Look Out Below
She couldn't postpone things anymore and Nÿx knew she had to go to Terminal City. It wasn't that she was afraid because that had never entered her mind. As far as she was concerned she was living on borrowed time. Nÿx held no expectations on the life she'd stolen because that's how it felt. As if she'd stolen her life, there was no purpose to being, not how she was made.
God had nothing to do in her creation except maybe giving the idea to the lab coats and the knowledge of how to go about it. She was a fake, an impostor so if she died now or tomorrow or even months in the future what did it matter? Dead was dead and there was no way around it.
The only thing that mattered now was finding Max and checking in with Krit afterwards. She'd made a promise and it was time she kept it. Armed with that courage Nÿx rode through the streets of Seattle enjoying the cold wind. Once she made it to Sector7, Terminal City came into view. The old buildings seemed to loom in the dark night sky. There was no moon tonight making it much easier to sneak past the Transgenic guards.
She stopped a mile away from any gate or fence and hid Ash. She wasn't about to let her bike get stolen. The walk back to the fence was quiet and informative. Nÿx used her zoom vision to pick out hidden guards, none had spotted her yet which brought a smile to her face.
Nÿx tied the mask on letting the ends blend in with the loose inky waves. She crouched by the fence watching as the guards made their sweep before jumping over. Her feet touched lightly on the other side and she was off, blurring to her next hiding spot; a little corner just behind two Transgenics.
They spoke in low voices each wondering when they would attack.
"Maybe the ordinaries won't attack us." One said softly. It was clear by his tone that he didn't believe that.
"Yeah, and Mole will mellow out." The other retorted. Both laughed at the thought of Mole, usually high strung and bad tempered, smiling complacently at the ordinaries.
"Nah, never happen. If anyone should attack it's us." The thought had been foremost in most Transgenics minds.
"Max won't go for that. You know how she is." The other nodded in agreement having heard Max advice caution and patience with the ordinaries.
"Then we'd better hurry up."
Both Transgenics moved off at a fast pace, every once in a while turning to look over their shoulders but Nÿx kept to her shadows. She gathered them around like a blanket never completely letting go until she stood outside the Technical Room. It was there that she had trouble sneaking in. She could've used the door, could've asked for Max, told her she was there because of Krit but that would've put them on the same standing. Nÿx wanted the opportunity to study the other Transgenics in their environment before they knew she was there. She was curious to see the real them before they put on their facades. The fake masks even the ordinaries used on each other. She had come to realize that they all did it. Pretended to be something other than what they were.
'So they can belong. Everyone pretends because everyone wants to belong.'
The realization gave her no comfort.
-X-
Inside the tech room Transgenics moved about busily. Logan hovered behind Kade, one of the first X-5s, watching as he decoded the garbled message that had arrived ten minutes ago. Next to him sat Mila with a bank of monitors all to herself. They didn't spare her a glance as she watched the local news channels and some satellite feeds. She didn't mind, she was used to being looked over, that was part of her training, making herself forgettable. Max had told her about Brian or Brain as they'd dubbed him and had felt genuine sorrow for the death of her twin. Other than that she kept to herself and did her best to inform them when it was needed.
Mila didn't deem the shadow in the rafters too important. Not when the Transgenic was needed there, another piece in the puzzle.
-X-
"Max." Logan called down to the brunette currently mollifying Mole. It looked as if the DAC was once more insisting on an attack.
"Mole, we are not going to attack the ordinaries. That's not gonna help our case. Please…" she softened her voice looking at him with her big brown eyes and as usual Mole huffed in defeat turning around to leave.
"Thanks Mole." Max patted his shoulder then went to meet Logan at the foot of the stairs. "What's up?"
"You have a message." Logan answered with a half smile. She took the sheet and slightly frowned.
"From Krit?" she wondered. Her eyes widened obviously worried as she looked up at him. "Is he okay? Canada-."
"I don't know, Max. The message was pretty garbled but as far as I can tell it looks like-."
"He's sending help." Max finished. Her worry turned to a frown as she thought about that. Why would he send help?
"Why would he send help?" Logan asked voicing her own question. It startled her for a moment.
"He wouldn't. Krit would come himself if he thought I was in trouble." Which was true. Last time both Krit and Syl had come to help and she hadn't seen them since.
"So then this doesn't make sense. You haven't spoken to him…?" Logan asked tentatively.
"No. Not since-." She didn't finish that sentence feeling a little guilty. "Last time we had contact I told him what was going on. About Terminal City, the Transgenics and White. He didn't like that or the Conclave." Max let out a short laugh. "I even told him about Alec." She'd told Krit he was Ben's twin and the mention of Ben, their brother and what Max had been forced to do, had left a dark cloud over them.
"You talking about me again Maxie?"
Both Logan and Max turned to face Alec. He had that same cocky smile that aggravated her and Max opened her mouth to deliver a scathing reply when there was a loud bang. The sound reverberated through the warehouse and both Transgenics moved reflexively.
Max pulled Logan down the steps shoving him to the ground. He ended up face down on the cold cement floor with Max kneeling over him searching the room. Alec was hunched down on the other side of the circular table they used for planning. It had a map of Seattle with pins marking all the government buildings in blue and the Conclave's in red. The white pins marked allies and safe houses in case any Transgenic's found themselves in trouble. There weren't many white pins.
