Author's note: i wanted this chapter to be longer than the first ones...it's on purpose...some chaps will be long some will be shorter...i'm sorry for the delay but i've got to prepare for school and i had to watch over my sister's arrival and personnal stuff...so sorry for the delay, hopefully it will never happen again before nine months, it's not every day that your best friend is pregnant, well she'll be pregnant for nine months...say congrats, i'm going to an aunt! author grinning Anyway this is the 4th chap of Feral. I do hope you'll all like it.
guest--thanks for reviewing i hope you'll continue to read the story...
Maxie--i'm still keeping some details about 247, coz i may use it (or not) later, but i hope this chap will answer your questions about 247...If not, you still can make guesses...
LakergirlO8--Yeah i know, i should have updated as soon as i read your review, lol, but got some personal stuff to deal with as i said...yeah Max definitely don't even aknowledge the Log boy, isn't it nice!
Dory shotgun--thanks for your review, it's always a pleasure...about the site, try JRA unlimited they must have tons of links and captures..but it's mostly centered on Jensen and i don't really know what you're searching so...
ting--thanks for your review...yeah, she'll get better...she'll say one more word today...or more...read and find out....
tabitha5--Thanks for the compliment...i'm blushing...hope you'll like this chap...
Kirei Baka Kasumi--Thanks...anyway, a plot is needed to make the story interesting, right? lol...i loved your review...and hope you'll like this chap...
XxInsanityxX--Thanks...i hope you didn't waited very long...and if you did i hope the chap will make it up to you...
AKA-Annabelle--I'm blushing...liked your review...i hope you'll like this chap...more drama...no...just kidding.
A HUGE thanks to all the reviewers...i'm sending you loads of kisses and hugs...You're the best!!!!!!!!!!! Continue reviewing and if you have any suggestions, i'm opened to any ideas... feel free to mail me...
Anyway, back to the story...
Crisis.
«Who is 247?» interrupted Krit.
«247 was an X5 who underwent the same condition as Max. He was in the same condition as her when Lydecker found him.»
«Was...» inquired Zane.
«He's dead.»
A silence fell upon the room.
«Do you mean that Max will die?» asked Jondy.
«247 had to be put down.» stated Sid talking for the first time. «He went totally crazy because of his feral side. He was asked to deny it, he couldn't really handle it.»
«It is out of question that we kill Max!» shouted Krit.
«Of course, it's in unconceivable that we put down Max.» reassured Alec yet his features were hard.
«Yet, measures must be taken.» continued Sid. «I think the main problem Lydecker had with 247 was that he took him away of his unit. And that he was told each day to deny that side. It's no coincidence that we were raised in units, it's part of our genes. We need connections.»
«We need to be together, to be stronger.» informed James.
«So what do you propose?» asked Zane.
«That you spend time with her. Never leave her alone. Maybe that'll do the trick. Maybe it won't, but at least we'll try. And since you were from her former unit, she'll probably trust you more than some stranger, or a another X5. Get all the people she knows and cared about around her. Speak to her, though she doesn't answer.» said Carrie.
«And?»
«Let us work on her. To study her psyche...»
«Out of question.» stated Zane.
«Why? We're not in Manticore anymore, we're here to help her not torture her.» said Carrie defensively.
«They are her last chance.» said Alec.
Finally, all the 09ers agreed.
«You'll have to help us.» Carrie told them before leaving them with Mole, Dix, and Alec.
«Do you think it'll work?» asked Jondy. She looked straight into Alec's eyes.
«I don't know. Like they said no one back at Manticore had the time to analyze what happened to 247. But Sid is right about one thing...i think Lydecker made a mistake by taking him away of his unit. We really need interactions.» Alec paused. «At least that's what we think. Otherwise, we wouldn't be even trying to save her. There's a chance.»
«Doc Carr will be here in a few hours Alec.» informed Dix.
«Okay. Send him directly to Max's apartment. I'll spend my day there. You don't need my help in command and if there is something really important you know where to reach me.»
«I'm coming with you.» said Jondy.
«Me too.» said Syl.
Alec simply nodded and looked at the boys.
«That was not the Max i knew.» Krit wanted to cry badly but that was not soldier-like so he was keeping his tears from falling.
«We will be in command, and see if we can help...we'll need time.» said Zane one hand on his brother's shoulder.
Alec nodded again in understanding.
Back at Max's apartment.
«You said that we need interactions Alec. How come we spent ten years without seeing another X5 and we're fine.» inquired Jondy.
