Chapter 6: Family Reunion

The locker door shook slightly at having been slammed non too gently by Biggs. His eyes scanning the building once again hoping to find Vada; who had yet to return from her run with OC. His eyes narrowed as he spotted OC sitting on the benches near her locker with another dark-haired girl eating their lunch.

Worry settled in the pit of his stomach as he headed towards them, not spotting his friend with them. Shock filled him and his feet glued themselves to the ground refusing to move as he saw him.

Him being his CO, X5-494. His friend since he could walk, the closest thing he had to a brother; was joining OC and her friend in their lunch.

Vada momentarily forgotten, he closed the distance between himself and his friend, enveloping him in a tight hug; a sigh of relief escaping him at finding his friend at last.

It took Alec less than a second to recognize the person hugging him, and when he did his armed tightened around the other man strongly a matching sigh leaving his lips at having his best friend safe.

"You two know each other?" it was OC that broke the silence and the hug.

Alec drew back but still left his right arm around Biggs and turned toward the women and made the introductions.

"Max, OC this is Biggs, Biggs these are the girls" his voice rang through the room happily.

"Yeah I know, I've met him already, came with a fine suga. Where do you know each other" OC voiced the obvious.

"He was in my unit back home." He stressed the word home.

Suddenly Biggs grabbed OC, his hand circling her arm gently, worry evident on his face "The girl that was with me, she went on a run with you earlier, Where is she OC?" his eyes pleading hers.

"She said the she had an errand to run, that she'd be back after lunch. Is everything aight?" she questioned; even though she just met the girl recently she liked her a lot. Girl had spunk.

"I don't know, she isn't returning any of my calls and I'm worried that she is in a jam." He glanced at his friend and then back at OC.

"You thinks she's in trouble?" his friend asked.

"I don't think she's in trouble, I know she is in one. Girl attracts more trouble than the two of us combined and that's a lot, man"

"Alec." Alec said.

"Nice name, man."

"The girl that came with you is she a transgenic too?" asked Max, who spoke up for the first time.

Biggs looked at her suspiciously and then something in his head clicked, this was the infamous 452 the one the busted them all out of dear `ol Manticore.

"Yeah, an X5 I met while heading here." he decided telling her, since Alec appeared to know her and his friend is a scary good judge of character.

"I know her?" it was Alec who asked this time.

"She's the one brought in back in 2012, the CO of Unit 3. They relocated to our facility last year, but I don't think you met her, you were in Psy-Ops at that time" he cringed whenever he thought of Psy-ops; they caused him, all of them a great deal of harm.

"Oh yeah, I heard about her from the guards. She's and I quote 'the best of these freaky kids'." Alec nodded and turned to Max "She was one of your sisters, escaped with you back in `09"

"Who?" came the small soft question from Max.

"I think it was 546" he turned to Biggs for confirmation.

"Vada" Max and Biggs said together.

The ringing of a phone cut-off the conversation, Biggs looked at the screen and the name Vada was flashing repeatedly.

"It's her" he flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear, Max and Alec leaning in to hear what's going on.

"Why the hell haven't you answered your fucking phone Biggs?" came the loud angry voice across the phone.

"What the hell do you mean?" he asked anger and worry lasing his voice.

"I have been calling you non-stop for fifteen minutes, what took you so long?" the voice only got higher in volume and intense with anger.

"No sweetheart, I was the one calling you non-stop for the last fifteen minutes, why the hell didn't you answer?"

"I said I was calling you for fuck-sake" her voice was irritated.

"Now is not the time for that, where in earth are you?" he asked as he waited for her answer.

"I am somewhere around sect- get the hell out of my way. Move it grandpa" her voice hurried as she seemed to be running really fast.

"Vada, what's going on, where are you?" His voice rang across the room and Alec motioned him toward the back away from prying eyes and ears.

Alec heard it as clear as if he had been standing there when the shot was fired followed by more.

"VADA" screamed Biggs into the phone as silence greeted him at the end of the line.

A pain filled moan carried across the phone, as Vada struggled to sit up aware of the stinging pain in her side. "Sonofabitch that was my favorite shirt" came her muttered replay.

"Are you ok? Where are you I'll come pick you up" His voice filled with relief as he heard her voice.

"I am north-east of sector 3, near the bus station and Biggs" her voice strong.

"Yeah" he said while putting on his jacket, Alec and Max following slowly behind him.

"Come alone. That's an order" her voice left no room for discussion and she closed the phone.

He closed of his cell and turned toward Alec and Max, apology written across his face "I'm sorry guys, I have to go alone. I'll tell you how it went" and headed toward the door.

"Hay Biggs, come later by Crash and bring her along, I'd like to meet her" Max's voice left no room for argument and Biggs nodded and left his friends behind.