adl3

A Different Life
        A different Mission

Jondy stepped onto the elevator and nervously shifted her feet. She was dressed quite plainly. Manticore didn't see the need for fancy clothing, so she was about to go to dinner wearing a pair of 'peddle pusher' pants, and a red button up blouse. Her feet were in a quite comfortable pair of black shoes with no heel. The ride seemed to be taking forever, and she desperately wanted it to end. She wanted the whole night to be over. she wanted to go back home to her family.
She was tired of having only Max and Zack as company. They thought in too much of the same way, and they had the tendency to neglect Jondy. She missed Krit. She missed Tinga. She missed Zane. She missed Ben. And everyone else. Except Alec. She did not miss him. Jondy didn't like Alec, and he returned the distaste in full. But she'd still rather be seeing him then Logan. She was beginning to feel guilty. This man was not bad. She knew this.   Yet she was working against him. If they found what Manticore wanted them too find, and Jondy was almost certain that they would, it would most likely result in Logan Cales death.
The ding of the elevator brought her back to reality, and she stepped off of the elevator. she walked to Logans door, and knocked quietly. She put on her winning smile, and forced her body to remain relaxed, and tried her best to look comfortable. It was only a moment before Logan answered the door. He smiled at her, "Hello Jondy, come in" he said. His pleasant tone felt like a knife stabbing her. He had no idea of what was going to happen to him.
She stepped in though and said in an equally pleasant "So where are we going?" she turned so that she was once again facing him.
"This small Italian place about a block down" he told her, "It's nice but casual, and it's close so I figured we could just walk there".
"That sounds just lovely" Jondy said "shall we go then?" she wanted to get this whole night over with. Hopefully, they would complete the assignment, and be back at Manticore this night. She would never have to know, or even care about Logan Cale again.
"We shall" Logan said. He slipped on a jacket, and they left. Jondy took a deep breath, and put back on her smile. She could do this. She could get through this night. Zack and Max were looking out the window right now, waiting for them to pass. They would be in and out in fifteen minutes, mission complete.
About half way to the restaurant, Jondy noticed Logan looking slightly agitated. He put his hands in his pockets then his coat pockets, "I'm really sorry Jondy, but I think I left my wallet at the apartment, we'll have to go back" he told her, an apologetic look on his face.
"Oh, that's okay, I could pay" Jondy said. Max and Zack wouldn't be watching them for them yet, it was likely that if they went back now, then Logan would find some trespassers in his apartment.
"Nonsense" Logan said, "We'll just go back. It will only take a minute, sorry about this" he turned, and Jondy had no choice but to follow him, and hope that he didn't go into his computer room.
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Max flipped through Logans files, looking for anything that had to do with Manticore. She was almost certain now that he was eyes only. they had found more then one thing that had hinted towards it. But she hadn't yet seen anything on Manticore yet. The computer files however could had something. "How much time left" she said to Zack.
Zack was sitting in front of the computer, waiting for the files to copy. He was nervously tapping his fingers on the desk. "The computer says five minutes" Zack said. He turned the chair around so that he was looking at Max, "How are you doing over there?" he asked.
"So far nothing that has anything to do with Manticore" she said. She closed the drawer she had just looked through, and opened the one above it, "You know, if Logan is eyes only, I've got to say, he should be more careful. Those files weren't protected, and none of theses drawers are locked" she commented to Zack.
"Well I don't think he was expecting genetically engineered Manticore soldiers moving in down stairs" Zack said. He turned around again so that he was once again facing the computer. He went back to nervously tapping his fingers. His head shot up as he heard a noise of the apartment, he stood up and walked over to Max. He tapped her on the back, and she looked up at him with a questioning look. Zack put a finger to his lips signaling for her to be quiet, and touched his hear telling her to listen. He heard it again, like a key in the lock. Max's eyes grew wide, and Zack knew that she heard it too.
Her attention turned completely to Zack, waiting for orders. He turned to face the computer, just one minute left. They just needed to wait one minute, then they could be out of here. They heard the door open, and foot steps enter the apartment. "My wallets in the kitchen, I'll just be a second" they heard Logans voice from the front room.
