A/N- I barely survived the walking holiday. It sucked and I have decided that it is my last 'family' holiday, it was nice to come back to some great reviews- thank you all.
You will notice that this story will tend to focus on those that didn't get a great deal of time in Moving Alongside. However- once again—of you ask nicely I'll add in who you want!
Recap-
In the explosion
Dek went with Aiden
Drew was injured and picked up by Ed
Skye and Flex retrieved Five children (Nyx, Icarus, Isacar, Zephyr and Galen) Steve was killed.
Emma, BJ and Zan are together
Sunny fled with Biggs after watching Mets die
Pix and Chance went off together
Coco ran off to find Jason
Feen, Techie and Anna ended up with each other.
And Carrot and Tara took Cece along to see Logan
CHAP 2 Having sustenance and covering.
Coco stared warily at the shell shocked man sitting in front of her. "Jason?" she hedged gently.
"So basically," he cleared his throat, "you're an escaped soldier from a secret government lab that specialises in manufacturing super humans with a mixture of animal DNA."
Coco winced, "Well, put like that it sounds dumb."
Jason laughed into his hand and nodded his eyebrows high in disbelief.
"Look, Jason, I'm not making this up," she vowed, her dark hair shaking as she moved closer to the baffled man. "If I was, I think I'd come up with something a little more believable that this."
"Yeah."
"I was sent to spy on your company and my mission was over which was why I was gone in such a hurry."
"Without a word," he said bitterly.
Coco glared, "They don't exactly have phones in hell."
Jason started, "What?"
"You think it was some sort of picnic, something that I couldn't wait to get back to?" Coco rolled up her shirt sleeve and showed him the scars on her upper arms. "I got that when I screwed up a mission a few years ago. We were sent into the jungle to retrieve some lost Marines and I wasn't watching where my C.O. pointed out a sniper track. I was hit with a poison dart by some imaginative natives and almost gave away our position." She rolled her eyes at the memory. "Flex tried to fix me up but I was too damn stubborn. But I got it when I got back for being careless. I was thrown into the brig and they didn't treat my arm until I got out three days later. It'd got infected and I had to have it gouged."
Coco shuddered as the feeling of scraping against bone rung through her. "Point is," she continued, "as soon as Manticore burned down I came to find you."
"Manticore?" Jason frowned. "So that Eyes guy was right?"
"Eyes?" Coco shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Eyes Only," Jason said excitedly. "He's a cyber-journalist, wanted by all the three-letter agencies; FBI, CIA, you name it. They say he's subversive with his cable hacks that usually expose corruption and wrongdoings. He brings a lot of injustices to light. Anyway he said that there was this secret government facility that was torturing children just south of Seattle."
Coco went cold. "When was this?"
"About two maybe three weeks ago."
"Can you remember precisely?"
Jason looked oddly at her. "I wasn't sure I believed him, the news crew said it was a VA hospital that burned down."
"When?" her voice was low and frantic and Jason got up off the sofa.
"Uh, I was recording a show for my niece when the cable hack hit, I have it here somewhere."
Coco clenched her fists tightly as Jason walked over to his video collection and rummaged around. If this Eyes Only man made some sort of hack exposing them, that could have been enough reason for the Director to torch the facility. It would answer one of her questions at least.
"Here," Jason pushed the cassette into his machine and waited. At first Coco was confused when huge fat men in Day-Glo suits walked on the screen squeaking at each other. Jason blushed.
"Yeah, sorry about that. She's a huge fan of…" he pressed fast-forward and quickly hit play.
Coco leaned forward as twin bands of red and blue swung across the screen and two eyes peered out at her.
"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom video bulletin. Your location has been revealed. Your secret is out. And now Manticore will be held accountable for its crimes. Manticore's facility is located an hour southwest of metropolitan Seattle
"What the hell did he think he was accomplishing?" she exploded, jumping to her feet. "Exposure could only lead to dissolution of the project. That's us!" she yelled at the screen. "We were in there, you son of a bitch! They tried to fry us!"
Jason stared wide-eyed at the girl whose cheeks were flushed with rage.
Coco held a hand over her stomach. "This isn't happening."
Jason bit his lip, "The news story comes on in a second shall I turn it off?"
Coco shook her head. "No, just leave it."
Jason stood by the TV watching the woman that he had come to care about gaze heartbroken at the screen. He really had cared about Cody Mandora and he was hurt when he called in to work one day and she had just gone. His boss, swathed in bandages, glared at him when he asked and mumbled something about reassignment and not to ask if he valued his job. Jason had hoped to hear from her and then, as the days turned into weeks and nothing he had grown angry and bitter; the thought that she had played him rife in his mind. He had thought hard about what he would do if she ever graced his doorstep again but admittedly this scenario had passed him by.
"We interrupt this show with breaking news of a huge inferno over the mountains just southwest of Seattle. Sources indicate that an underground gas pipe exploded culminating in a-- Wait, Channel three has received word that this is in fact the tragic remains of an exclusive V.A hospital."
Coco stared in disbelief as the charred ruins of Manticore filled the screen. The anchor-woman who narrated was in a helicopter hovering above the remains of Manticore showing images of the fire that raged.
"The hospital was a refuge and home to scores of veterans that we owe our lives to in previous wars. This is truly a tragedy. As you can see bodies litter the grounds and local authorities are battling hard as the flames top the trees and are visible even from this distance."
Coco covered her mouth as the camera showed a close-up of the grounds of Manticore. The training grounds where she had drilled with Flex and Max. The courtyard where she had sparred with Anna and Feen, and laughed at Pix. Her dorm was visible where she had awoken Cece up from her rampant snoring and had a pillow fight with Drew.
A window exploded as she was watching and fire blossomed out.
"Can you say what caused the blaze, Louisa?"
