This Thing Called Life

Title: This Thing Called Life Author: jracklesfan77
Show: Dark Angel
Genre: Drama/Action/Romance
Pairing: M/A
Rating: R
Type: WIP

Summary: Max is forced to choose between the two most important things in her life. Both choices will change her life forever. This is Max's journey to a new understanding of both achievement and defeat.

A/N¹: AU - Same setting as S2, but before the freakiness of LAtR. Everything that follows is fair game.

A/N²: A great big 'Thank You!' to CarrielC for her invaluable input, comments and suggestions.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, none of you would see a hair of Alec anyway...

Chapter 1 - It All Started When...

Max was standing alone in Crash wondering where the hell everyone was. It was half past ten and her friends had yet to make an appearance. Generally, at the close of the work day, they would surface for alcohol and cheer.

They should have been here hours ago.

Crash was the local hang-out. A place to gather after a hard day's work and chill to average music, decent beer and laughter. It was the place where Max was able to hang up her cloak of depression, sadness and loneliness and unwind in the company of friends. Her friends. The sole purpose of her presence at Crash this evening.

Max's beeper buzzed and she reached for it in disgust. Expecting to see Alec's number on the display, she was surprised to see it was the number for the Command Center at Terminal City. She hurried over to the payphone and dialled.

"Dix? What's up?" Terminal City was pretty self-reliant and the only time they would call her would be in an emergency.

"It's Alec." He replied quietly. "We think he, Biggs and Cece are in trouble."

All rational thought left her mind as Max tried to imagine what terrible situation her friends might be in.

"Spill." Dix cleared his throat and started to explain.

"Well, Alec, Biggs, Cece and a few others went on a raid this evening. Alec told us he'd call when they were through. That they were going to meet up with the two Ordinaries and then find you at Crash after they were done."

"Jason, Remi, Jake and Kate came back about an hour ago. They said they'd separated during the raid and that Alec said they'd catch up with them later. But they never came back and haven't checked in. And we can't reach any of them." Dix let out in a rush.

"I'll call Cindy . Maybe they got sidetracked."

"No, Max. We can't reach any of them. Not Alec, not Biggs, not Cindy or even Sketchy. We think they were compromised…and the Ordinaries may have been caught with them." Dix waited as no sound came from the other end of the line. "Max? Are you there?"

"I'll be in touch." Max whispered as she hung up the phone.

She felt cold and worry weighed heavily in her heart.

White. It has to be White, that son of a bitch! If anything happens to them…

Special Agent Ames White was the perpetual thorn in her side. Like a chronic illness, he kept popping up and causing trouble, refusing to fade into oblivion. White's sole focus seemed to be to eradicate Max and her kind.

Where would he keep them? A warehouse? Underground facility? The NSA Headquarters? Anything's possible. Think, Max! White would expect you to go after them, so where would they be?

Her beeper buzzed again. Groaning in frustration, Max looked at the display in alarm. She didn't recognize the number. That in itself spoke volumes.

White.

Knowing he would be tracing her call, Max was sure of two things: that she had to keep the conversation short and change location immediately. She left Crash, hopped on her Ninja and crossed into Sector 7. She decided on a telephone outside of a small café on a dimly lit corner. There were plenty of shadows to blend into should the need arise.

Picking up the phone, she dialled the number she had committed to memory. Before the voice on the other end of the line could speak, she snarled.

"Where are they, you sadistic son of a bitch?" she practically growled the words.

"Ah, 452. I was expecting your call." Ames White replied in a honeyed tone.

"Cut the crap, Ames . Where. Are. They." She bit out. Rage fuelled her and sheer force of will was the only thing allowing her to keep a level head.

"Why not tell me where you are and I'll bring them to you?" Max knew a load of bullshit when she heard it and even if she hadn't, White never played fair.

"Not a chance. Now, once more…Where. Are. They." Max replied coolly.

Max listened carefully to his directions. Without another word, she hung up the phone and sped off into the night.

