Dead or Alive
Jondy leaned down and brushing Syl's hair off her neck, where blood was pooling. She wanted to cry... but couldn't. Suddenly, her eyes caught something, 'What...' she said, trailing off. 'Krit...' she gasped. 'Look at the barcode.'
Krit looked dully at Jondy. "She's dead. Jondy. She's not coming back," he said hoarsely. "I can't look at her."
Jondy shook her head. 'No. No no no no no!'
Krit stood up, turning his back on Jondy. "She's dead, Damnit, Jondy. Fuck, I should've stayed away." He kicked the bricks, tears on his face. "And who is going to tell Brin?"
Jondy started laughing. 'Krit!' she yelled, 'Just look damn it!'
Krit turned around, wanting to slap Jondy, and convincing himself Jondy was in denial.. maybe the deaths of Syl and Zane had fully driven Jondy to insanity... And he gaped
Jondy grinned at him ,'Check this out Krit. It's not Syl.' she turned and pushed the jacket edge off 'Zanes' neck and started laughing again and jumped up, almost bouncing with happiness, 'It's not Zane! They're not dead!
Krit began laughing too, the sick feeling passing, as he flung his arms around Jondy. "They aren't dead. They are dead... it's not Syl or Zane..." He grinned at her.
Suddenly Jondy stopped jumping. She sighed and looked at Krit, 'That doesn't mean that Max and... Zack are alive'
Krit hugged Jondy. "Zack will be fine, Jon. Zack just doesn't die, no matter what Syl and I do," he said gently, trying to joke a smile, or something out of a suddenly downcast Jondy.
Jondy nodded, and shrugged, 'Yeah, he didn't die when I tried to...' she started giggling, 'When me and Syl filled his apartment with grapes.' she pouted, 'The man on the TV said it'd work.'
"Huh. Me and Syl stuck golf balls in the exhaust of his Jeep," Krit grinned, remembering. "I've never seen Syl run that fast - or Zack that angry..."
Jondy grinned at him, 'Then you never saw him after I stuffed dried peas into the barrels of all his guns.'
Krit paled visibly. "Wow. And you're still alive? I'm impressed."
Jondy grinned, 'Only cause I gave him some that night.'
Krit groaned. "I thought you were going to offer me some useful advice for getting away with pranks. Instead... ugh, I never want to think of Zack like that again."
Jondy rolled her eyes, 'You thought about him like the? Ew!' she turned at a sudden noise she heard, and turned back to Krit, 'Shit, Syl and Zane are coming... um, stand in front of the bodies...'
Krit tried not to look guilty as he stood between Dead-Syl-Clone and his real life Syl who was walking towards him. "What are we going to say to them? 'Hi, we're just protecting you from being scarred for life - which is what I'd be if I saw my dead clone."
Jondy shrugged, 'Just act natural.' she whispered. 'ZANE!' she shrieked, as Syl and Zane got closer. 'We're playing, uh, statues!'
"That's natural?" Krit hissed at Jondy, as Syl came up to him, leaning against him. "S-Syl, how was blowing people up?... Explode-y?"
Syl gave Krit a funny look. "We haven't blown anything up yet. We need more TNT... Explode-y? Have you been watching Buffy?"
"No," Krit shook his head vemently. "Concern. You're okay, right?"
"I'm fine..." Syl said, giving Krit a weird look.
Zane looked at the rubble behind Jondy and Krit. He eyed the guilty expression on Jondy's face and then frowned, 'Have you been playing with explosives again?' he asked.
Jondy shook here head, 'Nuh uh. Me not with the explosiveyness... I'm um, we're playing statues!' she announced.
Zane rolled his eyes, 'Oooookay. Well, I can see that we aren't gonna get any explosives out of this building.' He turned to Syl, 'I'm gonna check on Brin, and tell Alec about the lack of explosive stuff.'