"No, Carl, at this moment the local authorities aren't confirming what caused the blaze but they aren't ruling out any possibilities including arson."
"Arson?" Coco gave a hollow chuckle, her eyes full with hot angry tears. "Plausible deniability. You expose them they deny everything."
"Thank you Louisa and we'll bring you more updates as soon as we have them."
Jason switched off the TV. "There have been broadcasts, the authorities are blaming it on some terrorist group called S1W."
"Who?"
"Militant, anti-authority group they took over a Vet clinic a few days ago. Are you okay?"
"No," she said truthfully. "Some of my friends died in that fire. The rest of my family scattered, I have no idea where they are or even how to start looking for them. I miss them."
Jason nodded, his hair flopping into his face as he looked her over.
She was a vision of cocoa-coloured skin and thick black hair, her oval face was perfect and her dark eyes glittered with pride. She was wearing dark trousers and a torn t-shirt, things that looked the worse for wear and he wondered idly where she got them from, after all they didn't wear that kind of thing in the military. With a start Jason realised that he believed her.
"Sorry Cody," he said and sat by her on the sofa brushing her hair over her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that."
She swallowed, "My name is Coco. I don't have last name but my first is Coco, my friend named me."
Jason looked at her curiously and she smiled softly. "We weren't seen as humans by the superiors and we were given numbers— designations— instead of names. My designation was 624, and then a girl came from another facility and called me Coco—after her favourite drink I think."
She smiled at the memory.
"So Cody was your mission name?"
Coco nodded.
"Coco," Jason tried it and his face lit up in the little boy smile that she adored so much. "I like it."
"It's late," she said looking towards the window. "I guess I'd better go."
"Go where?" he said in askance and she shrugged, a smile on her face.
"I've been sleeping rough, but I guess it can't be too hard to find shelter."
Jason looked at her horrified, "You've been sleeping out there?"
Coco shrugged, "Standard mission parameters especially in the war zones. I didn't care though, I wanted to get here quickly to see you, I missed you," she ducked her head slightly. "I really like you, Jason and I guess I didn't mind it at all. I'd better go."
"Nuh uh," Jason said and walked off towards a cupboard, pulling out some blankets and cushions.
"There is no way that you are sleeping out there. You can have my bed and I'll take the couch."
Coco stared, "What?"
Jason inclined his head towards his room, "Go on now Cod—Coco, get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow."
Coco stood up, still giving Jason an odd look.
"Scoot!" he laughed and she poked her tongue out at him before he closed the door behind her.
Coco couldn't believe it, she had just told him that she was a soldier and she'd travelled all this way to see him because she really liked him and he was sleeping on the couch?
He was mad, nuts, crazy.
"Sweet dreams!" he called and she grinned.
Completely crazy!
----
Sunny felt better after a steaming hot shower and, by the time Biggs was finished procuring them some clothes, she was almost feeling human again. Well, as human as she was originally, anyway.
Biggs had told the hotel manager that they had a bad flight and that the airline had lost all of their luggage as the excuse for their appearance. With a quick flash of the cash that they had… acquired from their target, they had been hastily shown to a large room and Biggs had been offered the use of the hotel facilities to buy clothes for his wife while she cleaned up.
Mr. and Mrs. Kline – a last name chosen from numerous advertisements that they had seen scattered around— were comfortably situated in one of the nicer suites in the Luxor Hotel with slanting walls and a great view of the mountains.
Sunny finished up in her shower and ordered room service, so glad that Biggs wouldn't mind her eating, she really was starving.
Just as she put the phone down the door opened and Biggs stepped into the lavish room.
"Hey, feel better?" he asked as he placed several bags with the hotel logo down on the table.
"Much," she sighed as she pushed her damp hair behind her ears. "You?"
"Grabbed a quick shower and then went to get some clothes," he flopped on the bed next to her and looked around the room with a whistle. "Damn, this is great!"
Sunny agreed as her gaze flitted around the room. Vegas was one place where it didn't seem to matter that the pulse had touched. With all of the back-up generators that they used, the pulse had barely made a dent in the gambling city. Of course the big league mobsters had moved in to 'help out' financially and the city still ran like clockwork. People came in, they lost money, they went home happy.
The rich décor of the room showed that, at least here, money and style mattered more than substance. The floaty gauze curtains flapped in the breeze and let the humid air circulate through the air conditioning. The room was decked out as in Egyptian times as was the theme for the hotel. The deep earthy browns covered the room in splendour as they matched the muted reds and dull oranges of the gold inlay on the furniture. The drapes were in the same floaty gauze as the curtains and touched the deep, plush carpet in beige and cream. The shimmering hieroglyphs were set into the wallpaper and the walls were covered with Egyptian images of animal-headed gods and dancing slaves. Even the furniture kept with the theme and the bed was encased in silk and curved like a Queen's resting place.
Opulent, luxurious and tasteful.
Sunny giggled, "I feel like I should be feeding you grapes."
Biggs nodded amusedly, "Yeah, scary, huh?"
She frowned, "Do we have enough money to pay for this?"
Biggs looked at her, "Sunny," he said archly, "We're in Vegas."
"Oh!" She blushed. "Right, so I guess we hit the tables then?"
"Tonight," Biggs agreed yawning. "I need some sleep."
Sunny spied the bags and her face broke into a smile of mischief, "What'd ya buy me?"
Biggs loved hearing that teasing edge in her voice. It was so different from the tired, sad tone that had been the norm these past few weeks since their escape and flight from Manticore. The death of Mets weighed heavily on both of their minds even though neither spoke of it. Like true blue soldiers, Biggs thought wryly, push it aside and aside and aside until it doesn't hurt as much and then pretend it never happened.
He waved his hands towards the bags and watched her scramble madly through his purchases like a child at Christmas.
