Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dark Angel, don't sue my ass, you'll get
nothing.
Rating:R
Renfro walked through the cold, wet rain, moisture glistening off the
umbrella over her head and dripping in a circular drizzle around her. |He sure picked a hell
of a night for this meeting. A real shithole of a place too.| She was surrounded by low
lying, decrepit old buildings, most of them pre-pulse, with paint and chunks of brick
peeling off their skin, graffitti blasted with dark spray paint covering every solid surface.
The ground she walked on was a haphazard mixture of dirty, torn up newspapers,
cigarette butts, unidentifiable food scraps that reeked of prolonged exposure to the
elements, and the occasional cat droppings that were left by strays that wandered the area
pilfering the garbage. Carefully avoiding the assorted litter, her expensive designer heels
clicking against the blacktop, she made her way to a small unmarked building in the near
the end of the alley. She pulled open the door and entered into a fairly well lit room devoid
of most furnishings save for a chair and a table with a computer monitor perched on top of
it. The monitor flashed to life, the familiar deep blue eyes appearing on screen...|just the
eyes, unfortunately. But then again, I didn't think he would be stupid enough to show his
face.| "Did you come along as requested?" "Yes. Nice place you got here. Can't help but
admire the elegant decor." She folded her arms as she took her seat. "So what was it that
you wanted to discuss with me?" The eyes narrowed a bit, a barely concealed indignation
and fury underlying grim determination. "I want to discuss terms for the release of X5-
599, aka Zack." She smiled a bit. Fool didn't know, as she suspected. "I'm afraid that's
not possible. X5-599 is currently deceased. He self-terminated in order for us to give his
heart for transplant in order to save the life of another X5 we currently have in custody.
Logan's face lit up in shock at the news. |Zack is dead? We came all this
way for nothing? What, who's that other X5 she was talking about? someone Zack would
die to save? Max...no it can't be, I watched her die in my arms!" The others in the room
reacted with an equal amount of surprise. "Zack is dead? What the hell are we going to
do?" Jondy exclaimed, the shock and fear emanating powerfully from her voice. "No, it's
not possible!" Krit cried out. "This is Zack we're talking about! He's got to be okay! He
can't just die on us!" Syl stood with her mouth half open, a dumbfounded look on her
face. |He killed himself to save one of us? I mean, I knew he cared about his family, always
putting his own ass on the line to keep us safe, gave up any semblance of a normal life to
look out for us, but I had no idea...| The incredible sacrifice was not lost on any of them.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the line, Renfro waited for them to respond, carefully
judging their reaction as to glean as much information as she could. Then Logan recovered
quickly from his shock and spoke once more. "Who's life did he save?" Renfro gave a
short chuckle. "I believe you already know this individual. X5-452. Max, correct?" She
smiled as the silence on the other side broke into a whirlwind of whispers and some rather
loud whoops of joy and unbridled elation.
|I can't believe it,| Logan thought. |Max is alive. It wasn't just a feeling
after all.| Then, abruptly, he spoke harshly into the microphone. "How do I know your
telling the truth? That this just isn't some kind of sick game that you're playing." "Do you
wish me to show you? They watched carefully as she took out a cell phone and called.
"Bring the specimen in." She turned to face the confused and skeptical eyes staring back at
her through the monitor. 'She'll be transported here shortly." Back at the penthouse, Zane
spoke. "How do we know if any of what that bitch says is true, that she's not just playing
mind games with us?" "Simple. We don't. Anyway, I don't see how us believing this could
work out in her favor. She knows that if she doesn't deliver either Max or Zack to us, then
I'll definitely let the whole world in on Project Manticore." On the other side of the line,
Renfro was growing impatient by the silence that came from the equipment before her.
There came a knock on the door. Two Manticore guards dragged in a unconscious Max.
