Advanced apology to Nat1 for the length of thanks.
A/N A few people expressed an interst in seeing what the characters looked like sooo after a long time trawling through sites I compiled a pic list which can be viewed at my site Defy Convention under M/A stories.
Tell me what you think!!!! I wont know unless you say. Review!!
Fight and Flight.
Morning drill was just like being back in Wyoming, but with new faces, new trainers and sunshine instead of mist…oh and no one wanted her to be dead and buried. Ok so it was totally different to Wyoming and she loved it.
Zan and Pix had been waiting for her and they had walked down to the yard together doing some stretches and just fooling around until the others made an appearance. The Special Ops had been neatly slipped into the rest of the X5'S for basic training and Max was surprised to find more than 300 transgenics waiting for drill that morning and that was just X5's.
Two trainers ran down the lists and through the neat rows of teenagers ready to start a days training.
The newcomers were well used to the stares from others by now and just ignored them, focussing on the correct point in the distance.
"After breakfast I want Units 1 through 4 onto the course, Units 5 through 8 in the gym and Units 9 to the tank. Special Ops to join us in the gym."
Max felt a pique of interest at the trainer's words. They had a gym here?
The mess hall was huge and would easily have swallowed the meagre hall of Wyoming's facility many times over. Max felt like everything here was bigger and better simply because she was happy to be away from there. The only thing missing was Bill.
She grabbed a plate and loaded up, tossing a smile at the guy behind the counter.
"Thanks." She said with a grin and the rest of the transgenics in the line gave her a funny look as she addressed the staff.
"Uh welcome." The man said in surprise. Max hid another grin, just like the lunch lady back in Wyoming, none of the transgenics ever thanked or even spoke to the staff here. Well she'd have to start.
She rounded the corner and looked for her new friends.
Pix waved her over and moved so she could sit with him and Carrot,
"Hey Max." Sunny beamed from the other side of the table. "How are you?"
"Actually feeling kinda great thanks boo."
Sunny frowned "Boo?"
Max thought how to explain the endearment but changed her mind "Don't worry about it."
She picked up a forkful of scrambled eggs and listened to the conversations going on around her.
"So what do you think so far?" Zan asked Sunny.
"Love it!" she enthused much to Max's amusement as she shared a look with Zan again. It seemed that they were on the same wavelength when it cam to Sunny.
"There are so many more interesting courses here and some of the guys have been so nice."
"And some that are complete jerks." Max added thinking of last night's confrontation and her good mood vanished slightly.
Zan stared at her in curiosity "What was that Max?"
She shrugged "Minor altercation with a smart ass."
He peered at her puzzled "I want to finish common verbal quickly, maybe that way I can understand half of what you say."
Max felt her lips curve as the blonde grinned at her. Zan reminded her so much of Zack it was strange to see him here and all grown up with her.
"I want to check out that gym." She said
"Me too I loved what we did back in Gillette, and I'm done." He agreed and they both pushed away their plates and got to their feet and with a wave to their friends they raced each other to the gymnasium.
Max gaped, her eyes wide.
It was equipped with everything a gymnast could want. Bars and ropes that wound right to the ceiling graced everywhere. Hoops and hurdles set in parts against the wall and the wooden horses and enough suspended platforms to keep a trapeze artist happy for months. It was a cats dream and Max couldn't wait to get started.
Taking a running jump she catapulted half way up a rope and launched herself to the top; holding it with her feet she turned upside down and reached for the next rope. Swinging much like Tarzan she made her across the ropes suspended across the gigantic gym and then she sprang forward and dropped in mid air to catch the first rope. Sliding halfway down she dropped to the floor and turned three somersaults on the mat before crouching in a cat like move and springing to her feet, leaping up and over the nearest horse and into the air again.
510 thought his friend was far too preoccupied this morning and had even had to clear his throat loudly in the inspection line to keep his attention else he would have been caught peering around and not with Eyes front. This was totally unlike 494 that 510 felt worried.
