Hello everybody and sorry for the delay (note to myself: never again volunteer to be on guard duty).

Divine Figher: Of course 451 will be alright. Can't let him die already, can I? ;)

tylee17: Thanks again! And by the way: I would never ignore one of your comments, you were probably right about the way Max acted. Well, I'll have to make sure I don't make the same mistake again. But yeah, I really think she cares about every X5, not only about her own old unit. so: kudos back!!

Alan Grey: Welcome and thanks to you too. I hope I can keep up the storyline as planned. And by the way: who said they will defect? Nah, kidding, but it could take a while. About the names: Will be revealed later.

Hope you're all still out there. Read and enjoy!

Eyes Only Safe House

The old house was surprisingly quiet given the fact Max and Sam Carr were operating the male transgenetic – Max had told him his designation was X5-451 – in the next room. Logan shook his head and resumed his post at the window. Not that there was much to see for it was only about 4 a.m.

He'd been surprised they made it to the safe house he used for his activities as cyber journalist Eyes Only without complications. After Bling and OC had left the building – with the later complaining and wanting to stay with Max – he and his transgenic friend got to the garage and left the building in his SUV with Max in the backseat trying to stabilize 451. Surprisingly they made it past the sector police and when Max had been sure nobody was following them they made their way here and she dragged the wounded X5 upstairs. The furniture was modest. A bed, a small table and a chair in the room where Max had brought 451 and a table with a small reading lamp, a couch and a waste bin in the room where Logan had chosen to stay and a small bathroom.

While waiting Logan had set up his laptop and wired his cell phone. If Max was right the female X5 – or more likely Lydecker himself would find out his number and track the phone to find the missing soldier. But Logan was more than able to avoid detection via computer networks and other electronic tracking and he had made sure nobody was able to find them now. At least not if he was trying to locate his phone.

Soon after that Sam Carr got there too. He had been in a bad mood and Logan knew he owned his friend big time. It wasn't every day you would call a doctor during his work and ask him to come over and operate a young man who just got shot by your friend's co-worker. Nevertheless after Sam had seen 451's condition his mood switched from angry to professional. Quickly he had set up the few medical instruments he'd been able to bring with him without raising suspicions at the hospital.

When he started his work with Max assisting him Logan had excused himself and left the room. He would challenge the most brutal and powerful mafia boss without hesitation but the sight of a human upper body covered in blood and two of his friend's performing an emergency operation wasn't something he was eager to witness.

For the next two hours he'd been looking out for somebody approaching the building or any other sign of their enemies making their appearance although his subconscious mind kept telling him that it was a futile attempt. If the other X5 or Lydecker or – worst case – both of them would find out about their location he would notice them much too late. He knew that an X5 was able to move without making a sound and the special ops soldiers that were at the colonel's command were well trained too. But still he kept staring out of that window into the night and the hardly illuminated streets.

At the sound of footsteps behind him he turned his wheelchair and got aware of Sam standing there. The doctor looked tired and Logan could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He had some traces of half-dried blood on his dark blue sweater and still wore his medical gloves.

"How did it go?" Logan asked and was surprised how throaty his voice sounded after more than two hours without speaking a word.

"He will live." Sam sighed and took of the stained gloves and tossed them into the waste bin. "I've removed the bullet from his body and stopped the bleeding. The injury on his head isn't dangerous but I think he has a concussion. He will have to rest for a while. But listen, I really think you should bring him to the hospital."

"That's not possible, Sam, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, right. Now you listen. I know you're a good man and that girl in there is a good person too, that's why I agreed to come here but…" Sam looked at him intensely. "I know there's something special about her but what I've seen…she acted like a trained corpsman in there. This wasn't the first time she has seen and treated a gunshot wound."

He rubbed his eyes before looking at Logan again.

"I really hope you know what you're doing because this was the first and the last time I've done something like that for you. If anybody asks me where I've been in the last three hours I will tell him that I've been at home looking television. I can't afford to lose my job. You're on your own now."

"I understand" Logan nodded. "I don't want to get you into trouble but we didn't know who else we could ask. I will call you tomorrow."

"If you don't mind" Sam replied with a faint smile while putting on his jacket. "I would like to have a few days without hearing from you. Nothing personal."

"I understand." Logan didn't feel offended at all. They had put Sam in an impossible situation here and were very lucky he wasn't reporting them at all. "Thanks again Sam. I owe you."

