Well, it looks like I lost some reviewers here. Is it springbreak in the US already? However thanks to all of you who have reviewed!

452max: Thanks for your review once again. I'm thinking about how I could make the sequel. And yes, you'll see more about Alec and Max but as I said before, I like to take things slowly.

roseyangel: I always appreciate constructive criticism, keeps me on track, so don't worry and tell me again when you think something's odd or not right at all. I'd like to get your e-mail although I cannot promise I will be able to use all of your suggestions. Thanks to you, too.

Taeniaea: Thanks again!

JOUNOUCHI sama: Well, I was thinking about it, believe me, but I came to the conclusion that I wanted to have a pairing for Max in the long run so, well, you get it. I unfortunately don't have a hotmail account but I have displayed my e-mail in my profile now and yes, I'd like to know about your ideas. Thanks to you, too.

Okay, as I said previously, we're getting closer to the end now. Like always the char list first and then chapter 29. Read and enjoy!


char list

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. Has no shark DNA.

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. Has no shark but snake DNA.

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.

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. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

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. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

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. Has no shark DNA.

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.

X5-451 aka Wolf CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

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. Has no shark DNA.

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. Has no shark DNA.

X5-734 aka Brin After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she slowly gets back some of her memories, most of all about her brother Zane.

X5-798 aka Jace She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier.


Two weeks later – Manticore Headquarters Gilette, Wyoming

Jondy sighed and cursed silently, feeling frustrated while looking at the computer screen before her. Three days. For three long and frustrating days she'd been trying to reconstruct some of the data Kyla and Wolf had brought back from Italy but until know all she had was a scraggy jumble of numbers; whoever had destroyed that computer network was good. But she was better!

She flexed her fingers which still felt a little bit stiff even after the bones had healed and the cast had been taken off and typed in another series of codes, then shot the external hard drive Kyla had given her a threatening glare. She was the best at programming and computers, had always been; not even Jesse or Zane had been able to beat her when it came to hacking. This was a very difficult problem but she would find the solution even if it meant spending a whole week in front of that screen. At least it kept her from doing the less pleasant things the rest of her unit had to do at the moment.

That thought brought an almost mischievous smile to her lips.


"Tell me again why we have to do that every month" Max groaned while they were walking towards the exit of their barracks only wearing their grey gowns once again.

"To make sure we stay in shape, that's all" Kyla answered simply. "Don't worry, Max, a few minutes in there and we'll be out again."

Max looked at the shorthaired woman at her side. Ever since she and Wolf came back from their last mission the 2IC seemed to be in an unusually good mood. She looked more vivid and, well, happy than Max had seen her ever before and her natural curiosity was driving her crazy. Damned feline DNA!

"Okay, what's up?" she wanted to know from her slightly older friend, finally losing her patience. Kyla looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"Ever since you came back you're looking like bright sunshine and you smile all the time. What happened?"

Kyla blushed slightly and looked away. That was all it took to convince Max completely. Kyla didn't blush; she was one of the coldest and self-controlled soldiers Manticore had ever created. Something really important must have happened.

"Come on" she pressed. "Tell me!"

"It's nothing" the older X5 answered but couldn't get rid of that happy smile on her face.

"It's not like I'm the only one who noticed, you know" Max said and grinned at the slightly surprised look on her superior's face. "Until now nobody dared to ask but sooner or later you'll have to tell somebody."

"Stop trying already, Max" Kyla tried to shut her up. "I won't tell you!"

"What? I won't tell the whole facility." Max grinned and nudged her slightly. "I mean, it's not like you slept with my brother, right?"

It took transgenic sight and attention to notice the slight hesitation in Kyla's movement upon hearing that last statement but Max saw it nevertheless and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You didn't!" she exclaimed causing Kyla to stop and turn around to look at her. Max grinned brighter than ever. "Tell me you didn't! Did you?"

Kyla blushed even more and grinned feeling a little bit embarrassed and looked at Max warily. The younger woman laughed out loud before she embraced her sister into a tight hug. After they'd let go of each other Max just looked at her with a kind look in her eyes and a warm smile.

"I'm very happy for you, Kyla. For both of you. Like Blade said, it was about damned time!" Max said quietly meaning every word. "Now tell me, when did it happen?"

"You must not tell anybody, okay?" Kyla demanded and sighed when Max nodded, feeling relieved she didn't reprimand her for what had happened. Ever since she'd come to know the younger transgenic Kyla had felt Max could be trusted and she knew her younger sister would not betray her; she didn't want the whole unit – most of all Alec, gods forbid! – to know about her and Wolf already. "It was after the mission debriefing in Switzerland. We argued in our quarters, it was pretty nasty. After he said something I really didn't like I slapped him. Can you imagine that? Anyway, he apologized and we got closer and…well…"

Kyla trailed off looking more embarrassed than Max had ever seen her but the smile on her face was still the same.