As she pulled jeans and shirts and dresses and skirts he just watched her; her dancing eyes, her blonde hair drying into silken waves and bright, beaming smile. She was beautiful and smart and sensual and she was here with him.
"Uh Biggs?"
He glanced at her as she held up two scrap pieces of lace, her eyebrow raised.
Biggs shrugged sheepishly, "Hey, a guy can dream can't he?"
Sunny grinned and jumped onto the bed next to him, "I guess so."
He reached up and stroked her hair behind her ear. "What's say we get some sleep before we go earn our keep, huh?"
"Sounds like a plan." She yawned and stretched, her arms falling over his head and draping over his shoulders as she tickled his barcode.
"I said sleep!" he said archly and then his voice lowered. "But that can wait."
"Oh good!" she purred and leaned forward to nip his lips.
----
"Rise and shine!"
Skye's response was short and pithy and had the Xs giggling around her.
"Skye!" Flex admonished, "That's not the kind of language to use around the Greeks!"
Skye would have rolled her eyes at his name for the children but they remained closed as she protested getting up.
"Manticore is charred ruins therefore any excuse for getting up has to involve food," she muttered rebelliously and draped her hand over her face.
"Like this?"
Skye's nostrils detected the delicious scent of cooking bacon drifting under her nose and hot coffee not far behind.
Her eyes snapped open to see Flex wafting a streak of bacon on a metal fork towards her.
She sat up to see the Greeks sitting in a semi-circle around a small portable stove holding plastic plates filled with the bacon and some beans.
Galen got up and scampered closer to her burying himself in her lap and her arms instinctively drew him closer to her letting his soft scent fill her with comfort.
"I'm dreaming," she stated, her heart sinking.
"Not at all," Flex smirked. "While you were sleeping, Princess, me and Zeph scouted ahead and came across a big building with Wal-Mart on the front. We snuck in and…"
"Stole?" supplied a cheeky Zeph.
"Borrowed," Flex corrected, "we borrowed the gas stove and some supplies."
"It was easy, security was a joke!" Zeph enthused. "We went in through the ceiling. The Guard was in his hut and asleep, he saw nothing and we picked up—"
"Guards?" Skye cut in, holding her boy tighter. "How many?"
"Just the one," Flex frowned at her tone.
"Was he armed?" She demanded, "Dammit, Flex, you should have told me where you were going."
"You needed sleep!" he argued not knowing why she was acting like this. It wasn't as if one guard posed a problem, for Manticore's sake. It was easy there was no danger of either of them getting hurt… Oh.
With a mental slap to the head Flex realised what was upsetting her and he edged closer.
"We checked out the Guard first, made sure that he was asleep and I was look out while Zeph got the stuff. Then we switched. I kept an eye on the man at all times and if he'd have woken we'd have hid until he went away. It was safe, Skye. I wouldn't let anything happen to me or the kid."
"Did we do wrong, ma'am?" Zeph asked his face troubled at the possibility of disappointing her.
Skye bit her lip as Galen tensed in her lap, not liking the tension in her arms. She knew that her response had been somewhat irrational but she couldn't help it.
The echo of the bullet that killed her beloved brother still haunted her, even after two weeks. She may be a soldier but Steve had been her family, the first one to completely love her for what she was and never want her to change. That had always been important to her and now more than ever she needed that sense of family.
She didn't want anything to happen to anyone that she cared about again. Not if she could help it.
"No Zeph," she smiled at the eager young boy touched at his willingness to please her. "I'm not mad. What did you get?"
Zeph beamed and sat back, his cocky air returned as he began to reel off a list to his avid listeners, "Sleeping bags, portable stove and gas cylinders, matches, bacon, beans, cheese, tents, water, biscuits, cookies…"
Skye's mind drifted as he continued the list and she stared at Flex, her mouth set in a small apologetic smile. Not too much though, she still had a persona to maintain after all. She pushed Galen away and gestured for him to eat with his chattering playmates. The silent boy nodded and sat by Icarus who was awake and listening intently to Zeph, her arms flailing in excitement as she gestured to Nyx and Isacar. Zeph filled his mouth with food and carried on his list regardless of Icarus' constant interruptions.
Flex pulled Skye under his arm listening to the bragging child. He lowered his mouth to her ear. "I also cleaned out a few of the cash registers; we can look for some place to stay that isn't in the open. It'll be safer once we have four walls around us."
Skye glanced up at him gratefully and snuggled under his strong arms glad that he was here.
----
There was quite a lot of room between the sofa and the wall, enough room for an angry transgenic to pace up and down and up and down wearing a hole in the plush cream carpet.
Her eyes followed him as he turned and walked back all the time his jaw flapping and making her wince.
Cece frowned at Carrot and rubbed her head, "Do you have to make so much damn noise?" she demanded finally. "My head feels like it's about to explode!"
"Transgenics don't get sick!" Carrot contested.
"Tell that to my brain!"
He poked his tongue out at her. "Besides I wasn't loud, I was just--"
"Complaining!" she stated irately. "I get that you don't want to work for Eyes Only, I get that you neither like nor trust the guy, I get that he manipulated you, I get that you hate having to live in this luxurious apartment that he provided, I get that you hate that Tara is working alongside him and I get that you miss our Unit, I do too. But please keep it down!"
Carrot sighed and sagged onto the sofa by her side.
"Sorry Cece," he said softly. "It just grates is all."
"I know," she sat back and laid her head on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
All three of them had moved to the apartment that Logan Cale had set up for them. It was nicely situated in the heart of the rich man's district and was high enough at 12 storeys to satisfy their feline need for heights. It was three bed-roomed with two bathrooms and kitchen, dining room and lounge.
Cece had been impressed with her new living quarters and was glad that Tara and Carrot as a mated couple hadn't just moved in themselves and left her on her own. She knew that they were decent guys and wouldn't do that but she just hoped that she wouldn't be a burden to them.
