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 THREE
Once back in the motel room, Max sat hunched up in her customary position against the wall, watching the door anxiously for Alec to return. The X8s had been collected and transported to a safe house by an Eyes Only contact, and Max had made her way back here. There had been no sign of her partner in crime. He sauntered in hours later, reeking of scotch, and threw a paper bag of greasy food in her direction.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Out."
"Where? And thanks for telling me."
"I had to clear my head and did I really need your permission?"
She stopped in her furious state and her face became softened with concern,
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Max punched him on the shoulder as hard as she could, sending him back a few steps,
"Don't make me fight dirty, what is wrong?"
"Max, stay out of my business."
He moved backwards and sat on the bed, brandishing a full bottle of bourbon and downed most of it in a shot.
"You're drunk?"
"Maybe. It doesn't matter anyway. Nothing changes."
"Alec, how much have you had? It takes a lot for us to get drunk. A LOT."
"Yeah. Fast metabolisms and all; great for our body shapes, bad for alcohol needs. Anyway, I haven't had that much."
He stood up, but after swaying considerably, slumped back down dejectedly. Max stared at him, unsure of what to do. Many minutes later Alec finally spoke, his eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling,
"Sometimes I just want it to stop. It hurts and it's so loud. I'd do anything to make it stop. The pain, it's deafening."
"Then talk about what's wrong."
"DON'T!"
"Don't what, Alec?"
"I can hear it in your voice, the pity. I don't want it."
"I don't pity you."
"That's right Maxie, I almost forgot, you hate me. I should've known better than to think that these last few weeks we actually had something resembling a friendship. You will always think of me as the screw-up."
"Alec, I never said that. Any of it."
"Where have you been the whole time we've been friends? Well, not friends, but known one another. You're a screw-up Alec, me and Logan would be able to touch if it weren't for you, I could've got that baseball, Joshua wouldn't have had that horrible experience when he delivered your packages, my virus papers wouldn't have paint on them.Don't you think that I know, Max? I do. I know I am a screw-up. That everything I touch turns to crap. That I am some Manticore freak who wastes your time. Why didn't you just let my head explode?"
He sprung at her, his reflexes only slightly tarnished now by intoxication. Max was pressed up against the wall, Alec's arm pushed against the wall next to her head. He eyed her hungrily and traced a finger lightly up her body. She gulped and had to stop herself from leaning into the touch.
"You think I don't know Max, I do. Even as wasted as I am, I know."
Alec pushed away from her and she whimpered silently before going over to him on the bed,
"Alec. I don't think that you are a screw-up. I think you are a guy who's trying to figure it out. To adapt to this world. The real world, outside of Manticore. I made mistakes too when I was first out. You learn. And I know that I have been hard on you in the past, but that's me."
"Yeah right. It has nothing to do with me looking like Ben, if that's what you were suggesting and you know it."
Max was silent, stunned by the way Alec was behaving and particularly the last comment he had just shot at her. A side of him that she had never seen before.
Alec rolled onto his side and regarded Max, her eyes on the floor and she looked deep in thought. And was that regret? Yeah regret for the things that he had done and that she hadn't killed him when she had the chance. But as he continued to watch the stunning X5, he became increasingly aware of a nagging voice in the back of his, getting louder and louder. Finally he clamped his eyes shut and slowed his breathing, falling asleep quickly.
Max looked up as she heard his breathing slow and stood, grabbing her jacket. She headed out the door, now it was her turn to clear her head. She shuffled through some trees in a forest and came to a large clearing. About to continue, her pupils dilated and she froze.
Flashback:
"You were what you were meant to be.a cold blooded killer."
Max gaped in shock at the sight before her. Bodies. One. Two. Three, four, five. Laid out and displayed on a large rock slab. She crept forward quietly, trying her best to be calm and regulate her breathing through her mouth. Her enhanced nose would just pick up the lingering stench of death, though she feared she might be able to taste it on her mouth. After what seemed like forever, Max reached the bodies and gagged, reeling from the traumatising sight.
Flashback:
A group of young transgenics, X5s, run through the forest, chasing after a man who would never make it out alive. A man desperate, but stupid enough to underestimate their abilities.
Max unconsciously reached out and closed the eyes of one of the bodies, a young man who's almost black eyes stared out at her in fear and accusation. Her hand lingered on the rock at the sight of his bloody mouth.
Flashback:
"They make her strong, so that she can fight the anomalies."
Max gagged again - the scene was overwhelming. All of their teeth were pulled out, their bodies twisted into the same position.
"Oh God."
Flashback:
"Ben why are you doing this?"
She turned one of them to look at the back of his neck. Seeing the barcode, her eyes mentally scanned it.