"Hey are you alright Sir?"
494 was startled out of his musings "Yes." He grinned at the worried face of 510 "I'm fine."
"Sure are." Mumbled a nearby girl and 510 rolled his eyes
"Honestly 677, eyes in head, not on 494." The girl blushed and he turned expecting 494 to be sporting a cocky grin.
"Hey?!" he wasn't. He was staring off into the distance again.
"Sir?"
494 came back to earth with a bump as he realised his friend was looking more scared than worried.
"Sorry. I was just thinking."
510 gave him a glance "Yeah well 677 was staring at you again. I think we need to monitor that girls heat cycle."
"Uh huh."
510 threw his hands up in exasperation "What is it with you today? Are you in heat?" he remembered himself and added "Sir?"
"No, just had a minor altercation with a smart ass." He said with a secret grin. He had been thinking about that girl last night…truthfully he hadn't stopped thinking about her at all. Somehow he had only met her for a few minutes and yet she had made her way into his brain. Her attitude and sassiness had swamped him and he felt like she had crawled under his skin. He didn't even know what it was, it wasn't that she was hot, all of the girls at Manticore were genetically engineered to be gorgeous but there was something about her. It registered that 510 was still talking to him.
"Huh?"
"Nothing." He resolved to put the intriguing brunette out of his head before he lost his mind.
510 gave him an odd look in disbelief "Right."
They entered the gym at the same time and bumped into a crowd that was gathered.
"What are we all looking at?" 510 asked and followed their glance upwards.
"Oh great." 494 said. Speak of the devil and she shall appear- in the air.
"You know her?" 510 inquired as they all followed the transgenic in mid flight. She tucked and rolled in mid air before coming to land on the third highest platform and doing back flips on the cross wire.
"Only by accident." He thought about the bruise he had found on his chest that morning. She packed one hell of a kick for such a little thing.
"Wow, she can move." 510 said impressed at her display.
"Yeah but she's a nut." 494 glowered as 510 practically drooled.
"She's the 09'er." He felt compelled to add.
"Really?" 510 glanced at him "She's gorgeous."
"Yeah figures the hottest girl in the place is a psycho." He tucked his hands in his pockets, annoyed at the interest on 510's face.
"Psycho?" he glanced at her as she landed in a crouch and glanced up, suddenly shocked at the huge crowd that had gathered around. They applauded and she blushed.
"Nah." He waved off 494's statement "I should say hi. Offer my hand in welcome."
"Watch she doesn't bite it off." 494 mumbled as 510 wandered across the courtyard. He suddenly thought of the mild 510 being on the end of 452's sharp tongue and followed his friend to minimise any damage.
Max flushed harder as everyone congratulated her on her air borne acrobatics. Zan came over and patted her back
"Way to go Maxie!" he looked truly impressed "That was great."
"I second that."
Max turned to see a dark haired man with a cheeky grin standing in front of her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, but that was excellent."
Max shrugged "I didn't mean to draw a crowd but we didn't have a gym like this in Wyoming. I guess I got a bit carried away."
"Well feel free and something tells me you'll always draw a crowd."
Max chuckled at his harmless flirting. He was sweet.
"I'm Za- 219," Zan hastily corrected himself. He had gotten quite used to having a name over the past two days and it was harder to think of himself as a number, just 219.
He looked down at the small girl who had given him that identity and felt a rush of feeling towards her.
"Hey 219, I'm 510." The cheerful man said and turned to Max "You are?"
"I'm 452." She shook his hand with a smile.
"You're new so I'm guessing your part of our Special Ops unit?"
Max nodded glad that someone was being so friendly.
"I tried for Special Ops but didn't quite make it. Not fast enough." He shrugged a shoulder "Or was it smart enough?"
"I'm sure you're plenty smart." She defended and liked his face as it lit up.