"Ah" the younger X5 said and grinned. "Make-up sex!"

Kyla frowned and hit her in mock anger. "You have a dirty mind, Max!"

"Sure I do! Okay, give me some details!"

"Yeah, right!" Kyla snorted. "Not gonna happen, 452, not ever."

"I'll find out sooner or later anyway" Max reminded her.

"I'll prefer later. Okay, move, soldier, I don't want to be late!" Despite her words Kyla's voice was kind and she shook her head in amusement upon her younger sibling's curiousness and joy.

"Aye, aye, ma'am" Max replied and together they made their way towards where there next exercise would take place. Just before they left the barracks Max face became very serious all of a sudden and she held her friend back once again. "Wait! Did you…did you use any sort of protection?"

Kyla looked at her and took a deep breath. "No, we didn't. I know what you want to say. It was stupid, I know, and when I thought about it the first time I was scared to death. No way Manticore will ever allow us to have a baby."

"So, are you…" Max trailed off dreading the answer.

"No" Kyla shook her head smiling gently. It always surprised her again how caring Max could be on one hand while she was a top soldier on the other and she really appreciated the way her sister cared for her. "No, I'm not. I had my period last week."

"Thank God" Max sighed but looked at her 2IC almost startled as soon as the words had left her mouth. "Don't get me wrong! I didn't want to say…"

"I know, what you wanted to say" Kyla interrupted her kindly, "and you're right. It's better like that and we'll be more careful in the future. Just don't tell the others, I don't want them to know yet."

"I won't" Max said with a tiny smile feeling relieved Kyla hadn't gotten her wrong.

"Okay, then let's go. If we're late Lydecker will give us an extra minute. And Max? Thank you!"

The younger X5 just nodded and they finally left the barracks quickly making their way to where Wolf and Alec were already waiting for them.

"Just in time" Lydecker greeted them with a warning look. Twenty-two seconds early, to be exact. "Okay, ready?"

The four X5s stood on the edge of the tank and nodded.

"You know how this works" Lydecker reminded them. "Seven minutes. Three…two…one…GO!"

At his sharp command the four transgenics drew a deep breath and jumped into the cold water of the tank. Once under water they quickly reached the bottom and secured the metal clamps that would hold them there around their ankles, after that they tried to remain as motionless as possible, saving as much oxygen as they could.

Max had her eyes closed and tried not to move just like the others, with her hands folded in her lap and her knees barely touching the bottom of the tank. She felt the cold wetness softly caressing her skin and slightly moving the grey gown she was wearing and all she heard was the silence of the water that had engulfed her and the heartbeats of the three other transgenics that were with her; to her left was Alec and Kyla was to her right while Wolf was a little bit farther away, right next to Kyla. It would have been almost peaceful and comfortable had it not been for the metal clamp around her ankle that held her at the bottom of the water tank.

She didn't like those exercises and probably never would; it was a painful reminder of her childhood and she didn't like being trapped like this. She opened her eyes and looked at the window that allowed their trainers to watch them. Coleman was standing at the controls and Lydecker who was holding a stopwatch in his hand and kept looking at them.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her chest and could barely hold back a gasp at the last moment. It wouldn't do her any good, not while she was still underwater. She shook her head, trying to control and fight back the pain. It had been two weeks now since they'd returned from Europe and her injuries had been taken care of; her lung had been repaired and the broken ribs had almost healed by now but still she wasn't back at one hundred percent.

What the mind can conceive the body can achieve

She tried to hold on to that mantra she'd been told so many times when she'd been a child but the pain was increasing quickly now. Lydecker frowned at her. He sensed something was wrong.

What the mind can conceive the body can…

Another sharp bolt of pain shot through her and she opened her mouth and some of the precious oxygen left her body.

Her body tensed and she clenched her hands into fists while frantically trying to calm down like she'd been told but she couldn't. Her friends felt her trouble and looked at her with worried expressions on their faces.

What the mind can conceive…

The pain was just too much and she felt the rising panic, threatening to take over her control completely. She knew she shouldn't panic, it only made her body consume more of the little oxygen she had left but there was nothing she could do about. Out of the corner of her eye she could see how Wolf moved and tried to get to her but he was too far away and the clamp around his ankle held him back. The young X5 then looked at his superiors through the glass and signaled them to abort.

