Original Cindy glanced back to Sketchy just a bit behind her, they had been out on runs together for the better part of three hours and he had been straggling the whole time and it was starting to annoy her. Not that she really cared, at least she didn't have to listen to his completely foolish plots to make money. Some times when Sketchy got like that it reminded her of an old pre-pulse cartoon that some times ran on Saturdays, what was that called? 'Pinky and the Brain'? Yeah that was it, she could almost picture sketchy pacing back and forth and saying, "Same thing we do every night, Herbal. Try to take over the world!", he could almost pull of the mouse look too. But to his credit, Sketchy hadn't been getting into any serious trouble lately. Seemingly having learned his lesson when he tried to pull a scam and Max hadn't been there to pull his butt out, but that was close to two months ago, and now that Max was back to save his ass who knows what he was going to get into.
Original Cindy's thoughts were brought back to the run as she ran over a discarded, and broken broom stick, a small frown pulling over her lips as she glanced up at the neighbor hood's poverty. It was worn and ragged, with piles of trash that seemed to sit on top of piles of trash. Rodents were about the size of cats and didn't even make an effort to move out of the way as they sat in the middle of the roads and side walks, you move or you get an angry mutant rat on your ass. It seemed pretty disserted too, besides for the occasional bum who wondered down the street. It made Original Cindy wonder why they would deliver a package to an area like this. Turning to look at the broken numbers on the buildings she slowed to a stop, swinging off the bike and putting the kicks stand down as she reached for the package and waited for Sketchy to catch up.
Just as she was about ready to walk up and try to find the correct apartment the doors to the building swung open. The girl who walked out was a little too skinny and ragged looking for Original Cindy's taste, but going by the look on Sketchy's face he thought he had a chance, but then, going by the look on the girl's face, he clearly did not. The girl gave an almost nervous glance to both of them, stopping for a minute to look at them before giving a glance to the package in Original Cindy's hand.
" Hey, you know where I can find a…" O.Cindy paused for a second looking to the envelope in her hand to find the name, "a Akex Fares?"
Nodding the girl took a step forward, giving another wary glance at Sketchy before quickly reach a hand out for the package in Original's hand " That'd be me.." and before Original Cindy could say anything else the girl had taken the letter right out of her hands and was standing there ripping it open with out even a second thought…
Smirking O.C shoved the clipboard at her, "Here, sign this. And there's a 15 dollar fee..", but the girl didn't even seem to notice that Cindy and Sketchy were still there, her eyes only followed the words on the paper, over and over…
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Akex tuned out the two messengers, as her eyes fell to the paper in her hands, it was from Krit. The only one of her siblings she had kept in contact with after the Ben incident. He and Syl were the ones that Zack had taken her to, when Ben had finally, after four months of psychosis, realized what he was doing and called their CO before skipping town, and leaving the broken and battered Kex alone in the apartment for days until Zack finally came. She could only guess that Zack thought her 'recovery' would go easier and faster if she were around other X5's, even if it was against training. She had left them a couple days after Eye's Only had made his broadcast, telling the rogue X5's that their positions had been compromised, and periodically talked to her big brother, Krit.
' Hey Kex'
The letter started, and just above that was the date, which clearly stated that the letter was a good two months old..
' How ya doin, little sister? You haven't contacted me since after you gave me your address, and as promised, I didn't tell Zack. I know he can be a little over protective but he had your best interest at heart. Which is why we weren't allowed to tell any one what we were up to, especially not you. I guess Zack didn't want to endanger any more of us that he had to. We took down Manticore, little sister, we blew the lab sky high and it would have been a wonderful thing that we could celebrate at the X5 of 09' reunions, but something really horrible happened Kex, and I'm really reluctant to tell you, but you deserve to know. They captured Zack, and killed Max. Syl and me are in Seattle for a little while, if you want to say Hey. Staying with a rich guy that Max had something for, his name's Logan Cale… look him up, We miss running with ya, little sister…
Krit.'
Akex just stared blankly at the piece of paper in her hands as her eyes scanning over the words like she had misread something, she must to have, Zack could never be captured… and Maxie, dead? Krit was pulling some kind of sick joke... she was gonna kick his ass for it too.
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Clearing her throat, Original Cindy tried to pull the girl out of whatever haze she had just slipped into. She wanted the damn recite signed so she could get back to Jam Pony for her lunch break already. "Hey look, I'm sure what ever that says is enough to keep you standing here on the sidewalk all day. But Original Cindy wants to get back to Jam Pony, so if you could just sign the paper and gimme the 15 bucks, We'll leave you here to read on , Okay?"
Gratefully the girl seemed to snap out of it, looking up to Original Cindy and Sketchy for a minute before nodding and taking the clip board and pen in hand. Quickly scribbling her signature before shoving a hand in her pocket and looking for money that she sincerely doubted was there. It wasn't of course, the girl coming up with what seemed like to be five bunks, a piece of heavily creased paper and a lighter.
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Holding out the five bucks, Akex tried to shrug nonchalantly," Sorry, It's all I got," her voice cracked, and she silently cursed herself, Krit's just playing a cruel joke, Syl probably put him up to it, so suck it up, Soldiers don't cry.
