Zack's Perspective
When we get back to the cabin, Kladu introduces himself to us. Max seemed to like him, but she gives out her trust to easy. As long as someone says they have the same objective as her, she gives them the benefit of the doubt. That's something that's got to change. I'm skeptical about the whole thing. Kladu showing up as Jace is being attacked seems a little to convenient to me. He's following her around and then some group of unknowns find our cabin and attack us. They then proceed to send us inside information about a Manticore operation. Am I the only one that sees the danger in this guy? I don't understand why the others can't see it. I can't help but wonder if I'm really that paranoid or if my thoughts are relevant.
I scan the room and see that Tinga has managed to disappear. She looked a little flushed when we walked in; I hope she's not coming down with something. Max and Kladu walk back over to the table and discuss the plans. It's been a long day and we all need our rest. I tell everyone to go to bed and immediately they get up and file into their rooms. I know half of them won't sleep, but at least they will be in a meditative state that will allow there body to rest. Max was the only one that didn't listen to me. She watched me walk over to the couch and sit down. When she realized I had no intention of sleeping, she came over and sat by me.
"That means you too." she said.
I nodded, but made no attempt to move.
We sat together in silence for quite a while. Each of our heads filled with thoughts of the future.
Tomorrow evening we would meet Sly and Kurt. We would get Jace's baby back and destroy another reminisce of Manticore. Our spirits would be lifted and our hearts more at peace.
After a while, my eye lids start to feel heavy. I let the darkness take over knowing if I don't sleep now, I'll probably be up all night. Besides, I know Max won't go to bed until she knows I'm asleep.
*****
We're running towards the fence. I look back and see a smaller version of Max shoot the woman I love. I run towards her and try to fight, but I'm over powered. I'm thrown to the ground by a child no older than I was when I escaped. I look over to Max and see her laying on the ground unconscious. The medical team arrives and takes us inside. Max needs a heart or she is going to die. I grab a gun and attempt to give my life to save hers.
*****
Renfro walks in and starts talking to me. She tells me Max died and that I was stupid to try and save her. She told me I was weak and emotionally attached.
"I wasn't weak. I love her!" I screamed at Renfro. I saw an evil grin cone across her face.
She leans closer to me and says, "That's to bad, she's dead because of you."
*****
I wake up in anger and rage. To think I was stupid enough to believe that b!tch. I'll show her what I'm made of and she'll regret what she did to me. She broke my hear that day and for the first time I started feeling. I was no longer the perfect little soldier, I was a person. I was filled with pain and at the same time hope. Hope of being able to escape and then destroy every last part of Manticore. It all starts tomorrow; this is the day I've been waiting for, for a long time.
I roll over and drift back to sleep at the sound of Tinga and Kladu talking.
Max's Perspective
When Zack told us it was time for bed, I couldn't help but feel relieved. The day had been stressful and my mind needed time to rest. I was looking forward to a little meditation. As I start to head into my room, I noticed Zack sit down on the couch. Knowing him, he had no intention of getting any sleep. He would continue going over the plan in his head determining every possible source of error. I feel kinda bad for him; he shouldn't worry so much. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. All we can do is depend on each other and hope for the best. If we all have clear heads and are focused on the primary objective, then there shouldn't be a problem.
I walk over to Zack and sit down beside him. Somebody has to make him get some sleep and I guess tonight that person is going to be me. I tell Zack he needs to go to bed. He acknowledges me, but makes no attempt to move. I can't help but find the irony of the situation funny; he thinks I'm bad, ... he should take his own advice. I sit there with Zack, lost in my own thoughts. I'm worried about tomorrow, but I'm sure between all of us we'll be able to get in and out okay. I'm also worried about Zack. He's been stressing way to much lately.
I sit there with him until his breathing slows and I'm sure he's fallen asleep. I grab a blanket out of the closet and I put it over him. Then I walk into my room and pick up the picture of Logan. I smile to myself knowing that tomorrow night I'll have my revenge. Logan's death will no longer be invaine; instead, he will be known as a martyr. He will have died for a cause he believed in. Once again a single tear runs down my cheek. I grab my pillow and hug it as tight as I can. I think to myself, ... tomorrow, ... Logan ... tomorrow you will be avenged. I lay down in bed and pull the covers up over me while still hugging the pillow. I close my eyes and do the best I can to reach a state of meditation. I'm not tired, but my body is.
I wake up to hear Tinga and Kladu talking. It's the middle of the night still; it's got to be pretty late. It sounds like Tinga is in heat and she's about ready to attack Kladu. The strange thing is though, Kladu seems to know what going on. I slowly try to crawl out of bed so I can get Tinga away from him if he takes advantage of the situation. My body is to tired to move, so I lay there half asleep and listen to what is going on. This might be a side affect of the drug I was on earlier today. I strain to hear what is going on and stay awake. I hear him telling Tinga to go back to bed and get some sleep. No wonder Jace trusts him so much. I guess he is an honorable man after all. He's not like the scum I've had to deal with on the streets.
