Title: Hunting an Angel: The Fallen Ones

Rating: T

Pairing: M/A but for all of you who are not M/A fans, don't worry, it's not gonna be some kind of fluffy romance. Those of you who read "Hunting an Angel" know that I usually focus more on the military side of the story and my own characters, Wolf and Kyla, when it comes to relationships and I intend to keep it that way.

Notes: This is a sequel to the story "Hunting an Angel". It continues right where the first part ended. I cannot promise that I'll be able to update as regularly as I was in my first story. I'll do what I can but 2 updates within 24 hours are certainly not possible at the time.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Dark Angel and I don't intend to make money with this story so don't sue me, please.

Char list: I will post the char list at the beginning of this chapter and update it regularly. If you want I can also put updated versions at the end of each chapter.

X5-154 aka Nova The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two and member of blue team. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. After running away from Manticore she has finally gotten together with Havoc. Has no shark DNA.

X5-194 aka Blade Member of unit two and red team. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

X5-210 aka Jondy As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and is happy Max did as well as she once said she couldn't bear to lose her little sister again. She's a member of blue team.

X5-258 aka Nitro Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

X5-301 aka Kyla 2IC of unit two and leader of red team. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

X5-367 aka Havoc Member of unit two and blue. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. After running away from Manticore he has finally gotten together with Nova. Has no shark DNA.

X5-439 aka Artemis Member of unit two and red team. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

X5-451 aka Wolf CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

X5-494 aka Alec Member of unit two and third in the chain of command, leader of blue team. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Recently he has started to have strange feelings for Max but isn't sure what to do about it yet. Has no shark DNA.

X5-526 aka Bear Member of unit two and blue team. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

X5-734 aka Brin Member of red team. After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she got back most of her memories by now, most of all about her brother Zane.

X5-798 aka Jace Member of blue team. She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier.

X7-452 aka Kara The nine year old girl is the X7 clone of Max. Forced to leave Manticore with unit two she was terrified at first but quickly accustomed to it. Despite being a child and acting quite innocently most of the time she more than capable to defend herself.

Corporal Daniel Hayden He was a corpsman in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two.

Major Patrick Coleman He was unit two's instructor and TAC leader since their childhood. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

Sergeant Christian O'Neill He was a TAC team leader in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

Gilette, Wyoming – 2013

They were lying on their backs in the soft grass and watched the stars. It was a rather cold night but neither X5-451 nor X5-301 cared. They didn't feel the cold. Their bodies had been made to withstand far more severe temperatures without problems and their minds were trained to ignore things like coldness, discomfort or pain. As a matter of fact they both felt rather comfortable at the moment. The day's mission had been accomplished and Major Coleman had been so pleased with their performance he had given them the rest of the night off, something that didn't happen very often. It had only happened once before, to be exact. They both had decided to stay outside. It was just the two of them, the rest of their unit was training with the Colonel tonight, and both of them had always enjoyed a night outside the grey walls of their barracks but always inside the perimeter fence, of course. During those nights they got rare glimpses of how it would be to live in peace and without the constant stress of the drills and exercises but they both knew that in the morning they would report back to Coleman and a new day of training would start.

Yes, tonight was definitely a good night and 451 hoped it wouldn't be the last. It had been more than four years since the '09er escape and the time after their desertion had been rough for the transgenics who had remained at Manticore. Reindoctrination, PsyOps, punishments…he shook his head. He didn't want to think about that anymore. It was over and after about a year after the escape the instructors' behavior had suddenly changed. Sure, they were still their superiors and whenever an X5 stepped out of line he was severely punished but somehow the instructors had started to trust them again and even answered some of their questions once in a while.

Questions. That had been something which none of them had even dared to think about. They were soldiers, they didn't need to ask questions. Soldiers received their orders and executed them, nothing more, nothing less. The only time hadn't done that was the night in '09 when he had let his biological twin sister, X5-452, escape. He frowned upon thinking about her. What had she said was her name? Max?

"What are you thinking, 451?" 301 suddenly asked. The girl had turned her head and looked at him, having noticed the sudden change in his behavior and breathing. He found her eyes easily even in the darkness surrounding them and smiled quietly at her. Of course he had noticed the slight undertone of worry in her voice and while he couldn't explain it rationally he felt glad to know she seemingly cared about him. Of course they both cared about the others of their unit, too, but it was different between the two of them. Almost immediately after the night unit one had escaped the reindoctrination sessions had started and 451, who had reported to the Colonel that he'd let one of the rogue X5s escape without a logical reason had spent a considerable amount of time longer in the basement of the facility than the rest of his unit.

When he had returned to the barracks and as soon as they were sure no guard or instructor was around all of the others had started to ask him questions why he had been away longer than them. Only 301 had remained silent and had ordered the rest of the team to leave him alone as she could see he needed some rest. She had always known something had happened that night after the rogue X5 had knocked her out but she also trusted her CO and knew 451 would tell her when he thought the time was right and when he was ready. Without saying a word she had helped him out of the bloodstained nightgown and into the shower. She held him and helped him into a new gown and had supported his battered and injured body until they were back in their dormitory again. The rest of their unit had shot them curious and confused glances but they quickly turned away as soon as 301 sent them a warning glare.

