Shadows of the Past
Chapter 8: Invincible
PG-13ish
As always I don't own 'em in any way shape or form…so don't try and get any money from me cause you're not gonna find any. SO ha!
Ok, so maybe having this done by Christmas was a bit ambitious, but you never know. Ummm, I've been looking forward to writing this chapter almost since day one, but it was surprisingly hard for me to write. I hope that I did the movie in my head justice when I tried to put it on the page. So if I don't get the last chapter up by Christmas, "Merry Christmas!" and Happy Holidays to all of you. Thanks for sticking with me on this one. It's been a long haul but it's almost over. Thanks :P
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Max paused to look at the wall hiding her siblings, sighing sadly. I promise you, they're not going to get away with this. I will put an end to it, tonight.
"Zack?" Max asked trotting up next to him, gently squeezing Logan's hand before letting go.
"Yeah?" He asked sounding somewhat preoccupied.
"I know how much you just want to complete your mission and all, but I can't leave yet." Max told him flat out, making sure not to cut any corners with her CO. Now that she remembered her brother, telling him that she couldn't leave yet was easier in a way, but still terrifying. There had been so much time lost, and Max didn't know how much, if at all, he had changed.
"What?" Zack demanded stopping in mid-stride. "Of course you're leaving now."
"No, I'm not Zack. You're free to go, but there is something I have to do. And I'm not leaving until it's done." Max looked Zack dead in the eye, not backing down. As Zack looked into the dark eyes of his sister, he noticed something that wasn't there a few minutes before. A greater wisdom, an understanding, a rekindled fire of controlled and specific anger. Slowly a small smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth. His Max was back.
"What is it that you have to do?" he asked trying to sound impartial, but he would do whatever it was that she wanted right now out of pure joy. Max's eyes shifted back to Logan for a moment, bringing him to her side when she began to explain.
"They're trying to kill us all Zack. Lydecker and Renfro." She began, "They have this serum that is specifically coded to unravel transgenic DNA. They'll take us out one by one, until there aren't any of us left. They've already prepped me for 'disposal' in the morning." Dropping her eyes to the ground Max walked over to the lever that had revealed her siblings earlier.
"Zack, they already got Bryn, Ben, and Tinga." Max finished sadly, as she pulled the lever exposing the scene behind the wall. Zack stood in shock his eyes jumping from one face to another, as tears began to pool in his crystal blue eyes.
"Why are they doing this?" Logan asked finally finding his voice. Hearing that Max had an execution date set, made his stomach churn.
"Because taking responsibility for their actions would be too easy." Max said bitterly. "So they are just getting rid of us so they can start all over again. Zack I can't let them keep doing this. Not knowing what I do. All I'd have to do is get rid of their serum supply and the antigen and we'd be good to go."
"But they still have the blue prints to make more, Max. We'd have to take it out from the base." Zack said weakly.
"I don't know! But I have to do something. I can't just walk away from this. Not tonight especially. Don't ask me what I going to do, cause I'm just making it up as I go along. But I can't do nothing." Max argued feeling helpless. There was still so much that she didn't know and understand about her past and what she was. But she knew enough to know that she could actually do something about this mess that Manticore had created.
"Whatever you do, I'm with you." Logan said taking her hand in his.
"Look, it's real nice that you're willing to help out here, but this isn't your fight." Zack told him coldly.
"Zack's right Logan. You have nothing to do with this, so why should you risk getting hurt?" Max said turning to face Logan. "I don't want to risk losing you." She whispered so only he would hear.
"This is about you. These dirt-bags made you and now they want to kill because of some pathetic excuse like you're not 'perfect' enough? Like hell that doesn't concern me. Max. anyone who wants to hurt you, has to go through me first." Logan told her making sure not to break eye contact with her.
"But, if anything happened to you…"
"I'll be fine." He assured her with one of his prize winning smiles.
"No, I don't think so." Zack argued, seeing Max nod in agreement with Logan. He didn't need some outsider getting in the way.
