Adriann
Chapter 5: What Happened
~>DA still isn't mine and it never will be.{sigh}
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"Who are you? And what do you want?" Adriann hissed at the large man who had walked in the door, not wanting to wake the couple in the near by room.
"What? Oh, okay. Easy, easy." he said raising his hands slightly trying to clam and show his lack of a weapon at the same time. Seeing the movement Adriann ran over grabbing the mans arm, twisted it behind his back while knocking him on the ground face first. With her knee in his back Adriann repeated her question.
"Who are you and What the hell do you want?"
"Damn girl! The names Bling. I'm a friend of Logan's, he's my boss."
##Flash##
Bling is helping Logan with his PT - Driving Logan to Eyes Only contacts - Being a shoulder to cry on for the past week.
##End Flash##
"Oh jeeze, sorry. Can't be too careful these days."she said weakly, as she helped Bling up.
{{Stop it Dre! Don't let your emotions get to you. it makes you jumpy.}}
"Yeah, Who are you?" Bling asked suspiciously.
"Uh-ummm. Adriann." {{Please don't asked any more questions, please.}}
"And you're here because....?" Before Adriann could answer Bling caught a glimpse of Max and Logan and his jaw dropped.
"M..M..Max is alive?"he gasped looking from the bedroom to Dre and back to the bedroom.
"Yeah. Go say 'Hi'. But be real quiet, they both need their rest."
"Yeah." Bling couldn't seep the smile off his face as he walked of to the bedroom.
{{Thank you . Adriann mouthed to whoever it was out there who always had her back.}}
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Adriann was in the kitchen making herself a double fudge milk-shake the next after-noon. She had managed to doge both Logan and Bling's questions about what had happened, but she couldn't do it forever.
{{Chocolate, my only comfort in life.}} Adriann thought as she smiled to herself, but the smile quickly faded at her next thought causing her to abandon her milk-shake. {{I have to tell them what happened. I have to. How am I going to explain everything, it's so unreal.}}
"Dre! Adriann! She's waking up. Max is waking up!" Bling called from the living room.
"Really!" she said smiling."That's great."
"Come on she talking about you." Bling said motioning towards the bedroom.
"I can't." Adriann's gaze fell from Bling to Max's figure in the distance.
"What? Of course you can. Come on." Bling repeated, not understanding Adriann's answer.
"Bling, I can't."she said softly, not attempting to hide her sadness.
"Adriann, come on I think Max wants to see you." Logan said coming up behind Bling who just stared at Adriann in shock. He knew that she was the one who got Max out of Manticore, and that she obviously cared about her. {{So why won't she go talk to her?}} Shaking his head Bling went to go sit with Max while Logan was gone.
"Logan, I can't talk to Max. I can't go see Max. Max, can't even know I'm here now, or that I ever was here. She can't even know I'm alive." Adriann's gaze fell to the floor.
{{Don't cry. Don't cry. It's for the best. It's the only way.}}
"Why?" Logan asked irritatedly. Adriann looked at Logan through unshed tears.
"Please, Logan. I can't explain that right now, but please. It's what's best for Max. You have to believe me. Please." Adriann begged.
"Fine." Logan said exasperated as he turned to go join Bling.
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"Logan?" Max rasped as her eyes began to focus on the figure before her.
"Hey, sweetie. How you feeling?" Logan whispered as he kissed her head.
"Sleepy. Logan." Max said holding Logan tight as she used him as a pillow and snuggled closer. "I was so scared."
"Me too." Logan looked down at the love of his life grateful that she was safe in his arms again.
"Logan, I never got to tell you what I what I wanted to the other night." Max said fighting off sleep.
"Shh, Max it can wait. Just get some rest."
"That's what you said last time."
"And I was right." Logan quipped keeping his voice soft. Max giggled as she pinched him as hard as she could. She didn't have the strength to 'punch' him and didn't have much of a come back.
"I guess you're right. "she sighed. "But, I love you anyway." Max's hand found Logan's as she began to drift off to sleep again.
"I love you to Max. Always. No matter what." Logan stroked her hair while he watched Max drift back into her dreams.
"I know." Max whispered. "I knew it when you accepted me for who I am, not what I am. I knew it when you told me to 'Just go', caring more about me than yourself. I knew it when you told me that I had nothing to be ashamed of. I knew it when you looked at me on our anniversary. I knew it when you came to the Space Needle with me. I knew it when you wouldn't leave me in the woods. I knew it when Dre brought me here and you were actually speechless for once. I knew it when you told me last night. And I know it now. Your love for me is the only thing in my life that I have never had to question. And I know I never will." She was interrupted by a yawn.
"I'm really sleepy Logan." she whispered just loud enough to hear.
"I know, my love. Go to sleep and dream of our life together. You're safe now. You don't have to run anymore. You'll never have to be afraid again. Not as long as I'm here."