"That you do" was the doctor's answer. He took his bag and opened the door. Before he closed it he briefly looked back. "Good luck, Logan."

When his friend was gone Logan decided to check on Max. She was sitting in the chair in front of the bed staring at the unmoving X5-451. She didn't turn around when he entered and Logan almost thought she didn't notice him when she suddenly spoke in a very low voice:

"You should get some sleep. I will stay here and watch him."

"What about you?"

"I don't sleep, you forgot that?"

"No, I didn't." After a few seconds he added: "Max, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. It's just a whole new situation. Being chased down by Lydecker is one thing but X5s…this could become very dangerous, Logan."

"What? More dangerous than going headlong against smugglers, corrupt politicians and mafia bosses?" She didn't smile and he quickly chose to alter his tactic. "I'm not going anywhere, Max. We will stay here for a few days, I make some calls and we'll figure out what to do next, okay?"

"Okay", she agreed and finally he could see a tiny smile gracing her features.

"Okay, I will get some sleep then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. And Logan? Thank you."

He nodded smiling and excited the room closing the door behind him. When he finally got comfortable on the couch and fell asleep he had no idea how close the danger they were dreading in reality was.

X5-301 was standing in the shadows of a semi-derelict building about seventy meters from the building where Logan Cale and X5-452 had brought her partner. She had been standing there without moving a muscle for about three hours now and she perfectly knew her time of waiting wasn't finished by a long shot. A few minutes ago a man with a bald patched had come past her and she had smelled blood and antiseptic; apparently her target was trying to keep 451 alive which was a great relieve for the young X5 but still her eyes were fixed on the dark building across the street and filled with pure hatred. They had taken her partner from her, injured him and now held him hostage. She was aware of the fact she had only about 10 hours left before the colonel would call her again and she knew she would not be able to fool him a second time. Already it was clear she would be in big trouble once they got back to Manticore but she also knew that her target didn't expect a second attack. Had she followed protocol she would not have been able to follow the rogue X5 here and so nobody would be observing the house now, waiting for the best chance for an attack.

It was risky to attack an X5 and even more so if she was not alone, but 301 could be patient, her time would come.

Three hours later Max was still sitting on that chair watching 451 in his sleep. She hadn't seen him since that night in '09 and had hardly thought about him. But finding him here and now threw her mind back to that frosty night when he had decided to disobey his orders and let her go. She still didn't know why he had not handed her over to Manticore but she was determined to find out when he would wake up.

She felt a great sensation of compassion as she watched him. He was family, after all. He was her brother. Maybe they had not been in the same unit but as a matter of fact he was exactly the same as she was. Except for the fact of course that he was a young man. It hurt her to see him like that even if the logical part of her mind told her that there had not been another choice. Like all those years back he'd been faster and stronger than her and if OC hadn't shot she would be on her way back to Wyoming right now.

But she really hoped he would be alright although it didn't look like it at the moment. From time to time he shivered and she could clearly see that his body was fighting to heal the wounds. His face was covered with cold sweat and his facial expression even in his sleep showed that he was in pain. But she knew there was no use in giving him more painkillers. The stuff doctor Carr had brought along was too weak to help an X5 as they metabolized it much too fast.

She studied his face and had to admit that he was rather handsome – like all Manticore soldiers. His face even in his current state looked kind of friendly although she had seen the predatory look in his eyes when he had attacked her. She could see that they really looked like brother and sister.

His hair was a bit too short for her liking but she supposed every Manticore soldier had this sort of haircut; it just reminded her of her own time in that hole. Under the thin blanket lay a muscular body. He wasn't a body builder but strong and well trained. Unfortunately trained to kill, she reminded herself and sighed.

That was when he opened his eyes. He seemed to be disoriented and needed some seconds to adjust to his new environment. As soon as he noticed her he tried to get up but first there was the fact Max had handcuffed his left hand to the bed and second there were his injuries. He hissed through clenched teeth and fell back onto the bed.

"Stop doing that or you'll ruin all my work" Max growled annoyed and stand up. When she approached him she could see the precariousness in his eyes and how he was looking for a way of escape. She stopped. Of course, from his point of view she still was the enemy.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. If I wanted to do that you'd be dead by now" she assured him and then she added in a softer voice: "Let me help you, okay?"

