Retribution

Disclaimer:

I own nothing here, except for Kia (X5 462). Note, there is a bit of nasty language, but nothing worse than what has been on the show. I have attempted to stay true to form. Reminder, this is a work in progress, so things may change some from here on out. (Note: this will not end as Season 2 did. ~Freak Nation was a truckload of crap to me. Just my opinion.~)

Thank you for the wonderful reviews so far! (Stroking my ego, I love it!) This chapter is going to bring you into 462's mind, and why she is seeking revenge against one of her own kind.

Author's Note: Please note that Spy Ops is another division of Manticore. (Someone has to get the information to begin with, right?) I am not in the business of confusing anyone here, but if I do, I'm sorry.

~Thanks Miro, as always!~

~Note to the Nuns: You are such an inspiration...I love the fact that you all want to be Beta readers...it makes writing (and editing) so much easier.!~

Chapter 6: Home

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The dusty air that swirled around 462's body was sweltering. Her fair skin felt tight over her petite frame. Her physique had accustomed to the dampness of the Pacific Northwest and tightened with displeasure at the drastic change in climate. The thought hadn't even occurred to her that she was still in her dark BTU's and the green gear was making the heat even more oppressive.

She grabbed her bag from the young helicopter pilot and gave him a false smile. She was going to be giving a lot more of those till she got away from this hell hole.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Don't worry, you'll be back before you know it."

"Yeah, I guess."

She slung the pack over her shoulder and made her way to the welcoming committee. Most of the faces were overly familiar.

"462, lovely to have you back home. Hope you didn't miss us too much."

He stood as she always could remember him addressing his children, hard yet tender. She learned so much from him. She owed him her life. Yet, she didn't care.

"Sir, I am exhausted from the flight. May I bunk down for a few hours before Briefing?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Sure. We don't want our special guest to get worn out on her first day."

He bent down slowly to the youngster to his right and whispered something into her ear. She moved toward 462, and slowly tilted her head, urging her to follow. Throwing her pack higher on her shoulder, she followed.

Everything here was the same as it was two years ago. Fond memories of learning, not implementing. She was a good student, and had often been rewarded for it. Then in one brief moment, her happy little life had been shattered by a man she barely even knew. At least in the back of her mind, she knew that one day she would get her just reward. Patience was something that she had learned over the two years she had been away from here.

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****~~~~

"WAKE UP! THIS ISN'T NEVER NEVER LAND! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED!"

Startled, 462 flipped out of her bunk and landed solidly on her feet.

"Nice to see you are out of dreamland, 462. Do you think that your enemies will ever announce themselves while you lie there snoring?"

"No Sir!"

"Good. I have a special assignment for you. Follow me."

Throwing her hat over a pile of blond hair, she scurried down the hall after the Colonel.

"Sit down, 462."

She complied.

"I know that you are aware of the twelve X5's that escaped back in '09. I have some intel that I would like you to review and see if you can come up with a dossier to bring one of them back in." He tossed her the file.

The small folder dangled limply between her knees. "Colonel Lydecker, I thought that was confidential information. Only several individuals have access to it."

"Consider yourself one of the elite. I need to have someone I can trust evaluate this information in order for us to bring them back in. Exposure is a slippery slope when you are dealing with the government." Leaning back, his chair groaned in protest.

She quickly glanced over the file. "How much time do I have?"

"Six months. That is how long your vacation from the Northwest Territory is right?" A crooked smile parted his lips.

"Yes Sir."

The chair grumbled again when he rose from it. He slowly stepped away from the desk and came around it to stand in front of her.

"Don't share this with anyone. I am putting myself into a dangerous position by letting you do this. Understood?"

A sparkle of hope passed in her eyes. She welcomed this distraction. "Yes Sir!"

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****~~~~

The ray of light the flashlight gave was dismal. With her enhanced vision it was easy for her to see the print, but she would have to review the photos in better conditions than in her quarters. The lights had gone out two hours ago, so she resorted to the limited resources she had available.

The information that Lydecker had given her was astonishing. After the events of that cold night back in 2009, Manticore had obviously not been too keen on sharing the details of the escape with the X5s left behind and had prohibited them from discussing the shameful incident. Facts that she never knew as no one was allowed to speak of the events of that cold night back in 2009.

With the file still on her lap, 462 was suddenly overcome by flashing images of that night. She could see the rounds of gun fire and hear the screaming... still smell the cold air that came in from the broken windows... and could still feel how jealous she and the remaining X5's had been of the few who had been brave enough to leave...

Then the images of the days since came to her. The training, the abuse, the brainwashing...

The file flew across her quarters. She sprung up and began beating her fist into her bunk. Every direct hit brought on tears. After an endless amount of time, she refrained, only to notice that her knuckles were covered with blood. "Great! How do I explain this?"

