Chapter 13: Revelations

As point, it was Maury who had to peer into the dark cavern. His flashlight cut through the darkness, briefly illuminating spots of wall, floor, and shelves. He looked up at the men standing above the hole and raised his index finger to press against his lips. When all was quiet, he was able to confirm what he thought he'd heard in the first place. Someone was humming. The voice was feminine and sweet, yet nothing he'd experienced in his thirty-four years alive creeped him out more. He was reluctant but he knew he had to. He took a shaky step and then another until he reached the bottom of the chamber. His eyes became saucers when his flashlight revealed a very pregnant 452 shackled to a bed, staring up at the ceiling and humming to herself. She turned to him and squinted.

"The rooster is not going to be happy to see you in his coop."

Ben and Krit faced off in the training room along with other members of his unit. The two had just begun sparring when Ben glanced out the window and noticed the activity in the woods.

Krit swept Ben's legs from under him and down Ben went. Krit almost jumped up and down and started dancing. This was the first time he'd ever taken down Ben. Not able to help himself, Krit began taunting Ben. But Ben ignored his gloating. Instead he jumped up and ran to the window to get a closer look.

Krit was stunned as were all the other people in the training room. One minute they're all sparring like they do everyday at this time, the next Ben is screaming his head off.

"NO! NO! NO!" Ben shouted while pounding on the window. He then tried to run out of the training room but the TAC leaders stopped him. It wasn't easy. It took both the TAC leaders and a couple other confused X5s to subdue Ben. They dragged him kicking and screaming to isolation.

Lydecker stared at the table with the artifacts from Ben's secret place. His eyes came to rest on a small red pouch. He looked down on his desk and reread one of the files. Forensics had confirmed the teeth in that pouch had belonged to all the people 493 had been assigned to kill. Next to the pouch was the diary that Ben held dear. The diary documented when 493 found his destiny and what he and Max's purpose was and how he went about fulfilling that destiny much to Lydecker's mortification. His soldier. A soldier he had promoted to Commanding officer was insane. What had happened? Why didn't they catch it and fix it before it came to this? Lydecker thought while staring daggers at the table filled with effects testifying to Ben's insanity.

A knock at the door, halted Lydecker's brooding.

"Come in."

"They just confirmed it. The baby is definitely 493's." The lab tech said without preamble.

"I figured as much."

"What should I tell them in regards to the fetus?"

"She'll carry the baby to term. It is after all the first child conceived in this way. We can't pass up this research opportunity." Lydecker looked again towards the table. "Of course, it will have to undergo constant evaluation to see if it displays any of the same tendencies that caused 493's psychosis."

"What about 452, Sir?"

"She'll require reindoctrination. After the nightmare she went through, she'll be grateful." Lydecker stared at the picture of the young girl in the folder marked X5-332960073452 A.KA. "Max" for a long time. The softness his eyes held vanished the moment he looked up from the file at the lab tech. "Forgetting the past year is not enough. Make it so she won't ever remember knowing 493." Lydecker shook his head and sighed before adding softly. "It's the least we can do. As for 493, he'll never be functional again."

The end

Author's Note: Weird right. Well what did you expect? This is Ben after all. I can't imagine writing or reading a Ben story that is in no way as twisted as he was on Pollo Loco, which in my opinion was one of the best DA episodes EVER! Anyway, hope you guys liked my story. Thank you all so much for the reviews.