So I killed off Wil. Did anybody really like her anyways? I did, I thought she was good for Alec but I was just curious as to what you guys thought about her. And how come I only get an everage of three reviews per chapter? Can I get some more? I'm not going to do the whole "I won't post until I get x reviews" but I would like more. Oh well. I'll settle for my three reviews. Read on and enjoy! Oh and to JetBlack; your review had me laughing for like ten minutes. Thanks!
Never in his life had Sketchy seen anything like the carnage that lay before him. He finally had that life that made him more than a bike messenger. Noticing the transgenic woman he had hit on just yesterday laying motionless and missing an arm, being a bike messenger seemed more than enough.
His weary trudging stopped when he came upon a very familiar figure. Her brown hair hung in tangles matted with blood.
Sketchy lowered himself to the ground and laid a causious hand on her shoulder. Gently, he rolled her onto her back. He winced when he saw a large bruise covering the left side of her face.
"Max," he said shaking her. "Max, are you okay?"
Much to Sketchy's relief, Max slowly opened her eyes. "Sketch?"
"Yeah, Max, it's me," he responded.
She moved to sit up and Sketchy was there to help her. "What happened?"
He glanced to the unmoving bodies around them and said glumly, "It didn't go as well as we hoped."
And Max saw the multiple bodies strewn about the ground like so much garbage. Her shoulders slumped. "They're dead? They're all dead," she breathed.
"OC, Logan and me are searching for anyone alive. You're the first one I've found in an hour," he said sadly.
"This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to stop this, Sketchy." She looked up at him like a lost child. "I failed."
"Max, this wasn't your fault. Nothing you could have done would have stopped this," he tried to reassure her.
She shook her head. "Everything that prophecy said came true and I was supposed to stop this." She looked over the bodies and demolished buildings still smoking. "I'm going to try to find Joshua, or Alec or Rift or… anybody."
"Just be careful, Max. I don't think all of those Familiar goons are gone."
Max nodded. "Thanks, Sketch."
She watched him slowly walk away sidestepping bodies.
Everyone was dead. Max began wondering through the death and decay. She should have stopped this. Her people were dead. Those sons of bitches had killed them all. Max looked down at a young X6. They didn't deserve this. They were bright good people and White and his friends stole that from them leaving a wasteland brimming with empty shells.
Tears streamed down her face. This wasn't fair. They had no way to defend themselves against bombs. And when those cowards had decided to attack them face to face, they outnumbered the transgenics three to one.
Fury climbed through Max, a fury so strong that Max couldn't contain it. Thunderous rage coursed through her blood. Those bastards had murdered everyone.
Max felt extreme fire burn around her runes. She couldn't begin to imagine what was happening to her. The anger in her spilled over the edge and she let go.
"NOOOOOOOO!" she howled and it echoed over the city. Light began to collect around Max. It grew stronger until Max couldn't look at it anymore. Her hand rose to block it and she slammed her eyes shut. The light grew until it burst sweeping over the land.
When Max opened her eyes, nothing of the light remained. And then she heard it. All around her were moans and grunts.
And movement. The bodies that moments before were rigid and empty moved sluggishly.
Speechless, Max's jaw dropped.
The dead, well, they certainly weren't dead anymore, breathed and moved. They lived.
Max felt dizzy. Her eyelids dipped as she swayed. The earth shifted underneath her, or at least, she swore it did.
Her knees buckled and she toppled to the pavement unconscious.
"Max. Max, wake up."
Startled awake, Max shot straight up and Logan narrowly missed making contact. She blinked. "What the hell?" Disoriented about her surr Max gazed up at Logan perplexed. "Logan, how did I get here? Where is everyone?" Her mind brought up her most recent memories. "They're not dead, are they?"
Logan smiled. "See for yourself."
He led her out of the bare room and into the control room.
Max couldn't believe her eyes. The once desolate building teamed with life. A laughing or relieved transgenic occupied every foot of the room.
