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Part 3
452 stood at attention her eyes staring forward as Renfro paced in front of her. The director seemed to be deep in thought but she'd lost interest in the blonde woman's actions some four minutes ago.
She kept one ear trained on Renfro but the rest of her was far away in thought. Max… Max… she repeated the name inside her own head as if testing it, trying to gauge a reaction to it and wondering why it seemed to feel so right, so familiar. In the end she concluded she liked it. It was short, simple… and to the point, she thought smiling inwardly. Maximum. Well actually Alec had said it stood for Mouthy Aberrant Xerograph but she preferred the other.
She studied and analyzed his words in her mind trying to see what he thought of her. Mouthy. Well for that one she had to agree, so she was a little open and voiced her opinion, big deal. To 452 it was like a big 'screw you' to Manticore; like every thing else she did. She liked to bend and break the rules. She never crossed a certain line, the one that turned you from a nuisance to expendable. She'd never figured out why they kept her, after that incident three years ago she had made it none too subtly clear what she thought of Manticore.
All the staff and doctors knew about her and everyone still wondered why 452 still ranked as one of the highest, best Manticore had to offer. Max did herself.
452 snorted mentally at having used the name the rogue had given her and her trail of thought was once again placed on Alec's words, aberrant. Sure the X5 could admit she was different, diverse, but the rogue had only just met her. Different how 452 asked herself. What did he know about her?
Xerograph. This was the one that stumped her; the one she'd been trying to figure out all morning and it was why she'd lied. How could she ask him about it if they were both in isolation? 452 ignored the persistent voice that told her there was more to her actions.
"State your designation," Renfro ordered breaking the silence and 452 was jolted out of her musings, "X5-452!" she barked out like the good little soldier she was supposed to be.
"452 are you aware of your ranking here at Manticore?" the blonde bitch continued. 452 stayed quiet knowing right away the question wasn't one the director wanted answered, "Do you know how you kept that title? Well let me fill in the blanks. I didn't clear your record after every one of your deliberate failings cause I wanted to be friends."
Max didn't move, her eyes only flickered imperceptibly at the woman's words, "Sandeman covered his tracks well but not that well. I knew there was something special about you, something that made you different, worthy of my patience."
452 suppressed the chuckle at the blonde's words; "The chances I gave you paid off. You 452, are perfection. You are what we were striving for. You'll be moved to another facility, there you'll be briefed and trained for your mission. We'll be leaving at 2000 hours. Until then your dismissed from your classes, you may do as you please."
"Yes ma'am," Max replied detachedly.
"Dismissed."
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2000 hours
Max… 452 stood next to the HUV and waited for the director. Two black helicopter men waited alongside. They were at the perimeter fence and Max used her vision to zone in on one window. The window she shouldn't be interested in seeing through.
You need a name too…
My designation's 452…
You mean 453… went psycho…
The straps held her down in place and the laser in her eyes was painful. She fought against the restraints, fighting the images… DUTY… DISCIPLINE… MISSION… TRAITOR…
You are nothing 452… you are a soldier… soldiers don't have feelings… they don't have the capacity to love… you're poison… Brendan's death is your fault… it's all your fault… your actions.
She lay there unmoving her eyes bloodshot looking into space…
A shadowed face watched her…
You okay… little-fella…
Father named me… Joshua… Sandeman named me…
Sandeman covered his tracks well…
Perfection…
BRENDAN!
I'm gonna call you Max…
Footsteps brought her back to the present and Renfro walked towards them with a little smile. Explosions went off behind her and Max saw the building burst into flames.
452's eyes widened in disbelief and she didn't even humor the blonde in hiding her emotion, "We have to go back! We have to help them!" Max shouted knowing the humans wouldn't hear her over the noise of the fire.
"Stand down 452. Our operation was compromised. This is plausible deniability," the bitch explained as if she were talking to a child.
The other small girl grinned at her showing all her teeth.
They giggled underneath the covers as their CO watched them hiding his amusement.
An older boy stood beside her holding her hand, she looked around at her unit, at all the little grief filled bodies, shaking with the unfairness of it all.
The X5 lunged herself at Madame X. She wasn't 452, she wasn't Max, she was the animal hidden inside her. The one each transgenic fought to control. Some more than others. How could she kill them without a second thought? That was her family in there.
All she heard was the single shot but she felt no pain. She looked at Renfro's face and knew right then who had been hit. The two guards ran off and Max looked back at the older woman, "Find… Sandeman… fight… the familiars…"
Max looked in shock at the blood on her hands. She hesitated a moment and then she ran. Towards her hell, towards her stolen childhood, towards the cage that had been her home.
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