A/N: I KNOW THAT THIS ONE IS KINDA SHORT BUT I WANT TO GET TO THE OTHER
CHAPTERS AND EXPLAIN A COUPLE OF THINGS. ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW WHAT TWO
X5'S OFFSPRING IS CALLED?
Alec was alerted by the sound of struggling and then a gunshot.
"Shit!" He said as he climbed down from the roof and jumped through a window. He had been keeping surveillance on the man and the perimeter for the last two hours from a distance. He hadn't seen anyone breach the perimeter or go near the target's location. Maybe he kept watch way too far, he thought.
Alec found the man a little too late. He was lying in a pool of his own blood and the killer was escaping through the other window. Alec went right after the person. He recognized that it was female presumably X series. She didn't appear transhuman. The girl jumped off the window and landed six stories down perfectly on her feet thanks to its feline DNA. Alec did the same increasing his speed to catch up.
When he got close enough he tackled her leaving both of them sprawled on the ground. The girl sprang up. There wasn't enough time for Alec to see her. She fought him viciously and she was moving faster than he anticipated. She was giving him a hard time. The girl was just as fast and strong as he was, maybe even better. She was using tactics he didn't really recognize.
Suddenly, a ray of light from the nearby building caught the girl's face and Alec's whole body froze.
"Max." He managed to whisper.
452 couldn't believe it. Alec was standing in front of her. She had fought him. Instead of being happy, her defenses kicked in and she stood her ground like a good soldier. This wasn't happening. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
"Max?" His voice interrupted her train of though and Alec stepped forward. Max instinctively backed off. She didn't know what to do. This wasn't part of the mission.
Max saw the anger and pain flicker in Alec's eyes when she backed away. He was begging her for an explanation. She wanted so badly to give it to him but she didn't know what to do. She was tempted to say something. But what if Renfro was listening? What if they heard her betray them? She couldn't take that chance. Max would never be forgiven. She'd be punished more and she would never know where her son is.
Max did the one thing she knew how to do. She ran. She ran from Alec as fast a she could. If she got rid of him then, she'd reach base and they'd take her back to Manticore. She would have more time to find out where her son was. Max tried every tactic in the book to lose Alec but he was fast and he was determined as hell to keep her there. He finally caught up with her and he pinned her down on the ground, restraining her arms and legs.
"I'll let you go if you promise not to run." He said trying to catch his breath. Max nodded. She pushed him off of her.
Max didn't say anything. Alec was right in front of her looking bewildered and royally pissed.
"Max," He repeated her name, urging for a response. He was urging her to speak but if she spoke, a rush of emotions would escape her and she wasn't going to allow that. Today and forever she would be a soldier and she will be unless she has her son back.
She stepped forward to fight him. Alec made no move to counter her attack. "Fine," She thought to herself. She took a good look at Alec and punched him sending him on the ground. She had punched him harder than she anticipated.
"This is X5 452 reporting." She said through the radio
"What is the status soldier?" A voice from the other line asked.
"The target has been terminated. The threat no longer exists, sir. Mission accomplished." She replied in monotone.
"Return to base immediately." The voice ordered.
"Yes, sir. 452 out." She said. Max ended transmission and looked down at Alec who looked completely horrified.
Max whirled around and walked away from him. Pain flickered in her eyes but she was quick enough for him not to see it.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He asked furiously, standing up instantly. He caught up with her.
"I am returning to base. I suggest you do the same and if not, do not follow me." She said flatly. She couldn't look at him.
Stand ground soldier! Emotion is the enemy! She remembered Lydecker's words. She needed them to be strong. He wasn't the most comforting person and role model to look up to but the circumstances were different now and he had taught her a lot. What he had taught them a long time ago was vital to her now because of her son.
"Max, dammit! What the hell is wrong with you?" This was what Alec was afraid of. All his suspicions had been right. She had been captured. She had been re-indoctrinated.
"My designation is 452." She said firmly looking straight into his eyes. She prayed that her eyes wouldn't show any trace of emotion and betray her.
For the first time in her life, she saw Alec look completely and genuinely terrified. Alec wanted to hold her and hug her but he also wanted to slap some sense into her. This was Max, the girl who kicked everyone's ass especially his. How could it be like this?
Max shook her head softly taking a step back from him. "My loyalties are to Manticore." She declared. Max almost believed it herself. She would always be loyal to them because they had the upper hand. They had her son. If she betrayed them she would never be able to see him and hold him and give him the love that he so deserved. This was the leash that Renfro is using to keep her coming back to Manticore. She was willing to hurt anyone, even Alec just to get him back.