Tara had gone back to work at the newspaper with Logan and Carrot was Eyes Only's new partner in crime as he did all of the leg-work. The only reason that Cece wasn't pulled in to the arrangement was that Tara and Carrot refused to let her meet Logan.
"No way!" Carrot said when she had suggested it. "It's bad enough that we are in the middle of this mad man's machinations, the last thing we need is to give him three transgenics to play with."
Cece had reluctantly agreed and so she took care of the apartment while they were out, just generally cleaning and cooking and being… housewifely- she thought with a giggle.
"I mean," Carrot continued. "I get out of Manticore only to be given missions from a jumped up comp geek with bad hair and a save-the-world fetish."
Cece smiled at him and patted his leg, "He may be a loser but he is our best way at finding out what happened to our family."
"Maybe," Carrot rose up on his knees and started rubbing circles on Cece's head. She leaned into his touch and groaned as he released the knot in her temples. "But I get the idea that he is hiding something from us."
"Are you hiding something?"
They looked up to see Tara smirking at them from the door, a plastic bag in her hand.
"Hey sweetie," Carrot smiled in greeting and she gestured to him and Cece.
"Is there something I should know?"
"Yes," Carrot sighed. "I'm madly in love with Cece and we are deciding to run away together."
"Want lunch first?" Tara held up the plastic bag. "I brought home some Chinese food."
"Chinese?" Carrot looked at Cece. "Sorry darlin' you're dumped."
Cece scowled at him, "I'm in no mood to play. Go eat!"
Tara blinked in surprise, "Something wrong, Cece?"
"Yeah," Carrot said. "She's had a headache all day."
"I'm probably hungry," Cece said, the smells from the bag making her mouth water.
"Then by all means eat," Tara offered kissing Carrot as he made his way to her.
Cece grabbed the bag and took it into the kitchen to prepare dinner. "Sure, we could use some Tabasco sauce with it too, some of that stuff needs spicing up."
Tara and Carrot pulled apart with equal looks of disgust, "Tabasco? Ew!"
"What?" Cece popped her heads back into the room. "I like it!"
"Yes, well," Carrot grimaced. "No one ever said that you were the sanest of people."
Cece poked her tongue out at him and went back into the kitchen.
"Everything all right?" Tara asked him carefully.
"Yeah," Carrot sighed. "I'm just fed up of doing Eyes Only's leg work."
Tara bit back a grin, "Well its not like he could do it himself."
Carrot smirked, "True, but I know that he is hiding something from us, something important."
"You think maybe he is in contact with some of the other Xs?"
Carrot shrugged, "Maybe, all I know I that I don't trust the guy. He makes my skin crawl. And I'd be much happier of you weren't in such close quarters with him every day."
Tara giggled, "Like I'd even touch him!"
Carrot pouted as he brushed her hair behind her ears, "I don't like the way that he looks at you."
Tara didn't know what to say to that. She knew that Carrot was a jealous man and mostly it didn't bother her, it was unusual to have someone who wanted her that much that they were prepared to be jealous. She had always been used to being 'the medic', the nameless, sexless doctor that cleared up after the battles and stitched you back together again. Either people feared her, because seeing her meant that you were injured, or they tried to avoid her. To have someone that cared about her and genuinely wanted to be around her like Carrot does, it was intoxicating and filled her with warmth.
"I don't see it," she said softly. "All I think about is you."
They shared a kiss unable to say all of the things that they wanted to say to each other. Manticore had never taught them how to deal with these sorts of emotions and voicing how much they meant to each other was as foreign as sand to an Eskimo.
"Ugh, get a room," Cece rolled her eyes as she came back in and sat on the sofa.
Tara glared at her, "Ugh, get a boyfriend."
"Ladies!" Carrot gently chided. "Tara, Cece hasn't been feeling well."
"Transgenics don't get sick," was the automatic response and she blinked. "Sorry."
"That's okay," Cece shrugged. "That's what Carrot said. Good old Manticore brain-washing at its finest."
"I can check you over if you like?" Tara offered and Cece grinned.
"That'd be great, thanks."
Carrot smiled at the two of them trying to get along. Tara may be sweet and easy-going but Cece was enough to try anyone's patience.
He was just lucky that they didn't get stuck with Anna.
----
The bell above the door rang loudly signalling to anyone within earshot that there was someone entering the rather formidable looking room.
B.J. grimaced as the door slammed behind him, shielding them from the sounds of traffic outside.
He had been walking down the street, looking for a job when he had seen this place with an advert in the window and whether it was mischief or masochism he wasn't sure, but he felt impelled to enter.
He smirked lightly as he mentally berated himself for coming here. It wasn't exactly a particularly clever place for an escaped transgenic to be.
He glanced at all of the posters on the walls proclaiming that the country needed them and that Uncle Sam was watching.
The décor in ocean grey and green wasn't inviting and the few plants scattered around did nothing to dispel the severity of the place.
No, an army recruitment office possibly wasn't the smartest place to be when half of the military world would be out to kill you for existing.
"Can I help you?"
B.J. turned to see a tall dark-skinned woman standing in the doorway.
Her back was ramrod straight and her feet turned out just so to indicate a military background. Her dark eyes were seriously intent on him and her long black hair was slicked away from an oval face carefully helpful in expression.
He grinned a boyish grin and scratched his head, "Uh hi, I was wondering if you had any vacancies here."
The woman raised a manicured eyebrow and fixed him with a glare. "There is a sign in the window, is there not?"
Her acerbic tone raised his hackles in a way he hadn't felt in a few weeks and he dropped the act his back straightening as if she were Trainer Banns. "Yes, ma'am, but I wasn't sure if the position had been filled."
The brow seemed to settle itself at that sign of discipline and she almost smiled.
