The Surprise

Chapter 8: Tough Crowd

A/N thanks to everyone who reviewed, they were very much appreciated! *cough do it again cough*lol, well you heard the woman.

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The next day everyone was ready to go and Max had taken OC up on her offer to baby-sit as she thought that having a baby in her arms might not make her seem very persuasive, not to mention the chemicals she could be exposed to in Terminal City. Max just wanted to be sure that it was safe before she brought her daughter there for any amount of time.

Max was really worried, this was the first time she had left Jen with someone that wasn't Alec and she couldn't help but feel kind of panicky, even though she was sure that her best friend would do a great job. 'Well as soon as she gets the hang of nappies anyway,' she thought with a smile.

Nevertheless, with the help of Alec, she had somehow managed to leave Jen and head out with the others. As they walked up to the gates of Terminal City, everyone was quiet and a little creeped out. Before they had even gotten within a metre of the gate, a shotgun was pointed at them through a hatch. "What do you want?" asked the owner of the gun, sending a puff of smoke out of the hatch and towards them.

Max stepped forward, turned round and lifted the hair of the back of her neck showing him her barcode. "We are X-5, we want to talk."

"About what?" came the snappy reply.

"About organising a course of action that could save our kind," said Max diplomatically.

"Our kind?" the gate swung open and the transgenics came face to face with what appeared to be a sort of lizard nomilie who was puffing away on a large cigar. "That's rich," said the talking lizard. "How about you go two streets down and cross over to Oak Street and talk with 'Your kind' as I'm sure you will find them much more co-operative."

"Well you don't seem to be interested so I think we will just do that," said Alec stepping forward and taking Max by the arm before she could protest signalling for the others to follow.

As soon as they were out of sight Max pulled herself out of Alec's grip. "What the hell Alec? Why did you give up so easily I'm sure we could have persuaded them to at least here us out!"

"And I'm sure we couldn't have because from the way the cigar smoking lizard guy was talking, I kinda got the feeling that they were all nomilies in there and they don't exactly have 'warm and fuzzies' for the X-Series. We were always put ahead of them at Manticore so I seriously doubt that since they don't have to put up with that anymore that they are going to take orders from us."

Max was getting angrier by the second and the patronising tone Alec had used when talking to her had not exactly helped. "Well done Alec, you have just proven them right and it is that type of prejudice that will prevent us from winning this war. We can't afford to fight against ourselves."

"Just when did you start sounding like you should be working in the White House? But that's not the point, perhaps if we go and sort things out with the X-Series and get them to go along with our plan we can come back to Terminal City and show them that even though we have 'our kind' on our side, that we still want them as well. Oh and we can mention the fact that we came to them first, which should also go down well. It would probably make them feel needed, more important and a way of showing that it will not be the same as at Manticore, that they will be treated as equals."

There was silence as Max thought this over. She looked round and everyone else was nodding, showing their support for Alec's plan. If she tried to undermine Alec by putting his plan down and making up one of her own, it would just be because of her own stupid arrogance and she would be throwing a perfectly good idea out the window. She just hated admitting that she was wrong.

"Fine," she said "but if we can't get them I'll blame you," she added, irritably, avoiding the fact that Alec had came up with a better plan than she had. She marched on down the street, fully assuming her role as the leader.

"Like I didn't know you wouldn't anyway, Your Highness," he mumbled causing Jondy who was walking beside him to giggle.

"Why did you put up with that?" she asked curious to know why Alec hadn't questioned her being mad at him when it was so blatantly obvious that she knew it was the right thing to do.

"It's just typical Max. When she's wrong she doesn't admit it and blames it on someone else, usually me. But I've got to admire that about her, and also I have the self satisfaction of knowing I got one over on her," he said grinning.

"Even still, it's a little much don't ya think?" asked Jondy, genuinely concerned.

"Nah," said Alec. "Just wait 'til you see her whip these X's in to shape you'll see it's just that wonderfully aggressive part of her personality," he said wanting to get away from where the conversation had been headed, it was making him feel a little unnerved.

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Flashing their barcodes was all that was required to get them into the transgenic facility, which was guarded by X-6's. once they were admitted they went straight to headquarters with no intention of signing in, as they had been told to do, but under the general assumption that this is were the leaders of the group would probably be residing.