Zack moved closer to Max and put his mouth near her ear, "he must of forgotten his wallet. This isn't a problem, he'll be in and out, then we'll be out" he said in a low voice. Max let out a sigh of relief. Max closed the last drawer of the file cabinet, and Zack walked back over to the computer. He counted down the last five seconds in his head with the computer, and the computer let out a loud noise signaling the job complete. Zack and Max both cringed. Logan would have to be deaf to not of heard that. Zack grabbed the disk out of the computer, and put it in it's case. He slipped the case into the small pack brought with them. Max handed him a file that he had not noticed she had, and he put that in the bag also.
They heard foot steps nearing the computer room. "Logan wait" they heard Jondy say. They heard another set of foot steps moving quickly, "What are you doing" Jondy's voice sweetly said. "I thought you were just gonna get your wallet, come on, let's go now" she attempted to persuade him.
"Did you here that?" he said, "I think I left the computer on, just let me turn it off, it will only take a second" Logan told he.
"Oh, but Logan, can't you just leave it on?" Jondy asked in a whine like voice.
Zack was frozen, he didn't know what to do. They could leave through the window, but that would make noise, and Logan would of entered by then. He looked at Max, she shook her head. He signaled for her to hide, but it was too late, Logan came around the corner, and stopped, blankly staring at them.
Zack begged himself to think of something to say, but nothing cam to him. Max made her eyes wide, hoping for a look of innocence. Not likely. They were both dressed completely in black, and looked quite suspicious. "What are you doing in my house" he said angry. They didn't answer, he took a step towards the phone that was sitting on the desk, and began to dial security. Jondy came up behind him, and kicked the phone out of his hand. "Who are you guys" Logan said surprised by their her action.
Max opened her mouth, but Zack stopped her with a look. "We're no one" Jondy said dramatically. "You aren't even talking to us now, we'll leave and you'll never see us again. In fact, you never did, this is all a dream" she said.
Zack glared at her. Logan looked at her with annoyance. Then, with a speed that Max would not of thought him capable of, Logan shot forward and grabbed a gun out of the top drawer of his desk. He pointed the gun at The three of them, who were now all standing next to each other. "Now, who are you, and why are you in my house" he said.
Zack put out a hand in front of him, "Calm down, don't get all trigger happy on us. We're not going hurt you. In fact, we'll be leaving now". He took a step backwards, and Jondy and Max did the same. They were moving towards the window.
Logan released the safety on his gun, and pointed it at Max, "you're not going any where, until I find out who you are, and what you're doing here" he said.
Zack stopped as soon as he saw the gun aimed at Max. He took a small protective step towards her, and made a motion with his hand. She stepped towards him. "We're exactly who we said we were" she said. She made her bottom lip tremble slightly, trying to look scared. "I'm sorry, please don't kill us" she said sweetly. "It won't save you any ways" she said taking on a different tone. "We know who you are"
Zack gave her a warning look, they did NOT know if he was eyes only. But she paid no attention to Zack, and she continued. "Why do you care. your trying too save people, that are already corrupted and don't want to be saved. But you do it any ways. You sit behind your computer, hiding behind a red white and blue mask. You put your life in danger for people who don't care" she said.
"If I don't do it, then who will" Logan said. His hands were shaking on the gun. It was making Zack nervous. But, Zack had too hand it to Max, they now knew with out a doubt that Logan was eyes only. It had to end here though.
Zack made another movement of his hands towards Jondy, and she nodded in understanding. She took a step near Max. Logan didn't notice any of this, for he was looking at Max. Zack shot forward with super human speed and grabbed the gun from Logans hand. "Sorry Logan, but this conversation just got boring" he said. Max and Jondy turned and jumped through the window, shielding their faces from the glass that broke around them. They landed harmlessly on their feet, and waited for Zack.
"Why do you have such large windows any ways" Zack said. He held the gun pointed at Logan, and slowly stepped back, then turned and jumped out the window, landing near Max and Jondy. He looked at them, "Now, girls, would be a good time to run" he said, and doing as they were told, the three of them took off at a fast run.
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"599, was the mission completed successfully?" Lydeker said in his old voice. He said it much louder then necessary, he always did. Max still couldn't figure out why. They all had super hearing, and the loud noise was just an offense to their ears. That, and it was the fifth time tat he had asked this question.