"It's a part time position which you would take over from myself several times a week as well as the two of us working alongside each other. It's a good wage but I expect a good day's work for it. It entails answering phones, typing memos and handling recruitment. Do you have experience?"
B.J. wanted to grin at that but kept his face carefully blank, "Yes, Ma'am. I have military experience."
"You?" her eyes raked over him and B.J. knew what she saw; a slim pretty guy with a chiselled jaw, almond eyes and an unruly mop of light brown hair. His casual demeanour seemed to state that he was undisciplined and not at all what you'd expect from a soldier.
Appearances were deceiving.
"I was an army brat with my father being posted mainly in Europe," he lied smoothly. "I was conscripted in Germany when we lived there and graduated top of my Unit two years ago, having skipped a year and a half. I am up to date on recent arms and munitions and was considered an expert in detonations and technology."
The woman raised that damn eyebrow again, obviously impressed despite herself. "That's all very well, but can you do secretarial work too?"
B.J. allowed himself a grin, "Yes Ma'am, I did my share of grunt work."
At that she did smile and walked sedately over to her desk and pulled a file from her desk. "In that case, perhaps you could answer questions from this application form so we have your details on file and I can show you around."
She gestured to the seat in front of the desk and B.J. sat.
"Name?"
"B.J."
She rolled her eyes, "Real and last name?"
Shit, he didn't have a last name, and he didn't think that what his initials really stood for were going to help this time. His eyes searched for inspiration and he found it above her head. Uncle Sam wants you!
"Sam…son. Billy James Samson."
"Billy, is that short for William?"
"Yes Ma'am. William James Samson." Well it was better that 'Hi my name is Big Jerk Manticore.'
"Social security number?"
B.J. made something up from one of his previous missions; it wouldn't be too hard to forge that once he got hold of a computer.
"Place of residence?"
"No fixed address at this time," B.J. said and she looked up curiously.
"I just got into town, like, three days ago and am living in a hotel until I can find suitable accommodation."
"I see," the woman made a note of that. "Well, William, like I said the salary is pretty good and the hours are set." She handed him a piece of paper with the times he was expected to work. "I like things to be neat, tidy and efficient. You show up, you do the work and if I'm happy you go home happy, understood?"
"Yes Ma'am," B.J smirked. "And the name is B.J. What do I call you?"
"My name is Jacenette Knightsbridge," she said archly. "You can call me Jace."
----
The rope uncurled and fell from the skylight dropping several feet to hang a few metres above floor level.
A figure dressed in black started down the rope, the figure's hands slipping expertly down the cords to bring them into the empty room.
It didn't look like a particularly valuable room, all that was in there were a few scattered exhibits locked behind glass cases, tattered exhibits that looked more protected that appeared needful.
The artefact in the centre of the room was elevated off the floor by a pillar and was covered in a cylindrical glass case. The flashlight held by the figure on black shone on the plaque that read;
Sammy Sosa-
September 17th, 2009
Home Run No. 756
From a belt as black as the outfit, the figure produced a screwdriver and hung back as they looked for the screws that affixed the glass case to the stand.
"Uh, I think they're under the other side!"
Dek rolled his eyes, "I knew that, I was making sure that there weren't any leads to an internal security device."
"I read the schematics," Aiden said as he dropped down a second rope to land besides Dek halfway in the air. "There was no other security than the floor sensors."
"And grid gates and guards which are due back in four point two minutes, so if you don't mind!" Dek growled as he started to unscrew the glass.
"You know you really need to unleash some of this hostility," Aiden remarked dryly as he watched Dek struggle with the encasing.
"What hostility?"
Aiden bit back a grin, "The same hostility that has you growling like a mama bear every time you talk to me."
"I don't growl," Dek protested glancing over his shoulder at Aiden.
"Do too," Aiden shrugged as he grabbed the baseball and watched Dek slide the glass back in place— that would puzzle the guards.
"I do?" Dek frowned and swung around to Aiden.
"Uh huh, it's like living with Anna sometimes."
Dek winced, "I didn't realise that I was that bad."
"I understand that you miss all of our guys and Drew- of course. I do too."
"It's more than that," Dek shook his head and wrapped his arms around his rope, sitting in mid-air. "It's something inside, like, cloying. I feel like without my Unit I can't breathe. Without Drew is bad enough, I want to fall to pieces. But without the rest of them…" He shook his head again unable to put it into words.
"You know, unlike you illiterate bums, I actually read that report Tara made to Renfro."
"The animal one?"
"Yeah, well, we have so much damn mix in our cocktail but one of the main similarities is they used animals with Social clans or packs."
Dek shrugged, "So?"
Aiden rolled his eyes, "Feline, canine, equine-- those characteristics that make up who we are all come from Social Animals and so we have that need to be near the rest of our pack."
Dek shook his head, "It's more than that."
Aiden swung his legs around to sit in mid-air like Dek, "The most interesting thing was that in those of you who have Shark DNA- that'd be you, Max, Chance, B.J. and Emma have a whole new level of social behaviour."
"Wait," Dek shook his head. "I thought sharks were pretty much loners."
Aiden shook his head and a grin appeared on his face, "Tara's paper—which you'd know if you bothered to read it—mentioned shark behaviour."
"Yeah, you know I was too busy having a life," Dek teased and Aiden glared.
"Fine, I won't tell you then." Aiden started to climb back up to the Skylight.
Dek grabbed him before he could make it up the rope, "C'mon man, tell me."
Aiden folded his arms, "Not until you apologise."
Dek pouted, "Sorry."
Aiden smirked in triumph, "Okay then, wuss," Dek glared at the insult but allowed a grinning Aiden to continue. "Sharks, especially the Great White and Grey Reef variety have complex social behavioural patterns, including multifaceted relationships with others and communication of body language and body patterns rather than sounds. Remember how you calmed down when around Max? You were never really a tactile person, even with Drew until Max arrived."