Coleman glanced at his superior and Lydecker hesitated for a brief moment before he shook his head. It pained him to see his Max like this but she had to be as strong as all of the others or she would not be able to keep up with them when it came to the next fight.

Her panic became too much for her and although she knew it was a futile attempt Max pushed off the bottom of the tank and frantically tried to get to the surface but before she could reach it the metal clamp held her back. She felt hands on her pulling her back down and tried to fight them off but Alec and Kyla still got her to the bottom of the tank again despite her resistance.

She could barely think anymore and didn't register the attempts of her siblings to calm her down. She was in panic, her body ached for air and she didn't have any anymore. She needed to get up!

Suddenly Alec grabbed her by the neck, pulled her close and pressed his lips onto hers sharing his oxygen with her. She tried to fight him off for a second before she understood what he was doing and then tried to relax a little bit. After seconds that felt like minutes he pulled back and looked at her, not letting go of her.

She still looked panicked but it seemed like she was able to control herself now.

About twenty seconds later Lydecker nodded towards Coleman and the Major hit the controls and the clamps opened. The four transgenics broke through the surface of the water after some moments, all of them breathing heavily, gratefully taking in new oxygen after having been in that tank for seven minutes. After some seconds all of them swam towards Max who was coughing and still felt kind of dizzy.

"Max!" Wolf called out and she could hear the fear in his voice. Just because they'd made it back up didn't mean the danger was gone; she'd been pretty close this time.

"Are you okay?" Kyla asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I am" Max answered. She still felt the pain in her chest but it was better now. She turned her head towards Alec who still had a hand on her shoulder ready to hold her if she would pass out. "Alec? Thank you!"

"You're welcome" the male transgenic smiled at her, but it was not his cocky trademark grin, he looked worried but still kind and caring at the moment.

"Get her out!" Lydecker's barking order reached their ears. He had left the control room immediately after the clamps had opened and approached them at a fast pace now. Coleman was right behind him and they could see Corporal Hayden running towards them, too.

They quickly obeyed and a few seconds later Max was sitting on the edge of the tank with Alec still holding her while Wolf and Kyla pulled themselves out of the cold water.

"How are you, 452?" Lydecker wanted to know in a stern voice. It wasn't stern enough, though, for the transgenics as their enhanced hearing easily picked up the worried undertone. They were smart enough not to say anything but the quick glances Wolf, Kyla and Alec exchanged were enough to tell them they'd all heard it.

"I'm fine, Colonel" Max answered quietly. She knew she shouldn't have panicked, she'd put the whole team into trouble but she simply hadn't been able to hold back her panic. "My lung started to hurt again and I just lost control, I'm sorry. I'm fine."

"Let me decide about that, 452" Corporal Hayden answered and kneeled down besides her. The medic softly touched her side, feeling her ribs through the thin fabric of her grey gown. When he added some pressure Max suddenly flinched and hissed through clenched teeth. He let go of her immediately and couldn't help but notice how 451 took a step towards him and the warning glance the male transgenic shot him. "Sorry."

He then stood up again and turned towards the Colonel and the Major. "She's not really injured but she's not back in her usual shape yet. She should go to the infirmary so Doc Cottle can check if there's any water in her lungs, just to make sure she won't develop pneumonia."

"Agreed" Lydecker nodded. By now his voice was all controlled again and he looked at the three transgenics who were huddled around their hurt sister. "494 and 301, bring 452 to the infirmary. 451, you'll stay here. Major, Corporal, I'll see you later."

Coleman and Hayden nodded and went back to the trainers' barracks while Alec and Kyla helped Max to her feet. She felt much better but still not top. Wolf on the other hand stood before his CO with his hands behind his back and looked at him without even blinking once. When the three X5s had disappeared Lydecker watched him closely. He had noticed how the young man had reacted when Hayden's treatment had caused Max pain and he didn't like it although he could understand it.

"What were you going to do to the Corporal, soldier?" the older man wanted to know after some seconds.

"Nothing, sir."

"You looked like you were going to jump at him any second."

"Sir, his actions caused pain to 452. I understand that his treatment was necessary and I had never any intention to harm Corporal Hayden. I acted out of instinct but I had myself under control."

"You know that this exercise is necessary and that all of you have to undergo it the same way if you want to stay in shape and ready for the next battle, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, I do" Wolf answered in a stern voice. "I know it is necessary for all of us even if we're injured like 452 but with all due respect, sir, you can't expect me to like it."

