I'm twenty years old, and the way I see it, the biggest moments of your
life are divided into two categories. That first time you move away from
home and get a taste of control, or the time you get married to the love of
your life and irrevocably intertwine your fates; these times we plan for
years ahead of time. From the time you are ten, and old enough to totter
around in borrowed high heels with a towel for a veil.
Then there are accidents, and incidents. Times when your heart feels beats out of your chest, and your stomach plummets to the floor. In either situation, you know that one era of your life has ended, and a new one has begun. I'm twenty years old. I've never had a choice about the changes in my life; escaping, being captured, and escaping again, are things that you can't plan for.
Still, I remember when I was twelve; I once had this white towel, and a bunch of daisies.
Nothing could ever be the same; we were out, no more hiding in shadows. Skulking doesn't befit a soldier anyway.
My stomach burned and churned, but at that moment I would have given anything for a camera. The looks on my co-workers faces ranged from catatonic shock, to an expression of fear so poignant that I considered checking its bearer for the marks of certain embarrassing bodily functions.
"So, I'm sure you're all wondering why we smell like chicken." Funny, for once Alec was speaking, and I didn't have the urge to hit him.
"I knew it, hah, hahhah. Didn't I tell all of you that Missy Miss was a freak?" It is nice to know that even in moments of severe crisis, you can count on your asshole boss to say something witty. "And know the dog pound is about to come knocking on the door to make a few pick ups." Alec snarled noiselessly at Normal, and his next comment died on his lips. I wonder just how far Golden Boy will fall in his graces.
The nine of us glance at one another. It isn't over yet, we were undoubtedly followed. I know now what has to be done. They'll never just let us walk out the back entrance; but, I've just been handed twenty or so very convenient hostages in the form of my co-workers.
"Oh god." The pregnant X-5 did not look happy.
"Oh god." I follow Alec's horrified eyes to the floor. Ah, perfect, her water just broke.
I take a deep breath before I speak; I doubt that she planned to go into labor during the middle of a hostage crisis.
"Cindy." My friend walks over at my call. "I need you to sit with her. I think that her strength and training should make this easier."
"It gonna be okay boo." I nod into her sympathetic brown eyes, and with the help of the little boy, she assists the pregnant woman to a seat in the corner.
I sign to Dix and CeCe, who nod and take up sentry position by the windows.
I don't need to explain my feeble plan to the others. Alec and Biggs are trained soldiers, Mole is the single most combative creature I have ever met, and beneath the puppy-dog façade, Joshua was no fool.
The ethical considerations of using people I had once considered friends, as human shields, had been obliterated by direness of our situation. I could tell by the looks on my comrade's faces, that they had reached the same conclusion.
"I'd only like to point out one little flaw." Mole's face looked deadly serious. "The police negotiate with kidnappers and the like. White isn't a policeman, not by a long-shot, and he might just try to shoot through any innocent bystanders."
Damn him, the lizard-man had an extremely damning point. Fortunately, I was saved from further fretting by the insistent ringing of the office phone.
I nodded stiffly at Normal, and resisted the tempting urge to say "bip, bip."
"It would appear to be for you Missy Miss. I simply glare at him, and his sarcastic smile turns upside down. He slides the receiver down the counter towards me, and I catch it in my left hand.
"My name is Detective Clemente of the Seattle PD, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" I stifle a sigh of relief. If the cops are still in the game, White can't start arbitrarily shooting down civilians.
"Call me 452." I don't know why I don't give him my name. It shouldn't matter anymore, but somehow I want to keep just one small piece of what I had. Something that belonged to the post-escape, pre-public freak era of my life.
"Nice name. Okay to be straight with you, our highest priority is the freedom of the employees in that building. As a sign of mutual trust, we would deeply appreciate it if you released those people. I'm sure that you wouldn't want this to turn into a hostage situation."