He finally nodded and she knelt down at his side. She knew she had to be careful; even if wounded as badly as this one a X5 always posed a threat. But 451 seemed to know that there was nothing he could do for the moment. She slid a hand under his neck and helped him getting up a little while she held a cup with water to his lips. "You must drink, you need it."

He obliged and cautiously took a few sips. When the cup was empty Max carefully let him sink back onto the pillow. Then she took a damp cloth and wiped of the sweat from his face. All the time he never broke eye contact. He just kept looking at her without a word and to her surprise she didn't see anger in those grey eyes but more astonishment. It was strange and the feeling of being so close to him didn't help her concentration. When she was done she got up and sat down in her chair again.

"So, I suppose you're here because good old Deck sent you after me?" she began. At his questioning look she added: "Lydecker."

At this his face hardened but he didn't answer. When he didn't answer she continued:

"You know, that whole 'I'm-a-soldier-and-won't-talk'-thing won't work here. After all I'm not asking you to give up your base's location. Not that I wouldn't know about it already. You see, I was not really impressed by your little show tonight. I would have expected the two of you to be a bigger problem but as I see it we kicked your asses."

He still didn't answer but in his eyes was a look of amusement. They both knew it had been mere luck the battle in Logan's apartment had not ended with Max going back to Manticore but she didn't care, she wanted him to talk. Suddenly she remembered something else.

"You know, it really surprised me you called your partner – what was it again? Kyla? Yes? And she called you Wolf. That's still your name? Do you still remember how you got it?" The annoyed glance he shot her told her more than she needed to know. "I wonder if your superiors know about that. Because, you see, it had been the first sign of problems in my old unit when we gave each other names. Lydecker tried everything possible to get us to forget about us being individuals with names and personalities but well, you know what happened, right?"

He still didn't talk and just looked at her intensely. She leaned forward and returned his cold stare.

"I've always wondered why you let me go that night. I know you had me, but you still let me go. And I suppose you didn't tell your superiors what happened. Why did you let me go? Or even better: Why didn't you come with me? You know that you're nothing than meat to them! They use you and toss you aside like a broken doll as soon as you've done your job."

"You have no idea what you're talking about", he snarled angry. His voice sounded hoarse and even talking seemed to be painful but he continued: "You saw Manticore through the eyes of a child, we all did, but we're not children anymore, 452, we're soldiers and we have a mission to accomplish. From my point of view I could ask you why you left. The world out here isn't any better than it is back home."

"But I decide what I do and not some sadistic son of a bitch with a military rank. And by the way: My name is Max."

"Not to me, 452." She narrowed her eyes and wanted to answer when he suddenly paled and his breathing quickened. Max immediately got up, alarmed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I have…trouble…breathing" was his only answer and Max inwardly cringed at the panicked look in his eyes. He was one of the most trained and professional soldiers in existence but even the body of a X5 was able to panic if it didn't get enough oxygen. Doctor Carr had told her something like that could happen. It was only a panic reaction of his body but extremely painful. She pulled away the blanket and took her pocket knife.

"I will not hurt you" she assured him again, "but I have to cut open your bandage. Hold still."

He just nodded and with a few movements the bandage that covered his ribcage was cut. Within seconds his breathing slowed down to almost normal.

"Thanks" he finally whispered, relieved.

'You're welcome' she wanted to answer but in this very moment a figure in black clothing crashed through the window. Max whirled around but was too slow. A kick into her back knocked the wind out of her lungs and threw her against the wall. When she had regained her balance and turned around the knife still in her hand she saw the other X5 standing in the middle of what had been a window seconds before. She had a nasty gash on her cheek and blood was already dropping down on the floor but the female soldier didn't seem to care. Other than in Logan's apartment her hands weren't empty but held a gun that was firmly pointed at Max and her eyes were so full of anger and aggression Max didn't even think about attacking her at the moment. She would have to wait for her chance.

"Nice" she finally said in a taunting voice. "We were just talking about you."

"Step away from him or your dead!" 301 sneered not letting down her guard for a second. Moments later a voice could be heard from the other room.

"Max? What's going on in there?"

'Oh my god' was all Max could think, 'no, Logan, no!'

"Tell him to stay out!" 301 demanded in her best military voice. She had seen frightened look in 452's eyes at Cale's voice. "If he enters this room I will shoot you in the shoulder and then him in the head. You will survive, he won't."

Yes, I like cliffhangers :) Hope you do as well. Please review!