"Well we probably all shouldn't go in," said Jace, as they all stood outside.

"You're probably right, it might look like we are ganging up on them and I'm guessing they wouldn't respond to that to well," said Max. "Krit, Syl, you're with me. The rest of you just hang about and try not to make too much trouble," she said staring at Alec.

"Maxie, Maxie, would I ever?" he asked innocently.

"Just . . .be good," she said walking off.

They had been sitting about for a while when Alec heard a familiar voice behind him. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." Grinning, Alec was immediately on his feet hugging the man who had said it.

"How's it going?" he asked pulling back.

"Not to bad, so are you going to introduce me to your merry men or what?" the man asked, with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Hey, everybody this is 536 now known as . . ."

"Matt," the X-5 filled in for his old friend. "And what do you call yourself these days?"

"Alec."

"Isn't that the name the rogue gave you?"

"Yeah well it suited me."

"Oh my god, Max named you?" asked Jace half-laughing.

"Ask Jondy," said Alec rolling his eyes thinking that Jace must have been the only not to have been told the story that had caused everyone else to roll about in laughter.

"Strange company you're keeping these days Alec, the 09 escapees?"

Alec nodded. "I'm taking it that you still know Max then?" said Matt.

"He got to know her a little too well actually," joked Kat, tucking her red hair behind her ears. "Allowing Manticore to get their way I might add. You know thinking about it, it just shows your dedication to Manticore, finishing the job you never started and all that," she teased.

"Dude you knocked up 452? . . . I mean Max," he added when he noticed everyone glaring at him. "Geez, tough crowd," he said feeling rather uncomfortable after having pissed of several X-5's.

"So where is she now? I mean the rest of the Brady Bunch are here," he said.

"Wow, first merry men, now the Brady Bunch, what a wonderful sense of humour you got there," said Zane sarcastically.

"Yeah," commented Alec. "I personally like to think of them as the Von Trapps. I mean, just look at Kat, doesn't she just look like she's ready to burst into a verse of 'My Favourite Things?'" said Alec, who earned himself a slap around the back of the head from Jondy who was the closest.

"Hey!" protested Alec, rubbing the back of his head. "What is with you people hitting me all the time? I am going to have to have a serious word with Max for starting such a painful trend."

"Good to know that I am not the only one that offends them, so where is . . . Max?" asked Matt.

"Her, Krit and Syl are in trying to reason with your leaders," filled in Jondy, as Alec was still attending to his 'wound.'

"Holy shit, I mean I always thought you 09ers were a little 'off' for the lack of a better word, but now I know you're friggen crazy!" said Matt, who was suddenly the subject of many warning glares.

"I mean you sent three people that we were trained to see as traitors in to try and negotiate something, God only knows what, with three true blue Manticore loyalists?" said Matt hurriedly, trying to say something that could possibly remove the foot that seemed to have permanently wedged itself into his mouth.

Without giving the others a chance to react, Alec was running in the direction of HQ annoyed that he hadn't foreseen this complication.

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Frustrated, Max hit the desk in front of her. When they had first entered they had been asked to state the designations and out of sheer courtesy they had, but as soon as Krit had got out his last digit, they were asked to leave, before Max had even got a chance to start the rant she had planned about the importance of names. Things had gone considerably downhill from there.

After the first fifteen minutes or so of shouting matches, the leaders of the X-Series community, two X-5's and an X-6, had just sat down and ignored them, continuing flicking through an assortment of papers that were on their desk.

No matter what Max, Krit or Syl said to them they would just sit calmly at their desks and Max was about breaking point.

"Look you are going to listen to me and pay attention or else I am going to shove my foot up your . . ."

"Now, now Maxie no need to get violent," interrupted a familiar voice coming from the door. Max spun around to see Alec walking into the room with his usual lopsided grin firmly in place.

The chorus of "sirs" that came from the previously silent transgenics startled her. When she turned around, she saw that they were all standing and saluting Alec and beginning to state their designations.

"X-5 296, Sir!"

"X-5 679, Sir!"

"X-6 472, Sir!"

Sending a questioning look at Alec who simply shrugged it off, she stepped back wondering to see what would happen next.

"At ease soldiers."