"I...love...you." Max sighed as she was finally enveloped by healing sleep.
"I love you too." Logan whispered back.
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"Logan? Can I talk to you a sec?" Adriann whispered sticking her head in the door once she knew Max was asleep.
"Sure. Pull up a chair." he replied indifferently.
"Can I talk to you out here?" she asked meekly. {{I hate it when I'm like this. Weak. Powerless. Vulnerable.}}
"I really don't want to leave her Adriann. Why can't you just talk to me here?"
{{Here we go.}}
"Logan." Adriann said with a 'look' that said she was annoyed by his sarcasm.
Logan slowly moved out from under Max so he wouldn't wake he.
"I'll be right back sweet heart" he whispered before he met Adriann in the living room where she was sitting in the chair.
"Bling will you-" Logan began but he was cut off by Adriann.
"No Bling, stay. You need to hear this too." Bling nodded and sat down by Logan on the couch facing Adriann.
"I think you need to know what happened to Max while she was gone. But I need to ask before I start, do you think you're ready for this?" Adriann looked Logan dead in the eye as she asked.
{{I know you are, I just need to hear you say it so you know you are.}}
"Yes." he answered simply without hesitation.
{{Good.}}
"I'm sure you have an idea about the hell that Max and the other x5's were put through when....THEY were kids." She began.
"Yeah. Max talks about it every once in a while." Logan replied wondering what Max's childhood had to do with the past few days other than her venue(location).
"They were brainwashed to think that Duty, Discipline and Strength, were the only things that mattered. Forced to fight their own brothers and sisters not allowed to show any mercy towards them. Hunting down a man, killing him by tearing him apart in a state of execution and posing in pictures was what they knew as fun. Pushed beyond their own physical limits by sleep deprivation, hunger, bruised and battered bodies, and most of all their emotional and mental limits were shattered. Never knowing love, compassion, hope, joy, laughter, happiness, kindness...It's a wonder any of..them..got out as well adjusted as they did." Adriann could see the scenes as she described them, shaking her to her core. She couldn't fight the tears and didn't really want to, so she let them fall freely.
"To have found the ability to care about people and yourself versus the mission you were assigned, to see the world as millions of people's home not a battle ground, to actually be able to love someone enough to share your secrets, to expose every weakness, to risk your life or to lay it down for that person, it goes to show how human these x5's are. Manticore's biggest mistake while making the x-series was including the human DNA, because no matter how inhuman they are, the human spirit always finds a way to break free and soar." Adriann temporarily lost her focus thinking about the people she was talking about.
"Max always felt somewhat responsible for Eva's death. She died protecting her baby sister. Eva would have done it for any of her siblings, and I know that she doesn't want Maxie to feel guilty, but she does in one way or another. That's another sign that there was no way that she could have ever made it in that hell-hole. Guilt and remorse weren't tolerated. You can't have a soldier who feels bad about offing some military enemy." Taking a deep breath Adriann continued.
"The night that they escaped from Manticore an unspoken pact was made. They were family, nothing could ever change that. They promised that if ever, at anytime, one of them was in trouble, there would be a whole family of siblings that would have their back. Thirteen of the x5's busted out that night in 2009. Zack being their Commanding Officer divided them into teams of two, with the exception of his group which had three; Ben, his twin sister and himself. The teams broke and each headed for the perimeter fence planning to meet later a the predisclosed location. Only twelve of the escapee's made it to freedom."
Adriann choked out a sob watching the thirteenth x5 escapee fall to the ground fatally wounded by a gunshot. {{Go!}} her eyes pleaded to her two brothers hiding in the shadows. Their hearts were torn, stay and save their sister and risk their lives or follow her orders. Orders won out, even though they both out ranked her.
"After they had gotten away from the SWAT teams, the dogs, and Lydecker, Zack and the others couldn't meet up because of the huge search Manticore had across the west coast. Having all twelve of them together would draw too much attention and they would be a huge target. It was too risky." Adriann looked out the window unable to look Bling or Logan in the eye.
"What's that have to do with Max's condition now Adriann?" Logan asked gently.
"Zack always felt that he had the responsibility of taking care of all of his siblings, no matter what the problem was. You saw that every time he showed up. When Max was taken down by her younger self last week he thought that it was his fault because he didn't force her to leave Brin or at least go with her. By the way Brin is gone. Only x5-734 remains now. She's never gonna leave Manticore willingly. And if she does it's a trap."
"Both Max and Zack were brought into the same trauma room. Zack had minimal injuries, but he watched Max die on the table, after they cracked her chest, used internal paddles, they tried everything." Adriann watched Logan's face pale when she told him what had happened after he was pulled away from her. Bling set a hand on Logan's shoulder trying to give him some comfort.
"When Renfro, -"
"Who?" Logan asked hearing the new name.