Funny, just a few hours ago, I would have counted as one of that number. I manage to inject a bit of my sneer into my voice as I speak. "Sure Detective, and then I'm sure that you'll just let my friends and I walk out the door and go on our way. I'm sure you know what we are by now. You also know that we weren't made to be stupid."
"I'm afraid you have me there, uh, 452. However, I can assure you that your people will only be taken into protective custody. None of you will be injured if this ends right now."
"Really Detective, because I think there might be a certain Agent White out there who would disagree with that statement. Besides, protective custody generally involves a cell. Personally, I think that I can speak for all of my people when I say that none of us would appreciate being in a cage again."
"Well then 452, it seems that we negotiate. I'm sure your intentions are peaceful; but, I can't risk those employees ending up like your chickens."
"I need to confer with my compatriots, give me three minutes Detective Clemente."
I turn to the others, but they direct my attention to the corner. There may just be hope for us yet. Never in my whole life would I have expected to see Normal helping to deliver a transgenic baby.
"Gem says her baby is almost ready to be born." I smile back up at Joshua, and pat him on the arm.
"We'll get her and her baby out of this Big-fella, don't worry." Wow, way to give encouragement Alec. Who knew he had it in him.
Shit, I needed to focus. "Okay guys, this is the way we stand. It looks like White hasn't managed to pull authority yet, and the guy in charge of the police is willing to negotiate."
Restrained smiles meet my pronouncement.
"We use them as bargaining chips, demand safe transport to Terminal City." As he spoke, Mole made a gesture encompassing my co-workers.
The others nod in agreement. Well, it's a plan. Not a brilliant one perhaps, but we seemed to be running out of options.
This time, I didn't jump when the phone rang. "Okay Detective Clemente, we'll keep this simple. You want the hostages, and all that I want in return is a van. It will be delivered to the back entrance of the building in one half hour. The area will be cleared of all police. Keys will be left in the ignition, and it will have a full tank of gas. No one. I repeat, No One, is to follow us, or they will be terminated. I assure you that my people are well trained in picking up both tails and tracking devices."
I pause for effect. "In return, as a show of good-will, you will receive three-quarters of the hostages when you produce the van. The other quarter will be returned to you when we reach our destination, with my assurance that they will not be harmed."
After a long moment of silence, Detective Clemente cleared his throat and spoke. "Well 452, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this. Of course I don't have absolute authority in this situation. However, I think that I can guarantee that we will meet your demands. The van will be turned over to you in exactly a half an hour."
"Oh, and Detective, I've always preferred green vans." He grunts in return sounding almost amused.
We'd won this round. My silent self-congratulations are abruptly ended by a tap on my shoulder. Alec motioned me towards the corner where Gem sat.
Maybe there is hope for us after all. Never in my life would I expect to see a tired looking Gem surrounded by a suspiciously teary eyed Normal and a maternal looking Original Cindy holding a squalling little baby.
"The SWAT team boys are getting restless; I think they can here that little tyke howling." CeCe, by the window, looks worried. Unconsciously, though my feet pull me towards the tiny child.
"You can hold her if you like, Max." I look in shock at the new mother. Before I can speak Cindy has laid the child in my arms. She smiles serenely as the uncertainty in my posture begins to fade.
Holding the baby felt kind of right, but who was I kidding I didn't have the tiniest shred of maternal instinct. Still I couldn't help but smile at the way the kid quieted down once she was laid in my arms.
"Max, Max come quick." I hand the baby back to OC and rush to CeCe's side. My blood freezes as I behold White arguing with the Detective I'd been talking to earlier.
Maybe it would still work out; my enhanced hearing had picked up the roar of a van engine being parked behind the building. If we could just reach its safety first.
No, definitely not good. The detective threw up his hands at White, then took a single menacing step forward. In a second, White's hands were at his throat.
Then, suddenly my world burst into stars as I collapsed to the floor.
