Disclaimer: You know the drill.
Please R/R!
I promise it won't hurt!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
THE HUNT
Chapter Eleven
Footsteps
Krit slowly wound the corner and entered Sector D. He crept through the hallway and past the several empty cells. The corridor echoed with footsteps and children yelling, but he couldn't determine whether they were from an X series practicing or his own memories. His mind got lightheaded for a moment and when he shut his eyes to let the temporary feeling pass, he was recalling memories of fighting and training.
//Children chanting. Lydecker yelling. Kicking. Screaming. Order. Obey. Discipline. Holding breath under water. Killing. Guns shooting. Death.//
Krit shook his head in effort to clear his mind and stop the horrible memories, but as he looked around the halls, everything he hoped that he had forgotten in his long battle with Manticore, suddenly came flying back. It hit him like a freight train; all the gruesome memories of Manticore as he tried to fight them.
//My siblings, their deaths, the Escape. Tinga. Zack. Eva. Ben. How many more? Can't think about that. Focus on the mission.
Stop sounding like Lydecker!
He wants me to act and think like that. I was designed to think like that. I don't want to. It's not me. It's not who I am. But, it's what I am doing right now. Stop!//
Krit shook his head again and continued to walk silently down the hall. He tried to think positively and remember the good times that he had over the years. Like when he was reunited with Zack and Syl. When he knew he was accepted for who he was, not WHAT he was. Krit was broken out of his reverie as a desperate whisper sounded near the cell he was by.
He caught a man pressed up to the bars of his cell, waving him over. As Krit approached, he placed one finger to his mouth, ordering the man to be quiet. As he came to the cell, he realized that the man must be Bling.
"I'm going to get you out," He whispered as he went over to the lock. Krit glanced around and noticed that Logan wasn't anywhere nearby. Since they weren't creations of Manticore, Krit couldn't see a reason why they'd separate the two by more than one cell. Unless ... they had other plans for Logan. The lock finally snapped open and Krit let Bling out before re-locking the cell. "Where's Logan?" Krit asked.
"I don't know, they took him away last night." Bling said softly as he too glanced around. Krit motioned for Bling to follow them as the silently went down the hall. Suddenly, Krit's arm flew up and he made Bling halt in his tracks. Bling was going to question why they stopped, he couldn't hear anything, but then realized again that Krit had special capabilities like Max.
Sure enough after a few more seconds passed, he could also hear the faint tapping of feet as they swiftly moved down the hall towards them. Then, the sound stopped, at what seemed, just around the corner. When Krit leapt around it, guns ready and all, Bling prepared to hear a fight, but heard nothing. After a long moment, he came from around the side to see what was happening and saw Krit calmly talking quietly to a young girl with long blond hair, slim and agile. Another X5.
"I got Bling, but there's no trace of Logan." Krit informed her.
"Psychoactives?" Syl asked doubtfully. She didn't want to believe it, but it was possible. She had known that they had tried them on Zack with little success, but if they tried it on Logan, they wouldn't be sure if he was even still alive. Krit nodded his head.
"It's the only place they would take him." Krit decided.
"Where's Max?" Bling finally spoke up as he felt the tension building in the air.
"She went to handle Madame X." Krit said. When he mentioned it, it clicked in his head like a tiny reminder. "Speaking on which, why don't you go there Syl to help her, we'll look for Logan. Meet us back at the car." Syl nodded and ran around the corner. Krit saw her favoring her ankle a bit, but let it slide. It could be worse, much worse. Krit motioned for Bling to follow him again and they left to find Logan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After almost five minutes Max's seizure didn't calm, nor did it make her stop trembling. It was one of the worst ones she had experienced in a long time. Without Tryptophan or even a little milk, she was helpless and sick. Her body continued to convulse and Max found herself practically laying on the ground. She was curled up in a fetal position and aching all over.
Her head bumped the ground with each shake that her body made, resulting in a dull pain that transpired on the side of her temple. Max tried as hard as she could to stay silent, but every now and then a small groan or gasp escaped her throat. Her fingers became numb from pain and soon she also lost feeling in her toes. Her eyes were watering from the pain that began to take over and she held against slipping into a blackout. She couldn't afford it now.
Max was only a few feet from Renfro's door and as she watched it, she saw the light suddenly become blocked by a pair of feet that were approaching the door.
