Zack followed after Max, reached out, and snagged her arm. "Max, we have to talk," he said, forcing her to look up at him. "I can't have them with us."
"What?" Max snapped, as she yanked her arm out of his grip. "I'm sorry Zack, but they go wherever I go. End of story."
"Max, I don't trust them. They're not..."
Max turned to face him. "Not what Zack?" she asked him, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Not part of our unit. Not an '09er ya mean." She then shook her head. "You're not even gonna give them a chance."
"And why should I, Max?" he asked, as he turned his back to her. "I mean come on, Maxie, they're not one of us. They stayed behind. They are ones who thought we were traitors Max. They aren't to be trusted."
"Not to be trusted?" Max said, as she went to grab his arm. "I trust both of them with my life. Alec has been there for me a few times, and Biggs as well. They're good X5s, Zack. You're just not giving them a chance."
"I don't want to Max, and I don't have to. We can do this on our own."
"Well then, I'm not going with you," Max replied, as she turned and headed back to where Biggs and Alec were talking about something. "We're outta here."
"What?" Alec asked, as he looked past Max to Zack. "You're kidding us? He pulled '09er rank on us, cause we're not one of you guys."
"That's bull..." Biggs started, but was cut off by a hand on his arm from Biggs.
"Yeah, Max is right, we don't need them," he said, as he turned to go only to run into Brin. "Ah, what you got more to say to me, '09er?"
Both Zane and Syl rolled their eyes and Brin went to punch Alec, but both Biggs and Max moved to stop her. He shot her a smirk, as he quickly moved out of her punch, and she stumbled past him. "Man, Manticore '09ers are rusty," Biggs muttered, causing Max to hit him on the back of the head. "What?"
"Um, remember where you're from?" she replied, as she shot a glance over at Brin, as she turned to face them. "Right?"
"Ah, right, how an we forget," Biggs muttered, as he looked over at Alec. "The beatings, the drill sergeants. The need to kill someone who wasn't one of us."
"Biggs?" Max said, as she turned around to face him.
"It's okay Max, he was talking about the drill sergeants," Alec whispered softly, as he put a hand on her shoulder. "He really didn't like them."
Biggs chuckled, as he put a hand on Alec's arm. "That's an understatement."
"True, but I was smart enough not to true to hurt one."
"He had it coming."
"Guys, grow up," Max said, as she turned to see Zack come out the trees and head off away from them. "Come on we gotta go. We got a lot of way to still travel."
"Then let's jet." They started to head for their bikes only to be cut off by Zane and Syl. "Um, we're not gonna do this again."
"Maxie you can't do this," Syl said, as she looked over at her little sister. "You can't do this by yourself."
Max shot a glance over her shoulder in the direction that both Zack and Brin had gone "Well, we don't have much of a choice. This 'family' has seem to choosen." She let out a deep breath. "And I won't hurt Pip anymore by taking away the only family she knows." She went to move past them, only to have Zane grab her arm. Biggs and Alec quickly shot him a warning look. "Zane?"
"We're coming with you. Hell with them two. We're still you're 'family', Maxie. We're always have your back."
"That's good, then let's go."
----------------------------------------------------
Pip was barely able to keep up with the two blurring X5s. By the time, they got to the outside perimeter, she was out of breath, and barely able to stand up on her one two feet. They took off for the fence, and she was right behind them, a few feet behind them, when movement caught her out of the corner of her eye. She froze as an X8 came in front of her. "Ah, not you," she muttered, as she slid to a stop in front of him, sending gravel up into his face. "Can't you people just leave me alone."
"You're not leaving," he hissed at her, as he reached out to grab her arm.
"Ah, yeah, I am," she said, as she ducked out of his grabbing hands, only to see that the X5s were no where in sight. "Oh, darn." She automatically looked up at the X8 who was coming towards her. "Um, can't we be friends?"
"No." He reached out for her arm. "Ah, I didn't think so."
"Well, since we're on the same page. Then we're good." Pip drew up her hands and prepared to fight. "Cause I'm not going back."
"Then prepare to die." He let out a growl, as he lunged for Pip. She quickly dodged his first blow, but not his second or forth ones. She wasn't made or up to dealing with X8 right now. She was just a child. She was trying her best.
On the other side of the fence, in the tree, the male X5 and the female stopped a few yards in the tree, to turn to face Pip and froze. "Where is she?" the female asked him, as she turned to face him. "Don't tell me we lost her all ready?"
"Oh no!" he muttered, as they blurred back to the fence line. His face dropped when he saw Pip and an X8 facing each other. "This can't be good. Max is gonna kill us."
"You're right about that," a voice called from behind them, causing them to turn to see Max and the others.
TBC
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Author's Note
Another Chapter is Right after this one..