Title: The Elite (Pathetic title. I couldn't think of anything else.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story.
Summary: Max never escaped with her siblings in '09. She goes on a deep- cover mission with three other X5s to kill Eyes Only. Friendship she has never expected starts to grow between the four of them. M/A. B/C.
A/N: As you have read the summary, Logan's gonna die. So to all Logan fans, please beware. Oh, and I sort of got some ideas from the other fics that has Max left behind in Manticore. sheepish look sorry! :-)
Chapter One: Behind the Façade'
"452, Director Renfro wants to see you now."
The firm voice of the guard resonated through her cell, interrupting her from her thoughts. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the thought of the platinum blonde-haired bitch, she stood up and exited her cell, the thoughts still present in her mind.
She wondered what Zack and her siblings were doing right now in the outside world. A flash of hurt flitted through her face as she walked through the dull gray halls of Manticore, on her way to Renfro's office. She couldn't believe that they had thought of her as a traitor to their unit. The betrayer who refused to escape with them. And they were right. She lowered her eyes to the floor that blurred below her as she walked. Her loyalties were to Manticore, and they will always be to Manticore. She was created to be a soldier, not to be a human.
She came to a stop in front of Renfro's office. Voices could be heard conversing from within. But being one of the best soldiers in the facility, she disallowed herself to listen to what was a private conversation. Her mind came across one certain line that was spoken to her during that night of her siblings' departure. 'Manticore trained you well 452, you made a wise decision. A true soldier.' Colonel Donald Lydecker had told her that, and she had burst with pride.
And for the past nine years she had spent locked behind the walls of Manticore, she had worked hard to excel. And she did. She was dubbed as one of Manticore's finest. One of the elite.
A small smile graced her face. It was funny how one small act could bring a multitude of memories floating back to you. She may never have regretted escaping with her siblings, and even disliked them a bit for deserting Manticore, but there was one thing that they taught her that she will never forget. And that was to feel. Her emotions were one of the things that kept her on her feet and they were one of the reasons that she was where she was now. At the top.
Exactly twenty seconds had ticked by the moment the door finally opened. Lydecker stepped out, carrying a folder underneath his arm. He barely gave her glance, as he busily thumbed through some documents that were opened in his hands. With her enhanced vision, she briefly caught the words: alpha, unit, team, and a series of designations on the paper. She wondered if those words meant anything to this sudden visit to Renfro's office. Before she could think about it any further, the Director's steel voice cut through her mind.
"Enter 452."
An impassive mask fell over her face. And she entered, keeping her eyes trained on the empty wall behind Renfro's head. Her right hand shot out in a respectful salute. She waited for the director to speak. A minute passed, and in her peripheral vision, she could see her blonde head bowed to her desk, reading something. She finally looked up at the sound of footsteps outside her door.
Now this struck Max as curious. Seems like she had some company.
"Enter 494, 511, 360."
Three X5s whom she recognized in her daily training entered the office and stood beside her, their faces identical to hers, devoid of any emotion and feeling.
"At ease soldiers," Renfro spoke.
The four of them relaxed slightly, their feet spreading at approximately twelve inches apart.
"Eyes Only, a cyber journalist has been broadcasting a great deal of information about Manticore, and he is very close to exposing us. We cannot risk this occurrence because this will lead to our eradication. You're mission is to terminate his existence and those who work for him. This is a deep-cover mission and you have been trained for the past months solely for this assignment. As Manticore's finest, we will be expecting nothing but excellence from you."
The Director paused to let the pieces of facts sink in, before continuing.
"494 will be Commanding Officer, and 452 as Second in Command. Agent Sandoval is waiting for you in the Debriefing Room. Any questions? None? Good. Dismissed."
"Ma'am!" They barked out before saluting once again and exiting her office.
Max's heart was thudding in her chest as the four of them made their to the Debriefing Room which just a few hallways down the Director's office. She was going on her first deep-cover mission, and it was with a few of Manticore's most favorable.
