GRRRR! Damn Fanfiction.net for making us all wait for our beloved stories! Hmm - well I'm sure many of you are wondering about our poor Eve and the seizures. And this time the wait was not due to me, but the website! Be somewhat proud! Well, here we go (finally)....
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Chapter Fourteen
Leo's POV
I wiggled in the restraints. None of the buckles on the thick leather straps were within my reach. I have to admit it was clever to place them under the bed, a good six inches from my range. Despite the seemingly smart behavior, I was disappointed in X5-599 - Zack's - planning. Right after the X5 class had been put into training, the X6 class had been started in the DNA labs. 599 should remember that every generation after his was made double-jointed and with contortionist abilities. Manticore added that to our genetic soup after noting that the previous classes were unfortunately unable to escape from relatively simple restraints.
I strained my hand against the wristband, forcing my thumb out of place. I turned my head slightly to monitor my actions as I disjointed my thumb at the base, causing a loud popping in the near-silent bedroom. I froze, perking my ears to see if any of the fugitives had noticed. But there was a crash and some exclaimed words, followed by a large commotion. I took this as my cover and quickly slid my temporarily deformed hand out of the leather, returning my digit easily to its proper position with a strong flap of my hand. Reaching down, I worked on the chest, arm, and other limbs. I sat upright in the large bed and stretched, moving freely for the first time in days. Making sure that they were still yelling in the kitchen, I tried to stand, but sensed someone running in the hall. I rushed to reposition myself as if still restrained. I watched carefully as 599 bounded past my door, then I heard him in his luggage, soon running past my door again. I noted the bottle of pills I caught sight of him carrying. Pausing to confirm his location in the other room, I stood and crept stealthily to the door, taking extra care to peek around the corner before proceeding.
"Hold her!"
"Oh God..."
"Eve, can you hear me?"
I listened to the ranting coming from the kitchen. I cocked my head slightly, confused at the things the adults were saying. What was wrong with that teenager Eve? I stared down the hall, into the dark living room not more than twenty feet from me. Between the living room and I was the kitchen door, creating a golden rectangle on the hallway floor and wall. The rest of the way was dark, and in the living room I could plainly see the square patches of light on the rug and furniture from the large window that was floor to ceiling. All that was needed was a bit of stealth and quickness to break out, just an open window and quiet feet. Then a phone call to Manticore to alert them to my position. Or maybe I could just take them all out, or kidnap 452 and run home. I looked down momentarily in thought, reminded that I was still only wearing an undershirt and boxers. I had no idea what they did with my military issue garments, but it didn't really matter. I could just swipe some outfit from a street bum.
"The pills didn't work!"
"I can't understand this..."
I shake my head, forcing myself into alertness, absorbing the conversation I was catching bits and pieces of. The voices were from 452 - Max- and her mate, Logan. Pills? I recalled seeing the bottle in 599's hand as he rushed by me a moment ago. I had to investigate the situation. I wasn't sure why I wanted to so badly, but I just couldn't silence the curious whisper in my head.
I really saw no harm in just checking to see what was going on. My COs always said that curiosity would get me damaged or killed. But there isn't really anyone that can best me in the close proximity, except maybe for Eve, so there isn't any real danger I will be killed.
The mental battle inside my head finally ended, when my caution yielded to curiosity. I tensed my body and began to creep silently to the kitchen door, ignoring the fact that I had no plan of any kind. After a few cautious steps I peeked into the room, and relaxed profusely.
There is no way any of them were paying attention to me, they were all huddled on the floor by the sink. I watch as the three adults stopped yelling and just sat quietly in fear and panic. The adrenaline in the air was heavy, the scent filling my nose. The man named Logan shifted his weight slightly to the right, and I straightened at the sight in front of me.
Eve was apparently unconscious, shaking in violent seizures on the floor while Zack desperately tried to hold her to prevent injury. Her arms and legs jumped unnaturally around her, while her head lolled from side to side. I knew that X5s were prone to seizures due to tryptophan levels, but yesterday I over heard Logan talking about Eve being lucky not to have seizures.