Lydecker looked at him and mused over his words for a few moments. Just like Zack and Max Wolf had always been special to him. Not in the way Max was, of course, but the male transgenic had always been an extraordinary soldier, better than almost every other X5, a leader in combat who cared more about his subordinates than about himself and was loyal to the core. He remembered very well how that young boy had come to him in '09 and reported that he had let escape Max for reasons he could not explain. They would never have found out and Wolf had known it but nevertheless he had reported his mistake to his superior fully aware of the consequences that would come with his confession.

"You really care about her, don't you?" the head of the Wyoming facility asked after a few more seconds.

The transgenic soldier seemed to be a little bit surprised by this questions and it took him a few seconds until he reluctantly nodded.

"Yes, sir, I do. I care about everyone under my command."

"But you care about her more." It wasn't a question.

"Not more, sir, but in other ways" Wolf objected. He seemed to search for the right words but finally just shrugged and if the situation had been so serious Lydecker would have laughed at the almost helpless expression of his most experienced soldier. "She's my sister. I'm sorry, sir, I can't explain it otherwise."

The younger man hesitated for a second before he almost anxiously asked: "Am I in trouble now, sir?"

"No" Lydecker answered and shook his head. "No, you're not. Report to your TAC leader in thirty minutes! That'll be all, 451."

"Sir!" Wolf snapped at attention and saluted before he turned around and darted off to his unit's barracks feeling utterly relieved but also a little bit confused.

Lydecker on the other hand shook his head and allowed himself a tiny smile while he walked towards his own office. Just when he got there his phone started ringing and with a sigh he answered it.

"Lydecker!"

"Deck, it's McGinnis."

"John?" Lydecker replied a little bit surprised but nevertheless pleased to hear his old brother-in-arms' voice. "Haven't heard from you in some time."

"Listen, Deck" McGinnis sounded very serious and Lydecker frowned. This was no friendly call. "Renfro is on her way to you and from what I could see you're in trouble!"

"What's the old witch about this time!" the old Colonel growled annoyed. He'd hoped he was done with that woman once and for all.

"I don't know exactly. There was a committee meeting two weeks ago and it seemed to have something to do with one of your operations. This morning she's received an order from the committee and she left DC about three hours ago on a plane towards Wyoming with two TAC teams. I really don't know what's going on but I saw her before she left and she looked like she's out for blood."

Lydecker frowned. It was quite clear what that blond vixen was about.

"Thank you, John, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry, but we have to finish this conversation another time, it looks like I've got some work to do."

"You sure you're gonna be okay? Can I help?"

"Thanks, but you've done more than enough already, I've got it covered from here."

"Your decision. Good luck, my friend!"

"To you too. Goodbye!"

He hung up and cursed. How did that spitfire find out? It didn't matter at the moment, though; he had to cover his tracks more carefully than he had intended to. He opened his computer and started working, deleting some files but copying most of them to his external hardware drive. If she wanted to take over he would make her life as miserable as possible!


As soon as they had entered the building Max insisted on walking on her own and her two teammates let her have her will although they followed her close enough to catch her if she'd fall which could very easily happen. X5s were tough but it wouldn't have been the first time one of them had to suffer from sudden dizziness or even unconsciousness after an incident in the water tank. The lack of oxygen had nasty side effects no one could exactly predict.

When they entered the infirmary wing Cottle looked up from his desk and frowned upon seeing the three transgenics in their wet gowns.

"Tell me it's not you needing my care again already, 452!" he gruffly greeted them. She didn't say anything but the stubborn look in her eyes told him enough. "I told you to take it easy, why don't you people never ever listen to what I say?"

"It wasn't her fault, sir" Kyla stepped in. "We were in the tank when she had problems with her lung again. Corporal Hayden said she needed to be checked to be sure no water was in her lungs."

"Damned corpsmen!" the old doctor muttered and stood up. "Wait in the examination room; I'll be with you in a few seconds. And one of you stays with her until I come back!"

"Yes sir!" Kyla replied and watched him leave, probably to get his equipment.

"I can take care of her, Kyla" Alec assured her. "Go tell Wolf what's happening before he's going crazy again."

"Are you sure?" Kyla asked but she didn't look at Alec but at Max. She would have preferred another female X5 around if she'd been in her sister's position.

"I'm okay" Max said silently and flashed her a reassuring smile, feeling her 2IC's doubts. "Thank you."

Kyla nodded and turned to leave but not without giving Alec a warning glare. The male X5 sighed and slightly put a hand on Max's shoulder and directed her to the examination room. She shrugged him off and sat on the examination bed as soon as they'd entered the room, not looking at him at all. He frowned upon her behavior but chose to ignore it. They remained in that uncomfortable silence for about a minute until Max spoke up.

"Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for…well…for what you did." She sounded unsure and also a little bit embarrassed.

"You're welcome" he replied and the almost taunting undertone in his voice let her look up at him for the first time. There it was again; that self-important, cocky grin of his she hated so much but liked at the same moment.

"Don't let it get to your head" she warned him in mock annoyance, sounding more confident again. "It was not like you kissed me!"

"No, of course not!" Was it even possible that his grin could turn any bigger? "But you know now what it would be like. Wanna try again?"

"Keep dreaming, pretty boy!" she retorted but at the same time she felt how his words touched something inside her.

Before they could take their banter to a new level Cottle returned together with a nurse.

"Okay, 494, you can leave now."

"I can stay, sir."

"I will certainly not allow you to stay in here while I'm going to examine 452. One male in the room is already more than enough. Move!"

"Yes, sir!" Alec saluted and left the room but when he came past the examination table his hand slightly touched Max's arm as if by accident and she felt goose bumps appear on her skin. She looked at him surprised but he just looked at her with kind eyes and flashed her a reassuring smile before he left the room.


A few hours later Jondy was still sitting before the corrupted files of the enemy base in Italy and she was grinning like mad. She'd finally been able to get past the programming that had tried to destroy the files. There still wasn't much but it was a start. Most of the files had no origin code anymore which would make them useless for example in a court case but fortunately Manticore did not have to put up with this sort of judicial problems. She surfed through what little information she'd been able to reconstruct until now.

Suddenly she frowned and looked at one file intensely before she grew pale in a matter of seconds.

"You gotta be kidding me!" she whispered. "That goddamned backstabbing…!"

"Unit two and X7-452: Report to classroom seven immediately!" came the voice out the speaker and Jondy almost jumped; this was not the Colonel's voice. "Unit two and X7-452: Report to classroom seven immediately!"

Jondy swore and yanked the external hardware drive Kyla had brought back from her last mission from the computer. Whatever this meeting was about she hoped the Colonel would be there; he'd like to hear what she found out. Yes, he definitely would like that!

And why would they request an X7 at the meeting, too? And why this one in particular? She had seen Max's younger clone before but had never spoken to one of the X7. They were weird, with their hive mind and all but at least this one wasn't one of the guarding types with the black eyes.

When she entered the classroom she found out she was the last to join her unit; even Jace and Brin who had been permanently assigned to unit two after the last mission were there already. She glanced at the X7 who was standing behind her chair in the front row right next to Wolf. Next she looked at Max but her sister didn't show if it bothered her that her younger self was in the same room although she still looked at little bit off-color from that incident in the water tank. She'd been released by Cottle some hours ago and Jondy had heard about the incident that had taken place earlier when she'd been in the mess. Her younger sister tried not to show it but she wasn't all up and running again yet.

Other than her unit there were only two Manticore guards around; Sergeant O'Neill and Corporal Hayden – the medic – who was unofficially keeping an eye on Max. And Major Coleman as the unit's TAC leader.

Suddenly the door opened again and Lydecker entered the room, but he was not alone. He was followed by no other than Director Renfro and nine armed PsyOps guards.

Every transgenic in the room frowned upon their entrance; first of all why was that witch back and why did she have nine of her PsyOps guards with her? This couldn't be good. Nevertheless they all snapped at attention at Wolf's sharp command.

"At ease, soldiers", Lydecker ordered and turned towards Renfro. "Now, would you please tell me what this charade is all about?"

"Of course, Deck" she answered with a gentle smile that did not reach her eyes which were full of barely hidden triumph and a dangerous joy. "I have informed the committee about your little solo attempt in Italy and how you treat your soldiers here like little children who are allowed to do anything they want. They have decided that there were some changes necessary to get the X-series back on track and they think you're not the right man to do what is necessary. From this moment on I am the head of this facility and I intend to make sure your 'kids' will remember their place again, starting with some of those who are in this room right now. That's why I wanted this unit here."

"Have you been intriguing behind my back again, Lizzy?" Lydecker tried not to show how uneasy her confident behavior made him. "The committee would never allow such a thing without hearing my side of the story, too."

"Oh, but they have." Renfro nodded towards one of the PsyOps guards who handed her some papers. "These documents reinstate me not only as Director of PsyOps but of the whole facility. You're done, Deck!"

"I don't think so!" Everybody in the room looked at Jondy in astonishment. "From my point of view I have a say in this matter, too."

"Shut up, soldier!" Renfro snapped. How could that brat even dare interrupting her?

