Disclaimer: Nope, last time I looked in a mirror I wasn't James Cameron or anyone else lucky enough to own Dark Angel.
Summary: Sequel to "Then it comes to be." The cult loonies are gone but the transgenics have other problems to deal with, not to mention a whole civilization to build. M/A
Rating: R because of occasional violence and sex.
A/N: The NC-17 version of this story is posted at http://nunswithpens.hyperboards.com/.
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Early the next morning the three humans gathered outside the apartment building where they'd crashed the night before, anxious to get out of TC before the toxins kicked in.
"Morning, boo," OC called to Max as she sauntered over to join them. "Where's your boy?"
"Training," Max replied with a vague wave down the street.
Sketch elbowed Normal in the ribs and jerked his head in the general direction Max had indicated. "C'mon." Normal grinned in excitement, thrilled at the prospect of seeing his golden boy in action. The two men slipped away and hurried down the street.
Normal suppressed a small sigh when he realized Alec wasn't actually fighting, merely supervising a group of kids. But his initial disappointment quickly faded as he got a better look at the scene. Alec was crouched on his heels watching closely as two young boys sparred. He stood when his friends approached and signalled to the kids. "Dodge, Fish, defend. The rest of you, go to it."
The two boys, Dodge and Fish, stood back-to-back in their fighter's stance while the other four X-8 kids circled around, darting in and out as they sought an opening in the two boys' defences. Sketch and Normal watched mesmerized as the defenders parried a blur of blows and kicks aimed at them from all sides.
"No wonder you were so good in the cage. I bet these KIDS could've taken on those guys," Normal said, awestruck by the display of power and dexterity from a group of 8 year olds.
"It's a dangerous world out there. They have to be ready to defend themselves," Alec said quietly, not taking his eyes off the kids. The two defenders were managing to hold their own, but just barely. One of the girls attacked with a potentially lethal jump kick. Fish grabbed her outstretched foot and tossed her backwards. She expertly flipped herself upright in midair and landed on her feet.
"Whoa. How'd she do that?" Sketch asked.
"Feline DNA. Cats always land on their feet," Alec answered absently.
"So, is this how you grew up? Fighting all the time?"
"Fighting was the easy part," Alec said flatly.
"And the hard part?" Sketchy asked hesitantly.
Alec slowly turned to look at him. All personality was drained from his face. His eyes were dead. He didn't answer, just stared at Sketch with a perfectly blank look on his face.
Sketchy gulped but couldn't look away. The Alec he knew was gone, and in his place stood an emotionless, robotic soldier. A tool. Sketch tried to imagine what his friend had gone through to make him look like that, and failed miserably. "People should know what you went through, man. It might help."
Alec looked at him steadily for a minute. "Not me. And not Max. But you can ask them." He gestured at the kids.
"That's enough," he called out, seconds before the defenders would have been overwhelmed by the attackers. The kids gathered in a rough semi-circle front of Alec, their eyes trained on him.
"This is Sketchy. He's a friend. He wants to talk to you." They nodded as one and then shifted positions to face Sketch. Their eyes gave away nothing of what they were thinking.
Alec gestured to Normal. "C'mon. Max'll take you home." He spun on his heel and stalked down the street to where the girls were waiting, forcing Normal to jog to catch up.
Normal looked sidelong at Alec. His face was still closed and he walked stiffly, his spine held perfectly straight, as if his commanding officers from Manticore were watching him march past. The guilt and anger Normal felt the night before over what had been done to the transgenics came flooding back, full-force. *No one has the right to treat another living creature that way,* he thought angrily.
Max glanced up as they approached and Alec quickly slapped his trademark grin on his face. He pulled her close for a quick kiss.
"Be good, suga," OC said to Alec, one hand on her hip.
"Always." Alec grinned at her. He held out his hand to Normal.
Normal cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable. "Take care of yourself," he said gruffly. "And keep an eye on missy-miss here. She'll get you into trouble if you don't watch out."
"Yeah, but that's half the fun," Alec answered with a wink.
----*----
An X-5 dressed from head to toe in black jogged into HQ late in the afternoon the next day. He pulled a disk from his pocket and handed it to Alec with a flourish. "Here you go, boss."
"Any trouble?" Alec asked as he tossed the disk to Dix, who shoved it in the computer and started copying the files.
