Disclaimer: I don't have ownership of any of these
characters. They belong to their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee
Productions and 20th Century Fox Studios. The story is not for sale or resale
it is written solely for Dark Angel fans. No money is being made from
the use of these characters.
Summary: Logan goes to a Manticore doctor for help.
Spoilers/Timeframe: Occurs after "Designate This".
Rating: R
A/N: This is my first DA story and so if it's terrible, then I'm sorry.
If anyone wants to give me feedback negative/positive or a new story idea
please email me lil_angel4@yahoo.com.
Also I'm not that crash on scientific or character details so bear with me and
let your imagination run a little.
*****
The field facing her was an ocean of green, tall grass seemed to go on forever. A slow breeze blew over it all and from where she stood the hills looked like brushed velvet. She sighed, here it was so peaceful, anyone who knew the life she lived before would understand how special living here could be. She was free. At 23 years of age, she'd experienced more than most people did in a lifetime.
Most of the memories she had, she wished she be able to forget but it seemed impossible to do. Especially at night, when it was pitch black and the only sound that broke the void of darkness was the sound of the ocean. Sleep would never claim her, whether it was because of nightmares or her genes, she couldn't guess. She never seemed to be able to close her eyes and really sleep. She stood letting the cool air touch her face. Breathing in the sea she closed her eyes.
******
Croan studied the woman standing on the hilltop. She had long dark hair that
hung loosely tied in a braid. She was slender is figure and wore a floral
sundress. A wide brim straw hat shaded most of her face from view but he saw
her full red lips. They were shaped like a bow. He put the binoculars down,
looking at the picture again. The young girl in the photo was no more than
12--hair shaved to an inch from her skull, cold brown eyes, those eyes could
kill and they belonged to one of Manticore's top assassins. If he were an
ordinary man, he would never believe that the woman he was watching was a
trained killer. Even with everything he knew he struggled to accept that this
woman was his mission.
Maybe their tip off had been mistaken. Whether that line of thought was correct or not he wouldn't question the board. They wanted this particular X5 back and there was not denying the urgency in their orders. Croan turned to address his waiting team.
"We wait. She's not going anywhere. I want to scout the area first, then we move in."
******
Logan was crawling out of bed. Nothing about getting up seemed at all positive.
Every morning he faced that fact that if he didn't have this exoskeleton, he'd
still be stuck in that dreaded wheelchair. He was grateful that he could walk
even if it wasn't on his own, but somehow he still felt completely vulnerable.
He looked out the window; gloomy grey clouds had begun to mass over the city.
"Great," he muttered, "absolutely typical."
At least the weather was going to match his mood. He showered quickly and headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. Nothing complicated today, hash browns and salad would suffice. He gathered the ingredients from the fridge and freezer, dumping them on the bench. He was about to heat the oven when his phone rang. Looking around for the handset, he couldn't locate it. The machine picked up the call.
"You've reached the number you dialed…Beep."
"Logan," a mechanical voice filtered through, "I have some information that might interest you…." The called ended.
It was Sebastian. He almost never called, come to think of it, Logan couldn't remember if he ever had. Preparing breakfast and eating in record time, he scribbled a note for Bling and raced over to see Sebastian as quickly as was possible. His curiosity building with every passing minute, what could be so important?
******
"It thought you'd be here sooner."
Sebastian was sitting by his computer, all is gadgets scattered around him. Only Sebastian knew what they were all for. Whenever he was there, Logan never asked Sebastian anything he wasn't willing to talk about. Usually that involved never discussing his condition.
"I came across some research material on genetic enhancement, the research trail lead back to Manticore."
Logan was puzzled. He'd seen some of Manticore's work himself. Especially since the operation has just about collapsed. After Max's escape, the facility had been taken over and destroyed. But Logan knew that couldn't be the end for Manticore. The lab might be gone but they still had their research and their scientists. After the collapse a lot of Manticore material had surfaced, scattered around for anyone to pick up. It was a mess to wade through. No real order to any of the material, it had taken Logan weeks to find anything on the X7 series, to understand about the kids under Max's care. And just like the Manticore data, the subjects themselves were just as difficult to understand.
"The part I thought you'd be interested in was research done by a Dr. Eva Tate."
Logan's struggled to grasp whatever was nagging his brain. Something about that name sounded familiar, he just couldn't get the connection.
"Her specialty was biogenetics; about five years ago she was working on a project called Zedcon. Sound familiar?"