Logan and the others were shocked to see her in such a disheveled and broken state. She
wore a dull blue hospital gown and her face was covered with cuts and bruises. It seemed
that she had been beaten and tortured. They turned her around and lifted her hair to give a
good look at the barcode on the back of her neck. It was Max all right, hurt and beat up
but alive nonetheless. Logan could not express his joy at seeing his beloved Max once
again. In the background, Syl and Krit shared a hug as the other two stared, mouths
gaping at the sight of their supposedly long gone sister. |She's alive.| Jondy just stood, her
features frozen like ice. |Maxie is alive. She looks so different, but it's her, I know. I could
never forget my little sister. Hang in there Maxie. We're going to get you out of there.|
"Now I'm willing to trade her instead of 599, who is still valuable as a
research specimen, but how do I know you'll keep up your end of the bargain?" "I'll hand
the files over to you at the same time we get max." Logan replied. "How do I know that
you're giving me everything?" She demanded. "And how do we know you don't have a
million copies in your basement? "How do I know that you'll return her to us as you
promised?" Renfro stared intensely into the shining blue ovals. "Guess we'll just have to
trust each other won't we? Her words were slow and measured, with a glint of malice in
those slightly paler blue eyes. "Guess so." The enigmatic Eyes Only stared back with an
equal amount of distrust and animosity. "Meet me and my associates down by the
waterfront, pier 21. 3:00 p.m sharp. Once again, you'd better not be pulling any tricks."
She smiled in reply, a abrupt and slightly demonic grin. "Believe me, good sir. I am way
above such devious behavior. She heard a snort in response. "Whatever."
"My boo is alive! I knew them fuckin black chopper goons couldn't beat a
tough ass suga like Max!" "Yeah I guess she is." Logan never felt so rejuvenated and
anxious to see someone in his entire life. He would give anything to see her in person once
more, to hold her, to touch her soft skin, and to hear her crack one of her smart ass
comments at him. Memories flooded his brain of the time they first kissed, an electric
tingling running through the whole of his then crippled body. "MAXIE'S COMING
HOME GUYS!" One of the siblings screamed, his voice barely penetrating the gorgeous
vibes pouring into Logan's brain. "We're not out of the woods yet." Syl stated calmly.
"hate to break the great mood everyone's in, but in case you haven't noticed, we still have
to facilitate the transfer." Everyone calmed down noticeably. She was right. They weren't
out of the woods yet. Zane moved over to the motley pile of firearms located on a living
room table. "Better get ready. Knowing Manticore, they probably definitely have
something up their sleeve."
Guns and ammunition exchanged hands as they each suited up for the
upcoming mission. Syl handed a glock 9mm to Logan and a vest. Cindy started to helped
herself to a gun and vest. Logan turned towards her. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm going with you guys." "No you're not." Stated Syl firmly.
We're already taking enough risk by bringing him along," gesturing to Logan. "We don't
need any more civies tagging along and jeopardizing things." Cindy met her hard gaze
with a fiercely determined look. "My boo is out there, and I'm not gonna sit back here and
trust you soldier folks to bring her back. I'm going. Period." Syl matched her gaze for a
moment, and then gave in. "Alright. Just stay out of the way. And don't shoot yourself in
the foot." Cindy returned a contemptuous glance. She sure as hell wasn't that
incompetent.
