This was just a burst of inspiration I got well rewatching Dark Angel. Something's may be off because I just finished the second season of Dark Angel and I'm at the beginning of the sixth season of Supernatural so if I get something's mixed up that's why. It takes place during the 1st season of DA and the third season of SP.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or Supernatural.

Read...Review...Enjoy!

Dean: the Genetically Engineered Boy

BY: Inquiete

Prologue: Manticore

"Tell us about the anomalies Ben!"

Dean's eyes popped wide open then squeezed tight. He was lying in bed hoping to sleep off the sores from the training exercises when the voice of a fellow X-5 slammed into his ears. Dean sighed, threw off the covers, and stood on the cold steel floor. They were all gathered around Ben's bed staring at him earnestly. Even Zack was giving him his full-undivided attention. Zack was the leader of their little group yes, but Ben, Ben was the self-appointed anomalies expert.

Dean walked forward, slowly, hesitantly, almost as if he was in a dream. All the X-5s were scared of the anomalies, including Dean, but Ben was obsessed. He couldn't stop thinking about them, being scared of them, terrified really. He'd do anything to keep them away, anything. Dean had tried to temper his brother's obsession, (did I forget to mention they were twins?), but nothing seemed to work and all the while his fears got worse and worse.

"Ok, you all know how some of the soldiers disappear sometimes?" Ben asked, spurred on by all the attention. The group nodded in unison. "Well that's because they've been taken to the bad place, the basement." The group shuddered in horror. "Any soldier that is bad gets to go to the bad place, to stay with the anomalies. There they do all sorts of creepy experiments on you well they feast on your organs and suck out your blood. You stay there forever until you slowly go mad."

Dean grimaced, highly disturbed by his brother's story telling. He knew it wasn't true, he thinks, but still the concept caused little fingers of disgust to crawl up his spine. Dean cleared his throat causing everyone to look at him. "OK guys that's enough" Dean said, "the guards called for lights out ten minutes ago and you know how they hate it when we're caught out of bed," not that Dean cared much, they did it all the time, he just wanted to end the conversation. "So let's get some sleep, huh everybody. Especially you, little brother, or do you want to join the anomalies." (Dean was an hour older so he felt responsible for him.) He hated using Ben's own fear against him but he knew it was the only way to get him to stop. And sure enough they all went to sleep.

…

They were all gathered around a small boy in the throes of a night terror, (not that Dean knew what a night-terror was back then.) Some kids were looking anxiously between the boy and the door; afraid of what Manticore would do if they saw such a spectacle. "What's going to happen to him Ben?" Max asked him tentatively. Ben's eyes were steely and his voice was grave. "They'll take him to the anomalies…" Ben's voice trailed off has they heard footsteps clicking down the hall. They all raced into their beds and slammed their eyes shut, adjusted their breathing, so that anyone would believe they were sleeping.

Just then the janitor came in to clean up the room and noticed the boy withering on the bed. He walked forward laboriously until he was right in front of the poor lad. The boy woke up then and sat up in fear, wondering what this man was going to do with him. The janitor smiled kindly at the boy and pulled out a picture from his breast pocket. "She'll give you strength." He said and then walked out of the room.

The rest of them gathered around the boy again staring at the picture like it was some strange, new, archeological find. It was a picture of a sweet, benevolent face set in a peaceful expression. She had blond hair and baby blue robes. It was a picture of the Virgin Mary, (yet another thing Dean learned later.) "Who is she?" Someone asked.

Ben took the picture from the kid's hands and stared at it reverently. Oh no, Dean thought, he's got his obsessed face on. "She's beautiful," Ben, said, "she'll protect us." Ben nodded in satisfaction looking pleased with this new discovery, Dean watched him wearily.

…

"But why do we have to leave Dean?" Ben asked one night well everyone else was sleeping. Dean looked around fearfully and put his finger to his lips. It wasn't the others that he was worried about, but you never knew when Manticore was listening. Because it's not safe here, Ben, you know that. Dean signed, what Manticore does is wrong; we need to leave so they can't hurt us anymore.

