A/N- not blackmail but the more reviews I get the faster I am to update- just in case you were interested scuffs foot in the dirt and tries to look casual
What you've been up to.
Commander C.J Brown was a hard core military man, had been drafted straight out of the marines to serve at Manticore as a trainer after a routine assignment meant he blew out both his knee caps on a hidden mine field. He had served under the best and trained the finest and thought that nothing could faze him. He had been wrong.
"So we have a dark horse among us." Lydecker mused.
"452 Sir, one of the Oh Niners."
"I know who my kids are." He snapped.
"For the past few years she has exhibited no outstanding behaviour, despite many opportunities to do so. With the exception of her new role as C.O. or second in command, she has been a good soldier but nothing remarkable."
"Until now." Deck nodded.
"Yes sir, she scored 100% on weapons recognition and assembly," he glanced down at his clipboard. "She was in the top percentile at the target range. Her tactical skills wowed even the TAC master and she stumped McDonald at the round table discussion. The recon and retrieval went off without a hitch and she beat everyone at escape and evade. I mean everyone. She only showed up at lights out because she wondered if the exercise was over."
"So our little oh niner has been holding back on us." Lydecker sounded almost proud "I take it she is doing as well in hand to hand and martial arts." He gestured to the monitors that adorned Command checking out every corner of Manticore.
"Apparently sir." He watched the screen that focussed on the gym as another member of the Unit 6 went flying over 452's head.
"The obstacle course is tomorrow. We can watch her from the tower to make sure that she isn't cheating."
"Actually Sir," C.J shook his head "I think this is the real 452 and she's been holding out on us all this time. But why stop now?"
"She wants out." Lydecker correctly surmised "Little Maxie wants to be special Ops."
"But she's a flight risk." C.J protested.
Deck smirked derisively "How many missions has she been on and with how many opportunities to escape. No, if she hasn't before then she won't now. After all family has been a big thing for Max. She won't want to leave her unit."
The final test was the obstacle course. They had added to it over the years making it harder for the growing transgenics to master and more a test of skill and endurance.
Max watched as Simper staggered across the finish line, gasping for breath.
"6:26:04, not bad." McCarthy said as he made a note on his clipboard. "Next up 261. Ready, go."
Bulli shot forward and they watched him disappear from view, his head bobbing up at certain intervals over the large trees in the way.
Max glanced up at the tower behind them, she knew that Lydecker was watching and she gave a small smile, he was certainly going to get a show. She caught two of her unit staring at her but a feral grin made them reconsider and they hurriedly looked away again.
Since Mondays little exhibition they had all been giving her wide berth and with good reason. She was through being their punching bag and even to them it was clear that they had crossed a line. What they didn't know is that they had crossed it that day in the woods when they all ganged up on her. They had made her an enemy and she'd been a wolf in sheep's clothing just waiting for the chance to get back, throw off the wool and rip out their throats. She wasn't beaten and broken, or subservient and submissive- she was scary.
Bulli stumbled over the line, his face red and breathing laboured.
"5:38:12 excellent." McCarthy commended and Bulli gave a half hearted smile as he tried to get his breath back "452."
Max walked slowly to the starting line and gave Bulli a predatory grin.
"Go." She launched herself away from the line blurring fast as she hit her strode and maintaining her speed and focus as she came to the wall. It was an eight foot brick construction that had a rope hanging from it so it could be scaled. But through her practise at night Max had found that if you used this soft grass here as a spring board and somersaulted you didn't even need to touch the wall.
"Did you see that?" C.J exploded as she sailed over the wall like an Olympic gymnast.
"I did." Deck nodded from his vantage position up in the tower.
Max tucked into a forward roll as she landed keeping her momentum and headed for the next obstacle without pausing to change her footing. The aim of this one was to get across the river on the thin beam stretched over it. The safest way was to sit and sort of shimmy across but it was also the slowest way. Max flipped onto her hands and bought her feet down in a cartwheel and then two forward flips to get across and in and in an instant was back running.
She threw herself on the floor and crawled under the netting and hurtles through the tires and the bars like they weren't even there.
The next big obstacle was a net against a wall. She tucked her foot into the bottom rung and sprung to the top of the wall, then, with cat-like grace, she fell forward, somersaulting in mid air to catch the monkey bars like a seasoned trapeze artist.
Then it was a simple double back flip to pass the hanging frames and a blur to the finish line. She straightened, not even breathing hard.
McCarthy gaped "3:41:29."
Max bowed to her astonished team mates and turned, saluting at the tower.
Lydecker nodded, acknowledging her salute.
"What's the fastest time for the course?"
"4.56." C.J croaked.
"I think we have a new record." He remarked dryly and left the room to talk to the troops.
"Well done 452 and all of you. There is no I in team and what you achieved today should make you all proud. A unit should be rewarded for the achievements of its members. Takes the afternoon off for R and R. The results of all Unit's successes and the chosen five will be posted tomorrow."
"Thank you sir." They saluted and ran off.
"452." Max waited as her unit ran ahead.
"Well Max." she jumped at the use of her name on Lydecker's lips "You are a dark horse and you have given us a new record for the course, extra congratulations."