Zane opened the door to the lounge, on the first floor of the hospital building, and grinned, when he saw Brin sitting on a couch. He rushed over, to happy to even notice that there was no cast on here leg. 'Brinny!' he said grinning at her, and then leaning down, he kissed her.
Brin heard Zane from her room; Dana had had to go, and Brin was paging through some very dated magazines when she heard Zane call her name. Getting up, wobbly making her way out on the crutches she saw Zane... kissing someone who ... wasn't her...
Suddenly, the girl, who looked exactly like Brin, jumped off the couch, knocking Zane over, 'Hey!' she yelled, 'What the HELL are you doing?'
Brin glared at Zane. "Yes. What the HELL are you DOING?" She punched Zane awkwardly on the arm, swaying on her crutches.
Zane grimaced, 'Ow!' he announced, before looking backwards and forwards between the two girls, 'I THOUGHT, I was kissing YOU!' he said to Brin.
"Obviously you weren't. Super healing doesn't fix a broken leg in the space of 67 minutes!" Brin retorted, turning to the strange girl. "Huh."
Zane frowned, and still rubbing his arm, sighed, 'Well no one confirmed that your leg was actually broken!' he said, sulking. He frowned, as if suddenly remembering the Brin-look-alike, who was standing next to him, and looked at her, 'Who're you?' he asked.
"Me," Brin said dryly.
The girl who still looked a hell of a lot like Brin, rolled her eyes, 'I'm Nadia.' she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Zane stared at her, and suddenly realized, that she was in fact, really, quite different to Brin. For a start, her hair was shorter, and tipped with purple. Her ears were pierced at least 4 times each, and she was wearing a cropped top that showed off her midriff, letting everyone in the room see the belly button ring and the circular tattoo that encircled it.
Brin looked at her strangely, 'Interesting re-appearance. I thought you died.'
Nadia shrugged, 'Ever heard of faking your own death hon?' she said, popping the gum she was chewing. She spat it out into her hand and chucked it in a near by bin. She grinned, letting her tongue piercing glint in the light.
Brin frowned, 'You faked your own death? How much did that cost you?'
Nadia shrugged, 'A few nights with one of the horny lab assistants.'
"You and the lab techs?" Brin looked incredulous.
Nadia shrugged, 'Hey anything to get outta that hell hole.'
"True," Brin admitted. "If I'd thought of it, I probably would've done it."
Nadia grinned, 'You and the rest of Manticore.'
"How many of the others did it?" Brin asked out of interest
Nadia smirked, 'As many as could figure out ways to pay me back once they get outta that place.'
Brin blinked. "Huh. Okay. So, are you alone, or what?"
At the point, Zane spoke up, 'Brin, I gotta go check out whether Maxie needs some help, talk later?'
"Yup," Brin nodded, kissing Zane's cheek. "Be careful. I think something major happened at Main Hall."
Zane nodded, 'Will do. Um...' he looked at Nadia, 'Sorry bout before, and yeah... nice to meet you.' and he left.
"I'm going to...stay here.. ..you two weren't hit on the head, were you?" Syl asked, watching the two innocent expressions on Krit and Jondy's faces. "Jondy, have you been drinking?"
Jondy gasped, 'No! I'd at least ask you to join me first!'
Zane laughed, 'Kay well, see you guys later. Oh! Jon, I saw Zack and Max over the other side of TC, just before I ran into Syl and Alec. Zack says to watch out for yourself, and to PLEASE not aggravate the Aqua people.'
Jondy's eyes lit up and she turned to Krit, 'He's alive!'
Zane frowned, 'Oooookay. Laters guys.' and he walked off.
Krit grinned at Jondy. "No body died!"
Jondy rose an eyebrow, and gestured backwards with her head. 'Ahem.' she said.
Krit rolled his eyes, temporarily forgetting Syl was beside him. "No one we know died!"
"Excuse me?" Syl asked, giving them both bewildered looks.