Zack had answered it each time, and Max was tempted to let out s sigh of exasperation when she saw him take a breath to answer it again. "Almost sir!" he said, just as he had said every other time, "Logan Cale discovered our intentions, and we were forced to run, and leave in a hurry. But we did discover that Logan Cale was in fact Eyes only, and we were able to copy the computer files.
Max found herself really hoping that Lydecker would let them go to their evening meal now. She wanted to see everyone. Plus, she had been without food for almost two days now. She was hungry. though she could go without food for a much longer time if needed, she didn't like too. "599, if the target discovered your intentions, and if he know about Manticore as is expected, then he probably guessed that you were sent by Manticore. How is this a mission successfully completed. He knows who you are!" Lydecker shouted.
Max was beginning to catch on now. Lydecker moved to stand in front of Max, "452, was the mission successfully completed?" he shouted in her face.
Max remained calm, and looked strait ahead, managing not to look at him. "No sir" she said. "Our intentions and possibly our identities were discovered" she said in her soldier voice.
Lydecker nodded. Good, she had given him the answer he had been looking for. He stepped back and looked at the three of them. "The three of you are to go to your rooms, change out of your street clothes, and go to the dinning hall. After your meal, your to go back to your rooms and write up a complete summery of the mission, including why it went wrong. you'll have no recreational time tonight. Your dismissed now" he said. with out another word, he turned and left the room, leaving them there.
Jondy rolled her eyes, "god Zack, think you could take a little longer to figure out Lydecker's plan next time?" she said. Her temper was short since they exited Logans through the window. She had cuts on her hands, and on her face. She was irritated by them, and for some reason was deciding to blame Zack for them.
"Leave Zack alone" Max said. Jondy shocked her head and walked out of the room. Max sighed and turned around to face Zack. "I don't understand why she's so upset about this. It's not like we've never had an incident like this before" Max said to Zack.
She's been weird this whole mission." Zack said. He reached out a hand brushed some of Max's loose curls out of her face, letting his fingers touch the soft skin of her face as he did so.   Max looked at him, keeping her face free of emotion. she was unsure how to react to this movement. He had done things like this before. Not often though, and she never new how to react. "Don't let her mood bother you Max" he said softly. His voice was deeper then usual Max noticed. He took a small step towards her, so that their bodies were almost touching. Max felt her breathing get deeper, and she noticed that Zack's was doing the same. He began to lean his face down near hers. Max was surprised to find herself moving towards him. There was a moment where they stayed completely still. There mouths were about an inch apart, and Max could feel his warm breath on her face.
She wanted to close the distance, and feel his soft warm lips against hers. The realization of this longing shocked her. Zack had always been a brother to her. But right now the feelings she felt towards him were anything but sisterly. She looked him directly in his deep blue eyes. She thought to herself as she often did that she could see the bluest sky in them when he was happy, and the darkest lake in them when he was angry or sad. Now they sparkled with something Max had never seen in his eyes before. He blinked slowly, his eyelashes brushing against his cheek. That small movement interrupted their moment. Max felt herself coming back to her senses, thinking about where they were, and who she was standing so close to. She saw a same sort of realization move through Zack's eyes. He dropped his hand, and took a large step back. He shook his head " sorry" he said, and left the room before Max could tell him that he didn't have to be.
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Max stepped into the crowded dinning hall, and cringed as her sensitive ears picked up the loud noise of everyone talking. It was morning, for some reason the dinning hall was always loudest in the morning. She figured that for normal people it would be the quietest time, but not for transgenics. She smiled at a young X7 who was walking by. The small girl, like all the other younger Xs had her head still shaved, a for some reason, she looked scared. Max wondered what she was afraid of. Probably testing or something. Max shivered remembering some of the first testings she was put through at that age.
She stood the line that was relatively short now, and grabbed a tray. She hated the dinning hall. It was loud, crowded, and always had an unpleasant scent. Max was unaware of it, but the dinning hall, and their meals in it, was probably the closest thing to normal they had at Manticore. She accepted the bowl of unpleasant looking mush that they were served for breakfast, and went over to her dinning unit. Zack hadn't shown up for dinner the night before, and she needed too talk to him.
