Chapter Three

AN: Please tell me how my style in this one is. I've never written action before.

Max was sick of waiting. Something in her heart longed for her sister Frankie. It had been a week since Frankie and Finns arrival in Terminal city and the only thing Frankie had said was 'Move bitch' when Max had been in her way. Frankie's daughter Tinga was pretty, but Max had only seen her once because she usually was with Frankie.

Max thought back to the days in Manticore. Frankie was a cheery little girl back then who used to make faces at Lydecker when he wasn't looking. She was always a pretty girl, though the goth make-up Frankie now seemed to favour really didn't suit her.

Max had left a note for Frankie saying that if she met her where the Trannies worked out, she could say anything and do anything she wanted as long as she would listen to Max for just a few minutes. As she walked to the ring, she wondered if Frankie would show.

As Max entered the room, Frankie was there alone. Dressed in her army pants and white shirt, her long red hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. She looked happy to see Max, which was really surprising. Frankie had done nothing but scowl at Max for the past week.

"Frankie," began Max, but Frankie held up her hand to stop her.

"Listen Max," said Frankie, "I've got a deal for you. We fight. Submission, not to the death. I win, you leave me the FUCK alone. You win, and we'll talk, aiight?"

"Aiight," said Max, looking at her sister. Frankie spat quickly in her hand and offered it to Max.

"You too good for this?" she asked. Max Spat in her own hand and shook Frankie's hand. With a wink, Frankie pulled on Max's hand and rammed Max into her knee.

"That's cheating," said Max.

"All's fair in love and War baby sister," said Frankie, flipping backwards and striking a fighting pose, a marital arts pose which looked like a crane. Max stepped back and assumed a pose herself, ready for Frankie to strike.

*+*+*

Gillette, Wyoming, 2006.

"452," said Lydecker, "and 439."

"Yes Sir," said Max, stepping into the ring with the much bigger girl. Max was only 6 years old, and she knew that X5-439 was at almost 9. She was a little nervous, but she knew that Frankie would hold back, Frankie was her sister.

"Watch the way 439 doesn't rely on her upper body strength," said Lydecker, "She knows that she and 452 are matched in upper body strength."

"Watch yourself Maxie," said Jondy quietly, "Frankie's mean."

"No, she's not," said Max, assuming a fighting stance and Frankie cocked one knee and looked ready to fight.

"Begin," said Lydecker. Max lunged at Frankie, and Frankie Hit her in the gut with her foot, then whipped around and brought her heel down on Max's back. Max groaned, but got back up.

"You're too slow 452," said Frankie, "Watch me and think about what I might do."

"Fine," said Max, getting up and assuming a fighting pose. She lunged at Frankie again and managed to block one of Frankie's blows, but was taken out at the knees but her other foot as she fell. Frankie kicked her again in the side as Max lay on the floor in pain.

"See how 439 uses her every advantage. Never give up an advantage!" said Lydecker, smiling at his fighting Frankie.

"Sorry Max," said Frankie as Max got up again and brushed herself off.

"439," said Lydecker.

"Yes Sir!" she said, snapping to attention.

"Don't relent this time. Don't stop until she can no longer fight."

"Yes sir," said Frankie, standing back and assuming her stance. This time, before Max could do anything, Frankie launched herself into a flying Tornado kick which kicked Max in the head. As she fell, Frankie got her foot under and kicked up, hurting Max's back.

"She's hurting Max," said Zack.

"She hasn't even begun," said Adam, "I know this."

Frankie punched Max a few times before Max managed to get up and was able to block. The last blow to Max's head had knocked her for a loop, leaving Max very vulnerable. Max was barely able to stop Frankie.

"Harder!" shouted Lydecker.

Frankie struck a serious blow to Max's head when Lydecker, yelled, causing Max to step back and hold her head. Frankie did a roundhouse kick and hit Max's head, then took out her Knees. As Lydecker yelled to finish her, she slid to the floor, grabbed Max's arm and, with a sickening snap, broke the little six year olds arm in two places.

"Take 452 to the infirmary," said Lydecker to one of the guards.

