Title: Musing on a Champion

Author: Alexz Recoro

Summury: My own take on what Alec may have been thinking when he saw what Max had done to Manticore. Not really orignal, I know. But I got this idea in my head and it wouldn't go away, so I wrote it down.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dark Angel characters.





As he crested the hill, he stopped in horror and amazement. She had done it. The crazy idiot had actually done it! He chould belive it. And yet, at the same time, he could. While his brain didn't want to belive what it's eyes were telling it, in his heart he belived. He felt the heat on his face ands hands, but didn't move back. He saw the others escaping, and was reminded of that night long ago when Max, Zack, Tinga, Krit, Syl, Jondy and his own twin, Ben had escaped.

Ben. His twin. *His* twin. He looked at his hands. With hands just like these, Ben had comforted his siblings injuries and made shadow puppets when they got scared of the dark. He felt his mouth. With a mouth just like this, and a voice like his, Ben had told stories that made all the pain and fear and hurt go away.

There was something he had never admitted to anyone, not even himself. He had buried it so deep inside him that it was safe to declare it legally dead. But now it fought its way to the surface. He tried to squash it again, and force it back down, but it refused to die a second time. He gave up and let it come.

When he was small, he was in his own X-5 group, one who trained, lived, ate, and slept different from Max and his brothers. But he had seen them many times, often by accident. And he had wanted to join that group so badly his mouth had watered and he had trouble sleeping at night sometimes. He wanted to be in a group of siblings, of friends. He wanted someone there to comfort him when he got hurt, and show him shadow puppets on the wall. He wanted someone to tell him stories when he woke up scared. But he had never told anyone, never admitted to to even himself. When they had escaped, he had cheered inside, hoping they would get away and get out in the world and help the rest out. And when he had spent six months in pshy, when Ben died, he had moarned, deep inside. So deep inside that he hadn't realised that half his heart was gone, broken in so many peices that nothing could put it back together.

And he had helped Max escaped so that maybe, just maybe, he could come to terms with his twins death. And when she had given him a name, he had wanted to sing to the heavens. Now he had a name, instead of a number. It was silly, but it made him feel a little closer to his brother, to have a name like he did. He had scoffed, but accepted the name she had given him. And at the moment he wanted to shoot himself, for giving her the viris and helping her kill the man she loved. Sure, he was going to live now that Max was getting the antigen, but it was the principle of it. As he stood and watched his live burn down, he felt a sudden new freedom that made his head swim. And he had just one thought that burned brighter then all the others. And he whispered it outloud.

"Way it go Maxi. Way to go."



THE END