Through the nine years that passed in her residence in Manticore, she wasn't given the chance to mingle with any of the other transgenics. Her mind was set in exclusively one goal, and that was to do extremely well. She barely spoke to any of them, only when they went on away-missions.
But this wasn't just an away-mission. It was a deep-cover mission, one of the most difficult in the field. It was mandatory that they speak with each other and act as normal human beings, especially since she was designated as the SIC.
Out of the corner of her eye, she peeked at the other three. Their faces remained expressionless. Two questions interrogated her mind: 'Can they be the people who can replace her siblings? Can they be the people whom she would soon consider as her friends?'
But one more look at their blank expressions made her think otherwise. They were nothing more but hardcore Manticore soldiers that were bred and trained to be what they are now. She shook her head inwardly, disagreeing to this statement. She herself probably appeared just as the same as they were. However, she was more than just that. There was more behind the façade of a soldier.
And she was looking forward to knowing it.
***
Agent Sandoval watched warily as the four transgenics entered the Debriefing Room, and his eyebrows rose in surprise as he recognized one of them: X5-494. Several months ago, he had been sent on his first deep-cover mission, and Manticore had been shocked when failed to complete it. His failure earned him more than a few days in Reindoctrination and Psychological Operations. And therefore, it was quite surprising to see him here again.
"At ease soldiers," he ordered. The four of them took their assigned seats and stared straight ahead. Sandoval winced inwardly at the blank look on their faces. Agent or not, he was uncomfortable being around soldiers who were capable of tearing him into pieces right then and there.
"I assume that Director Renfro has informed you about your mission?" it was more than a statement than a question, but being the good soldiers that they were, they barked out in reply.
"Yes sir!"
"Eyes Only's factual identity remains unknown. But we have gained some verities about one of his subordinates. His name is Logan Cale. These files," he paused to give each of them a folder. "contains his full details, and your delegated residence."
He glanced at the list that Renfro had given him and was once again astonished to see that 494 had been appointed Commanding Officer. "494, as Commanding Officer, you are in charge of supervising the entire mission. If anything goes wrong, it will be under your responsibility."
To his credit, 494 showed no signs of being affected by these words. Reindoc must've done a very good job on him.
"452, as Second in Command, you are to report to Manticore every 24 hours." Sandoval took the opportunity to scrutinize 452, and briefly wondered if she would take this mission as a chance to escape and join her fellow traitors. But remembering her firm loyalties to Manticore, made him disagree. "You will be deployed in 1900 hours."
"Permission to speak, sir!" 494 spoke.
"Granted."
"Number of days in which we are given to accomplish this mission? Sir?"
"You are given exactly fourteen days to complete this mission. Any more questions? None? Good. Dismissed."
Again, he watched them carefully as they left the Debriefing Room, their backs ramrod straight, and their faces pokerfaced. Agent Sandoval almost felt sorry for Eyes Only. He was about to face his worst nightmare.
***
494 had always prided himself in his patience. But now, he was nothing but that. He paced his cell, a flicker of emotions crossing his face. He was going on another deep-cover mission.
One name: Rachel.
A wave of memories cascaded through his mind, and his chest constricted in both pain and guilt. It didn't matter how long he spent in Reindoc and Psy Ops, the nostalgia of being in love would never be again erased from his mind. It was permanently etched into his brain.
The sound of her laughter echoed through his head, like a ghost haunting him for what he did to her. Images of her slender fingers dancing up and down the ivory keys were enough to make him want to spend another year in Psy Ops.
Mission.
Duty.
Discipline.
Those three words barked repeatedly in his head, and he unclenched his fists to keep them from hitting the wall that was being dissected by his anger. 'You are 494.' He restated to himself. 'You are a soldier.'
Mission.
Duty.
Discipline.
His eyes clouded over with that blackness that only a true soldier could pull off. And he was once again welcomed into the darkness that was Manticore.
A/N: Hey, do any of you want Asha dead?...just a thought. Let me know what you think! Review! :-)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story.
