All right, next chapter is up. This is mostly, an X5 chapter, dealing with the '09ers, with the exception of Alec and Biggs, of course...and for those who have guessed who the mysterious X5 is all ready, I give ya credit, and if you haven't, well you all can keep quessing, plus there is more in store for you all.
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Zach looked up when Max, Alec, Biggs, and Zane walked into the small cave they were using as a base. "Maxie," he said, as he went over to her side. "I was worried about you."
"Like wise," she answered, as she looked up at her former CO and fellow '09er. "So how you been, Zach?"
"I've been better," he replied, as he shot a glance over her at Alec and Biggs who automatically looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Not again," Max said, as she put her hand on Zach's arm, causing Zane and Syl to look over at each other. "We've been through this. "You guys aren't going all alpha male on each other and beat the shit out of each other. We really don't have time for that now. If you want to do that later, we'll let you. But we don't have time now."
"Fine," Zach muttered, as he turned his back to them. "We need to get going. The institution where they got 946 is a few clicks from here. We need to book it if we are to get there by the time we told our man inside we'd be there."
"Excuse me?" Alec said, causing the '09ers to look over at him. "Um, 946?" Max then shot Zach a look as well. "You referred to her as number. You never do that."
"She is a number," Zach said, as he went to move past Max, only to get stopped by Max and then by Alec. Brin quickly moved forward to help him only to get stopped by Biggs. She shot him a harsh glare but he just shot her one of his trade marks smirks, while Zane and Syl stayed out of it. "What Maxie? You want me to say she's not a number?"
"Yeah!" Max replied, as she let go of Zach's arm and look up at him. "Come on Zach. You were the one who gave us our names in the first place. Saying we were the ones who needed names not designations numbers."
"Well I may have been wrong."
"Wrong?" both X5s muttered, as they looked over at him.
"Are you out of your mind?" Alec asked, as he looked over at the other male X5. "You seriously must be. I mean come on. Max has always looked up to you. Heck all of them have. And here you just like there cold water in her face. Hurray for you, dude."
"Alec!" Max hissed, in a hushed tone to late, as Zach reached out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. Soon the X5 found himself on the floor. Zach then found himself standing face to face with Biggs. "Biggs?"
"Stand down, X5!" Zach snapped. "This isn't your fight."
"You're right," Biggs answered, as he stood between Zach and his fellow X5. "This isn't between us. But this isn't between you guys either. It's between the guys who took Pip and us. Remember. It's about a scared little girl." Biggs stood ready to fight the '09 X5, though. "Don't you remember that. That is why you're here though. That is why this is all been but together. To get her out of there."
"Stand down!" Zach ordered, as he looked Biggs straight in the face. "You'll do as I order you."
"I'm not your command," Biggs replied, as he looked over at Max and Alec. "I follow them and Pip. Not your orders."
"Why you little..." Zach started only to get his feet knocked out from under him by both Alec and Max. "Max!"
Max stared down at Zach, as Brin came up and grabbed onto Alec's arm, and yanked it behind his back. "Biggs is right, Zach," Max said, as she shot Brin a harsh glare. "Let him go, now. If your not here to help us. We'll do this on our own."
"Max!" Syl and Zane called out, as they came up to their sides. "No, we're not letting you go in their alone. Not after what happened to Tinga." Zane grabbed for Max's arm, but she quickly moved out of his reach. "Maxie?"
"We can't stay here any longer. She needs us." Max turned and left them. Alec caught the sight of tears in her eyes, and felt his heart surge with emotions, hurt and compassion.
"Max!" Zach snapped, as he looked over at the other two X5s who were not part of his group. "You two stay here." He then went after Max.
"Ah, no," Alec muttered, as he quickly got to his feet, only to have Brin shoot him a hard glare, as she shot out her arm to grab a hard grip on his. He chuckled, as he looked at the female '09er. "You don't wanna do that."
"You will obey him," Brin ordered, as she looked up at the X5 who looked so much like Ben, but didn't act like her brother. He acted so much like an idiot. Ben at least followed Zach's orders and didn't have this attitude.
"Or what you're going to kick our butts?" Biggs asked, as he looked over at her. "Cause um, that would defeat the whole purpose of get along."
Zane then smirked. "Um, guys, can't we just get along."
"Watch them!" Zach ordered, as he went after Max.
"Apparently not," both Alec and Biggs answered, as they looked at the others '09ers. "So, you now know how it feels to be one of us, to one of you guys."
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Pip ran after the X5, trying her best to keep up with him. She really was trying her best. It was hard, when he was older than her, and much more bigger. He turned a corner, and when she went around it, she slammed to a halt, when she came face to face with another X5, she didn't know. "Oh, darn," she said, as she began to back away from them. The X5 let out a growl, as they lunged for her. She ducked and hit the floor as, the X5 sailed over her. "This is not my day."
Pip quickly rolled over onto her back and soon was on her feet, as soon as the X5 was. She brought up her hands and looked up at the X5. "You will stand down!" the X5 ordered, as footsteps could be heard by both of their ears, and he smirked. "Cause there is no way you're going to get out of this one alive."
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TBC
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Thanks, Zippy.