Her mouth hung open in awe. "It's incredible." And then a thought crept into her mind and she smiled. "I did it," she whispered. "I saved them."
Logan only nodded. "Yes, you did. Just like the prophecy said you would."
The doors leading outside flung open and Max spotted someone carrying another person. The joyous laughter and merry atmosphere washed away as everyone saw who had entered the room.
Alec rushed over to Max cradling Wil tightly in his arms. Max's spirit sunk. Obviously, she hadn't saved everyone.
Tears shimmered unshed in Alec's eyes. "She's dead," came his strained voice. He looked down to Wil's colorless face. "I couldn't say anything, I promised I wouldn't. And she died and I…" he trailed off.
"Alec," Max spoke sternly and Alec jumped. For a second he had forgotten anyone was with him. "What happened?"
His gaze never left Wil. "I was on the street dying and she found me. She got this haunted look in her eyes and told me she loved me." He looked at Max helplessly. "She made me promise not to move or say anything so I did." His eyes fell back to Wil. "And she was shot. I wanted to scream to do anything but I promised her I wouldn't, Max." His voice shrunk to a whisper. "I promised."
"Alec," Max began but his pleading stopped her.
His eyes snapped to her urgently. "You have to help her. You fixed the rest of us, delivered the helpless. Fix her, make it better." Carefully, Alec laid Wil's body on a table covered with papers.
"Alec," Max said sadly. "I don't know how."
"Max, please, you saved everyone else, why not her?"
No answer she gave would be enough; she didn't have any.
Alec let his tears slip; saving face in front of his people didn't matter anymore. "Please. I know I'm a pain in the ass sometimes but I've never asked you for anything. Just help her."
Max wanted to cry at the emotions displayed in his normally concealed face. In her heart, she knew Alec was good, just misguided at times. None of them had much happiness in their lives, and they all deserved whatever little amount they found.
But no matter how much she wanted to help, the knowledge about how to do that sat right outside her grasp.
"I don't know how I did it. If I knew how, I'd save her right now, but I don't," she told him regretfully.
Confusion, anger and sorrow twisted Alec's face. "I don't care how much you hate me, Max. Don't take it out on her!" he yelled forcefully causing Max to take a cautious step back. "She doesn't deserve this."
"No," Max shook her head, "she doesn't. Alec, I'm sorry."
And that's when Alec closed up. He bundled his anguish, rage and pain and locked it behind his barrier letting the walls climb up with a final clang. It couldn't hurt him if it stayed locked away behind steel.
Max easily noticed the change in him. His turbulent eyes became empty, void of any feeling. "Alec," she touched his arm softly. "I really am sorry."
He shrugged her hand off. "I know," he said flatly. Pivoting on his heel, he left, not making eye contact with anyone.
Max's eyes followed Alec's swiftly retreating form. She really wanted to heal Wil but she didn't have the faintest idea what to do. When she healed everyone, she didn't understand what was going on, let alone how to do it again.
Logan's rough but at the same time gentle voice drew Max from her depressing thoughts. "Max, there's something else I didn't tell you." She glanced at him silently. "The barcodes, Max. Everyone's barcodes have disappeared along with the runes."
Disbelieving, her eyes widened. "Our barcodes are gone?"
And she looked to a nearby transgenic. He nodded and faced his back to her pulling his shirt down slightly. Smooth, bare skin greeted her. "My designation was X6-737." The boy smiled, the same dead X6 she had seen earlier. "It never will be again."
"They're free, Max, thanks to you," Logan pointed out.
She shook her head. "Not all of them. What about the ones like Joshua or Mole? Just because they don't have a barcode anymore doesn't mean they won't get noticed."
Logan nodded bleakly. "You're right."
Max looked to Wil's corpse. "I'm going to bring her to one of the adjacent rooms. We'll have to have a funeral for her. She was our only casualty."
Not responding, Logan just watched silently as Max carried the body away.
"The transgenics are dead. The prophecy has not come true," the woman smiled contently. The man next to her only nodded. "We're going to need 452's body though. Her DNA alone will be worth a fortune."
