Ire watched them drag Max into the reprogramming room. A shiver went down her spine as she herself entered the room. Being Max's new guardian, it was Ire's duty to be around when Max was training or being reprogrammed.
Ire's favorite place to sit when she had to be in the reprogramming room with Max was in the darkest corner in the room; she would sit on the most uncomfortable chair imaginable and just wait for it all to be over. Today, Ire's chair was missing.
"You." She said to a guard. "Where is the chair that goes here?"
"It's been removed." The guard told her with a smirk.
Ire just glared at him and walked to the corner. She sat down Indian-style and looked forward, watching the same images that Max had to endure. Most of the images didn't make any sense to Ire, they were pictures of people that she had never seen in her life, but they must've meant something to Max for them to keep replaying things like 'Enemy' and 'Traitor' along with them. The only things Ire recognized were the words. Duty. Mission. Objective. Soldier. Manticore. Loyalty. Ire blinked. She couldn't let herself get swept up in it all.
Ire was surprised when a technician shut off the projector and removed the restraints from Max. Ire was alarmed. The only way they would do that was if...Ire stood, worried, and walked over to the technician.
"What...why did you turn it all off?" Ire tried to hide her concern and tried to seem like she felt the reprogramming should continue.
"There is no need to keep going." The technician said. "She is once again loyal to Manticore."
Ire looked at Max and saw nothing. All Ire saw was the emotionless face of a trained killer.
"Max?" Ire muttered. Max didn't respond. "X5-452?"
"X5-452 reporting!" Max shouted and stood up, perfectly straight.
Ire was horrified and angered, but she concealed both well. She tried to put a pleased look on her face, but she wasn't even sure if it was possible.
"Is she really loyal to Manticore?" Ire asked the technician.
"Through and through." The technician replied.
"So, nothing else needs to be done? Other than training?" Ire asked.
"She has yet to tell us of her personal life on the outside, but there will be a short session after training today." The technician told her.
"All right then." Ire said. "I'll-I'll take her out to train, then we can all be-be done with her." Ire started to walk towards the door, but realized Max wasn't following her. "M - X5-452, follow me."
Max turned on her heel and followed Ire down the hall. They walked in silence, only because Ire wasn't saying anything and knew perfectly well that Max wouldn't speak unless spoken to.
"Out." Ire said and opened the door for Max.
Max did as she was told and Ire's heart sank. There would be no way out unless Max was back, as her real self.
Ire walked out of the building, but Max had disappeared. Ire scanned the yard, but there was no sign of Max. Ire heard soft footsteps behind her and got ready. Max grabbed her around the neck, but Ire was ready and instead of Max flipping Ire, Ire flipped Max.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ire shouted.
"The objective is to destroy XS-618." Max said and got right back up.
It suddenly dawned on Ire. Everything was happening for a reason now, they'd reprogrammed Max and were using her to destroy her. Ire knew it, they were just destroying the defective XS that killed people.
Max tried to kick Ire in the head, but Ire was much more advanced and grabbed Max's ankle and flipped her. Max flew back and landed hard on her back.
"Listen to me, Max." Ire said as Max shot up with an angry look on her face.
"Max is gone. I am X5-452." Max said and tried to rush at Ire, but Ire grabbed her around the middle and slammed her down.
"I don't want to have to beat it out of you Max." Ire said. "You are Max, not X5-452. You are a person, don't speak of yourself like you're not one."
"I am a soldier." Max said grabbed Ire's arm and twisted it.
Ire screamed in pain and fell to her knees. That's when she snapped. Ire was angry and Max was in trouble. Ire, breathing heavily, grabbed Max's leg with her good hand and twisted. Max screamed and fell to the ground.
"I'm trying to keep a level head Max." Ire said, standing over her. "But do you know hard it is with this rage building inside of me?"
Max just glowered at Ire, then got back up. Max kicked Ire in the side and she fell down, onto her bad arm. Ire, clutching her arm stood up. She looked at Max with such rage that if Max wasn't brainwashed, she would have run.
"Don't make me kill you." Ire said through clenched teeth.
Max's reply was a swift punch to the stomach. Ire grabbed Max's wrist and lifted her off the ground. Max looked at the ground beneath her, then at Ire.
"You don't scare me." Max said, almost as raging as Ire...almost.
"You should be." Ire growled and threw Max to the ground. Ire kicked Max in the leg. Max reached down and grabbed her leg, howling in pain.
Max let go of her leg and her face changed from pain to anger.
"You're going to die." Max said and swept Ire's feet. Ire landed, supporting herself with her hands.
"Is that all you've got soldier?" Ire asked and stood.
Max said nothing, but tackled Ire instead. They struggled on the ground for a little while, finally ending up with Ire pinning Max down.
