Tittle: The Almighty
Author: J. DeLuca
Date: 9.30.01
Rating: Erm… PG-13? I dun think anything really goes over that… My some swearing and stuff, but hey.
Distribution: Yes. Go on. Take it. Heh, just leave my name at least, and throw me an email.
Summary: Akex is a rogue X5, closest with anther X5, Ben, and they haven't seen each other in years, and when they finally meet up, Ben's screwed up DNA comes into play. Leaving Akex a little shaky, though trying to continue with her life. Maybe she'll run into another sibling along the way.
Disclaimer: Righty, right. You peoples know the drill. I dun own Dark Angel, It'd be kinda nifty If I did, but... I don't *sniffles* Akex is mine though! Alllll mine. Me, selfish? Yeah, so? Mauh! *coughs* Anyway.
A/N: This most defiantly an A/U. Heh, Erm, but I don't really know where it fits in on the first season. Max has had her run in with Ben and OC knows about the X5's "Black helicopter Dudes". But, I dunno, its kinda my own time set I guess.
A/N2: Righty Right all. I guess this is set some where in the middle, silly me I dunno the episode names .;. Logan has his exo, the whole thingy with Ben went down and Brin was captured by Manticore, after all that I guess?? Yeah, it hasta be, Eyes only (Oh Loggie, What a hotty ^_^;) Warned the X5's and that's why Akex moved to Seattle, Anyway, read on and feel free to yell at me if something doesn't add up. OH! And dun yell at me fer spelling and grammar -.-, I can't help it my English teacher was all sick like and I never listened to anything the subs said..
*** = Flash back or Dreams
/ / = Thoughts
" " = Talking
-------------------
***
" So, whatcha been up to, Big Bro.?" Akex smiled lightly, turning from the cold, metal sink she had just placed her cup in to look at her big brother. The sibling she had been closest to at Manticore and the sibling she was just seeing again after years of running.
Ben stood, leaning against the counter just opposite to her with his dark eyes carefully following Akex's movements around the small kitchen, though not seeming that interested in the current conversation. "Nothing really…"
Akex's light small curved into a smirk, as she hoisted herself up onto the counter behind her, swinging her legs out for a moment before letting them hit the cupboard with small thuds, the back of her bare heels hitting the busted and scarred wood. " Aww, common Ben. Your gonna tell me that you've been doing absolutely nothing for the past 9 and a half years?" Choosing to ignore her bother's disinterest as her own bright blue eyes flashing with that undeniable glitter of life all other Rogue X5's eyes could hold on a good day, making for a startling contrast to the dark black locks that fell just to the base of her neck.
Her only answer was a half shrug, her brother shifting against the hard counter behind him as he looked to contemplate something in his head. Which tilted ever-so slightly to the side before suddenly breaking the odd silence that had fell on the pair once Akex given into the fact that Ben wasn't interested in their conversation. "Do you still believe in the Blue Lady, Little sister?"
The question seemed to catch Akex by surprise, because she blinked. Hesitating for a moment before giving another smirk to her bother, " Still caught up in all that stuff Ben?" Again Akex hesitated, giving a glance down to the dirty dishes in her sink, she'd have to clean them later, letting them sit around was already letting rather interesting… things, grow on them. " You know I was never really into the whole Blue Lady thing…" her voice was soft, knowing how worked up her big brother use to get in the barracks when they'd get in to a discussion about the X5's 'God'. "And anyway, what kinda question is that… -You- don't still believe in her… Do you?"
She watched as her bother's jaw tightened and squared, just like their biggest brother when he was seriously peeved. Ben must have been hanging around Zack too much… "Of course I do. And you should to, or she might just decide to make an example out of you… I wouldn't want that to happen to my favorite little sister". And with that Ben made a sudden movement forward, pushing away from the counter and acting as if he was going to pounce on his little sister, who sat on the edge of the sink. Her eyes wide and recoiling away from her lurching brother and the mad look over his face.
***
A pair of small hands swatted at the snooze button of the tiny alarm clock sitting on an upside-down milk carton, with a small gasp making it's way from under the twisted knot of blankets that held the half-awake Akex. Who laid completely hidden under the warm confines of her stained blanket, on top of the saggy and slightly damp mattress that lay bare on the broken floor of the abandoned building. Leaky pipes and cracked planks in the ceiling dripping the never-ending drizzle of water, leaving puddles on the splintered wood and the reason for the mattress' moistness.
Slowly after a minute cooping with her unsettling dream, or flashback which ever you might choose and of savoring the last warmth she was probably going to experience that day, Akex poked her head out from under her blankets. Sighing at her efforts of trying to disentangle the rest of her body from the twisted fabric… She must of seriously tossed and turned last night… During her nightmares.
Shuddering, Akex worked her arms free from the blanket, only to give a frustrated grunt as she tried to pull her legs from it, finding them securely lodged. God, she hated mornings. Simply hated them, for no reason other then the fact that it meant she had to crawl away from her superman blanket, which she had 'borrowed' from her foster family years ago... And push herself blindly into the world that didn't want her, only a step up from the hell she had once occupied. Some days she wished Zack would just show up and give her an excuse for running away to a new home.