I was so confused. I had no idea what to do. This development was totally unforeseen and unpredictable. I have no plan, no protocol, and no procedure for this situation. I had gotten so used to seeing Eve all high and mighty in her physical impressiveness and genius, that seeing the girl in a total state of vulnerability came as a huge shock. All I could do was stare stupidly, lucky that neither 'Max' nor 'Zack' had bothered to hone in on their heightened senses. I cursed myself for letting it get to me, for acting so unprepared. If I were at Manticore right now, I would already be in the shock therapy room.
I shook my head to banish the thought. That place is such hell, what I wouldn't do just to high tail it down to Mex...
My eyes widen as I watch Max's own body begin to shake also, but the men take no notice. But the woman's jerks are different, more healthy and steady. She's sobbing with worry. Such a display of blatant emotions is so new to me. Even 'Zack', the leader and alpha male doesn't bother to hid his facial expressions.
Suddenly Eve stops shaking, and is still. I held my breath unconsciously along with everyone else.
"Oh no..." 'Max' whispers.
Zack reached forward to press his fingertips to her neck to check a pulse, but the girl's hand snapped up and grabbed his wrist inches away from her. Her eyelids flew up, looking at her guardians in recognition.
"Wow." Eve mutters hesitantly. "Wha... What was that?"
Logan, Max, and Zack all released breaths at once, their shoulders visible slumping in relaxation. A chorus of concerned questions was dumped on her, and she answered weakly, assuring them she's pretty much all right.
I know how wide my eyes must have been, I knew I was holding my breath, and I can't identify why I cared. Who knows, it wasn't important enough to bother with at the moment.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure I feel fine." Eve explained to Logan, slowly testing her strength and stretching her limbs. She tried to stand, but Zack and Max both push her back down to a sitting position.
"Oh no you don't, you're too weak, just rest for a moment."
"No I'm sure I can stand, all right? Anyway, if I fall and crack my skull in two you can say 'I told you so.'" Eve said sarcastically to her family, who all exchanged annoyed and worried glances. After a few moments of silent debate, they eased up on their grips, allowing the teenager to stand somewhat assisted. A little annoyed, she pushed away their helping arms and strode around the room, proving she was fine. "Listen, I know you three are concerned, and thank you, but I feel great and can we just let this one slide till morning?" She asked, making eye contact with each individual.
I have to admit that I admired her just a bit for a moment. Anyone who was raised in this corrupt world, without militant discipline, and can end up that strong, controlled, and confident is worthy of a little X8 admiration. Then again, maybe it is the freedom and corruption that has helped her succeed so well in life. Maybe it is one those 'don't know what you're missing' type of things.
As Eve strode close to my position, I pulled back a bit for cover. She was maybe four feet away and amazingly enough could not sense me so far. Not my smell, not my tension, nothing. While her game seemed to be slipping slightly, my game seemed to only enhance suddenly.
Even though she was so close and my chances of leaving undetected were getting slimmer and slimmer by the second, I peered around the wall again, just enough to get Eve in my view. All my senses seemed to be standing at attention, and I couldn't figure out why. Her hair looked more fiery than usual, the detail in the curls catching my attention for the first time, and for a completely unknown reason, my eyes involuntarily zoomed in on the individual strands, her skin and the hemline in her shirt. Thoroughly confused, I looked away and my eyes returned to normal immediately. Discombobulated, I turned away from the kitchen and crept past the open doorway using their conversation as cover. Finally in the living room, I stopped to stare at the huge window not ten feet from me. All that stood between freedom and me was a thin layer of glass. I approached it, ignoring the sudden unexplained surge of adrenaline inside me and opened a section large enough for me to dive through, and with a running start I could hit the concrete on the next building with great ease and little difficulty.
So I backed up a few steps, readying my body for the jump, when I caught her scent. I stumbled silently, expecting her to be right behind me since the air was thick with Eve's aroma. But I listened and tuned in on her talking, she was still in the kitchen with her parents. I had never experienced such a heightened sense of smell before, and it alarmed me. The levels of her scent were normal, just the levels were all of a sudden very important to me.
