Timeline: Post - �And
Jesus brought a Casserole�
Author�s notes: After reconsidering a few things and designing a few
more writing projects, this will be my only possible sequel to �And Jesus
brought a Casserole� because of my new writing plans.
This story is not Max/Zack in case you were wondering cause as much as I�ve come to respect Zack after the season finale, I still don�t think that M/Z stuff is right, sorry Zack fans.
I bumped the X7-Zack to X7-601 because I thought that since it was two generations forward, you would move the last digit up twice, as I did for X7-Max when I made her X7-454.
Inspirational music is provided in full by Black Sabbath, Finger Eleven, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Rob Zombie, KoRn, Slipknot and The Living End.
�It could destroy your servomotors in a matter of hours.� Sebastian�s synthesized voice echoed as Logan tinkered with the exoskeleton he had removed from his person earlier.
�That�s not what I want to hear, will it
give me added power and speed like it gave anyone else who could already
walk?� Logan replied as he modified the power output to the servomotors.
�It will grant you the abilities you saw
your benefactor perform when he was wearing the exoskeleton, but this is putting
a considerable amount of stress on it, I do not know how long it will last.�
Sebastian commented as he replied in his mechanical tone.
�I just hit this switch and I can go
superhero?� Logan asked as he finished adapting a second power switch to the
exoskeleton that would boost his performance whilst wearing the machine.
�Yes, but do not use it until you are at
Manticore itself, or you will burn it out completely, I doubt that this jury-rig
will last long or your exoskeleton will under prolonged use.� Sebastian
replied as he emitted his synthesized voice.
�Right, thanks for the help.� Logan said
as he finished the modifications to the exoskeleton he was using to now help him
more than just walk.
�Anytime.� Sebastian replied as Logan cut
off the link and started to put the exoskeleton back on and give it a quick
field test to make sure that it would perform.
�Come on, just for today, just for today.�
Logan mumbled as he activated the first power switch that started normal
exoskeleton operation, then the second switch that would enhance his
performance.
Testing slowly, he made rapid movements
throughout his living room at a speed he could normally never perform, he could
move without burden and he found that his leg power had increased substantially
when he went up to the roof and made an astounding ten foot jump without
incident. Taking the advice that Sebastian had given him earlier, he shut off
the boosting effect to his exoskeleton and walked back to his apartment, to find
that Zane, Jondy, Krit and Syl were all waiting there for him.
�Where were you?� Jondy inquired crossing
her arms staring intently as Logan shifted uncomfortably.
�I was just thinking, I�m a bit worried
about tonight you understand.� Logan explained planning not to mention his new
superhuman abilities just yet.
�I noticed, so when are we going to go get
Zack and Max out of Manticore anyways, or do we flip a coin?� Krit said
folding his arms as he looked at Logan cautiously wondering what Logan had
planned.
�We attack at midnight, our window is then
and it�s our best shot at getting Max and Zack out. We are going to strike
through the south-eastern corner of the woods outside Manticore and then
rendezvous back the same way, with any luck they�ll still be scrambling to
stop us by the time we leave.� Logan answered as he walked over to his
computer and started punching up the area maps for Manticore that he had managed
to obtain off of a still-functional US Spy Satellite.
�We?� Zane asked surprised.
�Yes, WE are going there, because I�m not
going to sit this one out, I didn�t spend six hours tinkering with these metal
legs of mine to get left out, I made these things give me more power than I�ve
ever had so I could get Max out, not to sit back and watch it all fall apart
again.� Logan replied in a cold tone as he stared directly back at Zane, his
arm muscles tensing.
�This isn�t your fight.� Zane replied as
his hand fell to stroke the butt of the Walther P99 tucked into the front of his
pants.
This
better work Logan
thought as he quickly switched the secondary power feed to his exoskeleton as he
felt it charge to superhero levels as his foot came up and solidly cracked Zane
in the chest knocking him down. His arm lanced out and snatched the Mossberg 590
that was leaned against the wall, while his foot pressed down on Zane�s chest
he levelled the shotgun at Krit when he took a step forward.