"I'll handle it," he volunteered.
"Make sure you get it, Ames. We wouldn't want the body falling into the wrong hands."
Ames grinned. "Don't worry about it."
Never in his life had Sketchy seen anything like the carnage that lay before him. He finally had that life that made him more than a bike messenger. Noticing the transgenic woman he had hit on just yesterday laying motionless and missing an arm, being a bike messenger seemed more than enough.
His weary trudging stopped when he came upon a very familiar figure. Her brown hair hung in tangles matted with blood.
Sketchy lowered himself to the ground and laid a causious hand on her shoulder. Gently, he rolled her onto her back. He winced when he saw a large bruise covering the left side of her face.
"Max," he said shaking her. "Max, are you okay?"
Much to Sketchy's relief, Max slowly opened her eyes. "Sketch?"
"Yeah, Max, it's me," he responded.
She moved to sit up and Sketchy was there to help her. "What happened?"
He glanced to the unmoving bodies around them and said glumly, "It didn't go as well as we hoped."
And Max saw the multiple bodies strewn about the ground like so much garbage. Her shoulders slumped. "They're dead? They're all dead," she breathed.
"OC, Logan and me are searching for anyone alive. You're the first one I've found in an hour," he said sadly.
"This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to stop this, Sketchy." She looked up at him like a lost child. "I failed."
"Max, this wasn't your fault. Nothing you could have done would have stopped this," he tried to reassure her.
She shook her head. "Everything that prophecy said came true and I was supposed to stop this." She looked over the bodies and demolished buildings still smoking. "I'm going to try to find Joshua, or Alec or Rift or… anybody."
"Just be careful, Max. I don't think all of those Familiar goons are gone."
Max nodded. "Thanks, Sketch."
She watched him slowly walk away sidestepping bodies.
Everyone was dead. Max began wondering through the death and decay. She should have stopped this. Her people were dead. Those sons of bitches had killed them all. Max looked down at a young X6. They didn't deserve this. They were bright good people and White and his friends stole that from them leaving a wasteland brimming with empty shells.
Tears streamed down her face. This wasn't fair. They had no way to defend themselves against bombs. And when those cowards had decided to attack them face to face, they outnumbered the transgenics three to one.
Fury climbed through Max, a fury so strong that Max couldn't contain it. Thunderous rage coursed through her blood. Those bastards had murdered everyone.
Max felt extreme fire burn around her runes. She couldn't begin to imagine what was happening to her. The anger in her spilled over the edge and she let go.
"NOOOOOOOO!" she howled and it echoed over the city. Light began to collect around Max. It grew stronger until Max couldn't look at it anymore. Her hand rose to block it and she slammed her eyes shut. The light grew until it burst sweeping over the land.
When Max opened her eyes, nothing of the light remained. And then she heard it. All around her were moans and grunts.
And movement. The bodies that moments before were rigid and empty moved sluggishly.
Speechless, Max's jaw dropped.
The dead, well, they certainly weren't dead anymore, breathed and moved. They lived.
Max felt dizzy. Her eyelids dipped as she swayed. The earth shifted underneath her, or at least, she swore it did.
Her knees buckled and she toppled to the pavement unconscious.
"Max. Max, wake up."
Startled awake, Max shot straight up and Logan narrowly missed making contact. She blinked. "What the hell?" Disoriented about her surr Max gazed up at Logan perplexed. "Logan, how did I get here? Where is everyone?" Her mind brought up her most recent memories. "They're not dead, are they?"
Logan smiled. "See for yourself."
He led her out of the bare room and into the control room.
Max couldn't believe her eyes. The once desolate building teamed with life. A laughing or relieved transgenic occupied every foot of the room.
Her mouth hung open in awe. "It's incredible." And then a thought crept into her mind and she smiled. "I did it," she whispered. "I saved them."
Logan only nodded. "Yes, you did. Just like the prophecy said you would."
