Title: Ashes to Ashes
By: Raptor
Rating: PG-13, for angst and character death.
Spoilers: none that I can think of. . . Maybe the Pilot (but if you've never seen the show I don't see why you would be reading Fanfic for it. . .unless you a read-a-holic.)?

Summary: A few days in the life of the young X-5's. Ash an X-5 of my own creation is killed, deals with Max's reaction.
Disclaimer: It's well known that Dark Angels characters do not belong to fanfic writters let alone myself, we just bring them out to play sometimes.

Notes: This started out as a flashback in another fic I was working on but I liked it too much to let stand there alone as a small piece, so I made it longer and into it's own fic.
Feedback: JazRaynor@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________________

Zack was the first of the squad to leave the barracks and arrive at the room they called the mess hall. He stood at attention waiting for everyone else to show up, they were all supposed to be present and accounted for at 0600 hours precisely. Zack was always there at 0550 hours, as the leader her had to set an example. Normally in the mornings they were allowed cold cereals if they were hungry and were forced to consume their share of rations. The rations were mostly vitamin and amino acid supplements that were required to be ingested at least once a day, more then that after you had been experimented on. The rations weren't very tasty, but they were told that they kept them alive and healthy.

The smell wafting from the heated trays behind the row of glass, penetrated his senses line of defense and was killing him, it smelt so good! Everyone was always hungry on Sundays, or at very least they ate without being forced. Sundays were different and not one of them had been able to figure out why. Every Sunday morning they got to eat something new, something different. Today his keen senses told him it was some kind of eggs and waffles.

"Fall in. Stand at attention!"

Zack took a step forward and took a quick head count, he was proud of the line of soldiers behind of him. They had two minuets until Colonel Lydecker would be there and he was missing three of his men. Max. Jondy. Ash. Inside Zack was raging; outside he was the picture of control and composure. The perfect solider and he expected nothing less from his younger brigade. Max and Jondy ran up to the doorway hand in hand, giggling. They dropped hands as they cleared the doorway, falling into step with one another as they made their way to their places in the line up. They had one minuet and one soldier to go. They'd all get punished if Ash didn't make it there on time.

Last night in the barracks well after lights out Max and Jondy had been the first to respond to Ash. Zack swore those two never slept, they even slept less then he did. Soon anyone who wasn't sleeping had gathered around a groaning Ash. He was store and stiff and his joints were kind of swollen up. Ben had told us all the story of the good place and Max and Jondy had sung softly until Ash fell asleep. This morning Ash had been in the bathroom before their morning run, spitting up blood. He was scared to death and dead set against going to the infirmary level of the complex. He was afraid they'd take him down to the basement and let the nomies get to him and suck out all his blood. Colonel Lydecker stood in front of the line of soldiers his eyes boring holes into the face of the clock about the children's heads.

0600 hours, Zack knew the time without having to look at the clock. Five minuets later Ash jogged into the room and took his place in line. No one breathed or let alone moved. Zack new he was in pain, he could see it in the way Ash held himself, but pain was not an excuse for laziness or failure. If Zack was angry, Colonel Lydecker looked like he was going to explode. Colonel Lydecker stalked his way down the line of soldiers, each standing a little bit straighter as he passed.

"You're late soldier!" Colonel Lydecker barked looking down on the boy. "What is your excuse for your tardiness?"

"Sir, I have no excuse, excuses cover up weakness, sir! I had to make use of the bathroom, sir." Ash barked back his answer suppressing a grimace as a shot of pain surged through his body. Zack saw it hidden deep in Ash's eyes, though the boy's face remained an emotionless mask as he was taught, looking Colonel Lydecker right in the eye.

There was little Colonel Lydecker could do to argue with that. "See that you don't let it happen again, soldier."

"I wont sir." Ash's bit the inside of his lip, his resolve almost broken down by the pain, and Zack saw it right away. Standing at attention must have been hell on his screaming muscles.

Zack stepped forward one step out of the line. "Permission to begin the proceedings, sir."

Colonel Lydecker turned his back on Ash, who slumped at bit standing at ease and rolling his shoulders. He sighed, a sound Colonel Lydecker would never have heard and mouthed a thanks to Zack who barely moved his head in a nod of reply. Zack had to protect his younger siblings even if it meant he would get in trouble himself. Colonel Lydecker was fuming and the ten guards in the room seemed to take no notice.

"Did I give you permission to speak, soldier?" Colonel Lydecker yelled leaning down to get right into Zack's face.

"Sir, no sir." Zack stood at full attention expecting to feel a swift and reprimanding blow.

Ben who was standing next to Zack squirmed, not anything noticeable to the normal human eye, it was more of a change in the air current around himself that Zack felt. Ben never even relaxed his tensed muscles, but his stomach let out the fierce growl of a hungry soldier. Next to Ben, Zane and Krit allowed slight grins to form on their faces, after all they were only five and eight-year-olds and it was funny.

"Hungry, soldier?" Colonel Lydecker actually allowed himself to smile.

"Sir, yes sir. It's the smell, sir." Zack answered his superior officer.

"Permission granted, soldier." Colonel Lydecker gave Zack a curt nod of his head.

"Fall in precession." Zack commanded at the top of his voice, stepping back to allow his squad to pass him by one by one. He always let them eat before him on the off chance that there was not enough food to go around. Colonel Lydecker had done that on last Sunday and as a result Zack, Brin, and Zane had chosen not to eat. Max had offered not to eat as well, but she was always so small and had been experimented on twice that week. Zack actually had to order her to eat she need all of her strength to recuperate even if she wasn't hungry.