�I said I was coming with you, I can take
care of myself out there and I�m not making any of you responsible for me,
either I go with you or you go in there without computer support, your
choice.� Logan replied as he motioned with the shotgun at Krit and pressed
some extra power on his right foot to make sure that Zane stayed down.
�That�s enough!� Syl snapped as she
kicked the shotgun out of Logan�s hands as she attacked Logan, who jumped back
just in time realising he had just pissed off four transgenic killing machines.
�Stop it, Logan is intending to go in with
us and I doubt anyone here can change his mind on the subject, we might as well
get used to it.� Jondy said interposing herself between the now-rising Zane
and approaching Syl.
�He still assaulted me without warning or
provocation.� Zane spat out bitterly as he rubbed his chest, which still ached
from the heavy kick that Logan had delivered.
�I was making my point, I can help you
during the attack beyond screwing with the Manticore network, you were ready to
threaten me with that gun to make sure I stayed behind if I recall correctly.�
Logan replied angered that he would be cut out of the loop when the time came to
rescue Max.
�Alright, then if you can all agree not to
attack each other, maybe we can continue with business.� Krit added as he
entered a heated exchange between X5�s and mere mortal.
�Do you still have our guests on ice?�
Logan inquired wondering what the X5�s had done to Renfro and Edward after he
had left.
�Yes, a bit bloodied, but alive.� Zane
responded remembering how he would have to send Quentin Tarantino a thank-you
note for giving him the Reservoir Dogs idea for his �fun� with
Renfro.
�Then we can proceed, in approximately eight
hours, Manticore is going to be short two X5�s and have their reputation
tarnished once more, they won�t be able to keep it afloat anymore.� Logan
commented as he retrieved the shotgun that Syl had knocked out of his grasp and
checked it for damage.
�Let�s hope you�re right, I don�t want
to spend the rest of my life watching my back at every turn.� Syl added as she
burned with anger at Manticore.
**************
�Can you hear me?� The somewhat-familiar
voice of Victor emitted from a small earpiece that Max had found hidden in the
corner of her cell Victor is a busy boy Max thought the breakout must
be tonight. �Nod your head for yes.� Victor continued as Max nodded her
head once and wondered what Victor had to tell her about the particulars of her
escape route. �Your friends are coming for you tonight, be ready to break at
midnight.� Victor finished as he quickly finished the transmission before
anyone started to get wise to all of his behind-the-scenes tampering in
Manticore.
�Bout time I got out of this dump and back
to a chef Cale meal.� Max muttered as she took the earpiece out and crushed it
so no one would be wise to what she and Victor had planned as she watched David
and Alyssa walk by her cell and throw her a cold stare.
It�s
like there are two factions in the X5�s right now, one side is following
Madame Bitch blindly no matter what, whilst the other side is a bit more
hesitant, they�re unsure and recent events have pushed them to question her,
interesting. Max
thought as she watched David and Alyssa go by her cell and then noticed how she
had seen Brin throw them hard looks no matter what was going on.
�I don�t care what you say, there�s
probably a logical reason for the surveillance tape for that facility is not
there.� Thomas said as he and Brin walked by the cell as Max faked still
dozing from her latest battery of drug-aided Manticore training.
�There is, Renfro removed it because it had
incriminating evidence about Tinga�s death, that�s all there is to it.�
Brin replied in a whispered voice, Max idly eavesdropping on the conversation.
�Or maybe it was taken by the committee to
overview what happened during the incident and decide whether or not Lydecker
should have had a death mark on his file.� Thomas offered, but he was starting
to sway with Brin that it was more sinister than it seemed.
�Or she�s been playing the two of you for fools for a while.� Max grunted
as she gripped the bars of her cell as she got up from her fake sleep and stared
right at Brin and Thomas.
�What we discuss is not your business
traitor, I would suggest that you try and rest before we begin the next session
in an hour.� Thomas snapped at Max as he ushered Brin away from the cell and
further down the corridor.
�Wasn�t that a tad harsh? She might have
answers that we are looking for!� Brin whispered urgently as they discussed
the matter amongst themselves.
