A/N: I'm SO sorry for the lack of updates...writer's block and all that. But anyway, here's the next chapter! Don't forget to review! ;-)

Fire and Blood

By: human28

Chapter Two

"Hey Maxie," Alec said, tearing his eyes off the television screen where a hip-hop music video was playing. He muted the volume and waited for his companion to grant him her full attention. Max spun around from the window where she had zoned out for almost fifteen minutes.

"What?"

"I'm thinking of pulling a heist," he suggested.

She raised an eyebrow. "A heist? We barely got here, Alec. Where would you pull a heist?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. But what I do know is that there are a ton of rich, old guys around here who probably doesn't know what to do with their money anymore."

She barely had time to reply because a sudden scream interrupted their little conversation. Max blurred over to her spot near the window which had vacated less than five seconds ago. Alec was right behind her. "Great." She drawled, the sarcasm dripping of her voice like syrup. Three X6s had obviously robbed the nearby store, as they were carrying bags of potato chips. A woman – a hooker, no doubt screamed her lungs out while a maniac – the store-owner, no doubt was shooting at the kids with a shotgun. He missed more than once. And before he could reload, the X6s had vanished from his sight.

"Talk about laying low," Alec muttered crossly under his breath. He grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on. Guess it was time to reunite with their 'family'.

…

"I can't believe this," Buffy murmured sinking onto a comfortable leather armchair. She held her head in her hands as she processed over everything that Logan had said. It was a little after ten, and they were at Foggle Towers, an extremely posh penthouse owned by none other than Logan Cale – Willow's hacker friend. Willow sat beside the cyber-journalist as he typed away on his computer. Faith watched silently from her spot on the couch.

"Genetically enhanced supersoldiers?" Faith shook her head. "I've seen worse things in my life. But never this. This is like, beyond freaky. I mean, a secret-government facility that tortures kids and sends them on missions? It's sounds a little bit too sci-fi for me."

"Unfortunately, all that is true." Logan said. "And because of Eyes Only, Manticore has finally been exposed to the public. The only downside in that was the fact that Manticore tried to terminate the transgenics. If it wasn't for X5-452, they'd all be dead. It was her who set them all free, after all."

"X5-452?" Willow echoed. "Whose she?"

Logan hit several keys and a new window materialized on the glowing screen of the computer. This was one portrayed a single photo. A photo of a girl with long dark hair and caramel colored skin. She appeared to be looking up at a surveillance camera. Behind her, countless numbers of transgenics were running for their life.

"That's her?" Faith practically shrieked. "She's X5-452? No way! She and her guy friend were the ones who jumped into our car last night. Talk about an utter coincidence."

Logan spun around so fast that the wheels of his chair created skid marks on the floor. "How come you didn't tell me this? Where did they go? Was she alone…?"

"Whoawhoawhoa!" Faith gestured with her hands. "One question at a time Cale." She rolled her eyes at Buffy. "First off, we didn't tell you this because we had no friggin' idea that this girl was 452. Second, we dropped them off right in front of our building and they disappeared a few seconds later. And no, she was not alone. She was with some guy…a transgenic, no doubt."

Logan sighed exasperatedly and faced his computer once again. "I don't know about you guys, but it's important for me that I find her. You see, 452 has no junk DNA."

"What?" Buffy blurted out.

"It means that every single DNA within her was created for a specific genetic purpose." Logan informed them.

"What kind of purpose?" Willow asked curiously.

"I don't know. That's why I'm so keen on finding her. She could be my key to finding the truth about Manticore."

…

"Daddy's home."

The deep masculine voice was laced with sarcasm, but the authority within it blanketed everything else. X7-787 snapped his fingers at his newfound 'friends' as much as he dared call them that and they all immediately stood at attention. Two X5s stepped into the abandoned farmhouse. They were both dressed in black leather jackets, and they were both wearing similar pissed-off expressions.

"What did you think you were doing?" The female X5 barked. "Stealing from ordinaries? You compromised not only your own cover, but ours as well."

"We apologize, ma'am. We we're hungry ma'am!" He replied, trying to still his trembling voice. As far as Manticore had told their series, their 'new and improved' series, the X5s were nothing but independent, stubborn, disobedient soldiers. Thus, making them incredibly dangerous. 787 took a wary step backward.

The male X5, who was making a face at the X7 that was keeping watch by the broken window turned to face them. "What's that doing here?" he gestured towards the X7.