//Damn! If she finds me now .... //
But Max couldn't finish that thought as another series of quaking trembles threatened to knock her out. Just when she was about to close her eyes from her fatigue, her senses became faintly alert and she turned towards the hall she had came in from. One set of footsteps were coming quickly her way.
//No .... Brin.//
She thought. Max gathered herself up into a sitting position, her legs were curled under her and she leaned against the wall in support. She was in no shape to tangle with Brin again. This was it. It was over. She was going to be forced to become one of them again.
Finally, the owner of the feet rounded the bend after what seemed an eternity of waiting. Max tried to make herself look as strong as she could but the wracking convulsions took that away. To Max's absolute joy, Syl came down the hall and thankfully not Brin. Max sighed quietly in relief as her sister rushed over to her seeing her seizing.
"Are you okay, Maxie?" Syl whispered as she crouched down next to her and started digging through her pockets.
"Never ... better." She gasped out in between shakes. Max tried as hard as she could to focus on Syl, but her vision was becoming blurred and distorted. There were three cloudy Syls next to her, not one.
"Here, take them." She handed a few small white pills to Max who downed them quickly without a second thought.
"Tryptophan." She said with a smile as her seizures calmed down a bit. She felt feeling return to her fingers and toes while her vision improved.
"I always keep some handy. Just in case." She whispered with a wink. After a minute when Syl was sure that Max was all right, she helped her stand up. Max stood up with little difficulty, almost immediately fully recovering from her seizures. Syl was amazed by the sudden change in Max's health. Whenever she had seizures, the aftermath lasted for hours.
Max saw her sister's confusion and shrugged it off. "I've always been a fast healer." She said softly. The pain was still coarsing through her body, but she didn't say anything. She ha dto be in perfect health, no this. Max shook her head and concentrated.
Just as Max and Syl turned to go towards Renfro's office, they heard the door whoosh open and Renfro stepped out looking at some papers in a portfolio, reading them with a smile. The smile faded as she looked up and saw Max and Syl standing together in their best defensive stances. The portfolio dropped to the floor as Renfro ran into her office. She dashed over behind her desk and hit a small red button that was mantled to the side. Instantly, a red light started to flash and a large siren started to wail.
All of Manticore was now awake and coming to get them.
Please R/R!
I promise it won't hurt!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
THE HUNT
Chapter Eleven
Footsteps
Krit slowly wound the corner and entered Sector D. He crept through the hallway and past the several empty cells. The corridor echoed with footsteps and children yelling, but he couldn't determine whether they were from an X series practicing or his own memories. His mind got lightheaded for a moment and when he shut his eyes to let the temporary feeling pass, he was recalling memories of fighting and training.
//Children chanting. Lydecker yelling. Kicking. Screaming. Order. Obey. Discipline. Holding breath under water. Killing. Guns shooting. Death.//
Krit shook his head in effort to clear his mind and stop the horrible memories, but as he looked around the halls, everything he hoped that he had forgotten in his long battle with Manticore, suddenly came flying back. It hit him like a freight train; all the gruesome memories of Manticore as he tried to fight them.
//My siblings, their deaths, the Escape. Tinga. Zack. Eva. Ben. How many more? Can't think about that. Focus on the mission.
Stop sounding like Lydecker!
He wants me to act and think like that. I was designed to think like that. I don't want to. It's not me. It's not who I am. But, it's what I am doing right now. Stop!//
Krit shook his head again and continued to walk silently down the hall. He tried to think positively and remember the good times that he had over the years. Like when he was reunited with Zack and Syl. When he knew he was accepted for who he was, not WHAT he was. Krit was broken out of his reverie as a desperate whisper sounded near the cell he was by.
He caught a man pressed up to the bars of his cell, waving him over. As Krit approached, he placed one finger to his mouth, ordering the man to be quiet. As he came to the cell, he realized that the man must be Bling.
"I'm going to get you out," He whispered as he went over to the lock. Krit glanced around and noticed that Logan wasn't anywhere nearby. Since they weren't creations of Manticore, Krit couldn't see a reason why they'd separate the two by more than one cell. Unless ... they had other plans for Logan. The lock finally snapped open and Krit let Bling out before re-locking the cell. "Where's Logan?" Krit asked.
"I don't know, they took him away last night." Bling said softly as he too glanced around. Krit motioned for Bling to follow them as the silently went down the hall. Suddenly, Krit's arm flew up and he made Bling halt in his tracks. Bling was going to question why they stopped, he couldn't hear anything, but then realized again that Krit had special capabilities like Max.
