Eventually the door to the outside world opened, letting light stream into Max's room. She rose from the cot where she had been casually lying. It was a slow rise to her feet-she wasn't in any hurry to go running to greet anybody. No one really mattered.
As Max had suspected, Lydecker stood in front of her cell, staring at her. "It's time," he told her.
"For what?" she snapped.
"I guess it would be resurrection-"
"Don't you dare try to touch me. I swear to God that I'll have to rip your hand right out of your socket if you so dare as lay a finger on me."
Lydecker laughed, amused with her threat. "Good, good. I'm glad to see that Manticore's still part of you." He knew this remark would get to her. The only thing that an escapee X-5 hated worse than him was the fact that Manticore would never leave them.
Indeed the remark had gotten to her, if only for a second. Max didn't want to utter any more threats or that would show that Lydecker was telling the truth-Manticore was still there. The little, vicious soldier hadn't escaped after eleven years.
Max walked closer to him, showing him that she had nothing to hide. "No," she spat at him, "Manticore's not a part of me, and never will be. I just figured that that's what a person would do to a bastard like you."
Lydecker flinched slightly, ever so slightly. "Y'know, nothing you say will make me stop wanting you to be part of Manticore. You are part of Manticore."
"Bull-shit," Max hissed and turned away angrily. There was a pause, and Max began to wonder what Lydecker was up to.
"Look," he told her, "you can either go along with this peacefully, or, I'll use force against you."
"I won't ever go along with anything you have."
Lydecker sighed. "You're too stubborn…" he snapped his finger, and Zack came in from the open door. "..and so was Zack, but now, look at him. The perfect soldier."
Zack stood by Lydecker, unblinking, his eyes glazed over with an impenetrable shield. He still wore the black jeans and leather jacket that Max had come to love about him. Now, the mere sight of that clothing sickened her, for Lydecker was wearing much of the similar outfit. A younger version of Lydecker. Max wanted to vomit.
"Now," Lydecker was saying to her. "You're not going anywhere. So, either you can sit in this cell until you rot…or you can come with me. I mean, look at Zack-does he look miserable to you? It's not a bad life-"
"You don't even live that life! How dare you talk as if you live it! You're not one of us, never have been, never will be!" Max suddenly fumed, throwing herself against the bars. "It's easy to be the leader-anybody can!" There was spit flying from her lips as she spoke.
Lydecker was appalled-he really was. Slowly, he stepped away from Max's cell and shrugged. "There's always tomorrow," he said solemnly to himself. He turned and Zack followed willingly.
"Stop being his puppet, Zack! He's got his hand shoved up your ass so far you can't even see it!" Max yelled after them. The only answer she got was the slamming of the heavy door as the room began to go black again.
A couple minutes later, the door reopened, and this time only Lydecker entered. He didn't stand in front of her cell, but instead with his back to the door-off to the side of her cell. She stared at him, quizzically. "Alright," he told her, "I'm a business man-I've got a deal for you."
"Really," she said, unimpressed.
"Yes."
"Then shoot."
"You want to leave here-"
"Damn right."
"But I want you to stay," he argued. "Yet, I can see your reasoning."
"Are you high on something?"
Lydecker paused, ignored the question and continued. "I'll let you out. Under one condition."
"I die first," she bit. Lydecker was lying, he had to be lying. There was no possible way that he could be telling the truth. He'd never let her escape, especially with the valuable child she was carrying.
"No, no, you'll be alive. Here's the deal, you go into this fight. A fight to the death. Whoever lives, wins their freedom."
"Who'll I be fighting?"
Lydecker smiled slowly, a rare smile. "Zack."