The wind caressed Jondy's hair with a faint, whispery breeze accompanied
by the scent of sea water and dead fish. She gripped her MP5-3A carefully, making sure it
cocked and ready to rumble. The sky was clear and luminescent, sunlight bouncing off of
her golden locks. It was a beautiful day, and the sound off gulls echoed from beyond the
pier where there bodies were prone and silent, awaiting the arrival of Manticore and their
long lost sister. Jondy would like to think about Max now, to remember the times they
shared in that dark, cold institution, where the only solace and comfort they found was in
the company of each other. But she couldn't, she had to focus on the mission now. The
mission was to make sure Max got home safe and unharmed. To do that she had to shut
off the emotions inside of her, the warmth and happiness, the unbridled giddiness of a little
girl who was about to reunite with her childhood playmate. She looked behind her to a
pile of crates lying on the dock, behind which Zane was ready to provide cover fire. Her
eyes shifted to her right, where Syl cradled her .50 caliber sniper rifle in a firing stance, in
the adjacent building of where the transfer would take place. She caught the slight hand
movement from the half broken window, indicating that she was ready. Her eyes darted
over to Krit, sensing a mind-numbing wave of anticipation and impatience emanating from
his eyes as he bore the M4A1 with a 30mm grenade launcher and clung it hard to his
chest. A little in front of them both was Logan, as nervous and scared as the rest of them,
only he didn't do such a good job of hiding it. Her eyes turned one more time towards
Cindy, who lay in the back seat of the Aztec, staring intently at her from her vantage point
far behind them. She breathed a sigh of relief as the black van and a hummer pulled up
onto the pier.
Manticore special ops troopers clambered out of the van, their weapons
lowered but ready, their body movements suggesting a similar tension pulsating through
each of their minds. The doors of the hummer also opened, and out came a large guard in
full combat gear, followed by a another similar man who helped him drag a barely
conscious Max between them, her hands and feet securely cuffed and manacled as they
half dragged her to the center of the wooden boards, her chains making rasping metallic
noises as they brushed against each other. Seeing her livid bruises and broken expression
in person as she stood their like a pathetic little puppet wanted to make Jondy scream at
those who did this to her, to open fire and tear the bastards apart. Her eyes swerved over
to Zane, who fought to keep his face stoic and unyielding. |Got to keep cool, wouldn't do
to start something stupid, now would it?| she reminded herself. The guards pulled Max up
to Logan, whose jaw quivered and whose hands balled tightly into fists at the sight of his
beloved and the treatment that she had recieved. The leader's cold hard eyes glared into
his. "You got the files?" "Yes" Logan started to hand over the folder as the guards shoved
Max towards him. The folder passed into the man's hands. He quickly tore open the folder
and began to skim through the information. He then stopped, satisfied. "Let her go." The
guards behind him pushed Max straight into Logan's waiting arms, where he looked
directly into her scarred but still beautiful face, simply holding her for a moment, inhaling
the scent of her, the memories of her presence pouring their way back into his mind.
Meanwhile, Krit breathed a sigh of relief. |looks like we're going to get out of this without
incident.| As logan gently helped her back towards the waiting aztec, a young soldier at
the back dropped his sidearm in a clumsy effort to scratch himself. A single gunshot
echoed throughout the harbor, and all hell broke loose.
Jondy held down the trigger on her gun and painted the contingent of black
clad troops in front of her with a hailstorm of 9mm rounds, instantly dropping the three of
them, including the leader, while speeding sideways and back towards the nearest cover.
Almost at the same time, Krit released a grenade into the hummer, and nearby troopers
futilely tried to escape the resulting explosion as it fireballed outwards from the target and
engulfed several of them, sending one flying off the pier and into the icy water below. In
the midst of the confusion that reigned among the enemy as they desperately tried to
reconnoiter and return fire, Syl sent a .50 caliber round into the head of one man,
exploding it like a overripe watermelon, splattering his comrades with red gore. One of
them lifted his rifle and attempted to put a few rounds into the multilimbed figure of
Logan entangled with Max as they struggled to escape the scene before them. Logan saw
the movement and reached for the pistol at his belt, but the trooper was quickly met with
another .50 cal shot to the throat, vaporizing his neck and sending his decapitated head
flying into the air only to land and roll off his crumbled body. In the space between, Zane
was sending the other troopers running for cover from the 5.56 mm rounds he spewed
their way, striking a few and leaving only a few standing as fire from his siblings continued
to pin down and kill those soldiers still remaining unharmed. Krit pulled the pin of a
grenade and threw it onto the hood of the van, which bounced for a second or two before
landing on the ground and creating a blast that wiped both the van and the two soldiers
hiding behind it off this plane of existence. The remaining troopers made a hasty and
terrified retreat, and Syl hesitated to put another bullet into one's back as Logan got Max
into the car with the help of cindy. and the others sped for their own vehicle and rushed to
join them. The two vehicles sped off around some buildings and into the distance, leaving
a chaotic medley of blood, flames, and dismembered and charred bodies in their wake.
