Summary:Three and a half years after the Jam Pony incident, Max and Alec are mated and dealing with a transgenic serial rapist targeting their own kind. When Max is taken, how will they deal with the fallout...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the TV show Dark Angel. I do however own Retha from one of my other fics ITHOB. I am ignoring the runes in this story.
Chapter 1
Present – 2025Jan11 – Approximately 00:15 am
OC wandered restlessly about her apartment, picking up items at random and fiddling with them distractedly before setting them back down again in almost the same spot and moving on. Her gaze drawn time and time again to the clock ticking noisily on the wall and her just as distressingly silent phone. Lines of worry creasing her brow, she paused in the doorway to Max's old bedroom, her eyes rapidly glazing over with tears as she glanced around the hauntingly vacant interior.
Hearing a light tap at the door, she ran to answer it, dread and hope soaring to life inside her. Only to be replaced with disappointment as she found Alec standing alone on the other side, her Boo nowhere to be seen. "Still nothin'?"
When he shook his head weakly, obviously straining to maintain his composure as his own bloodshot and suspiciously watery eyes suddenly glanced off of hers to peer up at the ceiling; Cindy sighed heavily and pulled him inside and into her arms. Hugging him close and gently rubbing his back, she attempted to provide some semblance of comfort for them both; murmuring soothingly as he gradually returned her embrace, his arms tightening around her waist as he finally sank his head into her shoulder and breathed raggedly for several long minutes.
Coming back to herself as she noticed one of her neighbors gawking in at them as he staggered drunkenly toward his apartment, she pushed the door shut on him and guided Alec toward the couch, "Come on over here n' sit Suga', 'fore you fall down." She eyed him critically as she took a seat, taking in his rumpled clothing, disheveled hair, and pale unshaven face. "You ain't done a damn thing for yo'self since she was taken, have you."
He slowly slumped down in the cushions beside her and shook his head, struggling to remain focused and semi-rational, even though he hadn't slept in five agonizingly long days. "Can't. Just the thought of trying to eat or sleep right now? When I know what she's going through? Makes me sick. I... I just..."
His voice trailing off huskily, he buried his head in his hands, completely distraught as he thought about his missing mate. "It's hard to believe any of this is even happening, Cin. After the shit storm we've faced the last three and a half years, what with battling the Familiars and the government, not to mention all the infighting between the different factions in TC, and some of the people we've lost – Mole and Sam… Logan…" He shook his head sadly as he remembered how hard his death had hit Max. How long it had taken her to pick herself up and start living again. To open her eyes and notice him waiting for her.
"Everything was finally settled, you know. I actually thought that we could just relax and finally be happy for a change. Just live our lives in peace." He raised his head and looked over at her, his gaze tortured. "We haven't even really been together that long. Only managed to get our shit together enough to officially mate a couple months ago… So why the hell did this have to happen? Haven't we been through enough already?"
Sighing sadly, she murmured, "You'd think so, boo."
"Hell, Josh only left her alone in our apartment for maybe 5 minutes that morning. Went to go grab them some breakfast from the mess, since she wasn't feeling up to walking over there."
"Wasn't feelin' up to it?" She raised an eyebrow at him curiously, obviously puzzled by this new tidbit of information.
"She's been exhausted and feeling sick off and on the past few weeks." Unable to sit still any longer, he got up and started pacing the room, pulling out his cell phone and checking it, before pocketing it once more. "I wasn't quite sure what was going on with her - figured it was probably just stress what with this latest crap we've been dealing with - but she must've had some idea. Cause she got up early that morning and took off into the bathroom while I was still in bed. Took her forever to come out, but when she did… God OC, the look on her face… I've never seen her so excited… so happy… She was damn-near glowing."
"Oh Lordy." OC whispered, suddenly clueing in. "She's pregnant, ain't she."
"Yeah, she is." He stopped and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment, his face screwing up with pain. "Or… maybe was, is more likely now… Cause I don't see how she could possibly still be after..." He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his eyes to try to banish the fresh moisture plaguing them, before slowly meeting her gaze.
"When she told me though? I couldn't stop smiling. Just wanted to stay home with her and celebrate, you know? But she knew there were a few things I needed to do at Command, especially since she wasn't goin' in, so she told me to go, that she'd call Josh over to stay with her and she'd be fine. We'd celebrate when I got home, she said." He choked on the word, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat. "Some celebration that turned out to be."