The doors leading outside flung open and Max spotted someone carrying another person. The joyous laughter and merry atmosphere washed away as everyone saw who had entered the room.
Alec rushed over to Max cradling Wil tightly in his arms. Max's spirit sunk. Obviously, she hadn't saved everyone.
Tears shimmered unshed in Alec's eyes. "She's dead," came his strained voice. He looked down to Wil's colorless face. "I couldn't say anything, I promised I wouldn't. And she died and I…" he trailed off.
"Alec," Max spoke sternly and Alec jumped. For a second he had forgotten anyone was with him. "What happened?"
His gaze never left Wil. "I was on the street dying and she found me. She got this haunted look in her eyes and told me she loved me." He looked at Max helplessly. "She made me promise not to move or say anything so I did." His eyes fell back to Wil. "And she was shot. I wanted to scream to do anything but I promised her I wouldn't, Max." His voice shrunk to a whisper. "I promised."
"Alec," Max began but his pleading stopped her.
His eyes snapped to her urgently. "You have to help her. You fixed the rest of us, delivered the helpless. Fix her, make it better." Carefully, Alec laid Wil's body on a table covered with papers.
"Alec," Max said sadly. "I don't know how."
"Max, please, you saved everyone else, why not her?"
No answer she gave would be enough; she didn't have any.
Alec let his tears slip; saving face in front of his people didn't matter anymore. "Please. I know I'm a pain in the ass sometimes but I've never asked you for anything. Just help her."
Max wanted to cry at the emotions displayed in his normally concealed face. In her heart, she knew Alec was good, just misguided at times. None of them had much happiness in their lives, and they all deserved whatever little amount they found.
But no matter how much she wanted to help, the knowledge about how to do that sat right outside her grasp.
"I don't know how I did it. If I knew how, I'd save her right now, but I don't," she told him regretfully.
Confusion, anger and sorrow twisted Alec's face. "I don't care how much you hate me, Max. Don't take it out on her!" he yelled forcefully causing Max to take a cautious step back. "She doesn't deserve this."
"No," Max shook her head, "she doesn't. Alec, I'm sorry."
And that's when Alec closed up. He bundled his anguish, rage and pain and locked it behind his barrier letting the walls climb up with a final clang. It couldn't hurt him if it stayed locked away behind steel.
Max easily noticed the change in him. His turbulent eyes became empty, void of any feeling. "Alec," she touched his arm softly. "I really am sorry."
He shrugged her hand off. "I know," he said flatly. Pivoting on his heel, he left, not making eye contact with anyone.
Max's eyes followed Alec's swiftly retreating form. She really wanted to heal Wil but she didn't have the faintest idea what to do. When she healed everyone, she didn't understand what was going on, let alone how to do it again.
Logan's rough but at the same time gentle voice drew Max from her depressing thoughts. "Max, there's something else I didn't tell you." She glanced at him silently. "The barcodes, Max. Everyone's barcodes have disappeared along with the runes."
Disbelieving, her eyes widened. "Our barcodes are gone?"
And she looked to a nearby transgenic. He nodded and faced his back to her pulling his shirt down slightly. Smooth, bare skin greeted her. "My designation was X6-737." The boy smiled, the same dead X6 she had seen earlier. "It never will be again."
"They're free, Max, thanks to you," Logan pointed out.
She shook her head. "Not all of them. What about the ones like Joshua or Mole? Just because they don't have a barcode anymore doesn't mean they won't get noticed."
Logan nodded bleakly. "You're right."
Max looked to Wil's corpse. "I'm going to bring her to one of the adjacent rooms. We'll have to have a funeral for her. She was our only casualty."
Not responding, Logan just watched silently as Max carried the body away.
"The transgenics are dead. The prophecy has not come true," the woman smiled contently. The man next to her only nodded. "We're going to need 452's body though. Her DNA alone will be worth a fortune."
"I'll handle it," he volunteered.
"Make sure you get it, Ames. We wouldn't want the body falling into the wrong hands."
Ames grinned. "Don't worry about it."