Max lay on her bed, dozing, taking 15 minute catnaps. She heard the sound of bare feet walking toward her door, then Original Cindy knocked.
"Mmmff." Max mumbled. "Can't a girl get some sleep around here?"
"Well if you wouldn't stay out all damn night, you might get more sleep! Anyway, yo' homeboy is onna phone. Sounds real itchy, I think you should find out whats up."
She heard O.C. walk away. "Yeah, I told her you on the line... I said I told her! If she come or not, is up to her I ain't draggin her tired, kung fu a$$ outta bed, that ain't in Original Cindy's job descripti- Hi Logan." Max's voice cut in, rescuing Logan from Original Cindy's tirade. Cindy shrugged, Max grinned at her.
"Max! God! Just once, can't it be easy to get a hold of you?"
Max rolled her eyes.
"Please, spare me the parental lecture, I have had more than my share of 'discipline'. What is it now? Got some bomb you want me to go diffuse, or is there a mango sale down at the 3rd Ward Market? I guess I should get there early huh?"
Logan's voice sounded desperate.
"No! No, don't go outside! You won't believe what Lydecker has done.. Everyone knows about you now, Max. Everyone. It's been on every tv and radio station, in every newspaper.. It seems that Lydecker was fed up with trying to catch the X-5's by himself, and has enlisted the citizens of what's left of this country.. He has billed you as crazed killing machines, genetic military experiments gone AWOL. People are scared s**tless! You are supposedly baby killers now, rapists, raging supersoldiers.. They are hunting you and the others down!"
Max's eyes widened. "Woah.." she breathed. "But how can the normies tell who is Manticore and who isn't?"
"They have instituted barcode checks at the door of every public venue. Bars, markets, hair salons, even bathrooms.. Your picture, and the photos of the others that Lydecker had, have been released.. Everyone's insane Max, they are all on a huge witch hunt! I'm coming over to get you!"
Max didn't protest.
"Mmmff." Max mumbled. "Can't a girl get some sleep around here?"
"Well if you wouldn't stay out all damn night, you might get more sleep! Anyway, yo' homeboy is onna phone. Sounds real itchy, I think you should find out whats up."
She heard O.C. walk away. "Yeah, I told her you on the line... I said I told her! If she come or not, is up to her I ain't draggin her tired, kung fu a$$ outta bed, that ain't in Original Cindy's job descripti- Hi Logan." Max's voice cut in, rescuing Logan from Original Cindy's tirade. Cindy shrugged, Max grinned at her.
"Max! God! Just once, can't it be easy to get a hold of you?"
Max rolled her eyes.
"Please, spare me the parental lecture, I have had more than my share of 'discipline'. What is it now? Got some bomb you want me to go diffuse, or is there a mango sale down at the 3rd Ward Market? I guess I should get there early huh?"
Logan's voice sounded desperate.
"No! No, don't go outside! You won't believe what Lydecker has done.. Everyone knows about you now, Max. Everyone. It's been on every tv and radio station, in every newspaper.. It seems that Lydecker was fed up with trying to catch the X-5's by himself, and has enlisted the citizens of what's left of this country.. He has billed you as crazed killing machines, genetic military experiments gone AWOL. People are scared s**tless! You are supposedly baby killers now, rapists, raging supersoldiers.. They are hunting you and the others down!"
Max's eyes widened. "Woah.." she breathed. "But how can the normies tell who is Manticore and who isn't?"
"They have instituted barcode checks at the door of every public venue. Bars, markets, hair salons, even bathrooms.. Your picture, and the photos of the others that Lydecker had, have been released.. Everyone's insane Max, they are all on a huge witch hunt! I'm coming over to get you!"
Max didn't protest.