"How'd this prick even get to her boo?" She asked carefully. "You guys were being so damn cautious - least that's the impression I got last time Max hit me up. She was spooked somethin' fierce after havin' to get the 411 from the others on what went down. So she wouldn'ta been takin' any chances, 'specially bein' pregnant an' all. So how did he…" She faltered, not really wanting to finish the sentence as Alec's face twisted horribly.
"Consensus is the rooftop ventilation system, since there wasn't any sign of forced entry and nobody saw even a hint of anybody hanging around who wasn't supposed to be there. This is the first time he's ever grabbed someone from their own home - probably because we were being so cautious and he couldn't get to her any other way - so we both figured she'd be safe enough there. Bastard left a note pinned to the bathrobe she'd been wearing though, so I'd know he had her. Josh found it when he got back and came running to get me; and we locked that building down tighter than a drum. Searched every nook and cranny with a fine toothed comb. Several times over. But it was already way too late by that point," he spit out bitterly.
"Only thing we really know for sure right now is that he's transgenic. One of us. But how the hell could he do this, Cin? And why can't we figure out who he is? This is the fifth time now in as many weeks that he's taken one of our women and…"
His voice broke and he had to take a moment to clear his throat before continuing hoarsely, "He's raped and tortured all of them, almost beyond recognition… they're an absolute wreck by the time he's through with them and sets them free. Surely a guy this sick would be easy to spot…"
OC stared at him, not quite sure how to answer. "Not always, Boo. Unfortunately there're a lot of sickos out there an' most of 'em seem to know 'xactly how to hide it from normal folk. Just cause you guys are transgenic, don't make you perfect."
"I know, it's just... Shit!" He wheeled around and raked his hands through his hair as he resumed pacing and then checked his phone again compulsively. "I feel so damned helpless and it's driving me crazy. I'm not used to having to sit around and wait. I wish I could do something. I need to get her back. I'd give damn near anything right now, just to be able to hold her."
His voice dropping to a pained whisper, he admitted, "The sick bastard's rubbing my nose in it too. Been taping the whole thing and sending me clips every night. Taunting her with it while he's..." He broke off, unable to give voice to the horrific reality, several tears finally slipping free from his control and trailing down his cheek. "And it's not like I want to watch, but I can't seem to stop myself either. At least this way I can see that she's still alive, even though it's been killing me seeing her like that, with how much pain she's in…"
"I swear to God I'm gonna tear this prick apart with my bare hands when I finally catch him. And I will, if it's the last thing I ever do." His hands clenched repeatedly at his sides as he let out a low growl of despair and frustration.
Cindy stood up in front of him as he went to stalk past again and grabbed both his hands, squeezing them tight to catch his attention. "Easy boo. You gotta try 'n hold it together, a'ight?" She stared up into his eyes, silently offering her unwavering support. "Ain't gonna do Max a lick o' good, if you're a basket case when she manages to make it back, 'cause ya know she's gonna need you somethin' fierce to try an' get through this."
He took a few deep breaths to try and calm down, then nodded determinedly. "Yeah. You're right. And she should've been released a couple hours ago if he's staying true to form. That's why I came over here, 'cause I'm guessing your place is gonna feel a hell of a lot safer to her than TC or our apartment right now. Given the givens."
He sighed and pulled his hands free; grabbing his cell phone and checking it again to make sure it was set on its loudest ring tone. "A couple of my old unit mates offered to come with me to stand watch outside. And everyone in TC is on the lookout too. As soon as someone spots her, they're supposed to call me so…" He broke off as his cell phone rang and flipped it open quickly.
"Go for Alec." He bit out.
"Max is here. Took us a minute to identify her, but she's on her way up there. Retha's right behind her with the med kit."
"She's here?" Snapping the phone shut, he hurried toward the door, opening it and stepping out into the hall, then pacing impatiently as he noticed the elevator was already on its way up. A muted dinging finally announcing its arrival.
