Spoilers: This is the third in my series of stories. The first
was Shattered Trusts and Whispered Confessions. The second,
which I only just finished, is Remembering to Forget. This
series is set after Hello Goodbye but does reveal spoilers from
the rest of the season, as I incorporate it into the story.
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine except for some minors. The ideas are pretty much mine though but I just want to say thanks to those who have reviewed my previous works, it keeps me writing!
Authors Note: If you really want to understand this story and enjoy it, then be sure to read the original parts one and two. Also, just wanted to say that yeah the story has got quite complicated and hence a little confusion from me let alone you guys who have no idea what is going on in my twisted mind. Thanks for sticking by me when I've been doing this. It's nice to know I have a loyal following.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
Seattle; New Manticore Holding Facility; October 14th 2022
0520 hours
Max eyed Lydecker apprehensively,
"Who's the target?"
"A Taiwanese man by the name of Xen Ziao. He is attempting to create a version of Manticore of his own. As you know, his home country is in the middle of a long-winded war with China and although Taiwan is winning, it seems that the political scale could be greatly overthrown through the introduction of such a facility. He has come across some remarkable information which can aid in helping him create the ultimate soldier."
"And what's so great about them - huh Deck? No flight risk?"
"Amongst others. They are special because they are like you Max."
"Come again?"
"No junk DNA. I take it by the surprised look on your face, you thought I didn't know about that? I know everything. These soldiers in the making, they surpass you - no emotion, no feeling. No pain receptors."
"So they'd be like White and his flunkies - an incredibly high pain threshold?"
"No - better. They would experience whatever would bring about pain, but their bodies wouldn't register it. Thus, no matter how much pain inflicted, they are unable to absorb the actual painful feeling. It's a very complicated process, which would involve tampering with nerve cell endings. Bottom line is, this man could create an army so advanced, superior and highly skilled - they could take over the world."
"So you want me to catch the guy, get the info and kill him?"
"Just the latter. The man has been said to possess a phenomenal photographic memory. You need to kill him and everything to do with this project will be lost. You need to kill him before he leaves Washington DC - he leaves at midnight four days from now. You do that, and I will supply you with all the information you want on this oncoming plague. After all, we have our own source locked up in the basement. So you two take a minute to discuss your options. Just come out when you're ready."
Lydecker stood, buttoning his jacket as he smirked at Max. He left the room, quickly followed by Ben - leaving the door open just a crack. She found herself sinking onto the bed where Alec already sat.
"I don't like it Max."
"What choice do we have Alec, what else can we do?"
"You have never acted as an assassin. I wont let you now, the guilt will eat you alive."
"Think about this! What is the life of one man for millions? You said it you8rself before, if we don't do something, millions will die."
His head dropped, crestfallen and she reached out to caress his face with her hands gently,
"Try to understand, we have no choice. Just be thankful that it is killing this guy over you."
"That might not be what the right way is. In fact, I really don't think that it will be that simple as one life instead of mine. Logan's files were the ones that said my blood being shed would stop it all from happening. No matter what Lydecker tells us, my being dead is the solution."
"Not an option."
"The only thing that he can possibly tell us is if I am on the destined side of good or bad. Right or wrong."
"Don't you want to know that?"
"I know what I am Max, I'm not some evil psycho. I'll leave that for my clone. Let's just walk out of here - you and me. We go back to TC and we try to figure out what this plague is and how we can stop it."
"I want to know what your runes say though, it might tell us something we really need to know."
"Are you willing to kill a man for it."
"He's not just any man, he's a copycat trying to create the same hell that I have been running from my whole life."
"So that makes him eligible for a death warrant?"
"Him being successful could end the world that we live in."
"Kill him then."
"At least he's not an innocent man like Robert Berrisford."
As soon as the words had left her lips, Max knew that she had gone too far. Alec nudged her as he turned away, staring emptily into space,
"Get out of here, tell Lydecker you'll be his lackey."
"Alec, I'm doing this for us. For you, for me - for the entire human race. I'm not doing anything that you wouldn't do yourself, that you haven't done in the past."
"Then go, be the white knight, the heroine. Save the day Max, you're good at that - no one will think you sold out."
She stared at him, feeling completely deflated. Finally he glanced at her with narrowed eyes. Max copied Alec's facial expression, standing up to utter the last word,
"Fuck you."
She turned, walking out and Alec watched after her regretfully before laying down on his back to stare up at the ceiling.
* * * * *
0700 hours
Lydecker walked into the room later that morning, his eyes twinkling behind his coke bottle glasses,
"Can I get you anything Alec?"
"No. Has she gone?"
"Yes, she left just then, she has some recon to do first before she makes her move."
"And if she gets caught killing him, can you risk that exposure?"
"She gets caught, I have the power to get her out. She knows what she has to do and how she has to kill him - but I'm sure you'll be the first to point out that Ben could always give her pointers on that."
"Why her? Why not one of your other GI Joe dolls?"
"Because Max is special. We both know it. She is everything a soldier should be and more. Her killing this man just proves that she will always be my kid, I will always have a hold over her that no one - not even you - can override."