«Some of you couldn't take it, like Ben.» he said. «But also it's not the same thing. You escaped and you've been obliged to lay low so you had to be separate. And Max here...» they looked at the brunette who was still performing some acrobatics around the apartment. «...underwent torture. I don't know what they did to her to make her shut down completely...i'm not even sure i want to know.» Alec said. «It's not the same thing.» Jondy agreed.
«I agree with OC, she should go out.» informed Syl.
«I don't need anything to undermine the soldiers' moral right now, and seeing her in this state will probably lead to that situation. After the treaty, maybe, we'll find a solution. For now, she stays here.»
Later that day.
Sam Carr had arrived but Max refused for now to aknowledged him.
«Maybe if...» tried the ordinary.
«No!» said Alec with authority. «No. If she's doesn't smell you first, if she doesn't evaluate you first as a potential threat, she'll kill you if you do as much as breathing within an arm length next to her.»
«Okay. But can i take my coat off at least.»
«Jondy.» said Alec. The red headed X5 took the doctor's coat.
As soon as the coat was off, Max turned her head toward the doctor a predatory look in her eyes. For a few seconds, Sam thought that he was living the last minutes of his life. Yet, she just smelled him and then she was back to her usual sniffing. She accepted Sam.
They had a hard time to make her stand still but after two hours, the exam and tests that the doctor was running were complete.
«She's fine. Apart from her 'behaviour', she's fine.» informed Sam Carr.
«Do you have any hints you know, on how to reverse this?» asked Alec. So Sam wasn't really a specialist in the Manticore area but Max trusted him. Maybe he would have an idea.
But that wasn't the case and Sam Carr nodded negatively his head.
«I'm sorry but that's beyond my abilities.» said the good doctor.
«It's okay Sam.»
«There is something though, that i find quite strange.» informed Sam.
«What is that?» asked Syl.
«She didn't aknowledged me at first.» stated the doctor.
«Yeah, so? It can take her time...» replied Jondy.
«Well, i think it's no coincidence. She's ignoring Logan's scent.»
Alec would have laugh if Max wasn't in this condition. The feral side of Max was avoiding Logan.
«Are you sure about that?» Alec asked.
«Well my coat was under Logan's coat at the clinic. There must be his scent on it. And when he first came here, i understood that she ignored him too.» stated Sam Carr.
«That is a good new!» said Syl. «I've never like that guy anyway.»
A few days later
Syl was in the mess hall when she bumped into Max. That was awkward because Max was supposed to be in her apartment, and because this Max was speaking!
«Sorry.» said Max ignoring Syl as soon as she had apologized.
It took a few moments to Syl to realize that Max had spoke to her.
«Wait!» Syl cried.
Max turned to face her sister.
«What? I said i was sorry!» she repeated.
«Max! You talked!» said Syl hopefully.
Max frowned and then realized who the girl was.
«You must be Syl.» the brunette said. «I'm 453, Max's twin. My name is Sam.» She pulled out her hand for Syl to shook it but the blond girl was to shocked to react. «Right.» Sam said sarcastically.
She was about the say some mean remark to the 09er but something in the girl's eyes made her stop. The sight was pretty funny. She opened her mouth, then closed it, opened it then closed it. Finally, she settled for a 'sorry.
«I'm here for the treaty.» 453 informed. «It's been three months and a half that the senator didn't speak to her. I'm here to sorta 'replace' her you know.» she paused. «I'm sorry for what happened to her. Lord knows i really don't appreciate her because you guys escaped back in 09. But i saw what she did here, and all the work she did with the treaty. So...» Syl nodded silently still not able to utter a single word.
«You must have suffered when we escaped.» stated Syl. There was compassion in her voice, but also something harsh. «Especially for those who were our twins.»
«A hell» nodded Sam.
«But i'm not sorry we escaped. That was the best thing we ever did. You guys may think that we were cowards but it wasn't because we couldn't handle it that we left, it was because Lydecker killed our sister right in front of us.»
Syl didn't even gave the time for Sam to reply as she was already in the main street of TC and walking toward her sister's apartment.
She didn't mean to be that rude to Sam but the fact that she was her sister's twin didn't really help. Sam was 'normal', she hadn't been tortured, she was alive and safe in TC. In a sense, she was feeling threatened by Sam in a way Max would have been if she wasn't all feral, and didn't give a damn about anything but her acrobatics and her sniffings. For God's sake she said she was here to 'replace' her sister! Syl was beginning to feel frustrated. And she wasn't the only one. Two weeks now have passed by since she arrived in Seattle but there was barely any change in Max's condition. She was still ignoring Log boy's scent no matter how many times the guy dropped by, she was still sniffing around all the time, and still rubbing her cheek on Alec's chest to greet him. The psy ops units didn't seem to help either, no matter how many hours they spent on her.