"Except with Chance," Dek remembered several times taking it in turns with Alec and Biggs in calming down the girl after her nightmares. He had always felt better after hugging her or even touching her hand.
"Who also has shark DNA," Aiden reminded him. "My guess is that although you can use sounds to communicate with me and others as befits most of the animalistic behaviours; what you're missing is those others of shark disposition to communicate with through body language and those other social cues."
"Huh," Dek thought about that. It made sense in a strange way. He'd always been known as the bad boy of Manticore and had done the whole James Dean, sullen teen, routine even though he'd been open with Drew. But it wasn't until Max arrived that he truly started to feel like one of the gang rather than a loner. He remembered all of the times he touched Max, to get her attention or to make her feel better or even to annoy Alec, whatever it was he had felt better whenever she was around.
"So the others with shark DNA are feeling this too, huh?"
Aiden nodded, "If they are without each other then yeah, but if say Emma is with Chance then they'll be okay."
"But Max seemed fine when she first arrived at Seattle, so what was that?"
Aiden sighed, "I'm no Zoologist but best guess is that Max created some sort of defence to it when she was in Wyoming, you know how her unit treated her there."
Dek growled. That he did; that Bulli guy had it coming on so many damn levels that he couldn't even begin to explain.
"So I understand that I am not good enough for you," Aiden said in mock sadness. "And why I must put up with you being so damn grouchy with me. At least until we can get B.J. back to feel you up."
Dek yelped and smacked Aiden's head, "Ew! Thanks for that image!"
Aiden frowned as he heard footsteps, "Uh Dek?"
Dek grimaced, great conversation to have whilst attempting to rob the place! "Up now!"
They scampered up the rope towards the open skylight and managed to get to the roof just as the guard walked by the room where the now empty glass case lay innocently in the gloom.
----
Drew painstakingly made her way into the brightly lit kitchen salivating at the delicious smells that emanated from there. She favoured her left leg as she edged into the room and dragged herself into the nearest chair; the small journey taking more out of her than she hoped or was comfortable with.
She leaned back against the wooden chair and tried to push it closer to the table. Her ribs protested and she groaned inwardly.
"All okay sweethear'?"
Drew smiled up at Ed as he placed a plate in front of her. "I just ache is all."
She tucked her hair behind her head and tried not to wince at the bright light, since that night at Manticore her eyes had been extra sensitive. She blamed it on the explosion that happened in front of her… or perhaps it was the bang to the head, being flung halfway across the stairway or having most of the upper floor collapse on top of her, you could take your pick really.
It had been one hell of a day.
"Ed?"
The brawny man looked up at her, his thick white eyebrows drawn up in questioning. He had been so kind to her, taking her out of the woods where she had been slowly bleeding to death and he had used his limited medical knowledge to fix her up as best he could. Then he had taken the care to hide her from the soldiers and guards that checked out his, and indeed all of the houses in the district, for any escapees seeking refuge.
He had taken care of her while she was unconscious and he was nursing her gently back to health. And she didn't even know why. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. What was that human phrase about not looking a Gift Horse in the mouth?
"Um, do you know whether any of the others made it?"
Ed bit his lip as he gazed at the pale woman sitting carefully in the chair in front of him. She was a fighter, that was for sure, she had survived what most humans would have died from—but of course she wasn't exactly human.
"Sorry sweethear', they ran too fast fur me ta see. I know lots made it out, but didn' see no faces."
Drew swallowed and nodded slowly. "I have to find them."
Ed's face registered his surprise, "But missy, you ain't in no condition ta be wandering, 'specially not with them guards after ya."
"They're family," she said quietly, no trace of her previous tough chick persona.
"I understand but wait until you can walk at least far enough ta not be caught okay?"
As a soldier Drew recognised the importance of her regaining her strength before making her way out into the world to find her family in general and Dek and Max in particular. But her heart was so desperately yearning for any one of her friends to come and be with her. Damn, at this point even Anna would be more welcome than not.
With that thought Drew shook herself— she wasn't quite that bad yet—and smiled up at Ed.
"I'm kinda hungry now."
Ed patted her hand affectionately, "I got just the thing."
----
His feet crept silently along the ground, managing not to crunch the gravel under his toes and give away his position. It wasn't that he wanted to be sneaky… well, actually he did, he knew that they wouldn't trust him if he didn't at least attempt to be stealthy. He was a transgenic after all.
But he didn't want them to think that his motives were underhand, he had to try to make his way in their—
"Halt!"
He froze, his hands automatically held out to the side to let them know that he was unarmed. He could feel at least four people surrounding him, two above his head and two at ground level, he could hear the light cocking of at least one gun and could smell two more.
They were serious.
"State your designation."
"No more designations," Techie growled, "I was X5-886. I'm Techie."
"Techie, huh?" There was a sudden blast of light as if a floodlight had been switched on and the whole of the surrounding area was illuminated.
Techie winced, his feline sight overwhelmed as the lights flooded his pupils.
A coarse laugh wasn't the only reaction to his discomfort as the barrels of the guns lowered.
Techie straightened and gestured behind him, where two figures edged into the clearing to stand beside him.
"Problem?" Feen said, putting her hands on her hips in a telltale gesture of defiance.
Techie bit back a grin at the imperial tone in her voice, "Nah, just saying hi to these fine transgenics."
"Hi, now scat over to Oak Street, that's where your kind is congregating."
"You are our kind," Feen said archly.
"Yeah?" the voice stepped into the light, his scales glistening in the spot light. He was about 6 foot tall with large ridges adorning his forehead and down the crest of his nose. His eyes were round and hooded and a cigar lay smoking between his lips.
"There's a world of difference between you and me, sweetheart."
To her credit Feen didn't flick an eyelid, "Got a barcode, don'tcha?"