Max made a quick stop at another phone in Sector 3. She called Dix.

"Dix. I want you to send a rescue team. I think I know where they are. Make sure everyone takes the necessary precautions before entering the compound. I don't know what security is like. All we know is that White's behind this little set-up and it could be bad. I want a medical team too. White's methods generally lead to broken bodies."

They both shuddered at the thought. The last time White had his hands on Alec, they hadn't thought he would pull through. And Max herself had been on the receiving end of White's torture more times than she cared to remember.

"I'm on it, Max." Then almost as an afterthought he added. "Good luck."

I'm gonna need it.

Max crept alongside the building, hiding in the shadows as she went. She kept her eyes trained on the area around her and her enhanced hearing caught the sound of footsteps walking to and fro not far from her position.

Guards.

She could make out what seemed to be about half a dozen. She didn't yet know if they were Ordinaries, part of White's crew from the NSA, or if they were Familiars. In the case of the former, she knew she could handle them on her own. If the latter was true, she would have to wait for the rescue team before attempting infiltration of the inner compound.

She knew that White had given her the location with as few details as possible. The compound was comprised of 6 out buildings and one large central building in the middle of the large courtyard. It seemed to be a military training facility of some sort. Max strained to hear anything that would indicate where her friends were being held.

Unless it's all a ruse so White can get to me.

Max didn't put it past White to underhandedly take a crack at trapping her. But what worried her was that he had sounded cockier than usual. Almost as if he had crucial information that she didn't and the lack of knowledge made her feel all the more vulnerable.

Max stole forward in the darkness, darting between armoured SUVs, some tarpaulin covered trucks and various odd pieces of machinery. She knelt behind a forklift at the far end of the compound and surveyed the scene with careful eyes. Three more guards were off to the side of one of the buildings, hiding in the shadows. To an Ordinary, they would be invisible but to a transgenic with night vision they stood out as clear as day. Max noted the heightened activity around the building and assumed that was where she would find what she was looking for.

She looked at her watch. Dix was good at what he did and never failed to follow through. But Max was edgy. It had been almost two hours since she asked Dix to put together the rescue and medical teams and White's location wasn't so far from Terminal City . It shouldn't be taking this long. But then again, they were transgenics. It was probable that they were already in position and doing visual recon just as she was. Max wished they would crop up somewhere in her peripheral vision. It would make her feel better.

Moving silently and stealthily across the courtyard, Max pulled herself flat against the side of the building she guessed was her target. Her objective: to enter without being noticed, assess the situation and hopefully free her friends without any hassle. An unlikely possibility, but one she truly hoped would work out according to plan.

She peeked around the corner and saw the three guards she had picked out from her former vantage point. They looked like Ordinaries. She zoned in on their bare arms and noted with satisfaction that there were no markings, no symbols that indicated they were Familiars. All the better for her. With a running jump, Max arched herself in the air and twisted her lithe body, landing her feet squarely in the center of one guard's chest. He went down with a gasp, the air hissed from his mouth and he tried desperately to catch his breath. Max kicked him swiftly in the head and knocked him unconscious. His two buddies, now alerted to her presence, reached for their radios.

Sorry boys. Can't let you do that.

Max somersaulted and mimicking a scissor motion, kicked out at both men simultaneously, knocking the devices from their hands. She landed on one, crushing it. Max grabbed the other and pocketed it. The man to her left raised his gun.

They never learn.

She blurred to his side, wrenching it from him before he could even blink. With a quick snap, the side of her wrist connected with his neck and he was out cold. The remaining guard was visibly frightened and the adrenaline in Max surged in reaction to his fear. She had him; it was only a matter of time before he too would be down for the count.

He lunged at her. Max easily avoided his grasp. She stepped up in front of the guard and gripped his neck, raising him upward until he was suspended above the ground.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Tell me where they're being held and I'll make this quick and painless. Waste my time and I'll definitely hurt you." She shrugged and gave the terrified man an indifferent look. He swallowed and pointed a shaky finger at the structure behind him.

