Spoilers: Set after Hello, Goodbye - so anything prior to this
episode is spoiled and as the story continues, it may impinge
slightly on other episodes after unintentionally.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that we owe
thanks to James Cameron, FOX and anyone else associated with
Dark Angel.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWO
By the third day straight on Max's motorbike, stopping only a few times to refill the tank, the two finally pulled into a motel to take cover from the stinging rain. They got a room with two beds and dragged themselves inside, collapsing and falling asleep within minutes. When the sun rose that morning, Max was already awake, her eyes alert with feline sensitivity. Shuffling through the papers Logan had given Alec, she realised that this couldn't be a 'smash and grab job' as the saying went. It had to be meticulously planned. She sighed and left the motel room, leaving behind a peacefully resting Alec.
"What's this?"
"It's a map of the place we're dealing with. We have to plan this out carefully. One mistake and we could lose those 7s."
"Not like you to plan something, not really your style. But, okay. I.oh! Action figures - this is so cool! Which one am I?"
"Must be a guy thing.",
Max whispered under her breath, as Alec playfully clutched the two soldier figures,
"Alec, so this is what.Alec? Listen.ALEC!"
She snatched the toys from him impatiently and he shot her a sideways glance,
"Hey!"
"I told you to listen!"
"I was. Unlike most men, I am multi-skilled. I can listen and do other stuff at the same time."
"I doubt that."
"You wound me!"
He clutched at his heart in mock pain and Max couldn't help but smile. They both leaned in over the map and Alec studied her face as he listened attentively to her cleverly thought out strategy.
* * * * *
Max moved silently through the woods, clad all in black and even her face was half hidden by the shadows and a woollen beanie. Alec mirrored her movements, his head the only part visible in the night. They crept through the foliage without sound and Alec suddenly threw his right hand up in the air, halting Max's advances. She watched his signalling, as he told her to take the two guards, which had emerged to their left and he would take the three on the right. Behind them was the building, visible only through the scrub with enhanced vision. Nodding at one another, they mutely split up and made their presence known to the guards.
Alec flew at the first one, his first punch rendering the chubby man unconsciously instantly. He turned to the other two with a half-grin playing on his lips. One waved his baton at him wildly and he ducked his head and snapped the metal pole, before blurring over to the slack-jawed guard and tripping him. He then bent down and put a slight amount of pressure on his neck, just enough so he'd be sleeping for a while. Alec turned to the third guard who was unsuccessfully attempting to disguise his fear with a look of contempt. He faked a move towards the guard and the man froze, not sure of what to do. Alec rolled his eyes and slammed his elbow against the back of his head, causing him to slump down onto the dirt below with his friends,
"Amateurs."
He looked down at the pile of guards and sighed. It really would have been fun if they had been more challenging. That was how he liked it. Alec took off, blurring his way around the perimeter to see Max standing on two cataleptic guards, peeking in through a window,
"They're in there."
"You can see them? Okay, so how do we get in?"
"It's a pretty big warehouse, could hold a lot more guards. But this seems pretty proletarian. But that's not to say we mightn't run into trouble inside. The X7s are tied up in the far corner and I can only see 1 guard at the moment. We make our move now. I take the guard and you release them. If more show up then they can help us fight."
"Lets move. Through this window on the count of three. Ready? One, two, three - GO!"
Max and Alec sailed through the glass, sending shards flying everywhere as they rolled gracefully onto the bitumen floor. Both sprung up instantaneously and leaped into action. She fought off guard after guard as they emerged from a little room on the side of the warehouse after hearing a commotion. She fought skilfully, gaining an easier upper hand on her inexperienced adversaries, who were dropping like flies. On the other side, Alec untied the group of X7's, whispering in a tone no human could ever detect, for them to join in on the fight.
A gun cocked at Max and she whirled around to glance at a shaking chubby guard. She blurred behind him and floored him,
"I hate guns!"
The fight was over soon enough and Alec came face to face with the supposed leader, a tattooed redneck, whose eyes were filled completely with hate for the handsome transgenic.
"Learned your lesson? Please say no so I can teach it to you."
"You mutant freaks. You all deserve to die. You can kill me, but it won't kill the cause. That won't die until you do, you sick fucks."
Alec wrinkled his nose in anger and snapped the man's neck, before throwing it effortlessly at the wall with one hand,
"Damn vigilantes."
Max looked over at a trembling Alec, whose eyes were watering slightly,
"Alec, you alright?"
He didn't look at her, as he stormed past muttering,
"I'm always alright."