She awoke in the comforting arms of Logan, who hugged her tightly and
seemed he would never release her till the end of the world. Weakly, she returned his
strong, passionate embrace and met his lips with her own for one glorious and prolonged
moment of bliss. It agonized her to withdraw her mouth from his after about a minute that
seemed like a eternity of supreme happiness and comfort. She placed her head over his
shoulder to stare at her rescuers, first absorbing the features of Krit, then Syl, Zane, and
finally Jondy, her old friend Jondy, grown into a beautiful young woman, her golden locks
pouring freely over her greatly matured face, topped off with her delicate green eyes that
softly spoke of how much they had missed her. "Jondy? God! I never thought I'd see
you—" The green eyed blond walked up and interrupted her in midsentence. "Sshhh. It's
okay. We're all here now Maxie. You're going to be alright." They each hugged her with
the same tightness that Logan held her with, and she could feel the grief and pain washing
away from them as her arms wrapped around each member of her family. When she finally
embraced Jondy, she whispered "Too bad Zack isn't here." "Yeah. Looking out for his
squad to the bitter end, huh?" Max merely nodded and her eyes gave way to tears the
same time her sister's did, their sadness being fully yet silently released as the others stared
quietly at the ages old bond of friendship shared between the two young women on the
couch. "What up boo?" Max looked into the eyes of a much more recent friend. "Cindy!"
she reached over and hugged her favorite boo, the tears continuing to flow from her eyes.
It was too much. Too much to take all at once. Yet here she was, once again with her
family and the people that loved her.
In the midst of all the celebration, X5-452 reached for the small
communication device latched onto her wrist. She turned her arm over and smiled. The
tracking beacon was active, giving the coordinates of the penthouse to the folks back
home. An outburst of emotion had overwhelmed her from the moment she awoke to find
them around her, but now her mind cleared and she remembered her mission. |How
stupidly foolish of me for that to happen. They always taught us emotions were
counterproductive to the goal and would only result in getting your ass killed.| She
frowned now, realizing how she forgot who she was. A soldier. |Well, at least they bought
it. They won't suspect a thing until we're right on top of them.| She was proud of what
she was about to do. |It's time to correct the mistake we made 11 years ago. It's time to
bring them back home. Back to Manticore, where we belong.| She looked behind her one
last time before sending the signal to attack.
The words on the laptop in front of her pleased Renfro to no end. |She's
come through for us, just like I knew she would.| She congratulated herself on the
successful reprogramming of one of the most resilient escapees they had ever encountered.
They had gone through a hell of a lot of trouble and work to get 452 to see things the way
they wanted her to, and to set things up so that she would be in a prime position to lead
them to Eyes Only and the rogue X5's. And now all that work was going to pay off. |Big
time. Our dear Mr. Cale and his genetically engineered companions won't know what hit
them. The committee will be pleasantly surprised. Now I'm going to succeed where the
late Col. Donald Lydecker failed. I'm going to bring in 4 of his kids in one fell swoop,
where he succeeded in bringing in only one through pure luck and a good 11 years worth
of searching. And the elusive Eyes Only as well.| She could almost hear the praises of the
committee once they heard about the good news. |I think you deserve a promotion,
Director Renfro. You're successful efforts and pure dedication to this program merit the
best benefits that we can offer.| She turned to Lt. Jenkins, who stood ready like a hound
on a leash. "Mobilize the troops. We're going in." She got up and reached for her coat.
She wanted to be there to see the look on their faces when they discover who ratted them
out.