Title: The Elite

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: Thanks for the reviews! =) Sorry if the last chapter was so short, I'll try to make this one longer.

Chapter Three: Rainy Seattle

The ride to Seattle, Washington was spent in silence due to the guards who accompanied them in the plane. Max checked her watch and saw that they had precisely fifteen more minutes till they landed. She gazed out of the small circular window of the jet, and out into the distance.

With her enhanced vision, she could vaguely catch the saucer-like shape of the famous Space Needle of Seattle, its pinnacle pointing up into the hazy, gray sky. The jet swiftly passed it, and her eyes locked onto its roof. She quietly promised herself that sometime during the mission, she would take the prospect of visiting it. There was something about it that drew her. Whether it was the smooth surface of the rooftop, or simply the atmosphere surrounding it, holding a distinct aura of tranquility.

They finally reached their destination. The Seattle Airport. The jet landed with a loud thud, and soon ran over the ground smoothly. It was like gliding through ice.

They exited the jet, fully escorted by two guards. They were ushered into a black van, and Max fought the urge to scoff. Seems like Manticore had a thing for the color black. Black jet, black car. She negligently wondered if the apartment they would be staying in would be painted black too. But then, that would appear strange.

Her questions were soon answered when the car's tires squealed to a halt in front of a sophisticated-looking apartment. And it was layered with glass tiles. 'Swanky' was the first thing that came into her mind.

Expensive cars were parked under a shed to keep them from the heat which was funny, since they were in 'Rainy Seattle'. A Jaguar, which was painted silver drove into the parking area, and a man whom Max recognized as one of the agents in Manticore stepped out. He gestured to the car and disappeared into another one which was waiting for him near the sidewalk. 'Nice, we have a car.' She thought, grinning inwardly.

The doorman who waited at the revolving glass doors accompanied them into the building. The lobby screamed the word 'classy', with its sparkling chandeliers, elegant white sofas, and a carpet the color of emeralds.

A bellboy welcomed them into the elevator and pressed the button for their floor. The apartment, though refined, stood to only twelve stories tall, unlike Foggle Towers which rose higher. Fortunate for them, Logan Cale's apartment was only four blocks away from them. At the mention of his name, the mission sprang into her mind.

One of the things that she liked about missions was that they get to wear clothes other than their cammies. And not to mention, have their own car, and comfortable living space. It was almost like having a real life. A temporary real life that has an objective and involves killing.

She sighed. There was nothing she could do about that. But she was going to enjoy herself while she can. That is, if the X5s she was with were laidback enough to have a little fun.

She snuck a glance at their Commanding Officer and her thoughts were determined. A reckless grin was plastered on his handsome face, and he was talking in a low tone to 511 who released a light chuckle. Quite un-CO-ish, but there was a determined look in his hazel eyes that allowed Max to think the contrary.

She turned her head to look at 360, a pretty petite blonde who seemed quiet and unlike the other two X5s. Max gave her a small smile which she returned without hesitation.

They reached the 7th floor, and the elevator doors slid open to reveal a hallway lined with doors. "Thanks man," 494 said, and tipped the bellboy with a ten-dollar bill.

"Where'd you get the money?" Max blurted out in question, and her eyes widened. "Uhm, sir." She hastily added as they made their way through the long carpeted hallway.

Something sparked behind 494's eyes, and she could vaguely see 511 restraining a laugh. "Curiosity killed the cat, sweetie." He said, a cocky smirk lighting up his face.

'Asshole' she thought crossly, and was surprised when 360 retorted from beside her. "Cats have nine lives." The blonde said. "Sir."

"Right," 494 said, looking faintly amused just as they stopped in front of door with the number 209 carved onto its surface.

Max narrowed her eyes, though her lips twitched slightly.

This mission was starting to have its ups.

*** 494 watched as 452 rolled her eyes, and he couldn't resist a grin. She had a temper, that was evident by the way she glowered at him. He smirked, he was going to have a lot of fun playing with her fire.

511 opened the door to their apartment, eagerly. The door swung open and another grin split his face. Luxurious was the only way to describe it.

The four transgenics willingly filed into their new living quarters. It certainly came a long way from their cold, dull cell.

It was carpeted a dark charming blue, and plush white couches were sitting in front of a large, plasma wide screen television set. He immediately made a beeline for it. It was during times like these that they get some real entertainment. At Manticore, the only entertainment you get is the females running around in heat, and the nervous doctors trying to haul them into Med Bay.

He settled himself on the couch and switched on the TV, just in time to see a familiar pair of eyes staring straight at him.

"Its Eyes Only!" 360 exclaimed from the kitchen where she was fixing herself a nice snack. With that single phrase, the other two X5s came rushing into the living room. They scored themselves seats beside Alec and watched in intense apprehension as the famous Eyes Only preached his latest news.

"...beware of these monstrous creations...they were designed and trained to kill...Peace...Out."

"Great, we only managed to hear the last line." 511 said groaning as he glanced at the digital clock that stood on top of the glass coffee table near the TV. "Its 7:05," he read. "Think he does a scheduled broadcast?"

"Maybe," 494 shrugged. "We'll keep watch tomorrow evening."

360 nodded and hurriedly went back to her snack. That girl could eat a lot for someone so skinny. Must be in the genes.

"Okay—so, what do we do now?" 511 asked, standing up from his seat and wandering around the living room. It was true, they didn't have anything to do at the moment since they had planned to meet Logan Cale tomorrow, seeking 'help' from him and Eyes Only. It was the only way they could get more information.

"Why don't we get 'acquainted' with Seattle first?" 494 asked, a mischievous glint lighting up in his eyes. "Anyway, it is essential that we know our way around Seattle, in case something goes wrong."

"Wrong?" 452 echoed, raising an eyebrow dubiously.

"Yes, 452." 494 said with a smirk. "But if anything *does* go wrong, I have you to help me out as SIC. Am I right?" He asked, winking at her.

To her credit, she didn't blush, she didn't even blink.

"Right," she replied, a hint of sarcasm tingeing her voice. This time it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. She merely flashed him a small smile before turning around and heading off to her bedroom.

"I'll be watching you 452," he murmured under his breath, an impish grin spreading across his face.

*** Max opened the door to her bedroom and walked in. It was thrice the size of her cell and it offered all kinds of comfort that she had never experienced.

No doubt that Manticore wanted their elite team to do very well on the mission, as they have given them a very comfortable place to get their strength building, and if ever, give them a warm place to recuperate.

She trudged over to the nearest cabinet and flung it open. Sure enough, it wasn't filled with the usual clothes. Inside was a laptop, an M16, a switchblade, a cell phone, a map of Seattle, clothes, and a few things that would be needed in the mission. She took the map out and scanned its contents. She speedily memorized every single detail before rolling it up and tossing it into the cabinet. Max snatched the cell phone and the small switchblade and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans.

She was about to close the doors before something inside her tugged, forcefully. Her eyes swung to the gleaming metal object in the back of the closet. "Better safe than sorry," she mumbled, and with trembling fingers, she took the M16 and tucked it securely in the waistband of her pants. She could only hope that she wouldn't have to use it.

Max sighed and collapsed on the armchair near her bed. As she did so, she felt the cool tip of the gun's handle press roughly on her stomach. She cringed.

She wasn't a big fan of guns. And no, she wasn't scared of them. They had a firing range in Manticore where they were trained to practice shooting it. She shuddered.

Guns kill. Plain and simple.

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!!!! REVIEWS encourage me a LOT!!!!!!!! =)