Dysfunctional -- Chapter 5

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 (Sasha/X5-121, etc.).

121 woke up, looked around, and sighed.  494 and 511 were both outside on a training mission that was part of the trials for C.O. and second-in-command of the X5s that was scheduled to run for a full forty-eight hours, which meant that she wouldn't even see them in the cafeteria for meals for the next two days.  She shrugged and got up and went into her bathroom.  It's not that big of a deal.  I've been more or less in command of the unit since the trials started four days ago.

She quickly showered and then got dressed for the day.  As she was tying the laces on her boots, she heard some noises coming from the cell that was next to her on the right and rolled her eyes.  Great, 786 had some guy sleep over in her cell that night.  I should just be happy that they didn't keep me up last night.  She better not be late for roll call or lineup or I'll have her ass.

121 opened the door to her cell just in time to see a soldier blur around the corner.  She rolled her eyes once more and knocked on the door to 786's cell.  "Move it or lose it, 786.  We've got to leave to get to lineup and roll call in five minutes or we're going to be late."

"Relax, 121, I know how to get dressed quickly," 786 snapped.

"You've had plenty of practice by now," 121 muttered under her breath.

A few moments later, 786 stepped out of her cell, ready for the day.  She glared at 121.  "What the hell is that supposed to mean, 121?"

"We've had cells next to each other for a little while, 786.  You figure it out if you're so smart," 121 said.  She took a deep breath.  "Look, I don't want to start a fight with you, especially first thing in the morning and as long as it doesn't affect your performance then it really doesn't matter.  Let's wait for everybody to get out here and let's get outside."

786 stared at 121 for a few moments before she finally nodded.  "Yes, ma'am."

121 waited as the rest of the unit came out of their cells until everybody that was supposed to be there was there except for 908.  "908, let's hurry it up.  If you're not out in the next minute, we're going to head out without you and you're going to be late.  Come on."

"Give it a rest, I'm here," 908 said irritably.  She walked out of her cell and up to the rest of the group and gave 121 a nasty look.  "On a power trip, 121?"

121 motioned for everybody to form a line and then they marched off towards their yard for lineup and roll call.  "No more so than when you were in command of the unit, 908.  And this isn't the first time that you've been slow to get up in the morning.  I think 494 must have said the same thing to you at least five times over the past year."

"Big deal," 908 said.  "So I have trouble getting up sometimes in the morning.  I had a tough day yesterday."

So did the rest of us, you idiot, 121 thought.  She kept her mouth shut as they reached the yard and lined up.  They got through lineup and roll call and even breakfast without killing each other and 121 breathed a sigh of relief when they split up after breakfast to go to individual classes.  She walked down to her language and foreign infiltration class and sat down at a desk.  Two hours without 908 and 786.  That's as close to a vacation as I'm ever going to get.

"Enjoying your morning so far?" a voice at 121's right spoke up.

121 turned around and saw 228 sitting down in the desk next to her and smiled.  "Yeah, there's nothing that's quite as much fun as dealing with 908 and 786 first thing in the morning.  How was your morning so far?"

"I can't really complain too much," 228 replied.  She shrugged.  "620 is decent enough as a temporary commanding officer."

"Good," 121 said.  They shut up when the trainer entered the room and paid attention.  After lecturing the class for close to an hour, he gave them an assignment and they paired off.  121 and 228 looked over the sheets of paper that the trainer had given them.  "This looks easy enough."

"Yeah, too easy," 228 observed.  "There's got to be a catch here somewhere."

"Yeah, you're probably right," 121 agreed.  "If we're really lucky, it really will be as easy as it looks and we'll be done with it in a heartbeat."  She took another look at the papers.  "Okay, you've been inserted into Russia to infiltrate an underground movement to overthrow their current government.  Your cover is..."  She and 228 worked hard at their assignment and finished before any of the other teams in the class.  They smiled at each other triumphantly and they stood up and went over to the trainer's desk and handed the assignment over to him.  "Here you go, sir.  228 and I are finished."

"Very well," the trainer said.  "Please wait while I grade this."  121 and 228 waited patiently while he checked their assignment over and compared the answers to the ones on his key.  After a few minutes, he nodded and made a mark on the assignment and put it into a folder.  "Very well done, 121 and 228.  That was a perfect score.  Please return to your seats and read the rest of the current chapter in your textbooks for the duration of the class."

121 and 228 saluted him and went back to their seats and picked up their books and opened them.  "What do you know, it actually was that easy," 228 commented.

"If the rest of the day goes this well, I'm really going to be happy," 121 said.  "It rarely ever does, though."

"Oh yeah," 228 agreed.  She turned a page in her book.  "The last time I had a day that I thought was going to be really good, 461 got into trouble and they decided to punish our entire unit by having us do two hours in the tank until it was time for us to go to bed."

"Ouch," 121 said.  She winced.  "I hate the tank."

"I don't think any of us like the tank," 228 remarked.  "What do you have after this class, 121?"

"Group Martial Arts," 121 told her.  "There goes my day right there.  Everybody's always trying to gun for me during that class.  They think it's an excuse for them to do that."  She shrugged.  "Whatever.  I usually beat them so it's not so bad and even when I don't win when I'm sparring with somebody, I definitely don't let my opponent walk away unscathed.  Then after lunch I'm leading a training mission over in the woods on the West side of the facility, opposite of where they're running that training mission for the trials."

"Good luck," 228 said.

"Thanks," 121 said.  They chatted for awhile longer as they read until they were dismissed from their class.  121 said good-bye to 228 and marched towards the gym and waited for the rest of the unit to show up.  The day passed and to 121's amazement, it seemed to go smoothly.  237 didn't seem to be in quite as bad of a mood as usual and even 908 was unusually placid.  121 couldn't believe her good luck as she and the rest of the unit sat in one of the classrooms being debriefed after the training mission.

"...that's right.  That was excellent strategy, 121.  You did quite a good job without your C.O. and 2IC here.  Good work," the trainer who was debriefing them told 121.

"Thank you, sir," 121 said.

"Good job to all of you," the trainer commented.  He looked at his watch and then back up at the X5s.  "Your time is yours to use however you choose until lights out.  You are all dismissed."

They stood up and saluted the trainer and left the classroom.  "That training mission actually went well," 714 said almost suspiciously.

"What, I've actually got leadership skills," 121 pointed out.

"Okay, maybe you did earn your rank," 908 grudgingly admitted.  "That still doesn't mean that you're better than me."

Rome wasn't exactly built in a day, 121 thought.  She shrugged.  "However you feel about that matter is your business, 908."

786 stretched and looked at her watch.  "I've got an hour-and-a-half until lights out and I've got to report to mission prep at 0830 tomorrow for that mission that I'll be going on with those guys from Unit 6.  I've got people to see and things to do."

121 managed to restrain a snort.  Don't you mean things to see and people to do?  "Go ahead.  You heard the trainer, we can do what we want until lights out.  Just be back in your cell by then and don't get caught doing something stupid."  Like the guy that you're going to be meeting.

"I'm not that stupid," 786 said.  She gave 121 a mock salute and walked away.

121 sighed and continued on to her cell.  She went inside and over to the spot where she hid her contraband and took out a magazine and sat on her bunk and started to read.  Not a bad day at all.  Tomorrow will probably suck beyond words, but at least I had one good day to brag about.  She smiled to herself and continued to read.  See, 494, I can handle these assholes for at least a day!

TBC