He didn't blink but Feen had the impression that she had impressed him slightly.
Anna nudged her with her elbow, "Can we go?"
"I'm Feen," she ignored the Chinese girl behind her and stepped towards the great lizard man.
"Mole," he said around the cigar and hefted his rifle. "This is Sally."
"Anna," Feen gestured to the girl beside her. "You met Techie."
"Yeah, we each stay with our kind, X with X, freak with freak," another transgenic offered stepping into the light to show his pink domed head and wide eyes. "I'm Luke."
"Hey, ain't she one of them Special Ops?" another voice spoke up.
Anna nodded, "X5- 291, specialised in schematics and ordinance."
"Damn lawyers," Mole muttered and Anna glared.
"I don't know Mole, we could do with someone who reads schematics, they could tell us where the power lines and water pipes run," hedged Luke.
Mole just shrugged. "Welcome to Terminal City," he said gruffly and gestured for someone to open the large gates.
Techie tucked his arm into Feen's as they walked into the city and the gates slammed shut behind them.
----
Chance tucked one elusive strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at the milkshake that she was sharing with Pix. They had bought it with the last of the money that he had managed to sequester away at Manticore. She had been so hungry but there was nothing on the menu that they could afford and so had settled for the sweet strawberry concoction. The trouble was that they couldn't find anyone who looked wealthy enough to steal off, and the two of them had enough issues about theft anyway without adding to it. But neither could they find a job, it seemed that occupations in pre-pulse Seattle were as hard to come by as Renfro's heart.
Pix was worried more than he dared to say about it. Chance had been acting oddly since they had escaped the burning wreckage that was Manticore. At first he had assumed that she simply missed her family, much in the way that he did. But then the snappy remarks and erratic behaviour just wasn't Chance at all. She didn't snipe at him and she didn't stand in the middle of the room and sniff dodging her head from one side to another as if listening intently for something.
She made him concerned and he was going out of his way to try to pacify her, even if neither of them knew what it was exactly that she needed pacifying from.
"Chance?" he pushed the milkshake towards her letting her finish it off. She smiled sweetly at him and opened her mouth to say something.
"Mar-IE!"
The scream of the head cook made Chance's mouth close with a snap. The man had been yelling at that poor girl for hours. Every time something pinged or sizzled they'd hear the raucous yell of "Mar-IE!" and the harried waitress would roll her eyes and head out back.
Pix's eyes narrowed, "Mar-ie the toast is burning, Mar-ie the kitchen is on fire, Mar-ie my ass is too big," he mocked. "Why doesn't the guy just get a dog?"
"In his defence the girl is slow," Chance said impishly. "She isn't exactly prime waitress material."
They both looked over at the head cook, Fabio. He was about as round as he was tall, with black hair curling around a balding crown. He was beefy in his white clothes smattered in grease and cooking fat and his red face was getting redder at the incompetent waitress, Marie— a multi-studded teen with greasy blonde hair and an attitude problem a mile wide.
Pix smiled at Chance glad that she was feeling relaxed enough to laugh and joke with him again, she had had another temper fit this morning and had crouched on the floor of their little abandoned shack in tears, unable or unwilling to tell him what was wrong. He had been scared to death.
"Marie, table five's order is done!"
Pix reached over to tuck that errant strand back from her face and considered telling her that he was worried for her. Before he could however;
"Marie!!"
"Screw you, Fabio!" the girl had obviously had enough and threw her white apron off. "I don't need this crappy job, I'm off."
"But these orders!" the man gaped as she gave him the finger and walked out, the door slamming shut behind her.
The whole place, consisting of seven diners and the two transgenics went silent as they wondered what was coming next.
Chance quietly slipped out of her chair and picked up the white apron, turning to Fabio.
"What's the pay?"
He looked her up and down and then over at the plates on the counter. "Eight dollars per hour, plus tips."
Chance wrapped the apron around her waist and picked up the plates, "Table five, right?"
"Right."
Chance walked over to table five and placed the plates down in front of the wide-eyed men. She smiled shyly.
"Will there be anything else?"
Fabio went back to tossing burgers and Pix got up, walking over to the obese man.
"Any other openings?" he asked quietly not liking the way that the men looked at Chance.
"Need a pot-wash, he quit on me yesterday," Fabio answered after looking over Pix. "Want to keep an eye on your girl?"
"Something like that," Pix agreed and Fabio nodded strands of thick greasy hair falling over his fringe.
"Seven twenty an hour," he gestured to the back. "Sink's full."
Pix grinned and rolled up his sleeves. Well it wasn't perfect but it beat starving.
----
"Jon! Hey JON!"
The sassy redhead turned to see what her boss was screaming at her for. It was Saturday night at the hottest club in San Francisco, the drink was flowing and so were the drunks. She had to break more than one finger tonight that strayed too far south of the border and the last thing she wanted was to deal with her overly friendly boss. It was sweet in most cases that the huge guy was so sensitive and protective of her, but on nights like this when all she wanted was to lash out, it was damn annoying.
"What?" she snapped as she weaved her way through the sea of drunk, smelly bodies who laughed way too hard for her sensitive hearing tonight.
"Phone!" her boss, Kev, waved the phone at her and she nodded, tucking her towel into her pocket and handing him her tray. "Thanks, cut table six off, that guy is way too grabby and his boyfriend isn't much better."
"Sure thing, hon."
"Yo, this is Jon."
She heard a small chuckle and a smile curved her cherry red lips.
"Zack?"
"Hey, Jondy."
"Hey, big brother, how're you?"
There was a brief silence and then an overly jovial, "Fine."
"Liar." Jondy believed in calling a spade and spade and there was no way that her brother was anything as mundane as fine. "Spill."