She cringed as she saw that the last seat at her table. Next to Ben, which was nice, she enjoyed Ben's company. But it was also right across from Alec. Alec always sat near Ben at the table. Max didn't know why. Maybe he felt more like he was a part of their 'family' or something if he stuck near Ben. They were the only two that were actually related in any real way. She slammed her tray down on the table in a some what violent way, and sat down. Ben turned in her direction, and smiled, "morning Maxie" he said in the soft masculine voice he had.
She smiled back at him. "Good morning Ben" she said. She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment, being happy to be near him again, and taking comfort in his presence. Of all of her 'family' she had missed Ben the most while she was gone. She missed his stories, and his smiles. She didn't know what she would do with out them.
Alec, who had been keeping his head down, looking absently into his bowl of food, now looked up at them. He raised an eyebrow, giving them a curious look. Max glared at him, and lifted her head off of Ben's shoulder. "Don't I get a hug four fifty-two?" he said in his annoying little way.
"No" Max said plainly, not being able to think of a witty remark to throw back at him. "And don't call me that. My name is MAX. And if you can't remember that, then call me 452. Not, under any circumstances, four fifty two, smart Alec" she told him. She had a head ache this morning, and wasn't really in the mood for Alec, and his remarks.
"Max, you wound me. I missed you terribly, and was pained by your absence. you give my brother here a greeting, and I saw you hugging Zane and Tinga last night. I really wanted a hug. A hello A-"
He was cut off bye Max, who knew that he could go on for hours like that given the chance. "I'm deeply sorry. Hello. Missed you too." she said sarcastically, "Now, hurry up and eat your oatmeal, so I can kick your ass in morning warm-ups" she added in a sweet tone.
"By the way" Ben added to the conversation, "We are not brothers. You may look like me, and we may be biologically related, but Max is more of a sibling to me then you'll ever be" he said dryly.
Alec looked back down at his food, "yeah what ever" he said quietly. For a moment Max felt bad for him. He seemed genuinely hurt. Ben had never been mean to Alec, not like everyone else had. And he appeared to be upset at Ben's cruel words. But her feelings of pity for him quickly disappeared a moment latter when Alec looked up and decided to talk to her again. "So, I hear you blew your cover on your away mission" Alec said tauntingly.
"So, I hear you refused to follow orders on your last away mission" Max shot back at him. He hadn't been sent on any away missions since he had refused his orders. Max guessed that they just weren't ready to trust him yet. It hadn't been that long ago after all.
At this comment Alec slammed his spoon down on his tray and stood up. He leaned over the table and looked at her threateningly, "Don't stick your nose were it doesn't belong Max" He said to her. His voice was quiet and deep, full of venom. It actually scared her a bit. His face was close to hers and his eyes pierced into her own. "You think you know, but you don't know anything. It's a cold world out there Maxie, but it's even colder in here. One day you'll see. One day it will happen to you, and I'll be waiting there to see" he continued to look directly into her eyes, not moving back at all. His face was full of a rage that Max couldn't understand, and under hat, pain. She couldn't begin to understand why this had made him so mad. They taunted each other all the time.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wanted to move. To tear her gaze away from his, but she couldn't. She felt trapped. She was scared by his rage yet drawn to his pain, wanting more then ever to know what had happened. She was paralyzed by his stare. So she continued to look at him. Until finally He was pulled back. Max was finally able to move her eyes away from Alec's, and she saw Zack there. he had a hand on Alec's shoulder, which had pulled him back from Max, gaining her room to breathe. "Leave her alone" Zack said, his voice strong, his eyes threatening.
"Leave her alone" Alec repeated his words. "Poor old Maxie, let's all leave her alone or else 'brother' Zack will come after you" he shrugged out of Zack's grip. "Why doesn't anyone ever leave me alone?" he asked. Max watched as the rage disappeared from Alec's face, leaving only his unmasked pain. "Well all of you, just leave me alone" he said loud enough so that everyone could hear. He smoothed out his shirt and picked up his tray and began to walk away, stopping next to Max on his way, "see you in the practice room Maxie" he said, then continued to walk away.
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