Chapter 7

*note I sort of changed Lydecker's past it won't effect the story much*

I love feedback you know that by now don't ya?


Chapter 20

Lydecker stood oblivious to chaos that surrounded him. He absent-mindedly fingered the device that would insure the life of the woman his creation had sacrificed everything for. It was rather ironic; he had loved a woman like that once, completely and unconditionally. When his wife died during childbirth Lydecker had been blind with grief and rage. Slowly his work at Manticore consumed him, the creation of the perfect soldiers, impervious to most diseases, with heightened senses and the agility to rival any cat. Lydecker had worked his way up the ladder until he was in command of the X5s.

Lydecker was snapped out of his memories by the sound of guns been drawn. Lydecker motioned his men to have their weapons ready, but to shoot on sight. He doubt X5-599 would try anything. He studied his creation carefully as he stepped out of the forest. He hadn't changed physically since their last encounter, still the same proud posture and confident stride, but there was something different about the rouge X5.

Zack calmly walked towards Lydecker, his face as mask of emotionless acceptance. As he neared his childhood tormentor, Lydecker held up a device and pressed a series of commands into the keypad. "Inhibitor deactivated" the toneless voice of the computer stated.

Zack allowed himself a small measure of comfort. He had achieved his mission, even if Jondy and Maxie were unable to get him out at lest he knew Cat would be safe. 'That is if Lydecker isn't a lying son of a bitch,' a dark corner of Zack's mind whispered.

Tia watched with a satisfied smirk as Zack was forced to his knees in front of Lydecker. She couldn't resist tormenting her one more time brother. She strolled up to her former CO and gazed down at him a mixture of triumph and hatred playing across her face. Tia lent down and whispered in a voice so low that only he could hear, "What's to stop me snapping her pretty little neck?"

To her absolute astonishment a mocking smile played at his lips.

Tia whirled around, a sick feeling in pit of her stomach.

"You know sis we really down have the best luck with reunions do we?"

Tia spun around to see Max and Jondy emerging from the bushes. The soldiers around immediate sprung into actions training their weapons on the approaching X5s. Tia knew it was futile, they could not take down two of the best X5s and watch over 599 at the same time. Three of the eight soldiers foolishly lunched themselves at the pair, guns blazing. Max and Jondy dove to the ground, easily avoiding the shots of the trigger-happy children. Max was the first to recover, knocking the first two out with a swift kick to the head. Jondy followed snapping the neck of the third.

The five remaining soldiers, unwilling to make the mistakes of their comrades turned to Lydecker for guidance… only to find Lydecker and the two guards on the ground at gunpoint.

Zack smirked at Tia as he roughly hauled Lydecker to his feet. The tension in the forest was plausible; the only sounds were the sounds of Max and Jondy finishing of the remaining soldiers.

By unspoken agreement Max and Jondy came to stand either side of their one time sister. Tia glanced at them, they hadn't changed at all, Max still wore that same triumphant smirk and Jondy still remained ever- vigilant.

Zack roughly shoved Lydecker to ground at his sibling's feet. Lydecker began coughing up blood. Through his gasps he whispered, "I've set the device. It will reset itself it 2 minutes, if you let Tia and I go I will give you the permanent deactivation sequence."

The 3 X5s gasped in outraged, how could there be such a clear victory and Lydecker still have the upper had. They're creator 's voice echoed in all three minds, "It's not over till your enemy dead". Zack garbed Lydecker and shoved him against the nearest truck, Lydecker winced but did not back down.

"If she dies I will kill you," Zack hissed

" Ditto." said Jondy, wearing the same unyielding statement

"Make that 3, you've got 3 of your most prized creations threatening to kill you, I would totally avoid pissing us off," voiced Max.

Zack dragged Lydecker over to where the device lay forgotten. He picked it up and shoved it at Lydecker, "Enter the sequence," he growled.

Lydecker shook his head, "Not until you guarantee our safe trip out of here," he said

Zack let out sigh of frustration and turned to face Max and Jondy. His sisters were waiting for his commands, That's a first, he thought dryly. "Put her in one of trucks, strip it of all weapons and tracking capabilities," he ordered swiftly turning back to Lydecker he snapped, "Happy?"

Lydecker made no response as he began typing a series of codes, "Permanent deactivation complete."

Zack dragged Lydecker to his waiting sisters.

"All clear?" he asked Jondy.

Jondy nodded while glaring at Lydecker, waiting for him to so much as breathe in the wrong way. "Maxie is doing a final sweep now," she confirmed.

Zack let a satisfied smile play on his lips. "Get him in there," he said unceremoniously shoving Lydecker at Jondy, who quickly pushed into the truck.

Zack watched as the truck, bearing his own personal anti-Christ speeded away, tires skidding on the gravel road. Maxie and Jondy came and stood either side of him placing a hand on each of his shoulders in a silent show support.

"Well we got her back and did some pretty serious ass-kicking in the process," said Max braking the long silence. Jondy and Zack turned to their sister smiling identical smiles of triumph.

"Lets go and check up on Cat," Zack said, the others nodded in agreement.

"Wait!" called a feminine voice.

The X5s whirled around and saw a middle-aged woman struggling to get out of one of trucks. Zack recognized instantly that she was a doctor as she hobbled over to the Zack fell into an offensive stance.

"Were you the one who did the experiments?" he asked his voice a mask of deadly calm.

"Yes" the doctor, said unable to meet Zack gaze. "I want to help you, when we designed the CCI we were asked to put a fail safe program in the software, to prevent Manticore technology form falling into enemy hands. The program was designed to scramble its signals and make it impossible for techs to read. We never got the chance figure out what effect this has on the human host." Mary took a deep breath and got to her knees before Zack. "Kill me if you wish, but let me help her," she begged.

Zack ran through the forest followed by Maxie and Jondy, who were helping the struggling doctor to keep up. When they reached they reached Cat Zack gasped in horror. Caitlin was curled up in the very familiar fetal position fighting of the effects of a seizure.

"I was afraid of this," whispered Mary when she saw what was happening.