Damn the consequences: Chapter 7
Disclaimer: we all have rights… but mine do not include any copyrights for Dark Angel…
A/N: tell you what: at first, I started this wondering if it would even interest one single person. And then there was all you guys and it left me stunned. Damn! Thanks so much for your reviews, for adding this to your list of favorites, even simply for reading. THANKS! (:
…um, did I say there would only be one more chapter?... hope you're not too disappointed if I say: this is not the last one…
Warning: I won't specify it here, but don't read the last bit of this if you get upset about certain things easily…
LOGAN: … You'll look out for her, right?
ZACK: It's not something anyone has to ask me to do. It's my responsibility to look after all of them. … Prodigy
Zack was already pretty much out of breath by the time the first taser hit him and made him slump to the ground, dazed. His body just wouldn't work when he tried to get up again right away, but there were still a few of the attackers left standing, and the longer he remained incapacitated with the electric shock he had received, the more of those he had already knocked out or at least brought down so hard that they had remained lying were now getting up and ready again. Shit.
Zack fought hard against the daze and eventually managed to turn his head in Maxie's direction. Hopefully she had had more luck so far, because he wasn't much of a help like this.
But the electric shock seemed to have been nothing much – no more than an uncomfortable sting – compared to the shock that hit him when he saw his sister lying absolutely motionless, facing the paling sky above. Right beside her lay the still form of the one looking just like Ben, and Zack could see his forehead pressed to Maxie's side, her arm awkwardly draped around him in a clumsy attempt at holding him close.
Zack focused on that one arm while the daze increased with each new hit he had to endure – from tasers or boots. His very first thought at seeing Max like that had been, she's dead, and he had given up at that instant, too.
He had brought this about, because of him another of his siblings had died violently. He had failed so utterly. Those few of the twelve that were still remaining would sure be better off without him…
But when he continued to stare over at his beloved baby sister and his eyes zoomed in on her arm once more, he got aware of the way she was holding on to the other X5 and he assessed her condition more closely. Yes, there was no perceivable movement in any of her limbs, and he couldn't see whether her eyes still held any trace of life in them, but what he did see was the tension in her arm that she was still consciously wrapping around the man lying by her side and which was not merely a limp gesture continuing on even after her muscles had gone slack in death.
Max was alive.
And he might still have a chance to save her…
Bracing himself as best he could he closed his eyes briefly, pushed the pain and the dizziness as deep down as they would go and jumped up out of his lying position in one quick leap.
When Logan rounded what felt like the millionth corner and was faced with just another dark, nasty, and empty looking street, he was already beyond panicking and had started to be mad at himself for having come out here with no fucking clue as to the whereabouts of Max – and for not simply having waited for the surely more competent TC rescue team.
Damn his "oh so holy oh so righteous oh so-I-may-be-what-you-call-an-ordinary-but-I,-too,-can-kick-ass-like-hell" attitude. He couldn't even find the site where two transgenics were having a fight with – what? – an army of crazed vigilantes? Really great, Cale, he scolded himself, really fucking wonderful.
He was already close to giving up the search, returning to Joshua's house – which he still couldn't quite call his own, and instead sitting down to try and trace Max and her shadow so as to at least be of some help for the rescue mission. But right when he had stopped under a flickering orange streetlamp and had given in to the urge to resign and dwell in the fear that
Max's call had initiated, he noticed some curtains nearby being pulled back ever so slightly to reveal the face of an old woman.
This in itself was of course no reason to get suspicious, but when the lady's curtain didn't remain the only one being lifted off of a window and Logan saw at least six more people taking a peek at him, he knew that they had seen something…
That they had seen Max.
With a somewhat more confident stride he aimed for the old woman's door and knocked impatiently. No pretending now that no one was home, he wouldn't have that.
This was a matter of life and death after all. And he was here to help his love… and her partner.
"Ma'am, please, I know you're there. Please. Let me just talk to you real quick. Ma'am? I just need to know what you observed out here. What happened. Please. I'm – my friends might be in some trouble…"
There was no way she would help him if he disclosed the fact that those "friends" where actually two transgenics unlucky enough to have run into a mob of wild human would-be soldiers that thought what they were doing helped protect the city…
"Uh, it's…," he tried to clarify, but he couldn't think of any stupid words to say to her, and he couldn't just barge into her house and shake her until she told him what he wanted to know, right? He clenched his hands into fists, stopping himself from breaking down the poor woman's door in his newfound vigor.