�She�ll use it to throw us around and keep
us distracted when we should be retraining her, we can deal with this one
ourselves and I intend to keep it amongst ourselves.� Thomas replied reminding
Brin that Max was using every tool available to her to escape.
�Or she could tell us what really happened
at that research facility the night that Tinga died.� Brin replied reminding
Thomas that they were still not one inch closer to finding the truth behind what
had happened during the struggle between Lydecker and Renfro before the attack
on the genetics lab.
�Immaterial, we can�t have a disruptive
influence like Max sway us this way and that on this investigation, we�ll
figure this out on our own one way or another.� Thomas replied as he stepped
back and started walking back to the X5 barracks.
�As you wish, but I have an idea about tonight, meet me in the usual place at
the usual time.� Brin replied as she walked off to speak with Victor about
anything he might be able to dig up on Renfro digging through the security
archives.
****************
Zack prowled silently through the medical wing
of Manticore. He was there after receiving a particularly nasty beating from his
siblings that day and had been sent there to recover from his broken ribs and
shattered wrist. Deciding to see what had become of Max, he still held his
doubts about her death I could have sworn I heard Thomas mention something
about Max and retraining, it could have been the drugs but I have to know for
sure. Zack thought as he thumbed through the medical logs for all recent
procedures for X5�s. Yap yap yap, treated this broken bone and that, did
some gene therapy here and there, nothing spectacular. Zack thought as he
read the reports in file cabinet, noting the purely routine substance there. The
medical wing where he was currently poking into the files was deserted, the
doctors away for some staff meeting, believing that their patient was drugged
out of his mind, when Zack had deftly switched the tranquillisers for vitamin
shots before they had injected him. Emergency operation performed on� Ah
shut up about dates and attending physicians, emergency heart transplant
performed on X5-452, MAX! Max is alive, thank god. Heart was taken from the body
of X5-656, damn, sorry Tinga, at least you managed to give one of your siblings
a chance, your heart gave Max the chance to live again. Zack thought as he
read over the report, they were using this against me, using this to break me
in retraining, I�ll get them for this and then get Max out of this hellhole,
they�ll never stop us, not even those X7�s that nearly killed Max in the
first place. Zack finished as he quickly put away the folder and concealed
all evidence of his rifling through the Manticore medical files and went back to
his bed.
�Good Manticore soldiers don�t nose around
where they are not supposed to.� Chris said as he stood in the doorway of the
medical wing.
�A good family doesn�t tell siblings that
their baby sister died either!� Zack snapped as he leapt at Chris and tackled
him as his rage exploded. His fists found Chris�s face and pummelled it as
hard as he could as Chris struggled to fight Zack off of him. Chris struggled to
fight off Zack�s fists, but he knew it was futile for Zack was both stronger
and faster than Chris, he had always been even with an edge for Chris in
training and discipline, he could not beat back the sheer savagery of Zack�s
assault. He didn�t have to, Alyssa had noticed the disturbance and ran to
Chris�s aid and dealt Zack a heavy blow on the back of his head as he was
knocked off of Chris, but got back into a fighting position.
�Two or twenty of you it doesn�t matter, I
am going to rip your heads off and spit down your fucking necks for hiding the
truth about Max from me.� Zack snapped as he raised his fists, ignorant of the
pain from the broken ribs that had been set a mere hour ago or the pain
radiating from his broken wrist.
�Just put him down already.� Alyssa
snapped as Chris prepared to attack Zack, but his vision was hazy from the heavy
blows that Zack had rocked him with earlier.
�Why don�t you try it little sister, oh I
forgot, you were always one of the weakest, never mind.� Zack said smirking make
them pissed off, you�re better than they are and if they attack blindly you
own them. Zack thought to himself as he noted the time on the clock 11:56,
perfect time for a breakout, provided I work past these two. Zack thought as
he watched Chris move in, and deftly avoided Chris�s punch, and blocked the
second one trapping Chris�s wrist between his arms and quickly dislocated the
wrist.