As the door slid open, she hobbled slowly into view, her left arm hanging limply at her side, obviously dislocated or broken, while her right was wrapped protectively around her abdomen. Her hands were buried inside the bloodstained cuffs of the oversized grey hoodie that engulfed her slender frame, and only the tips of her bare toes could be seen peeking out from the bottoms of the frayed navy pajama pants that hung loosely from her hips. Hood raised and head bowed, the rest of her body remained hidden from view as she completely ignored their relieved cries and limped past them toward the apartment, making straight for the bathroom with Retha following several feet behind sporting a black eye and split lip, and looking extremely worried as she waved them off.
Trailing anxiously after her, they hovered uncertainly in the doorway and watched as she stopped and swayed in front of the sink, slowly reaching up to push the hood back with a trembling hand, fresh blood dripping from her raw fingertips as they emerged from their hiding place, several of the nails missing. Her bruised and battered face appearing next, completely drained of emotion, her right eye swollen completely shut while her left was barely able to open. Blood oozing slowly from her broken nose, the large gashes slicing across her left cheekbone and forehead, and along the edges of her cracked and split lips. Her matted hair hanging lankly about her face.
"Oh Sugar." OC murmured, barely able to speak, and pushed her way into the room. Then hesitated and took a cautious step back when she heard a low eerily menacing growl and Alec quickly warned, "Don't go any closer or try to touch her yet. She's so far gone right now, she'll be operating on raw instinct. And until she recognizes that she's truly safe, anybody that gets too close is going to be considered a threat and dealt with accordingly."
Gesturing at her own face, Retha confirmed, "He's right. She damn near took my head off when I tried to help her on the elevator."
Lost back in her own world now that everyone had backed off, she slid open the mirrored door on the medicine cabinet and pulled out her emergency stash of tryptophan, struggling one-handed with the lid for a moment, before bracing the bottle between her hip and the sink and prying it off. Pouring more than half a dozen pills into the cup on the ledge and filling it with a bit of water; she tossed it back and swallowed them, then grabbed her old toothbrush and began brushing her teeth meticulously.
After spitting out all the bloodstained toothpaste and rinsing her mouth, she tilted her head to the side and peered at her reflection in the mirror for over a minute, finally dropping her toothbrush back in its holder. Raising her right hand, she trailed her fingers gingerly along the bridge of her nose until she found the misaligned piece of bone and jerked it back into place, then blotted the resulting increased flow of blood on her sleeve.
FLASH
…cruel fingers digging through her hair and scraping over her scalp…
forcing her face down into the bile and water she'd thrown up and rubbing it in it…
using her hair to sop up the excess mess and then shoving it into her mouth as a gag…
Flinching visibly and giving a low whimper as she eyed the matted clumps, she closed her left eye for a moment and sucked in a ragged breath of air, then reached back up into the medicine cabinet, pulling out a pair of long, sharp scissors. Oblivious to the worried gasps and cries from her concerned spectators, she started hacking at her hair, the snip of the blades loud in the now otherwise silent room as she cut it off to just below her ears, letting the snarled strands fall to the floor in disarray.
Seemingly satisfied by the results of her impromptu haircut, she dropped the scissors in the sink and turned toward the shower, awkwardly attempting to get undressed one-handedly. Unfortunately, her dislocated arm kept getting in the way, and she shuffled closer to the wall with a low huff of displeasure. Carefully maneuvering the limb up into position, she suddenly jerked forward hard and fast, slamming her shoulder into the wall and popping the joint back into its socket, with barely any complaint.
After rotating it cautiously a few times to make sure it was properly in place, she slowly and painstakingly began shedding the ragtag clothing she'd acquired on her way there, baring a mass of horrific cuts, bruises, bite marks and welts. Her back and buttocks flayed raw with a few pieces of loose skin hanging in strips, drawing cries of horror from Cindy. The flesh around her wrists and ankles in similar condition, scraped and abraded beyond the epidermis, obvious victims to whatever restraints had been holding her. Blood, both fresh and dried, coated practically every inch of her body.
Stepping carefully into the shower, she turned on the water and immersed herself in it, her face tilting up directly into the spray, her hand trembling as she kept turning the knob, adjusting the temperature hotter and hotter, until the room filled with steam and the handle refused to go any farther. The water around her feet forming a pinkish-red puddle as her blood ran freely. After several minutes and several convulsive shudders, she finally grabbed the shampoo bottle and poured a very generous amount onto the remnants of her hair, scrubbing roughly as she worked up a lather with her one good hand.
