Authors Note: Australia is a very bad country in terms of keeping up with
TV shows, so i apologise for being behind. Um... M maybe, for a bit of
language.
PC I
Max dozed fitfully, waking up every few seconds, and trying to convince herself that everything was all right, and she could sleep. But she couldn't. every hunter's instinct she possessed kept saying "danger, danger." Her thoughts were full of it. Sighing, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. It blocked out the world, and then it left her victim to her own thoughts. Instinct was screaming. Giving up, she threw her pillow to the ground and climbed to her feet. Crossing the room, she leaned on the window sill and looked out. Dead slience, and not a ripple of movement. "See?" she asked herself. "There's nothing there, and you're paranoid. One of those Manticore things." But while the rational part of her brain was satisfied, her instincts still ran on high. Like a cat with it's fur standing on end. She shivered slightly with the cold soaking through her palms from the sills, and craned her neck to look once again. Still nothing there. But the air felt electrically charged, like a violent storm was about to hit. That's all it is, she told herself. Go back to bed. Or go out on your bike. Or... even read, like other people do when they can't sleep. Satisfied at last, she turned to pick up her pillow from the floor, and saw the girl on her bed. She froze, one hand on the fabric of her pillow. The darkness made it impossible for features to be made out, even with her eyes. Damn. But she could tell one thing - this girl was well aware of her, and seemed just as comfortble - well, she knew what she was doing in this situation - as Max. Max stood up slowly, and faced her. "Who are you?" Nothing. Okay, Max thought. Try again. "How'd you get in here?" "Easy, for me." It was all she said, but something about it made the back of Max's neck tingle. As if the girl had meant to say "us." "That's not very helpful." Keep her talking, and circle into a fighting position. Max shifted slightly, and the girl vaulted easily and gracefully off the bed. "I'm afraid it'll have to do. What's the matter, X5? Scared?" The girl's voice was teasing, she sounded like she was trying not to laugh. and she made the word "X5" sound obscene. Join my world. I've lived with that for years. "You know who I am." Max hadn't asked a question. But to answer Mystery Girl's over there, sure, Max was scared. This was an enemy so much like herself that she didn't know if she could deal. She recalled times she'd teased people, just before she'd kicked the shit out of them. Now she knew how they felt. Hunted. "Yes. And I'm surprised you don't know me. I'd thought you'd know all about their little scheme. After all, the X5's were nearly perfect." The voice came from her right. Max twisted just in time to dodge a fist. "Sorry, had to let some steam off." The voice laughed. "Ok, damn it, who are you?! How could you even get in here." Max was getting really short tempered with this chick. But she couldn't just beat the hell out of her; Original Cindy was asleep. "How'd I get in here? That's almost insulting, honey. I'm the original, and the best. It was as easy as you'd find it." "Can you stop giving non answers to questions?" Max was more than pissed off now. She wanted to throw this chick out of a window. A very high window. "Can't you guess? I'm just like you." She clicked a penlight and the room filled with a very faint light. But it was enough for Max. The girl reminded her of Brin, with her black hair and pale features. But her hair was short, shorter than Max's and cut to frame her face. Her eyes were huge, and blue, what little you could see because her pupils had dilated. She wasn't all that tall, and she was slim. She looked like she couldn't take down a stray dog, let alone Max. But Max already knew she was capable of it... very dangerous, like a panther on the loose. Then someone hit around the back of the head, hard, and she plunged into darkness.
When Original Cindy woke up the next morning, she found that Max wasn't in the apartment. That didn't bother her, she was probably out on her bike, or getting to work early - though why anyone would want to was beyond Cindy's comprehension. "It's not like anyone would like it that much to risk Normal this early," she muttered to herself. Of course, she could have gone to Logan's. She smiled at that. Her Boo, with a boyfriend. Though Cindy didn't rate men very high, with the exception of Herbal, Sketchy, and now Logan, she was glad Max had someone. It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Cindy shook her head, laughed at herself, and went in search of breakfast.
Logan stared out the window, watching the city without really seeing it. It was just coming alive, people getting out of bed, and coming out onto the streets. As always, he felt vaugely depressed. It was his line of work, of course. All he saw in this city, even this country, was the corruption. He only saw crime, and made sure people paid for it. He couldn't look at Seattle the same way anymore. He wished he could take it as it was, like Original Cindy did, with her ideas of C.R.E.A.M. which weren't far from the truth. Cash Rules Everything Around Me, he thought cynically. How right. Or even as something better than before, as Max did. She knew a real hell, and that had increased her tolerance of what she saw here. He wondered if max would show up before work. She sometimes did, but other times she wouldn't appear till she'd finished work, or later. That was what he liked about her; she was so unpredictable.