�You realise that you�re outnumbered and
we have an edge in training, you can�t win.� Alyssa remarked as she prepared
to swipe in quickly to disable Zack.
�We�ll see.� Zack snapped as he swiped
in quickly, adrenaline cushioning any pain he might have been feeling before as
he fought quickly as he blocked and dodged blows as he delivered what hits he
could as he fought off his siblings.
*****************
�Ready?� Krit whispered down the line of
four transgenics and one temporary superhuman.
�Ready.� Zane, Syl, Jondy and Logan
answered as Logan found the way to the power switch on his exoskeleton and
activated the boosting mode on the exoskeleton.
�Let�s do this.� Krit snapped as they
took off for the south side of the fence where the security system had already
gone on the blink and Victor�s internal attack on the Manticore mainframe had
diverted guards. The group each leapt the fence but Logan wobbled a bit as he
landed, not used to the new powers that the exoskeleton had gifted him with.
�According to the latest records before we
left, Zack was in the third floor medical wing, Max was still in a holding cell
on the second floor.� Logan whispered as the group unslung their weapons and
prepared to breach the main Manticore building.
�Syl and I will go with Logan for Max, can
you two get to Zack?� Krit said as he nodded to Syl as Krit chambered a round
in his Sig Commando rifle.
�Sounds good, what happens if we run into
the family?� Zane replied as he flipped the safety off of his M16 rifle.
�Try not to kill them.� Krit replied as
his foot snapped out and burst in the door, two guards were standing ready to
block access, but it was barely a contest as Krit and Syl raised their assault
rifles and gunned them down quickly.
Logan followed Krit and Syl as they headed
towards the stairs and trailed them, watching their backs with a fresh shell
pumped in his shotgun as he watched for anyone creeping up on them. They moved
slowly up the stairs, until finding that security was not as lax as they
thought, eight guards were set up behind some overturned desks and were ready to
open up on the intruders as they reached the top of the stairs and checked the
door.
�Great, just what we need.� Logan muttered
as he snapped off a round from his shotgun and ducked to cover as the guards
fired back, the barking of their SMG�s deafening Logan. We�re coming Max,
just hang in there! Logan thought as he watched Krit and Syl dump a volley
of fire at the guards, nailing several of them.
**************
�Wipe yourselves up.� Zack muttered as he
finished off Chris and knocked out Alyssa by smashing her rather hard with the
butt of the gun she was carrying over the head, dropping her.
�Not done yet brother.� David called from
the doorway as he entered the game.
�I�ve just put two of the family out
pretty easily, are you that confident that you can take me when two could
not?� Zack replied as his hand grasped the sidearm and drew closer to David
ready to deliver the first blow.
�We�ll see about�AH!� David started
and then yelled as Zack grabbed the front of his military fatigues, pulled him
close and put him out with a solid blow from the butt of the handgun he had
taken off of Alyssa.
�Take a nap little bro.� Zack uttered as
he stepped over David�s body and chambered a round into the Beretta 92SF and
checked the corridor for guards or other X-series.
************
�Time to go.� Max said to herself as she watched one Manticore soldier go a bit too close to her cell, he was walking alone and never saw what was coming to him as her arm snaked out from between the cell bars, grabbed his head and smashed it against the cell bars, knocking him out.
�Don�t like the damn things, but its not
like I�m using it on anyone.� Max muttered as she took the sidearm in the
Manticore soldier�s hip holster and fired it through the lock on her cell
shattering it as she kicked the cell door outwards and sprang out as she dropped
the firearm.
�Return to your cell X5-452.� A voice
echoed from behind Max, a particularly young voice and Max was pretty sure who
it was as she turned around and gasped despite the fact that she knew whom the
speaker was.
There she was again, in nine-year old format,
her own body cloned to the X7 level, but this time young Max was not holding a
pistol, rather she was prepared in a standard combat stance that was drilled
into every Manticore soldier.
�So you�ve got the balls to fight me
without a gun this time?� Max taunted as she stared at her young clone.