"Yeah, the government cut the funding and shut the project down. Something about money being siphoned off and used for unauthorized testing. Didn't they try to manufacture synthetic organs or something?" Logan was beginning to show his impatience; so far he'd heard nothing that he didn't already know.
"The project was canned because the good doctor disappeared."
Logan snapped to attention. Now he was in, he always loved a good intrigue.
"She was working on a device that could correct your genetic code, any abnormality or defect could be changed. It was supposed to be able to present miraculous results within a few short hours. It was proven that with the laser she developed even self-inflicted damage could be reversed."
Logan knew where Sebastian was leading to and even though the information had triggered his interest he was beyond hoping in miracles. Even if it where possible that this doctor might be able to help him, there was no way he was going to follow up this lead.
Sebastian noticed everything that had crossed Logan's face. He decided he'd waited long enough to drop his bombshell. It was now or never and he could bet his life that this little bit of info would push Logan into action.
"Dr Eva Tate, this is the most recent picture I could find."
Logan stared at the picture. She was young, far to young to be a doctor. She looked about nineteen years old. She had raven colored hair but it was her eyes that caught his attention. Even in black and white, they looked ice cold. The small glasses she wore didn't diminish her steady glaze at all. It was almost as if she was staring right at him.
"I believe this is also her."
The screen blinked, a picture of a girl confronted them. Her hair was shaved and she could be no more than 12. Logan knew with a feeling of dread, his eyes had already confirmed what his brain had yet to believe.
"She's from Manticore?"
"I haven't been able to get much on her yet. But I think that X5-623 and Dr. Eva Tate are one and the same."
******
When Max dropped in on Logan that afternoon, she knew there was something up.
He'd avoided her eyes when she talked to him and he sat stiffly at his desk,
almost like the desk was a barrier between them. She knew that she could never
get close; if she did she might as well strangle him because he'd be as good as
dead.
"Logan, is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, why do you ask?"
"I don't know, you just seem quiet, that's all."
"Sorry, Max, I just gotta lot on my mind." Logan had been wrestling with idea of telling Max about Dr. Tate the whole day and when she dropped in to see him, he'd lost all his nerve just seeing her.
How could he ask, Max, do you know if there is any connection between X5-623 and this doctor? Then it hit him, the name… Eva …no way, could it be? Max said Eva died, shot right in front of her brothers and sisters--killed protecting her sister. But then again, nothing was regular about Manticore. Even death wasn't sacred. Knowing what he did, could he dare to ask Max? He knew how she felt about Eva, he knew she blamed herself for her sister's death. How would she react if Eva was alive?
He turned back to his computer screen. His face set in a deep thought as he continued his searching.
Max could have sworn he going to talk to her. But whatever he'd been about to say never left his lips. He just turned away from her and focused his attention back on the monitor screen.
Fine, if he was going to leave her out of whatever he was doing, then she'd just do her thing. No point hanging around.
"I'll see you, Logan, I said I'd meet the gang at Crash."
"Uh ha."
He was so engrossed in the material he was reading that he hadn't even registered what she said. It was several minutes later that he realized she was gone.
Idiot, you totally ignored her.
He groaned, when it came to Max everything seemed complicated. Not because she was complicated, just because he was just damn pig-headed and too much for a wuss to make himself anymore vulnerable that he already felt. His computer beeped, the information he'd been furiously trying to get had finally been downloaded onto his drive. He clicked on the file, data spilled over the screen. One line in particular brought a small smile to his face. Danes Isle, Washington.
Well, looks like I'll be taking a small trip up coast. A well deserved on at that.
******
Logan moved about his room, throwing a few clothes and essentials into an
overnight bag. Bling stood to one side watching the whole process.
"Do you really think going to see this doctor is a good idea?"
Logan stopped for a moment. He looked over at Bling, who was lounging in the doorway. Bling wasn't his therapist anymore but he was still his friend and he dropped in regularly to check on Logan and his poor excuse of a relationship with Max. He seemed to think that it was his civic duty to remind Logan that if he'd got his sorry ass together sooner, Max and he would be together.
Logan debated with the idea of telling Bling all about the doctor he was going to see but then thought better of it. Bling knew enough, he didn't need all the details. Besides he probably had enough Manticore horror stories to last him a lifetime, no point adding to them.
"I need to find out a few things, what better than to see her in person."
Bling walked over and grabbed the towel Logan was holding and threw it on the bed behind him. "You really haven't given this a lot of thought have you? Did it ever occur to you that this doctor didn't want to be found? Did you even talk to Max about this?"