Ben shook his head and signed. But go where? What's out there? Manticore takes care of us. Things make sense here. I don't want to leave Dean. "Nothing makes sense here Ben!" Dean hissed in frustration. "You think they're taking care of us out of the goodness of their hearts? They're using us Ben! What they do to us is sick! That's not how you're supposed to take care of children! I don't know how you take care of them, but I know this isn't it." Dean shook his head slowly. "Just come with us Ben." Dean pleaded, "I don't know what's out there, I'm not going to pretend I do. But whatever it is it's better then this. I want a new life Ben, a good life. I'm going to start over, and I'd like to do that with you. Just think about it OK?" Ben paused, then nodded and the two brothers rolled over to go to sleep, it would be the last night they slept in Manticore.

…

It was Zack's idea to split up.

Dean remembered the day as if it was yesterday. The day he had attained his freedom, and lost a brother. Zack had woken everyone up around midnight, motioning for them to follow him. They would not talk for the rest of the night, from now on they'd be communicating through sign language and Morse code. The thirteen (including Dean) of them made there way down the hall stealth fully, hardly daring to make a sound. Ben reached back behind him and squeezed Dean's hand. Don't leave me. Dean squeezed back. I won't.

Just when Dean thought they were in the clear they heard the alarms. Dean mentally cursed his stupidity for thinking that this was going to be a clean get away. Of course Lydecker wouldn't give them up so easily. Everyone picked up their pass, running as fast as they could. They out run the guards trying to capture them and the bullets trying to tear through them. They rounded a corner and came face to face with Lydecker and his men. Zack held his arms up and the group scrambled back in fear. One of the X-5s that weren't part of their group, and thus tight with Lydecker, picked up a gun where it landed on the floor and fired. Dean cringed in surprise as the kid goes down, dead. The rest take the opportunity to escape. No one notices the grief on Lydecker's face.

Finally they find their means of escape, a window. The X-5s charge at it without hesitation, eager for escape. They don't even pause when it's clear the window isn't open. There's a deafening crash as first two then the rest slam through the window and break into a dead run. Helicopters circled overhead, flashing down spotlights on the grounds, searching…hunting. Dean and Ben dashed across the field in a zigzag pattern neatly avoiding the search beams. Dean chuckled under his breath finding this highly amusing. The skills Manticore trained them with were helping them escape, it seems those corporate assholes bite their own asses on this one.

They skidded to a stop where all the others were gathered around Zack. Their fearless leader, waiting for what plan he had next. Then Zack told them something that chilled Dean to the bone, split up. The group moved immediately, springing into action. Dean clamped down hard on Ben's hand and raced forward eager to leave this demented place and terrified of losing Ben. The twins raced forward dodging everything that stood in their way. The two scaled the fence and landed in some nearby bushes on the other side.

Dean's breath quickened in excitement, they did it, they were out, they were free. Dean turned to Ben and breathed in exuberance "we made it Ben, we made it!" Ben nodded nervously, his expression far away and thoughtful. Dean's brow creased in concern but he quickly dismissed it. He was just still getting over the shock, besides they weren't out of the woods yet. Dean tugged on Ben's hand and started leading him further away from the Manticore complex. Ben allowed himself to be led for a little bit then he started to resist, pulling his hand from Dean's grasp and digging his feat in the ground. Dean whipped around and hissed in fear and desperation. "What are you doing? We can't stay here! If we do Lydecker will catch us and it's right back in the cage we escaped from. Or worse we'll be with the anomalies in the basement. Is that what you want Ben?"

Ben whimpered and shook his head, He quick signed, Zack said to separate. Dean inwardly groaned and rolled his eyes; this is what he'd been afraid of. "He told the group to split up." Dean reasoned quietly. "We did, we separated, the two of us, we can still get out, together. We've got enough skill on our side that we can go through this place undetected. Manticore doesn't have a prayer. Just stay with me Ben, I'll take care of you."

Ben shook his head, "we have our orders." Dean felt like screaming but he knew if he did that he might as well send out a flare letting Manticore know where they were. "Yeah well that's one of the reasons why we're escaping isn't it," Dean said resentfully, "so we don't have to take orders anymore." Ben murmured softly, "I thought the reason we were getting out is to live." Just than a helicopter flew above their heads and Dean pulled Ben and him into the nearest source of cover. They stayed like that for a while, waiting for the 'copter to pass, hearts hammering like jackrabbits.

