Circling Back to Friendly Territory

By PaBurke

Verses: Dark Angel/Teen Wolf

Disclaimer: Not mine

*da*tw*

She had run in circles. She knew that she had run in circles. X-522 had feared that she had been captured by Manticore and sent to Psy-ops. How else could an x-series cover the same ground twenty-eight times without finding an escape route or being able to change her path?

"Are you tired yet?"

She looked up to the ledge to see the man standing there, relaxed. He was thin; he didn't have the shoulders of a soldier, nor the haircut. He had brown dots on his face like Ben. He had brown eyes that weren't hard like the Manticore soldiers.

But somehow, he had made her go around in circles. Psy-ops had soldiers in non-reg shapes.

"There you are," a second voice growled. A dark-haired, green eyed man with a rough beard joined the first. He did have all the physical attributes of a soldier and with the symmetrical face and striking features, and the way he was sniffing her like she was sniffing him? She was suspicious of his origins.

"Cat," he pronounced. "No strays," he told the first man. "We don't have the supplies."

She knew about her feline DNA, but only another x-series would be able to smell it. This must be another Manticore escapee! She scrambled up the rock and jumped when climbing wasn't feasible. It showcased her abilities as more than a Normal, same as the man. She stood at attention in front of the X-2? X-3? (He was too old to be an X-4 or 5.) and stated her designation.

The green eyed man stared down at her and finally sighed. "Fine."

The first man wrapped an arm around her and she nearly ripped it off. That didn't scare him; he simply dodged, laughed and returned to the same position. "This'll be great, Kitty. You'll be our own little Sourpuss to match our Sour-wolf."

"Get rid of those tracking her," the dark-haired man ordered.

"We could always…"

"No," he growled. It was a real growl and she wondered if he was an X-2, with too much canine DNA.

The playful man sighed. "Whatever happened to the suspicious loner who thought killing was the answer to everything?"

"He ran into a dopey boy with a spark who refused to back down. Send them on a wild goose chase."

"While since you're shoveling out flattery like it's going out of style," he wiggled his fingers, "your wish is my command." The young man's face hardened into something purposeful, intent… accomplished before returning to his impressive non-threatening mask.

The soldier's head was tilted and whatever he heard pleased him. He grunted. His scowl softened to something simply annoyed and he turned to walk away.

X-522 hurried to catch up but the playful man slowed her down. "Don't worry. He won't leave us behind. We're Pack."

"Is that like a Unit?" the child soldier asked. She had been taught, 'always take advantage of intelligence if it's being offered.'

The man grinned. "It's better."

X-522 almost believed him.

*da*tw*