Backslide

In an instant, Max knew that he knew. He knew why they were here. He knew why her side was screaming. He knew what had happened. Dammit, he knew and wasn't telling her.

She was ready to throw herself against the bars and tell him to snap out of his drugged stupid state when the door to the left of Max's cell opened. Immediately, Max's and Zack's heads snapped in that direction.

Lydecker came in, closed and locked the door behind him. He strode to the front of their two cells in the small room where they were being kept. He put his thumbs in the back of his pockets and rocked on his heels. Zack attempted to rise, grimaced and fell back down. Although Max was hurting as well, she wasn't about to sit back down. Finally, Zack was able to stand. Max was appalled. Zack weak? Zack giving up or so it seemed? The mere thought of such a thing shocked her.

"A little sore?…Max?…Zack?…" Lydecker sneered. Zack, by this time, had trudged to the bars containing him and was glaring out. Max looked towards Zack and noticed for the first time the red marks on his wrists where he had to have been strapped now as he fought. He must've fought hard because the marks showed freshly dried blood. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that there was a pinprick in his hand where a needle had been inserted to sedate him. He was awake before something had been done to him. The same thing that had been done to her.

Slowly and tentatively, she lifted up the corner of her shirt, just slightly, with leering Lydecker not too far off…couldn't be too careful. She looked down and for the first time noticed the cause of her splitting side. A harsh, red line stretched along the bottom of her stomach. There must've been at least seven stitches. Max didn't bother to count them all. She grasped the bars, letting her shirt fall. "What did you do to us?!" she screamed, her temper suddenly flaring.

Lydecker looked smug. "Didn't Zack tell you?"

"I don't know…exactly…" Zack muttered, looking confused as he searched his mind.

"You have a guess-don't you?" Lydecker mocked that he, Zack, didn't know the answer.

Zack rubbed the back of his neck, as the muscles in his face twitched from anger. He said no more.

"Well, I guess since Zack's not going to tell you, I'll have to," Lydecker said to Max. "After all, you do have the right to know what's been done." He paused for dramatic effects. "For ten years, I have been searching for all of you." He sighed. "And by using a simple trick that I was sure you would all see past," he laughed hoarsely as if ready to convey the answer to the joke, "I managed to capture you all."

"You did that?" Max asked in disbelief that Lydecker had been responsible for the Eyes Only message.

"Yes, I did. Not that hard to record the video and message, fitting in words where I want them." Max's head was swimming. Lydecker had impersonated Logan. That's why the message had been so terrible-it wasn't an original. "I only have twelve kids here," he continued. "The rest of Manticore technology had to be destroyed." Destroyed. Max felt a lump form in her throat as she realized what that meant. The remaining kids were killed. "Yet, I feel it is time to start anew. And so we shall-"

"Cut the crap and get to the point," Zack bit.

"Talking finally-hmmmm?" Well that's good." He stopped, ready to unveil everything. Max was going to strangle him. "Until I am able to rebuild everything that was lost to produce more of my children-"

"We weren't your children!" Max suddenly spat. "We were never yours!"

Lydecker rolled his eyes and chewed at the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "I'm not arguing with you. There's no point when we both know who made you who you are today.

"Anyhow, to return to the subject of original discussing, I will have more children. So, what do I do when I don't have the needed materials and…for experimentation purposes, more or less? I take some reproductive cells of the strongest surviving Manticore technology. Combine the cells and form a new child." Max felt a pit in her stomach. Zack had turned a sickly shade of gray. He wasn't expecting this.

"Us?" he asked. Lydecker only nodded smugly. Silently, he turned and left, having delivered the sentence.

"Damn you Lydecker!" Max screamed.

"I think," he said half way in the doorway, "I think it's a little late for that." And the door locked behind him.