Dysfunctional -- Chapter 30

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Alec, Biggs, Renfro, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters (X5-121, etc.).

511 sighed as he walked through the hallways several days later.  It's only been a few days since 121 and I found out about 494.  I miss him.  He snorted in disgust.  The only thing that's close to good that I can say about this whole time is that 908 is actually happy, though that's only because of 494's apparent failure.  Is it really a failure, though, or just something that Manticore interpreted as a failure?  I guess we won't know the whole story until 494 decides to tell us, if he ever does.  511 cracked his knuckles.  If that bitch makes one more remark about 494 screwing up, I'm going to beat the hell out of her so badly, even dental records won't help!  511 couldn't help chuckling.  Yeah, right.  If I do that, 121 will be pissed at me for not letting her have a turn before they have to take 908 to the infirmary.

He turned a corner and headed towards one of the exits.  Maybe I'll go to the outdoor rifle range and spend some of this free time of mine getting night-time target practice in.  I'm pretty good with weapons, but I'm not nearly as good with rifles and long-distance shooting as 121 is.  He smiled proudly.  Not many of us are, though.  That's my girl!

511 walked through the doors and frowned when he saw a small group of X5s standing near the edge of the woods.  Five of the six transgenics that he saw were members of his own unit, but the sixth was X5-513, the one who'd been sent to finish 494's mission.  If that piece of shit is bragging about what he did, then I'll make sure that he doesn't do a whole lot of talking for awhile at least.

"...and then he started screaming like a little girl," 513 said.  He laughed.  "He barely even noticed when the ordinary guards that came with me grabbed him and tranquilized his sorry ass before they threw him in the back of the van."

"Oh, I so knew it," 908 declared with satisfaction.  "I knew that '09er-twin ass of his would screw up one of these days.  I have been waiting and waiting and I do believe that it just might have been worth it."

"I told you that it would," 786 reminded her.

"And you were right," 908 agreed.  "You've always had the best advice, 786."

"You lucky dog, you," 237 said.  "You got to one-up the great X5-494, the soldier who couldn't do a damn thing wrong.  I wish that I could have been the one to put one over his ass like that.  Kudos, man, seriously."  511's eyes narrowed and he started to say something to grab the group's attention, but somebody beat him to it.

"That's not something to be congratulated about."  511 looked up in surprise as he saw 941 suddenly standing near the group.

513 snorted.  "Nobody asked for your opinion, so get your stupid X6 ass out of here."

"My designation is 941," 941 informed the older transgenic.

"941, right," 513 said.  He shrugged.  "Whatever, nobody still asked you for your two cents so scram."

"He still has every right to give his opinion," 511 pointed out to the other X5.  "It's called freedom of speech, 513.  We've got it when the trainers and Director Renfro aren't around.  Remember?"

786 rolled her eyes.  "What's next, 121 is going to show up and call me a filthy whore for the ten millionth time?"

"No, she's in her cell right now catching up on some reading," 511 said.  "That's a much better way to spend what free time that we do have than what you guys are doing.  Oh, don't worry about it.  She said that she'd call you a filthy whore again sometime in the next twenty-four hours."

"Butt out of this," 908 ordered.  "This has nothing to do with either of you."

"It does," 941 said calmly.  "Anybody with a shred of decency wouldn't stand by and let a friend of theirs get ripped on the way that you're talking about 494."

"Well, stand right on by because I'm going to say whatever I want." 908  walked over to 941 and looked up into his eyes.  "494 is a miserable little piece of filth.  I don't think that he is worth the crap that sometimes gets between the grooves on the soles of my combat boots when I'm participating in exercises out in the woods over there.  I believe that 494 is a worthless, talentless, dumb-as-crap, scum-sucking asshole that I would like nothing more than to give him exactly what he deserves, which I do believe is what he's getting in Psy Ops right about now."  She smirked.  "I've never blown a mission, especially one of the apparent magnitude of 494's.  What do you think that he's getting right now?  786, 714, do either of you have any ideas?"

"It depends on who's working him over right now," 714 said thoughtfully.  "Are they using a telepath, a telecoercion specialist, or is some random ordinary guard using something old fashioned, like breaking bones or clamping fingers or toes at pressure points?  Whichever they're using, it sounds like fun to me."

"Absolutely." 786 nodded and smirked.  "I couldn't agree more."

"I couldn't agree any less," 511 spat.  "You people disgust me."

"Blow it out your ass," 908 said.  She saw 941 staring at her with a similar look and wrinkled her nose.  "As for you, go away.  It's not like you actually know 494, anyway."

"I know him better than you do, I bet," 941 pointed out.  "Have you actually taken the time when you've had the chance to get to know the guy?  He's not perfect, nobody's personalities are, but he is a good person."

"Get your ass out of here before I beat it," 908 hissed.  She stared at 941, who wasn't moving an inch.  "That's...an...order."

"No...it's...not," 511 mocked.  "If you think that's an order, then I'm ordering 941 to do whatever the fuck he wants to do in this situation."  He grinned and turned to 941.  "Do you understand, soldier?"

"Sir, yes, sir," 941 said.  He also grinned and he saluted 511.

"This is called having friends in high places," 511 informed the others.  "Try it sometime, 908."  908's eyes narrowed.  Suddenly, she rushed towards 941, who had her face down on the ground in a heartbeat.  511 just shook his head.  "Hate to break it to you, 908, but not only is 941 a top-rated X6, but hand-to-hand combat is one of his specialties.  That's not going to work.  And if I know how your mind works, neither will getting up and trying to attack me.  I'll make you a deal.  If you drop this and not make any kind of nasty comments like what I had just heard about 494 again, I will not report you for insubordination."

"How am I being insubordinate?" 908 snapped, though her words came out muffled because she was still lying on the ground.

"You will be when I say that 941 was acting under my orders to ask you to come with me to the library because I required your assistance to work out some strategies for that training mission that we've got tomorrow afternoon," 511 replied.

908 sighed irritably and finally got up from the ground.  "Yes, sir."

511 nodded.  I guess that time in Psy Ops might have done a slight bit of good.  She's actually letting it go for now.  "Then I have nothing more to do here.  941?"  He motioned to 941 with his hand and the two of them walked away from the group.  Once they were a distance away, 511 turned to the X6 and smiled.  "I can't thank you enough for sticking up for 494 like you did back there.  I appreciate it, man."

"It's no problem," 941 assured him.  "494's always been great to me.  It's one thing to complain about somebody, I know I do it often enough about 224, but to talk about 494 the way that those guys were..."  He shuddered.

"Don't worry about them," 511 said.

"I won't," 941 promised.  "Still..."

"It could have been worse, though," 511 said.

"How?"

"121 could have been there with the two of us."

941 couldn't quite suppress a shiver of fear.  "Yikes."  He caught 511's eye.  "Sorry, 511.  She still freaks me out sometimes."

"Don't sweat it, kid," 511 said.  "At least I know that you won't be going after my girl."  They both laughed.

TBC