***
There was a thud, as the chair fell side ways to the floor, leaving the bound and gagged Akex to squirm, her arm painfully trapped between her lightweight on the chair and the floor. Her hands wriggling and pulling at the tightly tied ropes around her wrists, her big brother hadn't forgotten how to tie a good knot.
Akex found herself lightly trembling as her brother stood over her, that insane look still held on his face as his eyes looked over the various bruises and gashes he had inflicted on his little sister trying to, 'Cleanse her of her blasphemy to her protector.' Promising to stop all of it once the Blue Lady was convinced of her loyalty.
Akex eyes widen in fear of the now unfamiliar man that just stood there, sure he looked like her brother, the one she had shared all her secrets with when they were little, the one she use to climb into the same cot with to ward off nightmares of the basement's monsters. The 'nomalies. But it couldn't be him, because the man standing over her, who had inflicted all of the wounds that littered her body was one of those monsters. A 'nomaly.
She tried to plead with him, her words muffled and rendered incomprehensible through the cloth that was shoved in her mouth, her brothers name smothered out by a yelp of pain as he backhanded her. Leaving her to lie on the floor tied soundly to the chair she had been sitting in for the last three weeks, after having wriggled out of the restraints keeping her tied to the furnace. Now she tried to work the piece of cloth out of her mouth, sure that if her brother could hear what she needed to say that he would snap out of this madness.
Seeing her movement to remove her gag, Ben smirked at his sister, the disbeliever. Reaching down with a rough hand to grip her by the disgustingly dirty T-shirt she wore, hauling the chair back up to its proper position. The still brotherly side in him, wincing at the new bruise he had inflicted on her still beautiful face, and taking note of how much lighter she was compared to two months ago, when this had all started. " I'm Sorry I have to do this, little sister. I really am. But the Blue Lady needs you to believe in her, for your own protection you see". Now he tilted his head slightly, his fingers digging under the tightly tied gag that was crusted with dried blood and slowly being saturated with new. He must have busted the inside of her cheek when he last hit her. " Now I'm going to remove your gag, Kex. And you gotta tell me what you have learned." Yanking his hand down, Ben pulled the dirty cloth from Akex's mouth. His other hand resting against the back of the chair he had put her in, leaving his face rather close to hers.
***
The alarm went off again, reminding the still half-tangled Akex that she still had to get up, only getting thrown against the far wall in thanks. /Must of Dozed off again/. Slowly slipping out of the blankets, and shaking off her current recollection, she crawled out of bed, mumbling and groaning to herself about the torture of early morning, only to remind herself she had reason today, work. She had to find work, even with generous gifts in the arts of theft she found having something to do during the day helped the fact that she had to be up at all. And the only reason she had to be up was because of Zack persistent complaining about her sleeping habits.
For some reason Akex slept a lot compared to her siblings who only needed three or four hours to work efficiently, some like Max and Jondy didn't really need sleep at all. Hell, Akex slept a lot compared to the norms too, before Zack yelled at her for it, telling her to cope with what happened. A little over six months ago she found herself sleeping for the day, only waking to eat enough so she didn't get seriously malnourished or something. 'Sleeping doesn't make you problems go away, little sister' his exact words...
Finally rendering herself free from the rest of the restraining covering, she stood, wobbling slightly still disoriented from her slumber, and Zack got on her case for that too. 'You sleep to soundly', 'You're never alert enough', 'If I was Manticore coming to take you back you would be in the enemy's hands by now!' Gah, sometimes she just wanted to slug him across the face, and she did once too. Bad Idea. The memory of that occasion enough to make her wince and run a hand over her jaw, her big brother packed quite a punch. Of course that had been years ago, and she doubted she would be able to gather enough courage to even talk back to Zack now, let alone physically harm him.
With a final mumble of hatred for mornings, Akex ran quick, nimble fingers through her disheveled locks of black hair, angled away from her face to cover her barcode and yet stay out of her eyes. She had dyed various strands blue and red now, Heh, the look on 'oh-high commander's' face had fell just short of hilarious, until when he threaten to shave it off.
Grabbing a blue bandana and folding it in half to form a triangle, Akex pulled it tightly around her forehead, tying it securely. Lately she hadn't been able to even find scissors fit enough to cut her hair angled like, making it long and annoying, it surprising that a person can find the ingredients to hair dye yet fall short on a supply of cutting utensils, that's the resent economy for you. Now, grabbing up her only pair of good jeans she pulled them on, wrinkling her nose as they tried to fall down. She must have forgotten to eat again... For a couple days maybe?… With a shrug she tied the white rope cord laced through her belt loops, tugging it once so to make sure they weren't going to fall down in the middle of a sidewalk.
Grabbing a black T-shirt she had left on the floor she pushed open the half-broken door to her 'apartment' stepping out into trash cluttered halls to pull it over her head and straighten it over her discolored wife beater. Not even giving a glance to the other homeless persons whom stood milling around the halls. Only turning to go down the stairs, her bare feet finding rainwater puddles and nasty garbage, days like this makes a person wish they had shoes.