"There's an intruder!" Mole shouted pumping the shotgun. He sent another round of shots into the rafters. Max scanned the ceiling, barely spotting a dark figure when there was a splintering sound and something fell. The figure emitted a surprised shout as it twisted in the air. There was a thud somewhere behind the table closer to Alec.
"Stop shooting Mole!" Max ordered slowly getting to her feet.
Alec watched the black clad figure land on all fours a foot away.
'It can't be…' he thought watching her tentatively stand up. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, obviously assessing the situation. She blew a strand of black hair out of her face and smiled.
"Hey."
'Hey?' Alec thought. 'What the hell is she doing here?'
"Who are you?" Max asked moving in. If it was possible the woman's smile widened as if she were pleased…
"A spy!" Mole accused. "Why else was she up there? Who sent you?" he threw the question at her while pumping the shotgun. "White? You're one of his Familiars! I say we get rid of it." Mole raised the shotgun without waiting for the order.
"It? You're one to talk." The woman retorted turning her attention on the DAC. "What went wrong with you? Too much yuk in your cocktail huh." She stated. Alec turned his snigger into a cough which didn't go unnoticed by Max. "Had to happen sooner or later-."
Mole let out a roar and shot.
"No!" Alec shouted. He hadn't expected that and moved too slowly to stop the DAC.
Max watched as the female blurred, obviously prepared for the shot. There was a second shot and the woman ducked it as well, that's when Max delivered the kick.
"Ooph!" Nÿx doubled over with the blow. She hadn't expected it to hurt; she hadn't expected them to attack her either. There she was, calmly minding her own business, sitting with the shadows up in the rafters spying on them when Wham! The lizard looking fellow almost takes her head! If that weren't bad enough he keeps shooting and there's not a whole lotta places to go up there what with rafters and beams… then the damn thing collapses under her.
Nÿx hadn't thought much past getting in and watching them for a bit before introducing herself. Now she wondered if maybe 'hey' had been such a good introduction, then again insulting the lizard hadn't been nice. It was justified though, hadn't he shot at her first?
Now 'Max' was raining blows on her which Nÿx blocked or ducked out of.
'This is pissing me off and getting us nowhere.' Nÿx thought when Max got a clean shot at her face.
Nÿx stumbled back coming up against a post, surprised.
"You hit me!" she cried out. Max just smirked coming up with a side kick. Nÿx grabbed her ankle and pulled her off balance. Max pin-wheeled her arms to steady herself and Nÿx took her opening.
First Max was pushing the woman into a corner, connecting blows, inflicting pain… the usual. But now, she had her arm pushed up her back so high she doubted it was still connected to her shoulder and around her neck there was a steel band constricting her air flow.
"Hmm… X-5 332960073452. You are 452." Nÿx said with a pleased smile.
"Who sent you?" Max managed to choke out.
"Tell you what." Nÿx began moving with Max so they faced the others. "I'll let you go and we can talk like adults. No hitting, insulting or shooting." Nÿx pointedly nodded towards Mole. Alec took the shot gun to Mole's obvious displeasure.
"Who are you?" Logan asked.
Nÿx lightly shoved Max away with a smile.
"I'm the cavalry. You're Trojan Horse so to speak."
Max turned with a kick gazing Nÿx's shoulder; before she had a chance to defend herself Mole shoved a cattle prong into her side. Nÿx let out a grunt of pain straightening. They watched as her grunt turned to laughter, her hand wrapping around the stick.
"Baby, I'm nothing like you." Nÿx ground out shoving a palm to Mole's chest. The lizard fell twitching to the ground and Max blurred into action. Nÿx turned, swinging the cattle prong and barely caught the X-5's shoulder. It was enough to knock her down. Nÿx knelt beside her and looked her over.
"You walked into it X-5. Kinda disappointed though, heard you were a badass."
"Yeah?" Max grunted as the last dregs of electricity subsided.
Alec noticed the smile and the dimple in her left cheek as Nÿx held out her hand but Max ignored it and got to her feet on her own. Nÿx sighed and stood as well.
"I'm here to help out."
"Then help me understand what you are doing here? Why you were up there spying and who sent you?" Max ordered keeping her distance. "What are you?" she asked looking as though there were a bad smell somewhere nearby. Nÿx frowned; this was how it would begin. Again she was reminded that she wasn't an X-5, she didn't belong.
"You're cautious, that's good." Nÿx noted moving past Max and heading for the stairs. Max roughly grabbed her shoulder turning her.
"I schooled you once already." Nÿx said quietly before shoving her hand off. Max's face reddened slightly but she was careful not to touch the other woman again considering Mole was still twitching on the ground barely able to speak.
"Who are you?" Max asked again.
"That depends." Nÿx evaded glancing around the room again. The Transgenics kept staring at her so she waved, smiling.
"Start with your name." Max ordered.
Nÿx noticed Alec holding the shot gun and winked in his direction.
"Hi Alec."
"You know him?" Max frowned looking from one to the other.
"That depends." Nÿx replied again.
"Alright, enough!" Max shouted she was done playing games. "I want some answers." She said pulling Nÿx to a close-by chair and shoving her down. Nÿx scowled up at her but raised a hand to her face and slowly pulled off the mask.
"I'm Nÿx Sawyer. Not exactly an X-5 or X-anything. Krit sent me, wanted to know how you were doing. It's been a year Max. You haven't exactly kept in touch."
-X-