"So this is some power trip deal?"
"That's what life only ever is. Power. Those who want it and those who have it - there's only two groups of people. Now the question is, if she does what I have told her to - what group does she belong to? And where does that leave you?"
He chuckled lightly and Alec sat upright to glare at the older man,
"It's always about playing with our minds, isn't it?"
"What ever makes you say that 494. Alec really doesn't suit you. You were my best soldier, the highest ranking, best performing. I know part of you misses that, the respect, the honour. You were held in awe by the entire facility and you threw the chance to have all that again by choosing to be with her. A rogue that you was the reason you spent your first 6 months in Psy-Ops."
"I believe you were the reason I was there, all of the times."
"It was necessary."
"Yeah coz I was so likely to run. But maybe you were on to something there. But that next time, that wasn't necessary. I wasn't betraying Manticore."
"Then what were you doing?"
"I loved her! And you killed her. I could have made them leave, killed him and not her."
"It was necessary for both Robert and Rachel Berrisford to be taken out."
"IT WAS NEVER NECESSARY! Everyone found out we existed anyway, and now all that happens is we are constantly looking over our backs to see what humans are aiming their guns at us. My best friend was killed by those fuckers! EXPOSURE? Look around, it's already happened and that means two innocent people's lives were wrecked for nothing. And now Berrisford will fight against us, instead of the possibility we once had of him fighting for us."
Alec gasped as he finished his screaming and leaned over, panting wildly,
"She didn't deserve to die."
He knew that Lydecker wouldn't have been able to hear the last pitiful comment, but the man seemed to know what he was thinking as he sat down next to him, giving him a sympathetic look,
"You're like a son to me Alec. I hate to see you upset like this. What can I do to make up what I put you through?"
"You cant win me over. I know you're trying to win Max, but you wont. She will never come back to this place."
"I know that. I wasn't trying to..."
"Yeah right."
"What can I do?"
Alec fell silent as he thought about what he could get from Lydecker, what he could gain if he acted like the Colonel had the upper hand,
"I want to talk to White, I have some questions for him."
Lydecker looked down at the ground, shifting his feet awkwardly. Eventually he looked up at the transgenic,
"Out of the question. I'm sorry, I just can't let you do that."
"What is it you're not telling me?"
"Nothing like that. I let you talk to him, then Max wont have to kill Xen because you would have found out everything already."
"He's your source, you can't really trust everything he tells you!"
"I'm not that careless. He is put repeatedly under a Psy-Ops process so we can find out what we need to know."
"And what's that?"
"You'll find out all in good time soldier."
* * * * *
To be continued...
Author's Note:
I'm lost. Reviews can be my light...
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine except for some minors. The ideas are pretty much mine though but I just want to say thanks to those who have reviewed my previous works, it keeps me writing!
Authors Note: If you really want to understand this story and enjoy it, then be sure to read the original parts one and two. Also, just wanted to say that yeah the story has got quite complicated and hence a little confusion from me let alone you guys who have no idea what is going on in my twisted mind. Thanks for sticking by me when I've been doing this. It's nice to know I have a loyal following.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
Seattle; New Manticore Holding Facility; October 14th 2022
0520 hours
Max eyed Lydecker apprehensively,
"Who's the target?"
"A Taiwanese man by the name of Xen Ziao. He is attempting to create a version of Manticore of his own. As you know, his home country is in the middle of a long-winded war with China and although Taiwan is winning, it seems that the political scale could be greatly overthrown through the introduction of such a facility. He has come across some remarkable information which can aid in helping him create the ultimate soldier."
"And what's so great about them - huh Deck? No flight risk?"
"Amongst others. They are special because they are like you Max."
"Come again?"
"No junk DNA. I take it by the surprised look on your face, you thought I didn't know about that? I know everything. These soldiers in the making, they surpass you - no emotion, no feeling. No pain receptors."
"So they'd be like White and his flunkies - an incredibly high pain threshold?"
"No - better. They would experience whatever would bring about pain, but their bodies wouldn't register it. Thus, no matter how much pain inflicted, they are unable to absorb the actual painful feeling. It's a very complicated process, which would involve tampering with nerve cell endings. Bottom line is, this man could create an army so advanced, superior and highly skilled - they could take over the world."
"So you want me to catch the guy, get the info and kill him?"
"Just the latter. The man has been said to possess a phenomenal photographic memory. You need to kill him and everything to do with this project will be lost. You need to kill him before he leaves Washington DC - he leaves at midnight four days from now. You do that, and I will supply you with all the information you want on this oncoming plague. After all, we have our own source locked up in the basement. So you two take a minute to discuss your options. Just come out when you're ready."
Lydecker stood, buttoning his jacket as he smirked at Max. He left the room, quickly followed by Ben - leaving the door open just a crack. She found herself sinking onto the bed where Alec already sat.
"I don't like it Max."
"What choice do we have Alec, what else can we do?"
"You have never acted as an assassin. I wont let you now, the guilt will eat you alive."
"Think about this! What is the life of one man for millions? You said it you8rself before, if we don't do something, millions will die."