"Dr. Elizabeth Renfro. The new director of special operations for Manticore. Better known as the scum that killed Tinga, betrayed Lydecker and had Max for two and a half days. Anyway, Renfro slithered out from the shadows after the doctors called Max's time of death and ordered that she be prepared for organ harvesting."
"Oh, God." Logan gasped at how close Max had come to the point of no return.
"Zack couldn't handle seeing his baby sister, the closest thing he had to a best friend and his love die. Zack managed to break free from the restraints and the guards, grabbing both Renfro and a gun in the process. He demanded that the doctors bring her back. But they couldn't. The bullet had torn right through her right ventricle; collapsing it in the process." Adriann was watching the wet spot on her jeans grow larger as her tears fell more frequently.
"He screamed for them to give her a transplant and he even offered Renfro's heart to be the donor heart. Being the evil - - she told Zack that her heart would do Max good, because she needed an x5 heart. He couldn't let Max die. Zack threw Renfro to the side and walked over to Max and bent down to talk to her. 'Fight them Maxie. Promise me you'll fight them. '" Zack's voice echoed in Adriann's head as she said the words aloud. She took a deep breath dreading her next statement, and she released it in a shaky sigh.
"Zack, killed himself that night Logan." She found the strength somewhere to look Logan in the eye.
"He shot himself so Max could have his heart. The ultimate sacrifice. Zack had given Max his heart long ago, but now she holds Zack's heart as close as possible. It's beating within her chest." Adriann closed her eyes as more tears rolled down her face.
"Oh my God. Max." Logan said as he leaned his head into his hands.
"Does she know? About Zack?" Bling asked knowing that Logan wouldn't get it out.
"Yeah, she knows. After the surgery, Renfro watched over Max until she woke up. Renfro has this twisted fascination when it comes to the x5's. She always is pushing to see just how much they can take. That's how she killed Tinga. The woman's sick, she feels no remorse for anything she does unless it hurts her......When Max woke she was there ready and waiting for any movement. She put a stethoscope to Max's new beating heart and turned up the volume. 'It's strong isn't it? It's the heart of a soldier. The heart of a leader. The heart of a martyr.' Max begged her to turn off the volume, but Renfro just turned it up, enjoying seeing Maxie squirm. 'You're brother Zack must have loved you very much to make such a.....sacrifice.'"Adriann gathered up all the broken pieces of her walls, her defences, her heart, and attempted to regain her composure.
"So yeah, Maxie knows about Zack and his heart. But I'm not sure if she'll remember right away, it's too traumatic." {{Just finish the story. This is the easy part remember.}}
"I found her in a hidden room, it was so small. They weren't supplying her with any Tryptophane, you know what happens without it. I got her out quite easily actually. The attack on the DNA lab was the beginning of the end for Manticore. Nearly all the guards had left leaving only 12 or 15 to man the entire complex. Max was soo weak, she could barely walk let alone run or fight. I got her to my car where she would be safe before Brin showed her face. I had to take her out of commission for the time being, then I got her here. I knew she would be safe with you." {{When I leave.}}
Adriann stood and walked to the window, looking out over Seattle for any incoming threats. {{I know you're coming. I just don't know when. Or how.}}
"Will.." Logan asked but couldn't finish because Adriann cut him off.
"Will she be okay? Yeah, I told you that. And I meant it. You two will be fine." She said without turning around.
"No. Will you be okay? Are you okay?" Logan finished his question from earlier as rose to meet her at the window.
"No. But it's not because of any of this. I'm just happy Maxie's alright. And right now Maxie is my main concern."
"If you need anything, just tell me. I'm serious Adriann. All you have to do is ask." Logan told her laying a kind hand on her shoulder.
"Same here girl. You ever need me I'm there. Plus I want you on my team. You already beat my ass once and that was enough." Bling added with a chuckle, earning a smile from Adriann. There was so much that neither of them knew about her, but they cared enough to help her.
{{No one has ever asked me if I was okay. Let alone offered to help me if I needed it. Wow, I'm impressed Maxie. You found some good guys in this scummy world of ours.}}
"Do you still have Syl and Krits contact number?" Adriann asked Logan turning from the window.
"Yeah why?"
"You should call them. They need to know they're baby sister is alive." Logan nodded and walked towards his computer room to call the x5's.
"And Logan?" he turned to face her,"don't tell them I'm here okay?" Logan just nodded again.
Bling walked back to Max asleep in Logan's room so she wouldn't be alone when she woke up again. She had been alone long enough as it is.
{{Good Dre. Get Syl and Krit over here, smart. How you gonna pull this one off?}}
Adriann rolled her eyes as she thought of the position she just put herself in. {{All I know is I am gonna need some back up. They just won't know about it. Oh yeah, that's gonna work real well.}}
~>Well there you go, you know what happened to Max. It's not a whole lot different from the show but hey, what do you want from me? R&R Don't forget!