Jondy shrugged, and waved Krit off, 'I think he's on drugs.' she muttered to Syl
Syl shook her head. "Nope. We tried E years ago and he was heaps... hornier than this... what have you two done?" she asked, hands on her hips.
Jondy glanced warily at Krit, 'What makes you think WE'VE done anything?' she asked Syl, who was starting to look rather threatening.
"I know that look. I invented that look. And Krit is never this jumpy unless I'm in heat, which I'm not. Spill."
Jondy winced, 'Ummmmm, well see the thing is..' she said, eying Krit out of the corner of her eye, 'Well, ' she sighed, 'Syl, I'm sorry. We're having an affair.'
Syl stared at Krit, who was looking very wide eyed at Jondy and Syl. Syl was beginning to look incredibly threatening... "SYL! I'm not having an affair with anyone - please don't hurt me. Jondy's lying. You know what a liar she is - sorry Jondy, but that's like telling Zack you and I are having an affair - he'd hurt me a lot and I don't like being hurt a lot," Krit said in one breath, pulling Syl into a passionate kiss to reassure her that she was the only girl he had eyes for.
Jondy grinned, 'Awwwwww!' she said, watching Syl and Krit kiss. And kiss. And kiss. 'OK, get a room.'
Syl pulled back. "As nice as Jondy's suggestion would be, what's going on? If it's a plan to take out Zack again, I totally want in."
Jondy frowned, 'Hey! That's my boyfriend you're talking about!'
"So? Just because you're sleeping with him doesn't make him any less of a 'Zack,'" Syl said, smirking. "And if you tell, we'll get you too. Now spill what ever is happening."
Krit gave Jondy an uneasy look. "You can tell her."
Jondy gasped, 'Nuh uh! She's YOUR girlfriend!'
"Yeah; I'll catch her when she passes out," Krit said. "You tell. Or I'll put peanut butter in your hair when you sleep."
Jondy glared at him. 'Whistle.' she said, threateningly.
Krit glared at Jondy. "Zack will pay dearly if you do NOT tell her now."
Syl threw up her arms. "You've both gone insane! Jondy drove my boyfriend insane! And she didn't even NEED to use grapes this time!"
Jondy rolled her eyes and sighed, 'Syl, you know as well as I do, that the grapes didn't work!'
"Then one of you tell me exactly what is going on NOW," Syl stamped her foot. "And I mean NOW."
Jondy winced and hid behind Krit, giving Syl a direct view of the bodies, 'Opps.' she muttered.
Syl's eyes widened, focusing on ... herself... a dead... her... she was dead... "OH MY HOLY GOD!" she screamed, stumbling backwards into Krit's arms. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"
Jondy jumped out from behind Krit and grabbed Syl's arm to steady her, 'It's not what you think!' she said.
"I'm dead!" Syl squeaked. "I think I'm going to be sick! What... how... why!"
Jondy shrugged, 'We thought it was you too... and Zane.' she gestured tot he bodies, 'Till we saw the barcodes.'
"Barcodes?" Syl gave Jondy a blank look. "I'd like to go home now, thank you very much. Is that what I'll look like when I die?" she whispered, wrapping her arms around Krit's waist. Krit began stroking Syl's hair, leaving the explaining up to Jondy.
Jondy sighed, 'I think...' she glanced at Krit, 'We think, that they're clones. Like Alec... except Alec's alive... that being a major difference.'
"I don't want a clone... does Zane know?" Syl asked, unable to tear her gaze away from her clone, who was very very dead... the blood was drying... "This is quite creepy."
Jondy shook her head, 'He left before... well, um, I don't exactly know what our plans were. We were kinda jumping up and down with happiness when you arrived.' Jondy suddenly looked at the ground in horror, 'Krit! We could be standing on dead people!'
"You could be standing on dead versions of yourselves," Syl said bitterly. "Someone better warn Brin - and Zane - before they come face to face with a very dead version of Zane... and Alec... he might've known them."
