
"But you still are a terrible shot", the female sniper was quick to answer.
The Asian X5 growled slightly annoyed. "Whatever. Goodnight!"
After she'd left the two X5 sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Artemis spoke up.
"What did you mean; we wouldn't be the first ones?"
"Well" Max began reluctantly. Wolf and Kyla obviously hadn't told their teammates about their names. Should she spoil their secret? But she really trusted 439 – no, Artemis now. "451 and 301, they use to call each other Wolf and Kyla?"
"What? Those two?" Artemis looked at her astonished, almost not believing her. "Our two most-of-the-time-outside-and-being-Manticore's-top-dog-soldiers CO and 2IC? You're kidding me!"
"No, I'm not."
"How did they get their names?"
"Well, I don't know how Kyla came to hers and Wolf…I'm sorry, I know about it but it's really not my place to tell you."
"Hm, got some history with our CO there, Max?" Artemis asked with a mean smirk on her lips.
"You have a dirty mind!" Max exclaimed and hit her on the shoulder but the other X5 just kept grinning.
"Yes, I do. Okay, I won't ask you again but you can be sure I will find out."
"Well, you can try." Max said not sounding convinced. She couldn't think about Wolf really telling his sniper about the night she gave him his name.
"Okay, now what?" The female sniper seemed to be in a rather excited mood considering her usual calm self.
"What? Don't you have to sleep?"
"Nope, got some shark, too. We need to find names for the others. Any suggestions?"
Logan couldn't help but feel more than just a little bit uncomfortable. Even with the gun in his holster and Bling at his side he knew he wouldn't stand a chance. He'd gathered as much information about the Red Cell he could; his friend Sebastian had been most helpful. South African military, a neural implant, faster and stronger than probably even the X-series. It sounded like a making a deal with the devil but at the moment it seemed to be the only possibility to get Max back.
They were near the docks waiting for the other party to make contact. During the last weeks he'd had several contacts with the Red Cell and they finally had agreed to meet. Of course they did not know Logan was actually Eyes Only himself.
Suddenly four men emerged from the shadows and slowly approached. Three of them seemed to be the Red Cell soldiers, big and with a grim expression on their faces. The third, the one Logan had always spoken to, smiled almost gently. Logan felt Bling tensing up and he could understand: The constant danger radiating from the four men could not be missed.
"Good evening. I assume that you were sent here by our mutual friend – Eyes Only." If he was surprised to find a man in a wheelchair was his contact he didn't show it. "My name is Johannessen and these are my men. What do you have to tell me?"
"First of all we would like to know why you need an X5 for your studies. Wouldn't a sample of their DNA be enough?"
"No, I'm afraid it wouldn't."
"Why?"
"This is none of your employers concern."
"Then I assume asking what you need an X5 for isn't either?"
Johannessen shook his head the false smile still on his face.
"Thought so. Now, if Eyes Only makes it possible for you to get your hands on an X5, what would he get in exchange?"
"What does he want?"
Logan thought about it for a moment. It was risky, very risky but if things got out of hand he still had something up his sleeve.
"Some months ago Manticore kidnapped one of Eyes Only's employees. We want her back."
"Ah" Johannessen's nodded. "I wouldn't have thought that Eyes Only had a '09 escapee in his staff."
Logan tried not to show his surprise, after all the Red Cell was not so much different from Manticore, it was only logical they'd heard about each other's mistakes and failures.
"As I said: We want her back. Alive!"
"Of course. Well, I have to contact my superiors first about this, when I have I will call Eyes Only again. Good evening, gentlemen."
With that he left and the three soldiers were quick to follow him, disappearing into the shadows again.
"I don't like it, Logan" Bling said when they were driving back to the Foggle Towers.
"Neither do I. But I can't see another way. And I want her back, Bling, god knows what has happened to her already. It's been almost half a year, goddammit!"
Bling looked at his friend in sympathy. He had not seen a man searching for somebody with as much determination as Logan Cale but he was afraid that Eyes Only probably started to lose his focus. Nevertheless he said nothing until they arrived at Logan's apartment.
"How did it go?" they were greeted as soon as they had entered. Zack was sitting in the living room waiting for them.
"Well, you saw it, didn't you?" The former CO of Max's first unit had observed the meeting through the scope on his rifle from a safe distance; they had agreed that it wouldn't be a good idea if the Red Cell knew an X5 was already in Seattle and working with Eyes Only.
"Yes, I saw it but I couldn't hear it" Zack answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He had contacted Logan shortly after the Red Cell had called Eyes Only the first time and had helped him planning to get his sister out of Manticore again. Although sometimes he could be very annoying Logan was glad to have the transgenic at his side. "What did they say?"
"They want an X5 and are going to help us getting back Max in exchange. They will call again."
"Well, then let's give them one."
"Zack, we do not know what they will do to him or her." Despite being frustrated and worried about Max Logan knew all too well that whoever the X5 would be he would probably not survive what the Red Cell had planned.
"Oh, come on!" the male transgenic exclaimed and stood up. "They will get one anyway but it's gonna be one of us. They've been after me and the others for years. You prefer them getting one of us or one of the brainwashed and mindless drones in Manticore?"
"Of course I don't want any of you in their hands but it still feels wrong."
"Believe me, Max being back in Manticore feels a lot worse!"
Logan looked at the younger man and couldn't help but feeling more frustrated than ever. Guess this was the price when you were in league with the devil.
Unit two was out in the woods eating their c-rations. They had trained escape and evade during the whole day and even the tough transgenics felt exhausted. Major Coleman had left about half an hour ago and they still had a little bit more than an hour until they had to report back to the base.
"You're looking good, 452" the blond 154 said grinning at Max, "considering 194 is using you as her personal punching bag lately."