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****~~~~

Physical training had always been one activity that 462 enjoyed. She was trained to be alert, organized, and quick. The excessive amount of discipline was beginning to wear on her nerves. The Lieutenants were relentless. They demanded physical perfection out of her, and used her as a tool to educate the younger X Series.

The mental games they played on her were grueling. Some were simple. Some were demanding. Most were arranged in a manner that left her without a single chance of victory. With the extreme stress to her mind and body, she was too distracted by her pain to focus on Lydecker's file.

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****

2300 Hours

"I need some fuckin' light! How am I supposed to be able to look at this shit without a real light bulb? Lydecker is out of his fucking mind! Screw this..."

The blanket ruffled and the file darted from underneath. She needed more time during the day to do her research. She was irate with everyone that came near her. Everyday that passed made the next one seem as endless as the first.

"You alright in there?"

Looking at the door, she realized that her temper tantrum must have been out loud. She slowly made her way to the entry and peeked out.

"Hey." A man about her age greeted her at the door.

"Hey." She whispered.

"You know, you weren't whispering a few minutes ago." His lips parted slightly, smiling.

"I know. I have anger management issues."

"By the way, Hello. My name is Biggs." Another small smile thinned his lips.

"You gave yourself a name? I don't have one, just a designation." She shuffled her feet.

"Ah, you need a name. What do you think of Kia? Nice and short. Kinda sounds cute, doesn't it?" His dark eyes met hers as she considered his offer.

"Sure. I like it. " Her blue eyes glistened as he started to move away.

"I need to get back to my post. Maybe I will see you later?" He slipped his hand though his hair nervously.

Blushing, she replied, "I would like that. Better get back before Lydecker finds out that you aren't at your post."

Slowly she slipped back into her quarters. She could hear his footsteps fading away down the hall. That was the most exhilarating feeling that had ever coursed through her enhanced body.

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****

"So, what can you tell me, 462?"

"Sir, I have not had adequate time or means to review the data."

"Well, what do you need? "



"Less time spent on basic training and more time allotted for intel work"

"Fine. I need you to focus on this. I will take care of everything."

"Thank you, Sir."

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****

The slim laptop computer was perfect. Her notes were organized and she had uploaded the photos as soon as the scanner arrived. Reviewing the material would be easier with tools that weren't archaic. She could have struck two rocks together to get more light than what her dim flashlight could produce.

Picking through the stuff that Lydecker trusted her with was intriguing. After sifting through all twelve X5's, she found the one she felt was the easiest target. 493.

Fanning out the details, she stumbled across the only photo of him in the pile. On the back was scribbled his designation, height, weight, and age. An innocent and bright-eyed ten year-old child at the time of the escape. Now, it was up to her to attempt to recover him, and bring him home.

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****

He was sloppy about leaving a bloody trail for Manticore to intercept. Several murders had occurred recently and all the victims were tattooed with his barcodes and their teeth were extracted. It was puzzling that the teeth were ending up in several catholic churches. She didn't understand the reasoning for this behavior, and the thought made the hair on her arms tingle. Disturbed, she made a note in the file:

493 is unlikely aware of his actions. He may be armed and extremely dangerous if encountered. CAUTION IS REQUIRED - COMBATIVE/IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR

"So, what do you have for me, 462?"

Pulling her head out of the file, she replied, "Sir, I believe that 493 is the most exploitable target."



"And what led you to that conclusion?"

She rose out of her chair and reached for the folder on her bunk. "This."

Lydecker snatched the file and flopped it open. There were several pictures in the file with yellow sticky notes attached. Scanning them, his face hardened.

Inside, she was grinning. Of all the information she had reviewed, the photographs had yielded the most information. By looking at the crime scene photos, 462 had been able to determine the general vicinity in which 493 was hiding. The bodies that were recovered by investigators were all found near a church. Of course, it took some time to find out which one, but after she was given the computer to hack into the police records, she was able to locate a small catholic parish outside of Seattle in no time.

"Good work. I will have a team converge on this position and see what turns up." He then exited her quarters.

She stood staring off into the location of where the Colonel had just stood, not comprehending that she was not invited on the team. When the thought finally occurred to her, she stormed over to the computer and began to pound on the keys. Mumbling to herself, she hacked her way into the security system. "If I am not going along, at least I will know what happened, Assholes!"

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~****

The months passed, and so had a thousand tumbleweeds. As she stood on the concrete stab, with the wind chasing her golden hair, she knew that she would never return to this forsaken place. After six months of physical and mental training, she vowed to herself that she would never speak one extra word to anyone again. It wasn't worth the hell she had been through. She was looking forward to returning to her post in Washington, back to creating missions, not living them.