When the helicopter passed the two straightened out of their crouch and turned to face each other. Ben sighed and whispered, "we look to similar, we'll stand out in a crowd, easy pickings. We'll have a much better chance if we split up. I don't want to Dean, you know I don't Dean. But if we're going to do this we might as well do it right. I love you Dean and I hope we get to see each other again someday, though it's probably safer that we don't." With that Ben was gone. He didn't even give Dean time to respond. He just ran as fast as he could and then he was nowhere in sight.

Dean gasped in panic "Ben!" he cried as loudly as he dared. He ran swiftly after his little brother, trying not to draw to much attention to himself, but to afraid for Ben to be particularly sneaky. Dean ran in a frantic blur to busy searching for Ben to pay attention to where he was going. Just then a bright flash of light seared into his eyes, blinding him momentarily and he could hear the screech of tires. Than a couple by the name of John and Mary Winchester stepped out of the car to see what they almost hit and why a little boy was wondering around by himself, in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night. Now it was just a lucky coincidence, (or divine intervention, take your pick), that John and Mary just happened to be on vacation in Seattle when the X-5s escaped. And now they just happened to run into a very special X-5 that they would soon come to call their own.

Dean stumbled back nervously, not sure if these strange people were friends or foes. "Hey it's OK little one, we're not going to hurt you." Mary said kneeling down to Dean's level. Dean gasped when he looked into Mary's eyes, he'd never seen so much kindness before, he never knew such kindness existed. "Where's your parents little guy, do they know where you are?" Dean shook his head in confusion, parents? What were parents? Did she mean Manticore was this a trick? Marie's brow crinkled in concern and she changed her question to "do you have parents?"

He thought about this question for a minute, strategizing. Strategically he should say yes, get out of there and continue searching for Ben. But something about this woman compelled him to shake his head no. Marie pressed her lips together in disapproval and for a heartbeat of a second Dean was afraid she'd hit him like Lydecker did whenever he made a tactical error. But she didn't. Instead she cried, "John!" and moved toward her husband. Dean thought, here's my chance I can get away now, but he didn't.

They stood huddled together for a while, talking in hushed tones. Well Dean shifted foot to foot, wondering why he didn't run. He knew he could out run them if he wanted to, so why didn't he want to? Finally Marie broke away from John and walked slowly over to Dean, almost as if she moved to fast he'd run away. "Do you have a name?" She asked when she was eye level with him again. It took a couple of times and a couple of swallows before he was finally able to say "Dean." Marie smiled benevolently, "well Dean how would you like to come live with us? We don't have much but we've enough, I know you've only just met us but I promise we'll take care of you. How about it Dean, would like to be apart of our family?"

Dean stared at her in shock for a bit, not quite believing what he was hearing. For a second he felt a flash of quilt because he really badly wanted to say yes, but what about Ben? He was to far away now for Dean to catch, he knew, he'd waited to long. But he couldn't just leave him out here…alone…unprotected. Even as these thoughts were circling around Dean's head he nodded and slowly took a tentative step forward, like a scared little boy who needed his mother's comfort.

Marie smiled and opened her arms out to him. Into which Dean hesitantly stepped. "It's OK, you're safe now, we'll take care of you," Marie soothed. They took Dean to the back of their Impala, buckled him up, checked out of their motel, and drove home. Two months later they adapted him, made him an official part of the family, Dean still hadn't left. He tried, he really had he knew he couldn't stay there. But every time he stood at the doorway, ready to run, he couldn't seem to make himself move. Almost as if his feet had a mind and will of their own. He'd stand there for hours trying to force himself to move until Marie-Mom told him to come away from the door, that he'd catch a cold.

Then something amazing happened, something that changed Dean's whole perspective of the situation he was in, of life. Marie became pregnant; John-Dad told Dean that he would have a little brother he'd have to look after…make sure nothing happened to him. Dean watched in rapt fascination as Marie went through the stages of pregnancy. He'd never seen anything like it before at Manticore. He didn't know how they made him and the others but he couldn't help but wonder if this was how they had came to be. And if so, what happened to their mothers.

Finally it came the time when Mom was in labor, Dean sat in the waiting room well Dad and the doctor took care of Mom. Just than the doctor poked his head through the door, smiled benevolently and said, "it's all right now. Everything went smoothly, no complications, both your brother and your mother are all right. Would you like to come meet him? Your mother's asking for you." Swallowing painfully Dean stood up and walked into the hospital room, walking with the same grim determination as a man on death row.