If X7-454 had heard Max, she didn�t care, she wanted to prove that since she
was X7, two generations ahead of Max and wanted to prove that she was the
ultimate fighting machine. She had only taken the shot at Max in the forest
because she wanted to prove that the X5�s were not worthy and that X7�s were
the only ones worthy of being alive, when Max had just fallen to her shot, she
thought she had been vindicated. She had been ready to just shoot Max but as she
had received the report from X7-601 through her mind that he had observed X5-599
defeat three X5�s and was now having considerable difficulty engaging X5-599
in hand-to-hand combat. She knew that she had to further protect the honor of
Manticore by defeating the X5 before her and prove that traitorous X5�s were
inferior to the pride of Manticore.
�Want to play? Then let�s play!� Max snapped as X7-454 came several steps
closer and prepared to swipe in at Max, gunfire was heard in the background as
Max lashed out at X5-454. The first blow was blocked, as was the second and
third as X7-454 blocked each successive blow, confident of victory as she noted
that Max was slower and not as strong as she was.
The fight continued, X7-454 struck in with her
own blows, Max had an advantage in size and coordination, Max�s body had fully
matured and Max was more in control of herself than X5-454 was and it showed as
Max blocked a series of blows from X5-454 in rhythm as she used her coordination
and size against X7-454. The blows were decidedly neutral for a few minutes as
Max and X7-454 each fought their hardest to damage each other as to remove the
other from the fight, until X7-454 made a mistake. Tripping over the guard that
Max had knocked out earlier, she fell to the floor as Max came down with a blow
that snapped X7-454�s left arm and put the fight easily in Max�s favor you
may be ten years ahead of me, but even you can�t beat me if your arm is
busted. Max thought as she watched X7-454 roll away and come back up, but
was now brandishing the Beretta 92SF that she had concealed.
�This is the part where you shoot me isn�t
it?� Max asked as she stood there and prepared to try her best, even though
she knew that X7 reflexes would probably negate any move she could make.
A shot shattered the deadly silence that had
creeped up as X7-454�s finger flicked towards the trigger and Max gasped.
****************
�Tough little bastard.� Zack muttered as he leaped back as X7-601 dealt another blow, but Zack managed to avoid the blow that would have damaged his rib cage even further.
The fight had been going on for several
minutes, Zack had noted that he had an edge in coordination, size and
motivation, which allowed a flow of adrenaline to cushion the pain from any
blows he received plus keep away the pain from previous injuries as he fought
with his young clone. X7-601 was becoming increasing frustrated with the
fighting zeal that Zack possessed as he fought Zack, annoyed that the less
sophisticated transgenic would not go down. The fight wore on, the firearms
either had possessed had been cast aside so the two could work out their
aggression in a match of pure hand-to-hand combat as the fight raged on. For
another few minutes, the fight was decidedly neutral until X7-601 capitalized on
the damage that Zack had suffered earlier and nailed a hit to Zack�s rib cage
and already-damaged wrist, driving Zack to the ground as X7-601 finished Zack
off by delivering a heavy blow that snapped his head around and sent him rolling
next to an unconscious guard.
�Attention, this is a class-one emergency,
all security personnel to the East Wing of the main building.� The
computerized alerting tone blared over the loudspeakers as X7-601 listened to
the message and furrowed his brow, the invaders were in the West Wing of the
main Manticore building, so why was the Manticore security force being
dispatched to defend a section not at risk. X7-601 reminded himself that the
Manticore staff knew what they were doing and whatever decisions they handed out
were good and solid and he was to obey whatever they asked of him.
�Get away from him!� Zane snapped as he
raised his M16A2 and prepared to trigger a three-shot burst that would shred the
Zack clone.
X7-601 spun around and recovered a forgotten Beretta 92SF that was standard
Manticore-issue and aimed it Zane, but suddenly he clapped the side of his head
as if he felt something had just struck him and cut him off.
************
No bullet ever hit Max, a cloud of magnum
pellets clawed through X5-454 and dropped her instantly as she dropped the
Beretta pistol and fell down, dead.
�Max!� Logan yelled as he dropped the
shotgun after X5-454 fell and ran to Max, who had now collapsed at the sudden
shock of seeing a clone of her die, and the man she loved.