I looked back at the open window before me, the cold breeze coming from outside alarming my exposed legs and arms, but my body compensated with a wave of comforting heat in my blood. Once again, a sudden adrenaline rush attacked me, and I almost jerked in the surge of excitement that apparently had no source.
This house, this freedom was doing very strange things to my psyche and body. Maybe it's some sort of time release Manticore placed in me, if I'm gone to long I start to self-destruct. I have to get back there. But... I can't get myself to leave this building. I know exactly what I should be doing, leaving, yet all I am doing is standing in the center of a living room with a few enemies and a revved up teenage female in the next room.
God damn it, I couldn't move if I literally picked up each leg and placed it forward.
I heard the voices floating in from the other room, my ears focusing particularly on Eve's voice.
"Really, I'm fine. No, I don't hurt anywhere."
"Would you turn on the fan please? I'm sweating."
"No, I'm not sleepy, actually, I'm sorta restless. I'm fine."
Why the hell would Eve be sweating? It's actually kind of cold in this apartment, the air conditioning was on high for some reason. But I noticed as I wiped my forehead that I was also sweating. What the hell's going on?
Without alarm, Eve stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway, immediately turning her gaze in my direction. I knew that I could move fast enough to even escape her quick eyes, but I didn't. I just stood there frozen, staring directly into her eyes, as she did the same. I noted that we were a mirror image of each other's postures, tense and ready. But Eve didn't call the others in warning, and I didn't make a move to the window.
Slowly, cautiously, she took a step towards me, I could see her sniffing the air as she moved, taking in my scent. She stopped, a wave of confusion crossing her features. I took a step also, away from the window and towards her. God, her scent now dominated the room. And it was amazing.
"Eve, what's up? Why are you just standing there?" Max's voice came from the kitchen, her footsteps approaching Eve, along with two pairs of heavier ones. The red head twirled towards the doorway, and I in turn tore my gaze away from her and to the door beside her, a piece of blonde hair falling into my eyes. There stood Max, Zack, and Logan all staring at me in shock. I glanced at the window, ready to finally jump, but caught Eve's eyes on me, staring me down intensely, an expression on her face that was unreadable yet inviting at the same moment. I didn't want to go.
I sensed that Zack was approaching me cautiously on my left, with Max on my right. I didn't care, I just gazed at Eve, as if nothing else existed. It was beyond my comprehension as I felt Zack and Max both grab my arms frantically, but seemed shocked when I didn't put up a fight as they led me back to my temporary room. As I passed Eve, I realized they were taking me away from her, not with her, and I panicked, slightly struggling, but Zack tightened his grip and I just relaxed. Suddenly something caught my attention. Eve's individual scent lingered in the air, but deep within it another smell was laced in. As if one aroma was buried in another. Before I could identify it, I was led back into my room.
The two half-heartedly tied me down, knowing I could just get out of them at pretty much anytime now. Max stayed to watch me as Zack went back to the living room to join Logan and Eve. I heard Zack's steps as he neared Eve.
"What the hell was that about?" He seemed to be questioning her. She didn't respond. He sighed, his steps stopping abruptly. I could just barely make out the sounds of him taking a few deep breaths. "I wonder why he just stood here when you saw-"
A few more deep breaths.
"Holy shit..." Zack murmured under his breath, I detected a surprised tone in his voice.
"What? What is it?" Logan questioned.
"Logan, the air..." Zack said. "It, it smells of pheromones."
His voice was hushed. "It's Eve..."
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DA DA DAAAA! Well, finally chap 14 is all done, and now we have an interesting development, don't we? Eve is in heat and Leo is *ahem* responding, shall I say? I figure that he wouldn't know exactly what heat smells like or what it's like to detect a female in heat since all chimeras are dosed with birth control to stop the heats at Manticore. ( Refer to Kidz are Aiight) So that's why he was so damned confused. Just wanted it cleared up. This chapter was originally supposed to be longer, but it's late and my wrist hurts, so next chapter will tell you about the SEIZURE and why oh why did our poor Eve have one?????? And more fun with Leo/Eve heat fiasco. LUV YA AND REVIEW!