DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters

-thanks for the reviews btw, i'm going with 302 for that X5 later on, thanks Daredizzy!

Chapter 11: The Escape

494 didn't keep his promise to Max. He liked being a free-spirit anyway, no one told him when he could leave or not. It's not like she wanted his company, anyway. She just wanted to keep an eye on him and figure him out, or find out about Ben.

He took one last look at her while she was sleeping before leaving. There was something so beautiful about seeing her sleeping there. Part of him did want to stay longer, but he had to get out from under her radar. He'd found all he could from here, and he needed to go somewhere else to find out more.

He left her apartment, and headed for a phone booth.

Once inside the booth, he shut the door behind him and thought for a minute before dialing the number. He was relaying the past 24 hours and going over his options. He was pretty stuck right now. He couldn't go back to Manticore, they'd end up punishing him, or implanting a memory chip or something so he would forget how he escaped- only after they'd probed it out of him so they could stop anyone else from escaping. Not to mention they would keep a close eye on him, and never trust him again. He'd seen what they did to escapees- however few of them- that returned by being caught or even by their own choice. Even those who returned by choice never were trusted or treated right ever again.

It really had been so simple. He could have left any number of times. He laughed to himself, thinking how stupid Manticore was. Constantly, they made the same mistake, underestimating their soldiers, actually fooling themselves into believing they had complete control over their soldiers' abilities, actions, and thoughts. They were stupid enough to believe that only that group of X5 escapees long ago were the ones that wanted out. They were flawed somehow. Those X5s that stayed- they were made the right way. They were perfect. He laughed again inside, thinking how foolish Manticore was. Pride really got in the way of their objectives- even though that was a lesson they taught their own soldiers- to never let pride get in the way.

He had been their best soldier at the time. Always following orders, never asking too many questions. He'd never been punished- not once. He broke the rules a couple of times, but he was smart about it, no one had ever caught him.

Manticore had made their biggest mistake a while back- but they had no choice. They made him that way- they trained him for the purpose of leaving his cell, going out to the natural world, working people and their emotions for the better of Manticore.

That was probably why he'd never escaped before. He didn't need to! He had it made. Even though he was in a cell like the others, he was one of the few who got to go out and see the outside all the time. And he didn't have to do it dressed in his uniform, holding a gun. He got to interact with people. He didn't mind his old life.

He remembered one time when he'd seen another soldier, an X6, jealous as hell, bugging him about fairness. 494 had laughed at him- fairness? That kid had to be kidding- that word didn't exist at Manticore. That's when the kid gave him the idea- he said, "Why don't you just escape? And when you do, take me with you."

494 never really had thought about it before, but it was true- why didn't he just escape? Part of him wanted to walk away during his mission that night. He could have, easily.

He had decided in his cell that he wanted to leave, right then. It wasn't difficult. He was used to manipulating people. Renfro would be no exception.

All he had to do was tell her he'd remembered something else about the other X5. He played on her weakness. Renfro was greedy, power hungry- always wanting more, always wanting to be in control. He knew what she wanted to hear- that he could ID him. She'd let him leave, go on another mission, but this time he wouldn't come back.

"I thought of something else," he said in her office.

There it was, that devious smile of hers- at just the thought of getting more. He had her.

She tried to contain herself, but she was pathetic. Not trained like the X5s- not with their enhancements. "What's that?" she asked. He could tell she was slightly annoyed- it was her pride. She hated it when her soldiers- people that she felt needed to take orders- managed to one up her, think of something she didn't. And at the same time she loved it, reveling in her own work, admiring how perfect they'd made them.

He said exactly what she wanted to hear. "Even though he didn't have a bar-code, I could make out the scar. I just had a flash of it, and I remember the 1st digits." In truth, he had already lied to her. He could have told her who it was. He wasn't sure, but he noticed the blond hair- he wasn't sure, but had a feeling it was 559. Either way, he knew she would never be able to resist that information. He was the leader, the main reason her precious creations had escaped. It was his idea. 494 had never known 559, but everyone knew the story. "X55" was all he needed to say. Her face lit up with delight. Now was his chance. If he didn't take advantage, she'd have time to think about it and change her mind.

"I can ID him, I'm positive. 452 was injured, and I am certain he helped her escape. I have her scent, I'll be able to track both of them down, but it has to be tonight. They won't be expecting a 2nd attempt in one night." He hoped he hadn't milked it too much.

He saw the wheels spinning in her head. Shit, he thought, don't think about it, just do it!. Then he saw that devious smile again- he had her. "Okay, let me get a team ready-"

"No team," he said, speaking out of line. She was too excited to notice. She took his ideas as her own, taking the credit for the whole thing.

"No team," she repeated, taking his idea, now hers, and running with it, "I want you to go to both of them. Tell them you've escaped, you need their help. Leave this with them", she handed him a tracer, "Then stay with them until the team arrives- and that's when you turn on them. Get going!"

He nodded, still keeping his composure as he left her office. On his way out he spotted him again, that kid, the X6. Still glaring in jealousy. 494 thought about it, he really did, but instead he just winked at the kid. And the kid knew- he wasn't coming back. And then there was a hate on the poor kid's face. Knowing he was being left behind.

494 didn't care, he was out of there! It was all too easy! He'd have to get to that sector again, and just chuck the tracer on some poor ordinary.

He could read Renfro like a book, as far as her wants and desires went- it was like that with everyone. He had a way of analyzing people without thinking about it and knowing what it was they wanted, how to work their weaknesses. But there was one thing he couldn't get from Renfro- why she wanted 452 so badly.

There was talk of experiments upon the soldiers- rumor was to find special DNA, special even for a transgenic. The soldiers were all injected with something starting a month ago, one shot a week. They of course weren't told what it was. But there were rumors going around that soon they would be mating in hopes of getting that special DNA.

494 wasn't one for conspiracy theories. He didn't like having to look for clues- it was fun figuring out people, but not puzzles. Although he was genetically enhanced and had an excellent mind it wasn't fun for him like messing with people. He didn't like having to sift through details.

All this thinking was getting him nowhere. He still didn't know why Renfro wanted Max so badly, or even if it mattered. He still didn't know why the thought of Max made him need to escape.

Should I have warned Max?, he thought, thinking about the team that would now be coming for both he, Max, and the other X5 he'd seen. Forget about her, he decided, I need to think of what I'm gonna do.

With that he grabbed the phone and decided to go on the only clue he had right now- the number from Max's pager.