"Nah," the X-5 said shaking his head. "It was right where Witherspoon said it would be."
"The files are encrypted, but it won't take long," Dix said without glancing up from the screen.
"It's schematics for body armour," he called out a few minutes later. "Pretty advanced stuff."
Alec leaned over Dix's shoulder. He whistled when he saw the schematics. "This stuff's heavy-duty. Nothing we can't handle, but still." Alec shrugged. "Can you corrupt the original files? Just enough to make the design unworkable? No sense handing it over to a piece of shit like Witherspoon." He kept his voice low so only the transhuman could hear.
"No problem." Dix's fingers flew over the keyboard. "That should do it." He handed the disk to Alec.
Alec straightened up. "Get Blink and Conner in here," he ordered in a normal voice. "They'll want to prepare counter-measures, in case we ever come up against this stuff."
"Sure thing, boss." Dix jumped out of his seat and headed for the door. He nearly bowled over Jazz as she walked into HQ. She caught Alec's eye and gave him a thumbs-up sign, indicating the bug had been planted during the night.
Alec tilted his head at her in a barely perceptible nod. He walked over to Lydecker and held out the disk. "I think we deserve to know what we're risking life and limb for," he said with a challenging stare.
Deck gave him a tiny smile and nodded. Only a naive fool or an idealist wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity. He took the disk from Alec and pocketed it. He waited until Alec had walked away and then picked up his cell and dialled Witherspoon. Mission complete he announced.
Good. But enough soft missions. I need them operational. Now.
Have my kids ever let you down? Lydecker asked patiently.
The past is not the issue. The question is whether they will continue to serve as required. Otherwise they are no use to us.
You have a target. Lydecker made it a statement, not a question.
Yes.
They'll want to know why.
Oh, really. Witherspoon chuckled, a dry laugh that grated on Deck's ear. Don't tell me they're developing a conscience.
As I told the committee, they have developed beyond their original parameters.
The target is a traitor to this government. Is that sufficient reason for your precious children to obey a direct order?
Lydecker ignored the sarcasm in Witherspoon's voice. What about the contact?
Not at this time. I'm sending you the file now. You have 3 days to complete the mission and prove their loyalty. Otherwise we take this to the next level. The phone clicked as Witherspoon hung up.
Deck stared into the distance for several minutes, a thoughtful, uncertain look on his face. Shaking himself out of his reverie he opened his laptop and accessed his email. The file contained a profile of the target and few grainy photos of the target meeting with the contact in a deserted park. Just the bare bones of what they needed to know about the target, and very little information on the contact. Deck sighed. He hated working blind. Missions had gone sideways before because one of the players had moved from the periphery to the center stage.
Deck typed a command and the photo of the meet appeared on the large screen by the conference table. Immediately all activity ceased.
Max went deathly pale. A cold shiver of dread ran down her spine. She sat on her hands to keep them from shaking.
"Nice couple. Who are they?" Alec asked, his quiet voice carrying through the now-silent room.
"Your mission," Lydecker replied.
Max closed her eyes as the room spun dizzily. Alec reached under the table and laid his warm hand on her knee.
"The man on the right is James Miller," Lydecker announced calmly. "He works for a government weapons contractor that specializes in tactical weapons, missiles, air defence, you name it. The man he's meeting with is a legman for an international arms dealer known to supply America's enemies abroad."
Deck pressed a key and the image shifted to a close-up of the target. "Mr. Miller is selling US weaponry to the highest bidder. He is a traitor to this country. You have three days to eliminate the target and complete your mission."
Assassination. The word reverberated inside Max's head. Her stomach heaved and she thought she might be sick.
Alec stood and walked over to the screen. He scrutinized the image of the target for several seconds and then turned to face the transgenics. He deliberately ignored Lydecker. "Luke, get me schematics of the target's house, office, everything. Dix, see what you can dig up on this guy. We need to know his habits."
Dix nodded slightly in understanding of the implicit message. Alec turned to face the rest of the team. "Blink, get your team out there. Full recon. Conner, Jazz, I need a list of what we got in stock that might come in handy. If anyone has any bright ideas they want to share, I'll be in my office."
Blink, Conner, Dix and Luke nodded in acknowledgement of Alec's orders and hurried off to complete their assigned tasks.