"I knew it," said Adam.

"439," said Lydecker, "Go get a drink of Water. You fight 656 now."

*+*+*

"You ready?" asked Frankie.

"Yeah," said Max, "You?"

"I was born to fight," said Frankie, "I still remember all the fights when we were young."

"You were a big bully," said Max, "You always did was Lydecker said."

"I was strong."

"You weren't strong. You were scared. I could've hurt you, but I chose not to."

"No, instead you ran and sent me to the torture room. I gotta ask Max, did you ver stop to think about what they would do to those you left behind, to Dragon and Cree and the rest of us?"

"Every day," said Max, lunging forward at her sister. The two exchanged a few quick strikes before Frankie shifted her weight and sent Max flying back into a brick wall.

"Tut tut little one," said Frankie, "Do you need me to teach you how to fight again."

"I don't need you," said Max, flinging herself forward. Frankie stepped out of the way and then did a roundhouse kick, catching the back of Max's head with her heel and sending her flying in the other direction.

"I apparently didn't teach you well enough back then."

"When you broke my arm?"

"Which time?"

"The first one."

"I thought you learned your lesson after the third time and after I manage to Break Zack's leg."

"We were little back then."

"And now I'm big and well trained, while all you've got is what you were taught at the age of nine."

"Frankie, why are you doing this?"

"Cause they deserve justice."

"Who?"

"Ben and Tinga. You killed them Max, their blood is on YOUR hands."

"How do you know?"

"I'm a deep cover operative. I have ways of finding things out."

"I didn't kill them Frankie."

"Max Please?"

"What?"

"Max, tell me about the good place?" said Frankie, her tone sounding enraged, "Where no one gets hurt? And no one disappears. And when you wake up in the morning you can stay in bed as long as you…"

"Stop it!"

"Crack," said Frankie, cracking her knuckles, "You killed him Max."

"He didn't want to go back."

"He's was delirious with pain. You listened to him."

"He was scared."

"He would've been in good hands."

"Whose hands?"

"Adams hands. Adam had everything set up to work with him. He would've been fine."

"And trapped in a cage."

"You think any of us would've let that happen."

"You weren't free."

"Yeah, but we were safe."

"You should be happy I got you out."

"Thanks to your little stunt in the DNA lab I had to have a breeding partner. I ended up pregnant, so did Trigsie."

"I was trying to destroy Manticore."

"And because of it they were ready to kill us all Max. They were ready to destroy your X5 unit. They were ready to kill us!"

"I was just trying to help."

"You failed," said Frankie, launching herself forward. Max braced for another kick, but instead Frankie brought the back of her hand across Max's face, the followed it with an Uppercut. Max staggered back and saw the Finn was leaning against a post nearby

"Finn?" said Max, touching her finger to her eye to see what the going on, whether it was bleeding.

"Out little brother," said Frankie.

"I never argue with a pissed off Frankie," he said, "Plus Max, she's been planning this for months."

"What?" asked Max.

"This," answered Frankie, grabbing Max's wrists and slamming her into a wall. Max yelped in pain and kicked back wildly, but Frankie was out of the way. Max turned around lunged at her, but Frankie caught Max's temple with a roundhouse kick. Max staggered back, her eyes watering with the kind of pain she hadn't felt since Manticore.

"Please…" said Max, "Stop…you win Frankie."

"Max?" said another voice. Max looked up to see Logan standing next to Finn looking very worried.

"Sorry guy, she's a little busy," said Frankie, jumping over to Max and grabbing both her arms just below the shoulder. She lifted her knee, braced it against Max's stomach and pulled on her arms.

"AH!!" screamed Max. Her arms both hung limply at her side, both being pulled out of their sockets.

"Sorry 452," said Frankie, "I guess you just ain't in my league."

"Frankie," said Finn, walking right past Max, who was writhing in pain, "She's here."

"Trigs?"

"She and Cree made it in about twenty minutes ago with her son. His name is Ben."

"Hot damn," said Frankie, smiling happily as she left Max writhing in pain on the concrete floor.