SUMMARY: Max remembers one more crappy thing that happened to her while back at Manticore.
TITLE: Losing Control
Manticore 2020"How's the situation with 452?"
"Stagnant." Daryl Stuart answered.
Thompson sighed. "Has she tried to escape this week?"
"No escape attempts this week, but she's compensated by several acts of defiance, both verbal and physical, against the TAC leaders in charge of her unit. She's back in isolation for her latest infraction." Stuart reported.
Garret Thompson leafed through the file on 452 once more while mentally debating on his next course of action with regards to the rogue X5. It had only been two weeks since the doctors gave the okay for her to return to training after her heart transplant. He knew reindoctrination wouldn't happen overnight but he hadn't expected it to last this long. X5-734 had been AWOL for almost as long as 452, yet 734 had been turned after three days of the reindoctrination protocol. 452 was subjected to the physical and psychoactive elements for a week but still did not succumb.
"Sir?"
"Forgive me, Stuart. You were saying."
"I asked if you gained any insight on how to deal with 452 at this week's convention."
"I did. Dr. Jennings said we were doing everything wrong with regards to 452."
"How so sir?"
"We've been using the same methods we'd use on all of the X soldiers neglecting the fact that 452 has not been apart of Manticore for the past eleven years. He suggested that instead of following protocol, we should design something absolutely specific to 452's personality traits. I've already spoken to the committee about a new method. They don't think it will work on 452. However, they are curious about how an X5, in general, will react to this method of torture so they've reluctantly agreed to let her be the guinea pig."
The next day, Thompson surveyed the eight X5s standing at attention before him. He reached for his mug of coffee and was a little surprised to see that his hand was shaking slightly. He realized he was nervous. The eight young men standing in front of him were not the cause of his slight uneasiness; it was what he was about to order them to do.
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Max' eyes flew open as she quickly sat up in her cot. Her chest was heaving as she felt the ache of a scream that was struggling to come out but couldn't. She pulled the covers to her racing heart and shivered. Her body was bathed in sweat and her hair was matted to her face. She slowly began to calm down as she took in her surroundings. She wasn't in solitary. She was in her cell at Manticore.
Max moved the covers off of her legs. She stretched and bent one and then the other. Both her legs were fine. It was just a dream. It had all been a dream. A dream in which her leg was broken and she was in solitary but she wasn't alone. She was with…She couldn't remember. The more she focused, the more awake she became, and the more distant the dream became. It was okay though. She was pretty sure she didn't want to remember it anyway.
Max looked around her cell again. She hated it here. She was sick of training. Sick of following orders. Sick of the food. Sick of the smell. Sick of being afraid. Her brow furrowed at that last thought. She was afraid. For some reason she felt even more afraid of being here now than when she was a little girl. That seemed odd, didn't it? Max felt herself thinking about her nightmare again but she quickly pushed the thought aside. She hated this bed too. She quickly got up. She didn't want to sleep anymore and to keep her from just lying in the bed until morning call she pushed the bed up and fastened it to the wall.
After pacing around her small cell, she noticed a loose piece of metal on her bed frame. She carefully pulled the piece loose revealing what could almost pass for a slim jim. For the first time in a long time, Max' beautiful face fashioned a smile. She then took the 'slim jim' and went to work on the cinder block beneath her bed.
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Seattle 2020
Alec rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"What?" Max said taking notice of Alec's movements
"You look like you're about to detonate from excitement."
"Do not." Max said doing her own eye rolling
"You shouldn't get your hopes up Max. How many times has something gotten in the way before."
Max started to say something when Alec held up a hand.
"Yes, I know, I've been the thing that's gotten in the way before, blah blah blah. Can we please move on?"
"That's not what I was going to say Alec." It was. But he didn't have to know that. Max thought to her self. "I was going to say that I don't have my hopes up. Logan's the one who seems to think we have a good shot at curing this virus nightmare. He sounded so happy. It was hard not to get a little drawn in. But I'm not gonna get excited until the cure is pumping through my veins and me and Logan--"
"No more information is needed." Alec said quickly cutting her off.
Max smiled.
The elevator door opened and an elderly woman entered ending any further conversation between the two X5s.
Max sighed as she recalled the phone call she had gotten from Logan earlier.
"Logan, me hitting you back."
"Max, can you get over here right away? Bring Alec too."
"Wussup."
"I found someone who can cure the virus." She had almost dropped the phone when she heard what Logan had said.
"Really?" She spoke softly, almost on the verge of tears.
"Yes, Max. I'll explain everything when you get here."
The elevator doors opening brought Max back to the present.
Logan was predictably sitting in front of his computer when the duo walked in.
"Well." Max said
"Well hello to you too." Logan said as he turned to face them with a grin.
"Logan." Max whined.
"Okay." Logan said, his voice almost giddy.
Alec rolled his eyes.
"Since Manticore was destroyed, I put out word on the informant net for anybody who came across information on that place to let Eyes Only know; particularly, if they came across any scientists or doctors that worked there."
"You found one."
"Not exactly. This guy claiming he had inside information on Manticore reached out to an informant of mine. I set up the meet last night. Turns out he's an X like you two."
"What's his bar-code?"
"698."
Max shrugged.
"I know him. We were in the same unit." Alec said offhandedly
"Can he be trusted?" Max asked.
Alec shrugged. "What did he want?"
"He wants my help in rescuing a "friend" of his." Max raised her eyebrow so Logan continued. "While in Manticore him and one of the doctors had sort of an intimate relationship. When the placed burned down they were separated. He's been frantically looking for her every since they got out, afraid that someone from the cleanup committee will kill her because of what she knows."