I was warm, and arms were cradling my descent towards the floor. What was that banging sound? Fireworks, I thought laughingly. Fireworks set off in honor of my brilliant negotiating skills. Strong arms cradled me, and I could here someone calling my name.
"Max. Please Maxie look at me. I think it missed any internal organs. She should be fine as long as we can get her out of here and stop the bleeding." My eyes blurrily focused on the face above me. Hehe Alec was kind of handsome when he looked all worried.
Why should he be worried, I was fine. My stomach just hurt a bit. Maybe a little stomach ache.
As I returned to consciousness, the pain of the little stomach ache increased a hundred fold. My eyes were drawn inevitably downwards toward the sticky wetness at my fingers.
So this is what it felt like to be shot in the stomach. A shame really. If the bullet had found Zach's heart instead, would Alec have given up his? I shook my head and tried to rise.
Arms restrained me on all sides. I subsided rather weakly back into the circle of Alec's arms.
"Shit, guys you need to see this." What else could have happened? Dix on lookout, sounded a few seconds away from an aneurism. "When White grabbed the detective, some of the policeman fired. Well they were subdued by some rather aggressively dressed large people. I'm just guessing that the nasty looking people aren't tourists."
I felt Alec slowly lowering me into Cindy's embrace, and I struggled to hear as he turned to CeCe, Biggs, and Mole. "With Clemente out of the way, there won't be anything to stop White. I'm guessing that there are about fifteen familiars out there. You know that strategically, we can't beat them. Not with those kinds of odds. Now if I were too."
"No." Biggs and CeCe spoke simultaneously cutting him off.
"I think that it may be our only option. I'm not thrilled about the idea, but a soldier does what they have to."
Biggs' voice shook with restrained anger "If you do this, what even makes you think that you could come back from it. Could you take the possibility of being stuck in that state for the rest of your life? I won't let you do it. I'd do it myself rather than let you do it."
"Look, I'm the logical choice. I had the highest ratings in mental control. I've successfully come out of lighter states of mental repression. And basically we don't have any other choice. Now Biggs, will you anchor me or not?"
Biggs nodded, expression tight. The two men stared at each other in silence.
"Well then," Alec gave a trademark smirk, "let's do it."
Then there are accidents, and incidents. Times when your heart feels beats out of your chest, and your stomach plummets to the floor. In either situation, you know that one era of your life has ended, and a new one has begun. I'm twenty years old. I've never had a choice about the changes in my life; escaping, being captured, and escaping again, are things that you can't plan for.
Still, I remember when I was twelve; I once had this white towel, and a bunch of daisies.
Nothing could ever be the same; we were out, no more hiding in shadows. Skulking doesn't befit a soldier anyway.
My stomach burned and churned, but at that moment I would have given anything for a camera. The looks on my co-workers faces ranged from catatonic shock, to an expression of fear so poignant that I considered checking its bearer for the marks of certain embarrassing bodily functions.
"So, I'm sure you're all wondering why we smell like chicken." Funny, for once Alec was speaking, and I didn't have the urge to hit him.
"I knew it, hah, hahhah. Didn't I tell all of you that Missy Miss was a freak?" It is nice to know that even in moments of severe crisis, you can count on your asshole boss to say something witty. "And know the dog pound is about to come knocking on the door to make a few pick ups." Alec snarled noiselessly at Normal, and his next comment died on his lips. I wonder just how far Golden Boy will fall in his graces.
The nine of us glance at one another. It isn't over yet, we were undoubtedly followed. I know now what has to be done. They'll never just let us walk out the back entrance; but, I've just been handed twenty or so very convenient hostages in the form of my co-workers.
"Oh god." The pregnant X-5 did not look happy.
"Oh god." I follow Alec's horrified eyes to the floor. Ah, perfect, her water just broke.
I take a deep breath before I speak; I doubt that she planned to go into labor during the middle of a hostage crisis.
"Cindy." My friend walks over at my call. "I need you to sit with her. I think that her strength and training should make this easier."