Amazingly, they complied and Max watched in awe as Alec took them to pieces. "Could one of yous please inform me why you were not paying attention to this young lady and her friends?" he asked calmly.

The 'young lady' comment made Krit snort and earned himself a nudge from Syl and a glare from Max.

"Sorry sir," said the elder of the X-5's, X-5 296, "We were not aware that she was worth listening to, Sir. As you know we were trained to see her as a traitor and it could have been an attempt to . . ."

"Well remind me where you are 296, are you in Manticore?"

"No, Sir!"

"Then why would you assume the rules for the real world are the same as those for a government facility that planned on keeping us locked up for the rest of our lives, until this young woman in front of you and me, let us all free, giving us all our own lives, and a mind of our own. I would not advise taking what Manticore trained you to do as the gospel, because from where I am standing it would appear that she is worthy of out respect or at the very least listening to."

"Yes sir,"

"Yes, Alec," he corrected. "Once again, we are not, I repeat not in Manticore. You should address me as Alec. That is my name and you should have. . . oh dear lord I have spent too much time with Max," he finished with a panicked look on his face.

"Hey, don't say it like it is a bad thing," said Max.

"Look just do me favour 269, call a meeting for five minutes, okay?" he asked, trying to be as casual as he could in an attempt to feel like Alec again.

"Well, you know they say everyone turns into their other half eventually," said Krit. Alec frowned at him, "Not funny," he said and headed toward the door. "I think you can take it from here Max," he said quickly leaving the room allowing them to laugh.

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Ten minutes later just about every X-Series Manticore had ever created was outside headquarters ready to hear what was to be said. Alec got up first to 'warm up the crowd,' as he had put it, for Max as he wanted to make sure they didn't have a repeat performance of HQ.

A lot of the transgenics saluted but Alec soon told them off about that.

"Ugh, this is going to take a while. Look I have said it once, and I will say it again, this is not Manticore, you don't need to salute, or take orders anymore. You have been out in the world for well over a year now, and what have yous done with yourselves? You have just created another Manticore, only without all the testing and fun we got to have in phys-ops. I know it's difficult to adjust, but you do have to, Manticore shouldn't be able to rule your lives now unless you want it to and you shouldn't because getting out of Manticore gave you a life.

I know most of you are probably looking at me now thinking, 'Wow he has really gone of the deep end, he is even crazier than Manticore let on.' But that was just something Manticore told you and like a lot of other things Manticore drilled in to you, it is not true.

For instance, you were led to believe that this group of people, the '09 escapees are traitors but they are not, they are just a unit that saw what Manticore was doing to them and decided that they would not stand for it and they went and lived the way people are supposed to. And we are people, not just soldiers.

I know many of you are bitter because we paid for their escape, we were treated far worse than before and trust me I know, as one of their twins, I spent six months in phys-ops for it, but we need to put that bitterness behind us. They do care or else they wouldn't be here now trying to help you and you need to let them.

Also from an encounter with a group of X-6's I know that many of you believe that Manticore was attacked, when in actual fact Manticore locked the doors and set fire to the building in an attempt to cauterise the site, just because their location had been broadcasted. The only reason you are all here is because of Max, X5 452, yes that's right, an 09er saved you lives," he added after hearing many murmurs from the crowd.

"Then a cult called the familiars set up a signal calling you to a location where they planned to finish the job. Many soldiers lost their lives before 452 changed the signal telling you to go to ground, once again saving you lives. It is this cult, the familiars that have brought us here today. I should probably go on but Max, 452, is going to take over and you should listen to her and respect her just as you did to me."

He stepped back allowing Max to obtain the attention of the transgenics. He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and se smiled gratefully at him. She didn't want to have to deal with a whole load of aggressive transgenics.

"As Alec said the familiars are the reason I am here today. I will go into details later but basically they are this cult with one purpose in life, to rid the earth of transgenics. The main bulk of this movement is led by a man called Ames White with whom I am sure many of you have had a few run ins with.

There have been many situations that have been too close for comfort and they are always one step ahead of us, each time striking in a different way. And I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty sick of it, I did not go to all this bother to finally be free from Manticore hunting me down, only to have to start running all over again from a bunch of loonies.