"Look, you may be my CO, but where the hell do you get off refusing the help of a willing volunteer? It's an extra set of eyes if nothing else. I personally think that it's a good idea, and if anything goes wrong I'll take the blame." Max said her demeanor changing in the blink of an eye.
"Fine." Zack sighed exasperated. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?"
"Let's go." Max said gently to Logan, as both fear and anxiety settled into her chest. Get your head in the game Max. Come on. There's nothing to worry about. Casually rolling her neck and shoulders to rid them of the kinks that had formed, Max and Zack passed through the door frame with sheer determination and confidence.
Logan wasn't quite sure what he was going to do or where he fit in, in this whole plan, but he did know that he wasn't going to leave Max. He couldn't leave her, not now. She meant far too much to him leave her now.
The room was about twice the size of the one
they had just left and the walls were lined with various tables and shelves.
Veering to the right Max looked into the glass case containing different vials
grouped together in holding trays. Each one had different bar-codes labeling
the contents of each vial. Me, Zack, Jondy… Shaking her head in
disappointment Max continued past the cabinet onto the table beside it that was
covered with different vials and petrie dishes.
*-*
This bloody road remains a mystery
A sudden darkness fills the air
What are we waiting for?
Won't anybody help us?
What are we waiting for?
*-*
"I found it." Max said turning to look at
Zack, with a tray of the serum in hand, who was rifling through the files that
were left scattered on the surrounding tables.
Pulling his attention from the file he was looking at, Zack looked up to
see what Max had found. Logan watched
silently noticing the devious glint in Max's eye, as slowly the tray slipped
from her nimble fingers crashing onto the floor.
"Ooops." Max said with a
feigned look of innocence on her face.
Unable to hold back any longer, she broke into a smile shattering her
mask of innocence. Zack simply rolled
his eyes at the pointless and childish act and retuned to the files.
"Have you found anything that could be a master blue print of the serum? Or the antigen even?" Logan asked, approaching the files Zack had yet to look over.
"No. I doubt that they would be careless enough to leave something so important out in the open like this though." Zack said tossing aside yet another file. Hearing another crash the two men turned around quickly to see Max brushing her hands with a satisfied look on her face as she stood beside a now bare table and a pile of broken glass, trays, and assorted syringe types, all of which contained the serum deadly to all transgenics. Logan walked over to look at the mess Max had created, while an uninterested Zack dove back into the files, something within them catching his eye.
"Ok, so maybe I have some anger issues." Max admitted through a grin, catching Logan's eye. Unsure of what to say Logan kept his mouth shut and smiled at the vibrant woman before him. "There's only one thing left to smash." Max told Logan slipping past him with ease, to reach the glass cabinet where she carefully picked up the next generation of transgenics.
*-*
We can't afford to be innocent
Stand up and face the enemy
It's a do or die situation
We will be invincible!
*-*
"Argh! Maxie get outta here!" Zack growled in pain and anger as he fell to his knees and pulled the emptied syringe out of his neck. Somehow Lydecker had managed to slip into the room without anyone noticing, and stranger still he kept his presence a secret until he plunged the syringe into the escaped X5's neck.
"Zack!" Max screamed taking a step towards her CO, but Logan grabbed her arm holding her back.
"Logan, get her out of here, NOW!" Zack commanded seeing Lydecker pull the gun from his belt. Nodding, Logan put his arm around Max's waist to guide her out of the building before it was too late. But, Max refused to move as her eyes locked onto Lydecker's.
"I'd put that down if I were you." He said reminding max of the tray she held tightly in her grasp. "No one will get hurt if you just put that down." Lydecker said standing firm in statement. As Max stared down the barrel of the gun in Lydecker's hand, she noticed something in his other hand-a syringe. Oh God. This is it, Judgment Day. Glancing over to Logan, Max's heart broke. He looked absolutely terrified, not for himself but for her. His eyes were franticly flying from Max to the gun and back to Max. He was once again helpless to save her.