"And you sure do work fast." Zan added as he looked from him to Max. They all laughed at that.
494 couldn't believe it. Last night she about took his head off just for existing and here she was laughing and joking with 510. Maybe this was her twin? Either that or she had a split personality.
"So how are you enjoying Seattle so far?" 510 added.
"Not bad, it's warmer than Wyoming."
"I'll say." Max interjected dryly "And I mean both the atmosphere and the company."
"I know what you mean, I love Seattle weather but my Unit is great company. Especially my C.O."
"Really?" Max was under the impression that she and Zack had had a unique relationship but maybe not.
"Oh yeah, he's a great guy. My best friend. He got into Special Operations too."
"Oh come on 510 you're making me blush."
Max stiffened as the jerk from last night came up behind 510 and smirked at her.
"Morning sunshine."
"Here I thought you a bad dream brought on by cheese." She mumbled.
"Impressive aerodynamics 452." He continued as if she hadn't spoken "I guess they were right when they said flight risk." He grinned at his pun and watched as her eyes narrowed.
"Very funny smart aleck, do they let you out without a day release? Or a leash?"
"A leash huh? Wrong animal DNA. Cats don't have leashes."
"I'm sure they'd make an exception for you." She said sweetly "Right before they have you neutered."
"You sure have a fixation with certain parts of my body 452, all you have to do is ask and I'd oblige."
"I'd rather oblige Lydecker." She grimaced at the image. "At least his ego could fit in the room as well as us."
"My ego isn't the only big thing about me." He said crudely
"No your head's kinda huge too." She snapped back with.
"Well your mouth runs away with you doesn't it sweetheart? It must match the rest of the 09'er DNA."
"Don't call me sweetheart." She said, finally beginning to lose her temper "And my DNA is none of your business, smart ass."
"Oh please, if you-"
"Whoa time out!"
They turned in surprise to see 510 and Zan staring at them in total shock.
494 pushed down his glee at getting a rise out of her as he saw the look of complete puzzlement on 510's face. He was their C.O, Commanding officer and he was acting like a squabbling child. He reigned in his emotions.
"I think we'd best go warm up." He said and pulled 510 away from the enticing brunette.
Max stared up at Zan who raised an eyebrow.
"Oh that guy pushes my buttons, he is such a smart aleck." A grin spread across her face "Smart aleck, Alec, suits him don't cha think?"
She nodded as she thought of the name that she had christened her new pain in the ass.
Zan chuckled as he considered it "Not bad at all."
"It's either that or Clever Dick." She amended
"Definitely the first one." Zan added quickly.
"What?" 494 saw 510 looking at him from the corner of his eye. He looked like 494 had suddenly sprouted horns and a forked tail and was singing "Closer my Lord to thee."
"Nothing Sir." He snapped his attention forwards and then, as if he couldn't help himself his gaze drifted back.
"What?" 494 said, annoyed.
"You and 452." He explained "What was that?"
494 ran a hand through his hair "I don't know. There is just something about her that," he sighed "I can't explain it."
"Uh huh." 510 chose to ignore that. It wasn't like his C.O to be so open and he wasn't about to challenge that. He liked the relationship the way it was. He had respect and admiration for his C.O and didn't want to change that.
The trainer stood in front of them and blew his whistle. They all stood in front waiting for his orders.
He sent the rest of the units to work on their tensile strength and called the Special Ops unit to him.
"Ok, I'm Trainer Green and I don't know most of you so I want to get to know your individual strengths and styles so that I can help you to fight better. Hand to hand is more than just blocking a punch, there is an art to it and you can make yourself adapt to your enemies style and beat them, even if you are outnumbered or out weighed. I'm gonna pick two of you to step on up and try it out. 810 and 521."
Sunny stepped out nervously onto the mat and the brown haired man shot her a calming smile.
"I want you two to fight, like you've been taught. No holding back."