Words! He was a man for words. He was good at the talking business. It had always been like that, he had always been good at finding appropriate things to say. So why wouldn't his brain come up with anything to say now? Now that he was desperate… and that woman was looking him up and down as if he had lost his mind.
At first she had doubted him, the way he walked, so quickly, and… strangely; and the way his face was set in a fierce grimace of anger and impatience. But when she dared another glance out of her window and examined him closer, she could tell that he was not one of them.
Too… she couldn't quite name it, but she knew. There was something about him that just didn't quite add up to him being a – what did they call themselves? – transgenic.
She sighed tiredly. It was no use, he wouldn't go away, and the whole neighborhood would be watching a strange man knocking her door off of its hinges and she would be the talk of town for the next couple weeks. Well…
Eventually she decided it would be safer to open the door to him – if only a tiny bit – and let him know what she had seen. Better tell the poor man that he shouldn't call those trans- … - whatever they were called again – his friends in these parts of Seattle too boastingly. Other people might not be as sympathetic as she was.
Logan was relieved when the old lady appeared at her door, even though he could only see half of her face and she didn't loosen any of the many locks on the inside. But he was fine with that; he didn't want to enter her home, he wanted to go and find Max...
"Young man. Hasn't anyone ever told you that it is not recommendable to admit being friends with ... the word keeps slipping my memory… anyway…," she bade him come a little closer to the tiny opening and whispered in the loud and raspy way of those who have never learned how to lower their voices, "You want to know what we saw here, huh? Well, to be honest, it isn't worth telling really, because it was nothing much. You hear? Just two of those passing by. You could tell they were – "
"Transgenics," Logan offered when she faltered again, and he fought hard to control his temper. This wasn't leading anywhere.
"Uh huh!" she exclaimed excitedly and continued, seemingly unaware of his unnerved tone, " – just by the looks of them and their proud and confident gait and…."
"Right," Logan interrupted again before she had any chance to drone on like that eternally. Drumming on the wood of her doorframe with his fingers he dared to ask her one more question, "So, did you see anything else?"
Bad idea. He should have never asked that woman in the first place. Now he was losing time by listening to her crap instead of saving Max from the ATM… Just great. He was making a mess of everything today.
Revision: He had been making a mess of everything since allowing Max to choose Alec over him without so much as trying to win her back.
"Oh," she looked at him a little disappointedly, then continued nevertheless, "You mean, that they were headed in that direction over there? – Or that Stu – he lives right down the street – made to follow them with his weird cronies not five minutes after they had disappeared?"
Logan was already running down the street she had pointed out to him before she had quite finished her sentence. He – the man for words – hadn't even remembered to blurt out a short "Thanks."
The sky had turned the color of a washed-out blue, tinged with the sickly orange light the streetlamps were still giving off. Max stared up hard at the relentless vastness, not able to turn her head to take in her surroundings, or look at Alec by her side. She couldn't even call his name and talk to him in order to bring him back to her, to keep him awake.
For now she could still feel his body's ever so slight movements with each shallow in- or exhalation. The position he was lying in wasn't doing his damaged chest any good, she knew that much, and she knew that he had lost too much blood already. But he mustn't die, she was not prepared for that. Smart-Alec, her favorite pain in the ass companion, the guy who was always – ALWAYS alright no matter what anyone did to him, he just wasn't allowed to die now.
Now that she had realized what she felt for him was more than just affection that had grown with every day they spent together…
She had been prepared to die herself, what with the wound in her throat and the resulting respiratory problems, or the blood loss. She had been prepared for that. But not for the possibility of lying incapacitated and having to watch helplessly as Zack was left to fight alone, and Alec was dying by her side.
"Max! – Oh god, Max!"
She couldn't turn to see who had been calling her name, but she would know that voice anywhere. Thank god, she thought, and eventually she gave in to the tiredness and allowed her eyes to close. If Logan was here, he sure had brought the whole cavalry along with him as was so typical of him, and there would still be a chance to get help for Alec in time.