"I'm sorry I have to do this Max." Ire said and punched Max with all her might.
Ire's favorite place to sit when she had to be in the reprogramming room with Max was in the darkest corner in the room; she would sit on the most uncomfortable chair imaginable and just wait for it all to be over. Today, Ire's chair was missing.
"You." She said to a guard. "Where is the chair that goes here?"
"It's been removed." The guard told her with a smirk.
Ire just glared at him and walked to the corner. She sat down Indian-style and looked forward, watching the same images that Max had to endure. Most of the images didn't make any sense to Ire, they were pictures of people that she had never seen in her life, but they must've meant something to Max for them to keep replaying things like 'Enemy' and 'Traitor' along with them. The only things Ire recognized were the words. Duty. Mission. Objective. Soldier. Manticore. Loyalty. Ire blinked. She couldn't let herself get swept up in it all.
Ire was surprised when a technician shut off the projector and removed the restraints from Max. Ire was alarmed. The only way they would do that was if...Ire stood, worried, and walked over to the technician.
"What...why did you turn it all off?" Ire tried to hide her concern and tried to seem like she felt the reprogramming should continue.
"There is no need to keep going." The technician said. "She is once again loyal to Manticore."
Ire looked at Max and saw nothing. All Ire saw was the emotionless face of a trained killer.
"Max?" Ire muttered. Max didn't respond. "X5-452?"
"X5-452 reporting!" Max shouted and stood up, perfectly straight.
Ire was horrified and angered, but she concealed both well. She tried to put a pleased look on her face, but she wasn't even sure if it was possible.
"Is she really loyal to Manticore?" Ire asked the technician.
"Through and through." The technician replied.
"So, nothing else needs to be done? Other than training?" Ire asked.
"She has yet to tell us of her personal life on the outside, but there will be a short session after training today." The technician told her.
"All right then." Ire said. "I'll-I'll take her out to train, then we can all be-be done with her." Ire started to walk towards the door, but realized Max wasn't following her. "M - X5-452, follow me."
Max turned on her heel and followed Ire down the hall. They walked in silence, only because Ire wasn't saying anything and knew perfectly well that Max wouldn't speak unless spoken to.
"Out." Ire said and opened the door for Max.
Max did as she was told and Ire's heart sank. There would be no way out unless Max was back, as her real self.
Ire walked out of the building, but Max had disappeared. Ire scanned the yard, but there was no sign of Max. Ire heard soft footsteps behind her and got ready. Max grabbed her around the neck, but Ire was ready and instead of Max flipping Ire, Ire flipped Max.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ire shouted.
"The objective is to destroy XS-618." Max said and got right back up.
It suddenly dawned on Ire. Everything was happening for a reason now, they'd reprogrammed Max and were using her to destroy her. Ire knew it, they were just destroying the defective XS that killed people.
Max tried to kick Ire in the head, but Ire was much more advanced and grabbed Max's ankle and flipped her. Max flew back and landed hard on her back.
"Listen to me, Max." Ire said as Max shot up with an angry look on her face.
"Max is gone. I am X5-452." Max said and tried to rush at Ire, but Ire grabbed her around the middle and slammed her down.
"I don't want to have to beat it out of you Max." Ire said. "You are Max, not X5-452. You are a person, don't speak of yourself like you're not one."
"I am a soldier." Max said grabbed Ire's arm and twisted it.
Ire screamed in pain and fell to her knees. That's when she snapped. Ire was angry and Max was in trouble. Ire, breathing heavily, grabbed Max's leg with her good hand and twisted. Max screamed and fell to the ground.
"I'm trying to keep a level head Max." Ire said, standing over her. "But do you know hard it is with this rage building inside of me?"
Max just glowered at Ire, then got back up. Max kicked Ire in the side and she fell down, onto her bad arm. Ire, clutching her arm stood up. She looked at Max with such rage that if Max wasn't brainwashed, she would have run.
"Don't make me kill you." Ire said through clenched teeth.
Max's reply was a swift punch to the stomach. Ire grabbed Max's wrist and lifted her off the ground. Max looked at the ground beneath her, then at Ire.
"You don't scare me." Max said, almost as raging as Ire...almost.
"You should be." Ire growled and threw Max to the ground. Ire kicked Max in the leg. Max reached down and grabbed her leg, howling in pain.
Max let go of her leg and her face changed from pain to anger.
"You're going to die." Max said and swept Ire's feet. Ire landed, supporting herself with her hands.
"Is that all you've got soldier?" Ire asked and stood.
Max said nothing, but tackled Ire instead. They struggled on the ground for a little while, finally ending up with Ire pinning Max down.
"I'm sorry I have to do this Max." Ire said and punched Max with all her might.