When Dean entered the room Dad was knelling over Mom staring down at the bundle of cloth Mom had tight in her hands. She looked up from cooing at the child for a second and smiled warmly at where Dean stood at the doorway. "Well don't just linger silly," Mom said fondly, "come say hello to Sam. It's all right you're not going to hurt him, I'm fine, look I think he's eager to see you. I think he wants to say hello." As if to prove her point a pair of small, chubby hands reached up from the bundle and reached for him. A head popped up and started making these adorable cooing noises at him, as if he could cute Dean into submission, could thing transgenics were trained to withstand torture.

Dean made his slow journey into the room, almost as if his shoes were made of quick sand. A thousand thoughts swam through Dean's head. He wondered if he would fail this "brother" like he had failed Ben. He wondered how this baby could ever replace the brother he lost, how he could ever let this boy in. Dean wondered if he was putting this small child in danger by staying, this innocent, like he had been wondering about his parents, what if Lydecker found him, caught him. Somehow Dean doubted the fiend would leave the family in peace and he was starting to doubt if they'd just let Lydecker take him without a fight. Would Sam see him as a villain, the interloper he so obviously was, would he think Dean was going to take away his mother and father?

When he reached the bedside Mom said, "cradle your arms, I'm going to pass him over to you." Dean curled his arms in together, Dad shook his head and said calmly, "no like this" fixing his arms position "that's better." Mom passed Sam over saying, "careful…mind his head." Dean held Sam cautiously, like he was a bomb that would go off if Dean weren't paying attention. Then slowly he found himself relaxing, staring down at the baby in his arms. Sam smiled up at Dean, giggling warmly. He made little fists with his hands and flexed them a couple of times almost like he was saying, "give me." Then all of Dean's doubts and fears melted away. All thoughts of Ben flew from his mind Lydecker wasn't even an issue. Suddenly it felt like he had slipped into some alternate-dimensional bubble, and in it only Dean and Sam existed. Dean felt a swell of love and protectiveness for this little boy. He cleared his throat to get the chunk of ice out and whispered, "hello Sammy."

…

"Come say good night to your brother."

Six months later Dean walked into Sammy's nursery and planted a kiss on the top of his forehead. "Good night Sam," he said. Dean turned around and spotted his Dad standing at the doorway, smiling. "Dad!" Dean cried, running eagerly into John's arms. He picked Dean up, swung him around and asked, "So what do you think Dean? Is Sam ready to throw around the old football?" Dean shook his head vigorously, "no Dad!" "No?" John inquired playfully. Dean paused, considered this and shook his head.

John laughed, kissed Marie good night, and went to put Dean to bed. Dean was fast asleep when he heard a muffled gasp and a soft moan of fear and grief. Immediately Dean sat bolt right up, heart pounding, and went out into the hall. This was it, Dean thought; Lydecker's finally found me. Sam, Dad, Mom, they're all going to get hurt because of me. Dean rounded the corner into Sam's nursery just in time to see it catch fire. There was something hanging from the ceiling but Dean didn't get a good look at whatever it was. He stared at the room in shock until his dad unfroze him by handing Sam to him saying, "get your brother outside as fast as you can. Go Dean, GO!"

Dean held onto Sam like his life depended on it and rushed outside as fast as he could. Normally Dean tried to avoid using his full speed, tried to appear as normal as possible, but now he pushed his speed to its max and raced out of the building he'd began to call his home. Later when the fire trucks had arrived to put out the fire and John and Dean where huddled around Sam, sitting on the Impala, Dean's thoughts were in a blur. All he could think of was that this was his fault. That Manticore had finally found him and they'd set Sam's nursery on fire as punishment for escaping, for attaining a life with people who cared about him. Later he'd learn differently, of course. Later he'd learn that there were worse things to fear then a crazy ex-solider with government founding; that there were nightmares in this world that lived to bring others pain and misery. But until then he just held onto Sammy tight, vowing that he'd never let anything happen to him, that Dean would protect him, that Sam would not become another Ben. He'd do things differently this time around; he wouldn't fail another brother ever again, that he vowed.

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