Jondy nodded, 'Lets go over to the medical ward...' she paused, 'That's where Zane was heading, right?'
Krit nodded. "I think so. C'mon Syl; I think you've gone into shock..."
Syl shrugged, taking one last glance at 'her' dead body. "I wonder where her Krit-clone-guy is..." she asked softly, leaning against her Krit.
Jondy shrugged, 'I dunno, but she looks awfully cozy with the Zane-guy...'
"Cozy?" Syl squeaked, jerking around to look at the bodies. "How can dead bodies be cozy... isn't there a word for that sort of cozy with a dead body?"
Jondy frowned, 'Not if they're both dead... hey!' she said grinning, 'I wonder if they'll turn into vampires!'
"Jondy, that's not helping," Krit said. "And how can you tell they were cozy?"
Jondy rolled her eyes, 'Duh! They were holding hands!'
"Jondy, if a building was falling onto us," Krit said, "I would hold your hand... maybe it was a last minute oh-my-god-we're-going-to-die sort of hand hold."
At Jondy's skeptical look, Krit shrugged. "It's unnerving - like a 'what if'. What if Syl and Zane stayed together after their first time? It's... scary."
"Did you see her hair cut? She was a skank," Syl said, self consciously running her fingers through her hair.
Jondy rolled her eyes, 'Hon, you can't tell that she was a skank cause of the way her hair was cut.'
"I can and will," Syl said stubbornly. "Hey, I wonder if any of our clones... 'bat for the girls team'. I mean, Ben was gay, and Alec's not, so... I'll be quiet now."
Jondy nodded wisely, 'Knowing when to shut up is the first step to accepting yourself.'
"The second step is knowing when to ignore Jondy," Krit grinned.
Jondy glared at him, 'Hey! I'm totally worth listening to ALL the time!'
"May I remind you of the serious 'over sharing' you do with your sex life, Jon? While I'm sure Zack enjoys it, and Jace obviously gets her kicks from it, we really don't want to know," Krit said, slinging his other arm over Jondy's shoulders, his other arm around Syl's waist. "That's the only time we wish we didn't listen so much."
Jondy nodded, 'I suppose...' she paused, 'Does everyone have to keep bringing up that whole me/Zack/Jace thing?'
"Yeah," Syl grinned. "Its just one of those moments we will never let you forget."
Jondy nodded, 'I suppose, Hey Syl?'
"Yes Jondy?"
'Have you told Krit about the tent thing yet?' she asked.
Syl began turning red. "What tent thing? God, I haven't seen a tent in ages..."
Jondy grinned, 'Not even when you were using explosives in Wyoming?'
Syl punched Krit's arm. "Have you been over sharing again?"
Krit gave Syl a wounded look. "No! I have no idea what she's talking about! None!"
Jondy laughed, 'Sure sure Krit. Hey Syl?' she asked.
"Yes Jondy?" Syl asked suspiciously.
Jondy grinned, 'Has Krit told you about the whistling thing yet?'
"Nooo... what whistling thing? Krit doesn't whistle," Syl gave both Krit and Jondy confused looks, Krit trying not to blush any more that he was.
"Hey Jondy," Krit said amicably.
Jondy grimaced, 'Yes Krit?'
"Shut up, please. Actually.. you've run out of material, now, haven't you?" Krit muttered. "Zack will regret your actions if you don't leave it."
Jondy laughed, 'Krit, I have years worth of material...'
"Like what?" Krit asked threateningly.
Jondy laughed, 'Well, there was that time when you said that you wished you could be Lydecker with something long hot and pointy...'
"I said BEAT," Krit interrupted. "You have selective hearing! And that doesn't count. If that's all you've got, Jon..."
Jondy shook her head, 'The time in Los Vegas, when we were watching movies, and you were sitting on the floor, with Syl on the couch behind you. She left, and when you thought she came back and sat down again, you started sucking her toes...' she winked, 'Zane remembers that pretty well.'