"No, you shut up, Director!" Jondy retorted not looking intimated at all. Before anybody in the room could recover from the surprise and shock over her actions she turned towards Lydecker. "Sir, on the hard drive 301 brought back from her last mission I have found evidence that Director Renfro is involved with the men that attacked our teams in Joliet, Edinburgh and Saint-Vincent."

Everybody in the room looked at her in complete shock now, even Lydecker and Renfro but the blond woman recovered very fast, much too fast to Wolf's liking who felt the tension in the room rise. Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden had barely moved but he could see how their hands had crept just a tiny bit closer to their sidearms. The PsyOps guards were on high alert as well but he knew they would stick to Renfro if the situation escalated.

"Where did you get that intel from, soldier?" Renfro asked Jondy, the predatory smile back on her face.

"The external hard drive 301 and 451 brought back from Italy."

"Apart from the fact that this has been an illegal operation" Renfro continued not looking away from the brown haired transgenic one second, "would those files be of any value for a military court?"

Jondy pressed her lips together but didn't answer.

"Answer the question, 210!" Lydecker ordered her and she flinched slightly.

"No, the origin codes of the data have been permanently deleted when the network destroyed itself."

"So, no value at all" Renfro summarized. Of course those data was of no use. The network had been shut down by her superior right when the two transgenics had tried to hack it.

"Not so fast, Lizzy" Lydecker held her back. "I will contact the committee and inform them about this. I'm sure they'll be very interested."

"You won't. You don't have any authority here anymore" Renfro snarled and every false kindness had vanished from her face and voice.

"We'll see about that!"

"Boyd, Parraut" she ordered two of her Manticore guards sharply, "Arrest the Colonel and escort him to his quarters! The rest of you will bring X5-210 and 452 and X7-452 to PsyOps!"

Unfortunately she forgot about the three Manticore black ops soldiers that were in the room: Coleman and O'Neill had served under the Colonel in the Delta force in Mogadishu already and they knew the older man was loyal. Hayden didn't know Lydecker as well but well enough to know he would never become a traitor. Before Renfro's men were able to do anything the three Manticore men drew their sidearms and aimed at them, making them stop dead in their tracks immediately.

That was when all hell broke loose. The PsyOps guards upon being threatened by the three Manticore black ops soldiers reached for their own weapons and aimed at their sudden adversaries and the Colonel. None of them came even close to take a shot at the four men before every X5 in the room launched themselves at them, kicking the guns out of their hands, throwing them against walls, chairs and tables and knocking them out cold. There were a few shots but it looked like all of them missed.

A few seconds was all it took the twelve transgenics to disable the nine men.

"Son of a bitch!" Artemis cursed and kicked an unconscious PsyOps guard in the ribs while clutching the grazing shot on her right arm.

The five still conscious ordinary humans in the room – Lydecker, Renfro, Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden – looked at the transgenic soldiers in disbelief. They all knew how dangerous they could be but actually seeing how they took out nine highly trained soldiers in a matter of seconds without casualties – Artemis was the only one who had been slightly injured – was something completely else.

"What are you doing?" Renfro exclaimed.

"Shut up or you'll regret it!" Wolf warned her in a dangerous voice after he'd made sure none of his team had been critically wounded and then turned towards Lydecker. "What are we going to do, sir?"

"What do you suggest?" Lydecker had to admit this was a little bit too much. He had expected Renfro to try and find out what he'd been doing in Italy, perhaps even bring him before the committee but that she would show up here with some kind of arrest warrant for him and then tried to get his kids back in PsyOps was something he hadn't seen coming at all.

Wolf on the other hand was a little bit surprised that the Colonel asked for his opinion. Nevertheless his years of training and tactic planning came into good use this time.

"Our superior command has been compromised" he said without hesitation looking at Renfro in disgust. "but we cannot prove it at the moment. We have to retreat and regroup, sir."

Lydecker looked from him to Renfro and nodded; the boy was right, he had been thinking in that direction, too.

"I promise you we'll see each other again. I would really like to kill you, Elizabeth, but that would make our situation only worse, so this will have to do it for now."

Before the blond woman understood what he meant he suddenly lashed out and rendered her unconscious with a brutal punch. There was a crack when her jaw broke and she stumbled back and fell to the floor just like the rest of her team. Lydecker shook his hand and suddenly got aware of how everyone in the room including Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

The transgenics just shrugged and went back to their task; tie up the nine men and now Renfro, too. Hayden suddenly grinned and O'Neill gave his superior a sly grin, too.

"Nice punch, sir!"

"It was long overdue!" the Colonel growled and had to admit to himself that he felt much better now. Perhaps he really should have done this earlier.