So I was right. This is the place.

She clenched harder, slowly choking the breath from his squirming form. When he lost consciousness, she wiped her hands on her thighs and inspected the damage. Then she smiled smugly. Max was pleased with her initial estimation and the speed and ease in which she'd found what she was looking for and neutralized the obstacles in her way. But she stopped herself short as a frightening thought came into her head.

This was too easy. Have I just walked into a trap?

Fogle Towers earlier that evening.

Zane looked at his unit and their families and smiled. It was going to be such a nice surprise! He knew that Maxie had been dying to see them all since the escape. She had seen some of them before and not necessarily under pleasant circumstances.

He glanced at Brin and felt a pang of sadness as he saw the anguished look in her eyes. She was worried that Max wouldn't receive her with the happiness she so desired. The last time Max and Brin had been together, Brin had tried to kill her.

Krit and Syl had been shocked and overjoyed to find that Max was alive and well. Last they had heard, she died in the raid on Manticore a year before, when they had gone in with her and Zack and blown up the DNA lab.

Zane had been the go-between. He found Eyes Only and enlisted his help in finding Max. When Logan had admitted to knowing her, he revealed his true identity and the man had bent over backwards to help arrange this meeting. Zane didn't particularly like the idea that Maxie was dating an Ordinary but Logan obviously cared for her so Zane figured he couldn't be all bad.

It had taken months of preparation and effort to find everyone. One day Brin had walked into the garage where he worked trying to get her car repaired. He'd taken one look at her and known right away who she was. Zane thought back to that day and his mind recalled the pain inflicted on his body. Brin had been frightened and she'd taken it out on him, beating him to the point of bruising, which equates to severe by transgenic standards. She was one tough bitch, and the fact that she was so vulnerable right now unnerved him.

After a few weeks of tentative advances and meaningful talks, they'd gotten comfortable with each other. And shortly after they'd begun searching for the rest of their unit.

Jondy was working as a waitress in a high class restaurant in Los Angeles . She was now happily married to Shawn, another X5 who'd made his way to LA as opposed to Seattle . They were expecting their first child in a few months time.

Krit and Syl were living in Sacramento . They had their stakes in the world of fine art…something they acquired along the road of life between heists. Appreciation of the items they stole grew and eventually led to much more lucrative dealings.

Ash had been working as head of security for a branch of the Russian Mob in New York . He'd been the hardest to track by far, and Zane had almost been killed twice during their search for him. The mob didn't take kindly to snooping. Unless they were doing it of course.

They traced Jace to Mexico . Logan had all the information on her as Max was the one who'd sent her there. When Jace came to meet them, she'd brought her daughter along. Little Max was a sweetheart and Max would surely be pleased to meet her namesake.

And last but not least, Logan had contacted Charlie, Tinga's husband. He'd flown in from Boston with their son Case. Tinga had died almost two years before, but Charlie and Logan kept in touch from time to time, touching base so that Max could find them if she wanted to.

And now, months down the line they were all together in Logan 's apartment getting ready to go see Max. The level of excitement in the room was overwhelming. Zane smiled happily and settled in to wait. It wouldn't be long now.

The group was laughing and talking animatedly as they left Logan 's penthouse. It would be a short ride to Max's place. Logan had spoken to Max's friend Cindy and she assured him that Max wouldn't be home for a few hours. That gave the family plenty of time to settle in at her apartment to prepare their surprise.

Logan had borrowed a van large enough to accommodate them all. They exited the building and walked across the parking garage. The excitement that ran through them all was contagious and Logan was smiling and laughing with them. It felt good. They were all free to relax and open up; a family reunion was just what they needed.

Awareness washed over Zane a split second too late. They had all been so wrapped up in their joy and the prospect of seeing Max again that they'd failed to notice the approach of several heavily armed men.

Zane tried to cry out, to warn the others of the impending danger. A sharp pain seared his upper torso and the cry came out a gurgle.

Maxie! Oh god...

TBC

Chapter 2