By Shikasta
Spoilers: Anything's fair game in my view although this is an AU
Disclaimer: The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions. In laymen's terms: Don't own them but by god I wish I did.
Italics = flashback
Chapter Fourteen – The Fall of LammasuHoratio sat in the mission room with Alec who was gnawing away at his thumb, they had been starring each other down for the past 30 minutes. Horatio waited for the questions and Alec waited for the answers they were at a stalemate neither willing to speak first.
Mole was munching on his stogie, lurking outside the mission room waiting for any kind of sound. It was ludicrous for the entire population of central operations to stand outside the mission room so Mole had volunteered to do some eavesdropping and hopefully ascertain the identity of their new guest. Everyone was dying to know considering Alec left to get Max and came back with some guy christened Horatio not 40 minutes ago. Curiosity was a common trait among the transgenics not reserved for those of the cat persuasion.
"Are you two gonna start talking or what" Mole bellowed into the room making Alec almost bite his thumb off "If not can you give me an ETA so I can go get some work done and come back" Mole sniggered "or Luke and I could start a tag team."
"Mole close the door and then get back to work, don't you have some guns to polish or something." Alec yelled.
Mole entered the room tugging his stogie out of his mouth and pointing it at Alec "You're lucky I like ya pretty boy" and then stormed off slamming the door behind him.
"He'll have his ear pressed up against the wall guaranteed" Alec chuckled.
"I don't see the humour" Horatio said.
"Yeah, something we're going to have to work on." Alec sighed "So how do you know Max?"
"Max and I were partnered for missions then later were paired off as breeding partners," Horatio answered with military precision.
Alec rose swiftly, Mole stormed in and Horatio sat stunned. In the blink of an eye Mole was hauling an enraged Alec off Horatio.
"Did I say something wrong" Horatio asked Mole and the only response was a shrug.
Mr Collins had entered the control room of the Lammasu facility and as nonchalant as possible told the tech guys to go grab a coffee. He nervously fingered the gun stuffed in the pocket of his trousers praying he wouldn't have to use it. He had managed to go through his life having not killed anyone and certainly didn't want to start now. He looked at the monitors that showed the locked up, sleeping transgenics, then he grabbed a chair and sat down in front of the button that with one touch would destroy the facility.
He let his hand hover, then quickly pulled it away, he still had time to walk away and forget this crazy notion of his, he could just go home to his family, sleep then come back tomorrow to begin another day. He looked at the monitors once more, the children looked like his own when they were asleep and the thought of his children gave him the courage to do what was right.
He moved to the panel that would allow him to open the cages that kept these transgenics as slaves and with a few quick commands all the cell doors in the facility swung open and then he turned his attention back to the button.
White had left his high perch and made his way to an abandoned warehouse, the familiars had only one obstruction to take care of before taking control. It was time to wage war on the transgenics and end the mass abomination that had been allowed to reside in Seattle.
The Colonel walked into the control room after the alarms had been activated at the opening of the cell doors. He saw Mr Collins standing there with his hand hovering over the button that would destroy his facility.
"Collins, what are you doing?" He yelled.
Mr Collins pulled out his gun and pointed it at the Colonel "Stay back" and the Colonel stood very still "This should have been done along time ago, I can't stand by and bare witness to it anymore."
"Are you mad, you're sentencing us to death."
"At least this way I may go to heaven where as you Colonel are destined for Hell."
"You have gone mad." The Colonel's hand rose trying to signal for Mr Collins to lower the gun.
"My madness is having stood by and helped you all these years." Mr Collins allowed his other hand to inch closed to the button.
"Don't do it you fool" The Colonel's face resonating fear and as he made a dash for the gun Mr Collins pushed his hand down hard on the button and the facility was slowly being engulfed in flames.
472 was awake and laying on his cot, he had just been returned to his cell after his nightly rendezvous with a buxom redheaded 448. His hands were resting behind his head and unable to sleep he was running through the parameters of his next mission even though it would no longer occur due to the facility lockdown. He had planned to make a run for it to Terminal City but he was used to change and did not see this as an obstacle, he would get to the Promised Land sooner or later. Suddenly his cell door swung open and he raised his head up slightly and noticed there was no guard.
"Now that's unusual," he said to himself as he got up and exited his cell. As he looked around he saw others also exiting, in fact his entire wing was "This is really unusual" and he knew this was his chance "Looks like its gonna be sooner" he muttered as he began running down the corridor followed by the rest of his cell mates.
Max reached Lammasu and the scene before her was of chaos, the facility was in flames and transgenics were making a run for it "what happened" she screamed at the on coming traffic.
"Isn't it obvious" A voice shouted out.
"Escape and Evade" Another voice said.
Max grabbed one transgenic and said "Head for Terminal City in Seattle, it's a safe haven, pass it on" and with that she continued on and hoped that Chinese whispers would work.
472 took his first step as a free man outside the facility he had called home his entire life and by god did it feel good. For five years he had dreamed of this day, ever since he had first heard of Terminal City. It was a myth, the Promised Land but it wasn't until he saw a newscast three months ago that he knew he had to stop dreaming and put a plan into action to get him there.