"It gonna be okay boo." I nod into her sympathetic brown eyes, and with the help of the little boy, she assists the pregnant woman to a seat in the corner.
I sign to Dix and CeCe, who nod and take up sentry position by the windows.
I don't need to explain my feeble plan to the others. Alec and Biggs are trained soldiers, Mole is the single most combative creature I have ever met, and beneath the puppy-dog façade, Joshua was no fool.
The ethical considerations of using people I had once considered friends, as human shields, had been obliterated by direness of our situation. I could tell by the looks on my comrade's faces, that they had reached the same conclusion.
"I'd only like to point out one little flaw." Mole's face looked deadly serious. "The police negotiate with kidnappers and the like. White isn't a policeman, not by a long-shot, and he might just try to shoot through any innocent bystanders."
Damn him, the lizard-man had an extremely damning point. Fortunately, I was saved from further fretting by the insistent ringing of the office phone.
I nodded stiffly at Normal, and resisted the tempting urge to say "bip, bip."
"It would appear to be for you Missy Miss. I simply glare at him, and his sarcastic smile turns upside down. He slides the receiver down the counter towards me, and I catch it in my left hand.
"My name is Detective Clemente of the Seattle PD, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" I stifle a sigh of relief. If the cops are still in the game, White can't start arbitrarily shooting down civilians.
"Call me 452." I don't know why I don't give him my name. It shouldn't matter anymore, but somehow I want to keep just one small piece of what I had. Something that belonged to the post-escape, pre-public freak era of my life.
"Nice name. Okay to be straight with you, our highest priority is the freedom of the employees in that building. As a sign of mutual trust, we would deeply appreciate it if you released those people. I'm sure that you wouldn't want this to turn into a hostage situation."
Funny, just a few hours ago, I would have counted as one of that number. I manage to inject a bit of my sneer into my voice as I speak. "Sure Detective, and then I'm sure that you'll just let my friends and I walk out the door and go on our way. I'm sure you know what we are by now. You also know that we weren't made to be stupid."
"I'm afraid you have me there, uh, 452. However, I can assure you that your people will only be taken into protective custody. None of you will be injured if this ends right now."
"Really Detective, because I think there might be a certain Agent White out there who would disagree with that statement. Besides, protective custody generally involves a cell. Personally, I think that I can speak for all of my people when I say that none of us would appreciate being in a cage again."
"Well then 452, it seems that we negotiate. I'm sure your intentions are peaceful; but, I can't risk those employees ending up like your chickens."
"I need to confer with my compatriots, give me three minutes Detective Clemente."
I turn to the others, but they direct my attention to the corner. There may just be hope for us yet. Never in my whole life would I have expected to see Normal helping to deliver a transgenic baby.
"Gem says her baby is almost ready to be born." I smile back up at Joshua, and pat him on the arm.
"We'll get her and her baby out of this Big-fella, don't worry." Wow, way to give encouragement Alec. Who knew he had it in him.
Shit, I needed to focus. "Okay guys, this is the way we stand. It looks like White hasn't managed to pull authority yet, and the guy in charge of the police is willing to negotiate."
Restrained smiles meet my pronouncement.
"We use them as bargaining chips, demand safe transport to Terminal City." As he spoke, Mole made a gesture encompassing my co-workers.
The others nod in agreement. Well, it's a plan. Not a brilliant one perhaps, but we seemed to be running out of options.
This time, I didn't jump when the phone rang. "Okay Detective Clemente, we'll keep this simple. You want the hostages, and all that I want in return is a van. It will be delivered to the back entrance of the building in one half hour. The area will be cleared of all police. Keys will be left in the ignition, and it will have a full tank of gas. No one. I repeat, No One, is to follow us, or they will be terminated. I assure you that my people are well trained in picking up both tails and tracking devices."
I pause for effect. "In return, as a show of good-will, you will receive three-quarters of the hostages when you produce the van. The other quarter will be returned to you when we reach our destination, with my assurance that they will not be harmed."