When Syl reached Max's apartment, the front dorr was wide open.
«Oh no!» she whispered. «Max! Max!» she called out.
She blurred to the command center.
«Alec!» she panted. «She's out!» she informed.
«What do you mean she's out? And who are you...» he stopped understanding and wishing he was wrong. «You don't mean...»
«Yes, Max is out!» Syl but in.
Immediately, everyone's attention was focused on the blond girl and then on Alec.
«Dix! You have anything on your screens?» Alec inquired.
Dix shook his head negatively.
«Ok. Zane and Krit you take the East area, Joshua and Jondy, you take the west. Gem, Biggs take the north. Syl and i will take the south. Dix tell all the sentries what happened. Tell them to be extra careful and to open their eyes. I saw how she moves now, she more faster than before.»
Everyone nodded in agreement and took in charge their task.
Gem and Biggs were following a trail in one of the building of their surveillance area. When they reached the roof, they saw Max on the edge of the roof.
«I got you!» said Biggs.
«Are you crasy?!» shrieked Max.
«Max? You're talking?!» uttered Gem.
«For a change, you're mistaking me with her! It's the second time this day!» complained the brunettre. «What's wrong with you people!? I'm no Max. I'm 453.»
«Sorry.» said Biggs apologetically, and still not releasing her.
«You have you're hands on my breast 510.» she stated not at all disturbed by Biggs' action.
«Sorry.» repeated Biggs with a smirk.
«We're looking for Max.» informed Gem.
«Ok. So what?You lost her?» Sam asked seriously.
«Well...yeah.» said Biggs still smirking.
East sector.
«Where do you think she went?» asked Zane.
«I dunno.» replied Krti.
At that moment, Krit saw something, or someone moving in the corner of his eye. He motionned his brother to follow him in a dark alley.
South sector.
«What do you think she 's doing?» inquired Syl.
«In her present state of mind...» started Alec. «Making fun of us.»
«She likes high places.» stated Syl.
«I know, we'll reach the higher building of our area in one minute. We'll start there.»
West sector.
«Do you smell her?» asked Jondy to the dog boy.
«No.» Joshua growled in frustration.
But then he turned his head in the opposite direction and said «This way.»
«Why?» inquired Jondy. «You smell her?» she said hopefully.
«No, but chicken. Smell. Max love chicken.»
Jondy nodded and let Joshua lead the way.
East sector.
Zane and Krit had cornered the individual they were chasing. It was pretty fast.
South sector.
Alec and Syl reached the higher building but nobody was there. Yet, they found a little hint toward Oak street. Though they weren't sure that it was her.
It was now far after sunset and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. It was almost pitch black.
West sector.
Joshua and Jondy finally reached the source of the smell. A few guards, probably sentries were eating chicken...Most of them were nomalies and Joshua knew almost all of them.
«Hey Josh!» greeted one of them who looked pratically like Dix.
«Travis. You seen Max?» the dog boy asked.
«I heard Dix on radio but we saw nothing. Care to join us...» continued the nomalie.
Joshua was a bit hungry but finding Max was more important than food. So he shook his head and motionned Jondy to follow him.
East sector.
Zane and Krit were trying to capture the individual but that resulted only in bruises and a broken rib for Zane and a black eye and bruises too for Krit.
«What the hell?» cried Zane when he saw the face of their prisonner. A red headed woman was on the ground inconscious.
«That is not Max.» said Krit sarcastically.
«That is not Max.» repeated Zane. «We take her to command. I bet with her force she's one of those damn familiars.»
«Help me tie her first. I'm not risking my ass on that one.» said Krit.
South sector.
«Why did she get out?» thought out loud.
«I'm sorry.» apologized Syl. She didn't quite understand why she was apologizing to Alec. I mean, he was nothing for Max beside a friend and her CO. Okay, so he did a great job here but so what? She wasn't that much impressed by the man. Anyway, she was hardly impressed anyway. She was Zack's second in command back at Manticore. She too had that light in her that told you that she was a leader, not a follower and if she wasn't that she'll disturb the leaders. Plus, she was not bad back at Manticore. The voice of Alec brought her back to reality.