Suddenly the door opened and four X5 poured into the room. Unit two was back on their feet at once but they relaxed quickly when they got aware of who it was.

"Colonel, what happened here?" one of them asked. It was X5-613, the CO of unit five.

"Director Renfro came here to arrest me" Lydecker answered the question. He had a plan again, a purpose and this made him much calmer and more focused. "She's a traitor but unfortunately the evidence 210 found has been corrupted. But I believe it to be true."

At this Jondy looked up and glanced at him gratefully.

"What are you going to do, sir?" 613 wanted to know and Lydecker was relieved the young man believed him. If he'd try and hold him back because he was – officially – a traitor now himself this whole mess would end in a bloodbath.

"We're gonna leave this base and regroup, then we're gonna try and find out who is behind this."

"I'm gonna get the rest of my team, sir!"

"You'll not come with us, soldier!" Lydecker held him back.

"Sir?"

"Unit two will be the only one who will leave this base." He didn't say 'desert' for as he could see it they would do the only right thing. "The committee will move heaven and earth to capture us but even they still have their limits. If more of you or even every X5 leaves they will not hesitate and send every man they have after us. I need you to stay here, soldier, it's worse enough we have to leave already."

613 hesitated for a few seconds but finally nodded. Lydecker turned away to talk to Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden and Wolf approached the other CO.

"I'm really sorry, 613" he tried to apologize, "but it's the only way. I can't allow that woman – a traitor – to take my subordinates back to PsyOps."

"I understand, 451" the other young man assured him. "Just make sure you get back here as soon as possible. I'm not looking forward to play 'good little soldier' for that bitch!"

"A soon as we can, I promise" Wolf replied. "Are you the only ones who heard the shots?"

"I think so. The other units are out in the field and the rest of her PsyOps guards are waiting outside; we were just nearby by accident."

"That's good. Okay, listen, I know you want to help but I need you to go now. None of them has seen you until now and I think it would be better if it stays that way."

"Yeah, you're right." 613 sighed and looked around. Wolf could understand the other man's stress; after Renfro woke up this place would be just like it had been after the '09 escape. He just hoped the committee would at least watch her PsyOps activities a little bit closer than in the past. The other CO straightened up and signaled his team members to leave. Just before he left the room himself he turned around one last time. "Take good care of Jace and come back as soon as you can. Oh, by the way, it's not only 613, Wolf. My name is Dylan."

Wolf looked at him with an almost shocked expression and Dylan laughed.

"What? Did you really think your unit was the only one? When we heard about it everybody wanted a name. Looks like we've just been a little bit more successful at hiding it."

"Don't let her hear that, soldier; she would use it against you far more severely than I ever have" Lydecker suddenly said when he approached them. Both transgenics tensed but the old officer just shook his head. "I'm not the head of this facility anymore, remember? I didn't hear anything."

Both transgenics grinned and Dylan suddenly snapped at attention and saluted.

"Colonel Lydecker, it has been an honor to serve under your command, sir!" he spoke in a formal tone. "I hope you'll return soon."

"We will, soldier, we will. Now go back to your unit! Good luck!"

"To you too, sir!" With one last nod towards Wolf the other transgenic left and closed the door.

"We're ready!" Kyla announced. They had tied up every PsyOps guard in the room and especially Renfro's bonds seemed to be much tighter than necessary but nobody cared. They had taken the weapons, ammo and radio equipment from the unconscious soldiers and were ready to move. Wolf himself took two guns Kyla gave him and held one out to the Colonel. The older man took it and checked the clip and the chamber in one fluent move. Maybe he had become a little bit old, but he sure as hell was still able to use a goddamned gun! Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden appeared at his side. He had discussed this with the three soldiers and they had agreed that they had to leave the base together with him and the transgenics after they had threatened Renfro and her men; she would consider them as traitors, too.

"What about her?" Blade suddenly wanted to know and looked at Max's X7 clone. The young girl just stood there looking from one to another. She hadn't taken part in the fight as no order had been given and she was confused and unsure what to do next. From her point of view the Colonel still was her commanding officer but that blond woman had claimed that he was a traitor. But there was no proof. And why did they want to put her into PsyOps? She hadn't done anything wrong, she was one of the best in her unit! X7-452 felt helpless, not understanding the connection to her older sister Max yet.

"What's your designation, soldier?" Max took a few steps towards her younger self. She knew her younger clone's designation but it looked like the kid needed to focus on something familiar. It was weird to look at this girl who looked just like her, only ten years younger.

"X7-452, ma'am!" Even the voice who barked the answer sounded the same.