�Logan.� Max whispered smiling as Logan
ran over to her as fast as the enhanced exoskeleton could take him as he pulled
Max up as she buried himself in his embrace.
�Let�s go people!� Syl yelled as she
gunned down a guard that had been charging up the stairs as Krit fired a burst
down the hallway putting down another guard with a precise burst from his
assault rifle.
�We have to go.� Logan whispered as he and
Max disengaged, Max was still a bit shaky and leaned on Logan for support as she
was still going through the shock of seeing Logan gun down her mirror image.
As they progressed down the corridor, Thomas
after hearing the fighting outside, and decided to join the fight to repel the
invaders, miscalculated his strategy. He leapt out as Logan passed, but Logan
mustered the power of his exoskeleton and kicked Thomas hard in the hest and
knocked him back into the supply room that he had been in. Wasting no time,
Logan fired pumped a fresh round in his shotgun and fired it at the door as he,
Krit, Syl and Max backed from it, Krit and Syl dumped another volley of fire at
the door to discourage Thomas and anyone else who was in there with him to be
adventurous as they moved to escape the hellhole called Manticore.
****************
X7-601 let loose and animalistic scream and looked up as he clapped his head, he had lost contact with X5-454 completely and abruptly, meaning that X5-454 had died to the X5 she had been fighting. X7-601 raised his gun and prepared to kill the X5�s before him in revenge for his fallen sister, but something stopped him.
Zack had managed to relieve the unconscious
guard of his sidearm and emptied the entire 16-shot magazine of the Walther P99
into X7-601 and watched him slump over, his body ravaged with bullet holes.
�Am I glad to see you.� Zack grunted as he
pulled himself up and dropped the gun as Jondy and Zane ran up to him and helped
him steady himself as he felt the pain from his broken wrist and ribs wrack his
body.
�We can save the chit-chat for later,
they�re going to realise pretty damn soon what we just pulled on them, we have
transport, let�s get the hell out of here.� Jondy said as she watched the
groups back as Zack retrieved a rifle from the ground and joined Zane as they
moved cautiously out of the Manticore building.
****************
�Ready?� Logan asked as they got to the fence outlining the perimeter of Manticore.
�Ready.� Max replied as she used her
Manticore-borne abilities and leapt over the fence as Krit and Syl followed,
then Logan landed and glanced back once more to make sure there was no one in
pursuit.
�I take it you got an upgrade?� Max asked
as she watched Logan wobble a bit on his exoskeleton.
�Yes, but the servomotors are going to burn
out pretty soon if we don�t get out of here, we�ll meet the others at the
rendezvous point, this superpower has a rather short life-span on it.� Logan
replied as he nodded to Max and gave her a look saying that it was not the time
and they had to escape.
�Then let�s go!� Max said as they took
off into the woods as Manticore sirens blared everywhere and lights flashed out
everywhere searching for their quarry.
After a few minutes of running through the
bush, they arrived back at the van that they had used for their original foray
into Manticore, but Max fell to the ground filled with shock she saw who was
there.
�Zack!� Max yelled as she pulled herself
up and ran to Zack and hugged him tightly as she realised that her big brother
was not dead and he was there to protect her. �They told me you were dead,
that you took your life to save me�� Max whispered as she sobbed
uncontrollably and felt her legs buckle as she realised that she had not lost
her big brother and she was free of Manticore.
�Its alright Max, they lied to me too.�
Zack replied as he embraced her tightly, he expected Logan to be shooting
daggers at him with his eyes, but he just stood there, accepting that he and Max
needed the bonding moment. Maybe he�s not so bad after all.
�I hate to break this up, but we have to go before they get our own family after us.� Zane called as Krit and Syl leapt into the back of the van as he got into the drivers seat.
�Let�s get out of here.� Max said as she got into the van last and brushed away tears of relief as she sat on the van floor and moved over next to Logan and rested her head on his shoulder as Zane kicked the van into its highest gear and sped away from Manticore as fast as he could.