Summary: Max never escaped with her siblings in '09. She goes on a deep- cover mission with three other X5s to kill Eyes Only. Friendship she has never expected starts to grow between the four of them. M/A. B/C.
A/N: As you have read the summary, Logan's gonna die. So to all Logan fans, please beware. Oh, and I sort of got some ideas from the other fics that has Max left behind in Manticore. sheepish look sorry! :-)
Chapter One: Behind the Façade'
"452, Director Renfro wants to see you now."
The firm voice of the guard resonated through her cell, interrupting her from her thoughts. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the thought of the platinum blonde-haired bitch, she stood up and exited her cell, the thoughts still present in her mind.
She wondered what Zack and her siblings were doing right now in the outside world. A flash of hurt flitted through her face as she walked through the dull gray halls of Manticore, on her way to Renfro's office. She couldn't believe that they had thought of her as a traitor to their unit. The betrayer who refused to escape with them. And they were right. She lowered her eyes to the floor that blurred below her as she walked. Her loyalties were to Manticore, and they will always be to Manticore. She was created to be a soldier, not to be a human.
She came to a stop in front of Renfro's office. Voices could be heard conversing from within. But being one of the best soldiers in the facility, she disallowed herself to listen to what was a private conversation. Her mind came across one certain line that was spoken to her during that night of her siblings' departure. 'Manticore trained you well 452, you made a wise decision. A true soldier.' Colonel Donald Lydecker had told her that, and she had burst with pride.
And for the past nine years she had spent locked behind the walls of Manticore, she had worked hard to excel. And she did. She was dubbed as one of Manticore's finest. One of the elite.
A small smile graced her face. It was funny how one small act could bring a multitude of memories floating back to you. She may never have regretted escaping with her siblings, and even disliked them a bit for deserting Manticore, but there was one thing that they taught her that she will never forget. And that was to feel. Her emotions were one of the things that kept her on her feet and they were one of the reasons that she was where she was now. At the top.
Exactly twenty seconds had ticked by the moment the door finally opened. Lydecker stepped out, carrying a folder underneath his arm. He barely gave her glance, as he busily thumbed through some documents that were opened in his hands. With her enhanced vision, she briefly caught the words: alpha, unit, team, and a series of designations on the paper. She wondered if those words meant anything to this sudden visit to Renfro's office. Before she could think about it any further, the Director's steel voice cut through her mind.
"Enter 452."
An impassive mask fell over her face. And she entered, keeping her eyes trained on the empty wall behind Renfro's head. Her right hand shot out in a respectful salute. She waited for the director to speak. A minute passed, and in her peripheral vision, she could see her blonde head bowed to her desk, reading something. She finally looked up at the sound of footsteps outside her door.
Now this struck Max as curious. Seems like she had some company.
"Enter 494, 511, 360."
Three X5s whom she recognized in her daily training entered the office and stood beside her, their faces identical to hers, devoid of any emotion and feeling.
"At ease soldiers," Renfro spoke.
The four of them relaxed slightly, their feet spreading at approximately twelve inches apart.
"Eyes Only, a cyber journalist has been broadcasting a great deal of information about Manticore, and he is very close to exposing us. We cannot risk this occurrence because this will lead to our eradication. You're mission is to terminate his existence and those who work for him. This is a deep-cover mission and you have been trained for the past months solely for this assignment. As Manticore's finest, we will be expecting nothing but excellence from you."
The Director paused to let the pieces of facts sink in, before continuing.
"494 will be Commanding Officer, and 452 as Second in Command. Agent Sandoval is waiting for you in the Debriefing Room. Any questions? None? Good. Dismissed."
"Ma'am!" They barked out before saluting once again and exiting her office.
Max's heart was thudding in her chest as the four of them made their to the Debriefing Room which just a few hallways down the Director's office. She was going on her first deep-cover mission, and it was with a few of Manticore's most favorable.