Sunny nodded and immediately her stance fell into that of a soldier. No more was she a nervous girl, a giggling blonde, but a deadly soldier with athletic fighting skills that most military would love to possess.
810 did the same and dropped into his own fighting stance. They circled each other and then his foot shot out, slamming into her side. She dodged and caught him an upper cut to his jaw. He feinted left and smacked her with the underside of his fist. The fight continued for a few minutes until the trainers stopped it.
"Well done. You have a good style 521 and are evenly matched with 810. You leave your left side open too much though."
"I'll try to correct that Sir." She panted and stepped out of the ring.
Max smiled at her encouragingly.
"Okay then 452 and 494."
Her heart sank as the cocky blonde stepped forwards.
"Problem 452?" Green asked when she hesitated.
"No sir." She stepped onto the mat and circled 49-no- Alec watching him and waiting for an opening.
He was crouched in his own stance and she evaluated it impartially.
His weight was evenly distributed and he was holding it well, no apparent weaknesses in that. He wasn't favouring any particular side or limb so she couldn't blindside him.
She feigned to move right and slammed her foot towards his calf. Alec skipped to the side and threw a punch at her ribs. Max ducked under his arm and elbowed him in the back. He spun and dropped, trying to kick her feet out from under her but she jumped, doing a back flip to manoeuvre around him and land behind him, lashing out as his own legs. She caught him a sweep and he fell down, immediately jumping back to his feet and coming back with a roundhouse punch which connected with her midsection. She snaked her foot out catching him in his kidneys and then they began to dance around each other waiting for another opening. Max realised that she was enjoying sparring with him as they matched blow for blow almost perfectly almost as if they had been designed to fit together and flight flawlessly. Their arms blurred and their feet spun as they orchestrated the dance, moving so fluidly and gracefully it really was more a dance than a fight.
The flips and moves that Max had used with so much success back in Wyoming had no effect on 494 as he twisted and turned to keep her in his view at all times, not underestimating her in the slightest.
Max grinned and found that he was grinning back as they moved faster and faster until they were just a blur.
"Halt!" she dimly heard the voice of someone from far away and gradually came to realise that the entire room had stopped to watch her and 494 fight. The trainer had called a halt when it dawned that there wouldn't be a victor in this fight, they were perfectly matched.
She dropped a salute to the trainer and noted Alec doing the same. They were both sweating and she glanced up at the clock surprised to see that they had been sparring for ten minutes without even noticing it.
"Well 452, that was impressive. 494's is one of our best fighters."
Max said nothing and moved off the mat. She stayed quiet as the room returned to normal and the next couple moved onto the mat.
She was lost in thought as she subconsciously watched and evaluated all of the fighters who came next. It was a habit that she had picked up in Wyoming and had come in useful in her training and tests. She had never enjoyed sparring so much and had never been so matched that she couldn't gain the upper hand if she had wanted to. It was unnerving to realise that there was someone who could beat her, she had been so used to knowing that she was the best even if she didn't show it.
She could see Alec trying to gain her attention from the other side of the mat but she refused to acknowledge that.
He was good looking, he was charming and he could match her in a fight. If he wasn't such a smart ass she could see herself being in trouble.
494 watched as 452 stared into space, not really watching the sparring but not appearing too distracted, he wondered if she was thinking along the same lines as him. It was strange to have someone as good as he was and that wasn't bragging. There was a reason that he was squad commander and unit C.O.
Since he had been taken away to Psy Ops he had been trying to prove that he wasn't the twin that everyone expected him to be. He wasn't a runaway or a quitter and so he had pushed himself to be better and he had really done it. None of the Units that he had ever sparred with had even come close to matching him. He knew that he would one day find someone who could beat him and it looked like he had.
She was such a package. Strength, speed, stamina and sauce all wrapped up in a gorgeous smile and a tight body.
If she could stand him he might be in trouble.