Therefore, I think it's is time we took action and took a stand attacking them before they attack us. I know it's considerably risky, but if we can do this, if we can pull this off then we will and that will be the end of it. If we can't it will be the same process, they will still kill us off, we would only be prolonging the inevitable.

But just think, if we do win, we will finally b free. Free from Manticore, free from the familiars, free to live our own lives, the way we were meant to. If you are with me, you are with me and if not I would advise that you think about your priorities.

All of us talked it over and we think we should join with the nomilies and all live in terminal city, strength in numbers and all that. There we can work out a proper plan to kick White's ass. I mean the finer details still have to be worked out but we can't do that for all of you, I mean who are we to order you about, you all have more military experience than us, all we are saying, wait no, asking, is that you think about it."

She left them a few minutes to think about what she said as she saw that she had really struck a chord with them and could tell that they were all considering it.

"Wow Maxie, never knew you had it in you," said Zane who was quite impressed.

"That makes two of us," she said.

"I think you should talk to them again, they look about ready," said Syl.

Taking a deep breath, Max went back to address them again. "I take it you have all made your decision so I think we should vote, majority rules. All those in favour of raise your hand."

Max smiled as every hand she could see went up, she looked round at Alec, who was grinning at her. "And all those opposed?" she asked confidently. When no one raised their hands, Max's smile got even bigger. "In that case it is settled, we will fight the familiars for our lives and our future. If anyone has any personal belonging they want to bring I advise they gather them. We'll come back tomorrow, but first I have to go fight with a talking lizard."

Max stepped back allowing Alec to run over to her and lift her up in a giant bear hug. "You did it," he said putting her down and kissing her. Max looked down meekly at her feet, "Look I'm sorry about earlier I was just been stubborn and I didn't occur to me that you had thought about it so yeah, I'm sorry and I couldn't have done this without you. I seriously doubt that they would have paid any attention to me if it wasn't for you."

"Excuse me while I faint, did big bad Max just admit she was wrong, that I was right, and then apologise to me?"

Max punched him on the arm. "Don't get used to it," she said grinning. "But I do mean it, I couldn't have done it without you barging into HQ and making asses out of those X's."

"Yeah well, thank Matt; he was the one that pointed out to me that they weren't going to accept any authority from a 'rogue'."

"You know, I think I will," she said going up on her tippy toes and giving him a quick peck on the lips before rushing of to talk to everyone who were standing talking to who Max assumed was Matt.

Jondy who had been watching this little make up session walked over to Alec smiling. "So I see Max has apologised, well that is always a good sign," she said.

"Yeah, I just wish she would learn to trust me and have no reason for to apologise."

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After this Max and Alec went back over to Terminal City leaving everyone else to make sure everything went accordingly. It was a cool night and Max and Alec walked slowly holding hands, enjoying one of those rare moments when it was just the two of them.

Once again, they were confronted by the lizard man, "What do you want now? I thought I told you . . ." He dragged of as Alec held up a packet of cigars. "Yeah, yeah to talk to our 'own kind' we've been there done that. They are in, what about yous?" asked Max.

The lizard just stood looking at them, with an expression, that could only be guessed was surprise. "How about you let us in, and we talk some things out over a couple of cigars, eh buddy?" said Alec. The gates opened and the lizard man introduced himself as Mole and began to show them around.

Terminal City was cold and if possible drearier than the rest of Seattle. There were many large big rooms/buildings but most of them looked run down and falling apart. It was very messy with large pieces of junk and debris lying around but it was much bigger than were all the X- Series had been so it would do fine.

They had been talking things over with Mole, he had been telling them about how they ran things in Terminal City, and Max and Alec had been filling him in on White and their general plan.

"Well, do you think we can work together?" asked Alec.

"You know," said Mole, putting his feet up on a near-by desk and puffing away on his cigar, "I think we can."

"So, can everyone move into here? It's bigger than over on Oak Street, and is much more suitable for what we plan on using it for," Max said, asking Mole after double-checking with Alec.

Mole paused for a moment in thought, blowing another puff of smoke at them. "And we will be treated as equals with the X-s?"

"Yep, I can guarantee it," confirmed Max.

"I will have to talk it over with everyone else but I'd say the chances are good. We were beginning to get a little bored around here."

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