"It's not that bad. And I have to catch up on you, gotta kick your ass one day, 451."
"Keep dreaming", Wolf only said with a tiny smile.
"What have the two of you been doing the whole night anyway?" Blade asked looking from Max to Artemis. "When I woke up this morning you were not in your cells."
Max looked to Artemis suddenly not sure what to say; after all, she was still the rookie in the unit. Artemis just shrugged.
"Trying to find names for the rest of you" she said as if it was the most natural thing to do during a night at Manticore.
Everybody's eyes were on Max and Artemis in an instant. Most of the faces showed surprise and slight confusion but Jondy looked at Max with disbelief. And what startled her most were the looks Wolf and Kyla gave her.
"You did what?" It was 154 who broke the silence first.
"We gave you names, silly" Artemis repeated looking from one to another. "Yours is Nova, by the way."
"Nova?"
"Yeah, because when standing in the sunlight your hair sometimes literally seems to glow."
"Nice. What's yours?"
"Artemis. 452 is Max and 194 is Blade."
"Suits you" 367 nodded towards Blade then looked at Max. "Why Max? Isn't that a name for a guy?"
"Long story" Max said and felt relieved how most of the unit had reacted. Only Wolf, Kyla and Jondy kept looking at her in a way she didn't like.
"What's mine?" 526 wanted to know.
"You're Bear, because you're as big and as strong as one", Max answered feeling more confident. "367 is Havoc as he's so much into explosions and we chose Nitro for 258 with his liking for vehicles. And 210 of course is Jondy."
Her sister looked at her hearing the name she had gotten when she had been a child and there was a tiny smile on her face despite the look of incertitude.
"Thanks…Max" the calm Havoc said, smiling at her.
"What about me?" It was 494 who asked. This whole name thing was something new to him but he was curious to know what the two women had named him.
"You're Alec"
"Alec" Ben's twin seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "Why?"
"Like in smart-aleck" Artemis answered for Max and almost everybody grinned. After a few seconds he just shrugged.
"I can live with that."
"What about 451 and 301?" Bear suddenly asked. Everybody looked at their CO and 2IC who hadn't moved but looked very uncomfortable.
"They already have names" Max said after a few seconds. "Wolf and Kyla."
"What?" an excited Nova demanded to know. "How?"
Max looked at her brother not sure of what to say and he suddenly sighed.
"452…Max gave me my name in '09 the night unit one escaped." Everybody around him looked at him in surprise. He had never told them but it seemed like he would have to today. He was a little bit afraid of their reaction. "I found her, we fought and I overwhelmed her. When I looked into her eyes it was…I can't explain it, I was just shocked. She looked afraid to death and somehow I…I let her go. I didn't fully understand it back then and I'm not sure if I do today. Before she disappeared she told me that my name was Wolf. Calm and still strong."
He smiled melancholically. His unit looked at him, some still trying to fully understand what they'd just heard but none of them looked reproachful. They knew that they all had been sort of simple-minded when they had been children; Manticore had made sure of that. It wasn't until after the '09 escape their instructors started telling them about life in general and actually giving them answers to their questions. Of course a soldier as young and inexperienced as Wolf had been in '09 could have been shocked by such a thing unknown to him.
"That's why you were in PsyOps longer than we were" Blade said after a few moments of silence finally understanding. He nodded sighing again, remembering his time in PsyOps back then.
"Yeah, I told the Colonel what had happened and so he had no choice." His teammates nodded.
"And you, 301?" It was Nitro who addressed the team's 2IC. "How did you get your name?"
Kyla just looked at the blond X5 and shook her head.
"Come on", Alec pressed. "How did you get it?"
Kyla looked at Wolf asking for help and he understood. "Drop it, it's her choice whether she's gonna tell you or not."
"But…" Alec tried again but Wolf interrupted him his voice almost threatening.
"I said drop it, 494!" Everybody tensed up a little upon hearing their CO talk like that. They were not only soldiers anymore, they were more like friends but they all knew 451 could be dangerous even to them if somebody started to question his orders.
After few seconds Wolf seemed to calm down a little bit and everybody relaxed. He looked from one to another.
"Now, I want all of you to be clear about this" he said very seriously. "We must keep this quiet. If Coleman, Lydecker of one the guards ever hear us using our names we all will be back in PsyOps, everybody got that? Somehow the Colonel has already found out about Kyla and me, don't ask me how. He hasn't done anything until now but you can be sure he will when he hears everybody in this unit has a name now, understood?"
They all voiced their affirmatives and he nodded and stood up.
"Okay, we move out in twenty minutes, finish your meals and remember, once back at the base you will address each other with your designations only" he reminded them once again. He could only hope that they would not make a mistake. He knew that he probably should have stopped all of this when Artemis had begun it but it was too late. And after all he and Kyla had carried their names for years now. He looked at his 2IC. She tried not to show it but he knew how she felt at the moment. "Kyla, you're up for a walk?"
She looked at him and nodded, standing up too. Together they disappeared into the forest quietly talking to each other.
"What the hell…" Alec began watching them leave but Jondy shut him up quite effectively: She hit him on the head. "What was that for?"
"Mind you own business, smart-aleck!" Max's sister simply said and the whole unit snickered and relaxed again, thinking about what would change now they had names.
Okay, another chapter done.
Below I will post the list of unit two with their new names. If you want it I will do so in every chapter from now on, just tell me.
Of course if you want to do so you have to give me a review *gg*
X5-451 aka Wolf CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is.
X5-301 aka Kyla 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.
X5-494 aka Alec Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.
X5-154 aka Nova The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.
X5-439 aka Artemis Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.
X5-258 aka Nitro Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.
X5-194 aka Blade Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.
X5-367 aka Havoc Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.
X5-526 aka Bear Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.
X5-210 aka Jondy As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.