"Shut up Jondy. Just... shut up. What about the time you were living with me and Ben and Zack and you were waiting for Zack wearing nothing but a neck tie and heals? I'm sure that's what drove Ben mad," Krit shot back.
Jondy gasped, 'Mean!' she grinned and looked at Krit evilly, 'Hey Krit, remember that time when you thought that Syl was coming back to the apartment in Miami, and you were lying on the bed, decked out in nothing but whipped cream and cherries? The land lady sure got a good view...'
"And the time you thought it was Zack that climbed into bed with you, and you kissed him while trying to pull off his pants. Poor Brin screamed so loud... AND she had seizures," Krit retorted. "I've never seen Zack laugh that hard."
Jondy glared at him, 'Krit, remember the time when we dared you to kiss Ben, in a game of truth or dare, and you kissed him for a full 3 minutes... WITH tongue?'
"How about the time you went skinny dipping with Zack and Zane, and you got caught... bu a news helicopter... live," Krit smirked. "I have that on tape. Blackmail."
Jondy shrugged, 'Nothing most of you haven't seen before...' she grinned, 'Hey Krit, remember when we were 12 and living with that foster family in Ohio, and that teenage girl dumped a blanketed bundle into your arms and told you it was your baby?' She turned to Syl, 'No one had the heart to tell him that it wasn't his baby...' she sighed, 'Until the lady at the grocery store, asked him why he was carrying a piglet around in a baby carrier.'
"Manticore screwed me up good, Jon," Krit mumbled. "Can we change the topic, please?"
Jondy sighed, 'Well sure... I mean I could go on... Syl, what do YOU think?'
Syl sniggered. "If you've got more, I'd like to hear them," she added.
"Hey!" Krit protested, glaring at Syl.
"Everything you do is cute," Syl smiled, kissing him. "I like hearing about times I wasn't around with you."
Jondy pouted, 'It's not supposed to be cute!' she said, 'It's supposed to be embarrassing.' She winged.
Nadia grinned at Brin, 'You got yourself a keeper there sugar.'
Brin grinned at Zane's retreating form. "Yeah, I do," she said, half to herself.
Nadia nodded, and sat down on the couch, 'I wish I could say the same for his clone...' she sighed, 'Asshole hooked up with Tarie.'
"Tarie? What's her designation?" Brin asked.
'702.' Nadia replied.
Brin's eyes widened. "Syl's clone? Syl's clone!" Brin blinked. "Then who did Krit's - 471's - clone end up with?"
Nadia tilted her head, 'Gee, 472... that'd be Devon. He's been slamming it with Minx.'
"Huh," Brin said. "And Minx's designation is...? And this is very weird. Very very weird."
Nadia groaned, 'Minx was 657. And you're right. How freaky is it to be talkin' with your dupe?''
"Very freaky. I'd better warn the others... I'd hate to see the result if Zack kissed Jondy's clone or if Krit got Syl's clone alone..." Brin said, shaking her hair.
Nadia nodded, 'Could be a remake of that incident with your honey.'
"And I don't think the others would be as forgiving. Syl might castrate Krit... and Jondy would think up some sort of cruel yet amusing punishment for Zack..." Brin hobbled on her crutches. "Come on, we'd better find our units."
Nadia nodded, 'I ain't got much a unit left. Devon'll turn up when ever he wants ta. And Jax'll be floating round, trying to hook up with some un'specting chica. And Tarie and Park'll be doing the dirty somewhere , in some hidden area of this place.' She grinned, 'And Chance'll be floating around somewhere, either drinking herself stupid, or talking bout crazy ass things like ducks and cosmic bunnies. I swear that girl is one fry short of a happy meal.'
"Let me guess," Brin said. "Chance is 211?"
Nadia grinned, 'How'd ya guess?'
"Jondy's not all there, either," Brin smirked. "Still mostly sane though."
Nadia laughed, 'That pretty much describes Chance. She's the comic relief... of what's left of our unit.'