"He escaped the attack with us, sir." 701 replied.

The X5 shook his head in disdain. "Gang, I hate to break it to you, but Manticore was not attacked. They tried to barbecue us."

The X6s who were unfamiliar with 'street slang' and had no lessons in Common Verbal Usage wore equally confused expressions. "Sir?" 787 asked, puzzled.

He sighed. "They're trying to kill us. The signal's bogus. It's a trap."

787 frowned. "If I may, sir...That doesn't make any sense. We're valuable military assets, representing billions of dollars in R&D."

"Why would Manticore try to get rid of us?" 701 asked, bewilderedly.

"I want to get rid of you and I just met you." The X5 muttered crossly under his breath. The female nudged him with her shoulder, shooting him a nasty look.

"Shut up Alec!" she hissed.

"I'm afraid that's not part of my DNA cocktail Max!" he snapped back.

"We should be going, sir, ma'am." 787 said, hoping that he would not be disrespecting the two transgenics by this quick interruption. "They're waiting."

'Alec' rolled his eyes. "What part of 'they're trying to kill you' do you not understand?"

"With all due respect, sir, but officers of rank superior to yours left standing orders to regroup when instructed to do so." 787 stated firmly. He was getting a bit annoyed with this 'Alec', he was a bit too cocky for his liking.

Alec smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. "Well, far be it from me to violate the chain of command."

787 swiveled around to face his team. "Fall in."

Max shook her head in disbelief. "You're really gonna do this?"

He ignored her, and turned to the X7 who didn't seem to be listening to their conversation at all. "Didn't you hear me soldier?"

"He heard you," Alec drawled. "He just can't believe his ears."

"I'm going to have to report you," 787 said to the X7 and the two X5s. Imagine, taking charge of a higher X series. This was definitely history. He thought to himself, proudly. "I'm going to have to report you. The three of you."

"You do that," Alec yawned and waved them off.

787 shook his head before gesturing for his team to follow him. X5s were so strange at times.

…

"Come on, Alec." Max tugged at his sleeve just as the X6s disappeared out of the farmhouse. "We have to follow them. We have to make sure that they won't get hurt."

Alec stared at her as if she were nuts. "Are you kidding me Max? We're gonna get shot there…or worse, captured. And besides, they wouldn't listen to us so it's pretty much their loss."

Max ignored his protests and dragged him out of the barn.

Several minutes later…

"Fuck, that has to hurt." Alec shook his head in amazement at the bloody wound on 787's leg. He was howling in pain, and no words of comfort could calm him down. Beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead intermingling with his tears. Max ignored Alec's comment and pulled out a pocketknife.

"We need to cauterize it," she said. Alec tossed her a lighter and she started to heat the blade. Even the wounded X6 fell silent as everyone watched the flame dance up and down the metal. "On the count of three," Max told her patient.

787 shut his eyes.

"One, two," Max didn't wait for three, she swiftly cauterized the wound while the X6 wailed in agony. The blonde female X6 had retreated to the hay stacks where she hurled all the contents of her stomach. A few seconds later, it was all over. "There, all done." Max said with a satisfied grin.

787 nodded his thanks.

"Hey!" Max shouted out to the other X6s, and X8. "Fall in."

They did as told. Alec watched from a corner as Max paced in front of their 'descendants', if you could call them that. There was look of determination on her face – one that could not be swayed. "There's been a change in your mission status-extreme and unforeseen. You've been betrayed by your own command. What do you do?"

"Redeploy!" they responded.

"Correct. How?"

"Unknown, ma'am. We have no training with regard to that circumstance." The dark-haired X6 replied.

"Do you know what that means?" Max asked.

"No ma'am!"

"All your training goes out the window."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Starting with your blind obedience to Manticore and all it represents." Max was scowling now. Her hatred for Manticore evident in her eyes.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Which means you're going to stop calling me ma'am and start calling me Max."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Yes Max," Max corrected. "That's my name. And now that you're in the real world, you all should have names, too. You have to stop thinking of yourselves as soldiers and start thinking of yourselves as people…"

Alec sighed. This was gonna be a long day.

…

To be continued…

…

A/N: Review….review…review…do I have to say it again? Okay…REVIEW!

Sneak Peak:

Spike smirked. "Let's just say that I'm an expert when it comes to hunting down people."