*-*
This shattered dream you cannot justify.
We're gonna scream until we're satisfied
What are we running for?
We've got the right to be angry!
What are we running for?
When there's no where we can run to anymore.
*-*
"You sing my CO's death certificate and you want me to cooperate? You kill my family and my best friend and you want me to cooperate? You took the chance of a fairly normal life and ripped it out of my hands, shattered into a million tiny pieces and you and you want me to cooperate?" Max asked him.
"Why?" Max demanded through her teeth, pushing back tears.
"Your will needed to be broken." He stated simply. "You were always one of the strongest Max. In order for us to get you to do anything as a child we needed to bring you to the breaking point before you'd follow orders. It was assumed that your will would only get stronger with age and it needed to be broken." Lydecker told her. Catching Zack's slight movement from the corner of his eye, he threw a kick, landing it in the X5's stomach to keep him down.
"You pushed me beyond the 'breaking point' a long time ago, which is probably why I can't remember my so called childhood. But a person can only take so much, and killing everyone I loved…. I thought that you would have learned something from the escape back in '09. When you kill one of our own, we get pissed. And when we're pissed, we're dangerous to anyone and everyone who can be defined as the enemy or unknown. And I hate to tell you this, but have been the enemy since day one, and your past has come back to bite you in the ass." Max said, her voice getting dangerously cold as she spoke.
*-*
We can't afford to be innocent
Stand up and face the enemy
It's a do or die situation
We will be invincible!
And with the power of conviction
There is no sacrifice
It's a do or die situation
We will be invincible!
*-*
"Deck you're never gonna believe this!" Renfro said rushing into the room waving a file in the air, stopping short seeing the scene unfolding. "Deck what are you doing? Put the gun down." She told him nervously. "Lydecker, that's an order!"
While Lydecker was partiality side-tracked Max and Zack worked out a makeshift plan without a word spoken. Nodding slightly, Max turned to Logan unsure of what to tell him. 'Stay back and keep your head down.' She mouthed to him. His fear filled eyes questioned her on what was happening but Logan nodded signaling that he understood his orders, as she slowly guided him behind her with her free hand. Smiling softly, Max turned her attention back to Lydecker her face instantly hardening at the sight of him.
*-*
Won't anybody help us?
What are we running for?
When there's nowhere…nowhere we can run to anymore.
*-*
"Hey Deck, kiss you future 'kids' goodbye." Max spat getting Lydecker's full attention once again so he could watch the tray full of new and improved transgenic DNA fall to the floor, adding to the large pile Max had already created.
"No!" He screamed, signaling Zack to make his move. Zack dove towards Lydecker taking the man down once and for all just after he pulled the trigger, releasing a bullet towards for Max. Dropping the file in her hand Renfro set into a dead heat for Max, throwing her down into the broken glass on the floor, taking the bullet in the chest. Logan sensing the chaos had come to an end moved from around the corner of the cabinet and ran directly to Max.
"You screwed with the wrong family." Zack muttered when he discarded Lydecker's limp body and slowly rose to his feet.
Carefully pushing herself up, Max noticed a sharp, uncomfortable pain in her ribs. Damn….did I break one or something? Max looked down to see if there was a piece of glass lodged in her skin and found something far worse. Oh God. Closing her eyes, Max pulled the syringe from in between two of her ribs, quickly dropping into the mess of lab supplies beneath her.
"Max? Max, are you okay?" Logan asked helping her up.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to her." Max jutting her head towards Renfro. "Why the hell did she do that? She was more screwed up than Lydecker." Max pulled her eyes from the body on the ground to look Logan in the eye.
"I don't know. I'd bet the answer to that is in that file of hers though." Smoothing back Max hair Logan smiled. "You sure you're okay?" he asked noticing her completion more pale than it had been a few minutes ago. She did just almost die. That's enough to drain the blood from anyone's face.
"Yeah. I'm okay." Max smiled as she burned Logan's eyes into her memory.
