Calling All Freaks

Title: Calling All Freaks

Author: Max Tyler (a.k.a. Max452)

Email: Max_01_09@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Dark Angel Seasons 1 & 2. Dark Angel: Before The Dawn, Dark Angel: Skin Game, and Dark Angel: After the Dark by Max Allan Collins.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Dark Angel people or places. They all belong to James Cameron and Fox Entertainment. I do not make any money off this, it's strictly for enjoyment.

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Seattle, Washington

May 27, 2020

It had been awhile since she had split up from the rest of the kids she had been traveling with. They all had cell phones, and promised to keep in touch, though. Manticore had made them loners at heart, so togetherness bothered them after awhile.

Kylie had said goodbye to the other six that had escaped with her when Manticore went down. Darien, Stormy, Kara, Andy , Chaise, and Joss. Four X5's- Stormy, Darien, Kara, and Chaise, and two X6's- Joss and Andy. And her, another freak.

A seemingly normal freak, like the X series, yes, but a freak all the same.

Kylie was a medium, she could see and communicate with ghosts. Manticore had done radical things with her brain to make her what she was. What they did, she couldn't even imagine.

Anyway, Kylie was now making a pilgrimage to Seattle, Washington to see some more of her extended Manticore "family."

Thanks to the news, Terminal City was now widely known as a home to the transgenics of Seattle. So she was headed there.

She ignored everyone, human or ghost.

Until she felt a familiar sensation.

Unbeknownst to Manticore, Kylie had discovered that when she came into contact with a transgenic ghost, she would get a warning beforehand that would let her know that one was nearby.

Her barcode would tingle, as if the flesh had fallen asleep.

She referred to it sarcastically as her "spider-sense".

She was feeling it right now.

She turned slowly, her jet-black hair which she had recently streaked with electric pink stripes, brushing against her face.

She noticed a transparent young man standing outside the Space Needle. As she stepped closer, the tingling grew stronger. Yep, it was him.

Kylie glanced around to make sure no one was watching her, "Hey."

The ghost, unfamiliar to her, stared, "Are you talking to me?"

He had a angular face with short brown hair, and pale green eyes. He looked normal, so unless he was one of Manticore's random experiments, like her, he had probably been one of the X series.

"Yeah. It's kinda hard to explain... well, maybe not. One word, Manticore." she said.

"Oh, so you're a fellow freak." the boy said

"Yeah. I'm Kylie." she leaned against the Space Needle, watching him.

"I'm Seth... well, kind of." he muttered

"So what happened?" Kylie asked.

"Huh?"

"How did you die? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Fell off the Space Needle," Seth said, the frowned, "No, I let go, because Lydecker was coming, and I wasn't going back."

"Oh, that's why your name sounds familiar. You were one of the twelve X5's that escaped ten years ago, right?" Kylie was intrigued.

"Yeah. Me, Zack, Max, Jondy, Syl, Krit, Zane, Ben, Tinga, Brin, and the others. Regular fugitives," he snorted, "And now Tinga, Ben and I are dead."

"You knew 'bout that?" Kylie asked curiously. Tinga's death had been caused by Manticore's last head honcho, a blond bitch named Elizabeth Renfro. Happily now deceased.

"Hey I'm dead. I know everything." he said jokingly.

"So why are you still here?" Kylie asked casually, stretching, staring at the gray Seattle sky.

"What do you mean?" Seth frowned again.

"Well, the ghosts I've talked to seem to have stayed here either because they had something they didn't do while they were here... unfinished business. Or they are angry and don't want to go. Which one are you, Seth?"

He was silent for a long while, "Both...I guess. There was a lot more I wanted to do before I died, and I was angry that Lydecker made me go before I got to do it."

Kylie nodded, "Understandable. I'm sorry Seth."

"Yeah," the X5 waved away her sympathy, "What are you doing here in Seattle anyway?"

"Came to see the rest of the family."

"What, at Terminal City?"

She nodded.

"Will you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"The one that's in charge. It's Max, the one the escaped with me ten years ago. Would you tell her hi for me, and tell her I don't blame her for what went down the night I died."

She nodded again.

"Thanks."

"Maybe I'll see you later." she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll be here."

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So she wandered through Seattle, as it started to rain. Shivering, she pulled a hooded sweatshirt out of her backpack and slipped it on.

As she did, she caught a glimpse of someone behind her.

She spun as the person tried to disappear, but wasn't quick enough. Kylie scurried over.

It was Joss.

"Hey." the fifteen-year-old X6 said with a half smile, as she tossed back her shoulder length golden-blond hair, which she wore in loose curls.

Kylie put her hands on her hips, "Not to sound rude or anything, but what in the hell are you doin' here?"

Joss tried an innocent smile, "Uh, happened to be in the neighborhood?"

"Try again."

She stared at the ground, digging a toe of her worn sneaker into the dirt, "Uh Darien sent me to keep a eye on you?"

Kylie nodded, "That's what I thought."

"Well hey, he's right ya know. I've been following you ever since we split up, and you just now noticed. We've had training Kylie, you haven't."

"Well, in case Dari hasn't noticed, I'm a big girl, twenty-one years old. I tie my own shoes and everything," Kylie said, "So you can be on your merry way."

Joss gave her a smirk, "Yeah right, and then when Darien finds out, he can break my legs. No thanks, I like being able to walk."

No, Darien wasn't a tyrant, merely protective. He thought Kylie needed baby-sitting because she had no training, nor the X series' specialized abilities.

"Nope, I'm going wherever you are." Joss said sweetly, crossing her arms and staring at the older girl defiantly.

"Fine. We're going to Terminal City." Kylie replied, hitching her backpack higher on her shoulders.

"Whatever."

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"Hey Max, look."

Max lifted her eyes to the voice. Luke, of course. He was pointing to the monitors that showed the gates of Terminal City.

"Whatchu got?" Max asked, climbing the stairs.

"Two girls coming through the gate."

Max studied the monitor, "Think their transgenics?"

Luke shrugged, "Dunno. I guess. What would ordinaries be doing here? Besides Logan, Original Cindy, and Sketchy?"

Max nodded, "Okay, I'll go check."

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Max, stepping amongst the ruins of old cars and other junk, quickly made her way to where the two other girls were.

One appeared to be about Max's age, the other around sixteen. The older one had chin length jet black hair with bright electric pink streaks. She had pale skin, and odd-colored eyes, the color of twilight. An odd shade of purple and blue.

The younger one had shoulder length curly gold blond hair, skin dusted with a light tan, and wide emerald green eyes.

They both stopped when they saw Max emerge from the dark.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Max asked

"We need a invitation to the family reunion?" Kylie asked cheerfully. She brushed aside her hair to reveal her barcode.

"Ah." Max said.

"I'm Kylie. This is Joss."

"Yo, wassup?" Joss raised her hand in a mock salute.

"I'm Max." Max said warmly.

"Oh, really? The one that escaped in 09'?" Kylie asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. Why?" Max asked cautiously.

Kylie smiled, "Your brother Seth says hi."