"I'm fine." There was no negotiation in that tone and Jondy was reminded of hours of drills in the dark trusting in that imposing voice to keep her sane and alive. She trusted that voice, believed in that voice and loved it unconditionally.
"Okay," she said doubtfully. "What's up?"
"Just calling to check, make sure that you made it home safe, baby sister."
Jondy grinned, "Oh you know me. I'm cool. Hanging with the freaks and geeks, dealing in drinks and winks for the crowds on a Saturday night."
"Good," Zack said, his voice distracted. "I'm checking around."
"Syl get home okay?"
"She's due back tomorrow, I'll call then."
There was something in his voice that Jondy picked up on, "Zack, you do know that it wasn't your fault. None of us could have known about the failsafe. None of us could have any idea that they'd torch the place and no one had a clue that Syl'd get shot. This is not your fault."
"Sure."
His tone of voice meant that she had hit at least part of it on the head.
"No, not sure, Zack. It wasn't your fault," she went quiet. "Do you blame me for running and not waiting to see if Max made it outta the ice?"
"No, of course not." Zack said adamantly. "It wasn't your fault."
"But if I had, then maybe—"
"All the maybes in the world won't help right now, we deal in fact not wishes."
Jondy nodded, twirling the telephone cord around her hand, "Tell that to yourself too, honey. Fact is none of us were as prepared as we wanted to be. Fact is we were lucky and we still managed part of our mission. That's a fact. Maybe she made it out, maybe she didn't. But that's neither here nor there. Fact is you are still the best, Zack. I'd follow you anywhere."
She heard a sigh from the end of the line and she smiled knowing that that had been what he needed to hear.
"Thanks, Jondy." A pause. "Glad you're safe home."
That was his way of saying that he cared and was the closest that he would ever get to saying that he loved them and so, in true Jondy style, she blew a kiss down the line. "Love you too."
She hung up on the sound of Zack laughing and it made her own lips curve despite her worry.
Zack was their leader, their CO, and he was wallowing in what-ifs, it didn't bode well for the rest of them and for the first time Jondy wondered if they had done the right thing in splitting up. What she wouldn't give for one of Krit's wisecracks or Ash's idiosyncrasies or even Ben's stories. But what they really, really needed right now, was one of Zack's hugs.
Somehow she didn't think that would be forthcoming in the near future.
--------REVIEW ME AND YOU GET PUT IN THIS NICE LITTLE BOX HERE!----
messymissy- Thank you sweets, I have already started to adore the Greeks, they are such fun to write. Glad that you liked the Zack part. As for the rest- watch and see.
Angel Of Darkness- Wow all in one sitting? Kudos babe, well done you. As good as Zacbele? Okay now I'm blushing!
Sigma1- hey you, glad to be back, glad you enjoyed that.
Melinda- Oh yeah, I'm going crazy with this one! Trying to keep to a timeline and all- eesh!
Lozz422- Who do you suggest for our Zack?
Poo- Ain't it just? Pix and Chance in this chapter for you!
Fangedangel- Some are adjusting better than others as we shall see soon.
Natasgi- Like I said- any time you want to do that timeline feel free!
Lynsi- Logan is more Season 1 here and he does have the whole bad guy vibe doesn't he?
Ellenemi- Carrot really comes out of his shell here.
Geminangel- Hope it wasn't too much information. I'll put a reminder at the start of each chapter for ya.
Egyptian-Godess- Thank you pet, nice to hear from you.
GivenAlias- LOL, nice skipping. Max and Alec are totally in the other one, I have way way way too many characters to have them all here or chapters would be 50 pages each.
Stormvind- Really? LOL, well the little guy isn't crazy- just quiet. Hope you continue to enjoy it.
Natacup82- Hope work wasn't too distracting for you J
Lotamoxie- Will do sweets, enjoy!
Feenian- Don't cry. I did say that this would be updated less frequently than the past I have lots to do, plus work is increasing due to Xmas.
Kim- M/A devoted in the other story as you will see. I'm not a huge Logan fan so we see lots of his failings.
Ganko- Big grin at that. Seriously wowed? Cool. Drew and Dek will see each other again- just not for a while.
Ronda TIW- Aha, yes Pix and Chance were here very shortly but M/A are solely in the other story. I will do that update thing for you.
Navanroy- hey welcome. Thank you very much. Glad that you love them as much as I do. aren't they sweet.
Raven- hope it wont jump too much, but remains readable. Let me know if it gets too hard.
Moonlite star- The Greeks are vast fun to write about, I love the little guys already!
Black Rose9- will do.
Mrs Ackles- hey again, cheers pet.
Kat461- thank you!
Lyndsay- it'll be a while but look for it!
Snortablesniffy- yes they will… eventually.
SenoritaDHL- Aw bless ya, or is that just because Max and Alec weren't in it?
SGOU- LOL, love ya too, pet. Drew and Dek's relationship is one that I would love, they are great together and their first thought was each other- adorable huh? Oh yeah Flex and Skye's roles are totally changed hehehe so much fun to be had there. Aiden and Dek are great as well, they play off each other wonderfully. Yes Biggs stole from one of my least favourite "stars". Guess who? More Mets saluting will come. Ooh someone has a crystal ball! Yes Emma had a few problems which we will find out about in later chapters.
Elfie- yeah, it's a shocker! No Drew wouldn't actually kill Ed for a shower… possibly. Nyx as Brin- I see the similarities but no. LOL, Dek and Aiden as a gay couple? Ooh so so perfect description! I've watched a few Charmed episodes but I might have missed that one. LOL, oh like I could get enough angst!
Crazy- VampireSlayer- thank you, they are so real to me too, its like a whole new family! Pix is always adorable isn't he? Ah my sweet little boy all grown up. No I will not kill off Biggs. I hated what Cameron did there too, he was such an interesting character as well.
Choasti- hey chick, see I remember that you emailed me too!