Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story that appear in the hit syndicated TV show Dark Angel, owned and created by James Cameron. I do, however, own any and all original characters appearing here. If you wish to use them, please ask me first.
Time Period: Before Cold Comfort, AU.
Summary: The search for the cure begins.
A/N: To Kyre- I understand your point, and I just wanted to tell you that I had the X5s refer to Logan as a 'norm' to pointedly separate Logan from the X5 family (as dysfunctional as it is…). BTW, I used to have a friend named Kyre… in the 3rd grade… he was from Norway :-D Just a random fact ^_^
332340090210
by
Brin
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
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Jondy sat on her sunken-in couch, staring at the far wall blankly. A cup of water was gripped in her hand so tightly that it was on the verge of breaking, her knuckles stark white. Silent, still figures lay strewn about on the floor in sleeping bags or sheets that had been in the closet for who knows how long. Her blue eyes broke away from the crack in her wall and swept over them lovingly. It was strange; the last time she had seen them sleeping was the night of escape. All X5s were expected to sleep the same: on their backs, arms folded on their stomachs, head turned slightly to the side. Sleep wasn't meant to be comfortable. It was a way to rejuvenate the body, Lydecker had said.
The young X5 tilted her head, letting her catlike manner get the best of her, and studied each of them closely. Not much had changed. Unconsciously, they had (vaguely) made their beds in two rows of three. Brin was facing Ben, who was facing her and had his back to Zack. At Zack's feet was Syl, with one leg wrapped around one of Krit's, and finally Tinga was at Brin's feet, hugging a pillow like a precious loved one.
"Jondy?"
The X5 jumped and looked down to see Zack staring up at her with stunning blue-green eyes. "What are you doing awake?" she asked.
He shrugged off the blanket and sat up, stretching muscular arms above his head. "Don't need that much sleep."
Jondy rubbed her arms in a feeble attempt to drive away the cold of her unheated apartment and smiled at him sheepishly. "I wish I was able to sleep. Strange that Max thinks sleep is a curse."
Zack stood, took a seat next to her.
"Max should be here," said Jondy before he could reply. "It's not right. Why don't you make her come? You would've made any one of us come."
"You can't make Max do anything anymore. I ask her to move because Lydecker is on her tail, and she refuses on account of Logan. Anything I say, 'Logan this' and 'Logan that'. He wants her to stay. He doesn't understand… So why should I even bother?"
Jondy frowned. "It's just… don't you feel betrayed? Or something like that?"
"Yeah," Zack shrugged. "But I kept you guys apart, and I especially alienated her. You know she's always been the most rebellious one."
"That's true… but… never mind. This is making me depressed." She stood up and stretched in a very catlike manner. "I'm going to make breakfast."
Zack watched her with protective eyes as she walked towards the kitchen, but before she disappeared around the corner he stopped her. "Jondy."
She turned and looked at him questioningly.
"You're not gonna die, Jon. We're not gonna let you die."
Jondy nodded in return, then turned the corner and vanished from sight.
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"More pancakes, Brin?" asked Jondy, wincing as the younger X5 belched in reply. "Okay… how about you, Ben?"
Ben politely held out his plate and she put a stack of pancakes on top. He then gently placed it back on the table and began to eat them—bite by bite. Jondy was amazed at his manners, for the rest of the X5s had practically wolfed down their breakfast before heading back out to the living room, drowsy like lions who had just gorged themselves.
"So what's the plan for today?" asked Brin, patting her full stomach contentedly.
"Zack's cooking up something, but he won't tell me what it is," replied Jondy with a shrug.
"We'll be going to a bar. There, Zack will be able to speak to a contact who will betray us indefinitely," interrupted Ben in a matter-of-factly tone. "And I'll rip their throats out."
Brin and Jondy stared at him, stunned speechless. Jondy looked at Brin, who looked back at her and then, much to Jondy's surprise, Brin scolded him, "Ben! Don't do that!"
"It's true," he replied, though he seemed humbled by the fact that she, a full ten inches shorter than he, had yelled at him. "The Lady told me while I slept."
Jondy shivered. The Blue Lady; their 'savior'. Ben's obsession. She looked him in the eye and was instantly stuck there, his hazel orbs no more alive than those of a dead person. It was like looking into the back of his head; nothing was there. His lips were pressed into a thin line, chin quivering with pent-up energy. Controlled, large hands clenched and unclenched on top of the table, leading up to tense arms. His jaw followed the same suit; clenching and unclenching periodically as if he were in pain.
"Jondy. Jondy!" Brin's voice penetrated Jondy's thoughts, and it was obvious from the irritated look on her face that she had been trying to get the other X5's attention for some time.