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Ok so you can all thank Cloudburst that I did this today instead of in a few days. She made me giggle with her review!
Anna Kristina- Welcome pet- thought you deserved it. See the A/N for info about pics. I have lots of missions planned. Look forward to that and as always plenty of angst.
Mooch- I'm a M/A shipper- of course I wouldn't do that!!
Feyechelon- UST at its finest!
Kitty- thanks for the pics, it gave me a good starting point.
Acb- Thanks pet, it starts to pick up soon.
Freedom Angel- How's that update? Go look at the pics too!
Brynnmissy- Thank you! I had that scenario in mind for ages glad it worked out.
Lyndsay- So you like it then? LOL, thank you very much for the enthusiasm.
Sigma1- Like this? Glad to keep interest up.
Raven- The show had so many great scenes it was just crappy with the follow through. I aim to follow through. I think Alec was designed to ruffle her feathers.
Natasgi- The UST can start before she has named him but I hope you enjoy this part.
Dark-angel562- They do get longer…much longer!
Alasse- The 09ers are scheduled for an appearance later on… watch out for them.
Kim- Sassy is such a perfect word for them. Max needed some good friends to keep her balanced and not so dark.
Lazy2be- the chapters get a lot longer soon. Max still loves her old Unit but will get cosier with this lot to.
Dokushoka79- I got both reviews thank you so much! Glad that the meet has such an impact, I thought it fit them both. I like to incorporate the scenes form the show but put my own spin on them. No 453 has no place in my story pout I thought that was a bad storyline. Oh look everyone has a twin…and a clone…bad move- (although does add interesting connotations to "go screw yourself") As for the third facility- I have no idea!!! Ideas welcome.
Et- Ah ah for it to be on ff.net this has to be under NC17 so no bedding in this fic. Sorry!
Dark Blossem- Yep big clap for the arrival of Alec. His respect for the guards was one thing that I took from the show.
Messymissy- Thank you I'm, glad that you are enjoying it as much as I have. The first story was darker which was just how things panned out but this is lighter as she is dealing and has more people to help her this time around. Unit 6 got what they deserved. Some of what happened in the show will happen here but since Max was taken away not all will be the same. Hope you continue to like.
Nat1- SORRY!!!! I am a firm believer that if someone has taken the trouble to review then they should get a personalised thank you and since most reviewed anonymously I couldn't do that via email. I probably should've done it in two instalments but… Sorry if that annoyed you. I'll do better in future!
Ru- Max and Alec always had great chemistry and this place is heaven compared to Manticore. More of the unit soon.
Athena- LOL, like a fix? Well here's your dose. Hope it satisfies.
Ting- did that answer your question? She likes but has issues…pretty much Max then.
Marielle- Thank you pet, glad they seem to character. Their taunting was what kept it interesting.
2x4- how often is healthy? I check for Zacbele's Wild boys updates EVERYDAY. (Hot sweet heat sequel) good stories get you like that. Thank you for feedbacking!!
Elfie- You review I update- easy. As for Max's reaction- I think she just wanted to set up the way things were meant to go on. Plus she was probably confused by her reaction to him and that made her lash out more. Yeah she hoped that Ben wasn't as annoying and egotistical as Alec… plus I wanted a screaming match. We will see Joshua later, Plenty of 09er contention for Max as well as residual issues on behalf of the 09ers . Questions are not annoying- they make me add stuff and tell me what I have forgotten to explain- it's all easy in my head but I realise that you guys cant see in there…. You can't right?
JYNX- Alec is always cute, as for other pairings…you have to wait and see!
Cloudburst- hey again!!! Was wondering where you had gotten to and of the story was meeting expectations. Glad to see it is. As for the positive vibe…we'll see about that. LOL, they did start off on the wrong foot- hers! More m/a soonas promise. Heat has a special mention several times but not Max's- that's got you thinking! The story will revolve around them but you know kids…they grow up so fast.