By the time Max gathered the X7s and headed them outside, Alec had disappeared without a trace. She sighed and looked around cautiously, her chocolate brown eyes flicking over the thick shrubbery. The X7s followed her gaze and swivelled around, nervous after having been held capture. None of them saw the man perched high up on a tree branch, watching them with a spiteful grin lighting up his face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWO
By the third day straight on Max's motorbike, stopping only a few times to refill the tank, the two finally pulled into a motel to take cover from the stinging rain. They got a room with two beds and dragged themselves inside, collapsing and falling asleep within minutes. When the sun rose that morning, Max was already awake, her eyes alert with feline sensitivity. Shuffling through the papers Logan had given Alec, she realised that this couldn't be a 'smash and grab job' as the saying went. It had to be meticulously planned. She sighed and left the motel room, leaving behind a peacefully resting Alec.
"What's this?"
"It's a map of the place we're dealing with. We have to plan this out carefully. One mistake and we could lose those 7s."
"Not like you to plan something, not really your style. But, okay. I.oh! Action figures - this is so cool! Which one am I?"
"Must be a guy thing.",
Max whispered under her breath, as Alec playfully clutched the two soldier figures,
"Alec, so this is what.Alec? Listen.ALEC!"
She snatched the toys from him impatiently and he shot her a sideways glance,
"Hey!"
"I told you to listen!"
"I was. Unlike most men, I am multi-skilled. I can listen and do other stuff at the same time."
"I doubt that."
"You wound me!"
He clutched at his heart in mock pain and Max couldn't help but smile. They both leaned in over the map and Alec studied her face as he listened attentively to her cleverly thought out strategy.
* * * * *
Max moved silently through the woods, clad all in black and even her face was half hidden by the shadows and a woollen beanie. Alec mirrored her movements, his head the only part visible in the night. They crept through the foliage without sound and Alec suddenly threw his right hand up in the air, halting Max's advances. She watched his signalling, as he told her to take the two guards, which had emerged to their left and he would take the three on the right. Behind them was the building, visible only through the scrub with enhanced vision. Nodding at one another, they mutely split up and made their presence known to the guards.
Alec flew at the first one, his first punch rendering the chubby man unconsciously instantly. He turned to the other two with a half-grin playing on his lips. One waved his baton at him wildly and he ducked his head and snapped the metal pole, before blurring over to the slack-jawed guard and tripping him. He then bent down and put a slight amount of pressure on his neck, just enough so he'd be sleeping for a while. Alec turned to the third guard who was unsuccessfully attempting to disguise his fear with a look of contempt. He faked a move towards the guard and the man froze, not sure of what to do. Alec rolled his eyes and slammed his elbow against the back of his head, causing him to slump down onto the dirt below with his friends,
"Amateurs."
He looked down at the pile of guards and sighed. It really would have been fun if they had been more challenging. That was how he liked it. Alec took off, blurring his way around the perimeter to see Max standing on two cataleptic guards, peeking in through a window,
"They're in there."
"You can see them? Okay, so how do we get in?"
"It's a pretty big warehouse, could hold a lot more guards. But this seems pretty proletarian. But that's not to say we mightn't run into trouble inside. The X7s are tied up in the far corner and I can only see 1 guard at the moment. We make our move now. I take the guard and you release them. If more show up then they can help us fight."
"Lets move. Through this window on the count of three. Ready? One, two, three - GO!"
Max and Alec sailed through the glass, sending shards flying everywhere as they rolled gracefully onto the bitumen floor. Both sprung up instantaneously and leaped into action. She fought off guard after guard as they emerged from a little room on the side of the warehouse after hearing a commotion. She fought skilfully, gaining an easier upper hand on her inexperienced adversaries, who were dropping like flies. On the other side, Alec untied the group of X7's, whispering in a tone no human could ever detect, for them to join in on the fight.
A gun cocked at Max and she whirled around to glance at a shaking chubby guard. She blurred behind him and floored him,
"I hate guns!"
The fight was over soon enough and Alec came face to face with the supposed leader, a tattooed redneck, whose eyes were filled completely with hate for the handsome transgenic.
"Learned your lesson? Please say no so I can teach it to you."
"You mutant freaks. You all deserve to die. You can kill me, but it won't kill the cause. That won't die until you do, you sick fucks."
Alec wrinkled his nose in anger and snapped the man's neck, before throwing it effortlessly at the wall with one hand,
"Damn vigilantes."
Max looked over at a trembling Alec, whose eyes were watering slightly,
"Alec, you alright?"
He didn't look at her, as he stormed past muttering,
"I'm always alright."
By the time Max gathered the X7s and headed them outside, Alec had disappeared without a trace. She sighed and looked around cautiously, her chocolate brown eyes flicking over the thick shrubbery. The X7s followed her gaze and swivelled around, nervous after having been held capture. None of them saw the man perched high up on a tree branch, watching them with a spiteful grin lighting up his face.