"Huh?" The older X5 turned her pale blue eyes to Brin and blinked dumbly. "What?"
"Zack's calling you," said Brin, carefully eyeing Ben, who was staring at the ground blankly.
"Oh… alright," Jondy put the empty pan of pancakes on the now-cold stove and took off her apron. She turned around and grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "It's show time."
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"This is how it's gonna go. This guy's got good stuff but every word he says has a price. It could get real ugly, real fast. He's got a horde of muscle men backing him up, but usually they hide out until they're needed. Two can play that game. I'm going to talk to him, and you guys need to blend in. We're going to arrive two by two in three to six minute intervals, okay? Don't talk to anyone but who you came with, and don't even look over at us. If it goes sour, the sound of bullets will probably alert you to that fact. Are we clear?" Zack looked at each of them as they nodded in return. "Okay. Jondy with Tinga. Ben with Brin. Syl with Krit. I'll go in after Syl and Krit."
"Are we going right now?" asked Jondy.
"No, we're waiting 'til it's dark."
"So what do we do while we're waiting?"
Zack raised an eyebrow. "I think you guys need showers first." He smirked to himself, but the others just glared at him. "After that, I want you guys to empty your cars of every gun, knife, and crowbar you have hidden in there, which I know you do."
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And so that's how their afternoon went, and a feeling of uneasiness hung in the air as thickly as the city's smog. They were restive; killing time didn't appeal to them too much, especially Jondy. Zack had explained that they couldn't move too quickly or something would be overlooked.
Jondy sat on the hood of Tinga's SUV as she removed the driver seat to reveal a stash of guns and grenades. "Wow," commented the younger X5, eyes wide.
Tinga shrugged. "Accumulated over the years."
"So where'd you get this truck?" Jondy tapped on the hood, impressed. "Expensive nowadays."
"I bought it."
Jondy's jaw dropped.
"With stolen money," Tinga explained, then laughed. "I told my husband I found it in a bag on the ground."
"Good one," commented Jondy with a grin. "So you have a husband?"
"Yeah… and a son." She pulled a picture from the dash and handed it to her pseudo-sister. "Case and Charlie."
"Wow," Jondy repeated. "That's even more impressive than the truck…" She handed the picture back. "And Zack let you do this?"
"No… but I did it anyway," said Tinga as she removed the weapons. "Sometimes with him you've got to be rebellious… eventually, he'll come around. I mean, I know you're rather fond of him but…" She wriggled her eyebrows teasingly.
"Am not!" protested Jondy. "No, no, no, no!"
Tinga shrugged and replaced the seat. "Whatever you say."
Jondy wracked her brain with a way to change the subject. "So… how'd they get their cars?" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the silver Benz and red convertible.
"I asked them last night before they went to sleep. Brin stole hers from a Senator who was campaigning to outlaw rock music, and the former owners of Krit's convertible mysteriously disappeared right before an anonymous report came in that they were in an illegal slave ring," Tinga said nonchalantly.
"Ah, I see," replied the younger X5 with a grin. "So, are you done? I'm ready to head back inside." She looked at the horizon, where the sun was just about to disappear.
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Zack walked into Le Riviera, a rather nice bar that had, at one point, employed Jondy herself, and looked around. Music pulsated from the speakers hidden in the dark ceiling, washing over the heads of the patrons as they indulged their every whim and wish. The dance floor was covered in people, including Syl and Krit, who were 'cleverly' disguised as newlyweds. He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to the doorman, who handed it to a young woman to take away. Jamming the jacket claim ticket into his jean pocket, he sauntered into the disarray towards the booths where dinner could be ordered. It didn't take him long to spot his contact.
Jay Black was a small, skinny man with long dark hair that was currently pulled back. A cigarette was clutched in grimy hands, which led up to unimpressive arms and dirty black shirt. He wore a silver chain around his neck with a steel serpent hanging off of it. Every now and then he would flick his tongue across his lips like a snake.
"Got the money?" asked the tiny man as Zack sat down across from him.
"You got the info?" he replied hotly.
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Jondy and Tinga, the last to enter, looked around Le Riviera apprehensively.
"I'm going to the bar," declared Tinga. "You?"
"I'll mingle," replied Jondy after briefly glancing at the bartender. He was an ex-boyfriend.
Tinga nodded and moved off towards the bar, while Jondy stood in the doorway a bit to look around. The song, which had been a slow vocal one when they walked in, changed to a fast-paced rock song which Jondy recognized from when she had worked there. It was some Pre-Pulse band's remixed song. The band was Lincoln Park or something like that. Linkin, maybe.