Through the nine years that passed in her residence in Manticore, she wasn't given the chance to mingle with any of the other transgenics. Her mind was set in exclusively one goal, and that was to do extremely well. She barely spoke to any of them, only when they went on away-missions.
But this wasn't just an away-mission. It was a deep-cover mission, one of the most difficult in the field. It was mandatory that they speak with each other and act as normal human beings, especially since she was designated as the SIC.
Out of the corner of her eye, she peeked at the other three. Their faces remained expressionless. Two questions interrogated her mind: 'Can they be the people who can replace her siblings? Can they be the people whom she would soon consider as her friends?'
But one more look at their blank expressions made her think otherwise. They were nothing more but hardcore Manticore soldiers that were bred and trained to be what they are now. She shook her head inwardly, disagreeing to this statement. She herself probably appeared just as the same as they were. However, she was more than just that. There was more behind the façade of a soldier.
And she was looking forward to knowing it.
***
Agent Sandoval watched warily as the four transgenics entered the Debriefing Room, and his eyebrows rose in surprise as he recognized one of them: X5-494. Several months ago, he had been sent on his first deep-cover mission, and Manticore had been shocked when failed to complete it. His failure earned him more than a few days in Reindoctrination and Psychological Operations. And therefore, it was quite surprising to see him here again.
"At ease soldiers," he ordered. The four of them took their assigned seats and stared straight ahead. Sandoval winced inwardly at the blank look on their faces. Agent or not, he was uncomfortable being around soldiers who were capable of tearing him into pieces right then and there.
"I assume that Director Renfro has informed you about your mission?" it was more than a statement than a question, but being the good soldiers that they were, they barked out in reply.
"Yes sir!"
"Eyes Only's factual identity remains unknown. But we have gained some verities about one of his subordinates. His name is Logan Cale. These files," he paused to give each of them a folder. "contains his full details, and your delegated residence."
He glanced at the list that Renfro had given him and was once again astonished to see that 494 had been appointed Commanding Officer. "494, as Commanding Officer, you are in charge of supervising the entire mission. If anything goes wrong, it will be under your responsibility."
To his credit, 494 showed no signs of being affected by these words. Reindoc must've done a very good job on him.
"452, as Second in Command, you are to report to Manticore every 24 hours." Sandoval took the opportunity to scrutinize 452, and briefly wondered if she would take this mission as a chance to escape and join her fellow traitors. But remembering her firm loyalties to Manticore, made him disagree. "You will be deployed in 1900 hours."
"Permission to speak, sir!" 494 spoke.
"Granted."
"Number of days in which we are given to accomplish this mission? Sir?"
"You are given exactly fourteen days to complete this mission. Any more questions? None? Good. Dismissed."
Again, he watched them carefully as they left the Debriefing Room, their backs ramrod straight, and their faces pokerfaced. Agent Sandoval almost felt sorry for Eyes Only. He was about to face his worst nightmare.
***
494 had always prided himself in his patience. But now, he was nothing but that. He paced his cell, a flicker of emotions crossing his face. He was going on another deep-cover mission.
One name: Rachel.
A wave of memories cascaded through his mind, and his chest constricted in both pain and guilt. It didn't matter how long he spent in Reindoc and Psy Ops, the nostalgia of being in love would never be again erased from his mind. It was permanently etched into his brain.
The sound of her laughter echoed through his head, like a ghost haunting him for what he did to her. Images of her slender fingers dancing up and down the ivory keys were enough to make him want to spend another year in Psy Ops.
Mission.
Duty.
Discipline.
Those three words barked repeatedly in his head, and he unclenched his fists to keep them from hitting the wall that was being dissected by his anger. 'You are 494.' He restated to himself. 'You are a soldier.'
Mission.
Duty.
Discipline.
His eyes clouded over with that blackness that only a true soldier could pull off. And he was once again welcomed into the darkness that was Manticore.
A/N: Hey, do any of you want Asha dead?...just a thought. Let me know what you think! Review! :-)