She looked thoughtful, 'Say, you ever un into a guy...designation 494?'
"Comic relief around here comes from the general direction of Syl and Jondy, especially when involving alcohol. And yeah, Alec's dating my sister."
Nadia nodded, 'So the boy got himself a name.' She laughed, 'Syl... Tarie's clone, right? She's never be seen dead around Chance.'
"Why not?" Brin asked. It was like some sick social experiment, seeing their clones and their friendship patterns. "And yeah, I think Max named him."
Nadia smiled, 'Ahhhh the famous Max. We heard all bout her back at the base.' she shrugged, 'Chancey's just not Tarie's sorta girl.'
"Syl and Jondy get along really well. Though Syl's always been closer to Krit..." Brin shrugged. "And Jondy was extremely close to Max when they were children."
Nadia nodded, 'Your unit was lucky. We were separated more than you... It seems that good 'ol Deck loved you lot more.'
"If what he showed us was love, then I think you got the better end of the deal," Brin said shortly.
Nadia shrugged, 'Personal opinion.' She grinned, 'So, whatcha say we go scare the hell out of your unit?'
"As long as you take all responsibility for it," Brin said, with a grin. "I'm down one limb already."
Nadia nodded, 'Saw that. What happened?'
"Zane and I had an argument, and the Powers That Be decided that dumping a wall on me would make Zane and I realize how much we love each other."
'Nothing like a wall falling on top of ya' to make past arguments disappear.' Nadia said, laughing.
"We should've thought of that instead of tying Syl and Krit together," Brin said thoughtfully. "Or at least tied them to the Space Needle. Zack thought that was a little extreme."
Nadia laughed, 'You tied them together?'
"We had to, or Krit would've ended up in traction. It was Zane's idea," Brin said, grinning.
Nadia frowned, 'Still trying to get a hang of who's who here... Zane... park's clone. ' she snorted, 'I think that Park'd rather hang them off the Space Needle, by like one thread.' she paused, 'But then, Park isn't big into Tarie and Devon getting it on.'
"I wasn't big on Syl and Zane getting it on," Brin replied, still feeling a little guilty over the fight.
Nadia laughed, 'Well no, being involved with one of the parties, tends to put a damper on the yayness of the situation.'
"Oh, I wasn't involved with Zane and Syl wasn't really involved with him either. It was a heat thing and I only just found out, and I was wasted when I found out, which added to the pissed-off factor in the harsh light of day," Brin explained.
Nadia laughed, 'Been there done that.'
"Heat creates all of our problems, I think," Brin sighed.
'Yeah... well, why DID they give us heat?' Nadia asked, suddenly looking confused.
"So that the breeding programs didn't have to be run all year around; like a cycle or something. Apparently, when X5 females are left alone for long periods of time, we go into heat at the same time, which was meant to be a good thing. I think somewhere, it backfired," Brin shrugged.
'Backfired alright.' Nadia replied, 'Now every four months, the city's jam packed with horny Transgenics lookin' for some action.'
Brin turned to look at her wide eyed. "What? I've only been here for a couple of days... everyone goes into heat at once?"
Nadia nodded, 'Seems like it.'
"Terminal City would be pretty dangerous then," Brin mused.
Nadia smiled, 'Honey, wait till it hits, and then you'll know what dangerous is.'
Jondy, Syl and Krit had just entered the main hall of the medical building, and Jondy had a very confused look on her face. 'OK, so correct me if I'm wrong - and I hope to God I am... but is that Brin... and Brin coming towards us?'
Syl pulled away from Krit, blinking. "Only if Brin decided to dress up as a skank for Halloween... but its March..."
Jondy sighed, 'The point I'm TRYING to make... is that there's TWO Brin's heading this way!'
"And I'd say the broken leg-ed Brin is ours. Less ... grunge-y," Krit said.
Jondy nodded, 'Yeah. The cast kinda gave it away though.'