«Wasn't your fault. She could have gotten out whenever she wanted. I just don't get why now.» said Alec gently.
«Maybe she needed to be out. Like OC said.» guessed the blond girl.
«You saw her these days, she doesn't even want to set a foot outside...too afraid to do so...And when we tried she always needed someone with her...» 494 shook his head. «No. Something, someone made her move out.»
«You think that we have a security breach?» inquired Syl.
«Possible. You've got a radio on you?» he asked his partner. He knew how Syl was, she surely had one of this device with her.
The girl nodded.
«Call Dix.»
A few seconds Dix had Alec and Syl on radio.
«Yeah Dix. It's Syl. Alec thinks that we may have a security breach.»
«He's right. Zane and Krit bumped into a stupid familiar. We already gat her locked up.»
Silence.
«There was someone else with her?» asked Alec.
«Not that we know. But Mole set up a team for search and destroy any familiars in TC.»
«Good work.» agreed their CO. After a moment, he added a dreaded question. «Any signs of Max?»
«No.» answered a worried Zane.
They were back at that research when Syl noticed were they were.
«Alec.»
«What?» he said a bit rude.
«I think i know where she is.» said Syl.
Center of command.
Biggs, Gem, Joshua and Jondy were back having found nothing. Except Sam for Biggs and Gem.
«Where are we going exactly?» asked Alec while blurring to catch up with the blond girl.
«To your apartment.» said Syl.
Now why would Max go to his apartment?
When they reached his building and his apartment, the door was open.
They found a very shaken Max on his bed holding tightly his sheets and the t-shirt he wore the day before.
«I think i know why she's here.» said Syl.
Alec just looked at her dumdfounded.
«And i don't think that she'll ever want to get out of your apartment.» she continued.
«I think we should get the psy ops unit here.»
«Yeah, i think that they'll confirm or not my theory. I'll make the call.» Alec nodded.
«Alec...» they both heard. That was Max. Yeah. Max said Alec. He was the first that she ever called since...well all this mess...she didn't say Joshua's name or Zane, or Krit or Jondy or Syl...she said his name. She had called him. In a second, he was next to her and stroking her back.
«Seizures...» she croaked.
«Tell them to come with some trytophan...she's seizing.» shouted Alec even though he knew that Syl didn't needed to be told what to do...and plus, she perfectly heard Max...she was an X5...and he had learned by now that she hated it...But he had felt the need to tell her that.
Within ten minutes, Max was again surrounded by her protectors and the psy ops unit.
«So what's you're theory Syl?» asked Sid.
«I think...i'm not sure, and don't know if you'll like it Alec but i think in her condition it's a natural thing to do...i don't even understand why we didn't thought about that first.»
«Spill!» hissed Krit a bit impatient.
«Okay...calm down.» she paused taking a deep breath and bracing herself for what was coming. «I think in her mind, you're her mate.»
«What?» said a shocked Alec. The expression of all the person in his apartment showed their agreeing with Alec. Except Sid, who was deep in thought but then again, Sid hardly showed any emotions. Well, try never.
«Let me make my point ok?» said the blond girl. «You're the only one...and i really mean the only that she ever brushed her cheek on...Right?» she said asking for approval from her public. Joshua nodded.
«And where did you got that idea?» asked Jondy.
«A few minutes ago. I mean i was apologizing to Alec.»
«What!» Krit cut in.
'Yeah, so me apologizing is a big deal. Can't he see that there is more important things to focus on right now?'
«Would you let me continue?» she said frustrated.
He motionned her to continue.
«I don't apologize to people often. I know myself. Plus i've done nothing wrong. Yet i was apologizing to Alec for having lost Max. We have a feline DNA. That we all know. Not as developed as Max right now, but we share the same animal instinct, right?» again she looked at everybody. They were starting to take her seriously. Good. She wouldn't admit it but she liked it.
«Then you talked about a possible security breach, and what would make Max go out. She can sense danger. That's why she got out. I don't think the familiar came even close to her but she sensed a change in herself. The seizures.» she explained. «And the first person she turned too each time there was a problem is YOU Alec.» Several pair of eyes were on 494. He opened his mouth then shut it. He didn't really know what to do with her theory. No. Max couldn't have possibly chose to mate with him. On the other hand, he would pay to see Logan's face if he was here. He smirked inwardly. He managed to keep a serious blank face.
«She's right.» said Sid. «The question is Alec, do you aknowledge her as your mate.»
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