I feel the darkness pulling me back towards it. Knowing that Tinga will be okay, I allow myself to be pulled back to my dreams.
*****
I'm in a building somewhere and I hear the soft drip of water as I run down the hall. I have to keep moving. I don't know why, but I have to. I get to the end of the hall and I see Logan standing there bloodied and beaten.
He steps forward and takes my hand, using it to pull me to the ground in front of him. He pulls out a gun and speaks, "It's your fault I'm here. If you wouldn't have been taking your time, you could have saved me. It's all your fault and I'm never going to forgive you. Even if you kill Lydecker, I can never have my life back. It's all your fault."
*****
Tinga's Perspective
I wake up and roll over. I'm not sure what time it is, but it's still dark. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep through the whole night, but I was really hoping I would this time. I find myself getting up and wandering out into the hall. I see Zack laying on the couch asleep and it takes all the effort I have to keep walking. I've got to get out of here; there are to many guys around. I want to be around them, well I want attention from them, ... but I can't do this, I've got to keep moving. I force myself to look at the door as I walk past Zack hoping that I will manage to get out of hear before I jump on him.
Once I get outside, the cold air calms me down a little bit. I walk up to the cliff, and without thinking, I dive into the depths of the ocean. The cold water sends chills through my body and makes me forget about everything. My mind becomes clear and focused as I swim deeper and deeper. I swim until my lungs are about ready to burst, then I head to the surface. I reach the surface and suck in as much air as I can. I have always liked the feeling of swimming as deep as I can. Many of the others don't understand it. I know it's probably because of the tests back at Manticore, but I hated that one the least. I swim back into shore at the surface of the water as the waves carry me up and down. When I reach the cliff, I let the waves push me up to it and I take hold of a ledge. I pull myself up out of the water as the waves die back. I then climb to the top of the cliff and stand there as the wind dries me.
I stand there until the first hint starts to stretch across the sky. I decide it's time to head back inside. I quickly walk past Zack without even stopping to look at him. I go in my room and close the door. the restlessness starts to set back in as I pace the room trying to tell myself to get under control.
I hear a door open and peek into the hall to see who is moving about. I figured it would be Max telling us to wake up so we could get an early start on things today, or at least that's what I hoped. Instead, I see Kladu coming out of the bathroom. He looks up and sees me, he waves hi as he heads back into his room. I go up to him and start making random comments about how I can't sleep and he talks to me for a little while. I don't really listen to what he has to say. All I can think about his how sexy he looks right now. I'm not thinking clearly, all I know is that I want him. I need to feel the breath of his lips on mine. My body is surging with desire and lust for him. I can no longer control the burning with in me. I move forwards and try to kiss him when he stops talking.
He pushes me away and says that he knows what is happening; he knows I'm in heat. How could he know I'm in heat. That's something that we don't usually tell guys about. I'm shocked, I don't know why Jace would want to tell him. I don't trust any guy enough to tell him that. The only reason Zack would know about the whole heat thing is because of the first time it happened back at Manticore. I can still remember the look on Lydecker's face when Jace went into heat and attacked him. It was priceless. It's like he wasn't sure what was going on and whether or not he was supposed to be enjoying it.
Kladu pushed me back into my room and tells me to go to sleep. He then shuts the door and I hear him walk into his room. I sit down on my bed and stare at the floor as I try and contain my urges to run into his room.
My thoughts drifted back to knowing that Jace told Kladu about the heat thing. I still can't believe she told him. I never even told my husband. He just thought on some days I performed better than others. I start to get angry at her, but I calm myself down knowing that I'm just being real emotional right now, an unfortunate side affect of being in heat. I know I can get real emotional during this time, but tomorrow, or more like today, I'm going to show them I can deal with it. I lay down on my bed and stare up at the ceiling hoping that sleep will come fast, or morning will come faster.
Kladu's Perspective
I walk back into my room and plop down on my bed. I wish I would have known she was in heat before then. I could have avoided her. It's always so tempting to take advantage of that situation when it happens, but I know I can't. If I did that, I'd be just as bad as them, the Fabunni. They believe they have a power over people and that everyone should be bent to there will. If only I could tell Jace that that's who attacked us earlier. If only I could tell her about my past.
I lay in bed thinking about the little girl I found so many years ago. She may have only been a part of my life a short while, but in that time, she taught me more than I could have ever hoped. She was a friend and she was loyal. I reach up and scratch the back of my neck. If she were still around, she would understand. I know I could talk to her. I close my eyes, and think about the better days, the days before the Fabunni found me.
Like always, I can remember the day they took me better than I can remember anything else.
*****
The sun was starting to set; the sky was filled with clouds ranging from pink to dark purple. The colors spread across the sky like feathers. A few birds were singing and playing in a puddle of water. I hear foot steps coming up from behind me. A hand is placed across my mouth I try to scream, but no sound comes out. I try and run, but my legs won't move. I was given a shot of some kind and everything turned black.