She owed her son that much.
Alec was alerted by the sound of struggling and then a gunshot.
"Shit!" He said as he climbed down from the roof and jumped through a window. He had been keeping surveillance on the man and the perimeter for the last two hours from a distance. He hadn't seen anyone breach the perimeter or go near the target's location. Maybe he kept watch way too far, he thought.
Alec found the man a little too late. He was lying in a pool of his own blood and the killer was escaping through the other window. Alec went right after the person. He recognized that it was female presumably X series. She didn't appear transhuman. The girl jumped off the window and landed six stories down perfectly on her feet thanks to its feline DNA. Alec did the same increasing his speed to catch up.
When he got close enough he tackled her leaving both of them sprawled on the ground. The girl sprang up. There wasn't enough time for Alec to see her. She fought him viciously and she was moving faster than he anticipated. She was giving him a hard time. The girl was just as fast and strong as he was, maybe even better. She was using tactics he didn't really recognize.
Suddenly, a ray of light from the nearby building caught the girl's face and Alec's whole body froze.
"Max." He managed to whisper.
452 couldn't believe it. Alec was standing in front of her. She had fought him. Instead of being happy, her defenses kicked in and she stood her ground like a good soldier. This wasn't happening. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
"Max?" His voice interrupted her train of though and Alec stepped forward. Max instinctively backed off. She didn't know what to do. This wasn't part of the mission.
Max saw the anger and pain flicker in Alec's eyes when she backed away. He was begging her for an explanation. She wanted so badly to give it to him but she didn't know what to do. She was tempted to say something. But what if Renfro was listening? What if they heard her betray them? She couldn't take that chance. Max would never be forgiven. She'd be punished more and she would never know where her son is.
Max did the one thing she knew how to do. She ran. She ran from Alec as fast a she could. If she got rid of him then, she'd reach base and they'd take her back to Manticore. She would have more time to find out where her son was. Max tried every tactic in the book to lose Alec but he was fast and he was determined as hell to keep her there. He finally caught up with her and he pinned her down on the ground, restraining her arms and legs.
"I'll let you go if you promise not to run." He said trying to catch his breath. Max nodded. She pushed him off of her.
Max didn't say anything. Alec was right in front of her looking bewildered and royally pissed.
"Max," He repeated her name, urging for a response. He was urging her to speak but if she spoke, a rush of emotions would escape her and she wasn't going to allow that. Today and forever she would be a soldier and she will be unless she has her son back.
She stepped forward to fight him. Alec made no move to counter her attack. "Fine," She thought to herself. She took a good look at Alec and punched him sending him on the ground. She had punched him harder than she anticipated.
"This is X5 452 reporting." She said through the radio
"What is the status soldier?" A voice from the other line asked.
"The target has been terminated. The threat no longer exists, sir. Mission accomplished." She replied in monotone.
"Return to base immediately." The voice ordered.
"Yes, sir. 452 out." She said. Max ended transmission and looked down at Alec who looked completely horrified.
Max whirled around and walked away from him. Pain flickered in her eyes but she was quick enough for him not to see it.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He asked furiously, standing up instantly. He caught up with her.
"I am returning to base. I suggest you do the same and if not, do not follow me." She said flatly. She couldn't look at him.
Stand ground soldier! Emotion is the enemy! She remembered Lydecker's words. She needed them to be strong. He wasn't the most comforting person and role model to look up to but the circumstances were different now and he had taught her a lot. What he had taught them a long time ago was vital to her now because of her son.
"Max, dammit! What the hell is wrong with you?" This was what Alec was afraid of. All his suspicions had been right. She had been captured. She had been re-indoctrinated.
"My designation is 452." She said firmly looking straight into his eyes. She prayed that her eyes wouldn't show any trace of emotion and betray her.
For the first time in her life, she saw Alec look completely and genuinely terrified. Alec wanted to hold her and hug her but he also wanted to slap some sense into her. This was Max, the girl who kicked everyone's ass especially his. How could it be like this?
Max shook her head softly taking a step back from him. "My loyalties are to Manticore." She declared. Max almost believed it herself. She would always be loyal to them because they had the upper hand. They had her son. If she betrayed them she would never be able to see him and hold him and give him the love that he so deserved. This was the leash that Renfro is using to keep her coming back to Manticore. She was willing to hurt anyone, even Alec just to get him back.
She owed her son that much.