After a long moment of silence, Detective Clemente cleared his throat and spoke. "Well 452, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this. Of course I don't have absolute authority in this situation. However, I think that I can guarantee that we will meet your demands. The van will be turned over to you in exactly a half an hour."
"Oh, and Detective, I've always preferred green vans." He grunts in return sounding almost amused.
We'd won this round. My silent self-congratulations are abruptly ended by a tap on my shoulder. Alec motioned me towards the corner where Gem sat.
Maybe there is hope for us after all. Never in my life would I expect to see a tired looking Gem surrounded by a suspiciously teary eyed Normal and a maternal looking Original Cindy holding a squalling little baby.
"The SWAT team boys are getting restless; I think they can here that little tyke howling." CeCe, by the window, looks worried. Unconsciously, though my feet pull me towards the tiny child.
"You can hold her if you like, Max." I look in shock at the new mother. Before I can speak Cindy has laid the child in my arms. She smiles serenely as the uncertainty in my posture begins to fade.
Holding the baby felt kind of right, but who was I kidding I didn't have the tiniest shred of maternal instinct. Still I couldn't help but smile at the way the kid quieted down once she was laid in my arms.
"Max, Max come quick." I hand the baby back to OC and rush to CeCe's side. My blood freezes as I behold White arguing with the Detective I'd been talking to earlier.
Maybe it would still work out; my enhanced hearing had picked up the roar of a van engine being parked behind the building. If we could just reach its safety first.
No, definitely not good. The detective threw up his hands at White, then took a single menacing step forward. In a second, White's hands were at his throat.
Then, suddenly my world burst into stars as I collapsed to the floor.
I was warm, and arms were cradling my descent towards the floor. What was that banging sound? Fireworks, I thought laughingly. Fireworks set off in honor of my brilliant negotiating skills. Strong arms cradled me, and I could here someone calling my name.
"Max. Please Maxie look at me. I think it missed any internal organs. She should be fine as long as we can get her out of here and stop the bleeding." My eyes blurrily focused on the face above me. Hehe Alec was kind of handsome when he looked all worried.
Why should he be worried, I was fine. My stomach just hurt a bit. Maybe a little stomach ache.
As I returned to consciousness, the pain of the little stomach ache increased a hundred fold. My eyes were drawn inevitably downwards toward the sticky wetness at my fingers.
So this is what it felt like to be shot in the stomach. A shame really. If the bullet had found Zach's heart instead, would Alec have given up his? I shook my head and tried to rise.
Arms restrained me on all sides. I subsided rather weakly back into the circle of Alec's arms.
"Shit, guys you need to see this." What else could have happened? Dix on lookout, sounded a few seconds away from an aneurism. "When White grabbed the detective, some of the policeman fired. Well they were subdued by some rather aggressively dressed large people. I'm just guessing that the nasty looking people aren't tourists."
I felt Alec slowly lowering me into Cindy's embrace, and I struggled to hear as he turned to CeCe, Biggs, and Mole. "With Clemente out of the way, there won't be anything to stop White. I'm guessing that there are about fifteen familiars out there. You know that strategically, we can't beat them. Not with those kinds of odds. Now if I were too."
"No." Biggs and CeCe spoke simultaneously cutting him off.
"I think that it may be our only option. I'm not thrilled about the idea, but a soldier does what they have to."
Biggs' voice shook with restrained anger "If you do this, what even makes you think that you could come back from it. Could you take the possibility of being stuck in that state for the rest of your life? I won't let you do it. I'd do it myself rather than let you do it."
"Look, I'm the logical choice. I had the highest ratings in mental control. I've successfully come out of lighter states of mental repression. And basically we don't have any other choice. Now Biggs, will you anchor me or not?"
Biggs nodded, expression tight. The two men stared at each other in silence.
"Well then," Alec gave a trademark smirk, "let's do it."