Sure enough after a few more seconds passed, he could also hear the faint tapping of feet as they swiftly moved down the hall towards them. Then, the sound stopped, at what seemed, just around the corner. When Krit leapt around it, guns ready and all, Bling prepared to hear a fight, but heard nothing. After a long moment, he came from around the side to see what was happening and saw Krit calmly talking quietly to a young girl with long blond hair, slim and agile. Another X5.
"I got Bling, but there's no trace of Logan." Krit informed her.
"Psychoactives?" Syl asked doubtfully. She didn't want to believe it, but it was possible. She had known that they had tried them on Zack with little success, but if they tried it on Logan, they wouldn't be sure if he was even still alive. Krit nodded his head.
"It's the only place they would take him." Krit decided.
"Where's Max?" Bling finally spoke up as he felt the tension building in the air.
"She went to handle Madame X." Krit said. When he mentioned it, it clicked in his head like a tiny reminder. "Speaking on which, why don't you go there Syl to help her, we'll look for Logan. Meet us back at the car." Syl nodded and ran around the corner. Krit saw her favoring her ankle a bit, but let it slide. It could be worse, much worse. Krit motioned for Bling to follow him again and they left to find Logan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After almost five minutes Max's seizure didn't calm, nor did it make her stop trembling. It was one of the worst ones she had experienced in a long time. Without Tryptophan or even a little milk, she was helpless and sick. Her body continued to convulse and Max found herself practically laying on the ground. She was curled up in a fetal position and aching all over.
Her head bumped the ground with each shake that her body made, resulting in a dull pain that transpired on the side of her temple. Max tried as hard as she could to stay silent, but every now and then a small groan or gasp escaped her throat. Her fingers became numb from pain and soon she also lost feeling in her toes. Her eyes were watering from the pain that began to take over and she held against slipping into a blackout. She couldn't afford it now.
Max was only a few feet from Renfro's door and as she watched it, she saw the light suddenly become blocked by a pair of feet that were approaching the door.
//Damn! If she finds me now .... //
But Max couldn't finish that thought as another series of quaking trembles threatened to knock her out. Just when she was about to close her eyes from her fatigue, her senses became faintly alert and she turned towards the hall she had came in from. One set of footsteps were coming quickly her way.
//No .... Brin.//
She thought. Max gathered herself up into a sitting position, her legs were curled under her and she leaned against the wall in support. She was in no shape to tangle with Brin again. This was it. It was over. She was going to be forced to become one of them again.
Finally, the owner of the feet rounded the bend after what seemed an eternity of waiting. Max tried to make herself look as strong as she could but the wracking convulsions took that away. To Max's absolute joy, Syl came down the hall and thankfully not Brin. Max sighed quietly in relief as her sister rushed over to her seeing her seizing.
"Are you okay, Maxie?" Syl whispered as she crouched down next to her and started digging through her pockets.
"Never ... better." She gasped out in between shakes. Max tried as hard as she could to focus on Syl, but her vision was becoming blurred and distorted. There were three cloudy Syls next to her, not one.
"Here, take them." She handed a few small white pills to Max who downed them quickly without a second thought.
"Tryptophan." She said with a smile as her seizures calmed down a bit. She felt feeling return to her fingers and toes while her vision improved.
"I always keep some handy. Just in case." She whispered with a wink. After a minute when Syl was sure that Max was all right, she helped her stand up. Max stood up with little difficulty, almost immediately fully recovering from her seizures. Syl was amazed by the sudden change in Max's health. Whenever she had seizures, the aftermath lasted for hours.
Max saw her sister's confusion and shrugged it off. "I've always been a fast healer." She said softly. The pain was still coarsing through her body, but she didn't say anything. She ha dto be in perfect health, no this. Max shook her head and concentrated.
Just as Max and Syl turned to go towards Renfro's office, they heard the door whoosh open and Renfro stepped out looking at some papers in a portfolio, reading them with a smile. The smile faded as she looked up and saw Max and Syl standing together in their best defensive stances. The portfolio dropped to the floor as Renfro ran into her office. She dashed over behind her desk and hit a small red button that was mantled to the side. Instantly, a red light started to flash and a large siren started to wail.
All of Manticore was now awake and coming to get them.