She had helped him into his bed and stayed at his side until he closed his eyes and drifted off into an uneasy sleep. When he had started tossing around about an hour later and small and frightened whimpers had escaped his lips she had been at his side in a second. She didn't know what to do and that made her feel helpless; nobody had ever instructed her how you helped a teammate who was having nightmares. Out of instinct she had done the only thing that came to her mind. She grabbed his hand and held it in a firm but yet gentle grip, hoping that his subconscious mind would notice her presence. After a few minutes he had calmed down.

That had become sort of a ritual. They would go to bed and while 451 usually needed almost no sleep thanks to his shark DNA he slept a lot now because his body needed all of his strength and energy to heal. As soon as the nightmares would start 301 would be at his side and held his hand until he calmed down and she always stayed until he woke up in the morning.

When he'd woken up the first time he had been surprised to find her next to his bed but one look into her eyes seemingly told him everything he needed to know and he had nodded at her thankfully. Of course the others had noticed 301's strange behavior but nobody talked about it. It was her business and none of her teammates wanted to mess with the unit's 2IC.

That was how 301 and 451 had started to look out for each other more than they had done it ever before. Even after 451 had healed completely and was cleared for active duty again they always made sure the other one was alright. The other members of their unit didn't say anything and the instructors didn't notice.

451 smiled. Yes, it was definitely a good thing to have somebody like 301 as your partner.

"451, what are you thinking?" the girl repeated her question when he didn't answer.

"I was just remembering my time after PsyOps" he explained. "How you took care of me."

"Oh, okay." She didn't know what to answer to that. The instructors always told them that they must not get attached to each other, that soldiers couldn't afford to get attached.

"I never said it before, 301" he continued when he saw her insecurity "but thank you."

"You're welcome" she answered with a grateful smile. So he wasn't thinking she'd done the wrong thing, she thought somehow relieved.

After that they both returned their attention to the stars above them, both absorbed in their own thoughts until the girl suddenly shivered.

"What is it?" the boy asked immediately, sounding alarmed and looking at her with concern.

"It's nothing" she mumbled defensively.

"Do you have seizures again?" He definitely sounded worried now.

"No, it's just…" she began but trailed off. She didn't want to tell him but one look told her he wouldn't let it go just like that. She felt kind of ashamed. She was an X5, a soldier, she shouldn't…finally she sighed and admitted barely audible: "I'm a little bit cold."

There, she had said it. Despite being a genetically enhanced soldier she really felt cold. Her body was exhausted after the day's exercises and it was only natural she didn't have the strength to ignore the need for some warmth anymore but she still should be able to. But somehow she just wasn't at the moment. She looked at her CO wearily, waiting for him to reprimand her for her weakness but surprisingly she only saw how he relaxed a little bit and his eyes suddenly held a kind and caring look. Without saying anything he moved closer to her.

"Come here" he whispered and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him and sharing his body heat with her. She tensed up at first but quickly relaxed when she understood his intentions. She had to admit that it felt nice to have his chest pressed against her back and she could feel how the coldness was leaving her body after some minutes.

"Don't get any funny ideas" she mumbled. He just chuckled and that brought a small smile to her lips as well. They knew each other since they had been children and she trusted him and was sure he would never do anything to her if she wouldn't give him permission first. He was just a fellow soldier and a friend who cared about her and wanted to keep her warm and there was absolutely nothing wrong about that in her opinion.

Eventually her eyes became heavy and she felt how sleep was slowly claiming her.

"Thank you" she whispered tiredly and after some seconds of hesitation she added: "Wolf."

He tensed up at first but quickly relaxed again. There was no instructor around, no guard. Manticore's laws didn't always apply out here in the woods. Finally he smiled kindly although he knew she couldn't see it.

"You're welcome" he answered quietly and whispered the name he had given his partner – his friend – two years ago after one of their first missions: "Kyla."

She sighed happily and curled up in his arms, feeling safe and carefree for once. Only minutes later he could tell by her calm and shallow breathing that she had fallen asleep. It wasn't long until he joined her.

Swiss Alps – the present

Wolf woke up from his dream with a start, feeling that somebody was approaching him. Without thinking his hand found his battle knife.

"Easy" came Kyla's calm voice out of the darkness and he relaxed.

"How long was I out?" he wanted to know.

"Half an hour" she replied. "You were dreaming?"

"Yeah."

"What about?"

"The night in '13" he explained, knowing that with her eidetic memory she would know what he was talking about. "When we were out in the woods and you were cold."

"Oh" she replied and grinned after a short pause. "Yeah, I remember. You were kind of cute."

"Cute?" He gave her a wry look. "I was trying to keep you warm!"

"Sure you did!" Her grin grew even wider. She knew he was telling the truth but she just loved to tease him. He shook his head and sighed.

"Women!" he muttered but became serious again. "Why did you wake me up anyway?"

"We just got the signal from Max." In an instant the playful tone in her voice was gone and she was a disciplined soldier again. "She says it's all clear."

He nodded. Another night, another mission.

"Wake up the others" he ordered and got up. "We're moving out in five minutes."

Okay, that's the beginning, I hope you liked it. As always I appreciate any sort of constructive critizism.

If I forgot somebody with my PMs I'm terribly sorry, but unfortunately I'm just a mere human ;) forgive me, if you can.

I hope I'll find some of my old reviewers here again and of course new ones, too.

And yes, I haven't changed: Reviews are life! Tell me what you think, please.