"Ben." But as she reached the last line, it was different. Slightly a different size. Not 493. Max let out a whoosh on breath and a tear trickled down her face as she shakily whispered to herself,
"494.God, no. ALEC not BEN."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER THREE
Once back in the motel room, Max sat hunched up in her customary position against the wall, watching the door anxiously for Alec to return. The X8s had been collected and transported to a safe house by an Eyes Only contact, and Max had made her way back here. There had been no sign of her partner in crime. He sauntered in hours later, reeking of scotch, and threw a paper bag of greasy food in her direction.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Out."
"Where? And thanks for telling me."
"I had to clear my head and did I really need your permission?"
She stopped in her furious state and her face became softened with concern,
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Max punched him on the shoulder as hard as she could, sending him back a few steps,
"Don't make me fight dirty, what is wrong?"
"Max, stay out of my business."
He moved backwards and sat on the bed, brandishing a full bottle of bourbon and downed most of it in a shot.
"You're drunk?"
"Maybe. It doesn't matter anyway. Nothing changes."
"Alec, how much have you had? It takes a lot for us to get drunk. A LOT."
"Yeah. Fast metabolisms and all; great for our body shapes, bad for alcohol needs. Anyway, I haven't had that much."
He stood up, but after swaying considerably, slumped back down dejectedly. Max stared at him, unsure of what to do. Many minutes later Alec finally spoke, his eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling,
"Sometimes I just want it to stop. It hurts and it's so loud. I'd do anything to make it stop. The pain, it's deafening."
"Then talk about what's wrong."
"DON'T!"
"Don't what, Alec?"
"I can hear it in your voice, the pity. I don't want it."
"I don't pity you."
"That's right Maxie, I almost forgot, you hate me. I should've known better than to think that these last few weeks we actually had something resembling a friendship. You will always think of me as the screw-up."
"Alec, I never said that. Any of it."
"Where have you been the whole time we've been friends? Well, not friends, but known one another. You're a screw-up Alec, me and Logan would be able to touch if it weren't for you, I could've got that baseball, Joshua wouldn't have had that horrible experience when he delivered your packages, my virus papers wouldn't have paint on them.Don't you think that I know, Max? I do. I know I am a screw-up. That everything I touch turns to crap. That I am some Manticore freak who wastes your time. Why didn't you just let my head explode?"
He sprung at her, his reflexes only slightly tarnished now by intoxication. Max was pressed up against the wall, Alec's arm pushed against the wall next to her head. He eyed her hungrily and traced a finger lightly up her body. She gulped and had to stop herself from leaning into the touch.
"You think I don't know Max, I do. Even as wasted as I am, I know."
Alec pushed away from her and she whimpered silently before going over to him on the bed,
"Alec. I don't think that you are a screw-up. I think you are a guy who's trying to figure it out. To adapt to this world. The real world, outside of Manticore. I made mistakes too when I was first out. You learn. And I know that I have been hard on you in the past, but that's me."
"Yeah right. It has nothing to do with me looking like Ben, if that's what you were suggesting and you know it."
Max was silent, stunned by the way Alec was behaving and particularly the last comment he had just shot at her. A side of him that she had never seen before.
Alec rolled onto his side and regarded Max, her eyes on the floor and she looked deep in thought. And was that regret? Yeah regret for the things that he had done and that she hadn't killed him when she had the chance. But as he continued to watch the stunning X5, he became increasingly aware of a nagging voice in the back of his, getting louder and louder. Finally he clamped his eyes shut and slowed his breathing, falling asleep quickly.
Max looked up as she heard his breathing slow and stood, grabbing her jacket. She headed out the door, now it was her turn to clear her head. She shuffled through some trees in a forest and came to a large clearing. About to continue, her pupils dilated and she froze.
Flashback:
"You were what you were meant to be.a cold blooded killer."
Max gaped in shock at the sight before her. Bodies. One. Two. Three, four, five. Laid out and displayed on a large rock slab. She crept forward quietly, trying her best to be calm and regulate her breathing through her mouth. Her enhanced nose would just pick up the lingering stench of death, though she feared she might be able to taste it on her mouth. After what seemed like forever, Max reached the bodies and gagged, reeling from the traumatising sight.
Flashback:
A group of young transgenics, X5s, run through the forest, chasing after a man who would never make it out alive. A man desperate, but stupid enough to underestimate their abilities.
Max unconsciously reached out and closed the eyes of one of the bodies, a young man who's almost black eyes stared out at her in fear and accusation. Her hand lingered on the rock at the sight of his bloody mouth.
Flashback:
"They make her strong, so that she can fight the anomalies."
Max gagged again - the scene was overwhelming. All of their teeth were pulled out, their bodies twisted into the same position.
"Oh God."
Flashback:
"Ben why are you doing this?"
She turned one of them to look at the back of his neck. Seeing the barcode, her eyes mentally scanned it.
"Ben." But as she reached the last line, it was different. Slightly a different size. Not 493. Max let out a whoosh on breath and a tear trickled down her face as she shakily whispered to herself,
"494.God, no. ALEC not BEN."