Disclaimer

This chapter is dedicated to scarlet.

Part 2

The tight gray shirt stuck to her chest and the military issue boots she was wearing were remarkably quiet. Her hair was dark and long, swishing noiselessly around her as she looked at Alec in curiosity.

For a second he couldn't breath and the only thing he felt was the painful beating of his far too hopeful heart about to be crushed. No thought went through his mind. Manticore, Asha, the loosened bricks under his bed; none of it existed.

"Sam?" his voice was croaky and his deep hazel eyes widened in surprise and trepidation.

The female X5 didn't respond but simply raised her eyebrows in confusion. Alec watched a spark glimmer behind her eyes and then it was gone replaced by a grin, "You mean 453. Your fellow traitor. Went psycho," she drawled and then the grin was back, "My designation is 452. Come on let's get this over with."

Alec was still too shocked to speak but he managed to swallow, hard and finding his voice he mused mostly to himself, "You must have been twinned. What do you know about it anyway?"

The X5 rolled her eyes and explained, "I know that because of her I had to have an extended vacation in Psy-Ops, they wanted to make sure it wasn't genetic." His eyes widened at her words but they completely bulged when her hands went to her top.

He jumped up from his cot and halted her hands half way up, "What are you doing?"

The darker female stopped at his hands; "We've been paired off. I'm your breeding partner. We're supposed to copulate every night until I get pregnant. It's your own fault anyway. If you and your friends hadn't blown up the DNA database, they'd still be whipping up embryos and putting them into surrogates. Take off your clothes."

Alec stood in a phase of shock. His lips were partly opened and she could see the information trying to be processed, "That's sick! I don't care what your orders are, get out of my cell!"

"You know I'm not thrilled of this development myself. You've been out in filth for half your life. I could catch something. Oh, and don't forget I'm just dying to walk around like a beached whale for months. Soldiers aren't meant to be pregnant," Max huffed and lowered her shirt back down, brushing out the imaginary crinkles.

Alec suppressed the smile that threatened his lips, "Whatever you need to tell yourself. And . . . my name's Alec."

"Was the slight pause to emphasize or can't you form sentences fast enough?" she asked with a smirk sitting down on his vacated cot, "Anyway take a 'chill pill'."

Alec's brow furrowed in confusion at her choice of words. Seeing his hesitation she explained, "I took Common Verbal Usage when I got cleared for my solo missions."

Light dawned on his features and he answered sarcastically, "Oh, you mean assassinations."

452 ignored him and laid down getting comfortable, "It was my job. If you're gonna 'bust my chops' about it, go ahead."

Alec slid down the wall and watched her, studying her carefully and time seemed to whiz by. Sure she looked like Sam, they were identical in fact, but their attitudes were completely different. Sam hadn't even had an attitude, 452 was . . . mouthy.

A grin set on his lips and he spoke breaking the silence, "You should have a name too."

452 didn't even open her eyes but bit back right away, "Cause I'm gonna need it when I go to see the nice doctors and they give me a lollipop when I tell them."

Alec's brow furrowed and he looked to be deep in thought. 452's eyes opened studying him and then looked down at her watch, nearly an hour had passed.

"I'm gonna call you Max," Alec finally said and 452 sat up and quirked an eyebrow, "Max?"

Alec grinned as she stood and called for the guard, "As in Mouthy Aberrant Xerograph. Or you can just say it's short for Maximum."

The X5 grinned and stepping out replied, "I can live with that. See ya around . . . Alec."

**********

Alec watched Renfro in his peripheral vision. Max stood beside him impeccably straight, eyes front, shoulders squared and no emotion whatsoever on her face. If he had never run away he would have been impressed. Yet there was something out of place about her. It was like even though she obeyed, she disobeyed, she had sarcasm, attitude, a personality.

As the blonde got closer and closer asking every pair about their 'copulation' Alec's hatred towards her grew and grew. The sick bitch. If she could she'd probably watch Alec thought.

Despite what he thought of her he kept his emotions behind the mask he'd developed as a kid. A classic giveaway that you came from this hellhole. He didn't want any repeat performances from last time so he just played along with her. He wasn't about to forget who he was anytime soon though. She'd have to realize that.

"State your designation," Renfro's voice droned over the speaker.

Alec bet his fist against the one way mirror hitting his reflection, "My name's Alec. Kiss. My. Transgenic. Ass."

The ceiling lowered and Alec was forced into a crouch and then a ball. He didn't hear a reply.

The director's piercing voice broke him out of his thoughts and he snapped back to attention, "Report."

Alec didn't reply. He had no idea what to say We Just talked wouldn't go down well. It was Max who spoke up first surprising him but he said nothing going on with her lie, "Successful copulation with X5-494 ma'am. Twice."

Alec held his breath waiting, expecting for her to see through the lie, for the guards to take them to detention for lying but only a self-gloating smile appeared, "Excellent 494."

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