"Max?" "Sweetie?" "Boo?" Alec and OC tried unsuccessfully to get her attention several times, then looked to Retha, unsure as to how to proceed, as Max remained completely unresponsive, seeming almost comatose.
"Why won't she answer us?" Alec's voice was rough, filled with fear as he watched his mate meticulously washing herself, apparently oblivious to their presence.
Retha looked at him and sighed. "She's shell-shocked for one thing. Most likely in the beginning throes of PTSD, and no doubt trying to distance herself from what happened. Trying to revert back into soldier mode. It's a coping mechanism most of them seem to be using, some more successfully than others."
Sighing, she added, "Let me try something. It worked with Sara last week." Turning to Max, she cleared her throat and then harshly addressed her, "X5-452. Status report."
Blinking heavily, she slowly turned her head toward them, her face still a blank mask as she continued to harshly scrub her body. "Unit severely injured, ma'am. Initial self-assessment indicates a probable concussion, broken nose, dislocated left shoulder, broken left wrist, at least four broken ribs, strained throat ligatures, wrenched left knee and sprained right ankle. The skin on my back and both my wrists and ankles has sustained extensive deep tissue damage, and I received a wide variety of cuts, abrasions and bruises from the beatings inflicted upon me. In addition, I have three severe bite wounds with resulting loss of tissue, which appear to be infected."
After hoarsely stumbling through her list, she blinked again, appearing lost for a moment as she paused to take a breath, then continued in an even more subdued manner. "I was also assaulted… numerous times. I took the liberty of ceasing count as I felt the detailed information had lost all relevance ma'am. However, I will require stitches to repair some of the tearing and other damage I sustained in those areas."
She shuddered and took another fortifying breath. "But on a more positive note, my primary mission objective appears to have been completed successfully at this time."
Reeling emotionally from her dispassionate description of her injuries, and unsure of what exactly she meant by the last, Alec asked hesitantly, "What objective?"
Turning slightly to face him head on, her blank mask dropped as she peered hard at him through the mess that was her left eye, visibly startled as she finally recognized his presence, "494?" Looking wary, and slightly fearful as her whole body tensed up, she whispered, "I wasn't sure if you'd be here. If you'd stay…" Her voice trailed off as her lower lip trembled.
"Of course I'm here." He smiled as reassuringly as he could at her, unnerved by her use of his designation. "You're my mate. Where else would I be but by your side?"
Worried, she murmured, "Some of the others… their mates left them. Didn't want them after…"
"It'll never happen." He cut her off and shook his head decisively. "I'll never leave you. Not in a million years. So don't even think about it."
Her relief was palpable, the stiff tension written in every line of her battered body easing somewhat as she slowly nodded at him, appearing to accept his words with only a bit of hesitation.
Suddenly remembering his question, she rested her right hand on her abdomen, her voice firming up again as she let her training take over once more. "You asked about my primary objective?"
When he nodded, "It was to ensure the continuation of my pregnancy at any and all costs. And at this point, I believe the fetus is still currently viable." An almost proud look crossed her face for a moment, and then vanished just as quickly as she glanced over at Retha. "But I would like to undergo testing to confirm that status ASAP."
Retha nodded quickly, "I can do that. I've got the necessary supplies with me, since Alec warned me about it."
"Thank you, ma'am." 452 seemed satisfied with her response for a moment, and then frowned, looking nervous and unsure as she hesitantly directed her next comment toward 494, "Unfortunately, I'm unsure as to the success of my secondary objective."
"That being?"
"To protect the civilian from being raped."
Overwhelmed by the possibility of an ordinary being involved now too, Alec swore under his breath, "Shit. Who is she and what's her current status? I'll need to get somebody to try and find her. Ensure she's taken care of and try to provide some damage control."
"It's Max. And I'm not sure if that will be possible." Oblivious to the shocked looks now being directed her way, 452 looked confused, her right hand coming up to rub shakily at the dark bruises marring her forehead for almost a full minute. Finally she stated reluctantly, "I'm unable to determine her exact location and status at this time. She appears to be M.I.A."
Please see my livejournal account (info in my profile) for the continuation of this story as it is higher rated than FFN allows.
