Disclaimer

A/N: I apologize now to each and every blonde who reads this. I'm sorry.

Part 10

Asha walked day dreamily down the streets, her feet unconsciously taking her through the maze of people and towards Alec's place. So caught in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice the 4 people in suits leaving the front door and she collided into a darker man.

Snapping out of her funk she stared into brown eyes and pale skin. He smiled a smile that looked foreign on his face that held natural frown marks and bent over picking up her wallet that she'd dropped. Asha's heart clinched as a photo of Alec fell out of it and she closed her eyes against the hurt.

Feeling a sharp prick at her side she opened her eyes in surprise just as her legs gave way and she blinked dazedly as she stared into cold brown eyes.

*******

Her eyes were hard, detached as she stepped into headquarters immediately spotting the X6's. Mole looked up from a map he was studying with Dix and immediately looked down again.

The black pants and boots hugged her legs to perfection much like the turtleneck polo. The beanie held her hair out of her face and the long plat cascaded down her back. Her eyes seemed to be just as stormy and she felt the air around her become tense.

A bitter grin that didn't reach her eyes tugged her lips at the realization that in that moment everyone in that room was scared of her if not downright terrified. Like the panther she resembled and no doubt was in some part she moved gracefully to her team.

"Ready?" her tone was brisk and unmoved, "Get comms off Mole and meet me outside. You already know the lay out, there's no need to go over it again."

Four quick nods greeted her and 452 smiled, "Then let's go."

She turned and walked out but didn't miss the sound of relieved sighs and turning to a just as black Jondy she was met by an amused grin, "You know when you get like this you sometimes even scare the beejesus out of me dear sister."

452 looked at her then allowed herself a quick smile before it was gone, "Jon, you've always been scared of me. You always will be."

"Pffft," and the poking of her tongue was the only answer and the two girls opened the back of the van allowing the younger generation to get in before moving to the front seats.

*******

The building loomed in front of them but the two older transgenics seemed unperturbed. Apion was nervous but like his unit he controlled his reactions and schooled his features.

"You know the plan?"

Five unanimous nods and she acknowledged them, "Beta team to the right, my team we're going left."

She didn't wait to see Jondy take off at full transgenic speed with Ese and Apion knowing by instinct that her sister wouldn't hesitate. She could taste the anxiety that emanated from Caiman and Sid as they blurred in tandem with her, mirroring her every move and sway to a point where outside eyes would think it was a synchronized performance.

Reaching the barbed wire fence she bent her knees crouching that tiny bit lower than most X's did and propelling herself that much higher. Without missing a beat the two copied and sailed over the wire.

"The trick is in the knees," she said calmly standing in a half crouch as she zoomed in on the cameras and the guards.

452 counted down in her mind . . .

It's easy 452, bend your knees when you jump. Bend them a fraction more and you'll go higher, it's simple physics.

She looked up at her CO as he showed her how to fold her body, "Remember that you're better than any guard, TAC leader or even the colonel. You can do things they only dream of.

. . . shaking the images from her eyes she twitched her fingers as the last camera turned and she sprinted again, her feet flying over the earth not even making a sliver of sound, knowing exactly where to tread.

Her breath was barely hitched as she reached the guards knocking one out with her own momentum and quickly moving to the second. Her foot sweeping his legs off the ground and smashing her fist into his face breaking his nose and cheekbones and sending him into the land on unconsciousness.  Hearing the third thump to the ground behind her she righted her self from her position, one knee on the ground her clenched hand still near the guys bleeding face. She held up a fist, covered in blood that did not belong to her, in a sign of stopping as she moved to the door. Picking the lock to it she ignored the shock that had quickly shone in their eyes at the strength and precision of the fight and 452 locked the animal inside of her back in its cage.

Sid watched her with Caiman as she scrutinized the hall leading into the warehouse with focus, checking for traps, sensors, anything that might give away the breach. They waited for her signal before moving inside with her.

452 kept her attention on her surroundings as they stepped into the wide expanse of the warehouse, their bodies hidden by some crates. Her head flicked up looking at the rafters of the roof that hung over them by at least 75 feet.

With intricate gestures she signaled the X6's and they looked in the direction she pointed spotting Ese and Apion and then Jondy below them on the other side of the warehouse. 452 crouched on one knee and nodded to Sid as he sprinted toward her, jumping on her hands she propelled him upwards where she grabbed hold of the support beams, Caiman following straight after.

The four transgenics strategically placed themselves covering the whole expanse of the warehouse; their fingers on the triggers ready to fire.

Jondy's eyes caught Max's and she realized that in this moment she wasn't Max but just 452 and with a painful pang she recognized that she was fighting the memories that were now resurfacing with a vengeance, fighting the animal that every transgenic kept behind a steel locked door.

*******

Her whole body felt numb and tingled. The ground below her was hard and cold and with a painful groan she opened her eyes noting that it was concrete. Moving her hands to wipe her eyes they blocked and she heard the familiar jingle of handcuffs except this time Alec wasn't gonna come in on his big white horse to save her.

"Well good morning sunshine," drawled a naturally raspy voice.

With difficulty she righted herself in a sitting position and her blurry eyes focused again on brown eyes, "What the hell do you want from me?"

"Oh don't take it personally we don't want you. We're gonna use you as bait for a bigger fish. What can you tell me about him?" eyes widened and her mouth flapped at the photo of Alec placed in front of her, "Now there's a reaction."

*******

452 trailed her sister as they made their way towards the offices getting closer and closer to voices. She smiled as Jondy darted behind cargo effectively letting them reach the office door without being seen or seeing the owners of the voices.

Clicking the door closed behind her she began looking through files on the desk and in the drawers as Jondy copied the hard-drive before deleting it.

Growling in frustration at all the nonsense this guy had on his desk she opened the last drawer. A face-splitting grin spread her lips and lifting the 5 manila folders she handed them to Jondy who placed them inside her cat suit.

'In and out. Easy peasy japanesy' she thought again as they left with everything they'd found leaving the office empty of anything this guy had on them. 'What kind of bad guy is called Ames White? It just screams geek.'

She grinned at her thoughts and signaled to Apion who led the X6's out through the roof. Breathing a sigh of relief she relaxed a little, not even a hiccup, but the feeling of doom, the familiar feeling that everything was about to screw itself over not leaving her. Just about to exit through the doors she heard a voice she hadn't planned on hearing, "What the hell do you want with me?"

"Oh shit," Jondy stopped at her sister's curse. Max had her eyes closed as she battled with her conscience before letting out a low ground out growl of frustration; her jaw clenched and her eyes opening to reveal a storm, "Fucking blondes!"

*******