Starting with Ben they each grabbed a tray, filling past Zack take their place at the table. It was proper procedure that Zack brought them all their food after they asked his permission to be seated. They all sat in two neat rows of nine neatly shaved heads on either side of the table, with proper posture, back straight, feet flat on the floor, unused hand in lap, and elbows off the table. Zack sat at the head of the table and Max at the far end opposite him. Once all their trays were squared off Zack looked up. On either side of Max were Jondy and Krit, Brin was to Zack's right and Zane to his left. Zack caught Brin shoot a glare at Max, they spent alternating days at the head of the table or at his right-hand position. It seemed Brin never forgot their constant competition for second in command. Zack took his knife in his right fist and banged the handle of it against the tabletop. Nineteen others repeated the motion in sync. They all began to cut their food, Max speeding through the task and looking up to watch the others.

When Max saw the last of them were done she repeated Zack's motion banging her knife against the table. The rest of them and a curt nod from Zack echoed it. Silently and under Commander Lydecker's watchful eye they all began to eat. In formation, bringing the food, with the use of utensils, to the mouth, not the mouth to the food. Forks lifted in sync vertical to mouth level and then horizontally to the mouth and then followed the same 90-degree angle back down to the plate. Colonel Lydecker clasped Zack on the shoulder halting all of there eating.

"Good job soldier," He said softly for only Zack to hear. They had become more disciplined in the short amount of time Colonel Lydecker had been away. Then loudly for the whole group to hear, "Cary on, report to classes at 0700."

"Sir, yes sir." They stopped eating to salute him as he left to go to his office to indulge in his meal in private.

They kept in check until the door slammed shut behind him.

"At ease." Zack allowed himself a half smiled ordering them to relax.

Max turned to Jondy and quickly told her friend something around a mouth full of eggs. Jondy laughed milk threatening to come spurting out of her nose. A near by guard relaxed also a smile creeping on to his face happy to see the children acting like the kids they were. Zack smirked and shook his head; those two were always too close. Brin scowled at her younger sisters they were annoying at times and never careful when Colonel Lydecker wasn't watching them. One day it would get them into trouble. Eva who was sitting next to Jondy joined in laughing at Max's joke. Brin turned up her nose, it probably wasn't a good one anyway, and she turned to Sly and started her own conversation. Krit the youngest of the boys signaled to Zack, using hand signals and asking if he could have more, the pecan waffles were so good, this way the personnel in the room could not catch him in a moment of weakness. Zack nodded and singled him to ask the highest-ranking guard in the room if it was all right. Krit did as he was told and with permission went up to the food line followed by a few others.

Ben was still hungry but he stayed seated speaking softly to Ash who was complaining of pain in his gums. He'd only eaten about half of his waffle and a few mouthfuls of eggs, regardless of how good the food looked, smelled and tasted he just wasn't hungry. Ash was telling Ben how his sore muscles ached and showing him his swollen joints. The others had returned to the table when Ash stopped speaking mid sentence. Four, minuets and a little more time passed before Ash gasped. Ash shot up from his seat overturning it and eyes bulging fell to the floor hands flying up to his neck. Trying, struggling, gasping for breath that he could not get.

Everyone froze silence falling over the cafeteria. No one moved out of pure shock. X5's did not go down that easy usually you couldn't get them to drop unless drugs were involved. The guards swarmed all speaking into their radios at once only on different frequencies, moving in around Ash. Max flew up from her seat as well overturning it and went to Ash's side. She had just started individual, experimental medical training where she was taught CPR and certain things to be a field medic. If she did well then the others would eventually follow in the training so that they could help themselves out in the field. She fell to her knees at his side and worked desperately, throwing one of the guards out of his way. Zack along with the others who had no idea about her additional training gapped at her as the five-year-old flew into action.

When the medics finally showed up after what seemed like forever, they had to move Max bodily and by force away from Ash. Her efforts producing no reaction in the boy the medics tried to revive him. They finally gave up and took Ash away on a stretcher, standing there watching Max broke down and cried. Zack moved to stand next to her, his presence a source of comfort or so he thought until Colonel Lydecker stormed through the door minuets latter. Max snapped to attention the second Colonel Lydecker stormed through the door, her tears stopping as she bit her bottom lip. Zack was very proud of her control over her emotions. Colonel Lydecker was anything but as he stalked across the room and stood before her.

"Tears soldier?" He glared down at her.

"Sir, no sir." Max's voice cracked betraying her.

"What is your excuse soldier?" Colonel Lydecker barked the question at her.

Max stood up a little straighter. "Sir, I worked on him hard, sir. I tried. . ."

"And you failed. There is no try, only do, soldier."

"Yes sir, but I did sir. I worked on him but it didn't work." Balled up at her sides Max's hands shook ever so slightly, something that only Zack at his close range to her could detect.

"You failed." Colonel Lydecker barked getting right down in the young girl's face his own red with anger. "We'll intensify your training. For now X-5542 report to my office, the rest of you off to class, NOW."

They all jumped to follow their orders clearing out of the mess hall marching in single file past Max. Each saluted Colonel Lydecker as they past, Zack even shot a glance at Max that could only be interpreted as some for of guilt registering in his eyes.