If they had brought along Manticore-standard first aid equipment...
"Oh god!" Logan exclaimed once more at seeing his two friends in such poor state. This was not good. This was so not good. He knelt down by Max's side, his hands fidgeting restlessly in their uselessness. He couldn't do anything for her, and for once her life, too, was at stake because of that damn retrovirus. He couldn't even help the other one as Max's and Alec's blood had probably blended into one poisonous mélange.
He looked up in desperation, only now becoming aware of a fight that was still going on only a short distance away from their position. Whoever was fighting there on Max's behalf could surely do with some help. And considering that he was of no use for any of the two badly hurt X5s if he just remained seated here, he decided to join the other one in his fight against the vigilantes.
"Max," he said before leaving and hoped he was sounding more self-assured than he was feeling, "I told Mole where the rescue team should look for you, they should be here now any minute, do you hear? Everything's going to be alright, you just have to hold on a little longer. They're already on the way… Max. I gotta help that guy with those darn sons of bitches, okay? Max…"
He brought his face so close to hers that she was actually getting scared of coughing out a few drops of blood that would kill him off instantly and hence she didn't even dare attempt saying anything to him, although she desperately needed to warn him about her brother's presence…
Oh god, could this get any worse?
When Zack eventually managed to knock out the guy who seemed to be the group's leader he found out why their little brawl had not been brought to one single cop's attention, despite the noise it had created, and despite the fact that the street wasn't exactly the secluded spot for a fight to be fought without anyone noticing: according to the badge Zack had dug out of his belongings the man, Stuart, was with the sector police himself and had probably called in to his colleagues beforehand and asked them not to interfere.
Maybe it had been for the better for Zack was no longer in any condition to cope with more assaults, even if the assailants were ordinary humans…
Exhausted, he sank to the ground, for the first time taking in the guy that had come out of nowhere to help him. He was sitting not far away, staring at Zack wide-eyed, transfixed even, as if he couldn't quite believe what he saw.
Zack furrowed his brow; there was something about the man that was oddly familiar, but his brain simply couldn't link that feeling to any particular memory. Probably still overloaded after all the remembering of the last few hours…
"I've seen you before," he eventually stated, not knowing that he was mimicking the exact words he had said to Logan on another occasion…
A flustered "Uh" was the only verbal reaction that escaped Logan's mouth before he fell back into a dumbstruck stupor. Meeting Max's brother like that, totally unprepared – and under this predicament, was tough. What if Zack's cranial implant messed with his memory again while they were still here, sitting among the vigilantes that were now slowly scrambling up again, helping their unconscious companions, and making a run for it. And with Max and Alec close by fighting for their lives…
And where the hell was Mole's rescue team?
Zack had already gotten up and walked over to his fellow Xs by the time the other one made to follow his example and Zack glanced at him quickly before turning his attention toward his sister and her friend. They were really looking the worse for wear now and it was time for some desperate measures if he wanted to save their lives.
"Do you have any form of first aid on you?" he asked throwing another glance at the man, then made to disentangle the Ben lookalike from Max's grip. It was easy now that she had lost consciousness, but he could tell that she must have held on to the man fiercely before.
It pained him to see her like this. There was no way he was going to let her die…
Logan handed Zack the kit he had brought along, – at least one thing he had thought of doing before running out of the house like an idiot earlier. And it was well equipped, too, thank god. After having been with Max for so long he knew all the non-standard medical equipment needed in dealing with wounded X5s. Like the things needed for a blood transfusion, which were coming in quite handy under the current conditions…
Zack had no time to be too astonished about the contents of the kit, although it was quite extraordinary for non-transgenics to walk around with that sort of things on them. If they weren't doctors… He looked at the other man again, all the while unpacking the medical instruments he needed for an emergency blood transfusion.
"Can you…"
Logan shook his head, anticipating Zack's question, "I'm afraid I won't be of much help. Max carries a Manticore-created retrovirus in her blood, and I… it'll kill me off if I get in contact with her…" He looked at the blond transgenic hopelessly before adding, "And as her blood is all over Alec, too… – A rescue mission is out for them, though, should really get here any sec now…" With that Logan checked his watch quickly as if that would make Mole's team appear faster. What delayed them, anyways?