"Alright, X7-452" Max nodded. "From now on we are your new unit. That's X5-451, your new CO. We have to leave this base because our superior command has been compromised, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The girl suddenly appeared much more confident. She had a purpose again and a chain of command. That was what she needed.

"Let's move!" Lydecker growled impatiently. He didn't like the fact they would take an X7 with them; never before they had tried to take one of them away from their unit and he didn't know how she would react when she lost contact to the hive mind of her siblings. But he also knew they couldn't leave her behind, Renfro would tear her mind apart just because she was Max's clone.

"Yes, sir!" Wolf agreed with a grim look. "Blade, Havoc, you take point! I'll be right behind you. Bear and Alec, you take the rear. The rest of you form up between us! Colonel, I want you and your men in the center and you too, X7!"

The transgenics moved quickly and while Lydecker was not really comfortable with taking orders from Wolf he had to admit that the young X5 was right and he signaled his men to do what they were told. The X7 took position right before the Colonel and it took him some seconds to understand she was doing this out of instinct, getting to the position where she would most likely be able to defend and protect her superior. He got a weird feeling of pride, guilt and sorrow when he came to that conclusion but he wasn't able to think about it as Wolf gave the signal to move out.

They moved quickly, only stopping for seconds or to evade other X5s or Manticore staff. Once outside they had to evade the rest of Renfro's TAC teams but with the radios from the first team it was quite easy. They got to the car pool and hijacked three Humvees, quickly making their way towards the airfield.

The few technicians and guards who where there didn't ask any questions when they saw the head of the facility arrive but some of them looked at the weird mixture of X5s, X7 and Manticore black ops with curiosity. Nevertheless nobody asked questions when Lydecker demanded two Black Hawk transport helicopters.

Only minutes later two of the old but still very useful and robust Black Hawks took off towards the north but not before Havoc and Nova had disabled the transponders. Onboard were a former Colonel and three of his loyal soldiers, one X7 and twelve X5 transgenics who looked back at what had been the only home they ever had. Jondy, Max and Brin knew the feeling already and they didn't try to talk to the others whose faces were emotionless masks and whose eyes held a terrible anger and the dangerous promise of return. They would need some time to adjust to the thought that they were deserters now themselves.

Just when the last sight of the Manticore headquarters had vanished in the distance they suddenly heard a slight sob and they all looked at the X7. She was trembling.

"What is it, soldier?" Kyla wanted to know.

"I can't hear my unit anymore!" Her voice was but a whisper and she tried to keep up her composure in the presence of all these X5s who – in her eyes – were considered as superior officers but they could all hear her fear.

None of the X5 said anything as they didn't know how to help the little girl who was truly without her unit and feeling alone for the first time in her life.

"Come here" Corporal Hayden suddenly ordered the small X7. She obeyed at once and sat down beside him. The young medic pulled an arm around her small shoulders and talked to her in a soothing voice but so low not even the transgenics were able to understand his words, but whatever he was telling the young girl it worked. After a few minutes she calmed down and eventually even fell asleep with her head against the young man's shoulder.

The X5 looked at him appreciative and a little bit surprised and even Lydecker couldn't hold back a small smile when he turned around in his copilot's seat and saw that small girl sleeping peacefully snuggled up against the Manticore black ops soldier.

"Sir, where are we going?" Major Coleman's voice suddenly came over intercom. He was the copilot of the second Black Hawk.

"North" Lydecker answered. "We have to get away as far and as fast as possible. And when thinking about it I think we should try to avoid radar detection."

He looked at Wolf who was piloting the first helicopter. "We need to fly low."

"No problem, sir" the transgenic answered with a sly grin and opened a comm channel to Artemis who was acting as the pilot of the other Black Hawk. "You heard that, Artemis? Think you can keep up?"

"Try and find out!"

"Roger that. Black Hawk one declining."

After a few seconds the two helicopters were heading towards north at their maximum speed and low enough that no radar would detect them, barely avoiding the three tops of Wyoming's forests. Although he looked almost relaxed while he was controlling the Black Hawk and keeping track of the communication with Artemis Wolf was frantically trying to figure out what to do next.


Many chapters ago somebody asked if Max will get Wolf and Kyla to defect. Well, somehow she's managed to do so, but one could argue she still is Manticore as she is loyal to Lydecker's idea of Manticore...oh, dammit, I'm talking too much.

I hope you like it (I certainly liked writing the part when Deck breaks her jaw) and yeah, we're getting really close to the end now. You'll probably get to see some characters in the next chapter who haven't be seen during the last ones.

Give me reviews, I give you updates. Kind of blackmailing, I know, don't sue me, please, I'm broke *gg*