Logan was about to acknowledge Bling's concerns but as soon as Max's name was mentioned, Logan almost blew his top.
"She doesn't have to know about this, it's got nothing to do with her," he ground out. Grabbing the towel, he stuffed it in his bag and zipped it shut. "Now you know where to reach me. And if Max calls tell her I'm following up an informant."
He gave Bling a warning look. "That's all she has to know." With that he strode out of the room.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Logan. God help you, you can be such an idiot sometimes." Bling shook his head. He wouldn't say anything to Max but if he got so much as a blip that something was sideways he'd be on Logan's trail in a second. Something about this whole situation just didn't sit well with him.
******
Max was sitting in Crash, staring at her beer lost in her black mood. When
Original Cindy nudged her she barely looked up. She just happened to look in
the direction of the door, and her mood somehow got darker.
"So you noticed."
"Yeah, the one day I can't handle it and she turns up at our joint. Go figure."
"I'll get rid of her if you want."
Max had to smile. Her friends were always looking out for her but there was no way Max would ever let on to Asha, how much she annoyed her. Asha was just too perfect--girly looks, sweet nature--too nice, in Max's opinion, and she was getting far too close to Logan for Max's liking.
"Don't look now but she's headed our way."
Max cringed. Didn't the woman get the vibes, she wasn't wanted around here.
"Max, I need to talk to you."
"Well, talk away." Max turned to face the girl-next-door. She gave a sarcastic smile. "You're all work no play aren't you, Asha. Take a break." Max was about to turn around and grab her beer, when Asha put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's important."
Max shrugged off Asha's hand and stood up. "Alright already. I'll see you in the morning."
She slapped Sketchy on the back. "You're out after that one." She gestured to his beer. Without her to watch him, he'd probably stay all night. But he'd learn eventually, one major hangover wouldn't kill him.
"So what's up?"
She'd followed Asha outside and they where walking along the street toward nowhere in particular.
"Logan's gone."
Max stopped walking, "What did you say?"
It wasn't like she didn't hear the first time. She would have heard Asha if she'd whispered to her from twenty feet away. She just couldn't understand why Asha would be telling her.
"He must have left this afternoon. We were supposed to be looking into the smuggling case. No one was at the penthouse. I tried his cell but only got his voicemail."
"Why are you telling me?" Max was getting tired of acting interested. Whatever Logan had been up to was his business. Like she cared. Crazy thing was, she did.
"I thought you might know where he went. Or that you'd be concerned that no one knows where he is."
Asha was about to walk away when Max grabbed her arm.
"What do you mean, no one knows where he is? Did you call Bling?"
Now she was worried. It wasn't like Logan to disappear, especially this late at night.
"When did you go and see him?"
"About an hour ago, I…"
Max was already running.
******
There was pounding on the door. Bling crawled out of bed, who the hell could
be outside? It was already three hours past curfew, only rebels and idiots
would be outside at this time. He managed to pull a shirt over his head and
head for the door. Grabbing his baseball bat for cautions sake he posted
himself by the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Max."
Bling unbolted the door and swung it wide. She strode in past him and gave him a look that said, tell me or watch out.
"Where did he go?" she asked without expression but her set features and his were nervous.
Bling looked at the floor, he'd always felt a little uneasy around Max, he was never sure what to expect. "Uh, I think you should ask him about it when he gets back."
Max didn't move from where she was standing but Bling noticed her hand clench into a fist. He swallowed. "Max…He…I…"
"Spill it." Her voice held a commanding tone.
She was no longer standing still she was pacing. Pacing his small lounge. If he didn't speak up soon she'd be sure to wear a hole in the floor.
"He went to Danes Isle to see some doctor."
Max was about to rush out the door when Bling halted her. He dropped his hand immediately when she turned her eyes on him.
"Sorry, but I have to warn you and don't kill the messenger…"
"What?" Max bit out, she was getting sick of standing around.
"The woman he went to see is from Manticore. Her name is Dr. Eva Tate and I think that Logan could get himself in trouble."
Max didn't bother thanking Bling. She had to get out of there before she hit him or broke something. He was right, she would have killed the messenger. Right now she'd like to get her hands on Logan. He was always doing that, keeping things from her, why? She could never figure it out.
Her motorcycle burned up the highway, she was headed for Portland, and once she reached the docks there she'd have to find away to get to Danes Isle.
Just wait till I catch up with you, Logan. You're gonna thank Manticore that I can't touch you. Or I'd make sure you got a good beating.