Zack's face was a mask, hiding the emotions that were welling up in him all of a sudden. So the guy knew about Manticore. And he knew Max.
He…
"I remember you," Zack suddenly whispered, as more memories were flooding his tired brain.
"Zack…," Logan said, sounding unsure and slightly defeated.
Zack stared at Logan, wondering what his sister saw in the man. Then he said:
"You're really worried about Max? The biggest threat to her safety is you."
He could tell that the other one wasn't pleased to hear this, and that he didn't really understand it, either. He was too self-possessed to let on, though, only wanted to know what made Zack think so…
It was just another recollection that surfaced in his still clouded memory, and he couldn't quite place it in time, it was all too fuzzy, too confusing, for it didn't remain the only thing resurfacing at that moment.
Logan… Eyes Only… "You're Eyes Only…" And the torture… shooting Eyes Only… Logan, he's a traitor… He has to stop the man, he has to…
"Zack!" Maxie's clear voice called out to him, "Don't do this!" She was begging him vehemently, but somehow he just wouldn't hear. And after that, nothing…
"They did something to you back at Manticore…" Maxie again.
Something wasn't right about this all, he knew that now. Manticore had messed with his brain more than he had ever realized before. Apparently that guy, Logan, was not a traitor at all, he had always been good to his sister, had helped her – and even him – fight Lydecker – and Manticore… He had helped fighting those vigilantes only a few minutes ago, and would've helped with Max and Alec, too, if it hadn't been for that virus.
Zack looked up to the man again, scrutinizing him. He was an okay guy, it seemed.
And still Zack knew that his brain was too damaged to be able to hold on to that thought for long. Already he felt it slipping away, out of his grasp, and being replaced by a feeling of true hate, and the urge to eliminate him.
He couldn't let that happen. If anything, he had learned two things today: that Max considered the guy her family, and that she loved the other transgenic…
It was his responsibility to take care of his siblings, especially of his baby sister, and it included saving her newfound family, or else all his efforts were for naught…
Logan could only watch as Zack hooked his vein to Max's and right afterward repeated the procedure, only this time using his other arm and hooking the protruding vein to Alec's…
Surely, this was not a wise decision.
"Um, Zack, maybe… you're in no good state yourself, and… I know that they're both in a critical condition, but… really, um…" Logan faltered as Zack's piercing stare hit him. The X5 was determined, he wouldn't listen to anything Logan said, wouldn't listen to some stupid ordinary droning on about what was wise and what was not while his sister lay dying.
In a way Logan was glad about it for it increased Max's chance to survive this. Although he reproached himself for thinking it at the very instant the feeling first surfaced in his mind.
But he did shut his mouth and watched silently as the precious fluid left Zack and was passed on into the others' veins.
"It's going to be alright, Maxie," the transgenic whispered reassuringly, over and over again. "Did you hear Logan? Can't take the rescue team much longer to get here, okay? It's all over now…. You'll survive this, Maxie, you'll live to lead that normal life you always wanted. I know it…," Zack felt the eyes of the ordinary on him, but didn't turn around. Any glance at the guy might trigger the growing wish to kill him even further…
Almost over now, he thought as he felt the blood surge out of his body with every new beat of his heart and he knew that life was leaving him too…
"You'll see, your… – Alec, right? – he'll be there for you, he'll survive this just like you. And he'll take care of you for me…," Zack hardly realized that he was slowly slumping down, shrinking into himself.
He felt the urge to turn and shoot the ordinary dwindle along with each ounce of blood that left his body. He thought of Buddy for a moment and wished he could have thanked that man for everything he had done for him.
"Zack… please…," Logan begged, not daring to touch Max's still strong and proud looking brother. God, she would hate him if he didn't interfere…
Zack was smiling as he saw his sister's face lose at least a little of its paleness and her eyelids start to flutter. "I love you, Maxie. Never forget it…"
"Zack," she mouthed, unable to speak, and tried to hold his gaze…
… but already his smile faded and he slumped down entirely, unseeing eyes facing the now blue sky above him.
Logan gasped.
ZACK: X5-599, I've got a heart for you. Designate This
A/N 2: nah… I wouldn't kill Max or Alec would I?… - too boring, this chapter? Don't want me to continue? … Anyone hate me now? … uh-oh…