Max came to in a van. Her first thought was that she was furious with herself for leaving her back undefended, and her second was where is that girl? "Awake, are we?" It was a male voice. It was quiet, but jolted her into action. She scrabbled wildly at the door of the van, trying to find a handle. Eventually she gave up when he spoke again. "I think you'll be disappointed there." "Now who are you? And where's that damn-" "Right here." Max felt the back of her neck prickle again. The girl was sitting in a corner near her, but far enough away to not pose an immediate threat. Max didn't care. "All right, I've had enough. Who are you?" Max was sick of not understanding. "If you're from Manticore-" She twisted again as the girl leapt. "Don't even!" She shouted. "If I came from there I'd have killed them all years ago! As it is," she continued more calmly, "I will. You'll help too, I think. even though you don't want to." Ok, Max thought. That did heaps. Now I'm just more confused than before. "Maybe you should just start at the beginning?" "You don't know." The guys voice was full of wonder. And a little suspicion. "You honestly don't know who we are, and that we'd eventually catch up?" "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking over and over!" Max snapped. "I'd be deciding whether or not to kick the crap out of you, then, after that, I'd be putting my plan into action." The girl laughed. "She doesn't know, then," she told the guy driving. "And she's the best shot we have, so I say tell her." The guy driving shrugged. "It's up to you. But I don't know." "What are we going to do? Get her to turn on them for no reason? Jeez, you're thick sometimes. Ok, maybe we should introduce ourselves." "Maybe I should kiil you both," Max retorted. "I'm not telling you anything." She stared at the girl, who didn't seem to hear her. "Well, I could call you X5 for the rest of the job, but I think you would eventually, as you say, kill me. So, I'll go first shall I? My name's Michaela, and that's Mitch up there." The guy nodded. Max stared at Michaela. "Right. Well, you'll have to explain a bit more, because I really still don't trust you," Max said, checking her watch. Nearly midday. Wonderful. She wondered what Normal would say. "Ok," Mitch agreed. He seemed pretty easy going, in contrast to Michaela's fierceness. "We're part of the CIA." Max couldn't help it. She started laughing. They both watched as she finished up, wiping tears from her eyes. "Yeah, right. The CIA was disbanded in 2006. Everybody knows that." Michaela nodded. "Yes. The CIA was disbanded in 2006 - publicly. It became a private corporation, with private owners. Show her Mitch." Mitch passed some papers to Max with one hand. Max took them, still grinning. She skimmed through. Newspaper clippings of the breakdown, from at least four different newspapers. A document. Max took in the first paragraph, and kept reading in disbelief. A document for private ownership of the "business." So the CIA still worked. Privately, as they had said. she looked up, straight faced. "See?" Michaela asked. "Private owner, secret corporation. All that stuff." "Ok." Max couldn't think of anything else to say. "Aren't you going to ask what we want?" Mitch asked, watching Max. "Um, can you just tell me?" Max was speechless. The CIA hadn't disbanded. I wonder if Logan knows about that? Logan. She wondered what he'd do if she didn't turn up for a couple of days. Try her pager and her cell, probably. That would do him a wondeful lot of good. They were still sitting in the flat. she wondered if Original Cindy would worry. Almost definitely, when she didn't go to work. "Are you even listening, stupid?" Michaela asked forcefully. Max swiveled. "Don't call me stupid. Just cause I don't want to listen to you, bitch." "Well, I don't got a name to call you, do I?" When Max just sat there, she went on. "Years ago, the CIA had some documents. These documents were stolen." "What documents? And who stole them?" Max asked, not liking the way the girl dragged her story out. "Files. For genetically engineered superhumans. Stolen by one Donald Lydecker, to start Project Manticore." Max couldn't believe her ears. Stolen by Lydecker. Wow. "But, how? I mean, if the CIA was already creating these - these - people, wouldn't there be more of you?" "Stay focused. Lydecker only stole part of the file. That's why he couldn't do it properly. And the CIA had to get these files again, and spent ages perfecting them. He rushed straight in, without thinking. So the result is, the X5's were the same as File 1 from the CIA. Genetically perfect. But I guess you guys had a little too much free will. Or does he trust you on the outside?" "What about you?" Max asked. "Oh, the CIA trust us because wer're not fighting for the wrong side. And we don't have stupid names like F1's. we actually have names. They named us, and let us see our mothers." Max felt a pang. She was still looking for her mother. "Well, I have a name too. And Lydecker has no reason to trust me. I ran away." "Just you? I'm surprised you made it." Max opened her mouth, and Michaela said "I know what happened. We aren't stupid, you know. Twelve of you went out. You're the only one we could find." "Well, goody for me," Max snapped. "What is you name?" Gareth asked quietly from the front seat. "What am I doing, first." Max replied. "Destroying Manticore." Figured. Oh well, Max thought. I can do that. She nodded. "My name is Max."