His head dropped, crestfallen and she reached out to caress his face with her hands gently,
"Try to understand, we have no choice. Just be thankful that it is killing this guy over you."
"That might not be what the right way is. In fact, I really don't think that it will be that simple as one life instead of mine. Logan's files were the ones that said my blood being shed would stop it all from happening. No matter what Lydecker tells us, my being dead is the solution."
"Not an option."
"The only thing that he can possibly tell us is if I am on the destined side of good or bad. Right or wrong."
"Don't you want to know that?"
"I know what I am Max, I'm not some evil psycho. I'll leave that for my clone. Let's just walk out of here - you and me. We go back to TC and we try to figure out what this plague is and how we can stop it."
"I want to know what your runes say though, it might tell us something we really need to know."
"Are you willing to kill a man for it."
"He's not just any man, he's a copycat trying to create the same hell that I have been running from my whole life."
"So that makes him eligible for a death warrant?"
"Him being successful could end the world that we live in."
"Kill him then."
"At least he's not an innocent man like Robert Berrisford."
As soon as the words had left her lips, Max knew that she had gone too far. Alec nudged her as he turned away, staring emptily into space,
"Get out of here, tell Lydecker you'll be his lackey."
"Alec, I'm doing this for us. For you, for me - for the entire human race. I'm not doing anything that you wouldn't do yourself, that you haven't done in the past."
"Then go, be the white knight, the heroine. Save the day Max, you're good at that - no one will think you sold out."
She stared at him, feeling completely deflated. Finally he glanced at her with narrowed eyes. Max copied Alec's facial expression, standing up to utter the last word,
"Fuck you."
She turned, walking out and Alec watched after her regretfully before laying down on his back to stare up at the ceiling.
* * * * *
0700 hours
Lydecker walked into the room later that morning, his eyes twinkling behind his coke bottle glasses,
"Can I get you anything Alec?"
"No. Has she gone?"
"Yes, she left just then, she has some recon to do first before she makes her move."
"And if she gets caught killing him, can you risk that exposure?"
"She gets caught, I have the power to get her out. She knows what she has to do and how she has to kill him - but I'm sure you'll be the first to point out that Ben could always give her pointers on that."
"Why her? Why not one of your other GI Joe dolls?"
"Because Max is special. We both know it. She is everything a soldier should be and more. Her killing this man just proves that she will always be my kid, I will always have a hold over her that no one - not even you - can override."
"So this is some power trip deal?"
"That's what life only ever is. Power. Those who want it and those who have it - there's only two groups of people. Now the question is, if she does what I have told her to - what group does she belong to? And where does that leave you?"
He chuckled lightly and Alec sat upright to glare at the older man,
"It's always about playing with our minds, isn't it?"
"What ever makes you say that 494. Alec really doesn't suit you. You were my best soldier, the highest ranking, best performing. I know part of you misses that, the respect, the honour. You were held in awe by the entire facility and you threw the chance to have all that again by choosing to be with her. A rogue that you was the reason you spent your first 6 months in Psy-Ops."
"I believe you were the reason I was there, all of the times."
"It was necessary."
"Yeah coz I was so likely to run. But maybe you were on to something there. But that next time, that wasn't necessary. I wasn't betraying Manticore."
"Then what were you doing?"
"I loved her! And you killed her. I could have made them leave, killed him and not her."
"It was necessary for both Robert and Rachel Berrisford to be taken out."
"IT WAS NEVER NECESSARY! Everyone found out we existed anyway, and now all that happens is we are constantly looking over our backs to see what humans are aiming their guns at us. My best friend was killed by those fuckers! EXPOSURE? Look around, it's already happened and that means two innocent people's lives were wrecked for nothing. And now Berrisford will fight against us, instead of the possibility we once had of him fighting for us."
Alec gasped as he finished his screaming and leaned over, panting wildly,
"She didn't deserve to die."
He knew that Lydecker wouldn't have been able to hear the last pitiful comment, but the man seemed to know what he was thinking as he sat down next to him, giving him a sympathetic look,
"You're like a son to me Alec. I hate to see you upset like this. What can I do to make up what I put you through?"
"You cant win me over. I know you're trying to win Max, but you wont. She will never come back to this place."
"I know that. I wasn't trying to..."
"Yeah right."
"What can I do?"
Alec fell silent as he thought about what he could get from Lydecker, what he could gain if he acted like the Colonel had the upper hand,
"I want to talk to White, I have some questions for him."
Lydecker looked down at the ground, shifting his feet awkwardly. Eventually he looked up at the transgenic,
"Out of the question. I'm sorry, I just can't let you do that."
"What is it you're not telling me?"
"Nothing like that. I let you talk to him, then Max wont have to kill Xen because you would have found out everything already."
"He's your source, you can't really trust everything he tells you!"
"I'm not that careless. He is put repeatedly under a Psy-Ops process so we can find out what we need to know."
"And what's that?"
"You'll find out all in good time soldier."
* * * * *
To be continued...
Author's Note:
I'm lost. Reviews can be my light...