"Thank you sir."
"Dismissed."
She breathed a sigh of relief as she ran away to get away from him.
Since she had the afternoon off she knew she could take the time to relax after her gruelling schedule and just rest and read…damn she had left her book in the rec room where the rest of her Unit would undoubtedly be.
She knew they wouldn't be pleased at the way she had shown them all up with her acrobatics but she wanted her book.
She opened the door and watched the way they all started as they turned to her.
The fourteen hostile glares sent her way made her want to smirk but she ignored them as she headed for the cove where she kept her book.
"Well, well 452." Bulli stood up, brave now that he had the backing of the whole Unit "You're not welcome here."
"Don't I know it." she snapped "Relax, I'm not staying, I just want my book."
"YOUR book?" Bulli taunted "As if you own anything."
"Back off 261, I'm not in the mood."
"Oh so I should do what the mighty 452 wants, maybe we should all bow to you. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Max shook her head in disgust. They hadn't changed at all. A strange feeling crept over her and she turned abruptly to see the rest of her unit gather around her in the way they had done so long ago in the forest.
"You made us look bad." Hissed Simper.
"No you did that yourselves." Max commented dryly as she kept an eye on the advancing troops.
"Traitor."
"Snake."
"Rat."
"Poison."
"Bite me!" She exploded "I've put up with your crap for five years. The beatings, the jokes, the punishments and put downs. You better hope that I get sent away for your sakes." She began to growl, a deep resonant sound that echoed in the room and startled them all. "Because if not, I'll make you all pay. For every punch, for every kick, for every piece of barbed wire in my bed, or nails in my shoes, tears in my clothes, the set ups for punishment detail and all the lies you told the trainers to get me sent to Psy-Ops or solitary. Every time you held me down in the tank or conspired to get me sent to the pit, Every thing. I will pay bite for bite and blow for blow and I'll make Psy-Ops look like a holiday vacation."
She advanced on Bulli, her soft purr a primeval force taking them all aback.
"You'll have to make it out alive first." Bulli said as he swung for her with the pool cue.
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Raven- Updates come faster with more reviews. So hint hint. J Max always kicks ass, and she really gets to show it here, hope you like this.
Brynnmissy- Bill has been oh so useful to Max…and me!
Ev- hey there! You got to read ten chapters all in one go so I hope you enjoyed them. Enjoy this part too!
Allison lightning- LOL, kicks transgenic ass? Yes I like that. thanks darlin'!!
Sigma1- See 'nother update- aren't I good to ya? As for yet another twist, would I do that to ya? evil grin
Cesium- Glad you like the concept- it came to me in cribs and drabs so I'm glad it's seaming together nicely. Carry on being hooked!!
Kitty- how do I come up with it? Ummm… pass?
Katherine Buffy Gellar- Aw you know my secret- now I have to kill you. Dammit your review was so nice as well, but as my big brother Zack says "Sentimentality is phony, especially for us X5's." Of course I remember you 7! You ran game in the Tank! Go sister! LOL! I agree with your Max sentiments she was great and upbeat in s1 and then changed to a whiny witch in s2, as for the rest of it…damn girl you NEED to email me! (p.s your English is great!)
Ting- LOL, ask and ye shall receive. I'll post more at GBM soonas.
Mel- I am a member of NWP (having to post on the DA abbey- new author L) But this part was Max-centric not Jensencentric so I wasn't sure whether to or not.. I update at least once a week and will continue to do so as long as I get reviews like this! Mwah (kisses) to ya pet! Send me and email soon, I always reply.
Dokushoka79 – I adore her, Alanna and Veralidaine, the wild Magic series is my fave. I'm honoured that you equate this with that. I adored the stories and love strong female characters so Max is my girl. Pleased you love that chapter so much and thanks for letting me know!
Elfie- its great it made an impact- thanks for reviewing. The bomb test just came to me in the middle of the night believe it or not and I had to get up and write it down…annoyed my sister no end! Feel free to wax poetical about my stuff, shows it has been appreciated and my wrist ache is not in vain (LOL) as for the Q's. Yes Lydecker is till looking for the 09ers, but Max hasn't really given that much thought right now, her primary target is to survive. In the next story we will get to go deeper into how she feels about them. Believe in the Blue Lady? Well the playing card got her through the barbed wire thing but you have given me another idea…hail the muse!!! Moral dilemma- not really, she's a soldier! Crazy Ben…wait and see!!!
E.T- Reservations under what context? School kids? Has merit, but I think the tutor wanted added sneakiness to their test.- damn the sneakiness!
Fan- different in a good way I hope- thanks fan! Keep reading.
Acb- the best story ever written? I love you! You are sooo good for my ego. Have more story!
Blue Angel- Max is really coming into her own and developing as a person- trial under pressure. Thanks for the kudos, I'm glad you think its well written, but if you do spot any probs just let me know.
Mooch- hey there! Best AU? Aww you guys are great. I like to think this is how it should have been should she have gotten caught back in 09. Max needs romance- as long as its with another unit!
Angel21- didn't have to wait long didjya honey? Enjoy!