*****
I wake up in a small room and see many other children. They look afraid and most of them are crying. I sit with my back against the wall and pray to this blue lady my friend spoke of. I focus all my attention on her, instead of my fear. The next thing I notice is a guy who walks into the room and shoots all of the children who have been crying. I hear screams of pain and agony as the man leaves. Most of the children are laying on the floor stained in their own blood. There was one girl who wasn't killed, she was just injured badly and she was crying out in pain. I went to her side and held her until she slipped into another world. I looked at her long after she had died and I couldn't help but wish I could have saved her somehow. I scan the room and see three other guys, and one girl. The other four came to me and we all sat there, in a circle, in silence, trying to figure out what to do next. We offered each other companionship and comfort as we sat for what seemed like days. We are huddled up together, none of us willing to accept the situation which we are in. We are scared and afraid, but yet none of us cry; none of us beg to be released. We just sit and wait for the next person to come in with guns blazing.
*****
A man walks in and tells us to stand up, I'm not sure whether it is still the same day, or later that night. Time seemed to be going slower and slower. Slowly we all stand and follow the man. He marches us down the halls so we can be relocated. We are given food and new clothing. The man tell us to get some sleep; however, none of us do. We all go over to the wall, opposite the door, and sit with our backs against it, waiting for what is going to happen next.
*****
A woman walks into our room and tells us that we were still alive because we are the best of the group and as long as we work hard, she will let us continue to live. I tell myself that I am going to do exactly what she say so I can get out of here.
*****
I wake up startled because I haven't dreamed about that place in a long time, I try and push the memories out of my mind, but I can't, it's almost like I'm supposed to remember.
They taught us to fight and to defend ourselves. I was better at this then the others because of a friend I had once. I thought being the best would work to my advantage, but it didn't. Our leader saw that I was better then the others and she pushed me harder. She was determined to train me to the best of my ability. I did everything I could to try and please her. The harder she pushed, the harder I tried. I wanted out and if this is how I had to do it, so be it.
One day, she sends me on a mission to bring back a baby. She tells me about Jace and about Manticore. I was given orders to find this girl and her baby and observe them so when the time comes, I could take the baby and bring her back to this place. They were hoping to train the baby like I was trained. The only problem would be Jace. She's genetically engineered and she'll protect what is hers.
I found Jace and her baby, but I couldn't complete my mission. I fell in love with her child. I made the decision to get the tattoo on the back of my neck removed. I became a part of her life and did everything I could to help her stay away from Manticore when she finally decided to tell me. I offered her support and anything else she needed, including friendship. I was never allowed to meet her siblings though, I'm not sure why. She said she didn't know where they were and didn't know how to contact them, yet she talked about them constantly.
I did everything I could, but when the Fabunni came after her, I could not stop them. She thought it was Manticore, but she was wrong. The Fabunni were the ones that stole her baby and now they are using us to break into a Manticore base in attempt to get her back. If only there was some way I could prove to them who I was and that I was right. Even then they probably still wouldn't listen, they are all so caught up in getting revenge that they can't see the bigger picture. Their desire for revenge is their weakness and right now that is being used against them.
In the morning I'll try and think of a way to talk to them, they have to know what they are dealing with if they are going to go through with this attack. But for now I need my rest, I'm not genetically enhanced, I still have to sleep.
*****
I'm in a cave somewhere, I'm scared and afraid. There is the presence of a monster near by. I try and run, but my leader stops me and tells me to go back into the cave. She says that I have to face the dragon before I myself can become one. I walk back into the cave and when I turn around to make sure she will be watching me, she was gone. I think about running, but I feel the beckoning of the unknown calling me.
I enter a cavern. I see before me a pit of fire that spreads to the depths if the earth and an old bridge that leads to an unknown destination. I can hear something coming; flying in my direction. It's a black dragon. It lands in front of me and spreads it's wings wide. It shoots fire up into the air scorching the roof of the cavern. It swings it's barbed tail towards the bridge and destroy it. I watch the bridge fall into the fiery pit and incinerate on impact. The dragon looks into my eyes as I look into his eyes in return. His eyes are dark red, burning with the flames of chaos. I feel a burn on the back of my neck and I turn to see his tail moving away from me. He had hit me with a spike that was on it. He left his mark on my neck. The dragon then gets up and flies away leaving me standing in the cave all alone. The cave becomes dark, but I'm no longer afraid. I walk back towards the opening of the cave with new confidence and pride. For the first time, I feel like a part of something special. As I enter the light, I start to realize the full responsibility of what I had just done.
*****
I jerk awake and feel the back of my neck. It's sore like when I got the tattoo the first time, I look in the mirror and breathe a sigh of relief when I realize the tattoo didn't reappear. All I see is a quickly fading red outline of where it used to be. The Fabunni can't keep their mark on me forever. My will power is to strong to let them control me anymore.