I woke up in a dream today
To the cold of the static
And put my cold feet on the floor
Forgot all about yesterday
Remembering I'm pretending to be where I'm not anymore
A little taste of hypocrisy
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake
Slow to react
Even though you're so close to me
You're still so distant, and I can't bring you back
Her blue eyes flickered over the heads of the people as they jumped up and down as if they were in a concert, causing the floor to tremble under their feet. The DJ was yelling something to get them even more riled up, but she paid no attention to him.
It's true, the way I feel
Was promised by your face
The sound of your voice
Painted on my memories
Even if you're not with me
I'm with you
With you
With you
With you
With you
She spotted Syl and Krit right smack dab in the middle of the crowd, jumping right along with them. They were holding empty margarita glasses in their right hands, waving their free hands high in the air. Laughing and singing along with the band, they were having a blast.
I hit you and you hit me back
And we fall to the floor
The rest of the day stands still
Fine line between this and that
But when things go wrong, I pretend the past isn't real
Now I'm trapped in this memory
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake
Slow to react
Even though you're close to me
You're still so distant, and I can't bring you back
Brin and Ben were sitting in a booth opposite each other, talking quietly. Jondy had noticed something different going on between these two. Usually, she would've accused them of having a form of romance… but their relationship was quite different than anything she'd seen before. It was more like a competition for dominance than anything else. But then again, weren't all relationships like that?
I wont let you control my fate while
I'm holding the weight of the world on my conscience
I wont just sit here and wait while you weighing your options
Your making a fool of me
You didn't dare to try and say you don't care
And solemnly swear not to follow me there
It ain't like me to beg on my knees
Or, please oh baby please
That's not how I'm doing things
No I'm not upset, no I'm not angry
I know love is love and love sometimes, it doesn't pay me
She rubbed her bare arms, resisting the urge to locate Zack in the crowded bar. Somebody bumped into her from behind and she stepped to the side, allowing him to pass. As he did, she briefly spotted the gun hanging from his belt.
No I'm not upset, no I'm not angry
I know love is love and love sometimes, it doesn't pay me
I'm never without you, I'll always be with you
You'll never forget me, I'm keeping you with me
I wont let you take me to the end of my row
Or keep burning and torching my soul
No I'm not your puppet
And no, no, no, I wont let you go
No, no matter how far we've come
I can't wait to see tomorrow
No matter how far we've come
I, I can't wait to see tomorrow
With you
With you
With you
With you
As the song ended, Jondy heard the sound of scuffling. Her head snapped up as gun shots split the air. Immediately, her eyes turned to the man with the gun. He had drawn it and was pointing it at Zack and his contact, who were caught in a heated fight. She blurred forward and knocked it from his hand, then punched him in the face. He went down with a loud thud, causing chaos to beak out in the bar.
"Tinga!" yelled Jondy, looking around. It was always better to fight in pairs.
Instantly, Tinga was at her side. "I got your back," she said over the horrified screams of customers.
Jondy spotted more minions drawing guns and they headed over there while Brin and Ben ran to help Zack. The young X5 punched the first enemy she reached in the mouth, ignoring the sharp pain of his teeth digging into her knuckles. He screamed in pain and she kicked him in the chest as hard as any normally trained fighter would do, but not hard enough to raise suspicion. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Syl and Krit preventing the bar's security from intervening.
"I'm sorry, Sir, you're going to have to move," said the biggest guard sternly.
"Wellllll, whatchaaa gonna do if we don't," replied Krit in a well-faked slur.
Another guard stepped up in-line with the first one. "If you don't move, we're going to have to take you in along with them."
Krit shrugged and promptly punched him in the face, followed by Syl kicking the big one right in the balls.
Meanwhile, Zack, Brin, and Ben easily pinned down Jay Black and squeezed the last of the information out of him before deciding that they had enough. "Just remember," concluded Zack seriously, "I could kill you any where, any time I wanted. I'm more powerful than you could ever imagine." He looked at Brin and Ben pointedly, since they were holding Black down with little to no effort at all and he was struggling with all his might. "Let him go."
Brin and Ben stepped back.
Zack briefly took his eyes off Black to look at his comrades. He was genuinely startled by the crazed look shining in Ben's emerald eyes. Brin had one hand on Ben's shoulder, and though it was hard to notice, Zack spotted the fact that her hand was gripping him tightly as if holding him back. Her nails dug into his shirt and both their bodies were tense. Zack knew this kind of body language. They were ready to fight each other, but only the sense of affection between the two prevented it.
"Let's go," said Zack quickly, before this got out of hand. He whistled to Syl, Krit, Jondy, and Tinga, and they all ran from the bar while everyone else was still trying to figure out what had happened.
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A/N: Wondering what the 'info' is? I'll tell you in the next chapter, k?