A/N~ I'm really sorry about spelling, grammar etc if it's wrong. Reviews most welcome.
PC I
Max dozed fitfully, waking up every few seconds, and trying to convince herself that everything was all right, and she could sleep. But she couldn't. every hunter's instinct she possessed kept saying "danger, danger." Her thoughts were full of it. Sighing, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. It blocked out the world, and then it left her victim to her own thoughts. Instinct was screaming. Giving up, she threw her pillow to the ground and climbed to her feet. Crossing the room, she leaned on the window sill and looked out. Dead slience, and not a ripple of movement. "See?" she asked herself. "There's nothing there, and you're paranoid. One of those Manticore things." But while the rational part of her brain was satisfied, her instincts still ran on high. Like a cat with it's fur standing on end. She shivered slightly with the cold soaking through her palms from the sills, and craned her neck to look once again. Still nothing there. But the air felt electrically charged, like a violent storm was about to hit. That's all it is, she told herself. Go back to bed. Or go out on your bike. Or... even read, like other people do when they can't sleep. Satisfied at last, she turned to pick up her pillow from the floor, and saw the girl on her bed. She froze, one hand on the fabric of her pillow. The darkness made it impossible for features to be made out, even with her eyes. Damn. But she could tell one thing - this girl was well aware of her, and seemed just as comfortble - well, she knew what she was doing in this situation - as Max. Max stood up slowly, and faced her. "Who are you?" Nothing. Okay, Max thought. Try again. "How'd you get in here?" "Easy, for me." It was all she said, but something about it made the back of Max's neck tingle. As if the girl had meant to say "us." "That's not very helpful." Keep her talking, and circle into a fighting position. Max shifted slightly, and the girl vaulted easily and gracefully off the bed. "I'm afraid it'll have to do. What's the matter, X5? Scared?" The girl's voice was teasing, she sounded like she was trying not to laugh. and she made the word "X5" sound obscene. Join my world. I've lived with that for years. "You know who I am." Max hadn't asked a question. But to answer Mystery Girl's over there, sure, Max was scared. This was an enemy so much like herself that she didn't know if she could deal. She recalled times she'd teased people, just before she'd kicked the shit out of them. Now she knew how they felt. Hunted. "Yes. And I'm surprised you don't know me. I'd thought you'd know all about their little scheme. After all, the X5's were nearly perfect." The voice came from her right. Max twisted just in time to dodge a fist. "Sorry, had to let some steam off." The voice laughed. "Ok, damn it, who are you?! How could you even get in here." Max was getting really short tempered with this chick. But she couldn't just beat the hell out of her; Original Cindy was asleep. "How'd I get in here? That's almost insulting, honey. I'm the original, and the best. It was as easy as you'd find it." "Can you stop giving non answers to questions?" Max was more than pissed off now. She wanted to throw this chick out of a window. A very high window. "Can't you guess? I'm just like you." She clicked a penlight and the room filled with a very faint light. But it was enough for Max. The girl reminded her of Brin, with her black hair and pale features. But her hair was short, shorter than Max's and cut to frame her face. Her eyes were huge, and blue, what little you could see because her pupils had dilated. She wasn't all that tall, and she was slim. She looked like she couldn't take down a stray dog, let alone Max. But Max already knew she was capable of it... very dangerous, like a panther on the loose. Then someone hit around the back of the head, hard, and she plunged into darkness.
When Original Cindy woke up the next morning, she found that Max wasn't in the apartment. That didn't bother her, she was probably out on her bike, or getting to work early - though why anyone would want to was beyond Cindy's comprehension. "It's not like anyone would like it that much to risk Normal this early," she muttered to herself. Of course, she could have gone to Logan's. She smiled at that. Her Boo, with a boyfriend. Though Cindy didn't rate men very high, with the exception of Herbal, Sketchy, and now Logan, she was glad Max had someone. It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Cindy shook her head, laughed at herself, and went in search of breakfast.
Logan stared out the window, watching the city without really seeing it. It was just coming alive, people getting out of bed, and coming out onto the streets. As always, he felt vaugely depressed. It was his line of work, of course. All he saw in this city, even this country, was the corruption. He only saw crime, and made sure people paid for it. He couldn't look at Seattle the same way anymore. He wished he could take it as it was, like Original Cindy did, with her ideas of C.R.E.A.M. which weren't far from the truth. Cash Rules Everything Around Me, he thought cynically. How right. Or even as something better than before, as Max did. She knew a real hell, and that had increased her tolerance of what she saw here. He wondered if max would show up before work. She sometimes did, but other times she wouldn't appear till she'd finished work, or later. That was what he liked about her; she was so unpredictable.