"Sounds like it was more than just banging the gong."
"He didn't go in to detail but I could tell by his voice that he was pretty much head over heels. Anyway, he found out that she was staying with her sister's family here in Seattle. However, by the time he went to go see her it was too late. He arrived just as she was being nabbed by a couple of guys in a black van. He followed them to this compound." Logan handed Max a map along with a few other pictures from the site. "He figured they must need her for something because they brought her there instead of just killing her. I did my own digging based on what he told me and I found out that—"
"They're not Manticore." Max said as she studied one of the photos.
"Exactly."
"How do you know." Alec asked.
Max showed him a picture. It was a close up of one of the men taking the doctor into the facility. His back was to the camera. But Max didn't need to see his face to recognize who he was. She pointed to spot on the man's neck.
"What? He got his neck pierced." Alec said
"No that's an implant used by the South African government. These guys are known as the red series, and they are some bad asses. This implant makes them super strong and unable to feel pain. So for six months they're basically fearless, indestructible warriors."
"What happens after six months?"
"Implant kills them."
"My guess is they still haven't perfected that little side effect so instead of going after a Manticore prototype like before, they're recruiting the brains behind the brawn." Logan contributed.
"Like before." Alec said contemplating. "You were the one they went after." Max nodded. "You said they were indestructible. How'd you beat them."
"Long story and it's something I'm not about to do again."
"Max, if we rescue this doctor she can cure the virus, Quincy is positive about that."
"Quincy?" Max and Alec asked simultaneously
"That's what 698 is calling himself."
"Oh." Max and Alec again.
"Logan, do you really think the two of us can take on a whole facility filled with Reds." Max asked in a defeated tone. Alec was right. She did have her hopes up about possibly finding a cure. Now she felt her hopes ebbing away. What good would a cure be if she got killed trying to obtain it.
"It's not as hopeless as it seems, trust me. First off it won't be just the two of you, Quincy will be there too. Secondly, the whole facility is not comprised of Reds. There are twelve of them and I have the map that shows each of their positions. I can hack into the compound and steer you around any obstacles. I even know where they're keeping her."
"How did you—"
"Max, do you really think I'd risk your life just for this cure. What good would it be if you're dead."
Max could see how badly Logan wanted this. She wanted it too but she almost died the last time she went up against these guys. Was it fair to risk Alec's life for something that benefited him in absolutely no way?
"It's up to Alec."
"What?" Both Alec and Logan exclaimed at the same time. Neither man had expected her to say that.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I can't do this without your help. It's dangerous, Alec. You need to know what you're getting into if you decide to do it."
"Tell me." Alec said smugly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"It's kind of a long story. Do you mind if we raid your fridge while I tell it?"
"Go right ahead." The two headed toward the kitchen. "Quincy will be here in about an hour. Hopefully you two can make a decision by then." There was a slight edge in Logan's voice as he said those last words. He had been ecstatic about the idea of finding a cure. He hated the fact that it all hung on whether or not Alec agreed.
****
"I guess Manticore must have found a way to remove it when they recaptured me." Max said. They fixed sandwiches while she was telling Alec the story of the Reds. By the time she was done they were each on their second sandwich.
"Gotta love those clever bastards." Alec said with his patented smirk.
Max put the rest of her sandwich down, suddenly losing her appetite upon remembering being recaptured. A knock on Logan's door interrupted the awkward silence that would have followed.
"Guess that's Quincy." Max said her tone now melancholy. Alec noticed but didn't comment. "So you gonna do it." She said more animatedly.
He was always going to do it. They had worked together so much in the past for one cause or another. He'd forgotten he had a choice in any of their prior projects. Probably still use to following orders, it never occurred to him to say no. Today was no different, but she had made it different by actually asking him. What's more, she had asked him because she knew he could get hurt. He could even stretch it to conclude that she actually cared what happen to him. She was still waiting for his answer and he had planned on making her suffer by being obnoxious and making her beg, but he had to admit he was a little touched over the fact that she cared about him.
"I'll do it." He said simply.
"Thanks." She responded just as simply
"Well I'm gonna go say hi to my old buddy Quincy." Max gave a slight smile at the way he said his name.
"I'll be in as soon as I clean up." Max said rising from her stool and heading for the sink. Hopefully, soon this won't be necessary. Max thought as she vigorously scrubbed all traces of her from the cup she drank from.
Max decided to let her apprehension about the up coming mission be replaced with the excitement of finally getting a cure. She allowed herself to be happy and almost skipped it to the room with the guys. But apparently some force in the universe did not like seeing her happy because every joyful, hopeful, elated feeling she was having was stripped away the moment 'Quincy' faced her.
Max felt her heart plummet into her stomach. She couldn't breath. Logan, Alec, the room around her all disappeared and all she saw was Quincy. An instant later, it wasn't just Quincy anymore. She saw the faces of several other guys. Max felt her body beginning to tremble. She didn't want to look at him but she couldn't turn away. She was frozen in terror. Part of her subconscious was already reflecting on the situation and was amazed that one person's face could bring a memory complete with emotions and sensations crashing into the fore front of her mind, drowning everything and everyone else out. Max didn't know she had been inching back the whole time until her back banged into the wall behind her. This jarred her from her stupor.
"Max! Are you okay?" Logan asked for the millionth time.
Max jerked her head sharply to the voice in her ear. Logan was standing next to her. She hadn't realized he moved all the way across the room to her.
"Max?" He said softly when she finally looked at him. She didn't answer. Instead she turned and ran out of the apartment.