"Alec," Max said piteously, a sickened look on her face. Alec pulled her to her feet and led her to the privacy of his office.
Deck was left standing by the conference table, alone and ignored. He clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring in anger.
Alec clasped Max's hand tightly and rubbed his thumb in circles across her skin. Her fingers were like ice. Her dark eyes stared up into his, pleading.
"Don't worry, Max," he said soothingly. "Dix is already on it. He'll figure out whether the target really is what Witherspoon claims he is."
"But it'll take him days. Time that we don't have. We need that intel now." Max swallowed hard and wished she'd had the nerve to tell Alec before now. This was hardly the ideal circumstances to tell her lover she'd been in contact with her ex-boyfriend. Max took a deep breath and looked Alec straight in the eyes. "Logan has offered to help."
Alec flinched. The phrase Max used hit him like a slap across the face. Not "Logan WOULD help if we asked him to," but "Logan HAS offered to help." Which meant she'd been talking to Logan. And she hadn't told him.
His mask slammed into place. Unconsciously he let go of her hand.
Max winced guiltily at the hurt look in his eyes. "Alec, I'm sorry. I should've told you, but it's not what you think. Logan has contacts. He can get us the intel fast. That's the only reason I called him. It has nothing to do with him and me."
Alec stared at her stonily.
Max saw the muscles in his jaw clench. "Don't look at me like that. This has nothing to do with you. Or us." Max felt her own anger flare. She'd never been very good at admitting when she was wrong. *Alec should've known I'd ask Logan for help. He's Eyes Only for god's sake! He does shit like this all the time.*
Alec felt the walls of his office closing in around him. All of a sudden there wasn't enough air to breathe. Max was glaring at him angrily, daring him to question her behaviour. As if he had no say in anything she did, and no right to complain.
*The entire time we've been together, she lied to me.*
He burned with jealousy, despair, and a mocking self-disgust. He should have expected this, should have known she could never really love him. He should've guarded his heart better, instead of foolishly handing it over at the first sign she might care for him.
*Did she even try?*
"You should've told me," Alec snapped. He had to get out, had to get away. He pushed past her and out the door. He marched straight out of HQ, ignoring the puzzled looks Dix and Conner sent his way.
It was raining. The sky was grey, the rain a thin drizzle that drifted through the air and clung to skin and clothing. Alec flipped the collar of his jacket up and shoved his hands in his pockets. He wandered TC aimlessly with no destination in mind, just the need to move.
The solider in him could understand Max's decision. They needed accurate intel and Logan could provide it. Therefore contacting Logan was a smart tactical decision. And Max was the only one who could ask him to get that information.
His mind conjured a mental image of Max leaning over Logan's shoulder to read a file on the computer screen, laughing softly at something the hacker said.
Alec felt a cold finger of fear slid down his spine. He was afraid. Afraid that despite everything she'd said to him, she was still in love with Logan. Afraid that she'd only chosen him because of the virus. Afraid that she would leave him if she ever got the chance and he would be nothing and no one.
What other choice is there?, the soldier in him whispered in his mind. Asking Logan is the fastest way to get the information we need.
Logan will misunderstand. He'll see her coming to him for help as a sign. He'll never give up trying to win her back, the man in him answered.
Max only asked him to help because she needs to be certain the target is dirty, the soldier insisted. She's looking for a tactical advantage.
Are you sure?, the man replied. If that was the only reason, why didn't she tell you before she called him?
*SHUT UP!* Alec screamed mentally. He needed the voices to be quiet, to let him think. He trudged blindly through the rain, the emotional and the rational warring within him.
----*----
Eventually Alec returned to HQ, soaked to the bone. Max was waiting for him inside his office, anxiously pacing the length of the small room. She looked wretched. She was pale and there were faint tear tracks down her face.
Alec forced his face to remain expressionless. "I don't like this. But if Logan can get us the information we need, then you have to ask."
She searched his face, trying to get at the emotions behind his words. "I'm not in love with him anymore," she said. "That's not what this is about."
He wanted so desperately to believe that. He snatched her close, his fingers bruising her arms where he gripped her. He kissed her deeply, pouring all his passion and love into that kiss. Just as quickly as he'd grabbed her, he released her. "Call him. Set it up," he whispered. And then he turned his back so he wouldn't have to watch her walk out of his office.
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