Max came to in a van. Her first thought was that she was furious with herself for leaving her back undefended, and her second was where is that girl? "Awake, are we?" It was a male voice. It was quiet, but jolted her into action. She scrabbled wildly at the door of the van, trying to find a handle. Eventually she gave up when he spoke again. "I think you'll be disappointed there." "Now who are you? And where's that damn-" "Right here." Max felt the back of her neck prickle again. The girl was sitting in a corner near her, but far enough away to not pose an immediate threat. Max didn't care. "All right, I've had enough. Who are you?" Max was sick of not understanding. "If you're from Manticore-" She twisted again as the girl leapt. "Don't even!" She shouted. "If I came from there I'd have killed them all years ago! As it is," she continued more calmly, "I will. You'll help too, I think. even though you don't want to." Ok, Max thought. That did heaps. Now I'm just more confused than before. "Maybe you should just start at the beginning?" "You don't know." The guys voice was full of wonder. And a little suspicion. "You honestly don't know who we are, and that we'd eventually catch up?" "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking over and over!" Max snapped. "I'd be deciding whether or not to kick the crap out of you, then, after that, I'd be putting my plan into action." The girl laughed. "She doesn't know, then," she told the guy driving. "And she's the best shot we have, so I say tell her." The guy driving shrugged. "It's up to you. But I don't know." "What are we going to do? Get her to turn on them for no reason? Jeez, you're thick sometimes. Ok, maybe we should introduce ourselves." "Maybe I should kiil you both," Max retorted. "I'm not telling you anything." She stared at the girl, who didn't seem to hear her. "Well, I could call you X5 for the rest of the job, but I think you would eventually, as you say, kill me. So, I'll go first shall I? My name's Michaela, and that's Mitch up there." The guy nodded. Max stared at Michaela. "Right. Well, you'll have to explain a bit more, because I really still don't trust you," Max said, checking her watch. Nearly midday. Wonderful. She wondered what Normal would say. "Ok," Mitch agreed. He seemed pretty easy going, in contrast to Michaela's fierceness. "We're part of the CIA." Max couldn't help it. She started laughing. They both watched as she finished up, wiping tears from her eyes. "Yeah, right. The CIA was disbanded in 2006. Everybody knows that." Michaela nodded. "Yes. The CIA was disbanded in 2006 - publicly. It became a private corporation, with private owners. Show her Mitch." Mitch passed some papers to Max with one hand. Max took them, still grinning. She skimmed through. Newspaper clippings of the breakdown, from at least four different newspapers. A document. Max took in the first paragraph, and kept reading in disbelief. A document for private ownership of the "business." So the CIA still worked. Privately, as they had said. she looked up, straight faced. "See?" Michaela asked. "Private owner, secret corporation. All that stuff." "Ok." Max couldn't think of anything else to say. "Aren't you going to ask what we want?" Mitch asked, watching Max. "Um, can you just tell me?" Max was speechless. The CIA hadn't disbanded. I wonder if Logan knows about that? Logan. She wondered what he'd do if she didn't turn up for a couple of days. Try her pager and her cell, probably. That would do him a wondeful lot of good. They were still sitting in the flat. she wondered if Original Cindy would worry. Almost definitely, when she didn't go to work. "Are you even listening, stupid?" Michaela asked forcefully. Max swiveled. "Don't call me stupid. Just cause I don't want to listen to you, bitch." "Well, I don't got a name to call you, do I?" When Max just sat there, she went on. "Years ago, the CIA had some documents. These documents were stolen." "What documents? And who stole them?" Max asked, not liking the way the girl dragged her story out. "Files. For genetically engineered superhumans. Stolen by one Donald Lydecker, to start Project Manticore." Max couldn't believe her ears. Stolen by Lydecker. Wow. "But, how? I mean, if the CIA was already creating these - these - people, wouldn't there be more of you?" "Stay focused. Lydecker only stole part of the file. That's why he couldn't do it properly. And the CIA had to get these files again, and spent ages perfecting them. He rushed straight in, without thinking. So the result is, the X5's were the same as File 1 from the CIA. Genetically perfect. But I guess you guys had a little too much free will. Or does he trust you on the outside?" "What about you?" Max asked. "Oh, the CIA trust us because wer're not fighting for the wrong side. And we don't have stupid names like F1's. we actually have names. They named us, and let us see our mothers." Max felt a pang. She was still looking for her mother. "Well, I have a name too. And Lydecker has no reason to trust me. I ran away." "Just you? I'm surprised you made it." Max opened her mouth, and Michaela said "I know what happened. We aren't stupid, you know. Twelve of you went out. You're the only one we could find." "Well, goody for me," Max snapped. "What is you name?" Gareth asked quietly from the front seat. "What am I doing, first." Max replied. "Destroying Manticore." Figured. Oh well, Max thought. I can do that. She nodded. "My name is Max."
A/N~ I'm really sorry about spelling, grammar etc if it's wrong. Reviews most welcome.