He was about to start running with the rest of his brethren after taking the time to relish the enormity of what had just happened, for he was free. He suddenly found himself spalled out on the ground with a brunette on top of him whom he recognised.
"452?"
"472, oh and it's Max"
"Thaddeus" he replied while Max looked confused "What think you're the only one allowed to want something other than a number in this place" he had stood up and hauled Max with him and while brushing their respective selves off he added "Shouldn't you be running the other way?"
"I've got unfinished business with the Colonel" She spat.
"You and about twenty others, a few decided to do the old Colonel in before fleeing."
"No, I need him alive!" She panicked as she began to run.
"Why?" Thaddeus asked her retreating back, then he looked out at the path to freedom and sighed "I'm seriously going to regret this, geez humanity really sucks" and he quickly retraced his steps following Max back into the facility he had just escaped from.
Mr Collins lowered his gun and hastily made his way to the door.
"You're not going to shoot me?" The Colonel spoke surprised.
"You don't deserve something so quick" Mr Collins informed him "It's too late to save your precious facility so I'd probably think about saving yourself" he remarked before departing leaving the Colonel to his fate.
General Farr was awoken by the harsh ringing of his telephone "What" he yelled into the receiver.
On the other end his assistant spoke "Sorry for waking you sir."
"This had better be good"
"We have unconfirmed reports that the Lammasu facility has fallen sir,"
"Well get it confirmed!" the General bellowed before slamming the receiver down.
Max had reached the exercise quad and paused, around her was chaos and confusion, Thaddeus stopped beside her and she turned to acknowledge him.
"You should get to Terminal City Thaddeus," She urged.
"What and miss your show down with the Colonel" He joked, "What's the big deal anyway?"
"He has my daughter." Max replied.
"I knew I was going to regret this, if he didn't run off into the hills at the first sign of trouble he probably would have headed for the control room." Thaddeus began running with Max close on his heels.
It was madness the buildings all in flames transgenics and humans fleeing and the smoke was becoming unbearable, Max's only consolation was that Faith was no longer here amongst this.
They made it to the control room just in time to see a transgenic snap the neck of the Colonel who had waited too late to move. He never made it past the control room door as those seeking vengence for his reign of terror blocked it.
"No!" Max screamed as she pushed through the throng and watched as the Colonel fell crumpled on the floor. She knelt down and grabbed him by the shirt shaking him "Where is she!" she shouted through the tears but it was too late.
"Max, there might be something in the computers" Thaddeus yelled running over to them, Max quickly leaving the Colonel to join him "Shit, the hard drives are deleting themselves."
"Can't you stop it" Max asked calmly, hysterics weren't going to help Faith she had to remain calm.
Thaddeus desperately hammered away at the keyboard scouring his brain for all the computer knowledge he had learned "Shit" he said as he slammed the desk "It's too late, we've got to get out of here" seeing that the smoke was getting thicker and he could hear the flames eating away at the interior of the building.
"No, We've got to keeping trying" Max beseeched.
"It's gone Max, we've got to go now," He ordered as he dragged her out of the control room and together they dashed for freedom leaving the Colonel to burn with everything else.
Alec was speechless "I have two daughters?"
"Yes" Horatio confirmed.
"I have two daughters!" He declared and grinned broadly and then remembered "Does Max know where Faith is?"
"No"
"No, what do you mean no!" He demanded slamming his hand on the table in front of him.
"Faith was removed from the facility yesterday, Max's only option is to get the Colonel to tell her where she is."
Alec stood up and paced running his hand through his hair "Shit Max why didn't you tell me?"
"She couldn't" Horatio answered, "She was sent to TC to spy, the Colonel holding Faith ensured her full co-operation."
"I hate this, I don't do powerless, I can't be expected to just sit here and wait" Alec retorted.
"There may be a way" Horatio offered "before she left she was given a pager a means for me to get in contact with her, it is possible that she has the pager on her possession."
"Bloody hell, Horatio" Alec yelled as he dragged the transgenic out to Luke's terminal.
Max and Thaddeus had cleared the facility and were now running through the woods with hundreds of other transgenics, all heading for Terminal City. Once they had cleared the woods Max stopped.
"Why have you stopped Max?" Thaddeus asked.
"Thaddeus thanks for your help but I've got to find Faith, I know someone I think can help." Max answered.
"Won't the guys at Terminal City help"
"They're going to have bigger problems considering the number of transgenics heading their way." Max said as transgenics jogged past her.
"But still" Thaddeus pressured.
"No I have to do this on my own." Max said, as she looked right and then left trying to decide which direction to take.
Thaddeus knew what he was about to do and was mentally kicking himself "You don't have to do it alone, hey I forced my way into your little adventure may as well see it through with you" He paused and also looked left and right "I suggest right, if I'm not mistaken there's a town about 50 clicks we can get supplies, rest up and go from there."
"Sounds good to me" Max agreed secretly relieved she wouldn't have to be alone in this for a little while at least.
They started to jog in the direction of the town and in Max's jacket pocket the pager that Horatio had given her buzzed merrily away.
TBC