"Zack!" Max called suddenly remembering what had happened to him. "You need the antigen. Umm….there's only one vial, in the fridge, in the other room. You've gotta get that in your blood steam as soon as possible." Zack nodded and went in search of the antigen. A sad smile formed on Max's lips as she watched Zack walk away. It's the right thing to do.
"He'll be okay." Logan consoled.
"I know he will. He has to be. Too many people need him." Max muttered more to herself than to Logan. Out of no where the room began to spin and Max lost her balance, forcing her to grab onto Logan for support.
"Whoa! I got you. I've got you." Logan said as Max collapsed against his chest. "Max, are you alright? You wanna sit down?" He suggested, his concern growing rapidly.
"Yeah. Sitting would be good." She breathed as Logan lowered her to the ground. Closing her eyes Max curled up in Logan's arms. I'm so tired.
"Max, what's going on? What's wrong? And don't tell me you're fine, because you're obviously not." Logan demanded. Shifting to see his face, Max couldn't seem to find the words. How could she tell him that she was dying and Zack had the only vial of the antigen that could save her?
"Max?" Logan said looking deep into her dark brown eyes as his worst fear became a reality. "No. Please no." he begged tightening his grip on her. "Max, I can't lose you. Not now. I just found you." Tears instantly sprung to his eyes now that he was facing the reality of losing Max.
"I'm sorry." Max whispered her own tears over flowing. "Oh, God, don't cry. That's my job." Max said trying to lighten the dark mood.
"It's not your fault Max." Logan gently brushed the hair away from her face. There was so much that each of them had to say, but didn't know how to say it. And they were running out of time.
But, somehow their hearts managed to reach one another and everything that needed to be said was written in their eyes, conveying messages that could never make it pass their lips before they talked themselves out of it. There was no room for questions or disbelief between them. Their hearts would not lie and they both knew it.
"There is no where else I'd rather be right now." Max whispered. "There is no other way I want to die than looking into your eyes." Max lightly stroked Logan's soft stubble with the back of her hand with a slight smile. "I'm gonna miss this. You holding me in your arms. I've never felt so safe. It's like all the fears, and problems in the world vanish when I'm with you. I'm going to miss you."
"Shhh. Don't talk like that. You're going to be okay." Logan said holding back a sob. "We have plenty of time to sit like this. We have all the time in the world."
"Logan," Max said her whisper getting fainter with each passing moment. Not wanting to hear a goodbye of any kind, Logan gently kissed Max. Praying that it was all a bad dream, and that when he opened his eyes again Max would be okay.
"Don't leave me Max. Please. I don't want to go through life if you're not there. Max please." He cried, desperate to keep her with him.
"I don't have much of choice." Max told him wiping away a tear from his cheek, as she fought for consciousness. "I love you." She whispered as her hand fell away from his face and everything faded to black.
"No. Max, stay with me! Stay with me!" Logan begged, as sobs wracked his body. "I love you…you can't leave me."
"Max, I couldn't find any syringes in there-" Zack said walking back into the room.
"Max!" Immediately running to Max's side and dropping to his knees he looked down at his sister, then to Logan locking eyes with the man who loved his sister, the decision already made.
My, my, my, what have I done? If you were anything like a friend of mine-you know who you are-couKATgh-screaming at the screen won't change my mind about what I'm gonna do or how the chapter ended, but it does make me smile. :D Ummm, the song is 'Invincible' by Pat Benatar…great song if you've never heard it and very fitting for Dark Angel in general. Another sing that I was going to put in but decided against it was 'Wherever you will go' by The Calling. The only reason that I put in the first is because of the title of the chapter…otherwise it would have been The Calling hands down. SO if you have the song in any form, play it during the last section between Max and Logan…cause it was playing in my head while I came up with it all. Well I rambled on for long enough….please remember to review to let me know what you think or email me if it's easier luvvbug101@hotmail.com thanks a million and go read Elevator Music cause it's awesome!!!!!
